Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 China's first intercity housing trade-in scheme aims to revitalize real estate Xinhua) 08:38, August 16, 2024 NANJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 cities across China are now encouraging homeowners to swap their old properties for brand-new ones with an additional payment. This scheme has been taken a bold step further in the Yangtze River Delta region, where, for the first time, intercity housing trade-ins are now available. Liangxi urban development group, a state-owned enterprise (SOE) based in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province -- a city with an annual GDP exceeding 1.5 trillion yuan (about 210 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023 -- unveiled the groundbreaking housing trade-in scheme earlier this month. Under the new scheme, homeowners can trade in pre-owned residential properties not just within Wuxi but also in the neighboring cities of Suzhou and Changzhou for new homes in the Liangxi District of Wuxi. This pioneering housing trade-in initiative is the first of its kind in China, standing out from other intra-city "old for new" property schemes already implemented in over 100 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. The housing trade-in scheme primarily involves government-designated agencies or real estate companies purchasing and replacing existing properties, often with subsidies, to assist homeowners in selling their old homes and upgrading to new houses. This is the second time the SOE has expanded the scope of its housing trade-in scheme since the initial version was launched on April 2, which only covered residential properties in Liangxi District. The trade-in initiative was first expanded to include second-hand residential properties across Wuxi. Later, it was further broadened to cover commercial properties within Wuxi and second-hand residential properties in neighboring cities. The trade-in program supports a variety of options, including one-for-one, one-for-multiple, or multiple-for-one swaps. This means that a single pre-owned property can be exchanged for one or more new homes, and multiple pre-owned properties can be traded for a single new home. However, it is stipulated that the total value of the pre-owned properties must not exceed 60 percent of the new property's price, with the remaining 40 percent to be paid either in cash or through financing options. Many industry insiders view such property trade-in measures as part of China's broader strategy to reduce housing inventory, facilitate transactions for both new and pre-owned homes, and stimulate overall market activity. According to data from the China Index Academy, the average price of second-hand residential properties in 100 cities nationwide stood at 14,653 yuan per square meter in July, marking a 0.74 percent month-on-month decline while continuing a 27-month streak of decreasing prices. The National Bureau of Statistics reported that as of the end of June this year, the unsold inventory of newly built commercial housing in China had reached 738.94 million square meters, an increase of 15.2 percent year on year, with unsold residential properties recording a 23.5 percent rise. Against the backdrop of a sluggish property market, the scheme has garnered interest from those looking to improve their living conditions by effectively addressing the challenge of stagnant second-hand home sales. Statistics indicate that since sealing its first intra-city deal on April 25 this year, the Wuxi-based SOE had successfully completed over 40 transactions by mid-May. The acquired older properties have been repurposed for resale, affordable housing, or talent apartments. Zhang Bin, vice president of the Wuxi Real Estate Association, said that this model will help invigorate both the primary and secondary housing markets in Wuxi, while also attracting homebuyers from Suzhou and Changzhou to settle and invest in Wuxi. "It's a strategic move to attract and retain talent, promote coordinated urban development and accelerate the flow of professionals within the economically vibrant Yangtze River Delta," Zhang added. According to Yan Yuejin, deputy director of the E-house China R&D Institute in Shanghai, Wuxi's trade-in scheme is currently the most innovative among policies rolled out by over 100 cities nationwide, and is worth emulating. "This policy could encourage homeowners in Suzhou and Changzhou to settle in Wuxi," said Yan, adding that it can serve as an inspiration for implementing similar cross-regional home trade-in programs in the future and fostering the movement of young talent within city clusters. Noting that many individuals working in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai have opted to temporarily purchase homes in nearby cities, Yan said such trade-in policies could present them with new opportunities to eventually buy homes in these high-priced metropolitan areas. "The potential for such trade-ins across city clusters and metropolitan areas in China is vast," he added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A general view of a transmission towers in a field on April 17, 2024 in San Marcos, Texas. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) have asked power generating companies to postpone scheduled maintenance to help alleviate potential setbacks as temperatures have risen to the mid 80s. Rising temperatures has the potential to lead to an increased power demand during scheduled maintenance times, creating a power emergency. Brandon Bell/Getty Images CPS Energys Braunig Power Station is seen from the air in late July. The city-owned utility wants to shut down three of the stations oldest units but the state grid operator is concerned it will leave it without enough capacity in the next two years. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer In this 2009 file photo, four gas-fired peaking power plants are seen under construction at the city-owned utilitys Braunig Power Station. Staff file photo The Texas grid operator and at least one state utility commissioner are worried CPS Energys planned shutdown of three aging generating units could increase the likelihood of statewide power outages by putting more pressure on an already-troubling transmission chokepoint near San Antonio. The impacts of the city-owned utilitys plan to shutter the plants at its Braunig Power Station by next March were hashed out Thursday as the Public Utility Commission eyed the multimillion-dollar cost of inspecting the units to determine if keeping them running is feasible. If it is, Texas utility ratepayers would face even more expense to make the plants ready to continue operating through summer 2026. The possibility of cascading outages caused by an increasingly unbalanced grid may be a bigger issue than the financial costs, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has said. The grid operator told commissioners that losing Braunigs 849 megawatts of production has a material impact on transmission facilities in South Texas that are critical to the grid. Advertisement Article continues below this ad How does the system look over the next 12 months? Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty asked, referring to new generation sources like batteries and solar farms that could be popping up north of the South Texas chokepoint by this time next year. Does any of this transmission issue get solved as a result of that or does it continue to fester? Woody Rickerson, ERCOTs chief operating officer, said there is new generation coming online by next year but still determined reliability would be put at risk without Braunigs three fossil-fueled units power. It also said the troubled transmission line called the Spruce-Pawnee circuit could be at risk of overloading. The circuit is at risk when plentiful power from South Texas wind farms and batteries is needed in North Texas, where capacity hasnt kept up with increasing demand. Overloading the circuit could prompt the cascading outages, Rickerson said. CPS Energy is working on beefing up the transmission lines but they wont be finished until mid-2027. ERCOT has been looking for a short-term solution to the chokepoint since last year, when a close call on overcrowded transmission lines brought the grid closer to emergency conditions than it had been since Winter Storm Uri in early 2021. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The grid operators verdict that reliability issues could be caused by the long-planned closing of the Braunig units kicked off the process over what to do now. ERCOT and commissioners are staring down $22 million in estimated costs to pry open Unit 3, the biggest of the trio, take it off line and examine the feasibility of running it past March 2025. CPS has estimated the cost of assessing and readying all three to stay in service is about $57 million. Shutting them down is part of the utilitys long-term plan to cut harmful emissions while adding more wind, battery and solar capacity. ERCOT is also accepting applications for alternative power resources that could potentially take the place of the supply from Braunig. Ultimately, it will pick whatever is less expensive. But to figure that out, it might not be able to avoid the costly inspection process, which can take up to two months. The Spruce-Pawnee circuit allows power to come into the 345,000-volt ring around San Antonio. In that ring are multiple power plants, but they alone cant serve peak demand. Outages or an imbalanced amount of power north and south of the line can stress it out. Experts have compared it to a highway: When there are more speeding cars, there are more risks for accidents and traffic jams. Advertisement Article continues below this ad ERCOT now says its worried that with less generation on hand in the region, it might not have the needed flexibility to respond to outages or frequency drops like the one that happened in September. CPS Energy is here, ready to support ERCOT if it should be necessary and theres a feasible way to do it, Carolyn Shellman, the city-owned utilitys attorney, told commissioners. The costs to inspect and repair the plants would be shared by companies across the ERCOT market, typically passed down to ratepayers. It could cost $150 million to actually keep the plants running past March 2025, according to CPS early estimates. On this episode of the Utterly Moderate Podcast, the authors of the brand new book, The Poisoning of the American Mind, talk about the book and its implications for America. So what is their argument? A significant amount of research suggests that most people seek out news and information sources that mirror their worldviews, avoid ones that dont, and interpret information using cognitive filters that force an alignment with what they already believe. As social psychologist David Dunning writes, Each of us possesses certain foundational beliefsnarratives about the self, ideas about the social orderthat essentially cannot be violated. . . And any information that we glean from the world is amended, distorted, diminished, or forgotten in order to make sure that these sacrosanct beliefs remain whole and unharmed. As they document in their brand new book and their free online documentary of the same name, the evidence suggests that this problem afflicts both conservative and liberal Americans. Conservative Americans tend to place their trust in very few sources of news and information, and those sources tend to be low-quality, like the openly partisan Fox News. Conservatives also tend to cocoon themselves within a partisan media ecosystem of like-minded low-quality outlets, an internally coherent, relatively insulated knowledge community, reinforcing the shared worldview of readers and shielding them from journalism that challenge[s] it. Liberal Americans are more likely than conservatives to trust legitimate journalistic outlets, but those sources often unknowingly spread misleading claims that they truly believe are backed by the science. Why do they believe this? Sometimes its because the outlet doesnt fully grasp the preponderance of the evidence on the issue at hand. But too often it is because irresponsible experts, who news outlets should be able to trust, said the science backed their claims when it didnt. Consider the following statements that many on the left assume are backed by the science: Discrimination is a primary cause of the gender pay gap (this is more than likely not true in America today). Gender affirming care reduces suicide risk for gender dysphoric individuals (the weight of the empirical evidence does not support this claim at the moment). Police officers kill a disproportionate number of African Americans due to racial bias on the part of officers (this is a claim being vigorously debated and without a clear answer at the moment). We can reliably identify microaggressions, whether they are motivated by racial bias, and whether they cause harm (the evidence for this claim is extraordinarily weak). None of these claims are backed by strong evidence. At best, the research is mixed, not clearly pointing in one direction or the other. At worst, the evidence supports the opposite conclusion. But many on the left believe these statements are backed by the science because prominent academics have made big, irresponsible claims that go far beyond what the preponderance of the evidence supports. In Poisoning, the authors give equal attention to epistemic failings on both sides. They believe the evidence shows that Americans across the political spectrum fall for questionable assertions from sources that they believe to be trustworthy and authoritative, sources which often present the information in a manner that appeals to the sacred beliefs of consumers in-groups. They make no assertions about which sides epistemic failings are worse due to their honest inability to quantify such a thingand they are not sure it matters as much as some may think. Both red and blue America face epistemic crises that act like serious illnesses that sicken American societyeven if you could measure which one makes us feel worse as a nation, the reality is that either one would make our country seriously ill, and experiencing them simultaneously is a nightmare. In Poisoning the authors discuss not only the misleading information that is hurting American, but a variety of possible ideas for how to get ourselves out of this mess. And of course dont forget to sign up for our FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER in just one click! Episode Audio: "Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (Free Music Archive) "Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive) "Last Dance" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive) Happy Trails (To You) by the Riders in the Sky (used with artists permission) Marions claim to be the home of Mountain Dew as its now known has been validated. The state plans to put a marker acknowledging the community as the citrus-flavored soft drinks birthplace, and a local entrepreneur is reviving talks of opening a Mountain Dew museum in the downtown. In April, Ken Heath, Marions director of community and economic development, put out the word that he and state officials wanted to set the record straight on the history of the highly caffeinated and much beloved drink. Heath asked taste-testers who worked with Jones in the early 60s and individuals who knew details of the transaction between Jones and PepsiCo when he sold his famous recipe to share their information in writing. At the same time, businessman and developer Joe Ellis was also pursuing information. He got the opportunity to meet with two daughters of Bill Jones, who in the early 1960s was working at TIP Bottling Company in Marion and is credited with creating the recipe sold to PepsiCo for Mountain Dew. The meeting with Jones daughters produced a treasure trove of documents, Ellis told the Marion Town Council Monday evening. The pairs work gave the Virginia Department of Historic Resources what was needed. Via email, in late July, Heath informed the town council that the agency had completed its research and review and had approved a historical marker to be placed at 517 North Main St. The marker will read, Heath wrote, THE BIRTHPLACE OF MODERN MOUNTAIN DEW! His email continued, For those of you whove been with us decades for this fight, getting official acknowledgment of Marion being where the modern formula was created by our Bill Jones has been impossible to this point, but here we are! Heath has long pointed out that A company from Tennessee, as part of their investment in the Marion business, gave the TIP Corporation their recipe for an unsuccessful whisky mixer they had dubbed Mountain Dew a throwback to the regions moonshine legacy. Jones tinkered with the recipe, and, after many trials, he achieved the final taste and sold his recipe to Pepsi-Cola. Today, Mountain Dew is a $9 billion global brand. According to PepsiCo, Mountain Dew possesses the highest purchase frequency of any soft drink and is the #1 selling single serve in the category. In talking about his goal for this campaign, Heath said, Ultimately, Marion gets the international recognition it deserves for having the recipe we drink today invented right here, and we continue to find creative ways to add that to our brand to bring folks to town to celebrate with us. For Ellis, this endeavor is a passion project, according to Heath. Monday, Ellis acknowledged, Im excited. He noted the building for a museum has been bought and a non-profit is being set up to oversee its development. Once the plaque is installed, Ellis said, Well go into fundraising mode. Ellis pointed to the Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola in New Bern, North Carolina, that draws about 50,000 visitors a year. I hope it will help downtown, he said, noting that the more unique an attraction is, the more tourism it draws. Heath said it will likely be 2025 before the marker is installed. The marker, he said, will get a final review late this month and then go to the foundry for creation. At that time, he said, Well start looking at a huge celebration in 2025, the 60th anniversary of the creation. Cooking with the Dew To help promote Marions claim to Mountain Dew, a new downtown restaurant plans to feature it in multiple dishes. Mark Bull Myers plans to open The Swamp Fox at 107 East Main St. inside the General Francis Marion Hotel next week. Monday, Myers cited Mountain Dew Glazed Carrots as one item on the soon-to-be released menu. The soft drink, he said, will be used significantly in the eaterys kitchen. Even with such help, the town will have work to do to set the record straight. In 2020, the Tennessee Historical Commission erected a highway marker in Knoxville. It reads: Mountain Dew was born right here in Knoxville at 1921 East Magnolia Avenue. This area is the former home of Hartman Beverage, owned and operated by Barney and Ally Hartman. Here in 1948 the brothers created and trademarked the soft drink Mountain Dew as a clear lemon-lime flavored drink. The first franchise for Mountain Dew was issued in 1954 to Charlie Gordons Tri-City Beverage of Johnson City, Tennessee. In 1958 Tri-City Plant Manager, Bill Bridgeforth, developed a new citrus-lemonade flavor for Mountain Dew, which is the taste of Mountain Dew today. On its website, PepsiCo says, The original formula was invented in the 1940s by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman and was first marketed in Marion, Virginia, Knoxville, Tennessee, and Johnson City, Tennessee. The Mountain Dew brand and production rights were acquired by the Pepsi-Cola company in 1964, at which point distribution expanded more widely across the United States. The quote is attributed to Wikipedia, which on its website acknowledges Bill Jones role in Mountain Dews development. A 1-year-old Virginia girl is dead after her father stabbed her mother, abducted her and two siblings and then crashed during a pursuit into Maryland on Thursday, police said. Officers found a woman and a girl suffering from multiple stab wounds in Virginia Beach on Wednesday night, and determined that Dana Plummer, 36, of Virginia Beach, stabbed them before fleeing with his 7- and 5-year-old sons and 1-year-old daughter, Virginia Beach police said. The injured child and the woman, the childrens mother, were taken to hospitals, where they were in stable condition on Thursday, police said. Detectives secured warrants charging Plummer with aggravated malicious wounding, parental abduction and other offenses, and Virginia State Police issued an Amber Alert for the three missing children. 4 ways you can help the Richmond Times-Dispatch cover the community You can help us improve our coverage and deliver the news important to you. Here's how you can help. On Thursday morning, police were notified that the SUV sought in the Amber Alert had been spotted. Virginia State Police tried to stop it on Interstate 95 in Fairfax County, police said. A pursuit began when the driver did not stop and instead continued north on Interstate 495 into Maryland, where the driver lost control and crashed, police said. The three children were found and the 1-year-old was taken to a hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries, police said. Plummer was apprehended at the crash scene. Maryland State Police received a call for assistance from Virginia State Police and arrived about two minutes after the crash, Maj. Adam Stachurski said at a news conference Thursday. Plummer and the two other children were in stable condition at area hospitals, he said. Maryland State Police will investigate the fatal crash. Because Plummer was wanted for felony abduction, Virginia State Police supervision authorized troopers to continue across the state border into Maryland with the fleeing vehicle, the agency said in a statement. None of the agencys vehicles made contact with the SUV, officials said. Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones who are grieving this morning, said Police Chief Paul Neudigate in a statement. This is an unimaginable tragedy, and on behalf of the VBPD, I extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by this loss. The Virginia Department of Education is calling for school divisions to implement policies banning student cellphone use from bell-to-bell, meaning from the start of the school day until dismissal. The education department released draft guidance for cellphone-free education in Virginia schools on Thursday, following an executive order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin last month. The draft guidance says any student with a cellphone should turn it off and store it away, bell-to-bell throughout the school day. This draft guidance is the result of Virginians coming together and saying, Enough, said Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera in a statement. Virginia parents and teachers have witnessed firsthand the damage cell phones in schools has had on our youths academic, mental and physical health and social development. ... The Youngkin administration stands ready to support public schools, families, and communities as we change the culture around cell phones. School systems in Hanover and Henrico counties and the city of Richmond are already working to implement restrictions on cellphones in schools. Chesterfield schools permit use of cellphones for educational purposes but have a range of potential penalties for misuse of phones during the school day. The Virginia Department of Education hosted nine public listening sessions on cellphone-free education in schools throughout the state in July and early August. More than 600 people attended the sessions, and there was a broad consensus from parents and teachers to remove phones during the school day, with most advocating removing them for the entire day, according to the education department. Every minute spent on the phone in class is a minute not spent paying attention to the teacher or trying to understand the material, said Paul Paszkiewicz, a veteran math teacher at Meadowbrook High School in Chesterfield County, during a meeting in Midlothian last week. Dozens of teachers and parents talked about the difficulties of trying to get kids off their phones. The state guidance The state guidance says elementary school students should not use cellphones on school grounds and, if their parents decide their child should bring a phone to school, it must be turned off and stored away from the student during the day. For both middle and high schools, students should not have a cellphone during the bell-to-bell school day. If phones are brought to school, they must be stored and turned off from the first bell until dismissal. For middle schools, it says school divisions should craft their own policies that determine how middle schoolers can use their phones before and after school on campus or on the bus. The state guidance says high schoolers should be allowed to use phones on campus outside of the instructional day. After considering public feedback to the draft guidance, the Department of Education will issue its final model policies on Sept. 16. Local school boards are expected to adopt their own policies that are consistent with the education departments guidance by Jan. 1. Nothing in Youngkins executive order prohibits local school boards from adopting policies that are stricter than the VDOEs forthcoming guidance. The executive order also has no consequences, legal or otherwise, for school boards that may defy the order. Local policies in place Before Jan. 1, Richmond Public Schools plans to launch a division-wide cellphone-free policy in which students must keep their phones in magnetically sealed pouches from bell to bell. Richmond began its move to becoming a cellphone-free division at the start of the year with its pilot program at three of its middle schools and three of its high schools. The middle schools were successful with the pilot, and the schools principals chose to continue the program. Each of the high schools chose not to continue the pilot. RPS director of safety and security said at a School Board meeting last month that high schoolers have found ways to get around (the pouches), theyre doing devious stuff to hide their phones, and its become a lot of work for the administration. RPS is encouraging families to begin discussing future cellphone-free instruction with their students. Henrico County Public Schools adopted new policies in June that limit cellphone usage and implement new punishments for students if they are caught using their devices. In Henricos middle and high schools, cellphones must be out of sight, silenced or on airplane mode during scheduled class times and during instruction-related after-school activities, unless given permission. Devices will be confiscated for a first-time offense, and students who reach a fifth offense will be required to turn in their devices to a teacher daily. I'm excited to announce that the draft guidance for my Executive Order on cell phone-free education is now live! After hearing from Virginians, we're ready to take action to protect the health and safety of our K-12 students. Your feedback is crucialshare your thoughts below! https://t.co/HchTwp7WII Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) August 15, 2024 Elementary students will not be allowed to use their phones during the day without a teachers permission, and devices will be confiscated after a second offense. Hanover County Public Schools, one of the first in the state to completely ban cellphones, will begin the school year with its newly adopted cellphone-free policy that prohibits any use of mobile devices during the instructional day. This includes during class changes and at lunch. If students are caught using their devices during the school day, they will see them confiscated and a parent or guardian will have to pick up the devices from school. Chesterfield County Public Schools has not made any changes to its current technology policies. The division allows students to use devices as an educational and instructional resource. However, students found misusing devices face disciplinary action including a warning, in-school detention, and suspension or termination of computer privileges. How cellphone use while driving has changed in America since 2004 How cellphone use while driving has changed in America since 2004 Cellphone behavior while driving has changed as technology has developed Fewer people are talking with the phones up to their ears More drivers are seen using cell phones while driving Headset use while driving remains less common Oregon woman returns Mexican archaeological pieces from private collection Mexico City, Mexico A total of 32 archaeological pieces found in the United States have been returned to Mexico. In a joint statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and INAH reported the pieces were returned from a private collector in Eugene, Oregon. The collection includes anthropomorphic figures, pots and vases and were voluntarily returned to Mexico through the Portland consul. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), in coordination with the federal Ministry of Culture and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), recovered the 32 pieces which were returned by American citizen Marylou Morton. In August 2023, Mrs. Morton announced her decision to return the pieces, which had been transferred from Mexico to the United States in the middle of the last century. Consul Carlos Quesnel Melendez traveled to the city of Eugene, Oregon, to formally receive the pieces. Marylou Morton, right, returned the pieces. Photo: SRE August 13, 2024. The reports made by INAH specialists confirmed that the 32 pieces are movable monuments owned by the Mexican nation, defined and protected in accordance with the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments and Zones. Photo: Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) August 13, 2024. Of the recovered objects, 31 are archaeological monuments of between 300 BC and 1521 AD, while the remaining one is a historical asset. San Diego woman in nothing to declare lane found entering Mexico with $150,000 USD Tijuana, Baja California A California woman remains in custody after being arrested by Mexicos National Guard. Custom Custom agents requested National Guard assistance after locating over $150,000 USD cash inside her vehicle. The San Diego woman was pulled over and inspected from the nothing to declare lane Tuesday. National Customs Agency of Mexico located the undeclared U.S. cash, which they reported to be equivalent to more than 2.9 million pesos. Members of both institutions were carrying out surveillance inspections at the Otay checkpoint in the border area of Tijuana when the driver of a pickup truck with license plates from the state of California, entered through the nothing to declare lane, National Guard reported. During a preventive inspection to confirm that she was not entering with undeclared merchandise or objects that could constitute a crime, they located several green packages inside a pink suitcase. Photo: Guardia Nacional August 13, 2024. When questioned, she said she did not know the amount, so agents counted the currency, finding a total of $150,155 U.S. dollars, equivalent to approximately 2.9 million pesos, which did not have the declaration approved by the Tax Administration Service (SAT), they explained in a statement. The woman was arrested for violating Article 9 of the Customs Law. She was read her Rights and registered in the National Registry of Detentions. Along with the cash, she was made available to the Federal Public Prosecutors office in the state. Last week, another California woman was arrested at the border trying to enter Mexico, also in the nothing to declare lane after authorities located 47 kilograms crystal meth hidden in her trunk. Sheinbaum receives official certificate as next President of Mexico Mexico City, Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum is officially the elected President of Mexico after receiving her certificate. On Thursday, Sheinbaum was presented with her certificate by the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation (TEPJF). She later gave a speech from the Metropolitan Theater in Mexico City as president-elect. Her official certification comes more than two months after her victory in the June 2024 elections. The certificate accredits Claudia Sheinbaum as the next President of Mexico. After swearing the Constitution during her inauguration in the Congress of the Union, Sheinbaum and her husband, Jesus Maria Tarriba, traveled to the Metropolitan Theater from where she gave her first speech as official president-elect. Sheinbaum said that there were two mandates from the people of Mexico during the June 2 elections. The first that the transformation of the country continues and the second, that it is time for women. Sheinbaum is legally certified as the next President of Mexico. Photo: August 15, 2024. The arrival of the first female president is not an individual triumph. The people of Mexico made the decision that now is the time for women, because today, Leona Vicario arrives with us, Josefa Ortiz arrives, the chinacas who defended the country and played a very important role arrive, the workers also arrive, Dolores Jimenez and Juana Gutierrez arrive, intellectual precursors, Elvia Carrillo Puerto arrives, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Frida Kahlo and Rosario Castellanos arrive, she said Thursday. Sheinbaum Pardo was validated as officially qualifying to be the next President of Mexico August 14 by the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation. She will assume the presidential office October 1 at which time there will be a public celebration at the Zocalo in central Mexico City. An egret walks through a tidal area as the sun sets along Texas 4 near SpaceXs Starbase facility on June 18. Environmentalists continue to warn of the impacts of SpaceXs operations on the beach that is home to multiple endangered species and is a waypoint for migratory birds from across the Western Hemisphere. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News A bird flies away from a sign that reads sensitive wildlife habitat on the sand dunes at Boca Chica Beach, which is next to SpaceXs launchpad, on June 18. Environmentalists continue to warn of the impacts of SpaceXs operations on the beach that is home to multiple endangered species and is a waypoint for migratory birds from across the Western Hemisphere. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Pelicans pass over Boca Chica Beach on June 18 near SpaceXs Starbase in Cameron County. Environmentalists continue to warn of the impacts of SpaceXs operations on the beach that is home to multiple endangered species and is a waypoint for migratory birds from across the Western Hemisphere. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News After catching a catfish, Kevin Daly of Michigan recasts his fishing pole while spending the afternoon on June 18 at Boca Chica Beach near SpaceXs orbital launch site. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News SpaceXs South Texas rocket plant and launch site is facing increased international scrutiny as the company prepares to launch its next Starship amid growing concerns over its impact on the environment. The agency responsible for overseeing border and water treaties between the United States and Mexico is the latest entity to express unease with the commercial space companys project adjacent to the border near Boca Chica Beach outside Brownsville. In response to SpaceXs application for a permit to dump wastewater into Rio Grande tidal marshes, the International Boundary and Water Commission sent a letter to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality calling for greater coordination among the states environmental regulator, the Mexican government, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The letter comes as SpaceXs operation faces major blowback from regulators and community members. On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration postponed in-person public meetings scheduled for Aug. 13 and 15, as well as a virtual public meeting scheduled for Aug. 20, to discuss SpaceXs request to launch and land Starship and its booster up to 25 times a year. The sudden change likely relates to the TCEQ and the Environmental Protection Agency determining that the company is in violation of clean water laws. On Tuesday, the TCEQ issued sanctions against SpaceX for operating its deluge system, which sprays more than 100,000 gallons of fresh water during Starship launches, without a permit. Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit over the FAAs approval of Starship operations and their impact on beach access continues to wend its way through the courts. Also, the Fish and Wildlife Services department of law enforcement continues its investigation into SpaceXs potential violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Coordination with Mexico Gilbert Anaya, the IBWCs environmental management division chief, wrote in an Aug. 2 letter that his office forwarded information about SpaceXs request to the Mexican section of the IBWC. We request that TCEQ provides Mexico with time to review and comment on this action that could impact the water quality of the international tidal area of the Rio Grande, he wrote. Frank Fisher, IBWC spokesman, wrote in an email Friday that the commission doesnt know whether the Mexican section has received the notice or will respond. He said the section would need at least two weeks to review the request. IBWC discusses projects along the border with communities and project proponents based on the IBWCs mission and per the treaties, he wrote. We have a mechanism in place to review projects that involve the Rio Grande and IBWC project areas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The letter also noted that the proposed discharge area is within designated critical habitat for piping plover and that the TCEQ should coordinate with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prior to issuing a permit. The TCEQ and Fish and Wildlife Service have previously said they are working together on the reviews. According to the letter, the discharge could also affect water quality for loggerhead sea turtles and green sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, and the commission requested that the TCEQ work with the National Marine Fisheries Service on the issue. The fisheries service did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Anaya also noted that the affected Rio Grande tidal segment is listed in the Texas Integrated Report on Surface Water Quality as having issues with bacteria, chlorophyll-a, depressed dissolved oxygen and nitrate levels. The commission also sought more information on SpaceXs pretreatment methods of the deluge water and the area around the launch pad prior to the deluge systems use. Migratory birds After the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program published a report on how Starships June 6 launch damaged and destroyed at least nine shorebird nests, the Fish and Wildlife Service initiated an investigation into potential violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The international law with Mexico, Canada, Japan and Russia prohibits harming migratory birds without prior authorization from the Fish and Wildlife Service. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Misdemeanor violations of the law carry maximum penalties of a $5,000 fine and six months in prison for individuals, or a $10,000 fine for organizations. Felony violations could saddle individuals with fines of up to $250,000 and two years in prison, while organizations could face a $100,000 fine. The Trump administration rolled back the law to exempt incidental bird deaths by industrial hazards. According to the Audubon Society, any incidental death no matter how inevitable, avoidable or devastating to birds became immune from enforcement under the law. Tanker vessel spots drifting boat in Quintana Roo waters Isla Mujeres, Q.R. An old boat located in Quintana Roo waters by a tanker vessel was found with 31 on board. The sighting of the boat was reported to state authorities Wednesday off the coast of Quintana Roo. The foreign tanker spotted the boat approximately 120 nautical miles (222 kilometers) north of Isla Mujeres. After being notified of the sighting, the Navy of Mexico set sail to locate the boat. This action was carried out after receiving an emergency call in the Command and Control Room of the Naval Region reporting that a foreign tanker sighted a smaller vessel adrift with 31 crew members on board, approximately 120 nautical miles (222 kilometers) north of Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Secretaria de Marina (Semar) explained in a statement. A coastal patrol and an interceptor patrol from the Ninth Naval Region were immediately ordered to set sail with naval personnel on board, who managed to rescue the aforementioned persons (nine women, 21 men and a minor), who were in good health, and were subsequently taken to a safe port, Semar reported. Mexicos Marina personnel located the drifting boat north of Isla Mujeres. Photo: Semar August 14, 2024. All 31 people were returned to the mainland of Quintana Roo where they were met by INM (Instituto Nacional de Migracion) immigration officers. Through the draft guidance for cellphone-free education it published Thursday, the Virginia Department of Education is proposing to thoroughly restrict cellphone usage within K-12 schools across the state. That is more restrictive than some policies adopted by numerous school divisions in recent days, including Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem. On July 9, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33, which aims to create cellphone-free education in Virginias K-12 schools. The order instructed the VDOE to define it and set guidance for school divisions as a model. Youngkins order also required that the VDOE hold public listening sessions to gather input from parents, teachers, staff, students and community members. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons hosted nine of these sessions across Virginia. More than 600 people participated in all of the sessions combined, and almost 1,500 more submitted feedback through the VDOE website, according to the department. Seventy-seven percent of participants were strongly in favor of cellphone-free instructional time, according to the draft guidance. The extensive input we received from Virginians was clear and direct, Coons said in a VDOE news release. They asked for cell phones and personal electronic communication devices to be removed from our childrens public schools during the school day at every level- elementary, middle, and high school. By refocusing our students attention back into learning and away from their phones and social media, all our children will have a better opportunity to learn and succeed academically. The draft guidance defines cellphone-free education separately for elementary, middle and high schools. Per the draft guidance, elementary students will not be allowed to use cellphones within the school building or on school grounds. Elementary schoolers may bring their phones to school with them, but their devices must be off and stored away from the student during the school day. The document specifies that a device being stored means that the student is not carrying the device not even in their pocket. School divisions have flexibility on how they define storage options, whether it be in the students bookbag, in the students locker, in a locked pouch or a designated space in the classroom. Whether elementary school students are allowed to use their cellphones on school buses is up to the school divisions discretion. The draft guidance specifies that middle schoolers will not be allowed to use cellphones during the bell-to-bell school day, but whether or not middle school students are allowed to use cellphones on the bus or before and after school is up to the school division to determine. The VDOE defines bell-to-bell as the time from when the first bell rings at the start of the school day until the dismissal bell rings to end the school day. Per the definition, this includes lunch and time in between classes. If middle school students bring their cellphones to school with them, they will be required to turn off and store them. Similar to middle school students, the draft guidance prohibits high schoolers from using cellphones during the bell-to-bell school day, and if students bring their phones to school with them, they also will be required to turn off and store them. However, high schoolers will be allowed to use their cellphones before and after school. School systems are responsible for establishing procedures for off-site events, which includes school-sponsored events and field trips. Across all grades, students will be expected to use school-based communication tools and platforms to communicate non-emergency needs to parents, and parents are advised to use the same to communicate both emergencies and non-emergencies during the school day. The VDOE is requesting feedback on the draft guidance, and it plans to publish the finalized guidance on Sept. 16. After that, each school division is required to implement policies that meet the minimum guidance by Jan. 1. The Roanoke County School Board recently debated the issue at length. It held a special meeting to adopt a new cellphone policy for high school students Tuesday. The policy, which passed 3-1, allows high school students to bring their cellphones to school but requires that students turn their phone off and put it away during class. Students can use their phones before and after school, during lunch and in between classes. Board members Shelley Clemons, David Linden and Tim Greenway voted in favor of the policy. Chairman Brent Hudson voted against it, citing that his constituents seemed to be in favor of keeping what will now be the former policy. The former policy allowed high school students to use their cellphones before and after school, during lunch, in between classes and in the classroom for instructional purposes at the teachers discretion. Board member Cheryl Facciani was out of town and absent for the Tuesday meeting, but during the boards regular meeting Thursday night, she said that she would have voted for the policy that was approved 3-1, but only because a more strict policy was off the table. In my humble opinion, the best policy would have been the most restrictive one, she said. For people who dont know what that is, thats this off and away all day policy, is what I like to call it. Facciani listed others who have expressed support for the off and away all day policy, including a number of school resources officers and teachers, in high schools and middle schools. She stated that Superintendent Ken Nicely, Deputy Superintendent Jamie Soltis, Assistant Superintendent Jessica McClung, Director of School Counseling Shawn Hughes, Executive Director of Administration Tammy Newcomb and Executive Director of Secondary Instruction Mike Riley also support that policy. It turns out that the Virginia Department of Education also agrees with me, Facciani said, referencing the draft guidance. Prior to deciding on a policy, the board received feedback through a survey that was open to parents, students and teachers within Roanoke County Public Schools. While community input is always valued, Facciani said that she worried the 23% of parents that responded to the survey were not fully informed on the matter. Only 19% of high school parents that responded to the survey supported banning phones for the entire school day. When it comes to matters like these, we really must listen to our experts, our educators, our staff and our senior-level administration, who do know the facts, and they have the professional experience, she said. I really think its important to put facts over feelings. Roanoke Area Ministries, a day shelter for homeless people for more than 50 years, is planning a move to a different part of southwest. But some residents of the Old Southwest neighborhood dont want the new RAM House in their backyard. During a neighborhood meeting about the move, inside Christ Episcopal Church Thursday night, neighbors expressed their concerns and vented their frustrations about homelessness to RAM House officials. The city Architectural Review Board will consider the move due to the renovations sometime in the next few months. I dont think its about RAM House being useful or necessary. Its a great service. Its needed, one neighbor said. The question is about the location of it I dont think its a great location for RAM House. RAM House is moving less than a mile, a few blocks over from its outgrown location on Campbell Avenue Southwest to 410 Elm Ave. S.W. Why wouldnt you have stayed in your own neighborhood? one person asked the RAM staff. The nonprofit spent four years looking for a suitable location to help Roanokes growing homeless population. Weve been in this neighborhood for 53 years, said RAM House Executive Director Melissa Woodson. We want to make sure that your neighbors dont go hungry. People in the audience at the neighborhood meeting shared their experiences and frustrations about homeless people. Their stories are evidence that homelessness is present and at issue in the Old Southwest neighborhood. Still, some neighbors dont want a homelessness assistance agency in the neighborhood. RAM House, which employs seven full-time staff members, plans to spend $4 million to renovate its new building, board members said. Its in my backyard, one man shouted as neighbors spoke over each other, repeating. Its in my backyard. Some neighbors tried to reassure their fellow residents that the RAM House is trying to help, but were oftentimes heckled down. One man told the person sitting in front of him to kick rocks. We should just put it in that guys backyard, a man said in response to one neighbor speaking in support of RAM House. The 6:30 p.m. meeting lasted two hours, and featured a considerable amount of finger-pointing, shouting, interrupting, and an air of general frustration from many neighbors. There was not time during the public forum to get every speakers name. Ahead of the meeting, neighbors signed up to pose questions, but many of the first 15 people did not speak up when their number was called. Others didnt even ask questions with the two minutes they were allotted, opting instead to complain. One neighbor said stats from Los Angeles show evidence that homeless people are more likely to be involved in violent crimes. He asked a police officer in the room, Sgt. B Kosko, whether that rings true in Roanoke. We do not see a large amount of violent crime coming from our homeless population, Kosko said. They do not account for a predominant number of the violent crime or any of that that we see. Kosko said he has 23 years of experience on the police force. Helping people who are experiencing homelessness requires a group effort including the work of RAM House, he said. A lot of calls we get, officers come out and theres not a crime thats been committed. There may be a nuisance or an annoyance, but thats not a crime, Kosko said. We cant arrest our way out of the unsheltered epidemic. A woman who works in harm reduction reminded her neighbors that homeless people are human beings. Most people do not want to be homeless, and there are complicated health and wellness factors causing their situation, she said. Just meet the people where theyre at, and they will change, she said. Harm reduction is a proven fact, and we are in a church. If you believe in Jesus Christ, he was our first harm reductionist. The RAM House director pleaded with frustrated neighbors. Its already here, Woodson said. Give us a chance to try to get some of these people better. A campaign to change the name of Roanokes federal courthouse to honor a civil rights lawyer who fought segregation, rather than a congressman who defended it, is moving another step forward. Supporters of the effort said Thursday that U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, has cleared the bill to rename the Richard H. Poff Federal Building, which has borne the late lawmakers name since it opened in 1975. While Poff opposed the integration of public schools during the civil rights movement, Roanoke attorney Reuben E. Lawson was quietly leading a legal battle that allowed Black students into the schools of Southwest Virginia. That is why the place where justice is administered should be named after Lawson, a trailblazing attorney who died in 1963, supporters say. I think that would give us a more accurate picture of the history of Roanoke and the civil rights movement, said the Rev. Edward Burton. As a leader in the Black community who worked with Lawson, Burton remembers his hard work and determination to do what needed to be done. Joining Burton at a news conference Thursday to announce Clines action was John Fishwick, a prominent Roanoke lawyer who has played a leading role in the effort to honor Lawson. Promotion of the idea started two years ago. In politics, nothing goes quickly, especially in Washington, D.C., Fishwick said. We just view it as good news that this thing is now moving forward. Action by the House would follow the unanimous approval by the Senate earlier this year of legislation to rename the building, which was sponsored by the Democratic senators from Virginia, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Fishwick said he was told by Cline at a meeting last month that he cleared the bill, meaning he has notified House Speaker Mike Johnson, which would allow the measure to be voted on by the full House of Representatives, as early as this fall. In a written statement Thursday, Cline said it was his understanding that a bill sponsored by Warner had passed the Senate. While I have no objections to Senator Warners bill, the decision about whether and when to consider it in the House in the remaining days of the 118th Congress rests with the Speaker of the House, he said. The statement did not address a question about what kind of reception the bill, which questions the legacy of a former Republican congressman, might receive in the GOP-controlled House. Poff was first elected in 1952, at the age of 29, as the Houses 6th District representative. In 1956, he signed the so-called Southern Manifesto, which maintained that states should resist the federal governments order to integrate schools. As a congressman, Poff voted against the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, 1964 and 1968 and opposed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He later disavowed his support for segregation, saying he felt pressure at the time from older colleagues. I can only say that segregation is wrong today, he told The Roanoke Times in 1971. It was wrong yesterday. It was never right. After serving in the House for 20 years, the Radford native was later appointed to the Virginia Supreme Court. He died in 2011. Lawson filed the regions first desegregation lawsuit in 1960, which led to a federal judge ordering Floyd County Public Schools to admit 13 Black students who had been excluded from the all-white student population. Similar legal challenges followed in Roanoke and Lynchburg and the counties of Grayson, Pulaski and Roanoke. Together, the cases put an end to segregation in Southwest Virginia that was still carried out in the years following the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954. Lawson, a soft-spoken man whose work was often overshadowed by that of civil rights giant Oliver Hill, has been described as one of Roanokes undeservedly forgotten legal titans. Should the bill pass, his name will appear on a downtown building two blocks away from the city courthouse, which is called the Oliver W. Hill Justice Center. Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net Since there's no single way to define "largest," we've collected some of the most impressive, from the tallest waterfalls, to the widest, to the admittedly subjective "most spectacular." Traditionally Tallest Waterfall: Angel Falls " " Angel Falls. Martin Harvey / Getty Images Located in Venezuela, Angel Falls locally known as Kerepakupai Meru in the Pemon language has long been recognized as the world's largest waterfall, with a height of 3,212 feet (979 meters), and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Advertisement In recent years, uncertainty over the actual height has called into question the supremacy of Angel Falls, and in fact the World Waterfall Database only lists it as No. 13! This is due to revised measurements, which now stand at 2,648 (807 meters) tall. Why the nearly 600-foot (200-meter) discrepancy? Well, original measurements were taken quite far from the actual waterfall and included a long, gradual elevation drop to the river below that wouldn't normally be counted towards a waterfall height. Still, it's still an impressive sight, and clearly among the tallest waterfalls in the world. Officially Tallest Waterfall: Tugela Falls " " Tugela Falls. Martin Harvey / Getty Images Across the Atlantic Ocean lies Tugela Falls in South Africa. Its official height is 3,110 feet (948 meters). As noted above, there is a controversy surrounding Angel Falls' status as the tallest waterfall, and recent measurements of Tugela Falls have placed it atop the official list. Undoubtedly impressive, it is also has significantly less flow than Angel Falls, and the overall height is broken up into several segments. Still, if you're determined to see the very tallest waterfalls, you'll probably want to make time for this one. Widest Waterfall: Victoria Falls " " Victoria Falls. Peter Unger / Getty Images Located on the border of two countries Zambia and Zimbabwe Victoria Falls is a massive waterfall on the Zambezi River. The name "Mosi-oa-Tunya" in the local Lozi language, means "thundering smoke," attesting to both the sound and the mist generated by these majestic falls. Victoria Falls is 5,604 feet (1,708 meters) wide and 354 feet (108 meters) high, making it the world's largest sheet of falling water. Largest Waterfall System: Iguazu Falls " " Iguazu Falls. Anton Petrus / Getty Images Iguazu Falls are located on the border of Brazil and Argentina. Another UNESCO World Heritage site, they constitute the largest waterfall system in the world, spanning 8,858 feet (2700 meters) and dropping 269 feet (82 meters). They are also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world and demonstrate the sixth-greatest annual flow among waterfalls:t 61,660 cubic feet (1,746 cubic meters) per second. Highest Flow Rate in North America: Niagara Falls " " Niagara Falls. Andrew Tallon / Getty Images Niagara Falls lies on the border of the United States and Canada. In addition to being a site of great natural interest, its accessibility makes it a thriving tourist attraction. It also produces a great deal of hydroelectric power. What's commonly referred to as "Niagara Falls" is in reality three distinct waterfalls. Horseshoe Falls (sometimes called Canadian Falls), is the tallest and has a height of 187 feet (57 meters). The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls contribute to the overall flow, which at 7,897 cubic feet per second (2,407 cubic meters) is the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America. Democratic operative Kristian Carranza appears likely to launch a campaign in the highly competitive Texas House District 118. Carranza has worked for the Democratic National Committee and has extensive campaign experience with Hillary Clinton, Julian Castro, Gina Ortiz Jones and Wendy Davis. Courtesy of Kristian Carranza Texas House candidate Kristian Carranzas story about adopting her mothers surname a decade before legally changing it is not an uncommon one. Using a mothers surname is not unusual for children, especially adult children, who grew up in single-parent homes led by women and in Mexican American homes like Carranzas. In such households, mothers are often both father and mother. Theyre everything else, too, often working several jobs to keep bills paid and children in school. Advertisement Article continues below this ad To tell her story about dropping Thompson, her surname at birth, and adopting Carranza, first informally after the 2014 election, then legally in 2023, you have to go back. Carranza starts with her mother, Mary Jane Carranza, and her late grandmother, Angelita Espinoza. They were Carranzas parents while growing up on the citys South Side, where the Democrat is running against incumbent Republican John Lujan for District 118 in the Texas House of Representatives. Carranzas father may have been around when her brother was born a year before her, but he was mostly absent by the time she arrived. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She never knew him. She still doesnt know him, and she has no interest in knowing him. Carranza says that unlike those with similar family origins who seek out their birth parents, desperate to connect with them, she doesnt harbor such desires. Its just not in her DNA. Her DNA is Carranza. District 118 Democratic candidate Kristian Carranza, who announced her candidacy Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, will run for the Texas House of Representatives. Carranza, who said her family has few photos of her childhood, provided this 2005 photo of her and her mother Mary Jane Carranza taken at the candidates 2005 quinceanera. Courtesy of Kristian Carranza Its a name, like mine, believed to be of Spanish Jewish origins. Online sources say Carranza is both an evergreen and a thorn, as in ones side. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thats somehow appropriate in this story. When Carranza went to Washington, D.C., to work as a regional director for the Democratic National Committee, a formative professional and political experience, shed already dropped her legal name. At birth, it was Kristian Kelly Renee Thompson. Unlike her brother, whose birth name includes Carranza, hers didnt. That never felt right to her. ELAINE AYALA: Excitement for Harris surpassed that for Obama Advertisement Article continues below this ad Heres a crucial part of the story: Carranza has talked about her name change from the start of her campaign. My story starts with my mom, whose familys name I proudly carry, her website states. Its been the first line of my website since I launched, she said Thursday. And I talk about going by my moms name all the time because being raised by a single mom is a big part of my story. Its a story of family bonds. It became political theater when Bexar County Republican Party chair Kris Coons held a news conference earlier this month and attempted to intimidate Carranza by making vague allegations and threatening a lawsuit without providing any details, an Express-News story reported. The Texas Tribune and other news media covered the allegations, too. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Journalists can make assessments about a cause being vague and without details when a person, a group and especially a political party threatens a lawsuit without actually filing one. Its a tell. It says you likely dont have a legitimate claim or that theres no wrongdoing involved. Others have cause to use harsher words. What you get is a headline, an alleged gotcha that falsely accuses a candidate, in this case a young, female candidate running against a Republican without something else to hurl at her. Even Coons said it. Is there really anything to hide here? I dont know. Probably not, but we dont know, he said. We believe that (her name) was changed, possibly, you know, to have a beautiful Hispanic last name in a beautiful Hispanic district. What hes really saying here is that Carranza and her opponent are in a competitive race in District 118. Carranza does have a beautiful name, and she has a beautiful story about why she decided to legally change it. If you want to understand me and where I come from, she said, You need to know my connection to my mom and grandmother. They are my personal heroes. When her grandmother died in a diabetic coma, it was like losing a mother, Carranza said. She was the family matriarch. When Carranza knocks on doors in District 118, she takes a keepsake with her a pin with her grandmothers picture on it. Thats the story voters in that district should know. Heres another. Her name change was empowering. I am my mothers daughter. I am my mothers name. I realized I no longer had to have the name of someone who has never been there for me, and instead of the name of the person who has always been my biggest advocate, a name that represents me and my story. Its Carranza. Ive carried that name with me for the past 10 years, and Im so proud to carry that name, she said. It reminds me that every day I have to carry the journey of my family, and its a journey of grit, sacrifice and perseverance, and all of that has led me to this moment. We feature a curated selection of some of the biggest, most important, and fascinating news thats making waves online Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. shake hands before their bilateral meeting, at the Malacanang Palace, in Manila, Philippines, August 15, 2024. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David/Pool And that's a wrap. Thanks for tuning in. We'll catch y'all again next week. Hello to all our readers, Yahoo Singapore will be bringing you live news updates today. Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam is in the Philippines for a State Visit from 15 to 17 Auguest. The trip commemorates 55 years of the two nations' diplomatic relations with MOUs on carbon credits and healthcare. Tharman will also engage in regional discussions before heading to Geneva and Paris. More on how Singapore and Philippines are strengthening diplomatic ties here. Resorts World Sentosa will welcome chess enthusiasts from around the globe for the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship. From 23 Nov to 15 Dec, reigning champion Ding Liren of China face challenger Dommaraju Gukesh of India in a historic showdown. More on the 2024 World Chess Champion in Singapore here. Speaking of, competitive chess is plagued by scandals like poisonings and cheating accusations. Historical and modern rivalries add to the chaos, even as the sports popularity grows. Let's hope we don't get to see the dark side of chess in Singapore during the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship. In an inspiring display of compassion, Singaporeans raised $20,000 in just four days to fund medical care for Da Bai, a stray dog injured in a hit-and-run. Da Bai is now life-saving care and will be rehomed after recovery. Causes for Animals (CAS) spearheaded the campaign, which has now reached its goal. Updates on Da Bais condition and recovery will be posted on CASs Instagram page. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) agreement is expected to be finalised by the end of the year despite some delays. A workshop later this month aims to finalise the deal, which promises to boost trade and create jobs in southern Johor. Negotiations are ongoing over fund contributions and skilled worker availability. The SEZ, designed to enhance regional economic cooperation, will include new infrastructure to support its development. More on the Johor-Singapore SEZ agreement here. The asteroid that killed dinosaurs 66 million years ago travelled from beyond Jupiter, according to a new study. Analysis reveals it was a C-type asteroid, not a comet, confirming its outer solar system origin, and solving a long-standing mystery. More on the rare rock from beyond Jupiter that doomed the dinosaurs here. AirAsia's new route to Port Blair will start from 16 Nov, with flights three times a week from Kuala Lumpur. As the sole Southeast Asian carrier to offer international flights to Port Blair, AirAsia now connects Singaporeans to 17 cities in India. More here if you're ready to take your next flight to the Adamans. The Premier League is back. Clubs have launched their 2024-25 kits, and theyre turning heads. From standout winners to designs that miss the mark, get the scoop on this seasons sartorial choices for your favourite teams. A groundbreaking study reveals that taking a brief five-second break during arguments can help defuse conflicts between couples, offering a simple yet effective solution to manage disagreements. Read on to know more about the five seconds to peace. A Norwegian stowaway cleverly bypassed airport security twice in August, boarding flights to Hamburg and Stockholm without tickets. The incidents highlight serious security lapses at Munich Airport, prompting investigations by airport officials and Lufthansa. Find out how the man managed to pull this stunt of boarding flights without tickets. Google's new Pixel 9 series has grabbed attention, especially the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which has undergone rigorous durability testing. Pre-orders for the Google Pixel 9 series in Singapore started Wednesday (14 Aug). Read more on the new Pixel 9 Pro XL phone's impressive durability test results here. Buckle up, Singapore shoppers! A new rapid transit system linking Johor Bahru is set to stir up a storm in retail, potentially slashing local sales by S$2.1 billion. This comes after reports that the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) agreement is expected to be finalised by the end of 2024. Read on how Singaporean retailers could stay afloat. The LTRG includes representatives from faith-based organizations, local nonprofits and local government working together to assist the community in recovering from the impacts of flooding. Despite receiving insurance and federal disaster aid, some residents still face unmet needs related to the flooding. The LTRG will focus on helping residents address those challenges by connecting them with resources based on specific needs. Each situation will be unique; residents may require assistance with food insecurity, financial support, mental health services or finding building materials. Alen Martinez, 23, right, peers through a telescope pointed toward the sky. The Sun eluded him behind the persistent clouds over Louise Hays Park in Kerrville, so he asked fellow Texas State University astronomy club member and senior Jamie Carl, left, to spot when the sun disappeared as he peered into his massive telescope. I'm on a mission, Martinez said, craning his neck down to the telescope's eyepiece. Ricardo Delgado/Staff Aprils total eclipse certainly brought tourists and tourists' dollars into the Hill Country but not as many of either as local officials and business owners would have liked. Much of the Hill Country was supposed to be prime viewing territory for April 8's rare total eclipse, a celestial spectacle that occurs when the moon completely blocks the view of the sun, plunging everyone in the path of totality into complete, if temporary, midday darkness. Hundreds of thousands of tourists were expected to crowd into Texas to watch the eclipse. But weather forecasts predicted heavy cloud cover would obscure the view across much of Texas, which resulted in smaller crowds in Hill Country towns like Fredericksburg, Kerrville and Boerne. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While the eclipse did bring an infusion of cash into the area, the economic impact wasnt what many had hoped, local officials and economists say. READ MORE: Stinging bearded fireworms washing up on Texas beaches Ahead of the eclipse, local officials and economists said that in addition to money spent at stores, restaurants and hotels, the event would be an opportunity for the Hill Country to market itself to visitors. Assigning a monetary value to that impact is difficult, though, said Haiyong Liu, chair of the economics department at Texas State University. Unfortunately, its really hard to measure that kind of reputation, or a promotional message that is sent to other parts of the country, or even the world, Liu said. Unless it was turned into actual tourists or people relocating to the local employment market. Sales tax collections and hotel occupancy tax revenue can help provide some measure of how much the visitors boosted spending at local stores, restaurants and hotels. However, those figures are calculated monthly, so theres no easy mechanism for pinpointing the exact amount spent during the two- or three-day window around the eclipse, said Kevin Lyons, spokesman for the Texas Comptrollers Office. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The comptrollers office is responsible for collecting sales tax revenue from cities, towns or other taxing entities, then distributing the local portion of that revenue back to those cities and counties. Tax revenue from sales made in April was sent to the comptrollers office in May, and then distributed to cities and towns in June. The sales tax collection data can factor in overdue payments, businesses paying in advance and other collections, but in general its a measure of how much retail and restaurant activity took place in a given month. For Texas as a whole, sales tax revenue in May meaning for sales that occurred in April, the month when the eclipse occurred was $4.01 billion, up 4.5% over May 2023, according to data from the comptrollers office. Sales tax revenue distributed back to cities and counties in June again, for sales that occurred in April was $1.1 billion, a 6.8% increase over June 2023. The data at the local level was similar: Some monthly increases in revenue, but not a dramatic jump. Kerrville, a city of 25,000 about an hour northwest of San Antonio, was expected to be one of the best places to watch the eclipse, with even NASA picking it as a spot to send a team to observe the event. The citys convention and visitors bureau estimated about 65,000 visitors were in town during the day of the eclipse. The comptrollers office sent Kerrville a net payment of about $1.3 million for Aprils sales tax collections, compared to $1.1 million in 2023, for a year-over-year increase of $128,000, or just over 11%. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Julie Behrens, director of finance for the city of Kerrville, said sales tax revenue isnt the best measure of the eclipses economic impact. As Kerrville brings about $10.5 million per year in sales tax revenue, that increase from Aprils collections isnt a significant number, Behrens said. I dont feel like we saw the jump that we thought we were going to see, but we didnt bank on that because there were too many unknowns, she said. The impact wasnt big enough, really, from a sales tax aspect for us to say, Look what the eclipse brought. The city brought in about $297,000 in revenue related to the eclipse, Behrens said, but spent about $440,000 preparing for it. We really did not look at this event as an income generator at all, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Still, the eclipse was a net positive for local retailers, restaurants and hotels, Behrens said. Kerrville collected about $211,500 in hotel occupancy tax in April, up from $165,000 in April of 2023, and officials estimate 85% of hotel rooms in the city were booked. It was really good for our businesses, she said. A million dollars spread over our business community yes, that was an impact. The figures were similar for other Hill Country cities in the eclipses path. Boernes sales tax allocation from the comptrollers office for April sales was $993,000, an 11.4% increase over $891,000 in the same month in 2023. Boerne collected $113,000 in hotel occupancy tax in April, a 29% jump from the nearly $88,000 collected in April of 2023, city spokesperson Chris Shadrock said. The city estimates 49,000 visitors were in town for the eclipse. Fredericksburg had an estimated 30,000 people in town for the eclipse. The city segments its hotel tax revenue by quarter, and it collected $1.67 million in the second quarter of this year, compared to just under $1.6 million in the same quarter the previous year. In the fictional town of Little Kilton, its common knowledge that five years ago, a high school senior named Andie was murdered by her boyfriend, who confessed to the crime before killing himself. But Pip, the heroine of A Good Girls Guide to Murder, Netflixs hit new British series adaptation of Holly Jacksons 2019 bestselling YA novel of the same name, doesnt believe that account of events. Under the guise of doing a high school project, titular good girl Pip (played by Wednesdays Emma Myers) decides to retroactively investigate the alleged murder-suicide in the hopes of exonerating the accused boyfriend, Sal. If that sounds like a cliched teen detective premise, well, yes, it isbut its also what makes A Good Girls Guide to Murder work so well. The series is equal parts clever mystery and classic teen tropesfrom a budding romance between unlikely partners to navigating a newfound sense of adolescent rebellionwith a delightful dash of quizzicality thrown in. Related From Slate Goodbye to the Underrated Show That Made Me Want to Be a Better Adult Read More To disprove the unsettling conclusion to the infamous case for her high school capstone project, Pip teams up with Sals younger brother, a tall, charming young lad named Ravi (Zain Iqbal), and sets out to retrace the steps of both Sal and Andie on the night the latter disappeared. This is all in spite of the demands of her mother (Anna Maxwell Martin), who is not only concerned that Pips investigation might retraumatize the families of those involved, but is also worried that Pips tendency to fixate on things might birth an unhealthy attachment to indisputably troubling events. Already, Good Girls Guide has nailed the tried and true plot element of the obedient teen finally acting out, setting up what is sure to be a rewarding romance between Ravi and Pip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the show really sings when it uses other aspects of adolescence to question its own premise. In many ways, Pip is still just a kid, and a sheltered one at that. Doubts surround the titular murder of the show by dint of the plot: Maybe Sal didnt do it, but, considering they never found Andies body, maybe no one did. The guide part of the series name is similarly called into questionPip, though smart, doesnt know what the hell she is doing. She knows her way around a puzzle, she can easily point out logistical inconsistencies in someones account of what happened, and she often asks the right question upon finding new evidence that contradicts what is widely believed. However, shes often in way over her head, entering dangerous situations without any backup or heads-up to her support system about her whereabouts, and shes foolhardy in her assumptions, which is reflected in her ever-changing notion of whodunit. At times, her tallest order is cosplaying as a more raucous teen than she is, infiltrating pop-up raves and interrogating drug dealers on their home turf, tasks that she fumbles compared to her handling of the more traditionally sleuth-y Nancy Drew parts. Advertisement Advertisement Whether or not Pip is good, as suggested by the show name, is complicated by her more genuine reasons (which I wont spoil) for looking into Andies disappearance. Those reasons make her fastidious dedication to clearing Sals nameat the potential expense of the health and happiness of herself, her family, her friends, Ravi, and even her family dogbelievable. In fact, the most impressive thing about Good Girls Guide is simply that this all makes sense, imbued with a coherence that isnt always a given in the teen shows we know and love. Usually, it doesnt matter: After all, we come for the melodrama and the dashing 30-year-olds playing high schoolers. But in this series, even Pips unlikely closeness with Ravi tracks better than the usual good-girl-likes-bad-boy or right side of the tracks romance with wrong side of the tracks plotlines. Pip needs to get closer with Ravi to learn more about Sal, while Ravi needs to join up with Pip to clear his brothers name. Sals postmortem conviction nagged at both of them for different reasons, and they both feel they have nothing but time to get to the bottom of it. They also literally have nothing but time to spend snooping together: Pip is supposed to focus on her project, and Ravi, who is a few years older, finished school a while ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the biggest feat that Good Girls Guide pulls off is making the best case for teen detectives. I know, I knowtheyre only kids, sleuthing can be dangerous, and teenagers are not necessarily known for having good judgment. But theres an argument to be made for access, which this show does smartly: Pip is able to get into places and have candid conversations that she wouldnt otherwise be able to if she were an adult, let alone a member of law enforcement. Sure, police may be able to find the location of the pop-up rave Pip goes to in order to corner the aforementioned drug dealer, but would they be able to blend in and make it into his lair without putting him on the defensive? Would adults be able to get real testimonies from other teens about Sals or Andies character, or moonlight as waiters for an upper-crust cocktail party, just to sneak off and convince the rich host familys spoiled brat of a son to spare a moment alone with them? At the end of the day, adults who have something to hide underestimating a teenage girls ability to unearth their secrets can work in the girls favor. Advertisement The adaptation isnt perfect, of course. The way the show handles the more salacious elements of teen life that Pip is forced to partake in to uncover the mystery can feel a little shoehorned inthe exact opposite of Euphoria, a show doused in underage scandal. And at times, it feels that Little Kilton might be the most cursed town with the most dastardly individualsa nearly too-perfect setting for a murder mystery. But despite the few underwritten or all-too-convenient parts, the show is a surprisingly well-balanced cocktail of the common woes of adolescence with the considerably less common hurdles of solving a crime. In the face of its heavy subject matter, it even manages to be enjoyable and buoyant at times. Pip may or may not be wholly good, her actions may or may not be a worthy guide, and she may or may not be investigating a murder, but A Good Girls Guide to Murder is a great teen detective show because it keeps you within the realm of possibilityeven as it keeps you guessing. Like toilet paper shortages and disinfecting groceries, the runaway success of Tiger King is one of those early pandemic phenomena that feels as if it took place in a parallel universe whose portals have been forever sealed. Dropped into our lives just as those lives became abruptly smaller and scarier, Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklins Netflix docuseries was the irresistibly lurid tale of an off-the-rails character whose story was so engrossing it made going outside feel undesirable as well as inadvisable. But although it spawned numerous spinoffs and imitations, none found a protagonist as loopy or a moment as fertile. Even its official sequel landed with a soft thud. Chimp Crazy, the first episode of which premieres on HBO this Sunday, isnt exactly another attempt to make Tiger King happen, but youd probably guess that it was made by the same shop, even if the only name you remember from its predecessor is Joe Exotics. Tonia Haddix, an exotic-animal broker with a special fondness for chimpanzees, is as powerful a curiosity magnet as the Tiger King himself, a bottomless well of narcissism, self-mythologizing, and outright delusion who often refers to chimps as her kids. (She also has human children, whom she freely admits she loves less.) Like Joe, she is locked in a prolonged battle with animal-rights activists over her lack of formal training and her improvised living environments, which pose a danger to her animals and the humans around them. And shes desperate enough to get out her side of the story that she has put her trust in filmmakers who dont have her best interests at heart. Related From Slate Netflixs Tiger King Is the Only Show Crazier Than the World Outside Right Now Read More Tonias story, though, is sadder and less sensational than Joes. Although the size of her Missouri McMansion suggests that Haddix has turned a substantial profit from selling exotic species, that appears not to be the only, or even primary, reason for her attachment. Like the other women who turn up over the series four episodes, she is deeply bonded with the chimps in her care and so intent on retaining and deepening that bond that she brushes away any suggestion that it might be damaging or dangerous. She insists that Tonka, the chimp shes closest to, is a humanzee, half-human, half-chimp, because we put the human side into him. That human side also allowed Tonka to work in Hollywood movies, including opposite Alan Cumming in 1997s Buddy. Cumming turns up with surprising frequency in Chimp Crazy, partly to lend the series some star power and partly to testify to the profound bond he formed with his simian co-star, a connection he still feels, decades later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Haddix isnt alone in her belief that chimps and humans can connect as equalsor at least in her desire to think that its so. Sandra and Jerome Herold, of Stamford, Connecticut, raised a chimp named Travis as if he were their own child, teaching him how to use a microwave and steer a car. Travis was like any other person in our family, Jeromes daughter Kerry DeBlasi recalls. He was just the one who couldnt talk. In Pendleton, Oregon, Tamara Brogoitti lived side by side with a chimp named Buck for 17 years, and the husband of Pam Rosaire, who has trained performing chimps for decades, recalls walking in to find her breastfeeding their infant daughter on one side and a baby chimp on the other. Theyre my kids, she explains, and theyre always gonna be my kids, although she also stresses that, no matter how trained, they should never be kept as house pets. Advertisement Although Chimp Crazy doesnt dwell on or sometimes even tell us the fact, some of these women suffered horrible personal losses before taking chimps into their homes; Herold, for one, lost her only daughter in a car accident not long before acquiring Travis. In Haddixs case, the need comes off in waves, although its source isnt so clear. In a setup that evokes Errol Morris Gates of Heaven (albeit without being worthy of it), shes interviewed in an all-pink bedroom flanked by bunk beds that are empty except for two oversize teddy bearspushing to the brink of grotesquerie a person who, with her troweled-on makeup and swollen lips, we might already be inclined to treat as a caricature. Advertisement Advertisement Goode, a self-styled conservationist, was made famous enough by Tiger King that Chimp Crazy employed a proxy director to film with Haddix so her suspicions would not be aroused. But that ongoing deception puts the series in delicate territory, evoking enough empathy to make her worth following at length but not enough to cause us to think twice about the ruse. In essence, were party to an extended undercover sting, waiting for Haddix to do something sufficiently unethical or illegal that it will feel retroactively justified. While were waiting, Goode highlights whats at risk by delving into the histories of Travis and Buck. In both cases, their owners ignored the signs that their adorable baby chimps had grown into massively powerful adults, with infamous and tragic results. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate Tiger King 2 Shows True Crime at Its Worst Read More Whats striking about both incidents, recounted in Chimp Crazys middle episodes, is how quickly Sandra Herold and Tamara Brogoittis connections to Travis and Buck seem to evaporate when their lives and those of other humans are at stake. (Brogoitti coolly advised the police who arrived after Buck attacked her daughter to do a head shot.) Tonia Haddixs off switch is nowhere in sight, but you know its there, waiting to be flipped, and the consequences could be dire. Chimp Crazy lacks the snack-chip urgency of Tiger King, but thats by design. Haddix is a thorny and complicated character, although you often have to dig around the edges of the episodes for complexities they try to move right past. This is a series that isnt meant to be wolfed down in one gulp and regretted the next morning. Its made to be chewed on and lingered over, even if it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It could soon negotiate on your behalf. The Cequence company won first place in the Trend Private category at the 10th annual Fair Sourcing Awards (FSA) during the prestigious eBF2023 conference. (Source: Courtesy of Cequence) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share When Cequence, a Slovak startup from eastern Slovakia, presented its software solution to manage contracts using artificial intelligence some years ago, nobody believed it. The company itself got the feeling that its product was premature. ChatGPT changed this. Not only did the Presov-based startup improve the functionalities of its own software by integrating ChatGPT, the virtual assistants arrival also changed the mindset of potential clients. People straightaway got the power of artificial intelligence, Martin Ragan, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Cequence, told The Slovak Spectator. We, in turn, quickly realised that these large language models would be a huge asset to the world of contract management. Related article Related article Martina Slabejova: Companies will need to adjust to the advent of AI Read more Now Cequences AI-powered software solution helps companies manage their contracts more efficiently. It streamlines workflows and eliminates human error by automating manual tasks in contract management, as well as taking over the project management part of the agenda. The companys vision is to go further, creating a negotiation assistant. The future in contract management will be two bots negotiating a contract between two parties. Humans wont actually have to enter this process, only supervise it to ensure that everything is correct, said Ragan. To achieve their vision, they clinched a strategic partnership with the Numenta company from Silicon Valley, focusing on AI neurocomputing. When three schoolmates The Russian ambassador visited Bardejov, and the town's mayor greeted him with full honours. MPs and even his own councillors have since criticised the move. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share The Russian ambassador was granted an official reception by the eastern Slovak town of Bardejov on July 29, 2024, one which was sealed with an entry in the town's official commemorative book. The mayor of Bardejov, Boris Hanuscak of the Hlas party, welcomed Ambassador Igor Bratchikov with a triple embrace, local broadcaster Bardejov Television reported, adding that the meeting took place in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The reception took place in a city renowned for its historical and cultural significance; Bardejov is considered one of Slovakia's most beautiful cities and its historic centre, including an early 18th-century Jewish suburb, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The Russian Federation considers Slovakia, as a European Union and NATO member, to be a hostile country. Most EU and NATO nations refuse to grant official receptions to Russian representatives. Russias exclusion from the Olympic Games further underscores the international communitys stance against Russias actions. In May this year an attempt by MP Tibor Gaspar (Smer) to meet Bratchikov publicly in the Slovak parliament was cancelled. During his visit to Bardejov, Bratchikov was accompanied by Anton Korba of the Union of Slovak Soldiers. They visited Bardejov Spa and the village of Smilno for the reopening of a restored World War I soldiers' cemetery. Korba, formerly an MP for the Slovak National Party (SNS), left the party and later ran unsuccessfully to become regional governor in 2013. Bratchikov praised Hanuscak I greatly appreciate the close relationships I have with the city office and Mayor Hanuscak, said the Russian ambassador. He emphasised his "respect" for World War I soldiers and stressed the importance of preventing such "tragedies" in the future. His own country launched an unprovoked full-scale military invasion of its neighbour Ukraine in February 2022 which continues to this day and has so far led to hundreds of thousands of casualties. Bardejov town hall, according to city spokesman Stefan Hij, sees no issue with hosting the Russian ambassador. Hij stated: The Bardejov municipality is, has been, and always will be open to meetings with all duly accredited foreign missions and their representatives. He added, Just as we have hosted the US ambassador and representatives from Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands, we also welcomed the Russian ambassador on Monday. Hij also noted that the Ukrainian ambassador has not visited Bardejov in recent years. The reception was part of Bratchikovs visit to the reopening of a World War I cemetery in Smilno. Incidentally, the cemetery contains soldiers from various nationalities of the former Austria-Hungary and other combatant states, serving as a reminder of never again war, Hij remarked. The meeting also covered topics such as the upcoming national celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) and local events like the Bardejov fair. Political scientist Grigorij Meseznikov criticised the visit, describing it as an inappropriate gesture towards a state that is currently engaged in an aggressive war against Ukraine and that views Slovakia as an enemy. Meseznikov emphasised: What the mayor of Bardejov has done essentially normalises Russian aggression in the eyes of Slovaks. Its no surprise that among less informed people, Russia is still seen as a partner state. In reality, it is our enemy. Who is Boris Hanuscak? Hanuscak has been the mayor of Bardejov for over twenty-five years, having first been elected in 1998. He initially ran for the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL), which was later absorbed by Smer, and in recent elections, he has represented Hlas, a party which itself broke away from Smer in 2020. It was founded by the current president, Peter Pellegrini, whom Hanuscak actively supported as mayor. In March, during the presidential election campaign, a free concert for International Women's Day was held under Hanuscaks patronage that promoted Pellegrinis candidacy, with 800 carnations distributed to attendees, paid for from the city budget. MPs criticised the reception MPs opposed to the mayors reception of the Russian ambassador argue that it was inappropriate, given Russia's ongoing military aggression against Ukraine, which violates international law and the principles of peace. Martin Smilnak (KDH) stated, We use this opportunity to express parliament's stance on such a visit. The city council expressed its disapproval of Mayor Hanuscaks meeting with the Russian ambassador on August 12, 2024, declaring it was not conducted on behalf of the municipality. In a resolution passed by a majority of members, it stated: The city council expresses concern about this meeting in light of the current international situation and the continuing military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which is contrary to international law and basic principles of peace. The council deemed the meeting inappropriate and insensitive and demanded that the mayor consider the potential negative impact on the citys reputation. The resolution concluded, The ambassador of the Russian Federation is not welcome in Bardejov until the end of the war in Ukraine. In response to these criticisms, Deputy Mayor Eva Hudakova indicated that a written statement from the mayor regarding the visit would be issued, although it had not yet been published at the time of reporting. The towns website describes Bratchikovs visit as part of Bardejovs commitment to dialogue and hospitality, highlighting that the town is open to dialogue and questions of cooperation and values its traditions and hospitality. Bryndzove halusky goes global, Czech and Viennese artists support their Slovak counterparts, and an eastern Slovak town pursues its own, rather controversial, foreign policy. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Good evening. Here is the Friday, August 16 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes. The Culture Ministry is warning its staff about 'risky' books. Its list is a little weird. The Culture Ministry has sent safety recommendations to all employees, including a list of risky literature. (Source: TASR) It has emerged that the Slovak Information Service (SIS) recently compiled a list of "high-risk literature", which it sent to the Culture and Education Ministries. The Culture Ministry subsequently circulated security recommendations to all employees, including a list of books with the potential to influence the radicalisation of individuals in the context of modern technologies. The list features works by war criminals like Adolf Hitler and notorious disinformation-peddlers such as Alex Jones, but also by leftist philosopher Slavoj Zizek, by psychologist and right-wing influencer Jordan Peterson, and even by Frederick Forsyth, a British novelist. Somewhat paradoxically, well known Slovak conspiracy magazine Zem a Vek also made it onto the list, even though it closely aligns with Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova on topics like the threat to traditional values and the moral crisis of the West. State Secretary (i.e. deputy minister) Tibor Bernatak signed the document on behalf of the minister, who later tried to distance herself from it, claiming it was the initiative of an employee and not the official stance of the ministry. MP Irena Bihariova, a deputy leader of opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS), who highlighted the documents existence on social media, ironically praised the minister: I couldnt have written a better document myself, and Ive specialised in extremism and disinformation my entire professional life. On the other hand, extremism expert Tomas Nociar criticised the list as problematic and incomplete, pointing out that it fails to include several controversial books and juxtaposes academic works with extremist literature. The Education Ministry confirmed receiving an analysis containing the list of high-risk literature from SIS. The ministry plans to use this list within its competencies, as it is the central authority for librarianship, and is keen to utilise the material to protect young people from radicalisation. MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE Politics: The mayor of the eastern Slovak town of Bardejov recently welcomed an official visit by Russian Ambassador Igor Bratchikov, despite Russia's bloody and ongoing invasion of Ukraine (which is less than 100km from Bardejov) and Russia saying it considers Slovakia to be a hostile state. The mayor's actions triggered a backlash from his own city council and from national MPs. The mayor of the eastern Slovak town of Bardejov recently welcomed an official visit by Russian Ambassador Igor Bratchikov, despite Russia's bloody and ongoing invasion of Ukraine (which is less than 100km from Bardejov) and Russia saying it considers Slovakia to be a hostile state. The mayor's actions triggered a backlash from his own city council and from national MPs. Travel: Located in the Slanske Vrchy hills, the ruins of Slanec Castle are undergoing restoration efforts by a civic association, with plans to transform the preserved Nebojsa tower into a tourist lookout and enhance the sites historical connection to Fuzer Castle in Hungary. Located in the Slanske Vrchy hills, the ruins of Slanec Castle are undergoing restoration efforts by a civic association, with plans to transform the preserved Nebojsa tower into a tourist lookout and enhance the sites historical connection to Fuzer Castle in Hungary. Business: Slovak startup Cequence has harnessed the power of ChatGPT to revolutionize its AI-driven contract management software, streamlining workflows and paving the way for future innovations like negotiation assistants. Slovak startup Cequence has harnessed the power of ChatGPT to revolutionize its AI-driven contract management software, streamlining workflows and paving the way for future innovations like negotiation assistants. Good news: The profile of Slovakia's national dish, bryndzove halusky, has been boosted by a British influencer's video of himself cooking it going viral and by Prince Albert of Monaco dropping by the Slovak Olympic House in Paris to try it. These are among your weekly selection of feel-good stories, courtesy of The Slovak Spectator. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, consider buying our online subscription with no ads; a print copy of The Slovak Spectator monthly will be sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you! FEATURE STORY From Ballyheigue to Bratislava: A hitchhiker's epic European adventure Dungarvan, Ireland. (Source: Pixabay) Ever wondered what it's like to hitchhike from a tiny Irish village to Slovakia? Join Oscar Brophy on a wild ride from Ballyheigue, on the west coast of Ireland, to Bratislava, during which he braved eccentric encounters, a 12-hour bus purgatory, and the timeless charm of European travel. EVENT FOR THE WEEKEND Crown yourself with culture Bratislava's Coronation Days celebration. (Source: TASR) If you missed last year's Bratislava Coronation Days event, now is your chance to make up for it. Immerse yourself in a culturally rich programme. For more details, check out the weekend feature by our colleague Matus Beno. IN OTHER NEWS Directors at the Slovak National Theatre (SND) have called for the removal of Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova, accusing her of unprofessional interference in the theatre's programming and undermining cultural institutions. Czech theatre figures, including Jiri Suchy and Zdenek Sverak, have criticised the ministry's actions and advocated supporting affected Slovak artists via job offers and the establishment of a Czech-Slovak Cultural Fund. Viennese artists, led by Wiener Festwochen director Milo Rau, have expressed shock at the dismissal of Matej Drlicka as SND general director, condemning it as a harmful political move that threatens artistic freedom. The controversy has attracted significant international attention and criticism. Czech theatre figures, including Jiri Suchy and Zdenek Sverak, have criticised the ministry's actions and advocated supporting affected Slovak artists via job offers and the establishment of a Czech-Slovak Cultural Fund. Viennese artists, led by Wiener Festwochen director Milo Rau, have expressed shock at the dismissal of Matej Drlicka as SND general director, condemning it as a harmful political move that threatens artistic freedom. The controversy has attracted significant international attention and criticism. Matej Bosnak, the chief financial officer of the National Theatre, stepped down from his position on Friday. It is not yet clear who will replace him in the role or how the national theatre will operate shortly before the start of the new season. It is not yet clear who will replace him in the role or how the national theatre will operate shortly before the start of the new season. Hungary will allocate over 126,000 to support Hungarian-language theatres and dance organisations abroad, including Slovakias Jokai Theatre in Komarno and the Thalia Theatre in Kosice. The Hungarian government views culture as a strategic sector, and supports Hungarian theatres and dance groups outside the country in order to promote national identity and values. Over the past two years, 27 Hungarian theatres and 10 dance companies have received grants. The 2024 grants will fund new productions, technical equipment, and professional collaborations for these organisations. (TASR) The Hungarian government views culture as a strategic sector, and supports Hungarian theatres and dance groups outside the country in order to promote national identity and values. Over the past two years, 27 Hungarian theatres and 10 dance companies have received grants. The 2024 grants will fund new productions, technical equipment, and professional collaborations for these organisations. (TASR) The leaders of Slovakia's top educational and scientific institutions (SAV, STU, UK, UcSS) have expressed deep concern over the decline in the quality of public discourse and the erosion of dialogue and respect for differing opinions. In an open statement, they denounce the increasing vulgarity and tribalism in public debate and stress the importance of adhering to the values of humanism, respect and rationality. They call on decision-makers, public institutions and the media to consider the impact of their actions and contribute to a respectful and cultured society. In an open statement, they denounce the increasing vulgarity and tribalism in public debate and stress the importance of adhering to the values of humanism, respect and rationality. They call on decision-makers, public institutions and the media to consider the impact of their actions and contribute to a respectful and cultured society. German drugstore chain Muller is set to enter the Slovak market next year, joining the upcoming arrival of Hebe. The company has registered a business entity and internet domain in Slovakia and is seeking managers for its expansion. Muller already operates in eight other European countries. WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND: There will be some cloudiness; showers, including intense thunderstorms, may move in from the west, affecting many areas. It will be very hot and muggy, so stay hydrated. Daytime temperatures will range from 29C to 34C. Almost all of Slovakia is under a level 1 heat warning on Saturday due to high temperatures. On Sunday, the warning will remain in effect for the entire south and west of the country. (SHMU) NAME DAYS IN SLOVAKIA: Saturday, August 17 - Milica; Sunday, August 18 - Elena, Helena; Monday, August 19 - Lydia. Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us. P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram (@slovakspectator). https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/actions-speak-louder-than-words-fed-up-with-games-hamas-reportedly-sits-out-talks-1119784915.html 'Actions Speak Louder Than Words': Fed-Up With Games, Hamas Reportedly Sits Out Talks 'Actions Speak Louder Than Words': Fed-Up With Games, Hamas Reportedly Sits Out Talks Sputnik International Dan Kovalik, a human rights activist and author joined Political Misfits on Thursday to discuss the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. 2024-08-16T01:00+0000 2024-08-16T01:00+0000 2024-08-16T01:01+0000 analysis middle east benjamin netanyahu joe biden israel hamas iran genocide war crimes ethnic cleansing https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/10/1119786720_0:170:3072:1898_1920x0_80_0_0_27452c654fabdad4d9ba27d0aacfa8a0.jpg Ceasefire talks in the Middle East have resumed with the US, Israel, Egypt and Qatar reportedly making an appearance without representation being made from Hamas. The groups are working to secure a ceasefire for the Gaza Strip after the conflict has already claimed more than 40,000 lives, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.Hamas has reportedly expressed that they no longer see the US as being able to bring about a deal that would solidify a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. And following the assassination of one of their leaders as well as attacks on Iran in April, the US has continued to support Israel indefinitely.Dan Kovalik, a human rights activist and author joined Political Misfits on Thursday to discuss the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Kovalik suggested that Netanyahu will not allow a ceasefire deal to go through in order to save himself from being exposed to a political downfall as well as possible consequences for his alleged war crimes. The prime minister may even allow for Israeli captives to die in order to save his own skin the analyst suggested.I think it's worth trying [for a ceasefire deal] because people's lives are hanging in the balance. I mean, what's happening in Gaza is abominable. The famine is claiming lives. The atrocities against the people of Gaza continue every single day. So, obviously, the people of Gaza need a ceasefire, Kovalik explained. So that seems to me worth doing it for that reason alone.A report from a Qatar media source revealed that Israel had launched a directive at the start of the war in the Gaza Strip that allows for the killings of captives taken by Hamas on October 7. The Hannibal Procedure, Hannibal Protocol, or Hannibal Directive allows IDF members to use any force necessary in order to prevent Israeli soldiers from being captured and even allows for captured soldiers to be killed.Recent reports also revealed that IDF soldiers are carving their way through tunnels and buildings by using civilians to protect themselves from possible booby traps. According to one report, the practice became so common amongst Israeli soldiers that it could be considered a protocol. The reports were first made by the executive director of Breaking the Silence, which is a group founded by Israeli combat veterans hoping to expose military abuses.Tensions in the Middle East are growing as Israel anticipates a retaliatory attack from Iran in response to the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh. The US has expressed their full support of Israel, and approved an $18.82 billion sale of 50 F-15IA multirole fighter jets and other related equipment to the Israeli government, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Tuesday.Roughly 100 people were killed this weekend from a bombing attack in which US-provided missiles were used. At least 6,000 displaced Palestinians were being housed at the al-Tabaeen (or Al-Tabin) school when bombs struck the school in the early hours of the morning on August 10, said Mahmoud Bassal, the Gaza civil defense spokesman. Images posted to social media show the violent impact of the bombs, as unrecognizable limbs and other charred pieces of bodies had to be collected in bags and weighed in order to make a best guess as to who the remains may have belonged to....what they're calling arms sales to Israel, but they'll never pay for those arms. It's gonna be a grant of arms to Israel even after these horrible videos have come out about gang rape by Israelis of Palestinian prisoners, and the terrible bombing of that school over the weekend that killed 100 to 150 people where they're only knowing how many people died by the weight of the remains that they collected. I mean, that's how horrible this thing is, Kovalik said.Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has vowed to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas negotiator Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran whom he referred to as a dear guest in our home, though speculation about how or when Iran will strike continues.A senior Iranian security official warned that if Israels ceasefire talks with Hamas fall through then Iran will attack Israel, an American news source reported on Tuesday. Iran also threatened retaliation on the suspicion of Netanyahu delaying negotiations with Hamas. US President Joe Biden acknowledged the influence that the ceasefire deal will have on Irans threats and admitted that the process to a ceasefire deal is getting harder but said he is not giving up.Again, Iran acts in very constrained ways. I think they have to do something, and they have to do something fairly dramatic that the world can see because they just can't allow these provocations to continue without a serious response or the provocations will continue, he added. So, I think you'll see something rather serious, but I think still Iran wants to signal in whatever they do that they do not want a wider conflict because they don't. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/hamas-not-opposed-to-talks-with-israel-but-demands-complete-ceasefire-in-gaza---official-1119786208.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240812/palestine-blames-us-for-latest-slaughter-of-innocent-civilians---report-1119742431.html israel iran 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 ceasefire deal, ceasefire talks, ceasefire agreement, genocide, ethnic cleansing, humanitarian disaster, humanitarian catastrophe, humanitarian ceasefire, israel-hamas conflict, gaza strip crisis, shelling of gaza, gaza devastation, israel-palestine conflict, palestine-israel conflict, israeli-palestinian conflict, palestinian-israeli, zionist regime, zionists, hamas attack, israeli strikes, israeli forces, hostages, israeli military, hamas fighters, hamas soldiers, hamas military, killings of civilians, civilian infrastructure, civilians dead, civilians die, israel kills civilians, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, indiscriminate shelling, indiscriminate killing, war crimes https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/belarus-strengthens-border-with-ukraine-following-drone-incidents-1119792229.html Belarus Strengthens Border With Ukraine Following Drone Incidents Belarus Strengthens Border With Ukraine Following Drone Incidents Sputnik International Belarus has increased its control over the border with Ukraine following the downing of Ukrainian drones, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday. 2024-08-16T11:32+0000 2024-08-16T11:32+0000 2024-08-16T11:32+0000 world alexander lukashenko belarus ukraine russia ukraine crisis drone attack https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/0a/1119711809_0:92:2441:1465_1920x0_80_0_0_13a5a22b91f85e0772aacd7678f9519c.jpg "After the incidents with these drones, we reinforced control at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. Moreover, we deployed additional military units to the area," Lukashenko said during a meeting on security, as quoted by the state-run Belta news agency. Lukashenko also inquired about the current situation at the border, asking military officials whether all units have been positioned for potential unforeseen events. Last week, Lukashenko said that Belarus intercepted several alleged Ukrainian combat drones over its territory, while some of them were destroyed by Russian forces in the Russian airspace. The Belarusian president described these incidents as provocations, warning that they will not "go unanswered." Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said that Lukashenko has ordered the strengthening of troop deployments in the Gomel and Mazyr tactical directions in southern Belarus, where the country borders Ukraine. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240803/border-defense-or-invasion-springboard-why-is-poland-massing-troops-on-frontier-with-belarus-1119624928.html belarus ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International belarusian border with ukraine, belarus ukraine border, ukrainian drones in belarus, drone incident in belarus This little weed has sprung up beneath a live oak tree. Courtesy photo Q: What is this little weed? Could the nearby live oak tree be causing them? What can I use to eliminate them without harming my live oak? A: Youre not going to be happy with my answer. The holly-like leaves are juvenile foliage of live oaks. Thats the way live oak seedlings look when they germinate. As the saplings grow taller, their newer leaves develop the normal smooth edges. I fear, however, that these are not seedlings from acorns. These are probably sprouts coming up from the root system of the mother tree. If you dig down carefully you will most likely find each of them tethered to a larger root of the main tree. That means that any weed killer you apply to the sprouts will be taken back to mama. If Im wrong and you find an acorn and a taproot on each of the trees, you can carefully apply a broadleaf weed killer (containing 2,4-D) with a trigger squeeze bottle to each seedling. But if Im correct, your only safe means of getting rid of them is to remove them mechanically. That means sending a sharpshooter spade in at a 30-degree angle to sever each sprout 2 or 3 inches below the soil line. That would require that you rake the rocks back first, but it also would give you the option of putting a weed barrier down after you remove the sprouts and before you put the rocks back in place. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The holly-like leaves in a rock bed beneath a live oak tree are juvenile foliage of live oaks. Courtesy photo I know this is difficult to digest, but its a message Ive had to deliver all my career. This happens with (my estimate) about 15% of our live oaks. Sadly, we dont know which ones until they begin to gift us with the offspring. Sprouts can arise from the root system of the mother tree. Courtesy photo Q: Attached is a photo of Virginia buttonweed in my lawn. I have several very large areas of this weed. In searching the internet, I found the recommendation that I must use a post-emergent spray applied midsummer when temperatures are below 90 degrees. It says that multiple applications may be necessary to eliminate it from my lawn. Is this information correct? Virginia buttonweed is tenacious, and because it resembles St. Augustine, it often gets a head start on us. Courtesy photo A: It sounds like a write-up I found several years ago by a colleague in Georgia. This is a tenacious weed. Its made even more troublesome by the fact that its leaves look like St. Augustine, so it often gets a good start before we know we have it. The only thing I would question about using a broadleaf weed killer in midsummer would be that temperatures here in Texas are too hot for most of July and August. You could damage your St. Augustine. I think youd get better results with less chance of damage if you were to spray in late May or June or if you waited until early to mid-September. I have also found good write-ups on Louisiana State University and Clemson University websites. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Q: At my wifes urging, I had my pear tree topped by a guy with a bucket truck. No pears for three years. I trimmed some of the downward-growing branches over the past three years. Two months ago, it started showing pears. Some are starting to fall and theyre full size. What caused them to form so early? Will they ripen if I leave them in the house for a week or two? A: Thats a lot of questions that Ive never been asked before. You should never top a pear tree. That stimulates vigorous new growth, and that kind of growth will be very susceptible to fire blight, the serious bacterial disease that turns tips of limbs, even entire branches, black like they had been scorched by a fire. As for early, two months ago would be the beginning of summer and that would be quite late for pears to be forming. The flowers should have opened in late February or March, and fruit should have become visible by March or early April. Whether they will ripen if left on a countertop, only time will tell. Just leave them on newspaper for a couple of weeks and see how they develop. Good luck with them! This Phalaenopsis orchid has reflowered for its second year in the Sperry sunroom. Courtesy photo Q: My wife purchased a lovely orchid recently. It had about an 8-inch white bloom on one of the stems. Over a six-week period, the bloom shattered, leaving a couple of bare stems about 10 inches tall. With proper care, will it rebloom? What would that care be? Should we plant it outdoors to see if it will grow or maybe just buy another one? A: Im going to assume she bought a Phalaenopsis orchid, commonly referred to as a moth orchid. They are the ones you most commonly see in flower shops in nurseries, grocery stores and floral design studios. White has become the most popular color, although they are commonly seen in various shades of pink and lavender as well. Ive included a photo of a lavender one I just reflowered in our house for comparison. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They are among the easiest of all orchids for care indoors. Just dont try to grow it in a bed outside. They need temperatures ranging from 60 to 85 degrees and bright light but no direct sunlight in summer. In their native homes, they grow suspended in trees, not in the ground. That means they need very porous planting media, such as fine bark nuggets, coconut fiber or a mixture containing lava rock. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/bombshell-blair-uk-government-warned-over-nato-war-crimes-in-belgrade-1119785185.html Bombshell: Blair, UK Government Warned Over NATO War Crimes in Belgrade Bombshell: Blair, UK Government Warned Over NATO War Crimes in Belgrade Sputnik International As NATO aggression in the former Yugoslavia fully unmasked the alliance as a tool of Western imperialism, newly-released documents reveal controversial former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was warned of the possible legal consequences of the bombing of a state-owned broadcaster in Belgrade. 2024-08-16T02:28+0000 2024-08-16T02:28+0000 2024-08-16T02:28+0000 military tony blair slobodan milosevic bill clinton united kingdom (uk) belgrade kosovo nato amnesty international international federation of journalists (ifj) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/03/13/1094011196_0:0:3001:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_314f7acba9f96095f6528001893d5a62.jpg As NATO aggression in the former Yugoslavia fully unmasked the alliance as a tool of Western imperialism, newly-released documents reveal controversial former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was warned of the possible legal consequences of the bombing of a state-owned broadcaster in Belgrade.Twenty five years ago, NATO bombed the main studio of Yugoslavias state-owned broadcasting company, Radio-Television Serbia (RTS), writes the independent outlet Declassified UK. The attack at 2am on 23 April 1999 came amid Bill Clinton and Tony Blairs humanitarian intervention in Kosovo.The UK and allied NATO forces claimed to be acting in the interest of protecting ethnic Albanians as ethnic violence broke out on all sides during the breakup of the former socialist Yugoslav republic. But President Slobodan Milosevic remained a conspicuous holdout as newly-independent states deregulated their economies in line with neoliberal economic policy advocated by Western governments.The United States would back numerous color revolutions after the fall of the Eastern Bloc, with wealthy donors like George Soros encouraging and standing to benefit from economic liberalization enforced by Western-led institutions like the International Monetary Fund.The case of Milosevic demonstrates a scenario during which the United States was willing to employ substantial military force to seek regime change, paving the way for NATO aggression in countries like Libya and Afghanistan.Blair claimed the destruction of the RTS headquarters and other civilian targets was justified in the name of dismantling the dictatorship of Milosevic. Sixteen media workers were killed during the bombing, which Amnesty International labeled a war crime.We do not see how the suppression of news sources can serve any useful purpose, said European Broadcasting Union president Albert Scharf. Over and beyond the deaths involved, the EBU is concerned about any attempts to limit the rights of audiences to full news services.Declassified files now reveal that UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was warned against the depraved attack at the time by British attorney general John Morris, who questioned how the destruction of the broadcast headquarters was related to NATOs purported cause in ensuring relief of humanitarian need in Kosovo.The UK and the United States launched the illegal act of aggression in Belgrade without a required UN Security Council resolution, demonstrating the lengths NATO was willing to go to to ensure Western hegemony after the end of the Cold War.NATO forces would go on to strike a number of other civilian targets including Belgrades Hotel Jugoslavija and Montenegros main airport, with little apparent concern for the climbing death toll. Thousands were killed or wounded by the end of the campaign while elevated rates of cancer and birth defects are still observed due to NATOs highly controversial use of depleted uranium.The UK would become the first of multiple Western countries to recognize the disputed breakaway territory of Kosovo in 2008. Future leader of the territory Hashim Thaci, who played a key role during the NATO aggression via his leadership of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, is currently on trial on war crimes charges at The Hague.The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, under intense pressure from the United States, would controversially decide against investigating the bombing of the RTS as a war crime. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240811/strategy--tactics-of-ukraines-incursion-into-russias-kursk-developed-with-nato---expert-1119724203.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240508/china--serbia-form-partnership-after-depraved-cia-attack-in-belgrade-1118343031.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240814/serbia-remains-island-of-independence-from-globalist-us-empire--analyst-1119762245.html united kingdom (uk) belgrade kosovo serbia 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 nato bombing yugoslavia, nato bombing of belgrade war crimes, nato bombing of tv station war crime, nato bombing of rts war crime, nato bombing of radio station, nato bombing of civilian targets in serbia, nato war crimes, us war crimes, uk war crimes, tony blair war crimes https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/china-ready-to-cooperate-with-russia-to-strengthen-mutual-trust---foreign-ministry-1119789996.html China Ready to Cooperate With Russia to Strengthen Mutual Trust - Foreign Ministry China Ready to Cooperate With Russia to Strengthen Mutual Trust - Foreign Ministry Sputnik International China is ready to cooperate with Russia to strengthen mutual trust and constantly promote relations to a new level, the Chinese Foreign Ministry told Sputnik. 2024-08-16T09:39+0000 2024-08-16T09:39+0000 2024-08-16T09:39+0000 world russia china chinese foreign ministry foreign ministry foreign policy vladimir putin xi jinping https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/0e/1118428153_0:45:3257:1877_1920x0_80_0_0_682e17a61b49a56f7a774c77d0cff047.jpg The diplomatic office reminded that Russia and China celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year and vowed that Beijing will develop its friendship with Moscow under the framework developed by the heads of the two states. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240718/russia-blazes-ahead-with-india-partnership-while-eu-plays-games-to-snub-hungary-1119412505.html russia china 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, china, russia-china partnership, russia-china friendship, russia-china cooperation, putin xi partnership, russia's pivot to asia https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/dimitri-k-simes-they-wanted-to-block-any-attempt-to-have-a-russian-american-dialogue-1119796256.html Dimitri K. Simes: 'They Wanted to Block Any Attempt to Have a Russian-American Dialogue' Dimitri K. Simes: 'They Wanted to Block Any Attempt to Have a Russian-American Dialogue' Sputnik International Russian TV Channel One presenter and founder of the US-based think tank Center for the National Interest, Dimitri K. Simes, shared his thoughts on the current state of the US law enforcement and on how the authorities treat dissenters in the United States nowadays in an interview with Sputnik. 2024-08-16T18:23+0000 2024-08-16T18:23+0000 2024-08-16T18:27+0000 opinion donald trump fbi us world https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/10/1119797459_0:26:3132:1787_1920x0_80_0_0_863cffb5b2b9c33efc8624dec78c223f.jpg Russian TV Channel One presenter and founder of the US-based think tank Center for the National Interest, Dimitri K. Simes, shared his thoughts on the current state of the US law enforcement and on how the authorities treat dissenters in the United States nowadays in an interview with Sputnik.Sputnik: You are a prominent member of the expert community, both in Russia and the US. And still you were subjected to this kind of treatment by the US state. Your home was searched by the FBI, your property rights were violated. And what about an average American who is less of a public figure than you? Isn't your example supposed to show that he or she can be subjected to the state's pressure, even for a smaller digression from the mainstream views, not necessarily on Russia?Dimitri K Simes: You know about what happened to a certain Donald Trump, who was also subjected to searches both at his residence in Florida and in a number of other places. You know about searches made at Rudy Giuliani's place of residence or Paul Manaforts. A number of prominent Americans were subjected to searches or even put in jail, or made bankrupt. So, this is the way American law enforcement is working today. If somebody goes against the political mainstream, in particular against the Biden administration, the punishment may be very swift. And, in the case of Donald Trump, for instance, you could see that they were literally creating new laws or new interpretations of existing laws. Interpretations which have never existed before.My lawyers thought that I was quite safe as far as American law enforcement is concerned, and they did not think that they would run into any kind of trouble [working for me]. You can see that they were wrong. It clearly is an attempt to intimidate, not only somebody from Russia, but just anyone who goes against official policies and particularly against the deep state.Sputnik: It is obvious that you didn't do anything legally wrong. So you are being punished for your opinions. What will be your next steps in this situation? Does it make sense to resist, to seek the defense of the law?Dimitri K Simes: Well, let me start by saying that I do not know what I am being charged with. I don't even know if I am being charged with anything. Is it the FBI [pursuing me], or am I charged by the Department of Justice or any other US government agency? They did not notify me or my lawyers about what is going on, or about any problems they may have with me.The only comment we have from them so far is a comment they made to a local paper in Rappahannock County where the house is located and they told the paper that, indeed, they're conducting a law enforcement investigation, and they are not in a position to say anything more because the investigation is not complete. This is the fourth day of their operations in the house already. We're being told that they're moving things out of the house. What are they doing? Which things are they moving? I have no idea. It is suffice to say that I was not in the house. I have not been to the United States since October 2022. So there is absolutely nothing that can be there that is connected to my current professional life or my other activities.It was reported to me by the neighbors, who were not on my territory themselves, but who observed it from the outside, that there was quite a crowd [during the raid]. About 40 people, perhaps more. And, what was remarkable, many, even most of them, have arrived in private cars, which obviously is against the rules.Normally you would not have an FBI agent arrive at a [facility] he or she is going to search in a private car. Because if they use private cars, these FBI people would be very easily identified and suffer [the] consequences.So, I really would be curious to know who these people are. These people could actually be not FBI agents, but some kind of anti-Russian Ukrainian activists. We did have a precedent before when these [so-called activists] tried to enter my property, but because they were not with the FBI, these people were stopped. That happened in the past. If needed, I obviously will defend my interests. I will do it quite aggressively, but I repeat: it will be done if needed.There were a lot of fairly good paintings. Some of them belonged to my late parents. These were gifts from prominent Russian avant-garde artists. And, obviously, if they were taking them during the search, I would consider it theft. Well, if they just took the paintings for examination, I think it would be totally inappropriate and unnecessary. But if they would try to keep the paintings, most definitely it would be theft, in my view.As for my bank accounts, it's an interesting story. They froze my accounts last night but today one of these accounts, which I use to receive my Social Security pension, was, unfrozen. So, I can receive my small Social Security pension. But my main account, which I use to pay for my activities in the United States, the most important account for my family, it stayed frozen. I use it to pay my mortgage.Therefore I cannot pay for my house. There are a few instances, it happens rarely in the United States and Britain that the authorities would freeze accounts so that people would not be able to pay their mortgages. For that matter, you may become unable to pay for your utilities. When this happens, peoples private house get in total disarray.This did not happen yet to me. But they clearly are trying to create a situation in which I will be unable to return. They're not luring me to come back to the United States to face their justice system. But, on the contrary, they're doing everything possible to make it very difficult or indeed impossible for me to come to the United States. That clearly cannot be right.Sputnik: For many years, you were an important figure in the Russian-American dialogue. You advised President Richard Nixon on Russia and you were an important voice in the United States advocating negotiations between our two countries. And there are still many people in the US establishment who speak out against the current US policy of burning bridges with Russia. Can we say that Washington wants to intimidate these people? And this action against you is it a part of that campaign of intimidation?Dimitri K Simes: There is no question about that. I assume that this is what the whole action is about. If they just wanted to do something against me, they don't need to move things out in trucks, take my belongings from my property and to create this unsavory spectacle.But they want to intimidate other people too, not just me. Particularly they want to intimidate the people in the American foreign policy community. You have mentioned my participation in Russian-American dialogue. Yes, I played a certain role in this dialogue before. I received several invitations to have meetings in the United States, to see, whether we could try to create, to establish at least some form of a professional, unofficial dialogue. At this stage, when there's almost no official dialogue of any kind. And, my suspicion is, this is what they were doing in my house. I cannot be categorical, but this is my suspicion, that they, instead of trying to get me to come to the United States and to interrogate me or even to arrest me, their real purpose is different. They want to make sure that I would not come to the United States, and they want to block any attempt to have a Russian-American dialogue. At least, that is my strong suspicion. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/fbi-says-raid-at-us-home-of-journalist-dimitri-simes-court-authorized-gives-no-details-1119793774.html 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 dimitri k simes, fbi search, fbi raid, russian american dialogue https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/dont-get-obama-ed-again-1119788702.html Dont Get Obama-Ed Again Dont Get Obama-Ed Again Sputnik International Barack Obamas 2008 run, a classic identity play, emphasized the history-making potential of electing the nations first Black president. No one knew or cared much about Obamas policy positions, and he didnt bother to share them. 2024-08-16T06:10+0000 2024-08-16T06:10+0000 2024-08-16T06:10+0000 us americas 2024 us presidential election us presidential campaign barack obama kamala harris joe biden presidential race presidential campaign https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/10/1119788910_0:0:2661:1497_1920x0_80_0_0_49d4b6d75276ab04dc6221049e193a37.jpg Bernie Sanders 2016 and 2020 bids were policy arguments focused around a succinct set of issues: student loan debt, the minimum wage and healthcare. The fact that he would have been the first Jewish president was scarcely noticed.If I were one of the Democratic strategists advising Kamala Harris rump 2024 campaign for president, I would focus on an identity play emphasizing her race and gender over a run about a set of policies. Which is exactly what shes doing. The longer the Harris campaign can portray her as a cultural phenomenon, The New York Times reported on July 31st, the longer she can avoid articulating details of her policy agenda that could divide her supportFor now, the Harris team intends to skip some of the traditional markers of a presidential bid. While Ms. Harris released a host of policy papers during her 2020 campaignsome of which she has since disavowedthis time she plans to cast herself as a policy extension of Mr. Bidens administration.If Kamala Harris can get elected without making policy promises, good for her. But we, as individual voters, have different interests than she does.Im with her, a Hillary Clinton campaign slogan quickly adopted by Kamala Harris supporters, is exactly the opposite of what representative democracy is supposed to be about. She should be watching our backs. A politician ought to be there for us, fighting like hell to improve our lives.Just as Harris is attempting to do now, Obama ran as a rock star, long on charisma and short on specifics. Progressives and other leftists who gave him their votes quickly learned that being young, Black and cool enough to enjoy weed is no guarantee that a candidate will govern any better or differently than a boring old white guy. As president, Obama did exactly what a Republican would have done. He refused to codify Roe v. Wade (he called abortion rights not the highest legislative priority), granted full immunity to Guantanamo torturers, sent tens of thousands of more troops to the losing wars against Afghanistan and Iraq, used assassination drones 10 times more than Bush and supported the military coup against the democratically-elected, left-leaning president of Honduras.Obamas decision to bail out Wall Street but not Main Street after the 2008-09 subprime mortgage crisis prompted pissed-off progressives to form the Occupy Wall Street movement in late 2011. True to right-wing form, Obama had his Homeland Security department partner with Wall Street banks, real estate companies, local police and the FBI to ruthlessly crush hundreds of Occupy encampments in violent coordinated raids.Obama is still a rock star. But he gravely wounded the Democratic Party. Obamaism led directly to the surprise success of Bernie Sanders insurgent 2016 campaignand the intraparty schism that allowed Donald Trumps surprise win.Lets not get fooled again. If the left-leaning Democrats who comprise the majority of the partys voters want to avoid getting conned into supporting another DINO like Obama, they must insist upon a clear and coherent policy agenda for a first Harris Administration. She is not Trump is not enough. Nor is we need a Black woman president. By those standards, we could have elected Condoleezza Rice.We dont know nearly enough about Harriss stances on the issues. The little we have learned so far on matters like Gaza (she supports Israel), universal healthcare (shes against it) and the long-frozen minimum wage (she doesnt talk about it) doesnt give much reason for optimism from a leftist point of view.Its been more than three weeks since she became the Democratic standardbearer. Yet she still refuses to give any press conferencessomething every candidate and every president ought to do daily, 365 days a yearor interviews with reporters. Like the senile Biden, every word she utters in public is read off a Teleprompter.If she wont tell us what she thinks, and we dont like what she says, she shouldnt get our votes.(Ted Rall (Twitter: @tedrall), the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist) https://sputnikglobe.com/20240809/the-trump-harris-showdown-1119687527.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240810/this-is-not-ok-major-us-news-agency-slammed-for-giving-harris-pass-on-answering-questions-1119712761.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ted Rall https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125340_0:0:360:360_100x100_80_0_0_1ed1a3494a53cde87e19521c3658fe92.jpg Ted Rall https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125340_0:0:360:360_100x100_80_0_0_1ed1a3494a53cde87e19521c3658fe92.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 Ted Rall https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125340_0:0:360:360_100x100_80_0_0_1ed1a3494a53cde87e19521c3658fe92.jpg harris-trump debates, harris views, harris presidential campaign, harris-walz team, harris-walz tandem, harris interview, harris avoiding reporters, harris avoids questions, press conference, reporters ask, reporters questions, us elections, presidential campaign, presidential race https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/hamas-not-opposed-to-talks-with-israel-but-demands-complete-ceasefire-in-gaza---official-1119786208.html Hamas Not Opposed to Talks With Israel, But Demands Complete Ceasefire in Gaza - Official Hamas Not Opposed to Talks With Israel, But Demands Complete Ceasefire in Gaza - Official Sputnik International Palestinian movement Hamas is not refusing to hold talks with Israel, but demands a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Hamas political office member Husam Badran told Sputnik on Thursday. 2024-08-16T00:26+0000 2024-08-16T00:26+0000 2024-08-16T00:26+0000 world genocide palestine-israel conflict gaza strip israel palestine hamas ethnic cleansing ceasefire humanitarian catastrophe https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/10/1119786332_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_096daea3bda41fd07ed6e44385a98bc0.jpg Last week, Egypt, Qatar and the United States called on Israel and Hamas to resume talks on the terms of a ceasefire on August 14-15. The three countries' leaders said they were ready to present a final proposal to reach a deal. Hamas representative in Lebanon Ahmed Abdel Hadi told Sputnik on Tuesday that the Palestinian movement would not participate in the negotiations. Any negotiations must be based on a clear plan on how to implement the agreed actions, the Hamas official said. He also expressed his concern that Israel would impede the talks to be able to continue military actions in the enclave. Hamas has repeatedly responded to international ceasefire initiatives, including US President Joe Biden's proposal and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the official added. On October 7, 2023, Israel was attacked by Hamas from the Gaza Strip. In retaliation, the Jewish state launched military operations in the Palestinian enclave and announced a complete blockade of the enclave. The enclave's health ministry said that the death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has exceeded 39,900. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240815/complete-hypocrisy-us-continues-to-serve-israel-as-fear-of-middle-east-conflict-grows-1119773066.html gaza strip israel 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 ceasefire deal, ceasefire talks, ceasefire agreement, genocide, ethnic cleansing, humanitarian disaster, humanitarian catastrophe, humanitarian ceasefire, israel-hamas conflict, gaza strip crisis, shelling of gaza, gaza devastation, israel-palestine conflict, palestine-israel conflict, israeli-palestinian conflict, palestinian-israeli, zionist regime, zionists, hamas attack, israeli strikes, israeli forces, hostages, israeli military, hamas fighters, hamas soldiers, hamas military, killings of civilians, civilian infrastructure, civilians dead, civilians die, israel kills civilians, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, indiscriminate shelling, indiscriminate killing, war crimes https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/india-day-festival-kicks-off-in-moscow-1119791236.html India Day Festival Kicks Off in Moscow India Day Festival Kicks Off in Moscow Sputnik International The cultural festival began in the southern landscape park of Moscow's "Dream Island" complex, a Sputnik correspondent reported. 2024-08-16T10:24+0000 2024-08-16T10:24+0000 2024-08-16T10:26+0000 russia india sammy kotwani independence multipolar world multipolarity https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/10/1119791327_0:172:3029:1875_1920x0_80_0_0_abfdc6a6d03ca8472791ce7a7f0f042f.jpg There are tents for cultural events, themed decorations, and stalls selling Indian goods, including food, cosmetics, and souvenirs. The park area is adorned with colorful garlands.The official ceremony began at midday with the raising of the Indian flag. The president of the Indian Cultural and National Center "SITA," Sammy Kotwani, welcomed the visitors.The festivals official opening will feature representatives from various regions of Russia and around 30 embassies. According to Kotwani, this year the festival expects to host more than three million guests, with the venue covering about 27 hectares.The main theme of the 2024 celebration is family. The large international presence at the opening ceremony will remind everyone of the famous Hindu saying Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: "The whole world is one family." The event is dedicated to Indias Independence Day and the 78th anniversary of Russian-Indian diplomatic relations. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240718/russia-blazes-ahead-with-india-partnership-while-eu-plays-games-to-snub-hungary-1119412505.html independence Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia-india ties, russia-india partnership, russia-india cooperation, india day moscow, day of india, india culture russia https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/japan-marks-79th-anniversary-of-a-bomb-but-fast-tracks-to-become-third-largest-military-spender-1119787225.html Japan Marks 79th Anniversary of A-Bomb, But Fast Tracks to Become Third Largest Military Spender Japan Marks 79th Anniversary of A-Bomb, But Fast Tracks to Become Third Largest Military Spender Sputnik International One of these historians is Dr. Peter Kuznick, who joined Sputniks The Critical Hour to discuss the use of the atomic bomb in World War II. 2024-08-16T05:30+0000 2024-08-16T05:30+0000 2024-08-16T05:30+0000 analysis japan china world war ii us atomic bombings atomic bomb hiroshima nagasaki ussr japanese liberal democratic party https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/06/1112415761_0:153:3097:1895_1920x0_80_0_0_ef5dbfd27ad610b7c71ca993161d33bf.jpg On the morning of August 6th, 1945, the Japanese city of Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon of war, according to the Imperial War Museums. Within the first four days of the blast, roughly 120,000 people died as a result of American bombing. While some were vaporized in an instant, others suffered from their wounds or radiation. Just three days later, a second atomic bomb was used to devastate the city of Nagasaki where an estimated 73,000 people were killed by an American bomb.The West has often referred to the attack as the "Atomic bomb that was responsible for ending World War II". But some historians believe the deaths of hundreds of thousands civilians was unnecessary, and argue that the Japanese were already prepared to surrender. One of these historians is Dr. Peter Kuznick, who joined Sputniks The Critical Hour to discuss the use of the atomic bomb in World War II....at Yalta in February of 45, Stalin promised Roosevelt that the Soviets would be in the Pacific War three months after the end of the war in Europe, he added. They knew the Japanese were defeated. We'd been intercepting the Japanese cables. We broke the codes early in the war. We knew what they were saying, that the only obstacle to surrender is the US demand for a complete surrender.On August 14 the Japanese accepted the demand of unconditional surrender, however it was not until September 2nd that the final Japanese surrender was signed. But the analyst suggested that the notion that the atomic bomb ended the war is nonsense.The Soviets joined the war in early August, the analyst explains, which is when the Japanese really knew that the war was over. It was not the use of the atomic bomb that influenced the Japanese to surrender, but the Soviets decision to join the war, the analyst argued.US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a group of security officials on Saturday that war with China is neither imminent nor unavoidable, a US news source reported. Austins comments followed a meeting he had with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in what was the first in-person meeting between the defense officials following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the Chinese island of Taiwan.China condemned Pelosi's visit as a move by the US to support Taiwanese separatism. Following a meeting in July, the US and Japan announced the strengthening of their military ties as well as reinforcing the US Forces Japan to a warfighting command, Sputnik reported. This week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced his plans to step down as leader of Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). As an ally to the US, the prime minister was responsible for militarizing Japan - in fact, Japan is on track to becoming the worlds third-largest military spender after the US and China. But he could not overcome sinking approval ratings which followed a corruption scandal surrounding the LDP, as well as rising living costs and a weakening yen, Sputnik reported. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240731/okinawa-on-fire-division-brewing-in-japan-over-us-militarizing--nuclearizing-1119579206.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240815/they-need-a-scapegoat-us-favored-japanese-leader-to-step-down-1119775163.html japan china hiroshima 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 american atomic bomb, nuclear explosion, atomic explosion, atomic war, nuclear war, japan-us relations, japan-us alliance, wwii, atomic bomb, russia saved the world, ussr in wwii, ussr won the war, american bombings, nuclear bombings https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/political-analyst-dimitri-simes-visited-us-last-time-in-2022-not-notified-about-fbi-raid-1119790118.html Political Analyst Dimitri K. Simes Visited US Last Time in 2022, Not Notified About FBI Raid Political Analyst Dimitri K. Simes Visited US Last Time in 2022, Not Notified About FBI Raid Sputnik International Russian-American political analyst Dimitri K. Simes told Sputnik on Friday that he had not been to the United States since 2022, and had not been notified about the search of his property by the FBI. 2024-08-16T09:46+0000 2024-08-16T09:46+0000 2024-08-16T12:58+0000 world 2024 us presidential election ukrainian crisis joe biden us arms for ukraine us us hegemony freedom of speech https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/10/1111227022_0:0:2948:1659_1920x0_80_0_0_1995fa9fbde31ad1f3adc30a738ca31e.jpg Earlier in the day, US newspaper Rappahannock News reported that agents of the FBI have been conducting searches in the house of the Russian-American political analyst Dimitri K. Simes in Rappahannock County, Virginia. Dimitri Simes Jr., son of Dimitri K. Simes, told Sputnik on Friday that there had been no advance warning of the raid, and they still did not know what the FBIs objectives were. According to Simes Jr, his father has not been in the US since October 2022, and there were "no available items or information of interest" in the family home. Journalist Simes, 76, moderated the plenary session of 2023 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). He also co-hosts "The Big Game" show on Russias Channel One. 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 dmitri simes fbi raid, dmitri simes political analyst, dmitri simes politics, biden ukraine dmitri simes, ukrainian crisis dmitri simes https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/scott-ritter-russia-obliterates-nato-fighters-weaponry-as-ukraine-mounts-desperate-attack-in-kursk-1119786940.html Scott Ritter: Russia Obliterates NATO Fighters, Weaponry as Ukraine Mounts Desperate Attack in Kursk Scott Ritter: Russia Obliterates NATO Fighters, Weaponry as Ukraine Mounts Desperate Attack in Kursk Sputnik International Ukraine was forced to expend some of their most well-trained soldiers and advanced technology in a failed effort to capture the Kursk nuclear power plant, highlighted former US Marine intelligence officer Scott Ritter. 2024-08-16T03:27+0000 2024-08-16T03:27+0000 2024-08-16T03:58+0000 analysis scott ritter george w. bush russia ukraine nato kursk kursk region nuclear nuclear plant https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/10/1119787516_0:30:3362:1921_1920x0_80_0_0_1e26ebe0c3d0464447b45ffc7aed9472.jpg Ukraine was forced to expend some of their most well-trained soldiers and advanced technology in a failed effort to capture the Kursk nuclear power plant, highlighted former US Marine intelligence officer Scott Ritter.Such was the former UN chief weapons inspectors analysis on Sputniks The Critical Hour program Thursday, where Ritter discussed the latest desperate maneuver of the failing Western proxy war.A NATO-created, trained, equipped and directed force of not just Ukrainians, but Polish, French, Americans [and] British has invaded Russia, said the American dissident, who faced persecution in Washington after challenging the George W. Bush administrations claims of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction during the runup to the United States disastrous war on the Middle Eastern country.This force could be up to 20,000-strong, Ritter noted. It looks like the Ukrainians are seeking to reinforce it as we speak with thousands of more people drawn from the Zaporozhye front. It's an invasion of Russia. And that should scare the heck out of everybody who just heard that statement.Ritter noted that Moscow quickly responded to the attack, taking the opportunity to destroy Ukrainian supply lines running from the Sumy region.Russia has also neutralized some of the regimes most well-trained troops and high-tech NATO weaponry, such as a British Challenger tank, US M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. The ongoing conflict against the Western client state has served as a showcase for Russian defense technology, which has fared well against Ukraines dwindling supplies of expensive NATO weaponry.They gave it to us. They handed it to us, said Ritter of Kievs strategic reserves of troops and armaments. The Russians are winning. The Ukrainians are dying. And there's nothing Ukraine will have to replace these troops.These troops have been trained and prepared for well over a year and a half. These are NATO equivalent troops. Many of them are NATO troops, sheep-dipped Polish troops, sheep-dipped French troops, American mercenaries recruited as soon as they leave the active duty of the United States Armed Forces This is a NATO unit, literally a NATO unit that was sent into Ukraine and the Russians are destroying it. That's the reality of what's going on in Kursk right now.Ritter claimed Moscow had uncovered Ukrainian troops plans to seize a nuclear power plant in the Kursk region, essentially holding it hostage in exchange for the return of territory in Crimea, Kherson or Zaporozhye. The Kiev regime would threaten Russia and the world with a nuclear catastrophe if Russia wouldn't come to the negotiating table, the analyst claimed, calling the gambit an insane plan.The former intelligence officer compared Ukraines plan to the Battle of the Bulge, during which a weakened Nazi regime desperately attempted to cut British and American troops off from a supply base at the port of Antwerp.The analyst claimed Ukraines repeated intransigence would force Moscow to capture more territory, noting Russias repeated attempts to reach a diplomatic solution with Kiev both before and after it launched its special military operation in early 2022.Ukraine is going to lose another 30 percent or more of its territory when this is done because Russia has basically determined that Ukraine can't be trusted, the West can't be trusted, that Russia can never believe in the notion of a Ukraine willing to live in peace with its Russian neighbor," Ritter claimed. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240814/ex-pentagon-analyst-ukraine-couldnt-launch-kursk-terror-attack-without-us-support-1119771399.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240815/ukraines-military-mission-in-kursk-unclear---white-house-1119782711.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240815/is-ukraines-suicidal-kursk-attack-part-of-us-establishments-desperate-effort-to-win-in-2024-1119780479.html russia ukraine kursk region 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 ukraine strategic reserves, kiev strategic reserves kursk, ukraine nato troops kursk, ukraine us nato planning kursk, ukraine kursk invasion, ukraine kursk incursion, russia-ukraine war, war of attrition, nuclear threat, nuclear terrorism https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/sign-of-anxiety-pentagon-keeps-an-eye-on-deepening-russia-iran-collaboration-1119789114.html Sign of Anxiety? Pentagon Keeps Eye on Deepening Russia-Iran Collaboration Sign of Anxiety? Pentagon Keeps Eye on Deepening Russia-Iran Collaboration Sputnik International Tehran is expected to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Moscow on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan in October. 2024-08-16T06:52+0000 2024-08-16T06:52+0000 2024-08-16T13:15+0000 russia iran world vladimir putin ebrahim raisi sergei shoigu visit https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/08/10/1119789703_0:0:1280:721_1920x0_80_0_0_808eee2aac18c0a23300b1f00078caae.jpg The US Department of Defense "has seen a deepening cooperation and relationship between Russia and Iran," Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters, commenting on Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigus recent visit to the Islamic Republic."While I cant speculate what this visit entails, you know, we've seen these visits of leaders happen over the course of the last two years," she added, in an apparent nod to Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.Shoigu visited Iran earlier this month to discuss global and regional security issues as well as those related to bilateral trade and economic cooperation.Pezeshkian also touted Russia as a strategic ally of Iran, adding that his government will remain committed to expanding Tehran-Moscow cooperation, especially within the frameworks of BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (of which Iran is a member), and the Eurasian Economic Union.Russian and Iranian warships earlier implemented joint missions as part of the Maritime Security Belt 2024 naval drills that were conducted near the Gulf of Oman. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240521/putin-russia-will-do-everything-to-continue-development-of-relations-with-iran-1118572809.html russia iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.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 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg the us department of defense, the pentagon's concern over deepening cooperation and relationship between russia and iran, russian president vladimir putin, russian security council secretary sergei shoigus recent visit to iran. moscow-tehran cooperation A unit at the Bexar County Detention Center is pictured in 2019. Bob Owen/Staff photographer A Bexar County inmate with a violent criminal history is accused of killing a fellow inmate, according to an arrest affidavit. Anthony Chase McGruder, 28, faces a murder charge in connection to the death of Jose Barrera, 62. Bexar County inmate Anthony McGruder, 28, is charged with murder in connection with the death of fellow inmate Jose Barrera, 62. Bexar County Sheriff On Tuesday, the Bexar County Sheriffs Office released details of an in-custody death at the jail around 2:30 p.m. As per the Sandra Bland Act, the Texas Rangers are leading the investigation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad According to the arrest affidavit, an officer at the jail was notified by an inmate about several assaults that occurred in one of the cells. There was a total of 8 inmates, including Barrera, in the cell at the time of the incident. An officer observed an unresponsive Barrera and issued a Code 1, a medical alert, and Code 2, which is an officer needing assistance. Barrera was pronounced dead at 2:37 p.m. Abrasions near and around Barrera's front neck area and forehead were found shortly after his death, the affidavit states. Investigators said McGruder admitted to killing a guy." Advertisement Article continues below this ad In separate interviews, investigators said inmates told them McGruder was stressed out due to the recent passing of his father" and had been causing problems in the cell. They said McGruder had used a towel and sheet to choke inmates, including Barrera. One inmate said McGruder choked him until he bled from his nose and blacked out. McGruder also struck Barrera with a sandal, an inmate told investigators. A Bexar County medical examiner found petechial evidence on Barreras right eye that is consistent with trauma involving intense pressure. Investigators reviewed McGruders criminal history and found four prior assault arrests and another arrest for injury to a child/elderly/disabled person, according to the arrest affidavit. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/western-governments-sell-farfetched-nord-stream-tale-to-wary-public-1119787937.html Western Governments Sell Farfetched Nord Stream Tale to Wary Public Western Governments Sell Farfetched Nord Stream Tale to Wary Public Sputnik International Two-thirds of European Union citizens remain concerned over the lack of clarity surrounding the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosion, recent opinion polling reveals. 2024-08-16T04:24+0000 2024-08-16T04:24+0000 2024-08-16T04:24+0000 analysis europe ted rall seymour hersh ukraine germany european union (eu) nord stream nord stream 2 nord stream pipeline https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/0c/1117285675_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_71ec0928f82b4eedb8cbf3857f39c30a.jpg Two-thirds of European Union citizens remain concerned over the lack of clarity surrounding the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosion, recent opinion polling reveals.A survey conducted in May found large numbers of Europeans were troubled by the lack of results from recent investigations into the matter, including 75% of Greeks, 74% of Hungarians, and 72% of Portuguese people who were still worried over the state of affairs. In Germany, perhaps Ukraines most important European backer, a full 71% of people said they were concerned over the lack of an explanation for the incident.It was in this context that German officials revealed a surprising break in the case this week, claiming a Ukrainian diving instructor known as Volodymyr Zhuravlev was responsible for the pipelines sabotage.My feeling is that this is a cover for something, whether for Kursk or something else that they're planning, said Serbian-American journalist Nebojsa Malic on Sputniks The Final Countdown program Thursday. The columnist joined hosts Steve Gill and Ted Rall to break down the latest developments in the case.He says Americans. Other people have put his information together and pointed a finger to the British. But it definitely wasn't the Russians blowing up their own pipeline.Host Ted Rall doubted German officials claim that an amateur diver could have been responsible for the sabotage, noting the difficulty of the operation.The Nord Stream 2 pipeline explosion took place at a depth of 260 feet, Rall said, noting the pipeline was twice as deep as the 130-foot depth limit for recreational divers. We're being told that these are not professional [divers]... You think about the logistical challenge. You have to go to 260 feet. It's pitch dark. It's freezing cold. It's freezing cold in the Caribbean at 260 feet. But this is the Baltic Sea, so it's bitter.They're counting that most people are idiots, said Malic. When you've been deceiving the public for so long, you don't have to bother to try very hard. And this is what these Western media have become basically, victims of their own success. They don't have to be very creative with their deceptions because they rarely get challenged.Malic speculated that pinning the blame on a Ukrainian diver could serve as a way to further discredit Volodymyr Zelensky, whose legitimacy has expired in May after his previous mandate as president ended, he noted. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240815/patriotic-russians-volunteer-in-droves-as-us-tries-to-divert-blame-for-nord-stream-sabotage-1119773991.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240713/sweden-closing-nord-streams-explosions-case-signals-international-conspiracy---moscow-1119364874.html ukraine germany united kingdom (uk) 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 nord stream cover story, germany nord stream suspect, germany volodymyr z nord stream, nord stream pipeline explosion amateur diver, nord stream sabotage diving instructor, germany nord stream explosion suspect, volodymyr z nord stream, volodymyr zhuravlev nord stream, kursk region, nord stream 2, us blew up nord stream, nord stream sabotage, terrorist attack on nord stream, nord stream pipelines, nord stream explosion, culprits of nord stream sabotage, us behind nord stream sabotage, uk behind nord stream sabotage While 2-5 favourite Tequila Talkin was jammed up inside and waiting for the Lightning Lane, Good Feeln To Know swung widest of all in the lane, looped the leaders and pulled off a 15-1 upset in the $26,301 Open Handicap Trot on Thursday, Aug. 15 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. Tequila Talkin (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) made the early lead but yielded it to the quarter-poling Commander Frank (Mike Wilder). Meanwhile, Good Feeln To Know followed the live first-over cover of Killer Instinct (Hunter Wyers) before swinging well outside for Dave Palone. Tequila Talkin eventually found the Lightning Lane but Good Feeln To Know already had soared by to edge the favourite by a half length in 1:53, with Commander Frank third. Nick Kozar trains Good Feeln To Know, a five-year-old Trixton-Gentle True Spirit gelding who lifted his lifetime earnings to $117,505, for Jack B. Piatt III and Howard Alexander. Mike Wilder collected four wins on the 13-race card and Wilbur Yoder three including a pair of victories with horses he trains. Fridays card at The Meadows features two stakes for freshman colt and gelding pacers: a Pennsylvania Sires Stake with $197,709 USD split over three divisions and a PA Stallion Series event with five $20,000 USD divisions. On the wagering front, the program offers two carryovers: $570.20 in the Early Pentafecta (Race 4), $1,034.40 in the Pick 5 (Race 9). First post is 5:10 p.m. (Meadows Standardbred Owners Association) Now that the state has entered a new fiscal year, the Cowlitz County Board of Health and Board of Commissioners will have to decide how to spend state health funding that went largely unused last year. Each year, the state Legislature allocates funding for local health departments to use for what the state calls foundational public health services like access to medical and oral care that should be available statewide. Local health departments do not have to apply for the funding; it is allocated automatically, and any funding that is not used is returned to the system to either be reallocated or returned to the Legislature. What are foundational public health services? Foundational public health services are government-mandated programs and services that should be available to all residents statewide. They include: Vital records, such as birth and death certificates. Environmental public health. Communicable disease prevention and control. Maternal, child and family health. Access to medical, oral and behavioral health services. Chronic disease, injury and violence prevention. Assessment through surveillance and epidemiology. Emergency preparedness. Communication with media and the public. Policy development and support. Community partnership development. Business competencies to improve programs and meet state standards. In the July 2023-June 2024 fiscal year, Cowlitz County was allocated $1,439,000 in state funding and returned $954,014, about two thirds of the available funding. Some jurisdictions may end up being unable to spend all their funding for the year, but it is very rare for funding to be purposefully returned, said Jaime Bodden, managing director of the Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials. Most counties are grateful to have dedicated funding to support government mandates they have been solely responsible for covering, Bodden said. What is the funding process? First, the state Legislature allocates part of the budget to the fundamental services funding. In the 2023-24 operating budget, those services received $324 million, or $162 million per year, Bodden said. A steering committee with representatives from the Washington State Department of Health, the state board of health, local health jurisdictions and tribes then decides what programs and services should receive the funding and how much they will get. Once funding has been assigned to Cowlitz County Health and Human Services, the county commissioners must approve the contract to accept all or part of the money as part of the health and human services budget. The board of commissioners makes this decision based on recommendations from the county board of health, board member and County Commissioner Dennis Weber said. Recently, the amount of funding available has greatly increased, from $58,739 to $1,439,000 annually, Cowlitz County Health and Human Services Communications Manager Kristin Young said. Why was the funding returned? The county commissioners were ultimately unable to make a decision about how to use the funding, and only assigned enough to maintain ongoing programs and make cost of living adjustments, Weber said. The county accepted $154,643 for communicable disease prevention and control and $330,343 not assigned to a specific purpose, according to information from the county health and human services. It did not accept any funding for data collection and analysis or Lifecourse, a category that includes maternal and family health, medical and oral health, behavioral health, chronic disease and injury and violence prevention. Weber said part of the issue was that the county board of health did not provide any recommendations. In the past, the county commissioners and the board of health had a more streamlined decision-making process because they consisted of the same three members, but a state law passed in 2022 added four nonelected members to the board of health who are unable to make final decisions about budget issues. Weber encouraged the board of health to approve funding to hire an epidemiologist or other professional to conduct a community survey and find out what public health issues the county should focus its efforts on. Data collection is one area the health department could have used the states foundational services funding, according to information put out by health and human services. If were going to be spending tax dollars, we need to be data driven, Weber said. Along a similar line, Cowlitz County Board of Health member Mary Jane Melink requested health and human services compile a list of priorities so the board could make a more informed decision about how to assign the state funding. The list was created, but the board of health was not able to make a decision in time to take advantage of the 2023-24 funding. The four main priorities health and human services identified were substance-use prevention and education, increasing treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, chronic disease prevention through promoting healthy lifestyles and environmental health such as water testing for arsenic. I think theres some real opportunities to do a lot of good in the community using those dollars, Melink said. What about next year? The county received the same amount of funding for the 2024-25 fiscal year, but has not yet made any decisions about how much will be accepted or how it will be spent, said Young with health and human services. Im very, very hopeful that this year, when they receive those funds, the commissioners will allow the health department to use those dollars for the priorities theyve identified, Melink said. One option county commissioners are interested in is possibly remodeling part of the countys juvenile detention center for use as a residential treatment center for youth behavioral health and substance use issues. The detention center has capacity for over 50 residents but rarely meets it, so the space is not being used efficiently, Weber said. Meanwhile, those who are assigned treatment currently have trouble finding local options. Other potential areas of concern include sexually transmitted disease, opioid use and behavioral health issues, especially among the homeless population. SEATTLE Washingtons Supreme Court ruled last week in favor of consumers who say they were victims of price gouging on Amazons digital store at the start of COVID-19 lockdowns. Seven Washington Supreme Court justices determined that the price-gouging allegations against Amazon could constitute an unfair business practice under Washingtons Consumer Protection Act, opening the door for a proposed class-action lawsuit against the company to move forward. Thats significant because, unlike most states, Washington does not have a statute preventing excessive price increases in times of emergency, like the aftermath of a natural disaster or a global pandemic. Amazon, which said during the height of the pandemic lockdowns that it doesnt tolerate price gouging, argued in court that Washingtons Consumer Protection Act did not apply in this case because it did not explicitly prohibit price gouging. A decision on the acts parameters is best fit for the legislature, it argued. But, in a majority opinion filed Thursday, Washingtons Supreme Court Justices wrote that Amazons arguments were unpersuasive and unconvincing. The filings do not make a conclusive determination on whether Amazon did in fact raise prices excessively harming consumers and reaping what plaintiffs called blockbuster profits but they may pave the way for that determination. The court went writ large and said theres many ways you can allege an unfair practice, and this was one of them, said Steve Berman, a Seattle attorney with Hagens Berman representing consumers in this case. Following the Supreme Courts ruling, the case will go back to district court and a jury will litigate the price gouging allegations, Berman said. The attorneys have asked for class action status, meaning it would cover any shopper who overpaid for an item on Amazon during the time when a state of emergency was in place. But, the Supreme Courts decision already set a precedent, Berman continued. It gives shoppers protection from this kind of conduct, he said. I think the law was always there but now the Supreme Court has just affirmed that. Amazon did not respond to several requests for comment for this story. In a March 2020 blog post, amid pandemic-induced lockdowns, Amazon said it had already taken steps to combat price gouging on its platform, including removing more than half a million offers from its store due to coronavirus-based price gouging and suspending more than 3,900 seller accounts in the U.S. for violating the companys fair pricing policies. Amazon has zero tolerance for price gouging and longstanding policies and systems to prevent this harmful practice, the company wrote. The state Supreme Court was responding to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in October 2021. Five plaintiffs from California, Arizona and North Carolina alleged Amazon jacked up prices on goods they could not reasonably find on other e-commerce sites, at a time when they couldnt easily leave their house to go check other stores. In March and April 2020, the plaintiffs allege they overpaid for cleaning supplies, distilled water, dry yeast, ramen noodles and ingredients to make hand sanitizer. Some plaintiffs had health and safety concerns that put them at high risk if they caught the COVID-19 virus; others were trying to buy supplies for loved ones who had trouble tracking down the things they needed. Amazon controlled the price of its own goods and those sold by third-party merchants on its platform, the lawsuit alleged. The e-commerce giant was also the only party that benefited from the price increases, it continued. The district court kicked some of the legal questions in the case up to the state Supreme Court in April 2023. In court filings last Thursday, seven justices determined Washingtons Consumer Protection Act did apply to the price gouging allegations. Five justices went so far as to determine that, if the plaintiffs allegations were true, Amazon had violated the Consumer Protection Act. They wrote in the majority opinion that plaintiffs had shown the price gouging caused substantial financial harm that could not be reasonably avoided and that was not outweighed by other benefits to shoppers or e-commerce industry competition. They have shown that Amazons actions had widespread impacts and that Amazon is responsible for the price increases on its own products as well as products supplied by third parties, the justices wrote in the majority opinion. They had no meaningful choice but to purchase their products from Amazon Amazons argument that the Consumer Protection Act does not apply conflicts with the stated intent of the (law), which is to protect the public and foster fair and honest competition, the justices continued. Justice Helen Whitener wrote the majority opinion, joined by justices Steven Gonzalez, Raquel Montoya-Lewis, Debra Stephens and Mary Yu. Justice Barbara Madsen wrote in a concurring opinion that the Consumer Protection Act did apply, but that the Supreme Court did not need to go so far as determining if Amazon had violated the law. Judge David Keenan wrote in a second concurring opinion, joined by Justices Yu and Montoya-Lewis, that the Consumer Protection Act also covers reasonable business practices. Keenan, a King County Superior Court judge, is serving as justice pro tempore, or a temporary justice, in this case. The concurring opinion was meant to dispute Amazons claims that using the Consumer Protection Act in this instance would lead to price controls, and make it more difficult for Amazon to equalize supply and demand. In the majority opinion, the justices declined to set a 15% price increase as the bar for an unfair business practice because that goes beyond this courts wheelhouse. Such a threshold is better determined by the legislature because it depends on numerous social and economic considerations, they continued. In a dissenting opinion, two justices used a similar argument to assert that the Consumer Protection Act did not apply in this case. The law does not direct the court to determine what business practices are unfair without looking at other market factors, which is a job better suited for the legislature than the Supreme Court, the justices wrote. I do not think that we should be the first court in the nation to create a price gouging claim based on general statutory language prohibiting unfairacts in trade or commerce, Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud wrote in the dissenting opinion, joined by Justice Charles Johnson. Berman expects the trial wont start for another two years. In the meantime, he said hes planning to ask Amazon how it is defining price gouging when it comes to third-party sellers and comparing that to the companys own products. If a jury rules in favor of the shoppers, those who overpaid would be mailed a refund, Berman said. And Amazon, if the jury decides the way Berman hopes, theyre going to be much more careful in the future. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Researchers found ChatGPT has potential to help deliver medical information in an accessible and easy-to-understand manner. (Matheus Bertelli/Pexels) For symptoms like a runny nose and a cough, some might think it's a common cold. It doesn't warrant a doctor's visit, so they turn to Google and WebMD for additional reassurance. Now, with advancements in AI, some might be tempted to switch from "Dr. Google" to "Dr. ChatGPT," but can OpenAI's AI-powered chatbot provide accurate medical advice? Researchers from Western University set out to answer that question and explore whether ChatGPT is capable of becoming a reliable resource in health care and medical education. The study, led by Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor Dr. Amrit Kirpalani, was recently published in PLOS One and found that ChatGPT was only 49% accurate when it came to providing the right diagnosis. While they determined ChatGPT is not yet ready to be used as a reliable medical diagnostic tool for complicated cases, their study did find it was able to take complex medical topics and synthesize them in an easy-to-understand manner, which could be beneficial for instructors and health-care providers to deliver medical information in a digestible format. "To me, the most relevant finding is that ChatGPT delivered its answers in a very simple and easy-to-understand way," said Kirpalani. "I think that's important because you can see the potential for it to be used as a great tool to help people learn and understand medical cases." The study asked ChatGPT to diagnose 150 cases through Medscape Clinical Challenges, which are designed to test the diagnostic skills of health-care professionals. Medscape is a public platform with many complex cases, where clinicians vote on what they think is the right answer. The research team, which included third-year medical students Ali Hadi, Edward Tran and Branavan Nagarajan, created prompts asking ChatGPT to choose the correct diagnosis in a multiple-choice format and to provide a rationale. The chat bot was given information including patients' histories, physical examination results, and laboratory or imaging test results. The researchers found it struggled with interpreting test results and sometimes overlooked critical information that was relevant to the diagnosis. However, the chatbot was helpful in providing next diagnostic steps and making medical information more accessible. More research needed to 'use AI responsibly' It is clear from the study that further research and advancements are needed before AI can be used as another tool to help with medical diagnoses. And as new AI models advance and improve, Kirpalani emphasizes the importance of AI literacy. "AI literacy is important for patients, for providers, for educators and for students because we need to understand how we can use AI responsibly and how it can be applied and leveraged for health care and medical education purposes," says Kirpalani. Regardless of the accuracy of these online resources, Kirpalani stressed the need to evaluate and double check responses from the internet against reliable, peer-reviewed sources. "I would say we're maybe already at the point where we need guidance around prompt engineeringwhere they structure an instruction that can be interpreted and understood by a generative AI model," said Kirpalani. "We are going to need a lot of oversight on how it's being used to ensure patient safety and to make sure [this kind of AI technology] will be thoughtfully rolled out." More information: Ali Hadi et al, Evaluation of ChatGPT as a diagnostic tool for medical learners and clinicians, PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307383 Journal information: PLoS ONE This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: FiBa soft gripper mounted on a DJI quadcopter, demonstrating its enhanced capability to perch securely on a branch. Credit: SUTD Researchers have made groundbreaking advancements in the field of soft robotics by developing film-balloon (FiBa) soft robots. These innovative robots, designed by a team led by Dr. Terry Ching and corresponding author Professor Michinao Hashimoto, introduce a novel fabrication approach that enables lightweight, untethered operation with advanced biomimetic locomotion capabilities. The research is published in the journal Science Robotics. The research team is from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Queensland University of Technology (QUT). The core innovation for these robots involves the development of FiBa modules, which combine transversely curved polymer thin films with three-dimensional printed pneumatic balloons. This combination significantly reduces the weight of soft actuators, enabling untethered operations. The FiBa modules serve as essential building blocks for creating soft robots that can mimic a wide range of natural movements. The soft robots assembled using the FiBa modules can replicate various natural movements, including turtle-inspired crawling, inchworm-inspired climbing, bat-inspired perching, and ladybug-inspired flying. These modes of locomotion demonstrate the versatility and potential of the FiBa modules in numerous applications, showcasing their ability to operate in diverse and challenging environments. Ladybug-inspired flying robot. Credit: Michinao Hashimoto The development of FiBa modules addresses one of the major challenges in the field of soft robotics: untethering robots from electrical or pneumatic power sources. By significantly reducing the weight of soft actuators, researchers have enabled the integration of essential components such as pumps, valves, batteries, and control boards, paving the way for fully autonomous soft robots. This breakthrough enhances the operational capabilities and potential applications of soft robots. FiBa soft robots' ability to mimic natural locomotion strategies demonstrates their exceptional versatility. These capabilities could potentially allow the robots to operate in diverse and challenging environments previously inaccessible to traditional rigid robots, such as disaster zones, uneven terrains, and delicate biological settings. The lightweight design of FiBa modules increases energy efficiency and operational periods, which is advantageous for space exploration and search and rescue operations. Their adaptability and customizability make them suitable for various industries, including manufacturing, health care, and agriculture. Dr. Ching, who completed this work during his joint Ph.D. at SUTD and NUS, drew inspiration from the transversal curvature in a carpenter's tape. He explained, "When I was thinking about creating lightweight actuators, the idea struck me while using a carpenter's tape. Its ability to return to its original position, thanks to the transversal curvature, gave me the inspiration for the FiBa modules. Our FiBa modules offer a new tool for designing and customizing lightweight, untethered soft robots with advanced functionalities. This breakthrough has the potential to transform the way we approach robotic design, particularly for applications in challenging environments where traditional rigid robots fall short." A particularly groundbreaking application is the development of aerial robots with the ability to autonomously unfold their wings, inspired by the flight mechanics of ladybugs. This innovation allows for compact transportation and deployment in confined spaces, followed by autonomous wing unfolding for flight. Professor Foong Shaohui, head of the SUTD Aerial Innovation Research (AIR) Laboratory, added, "The ability to autonomously unfold the wings mid-air is a significant advancement in aerial robotics. This capability enhances the operational flexibility of aerial robots and opens up new possibilities for deployment in challenging environments such as disaster zones and remote locations." Prof Hashimoto, the corresponding author, concluded, "This research is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. By leveraging the unique strengths of our team members and institutions, we have developed a solution that addresses a critical challenge in soft robotics. The FiBa modules provide a versatile and scalable platform for creating soft robots that can perform a variety of tasks in different environments." This research involved collaborative efforts with expertise from multiple labs, including the SUTD Soft Fluidics Laboratory led by Prof Hashimoto, the SUTD Aerial Innovation Research AIR Laboratory led by Prof Foong and the QUT MicroTE Laboratory led by Professor Toh Yi-Chin. This interdisciplinary collaboration harnesses expertise from various fields to address the complex challenges in soft robotics. More information: Terry Ching et al, Crawling, climbing, perching, and flying by FiBa soft robots, Science Robotics (2024). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adk4533 Journal information: Science Robotics Storm Elementary first graders Jerry Knifer, center, and Ashley Leyva react to the Solids, Liquids and Gases program taught at the Witte Museum in 2022. Storm is one of 15 schools that closed this year due to falling enrollment in the San Antonio Independent School District. Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Some students displaced by campus closures in the San Antonio Independent School District will continue to start their mornings walking to their now-shuttered neighborhood schools. The 15 schools closed because of shrinking enrollment will serve as bus stops. Instead of heading inside for class, students will pick up transportation to their new schools from the sidewalks outside their empty alma maters. The future use of the school buildings is still being worked out, but the bus stop idea came from a series of meetings with families impacted by the districts controversial rightsizing plan, which resulted in campus reassignments for thousands of students and teachers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The input we received from many parents was that it would be convenient because its a central place everyone knows, said Nathan Graf, the districts senior executive director of transportation and vehicle maintenance. Take Storm Elementary School, where former Bobcats were already accustomed to reaching on foot because of the small attendance zone. Now theyre boarding four different buses at staggered times to get to their new campuses. It keeps the routing team from being overwhelmed with having to locate new bus stops, said Katelyn Saenz, the director of operations for the SAISD transportation department. Without the central meeting points, there would be earlier pickup and longer ride times. If we add more and more stops, then were picking up kids before 7 a.m. on the elementary side and we try not to do that if we can, Saenz said. So, we have that centralized stop at the campus at seven and then the bus continues to neighborhood stops for the campus theyre going to. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It also might be a small comfort to students who have had to leave behind whats familiar. After more than two decades of declining enrollment, SAISD trustees voted last fall to close the schools, most of them elementary campuses, and merge three pairs of other schools under single administrations. Rather than a handful of campuses dedicated solely to early childhood education, more than two dozen SAISD elementary schools now serve preschool and kindergarten students. That means the youngsters are no longer riding specialized preschool and kindergarten buses, but instead are on built-in safety seats on the regular elementary buses, supervised by bus monitors. SAISD continues to seek community feedback to create a plan to repurpose the closed schools to benefit the surrounding neighborhood. Advertisement Article continues below this ad CRE Consulting Corps, a realty company employed by the district to help figure out next steps, recommended in a June 7 presentation that the district partner with city and county agencies and nonprofits to see if the buildings can be used for community outreach programs. The timeline for repurposing the buildings could take anywhere from nine to 16 months, the presentation said. Rebecca McFarland, a sophomore kinesiology major at Texas A&M, said she started tearing up at the grocery store when she found out she won $5,000 in an Aggieland Credit Union sweepstakes to help cover her tuition for the year. I am paying for my education myself by working and with student loans. This relieves the stress I have been under about not having enough money to cover tuition and expenses this semester, McFarland said in a statement. Aggieland Credit Union hosts a yearly sweepstakes where students who open a checking account, are a member of the Aggieland Credit Union and complete a giveaway form can enter to win. Every time a student uses their Aggieland Credit Union, they receive an entry into the sweepstakes. The winner receives $5,000 as a direct deposit into their checking account. Nearly 550 A&M students participated in the years sweepstakes with more than 84,341 debit card transactions being made during the promotion period. Jason McPhee, AVP of Strategic Partnerships and University Relations of Aggieland Credit Union, said in a statement, We know the cost to attend college can be difficult to cover. The Tuition Takedown Sweepstakes is one small way the credit union is able to help our Aggie student members. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC lowered its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH Free Report) by 15.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 578 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after selling 103 shares during the quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $294,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,355 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $1,199,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the period. James J. Burns & Company LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,773,000. Provident Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth $205,000. Leavell Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 4.0% in the second quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. now owns 23,017 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $11,722,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Phoenix Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $249,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get UnitedHealth Group alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades UNH has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and issued a $591.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Piper Sandler upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $566.00 to $571.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Argus boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $570.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. HSBC lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $580.00 to $610.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $525.00 to $630.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $614.17. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $579.03, for a total transaction of $868,545.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,785 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,507,748.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $579.03, for a total value of $868,545.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,785 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,507,748.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 2,851 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $569.88, for a total value of $1,624,727.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 29,501 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,812,029.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders. UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance NYSE:UNH traded down $0.06 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $579.61. The company had a trading volume of 2,730,204 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,237,750. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $526.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $506.41. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $436.38 and a 1-year high of $591.54. The firm has a market cap of $533.46 billion, a PE ratio of 35.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.59. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $6.66 by $0.14. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.66% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The business had revenue of $98.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $98.73 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $6.14 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.69 EPS for the current year. UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a dividend of $2.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $8.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.45%. UnitedHealth Groups payout ratio is currently 51.34%. About UnitedHealth Group (Free Report) UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for UnitedHealth Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UnitedHealth Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 73.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 39,266 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 16,661 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $1,631,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwest Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. ESL Trust Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. Institutional investors own 76.41% of the companys stock. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Up 1.5 % Shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock traded up $0.71 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $49.12. The company had a trading volume of 13,138,892 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,915,160. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $99.57 billion, a P/E ratio of -15.85, a P/E/G ratio of 12.51 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a 50 day moving average of $43.58 and a 200 day moving average of $46.61. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 52-week low of $39.35 and a 52-week high of $63.41. Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $12.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.54 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a positive return on equity of 12.51% and a negative net margin of 14.06%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.75 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 0.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 1st. Investors of record on Friday, July 5th were paid a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 5th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.89%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is currently -77.42%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have recently weighed in on BMY. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $45.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday. Barclays downgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $41.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Monday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, April 18th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $55.00 to $48.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $53.00 to $45.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $54.86. Read Our Latest Research Report on BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile (Free Report) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for various anti-cancer indications, including bladder, blood, CRC, head and neck, RCC, HCC, lung, melanoma, MPM, stomach and esophageal cancer; Pomalyst/Imnovid for multiple myeloma; Orencia for active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ariston Services Group lessened its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU Free Report) by 0.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 161,441 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 424 shares during the period. iShares Gold Trust accounts for about 6.8% of Ariston Services Groups portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. Ariston Services Groups holdings in iShares Gold Trust were worth $7,092,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Forza Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in iShares Gold Trust by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Forza Wealth Management LLC now owns 205,467 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $9,026,000 after purchasing an additional 2,375 shares in the last quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in iShares Gold Trust by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. now owns 189,871 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $8,341,000 after purchasing an additional 3,297 shares in the last quarter. Phoenix Wealth Advisors increased its stake in iShares Gold Trust by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Phoenix Wealth Advisors now owns 12,967 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $570,000 after purchasing an additional 822 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC bought a new stake in iShares Gold Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at $182,000. Finally, DMC Group LLC increased its stake in iShares Gold Trust by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. DMC Group LLC now owns 9,531 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $419,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 59.67% of the companys stock. Get iShares Gold Trust alerts: iShares Gold Trust Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA IAU traded up $0.15 during trading on Thursday, hitting $46.38. The stock had a trading volume of 3,838,589 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,357,336. iShares Gold Trust has a 12 month low of $34.35 and a 12 month high of $46.93. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $44.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $43.04. About iShares Gold Trust iShares Gold Trust (the Trust) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (Shares). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist of gold held by the Trusts custodian on behalf of the Trust. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares Gold Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Gold Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Abundance Wealth Counselors lessened its holdings in shares of Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC) by 4.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,236 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,044 shares during the quarter. Abundance Wealth Counselors holdings in Bank of America were worth $884,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Bank of America by 8.5% in the second quarter. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,767 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $468,000 after acquiring an additional 924 shares in the last quarter. Forza Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Bank of America by 1.8% during the second quarter. Forza Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,752 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $626,000 after buying an additional 284 shares in the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Bank of America by 100.7% during the second quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,184 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 594 shares during the last quarter. Midwest Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Bank of America during the second quarter worth $217,000. Finally, SteelPeak Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Bank of America by 37.7% during the second quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 54,393 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,163,000 after purchasing an additional 14,901 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.71% of the companys stock. Get Bank of America alerts: Bank of America Stock Up 0.6 % NYSE BAC traded up $0.22 during trading on Thursday, reaching $39.03. 37,351,737 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 39,357,176. Bank of America Co. has a fifty-two week low of $24.96 and a fifty-two week high of $44.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $305.23 billion, a PE ratio of 13.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $40.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.79. Bank of America Increases Dividend Bank of America ( NYSE:BAC Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.04. Bank of America had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 13.28%. The firm had revenue of $25.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.22 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.88 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Bank of America Co. will post 3.27 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. This is a positive change from Bank of Americas previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.66%. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.99%. Bank of America announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $25.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to purchase up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Bank of America from $39.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $48.00 target price (up from $46.00) on shares of Bank of America in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Bank of America from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Wolfe Research raised Bank of America from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $42.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, April 19th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn raised Bank of America from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $42.07. View Our Latest Stock Report on Bank of America Insider Activity In other news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 12,291,807 shares of Bank of America stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.13, for a total transaction of $530,145,635.91. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 998,961,079 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,085,191,337.27. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 12,291,807 shares of Bank of America stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.13, for a total transaction of $530,145,635.91. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 998,961,079 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,085,191,337.27. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Lindsay D. Hans sold 10,901 shares of Bank of America stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.91, for a total value of $402,355.91. Following the sale, the insider now owns 10,907 shares of the companys stock, valued at $402,577.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 56,549,666 shares of company stock worth $2,403,801,723 in the last three months. 0.29% of the stock is owned by insiders. Bank of America Profile (Free Report) Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services for individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, institutional investors, large corporations, and governments worldwide. It operates in four segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking, and Global Markets. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Everbright Environment Group Limited (OTCMKTS:CHFFF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 31,931,800 shares, a growth of 77.2% from the July 15th total of 18,019,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 53,219.7 days. China Everbright Environment Group Stock Performance OTCMKTS:CHFFF remained flat at $0.46 during trading hours on Thursday. China Everbright Environment Group has a one year low of $0.32 and a one year high of $0.47. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $0.44 and a 200-day moving average of $0.39. Get China Everbright Environment Group alerts: China Everbright Environment Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Stories China Everbright Environment Group Limited, an investment holding company, provides environmental solutions worldwide. The company's Environmental Energy Project Construction and Operation segment constructs and operates food and kitchen waste treatment, leachate and fecal treatment, sludge treatment and disposal, fly ash landfill, medical waste, and solid waste treatment projects, as well as waste-to-energy and methane-to-energy plants. Receive News & Ratings for China Everbright Environment Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Everbright Environment Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CRHKY Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $5.84 and last traded at $6.03, with a volume of 406519 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $6.08. China Resources Beer Stock Performance The firm has a 50-day moving average of $6.90 and a 200-day moving average of $8.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.31. About China Resources Beer (Get Free Report) China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures, distributes, and sells beer products in Mainland China. The company offers its products under the Nong Li, Snow, and Jinsha brands. The company was formerly known as China Resources Enterprise, Limited and changed its name to China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited in October 2015. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for China Resources Beer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Resources Beer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cigna Investments Inc. New lessened its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 1.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,811 shares of the companys stock after selling 87 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for 1.5% of Cigna Investments Inc. News investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Cigna Investments Inc. News holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $7,977,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LLY. Lipe & Dalton bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Tidemark LLC bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 188.2% during the 4th quarter. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 49 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the period. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In LLY has been the subject of several research reports. Truist Financial reiterated a buy rating and set a $1,000.00 price target (up previously from $892.00) on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Argus raised their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $770.00 to $840.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $994.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $1,023.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, July 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $948.29. Insider Transactions at Eli Lilly and Company In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 750 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $819.47, for a total value of $614,602.50. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,130 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,842,821.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 210,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.82, for a total transaction of $197,362,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 96,943,810 shares in the company, valued at $91,109,731,514.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 750 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $819.47, for a total value of $614,602.50. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,130 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,842,821.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 1,214,704 shares of company stock worth $1,066,841,316. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 0.1 % LLY traded up $1.20 on Thursday, hitting $931.58. 3,047,801 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,102,805. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $875.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $801.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.35. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $516.57 and a 12 month high of $966.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $885.38 billion, a PE ratio of 137.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.41. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.56%. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 76.58%. Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. DB Fitzpatrick & Co Inc grew its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO Free Report) by 416.7% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 23,357 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 18,837 shares during the period. DB Fitzpatrick & Co Incs holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF were worth $1,022,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VWO. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 60,300,805 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,518,765,000 after purchasing an additional 1,866,790 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 37,353,426 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,535,226,000 after acquiring an additional 1,334,922 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 55.3% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 25,653,485 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,071,546,000 after acquiring an additional 9,130,142 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning grew its holdings in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Creative Planning now owns 23,142,346 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $951,150,000 after purchasing an additional 244,927 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 4.9% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,611,199 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $595,626,000 after purchasing an additional 635,269 shares during the period. Get Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF alerts: Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Price Performance VWO stock traded up $0.48 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $44.28. The company had a trading volume of 7,715,084 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,513,669. The company has a market capitalization of $80.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.50 and a beta of 0.80. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has a 1-year low of $37.46 and a 1-year high of $45.72. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $43.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $42.71. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Profile The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index, that measures the return of stocks issued by companies located in emerging market countries. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VWO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EMCOR Group, Inc. (NYSE:EME Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 896,500 shares, a growth of 34.5% from the July 15th total of 666,400 shares. Approximately 2.0% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 526,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.7 days. EMCOR Group Stock Up 1.9 % Shares of EME stock traded up $6.83 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $372.18. 188,163 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 465,602. The stock has a market cap of $17.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.55 and a beta of 1.06. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $368.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $343.23. EMCOR Group has a 12-month low of $191.50 and a 12-month high of $401.98. Get EMCOR Group alerts: EMCOR Group (NYSE:EME Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $5.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.76 by $1.49. The company had revenue of $3.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.52 billion. EMCOR Group had a net margin of 6.01% and a return on equity of 32.73%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 20.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.95 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that EMCOR Group will post 19.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. EMCOR Group Dividend Announcement Analysts Set New Price Targets The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 30th. Investors of record on Monday, July 15th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.27%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 15th. EMCOR Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.60%. Separately, DA Davidson lifted their target price on shares of EMCOR Group from $410.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on EME Insiders Place Their Bets In other EMCOR Group news, Director Carol P. Lowe sold 1,245 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $374.23, for a total value of $465,916.35. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 16,807 shares in the company, valued at $6,289,683.61. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Robin A. Walker-Lee sold 1,300 shares of EMCOR Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $370.79, for a total transaction of $482,027.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,637 shares in the company, valued at $3,202,513.23. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Carol P. Lowe sold 1,245 shares of EMCOR Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $374.23, for a total transaction of $465,916.35. Following the transaction, the director now owns 16,807 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,289,683.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On EMCOR Group Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Matrix Trust Co bought a new stake in EMCOR Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. bought a new stake in EMCOR Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in EMCOR Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in EMCOR Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, ORG Partners LLC bought a new stake in EMCOR Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 92.59% of the companys stock. About EMCOR Group (Get Free Report) EMCOR Group, Inc provides construction and facilities, building, and industrial services in the United States and the United Kingdom. It offers design, integration, installation, start-up, operation, and maintenance services related to power transmission, distribution, and generation systems; energy solutions; premises electrical and lighting systems; process instrumentation; low-voltage systems; voice and data communications systems; roadway and transit lighting, signaling, and fiber optic lines; computerized traffic control systems, and signal and communication equipment; heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and geothermal solutions; clean-room process ventilation systems; fire protection and suppression systems; plumbing, process, and high-purity piping systems; controls and filtration systems; water and wastewater treatment systems; central plant heating and cooling systems; crane and rigging services; millwright services; and steel fabrication, erection, and welding services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for EMCOR Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EMCOR Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Annasofia Scheve covers trending news for the Express-News. She can be reached at Annasofia.Scheve@express-news.net. Annasofia has bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri. She is an Ohio native, and wrote for Cincinnati Magazine and the Cincinnati Enquirer before joining the Express-News in 2023. Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE:GTN.A Get Free Report)s share price dropped 4.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $7.49 and last traded at $7.49. Approximately 327 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average daily volume of 2,160 shares. The stock had previously closed at $7.86. Gray Television Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.99, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.42. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $8.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $8.08. The stock has a market cap of $693.97 million, a P/E ratio of -58.33 and a beta of 1.33. Get Gray Television alerts: Gray Television Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.57%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Gray Televisions dividend payout ratio is presently -266.67%. About Gray Television Gray Television, Inc, a television broadcast company, owns and operates television stations and digital assets in the United States. As of February 28, 2019, it owned and operated television stations in 91 television markets broadcasting approximately 400 program streams, including approximately 150 channels affiliated with the CBS Network, the NBC Network, the ABC Network, and the FOX Network. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Gray Television Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gray Television and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF (BATS:PICK Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $38.05 and last traded at $38.01, with a volume of 105591 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $37.76. iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF Stock Performance The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $40.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.33. The stock has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of 7.40 and a beta of 1.12. Get iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF alerts: Institutional Trading of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. OLD Mission Capital LLC raised its stake in iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 814.4% in the 1st quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC now owns 500,139 shares of the companys stock worth $20,856,000 after acquiring an additional 445,441 shares during the last quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF in the 4th quarter worth $1,984,000. Heritage Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF in the 4th quarter worth $1,094,000. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 19.5% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 60,292 shares of the companys stock worth $2,597,000 after acquiring an additional 9,856 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd raised its stake in iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd now owns 121,053 shares of the companys stock worth $5,207,000 after acquiring an additional 5,900 shares during the last quarter. iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF Company Profile The iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF (PICK) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in materials equity. The fund tracks a market-cap-weighted index of global metals mining, extraction or production firms, excluding gold and silver mining firms. PICK was launched on Jan 31, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. lowered its position in L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:LHX Free Report) by 3.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,113 shares of the companys stock after selling 250 shares during the quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc.s holdings in L3Harris Technologies were worth $1,822,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in L3Harris Technologies by 12.9% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,792,779 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,857,141,000 after purchasing an additional 2,606,267 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position in L3Harris Technologies by 26.0% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 16,056,272 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,381,784,000 after purchasing an additional 3,308,506 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in L3Harris Technologies by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,631,207 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,052,411,000 after purchasing an additional 45,845 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position in L3Harris Technologies by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 5,147,546 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,084,176,000 after purchasing an additional 101,708 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in L3Harris Technologies by 34.7% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,416,904 shares of the companys stock valued at $930,288,000 after purchasing an additional 1,138,549 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.76% of the companys stock. Get L3Harris Technologies alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes LHX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on L3Harris Technologies from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Barclays lifted their target price on L3Harris Technologies from $245.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on L3Harris Technologies from $262.00 to $260.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut L3Harris Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating and lifted their target price for the company from $245.00 to $257.00 in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on L3Harris Technologies from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, L3Harris Technologies presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $244.43. L3Harris Technologies Stock Up 0.2 % Shares of L3Harris Technologies stock traded up $0.43 during trading on Thursday, reaching $226.49. The stock had a trading volume of 691,130 shares, compared to its average volume of 992,454. The company has a market capitalization of $42.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.72. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $227.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $218.06. L3Harris Technologies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $160.25 and a 52 week high of $245.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $3.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.06. L3Harris Technologies had a return on equity of 13.02% and a net margin of 5.73%. The business had revenue of $5.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.97 earnings per share. L3Harris Technologiess revenue was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that L3Harris Technologies, Inc. will post 13.04 EPS for the current fiscal year. L3Harris Technologies Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.16 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.05%. L3Harris Technologiess payout ratio is presently 75.32%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, SVP Scott T. Mikuen sold 10,527 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $2,421,210.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 47,616 shares in the company, valued at $10,951,680. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other L3Harris Technologies news, CEO Christopher E. Kubasik sold 25,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.11, for a total transaction of $5,627,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 120,326 shares of the companys stock, valued at $27,086,585.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Scott T. Mikuen sold 10,527 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $2,421,210.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 47,616 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,951,680. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 109,312 shares of company stock worth $24,712,822. Corporate insiders own 0.82% of the companys stock. About L3Harris Technologies (Free Report) L3Harris Technologies, Inc provides mission-critical solutions for government and commercial customers worldwide. The company's Integrated Mission Systems segment provides intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, passive sensing and targeting, electronic attack, autonomy, power and communications, and networks and sensors, as well as advanced combat systems for air, land, and sea sectors. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for L3Harris Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for L3Harris Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Visa Inc. (NYSE:V Free Report) by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,385 shares of the credit-card processors stock after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the quarter. Visa makes up about 1.3% of Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Visa were worth $1,413,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Visa in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,895,015,000. National Bank of Canada FI raised its stake in Visa by 787.1% during the first quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 4,619,881 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $1,296,820,000 after acquiring an additional 4,099,122 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB bought a new position in shares of Visa during the first quarter valued at $511,321,000. GQG Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Visa by 40.1% in the 1st quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 5,990,634 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $1,671,866,000 after purchasing an additional 1,715,686 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado grew its holdings in shares of Visa by 14,306.3% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 1,500,270 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $390,595,000 after purchasing an additional 1,489,856 shares during the last quarter. 82.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Visa alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts recently issued reports on V shares. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of Visa from $322.00 to $319.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Visa from $315.00 to $311.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Wedbush raised their price target on Visa from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Visa from $265.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Visa from $300.00 to $290.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $307.25. Visa Trading Up 2.2 % V stock traded up $5.67 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $266.81. 7,397,535 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,241,343. Visa Inc. has a one year low of $227.78 and a one year high of $290.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.37. The company has a market cap of $486.21 billion, a PE ratio of 29.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.95. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $266.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $273.69. Visa (NYSE:V Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The credit-card processor reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.42. The business had revenue of $8.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.92 billion. Visa had a return on equity of 51.94% and a net margin of 54.72%. Visas quarterly revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.16 EPS. Research analysts predict that Visa Inc. will post 9.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Visa Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. Visas dividend payout ratio is 23.24%. Visa Profile (Free Report) Visa Inc operates as a payment technology company in the United States and internationally. The company operates VisaNet, a transaction processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. It also offers credit, debit, and prepaid card products; tap to pay, tokenization, and click to pay services; Visa Direct, a solution that facilitates the delivery of funds to eligible cards, deposit accounts, and digital wallets; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral business-to-business cross-border payments network; Visa Cross-Border Solution, a cross-border consumer payments solution; and Visa DPS that provides a range of value-added services, including fraud mitigation, dispute management, data analytics, campaign management, a suite of digital solutions, and contact center services. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding V? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Visa Inc. (NYSE:V Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Visa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Visa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. New York Community Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:NYCB Get Free Report)s stock price was up 6.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $10.11 and last traded at $10.04. Approximately 2,423,594 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 73% from the average daily volume of 9,059,975 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.41. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades NYCB has been the topic of several recent research reports. Piper Sandler upgraded New York Community Bancorp from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and set a $12.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on New York Community Bancorp from $11.25 to $33.75 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Wedbush reissued a neutral rating and issued a $31.50 price target on shares of New York Community Bancorp in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of New York Community Bancorp from $12.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of New York Community Bancorp to a sell rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, New York Community Bancorp has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $18.91. Get New York Community Bancorp alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on New York Community Bancorp New York Community Bancorp Trading Up 3.3 % The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.66, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $15.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $12.82. The stock has a market cap of $2.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 351.67 and a beta of 0.99. New York Community Bancorp (NYSE:NYCB Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported ($3.15) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.26) by ($1.89). New York Community Bancorp had a negative return on equity of 4.49% and a negative net margin of 10.78%. The company had revenue of $671.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $722.47 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.23 EPS. New York Community Bancorps quarterly revenue was down 44.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that New York Community Bancorp, Inc. will post -2.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. New York Community Bancorp Cuts Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, September 7th will be issued a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. New York Community Bancorps payout ratio is 400.00%. Institutional Trading of New York Community Bancorp Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in New York Community Bancorp during the 4th quarter valued at $77,628,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of New York Community Bancorp by 995.2% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 4,116,786 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $13,256,000 after buying an additional 3,740,900 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in New York Community Bancorp by 353.5% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,830,195 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $28,953,000 after buying an additional 2,206,140 shares in the last quarter. Private Management Group Inc. grew its holdings in New York Community Bancorp by 1,639.1% during the 1st quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 1,899,114 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,115,000 after acquiring an additional 1,789,914 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in New York Community Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,401,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.88% of the companys stock. New York Community Bancorp Company Profile (Get Free Report) New York Community Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Flagstar Bank, N.A. that provides banking products and services in the United States. The company's deposit products include interest-bearing checking and money market, savings, non-interest-bearing, and retirement accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for New York Community Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for New York Community Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp. (NYSE:ECO Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 83,200 shares, an increase of 170.1% from the July 15th total of 30,800 shares. Approximately 0.7% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 55,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.5 days. Institutional Trading of Okeanis Eco Tankers A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ECO. Susquehanna International Securities Ltd. acquired a new stake in Okeanis Eco Tankers during the 1st quarter worth about $210,000. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in Okeanis Eco Tankers during the 2nd quarter worth about $247,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Okeanis Eco Tankers during the 2nd quarter worth about $370,000. Glenorchy Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in Okeanis Eco Tankers during the 4th quarter worth about $678,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new stake in Okeanis Eco Tankers during the 4th quarter worth about $804,000. Get Okeanis Eco Tankers alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, B. Riley upped their price target on Okeanis Eco Tankers from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 17th. Okeanis Eco Tankers Stock Performance ECO stock traded up $1.02 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $31.52. 66,251 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 53,108. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $31.20. Okeanis Eco Tankers has a 52-week low of $22.00 and a 52-week high of $36.69. The firm has a market cap of $1.01 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.52. Okeanis Eco Tankers (NYSE:ECO Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 9th. The company reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $111.99 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $100.71 million. Okeanis Eco Tankers had a return on equity of 31.86% and a net margin of 32.84%. Research analysts anticipate that Okeanis Eco Tankers will post 4.27 earnings per share for the current year. Okeanis Eco Tankers Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be given a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.96%. Okeanis Eco Tankerss payout ratio is 105.01%. About Okeanis Eco Tankers (Get Free Report) Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp., a shipping company, owns and operates tanker vessels worldwide. It operates a fleet of 14 tanker vessels comprising six modern Suezmax tankers and eight modern VLCC tankers focusing on the transportation of crude oil. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is based in Neo Faliro, Greece. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Okeanis Eco Tankers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Okeanis Eco Tankers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cobblestone Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 11,191 shares of the companys stock after selling 400 shares during the quarter. Philip Morris International comprises about 0.7% of Cobblestone Asset Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Cobblestone Asset Management LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $1,134,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Kessler Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the first quarter worth $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 57.4% during the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 318 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH raised its holdings in Philip Morris International by 250.0% in the 1st quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH now owns 322 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares during the period. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.63% of the companys stock. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other news, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total value of $2,260,200.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 158,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,906,095.47. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total value of $2,260,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 158,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,906,095.47. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total transaction of $1,038,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 85,629 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,877,305.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Barclays lifted their price target on Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Philip Morris International from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $109.80. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Philip Morris International Philip Morris International Price Performance NYSE PM traded up $0.69 during trading on Thursday, reaching $117.89. The companys stock had a trading volume of 4,422,225 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,389,875. The stock has a market capitalization of $183.27 billion, a PE ratio of 23.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.58. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $87.23 and a one year high of $119.06. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $107.43 and a 200 day moving average of $98.73. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $9.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.19 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 113.32% and a net margin of 9.41%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.60 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 21st were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 21st. Philip Morris Internationals payout ratio is presently 101.56%. About Philip Morris International (Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc. Sponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:TKOMY Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 34,800 shares, a growth of 50.0% from the July 15th total of 23,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 110,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days. Tokio Marine Stock Performance Shares of TKOMY traded up $0.54 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $37.29. 192,830 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 67,572. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $36.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $32.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.19 and a beta of -0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.04 and a current ratio of 0.04. Tokio Marine has a 12 month low of $21.01 and a 12 month high of $41.26. Get Tokio Marine alerts: Tokio Marine (OTCMKTS:TKOMY Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter. Tokio Marine had a return on equity of 16.49% and a net margin of 10.13%. The firm had revenue of $12.34 billion for the quarter. Equities analysts predict that Tokio Marine will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current year. About Tokio Marine Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in non-life and life insurance, international insurance, and financial and general businesses worldwide. The company provides business, fire, Internet and mobile, rental housing, and natural catastrophe risk insurance services, as well as insurance for retail and corporate fields. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Tokio Marine Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tokio Marine and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC trimmed its position in shares of Capital One Financial Co. (NYSE:COF Free Report) by 82.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,191 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 24,610 shares during the period. SteelPeak Wealth LLCs holdings in Capital One Financial were worth $719,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Capital One Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,299,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. boosted its stake in shares of Capital One Financial by 21.4% in the 1st quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 27,493 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,093,000 after purchasing an additional 4,840 shares in the last quarter. Twin Tree Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Capital One Financial by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. Twin Tree Management LP now owns 68,504 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $10,200,000 after purchasing an additional 3,609 shares in the last quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Capital One Financial by 42,536.0% in the 4th quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 21,318 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,795,000 after purchasing an additional 21,268 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Capital One Financial by 14.3% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 12,715 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,667,000 after purchasing an additional 1,588 shares in the last quarter. 89.84% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Capital One Financial alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Capital One Financial In other Capital One Financial news, CEO Kevin S. Borgmann sold 61,532 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.86, for a total transaction of $8,175,141.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 40,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,438,491.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Kevin S. Borgmann sold 61,532 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.86, for a total value of $8,175,141.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 40,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,438,491.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Robert M. Alexander sold 30,742 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $4,611,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 73,734 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,060,100. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Capital One Financial Stock Up 0.9 % COF stock traded up $1.19 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $137.14. 2,374,362 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,529,868. The company has a market cap of $52.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.45. The firms fifty day moving average price is $139.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $139.65. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. Capital One Financial Co. has a 52 week low of $88.23 and a 52 week high of $153.35. Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $3.14 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.28 by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $9.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.57 billion. Capital One Financial had a net margin of 9.01% and a return on equity of 9.31%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.52 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Capital One Financial Co. will post 13.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Capital One Financial Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.75%. Capital One Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.79%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades COF has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Capital One Financial from $148.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, July 8th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Capital One Financial from $158.00 to $161.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of Capital One Financial from $155.00 to $154.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Capital One Financial in a report on Friday, June 7th. They issued a neutral rating for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Capital One Financial from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the company from $145.00 to $165.00 in a report on Thursday, June 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Capital One Financial currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $145.89. Get Our Latest Stock Report on COF About Capital One Financial (Free Report) Capital One Financial Corporation operates as the financial services holding company for the Capital One, National Association, which engages in the provision of various financial products and services in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It operates through three segments: Credit Card, Consumer Banking, and Commercial Banking. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Capital One Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capital One Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tarbox Family Office Inc. lessened its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 1.7% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 380,174 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,625 shares during the period. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF comprises about 36.7% of Tarbox Family Office Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its biggest holding. Tarbox Family Office Inc.s holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $208,043,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of IVV. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 60.7% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 20,161,417 shares of the companys stock worth $10,599,462,000 after buying an additional 7,615,287 shares during the period. Alberta Investment Management Corp bought a new stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,128,876,000. Pathstone Holdings LLC bought a new stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,083,439,000. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 109.4% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 2,265,933 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,191,269,000 after purchasing an additional 1,183,770 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 4,197.5% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 1,193,203 shares of the companys stock valued at $569,890,000 after purchasing an additional 1,165,438 shares during the period. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Trading Up 1.7 % NYSEARCA IVV traded up $9.24 during trading on Thursday, reaching $556.05. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,943,056 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,107,070. The firm has a market capitalization of $479.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.99. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 12 month low of $411.02 and a 12 month high of $568.24. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $547.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $526.13. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Company Profile iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Troy Castro a resident at Westwood Plaza Apartments, hands cases of water to fellow residents on June 18, after the San Antonio Water System temporarily shut off water service due to non-payment by the complex owners. Jessica Phelps The city of San Antonio is suing the owner of a West Side apartment complex which had its water shut off earlier this summer to compel the owner to make a slew of repairs. The city is asking a judge to declare Westwood Plaza Apartments a public nuisance, claiming the owners have repeatedly failed to fix numerous city code violations that put residents health and safety at risk. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in state District Court in San Antonio cites 95 existing code violations ranging from insect and rodent infestation to deteriorated walkways, stairways and balconies, as well as electrical hazards. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Weve had dozens of different meetings with Westwood agents about what they need to do before we even filed this lawsuit, Deputy City Attorney Joe Nino said. Of course, thats been met with not a lot of movement, basically, so we had no other choice but to file this lawsuit to try to get the court to order them to do so. Los Angeles-based Pico Union Housing Corp. did not return a call for comment. Its executive director, Gloria Farias, did not return an email seeking comment or a call left for her at the complex, where she serves as a property manager. Farias was named in the lawsuit. Pico Union owns low- and moderate-income housing in California, and it purchased five apartment complexes in San Antonio in 2020, including the 306-unit Westwood Plaza at 2600 Westward Drive. It is now trying to sell its San Antonio properties. In June, the city-owned San Antonio Water System temporarily shut off water service to the complex because of roughly $144,100 in unpaid water bills. Service was also temporarily shut off at Pico Unions Roselawn complex. It was restored the same day after the owners made a partial payment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At the time, Farias told the San Antonio Express-News that the unpaid SAWS bills were the result of tenants not paying their rent or water bills, which left the organization short on money. As part of its request for a temporary injunction, the city is asking a judge to require the property owners to establish a trust account solely dedicated to SAWS and CPS (Energy) payments out of monies collected for rent on a monthly basis. The request for temporary injunction, if granted, would also require the owners to vacate 10 of the complexs buildings, many of which are fire-damaged, and move tenants into vacant units that are habitable. The city chose to go this route, rather than revoking Westwood Plazas certificate of occupancy which would effectively require it to shut down because that would displace all the residents, Nino said. Thats that balancing act that you have to do, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The city required the complex owner to register with the Proactive Apartment Inspections Program, which the City Council approved last year in an attempt to compel negligent landlords to fix code violations. If a rental property is cited for serious code violations three or more times within six months, the owner must register with the city program. Code enforcement officers inspect 5% of a registered propertys units every month for at least six months. Farias, on behalf of Pico Union, pleaded guilty Tuesday in San Antonio municipal court to four citations, two of which were from Westwood Plaza. As part of that plea, the nonprofit has to pay an $8,000 fine. The court dismissed eight other citations in exchange for her plea. The City Council awarded Pico Union $5.25 million in housing bond funding in 2023 to renovate Westwood Plaza, but the city ultimately reclaimed the money after the nonprofit failed to meet city deadlines for the project. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC grew its holdings in DXC Technology (NYSE:DXC Free Report) by 18.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 112,861 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 17,781 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC owned 0.06% of DXC Technology worth $2,155,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC grew its position in DXC Technology by 36.0% during the second quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 42,819 shares of the companys stock worth $817,000 after buying an additional 11,335 shares in the last quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of DXC Technology by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,520 shares of the companys stock worth $735,000 after purchasing an additional 5,667 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in shares of DXC Technology by 156.0% during the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 17,232 shares of the companys stock valued at $329,000 after purchasing an additional 10,502 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. raised its stake in shares of DXC Technology by 55.0% in the second quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 1,637 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invst LLC bought a new position in DXC Technology in the first quarter worth $773,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.20% of the companys stock. Get DXC Technology alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts recently issued reports on DXC shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of DXC Technology from $21.00 to $18.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 17th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on DXC Technology from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 17th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on DXC Technology from $17.50 to $22.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on DXC Technology from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price objective on DXC Technology from $15.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $20.50. Insiders Place Their Bets In other DXC Technology news, EVP Mary E. Finch sold 31,047 shares of DXC Technology stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.36, for a total transaction of $601,069.92. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 325,665 shares in the company, valued at $6,304,874.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock. DXC Technology Trading Up 1.4 % NYSE DXC traded up $0.27 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $19.62. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,672,393 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,483,195. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $18.96 and a 200 day moving average of $19.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. DXC Technology has a twelve month low of $14.78 and a twelve month high of $25.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.03, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.73. DXC Technology (NYSE:DXC Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 16th. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $3.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.37 billion. DXC Technology had a return on equity of 18.43% and a net margin of 0.67%. The firms revenue was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.02 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that DXC Technology will post 2.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About DXC Technology (Free Report) DXC Technology Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology services and solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Australia, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Global Business Services (GBS) and Global Infrastructure Services (GIS). Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for DXC Technology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DXC Technology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC grew its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 0.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 732,259 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 2,085 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $43,489,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. John W. Brooker & Co. CPAs boosted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 2.5% during the second quarter. John W. Brooker & Co. CPAs now owns 7,075 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $420,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Prentice Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 2.0% during the second quarter. Prentice Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,426 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $560,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 13.0% in the first quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 1,617 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $94,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 3.4% in the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 5,897 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $350,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Finally, Fruth Investment Management lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 3.2% in the first quarter. Fruth Investment Management now owns 6,518 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $377,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. 75.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In WFC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $62.00 to $61.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $59.00 to $61.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Evercore ISI reissued an outperform rating and issued a $67.00 price target (down from $70.00) on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $59.91. Wells Fargo & Company Stock Up 1.7 % Wells Fargo & Company stock traded up $0.91 during trading on Thursday, hitting $54.57. 16,476,524 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 18,119,088. The company has a market capitalization of $190.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.21, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.17. The businesss 50 day moving average is $57.74 and its 200 day moving average is $57.09. Wells Fargo & Company has a 52 week low of $38.38 and a 52 week high of $62.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 12th. The financial services provider reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $20.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.29 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 12.30% and a net margin of 15.17%. Wells Fargo & Companys quarterly revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.25 EPS. Analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current year. Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This is a positive change from Wells Fargo & Companys previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.93%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio is presently 32.85%. Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile (Free Report) Wells Fargo & Company, a financial services company, provides diversified banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC decreased its position in Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH Free Report) by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 171,456 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 3,464 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in Laboratory Co. of America were worth $34,893,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in LH. Country Club Bank increased its holdings in Laboratory Co. of America by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Country Club Bank now owns 16,040 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $3,287,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 13.1% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 8,955 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,823,000 after acquiring an additional 1,038 shares in the last quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC lifted its stake in Laboratory Co. of America by 8.9% in the second quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 1,063 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $216,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. bought a new stake in Laboratory Co. of America in the second quarter valued at $473,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,156 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $3,491,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the period. 95.94% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Laboratory Co. of America alerts: Insider Transactions at Laboratory Co. of America In other Laboratory Co. of America news, Director Kerrii B. Anderson sold 586 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total transaction of $131,850.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 14,722 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,312,450. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Laboratory Co. of America news, Director Kerrii B. Anderson sold 586 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total transaction of $131,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 14,722 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,312,450. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Lance Berberian sold 12,093 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $229.10, for a total value of $2,770,506.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 15,921 shares in the company, valued at $3,647,501.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.85% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Laboratory Co. of America from $261.00 to $243.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 30th. StockNews.com upgraded Laboratory Co. of America from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Laboratory Co. of America from $255.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on Laboratory Co. of America from $213.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Laboratory Co. of America has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $247.42. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on LH Laboratory Co. of America Stock Up 1.5 % Shares of LH traded up $3.23 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $224.56. The company had a trading volume of 606,944 shares, compared to its average volume of 718,816. Laboratory Co. of America Holdings has a 52-week low of $191.97 and a 52-week high of $238.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $210.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $210.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.88. Laboratory Co. of America (NYSE:LH Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical research company reported $3.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.78 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $3.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.19 billion. Laboratory Co. of America had a net margin of 3.60% and a return on equity of 15.39%. The businesss revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.42 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Laboratory Co. of America Holdings will post 14.84 EPS for the current fiscal year. Laboratory Co. of America Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 29th will be issued a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 29th. Laboratory Co. of Americas payout ratio is 57.95%. Laboratory Co. of America Profile (Free Report) Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as a life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions. It operates in two segments, Labcorp Diagnostics (Dx) and Biopharma Laboratory Services (BLS). Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Laboratory Co. of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Laboratory Co. of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC lowered its stake in Oxford Industries, Inc. (NYSE:OXM Free Report) by 14.3% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 36,612 shares of the textile makers stock after selling 6,096 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in Oxford Industries were worth $3,667,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in Oxford Industries during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Natixis purchased a new position in shares of Oxford Industries in the first quarter worth $109,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Oxford Industries during the first quarter worth $137,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in Oxford Industries during the first quarter valued at $140,000. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in Oxford Industries in the 4th quarter valued at $206,000. 91.16% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Oxford Industries alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup cut their price objective on Oxford Industries from $94.00 to $92.00 and set a sell rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. Telsey Advisory Group restated a market perform rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Oxford Industries in a report on Thursday, June 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $103.20. Insider Activity In related news, EVP Thomas E. Campbell sold 17,540 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.91, for a total transaction of $1,752,421.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,865 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,484,262.15. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 5.70% of the companys stock. Oxford Industries Price Performance Shares of NYSE OXM traded up $0.98 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $89.64. 318,268 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 236,897. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 0.68. Oxford Industries, Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.33 and a 1 year high of $113.88. The companys 50-day moving average is $98.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $102.68. The company has a market capitalization of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.29 and a beta of 1.54. Oxford Industries (NYSE:OXM Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, June 12th. The textile maker reported $2.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.70 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $398.18 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $404.81 million. Oxford Industries had a net margin of 2.62% and a return on equity of 23.78%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.78 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Oxford Industries, Inc. will post 8.8 EPS for the current fiscal year. Oxford Industries Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, July 19th were given a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 19th. Oxford Industriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 108.50%. About Oxford Industries (Free Report) Oxford Industries, Inc, an apparel company, designs, sources, markets, and distributes products of lifestyle and other brands worldwide. The company offers men's and women's sportswear and related products under the Tommy Bahama brand; and women's and girl's dresses and sportswear, scarves, bags, jewelry, and belts, as well as children's apparel, swim, footwear, and licensed products under the Lilly Pulitzer brand. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OXM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Oxford Industries, Inc. (NYSE:OXM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Oxford Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oxford Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AirBoss of America (TSE:BOS Free Report) had its price target reduced by TD Securities from C$7.50 to C$7.00 in a research note published on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports. BOS has been the subject of a number of other reports. CIBC upped their target price on shares of AirBoss of America from C$4.75 to C$5.75 in a report on Friday, May 10th. Cormark increased their price objective on shares of AirBoss of America from C$5.25 to C$6.00 in a research report on Friday, May 10th. Finally, National Bankshares lowered their target price on shares of AirBoss of America from C$6.25 to C$5.75 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$5.55. Get AirBoss of America alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on AirBoss of America AirBoss of America Trading Down 1.9 % AirBoss of America Announces Dividend Shares of TSE BOS traded down C$0.08 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting C$4.15. 12,665 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 24,503. AirBoss of America has a 12-month low of C$3.65 and a 12-month high of C$6.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 83.63, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 2.26. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of C$5.40 and a 200 day moving average price of C$5.45. The firm has a market cap of C$112.59 million, a P/E ratio of -1.69, a P/E/G ratio of -550.53 and a beta of 2.03. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a $0.035 dividend. This represents a $0.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. AirBoss of Americas payout ratio is -5.69%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Peter Grenville Schoch acquired 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$5.75 per share, with a total value of C$57,500.00. 34.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders. AirBoss of America Company Profile (Get Free Report) AirBoss of America Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells rubber-based products in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through AirBoss Rubber Solutions and AirBoss Manufactured Products segments. The AirBoss Rubber Solutions segment involves in the manufacture and distribution of rubber compounds and rubber compounding related chemicals for various application in automotive, heavy industry, rollers, conveyor belting, defense, construction and infrastructure, mining, transportation, and oil and gas industries. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for AirBoss of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AirBoss of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG Free Report) by 22.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,912 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 5,045 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLCs holdings in Lloyds Banking Group were worth $76,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 61,412 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $159,000 after buying an additional 3,986 shares during the period. Brookstone Capital Management boosted its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 12.1% in the 1st quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 38,516 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $100,000 after buying an additional 4,167 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 7.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 61,586 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $168,000 after buying an additional 4,194 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 21.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 24,976 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 4,455 shares during the period. Finally, D Orazio & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 42.4% in the 1st quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. now owns 15,481 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 4,607 shares during the period. 2.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Lloyds Banking Group alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have commented on LYG. Berenberg Bank began coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Thursday, April 25th. They issued a hold rating and a $2.75 price target for the company. Citigroup downgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. UBS Group reissued a neutral rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Thursday, May 9th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $32.38. Lloyds Banking Group Trading Up 0.7 % NYSE:LYG traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $2.99. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,664,008 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,284,264. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.84 and a beta of 1.35. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $2.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.63. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 1 year low of $1.88 and a 1 year high of $3.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.45. Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 12.40% and a return on equity of 10.34%. The firm had revenue of $9.55 billion for the quarter. Research analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group plc will post 0.32 EPS for the current fiscal year. Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 5th will be given a $0.0546 dividend. This is a boost from Lloyds Banking Groups previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 5th. This represents a dividend yield of 4.4%. Lloyds Banking Groups payout ratio is presently 26.32%. About Lloyds Banking Group (Free Report) Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal customers. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LYG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Lloyds Banking Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lloyds Banking Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Free Report) shares rose 0.2% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $50.97 and last traded at $50.85. Approximately 1,359,484 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average daily volume of 10,534,404 shares. The stock had previously closed at $50.74. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Argus raised Altria Group to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, May 31st. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $37.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com raised shares of Altria Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, June 28th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $47.08. Get Altria Group alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on MO Altria Group Trading Up 1.1 % The company has a market capitalization of $88.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.68, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $47.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.59. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $6.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.39 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 42.25% and a negative return on equity of 232.55%. Altria Groups revenue for the quarter was up 14.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.31 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Albion Financial Group UT lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 49.1% during the first quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 2,767 shares of the companys stock worth $121,000 after buying an additional 911 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in Altria Group by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,027,886 shares of the companys stock worth $44,960,000 after purchasing an additional 16,541 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 24.2% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 57,111 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,304,000 after purchasing an additional 11,111 shares during the period. Atomi Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,953 shares of the companys stock valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 399 shares during the period. Finally, SVB Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 33,977 shares of the companys stock worth $1,371,000 after purchasing an additional 2,620 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the companys stock. Altria Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Citigroup restated their buy rating on shares of Bellway (LON:BWY Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have a GBX 3,368 ($43.00) price target on the stock. Several other research analysts have also weighed in on BWY. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a neutral rating on shares of Bellway in a research note on Friday, July 5th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a GBX 3,650 ($46.60) price target on shares of Bellway in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 3,013 ($38.47) price objective on shares of Bellway in a report on Monday, June 10th. Get Bellway alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on Bellway Bellway Trading Down 0.3 % Bellway Company Profile Shares of LON BWY traded down GBX 8 ($0.10) during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting GBX 3,026 ($38.64). The companys stock had a trading volume of 409,413 shares, compared to its average volume of 296,631. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.78, a current ratio of 5.78 and a quick ratio of 0.50. The stock has a market cap of 3.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,684.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 1.46. The companys fifty day simple moving average is GBX 2,693.22 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 2,685.19. Bellway has a one year low of GBX 1,972 ($25.18) and a one year high of GBX 3,144 ($40.14). (Get Free Report) Bellway p.l.c., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the home building business in the United Kingdom. The company builds and sells homes ranging from one-bedroom apartments to six-bedroom family homes, as well as provides homes to housing associations for social housing. It offers homes under Bellway, Ashberry, and Bellway London brands. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bellway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bellway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Bank of Canada restated their outperform rating on shares of Blue Owl Capital (NYSE:OBDC Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $17.00 target price on the stock. OBDC has been the topic of a number of other reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a market perform rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Blue Owl Capital in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Raymond James downgraded shares of Blue Owl Capital from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Blue Owl Capital from $15.50 to $14.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Hovde Group upped their price objective on shares of Blue Owl Capital from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Blue Owl Capital from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $16.00. Get Blue Owl Capital alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on OBDC Blue Owl Capital Stock Performance Blue Owl Capital Increases Dividend NYSE OBDC opened at $14.45 on Monday. Blue Owl Capital has a 1 year low of $12.99 and a 1 year high of $16.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market cap of $5.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.30 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $15.45 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.52. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This is a boost from Blue Owl Capitals previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.66%. Blue Owl Capitals dividend payout ratio is currently 74.75%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Blue Owl Capital Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Magnolia Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Blue Owl Capital in the second quarter worth approximately $2,476,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its position in Blue Owl Capital by 125.4% during the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 125,475 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,927,000 after acquiring an additional 69,807 shares during the last quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C grew its position in Blue Owl Capital by 66.0% during the second quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C now owns 60,975 shares of the companys stock valued at $937,000 after acquiring an additional 24,240 shares during the last quarter. Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC grew its position in Blue Owl Capital by 28.8% during the second quarter. Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC now owns 24,795 shares of the companys stock valued at $381,000 after acquiring an additional 5,537 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its position in Blue Owl Capital by 102.6% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 74,886 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,150,000 after acquiring an additional 37,924 shares during the last quarter. 42.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Blue Owl Capital (Get Free Report) Blue Owl Capital Corporation is a business development company. It specializes in direct and fund of fund investments. The fund makes investments in senior secured, direct lending or unsecured loans, subordinated loans or mezzanine loans and also considers equity-related securities including warrants and preferred stocks also pursues preferred equity investments, first lien, unitranche, and second lien term loans and common equity investments. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Blue Owl Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Blue Owl Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. British American Tobacco p.l.c. (OTCMKTS:BTAFF Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 223,000 shares, an increase of 42.0% from the July 15th total of 157,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 10,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 21.7 days. British American Tobacco Stock Down 0.9 % British American Tobacco stock traded down $0.33 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $35.85. 2,352 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,467. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $32.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.04. British American Tobacco has a one year low of $28.00 and a one year high of $37.30. Get British American Tobacco alerts: British American Tobacco Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Articles British American Tobacco p.l.c. engages in the provision of tobacco and nicotine products to consumers worldwide. It also offers vapour, heated, and modern oral nicotine products; combustible cigarettes; and traditional oral products, such as snus and moist snuff. The company offers its products under the Vuse, glo, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Camel, Natural American Spirit, Newport, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant, Craven A, State Express 555 and Shuang Xi brands. Receive News & Ratings for British American Tobacco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British American Tobacco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Bank of Canada reissued their outperform rating on shares of Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE:BKD Free Report) in a report published on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $9.00 price objective on the stock. Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on BKD. Macquarie started coverage on shares of Brookdale Senior Living in a research report on Friday, June 28th. They issued an outperform rating and a $7.50 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded Brookdale Senior Living from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, June 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Brookdale Senior Living currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $7.50. Get Brookdale Senior Living alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Brookdale Senior Living Brookdale Senior Living Stock Performance Shares of NYSE BKD opened at $6.97 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.23. The firms 50-day moving average price is $7.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $6.65. Brookdale Senior Living has a 52-week low of $3.62 and a 52-week high of $8.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.19 and a beta of 1.31. Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE:BKD Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported ($0.17) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by ($0.04). Brookdale Senior Living had a negative return on equity of 44.72% and a negative net margin of 5.71%. The company had revenue of $777.54 million during the quarter. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.15) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Brookdale Senior Living will post -0.52 earnings per share for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brookdale Senior Living Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Brookdale Senior Living by 9.2% in the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 31,971 shares of the companys stock worth $218,000 after acquiring an additional 2,697 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in Brookdale Senior Living by 6.9% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 101,442 shares of the companys stock worth $693,000 after purchasing an additional 6,508 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Brookdale Senior Living by 328.5% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 186,871 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,276,000 after purchasing an additional 143,262 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LP increased its position in shares of Brookdale Senior Living by 40.4% during the 2nd quarter. Caxton Associates LP now owns 198,212 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,354,000 after purchasing an additional 57,016 shares during the period. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brookdale Senior Living in the 2nd quarter worth $467,000. About Brookdale Senior Living (Get Free Report) Brookdale Senior Living Inc owns, manages, and operates senior living communities in the United States. It operates in three segments: Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). The Independent Living segment owns or leases communities comprising independent and assisted living units in a single community that are primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Brookdale Senior Living Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookdale Senior Living and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO Free Report) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note published on Monday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has $112.00 price objective on the financial services providers stock, up from their previous price objective of $94.00. BRO has been the subject of several other reports. Bank of America upgraded Brown & Brown from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and raised their price target for the company from $91.00 to $101.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Brown & Brown from $86.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Brown & Brown from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Brown & Brown from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 31st. Finally, Raymond James upped their price objective on Brown & Brown from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $99.20. Get Brown & Brown alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on Brown & Brown Brown & Brown Price Performance Shares of BRO opened at $101.22 on Monday. Brown & Brown has a fifty-two week low of $66.73 and a fifty-two week high of $103.16. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $94.06 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $87.78. The stock has a market cap of $28.87 billion, a PE ratio of 31.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.35. Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.05. Brown & Brown had a return on equity of 17.00% and a net margin of 21.95%. The company had revenue of $1.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.14 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Brown & Brown will post 3.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Brown & Brown Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 7th were given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.51%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 7th. Brown & Browns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.00%. Insider Buying and Selling at Brown & Brown In related news, EVP Julie Turpin sold 3,350 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.92, for a total transaction of $301,232.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 23,597 shares in the company, valued at $2,121,842.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Brown & Brown news, EVP Julie Turpin sold 3,350 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.92, for a total value of $301,232.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,597 shares in the company, valued at $2,121,842.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO R. Andrew Watts sold 2,500 shares of Brown & Brown stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.32, for a total transaction of $250,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 88,445 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,872,802.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 17.02% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Brown & Brown A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Brown & Brown by 85.7% in the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 69,812 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,242,000 after purchasing an additional 32,226 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in shares of Brown & Brown by 24.6% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 3,489,305 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $311,979,000 after buying an additional 687,783 shares in the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC bought a new position in Brown & Brown in the 2nd quarter worth $1,329,000. Dundas Partners LLP boosted its holdings in Brown & Brown by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Dundas Partners LLP now owns 479,205 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $42,846,000 after buying an additional 4,528 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Brown & Brown in the 2nd quarter worth $1,463,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.01% of the companys stock. About Brown & Brown (Get Free Report) Brown & Brown, Inc markets and sells insurance products and services in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Retail, National Programs, Wholesale Brokerage, and Services. The Retail segment provides property and casualty, employee benefits insurance products, personal insurance products, specialties insurance products, risk management strategies, loss control survey and analysis, consultancy, and claims processing services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Brown & Brown Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brown & Brown and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Construction Bank Co. (OTCMKTS:CICHF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 17,834,800 shares, a drop of 25.4% from the July 15th total of 23,900,300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 31,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 566.2 days. China Construction Bank Stock Up 1.2 % Shares of OTCMKTS CICHF traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $0.71. The companys stock had a trading volume of 112,168 shares, compared to its average volume of 142,155. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $0.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $0.66. China Construction Bank has a 12 month low of $0.50 and a 12 month high of $0.78. Get China Construction Bank alerts: China Construction Bank Company Profile (Get Free Report) See Also China Construction Bank Corporation provides various banking and related financial services to individuals and corporate customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. It operates through Corporate Finance Business, Personal Finance Business, Treasury and Asset Management Business, and Others segments. Receive News & Ratings for China Construction Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Construction Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Truist Financial restated their buy rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Free Report) in a report released on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $69.00 price objective on the restaurant operators stock. Several other analysts also recently commented on CMG. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $72.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $71.00 to $69.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Wedbush dropped their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $64.00 to $54.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $54.50 to $55.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $62.36. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on Chipotle Mexican Grill Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 4.5 % Shares of NYSE:CMG opened at $53.97 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $122.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $80.24. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a twelve month low of $35.37 and a twelve month high of $69.26. The company has a market capitalization of $74.12 billion, a PE ratio of 57.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.24. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The restaurant operator reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 44.01%. The firm had revenue of $2.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $12.65 EPS. Chipotle Mexican Grills revenue for the quarter was up 18.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.09 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity at Chipotle Mexican Grill In related news, insider Curtis E. Garner sold 17,394 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.68, for a total value of $951,103.92. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 358,300 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,591,844. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Driehaus Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,213.0% in the 2nd quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC now owns 11,300 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $708,000 after purchasing an additional 11,038 shares in the last quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,743.3% in the 2nd quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. now owns 15,450 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $968,000 after purchasing an additional 15,131 shares in the last quarter. Sepio Capital LP lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,491.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sepio Capital LP now owns 9,000 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $564,000 after purchasing an additional 8,804 shares in the last quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,900.0% in the 2nd quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 400 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peloton Wealth Strategists lifted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,675.4% during the 2nd quarter. Peloton Wealth Strategists now owns 68,050 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $4,263,000 after acquiring an additional 66,625 shares during the period. 91.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile (Get Free Report) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. It sells food and beverages through offering burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. The company also provides delivery and related services its app and website. It has operations in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 19.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 748 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 120 shares during the quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLCs holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $409,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ERn Financial LLC lifted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. ERn Financial LLC now owns 3,502 shares of the companys stock worth $1,916,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. ARS Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 19.6% in the second quarter. ARS Investment Partners LLC now owns 4,035 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,208,000 after purchasing an additional 660 shares during the last quarter. GenWealth Group Inc. lifted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.7% in the second quarter. GenWealth Group Inc. now owns 35,989 shares of the companys stock valued at $19,694,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares during the last quarter. Shulman DeMeo Asset Management LLC lifted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 1.2% in the second quarter. Shulman DeMeo Asset Management LLC now owns 19,628 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,741,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Astoria Strategic Wealth Inc. lifted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 3.7% in the second quarter. Astoria Strategic Wealth Inc. now owns 11,289 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,178,000 after purchasing an additional 404 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Up 0.2 % Shares of IVV traded up $1.11 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $557.28. 2,275,365 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,088,696. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 1 year low of $411.02 and a 1 year high of $568.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $480.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.99. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $547.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $526.33. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Profile iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:EAF Free Report) by 60.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 868,790 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 328,565 shares during the period. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC owned 0.34% of GrafTech International worth $843,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. CWM LLC lifted its stake in GrafTech International by 211.9% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 14,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 9,511 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in GrafTech International by 58.4% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 25,535 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 9,416 shares in the last quarter. Terril Brothers Inc. acquired a new position in GrafTech International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Welch Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of GrafTech International by 71.2% during the 1st quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 34,243 shares of the companys stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 14,243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aigen Investment Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of GrafTech International during the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.83% of the companys stock. Get GrafTech International alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades EAF has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of GrafTech International from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of GrafTech International from $1.20 to $1.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $1.75. GrafTech International Price Performance Shares of EAF traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $0.68. 972,408 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,461,002. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $0.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1.36. The company has a market cap of $174.67 million, a PE ratio of -0.66 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 57.38, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a current ratio of 4.22. GrafTech International Ltd. has a 52-week low of $0.52 and a 52-week high of $4.06. About GrafTech International (Free Report) GrafTech International Ltd. research, develops, manufactures, and sells graphite and carbon-based solutions worldwide. The company offers graphite electrodes to produce electric arc furnace steel and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals; and petroleum needle coke, a crystalline form of carbon used in the production of graphite electrodes and synthetic graphite. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for GrafTech International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GrafTech International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 573 shares of the companys stock after selling 26 shares during the quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $519,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC now owns 811 shares of the companys stock worth $734,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Verum Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Verum Partners LLC now owns 731 shares of the companys stock valued at $662,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 736 shares of the companys stock valued at $573,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the period. Innova Wealth Partners raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Innova Wealth Partners now owns 1,068 shares of the companys stock valued at $831,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the period. Finally, Hart & Patterson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hart & Patterson Financial Group LLC now owns 679 shares of the companys stock valued at $615,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 2,052 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $809.00, for a total value of $1,660,068.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 98,554,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,730,343,755. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Johna Norton sold 7,056 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $819.38, for a total transaction of $5,781,545.28. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 25,428 shares in the company, valued at $20,835,194.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 2,052 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $809.00, for a total value of $1,660,068.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 98,554,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,730,343,755. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 1,214,704 shares of company stock worth $1,066,841,316 in the last three months. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend Shares of LLY traded down $7.57 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $924.01. The stock had a trading volume of 1,388,454 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,091,983. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $516.57 and a 52 week high of $966.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The firms 50 day moving average price is $877.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $802.12. The company has a market capitalization of $878.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 136.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.41. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 76.58%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have recently commented on LLY. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $884.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $725.00 to $1,025.00 in a research report on Monday. Barclays lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $913.00 to $1,025.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,001.00 to $1,101.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $956.88. Read Our Latest Research Report on LLY About Eli Lilly and Company (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arno Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:ARNI Get Free Report) and BioRestorative Therapies (OTCMKTS:BRTX Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and valuation. Profitability This table compares Arno Therapeutics and BioRestorative Therapies net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Arno Therapeutics alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Arno Therapeutics N/A N/A N/A BioRestorative Therapies -13,728.83% -120.47% -114.48% Institutional & Insider Ownership 34.3% of Arno Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 69.4% of BioRestorative Therapies shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.2% of Arno Therapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 21.6% of BioRestorative Therapies shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Arno Therapeutics 0 0 0 0 N/A BioRestorative Therapies 0 0 0 0 N/A This is a summary of current ratings for Arno Therapeutics and BioRestorative Therapies, as reported by MarketBeat. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Arno Therapeutics and BioRestorative Therapies revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Arno Therapeutics N/A N/A N/A ($0.23) 0.00 BioRestorative Therapies $149,500.00 74.72 -$18.50 million ($2.31) -0.71 Arno Therapeutics has higher earnings, but lower revenue than BioRestorative Therapies. BioRestorative Therapies is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Arno Therapeutics, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Summary Arno Therapeutics beats BioRestorative Therapies on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Arno Therapeutics (Get Free Report) Arno Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, develops products for the treatment of cancer and other life threatening diseases. The company's product development pipeline includes Onapristone, a type 1 anti-progestin hormone blocker that is in Phase I/II clinical study for the treatment of breast, endometrial, and others solid tumors in post-menopausal women; and advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer in men. Its product development pipeline also consists of AR-12, an orally available cancer treatment, which has completed Phase I clinical study for the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies, as well as in Pre-clinical studies for the treatment of various anti-microbial targets. In addition, the company's product development pipeline comprises AR-42, a novel orally available cancer therapy that is in Phase I investigator-initiated clinical study for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The company has license agreements with Invivis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; the Regents of the University of Minnesota; and the Ohio State University Innovation Foundation, as well as a co-development agreement with Leica Biosystems Newcastle Ltd. Arno Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is based in Flemington, New Jersey. About BioRestorative Therapies (Get Free Report) BioRestorative Therapies, Inc., a life sciences company, focuses on the development of regenerative medicine products and therapies using cell and tissue protocols primarily involving adult stem cells. The company's two core developmental programs relate to the treatment of disc/spine disease and metabolic disorders. Its disc/spine program (brtxDisc) includes a lead cell therapy candidate, BRTX-100, a product candidate formulated from autologous cultured mesenchymal stem cells collected from the patient's bone marrow, which has completed Phase 1 clinical trials for use in the non-surgical treatment of painful lumbosacral disc disorders. The company is also developing Metabolic Program (ThermoStem), a cell-based therapy candidate that is in preclinical stage to target obesity and metabolic disorders using brown adipose derived stem cells to generate brown adipose tissue. In addition, it provides investigational curved needle device designed to deliver cells and/or other therapeutic products or material to the spine and discs. BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. has a research and development agreement with Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; a research agreement with Pfizer, Inc.; and a research collaboration agreement with the University of Pennsylvania. The company was formerly known as Stem Cell Assurance, Inc. and changed its name to BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. in August 2011. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is based in Melville, New York. Receive News & Ratings for Arno Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arno Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Corundum Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 41.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,889 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after acquiring an additional 3,766 shares during the period. Corundum Group Inc.s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $1,339,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 28.4% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 12,257 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $1,349,000 after acquiring an additional 2,714 shares during the last quarter. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. grew its position in Abbott Laboratories by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. now owns 4,781 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $526,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Cullen Investment Group LTD. purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at $403,000. Dakota Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 100,635 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $11,077,000 after buying an additional 895 shares during the period. Finally, Bison Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 24,199 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $2,664,000 after buying an additional 353 shares during the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Price Performance Abbott Laboratories stock traded up $1.06 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $110.95. The stock had a trading volume of 7,458,462 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,042,205. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The firms 50 day moving average is $105.40 and its 200 day moving average is $108.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $193.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.72. Abbott Laboratories has a one year low of $89.67 and a one year high of $121.64. Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.04. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 20.18% and a net margin of 13.65%. The company had revenue of $10.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.08 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 15th. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.54%. Analysts Set New Price Targets ABT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $128.00 to $119.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Raymond James restated a buy rating and set a $124.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Tuesday, June 4th. Finally, Edward Jones lowered Abbott Laboratories from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $121.00. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Abbott Laboratories Abbott Laboratories Company Profile (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The company provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. lessened its holdings in DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE Free Report) by 34.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 333 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 175 shares during the period. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc.s holdings in DTE Energy were worth $37,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of DTE. ESL Trust Services LLC purchased a new stake in DTE Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Rise Advisors LLC increased its holdings in DTE Energy by 89.6% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 273 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. Denali Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in DTE Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $34,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its holdings in DTE Energy by 82.3% during the 1st quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 432 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. Finally, Creekmur Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in DTE Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.06% of the companys stock. Get DTE Energy alerts: Insider Transactions at DTE Energy In related news, Vice Chairman Trevor F. Lauer sold 3,500 shares of DTE Energy stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.07, for a total value of $402,745.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 59,475 shares in the company, valued at $6,843,788.25. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other DTE Energy news, VP Lisa A. Muschong sold 1,198 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.61, for a total value of $139,698.78. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,271 shares of the companys stock, valued at $498,041.31. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Vice Chairman Trevor F. Lauer sold 3,500 shares of DTE Energy stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.07, for a total value of $402,745.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 59,475 shares in the company, valued at $6,843,788.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.61% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently issued reports on DTE. Barclays upped their price objective on DTE Energy from $123.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on DTE Energy from $120.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Monday, July 15th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH began coverage on DTE Energy in a research report on Wednesday. They set a buy rating and a $131.00 price objective for the company. KeyCorp upped their price objective on DTE Energy from $117.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, May 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on DTE Energy from $116.00 to $111.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $120.36. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on DTE DTE Energy Trading Up 0.3 % Shares of DTE stock traded up $0.33 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $122.31. 298,654 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,083,382. DTE Energy has a fifty-two week low of $90.14 and a fifty-two week high of $126.76. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $114.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $111.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. The stock has a market cap of $25.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.96, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.66. DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.22. DTE Energy had a return on equity of 12.18% and a net margin of 11.18%. The business had revenue of $2.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.65 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.99 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that DTE Energy will post 6.7 EPS for the current fiscal year. DTE Energy Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a dividend of $1.02 per share. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. DTE Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.78%. DTE Energy Company Profile (Free Report) DTE Energy Company engages in the utility operations. The company's Electric segment generates, purchases, distributes, and sells electricity to various residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southeastern Michigan. It generates electricity through coal-fired plants, hydroelectric pumped storage, and nuclear plants, as well as wind and solar assets. See Also Receive News & Ratings for DTE Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DTE Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. U.S. VP nominees agree to debate hosted by CBS on Oct. 1 Xinhua) 08:50, August 16, 2024 File photo taken on Aug. 7, 2024 shows Tim Walz speaking during a campaign rally at an airport hangar outside Detroit, Michigan, the United States. U.S. Vice Presidential nominees - Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance - on Thursday agreed to participate in a debate hosted by CBS News, which is scheduled for Oct. 1. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) - U.S. Vice Presidential nominees - Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance - on Thursday agreed to participate in a debate hosted by CBS News, which is scheduled for Oct. 1. The debate will be moderated by "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell and "Face the Nation" moderator and CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan, according to the network. On Wednesday, the network announced that Walz agreed to the Oct. 1 date, after proposing four dates for a debate between the two vice presidential nominees. "See you on October 1, JD," Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, said Wednesday in a post on "X", formerly known as Twitter. Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, said in a post on "X" Thursday that he has agreed to the debate. "Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both!" said Vance. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, picked Vance as his running mate on July 15, the first day of the Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee. Harris quickly consolidated support within the party and won enough delegates to become the Democratic nominee after a five-day online balloting process in early August. On Aug. 6, Harris announced that she selected Walz as her running mate. On the same day, the two kicked off a five-day campaign tour in key swing states including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada. Last week, ABC announced that Trump and Harris agreed to a presidential debate to be hosted by the network on Sept. 10, setting up the first confrontation between the new opponents on stage prior to the November election. File photo taken on Aug. 7, 2024 shows Tim Walz speaking during a campaign rally at an airport hangar outside Detroit, Michigan, the United States. U.S. Vice Presidential nominees - Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance - on Thursday agreed to participate in a debate hosted by CBS News, which is scheduled for Oct. 1. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) File photo taken on Aug. 7, 2024 shows Tim Walz speaking during a campaign rally at an airport hangar outside Detroit, Michigan, the United States. U.S. Vice Presidential nominees - Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance - on Thursday agreed to participate in a debate hosted by CBS News, which is scheduled for Oct. 1. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Amanda Edwards is an impressive and promising candidate who belongs in office, but circumstances continue to thwart her. Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle Amanda Edwards had an impressive run on Houston City Council and ran a strong campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2020, but a circumstances have blocked her from serving in Congress. Annie Mulligan/Contributor Its not a conspiracy that Amanda Edwards isnt mayor of Houston. Nor was it a calculated effort to keep her out of Congress. But whatever you want to call Edwards' political plight, there may not be another recent politician whose best-laid plans were repeatedly detoured by unforeseen circumstances. However prepared to assume power, a new generation of leaders will still need the older generations to relinquish control. No one could have predicted the phenomenon of Vice President Kamala Harris presidential campaign, but it was made possible by the combination of President Joe Bidens decision to withdraw from the presidential race and Harris readiness to take over. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Only half of this combo has worked in Edwards' favor. Edwards, a Houston native, is a 42-year-old municipal finance attorney who is a graduate of Emory University and Harvard Law School. In 2015, her first political race, Edwards ran for an at-large Houston City Council seat. She won, receiving more votes than any other candidate on the ballot, including Sylvester Turner, who was elected mayor. On council, Edwards led on public transit as well as the Mayors Technology & Innovation Task Force, which boosted the city's startup economy. When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, she organized volunteers to provide ongoing relief efforts. Rather than seek reelection, Edwards ran for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2020. She finished fifth in a field of 12 candidates, but she earned endorsements from newspapers such as the San Antonio Express-News and Dallas Morning News. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In May of 2022, Edwards announced her candidacy for the November 2023 Houston mayoral race with Turner terming out. The presumed favorite in the field of candidates was state Sen. John Whitmire, who served for 50 years in the Texas House and Senate. Edwards was running a steady, well-calibrated and well-funded campaign toward the goal of making it a two-person race between her and Whitmire with stark contrasts. In a city where three-quarters of the population are people of color, Edwards is a young, pragmatic progressive; a dynamic Black woman, whose expertise is municipal finance and who had already won a citywide race. Whitmire is a white septuagenarian conservative Democrat with an admirable legislative record, but all of it in the Texas House and Senate. An Edwards-Whitmire mayoral race would have been a substantive one pitting the past against the future. It appeared to be shaping up until March of 2023 when U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee stunned everyone by announcing she was coming home to run for mayor. Edwards, who once interned in Jackson Lees office, understood that they shared the same base of support, and that it would not be feasible to stay in the race with a member of Congress who had served for decades. So Edwards withdrew and immediately announced shed run for the congressional seat that Jackson Lee was giving up. With a well-financed campaign infrastructure already in place, Edwards became the prohibitive favorite to succeed Jackson Lee. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the mayoral race, the 74-year-old Whitmire easily defeated the 73-year-old Jackson Lee in the runoff. Two days later, the deadline for which she could file to run for the congressional seat she long held, Jackson Lee did just that. Edwards stayed in the race, respectfully saying it was time for a change. Jackson Lee won. In June, she announced she had pancreatic cancer and died on July 19 at the age of 74. On Tuesday, precinct chairs in the 18th Congressional District voted for Jackson Lees seat. There were several candidates, but it was a two-person race between Edwards and 69-year-old Turner, himself a recent survivor of cancer. Turner has vowed to serve only one or two terms. In the runoff vote of the precinct chairs, Turner defeated Edwards by four votes, 41-37. The Houston Chronicle, which endorsed Jackson Lee over Edwards, also bypassed her for Turner and his idea of being a bridge to the next generation, but wrote of Edwards, "shes got the chops to connect national policymaking with local needs. Though we endorsed Jackson Lee, we believed Edwards would make a great first-term representative. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Then why not cross the bridge, now, to a new generation? Instead of a 69-year-old freshman who will leave Congress before building any seniority, you could have gotten a head start with a 42-year-old of considerable talent who would be a rising star. President John F. Kennedy said that life is unfair. He also said that a torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans. Jaguar Mining (OTCMKTS:JAGGD Get Free Report) is one of 110 publicly-traded companies in the Metal Mining industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Jaguar Mining to related businesses based on the strength of its profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, earnings and dividends. Dividends Jaguar Mining pays an annual dividend of $0.25 per share and has a dividend yield of 8.2%. Jaguar Mining pays out 49.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Metal Mining companies pay a dividend yield of 3.3% and pay out 83.4% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Jaguar Mining is clearly a better dividend stock than its rivals, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Get Jaguar Mining alerts: Insider and Institutional Ownership 28.2% of shares of all Metal Mining companies are owned by institutional investors. 13.0% of shares of all Metal Mining companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Jaguar Mining 28.17% 26.75% 17.80% Jaguar Mining Competitors -84.86% -3.70% -3.47% Valuation and Earnings This table compares Jaguar Mining and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This table compares Jaguar Mining and its rivals revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Jaguar Mining $97.23 million -$150,000.00 6.00 Jaguar Mining Competitors $6.78 billion $973.46 million -4.10 Jaguar Minings rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Jaguar Mining. Jaguar Mining is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings for Jaguar Mining and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Jaguar Mining 0 0 0 0 N/A Jaguar Mining Competitors 1189 2565 3118 120 2.31 As a group, Metal Mining companies have a potential upside of 32.51%. Given Jaguar Minings rivals higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Jaguar Mining has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Risk and Volatility Jaguar Mining has a beta of 2.75, suggesting that its stock price is 175% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Jaguar Minings rivals have a beta of 0.52, suggesting that their average stock price is 48% less volatile than the S&P 500. Summary Jaguar Mining beats its rivals on 7 of the 12 factors compared. Jaguar Mining Company Profile (Get Free Report) Jaguar Mining, Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development and operation of gold producing properties in Brazil. Its mining operations include Turmalina, Paciencia and Caete. The firm is also developing the Grurupi Project and exploring the Iron Quadrangle and Pedra Branca Project. The company was founded by Daniel R. Titcomb in 1984 and is headquartered Toronto, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Jaguar Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Jaguar Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First PREMIER Bank lowered its position in Black Hills Co. (NYSE:BKH Free Report) by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 22,170 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 2,071 shares during the quarter. First PREMIER Banks holdings in Black Hills were worth $1,206,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Black Hills by 0.7% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,203,786 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $447,927,000 after buying an additional 60,219 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake in shares of Black Hills by 17.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 3,251,722 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $175,430,000 after acquiring an additional 475,768 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position in shares of Black Hills by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 904,220 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $48,783,000 after purchasing an additional 3,949 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Black Hills by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 780,510 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $42,109,000 after purchasing an additional 29,141 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Black Hills by 36.9% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 755,095 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $40,737,000 after purchasing an additional 203,340 shares during the period. 86.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Black Hills alerts: Black Hills Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of BKH traded up $0.26 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $57.65. 376,998 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 489,973. The firm has a market cap of $3.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.20 and a beta of 0.68. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $54.35. Black Hills Co. has a 12-month low of $46.43 and a 12-month high of $59.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. Black Hills Announces Dividend Black Hills ( NYSE:BKH Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $402.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $498.00 million. Black Hills had a net margin of 12.96% and a return on equity of 8.28%. The companys revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.35 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Black Hills Co. will post 3.92 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 19th. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.51%. Black Hillss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 64.04%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth BKH has been the subject of several research reports. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on shares of Black Hills from $58.00 to $54.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. StockNews.com raised shares of Black Hills from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Black Hills from $61.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Black Hills from $53.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Black Hills has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $56.20. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on BKH Insider Activity at Black Hills In other Black Hills news, Director Rebecca B. Roberts sold 3,094 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.84, for a total value of $169,674.96. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 7,956 shares in the company, valued at $436,307.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Black Hills Company Profile (Free Report) Black Hills Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as an electric and natural gas utility company in the United States. The company operates in two segments: Electric Utilities and Gas Utilities. The Electric Utilities segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 222,000 electric utility customers in Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming; and owns and operates 1,394 megawatts of generation capacity and 9,106 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Black Hills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Black Hills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ur-Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:URG Get Free Report) (TSE:URE) had its target price dropped by research analysts at HC Wainwright from $3.20 to $2.70 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a buy rating on the basic materials companys stock. HC Wainwrights price target indicates a potential upside of 154.72% from the stocks current price. A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Roth Mkm lowered their price target on Ur-Energy from $2.20 to $2.10 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. Ventum Cap Mkts raised Ur-Energy to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $2.60. Get Ur-Energy alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Ur-Energy Ur-Energy Trading Down 0.9 % Insider Buying and Selling at Ur-Energy Shares of Ur-Energy stock opened at $1.06 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $312.89 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.58 and a beta of 1.12. Ur-Energy has a 12-month low of $0.96 and a 12-month high of $2.01. In other news, Director Robby Sai Kit Chang sold 60,100 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.47, for a total value of $88,347.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 73,572 shares in the company, valued at $108,150.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, Director Robby Sai Kit Chang sold 60,100 shares of Ur-Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.47, for a total transaction of $88,347.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 73,572 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $108,150.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director James M. Franklin sold 56,305 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.59, for a total transaction of $89,524.95. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 616,133 shares in the company, valued at $979,651.47. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 189,879 shares of company stock worth $279,266. Insiders own 3.29% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ur-Energy Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Xponance Inc. purchased a new position in Ur-Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ur-Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Tidal Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Ur-Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $65,000. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Ur-Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $109,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in Ur-Energy during the second quarter worth $150,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.51% of the companys stock. Ur-Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) Ur-Energy Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of uranium mineral properties. The company holds interests in 12 projects located in the United States. Its flagship property is the Lost Creek project comprising a total of approximately 1,800 unpatented mining claims and three Wyoming mineral leases covering an area of approximately 35,400 acres located in the Great Divide Basin, Wyoming. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Ur-Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ur-Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Invesco Mortgage Capital (NYSE:IVR Get Free Report) and Ready Capital (NYSE:RC Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, profitability, dividends, valuation and institutional ownership. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Invesco Mortgage Capital and Ready Capital, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Get Invesco Mortgage Capital alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Invesco Mortgage Capital 0 2 1 0 2.33 Ready Capital 1 5 1 0 2.00 Invesco Mortgage Capital presently has a consensus price target of $9.00, suggesting a potential upside of 3.39%. Ready Capital has a consensus price target of $10.04, suggesting a potential upside of 19.47%. Given Ready Capitals higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Ready Capital is more favorable than Invesco Mortgage Capital. Valuation & Earnings Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Invesco Mortgage Capital -$6.02 million -70.61 -$15.86 million ($0.70) -12.44 Ready Capital $121.36 million 11.64 $339.45 million $1.61 5.22 This table compares Invesco Mortgage Capital and Ready Capitals gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Ready Capital has higher revenue and earnings than Invesco Mortgage Capital. Invesco Mortgage Capital is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ready Capital, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Invesco Mortgage Capital and Ready Capitals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Invesco Mortgage Capital -2.96% 62.02% 5.67% Ready Capital -5.67% 7.32% 1.46% Volatility and Risk Invesco Mortgage Capital has a beta of 1.9, indicating that its share price is 90% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ready Capital has a beta of 1.43, indicating that its share price is 43% more volatile than the S&P 500. Institutional and Insider Ownership 40.5% of Invesco Mortgage Capital shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 55.9% of Ready Capital shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Invesco Mortgage Capital shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.1% of Ready Capital shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Dividends Invesco Mortgage Capital pays an annual dividend of $1.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 18.4%. Ready Capital pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 14.3%. Invesco Mortgage Capital pays out -228.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Ready Capital pays out 74.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Invesco Mortgage Capital is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Summary Ready Capital beats Invesco Mortgage Capital on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks. About Invesco Mortgage Capital (Get Free Report) Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests, finances, and manages mortgage-backed securities and other mortgage-related assets in the United States. It invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) that are guaranteed by a U.S. government agency or federally chartered corporation; RMBS and CMBS that are not issued or guaranteed by the United States government agency or federally chartered corporation; the United States treasury securities; real estate-related financing arrangements; to-be-announced securities forward contracts to purchase RMBS; and commercial mortgage loans. It has elected to be taxed as a REIT and would be subject to federal corporate income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. About Ready Capital (Get Free Report) Ready Capital Corporation operates as a real estate finance company in the United States. It operates through two segments: LMM Commercial Real Estate and Small Business Lending. The company originates, acquires, finances, and services lower-to-middle-market (LLM) commercial real estate loans, small business administration (SBA) loans, residential mortgage loans, construction loans, and mortgage-backed securities collateralized primarily by LLM loans, or other real estate-related investments. The LMM Commercial Real Estate segment originates LLM loans across the full life-cycle of an LLM property, including construction, bridge, stabilized, and agency loan origination channels. The Small Business Lending segment acquires, originates, and services owner-occupied loans guaranteed by the SBA under its SBA Section 7(a) Program; and acquires purchased future receivables. The company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) and would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was formerly known as Sutherland Asset Management Corporation and changed its name to Ready Capital Corporation in September 2018. Ready Capital Corporation was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Mortgage Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Mortgage Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC cut its stake in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MUFG Free Report) by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 52,200 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,000 shares during the period. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLCs holdings in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group were worth $564,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MUFG. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 34.1% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 23,114 shares of the companys stock worth $199,000 after buying an additional 5,882 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 117.1% in the 4th quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 31,285 shares of the companys stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 16,873 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 38.9% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 15,095 shares of the companys stock valued at $130,000 after purchasing an additional 4,224 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 23.4% during the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 57,682 shares of the companys stock worth $497,000 after purchasing an additional 10,935 shares during the period. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 21.7% in the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 276,483 shares of the companys stock worth $2,381,000 after buying an additional 49,217 shares during the last quarter. 13.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group alerts: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Stock Up 0.5 % MUFG traded up $0.05 during trading on Friday, hitting $10.44. 1,768,892 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,645,483. The firm has a market cap of $122.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.61. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. has a one year low of $7.42 and a one year high of $11.72. The stocks fifty day moving average is $10.56 and its 200 day moving average is $10.24. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Profile Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group ( NYSE:MUFG Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 15th. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $22.78 billion during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 7.45%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. will post 0.88 EPS for the current fiscal year. (Free Report) Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company for MUFG Bank, Ltd. that provides various financial services in Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through Digital Service Business Group; Retail & Commercial Banking Business Group; Japanese Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Asset Management & Investor Services Business Group; Global Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Global Commercial Banking Business Group; and Global Markets Business Group segments. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MUFG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MUFG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Berenberg Bank reissued their hold rating on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group (LON:IHG Free Report) in a report issued on Thursday morning, Digital Look reports. The brokerage currently has a GBX 7,400 ($94.48) target price on the stock. IHG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a hold rating and issued a GBX 84 ($1.07) price objective on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group in a research note on Tuesday, May 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating and set a GBX 8,300 ($105.98) target price on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, InterContinental Hotels Group presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 5,847.33 ($74.66). Get InterContinental Hotels Group alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on IHG InterContinental Hotels Group Stock Down 0.3 % InterContinental Hotels Group Cuts Dividend IHG traded down GBX 20 ($0.26) during trading on Thursday, reaching GBX 7,466 ($95.33). 196,336 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 405,024. The business has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 8,005.96 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 7,986.17. InterContinental Hotels Group has a fifty-two week low of GBX 5,636 ($71.96) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 8,790 ($112.23). The company has a market capitalization of 11.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,439.87, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.00. The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 29th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 29th. InterContinental Hotels Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 4,019.61%. Insider Activity In other news, insider Ron Kalifa bought 679 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 7,624 ($97.34) per share, for a total transaction of 51,766.96 ($66,096.73). 5.97% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. InterContinental Hotels Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) InterContinental Hotels Group PLC owns, manages, franchises, and leases hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Greater China. The company operates hotels under the Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, voco, HUALUXE, Crowne Plaza, Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, EVEN, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Garner, avid hotels, Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and Candlewood Suites brand names. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for InterContinental Hotels Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for InterContinental Hotels Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. John Wood Group PLC (LON:WG Get Free Report) insider Ken Gilmartin bought 5,041 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 132 ($1.69) per share, for a total transaction of 6,654.12 ($8,496.07). Ken Gilmartin also recently made the following trade(s): Get John Wood Group alerts: On Thursday, July 18th, Ken Gilmartin purchased 3,256 shares of John Wood Group stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 205 ($2.62) per share, with a total value of 6,674.80 ($8,522.47). John Wood Group Stock Performance WG traded up GBX 2.10 ($0.03) during trading on Friday, reaching GBX 133.20 ($1.70). The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,711,930 shares, compared to its average volume of 530,810. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 41.96, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.91. The companys fifty day moving average price is GBX 190.15 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 167.94. John Wood Group PLC has a 52-week low of GBX 117.67 ($1.50) and a 52-week high of GBX 213.20 ($2.72). The company has a market capitalization of 915.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -888.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.47. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 250 ($3.19) price objective on shares of John Wood Group in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. View Our Latest Stock Report on John Wood Group About John Wood Group (Get Free Report) John Wood Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of consulting, project management, and engineering solutions to energy and built environment worldwide. It operates through Projects, Operations, Consulting, and Investment Services segments. The Projects segment provides engineering design and project management services across energy and materials markets including oil and gas, chemicals, mining, minerals, and life sciences. See Also Receive News & Ratings for John Wood Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Wood Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sharkey Howes & Javer decreased its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ Free Report) by 9.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,678 shares of the companys stock after selling 170 shares during the quarter. Sharkey Howes & Javers holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $245,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. WFA Asset Management Corp grew its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 61.4% during the 4th quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 255 shares of the companys stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Disciplined Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the companys stock. Get Johnson & Johnson alerts: Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 0.2 % Shares of JNJ traded down $0.35 on Friday, hitting $158.74. The companys stock had a trading volume of 881,391 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,313,449. The firms fifty day moving average price is $152.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $153.14. Johnson & Johnson has a fifty-two week low of $143.13 and a fifty-two week high of $175.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $382.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.52. Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend Johnson & Johnson ( NYSE:JNJ Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.11. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 46.34% and a return on equity of 36.60%. The company had revenue of $22.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $22.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.80 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.07 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be paid a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.12%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 27th. Johnson & Johnsons dividend payout ratio is currently 30.92%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $161.00 to $171.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Daiwa America lowered Johnson & Johnson from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Daiwa Capital Markets lowered Johnson & Johnson from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price target for the company from $160.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $173.21. Check Out Our Latest Report on JNJ Johnson & Johnson Profile (Free Report) Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JNJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Johnson & Johnson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Johnson & Johnson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA lowered its holdings in shares of MSCI Inc. (NYSE:MSCI Free Report) by 0.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 33,825 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 58 shares during the period. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MAs holdings in MSCI were worth $17,183,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its holdings in MSCI by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 239,933 shares of the technology companys stock worth $134,475,000 after purchasing an additional 21,310 shares during the last quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSCI by 18.4% in the 4th quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC now owns 13,720 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $7,761,000 after buying an additional 2,135 shares during the last quarter. Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MSCI in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $959,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in MSCI in the 4th quarter valued at $904,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in MSCI by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 819,422 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $463,506,000 after acquiring an additional 57,342 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.97% of the companys stock. Get MSCI alerts: MSCI Price Performance NYSE MSCI traded down $1.48 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $561.66. 365,233 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 580,741. The company has a market cap of $44.50 billion, a PE ratio of 38.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.10. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $507.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $523.48. MSCI Inc. has a 52 week low of $439.95 and a 52 week high of $617.39. MSCI Announces Dividend MSCI ( NYSE:MSCI Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The technology company reported $3.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.55 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $707.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $696.41 million. MSCI had a negative return on equity of 143.09% and a net margin of 43.86%. The companys revenue was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.26 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that MSCI Inc. will post 14.78 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.14%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 16th. MSCIs payout ratio is 43.69%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Redburn Atlantic upgraded MSCI from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $485.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $638.00 target price on shares of MSCI in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on MSCI from $526.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Argus upped their price target on MSCI from $520.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on MSCI from $600.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $584.79. Read Our Latest Research Report on MSCI About MSCI (Free Report) MSCI Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides critical decision support tools and solutions for the investment community to manage investment processes worldwide. The Index segment provides indexes for use in various areas of the investment process, including indexed financial product, such as ETFs, mutual funds, annuities, futures, options, structured products, and over-the-counter derivatives; performance benchmarking; portfolio construction and rebalancing; and asset allocation, as well as licenses GICS and GICS Direct. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSCI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for MSCI Inc. (NYSE:MSCI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for MSCI Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MSCI and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in iShares MSCI World ETF (NYSEARCA:URTH Free Report) by 5.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,315 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the quarter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI World ETF were worth $489,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Arlington Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI World ETF by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Arlington Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,109 shares of the companys stock worth $606,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Research LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI World ETF by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Main Street Research LLC now owns 14,429 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,919,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI World ETF by 31.3% in the 1st quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 591 shares of the companys stock valued at $86,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI World ETF by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 4,689 shares of the companys stock valued at $630,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Perigon Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI World ETF by 8.9% in the 4th quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,454 shares of the companys stock valued at $326,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI World ETF alerts: iShares MSCI World ETF Price Performance iShares MSCI World ETF stock traded up $0.62 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $150.71. 122,034 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 221,532. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $148.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $143.93. iShares MSCI World ETF has a fifty-two week low of $114.70 and a fifty-two week high of $153.42. The stock has a market cap of $3.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.13 and a beta of 0.96. About iShares MSCI World ETF The iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI World index, a market-cap-weighted index of stocks that cover 85% of the developed worlds market capitalization. URTH was launched on Jan 10, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding URTH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI World ETF (NYSEARCA:URTH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI World ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI World ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo welcomes everyone to the new chamber on the first floor Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at Harris County Administration Building in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Harris County Commissioners Court on Thursday voted unanimously to ask voters to support a tax increase to help maintain the county's flood control infrastructure. On the November ballot, voters will see a proposal to raise Harris County Flood Control District's tax rate to 4.8 cents per $100 of assessed value. The increase would cost an extra $60 per year for a taxpayer who owns a $400,000 home generating an additional $113 million in revenue for the flood control district. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Harris County Budget Director Daniel Ramos told the court at a meeting earlier this month that the flood control district's tight budget doesn't allow the agency to keep up with maintenance of existing infrastructure, let alone the new projects that are currently in the pipeline. "We're doing $5 billion worth of projects in the next four to five years," Ramos said. "If we don't have the maintenance dollars to maintain those, they're going to fail." The proposal received overwhelming bipartisan support from members of the court, including Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey, a civil engineer who said Thursday that underfunded infrastructure maintenance was "the most talked about issue" over the course of his career. "We have known for 30-plus years that flood control was underfunded when it came to maintenance," Ramsey said, adding that past members of Commissioners Court made a mistake when they cut the flood control tax rate from eight cents to three cents in 1998. "We are today saying that's not acceptable," Ramsey said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Commissioner Adrian Garcia compared the problem to purchasing a car but never changing the oil. "Then you wasted your money on the car," Garcia said in a statement. "Just like a vehicle, the tremendous investments we have made in flood control, like the $2.5 billion in bond projects passed by the voters, require regular maintenance or they will stop working." Each year, Commissioners Court sets the tax rates for four different entities county government, Harris County Flood Control District, Harris Health hospital district and the Port of Houston. The flood control tax rate is the only one of the four that will go before voters in November, an election that is required under state law in order to raise the rate above a certain maximum threshold. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Despite the likely unpopularity of a proposed tax increase, members of the court were in agreement that the increase was necessary. "I am very much looking forward to going to the voters so we can have the investment in deferred maintenance that we need," Commissioner Lesley Briones said. "I'm so proud that we're delivering new infrastructure, new protection, but we also need to be maintaining our current assets." Though Harris County's flood infrastructure performed well during Hurricane Beryl, keeping structural flooding to a minimum, the agency is looking to the next weather event. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. lessened its position in Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC Free Report) (TSE:MFC) by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 194,180 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 2,615 shares during the period. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in Manulife Financial were worth $5,168,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Prudential PLC lifted its position in Manulife Financial by 11.1% during the 4th quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 1,141,942 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $25,235,000 after buying an additional 114,213 shares in the last quarter. Duality Advisers LP lifted its position in Manulife Financial by 795.2% during the 1st quarter. Duality Advisers LP now owns 217,658 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,439,000 after buying an additional 193,343 shares in the last quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp lifted its position in Manulife Financial by 21.4% during the 4th quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp now owns 4,182,203 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $92,867,000 after buying an additional 737,203 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in Manulife Financial by 2,913.7% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 86,615 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,163,000 after buying an additional 83,741 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Manulife Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $1,846,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.56% of the companys stock. Get Manulife Financial alerts: Manulife Financial Trading Up 0.5 % Shares of MFC stock traded up $0.14 on Friday, reaching $26.14. The company had a trading volume of 1,152,114 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,772,586. The stock has a market cap of $46.78 billion, a PE ratio of 15.20, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a 50-day moving average of $25.97 and a 200-day moving average of $24.84. Manulife Financial Co. has a 12 month low of $17.07 and a 12 month high of $27.51. Manulife Financial Dividend Announcement Manulife Financial ( NYSE:MFC Get Free Report ) (TSE:MFC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.27. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 16.27% and a net margin of 9.28%. The company had revenue of $9.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.62 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Manulife Financial Co. will post 2.72 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.44%. Manulife Financials payout ratio is 66.86%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have issued reports on MFC. TD Securities upped their target price on shares of Manulife Financial from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, June 28th. National Bank Financial upgraded shares of Manulife Financial from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. Finally, Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Manulife Financial to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Manulife Financial currently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $35.67. Read Our Latest Report on MFC Manulife Financial Profile (Free Report) Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in the United States, Canada, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; and Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment offers investment advice and solutions to retirement, retail, and institutional clients through multiple distribution channels, including agents and brokers affiliated with the company, independent securities brokerage firms and financial advisors pension plan consultants, and banks. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Manulife Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Manulife Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Montecito Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF (NYSEARCA:IBDW Free Report) by 66.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 24,873 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 9,939 shares during the period. Montecito Bank & Trust owned about 0.06% of iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF worth $505,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in IBDW. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC now owns 26,489 shares of the companys stock valued at $543,000 after purchasing an additional 816 shares during the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its holdings in shares of iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF by 37.9% in the first quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 10,261 shares of the companys stock worth $210,000 after buying an additional 2,821 shares during the period. Bank of New Hampshire grew its position in iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF by 15.5% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New Hampshire now owns 24,900 shares of the companys stock worth $517,000 after acquiring an additional 3,350 shares during the last quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. raised its holdings in iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 67,691 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,386,000 after buying an additional 5,175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Archford Capital Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF by 4.7% during the second quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 116,283 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,359,000 after acquiring an additional 5,223 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF alerts: iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF Price Performance Shares of NYSEARCA IBDW traded up $0.02 on Friday, reaching $20.88. 74,061 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 222,189. iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF has a 12 month low of $18.77 and a 12 month high of $21.25. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $20.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $20.34. About iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF The iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF (IBDW) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks a Bloomberg index composed of USD-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds maturing between January 1, 2031 and December 15, 2031. IBDW was launched on Jun 22, 2021 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares iBonds Dec 2031 Term Corporate ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NEC Co. (OTCMKTS:NIPNF Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 471,900 shares, a decrease of 20.7% from the July 15th total of 595,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4,719.0 days. NEC Price Performance OTCMKTS:NIPNF remained flat at $75.00 during midday trading on Friday. NEC has a twelve month low of $49.71 and a twelve month high of $88.42. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $79.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $73.08. Get NEC alerts: About NEC (Get Free Report) Read More NEC Corporation provides information and communication technology solutions in Japan and internationally. It operates through five segments: Public Solutions Business, Public Infrastructure Business, Enterprise Business, Network Services Business, and Global Business. It provides systems integration services, including systems implementation and consulting; maintenance and support services; outsourcing and cloud services; and system equipment. Receive News & Ratings for NEC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NEC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of NexGen Energy Ltd. (NYSE:NXE Get Free Report) traded up 3.6% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $5.99 and last traded at $5.97. 243,323 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 96% from the average session volume of 5,824,125 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.76. Analysts Set New Price Targets NXE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Haywood Securities raised shares of NexGen Energy to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 17th. Ventum Cap Mkts upgraded NexGen Energy to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Get NexGen Energy alerts: View Our Latest Report on NexGen Energy NexGen Energy Stock Performance The company has a market cap of $3.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -608.50 and a beta of 1.93. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $6.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.32. NexGen Energy (NYSE:NXE Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.03) by $0.02. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.03) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that NexGen Energy Ltd. will post -0.14 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its holdings in shares of NexGen Energy by 411.2% in the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 1,530,574 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,675,000 after purchasing an additional 1,231,144 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of NexGen Energy by 109.6% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,641,407 shares of the companys stock worth $11,441,000 after acquiring an additional 858,471 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LP purchased a new position in shares of NexGen Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $367,000. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its holdings in shares of NexGen Energy by 24.6% during the 2nd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 21,980 shares of the companys stock worth $153,000 after acquiring an additional 4,338 shares during the period. Finally, Raffles Associates LP boosted its position in shares of NexGen Energy by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. Raffles Associates LP now owns 170,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,187,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares during the last quarter. 42.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About NexGen Energy (Get Free Report) NexGen Energy Ltd., an exploration and development stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation and development of uranium properties in Canada. It holds 100% interest in the Rook I project comprising 32 contiguous mineral claims totaling an area of 35,065 hectares located in the southwestern Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan. See Also Receive News & Ratings for NexGen Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NexGen Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lowered its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 0.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 142,487 shares of the companys stock after selling 569 shares during the quarter. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF accounts for about 14.9% of Physician Wealth Advisors Inc.s holdings, making the stock its biggest position. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc.s holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $80,927,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atwater Malick LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 683.0% during the 2nd quarter. Atwater Malick LLC now owns 31,032 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,981,000 after acquiring an additional 27,069 shares during the period. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee raised its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.4% during the second quarter. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee now owns 228,443 shares of the companys stock worth $125,011,000 after purchasing an additional 858 shares during the last quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC boosted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 19.1% during the second quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 748 shares of the companys stock worth $409,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. ERn Financial LLC grew its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 3.2% in the second quarter. ERn Financial LLC now owns 3,502 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,916,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ARS Investment Partners LLC increased its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 19.6% in the second quarter. ARS Investment Partners LLC now owns 4,035 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,208,000 after buying an additional 660 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Trading Up 0.2 % Shares of NYSEARCA:IVV traded up $1.19 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $557.36. 2,376,019 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,089,799. The stock has a market cap of $480.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.99. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a twelve month low of $411.02 and a twelve month high of $568.24. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $547.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $526.33. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Profile iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. B2Gold Corp. (NYSE:BTG Free Report) Stock analysts at Cormark lifted their Q3 2024 earnings estimates for B2Gold in a research report issued on Monday, August 12th. Cormark analyst R. Gray now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $0.04 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $0.03. Cormark has a Hold rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for B2Golds current full-year earnings is $0.30 per share. Cormark also issued estimates for B2Golds FY2025 earnings at $0.38 EPS. Get B2Gold alerts: Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Scotiabank downgraded B2Gold from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. StockNews.com lowered B2Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. CIBC increased their price target on B2Gold from $3.40 to $3.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of B2Gold from $3.50 to $4.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, B2Gold currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $3.75. B2Gold Stock Performance Shares of BTG opened at $2.57 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 2.99. The company has a market capitalization of $3.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -85.67, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.12. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $2.77. B2Gold has a twelve month low of $2.34 and a twelve month high of $3.46. Institutional Investors Weigh In On B2Gold A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BTG. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of B2Gold by 21.9% during the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 184,373 shares of the companys stock worth $498,000 after buying an additional 33,113 shares during the period. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft bought a new stake in B2Gold in the second quarter valued at $42,000. Equinox Partners Investment Management LLC raised its stake in B2Gold by 31.6% during the second quarter. Equinox Partners Investment Management LLC now owns 6,032,986 shares of the companys stock worth $16,185,000 after acquiring an additional 1,450,000 shares in the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of B2Gold during the second quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, KG&L Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of B2Gold by 9.6% in the 2nd quarter. KG&L Capital Management LLC now owns 207,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $560,000 after purchasing an additional 18,200 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.40% of the companys stock. B2Gold Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be given a $0.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 10th. This represents a $0.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.23%. B2Golds dividend payout ratio is currently -533.33%. B2Gold Company Profile (Get Free Report) B2Gold Corp. operates as a gold producer company. It operates the Fekola Mine in Mali, the Masbate Mine in the Philippines, and the Otjikoto Mine in Namibia. The company also has an 100% interest in the Gramalote gold project in Colombia; 24% interest in the Calibre Mining Corp.; and approximately 19% interest in BeMetals Corp. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for B2Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for B2Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG Get Free Report) and OTP Bank Nyrt. (OTCMKTS:OTPBF Get Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, risk, institutional ownership and valuation. Profitability This table compares Lloyds Banking Group and OTP Bank Nyrt.s net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Lloyds Banking Group alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Lloyds Banking Group 12.40% 10.34% 0.54% OTP Bank Nyrt. N/A N/A N/A Valuation and Earnings This table compares Lloyds Banking Group and OTP Bank Nyrt.s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Lloyds Banking Group $18.81 billion 2.46 $6.79 billion $0.38 7.79 OTP Bank Nyrt. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Analyst Ratings Lloyds Banking Group has higher revenue and earnings than OTP Bank Nyrt.. This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Lloyds Banking Group and OTP Bank Nyrt., as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Lloyds Banking Group 0 4 4 0 2.50 OTP Bank Nyrt. 0 0 0 0 N/A Lloyds Banking Group currently has a consensus price target of $49.38, suggesting a potential upside of 1,568.07%. Given Lloyds Banking Groups higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Lloyds Banking Group is more favorable than OTP Bank Nyrt.. Institutional and Insider Ownership 2.2% of Lloyds Banking Group shares are held by institutional investors. 0.0% of Lloyds Banking Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Lloyds Banking Group beats OTP Bank Nyrt. on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Lloyds Banking Group (Get Free Report) Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal customers. The Commercial Banking segment provides lending, transactional banking, working capital management, risk management, and debt financing services to small and medium-sized entities, corporates, and institutions. The Insurance, Pensions, and Investments segment offers insurance, investment, and pension management products and services. It also provides digital banking services. The company offers its products and services under the Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows, MBNA, Schroders Personal Wealth, Black Horse, Lex Autolease, Birmingham Midshires, LDC, AMC, Embark Group, Citra, IWeb, Cavendish Online, and Tusker brand names. Lloyds Banking Group plc was founded in 1695 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. About OTP Bank Nyrt. (Get Free Report) OTP Bank Nyrt., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of commercial banking services to individuals, municipalities, corporations, and enterprises. The company offers deposits, debit cards, insurance agency, account management, leasing and treasury, securities, factoring, payment and investment, and other products and services for individual and enterprise customers. It also provides financing for cars and production equipment, overdrafts, working capital and investment loans, agricultural loans, project financing, syndicated lending, and bank guarantee services; and fund management, cash management, safe deposit box, electronic account statement, and other products and services for municipality and corporation customers. In addition, the company offers mobile and online banking services; and engages in the refinancing, mortgage lending, real estate management and development, finance leasing, house savings, and real estate leasing activities, as well as work-out and fund services. It operates through a network of branches in Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine, Albania, Slovakia, Montenegro, Moldova, Slovenia, and Uzbekistan, as well as provides other services in the Netherlands and Malta. The company was incorporated in 1949 and is based in Budapest, Hungary. Receive News & Ratings for Lloyds Banking Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lloyds Banking Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rockingstone Advisors LLC reduced its stake in iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (NYSEARCA:EWZ Free Report) by 20.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,025 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 2,255 shares during the period. Rockingstone Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI Brazil ETF were worth $247,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Brazil ETF in the 2nd quarter worth about $153,000. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Brazil ETF by 22.1% during the second quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 36,993 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,011,000 after purchasing an additional 6,694 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Brazil ETF during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,355,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Brazil ETF by 65.3% in the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 2,527,458 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $69,075,000 after purchasing an additional 998,123 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whitcomb & Hess Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Brazil ETF by 22.8% in the 2nd quarter. Whitcomb & Hess Inc. now owns 267,148 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $7,301,000 after buying an additional 49,527 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI Brazil ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Brazil ETF Trading Up 0.5 % NYSEARCA:EWZ traded up $0.14 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $30.25. 21,275,330 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 21,478,938. iShares MSCI Brazil ETF has a 1 year low of $26.23 and a 1 year high of $35.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.65 and a beta of 0.93. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $28.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.62. iShares MSCI Brazil ETF Company Profile iShares MSCI Brazil Capped Index Fund (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund, seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Brazilian market, as measured by the MSCI Brazil Index (the Index). See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (NYSEARCA:EWZ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Brazil ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Brazil ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tourmaline Oil (TSE:TOU Free Report) had its price target boosted by Scotiabank from C$90.00 to C$93.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock. TOU has been the subject of a number of other reports. UBS Group raised shares of Tourmaline Oil to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on Tourmaline Oil from C$72.50 to C$73.50 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Desjardins boosted their target price on Tourmaline Oil from C$72.00 to C$75.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. CIBC raised their price target on Tourmaline Oil from C$77.50 to C$80.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Tourmaline Oil from C$75.00 to C$80.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Tourmaline Oil currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of C$79.04. Get Tourmaline Oil alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on TOU Tourmaline Oil Trading Up 1.6 % Tourmaline Oil Cuts Dividend Shares of TOU stock opened at C$63.20 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of C$22.22 billion, a PE ratio of 12.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.39. Tourmaline Oil has a 1-year low of C$53.45 and a 1-year high of C$74.21. The businesss fifty day moving average price is C$61.59 and its 200 day moving average price is C$62.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.61, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.47. The company also recently disclosed a None dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Tourmaline Oils dividend payout ratio is presently 25.65%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Tourmaline Oil news, Senior Officer Mike Rose purchased 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 29th. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$66.43 per share, for a total transaction of C$166,064.50. In related news, Director Jill Terilee Angevine acquired 1,300 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of C$61.29 per share, for a total transaction of C$79,677.00. Also, Senior Officer Mike Rose bought 2,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 29th. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$66.43 per share, for a total transaction of C$166,064.50. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 16,300 shares of company stock worth $1,028,162. 5.41% of the stock is owned by insiders. About Tourmaline Oil (Get Free Report) Tourmaline Oil Corp. explores for and develops oil and natural gas properties in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The company holds interests in properties located in the Alberta Deep Basin, Northeast British Columbia Montney, and the Peace River High Triassic oil complex. Tourmaline Oil Corp. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Tourmaline Oil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tourmaline Oil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sagicor Financial (TSE:SFC Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by equities research analysts at Scotiabank from C$10.00 to C$9.00 in a report issued on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports. The firm presently has an outperform rating on the stock. Scotiabanks target price indicates a potential upside of 47.54% from the companys previous close. Sagicor Financial Stock Performance TSE SFC traded down C$0.21 on Friday, hitting C$6.10. The stock had a trading volume of 5,912 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,421. The business has a fifty day moving average of C$6.29. Sagicor Financial has a 52-week low of C$4.25 and a 52-week high of C$7.41. The company has a market capitalization of C$860.53 million, a PE ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.21. Get Sagicor Financial alerts: Insider Transactions at Sagicor Financial In related news, Director Gilbert Samuel Palter purchased 7,200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 18th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of C$6.50 per share, with a total value of C$46,800.00. Corporate insiders own 33.94% of the companys stock. About Sagicor Financial Sagicor Financial Company Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance products and related financial services in Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, other Caribbean region, and the United States. It operates through three segments: Sagicor Jamaica, Sagicor Life, and Sagicor Life USA. The company offers life and health insurance products; employee benefits, including group health and group life benefits; and annuities, asset management, and property and casualty insurance. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Sagicor Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sagicor Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cesar Espinosa, executive director at FIEL Houston Inc. at Dunlavy St. bridge, a place where the organization often organizes demonstrations, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Houston. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to shut down an immigrants rights group in Houston, alleging it is systematically flouting nonprofit rules by advocating too aggressively against state laws and political candidates. It is the latest attempt by the Republican attorney general to shutter groups aiding immigrants in Texas. Paxton has sought, unsuccessfully so far, to close a handful of Catholic-affiliated migrant shelters along the border, alleging they are engaged in human trafficking. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But the drive against FIEL Houston, a longtime nonprofit advocating for immigrants, takes a new tactic, arguing the group has run afoul of federal rules governing how far nonprofits can go in seeking to influence legislation, and barring certain nonprofits from backing political candidates. FIEL openly flouts these rules, Paxtons office said in a lawsuit filed this summer. Cesar Espinosa, Executive Director of FIEL Houston Inc. escorted out of the Parent Empowerment Night while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at Reflections of Christs Kingdom on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer The suit, which has not been previously reported, points to a series of social media posts in which the group deemed former President Donald Trump El Hijo Del Diablo, or son of the Devil, called Gov. Greg Abbott a violent racist Fascist man, and advocated repeatedly against SB4, the states migrant deportation law that has been blocked by the courts. Paxton is asking Harris County District Judge Ravi K. Sandill to revoke FIELs corporation and dissolve its existence. Sandill heard arguments in the case on Thursday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad FIEL argued in court filings that Paxton is retaliating after the group challenged state election laws in court, including in one lawsuit that specifically names Paxton as a defendant. They argue it is the latest example of what a judge in July deemed outrageous and intolerable behavior by Paxton to selectively interpret laws to advance his own political agenda. Paxton has filed a series of unsuccessful lawsuits targeting non-profit organizations with whose content or mission he disagrees, the group said in court filings. These are not 'content neutral' state actions across the political spectrum or based on conduct. Cesar Espinosa (left), Executive Director at FIEL Houston Inc. talks as U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee and Laura Maradiaga share a moment as her mother, Doris Avardo, looks on during a press conference Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in Houston. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer FIEL said in court filings that the group does far more than engage in the types of advocacy highlighted by Paxton. The group hosts community forums with information on college financial aid and scholarships and Know-Your-Rights presentations on topics, including immigration and housing; providing immigration legal services. It sponsors holiday toy drives for low-income youths and helps domestic violence victims find emergency assistance. It also teaches its members how to register to vote and recruits and trains poll workers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Experts said there are two general limits on the political activities of 501(c) (3) groups like FIEL. The first is a somewhat subjective measure that experts said is typically resolved in courts on a case-by-case basis: lobbying cannot account for a substantial amount of their activities. The second limit, experts said, is a much clearer red line: 501(c) (3)s are banned from intervening or participating in the election of a candidate for public office. When it is an election year, if an organization makes public statements that are overwhelmingly negative toward one candidate and does not do the same with respect to other candidates, that is a factor strongly indicating participation in, or intervention in, a political campaign, said Johnny Buckles, a law professor at the University of Houston. Cesar Espinoza, executive director at FIEL Houston Inc. at the organizations offices, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Houston. Marie D. De Jesus/Staff photographer While the Internal Revenue Service polices nonprofits' tax statuses, Buckles said state attorneys general do have jurisdiction over them because they are incorporated in the states. However, he said state attorneys general typically go after nonprofits for misusing money, rather than engaging in politics. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This is not a common type of proceeding, he said of the Paxton suit. It comes as Paxton has racked up a series of early losses in cases against Catholic-affiliated migrant shelters along the border. An El Paso judge last month shot down Paxtons attempt to close a Catholic nonprofit sheltering asylum-seekers, which the judge ruled violates state religious freedom laws. A group of immigrants who recently arrived recently to the United States wait outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Houston Field Office at midnight holding their turn to check in with ICE, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Houston. Accompanying them is some of the members of the FIEL Houstons leadership. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer State District Judge Francisco Dominguez called Paxtons efforts outrageous and intolerable. He wrote that the Republican attorney generals request to examine documents from Annunciation House that spurred his attempt to shutter the shelter was a pretext to justify harassment of Annunciation House employees and the persons seeking refuge. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Shopify Inc. (TSE:SHO Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of Buy from the eight analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and four have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. A number of brokerages recently commented on SHO. JMP Securities upgraded Shopify from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. Moffett Nathanson lowered shares of Shopify from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, June 6th. Piper Sandler raised shares of Shopify from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, May 9th. Argus raised shares of Shopify to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Shopify from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Get Shopify alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on SHO Shopify Stock Performance Shopify Company Profile Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc is a lodging real estate investment trust (REIT) that as of the date of this release has interests in 19 hotels comprised of 9,997 rooms. Sunstones business is to acquire, own, asset manage and renovate or reposition hotels considered to be Long-Term Relevant Real Estate, the majority of which are operated under nationally recognized brands, such as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Shopify Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shopify and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited (OTCMKTS:BKKLY Get Free Report) saw a large drop in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,300 shares, a drop of 40.9% from the July 15th total of 2,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 10,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days. Bangkok Bank Public Trading Up 5.2 % Shares of BKKLY traded up $1.00 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $20.17. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,600 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,111. Bangkok Bank Public has a 12-month low of $16.75 and a 12-month high of $25.34. The companys 50 day moving average is $18.90 and its 200 day moving average is $19.51. Get Bangkok Bank Public alerts: Bangkok Bank Public Company Profile (Get Free Report) See Also Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited provides various commercial banking products and services in Thailand and internationally. It operates through Domestic Banking, International Banking, Investment Banking, and Others segments. The company offers various personal banking products and services, including savings, current, fixed deposit, foreign currency, securities trading, and other accounts; home and personal loans, as well as loans for pensioners; mutual funds; bonds and debentures; life and non-life bancassurance products; payment, funds transfer, currency exchange and foreign instrument, and SMS services; debit, credit, and prepaid cards; and phone and Internet banking, mobile banking, ATMs, and other services. Receive News & Ratings for Bangkok Bank Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bangkok Bank Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp. (OTCMKTS:TCYMF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,107,100 shares, an increase of 26.4% from the July 15th total of 4,830,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 4,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1,420.3 days. Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Price Performance OTCMKTS TCYMF remained flat at $1.18 during mid-day trading on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $1.18. Tingyi has a twelve month low of $1.17 and a twelve month high of $1.75. Get Tingyi (Cayman Islands) alerts: About Tingyi (Cayman Islands) (Get Free Report) Further Reading Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp., an investment holding company, manufactures and sells instant noodles, beverages, and instant food products in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through Instant Noodles, Beverages, and Others segments. It offers ready-to-drink teas, juices, bottled water, and carbonated soft drinks, as well as coffee drinks/functional drinks/probiotics. Receive News & Ratings for Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tingyi (Cayman Islands) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated their sector perform rating on shares of Smith Douglas Homes (NYSE:SDHC Free Report) in a research note published on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. Royal Bank of Canada currently has a $26.00 price objective on the stock. Separately, Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a report on Wednesday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Smith Douglas Homes has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $29.70. Get Smith Douglas Homes alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on SDHC Smith Douglas Homes Stock Down 0.5 % SDHC stock traded down $0.16 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $34.30. 189,315 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 153,438. Smith Douglas Homes has a 52-week low of $20.55 and a 52-week high of $37.74. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $26.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $27.74. Smith Douglas Homes (NYSE:SDHC Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $220.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $208.02 million. The companys quarterly revenue was up 21.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Smith Douglas Homes will post 1.69 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Smith Douglas Homes A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SDHC. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter worth approximately $76,000. RiverPark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Smith Douglas Homes in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $120,000. Sandia Investment Management LP acquired a new position in Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $178,000. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter worth about $331,000. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky acquired a new stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes during the first quarter worth about $565,000. About Smith Douglas Homes (Get Free Report) Smith Douglas Homes Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family homes in the southeastern United States. It also provides closing, escrow, and title insurance services. The company sells its products to entry-level and empty-nest homebuyers. Smith Douglas Homes Corp. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Smith Douglas Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Smith Douglas Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Boyd Group Services (TSE:BYD Free Report) had its price objective cut by Stifel Nicolaus from C$295.00 to C$280.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock. Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Raymond James decreased their price objective on shares of Boyd Group Services from C$350.00 to C$325.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. ATB Capital decreased their target price on Boyd Group Services from C$345.00 to C$340.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on Boyd Group Services from C$308.00 to C$306.00 in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on Boyd Group Services from C$325.00 to C$275.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, Cormark decreased their target price on shares of Boyd Group Services from C$300.00 to C$255.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Boyd Group Services has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$285.69. Get Boyd Group Services alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on BYD Boyd Group Services Stock Down 0.4 % Boyd Group Services stock opened at C$218.04 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 146.14, a current ratio of 0.61 and a quick ratio of 0.30. The companys 50-day moving average is C$246.03 and its 200-day moving average is C$267.62. The firm has a market capitalization of C$4.68 billion, a PE ratio of 57.84, a P/E/G ratio of -56.72 and a beta of 1.01. Boyd Group Services has a fifty-two week low of C$211.22 and a fifty-two week high of C$324.75. Boyd Group Services (TSE:BYD Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported C$0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$0.82 by C($0.05). Boyd Group Services had a net margin of 1.93% and a return on equity of 7.21%. The business had revenue of C$1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$1.08 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Boyd Group Services will post 3.6132651 earnings per share for the current year. Boyd Group Services Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 29th. Investors of record on Sunday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.28%. Boyd Group Servicess dividend payout ratio is presently 15.92%. Insider Activity In related news, Senior Officer Jeff Murray acquired 456 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$223.12 per share, for a total transaction of C$101,742.72. In other news, Senior Officer Jeff Murray bought 456 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of C$223.12 per share, with a total value of C$101,742.72. Also, Senior Officer Brian Kaner acquired 600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$170.70 per share, with a total value of C$102,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 600 shares of the companys stock, valued at C$102,420. Insiders own 0.37% of the companys stock. Boyd Group Services Company Profile (Get Free Report) Boyd Group Services Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates non-franchised collision repair centers in North America. The company operates its locations under the Boyd Autobody & Glass and Assured Automotive names in Canada; and Gerber Collision & Glass name in the United States. It also operates as a retail auto glass operator under the Gerber Collision & Glass, Glass America, Auto Glass Service, Auto Glass Authority, and Autoglassonly.com names in the United States. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Boyd Group Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boyd Group Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Triumph Group (NYSE:TGI Free Report) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report released on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has $15.00 price objective on the aerospace companys stock, down from their prior price objective of $19.00. TGI has been the subject of several other reports. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Triumph Group from $18.00 to $16.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Triumph Group from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. TD Cowen reissued a hold rating and set a $14.00 price objective (down from $19.50) on shares of Triumph Group in a report on Tuesday, May 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Triumph Group from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $13.00 to $17.00 in a report on Monday, April 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a hold rating and set a $14.00 price objective (down from $20.00) on shares of Triumph Group in a report on Monday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Triumph Group has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $16.89. Get Triumph Group alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on TGI Triumph Group Stock Performance NYSE:TGI opened at $13.64 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.06, a P/E/G ratio of 20.07 and a beta of 2.53. Triumph Group has a fifty-two week low of $7.00 and a fifty-two week high of $17.87. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $14.68. Triumph Group (NYSE:TGI Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The aerospace company reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.05) by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $281.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $274.64 million. Triumph Group had a net margin of 40.39% and a negative return on equity of 1.77%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.10) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Triumph Group will post 0.4 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity In other news, Director Neal J. Keating bought 10,000 shares of Triumph Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $14.13 per share, with a total value of $141,300.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 68,987 shares in the company, valued at approximately $974,786.31. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.31% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Triumph Group Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Triumph Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,021,354 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $116,414,000 after buying an additional 110,375 shares during the period. Vision One Management Partners LP purchased a new position in Triumph Group in the 4th quarter worth about $34,587,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in Triumph Group by 12.5% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,516,707 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $23,372,000 after buying an additional 168,607 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Triumph Group by 12.5% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,054,841 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $16,254,000 after buying an additional 116,900 shares during the period. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in Triumph Group in the 1st quarter worth about $13,542,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.53% of the companys stock. About Triumph Group (Get Free Report) Triumph Group, Inc designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs, overhauls, and distributes aircraft, aircraft components, accessories, subassemblies, and systems worldwide. It operates in two segments, Triumph Systems & Support, and Triumph Interiors. The company offers aircraft and engine-mounted accessory drives, thermal control systems and components, cargo hooks, high lift actuations, cockpit control levers, hydraulic systems and components, control system valve bodies, landing gear actuation systems, electronic engine controls, landing gear components and assemblies, cyber protected process controllers, main engine gearbox assemblies, geared transmissions and drive train components, main fuel pumps, fuel-metering units, primary and secondary flight control systems, and vibration absorbers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Triumph Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Triumph Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Victorias Secret & Co. (NYSE:VSCO Get Free Report) issued an update on its second quarter earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $0.34-0.39 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.16. The company issued revenue guidance of decline of 1-2% yr/yr to $13.98-1.41 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.40 billion. Victorias Secret & Co. also updated its Q2 2024 guidance to 0.340-0.390 EPS. Victorias Secret & Co. Trading Up 9.8 % NYSE VSCO opened at $24.37 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.51. Victorias Secret & Co. has a 52 week low of $13.62 and a 52 week high of $30.80. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $18.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $20.60. The company has a market cap of $1.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 2.08. Get Victoria's Secret & Co. alerts: Victorias Secret & Co. (NYSE:VSCO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 5th. The company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.01. Victorias Secret & Co. had a net margin of 1.71% and a return on equity of 46.52%. The business had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.36 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.28 EPS. Victorias Secret & Co.s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Victorias Secret & Co. will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes VSCO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Barclays lifted their price target on Victorias Secret & Co. from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a market perform rating and set a $24.00 price target on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley upgraded Victorias Secret & Co. from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research report on Thursday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $19.80. Check Out Our Latest Report on Victorias Secret & Co. About Victorias Secret & Co. (Get Free Report) Victoria's Secret & Co operates as a specialty retailer of women's intimate, and other apparel and beauty products worldwide. It offers bras, panties, lingerie, casual sleepwear, and athleisure and swim, as well as fragrances and body care; and loungewear, knit tops, activewear, and accessories and beauty under the Victoria's Secret, PINK, and Adore Me brands. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Victoria's Secret & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Victoria's Secret & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC grew its stake in TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE:THS Free Report) by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 36,945 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 846 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in TreeHouse Foods were worth $1,354,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of TreeHouse Foods by 165.8% in the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 10,298 shares of the companys stock valued at $377,000 after buying an additional 6,423 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of TreeHouse Foods by 382.7% in the 2nd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 181,300 shares of the companys stock worth $6,643,000 after acquiring an additional 143,739 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of TreeHouse Foods by 304.7% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,291 shares of the companys stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 972 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its position in shares of TreeHouse Foods by 5.4% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 193,892 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,552,000 after purchasing an additional 9,998 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in shares of TreeHouse Foods by 52.6% during the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 950,372 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,017,000 after purchasing an additional 327,448 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.81% of the companys stock. Get TreeHouse Foods alerts: TreeHouse Foods Price Performance Shares of THS traded up $0.39 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $39.20. The stock had a trading volume of 20,186 shares, compared to its average volume of 506,614. TreeHouse Foods, Inc. has a 52 week low of $33.28 and a 52 week high of $48.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 84.37 and a beta of 0.24. The companys fifty day moving average is $37.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.52. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth TreeHouse Foods ( NYSE:THS Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.16. TreeHouse Foods had a negative net margin of 0.41% and a positive return on equity of 5.42%. The firm had revenue of $788.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $784.10 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.42 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that TreeHouse Foods, Inc. will post 2.31 EPS for the current year. Several brokerages recently commented on THS. Barclays raised their target price on TreeHouse Foods from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Mizuho assumed coverage on shares of TreeHouse Foods in a report on Thursday, June 6th. They set a neutral rating and a $37.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com raised shares of TreeHouse Foods from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of TreeHouse Foods from $36.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on TreeHouse Foods from $38.00 to $37.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, TreeHouse Foods currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $39.50. View Our Latest Analysis on THS TreeHouse Foods Profile (Free Report) TreeHouse Foods, Inc manufactures and distributes private brands snacks and beverages in the United States and internationally. The company provides snacking products, such as crackers, pretzels, in-store bakery items, frozen griddle items, cookies, and candies; and beverage and drink mixes, including non-dairy creamer, coffee, broths/stocks, powdered beverages and other blends, tea, and ready-to-drink-beverages. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding THS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE:THS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for TreeHouse Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TreeHouse Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC cut its stake in shares of The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited (NYSE:NTB Free Report) by 12.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,367 shares of the banks stock after selling 3,199 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son were worth $786,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NTB. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 8.5% during the 1st quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 8,725 shares of the banks stock valued at $279,000 after buying an additional 686 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 16.2% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 6,455 shares of the banks stock worth $206,000 after purchasing an additional 898 shares during the last quarter. EMC Capital Management increased its position in Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 23.8% in the 1st quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 5,688 shares of the banks stock worth $182,000 after purchasing an additional 1,092 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 22,896 shares of the banks stock worth $733,000 after purchasing an additional 1,183 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 80,737 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,584,000 after buying an additional 1,228 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the companys stock. Get Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $36.00 price objective (up previously from $32.00) on shares of Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $38.00 price objective (up previously from $34.00) on shares of Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $39.40. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Stock Performance NTB traded up $0.29 during trading on Friday, hitting $36.11. The stock had a trading volume of 14,712 shares, compared to its average volume of 210,489. The firm has a market cap of $1.81 billion, a PE ratio of 8.18 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited has a 12 month low of $24.62 and a 12 month high of $40.55. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $35.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.23. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son (NYSE:NTB Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 22nd. The bank reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son had a return on equity of 22.32% and a net margin of 25.97%. The business had revenue of $143.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $139.75 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.14 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited will post 4.55 EPS for the current year. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 5th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.87%. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Sons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.55%. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Profile (Free Report) The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited provides a range of community, commercial, and private banking services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. It accepts retail and corporate checking, savings, term, and interest bearing and non-interest bearing deposits. The company's lending portfolio includes residential mortgage lending, automobile lending, consumer financing, credit cards, overdraft facilities, commercial real estate lending, and commercial and industrial loans, as well as overdraft facilities to commercial and corporate customers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE Free Report) had its price target boosted by Wells Fargo & Company from $9.00 to $14.00 in a research report released on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an underweight rating on the utilities providers stock. Several other brokerages have also recently commented on HE. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries from $11.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and two have given a hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $12.83. Get Hawaiian Electric Industries alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on HE Hawaiian Electric Industries Stock Performance Shares of HE opened at $13.51 on Monday. Hawaiian Electric Industries has a one year low of $7.61 and a one year high of $18.19. The company has a 50-day moving average of $12.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.65. The stock has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.99 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 0.11 and a quick ratio of 0.11. Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The utilities provider reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.49 by ($0.05). Hawaiian Electric Industries had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 5.16%. The firm had revenue of $792.30 million during the quarter. The firms revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hawaiian Electric Industries Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 52.8% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 6,693,424 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $60,308,000 after purchasing an additional 2,312,950 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 79.0% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,870,088 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $16,868,000 after purchasing an additional 825,073 shares during the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries in the 4th quarter valued at $8,944,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 2,854.9% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 580,931 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $8,243,000 after purchasing an additional 561,271 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 21.4% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,621,304 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $23,006,000 after purchasing an additional 285,955 shares during the last quarter. 59.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Hawaiian Electric Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility businesses in the United States. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Hawaiian Electric Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hawaiian Electric Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares in Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic, which manufactures a vaccine targeting mpox, soared Thursday after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an mpox surge in Africa a global public health emergency. Worried by the rise in cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the spread to nearby countries, the WHO hastily convened a meeting of experts to study the outbreak and on Wednesday said the "situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern." Bavarian Nordic, whose vaccine has been licensed for preventing mpox since 2019, saw its shares rise more than eight percent on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange by midday on Thursday. This built on a share price climb of 12 percent on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the African Union's health agency Africa CDC announced that over 200,000 doses of the Danish drugmaker's vaccine were to be deployed in Africa, following an agreement with the European Union (EU) and Bavarian Nordic. A total of 38,465 cases of the disease, formerly known as monkeypox, have been reported in 16 African countries since January 2022, with 1,456 deaths. There has been a 160 percent increase in cases this year compared to the previous year, according to data published last week by the health agency. Bavarian Nordic mainly supplies it's mpox vaccine -- called Jynneos in the United States and Imvanex in the European Union -- to governments and international organisations, but began marketing it on the US market in April. AGCO Co. (NYSE:AGCO Free Report) Analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q1 2025 earnings per share estimates for AGCO in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, August 13th. Zacks Research analyst S. Deb now anticipates that the industrial products company will post earnings of $1.77 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $2.02. The consensus estimate for AGCOs current full-year earnings is $7.89 per share. Get AGCO alerts: A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on AGCO from $127.00 to $112.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 11th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of AGCO from $107.00 to $104.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of AGCO from $139.00 to $129.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Raymond James started coverage on shares of AGCO in a research note on Friday, June 28th. They issued a market perform rating for the company. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of AGCO from $145.00 to $110.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AGCO presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $118.91. AGCO Price Performance Shares of NYSE:AGCO traded down $0.26 during trading on Friday, hitting $87.87. 145,936 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 778,276. The businesss 50 day moving average is $97.30 and its 200-day moving average is $108.68. The company has a market capitalization of $6.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. AGCO has a 1-year low of $84.35 and a 1-year high of $132.94. AGCO (NYSE:AGCO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.53 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.90 by ($0.37). AGCO had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.17%. The firm had revenue of $3.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.48 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.29 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. AGCO Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. AGCOs payout ratio is 7.85%. Insider Buying and Selling at AGCO In related news, Director Michael C. Arnold bought 1,800 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $87.69 per share, with a total value of $157,842.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 20,465 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,794,575.85. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other AGCO news, Director Michael C. Arnold acquired 1,800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $87.69 per share, with a total value of $157,842.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 20,465 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,794,575.85. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Lange Bob De bought 1,420 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $87.91 per share, for a total transaction of $124,832.20. Following the purchase, the director now owns 7,007 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $615,985.37. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 16.60% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in AGCO by 11.6% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,565,114 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $930,660,000 after buying an additional 784,617 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in AGCO by 1.7% during the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,699,964 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $362,152,000 after buying an additional 63,432 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of AGCO by 17.4% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,259,699 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $221,187,000 after purchasing an additional 335,092 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of AGCO by 28.0% in the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,791,202 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $175,323,000 after purchasing an additional 391,591 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of AGCO by 53.0% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,747,954 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $171,090,000 after purchasing an additional 605,509 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.80% of the companys stock. AGCO Company Profile (Get Free Report) AGCO Corporation manufactures and distributes agricultural equipment and related replacement parts worldwide. It offers horsepower tractors for row crop production, soil cultivation, planting, land leveling, seeding, and commercial hay operations; utility tractors for small- and medium-sized farms, as well as for dairy, livestock, orchards, and vineyards; and compact tractors for small farms, specialty agricultural industries, landscaping, equestrian, and residential uses. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for AGCO Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AGCO and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Co. (NYSE:ZWS Free Report) by 5.4% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 9,792 shares of the companys stock after selling 562 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLCs holdings in Zurn Elkay Water Solutions were worth $288,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions by 649.1% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 1,603 shares of the companys stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 1,389 shares during the period. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new position in shares of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in shares of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions by 32.9% in the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 2,898 shares of the companys stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 718 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.33% of the companys stock. Get Zurn Elkay Water Solutions alerts: Insider Activity In other Zurn Elkay Water Solutions news, Director Timothy J. Jahnke sold 4,086 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.01, for a total transaction of $134,878.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 389,399 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,854,060.99. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Zurn Elkay Water Solutions news, major shareholder Ice Mountain Llc sold 48,388 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.97, for a total transaction of $1,595,352.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 24,220,544 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $798,551,335.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Timothy J. Jahnke sold 4,086 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.01, for a total transaction of $134,878.86. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 389,399 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,854,060.99. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 245,033 shares of company stock valued at $7,514,728. Company insiders own 3.80% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $35.17. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Stock Down 0.8 % ZWS stock traded down $0.25 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $31.09. 78,683 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 936,448. The company has a market capitalization of $5.37 billion, a PE ratio of 44.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 2.84, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Co. has a twelve month low of $25.09 and a twelve month high of $34.58. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $31.34. Zurn Elkay Water Solutions (NYSE:ZWS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $412.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $409.14 million. Zurn Elkay Water Solutions had a net margin of 8.80% and a return on equity of 12.82%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.24 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Co. will post 1.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 20th will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 20th. Zurn Elkay Water Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.07%. About Zurn Elkay Water Solutions (Free Report) Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation engages in design, procurement, manufacture, and marketing of water management solutions in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It offers water safety and control products, such as backflow preventers, fire system valves, pressure reducing valves, thermostatic mixing valves, PEX pipings, fittings, and installation tools under the Zurn and Wilkins brand names. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ZWS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Co. (NYSE:ZWS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zurn Elkay Water Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism and Addictions will start a new series of if Strengthening Families Program (Spanish Language only). This series will be offered at from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays starting Sept. 3 at Knickrehm Elementary School there is no cost. This 11-week program is awesome for parents with children age 7 to 17, said Connie Holmes, executive director of the CNCAA. It provides a free meal for families and free childcare for kids not old enough to participate in the program. Research shows that strong, loving families with well-behaved children dont happen by chance, but are the result of specific attitudes and easy-to-learn skills, Holmes said. These are best taught in the Strengthening Families Program parents and youth attend together. Lessons teach parents the skills of bonding, setting boundaries and monitoring kids activities. Pre-registration is required by Aug. 28; contact Lorinda Brown at 308-385-5520 or email sfprogram@cncaa.net. If youre interested in this program offered in English, contact Brown to find out about the next available series. Microsoft Face Check Identity Verification Now Available for Enterprise Use Microsoft has announced the general release of Face Check with Microsoft Entra Verified ID, a consent-based method used to confirm a person's identity. First announced and released in preview in February of this year, Face Check, powered by Azure AI services, enhances identity verification by matching a users real-time selfie with the photo on their Verified ID, which typically originates from trusted sources like passports or driver's licenses. The Face Check service analyzes specific facial features, like the position of the eyes and nose, rather than the entire face, to generate a confidence score indicating whether the two photos are a match. Organizations can set their preferred confidence score threshold for accepting a Face Check verification. A higher threshold decreases the chances of an impersonator being mistakenly accepted. At the default and recommended confidence score of 70 percent, the likelihood that a user is not the rightful credential owner is one in 10 million. Raising the threshold to 90 percent reduces the likelihood to one in one billion. However, Microsoft said that the higher the threshold, the more likely that a verified user might be rejected, so it's recommended that enterprises find the right balance that works for their organization. The new feature is part of Microsoft Entra Verified ID, a managed verifiable credential service that enables organizations to create customized, user-owned identity solutions, fostering trustworthy, secure and efficient interactions between individuals and organizations, according to Microsoft. Microsoft touts the service as another layer to strengthen enterprise security and protect organizational data. "By sharing only match results and not any sensitive identity data, Face Check strengthens an organization's identity verification while protecting user privacy," said Microsoft's Ankur Patel. "It can detect and reject various spoofing techniques, including deepfakes, to fully protect your users' identities." Organizations can also leverage Face Check for more than just security. Because the technology is built on open source standards, IT can custom build their own APIs, connecting employee faces to automated tasks, like automatically connecting users to password resets and virtual help desk assistance. Enterprises can sign up for Face Check with Microsoft Entra Verified ID as a standalone service, priced at $0.25 per verification or users can access it as a feature within the Microsoft Entra Suite. Visit the Microsoft site for more information. Iranian police allegedly shot a 31-year-old woman who resisted having her vehicle seized over a violation of Iran's headscarf law for showing her hair in public while driving. Arezou Badri, a mother of two, is now unable to walk and is confined to a hospital bed, according to the Associated Press. Authorities are holding Badri at a police hospital in Tehran under tight security and have restricted family visitation to prevent them from taking photographs of her. Arezou Badri, 31 years old, mother of two from Iran, was admitted to Vali Asr Hospital in Tehran. She was shot in the spinal cord by the Islamic Republic's Morality Police. Her crime was not covering her hair. He's been paralyzed from waist down. #IRGCterrorists #_ pic.twitter.com/EhM5HZJSvD ATARI (@ATARI1990001) August 14, 2024 The shooting occurred on July 22 around 11:00 p.m. along a coastal road in Iran's northern Mazandaran province. Badri was reportedly driving home from a friend's house with her sister. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted police Col. Ahmad Amini, who said patrol officers had ordered a vehicle with tinted windows to stop, but the driver disregarded the warning. There was no mention of a hijab violation or an impound notice. Human rights activists in Iran, who spoke to witnesses, allege that officers initially fired at the car's tires and that when Badri kept driving, they then shot into the vehicle, piercing her lung and damaging her spine. Badri's shooting came two years after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed while in police custody, igniting nationwide riots over women's rights and the country's hijab law. As the September 16 anniversary of Amini's death nears, Iran's new reformist president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has pledged to ease the enforcement of the headscarf law. However, news of Badri's shooting and a recent video showing an Iranian girl being manhandled in the streets of Tehran indicate that the threat remains. "They have elevated it to the most serious crime, where the police are basically allowed to shoot to kill," said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran. "That's really a war on women." Honest Vincentians will admit that there over the recent past there has been a noticeable rise in crimes across the country murder, robbery, theft, wounding. Crime has become commonplace in our society and it is (or should be) a cause for serious concerns. Against this reality, our Police Force recently boasted of a drop in crime. This might be so but this is not something about which any right-thinking person should boast. One crime one murder is one too many. And once citizens in a country begin to feel uncomfortable, unsafe, as articulated by "Retiree in a recent letter to the Editor of this publication, we cannot allow statistics to lead us into believing that all is safe. How can we ever feel safe when already for the year, Aug.10, 2024, there are 29 homicides. In addition to the Police and their reference to statistics, our government has, not in as many words, made it known that they are not comfortable with the level of crime and violence in the society. The government has moved to level blame on and rationalize the causes of violent crime, but it has not shown that it is working assiduously to address the situation. No amount of legislation that will increase penalties for different categories of offences, like possession of illegal firearms, will make any serious difference. There is no singular remedy that can comprehensively and successfully address this problem. We have to have a multi-faceted approach, and the government must swallow its pride and invite all concerned parties, including the Opposition, to a table where measure/strategies for dealing with the situation can be designed and an implementation plan agreed. The quantity of firearms present in our society is frightening to say the least. This is an indication that the gun could easily become, if it has not already, the easy and first way of settling disagreements. We have to act now to curb this or else well end up in anarchy. Thomas The Ju-C building, one of the few appropriate spaces for mas band operations, will not be available from August 2024. Pressure is on the Carnival Development Corporation and the Government to assist local Mas Bands to find suitable locations from which they can operate. Garth Niles, a principal in the management team of Blondie Bird and Friends Mas Band, made the latest appeal and said, the future for him and his team looked grim. According to Niles, his Mas Band has been operating out of the former Ju-C building, Kingstown. However, they were required to vacate by the end of August as the building is expected to be torn down, Niles told THE VINCENTIAN. And if no home was found in time, the band would more than likely, not be able to compete in the 2025 Band of the Year competition. "To get a space big enough to produce a band of my calibre and size, we would have to rent somewhere that will cost EC$2,000 to $2,500, he said. "We cannot afford that, Niles contended. And his Band was not the only one in this predicament. For example, he cited that the building in Frenches currently being used by SVG Players International was expected to be demolished to make room for a new structure. The building that houses Nelson Bloc Mas Tent was expected to be demolished on completion of the modern port, Niles disclosed. The issue of tent space for Mas bands has been an ongoing one dating back to the 1970s. In 1990, an area in Walvaroo (Sion Hill) was identified and steel frames were erected for the construction of buildings to house Mas Bands. That undertaking was deemed unsafe following a series of rock falls from a nearby decommissioned stone quarry. In 2023, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said on radio that the Carnival Bands Inc. had reached out to him, and he had arranged for them to meet with Keith Francis, Chief Surveyor, to explore two proposed sites. Nothing further has been heard on this. If the government did not step in before February 2025, there would probably only be a few Mas Bands competing, Niles projected. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is holding out hope that LIAT 2020 will eventually include this country in its schedule. LIAT 2020 has officially released its first flight schedule. This follows the airlines inaugural flight from Antigua to St. Lucia, August 6. The schedule revealed that flights will only be available between Antigua, Barbados and St. Lucia. LIAT 2020 also said that its website is still being developed, so bookings are only being accepted via telephone or email, reservations@flyliat20.com or 268-713-LIAT. As LIAT 2020 takes off, the Caribbean watches with optimism, especially in those markets which have been excluded from the first flight schedule. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, for example, which was a primary shareholder in the defunct/bankrupt LIAT (1974) Ltd., was one of the first such markets to respond. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, speaking on radio last Sunday, August 11, said he was "hopeful that the new airline would eventually include this country in its flight schedule. He indicated that he had extended a hand of welcome to the airline, and the country was ready to co-operate with and accommodate the airline. Dr. Gonsalves rationalized the exclusion of markets like SVG as having to do with the limited number of aircraft currently available to the airline. Prime Minister Gaston Browne is on record as saying that his government, one of two major investors in the new airline, was in discussion about purchasing three aircraft presently under the jurisdiction of the Caribbean Development Bank. Meanwhile, earlier this week, CEO Hafsaf Abdulsalam said LIAT 2020 will run the Antigua/Barbados/St. Lucia route for the next two weeks, with hopes to expand shortly, and will include flights to Grenada, Dominica, and St. Kitts & Nevis. The return of this air link is seen as not just a business venture, but a vital component of regional integration and economic development, literally reiterating the articulations of the major shareholders in the loss-making LIAT (1974) Ltd. And even as the region holds it breath with respect to the viability of LIAT 2020, LIAT (1974) Ltd. workers remain in limbo as far as their severance and other entitled payments are concerned, SVG being one such case. Valedictorian Roel Diamond spoke of a future where SVG would be a world leader in the development of technology. Thirteen-year-old Roel Diamond said that he hoped for a Vincentian economy led by the technology sector. And based on the basic knowledge that he garnered at the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commissions (NTRC) 2024 MyApp Summer programme in coding and robotics, he is now ready to lead the country into a competitive technological era. Diamond was the Valedictorian following the first of two IT workshops being put on by the NTRC. He shared that, through the use of the micro-bit, they learned to code using various parts of the toolbox including logic, input and various other functions. "We also built robots and programmed these robots to accomplish various tasks, he said. And that was the NTRCs objective behind organising the event. " most of them (participants) came without any previous knowledge of coding, Cyron Cyrus, instructor of the MyApp Summer Programme said, "now they are leaving with a wealth of basic knowledge that are used to make complex applications in todays world. Twenty students representing various schools attended the workshop which got underway on July 22 and ended on August 9. Originally scheduled to be held on Canouan, the venue was changed to the St. Vincent Grammar School, as a consequence of the damage sustained following the passage of Hurricane Beryl. Patricia John, Communications and Marketing Manager at the Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (BOSVG) and one of the sponsors, lauded the NTRC for going ahead and staging the event, despite the devastation which affected those living on Canouan. Alejandro Tesorero, Marketing Executive for Digicel another of the list of sponsors which included FLOW, VINLEC, St. Vincent Port Authority and Massy Stores Ltd., identified that, "The skills that these young minds would have acquired during this programme coding, app development, problem solving these are all not just technical skills, they are life skills. They are tools that will enable them to shape the future of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Trini Chen, Deputy Councillor at the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) another sponsor, said that the staff at the Embassy and by extension her government admired the vision of the NTRC for organising the MyApp Summer Programme. She said that it has been a policy of her government to put emphasis on education, and more specifically, persons being trained in IT related fields. On parting ways with the participants Executive Director of the NTRC, Apollo Knights offered the following advice: "Companies that were sustainable and successful usually offered good products and services. But to be successful, persons needed two things knowledge and wisdom. (TBTCO) - Gia xe SH moi nhat thang 10/2024 tai ai ly ang giam soc, mot so phien ban ang uoc ban re hon gia e xuat, ay la ieu hiem co cua dong xe Honda. Trong khi o, gia xe Vision tai ai ly ang o muc thap chua tung co, tinh trang oi gia cao gan nhu a khong con. A couple was arrested in Petersburg, Virginia, on Tuesday after police found an unresponsive, bloodied two-year-old on the 700 block of Grove Avenue. The child was declared dead shortly after 4:00 a.m. at a local hospital. The boy's mother, Sadia Dewese, 29, and Jaytrez Mason, 27, were arrested and charged with felony murder and felony child neglect. Mason also faces a charge of possession of a firearm by a violent felon. Documents state Dewese and Mason have been dating for the past year, with Mason treating the two-year-old like his own son, according to 12 On Your Side. Neighbors told the news outlet that both adults are seemingly good people and occasionally share cigarettes. The medical examiner's office ruled the boy's death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Dewese and Mason are currently being held without bond. They are due back in court on October 2. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Noatum, an AD Ports Group company, has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Safina, a leading provider of maritime agency and cargo services in Egypt and across the Middle East region. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2024. The acquisition by Noatum Maritime marks a milestone in its strategic growth as it leverages Safinas expertise, capacity and reputation in Egypts maritime agency market. The acquisition of Safina is a vital step for Noatum Maritime in its ongoing expansion across the Mediterranean, which recently included the launch of its offices in Turkiye. Along with its growth in the Middle East region, which represents a key market for the companys global strategy, the move also integrates well into AD Ports Groups broader presence in Egypt, which was recently marked with signing of concession agreements for the management and operation of cruise and Ro-Ro terminals at Safaga, Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Sokhna ports. Key player Safina has evolved as a key player in the Egyptian maritime industry, offering comprehensive agency services and maritime logistics to shippers serving the metals, minerals, and fertilisers sectors. With Noatums extensive international network, Safina will be in an excellent position to access new customers from more diverse industries and strengthen its local presence. As a well-established shipping agency, Safina is situated across six strategic office locations, including its headquarters in Cairo which allows it to provide agency services across 15 Egyptian ports, offering liner and tramp agency services as well as transit services through the Suez Canal. Safina enjoys a sizeable market share in both Mediterranean and Red Sea Egyptian Ports, inclusive of Sokhna, Adabiya, Damietta, Port Said and Alexandria. Terry Gidlow, Chief Executive Officer, Noatum Maritime, Noatum, Logistics Cluster, AD Ports Group, said: "Welcoming Safina into the Noatum Maritime family aligns perfectly with our vision for growth. The move enhances our presence in key markets and enables us to strengthen our service offering across Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa, providing for greater flexibility and opportunities to meet our customers needs. By leveraging Safina's four decades of experience and local expertise, we aim to further optimise our operations, strengthen customer relationships, and drive sustainable growth." Safina will be rebranded as Noatum Maritime Egypt in due course and be integrated into the Noatum Maritime ecosystem. Its founders will retain a minority stake in the business and continue to support the growth of the company.--TradeArabia News Service Banana Island Resort by Anantara has appointed a new General Manager, whose leadership is expected to drive the resort's continued success and enhance its reputation as an exclusive luxury destination in Doha. With an illustrious career spanning over 15 years in hospitality management, new General Manager Roberto Simone, brings a wealth of experience and a proven commitment to excellence to his new position. He transitions to his new role in Doha from his most recent tenure as General Manager at Anantara Peace Haven Resort, Tangalle in Sri Lanka. Previous roles for Simone include an impressive record as Area Country Manager for East Africa, where he managed a cluster of resorts for a renowned global brand. His hospitality experience spans four continents, enhancing his ability to navigate and thrive in diverse hospitality markets. Simones career history with prestigious brands such as Kempinski, Marriott, and Silversea has endowed him with a broad perspective and the adaptability to lead effectively in the ever-evolving hospitality landscape. In addition to his extensive professional experience, Simone holds an MBA in Global Finance from Durham University and has earned certifications in Hotel and Real Estate Investment and Asset Management from Cornell University and NYU Stern School of Business. His strong academic background, coupled with his operational expertise, provides him with a profound understanding of market dynamics and customer preferences, both in emerging and mature regions. Were excited to welcome Roberto Simone as the new General Manager of Banana Island Re-sort Doha by Anantara, said Amir Golbarg, Senior Vice President, Middle East, Africa and India for Minor Hotels. His comprehensive knowledge of the hospitality industry and outstanding track record as a leader will be instrumental in guiding the island property to even greater success over the coming years. Simone's appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara. Featuring an 800-metre golden beach, Banana Island Resort Doha delivers world-class resort hospitality, infused with the spirit of Qatar. The resort blends originality with contemporary luxury while respecting local customs, making it an ideal destination for regional travellers. In addition to over water villas and the inner villas that offer the highest level of privacy, as well as luxury rooms and suites, Banana Island Resort Doha boasts of a selection of six restaurants that enrich guests' senses, as well as an expansive collection of family recreation and amusement facilities. TradeArabia News Service Hakkasan, the award-winning Cantonese dining concept by Tao Group Hospitality, will open a restaurant in October at The St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort in Oman, heralding a new dimension of modern, yet timeless flavours to the sultanates gastronomy scene. Its 12th location worldwide, the restaurant will combine high-end design, modern techniques and Chinese influences to create a one-of-a-kind experience. Since its establishment in 2001 in London, Hakkasan has garnered a reputation for exceptional dining experiences, with recent Michelin accolades for Hakkasan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The menu, an inventive interpretation of authentic Cantonese cuisine, will feature signature dishes like grilled Chilean seabass and crispy duck salad, crafted with the finest ingredients and time-honoured techniques. We are delighted to bring to life Hakkasans philosophy of ancient gastronomy reimagined for the modern day at The St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort, said Noah Tepperberg, Co-CEO of Tao Group Hospitality. We promise to deliver an intriguing blend of contemporary Cantonese cuisine and an atmosphere shrouded in mystery that will truly captivate guests. Hakkasans Cantonese heritage is at the heart of everything we do. We honor tradition but through worldly experience, look for ways to push the boundaries of luxury and strive for excellence and quality which extends to every touch point. It is with great excitement that we welcome Hakkasan and its exceptionally-talented team to our resort, said Tarek Mourad, General Manager of The St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort. This partnership further enriches and expands our range of exquisite culinary offerings, reinforcing The St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort as a must-visit dining destination for both locals and visitors from all corners of the world. Hakkasan will offer artfully-crafted experiences that balance the best of the past with the innovation of the future, with its team continually endeavouring to conceive unforgettable memories, and inspire new stories, said a statement. The soon-to-be-opened Muscat location will epitomise this signature style, providing guests with immersive, multi-sensory dining experiences. The restaurants renowned interior design, originally conceptualised by Christian Liaigre, will combine fashionable aesthetics with classic Chinese elements, evoking a sense of intimacy, glamour, and vibrant energy, with exclusivity, darkness, and anticipation setting the stage for a unique dining experience. TradeArabia News Service Revealing its preliminary traffic figures for July 2024, Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, said it welcomed 1.7 million passengers, achieving a robust average load factor of 89% for the month. Etihad Airways' CEO, Antonoaldo Neves, said: "Our passenger numbers in July surged by 33% compared to the same period last year, underscoring our continuing strong growth. Year-to-date, we have served 10.4 million passengers, up 2.8 million on the same period last year, and as of July 2024, our rolling 12-month passenger count now stands at 16.8 million. July's load factor of 89% reflects our successful performance during a peak summer period, amidst significant capacity expansion since 2023. "Our fleet continues to grow, expanding to 93 aircraft from 78 in July 2023, and we now serve 10 more destinations than we did a year ago. TradeArabia News Service Rozmaring Czaban has been around: oilfield work; teaching art; moving a historic house; running her own small farm; creating and circulating a petition in support of an acquisition value; living and working in Colorado, Texas and the Balkans. Her next aspiration is securing one of two open seats on the Natrona County Board of County Commissioners. Czaban, who grew up in Sheridan, has been attending local government meetings in the county for about a year and a half, she said. Property taxes got me started, she said, referencing the issue that spurred her to create a petition advocating for switching to an acquisition model for property taxes and testify at several state meetings. And then the zoning resolution rewrite, because there was 100 people in the room that night, and not one person spoke in favor, and they voted after they had worked on it for 15, 20 minutes before, and it did not receive 45 days notice. ... You cant work on something like that ... and not give the people public comment and [not give] them time. In late 2022, the county commission changed zoning laws, which regulate how people can and cannot use land, the Star-Tribune reported at the time. Czaban was hooked. She believes that the commission needs to lessen government, not increase it. And, she told the Star-Tribune, she believes that her immersion into and consistent presence at such meetings would help her if elected. She wants to move from behind the lectern to in front of it. Im asking for people to consider putting me in office, because I have shown that I have an ability to speak, she said. I want to represent the people, and more so, I think we need to have some changes. If elected, she would work on property taxes, reducing the amount of government overreach and subsidies that she said she sees. This would help incentivize young people to buy and own homes, she added, which would in turn empower them, possibly reducing crime and violence. She would focus on only the most essential needs of the county when adopting a budget, like infrastructure. She would advocate for more agenda items to have public comment time. Her childhood allowed her a certain sense of agency and exploration, she said. She thinks kids should have access to such places in Casper and Natrona County that allow for those things, places like the North Platte River. If elected, she hopes to engage with the public more and promote resources within the county. I think the commissioners should engage with the people more, she said. Not just, you know, sitting there behind the desk. 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. Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, a Jordanian national, was arrested for allegedly attacking a Florida energy facility over its perceived support of Israel. At his detention hearing on Wednesday, Hnaihen was ordered to remain in custody pending trial amid charges of four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility. "We allege that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Hnaihen reportedly began targeting and attacking businesses in the Orlando area for their support of Israel in June 2024. Wearing a mask, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind "warning letters" in the middle of the night. His letters, which were addressed to the United States government, outlined a series of political demands and threatened to "destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel." Toward the end of June, the suspect broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays, causing more than $700,000 in damage. Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another "warning letter" threatening to "destroy or explode everything" was found at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each threat offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense. A laundry vendor whose work for migrant-aid program Casa Alitas was terminated in May, due to a conflict of interest, is owned by the mother of Casa Alitas now-departed director, Pima County leaders confirmed Thursday. The vendor was operating without a contract, was over-charging for services and was hired without a competitive-bid process, the Arizona Daily Star reported last month. The family connection was first reported on Thursday by The New Republic, which said Amado Laundry Service, based in Amado, is owned by Irene A.G. Pina, the mother of former Casa Alitas director Diego Pina Lopez. Amado invoiced nearly $412,000 in charges for laundry services provided to Tucsons Casa Alitas, a program of nonprofit Catholic Community Services, before the nonprofit terminated the vendor relationship, The New Republic reported. Amado Laundry Service did provide the commissioned services to Casa Alitas, but at a higher rate than competitors would have charged, Elena Dwyre, Catholic Community Services CEO, told the Arizona Daily Star on Thursday. Pina Lopez and his supervisor, Teresa Cavendish, who was operations director at Catholic Community Services, both resigned from their roles in May when an internal review uncovered the conflict of interest and procurement concerns. County Supervisor Steve Christy said the incident raises questions about both Catholic Community Services practices and Pima Countys oversight of federal dollars, which pay for Pima Countys migrant-aid response. My first response is maybe its symptomatic of a bigger problem, he said Thursday. Are we going to find out more inappropriate activities with taxpayer money? Its certainly very troubling to me. A county review of Catholic Community Services reimbursement requests found no other procurement concerns, Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher told the Board of Supervisors Thursday. If any other financial discrepancies are found at any time, they will be reported to our federal funder, she wrote in a memo. Dwyre said the Catholic agency sought to be as transparent as possible once it discovered the procurement problems. Our intention was never to hide anything. We owe it to our donors, to the public, to our partners with Pima County, who have always been fantastic to work with, she said Thursday. Sometimes it takes situations like this to take a step back and look at things, and we did, and we came out much stronger than we were. But thats no indication that our systems were flawed; thanks to our system we had in place, we were able to discover this conflict of interest. Cavendish did not respond to the Stars request for comment on Thursday, and Pina Lopez declined to comment. Once she learned of the contracting concerns, Lesher said she immediately reported it to both the county Board of Supervisors in a May 17 memo, and to the federal government, which funds the regions migrant-aid program. The memo did not disclose the vendors family relationship to Pina Lopez. It is disappointing, and my guess is its disappointing for many people involved, Lesher said Thursday about the contracting issue. Weve always hoped we set a gold standard for how this function can be handled. Its very disappointing that anything would cause anyone to doubt any aspect of this. Lesher said the county has a significant responsibility as the fiscal agent for the migrant-aid effort, which has been run in accordance with all appropriate rules, regulations and laws. In this case, as soon as it came to our attention that there was a problem we notified all the appropriate parties. The county also immediately halted payment on invoices to Amado Laundry Service, but the county had already reimbursed Catholic Community Services more than $347,000 in federal funds for those laundry services, she said. Amado Laundry Service first registered as an LLC with the Arizona Corporation Commission in May 2023, but it began billing Casa Alitas in March 2023, The New Republic reported. Pima County has been the fiscal agent for the regions migrant-aid effort, tasked with receiving and distributing federal funds, since 2019. Since then the county has received about $93 million in federal funding for food and sheltering services, transportation to shelters and airports or bus stations, and other expenses. Since 2014 Catholic Community Services has provided aid services to migrants in Tucson, a role that scaled up dramatically as the number of migrant arrivals here soared, particularly in 2023. The Star hasnt yet received a response to its July 10 public records request seeking details on the procurement problems and any available results of the County Attorney Offices inquiry. Lesher said shes pushing the County Attorneys Office to complete its review of the requested documents as soon as possible. It was a bad decision Casa Alitas volunteer Joy Tucker told the Star on Thursday that she recalls Casa Alitas struggling to find a laundry-services vendor in Tucson in early 2023. That prompted Pina Lopez to suggest his mothers service as an option to his supervisor, Cavendish, Tucker said. The service happened to be his mother. He passed it on to his supervisor with the expectation that his supervisor would follow the proper channels, and she didnt, which is unfortunate, Tucker said. Dwyre of Catholic Community Services said the vendor problems came as a surprise to agency leadership. I cant say what they were thinking at that given time, but I dont see any intention of committing any fraud, she said. I always saw them being incredibly mission-driven, mission-focused, doing whatever was needed for the individuals we served. It was a bad decision. Tucker, who has volunteered with Casa Alitas since 2018, said she faults Catholic Community Services accounting department for its lack of guidance for both staff and volunteers who were tasked with ordering from vendors. Here I am a volunteer, purchasing food, and I was given carte blanche to order whatever was needed, she said. There was no guidance on expenditures and I think a lot of it had to do with their accounting department, which has experienced a lot of turnover. In July Catholic Community Services took on a reduced role in the local migrant-aid response, stepping back from operations at the 650-bed Drexel Center to focus on the 140-bed Welcome Center on East Ajo Way, which will continue to use the name Casa Alitas. The nonprofit has narrowed its focus to migrant families with children under 10, and other vulnerable people, such as pregnant women. Dwyre said the change was in the works before the contract irregularities were discovered, and is unrelated to the procurement issues. Pima County contracted with for-profit AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, which provides crisis logistical and health-care support worldwide, to take over the Drexel Centers operations. Supervisor Christy said that $2.7 million contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare was never reviewed by county supervisors because it was considered an emergency procurement, which he called an excuse. They shouldnt be treated as an NGO, as a not-for-profit, Christy said. Theyre in it to make a buck, and I think something of that nature would have been a very good opportunity to be brought before the board for discussion, and it never was. Dwyre said that serving the migrant community has never been about profit for Catholic Community Services. Migrant services are not a financial opportunity for Catholic Community Services, Dwyre said. They are central to our mission of providing help, creating hope and serving all. ... We continue our commitment to serve the most vulnerable and we are proud to do so. PHOENIX There are more than enough signatures on petitions to let voters decide whether to scrap the system of partisan primary elections, a judge ruled Thursday. But that still doesnt mean Proposition 140 will be on the ballot, as an appeal has been filed. Foes of the Make Elections Fair initiative had charged that a number of people who circulated the petitions had not registered as required with the Secretary of States Office. They argued that invalidated the signatures on those sheets. They also said there were other duplicate and questionable signatures. But Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Frank Moskowitz said even eliminating those petitions, there still were 536,216 valid signatures, more than the 383,923 needed to qualify for the ballot. Moskowitz had previously dismissed claims by the Free Enterprise Club and some Democratic voters that the initiative itself was legally flawed because it asks voters to approve too many changes in a single ballot measure. The initiatives provisions are sufficiently related to a common purpose or principle, the judge ruled, satisfying the constitutional requirements. That common purpose or principle and general topic is reforming candidate elections. This is the third legal win for supporters of revamping the electoral process. Earlier this week Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Julian ruled that state lawmakers acted improperly in how they wrote an explanation for voters of what Prop. 140 would do. That, however, is not the last word, as House Speaker Ben Toma, who heads the Legislative Council that approved the wording, vowed to take the issue to the Arizona Supreme Court. That, apparently, is also the fate awaiting the latest decision by Moskowitz. A notice of appeal already was filed. The high court is expected to issue a final ruling this coming week. At issue is whether voters get to decide whether to replace the current system where each party selects its candidates in a primary one open only to party adherents and independents in favor of whats been called a jungle primary. That pits all candidates from all parties and those who are unaffiliated against each other, with all registered voters entitled to vote for whoever they want. The proposal would leave it to the Legislature to decide how many candidates advance to the general election. It could be as few as the top two. But lawmakers could allow up to five on the ballot for each office. And in that case voters would make their choices on a ranked basis of top to bottom, with multiple stages of counting and eliminating contenders until only one was left who got at least 50% of the vote. Partisans from both major parties have panned the effort as it could result in none of their picks making the general election ballot. Moskowitz said he found no fault in putting both the issues of the primary and general elections into a single ballot measure. While primary and general elections may serve different functions, that does not render them topically unrelated for purpose of an initiative whose common purpose or principle and general topic is reforming candidate elections, he wrote. That left the only option for foes to contest the validity of petitions and sufficiency of signatures, the issue Moskowitz decided Thursday. Those foes were spending big to make their case. According to the judge, they hired Signafide, which is co-owned by attorney Kory Langhofer. That firm, the ruling says, had 1,200 workers spend 62,000 work hours at a cost of $1 million. But Moskowitz said the testimony Langhofer presented was not enough to convince him there were problems. Consider the argument that there were duplicate signatures on petitions. Despite the courts inquiry, Mr. Langhofer could not say how many signatures out of the roughly 43,000 challenged did not involve a subjective and/or discretionary component as to whether the signatures were duplicates, i.e., signed by the same person, the judge wrote. Moskowitz said the legal burden is on the challengers and not on the Make Elections Fair committee to prove their claim of duplicates. As the case gets appealed, Make Elections Fair has picked up some potentially influential political allies, not only in support of Prop. 140, but also in their arguments asking the courts to send it to the ballot. Former Gov. Fife Symington and former House Speaker Rusty Bowers, both Republicans, filed an amicus brief with the court saying that, from their own experience, there is ample precedent to allow Prop. 140 to go on the ballot as is. Attorney Joseph Kanefield, writing for both, pointed out there were multiple election reform bills signed by the former governor. For example, he said, one signed by Symington including everything from amendments related to voter qualifications, nonpartisan elections, write-in candidates to signature requirements, polling places and ballot contents. Ditto, Kanefield said, of legislation enacted during Bowers tenure as speaker. In other words, it has been lawmakers historic practice to address complicated election issues together in order to achieve sophisticated goals, such as election integrity, candidate accountability, or voter protections, Kanefield wrote for the pair. And he said these applied to both primary and general elections. He also pointed out that voters have been asked in the past to adopt multi-pronged constitutional amendments as a single ballot measure. Kanefield cited a 2016 proposition that made major changes in school finance. An AI infrastructure firm making news for its climate-friendly mission will be expanding its operations in Tulsa and creating 100 new jobs by the end of the year. Crusoe Energy Systems LLC, which has dual headquarters in Denver and San Francisco and operates in seven countries, currently has a small team in Tulsa dedicated to repairing the companys technology and components used in the field. Crusoes expansion plans, announced at a Friday news conference in Tulsa, include investing about $10 million into a new Tulsa manufacturing facility. Critical elements of data center infrastructure, such as switchgear, will be manufactured at the site, officials said. The plant will be located in existing space at 5404 S. 122nd East Ave. and will be roughly 120,000 square feet in size. Crusoe was recently featured in a 60 Minutes story for its efforts to make computing more climate friendly. Cully Cavness, president and co-founder of Crusoe, said: Im just really delighted about this. I think its a super-exciting step for Crusoe. Hopefully its an equally exciting step for Tulsa. Tulsa is absolutely the perfect place for us to scale up, Cavness said. The ability to hire quickly a large number of people, from engineering to manufacturing to safety all these types of disciplines will be required. They already exist here in Tulsa. Tulsas pro-business environment was also a big selling point, he added. The chamber and other organizations have been so welcoming, providing everything from introductions to various incentives to assistance in making the right connections, Cavness said. More than anything, though, its just the atmosphere. We can tell Tulsa wants us to be here. And you cant take that for granted today. Ken Parker, Crusoe senior vice president of operations and a Tulsa native, said: Were just really excited about this. Were looking to build switchgears. Theres a critical lack of it in the United States and really the world right now. And Tulsa is going to help us manufacture that. He said the company wants to hire 100 people by the end of the year. Then we hope to up that to a couple hundred by next year as fast as we can get the equipment and people in and trained, Parker said. Crusoe builds and operates clean computing infrastructure, reducing both the costs and the environmental impact of the worlds expanding digital economy. The company is focused also on sustainable innovation and uses wasted, stranded and clean sources of energy to power AI, crypto and other high-performance computing applications. It is crystal clear that the culture at Crusoe is super-impressive and that you have an extremely bright future, said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber. Were really excited that you could share that bright future with us here in Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma. Erran Parsley, economic development director for the city of Tulsa, said: One of the great gifts and compliments to a city is when a company has a presence in your city and then says its time to invest more and expand in your city, as well. So, once again, thank you for investing and expanding in our city. For more information about Crusoe, visit crusoe.ai. Anna Codutti Tulsa World Breaking News Editor Follow Anna Codutti Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today A local surge in COVID-19 has arrived a little early, but public health leaders say its not cause for alarm and creates an opportunity for Oklahomans to recommit to the hygiene practices we all learned during the pandemic. Across the state, more than 22% of tests done in medical labs came back positive for COVID-19 since July 27, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Healths online dashboard. For comparison, the positivity rate around the same time last year was 10% to 13%, with a seasonal peak of 17.2%. Systemwide, positive tests have been increasing for most of the summer. Almost every week those numbers are going up, Saint Francis Health System spokeswoman Lynn Casey said in a phone interview Wednesday. Statewide wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 also found above-average levels of the virus in testing Aug. 10. This metric can be helpful for public health officials in estimating changes to virus transmission rates, as many individuals arent being tested. Even symptomatic cases may be so mild that patients forgo testing and medical assistance. The timing right now everybody seems to think is really important for obvious reasons: Families are preparing for and going back to school right now and over the next couple of weeks, Casey said, so its a good time to remember and recommit to the hygiene practices we all learned in the past several years. Double down on keeping kids or anyone home if youre sick, (and) stay updated on vaccine boosters. Although new omicron variants of COVID-19 are currently circulating, the symptoms havent changed from previous surges, according to Tulsa Health Department epidemiologist Ashley Bailey. KP.3 has been showing an increase nationwide since the spring, according to Centers for Disease Control data, with a subvariant gaining momentum starting in June. But Bailey said KP.3, representing only about a third of current infections, isnt spreading any faster than previous COVID variants. Casey said the surge in transmission so far is comparable with other seasonal spikes. Its not so much the size of the increase; its the timing, she said. (Because its coming) before back-to-school, I think its reasonable to expect those numbers to continue going up. The typical season for increased respiratory virus transmission starts in October, Bailey said. In previous seasons, a surge in COVID and other viruses, including RSV, coincided with the start of the fall semester for school-age children. Casey pointed out that a silver lining from the pandemic was that concerns about COVID helped reduce transmission of other viruses such as RSV, cold and flu. And were now considering other people when we get sick, not just ourselves anymore, she said. People who take steps to reduce viral transmission are helping everyone around them, Bailey noted. When we are around immunocompromised individuals and younger individuals under the age of 5, we want to make sure that were staying protected but were also protecting them, she said. For those with elderly loved ones, the idea of increased viral transmission may be more concerning, Casey said. Her parents arent in Oklahoma, but she worries about them after their first bout of COVID caused long-term lung damage. It was really scary to find out they had it again, she said Wednesday as they were recovering. It reminds us there is still very much an at-risk population with the flu and other types of (respiratory) viruses. Anyone feeling ill or experiencing respiratory symptoms that might be caused by influenza, RSV, COVID or any virus should stay away from others and prioritize self-care, Bailey said. The Tulsa Health Department hopes education can help empower people to make the right decisions for their health, she said, and that might include vaccines to mitigate potentially dangerous complications from a respiratory infection. A new vaccine for RSV is expected in October, along with an updated COVID-19 booster formulated with the most recent variant. We dont want our Tulsa County residents to be alarmed or stressed, especially when their kids go back to school, when you look at social media and see whats going on on the internet, Bailey said. This is not an alarming rate that we are seeing. The Tulsa World is where your story lives At their first joint appearance since President Biden withdrew from the 2024 race, he and Vice President Kamala Harris received enthusiastic cheers during an event focused on lowering prescription drug prices. The gathering, held at Prince George's County Community College in Maryland, highlighted their administration's efforts to negotiate reduced costs for key Medicare medications, a move that aims to save enrollees $1.5 billion annually by 2026. The event showcased the partnership between Biden and Harris, with the president praising Harris as a key player in their shared achievements. According to NBC News, the event also marked a significant moment as both leaders reflected on their collaboration while transitioning into the next phase of Harris's campaign. During the event, Harris commended Biden's work in securing more affordable health care, emphasizing how his leadership has impacted millions of Americans. The audience chanted "Thank you, Joe!" as Harris acknowledged the president's contributions to healthcare reform. Biden, in return, lauded Harris's leadership, predicting she would be an exceptional president. In an agreement announced earlier that day, the Department of Health and Human Services secured a deal to lower costs on 10 frequently prescribed medications under Medicare, marking a milestone in their broader efforts to tackle high drug prices. Biden stressed the importance of continuing to challenge large pharmaceutical companies, vowing to maintain pressure and protect American consumers. This appearance comes as Harris gears up to reveal her own economic platform in North Carolina, with a focus on addressing rising costs for everyday Americans. As reported by ABC News, Harris's campaign is expected to propose a federal ban on corporate price-gouging in the food and grocery sectors, further highlighting the administration's commitment to consumer protection. Ginnie Graham Tulsa World Editorials Editor Follow Ginnie Graham Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Its the unexpected things that pop up that challenge elected leaders. These things which can range from social unrest to natural disasters to even an unwanted strip club arent captured in campaign platforms. Of Tulsas 40 mayors, only six have served in the current strong mayor system of city government. Tulsa voters approved a charter change on Valentines Day in 1989 using the campaign slogan For the Love of Tulsa to move from a commission form of government to a mayor/council structure. The mayor serves as the executive branch, and the City Council acts as the legislative body. City elections became nonpartisan in 2013 after voters approved the change in November 2011. The Tulsa mayor has been compared to a CEO, but thats not entirely accurate. The mayor is bound by regulations in overseeing a workforce with merit protections and by rules requiring City Council approvals. There is public scrutiny as outlined by the Oklahoma Open Meeting and Open Records acts. The role is more public policy than private business or political maneuvering. I asked all the past mayors who have served in the strong-mayor structure this question: What challenges did you face that you never expected? There are some similarities among the responses. They have fond memories of their time in office and express frustration with the citys reliance on sales tax, an inconsistent funding source. They talk about the never-ending schedule, camaraderie with staff, coalitions built across differences, pressure to represent the entire city and honor in being elected. They did not speak of liberal or conservative positions. Also, all remember a time when half the city was mad at them. Thats the job being loved and hated at times, because some decisions wont make everyone happy. Admit problems Rodger Randle was the last mayor to serve in the commission form of city government and the first to serve in the mayor/council structure. He left office mid-term, in 1992, to become president of what was then known as the University Center at Tulsa. He is currently director of the University of Oklahoma Center for Studies in Democracy and Culture at OU-Tulsa. First elected in 1988, Randle said most of his first term was consumed by the charter change. A federal lawsuit filed by the NAACP alleging that the at-large election of commissioners violated federal voting rights amendments by diluting the Black vote. The mayor-council structure was to ensure better representation and was passed by voters with more than 70% approval. Randle pushed for the charter change election, believing that Tulsans not the courts should choose their destiny. I knew this was a possible issue, but it was never discussed that I recall during the campaign. It took on unexpected urgency shortly into my term, he said. In describing life at City Hall, Randle quotes former Oklahoma Gov. Alfalfa Bill Murray when asked what it was like to be governor: Well, it was just one damned thing after another. Keeping on top of potential bad news before reporters made it public was a challenge, he said. The trick, in my experience, was to have a flow of information to the Mayors Office so that you learned about a problem before the press did, he said. And therefore, you could be the one to announce the problem at the same time you outlined the steps you were taking to fix it. If the media reported on a problem, Randle said, a mayor needs a system of quick verification and response. The normal human response to these things is to deny the existence of the problem, but this doesnt work. It makes things worse, Randle said. If you have a problem, admit it. But also be on top of it and show yourself to be a problem solver. This is a corollary of my old rule with the press: Staff should happily provide with a smile anything that the press could get with a court order. Dont fight fights you are going to lose, unless it is for theatrical reasons. Engage in daily work In a 1992 special election held when Randle left office mid-term, Susan Savage emerged with 41% of the vote from a field of 54 candidates in a winner-take-all race in which no primary was held and no filing fee was required. She had served as Randles chief of staff and mayor pro tem in his absence and filed for office less than two hours before the window closed. Savage was the first woman elected as Tulsa mayor and remains the longest-serving mayor, from 1992 to 2002. She is now serving as CEO of Morton Comprehensive Health Services. My perspective remains that serving as mayor is a unique privilege to push at change for the greatest number of people. I believe that reflects the opportunity that was sought decades ago (first by Bob LaFortune) and finally achieved by Rodger Randle with overwhelming community support, she said. Savage said every day brought incredible challenges but that its a job she loved. For the next mayor, she has this to recommend: Build a team of smart, dedicated people who care more about what they can do for community than they care about the political agendas. Engage in the day-to-day work and participate with city employees across the organization who are incredible in their commitment to service, she said. Read the City Charter and understand the scope of the position and the role of the City Council. Seek partnerships across the community. Celebrate the diversity, and reflect that in the staffing choices made. Always promoting Tulsa After the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, April 1, 2002, Bill LaFortune went alone to City Hall to see his new office a reverent moment to take a deep breath before the job started, he said. On the desk was a friendly note from outgoing Mayor Savage and a manila envelope that stated Confidential on the front. Inside, LaFortune found a proposed settlement to a nine-year pending lawsuit brought by the Black Officers Coalition of the Tulsa Police Department against the city. He had until that Friday to make a decision. That put me in immediate crisis mode, he said. LaFortune comes from a well-known, established Tulsa family. His grandfather, Joseph Aloysius LaFortune, was an oil executive and philanthropist, and his uncle, Robert J. LaFortune, was mayor of Tulsa from 1970 to 1978. He previously served as Tulsa County district attorney, Tulsa County special judge and Oklahoma assistant attorney general. I did the best I could in contacting the chief of police, plaintiffs and others involved, he said. I came to the decision that it wasnt in the best interest of the department. At the end of it, I believe we ended up with a settlement much more positive for the Tulsa Police Department than what was previously proposed. There were other unexpected lawsuits and a financial shortfall that required cutting about $15 million from the budget over a couple of years. That ended up being a huge issue. Coming into mayor, I didnt understand the severity of it, he said. LaFortune choose to furlough employees rather than lay them off. In that economic slump, LaFortune led a coalition to pass the Vision 2025 package, a four-part $885 million ballot initiative to raise the sales tax rate by one-one hundredth of a penny for capital improvements such as the BOK Arena. That led to a downtown transformation. In addition to the big obstacles, mayors have to be ready for neighborhood problems like utility crews cutting back too many trees or residents upset about a strip club opening nearby. Some of the most adversarial issues I faced werent the budget or lawsuits, LaFortune said. The mayors job requires basic day-to-day administration in addition to being the city chief cheerleader, he said. A very critical role is promoting the city. Anywhere the mayor goes, that person is promoting Tulsa, he said. Since 2015, LaFortune has been an elected Tulsa County district judge. Impacts peoples lives every day Attorney and businesswoman Kathy Taylor entered office in 2006 and quickly realized the City Hall financial IT systems were antiquated. She said it made looking at return on investments and projecting long-term costs difficult. She credits the late Charles Hardt and City Engineer Paul Zachary for having perfected the projections on street needs. Taylor moved City Hall to its current location and led the approval of a $450 million street bond issue and the construction of ONEOK Field. I think one of the biggest challenges facing Tulsa today is balancing the needs of the entire city and dealing with the fact that our operating budget is funded by sales tax, an unstable funding source Taylor said. A mayor needs to be prepared to be strong and make decisions focused on the long term impact on citizens across Tulsa. As mayor, you need to have courage, strength, be ready to make decisions, take responsibility and acknowledge mistakes because more than any other elected position this position impacts peoples lives every day in real time. Cant have a day off One of the first things businessman and former City Councilor Dewey Bartlett Jr. did after he became mayor was start attending different church and religious services across the city. He estimates that he attended services at more than 300 different faith institutions. You cant count on a campaign to get you in good graces with the community, he said. You have to go outside your political circle. You have to go places you might not feel comfortable. And, you dont go with an entourage. He credits those community connections with helping get the city through two major race-related incidents on his watch: the Good Friday shootings and the death of unarmed Terence Crutcher by then-Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby. On Good Friday, April 6, 2012, a string of killings occurred in north Tulsa that left three people dead and two injured. The two defendants targeted random Black victims and eventually accepted life without parole plea deals. On Sept. 16, 2016, Crutcher had his hands in the air and back turned while standing next to his disabled SUV when Shelby killed him with a single shot, claiming she thought he was reaching into the vehicle. She was found not guilty of first-degree manslaughter a year later. Both cases attracted national attention, including protests after Crutchers death, but violence did not escalate in Tulsa. In addition to the relationships already established, releasing information to the public as the cases unfolded established trust, Bartlett said. We avoided riots, Bartlett said. The best appointment I made was Chuck Jordan as police chief. He and I understood that if there was a police-involved shooting, I wanted to know about it. If something bad happens, we wouldnt keep it from people. We would never hide anything. When faced with a revenue shortfall, Bartlett said he was pressured by some people to raise taxes. Instead, he opted to relook at the budget and find areas to cut back, even temporarily. That led to firefighter salary reductions and police layoffs. Some people are still mad at me over that. But youve got to be prepared to make tough decisions today, Bartlett said. We got through it and hired everyone back. If you make political decisions, you will end up making a mistake. Youve got to make decisions with the entire city of Tulsa in mind. You have to have good people around you. Dont hire people as political payback. You need people with capabilities. This is a serious job. He says the position kept him in a suit and tie every day. Youre directly responsible for everything that makes citizens happy and feel protected, Bartlett said. The level of responsibility is extremely high and is an every day deal. Every day, all the time, people come up and say, I dont mean to be a bother, but And it cant be a bother. You cant have a day off. Im not special. But I know you have to appreciate the job to do it well. The Tulsa World is where your story lives Vietnams rice and pepper exports to China in the January-July period this year tumbled over 68 and 85 percent, respectively, compared to the same period in 2023, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In particular, China purchased only 223,400 metric tons of rice worth US$130.8 million and 8,000 metric tons of pepper from Vietnam during the period. The results bucked Chinas recent increases in agricultural products from Vietnam. In January-July, Vietnam exported over $7 billion worth of agro-forestry-fishery products to China, up 11.3 percent over the year-ago period. Of the total, vegetable and fruit exports reached a combined $2.5 billion. Nguyen Van Than, a rice exporter in Ho Chi Minh City who sends 80 percent of his shipments to China, shared with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that China has raised its standards for rice imports. For processed rice, China primarily imports low-cost rice in bulk. Since Vietnamese exporters seldom ship low-cost rice to China, they struggle to compete with other countries that do. Despite this, according to a rice factory owner in An Giang Province, China remains one of the top five buyers of Vietnamese rice, surpassing the Philippines, Cuba, and Indonesia. The drop in rice exports to China is largely due to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs tightening control over rice imports and increasing local production, the factory owner explained. China favors ST21, fragrant, 504, and glutinous rice, but 80-90 percent of Vietnamese exporters focus on fragrant rice, which does not fully meet Chinas demand. A leader of the Vietnam Food Association noted that China has kept its rice import quota at over 2.6 million metric tons per year in recent years. Chinese importers prefer rice packaged in high-quality materials, making Thai rice more attractive than its Vietnamese counterpart. Regarding pepper, China, once the second-largest importer of Vietnamese pepper, has now dropped to fifth place, behind the U.S., Germany, India, and the United Arab Emirates. Some local exporters attribute this shift to cheaper Chinese pepper, reduced consumer demand, and high inventory levels. Vietnamese pepper exporters are now focusing on white pepper shipments to the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates due to higher prices. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Read what is in the news in Vietnam today: Politics -- Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Montreal docked at Nha Rong Wharf in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, commencing a visit to the southern metropolis until Monday. Society -- A one-minute and 30-second video has gone viral on social media in Vietnam, showing a girl clinging to the hood of a moving car, shouting for help, and begging the driver to stop. The incident occurred on Dong Ho Street in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City early on Thursday, a traffic police officer told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. -- Locals in Viet Tri City, northern Phu Tho Province discovered a wartime bomb near Viet Tri Port on Wednesday afternoon. The bomb was estimated to weigh some 250 kilograms and measure 1.5 meters in length. -- Scorching weather conditions are forecast to sweep through the central region on Friday with temperatures possibly climbing to 37 degrees Celsius, while many localities in southern Vietnam might experience showers and thunderstorms late in the afternoon, according to the national weather center. -- Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam recorded 17 stone-throwing attacks on moving trains in the first five months of 2024. The acts of vandalism damaged 20 glass windows of these trains, an official said on Thursday. Business -- The 18th Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2024) will take place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in District 7 from September 5 to 7, heard a press briefing to introduce the event on Thursday. -- Vietnamese coffee and pepper producer and exporter Phuc Sinh Corp will receive a US$25-million loan from SAIL Investments Netherlands-based & Green Fund to enhance sustainable product development. World News -- Global health officials on Thursday confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden and linked it to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent a day after the World Health Organization declared the disease a global public health emergency, according to Reuters. -- Hurricane Ernesto on Thursday barreled toward Bermuda where it threatened powerful winds, a dangerous storm surge and heavy rains over the weekend after leaving hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans without power in its wake. Ernesto is forecast to strengthen into a much more powerful hurricane before it reaches Bermuda late on Friday, reported Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A New York man convicted of livestreaming the sexual abuse of a 2-year-old will spend the next 30 years in prison. Skyler Keleher, 23, of St. Lawrence County, New York, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, according to federal prosecutors. Keleher, who was first identified by authorities in 2022, admitted he sexually abused a 2-year-old victim in 2017 and livestreamed the incident via Facebook Messenger and Facebook Live. The recorded abuse was widely circulated online and turned up in at least 26 separate investigations conducted by law enforcement, prosecutors announced of Keleher's sentencing Thursday. After serving his time in prison, Keleher will be on lifetime supervised release and required to register as a sex offender. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov Work on the Duong Quang Ham Street expansion and upgrade project in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City is being sped up in order to prepare the expanded street for traffic at the end of 2024, with the first section already taking shape. The project got off the ground in August last year, spanning from Binh Thanh District to the Go Vap cultural park, at a total cost of VND2.3 trillion (US$92 million). The route will be widened to six lanes with a total width of 32 meters. The first section of the Duong Quang Ham Street expansion project takes shape. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Workers are intensifying efforts to relocate technical infrastructure in order to expand sections of the street where the site has already been cleared and handed over. However, 25 affected households have yet to transfer their land to the investor, the Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority of Ho Chi Minh City. Luong Minh Phuc, the authoritys director, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the investor is urging contractors to speed up the projects construction so the 2.5-kilometer-long expanded street can open to traffic by the end of 2024. "However, we need support from local authorities and relevant agencies for site handover and the relocation of technical infrastructure," Phuc said. Duong Quang Ham Street is a key route in Go Vap District but frequently experiences traffic jams during rush hour. Once completed, the expanded street will ease commutes, improve traffic flow, and reduce congestion on neighboring streets like Phan Van Tri, Le Duc Tho, and Quang Trung. Workers step up work on the Duong Quang Ham Street expansion project in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Le Phan / Tuoi Tre Some affected households have yet to hand over their land for the investor of the Duong Quang Ham Street expansion project in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Le Phan / Tuoi Tre Workers are speeding up technical infrastructure relocation and construction of the Duong Quang Ham Street expansion project. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Duong Quang Ham Street always faces traffic jams during rush hour, so the expansion of the street will facilitate traffic flow. Photo: Le Phan / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Visitors to Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang, central Vietnam have recently noted an increase in wild monkeys approaching tourists for food, snatching personal belongings, and even attacking people. As tourists make their way along Hoang Sa Road, the monkeys emerge from the forest, eagerly anticipating food handouts. Despite signs along the road prohibiting feeding the monkeys, many visitors still offer them candy, milk, and other treats, often taking the opportunity to film and photograph the interactions with the wild animals. Wild monkeys on a street on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang City, central Vietnam, endangering commuters. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre Unfortunately, these interactions have emboldened the monkeys. Some monkeys now brazenly cling to tourists' arms and legs, while others go so far as to snatch food and belongings directly from visitors hands. This is my first time visiting Son Tra Peninsula. I had no idea the monkeys here were so bold, said Hieu, a 27-year-old tourist from Quang Binh Province, who had a bag of cakes and candies stolen right out of his hands by the monkeys. A wild monkey enjoys a piece of bread on Son Tra peninsula in central Vietnams Da Nang City. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre "At first, I was excited to see them, but now I feel uncomfortable because I have to stay on guard all the time," Hieu added. Beyond the negative impact on tourism, feeding the monkeys has also caused them to abandon their natural foraging habits, becoming increasingly dependent on humans for food. Instead of searching for food in the forests, these monkeys now rummage through garbage left by tourists. "I couldn't even sit down because the monkeys would jump on me to steal my fruit," one tourist shared. Wild monkeys boldly cling to the foot of a tourist while waiting to be fed on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre "Some even scratched my legs and hissed at me when I tried to shoo them away. "This is wild monkey territory, so I feel helpless. I'm also worried about getting sick from their scratches." Besides causing trouble for tourists, the monkeys also swarm the streets in search of food, posing a danger to commuters. A wild monkey is seen attempting to snatch things from a couple on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre Two wild monkeys eat snacks given by or stolen from visitors on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre A wild monkey eats a dragon fruit while clinging onto a traveler on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre Two foreign men use their cellphones to film or capture the two wild monkeys on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre Wild monkeys rummage for food in the trash left by tourists on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Thanh Nguyen / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Schitts Creek stars Eugene Levy and Dan Levy will host the 76th Emmy Awards, the first father-son duo to to helm proceedings. For two Canadians who won our Emmys in a literal quarantine tent, the idea of being asked to host this year in an actual theatre was incentive enough, they said. Were thrilled to be able to raise a glass to this extraordinary season of television and cant wait to spend the evening with you all on September 15. Eugenes and Dans comedic intuition and uncanny ability to capture the hearts of viewers will make for a memorable Emmys telecast honoring this years best and brightest, said Craig Erwich, president, Disney Television Group. We are thrilled to welcome two generations of comedy genius to the Emmys stage as hosts, said Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego. Eugene and Dan Levy are known for creating unforgettable laugh-out-loud moments on screen, and together, they are super-charged. I cannot wait for Emmy fans to see what they have in store for all of us. The 76th Emmy Awards will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 15 (US). Updated: 10am Monday September 16 on Famous (Ch 115) and Binge. Source: Deadline On Mondays Four Corners Water Grab reported by Angus Grigg looks to a top end threat from Cotton. In the red soil of the Top End a new silver bullet industry is emerging: cotton. The Northern Territory government is rolling out the red carpet for this controversial crop as part of its huge development plans, but growers are already pushing the boundaries. In tonights Four Corners, reporter Angus Grigg exposes a system riven by conflicts of interest that threatens to destroy some of the NTs most famous tourism destinations. All the while, ignoring the interests of traditional owners. Monday 19 August at 8.30pm on ABC. With news that 10 News First is returning to a locally produced Queensland bulletin, after dumping it in 2020, it seems fitting to revisit this priceless sketch from Fast Forward. The more thing change, the more they stay the same Police in Los Angeles have charged five people in connection with the death of Friends star Matthew Perry, who died of a drug overdose at his home last year. ABC reports Perrys former personal assistant, two doctors and an alleged drug dealer nicknamed the Ketamine Queen are among those arrested. Perry was found dead in his hot tub at his home in LA on October 28 last year. His autopsy, released in December, found he died from the effects of ketamine. The five people are all accused of providing Perry with the drug, which was found in his blood at levels in the range used for general anaesthetic in surgery. Those arrested are: Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, Perrys live-in personal assistant. He is accused of sourcing ketamine for Perry, and injecting him with it multiple times. Mark Chavez, 54, a San Diego doctor who had operated a ketamine clinic in the past. Salvador Plasencia, 42, a physician known as Dr P, who allegedly worked with Chavez to sell ketamine to Perry through his live-in assistant. Jasveen Sangha, 41, dubbed the Ketamine Queen in court documents. Shes accused of dealing drugs from a North Hollywood property known as the Sangha Stash House. Eric Fleming, 54, who authorities describe as a broker and street dealer for Sangha. He admitted in court documents to providing the batch of ketamine that killed Perry. Court documents allege that Plasencia discovered Perry was interested in buying ketamine in September, 2023. Plasencia then contacted the other doctor, Chavez, to discuss selling the drug to Perry. Plasencia allegedly wrote in text messages to Chavez, I wonder how much this moron will pay and lets find out. He also wrote that he wanted to be Perrys go to for the drugs. Over two months, Plasencia and Chavez allegedly sold about 20 vials of ketamine to Perry for $US55,000 ($83,000). They provided the drugs via Perrys assistant, Iwamasa, and Plasencia also taught Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine. Fleming and Iwamasa pleaded guilty to drug offences earlier this month, and will be sentenced at a later date. Fleming faces a maximum of 25 years jail; Iwamasa a maximum of 15 years. Chavez is due to appear in court on August 30. He has agreed to a plea deal, prosecutors said, and faces up to 10 years jail. Plasencia and Sangha are due to have their matters heard in a Los Angeles court later on Thursday, local time. Plasencia has been charged with seven counts of distributing ketamine, which each have 10-year maximum sentences, and two counts of altering or falsifying documents, which carry 20-year maximum sentences. Sanghas charges include maintaining a drug-involved premises, as well as a range of drug possession and distribution offences. She could be jailed for life. Former Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger has been sentenced to 7 months prison for assault, but his lawyers are set to make a fresh bail application this afternoon. Pledgers victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered cuts and bruises to her head, and injuries to her neck and hand from a drug-fuelled attack on March 25 this year. Pledger pleaded guilty in Melbourne Magistrates Court to recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault. During one attack, the victim called for help, and police found her lying on the ground with bruises on her head and hand, lacerations on her face and signs of being choked. Best known for his role as Mason Morgan in Home and Away, the 31-year-old argued he had turned to drugs after his life spiralled out of control when he was dropped from a US television series. But on Friday, this claim was rejected by magistrate Justin Foster, who said Pledger lacked remorse for his conduct and started using drugs six years ago, well before being dropped from the cast of The 100. Pledgers lawyer said the victim had written a character reference in support of the actor, and that he had been making good progress in recent months to address drug and mental health problems. However Magistrate Justin Foster said, Society is fed up with violence against women in particular, he said. Your actions are worthy of strong condemnation. Magistrate Foster said Pledger had minimised his actions and blamed the victim. Earlier this year, Pledger spent several days on the run from police when he breached bail by leaving hospital before a mental health assessment, and later failed to turn up to court. Pledger was re-arrested, held in prison for three months and eventually freed again, after pleading guilty to recklessly causing injury and assault over the attacks on the woman. The magistrate said he was comfortably satisfied Pledgers mental health condition deteriorated solely because of his drug use, rather than any underlying psychological issue. The magistrate noted there had been intense media interest in the current case, but said Pledger had also attracted positive headlines and given interviews after he saved a woman from being assaulted in 2018. Update: Pledger has been released on bail pending an appeal and will return to court on November 12. Full Stop Australia 1800 385 578 Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 Source: ABC, The Age. Versie 23.0 van Deepin is uitgekomen. Deze Linux-distributie heeft zijn basis in China, maar wordt ook daarbuiten ingezet en onderhouden. Het is gebaseerd op Debian, en richt zich op het bieden van een overzichtelijke en gemakkelijk te gebruiken omgeving. Het bevat een eigen Deepin Desktop Environment, die gebruikmaakt van de Qt5-toolkit. De belangrijkste veranderingen en verbeteringen die in deze uitgave zijn aangebracht zijn hieronder voor je op een rijtje gezet. System Repository The system repository packages have been comprehensively upgraded to enhance stability and security, and better support new hardware and architectures such as ARM64, RISC-V, and LoongArch64. Established a new deepin 23 repository for the upgrade of over 8000 core packages. Atomic Updates Introduced a new installation and upgrade mechanism to reduce disk space occupation during whole disk installation. Provided a flexible upgrade backup mechanism to ensure user rollback capability in case of upgrade anomalies, and offered users the ability to manage multiple versions. Optimized system backup solutions to reduce disk space usage compared to the previous A/B partition scheme. Added the "Atomic Update" capability, allowing users to flexibly roll back or switch system versions based on backup restore points. Linyaps Linyaps enables packaging once to meet the needs of multi-platform and multi-version releases, supporting both online and offline distribution methods. By implementing isolation between applications and the system, it resolves conflicts between system and application dependencies, providing users with a more stable system environment. Some pre-installed proprietary applications have adopted the Linyaps package format. The application store has onboarded numerous applications in the Linyaps package format. Desktop Environment Featuring a new taskbar, launcher, and richer personalization themes. While retaining the V20 user habits, DDE significantly enhances system management capabilities and user interaction experience. Users coming from any previous operating system can quickly adapt to deepin 23 and enjoy a more user-friendly operating experience. Added the ability to sort applications by name in the launcher for easier alphabetically-based searches. Introduced a free sorting mode in the launcher supporting manual drag-and-drop sorting and application grouping. Added "My Frequent" and "Recently Installed" display areas in the launcher. Unified grouping and sorting logic for launcher window mode and full-screen mode. Taskbar now displays at the bottom, preserving more effective usage space on low-resolution screens. Introduced a workspace view in the taskbar for users accustomed to multiple desktops, offering a more convenient switching method within the multitasking view, allowing users to add and remove desktops. Added quick panel function modules in the taskbar for more convenient and efficient function management access. Redesigned the display and management forms of system tray and app tray in the taskbar. Included desktop organization function for a more convenient management method within limited desktop space. Redesigned the Control Center interface for clearer overall management logic. Redesigned the Control Center - Time & Format - Region & Format module to meet the time and date format preferences of overseas users. Support for updating the system without backup, allowing users to customize their upgrade preferences for a more flexible and faster upgrade process. Provided a wider range of themes, icons, and cursors for users to mix and match, enhancing desktop personalization. Cross-Device Collaboration Offered users cross-device, cross-system file transfer and operation sharing capabilities for more convenient collaboration across multiple devices and systems. Supported file transfer, clipboard sharing, and cursor sharing collaboration capabilities between deepin and deepin systems. Supported file transfer, clipboard sharing, and cursor sharing collaboration capabilities between deepin and Windows systems. Cloud Sync Enhanced cloud sync capabilities now support not only syncing system settings but also added synchronization for calendar and browser user data, providing a more seamless sync experience across different deepin devices. Supported cloud sync for browser bookmarks and favorites. Supported cloud sync for calendar schedules. UOS AI The system has integrated the latest UOS AI client, connecting to mainstream AI large model interfaces both domestically and internationally. Users can quickly set up their AI accounts to interact with large models through question-and-answer sessions. In addition, UOS AI also provides AI extension support for system-developed applications like image viewing, email, and global search based on local AI models, making daily use more efficient and convenient for users. Added the deepin Play Assistant module to help users with operating system-related questions. Introduced a personal knowledge assistant, capable of question-answering and content generation based on user-uploaded local database files. Support for adding personal large model accounts, with UOS AI pre-setting multiple well-known domestic large models. Support for adding custom large models, with UOS AI supporting the addition of large models in OpenAI interface format. Enabled system pre-installed applications to be launched through text and voice interactions. Allowed for basic system settings and management through voice and text descriptions. The image viewing application through UOS AI can achieve functions like blurring backgrounds, image cutouts, pixel enhancements, and style transformations. Global search, supported by UOS AI's local model, enables natural language search and keyword searches within images. The email application through UOS AI supports quick summaries, translations, and intelligent writing and editing of emails. Deepin Home The system comes pre-installed with the "Deepin Community" client, offering users easy access to important information from the deepin community and providing channels for feedback on needs and bugs. Users can directly communicate with community staff to ensure timely issue resolution. Provided a unified entry point for community-related documents, allowing users convenient access to all deepin support platforms. Supported real-time feedback from users on bugs and needs, seamlessly integrated with internal feedback platforms for easier tracking and management of user-reported issues. Devanshi Batra, TwoCircles.net New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the Centre recently tabled the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in Parliament, igniting a significant controversy. The proposed amendments have faced strong opposition from the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Muslim leaders and Opposition parties, who argue that the bill threatens the autonomy and rights of Waqf properties Islamic charitable endowments across the country and unfairly targets the Muslim community. However, some believe that the amendments are long overdue. Support TwoCircles Professor Faizan Mustafa, vice chancellor of the Chanakya National Law University, Patna, expressed a nuanced view in a YouTube video. He acknowledged that while the amendments could represent positive development, it is crucial to ensure that safeguards are in place to protect Waqf properties without infringing on constitutional rights to freedom of religion. He emphasized the need for fine-tuning the bill. The bill, which failed to pass due to insufficient majority support, has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further examination. This move followed protests from Opposition MPs, who condemned the proposed legislation as unconstitutional, anti-federal and discriminatory against Muslims. Currently, Waqf properties in India are regulated by the Waqf Act of 1995, with the legal framework dating back to 1913. Previous legislations include the Muslim Waqf Validating Act of 1913, the Mussalman Wakf Act of 1923 and the Central Waqf Act of 1954, which was eventually replaced by the Waqf Act of 1995. AIMPLB spokesperson Syed Qasim Rasool Iliyas asserted that the Waqf Act and Waqf properties are protected by the Constitution of India and the Shariat Application Act of 1937. The Waqf Act and Waqf properties are protected by the Constitution of India and the Shariat Application Act, 1937. Consequently, the government cannot amend these laws in a way that changes or alters the nature and status of Waqf properties, he told TwoCircles.net. Several Muslim organizations, including the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), have criticized the bill for being drafted without consulting the community. Key Provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 proposes sweeping changes to the management and regulation of Waqf properties. Critics argue that the bills most significant drawback is the increase in government oversight. The bill seeks to grant state governments greater control over Waqf boards, including the appointment of board members and decision-making authority over Waqf properties. Professor Mustafa commented, The existing laws of the Waqf Board dont prevent the nomination of non-Muslim members in the panel. He and other critics argue that the bill undermines the autonomy of Waqf institutions and represents a government attempt to exert control over religious endowments, potentially infringing on the constitutional rights of the Muslim community. A Waqf board oversees philanthropic endowments made by Muslims for religious purposes. India has 30 Waqf boards managing nearly 900,000 properties nationwide. Iliyas claimed that the government aims to alter the Waqf properties status and nature through approximately 40 amendments, making their possession easier. The bill proposes that district collectors gain increased authority over Waqf boards. Collectors would act as arbitrators in disputes between the government and Waqf boards, investigating and reporting on any property disputes. An amendment to Section 3 of the Act would mean any government property identified or declared as Waqf property would not be considered Waqf property. Previously, Waqf boards handled applications for registering properties as Waqf. The bill stipulates that boards must now forward such applications to district collectors for verification and reporting. The bill also introduces stricter regulations on the sale, lease or transfer of Waqf properties to address concerns of mismanagement and corruption. One debated aspect of the Waqf Act is Section 40, which grants the board authority to determine if a property is Waqf property. The amendment bill proposes removing this section entirely, which critics argue could lead to arbitrary claims of land as Waqf property. The bill also aims to modify the composition of the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf boards, including Muslim women and even non-Muslims, and proposes creating a separate Board of Auqaf for the Bohra and Aghakhan communities. AIMPLBs Opposition The AIMPLB and various Muslim organisations have expressed strong opposition, arguing that the bill undermines Waqf institutions independence and encroaches on religious rights. Iliyas emphasized that any change to the Waqf Act that alters the nature of Waqf properties or diminishes the powers of Waqf boards will be unacceptable. Opposition MPs argue that the bill is unconstitutional, citing Articles 14, 25 and 26, which protect religious self-management and property administration rights. Critics fear that centralizing power and creating a central Waqf tribunal could target valuable Waqf properties, potentially transferring them to private interests. In defense, supporters of the bill argue that it is a necessary step to improve management and protection of Waqf properties. They assert that the amendments aim to curb corruption and enhance transparency within Waqf institutions, which have faced accusations of financial irregularities and mismanagement. Rishabh Jain, a civil lawyer, defended the bill as a means to bring much-needed transparency and accountability, asserting that it would resolve disputes efficiently and prevent misuse of Waqf properties. He argued that empowering district administration officials to address disputes is a positive step. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 marks a critical moment in the discourse on managing religious endowments in India, balancing the need for better oversight with concerns about religious freedoms and institutional independence. A pair of newlyweds and the brides mother were killed in a crash Thursday after a semitruck spilled a load of large pipes across a Colorado highway, officials said. The Wheat Ridge Police Department said that an investigation into the timeline of the crash, which involved multiple vehicles on both the eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 70 just west of Denver, is still in its early stages. Police said it appears a large truck carrying a load of pipes overturned on eastbound I-70 near Ward Road shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday. The pipes spilled across the westbound lanes, where a passenger car was struck and crashed. Newlyweds Ruben Rodriguez, 33, and Juliana Rodriguez Plata, 37, were killed in the crash, along with Plata's mother, Luz Melba Martinez, who was visiting from Colombia for their Aug. 10 wedding. The couple's 1-year-old son and the bride's father, Carlos Joaquin Plata were transported to a local hospital with injuries. According to police, the driver of the truck was also transported to a hospital with injuries. "In total, we believe the truck and at least three other vehicles were involved in this crash," police said. "The order of what happened in this series of events is still undetermined." --with reporting by TMX Tamil Nadu: Hijabi, Muslim nurse receives bravery award A Hijabi, Muslim nurse, Ms A. Sabeena, who saved over 35 human lives after the Wayanad landslides was honored by the Tamil Nadu government for her exemplary courage Friday August 16, 2024 2:47 PM , Syed Ali Mujtaba [AI generated image used for representation.] Chennai: A Hijabi, Muslim nurse, Ms A. Sabeena, who saved over 35 human lives after the Wayanad landslides was honored by the Tamil Nadu government for her exemplary courage. Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin especially invited Sabeena to the state secretariat and honored her with the Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage and Daring Enterprise. The citation given to Sabeena reads; As the rescue team was hesitant, the courageous and committed Ms. Sabeena came forward to go to the other side of the river. In spite of continuous rain, by wearing a raincoat and tightly holding the first aid kit, she travelled without any fear. Sabeenas daring act came into the limelight only a few days ago when the volunteers from her village began circulating a video of her zip-lining across a raging river in a ravaged swathe of Wayanad, Kerala to save lives. She treated people who had been bitten by snakes, wounded in the landslide and many had cough, cold and fever. The video of her brave act went viral on social media and reached TN CM. M.K Stalin who called her to recognize her courage. The bridge over the Mundakkai-Suralmalai river had collapsed, leaving dozens people stranded on the other side of the island. The National Defence Reserve Force created a rope-way or zip line to cross over to the other side. The 40-year-old nurse from Gudalur town in the Nilgiris district did the daring act without any hesitation or fear. I clung to the rope and closed my eyes and prayed to Allah as I went across the river. Even though it took two minutes to cross the river, it was a spine-chilling act because of the raging waters beneath me was furious with bodies being swept away under me, said the mother of a daughter after receiving the award at Fort Saint George, the TN state secretariat Sabeenas daughter Shifna, a nursing student, who was also present on the occasion said, the biggest lesson her mom taught her was that humanity is above everything else in the world. Her WhatsApp status reads- Theres no one in this world braver than my mom. [The writer, Syed Ali Mujtaba, is a Journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com.] Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Trumps 2016 take on Afghan women, veil goes viral ahead of 2024 Polls A short clip showing Donald Trump at a rally in Atkinson, New Hampshire in 2016 talking about women in Afghanistan and Middle East, and Hijab they wear is viral ahead of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections. Friday August 16, 2024 11:33 AM , ummid.com Social Media Desk A short clip showing Donald Trump at a rally in Atkinson, New Hampshire in 2016 talking about women in Afghanistan and Middle East, and Hijab they wear is viral ahead of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections. "Afghan women have been veiling for thousands of years. They want to veil, so why should we interfere? I think veiling is more appropriate than makeup. If I were a woman, I would wear veil too, social media users have captioned while showing the 42 second video clip. The video clip was first shared by Sameera Khan, who identifies herself as Geopolitics Analyst, News Correspondent, Kadyrov Stan, Memetic Warfare Strategist, Abrahamic Alliance against Globalism in X bio some 18 hours ago. The video clip has been viewed by 1.4 million people, liked by 12,000, retweeted by 1,900 while more than 325 people have posted their response and comments. Watch below Donald Trump: Afghan women have been veiling for thousands of years. They want to wear them. What the heck are we getting involved for? pic.twitter.com/OpRzmKKRlF Samirah (@SameeraKhan) August 15, 2024 The same video, with slight difference in the caption, has also been shared by social media user who says is a soldier and identifies himself on X as "Wakeel Mubariz". Donald Trump: "Afghan women have been veiling for thousands of years. They want to veil, so why should we interfere? I think veiling is more appropriate than makeup. If I were a woman, I would wear veil too. " pic.twitter.com/EnTd1WyZAc W.A. Mubariz - (@WakeelMubariz) August 15, 2024 Fact Check A fact check by ummid.com revealed, the video clip is original and authentic. The only problem is, while sharing the video clip the social media users are giving the impression that whatever Trump is talking about is recent and part of the 2024 U.S. Election Campaign. This is not true. Donal Trump is the Republican nominee for the 2024 U.S. Elections. He had won the 2016 election on some eye-catching campaign slogans on top of them was Make America Great Again. Former U.S. President Trumps foreign policy was also the key debate topic in 2016, and later after he won the election. In the speech at Atkinson, New Hampshire Trump made the remarks about Muslim women in Middle East and Afghanistan while highlighting his would be foreign policy and in a way slamming the U.S. interference in other countries. The exact words he said were: "With the women over there, they don't have to wear the. you-know-what," Trump said referring to the veils most of the Muslim women wear. "And then I said, 'Oh well that makes sense. That's nice.' Then, I saw women interviewed. They said, 'We want to wear them. We've worn them for a thousand years. Why would anyone tell us?' They want to. What the hell are we getting involved for? The fact is it's easier. You don't have to put on make-up. Look how beautiful everyone looks. Wouldn't it be easier if "mwah" (kissing sound)? Right? Wouldn't that be easy? I tell you if I was a woman - "mwah" - I'm ready darling. Let's go." Elaborating more about his out of the box foreign diplomacy, Trump said he would not call Ayatollah, the leader in Iran, Supreme Leader. "I'll say, 'Hey baby, how ya doing?' I will never call him the Supreme Leader. And I'll get along with him probably. And maybe not. And if he doesn't get along with me, they got problems. We don't, Trump said. The 2024 U.S. Presidential election is scheduled in November. Donald Trump, who lost the re-election bid in 2020 against Joe Bide, is in a neck-and-neck election battle with Vice President Kamala Harris in the race to White House. Interestingly, Trumps 2016 take on veil wearing Afghan women is viral as the Taliban government in Afghanistan is celebrating 3 years of their victory over the U.S. led occupuation forces. Videos released on the occasion show Taliban Military Parade and also the colourful display of weapons, armour vehicles and military helicopters that the United States and its allies had left behind. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. According to the Da Nang Statistical Office, there has been a steady rise in the number of tourists in the city in the first seven months of 2024, notably in the number of international visitors. These figures reached 2.5 million arrivals, a 34.7 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023. So, in just the first seven months of the year, the number of international visitors to Da Nang has already reached the annual target (Da Nang set a target of welcoming 8.42 million visitors in 2024). It has been forecast that the Han River city could expect good news as the number of international visitors is projected to reach 3.5 million in 2024, which is equivalent to pre-pandemic levels. To explain this impressive growth, the Da Nang Statistical Office said it was due to a series of continuous events organised to attract both domestic and international visitors, notably the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2024 (DIFF), which took place from June 8-13. This festival brought a boom in tourist numbers. Along with that, there are also the visitor 'magnets' which sustainably attract international tourists to the Han River city. Sun World Ba Na Hills is a typical example, as according to statistics from this tourist area, for every ten international visitors to Da Nang, there are up to seven visitors coming to Ba Na. A place satisfying every traveller's desires There are many reasons why international tourists are captivated by Sun World Ba Na Hills, since different types of travellers, regardless of their nationality, can be satisfied by this place. For tourists from year-round hot countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and India, Ba Na Hills is known as a temperate paradise in the tropical region, where visitors can enjoy cool weather throughout the four seasons. The number of Indian tourists to Sun World Ba Na Hills reached 132,000 by the end of July 2024, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the total number of Indian tourists to Viet Nam in the first seven months of the year. Ba Na is like a fairyland to my family. The Golden Bridge, the stunning, beautiful, and vibrant castles... The atmosphere is cool and comfortable, allowing us to play all day without getting tired, feeling very refreshed", said Muskan Tiwari from New Delhi. Indian visitors can also enjoy authentic cuisine when coming here, as this attraction even has a buffet restaurant to serve Halal food - the distinctive food of Indian tourists. For the largest international tourist source market in Vietnam nowadays - South Korea - Sun World Ba Na Hills is popular since it goes along with the mindset of Korean visitors. Korean tourists enjoy the atmosphere of an ancient European town and pay attention to highly rated destinations on Instagram. According to South Koreas Financial Times, it is estimated that for every three tourists, there is one South Korean at Sun World Ba Na Hills. Yong Sung Ok, the Southeast Asia regional manager of one of the top travel companies in South Korea Hanatour - also pointed out that Koreans enjoy mountains and cable cars. "Personally, I enjoy taking cable cars. I think the most appealing aspect is being able to take a sightseeing of the beautiful scenery from above," he said. For many tourists around the world, the Golden Bridge at Sun World Ba Na Hills is a photo-perfect dream. Many visitors from Europe and America have flown for eight or nine hours just to have a check-in photo at the Golden Bridge - a structure selected as one of the 100 greatest places in the world by the USs TIME magazine, while the Bored Panda praises it as Viet Nam's man-made wonder, renowned as the second most popular destination only after Ha Long Bay. Six years since its debut, the Golden Bridge continues to maintain its popularity as it has just been introduced by Travel+Leisure as a must-visit spot for photo opportunities when travelling to Da Nang. On Instagram - the world's largest photo-sharing social network, the number of tourists around the world checking in the Golden Bridge has reached nearly 30,000 posts. The hashtag #goldenbridge has reached 159,000 posts, demonstrating the global love for this iconic bridge. Constantly renewed destination That is the comment of many international tourists when they visit Sun World Ba Na Hills multiple times. "What I love about Ba Na Hills is that every time I come back, I have a chance to experience something different. That's why every time I go to Da Nang, I always choose to visit Ba Na and never get bored," said Lee Seo Joon, a Korean tourist. The most distinctive feature of Ba Na Hills is not only its iconic tourist attractions such as the Golden Bridge, French Village or the Helios Waterfall, but also the four-season festive atmosphere from the world-class shows. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars to watch an exclusive show, visitors are able to experience international standard performances the whole day with just a cable car ticket. This summer, in Ba Na Hills, tourists can expect a series of minishows by international artists, such as a skating performance at the central church square, a Beer King game and participation in B'estival festival. Notably, Sun World Ba Na Hills is introducing a special show combining 12 types of art, featuring the participation of hundreds of international artists. Its called Fairy Blossom and will take place at Noel Plaza square at 11 am daily (except Tuesdays). The festival atmosphere at Ba Na is also found in delicious German beers, which visitors can enjoy instead of travelling all the way to the distant Oktoberfest. This summer, for the first time, Sun World Ba Na Hills has introduced the highest craft beer brewery in Vietnam (1,487m) - a project that started ten years ago in Ba Na. Since then, fresh batches of beer and impressively designed cans by the brand Sun Kraft Beer have been officially launched. The formula and brewing team are provided directly by Camba, a Bavaria brewery, with the raw materials for beer production carefully selected by Camba from among the best types of Germany, New Zealand and the United States, ensuring that each batch of Sun Kraft Beer is brewed on the top of Ba Na with a delicious and an 'authentic taste'. Even until nightfall, visitors are still amazed by Ba Na Hills with its captivating attractions when they can immerse themselves in the fire dance show and campfire activation performed by South American artists or dance the night away with glamorous Thai transgender beauty queens at the Cabaret Plus costume show. Alternatively, one can simply stay a peaceful night at Mercure Danang French Village Ba Na Hills, to take a leisurely walk along picturesque streets and to gaze up at the star-filled night sky. With such unique experiences that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, it is not difficult to understand why Ba Na Hills is so attractive to foreign tourists. This magnet is still waiting for you to come and experience by yourself, to discover a Da Nang that not only has the most beautiful beaches in the world, but also brings a journey of endless joy on the peak of Ba Na. HA NOI The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) proposed that the Ministry of Finance, the drafting agency of the draft Law on Special Consumption Tax, consider removing petrol from the list of products with special consumption tax imposed on them. The chamber said petrol, as a product, is taxed simultaneously by both special consumption tax and environmental protection tax, both designed to curb consumption. However, it is considered as a vital input for the economy. The current special consumption tax for mineral fuels is at 10 per cent, E5 biofuel at 8 per cent and E10 biofuel at 7 per cent, on top of an environmental protection tax of VN2,000 per litre. The chamber recommended policymakers consider removing some of the tax burden for domestically-produced fuels, leaving possibly just the one tax for regulatory purposes. Supporters of the tax regime, including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed that the drafting agency to conduct additional study into which products should be excluded. They said, for example, E5 biofuel and E10 biofuel, should be considered as input into many production industries. While petrol is considered an essential item, it is still produced using fossil fuels and its excessive use should not be allowed. Economist inh Trong Thinh said the taxes are meant to encourage fuel-saving measures and are already set at the lowest possible rate in comparison with other products. "The use of fossil fuel-based gasoline is discouraged by many countries worldwide, taking forms in various taxes on emissions, driving prices up. With the current prices, Viet Nam remains in the lower half of the global average, he said. The drafting agency has taken the side of the supporters, claiming mineral fuels, being a non-renewable source, should be conserved and that the environmental protection tax is a common practice around the world, encouraging fuel-makers to add more bio-content to benefit from lower tax rates. In addition, the effects of other tax laws, which are soon to take effect, will bring down the cost of vehicles of engine sizes of 2,000 cm or less. In the big picture however, the special consumption tax and the environmental protection tax, among others, are but tools to regulate the flow of commerce, bolster the states budget and ensure macroeconomic stability. VNS HA NOI The Viet Nam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA) forecasts that Viet Nam's pepper exports this year will reach over US$1 billion, returning pepper to the group of billion-dollar commodities. According to the VPSA, by July 30, Viet Nam exported 164,357 tonnes of various types of pepper. Of the total, black exports of black pepper accounted for 145,330 tonnes and those of white pepper reached 19,027 tonnes. The total export turnover reached $764.2 million. With the results achieved and with five months remaining of the year, pepper is on track to return to the billion-dollar mark. Compared to the same period in 2023, the export volume of pepper decreased by 2.2 per cent, but the export turnover increased by 40.8 per cent. The average export price of black pepper in the first seven months reached $4,568 per tonne, while that of white pepper reached $6,195 per tonne, up 32.7 per cent and 25 per cent respectively, year-on-year. The US is the largest export market for Vietnamese pepper, followed by Germany (up 97.3 per cent), the UAE (up 39.2 per cent) and India (up 39.7 per cent). China ranks fourth with exports decreasing 84.6 per cent compared to the same period. According to VPSA, the rise in Viet Nam's pepper exports is due to the scarcity of global pepper supply. Brazil is currently the world's second-largest producer and exporter of black pepper after Vietnam, accounting for 17 to 18 per cent of the global supply. The continuous crop failures in Brazil are expected to have a global ripple effect, driving global pepper prices higher in the last months of 2024 when pepper supply from other major producing countries, including Viet Nam, Malaysia and Indonesia, also declines significantly. Currently, the global pepper supply is being constrained due to the impact of El Nino. In the long term, over the next three to five years, pepper production will be insufficient to satisfy worldwide demand. Price hikes were also seen in the domestic market. In July, domestic pepper prices reached VN150,000 per kg, up 82.9 per cent compared to January and up 120.6 per cent from the same period in 2023. On average, black pepper prices have risen 66.5 per cent over the first seven months compared to the same period in 2023. According to the VPSA, the pepper market is facing numerous challenges and prices are expected to continue fluctuating shortly. Hoang Phuoc Binh, Vice Chairman of the Chu Se Pepper Association in Gia Lai Province, said producers should recognise the start of a new price increase cycle. This cycle is expected to last about ten years. A survey conducted by the VPSA in early July across three Central Highlands provinces revealed that pepper cultivation and production are increasingly being challenged by competition from durian and coffee crops. New planting areas have been recorded but remain limited and are mainly intercropping pepper with coffee. The impact of El Nino climate change at the beginning of the year has continuously impacted farmers' pepper cultivation and maintenance. This was followed by La Nina, which has further unsettled farmers, especially at a time when durian and coffee prices are high, making pepper cultivation less attractive for replanting on a large scale. Through a survey of key pepper-growing areas of Viet Nam, including three Central Highlands provinces (Gia Lai, ak Lak and ak Nong) and three Southeast provinces (Binh Phuoc, ong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau), Binh assessed that the area assigned to pepper cultivation has decreased by up to 50 per cent compared to its peak. VNS Japan's anniversary of WWII surrender draws concern Xinhua) 08:54, August 16, 2024 File photo taken on Sept. 9, 1945 shows He Yingqin (L), representative of the Chinese government, receiving the surrender of Japan in Nanjing, east China. On Aug. 15, 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito delivered a recorded radio address to the nation, announcing the surrender of Japan in World War II, one day after Japan declared its acceptance of the provisions of the Potsdam Proclamation jointly issued by China, the United States and Britain on July 26, 1945, with the Soviet Union joining later. (Xinhua) The rise of right-wing forces in the country has led to an unsettling trend: persistent efforts to re-establish Japan as a military power, coupled with attempts to whitewash its aggressive past and undermine its post-war pacifist Constitution. TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- As the world observes the 79th anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II, the Asian nation's recent troubling moves have raised concerns within the international community. Japan, a nation that was expected to remember its history and cherish peace in the post-war era, has taken an unexpected turn. The rise of right-wing forces in the country has led to an unsettling trend: persistent efforts to re-establish Japan as a military power, coupled with attempts to whitewash its aggressive past and undermine its post-war pacifist Constitution. This picture taken on July 7, 2023 shows photos revealing details of the Japanese invasion of China. A new batch of evidence revealing more details of the Japanese invasion of China has been collected from Japan, the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army in Harbin announced. (The Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army/Handout via Xinhua) DISTORTED HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES Every year, on Aug. 15 and other significant dates, a group of right-wing Japanese politicians would openly visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism and its wartime aggression and home to 14 Class-A Japanese war criminals from WWII. Such visits, strongly condemned by peace advocates within Japan and the international community, have repeatedly strained Japan's relations with its neighboring countries. This year, concerns have intensified following reports of large-scale visits to the shrine by members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF). Notably, Hiroki Kobayashi, the Ground SDF's deputy chief of staff, led dozens of SDF members in a collective visit to the shrine in January. It was later revealed that Rear Admiral Yasushige Konno, the commander of the Maritime SDF (MSDF) Training Squadron at the time, led 165 graduates of the MSDF Officer Candidate School on a visit to the shrine last May. Photos of this visit were subsequently featured in an article published in Yasukuni Shrine's newsletter. Such visits by officials violated Japan's constitutional principle of the separation of religion and state and an administrative vice minister directive issued in 1974 prohibiting a group visit by SDF members to a religious facility. However, in response to mounting criticism, the Ground SDF stated that the visit was a personal act conducted during a break and only issued a minor punishment for using an official vehicle. Similarly, former MSDF Chief of Staff Adm. Ryo Sakai dismissed the incident as a "personal visit" and indicated that there would be no investigation. Analysts warned that the SDF's involvement in visits to the Yasukuni Shrine and the leadership's apparent leniency suggest that the twisted view of history symbolized by these visits has deeply infiltrated Japan's armed forces. In an even more disturbing case, the MSDF has confirmed that a group of its personnel visited the war-memorial Yushukan museum within the shrine's compound as part of their training program in May, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported Wednesday. Moreover, retired MSDF Adm. Umio Otsuka was announced as the 14th chief priest of the Yasukuni Shrine in April, marking the first time a former SDF officer has taken this role. During WWII, the position was held by retired Army General Takao Suzuki, a "coincidence" that many find troubling. Staff members present a flower basket to victims of the Nanjing Massacre at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, April 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Bo) WHITEWASHING HISTORICAL ATROCITIES Also, in April, Japan's Ministry of Education approved a junior high school history textbook by Reiwa Publishing that promotes the imperial historical perspective, which denies the forced recruitment of "comfort women" by the Japanese military. This was the first time such a textbook has passed government review, raising the possibility that the controversial book could be introduced in schools as early as next year. In 1993, then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono issued the Kono Statement, acknowledging the Japanese military's direct involvement in setting up "comfort stations" and forcibly recruiting women in Korea, China, and elsewhere, offering an apology and reflection on these actions. However, the newly approved textbook contradicted the stance, asserting that comfort women were "paid workers" and that "the Japanese military did not forcibly take Korean women." The Japanese government has long tolerated historical revisionism, attempting to reshape public historical understanding through textbooks that whitewash Japan's colonial rule and aggressive wars, said Toshio Suzuki, a representative of the citizens group Nationwide Network for Children and Textbooks 21. This misleads children about Japan's past, fostering xenophobic sentiments against China and South Korea, he said. Tamaki Matsuoka is a Japanese activist who has spent decades interviewing survivors and victimizers of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre to reveal the historical truth about the country's war crimes to the Japanese people. She told Xinhua that the WWII-related part of Japanese elementary school history textbooks devotes more than a dozen pages to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the air raid on Tokyo. There is almost no description of Japan's crimes of aggression, let alone the Nanjing Massacre. Under the guise of creating a "beautiful country" proposed by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan has repeatedly tried to whitewash the stains of its history of aggression. To this day, Japanese teenagers know little about war responsibility, and memories of the war crimes are rapidly fading. VEERING FROM PACIFIST CONSTITUTION In recent years, Japan has used the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan Strait, as well as the Ukraine crisis, as an excuse to hype up tensions and create panic in the region. By describing China as "an unprecedented and largest strategic challenge," Japan has taken the opportunity to significantly adjust its security policy, steadily bolster its defense budget and continuously relax restrictions on arms exports, repeatedly breaking the restraints of its pacifist Constitution. Japan's "exclusively defense-oriented policy" is increasingly challenged by the government's breaking of several military taboos. Despite widespread opposition, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government in 2022 approved revisions to three security and defense-related documents, including the National Security Strategy, to acquire "enemy base strike capabilities." The government also plans to allot about 43 trillion yen (384 billion U.S. dollars) to defense outlays from fiscal 2023 through 2027, nearly 1.6 times the amount over the previous five-year period. In March this year, Japan approved a plan to sell next-generation fighter jets that it's developing with Britain and Italy to other countries and further revised the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and their implementation guidelines, throwing open the door for direct exports of lethal weapons to other countries in another violation of the country's postwar pacifist principles. Since 2022, Japan has signed reciprocal access agreements with Australia, Britain and the Philippines, forming a "quasi-alliance" relationship. Japan has also strengthened its collusion with NATO, attempting to "invite the wolf into the house." During Kishida's visit to the United States in April this year, the two sides raised their defense ties to unprecedented levels. These contentious moves by Japan violate its exclusively defense-oriented policy and pacifism embodied in its Constitution and pose security threats to East Asia. Ukeru Magosaki, a former Japanese foreign ministry official, said that disputes between Japan and its Asian neighbors could be resolved diplomatically; however, the Japanese government has blindly catered to the demands of the United States and gone down a dangerous path of military buildup. It is time for Japan to genuinely consider what kind of policy can bring it security. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Kurt McAnly of Riverview, Florida, wades around the backyard of his flooded home on Aug. 6, 2024. McAnly's home was flooded early in the morning, forcing him and his two dogs to evacuate around 4 a.m. He estimates that water rose about 24-30 inches high in his home that morning as a result of Hurricane Debby. Dylan Townsend/TNS People use umbrellas as they battle wind and rain amid a storm on August 09, 2024 in New York City. Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency as NY is experiencing remnants of post-tropical hurricane Debby. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Hurricane Debby, seen on the right in this weather satellite photo, made landfall in northern Florida. NOAA/National Weather Service A Florida National Guard vehicle drives through a flooded street caused by the rain and storm surge from Hurricane Debby on August 05, 2024, in Cedar Key, Florida. Hurricane Debby brings rain storms and high winds along Floridas Big Bend area. Joe Raedle/Getty Images A lineman tends to fallen power lines in the East End neighborhood of Houston, days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall, on Thursday, July 11, 2024 in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Linemen tend to fallen power lines in the East End neighborhood of Houston, days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall. A similar scene could play out this week across Southeast Texas depending on where potential Hurricane Francine tracks. Raquel Natalicchio/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 Texas and Florida both experienced strong Category 1 hurricanes. One state reeled for a week, while the other healed within hours. This tale of two Republican-led states proves that elected officials make a difference in whether they prioritize public safety or crony capitalism. Houstons inability to withstand a weak hurricane is the latest proof the electric grid remains broken. A place where winter storms black out most of the state, hurricanes can cripple the largest city and downed power lines cause prairie fires. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hurricane Beryl struck the Texas Gulf Coast on July 8, with the most destructive side passing over Houston. About 2.2 million out of 2.8 million homes and businesses lost power. CenterPoint, the for-profit utility responsible for Houstons poles and wires, blamed trees for knocking down electricity lines. Entergy Texas, another electric grid operator, reported 247,000 of its 512,000 customers were blacked out. Hurricane Debby struck Floridas Coastal Bend on Aug. 5, landing near Steinhatchee, a sparsely populated region west of Gainesville. About 770,000 customers, about half the region, lost power. Floridians suffered fewer outages thanks to the Florida Legislature. After five hurricanes and a tropical storm struck in 2004 alone, lawmakers and the governor decided to invest in resilient lines and poles. They also stopped allowing for-profit utilities to skimp on storm preparations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After Beryl passed, CenterPoint only restored power to 800,000 customers within the first 48 hours. Other utilities moved quicker, but CenterPoint still had 147,000 customers without power a week after the storm landed. Utilities in Florida restored power much, much more quickly. Duke Energy restored power to 90% of customers, about 330,000, within 24 hours. Almost all 250,000 Florida Power & Light customers who lost power had the air conditioning on within 36 hours. Only a handful of homes did not have power 48 hours after the storm, according to Florida Municipal Electric Association. Florida's modern, storm-resistant grid is much easier to fix because its built to withstand storms, and utilities trim the vegetation on a set schedule. Preparation makes all the difference. The for-profit corporations in Florida did not do this out of a sense of community spirit. Florida lawmakers held hearings, listened to experts, heard from communities and required these companies to change how they maintain and inspect poles and wires. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Utilities must craft resiliency plans and meet performance standards. They bury power lines, where that makes sense, and string them above the trees where that is safer. My colleague Eric Dexheimer did a deep dive into what Florida did that Texas has not, despite community outcry. Texas Republicans frequently brag about how little they regulate and keep the cost of living low. But what some may call frugal, others say is cheaping-out. Texas businesses and consumers admittedly have loved the states low-cost electricity for two decades. They fight policies that increase electricity bills, such as requiring greater reliability at power plants or using higher-quality materials for poles and wires. However, most of us also understand that a $5 umbrella will blow out five times faster than a $15 umbrella. Blackouts are more costly than higher bills. Expectations are changing as Texans understand corporations have profited from our avoidable suffering. Whats unclear, though, is whether our state lawmakers and governor, who appoints the Public Utility Commission, get it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad My colleagues on the investigations team have revealed how state senators bullied the PUC into rejecting an expert opinion that CenterPoint was wasting Texans money by spending $800 million on diesel generators. Last year, reporters in Austin wrote dozens of stories about how Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks plan to build more natural gas power plants would not boost reliability but instead generate higher electricity bills and corporate profits. Ive written extensively about how electric grid operators and regulators employ policies that benefit political donors, not the public. Whenever someone asks the PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson about Floridas policies, he promises a Texas solution. The phrase strikes terror in my heart. The states wholesale electricity market is a Texas solution that caused hundreds of deaths during Winter Storm Uri in 2021. The Texas solution to pipeline regulation allowed corporations to make billions off consumers during a statewide emergency. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Texas solution to utility regulation left hundreds of thousands without power for over a week. AK NONG Unilever Vietnam, in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the People's Committee of ak Nong Province, has launched the National Hygiene Day to Improve Peoples Health 2024 programme. This initiative, part of an ongoing collaboration between Unilever and the MOH, seeks to engage government agencies, organisations and communities in improving public health through enhanced hygiene practices. The event also marked the beginning of the First 'Green - Clean - Beautiful Healthcare Facility Contest', a nationwide competition aimed at promoting cleanliness and safety in healthcare settings. The programme emphasises the importance of hygiene in disease prevention and overall health improvement, contributing to the broader goal of building a sustainable health environment across Viet Nam. Approximately 700 delegates attended the event, including leaders from the MOH, the People's Committee of ak Nong Province and representatives from various health departments and healthcare facilities nationwide. The campaign is part of a broader strategic cooperation between Unilever and the MOH, entitled 'For a Healthy and Sustainable Vietnam', running from 2023 to 2028. This partnership aims to improve hygiene and health conditions for 15 million people nationwide, building on the achievements of previous collaborations that have already reached over 22 million people with hygiene education and resources. Unilever Vietnams Head of Country, Nguyen Thi Bich Van, highlighted the companys ongoing commitment to the programme. "Improving sanitation and health conditions for the people of Viet Nam is a long journey, so there is still much work to be done. Therefore, Unilever is committed to continuing our comprehensive partnership with the Ministry of Health, she said. In addition to the meeting, the event featured various activities, including the display of posters and banners with slogans promoting hygiene and disease prevention, as well as the publication of related news articles and reports. Speaking at the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Deputy Minister of Health, emphasised the importance of the National Hygiene Movement, noting significant improvements in public hygiene practices over the past decade. She pointed out that the rate of people washing their hands with soap has doubled and the proportion of households with hygienic latrines has reached 82 per cent, significantly contributing to the reduction of infectious diseases in the country. The beautiful healthcare contest, launched in July 2024 and running until July 2025, aims to further enhance the quality of health services and public health by promoting the maintenance of clean and safe hospital environments. VNS HA NOI After a booming period, foreign investment flows into Viet Nam via mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have slowed down over the past few years, and the market is still waiting for big deals. In the first seven months of 2024, foreign investment channeled into new and existing projects increased sharply compared to the same period last year, by 35.6 per cent to US$10.8 billion and 19.4 per cent to nearly $5 billion, respectively. However, investment via capital contributions and share purchases was still on a downward trend. There were 1,795 capital contributions and share purchase transactions totalling nearly $2.27 billion during the period, respectively falling 3.1 per cent and 45.2 per cent year on year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. In the last five years, 2019 witnessed a boom in this form of investment. Statistics showed that foreign investors conducted 9,842 transactions valued at $15.47 billion in 2019, surging 56.4 per cent from a year earlier. However, investment via capital contributions and share purchases has dropped since then. The value stood at $7.47 billion in 2020, $6.9 billion in 2021, and $5.15 billion in 2022, respectively down 51.7 per cent, 7.7 per cent, and 25.2 per cent. It reached $8.5 billion in 2023, soaring 65.7 per cent from 2022, but was equivalent to just over half of the peak of $15.47 billion seen in 2019. Impacts during three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, plus geopolitical uncertainties, have led to a plunge in M&A deals worldwide. Data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) revealed that the global M&A market recorded only $2.9 trillion in transaction value in 2023, down 17 per cent year on year. That was the first time since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis the worlds M&A market had contracted by over 10 per cent in two consecutive years. The market in Asia-Pacific alone shrank by 25 per cent. au Tu (Vietnam Investment Review) cited Le Xuan ong, Director of EY Parthenon Strategy at EY Consulting Vietnam JSC, as saying that the M&A market in Southeast Asia has tended to decline in terms of both transaction number and value, and Viet Nam is not an exception. Although there havent been large deals since the start of 2024, a recent report by Savills Vietnam pointed out several notable transactions. For example, Kim Oanh Group recently teamed up with NTT Urban Development, Sumitomo Forestry, and Kumagai Gumi Co Ltd of Japan to develop The One World, a 50-ha residential area in the southern province of Binh Duong. Nishi Nippon Railroad of Japan bought a 50 per cent stake in the 45.5-ha Paragon Dai Phuoc project for about $26 million from Nam Long Group. Particularly, Tripod Technology Corporation of Taiwan (China) purchased an 18ha industrial land lot in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau from Sonadezi Chau uc. It has spent $250 million on building an electronic component factory there, like many other Taiwanese firms who are continually pouring capital into this field in Viet Nam. Troy Griffiths, Deputy Managing Director at Savills Vietnam, held that industrial real estate will witness stable demand, supported by the foreign investment inflow and infrastructure development. M&A deals in this field are forecast to bounce back. Economists perceived that the entry into force of real estate-related laws, namely the 2024 Land Law, the 2023 Housing Law, and the 2023 Law on Real Estate Business, from August 1 will give a boost to M&A activities in this area. However, the market is still waiting for major transactions, not only in real estate but also in retail, manufacturing, and finance-banking, like what used to be made. Data from the FIA indicate that during January-July this year, Japan, with nearly $595 million, still ranked first among countries and territories investing in Viet Nam via capital contributions and share purchases. It was followed by Singapore ($500 million) and South Korea ($323 million). Investors from Taiwan poured $160 million, the Cayman Islands $184 million, and mainland China $124 million. These are also the investors that have conducted large M&A deals in Viet Nam in recent years, and the market is waiting for them to spend big in the time ahead. VNS HOI AN To honour the peaceful and idyllic beauty of Hoi An countryside during the harvest season, Hoi An City has collaborated with Arabesque Vietnam to organise a dance performance Rom (Straw). Under the direction of artistic director Nguyen Tan Loc and music director uc Tri, the dance features folk music combined with international modern movement, all set amidst the lush rice fields of Hoi An. Through Rom, which will be performed outdoors, it is hoped that visitors will be captivated with the rural landscape and lush rice fields. They can fully immerse themselves in the flavours, colours and atmosphere of harvest season on the expansive fields of Hoi An, where the setting sun bathes the terrain in a warm golden hue. Rom tells the story of the simple and authentic life of Vietnamese farmers. The straw pile is an important witness next to the house -- from the day the grandparents get married until the children are born and spend their childhood playing under the straw pile. Over time, the children grow up and the grandparents again sit by the pile of straw talking about their children's marriage. And so, as each generation leaves, the straw pile is the constant, standing still as a witness to the family's bond. Arabesque also introduces ambience dance, a contemporary dance form, to Hoi An for the first time with the performance. Ambience dance is a popular form of performance art that blends live music and dance language in an outdoor setting. Rom is also an effort of Hoi An City People's Committee to develop the city in the direction of an ecological-cultural-tourist destination. The city is focused on promoting existing potentials and advantages in the fields of culture and arts, as well as innovation and creativity, sustainable development, and ecological and humanistic values. Hoi An also fosters opportunities and new creative ideals while upholding and advancing the values of cultural heritage, thereby affirming the title of Hoi An as UNESCO's creative city. Nguyen Van Lanh, deputy chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee, said: "Through the dance performance, I hope that visitors will enjoy the rustic beauty of rural villages, harvest fields and handicrafts made from straw. This is also the first time Hoi An City has brought international-class cultural and artistic work to the city." The story of Rom is not just a dance performance, it also honours the ingenuity and persistent spirit of the Vietnamese people, said artistic director Nguyen Tan Loc. "When the dance performance takes place, at the gentle moment of sunset, we hope the audience, especially international tourists, will feel what has shaped this distinctive culture." The performance, which runs for 60 minutes, is scheduled for August 22, 23, 24 and 25, and starts at sunset, so between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. The venue is at Hoi An Rice Heart field at Truong Le Block, Cam Chau Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province. VNS SYDNEY Matt Thistlethwaite, member of parliament, Assistant Minister for Immigration of Australia, spoke highly of the development momentum of the Viet Nam-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership, including cooperation in national defence-security, and immigration. At a working session with Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Hung Tam on August 15 at the Parliament House, Thistlethwaite suggested the two countries continue their close collaboration in the fight against transnational crimes and illegal immigration, and effectively implementing consultation mechanisms, as well as the memorandum of understanding on information sharing in immigration. The official expressed his delight at the increasing number of Australian tourists to Viet Nam, and vice versa, and the fact that the Southeast Asian nation remains among top student source countries for Australia. For his part, Tam stressed new developments in the bilateral cooperation since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of the official visit to Australia by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in March 2024, saying the two countries have increased delegation exchanges, dialogues and consultations regarding immigration; and signed and put in place relevant agreements. The ambassador praised Australias assistance in English teaching, improving the capacity of personnel, and upgrading equipment in the immigration sector, and called on the Australian side to continue the support. Tam also suggested Australia create more favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Australia, and speed up visa processing for Vietnamese students. At a meeting with Director of the ASEAN-Australia Centre (AAC) Fiona Hoggart in Canberra on August 13, Tam suggested Hoggart help promote the strong points in the cooperation between ASEAN member countries and Australia, and propose solutions to bottlenecks in the bilateral cooperative ties. The diplomat also noted his support for coordination and cooperation between the ASEAN Committee in Canberra and the AAC, as well as his readiness to introduce candidates from the Vietnamese community in Australia to the centres advisory board if requested. VNS HA NOI Through the upcoming visit of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, China hopes to continue carrying forward the China-Viet Nam traditional friendship, further consolidate bilateral political trust, and promoting the building of the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, stated Chinese Ambassador to Viet Nam Xiong Bo. The ambassador granted an interview to the press before Party General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse make a state visit to China from August 18-20 at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping and his spouse. According to the ambassador, Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping will hold talks with the visiting Vietnamese counterpart during the visit, and Premier Li Qiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress of China Zhao Leji, and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning will also hold meetings with the Vietnamese leader. Party General Secretary and President Lam is scheduled to visit a number of Chinese locations where President Ho Chi Minh conducted revolutionary activities, and meet with friendship associations, scholars and intellectuals of Viet Nam and China. Xiong noted that this is the first visit abroad of Party General Secretary and President Lam after he was elected to the top position in the Communist Party of Viet Nam. The visit is also a continuation of the very successful state visit to Viet Nam in 2023 by Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping. The visit shows the great importance that General Secretary and President Lam attaches to the development of ties between the two Parties and countries, and demonstrates the priority in the diplomatic and external relations policy of each country, said the ambassador. He said the Chinese side expects that the Vietnamese top leader's visit will continue carrying forward the China-Viet Nam traditional friendship, further consolidate bilateral political trust, and promote the building of the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. The two countries will together follow their respective paths towards socialism and modernisation with distinctive characteristics, jointly advancing the global socialist cause, and contributing to regional and global peace, stability and development. Viet Nam is reviewing the 40-year implementation of the cause of oi Moi (Renewal) and drafting documents for the 14th National Party Congress, he noted, adding that General Secretary and President Lam on August 13 chaired an important meeting of standing members of the sub-committee in charge of drafting documents for the 14th congress. Therefore, this visit also provides a chance for the two sides to exchange experience in Party building and national governance, the diplomat said. Noting that China and Viet Nam are making efforts to implement the common perceptions reached by top leaders of the two parties and the joint statement released during General Secretary and President Xi's visit to Viet Nam last year, Ambassador Xiong said the building of the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance has seen good first steps. In terms of political relations, the two sides have maintained close exchanges and contact between top leaders of the two Parties and countries, he said, adding that in his lifetime, the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong had maintained strategic and close exchanges with General Secretary and President Xi through flexible forms. Ambassador Xiong also mentioned a successful visit to China in April by the then Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman, and highlighted that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions in China for the second time. In Beijing, PM Chinh had a meeting with General Secretary and President Xi and other senior leaders of China. These meetings produced good results, he noted. In addition, leaders of Vietnamese and Chinese Party agencies, ministries and localities have also conducted effective visits and meetings, he said. Regarding security-defence, bilateral cooperation has become increasingly substantive. In April, the two armies held the eighth friendship defence border exchange which was a success. The new Chinese Minister of National Defence, Dong Jun, has held a productive talk with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang. A hotline was established between the Viet Nam People's Navy and the Chinese People's Liberation Army's Southern Theater Command. Meanwhile, there have been visits by military ships and exchanges between young officers of the two countries, the ambassador said, affirming that very positive progress has been made in the two countries defence-security cooperation. Bilateral economic-trade relations have kept a high momentum of growth. The ambassador cited Chinese statistics that showed in the first seven months of this year, two-way trade hit US$145 billion, a rise of 21 per cent year on year. In the Jan-July period, Viet Nam exported $2.1 billion worth of fruits and vegetables to China. Particularly, Viet Nam's durian exports to China rose 46 per cent year on year to $1.22 billion, making up 92.4 per cent of Viet Nam's total exports of the fruit. The two sides are speeding up the signing and finalisation of procedures for Viet Nam's frozen durians and fresh coconut to enter China, he said, expressing his belief that after the completion of the procedures, Viet Nam's farm produce export revenue to China will further increase. In terms of investment, in early August, Chief Executive of Chinas Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Lee Ka-chiu made an official visit to Viet Nam, and investment from Hong Kong (China) in Viet Nam amounted to $2.19 billion in the first seven months of this year, ranking second among foreign investors in Viet Nam. The ambassador said mainland China also invested $1.64 billion in Viet Nam in the period, ranking fourth, adding that however, in terms of the number of new projects, mainland China was at the top position. In tourism, over 2.1 million Chinese visitors travelled to Viet Nam in the first seven months of this year, making China the second largest tourist market of Viet Nam. The ambassador underscored that the two sides have worked hard together to realise the 2023 joint statement on the six major goals" cooperation orientations, promoting collaboration in all fields and enjoyed positive results. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Viet Nam-China land border treaty and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the three legal documents on the Viet Nam-China land border. Xiong said that the signing of the treaty has helped thoroughly solve the land border demarcation issue between the two countries legally, demonstrating the steadfast will and determination of both sides to work towards peace, friendship, and cooperation. This event has become a success model of how the two sides, through friendly consultations, have addressed the border issues, significantly enhanced mutual trust in dialogue and effectively addressed differences in other border and sea-related matters. With the effective implementation of the treaty, people of both nations living along the shared borderline have stabilised their lives, coexisted harmoniously and had close bonds. The China-Viet Nam border has become one of the worlds most peaceful, stable, and harmonious border areas, with vibrant trade exchanges and people-to-people interactions, said Xiong. The diplomat recalled then General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trongs trip to the Huu Nghi (Friendship) - Youyi Guan international border gate in August 2023, during which the leader stressed that in the world, there is only one border area here where the border gate is named with the two words Huu Nghi, making it unique globally. This vividly reflects the friendly exchanges at the border area between the two countries, he said, adding that it is a peaceful and secure border area that both can truly be proud of. As the year 2025 will mark the 75th founding anniversary of China-Viet Nam diplomatic relations, Xiong held that both countries should continue to steadfastly implement the strategic orientations set forth by the top leaders of the two Parties; persist with the political guidance provided by the relationship between the two Parties for the two countries; support each other in following the path of socialism suitable to each countrys situation; and work together to further promote and deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and build a Viet Nam-China community with a shared future, which carries strategic significance. The two countries should persist with cooperation in all aspects, as in the coming time, there are more opportunities for bilateral cooperation than challenges, the diplomat noted. Both countries should work together to maintain a peaceful and stable environment to create favourable conditions for each countrys development, he said, believing that both nations treasure justice, fairness and rightness based on principles of international law, equality, and mutual benefit. The Joint Statement 2023 outlines the "six major goals", including better management and settlement of differences. Therefore, the two nations must adhere to the common perceptions reached by the senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries, under which the two sides should pursue consultation and persistent dialogue to control and address differences, and to prevent differences from affecting the overall relationship, dispersing the efforts of both sides, or harming the sentiments of the two nations' people, the ambassador said. VNS BANGKOK Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang affirmed Viet Nam's strong commitment to and effective contributions to the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) at the 9th MLC Foreign Ministers Meeting in Chiang Mai (Thailand) on Friday. The event saw the participation of representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, China and Viet Nam. Hang, who was authorised by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son to lead a Vietnamese delegation to the meeting, highlighted five key achievements and contributions of the cooperation mechanism in recent times, including closer coordination mechanisms, more effective and practical cooperation, broader areas of collaboration, deeper involvement of various social sectors, and more tangible benefits for the people. She made several important proposals to realise the development vision endorsed by the Mekong-Lancang leaders, emphasising that a modern and developed Mekong-Lancang region must be built on the foundation of ensuring seamless trade, investment, and connectivity among the member countries. Hang underlined the need to expand markets, strengthen sustainable supply chains, promote transport infrastructure connectivity, prioritise enhancing scientific and technological capabilities and foster innovation by effectively implementing the Mekong-Lancang Innovation Corridor. To build a green, sustainable, and inclusive Mekong-Lancang region, the member countries need to closely coordinate in managing and using natural resources and responding to climate change, she said. The official affirmed that Viet Nam supports the initiative to further strengthen Mekong-Lancang cooperation on water resources, and proposed the countries strengthen collaboration in flood and drought management, share hydrological data, conduct joint research, and consider establishing a Mekong-Lancang Water Day to raise awareness of sustainable management, use, and protection of the water resources in the region. The Mekong-Lancang cooperation should continue to contribute to fostering friendly neighbourly relations and deep ties among the people of the six countries, while promoting a people-centered approach, Hang stressed, noting that this should serve as a foundation for the development of Mekong-Lancang cooperation in the next phase. Towards the 10th founding anniversary of the Mekong-Lancang cooperation mechanism in 2025, Viet Nam proposed strengthening and further diversifying people-to-people and youth exchanges, and connections between localities and businesses, and seeking new cooperation initiatives from the six countries young people, she said. Viet Nam's proposals and contributions were applauded by other countries and included in documents on the Mekong-Lancang cooperation orientation in the future. With the theme Towards a Safer and Cleaner Mekong-Lancang Community, the member countries proposed many new ideas to seize opportunities from new development trends in digital transformation, green transformation, scientific and technological advances, and application of artificial intelligence to serve development. Participants applauded Thailand and China, as co-chairs of the Mekong-Lancang cooperation mechanism, for promoting the organisaiton of the meeting to assess the implementation of directions approved by leaders of the six countries at the Mekong-Lancang Summit in December 2023, and to advance the Action Plan for Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation in 2023-2027. The countries agreed to boost connectivity by developing rail, road, and air transport systems, ensure stable supply chains, promote smart and sustainable agriculture, strengthen climate change resilience, mitigate natural disasters, reduce air pollution, and combat cross-border crimes. Sustainable water management remains a top priority at the meeting. The countries reaffirmed their commitments to effectively implement the action plan and supported Viet Nam's proposal to host the 2nd Mekong-Lancang Ministers' Meeting on water resources cooperation in 2025. The meeting issued a joint press communique and approved three new initiatives on enhancing cooperation in water resources management, building a clean environment, and combating cross-border crimes. The 10th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting will be held in China in 2025, aiming to boost the Mekong-Lancang cooperation, thus contributing to peace, stability, and prosperous and sustainable development in the region. VNS BEIJING Through the upcoming China visit by Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, the two countries will work more closely on a new journey to build a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, said Ling Dequan, a researcher at Chinas Centre for World Affairs Studies. The visit is also expected to actively lift the relations between the two Parties and countries to a new height, he added. Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency in Beijing on the threshold of the visit, Ling, an expert on Vietnamese issues and former head of Xinhua News Agency's bureau in Ha Noi, noted that China is the first foreign destination that the Vietnamese top leader visits since he was elected as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV). This fully demonstrates that the leader and the CPV Central Committee will inherit late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's political legacy, attach great importance to continuing to uphold the revolutionary friendship between the two countries and reinforcing the traditional solidarity and friendly cooperation between the two Parties and countries, he said. According to the scholar, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and other Party and State leaders of China, will host the Vietnamese top leader to discuss the plan to enhance mutual political trust and further deepen the comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties and countries in the new situation. The comprehensive, complementary, and win-win cooperation between China and Viet Nam, the two neighbours 'linked by mountains and rivers' with high cooperation potential across all fields, will help effectively promote the cause of socialist building and modernisation in each country. This not only conforms to the profound aspiration of the people of the two countries but also brings practical benefits to them, Ling underscored. The researcher said that currently, the two countries are striving to realise the outcomes of the historic visit by General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to Viet Nam last year. The building of the China-Viet Nam Community with a shared future that carries strategic significance has seen a good start. The visit by the Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President, an old friend and a good comrade of China, to China has drawn great attention and received positive evaluation from the people of the two countries, as well as public opinion from the regional and international community, he added. Ling said he believes that meetings between the two Party and State leaders of Viet Nam and China will produce new important results and lead to new steady steps forward, further deepening the building of the community with a shared future with strategic significance. The two countries are walking together on the path of socialist modernisation with their exclusive characteristics and will actively contribute to peace, stability, development and prosperity of the region and the world at large, the expert underlined. VNS HA NOI Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat Luong Cuong hosted a delegation from the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) led by General Secretary Paulo Raimundo in Ha Noi on Friday. Cuong affirmed that the PCP delegation's visit will help further strengthen the traditional solidarity between the two Parties, the friendship and all-round cooperative ties between the states and peoples of Viet Nam and Portugal, heading to the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2025. He thanked the PCP for its support and close comradeship with the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) over the years and briefed the guests about Viet Nam's major achievements and experience after nearly 40 years of oi Moi (Renewal). He affirmed that the CPV is steadfast in Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thought, determined to realise the goals set by the 13th National Party Congress to become a developing country with modern industry and upper middle income by 2030, and a developed country with high income by 2045. For his part, Raimundo showed his admiration for the important achievements in economic development and social progress that Viet Nam has achieved through the oi Moi process under the leadership of the CPV. The PCP leader affirmed that the success and lessons of Viet Nam during the cause of oi Moi and socialism progress provide valuable experience for the CPC in the struggle for democracy, progress and socialism in Portugal. Underlining that the PCP always attaches great importance to the traditional solidarity with the CPV, Raimundo stressed his wish to continue making contributions to the sound friendship and cooperation between the two Parties, countries and peoples, and, together with the CPV, to consolidate the international communist and workers' movement. VNA/VNS HA NOI Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai has emphasised the purposes and significance of the upcoming state visit to the neighbouring country by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam. In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the top leaders visit from August 18-20, Mai said this is the first trip abroad by Party General Secretary and State President Lam in his new position, and that it demonstrates the great importance the Vietnamese Party and State attach to the development of the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. Mai added that the visit takes place at a key point in time for each Party and country as well as the Viet Nam-China relations. Viet Nam is exerting efforts to successfully realise the goals and tasks set out in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress; review the 40 years of oi Moi (Renewal) and prepare for the 14th Congress. Meanwhile, China is stepping up the implementation of development tasks and goals, and conducting intensive reforms as identified at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China. The Viet Nam-China relations have maintained positive development momentum and recorded various important achievements across all aspects over the past time. The two sides have agreed to continue deepening and elevating their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and build a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, striving for the happiness of their people, and for humankinds peace and progress. The diplomat noted that Lams visit will offer an opportunity for the high-ranking leaders of the two parties and countries to continue having more in-depth strategic exchanges and identify major directions and measures to promote the bilateral relations, making them more stable, substantive and effective in the time ahead. Mai said both Viet Nam and China have been attaching great importance to the visit, and they have made thorough preparations in terms of both agenda and contents. Party General Secretary and State President Lam will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, and meet other high-ranking leaders of China, according to the diplomat. The two sides will inform each other of the situation of each Party and country, and have in-depth discussions on how to further strengthen and deepen the bilateral ties, including promoting regular high-level exchanges, further consolidating political trust, pushing ahead with the effective implementation of high-level common perceptions and agreements signed, expanding and improving the efficiency and quality of cooperation fields following the six major orientations", and deepening the bilateral cooperation, with more practical results to be reaped, for the sake of the two peoples. The ambassador stressed that the visit takes place at a very special point in time, in the year that marks the centenary of President Ho Chi Minhs arrival in Guangzhou from Moscow for revolutionary activities. While there, President Ho Chi Minh and other Vietnamese revolutionaries received wholehearted support and help from the Chinese Party and people. Therefore, the visit will also offer a chance for the two sides to recall the development history of the relations between the two Parties and countries, continuing to inherit and bring into play their traditional friendship. It also shows that Viet Nam always treasures and is grateful to China for its valuable assistance in the past struggle for national liberation, as well as its current national construction and development. According to the diplomat, over the past time, economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Viet Nam and China has maintained robust development momentum. Viet Nam remains Chinas largest trade partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is its fifth largest in the globe, while China is Viet Nams largest trade partner, largest import market, and second biggest export market. Two-way trade reached US$171.9 billion in 2023, and $112.6 billion USD in the first seven months of this year. Meanwhile, Chinas direct investment in Viet Nam amounted to $4.47 billion in 2023 and $1.524 billion in January-July 2024. Vietnamese ambassador Mai said the two countries have many opportunities and ample potential to expand their ties in these areas, as they are both conducting reforms, intensifying integration, striving for high-quality development, pursuing industrialisation and modernisation, and given the positive momentum in bilateral relations. Regarding trade, he suggested that both sides need to continue with efforts to maintain a stable, balanced, and sustainable growth trend; actively work for the early completion of procedures for the export of Vietnamese products, particularly agricultural and aquatic ones, to China; and tap into new and potential markets in China's northern, northeastern, eastern, central, and western regions. It is also important to leverage and make the most of signed cooperation agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area, and various trade fair mechanisms like the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), and the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) to connect the two countries enterprises, said Mai. In addition, both sides need to further facilitate trade by enhancing road and rail connectivity in association with maritime transport; making the most of e-commerce, upgrading logistics systems; improve cargo customs clearance efficiency through cooperation in building border trade infrastructure, particularly smart border gate pairs; maintaining and ensuring the smooth operation of the supply chain between the two countries; and strengthen cooperation in standardisation to ensure harmonised standards for goods and products of both Viet Nam and China. Regarding investment, the ambassador proposed the two sides further explore collaboration potential in areas such as high-quality agriculture, innovation, infrastructure, digital economy, and green energy. Viet Nam welcomes and is willing to provide a healthy and stable investment environment for reputable and capable Chinese companies to invest in Viet Nam, Mai said, adding that there are also significant opportunities for mutual support and enhancement in various sectors, particularly in border infrastructure, road and rail infrastructure, and high-tech projects. The ambassador also noted the need to collaborate to handle obstacles in some existing investment projects to create a positive environment for new cooperation deals. He expressed his belief that based on the existing advantages, potential, needs, and the foundation of the bilateral relations, along with the joint determination and efforts of the two Parties, countries, and peoples, the bilateral economic, trade, and investment cooperation will continue to develop and achieve even greater successes, aligned with the significance of the current Viet Nam-China relations. Regarding local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, the diplomat affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State consistently support and create conditions for Vietnamese localities and people to further enhance exchanges and cooperation with their counterparts in China, in order to contribute to the effective implementation of high-level agreements and perceptions, and to strengthen and consolidate the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Viet Nam and China, in accordance with the aspirations and interests of both peoples. He stressed that local cooperation has become an increasingly important part of bilateral ties, given the close proximity and convenient transport of the two countries, citing as examples annual exchange mechanisms of border provinces. People-to-people exchanges also prosper, such as the regular Viet Nam-China peoples forum and friendship exchange of young people, helping deepen mutual understanding and solidify the social foundation of bilateral ties. Cultural, educational, and tourism cooperation has yielded a lot of encouraging results. Currently, there are over 23,000 Vietnamese students living and studying in China. The number of Chinese tourists to Viet Nam continues to rise, reaching approximately 2.1 million in the first seven months of 2024, Mai stated. I believe that along with the stable and positive momentum in the relations between the two Parties and countries, local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges will continue to be a highlight in bilateral ties, and will become one of the driving forces behind the development of the Viet Nam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, said the ambassador. VNS HA NOI A mid-term review conference was held in the central province of Nghe An on Friday to examine the implementation of the Viet Nam-Laos cooperation plan 2024 and the bilateral cooperation plan for 2021-2025. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong, Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam-Laos Cooperation Committee, said the two sides have basically achieved the six-month targets set in this years cooperation plan, thus substantially contributing to political stability, socio-economic development, and defence-security safeguarding in each country, along with the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. Bilateral relations have been growing well, he noted, elaborating that their political trust has been unceasingly consolidated as seen in frequent meetings in various forms, especially President To Lams visit to Laos on July 13-14, and Viet Nams active support for Laos to hold the ASEAN Chairmanship 2024, the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), and other high-level meetings. Defence and security cooperation has continued to be carried out properly, helping maintain political stability, defence, security, and social order and safety in each nation. The shared borderline remains stable. The two sides have also worked together to effectively fight hostile forces and transnational crimes. Meanwhile, he added that more progress has been recorded in investment partnerships. Many investment projects of Vietnamese businesses in Laos are operating efficiently, thereby contributing to local socio-economic development, especially in the fields of telecommunications, banking, rubber cultivation and processing, along with food and milk production. The two governments have also issued strong directions to tackle difficulties facing their businesses. In the first seven months of 2024, Viet Nams registered investment in Laos increased 39.5 per cent year on year to US$36.7 million. Bilateral trade in this years first half rose 11.1 per cent to reach $927.8 million, comprising $289.2 million in Viet Nams exports to and $638.6 million in imports from Laos, respectively up 7.4 per cent and 12.9 per cent. In terms of transport and construction cooperation, the two sides inked memoranda of understanding on feasibility studies while field surveys are being conducted for some projects such as the expressway linking Vientiane and Ha Noi and the Vientiane-Tha Khek-Tan Ap-Vung Ang rail route. They are also stepping up the implementation of the agreements and protocols on investment cooperation to develop Terminals 1, 2, and 3 of Vung Ang Port, according to Phuong. Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Phet Phomphiphak, Chairman of the Laos-Viet Nam Cooperation Committee, shared views on some international and domestic issues of common concern, as well as the implementation of the cooperation plans for 2024 and 2021-2025. At the meeting, Phuong affirmed Viet Nams consistent policy of attaching importance to and giving top priority to the maintenance and development of the two countries special ties. He highlighted that in the time ahead, both sides should continue grasping the content of their high-ranking leaders agreements, the minutes of the two Politburos annual meetings, and the annual cooperation plan between the two governments. They should also work together to augment ministries, sectors, localities, and agencies efforts to carry out this years cooperation plan. Viet Nam and Laos should keep enhancing political and diplomatic collaboration so as to substantively intensify the political relationship to outline the general orientation for bilateral ties, he noted. In addition, they need to promote the cooperation pillar of defence-security; coordinate closely to maintain political stability, security, and social order and safety in each country, particularly along the borderline; foster economic connectivity; and improve cooperation effectiveness in other spheres, Phuong said. VNS A life-size Barbie box will be available for photos. Bucketlisters Houston offers a range of events this weekend, catering to diverse interests. From the Malibu Barbie Cafe pop-up and Houston Astros' Hall of Fame weekend to cultural performances and live concerts, heres a look at some of the top events happening around the city. Malibu Barbie Cafe The Malibu Barbie Cafe is coming to Houston in August. Bucketlisters The family-friendly Malibu Barbie Cafe pop-up will feature a unique dining experience with a retro roller rink. Guests can enjoy a fast-casual menu by chef Becky Brown, plus exclusive merchandise and interactive activities. Roller skate rentals are $1, with proceeds benefiting Girls INC. Special events, including Cupcake Decorating Classes, Paint Parties and 21+ Skate Nights, will also be offered. Tickets are $25 each and include a $10 food and $5 merchandise credit for a 90-minute reservation. Children younger than 2 years old do not need a ticket. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When: Aug. 16-Oct. 27 Advertisement Article continues below this ad Where: Junction HTX, 8200 Washington MORE FROM ANA KHAN: Oracle Red Bull Racing brings Formula 1 action to downtown Houston Astros' Hall of Fame weekend Houston Astros fans at Minute Maid Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer The Astros will play the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park. The weekend will feature the induction of the 2024 class into the Astros Hall of Fame, including Ken Caminiti and Rene Cardenas, with a pregame induction ceremony on Saturday. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for special promotions and events. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When: 7:10 p.m. Aug. 16, 6:10 p.m. Aug. 17 and 1:10 p.m. Aug. 18 Where: Minute Maid Park, 501 Crawford Incredible India: Krishnaa - Fire to Frost Miller Outdoor Theatre and Indian Performing Arts Samskriti present 'Incredible India: Krishnaa: Fire to Frost.' Courtesy of Miller Outdoor Theatre Samskriti, with support from the Consulate of India in Houston, presents "Incredible India 2024," featuring the Abhinava Dance Company in "Krishnaa: Fire to Frost." This performance tells the story of Draupadi from the Mahabharata through narration, song and dance, with Krishna as the narrator. Choreographed by Nirupama and Rajendra, the show includes 21 artists performing in Bharatanatyam and Kathak styles. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When: 8:30 p.m. Aug. 16 Where: Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive Miller Summer Mixtape Houston's Miller Outdoor Theatre hosts their Summer Mixtape Series. Leroy Gibbins Miller Outdoor Theatre presents "Miller Summer Mixtape 24," showcasing Houstons local music scene. The event features a mix of genres, including psychedelic funk, rock, norteno and hip-hop, with performances by Kam Franklin, EZ Band, Skyrah Bliss, Shelby Ruger, DJ Kardiac and DJ Michele McKnight. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When: 8 p.m. Aug. 17 Where: Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive Paul Wall & Lil Keke in Concert Paul Wall has been a key figure in Houston's hip-hop scene. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Houstons Lil Keke and Paul Wall will perform at the Home Run Dugout for a Houston-themed night, joined by other local artists. The event will also feature an exotic and custom car show, exclusive merchandise and more. When: 3 p.m. Aug. 18 o Quang Tuan Hoang SOC TRANG Tran Van Kha, 33, who grew up in a poverty-stricken family, has overcome numerous life challenges to receive three full scholarships and nurture a passion for cooking, aspiring to help other impoverished children transform their lives, just as he did. When Kha was young, his father worked tirelessly transporting rice for a plant, earning just VN20,000-30,000 (US$0.7-1,2) daily. His mother, in poor health, was unable to undertake heavy labour and as the eldest child, Kha spent his after-school hours selling lottery tickets to support his family. Kha, who lived in Hamlet 5A, Ba Trinh Commune, Ke Sach District in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, sold 40 to 50 tickets daily. At that time, each ticket cost just VN2,000 ($0.07). In 2006, during his 10th grade, the price of lottery tickets increased to VN10,000 ($0.3) each, which improved Khas earnings. However, by the middle of 11th grade, due to severe financial difficulties, Kha had to leave school to support his family. In 2009, Kha moved to Can Tho City and sought help from the Thien An Social Assistance Centre in Long Hoa Ward, Binh Thuy District, hoping to learn a trade. Recognising his passion for cooking, particularly baking, Tran Bach Yen, the centre's director, enrolled him in a short-term cooking course. Challenges and opportunities After completing the course, Kha began working at a restaurant in Can Tho City. He earned only VN900,000 ($36) a month, primarily washing dishes and preparing chicken and fish, without the opportunity to cook. Once, I opened a chicken coop and accidentally let the chickens escape. I couldnt catch them and had my wages deducted, he said. On another occasion, an oxygen pump malfunctioned, causing the shrimp in a tank to die in the restaurant he worked in. Then he was fired. He was devastated and had to look for another job. Seeing Khas passion and determination, Yen helped him to apply at the Know One Teach One (KOTO) Saigon training centre in HCM City. In 2010, Kha received his first full scholarship for a two-year culinary course at the centre, which provides hospitality training for disadvantaged youth and issued certificates from the Box Hill Institute in Melbourne, Australia. After graduating in 2012, Kha gained confidence working at prestigious hotels and restaurants in the city, such as the Reverie Saigon, Windsor Plaza Hotel, and 1960 Club. Throughout his culinary career in the city, Kha also faced hardships. Early on, he had to commute by bicycle due to a lack of funds for a motorbike, enduring heavy rain and feeling disheartened. (The distance from his home to the workplace was about 9km). Fortunately, a restaurant owner gave him a salary so he could buy a motorbike to go to work. While working at the Reverie Saigon, misunderstandings with the head chef led to disputes, resulting in Kha being moved to the pizza department, but this, too, turned out to be a fortunate shift, as he then mastered the art of making Italian-style pizza. Success In 2016, after years of honing his skills and improving his English, Kha was awarded a full two-year scholarship from the Box Hill Institute to study pastry making in Australia, valued at AUD40,000 ($26,500). In Australia, Kha combined his studies with work at a fine dining restaurant, Meat and Wine Co, where he also advised on desserts. Upon completing his studies in 2018, Kha returned to HCM City and achieved significant career advancement. He progressed from deputy head chef at Pasteur Street Brewing Company, to director of training at the Viet Nam-Australia Vocational Colleague, lecturer in culinary arts and baking and career advisor. Kha has also supported many disadvantaged youths pursuing careers in cooking and baking at the school through the Jamie Kitchen programme (Jamie being Khas Western name). A vocational centre for poor children Kha envisions creating a culinary training centre for underprivileged children in Viet Nam. He said he believed the initiative would provide the children with skills to secure a livelihood and assist those around them. To realise his dream, Kha acknowledged the need for further knowledge and skills. In January 2024, Kha applied for a scholarship from the South Australian state administration. In the application, he told them about his dream to build a centre for poor children. Four months later, he was selected as one of 20 international students to receive a full scholarship valued at AUD45,000 ($29,800) for a three-year bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management. The course will provide Kha with extensive knowledge in human resource management, financial management, and, specifically, business model management in the hospitality and events sectors. On July 19, Tran Van Kha left for Australia for his second study stint. Khas current dream is to establish a vocational training centre for disadvantaged children in Viet Nam, once he has completed his studies in Australia. Nguyen Ha Phuong, Business Development Director at the Viet Nam-Australia Vocational Colleague, said professionally, Kha had demonstrated exceptional skills through his previous scholarship to Australia and his working time at the school. Kha said he was always grateful to Yen, who has supported him in pursuing his passion. So, he regularly returns to the Thien An Social Assistance Centre to share his experiences and assist children in similar situations to his own in the past. Kha said he hoped to inspire young people with his passion for cooking. Pursuing a career in cooking is indeed challenging and demanding. Challenges help us identify and rectify our weaknesses. Dreams fuel our motivation and help us achieve our goals daily, he said. VNS ONG NAI ong Nai Province is fostering organic and high-tech agriculture to mostly meet export requirements. The southeastern province is prioritising 10 organic agriculture projects over the next several years to produce rice, vegetables, pepper, cashew, grapefruit, durian, mango, pork, and poultry, and develop linkages between stakeholders producing, processing and selling them. Under its plan for until 2030 it targets having 1,323ha of organic farming areas, or 0.5 per cent of its total area under agriculture. It includes raising cattle, pigs, poultry, and goats based on organic methods besides black-tiger shrimp, fish, mud crab, oysters, and other brackish water aquatic species in mangrove forests. It aims to increase the value of organic agriculture by 1.5-2 times over traditional agriculture, ensure the health and safety of farmers and protect biodiversity and the environment. Under the plan, authorities have identified eight concentrated organic farming areas in Tan Phu, inh Quan, Vinh Cuu, Xuan Loc, Nhon Trach, and Cam My districts. The province will implement various measures to meet the plans targets, including developing human resources and rolling out support policies. Nguyen Van Thang, deputy director of the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the province has nine certified organic farming models covering 28.7ha and 98 high-tech farming areas covering 18,970ha. It also has 59,754ha of farming areas with semi-auto irrigation, uses machinery and applies good agriculture practices (GAP) standards, he said. Some 27.5 per cent of its livestock farms are air-conditioned and closed and use automatic feeding systems. The province encourages farmers to develop organic and high-tech agriculture. Its farmers' associations at all levels have undertaken advocacy activities to encourage members to undertake organic and high-tech agriculture. Last year they involved 238,000 farmers but also agricultural officials. Development Cam My is one of the provinces districts that actively encourages farmers to develop safe farming models, including organic. It has efficient support policies for organic agriculture, and this has attracted many farmers and companies. Chinh uc Durian Co-operative Group in the districts Song Ray Commune has 23 members who grow a total of 40ha of durian using organic methods. The group uses high-tech farming methods, including the use of a drone to spray organic fertilisers and plant-protection drugs. Tran Van uc, its head, said the application of advanced techniques for safe farming has helped farmers save expenses on fertilisers, drugs and labour and ensure prompt pest treatment. According to its People's Committee, the district has 178ha of durian that uses one automatic facility for irrigation, fertilisation, and spraying plant protection drugs. It has 300ha of land with VietGAP certification and another 400ha are seeking to adopt GAP standards, mostly for growing durian, avocado and grapefruit. It also has 300ha of pepper planted to safe standards that meet the requirements for exporting to the EU. It is a leading district in developing large-scale pepper fields that spread over thousands of hectares each. Nguyen Ngoc Luan, director of the Lam San Pepper Co-operative in the district, said members grow clean pepper on pooled large-scale fields, and their produce is exported to the EU. The potential for clean pepper exports is enormous and the co-operative hopes for support policies, especially soft loans, to expand farming areas and increase exports. The province has encouraged the development of linkages between various stakeholders in agriculture to improve production efficiency, sales and product value. In inh Quan District, local authorities have called for developing such linkages for rice, corn, durian, cacao, grapefruit, and banana on a total of 2,200ha. It has established linkages between eight companies and four co-operatives. Tran Ba at, secretary of the inh Quan District Party Committee, said: inh Quan has potential for developing high-tech and organic agriculture. The district would cooperate with relevant departments and agencies to instruct farmers in applying advanced farming techniques and developing modern agriculture, he said. It would focus on developing circular agriculture, boosting digital transformation in agricultural production and applying advanced farming techniques, he added. The province has exported its products to a number of markets, including the EU and China. It exported more than 120,000 tonnes of banana worth VN1.4 trillion ($56 million) and 47,000 tonnes of durian worth VN3.3 trillion ($130 million) to China last year. It has 220 products rated three-star and above in the countrys One Commune One Product programme. Its agriculture, forestry and fishery production value was nearly VN49 trillion ($1.95 billion) last year, an increase of 3.6 per cent from 2023. VNS HA NOI Representatives from local small and medium enterprises, who benefited from the technical assistance from an NGO in the Mekong Delta, went to see it being officially wrapped up by the Swiss Embassy. The project, Biotrade, managed by the Swiss agency Helvetas, a centre for rural economic development, a local NGO, helped smaller businesses over the past eight years. "Eight years ago, we started out with strong presence of Myanmar companies, but after eight years, Vietnamese companies really caught up and arrived successfully," Swiss Ambassador Thomas Gass told Viet Nam News at the event. Titled, 'Cultivating a Greener Future', the event reviewed the success of the regional project that spanned five countries including Viet Nam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, to conserve biodiversity through sustainable trade in biodiversity-based products. Bringing in benefits for over 50,000 people, income for mostly ethnic women in rural and remote areas, it also created new jobs and improved their working conditions. Endowed with CHF8,5 million in 2016, (nearly US$10 million) investment over two four-year phases and with Cambodia joining in only from second phase, the project ended with accumulated trade volume up to $161 million, with more than 50 companies getting involved. "It is really a remarkable achievement," the Ambassador told the press in both English and French at the meeting. Biotrade is an economic model leveraging the strength of ethical international trade, ethical consumption trends, and encourage equitable economic growth to reduce poverty, yet preserving local biodiversity. The key approach of this model is to connect local exporters of bio-diversity-based products to global market chains. Starting out with the biodiversity product of Shan tea in Myanmar, eight years later the list of products grew to include non-timber forest products, spices and agricultural products that construct local agro-ecosystems. Participating companies needed to comply with Voluntary Sustainability Standards of Union for Ethical Biotrade on ethical sourcing and facilitating their participation in international trade fairs. From the tea at the beginning, today the number of ethically-sourced value chains is 32, including tea, cinnamon, cashews, benzoin and other bio-diversity-based products. Biotrade helped usher many enterprises in Viet Nam, where an accumulated number of 46,000 stakeholders benefited, with more than half of them being women living in remote areas. Biotrade helped small and medium enterprises turn their limited assets into strength by providing technical assistance to focus on their biodiversity-based products to get into niche markets and thrive. In the case of cinammon in Viet Nam, Yen Bai Province government authorities implemented a subsidy, a direct payment to companies to gear farmers from conventional growing methods towards organic, following a policy dialogue initiated by the Biotrade project. Since the project spanned through the COVID years of 2020 until 2022, the impact it brought to local people and companies has been truly remarkable. Among the other companies helped by the Biotrade project, DACE, a Vietnamese business in the spice industry, started operations with a clear vision and ambitious goals to bring Vietnamese spices to global markets, which are full of opportunities and challenges. DACE decided to build a sustainable raw material area and comply with organic standards, taking it from there. DACE has been provided with sustainable development, taking part in training programmes and using market research to get to know global consumer trends. It got approved EU organic certification in 2018 which opened the doors to European markets for its spices. In 2020, DACE exported products to the United States for the first time, having obtained USDA certification. Subsequently, the company expanded its export operations, increasing its customer base and export value in the organic goods market. DACE even got involved deeper with certain market requirements, such as the German market, which requires Naturland certificationa certification that combines organic production standards with sustainable elements and biodiversitywhich became the next target. Access to the German organic market through Biotrade's trade promotion support, including participation in the BioFach organic fair and connections with major German organic distributors Chado and Soul Spice, has reinforced DACE's determination to succeed. In early 2023, DACE became one of the first Vietnamese businesses in the spice industry to achieve Naturland certification. DACE has seen its raw material area significantly grow, expanding from 75 hectares with 254 farmer households in 2017, to 2,300 hectares and 3,014 farmer households in 2024. Tran Van Hieu, CEO of DACE, said: "The Biotrade project has provided substantial support to DACE in developing our capabilities and promoting the company's sustainable growth. This assistance has been instrumental in achieving an annual growth rate of at least 20 per cent over the past seven years. "DACE products are present in the majority of the world's major organic agricultural product consumer markets, including the EU, Japan, the UK, the USA, Australia and others particularly within specialised organic product chains." At the project closing event, Ambassador Grass stressed that it meant that: "The purpose of international development cooperation is no longer needed". That local people can function on their own knowing how to preserve biodiversity of their community, while local companies now have the passport to global consumer markets and cater to practice ethically sourced agricultural biodiversity-based products. Last April, Director of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) Christan Hofer met with Viet Nam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the 4th global conference of the One Planet Network's Sustainable Food Systems Programme (SFS Programme), confirming both sides commitment to facilitate trade while improving local livelihoods and preserving biodiversity. Over the past 30 years, Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) began to help improve local livelihoods by helping farmers with crop techniques. In the early 2000s, Switzerland helped farmers to get better access to markets for agricultural produce, which then included tea, cinnamon and star anise. At the event, Ambassador Grass emphasised once again the importance to protect biodiversity, the fundamental requirement for everyone to thrive on and live in harmony with surrounding nature. By creating trade to bring ethically-sourced products to where they can be sold to consumers, people who produced them get paid, creating jobs, making their lives better. Ambassador Grass also highlighted the ongoing negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Viet Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), hoping that once concluded, this FTA will further expand the market for Biotrade products, creating even more opportunities for businesses and partners. The Biotrade project may closed for the time being, but its impact shall continue to expand to other communities and people, who also need to develop their communities in a sustainable way to preserve biodiversity for everyone on earth to thrive on. VNS Phan Duc Hieu, standing member of the Economic Committee of the National Assembly The comment was shared by Phan Duc Hieu, a standing member of the National Assembly's Economic Committee, at a VIR conference themed Tax Amendments to Promote Business Activities on August 14. During the conference, Hieu clarified five points that should be addressed before the SCT on alcohol is amended. Along with the two plans already put forward, we should add an alternative that would be applied over the next two or three years so that businesses and manufacturers have enough time to adapt, Hieu said. Secondly, policymakers need to clarify the maximum tax level to be applied by 2030. If it is too high, it will impact business operations, causing a drop in their revenue and, in turn, less revenue for the state from taxes. The new SCT should also be calculated on a scientific basis, he said. Hieu went on to outline different tax levels for beer and alcohol. Alcohol-free beer should be exempt from the SCT, while alcoholic beer should be taxed at a lower rate than wine and spirits. This proposal may encourage manufacturers to accelerate the study of products which are less harmful to health, he said. Hieu also emphasised the importance of reviewing import taxes for alcohol to create a fair playground for local products. Another proposal was to increase the role of state management by punishing trade fraud and controlling the quality of home-brewed alcohol. Any decision to increase taxes requires careful consideration of the social impact. Maintaining the existing policy for the next few years is one of the most sustainable solutions, and has received public support. Businesses and economists also believe it would help the government to maintain revenue sources in the current difficult period, said Hieu. In addition, more than ever, this is a time when the alcohol, beer, and beverage industry needs support and cooperation from the state to maintain and stabilise production, ensuring jobs. Many businesses producing Vietnamese-branded products have spent many years gaining their reputation in the domestic market, and have been gradually reaching out to the world market. In the current difficult context, we need appropriate policies for businesses to adapt, or they could lose their positions and potentially leave the market, he said. VBA requests amendments to the draft on special consumption tax Although the Vietnam Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Association supports the government's policy on amending the special consumption tax, it has suggested a reduction in the amount of tax to be increased and a reasonable extension of the timeline to stabilise the market. A holistic approach to the increase of special consumption tax on beer and spirits A holistic approach should be taken to setting a new limit and timeline for a special consumption tax on beer and alcohol. Sudden increase in special consumption tax fails to change consumer behaviour At a conference themed, Tax Amendments to Promote Business Activities hosted by VIR on August 14, Nguyen Van Phung, former director of the Department of Tax Administration at Large Enterprises, argued that abrupt tax increases do not alter consumer behaviour, suggesting a need to combine tax measures with administrative approaches. Changing trends in alcoholic beverage consumption in Vietnam Vietnamese consumers are increasingly favouring drinks brands that prioritise health and environmental sustainability. Official figures from the General Statistics Office (GSO) have reported that in the first seven months of this year, total trade turnover between Vietnam and China hit an estimated $112.6 billion, with exports from Vietnam reaching $33.4 billion up 7.6 per cent on-year, and exports from China coming at $79.2 billion up nearly $35 per cent as compared to the same period last year. The trade ties between Vietnam and China are expected to be spurred on by the new ACFTA upgrade and the RCEP Meanwhile, fresh figures from the Ministry of Planning and Investment showed that cumulatively as of July 20, Chinese businesses had nearly 4,760 valid projects registered at $28.55 billion in Vietnam making China the sixth-largest foreign investor. In the January-July 20 period, total newly registered and newly added capital and stake acquisition and capital contributions from Chinese investors in Vietnam stood at $1.65 billion. According to the GSO, bilateral trade and Chinese investment into Vietnam are expected to continue rising at least from next year following the expected adoption of a new version of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), in addition to positive impacts from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). We reaffirmed ASEANs commitment to achieve meaningful progress of the negotiation in line with ASEANs interest in order to reach substantial conclusion of the ACFTA 3.0 upgrade within this year, stated the joint communique of the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting organised in late July in Laos. Relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies are now working with ASEAN member states and China about how version 3.0 will work and help enterprises after being adopted as scheduled at the end of this year. The ACFTA, which is the cornerstone of ASEAN-China relations, has removed tariffs for about 95 per cent of tariff lines of exports to China that originate from Vietnam. China has also done the same with ASEAN member states. The deals new version is set to create favourable market access and ensures a more predictable operating environment for services suppliers. It will also provide investors and investments with protection by establishing a more transparent, facilitative, and secure environment for investors. Under the upgrade negotiations, ASEAN member states and China will also address trends such as supply chain connectivity, digitalisation, and sustainability. The deals original version was established in 2010, with more than 90 per cent of the tax items of both sides enjoying zero tariff treatment, and was first upgraded in 2019. Deepened cooperation Under a joint statement released late last year during a two-day third state visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Vietnam and China agreed to boost the ACFTA upgrade which will help further sharpen the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and China. The two countries also agree to apply practical measures to expand the scale of bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable direction, while promoting the role of the RCEP and the AFCTA, and they will also expand the export of strong products from one country to another. On July 25, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Wang Huning, Chairman of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference National Committee. He stated that it is necessary to deepen practical cooperation in such areas as economy-trade, investment, and transport infrastructure connectivity between the two economies. Earlier at the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held last September in Guangxi province, PM Chinh said that ASEAN and China needed to strongly promote bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner, striving to turn the bloc into Chinas first trading partner with trade value exceeding $1 trillion. He also suggested coordinating to build linkage chains from raw material areas to production centres and product consumption systems, and continuing to open the market, combating protectionism, cooperating to improve adaptation ability to new standards and green products, while promoting science-technology cooperation and innovation. Vietnam wants to continue working with China and other ASEAN member states about quickly completing the negotiations of the ACFTA upgrade, PM Chinh stated. Last month, at a meeting initiated by the Network of ASEAN-China Think-Tanks Working Group on ASEAN-China cooperation on industrial and supply chains, Professor Gao Fei, vice president of China Foreign Affairs University, said that the trade and investment ties between ASEAN and China are on the rise, with Vietnam demonstrating its big advocacy for cooperation mechanisms between ASEAN and China. A number of initiatives including the RCEP and the ACFTA upgrade are testaments to our commitment to deepening economic integration and promoting a more interconnected and interdependent regional economy, Fei said. Great impacts Vietnam is on high hope that its trade and investment cooperation with China will be promoted via not only the ACFTA, but also the RCEP of which China and ASEAN are also members. According to the ASEAN Secretariat, China has retained its position as ASEANs largest trading partner since 2009, and ASEAN has become Chinas largest trading partner for three consecutive years since 2020. In 2023, trade volume between both reached a record of $702 billion, making China the largest trading partner of ASEAN for 15 consecutive years. Investment flows from China to ASEAN amounted to $15.5 billion in 2022, and equivalent to 6.9 per cent of total foreign direct investment flows to ASEAN. These positive results have been made significantly thanks to the RCEP. The biggest benefit from the deal is preferential tax rates, with zero tariff being applied on more than 90 per cent of goods traded by its members. The two-way trade between China and Vietnam has witnessed high growth thanks to the implementation of the RCEP and the ACFTA, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Last year, total two-way trade turnover between the two countries sat at $173.3 billion, with Vietnams exports worth $61.7 billion, up 6.4 per cent on-year, and Vietnams imports were valued at $111.6 billion, down 6.9 per cent on-year. China was responsible for one-quarter of Vietnams total trade in 2023, with 17.3 per cent of export turnover and 34 per cent of import value. Two months ago, PM Chinh met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Dalian city of Liaoning province, saying that the two countries should leverage the advantages of the RCEP and other cooperation mechanisms including the ACFTA to intensify trade and investment ties. They should also soon ink a protocol and complete market opening procedures for Vietnamese frozen durian and fresh coconut, as well as other types of agricultural products. PM Chinh also asked the Chinese side to create new advantages for the early establishment of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Office in Chengdu, Haikou, and Nanjing. In addition, Vietnam and China would also work on new measures to increase customs clearance efficiency, improve border gates infrastructure towards developing smart border gates, while also needing to work on removing bottlenecks of some cooperation projects. Premier Qiang stated that China will further open its market for Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural and aquatic products and high-quality fruits, while also boosting coordination in customs clearance and removing hurdles about policy so that both nations trade and investment cooperation can further develop. China and Vietnam will also increase strategic connectivity and cooperation, especially in infrastructure, transport, economic-trade and investment - particularly in manufacturing and processing, agriculture, supply chain, and financial and monetary cooperation. In May, PM Chinh met with 19 Chinese business representatives at a meeting in Hanoi that Vietnam prioritises projects involving in innovation, digital transformation, renewable energy, smart cities, manufacturing, and transport infrastructure. New projects should centre on developing a sustainable business model that includes Vietnamese businesses in the value and supply chains of regional and global corporations, the Vietnamese leader said. Opportunities for Vietnam from disrupted China-ASEAN ties The global trade war is expected to quicken the production shift to Vietnam as part of its spillover effect on China and the ASEAN, said Maybank Group in todays conference in Singapore. China-ASEAN Trade Index released for first time The China-ASEAN Trade Index was released for the first time during the ongoing 18th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held in Nanning - the capital city of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. China-ASEAN trade to get fresh booster An upgrade of the ASEAN-China free trade deal and positive impacts from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership are set to benefit Vietnam-China trade ties. Vietnam's master plan for development emphasises the importance of Ba Ria-Vung Tau's seaports as a gateway to the world's waterways. The Cai Mep - Thi Vai port complex in Ba Ria-Vung Tau According to the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence's CPPI ranking of 348 global container ports last June, the Cai Mep area container terminals in Ba Ria-Vung Tau ranked 32nd globally in capacity and 12th in the best performance index. To date, Cai Mep - Thi Vai, the key port area of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, has about 35 port berths, with 22 in operation, handling almost 118 million tonnes annually, including seven container ports with a capacity of 6.8 million TEU per year. The Gemalink international port in this region can accommodate the worlds largest container ships, with capacities up to 232,000DWT and over 24,000TEU. Additionally, this port area now has mother ship service routes directly to the US and Europe, providing more options for businesses and reducing logistics costs by eliminating transshipment. Data from the Maritime Administration of Vung Tau showed that as of the beginning of this year, 23 out of about 30 mother ships to the United States and Europe called at the Cai Mep seaport area. Speaking at a seminar organised by Ba Ria-Vung Tau Department of Transport and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs Department on July 31, Dao Duy Tam, deputy director of the Customs Control and Supervision Department, said, "To promote cargo flow through the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port complex, it is necessary to implement synchronous reforms, including seaport development planning, transport, modernisation, digitalisation, automation in port management and operation, and development of maritime logistics services, customs procedures, tax and fee policies." The seaport system in the Vung Tau - Cai Mep - Thi Vai area is currently connected via three main modes, including sea, road, and inland waterway. However, with the Long Thanh airport megaproject under construction and the future Bien Hoa - Vung Tau railway line, it will soon be connected to all five transport modes. The port system connects with the Southeast region via intra-regional rivers such as Cai Mep, Gio Gia, Dong Tranh, Long Tau, Nha Be, Saigon, and Dong Nai rivers. These routes share the maritime channel, allowing inland waterway vessels of up to 10,000 tonnes with a capacity of 300-400TEU. Once the Long Thanh airport and nearby railway are complete, Ba Ria-Vung Tau will be linked by five transport routes The 991B road project, extending almost 10km from Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway to the Cai Mep - Thi Vai inter-port road, is set to open in September. According to the Transportation Project Management Board of Cai Mep - Thi Vai Port Area, this project will enhance intra-regional transport connections and link with Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway, the Ben Luc - Long Thanh route, and Coastal Road 994 to Vung Tau - Binh Thuan. This road is also planned to connect with Long Thanh International Airport, expected to be completed in 2026, creating a logistics supply chain combining air-sea with Ba Ria-Vung Tau seaports, reducing cargo transportation time between the port and airport, minimising warehouse storage time, and cutting logistics costs for businesses. The Bien Hoa - Vung Tau railway line is in the pre-feasibility study phase and is expected to be built in two stages, with phase one from Bien Hoa to the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port complex, and phase two from the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port complex to Vung Tau. According to the Ministry of Transport, by 2050, the Bien Hoa - Thi Vai section will handle about 22.6 million tonnes of goods per year, while the Thi Vai - Vung Tau section will manage around 680,000 tonnes annually. In terms of logistics services, the province is promoting the construction of a free trade zone connected to the seaport in the Cai Mep Ha area and Cai Mep Ha Logistics Centre in Phu My. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs are developing a circular for piloting open ports, aiming to optimise operational capacity, maximise berth usage, and reduce logistics costs for import and export goods. Ba Ria-Vung Tau will offer incentives to boost operational capacity, maximise berth use, and cut logistics costs Regarding direct management procedures, Nguyen Thanh Sang, deputy director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs Department, said that a circular regulating customs supervision for goods transported between berths in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai container port complex is being developed. Accordingly, the circular will help businesses reduce time and costs while ensuring the supervision of goods, promoting goods circulation, and increasing revenue for the state budget. "Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs Department is focussed on avoiding time losses for businesses," Sang said. Furthermore, the Maritime Administration of Vung Tau has worked with Portcoast Consultant Corporation to develop digital solutions for Vung Tau seaport data. This ongoing project is expected to enhance transportation activities and infrastructure management by optimising ship berthing processes, reducing ship waiting times, ensuring safety in port operations, and forecasting equipment maintenance schedules. Ba Ria-Vung Tau is also planning to form four functional zones, including industry and seaports; tourism and coastal urban areas; agriculture and ecological balance; and marine and island areas. Among these, the industry and seaports zone is planned to be associated with the Cai Mep - Thi Vai industrial - seaport economic dynamic axis, thereby orienting the development of seaport industry and comprehensive service urban development. This zone will integrate economically with the industrial, urban, service, and logistics areas along the Southeast region's Ring Road 3, Ring Road 4, and expressways. At the same time, the seaport planning will connect with industrial parks in Phu My, Chau Duc, Dat Do, Long Dien, and Ba Ria, enhancing transport advantages to welcome investors. Ba Ria-Vung Tau to develop key transport links As one of the 28 localities along the coastline, Ba Ria-Vung Tau is home to around 305km of coastline, including large bays and rivers, and has the potential to become one of the key development areas in the southeast region and the centre of Vietnam's national maritime economy Ba Ria-Vung Tau showing enormous potential for development The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has ramped up efforts to open Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway on schedule by 2025, as directed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on his field visit to the project site in mid-February. This message was conveyed by Nguyen Thi Cuc, chairwoman of the Vietnam Tax Consultants Association, at the conference themed Tax Amendments to Promote Business Activities hosted by VIR on August 14. According to Cuc, SCT differs from other taxes due to its regulatory scope, necessitating a balance between state interests, businesses, and consumers. Thus, policies for this tax must align with all parties' objectives. We agree with increasing the tax rate on alcohol from 2026 to 2030 to raise prices, limit consumption, and ensure public health. However, the drafting committee needs to provide calculations based on market research and consumer demand, and harmonise tax rates for different products with specific quantification, said Cuc. Nguyen Thi Cuc, chairwoman of the Vietnam Tax Consultants Association With the aim of limiting consumption by consumers and increasing state budget revenue, the current policy is to increase product prices. However, Cuc pointed out that an unreasonable tax hike could lead consumers to shift to non-official or smuggled goods, which would eat into state revenue. A sudden tax increase will not only affect manufacturers but also the entire food and beverages (F&B) chain. Therefore, a reasonable roadmap is necessary. We recommend extending the timeline to give the F&B chain time to prepare for gradual increases, Cuc proposed. For alcoholic beverages such as beer and liquor, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) is currently considering two options for increasing the SCT. The first option proposes increasing the tax rate for alcohol of 20 per cent and above and beer from 65 to 70 per cent by 2026, with a 5 per cent annual increase to reach 90 per cent by 2030. The second option suggests an immediate increase to 80 per cent in 2026, with a 5 per cent annual increase to reach 100 per cent by 2030. This tax increase timeline is too short. I believe it needs to be extended to allow manufacturers and the supply chain time to prepare to avoid shocks from rapid increases. We agree on raising taxes, but a reasonable roadmap is needed, said Cuc. The Vietnam Tax Consultants Association representative recommended the first option of the draft law but suggested extending the time for adjusting the 5 per cent tax rate increase from annually to at least every two years. Regarding the tax calculation method, Cuc shared, The drafting committee has chosen the relative method for calculating tax. Given the current conditions of Vietnam's alcohol industry, I support using the relative method for these products. The mixed method may be implemented in the future according to the roadmap. We expect that calculating and determining a reasonable excise duty policy in this amendment of the Tax Law will aim towards better harmonising the goals of protecting public health, stabilising production and business, ensuring employment for workers, and contributing revenue to the state budget, she added. VIR conference on Special Consumption Tax Law attracts thousands A conference themed Tax Amendments to Promote Business Activities held by VIR has attracted thousands of people both online and offline. VBA requests amendments to the draft on special consumption tax Although the Vietnam Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Association supports the government's policy on amending the special consumption tax, it has suggested a reduction in the amount of tax to be increased and a reasonable extension of the timeline to stabilise the market. A holistic approach to the increase of special consumption tax on beer and spirits A holistic approach should be taken to setting a new limit and timeline for a special consumption tax on beer and alcohol. Josep Borrell Fontelles, Vice President of the European Commission (EC) and high representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told VIR that both Vietnam and the EU anticipated increased investment inflows into the Southeast Asian market, facilitated by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). EVIPA requires methodical approach, photo baodautu.vn While the EVFTA has led to a significant increase in bilateral trade, the ratification of the EVIPA has been slow in some EU member states, Fontelles said. This agreement is crucial for strengthening investment ties and ensuring the protection of European investments in Vietnam. The EVIPA includes provisions for investment protection and dispute resolution. For it to come into force, ratification by the European Parliament (EP) and all EU member state parliaments is required. The agreement aims to replace the current bilateral IPAs between Vietnam and EU member states, standardising the investment framework and providing greater legal certainty for investors. To date, 18 out of 27 EU member states have ratified the EVIPA, with Ireland, Austria, Poland, Belgium, Germany, France, Cyprus, the Netherlands, and Slovenia still pending. Fontelles emphasised that both he and the European Commission were actively working to encourage these countries to finalise the ratification process, highlighting the mutual benefits of the agreement. The EVIPA was ratified by the EP in February 2020 and subsequently approved by the Vietnamese National Assembly in June that year. It features protective clauses and dispute resolution mechanisms akin to bilateral IPAs between EU member states and non-EU countries. The EVIPA implementation will enhance the legal framework for European investors, providing protections against unfair treatment and ensuring transparent and impartial dispute resolution. Julien Guerrier, Ambassador and Head of the European Delegation to Vietnam, acknowledged that for some member states, the ratification process is complex, involving extensive consultations with regional parliamentary bodies. He noted that EU officials are working diligently to expedite this process. For some member states, the endorsement is more complicated, as it involves wide consultations with parliamentary bodies at regional levels. Relevant services on the EU side have been trying their best to accelerate this process, Guerrier said. Earlier this year, Bernd Lange, chairman of the EPs Committee on International Trade, also urged EU trade ministers to expedite the EVIPA ratification. He highlighted that while the current pace is slow, historical precedents like the agreements with Canada and Central America also faced lengthy ratification processes due to various complexities. The ratification is too slow, making it difficult to increase the investment ties between both sides. It would be unacceptable if the ratification process takes a long time. However, reality has shown that similar agreements have taken years to ratify, he said. One significant barrier is the intricate procedures within EU member states parliaments, where some factions are reluctant to endorse trade liberalisation, preferring to protect domestic industries. For instance, the Netherlands, a major European investor in Vietnam, still relies on a pre-existing bilateral agreement with Vietnam, making the transition to the EVIPA more complex. This agreement, inked in 1994, remains valid, which complicates the Netherlands approval process for the new EVIPA. The Netherlands, as one of the biggest European investors in Vietnam, has been active here for decades with projects ranging from consumer sanitary goods to dairy products and beer. Companies like Unilever, Heineken, and FrieslandCampina have been performing effectively in Vietnam. Figures from Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment indicate that EU investments in Vietnam amount to $28.3 billion for 2,450 projects. Over 60 per cent of this investment is focused in the manufacturing sector, highlighting the EUs strong industrial footprint in Vietnam. In recent high-level discussions, Vietnamese leaders have consistently stressed the urgency of ratifying the EVIPA to fully leverage the bilateral economic partnership. On July 31, during a meeting with the ECs Vice President Borrell Fontelles, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son called for swift ratification of the EVIPA to maximise bilateral economic potential. Vietnam aims to attract more EU investment, and the EVIPA will safeguard investors rights and interests, complementing our improved business environment, Son said. However, Fontelles noted at a press conference that while the deals can drive trade and investment, Vietnam must continue enhancing its business and investment climate. He emphasised that a secure, risk-reduced environment is essential for investors to increase their investments. Another important thing is that Vietnam must continue improving its business and investment climate, he said. When investors feel secure when carrying out business and investment activities in Vietnam with reduced risks, they stand ready to increase their funding. According to the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, there are several challenges European businesses face in fully leveraging the EVFTA. These include complex regulatory requirements, a lack of recognition for international standards by local authorities, and technical barriers, particularly in certification and product testing. Additionally, a lack of understanding of the agreement among stakeholders, combined with customs valuation issues and opaque clearance procedures, complicate trade. European nations to embrace EVIPA-backed investments Vietnam is seeking further approval of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement by member states of the EU, as the deal will protect the benefits of investors of both sides when performing in their respective territories. Vietnam ramps up ratification of EVIPA Despite Vietnams efforts to speed up ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, some member states are being distracted by other massive issues, prolonging the time for investors from both sides to fully enjoy preferential incentives. European Union urged to pass EVIPA Vietnam is actively seeking more approval from EU member states of its bilateral investment protection deal with this bloc, in a bid to attract more funding. It will be the first FESCO maritime service without ship calls to Russian ports in almost twenty years. A 400 TEU container ship from the FESCO fleet will serve the route connecting the Vietnamese port of Ho Chi Minh City with Port Klang in Malaysia. The route will be served once a week, with the transit time between the ports being three days. FESCO has ensured the availability of container equipment both in Ho Chi Minh and Port Klang in advance for the stable maritime line operation. It is hoped that FIAS will develop local container transportation between Vietnam and Malaysia and serve as a feeder line to deliver additional cargo volumes from Malaysia and other markets like Sri Lanka, Singapore, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Thailand to Russia. In this case, containers are shipped via Port Klang to Ho Chi Minh City, where they are switched to other FESCO vessels. The vessels sail to the Commercial Sea Port of Vladivostok (a member of FESCO Group) as a part of FESCO Vietnam Direct Line shipping service. FESCO will also ship cargo from Russia in the opposite direction through the port of Ho Chi Minh City. FIAS cargo flow will be mainly chemical and agricultural products, food, textiles, and clothing. The container ship will make the first call of FESCO Intra Asia Service at Port Klang on August 17, with the estimated date of arrival at Ho Chi Minh City being August 22. "Thanks to FIAS, we are entering a fundamentally new market for FESCO and will be able to strengthen our presence in Southeast Asia while giving an additional impetus to the development of the group's existing line between Vietnam and Vladivostok. Furthermore, we plan to use Port Klang as an additional hub for cargo from India, Singapore, Bangladesh and other countries of the region both to Vietnam and further to Russia," said German Maslov, vice president of FESCO Linear Logistics Division. ITL addresses digital and green transformation challenges in logistics industry As a co-sponsor of the Vietnam International Logistics Exhibition 2024 (VILOG 2024), ITL made a strong impression on the event with a series of digital and green transformation solutions. A*STAR to team up with Vietnam SuperPort to drive digital logistics Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) discussed a strategic collaboration with Vietnam SuperPort on August 12 to add advanced tech to improve the connectivity of Vietnams logistics sector. Rmah H'Be Net, Chairwoman of Chu Se Peoples Committee and head of the committee representing VBSP Chu Se's Management Board, said, "Capital has reached most people in the ethnic minority groups living in the vast plateau area encompassing 15 communes and townships, becoming the mainstay of poverty reduction cause there." VBSP staff visiting cultivation models that use bank capital in Chu Se district "This outcome has leveraged commitment from the local management to treat sustainable poverty reduction as a crucial and long-term task, from there creating improvements that help VBSP units at a grassroots level to unify financial sources and boost efficiency," said Nguyen Dinh Ly, director of VBSP Chu Se. In the decade since implementing Directive 40-CT/TQ on strengthening social policy credit activities, the peoples councils and committees of Chu Se district and relevant communes have prioritised transferring authorised budget capital to VBSPs Chu Se branch, which reported nearly $20 million in total policy capital sources as of June 30, reflecting an increase of $1.4 million compared to the outset of 2024. VBSP Chu Se has received a lot of support from across the political system and has coordinated closely with the relevant management agencies and organisations to receive funding from diverse sources over the past decade. The bank has also been proactive in reforming processes and procedures to be able to satisfy the capital demands of local businesses and households, and other recipients of policy credit. The associated network now encompasses 260 savings and lending groups and 15 transaction points of VBSP Chu Se. The director and staff members of VBSP Chu Se have visited each commune and hamlet in the district, meeting needy households and the families of ethnic minorities groups to give advice, helping local people to use their loans efficiently. In Ia Blang commune, all the hamlets there have reached new standards of living and are in the process of seeing further advancements. All households in need can now access preferential loans with convenience. Policy credit sources have brought a facelift to Chu Ses vast plateau area, where hundreds of local family households have won awards related to excellence at district and provincial levels. One such farmer, Ro Mah Bre from Nha village, revealed that despite having a lot of land and working diligently in the past, his family could only count on a meagre income, sometimes even facing hunger. "I started borrowing from VBSP in 2018. With advice from the bank on planting pepper and coffee, after three years I had reaped the first harvest, collecting 1.5 tonnes of pepper to sell at more than $4 per kg, from there being able to repay part of the debt. The second harvest helped me to pay off the debt entirely and begin to take profit," he said. "My family now owns 1,000 pepper plants, together with 700 coffee trees and vast wet rice fields," he said. Village patriarch Puh Lach, from Ia Blang commune, said, "Poverty has been reduced thanks to support from the government, as well as the efficient capital support from VBSP." Policy capital sources from VBSP Chu Se has promoted an aspiration to escape poverty and thrive from the people of ethnic minority groups. Poverty is also being reduced across the Central Highlands through policy capital schemes. Net said, "The majority of ethnic minorities in the area today have gradually escaped poverty and are striving to become rich. Many Gia Rai and Ba Na ethnic households, including those from elsewhere who came to Chu Se to build a new life, have become wealthy thanks to using VBSP preferential capital to cultivate cash crops." Policy credit improves the quality of life on Ly Son Thanks to Vietnam Bank for Social Policies' (VBSP) lending schemes for disadvantaged areas, many households on the island of Ly Son in Quang Ngai province have capital to invest in activities such as seafood farming, animal husbandry, farming, shops, and homestay services. As a result, the lives of many on the island have drastically changed for the better. Binh Phuoc: ethnic minorities assisted to get rid of poverty Over the recent years, central and local policies have helped many ethnic minority households in Bu Gia Map, an extremely disadvantageous commune in the district of the same name in the southern province of Binh Phuoc province, to overcome difficulties and gradually stabilise their lives. Interior of Little Pappasito's Cantina at 2536 Richmond Karen Warren/Staff photographer Since Little Pappasitos Cantina opened in June 1990, a wine glass filled with water has sat atop a brick column at the Tex-Mex staple located at the intersection of Kirby and Richmond. It's supposed to bring good luck to the space. In recent months, however, changes have been taking place around that wine glass. Different dishes have discreetly popped up, including modifications to staples like guacamole. The menu itself is presented as one page instead of as a booklet. Three months ago, one of the brick walls was taken down so more natural light could fill the dining room. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Pappas Restaurants has quietly turned Little Pappasitos into a test kitchen as it experiments with new dishes, some of which may appear at the groups other concepts. While Pappas has always implemented changes to its restaurants here and there, the move is a significant one for a restaurant group thats a juggernaut of a chain thats built much of its success on tradition and comfort. Were restarting the engine, said Christina Pappas, vice president of marketing for the restaurant group. We wanted to give it its own identity. HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants Little Pappasito's Cantina is among the smallest Pappas restaurants The pandemic forced many restaurants, including Pappas, to streamline its operations to help deal with issues like the supply chain and rising food costs, Pappas said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Little Pappasitos was a good fit for a test kitchen because, with only 200 seats, it has a smaller footprint than other Pappas concepts. The group also felt that the customers dining at the restaurant would be open to the changes the chain wanted to experiment with in the competitive Tex-Mex category, Pappas said. Crowd favorites like guacamole no longer feature tomatoes in the recipe. Instead, the kitchen wanted to highlight the natural flavor of the avocado and used garnishes like pumpkin seeds, julienned radishes and a slashing of olive oil. Grilled snapper and octopus at Little Pappasito's Cantina One of the first new dishes to appear on Little Pappasitos menu was the snapper crudo, a refreshing dish laced with lime juice, serrano chiles and cucumbers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Top selling Tex-Mex dishes, like chile con queso and fajitas, remain on the menu, but newer dishes have included potato taquitos and grilled Spanish octopus. Pork carnitas was introduced months ago as a different protein option. Spicy birria is also on the menu. Removing items is nerve wracking, said Michael Fikaris, Pappas Research and Development Concept Chef. But people have been open to the changes. MORE FROM BAO ONG: Cantonese favorite Hong Kong Food Street making its highly anticipated comeback in Katy A few new dishes and a cocktail featured on Little Pappasito's menu Alex Padilla, who led the Original Ninfas for nearly two decades, joined Pappas in a similar position as Fikaris in the spring. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Margaritas, chips and queso that was the expectation, Padilla said of many Tex-Mex restaurants. You need to have that, but Im a chef, and you want something a little more inspiring. At Little Pappasitos, Padilla uses the kitchen to perfect recipes for heirloom corn masa, mole sauces featuring more than a dozen ingredients and even adding on a Caesar salad with queso fresco, manchego and a jalapeno dressing. The team recently swapped in new margarita glasses and will keep changing the menu, including its cocktails. Youve got to keep changing, Pappas said. PV Power has signed an MoU with EN Technologies Inc. to research and develop an EV charging station network in Vietnam. PV Power is responsible for identifying locations, providing technical infrastructure and equipment, construction, installation, and site renovation, as well as covering other costs. After research and evaluation, PV Power decided to construct its first pilot EV charging station in Hanoi. The DC fast EV charging station has a total capacity of 100120 kW, and covers over 30 square metres. The project has a total investment of over VND1.8 billion (over $71,000). Charging revenue is calculated based on estimated charging output. The charging price is divided into off-peak, normal, and peak hours, and the average charging price is expected to be around VND3,858 (15 cents) per kWh. After a trial run, PV Power will evaluate the station based on technology, operation, safety, customer assessment, and efficiency to make appropriate adjustments. According to PV Power, the government is accelerating the shift from fossil fuel-powered motor vehicles to EVs, with demand expected to climb. To ensure smooth traffic flows, EV charging station infrastructure is vital to the rising adoption of EVs in Vietnam. Investments in EV charging stations will open up new business opportunities for the company, and is closely aligned with PV Power's development strategy. At the same time, the pilot station in Hanoi will be the premise for PV Power to scale up its EV charging station network nationwide. Need is urgent for e-vehicle charging infrastructure Vietnams major cities are in urgent need of synchronous charging and payment station systems before an electric vehicle boom can truly take shape. Carmakers go it alone on e-vehicle charging solutions Carmakers in Vietnam are looking to develop their own charging infrastructure for electric vehicles through strong partnerships. The Law on Science and Technology from 2013 will be renamed the Law on Science, Technology, and Innovation. How will the new draft law regulate the content in the context that innovation is now regulated in a number of current laws? Bui The Duy, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology The concept of innovation has been defined in the Law on Science and Technology, and also appears in a number of other laws. However, the full content of innovation and its related elements have not been clearly defined in any legal document. Innovation is the process of creating new products, new processes and new services to improve productivity, quality and create added value through the application of scientific research results and technological development. This process mainly takes place in enterprises and production activities of people. To promote innovation activities, there needs to have close connections among research institutes, universities and enterprises. To achieve high efficiency, it requires the participation and support of many other entities, such as financial investment funds, state agencies, intermediary organisations, financial services, organisations of standards, metrology, quality, as well as intellectual property service organisations. In addition to applying technology, innovation also requires changes in management processes, products, services and improvement of human resources quality. Simply purchasing new technological machinery without changing other factors will not create significant added value. Innovation needs close link between research and development and production and business. Therefore, research topics should be ordered from enterprises, instead of relying solely on scientists to propose them themselves. Globally, a movement on innovation has been formed, leading to the development of concepts such as national innovation systems, industry innovation systems and other connection models. Vietnam is also shifting to a model of developing the national innovation system, in which enterprises play a central role, with research institutes and universities being the main researchers. In addition to the application of science and technology, innovation activities also focus on improving production processes. This draft is expected to establish a comprehensive legal framework to promote the development of the national innovation system, while encouraging innovation activities among enterprises, communities and state management agencies. It will also facilitate other laws, such as those involving taxes and land, by providing incentives to promote science, technology and innovation activities. The amendment to the law aims to promote the development of the national innovation system. What policies will be proposed in the upcoming amendment to support them? I would like to emphasise that in the proposed amendments to the law, we have put forward a new set of policies and issues. Accordingly, universities are gradually becoming strong research entities, equivalent to research institutes. To develop sci-tech activities in universities, there needs to be research content, activity content, and even investment funding for universities. In addition, there should be support programmes after postgraduates complete their studies. This will enable them to continue to be autonomous in implementing research activities. Also, it is necessary to build centres of excellence in science and technology, closely linking research and training. We strongly recommend separating the research teams of research institutes and universities from the notion of considering them as staff of public service units. Like in other countries worldwide, lecturers and researchers are encouraged to participate in the management of enterprises established by research institutes and universities, based on their research results and intellectual property. This helps bring innovation activities from enterprises closer to universities, even within universities. We also encourage the establishment of spin-off enterprises within universities. These businesses not only generate revenue for universities but also help commercialise research results. The financial investment mechanism for sci-tech remains problematic and is inconsistent between the provisions of the law and other regulations. What solutions has the ministry proposed to address these shortcomings? We have also conducted a thorough study and assessment of the entire legal system, including many related laws. However, these regulations have not really been put into practice and have not encouraged enterprises to invest in sci-tech. The first thing to be addressed is how to synchronise the provisions of the law with existing financial policies, in order to make the most of these policies. The other issue is that, once investment and resources are available, they need to be used effectively, transparently and quickly. To achieve this, the sci-tech sector needs to strongly revise regulations related to sci-tech tasks, topics, projects, decentralisation of authority, administrative procedure reform among others. The goal is to be open and transparent, thereby selecting the best topics and tasks quickly and conveniently. In addition, it is necessary to adjust the regulations on procurement and bidding when using investment funds for technology, including both public investment funds of the state and funds of enterprises. It is necessary to research new issues, core technologies, and even purchase research results and patents from abroad, then transfer them to enterprises so that they can use and develop them. Another important issue is to improve the technology absorption capacity of enterprises through specific measures. To do that, it is necessary to train and educate human resources in technology transfer and technology innovation. Also, it should bring scientists into enterprises to support and improve their technology absorption capacity. When they improve machinery, they will have the ability to research and develop new technologies. The committee made the complaint on August 15 based on a 39 per cent increase in imports from Vietnam and a 17 per cent increase from Thailand between April 2024 and June 2024, compared to January 2024 through March 2024. Notably, import levels from the two countries between April 2024, when Wiley Rein, a law firm representing AASMTC, filed anti-dumping and countervailing duty petitions on behalf of the Alliance Trade Committee, and June 2024, were higher than the average recorded import levels in the preceding six months. For instance, monthly imports from Vietnam surged to an all-time high of over 2.5 GW in June 2024. In addition, imports from the country averaged approximately 2.3GW per month between April 2024 and June 2024, in contrast to less than 1.5GW per month in the preceding six months. When we submitted our petitions a few months ago, several China-based companies operating in Thailand and Vietnam appear to have actively accelerated their US solar exports, likely to evade impending duties. We were therefore compelled to file these critical circumstances allegations in response to these new surges of imports, said Tim Brightbill, co-chair of Wileys International Trade Practice and lead counsel for the petitioners. On May 14, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) opened its investigation into the arguments in the petitions filed on April 24, 2024, by the alliance. On June 7, the US International Trade Commission (USITC) made a unanimous affirmative preliminary determination that dumped and subsidised imports from Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand are currently injuring US solar cell and module manufacturers (or in the case of subsidised Cambodian imports, threaten such injury). The data so far presents a strong case that Vietnam and Thailand quickly increased their solar panel exports to the US following the petitions filed by the alliance to avoid any duties that could follow an affirmative determination. Critical circumstances occur when the US Department of Commerce determines that imports are rapidly increasing into the US market of a product that is subject to an anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) investigation. A critical circumstances finding can help offset import surges during an investigation. If the DOC finds critical circumstances, duties can be imposed retroactively on merchandise entered up to 90 days before the preliminary determinations. For those duties to be finalised, the USITC must also find that the surge in imports undermines the relief to which the domestic industry is entitled. In the next step, the DOC will investigate and make preliminary and final determinations of whether critical circumstances exist. The entire AD/CVD investigation will take approximately one year, with preliminary determinations due in late September 2024 for countervailing duties and late November 2024 for anti-dumping duties. Final determinations of dumping, subsidisation, and injury will likely occur in spring 2025. This action comes less than a year after the DOC made its final determination that Chinese solar manufacturers were circumventing tariffs on solar cells and solar panels by shipping their products through Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The products subject to the critical circumstances petitions are crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from Vietnam and Thailand. The AASMTC is a coalition of Convalt, First Solar, Meyer Burger, Mission Solar, Qcells, REC Silicon, and Swift Solar. US to end duty-free tariffs on Vietnamese solar panels The US' duty-free tariff treatment for solar products from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, will end in June, according to an announcement by the White House on May 16. Trina Solar to amplify its Vietnam footprint with third factory Trina Solar, a solar panel manufacturer based in China, is finalising plans to inaugurate its third production plant in Vietnam, a calculated move aimed at boosting its exports to the US following the imposition of US tariffs on its products manufactured in Thailand. Robinson Police arrested a Waco man Wednesday after he was accused of dragging his ex-girlfriend with a pickup truck, according to an arrest affidavit. Officers arrested Eduardo Ramirez, 20, on a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Waco police notified Robinson police around 7 p.m. Wednesday of an assault within Robinsons jurisdiction that caused a victim to be hospitalized, an arrest affidavit says. The incident took place at a cemetery off Interstate 35 in Robinson. Robinson police spoke at the hospital with the victim, who said she held onto the side mirror of Ramirezs truck before he accelerated at a high speed, causing her to be drug by the truck, according to the document. Ramirez had previously acknowledged the incident in an interview with Waco police at McLennan County Jail, the document says. After talking to the victim, Robinson officers spoke with Ramirez, who stated that around 4 p.m. Wednesday he drove his vehicle while the victim was hanging on to the driver side mirror, according to the document. Eduardo stated he did accelerate and (the victim) fell from the truck and he felt a jolt, the affidavit says. Eduardo was asked why he did not call for emergency services and instead drove home, to which he stated he was scared. Eduardo informed me that he had made a 15-minute drive back to his residence when he was informed that (the victim) was taken to the hospital for her injuries. Ramirez remained Thursday in McLennan County Jail on with bail set at $10,000. Dr. Peter Hotez at his Baylor office in Houston on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer It didn't take long after the World Health Organization declared mpox a global health emergency Wednesday before a social media user reached out to Dr. Peter Hotez with a familiar query. They wanted to know the freak-out level for one of the nations leading infectious disease experts. One of the most common questions I'm asked is, Hey Doc, what the heck is going on? said Hotez, the co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Childrens Hospital and the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. First of all, why are we seeing this regular cadence of endemic threats, and which ones do I really need to be concerned about? Advertisement Article continues below this ad An outbreak of mpox has been linked to more than 14,000 cases and at least 524 deaths in more than a dozen African countries this year, the WHO said. More than 96% of those cases and deaths are in Congo. Travelers wait in the security line at Hobby Airport, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Houston. On Monday evening, a Federal judge in Florida struck down a national mask mandate on airplane and other forms of mass transit, meaning travelers are no longer required to wear face coverings. Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Hotez, for the record, responded to the "freak-out" question on social media by saying theres currently no reason for anyone in the U.S. to panic. But he told the Chronicle on Thursday that its possible the type of mpox thats causing more severe illness and deaths in Africa, known as Clade 1, could make its way to the Houston area. Houston's the most international city in the country, he said. Thats part of our economic resiliency and vibrancy. But it also means that we have people coming into Houston from all over the world so it is conceivable that Clade 1 [mpox] could become part of our city landscape. Weve got to take it seriously. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At the same time, he believes other types of infectious disease, including the lingering surge of COVID-19 and West Nile virus, pose a greater risk at present. Hotez spoke with the Chronicle about the risks of mpox, COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The mpox global health emergency Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was identified in 1958 through outbreaks of a pox-like disease in monkeys. The disease is similar to smallpox and is usually identified through a blister-like rash. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Most human cases were found in central and West Africa until 2022, when scientists confirmed the disease could be transmitted via sex. Outbreaks were reported in more than 70 countries that had not previously reported a case. Smallpox and Monkeypox vaccines at a Galveston County Health District mobile clinic, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Galveston. Marie D. De Jesus/Staff photographer Over the past two years, the Houston Health Department has reported 760 cases of mpox, according to data through Wednesday. Eight of those cases were reported in the prior 30 days. However, Hotez noted that the 2022 outbreak was caused by the Clade II type of mpox, which causes less severe illnesses than the Clade 1 type that is responsible for the current global health emergency. I think the worry is, given the fact that so far this year weve already seen more than 14,000 cases and 500 deaths, the concern is that this could get out of hand, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad International partners will need to work quickly to scale up production of two types of mpox vaccines to contain the threat as much as possible, Hotez said. How does mpox spread? Mpox is mostly spread through close contact, including through sex. During the 2022 outbreaks, individuals with multiple sexual partners, particularly gay and bisexual men, accounted for most cases. But children under 15 years old now account for approximately 70% of cases and 85% of deaths in Congo, which suggests that other factors are contributing to the spread of the Clade 1 type, according to the Africa CDC. COVID SURGE: COVID-19 is on the rise again in Houston with FLiRT variants driving the latest summer surge Hotez said he wouldnt rule out the more severe Clade 1 type of mpox making its way to the United States, so its important to take precautions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A Monkeypox vaccine dose getting administered free of charge at a Galveston County Health District mobile clinic, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Galveston. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer What are the symptoms of mpox? The blister-like rash caused by mpox can develop on the hands, feet, chest, mouth or genitals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches. The risk of the newer Clade I type of mpox is very low for the general population, but low or moderate for gay or bisexual men or individuals with multiple sexual partners, according to the CDC. Hotez said those at higher risk should consider getting the mpox vaccine. The Houston Health Department and primary care providers may offer the JYNNEOS vaccine, which is used for both smallpox and mpox. We have to consider the possibility that this Clade 1 could make its way to the United States eventually, and it's a reminder that we do have vaccine doses available, Hotez said. COVID-19 summer surge The most notable threat of infectious disease in Houston remains COVID-19, as the virus continues to circulate at very high levels in Texas amid another summer surge, Hotez said. Wearing a mask, a Metro rider gets on the platform near the Texas Medical Center on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023 in Houston. A new variant, XBB1.5, is quickly making inroads in the United States. Meanwhile, the positivity rate in the Texas Medical Center jumped last week from 8.1 percent to 11.1 percent. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer The increase is driven by what experts have called the FLiRT variants, named for the technical names of their mutations. The amount of virus detected at the city of Houstons wastewater treatment plants remains much higher than it was in the spring, which indicates theres still a significant amount of community spread, Hotez said. Experts previously told the Chronicle that the FLiRT variants appear to be more adept at evading immunity, but the COVID-19 vaccine or a prior infection should still offer at least some protection. Medications like Paxlovid remain effective at treating an infection, experts said. Updated versions of the vaccines that offer more protection against the FLiRT variants are expected to be available soon, but its unclear exactly when, Hotez said. He said anyone at higher risk for severe illness, such as those who are older or have an underlying condition like diabetes or hypertension, should consider getting a shot sooner to protect themselves. We are definitely seeing hospitalizations, and so if you haven't gotten a dose of vaccine in a while you are at risk, he said. Watch out for mosquitos Hotez said hes recently been taking precautions against mosquitoes amid a rise in cases of West Nile virus in the area. Harris County Public Health has reported 23 cases of the disease so far in 2024 and that total doesnt include cases in the city of Houston. The Houston Health Department, which tracks those cases, said Thursday that it has not detected any this year. Female mosquitoes collected from traps around Harris County are selected and then sorted by species at the Mosquito Survey facility Tuesday, June 11, 2024 where they will be tested for the presence of West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer About 1 in 5 people infected with West Nile develop a fever and other symptoms, and about 1 in 150 develop a serious illness, according to the CDC. But Hotez said older people are at higher risk for severe illness, so at 66 years old, he isnt taking any chances. The Culex mosquitos that carry West Nile are more prevalent at dawn and dusk, so he wears a sweatshirt, pants and a hat and applies mosquito repellant with DEET to his face and neck when he goes out for his morning walk. I think we tend to be dismissive of it, but if youre an older individual, you can be at risk of severe disease, he said. SURVEILLANCE: Harris County's mosquito surveillance prevents disease from spreading. Here's how it's done. Hotez is also keeping an eye on other mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue, which has surged this year in Brazil. Harris County reported just two cases of dengue last year, but Hotez believes it could become more common in the future. Experts have said climate change could eventually bring more mosquito-borne illness to Houston. Floyd Newsum pictured a Project Row Houses Summer Studios event in 2024. Alex Barber Restored sculptures by Floyd Newsum, Jessica Stockholder's "Color Jam Houston" installation and Patrick Renner's "Trumpet Flower" are on view near the corner of Main and McKinney. Molly Glentzer/Houston Chronicle Floyd Newsum's show "Black and White with Gray and Color" includes an installation of many small drawings he created on trips to Europe and Hong Kong. Nicole Longnecker Gallery Forever Possibilities, a painting by Floyd Newsum on display at the new location of the Nicole Longnecker Gallery at 1440 Greengrass Drive Monday, Oct. 18, 2021 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke / Contributor I Gaze into the Night and See Hope, a painting by Floyd Newsum on display at the new location of the Nicole Longnecker Gallery at 1440 Greengrass Drive Monday, Oct. 18, 2021 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke / Contributor Floyd Newsum, esteemed artist, professor and co-founder of Project Row Houses in Houstons historic Third Ward, died Wednesday at his home. He was 74. He worked with James Bettison, Bert Long Jr., Jesse Lott, Rick Lowe, Bert Samples and George Smith in 1993 to revitalize a block-and-a-half of shotgun houses at the intersection of Holman and Live Oak into the creative community hub it is today. The nonprofit on Thursday shared news of his death. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We (at PRH) are devastated by the news of Floyds passing. He was a remarkable human being in every way and will be greatly missed, executive director Danielle Burns Wilson told the Chronicle. Its a loss not only to Project Row Houses, but the Houston art community. Floyd was a mentor to so many students in his almost 50-year-long career as an educator. Not to mention all the artists and friends whose lives he touched so profoundly. Its hard to express how much this hurts. Earlier this year, PRH named its Summer Studios program in Newsums honor. He was present for the organizations 31st anniversary celebration in August. A Tennessee-native who grew up in Memphis during the 1960s, his firsthand account of the Civil Rights Movement greatly influenced his own practice. African and African-American folklore became a recurring theme over the course of his 40-year career painting, drawing and print-making. He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Memphis College of Art and a master of art degree from Temple University. Newsum joined the University of Houston-Downtown in 1976 as an arts professor. At the time of his death, he was coordinator of studio sessions in the Art Department of Arts and Humanities, teaching drawing, painting and art appreciation courses. METRO SUNDAY: Preview look at Metro rail station stops. Public art design for METRO light rail system Berry Station Artist: Floyd Newsum Architect: NATEX Corporation Architects Art on the Go The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston July 8 through August 12, 2001 PHOTO: Public Relations Department of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston at (713) 639-7540. Museum of Fine Arts Houston Highlights from his breadth of local, public art projects include two Houston Metro Light Station art designs, seven sculptures for the Main Street Square Station, four paintings on display in UHDs Commerce Building, and a suspended sculpture in the Acres Home Multi-Service Center lobby. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of African American History and Culture visited Newsums studio in 2009 after he won a prestigious Artadia Artist Grant from New York the previous year, and purchased his Ghost Series Sirigu, Janes Apron for its permanent collection. Just last year, Newsum accompanied PRH to guide a group of high school students from Third Ward on an art trip in Washington, D.C. There, the teenagers got an up close and personal view of their chaperones work in the Smithsonian. Mostly recently, his 2023 exhibition "Evolution of Sight" at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison, WI explored six themes: social justice and community; angels and souls; women, family and ancestors; Sirigu and transcendence; land, sea and dance; and contemplation. He is survived by his wife, Janice, and their two children. These troops have been trained and prepared for well over a year and a half. These are NATO equivalent troops. Many of them are NATO troops, sheep-dipped Polish troops, sheep-dipped French troops, American mercenaries recruited as soon as they leave the active duty of the United States Armed Forces This is a NATO unit, literally a NATO unit that was sent into Ukraine and the Russians are destroying it. Thats the reality of whats going on in Kursk right now. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/scott-ritter-russia-obliterates-nato-fighters-weaponry-as-ukraine-mounts-desperate-attack-in-kursk-1119786940.html *** *** *** Russia the West wants you dead and they want your resources and your Orthodox Church slaughtered for their sacrifices. kKEETON WtR Traffic drives down Texas 6 in the afternoon heat Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, near the corner of Voss Road and Texas 6 in Sugar Land. City residents who dont drive will have a new mobility option this fall when the city launches a microtransit program. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Sugar Land residents who dont drive will have a new mobility option this fall when the city launches a microtransit program. The program will use a fleet of cars in an 18-square-mile zone in Sugar Land and will include the Sugar Land Business Park, hospitals, grocery stores, Constellation Field, Smart Financial Centre, University of Houston at Sugar Land and Sugar Land Town Center, according to city documents. The fare will be around $2 per trip. Riders 13 and older can request a ride through an app or phone call, and a vehicle will arrive within eight to 12 minutes in the designated microtransit area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The program is the Gulf Coast regions first fully on-demand microtransit service, said Melanie Beaman, transportation and mobility manager for the city. The three-year pilot program features a fleet of approximately seven vehicles, at least one of which will be wheelchair accessible, Beaman said. The program will be funded by a grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council and a local match. The funding for the first year is $1.194 million, with a local match of $298,544 from the Fort Bend Countys 2023 mobility bond, for a total of $1.492 million, Beaman said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This funding is renewable for two additional years, Beaman said. The county funds will help with local match and any additional costs. Future funding is expected to come from additional H-GAC funding, public-private partnerships, federal grant opportunities, advertising revenue and other strategies for sustaining the service for the long term, Beaman said. Public input collected during the development of Sugar Lands Mobility Master Plan revealed a strong demand for expanded transit services, particularly for seniors, disabled individuals, low-income households and one-car families, according to city documents. If the first-year pilot is successful, we might expand the pilot area in the second and third year, Beaman said. FORT BEND INSIDER: Never miss a story with our bi-weekly newsletter Advertisement Article continues below this ad The new microtransit program will supplement the commuter park and ride and demand response services provided by Fort Bend County, according to city documents. Fort Bend County Public Transportation currently provides a curb-to-curb demand response bus service within the county, including Sugar Land. Since peer armies now have unbelievable tools at their disposal called, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms along with AI-assisted planning and GPS style-guided missiles and bombs, old rationale has become outdated These days, massive buildups are suicidal However, a significant buildup is unavoidable during the offensive. Attacking forces are therefore the most exposed The enemy needs to be drawn into a cauldron or fire bag in order to be effectively annihilated. It is now harder to trick Ukrainians than it was in the past few years since they had to learn that lesson the hard way. The bait ought to be succulent and alluring Day by day, before the Kursk attack, Ukraine combed the area for potential traps with a small forces. Then when they really thought no one was watching, attacked Kursk. Whether they used all of the troops at their disposal is still unknown. However, they ingested the hook, line, sinker, and bait and have been killed at a 40 to 1 rate as they poured stupidly into a trap Trap was weak at first: The only thing is that it seems someone in Kursk may be a traitor and again did not due the job assigned to him, he chose to skim profits off of defense at the expense of defense??? and Kursk nuclear power plant looks to be a choice target for Ukraine to desire for Blackmail Regardless: Ukraine was weak before they established the northern front. This means that the already weakened Eastern Front has become even weaker. A public relations campaign to secure another round of funding from the West? My prediction is that the number of Russians enrolling up for military service will skyrocket in August WtR The Reno Fire Department says the car fire that sparked the Gold Ranch wildfire, burning near Verdi, is now fully contained. Fire crews will continue to remain in the area throughout the weekend due to the forecasted fire weather watch that has been issued. Reno Fire says that ash stirred up from the fire by the winds can resemble smoke, that it is not necessary to report fires in the area as firefighters will already be patrolling and monitoring the areas of the fire closely. Update, August 15,12:04 a.m.: Reno Fire Department has reported that the Gold Ranch Fire is now 88% contained. Crews are actively working to identify and extinguish remaining hot spots within the duff layer and root systems using the cold trailing method. RFD management asks that folks remain clear of the area, as it is limited to essential access only. --- The Gold Ranch Fire is now 80% contained at 657 acres. The lesser acreage was reported on Wednesday morning due to more accurate mapping. Fire crews did not give an estimated date for full containment. On Tuesday, evacuations were lifted in Verdi. It is asking for the public to remain observant and avoid any unnecessary travel to the area. Residents may return home but are urged to use caution as firefighting efforts are still underway and many trees in the area are unstable, making them dangerous. Washoe County says non-residents will be turned away and are advised to not try and enter the area. NV Energy says it finished restoring power to affected customers in Verdi. At one point more than 6,000 customers were affected. Meanwhile, the driver of the car that caught on fire, Andrew Nick, was arrested and faces charges related to impaired driving. The car was a 2020 Alfa Romeo. According to court documents, Nick told a Nevada state trooper that his car started to fill up with smoke as he was driving on I-80. He said he pulled over and tried to extinguish the fire but was unsuccessful. When troopers arrived, they say Nick was standing about 30 feet away from the fire while his car and the hillside were fully engulfed in flames. Troopers say Nick's speech was slurred while they were questioning him, and he showed signs of being intoxicated. Nick has one past DUI charge from out of state. The investigation remains ongoing, but Nick has been released from custody without bail, according to court records. --- Update, August 12, 8:25 p.m.: The American Red Cross is operating an evacuation center at the Northwest Reno Library for those affected by the Gold Ranch Fire. The library is located on Robb Drive. More than 6,000 homes are without power and many residences remain under threat. Red Cross staff and volunteers are providing safe shelter for those affected by the wildfire said the agency in a press release. They are working with Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada and Slim Chickens, which are providing meals at the shelter. Our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone affected by the Gold Ranch Fire, Tiandra Rushing, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Northern Nevada Chapter. We are committed to providing essential services and support to help our community through this challenging period. The shelter will accommodate small animals, managed by Washoe County Animal Services, so evacuees can bring their pets. Evacuees with livestock should contact Washoe County Animal Services at (775) 322-3647. --- Update, August 12, 7 p.m.: According to Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, the Gold Ranch Fire is now eight percent contained and is 674 acres. --- Update, August 12, 4:30 p.m. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released federal money to allow the agency to help the state of Nevada battle the Gold Ranch Fire. On Sunday the state asked for a Fire Management Assistance Grant. Eligible costs covered by Fire Management Assistance Grants include expenses for field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies, and mobilization and demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire. Update, August 12, 3:45 p.m.: Nevada State Police have been investigating the cause of the fire. The driver of the car that caught on fire, Andrew Nick, was arrested and faces charges related to impaired driving. The car was a 2020 Alfa Romeo. The investigation is still open. If you have information that can help, call (775) 684-7513 or email MFloyd@dps.state.nv.us All eastbound I-80 travel lanes are currently open. Drivers are still being asked to slow down due to emergency crews in the area. --- Original story: Fire crews are trying to contain a fire that broke out Sunday night on I-80 near Gold Ranch Casino. The Reno Fire Department says the 650-acre Gold Ranch Fire broke out around 6:30 p.m. - 400 homes are threatened and the fire is 0% contained. According to pictures and videos sent by a viewer, a car caught on fire on the east side of I-80 before spreading to nearby brush. All classes at Verdi Elementary School are canceled for Monday, August 12. According to the Bureau of Land Management, Gold Ranch Casino and a nearby trailer park were evacuated. One home was destroyed. For updates on evacuations, click here. There is an evacuation center open at the Northwest Library at 2325 Robb Drive. The Red Cross is assisting those who evacuated. As of 10 p.m., eight people are being helped at the evacuation center. Power has been shut off to over 6,000 people in the area. We will update you as we learn more. In one of his first official acts after being confirmed as Houstons new police chief, Noe Diaz attended the graduation of 53 cadets Thursday the smallest class of the four that have graduated so far this year. Diaz in his brief comments praised the cadets, saying they could have chosen any profession yet chose to serve as police officers. The graduation comes after Diaz spoke about the need of bolstering the departments ranks in his introductory press conference. Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz speaks during the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Police have a lot of power, Diaz told the cadets Thursday. But it should be the power to be kind, to be decent and to help the little guy. Thats our primary job. MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: New police and fire chiefs approved by Houston City Council on Wednesday Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Houston Police Departments four cadet classes this year thus far have included 77, 66, 68 and now 53 graduates, according to Shay Awosiyan, spokesman for the department. Recruiting officials have previously told the Chronicle they aim for each cadet class to have between 75 to 82 cadets, but have struggled to consistently meet those numbers. Its just hard to get people to be cops, said Ray Hunt, executive director of the Houston Police Officers Union. We used to have an easy time finding people. The Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 take their oath of office during their graduation ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz salutes after pinning badge on the new police officers during the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Officer Crystal Sanchez after receiving her badge during the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Officer Daniel Carpenter, left, helps Cuong Cao straighten his badge after the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Families cheer during the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Officer Antone Field dismisses his classmates at the end of the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Crystal Sanchez, left, Antone Field and Seth Howe march in with their class colors during the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Graduating cadets march in for their graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Officer Rocco Mariani pins the badge on his wife, Madison Moore, during the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Officer Madison Moore salutes Chief Noe Diaz after receiving her badge from her husband, Officer Rocco Mariani, center, during the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Houston is not alone in struggling to find enough cadets to replenish the ranks amid a growing number of retirements, Hunt said. He attributed the struggle to the murder of George Floyd in 2020, other news headlines about police interactions with residents and a reticence to take on such a physically intensive job. Hunt said hes seen young officers leave the departments ranks in recent years for lower-stress careers in cybersecurity and elsewhere. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Law enforcement experts for years have warned that an aging workforce would one day need to be replaced in public safety. Cities have begun actively recruiting police officers in other cities, offering cash bonuses and trying to raise base salaries, even as city budgets are strained. Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz embraces officer Carmen Correa Ocasio after pinning her badge to her uniform during the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Academy Cadet Class 264 on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in Houston. HPD welcomed 53 new officers to the force during the graduation. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The City Council approved the $4 million for the recruiting class after acting Chief Larry Satterwhite joined the chorus of city leaders in calling for money for additional officers, saying the department might need as many as 2,000 more employees to adequately serve the city through patrols and investigations. In yet another sign the personal check is on its way out, Target recently announced its no longer accepting this form of payment, joining a growing list of retailers that have banned checks. Retailers like Target have their reasons for banishing checks. Usage is a big one: Checks represent only 3 percent of transactions, according to Bankrate data. Fraud is another: In recent years theres been a resurgence of check fraud, with merchants a common target. And in an era when speed is of the essence, nobody wants to wait behind a shopper paying by check. Members only The juice isnt worth the squeeze for retailers, Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for personal finance at Bankrate, says of merchants accepting personal checks at the cash register. Check writing didnt fall off the table in the last five years, he adds. Its been steadily declining for the last 30 years. That doesnt mean there arent holdouts, particularly among older adults who appreciate the familiarity of paying by check. Of American adults who still write checks, a 2023 GOBankingRates survey found many were 55 and older. Check writing is still going to persist, but its going to be more for one-off transactions," McBride says, such as the repairman who comes to the house and doesnt accept credit cards or the school function or event. What you can do If you are among those check-paying holdouts, you often have options when a retailer no longer accepts your preferred payment method. You can typically pay with cash, a debit card or a credit card, and a rising number of retailers accept digital wallets and payment via buy-now, pay-later services. There may be a learning curve with some of these digital methods. AARPs guide can help. You can also enlist a trusted friend or family member, or ask for help at the store, library or community center. Be mindful of safety issues associated with cash. You dont want to lose it or get robbed on your way to the store. Cash does tend to be popular with older adults, with 22 percent of those 55-plus using it to make payments, according to the Federal Reserve Financial Services survey. Consumer adoption of mobile and electronic payments, which was accelerated by the pandemic, continues to grow and has driven a sharp decline in check usage, says Sarah Grano, a spokesperson for the American Bankers Association. With check fraud on the rise, we recommend consumers use electronic payments, rather than a paper check, whenever possible. The paper check ban doesnt apply to paying your credit card bill if you use a store credit card. Most retailers, including Target, still accept personal checks for that. While the list of retailers banning checks is growing, many still accept this payment method. Heres a look at both. Personal Checks Not Welcome Here 1. Aldi Aldi accepts cash, most debit and credit cards, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Link cards and contactless pay such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The grocer does not accept benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) for formula purchases, since federal guidelines stipulate that only name-brand formulas are included and Aldi only sells its store brand. Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, became a Category 5 hurricane on July 2, 2024 the earliest Category 5 storm in the Atlantic on record reaching wind speeds of up to 165 mph. Combined with above-normal activity predictions for 2024 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the growing numbers of visitors to Florida and the Caribbean, this means its possible you could be on vacation when a hurricane strikes. According to the latest AARP travel survey, 36 percent of travelers 50-plus who had planned an international trip chose the Caribbean or Latin America, while Florida is the most popular domestic destination. Hurricane season lasts from June 1 through Nov. 30, and with NOAA predicting 17 to 25 named storms in 2024, you need to be ready. Members only Older adults are more at risk during natural disasters and extreme weather events due to mobility challenges, chronic health issues and other concerns, so its important to have a plan before you go. In 2022, when Hurricane Ian hit Florida, of the roughly 150 deaths attributed to the disaster, about two-thirds were people 65 or older. Here are some ways to protect yourself before your trip and once youre on vacation if a hurricane strikes. Before you go: Buy travel insurance Jack Ezon, founder and managing partner of luxury travel company EMBARK Beyond, recommends two kinds of insurance to his clients: evacuation insurance and weather insurance, a newer product offered by WeatherPromise and Sensible Weather that protects the cost of your trip in case of bad weather. Travelers also should consider travel insurance plans offering CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason) coverage with companies such as Allianz, Travelex and AIGs Travel Guard. If youre looking for coverage specifically in case of a hurricane, Teresa Tennant, senior vice president of Cruise Specialists, says, Coverage for trip delay and trip interruption are available for weather events as long as a storm has not yet been named. Once named, its a known event, and you cannot purchase protection after the fact. Its also important to note that medical coverage is limited if youre 65 or older, on Medicare and have a medical emergency outside the U.S. Before you buy, ensure the plan youre considering includes medical coverage. Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group brands public relations, advises, Travel insurance varies from provider to provider and policy to policy, so make sure to read the fine print and review the policy to ensure that it provides the right coverage for your needs. Cruises vs. land-based trips If youve opted to take a cruise vacation, you may not have to worry about interruptions to your trip. Cruise lines are, of course, constantly monitoring the weather reports. When there is news of strong weather systems, hurricane, tropical storm, etc., they will evaluate the need to make any alterations to their itineraries. This gives them some advantage over land options that are fixed, Tennant says. Cruise lines can look for alternative ports or reposition the ship and add a day or more at sea, she says. To keep everyone entertained, they can schedule additional programming. The historic grain elevator is visible in the background as Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees speaks at the Port of Galveston on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, regarding the slated demolition of the facility to make room for newer technology and greater cargo handling capacity at the port in Galveston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A cargo ship is docked near the historic grain elevator, at the Port of Galveston on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A plaque showing the dedication of the grain elevator B at Galveston Wharf is visible at the Port of Galveston on Thursday. Aug. 15, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer The historic grain elevator, visible at the Port of Galveston on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, is slated for demolition to make room for newer technology and greater cargo handling capacity at the port in Galveston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer There was a time when grain was a staple of the Galveston economy. Now it is getting out of the way, an unmistakable sign of change blowing across the islands wharves, especially for anyone familiar with the site of concrete silos on the north end of the port. Once home to the largest grain elevator and silo complex on the Gulf of Mexico, the last vestiges of shipping and storing grain are starting to slowly come down along the Galveston port complex. Though little if any of whats coming down is a century old, Galveston as a port is entwined with the towers and elevators that heaved and held grain between ships and railcars and trucks. I think what is really historical is the operation, said Rodger Rees, port director and CEO of Galveston Wharves, which manages the port. Advertisement Article continues below this ad STREET SMARTS: Houston roads a moving laboratory for connected vehicle tech Galveston got its first grain elevator in the 1890s, as rail connections made it a major hub after decades as an immigration and cotton connection. Later investment, even after the devastating storm of 1900, saw grain become a major part of the ports business. Elevator B, the second of three for grain, opened in 1931 and at the time was the largest grain silo and elevator on the Gulf. A third, Elevator C, opened in 1976 to handle increasing business, but within months was the site of tragedy. Eighteen workers or federal inspectors at the grain berth were killed in 1977 when a spark ignited dust, setting off an explosion that ripped apart the silos and shattered windows along northern parts of the island. The rebuilt silos redesigned to incorporate safety elements developed from studying the blast opened in 1980. It is much of that rehabbed and redone structures and machinery that is coming down. Starting with the seaside metal towers that collect grain from barges and ships, workers are clearing the roughly 20-acre site. After they strip insulation and remove the metal work, theyll start on the remaining silos, crushing the concrete and removing the steel rebar reinforcing it, said Brett Milutin, executive deputy port director for Galveston Wharves. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The historic grain elevator, visible at the Port of Galveston on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, is slated for demolition to make room for newer technology and greater cargo handling capacity at the port in Galveston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Unlike a lot of demolitions, this will be a slow process, perhaps taking a year at a cost of $3.5 million. No big bang or implosion is possible because the safer play is piece by piece. For one thing, the port has created cruise terminal parking for passengers practically in the shadow of the silos. Obviously you dont want an explosion and a couple of rocks dropping on a customers car, Rees said. BACK IN THE WATER: How Battleship Texas has been restored to its former WWII glory Eventually, the land will be flat concrete, where the port hopes to cater to a booming cargo demand. Soon, 90-yard windmill blades could lie awaiting transport where corn and other commodities did until a few months ago. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It speaks to the change in the purpose of the port, which next year will mark 200 years as a place where goods and people access ships. Galvestons time as a port city dates to when Mexico was fighting for its independence from Spain. A plaque dedicated to the eighteen people that lost their lives when a grain elevator exploded December 27, 1977, is visible at the Port of Galveston on Thursday. Aug. 15, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Over that time, the ships arriving at the deep-water port have carried different things: cotton, grain, people immigrants and slaves fruit. Practically anything bought or sold in the area. These days, however, the ports business is mostly two things: people coming to and from cruises and bulk cargo. Tractors and construction equipment crowd an open lot; wind turbine blades another. Getting rid of the grain silos is simply making more room for what makes the port money now, Milutin said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is critical because this is going to offer up another berth for a cargo ship, he said. The site also gives workers more room for large cargo, which can take hours or days to leave the port complex. More room for large windmill blades means more ships will call on Galveston, and that bulk cargo means more jobs than grain did toward the end. When the last grain shipper pulled up stakes last year, concentrating its business elsewhere, the 261,808 tons it handled represented less than 1% of the ports total tonnage and about 50 jobs. Bulk cargo, officials said, offers more jobs and more cargo by weight, which puts the port closer to breaking even with cargo. Right now the cruise industry is subsidizing the cargo industry, Milutin said. We are working on getting back to making cargo profitable. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It will be a process, Rees said, but one that relies on finding the right niche even as Galveston albeit in small supply holds onto some of its historic loads. We sent out two ships of cattle last year, Rees laughed. Octavia Johnson is a general assignment reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at octavia.johnson@houstonchronicle.com. Before joining the Chronicle, Octavia worked as a digital content producer at WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tenn., where she became a leader in producing fast paced, audience-focused content. Octavia graduated from UNC Pembroke with a bachelor's degree in journalism before earning her master's degree in media and communications at Norfolk State University. As Mission Mangal marks its five-year anniversary, the film continues to be celebrated for not only showcasing Indias monumental achievement in space exploration but also for touching hearts with its inspiring storyline and unforgettable performances. Starring Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Sharman Joshi in pivotal roles, the movie is based on the real-life Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) and resonated deeply with audiences for its portrayal of perseverance, teamwork, and the spirit of innovation. At the forefront of this mission was Tara Shinde, portrayed by Vidya Balan, a scientist whose passion and determination became the emotional core of the film. Her performance, along with the entire cast, was widely appreciated, bringing authenticity and depth to the narrative. Here are five dialogues from the film, delivered by Vidya Balan, that struck a chord and continue to inspire: 1. "Pray to whatever god you want ... just pray to the power, not the picture." In a touching scene, Tara is seen praying when her son questions her actions. He asks why, as a scientist, she still prays. Tara, blending devotion with practicality, explains that she believes in the power of Goda force that transcends science. When her son cheekily asks, "Time to change the god?" Tara responds with these powerful lines, emphasizing that true devotion is about the power, not any specific image or deity. 2. "Rickshaw kahin bhi jaa sakta hai, agar rickshaw wala chahe to." When the idea of MOM was on the verge of being abandoned, Tara, in a discussion with her colleague Rakesh Dhawan (Akshay Kumar), suggests reviving the Mars project using the PSLV rocket. Rakesh, skeptical, compares the rocket to a rickshaw, stating it cannot go the distance. Tara, undeterred, delivers this dialogue, implying that with determination, even the most challenging journey can be achieved, just as a rickshaw can reach any destination if the driver wills it. 3. "Apni science se apni desh ki takdeer badal sakte hain, and today we have that chance." As Tara and Rakesh realize that their Mars project is viewed by some team members as just another 9 to 5 job, Tara delivers this powerful line to remind them of the immense potential their work holds to change the nations destiny. Its a call to action, urging the team to recognize the significance of their mission. 4. "But today we have a choice. Apne bachpan ko yaad karke afsos kar sakte hain ki those were the days. Yaa aaj usi bachpan ko yaad karke keh sakte hain, I am going to live my dream." In an effort to rekindle the passion of her team, Tara organizes a celebration, encouraging her colleagues to reconnect with the dreams that led them to become scientists. She delivers this motivational line, challenging them to stop longing for the past and instead, seize the opportunity to make their dreams a reality through their work on the mission. 5. "But that's the joy, no! To be first, to be original. Dusre se prerit hona chahiye, seekhna chahiye par apna raasta khud banana chahiye." In an engaging conversation with her son, Tara explains the vision behind the Mars mission. When her son asks if anyone has attempted what ISRO is planning, Tara responds with these words, highlighting the pride and excitement of being a pioneer. This dialogue perfectly captures the essence of Mission Mangalthe belief in forging ones path and the joy of being at the forefront of innovation. boAt, Indias leading brand in audio and wearables, has announced a landmark achievement this Independence Day: the production of more than 5 crore Made in India units. To mark this milestone, boAt is excited to launch the limited edition, India-themed Nirvana Ion ANC as part of its 'Rock'in India' campaign. This exclusive launch honors the brand's deep connection to its roots and the relentless support of boAtheads, who have played a crucial role in this success. The Nirvana Ion ANC, designed with an India-themed aesthetic, captures the essence of Indian culture while reflecting boAt's ethos of being 'Unabashedly Indian.' The Rockin India campaign celebrates the brands commitment to the Make in India initiative and showcases the cultural richness that defines both the product and the boAt community. The limited-edition Nirvana Ion ANC has been crafted to embody the vibrancy and heritage of India, offering a unique and premium experience to consumers. boAts brand ambassadors alongside a host of influencers have joined the celebration, wearing the new product and applauding boAts remarkable achievement. On reaching this milestone, Aman Gupta, Co-founder and CMO of boAt, said, "boAt is deeply committed to India's growth story. By manufacturing over 5 crore units proudly made in India, we're not just building products; we're building a stronger India. Our journey to becoming a top 5 global audio wearables brand is a testament to the power of 'Make in India for the World.' We're proud to contribute to India's economic growth and create opportunities for our fellow citizens." The Nirvana Ion ANC will be available exclusively on boAts official website at a special price of INR 3,499. This limited-edition release offers fans a unique opportunity to own a piece of this historic celebration. Dont miss out on this exclusive launch. Visit boAt's official website to be part of the Rockin India campaign and secure your limited-edition Nirvana Ion today. https://www.boat-lifestyle.com/products/boat-nirvana-ion-anc-limited-edition-wireless-earbuds-with-active-noise-cancellation-enx%E2%84%A2-technology-120-hours-playback-beast%E2%84%A2-mode Signs greet Marshall Middle School students for their first day of school on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Houston ISD parents brought a plethora of first-week-of-school woes to the Board of Managers Thursday, including unassigned bus routes, unkempt school grounds and inadequate air conditioning in classrooms and on buses. School kicked off Monday after a flurry of parent phone calls for bus route assignments, with many families receiving route information over email Sunday for students who were not their children. Many schools continue to have air conditioning issues, leaving classroom temperatures climbing toward the districts heat threshold of 82 degrees Fahrenheit when the district opts to move children. Crockett Elementary parent Mychela Predium asked for cool air for her daughter, who has asthma, and her classmates. She was concerned classroom conditions could contribute to another asthma attack and emergency room visit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I can no longer hold my tongue because my daughter cant hold her breath, Predium said. Teisha Mayes, who volunteered at a Crockett dance class last year, said the air conditioning was broken numerous times then. She said this week the dance classroom had no air conditioning the first week of school, forcing the children to dance in the hallway. She called the school's air conditioning outages unacceptable and pointed out that she spotted new spin bikes on campus, brought there as part of the New Education System reforms under state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles. Why werent these funds used to fix the AC? Mayes said. "Our priority should be creating a cool, consistent environment where children and teachers can thrive." THE REPORT CARD: Subscribe to weekly recaps of HISD news Advertisement Article continues below this ad The district aims to keep classrooms between 70 to 75 degrees, Miles said. I said to the board and to our community, we will fight the air conditioning battle every day until October, Miles said, adding they had to move students due to air conditioning issues from Montgomery Elementary School to another school Thursday. Noting increasing bus ridership, Miles acknowledged that the transportation issues were unacceptable and said routes will not be "solid or confirmed" until several weeks from now. But certainly we need to improve our transportation system Ive said that before, Miles said. Community members also spoke on several agenda items, including changes to district testing policy and its real estate policy. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The change in real estate policy comes at the prompting of appointed board member Ric Campo. The change would allow the district to sell property and deposit the money from the sale into the districts general fund. Previously, that money would only go to what is called the Capital Renovations Fund. Jennifer Perry, HISD parent of four, called for the removal of this policy change from the consent agenda. She said the policy needed a closer look. Once those assets are gone, theyre not coming back, Perry said. "That's not an investment, a good investment, long term for us." The board later unanimously passed its consent agenda for a range of policy changes, with one comment from appointed board member Rolando Martinez lauding the item regarding a construction contract for an agricultural barn at North Forest High School. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The board also approved purchases for project management, architectural and engineering services for the upcoming bond, placed on the Nov. 5 ballot at the previous board meeting. The US government is considering major penalties against Google following a judges ruling that the tech giant illegally dominated the online search market. Options on the table include: Breakup: The most drastic measure being discussed is forcing Google to divest parts of its business, like the Android operating system. The most drastic measure being discussed is forcing Google to divest parts of its business, like the Android operating system. Forced Sales: The Department of Justice (DOJ) might force the sale of key Google products like AdWords (search advertising) and Chrome web browser. The Department of Justice (DOJ) might force the sale of key Google products like AdWords (search advertising) and Chrome web browser. Data Sharing: Google could be required to share its vast data with competitors to create a more level playing field. Google could be required to share its vast data with competitors to create a more level playing field. AI Restrictions: Measures might be implemented to prevent Google from gaining an unfair advantage in the development of Artificial Intelligence products. The judges decision hinged on Googles practices: Paying billions to companies like Apple to keep Google the default search engine. Exclusive contracts with other companies that stifled competition. Experts weigh in on the breakup possibility: Breakup unlikely: While some believe splitting Google is the ultimate solution, others like Neil Chilson, former FTC technologist, see it as impractical. While some believe splitting Google is the ultimate solution, others like Neil Chilson, former FTC technologist, see it as impractical. Focus on practices, not structure: Experts suggest tackling the specific practices creating the monopoly, rather than dismantling the entire company. Also read: Googles reign challenged: Ad Tech on the brink of disruption? The rulings significance: Landmark victory: This is seen as a major win for regulators aiming to curb the dominance of big tech companies. This is seen as a major win for regulators aiming to curb the dominance of big tech companies. Part of a larger trend: Similar lawsuits against Meta, Amazon, and Apple have been filed in recent years. The future: Google plans to appeal: While the DOJ contemplates remedies, Google is expected to fight the courts decision. Uncertainty for Google: The coming months will determine the extent of penalties and potential changes to how Google operates. On the occasion of Indias 78th Independence Day, Honda India Foundation (HIF) has announced the launch of its new video- #SambhavHaiAzadi. This video is intended at increasing awareness and inspiring action towards the responsible use of our precious resources along with promoting road safety, education for children, and cleanliness in our local surroundings. Background of the Campaign: Honda India Foundations #SambhavHaiAzadi video underscores the belief that true independence lies not only in the freedom we enjoy but also in the responsibility we undertake to preserve and protect our environment for future generations. It is the fourth communication video under HIFs Sambhav Hai social media campaign, which was launched in May 2024, and aims to ignite a spark of optimism and empower individuals to believe in their potential. Previous videos in this series were released on Mothers Day (12th May 2024), International Yoga Day (21st June 2024), and World Youth Skill Day (15th July 2024). Honda India Foundation intends to encourage every Indian to contribute to a sustainable future by making informed decisions that minimize wastage, conserve resources, and promote environmental stewardship. It has been rolled out nationwide through various platforms, including social media, community engagement programs, and across HMSIs dealership network. Speaking about the campaign, Vinay Dhingra, Trustee, Honda India Foundation, said, "As we celebrate Indias 78th Independence Day, we must also reflect on the responsibilities that come with it. '#SambhavHaiAzadi' is not just a campaign, it is a call for every citizen to get free from bad habits and contribute towards the development of our nation. By making positive choices, we can ensure that our freedom today does not come at the cost of tomorrows resources and aligns with Hondas global aim of having Blue Skies for our Children. GreenCell Mobility's NueGo, India's premier electric intercity bus brand, has announced a collaboration with the highly anticipated Bollywood film "Khel Khel Mein." With an impressive ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Vaani Kapoor, Ammy Virk, Taapsee Pannu, Fardeen Khan, Pragya Jaiswal & Aditya Seal. This film promises to be a comedic and thought-provoking exploration of friendships and relationships. "Khel Khel Mein," directed by Mudassar Aziz and produced by T-Series Films, Wakaoo Films, and KKM Film Production. The film will be released on 15 August 2024, is expected to entertain audiences with an engaging storyline and stellar performances. This collaboration reflects NueGo's dedication to innovation, sustainability, and cultural engagement, which complements the film's dynamic and entertaining spirit. To commemorate this collaboration, NueGo is offering an exclusive 10% discount on all flights. Passengers can take advantage of this offer by booking through the NueGo App and Website (www.nuego.in) and using the code "KKM". This special offer is only valid for a limited time and encourages environmentally conscious travelers to experience sustainable intercity travel at a reduced cost. Devndra Chawla, CEO & MD of GreenCell Mobility, stated, "NueGo is excited to partner with the star-studded cast of Khel Khel Mein, including Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, Ammy Virk, and more! Get ready for a blockbuster journey that's both thrilling and eco-friendly! Our partnership aims to accelerate awareness of comfortable sustainable inter-city travel, making every journey a greener one" NueGo's extensive network spans more than 100 cities across the country, ensuring that passengers not only arrive at their destination but also have a safe and comfortable journey. NueGo, a symbol of modern travel, offers dependability and comfort to travelers across the country. On the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his ambitious vision aligned to the growing influence of the Indian gaming industry and his strong belief in India, poised to attain a significant position across the global gaming diaspora. PM Modi has said, India must leverage its rich ancient legacy and literature to come up with Made in India gaming products. There is a big emerging market for gaming and we can come up with new talent in the sector. The gaming industry has hailed the Prime Ministers vision of making India a global gaming hub and encouraging game developers and publishers in India. Nitish Mittersain, Joint MD & CEO, Nazara Technologies: I founded Nazara 25 years ago with a dream to see India make it big in the global gaming landscape. Prime Minister Modis acknowledgment of this industrys potential is not just a recognition, but a powerful boost for all of us working towards this vision. For the Prime Minister to call for this goal in his Independence Day speech is both inspiring and a call to action for every developer and company in India. At Nazara, as Indias only listed gaming company, we stand ready to support this vision and help drive India to the forefront of the global gaming industry. Anurag Choudhary, Founder & CEO, Felicity Games: With India poised to be the worlds second-largest gaming market after China and nurturing a rapidly expanding talent pool, we are not only confident, but also motivated by the Prime Ministers vision and encouraging words shared at the Independence Day address. This will help enhance and shape a brighter future for over 30,000 Indian game developers and publishers and we are always eager to partner and support these innovative developers on their journey to global success. Jay Sayta, Technology & Gaming Lawyer: After interacting with gamers earlier this year, Honble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji highlighted Indias potential to be a global hub for game development in his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort. The Honble Prime Minister also impressed upon game developers to highlight our rich culture and ancient legacy in creating new and innovative games. The Honble Prime Ministers focus and emphasis on growing the online gaming sector will certainly boost the confidence of game developers, online gaming companies and investors. Hopefully, all departments and ministries will now work in close coordination keeping in mind the whole of government approach, and realise the Prime Ministers vision of making India a global gaming hub and a key contributor to the digital economy, by formulating industry friendly policies and regulations. Zee News has announced the return of its powerful and transformative show series, ZEE HELPLINE- , set to premiere on 15th August, 2024, at 3:30 pm. This eagerly awaited revival signals a renewed effort to confront systemic corruption and advocate for citizens' rights across India. Airing every Saturday at 3:30 pm, the series will be anchored by Mr. Anant Tyagi and will carry the impactful tagline, ZEE HELPLINE- . Over the decades, despite significant progress, many citizens continue to face obstacles such as bureaucratic red tape and corruption that obstruct their quest for justice. ZEE HELPLINE- aims to address these issues directly, offering a vital platform for individuals to voice their concerns and seek redress. Viewers are encouraged to contact the show via phone at 9711900700 or email at zee.helpline@zeemedia.com to bring their issues to light. The ZEE HELPLINE- show, known for resolving thousands of cases between 1998-2000 and 2011-2014, is set to continue its legacy of driving accountability and promoting transparency. With Anant Tyagi leading the charge, ZEE HELPLINE- is poised to make a significant impact by holding authorities accountable and championing citizens rights. Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, highlighted, As we relaunch ZEE HELPLINE- , we renew our promise to be the voice of the people. Our goal is to ensure that every citizens complaint is heard and resolved, reinforcing our commitment to justice and transparency in every aspect. Karan Abhishek Singh, CEO of Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL), added, ZEE HELPLINE- is not just a show, but a crucial initiative for promoting transparency and accountability. At Zee Media, we look forward to drive substantial changes and addressing the pressing issues faced by our viewers. As ZEE HELPLINE- much-anticipated returns, it embodies Zee News' enduring mission to support justice and combat corruption. To complement the weekly episodes, Zee News will also air single-story segments throughout the day, further engaging with the issues highlighted on the show and demonstrating its real-time impact. Zee Media Corporation Ltd, one of India's leading media companies, has a strong presence in the news and regional genres, with 18 news channels in seven different languages, reaching more than 528+ million viewers through its linear and digital properties. Hurricane Ernesto remained a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds on Friday as it continued northward on a path toward Bermuda. The National Hurricane Center said Ernesto, the third hurricane of 2024 in the Atlantic, should approach Bermuda tonight and pass near or over the small island on Saturday morning. See conditions on Bermuda here. Ernesto is no threat to the United States and it expected to curve out into the Atlantic after hitting Bermuda. Ernesto could bring damaging winds, 6 to 9 inches of rain and significant coastal flooding to the island. Ernesto is not expected to directly affect the United States, but waves from the storm could cause deadly rip currents along the East Coast through the weekend, the hurricane center said. Beach goers should be aware of a significant risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents, and stay out of the water if advised by lifeguards, the hurricane center said. A high risk of rip currents is in effect for the ENTIRE Southeast coastline today due to swells from Hurricane #Ernesto, which arrived early this morning. Please stay out of the water this weekend. #beachsafety https://t.co/vJX9FPYkn0 pic.twitter.com/EqqJwSq6RM NWS Wilmington, NC (@NWSWilmingtonNC) August 16, 2024 As of 4 p.m. CDT Friday, the center of Hurricane Ernesto was located about 125 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and was tracking to the northeast at 13 mph. Ernesto had 100 mph winds. The hurricane centers latest forecast doesnt have Ernesto getting any stronger (as earlier forecasts said) but gradually weakening in the next day or two, but it could strengthen again early next week. A hurricane warning remained in effect for Bermuda, which is expected to start feeling tropical storm conditions this afternoon and hurricane conditions on Saturday. There are no other systems being watched for possible development in the Atlantic as of Friday. The Atlantic hurricane season runs until Nov. 30, and 17 to 24 named storms will be possible before its over, forecasters said. A second Walker County Jail corrections officer has agreed to plead guilty after being charged in connection with the 2023 death of Anthony Tony Mitchell Karen Kim Elsie Kelly is charged federally with deprivation of rights under the color of law, according to court documents made public Friday. Authorities contend Kelly was aware of the inhumane conditions in which Mitchell was being kept, yet remained largely silent to avoid the ire of the jail command staff and keep her job. Earlier this month, Joshua Conner Jones signed plea agreements involving the death of Mitchell and in a 2022 case in which an inmate was beaten in the head and face with a chemical spray can. Jones was arraigned in a federal courtroom in Birmingham on Thursday. My client has accepted full responsibility for her minimal role in this tragic death,' said Kellys attorney, Brett Bloomston. The culture of the Walker County Jail was such that she could do little to help this inmate without fear of reprisal,' Bloomston said. She sincerely hopes that this tragedyleads to new policies and procedures to protect those who are housed in the jail. Sheriff Nick Smith said of the latest development, It puts us another step forward with the investigation and getting to the truth of what really happened.. He declined further comment pending the ongoing investigation. Mitchell, 33, died Jan. 26, 2023 at Walker Baptist Medical Center, just over two weeks after he was arrested on charges that he shot at Walker County deputies as they responded to a welfare check requested by his family. Subsequent court documents have detail the horrific conditions of his time in the jail and subsequent death. The county coroners death certificate listed Mitchells manner of death as homicide and listed the causes as hypothermia and sepsis resulting from infected injuries obtained during incarceration and medical neglect. Tony Mitchell being placed in a Walker County Sheriff's Office vehicle. (Court filing) Lawyers for Mitchells mother, Margaret Mitchell, filed a federal lawsuit in March 2023, claiming that jail deputies tased Mitchell and locked him in a freezer, causing his death. The lawsuit alleges abuse and medical neglect of Mitchell at the hands of Sheriff Nick Smith and staff at the county jail, including corrections officers, nurses and an investigator. A response to the lawsuit filed by jail nurses disputed Mitchells familys claims that he was locked in a freezer. Attorneys for the sheriffs office also said Mitchell was never placed in a freezer, and asked that the allegation be removed from the lawsuit. He was not held in a freezer, the document stated. In fact, the only times that he left the booking area was to attend his 72-hour hearing and to be transported to the hospital. Mitchell family attorneys responded by saying the claim was mischaracterized. They said the claim about the freezer was not definite, but rather a likely possible explanation for Mitchells death and that a physician they interviewed for the case told them as much. Court documents state that the Walker County Jail had eight booking cells that could be directly observed by officers at the booking desk several feet away. Among the eight cells, BK5 was unique in that it was essentially a cement box with a small grate on the floor that opens into a hole for fluids to drain from the cell, documents state. BK5 was often referred to as the drunk tank in that it could easily be hosed down when inebriated people held there would vomit, documents state. BK5 was unlike all other cells in the jail, but for observation cell AH3, which had no hole in the floor and was used only for detainees for hours at a time. It did not have a sink, toilet, access to any running water or a raised platform to be used as a bed. The cell was notoriously cold during winter months and the temperature on the bare cement floor was even colder, the plea agreement states. Medical and mental health services were provided by an outside contractor hired by Walker County. As part of the booking process, all detainees were supposed to receive a medical and mental health screening to ensure that emergent and urgent health needs were met. During Mitchells detention, Kelly worked the night shifts at the jail on Jan. 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and January 22nd, 23rd, and 24th as a correctional officer, including acting as shift supervisor at times. Mitchell was housed in booking cell BK5. For most of that time, he was housed naked, without a mat or blanket, left to lie on the cold, bare, cement floor, charging documents state. Despite that cell being referred to as the drunk tank, Kelly was under the impression that Mitchell was housed in BK5 upon orders of the jails command staff because he was on suicide watch. She believed he was on suicide watch because she had been told by the dayshift lieutenant, who was on duty when Mitchell was initially booked into the jail. Additionally, the plea agreement states, Kelly was told by the night shift lieutenant who directly supervised her that the nurse practitioner claimed Mitchell was on suicide watch. Nonetheless, defendant Kelly never saw any documentation reflecting that (Mitchell) was on suicide watch, he was not treated as other suicide watch inmates were treated, he was kept in BK5 much longer than any other suicide watch inmates would be kept there, and he never demonstrated signs of self-harm or suicidal ideation, documents said. Kelly was told by another lieutenant that the nurse practitioner ceded her authority to determine who should be on or off suicide watch to the command staff which was against jail protocol as she understood it. Kelly never saw Jail staff take any actions directed at protecting Mitchell from self-harm, such as providing him mental health treatment. Court documents state Kelly did not believe that Mitchells basic human needs were being met. In addition to the cold, bare conditions Mitchell experienced for a prolonged period, he and his cell were often filthy with feces and old food and garbage that had not been collected by officers. A man claiming to have a portal to Hell is under arrest after reportedly shooting at Walker County sheriffs deputies. (Walker County Sheriff's Office) On one occasion, after arranging for the cell to be cleaned for the first time in days, one of the lieutenants berated Kelly upon discovering that the cell had been cleaned indicating to her that he intended the cell to remain filthy and filled with garbage. Kelly had been told by a lieutenant that Mitchell was combative, suggesting justification for keeping him in the conditions under which he was housed. However, over the course of her seven shifts in which Mitchell was housed there, she never observed him behave in a combative behavior, the documents state. To the contrary, she witnessed Mitchell rarely doing anything but sitting or lying in his cell. Over time, Mitchell became obviously weaker physically, appearing frail as days wore on. Kelly, the documents state, was familiar with countless inmates at the Jail over time who were far more threatening, combative, or aggressive, and who routinely were housed in general population dorms or dorms where inmates had access to toilets, showers, commissary, phone calls, and running water. The plea agreement states that Mitchell was barely communicative, appeared not to be lucid much of the time, and appeared to be suffering from significant mental illness even to those without medical or mental health training. Kelly, documents show, believed Mitchell wasnt capable of effectively describing his needs or discomfort that ordinarily would have been associated with conditions of confinement in which he was maintained. Kelly twice asked a lieutenant whether steps could be taken to give Mitchell a mat or a blanket and each time she was told that a member of the command staff insisted that Mitchell remain under those conditions. Even in those rare instances that (Mitchell) was provided with a shower, she was not permitted to provide a towel or other fabric for (Mitchell) to dry off before he returned nude to BK5 and its cold temperatures, which Kelly described as inhuman. The plea agreement states that Kelly believed the jail command staff was purposely keeping Mitchell in inhumane conditions that posed serious threats to his health and well-being. Nonetheless, despite the inferences she drew in the face of the objectively obvious harmful conditions, Kelly did not express her concerns to anyone other than her immediate supervisor even after they were ignored, the document states. The culture in the jail was such that Kelly feared retaliation if she raised further questions about the treatment of (Mitchell), the document reads. As such, Kelly did not take reasonable steps to alert appropriate authorities. Instead, the document continued, she sought to avoid scrutiny from jail supervisors to remain employed there by failing to raise alarms about (Mitchells) deterioration and exposure to inhumane conditions. A court date has not yet been announced. The family of a man killed by a police dog in Montgomery has settled part of their federal lawsuit, reaching a confidential agreement with the K-9 handler who unleashed the dog. Walter Pettaway, a 51-year-old Black man, bled to death after a police dog named Niko bit his thigh and tore his femoral artery in 2018. His family sued in 2019, accusing Officer Nicholas Barber of excessive force and bringing additional claims against the city of Montgomery and Chief Ernest Finley, who has since left the department. In court records last month, attorneys for Barber said they had reached a settlement on the excessive force claim against the former K-9 handler. Barber no longer works for the Montgomery city police. the parties have reached a confidential mutually agreeable resolution of the claim pending before this Court, the records state. Griffin Sikes, an attorney for the Pettaway family, said he could not reveal any details of the settlement because of the confidentiality agreement. But, Sikes said, the settlement is not the end of the lawsuit. The Pettaway family is appealing their case against Montgomery, alleging that the city is liable because it had a policy prohibiting the officers from rendering first aid that could have saved Pettaways life while he was bleeding out on the sidewalk. The city of Montgomery failed to provide prompt and adequate medical care to someone their cop injured not because of failure of the individual cop but because of the citys policy, Sikes told AL.com. Attorneys for Barber and the city did not respond to requests for comment. [Read more: Police dog attacks are an ugly secret in Alabama] In July of 2018, Montgomery police said they got a call about a possible burglary and found Pettaway sleeping in an otherwise unoccupied house. Pettaways family said he had been helping fix up the small home and sometimes slept there. There is body camera footage of what happened, but the city and the federal court have denied requests to to release it to the public. Attorneys for the city at one point argued in court records that the release of the video could cause public unrest. It took two years for the familys lawyers to see the video. After obtaining copies, the lawyers described the footage in a court filing, saying the bite lasted nearly two minutes and the handler struggled to get the dog to let go of Pettaway. Barber, the K-9 handler, testified in a deposition that he had to choke the dog until it could not breathe and was nearly unconscious in order to get Niko to release Pettaways groin. Pettaway bled as police dragged him out of the house and onto the sidewalk to wait 14 minutes for an ambulance, according to the filing. He died at the hospital. About five minutes after the bite ended, the filing says, another officer outside asked Barber, Did ya get a bite? Barber responded, Sure did, heh, heh (chuckling). The officer asked: Are you serious? Barber replied. F**k yeah. In their lawsuit, the Pettaway family argues that the police officers could have tried to slow or stop the bleeding by applying pressure to his wounds or using a tourniquet noting that Boy Scouts learn such life-saving measures. Instead, because of the citys policy prohibiting police from providing emergency medical care, the officers stood over Pettaway as they waited for an ambulance, Sikes said. U.S. District Judge Emily C. Marks, who also declined to make the video public, dismissed the familys claim against the city. But Sikes says they will appeal. We think its important because its a public entity that has failed the public, Sikes said. The whole mission of the Montgomery police department is to protect its citizens. The duty of the police isnt just protecting crime victims, its also people they take into custody. They have to protect them. Alabama spends less than most other southeastern states to maintain its prisoners, although the state is paying substantially more per inmate than a few years ago. At a budget hearing this week, Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm showed legislators a chart that ranked Alabama fifth out of nine southeastern states with a daily average cost of $83. North Carolina spent the most per day on inmates, $173. After that was a big drop-off to Florida, which ranked second at $114, followed by Tennessee ($107), South Carolina ($105), and Kentucky ($98). The three states with average daily costs less than Alabamas were Georgia ($82), Louisiana ($69) and Mississippi ($65). Hamm gave the numbers, which are from the 2021 fiscal year, during an informal hearing Tuesday with members of the budget committees of the House and Senate. Hamm noted the consequences of spending less than most other states. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Alabama over violent conditions in its understaffed, overcrowded, and aging prisons. And Alabama is also dealing with a decade-old lawsuit over mental health care for inmates, a case that has resulted in a federal court order for the state to add 2,000 correctional officers, essentially doubling the staff, by July 2025. Keep spending less, do we keep having systemic litigation and other issues? Or do we spend more? We dont have more. Theres two trains of thought on that, Hamm said. Alabamas low rate of spending on prisons compared to other states is not a new development. A 2015 report by the Vera Institute said Alabama spent $14,780 per year per inmate, less than any other state. The national average was about $33,000 per inmate at that time. On another chart, Hamm showed that Alabamas daily cost to maintain inmates has risen 21% in four years, from $72 in fiscal year 2020 to a projected $87 in fiscal year 2024. Medical costs for inmates and salaries for security staff were the biggest components in the increase, the chart showed. The ADOC signed a $1 billion, four-and-half year contract with a medical provider last year. The ADOC increased pay for correctional officers last year, raising starting pay to $50,000 and up, as part of an effort to hire and retain more security staff. Here is a link to Hamms presentation. Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, chair of the Senate budget committee, cited numbers showing that ADOCs budget, including federal funds, grew 34% from 2019 to 2023, from $548 million to $732 million. That increase was not the result of housing more inmates, Albritton noted. The prison population has been relatively stable the last few years, hovering at about 20,000 to 21,000. We dont anticipate there being a decline here because the numbers will continue to grow, both inmates, and otherwise, Albritton said. Is that a fair statement? Thats a fair statement, Hamm said. Hamm told lawmakers the ADOC has not yet determined its budget request for next year. The legislative session starts in February. Albritton, the Senate budget chairman, noted that in addition to its growing operational costs, the ADOC needs funds for construction. The Legislature has appropriated money for a 4,000-bed specialty care prison in Elmore County which is slated for completion in May 2026 at a project cost of $1.25 billion. But a second 4,000-bed prison in Escambia County has not been fully funded and construction has not started. Since Alabama began discussing plans to build new prisons almost a decade ago, there has been some talk that modern prisons could function with fewer correctional officers than Alabamas older prisons. The new prisons will be mostly cells, unlike the dormitory-style older prisons. But Hamm said he wanted to correct any misconception that the state can save money by scaling back its correctional staff with newer prisons. He noted the federal court order, which essentially requires the ADOC to double its staff. Were going to operate as efficiently, as professionally and as constitutionally as we can, Hamm told the legislators. Whatever yall appropriate the Department of Corrections, were going to operate that within those means. But we cant control outside forces. We can only control us. We cant control the courts. Chinese envoy urges respect for South Sudan's sovereignty, ownership in political transition Xinhua) 09:18, August 16, 2024 UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, on Wednesday urged the international community to earnestly respect South Sudan's sovereignty and ownership in its political transition, and refrain from interventionist pressurizing or imposing external standards. South Sudan has been making great efforts to promote political transition and maintain national stability, and the international community should support the country in better implementing the Revitalized Agreement, encourage parties to engage in political dialogue, strength unity and mutual trust, and garner more political consensus from the general elections, Dai said in remarks at the Security Council briefing on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). "China welcomes South Sudan's announcement to hold general elections in the coming December, and supports South Sudan in capitalizing on this opportunity to move forward towards peace," he said. Highlighting the difficulties and challenges facing South Sudan in financing elections, the ambassador called for providing additional resources for the functioning of key institutions such as the national elections commission and the deployment of unified forces. He underscored South Sudan's unique national conditions and realities, stressing that the people of South Sudan "have the right to determine their country's destiny." Addressing the security challenges such as intercommunal conflicts in South Sudan, Dai expressed support for the government of South Sudan in engaging dialogue with the relevant communities, as well as intercommunal dialogue to seek lasting solutions to the disputes over land, pasture, and transhumance, and achieve peace and reconciliation as soon as possible. He also urged the international community and UNMISS to continue to support the government of South Sudan in strengthening capacity building in the field of security, advancing security sector reform, and effectively enhancing its capacity to protect civilians. Emphasizing the impact of the conflict in Sudan on the security situation in South Sudan, he called on the international community to help South Sudan curb the cross-border flow of armed elements, crack down on cross-border crimes and the illegal trafficking of small arms and light weapons, and maintain security and stability in South Sudan. Dai urged the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program, and other development partners, as well as traditional donors, to provide greater support to South Sudan in terms of livelihood security and economic development. "The international community should take seriously the severe challenges posed by insufficient humanitarian response funds in South Sudan, step up humanitarian assistance, and meet the humanitarian needs of South Sudan," Dai said, adding that China, as a major troop-contributing country to UNMISS, "will continue to firmly support the work of UNMISS and contribute to the peace and prosperity of South Sudan." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Graduates enter the Texas Southern University's Spring 2021 commencement at Alexander Durley Stadium Saturday, May 8, 2021, in Houston. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Texas Southern Universitys student success rates are on a slight upswing after COVID-era declines at the institution, school officials said at a board meeting Thursday. Graduation rates are presented with a four- or six-year lag, so future years could be telling especially as enrollment has rebounded some since drops associated with the start of the pandemic. But in the past several years, undergraduate degrees have been issued in greater numbers at TSU, and the fall 2020 cohorts four-year graduation rate is set to hit at least 17% at the end of the summer, the highest on recent record for the historically Black university. The six-year graduation rate, a more widely used number in higher education circles, rose to 21% for the 2018 cohort, up 1 percentage point from the previous year, according to university data. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The public institution in Houston has repeatedly targeted its student success metrics as an area for improvement, as it ranks among the lowest in the state. Graduates enter the Texas Southern University's Spring 2021 commencement at Alexander Durley Stadium Saturday, May 8, 2021, in Houston. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer HIGHER ED: TSU faces challenges raising graduation rates amid administrative turnover Were making changes in the curriculum, were leveraging the technology, we have outcomes, said Raijanel S. Crockem, associate vice president for institutional assessment, planning and effectiveness. We see were moving back in the right direction. TSUs six-year graduation rates have largely hovered in the same range, with the largest decrease of late occurring for the 2014 cohort, which graduated 19% by 2020. The figure rose to 26% by 2022 and dropped again to 20% the next year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Graduates enter the Texas Southern University's Spring 2021 commencement at Alexander Durley Stadium Saturday, May 8, 2021, in Houston. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer While the latest graduation rates show improvement from the pandemic, they continue to fall below national and state averages. Experts have said those should be qualified. Across the country, the six-year rate by 2021 was 61%, compared with TSUs 23% that year. But the university also enrolls much higher percentages than the national average of federal Pell grant recipients or students with extreme financial need, a factor that has a known link to student success rates. At TSU, the number of undergraduate degrees granted has at least increased since a high of 1,100 diplomas issued between fall 2018 and summer 2019. The figure dropped to 880 in the period between fall 2021 and summer 2022, with the largest affected areas in business; science, engineering and technology; and pharmacy and health sciences colleges, across all levels of degrees. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A graduate wears a decorated graduate hat during Texas Southern University's Spring 2021 commencement at Alexander Durley Stadium Saturday, May 8, 2021, in Houston. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Those counts have risen and now sit at 965 undergraduate degrees issued between fall 2023 and spring 2024, with some yet to be counted, according to the university. A former Alabama police sergeant has pleaded guilty to depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under the color of law. Ryan Phillips, who served with the Daleville Police Department, hit a city jail inmate multiple times on March 1, 2022. He was subsequently fired. The guilty plea was announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Middle District of Alabama U.S. Attorneys Office. Authorities said Phillips willfully used unreasonable force against an arrestee identified in court records only as D.M. The victim was inside a jail cell when he and Phillips got into a verbal altercation. Phillips removed his badge and gun, entered the cell and repeatedly hit the inmate in the upper body and face. The inmate sustained lacerations and bruising. Daleville, Alabama, Police Department sergeant, Ryan Phillips, pleaded guilty yesterday to depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law. When police officers violate the law and abuse their power, it erodes the communitys trust in the ability of law enforcement to keep them safe and to preserve their rights, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. This defendant abused his power by entering the cell of an arrestee to violently strike him in the face and upper body without cause or reason. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Phillips faces up to 10 years in prison. Although police officers are granted authority to maintain law and order, that authority has its limits, said Middle District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. The defendant lost his composure and beat an arrestee inside his cell. This type of excessive force cannot be tolerated. The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated the case. Ryan Phillips clearly violated his position of public trust, said Acting Assistant Director Jodi Cohen of the FBIs Criminal Investigative Division. Law enforcement officers take an oath to protect and serve all people and Phillips betrayed that trust. The former finance director for the City of Homewood has been charged with, and agreed to plead guilty to, the embezzlement of nearly $1 million from the citys coffers. Robert Winston Burgett, who was arrested on state charges earlier this year, is charged with three federal counts of wire fraud, according to a Friday announcement from Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. The 64-year-old Hueytown man worked for the City of Homewood as its finance director until his retirement in March. According to federal documents, Burgett used his position to embezzle about $950,000 between May 2023 and March 2024. Burgett concealed his conduct by first moving the citys funds into a commercial bank account he controlled before transferring the funds into his personal account. He also altered city bank account statements and made false journal entries in city accounting records. Burgett ultimately used the embezzled funds for personal purposes. Mr. Burgett has from day one accepted responsibility for his actions and has expressed extreme remorse and contrition for his actions,' said his attorney, Tommy Spina. He blames no one but himself. He gave up his right to have his case presented to a grand jury and signed a written plea agreement without wasting judicial resources to move the process forward expeditiously,' Spina said. Todays public filing was simply the formalization of his admission of guilt. Homewood Mayor Patrick McClusky released a statment thanking investigators and their swift work. He said the city will continue to cooperate with them fully. A court date has not yet been set. The FBI and the Homewood Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward is prosecuting the case. Burgett was initially arrest by Homewood police on April 9 on a charge of aggravated theft by deception. That charge is still pending. A non-profit pushing for the widening of Interstate 65 launched a campaign Friday that includes putting billboards along the north-south interstate in hopes of driving support for a massive interstate expansion project backed by Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, and promised by former President Donald Trump if hes elected in November. The Go Wide I-65 Coalitions campaign, which includes a website asking the public to contribute and to promote the project, is expected to unveil billboards soon all along I-65. Its unclear how many billboards will be installed, or how they are being paid for. The campaigns news release suggests the billboards will begin being installed on Friday. I-65 is the primary artery of the state of Alabama and literally carries the states economic lifeblood every day, said George Clark, executive director with the coalition who told AL.com that not all the billboards will be installed at once. The campaign is designed to increase awareness to the project and does call for a widening of the interstate to three lanes in each direction for 366 miles -- from the Alabama-Tennessee line south toward Mobile. Clark is the founder and former president of Manufacture Alabama who, more than a decade ago, worked with associations and business groups to evaluate Alabamas infrastructure needs and wrote up plans aimed to guide the state in meeting those needs, according to the coalition. Lt. Governor Ainsworth has taken the lead for advocating for this essential infrastructure project, Clark said in a statement. Our campaign utilizes the foundation he has established. Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the State House in Montgomery, Ala.John Sharp Ainsworth, a Republican and a potential candidate for governor in 2026, applauded the coalitions efforts. This coalition offers strong evidence that the desire to widen I-65 is a true grassroots movement bubbling up from frustrated Alabamians who are tired of sitting in standstill interstate traffic, he said in a statement to AL.com. I-65 is the main artery that moves goods throughout our state, allows tourists to visit our beaches, and gets Alabamians from Point A to Point B, so fixing an obviously broken transportation system must be our top priority. The Go Wide I-65 Coalitions website describes the Ainsworth Plan by proposing to expand I-65 to three lanes on both sides to address congestion and safety issues, foster economic growth and ensure the state is prepared for future transportation needs, according to the groups news release. Our goal is to grow this campaign into a much bigger coalition and see expansion adopted by the political leadership of Alabama, Clark said. It is perhaps the most important economic development project Alabama can adopt. Ainsworth has long pushed for a six-lane expansion of the mostly four-lane interstate and has taken to social media in the past to post images of traffic jams along the route that connects the cities largest metropolitan areas. According to the Go Wide I-65 website, 80 miles of I-65 consists of three or more lanes including 53 miles between Exit 291 and 283, 14 miles near Prattville and 13 miles near Saraland. The website notes that two projects are adding seven miles of additional lanes from Alabaster to Calera, and two miles near Saraland. ALDOT has committed to also rehabilitating the existing I-65 bridges over the Tennessee River, at an estimated cost of $30 million. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, last August, announced the widening project from Alabaster to Calera, which runs from Exits 238 to 231, and includes six bridges over rail tracks and two bridges over County Road 26. That three-phase project is expected to cost around $300 million, according to an Aug. 31, 2023, news release provided by the governors office. The Shelby County Commission, City of Alabaster, the city of Calera, and 58 Inc. provided $20 million in local matching funds, with the remainder coming from the state. Gina Maiola, a spokesperson for Ivey, said they are appreciative of the efforts to highlight I-65. We appreciate having the support of the Coalition and lieutenant governor in this ongoing infrastructure priority of Governor Ivey, Maiola said. The coalition says that despite the ongoing work, approximately 277 miles of I-65 is left for expansion to three lanes. According to the website, An expansion plan of this size will take years to accomplish and would be impossible to fund and construct all at once. Alabama must set priorities that generate the most improvements in the quickest time possible. Setting expansion priorities will also make this project more economically feasible. The Ainsworth Plan proposes a phased approach to funding and construction, focusing on sections that will have the most immediate impact and can be completed in a timely manner. Ainsworth has gathered some support for the project in recent years. In May 2023, the Alabama State Senate -- which Ainsworth, as lieutenant governor, presides over -- backed a resolution urging the Alabama Department of Transportation to study and prioritize improvements and additional lane capacity for I-65. He got an extra boost for the project last August when Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, vowed to make the project a priority during the first day of his presidency if hes elected on Nov. 5. Considering President Trumps deep affection and loyalty for Alabama, we have every confidence he will immediately fulfill his commitment if given a second term in 2024, Ainsworth said at the time. The I-65 project in its entirety has plenty of skeptics. Last fall, Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said while he favors getting a start on adding additional lanes to I-65 -- where they are needed -- there were other more pressing and immediate transportation projects the state should prioritize. Ainsworths plan also has butted up against the Ivey administrations focus on adding lanes to U.S. 43 in West Alabama and creating a thoroughfare from Thomasville north 80 miles toward Moundville near Tuscaloosa. Ainsworth, the states No. 2 elected official, has criticized the transportation priorities of adding lanes to U.S. 43, saying that the West Alabama Highway Corridor has less than 1/20th of the traffic count as I-65. Ainsworth, last year, clarified that he is supportive of that project, and visited with Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day last August to discuss the project. He believes federal money should be pursued to pay for U.S. 43s widening. Ivey also weighed in last September, saying the U.S. 43/I-65 debate was not an either-or proposition. The U.S. 43 project is not mentioned on the Go Wide 65 Coalitions website. Instead, the focus is strictly on I-65, which the group believes will lead to increased tourism, accommodate future growth, improve the quality of life and benefit the environment. Day, in a statement to AL.com, said hes known Clark for many years to create job training programs in Clarke County and beyond lure manufacturing jobs to rural West Alabama. Mr. Clark and I have had several discussions over the last 20-plus years regarding the fact that many industries will not locate in an area without reasonable access to four-lane highway corridors and interstates, Day said in an email to AL.com. I am confident we both can agree that good highway infrastructure is critical to our overall ability to attract and retain quality manufacturing jobs in every corner of Alabama, rural or urban. I respect him greatly for his work at Manufacture Alabama and for his passion to lead the effort to expand I-65. Day said he also agrees with federal, state and local officials that the two projects -- I-65 and the West Alabama Highway project -- can occur simultaneously. We agreed then that Alabama can do and should do both projects along with addressing other critical infrastructure needs such as the ($3.5 billion Interstate 10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project), Day said. This story was updated at 12:25 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2024, to include a statement from the governors spokesperson. It was also updated at 2:13 p.m. with comments from Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day. A potential Democratic National Convention fracas involving dueling slates of delegates from Alabama has drawn the interest of the Republican candidate running in Alabamas 2nd congressional district, and shes taking sides. Caroleene Dobson, who is battling Democratic nominee Shomari Figures in a rare contested General Election race for an Alabama congressional seat, said in a news release Thursday that she is siding with state Democratic Party Chair Randy Kelley in his spat with the Democratic National Committee over who is allowed to show up to Chicago next week as part of the state partys delegates. Let me be clear, I agree with Chairman Kelley that overturning the Alabama Democrats slate of delegates prevents African-Americans from holding the seats they were already awarded, which is a shameful and unfair practice from any angle you view it, Dobson said in a news release sent out earlier this month. Figures, in a rebuttal, emailed AL.com Thursday and said that if Dobson is worried about Democratic Party matters, then she should just join the party. And I promise, once she goes Democrat, she wont go back, Figures said. Supporting Kelley Alabama Congressional District 2 raceAL.com Dobson called out Figures to take sides in the continuing dispute between Kelley and the DNC over the party delegates and who should be allowed to show up to vote on the floor of the DNC next week at the United Center in Chicago. Kelley remains upset that 36 of the state partys delegates were rejected by the DNC late last month, and Dobson said they were unilaterally rejected and replaced by the Biden/Harris campaign and the prominent Democrats supporting Figures campaign. Chairman Kelley is 100% correct when he says that Alabama delegates should be selected by Alabamians, not be a secret group of Washington, D.C. elites supporting Shomari Figures and his campaign, Dobson said. Dobson said Figures should either support Kelley and the Black delegates he is fighting to protect or take sides with what she said were the unelected delegates that are being forced down the throats of Alabama Democrats by the national party. Two-thirds of the delegates going to Chicago are Black people, including state Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile. The goal of all Democrats is not fighting over delegates, but to make sure both Shomari Figures and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz get elected, Drummond said. Thats the sole goal. This is not about a power struggle, but to make sure those running for the Democratic seats get elected. Dobson, though, said Figures should comment on a controversy within his own political party, adding that only a coward tries to hide behind silence on important issues like delegate controversy. Name calling Shomari Figures, a Democratic candidate for Alabama's 2nd congressional district, speaks during a forum featuring 10 candidates (eight Democrats, and two Republicans) on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, at the Sunlight District Auditorium in Prichard, Ala.John Sharp/jsharp@al.com Figures, in his statement emailed to AL.com, shot back by calling Dobson Alabamas Marjorie Taylor Greene, in reference to fiery right-wing congresswoman from neighboring Georgia. A privileged billionaire calling a Black man in Alabama a coward for the second time because he wont do what she says? Figures said. Is that what leadership looks like? He added, The name calling is pathetic, and honestly, just sad. As my 4-year-old son would say, thats not nice. Its the type of rhetoric people across this District are just tired of. Ill pray for her. Figures said if Dobson cares so much about Black people, she should consider the following: Not support the Heritage Foundations Project 2025, massive document that outlines suggestions on a host of issues for consideration if a Republican is elected president. The document includes considerations to restrict Medicaid and Medicare access and mail-order abortion pills, has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks and was denounced by former President Donald Trump. Dobson has said she is wholly unfamiliar with the project, but the Figures campaign said her policies align the controversial document. Tell the State of Alabama to expand Medicaid, which he said would grant more healthcare access to thousands of Black people. Stop supporting efforts to defund public schools. Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954 that ruled school segregation unconstitutional. Explain why she hasnt led efforts to integrate her high school Monroe Academy, which she graduated from in 2005. Accounts have surfaced in recent days that Dobson attended a so-called segregation academy that was formed as private school formed to sidestepruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954 that ruled school segregation unconstitutional. Figures blasted Dobson saying she likely didnt attend a school with a Black person until she left Alabama and went to Harvard in 2005. Now she has the answers on Black representation issues? I think not. The Alabama Democratic Party has not weighed in on Dobsons statements. A party spokesperson did not return requests for comment. Former Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones, in a statement to AL.com, said Dobsons opinion on a Democratic Party matter is laughable. The nominee of a political party with such a rich history of minority voter suppression, including their efforts today, has no credibility opinion on something they have no clue about, Jones said. But the statement is pretty typical for Republicans these days where facts simply do not matter and these guys clearly do not know the facts. Delegate controversy The delegate controversy arose anew this week after Kelley threatened legal action and accused those denying the certification of the 36 delegates as having racist motivations. Those comments followed a July 25 news release in which Kelley claims the Alabama Democratic Party is the only bona fide group that can do business in Alabama for Democrats, and is the only group that can make rules for how Democrats are elected. The statement also alleges that an illegal, self-serving group was usurping the role of the state party by appointing the delegates to the DNC. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)AP Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison weighed in earlier this month by writing to Kelley that the state party missed deadlines to make delegate selections or challenge selections. Harrison also stated that all delegates were selected according to the states own regulations. Alabamas delegate selection plan, like those of other states, allows presidential candidates rights of review for each delegate candidate pledged to them. Refrain from any further miscommunication or misinformation to convention participants, Harrison wrote to Kelley. The delegate drama in Alabama is likely to have no impact on the pending nomination of Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee. The DNC confirmed earlier this month that Harris had garnered enough delegates to secure the nomination. Jess Brown, a retired political science professor and a longtime observer of state politics in Alabama, said the national Democratic Party has the final say on who gets to participate as a delegate during the convention. The U.S. Supreme Court has also ruled on the matter. In 1981, in Democratic Party v. Wisconsin, the court ruled in a 6-3 vote that state election law cannot preempt the delegate selection mechanisms of a national political party for that partys national convention. Basically, weve had both conservative and liberal justices on the high court rule that basically a national party rules prevail in terms of this meeting of a private association, Brown said. My guess is this disgruntled faction in the Alabama Democratic Party might make noise. If national party officials want to appease them in some way, they might do so. But as far as going to the convention and finding a way other than appeasement to get a vote, they will just be at the mercy of the national party. Strategic approach Brown, though, said he can see the strategy utilized by Dobson to attract Black voters who are the majority in the redrawn 2nd congressional district. The district, currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise, was drawn to benefit a Democratic politician after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that Alabamas congressional map violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As a result, the newly redrawn map includes the 2nd district that gives Black voters a better opportunity to electing a candidate of their choosing. The seat takes in all or part of 13 counties from Montgomery to Mobile and from the Georgia line to the Mississippi line. The effort by her suggest she is trying to get a sliver of the African American vote, particularly the Joe Reed faction in Montgomery, a faction that wasnt happy with the Democratic primary (in the 2nd district) anyway, said Brown. Reed, an ally to Kelly and a longtime political powerbroker in Montgomery, requested in March that Figures and his Democratic primary runoff opponent Anthony Daniels the state representative from Huntsville be kicked off the ballot amid questions he raised over the possibilities of Republicans providing financial support to both candidates. Joe Reed Reed, who heads up the Alabama Democratic Conference, endorsed state Rep. Napoleon Bracy of Saraland during the Democratic primary. The ADC did endorse Figures ahead of the primary runoff in April. The race (between Figures and Dobson) is expected to be very close and every niche of the electorate matters, Brown said. She saw an opportunity to peel off the small subset of African American voters, and the Reed faction with its dispute with the national party, and she seized on that moment. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the explosion Saturday at the Evonik chemical plant in South Mobile County. A spokesperson with OSHA confirmed Thursday it was looking into the explosion, which company officials blamed on overpressure in a railcar. No further details were provided to AL.com. The agency did provide a link to a one-page description of its investigation priorities that include the most hazardous workplaces that result in imminent danger, severe injuries and illnesses, worker complaints, referrals of hazards from other agencies, targeted inspections and follow-up inspections. The railcar contained hydrogen peroxide at the time it was involved in an accident at approximately 2 p.m. No serious injuries were reported. Firefighters from the plants onsite team, Mobile County, Theodore and Fowl River responded to the explosion. We are fully cooperating with local authorities. Evonik cares deeply about safety and investigating the cause of this accident is a top priority, the company said in statements over the weekend. The Evonik plant in Theodore employs around 750 people and is its largest facility in North America. The company, in 2022, announced it was investing $176.5 million toward an expansion of the Theodore plant. The project was to be completed this year and is currently under construction. It was unaffected by the railcar accident. A judicial court of the United Methodist Church will take up the issue of clarifying how Alabama churches that want to leave may still be allowed to depart the denomination. The United Methodist Judicial Council has released its docket of 10 items for its fall meeting. Among them are requests from the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, where a group of more than 40 churches that wanted to leave the denomination claim the bishop ran out the clock on them, delaying their exit until a rule allowing them to leave and take property with them expired. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that those churches would have to take their case to the churchs court, not state courts. Guys Chapel, a 114-year-old church in Bay Minette, last month sued the Alabama-West Florida Conference in an effort to leave. Briefs for the United Methodist Judicial Court docket items are due Aug. 23, and reply briefs are due Aug. 28. The church court plans to meet for deliberations in October in Los Angeles. Most of the items request declaratory decisions Judicial Council rulings that explain the meaning, application and effect of church law. This year, the General Conference deleted Paragraph 2553, which expired at the end of 2023. That was the provision instituted by the 2019 General Conference that allowed churches to leave with their property if they met financial obligations and followed procedure. About 7,600 churches, about a quarter of the denomination, left the United Methodist Church under that statute. About half of them have since joined another denomination, mostly the Global Methodist Church, a breakaway denomination launched in 2022 as a refuge for conservative Methodists that would keep a traditional stance against same-sex marriage. Statewide in Alabama, more than half of United Methodist congregations disaffiliated about 555 churches. Most of those departures have taken place since 2022. The churches that disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church had opposed same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBTQ clergy, which the United Methodist Church now supports after successful votes to update its policies on those issues at the most recent General Conference earlier this year in Charlotte, N.C. Departures from the Alabama-West Florida Conference were complicated by a tightening of rules on disaffiliation, and 45 churches filed a lawsuit against the conference saying it tried to run out the clock before the disaffiliation deadline to prevent them from leaving. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled against their appeal, saying they had to take the case to the church court. There were 193 churches that disaffiliated from the Alabama-West Florida Conference on May 7, 2023, and eight more on Nov. 12. A Dothan megachurch that went independent sued the conference saying it owed no money to leave. The State Supreme Court denied the United Methodist Churchs request that lawsuit be dismissed. Both Kentucky and the Alabama-West Florida Conference asked the Judicial Council whether Paragraph 2549, which deals with church closures, or some other procedure, can be used for churches that still want to leave and take their property with them. The Alabama-West Florida Conference also asked the Judicial Council rule on allowing a church council to propose a churchs closure. Some churches that want to leave have asked the conference to close down their churches and let them buy the property back, which would be a similar outcome to churches that negotiated to pay an exit fee to keep their property and leave the denomination. Bishop Jonathan Holston will be taking over leadership of both the North Alabama Conference and the Alabama-West Florida Conference, effective Sept. 1. Bishop David Graves, currently head of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, will oversee the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference, taking over for Bishop Bill McAlilly, who is retiring after recovering last year from a near fatal car accident. In 1998, Elon Musk was at Zip2, his startup, which helped put newspapers across the countryincluding the New York Timeson the Internet. Then, the nascent Internet was a sliver of what it is today, but unsurprisingly, Musk was on the bleeding edge of itand I conducted an interview with him then. On Monday, as I listened to Musks conversation with Trump, an insight into how two brilliant, innovative, and patriotic men view America, I was struck by how the man I interviewed in 1998 was already set to become the person contributing to American liberty now. After I did the interview, my memory filed it away so securely that I didnt even remember it in 2013 when I attended a program led by Adeo Ressi, Musks roommate at Wharton. However, Ive since dug up that old interview. Reviewing it, two things stand out: Musks prescience and his spirit. AI image created by Vince Coyner Musks prescience showed in his understanding that the internet would change the world and that most big companies were clueless about how to harness it. I remember at the time being amazed that the Times (which, back then, was a somewhat respected newspaper) was using the relatively unknown Zip2 to get online. Its employees, apparently, were clueless about how to do it themselves, which was an opportunity Musk was exploiting. I was hyper-focused on the internet then, so Ive been kicking myself for not recognizing that Musk was at a whole different level in terms of understanding where things were going. In a word, prescient. The second thing that stands out from that interview is his entrepreneurial spirit. I wrote: When it comes to a recommendation for would-be entrepreneurs, Elon suggests that when you get an idea for a business, take a page from Nike and Just Do It! Learn as you go because there is no better way to learn about business than to get out there get your hands dirty by doing. Attack the creation of a business enterprise with creativity and intensity. Dont be scared to take risks, because there is always a fall-back position, (such as getting a regular job or going back to school and getting another degree) especially when you are young. That same entrepreneurial spirit has driven the American enterprise for much of its history and been a core driver of a prosperity greater than any in history. Fast forward a quarter century, and on Monday, Musk had a conversation with entrepreneur, past president, and future president Donald Trump. As I listened to the conversation, I couldnt help but think about how older Musk echoes younger Musk. He told Trump there has to be an active process for reducing rules and regulations because otherwise they just keep building up every year, and you get hardening of the arteries and eventually everythings illegal or takes forever, and then we just ossify as a society, we cant make any progress, and its a really big deal. Musk correctly articulated that regulations are strangling Americas productivity. Indeed they are. This followed an exchange between the two moments earlier: Musk said, Well, I think part of what people in America want to People in America want to feel excited and inspired about the future. They want to feel like the futures going to be better than the past, and that Americas going to do things that are greater than weve done in the past, reach new heights that make you proud to be an American and excited about the future. Trump responded, They want the American Dream back. They want the American dream back, more important than anything else. That short exchange may not sound like anything extraordinary but step back for a moment. On one end of the conversation, you have Musk, easily the greatest and most accomplished entrepreneur in a generation, if not longer. On the other, you have a man who spent half a century in the trenches building a multibillion-dollar empire around the world and the last decade enduring literally constant abuse from the media, political opponents, and self-styled intellectual elites as he seeks to rescue the country from the communist Democrat leviathan known as the Swamp. These people set fire to his last year in office, leveraged COVID to steal the election, bastardized the judiciary to jail him, and literally shot him and the guys still standing! What we heard on Monday was two extraordinarily accomplished men just talking about the countrys future, both the potential and the roadblocks. And unlike the Democrats who rule America, these two have actually accomplished things, built things, made things work and provided incomes for tens of thousands of Americans. Virtually no Democrats in America, from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris to the sainted Barack Obama to Bernie Sanders or Pocahontas, have ever held a real job in the private sector, have no clue how to run anything, do anything other than incite mobs. This chart powerfully makes that point: Graphic showing how Trump, Vance, Harris, and Tim Walz have spend their adult lives. Striking that the Democratic ticket has literally no private sector experience. pic.twitter.com/IntZb6eLKT Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) August 12, 2024 Yet these non-productive people are in charge of our country. In one sentence, Trump hit the nail squarely on the head: These people are lunatics... In many cases, the people from within are more dangerous for our country than the Russias and the Chinas... That sentence was by far the most powerful in the entire conversation because it demonstrates that, unlike almost every other politician in America, Donald Trump understands who the Republics enemies are and where theyre located. The ideas the men covered in their conversationgovernment regulation, crime, the American dream, and the traitors withinare rarely so well communicated directly to the American people. Usually, Democrat operatives, including in the MSM, process ideas so that they come out sounding like Nazi propaganda. This is exactly why leftists are having convulsions over their inability to twist and manipulate and, frankly, lie about the message. Their loss of control, my friends, may be the turning point in this election and in Americas direction. By buying Twitter and freeing it from government censors, Musk may finally create a connection between candidates and the American people that the propaganda ministry cannot manipulate. In doing so, hes certainly taking the advice of his younger self: Dont be scared to take risks. Musk, like Trump, is risking much, and for both, perhaps more than just money. But sometimes, theres a calling that goes beyond ourselves. America is most certainly one such calling, and Im grateful these two men have decided its worth the risk. Follow Vince on Twitter at ImperfectUSA. For women, "having it all" was a concept that became mainstream in the '70s and '80s and culminated with the publication of Helen Gurley Brown's 1982 book of the same title. This 1979 ad exemplifies the era: Even then, it didn't seem realistic, so feminist scholar Ruth Rosen told women that while they deserved to have it all (an unfettered career, family, independence, freedom), they couldn't have it unless they got: Child care paid by the government Legal abortion on demand with no rights granted to the fetus whatsoever Equal pay not for equal work, because women wanted the option to leave the workforce and return with no loss of position, anytime they wanted. That was her solution to the dilemma of raising children and having a career. She explained her views at the leftist Open Democracy outlet: The fact is, activists in the women's movement knew women could never have it all, unless they were able to change the society in which they lived. At the August 1970 march for Women's Strike for Equality, the three preconditions for emancipation included child care, legal abortion and equal pay. "There are no individual solutions," feminists chanted in the late sixties. If feminism were to succeed as a radical vision, the movement had to advance the interests of all women. The belief that you could become a superwoman became a journalistic trope in the 1970s and has never vanished. By 1980, most women's (self-help) magazines turned a feminist into a Superwoman, hair flying as she rushed around, attache case in one arm, a baby in the other. The Superwomen could have it all, but only if she did it all. And that was exactly what feminists had not wanted. It's telling that Kamala Harris has specifically endorsed all three of those ideas in particular in her 2024 campaign. Feminism is all about bigger government and has since become a gateway drug: From feminism, we extended to genderism, the acceptance of single-parent families, and a big government support system for it. The rise of feminism marked the beginning of the end for America as we knew it. Feminism is essentially collectivist in practice, although claiming to be empowering. Feminism requires the elimination of almost all the essential tenets that made America great: individualism, risk, the ability to fail, and limited government. I've been called 'avuncular' at times in my writing. I had to look it up the first time an editor told me that. For all the rest of you who also don't know what avuncular means, it is a pejorative word that infers someone is talking down to you, like your know-it-all-all uncle. Some may think the same about this article. So let me make clear: Not all women are radical feminists. Women deserve an equal seat at the table commensurate with their commitment to the same rules that our social and economic system require, not vast government support systems to achieve it. And there's the rub. Life is unfair, they can't have it all and you can't legislate fairness sorry, gals. Sometimes, you need to state the obvious. Feminists hate us know-it-alls because we are a threat to a worldview that sees equivocation in all or most things and calls on all society to accommodate their vision. Feminists frequently use the term "toxic masculinity" to describe men who believe in an absolute view of right and wrong, truth and fiction, that one plus one equals two is always true and not subject to interpretation or has any need for an explanation. Along the way, American males, through their schooling and growing up in fractured non-traditional families, became weaker and adopted many attributes of feminism, which included cooperative problem-solving and a requirement for "fair outcomes." The critical mistake that feminism and our political system have adopted is that fairness can be legislated despite millions of years of evolution saying otherwise. Yet, evidence to the contrary, some believe we can overcome genetics, sex, family structure, and societal evolution in a generation or two, turning Darwin on his head. They were and are wrong, and the disarray we see before us is the result of allowing morons with charisma to run our country into the ground. Many of us saw it but went along to get along. It's not a good prescription for the greatest nation on Earth's continued success. A quick refresher should demonstrate that all real progress is earned, never given. The larger the gain, the more pain was endured along the way. Markers along our journey highlight America as unique and seemingly without any limits: Our Foundingnever before was a nation like the United States created by man, of the people, by the people, and for the people. Even today, few nations accept that the people have inalienable rights. Europe, for instance, does not, with politicians ultimately guaranteeing human rights. What a politician gives can be taken away. Self Introspectionwhen we realized the Constitution wasn't perfect, we didn't have a revolution; we fixed it! We have amended our Constitution numerous times over the years. Willing to spill blood to defend the Constitutionour Constitution is more than a piece of paper. It is the living embodiment of what it means to be an American. It is too often spoken of, not in terms of reverence but derision, or matter of factly, as if the Constitution was a once-and-done type of thing or stands in the way of too many "rights" that are popular and trendy. Americans fought Americans in a Civil War on the principles contained in that document. Our secret saucethe ability to fail infers that we are free to try things that the majority may hold in disfavor or don't think enough of you and your ideas to approve of your actions. No society should have that kind of power, yet that is the direction we are moving in. A nation that can and will prevent individual failure can and will prevent individual success. Never give up your right to fight we are a nation of fighters, at least until the feminists unleashed themselves on us. Women have equal rights to men and commensurate responsibilities subject to their genetic limitations. Like all creatures, great and small, they must place their motherhood above all else when they have a child. They can't have it all. America is about heroes and heroines. And, for many today, wearing blinders is all some do. Those people no longer reflect what an American is. They rely on the government to provide safety, protection, and sustenance. The pie cannot grow if everyone clings to hypothetical safety, which too many do. To prosper another 50 or 250 years, growth is the only savior, and the government is effectively anti-growth no matter what they state. Our government is only interested in fairness and equity with all that entails, with spokespeople mouthing platitudes they don't mean. Governments don't have spines; only flesh and blood people do. It would be well for all of us to stop lying to ourselves concerning the immutable truths of life. Much is required to prosper, and life cares little for your beliefs that demand fairness over productivity and individual accomplishment. We would be wise to remember this when we claim to be American. God Bless America. Allan J. Feifer is a patriot, author, businessman, thinker, and strategist. Read more about Allan, his background, and his ideas to create a better tomorrow at www.1plus1equals2.com. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License The Pentagon is now conducting an expedited review of the awards of Medals of Honor to soldiers who took part in the 1890 Battle of Wounded Knee, during which Seventh Cavalry soldiers killed an estimated 150-300 members of the Lakota Sioux Native American tribe. The rushed nature of the review reeks of political partisanship designed to help win votes for the Democrat nominee in November. This is not about the wisdom or ethics of that operation. Virtually all Americans understand that the United States government behaved dishonorably on numerous occasions during its relations with Native Americans as we expanded westwardincluding regularly signing and then violating solemn treaties. Congress often undermined treaties by refusing to appropriate sufficient funds to implement them. But I have seen no evidence that any of the soldiers whose decorations are being reviewed were involved in the decisions that led to the massacre. Image: Frederic Remingtons take on The opening of the fight at Wounded Knee (1891). Public domain. Wounded Knee should be viewed in context. At that time, the Medal of Honor was the only Army decoration for heroism and did not require anything near the level of valor required to earn that award today. Very importantly, using force to seize territory was the accepted method of acquiring land and was widely practiced around the world and among Native American tribes as well. The Lakota Sioux were among its most vicious practitioners. War and other violence were common among Native Americans long before the Europeans arrived. This included ceremonially torturing captives to death and other forms of extreme brutality. Stronger tribes seized land and enslaved members of weaker tribes. (Even the Maya, known for their advanced contributions in areas such as astronomy, are now believed to have been a very violent, warmongering society.) The Lakota Siouxwhose members died at Wounded Kneewere especially violent, driving plains tribes such as the Blackfeet and Crow westward as they stole their lands. On August 5, 1873, a large Band of Sioux warriors attacked a much smaller group of Pawnee in Nebraska and massacred a large number. Nearly 75% of their victims were women and children. (An after-action account of Wounded Knee found most of the dead were adult males.) The Sioux raped and captured women, and the Pawnee chief reportedly killed his own child to keep the Sioux from torturing and dismembering him. Lakota also brutally attacked settlers. According to the respected Oxford Companion to American Military History, horticultural Native American tribes viewed the Lakota Sioux as a greater threat than the expanding United States and felt that a military alliance with the United States against the Lakota Sioux offered their best hope for survival. It is important to understand what really happened at Wounded Knee. The violence resulted not from orders to attack a peaceful village and kill everything that moved but essentially from an accident. Many of the more serious accounts of the incident attach primary responsibility to a government bureaucrat named Daniel Royer, whom President Harrison appointed as the Indian Agent for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation where the tragedy occurred. Royer began his work about two months before the tragic massacre. According to a study by the South Dakota Historical Society, Royer was totally inexperienced and incompetent in Indian affairs and panicked and called for troops to deal with a dispute. He was removed from office nine days following the massacre. The Royer order was that troops were to enter an area that the Lakotas occupied and search for concealed weapons they had promised to surrender. One warrior resisted, and in a struggle over his rifle, it accidentally dischargedapparently leading the other soldiers to believe they were under fireand an intense battle ensued. In many ways, it appears very much like the 1970 Kent State massacre eight decades later, when a student who was taking photographs to help police identify lawbreakers found himself surrounded by an angry mob threatening his life, drew a concealed revolver, and fired multiple warning shots. Hearing gunfire coming from the protesters, the national guardsmen believed they were under attack and fired into the crowd. I certainly am not justifying either incident, but both appear to have resulted from accidents rather than planned decisions to initiate hostilities. If anyone needs evidence that this review is being done for partisan political purposes, the fact that it is being incredibly rushed and requires the results to be submitted no later than October 15, 2024three weeks to the day before the electionand that the investigation must be coordinated with the Presidents Domestic Policy Council would seem to indicate something other than a calm reassessment. Why the rush? Why would Secretary Austin require that a Defense Department panel reviewing military awards given more than a century ago be completed so hastily and be coordinated with the White House Domestic Policy Council, which is headed by Neera Tanden? Tanden has worked in every Democrat presidential campaign for the past 35 years and openly despises Donald Trump. She was Bidens first nominee to be OMB Director but withdrew her name when even Senate Democrats would not give her unanimous support. NPR described her as an outspoken partisan warrior and Bidens Most Controversial Cabinet Pick. It noted she had compared Republican senators to Voldemort and Vampires. Why involve her in this review? After more than a century, there are no longer any detailed records about each soldiers conduct at the Battle. It might be extremely unjust to rescind medals issued to soldiers present at the Battle of Wounded Knee. Thus, it makes little sense for the Pentagon to modify decisions regarding individual decorations under circumstances about which we can only speculate after more than thirteen decadesmuch less for it to do so hastily to meet a partisan political deadline. Based upon an attachment to Secretary Austins memorandum, we know the reasons some of the medals were awarded. One recipient volunteered twice to rescue wounded comrades under fire from the enemy. Another went to the rescue of the commanding officer who had fallen severely wounded, picked him up, and carried him out of range of the hostile guns. Another continued to fight bravely after having been severely wounded through the lung. These troops exhibited courage under fire regardless of the policy decisions that led them to that battle. My purpose is not to defend what happened in 1890 in the southwestern corner of South Dakota. My concern is the politicization of our military under the current administration. The latest campaign to hastily rescind presumptively legitimate decorations from dead soldiers to influence a presidential election should be unacceptable. Professor Turner holds both professional and academic doctorates from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he taught for more than three decades prior to his 2020 retirement. A person holds a pamphlet about the Baby Moses Law during a press conference at San Antonio City Hall in 2022. The conference was held to announce a proposal to create so-called "baby boxes" where people can drop off infants anonymously. Josie Norris/Staff photographer Copies of poster containing information on the Baby Moses Law are display during a news conference at Harris County Protective Services for Children and Adults, 2525 Murworth, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, in Houston. CPS is looking for parents or relatives of the newborn who was abandoned on June 29. The African American male was discovered shortly after 9:00am at an apartment complex located in the 12,300 block of Beamer Rd. He was found laying between the apartment dumpster and the fence line surrounding the dumpster. The infant was wrapped in a T-shirt and still had his umbilical cord and placenta attached. Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle Fire Station 35, 5535 Van Fleet, is shown Monday, April 7, 2014, in Houston. A baby girl was surrendered to Houston firefighters on Monday afternoon. If the child is indeed 5 months old, leaving the baby with firefighters may not qualify as a "Baby Moses" surrender because the child is too old. The state's "Baby Moses" law allows parents to avoid prosecution if they hand over unharmed infants up to 60 days old to personnel at hospitals, fire stations, EMS locations or other designated Safe Havens where immediate medical attention is available. Texas first enacted the law in 1999. Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle If waste-collection workers in a Jersey Village neighborhood hadn't found a dead newborn baby in the trash this week, we might not be reminded of the tragedy of desperation. It's unclear where the workers picked up the baby's body, but officials have narrowed it to a two-block area. The mother's whereabouts are unknown and how she came to abandon her baby is also a mystery. An act of desperation? Probably. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the last few months, three babies have been abandoned in the Houston area. Each case is heartbreaking, especially since the tragedies could have been avoided had the mother known that the law may have been on her side. As much as the media highlights Texas' Safe Haven law also known as the Baby Moses law in stories about the abandonment of newborn children, there are still parents who may not know there's a safe and better option than leaving a baby in a trash can, backpack or by the side of the road. The law allows parents to leave infants 60 days or younger with no sign of abuse at designated safe places, like fire stations or hospital emergency centers, without fear of prosecution. No questions asked. In 1999, Texas was the first state to pass such a law after 13 babies were found abandoned, three of them dead in the Houston area. The legislation was authored by State Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria. At the time, hospitals were not included as safe drop-off locations. "We had no idea we were the first state ever to do this, but we found out immediately because our phone started ringing," Morrison said. "We worked with other states to get things done too. We finally got hospitals to come on board after a couple of (legislative) sessions. They were concerned about liability, but we got that all worked out." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Now, all 50 states have similar Baby Moses laws, which are named after the biblical story of Moses who was put in a basket by his birth mother to be adopted. But only 19 states, including Texas, have Safe Haven baby boxes where parents can place an infant. According to the National Safe Haven Alliance, more than 4,700 babies were relinquished through Safe Haven laws since 1999, with 71 surrendered in 2023. Morrison said at the beginning there were public service announcements in English and Spanish that ran on local TV stations. For more than a decade, her office provided the signs that were displayed at fire stations and other locations around the state for free. Volunteers in Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth helped spread the word, too. The late Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee even led a task force to find ways to address the issue, launching a public-information campaign, "Don't Abandon Your Baby," which targeted young mothers. Whenever there was a news story about an abandoned baby, Morrison's office was regularly contacted. Also, if the baby was alive, the news segments drew a pool of families willing to foster the infant through Children's Protective Services. Morrison and her staff helped other states with similar legislation. Some went too far, with no restrictions on the age of the child being dropped off, and had to redo their laws so people couldn't drop off their 18-year-olds, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Earlier this year, Texas announced an aggressive $4 million statewide adoption marketing campaign targeting low-income, single Black and Hispanic girls and women, hoping to encourage those aged 12 to 34 with unwanted pregnancies to consider adoption. But it does nothing to address the issue of abandonment. "If you can save a child, you're not just saving a child, you're saving the mother, too," Morrison said. Circumstances are rarely known in abandonment cases. A victim of rape, domestic violence, incest? The reality is that parents are often scared to death to talk to anyone. Maybe one of them is reading this. Advertisement Article continues below this ad My late Cuban mother would always say "cuidado con las moscas" or loosely translated to watch out for the flies. It was my mother's idea that flies would come if we let the door open. I'm sure that my late mother is probably screaming from heaven to watch out for terrorists because they'll come in if your border is open. So we learned this week that my mother was right and we found one of the bad guys in New Mexico. This is the story of a fellow named Omar: A Palestinian migrant whose name appears on a terror watchlist for allegedly previously using explosives/firearms was caught at the southern border Monday, The Post can exclusively reveal. Border Patrol agents caught Omar Shehada, 35, at the border in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, according to a leaked memo obtained by The Post. The arrest of Shehada -- who hails from the West Bank -- comes just weeks after three other suspected Palestinian terrorists were caught at the California border. One of those suspects allegedly had salacious photos on their phone -- including a picture of a masked man holding an AK-47 rifle, sources told The Post. Well, welcome Omar. You don't like the guy who fell in love with Julie Christie in Doctor Zhivago. It's great that we got him and the other three. However, is it too conspiratorial to think that there are more? In other words, Omar probably has a few friends who got in or will try to get in. To paraphrase my mother watch out for "Los terroristas." Once again, we see the real-world consequences of a chaotic border policy. Processing legal immigrants and adding them to the population means that we will improve the country. Opening the border means that bad people will come in and do us harm. Elementary, Mrs Harris. P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. Images: National Parks Gallery Riddhi Patel could qualify as one of the most obnoxious anti-Israel protestors to appear at a recent Bakersfield City Council meeting. Her foul-mouthed rants -- attempting to bully city council members into passing a proclamation condemning Israel -- has become an ongoing nightmare for the self-appointed protestor. She was arrested in court chambers, now faces 21 felony counts (including threats of murdering council members), and protracted court appearances. Her new court date is scheduled for Sept. 23. It is difficult for Patel, age 28, to judge the limits of -- even hate-filled -- free speech: She has routinely been given a free pass for theorizing about murdering opponents to voicing murderous intent aimed at local legislators. Well see you at your house, she warned city council members, Well murder you. Video footage of Patel -- who was joined by several other anti-Israel protestors -- features her rambling on and dropping numerous f bombs (with virtually no restraints). Even some of her backup anti-Israel protestors appear taken back by her stream of vitriol. You guys are all horrible human beings, she said in chambers, And Jesus probably wouldve killed you himself. Matters were not helped much by Patel expressing the ghoulish sentiment that she hopes someone brings back the guillotine and kills all you mother ----- . Mayor Karen Goh, at first, calmly called the next speaker, but then thought twice about Patels parting remark: Ms. Patel, that was a threat, what you said at the end. So the officers are going to escort you out. Running into a city official with a backbone isnt a common experience for Patel: She has a long and sordid history of protests at townhall meetings as part of her association with the Sunrise Movement (an anti-capitalist non-profit) and former employer, the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment (CRPE). She has since lost her job as an economic development coordinator for CRPE. CRPE officials, upon dismissing Patel, issued the following statement: (We) unequivocally condemn any threats of violence and unethical behavior. Other social groups have, likewise, discontinued association with Patel. One of the more amazing aspects of Patels behavior -- beyond her intimidation tactics -- was the transformation of her personality before-and-after arrest. Her self-assured bullying conduct is not in evidence, as shes handcuffed and crying uncontrollably while process at the Kern County Jail. Most of the felony charges center around her explicit threats of violence and verbal intimidation of public officials. Sadly, Patel is a product of the groups she has immersed herself in. This includes the United Liberation Front -- which doesnt condone violence -- but solicited funds to assist with the bail of Patel, and four other protestors arrested at the city council meeting. Patel, and her co-protestors, have learned from highly accomplished malcontents who have trained legions of young and impressionable social warriors: They are encouraged to adopt confrontational tactics and -- even -- terroristic intimidation. The latter is not an exaggeration given Patels promise to personally appear at the homes of council members and murder them. Life cannot be pleasant for Patel, who has erased many of her vitriolic social media messages. She currently must wear a GPS monitoring device, faces $500,000 bail and confronts unwanted celebrity coverage as an unhinged and profane protestor. The court filing against Patel was recently increased to 21 felony counts. Ironically, Patels many messages on social media includes the assertion: She enjoys holding public officials accountable. The protestor is now finding the tables have been turned on her. In an unexpected twist, she is currently being held accountable for morally debased behavior which had proven quite useful in public forums -- until now. Image: Ted Eytan Throughout Western history, myth creators, playwrights, and actors have understood the value of a real laugh and the danger of a fake one. When it comes to Kamalas cackle and Tims manic laugh, we arent looking at joy; were looking at dangerous desperation. Physiologically, there are two kinds of laughter: voluntary and spontaneous. Most of us can laugh spontaneously, which involves a kind of letting go. We let the laugh take over, and other people can see we are really laughing, not faking it. This is important because spontaneous laughter is how we can tell whether our laughing friend is actually a friend or not. Image by Andrea Widburg using AI. Voluntary laughter is different. I cant do it because I feel and sound phony when I try. Even trained actors have trouble sounding genuine when they laugh. Kamala Harris can sound like an African-American woman laughing spontaneously, which is attractive and funny. But cunning Kamala laughs on cue when she says something that isnt funny. Its part of her act, the one she does repeatedly with the same words and the same cackle. Now, Kamala has picked a Veep candidate with the same act of canned laughter that is supposed to be spontaneous and genuine. Given these two laughing candidates, the US propaganda machine is talking about joy and laughter to assure us that Kamalas canned laughter and Tims manic laugh are both real. They are not weird, a word that the propaganda media just discovered on cueso that suddenly, the political world is convulsed with manic laughter. Oh, arent we funny! Western culture is awash in evil characters who laugh convulsively at the height of their wrongdoing, whether Batmans Joker or the Norse trickster god Loki, who sadistically torments the other Nordic gods. This is a piece of historical fiction that has roots in real human behavior. The world of the theater is symbolized by two clown facesone laughing and one sadbecause professional actors can play both comedy and tragedy, and they do it on cue. Drugs and Method Acting, sometimes together, can achieve this endless laughter. In fact, theres not a lot of real laughter driving real Democrats. They are desperate, more desperate than Ive ever seen them. But their two national nominees, Kamala and Tim, are the jolliest folks in the world. Happy Days Are Here Again, as FDR had it during the Great Depression when everybody needed a laugh. Desperate people dont laugh a lot, and certainly not spontaneously. But this pair of clowns are giggling and laughing up a storm, on cue, and they do it over and over. My gut thinks this is sinister, not funny. But who believes their gut these days? We now have the two biggest and most sinister phonies in US electoral history. Shakespeare, of course, fully understood this dynamic, which he described in Hamlet. In that play, Hamlet spoke of his uncle, who had murdered Hamlets father (the true king) and married Hamlets mother. At the very beginning of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Hamlet says, My tablesmeet it is I set it down That one may smile and smile and be a villain. Shakespeare knew about fake laughter because he lived on the fringes of Elizabeth Is royal court when the courtiers specialized in fake laughter, but the court was riven with mistrust. The United States now has two fake laughers leading the most dangerous major party in history. Andrea Widburg adds: This morning, the Daily Mail ran an article that perfectly illustrates Mr. Lewis's point about the evil, soulless cackle. When she was San Francisco's District Attorney, Kamala convicted Jamal Trulove for a murder. The conviction was later overturned, and the city had to pay him $13.1 million. Trulove told the Daily Mail that his biggest memory from the moment he was sentenced to 50 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit was Kamala's cackle: When Kamala Harris switched her identity from Indian-American to black, (and back again), for the sake of winning elections, President Trump called her out on it, and the pushback from Kamp Kamala was fierce. I suppose it's understandable, given that people can have mixed ancestry, but Trump was right in calling her out for being a chameleon when she's in front of voters. After all, she's pandered to Indian-American voters in the past, doing a 2019 cooking segment with actor Mindy Kaling, who is Indian-American. She wasn't terrible in that one, but she admitted she never cooked a dosa, either, which is kind of basic. It's known that she does do 'fake' for the sake of pandering to voters. That was obvious enough when she told a radio host she smoked pot because: "Are you kidding? Half my family's from Jamaica," (giggle, giggle), prompting an unsolicited statement of disapproval from her Jamaican father who noted that proper Jamaicans never said crap like that. Politico noted it and it was brutal: My dear departed grandmothers (whose extraordinary legacy I described in a recent essay on this website), as well as my deceased parents, must be turning in their grave right now to see their familys name, reputation and proud Jamaican identity being connected, in any way, jokingly or not with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics, he wrote. Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty, he added. If she were actually about being authentic, she would know that. Bottom line, she's pretty phony on identity matters. Whatever sells to the crowd. Which brings us to Bangladesh, where foreign-policy maven Kamala has absolutely nothing to say, now that Muslims are out slaughtering Hindus. Here's the Biden-Harris administration in action, according to Daniel Greenberg at Frontpage magazine: Karine Jean Pierre certainly has nothing. Q Secondly, over the weekend, several Hindu American groups held a protest march in front of the White House urging the president that he should be taking some steps to stop the atrocities against Hindu Americans Hindus in the Bangladesh. And, also, two of the Hindu lawmakers, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Shri Thanedar who both are from the Democratic Party they have also written letters to the administration seeking their help in stopping atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh and other minority groups. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, were going to continue, certainly, to monitor the situation. I I dont have anything else to to add to say beyond that. But when it comes to any type of human rights issues here, the president is always has been very consistent in speaking loud and clear in public and also privately. Dont have anything and hell continue to do that, but dont have any specific engagement to speak to at this time. KJP cant bring herself to condemn the abuses. Neither can Kamala, Americas first Indian American Senator. But just ask her to condemn Israel and shes got plenty of material. Kamala hasn't said anything either and didn't she yuk it up about Indian-American heritage with Mindy Kaling, as well as on other occasions, particularly when President Trump brought up her chameleonic identities? This is Indian heritage, Indians are being slaughtered by Muslims in Bangladesh, Indians and Indian-Americans are very concerned, as they should be, and she's not saying a thing. Her administration is demurring on the matter too. And we all know why this sort of thing is going on: Because Harris wants to pander to the Muslim vote, in places like Dearborn, Michigan, and maybe keep the Muslim rioters from spoiling the coronation during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week. These voters automatically cheer when atrocities are committed against 'infidels,' and they're certainly doing that now. It's a heck of a bad way to run foreign policy, which a president must do, basing all decisions about even basic right-and-wrong matters on which fanatics will be annoyed. This is not complicated. The slaughter of Hindus in Bangladesh is an outrage and if she had a lick of leadership in her, Indian-American or not, she would condemn it. That she doesn't tells us mountains. Image: Screen shot from Kamala Harris video via YouTube The Epic vs Google case just took an interesting turn with regard to the Play Store remedies that Epic proposed months ago, as Judge Donato says the walls are coming down. Epic won its case against Google back in 2023 with Judge Donato having ruled that Google was a monopoly via its Play Store app storefront. Following that ruling, Epic proposed several requests to remedy the situation. This included Google opening up the Play Store so that competing app stores could live in the Play Store ecosystem. This open nature would allow users to choose where they get their apps and where their money goes when they need to pay for something. Google has argued that this process would take too long and cost too much money. But, Judge Donato doesnt care. In Judge Donatos final hearing on remedies that took place on August 14, he said he was going to tear down the barriers. Were going to tear the barriers down, its just the way its going to happen, Donato said. Donato also states that the world that exists today is due to monopolistic conduct. Further explaining that things are changing. The reality for Google in this sense, is that theres nothing it can do to change Donatos mind. Judge Donato will rule on the Google Play Store remedies by September While today was the final hearing on Googles Play Store remedies, Judge Donato hasnt yet made a final decision on what Google will need to do. The final ruling will be given in a little over two weeks according to Donato. That means we should know what Google is required to do soon. Likely by the first week of September since its exactly two weeks away. Epic and Google also both agreed in the August 14 hearing that opening up the Play Store was doable. However, the companies disagreed on how long the process would take and what it would cost to complete it. Epic and Google must create a committee to arbitrate the details After Donato finalizes the ruling on what the remedies should be, thats essentially the end of his overseeing this whole process. To an extent. Donato said he would not be micromanaging Google on meeting the remedy requirements. Instead, it will be up to Google and Epic to create a technical compliance and monitoring committee that will arbitrate the details of the remedy plan after Donato decides on how Google will fix what it broke. That committee will then report back every few months and go from there. The committee will also be made up of one representative each from Epic and Google. A third representative that both companies agree on will also be appointed. Samsung has expanded its range of Galaxy A series by launching the Galaxy A06. After roaming in Rumor Land for a while, the phone just went official in Vietnam. The device has arrived as the successor to last years Galaxy A05. The Samsung Galaxy A06 brings a new design, an improved display, and the latest Android experience. Samsung Galaxy A06 brings a new Key Island design and an improved screen The new Samsung Galaxy A06 smartphone features a slightly refreshed design with the Key Island frame. It is equipped with an upgraded fingerprint sensor, which is integrated into the power button on the side. The phone offers the same 6.7-inch display with HD+ resolution as its predecessor. However, the company has upgraded the screen refresh rate to 90Hz on the newer model. It offers the same MediaTek Helio G85 SoC and 5,000mAh 25W fast-charging battery Apart from a slightly refreshed design and an improved display, the Galaxy A06 doesnt bring any other improvements. The phone is still powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 processor like its predecessor. It also has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and supports microSD card expansion up to 1TB. Theres also a more affordable variant of the device with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of native storage. In the camera department, the Galaxy A06 offers the same 50MP primary camera at the rear. Theres also a secondary lens at the back, but theres no word regarding its megapixel count at the moment. For selfies and video calling, the phone is expected to offer the same 8MP camera found on its predecessor. In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy A06 offers 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, and USB Type-C. The phone is still fuelled by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 25W wired fast charging technology. Software-wise, the handset boots Android 14 out of the box. Samsung didnt mention AI anywhere in the press release, so dont expect the advanced software features on the new A series offering. Galaxy A06 will first go on sale in Vietnam The Samsung Galaxy A06 will first go on sale in the Vietnamese market. The phones base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage is priced at VND 3,190,000, which roughly translates to $127.The higher-end model with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage will set you back by VND 3,790,000 (approx. $151). As part of the launch offer, Samsung is offering a 25W wall charger free with the Galaxy A06 in Vietnam. It is a limited-period promotional offer thats running between August 22nd and September 30th. Samsung is expected to launch the device in the global markets in the coming weeks. Google has just offered its explanation as to why the Pixel 9 phones do not support Qi2 charging standard. We recently wrote about that, and offered a logical explanation for it. Well, it seems like we were right. Google has decided to explain why its new Pixel 9 phones dont support Qi2 standard Google was asked, by Android Authority, why the company skipped Qi2 support. The company said that the older Qi protocol was more readily available on the market and that there are no tangible benefits to switching to Qi2. Back in January last year, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced the Qi2 standard. It was released in April that same year. Google had its Pixel 9 plans locked in for quite some time, probably, and likely didnt want to make, or were not able to make, any last minute changes. Thats probably what Google meant by the older Qi protocol was more readily available on the market. Perhaps there was an option for it, but Google decided to stick with Qi for this generation. Qi2 would bring several benefits to the table It would be nice to have support for Qi2 standard, thats for sure, for several reasons. It would enable you to use MagSafe-like magnetic accessories, and youd also get 15W charging as a standard. You can now use MagSafe-like accessories with the Pixel 9, but youll need a compatible case in order to do it. In regards to standard Qi charging, its now limited to 12W. You can get faster wireless charging with a Pixel Stand, but thats a whole different story. The supported wireless charging speed also depends on the device were talking about. Not all Pixel 9 phones offer the same wireless charging in conjunction with the Pixel Stand. If we had to guess, wed say that the Pixel 10 series will deliver Qi2. That would make all the sense in the world. Lets hope Google wont have different ideas, as it wont really have an exclusive next year. A rather worrisome report surfaced online. It seems like many Pixel phones suffer from a major security flaw. This report comes from iVerify, who shared the findings with The Washington Post. Many Pixel phones have a major security flaw thanks to a hidden app Just to be clear, iVerify is a mobile threat-hunting firm, essentially. In any case, it seems like Googles master software for Pixel phones included a feature that gave Verizon stuff considerable access to the devices. That was provided so that they could help with device demos. This feature/app does have security flaws that cybercriminals can exploit. They can exploit them to spy on users or even remotely control their devices. Needless to say, thats quite worrisome. All of this seems to be done through a hidden Android app called Showcase. Smith Micro developed that app, and it has a very high level of privilege on all Pixel devices except the first-gen ones, and the last-gen ones (Pixel 9 series). Google says that no damage can be done without physical possession and a user password Whats even worse, iVerify suspects that other Android devices may also have that app on board. The company says that cybercriminals could access that dormant app remotely, but Google disagrees. The company claims that physical possession and a user password would be required. When active, Showcase downloads instructions from an insecure website. That does give wrongdoers an opening to intercept data and do some serious damage. Google will remove the app just to be safe Do note that users cannot remove that app from their devices. However, Google will. A Google spokesperson said the following: Out of an abundance of precaution, we will be removing this from all supported in-market Pixel devices with an upcoming Pixel software update. This issue was first spotted on an Android device at Palantir Technologies, an iVerify client that makes defense software solutions for the US army. Palantir CEO said the following: Mobile security is a very real concern for us, given where were operating and who were serving. He also added the following: This was very deleterious of trust, to have third-party, unvetted insecure software on it. We have no idea how it got there, so we made the decision to effectively ban Androids internally. Samsung is expanding the availability of the August 2024 security update to more of its devices. The company recently provided the new firmware to the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S23, Galaxy S22, and Galaxy S20 FE smartphones. Now, the South Korean tech giant has released the August 2024 security update for the Galaxy S21 series of handsets. The latest Security Maintenance Release for these devices fixes 50 vital security issues. The entire Galaxy S21 series gets the August 2024 update in Asia The August 2024 security update has been rolled out to the entire Galaxy S21 series of devices. The new update for the Galaxy S1, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra models is available in some Asian countries. The new firmware for these devices has the build number G99xBXXUCGXGC. One of the countries where the new OS update is available is Vietnam. The company will release the new firmware in more markets at some point later this month. As per Samsungs support website, the new update brings stability, reliability, and security enhancements. The device behavior has been improved and it is now protected with improved security, mentions the changelog. Samsung is rolling out the August 2024 update for the Galaxy S21 series in a staged manner. Meaning that not all the units of these devices will receive the new upgrade right away. The users can navigate to their phones Settings > Software update section and tap the Download and install button for a manual check. The August 2024 update is also rolling out for the Galaxy S23 FE users Apart from the Galaxy S21, Samsung has also started rolling out the August 2024 update for the Galaxy S23 FE smartphone. The new firmware is now available for the users of the device in the US. The build numbers of the Galaxy S23 FEs update are S711USQS5CXGC and S711U1UES5CXGC. Similar to the Galaxy S21, the Galaxy S23 FE is only getting security patches without additional features in the latest update. After the US, Samsung will start rolling out the new security update for the Fan Edition units in more markets in the coming days. Right now, companies like Google and Meta are locked in a battle against the American government. Right now, theres a bill circulating called the CJPA (California Journalism Preservation Act), and its been stirring up some drama in the journalism industry. Well, the CJPA just passed the Senate Appropriations Committee, and now its going to a floor vote. To catch you up, the CJPA is an act that would force major tech companies to pay publishers to link to their sites. These major tech brands as large corporations that distribute links to the masses like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and others. These are companies that share ad revenue with the companies whose links they display. As you can imagine, these companies have pushed back against this over the years. Both Meta and Google have stopped displaying links in certain countries and regions, which resulted in major damaging effects. The large corporations dont care, of course, as theyre able to throw their weight around. Meta stopped sharing links in Canada and Google pulled out of Spain for eight years, just to name a few instances. The CJPA will make it to a floor vote According to a new report from Media Post, the official bill (CJPA, AB 886) has just passed the state Senate Appropriations Committee. This is another step forward in its journey to becoming official legislature. This bill came about back in March 2023, and its definitely faced some pushback from the companies that would need to pay up. It passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2024. Now, its on its way to a floor vote. The results of this vote could steer the direction of this whole push. Were going to have to wait for the vote to know whats going to happen. President and CEO of the News/Media Alliance, Danielle Coffey, offered a statement, News publishers must receive compensation from the Big Tech platforms for the use of their content to be able to continue their critically important work. We need quality news and information now more than ever to stay informed and help counter the tsunami of misinformation online. Why this is necessary It seems odd that the government wants major companies to pay publishers to use their links. The companies already share the ad revenue with publishers, and that pays the bills. However, the fact of the matter is that the amount of ad revenue (at least in Googles case) going to news organizations has been decreasing over the years. Thats unsettling because the amount of ad revenue that the companys been getting has been increasing over the years. Thats extremely unfair. This, coupled with the fact that AI tools like Googles AI Overviews threaten to tighten the vice on publications even more, means that publications are in a tight spot. They need to be properly funded in order to inform the masses about whats going on. Theres a tsunami of misinformation as Coffey puts it, and its true. Quality reporting is in need of financial support, especially during an election. Potential effects If this bill does get passed, this could be potentially great for California or it could be the final nail in the coffin. Google, in all its mercifulness, has threatened to stop showing links to California-based news organizations if it gets passed. Google is the biggest search company in the world. Bing, which is the second-largest search engine in the world is miles behind Google. It only has 3% of the search engine market while Google has over 90%. So, if Google agrees to cut links to California-based news sites, then most, if not all, of the California-based sites depending on Google will fizzle out. Millions of people will lose their jobs, and the flow of news out of California will be hindered. Just because of ONE company. Its up to Google and the government to come to some sort of agreement regarding this BEFORE everything hits the fan. Its not the responsibility of the people (who are already struggling in this economic climate), to take the consequences of this fight. Also, a playground-bully move like what Google is planning on doing should be illegal. Google has the right to protect its bottom line, but it shouldnt be allowed to screw over a large part of the journalism industry with the flip of a switch. Other companies like Meta and Microsoft arent looking like theyre going to be a shining beacon for journalists either. Both companies are diving deeper into the world of AI. We got reports that Meta plans to stop displaying links to publications, start showing AI-generated results, and start displaying ads on those results. Can there be a bigger f$&k-you to journalists? We dont know what Microsoft is planning on doing, but OpenAI is working on launching an AI-powered search engine. Theres no telling if Microsoft is going to go down that same route. The biggest players supporting the journalism industry are the main ones letting it down. If this bill passes, it could either be great or devastating for the journalism industry. Smoke and steam rise as water is sprayed on the smoldering remains of vender booths after a fire broke out at a flea market on Airline Drive Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Smoke and steam rise as water is sprayed on the smoldering remains of vender booths after a fire broke out at a flea market on Airline Drive Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Fire fighters asses the situation after a fire broke out at a flea market on Airline Drive Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Smoke and steam rise as water is sprayed on the smoldering remains of vender booths after a fire broke out at a flea market on Airline Drive Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Fire fighters asses the situation after a fire broke out at a flea market on Airline Drive Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Three people were injured Friday in a fire at a Tia Pancha Flea Market in north Houston that destroyed thousands of dollars worth of local vendors inventory. The fire, which was reported about 9:15 a.m., was contained to one building at 10720 Airline Drive and brought under control by around 10:40 a.m., according to Chief Sean Richardson of the Harris County ESD 17 Little York Fire Department. Firefighters hours later were putting out hot spots among dozens of flea market stalls that had been reduced to heaps of plywood and corrugated metal. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One firefighter was taken to a local hospital with minor burns while one bystander was treated for smoke inhalation, the chief said. Another firefighter was being treated for heat exhaustion Friday afternoon. All their conditions were stabilized, Richardson said. Surviving vendor tables sit empty in the foreground while smoke and steam rise as water is sprayed on the smoldering remains of burned vender booths in the background after a fire broke out at a flea market on Airline Drive Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Calls to the Tia Pancha business office went unanswered Friday. Another Tia Pancha Flea Market, located at 8801 Airline Drive, is not the site of the fire. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Francisco Gonzalez, a vendor at Tia Pancha, said he arrived at the flea market around 9 a.m. to set up his stall for the weekends business. Soon after arriving, he noticed smoke rising from the back of the building and flames bursting out through the top of a stall door. Thats when he heard a transformer on the site explode, sending a shower of sparks over the property. Gonzalez, like many vendors at Tia Pancha, makes his living every weekend selling odds and ends ranging from construction equipment to TVs and computers. He stocks his inventory primarily from Facebook Marketplace, taking a bus around the Houston area to purchase his wares and resell them at the flea market. A fire fighter sprays water on the smoldering remains of vender booths after a fire broke out at a flea market on Airline Drive Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer More from Sam Gonzalez Kelly: At a north Houston flea market, these photographers are documenting Latino culture in a new way Gonzalez estimates he lost about $4,000 or $5,000 worth of goods in the fire. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This is how I pay my rent, Gonzalez said in Spanish. Im feeling sad and disappointed, because I had the idea that I would be able to continue coming here to sell my things. Multiple vendors believe faulty electrical wiring may have been to blame for the fire, noting that power outages at the flea market are common, and expressed anger toward the flea market owners for failing to conduct proper maintenance. When the lights went out last Sunday, vendors said, the owners sent a repair worker to conduct what vendors felt was a slapdash fix. We lost everything we had in there, so I just want them to respond to us and face us, and help us start over, because its not fair to us, said Mauricio Ramirez, a vendor at Tia Pancha. Smoke and steam rise as water is sprayed on the smoldering remains of vender booths after a fire broke out at a flea market on Airline Drive Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Richardson said the Harris County Fire Marshals Office would lead an investigation into the cause of the fire, including any possible electrical failings. Multiple vendors said owners stopped by the market briefly Friday morning but left quickly without addressing their tenants. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Several vendors Friday said they would try to find a stall in one of Tia Panchas other two buildings or at one of the other nearby flea markets that operates on this corridor of Airline Drive to keep their business alive. Esther Rodriguez, who has sold toys and appliances at Tia Pancha for eight years, fought back tears as she considered what went up in flames. She said she wasnt able to estimate the value of what she lost. I just know that I feel bad about what I lost, Rodriguez said in Spanish. I lost everything, and I depended on that for my expenses, my livelihood. It was not immediately clear whether the flea market would open for business on Saturday. Richardson said the decision would be left to the fire marshals office and the property owners. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Last month, the US Justice Department accused TikTok of collecting sensitive personal user data from the US. The accusations claimed that the company sends the data to ByteDance engineers in China. The DOJ intensified its push to ban TikTok, alleging it poses a national security threat due to its handling of user data. Now, TikTok has filed a lawsuit to challenge the DOJs accusations. In the latest court appeal, TikTok denies US claims on China ties. TikTok argued that the DOJ has made factual errors in its claims According to Reuters, TikTok has argued that the Department of Justice has made factual errors in its earlier claims. The DOJ had previously claimed that TikTok enables the Chinese government to gather sensitive data on Americans. It also influences the content recommendations of users. However, in its latest court appeal, TikTok says that the content recommendation system as well as user data are stored on Oracles servers in the US. Furthermore, TikTok said that all the content moderation decisions for the users in the US are made domestically. The company said that the DOJ has misstated the video-sharing platforms ties to China. In the latest appeal on Thursday, TikTok argued that the law would strip it of its free-speech rights. The DOJs argument states that TikToks content curation is the speech of a foreigner. It is not protected by the US Constitution. TikTok argued that by the governments logic, a U.S. newspaper that republishes the content of a foreign publication, would lack constitutional protection. TikTok is seeking to overturn Joe Bidens sale/ban bill In April, US President Joe Biden signed a bill that forces the TikTok app to be sold or banned. As per the terms, TikToks parent company Bytedance has until January 2025 to sell the video-sharing platform to a US-based entity. If it fails to comply, TikTok will be banned in the US. However, TikTok has contested a federal appeals court to overturn the law signed by Biden. Bidens bill mentions that the goal is to end TikToks China-based ownership, not to ban the immensely popular social media platform entirely. That said, the arguments on TikToks legal appeal are scheduled for September 16th. The date is placing the matter close to the presidential election on November 5th. The YouTube team is testing a UI tweak thats somewhat reminiscent of iOS. The company is integrating a blurred bottom bar in the YouTube app for Android so it better integrates with the feed as you scroll. Theyre also redesigning some of the buttons on the bar. Currently, the YouTube apps bottom bar uses a solid color. The color is different depending on whether youre using the Light Mode or Dark Mode. However, as spotted by 9to5Google, at least one Android user has reported that their YouTube apps bottom bar has become blurred. So, it now blends with the main colors of whatever is in the background. YouTubes bottom bar could get more dynamic and colorful on Android The effect can be colorful since video thumbnails in the YouTube app feed are dynamic. That is, videos start playing from the thumbnail before you tap on them. This behavior is set by default, but you can disable it if you want. Anyway, the colors of the new blurred bottom bar will change according to whats playing or showing in the video thumbnail. The blurred bottom bar isnt the only design tweak under test. According to the report, the company redesigned the Home and Subscriptions buttons with minimalism in mind. Also, the + button replaced its circular white outline with a blurred filled circle that makes it stand out more. Interestingly, the new bottom bar doubles in size on phones that still use Androids three-button navigation, as the navigation bar also adopts the flashy effect. Its not yet known when the new bottom bar will reach all users, or if it will ever do so. It wouldnt be the first time that a Google service has tested a change that never makes it to the stable branch. However, it looks like YouTube will get some major tweaks soon. A recent report revealed that the company is experimenting with a new Picture-in-Picture (PiP) miniplayer. Plus, YouTube is considering implementing mid-roll ads in PiP format. Economics professor Alan Taylor has been appointed as the newest member of the Bank of England committee setting interest rates. Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed on Friday that Mr Taylor will join the nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee on a three-year term. He will take over from current external committee member Jonathan Haskel, who is stepping down after six years. Mr Taylor, who was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is currently a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, New York. He has served as a senior adviser to major financial institutions including Morgan Stanley and Pimco, and is a visiting scholar at the Bank of England. Chancellor Rachel Reeves hailed Alan Taylors substantial experience (PA) Ms Reeves said: Professor Alan Taylors substantial experience in both the financial sector and academia will bring valuable expertise to the Monetary Policy Committee. I would also like to thank Professor Jonathan Haskel for all his work since he joined the Monetary Policy Committee. Bank governor Andrew Bailey said: Im really pleased Alan Taylor will be joining the MPC this autumn, bringing with him his extensive knowledge and experience from his career in academia. This is an important time for the committee and we will no doubt benefit from Alans contributions to our debates. I would like to also thank Jonathan Haskel for his service on the Committee over the past six years. He will be missed. One pet is nice but two is even better right? Well unfortunately for two bonded cats at the FurKids Midtown Atlanta Center in Georgia, they were both relinquished to the shelter recently. And now the center is hoping that someone sees their story and brings these siblings home. The two senior cats recently came to the rescue and were having a hard time adjusting to their new life. These cats might be seniors, but they still have so much love to give. In a video the rescue shared, it shows 8-year-old Isabelle and 10-year-old Schumacher snuggled up together. They were left at the shelter after their old owner "became too allergic to keep them." Related: Adopted Stray Cat's Instant Bond with Little Boy Is So Full of Love It's just so sad. Isabelle has been a little shy around the shelter, so she's been sticking close to her brother. If Isabelle and Schumacher have won over your heart, be forewarned that they are "truly inseparable," the rescue noted. They really believe they "don't deserve to live their last years in a shelter," but are sincerely worried that both cats will be overlooked because of their age. We're really hoping that someone will fall in love with these two ASAP. People in the comments section were pulling for Isabelle and Schumacher. "Adopt, dont shop! Senior pets are so loving and still have so much life to live! I adopted my senior cat when he was 14 and now hes 17!" wrote one person. "Senior kitties are the sweetest, best pets," someone else chimed in. "I really hope they get adopted. Senior cats are the most precious," a third commenter agreed. "If I wasnt over 1,000 miles away Id have already adopted them," one person added. Adopting From Furkids Isabelle and Schumacher are just a few of the cats in need of a good home. "Furkids rescues hundreds of homeless cats each year that are in need of caring, lifelong homes," the rescue's website explains. You can browse the FurKids website or pay them a visit in person. Then you'll fill out an application and will get contact by a staff member if it's approved. Before adopting a cat, you'll want to make sure you're prepared to take home an animal. If you rent, make sure your lease allows animals. Prepare to spend more time at home in the beginning, new pets need a little more time with their owners. Although for some people that's not really a problem. Hanging at home with your new animal personally sounds like a dream to us. 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. Eugene and Dan Levy are set to host the 2024 Emmy Awards, becoming the first father-son duo to take on the coveted role together. The pair, who won big at the 2020 award show with their hit sitcom Schitts Creek, will host the star-studded event in Los Angeles on September 15. Netflix dramas The Crown and Baby Reindeer are among the UK shows which are up for a host of awards, while leading the nominations this year are FX show The Bear with 23 nods and historical drama series Shogun with 25. Eugene Levy (Ian West/PA) Eugene and Dan Levy said in a joint statement: For two Canadians who won our Emmys in a literal quarantine tent, the idea of being asked to host this year in an actual theater was incentive enough. Were thrilled to be able to raise a glass to this extraordinary season of television and cant wait to spend the evening with you all on Sept. 15. The Canadian actors and writers co-created Schitts Creek, which first aired in 2015 and went on to win nine Emmy awards, including outstanding best comedy series. The series saw them play a father and son, Johnny and David Rose, alongside Catherine OHara as the familys eccentric mother Moira Rose and Annie Murphy as the daughter Alexis. Eugene is also known for portraying Noah Levenstein in the hit 1999 film American Pie and the subsequent sequels. He has also starred in a number of popular films, including Cheaper By The Dozen 2 and Father Of The Bride Part II both with Steve Martin. Dan has appeared in the hit Netflix show Sex Education and written and starred in 2023 drama Good Grief. On their hosting roles, television academy chairman Cris Abrego said: We are thrilled to welcome two generations of comedy genius to the Emmys stage as hosts. Eugene and Dan Levy are known for creating unforgettable laugh-out-loud moments on screen, and together they are super-charged. I cannot wait for Emmy fans to see what they have in store for all of us. Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, said: Eugenes and Dans comedic intuition and uncanny ability to capture the hearts of viewers will make for a memorable Emmys telecast honouring this years best and brightest. Among the major UK nominations this year are Netflixs The Crown, a fictionalised drama about the British royal family, which has received 18 nominations. Its nods include outstanding drama series, with Dame Imelda Staunton and Dominic West picking up nominations for their roles. Picking up 11 nominations was hit show Baby Reindeer, which follows the character Donny Dunn, played by writer Richard Gadd, as he is stalked by a woman called Martha Scott. Gadd, who has said the series is inspired by his real-life experiences, received nominations in the outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series category and in the outstanding writing category. Elsewhere, Idris Elba received a nod in the lead actor in a drama series category for his role as Sam Nelson in Apple TV+ series Hijack, as did Gary Oldman for playing Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses. Naomi Watts was nominated in the outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series category for playing Babe Paley in Feud: Capote Vs The Swans, while Matt Berry received a nod for his role in comedy series What We Do In The Shadows. Irish actor Andrew Scott scored a nomination for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for his role in Netflix thriller Ripley, while Tom Hollander received a nod for playing American novelist Truman Capote. The 76th Emmy Awards ceremony will take place on September 15 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Remnants of Hurricane Ernesto could hit the UK next week bringing wind and rain, the Met Office has warned. Hurricane Ernesto strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Thursday night as it moved towards Bermuda, after leaving hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico without power or water. A hurricane warning was in effect for Bermuda with Ernesto expected to pass near or over the island on Saturday, and the after effects could be experienced in the UK next week, the Met Office has said. On Thursday well start to see the remnants of ex-Hurricane Ernesto coming, said Andrea Bishop, a Met Office spokesperson. At the moment, we cant pick out broad detail so theres low confidence in what effect this will have on the weather. Sunnier weather is expected this weekend with conditions fairly pleasant and some sunny spells in the South and windy, cooler and cloudier conditions in the North and Scotland. Ms Bishop explained: For the moment, the jet stream is split meaning that there is cooler, cloudier winder weather in the north, but the rest of the UK is a pretty nice day today, especially in the East. Hurricane #Ernesto is currently a category 2 hurricane 500km SSW of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Bermuda follow @NHC_Atlantic for latest forecasts. pic.twitter.com/jvF61VNWvZ Met Office Storms (@metofficestorms) August 16, 2024 Temperatures are expected to be around average, apart from in the South East where they will be a little higher than usual for August. However next week will bring more unsettled weather with wind and rain possible from Monday. Ms Bishop said: Monday sees the jet stream join together and bringing more unsettled weather for early next week with Atlantic fronts arriving. At the moment, there is fairly low confidence in where the wind and rain will be. Mayor John Whitmire wont say whether he supports asking voters to lift the city's property tax revenue cap. But he says he'll do whatever it takes to keep Houston safe. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Dont lift the revenue cap Regarding Council calls for revenue cap hike to help HPD (Aug. 2): The article includes this statement from City Council Member Sallie Alcorn: In 2015, the city ran up against the revenue cap and taxes have gone down ever since. But the only Houstonians complaining are the 16 members of City Council. Our elected officials keep voting to increase spending and now they have to fund what they have committed to, including generous pay hikes for cops and firefighters, two powerful voting blocs. Now our politicians are searching for the money in a way that lets them escape punishment by an angry citizenry already upset with the rising cost of living. Few taxpayers understand that there are three property tax revenue caps, affecting city cash flow. Theres one written by then-Mayor Bill White and approved by voters in 2004. Theres a statewide cap written by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt in 2019 requiring many cities, counties and other taxing units to hold an election if they wish to raise 3.5% more property tax revenue than the previous year. And a third cap, approved by voters in 2004 along with Whites, is still being litigated. I believe all three allow the council to lift the cap to increase revenue to fill a budget gap. The City Council wants voters to remove the restraint on tax growth. Voters should be ready to say no way, Jose when they see such a proposal on the city ballot, probably in 2025. In the meantime City Council will likely hit us with a $200 annual garbage fee. Barry Klein, Houston New BikeHouston counters Regarding BikeHouston hopes a new bicycle counter will help make the case for cyclists in Houston (Aug. 8): The new bicycle counters at White Oak Bayou touted by BikeHouston will not prove that there is a demand for more bike infrastructure. All the counters are being placed along bayou trails. A vast majority of the bicycle users along the trails are recreational or fitness riders. The current counter by University of Houston-Downtown may have more commuters than the other proposed locations. However, I still believe a majority of the users are recreational riders like myself. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I frequently ride this trail along with many others. We ride down to UHD, turn around and ride back. That counts as two trips on the counter. For the small minority of people commuting to work or students going to UHD, the trails along the bayous are much safer and more convenient way than using protected bike lanes on busy streets. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Paul Herrera, Houston No election fraud after all Regarding No evidence of fraud in Harris Countys November 2022 election, but one person charged with theft (Aug. 14): After two years of investigation, District Attorney Kim Ogg finally agreed with the Texas secretary of state that there was no election fraud in the 2022 elections. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. More than 20 lawsuits filed by the Harris County Republican Party have been dismissed or withdrawn leaving them with egg on their face. So now it is time to get over it. Quit whining. John Cobarruvias, Houston Advertisement Article continues below this ad Trump is Americas Maduro Regarding Fears of repression follow Venezuela election (Aug. 11): I hope that all right-wing extremists who blindly support Donald Trump will read this article about what is happening in Venezuela right now. Im guessing Trump is a big admirer of Maduro and loves how strong he is. My advice to all those people is, be careful what you wish for. Whats happening in Venezuela is what we will get if Trump is allowed to take control of our country. A lion with psychological issues is to travel 1,400 miles from Ukraine to an animal sanctuary in the UK as part of a project rescuing the animal from the war-torn country. African lioness Yuna suffered shell shock, psychological issues and lost her sense of co-ordination, according to The Big Cat Sanctuary, a Kent-based charity behind the Big Cats in Crisis campaign raising funds to rescue the lions from Ukraine. Yuna and African male lion Rori are the first of five lions to be rescued out of Ukraine after debris was blasted close to their enclosure in January as a result of Russias invasion of the country. African lioness Yuna will be the first cohort of five lions to be rescued from Ukraine to Kent (The Big Cat Sanctuary) The lioness was taken to the Wild Animal Rescue in Kyiv, which is supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), on Wednesday before she makes a journey over four days and across six countries to receive treatment at the Big Cat Sanctuary. Yuna will arrive before Rori where she will be driven for 25 hours by car from Ukraine, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and France before boarding a ferry to Dover to the Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent. Natalia Gozak, who helped with the lions rescue on behalf of IFAW and Wild Animal Rescue, said: Ukraine is now no stranger to tragedy, and the stories of these big cats are no different. I am happy, that at least for them, they are heading to a safer place. Yuna, whose enclosure in Ukraine was struck by debris as a result of Russias invasion, will be moved to the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent (The Big Cat Sanctuary) The Big Cat Sanctuary has offered permanent homes to the remaining lions, including Yuna who we feared might not be homed due to her psychological issues. Rori will be taken to a temporary home in Natuurhulpcentrum, Belgium, where he will be joined by three more lions named Vanda, Amani and Lira, before making the same journey as Yuna to the Big Cat Sanctuary, which currently only has capacity for one lion. Sam Whitnall, project lead at the Big Cat Sanctuary and presenter of CBBCs One Zoo Three, said: Its been a huge effort from everyone involved. African lioness, Yuna, will be taken from her enclosure in war-torn Ukraine to the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent (The Big Cat Sanctuary) We have worked night and day for many months for this very moment and we cant wait to get them to their forever home now here at the sanctuary. The Kent-based sanctuary has raised more than 300,000 of its 500,000 target which will go towards transportation costs, veterinary treatment and help fund the construction of the Lion Rescue Centre. To find out more about the lions rescue, you can visit: https://thebigcatsanctuary.org/big-cats-in-crisis/ Foreign Secretary David Lammy has condemned the widespread rampage of Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. On Thursday night settlers rioted in the village of Jit, near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, killing one Palestinian and badly injuring others, according to Palestinian health officials. Residents interviewed by The Associated Press said at least a hundred masked settlers entered the village, shot live ammunition, burned homes and cars and damaged water tankers. Footage online showed fire ravaging the small village, which Palestinian residents said was left without military assistance for two hours. In a rare condemnation of settler violence, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he took the riots seriously and that Israelis who carried out criminal acts would be prosecuted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves 10 Downing Street, London, following a meeting with the then prime minister Rishi Sunak (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Lammy, who is currently on a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Occupied Territories (OPT) alongside the French foreign minister, said the behaviour of the Israeli settlers is abhorrent. He said: The scenes overnight of the burning and the torching of buildings, of the Molotov cocktails thrown at cars, of the widespread rampage and chasing of people from their homes is abhorrent and I condemn it in the strongest of terms. Prime minister Netanyahu has said that there will be a swift investigation. I hope that that investigation can ensure that those who have engaged in this settler violence over the course of the last 24 hours are brought to justice. Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, violence has flared in the occupied territory, with Palestinian health officials stating 633 Palestinians, including 147 children and teenagers, have been killed by Israeli fire and more than 5,400 injured. Many have been killed during Israeli military raids into Palestinian cities and towns, but settlers have killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, and injured 234 people, according to AIDA, a coalition of non-profit and other groups working in the territory. The most recent bout of settler violence comes as officials from the US, Qatar and Egypt met with an Israeli delegation in Qatar to secure a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Gaza war. People take part in a Nakba 76 pro-Palestine demonstration and march in London to mark the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948, referred to as the Nakba (Aaron Chown/PA) Hamas representatives did not attend negotiations on Thursday after accusing Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support. Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas who had been leading ceasefire negotiations for the terrorist group, was assassinated in an airstrike in the Iranian capital of Tehran at the end of July. Mediating parties have been attempting to secure an agreement for a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release a number of hostages captured in the October 7 attack in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. On the negotiations, Mr Lammy said: I am pleased that the reports out of Qatar suggest that the first day of hostage talks has gone well and that it has been important to listen to ministers here in Israel and hear too from them that they hope that we are on the cusp of a deal. This is war and a crisis that has taken so many lives across the region and that of course began with the most horrific of events on October 7. But as we head now to 315 days of war, the time for a deal for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza, and for the fighting to stop is now. And of course, that is the message that we have jointly underlined to ministers today both in Israel and of course in the occupied territories. Gazas health ministry has said more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israels offensive, which has also wounded 92,401 people and displaced more than 85% of the population from their homes. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has condemned the widespread rampage of Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank (Jonathan Brady/PA) Escalating tensions have raised fears of all-out war in the region as fire is regularly exchanged between Lebanon-backed Hezbollah and the Israeli military. Israeli forces have regularly targeted mosques, schools, hospitals and cemeteries in Gaza where it claims fighters or tunnels are located, often causing civilian casualties. The fighting has also killed 329 Israeli soldiers. Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi has delighted fans by buying them treats during a cinema trip to watch the film It Ends With Us which features his song Love The Hell Out Of You. The Someone You Loved singer, 27, who announced he would be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future in 2023, was spotted at the Vue Cinema in Leicester Square on Thursday. A TikTok shared online shows the singer taking photos with fans while in the lobby area and says the singer bought fans drinks and popcorn before going to watch the film. Lewis Capaldi performing on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival in 2023 (Yui Mok/PA) Based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover the movie tells the story of Lily Bloom, played by Blake Lively and Isabela Ferrer, as she falls in love with Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) before reconnecting with her first love Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar). Speaking about Capaldis song Lively said: There was only one song for this moment. Once you see it, youll feel it for yourself. Lewis Capaldi is beloved for not only his brilliant work, but who he is. I couldnt be more proud that he told this story with us. This is an honour; I will be grateful for forever. This movie means the world to me. On New Years Eve, Capaldi said in a lengthy Instagram post that he would continue taking some time to carry on looking after myself following the announcement he would take a break from touring after struggling with his voice during his Glastonbury Festival set. Capaldi explored how the pressures of fame have affected him mentally and physically last year in the Netflix documentary Lewis Capaldi: How Im Feeling Now. It won an National Television Award (NTA) in the authored documentary category and has been nominated for a Grammy for best music film. Capaldi has had five chart-topping UK singles with tracks including Wish You The Best and Before You Go. A man has admitted to being a member of the Wagner Group but claimed he was only pretending to be involved. Piotr Kucharski, 49, pleaded guilty to membership of a proscribed organisation between September 15 and October 28 2023. The charge alleged he had professed to be a member of the Russian mercenary group and, as he entered pleas at the Old Bailey on Friday, he said: Guilty that I was pretending that I was a member of the organisation. Dan Pawson-Pounds, prosecuting, said: There is no evidence that Mr Kucharski actually travelled to the location he claimed to have gone to, or engaged in the activities relating to the Wagner Group, so that is why the charge has been framed in the way it has. Simon Gledhill, defending, said: In short, he told people, and gave the impression that, he was a member of the group rather than being an actual member. Kucharski stood in the dock wearing a black blazer over a black t-shirt and spoke via a translator. His address is listed as Watford, Hertfordshire, but he said after the hearing that he is from Poland. He was convicted and served a 15-year sentence for armed robbery in Poland, the court was told. He remains on conditional bail. The Wagner Group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in September 2023, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group in the UK. Matthew Perry: Two doctors among five charged over ketamine-related death Matthew Perrys live-in assistant, two doctors and a woman dubbed the ketamine queen are among five people charged following an investigation into the actors death. The investigation unearthed a broad underground criminal network of people who took advantage of the Friends star after he fell back into addiction in autumn last year, US attorney Martin Estrada told a press briefing in Los Angeles. The briefing heard Perry had been seeking treatment for depression and anxiety when he became addicted to intravenous ketamine, turning to unscrupulous doctors who saw Perry as a way to make quick money. According to the indictment, Salvador Plasencia is said to have conspired with fellow doctor Mark Chavez to supply the actor with large amounts of ketamine, writing in a message: I wonder how much this moron will pay and lets find out. Plasencia allegedly used Perrys live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa to distribute approximately 20 vials of ketamine to the actor over a two-month period from September to October 2023 in exchange for 55,000 dollars (43,000). Perry, who played Chandler Bing in hit US sitcom Friends, died aged 54 from the acute effects of ketamine on October 28 last year after receiving several injections from Iwamasa. Iwamasa, 59, of Toluca Lake, pleaded guilty on August 7 to conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death admitting to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training. Plasencia, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two charges related to allegations he falsified documents during the investigation into Perrys death, pleaded not guilty during a court appearance. Five defendants, including two doctors, charged in connection with actor Matthew Perrys fatal drug overdose last year https://t.co/1zPBcVkRnJ US Attorney L.A. (@USAO_LosAngeles) August 15, 2024 His lawyer Stefan Sacks asked the judge if the doctor would be allowed to continue to operate the clinic he owns, given he had already surrendered his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) licence to prescribe controlled substances. Prosecutor Ian Yanniello claimed it would be inappropriate given Plasencia had essentially acted as a street corner drug dealer, Mr Sacks arguing the case was unique. Magistrate Judge Alka Sagar ruled a notice must be placed at the doctors clinic and patients must sign a form consenting to receiving medical treatment given the charges against him. The judge set the next court appearance as October 8 before wishing Plasencia good luck, to which he responded: Thank you so much, I appreciate that. Plasencia can be released after posting a 100,000 dollar (78,000) bond. During the last few weeks of his life, Matthew Perry turned to street dealer Erik Fleming to source ketamine (Ian West/PA) The judge denied bond for Jasveen Sangha an alleged drug dealer named by authorities as the ketamine queen. Mr Estrada said Sangha allegedly sold approximately 50 vials of ketamine to Perry for 11,000 dollars (8,553) in cash. During the last few weeks of his life, Perry turned to street dealer Erik Fleming who is said to have sourced ketamine from 41-year-old Ms Sangha, of North Hollywood. Fleming, 54, of Hawthorne, pleaded guilty on August 8 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. The ketamine supplied by Sangha would ultimately be the dose that took Matthew Perrys life, DEA administrator Anne Milgram told the briefing. Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox and David Schwimmer in Friends (Landmark Media/Alamy) Sangha pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. The judge ruled she should remain in custody, noting the prosecutors concerns over destroying evidence and her dual citizenship which could provide an opportunity to flee. Sangha is set to appear in court on October 15. Mr Estrada said Plasencia is facing a maximum sentence of 120 years in federal prison, while Sangha is facing life imprisonment. The office for the US Attorney also confirmed that San Diego physician Chavez, 54, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, admitting he sold the drug to Plasencia having obtained it fraudulently. During a press briefing, Ms Milgram said Chavez charged Perry 2,000 dollars (1,500) for a vial that cost him approximately 12 dollars (9). Ketamine is a sedative that can be used as a recreational drug, as well as to treat depression and pain management. A medical examiner said Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety with his last-known treatment one-and-a-half weeks prior to his death. The ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy, the report said. Perry was open about his battle with substance abuse and addiction, setting up a sober living facility for men with similar issues. Following his death, a foundation was set up in his name to help those struggling with addiction. Eddie Howe has insisted Newcastle will not pay silly money to further strengthen their squad at the same time as admitting they may have to sell in January. The Magpies open their new Premier League campaign at home to Southampton on Saturday still locked in negotiations with Crystal Palace over their 65million-rated England defender Marc Guehi, the kind of marquee signing which has so far eluded the club this summer. Head coach Howe declined to comment on reports that a fourth bid had been tabled for the player and revealed there was nothing close on the transfer front. Newcastle are in talks to sign Crystal Palaces England defender Marc Guehi (Steven Paston/PA) But asked if there was a point where Newcastle, who have spent in excess of 400million since Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund bought a controlling 80 per cent stake in October 2021, would walk away from a deal, he replied: We have done many times in my time here. Especially early on where there was very much a Newcastle tax on any deal where when we would ring up, the price would double, so many times we were, No, thats not for us, were not going to go down that road where we feel were overpaying for players. Thats changed slightly because people have seen the dynamic, that were not going to pay silly fees for players, so I think now its returned more to normality. The Magpies have had to tip-toe through a financial minefield in the last year or so in order to meet profitability and sustainability rules, and have reluctantly sold promising youngsters Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh this summer in an attempt to stay within the boundaries. Getting set for Saturday. Watch in full on YouTube Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 15, 2024 That has enabled them to date, at least to fend off interest in the likes of Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon, although Howe admits the club will have to trade once again. He said: Theres not necessarily financial pressures to lose anybody before the end of this window, but player trading is key and we have to trade players out as well as players in. Thats not necessarily in the next two weeks. But certainly, within the next window, thats what well have to do. Howe is no stranger to having to wheel and deal having launched his managerial career at then cash-strapped Bournemouth, and he admits that was a good grounding for dealing with his current predicament. He said: The situation, of course, here is totally different to that. Here were restricted in our spending because of financial fair play rules which we have to respect, we have to adhere to. Ive got no issue with dealing and working with the restrictions that were under, but the expectations then have to be adjusted to the reality of the world were living in. Sometimes theres a misalignment, theres constantly talking about the richest club in the world and weve got all this money. But were not allowed to spend it, so expectations have to be adjusted, in my opinion. Gubad Ibadoghlu, who has been detained for more than a year. Photograph: Twitter A group of British MPs have called on the Azerbaijan government to free an academic from the London School of Economics and Political Science who was detained after writing articles critical of the countrys environmental policies. Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, who is based in the UK, was arrested and held by Azerbaijan authorities while visiting members of his family in July 2023. He has been a prominent critic of the ruling elite in the Eurasian nation, which is preparing to host the Cop29 Climate Summit in November. In a letter from the international non-governmental organisation Global Witness, addressed to Azerbaijans president IIham Aliyev, 25 campaign groups and British lawmakers, including the peer Alf Dubs and eight MPs, have called for Ibadoghlus unconditional release. Fears have grown for his welfare after a separate letter to Ibadoghlus legal team, seen by the Guardian, confirmed his pre-trial process was suspended indefinitely in the capital, Baku, where he is being held. The campaigners letter, which includes signatures from the independent MP Jeremy Corbyn and the leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, says: We write to you on behalf of Gubad Ibadoghlu, a renowned economist and civic activist, who was detained in Azerbaijan last summer on unsubstantiated charges after he published articles criticising Azerbaijans oil and gas policies. Azerbaijans courts have now frozen the case, cancelled trial proceedings and are preparing to keep Dr Ibadoghlu hostage indefinitely. We ask that you free him unconditionally, allow him to seek medical treatment abroad, and reunite him with his family. Ibadoghlu has worked as a political economist across Europe and the US for nearly a decade and is the chair of the Azerbaijan Democracy and Prosperity Movement, which has been denied official party registration. Azerbaijan, one of the most fossil fuel-dependent economies, with oil and gas comprising up to 90% of its exports and providing 60% of the governments budget, has come under intense scrutiny in advance of hosting this years climate summit. If Azerbaijan is to make this years climate conference truly a Cop of peace, the government must immediately and unconditionally free Gubad Ibadoghlu and drop all charges against him, the letter says. On Thursday Ibadoghlus son Ibad Bayramov delivered the letter to the Azerbaijan embassy in London and visited Westminster to raise awareness of his fathers case. Ibad previously told the Guardian of concerns over his fathers worsening health condition, including his type 2 diabetes and hypertension, as he travelled to London to pick up medication for him in 2023. I worry every moment of every day about my dads treatment due to this politically motivated detention, he said. Just as any son would want to see their father, we are desperate to have him back. He suffers greatly, and we need to know that he is OK. Last year the Red Cross was denied visits and the family and the European parliament called for immediate access to medical treatment and medication, and voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution demanding Ibadoghlus release. The European convention on human rights also adopted temporary measures in 2023 ordering the Azerbaijan government to take urgent action to protect his health. In recent years, the European court of human rights has found a troubling pattern of arrests and detention of government critics in Azerbaijan. Independent organisations estimate there are as many as 200 political prisoners, including journalists, activists and opposition politicians. Across much of the world, authoritarian regimes abuse their power to crack down on legitimate dissent and criticism, often with the complicity of corporate interests, said Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Green party. It is essential that our own government challenges this at the highest level. Solly the sheep, who died at a Mallorcan animal sanctuary after contracting a mosquito-borne disease. Photograph: Ana Palacios Solly the sheep had not had an easy start to life, but his prospects seemed to be looking up. Maggot-ridden when found in a field, Solly defied the expectations of a vet and recovered quickly when an animal shelter took him in. He befriended another sheep at the sanctuary, Star, and became a leaping, happy lamb, his rescuers said. But Solly, named after the Spanish word for sun, could not cope with the scorching heat in Mallorca, Spain. He contracted a disease from mosquitoes, whose breeding window is widening. His frail body quickly declined. It was 40C on the day that he died, and he was choking on his own tongue, said Nicole Eden, who runs the Eden Sanctuary for abandoned animals on the Spanish island. Flies soon swarmed the body. Unable to leave the other animals, who were also baking in the hot sun, Eden dug Solly a shallow grave with her hands and buried him through her tears. I couldnt leave the body for even an hour, said Eden, who had nursed the lamb to health. Im there crying over the loss of my baby and I dont have time to consider my grief. Humans are not the only animals hurt by hot weather. From puppies whose paws toast on piping-hot pavements to koalas unable to outrun fast-spreading fires, the animal world is already suffering from a glut of greenhouse gas pollution that has made heatwaves hotter and longer. In some ways, the situation in rescue shelters during hot weather mirrors that of hospitals around the world. Those who die first are often old, ill or young. Drought makes it harder to get hold of water. For facilities that are underfunded and rely on volunteers, efforts to keep cool cost money and time that are in short supply. Its a constant worry that if we turn our backs for too long, the animals will end up with heatstroke, said Eden, who lost a dog to the heat this year and suspects chickens and guinea pigs have also perished because of the hot weather. It puts an immense amount of guilt on us. The most visible victims among animals are those that people keep as pets or raise for slaughter. But the damage reaches deep into the wild. The breakdown of a stable climate is one of five key drivers of the unprecedented and accelerating loss of wildlife around the world, according to a report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the leading scientific authority on biodiversity. Ben Church, a firefighter in Western Australia, said that seeing dead and burned creatures when battling bushfires was a harsh reality of the job. He has found the bodies of animals as big as kangaroos and emus among the ashes. You cant see too much at night, but in the day you see the level of devastation, he said. Theres nothing living. Its a barren wasteland. Nearly 3 billion animals were killed or displaced by Australias devastating bushfire season of 2019-20, according to a report from scientists commissioned by WWF Australia. In a separate study of marsupials kangaroos, koalas, wallabies and possums researchers found that rescue and rehabilitation rates were lower than expected. Scientists say saving human and other animal lives means pumping out less planet-heating gas and adapting to violent weather. Church, who has posed topless with animals for the Australian firefighters calendar, which has raised money to buy a mobile facility for Byron Bay wildlife hospital, said part of the solution was getting people to care more about the damage that humans are doing to animal habitats. They feel the same anguish and pain that people do when they lose their homes, said Church. Theyre experiencing that heat just like we are. But the empathy gap is harder to bridge for some animals than others. When Hugo Harrison first became a marine scientist, he was drawn by the prospect of exploring a magical underwater world. He began to work on corals, which are made up of vast numbers of individual animals called polyps. Heatwaves are bleaching their colourful reefs skeleton white. I have seen a world beyond my wildest imagination as a child, said Harrison, who at the University of Bristol studies how corals recover after heatwaves. And I think the most striking experience that Ive had recently is seeing these environments silenced. He compared diving in a coral reef after a marine heatwave to walking in a tropical forest after a fire: Its like diving in a ghost city. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that 70%-90% of tropical corals would be killed by a global temperature rise of 1.5C (2.7F), and virtually all of them will be lost at 2C. The world is on track to hit 2.5C by the end of the century, despite world leaders promising to keep it well below 2C. Harrison said it was paralysing to imagine that future. But even with such losses already under way, he added, corals are not yet doomed. What gives me hope is that as long as we can keep things mild, as long as things dont get so severe that corals cook on the spot, then there is a pathway that allows them to adapt to these events. At the animal sanctuary in Mallorca, Eden has asked a couple to take over the day-to-day management of the shelter but continues to fundraise for it. Running out of options to survive the heat, she said she had considered moving the animals to the north of the Spanish mainland, where the climate is cooler. Summer is by far the most stressful period, said Eden, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after the summer in which Solly and a few other animals died. That sequence of memories I have from digging Sollys grave, thats one of the recurring images I get At points its felt like a nightmare. Church The Church of England is increasingly dropping the word church in favour of relevant and modern-sounding descriptions such as community, a new study suggests. The Anglican church appears to be increasingly avoiding the word church when discussing the creation of new worshipping communities and congregations, a report has found. The Centre for Church Planting Theology and Research looked at the language used by 11 dioceses to describe new churches. The creation of a new church group is traditionally referred to as a church plant. But the report found that while 900 new churches had been started by the dioceses in the past decade, none had used the phrase church plant as the primary way to describe the project. The reports author, Rev Dr Will Foulger, vicar of St Nicholas in Durham, found that six of the 11 dioceses used the language of worship in their main descriptor of new church projects, two used congregation, and seven used community. Dr Giles Fraser, vicar of St Annes, Kew, told The Telegraph that this apparent reluctance to use the word church reflects a misplaced desire to be relevant and modern-sounding. Dr Giles Fraser: 'The Church has given up on church. Not since Prince became Squiggle has there been such a daft revision' - Andrew Crowley In an article on UnHerd, Dr Fraser said that it was as if, the Church has given up on church. Not since Prince became Squiggle has there been such a daft revision. He warned that embracing these new forms of worship had been ruinously expensive for the Church, cautioning that the push for modernisation should not come at the expense of traditional parish churches. The report found that 10 of the 11 dioceses studied used the language of culture change to describe the place of new things within the dioceses. Dr Foulger suggested that the Church of England might be moving away from using the word church as part of a cultural rejuvenation. He said that the word church was not comprehensive enough to describe what it is that these dioceses have been starting, adding that the phrase new things might be more appropriate. A spokesman for the Church of England told The Telegraph that one reason why the word church appears less often in description of new worshipping communities is that these forms of worship can exist outside of traditional bricks-and-mortar churches. Examples of these new communities have cropped up across the country. At St Barnabas in Ealing a Shh free mass is on offer to welcome families with young children, while the silent disco worship at All Hallows Bow in east London a new congregation founded within an existing church attracts young adults. Outdoor worshipping The Diocese of Worcester, meanwhile, has embraced outdoor worshipping, with members of the churches in the Teme Valley South replacing church services with countryside walks, stopping for Bible reading and prayer along the way. These communities often meet in existing church buildings, attracting additional worshippers alongside traditional congregations, but they are as much church as any other form of worship, a Church of England spokesman said. He added that a church is defined in theological terms as a community of people who, together, live in relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In his report, Dr Foulger acknowledged that this change in language by the Church is forcing us to redefine what we think a church is in the Church of England. He also recognised that the debate had left certain parts of the Church for whom fidelity to ecclesial forms and practices is central feeling outside of the planting conversation. Since 2014 the Church Commissioners have awarded 82.7 million to dioceses to be used for the purpose of starting new churches and religious communities. This investment is set to continue. In 2021, the Church of England announced plans to establish more than 10,000 new worshipping communities over the next decade. A spokesman for the Church of England defended its funding record in parish churches, stating that significant investment has supported parish renewals, front-line ministry roles, and childrens and youth workers across various church traditions. A rally in Westminster, London, in 2023, before the infected blood inquiry finally reported in May 2024. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA Victims of the contaminated blood scandal will begin receiving compensation before the end of the year, and some people will be entitled to more than 2.5m, the government has confirmed. An outline of the long-awaited compensation scheme was set out in May, after the final report of the infected blood inquiry laid bare what Rishi Sunak, the then UK prime minister, called a decades-long moral failure at the heart of our national life. More than 3,000 people died and many more had their lives ruined because of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C caused by infusions of contaminated blood given between the 1970s and 1990s. Campaigners spent decades urging successive governments to take responsibility, and compensate victims and their families. Sunaks government commissioned the chair of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA), Sir Robert Francis, to consult with victims and their families about the details of the compensation scheme. Francis recommended more than 70 changes to the initial proposals, most of which Keir Starmers government has said it will accept. These include an additional payment of 10,000 for those people who were infected as a result of unethical research. Victims who were unwittingly involved in trials as children at the Lord Mayor Treloar College, Hampshire, in one of the most egregious aspects of the scandal revealed by the inquiry, are to receive an extra 15,000. The government is expected to introduce regulations setting up the new scheme by 24 August, allowing survivors who were infected to start receiving payments before the end of the year. For those who have already died, payments will be made to their estates. A second set of regulations covering victims families and others affected will follow in the coming months, with payments for these individuals to be made, starting in 2025. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the paymaster general and minister for the Cabinet Office, said: We are going to do everything possible to deliver compensation quickly, and in many cases deliver life-changing sums to people infected and affected by this scandal. We know no amount of compensation can fully address the damage to people who suffered as a result of this scandal. This is why alongside the compensation we must drive forward the wider cultural changes to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Francis also recommended that victims be allowed to continue receiving existing support payments for the rest of their lives. The government confirmed that those people would be allowed to do so, alongside any additional compensation to which they were entitled. Campaign groups had raised concerns that some victims could end up worse off if these regular payments were halted. Kate Burt, the chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: We welcome the fact that the government have said the support schemes will continue for life, because people were worried about security, not only for the infected but for the bereaved as well. She urged the IBCA to continue engaging with the affected community as the scheme got up and running. Total compensation payments will be made up of set amounts for different aspects of the damage wrought by the scandal, including loss of earnings and care needs. Illustrative scenarios set out by the government when the scheme was first announced showed that someone who was infected with HIV as a result of receiving contaminated blood could be entitled to up to 2,615,000. Government sources declined to give an estimate of the likely overall cost of the compensation payments. Approximately 3,000 people have already registered with the IBCA as potential recipients. The infected blood inquiry, chaired by Sir Brian Longstaff, spent six years amassing evidence of the widespread failings that led to the scandal. Sunak made an official apology to the victims and their families when the inquiry was published. Rachel Halford, the chief executive of the Hepatitis C Trust, said: Were pleased that the government has listened to the concerns of the infected blood community regarding the continuation of support payments for life, which had been a significant source of anxiety for many of our helpline callers. We are disappointed, however, that the existing support schemes have not been opened more widely, including to people given hepatitis C after 1991 and those given hepatitis B. The government must work transparently and openly with the infected blood community and explain its reasoning for the likely compensation levels and the basis for these figures. Thousands of lives were forever altered when people were given hepatitis C, and compensation must reflect that reality. Houston Mayor John Whitmire faces rising budget demands including an expensive settlement with the firefighters union that his administration negotiated. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Houston City Controller Chris Hollins warns that the city's savings can't continue to keep up with expenses. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer For the past decade, Houston comptrollers and other financial analysts have warned that the city of Houston has been running a structural deficit never mind its annual adoption of nominally balanced budgets. Now the problem is becoming harder to ignore. On July 1, Standard & Poors rating agency revised its outlook for Houstons debt from stable to negative. The agency cited the citys drawdown of its material fund balance and the cost of the litigation settlement with its firefighters as the principal reasons for the revised outlook. For eight years Houstons firefighters had been locked in a contract dispute with the city, and theyd sued for back pay. Mayor John Whitmires administration settled the case as part of an expensive new union contract that includes $650 million in back pay. To cover it, the city is issuing the bonds referenced in the S&P revision. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For the past three years, the city has plugged its deficit with federal relief grants related to COVID and natural disasters. But much of those funds will be exhausted this year, forcing the city to cut expenditures or raise additional revenue. S&P makes an unfortunate reference to the city charter provision that limits how much the City Council can raise property taxes without voter approval. However, as our previous research shows, the charter provision has little impact on the citys finances: Despite the limitation, the city property tax and other revenues have steadily risen. A revision to the outlook by a rating agency is a relatively harmless rebuke of a citys finances. S&Ps statement says its revision implies a 1-in-3 chance that the agency will downgrade the citys bond rating over the next two years. Given that the city of Houstons population has flatlined over the last seven years and that its sales tax collections have recently swooned, it is surprising that S&P settled for only a revision to its outlook. It could have downgraded the citys credit rating instead. Regardless of S&Ps outlook, it has been clear that Houston has been rapidly approaching a day of financial reckoning. The city has exhausted most of the one-time fixes available, and its doubtful that there will be any additional federal aid to bail out the city. The new administration and council must either find significant savings to reduce expenses or ask Houstonians to dig deeper to pay more for their city government. Craig Revel Horwood has so far gone the furthest of the Strictly judges in addressing the allegations - Eddie Mulholland Abuse allegations against Strictly staff could be being blown out of proportion, Craig Revel Horwood has said. The Strictly judge said he was awaiting the results of an investigation into the row between Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice, which may reveal accusations to have been blown out of proportion. Abbington has accused former dance partner Pernice of abusive behaviour, which he has resolutely denied. Both parties are awaiting the findings of a BBC inquiry into the claims. Pernices lawyers had hoped for a swift resolution in early August but Abbington submitted a tranche of text messages as fresh evidence and the inquiry is continuing. Speaking to the Times, Revel Horwood said: I cant wait for the investigation because it could be all blown out of proportion or it could be anything. But we want the results sooner rather than later. Its not just the BBC, though, is it? The BBC is in the public eye because of its public funding. ITV has the same issues. Not drawn on specifics Revel Horwood has so far gone the furthest of the Strictly judges in addressing the allegations. Most of his colleagues have not been drawn on the specifics of the scandal. Shirley Ballas only commented that she had known Pernice for many years as a friend, making clear that the dancer had been very good to her, when asked about the scandal. In the wake of the accusations against Pernice, the BBC made plans to use chaperones on Strictly to ensure all behaviour is monitored. His former Strictly colleague, Graziano Di Prima, was dropped by the programme following claims that he hit and spat at the TV presenter Zara McDermott when she appeared with him on the show. Di Prima said in response that he was not a monster and not an abusive man. Revel Horwood has expressed his shock that any abuse could take place in training given the way in which Strictly is produced. He said: At every rehearsal there is lighting and sound, a crew member, as well as the pro, celeb and a choreographer, so theres a lot of people in those rooms. And they have windows too. It was mean. It was nasty Abbington has described the treatment she allegedly received, telling Lorraine Kelly in July: It was inappropriate; it was mean, it was nasty, it was bullying. I put up with it for five weeks, six weeks. It started early on and when it started to happen, I would shut down because I would recognise those red flags. Pernice has denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to clear his name. A war of words has continued while both sides await the conclusion of the BBCs review, and another former Strictly partner of Pernice, Laura Whitmore, has made her own criticisms of the dancer. The 39-year-old TV presenter posted a string of messages on Instagram in July stating that she had warned the BBC about alleged behaviour but was gaslit into believing that the alleged behaviour was normal. Gaslighting, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is the action of tricking or controlling someone by making them believe things that are not true. Despite the row over alleged behaviour behind the scenes on Strictly, Revel Horwood said it would be ridiculous to cancel such a popular programme. A man draped in a Palestinian flag feeds the birds in Doha. Pressure has mounted on Israel to make concessions when talks resume in Cairo next week. Photograph: Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty The latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks have ended in Doha without a breakthrough, but a new date next week has been set for further negotiations to attempt to end the 10-month-old war. A White House statement signed by the co-mediators Qatar and Egypt described a fresh proposal that built on areas of agreement and bridged remaining gaps in a manner that allowed for a swift implementation of the deal. In another statement late on Friday, Joe Biden said the bridging proposal offered the basis for a final agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release deal, adding: With the comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal now in sight, no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process. Though the two statements struck an optimistic tone, dozens of rounds of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel have failed to achieve a deal since a short-lived truce collapsed in December. The hopeful language may also be aimed at further stalling Iranian retaliation against Israel after the assassination of the Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran last month. There are widespread concerns that an attack on Israel by Iran could spark an intense regional conflict. The US president, Joe Biden, said: Were not there yet, but added that a Gaza ceasefire deal was closer than three days ago. However, a Hamas spokesperson accused Washington of trying to create a false atmosphere without any genuine intention of stopping the war. The new push for an end to conflict came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000, according to local health authorities. Diplomatic pressure has mounted on Israel to make concessions when talks resume in Cairo next week. Speaking in Tel Aviv on Friday after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary, said Israeli officials told him they were hoping they were on the verge of reaching a deal. The time for a deal for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza and for the fighting to stop is now, Lammy said. Speaking alongside him, the French foreign minister, Stephane Sejourne, said this was a key moment because it could lead to peace or war. Katz said in a statement that Israel expected its allies not just to help it defend itself against an Iranian attack, but to join in attacking Iran afterwards. The death of Haniyeh came hours after an Israeli strike killed Fuad Shukr, a top military commander in Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, which has exchanged near-daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces. Hezbollah has promised to avenge the killing of Shukr and, in a clear message to Israel, on Friday released a video, with Hebrew and English subtitles, that appeared to show underground tunnels where trucks were transporting long-range missiles. Israels military offensive in Gaza continued on Friday. Israeli forces issued evacuation orders to people in southern and central areas previously designated as humanitarian safe zones, saying Hamas had used the areas to fire mortars and rockets at Israel. Israel said warning flyers and text messages had been sent out in the eastern part of Deir al-Balah and another area north of the city of Khan Younis, where tens of thousands of people have sought shelter from fighting in other parts of Gaza. The advance warning to civilians is being issued in order to mitigate harm to the civilian population and to enable civilians to move away from the combat zone, the military said in a statement. Aya, 28, said she had felt fear, shock and confusion after learning of the evacuation orders, but decided to flee Deir al-Balah when she heard the sounds of bombing close by. Things deteriorated quickly after rumours began to spread about the approach of tanks. Everyone started screaming from panic and we ended up escaping with our children, leaving our tent and most of our belongings behind, she said. Any sustained assault on Deir al-Balah could force tens of thousands of people to flee again to other parts of the devastated territory. Commenting on the new evacuation order, Unrwa, the main UN agency in Gaza, said that people remained trapped in an endless nightmare of death and destruction on a staggering scale. Expectations were low for this round of ceasefire talks, which began on Thursday. Hamas, which did not participate directly in the talks, has accused Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support and to which the militant Islamist organisation had agreed in principle. Both sides have agreed in principle to the plan Biden announced on 31 May, but Hamas has proposed amendments and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to undermine chances of a deal. Hamas has rejected many of Israels demands, which include a lasting military presence along the border with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza, where Israeli forces would search Palestinians returning to their homes to root out militants. Hamas has nonetheless said it is committed to the talks. There are also disagreements over the sequencing of any ceasefire, whether it would mark a definitive end of hostilities and how many Palestinian prisoners would be released from Israeli jails in return for about 110 remaining hostages seized by Hamas in its shock raid into Israel in October last year. Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in that attack. Additional reporting by Malak A Tantesh in Gaza The IV fluid shortage poses no threat to patient care, the AMA chief has said after speaking with the chair of the government taskforce. Photograph: Thirasak Phuchom/Alamy The government is stepping in to coordinate the distribution of IV fluids across the country in response to a shortage of the vital medical supplies. The shortage, which is expected to continue throughout 2024, has shone a light on the vulnerability of Australias supply chain and ability to source crucial health supplies beyond medicines. Australia receives IV fluids from three suppliers: B Braun and Fresenius Kabi manufacture supplies overseas, while US multinational Baxter Healthcare has a plant in western Sydney. Related: Australia is facing a shortage of crucial IV fluids. What does it mean and who will be affected? Baxter Healthcare said its facility was operating at full capacity. It was also still fulfilling its contractual requirements to supply partners in New Zealand, whose drug-purchasing agency said it had no current issues with supply. To date, there has been no central authority that controls supplies of IV fluids in Australia. The product is procured by state and territory governments for their hospitals, and independently by private hospitals and GP groups. Despite being essential and ubiquitous in healthcare, IV fluids are not a reportable medicine under commonwealth therapeutic goods legislation, a system which flags shortages very early. That is about to change. After a meeting on Friday of federal, state and territory health ministers, it was announced immediate steps would be taken to ensure a coordinated approach to distribution across the jurisdictional supply chains. There would also be greater data sharing between jurisdictions on usage and supply, with producers and suppliers of IV fluids made to provide data on supply and production forecasts. This would help officials better understand the severity and duration of the shortage. The ministers statement after the meeting said that shortages of IV fluids, while easing, are expected to continue through 2024. They sought to provide reassurance to all Australians that supply challenges are being addressed and that health services are continuing. The shortage has been blamed on global manufacturing issues and an unexpected increase in demand. Prof Steve Robson, the president of the Australian Medical Association, said there was no scandal whatsoever with global supply limitations on a range of medical products. I spoke to my colleagues in the US and UK [and] they have different supply shortages, theres no doubt about that. They are facing shortages of other products such as irrigation fluid and plasma lite. However, Robson acknowledged other countries did not have the same supply constraints in the delivery of products as Australia, because of its far-flung location. Part of the problem that Robson said needed addressing in future was that no one knows how much [IV fluid] we make here versus what we get overseas. As for Baxter Healthcare shipping IV fluids to New Zealand while Australia suffered a shortage, Robson said contracts had to be fulfilled. The big lesson is that everyone has inherited a system [with] no central monitoring, Robson said. Australia needed a transparent inventory of critical medical supplies beyond medicines such as antibiotics, he said. Robson said the governments response, bringing together all states and territories and the commonwealth along with other healthcare stakeholders, was fantastic. The response group would meet on a weekly basis, or more frequently if required, while supply remained constrained. It had also been directed by ministers to consider options to maintain supply of IV fluids within Australia. Related: AMA warns surgeries may be cancelled due to unprecedented shortage of IV fluids across Australia After speaking with the chair of the taskforce, Robson said there was no threat to patient care right now. Patients should go into the next couple weeks feeling confident. He said he was unaware of any care being compromised anywhere in the country. Robson said in his own practice as a surgeon they were unable to use the IV fluids they usually use, but different safe fluids were available. Its like youre planning a dinner party and say you are serving chicken kiev. But on the day, no chicken is available so you have to change to veal parmigiana. The Therapeutic Goods Administration said the current supply of IV fluids was being affected by global supply limitations, unexpected increases in demand and manufacturing issues. It said it was aware that supply of some IV fluids was also constrained in other countries, such as the US and Canada, according to their shortage report databases. Fresenius Kabi said some of its IV fluid lines had been impacted by significant increases in local demand, global shortages and delays in shipping. This has resulted in additional stockholding pressures and backorders. A spokesperson from B Braun said production difficulties had led to a temporary constraint to supplies from their operations. Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, walks off stage after he attends a memorial service ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, August 15, 2024. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters After a week in which Japans citizens braced themselves for a possible megaquake, the biggest seismic shift came from its political epicentre, as the prime minister, Fumio Kishida, announced his decision to step down next month. His three years in office will end in late September when his ruling Liberal Democratic party [LDP] selects a new president, who is assured of being approved as Japans next prime minister in the LDP-controlled parliament. Kishidas decision paved the way for one of the most unpredictable contests for the LDP presidency in recent years. By stepping out of the race, Kishida has cleared the way for an especially chaotic LDP election, turning what was already looking like a competitive race with a vulnerable incumbent into a free-for-all with numerous plausible contenders but no obvious favourite, said Tobias Harris, founder of the Japan Foresight political risk advisory firm. The list of likely successors includes party insiders, maverick ministers and, unusually for Japan, two MPs under the age of 50. The potential inclusion of two women in the race raises the prospect albeit an unlikely one at this stage that the country will appoint its first female prime minister. It is fitting that the outcome of the party election is so hard to predict, coming at a time of deep uncertainty for the LDP, a loose coalition of conservatives that has governed Japan almost without interruption since its formation in the mid-1950s. Kishidas withdrawal from the race has been attributed to the fallout from a string of scandals that have blighted much of his premiership: revelations about his partys ties to the Unification church in the wake of Shinzo Abes assassination in July 2022 and, more recently, public anger over a fundraising scandal that spelled the beginning of the end of his time in office. The LDP at least has time on its side. Its next leaders priority will be to regain public trust before the next lower house elections, which are not due to be held until October next year. His successor will also have to address the rising cost of living, escalating tensions with China and North Korea, and the possible return of Donald Trump as US president. If the LDP picks its next leader in a way that disregards public criticism of the political funding scandals, the party could suffer a crushing defeat, said political analyst Atsuo Ito. The party must choose someone young who has no ties with the present administration and can present a new LDP. That would appear to rule out the partys secretary-general, Toshimitsu Motegi, Ito said, given his association with the brand of factional horse trading that is turning away voters. It could fall to another 60-something, Shigeru Ishiba, to boost the partys fortunes. A former defence minister who has confirmed his intention to run, Ishiba has failed in four attempts to become party leader but consistently polls well among voters. He should have little difficulty securing the support of 20 lawmakers that candidates need to enter the race, which will be decided among the partys 1.1 million members. Ishiba could face challenges from the digital minister Taro Kono, a fellow moderate, and Shinjiro Koizumi, the 43-year-old former environment minister and son of ex-prime minister Junichiro Koizumi. More intriguing is the possible inclusion of two women. Economic security minister Sanae Takaichi is a darling of the partys right-wing who on Thursday demonstrated her conservative credentials with a visit to Yasukuni, a shrine that honours Japanese war dead and is seen by some as a symbol of the countrys militarist past. Despite his recent tribulations, Kishida could still have a say in who replaces him, particularly if he throws his support behind another potential candidate, Yoko Kamikawa, whom he appointed last year as Japans first female foreign minister for almost two decades. The LDPs next leader should be able to bring the party together and manage the government, said Mikitaka Masuyama, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. Someone with experience is better than those who are just popular in voter polls. If Kishida picked Kamikawa, and others in the LDP joined him, she could be the one. There was at least some respite for Kishida this week when he invited Japans medal winners at the Paris Olympics to his official residence, telling them they had given the entire nation energy and courage. But it will be left to his successor to inject the same qualities into his floundering party. Michael Chandler, the new ravenmaster at the Tower, says he is captivated by the birds - Benjamin Cremel/AFP The King regularly checks on the ravens at the Tower of London, the new ravenmaster has said. Michael Chandler a former Marine commando, took on the role in March and works alongside his fellow Yeoman Warders, known as Beefeaters, while also caring for the seven ravens currently residing at the Tower. Charles II is thought to have been the first monarch officially to decree that the birds must be kept at the Tower at all times, believing they were a symbol of good fortune. Mr Chandler said of the birds: They are serving His Majesty as much as we in the [Kings] bodyguard do. He added the King does check up on them regularly, as did his mother. The King and Queen visit theTower of London - Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph Rather than paying secret visits to the Tower which also houses the Crown Jewels to observe the birds in person, the King receives an annual report detailing all aspects of life there. The Lord Chamberlains office conducts the site check on behalf of the royal household. Mr Chandler is only the sixth person to take on the role of ravenmaster, and commands a four-person team responsible for feeding, caring for and monitoring the birds. The Iraq and Afghanistan veteran had no particular interest in birds when he arrived at the Tower 14 years ago. Initially, the draw was the legend of the ravens and then being here seeing them, working among them... it was just natural, he said. I fell in love with the ravens. Theyre individuals, they are characters, just like us. The Tower usually keeps at least six ravens and, according to legend, if they ever leave then both the fortress and the kingdom will fall. The majority were bred and raised at the Tower and have not lived in the wild. One wing is clipped to encourage them to stay put. The latest recruit was named Rex, after the King. All Things Butter offers a chef-led approach that introduces new ways of cooking with the humble staple ingredient. Its not often you can call chefs work-shy, but when Thomas Straker was asked to push out more food content on his TikTok channel during COVID, it inadvertently inspired the launch of disruptive dairy brand All Things Butter. We were testing out a lot of videos and Thomas had a good following, says co-founder Toby Hopkinson. He was quite frankly being a bit lazy and was meant to be doing an all-singing, all-dancing dish for his social video, but he made a wild garlic butter on toast and it went viral crazy. Id like to say there was a grand masterplan. Head chef Straker, who runs London-based Strakers Restaurant, subsequently published 25 videos across one month which incorporated flavoured butter into his recipes and grew his social following by 1 million, while the channels content has garnered nearly 50 million likes. After four months, the duo looked into creating a product together. The stars aligned, says Hopkinson. We had stumbled across it and ran with it. Read More: Meet the vet on a mission to grow vegan pet food Hopkinson, previously on the founding team at razor maker Harry's and then head of growth at CBD drinks brand Trip, quit his role in August 2023 as the pair set about launching their challenger brand. Butter has fallen into a category that its for toasting and baking. For us, the viral videos showed a versatility for it to be used in cooking, says Hopkinson. When I was dreaming of the idea nearly two years ago I felt there was a lack of investment into getting people to cook with butter. It had a pretty bad rep for 20 years when the margarine alternatives came in. Co-founders Toby Hopkinson, left, and Thomas Straker are on a mission to place butter at the forefront of the digi-food generation. Photo: All Things Butter It was like butter is high in saturated fat and essentially gave you heart disease. It was quite brutal the stuff that went out in the late 1990s. Their product is manufactured by Brue Valley Farm in Somerset, whose generational family have been farming for 500 years, with traditional methods including twice churning the butter to enhance the creaminess. It was funny going down there to a multi-generational farming family with our slightly wacky packaging, recalls Hopkinson. We told them the narrative of where we had come to and the opportunity to add some excitement to the category and they loved it. Other farms thought we were jokers from London. Read More: 'How I built 100m bathroom business Plumbworld' In its first 10 weeks, All Things Butter sold 100,000 blocks as it set out to make headway into a 1.6bn category led by the likes of Flora and Lurpak. Their initial plan had been to shy away from retailers and create a stir with online sales. But since November, the co-founders have secured listings into Ocado (OCDO.L), Planet Organic and Milk & More with their flavours including garlic and herb and chilli. From the off and our conversations with retailers, they believed in what we were doing, adds Hopkinson. All Things Butter is manufactured by Brue Valley Farm in Somerset, a production process that still uses traditional butter-making methods. Photo: All Things Butter From a branding perspective we needed to hit notes that the modern consumer liked: organic, being British, doing it in a heritage way and supporting UK farmers. It was ripe from a challenger brand to come in and do something different. The co-founders first met at school over 20 years ago, with Hopkinson and Straker hailing from different backgrounds (Bolton and Hereford respectively), but aligned in the chef-led approach to their business. While Straker cooks with butter due to the richness of flavour, most people still cook with oils at home. The challenge is to continue that education of easy ways people can cook with butter to elevate their everyday cooking at home, says Hopkinson. We have hardly cut through and we are still a small fish. It is a growth market for us and I do feel like we can fly the British flag. All Things Butter's Chilli flavoured butter. The firm partnered with the largest farming charity in the UK and pledges 1% of its top line revenue to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution. Further, the co-founders harbour aspirations to be the largest butter brand in the UK. We are going in the right direction, says a bullish Hopkinson. We havent been shy to say that the US is the market we want to get into in the next few years. "We feel that it is a category over there which has been unloved over the years and very heritage led. We thrive as a team to have those big carrots but there is lots of work ahead here [in the UK] first. Behind the brand: Co-founder Toby Hopkinson on Creating the brand Our first name iteration was All Things Buttah. On Toms Instagram videos, his American followers took the mick out of him [for the way he pronounced butter]. The second iteration we changed to Butter. We took on an illustrator and I gave her a list of brands that I resonated with. We needed to do something like what Oatly (OTLY) and Minor Figures were doing in the oats category and Beavertown and Camden Hells in the craft beer aisle. Everything is silver and gold in the butter aisle and we had to have something that caught peoples eye in an aisle that essentially hasnt changed in 20 years. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Richard Warwick said the government seemed to have plucked [the figure] out of the air. Photograph: Mark Thomas/Rex/Shutterstock A UK government offer of 15,000 compensation to some victims of the infected blood scandal has been described as a kick in the teeth by one of those affected. Under changes to a multibillion-pound compensation scheme announced by the government, victims of the infected blood scandal can receive support for life. Those who were used for research without their knowledge will also be eligible for an extra 10,000, with a higher award of 15,000 for those who underwent treatment as children at the Lord Mayor Treloar College in Alton, Hampshire. Richard Warwick, who was infected with HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C after receiving blood products at the school, a specialist institution for children with haemophilia, as part of medical treatment, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme the 15,000 figure was derisory and the government seemed to have plucked [the amount] out of the air. But the paymaster general, Nick Thomas-Symonds, told Today that the 15,000 was a small part of the total settlement, an additional point that is being added to the comprehensive compensation package. The Cabinet Office said the awards of 10,000 and 15,000 were specifically made by Robert Francis in his recommendations to government and that ministers had agreed to pay these exact amounts in addition to all the other payments these individuals would be entitled to. Warwick said: Its insulting not only to the children that managed to live through what was done to them at the school, but also to the parents of the children that died you know, theres young teenagers and the wider families. How theyve come up with this figure is beyond comprehension, to be honest. Asked by the PA news agency whether survivors would ask for the figure to be reviewed, Warwick said they would consider taking legal advice. Related: We were kids: infected blood report welcomed by survivor of school trials Pupils at Treloars in the 1970s and 80s were treated for haemophilia using plasma blood products infected with HIV and hepatitis, and NHS clinicians continued with treatments to further their medical research despite knowing the dangers, the infected blood inquiry found. Payouts under the scheme will start by the end of the year for survivors, and by next year for people affected such as family members, under a second set of regulations. Thomas-Symonds told Today that no amount of money could ever make up for what happened to the contaminated blood victims. What the children went through at Treloars, where they were subjected to unethical, appalling medical research was an egregious breach of trust, he said. Somebody with haemophilia who was then infected as a consequence of these appalling whether its blood products, blood transfusions with hepatitis B and HIV, could receive an award of up to 2.8m, he said. He added that the 15,000 was a specific recognition on the issue of unethical medical research. Claims for those who have already died as a result of the infected blood scandal there are more than 3,000 can be made through their estate. Support scheme payments, including for bereaved partners, would continue for life as part of the plan, the government said, as it announced it had accepted the majority of recommendations from an independent review. The total estimate of the cost of the infected blood scandal compensation would be set out in the budget red book, Thomas-Symonds told Times Radio. He did not put a figure on the total cost but said more than 1bn had already been paid out. The total estimate will be set out in the budget red book because there is still work to do on that, he said. More people may come forward to apply for compensation as a result of increased publicity from announcements such as the latest one, he said, which made costs a moving picture. The government would do what it takes to deliver justice for infected blood victims, he added. People, including those claiming for victims who have died, would start receiving payments through the new framework by the end of this year, while for others affected by the scandal payments would begin in 2025, the Cabinet Office said on Friday. Francis, the senior barrister and interim chair of the compensation authority, made 74 proposals to address concerns with the current compensation plans. These included an enhanced award for those involved in a particularly egregious case of unethical testing at the Treloar school and an increase in the social impact payment for some of those affected. Victims of the infected blood scandal Adrian Goodyear, Lee Moorey, Richard Warwick and Gary Webster - Eddie Mulholland Schoolboys infected with HIV and other deadly viruses when NHS doctors experimented on them with medicines they knew were contaminated will only get 15,000 for being subjected to unethical research. Survivors of the trials, which took place in the 70s and 80s at the Lord Mayor Treloar College, in Hants, have called the financial sum offered insulting and derisory. They have previously said they were used as human guinea pigs and likened the studies to that of Josef Mengele and his Nazi doctors. Victims of the scandal, which has been dubbed the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history will receive up to around 2.7 million compensation each, depending on circumstances, with the unethical research fee an addition. After the final report of a seven-year inquiry was published in May, then prime minister Rishi Sunak said it was a a day of shame for the British state. Sir Brian Longstaffs report accused the health service and governments of taking part in a chilling cover-up as they closed ranks to hide the truth and destroyed documents to keep patients in the dark. Click here to view this content. Politicians from both sides of the Commons pledged to deliver compensation to all victims as soon as possible. Treloars school was integral to the inquiry as NHS doctors on-site recruited haemophiliacs, organised trials and conducted them without their consent, or that of their parents. More than 80 pupils died after contracting HIV and hepatitis C from infected blood products during their time at the school and only 30 out of 122 boys treated for haemophilia at the school are still alive. The research, which went on between 1974 and 1987, was described in the chapter of the inquirys final report dedicated to Treloars as a nightmare of tragic proportions. Click here to view this content. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) was set up following the reports publication and the interim chair, Sir Robert Francis KC, has issued 74 recommendations to improve the initial compensation scheme outlined in May. All but five are to be accepted by the Government, and one of the accepted recommendations is to create an additional award of 10,000 for infected people subjected to unethical research identified by the Infected Blood inquiry. The award increases to 15,000 for those who underwent treatment as children at Lord Mayor Treloars College. Richard Warwick, a survivor of Treloars who contracted HIV and Hepatitis C at the school when he was experimented on with contaminated medicines for his haemophilia, told The Telegraph: That figure is derisory and insulting. Its just disgraceful. We went through, in some cases, ten years of tests and trials. Children were recruited by the school which was funded by the government to run clinical trials and tests on children knowing that the treatment they were being given was infected with viruses. Mr Warwick is one of four Treloars survivors fighting for justice and recognition for themselves, their peers, and the pupils who have already died. In a call this week discussing the amendments to the compensation protocol, Mr Warwick revealed the self-styled Treloars Boys were close to tears about it. The group is still considering legal and criminal action against the school directly. We may have to push ahead with the legal case. Not only for ourselves, but we made a pact after we left the school that we would do our utmost to get justice for the boys that didnt make it out alive. Among the other alterations to the scheme include a confirmation that the pre-existing support scheme payments will continue to be provided for the rest of a persons life with the compensation paid in addition. It is thought around 3,000 people have currently registered with the compensation scheme and payments to infected people are expected to begin before the end of the year. Payments are expected to rise to more than 2.7 million per person infected with both Hepatitis C and HIV, with total compensation depending on personal circumstances. Compensation claims for affected people, which includes bereaved parents and orphaned children, in their own right are expected to be paid in 2025. Two sets of regulations are to be enshrined in law, with the first for infected people to be laid on August 24, with the tranche of legislation for affected people to come later, it is understood. Jason Evans, director of Factor 8, said: Todays announcement from the Government is a welcome step as we move closer to final compensation payments beginning to be made. Having seen the issues of other government compensation schemes, the need for applicants to have access to independent legal representation was of particular importance to our community, and we are pleased that the Government has accepted this. One of the most grim aspects of the infected blood scandal is people across the UK being subject to HIV & Hepatitis C virus infectivity trials, without their knowledge or consent, through infected blood products such as Factor VIII. For those subject to such horrendous behaviour, it is right for the Government to acknowledge this specific aspect of the scandal through an additional compensation award. We understand that further legislation will be required for affected people to receive compensation in their own right and that the Government has committed to those payments coming in 2025. Compensation for those impacted by the infected blood scandal has taken far too long and too many have died waiting. Today, the picture of what compensation might look like has become clearer, and now it must be delivered. Nick Thomas-Symonds, Paymaster General and the Cabinet Office minister, MP, said: This is an important milestone for victims and campaigners who have waited far too long for justice. The Government has listened to the recommendations from Sir Robert Francis KC, heard the strong calls for change from the community and acted. We are going to do everything possible to deliver compensation quickly, and in many cases deliver life-changing sums to people infected and affected by this scandal. We know no amount of compensation can fully address the damage to people who suffered as a result of this scandal. This is why alongside the compensation, we must drive forward the wider cultural changes to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. The weapons - which feature garish designs and names - have been linked to a surge in knife crime - Joe Giddens/PA Owners of zombie knives are to be paid to hand over their weapons to police before they are officially banned. Anyone who has bought a zombie-style knife or machete will be able to claim their market value under a weapons surrender scheme to be announced next week. The deadly weapons - usually over eight inches long with serrated blades and garish names and designs - have been linked to the surge in knife crime which has risen to more than 50,000 offences in the past year, close to its record high in 2019. Zombie-style knives and machetes are to be banned from Sept 24 under legislation passed by the Conservatives before the election. It will mean anyone caught in possession of one from that date will face up to two years in jail and/or an unlimited fine. Owners will have a month from Aug 26 until midnight on Sept 23 in which they can surrender the knives to police and claim compensation provided they can show acceptable evidence of the value of the weapon (e.g. purchase receipt), according to the Home Offices guidance. If they can, they will be entitled to the full value of the knife or machete on the basis that they bought it when it was legal to do so. The guidance says they can still be handed in after Sept 23 but anyone who does so will risk prosecution for illegal possession. Home Office sources maintained it was standard practice when weapons were banned to offer compensation given they were purchased legally, even though zombie knives have limited practical use. The guidance provides a description of the special features which include blades longer than eight inches, a serrated cutting edge, holes in the blades, spikes and curved axe-like heads with additional sharp points. Home Office guidance highlights 'special features', such as blades longer than eight inches, serrated cutting edges and additional sharp points - SWNS Owners are warned they must take precautions when handing the knives into police as openly carrying them in the street, even if to a police station, will lead to prosecution for possession of a bladed article. They are being told they must contact police in advance to say they are bringing in the weapons and transport them wrapped up and placed in a sealed bag or box, according to the guidance. Any owner who does not have proof of purchase will only be entitled to 10 compensation per weapon, but only if they hand in three or more knives. The minimum compensation police will pay out without a receipt is 30. Labour has pledged to halve knife crime in a decade and is proposing to go further than the Tories in tackling it by closing loopholes. This includes a new law to ban ninja swords and other lethal blades, like the one used to kill 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin in London this year. Tech bosses who allow sales of the weapons on their platforms will also face strict new sanctions. Jungle Beast Zombie-style knives branded with names such as Snake Eye and Jungle Beast are still available for sale online for prices ranging from 25 to 90. Really cool expensive weapons such as samurai swords - like the one which killed Daniel - are promoted on one website for as much as 950. A government source said there were too many such knives in circulation when there was no legitimate reason to have one in the home or on the streets. They said it was critical for the public to cooperate with the surrender scheme to reduce their availability and protect lives. Knife crime hit record highs in eight police forces in the year to March 2024. That included the Metropolitan police where it was up from the previous record of 14,680 in 2020 to 14,961. West Midlands also saw a high of 5,266 - up from 5,192 last year. There was a sharp increase in the number of robberies involving a knife or sharp instrument, with 21,226 recorded by forces in 2023/24, up 13 per cent from 18,787 in the previous 12 months. Rape with a knife was at a record high with 737 offences. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a photo taken with Francia Marquez, vice-president of Colombia (second from right) - Getty/Eric Charbonneau When the Duke of Sussex steps into San Basilio de Palenque on Saturday, he will do so as both the son of a King and a man who left the British monarchy behind. He has decried the unjust system that saw enslaved people generate wealth for the Crown, but around the world remains seen as a member of the Royal family. The visit to a town founded by escaped slaves in the colonial era and now a symbol of their resistance is, in other words, complicated. The tourist destination is set to be a highlight of the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs trip to Colombia, which has seen them hosted by a passionately anti-colonial vice-president who is leading calls for slavery reparations. For some, inevitably, it raises questions. Will the couple use their day of learning about Afro-Colombian revolutionary history to touch on the obvious topics of slavery, colonialism, and Britains former role in it? Will the Duchess speak of her own family history, as she did in their last visit to Nigeria? And will Prince Harry fulfil the dreams of campaigners by outrightly condemning or apologising for the role of royals centuries ago? The visit, campaigners say, is the ideal chance for the Duke and Duchess to venture further than they ever have before in decrying the evils of the colonial slave trade, whether part of the Spanish Empire as it was in Colombia or the British elsewhere. They are, it is thought by some, uniquely positioned to move the conversation about reparations forward. Laura Trevelyan, whose own family has made an apology and reparations for its historic role in the slave trade, said: Because theyre not working royals, they have a bit of cover, but they are still hugely influential. Even by meeting Colombias vice-president, Harry and Meghan are signalling that theyre prepared to hear more about the debate over how to repair the lasting legacies of slavery. I hope they use their influential position to move the discussion forward. Arley Gill, chairman of Grenadas National Reparations Commission, urged Prince Harry to use the opportunity to apologise and support reparative justice. If he does that, he will be on the right side of history, he said. It would mean a whole lot. After all, he joked, he was already ostracised from the Royal family and cant leave twice!. Any intervention by the Sussexes would be viewed as deeply provocative by their critics, adding to the pressure the UK Government and the palace is already facing from reparations campaigners. The Duke and Duchess visit Bogota - Splash News Francia Marquez, Colombias vice-president who invited Prince Harry and the Duchess after watching their Netflix documentary, is one of the worlds leading voices in the call for reparations, setting up a national commission to repair the historical debt owed. Such is the strength of Ms Marquezs reputation that her Right-wing opponents have this week poked fun at her visible delight at hosting the Duke and Duchess. Andres Escobar, a Cali-based councillor for the conservative Democratic Centre party, said on X, formerly Twitter: I thought she was going to receive them with sermons and her usual speech about historical and ancestral debtThats the size of her incoherence. Miguel Polo Polo, a Colombian MP, said: Francia Marquez, the anti-racist, anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist in a photo with the world elite (one of them descended from the British crown), one of the most colonialist and enslaving empires that has existed. Shes spent so many years criticising colonialism and see her here, smiling. Thats the Left for you, hypocritical. The Sussexes were welcomed to the country by Ms Marquez on Thursday, spent the day with her, and had a private lunch on Friday. The Prince and Princess of Wales' Caribbean trip was beset with accusations that some engagements appeared colonialist - Getty/Ricardo Makyn Royal visits to the nearby Caribbean have been overshadowed in the last few years by ever-growing calls for a full apology from the British monarchy for its role in the slave trade. The Prince and Princess of Wales Caribbean trip was beset with accusations that some engagements appeared colonialist and Andrew Holness, the Jamaican prime minister, took the opportunity to announce that the country was moving on to become a republic. The Sussexes visited Jamaica earlier this year for a film premiere. In 2016, when Harry visited Antigua and Barbuda, a Guardian newspaper article urged: Prince Harry, show us how woke you are, and atone for the royals institutional role in slavery. Since then, the Duke of Sussex has left the working Royal family, with his documentary series including criticism of the Commonwealth, which called it Empire 2.0. In his memoir Spare, he wrote of royal finances: Does the Crown generate tourism income that benefits all? Of course. Does it also rest upon lands obtained and secured when the system was unjust and wealth was generated by exploited workers and thuggery, annexation and enslaved people? Can anyone deny it? Personal sorrow at suffering Prince Harrys father, the King, has visited a former slave port in Ghana and spoken several times about the evils of the trade. In Rwanda two years ago, he said he cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many. But in line with the British Government, the monarchy has stopped short of a full institutional apology, which is thought to amount to an admission of guilt that could open the country up to legal action. If Prince Harry apologised for any way he has inadvertently benefited from the slave trade, one source wondered, would he now be morally if not legally obliged to offer a gesture of reparation of his own? The Sussexes office did not comment on how the couple would be approaching the topic while in Colombia, if at all. Ms Trevelyan, who is honorary fellow at The University of the West Indies PJ Patterson Institute for Africa Caribbean advocacy, said she saw reparations not as political but as a moral question. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are uniquely placed during their visit to Colombia to raise the issue of the lasting impact of the transatlantic slave trade and to ask how we can atone for the sins of the past, she told the Telegraph. In his memoir Spare, Harry acknowledged that the Royal familys wealth was partly derived from slavery. He and Meghan are committed to social justice causes. She added that while the King said he was seeking to deepen his understanding, his son can provide a lead. A political source in Colombia said that while the vice-president invited the couple, the Sussexes paid for the trip with an economic support by international cooperation, but did not elaborate on which organisations. People gather outside a home in the 17400 block of Rustic Canyon Trail where Maria Loredo, 73, died after a tree fell on her second story bedroom during Hurricane Beryl Monday, July 8, 2024, in Spring. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer When Hurricane Beryl roared through Harris County last month, it left behind a wake of destruction and despair. Among the many affected was Maria Loredo, a 73-year-old grandmother who tragically lost her life when a tree crashed through her home during the storm. Her familys heartbreak and suffering was exacerbated by an unnecessarily long power outage that affected countless Houstonians. The aftermath of Beryl has made it clear that our current electricity grid is inadequate. Our state leaders and utility regulators have let us down repeatedly. Its time for Harris County the so-called energy capital of America to forge its own path toward energy independence by creating our own homegrown grid. What would that look like? Perhaps we can follow the lead of two Texas institutions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Right now, H-E-B and Buc-ees are able to use microgrid power generation technology to ensure hundreds of their stores in Texas stay open during power outages. Unlike traditional generators, these systems can be connected together to provide enough energy to power entire neighborhoods. Imagine solar panels installed on the roofs of our homes and apartment buildings connected to microgrid generators powering a nearby police station or a big-box store. Working together, this technology can create a virtual power plant an island of decentralized power generation that could charge batteries housed inside your local community center. Those batteries, in turn, would feed power back to our homes, schools, hospitals and local businesses when needed. During blue sky days, our grid would still rely on existing centralized power generation. But to add another layer of resiliency, power companies could offer incentives to encourage us to use less energy during peak-demand periods. For example, on the hottest of summer afternoons, when every household in the state has their air conditioners whirring and power is scarce, utilities could send customers a text message offering a credit on their next bill in exchange for using less electricity during those peak times. For many, turning up our thermostat a few degrees when were not home or running the dryer later in the evening would be a reasonable trade-off for a lower bill at the end of the month. These so-called demand response programs have already been implemented elsewhere, and have been shown to increase efficiency and affordability while reducing our output of greenhouse gases. Each part of this distributed energy strategy brings significant benefits on its own, but together, they could create a system that is greater than the sum of its parts: a Harris County Energy Hub. A hub that would ensure that when one part of the system is under stress, others can compensate. The result would be a far more stable and reliable grid for millions of Houstonians. A homegrown grid like this can also ensure that our low-income and disadvantaged communities also reap the benefits of clean, reliable energy. It would spur a cottage industry of new clean energy jobs while reducing energy costs for everyone. The federal government is already doing its part. In May, the Biden-Harris Administration awarded Harris County a game-changing $250 million Solar for All grant from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The grant was among the largest awards made as part of the program and is designed to make sure that households in low-income and disadvantaged communities benefit from distributed solar energy. That fund, along with millions of dollars in hazard mitigation funding from FEMAs Major Disaster declaration and other sources, is there to provide a down payment to harden our grid. Despite the clear need for these investments, state leaders in Austin seem to be more focused on restricting Harris Countys autonomy rather than empowering local solutions. The amount of legislative energy spent on curtailing Harris Countys freedom to self-govern and fighting culture wars has become a deadly distraction from the real issues at hand. Even the states $10 billion Texas Energy Fund, touted as a solution to those power blackouts and approved by voters last year, has failed to deliver a single dollar of the $1.8 billion earmarked for microgrids. Sadly, a timely draw-down of these funds could have made a tremendous difference after Beryl. Advertisement Article continues below this ad To meet this moment, we need politicians to muster the political will to leverage new technology and a once-in-a-generation influx of federal and state funding to take action. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their Colombia visit on Friday - Eric Charbonneau The Duke of Sussex has warned that the ongoing spread of fake news and abuse online means that social cohesion has completely broken down, after riots swept the country. Prince Harry, speaking at an online safety summit in Bogota, Colombia, said that lies shared online transferred to action on the streets. He said: What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isnt true. It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake. He added: In an ideal world, those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts. For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down. Click here to view this content. His comments came after riots and disorder swept the UK this month following the killing of three girls in Southport. Rioting by far-Right mobs erupted following the deaths of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, who were killed on July 29 at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop. In the hours before the first riot in Southport, misinformation had spread online, including false claims that the suspect was a Muslim migrant who had arrived in a small boat. The Duke of Sussex is on a four-day tour of Colombia with his wife, the Duchess - Ivan Valencia/AP The Duchess of Sussex also spoke on the first day of the couple's high-profile visit to Colombia - MSAMS/MEGA Both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke at the two-and-a-half-hour Responsible Digital Future forum on the first day of their visit to Colombia that will touch on themes of anti-colonialism and female empowerment. The Dukes comments were interpreted by some as a veiled swipe at Elon Musk, who was criticised for sharing a fake Telegraph article claiming that Keir Starmer was considering sending far-Right rioters to emergency detainment camps in the Falklands. Musk, the owner of X, deleted his post after about 30 minutes but not before it had been seen nearly two million times. Meanwhile, the Duchess warned that everyone had either fallen victim to cyberbullying or knew someone who had suffered, noting that such behaviour was not restricted to those from certain backgrounds or sections of society. It doesnt matter where you live. It doesnt matter who you are, she said. Either you personally or someone you know is a victim to whats happening online. And thats something we can actively work on every day to remedy. She added: We should model how we want our kids to be raised and for the world in which we raise them. The Duke said: With the Archewell Foundation, me and my wife believe that information integrity is a fundamental right. Among the guests was Maria Ressa, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who joined the Sussexes Time100 Talk on Engineering a Better World in 2020, and representatives from campaign groups such as ReThink Words and Encode Justice. The Duke and Duchess flew from Los Angeles to Bogota, where they will remain on Friday before visiting the walled town of San Basilio de Palenque, the first free African town in the Americas, near the coastal city of Cartagena, as well as Cali, a city known for its salsa dancing, over the weekend. The Duke of Sussex meets a school pupil in Bogota during the visit to Colombia, which is being hosted by Francia Marquez, Colombia's vice-president - ANDRES CASTILLA/AFP The Duke and Duchess are being hosted during the four-day visit by Francia Marquez, Colombias vice-president, who is known as a vocal champion of Afro-Colombians and womens rights. She got in touch with the Duchess last year to ask for her support, as a woman of African descent, in celebrating the International Afro-descendant Womens Day on July 25. Although the Duchess could not attend, she expressed a desire to visit Colombia, and Ms Marquez seized the opportunity. On Thursday, the vice-president revealed that she had been prompted to make contact with the couple after being deeply moved by their Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, which streamed in December 2022 and focused heavily on the impact of racism and the legacy of British colonialism. She said of Meghans contribution: It motivated me to say this is a woman who deserves to visit our country and share her story, and undoubtedly, her visit will strengthen so many women around the world. Cartoon The best defence is a good offence is a cliche for a reason, agreed by theorists as diverse as Sun Tzu, Niccolo Machiavelli, and George Washington. If the remarkable incursion into Russia launched by Kyiv last week now entering its twelfth day is anything to go by, it is an adage the West is finally learning. For six months, Kyivs allies dawdled as Ukraine lost the strategic advantage it held early in the war, with western capitals curtailing what weapons Kyiv received. Then, when the West finally delivered, it limited where and how they could be deployed, creating an absurd scenario in which Russia was able to prepare for new offensives just a few miles from Ukraines border, with President Zelenskys generals unable to attack them. Slowly and now suddenly however, the West has loosened the handcuffs. In May, it permitted the use of its weapons to strike targets on Russian soil; then, last week, it gave tacit approval to this operation into Russia, which has seen 1,000 square kilometres fall to Kyiv. We know this was greenlit because there was no alarm when Kyiv sent tanks including British Challenger 2s into the rolling fields of Kursk Oblast, the site of the largest tank battle in history during the Second World War. The Estonian prime minister, Kristen Michal, went so far as to personally wish the Ukrainian soldiers luck. Western boldness has transformed the military and political reality. Militarily, the operation has forced Moscow to withdraw thousands of troops from the front in Ukraine, where after some of the bloodiest fighting Europe has seen in 80 years it sacrificed tens of thousands of men to secure the same amount of territory that Kyiv has taken in Russia in just over a week. The Kremlin hoped keeping up the pressure would trigger a decisive breakthrough. With troops and defensive weapons now pulled out, that will be difficult, if not impossible. Even more vitally, and unappreciated by many commentators, is the fact this will impede Russia for the rest of the conflict. To prevent future embarrassing incursions, Vladimir Putin will be obliged to shift men and materiel to other sectors of Russias border with Ukraine as a protective measure, again thinning out the resources he has at the front. Politically, both inside and outside Russia, the operation also has far-reaching consequences. Abroad, whispered talk in the West of ceasefires and negotiations has ceased, replaced with conversations about new weapons permissions and deliveries. Only today, talks with Joe Bidens administration on giving Ukraine long-range cruise missiles were said to be in the advanced stages. More critically, however, the battle has changed the debate within Moscow. No more can the Kremlin argue for freezing the front lines as the price for entering renegotiations, for to do so would see Kyiv holding onto ground within Russias own borders. If Kyiv is able to retain just a few dozen miles, Putin cannot call for an end to the war as things stand; for that reason we should not be surprised if this operation lasts much longer than many predicted. All this is before one even considers the alarm in the Kremlin at the fact that, unlike in Ukraine when the Russians arrived, there has been little resistance by Russian citizens to these incursions. Likewise, there must be a deep concern that many of the Russian soldiers being killed or captured in Kursk are conscripts told they would never have to fight in Ukraine. Instead, the war has come to them, risking civil unrest. Putin called his full-scale invasion of Ukraine a special military operation. It wasnt. This incursion by Ukraine certainly is. And given that the time window Moscow had to defeat Kyiv this year has closed, it is now Zelensky who has the wind in his sails, supported at last by his Western counterparts. Francis Dearnley is one of the presenters of The Telegraphs daily podcast Ukraine: The Latest Hard labour Keir Starmer skipped his family holiday in Europe. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA Keir Starmer cancelled his familys summer holiday to Europe so that he could stay in London to focus on the government response to the far-right riots across England, his spokesperson announced on Monday. While some argued his presence at No 10 was crucial in the wake of the violence, others said he ought to take a break to recharge his batteries. We asked Guardian readers for their views on how much Starmer and other leaders should prioritise holidays. Its important for leaders to take holidays I think its important for political leaders to take holidays, especially if they have kids (as Starmer does) who are going to miss out on time with their dad anyway because of his job. I think a leader who takes no downtime is probably not as focused or sharp as he should be. We all need rest. With tech and communication as it is in the modern world, it should be possible for him to take a week with his family. If theres an emergency, he can come back immediately. Its not like hes jetting off to the Caribbean or somewhere. Lucy Coats, 63, writer, Northamptonshire Starmer is not putting his wellbeing at risk I agree its as important for politicians to take holidays as much as for anyone else. But if you were to start a new senior role and then be handling a major crisis only a few weeks later, I imagine your colleagues would generally be relieved, not annoyed, that youd cancelled your holiday in order to make sure things ran smoothly. Breaks are needed to prevent burnout, but its hardly the case that six weeks into the job, Keir Starmer is putting his wellbeing at risk or even setting a bad example by declining to take one. Katie Bird, 35, managing director, Edinburgh He was in an impossible position Starmer was in an impossible position due to the unusual timing of the election. He needed to be seen to act quickly (and personally) and, in the circumstances of him being a new PM, that was the more important factor. It is very important to take holiday everyone needs time out. If you can relax and switch off, you are more likely to do a good job when you return to the fray. However, there are other factors which are important too. Chris, retired headteacher, Llandudno Politics has become a 24 hour a day rat race Politics has become a 24 hour a day rat race, which always threatens calm and rational decision making. Naturally, the prime minister and other cabinet members should be on call but should rely on their immediate staff to determine what constitutes an emergency and/or a critical decision. Peter Luff, 77, Henley-on-Thames, worked in voluntary sector, now retired Related: In cancelling his family summer holiday, Keir Starmer has made his first serious mistake | Martin Kettle Even a single morning not thinking about work is healthy I am in favour of any leader taking holiday. They are human. Even a single morning not thinking about work is healthy. He will want to, and should be allowed to, spend precious time with his wife and kids. Unfortunately, this could be used by the opposition as a stick to beat him with. Note the furore/opportunism when he suggested that, as PM, he would keep Friday nights free (albeit that was during an election campaign). I understand his caution but see it as a sad reflection of the current state of political discourse. Richard, 40, financial services, Aberdeenshire Holidays may have to take second place Like all workers they require rest and regular time off to spend with their family. But as was the case with Keir Starmer when the rightwing riots took off, as the head of government its essential in times of emergency that families and holidays may have to take second place for a very short spell while matters of urgency are addressed. Keir showed outstanding leadership when he cancelled his family holiday while he attended Cobra meetings etc. Owen Nicholson, 74, retired antique dealer, Lincolnshire He takes public office seriously I understand completely why Keir Starmer cancelled his holiday. And it illustrates the fact that he is a man of integrity and someone who takes public office seriously. But at some point he will need to relax and cut the job out of his life, even if only a week. Can you imagine Johnson doing it? No, quite the reverse. Moya Harris, 71, charity fundraiser, Devon If he does get some time away, let us be spared the photos Keir Starmer has had a very pressurised few months with the election and assuming power so I hope he can find space to have at least a few days to wind down and reconnect with his family before parliament resumes. He strikes me as a thoughtful man so Im sure he is aware of his situation. If he does get some time away please let us be spared the photos we were often besieged with eg Camerons shorts Johnson looking ridiculous in Scotland just too embarrassing for all. Teresa Curtis, retired university lecturer, Stockport Robert Jenrick MP There are some the talking heads, the pundits, the lounge-bar experts who say in order to win in Scotland, we Conservatives need to hide what we really think. They say that Scotland is overwhelmingly progressive, where the only way the Conservatives can win is by sacrificing their beliefs. The mistake they make is to conflate some in Scotlands cities with Scotland as a whole. As the MP for the rural Scottish seat of Dumfries and Galloway, my constituents have little time for the urban-progressive agenda forced upon them by the SNP and Labour. They give short shrift to metropolitan politicians who deny basic biology, despise our country and its history, and dogmatically oppose freedom, free-enterprise and personal responsibility. They are do-ers and makers; hard-workers with a deep connection to their towns and villages, and pride in their country. The reality is millions of Scots share small c conservative values and principles. Our task is to put forward a compelling case that inspires them to translate their naturally conservative grounding into voting for us at the ballot box. That means being mindful of not just what we say, but how we say it. When we have done so, Conservatives have consistently won the argument. When Alister Jack took on the SNPs flagship gender laws with facts and evidence, Nicola Sturgeon resigned shortly after, and the SNP government later suffered a crushing defeat in the courts. When the Scottish Conservatives took a pragmatic approach to net zero for a transition that balanced decarbonising with economic success and energy security Humza Yousafs coalition with the anti-growth Greens collapsed under the weight of their own contradictions. A common-sense Conservative agenda has sent the nationalist forces of division into retreat in Scotland. Now we need a leader who can clearly and calmly communicate a genuinely Conservative vision to the entire country in a way that persuades, not provokes. We need a leader who can show voters who share our values but are alienated by the Conservative brand that the party has listened, that we have learned from our mistakes, and that we have changed. And we need a leader who is to their very core a unionist, who can speak to all four nations. Its clear to me that the candidate to do this is Robert Jenrick. Having seen Robert up close in the House of Commons and at campaign rallies, its clear to me he is the strongest communicator. In the series of columns he set out in this paper since he resigned on principle from the Cabinet, Robert has set out a truly Conservative vision: one of secure borders, controlled migration, higher growth and lower taxes, reformed public services, cheap and reliable energy, and stronger defences. It was telling that, immediately after announcing his candidacy Robert began his campaign by visiting Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to speak to businesses, farmers and Party members. Robert doesnt just talk the talk when it comes to strengthening the bonds entwining Scotland in the Union, he has walked the walk too. I saw this up close throughout my time working in Westminster as both a Special Adviser and, now, as an MP. As a Treasury minister, he lowered whisky duty and created a stable regime for North Sea oil and gas that attracted investment. And when the government introduced the windfall tax, he spoke out against it. As Communities Secretary he worked with Alister Jack to change our approach to devolution, ending the failed status quo of devolve and forget. Instead they forged a new direction where the UK Government took a more active and direct approach, bypassing the failed SNP administration to work with councils directly to deliver for British citizens. He drove through the Borderlands Growth deal that brought millions of investment in rural Scotland including Dumfries and Galloway thousands of jobs, and ensured small towns and communities got investment in everything from transport through to rural pubs being brought back into community ownership. Rebuilding the Party doesnt mean starting from scratch. We must be confident in the strength of our arguments which have stood the test of time. If we return to first principles and the common ground, with renewed energy, drive and conviction, I know that we can return the Conservative & Unionist Party to its status as the most successful political party in the world. John Cooper was elected Conservative MP for Dumfries and Galloway in July Gloucester Cathedral aims to shed light on its past 'through the research of the stories of those who are memorialised within the fabric of the cathedral' - Photodisc/Dennis Barnes A Church of England cathedral will use QR codes to explain slaverys links to its monuments in line with principles of social justice. Gloucester Cathedral contains the tomb of Edward II along with memorials honouring more obscure figures whose stories will be researched and then set out as part of a new project. QR codes will be placed around the religious building, which when scanned will provide explanations of how the people memorialised are linked to slavery. The project may seek to include the anti-abolitionist connection of a former Bishop of Gloucester. Leaflets will be provided to inform visitors about the slave profiteering of prominent Gloucester locals honoured in the cathedral, with information and guidance sought from by a panel drawn from the citys diverse communities. The cathedral said that the project would be conducted in keeping with our principles of social justice. It comes amid a broader commitment from the Church of England to review contentious monuments in order to provide safe spaces for all. A marble plaque at Gloucester Cathedral commemorating Admiral Henry Christian, who during the American Civil War is thought to have helped move cotton through a Union blockade to ensure items produced by the slave-owning Confederate states made it to Britain Canon Rebecca Lloyd said that the planned project, Connected Lives, aims to shed light on the cathedrals past through the research of the stories of those who are memorialised within the fabric of the cathedral. She added that the cathedral was committed to learning more about our buildings history and those who have formed it. QR codes have been used as a means to retain statues, in line with guidance issued by the former government, while also setting out the potentially contentious biographies of the people they depict. Camden Council recently affixed QR codes to statues of Virginia Woolf and Bertrand Russell to explain their unacceptable views. Staff in Gloucester are currently researching the lives of figures who earned memorialisation in the cathedral, which may include James Henry Monk, the Bishop of Gloucester from 1836 to 1856, who is buried in Westminster Abbey. The bishop was a supporter and patron of George Wilson Bridges, a rector in Jamaica who became a prominent anti-abolitionist and opponent of William Wilberforce. Monk later made Bridges his secretary. The project is also looking at the Codrington family, who do not have a memorial in the cathedral but did pay for the restoration of the buildings south-east chapel in the 1860s through the efforts of Sir Christopher William Codrington. The Codrington baronets had previously drawn their wealth in part from Caribbean plantations. A marble memorial for Samuel Hayward whose family had plantation holdings in the Caribbean Another marble memorial stands to the sacred memory of 18th-century local landowner Samuel Hayward, whose family had plantation holdings in the Caribbean. A memorial in the cathedral includes a marble plaque commemorating Admiral Henry Christian, who obtained the rank of captain at the time of the American Civil War. Initial research has suggested that the naval officer helped move cotton through a Union blockade to ensure items produced by the slave-owning Confederate states made it to Britain. The cathedral project follows a pledge by the Church of England in 2021, following Black Lives Matter protests, to review monuments across the country. Later that year, Canterbury Cathedral refused requests to remove the statues of several men whose families benefitted from colonial settlement in the New World. In 2022, an ecclesiastical court ruled that Jesus College Cambridge could not remove a memorial to Tobias Rustat, its former patron, which was built on the walls of the college chapel. There had been calls for its removal because of Rustats links to slavery and in order to provide a safe space for students. A wealth of evidence has led to 677 charges being brought against people connected to the recent riots. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images When far-right riots sprang up in towns and cities in parts of the UK more than two weeks ago causing serious damage, endangering lives and injuring dozens of people, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, promised rapid sentencing for those who took part. This promise appears to be being fulfilled, with 1,117 arrests and 677 charges brought against rioters as of Friday afternoon a number that is expected to rise in the coming weeks. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said extra lawyers had been brought in to bolster what it described as a 24/7 out-of-hours charging service, which means that all day, every day, courts across the country are filled with rioters facing the consequences of their actions. Here are five things we have learned from the riot courts so far. Young boys and girls in the dock Perhaps unexpectedly, some of those facing the most serious charges have been under 18. Teenagers, through inexperience and boundless energy, were some of the more persistent rioters and could be seen later in the evening outlasting their drunken, cocaine-fuelled elders smashing things, setting fires and throwing missiles at police. Two 12-year-old boys and a 13-year-old girl appeared in court this week, with one boy accused of taking part in disorder in Manchester on 31 July and then spotted throwing stones at police in Rotherham a few days later. A Manchester magistrates court judge told him: You are the first person I have dealt with to have been involved in two. Its time to stop letting your mum down now. You are to do one thing do as youre told. Keyboard warriors get their comeuppance They may not have physically taken part in the violence, but those who stoked it online have not been spared prison. James Aspin, 34, from Blyth became the first armchair offender to plead guilty, having posted a TikTok video designed to stir up racial hatred. Julie Sweeney, 53, who lived a quiet, sheltered life, was jailed for 15 months for posting a comment on Facebook that said: Blow the mosque up with the adults in it. Despite apologising and deleting an offensive post before police got involved, Lee Dunn, 51, from Cumbria, was jailed on Monday for eight weeks after admitting posting pictures with captions that prosecutors said risked worsening community tensions. Janet Potter, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: This conviction should be a stark reminder to so-called keyboard warriors: online actions have consequences. The first riot charges begin to emerge A 15-year-old boy became the first to be charged with rioting on Thursday, after previously pleading guilty to violent disorder and the burglary of a vape shop. The boy, who cannot be named due to his age, was landed with the riot charge after further evidence emerged of his role in the Sunderland disorder, prosecutors said. Also related to Sunderlands violence, a 32-year-old man pleaded not guilty on Friday to a riot charge. He was charged under section 1 of the Public Order Act 1986, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Violent disorder, the charge faced by the rioters convicted so far, has a maximum prison sentence of five years. The CPS warned that more riot charges were likely to follow as police continued to process the large volume of evidence. Hefty sentences More than 100 years worth of prison sentences have been handed out so far, some to those who ordinarily would have been spared jail, assuaging any notion that offenders would get a slap on the wrist. Burglary as a first offence would usually land the perpetrator a suspended sentence, but looting a shop that has been smashed up by rioters means prison, as 22-year-old Ellis Wharton found out, after being caught trying to take a computer monitor from the burnt-out Spellow Hub library on County Road in Liverpool. Despite his barristers pleas to spare him jail, with no evidence he rioted, the Liverpool crown court judge said that those who deliberately participate in disturbances of the magnitude that have occurred recently must expect to receive severe sentences. First-time offenders A large proportion of the rioters are experiencing the court system for the first time, having been previously law-abiding citizens. Many barristers defending their clients have described how they were caught up or got carried away. One of those was 69-year-old William Nelson Morgan, the oldest rioter convicted. The retired welder and widower with three grownup children had stayed out of trouble his whole life before he was arrested during the Liverpool riot then sentenced to two years and eight months, which the judge said was very sad indeed. Dylan Carey, 26, will miss the birth of his child while he serves a prison sentence for his part in the Southport riot, with his barrister telling the judge: It has been his first time in custody. The defendant told me this morning through teary eyes that he has never been so frightened in his life. Sue Gray has the knowledge and the calibre to be Britain's most powerful and influential woman Jess Phillips was in the pouring rain waiting for an Uber when the call came through: She was being made a minister in the new Labour government. The voice on the line explained that she would be heading to the Home Office with a brief to tackle violence against women and girls, an issue she had campaigned on for years. Yet it was not Sir Keir Starmer, the new Prime Minister, delivering the news, but the woman rapidly emerging as one of the most powerful figures in Number 10: Sue Gray. It was quite surprising, I wasnt expecting it, Ms Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, told the Edinburgh International Book Festival earlier this month about her appointment. She was not the only one given the news of their career boost by Ms Gray. It has been a common feature of the new government, according to sources in multiple departments. On one level, there is nothing jaw-dropping about the dynamic. It is not unheard of for chiefs of staff the role Ms Gray holds under Sir Keir to deliver reshuffle news, though it is rare. It speaks, however, to the power balance in Starmers Downing Street, still just six weeks old, where Ms Gray faces grumblings about how much control she has. She has got a massive amount of power, said one adviser to a cabinet minister. Shes an extremely powerful chief of staff. Another said: She has an immensely powerful position. As a veteran of Whitehall, Ms Gray has decades of government experience under her belt a point of difference with many in Sir Keirs team, not to mention the Prime Minister himself. Much of that time was spent in the Cabinet Office, the department attached to Number 10 which acts for the countrys leader but often has a loosely defined set of responsibilities. Control and influence Ms Gray understands how to wield power in government. It was not for nothing that Sir Oliver Letwin, a Tory minister who served in the Cabinet Office, once said: It took me precisely two years before I realised who it is that runs Britain. Our great United Kingdom is actually entirely run by a lady called Sue Gray. More than a dozen figures inside the government have spoken to The Telegraph about how Ms Grays early influence is being felt at the centre of power. One message consistently delivered is about a specific area where Ms Gray is holding considerable control, with potential long-term significance: Appointments. The reason why it took longer than expected for the full rank of ministerial positions to be announced after Labours victory on July 4 is explained by some by Ms Grays involvement. It took almost a fortnight for the list of parliamentary private secretaries ministerial bag carriers, as they are known, the first rung on the government ladder to be announced. Eyes were raised when Liam Conlon, the new Labour MP who is Ms Grays son, was handed a PPS position in the Transport Department just days into his parliamentary career. Very few new MPs go straight onto the government payroll, but it is not just ministerial picks where Ms Grey is closely involved. A point of contention and frustration Special advisers or spads, the political roles attached to cabinet ministers who act as the conduit between the decision-maker and civil servants or the media, need the tick from Ms Grey to be appointed, according to multiple sources including Number 10. For all of the spads she has sign-off, grumbled one insider. Some cabinet ministers such as Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary who is hurriedly drafting welfare reforms with the Treasury to be announced at the Budget in two months are still without their full spad teams. One insider even claimed Ms Gray is helping decide salary levels for some advisers, though a Cabinet Office source pushed back on this claim, saying it is forbidden under the special advisers code of conduct. Who made it from Sir Keirs team in opposition into Number 10 has been a point of contention and frustration within Labour, with some stalwarts of the leaders office not taken across. But it has been noted Ms Grays advisers have made the move. Unusually for a chief of staff in opposition, Ms Gray had two political advisers working by her side before the election. Both have been given prime jobs in Number 10, one was handed a senior foreign policy role. Closely involved in key appointments And then there are the appointments looming, specifically two of the most significant posts in the civil service which are set to be filled early next year. One is for a successor to Simon Case, who as Cabinet Secretary is the most senior civil servant in the country and is expected to step down in the New Year after ill health. Ms Gray had a strained relationship with Mr Case when they were last in Government together, according to multiple sources including those who saw the dynamic up close. She is expected to play a role in picking his successor, which is ultimately a choice for Sir Keir. Bringing back Sir Olly Robbins, Theresa Mays Brexit negotiator, is reportedly one option being explored. Another call is needed on who will become the next UK ambassador to America. Sir Tim Barrow had been due to go to Washington under the Tories but that is no longer planned under Labour. Again, it is likely that Ms Gray will have a say in the debate. The decision is being delayed until after the US presidential election on November 5, allowing time to tailor the choice depending on whether it will be a Donald Trump or Kamala Harris White House from January 2025. Some are quick to wave away the intrigue about Ms Gray. Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA, a trade union that represents civil service, said: Everyone is thinking that Sue is imprinting herself in the world, when in reality as chief of staff she is imprinting Starmer. The things that Sue is doing are in his name and with his authority and approval. Being closely involved in key appointments ministers, special advisers, Number 10 insiders, senior civil servants allows Ms Gray to help determine the make-up of the new government and who will make the key decisions. It is the clearest example of her grip on the system, but there are other signs. One is access. Ms Gray was by Sir Keirs side for his first two international summits, the Nato gathering in Washington DC and the European Political Community gathering at Blenheim Palace. She was often among the three aides Sir Keir was joined by in the leader-to-leader meetings. Claims in a Sunday newspaper last weekend that she restricted national security briefing access to the Prime Minister have been firmly disputed by Downing Street. She is a relationship builder Another feature of her time with Sir Keir has been building up strong personal relationships with ministers and senior advisers. Ms Gray hands out her mobile phone number and urges contact, something she did as a senior civil servant in Northern Ireland. Her style was to give out her mobile number to people, said one Democratic Unionist Party politician. It was almost as if she wanted to bypass the machine and normal processes. A similar approach is being taken in Government. She is a relationship builder, said an aide to a cabinet minister who has her number. The approach has led to whispers about a tension at the heart of Number 10 between Ms Gray and Morgan McSweeney, the Irishman who led the Labour general election campaign and now had a political strategy brief in Downing Street. 'Healthy tension' was apparent between Ms Gray and Morgan McSweeney - LINKEDIN Claims in The Sun that Mr McSweeneys desk was moved twice by Ms Gray have been dismissed by his allies. The real story, it is said, is that Mr McSweeney initially picked a room with a partition between it for his team and then moved into a single bigger room to fit them all together once jobs were locked down. Similarly, the idea of a boys club revolving around Mr McSweeney does not neatly fit the facts. His nine-person team is made up of six women and just three men. Indeed it is true that to date there have been no media reports of a row about any specific policy or decision between them. They have different beats: Ms Gray, a Whitehall veteran focused on policy delivery; Mr McSweeney, a skillful campaigner on all things political. It appears to be the lack of clarity over where the line between the two spheres lies, as the new Downing Street operation beds in, that has contributed to mutterings about a power struggle. There is some tension, one senior government adviser said, but it is healthy tension. High-profile figure It is safe to assume Ms Gray will keep making headlines, for at least one reason: she has an unusually high public profile for a political insider operating behind the scenes. Her role in leading the partygate investigation that contributed to Boris Johnsons downfall while a civil servant, then quitting to join Sir Keirs team, has made her an outcast in the eyes of many Tories. This month at the Edinburgh Fringe, there is even an entire comedy show based around her. Not since Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnsons domineering chief of staff, has a Number 10 insider been so well known to the public. And that ended in dramatic fashion with a Cummings resignation followed by a brutal briefing war. Ms Grey may lack Mr Cummings maverick energy but she has a similar feel for raw power in Whitehall. Those inside the Government as well as out are watching to see how she uses it. Paetongtarn is the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to become prime minister. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of the billionaire former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has become Thailands youngest prime minister, taking office just days after her predecessor was ousted by a shock court ruling. Paetongtarn was approved as the new head of government in a parliamentary vote that came after 24 hours of frantic negotiations triggered by a court judgment ordering Srettha Thavisin to step down as prime minister. Srettha was ousted for breaching ethical rules after he appointed a minister who had served time in prison a verdict widely seen as political. Paetongtarn, 37, is Thailands youngest prime minister and the second woman to lead the country, after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra. Speaking after the vote in parliament, she said she was confused and saddened by the court decision to oust Srettha, adding: I hope that I can do my best to make the country go forward. Related: They are trying to exterminate us: Thailands banned political leader speaks out Paetongtarn, who has never served in government, is the youngest of three children born to Thaksin and is the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to become prime minister. Thaksins brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, was prime minister briefly during 2008, while Yingluck was in post from 2011 until 2014. Thaksin, Yingluck and Somchai were each ousted either by military coups or court rulings part of a longrunning power struggle between the family and the military royalist establishment. Paetongtarn will need to manage threats from her familys old enemies, as well as revive the countrys sluggish economy and her partys popularity. In office, she will be leading an unlikely coalition that includes some of her partys old opponents. The controversial arrangement came about after last years election, when the former enemies found they were united by a common threat: a popular youthful party, Move Forward, which captured the most votes after promising reforms to make Thailand more democratic and break up big monopolies. Pheu Thai struck a deal to form a coalition with military-linked parties, pushing Move Forward into opposition and allowing Thaksin to return to Thailand last year, ending 15 years in exile. However, the court ruling ousting Srettha from office has underlined the fragile nature of this arrangement. Srettha, a real-estate tycoon, led the country for less than a year and is the fourth Thai prime minister in 16 years to be removed by constitutional court judgments. A week earlier, the court disbanded the Move Forward party over its promise to reform the countrys strict lese-majesty law. In the span of one week, the court has disfranchised more than 14 million voters by dissolving their party of choice, and unseated a democratically elected prime minister, said Napon Jatusripitak, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, adding that the verdict amounted to a judicial coup. Paetongtarn played a prominent role in Pheu Thais election campaign as the party sought to capitalise on the popularity of her family name among older rural voters in the north and north-east. She campaigned while pregnant, video-calling into rallies when she was no longer able to travel. But the party came second in the election and she did not ultimately run to be prime minister last year. During her speech on Friday she told media she was honoured to lead Thailand, saying that I get on stage very often, and I dont get excited at all, but today my hands are shaking. She said she had talked with her father over Facetime. He said to do my best and teased me that hes happy to see that his daughter has the position [of prime minister] before he has Alzheimers. My mom also told me to take care of myself, she said. Some have criticised her for referencing her father immediately after assuming power, saying it emphasises that she is in office because of her family name. Thaksin is widely seen as the patriarch and decision-maker behind Pheu Thai, and critics accused Srettha, and now Paetongtarn, of being puppets. Ken Lohatepanont, a researcher focused on Thai politics, said the coalition formed by Pheu Thai and its old enemies would probably still hold, given both sides wanted to keep Move Forwards successor party, known as the Peoples party, out of power. But Thaksins freedom of navigation is being increasingly limited, he added, saying it had put Thaksin in the uncomfortable position of selecting his daughter to run as prime minister a prospect the family reportedly finds uncomfortable, given the frequency with which high stakes legal cases are launched against politicians. Belfast Zoo is home to three Barbary lions, which were once native to North Africa - PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo A trainee worker is thought to have been locked in a lion enclosure at Belfast Zoo. The worker entered the enclosure with a more experienced member of staff last week to tend to a pride of Barbary lions that was roaming freely, the Belfast Telegraph reported. The more senior staff member is said to have then left the paddock and locked the gate, leaving the colleague trapped inside, a source told the newspaper. The colleague is believed to be an adult participating in a Northern Irish training scheme for unemployed people aged between 50 and 64. They are very lucky they werent killed or severely mauled and left with horrendous injuries... Its just another thing that raises serious questions for Belfast Zoo, the source said. Belfast city council, which owns the zoo, said an investigation has been launched following the incident. However, the council was not able to confirm the details. Barbary lions measure one metre in height at the shoulder and up to three and a half metres in length - PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo A zoo spokesman said: We take the safety of all our staff, visitors and animals very seriously and an investigation is under way into the circumstances of this incident. We cannot comment further while this is ongoing. The incident was also reported to the Health and Safety Executive NI, according to The Times. The zoo is home to three Barbary lions, which were once native to North Africa and were used in the Colosseum during Roman times to battle with gladiators. They are now extinct in the wild with the last recorded Barbary lion shot in Morocco in 1942 and are only found in zoos. At Belfast Zoo, a male lion named Qays lives with two females named Fidda and Theibba. The species measures one metre in height at the shoulder and up to three and a half metres in length, and its average weight can be up to 230 kilograms. Earlier this year, a report by the Aspinall Foundation, a UK-based animal conservation charity, said that Belfast Zoo had 31 breaches of animal welfare standards, MailOnline reported. In 2016, it was alleged that some animals at the zoo were kept in unacceptable conditions. The allegations were made by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, which wrote to Belfast city council with its concerns. At the time, a spokesman for the council said the zoo was undergoing an improvement process. Corey Lewandowski, the architect of the 'let Trump be Trump' strategy, was forced out of the 2016 campaign after a rift with other advisers - Al Drago/Bloomberg Click here to view this content. Corey Lewandowski, who was ousted from Donald Trumps 2016 team, has been rehired as the former president tries to halt Kamala Harriss poll surge. Mr Lewandowski, 50, the architect of the let Trump be Trump strategy, was forced out of the 2016 campaign following a rift with other advisers who favoured a more conventional approach. He has been brought back into the fold, along with Tim Murtagh, the communications director for the 2020 election, as the latest polls show Ms Harris enjoying an average two-point lead over Trump. Mr Lewandowski has been an informal adviser to Trump for the last eight years, and will now advise his campaign team. There have been reports of mounting disarray in the Trump campaign since Ms Harris replaced Joe Biden at the top of the Democrats ticket. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Anthony Scaramucci, who was briefly Trumps White House communications director, claimed that there had been an implosion inside the campaign with the Republican presidential candidate looking for scapegoats and a few personnel changes. However, this was dismissed by Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, the campaign chiefs whose roles have been called into question. A statement said: As we head into the home stretch of this election, we are continuing to add to our impressive campaign team. The rehiring of Trump campaign veterans will help president Trump prosecute the case against Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, the most radical ticket in American history. Sebastian Gorka, a former strategist to Trump when he was in the White House told The Telegraph: The most important issue was how President Trumps most capable and loyal advisors and surrogates were being treated by the campaign, especially by Mr LaCavita. He added: After President Trump was shot, there should have been a resounding increase in his popularity. The absence of a significant bump is on the then leadership of the campaign. Corey brings experience as a campaign manager and utter loyalty to the President. Hes not a Republican in Name Only. Mr Lewandowskis career has been dotted with controversy. He was forced out in 2016 three months after being charged with battery for grabbing a reporter who was trying to question Trump. Although the charges were dropped, Mr Lewandowskis position became untenable when, according to reports in the US, Trumps daughter Ivanka threatened to step away from the campaign unless he was sacked. There have been other brushes with the law. In 2022, he was charged with a misdemeanour battery following allegations that he made unwanted advances to the wife of a Trump donor at a dinner. Mr Lewandowski has been an informal adviser to Donald Trump for the last eight years - Mandel Ngan/AFP Under a plea agreement, he paid a $1,000 fine, served 50 hours of community service and completed eight hours of counselling. However, the rehiring of Mr Lewandowski was welcomed by Trump supporters. He is a friend of mine, I think this is great, Jeff Lord, a veteran Republican strategist who worked in the Reagan White House, told The Telegraph. Mr Lord added: I think Trump wants people around him who know him well, are seriously professional and have been through these campaigns before. This is another stage, we are in the last two-plus months of the campaign. You need everyone on board. This is what you spend years planning for. Click here to view this content. Westminster Magistrates' Court, central London, where the charged pair are due to appear - Yui Mok/PA Two teenagers are due in court on Friday after being charged over suspected extreme Right-wing terrorism activity following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police. Officers from the Mets Counter Terrorism Command arrested the pair in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, adding the charges are unrelated to the disorder across the country following the Southport stabbings. The investigation is related to suspected extreme Right-wing terrorism activity, a Metropolitan Police statement said on Thursday night. Rex Clark, 18, of Ilford, east London, has been charged with preparation of terrorist acts, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act (TACT) 2006. Sofija Vinogradova, 19, of Cheshunt, has been charged with preparation of terrorist acts and two counts of collection of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. The head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, Commander Dominic Murphy, said: These are extremely serious charges but I would urge the public not to speculate any further about this case at this time and allow the criminal justice process to run its course unimpeded. While we are not able to comment in any detail about the investigation now that these charges have been brought, I want to reassure the public that at this time we do not believe that there is any wider threat related to this investigation, although our investigation very much continues. I also want to make clear that our investigation into this matter is not as a consequence of the disorder across the country which occurred following the terrible events in Southport. On Sunday August 4, officers from the Counter Terrorism Command arrested the 19-year-old woman on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm and collection of information likely to be of use to a terrorist. Detectives carried out a search at the address and the woman was taken to a London police station, before being released on bail, pending further enquiries. On Saturday August 10, the woman was arrested again at an address in Cheshunt. An 18-year-old man was arrested at the same address. Further searches were carried out at the address in Cheshunt, as well as another address in Ilford. Detectives subsequently obtained a warrant of further detention, lasting until Saturday August 17, for both the man and the woman. After further inquiries and liaison with the Crown Prosecution Service, the pair were charged and have been remanded in custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the new UK Labour Government will reduce homelessness across the country, during a visit to a housing scheme set up by a charity in Edinburgh. The Labour MP was given a guided tour of the Social Bite Village in Granton, including a look inside one of its Nest Houses, which have been occupied by almost 100 people who were previously homeless over the last six years. Run in partnership with homeless charity Cyrenians and designed by Ecosystems Technologies, the Social Bite Village provides a supportive living environment for up to 20 people working towards leading independent lives. Ms Rayner said: The Social Bite Village is an amazing project that is helping people in Edinburgh who are dealing with homelessness, and building a solution to the problems with temporary accommodation As a Government, we will take action to build more social and affordable housing, give families a better route to a secure home, and get back on track to ending homelessness for good. Josh Littlejohn, the founder of Social Bite, said: The housing emergency is one of the most significant issues affecting the UK today, so we were delighted to welcome Angela Rayner to the Social Bite Village to discuss our pioneering approach to ending homelessness. The Deputy Prime Minister was keen to learn more about our supported community model and the innovative manufacturing process behind our Nest Houses, which gives people living in our villages a welcoming space in which to make a fresh start. Plans are currently being developed for a new Social Bite Village in South Lanarkshire, due to open summer 2025, and a Recovery Village in Dundee, scheduled to open early 2026. The First Minister has thanked Scotlands national poet for her stellar work as she comes to the end of her three-year tenure. Kathleen Jamie, the national poet for Scotland, or Makar, is stepping down from her role, and the Scottish Government is preparing to find a suitable successor. The multi-award winning poets work spans four decades, and she is the fourth person to be appointed the Scottish Makar since the role was created in 2004, having succeeded Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead and Edwin Morgan. Scotlands national Makar currently serves a term of three years, though previously bards would hold the position for five years. During her tenure, she has written poems for the Cop26 summit, the opening of Parliament and wrote about the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Ms Jamie, who is 62, recently had her work featured at an Edinburgh International Book Festival event, attended by First Minister John Swinney, during which composer David Paul Jones took some of the Makars poems and set them to music. Mr Swinney said: I want to thank Kathleen Jamie and pay tribute to the stellar work she has done over the last three years as Scotlands fourth modern Makar, and as a national ambassador for poetry in Scotland and overseas. Her term as Makar will leave a powerful legacy. She encouraged the public to become engaged with the role by writing a series of collective poems curated from individual lines of poetry submitted by the people of Scotland. Scotlands Makar Kathleen Jamie reads her poem The Morrow-Bird in Holyrood in 2021 (Jane Barlow/PA) This allowed a large number of people to contribute to the important role of Makar. Kathleen has also recently completed a collective poem using lines from prisoners throughout Scotland on the theme of hope, which I am very much looking forward to reading when it is published shortly. Ms Jamie said is has been a huge honour to be Scotlands fourth modern Makar, stating she greatly enjoyed the role. Ms Jamie said: I have performed at the opening of Parliament, written poems to commemorate the Cop26 Summit and the life of the late Queen and I have toured libraries from Kirkwall to Coatbridge, tapping into the rich seam of grassroots poetry activities taking place across Scotland. She added: We wrote a national nature poem, a letter to the people of Ukraine, and a letter to world leaders. I was happy to be asked to extend this to the prison population and develop a poem on the theme of hope. The role of the Makar is vital in engaging a vast audience with poetry. Rather than speaking to or for the nation, I am most proud of enabling the nation to speak for itself, and keep poetry at its heart. Glen Matlock has revealed he has not seen former Sex Pistols bandmate Johnny Rotten since 2008 but says reconnecting is a two-way street. The former bassist for the punk rock band reunited with fellow original members Paul Cook and Steve Jones this week to help raise funds for west London music venue Bush Hall. The trio were joined by singer Frank Carter, who stepped into Rottens role for the gigs as the former frontman has distanced himself from the band. Tensions were raised between the group following a court case in 2021 which saw the bands former drummer Cook and former guitarist Jones sue Rotten, real name John Lydon, to allow their songs to be used in a new TV series Pistol about the group. Johnny Rotten, real name John Lydon, outside court in 2021 (Ian West/PA) During the case, Cook said the original group were probably gone for good as a result of a legal dispute. Discussing Rotten on ITVs Good Morning Britain on Friday, Matlock said: I havent seen him since 2008. Asked if he had received a WhatsApp from him, Matlock added: No, its a two-way street and he knows my number. The Sex Pistols were formed in 1975 and disbanded in 1978, but later performed live shows together on a number of occasions, most recently in 2008. The punk band were known for their rebel spirit and speaking out against the monarchy and the established political order in provocative lyrics. Matlock said: There were lots of things that had to be said back then, I think they do now, really. I dont think we ever really set out to shock for the sake of it. We just spoke our minds. Johnny wrote some fantastic lyrics. Reflecting on if he feels new artists will take on the current unrest in the country, he said: I dont lay awake at night worrying about it but it is a concern. The guy weve got singing with us now, Frank Carter, hes younger than us, but hes got that kind of punk spirit, and theres a whole coterie of people that do believe in that kind of thing. Whether everybodys got the gift of the gab the way that Rotten had is another matter. John was fantastic back then. Matlock released his latest album, Consequences Coming, last year which he said was inspired by controversial political figures such as Donald Trump and Boris Johnson but not in a good way. The Sex Pistols Paul Cook, left to right, John Lydon, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock in 2002 (John Stillwell/PA) I wrote a lot of the songs kind of pre-lockdown. I was trying to see what was going on in the world and I couldnt finish the album because it was lockdown so I qualified the album, he said. But the album is called Consequences Coming. I think I was kind of right. Johnson is gone, he was one of the biggest nitwits weve ever had. He also referenced the former US presidents historic hush money case in which he was found guilty of falsifying business records to conceal a deal to pay off porn actor Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. Mr Trump is now asking the judge to delay his sentencing until after the November presidential election. On the case, Matlock said he thought maybe I havent missed the moment for Trump to face his consequences, but added he feels the moment never seems to come. The bassist is set to reunite with Cook, Jones and Carter again in September for another gig at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London. Cats are known for being a quirky bunch with big personalities. They can be moody and grouchy and then sweet and lovingall within seconds of each other. Atlas is a Manx cat whoat first glancelooks like a tough cat that you wouldn't want to mess with. His mom posted a video on Instagram in mid-August, proving that things are not always what they appear to be. Set to heavy metal music, mom shows different clips of Atlas' scowl. He's definitely not a cat you'd want to cross...or is he? Make sure your sound is on because Atlas' meow doesn't match his face! View the original article to see embedded media. That is seriously one of the cutest, tiniest meows I've ever heard from a full-grown cat! Atlas' video got more than 2 million views and viewers left more than 6 thousand comments. @mere_wphoto got nearly 33 thousand likes when they pointed out, "He looks like an old biker guy who looks intimidating but is actually the nicest guy ever." while @diego agreed and added, "Bikers in cat form." If you have a teenager at home, you'll laugh at @realvojcek's comment, "The meowing must be edited... I don't believe that this ultra skibidi toilet sigma meows like that." Related: Ragdoll Cat's Mean Facial Expression Has People Cracking Up Cool Facts About Manx Cats In Atlas' Instagram bio, mom shares that he was born without a tail, and while it doesn't sound like it's been confirmed, they believe because of this that he's probably a Manx cat. I'd never heard of the breed before but learned more about it in another Pet Helpful article, "The Manx cat comes from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. This is the only breed of cat that can have no tail at all. These are referred to as rumpies. Some Manx will have a short stump of a tail while others can actually have a long tail. These cats have a round appearance thanks to their stout build, round head, and round rear. Their front legs are typically shorter than their hind legs. The Manx is one of the founding breeds in the Cats Fancier Association, which was founded in 1906." That didn't tell me a whole lot about the cat, so I headed out to find more. What I found is that they sound like pretty cool cats! They are known for their playful, dog-like behavior; they actually love to fetch, follow their owners around much like dogs do, and even enjoy water, something that almost all cats hate. Mental Floss shared this interesting fact, which has to do with the breed's origin, "People once said the Manx was running late for Noahs Ark, and Noah slammed the door and severed its tail. Others theorized that Manxes were cabbitsthe hybrid offspring of a cat and a rabbitdue to their long back legs, short tail, and rounded rump." I'm going to be following Atlas because some of the other videos his human posts are pretty funny. I can't wait to see more of him! 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. Who Do You Think You Are? returned with an emotional journey for Vicky McClure. (BBC) ((BBC/Wall to Wall/Stephen Perry)) What did you miss? Vicky McClure was left in tears and feeling "overwhelmed" during an emotional Who Do You Think You Are? journey that she described as "disturbing and life-changing". The Line of Duty star wanted to discover more about her great grandfather, who had died during World War Two, but was shocked at the "horrific" details she uncovered about his fate. McClure also found out more about her beloved late grandmother's tragic early life after being fostered. Read more: What we know about Who Do You Think You Are? 2024 What, how, and why? Who Do You Think You Are? returned to TV on Thursday with the fascinating family history of Line of Duty and This Is England star Vicky McClure. The Nottingham-born actor was keen to find out more about her great grandfather Harry Millership, who was taken to Taiwan during World War Two as a Japanese prisoner of war and forced to work in a copper mine under terrible conditions. Vicky McClure learned more about her great grandfather Harry Millership (second from right). (Carol McClure/BBC) ((BBC/Wall to Wall/Stephen Perry)) His story left McClure heartbroken and in tears as she visited the mine and was shown his death certificate, hearing how he had been the first to die there after a fall when he was 35 years old. She admitted: "The whole thing has been the most incredible, disturbing and life-changing experience. There's been a lot of it I've not found easy." McClure identified with her great grandfather as she spoke about how difficult she found the trip to Taiwan, saying: "I'm not the greatest at travelling too far from home, especially alone... It's really overwhelming." "There's a reason I'm an actor and it's because I've got a very vivid imagination," she added after hearing the details of his imprisonment. "Sometimes I battle with that. I think I'm battling with it here. My head's all over the shop and I'm learning information that is just horrific. It's my great grandad, it's my mum's grandad, it's just too close. The Line of Duty star admitted she felt 'overwhelmed' by her journey. (BBC) ((BBC/Wall to Wall/Stephen Perry)) "I feel like I want to go home, or I want my family here with me. I feel really on my own in this because it's so much to take in and take on. And yet I feel terrible for feeling like that because he was alone, he didn't have his family and he didn't make it home. I just weirdly feel connected which is bonkers because I never even met him." McClure broke down in tears in the copper mine where he had died, saying it had made her reflect on her relationship with her grandmother. "She was a hard character but she was unhappy and I would be if this had happened to my dad," she said. "I didn't have the closest relationship with her because I was probably an annoyingly happy kid and this is probably why. "She always had this and the photo of his grave nearby so it was obviously a heavy burden on her. It'll only be when I get home to my loving family and a warm home that it'll probably hit me quite a lot." One viewer commented on X: "This episode of #WDYTYA with @Vicky_McClure is unreal. Her poor family. And Harry, what a legend." Someone else added: "One of the saddest episodes Ive ever watched but how proud is Vicky McClure of her Great Grandad. RIP Harry Millership." Another viewer wrote: "Goodness that was an emotional one." What else happened on Who Do You Think You Are? Vicky McClure's grandma Jean had been fostered as a baby. (Pam Clerke/BBC) ((BBC/Wall to Wall/Stephen Perry)) Earlier in the episode, McClure explored another branch of her family as she found out about the younger years of her beloved late grandmother Jean. Describing her as the most joyful person she had ever known, McClure was shocked to find out that Jean's good nature hid a traumatic start to life as she had been unhappy in a foster family where she had been hit as a child. Jean had been given up for adoption after her mother, who already had three children, had a relationship with someone else and her husband told her he could not take on a fourth child. McClure said: "It breaks my heart because she didn't deserve that, and it breaks my heart that she wasn't given to good people." Who Do You Think You Are? airs on BBC One at 9pm on Thursdays. Read more: Vicky McClure This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/who-think-you-are-vicky-mcclure-tears-overwhelmed-213651251.html The U.S. Department of Justice have charged five people in connection to Matthew Perry's death last October including a former movie director, two doctors, his live-in assistant and a drug dealer known as the "The Ketamine Queen" of North Hollywood. The "Friends" star' was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that he died from "the acute effects of ketamine," a dissociative anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects. Contributing factors to his death included drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, according to his autopsy. No pills, drugs, or medications were found near the pool. At a press conference Thursday, Martin Estrada, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, announced several charges against five defendants who allegedly "knew what they were doing was wrong" and "tried to cover up what they did." He added that the defendants cared more about profiting off Perry than his well-being and warned others engaging with similar actions. "It is a drug that must be administered by medical professionals, and the patient must be monitored closely. That did not occur here," he said at the news conference. "You are playing roulette with other people's lives, just like these five defendants here did to Mr. Perry." United States attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada speaks during a press conference to discuss an investigation in connection with the October 28, 2023 Ketamine death of "Friends" actor Matthew Perry, in Los Angeles on August 15, 2024. The co-conspirators allegedly used encrypted messaging applications and coded language to discuss drug deals often referring to bottles of ketamine as "Dr. Pepper," "cans" and "bots." Matthew Perry death investigation: Amid Matthew Perry arrests, should doctors be blamed for overdose deaths? What charges have been filed? The DOJ has filed 18 criminal counts against 42-year-old physician Salvador Plasencia and 41-year-old Jasveen Sangha for allegedly "distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of the actors life." USA TODAY has reached out to Sangha's attorney for comment. Court records have not been updated with an attorney for Plasencia. Three other defendants were listed as co-conspirators who pleaded guilty including the actor's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, as well as Dr. Mark Chavez and movie producer Erik Fleming, who are both 54. Who is the 'Ketamine Queen' of North Hollywood? Sangha, whom the DOJ's indictment refers to as "The Ketamine Queen" of North Hollywood, allegedly used her Los Angeles home to store and distribute narcotics like ketamine and methamphetamine. Officials allege that Sangha, alongside Fleming, sold the ketamine Perry consumed. Once reports of Perry's death emerged, she allegedly texted Fleming on the Signal communication app to "delete all our messages" and changed the app's settings to automatically delete what they send each other, according to the indictment obtained by USA TODAY. Through a search warrant, the Los Angeles Police Department later found around 79 vials of ketamine at Sanghas "stash house." In March, U.S. attorneys filed a complaint accusing Sangha of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to court records reviewed by USA TODAY. The federal case against her was updated with the first superseding indictment, which was unsealed Thursday and also named Plasencia, on Wednesday. Matthew Perry speaks onstage at the Langham Hotel on January 13, 2017 in Pasadena, California. The actor was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28 2023 and his autopsy revealed he died from "the acute effects of ketamine." Who is Dr. Salvador Plasencia? Plasencia, who the DOJ nicknamed "Dr. P," was a medical doctor licensed in California. Alongside fellow physician Chavez, he was authorized by the Drug Enforcement Administration to dispense, administer, and prescribe controlled substances like narcotics as long as there was a legitimate medical purpose. However, he allegedly distributed the schedule III drug without a legitimate reason, the indictment states. He allegedly became aware of Perry's interest in obtaining ketamine last September and asked Chavez to sell to him, investigators said. Text messages revealed Plasencia allegedly said "I wonder how much this moron will pay" and "Lets find out," the indictment states. The DOJ alleges Plasencia also administered instructions and provided syringes for Perry to use. He allegedly placed the order for 10 vials of ketamine despite telling a patient at his clinic less than a week earlier that the actor was "too far gone and spiraling in his addiction." Greg Kihn death: Rock legend known for 'The Breakup Song' and 'Jeopardy' dies of Alzheimer's Who is movie director Erik Fleming? Erik Fleming is an acquaintance of Perry's based in the southwestern Los Angeles County city of Hawthorne, according to the indictment. A former Hollywood moviemaker, Fleming directed 1999 childrens family comedy "My Brother the Pig" starring Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes. In 2003, he produced season one of reality show "The Surreal Life" in 2003 and served as a director-producer on the 1999 road trip film "Tyrone" starring "Entourage" stars Coolio and Kevin Connolly. On Oct. 13, 2023, Fleming allegedly drove Sangha's North Hollywood stash house to purchase a ketamine sample contained inside an unlabeled clear glass vial with a blue cap, the indictment states. Fleming pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and to an additional charge of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years. Who is Dr. Mark Chavez? Chavez is a California-licensed medical doctor who used to operate a ketamine clinic, according to the DOJ. On Sept. 30, he allegedly confirmed he would sell ketamine to Plasencia and wrote a fraudulent prescription for an unnamed victim without their consent or knowledge, the indictment said. The DOJ confirmed Chavez has also agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 30 and faces up to 10 years in prison. Who is Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa? Iwamasa is a Los Angeles County resident who worked as Perry's live-in assistant, a caregiver who resides in the home of their client and offers around-the-clock care. The 59-year-old allegedly injected Perry with several doses of ketamine he received from Fleming andSangha, according to the indictment. Earlier this month, Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and faces up to 15 years in prison. Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Taijuan Moorman and Jay Stahl This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matthew Perry death investigation: 5 charged include 'Ketamine Queen' This is the only butter you'll need for all your baking. Simply Recipes / Getty Images Its no secret that the key to the endless pillowy layers of dough that make up my favorite pastry, an almond croissant, is butter. Lots of butter. Not only is butter key to the structural integrity of a croissant, but it also adds that unbeatably rich flavor and melt-in-the-mouth texture. I cannot live without butter. I always have some in the fridge, and then I have a butter crock on the counter for butter that is ready to spread. My favorite butter depends on the situation. I keep a different kind of butter on the table for spreading on a fresh baguette than I keep in the fridge for baking. Knowing how important butter is for baking, I decided to ask some of my favorite pastry chefs and bakers about their go-to butter. Which brand is worthy of taking up freezer, fridge, and counter space for all your baking needs? Every baker I asked gave me the same answer, and its one of my favorites, too! The Pro Bakers and Pastry Chefs I Asked Becky Courchesne : Pastry Chef at Frog Hollow Farm Miro Uskokovic : Pastry Chef at Gramercy Tavern and James Beard Award Finalist Spencer Huey : Chef at Chez Panisse Florence Stanton : Baker and recipe developer at Tasting Thyme Maura Kilpatrick : Executive Pastry Chef/Owner at Sofra Bakery Andy Baraghani : NYT Bestseller cookbook writer and James Beard Award Winner Katie Zukhovich: Recipe developer behind The Sunday Stack Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Retailer below The Best Butter for Baking Pastries, According to Pro Bakers and Pastry Chefs The butter pastry chefs stock up on? Its Kerrygold. Becky says, At home for baking, I use Kerrygold Unsalted. Eurostyle butter has less water in it than other butter which makes it better, richer. European butter, like Kerrygold, typically contains more fat than American butter, making it creamier and richer. Miro also gives Kerrygold extra points for its fat content: My favorite store brand, available-everywhere butter, is Kerrygold. I like the flavorcomplex but not too grassy or nutty, making it versatile for many uses, from plain shortbread to brioche or simply spread over warm biscuits. Its higher fat content also translates to a more pliable texture. Spencer adds, My favorite all-around butter is the salted Kerrygold butter. It has a deep flavor, a beautiful yellow hue from the grass-fed cows, and a slightly higher fat content (which makes the butter malleable and easy to work with). This may be controversial, but I like the added salt when baking. Just remember to omit additional salt if baking with salted butter. Florence shares, I am a huge advocate for Kerrygold butter, especially since moving to the U.S. from the U.K.. It tastes so much better than lots of grocery store brands and has never failed me in any of my bakes! I had to ask Maura, head chef of one of my favorite bakeries in the Boston area, about her butter preferences. She agrees that Kerrygold is one of her favorites. Andy adds, While I've used many types of butter over the years, my go-to butter is unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter. It has a lovely creamy texture and a deep golden color. It's also easy to source, which is a high priority for me when I'm developing recipes and thinking about what people are buying. Katie summarizes her love for this butter best: Love me some butterKerrygold all the waaaay. Read the original article on Simply Recipes. In today's rapidly evolving global economy, tech startups are at the forefront of innovation, driving change across industries. These companies, however, face significant challenges in scaling operations, managing costs, and navigating complex regulatory environments. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have emerged as a solution, offering tech startups the financial and logistical advantages they need to thrive. These geographically defined areas provide favorable tax policies, regulatory incentives, and a supportive ecosystem, making them attractive destinations for tech companies looking to establish a global presence. The Rise of SEZs: A New Frontier for Startups Special Economic Zones have a long history, initially designed to promote industrial growth and boost exports. While traditionally associated with manufacturing, SEZs have evolved to accommodate the needs of today's digital and knowledge-based industries. For tech startups, operating within an SEZ can provide a crucial competitive edge, with benefits ranging from reduced corporate taxes to simplified regulatory processes and access to top-tier infrastructure. Beyond financial incentives, SEZs often create environments that encourage innovation and collaboration. With dedicated facilities, access to talent, and partnerships with research institutions, these zones cultivate ecosystems where startups can thrive. For companies operating on tight budgets and timelines, the advantages offered by SEZs can significantly enhance their ability to innovate and grow. Dubai Silicon Oasis: The Gateway to the Middle East Dubai has long been a global business hub, and the Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) exemplifies the city's commitment to nurturing innovation in the tech sector. Established in 2004, DSO is a government-owned free zone that has successfully attracted tech companies from around the world by offering a blend of strategic advantages and comprehensive support. What Makes DSO Attractive Strategic Location : Dubai's geographic location provides unparalleled access to markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, making DSO an ideal base for startups with global ambitions. The city's world-class infrastructure and connectivity further enhance its appeal as a hub for international business. Comprehensive Incentives : DSO offers a zero percent income tax and corporate tax policy, along with full foreign ownership rights. The absence of import or export duties also simplifies supply chain management, helping startups reduce costs and improve efficiency. Innovation-Driven Ecosystem : Home to the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Centre (DTEC), the largest tech hub in the Middle East, DSO provides startups with co-working spaces, incubators, and access to a network of investors and mentors. This ecosystem supports startups at every stage of development, from early ideation to scaling. Smart City Infrastructure : As part of Dubai's smart city initiative, DSO is equipped with advanced infrastructure, including IoT-enabled facilities and smart grid systems. These features are designed to support the development of next-generation technologies and ensure startups have the tools they need to innovate. Government Support: The Dubai government actively supports the tech sector through favorable policies, streamlined registration processes, and access to government contracts. This support creates a stable and conducive environment for startups to grow and succeed. Impact and Success DSO has played a pivotal role in the success of numerous startups, particularly in the fintech, logistics, and AI sectors. The zone's strategic location, combined with its innovation-driven ecosystem, has enabled these companies to expand rapidly and establish a strong presence in the Middle East and beyond. Startups in DSO benefit from a supportive environment that fosters creativity and collaboration, setting the stage for long-term success. AZUR SEZ: The Jewel of the Caribbean Situated in the heart of the Caribbean, AZUR SEZ is quickly gaining recognition as a prime destination for tech startups. Launched in 2022, AZUR SEZ offers a blend of tax incentives, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and a vibrant ecosystem designed to meet the needs of the tech industry. Why AZUR SEZ Stands Out Tailored Tax Incentives : AZUR SEZ provides a long-term corporate tax exemption for tech companies, alongside the absence of capital gains taxes. This is particularly attractive for startups with high growth potential, as it allows them to reinvest profits into scaling their operations. State-of-the-Art Infrastructure : The zone is equipped with modern data centers, high-speed internet, and smart office spaces, all designed to support the tech industry. The infrastructure rivals that of established tech hubs, ensuring that startups have access to the resources they need to innovate effectively. Access to Global Talent : AZUR SEZ has established partnerships with leading educational institutions, creating a pipeline of skilled talent. The zone also offers relaxed visa regulations, enabling startups to attract and retain top talent from around the world. Supportive Ecosystem: AZUR SEZ fosters a collaborative environment through its network of mentors, investors, and industry experts. Regular events, including networking sessions and pitch competitions, provide startups with the opportunity to connect with potential partners and investors. Impact and Success AZUR SEZ has rapidly become a hub for tech innovation, attracting startups across various sectors, including fintech and AI. The zone's focus on sustainability, combined with its supportive ecosystem, has made it a preferred location for startups looking to scale and make a global impact. By offering a conducive environment for growth, AZUR SEZ is setting the stage for long-term success for its resident companies. Shenzhen Qianhai SEZ: China's Innovation Powerhouse Shenzhen's transformation into a global tech powerhouse is well-documented, and the Qianhai Special Economic Zone is a key driver of this change. Launched in 2010, Qianhai SEZ is integral to China's strategy to position Shenzhen as a leader in global innovation, offering startups a range of benefits that go beyond traditional tax incentives. Key Advantages of Qianhai SEZ Integration with Hong Kong : Qianhai SEZ's proximity to Hong Kong allows startups to benefit from the city's financial expertise and international connections. This integration creates a unique cross-border ecosystem that provides startups with unparalleled opportunities for growth. Support for Innovation : Qianhai SEZ offers a wide range of incentives, including tax breaks, subsidies, and grants for research and development activities. The zone is also home to several innovation hubs and incubators, fostering collaboration between startups, research institutions, and industry leaders. Access to Capital : Shenzhen's vibrant venture capital community is a significant advantage for startups in Qianhai SEZ. The zone regularly hosts investor meetings and demo days, providing startups with ample opportunities to secure funding and scale their operations. Proximity to Manufacturing Hubs : Known as the "Silicon Valley of Hardware," Shenzhen offers Qianhai SEZ startups close proximity to some of the world's largest manufacturing facilities. This is especially beneficial for startups in the hardware and IoT sectors, where rapid prototyping and production are critical. "Silicon Valley of Hardware," Favorable Regulatory Environment: The Chinese government has implemented policies to support tech innovation in Qianhai SEZ, including streamlined processes for intellectual property protection and incentives for foreign investment. This regulatory environment fosters a stable and supportive framework for startups to grow. Impact and Success Qianhai SEZ has been instrumental in driving innovation in the tech sector, particularly in fintech, AI, and hardware. The zone's integration with Hong Kong, combined with its proximity to manufacturing hubs, provides startups with unique advantages that are hard to replicate elsewhere. By fostering a collaborative environment and offering access to capital, Qianhai SEZ has positioned itself as a key player in the global tech landscape. SEZs as the Future of Tech Innovation As the global tech industry continues to evolve, SEZs are proving to be powerful engines of innovation and growth. Dubai Silicon Oasis, AZUR SEZ, and Shenzhen Qianhai SEZ are leading the way, offering tech startups a combination of financial incentives, strategic locations, and supportive ecosystems that are essential for success. For startups, choosing the right location is critical to achieving long-term growth and sustainability. SEZs not only provide the necessary infrastructure and resources but also create communities where innovation can thrive. As more countries recognize the potential of SEZs to attract tech companies, these zones are poised to play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of global innovation. In a highly competitive global market, the advantages offered by SEZs can make all the difference. For tech startups looking to scale, expand internationally, or simply gain a competitive edge, SEZs represent a new frontiera place where innovation and opportunity converge. Credit - Some lucky sleepers climb into bed, close their eyes, and are out cold within five minutes. Others stare at the ceiling for an hour, check the clock, try to find a fresh angle of the ceiling to observe, and then toss, turn, and repeat, every night, week after week. Insomnia affects 10% to 15% of the U.S. population, and its usually caused by a variety of biological and behavioral factors, says Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy, director of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center for Sleep, Circadian and Neuroscience Research. Women, people who work nights, and seniors are among those most at risk. It often runs in families, and recently, experts concluded that COVID-19 can trigger new insomnia. While everyone will experience the occasional sleepless night, usually brought on by stress or lifestyle changes, chronic insomnia occurs three or more nights a week, lasts more than three months, and cant be fully explained by a health problem. For those who are in the very severe category, it can be debilitating and incapacitating, Parthasarathy says. We see people where its crippling, and then there are some where its been annoying them for yearsand when they retire or otherwise have more free time, they finally decide to do something about it. Theres good reason to work on putting your insomnia to sleep: The sleep disorder is associated with an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke. And it can make you miserable. Fortunately, resetting your sleep schedule can help the majority of people recover from insomniaand cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is a proven way of doing it. But it takes time, and its not always an easy process. A new sleep schedule CBT-I is like a brain retraining program, says Dr. Jing Wang, clinical director of the Mount Sinai Integrative Sleep Center and an associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Over the course of weekly sessions for around four to eight weeks, youll work with a sleep doctor or psychiatrist to target the behaviors and habits perpetuating your insomnia. One of the cornerstones of treatment is sleep restriction therapy, which helps reset and create new habits around what happens when youre in bed. Patients generally keep a sleep diary tracking what time they get into bed, when they wake up, and how many hours they actually sleep, Parthasarathy says. Then, doctors use that information to create a temporary schedule. Imagine, for example, that someone goes to bed at 8 p.m. and gets up at 6 a.m., but theyre only actually asleep for six of those hours. The rest of the time? Theyre lying there in agony, stressed over the fact that theyre still awakeor theyre rummaging through the fridge, and then turning their laptop on to at least make that sleepless time productive. With sleep restriction therapy, Parthasarathy would work backward from that hypothetical patients wake time (6 a.m.), since its probably non-negotiable due to work. Then he would instruct the person to get into bed at midnightwith the idea that theyd fall right asleep and get the same six hours of sleep before getting up at 6 a.m. Other patients will have different get-into-bed times, based on how many hours theyre currently sleeping per night, and what time they need to get up. (Doctors never set a schedule that drops someone below 5.5 hours of sleep per night, however.) No matter how tired a person feels leading up to midnightor whatever other sleep time theyve been assignedtheyre not allowed to climb into bed. Were trying to consolidate the sleep period, and take off the time where sleep is not actually happening in the persons bed, he says. By making them go longer without sleep, their brain becomes thirsty for it. So when they go to bed at 12, they're not tossing and turning for an hour. They fall asleep in 5 or 10 minutes. Read More: Whats the Least Amount of Sleep You Need to Get? After one week, Parthasarathy assesses how well his patients are sleeping. While sleep diaries arent always 100% accurate, hes found that patients generally do a good job estimating how long it took them to fall asleep, and how much they were awake during the night, especially given that many watch the clock. If someones sleep efficiency was greater than 90% every nightmeaning they slept for more than 90% of the time they were in bedhell relax their sleeping window by 15 minutes, so they get to go to bed slightly earlier. Hell continue adjusting the sleep window by 15-minute increments weekly until the persons sleep efficacy drops to 85% to 90%. If it falls below 85%, that means there's a lot of them lying around in bed, and we dont want that, he says. With time, patients sleep schedules are adjusted to their ideal bedtimeand by then, their body has learned that as soon as they get into bed, its time to fall asleep. There's subliminal programming that happens in our brain, Parthasarathy says. Though CBT-I is considered safe and effective for most people, sleep restriction can be exhausting; as Parthasarathy acknowledges, things often get worse before they get better for people with insomnia. Thats why he advises people with conditions like a seizure disorder or bipolar disorder to avoid CBT-Ilack of sleep can be triggering. Its not always the right choice for people in jobs that require vigilance, either, like public-transportation drivers. In general, even if you proceed with CBT-I, its important to be safe in those hours before youre allowed to get into bed. The first week or two after starting sleep restriction, people will feel sleepier, Parthasarathy says. Some of them are like, Why am I doing this to myself? In addition to avoiding risky behaviors like driving, experts recommend filling the hours before youre allowed to get into bed with relaxing activities: maybe journaling, taking a bath, or meditating. Setting yourself up for success Improving sleep hygiene is an essential part of CBT-I, Wang says. That includes adopting new habits around screens: Wang recommends turning off phones, computers, and even the TV at least one to two hours before going to bed. Part of the problem with screens, she says, is the light they produce: It suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps prepare you for sleep. The content on your screens can also be problematic. People have heightened reactions to, for example, watching the news, Wang points outwhile some stay up late to catch whatever's going on in politics or around the world, the scenes they see playing out can upset them to the point that they're unable to sleep. Watching a horror film before bed can have a similar effect. In addition to keeping your bedroom as dark as possible, consider ditching your alarm clock. Cover it, or take it out of the bedroom, Wang advises. That act of looking at the time is activating. Youre taking a mental check: OK, it's midnight, I need to be up in five hours. That kind of stress certainly does not encourage sleep. Wang also urges patients to ditch the sleep trackersor at least look at them less frequently. Some people get fixated on combing through data, she's found, obsessing over every slight change in their sleep patterns. Theres always night-to-night variability, she says. So for somebody for whom looking at that data is causing a lot of anxiety, and that's getting them more worked up, I really encourage them not to check it. Adjusting lifestyle habits What you eat and drink before going to bed can play a role in how soundly you sleep. Doctors generally recommend not eating right before bedlate meals are linked with more frequent wake-ups during the night. And its a good idea to cut off caffeine intake by 12 p.m., says Dr. Emerson Wickwire, section head of sleep medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Proceed carefully, too, with alcohol intake. Alcohol makes everything about sleep worse, Wickwire says, with one exceptionyoull fall asleep faster. After that, things take a turn. Alcohol is a muscle relaxant, which means it relaxes the muscles in the upper airway, potentially causing symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, even in people who aren't diagnosed with the condition. The second reason that alcohol can impair sleep is that it changes the distribution of sleep stages across the evening, or whats called sleep architecture, and that can negatively impact brain function, he says. You might find that you experience more fragmented sleep after drinking, waking up frequently and having trouble falling back asleep. More From TIME Read More: How to Stop Procrastinating at Bedtime and Actually Go to Sleep People with a napping habit also need to make adjustments while undergoing CBT-I. The sleep drive is influenced by how long youve been awake and how active youve been, Wickwire says. While napping is OK for people who dont have insomnia, it can thwart progress during CBT-I, because it means someone wont be as tired when its time to go to bed. For example, if you get up at 7 a.m., you've been awake for 16 hours by 11 p.m.which means your body should be craving sleep. But if you take a nap at 6 p.m., by 11 p.m. you've only been awake for four or five hours, he says, which could sentence you to a night of tossing and turning. A role for medication Clinical practice guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine consistently recommend CBT-I as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. There are multiple studies that have compared outcomes between behavioral treatments and medication treatments, Wickwire says. And in general, CBT is equally effective in the short term, with gains better maintained over time. Research suggests that CBT-I leads to fewer side effects than medication, a lower chance of relapse, and a tendency for sleep to continue improving long into the future. No pill can teach your body how to sleep, Wickwire says. At the same time, thats not to say that all sleep medications are bad. Patients should talk to their provider; sometimes, like in especially severe cases, it makes sense to combine CBT-I with a prescription sleep medication. Read More: How to Get Your Partner to Stop Snoring Over-the-counter sleep supplements are a different story. Its important not to rely on products like ZzzQuil, Benadryl, melatonin gummies, or Advil PM, Wang says. If youre sick and need to take one, thats fine. But with melatonin especially, Theres a lot of variability and potential for misuses, or inadvertently causing the reverse effect. We really discourage self-medicating for insomnia. Light at the end of the tunnel People with insomnia often start to see improvement in how much sleep they're getting within a couple weeks. Exactly how quickly people respond varies, Wang says; some might need six to 12 weeks before noticing a meaningful difference. Wang likes to remind patientswho are often stressed and exhaustedthat change is possible. Oftentimes its very slow. We dont expect that tomorrow, these issues will all go away, she says. Its the little steps and consistencyand encouraging people who feel like this is too hard that, yes, it may get worse before it gets better. But if you keep at it, she adds, long, peaceful nights of slumber will be more than a sweet dream. Contact us at letters@time.com. Saying goodbye to your child as they head off to college can be so bittersweet. But it's not just you who feels the change. As one viral video shows, our pets really feel it when one of the humans leaves. And it can be hard to see them so confused by what's going on. Poor Scooby. He seemed so perplexed on the day his human finally moved out of the house. Sure, the dog might have been there on those long nights that his human spent studying. But it's hard to explain to a dog that the end result is that their best friend will go away to school. Related: Therapy Dogs Provide College Students with Much-Needed Comfort During Exams The clip shows the Labrador Retriever in those final moments before the teen left for good. And while college is exciting for every child leaving the nest, it wasn't so great for Scooby. "Remember your best friend may not understand why you are leaving him," the text overlay reads. "He will sit and wait for your return." "Have fun in college but don't forget about the pup that will always be waiting for you," it states. Oh man, here come the tears! It's so sad but so true. Scooby will always be waiting for his boy to come home. The comments section was a mess. "Omg, could you make that anymore heart wrenching?" wondered one person. "My heart is broken for Scooby! Oh Scooby! Youre loved so much!" someone else exclaimed. "Awe made me cry! Pets truly love unconditionally!!" chimed in someone else. While another commenter shared that they too were feeling the loss of sending a kid off to school. "My youngest son just left for Mississippi for college. We live in Pennsylvania. My Beagle and I both are so sad right now. He keeps lying by the door," the mom wrote. Preparing Your Dog for College The truth is that you want to get your dog ready to say goodbye well before the big day happens. Dogs grieve your child, almost as they would a death. They don't know if the child is ever coming back or when. One way to help ease the transition is to have another family member take over any tasks, like walking or feeding, that the child normally does. You can also try teaching your dog a new trick, so that they'll have something new to focus on. Training can also help the dog bond with someone new. The truth is that it probably won't be an easy transition. But just think about how great it will be when your child and your pupper are reunited in the spring. 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. The KP.3.1.1 COVID-19 variant is the dominant strain of the virus, the latest projections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show. The agency's Nowcast data tracker, which displays COVID-19 estimates and projections for two-week periods, projects the KP.3.1.1 variant is accounting for 36.8% of positive infections, followed by KP.3 at 16.8% in the two-week stretch starting Aug. 4. "The KP.3.1.1 variant is very similar to other circulating variants in the United States. All current lineages are descendants of JN.1, which emerged in late 2023," Rosa Norman, a spokesperson at the CDC, previously told USA TODAY. "At this time, we anticipate that COVID-19 treatments and vaccines will continue to work against all circulating variants,' she said. "CDC will continue to monitor the severity of variants and will monitor vaccine effectiveness." Previously, the KP.3.1.1 variant made up 22.8% of cases for the two-week period ending on Aug. 3 and KP.3 accounted for 21.0%. According to the data, KP.3.1.1 rose 14% and KP.3 decreased 4.2% from Aug. 3 in projected positive infections. Here is what you need to know about the KP.3.1.1 variant. See latest data: CDC says COVID is at 'very high' activity levels in some US states How are KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 variants similar? According to the CDC's Nowcast data, the KP.3.1.1 COVID-19 variant was the most prevalent strain at the national, regional, and state levels for the week ending Aug. 17. "KP.3.1.1 is a sub-lineage of KP.3," Norman said. The COVID-19 variant KP.3.1.1 rose 14% and now makes up nearly 40% of COVID cases, the CDC Nowcast data tracker shows. How are KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 different? Norman previously explained that KP.3.1.1 has one change in spike protein. JN.1, a variant that has been circulating since December 2023, only saw a single change in spike, unlike the KP.3 variant, which is a sub-lineage of the JN.1, Dave Daigle, a spokesperson at the CDC, previously told USA TODAY. "KP.3.1.1 has one change in the spike protein in comparison to KP.3," Norman said. CDC reports: Recalled cucumbers in salmonella outbreak sickened 449 people in 31 states COVID-19 Current Wastewater Viral Activity Levels Map CDC data shows that over half of the United States have reported "very high" levels of COVID-19 activity. Using wastewater or sewage, the CDC tests the water to see if there are any traces of an infectious disease within a community, the government agency says. Data updated on Aug. 15 by the CDC showed that 32 states and one territory have reported "very high" levels of wastewater viral activity nationwide. Here is a map of the states and territories that have reported wastewater viral activity levels as of Aug. 15: Can't see the map? Click here to view it. Changes in COVID-19 test positivity within a week Data collected by the CDC shows that four Western states and six territories that makes up Region 9 had the biggest decrease of (-5.8%) in positive COVID-19 cases from Aug. 4 to Aug. 10, 2024. The data was posted on Aug. 16, 2024. Note: The CDC organizes positivity rate based on regions, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Here's the list of states and their regions' changes in COVID-19 positivity for the past week: Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont): +0.5% Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands): +3.7% Region 3 (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia): +0.8% Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee): +1.5% Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin): +1.0% Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas): -0.3% Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska): +0.8% Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming): -0.3% Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau): -5.8% Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington): -1.2% The CDC data shows COVID-19 test positivity rate was recorded at 18.1% for the week of Aug. 4 to Aug. 10, an absolute change of 0.2% from the prior week. COVID-19 symptoms The CDC has not said if KP.3 or KP.3.1.1 have their own specific symptoms. However, Norman previously explained that the symptoms associated with KP.3 are similar to those from JN.1. The government agency outlines the basic symptoms of COVID-19 on its website. These symptoms can appear between two and 14 days after exposure to the virus and can range from mild to severe. These are some of the symptoms of COVID-19: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache Loss of taste or smell Sore throat Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting Diarrhea The CDC said you should seek medical attention if you have the following symptoms: Trouble breathing Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion Inability to wake or stay awake Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds How can we protect ourselves from KP.3, KP.3.1.1, and other variants? The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months old and older get the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. Norman also recommends that the elderly and those who are immunocompromised should get vaccinated in order to protect themselves from COVID-19. Ahjane Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjane covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com . Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: KP.3.1.1 COVID-19 variant: See symptoms, cases, latest CDC data When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Getty Images Lets be honest, we all like to pamper our pups, dont we? If you find yourself spending a little more money than you expected on treats for your pup, youre certainly not alone! Most dog parents will find themselves buying plenty of the best dog toys and chews the sort of things that first come to mind when you think of pampering your dog. Doggy perfume, on the other hand, may not have been on your radar. However, Dolce & Gabbana has made a new perfume for dogs, called Fefe, in honor of Domenico Dolces poodle. Its alcohol-free, but its divided vets and dog parents, with not everyone being a fan. The perfume has been certified as suitable for animal use, and follows the Safe Pet Cosmetic protocol. On Dolce & Gabbanas website , the company claims that all of the dog parents consulted agree that the fragrance is gentle and well accepted by their pets, with some vets approving of the project too. The fragrance was created by Emilie Coppermann exclusively for the company, and it features notes of ylang-ylang, musk, and sandalwood. However, some vets have criticized the product, as well as perfumes for dogs more generally, claiming that they might cause havoc with their sense of smell and even cover up scents that could be a symptom of disease. Dogs rely on their sense of smell a lot and it can even help you tire your pup out, as this article shows: I tried a 45-minute 'sniffari', and it tired out my border collie more than a two-hour hike! Federico Coccia, a vet based in Rome, told Euronews , Dogs recognize themselves by smells, they recognize a person by a smell. When the dog arrives, he sees you, wags his tail, but first smells you and then recognizes you because you are stored in one of his smell drawers. Therefore, this world of smells should not be changed. He also explained how dog perfume could make it more difficult to diagnose medical conditions: In the case of sebaceous dermatitis, for instance, the smell somehow completes my diagnosis. The smell of breath, the smell of earwax are disguised by the perfume. So, it could be a problem even for us vets. The exhaustive search in North Carolina for an escaped prisoner convicted of murder ended after he was captured by police at a hotel, authorities said. The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction said in a news release Friday that Ramone Jamarr Alston, 30, was captured shortly before 2 a.m. at a hotel in Kannapolis, North Carolina, a city less than 30 miles northeast of Charlotte. A female acquaintance of Alston's, identified as Jacobia Crisp, also was arrested in Alamance County and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive, according to the news release. According to the news release, Alston will be charged with felony escape from prison and is being taken to a high-security unit in the state prison system, "where he will resume serving his life sentence for first degree murder" and await court appearances for his escape charges. "I am grateful to our DAC staff and thankful for the support and effort from hundreds of local, state and federal public safety officers who helped in the search and investigation that returned Alston safely to custody," said DAC Secretary Todd Ishee. "This was an incredible collaborative effort of many people and agencies." The operation to capture Alston included FBI Charlotte SWAT agents, Kannapolis police and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, according to the news release. He was taken into custody without incident. Alston escaped from correction officers Tuesday morning as he was arriving for an appointment at a Hillsborough hospital, according to the release. Since then, "hundreds of law enforcement and public safety officials" were involved in the search for him, the department of correction said. Death investigation: 'Ketamine Queen,' doctors, director: A look at the 5 charged in Matthew Perry's death Who is Ramone Alston? Alston was serving a life sentence at the Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor, about 150 miles east of Hillsborough. He was convicted of shooting 1-year-old Maleah Williams in Chapel Hill on Christmas Day 2015, according to authorities. Local news outlets reported Alston was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison in 2018. The girl's mother, Tylena Williams, told WTVD in 2019 that Maleah was shot in the head while playing with a group of children outside her godparents' apartment. Alston and his friend, Pierre Je Bron Moore, had opened fire at the apartment complex in a drive-by shooting, according to Spectrum News. Alston and Moore took a plea deal. Moore was sentenced to 28 to 34 years in prison in 2019, according to WTVD. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Escaped inmate Ramone Alston captured in North Carolina We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we believe in. Pricing and availability are subject to change. 15 gifts that teachers actually want: 'I gifted these to a new teacher and she squealed with joy' With back-to-school season among us, you're probably focused on getting your kiddos squared away with new school supplies, a fresh pair of sneakers and a solid coat for the year. But behind every classroom is a hardworking teacher who's giving it their all to make sure this school year is a great one for your kiddo. First day of school teacher gifts are a small way to say thank you to your kiddo's newest educator and to show them just how valuable they are. While you could always show up to your Meet The Teacher session with something that you know teachers of little ones always need like hand sanitizer and a bulk pack of Emergen-C we know that it's always more enjoyable to gift something fun rather than something practical. Even something as small as a gift voucher to Target for antibac wipes and markers or Walmart for pencils and erasers is a small but thoughtful way make sure your kid's teacher feels appreciated heading into another busy year. From a colorful pack of felt-tipped pens that made one teacher "squeal with joy" to the portable CrockPot device that's beloved by teachers and truck drivers, below are some of our favorite all-time gifts that teachers actually want to receive. Amazon Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens (12 pack) Colorful pens? For a teacher? Groundbreaking! This 12-pack comes with a rainbow of colors and are designed with a 0.7 millimeter felt tip that's just as pleasing to write with as it is to look at. Plus, nearly 73,000 reviewers love these pens, saying they're perfect because they don't bleed through papers. "I gifted these to a new teacher (you should too) and she squealed with joy. That's the power of a Flair pen," said one reviewer. $9 at Amazon Carson Dellosa Education Carson Dellosa 3-Pack Notepad Set Teahers are some of the most organized people around because they're great at making lists and sticking to them. This set of three fun organizational notepads are a gift that's sure to get used again and again. $11 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $11 at Oriental Trading Company Kimoli Teacher Appreciation Tote Bag Sure, your kid's teacher might already have a few tote bags, but this one is too cute not to gift. Fill it with teacher essentials you know they'll use: Kleenex boxes, Lysol wipes, dry erase board markers, pencils and even a gift card to Target or Walmart for a really thoughtful gift. $10 at Amazon ban.do ban.do Rough Draft Mini Spiral Notebook Ban.do's fun spiral notebooks are so cute you'll almost never want to write in them. I've been a fan of Ban.do's notebooks for years and find them to be the perfect size for jotting down notes and to-do lists, which is why I think they're a great gift for teachers. Choose from several beautiful designs, though I'm personally a fan of the "I AM VERY BUSY" one. I'm sure teachers will agree. $7 at ban.do TOPDesign TOPDesign Utility Water Resistant Tote Bag Teachers have a lot of stuff to tote around. Make it easier on them with this useful multi-pocket tote bag that includes a whopping 13 pockets, a support bottom board so it can stand upright when needed and a protective zip-top for extra security. Nearly 8,000 reviewers have given it a 4.7-star rating and recommend it for parents of toddlers, healthcare works and you guessed it teachers! "I am a teacher and this bag is great!" wrote one happy teacher. "I purchased the medium, black bag. Daily it fits my Chromebook, a few folders, a Yeti lunch bag, a water bottle, and my vitamins." $21 at Amazon Tphox Funny Grammar Pencils (set of 10) With sayings of popular grammar homophones such as "YOUR & YOU'RE" and "THERE THEIR & THEY'RE" these pencils are a clever gift for an English teacher. Reviewers say they're a "fun gift" that's "for the editor in your house." $6 at Amazon Stanley Stanley Classic Vacuum Food & Drink Jar (24 oz) This classic Stanley thermos is designed to last a lifetime (or two!) thanks to its high-quality stainless steel design. It maintains temperatures for several hours, making it a favorite among hunters, hikers and fishermen. The lid doubles as a bowl or cup, so its great for keeping hot liquids like soup or coffee warm for hours. $25 at Walmart HOLMES HOLMES 4" Mini Heritage Desk Fan For the teacher whose classroom gets just a little too hot, this USB-charging desktop fan will come in handy. It's an especially thoughtful gift for teachers who work in warmer climates where the classroom might not cool down until later into the year. $18 at Amazon Sok It Sok It Insulated Neoprene Cup Sleeve Teachers are gifted enough coffee mugs and thermoses gift them a useful cup sleeve instead! This one is made of insulating and water-resistant neoprene that'll keep their favorite iced coffee cold for hours without sweating all over that stack of papers they need to grade. $10 at Amazon Amazon Clorox Disinfecting Wipes (pack of 3) Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are an essential in the classroom, from cleaning up after craft projects, to wiping down the desks before snack time. This three-pack comes with two lemon scented packs and one fresh scented pack. $12 at Amazon Amazon Qinlianf 5-Outlet Extender It's like a Swiss Army Knife for outlets. There are five AC outlets and four USB ports, enough for teachers to charge their wireless mouth and keyboard, tablet and phone all at once no fighting for outlet space. $10 at Amazon Crock-Pot Crock-Pot Electric Lunch Box Beloved by both teachers and truck drivers, these electric portable Crock-Pot lunch boxes will ensure you have a hot lunch every day. Reviewers say they love this little machine, and that because of its leak proof design it keeps food nice and hot. The food storage container and inner liner are dishwasher safe, too. $35 at Amazon Walmart Keurig K-Slim + ICED Single-Serve Coffee Maker Slight in profile but big in usefulness, the K-Slim + ICED serves up both hot coffee and brews over ice, so you can enjoy a warming cup before the first morning bell or a cold pick-me-up in the afternoon after recess duty. You can make up to four 8-oz. cups before needing to refill the water reservoir, and at less than 5 inches wide, this multitasker will take up just a little bit of real estate in the classroom. $49 at Walmart MAGIPEA Hands Free Tablet & Stand Holder Clip Designed with an extra strong clip and flexible long-arm gooseneck that can bend any which way, this hands-free device holder and stand can be used with a tablet, phone, Nintendo Switch, iPad, iPhone, Samsung Galaxy Tabs and even a Kindle or your other preferred e-reader, though we recommend sticking to lighter weight devices for the best user experience. Even outside of the classroom it's useful: Clip it to your kitchen counter and use it to make following recipes on your phone or tablet easier than ever. Make watching TV on your phone reading your Kindle in bed even more relaxing by clipping it to your headboard. Use it on a balcony or patio table to make reading outside feel extremely luxurious. $25 at Amazon Vice President Kamala Harris released her economic agenda on Friday following calls for her campaign to zero in on policy after an unprecedented rise to the top of Democratic ticket. Harris outlined her plans at an event in Raleigh, North Carolina -- a pivotal battleground state that both Harris and former President Donald Trump will work to win in November. "This election I do strongly believe is about two very different visions for our nation," Harris said. "One is ours, focused on the future. The other is focused on the past. We see that contrast clearly in many ways, including what it comes to how we think about the economy." Harris added, "As president, I will be laser focused on creating opportunities for the middle class that advance their economic security, stability and dignity. Together, we will build what I call an opportunity economy." Throughout her speech, Harris sought to contrast her vision with that of Trump, whom she painted as someone who "fights for billionaires and large corporations" while she will "fight to give money back to working and middle-class Americans." PHOTO: Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence on the Scott Northern Wake Campus of Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, N.C., Aug. 16, 2024. (Mike Stewart/AP) Among the policies Harris announced is a plan to provide up to $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homeowners. The campaign is vowing that during her first term, the Harris-Walz administration would provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners. She also called for the construction of 3 million new housing units to end the housing supply shortage, and said she would "make sure those homes actually go to working and middle-class Americans and not just investors." MORE: Biden, Harris greeted by chants of 'Thank you, Joe' at 1st joint event since he exited race Harris also proposed a federal ban on "corporate price-gouging" on food and groceries. "My plan will include new penalties for opportunistic companies that exploit crises and break the rules, and we will support smaller food businesses that are trying to play by the rule and get ahead," she said. "We will help the food industry become more competitive." Overall, her plans are being sold as a way to bring down everyday costs for Americans. Harris will work to raise the minimum wage and end taxes on tips, her campaign said. PHOTO: Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence on the Scott Northern Wake Campus of Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, N.C., Aug. 16, 2024. (Mike Stewart/AP) Her plan includes proposals to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare by building on Biden-era proposals such as lowering drug costs by capping the cost of insulin at $35 and out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs at $2,000 for everyone, not just seniors. Harris' agenda also seeks to restore the American Rescue Plans expanded Child Tax Credit and she proposed a new $6,000 Child Tax Credit for "families with children in the first year of life." She said she'd also direct her administration to crack down on mergers and acquisitions between big food corporations, another way for the campaign to continue to highlight her role as a prosecutor. Harris' announcement comes on the heels of her first joint appearance with President Joe Biden since he stepped down as the Democratic Party's nominee. Questions are mounting on whether or not she will choose to either distance herself or embrace the current administration's "Bidenomics." For her part, Harris has maintained an interest in expanding popular Biden-era proposals such as the Child Tax Credit and has shown staunch support of labor unions. Under the current administration, she has taken on reducing medical and student debt. PHOTO: Vice President Kamala Harris, second from left, Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, and Rep. Judy Chu visit with co-founders of Alfalfa restaurant July 5, 2023 in Santa Monica. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE) Harris' economic plan will provide a split screen with Trump, who touched on his economic priorities in remarks on Wednesday. He has already criticized Harris for "copying" some of his own proposals after she announced eliminating taxes on tips in Las Vegas on Saturday, the same city he first mentioned it. "She's doing a plan, you know she's going to announce it this week, maybe. She's waiting for me to announce it so she can copy it," said Trump while outlining his own broad policy ideas in Asheville, North Carolina on Wednesday. "Like, remember a couple days ago, and 'we will have no tax on tips!' I said, 'that was my plan!" MORE: Trump focuses partly on economy as he returns to campaign trail in North Carolina Harris addressed Trump's remarks and accused him of offering little policy details. "Two days ago, Donald Trump was in North Carolina," she said. He said he was going to talk about the economy. I think you all watched. You know what I'm about to say. But he offered no serious plan to reduce costs for middle-class families. No plan to expand access to housing or health care." The vice president has already distanced herself from some of her former positions laid out in her 2020 presidential bid. Her campaign has remained ambiguous over her support of banning fracking and Medicare for All, which she had previously espoused. ABC News' Selina Wang contributed to this report. Harris unveils 'opportunity economy' agenda in 1st major policy rollout of her campaign originally appeared on abcnews.go.com WASHINGTON Israel has achieved most of its battlefield aims against Hamas in Gaza, but is unlikely to eliminate the militant movement by continuing combat operations that have cost an estimated 40,000 lives, current and former U.S. officials say. The assessment came as a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks started in Doha on Thursday, with CIA Director William Burns joining Israeli and Egyptian spy chiefs for closed-door negotiations. Hamas representatives did not take part. The talks are happening under the shadow of the massive Gaza death toll and the looming threat of Iranian retaliation for the bombing death last month of a top Hamas leader in Tehran. Iranian officials have said a Gaza cease-fire would temper their promised response to the assassination, which they blame on Israel. "The Biden administration does not want the Gaza war to expand into a regional war, and does not want the U.S. drawn into a regional war," Edward Djerejian, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, told USA TODAY. More: Gazans are paying tens of thousands of dollars to an Egyptian company to escape Gaza death toll tops 40,000, Palestinian officials say Even as negotiators met, violence continued in Gaza. Palestinian health officials said at least six people were killed on Thursday night in an Israeli air strike on a house in Jabalia in northern Gaza. The reported death toll of 40,000 is a grim milestone for the world, U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said. While U.S. arms sales continue, some officials are questioning whether Israels military has hit a wall in Gaza. Ten months after Islamist fighters from Gaza rampaged across southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, Israel has largely met its military objectives in the tiny coastal enclave, U.S. officials told USA TODAY. Tens of thousands of lives lost: Visualizing the death and destruction of Israel's war in Gaza People carry the body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli raid, on a cemetery where displaced Palestinians shelter as Gaza health ministry announced that death toll has surpassed 40,000 in the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, August 15, 2024. News from abroad, made sense for you. Sign up for USA TODAY's Israel-Hamas War newsletter. Israel has seized terrain from Hamas in Gaza, and has rendered Hamas combat units largely ineffective. The officials, who characterized the conflict on condition of anonymity, said further security gains will require diplomacy rather than air strikes. The U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq proved that defeating conventional forces isn't sufficient for lasting peace, one official noted. Hamas is based on an ideology that can only be defeated through non-military means, the officials said. 'No such thing as total victory' Continuing to kill Hamas fighters and leaders may benefit Israel in the short term, one official said. But unless Hamas is replaced with a post-war government that offers Palestinians a future, attacks on Israel are likely to continue. Israel, however, still sees a military threat in Gaza, one official said, and Israeli leaders have said they wont stop fighting until the threat is completely eliminated. "There is tension within the Israeli government about the meaning of the 'total victory' that Benjamin Netanyahu aspires to, Djerejian said, referring to the Israeli prime minister. There is no such thing as total victory in the context of the Gaza war." More: Scores reported dead in Gaza school shelter as Israel says it bombed militants A Palestinian woman holds a child's hand as cancer patients wait to leave Gaza for treatment abroad, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 15, 2024. Rooting out terrorists from Gaza's urban terrain is difficult and dangerous, said Mark Quantock, a retired Army general and former Central Command intelligence chief. I'm dubious of the notion that Hamas can be completely eliminated as a terror threat through military means, Quantock told USA TODAY. Like other terrorist movements, it's incredibly tough to get them all or even most of them. Civilian deaths and 'lifelong animus' If the Gaza death toll is half of the 40,000 reported by Palestinian authorities, Israel has likely doubled the next generation of Hamas fighters, Quantock said. Not an optimistic assessment for sure, but killing civilians creates lifelong animus, Quantock said. People don't easily get over the killing of their family members. They just don't. It was back in December, a little more than two months into the Gaza war, that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that Israel risked strategic defeat through the civilian toll. "In this kind of a fight, the center of gravity is the civilian population, Austin said then. And if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat." On Thursday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby signaled that, whatever misgivings might exist behind closed doors in Washington, the U.S. would continue providing Israel military and political support. Demonstrators hold up paintings as families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza march amid a new round of Israel-Gaza ceasefire talks, in Tel Aviv, Israel, August 15, 2024. Israels military haa achieved "the vast majority of their objectives," Kirby said, but Hamas retains an ideology which continues to persist in the warped idea that what happened on the 7th of October ought to be able to happen again. So we're going to continue again to make sure that Israel has what it needs to continue to defend itself against that threat." It was unclear what progress was made Thursday in the cease-fire talks, which include U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk, David Barnea, head of Israels Mossad spy agency, and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Hamas negotiators waited on the margins to learn Israel's demands. "The remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must bring this process to close," Kirby said. A key goal of the cease-fire talks is the return of more than 100 hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 and the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Israel and Hamas have each blamed the other for failure to reach a deal first outlined in June by President Joe Biden. In Gaza, residents prayed for an end to the fighting. "Enough is enough, we want to get back to our homes in Gaza City. Every hour a family is getting killed or a house getting bombed," said Aya, 30, sheltering with her family in the central part of the Gaza Strip. "We are hopeful this time. Either it's this time or never, I am afraid," she told Reuters. After more than 10 months of bombardment and displacement, many were losing hope. There is a sense that the will is still missing to make this war stop, said Federico Dessi, Middle East director for the aid group Humanity and Inclusion. "The situation is pretty desperate." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel has hit a wall in Gaza, US officials say; deaths hit 40,000 Hundreds of thousands of people are being advised to evacuate in parts of Japan, with some homes losing power on Friday, as Typhoon Ampil approaches the east coast near the capital. The storm, located 121 nautical miles southeast of Yokosuka, Greater Tokyo, has intensified to the equivalent strength of a Category 4 hurricane, bringing winds of up to 212 kilometers per hour (131 mph) as it moves north at 18 kph (11 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). Ampil has rapidly intensified over the past two days, partly because it moved over very warm water meaning more moisture in the air to fuel the typhoon. It could strengthen further in the next 12 hours, with the storm reaching peak intensity as it passes by Japan. More than 178,000 households nearly 404,000 people in total were issued evacuation advisories in the cities of Mobara and Asahi near Tokyo and Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, which are near the east coast expected to feel the brunt of the storm by late Friday. Local authorities called on the elderly, those with disabilities and anyone living in high-risk areas to evacuate. A similar notice was issued in the city of Yokohama, south of Tokyo, with authorities warning that all residents should be prepared to evacuate. Airlines canceled flights as the storm approached Japan. - Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images By Friday afternoon, as rain and wind picked up in coastal areas, more than 2,000 households lost power, according to electricity company TEPCO. Railways and airlines are also canceling services on Friday, during the peak summer travel season. Two major airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, canceled about 500 flights in total serving the capitals Haneda and Narita airports, NHK reported. Rail travel has been disrupted too. Six lines on Japans extensive bullet train network are suspending services between certain stations and warning of major delays on Friday including the key Tokaido line that connects Tokyo with Osaka. Meteorology officials have warned that some parts of northern and eastern Japan may see violent winds, rough seas, heavy rain, flooding, landslides and overflowing rivers, according to NHK. They urged the public to exercise caution and stay prepared. The storms center is expected to remain slightly offshore as it turns toward the northeast and moves away from Japan, according to the JTWC and Japans Meteorological Agency. If it stays offshore and only brushes the coast, it might only have a light impact on Japan, bringing rain and wind to some areas including Tokyo. However, it could have a much stronger effect if the direction changes to bring the center closer to the coast, or even makes landfall. The storm is expected to weaken by Saturday morning local time and die down as it moves into cooler waters over the weekend. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com WASHINGTON - As both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump prepare for next week's Democratic national convention, they are also beginning to get ready for the next big campaign event: Their Sept. 10 debate. Trump has re-begun his unique style of debate preparation involving consultations with advisers and friends, including a prominent former debate opponent of Harris, ex-U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. "President Trump has proven to be one of the best debaters in political history as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden" on June 27, said Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign's national press secretary. A combination picture shows Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump reacting during a campaign rally held with Republican vice presidential nominee Senator JD Vance, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., August 3, 2024., and U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris reacting as she holds a campaign rally with her newly chosen vice presidential running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., August 6, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/Elizabeth Frantz Gabbard, a former Democrat who ran for president in the 2020 election cycle, attacked Harris at length during a primary debate in July of 2019. Leavitt said Trump "does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisors and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage." Trump and Harris are scheduled to face off in a Sept. 10 debate in Philadelphia, an event sponsored by ABC News. Harris has begun more traditional debate preperations, including mock debates at Howard University in Washington, D.C., her alma mater. Longtime Democratic operative Philippe Reines is portraying Trump in the mock debates, a job he did for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. The New York Times reported on Friday that "Harris is working on her debate preparations with a small group of advisers, several of whom have known her since before she became vice president." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Trump and Harris are prepping for their first debate By Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese mother went on television to seek justice for her 19-year-old intellectually disabled son after scammers tricked the desperate jobseeker into having breast augmentation surgery, in an incident that has sparked widespread outrage. The teenager hoping for a job at a cosmetic surgery clinic in the central city of Wuhan was told the procedure would help him earn money, by winning followers through livestreaming. The clinic even convinced him to borrow 30,000 yuan ($4,180) to pay for the surgery, his mother told a television station last week. "For the sake of money, one can give up one's humanity," said one of more than 2,600 comments on China's Weibo social media platform where posts on the boy's plight have drawn more than 27 million views. "Worse than beasts!" said another. The mother managed to get the loan cancelled, with the help of the TV station and lawyers, but the breast surgery had already been done. Scams such as recruitment for non-existent jobs, false advertising and loan traps are growing in China as the economy falters, with the top legal prosecuting agency saying last year that crooks were targeting more students and fresh graduates. A record 11.79 million students graduated this summer, as the world's second-largest economy grapples with one crisis after another, from a trade war and the aftermath of COVID-19 to a prolonged property crisis and cautious consumer spending. A job crisis among the young could test the economic leadership of the ruling Communist Party, which has repeatedly urged people to "listen to the party". Finding jobs for young people is a top priority, President Xi Jinping said this year, as he expressed concern about their employment prospects. FALSE PROMISES Youth unemployment hit a record high of 21.3% in June last year, prompting China to halt publication of the closely watched benchmark, saying students still enrolled should be excluded. There is no way to track all job seekers among those aged 16 to 24, but a spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics said last year that 33 million of them were seeking employment. "The pressure on employment still exists," Liu Aihua, a spokesperson for the statistics bureau, told a press conference on Thursday, after data showed China's overall jobless rate rose to a four-month high in July. "Key groups still face pressure (in finding work)." In another scam that made headlines last month, a college student seeking a part-time job in food delivery was persuaded to sign a year-long contract to rent an electric bicycle. A staffer at a bike rental shop who pretended to be a recruiter for popular food delivery service Meituan told the student that he had to rent a bike before starting the job. A few weeks later, the student realised his earnings were far below the "tens of thousands" promised by the "recruiter" and he was barely able to scrape together the monthly rental. "It's hard enough to find a job, and now we need to be careful about scams too," said one Weibo poster. Authorities say the darkening outlook for jobs has prompted some students to become scammers themselves. The first 10 months of 2023 saw an annual rise of 68% in the number of those younger than 18 who were prosecuted for phone and internet scams, the prosecuting agency said last November. The incidents of young graduates with advanced college degrees joining scam syndicates also increased, it added in a report. The Wuhan teenager's trauma was worsened by having to go under the knife a second time to remove the breast implants, his mother said on television. "It pains me to see the two scars under my son's chest," she added. ($1=7.1735 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Qiaoyi Li; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Want to stop waking up so early or trying to shake your night owl habits? Experts offer tips for adjusting your sleep schedule. (Getty Images) (DuKai photographer via Getty Images) For some people, waking up early is a breeze. For others, its all about that night owl life. But what happens when you need to significantly shift around your sleep schedule? Is it even possible to change when we naturally wake up, or are some of us doomed to miss out on early morning hikes (or late-night concerts) indefinitely? And what happens when outside demands like a new job or bright-and-early school schedules conflict with your current bedtime habits? Sleep experts have some answers. Here's what they say about how our body clock, or circadian rhythm, work, and what we can do to adjust it instead of, you know, hitting the snooze button 20 times. How does circadian rhythm work? Circadian rhythms are the changes that most living things, including humans, experience over 24 hours that dictate vital bodily functions, such as our appetite and digestion, hormone release, temperature and, of course, sleep. Experts agree that light and dark have the highest impact on our body clock. Everybody has a circadian clock. It is a small part of the brain that keeps track of daily time, Jamie Zeitzer, co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at Stanford University and an adviser and reviewer for Rise Science, tells Yahoo Life. The clock remains synchronized to the outside world through light exposure. Much of our circadian rhythm is tied to light exposure and our sensitivity to it hence, most of us sleeping when it's dark out and waking when the sun comes up. But theres something else at play with our sleep habits: the chronotype. What is a chronotype? Our chronotype is our preference to sleep at a certain time, which we tend to describe as a morning person or a night person, says Dr. Tanya Martinez-Fernandez, a pediatric pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist at Childrens Health and associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. "[It] is influenced by genetic factors as well as by our circadian rhythm and can vary during the life cycle. Studies show that babies as young as 1 month old already demonstrate a small preference, or chronotype, to mornings or evenings. Martinez-Fernandez says, overall, younger children exhibit early morning chronotypes (cue a toddler crawling into your bed at 5 a.m.), with adolescents evolving into evening chronotypes. Zeitzer adds that older adults will generally also return to preferring mornings, though its unclear if its due to biology or not. Because of this, you might find it easier or harder to shift your body clock depending on your chronotype at any given stage of life. Tips for shifting your body clock So ... can you adjust your body clock? Yes but it isnt always easy and it doesnt happen overnight. Consistency and patience are key, especially if youre trying to change it to something more extreme, such as needing to work overnight shifts. Here are some tips from Zeitzer, Martinez-Fernandez and Shelby Harris, director of sleep health at Sleepopolis. Shift your bedtime and wake time for a few minutes each day Our experts agree that incremental shifts of about 15 or so minutes per day work best for people of all ages. For parents whose kids are heading back to class, Martinez-Fernandez recommends starting a couple weeks prior to the new school year. Get some sun first thing in the morning While bright, natural light is the best option, Harris says sunlamps or sunrise clocks can also help wake you up, especially when used consistently. Avoid caffeine and heavy meals before bed Harris says avoiding caffeine before bed is a good idea in order to stick to your sleep and wake goals. Studies show that having caffeine even six hours before bed can cause sleep disturbances, and some doctors recommend stopping caffeine a full eight hours before bed. Harris also advises against eating a large meal before bed, and general guidance is to stop heavy meals about three hours prior to bedtime. Maintain good sleep hygiene Keeping your bedroom cool and dark will generally help you fall asleep faster (and stay asleep), helping you adjust to your new sleep routine. Limiting your blue light exposure by avoiding screens can also help. If that's not possible, Harris recommends using night mode on your phone or wearing blue light-blocking glasses. But keep in mind that what tends to be a bigger issue than the blue light for many people is the desire to keep watching or scrolling, which can make settling for bed more challenging, she adds. Adjust your meds as needed Certain medications (ADHD stimulants, antidepressants, corticosteroids, beta-blockers) can affect your sleep patterns by making it harder to fall asleep and shortening your overall sleep time, says Harris. If you need to go to bed sooner, try taking them earlier in the day. Conversely, you can take them later if you need to shift your clock to stay up later but always consult your doctor first. Be consistent "Adjusting to longer-term patterns (e.g., a night owl needing to get up earlier) is trickier since your system acts as a rubber band, snapping back to its preferred biology as soon as you change your schedule, says Zeitzer. That's why, no matter whether its a weekday or weekend, you want to stick to the same sleep time and wake time once youve made the incremental adjustments. Sticking to consistent bedtime routines is especially important for children. If you need more help, ask your doctor or talk to a sleep specialist Sometimes it might feel like no matter how hard you try to adjust your body clock, it just isnt happening, and youre not getting enough sleep. If your sleep issues are chronic or impact you the next day, it may be time to speak to a sleep specialist to get to the root of the problem, like an undiagnosed sleep disorder (sleep apnea, etc.), says Harris. Recent research uncovers new mechanisms for plaque formation in Alzheimers disease. Design by MNT; Photography by Richard Bailey/Getty Images & The Journal of Cell Biology, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. This article originally appeared on Medical News Today New research shows that glial cells play an important role in producing amyloid beta, a protein linked to Alzheimers disease. The study, undertaken by scientists at the Max Planck Institute, challenges long-standing views and could lead to new treatment approaches for the disease. Although Alzheimers disease remains incurable, these findings may help to develop therapies aimed at delaying plaque formation and slowing disease progression at an early stage. Alzheimers disease, which is the most common form of dementia, affects millions of individuals globally, and cases are reportedly on the rise. Beta-amyloid, a naturally occurring brain protein, is key to the diseases progression as it builds up in insoluble clusters, forming plaques between neurons and causing damage. Now, scientists at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences have discovered that, along with neurons, certain glial cells in the brain also produce amyloid beta. Their new research, published in Nature Neuroscience, challenges the previously accepted notion that neurons were the only source. Are new therapeutic strategies for Alzheimers on the horizon? While Alzheimers disease currently has no cure, some treatments aim to reduce amyloid plaques in the brain, potentially slowing the diseases progression. Previously, neurons were believed to be the primary source of amyloid beta and the main focus for drug development. First author Andrew Octavian Sasmita, PhD, currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience at University College Cork in Ireland, explained the key findings of this new study to Medical News Today. Although neurons are thought to be the sole producers of beta-amyloid which gets deposited into extracellular plaques one of the primary pathologies in Alzheimers disease the myelinating glia of the central nervous system, oligodendrocytes, also produce beta-amyloid and contribute to plaque deposition, he told us. We also observed that excitatory neurons in the cortex and the hippocampus are essential for plaque deposition in deeper brain layers, hinting at a plaque seeding effect over long distances via neuronal projections, Sasmita added. By combining findings from different arms of our study, we observed that a certain threshold concentration of beta-amyloid is essential for major plaque deposition, which is an often overlooked concept in Alzheimers disease research. Andrew Octavian Sasmita, PhD BACE1 inhibition uncovers key role in amyloid plaque formation Nervous system cells generate amyloid beta by cutting a larger precursor molecule with the aid of an enzyme called BACE1. In their experiments, researchers selectively disabled BACE1 in the neurons and oligodendrocytes of mice. They then employed 3D light-sheet microscopy to examine plaque formation across the entire brain, offering a comprehensive view of amyloid plaques in all brain regions. Oligodendrocytes without BACE1 showed approximately a 30 percent reduction in plaque formation, while removing the BACE1 gene in neurons led to over a 95 percent decrease in plaques. The researchers also discovered that plaques only form when a specific level of amyloid beta from neurons is present, at which point oligodendrocytes contribute to plaque build-up. According to the scientists, if BACE1 is effectively inhibited before reaching this threshold, plaque formation could be delayed, potentially slowing the early progression of Alzheimers disease. Previously, attempts to silence beta-amyloid production via beta secretase (BACE) inhibition in clinical trials were met with unwanted effects, including worsening cognitive functions and shrinkage of brain regions including the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory. This is mostly due to off-target effects of silencing BACE, which is crucial for neuronal well-being. Andrew Octavian Sasmita, PhD Sasmita added that silencing oligodendroglial BACE and beta-amyloid production could serve as an alternative target for beta-amyloid reduction. We hope that our data aids in the development of anti-beta-amyloid therapies, which should be aimed at very early stages of the disease before threshold beta-amyloid concentration is reached for plaque deposition, he told us. Study offers compelling evidence of neurodegeneration mechanism Bryen Jordan, PhD, a professor of neuroscience and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, not involved in the study, told MNT that this study represents a significant and somewhat eye-opening contribution to Alzheimers disease research as it challenges the long-standing neuron-centric view of beta-amyloid production. The study shows in a compelling manner that oligodendrocytes not only express the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and related processing enzymes, but also contribute up to 30% of the brains beta-amyloid load. This is very surprising and underscores the need to revisit the basic biology of APP and beta-amyloid, particularly given the high-profile failures of therapies targeting neuronally derived beta-amyloid peptides. Bryen Jordan, PhD Such findings should help redirect a larger portion of the nearly $3.8 billion in annual Alzheimers funding to research involving glial cells, Jordan noted. Moreover, he added, [t]his study reinforces an emerging body of work that is rapidly reshaping our understanding of oligodendrocytes. Traditionally viewed as important only during development for myelination, oligodendrocytes are now recognized as key regulators of higher order brain functions such as, learning, memory, and addiction, and potentially key players in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers disease. Bryen Jordan, PhD Future implications for Alzheimers research Identifying oligodendrocytes as significant contributors to beta-amyloid production should open up new avenues for therapeutic development that could target these glial cells alongside neurons, Jordan explained. While the impacts for patient care are more moderate, this research suggests that white matter abnormalities previously observed in Alzheimers patients may play a more primary role in pathophysiology, rather that represent an epiphenomena, he added, noting that [t]his view could result in the adoption of myelin-regulating therapies being developed for disease traditionally associated with myelin pathology such as multiple sclerosis. Jordan concluded that, by expanding the focus of Alzheimers research to include glial cells, this study may help overcome the limitations of previous therapies. View the original article on Medical News Today Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) asked a congressional watchdog this week to review the work of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Montana, criticizing what he described as the bureaus unacceptable public safety efforts. The BIA is the Department of Interiors oldest bureau, according to its website, which describes its mission as to enhance the quality of life, to promote economic opportunity, and to carry out the responsibility to protect and improve the trust assets of American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives. Tester, who is fighting to win reelection in one of this seasons toughest races, wrote in a letter Monday to Gene Dodaro, the comptroller general and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), that he had direct conversations with leaders from nearly every tribe in his state about the public safety challenges they were facing. An extreme lack of trained law enforcement and insufficient detention facilities and detention officers top the list of the bureaus shortcomings, Tester alleged. He also said tribes had expressed concerns about their members being sent to out-of-state detention facilities and the bureaus lack of cooperation with Tribal courts. The status quo of BIAs public safety efforts in Montana is unacceptable and simply cannot continue. It is time for an outside agency to review BIAs current practices, examine its use of funds and make recommendations on how the agency can improve its ability to deliver public safety resources, Tester wrote. Between the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis, a fentanyl and substance abuse epidemic, rising cartel activity, lack of adequate detention facilities and overall increase in crime, the initiative to improve the BIA should be the top priority of the GAO. The Bureau of Indian Affairs did not return requests for comment. Sarah Kaczmarek, GAOs acting managing director of public affairs, confirmed the agency received Testers request, but she noted the process to determine whether and when the agency may take up the work could take weeks. At this point, no decisions have been made, Kaczmarek told The Hill. The Montana Democrat is running one of the closest races of the 2024 election cycle against former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, who won the GOP nomination in June. The race is one of three Senate contests rated a toss up, according to the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report. Native Americans make up 6.4 percent of Montanas population, according to the Census Bureau. In such a tight race, these voters could be key to clinching a critical reelection victory and maintaining Democratic control of the Senate, as Politico wrote in May. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Deborah Mary Sophia (Reuters) -Texas Instruments said on Friday it would receive up to $1.6 billion in funding from the U.S. Commerce Department towards the construction of three new facilities, the latest government outlay aimed at bolstering domestic chip production. The funding, under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, will help the company build two factories in Texas and one in Utah. Texas Instruments has pledged more than $18 billion through 2029 to the projects, which are expected to create 2,000 manufacturing jobs. The chipmaker also expects to receive about $6 billion to $8 billion in investment tax credit from the U.S. Treasury Department, and $10 million in funding for workforce development. "With plans to grow our internal manufacturing to more than 95% by 2030, we're building geopolitically dependable, 300mm capacity at scale to provide the analog and embedded processing chips our customers will need for years to come," CEO Haviv Ilan said. The United States is trying to boost domestic output and reduce reliance on semiconductor hub Taiwan through the CHIPS Act, which was passed in 2022 and can provide $52.7 billion in subsidies for chip production and research. It awarded nearly $20 billion in grants and loans to Intel, and $6.1 billion in grants to memory chipmaker Micron Technology earlier this year. "This $1.6B will go a long way in helping Texas Instruments stay competitive," said Kinngai Chan, senior analyst at Summit Insights Group. "While TI doesn't play in the cutting-edge process node, mature-node (a less advanced technology) is still very important for the US semiconductor industry," Chan said, noting China was also spending on mature nodes, which represent about half the global chip demand. Texas Instruments is benefiting from a rebound in demand for its chips, used in everything from smartphones to cars. It topped quarterly earnings estimates last month. (Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Shinjini Ganguli) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces have taken control of the Russian town of Sudzha, over a week after his forces launched a cross-border incursion into Russias Kursk region. Kyivs forces have been in the town, located 105 kilometers (65 miles) southwest of the city of Kursk, since last Wednesday, but this is the first confirmation from the Ukrainian president that his army had captured it. Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops have advanced 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) through Russian defenses since the start of their surprise assault, capturing 1,150 square kilometers of territory and 82 settlements. Syrskyi said a military commandants office has been set up in Sudzha to maintain law and order and meet the priority needs of the population in the controlled territories. Sudzha is located next to a Russian gas terminal, a key point for supplying gas from Russia, via Ukraine, to Europe. This has prompted speculation that one of Kyivs goals could be to curtail a lucrative source of funding for Moscow. Ukraines ground incursion has forced tens of thousands of Russians from their homes and put Russia on the back foot as it scrambles to repel Kyivs troops. Wednesday saw Ukrainian drones target four Russian airfields in the largest such attack of the war. A source in Ukraines security service told CNN the attack targeted four bases in the southwest regions of Kursk and Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow. Russias defense ministry said it destroyed 117 aircraft-type drones and four tactical missiles over Kursk and neighboring regions. Ukraines assault which poses a major embarrassment for the Kremlin represents a notable change in tactics for Kyiv, marking the first time foreign troops have entered Russian territory since World War II. Russia has pulled reserves from key battleground areas in Ukraine and Russian-occupied Crimea to repel Kyivs advances, a Ukrainian military commander told CNN Wednesday. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed in an update posted on Telegram Thursday to have recaptured the first village from Ukrainian forces in Kursk region the settlement of Krupets. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Monday to kick the enemy out of Russia after it emerged that dozens of Russian villages were under Ukrainian control. Ukraine meanwhile continues its struggle along the eastern front, where Russian forces have been making incremental gains for months. Ukraine on Thursday reported the heaviest fighting in weeks near the eastern city of Pokrovsk. Serhii Dobriak, head of Pokrovsk city military administration, wrote on Telegram that the enemy was almost right up close to our community and little more than 6 miles (10km) from the city. Dobriak continued to urge all citizens to evacuate without delay. CNNs Darya Tarasova contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com SUDZHA, Russia (AP) A trail of destruction lies in the path that Ukrainian forces carved on their risky incursion into Russia, blasting through the border and eventually into the town of Sudzha, where Associated Press journalists traveled Friday on a Ukrainian government-organized trip. Artillery fire has blown chunks out of a statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin that stands in a central square of the Russian town, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday was fully under his troops' control. The windows of an administrative building are blasted out, and its bright yellow facade is scorched and pockmarked with bullet holes. Ukrainian forces have overrun one Russian settlement after another in the surprise operation that Kyiv hopes will change the dynamic of the 2-year-old conflict. Russias military has so far struggled to mount an effective response to the attack on its Kursk region, the largest on the country since World War II. Sudzha, which is 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border, is the biggest town to fall to Ukraines troops since the incursion began Aug. 6. Evidence of Ukraine's lightning march lines the roads to the town. On grass littered with debris lies a sign blasted with bullets that has arrows in two directions: Ukraine to the left and Russia to right. A burned-out tank stands by the side of a road. The photos and video the AP chose to publish were reviewed by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, as is standard procedure on such trips. The incursion has reframed the conflict, leading to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, according to Russian authorities, and the capture of at least 100 Russian troops, according to Kyiv. It is widely seen as a major morale boost for a country and an army struggling to fend off steady Russian advances more than two years after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine. But, so far, it has not dented Russias overall strategic advantage. The full scope of the Kursk operation remains unclear, including how long Ukraine is willing to hold Russian territory and to what end. Will Sudzha be a bargaining chip for a future cease-fire negotiation? And if so, will Ukraine assume the role of an occupier in a country that, in turn, controls a fifth of its own territory? Ukrainian officials and soldiers have said diverting Russian reserves from the main battlegrounds in eastern Ukraine is a minimum aim of the Kursk offensive, but Moscow has shown no signs of withdrawing significant numbers of troops from battles there or slowing their tempo. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will establish a command office in Sudzha to coordinate aid and military affairs. That suggests Ukraine may plan to remain in the Kursk region long-term or at least wants to signal to Moscow that it might. Ukraines Western backers have remained largely silent about the surprise operation, though U.S. President Joe Biden said that hes been kept abreast of developments. Sudzha, which had a population of just 5,000 before the conflict began, holds some strategic importance. From the town, troops can access main roads to continue with their operation in Russia. Natural gas flowing from West Siberian gas fields to Central Europe via Ukraine passes through a metering station in the Sudzha district. However, Ukraine can also cut this gas flow from its own territory. In the Russian town on Friday, residents huddled in a school basement. As they wondered about their fate, Ukrainian forces pushed their advance in Kursk. Fighting continued south of Korenevo, a town similar in size to Sudzha that would be an important tactical gain. Shares of Hawaiian Electric (NYSE: HE) fell 12.8% through Thursday of this week, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Hawaiian Electric is still reeling from the fallout of the disastrous wildfires of August 2023, which claimed 100 lives and caused about $5.5 billion in damages, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. While the stock had already been hammered in the aftermath, this new leg down stemmed from "going concern" language in the company's quarterly report filed late last Friday, which caused the stock to sell off on Monday of this week. Needing another $2 billion It's usually not a great sign when a company files an important disclosure late on a Friday. Last week, Hawaiian Electric filed its second-quarter 10-Q, which contained "going concern" language that suggested bankruptcy is a possibility. Earlier this month, Hawaiian Electric and other parties reached a settlement agreement with plaintiffs on all tort claims resulting from the wildfire, amounting to $4 billion. Hawaiian Electric's share of the settlement liability is $1.99 billion. The problem is that Hawaiian Electric only had $550 million in cash on its balance sheet as of June 30, and is also paying a lot in capital expenditures toward future wildfire prevention measures. Hawaiian Electric has also said it won't raise utility rates in order to account for the claims. So, the utility will have to raise more cash. In a press release earlier this month, the company said it would come in the form of "a mix of debt, common equity, equity-linked securities, or other potential options." However, finding that financing still isn't guaranteed. And in last Friday's quarterly report, the company warned: These conditions raise substantial doubt about HEI's and the Utilities' ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that financial statements are issued. The ability to continue as a going concern is dependent primarily upon the Company's ability to raise the capital necessary to fund the contribution to the settlement of wildfire tort claims while also meeting their obligations to repay their liabilities arising from normal business operations when they become due. Power lines at sunset. Image source: Getty Images. Hawaiian Electric takes specialized knowledge Because of its mission-critical, regulated service, it is possible, and maybe even likely, that Hawaiian Electric will be able to dodge bankruptcy and come up with financing. Even in a bankruptcy scenario, it's also possible equity holders may still retain some value. After all, even with the new tort liability on its balance sheet, the company still has roughly $1.2 billion in book value. Still, the claims do potentially mean another debt raise or equity dilution. Moreover, the agreement has only been made in principle, and has not yet been finalized. Absent any further surprises, it's possible the stock is bottoming here. However, those looking for a deep value opportunity should only look at Hawaiian if one is experienced analyzing distressed companies. Otherwise, the risk is too high. Should you invest $1,000 in Hawaiian Electric Industries right now? Before you buy stock in Hawaiian Electric Industries, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Hawaiian Electric Industries wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $752,835!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of August 12, 2024 Billy Duberstein and/or his clients have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. His clients may own shares of the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Nearly a year after Matthew Perrys death from an accidental ketamine overdose, his assistant and doctors were arrested Phillip Faraone/Getty Matthew Perry attends the GQ Men of the Year Party 2022 at The West Hollywood EDITION on November 17, 2022 in West Hollywood, California Matthew Perrys death struck fans worldwide and also opened a months-long investigation. The beloved Friends actor died after an accidental drug overdose on Oct. 28, 2023. An autopsy later showed Perry died from acute effects of ketamine, in addition to other contributing factors such as drowning, coronary artery disease and effects from buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder. Over six months after his death, the Los Angeles Police Department was conducting a formal investigation into how the actor obtained the ketamine after the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner closed their investigation in December 2023. On Aug. 15, five people including two doctors and Perrys personal live-in assistant were arrested on charges in connection with the actors death. Jasveen Sangha who United States Attorney Martin Estrada said is referred to as "The Ketamine Queen" and Dr. Salvador Plascencia are both currently facing charges in the case, the Department of Justice announced. Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa was also charged and has already pleaded guilty alongside Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez, according to the DoJ. "These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves," Estrada said. "In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well being." Heres a complete timeline of the investigation into Matthew Perrys death and why five people are seeing their day in court because of it. October 28, 2023: Matthew Perry dies of an accidental drug overdose Michael Buckner/Getty Matthew Perry arrives at the 9th Annual Dinner Benefiting the Lili Claire Foundation at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 14, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home at 54 years old. "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother," his family said in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE. "Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love." An LAPD spokesperson told PEOPLE that first responders arrived on the scene around 4:07 p.m. and found an adult male patient already deceased. The patient was found by a bystander who had repositioned the victim where the head was out of water" in a freestanding jacuzzi. The firefighters on the scene pulled Perry out to discover he was dead. December 2023: Matthew Perrys cause of death is determined Kevin Winter/Getty Matthew Perry speaks onstage during the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California Two months later, Perrys cause of death was revealed in an autopsy obtained by PEOPLE. The 17 Again actor died from acute effects of ketamine with drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects also listed as contributing factors. The death was ruled accidental. The autopsy stated that Perry was reportedly clean for 19 months and was receiving a ketamine infusion therapy, with his latest treatment taking place one and a half weeks before his death. His final treatment did not, however, contribute to his death as the coroner noted that ketamine's half-life is 3 to 4 hours, or less. January 9, 2024: The investigation into Matthew Perrys death is officially closed Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Matthew Perry attends CBS' 2015 Summer TCA party at the Pacific Design Center on August 10, 2015 in West Hollywood, California A few weeks later, the LAPD confirmed to PEOPLE they would no longer be looking into Perrys death. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner also confirmed the case was closed. May 21, 2024: The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding Matthew Perrys death Dave Benett/Getty Matthew Perry poses at a photocall for "The End Of Longing", a new play which he wrote and stars in at The Playhouse Theatre, on February 8, 2016 in London, England Though the LAPD announced they closed their investigation in January, just four months later, a new investigation came to light that involved them working with the California branch of the Drug Enforcement Administration to determine the source of the ketamine that led to Perrys death. At the time, authorities had conducted several interviews, but no arrests had been made. June 25, 2024: A law enforcement source tells PEOPLE multiple people should be charged in association with Matthew Perrys death Frazer Harrison/Getty Matthew Perry at the premiere of Reelz's "The Kennedys After Camelot" at The Paley Center for Media on March 15, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California While the investigation was ongoing, a law enforcement source told PEOPLE that it was "nearing its conclusion, and police believed multiple people should be charged. However, the source added that the U.S. Attorneys Office would make the final decision on whether or not to press charges. The same day, the office responded no comment to PEOPLEs request for comment. August 15, 2024: Matthew Perrys personal assistant and doctors are arrested on charges surrounding his death Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic Matthew Perry poses at the opening night for "Six Degrees of Separation" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theatre on April 25, 2017 in New York City Five people were arrested on Aug. 15 in association with Perrys death, including his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The first two defendants named to the case were Jasveen Sangha who United States Attorney Martin Estrada claimed is referred to as "The Ketamine Queen" and Dr. Salvador Plascencia. Sangha is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine, the Department of Justice announced. Plascencia, who is a licensed physician, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, while the three other defendants Iwamasa, Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez were charged separately. According to the DOJ, Fleming pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, while Chavez will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Iwamasa pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, after he "repeatedly" injected Perry with ketamine "without medical training," including on the day Perry died, according to the DOJ. The former assistant and Fleming could face up to 15 to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty, while Chavez could face up to 10 years in prison. If found guilty, Sangha will serve a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a possible life sentence. Estrada has alleged that the five defendants took advantage of Perry for their own profit. According to the DoJ, Plasencia allegedly contacted Chavez who was also a doctor and previously operated a ketamine clinic to obtain the substance to sell to Perry. In text messages to Chavez, Plasencia allegedly discussed how much to charge Perry for the ketamine, stating, I wonder how much this moron will pay and Lets [sic] find out, the DoJ claimed. The attorney also alleged that the defendants were aware of what the negative impacts on Perrys health could be because of their choices. Estrada claimed the prosecution had found text messages in which Sangha wrote, I wouldn't do it if there wasnt a chance of me making some money for doing this. Following Perry's death, the defendants tried to "cover up" their involvement, Estrada claimed, adding that Sangha allegedly wrote in a text message to another defendant, "Delete all our messages." August 16, 2024: Matthew Perrys stepdad Keith Morrison looks forward to "justice" One day after federal investigators announced their charges, Perry's stepdad Keith Morrison shared his gratitude to law enforcement for their investigation, saying that he hopes that justice will be carried out. Related: Matthew Perrys Stepdad Keith Morrison Looks Forward to 'Justice' After Arrests in Connection with Actor's Death We were and still are heartbroken by Matthews death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously, the Dateline correspondent, said in a statement to PEOPLE for the Morrison family. We look forward to justice taking its course and were grateful for the exceptional work of the multiple agencies whose agents investigated Matthews death." Morrison continued: Were hoping unscrupulous suppliers of dangerous drugs will get the message. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Can you use the classic French mustard and my favorite hot dog topper the same way? Of all the condiments in my kitchen, mustard wins out every time. I love a good hot sauce, and I don't have a bone to pick with mayo or ketchup, but in my opinion, there are a few dishes that cannot be enhanced with the addition of mustard. While my preference is generally Dijon mustard, I'm constantly looking to expand my mustard collection. Recently, at the grocery store, I found myself once again perusing the mustard aisle, but this time wondering why mustards taste and look so different when theyre made with similar ingredients? I was particularly curious about the difference between Dijon mustard and yellow mustard. So, I reached out to an expert to see if I could get some answers. Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Getty Images The Differences Between Yellow Mustard and Dijon Mustard A Kroger Brand spokesperson I spoke to says, Yellow and Dijon mustards are made very similarly, with shared ingredients like mustard seed, water, vinegar, and salt. The milling process for both is also much the same and is one of the main components in creating great flavor, constancy, and texture. Dijon Mustard Originated in France Dijon mustard originated in the Dijon area of France. Verjus, an acidic juice from unripe grapes is traditionally used to make the mustard, though today, many commercial brands (like Heinz) use white wine and vinegar. There are three distinguishing features between yellow mustard and Dijon mustard: texture, flavor, and color. When it comes to texture, the Kroger Brand spokesperson says, Yellow mustard has a thinner consistency compared to Dijon, which is creamier and thicker. While yellow mustard is a mild mustard with only a slight bite to it, says the expert, Dijon mustard is known for its sharper flavor. That's because yellow mustard uses yellow mustard seeds, which are mild, compared to black or brown mustard seeds used to make Dijon mustard, which is spicy and bold. Dijon mustard is darker in color because of the mustard seeds' color. Yellow mustard often has turmeric added to increase its bright yellow hue. Can You Use Yellow and Dijon Mustard Interchangeably? Both yellow and Dijon mustard can be used on a variety of classic dishes, explains the expert. From marinating meat to mixing salad dressings, both mustards add great flavor and texture to any meal. Dijon mustard may be better suited as an addition to sauces and dressings like aiolis or honey mustard sauce or when topping sandwiches, fish, or veggies. Conversely, yellow mustard is most often utilized as a topping on classic American dishes like hamburgers or hotdogs. It can be used as a base coat for smoking meat, explains the expert, as it adds flavor and moisture while holding the base of the rub onto the meat. Read the original article on Simply Recipes. 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. Chinese publishing firm donates books to Kenyan university Xinhua) 09:23, August 16, 2024 NAIROBI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Shandong Friendship Publishing House on Wednesday donated 780 books to the Confucius Institute of Kenyatta University to boost the learning of Chinese language and culture in the tertiary institution. The books donated cover a broad spectrum of topics, including Chinese folktales, culinary and medicinal traditions, as well as the latest socioeconomic developments in Shandong Province, in eastern China, said Li Hong, deputy director-general of Shandong Provincial Foreign Affairs Office. The learning materials tap into the rising demand for Chinese culture in Kenya, said Salome Nyambura, co-director of the Confucius Institute of Kenyatta University, noting that the books will expand the institution's collection of resources on Chinese cultural heritage. Mandarin has recently been identified as one of the foreign languages to be taught under Kenya's educational curriculum, Nyambura told a ceremony at the university, located on the outskirts of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. The book donation is timely, given that Kenyatta University will begin offering a bachelor's degree in Chinese language and culture in September, targeting at least 300 students annually, she said. The books will also be made available to its partner primary and secondary schools across Kenya, Nyambura said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) After trialing Copilot for Microsoft 365 with a subset of employees as part of an early access program, ANZ has now expanded its use of the technology with an additional 3,000 licences. Deploying the generative AI service has changed how its employees work, driving productivity and enhancing their ability to connect meaningfully with colleagues. At ANZ, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is becoming an essential tool for executives, helping them manage their day-to-day responsibilities with greater efficiency and focus. This includes the deployment of GitHub Copilot to 3,000 software developers and engineers. The banking group has also identified Copilot for Microsoft 365 as a key tool for enabling its employees to explore generative AI. By leveraging AI, leaders are finding that they can streamline routine tasks, freeing up valuable time to concentrate on more strategic and human-centric activities. Jo Hayes, CIO of group services, technology at ANZ, describes Copilot for Microsoft 365 as a daily boost. I use Copilot to summarise my actions from the previous day, review meeting notes in a Copilot summary (which may sit across multiple pieces of content) and quickly identify my focus areas for the day, she said. The technology has also been instrumental for ANZs integration of 3,000 Suncorp Bank employees and its 1.2 million customers to the group following its acquisition of the bank in July 2024. By using generative AI tools like Copilot, the banking group is making this process faster, while driving greater consistency and accuracy. Were finding we can become 80 per cent more efficient by using generative AI on this process, which is saving us a huge amount of person-hours and increasing our consistency significantly, said Hayes. ANZ has also partnered with Microsoft to launch an AI Immersion Centre at its Melbourne headquarters a first for the banking sector in Australia and New Zealand. The centre is designed to accelerate the adoption of generative AI at scale by providing ANZ employees with hands-on learning experiences. Initially, the focus will be on building AI literacy among senior leaders, so they can spearhead AI adoption throughout the organisation. Some 90 per cent of the world's rough diamonds are cut and polished in India, but the industry has been in a severe crisis for the past two years due to the drop in Chinese demand and the Gaza and Ukraine wars. Thousands of workers have lost their jobs while another 65 have committed suicide in less than two years. After a local union set up a helpline, it received more than 1,600 distress calls in a month. Surat (AsiaNews) In less than a month, more than 1,600 Indians employed in the diamond industry turned to a suicide help line, while at least 65 workers have taken their own lives in the last 16 months due to growing economic difficulties, this according to Bhavesh Tank, vice president of the Diamond Workers Union Gujarat (DWUG). The crisis began with the drop in demand from China, getting worse with the Russo-Ukrainian and Israel-Gaza wars. In the city of Surat, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, 90 per cent of the world's rough diamonds are cut and polished, employing about a million workers, but at least 50,000 have been laid off in the past year, Bhavesh Tank said. Many of those still employed have suffered pay cuts, ranging from 20 to 40 per cent. I used to earn 30,000 Indian rupees (US$ 360) a month, but now Im down to around 15,000 (US 0)," said Hari, a 35-year-old worker. This is the first time in 50 years that the diamond industry has been hit by a prolonged slump. Until two years ago, China bought about a third of India's cut and polished diamond exports. But the slowdown in Chinas economy, shifting habits among Chinese customers (who now prefer gold jewelry), and a decline in weddings have led to a reduction in demand. Indian exports fell by 15 per cent in the last quarter, but data released in April for the 2023-24 fiscal year had already shown a 27.5 per cent decline in Indian exports. The situation has been complicated by the difficulty in importing rough stones from Russia (whose costs are increasingly high), and of reselling the finished product to one of India's main trading partners, Israel. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia was the world's leading producer of rough diamonds. One third arrived in Surat through purchases from Alrosa, the mining company owned by the Russian government, which later came under sanctions. Similarly, before the war in Gaza, the diamond trade between India and Israel was worth US$ 1.5 billion a year, or half of the total trade between the two countries. But already in April 2023, months before the 7 October attack by Hamas that started the war in Gaza, Indian exports had dropped by 38.9 per cent over the same month in 2022. As the industry suffers, Indian workers pay the consequences. Most diamond workers say they could not pay rent, children's school fees, or debts. We launched a suicide helpline number on July 15, said DWUGs vice president. Many of those who call say that they are on the brink of ending their lives due to financial stress. Most of those who call have been rendered jobless in the last few months. They also call in distress looking for employment, Bhavesh Tank added. Meanwhile, the owners of some of Surat's largest companies began to provide some support. After surveying the financial status of the families seeking financial assistance, they were given cheques worth 15,000 [rupees] each for school fees, reads a statement by Dharmanandan Diamonds, a leading firm. For its part, the Diamond Workers Union Gujarat handed out food rations to a hundred families. INDIAN MANDALA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY FRIDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. 16 August 2024 13:31 (UTC+04:00) By Zara Araz Azerbaijan's economic landscape is experiencing a transformative shift with the establishment of a new truck manufacturing enterprise at the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park. This development, spearheaded by Az-Tex-Import LLC under the leadership of Samir Ibadullayev, signals a significant advancement in the country's industrial capabilities and its regional economic engagement. Az-Tex-Import LLC is set to become a major player in Azerbaijans automotive industry, focusing on the production of light, medium, and heavy tonnage trucks. With an annual output goal of 100 units and an initial investment of 19.2 million manats, this enterprise represents a substantial economic commitment. The factory is expected to provide permanent employment to 90 individuals, with construction nearing completion and equipment installation on the horizon. The establishment of the truck manufacturing facility underscores Azerbaijan's commitment to diversifying its economy beyond oil and gas. By investing in manufacturing, Azerbaijan is fostering a more resilient economic structure, less vulnerable to the volatility of global energy markets. The new enterprise will create 90 permanent jobs, contributing to local economic stability and offering new employment opportunities within the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park. This job creation aligns with broader national goals of reducing unemployment and improving living standards. With plans to export trucks to Russia, Georgia, Iran, and Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan is positioning itself as a regional manufacturing hub. This not only opens up new markets but also enhances the country's export profile, potentially increasing foreign exchange earnings and strengthening trade relations with neighboring countries. The substantial investment of 19.2 million manats reflects confidence in Azerbaijan's industrial zone policies and infrastructure. The ongoing investment will likely spur further development within the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park, attracting additional businesses and fostering a more robust industrial ecosystem. Strengthening Regional Trade: The export of Azerbaijani-manufactured trucks to neighboring countries like Russia, Georgia, Iran, and Turkmenistan highlights the strategic importance of regional trade. By supplying vehicles to these markets, Azerbaijan can enhance its trade relations and reinforce its position as a key regional player. The focus on exporting to neighboring countries underscores Azerbaijans role in regional economic integration. This interdependence can lead to more stable economic relations, improved cooperation, and potentially more collaborative projects in the future. Entering diverse markets such as Russia, Iran, and Turkmenistan provides Azerbaijan with a platform to expand its industrial footprint. Success in these markets can pave the way for further expansion into other regions, driving economic growth and increasing Azerbaijan's global industrial presence. Kamran Rahimli from the Economic Zones Development Agency highlights the significant achievements of Azerbaijan's industrial zones. With 151 business entities, over 10,500 jobs created, and substantial contributions to exports, these zones have become pivotal in Azerbaijans industrial strategy. The truck manufacturing enterprise will contribute to these impressive statistics, reinforcing the importance of industrial zones in driving economic development. In summary, the new truck manufacturing facility represents a milestone in Azerbaijan's economic development, offering substantial benefits in terms of job creation, industrial diversification, and regional trade enhancement. This initiative not only strengthens Azerbaijans industrial base but also positions it as a significant player in the regional economic landscape, promoting long-term growth and stability. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 11:27 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more At the International School of Nakhchivan State University, a scientific-practical conference on "Addressing Climate Change Through Environmental Water Management" is taking place as part of the ECOLEAD project, "Strengthening the Environment: The Role of Awareness and Law Enforcement," Azernews reports. The conference began with a visit to the monument of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in Nakhchivan, where participants paid their respects by laying flowers. The gathering honored the Great Leader and fallen heroes with a moment of silence, followed by the National Anthem. Among the distinguished attendees are Kamran Aliyev, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Fuad Najafli, the President's representative in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, along with other notable figures. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 11:51 (UTC+04:00) On August 22-23, the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Business Forum and the "Made in Azerbaijan" exhibition will be held in Tashkent, Azernews reports, citing the Foreign Investment Attraction Agency (UzIPA) under the Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan. "This forum will help strengthen economic relations between the two countries, develop cooperation, attract investments, and implement joint projects," the report stated. The agency expects the forum to serve as a platform for discussing ways to increase trade turnover, exchange experiences, and establish partnerships between business representatives. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 13:54 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more A memorandum of understanding has been signed between "Baku Metropoliteni" CJSC and "Metro Istanbul" to address the organizational aspects of the inaugural international conference for metro systems, set to take place in Baku in April 2025. The agreement was formalized by Zaur Huseynov, Chairman of "Baku Metropoliteni" CJSC, and Ozgur Soy, General Director of "Metro Istanbul", Azernews reports. Following the signing ceremony, Zaur Huseynov emphasized the strengthened bonds between Azerbaijan and Turkiye, noting that the relationship has evolved significantly in recent years. Since 2015, Baku Metro and Istanbul Metro have been actively collaborating, focusing on knowledge exchange in human resources, new technologies, technical service, and maintenance. Huseynov expressed optimism that these achievements could be further enhanced with the involvement of other global metropolitan areas. He stressed that the upcoming conference aims to become a premier platform for metro systems worldwide. Ozgur Soy, General Director of "Metro Istanbul," expressed confidence in the events success. He highlighted the potential for the metro systems of Azerbaijan and Turkiye to offer a new, impactful platform for global metro systems. Soy underscored the benefits of combining Baku Metros extensive experience with Istanbul Metros technological innovations and the growing production capabilities of both countries. He believes this initiative will serve as a bridge connecting manufacturers and metro systems globally. The media presentation for the event revealed that early 2024 saw the initiation of idea exchanges and organizational discussions between Baku and Istanbul metros. The conference has been named "Metroconnect," with Baku hosting the inaugural event. Future venues and dates for subsequent conferences will be determined later. Research indicates a need to address crucial issues and challenges faced by metro systems, explore new perspectives, and discuss innovative proposals. The conference agenda will cover recent advancements in construction, train assembly and repair, subway equipment, innovative technologies, artificial intelligence, repair and service standards, safety, and passenger satisfaction. Additionally, there will be a special focus on scientific research achievements. To cater to the interests of metro systems, manufacturers, and research institutions, the conference will feature an exhibition showcasing innovations from Baku Metro, alongside other key topics. The event will also involve discussions and meetings with producers, experts in science, education, and research, creating open platforms for various organizations. The conference will span two days and include multiple discussion panels on pressing issues. The visit by "Metro Istanbul" representatives to Baku lasted two days, during which they discussed the main points of the agreement, reviewed progress, and outlined future plans and tasks. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 15:15 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more Okchuchay River remains contaminated by mining waste, says Azerbaijani Prosecutor General. Kamran Aliyev, Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan, made this statement during the Scientific-Practical Conference on "Addressing Climate Change Through Combatting Environmental Water Crimes" held today in Nakhchivan, Azernews reports. Aliyev emphasized the significance of holding the conference in Nakhchivan following the previous one in Khankendi. He highlighted the ongoing environmental damage resulting from the long-standing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, specifically noting that the Araz River and its tributary, Okchuchay, have been deliberately polluted with chemical and radioactive waste. This pollution continues unabated. "Currently, rivers entering Azerbaijan from Armenia, especially the Araz and its tributary Okchuchay, remain heavily polluted by mining industry waste," Aliyev stated. Elnur Musayev, head of the Department of Non-Prosecution of Criminal Proceedings at the General Prosecutor's Office, added that investigations into Armenia's contamination of Azerbaijani water resources are ongoing. "We have made requests to international organizations and environmental control agencies in foreign countries to address the illegal activities of enterprises in Armenia. Water samples are being collected to assess the extent of pollution, and a legal evaluation of the gathered evidence will follow," Musayev explained. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 12:31 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Kurmangazy Children's Creativity Center in Fuzuli has presented the project "Summer School in Fuzuli", Azernews reports. The anthem of Azerbaijan was played at the opening, and a minute of silence was observed in memory of the martyrs. The Culture Ministry representative and coordinator of the summer school Rafiga Bakhshiyeva provided insight into the project and the planned events, expressing gratitude to all the institutions that supported the summer school. The main goal of the project, organized by the Culture Ministry with the support of the Ministry of Science and Education, as well as the Special Representative of the President in Aghdam, Fuzuli and Khojavend districts, is to organize educational and exciting leisure time for Fuzuli schoolchildren who have returned to their native land during the summer holidays. Students of the complete secondary school number No 1 named after Mirza Ulugbek, which was built in Fuzuli as a gift from President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on behalf of the Uzbek people. The team of the Kurmangazy Children's Art Center performed literary and artistic compositions in the Azerbaijani and Kazakh languages, mugham compositions and dances of the two nations. Examples of Kazakh folklore, and musical numbers were presented as part of the event. Drawing lessons, wood carving master classes, and exciting games were also held for schoolchildren. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 11:10 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more A delegation headed by Major General Musfer bin Hassan bin Musfer Al-Essa, the director of the General Administration for Morale Affairs and Values Promotion of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia visited Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. Colonel Elshad Abilov, the chief of the Department for Ideological Work and Moral-Psychological Support of the Main Department for Personnel of the Ministry of Defense met with the guests at the Azerbaijan Army's Training and Educational Center. The delegation was given lectures on 'The Role of National, Moral, Ethical, and Patriotic Values in Enhancing the Moral and Psychological Spirit of Military Personnel.' They were also briefed on efforts to organize ideological work and train military psychologists. The meeting addressed the expansion of cooperation in military education between the two countries and discussed several issues of mutual interest. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 19:49 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pointed out that Russia's role has been distorted in new history textbooks in Armenia. Specifically, the content of the history textbook for 8th grade in Armenian schools is considered "extremely dubious." The Russian side is particularly concerned about the portrayal of the Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828 and the Treaty of Turkmenchay. What was the purpose of the Treaty of Turkmenchay? The Treaty of Turkmenchay is considered one of the most devastating treaties of the 19th century. This is because, under this treaty, historical Azerbaijani lands were divided between Russia and Iran. One of the key conditions of the treaty was the resettlement of Armenians to Azerbaijani lands, specifically Iravan, Garabagh, and Nakhchivan. The main proponent of including this clause was Alexander Griboyedov, the then-Russian ambassador to Iran. This policy of Christianization and division continued until the fall of Tsarist Russia in the early 20th century. It is interesting how these events are portrayed in Armenian history. This is because this document actually reveals the history and creation of Armenia as a state. Another fact confirming this is that after the establishment of Soviet power, Armenia became a centralized state on the territory of Azerbaijan's Iravan Khanate. Armenian History Although Armenians claim that their historical roots trace back to the ancient state of Urartu, it is an undeniable fact that during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, the Armenian population in the South Caucasus was negligible compared to the Azerbaijani Turks. The biased policies of Soviet power, over time, created conditions for Armenians to have their own state, and for this, Azerbaijani lands were considered suitable. In the following years, Russia remained silent on the crimes committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis, such as the Khojaly and Meshali massacres, and even assisted them. What is written in the history books? A portion of the text from the updated history textbook for secondary schools has been published on the official website of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science. This text not only denies the occupation of Azerbaijani lands but also denies the fact that Russian authorities supported Armenians for many years and helped them create a state. In the chapter titled "The Forced Incorporation of Eastern Armenia into Russia," the events of 1826-1828 are deliberately distorted. What Eastern Armenia is being referred to? It is expected that those who dared to draw the map of "Great Armenia" on the former Safavid and Ottoman lands are now again claiming the territories of other countries as their own. Armenian-Russian Conflict Another interesting fact is the "gratitude" currently being shown by Armenia towards Russia. It is clear that Russian officials are also surprised by this situation. After being defended and sheltered by Russia for centuries, and trying to establish a second puppet state in Garabagh under Russia's protection, it is ungrateful for Armenia to now make claims against Russia. Despite the fact that former Russian authorities pursued exploration and occupation policies to seize Azerbaijan's oil fields and Caspian regions from the 1700s, Azerbaijan does not hold a grudge against the current Russian authorities and maintains its relations in a dynamic of development and peace. However, Armenia's distortion of both Azerbaijani and Russian history to portray itself as a victim is unacceptable. Moreover, using schoolchildren as tools for these actions, brainwashing the younger generation with false information to create bias against regional states, could only be expected from Armenia. History repeats itself. Just as Armenians once betrayed the Azerbaijanis who welcomed them, they are now betraying the Russians. It is time to recall the poem by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin: You are a coward, you are a slave, you are Armenian! --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 17:33 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a state visit to Azerbaijan on August 18-19, Azernews reprots, citing TASS. The discussions will focus on the future development of Russia-Azerbaijan relations, strategic partnership and alliance issues, as well as current international and regional problems. The signing of intergovernmental documents is planned at the conclusion of the visit. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 10:19 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The price of one barrel of Azerbaijani oil, branded as "Azeri Light," has increased by $1.43 or 1.7%, reaching $85.54 on the global market, Azernews reports. According to auction results, the price of October futures for Brent crude oil amounted to $80.76. In Azerbaijan's current state budget, the average price of one barrel of oil is calculated at $75. It should be noted that the lowest recorded price for "Azeri Light" oil was $15.81 on April 21, 2020, while the maximum price was recorded at $149.66 in July 2008. In Azerbaijan, oil is primarily produced within the framework of the agreement for the development of the "Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli" (ACG) fields block. The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) holds a 25% share in this agreement. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 08:00 (UTC+04:00) The Finnish Safety Investigation Authority (Otkes) has launched an investigation into a turbulence-related incident on a Norwegian airline flight that left two flight attendants injured. The harrowing event occurred on August 11 during a flight from Rhodes to Helsinki, Azernews reports, citing TASS. Janne Kotiranta, the head of the investigation, commented to public broadcaster Yle that while injuries related to turbulence have occurred in global aviation, it is an extremely rare phenomenon in his experience. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00) Gas reserves in European underground storage facilities (UGS) have surpassed 88%, but they still trail behind the record levels of 2023 when UGS were nearly 89.5% full, Azernews reports, citing foreign media. Gas prices on the European exchange are trading at around $440 per 1,000 cubic meters due to the situation with gas transit through Ukraine amidst the ongoing military actions in the Kursk region. According to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe, gas injection into EU storages on August 13 amounted to 326 million cubic meters, while withdrawal equaled 26 million cubic meters. Currently, Europe's UGS are 88.24% full (8.13 percentage points higher than the average for this date over the past five years), containing 97.1 billion cubic meters of gas. The weather during this week in Central and Western Europe is proving to be as warm as the previous week. The share of wind power generation in the EU's electricity production in August has dropped to 11%. Total liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from terminals to Europe's gas transmission system in July were the lowest since November 2021, and the downward trend continues in August. Currently, LNG regasification capacities and its further injection into European pipelines are loaded at 35% of the maximum. The average gas purchase price in Europe in July was $366 per 1,000 cubic meters, and in August, it rose to $432. 16 August 2024 18:42 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The Saudi authorities intend to reduce spending on the oil sector of the economy by $ 40 billion by 2028, focusing on the development of renewable energy and mining, Azernews reports. According to the American banking group Goldman Sachs Group, Riyadh plans to redirect about 73% of investments to sectors of the economy not related to oil production by 2030. As a result, only a quarter of the remaining funds allocated by the authorities for the development of strategic industries by the end of this decade will be invested in the oil industry. Thus, the kingdom intends to diversify its economy, giving priority to the development of metallurgy, transport and logistics, as well as digitalization. At the same time, according to Goldman Sachs analyst Faisal al-Azme, natural gas "will continue to serve as a key factor in the country's plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and in its economic development." In March, the Ministry of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia reported that the size of the non-oil sector of the country's economy reached 50% in 2023, which is the highest figure in the history of the kingdom. According to the ministry, in real terms, the contribution of the non-oil sector amounted to 1.7 trillion Saudi riyals (about 453.3 billion dollars). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 19:21 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva One of the largest chip manufacturers in China, Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc (AMEC), has sued the Pentagon for blacklisting the company, prohibiting it from doing business with American firms, Azernews reports. AMEC said it was unfairly linked to the People's Liberation Army of China, damaging the company's business and reputation. At the same time, the leadership of the Shanghai manufacturer mainly consists of Americans. The Chinese company competes with leading American firms, including Applied Materials Inc. and Lam Research Corp. In its latest annual report, AMEC said that some of its machines are now being used to produce chips with 5-nanometer technology, that is, with technologies lagging behind the most advanced by just one generation. "We believe that the court will make a fair decision and oblige to exclude AMEC from the list. Meanwhile, we are actively working to maintain communication with the Ministry of Defense to properly resolve the dispute," the company said in a statement. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 21:24 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva German economic growth has slowed to a historic low, Azernews reports. Since 2019, the German economy has been growing as slowly as ever in the entire history of the country, that is, since 1949. The former head of the Expert Council of Economics under the government of Germany, Bert Ruhrup, considers the main problem to be the policy of the "debt brake", which prohibits taking loans to replenish the budget. "The first thing that is needed is the reform of the debt brake in order to quickly upgrade and modernize the infrastructure, which is severely dilapidated. It would also be wise to be more open to technology when it comes to the right energy transition," Rurup said. He considers it necessary to change the system of providing civil benefits to every unemployed person. Now it is 563 euros per month. For some, it is more profitable to receive benefits and work in a shadow job than to switch to a permanent job. "The civil benefit is not an unconditional basic income, but a social benefit, which, according to the plan, should be aimed at returning to regular employment," Rirup said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 16 August 2024 23:34 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva On Friday, Morrow, a battery cell manufacturer, opened Norway's first battery cell production site on the south coast of the country. It is planned to deliver the first batches by the end of the year and gradually increase production volumes, Azernews reports. The production of battery cells is one of the new industries that Norway is seeking to enter, hoping to benefit from access to clean energy and proximity to European consumers seeking to purchase batteries away from China. Founded in 2020, Morrow Batteries will initially use existing lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) technology. According to the company's statement, this is the first production facility in Europe that produces batteries of this type. "It is important for us to start selling batteries towards the end of the year," said Lars Christian Bacher, CEO of the company. The company has entered into an agreement with Nordic Batteries for the supply of 5.5 gigawatt hours (GWh) for a period of 7 years, which develops customized energy storage solutions. The CEO of the company added that the first months will be spent on debugging the process, improving quality and achieving stable production of battery cells. "I would rather have problems in the launch process than have problems in two years when production is stable," said L. Bacher. Each Morrow battery has a capacity of 340 Wh and weighs 2 kg, and the annual production capacity of the plant is 1 GWh, which is equivalent to about 3 million units. According to Andreas Mayer, chief operating officer of Morrow, this would be enough to equip 20,000 small electric vehicles, whose battery capacity is usually 50 kilowatt hours (kWh). However, as Bacher notes, supply agreements with automakers have not yet been discussed, since initial production volumes are too small. "It will take us years to get the right to sell batteries to car companies," the CEO stressed. Nevertheless, Morrow plans to gradually expand production by building three more facilities in Arendal by 2029, each with an annual capacity of 14 GWh. Morrow's first investors include local utility company A Energi, engineering companies ABB and Siemens, Danish pension funds PKA and Norwegian state-owned green investment company Nysnoe. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz In celebration of its Independence Day, Pakistan has introduced a new visa policy designed to attract more tourists and foreign investment. The updated regulations now make the visa application process much easier. Visa-On-Arrival for GCC Residents Under the new policy, residents from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countriesUAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabiacan now obtain a visa-on-arrival in Pakistan. This visa is valid for three months and can be renewed quickly. Fast and Easy Online Applications For travelers from 126 other countries, the visa process has also been simplified. Applicants can now get their visa within 10 minutes of submitting an online application, which includes just 30 questions. Additionally, there are no application fees for these visas. Increasing Tourist Interest Pakistan has seen a notable increase in foreign tourists recently and is focusing on enhancing facilities for visitors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This new policy is expected to further boost tourism and investment from the GCC region. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled Aug. 15 that it would not take up an appeal by U.S. Anesthesia Partners' to block the FTC's antitrust lawsuit against them, according to Reuters. USAP sought to appeal the lawsuit Aug. 14, claiming it was "misguided," and urging the court to reject the FTC's claim that it has authority to pursue the case. The FTC first sued USAP and its private equity firm, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, in September, alleging the two groups were a part of an anticompetitive scheme to consolidate anesthesiology practices in Texas and increase prices to patients for profit. In May, a federal judge gave the FTC permission to proceed with the lawsuit but ruled that Welson, Carson, Anderson & Stowe could be dismissed from the case. USAP pushed the court to reject the FTC's lawsuit, citing "government overreach" and claiming that the agency bypassed an administrative process to move forward with the lawsuit. The FTC declined to comment, and USAP said in a statement that it was confident the appeals court would dismiss the case, according to an Aug. 13 Reuters report. Here are five multimillion-dollar false claims settlements in the last three months: 1. In July, Claribel Tan, MD, a rheumatologist, and her husband Daniel Tan were charged with fraud and tax evasion related to a scheme that defrauded healthcare benefits programs of more than $10 million. The pair allegedly submitted false claims that misrepresented services provided to patients at their medical clinic in Anchorage, Alaska, and deceived patients regarding the necessity and type of treatments received. The indictment further alleges that, Dr. Tan and Mr. Tan fraudulently received more than $10 million from healthcare benefit programs and that the couple evaded income taxes by providing false information on their tax returns for 2014, 2015 and 2017. Further, the indictment alleges that Mr. Tan evaded taxes in 2017, and that the couple did not file tax returns from 2018 to 2021. 2. In July, A federal grand jury indicted Hoau-Yan Wang, PhD, 67, a pharmaceutical researcher and medical professor charging him with defrauding the National Institutes of Health of about $16 million in grant funds from 2015 to 2023. Dr. Wang, a professor of medicine at City University of New York and an advisor at drug development company Cassava Sciences, fabricated and falsified scientific data in grant applications NIH seeking funds for the research of simufilam, a potential treatment and diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease from May 2015 to April 2023. 3. In June, David Young, MD, a physician from Fredericksburg, Texas, was convicted for submitting more than $70 million in fraudulent claims for orthotic braces and generic tests. Dr. Young submitted tests for more than 13,000 beneficiaries, receiving $475,000 in illegal kickbacks. He was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and three counts of false statements relating to healthcare matters. 4. In June, a Natick, Mass., psychiatrist Gustavo Kinrys, MD, was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison for a $19 million Medicare and private insurance fraud scheme. Between January 2015 and December 2018, Dr. Kinrys sought and received $19 million in reimbursements for unrendered services. As part of the scheme, he billed Medicare and private insurers $10.6 million for thousands of transcranial magnetic stimulation sessions he never provided. Dr. Kinrys, who owned and operated Advanced TMS Associates, also made false statements to patients, billing companies and payers. When payers sought records to justify his claims, Dr. Kinrys forced employees to create fake patient records to send to Medicare and private insurers. 5. In May, Desi Barroga, MD, and Deno Barroga, MD, pain management physicians in Dallas each pleaded guilty to a healthcare billing scheme that defrauded major insurers of at least $45 million. The pair submitted fraudulent claims for corticosteroid injections that were never administered. They also required patients to come in for monthly office visits in order to continue the fraudulent billing, submitting fraudulent claims worth at least $45 million to payers including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare for injections that were never administered, as many as 80 injections per patient per visit. They also created and submitted false medical records and told patients to include false statements to validate their claims, each earning at least $9 million. A man in Port Richey, Fla., has pleaded guilty for his role in a $39.5 million healthcare fraud case that involved physician kickbacks. Christopher Spellman and his co-conspirators owned durable medical equipment company Dimon Business Solution and paid kickbacks and bribes for signed physicians' orders prescribing orthotic braces, the Justice Department said Aug. 15. With the scheme, Medicare patients received medically unnecessary orthotic braces procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes. Mr. Spellman and his co-conspirators also concealed their ownership interests in the DME suppliers by using nominee owners. The fraud scheme resulted in more than $39.5 million in fraudulent claims and at least $23 millions were paid to these suppliers, according to the release. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, one of the largest ASC operators, is again facing pushback as it plans for expansion. This time in Central Virginia, where HCA rival Bon Secours Mercy Health of Cincinnati has a prominent presence. Here are 10 things ASCs need to know: 1. The state's department of health rejected HCA applications to build a hospital and freestanding emergency facility in Hanover, Va. 2. The department accepted a third application for an outpatient facility, greenlighting HCA to build a $21 million ambulatory surgery center with three operating rooms that it said will be the first piece of a larger hospital. Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed in 2027. 3. An executive with Bon Secours called the development a "predatory and undeniable market share play." The Richmond Times-Dispatch on Aug. 13 noted that competition is fierce for the Hanover market, as residents are "relatively wealthy" and aging. 4. Bon Secours alleged HCA is trying to grab market share from its hospital in the area, while HCA said it is expanding access to care close to where patients live and work. 5. "We are in the early stages of the planning process for the facility," a spokesperson for HCA told Becker's. "The surgical center would significantly benefit our patients by improving access to high-quality surgical services from their preferred health system at a location much closer to home." 6. Pending state approval, HCA plans include a 60-bed hospital, a freestanding emergency room, a second medical office building and a possible 90-bed hospital expansion. 7. On Aug. 14, Bon Secours broke ground on a 10-bed, freestanding emergency facility in Hanover, Va. Ambulances can immediately transport patients to Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center in Mechanicsville, Va., for direct admission, bypassing the hospital ED. 8. "These expanded emergency and imaging services will help to decompress high volumes on the main campus of our award-winning Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center while also improving medic reliability and emergency transport times for the Hanover community and beyond," John Emery, president of Bon Secours' Memorial Regional and Kilmarnock, Va.-based Rappahannock General hospitals, said in a news release shared with Becker's. 9. HCA is also facing pushback in North Carolina, where the state attorney general's office is asking the state health department to deny HCA Healthcare's CON application to add 26 acute care beds to its Asheville-based Mission Hospital. The health system is also facing a lawsuit from the North Carolina attorney general's office alleging it cut emergency and cancer care at Mission Health, lapsing on its 2019 purchase agreement. 10. Reclaim Healthcare WNC, a group of physicians, nurses, elected officials and community advocates, has criticized HCA's alleged "harmful culture and practices" and launched a campaign to replace HCA with a nonprofit organization. Leaders at Reclaim have criticized several changes at HCA, including the closure of two family-medicine practices with only 45 days notice, the failure of HCA to maintain relationships with physician groups and the departure of more than 200 physicians and 600 nurses, among other allegations. "The current utilization of Mission Hospital's services is very high, including services related to the ICU and adult medical and surgical beds. Currently, Mission Hospital accepts thousands of patient transfers from other hospitals across the region," a spokesperson for Mission told Becker's. "These transfers reflect a need for the addition of higher acuity beds and services offered by Mission, which will meet the needs of patients in western North Carolina. Additionally, if approved, Mission believes that it can make these beds available on a more expedited timeline than other applicants." Large health systems are forming partnerships and joint ventures for the development or management of ASCs as care continues to shift from inpatient to outpatient settings. "Historically, health systems didn't always embrace surgery centers because of the financial impact and perceived competition. But now, a lot of health systems view ASCs as an important part of their delivery network and want to be involved in a bigger way," Aric Burke, CEO of Phoenix-based Atlas Healthcare Partners, told Becker's. At the beginning of 2024, 60% of health system leaders expressing interest in outpatient surgery joint ventures. Here are five major health systems looking to ASCs to drive growth: Ascension (St. Louis) Ascension is looking to ASCs for its growth plans amid a $3 billion operating loss in fiscal 2023. Ascension has added 21 ASCs over the last three years and aims to grow that number to more than 100 in the next few years, President Eduardo Conrado told Becker's in an interview. The health system has "set capital aside for investing in the ambulatory front, and that includes ASCs, the pharmacy component, imaging, outpatient [physical therapy], mental health components," Mr. Conrado told Becker's. "So we ended up setting up multiple strategic business units that have grown over the last couple years." Ascension saw a $3 billion operating loss in fiscal 2023 and has since taken action to sell a number of facilities across the country to recover, including more than six hospitals in 2024. Bon Secours Mercy Health (Cincinnati) Bon Secour Mercy Health System, a 48-hospital Catholic system, is also looking to ASCs through a joint venture to build out more than 30 ASCs with Raleigh, N.C-based Compass Surgical Partners. The joint venture will develop ASCs across Compass' reach in Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New York and Florida. Compass has already built a network of more than 250 ASCs over the last 30 years. "We are focused on ensuring we have proper pacing and prioritization of projects that allow us to scale efficiently," David Cannady, chief strategy officer of Bon Secours Mercy Health, told Becker's. "We are also committed to developing solid physician partnerships and securing managed care contracts. Compass brings significant experience and expertise in each of these areas, and we are already seeing the value of our partnership in accelerating our ambulatory footprint." The partnership with Compass is also crucial in the financial viability of Bon Secours' ASC growth and strategic expansion, Mr. Cannady added. And for other systems looking to expand into the ASC world, Mr. Cannady says that "speed to market" is vital, alongside balanced decision-making. HCA Healthcare (Nashville, Tenn.) Healthcare is one of the largest ASC operators in the country with its Surgery Ventures arm. HCA's revenue and profitability grew in the ASC and hospital outpatient surgery increased in the quarter despite the volume decline, HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen explained in a July 23 earnings call transcribed by Seeking Alpha. "I think it's important to understand that the revenue growth the service level growth that we've seen in our outpatient surgery business has been solid and produced a good financial outcome for the company," Mr. Hazen said. HCA finished 2023 with 124 ASCs and 24 endoscopy centers, which saw 1,044,415 total surgery cases a 2.1% increase year over year. Outpatient procedures accounted for 38.3% of patient revenues. On Aug. 13, HCA Healthcare won certificate-of-need approval to develop an ASC in Hanover, Va., after two consecutive rejections by state health authorities. Also this year, HCA Surgery Ventures announced the opening of Silicon Valley Surgery Center in Campbell, Calif., through a JV deal with more than 50 physicians. MultiCare (Tacoma, Wash.) MultiCare Health System and ASC development company Atlas Healthcare Partners inked a deal to create a JV ASC network in the Pacific Northwest. Through the partnership, Atlas and MultiCare will develop, manage and scale the health system's ASC network. MultiCare is the third health system to form a joint venture with Atlas since 2019. "ASCs are essential for us to provide the highest quality and highest value healthcare to our communities," Mark Mariani, MD, vice president of MultiCare Surgery Centers, said in a July 16 news release. "We are committed to maintaining and expanding access to surgical care in the region with an outstanding partner that helps us deliver on our vision and mission. Partnering with Atlas provides the team and expertise to develop, manage, and scale our ASC network quickly and effectively." Tenet Healthcare (Dallas) Tenet Healthcare is transforming its portfolio as it rapidly selling hospitals while simultaneously adding ASCs. Tenet is selling hospitals in certain high-growth markets at attractive EBITDA levels and is investing $450 million into its ambulatory business, United Surgical International Partners, which acquired 45 ASCs in the first quarter. "Tenet is entering a new era with a greater proportion of our performance coming from our highly efficient ambulatory surgical business and a reduced debt profile," CEO Saum Sutaria, MD, said during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call. "We will have significant financial and capital flexibility to increase shareholder value over the long-term." Tenet's United Surgical Partners International is the largest ASC chain in the country with 520 ASCs and 24 surgical hospitals across 38 states. It is also showing no signs of slowing down, with plans to have 575 to 600 facilities by the end of 2025. A pilot program at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego (Calif.) is credited with reducing mental health visits to the emergency department by 40%, the American Hospital Association reported. In 2020, the system embedded mental health therapists at 11 primary care sites and four regional support hubs. Patients were able to see mental health professionals the same day as their primary care appointment. A study published in November found patients who participated in the program reported a 62% decrease in symptoms of depression, and 44% decrease in symptoms of anxiety. The number of young people visiting EDs for mental health rose from 4.8 million in 2011 to 7.5 million in 2020 highlighting an "unprecedented" need in behavioral health, the hospital said. Learn more about the program here. Poway, Calif.-based Palomar Health Medical Group has fully restored operations after a May cyber incident forced the organization to take systems offline. "Currently, all systems across the PHMG locations have been successfully restored and patients can schedule an appointment by calling their doctor's office," saidnan Aug. 15 news release Palomar shared with Becker's. However, Palomar discovered in an investigation that some of its data was accessed without authorization during the incident. "Over the past two months, PHMG worked with its cybersecurity teams around the clock to recover and secure affected data. These comprehensive efforts ensured that affected data was recovered and removed from unauthorized locations," the release reads. Palomar said it is in the process of assessing the affected data to determine whether any individuals' personal or health information was compromised in the incident. Should any individuals be impacted, the hospital said it will reach out to them directly. The Palomar cyber security incident was identified May 5. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's administration has shared that deals "in principle" have been reached for four hospitals run by Dallas-based Steward Health Care to be taken over by new operators. Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan will operate Taunton, Mass.-based Morton Hospital and Fall River, Mass.-based St. Anne's Hospital, Boston Medical Center will take control of Brockton, Mass.-based Good Samaritan, and Lawrence (Mass.) General Hospital will operate Holy Family Hospital in Methuen (Mass.) and Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill (Mass.) should the deals move forward, according to an Aug. 16 news release shared with Becker's. "Once the bid is finalized and Steward and Apollo, owners of the hospital properties, designate the bid as the best bid, it will then be filed with the bankruptcy court, since the terms of our purchase are subject to the courts approval," a spokesperson for Lifespan said in an Aug. 16 statement shared with Becker's. "Furthermore, the transaction will also require state and federal regulatory approvals, as well as satisfaction of sale contingencies." Abha Agrawal, MD, president and CEO of Lawrence General told Becker's in an Aug. 16 statement that the organization looks forward to signing and finalizing an agreement for the two Holy Family Hospitals with support from the state. The Healey administration will also take over Steward's Brighton, Mass.-based St. Elizabeth's Medical Center through "eminent domain to facilitate the transition to a new owner and keep the hospital open," with the new owner also slated to be Boston Medical Center once the takeover is complete. "St. Elizabeth's also received a highly qualified bid from an excellent hospital operation," Ms. Healey said during an Aug. 16 press conference. "Unfortunately, after endless go arounds, back and forth and negotiations, the landlord has refused to move. So as governor, I am taking action today to seize control of St. Elizabeth's through an eminent domain proceeding that will facilitate the transition of St. Elizabeth's to a responsible new owner, namely Boston Medical Center." A spokesperson for Boston Medical Center said in an Aug. 16 statement shared with Becker's that the health system is continuing to work with the state to eventually take on both Good Samaritan and St. Elizabeth's. "If approved, BMC Health System looks forward to working with the highly skilled clinicians and staff at each hospital to revitalize clinical services and help the communities they serve thrive," the spokesperson said. Steward sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy May 6 and has been working to offload its hospitals and physician group, Stewardship Health. It also received approval to close Boston-based Carney Hospital and Ayer-based Nashoba Valley Medical Center, by Aug. 31. "These actions do not impact Carney or Nashoba Valley hospitals, which will close after not receiving qualified bids," the release said. "The administration is focused on supporting workers and connecting them to new jobs while also safely transitioning care." The state has also committed $30 million to Steward's hospitals which will be provided in two installments to be used to fund operations at its state hospitals. "I'm pleased to say we're closing the book on Steward once and for all in Massachusetts," Ms. Healey said during the conference. "Good riddance and goodbye. It's a long time coming. We're here. It's a new chapter, starting today." Looking at Steward's other assets, Orlando (Fla.) Health entered into a binding asset purchase agreement for $439.42 million in cash in mid-August for Steward's northern Florida assets. During an Aug. 16 bankruptcy hearing, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez also approved the $245 million cash sale of Stewardship Health to Nashville, Tenn.-based Rural Healthcare Group, part of private equity firm Kinderhook Industries. Steward did not provide Becker's with an immediate comment regarding the news in Massachusetts. Competition is heating up in Central Virginia as Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare plans to expand into an area in which Bon Secours Mercy Health has a prominent presence. Virginia's state department of health rejected two HCA certificate-of-need applications to build a hospital and a freestanding emergency facility in Hanover, Va., but accepted a third, separate application for an outpatient facility in June. The decision gives HCA the greenlight to build a $21 million ambulatory surgery center with three operating rooms that it said will be the first piece of a larger hospital, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Construction is set to begin in 2026 and wrap up in 2027. Cincinnati-based Bon Secours has accused HCA of trying to take away market share from its existing hospital in the area, but HCA argues that it is expanding access to care close to where its patients live and work. "We are in the early stages of the planning process for the facility," A spokesperson for HCA told Becker's. "The surgical center would significantly benefit our patients by improving access to high-quality surgical services from their preferred health system at a location much closer to home." HCA's future plans for the area include a 60-bed hospital, a freestanding emergency room, a second medical office building and a possible 90-bed hospital expansion, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The projects, which would need approval from state officials, are expected to take eight to 15 years to complete. Bon Secours on Aug. 14 broke ground on a 10-bed, freestanding emergency facility in Hanover, a wealthy area of the state in which the population is growing, according to the report. Once open, ambulances can immediately transport patients needing inpatient care to Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center in Mechanicsville, Va., for direct admission, bypassing the hospital ED. "These expanded emergency and imaging services will help to decompress high volumes on the main campus of our award-winning Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center while also improving medic reliability and emergency transport times for the Hanover community and beyond," John Emery, president of Bon Secours' Memorial Regional and Rappahannock General hospitals, said in a news release shared with Becker's. Moody's downgraded New York City-based Mount Sinai's rating to "Baa3" from "Baa1" and revised its outlook to negative from positive. The downgrade reflects materially weaker cash on hand and the potential for a further decline driven by a "confluence of unexpected events and significant ongoing operating challenges," Moody's said in an Aug. 14 report. Moody's said Mount Sinai's rating is "constrained by multiple issues developing over the past year." These include delays in the closing of Beth Israel hospital, a prolonged disruption in collections due to the Change Healthcare cyberattack, and worse than expected financial performance across the system. The ratings agency said the downward revision to Mount Sinai's outlook reflects the risk that the health system's cash will continue to decline to below 70 days over the next year, "depending on the timing and magnitude of FEMA grants, the ability to recover from billing interruptions, the cost to support [Beth Israel] until its closure" and the degree to which its turnaround initiatives address operational challenges. Mount Sinai pushed back its planned July 12 closure of Beth Israel because of the New York Department of Health's review of a revised closure plan. The department gave the system conditional approval on July 25 to close the hospital. The health system first announced its decision to close Beth Israel in September. Mount Sinai has cited escalating losses and chronic underutilization for its decision to close the hospital. Steve Stark, regional CEO of Orchard Hospital in Gridley, Calif., Glenn Medical Center in Willows, Calif., and Colusa (Calif.) Medical Center, was appointed CEO of Madera (Calif.) Community Hospital. Mr. Stark assumed his new role on Aug. 15, bringing more than 12 years of hospital CEO experience with him, according to a hospital news release shared with Becker's. He joins the Madera hospital as it has a reopening plan. The 106-bed acute care hospital closed in January 2023 and filed for Chapter 11 protection in March 2023. Earlier this year, a U.S. bankruptcy judge approved Modesto, Calif.-based American Advanced Management's plan to operate the hospital. The hospital also re-emerged from Chapter 11 and, in June, received the first installment of a $57 million loan award from the state's distressed hospital program to aid its reopening. With Mr. Stark's departure from his regional CEO role, Amy Micheli, DNP, from American Advanced Management will assume the role of interim hospital administrator to ensure a smooth transition, according to a hospital news release. Additionally, former Madera hospital CEO Karen Paolinelli is stepping down and will continue to support the hospital's reopening on a contract basis, Madera Community Hospital Board President Deidre da Silva said in the release. The Madera hospital expects to reopen within months, according to Matthew Beehler, chief strategy officer for Modesto, Calif.-based American Advanced Management. A job fair aiming to staff the facility is slated for later in August. Healthcare workers in three states recently approved new contracts with health systems, and employees in California, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland voted to join unions. The following hospital-union events have been reported by Becker's in July and August. Note: This is not a comprehensive list. 1. Members of United Nurses of Children's Hospital, a union affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1699, approved a three-year contract with Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego. The contract, which covers more than 1,600 nurses at Rady Children's, follows a two-day strike in July. 2. Members of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United approved a new labor contract with Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, Calif., part of the Providence system, based in Renton, Wash. The three-year deal covers more than 850 nurses. 3. Resident physicians and fellows at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, Calif., approved a new labor agreement with hospital management. The contract, ratified in early August, covers members of the Committee of Interns and Residents. 4. Members of National Nurses United at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis approved a new labor contract. The three-year agreement follows a one-day strike in September and a two-day strike in December. 5. Healthcare employees across Sharp Metropolitan Campus in San Diego voted to join SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West. The election, which took place July 16-18, covers more than 2,000 front-line workers at Sharp Memorial Hospital, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns, Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital, Sharp Allison deRose Rehabilitation Center, and James S. Brown Pavilion. 6. Healthcare professionals who work at Temple University Hospital-Jeanes Campus in Philadelphia voted to join the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals. The vote, completed July 9, covers 79 professionals including staff chaplains, nutritionists, medical technologists, physician assistants, registered pharmacists, clinical specialists, social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and cardiopulmonary therapists. 7. Nurses at Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover, Ohio, approved a new three-year labor contract. The contract covers 200 nurses represented by the Ohio Nurses Association, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. 8. Members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, who went on strike twice over the past year at the Sutter Center for Psychiatry in Sacramento, Calif., approved their first labor contract. The 18-month agreement covers about 150 workers at Sutter Health's 73-bed Sacramento psychiatric hospital. 9. Physicians at ChristianaCare locations in Delaware and Maryland voted to join the Doctors Council, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. The decision marks the first attending physician union in Delaware, the first union at ChristianaCare, and the largest union of private sector physicians in the U.S., according to the Doctors Council. For Michael Pfeffer, MD, being a standout leader requires understanding both humans and machines. Dr. Pfeffer is chief information and digital officer of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Health Care, where he oversees an IT department of nearly 1,000 employees. "A good leader in the digital/IT side of healthcare must possess a unique blend of technical understanding, strategic vision, and empathy," he told Becker's. Health IT executives must have knowledge of emerging technologies and be able to communicate to staff exactly how those platforms can transform healthcare delivery, he added. Dr. Pfeffer started his career as a hospitalist at Honolulu-based Queen's Medical Center before moving on to Los Angeles-based UCLA Health, where he worked his way up through the IT ranks, eventually serving six years as CIO. He joined Stanford in 2021. He also serves as a senior vice president at the health system and an associate dean of technology and digital solutions as well as a clinical professor of medicine at the medical school. Dr. Pfeffer continued practicing as a hospitalist after taking over as CIO at Stanford Health Care, giving him unique insights into technology's effects on providers. "What I didn't realize was the incredible impact being on the front lines using the health technology had on my ability to drive change, influence strategy, and communicate the value of health IT both within and outside the IT organization," he said. He said he also loves working with medical students and resident physicians because of their innovative ideas about healthcare technology. "Mike is amazing at getting to what drives and motivates people," said Nigam Shah, MD, PhD, chief data scientist of Stanford Health Care. "He has an amazing ability to genuinely listen, and then make suggestions that empower action. He enables people to execute in areas they feel intrinsically driven. Then magic happens." Dr. Pfeffer manages not only leaders in data science and artificial intelligence but clinical informatics, core technologies and applications, and software development. Even though he also wears clinical and academic hats, Dr. Pfeffer has the "soul of an IT guy," with an ability to connect with tech professionals at all levels of the organization, said Gary Fritz, chief of applications at Stanford Health Care. "Mike is a gifted leader," Mr. Fritz said. "As a physician, he collaborates with clinical chairs and chiefs to bridge the gap between clinical, research and educational needs with IT capabilities. Mike is also a well-respected senior leader who has close working relationships with C-suite executives and regularly consults with the board on strategic IT matters." Dr. Pfeffer said he aims to embody collaboration and transparency, with an "open-door policy" for staffers to share suggestions and concerns, as well as empowerment and trust. "I give my team the autonomy to make decisions while providing the support they need to succeed," he said. "It's important to have a team that will challenge ideas and consider solutions from diverse viewpoints that's how we achieve truly groundbreaking solutions with health equity, ethics, and value at the forefront of all we do." As a tech executive, metrics and analytics obviously drive Dr. Pfeffer's decision-making. He also plans to stay abreast of developing technologies including AI, telehealth, digital therapeutics and precision medicine. But human connection will continue to play a big role in his leadership strategy. "I like to have fun," he said. "I have the privilege of working in health IT, and healthcare in general, with such dedicated, mission-driven colleagues." Kaiser Permanente decided to embark on the largest generative AI project in healthcare to date after considerable demand from clinicians and positive feedback from patients. The Oakland, Calif.-based health system rolled out an ambient listening tool from healthcare artificial intelligence startup Abridge to providers across its 40 hospitals and over 600 medical offices Aug. 15, starting with family and internal medicine and some specialties. "This has been the fastest implementation of a technology in my over 20 years at Kaiser Permanente," Desiree Gandrup-Dupre, senior vice president of care delivery technology services at Kaiser Permanente, told Becker's. "The demand and interest from the clinicians has been driving us to launch this quickly and also make sure that we're being as efficient as we could with the right amount of quality." The health system piloted the smartphone app, which listens in on medical appointments and automatically drafts notes for the EHR, in its Washington market, where it was popular with patients and providers. Kaiser Permanente engaged over 1,000 physicians and other clinicians to evaluate the accuracy and quality of the AI-generated notes. "From an AI perspective, that quality assurance process will be something that we'll be leveraging as we look at all other tools in the future that have that type of capability built into it," Ms. Gandrup-Dupre said. The health system said the financial terms of the deal are confidential. Ms. Gandrup-Dupre said Kaiser initially looked at multiple solutions but picked Abridge based on safety, privacy and reliability and because it was a good cultural fit. Kaiser providers who used the tool reported less time spent looking at the computer and more eye contact with patients, who had high satisfaction scores during the AI-aided visits. "The clinician community was so supportive, it allowed us to go very quickly," Ms. Gandrup-Dupre said. "Everyone's excited that we've been able to make such a difference in our patient care experience." U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez granted the sale of Stewardship Health to Nashville, Tenn.-based Rural Healthcare Group, part of private equity firm Kinderhook Industries, for $245 million in cash, according to Aug. 16 court documents. "The deal that's on the table is the best one," Mr. Lopez said during an Aug. 16 bankruptcy hearing. "It's the highest and the best." Mr. Lopez's decision allows the proposed transaction to progress to a review by state and federal regulators for final approval. RGH comprises 17 clinics across the U.S. Under the sale, it will take on Stewardship, which combines Steward Health Care Network and the Steward Medical Group primary care providers with an integrated primary care network of around 5,000 employed and affiliated providers in nine states. Stewardship is also offered to Medicaid and commercial populations, according to an Aug. 12 Steward news release. During the hearing, a representative for Humana expressed concern over Rural Healthcare Group's purchase of Stewardship Health regarding its contracts. "If our contracts are rejected, which they have the right to do, we need a transitional period to ensure that we can provide and find new primary physicians, especially physicians for our membership and patients," the representative said. "As it stands, we don't believe there's any transitional plan in place to help us do that, and we're happy to continue to have discussions with [the] debtors." While Mr. Lopez acknowledged there is still some work to be done, he pointed to his availability for all involved parties should any concerns arise. "I think sometimes polarity and greater clarity may resolve some of these issues, but if not, I want parties to know that I will make myself available. They won't have to wait very long," he said. Steward attorney Ray Schrock told Mr. Lopez that they are "very close" to selling "hopefully all six" but "certainly at least five" of the health system's Massachusetts hospitals. While Steward has $30 million of committed funding from the state to help keep hospital operations afloat, a hearing is scheduled for the morning of Aug. 20 should the system need any type of emergency funding. "[It is] my sincere hope, and we are doing everything possible to avoid that outcome and get to a good outcome with the hospitals over the weekend, but just in case, [I] wanted to make sure that we had that requested," Mr. Schrock said. About two-thirds of providers recently told Premier their teams are spending more than 10 hours per week mitigating supply chain challenges and shortages. The company, which surveyed more than 100 healthcare providers and suppliers in spring 2024, found that supply shortages cost a medium-sized health system (five hospitals/650 beds) $350,000 in lost revenue every year. Here are five new shortages to know about, according to drug supply databases from the FDA and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists: Buprenorphine hydrochloride injection: There are no available presentations of the painkiller as Par Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer report backordered products. Par expects a release date of late August, and Pfizer estimates February. Dihydroergotamine mesylate injection: Two solutions are in short supply, and two drugmakers have discontinued their presentations of the migraine headache therapy. Provepharm expects supply to rebound in November, and Hikma Pharmaceuticals said it could not estimate a release date. Fluconazole injection: For the fungal infection treatment, there are seven available and two unavailable presentations. Pfizer said it could not predict a resupply date, and Sagent Pharmaceuticals estimates a release date of August. Glipizide tablet, extended release: Pfizer discontinued the Type 2 diabetes drug, the FDA said Aug. 5, and supply is expected to deplete in mid-September. Memantine hydrochloride capsule, extended release: AbbVie discontinued six presentations of Namenda XR, a drug for dementia, the FDA said Aug. 7. Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly & Co. has sent cease-and-desist letters to U.S. healthcare providers demanding an end to the promotion and sale of copycat versions of the company's Mounjaro and Zepbound GLP-1 drugs, Bloomberg reported Aug. 15. Zepbound has been approved by the FDA for weight loss; Mounjaro is approved to treat Type 2 diabetes but is prescribed off-label to treat weight loss. "Lilly sent cease-and-desist letters to a number of med-spas, wellness centers, and telehealth providers. Any entity purporting to sell these compounded products under Section 503A should stop because when FDA-approved medicines are 'commercially available' compounders cannot regularly make 'essentially a copy' of them," an Eli Lilly spokesperson Lilly told Becker's. The letters were also sent to brick-and-mortar clinics, according to Bloomberg. Section 503A of the FDA's Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act allows drug compounders to make, promote and sell copycat versions of drugs during a shortage and those versions are often less expensive. Once a shortage is resolved and the manufacturer has a "built up sufficient safety stock," compounders must stop producing the copycat drugs, an FDA spokesperson told Bloomberg. Mounjaro and Zepbound are tirzepatide injections and have been on the FDA's drug shortage list since Dec. 15, 2022, though the agency notes the drugs are currently available. The Eli Lilly spokesperson said the company is exploring all options to "protect people" from the copycat drugs, which the company calls "illegal, unsafe, untested and unproven." The company says they are calling on "state and federal regulators to do the same." Some patients are dose splitting their GLP-1 injection pens as they struggle to pay thousands of dollars for the diabetes and weight loss medications, The Atlantic reported Aug. 15. Type 2 diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, as well as weight loss medications such as Zepbound and Wegovy, can cost between $940 and $1,300 per month without insurance. Some insurers, including Medicare, don't cover weight loss drugs. For those who cannot afford the blockbuster medicines or want to mitigate side effects, they're dividing doses. Drugmakers and physicians warn against this practice, according to The Atlantic. "There's a lot of desperation that we're seeing in our practice, and people looking for all kinds of workarounds," Laura Davisson, MD, director of medical weight management at West Virginia University Health Sciences, told the news outlet. Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound are packaged in single-click, single-use pens. Ozempic pens are multi-click presentations, though, and Dr. Davisson and other physicians said administering fewer clicks than the recommended number is fairly safe. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, advises patients to not adjust doses. Read more here. Anecdotally, some physicians are getting more comfortable prescribing compounded versions of popular weight loss drugs Wegovy and Zepound, which are both in short supply, NBC News reported Aug. 16. "Not only are physicians more OK with prescribing compounded GLP-1 medications, but they are also advocating for them" amid cost and access issues, Shauna Levy, MD, an obesity medicine specialist and medical director of the Tulane Bariatric Center in New Orleans, told the news outlet. Providers at Duke Health's Hillsborough Primary Care Center in North Carolina have also begun prescribing compounded versions of GLP-1s. One physician assistant at the practice told NBC News she has prescribed 10 patients compounded versions of the anti-obesity drugs since the state's health plan dropped new coverage for weight loss drugs earlier this year. When shortages end, Durham, N.C.-based Duke will switch back to prescribing only brand-name drugs, leaders said. Drug compounding is nothing new, though it has received more attention with the rise of blockbuster weight loss drugs. During drug shortages, the FDA allows licensed compounding pharmacies to make versions that are in essence a copy of brand-name medications. Compounding pharmacists typically purchase ingredients from FDA-registered facilities that produce copies of the active ingredients in brand-name drugs. However, the FDA does not test for the safety, efficacy or quality of the compounded drugs the pharmacist does. Providers who prescribe compounded versions of the drugs should ensure they are working with pharmacies they trust, experts said. Despite the practice seemingly becoming more common, many physicians remain skeptical. "In my opinion, there are still too many unknowns about compounded versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide," Christopher McGowan, MD, a gastroenterologist who runs a weight loss clinic in North Carolina, told NBC News. "Regardless of whether a pharmacy is accredited or not, the actual compound is not monitored, regulated or tested by the FDA." In July, the FDA warned healthcare providers of dosing errors associated with compounded versions of semaglutide, saying it received reports of hospitalizations and adverse events tied to the issue. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have filed multiple lawsuits against medical spas, weight loss clinics and pharmacies, accusing them of selling illegal versions that contain "impurities." Lawmakers in Nassau County, N.Y., have enacted a law that prohibits the use of masks or facial coverings in public. While the law includes exemptions for medical reasons, critics of the ban argue it could still create health risks, USA Today reported Aug. 14. The law prohibits residents from wearing masks or facial coverings to conceal their identity in public. Masks may be permitted when worn "to protect the health or safety of the wearer," the law states. Exemptions also allow masks to be worn for religious or cultural purposes and for holiday celebrations. County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the Mask Transparency Act into law Aug. 14. The county legislature's 12 Republicans voted in favor of the ban earlier this month, while seven Democrats abstained, according to Time. Residents who violate the law may be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. County lawmakers cited heightened tension surrounding protests on the Israel-Hamas conflict as motivation for the ban. Proponents of the measure argue it will improve public safety by targeting people who seek to hide their identities while commiting crimes. The New York Civil Liberties Union has opposed the ban, noting the medical exemption only applies to individuals masking to protect their own health, versus the health of others. The group claims the ban will adversely affect people who are immunocompromised. Masks "protect people's health, especially at a time of rising COVID rates, and make it possible for people with elevated risk to participate in public life," Susan Gottehrer, Nassau County regional director of the NYCLU, said in an Aug. 14 release. Some physicians and health policy experts have also expressed skepticism over the practicality of such health exceptions, arguing it will be difficult for authorities to discern who is wearing a mask for health reasons versus to protect their identity. Legislators have done good work enforcing hospital price transparency, but quality comparison tools are still lacking, Alex Friswold, a medical student at Boston-based Harvard Medical School, and David Bernstein, MD, a resident at four Boston hospitals, wrote in an opinion piece published Aug. 14 in the Harvard Business Review. Recently, the House passed a price transparency bill focused on hospitals and pharmacies, but there are no tools or databases for patients and employers that adequately evaluate the quality of health services by system or specialty, they wrote. Currently, CMS has a tool that allows patients to search for clinicians in their area, but it does not allow patients to search by condition or subspecialty and ratings are based on the hospital the physician works at rather than the individual. Other rating systems, including third-party physician-review websites, do not provide quality measures based on clinical outcomes but rather subjective questions such as "how likely are you to recommend this physician?" Mr. Friswold and Dr. Bernstein wrote. "The absence of meaningful quality measurements is a symptom of how the U.S. health system was designed," the authors wrote. "Fee-for-service reimbursement incentivizes volume and margin, not health or the measurement of patient-centered outcomes." Mr. Friswold and Dr. Bernstein suggest three steps employers and governments can take to address the gap: 1) Incentivize the adoption of patient-centered quality measures at the condition level. This could include adopting quality measures created by the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement and providing incentives to use the measures. 2) Identify clinicians, such as surgeons, who meet a minimum volume threshold for common procedures. This would allow patients to search and compare clinicians based on their condition as well as show which physicians have the most practice with those procedures. 3) Ensure the accuracy of clinician directories. Clinician directories do not specify if physicians are reachable, accepting of their health plan, or accepting new patients. Health plan physician directories should undergo quality checks to verify accuracy and include specialists performing specific procedures based on volume data, the authors wrote. Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz both have a history of challenging major healthcare corporations, but health policy experts say it's unclear how vigorously they'd continue these efforts at the national level if elected, The Washington Post reported Aug. 16. The Democratic candidate has yet to share a formal plan on healthcare consolidation, though she did share part of her economic agenda during an Aug. 16 speech in Raleigh, N.C. The plan includes efforts to cancel medical debt for millions and cap annual out-of-pocket drug costs to $2,000 for all Americans. While serving as California's attorney general, Ms. Harris strongly opposed healthcare consolidation and prosecuted numerous industry players for alleged fraud or antitrust violations, according to The New York Times. She was among the first state attorneys general to oppose Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke's Health System's acquisition of Saltzer Medical Group and joined a federal suit blocking Anthem and Cigna's merger in 2017. "If you're a health-care conglomerate that's using its market power to raise prices, then I would be concerned," Richard Scheffler, PhD, a health economist at the University of California at Berkeley, told the Post. Mr. Walz has also taken on the pharmaceutical industry, signing legislation in 2020 to cap out-of-pocket spending on insulin in Minnesota. Despite calling out Rochester-based Mayo Clinic for acquiring and closing several small hospitals in 2017, he conceded to the health system in a legislative battle over nurse-to-patient staffing ratios last year. "These big healthcare companies are big employers and economic engines in states, so its always risky for politicians to take them on," Larry Levitt, executive vice president of health policy at the nonprofit think tank KFF, told the Post. "And honestly, they don't always win. Walz took on Mayo and blinked to some extent." More recently, UnitedHealth sued Mr. Walz's administration on Aug. 2 over legislation blocking the insurer from participating in the state's Medicaid managed care program. The White House has aggressively addressed corporate power in healthcare under President Joe Biden's leadership. Some policy experts predict the Harris-Walz ticket would go even further if elected, as they have more depth of experience, according to the Post. However, others say their commitment to this agenda may waver under pressure from major Democratic donors and industry officials, who have criticized the crackdowns. The healthcare corporations now are mega-regional players. They have huge clout. It would really take much more than a single politician," Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, told the Post. "It's going to take a broader movement in the country. Maybe we'll get there as there is a lot of pain." Former President Donald Trump's campaign did not respond to the publication's request for comment on his healthcare consolidation strategy. Read the full article here. The new Healthworks facility, to be built on Great Victoria Street, Belfast, won planning permission this week A major health facility which will cater to Belfast city centres growing population has won planning approval. Healthworks on Great Victoria Street is being developed by OConnor McCann (OCMC) to include occupational health services, pharmacies and GP practices. OCMC said the development would serve the growing inner-city population around Weavers Court, and students living between Queens University in south Belfast and Ulster University in the north of the city. The company previously acquired the Dataworks building in the Kings Hall Life Sciences Park, where Diaceutics plc and SpaMedica are based. The development will be constructed at the former Park House office block on Great Victoria Street. Belfast City Council confirmed the granting of planning permission following a meeting of the planning committee on Tuesday night. Peter Keeling, director at OCMC and the founder and former chief executive of Diaceutics, said: "Healthworks is designed to be one of the most affordable and accessible primary and specialist care centres in Northern Ireland. With planning approval now secured, we are eager to advance a project that presents a major opportunity to enhance healthcare provision in Belfast. Our vision is to meet the evolving needs of a modern urban population by offering comprehensive healthcare services in a single, accessible location. We expect strong interest from potential occupants drawn to this innovative development." OCMC said healthcare sites were rare in the city centre as there was a lack of suitable spaces which met standards for safety, quality and patient care. Letting agent CBRE NI said it expected significant interest from occupiers, now that planning permission had been secured. James Turkington, associate director at CBRE NI, said: "Healthworks represents a significant step towards the provision of a modern, purpose-built healthcare facility designed to cater to Belfasts inner-city population. The projects location close to the citys major transport hubs and the Weavers Cross development encompasses a wide catchment area which includes the city centres commercial and business core, as well as several purpose-built student housing schemes. As this exciting project moves to the next stages, we welcome inquiries from potential occupiers seeking to quickly establish a healthcare service in an area with significant footfall. We cant run those extra slots therefore the fares this Christmas will be double or triple One-way flights from Dublin to London could cost up to 500 this Christmas, Ryanair boss Michael OLeary has warned, in the latest chapter of the airlines dispute with Dublin Airport over limits on flight and passenger numbers. Mr OLeary claimed the airline and other airlines applied for extra slots for flights this Christmas but were refused by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). We run about 270,000 extra slots at Christmas time every year just to keep fares down. We cant run those extra slots therefore the fares this Christmas will be double or triple. We think the fares will be about 500 one-way, Mr OLeary said on RTEs Morning Ireland programme. Mr OLeary said he was also informed of a reduction of one million passengers at Dublin Airport next year in a letter from an Irish Aviation Authority on August 14. They have written to all the airlines at the airport and the DAA inviting us to submit proposals as to how such a reduction would be implemented in practice and to ensure that any such reduction would be optimally implemented, he said. In response to queries, the IAA said it had earlier this year conducted a stakeholder consultation on its proposals for capacity at Dublin Airport for winter 2024/5. "That consultation closed on Wednesday 24 April, and we published a final decision on capacity for the Winter 2024/5 season on 7 May, a spokesperson said, directing queries towards the report published at the time. In relation to next summer, it said it expected to publish a draft decision early next month that would be the first time the IAA will make any suggestion or proposal in relation to capacity for summer 2025. Mr OLeary labelled the IAAs response as bureaucratic waffle. The problem here is that we have a ridiculous traffic cap of 32 million passengers on the main gateway airport in Ireland. It was imposed in 2007 because there was serious concerns about road access to the airport. Those fears no longer apply. Fingal County Council dont even respect the cap because they have issued planning approval for a second runway which takes passenger numbers in Dublin Airport up to 60 million passengers, Mr OLeary said. He claimed that Irelands tourism industry was now being strangled by a defective 17-year-old road traffic concern. Mr OLeary said less than 5pc of passengers used public transport to access Dublin Airport in 2007, which he said had now risen to over 25pc. There is no problem for traffic accessing to and from Dublin Airport. We have opened a second runway, which doubles the capacity of Dublin Airport. Airlines all over Europe, including Aer Lingus, American Airways and Ryanair want to add new routes to our main gateway to this island, he said. The Ryanair chief executive said: We have an incompetent Transport Minister who wont lift a finger to remove this defective 17-year-old traffic cap. A spokesperson for Mr Ryan has previously said it is a planning matter and the Transport Minister cannot interfere in the planning process. Mr OLeary described Mr Ryan as an abject failure in his four or five years as a Transport Minister, adding that the minister had previously written to An Bord Pleanala setting out Government policy in relation to the Shannon LNG. He doesnt want to touch aviation Dublin is the second most congested city in the world for traffic, the Ryanair boss said. Mr OLeary said that Dublin Airport had already applied to Fingal County Council to remove the restriction however the process, which he believes will be removed, would take three to four years. When asked why Mr Ryan, who is also the Environment Minister, would increase carbon emission through additional flights, Mr OLeary said he is the minister for transport, not the minister for the environment. Mr Ryan is Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment and Communications. Mr OLeary said Mr Ryan was the minister who opened the second runway, however he wont lift a finger to allow us to use the second runway. We would have added another three aircraft and another million passengers if there was no restrictions at the airport, Mr OLeary said. He said there was capacity at Dublin Airport for 50 to 60 million passengers per year, adding that 50pc of traffic was inbound and would bolster the economy. Why is Ireland building this extra infrastructure if we cant use it? Mr OLeary added. In response to a query from the Irish Independent, the IAA said it had made no suggestion to reduce summer traffic in 2025. "The coordination committee at Dublin Airport provides advice to the IAA on the slot coordination parameters to be declared for each season. The committee consists of DAA (chair), Ryanair, Aer Lingus, AirNav Ireland and other airlines using the airport, it said. "We are aware that at a coordination committee meeting on 8 August DAA outlined a proposed seat cap of 25.2m seats for Summer 2025. "At the end of August, the coordination committee will finalise its advice for the IAA on this proposal, and on the other coordination parameters for Summer 2025. The IAA will consider this advice and expects to then publish a draft decision in early September, which will be the first time that the IAA will make any suggestion or proposal in relation to capacity for Summer 2025. Regarding slot allocation and decisions, the IAA said as required by the EU Slot Regulation, the IAA has appointed a company Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) to act as the independent slot coordinator at Dublin Airport. "The availability of slots in the coordination process is based on specific capacity parameters as set by the IAA, such as runway capacity, parking stands, passenger processing capacity, etc, it said. "Slots can be allocated to requesting airlines if there is available capacity within the parameters. Movies about entities from beyond the stars have dazzled audiences for decades and today sees the long-awaited return of the biggest and best extraterrestrial-based franchise of them all Alien (sorry, Predator fans). First hitting screens in 1979, this iconic series has shocked and awed millions and, along the way, given birth to a myriad of imitators. Alien: Romulus, the seventh movie in the franchise, marks the start of a bold new era and fans are as excited as a Facehugger spotting a fresh new batch of humans to feast on. To celebrate the resurrection of the Xenomorphs, we recommend you pop open a bag of Space Raiders, put on that song by Babylon Zoo and check out these eight movies that every sci-fi lover simply must see. Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine and David Jonsson as Andy in Alien: Romulus (Picture: 20th Century Studios/Murray Close) Under The Skin (2013) Loosely based on Michel Fabers 2000 novel of the same name, this seductive slow-burn tells the tale of a mysterious, vampire-esque creature, played by Scarlett Johansson, who stalks the streets of Glasgow late at night searching for men. Why does she want a bunch of pie-eyed, bevvied-up blokes, you ask? Well, I wont spoil it for you, but lets just say she isnt taking them to the chippie for a pastie bap and a chat about Love Island. Featuring a cast made up of mostly non-actors, Under The Skin is a bleak but beautiful movie about self-discovery, alienation and absolutely terrifying extraterrestrials. Pro tip: if a Scarlett lookalike asks if you fancy a lift? in her van after youve stumbled out of the pub, run in the opposite direction. Grabbers (2012) Ever wondered what an alien invasion would look like closer to home? Well, ponder no more, as sci-fi comedy Grabbers shows you just that. When something sinister arrives on the shores of Erin Island, two chalk-and-cheese cops must team up to protect the locals from the giant, bloodsucking, tentacled aliens that prey upon them. Their only weapon, they discover, is booze, and if they want to survive the invaders onslaught, everyone has to get absolutely hammered. Starring Derrys Bronagh Gallagher and Newrys David Pearse, the rib-tickling Grabbers gives new meaning to the phrase last orders. Species (1995) Featuring some trademark eye-popping designs courtesy of German artist HR Giger (best known for his work creating the creatures in the Alien franchise), Species is a deliciously cheesy slice of 1990s sci-fi thats served with a chunk of tongue-in-cheek. When a US government-backed project, called the Search For Extra Terrestrial Intelligence, intercepts a transmission detailing alien DNA structure, along with a handy set of instructions on how to splice it with human DNA, the assembled scientists decide to do as theyre told and create a hybrid called Sil, played by Natasha Henstridge. Proving that the more you learn the more you dont know, at one point head boffin Ben Kingsley famously says, We decided to make it female so it would be more controllable and docile, while he surveyed the now-escaped and rampaging Sils wake of destruction. Its believed that the scene caused so many face-palms when Species was first screened in cinemas that it made buildings shake. Also starring heavy-hitters such as Forest Whitaker, Alfred Molina, Michelle Williams and Michael Madsen, Species is a fun addition to the Good For Her subgenre. The Thing (1982) The Thing No list of alien movies would be complete without mentioning arguably the greatest of them all. Based on the novella Who Goes There? and the 1951 B-movie The Thing From Another World, director John Carpenter pulled off the unthinkable when he created a remake that was actually better than the original. Set in Antarctica, the movie centres around a group of research scientists who adopt a dog who is much more than he seems. Starring a magnificently maned Kurt Russell, and boasting some still stunning and wildly inventive special effects, The Thing was a box-office flop when it was first screened but found its audience on the then-fledgling home video market and has since become a bona fide classic. Chilling and thrilling, the films blend of Agatha Christie-style whodunnit and boke-inducing creatures continues to capture new audiences with each passing generation. The Mary Elizabeth Winstead-led 2011 prequel (also imaginatively dubbed The Thing) is well worth a watch too. Psycho Goreman (2020) This unhinged oddity is recommended for those of you who reckon they dont make them like that any more. Released in 2020, Psycho Goreman is about a brother and sister who unwittingly resurrect an ancient extraterrestrial overlord who ends up being part of the family. Written and directed by Steve Kostanski, this hilarious hybrid of sci-fi, horror and comedy is a crowd-pleasing homage to 1980s classics like Monster Squad and Critters. Featuring some incredible practical effects and creatures, as well as plenty of fights and frights, the irreverent Psycho Goreman is a ridiculously quotable romp that teaches us that not only do genocidal aliens have hearts, but they quite like hunky boys too (watch it and see). Sadly lost in the shuffle due to pandemic lockdown, this movie has since gathered a cult following and were keeping our tentacles crossed for a sequel. Possession (1981) Banned for nearly two decades (along with many other video nasties of the era), this unforgettable movies viewers often categorise their existence in two ways: life before Possession and life post-Possession. Starring Isabelle Adjani, who won a Best Actress award at Cannes for her show-stopping performance, and Omaghs own Sam Neill, Possession, without ruining the movies many bizarre twists and turns, is about a woman, who has an affair, and her husband, who completely falls to pieces, metaphorically and literally. A defiantly Marmite movie about body horror, divorce and much more, Possession is a sometimes misunderstood monster crammed with deliberately OTT performances and scenes that will scar you for life. Its enigmatic, uncompromising and multi-layered; youll have to watch it for yourself (if youre brave enough) to find out how this ties into the aliens subgenre. The Faculty (1998) Elijah Wood, Clea DuVall, Shawn Hatosy, Josh Hartnett and Laura Harris in The Faculty (Photo by Buena Vista/Getty Images) This often overlooked 1990s gem from director Robert Rodriguez is a classic. Fusing the paranoia of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers with the savvy sarcasm of Scream, The Faculty should have been a box-office smash but was sadly hobbled by Hollywood execs who decided to release it in cinemas on Christmas Day. Featuring an all-star cast, including Josh Hartnett and Elijah Wood, this gleefully gory movie is for those of you who thought your school teachers were from another planet The Fourth Kind (2009) Taking influences from the likes of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, this 2000s chiller claims to be a dramatic re-enactment of true events that occurred in Nome, Alaska. Milla Jovovich, who was recently seen hanging out in Newry (yes, really!), stars as Abbey Tyler, a psychologist who uses hypnosis to uncover memories of alien abduction from her patients and ultimately finds out that some things are best left hidden. Well worth a watch if youre a found-footage fan, The Fourth Kind is a wonderfully creepy space oddity. Alien: Romulus (Picture: 20th Century Studios) Alien: Romulus opens in cinemas on Friday, August 16 Greg Kihn, a rock and roll musician best known for his 80s hit songs Jeopardy and The Breakup Song, has died aged 75. Kihn died of Alzheimers disease on Tuesday, his management team said in a statement posted on Kihns website. Born July 10, 1949, in Baltimore, Kihn moved to the San Francisco area in the 1970s and was signed to Beserkley Records. With a songwriting style that blended folk, classic rock, blues and pop, his Greg Kihn Band had their first hit with The Breakup Song, released in 1981. In 1983, Jeopardy rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart behind Michael Jacksons Beat It. The song was also seen and heard regularly in the early years of MTV. 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 Kihns albums often carried entertaining titles that played off his name, from RocKihnRoll and Kihntinued to Kihntagious and Citizen Kihn. Martha Quinn, an original MTV VJ, paid tribute to him on Thursday on social media, saying: My condolences go out to his loved ones, and thank you Greg for the Rock KIHN Roll. Weird Al Yankovic did a parody of Jeopardy in the 80s called I Lost On Jeopardy. Kihn said that he loved it and that it gave his song more of an afterlife than it might otherwise have had, Variety reported. It was a brilliant parody, Kihn said. He invited me to appear in his video, and I had a ball. Kihn was also a longtime DJ starting in the mid-1990s for KUFX radio in the San Francisco Bay Area and was a nationally syndicated night-time radio host. He also wrote novels and short stories. On his birthday in July, Kihn posted on his Facebook page, addressing his fans as Kihnfolk, thanking them for the birthday wishes and apologising for not posting an update for nearly a year. After so many years of touring as well as doing radio shows its finally time I get to chill out, he said. Thank you to each and every one of you for all your love and support now and over the years. Rock on! AC/DC play Croke Park on August 17 as the final show on their European tour. Pic: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images The legendary AC/DC bring the final show of their Power Up European Tour to Dublins Croke Park this Saturday. It will bring the curtain down on the bands first tour in Europe for eight years, playing 21 dates across Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, England, Slovakia, Belgium and France. AC/DC played their very first show on December 31, 1973 at Chequers Nightclub in Sydney, Australia, going on to sell over 200 million albums worldwide. The band now features original member Angus Young, alongside Brian Johnson, Stevie Young and Matt Laug. Heres all you need to know about the upcoming gig. Are there any tickets left? There are a limited number of tickets available at Ticketmaster.ie. Who is the opening act? American rock band The Pretty Reckless will open. Members include lead vocalist Taylor Momsen [aka Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl], Ben Phillips, Mark Damon and Jamie Perkins, and the band have been warming up crowds throughout the Power Up tour. When does the venue open? Gates open for Croke Park at 5pm. The Pretty Reckless will be on stage by around 7pm, before AC/DC take to the stage. Angus Young of AC/DC Can under-16s go? Under-16s need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. What songs will they perform? Here is the bands setlist from their recent show in Belgium. If You Want Blood (Youve Got It) Back in Black Demon Fire Shot Down in Flames Thunderstruck Have a Drink on Me Hells Bells Shot in the Dark Stiff Upper Lip Shoot to Thrill Sin City Rockn Roll Train Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap High Voltage Riff Raff Highway to Hell Whole Lotta Rosie Let There Be Rock Encore: T.N.T. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) How do I get to Croke Park? A number of bus and rail options all bring you within walking distance of Croker. Train/Dart: Alight at Connolly Station or Drumcondra. Full details at www.irishrail.ie Bus: Dublin Bus routes nearest the venue include 1, 6, 7(a), 11, 13, 15, 16, 27(a/b), 33, 40(b/d/e), 41(b/c/d), 42, 43, 44, 53a, 122, 123, 130, H1, H2, H3. Car: There is parking at the venue. Gig goers are advised to use city centre car parks or take public transport. OConnell Street is a 15- to 20-minute walk to the stadium. Once you get to the venue, follow the colour route listed on your ticket. Harry Holland (left) was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver near his home in west Belfast after being attacked by a group of teenagers, led by Stephen McKee (right), on September 11, 2007 The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) has confirmed it is working with Belfast Zoo after a trainee was locked in with lions. The Belfast Telegraph previously reported that a probe has been launched after an individual believed to be on a training programme was left unattended in the enclosure. A spokesperson for BIAZA, which represents the best zoos and aquariums in the world, said it is aware of the incident which happened earlier this month. The zoo has informed BIAZA that Belfast City Council, which owns and operates the zoo, is undertaking an investigation, they added. BIAZA will be working closely with the zoo throughout this process but cannot offer further details as this is a live investigation. The professional body is a member of both the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). It collaborates with its members to further conservation science, natural history and environmental education and animal welfare around the world. According to a source familiar with details of the incident the person involved was initially in the enclosure alongside a member of staff. The lions were originally kept in their den while (the individual) was in the enclosure with a more experienced staff member, they told this newspaper. They said that the experienced employee then left the paddock. The gate was locked and the animals were free to move around meaning the person was locked in with the lions with nowhere to go. Belfast Zoo is home to a pride of Barbary lions which includes one male lion named Qays and two females, Fidda and Theibba. The breed is one of the largest sub-species and is extinct in the wild. This big cat measures one metre in height at the shoulder and up to three and a half metres in length, the zoos website states. Average weight can be up to 230 kilograms. Belfast City Council, which owns the facility, previously confirmed a probe is under way. Council is aware of an incident at the lion enclosure at Belfast Zoo earlier this month, a spokesperson said. We take the safety of all our staff, visitors and animals very seriously, and an investigation is under way into the circumstances of this incident. We cannot comment further while this is ongoing. Belfast Zoo participates in the Department for Communities JobStart Scheme which is designed to allow unemployed 50 to 64-year-olds a chance to gain skills and experience in the workplace. It also runs a number of apprenticeship programmes it is understood the person involved was participating in one of these initiatives. Deputy UUP leader Robbie Butler and Independent MLA Claire Sugden were among those to express concern following the incident. They both pointed out that the safety of the individual involved and the welfare of the lions were put at risk. Police said the two incidents in Larne are being treated as potentially linked (Niall Carson/PA) Shots were fired at a house and a car was set alight in overnight attacks in Larne, according to police. Officers said they received a report shortly before 12.30am that a number of shots had been fired at a house in the St Johns Place area. Just over half an hour later at 1.05am, a car had been set alight in the nearby Hampton Crescent area. Police said the action resulted in five people being trapped inside the property. The two incidents are being investigated as potentially linked. 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 A police spokesperson said: Officers along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service attended and the occupants were evacuated safely. It is believed that windows on the vehicle had been smashed and a petrol bomb had been thrown inside. This is being treated as arson with intent to endanger life and inquiries are ongoing. They appealed for anyone with any information on either incident to contact police on 101 quoting reference 26 of August 16. The front windows of a house in Lindsay Way were smashed in the attack on Wednesday night (Pacemaker) A Syrian man living in Northern Ireland has said he fears for his life after bricks were thrown through his front window. Abdullah al-Masri fled his war-torn home for Belfast two years ago and now lives alone near Sandy Row. His home was attacked on Wednesday evening in what the PSNI is treating as a racially motivated hate crime. Abdullah told this newspaper he was still in shock. My windows were smashed with stones, my TV was broken and my phone was damaged as well, he said, speaking through a translator. I rang the police and they came to my house. Now an investigation is ongoing. While Abdullah avoided injury in the attack, he is still struggling to come to terms with it. His window was put in a week after Belfast was gripped by race-hate riots following protests across the UK in response to the murders of three children in Southport, Merseyside. The PSNI has arrested 39 people, and charged 30, over the violence, which was condemned by politicians. Abdullah said: I feel like I have no safety. I am now in a state of severe shock and I cannot accept that this [happened] to my house. I am worried they will come again and kill me in my bed. I am so scared. I am just in shock. I love Irish people and I dont want [racist] attacks. Ive heard people say things about me that are not true. I have lived here for two years. I had problems in Syria and a very stressful situation. Thats why I [came to Belfast]. Among the politicians condemning the attack on the property was SDLP councillor Gary McKeown. He said: Im disgusted that, once again, we are hearing news of a racist attack. After a few days of relative calm in our city, its deeply disappointing to see another racist attack on a home in south Belfast. Last week our city sent a message, loud and clear, rejecting racism and hate, with thousands taking to the street to show solidarity with those impacted by the disorder and racist attacks. Mr McKeown said many migrants and people from ethnic minority backgrounds were living in fear. He continued: Far too many members of our community are terrified after what has happened recently and the pattern of intimidation that has been going on for years. The PSNI said: Luckily, the resident who was inside [the house] at the time was not injured but has been left shaken by their ordeal. This type of act is unacceptable, and we are treating this as a racially motivated hate crime. Separately, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced that 131 hate-crime incidents had been reported to the Housing Executive in the last year, with 22 in the first week of this month alone. Edwin Poots has stressed that those who dont want unionism to adapt could contribute to Northern Ireland losing its place in the UK. Speaking to the BBCs Red Lines podcast, the South Belfast DUP MLA discussed everything from his childhood to his ousting as party leader after just 21 days in 2021. Andra Calauz (front left) with her children, who all live in Houben House, Irelands largest family homelessness hub which is run by the Salvation Army in Dublins Harolds Cross and houses 62 families, including 350 parents and children (Salvation Army/PA) There have been calls to overhaul the Governments housing policy to help keep children out of homelessness. Erene Williamson, head of Homeless Services for Ireland with the Salvation Army, said the root cause of family homelessness is due to a rise in the cost of living along with lack of social and affordable housing. Ms William was speaking at an event to officially open Houben House in south Dublin, a facility run by The Salvation Army which accommodates 350 people. Childrens Ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon during the official opening of Houben House, Irelands largest family homelessness hub which is run by the Salvation Army (Gareth Chaney/PA) Houben House, which first opened its doors in June 2020, started with four units which had grown to 62 units by the end of last year. Ms Williamson said that families living at the hub are from all different types of backgrounds with diverse needs. She added: I think we need a real systemic approach, a real overhaul to housing policy in Dublin, because ultimately, what we need is for Government to be providing more affordable and really appropriate homes for people to live in. Generally, were finding the root cause of family homelessness is due to the increased cost of living, the lack of social and affordable housing, and thats why theyre having to stay in this emergency accommodation in the interim. They come to us from all different backgrounds and with very diverse needs as well. We do face a little bit of a blockage in the system. That said, we do have families that move on from here, perhaps not at the rate that you would expect it to be, or want it to be, but there is still a move on. Our staff work very hard with local housing agencies, landlords, local councils to try and support families to move on in an area that is suitable for them, because we obviously want them to remain within their network of support, particularly with children in schools. We dont want to have that traumatic change of having to move to a different community. There is a bit of a blockage in this service, we cater for large families, and that is generally where the main blockage is, is trying to find appropriate and large enough homes for families that are beyond three or four people. 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 Andra Calauz, her husband and their seven children have been living at the facility for four years. The 27-year-old had been living in a house in Finglas but had to move out of the property. Ms Calauz, who is from Romania, said she feels like her familys life is on hold and that she cannot plan for their future. She has lived in Ireland for around 10 years. She said: When I first got here, I felt upset as I had to move out of our home and move into one room. Now, we are happy here and my children are happy here. But for me, its a little bit hard because we have to share a kitchen and keep all my things separate so cooking is hard. Its hard to live in one room because I have a new baby and if she cries, my children wake up in all the hours. The staff here are lovely and very nice and it has helped me. I like here, but I want a home to live in. I cant stay here much longer. We are on a waiting list for a house, but Im told that its hard to get a house as I have more children. Im told Ive to keep waiting. I want to stay here (in Ireland) and want to have a good life. My girls have friends here and are settled and happy. Dr Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children, said the Government has broken its promises on delivering social housing, which has had a huge impact on children and families becoming homeless. He said: Over the last 10 years, we have had promises from the various different governments. Back in 2016, there was a promise at that stage that by 2021 we would 47,000 social housing units in place. We are nowhere near that. We were also promised at that stage that there would be much more mixed and integrated developments so that social housing would be part of every community. That hasnt happened either. We are really looking at a situation where children are facing a traumatic experience of homelessness through the failures of successive governments to reach their own targets, targets that they said they could make and fund and targets they said they could plan for. They are consistently failing and that leaves children with real traumatic experience in their life. In 2018, Leo Varadkar said that the first five years of a childs life is crucial for their development and theres children in this family hub who have been here for four years and it really interferes with how they develop, how they grow, how they experience themselves and their developmental milestones, their physical health, their education. Everything is interfered with. Its difficult to come back from that, its not impossible, but what we are seeing is the traumatic breach of their rights which is leading to long-term implications. Priest (52) recovering in hospital after attack late last nightBoy (17) arrested in relation to attackGardai investigating if attack had terrorism motivation A car wrapped in plastic at the scene at Renmore Barracks in County Galway, after an army chaplain (Fr Paul Murphy, inset) was stabbed on Thursday evening. (Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire) Gardai are trying to establish if there was a terror link to an attack on an army chaplain who was stabbed outside a barracks in Co Galway last night. The 52-year-old priest, Fr Paul F Murphy, suffered a number of serious but non-life threatening injuries to his arms in the incident, which happened outside Renmore Barracks shortly before 11pm last night. Speaking from hospital, where he is recovering, Fr Murphy said he is awaiting surgery and reassured his parish and friends that he was okay. A 16-year-old Irish boy has been arrested in relation to the attack and he is currently being questioned at a garda station in Galway. His period of detention has recently been extended. Gardai are investigating whether the teenager may have made comments at the scene of the stabbing about Irish military involvement in the Middle East before he was brought away by officers. Gardai say the Special Detective Unit is involved in the investigation and one line of inquiry is to establish if the attack was motivated by reasons of terrorism. It is understood the chaplain, who was in plain clothes, was in his car at the gate of the barracks and rolled down the window when the teenager approached and began stabbing him with a knife through the window. Immediately following the attack, a member of the Defence Forces fired a number of warning shots in an attempt to prevent the suspect from inflicting further injury on the chaplain. Up to three Defence Forces personnel then managed to wrestle the suspect to the ground and detain him before the garda armed support unit arrived at the scene. Appropriate force protection measures were used in this incident, a source told the Irish Independent. Sources say gardai are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident. 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 Fr Murphy has worked for the Irish Defence Forces for a significant number of years and has served on a number of overseas missions. In a statement on social media, Fr Murphy said: "Friends, thank you for your prayers, love, and concern. Sorry that I can't reply to all messages and take all the calls coming my way. I'm doing okay; just awaiting surgery. All will be well. The attack has caused huge shock according to army sources as the chaplain is very highly regarded and well known within the organisation. In a statement, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: A Garda investigation is ongoing into a serious attack on a member of the Defence Forces at Dun Ui Mhaoiliosa, Renmore in Galway last night. "A serious line of inquiry is being pursued and at this time it is important to allow gardai to work to establish all the facts. "I have also spoken to the Tanaiste and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin, on the quick action of Defence Forces personnel who intervened during the attack. "My thoughts remain with Defence Forces Chaplin, Fr Paul Murphy, and on behalf of the government I wish him a speedy recovery and want to thank the officers of the gardai and Defence Forces for their response. The Tanaiste condemned the attack. In a statement posted online, Mr Martin said: I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night, the Fianna Fail leader said on X. I commend the members of the Defence Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical. Our thoughts are with the Defence Forces member injured in the attack. Fr Paul F Murphy Bishop of Galway Michael Duignan said: "News of the assault on a Catholic priest, who is presently serving as Chaplain to the Irish Defence Forces in Galway, is deeply shocking and upsetting. "I pray for the injured man, asking God that he would make a full recovery. I pray too for his family, for his army colleagues and for the medical personnel who are tending to his injuries at this time." Bishop of Waterford Alphonsus Cullinan said: First and foremost, I unequivocally condemn this act of violence. Such behaviour is unacceptable in any form and goes against the very tenets of our faith, which teaches us to love one another and to seek peace. "Violence begets violence, and we must strive for understanding and compassion rather than resorting to harm. Our priest, who has dedicated his life to serving God and our community, is now facing an unimaginable ordeal. We are praying for his swift recovery and healing - both physically and spiritually. "The Church stands firmly behind him during this challenging time. I urge all members of our congregation to keep him in their thoughts and prayers as he navigates through this painful experience, Fr Cullinan added. In an update this afternoon, gardai stated: An Garda Siochana continue to investigate all the circumstances of the incident. "The Special Detective Unit of An Garda Siochana is involved in this investigation. One line of inquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation. The suspect remains in detention and is being questioned in a Garda station in the North Western region. Their period of detection has recently been extended. An Garda Siochana wishes to reassure the public that at this time it is not believed this incident is part of a wider conspiracy. A thorough investigation is underway and all relevant Bureaux have been engaged and are active in progressing this investigation. The Garda Commissioner has spoken to the Defence Forces Chief of Staff and wishes the injured Defence Forces member a full and speedy recovery. The Defence Forces also gave some details of the incident in a statement. The Defence Forces can confirm that an incident occurred last night at Dun Ui Mhaoiliosa, Renmore, Co Galway, where shots were fired by on-duty personnel, a spokesperson said. "This action was taken in strict accordance with established force protection protocols after a Defence Forces Chaplain was stabbed by a male civilian while awaiting entry to the barracks. Upon witnessing the assault, the soldiers on duty responded swiftly and appropriately to the immediate threat, using necessary force to ensure the safety of all personnel and to secure the area. This included the firing of live ammunition as Warning Shots. "The assailant was promptly detained and handed over to An Garda Siochana upon their arrival, and a full investigation into the incident is now being conducted by An Garda Siochana. The injured Defence Forces member received immediate first aid from Defence Forces personnel on duty before being transported to hospital for further treatment. We are relieved to report that while the victims injuries are serious, they are not life-threatening. Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, extended his best wishes to the chaplain. Our thoughts are with our injured comrade, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery. The well-being of our personnel is our utmost priority, and we will continue to support him during this time, he said. He also commended the actions of the soldiers on duty. The swift and decisive response by our personnel last night was exemplary, and in keeping with the highest standards of the Defence Forces and our values. "Their professionalism ensured that a dangerous situation was quickly brought under control, protecting the lives of others in the vicinity. There is no doubt that their actions were critical in preventing further harm or loss of life. He added: We are grateful to An Garda Siochana for their rapid response and ongoing assistance in the investigation. We will continue to co-operate fully with their efforts to bring this matter to a thorough and just conclusion. The spokesperson added: The Defence Forces remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of all its members and will continue to act in accordance with our duty to protect those under our care. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has condemned the widespread rampage of Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank (Lucy North/PA) Foreign Secretary David Lammy has condemned the widespread rampage of Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. On Thursday night settlers rioted in the village of Jit, near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, killing one Palestinian and badly injuring others, according to Palestinian health officials. Residents interviewed by The Associated Press said at least a hundred masked settlers entered the village, shot live ammunition, burned homes and cars and damaged water tankers. Footage online showed fire ravaging the small village, which Palestinian residents said was left without military assistance for two hours. In a rare condemnation of settler violence, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he took the riots seriously and that Israelis who carried out criminal acts would be prosecuted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves 10 Downing Street, London, following a meeting with the then prime minister Rishi Sunak (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Lammy, who is currently on a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Occupied Territories (OPT) alongside the French foreign minister, said the behaviour of the Israeli settlers is abhorrent. He said: The scenes overnight of the burning and the torching of buildings, of the Molotov cocktails thrown at cars, of the widespread rampage and chasing of people from their homes is abhorrent and I condemn it in the strongest of terms. Prime minister Netanyahu has said that there will be a swift investigation. I hope that that investigation can ensure that those who have engaged in this settler violence over the course of the last 24 hours are brought to justice. Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, violence has flared in the occupied territory, with Palestinian health officials stating 633 Palestinians, including 147 children and teenagers, have been killed by Israeli fire and more than 5,400 injured. Many have been killed during Israeli military raids into Palestinian cities and towns, but settlers have killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, and injured 234 people, according to AIDA, a coalition of non-profit and other groups working in the territory. The most recent bout of settler violence comes as officials from the US, Qatar and Egypt met with an Israeli delegation in Qatar to secure a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Gaza war. People take part in a Nakba 76 pro-Palestine demonstration and march in London to mark the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948, referred to as the Nakba (Aaron Chown/PA) Hamas representatives did not attend negotiations on Thursday after accusing Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support. Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas who had been leading ceasefire negotiations for the terrorist group, was assassinated in an airstrike in the Iranian capital of Tehran at the end of July. Mediating parties have been attempting to secure an agreement for a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release a number of hostages captured in the October 7 attack in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. On the negotiations, Mr Lammy said: I am pleased that the reports out of Qatar suggest that the first day of hostage talks has gone well and that it has been important to listen to ministers here in Israel and hear too from them that they hope that we are on the cusp of a deal. This is war and a crisis that has taken so many lives across the region and that of course began with the most horrific of events on October 7. But as we head now to 315 days of war, the time for a deal for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza, and for the fighting to stop is now. And of course, that is the message that we have jointly underlined to ministers today both in Israel and of course in the occupied territories. Gazas health ministry has said more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israels offensive, which has also wounded 92,401 people and displaced more than 85% of the population from their homes. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has condemned the widespread rampage of Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank (Jonathan Brady/PA) Escalating tensions have raised fears of all-out war in the region as fire is regularly exchanged between Lebanon-backed Hezbollah and the Israeli military. Israeli forces have regularly targeted mosques, schools, hospitals and cemeteries in Gaza where it claims fighters or tunnels are located, often causing civilian casualties. The fighting has also killed 329 Israeli soldiers. Matthew Perry: Two doctors are among five people charged over the actors ketamine-related death (Ian West/PA) Matthew Perrys live-in assistant, two doctors and a woman dubbed the ketamine queen are among five people charged following an investigation into the actors death. The investigation unearthed a broad underground criminal network of people who took advantage of the Friends star after he fell back into addiction in autumn last year, US attorney Martin Estrada told a press briefing in Los Angeles. He said Perry had been seeking treatment for depression and anxiety when he became addicted to intravenous ketamine, turning to unscrupulous doctors who saw Perry as a way to make quick money. According to the indictment, Salvador Plasencia is said to have conspired with fellow doctor Mark Chavez to supply the actor with large amounts of ketamine, writing in a message: I wonder how much this moron will pay and lets find out. Plasencia allegedly used Perrys live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa to distribute approximately 20 vials of ketamine to the actor over a two-month period from September to October 2023 in exchange for 55,000 dollars (43,000). Perry, who played Chandler Bing in hit US sitcom Friends, died aged 54 from the acute effects of ketamine on October 28 last year after receiving several injections from Iwamasa. Iwamasa, 59, of Toluca Lake, pleaded guilty on August 7 to conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death admitting to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training. Plasencia, who is charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two charges related to allegations he falsified documents during the investigation into Perrys death, pleaded not guilty during a court appearance. 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 His lawyer Stefan Sacks asked the judge if the doctor would be allowed to continue to operate the clinic he owns, given he had already surrendered his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) licence to prescribe controlled substances. Prosecutor Ian Yanniello claimed it would be inappropriate given Plasencia had essentially acted as a street corner drug dealer, Mr Sacks arguing the case was unique. Magistrate Judge Alka Sagar ruled a notice must be placed at the doctors clinic and patients must sign a form consenting to receiving medical treatment given the charges against him. The judge set the next court appearance as October 8 before wishing Plasencia good luck, to which he responded: Thank you so much, I appreciate that. Plasencia can be released after posting a 100,000 dollar (78,000) bond. During the last few weeks of his life, Matthew Perry turned to street dealer Erik Fleming to source ketamine (Ian West/PA) The judge denied bond for Jasveen Sangha an alleged drug dealer named by authorities as the ketamine queen. Mr Estrada said Sangha allegedly sold approximately 50 vials of ketamine to Perry for 11,000 dollars (8,553) in cash. During the last few weeks of his life, Perry turned to street dealer Erik Fleming who is said to have sourced ketamine from 41-year-old Ms Sangha, of North Hollywood. Fleming, 54, of Hawthorne, pleaded guilty on August 8 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death. The ketamine supplied by Sangha would ultimately be the dose that took Matthew Perrys life, Ms Milgram told the briefing. Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox and David Schwimmer in Friends (Landmark Media/Alamy) Sangha pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. The judge ruled she should remain in custody, noting the prosecutors concerns over destroying evidence and her dual citizenship which could provide an opportunity to flee. Sangha is set to appear in court on October 15. Mr Estrada said Plasencia is facing a maximum sentence of 120 years in federal prison, while Sangha is facing life imprisonment. The office for the US Attorney also confirmed that San Diego physician Chavez, 54, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, admitting he sold the drug to Plasencia having obtained it fraudulently. During a press briefing, DEA administrator Anne Milgram said Chavez charged Perry 2,000 dollars (1,500) for a vial that cost him approximately 12 dollars (9). Ketamine is a sedative that can be used as a recreational drug, as well as to treat depression and pain management. A medical examiner said Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety with his last-known treatment one-and-a-half weeks prior to his death. The ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy, the report said. Perry was open about his battle with substance abuse and addiction, setting up a sober living facility for men with similar issues. Following his death, a foundation was set up in his name to help those struggling with addiction. Lord David Neuberger during a news conference at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London in May 2011 (Lefteris Pitarakis/AP) A British judge who was part of a Hong Kong court panel that unanimously dismissed an appeal from imprisoned prominent publisher Jimmy Lai and six former pro-democracy legislators has quit his position on an advisory board to an international media freedom group because of concerns over his role on the citys top court. Lord David Neuberger, a non-permanent overseas judge on Hong Kongs highest court, announced his decision to step down as chairman of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom in a statement dated Wednesday. The panel advises the Media Freedom Coalition, a partnership of countries that advocates for media freedom. Lord Neuberger, also a former president of the Supreme Court in the UK, said he had raised the possibility of leaving the advisory panel some months ago because he had been in the post for nearly five years and there were concerns raised about his role in Hong Kong. I have now concluded that I should go now, because it is undesirable that focus on my position as a non-permanent judge in Hong Kong should take away, or distract, from the critical and impactful work of the High Level Panel, he said. He did not specify what the concerns were in his statement. Hong Kong, a former British colony, is a common law jurisdiction, unlike mainland China. Since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, non-permanent overseas judges have continued to serve on the citys top court. Lord Neubergers announcement came days after he and four other judges at the court ruled against an appeal brought by Lai and the six former pro-democracy legislators over their convictions linked to their roles in one of the biggest anti-government protests in 2019. That ruling has drawn criticism of Lord Neuberger from activists and Hong Kongs last British governor, Lord Chris Patten. The British media outlet The Independent also ran two critical articles about the judge and the ruling. In a statement on Tuesday, Lord Neuberger insisted his role as a judge in Hong Kong is to decide cases that come before him according to the law. The Hong Kong government also condemned Lord Pattens wanton personal vilifications of Lord Neuberger a day later. Lord Patten (Kirsty OConnor/PA) On Thursday, the media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said Lord Neubergers resignation was necessary to protect the independence and integrity of the High Level Panel. Its director of campaigns, Rebecca Vincent, said it has been disappointed by Lord Neubergers continued involvement with the Hong Kong courts during an unprecedented decline in media freedom and rule of law in the city. Ms Vincent is also a member of the consultative committee to the High Level Panel. After Beijing imposed a national security law on the territory in 2020, Hong Kongs media landscape underwent drastic changes. Apple Daily and Stand News, media outlets known for critical reporting about the government, were forced to close in 2021 following the arrests of their top management. The Hong Kong government insists that the security law brought back stability to the city and that its people still enjoy press freedoms. In June, two other British non-permanent judges resigned from the top court. One of the judges, Lord Jonathan Sumption, said he stepped down because rule of law in the city is in grave danger and judges operate in an impossible political environment created by China. The other, Lord Lawrence Collins, said his resignation was because of the political situation in Hong Kong. But he said he continues to have the fullest confidence in the court and the total independence of its members. Hong Kong currently has seven non-permanent overseas judges. Kim Dotcom speaks during an intelligence and security select committee hearing at parliament in July 2013 in Wellington, New Zealand (Mark Mitchell/New Zealand Herald via AP) Kim Dotcom, founder of the once wildly popular file-sharing website Megaupload, lost a 12-year fight this week to halt his deportation from New Zealand to the US on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering. New Zealands justice minister Paul Goldsmith divulged on Friday that he had decided Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial, capping for now a drawn-out legal fight. A date for the extradition was not set, and Mr Goldsmith said Dotcom would be allowed a short period of time to consider and take advice on the decision. 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 Dont worry I have a plan, Dotcom posted on X this week. He did not elaborate, although a member of his legal team, Ira Rothken, wrote on the site that a bid for a judicial review in which a New Zealand judge would be asked to evaluate Mr Goldsmiths decision was being prepared. The saga stretches to the 2012 arrest of Dotcom in a dramatic raid on his Auckland mansion, along with other company officers. Prosecutors said Megaupload raked in at least 175 million dollars (136 million) mainly from people who used the site to illegally download songs, television shows and films before the FBI shut it down earlier that year. Lawyers for the Finnish-German millionaire and the others arrested had argued that it was the users of the site, founded in 2005, who chose to pirate material, not its founders. Kim Dotcom, the founder of the file-sharing website Megaupload, in February 2012 in Auckland, New Zealand (Brett Phibbs/New Zealand Herald via AP) But prosecutors argued the men were the architects of a vast criminal enterprise, with the Department of Justice describing it as the largest criminal copyright case in US history. The men fought the order for years lambasting the investigation and arrests but in 2021 New Zealands Supreme Court ruled that Dotcom and two other men could be extradited. It remained up to the countrys justice minister to decide if the extradition should proceed. Three of Mr Goldsmiths predecessors did not announce a decision. Mr Goldsmith was appointed justice minister in November after New Zealands government changed in an election. I have received extensive advice from the Ministry of Justice on this matter and considered all information carefully, Mr Goldsmith said in his statement. I love New Zealand. Im not leaving, German-born Dotcom wrote on X on Thursday. He did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment. Two of his former business partners, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, pleaded guilty to charges against them in a New Zealand court in June 2023 and were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail. In exchange, US efforts to extradite them were dropped. Prosecutors had earlier abandoned their extradition bid against a fourth officer of the company, Finn Batato, who was arrested in New Zealand. Batato returned to Germany where he died from cancer in 2022. In 2015, Megaupload computer programmer Andrus Nomm, of Estonia, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit felony copyright infringement and was sentenced to one year and one day in US federal prison. James Mitchells farm was the base of the Glenanne Gang, a mix of loyalist paramilitaries and rogue members of the security forcesMartin Breen has had a run-in with Mitchell and explains what happened James Mitchell's farm was a base of the 'Glenanne Gang', a paramilitary group responsible for the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. The Glenanne Gang were responsible for up to 120 murders, including the Dublin Monaghan bombings, the Miami Showband massacre, and scores of other sectarian killings. A mix of loyalist paramilitaries and rogue members of the security forces, they were based in a Co Armagh farm owned by James Mitchell. It has emerged in court that an RUC man tipped off Mitchell, a former police officer himself, about an imminent raid on the farm. Jim Mitchell Mitchells property was then hiding a massive loyalist arsenal weapons smuggled in from South Africa. Mitchell was a key member of the Glenanne Gang and has been implicated in more than 50 murders. Martin Breen, Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life, has had a run-in with Mitchell and has long followed the Glenanne Gang story. He explains what happened. This episode was originally published in October 2023.The BelTel is revisiting three stories from Northern Irelands Murder Triangle an area which became infamous for brutal murders perpetrated during the Troubles by both Loyalist and Republican paramilitaries. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will give way to occasional showers in the afternoon. High 56F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Rain showers early with overcast skies late. Low 39F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. GREAT BARRINGTON A former student who sued the defunct Eagleton School for allegedly allowing staffers to rape and abuse him has won a $5 million judgment in federal court. Now he will have to hire another lawyer to see any of that money. Davien Wilson, 35, who lives with his family in Lincoln, Neb., received a default judgment on Aug. 5 in U.S. District Court in Springfield. Wilson filed the lawsuit on July 7, 2023, seeking compensatory damages and other costs for psychological damage from being sexually assaulted, battered and raped in different locations at the school by one or more employees. Eagleton, a boarding school for boys and young men with emotional, behavior and cognitive disabilities, was shut down by the state in 2016 in the wake of a police raid stemming from allegations of abuse. The raid and subsequent investigation led to at least 18 criminal indictments. Most of the defendants received fines and probation. The bank foreclosed on the school property in 2018, and later sold it off in pieces. The school's owner defaulted by not responding to the original complaint, according to court documents. Wilson then asked for the default judgment. The order for default was returned to the court after being mailed to a New Marlborough address listed as that of Bruce Bona, who founded the school off Monterey Road in 1977. Judge Mark G. Mastroianni said in his memo and order that Wilson has described egregious conduct by adults employed by Defendant and entrusted to the care of vulnerable children, as well as the severe impact those actions continue to have on him decades later. That the defendant defaulted has further magnified those harms by frustrating Plaintiffs efforts to hold Defendant fully accountable for the injuries he suffered as a child. Mastroianni said that the court finds the $5 million to be a fair measure of the damages suffered by [Wilson]. Wilson, who first arrived to Eagleton in 2005, said he was abused when he was 16 and 17. His is one of a number of civil suits by former students against the school and Bona over abuse asking for total damages of more than $20 million. Some have settled, but attorneys have not provided settlement amounts to The Eagle. Wilson wants to use some of the money to help others, he said, but he first will have to work with a lawyer who can help him to collect the award. He says the judgment is a positive step in easing some of the damage from his time at the school, and giving other former students who suffered the courage to speak out. They told me that I was just a little Black boy and no one was going to believe me, he said of the staffers who tormented him. I'm a man now, and I know the difference between wrong and right, and I am about to do right, and I'm about to show everybody else to do right. He said he is also planning to sue Bona, and will continue to try to seek justice for any other students who were abused by staffers. The Berkshire District Attorneys Office, he added, is investigating his case. A DAs Office spokesperson could not immediately be reached to confirm this by publication time. Wilson said he wants to prevent abuse from happening to other vulnerable youngsters, and noted he is working with lawmakers on legislation to protect children in schools and help single mothers. Regarding his past mistreatment and continued focus on accountability, he said his pastor told him, 'I dont know how you had the strength to go through all this.' When I grew up on Holmes Road in Pittsfield in the 1950s and 1960s, my next-door neighbors were Gabe and Sophie Virgilio, proprietors of the East Side Cafe. A couple of doors away on the other side of my home lived Ray (Remo) and Bertha Del Gallo, proprietors of the Del Gallo Restaurant. Interestingly, both of their businesses were located just as far apart from each other on Newell Street as their homes were on Holmes Road. I came to understand that over the years these two families became friendly competitors and helped each other out. Besides each establishment having their own regulars, many of their patrons alternated between the two businesses for what we now call happy hours. The East Side Cafe remains open today and since 1980 has been operated by Gabe Virgilios niece, Dolores Capitanio, and her family. In the March 19, 2022, Berkshire Eagle I told the story of the East Side Cafe. The Del Gallo Restaurant closed in 2018, and this story is about that interesting place and its future. The two Newell Street establishments were located in the Lakewood section of Pittsfield, which was historically a neighborhood of Italian immigrants who settled in Pittsfield in the early 1900s. Many of the families opened businesses in Lakewood that included barbershops, grocery markets and restaurants. Some of these businesses started in storefronts of the house where the owner and family resided. One of these was the Del Gallo Restaurant at 390 Newell St., which was founded in 1933 by Rinaldo and Concetta Del Gallo. Their small eatery was Pittsfields first to legally serve beer when prohibition was repealed at the end of 1933. The restaurant became known for its menu of tasty items like beef stew, tripe, pasta and beans, spaghetti and meatballs and specials, all prepared by Concetta from family recipes from Italy. The Del Gallos had five children and my neighbor, Ray, was the only one who chose to work with his parents and take over the business when they retired. As a youngster, when I would often talk to Ray, I was impressed that he was always interested in my life and later about my future, including schools and career choices. He graduated Pittsfield High School in 1943 19 years before I did. Upon graduation, he spent two and a half years in the Air Force as an armament gunner during World War II. When he returned home after the service, he joined his parents in the business and in 1950 married Bertha Bonneau. The couple had two daughters who were close to my younger sisters ages. Ray had attended Berkshire Business College and along the way developed a keen interest in local politics. In 1959 he was elected to the Pittsfield City Council and was reelected twice. Ray became the first Italian-American mayor of Pittsfield in 1965. Although he served only one term, the accomplishments during his term were many. Among them were the construction of the original Taconic High School, the conversion and transfer of the Old Post Office to become the new City Hall, and the expansion of the Pittsfield Municipal Airport. Members of the community who knew this energetic leader wondered if he would return to politics after leaving City Hall. Ray continued to maintain a strong political presence in Pittsfield, though he never ran for a city office again. He and Bertha had taken over the Del Gallo Restaurant allowing his parents to retire. With the eaterys proximity to the General Electric Co., business was always hopping from a steady lunch crowd to the after-work drinking and/or dinner patrons. The most popular of the restaurants fare was its tripe dish. (Tripe is the lining of beef, hog or sheep stomach, although most sold is from beef, according to the US Department of Agriculture.) Ray, Bertha and in later years their daughter, Karen Ingegni, a school teacher, would spend several hours weekly cutting 60 to 80 pounds of tripe for this popular menu item. When cooked, its wonderful odor permeated the nearby neighborhood, which was a great draw. Karen shared with me that she relished the time when she helped her dad in the small kitchen and welcomed his stories and advice. Under Rays ownership the Del Gallo Restaurant also became the hotbed of city, state and national politics. Shortly after his retirement from government, he became the chair of the city's Democratic Party and remained in this role for 40 years. Over this time period every visiting Democratic politician made a stop or attended a strategic planning meeting at Del Gallos. The list of visitors, many whose photos decorated the walls, included Sen. Ted Kennedy, Gov. Michael Dukakis, ex-Boston Mayor Kevin White, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and even members of the other party"; Ray had a lifelong friendship with U.S. Rep. Silvio Conte a Pittsfield Republican. I felt fortunate to have visited with Ray at the restaurant in 2016, when he was 90. It had probably been 50 years since I had last seen him. I hadnt lived in Pittsfield since 1968 and only been to the restaurant once or twice on visits to my family. It was a nice reunion as we both shared our love for Pittsfield. We had many stories and people to talk about, so many years later. I had to laugh when he apologized and asked me to come over to the small kitchen area where he had to make a sandwich for a patron. He was such a personable guy and I never heard a negative comment about Ray Del Gallo or heard him make one about someone else. Ray died in 2020 at the age of 94. (Bertha died four years earlier.) He had tried to sell the restaurant in his final years, but was only able to sell the liquor license. After he died, his daughter Karen was approached by a friend, Amy Koenig, who offered to buy the building. Amy, who grew up next to restaurant, is the chief probation officer of Massachusetts Trial Courts in Pittsfield, but she is also an entrepreneur owning the Lakewood Dairy ice cream store near the building. Most interesting is that Amys grandmother is Dolores Capitanio, the owner of the Eastside Cafe. Amy was not interested in operating a restaurant, but she planned to renovate the house section into a long-term rental unit and the former restaurant for short-term rentals. Her vision was to keep with the character of the restaurant and create a sense of nostalgia for guests. It was no easy task redesigning and converting an 85-plus-year-old neighborhood restaurant into modern living quarters. A lot of the interior required gutting, re-design, and replacing wiring and plumbing. But Amy was determined to pursue her vision. I kept the bar and payphone in the unit. I also have displayed photos of the restaurant in its heyday, photos of the Del Gallo family, and a photo of the bar menu from 1971," she told me. "In addition, I placed the photos of Ray Del Gallo with Ted Kennedy and with Annie Glenn (Senator John Glenn's Wife) along with a few other dignitaries. The photos would allow those that stay to really get a flavor of the what the place was like. So many people I meet have fond memories of gathering at Del Gallos. Rays daughter Karen was very pleased with this transformation and the tribute to her family. She said that her dad would love the change and would give it a thumbs up being the progressive he was. As a Pittsfield nostalgia buff, I compliment Amy for preserving a piece of the citys history. I also thank her and Karen for sharing with me their memories of the Del Gallo Restaurant. This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle. EGREMONT Town officials say they are comfortable with the state's forest management plan, which includes the spraying of weed killers around the town's water source. But some residents still want answers. Egremont officials say they signed off on the Mount Washington forest management plan several years ago when it was first brought to their attention. A group of 20 residents, however, want to know more about how the application and spraying of what is believed to be a glyphosate-containing product last month, as well as a logging operation, might affect a town water supply for around 650 people. Resident Julia Rasch provided the Select Board on Tuesday with a list of more than two dozen questions to be posed to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation forester who designed the project in 2021 known as the Cattle Barn Lot for its location near the site of a historic cow shed in a Mount Washington pasture. Another resident on Thursday provided the towns Board of Health with the same document, which lists the names of the residents involved. The questions range from what kinds of chemicals were used to kill invasive species and the exact boundaries of where they were used, to how much of the chemicals were used. Since the Karner Brook water source is designated by the state as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, they also want to know if the DCR forester, Tom Ryan, consulted with the chief of the ACEC program. That designation requires that projects receive closer scrutiny. Residents want to know how regulators approved using the chemicals in a watershed, as well as reasons for an apparent blanket-spraying the chemicals over a 13-acre area just west of the Karner Brook. That area of now-dead invasives, which The Eagle walked extensively through this week up to the edge of the treatment zone, contains a thicket of mostly barberry. It's an estimated 70 to 100 feet from the brook at the top of a slope. While standing in the thorny brambles, one can hear the water down below. The Cattle Barn Lot project area initially consisted of 362 acres that was part of an 816-acre lot donated to the state for conservation by the late Cornelia Van der Smissen Intemann. While the DCRs total project area is within 275 acres, the forest cutting area was reduced to within 178 acres after a state review last year. That logging will be put out for bids. The tree cutting start date was extended to Dec. 2, 2025, according to an email from Ryan obtained from Mount Washington's website. The area in question is laced with streams, seeps and tributaries, and is also protected habitat for various species, including the endangered timber rattlesnake. DCR documents say it is a forest management prescription designed to eliminate pests like the emerald ash borer and bring more general health to the forest to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, as well as to create biodiversity and maintain and enhance soil, water and air resources. Invasives will be removed in part, to provide access to the timber with a combination of chemicals, mechanical pulling as well as with livestock grazing, the plans say. It also is a timber harvesting operation to support and enhance forest economy." While some climate scientists, activists and residents believe this forest should not be logged which can introduce invasives by spreading seeds residents in both towns are worried about pesticides used near the water supply. Ryan and the DCR say the project will be sensitive to the Karner Brook, as well as the water networks flowing into it that form the headwaters of Egremonts drinking water. The chemicals, Ryan wrote in an email to Mount Washington officials, are being applied in an exceptionally scrupulous manner using the least amount of product possible. QUESTIONS UNANSWERED Did you conduct any water quality tests before or after the chemicals were used? is one of the questions submitted by residents to town officials to present to Ryan. Another one is: How did you measure the distance from the northern edge of the project site to the Egremont Water Department Plant? The Eagle has also asked Ryan some of the same questions and have not received answers. The DCR has rejected multiple requests to speak to Ryan directly, or to meet him at the site to better understand the project. Glyphosate is still under review by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which classifies it as a pesticide. It is also under scientific review by the state Department of Agricultural Resources regarding its safety for humans and the environment. The DCR spokesperson directed The Eagle to that agency's online glyphosate fact sheet. The Eagle also is still awaiting receipt from the DCR of a copy of the contract between it and the company hired to apply the chemicals. Ryan had planned to lead a site visit at noon on Friday. A DCR spokesperson said it was only for Egremont officials. Rasch received an apologetic email at around 10:30 a.m. Friday from Egremont officials, disinviting her from what was initially advertised to some residents as a public site visit with Ryan, because Ryan said it was only for officials. Less than an hour before the visit, Rasch learned that Ryan canceled the site walk altogether. On Friday afternoon The Eagle received a statement from a DCR spokesperson saying that the DCR recognizes "how important these issues are to the community, and at the DCR, we are dedicated to combining scientific expertise with our commitment to caring for the land we steward." The statement also said that the "herbicide is necessary due to the spread of invasive plants in the area, which has a detrimental effect on the overall health of the forest." The project was reviewed by MassWildlife's Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program the spokesperson wrote, and said that the agency appreciates "the community's input and strive to balance our dedication to environmental protection with a respectful consideration of the community's needs and values." 'PRECAUTIONARY STEPS' While the Mount Washington Select Board is opposed to the forestry project and use of the chemicals, Egremont officials support it including its Board of Health. Egremont Select Board members, who also serve as water commissioners, said last week that they had researched the plan and sought expert advice that deemed the plan conservative and sensitive, said board Chair Lucinda Fenn-Vermeulen. The town's Conservation Commission also has given the project a thumbs up. Juliette Haas, the towns Board of Health Director, told the board that she became aware of the project in 2021 and was initially concerned" about the water. A conversation with Ryan put her at ease, she said. Haas told the board on Dec. 15, 2022, about Ryan's precautionary steps," according to the meeting minutes. Possible sources of contamination of the resource could include oil/gas spills from logging equipment, soil erosion and runoff on steep slopes seeping into streams and tributaries, use of herbicides to control invasives, the 2022 minutes say Haas told the board. The chemicals would not be applied in the numerous protected zones around a public water supply," she told the board last week. When asked if she possesses the contract between the DCR and the firm applying the pesticides, Haas said she does not. Glyphosate was used on the invasives over a period of nine days and that it was very targeted and careful application, Haas told the Board of Health. The treatments were funded by a federal grant and began on July 11, Ryan wrote in an email copied to officials in both towns. That work was "confined to upland areas." These targeted treatments, he wrote, have been excluded from areas of public concern including wetlands, streams and other water resource areas Ryan Salame, the crypto mogul and Sandisfield native, has been granted a 45-day reprieve in reporting to federal prison on a campaign finance law violation and a charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Salame, 30, had been scheduled to begin his 7 1/2 year sentence on Aug. 29, but U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan agreed to push that date back to Oct. 13 because of a dog-bite injury. A request from Salame's law firm stated he had been mauled by a German Shepherd at a friends home in June, and needed to undergo urgent and necessary medical treatment and surgery. Salame pleaded guilty last September to multiple charges involving the embezzlement of clients funds and making covert political campaign contributions while helping to run the imploded FTX cryptocurrency business with its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. At Salame's sentencing, Kaplan said that Salame "knowingly and willfully assisted in destroying the limited transparency that the laws of the United States provide" in campaign finance. "He knew precisely what he was doing," Kaplan said at the May 28 hearing. "He knew why it was being done. He knew it was illegal. And the whole idea was to hide it from the world." Before the criminal case surfaced, Salame had amassed a number of restaurants and other properties in Lenox. In order to help raise $6 million in forfeiture funds and over $5 million in restitution, as his guilty plea to two criminal counts required, Salame sold off his Lenox holdings, including the Olde Heritage Tavern and multiple other downtown restaurants and commercial properties, for about $5.4 million less than the $7.5 million he had spent on his acquisitions. His private Triumph Airfield in North Canaan, Conn., remains on the market, listed for $2 million since last December. Salames real estate company, North Sandy Brook LLC, recently sold a home on Rood Hill Road in Sandisfield to his mother, Susan, and his brother Scott for $329,000. Salame, the former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO based in the Bahamas, has declined interview requests but has been actively posting on X, formerly Twitter, with more than 700 tweets since he was sentenced on May 29, often dozens on a single day. He has been free on a $1 million bond. Among his posts: Got bit in the face by a dog (my fault not the dogs) and all I can think is I hope this surgeon isn't a democrat who knows I'm a republican. Replying to comments, he followed up with this: Oh I'm a fan of the law actually, it's the criminals that pretend to be lawyers to steal your money or fail to give sound legal advice and have no repercussions for it that bother me. Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year prison term after conviction on stealing up to $11 billion from FTX customers and lenders and shifting the investments to Alameda Research, an affiliated hedge fund. Prosecutors asked Kaplan for up to 50 years while his defense argued for six years. According to the crypto news site The Block, the dog bite occurred on June 29. In a court filing on July 30 by the U.S. District Court for Southern New York, Kaplan approved the motion to delay Salames self-surrender date. Four days earlier, Salames attorneys blacked out a doctors note containing medical information detailing his injuries. Some legal experts noted that it is routine for defendants needing medical attention to seek care before their sentence begins, given limited medical treatment options in prison. 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. Chinese platform facilitates technological innovation of enterprises 09:32, August 16, 2024 By Yu Weiliang, Fan Haotian ( People's Daily High-quality development of enterprises relies heavily on technology and talent. In Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei province, a dedicated platform has been established to bridge the gap between enterprises and technological expertise. In a laboratory of the School of Automation, China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, associate professor Zhang Jingjing was working with Yan Wenlin, head of R&D with Wuhan AI Technology Co., Ltd., to test a newly developed temperature and humidity sensor prototype. Connecting circuit boards to oscilloscopes and multimeters, they examined waveforms, and measured voltage and current. Photo shows the data monitoring system of the Hubei Sci-tech Innovation Supply Chain Platform. (Photo from the WeChat official account of the Optics Valley of China) Just three months ago, Zhang and Yan, whose offices are only two kilometers apart, had never met each other. What brought them together was the Hubei Sci-tech Innovation Supply Chain Platform (hereafter referred to as "the Platform"). The Platform was launched in 2023, with companies proposing research topics and universities and research institutes offering responses, creating an industrial innovation ecosystem that is demand-oriented and enterprise-centered. It provides services for users across the province, such as contract signing and supply-demand matchmaking of technology, human resources, and financing. Zhang, engaged in computer vision research, had long entertained the idea of empowering agriculture with artificial intelligence, but had not found the proper approach yet. Wuhan AI Technology Co., Ltd. is a business startup committed to developing affordable sensors that can be used by aquaculture farmers. Before meeting Zhang, Yan had sought technological support from multiple agricultural universities and research institutions, only to be met with disappointment. Photo shows the development team of the Hubei Sci-tech Innovation Supply Chain Platform. (Photo from the WeChat official account of the Optics Valley of China) Yan attributed it to two reasons. "First, researchers' focuses don't always align with the needs of companies; second, they don't have enough trust for small enterprises like us." Thanks to the Platform, enterprises can now easily find technological support just like they would shop online. "The intelligent matching model on the Platform enables 'one-click matchmaking,' which can ensure quick and easy connections between supply and demand. Behind every piece of effective information is a technology manager who provides comprehensive services to both enterprises and research institutions. This allows for rapid communication and problem-solving," said Li Tianpei, general manager of Hubei Sci-tech Innovation Supply Chain Co., Ltd. Learning about the Platform, Yan registered on it through a quick QR code scan and posted a request for creating a micro temperature and humidity sensor. Soon, Yan was recommended with multiple eligible technology suppliers. Finally, Yan selected Zhang's team under the recommendation of a technology manager. In just a week, Zhang devised a detailed development plan for developing the sensor, rapidly completing the prototype design and moving on to the testing phase. How can sci-tech achievements be turned into commercial products after aligning supply and demand? Zhang Jingjing, associate professor with the School of Automation, China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, works in a laboratory. (Photo provided by Hubei Sci-tech Innovation Supply Chain Co., Ltd.) Hubei has rolled out new policies to improve the incentive mechanism by taking Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone (EDZ) as a pilot, in an effort to boost collaborations on the Platform. An annual special fund of 200 million yuan ($27.85 million) has been set up to support the phased transformation and commercialization of sci-tech achievements. It also supports collaborative research among enterprises, universities, and research institutions, with the government providing enterprises with one-third of the actual investment. The maximum financial support for a single project is 1 million yuan. In February this year, Wuhan Ganwei Technology Co., Ltd. posted on the Platform a demand for a highly integrated industrial-grade infrared optical gas sensor. Experts from the Optics Valley Laboratory (Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics) located in EDZ, also known as Optics Valley of China, soon took up the task. "Initially, our projected budget was 1 million yuan, but the cost proposed by the experts was slightly higher," said Zhang Junlong, the company's general manager. Thanks to a project it joined under the encouragement of EDZ, the company became eligible for a 1-million-yuan incentive fund, which allowed Zhang Junlong to focus on the collaboration with the laboratory. As of now, the Platform has attracted over 34,000 active companies, which have released more than 16,000 demands. Over 4,500 collaborations have been facilitated. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) The Department of Foreign Affairs has spent more than 70,000 on VIP airport services for visiting dignitaries travelling to Ireland over the past year. The 71,613 bill covered the costs of 38 separate invoices, which included trips by heads of state and high-ranking officials from world organisations on official and private visits to Ireland. Advertisement Details of eight trips have been withheld by the department who said their disclosure could adversely affect the security and international relations of the State. The department also said it had secured a preferential rate for Platinum Services at Dublin Airport, which provides private check-in and security, suites for relaxation, refreshments, as well as transport to and from a plane. The largest bill was 12,540 spent during the visit of French prime minister Elisabeth Borne and four of her government ministers during a trip to Ireland in November 2023. A sum of 8,778 was paid for a ramp transfer for the arrival of Li Qiang, the premier of China, who visited with a delegation in January this year. Advertisement The largest bill for VIP airport services was for the visit of French prime minister Elisabeth Borne. Photo: AFP via Getty Other sizeable bills included 4,170 for the visit of the Croatian prime minister in September 2023 and nearly 8,800 when the Spanish prime minister came to Ireland in April. Platinum services were also provided at a cost of around 1,800 when Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of World Health Organisation, visited in January. A private visit by the President of Iceland was also facilitated in July with a bill of around 1,500 incurred for that trip. Advertisement The department said VIP services had only been used at Dublin Airport and said that any costs incurred arising from travel undertaken by President Michael D Higgins had also been withheld under Freedom of Information laws. An information note on the expenditure said that Platinum Services were used to facilitate state business for official trips and for appropriate welcome and farewell for senior members of the foreign diplomatic corps. It said: The [department] avails of a preferential rate with Platinum Services at Dublin Airport for activities of this nature. This practice is in line with international standards of official protocol, as well as serving practical and operational purposes. The use of airport VIP facilities mitigates risks to [security] and ensures discretion. Swift transit through the airport also ensures that foreign dignitaries can maximise their official programmes in Ireland. Updated at 17:55 Gardai are investigating a potential terrorism motivation in an attack on a chaplain at an army barracks in Co Galway. Advertisement The victim, named as Fr Paul Murphy who is aged in his 50s, was stabbed a number of times and is being treated for injuries that are serious but not life-threatening. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire The army chaplain was attacked outside Renmore Barracks on Thursday at about 10:45pm and rushed to University Hospital Galway. Advertisement Fr Murphy was approached by a youth outside the barracks and attacked. The chaplain then ran through the barracks gate and was followed by the youth. A spokesperson for the Defence Forces said that live ammunition was fired by on-duty personnel as warning shots after he was attacked. Advertisement The injured priest received first aid from Defence Forces personnel on duty. A male youth, aged in his teens, was restrained by members of the Defence Forces and arrested by gardai at the scene. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire In a statement, gardai said it is continuing to investigate all the circumstances of the incident. Advertisement The special detective unit of An Garda Siochana is involved in this investigation, they said. One line of inquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorist motivation. They added: The suspect remains in detention and is being questioned in a garda station in the north-western region. Their period of detention has recently been extended. Advertisement I have been briefed on the shocking incident outside Renmore Barracks last night & my thoughts are with the member of the defence forces in hospital. I want to thank defence forces personnel & Gardai for their action and response. Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) August 16, 2024 An Garda Siochana wishes to reassure the public that at this time it is not believed this incident is part of a wider conspiracy. A thorough investigation is underway and all relevant Bureaux have been engaged and are active in progressing this investigation. The Garda Commissioner has spoken to the Defence Forces Chief of Staff and wished the injured Defence Forces member a full and speedy recovery. The scene is currently preserved, and a technical examination will be carried out today by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit. I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night. I commend the members of the Defence Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical. Our thoughts are with the Defence Forces member injured in the attack. Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) August 16, 2024 In a Facebook post, Fr Murphy said: Friends, thank you for your prayers, love and concern. Sorry that I cant reply to all messages and take all the calls coming my way. Im doing okay; just awaiting surgery. All will be well. Defence Forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Sean Clancy said: Our thoughts are with our injured comrade, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery. The wellbeing of our personnel is our utmost priority, and we will continue to support him during this time. He said: The swift and decisive response by our personnel last night was exemplary, and in keeping with the highest standards of the Defence Forces and our values. Their professionalism ensured that a dangerous situation was quickly brought under control, protecting the lives of others in the vicinity. There is no doubt that their actions were critical in preventing further harm or loss of life. We are grateful to (gardai) for their rapid response and ongoing assistance in the investigation. We will continue to cooperate fully with their efforts to bring this matter to a thorough and just conclusion. In a statement, Bishop Michael Duignan said: News of the assault on a Catholic priest, who is presently serving as chaplain to the Irish Defence Forces in Galway, is deeply shocking and upsetting. I pray for the injured man, asking God that he would make a full recovery. I pray too for his family, for his army colleagues and for the medical personnel who are tending to his injuries at this time. Taoiseach Simon Harris has said his thoughts are with the member of the Defence Forces in hospital. I have been briefed on the shocking incident outside Renmore Barracks last night and my thoughts are with the member of the Defence Forces in hospital. I want to thank Defence Forces personnel and Gardai for their action and response, he posted on the social network X. Tanaiste, and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin condemned the attack. I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night, he posted on X. I commend the members of the Defence Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical. Our thoughts are with the Defence Forces member injured in the attack. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said: My first thoughts are with Fr Paul Murphy, and I wish him a speedy recovery. An Garda Siochana responded promptly last night, and the suspect is in garda custody. I would also like to pay tribute to the members of the Defence Forces who intervened bravely at the scene. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Defence Forces said: The Defence Forces can confirm that an incident occurred at Dun Ui Mhaoliosa, Renmore, Co Galway yesterday evening where shots were fired by on duty Defence Forces personnel. This action was taken in strict accordance with force protection protocols after a Defence Forces member was assaulted by a male civilian. The soldiers on duty responded to the immediate threat with appropriate force to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the area. The assailant was quickly detained and handed over gardai, who are now conducting a full investigation into the incident. The injured Defence Forces member was provided with immediate first aid at the scene before being transported to hospital for further treatment. We can confirm that the victims injuries, while serious, are not life-threatening. The Defence Forces are committed to the safety and security of all personnel and will continue to cooperate fully with gardai in their investigation. Israeli leaders have roundly condemned a deadly settler rampage in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a rare Israeli denunciation of settler violence that has grown more common since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The settler riot in the village of Jit, near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, killed one Palestinian and badly injured others late on Thursday, Palestinian health officials said. Advertisement Residents interviewed by The Associated Press said at least a hundred masked settlers entered the village, shot live ammunition, burned homes and cars and damaged water tankers. Advertisement Video showed flames engulfing the small village, which residents said was left to defend itself without military help for two hours. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he took the riots seriously and that Israelis who carried out criminal acts would be prosecuted. He issued what appeared to be a call for settlers to stand down. Those who fight terrorism are the IDF and the security forces, and no-one else, he said, using an acronym for the Israeli military. Advertisement President Isaac Herzog also condemned the attack, as did defence minister Yoav Gallant, who said the settlers had attacked innocent people. He added they did not represent the values of settler communities. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, as the heartland of a future state, a position with wide international backing. It was unclear why the Jit attack yielded such a strong rebuke from Israeli leaders. Advertisement A Palestinian woman stands in her home the morning after it was torched in a rampage by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Jit (Nasser Nasser/AP) A similar settler riot in the village of Al-Mughayyir in April went without comparable mention from the authorities. Israel is currently engaged in ceasefire talks with American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha, in yet another attempt to broker an end to the 10-month-old war. Advertisement The US has broadly condemned settler violence and the expansion of Israels West Bank settlements. US ambassador Jack Lew wrote on the social media platform X on Friday that he was appalled by the attack, and the White House National Security Council called violent settler attacks unacceptable. Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence, and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account, it said in a statement. Other Israeli officials distinguished between the settler attack on Jit and the larger Israeli settlement project, which the international community views as illegal under international law. Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich an ultranationalist settler who has turbocharged settlement expansion, railed against US sanctions on violent settlers and previously defended violent settlers as heroes labelled the rioters criminals who were in no way related to the settlement and the settlers. We are building and developing settlements in a legal and official manner, Mr Smotrich wrote on X, adding that he reject(s) any expression of anarchist criminal violence that has nothing to do with love for the land and the desire to settle in it. Ultra-orthodox Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel called on Israels Shin Bet internal security agency to investigate those involved and said the riot ran against Jewish values and harmed the settlement enterprise. A Palestinian films a torched vehicle, seen the morning after a rampage by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Jit (Nasser Nasser/AP) Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, violence has flared in the occupied territory. Palestinian health officials say 633 Palestinians, including 147 children and teenagers, have been killed by Israeli fire and more than 5,400 injured. Many have been killed during Israeli military raids into Palestinian cities and towns, but settlers have killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, and injured 234 people, according to AIDA, a coalition of non-profit and other groups working in the territory. The UN documented more than 1,000 settler attacks in the West Bank since the start of the war, averaging four a day. That is double the average during the same period last year, AIDA says. Sufian Jit, a resident of the village, said a group of 100 settlers streamed in before sundown on Thursday, burning cars, puncturing water tankers and destroying homes. He called the army and firefighters, pleading for help. Firefighters never came, so villagers ran between burning cars to put out the fires, he said. After two hours, he said soldiers arrived. It was more than 100 settlers against us. At the beginning, there were just a few people trying to stop them, and then later the whole town came and stopped them, he said. The Israeli military said late on Thursday it had arrested one Israeli civilian in connection with the violence and opened an investigation. Police did not say whether the civilian was still in custody on Friday, but said they were working with the Shin Bet and military to investigate and bring the relevant perpetrators to justice. Rights groups say that arrests for settler violence are rare, and prosecutions even rarer. Israels left-leaning Haaretz newspaper reported in 2022 that based on statistics from the Israeli police, charges were pressed in only 3.8% of cases of settler violence, with most cases being opened and closed without any action being taken. Mourners prepared on Friday for the funeral of young 23-year-old Rasheed Mahmoud abed Al Khadier Sadah. His relative, Ibrahim Sadah, said many residents wanted to help defend the village but had to take shelter once settlers started firing live ammunition. Kim Dotcom, founder of the once wildly popular file-sharing website Megaupload, lost a 12-year fight this week to halt his deportation from New Zealand to the US on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering. New Zealands justice minister Paul Goldsmith divulged on Friday that he had decided Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial, capping for now a drawn-out legal fight. Advertisement A date for the extradition was not set, and Mr Goldsmith said Dotcom would be allowed a short period of time to consider and take advice on the decision. I love New Zealand. Im not leaving Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) August 15, 2024 Advertisement Dont worry I have a plan, Dotcom posted on X this week. He did not elaborate, although a member of his legal team, Ira Rothken, wrote on the site that a bid for a judicial review in which a New Zealand judge would be asked to evaluate Mr Goldsmiths decision was being prepared. Advertisement The saga stretches to the 2012 arrest of Dotcom in a dramatic raid on his Auckland mansion, along with other company officers. Prosecutors said Megaupload raked in at least 175 million dollars (136 million) mainly from people who used the site to illegally download songs, television shows and films before the FBI shut it down earlier that year. Lawyers for the Finnish-German millionaire and the others arrested had argued that it was the users of the site, founded in 2005, who chose to pirate material, not its founders. Kim Dotcom, the founder of the file-sharing website Megaupload, in February 2012 in Auckland, New Zealand (Brett Phibbs/New Zealand Herald via AP) Advertisement But prosecutors argued the men were the architects of a vast criminal enterprise, with the Department of Justice describing it as the largest criminal copyright case in US history. The men fought the order for years lambasting the investigation and arrests but in 2021 New Zealands Supreme Court ruled that Dotcom and two other men could be extradited. It remained up to the countrys justice minister to decide if the extradition should proceed. Advertisement Three of Mr Goldsmiths predecessors did not announce a decision. Mr Goldsmith was appointed justice minister in November after New Zealands government changed in an election. I have received extensive advice from the Ministry of Justice on this matter and considered all information carefully, Mr Goldsmith said in his statement. I love New Zealand. Im not leaving, German-born Dotcom wrote on X on Thursday. He did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment. Two of his former business partners, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, pleaded guilty to charges against them in a New Zealand court in June 2023 and were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail. In exchange, US efforts to extradite them were dropped. Prosecutors had earlier abandoned their extradition bid against a fourth officer of the company, Finn Batato, who was arrested in New Zealand. Batato returned to Germany where he died from cancer in 2022. In 2015, Megaupload computer programmer Andrus Nomm, of Estonia, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit felony copyright infringement and was sentenced to one year and one day in US federal prison. A brawl broke out among Turkish MPs on Friday during a heated debate over an opposition MP currently jailed on what are widely considered to be politically motivated charges. Televised footage showed Ahmet Sik, an MP from the same party as the imprisoned MP, being approached and attacked by an MP from President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling party, while speaking at the chambers podium. Advertisement Mr Sik had just called members of the ruling party a terrorist organisation. In a subsequent scuffle involving dozens of MPs, a female MP was hit, leaving drops of blood on steps leading to the speakers lectern. Turkeys AK Party MP Alpay Ozalan, second left, scuffles with Workers Party of Turkey MP Ahmet Sik ((DIA Images/AP) Advertisement Another opposition member was also reportedly injured. Physical tussles are not uncommon among Turkeys MPs. It is a shameful situation, said Ozgur Ozel, who heads the largest opposition party. Instead of words flying in the air, fists are flying, there is blood on the ground. They are hitting women. Advertisement The extraordinary session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly was called to debate the case of Can Atalay, who was elected from prison as a parliamentary MP for the Workers Party of Turkey, or TIP, in last years election. MPs scuffle in parliament (DIA Images/AP) He had been sentenced the previous year to 18 years in prison for his role in anti-government protests in 2013, which challenged the rule of Mr Erdogan, then Turkeys prime minister. Advertisement Since being elected, Mr Atalay has been fighting to take his seat in parliament, which comes with immunity from prosecution and would see him released from Marmara prison. He has said he would return to prison once his term ends. Although he has achieved successful rulings from the constitutional court, these have been ignored by lower courts, sparking a judicial crisis and enflaming a sense of injustice among his supporters. In its third ruling in Mr Atalays favour, the constitutional court on August 1 said the decision to strip him of his parliamentary status was null and void. Advertisement Opposition parties then demanded a special session to discuss the case. The conviction of Mr Atalay and seven other defendants in the Gezi Park case led to widespread criticism from human rights groups and lawyers. The main defendant, philanthropist Osman Kavala, was jailed for life without parole. The European Court of Human Rights has twice called for his release, saying his detention was arbitrary and based on political motives. The Gezi Park protests began in the summer of 2013 with an environmental camp to stop the development of a central Istanbul park. The discontent soon spread to other cities as people protested against Mr Erdogans increasingly authoritarian rule. Atalays personal freedom and security, as well as his right to be elected, which the constitutional court ruled to have been violated, should be restored, Amnesty Internationals Turkey office said on Friday. The parliamentary session resumed after three hours, with both Mr Sik and his assailant accepting reprimands from the parliaments speaker. Military authorities in the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk have urged civilians to speed up their evacuation because the Russian army is quickly closing in on what has for months been one of Moscows key targets. The call for people to get out as soon as possible came as Kyivs forces are trying to divert the Kremlins military focus to Russian soil by launching a bold incursion across the border into the Kursk region. Advertisement The urgency also underscored the high-stakes gamble Ukraine is making by taking the war into Russia with its ongoing assault that started on August 6. A Russian soldier fires a Rapira anti-tank gun in the border area of the Kursk region, Russia (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP) The attack is a daring attempt to change the dynamics of the two-and-a-half year conflict, but it could leave Ukraines shorthanded defence at the mercy of Russias push. Advertisement The Kremlins forces have had battlefield momentum and superior forces in eastern Ukraines Donetsk region since the spring. Ukraine is wagering it can cope with the strain on its resources in Kursk without sacrificing Donetsk. Russia apparently reckons it can contain the incursion without needing to ease up in Donetsk. Both cannot be right, Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said. Advertisement The outcome hangs in the balance. Russias slow slog across Donetsk this year has been costly in terms of troops and armour, but its gains have mounted up. Today at the Staff meeting, I received a report from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi. Our key defense directions at the frontline: Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and others. These areas are currently facing the most intense Russian assaults and are receiving our utmost defensive attention. pic.twitter.com/uL3Oe4wL0n Advertisement Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) August 15, 2024 Pokrovsk, which had a pre-war population of about 60,000, is one of Ukraines main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region. Advertisement Its capture would compromise Ukraines defensive abilities and supply routes. It would bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the Donetsk region than ever before. Evacuations in the Donetsk region around Pokrovsk have become increasingly urgent in recent weeks. Pokrovsk officials said in a Telegram post on Friday that Russian troops are advancing at a fast pace. With every passing day there is less and less time to collect personal belongings and leave for safer regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned on Thursday that Pokrovsk and other nearby towns in the Donetsk region were facing the most intense Russian assaults. Priority supplies everything that is needed are being sent there, Mr Zelensky said on X. A Ukrainian tank passes by a burning car near the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sumy region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) That same day, authorities told people to start evacuating. Pokrovsk officials were meeting with residents to provide them with logistical details on the evacuation. People were offered shelter in western Ukraine, where they will be hosted in dormitories and separate houses prepared for them. As the front line approaches Pokrovsk, the need to move to a safer place is becoming increasingly urgent, the local administration said. In Kursk, meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have taken full control of Sudzha, Mr Zelensky said on Thursday. It is the largest Russian town to fall to Ukraines forces since the start of their incursion 10 days ago, and the success raised Ukrainian spirits while embarrassing the Kremlin. A family who fled from Sudzha showed on Russian state TV the shattered windows of their car, the result of an attack while on the road. At the turn they were shooting, there were mines, we drove around the mines. Then we were driving further, the drone hit us in Bondarevka, said Nikolai Netbayev. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday the army repelled attempted Ukrainian advances in the areas of Gordeev, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of Sudzha, and Russkoye Porechnoye, 13 kilometres (eight miles) north of Sudzha. In other developments: The Russian organisation Peoples Front said two of its volunteer workers were killed by Ukrainian shelling in the Kursk region while on a mission to evacuate residents from a border area. In Russian-occupied Donetsk city, a hypermarket was destroyed in a blaze after being hit by Ukrainian fire, according to local officials. Eleven people were reported injured. Megan Woods | Merge PR NASHVILLE, TENN (AUGUST 14, 2024) Fair Trade artist Megan Woods debut single, The Truth, has made an explosive entrance at CCM radio, marking the largest debut single launch in the past two and a half years. As of the add date, the song has been embraced by 39 radio stations nationwide, including prominent networks such as SiriusXM/The Message, WayFM, KSBJ/Houston, TX, and 104.7 The Fish/Atlanta, GA. Radio programmers praise this song and its message as relevant and timely. The Truth is such an incredible song of hope. With all the noise coming at us daily that can easily distract, cause confusion, and bring anxiety I pray and believe this song is so needed right now!- Ryan Gagne, The Q 90.1/Worcester, MA The single has captured significant social media attention, accumulating over 23 million views across platforms. With 250,000+ new followers, The Truth continues to connect with listeners as a source of healing and personal declaration. On streaming platforms, the track has hit No.1 on the iTunes Christian chart in 21 countries. The Truth is also making its international mark on the Viral 50 Spotify chart for South Africa. In response to its overwhelming success, Megan Woods will be releasing a new version of the track, The Truth (Strings Version), on September 13, 2024. A driving piano ballad showcasing Woods' powerhouse alto vocals, The Truth is a deeply personal proclamation that tells her life story that is connecting with fans and followers across the world. Woods explains, I wanted to write a song thats a reminder for people every day of who they are in Jesus. We dont belong to the lies, we belong to Godthats the truth. When the lies are closing in, this song can remind them of the truth. I hope theres someone in the car that hears them understand they are their Fathers child. For more information on Megan Woods and The Truth, please visit:Facebook + Instagram + TikTok + YouTube Germany has some of the worlds strictest historical regulations and considers the Holocaust a singular event that is beyond comparison. Gessens essay wove together official and unofficial ways the Holocaust is remembered, how the boycott-Israel movement is framed as antisemitic in Germany, and how charges of antisemitism are now wielded by the right against critics. The German-Israeli Society obliquely accused the essay of being antisemitic, important considering Gessen is Jewish and had a grandfather who was murdered by the Nazis. The ceremony was later rescheduled without the Boll foundations involvement. Loading Given the complexity of making historical comparisons and the fact that the internet has become a living example of where bad analogies, particularly about Nazi Germany, are prominent, I wondered what responsibilities a writer had when making them. According to Gessen, who is visiting Australia this month, there is nothing unique when it comes to making historical comparisons; there are only the fundamental responsibilities demanded of all writers: Theyre to use your voice, theyre to use your words, theyre to use your platform and to be as accurate and honest as you can possibly be at any given time. As Gessen suggested, a historical comparison deciphers the present, particularly during a crisis. It prevents the reader from vanishing into the relentless churn of social media and 24-hour news coverage and instead urges us to look back, to forge meaning. Unfortunately, insights are not always consoling. Gessen uses the wisdom of past thinkers, often survivors of totalitarianism, such as Vaclav Havel or Arendt herself, to illuminate the current moment and by doing so implies history can repeat itself. Theres no such thing as a one-to-one comparison in history or in life, admits Gessen. Reality is far too complex for a comparison without qualification. For example, how can the stagnant Soviet life articulated in Gessens non-fiction novel, The Future is History, be compared with our superfluid information landscape? I was thinking about the static and dynamic dimensions of totalitarian propaganda, Gessen explains. The static dimensions are the fixed ideology, the public face familiar to the West. You learn in school that the working class runs our country [the former Soviet Union] and is good and the bourgeois class is bad, and these things will never change. Lesser appreciated were the so-called dynamic dimensions of Soviet life. These demanded the citizen intuit subtle shifts in official direction. You have to pay attention because your life depends on it, Gessen explains. The only way you can know what youre supposed to know is if you listen to what the regime tells you, because you cant gather this knowledge independently because its not connected with reality. And I think thats the Trumpian model, says Gessen. Its also the lived experience of a lot of Americans ... what they hear, what theyre being told is completely divorced from their lived experience. The Man Without a Face by Masha Gessen. Gessen, who in 2012 wrote a biography of Vladimir Putin, The Man Without a Face, says both Trump and Putin lie not to deceive but to attack the concept of truth. So by honouring their responsibilities, a writer can counteract this. A technique Gessen uses is the academic practice of defining words to reestablish meaning in an eroded landscape. Gessen says that one editor wanted Gessen to use polling numbers to claim that President Joe Biden was acting undemocratically by refusing to step down. But as they point out, theres a huge distance between polling and democracy. The editor was this super smart, clued-in person who I think had not paused to consider the definition of a term that we throw around all the time. In Surviving Autocracy, Gessen quotes the Russian poet Sergey Gandlevsky, who explains that journalists needed to rebuild trust with a deeply cynical public after the Soviet collapse. He advocated the language of the hardware store, meaning using simple, unadorned sentences. Its good writing hygiene, argues Gessen, using the example of a phrase such as rust belt, which is so loaded with deindustrialisation baggage, that everyone attaches their own ideas. Gessen argues that its easy enough to jettison the baggage and name all the states that the rust belt covers. For Gessen, journalists helped normalise Trump with their objective style. They took horrendous things and translate[d] into political language in covering them and render[ed] them almost invisible. One example was a letter from Trump to the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. The journalist shouldnt also call it diplomacy because it isnt its an unhinged letter that sounds like an eight-year-old wrote it. Loading Gessen is now working on a book about imaginative political projects, which explores parallel polis, a theoretical model advanced by Czech and Polish dissidents in the 1970s of how to be political in a totalitarian regime. Rather than clash with power, this model proposes a ready-to-deploy alternative in the event of regime collapse. Gessen had just finished revising a chapter on the Israeli co-living village Neve Shalom (Wahat al-Salam) when the Hamas attack on October 7 changed everything. They realised that it was not enough to consider political projects in isolation as per the original theory. They had to situate them in the host countrys aggressions and geopolitical ambitions. Now Im revising it again, says Gessen. The work of comparison, it seems, is as alive and fluid as the present moment. Masha Gessen appears at The Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne for the Wheeler Centre on August 21(wheelercentre.com). They appear at Carriageworks in Sydney on August 24-25 as part of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (festivalofdangerousideas.com). Musicians of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra have passed a vote of no confidence in senior management, prompting a promise from the board of an external review over the handling of a pianist who made comments at a recital relating to Gaza. We no longer have faith in the abilities of our senior management to make decisions that are in the best interests of the company at large, the musicians letter says. Pianist Jayson Gillham. Credit: Simon Schluter We believe it is the duty of senior management to lead and manage in accordance with the MSOs values and behaviours; however, it has become apparent that these values no longer appear to be aligned with those of the orchestra and staff. The MSO has been under fire since its decision to remove acclaimed pianist Jayson Gillham from a concert on Thursday night, after he dedicated a piece to journalists killed in Gaza, during a recital last Sunday. Advertisement Review Eating outWest Melbourne Keep warm and curry on at this cosy Japanese cafe, Melbourne Japanese curry is one of the worlds great culinary remixes, and Kare is on a mission to showcase the comfort food. Dani Valent August 16, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share As featured in the September 2024 hit list. See all stories . 1 / 7 The cute cafe showcases Japanese curry. Chris Hopkins 2 / 7 Pork katsu curry. Chris Hopkins 3 / 7 Assorted curry pans (curry-filled bread puffs). Chris Hopkins 4 / 7 Bruleed miso eggplant. Chris Hopkins 5 / 7 Kare shop meets kissaten (Japanese coffee house) at Kare in West Melbourne. Chris Hopkins 6 / 7 Japanese custard pudding. Chris Hopkins 7 / 7 Tuna yukke salad. Chris Hopkins Previous Slide Next Slide Japanese$$$$ Can you imagine missing a food so much you open a restaurant that serves it? Thats what Akiko Asano did with Kare, which she launched a year ago. She pined for the Japanese curry she remembered from Tokyo and enjoyed in specialist curry shops, which she fell in love with during her primary school years, when it was a weekly fixture for lunch. Kare isnt just about solving a private anguish. Its mission is to showcase another style of food in Melbourne, which too often stuffs Japanese cuisine into a sushi, sashimi, gyoza framework. Pork katsu curry. Chris Hopkins Advertisement But what is Japanese curry, and how Japanese is it anyway? Its one of the worlds great culinary remixes, based on Indian curry spices, translated for the British navy, and then taken to Japan in the late 1800s. It was then adopted, absorbed and adapted, most notably as a sweet, mild, thickened sauce poured over katsu (crumbed meat cutlets). The concept has been re-exported to the UK, where you can get katsu-flavoured anything: chips, two-minute noodles, even tinned fish. In Japanese homes and restaurants, curry is usually made from cubes: its a utilitarian mid-market staple. The versions here are more finessed, with nine different sauces made from scratch, each of them rested for three days to deepen the flavours. Caramelised onions are the base but other key ingredients are mushroom, tomato, wagyu fat and curry spices such as turmeric, coriander and pepper. Assorted curry pans (curry-filled bread puffs). Chris Hopkins Advertisement The finished curries are spooned over cutlets (including vegan versions), stirred through mince, mayo and soup and tumbled with meat thats stuffed into orb-like bread puffs called pan. The gentle delights of curry are augmented by fun and fresh dishes, including a tuna salad with okra and avocado, and a thrilling spin on miso eggplant with a bruleed crust. Breakfast might mean a scrambled egg croissando with curried pork mince. The shop motto is made with warm and there is something very cosseted and cosy about the place. Drinks are a huge focus: try anything matcha, or the sweet potato latte with soy caramel drizzle. Advertisement Kare means curry in Japanese but the fact the word is so close to care in English doesnt feel accidental. The motto of the shop is made with warm and there is something very cosseted and cosy about the place, which is especially impressive as its on a windy corner opposite Queen Victoria Market. Why West Melbourne has become one of the citys most exciting brunch spots Asano is an interior designer by trade, crafting restaurants including Tamura Sake Bar in Fitzroy. She sees parallels between design and dinner: both are about transforming materials to create satisfaction. Kare is doing its job very well. Akiko Asano has her soul food, and the city has a new type of Japanese cafe, one that combines elements of a kare shop with a kissaten (Japanese coffee house), and is a part of Melbournes mish-mash food culture, too. Karen Martini's rich Japanese-style vegetable curry Advertisement Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size I am relieved that the Liberal Party failed to get its candidates on the ballot paper for so many council elections (Liberal HQ calls urgent meeting on council fiasco, August 16). Council elections should always be fought on local issues, and not follow divisive party politics. Genuine independent candidates who are involved in the community and know what the local issues are will always get my vote ahead of those candidates bound by the ideology of a particular party. Bridget Sant, Hyams Beach Natalie Ward, Mark Speakman and Damien Tudehope fronted the media on Thursday demanding their partys state director resign immediately. Credit: Kate Geraghty I suspect the lack of Liberals in local government will have zero effect. After living in many municipalities over the years, I suggest we would all be better off by replacing councillors with just one competent, suitably paid administrator. On every street corner, it seems, someone has an incompetent, laughable council story to tell. Its a farce that democratised councils produce better outcomes. Tony Lewis, Mount Victoria Ever since the political parties infiltrated local government elections there has been much unsettling ado involving party politics within councils. There is no place for councillors political affiliations. All councillors should be independent and focused on the purpose behind the position they will hold. They should not be worrying about aligning with their party line. Councillors should be making decisions based on their role as a representative for ratepayers, working for the betterment of the local area: providing fundamental services in the local region, fixing issues that arise in the local area, ensuring things run smoothly in the council offices, streets, facilities and worksites, and working co-operatively with council general managers and staff. Please save us from politics locally. Peter Singh, Dubbo Its hilarious that the Liberal head office administration couldnt even work out the nomination cutoff timeline for 128 local government elections when the information has been available for months. Especially as one of the main selling points of this organisation historically has been the primacy of rights and responsibilities of individuals. So why didnt any of the potential candidates for whom head office missed the bus take matters into their own hands and ensure everything was ticked off? Tony Doyle, Fairy Meadow Richard Shields has blamed a lack of resources for the nomination debacle (Richard Shields sacked as NSW Liberal Party state director, smh.com.au, August 16). Maybe it is the result of the Liberals favourite answer to everything: privatisation and the outsourcing of resources. On a positive front, anyone who misses a deadline on a local council payment may now get a bit of sympathy from any Liberal councillors, instead of the usual threat of a fine or penalty for late payment. Mark Nugent, Lugarno Advertisement Since when is the deadline for submission of just about anything midday? In a 35-year career involving the lodgment of dozens, if not hundreds, of tenders and other submissions with state and federal government agencies, as well as business entities, I cant recall one that had a deadline of midday. It was always 5pm, or close of business, which was so common that it became known by its acronym: COB. I do feel for Richard Shields, who one expects was of the belief that the deadline was in accordance with normal government and business practice. Malcolm McEwen, North Turramurra While I understand the sentiment behind it, your correspondents reference to the feelings of garbage bins red, yellow or green lidded to the political leanings of local councillors is, surely, a descent into gutter politics (Letters, August 16). Pasquale Vartuli, Wahroonga Unsympathetic stance should hurt Dutton too Through the mouth of Alfred Doolittle in Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw mocked the distinction that some people made between the deserving and undeserving poor (Coalition wants a review of visa rules, August 16). Peter Dutton, in his call to ban entry to all immigrants from Gaza, seems to be going down the same route. In Duttons world, if you are a Ukrainian bombed by Russia, you are a refugee. If you are an Afghan threatened by the Taliban, you are a refugee. But if you are a Gazan, bombed, shelled and shot at by Israel, you are undeserving. Some refugees, it appears, are more deserving than others. Mike Reddy, Vincentia Matt Golding Credit: I am more afraid of Peter Dutton than I am of refugees from war-torn Gaza. Refugees who have been subjected to the same security scrutiny that has built a successful multicultural society. It is Duttons treatment of refugees that puts our social cohesion at risk. Like Trump, Dutton succeeds in gaining media attention to poison political communications and opinion. It drives his every word. Anne Eager, Epping Thank you, Zali Steggall, for calling out the deliberately divisive behaviour of Opposition Leader Dutton (Stop being racist: Row erupts in parliament over Duttons stance on Gaza visas, August 16). Her powerful and timely rebuke of our hard-hearted opposition leader stands with Julia Gillards famous misogyny speech to Parliament in 2012. Rob Firth, Red Hill (ACT) Advertisement Will Dutton also seek vetting of returning citizens who fought in the Israeli armed forces in Gaza without formal approval from the attorney-general? The actions of the IDF in Gaza are hardly to the benefit of Australia, as is required for such permission to be granted. Peter Wotton, Pyrmont Dutton advocates for a total ban on Palestinian refugees from the smashed remnants of Gaza, and still retains voter support of nearly half the population (FM PM risks voters tuning out, August 16). What a crappy nation we have become: what a selfish, shallow, fearful mob. Lets not pretend otherwise. Jon Fogarty, North Avoca Unfortunately, attacking foreigners whether they be migrants or refugees fleeing war zones has always been able to win over votes. Fuelling xenophobia is dangerous, and those who do it know this. Con Vaitsas, Ashbury The opposition leaders proposed ban demonises all Gazans as terrorist sympathisers, displaying no empathy for the plight of a people relentlessly attacked since the atrocities of October 7. It shows no respect for Home Affairs to risk-assess and manage Palestinian visa applications. Sadly, it reveals a leader in our country who is politicising the plight of a group of people who deserve far more from Australia. I am ashamed of his stance. Gerard Mowbray, Warners Bay We live in a land of the unfair delusion In 2004 Andrew Denton hosted the Enough Rope program, which included one episode interviewing homeless people. This painfully and powerfully featured the confronting range of different individuals and their unrelated circumstances who found themselves rejected and forgotten in our so-called lucky, fair go nation. Here we are 20 years later, reminded of this delusion by Jacq Gallaghers heart-wrenching personal story (My home became a holiday rental, so I slept in a cemetery, August 16). Since 2004 we have perfected the globalisation and commodification of our housing market, become a haven for money laundering through property, prioritised outrageous tax breaks for unproductive property investment, dismissed the homeless, and destroyed the futures and hopes of countless precious young people. Then falling birth rates are blithely reported, while no dots are joined. We spruik our success as a fair multicultural society, punching above our weight at the Olympics, under successive governments claiming to represent all Australians. We have excelled in our collective delusion. Today I turn 70, and while immeasurably grateful for getting here, for my beautiful family, and being so fortunate in life, I cannot celebrate my unfair nation, now so profoundly unrecognisable to me. Robyn Dalziell, Kellyville Jacq Gallaghers plight is both heartbreaking and all too familiar here on the NSW North Coast. Homes that were previously available for community members to rent are being turned into short-term holiday rentals. Hotels and motels are now crisis accommodation for people facing homelessness. People forced to live in cars or sleep rough are being constantly harassed and moved on. The strain of sheer numbers of homeless people is killing local charities and homelessness support services. Safe shelter is becoming a precarious privilege for many people who have made their lives here. Thats the other side of the coastal paradise we live in. At some point, we need to acknowledge that the level of homelessness we are seeing is not isolated or unavoidable. It is an epidemic that was caused by neglect, indifference and poor policies. At some point we have to accept that the right to safe shelter trumps the privilege of high investment returns. Until we do, we are just shrugging our shoulders and looking away. Tony Judge, Woolgoolga Advertisement That Jacq Gallagher found herself homeless is a shameful indictment of the failure of government policy. Clearly, we have a deep housing crisis that requires massive and brave government intervention. A policy intervention that could make an immediate impact is to make short-term letting (Airbnb, etc) highly unattractive. Returning the approximately 60,000 Airbnb properties in NSW to the conventional long-term private rental market (in 2021 there were 830,579 private renting households in NSW) would immediately increase the vacancy rate by around five per cent and could be a game-changer. Alan Morris, Eastlakes Jacq Gallagher became homeless when her home was put up for short-term holiday rental. Credit: Eve Gallagher Jacq Gallaghers story stirs compassion and frustration. Will homelessness ever be addressed in this country? Could we ever look forward to a day when rather than being regaled with irreverent images and information of the uber-richs frequent exchange of obscenely overpriced harbourside and other mansions, we could instead view images of well-designed, comfortable and urgently-needed public housing with residents enjoying a secure lifestyle? Heather Johnson, West Pennant Hills Could there be a more grim reminder of the tragedy of homelessness than Jacq Gallaghers story? Not only the relentless search for shelter but the need to find that away from the fear of attack from strangers. How shameful. Vicky Marquis, Glebe Metro mania Remember we once had the town planning strategy of city of cities, with jobs in these cities and shorter commuting distances (Metro to open on Monday, August 16). By increasing the rail capacity to the CBD in a super-expensive new metro, the opposite is being done: a CBD-centric piece of infrastructure for yet more long -distance commuting (most in standing mode) with equally expensive mono-directional traffic flows. Sydney drowned in metro-mania. Matt Mushalik, Epping Advertisement Good advice Fifteen years ago I felt the twinges of pain and crackling of my knee bones that heralded the onset of osteoarthritis (How Tom walked away from knee pain without expensive surgery, August 16). Before considering relief through replacement surgery, I decided to consult a local London-trained physiotherapist whose blunt advice was join a gym. Since then, through 90 minutes of gym exercise taken four to five days per week, plus sensible walking shoes, I have retained everyday gait and mobility, with prescribed medication controlling occasional pain. More importantly, given my age, the exercise also benefits prevention of falls and keeps other joint pain at bay. Readers, heed the advice in the story: itll be worth it. John Williams, Balmain No decency If I want to express my opinion in a letter to the Herald, I have to supply my name, address and contact number so that the paper can verify my authenticity (Pretty devastating: Raygun breaks silence on Olympics controversy, smh.com.au, August 16). And, with very few exceptions, I have to consent to my name being published below my letter. This is not the case with the so-called social media. With the appalling Raygun pile-on as the latest example, the gutless trolls can heap abuse upon whomever they like and remain anonymous. They have no sense of human decency or responsibility. Rob Phillips, North Signal loss Stomaching Telstras higher prices is difficult, especially when its mobile service is non-existent (Customers will accept price rises: Telstra boss, August 16). Chief officer Vicki Brady is invited to accompany me for a walk through the fantastic northern section of Yuraygir National Park, just 5km south of Yamba. PS: VB, leave your mobile at home theres no service. Col Shephard, Yamba Advertisement The organisers of Morningsides Rivermakers Farmers and Artisan Markets are fuming after Brisbane City Council rescinded approval for their plan to manage traffic for the event. The markets were due to go ahead on Sunday with council originally approving the plan to have 16 traffic managers at the site. Now approval for the plan has been revoked. The Rivermakers Market has caused a stir in the industrial neighbourhood. Credit: Goodwill Projects Goodwill Projects director Mark Power, organiser of the event, said he was stunned. I said, Weve gone over and above trying to deliver this to rectify any of your concerns and youve rescinded it with one business day [before the event]. Its not cricket. Students accused of cheating at the University of Melbourne will be sent to a powerful new committee of senior staff members, as tertiary institutions across the country battle an AI-fuelled wave of industrial-scale academic misconduct. The exclusive sandstone institution says sending the most serious cheating allegations to a high-level committee of senior staff members will streamline the investigative process that is mostly currently undertaken by individual academics at faculty level. The University of Melbourne will change how it manages allegations of cheating. Credit: Wayne Taylor But some lecturers and tutors are sceptical of the new tiered approach, which will feature student representatives, and fear the central committee might offer a softer jurisdiction for suspected cheats. The Age has obtained recordings of internal conversations between academics discussing a recent case involving allegations of cheating against 18 members of a single class, revealing staff fears that the new system might be a great way of ignoring these things. The funeral service for former mayor and rising political star Sarah Carter ended as it began, with lines from the final stanza of Mary Olivers celebrated poem The Summer Day. By the end of Fridays 90-minute celebration of Carters life and a mourning of her unresolved death this month at 45 it was clear the poems sentiment offered an apt tribute. Mary Olivers The Summer Day Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesnt everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Carter packed as much as she could into her too-short life, said her friend Erin, the funerals master of ceremony. [She] has left us far too soon, for reasons that we do not know. The respected western suburbs councillor who campaigned against child poverty was found dead in her Maribyrnong home on August 6. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances, and the coroner is investigating. Speaking as a rigorous and, Im told, rigorously annoying stickler, I see basic literacy first of all as necessary for life. People who cant read instructions on medicine bottles or auto manuals come out of school dangerously unprepared, for their own and others safety. Loading Literacy is also a sign of self-respect, like not walking around with your fly unzipped or bits of food stuck to your face. Intentionally defying standardised literacy can be creative, but deficient literacy, on the other hand, is a brake on social mobility. Agreed rules of literacy smooth the path to communication. If you want to be understood, write something that the receiver doesnt have to read three times. Theres a productivity component to clean writing. Anyone who writes for their work from emails to reports to beautifully turned-out newspaper columns that sometimes need to be read three times (guilty!) harms productivity when they need to be corrected. Why create extra work for others? (Which is an argument, by the way, for writing generated by a sufficiently advanced AI replicant, as long as it hasnt stolen real creators language, in which case they have to be recompensed.) Most importantly, literacy has real-world power. When Greta Thunberg said Blah blah blah to world leaders at the Youth4Climate summit, she was speaking truth to power. Naomi Klein (not to be confused with Naomi Wolf), in her brilliant 2023 book Doppelganger, wrote that the polarised forces that are eating up global politics share a baseline war on words and meaning. Donald Trumps flagrant disregard for all words and meaning is an expression of this hostility to literacy, but so are Kamala Harris eloquent statements upon which she has no intention of acting. Klein paraphrases Hannah Arendt on the rise of totalitarianism: If nothing means anything and nothing follows from anything else, then anything is possible. Words can be weapons, but words that are stripped of meaning, that mock meaning itself, lay the ground for the worst imaginable abuses. This is, or was, what the 20th century taught us about literacy. Loading But what if conservators of literacy are wrong, or hopelessly out of date? What if artificial intelligence is superseding literacy and numeracy? Lynne Truss, in her 2004 bestseller Eats Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, wrote, The reason to stand up for punctuation is that without it there is no reliable way of communicating meaning. What if she was doing the equivalent of arguing for cufflinks and tie pins? Truss was taking a thin-end-of-the-wedge approach. Today its the removal of apostrophes from street signs (a lively debate in Britain in 2024), tomorrow its the wholesale replacement of words with emojis, and the day after that its the end of civilisation. What if this is just alarmism from the language-embalmers? I dont know the answer to that, but its a reminder to question the assumptions we bring to any argument. What I do see is students thumbs hopping across their phones more nimbly than an Olympic breakdancer, producing a new kind of literacy that is fast overtaking the old. School, for a majority, is the only place in their lives where they are asked to obey proper spelling, grammar and punctuation (and the only place where they will be asked to use more than very basic maths). In their declining NAPLAN results, many are not failing literacy and numeracy but openly rejecting what is to them an irrelevant rule book. Where did their school libraries go? Where are the teacher-librarians? Irrelevant. Defunded. Loading But if they are jumping out of the frying pan of standard literacy and numeracy, what is the fire they are jumping into? It is a blaze that has already got most of them. Outside the classroom, they have already entered the self-reinforcing digital environment of algorithms that give them more of the content they have previously demanded and advertising targeting the data they have unwittingly surrendered. Give up on literacy and numeracy, and they will find a line-up of Zuckerbergs and Musks waiting with open arms. Literacy and numeracy results arent critical in themselves, but they are leading indicators for whether students are being prepared for adult life; whether they will think independently and avoid the gravitational pull of commercial and political servitude. A functional education opens the way for students to be free-thinking, aware, inquisitive, empathetic participants in a community. On the other hand, if our education systems purpose is to turn students into passive consumers and mindless followers, then it is doing better each year. The forces of conformity have got them where they want them. Little wonder that there is such scarce political commitment to fund education as our top priority. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia will continue deporting New Zealand citizens who commit crimes here, arguing it is in the national interest. After meeting NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Friday, Albanese was asked by a reporter how he justified contributing to New Zealands crime and gang problem with what effectively are Australian-grown criminals. New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon with Anthony Albanese in Canberra. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Notwithstanding the provocative nature of the tone in the question, what we have is an understanding that while we have common purpose, we do not have uniform positions, but we respect each others position, Albanese said. [My job] is to look after our national interest. We say the safety of Australians is the No.1 consideration in the ministerial direction 110, but it also continues to apply common sense, a commonsense approach. It is all we try to bring to this and that is understood. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size As premier, and as a parent, I want to see every young Victorian do well in life, Jacinta Allan told her social media followers on Tuesday. She had abandoned a Daniel Andrews-era progressive promise to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14, and made her governments third backdown on bail since October. Somehow, Allan brought the reform back to her vision of leading for families. Premier Jacinta Allan announcing free entry for children to round 24 of the AFL season. Credit: Simon Schluter The May state budget, which delayed the election promise of expanded four-year-old kinder, was sold under the moniker helping families. Even her decision to back pill testing was framed as having been made as a mother. She told us so from her kitchen in a social media video. As parents, my husband and I are always thinking about our kids growing up and making their own decisions. In a few years, theyll be heading off to parties, to music festivals. Like all parents, I often catch myself thinking, What if the worst happens? Advertisement Labor Party headquarters had heard from a portion of women often mothers that youth crime was a concern for them. While some have cried out for a narrative during the 11 months of Allans leadership cutting up progressive reform, the premiers office has been building her persona so this base of middle-aged working women with children keeps turning up for Labor. It is one of our biggest groups and one we cant afford to lose, one Labor source said. This demographic took Andrews to three thumping election victories. When Victoria emerged from a long lockdown in 2021, one of his first photo opportunities was with a mothers group. He had a celebratory brunch wine with a toddler bouncing on his knee. The hope for some in Labor now is that this voting bloc will see Allan as a representation of themselves. Daniel Andrews at a mothers group brunch after a lockdown ended in October 2021. Advertisement Days into her leadership, one of her first moves was to establish a childrens portfolio in her cabinet. Allans first budget included a $400 school saving bonus and expanded free breakfasts at public schools. A womens pain inquiry has opened and consultation to ban non-disclosure agreements for sexual harassment in the workplace is also under way, promises first made under Andrews. Allan frequently talks up womens sport (she calls her Instagram page the Official Lauren Jackson stan account) and has spoken forcefully about violence against women, having appointed the first parliamentary secretary for mens behaviour change. It hasnt always looked like a consistent strategy. But insiders say it is part of a gradual process to reinvent the way Victorians think about their premier. Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn, Allan and Local Government Minister Melissa Horne at a school. Credit: Justin McManus At press conferences and in parliament this week, Allan took questions on access to the RSV vaccine and gambling advertisements as more opportunities to talk about family. One of her children was airlifted to hospital with RSV as a baby and her kids have started asking about betting because of exposure during the footy and the Olympics. Redbridge pollster and former Labor strategist Kos Samaras said this framing worked for Allan and that she needed to do more of it to reach outer suburban and regional parents struggling with the cost of living. Thats what angry voters are calling their local MPs about. And it is the focus of the governments subcommittee on social cohesion not tension over the war in Gaza. Advertisement Samaras said struggling voters no longer had an appetite for governments to spend their time on progressive fights, such as raising the age of criminal responsibility, if they did not directly address their circumstances. There were more votes to lose by continuing with the policy than there were to hold in Green-Labor contests in the inner suburbs. So why spend all this political capital for no gain? Samaras said. They cannot be caught going on a progressive jaunt when they cant help [cost of living]. Premier Jacinta Allan joined the National Rally Against Violence to protest violence against women in April. Credit: Wayne Taylor Support for the government has hollowed out in successive polls since Allans ascension and Labor officials presented affordability as the issue the government would have to attack at a caucus conference in Torquay last month, where youth crime was the hottest topic for MPs on both sides of the debate. Allan has been keen to own the new position to raise the age to only 12 rather than 14 (as is supported by medical evidence and backed by Aboriginal and human rights advocates). This is her agenda, not Daniel Andrews. This decision has been made at a different time by a different government with a different premier, she told reporters this week. Some of her colleagues are not so sure. They view it as a reactionary acceptance that the government had lost control of the messaging and failed to calm the mood. After all, it was older teenagers committing the worst alleged offences but they were lumped into a single narrative about raising the age. Advertisement Loading The Youth Justice Bill, which passed the upper house in the early hours of Friday, does provide further protections for children in the system and hopes to divert more away from prisons. Just bleh, one Labor MP remarked. Others were feeling down about it all. Id like to see her stand for something, a party member said. Andrews was able to sandbag seats in the suburbs with promises of infrastructure projects and simultaneously offer social policy that suited voters in seats at risk from the Greens. But those reforms arent washing with a struggling electorate and Allan doesnt have the benefit of room in her budget to make outlandish promises. Treasurer Tim Pallas now needs to find an extra $1.5 billion that Allan handed hospitals to top up their funding after the government abandoned a possible merger of health services. The failure to control the message on that saga allowed voters to start connecting it to the states budget constraints. There was a growing sense in the community that this could hurt them, and now Pallas has put ministers on notice that the cash cant keep flowing like it has. Advertisement Google executives have denied relying on artificial intelligence to answer questions at a Senate hearing on Friday after an AI chatbot suddenly interjected during their testimony. Googles Australian director of government affairs and public policy, Lucinda Longcroft, was facing questions over teleconference about her companys AI policies when an AI chatbot with a male, American voice interrupted while she was speaking. Lets explore responsible AI across the life cycle, the chatbot said. Thats a great statement, it highlights the ... There is Google, stepping in to be responsible, Longcroft quickly added. Immediate action for scam victims For customers who believe theyve fallen victim to a scam, Bendigo Bank urges them to visit www.bendigobank.com.au/security immediately to report the incident and get support. Despite the Victorian governments aim to deliver 80,000 new homes annually, current construction levels are far from meeting this target. To read the REIWA report in full and to see the complete list of the 30 suburbs joining Perths million-dollar club, visit the organisations LinkedIn post or website. Migrant Crossings Hit Record Lows at U.S.-Mexico Border Amid Stricter Policies and International Cooperation (Photo: Sgt. 1st Class Gordon Hyde / Wikimedia Commons/ Public domain) After years of record-breaking migrant crossings, the U.S.-Mexico border is witnessing a significant decline in illegal entries, marking a rare success for the Biden administration in its ongoing efforts to manage one of its most challenging political issues. According to data provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), migrant apprehensions in July fell to the lowest levels of the Biden era, continuing a downward trend that has persisted for the past five months. The drop in crossings comes as a result of a multifaceted approach by the U.S. government, which includes creating new lawful pathways for migrants, implementing stricter consequences for illegal entries, and engaging in diplomatic efforts with key countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, and Colombia to bolster their border enforcement and humanitarian relief efforts. "The numbers have indeed decreased and have decreased significantly," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told USA TODAY. "The reason for it is not singular. It is a number of different measures that we and others have taken." These measures appear to be yielding results, as migrant encounters at the border have dropped across all demographics-single adults, family units, and unaccompanied minors-despite the fact that seasonal migration typically surges during this time of year. In July, CBP reported 56,408 migrant encounters between ports of entry, a 57% decrease from the 132,642 encounters recorded in the same month last year, and a 32% decline from June. However, those on the front lines, like Kari Lenander, who runs migrant shelters in west Texas and New Mexico, are witnessing the impact of these changes firsthand. "The numbers have dropped so much that most of our beds are empty," Lenander said, noting the stark contrast to previous years when every green cot in her shelters was occupied. The Biden administration's efforts to curb illegal immigration have been a response to the unprecedented surge in migrant crossings that reached their peak last year, with over 2.5 million encounters reported. This surge provided ammunition for Republican critics who have long accused the administration of promoting "open border" policies. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a vocal opponent, had promised to continue sending "migrant buses" to sanctuary cities until the federal government secured the border. But the recent decline in crossings has left those buses parked, with fewer migrants eligible for the controversial relocation program. Despite the positive trend, Lenander and others remain cautious. The problems that drive people to flee their countries-violence, poverty, and political instability-remain unchanged, raising concerns about whether this dip in crossings is temporary. "It's eerie," Lenander remarked about the sudden decline in migration, adding that the quiet in her shelters might not last long. The Biden administration's success in reducing crossings has been attributed to a combination of policy shifts and international cooperation. In June, the administration issued an executive order that sharply restricted the ability of migrants to claim asylum at the border, effectively closing a pathway that millions have used over the past decade. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also ramped up deportations and removals from the U.S., while adding new layers of security to block migrants from making CBP One appointments from outside Mexico. Mayorkas emphasized that the comprehensive suite of measures implemented by the administration has made a lasting impact. "The smuggling organizations do pivot according to what we do," he said. "However, in this case, it is really a comprehensive suite of measures. I do think that reality is a reason why this has lasted longer." On the ground, the changes are evident. Across the border from El Paso, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, areas once crowded with migrants waiting to cross into the U.S. are now largely deserted. The Rio Grande, once a thoroughfare for migrants, now sees fewer crossings. The Texas National Guard has even removed some of the concertina wire that once lined the riverbanks, as the flow of people has slowed to a trickle. However, the situation remains fluid. As the morning sun broke through storm clouds on a recent day, a small group of migrants attempted to cross the border under a section of wire. Despite being spotted by a Texas National Guardsman, they continued toward the U.S. border wall, where they were eventually intercepted by a Border Patrol agent. Their fate-whether deportation, return to Mexico, or release to a shelter-remained uncertain. Daniel Berlin, policy director for protection pathways at the International Rescue Committee, highlighted the complexity of the situation for migrants. "The U.S. border is not open by any stretch," Berlin said. "It's as closed as it has been in a very long time." STL had posted a consolidated loss of Rs 48 crore and decline of about 20 per cent in revenue from operations. (Photo: Reuters) An American court has ordered Vedanta Group-backed Sterlite Technologies' overseas arm to pay $ 96.5 million, about Rs 810 crore, in damages to US-based Prysmian for violating trade secrets norms, according to a regulatory filing and plaintiff's statement. Additionally, the court has awarded $ 200,000 penalty on Stephen Szymanski, Sterlite Technologies Inc (STI) Executive Vice President for Americas Region, for misappropriation of trade secrets of Prysmian. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp STI is the US subsidiary of Sterlite Technologies (STL) which has contested the judgement and may file an appeal against it. Prysmian in a statement said a South Carolina jury on August 9 ordered in favour of Prysmian following a three-week trial in the district court of Columbia, South Carolina. "The jury found that Sterlite was unjustly enriched by taking Prysmian's trade secrets and awarded $ 96.5 million in damages against Sterlite Technologies, Inc. In addition, the jury found that Stephen Szymanski had been unjustly enriched by misappropriating Prysmian's trade secrets," Prysmian said in the statement dated August 12. Prysmian further said that the court awarded $ 200,000 penalty against Szymanski, personally. "Szymanski ran Prysmian's optical fibre cable business in North America, and departed Prysmian for Sterlite, a direct competitor, in August 2020," the statement said. Szymanski joined STI in September 2020. STL in a regulatory filing on August 10 had informed BSE that it is not a party to this dispute neither are any claims being made against it. "STI believes the judgement is not supported by the testimony and evidence presented at trial and intends to vigorously pursue all available post-trial remedies including an appeal," the STL filing said. STL had posted a consolidated loss of Rs 48 crore and decline of about 20 per cent in revenue from operations at Rs 1,218 crore in the first quarter ended June 30, 2024. India has launched an anti-dumping probe into imports of hot rolled flat products originating in or exported from Vietnam after complaints that they were being sold at low prices, hurting the interest of the domestic steel industry. Indian steelmakers have been flagging cheap imports from China rerouted through Vietnam under the India-Asean free trade agreement for a while now. Imports at lower prices have been impacting domestic steel prices. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The move came after Indian Steel Association (ISA) -- on behalf of domestic steel producers, namely, JSW Steel and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) -- filed an application seeking a probe into hot rolled flat products of alloy or non-alloys steel coming from Vietnam. A notification issued by the commerce ministrys Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) dated August 14, said that on the basis of the duly substantiated written application submitted by the domestic industry, there was prima facie evidence concerning the dumping of the product under consideration originating in or exported from Vietnam and the consequential injury and threat of injury to the domestic industry. The authority hereby initiates an anti-dumping investigation, it said. The product under consideration is hot rolled flat products of alloy or non-alloy steel, not clad, not plated or coated, of a thickness up to 25 mm and width up to 2100 mm. The period of investigation is January 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 (15 months). The applicants have requested for retrospective imposition of the anti-dumping duty. They claimed that because of the adverse volume and price effect of the dumped imports, its performance has deteriorated in respect of cash profit, market share, profit and return on investment. Major steel producers have been aligning their expansion plans in tune with Indias target of achieving 300 million tonne (mt) steel capacity by 2030-2031. According to an ICRA report in June, 27.5 mt of new steelmaking capacity is expected to come on stream between FY25 and FY27. Post-Covid, about 26.3 mt of capacity was commissioned between FY21 and FY24. Major steel producers who are putting in billions of dollars in capacity addition have been raising concerns that cheap imports could impact cash flows and thereby weigh on the expansion plans. A CRISIL report in June noted that India became a net importer of steel in fiscal 2024, with an overall steel trade deficit of 1.1 mt, marking a shift in status as a net exporter since fiscal 2017. While China led the pack, South Korea and Japan maintained their export volumes to India. Vietnam made it to the list of top exporters, with its exports to India rising 130 per cent on-year, the CRISIL report mentioned. The Election Commission of India (EC) is set to announce the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections on Friday afternoon. A media invitation has been sent by the EC for a press conference scheduled for around 3 pm, though it remains unclear which states' election dates will be revealed. The terms of legislative assemblies in Haryana and Maharashtra will expire on Nov 3 and Nov 26, respectively. Additionally, the poll panel is under pressure to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by September 30, 2024, as mandated by the Supreme Court of India. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand Traditionally, the EC has held elections in Maharashtra and Haryana simultaneously, with Jharkhand following separately. However, media reports suggest a deviation from this pattern this year, with elections in J&K and Haryana possibly being prioritised. The EC recently conducted visits to J&K and Haryana to assess the states' readiness for elections. However, no such visit has yet been made to Maharashtra, suggesting that polls in J&K and Haryana might be held before those in Maharashtra. The situation in J&K also remains particularly delicate. The region has been without an elected legislative Assembly since 2018, and the Supreme Court has set a strict deadline for holding elections by the end of September 2024. The legislative assemblies in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand are all nearing the end of their terms within the next six months. Jharkhand assembly's term ends in January 2025, trailing closely behind Maharashtra and Haryana. EC visits Haryana and J&K During their recent visits to Jammu and Kashmir on August 8-9 and to Haryana on August 12-13, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, met various stakeholders and reviewed the electoral preparations. The absence of a similar visit to Maharashtra and Jharkhand points to the possibility of their elections being scheduled later. Meanwhile, the legislative assembly elections for Delhi, encompassing all 70 constituencies, are scheduled to take place on or before February 2025. Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh, called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, assuring protection, safety and security of Hindus and all other minorities in his country. This is the first conversation between Modi and Yunus after he assumed the responsibility following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Modi said in a post on X that he reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He said, "Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh." The prime minister had in his Independence Day address on Thursday voiced concern over the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. Hues of India's rich cultural heritage and strong bilateral relations with the US resonated across New York. Image: X@IndiainNewYork The hues of the Indian tricolour, India's rich cultural heritage and strong bilateral relations with the US resonated across the city as the country's 78th Independence Day was celebrated here with patriotic fervour. A slew of events commemorating India's Independence Day were held across the city on Thursday highlighting the strong people-to-people ties between India and the US as well as India's rich heritage. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Flag hoisting ceremonies were held at the Consulate General of India in New York, Permanent Mission of India to the UN, Times Square and lower Manhattan in the presence of members of the Indian diaspora and city officials. Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, who was in the city before travelling on to Latin America, addressed members of the diaspora at the flag hoisting ceremony in the Consulate and Times Square. Leading diaspora organisation Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT-NE (FIA) held a special Independence Day celebration at the iconic New York City destination Times Square, which was seeped in the hues of the Indian tricolor, as patriotic songs reverberated through the air and the country's rich cultural heritage was on full display. Consul General of India in New York Binaya Pradhan hoisted the tricolour at the Consulate as well as at Times Square. Margherita told members of the diaspora that "as I address you for the first time on American soil, I am struck by the profound connection between our two great nations". Echoing the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Margherita said that India and the US, two of the world's largest democracies and economies, share a bond that goes beyond mere diplomatic ties. "The relationship is rooted in shared values, common aspirations and a commitment to freedom, democracy and human equality," he said. Describing the Indian community as "ambassadors" of the country's culture, values and ethos, he said the diaspora in the US "stands as a living bridge between the two nations". "As we look to the future, the India-US partnership holds immense promise. The potential of our partnership is limited only by our imagination and our will to achieve," Margherita said. India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN and Charg d'Affaires Ambassador R Ravindra raised the national flag at India's Permanent Mission to the UN at an event attended by members of the diaspora, Indians working at UN and the Mission family. At a flag-raising ceremony held in lower Manhattan, New York City Mayor Eric Adams described New York City as the "New Delhi of America". He recalled his trip to India when he had paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, saying that "we have a responsibility and obligation to continue those footsteps. We have to fulfill what he thought we should do as we lift up humanity. And it's so important, but also diversity". Adams said the number of Indian and Indian-origin professional business owners, health professionals in the medical field, educators, teachers in the city shows "the clear presence of the Indian community. You do us proud here in this city and in our entire country". "And we cannot overlook what you all should feel a wealth of support for, that we are on a historic moment of potentially electing the first woman president of Indian descent. This is a major, major accomplishment. It shows you that in America, everything is possible. Let's continue to lift each other up. 78 years of independence. Let's continue to be dependent on each other as we move forward," Adams said, referring to Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, the first woman of Black and Indian heritage to be US Vice President and the presidential nominee of a major political party. On the occasion, Pradhan underlined the rise of Indian-American partnership. "If President Biden says that this is the most consequential partnership of the 21st century, we in India echo that. We strongly endorse that and we strongly believe in that. We believe that it has reached a point of inflection" where now the Indians and the United States are working on all sectors of human endeavour, he said. Pradhan said that the Independence Day commemoration also celebrates the rise of India, the growth story of the last 78 years. "It's also a story of Indian people coming here, working hard, contributing to the nation-building of the United States in a tremendous way, and this is something we remember in India, we celebrate in India," Pradhan said. Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Mayor's Office for International Affairs Dilip Chauhan told members of the diaspora at the event that for the first time in New York City's history, schools will be closed on Diwali, an historic decision made possible after years of efforts and advocacy from the community. "Diwali is going to teach love, unity and harmony among the students, who will be the future leaders," Chauhan said. He added that the decision to close schools on November 1 for Diwali this year "reflects a deep respect for the rich culture that makes our community strong, our diversity with language, religion and traditions stands as a beacon of unity". Chauhan added that this vibrant culture contributes to the "unique character" of New York City. He also called on members of the community to reach out to the mayor's office if they have any issues. "We are always here to support our community and we are here to hear you," he said. FIA President Dr Avinash Gupta said that on India's Independence Day, "we celebrate democracy, unity in diversity and inclusiveness". He invited members of the diaspora to attend the India Day Parade in Manhattan on August 18. Sibu Nair, Representative of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, presented a citation to Pradhan proclaiming August 15 as India Independence Day in the state of New York. The health ministry's decision to form a panel for deliberating on a central law to protect healthcare workers is "too little and too late" as it just needs political will to bring a legislation on the matter, IMA chief Dr R V Asokan said on Friday. As resident doctors across the country held protests over the alleged rape and killing of a trainee women doctor in a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata, demanding a central law to protect them, Asokan told PTI that the government is reluctant to acknowledge that there is violence against doctors and hospitals. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp "But you cannot run away from the reality," he said. There is a draft bill that was prepared in 2019 after stakeholders' consultation but it never went to Parliament, he pointed out. "There is a thinking in the government to refer it to an expert committee to look at the possibility of a bill, but that will be too little and too late. Because, everything is in place. It only needs political will to push the button," Asokan said. He cited the example of how during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 was amended by an ordinance and the amended Act was brought out within 24 hours. Parliament later passed it in 2023. "We met the health minister recently. We told him that in the medical profession, the percentage of women is around 60 and it is bound to grow. It is our moral duty to protect them. I have total trust in the health minister, who is extremely sensitive to the situation. The political will also come, that is my trust," Asokan told PTI. About an IMA delegation meeting the Kolkata victim's kin and agitating doctors, he said the deceased woman's family members told them that the principal of the medical college kept them waiting for three hours and ultimately, did not meet them. "Even the information that was conveyed over the phone was many hours late and they said they were not allowed to meet the head of the institution.... It is abnormal. Normally, we go out of the way to console them. Looking at the things that do not match with logic, it appears that there is more to the incident (than just rape and killing). "One culprit has been caught. Injuries in the post-mortem show us the violent nature of the crime.... Not at all possible by one person. There are culprits who are roaming around but a professional investigation will be carried out by the CBI," Asokan said. The Kolkata incident is qualitatively different from the usual attacks on hospitals, he said, adding, "This has shaken the conscience of the nation, because a woman has been violated at her workplace. She was working for 36 straight hours and had gone to sleep for a couple of hours." Asokan said from their interactions with the agitating doctors in Kolkata, it came to light that they did not even have a proper duty room on the floor where the incident took place and a seminar room with two beds was used because that was the only possible place where they could get some rest. "It was very unfortunate. This has brought out the lack of concern for the working hours of resident doctors, their basic infrastructure needs have also come out in this episode," he said. On the vandalism that took place at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the intervening night of August 14 and August 15, Asokan said the violence happened at midnight, when more than 300 male and female medical students were sitting there and were driven away by a mob that vandalised the emergency department, equipment and went up to the third floor, where the crime occurred. "These are very serious things that have happened -- one is a crime at workplace and another is that such an atmosphere of vandalism could be created in a hospital," he said. Responding to a question on if there is more than what meets the eye, Asokan said, "There is a doubt that there was a purpose behind the miscreants going up to the third floor. There was also the purpose to terrorise the students to drive them away from the protest site but the very fact that they went up to the third floor and not further proves that vandalism was also a part of the design." On the CBI taking over the probe in the case and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requesting the protesting doctors to call off their stir, saying their demands have been met, Asokan said the resident doctors are scared. "They are simply scared. Without additional security and changes in the infrastructure, who will walk on those corridors? Who will go there again and how can you do midnight duty? More than the doctors, the nurses are scared and they are joining the protests everywhere," he said. Asokan highlighted the need for a new set of laws, strengthening of infrastructure and security deployment at hospitals. Over patient care getting affected due to the ongoing doctors' strike, he said, "People understand that we are not fighting for the rights of the doctors alone. We are equally fighting for the daughters of this country. It is a national movement, which is growing. We have exempted the emergencies and casualties." On how long these protests will continue, Asokan said, "Right now, we are taking the call on a day-to-day basis. Next week, we will go from town to town, we will go to villages, meet MPs and MLAs and build a strong opinion that will put pressure on the government. The government is sensitive and we are expecting good results." The IMA has declared a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday. Coromandel International stocks rise: Shares of fertiliser manufacturer Shares of fertiliser manufacturer Coromandel International were buzzing in trade on Friday, August 16, 2024. The stock rose as much as 5.60 per cent in intraday deals to hit a fresh all time high of Rs 1,779.90 per share. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The uptick in the share price came after the company said that it has been granted permission to resume operations at its Chennai plant. In an exchange filing, Coromandel International said, We wish to inform you that TNPCB has granted permission to resume the operation of the other allied units (Phosphoric Acid Plant and Sulphuric Acid Plant) located at Ennore, Chennai without Ammonia Storage facility and also advised to comply with specified conditions thereto. Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) ordered the company to stop operations at the Ammonium Phosphate Potash Sulphate (APPS) Plant and other allied units until certain compliances are fulfilled last year in December. Earlier this month, Coromandel International roped in S Sankarasubramanian as managing director and CEO, effective August 7. Q1FY25 financial performance Coromandel International reported a 37.1 per cent fall in first-quarter profit due to weakness in its fertiliser and nutrients business. The company's net profit after tax fell to Rs 311 crore for the June quarter of financial year 2025 (Q1FY25), from Rs 494 crore in the same quarter a year ago (Q1FY24). Its revenue from operations plunged nearly 17 per cent to Rs 4,729 crore, making it the company's fifth consecutive quarter of decline. Coromandel International Ltd stands among prominent players in Indias agricultural sector, offering a comprehensive suite of solutions across the farming value chain. Its diverse product portfolio includes fertilisers, crop protection solutions, bio-pesticides, specialty nutrients, and organic fertilisers. The companys operations are categorised into two primary segments: Nutrients and Allied Products, which contribute around 85 per cent of its revenue, and Crop Protection, accounting for roughly 15 per cent. The company is a major force in the domestic fertiliser market, specialising in various phosphatic fertilisers. It commands approximately 40 per cent of the unique grade fertiliser market in India, making it the second-largest phosphatic fertiliser seller in the country and the leading seller of single super phosphate (SSP) with a market share of around 15%. The company holds a dominant position in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Indias largest complex-fertiliser markets. In crop protection, Coromandel offers a broad array of products under more than 60 brands. It ranks as the third-largest global manufacturer of mancozeb, with exports constituting about 37 per cent of its revenue in this segment. Apart from that, Coromandel is at the forefront of biological solutions with a robust pipeline focusing on plant extracts and microbial bio-pesticides. It is a leading global manufacturer of azadirachtin, holding around 65 per cent of the export market share, and exports its products to the USA, Canada, and Europe. At 2:07 PM, shares of the company were trading 5.46 per cent higher at Rs 1,777.55 per share. In comparison, BSE Sensex was trading 1.41 per cent higher at 80,221.33 levels. Taiwan civilian groups mark Japan's surrender in WWII Xinhua) 09:48, August 16, 2024 TAIPEI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Multiple civilian groups in Taiwan on Thursday issued a statement marking the 79th anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in the World War II, and voiced protest against external forces interfering in and undermining stability across the Taiwan Strait. In the statement, the civilian groups, including the Labor Party in Taiwan and the Cross-Strait Peace and Development Forum, hailed the day of Japan's surrender as "an important commemoration for Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to boost national morale, defend justice, uphold China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and pursue peace and progress" as well as "a glorious commemoration of Taiwan's return to China." In addition, the statement also included reflection on the local anti-Japanese movements after the island became a Japanese colony in 1895 and celebrations by the majority of people on the island after Japan's unconditional surrender in 1945. Taiwan's return to China was recognized by the Cairo Declaration in 1943 and the Potsdam Proclamation in 1945, said the statement. What undermines peace and stability across the Strait is intervention of external forces in the Taiwan question which is purely China's internal affair, as well as their collusion with separatists seeking "Taiwan independence," the statement said. It urged people of Taiwan to carry on the legacy of their ancestors who fought against colonists and called on the Democratic Progressive Party authorities to accept the legal and historical fact that both sides belong to one China, so as to truly maintain stability in cross-strait relations and peace across the Strait. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Sometime at the end of August, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (CM) M K Stalin will travel to the US to solicit investment for the state. He will be away for nearly three weeks. Some say this is routine and like other chief ministers, he too is going to rouse the diaspora. But the issue of appointing a man in command when he is away for an extended spell could segue into a choice of a successor. With less than two years to go for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections (scheduled for 2026), the pressure is obvious. All Ajit Pawar and his loyalist MLAs broke away from NCP in July last year to align with the ruling alliance. (Photo: PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party, has said that helming the NCP away from the shadows of his uncle and founder Sharad Pawar after the split is a huge responsibility. In an interview with PTI during his Jan Sanman Yatra, Pawar said on Thursday that the seat-sharing talks among the ruling Mahayuti partners NCP, Shiv Sena and BJP for the assembly polls are proceeding positively. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Ajit Pawar and his loyalist MLAs broke away from NCP in July last year to align with the ruling alliance. He later got the party name and its clock symbol. Party founder Sharad Pawar, who now heads NCP (SP), is a part of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress. This is the biggest responsibility that I have ever received. Till now, (Sharad) Pawar saheb was our leader and our chief. When I joined politics in 1991, there was no NCP by then. When I was in Congress, there were several leaders. Therefore, there was no question about it (extra responsibility). When NCP was formed in 1999... I was given responsibilities only after 2004. Now the final responsibility lies with me because I am the NCP chief. Speaking about seat sharing for the upcoming state polls, Pawar said he had spoken to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who leads the Shiv Sena, and Deputy CM and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis two to three times and the talks were positive. Everyone wants to contest from maximum seats and a solution will be found, he said. However, we need to hold talks with our other alliance partners as well... Let's wait for a few days, said the deputy CM. On being asked if the polls could be held in November, he said there was such a buzz but added the schedule was the prerogative of the Election Commission and "not in our hands. Ajit Pawar also batted for an all-party meeting to discuss the demand of the Maratha community for reservation in education and government jobs, saying the opposition parties cannot be neglected since they also represent the people. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange wants reservation under the OBC segment. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had called an all-party meeting to discuss the quota issue but the opposition stayed away. I don't know if the boycott was deliberate. It has been decided to seek their (opposition) time again," he said. Hailing the Mukhyamnatri Ladki Bahin Yojana, under which women get a monthly aid of Rs 1,500 if their annual family income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh, Pawar said it would be launched on August 17 at an event in Balewadi here with beneficiaries getting money for July and August. CM Shinde and Deputy CM Fadnavis will attend the event. It is a transparent scheme in which money is transferred to accounts linked to the beneficiary's Aadhaar, leaving no room for any illegality, Pawar added. Slamming the opposition for calling it an election gimmick that would burden the exchequer, Pawar said he had presented 10 budgets and knew about finances. On the issue of raising resources, Pawar said Maharashtra accounts for 16 per cent of the country's GST collections, with 50 per cent coming back to the state. Moreover, the state also has revenue coming in from excise and other taxes, Pawar pointed out. Pawar said his Jan Sanman Yatra was getting a good response from women, adding that schemes meant from them as well as farmers and youth were well received since beneficiaries include the poor and from all castes. Asked whether the mistake he alluded to in connection with the Baramati Lok Sabha fight between Supriya Sule and his wife Sunetra was political or personal, he said, "There is nothing deliberate about speaking about a mistake. I am the master of my mind. I speak my mind. I am a straightforward person." He refused to speak on the split in the Pawar household (due to the NCP's break up) and asserted such matters need not be discussed in an open forum just because he was a public figure. "I am a public figure but I would not like to speak about my family. I will speak about my family within the family," he said. On a question about chances of reuniting with Sharad Pawar, the deputy CM said, "I will only speak about my work and vision for Maharashtra. We will tell people to give us a chance again so that we can bring more funds for the state. The opposition is always negative." Asked to compare bitter rivals CM Shinde and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former CM Uddhav Thackeray, Pawar said, "Everyone is different in behaviour and temperament. But everyone works for Maharashtra's interests and development. Shinde has worked with Thackeray for several years. What happened between them only Shinde can say." On former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh's claims about moves to get Fadnavis and some other leaders arrested during MVA rule, Pawar said he knew nothing about the matter. I have never heard anything about this. I do not do any negative work. Everyone knows me. I do what I feel right, the NCP chief asserted. Chinese smartphone brand POCO has announced the launch of its first Android tablet, the POCO Pad 5G, in India on August 23. The tablet is listed on e-commerce platform Flipkart, confirming its Indian debut. Unveiled globally in May, the POCO Pad 5G is already available in select markets, and the Indian variant is expected to mirror the global specifications. POCO Pad 5G: What to expect Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp According to the Flipkart listing, the POCO Pad 5G will sport a 12.1-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The display will support a 120Hz refresh rate and offer a peak brightness of 600 nits. This aligns with the global variant, which includes a 2.5K resolution screen and supports Dolby Vision HDR. The POCO Pad 5G will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 and will be available in configurations of 8GB RAM and up to 256GB of on-board storage. It will also include a 10,000mAh battery with 33W wired charging support. In terms of imaging, the tablet will have 8-megapixel camera sensors on both the back and front. POCO Pad 5G: Expected specifications Display: 12.1-inch LCD, 16:10 aspect ratio, 2.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 600 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision Support, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 RAM: 8GB Storage: up to 256GB Rear camera: 8MP Front camera: 8MP Battery: 10000mAh Charging: 33W OS: Android 14 based Xiaomi HyperOS Recently, Xiaomi under its Redmi branding launched the Redmi Pad Pro tablet in India that carries similar specifications as the POCO Pad 5G. POCO has previously offered devices that were similar to the Xiaomi counterpart, but at a tad lower price points. It could be the same case for POCO Pad 5G as well. The Redmi Pad Pro is now available in India starting at Rs 21,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris would be the favourite to win the White House if polls were held today, The Washington Post has said, basing its conclusion on the results of its polling model. "Relative to the day that Biden dropped out, Harris has gained two percentage points nationally and, as of Sunday, leads in our national polling average. In swing states, she has gained an average of 2.1 points since June 21 and leads in 2 of 7 of them," the American daily said on Thursday. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp ALSO READ: Biden, Harris make first joint appearance since his exit from prez race "It is no exaggeration to state that Harris would be the favorite to win the White House, according to our polling model, if the presidential contest were held today, it reported. According to the daily, Harris has taken the lead in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and has substantially closed the gap in Michigan, where Trump now leads by less than one percentage point. "According to our polling model, Harris still trails Trump in the electoral college tally if the election were held today and every state votes as their polling average currently demonstrates. Nonetheless, she would be the favorite if voters today went to the polls because Harris now has more paths to the presidency than Donald Trump -- that is, she is competitive in more states that could add up to 270 votes or an electoral college victory, it said. Brazil is by far South America's largest nation and shares one of Venezuela's longest land borders Photo: Reuters/Fausto Torrealba Venezuelan opposition leader Mara Corina Machado on Thursday rejected a proposal from Brazil's president that Venezuela hold a new presidential election following the contested results of last month's vote. Her comments came shortly after Brazilian President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva said that he still doesn't recognize Nicols Maduro as the winner of last month's presidential election in Venezuela, and that his counterpart could call for a new vote if he has good sense". US President Joe Biden also expressed support for new elections. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Lula said that Maduro still owes an explanation to Brazilians and the rest of the world. Machado said during a virtual press conference with Argentine media that redoing the election would be an insult to the people, and she asked if second election were held and Maduro still didn't accept the results, "do we go for a third one? Brazil is by far South America's largest nation and shares one of Venezuela's longest land borders. Unlike many other nations that have either recognized Maduro or Gonzlez as the winner, the governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico have taken a more neutral stance by neither rejecting nor accepting it when Venezuela's electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner at the ballot box. Maduro still has six months left in his term. He is the president regardless of the election. If he has good sense, he could call upon the people of Venezuela, perhaps even call for new elections, create an electoral committee and allow observers from around the world to monitor, Lula said in an interview with Radio T. In a joint statement, the three countries called on Venezuela's electoral body to release tens of thousands of vote tally sheets, considered the ultimate proof of results. Under Lula, the country has been an important mediator, including the Barbados Agreement reached in October, when Maduro's administration and political opposition reached an agreement on a new election that triggered relief from US sanctions. Celso Amorim, Lula's closest international adviser and former foreign relations minister, went to Caracas in July to monitor the election. Speaking to a Senate committee Thursday morning, Amorim said that a new election would need to be verified in a solid and robust manner. Venezuelan law allows for another vote whenever the National Electoral Council or judicial authorities annul an election found to be fraudulent or whose outcome was impossible to determine. The new election must take place within six to 12 months under the same conditions as the annulled vote and the same candidates must appear on the ballot. Logistics, laws and costs aside, a new election would be a risky gamble for Maduro and his allies as July's vote and subsequent protests showed they have lost support across the country and can no longer bank on a cadre of die-hard supporters, known as Chavistas, as well as public employees and others whose businesses or employment depend on the state to comfortably beat opponents. Although electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner of the highly anticipated election, they have yet to produce detailed voting tallies to back up their claim. The opposition, however, revealed that it collected tally sheets from more than 80% of the 30,000 electronic voting machines nationwide, showing that Maduro lost by a more than 2-to-1 margin. An AP review of the tally sheets released indicates that Gonzalez won significantly more votes than the government has claimed. The analysis casts serious doubt on the official declaration that Maduro won. The AP processed almost 24,000 images representing the results from 79% of voting machines, resulting in tabulations of 10.26 million votes. The processed tally sheets also showed Gonzalez receiving more votes on 20,476 receipts compared to only 3,157 for Maduro. When Biden was asked Thursday in Washington whether he would support new elections in Venezuela, the president said I do. Biden did not elaborate, and the White House did not immediately provide more detail on the president's brief remark. Earlier Thursday, the White House had reiterated its call on the Maduro government to release data on the vote tally. White House national security spokesman John Kirby also said that the US believes Edmundo Gonzalez was the top vote-getter. We do believe that Mr Gonzalez will have the majority of votes. We believe that through a number of ways, in a number of sources, Kirby said. But what's really definitive is the actual voting data. And the fact that Mr Maduro won't release that data, certainly, I think speaks to, what must be his concern about... the results of that would transparently display. The AI-RAN Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Alex Jinsung Choi, Principal Fellow of SoftBank Corp.'s Research Institute of Advanced Technology, to Chair. As the Chair of the AI-RAN Alliance, Choi is fully committed to working alongside prominent technology, industry and academic institution members to help accelerate the adoption and growth of AI-RAN (artificial intelligence-radio access networks) technology, supported by 5G and 6G technologies. "The AI-RAN Alliance is set to transform telecommunications through AI-RAN advancements, increased efficiency, and new economic opportunities," said Choi. "As Chair, Im excited to lead this AI-RAN initiative, working with industry leaders to enhance mobile networks, reduce power consumption, and modernize infrastructure with 5G and 6G with AI/ML. Our goal is to drive societal progress through AI-RAN, transitioning from traditional to next-generation communications infrastructure." Choi brings over 30 years of experience in the telecom industry, having served many past corporate leadership roles in research and development of various technological domains such as mobile networks and AI/ML (AI/machine learning). He has also been a distinguished figure in industry associations, formerly as the Chairman of the O-RAN ALLIANCE where he had played an integral part in driving the successful delivery of O-RAN specifications and transforming RAN towards open and intelligent solutions. Under Choi's leadership, the AI-RAN Alliance will leverage the collective expertise of its members to advance research and innovation in three main areas: AI-for-RAN, which focuses on enhancing radio access network capabilities with AI to improve spectral efficiency; AI-and-RAN, which integrates AI with RAN processes to optimize infrastructure use and create new revenue opportunities; and AI-on-RAN, which deploys AI services at the network edge to increase operational efficiency and provide new services to mobile users. Network operators in the alliance will spearhead the testing and implementation of these technologies, developed through the collaborative efforts of member companies and universities. Supporting Quotes from Founding Members: Satadal Bhattacharjee, Sr. Director of Marketing, Infrastructure BU, ARM, said, We're excited to collaborate with Choi, the Chair of the AI-RAN Alliance. Like Choi, we believe that AI will fundamentally change the way wireless services are deployed, fostering broad innovation and enhancing operational efficiency. We look forward to working with key industry leaders from silicon to software to fulfill the promise of ubiquitous AI and 6G. Jim Shea, Co-founder and CEO of DeepSig, said, As a pioneer in AI-native communications together with his prior experience growing the O-RAN ALLIANCE, Choi will lead this important initiative that is shaping the future of intelligent radio access networks. DeepSig's extensive AI/ML wireless expertise will play a key role in this exciting collaboration to leverage advanced technologies to help the industry unlock unprecedented network efficiency and accelerate innovation. Mathias Riback, VP & Head of Advanced Technology U.S., Ericsson, said, "I'm thrilled to welcome Dr. Choi as Chair of the AI-RAN Alliance. As a non-standardization organization, the Alliance can uniquely complement the work of existing SDOs by focusing on shaping innovative use cases that integrate AI with RAN. In addition to realizing benefits from AI in RAN implementations, it will be important to advance 'AI on RAN' use cases, where mobile networks play a critical role in enabling AI applications. Ericsson is fully committed to fostering a collaborative environment that unites all players in the evolving AI ecosystem to shape the future of telecom together." Shawn Hakl, VP of 5G Strategy, Microsoft, said, "At Microsoft, we recognize artificial intelligence (AI) as a pivotal technology of our era. We are excited to be a part of the AI-RAN Alliance and are particularly pleased to see Choi step into the role of Chair. Choi's leadership will be key as we collaborate to leverage AI in optimizing RAN infrastructure investments and expanding the capabilities of RAN to introduce new AI-driven services for modern mobile applications. Ari Kynaslahti, Head of Strategy and Technology, Mobile Networks at Nokia commented, Nokia is proud to be part of the AI-RAN Alliance and contribute towards integrating AI into radio access networks. The potential of AI to optimize networks, predict and resolve issues, and enhance performance and service quality is significant. As we embark on this transformative journey, collaboration is essential to harness our collective expertise. We are pleased to see Dr. Alex Choi appointed to this role, and look forward to him guiding our efforts to achieve these goals. Tommaso Melodia, William L. Smith Professor, Northeastern University, said, We are pleased to have Choi as the Chair of the AI-RAN Alliance, leading our efforts to transform the industry. Choi has been a strong advocate for the evolution towards a more open, software-driven, and AI-integrated future. Under Choi's leadership, the AI-RAN Alliance is set to fast-track the development of new services and use cases by leveraging openness, softwarization, and AI integration to enhance network performance, energy efficiency, spectrum sharing, and security, ultimately redefining the landscape of global communications. Soma Velayutham, GM, AI and Telecoms, NVIDIA, said, The AI-RAN Alliance is a critical initiative for advancing the convergence of AI and 5G/6G technologies to drive innovation in mobile networks. The consortiums new leadership will bring a fresh perspective and focus on delivering the next generation of connectivity. Dr. Ardavan Tehrani, Samsung Research, AI-RAN Alliance Board of Directors Vice Chair, said, "We are excited to have Dr. Alex Choi leading the AI-RAN Alliance as the Chair of the Board. The Alliance will play a pivotal role in fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and transforming future 6G networks utilizing AI. Under Dr. Choi's leadership, the Alliance will strive to deliver substantial value to end users and operators through pioneering AI-based use cases and innovations. Ryuji Wakikawa, VP and Head of Research Institute of Advanced Technology, SoftBank Corp., said, "SoftBank is committed to realizing an AI-powered network infrastructure, and we strongly believe that Chois extensive background and expertise will be a great force in advancing AI-RAN technology and driving significant progress for the mobile industry in this AI era with lightning speed." John Saw, EVP and CTO, T-Mobile, said, We are thrilled to have Alex Choi as Chair of the AI-RAN Alliance. AI is advancing at an unprecedented rate and with our 5G network advantage we have a unique opportunity to harness this momentum. By developing solutions that make the most of both RAN and AI on GPUs and working alongside Choi and the top industry leaders within the Alliance we believe there is potential for change that will revolutionize the industry. Dr. Akihiro Nakao, Professor, The University of Tokyo, said, Dr. Alex Jinsung Chois appointment as Chair of the AI-RAN Alliance represents a pivotal step in advancing AI within the telecommunications sector. His leadership is expected to unite academic and industry efforts, nurturing the next wave of innovators who will drive the future of AI and telecommunications. This initiative will not only fast-track the adoption of AI across diverse applications but also foster international collaboration and set new standards for efficiency, energy management, resilience, and the development of AI-driven services that will reshape the telecommunications industry and benefit society worldwide. About AI-RAN Alliance The AI-RAN Alliance is a collaborative consortium focused on enabling the evolution and advancement of AI integration into RAN. Established in 2024, the alliance strives to promote innovation, establish best practices, and drive the development of AI technologies that enhance the performance, efficiency, and flexibility of RAN systems used in telecommunications. For more information, visit: https://ai-ran.org/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240815774457/en/ HistoSonics, the manufacturer of the Edison Histotripsy System and novel histotripsy therapy platforms, announced today the completion of an oversubscribed $102 million Series D financing. The round was led by Alpha Wave Ventures, a world leader in growth stage investments, with participation from new investors Amzak Health and HealthQuest Capital, and existing investors Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, Inc. (JJDC), Venture Investors, Lumira Ventures, Yonjin Venture, the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, and others. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240815865405/en/ HistoSonics Edison Histotripsy System (Photo: Business Wire) Histotripsy is a novel form of focused ultrasound that uses high amplitude, very short pulses to create a bubble cloud that is designed to mechanically destroy and liquefy targeted liver tumors. These bubble clouds form and collapse in microseconds, creating mechanical forces strong enough to destroy tissue at cellular and sub-cellular levels in a non-invasive and non-thermal method. Histotripsy offers a promising alternative to treatments such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, which often have significant side effects. The Series D funding will be used to accelerate category defining advancements to its non-invasive histotripsy platforms, support commercial growth in the US and in planned global markets, and initiate the companys innovative, prospective BOOMBOX Master Study that will evaluate HistoSonics Edison System for the treatment of liver tumors across multidisciplinary users. The Edison Histotripsy System was granted FDA De Novo clearance in October 2023. HistoSonics is currently partnering with leading institutions across the US and internationally in developing multi-disciplinary histotripsy liver programs. Histotripsy is a paradigm-changing treatment option for patients who want a non-invasive approach to target and destroy tumors without the need for needles or incisions, said Mike Blue, President & CEO, HistoSonics. Were thrilled to announce this top-tier investor syndicate led by Alpha Wave, which reinforces the confidence in our mission to impact patients lives with our current liver application and expanded use in kidney, pancreas, prostate, brain and other tumor types. This funding will accelerate key projects designed to enhance core technical capabilities impacting current and future platforms, and support collaboration with physicians and researchers studying innovative ways to use histotripsys unique mechanism of action to improve patient outcomes. By pioneering a new category of medicine with histotripsy, HistoSonics is redefining liver tumor treatment and providing hope for millions of people worldwide who desperately need new options. Alpha Wave is proud to lead the investment in HistoSonics, a pioneer in the use of histotripsy, said Chris Dimitropoulos, Managing Director, Healthcare Investments at Alpha Wave Global. Histotripsys unique non-invasive approach uses focused ultrasound to precisely target and destroy diseased tissue without damaging surrounding healthy tissue. This groundbreaking technology has the potential to transform the treatment landscape for a variety of challenging clinical conditions, offering patients improved outcomes and recovery times. The level of adoption weve seen from leading hospital centers across the country and overseas highlights the huge unmet medical need. We are excited to support HistoSonics in accelerating the development and availability of this innovative therapy. In connection with this financing, Mr. Dimitropoulos will join the HistoSonics Board of Directors. HistoSonics' Edison System uses proprietary technology and advanced imaging to deliver personalized, non-invasive histotripsy treatments with precision and control. The novel mechanism of action of this proprietary technology may provide significant patient advantages, including the ability of the treatment site to recover and resorb quickly. HistoSonics platform also provides physicians the ability to monitor the destruction of tissue under continuous real-time visualization and control, unlike any modality that exists today. About HistoSonics HistoSonics is a privately held medical device company developing non-invasive platforms and proprietary sonic beam therapy utilizing the science of histotripsy, a novel mechanism of action that uses focused ultrasound to mechanically destroy and liquify unwanted tissue and tumors. The company is currently focused on commercializing their Edison System in the US and select global markets for liver treatment while expanding histotripsy applications into other organs like kidney, pancreas, prostate, brain, and others. HistoSonics has offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Edison System is intended for the non-invasive mechanical destruction of liver tumors, including the partial or complete destruction of unresectable liver tumors via histotripsy. The FDA has not evaluated the Edison System for the treatment of any specific disease or condition. Patients seeking information on histotripsy and if they may be a candidate for histotripsy can learn more at www.myhistotripsy.com. Use of the Edison System in kidney applications is limited by federal law to investigational use. The #HOPE4KIDNEY Trial is designed to support a future expansion of the indication to include the destruction of kidney tissue/tumors. About Alpha Wave Alpha Wave is a global investment company with three main verticals: private equity, private credit, and public markets. It is led by Rick Gerson, Navroz Udwadia, and Ryan Khoury. Its flagship global private equity fund, Alpha Wave Ventures, aims to invest in best-in-class growth-stage companies and endeavors to be helpful long-term partners to the founders and management teams. Alpha Wave has offices in Miami, New York, London, Monaco, Madrid, Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv, Bangalore, and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.alphawaveglobal.com. For more information please visit: www.histosonics.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240815865405/en/ 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 NEW sentencing powers for judges have been welcomed by a Carlow woman who has been campaigning for reform in this area. The new legislation means that when handing down life sentences, judges can recommend what the minimum term served should be before a prisoner is eligible for parole. Publishing the general scheme of the Life Sentence Bill, 2024 last week, justice minister Helen McEntee said: People who commit the most serious crimes should be dealt with in a way that reflects their culpability and the harm they have caused. Judges will be able to recommend minimum terms of 25, 30 years, or even longer. While the recommendation is non-binding, the parole board will be required to take a judges opinion into account. Welcoming the news, Angela Doyle Stuart, a founding member of the Sentencing and Victim Equality (SAVE) organisation, told The Nationalist: We know that pain of the sentences in Ireland. Her sister Lisa was 24 when she was strangled to death by her fiance in Leighlinbridge in 2009. Youre barely getting through the trauma and before you know it your loved ones killer is preparing for release. Ireland is so small, the chances of bumping into the killer is unfortunately very possible. If a judge can decide a sentence, then this is huge. SAVE was founded almost eight years ago to advocate for changes in sentencing and parole laws. AT LEAST three centres in Carlow are eligible to apply for funding for older persons day centre and Meals on Wheels community care services. St Catherine's Community Services, Tullow Day Care Centre and St Johns Caring Centre in Hacketstown will be eligible to apply to this new scheme along with other providers not funded by the HSE. This scheme will be available to support 'section 39' community organisations across the country by providing extra financial support of up to 25,000 for each organisation. The funding is designed to support improvements to the physical premises of day centres and meals on wheels services and can be used to upgrade kitchens, other facilities and to buy equipment. I am delighted that so many community organisations are eligible to apply for this funding, said deputy Jennifer Murnane OConnor. This funding can go towards improving many day centres which may need upgrades to their facilities and will help these centres cater for the needs of people who avail of their services. Older person day centres and Meals on Wheels services are such a vital service for so many, and many people rely on it. They offer a safe and welcoming environment, where people can access these essential services as well as allowing people to engage in social activities. I would encourage all eligible centres in Carlow to apply for this funding," concluded deputy Murnane O'Connor. TWO Carlow projects are set to benefit from the Community Recognition Fund. A total of 100,000 has been allocated to Bagenalstown Swimming Club for upgrade and enhancement works to the car park there, while 50,500 is going to The Exchange at Potato Market in Carlow town for the enterprise festival and event equipment. The fund aims to support the development of local infrastructure and facilities in recognition of the contribution being made by those communities in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of temporary protection and international protection applicants. Giving back to communities Making the announcement, minister Heather Humphreys said the funding was about giving back and thanking communities for what they do week-in, week-out. The funding forms part of an overall 16.5 million for 185 projects right across the country and minister Humphreys said she looks forward to seeing the positive impact that this funding will have on the ground in communities all across Ireland. Minister Joe OBrien said the government is committed to supporting locals in their efforts in welcoming new arrivals from other countries. He urged community groups to liaise with the local council in relation to the application process to fund projects into next year. I SUPPOSE I should be flattered a reader from far away San Diego taking Umbridge at what I write reference: Letter to the Editor, Nationalist 30 July by Eric Watkins from said West Coast city. I have been to many parts of the USA over the years, both for business and pleasure, and I can honestly say that my favourite city is San Diego. As far as Im concerned, it has it all the old town is great if you are a history buff, there is San Diego Zoo, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley and Hotel Circle, where you are certain to find accommodation within your budget. It is only ten miles from the border with Tijuana, Mexico and a couple of hours drive to Anaheim and Disneyland, or go that little further into Los Angeles. But let me say, Mr Watkins, regarding the article I wrote about the UK election and the level of coverage given to it by our national broadcaster, you missed the point completely. You took my comments about descendants of Irish people as both offensive and ludicrous, but I wasnt talking about them I was talking about the coverage on the radio. Irrespective of your views, or how you read the article, that was my intention. I dont care who won what seat in what constituency in Northern Ireland or Britain, or the shock news that short-lived UK prime minister Liz Truss had lost her seat. And I couldnt care less about Ian Paisley Jnr losing his seat in Northern Ireland, or which is the largest representative body up there. My point was why were we obsessing about the UK election when most people over there dont know anything about the Irish or our complicated history with their country? Here is one fact for you: my English Irish cousin, who is quite proud of his Irish heritage and travels here whenever he can, identifies as English because it is where he was born and grew up, apart from the summer holidays spent in the old country as Irish Americans call it , or home yes, in inverted commas as people from the UK refer to Ireland. Not in a derogatory way, but merely as a means of differentiating between their old home and the home of their English-born children. Here is another fact: there is very little, if any, Irish history taught in the English educational system. Hence, most English people, except those with Irish parents or grandparents, know very little about that complicated relationship between both countries. They know we are great craic, the pubs are full of music and wherever they go in the world they can be found in Irish pubs because of the music, singing and the fact that we speak the same language. But make no mistake, we are different, and my point in the article was not about having a go at those who can trace their roots back to Ireland; rather, those who decide which items will be broadcast on the radio here in Ireland to have a little cop on and find something better to do with their airtime than keep us briefed about the breakdown of votes in a parliament that has no bearing on day-to-day life in Ireland. Going back to my English cousins, I am correct is saying they have difficulty in pronouncing the word taoiseach and I know people living in America havent a clue when it comes to pronouncing names such as Saoirse or Caoimhe. My point there was that we, on the other hand, have had to listen to months and months of commentary about how the new UK prime minister had developed strategies to oust the Conservatives. I applaud the fact that you, Mr Watkins, have gone to the trouble to trace your family tree, and if you qualify for an Irish passport and spend the time and money going through the process to obtain one, good luck to you. But does that really make you Irish, or just a person who qualifies for dual citizenship? If I ever qualified for an American passport, I would become a citizen of the USA. Then I have the right to vote as to who rules that country but, funnily enough, because I was not born there, irrespective of what my passport says, I would not be allowed to run for President. Equally, even though I would hold dual citizenship, whenever I would leave America or return there, according to US law, I would have to use my US passport. My advice to Mr Watkins is: please continue to read this newspaper and please continue to criticise, where appropriate, but how about just enjoying the knowledge that you have Irish pedigree rather than going to war to defend it, when no defence is needed? Ken Foxe The Department of Foreign Affairs has spent more than 70,000 on VIP airport services for visiting dignitaries travelling to Ireland over the past year. The 71,613 bill covered the costs of 38 separate invoices, which included trips by heads of state and high-ranking officials from world organisations on official and private visits to Ireland. Details of eight trips have been withheld by the department who said their disclosure could adversely affect the security and international relations of the State. The department also said it had secured a preferential rate for Platinum Services at Dublin Airport, which provides private check-in and security, suites for relaxation, refreshments, as well as transport to and from a plane. The largest bill was 12,540 spent during the visit of French prime minister Elisabeth Borne and four of her government ministers during a trip to Ireland in November 2023. A sum of 8,778 was paid for a ramp transfer for the arrival of Li Qiang, the premier of China, who visited with a delegation in January this year. The largest bill for VIP airport services was for the visit of French prime minister Elisabeth Borne. Photo: AFP via Getty Other sizeable bills included 4,170 for the visit of the Croatian prime minister in September 2023 and nearly 8,800 when the Spanish prime minister came to Ireland in April. Platinum services were also provided at a cost of around 1,800 when Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of World Health Organisation, visited in January. A private visit by the President of Iceland was also facilitated in July with a bill of around 1,500 incurred for that trip. The department said VIP services had only been used at Dublin Airport and said that any costs incurred arising from travel undertaken by President Michael D Higgins had also been withheld under Freedom of Information laws. An information note on the expenditure said that Platinum Services were used to facilitate state business for official trips and for appropriate welcome and farewell for senior members of the foreign diplomatic corps. It said: The [department] avails of a preferential rate with Platinum Services at Dublin Airport for activities of this nature. This practice is in line with international standards of official protocol, as well as serving practical and operational purposes. The use of airport VIP facilities mitigates risks to [security] and ensures discretion. Swift transit through the airport also ensures that foreign dignitaries can maximise their official programmes in Ireland. By Cate McCurry, PA There have been calls to overhaul the Governments housing policy to help keep children out of homelessness. Erene Williamson, head of Homeless Services for Ireland with the Salvation Army, said the root cause of family homelessness is due to a rise in the cost of living along with lack of social and affordable housing. Ms William was speaking at an event to officially open Houben House in south Dublin, a facility run by The Salvation Army which accommodates 350 people. Childrens Ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon during the official opening of Houben House, Irelands largest family homelessness hub which is run by the Salvation Army (Gareth Chaney/PA) Houben House, which first opened its doors in June 2020, started with four units which had grown to 62 units by the end of last year. Ms Williamson said that families living at the hub are from all different types of backgrounds with diverse needs. She said: I think we need a real systemic approach, a real overhaul to housing policy in Dublin, because ultimately, what we need is for Government to be providing more affordable and really appropriate homes for people to live in. Generally, were finding the root cause of family homelessness is due to the increased cost of living, the lack of social and affordable housing, and thats why theyre having to stay in this emergency accommodation in the interim. They come to us from all different backgrounds and with very diverse needs as well. We do face a little bit of a blockage in the system. That said, we do have families that move on from here, perhaps not at the rate that you would expect it to be, or want it to be, but there is still a move on. Our staff work very hard with local housing agencies, landlords, local councils to try and support families to move on in an area that is suitable for them, because we obviously want them to remain within their network of support, particularly with children in schools. We dont want to have that traumatic change of having to move to a different community. There is a bit of a blockage in this service, we cater for large families, and that is generally where the main blockage is, is trying to find appropriate and large enough homes for families that are beyond three or four people. Speaking at the opening of Houben House, Family Hub "As Ombudsman for Children I regularly see a mixture of great ideas and poorly thought out ones making it into various plans. However, what is frustrating is the failure to put children at the centre of these decisions." pic.twitter.com/cagLXH5sYu Ombudsman for Children (@OCO_ireland) August 16, 2024 Andra Calauz, her husband and their seven children have been living at the facility for four years. The 27-year-old had been living in a house in Finglas but had to move out of the property. Ms Calauz, who is from Romania, said she feels like her familys life is on hold and that she cannot plan for their future. She has lived in Ireland for around 10 years. She said: When I first got here, I felt upset as I had to move out of our home and move into one room. Now, we are happy here and my children are happy here. But for me, its a little bit hard because we have to share a kitchen and keep all my things separate so cooking is hard. Its hard to live in one room because I have a new baby and if she cries, my children wake up in all the hours. The staff here are lovely and very nice and it has helped me. I like here, but I want a home to live in. I cant stay here much longer. We are on a waiting list for a house, but Im told that its hard to get a house as I have more children. Im told Ive to keep waiting. I want to stay here (in Ireland) and want to have a good life. My girls have friends here and are settled and happy. Dr Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children, said the Government has broken its promises on delivering social housing, which has had a huge impact on children and families becoming homeless. He said: Over the last 10 years, we have had promises from the various different governments. Back in 2016, there was a promise at that stage that by 2021 we would 47,000 social housing units in place. We are nowhere near that. We were also promised at that stage that there would be much more mixed and integrated developments so that social housing would be part of every community. That hasnt happened either. We are really looking at a situation where children are facing a traumatic experience of homelessness through the failures of successive governments to reach their own targets, targets that they said they could make and fund and targets they said they could plan for. They are consistently failing and that leaves children with real traumatic experience in their life. In 2018, Leo Varadkar said that the first five years of a childs life is crucial for their development and theres children in this family hub who have been here for four years and it really interferes with how they develop, how they grow, how they experience themselves and their developmental milestones, their physical health, their education. Everything is interfered with. Its difficult to come back from that, its not impossible, but what we are seeing is the traumatic breach of their rights which is leading to long-term implications. By Cate McCurry, PA A move away from local authority house construction has pushed more and more children into economic homelessness, causing a traumatic breach of their rights, the Childrens Ombudsman said. Dr Niall Muldoon said the Government must take responsibility for children and young people spending their formative years in emergency accommodation. He was speaking as he officially opened Houben House, a family hub run by the Salvation Army in Dublins Harolds Cross which accommodates 350 parents and children. He said: The fact that we are now here within this great facility, which is full to capacity, shows that the State has failed to live up to its promise from 2017 to prevent the use of any emergency accommodation by 2018, except in very exceptional cases. The move away from local authority housing during the economic crash has led to a situation now where we are consistently failing more and more children and families who are falling, rarely due to any fault of theirs, into economic homelessness. That is a most traumatic breach of childrens rights and something for which numerous different governments must take responsibility. The countrys largest family homeless hub, Houben House houses 62 families 17 Irish and 45 from countries including Somalia, Romania, Germany and South Africa. The youngest resident is a newborn boy. The complex, operating since 2020 but its official opening was delayed by Covid-19, spans across four floors and includes 62 rooms, a library, sensory playroom, extensive kitchens, laundry rooms, dining room and outdoor courtyard for a modern play area. When a family arrives, they are met by a key worker who supports them and also offers employment and housing workshops and programmes to help towards long-term, independent living. Dr Muldoon paid tribute to the Salvation Army for trying to create a home setting, security and guidance for families. Within the limitations of the model, they appear to have done extremely well over the past four years, he said. Childrens Ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon hailed the facility as it was officially opened (PA) Latest homeless figures for June show 14,303 individuals were accessing emergency accommodation, including 2,093 families and 4,404 children under 18. Anthony Byrne, Houben Houses service manager, told the official opening event that the Salvation Armys vision is that no child or family in Ireland presents as homeless but he warned the country is veering further away from that vision every day. With the support of Dublin City Council, the church and charity has helped 158 families into new homes. Most of the families that come to us have experienced homelessness due to the cost of living and a lack of social and affordable housing, Mr Byrne said. It is a circumstance that any of us here today could find ourselves facing. He said the charity has implemented a 10-year homeless services strategy, taking a trauma informed approach to build safety and trust and restore residents confidence. All of Houben Houses adult residents are offered pathways to finding work through an employment plus programme. Last year, 26 residents successfully gained employment after completing the course. Tom Tuite A second Dublin man has been charged with disposal of body parts and impeding the investigation into the murder of Drogheda teenager Keane Mulready Woods. The youth, 17, was last seen alive by his family on the evening of Sunday, January 12th, 2020. He was killed, and his body was later dismembered. Remains were found at Coolock and in a burned-out vehicle at Trinity Terrace, Dublin, and at Rathmullan Park in Drogheda, Co. Louth, were those of the missing boy. Glen Bride, 30, of Mount Olive Park, Kilbarrack, was arrested at his home shortly before 1 pm on Friday and brought before Judge John Brennan at Dublin District Court that evening facing three charges. He was accused of damaging a Volvo V40 car bearing false registration plates by fire for the benefit of a criminal organisation on January 15th, 2020, at Trinity Terrace, Ballybough, Dublin 3. The second charge alleged that from January 13 15th, 2020, at Trinity Terrace, to enhance the ability of a criminal organisation to commit a serious offence, murder, he participated in or contributed to the transportation and disposal of body parts of Keane Mulready Woods. The third charge stated that over the same two-day period at locations in the State, he impeded the apprehension or prosecution of another person who committed the murder and knowing they were guilty of that or another offence. Detective Sergeant Padraig Cleary of Mountjoy station told Judge Brennan that Mr Bride made no reply to the charges. The judge heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed trial on indictment in the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Mr Bride has yet to indicate a plea. Defence counsel Garrett Casey (instructed by Tracy Horan & Company Solicitors) said his client was not making a bail application at this stage. Mr Bride consented to be remanded in custody but instructed his barrister to ask that he be held at Mountjoy Prison rather than Cloverhill. Mr Casey said, My client has concerns for his safety. Judge Brennan agreed to make that part of the court order as he remanded Mr Bride in custody to appear again on Wednesday. Prosecutors must serve a book of evidence that must be served on him before a return-for-trial order is granted. Dressed in a black hooded top, blue shorts and runners, Mr Bride spoke briefly, saying No when asked if he wished to appear via video link rather than in person at his next hearing. He was also allowed free legal aid. In May, Stephen Carberry, 46, of Adair Apartments, Sandymount, Dublin 4, was charged with the same three offences. He is currently awaiting trial in the Special Criminal Court. Last year, that court jailed two men for connected crimes. Gerard Cruise, 50, of Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, pleaded guilty to a charge that, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, he facilitated the murder of Keane Mulready Woods, at Rathmullan Park, Drogheda. He was handed a seven-year jail term. Paul Crosby, 28, of Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, also admitted the same offence and was imprisoned for 10 years. Those proceedings heard that the prime suspect in the murder was Robert Lawlor, a notorious Dublin criminal. Lawlor, 36, was shot dead in Belfast in April 2020. Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - Bombing which devastated a school and market in the Sudanese city of El Obeid on Wednesday has left five girls dead and 20 children injured according to the Sudan Representative of the UN Childrens Fund By Nina Massey, PA Science Correspondent A rock formation that spans Ireland and Scotland may be a rare record of snowball Earth a crucial moment in planetary history when the globe was covered in ice. The Port Askaig Formation, which is made up of layers of rock up to 1.1km thick, was likely to have been laid down between 662 and 720 million years ago during the Sturtian glaciation, research suggests. This was the first of two global freezes thought to have triggered the development of complex life. According to the new study, one section of exposed rock, found on Scottish islands called the Garvellachs, is unique as it shows the transition into snowball Earth from a previously warm, tropical environment. Other rocks that formed at a similar time, like some in North America and Namibia, are missing this transition. Therefore researchers believe their findings may be the worlds most complete record of snowball Earth a theory that suggests Earths oceans and land surfaces were covered by ice from the poles to the Equator during at least two extreme cooling events between 2.4 billion and 580 million years ago. Senior author Professor Graham Shields, of University College London (UCL) Earth Sciences, said: These rocks record a time when Earth was covered in ice. All complex, multicellular life, such as animals, arose out of this deep freeze, with the first evidence in the fossil record appearing shortly after the planet thawed. First author Elias Rugen, a PhD candidate at UCL Earth Sciences, said: Our study provides the first conclusive age constraints for these Scottish and Irish rocks, confirming their global significance. He explained that most areas of the world are missing the layers in the rocks that record a tropical environment and mark the transition, because the ancient glaciers scraped and eroded away the rocks underneath. But in Scotland by some miracle the transition can be seen, Mr Rugen said. Lasting some 60 million years, the Sturtian glaciation was one of two big freezes that occurred during the Cryogenian Period between 635 and 720 million years ago. For billions of years before this, life consisted only of single-celled organisms and algae. After this period, complex life quickly emerged, with most animals today similar in fundamental ways to the types of life forms that evolved more than 500 million years ago. One theory is that the hostile nature of the extreme cold may have prompted single-celled organisms to co-operate with each other, forming multicellular life. The advance and retreat of the ice across the planet was thought to have happened relatively quickly, over thousands of years, because of the albedo effect that is, the more ice there is, the more sunlight is reflected back into space, and vice versa. Prof Shields explained: The retreat of the ice would have been catastrophic. Life had been used to tens of millions of years of deep freeze. As soon as the world warmed up, all of life would have had to compete in an arms race to adapt. Whatever survived were the ancestors of all animals. For the new study, the research team analysed samples of sandstone from Port Askaig Formation as well as from the older, 70-metre thick Garbh Eileach Formation underneath. The researchers said the new age constraints for the rocks may provide the evidence needed for the site to be declared as a marker for the start of the Cryogenian Period. This marker, known as a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), is sometimes referred to as a golden spike, as a gold spike is driven into the rock to mark the boundary, and these sites attract visitors from around the world. The study, led by UCL researchers, is published in the Journal of the Geological Society of London. Peruvian cement dispatches see minor slip in July Muriel Bal By 16 August 2024 Cement dispatches in Peru slipped by 0.4 per cent YoY to 1.022Mt in July 2024 from 1.026Mt in July 2023, according to the Peruvian cement association, ASOCEM. Of this total, its members delivered 0.932Mt. Domestic cement production by ASOCEM members decreased by seven per cent YoY to 0.913Mt in July 2024 from 0.985Mt, but clinker production increased by 42 per cent YoY to 0.884Mt from 0.624Mt over the same time period. In terms of external trade, cement exports declined by six per cent YoY to 10,400t in July 2024 from 12,100t while clinker exports edged up three per cent YoY to 37,000t from 36,000t. Cement imports fell by 45 per cent YoY to 21,000t in July 2024 from 38,000t in the year-ago period. Vietnam accounted for 86 per cent of cement imports, entering the country via the port of Callao, where the average CIF import price fell by four per cent YoY to US$73/t. The balance of import volume entered Peru from Chile via Tacna. At this location, the average CIF import price rose 16 per cent YoY to US$125/t. Clinker imports decreased by 15 per cent to 47,000t in July 2024 when compared with 55,000t imported in July 2023. Vietnam shipped 54 per cent of clinker imports into Peru via Callao at an average CIF import price of US$60/t, down eight per cent YoY. South Korea accounted for 46 per cent of clinker imports, supplying them via the port of Maharani, where the average CIF price was down 15 per cent YoY to US$56/t. Published under Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - UN aid agencies on Friday welcomed the news that the Sudanese authorities will open Adre border crossing from Chad into Sudan, as the war-torn country faces famine or acute hunger in many regions, with many roads impassable owing to heavy rains Brazzaville, DR Congo (PANA) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) is supporting African countries to scale up response to curb mpox, which is now an international global health emergency By Order of the Tennessee Supreme Court entered Thursday, Chattanooga attorney Art Grisham, Jr., was reinstated to the active practice of law. On April 29, attorney Grisham was temporarily suspended by the Supreme Court of Tennessee for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. Thereafter, Mr. Grisham provided a response to the Board and filed pleadings seeking to dissolve the temporary suspension. The matter was referred by the Supreme Court to a Board Panel for a hearing on the merits. The matter was heard July 19, and the panel entered its report on Aug. 12, recommending the temporary suspension be dissolved. The Supreme Court adopted the recommendation of the Board Panel and reinstated attorney Grishams license to practice law in the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is inviting comments for its 2025-26 fishing regulations.Officials said, "This is an opportunity for the public to share ideas and concerns about fishing regulations with TWRA staff. TWRA Fisheries personnel use a variety of techniques to manage fish populations and gather data about fish population size structure, recruitment, growth, density and mortality. In addition, Fisheries personnel work to improve habitat to benefit fish species along with propagating and stocking numerous species of fish to ensure anglers have the best fishing opportunities possible.TWRA also conducts angler surveys to gain a better understanding of fisheries including, effort, catch, preferences, demographics and economics. All this information is taken into consideration during the regulation process."The public comment period is another opportunity for anglers to provide feedback on TWRAs Fisheries management. Public comments will be considered with fishery independent assessments to select the best strategies and regulations to manage Tennessees resources while accommodating the widest variety of anglers."The comment period concerning fishing regulations is open from Friday, Aug. 16 through Monday, Sept. 16. Any proposed fishing regulation changes will be previewed at a meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission in early 2025.There will be a public comment period on the proposed regulations after the TWRA presentation to the commission. Any approved regulations will go into effect Aug. 1. Click this link or scan the QR code to submit your comments.https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/2024fishingregcomments. Cleveland City Schools is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Barbara Ector, a beloved educator who devoted 36 years to serving the students, staff, and families of the community. She had recently retired after a long and distinguished career that left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of working with her. Ms. Ector held numerous roles throughout her tenure with Cleveland City Schools, including five years as Dean of Students at Cleveland High School, six years as principal of the Denning Center, and several influential positions at Cleveland Middle School, spanning 25 years. Her leadership, compassion, and dedication to the success of every student were evident in all that she did. Her commitment to creating a positive and supportive learning environment for both students and staff will be remembered for years to come. Barbara was a remarkable leader and mentor, said Dr. Jeff Elliott, Director of Schools. Her influence was far-reaching, and her legacy is one of unwavering dedication, kindness, and service to others. It has been an honor and such a blessing to work alongside Mrs. Ector for the last 30 years. I am forever grateful for the impact and contribution she made on the many lives in Cleveland, including mine. She embodied the very best of Cleveland City Schools, and her passing leaves a profound void in our community. Cleveland High School Principal Bob Pritchard also shared his thoughts, saying, "Barbara had a gift for connecting with students in a meaningful way. She was always present, always willing to listen, and always an advocate for our kids. Her influence on Cleveland High School was transformative. When she told me she was retiring, I told her, Mrs. Ector, I don't know if I can do this job without you and your support. She smiled and said to me, You've got this! I'll be praying for you. No one ever said you would have to do it alone. She always knew exactly what to say, and I know exactly what she meant. She will be greatly missed." In addition to her many professional accomplishments, Ms. Ector was deeply loved and respected for her kindness and generosity. Officials said, "She always put the needs of others before her own, and her influence extended far beyond the classroom. Her spirit of service and love for the Cleveland community will continue to inspire those who knew her. Our thoughts and prayers are with Barbaras husband, Aubrey, and their family during this difficult time. We ask that the community joins us in keeping them in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days as we remember and celebrate Barbaras life and legacy." Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days. Cleveland City Schools will work with the Ector family to ensure her memory is honored in a way that reflects her years of dedication and service to its students and staff. Hong Kong, Shenzhen ink ecological conservation deal Xinhua) 10:04, August 16, 2024 HONG KONG, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Thursday signed an agreement with the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government to strengthen cooperation in ecological conservation. The pact, signed during a ceremony held in Hong Kong to mark the National Ecology Day on Thursday, was also aimed at stepping up joint efforts to combat climate change, ecological promotion and education, as well as preserving biodiversity. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing underscored the significance of a synergy between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland in ecological promotion and education, as part of the efforts to build a beautiful China. Hong Kong boasts 25 country parks, and will launch its eighth and largest marine park, the North Lantau Marine Park, in November. The city is "actively setting up the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park in the Northern Metropolis, which would be five times larger than the current wetland park" to preserve biodiversity, said Cheuk. Xu Songming, the chief of Planning and Natural Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, believed the pact will allow for a new level of mutually beneficial cooperation and sharing on ecology, adding that Shenzhen has always learned from Hong Kong's good example in green and low carbon development. In March, the HKSAR government announced the establishment of Hong Kong's 25th country park, the 530-hectare Robin's Nest Country Park in Sha Tau Kok, the New Territories. The country park is geographically connected with the Wutong Mountain National Park in Shenzhen. Over the next fortnight, the HKSAR government will reportedly team up with dozens of non-governmental organizations to hold a slew of conservation events, including free ecological tours, free admission to facilities and lectures. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Previous Next Metro Los Angeles has long been the Halloween center of the universe in large part due to the making of so many horror films and seasonal haunted houses, supplied by the 25,000 sq. ft. Halloween Club that was open 365 days a year, first in Santa Fe Springs starting in 1994, then after a fire 20 years ago it was moved to to La Mirada. Alas, this was closed in Feb. 2024 due to rising rent, but the family behind it will continue to sell many of its unique costumes, accessories, and props through their Aahs! gift stores in Buena Park, La Puente, Torrance, and Westwood. Alas, Ursula's Costumes in Santa Monica went out of business in July 2024 for inability to pay increasing rent after serving year-round events of all kinds since 1976. However, Spirit Halloween began opening over 1,500 stores across the U.S. and Canada August 1 https://www.nj.com/business/2024/07/spirit-halloween-is-opening-1525-stores-across-the-us-and-canada-this-summer-see-the-full-list.html Trashy Lingerie https://trashy.com/collections/costumes on La Cienega near West Hollywood started out supplying strippers, actresses in R/X-rated films, and the Playboy Mansion's Halloween party. You can find everything you might need for any celebration anytime, from plus-size original costumes and handmade accessories to wigs and wings of all kinds. It's official T-shirt reads, "Our fantasy is fulfilling yours." The prediction is that dog costumes are going to be big again in 2024 and this list of favorites ranges from Wonder Woman and a Ghostbuster to a lobster and even a US Postal Service mail carrier! https://merakidogs.com/dog-halloween-costumes Couples seeking special costumes should consider these recommendations, including Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty, gangsters, Addams Family, and, of course, avocado and toast: https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/fashion/halloween-costumes-for-couples West Hollywood (where we live) also contributed to the region's reputation by making Oct. 31 an official city holiday and its annual Halloween Carnaval street parade attracted half a million attendees and participants from all over the world. The pandemic killed this off, though the city held some alternative events. It's being revived in 2024 and a huge crowd is expected, which means visitors need to plan to get into the area by transit early and not try to park here (our photo is from the informal parade that took place on the sidewalks in 2022 and the link has pictures that provide an idea of how colorful the costumes can get, often designed by those in the movie-TV biz): https://www.visitwesthollywood.com/halloween-carnaval/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn9y1BhC2ARIsAG5IY-7Xojw8Uy3t1jz1V6KWIsyOcQ7n5tJ7LPMW323a_YjZnc870B5s7OoaAr25EALw_wcB Naturally, the theme parks also add to the celebration like nowhere else, such as our prior reports on Universal Studios' seasonal attractions. Disneyland shut down its Haunted House for a remake and just reopened it. But the well-recognized holiday champion is Knott's Scary Farm . It is so popular that we advise reading an article on how to plan one or more visits to take it all in at a reasonable price (including parking): https://www.undercovertourist.com/blog/knotts-scary-farm-survival-guide/ Another Duggar has tied the knot! Former Counting On star Jana Duggar wed Stephen Wissmann on August 15. The couple kept their relationship under wraps for months, but word got out about the impending nuptials when online records revealed theyd applied for a marriage license in Arkansas. Soon after, People confirmed that Jana and Stephen had said I do in front of 500 guests at a ceremony in Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Janas sisters Jessa Seewald, Joy Forsyth, Jinger Vuolo, Johannah Duggar, and Jordyn Duggar were bridesmaids, along with her sister-in-law Abbie Duggar. Jana is the eldest daughter of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and the oldest of their 19 children who remained unmarried. But who is her new husband? Heres what we know about Stephen Wissmann. Jana Duggar has been rumored to be courting Stephen Wissmann for years Jinger Duggar and Jana Duggar photographed together in Times Square on March 11, 2014, in New York City | D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra Followers of the controversial Duggar family have long wondered when or if Jana, who is 34, would get married. Her siblings have tended to get married in their late teens or early 20s (though Janas twin, John David Duggar, did not say I do until he was 28). Some people have even dubbed Jana who was still living at home with her parents the Cinderella Duggar. Over the years, rumors have swirled about Janas possible courtships. While shes never publicly confirmed a relationship until now, shes been linked to Stephen in the past. Back in 2021, a photo surfaced online of Jana spending the Christmas holiday with the Wissmann family in Nebraska, leading to speculation that they were involved. The Wissmanns already have close ties to the Duggar family Like the Duggars, the Wissmans are a large family of conservative Christians. And they already have a close tie to the 19 Kids and Counting family. Stephens sister Hannah married Janas brother Jeremiah Duggar in March 2022. They have two daughters, Brynley and Brielle. If Jana and Stephen have children, their kids will be double first cousins with Jeremiah and Hannahs children and share the same two sets of grandparents. Stephen is a pilot and works for his family business Unlike Jana, Stephen, 31, has a relatively low profile. But he does have a public Instagram, where he has shared photos and updates about life with his large family. According to a bio on his familys website, he is a pilot and an assistant manager at Wissmann Enterprises, Inc., his familys business. His hobbies include making small furniture, working out, and sports. In addition, he is musician who plays mandolin and guitar and sings lead and bass. He is also gifted in initiating conversations that encourage and challenge, and he has a heart for ministry. After the wedding, the couple plans to live in his home state of Nebraska, Jana told People. The newlyweds have known each other for more than a decade Related Jana Duggar Shows Off Tiny House Amidst Engagement Rumors In her interview with People, Jana confirmed that she and Stephen first met more than a decade ago. [The Wissmanns] would travel and sing. I remember them coming to our home, probably 13 or so years ago and they ended up getting snowed-in here, which hardly ever happens in Arkansas, she shared. However, it wasnt love at first sight for the pair. Initially, Stephen was not at all on my radar, Jana confessed. They connected again a few years ago and as many suspected dated for a time. Eventually, they broke up, but remained friendly. After Jeremiah and Hannah married, Jana and Stephen rekindled their romance. It was like, What are we doing? We still enjoy each other. We still really appreciate each other, she said. Jana says her new husband puts up with her crazy family Jana added that Stephens patience eventually won her over. She also hinted that his willingness to stand by her as her family dealt with the fallout from her brother Josh Duggars criminal trial impressed her. I know we have a big crazy family and still kind of putting up with a lot of things, she said. Im like, my goodness, there are not too many people that do that. He must really, genuinely care about me. It takes me a bit to open up, but I think just his continuing to be there, no matter what, through ups and downs, she added. Hes been a good friend over the years and has not pressured me in a lot of ways. For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel. Millions of people worldwide are affected by Alzheimers disease, a brain disorder characterized by buildups of harmful proteins called plaques. Plaques are made up of beta-amyloid proteins, which are believed to be a major contributor to memory loss and the decline of other mental functions associated with the disease. Currently, no cure for Alzheimers exists, but scientists at Japans RIKEN Center for Brain Science have found a new way of combating the disease. A research team led by Takaomi Saido has suggested that dopamine can improve memory and alleviate physical symptoms of this devastating illness. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is linked to the pleasure and reward centers of the brain. In the new study, the researchers examined dopamines role in the production of an enzyme known as neprilysin. It can break down beta-amyloid proteins before they can form plaques. However, figuring out how to boost neprilysin levels in humans has been a challenge. The researchers discovered that treating brain cells with dopamine increases the production of neprilysin and decreases the amount of beta-amyloid proteins. They tested their theory in mice with the disease, closely monitoring the dopamine-producing neurons in the mouse brains. After eight weeks, the results showed higher neprilysin levels and fewer plaques in the prefrontal cortex of the animals brains. Next, the researchers tried treating the mice for three months with L-DOPA, a drug typically used for Parkinsons disease. They found that the drug helped reduce plaques, elevate neprilysin levels, and improve performance on memory tests. Furthermore, neprilysin levels naturally drop in mice as they get older, particularly in the front part of the brain. This means that neprilysin can act as early warning signs for Alzheimers. While L-DOPA showed positive results, more work still needs to be done to ensure that its safe for testing on people with Alzheimers. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Illustration by James Walton If, by some wonder of time travel, you were to visit a small-group Bible study in 2010 and someone were to ask you, Whats the state of the evangelical church where you are, up ahead of us in 2024? you might explain all of the divided congregations, all the friendships broken, all the estranged families. You might mention that almost no evangelical under the age of 40 wants to use the word evangelical at all. And if someone were to ask, How did all this happen? you might mention that a revolutionary leader emerged, demanding loyalty and vowing retribution and revenge against those who stand against him. You might add that this leader asks his supporters to wave away his sexual abuse of women, his criminal charges for seeking to use mob violence to keep him in power, his hush money to a porn star, his incitements to violence, his lies, his cruelty, his narcissism, and his dismissal of personal moral character as weakness. Maybe one of those before-times Christians would slam their fist into their hand and exclaim, This is exactly what Francis Schaeffer and Charles Colson and James Dobson all warned us aboutthis is what happens when evangelicals retreat from the public square. When the culture war is lost, immorality, relativism, and filth fill the void! 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. Another might ask, What are you 2024 Christians doing to try to turn the young people away from the normalization of this kind of decadence? Its not the young people who are turning to this, you tell them. Its us. Thats why many campus ministries wont use the word evangelical. In 2024, the next generation thinks support for this man, Donald Trump, is in fact what it means to be evangelical. By then, the silence might give way to someone noting that its time to wrap up. Someone might ask for an unspoken prayer request since no one would know what else to say. Christianity Today does not endorse candidates. While this writers views of the former (and possibly future) presidents fitness for office and its implications for the American republic are public and emphatic, they are beside the point here. CT readers and contributors have a range of political viewsRepublicans, Democrats, Independents, Trump voters, Biden voters, conscientious objectors to voting at all, those who write in Steph Curry, and more. Thats as it should be. The implication that to be a Christian one must adopt a particular political ideology or partisan identity is awfully close to the Galatian heresy the apostle Paul called a different gospel altogether (Gal. 1:67). The crisis we face now, though, is one of witness and identity. Evangelical Christianityfor good or for illhas long been tied in the public mind to a celebrity. Many people in the past, when they thought of evangelicals, would have thought first of George Whitefield or Charles Finney or Aimee Semple McPherson or Billy Sunday or Billy Graham. Every one of those celebrities would rather have had Jesus as the first thought of the watching world, but at least the public recognized the person preaching him and his gospel. Now, when our neighbors hear evangelical, the face that flashes before their minds first may be a mug shotof one of the most divisive personas in American history. This is not because the secular media has caricatured us or because Hollywood elites have ridiculed us. Not all evangelicalsnot even all Trump-voting evangelicalshave sought this confusion. But when it comes to this crisis of identity, the psychological incentives are different. Those who want a separation of church and Trump tend to be those who most want unity, who are waiting for some magical happening to break the fever and return us to the before-times. They tend to cringe if anyone even acknowledges the problem, speaking in vague generalities and avoiding the name Donald Trump. Meanwhile, in far too many churches and schools and ministries, loyalty to Trump must be explicit and total to not risk being seen as a liberal, as not one of us. And in those places, a person is only one of us if that Christian is willing to believe, against all evidence, that the last election was stolen. One must be silent at least or celebratory at most when seeing a man scream profanities at a rally and then market a Bible he endorses. One must pay no attention when a jury finds the leader liable for sexually assaulting a woman. What is all of that doing to us? Moreover, we are in a time when even some Trump-voting evangelicals are noticing how destructive it is that this one figure seems to dominate every facet of our lives. Think of all the friendships that are gone. Think of all the families that are estranged. Think of all the churches that are in tension, the denominations that are splintered. Think of what this leader has asked you to ignore, to justify, in order to stay loyal to him. Think of the fear that overwhelms any pang of conscience for so manyfear of donors, online mobs, or maybe the extended family text thread. However you plan to voteis this the way you want to live? The Bible tells us that our father Jacob, in fear over meeting his brother, Esau, from whom he was estranged, told his servants to anticipate three questions: To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you? (Gen. 32:17, ESV). We could do worse than to ask those same questions of ourselves. Have we replaced our primary sense of belongingto Christ and him crucifiedwith politics and personality? Are we still following Jesus in seeking a kingdom that cannot shaken (Heb. 12:28), or are we groping toward a time when every foe is vanquished, every victory totalsomething that can never happen in a democratic republic? And those out ahead of usthe generations to comewhat are we telling them? We cannot time travel to the past, but that doesnt mean we dont have time travelers all around us. They are the boys and girls in our Sunday school classes, the adolescents in our youth groups, the young adults leading our mission trips. When they look back on us, what will they think it means to be an evangelical Christian? Babylon asked for our souls, and we said no. Rome asked for our consciences, and we said no. We take marching orders from Mount Zion, not from Mar-a-Lago. The watching world should know the difference, and so should we. We can pretend it doesnt matter, but it does. What difference does it make who walks in to the tune of Hail to the Chief if our children dont believe us when we say, Jesus is Lord? Russell Moore is CTs editor in chief and host of The Russell Moore Show. Tolkien and the fantasy generation, rising abortion rates, and cell phones in schools This week on The Bulletin, Russell, Mike, and Clarissa cover J.D. Vances esteem for J.R.R. Tolkien and the millennial interest in The Lord of the Rings with Karen Swallow Prior (Author, Religion News Service). Then, the four engage on the subject of rising abortion rates in a post-Dobbs world. Finally, we welcome Krista Boan (founder, Screen Sanity) to discuss the cell phone bans in schools. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Follow 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 on Spotify with your feedback on the discussionwe may even respond! TODAYS GUESTS: 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. Karen Swallow Prior, Ph. D., is a reader, writer, and professor. She is the author of The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis (Brazos, 2023); On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos 2018); Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah MorePoet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014); and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. She has a monthly column for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, and various other places. Krista Boan is the cofounder of the international nonprofit Screen Sanity, host of the Screen Sanity podcast and a former middle school teacher. Her current work is creating simple social media discipleship resources for tweens, which she shares through the Social Compass newsletter. She lives in Kansas City with her husband and four t(w)eens. 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 The public taking part in a hikoi prior to the release of the Abuse in Care report at Parliament on in New Zealand. Survivors, advocates, and pastors call for true repentance among religious groups that ran schools and homes between 1950 and 1999. Hagen Hopkins / Stringer / Getty Not long after Frances Tagaloa accepted Christ at 16, she started experiencing flashbacks. Over the next few years, Tagaloa began piecing together long-buried memories and came to recognize that she had been sexually abused between the ages of five and seven by a Catholic Marist Brother who taught at a school in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby. Tagaloa only told her parents about the abuse years later, after getting married and having children, because talking about the issue was taboo in her fathers Samoan culture, and she didnt want her parents to blame themselves. 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. Her mother approached the Catholic Church in New Zealand around 1999, but Tagaloa, 56, decided not to speak with them until three years later, when she heard the Marist Brothers were going to name a classroom after the perpetrator, Bede Fitton. When Tagaloa met with a Catholic counselor, she wanted an apology and for Fittons honors to be removed. Instead, the Catholic church offered her financial compensation. Tagaloa suggested that they donate the money to the evangelical ministry where she worked. I was really disappointed in the process, she said. I remember thinking that was just a big waste of time. Two decades later, another opportunity arose for Tagaloa to hold the Catholic Church accountable. The ministry leader became the first witness in the Catholic hearing with New Zealands Royal Commission of Inquiry, an independent body established in 2018 to investigate abuse and neglect that children and adults faced while in the care of state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999. On July 24, the Royal Commission released its final report, which found that an estimated 256,000 out of 655,000or nearly 1 in 3children, young people, and adults were exposed to pervasive abuse and neglect in state and faith-based care across the country. Survivors included those from Pakeha (European), Maori, and Pacific Islander backgrounds as well as people who lived with mental and physical disabilities. Maori or Pacific Islanders made up the majority of those in care and were disproportionately subject to racial and cultural discrimination, as well as higher levels of physical abuse compared to other ethnicities. Christians comprise New Zealands largest religious group, making up 37 percent of the population, according to the 2018 census. But believers responses to the Royal Commissions 3,000-page report have been largely muted, say the survivors, advocates, and pastors that CT interviewed. Evangelical reactions to the report range from those who are deeply aware to others who barely notice and say, This is not us, said Stuart Lange, national director of the New Zealand Christian Network. Personally, I have been very disappointed at the responses from the faith-based sector, said Baptist pastor Alan Vink. I have kept a close eye on the media, and to date, there has not been even a statement acknowledging wrongdoing, let alone any comments about redress. The reports publication evoked a mixed bag of feelings, said Hera Clarke, who was part of the Maori advisory group during the inquiry and serves as the commissary for reconciliation and restoration in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. There are 200,000 survivors, and weve only been able to touch the tip of the iceberg. Safeguarding and listening The Royal Commission investigated eight religious groups in its six-year-long probe: the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Methodist Church of New Zealand, the Presbyterian Church of Aoetearoa New Zealand, the Salvation Army, Gloriavale Christian Community, Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, and Jehovahs Witnesses. The inquiry team wrote that at the beginning of the Inquiry period, faith-based institutions were among the largest providers of residential care for children in Aotearoa New Zealand. Many of these churches ran childrens homes, unmarried mothers homes, adoption and foster services, schools, and residential institutions. The Royal Commission also included situations where a person with authority in a religious institution provided pastoral care to an individual as a part of faith-based care. Education was the most common pathway into faith-based institutions where people suffered physical, emotional, mental, and sexual abuse. Investigators also found that sexual abuse was more prevalent in faith-based settings than in state care. The report added: Many survivors died while they were in care or by suicide following care. In October 2022, faith-based groups issued responses and statements during a public hearing held by the Royal Commission. Since the final reports release this July, some churches included in the inquiry published statements that acknowledged and apologized for the harm caused. We acknowledge and take full responsibility for our failures to provide the safe, caring, and nurturing environment those who have been in our care had a right to expect and to receive, wrote Anglican archbishops Don Tamihere, Justin Duckworth, and Sione Uluilakepa. We are profoundly sorry for the suffering experienced by those in our care, said the Salvation Armys chief secretary Gerry Walker. The Presbyterians convened a task force on July 31 to identify and recommend necessary steps to take based on the reports findings. The Methodists, meanwhile, created a liturgy of lament ahead of the reports release. Lange, the New Zealand Christian Network national director, noted that evangelical churches have grown to recognize the need to implement more robust systems to protect children and youth in recent years. A key response of every church must now be to be extremely vigilant, and do everything we possibly can to prevent abuse ever happening in our own spaces, he wrote in an email newsletter to members. Two months ago, Vink, who pastors Te Whanau Putahi, a congregation in the North Island city of Hamilton, reached out to the heads of many of these denominations, circulating a draft statement he wrote in hopes of issuing a joint response. Although he initially received positive feedback, Vink later heard that the churches would not be proceeding with this initiative. To be honest, the government has done a better job [than the church], he said. The Sunday after the reports release, Vink gave a sermon at his church where he highlighted updates to safeguarding policies, including making their complaints policy more visible and introducing a new whistleblowing procedure. He closed with a reflection on Matthew 18:1517, which focuses on dealing with sin in the church. That same Sunday, Gracecitya multiethnic charismatic church in Aucklandincluded a time of prayer and confession in their services. The church also published a YouTube video in which senior pastor Jonathan Dove outlined ways Christians can respond when the topic of abuse in faith-based care arises. Some Christians, in a desire to protect the church, come across [as] defensive, Dove shared with CT in an email. When hearing about the stories of horrid abuse in faith-based care, I wanted to ensure our church members responded with care, prayer, aroha (love), and a non-defensive posture. In the past year, Gracecity has introduced greater oversight over its preschool, children, and youth ministries, such as providing a complaints process with the option for an external review, updating their safeguarding policies, and training ministry staff and volunteers to identify signs of abuse. Other Christians are carving out safe spaces for survivors within their churches. Clarke, the Maori Anglican leader, listened to 317 survivor accounts in her role as commissary. For her, the work of encouraging, supporting, and providing room for survivors to share their experiences is ongoing. With the reports release, Clarke is now planning to hold workshops in various dioceses for Maori Anglican believers on what the recommendations from the report, such as establishing an independent Care Safe Agency, would look like. I, alongside our bishops and archbishops, take responsibility for whats happened in the church, she said. How the [abuse] has impacted survivors and their families is unacceptable. Rising advocacy efforts In its investigation of religious groups that employ high controlsuch as the Gloriavale Christian Community and Plymouth Brethren Christian Churchthe Royal Commission found that authoritarian leadership and the ostracism and punishment meted out to those who leave the groups often perpetuated psychological and spiritual abuse. Some Christians are helping people leave these religious communities. Liz Gregory, manager of Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust, founded the charity in 2019 to help former Gloriavale members reintegrate into society after they started showing up at her Reformed Baptist church in Timaru, four-and-a-half hours away from the commune. Australian preacher Neville Cooper founded the Gloriavale Christian Community, a reclusive religious sect of about 700 that settled on the west coast of New Zealands South Islands, in 1969. In 1994, a New Zealand court found Cooper guilty of three counts of sexual assault, while Gloriavales current leader, Howard Temple, is facing 27 counts of sexual offending against girls between 9 and 20 years old. At least 270 people have left Gloriavale in the last decade, and Gregorys church is one of the places they often turn to for help in rebuilding their lives. When the Royal Commissions inquiry first launched in 2018, it only pledged to look into state care. As Gregory mowed her lawn, she felt powerless and began praying: Lord, I dont understand. Why is no one doing anything? This is horrific. Who else cares about the people in Gloriavale? The answer came quickly to her: Her church cared. So did survivors who still had family members in the group. Together, they could do something. Gregory and other believers gathered Gloriavale survivors together and asked if they wanted the religious group to be brought to account. The survivors agreed, and Gregory invited the Royal Commissions inquiry team to Timaru, where survivors shared witness statements and testimonies on the abuse they had endured. The survivors are also currently seeking a declaration that Gloriavale is guilty of modern-day slavery due to labor exploitation on the commune and that the New Zealand government failed in its obligations to humanity in an upcoming court case, Gregory said. The secretive group says on its website that it seeks to live out a practical Christian life with perfect obedience to God. It emphasizes living in communitylike the early church in Actsand uniformity, where everyone must think, act, and speak the same, said Gregory. [Gloriavale leadership] think theyre Moses but really, theyre like Pharaoh, she said. Theyre actually those people binding people into slavery. And our message to them is: Let these people go. Another high-control group included in the inquiry is the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, which has 50,000 members across New Zealand, Australia, Europe, the Americas, and the UK. Its members believe that current leader Bruce Hales is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit or the Paul of our day, said Lindy Jacomb, who left the group 15 years ago at the age of 20. Thirty-two survivors shared accounts of abuse or neglect within the group to the inquiry team. The Plymouth Brethren acknowledged only five allegations of abuse and does not necessarily accept that these incidents occurred within its care, the report stated. When the Brethren excommunicated Jacomb for not accepting their doctrines and theology, she stayed with a Baptist couple. They showed me everything that church was supposed to be, she said. They became a new family in Christ for me. Last November, she launched the Olive Leaf Network, a charity that aims to provide support and networking opportunities for people who leave high-control religious groups. Many faith-based care survivors felt like they had to fight to be included in the Royal Commissions inquiry, Jacomb said. Even after being included, many people have felt there was still a bias toward minimizing their harm [and the government] having far too much faith and trust in the institutions that abused them, said Jacomb. Many of these religious groups have also hired legal advisors and spent considerable funds to get legal advice, she added. Seeking redress For Jacomb, the reports forced exposure does not bring about true repentance among religious groups. In her view, genuine repentance would include a public apology by faith-based leaders. Im still waiting for my apology, said Tagaloa, the abuse survivor. She has not received an in-person apology from the Catholic Church to date, only apologies communicated through the media or via email. The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference issued an apology to victims and survivors in 2021. After the release of the final report, the Catholic Church thanked the Royal Commission for their work and committed to reviewing the report and taking steps to make their communities safe. Another important aspect of repentance in the survivors view is an independent redress system, one of 138 recommendations outlined by the Royal Commission. Redress encompasses financial compensation as well as physical, emotional, and psychological rehabilitation. It also includes holding the perpetrators or enablers responsible, preventing further abuse, and apologizing for the abuse. In Canada, where more than 150,000 Indigenous children attended residential schools and suffered physical, verbal, sexual, and spiritual abuse, the government and 325 First Nations settled a class-action lawsuit in 2023 that sought about $2 billion in reparations for losing their culture and language through the school system. In July, they also reached an agreement to reform the countrys First Nations Child and Family Services Program. New Zealands proposed independent redress scheme, known as puretumu torowhanui in Maori, was first recommended by the Royal Commission in 2021 to help ensure there is consistency and equity in the outcomes for survivors. At present, most survivors have to return to the institution that abused them to receive compensation, which may retraumatize them. It also incorporates a huge imbalance of power, said Tagaloa. During the inquiry, the team uncovered evidence of attempts to hide or cover up abuse within faith-based groups like the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church, Presbyterian Support Otago, and the Gloriavale Christian Community. Leaders destroyed records, moved perpetrators between institutions, or prevented survivors from reporting their abuse. I would strongly question whether these groups can be trusted at all to manage their own redress processes, Jacomb said. How can the survivor have any sense of confidence or trust that this institution is going to have their best [interest] at heart? Among its latest list of recommendations for faith-based entities, the Royal Commissions report also called for the groups to work closely with the proposed establishment of a Care Safe Agency, to ensure care standards are up to par, and create a national registry of people in ministry who may pose a risk to vulnerable children and adults. I believe that the Christian church should acknowledge wrongdoing and express deep sadness to all the survivors, Vink said. We should be quick to offer full and comprehensive redress arrangements. In biblical language, this would be known as restitution. To other survivors of faith-based abuse, Tagaloa has one encouragement to share: Look to Christ. Jesus is probably the only God I know who was also abused, she said. He understands the experiences weve gone through because hes experienced abuse. That kind of God [who] loves us unconditionally, forgives, and also wants to know us personally, is the type of God I want to knowa God [who] will give us the opportunity to experience freedom and hope. Home News Church in nation's capital seeks to remove plaque dedicated to J Edgar Hoover A church in Washington, D.C., has decided to remove a plaque from their sanctuary that was dedicated to former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover due to his checkered history on race issues. In 1966, Capitol Hill United Methodist Church dedicated a stained-glass window in their sanctuary in honor of Hoover, which included installing a plaque below the sacred artwork. The theologically progressive church will hold a rededication service for the stained-glass window on Sept. 29 and is planning to relocate the plaque to another part of the church's property. 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 plaque) signals to me that you agree that J. Edgar Hoover is a good model for Christian virtues, said the Rev. Stephanie Vader, senior pastor at Capitol Hill UMC, as reported by UM News. Because otherwise, why would you have it up there? The Christian Post contacted Capitol Hill United Methodist Church for this article; however, church leaders declined to be interviewed. Although Hoovers FBI played a key role in breaking the back of the Ku Klux Klan, he also spied on and harassed civil rights activists, most notably the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. According to Stanford University professor Lerone A. Martin, Hoover, who was raised Presbyterian, also helped to pave the way for the modern Christian nationalism movement. When Hoover took over the FBI, he was deliberate in making it reflect his white, Christian nationalist views, said Martin, who wrote a book on the issue, reported UM News. He got rid of all the women who were special agents and all of the men of color, as well. He hired exclusively white Catholic and Protestant men to be FBI agents and to be the leadership of his FBI. Capitol Hill UMCs history with Hoover goes back to its founding in the early 1960s when the newly formed congregation acquired property for a building that included Hoovers childhood home. According to a brochure about the history of the church, Hoover expressed no opposition to demolishing his former home to make the current parking lot for Capitol Hill UMC. The dedication service for the stained-glass window and plaque in 1966, which Hoover attended, championed him as a model for Statesmanship Through Christian Virtues. The Rev. Edward Lewis, the pastor of Capitol Hill UMC, preached on the scripture passage about the divine calling of the prophet Samuel who helped turn the nation of Israel back to God from sin and idolatry, noted the brochure when recounting the 1966 service. Rev. Lewis said that Hoover was a modern Samuel who had heeded Gods call to turn America away from subversion and back to God. Before offering a prayer, Bishop Hammaker confessed to being an unashamed hero worshipper of Hoover and then prayed for Hoover and the FBI to continue to bring salvation to the nation. Home News Columbia University president resigns amid criticism over Israel-Gaza protests Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned amid the backlash she received over the handling of antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel encampments on the New York City campus. In an announcement Wednesday, Shafik said she is resigning "with sadness" amid "a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community." "This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community," she stated. "Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead." 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 "I have tried to navigate a path that upholds academic principles and treats everyone with fairness and compassion. It has been distressing for the community, for me as president and on a personal level to find myself, colleagues, and students the subject of threats and abuse." Shafik, who was named the university president in 2023, said she was "optimistic that differences can be overcome through the honest exchange of views, truly listening, and always by treating each other with dignity and respect." "Even as tension, division, and politicization have disrupted our campus over the last year, our core mission and values endure and will continue to guide us in meeting the challenges ahead," she added. Katrina Armstrong, chief executive officer of Columbia University Irving Medical Center and executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences for Columbia, will serve as interim president. As with many other public universities in the United States, Columbia has come under scrutiny for how it is handling antisemitic activities on campus amid pro-Palestinian protests and encampments in opposition to the Israeli-Hamas war. At Columbia, anti-Israel demonstrations and the destructive occupation of Hamilton Hall led federal lawmakers and other onlookers to pressure the school to take decisive action. Tensions on campus deteriorated to the point Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of the campus' Orthodox Union-Jewish Learning Initiative, told Jewish students in April to avoid the campus and return home "as soon as possible" until conditions improved. Journalist Neria Kraus shared a video on X in which an undergraduate student said she and the Jewish students were threatened by protestors on campus because one of her friends was wearing a Star of David necklace. When testifying before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce in April, Shafik denounced some of the more extreme rhetoric and said the university was taking steps to address antisemitism, such as the creation of a task force and organizing listening sessions for students "on both sides of the issue." Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York took issue with Shafik's response to the campus upheaval, arguing in a letter sent out in April that the Columbia president was engaging in "lax enforcement of policy and clear double standards." "Your failure to enforce the rules on campus has created an environment in which students and outside agitators know they are able to operate with impunity and without any accountability," the letter stated. "While the rot is systemic, the responsibility rests squarely on your shoulders. It is time for Columbia University to turn the page on this shameful chapter. This can only be done through the restoration of order and your prompt resignation." Shafik called police to campus twice to disperse protesters, which led to a faculty no-confidence resolution in May accusing her of violating student rights. "These offenses culminated in a police action that has harmed our community and our reputation," the resolution states. "For days afterwards, faculty, staff, and students have been locked out of our labs, offices, and libraries. Equally damaging are plans to expel protesters, announced before the disciplinary process has run its course." Home News Israel considers creation of inquiry commission to fend off looming ICC arrest warrants Netanyahu urges caution Israel is still considering its options on how to fend off the looming arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. In a series of consultations regarding the issue on Thursday, Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara pushed Netanyahu to create an independent commission tasked with investigating the humanitarian situation in Gaza to assure the ICC that Israel was taking the issue seriously, Israeli media reported Thursday. Netanyahu met with the relevant political echelon and the Attorney General, the Prime Ministers Office stated. 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 Attorney General reiterated her position regarding the establishment of a State Commission of Inquiry to examine the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the statement read. However, according to the view of the Attorney General herself, there is no certainty that establishing this commission would lead to the cancellation of the request to issue the warrants. Accordingly, additional courses of action were also evaluated. The ICC generally lacks the authority to investigate countries with their own operational legal apparatus. Establishing another independent investigative commission could demonstrate Israels commitment to addressing the accusations seriously and fairly, potentially preventing the ICC from issuing arrest warrants. If issued, the warrants would seriously hamper the ability of Netanyahu and Gallant to travel abroad, as the nations that recognize the ICCs authority would be bound to arrest the two Israeli leaders upon their arrival. According to Israeli media reports, local legal experts agreed with Baharav-Miara that forming a commission was Israels best option. While Netanyahu reportedly agrees in principle, he is wary of creating a state commission that would be headed by a former high court president, who could be hostile toward him. The prime minister is said to prefer the establishment of a lower-level governmental commission. In May, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced his intention to seek arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as the Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif. While Khan recognized Israels right to self-defense, the ICC chief prosecutor claimed, The means Israel chose to achieve [that right] in Gaza namely, intentionally causing death, starvation, great suffering, and serious injury to body or health of the civilian population are criminal. In July, some 70 countries, organizations and individuals submitted amicus briefs to the ICC arguing either for or against the warrants. The high number of briefs could potentially delay the ICCs ruling for months. The decision had already been delayed in June after the United Kingdom filed a similar brief challenging the courts jurisdiction over Israel. This article was originally published by All Israel News. Home News Mass. Gov. Maura Healey signs bill stripping 'mother,' 'father' from state parentage law A new Massachusetts law overhauls the states parentage laws to use gender-neutral language in an attempt to reflect the realities of modern families. Last week, Massachusetts Democrat Gov. Maura Healey signed House Bill 4970 into law. The bill, passed unanimously by both houses of the Massachusetts General Court, removes gender-specific language from the states parentage laws in an effort to accommodate children born to same-sex couples, unmarried or trans-identified parents, and children born as a result of procedures such as in-vitro fertilization or surrogacy. It is slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. The phrase a man and woman is replaced with persons, and the law is amended so that the word their is used instead of his. The law will also scrub references to the term mother, instead using the phrase person who gave birth to the child. The term father also finds itself on the chopping block. The words other parent are now used in its place. 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 new law also does away with the phrase paternity of a child born out of wedlock, replacing it with parentage of a nonmarital child based on alleged genetic parentage. When it comes to sperm donors, the law declares that a donor shall not be a parent of a child conceived through assisted reproduction based on the donors genetic connection to such child. After signing the bill into law, Healey said in a statement, Our laws need to reflect the realities of modern families and the loving environments where children grow and flourish. She added, This moment is a victory for all families in Massachusetts who deserve to be treated with dignity and to have their rights recognized and protected under the law. We are grateful to our partners in the Legislature for their leadership in advancing this important legislation, and thankful to all of the advocates who fought for years to make this a reality in Massachusetts. The law states in part: A child shall have the same rights and protections under law to parentage without regard to the marital status, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation of their parents or the circumstances of the childs birth, including whether the child was born as a result of assisted reproduction or surrogacy. It also replaces all references to paternity within state law with the word parentage. The provision of the law outlining the requirements for surrogacy agreements declares, The intended parent or parents shall pay for all surrogacy-related expenses of the surrogate, including expenses for healthcare provided for assisted reproduction, prenatal care, labor and delivery and the medical expenses of all resulting children, that are not covered by insurance; provided, however, that this subsection shall not be construed to supplant any health insurance coverage that is otherwise available to the surrogate or an intended parent for the coverage of healthcare costs. The phrase intended parent is used frequently throughout the legislation and is defined as a person, whether married or unmarried, who manifests an intent to be legally bound as a parent of a child resulting from assisted reproduction. In addition to embracing the concept of an intended parent, the law puts a high emphasis on parentage, identified as the legal relationship between a child and the parent of a child. The court may adjudicate a child to have more than 2 parents if the court finds that it is in the best interest of the child, the legislation states. While the bill received praise from elected officials on both sides of the aisle, as well as LGBT advocates in Massachusetts, prominent conservatives have expressed strong opposition to the measure. In an X post from July 31, Riley Gaines, a former athlete who has emerged on the national stage as an outspoken opponent of allowing trans-identified males to compete in womens sports, reacted to the bills passage in the Democrat-controlled Massachusetts Senate by declaring: Its always been about corrupting our language, destroying the family, then taking away our rights & freedoms. In a separate post, Gaines called for primary challenges to all the Republican members of the Massachusetts Senate who voted for the bill. She slammed them as weak-kneed, spineless, morally bankrupt cowards. Home News Most Americans support state laws banning sex change surgeries for minors, poll finds Most Americans support laws banning gender transition surgeries for minors as the number of states with such prohibitions continues to increase, a new poll suggests. A survey of 900 likely United States voters released by Rasmussen Reports Thursday found that 58% of Americans at least somewhat approve of "legislation making it illegal to perform sex-change surgery on minors," including 46% who "strongly approve" of such laws. Thirty-four percent of respondents disapprove of such a ban. The poll, conducted from Feb. 8-9 and on Feb. 12 with a +/- 3 percentage-point error margin, found approval for bans on gender transition surgeries for minors highest among Republicans (72%), followed by independents (61%) and Democrats (45%). 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 An additional 45% of Democrats oppose banning gender transition surgeries for minors, along with 30% of independents. Support for the laws extended across all demographic groups, measured at 63% among men, 55% among women, 59% among white respondents, 65% among respondents of other minority groups and 51% among blacks. When asked about laws banning "hormone replacement therapy" for minors, 53% of respondents indicated that they at least somewhat approve of such legislation, while 35% disapproved. Broken down by party, approval stood at 63% among Republicans, 54% among unaffiliated voters and 41% among Democrats. A plurality of Democrats (47%) expressed disapproval of prohibiting minors from obtaining "hormone replacement therapy," while smaller shares of unaffiliated voters (35%) and Republicans (29%) said the same. A majority of whites (51%) and other minorities (60%) expressed support for "hormone replacement therapy" prohibitions for children, as did half of women and 46% of blacks. The poll's release comes days after South Dakota's Republican Gov. Kristi Noem signed the "Help Not Harm" law, making the state the latest to enact a ban on gender transition surgeries and puberty blockers for minors. Other states that have implemented prohibitions on gender transition procedures for minors using the legislative process are Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas. While Utah passed a ban on sex-change surgeries on minors earlier this year, it still allows the prescription of cross-sex hormones to children in some circumstances. In Florida, the state's Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine voted to ban minors from obtaining gender transition surgeries, cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers. Both Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Commissioner of Family Services Jaime Masters have issued opinions characterizing sex change surgeries for minors as a form of child abuse. The wave of new laws and policies in recent years reflects concerns about the long-term effects of life-changing gender interventions. The American Academy of Pediatrics' 2018 guidelines includes medical intervention and puberty suppression as potential ways to help those with gender dysphoria. But the American College of Pediatricians has identified "osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, cognitive impairment" and sterility as some of the potential side effects of puberty blockers. The organization lists "an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers across their lifespan" as some of the impacts of cross-sex hormones. Several detransitioners, individuals who previously identified as a member of the opposite sex but have reverted to identifying as their biological sex, have come forward in recent years to detail how having life-altering procedures performed on them as minors has negatively impacted their lives. Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old girl who underwent a double mastectomy during puberty, filed a lawsuit against the doctors who removed her breasts and prescribed her puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Legal filings allege that doctors told Cole that "the distress she experienced because of her gender dysphoria would resolve as she transitioned." But she discovered that her "distress always came back worse" following the "initial relief" that she felt "after each phase of transition." Home News Rob Schneider, Tucker Carlson pray together for daughters, country: 'Protect your children' Comedian Rob Schneider prayed with political commentator Tucker Carlson at the conclusion of a recent interview during which they discussed Schneider's journey to the Catholic faith and his strained relationship with his daughter. Carlson opened their two-hour discussion on the Tucker Carlson Network by bringing up the recent public criticism that Schneider's 35-year-old daughter, Elle King, leveled at him earlier this week. "I hate to start with this, but I read what looked like a family tragedy playing out in the news," Carlson said. "Your daughter going after you." 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 Rob Schneider blew up his career by telling the truth and then found himself much happier and in the ways that matter, far more successful. (0:44) Rob Schneider Responds to His Daughter, Elle King (15:40) The Health of America (35:22) Rob Schneider vs. Big Pharma (50:58) pic.twitter.com/gXuZDvNLXw Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) August 15, 2024 Appearing on the "Dumb Blonde" podcast on Aug. 12, King claimed that Schneider used to body-shame her when she was growing up and neglected her to focus on his acting career, as noted by The San Francisco Chronicle. In response to Carlson's question, Schneider apologized to King for not having been a better father to her and noted that he loved her and wished her the best. "Elle, I love you," he said, looking into the camera. "I wish I was the father in my 20s that you needed, and clearly, I wasnt. I hope you can forgive me for my shortcomings." "I love you completely, I love you entirely, and I just want you to be well and happy with you and your beautiful baby, Lucky. I wish you the best. I feel terrible, and I just want you to know that I dont take anything you say personally," he added. Schneider and Carlson went on to discuss how the former "Saturday Night Live" star came to embrace Catholicism. He announced on X last October that he had converted, declaring, "I am the luckiest man in the world." He also gave a shout-out to his wife, Patricia, and their three daughters. After explaining to Carlson the generational trauma in his family from when his mother endured and survived the brutality of the Japanese in the Philippines during World War II, Schneider said that Jesus Christ was always at the back of his mind after he watched one of his friends transform after becoming a Christian when he was younger and was shown hospitality by other Christians. "I found some really happy, content people," Schneider said regarding how he found faith. "And I go, 'What's going on with these people?' I was in junior high, and I was like, 'What's with these people?'" Noting how one of his friend's brothers growing up was "a very conflicted kid" who "had some problems and was experimenting with different things," he remembered that "he just was suddenly the most peaceful guy to be around." Schneider said that when his friend invited him to his church, he was overwhelmed by their kindness, which he said remained with him as he grew older. "When you spend time reading the Bible, when you spend time with other Christians, you feel the presence of Christ, you just do," he said. "That's a powerful thing, and it's moving, and it's healing," he said. "So while I strayed, there was always in the back of my mind, 'I'm never going to go away.'" He said he came to believe that Jesus was telling him, "When you need me most, I'll be there." Schneider's interview was also replete with gratitude for all that he has been given in his life despite its difficulties. At the conclusion of their discussion, Schneider read a reflection that had been sent to him by his friend as the news about his daughter was hitting the press. "We've been our own worst enemies most of our lives, and we've often injured ourselves seriously as a result of a justified resentment over a slight wrong. Doubtless, there are many causes for resentment in the world, most of them providing justification. But we can never begin to settle all the world's grievances or even arrange things so as to please everybody," he read. "If we've been treated unjustly by others, or simply by life itself, we can avoid compounding the difficulty by completely forgiving the persons involved and abandoning the destructive habit of reviewing our hurts and humiliations," he continued. Schneider then closed their interview with a prayer. "Thank you for this time, Jesus, and allowing me to speak my mind with this wonderful conversation with my new friend Tucker," Schneider said as the two bowed their heads. "And God bless this great country and protect your children. God bless my daughter and God bless all the daughters and all the people that are having problems in the world. And we thank you for all these opportunities that you give us. In Jesus' name we pray, in the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit." "Amen," Carlson replied. Home News UCLA can't let anti-Israel activists ban Jewish students from campus: judge The University of California, Los Angeles, can no longer allow anti-Israel protesters to exclude Jewish students who refuse to denounce their faith from certain areas on campus, a federal judge has ruled. Judge Mark C. Scarsi, a Trump appointee, issued the preliminary injunction Tuesday following a lawsuit filed earlier this year by the Becket law firm and co-counsel Clement & Murphy PLLC on behalf of three Jewish students. The plaintiffs contend that they have a religious obligation to support Israel, and their complaint outlined various antisemitic incidents that occurred amid a wave of protests on college campuses concerning Israel's military operations in Gaza. 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 injunction in the UCLA case is the first against a university for allowing students to set up an encampment on school property. The school is expected to appeal the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to the statement. A group of anti-Israel protesters occupied a section of UCLA's campus in April known as the Royce Quad and established an encampment with plywood and metal barricades. The demonstrators set up checkpoints and reportedly required passers-by to wear a specific wristband to cross and barred anyone who supported Israel's existence from the encampment. While UCLA dismantled the encampment in May, Scarsi highlighted how protesters set up an "unauthorized and unlawful encampment with tents, canopies, wooden shields, and water-filled barriers" on June 10. Demonstrators are said to have disrupted final exams and even caused some students to miss their tests. "Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith," Judge Scarsi wrote. "UCLA does not dispute this. Instead, UCLA claims that it has no responsibility to protect the religious freedom of its Jewish students because the exclusion was engineered by third-party protesters." The judge wrote that UCLA cannot permit such encampments to stand if they prevent the campus from being "fully and equally accessible to Jewish students." Scarsi also contended that it does not matter if third-party protesters are responsible for excluding Jewish students from campus. "But under constitutional principles, UCLA may not allow services to some students when UCLA knows that other students are excluded on religious grounds, regardless of who engineered the exclusion," the judge stated. UCLA did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. "Shame on UCLA for letting antisemitic thugs terrorize Jews on campus," Becket President Mark Rienzi said in a Tuesday statement. "Today's ruling says that UCLA's policy of helping antisemitic activists target Jews is not just morally wrong but a gross constitutional violation. UCLA should stop fighting the Constitution and start protecting Jews on campus." According to the students' complaint, people inside the encampment chanted things like "death to the Jews," and many also held signs with the Star of David crossed out. Protesters would require anyone passing through a checkpoint to condemn Israel, and they would deny entry to anyone accused of being a Zionist. Faculty members encouraged the protests, according to the suit, with some even holding classes inside the encampment. A group called UCLA Faculty for Justice in Palestine also urged staff to show support through [their] physical presence at the protest." As noted in the students' complaint against UCLA, defendants have knowingly allowed private individuals to bar Jewish persons from parts of the UCLA campus because of their Jewish ethnicity and religion, while non-Jewish persons are permitted access to all areas of campus." The suit further argues that UCLA's decision to hire private security guards only escalated the situation, as these guards discouraged "unapproved students" from crossing through the areas on campus blocked by demonstrators. "As a result of Defendants' actions, Plaintiffs have been injured by losing access to educational opportunities, losing access to library and classroom facilities, losing in-person learning opportunities, losing the ability to prepare for exams, being denied equal participation in the life of the university, suffering emotional and physical stress that has diverted time, attention, and focus from study, and by other harms," the complaint stated. Anti-Israel activists set up a series of encampments on college campuses throughout the country this spring in response to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel. In addition to UCLA, Jewish students at schools like Harvard and Columbia University reported that the encampments made them feel unsafe. University leaders at various schools were forced to call law enforcement to dismantle the encampments. According to July 22 data from The New York Times, the anti-Israel encampments resulted in more than 3,100 arrests nationwide. Home News Benny and Suzanne Hinn divorce: What will the forensic accountant be looking for? In a divorce petition filed in Florida last month, televangelist Benny Hinn's wife, Suzanne Hinn, said their marriage is "irretrievably broken." Suzanne requested spousal support and asked the court to "Require the Husband to contribute to the Wife's attorney's fees and costs, including forensic accountant fees, both temporarily and permanently " Because Florida is a no-fault divorce state, the forensic accountant would not be looking for financial fraud or other financial crimes. 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 divorce petition provides a clue for what a forensic accountant would examine: "Determine if the Husband has transferred away or disposed of assets within the two (2) year period prior to the filing of this case or during the pendency of this case and, if so, make appropriate adjustments in the equitable distribution scheme." The forensic accountant should start by identifying bank accounts and assets owned by the World Healing Center Church and consulting companies such as Family Altar of the Air and eMinistries Consulting, Inc., which are run by Benny's top confederate Donald B. Price. Bank accounts might have been opened using trade names registered to each legal entity. World Healing Center Church has registered one active trade name in Texas: Benny Hinn Ministries. Family Altar of the Air has four active trade names in Texas: Iglesia Centro de Sanidad Mundial, Fe y Familia Centro Cristiano Internacional, Grapevine Next Level Church and Next Level Dallas (which appears to have rebranded as Next Level Revival and may no longer be related to Family Altar of the Air). Price has collected consulting fees from Family Altar of the Air and acquires real estate through the nonprofit organization. In 2023, Family Altar of the Air purchased a home worth about $2.8 million in Frisco, Texas, even though Price already owns a home in Plano, Texas, and Family Altar of the Air owns an additional 14,500-square-foot home in Plano worth about $7.5 million. Does Hinn have an ownership stake in the Frisco property? Where does Hinn stay in Texas when he visits the ministry headquarters? Since the 1990s, and possibly since its inception, Benny Hinn Ministries has never filed a Form 990, which would disclose his compensation and a breakdown of ministry expenses to donors. For at least 20 years, Benny Hinn has been paid consulting fees and a salary from World Healing Center Church/Benny Hinn Ministries. In 2004, while dumpster diving, Trinity Foundation investigator Pete Evans obtained a document reporting that Benny was paid $30,000 a month for consulting work through Clarion Call Marketing, Inc. In February 2005, Trinity Foundation investigators found another document in the trash disclosing Benny's salary from World Healing Center Church to be $1,325,000. Suzanne Hinn received a salary of $165,000. Hinn's daughter, Jessica, and husband, Michael Koulianos, were also on the organization's payroll for $155,000, bringing the family's compensation to over $2 million, including consulting fees. eMinistries Consulting appears to own the intellectual property of the ministry. Bookmark Publishing, a trade name registered to eMinistries Consulting, is listed as the copyright holder on the bennyhinn.org website. Other trade names registered to eMinistries Consulting include The Benny Hinn Foundation, BH Global, Vicarage Holdings, Cal-Tex Acquisition IV, Cal-Tex Acquisition V, and Dominion Land Trust. Cal-Tex Acquisition V is the registered owner of the office building in Grapevine, Texas, serving as the headquarters of Benny Hinn Ministries. Dominion Land Trust owns the Dana Point, California, beach house where Benny resides when in California. There are unanswered questions regarding the ownership of the California beach house. Does Price function as a dummy director for eMinistries Consulting and Dominion Land Trust? Does Price have a partial ownership stake or is it entirely owned by Benny? In addition to the trade name Vicarage Holdings, there is a separate company named Vicarage Holdings, LLC, which was formed in 2020 and might also hold ministry-related assets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hinn created Compassion for the Hungry in 2020 and served on the organization's board. The nonprofit corporation is no longer active. The Texas Secretary of State published a tax forfeiture notice for the organization in 2023. Cost of divorce Throughout his career, Benny has preached that a wealth transfer is coming to Christians around the world. For example, in a December 2023 video, Benny Hinn told his viewers, "I'm going to ask you to give. Be faithful to the Lord because before the coming of the Lord, we're going to see an amazing wealth transfer." This idea of a wealth transfer is based on a misunderstanding of Proverbs 13:22, which says, "A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous." Originally published at Trinity Foundation Home News Family of Christian woman kidnapped, sold into sexual slavery pressured to drop murder charges LAHORE, Pakistan A Muslim man in Pakistan who kidnapped and raped a Christian woman who died from her injuries is pressuring her family to drop the charges, sources said. Salma Munir, 20, was held captive for five months before she was rescued in June, said Asif Khokhar, chief organizer of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance Movement. Omer Khokhar, known as Khatri, a Muslim resident of her area in Ajnianwala village, Sheikhupura District, Punjab Province, kidnapped her in February, Khokhar said. Khatri saw Munir as easy prey because she was mentally handicapped and belonged to a vulnerable Christian family, Khokhar said. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe After abducting her, Khatri took her to Gujranwala city, where he repeatedly raped her, Khokhar said. Khatri then sold Munir to a brothel owner for 50,000 rupees ($179 USD), and the owner later returned her to Khatri, who sold her to another brothel in Hafizabad city for 70,000 rupees ($251 USD), Khokhar said. When Munir disappeared in February, her family tried to get police to register a case, but they showed no interest in finding her, Khokhar said. In June, Munirs older brother was in Hafizabad for some work when he saw his sister traveling on a rickshaw with other women. He intercepted the rickshaw and rescued his sister, but the madam of the brothel managed to escape from the scene, Khokhar said. The youth brought the traumatized girl back to the family, but she was in a really bad condition, and her bleeding wouldnt stop. Her family tried their best to obtain medical treatment for her, but she died after two days from injuries while in captivity, he said. Before dying, she told her family about Khatri and how he had exploited her and sold her into sex slavery, Khokhar told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. When her father, Munir Masih, confronted Khatri, he denied the charge and instead accused the family of poisoning Salma to death, Khokhar said. The family then sought help from local Muslim elders, without success. Fearful for the security of his other children and having no hope of justice, Masih chose to keep silent about the incident and buried Salma quietly on June 25, Khokhar said. An emboldened Khatri 20 days later stopped Salma Munirs younger sister, Nisha Munir, in the street as she was going to work and tried to kidnap her, he said. When she resisted, he threatened her that she would suffer the same fate as her sister if she did not surrender to his sexual demands, Khokhar said. When a terrified Nisha told her family about Khatris action, Masih decided that in order to save his younger daughter he must get Khatri punished for his crimes against Salma, Khokhar said. Masih contacted Khokhar for help, and with his support again made efforts to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Khatri. Police again initially failed to cooperate, Khokhar said. Farooqabad police finally registered a FIR on July 27 and arrested Khatri after Khokhar requested that a Christian provincial lawmaker, Emannuel Athar Julias, help the impoverished family obtain justice. The FIR includes charges for selling a person for prostitution, punishable by up to 25 years in prison, buying a person for prostitution, punishable by up to 25 years in pirson, murder, criminal intimidation, and sexual harassment of a woman, punishable by imprisonment of up to three years. Though the accused is now in custody, his family and friends are now threatening Munir Masihs family to reach a settlement with them, Khokhar said. The security of the family is of utmost importance due to the sensitivity of the case, so we have relocated them to a safe location. The activist said that Salma Munirs body was exhumed for forensic tests last week, and the family is awaiting the results. We are very hopeful that God will deliver justice to the poor Christian family, but at the same time we need support from the police and government to protect them from any attack by the accused side, he said. The family is extremely poor, earning a living cleaning farmhouses and homes. Now that they are forced to live in hiding, it has resulted in a severe financial crisis for them, he said. We are trying to support them as much as we can within our meager resources, but they would need financial help to pursue the case effectively. Pakistan is ranked seventh on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year. Originally published at Christian Daily InternationalMorning Star News Home News George Barna identifies biggest threats facing the Church: 'We've reached a time of Christian invisibility' NASHVILLE, Tenn. George Barna, a leading expert in church and worldview trends, has weighed in on some of the biggest issues facing the Church including the steady decrease in a biblical worldview and dwindling concern for spiritual formation at a time of "Christian invisibility in our culture." In an interview with The Christian Post, the 69-year-old founder of The Barna Group, a market research firm specializing in studying Americans' religious beliefs and behaviors that he sold in 2009, said that over the last few decades, hes seen certain negative trends increasingly permeate Western Christianity. People have become more selfish, churches have become less influential, pastors have become less Bible-centric, Barna, who now serves as the director of research at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, said. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Families have invested less of their time and energy in spiritual growth, particularly of their children. The media now influences the Church more than the Church influences the media, or the culture for that matter. The Christian Body tends to get off track arguing about a lot of things that really don't matter. On a wider scale, one of the most troubling trends Barna highlights is the decline in discipleship and a lack of solid, biblical training from seminaries. He criticized the prevalent metrics used by churches to gauge success attendance, fundraising and infrastructure which he stressed have little to do with Jesus mission. There is poor leadership in seminaries that mislead local churches into thinking that they're actually training individuals whom God has called to be leaders and are qualified to be leaders and certifying them to lead local churches, not knowing any better bringing them on, he said. Barna clarified that while many seminaries have "good intentions," they set young ministry leaders up for failure. "You get what you measure," he contended. "So if you measure the wrong things, you'll get the wrong outcomes [pastors] measure how many people show up, how much money they raise, how many programs they offer, how many staff persons they hire, how much square footage they built out. Jesus didn't die for any of that. So we're measuring the wrong stuff and, consequently, we get the wrong outcomes." To address these issues, Barna advocated for a radical return to biblical roots but that, he said, might require rethinking the modern church structure. If we were to go back to the Bible, I think we'd recognize the local church, the institutional church, as we've created it, is man-made. It's not in the Scriptures, he said. The programs, the titles, the buildings, all the stuff that has become sacrosanct in American culture and around the world is not necessarily biblical. "Jesus didn't come to build institutions, He came to build people. And we see that model in His life. He devoted the ministry portion of His life to investing in individuals. And that's what each of us who are followers of Christ need to be doing. Discipling the next generation Instead of focusing on programs and buildings, Barna, a father and grandfather, urged believers to invest in children, whom he sees as the future of the Church. This includes prioritizing spiritual education, modeling biblical principles and creating accountability structures within the family. We make a huge mistake by simply using children as bait rather than as the primary focus of who we want to build up through whatever ministry, impact or influence we can have, he said. We need to back and recognize it starts with families; parents have the primary responsibility to raise their children to become spiritual champions ... local churches need to support parents in that endeavor. Our primary focus needs to be on children and growing their biblical worldview. If we do that, we'll be able to grow the 3 percent of adults who are disciples in America today to a larger proportion. Barna told CP his journey into religious research began with a desire to fill a crucial gap he observed in the churchs understanding of its own congregations. When I first got started, I was trying to figure out how I could add value to what was happening in the Church across the country, he said. There didn't seem to be a lot of trend-oriented information relating to the depth of people's faith. While existing data captured church attendance and Bible sales, Barna identified a need for insights into what people believe, why they believe it, and how these beliefs translate into actions. Over the years, Barnas focus on deeper, trend-based data has provided pastors with tools to foster more meaningful spiritual growth, rather than simply tracking superficial metrics. The rise of AI One trend Barna said hes also concerned about is the potential negative impact artificial intelligence (AI) will have on the Church. We're already seeing an impact on sermons across the country, he said. Pastors, because they want to do well, in some cases, because they're lazy, are realizing AI is a means of getting perhaps a better sermon. There are other ways that we're going to see it impact us in terms of fundraising, in terms of media presence, he continued. As the Body of Christ, we've got to be very suspicious of and careful about anything that even labels itself artificial. Its probably not good for our mental health, our physical health or our spiritual health. I just encourage genuine leaders to be very cautious about inviting any of that into our lives, and particularly into how we're going to take that and then influence other people's lives. Barna also advised parents to approach AI and other media with a strategy of monitoring, minimizing, mediating and moralizing content to ensure it aligns with biblical values. Parents are the gatekeepers. Act like a leader, take the lead, and make the tough choices, the Raising Spiritual Champions author said. Make those tough choices in relationship to the vision that you have for what it means to be a parent of a spiritual champion. Barna said that today, hes focused on worldview development and cultural development more than ever before. The Church is at a critical juncture, he warned, and the path to a thriving Christian community lies in returning to the core biblical principles, the empowerment of parents as spiritual leaders and the intentional discipling of the next generation. All the other stuff is noise, he said. If we don't do those things, we're going to lose even more in this war this is our moment, we've reached a time of Christian invisibility in our culture. What I'm seeing now is that we're getting to this place where the typical American will not have anyone in their circle of influence who has a biblical worldview. You're not going to be influenced with God's truth. The consequence of that is that the elites in our culture will have the opportunity to shut down spiritual freedom, he stressed. We will no longer be allowed to go to churches; well no longer be allowed to buy and read Bibles, well no longer be allowed to speak in public about our faith. Why? Because it all traces back to disciples not making disciples. So this is our moment. We either will put up or shut up. And I would suggest that we put up. Home News Major medical group expresses skepticism about sex-change surgeries for kids A major medical organization in the United States has expressed skepticism about the long-term effects of body-mutilating sex-change procedures performed on minors. In a thread posted to X Monday, Leor Sapir of the conservative think-tank The Manhattan Institute noted, The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, an organization representing 92% of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the U.S., becomes the first major medical association to break from the consensus over gender-affirming care for minors. The term gender-affirming care is a euphemism used to describe irreversible puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and elective surgical body disfigurement, such as castration for boys and double mastectomy and phalloplasty for girls that exhibit confusion about their sex. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe In the U.S., the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries to help kids who feel distressed about their developing bodies has depended on a perceived consensus of medical groups, Sapir said. Critics argue that the consensus is manufactured and enforced through suppression of alternative viewpoints and of evidence reviews, he added. The [American Academy of Pediatrics], for instance, has suppressed member initiatives to get the group to conduct a systematic review of the evidence. Sapir cited the consensus of medical associations as a chief reason for the growing divide between the U.S. and Europe, where countries have reversed course on youth gender medicine after finding the evidence too weak to support the routine use of Rx. Sapir noted that he reached out to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons seeking comment about the court documents showing that the World Professional Association of Transgender Health, identified as the source of the U.S. consensus, worked to suppress systematic reviews of evidence and eliminated age minimums for surgery due to pressure from trans-identified Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Rachel [formerly Richard] Levine. In response to Sapirs inquiry, The American Society of Plastic Surgeons insisted that it had never endorsed WPATHs standards of care and acknowledged the low quality of the use of the evidence surrounding the effectiveness of performing such drastic and irreversible "chest and genital" surgeries on minors. Sapir shared a screenshot of the email he received from The American Society of Plastic Surgeons in a subsequent post on X Tuesday. The email is dated July 23. As Sapir suggested, leading medical organizations in the U.S. have consistently touted the claim that sex-change procedures are safe and effective despite concerns that have emerged about their irreversible effects. The American College of Pediatricians has emerged as an outlier with its views on the subject. The American College of Pediatricians lists the potential side effects of puberty blockers prescribed to children as including osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, cognitive impairment and, when combined with cross-sex hormones, sterility. The medical organization further warns that cross-sex hormones can cause an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers. Chloe Cole, a detransitioner who experienced gender dysphoria as a minor and was prescribed testosterone and underwent body-mutilating surgeries, asserted in a 2023 lawsuit that the double mastectomy she received as a teenager caused her to experience suicidal thoughts. Cole, who's now an adult, once rejected her sex and self-identified as a male but saw her gender dysphoria subside as she got older. She maintains that the gender transition procedures she underwent left her with deep physical and emotional wounds, severe regrets, and distrust of the medical system. Concerns about the effects of said procedures have motivated lawmakers in 26 states to ban some or all of them for minors. These states are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. Meanwhile, lawmakers in 14 other states have made their states havens for children seeking body-disfiguring procedures. These states include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. While states have taken divergent actions on the legality of performing sex-change procedures on minors, the Biden administration remains supportive of making them available to children. This is a contrast to other countries like the United Kingdom, which has cracked down on so-called gender-affirming care following the publication of a 2022 report that called into question the effectiveness of such permanent and irreversible procedures on children. Home News Harris victory will usher in 'most anti-parent, extremist' gov't in US history, Moms for Liberty claims The parental rights advocacy group Moms for Liberty told its supporters this week that an "anti-parent, extremist government" could take root in the United States if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected president in November. Moms for Liberty released a "Letter to American Parents" on Wednesday, urging them not to vote for the Democratic presidential ticket of Harris and running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Authored by the group's co-founders, Tina Deskovitch and Tiffany Justice, the letter warns that a "potential Harris/Walz presidency" would "give way to the rise of the most anti-parent, extremist government America has ever known." 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 While the letter did not explicitly tell American parents to support the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, it highlighted what it characterized as concerning positions taken by Harris and Walz. "In the extremist view of Harris-Walz, the family is viewed as a threat to the government's power," Deskovitch and Justice wrote. "We have heard this thinking before, whether it was called socialism in Cuba or Marxism in Russia or Maoism in China." "Each operates on the belief that by weakening the family unit, the state can exert greater influence over individuals," they added. "This is exactly what Walz just recently did with his 'Trans Refuge law' which grants legal protection to children who travel to Minnesota for so-called gender affirming care, including puberty blockers, reconstructive genital surgery, and hormone therapy, as well as the medical practitioners who provide it." The Minnesota law referenced in the letter is House File 146, which Walz signed into law last year that, among other things, shields individuals who provide surgical and hormonal interventions to gender dysphoric children from prosecution in other states. The law was the topic of an exchange between Vance and ABC News' Jonathan Karl earlier this week, with Vance pushing back on Karl's assertions that the law doesn't allow the government to "kidnap" children from their parents. "What I just described to you, I would describe as kidnapping," Vance said. "You should not be able to take people's children away from them if you disagree with decisions about gender reassignment. Yes, he has proposed that, Jon." Moms for Liberty claimed "the replacement of parents is underway in Minnesota, as children are encouraged to view the state as their ultimate guardian." The letter quoted an opinion column published by the Minnesota-based news outlet Alpha News, stating that "Academic achievement is no longer the primary goal in Minnesota" regarding education. The editorial suggested that "Walz's education focus is transforming the students' values, attitudes, and beliefs into the woke worldview." While the letter did not include as many examples of "anti-parent" attitudes expressed by Harris, it declared that "California and Minnesota, the states Harris and Walz hail from, are great examples of the dangers that government poses to parental rights." "Both Walz and Harris support telling school kids that there are more than two sexes and that they may have been born in the wrong body," the letter continued. "They push for Title IX language that now makes transgender a 'protected class,' meaning that schools can punish kids for as little as using the wrong pronoun with a peer. Moms for Liberty wants to sound the alarm LOUD AND CLEAR: Harris and Walz want power and control. Not freedom." Moms for Liberty, which helps elect conservative school board members in school districts nationwide, says it is "dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government." It is one of several advocacy groups that have popped up in the past few years as concerns about parental rights have emerged in American political discourse. The group is not without its critics, as the far-left civil rights activist group Southern Poverty Law Center labeled Moms for Liberty "an antigovernment organization," claiming that it advances "conspiracy propaganda" as well as "hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community." "In its efforts to combat anything that it considers 'woke ideology,' Moms for Liberty commonly propagates conspiracy theories about public schools attempting to indoctrinate and sexualize children with a progressive Marxist curriculum," stated the SPLC. "Moms for Liberty has been at the forefront of the battle for book bans, which often includes labeling teachers and librarians who have books deemed inappropriate as groomers and also reading excerpts of books aloud without context at school board meetings to raise alarm in other parents." In a statement given to The Christian Post last year, Moms for Liberty rejected SPLC's characterization of their work, arguing that their chief goal was to empower parents. "Name-calling parents who want to be a part of their child's education as 'hate groups' or 'bigoted' just further exposes what this battle is all about: Who fundamentally gets to decide what is taught to our kids in school parents or government employees?" they stated. "We believe that parental rights do not stop at the classroom door and no amount of hate from groups like this is going to stop that." Home News Oklahoma rescinds contract for first Catholic charter school amid legal setbacks The state government in Oklahoma has rescinded the contract for a Catholic charter school poised to be the first of its kind in the nation amid a series of legal setbacks. Oklahoma's Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced that the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board voted unanimously at its Monday meeting to rescind the contract for the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School. The move comes a month and a half after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the school, slated to open this month, was unconstitutional and that "the state is prohibited from using public money for the 'use, benefit or support of a sect or system of religion.'" 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 St. Isidore describes itself as "a full time, K-12, tuition free, online Catholic charter school." It opened enrollment to students of all faiths, not just the Roman Catholic faith. "While it is appalling that the Board took so long to recognize the authority of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, I am pleased that board members finally fulfilled their duty," Drummond said in a statement. "The proposed state-sponsored religious school, funded by our tax dollars, represents a serious threat to the religious liberty of all four million Oklahomans." Drummond sought an order from the Oklahoma Supreme Court for the state to comply with its earlier ruling late last month and threatened to hold its members and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters in contempt of court if they did not do so. While St. Isidore requested a stay of the decision pending an appeal to the United States Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied that petition last week. The legal setbacks experienced by St. Isidore, along with the board's decision to rescind its contract, ensure that the school will not open in time for the 2024-25 school year. As the school explained on its website, this means that the 200 students slated to attend the school will have to pursue other options. The push for review from the U.S. Supreme Court occurs in the context of a favorable ruling related to the use of taxpayer dollars to send children to religious schools. In the 2022 caseCarson v. Makin, the court ruled that the state of Maine could not prevent families from using state taxpayer funds from a tuition assistance program designed to enable children living in remote areas without a public high school to attend private high schools from using the money to send their children to religiously affiliated private schools. The Carson decision has already impacted other litigation surrounding parents' ability to use taxpayer money to send their children to religious schools. Months after the ruling, the state of Vermont reached a settlement with parents who sued the state because it would not let them use money from a similar tuition assistance program to send their children to religious private schools. A letter from Vermont Education Secretary Daniel French cited the Carson decision and informed parents that "Requests for tuition payments for resident students to approved independent religious schools or religious independent schools that meet educational quality standards must be treated the same as requests for tuition payments to secular approved independent schools or secular independent schools that meet educational quality standards." Home News Trump, Biden supporters disagree on the Bible, Christianity's influence in the US: poll A new report reveals a wide divergence in views between voters who plan on supporting President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election and those intending to back former President Donald Trump on issues related to marriage, traditional values, abortion, sexuality and the role of religion in American life. The Pew Research Center released a report last Thursday titled Cultural Issues and the 2024 Election. The findings in the study are based on responses collected from 8,749 U.S. adults from April 814. When asked if they believed society is better off if people make marriage and having children a priority, a majority (59%) of Trump supporters answered in the affirmative compared to just 19% of Biden supporters. A higher share of Trump supporters (37%) also indicated they were uncomfortable with women not taking their husbands last names when they get married than Biden supporters (13%). Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe A plurality of Trump supporters (47%) viewed the declining birthrate in the U.S. as bad, followed by 35% who characterized it as neither good nor bad and 17% who believed it was good. By contrast, half of Biden supporters (50%) were neutral on the declining birthrate, while 27% thought it was a positive development and the remaining 23% viewed it negatively. The divisions between Trump and Biden backers also extended to the issue of abortion. Nearly half of Biden supporters (46%) wanted to see abortion legal in most cases, while an additional 42% supported laws making abortion legal in all cases. Just 8% thought abortion should be illegal in most cases. On the other hand, half of Trump supporters (50%) believed that abortion should be illegal in most cases, while 11% thought it should be illegal in all cases. Nearly one-third (28%) of Trump supporters favored making abortion legal in most cases while 9% took the position that it should be legal in all cases. When it came to the availability of birth control, majorities of both Trump and Biden backers viewed widespread access to contraception as good. However, a much higher share of Biden voters (93%) than Trump voters (66%) had this view of contraception. Twenty-two percent of Trump backers and 5% of Biden backers told pollsters they thought widespread availability of birth control was neither good nor bad. Only 11% of Trump supporters described access to contraception as bad. When it comes to one's gender identity, Trump supporters were nearly unanimous (90%) in their belief that an individuals gender is determined by sex assigned at birth. Meanwhile, a majority of Biden supporters (59%) expressed agreement with the idea that whether a person is a man or a woman can be different" from their sex. When asked about their level of comfort with people using gender-neutral pronouns such as they/them instead of he or she, 66% of Biden supporters described themselves as comfortable with the concept opposed to just 20% of Trump supporters. In response to a question about whether they viewed more people feeling comfortable identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual than in the past as good, a majority (51%) of Biden supporters answered in the affirmative. An additional 35% of Biden supporters considered the increased prevalence of LGBT identification in the U.S. as neither good nor bad, while the remaining 13% of Biden supporters thought it was bad. Among Trump backers, a majority (53%) signaled disapproval of increased LGBT identification, followed by 36% who felt neutral about it and 11% who favored the development. A majority of Biden backers (57%) thought same-sex marriages being legal in the U.S. was good for society, while an additional 31% characterized the development as neither good nor bad, and 12% considered it bad. A narrow majority of Trump supporters (51%) had an unfavorable opinion about the legalization of same-sex marriage, as 39% had a neutral opinion and 11% supported it. While majorities of Biden and Trump supporters opposed the idea that government policies should support religious values and beliefs, a much higher share of Trump backers (43%) than Biden supporters (13%) agreed with the statement. Similarly, 36% of Trump supporters agreed that the Bible should have a great deal of influence on the laws of the U.S. compared to 11% of Biden supporters. A plurality of Trump supporters (36%) believed that the Bible should have a great deal of influence on U.S. laws, followed by 33% who thought it should have some impact. Smaller shares of Trump supporters thought that the Bibles influence on U.S. laws should be not much (16%) or not at all (14%). A majority of Biden supporters (53%) believed that the Bible should have no influence on U.S. laws, while 16% thought it should not influence public policy very much. Nineteen percent of Biden backers supported allowing the Bible to have some influence on U.S. laws, while 11% favored giving it a great deal of influence. Among the 30% of Biden supporters who supported the idea of the Bible having some or a great deal of influence in American society, half (15%) thought the Bible should have more influence on U.S. laws than the will of the people in areas where the two conflict, while the other half (15%) said the opposite. Meanwhile, among the 69% of Trump supporters who want the Bible to have at least some impact in American society, 45% believed that the Bible should have more influence, while 22% took the opposite position. Very small percentages of both Biden (6%) and Trump supporters (22%) favored the federal government making Christianity the official religion of the United States. However, a much higher share of Trump backers (59%) believed that the federal government should promote Christian moral values than Biden backers (22%). A majority of Biden backers expressed support for the idea that the federal government should not promote Christian moral values (58%), while 17% of Trump backers said the same. When asked if they believed it was necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values, 45% of Trump supporters answered in the affirmative. An even smaller share of Biden supporters (20%) saw a belief in God as a prerequisite for morality and good values. Kamala, Waheguru, And Other False Gods: The Identity Campaign Of 2024 link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 39:49 39:49 Already a presidential election cycle unlike any other, the 2024 campaign took yet another turn after President Joseph Biden relented to mounting Democratic pressure to end his bid for reelection and threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris. The development came just days after the Republican National Convention kicked off with a controversial prayer naming a Sikh deity as the one true God, raising questions about the waning influence of Christianity in the GOP and about what exactly the two current candidates for president actually believe when it comes to their personal faith. Episode three of The Christian Posts Politics in the Pews podcast examines the role of religious syncretism in the 2024 White House race and how Christians can work with other faith groups toward shared objectives. LIVE EVENT: What does it mean to be an Evangelical voter in 2024? The Christian Post presents Politics In The Pews, a call for Christians from across all denominations and political affiliations to come together on key issues facing the Church ahead of what many believe will be the most significant election of our lifetimes. For more information, visit politicsinthepews.com More About Politics in the Pews Politics in the Pews is The Christian Posts new investigative podcast. Reporter Ian Giatti explores the electoral landscape through conversations with top evangelical voices from across the political spectrum. The show (subscribe here), investigates the history and influence of the evangelical movement in American politics, where Christian leaders stand and more. With so much on the table and so many uncharted waters, the 2024 election is certain to take more twists and turns. Politics in the Pews will explore the role Christians play, and why its essential for every person of faith to get out and vote this November. Home Opinion Ask Chuck: How to keep calm when the market is not Dear Chuck, Most of my retirement is invested in the stock market. My fear skyrocketed when things went crazy recently. I realize I need to make some changes for my physical and emotional health. How can I keep calm when the market is not? 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 Nervous Jitters Dear Nervous Jitters, Thank you for your honest email and request for some biblical perspective. Financial markets are certainly volatile right now, but you and I can be at peace in the storms. Lets look back at what just happened before we look forward. Volatility spikes On Monday, August 5th, the Japanese stock market suffered its worst day in 37 years. It fell 12.4%, causing U.S. stocks to drop 3%. The VIX fund (index of volatility) jumped to its highest level since 2020 in the early pandemic days. The very next day, things calmed down, and the fear factor dropped significantly. A Wall Street Journal article by Jason Zweig on August 9th explained it this way: The simplest explanation of all: Markets went haywire early this week because markets consist of people, and crazy behavior is contagious. A Forbes article by Bill Stone on August 11th said this: Investors should be prepared for continued volatility due to uncertainty about economic growth and the upcoming election. A recession is not the base case in the short term, but it is appropriate to give notice to the rising risks from slowing job growth and restrictive monetary policy from the Federal Reserve. To paraphrase Mark Twain, truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense. Markets dont. When stocks go on sale A friend of mine once said that when the markets begin to drop, he sees it as stocks going on sale and the best opportunity to buy. Unfortunately, we tend to follow the crowds and sell when everyone is selling and buy when everyone is buying. We should work to set our emotions aside and do the inverse, which is to buy low (when stocks are dropping) and sell high (when prices are rising). Financial marketers grab and hold your attention online by playing on your emotions, especially fear and anger ... You dont have to try to make sense of markets that make no sense. And you certainly shouldnt listen to anyone trying to make you panic. Learning how to talk back to statistics is your first line of defense and the best way to maintain an even keel when markets go bonkers, said Jason Zweig. A Money Watch article by Aimee Picchi on August 9th said this: The roller-coaster in stocks carries some key lessons for investors and consumers alike. First, expert[s] say, it is important to resist the urge to join the herd of panicked investors rushing for the exit. Second, investors should be preparing for expected rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. Here are five lessons from investment experts about this weeks market swings: dont try to time the market; have a long-term plan; volatility is normal; watch the economic data; and prepare for Fed interest-rate cuts, said Aimee Picchi. My advice: Investing involves risk. Do your research, and make sure you are well diversified. Look for opportunities during downturns. Keep some cash outside the stock market so you can calmly cover your living expenses. Investments require risk, and nothing is guaranteed. Accept a negative hit during a downturn and remember this too shall pass. Time in the market is more powerful than trying to time the market. Start your day focused on Christ not the markets. Remember the people you love and the things you have and be grateful. A foundation that cannot be shaken In the parable of the house upon the rock in Matthew 7:2427, we learn that nobody is exempt from storms. In fact, we should expect them. The wind and rain will come for each of us. These give us an opportunity to have our foundation tested. If we have built our house upon the rock (Jesus Christ), we will be able to endure the storms. It does not guarantee we will not lose money, but we cannot lose that which is more precious than silver or gold our eternal salvation from sin and death through faith in Him. The following verses will help you renew your mind during market storms: Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?(Hebrews 13:56, ESV). Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth(Colossians 3:2, ESV). Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:1618 ESV). Do you want more tools and tips on financial stewardship? Are you interested in receiving ministry updates from around the world? Sign up to receive the Crown Newsletter emails by using the form on the homepage at Crown.org. Home Opinion Corporations are backing off of DEI If the last few years felt like a woke corporate takeover, this summer may mark the beginning of a return to normalcy. Recently, two giants of American agriculture made some major changes in how they plan to do business. Last month, John Deere committed to alter its approach to social and cultural awareness to more closely align business strategy to meet the needs of customers. That announcement followed a June decision by Tractor Supply to remove their entire DEI department. Among other things, John Deere promised to refocus on their business and brand, no longer fund pride parades, and remove socially motivated messaging from corporate training materials. The company also affirmed that diversity quotas and pronoun identification are not company policy. Tractor Supply also pledged to cease funding pride parades and to remove social ideology from training and business materials. 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 Considering how recently and heavily companies adopted an LGBT agenda, these reversals are notable. We all remember Pride Month 2023, with Target targeting children and Bud Lights odd choice of brand spokesman. Other major companies have also expressed regret over their aggressive social policies. In an email highlighted by Business Insider, a Microsoft team leader wrote, True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020. Those words summarize a recently forgotten reality of the business world, namely that it is dependent on customers. Admitting that something is no longer business critical or smart means acknowledging that customers have rejected the bold, in-your-face social agendas that permeate so many corporations. This is the major reason that pride month this year seemed quieter than last year. The parades were still there, just as loud and perhaps more obscene, but the scale of corporate promotion was clearly scaled back. How did companies find themselves heralds of this social engineering in the first place? A key factor was The Human Rights Campaign, an American LGBT advocacy group, which launched its Corporate Equality Index, or CEI in 2002. The CEI surveys businesses and scores them on their commitment to sex and gender identity politics. To receive high marks, companies must incorporate LGBT hiring quotas, sensitivity training, and trans-friendly benefits. Companies were pressured to boost their CEI score under threat of bad publicity and promises of increased profit to investors. Given the stranglehold this has on so many companies, Tractor Supplys pledge to cease reporting to the HRC is a significant development. Also, August 19 marks the five-year anniversary of another key chapter in this story, when The Business Roundtable set forth an agenda to redefine the purpose of a corporation to promote stakeholders over shareholders. Stakeholders included large advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, and BLM. The letter promised new education and training for employees in a rapidly changing world by fostering diversity and inclusion, dignity, and respect. This campaign drove the adoption of DEI programs nationwide. John Deere, Tractor Supply and other companies including Microsoft, Google, and Meta retracting or dissolving altogether their DEI departments is significant. In a free market economy, the marketplace holds heavy sway. As the Business Roundtable accurately wrote in its statement, Businesses play a vital role in the economy by creating jobs, fostering innovation and providing essential goods and services. When companies lose focus on business and succumb to ideology, consumer feedback is an essential corrective. The substantial profit lost last summer when customers refused to shop at Target or buy Bud Light made a difference, and not just for those companies. Other companies started to listen, too. It also underscores that we can make a difference, however small. The triumph of this harmful ideology is only inevitable if we say nothing. Last year, my church requested that the pride flags be removed from the street outside of our front door. The city removed one. This year, they didnt even go up. Heres another idea: Recommend that books, especially childrens books, be added and displayed at the local library. I suggest the books He is He and She is She by Ryan and Bethany Bomberger. Customers have influence. And a protest need not be loud. In fact, sometimes a respectful request goes further than you may think. Originally published at BreakPoint. Christian school closures are 'heartbreaking' The closure of two Christian private schools in Scotland has been branded "sad" and "heartbreaking". Kilgraston in Perthshire, Scotland's only Catholic boarding school, said it was closing with immediate effect, citing "the possible impact of VAT on school fees". A "short- and long-term funding deficit", and the collapse of a planned sale also contributed to the decision. In Greenock, Cedars Christian school is to close at the end of September after 25 years in the west Scotland town. It also cited concerns over Labour's VAT plans in a letter to parents. The chair of the school board, Jennifer Offord, announced: "We are deeply saddened to report that Cedars will close on Friday, September 27, after 25 years offering a caring and Christian education to children in Inverclyde and the surrounding areas. "Our thoughts and prayers are first for our pupils, parents, staff and volunteers but also our friends and supporters, who have faithfully and sacrificially given to keep the school operating over many years." Both schools are closing down despite valiant fundraising efforts to save them. They are actively seeking to place current pupils in other local schools. A spokesperson for Cedars told The Telegraph newspaper that the timing of the VAT increase was "really unhelpful". Niel Deepnarain, head of Unite for Education, a Scotland-based Christian education charity, said he was "very sad" about the state of the education system and the impact of the VAT changes on Christian schools. "Cedars school has provided an excellent education over many years with consistently high attainment levels and local children will now be worse off as a result," he said. "Children across Scotland are faced with increased indoctrination in the classroom, so the need for Christian education has never been greater. "We at Unite for Education desire to see every child having access to Christ-centred education and the closure of Cedars means children in Inverclyde have lost their only Christian school. "It is clear that the decision of the new Labour government to impose VAT on school fees from January has been one burden too many for families already facing high living costs." Mr Deepnarain said he had been in touch with the school to look at ways in which a Christ-centred education can continue to be offered to children in the Inverclyde area, and how other independent Christian schools can be supported to prevent their closure. He is calling on the Church "to wake up to the reality of the challenges we face in society and arise together to step up and once again lead from the front by funding Christian education to ensure money is no barrier to children receiving a good education". "We will continue to work with existing schools, home educators and organisations to develop and increase the needed provision of Christian education in Scotland," he said. "The need is great and the cost of doing nothing is too great. We must stand up and take action now for the sake of the children." From the depths of despair to the Promised Land Jewish academic and Hebrew scholar Irene Lancaster reflects on the comfort that comes after affliction. The contrast between last Shabbat's Haftorah of affliction and this Shabbat's Haftorah of comfort couldn't be greater. From the start of chapter 40 G-d tells Isaiah to comfort His people. So G-d has now become reconciled to the Jewish people. Meanwhile the sombre Fast day of Tisha B'Av has taken place, to be followed immediately by a lifting of spirits. The despondency caused by the destruction of the two Temples has been replaced by return from exile and the re-building of the community. Already in the accompanying Torah reading of Va-etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11), Moses describes the mission of the Jewish people. Here he sets out Israel's philosophical and religious underpinnings, explaining why she has to be situated in her own land, at the crossroads of the world, placed between Europe, Africa and Asia. No remote desert island for the tiny Jewish people; in order to do G-d's work and offer service to the world, Israel must constantly be visible, set in the eye of the storm. For how can a small people, charged with carrying out G-d's mission to the world, remain self-contained and safe in a hermetically-sealed environment? Israel has to be visible to the rest of the world as living proof of the existence of the One G-d. To this end the 10 Commandments are reiterated, plus a reminder of the original Sinai experience. G-d continues by warning against the dangers of idolatry and calls the entire heavens and earth to act as witnesses. And from Chapter 6, verse 4, Moses recites the most important prayer in the Jewish liturgy, 'Hear oh Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the One and Only'. The Jewish people should love the One G-d with all their being, and, most importantly, teach this Torah to their children and grandchildren. Every hour of the day and night, the Jewish people should be preoccupied with Torah. In addition, the children of Israel should never forget that they were once slaves in Egypt. The children of Israel are 'am segulah', a treasured people. They might be tiny in number, but they are great in quality, if only they remember their mission in the world. This is not to do with natural qualities; the Jews are actually stiff-necked and stubborn. It is only through constant self-work through studying and practising Torah that the Jews will be able to establish the unique community of Israel. Only then will the Jewish people truly become a 'light unto the nations'. Only G-d's love redeems the Jewish people daily. G-d is 'Ne'eman' (Deuteronomy 7:9) steadfast and always there for you. This theme is reprised by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 40, our first of the seven Haftorot of Comfort, leading up to Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year). In words well known around the world, Isaiah promises the construction of roads through deserts; the raising of low valleys and the lowering of mountains and hills. Everyone will recognize these activities as miracles of G-d. On the other hand, G-d is also compared to a shepherd tenderly looking after his flock (Isaiah 40:11). And yet G-d is also the sole Creator of all. Even the greatest cultures, whether Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, or those of modern times, are but a 'drop from a bucket' (verse 15) compared to the mighty Creator Who also cares for every single person. In this G-d is unique. The One G-d simply cannot be compared to any other entity; to do so is idolatry. G-d is not simply the ruler over the entire universe, but is also the G-d of eternity ('olam', verse 28). Those who hope in G-d will 'go forward' and never tire (verse 31). This last idea has been interpreted by many as referring to the draining lassitude of life in diaspora, compared to the rejuvenating, energizing effect of life in the Promised Land. Thus begins the ascent of the seven-week period, starting from the despond of Tisha B'Av, and culminating in the crowning glory of Rosh Hashana, the first day of the Jewish New Year. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! 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Frank Slootman, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Snowflake, shares his playbook for building a successful company, says Moses, having led Snowflake to the biggest software IPO ever. In his first book, he pulls no punches about the importance of speed and focus when leading a hypergrowth organization, as well as setting a high bar for the rest of your team. As co-founder and CEO of my own category-creating company in the data space, I found Slootmans tactical advice and insightful perspective on what it takes to reach unprecedented scale to be a goldmine. 10/10; would and often do read again. On technology and innovation Co-Intelligence By Ethan Mollick Looking for a quick read to help you explain AI to the people in your life who dont live and breathe it? Ken Englund, technology sector growth leader at for EY Americas at Ernst & Young, recommends Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick. In the book, Mollick encourages readers to engage with AI as a coworker and offers real examples of AI in action. Mollick has wonderful insights on AI as a collaborator, partner, and agent, says Englund. He shares highly tangible examples he uses with his students at Wharton. I highly recommend sharing with a parent who might be trying to understand how gen AI will fit in, or with a child who might want to think about the best ways to apply it to their education. The Coming Wave By Mustafa Suleyman Several people recommended The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman. There are many books on the topic of AI, but there are three main things that I like about this book, says Englund. First, Mustafa Suleyman founded Deep Mind and later sold it to Google. He and his co-founders were literally at the early commercial explosion of neural networks, which is the foundational architecture behind todays generative AI wave, Englund explains. Secondly, while I consider him balanced and optimistic on humanity, he does place an extremely critical eye on Big Tech. Move Fast and Fix Things: The Trusted Leaders Guide to Solving Hard Problems By Frances Frei When Facebook made move fast and break things an informal motto, the idea took off. And things got broken. If you prefer to build a great company, help people, and solve hard problems, Beth Scagnoli, vice president of product management at Redpoint Global, recommends reading Move Fast and Fix Things by Frances Frei. The premise is to be able to solve hard and important problems quickly while emphasizing companywide trust and empathy, Scagnoli says. In the tech space, especially where stakes are high for getting ahead of the pack, the books focus on radical candor and prioritization, as well as inclusivity across an organization resonated with me, especially in terms of using storytelling to communicate the why when working across silos in a company. Age of Invisible Machines: A Practical Guide to Creating a Hyperautomated Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers By Robb Wilson Sherry Comes, former CTO at IBM Watson and current managing director of conversational AI at PwC, thinks you need to read Age of Invisible Machines by Robb Wilson. This thorough roadmap for negotiating the future of digital automation is written by the founder and chief technologist at OneReach.ai and the owner of UX Magazine. This is the technology book every business and technology leader needs to read, says Comes. With each chapter, I found myself agreeing more and more. This made my must-read list for anyone who cares about technology. The Industries of the Future By Alec Ross Duck Creeks Vaidyanathan also recommends Alec Ross The Industries of the Future. Ross was Senior Advisor for Innovation to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and traveled the world, visiting startup hubs and R&D labs, to uncover the latest advances that are emerging from every corner of the globe. In the book, he examines robotics, AI, cybercrime, genomics, big data, and more. It covers the different aspects of what will drive global transformation and how these will cause progress or failure, says Vaidyanathan. Ross also looks at how the global economic future will be shaped and the trends that will drive the way we live. For building culture and motivation What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture By Ben Horowitz Andrey Ivashin, CIO at Dyninno, recommends What You Do Is Who You Are by Ben Horowitz because it shows the importance of company culture and the role of leadership. Horowitz is a venture capitalist and management expert who uses history and modern organizational practice to offer advice on culture building. It offers helpful suggestions and examples of what does and doesnt work in terms of creating a strong company culture, says Ivashin. I think its more significant that the author examines how leaders may foster a healthy work atmosphere and inspire people to perform at their highest level throughout the book. Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow By Manuel Pais and Matt Skelton CTOs and CIOs who work for organizations that are struggling to deliver value sustainably will greatly benefit from reading Team Topologies, says Peter Kreslins Jr., CTO and co-founder of Digibee. This step-by-step guide to designing a high-functioning organization helps you understand four team types and interaction patterns and helps you to type and build it. It gives the fundamental patterns for achieving fast flow, he says. By defining team types, their fundamental interactions, and the science behind them, you learn how to better model your organizations according to these definitions. This book is mind-bending because it translates the complex theories behind the socio-technical aspects of software development and delivery into a set of easy-to-understand patterns. It also gives a set of streamlined steps to get started. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us By Daniel H. Pink Ivashin also thinks IT leaders will enjoy Daniel H. Pinks Drive. Pink is a New York Times bestselling author of seven books about work, creativity, and behavior and his books have sold millions of copies around the world. This book explores what truly motivates people, based on scientific research from psychology, economics, and neuroscience, says Ivashin. Pink points out that conventional motivational techniques, such as rewards and punishments, are less successful than we assume and might even be counterproductive. It shows that the three key motivation factors are autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Do/Disrupt: Change the Status Quo. Or Become It By Mark Shayler SymphonyAIs Bragg also recommends Mark Shaylers Do/Disrupt: Change the Status Quo. Or Become It. This advice book offers tips as well as quotes from some of historys most famous innovators on how to be strategic and bold as you take your own path toward transforming your ideas into reality. It is a fun and straight to the point guide or sketchbook, he says. Its suitable for all seeking a brave new way. For better process The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement By Eliyahu M. Goldratt Dyninnos Ivashin also recommends Eliyahu M. Goldratts The Goal, a treatise on modern economic theory, packaged as a novel. It is a well-known book and a classic of business literature, says Ivashin. And because it is written like a novel, it is accessible and engaging. It offers helpful techniques and solutions for resolving typical corporate issues like bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and poor communication. The lessons you learn from the characters in the book can be applied to any business and it highlights the necessity for businesses to continuously enhance their processes to remain successful and competitive. Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations By Dr. Nicole Forsgren, PhD, Gene Kim, and Jez Humble Rajesh Jethwa, CTO of Digiterre, suggests Accelerate by Dr. Nicole Forsgren, PhD, Gene Kim, and Jez Humble, a book that examines, through extensive research, ways that technology can drive business value. Backed by considerable research, says Jethwa, the book provides data-driven insights and practical guidance on how to improve technology delivery capabilities and foster a culture of continuous improvement to build high-performing teams. Bonus: Novels that entertain and teach In another nod to Gene Kim, Digibees Kreslins Jr. also recommends two books by the founder and former CTO of Tripwire. The Unicorn Project: A Novel About Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of Data tells the story of Maxine, a senior lead developer, as she tries to survive in a heartless bureaucracy overrun with paperwork and committees. In The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win(IT Revolution Press, 2013), Bill an IT manager takes over a critical project thats over budget and behind schedule. The CEO demands that Bill deliver the project in 90 days. Both books talk about modern ways of delivering software, says Kreslins Jr. They touch the core of the issues that prevent organizations from delivering value without obstacles generating a sense of purpose, meaning, and pride for everyone working on it. The great thing about both of these books is that they are novels that tell the story from the point of view of people struggling with their day-to-day jobs, as they are hindered by bureaucracy, unnecessary processes, and overall team dysfunction. The Phoenix Project, in particular, shed light on the DevOps movement that later became widely adopted in organizations. Marie Curie made almost 100 of its staff redundant at the end of June, it has emerged. The end-of-life charity said the measure was necessary to safeguard its long-term financial sustainability as it navigates a tough operating environment, with commissioning income not keeping pace with the cost of delivering hospice care. It warned that this was leading to an overreliance on charitable fundraising to deliver hospice and hospice care at home services. The staff cuts at Marie Curie come less than a year after its annual financial report revealed that its employee numbers had swelled by more than 100 during the 12 months to 31 March 2023. At the time, it reported a deficit of 8.7m but said this was as a result of pursuing growth. In all, the charity is making 99 out of 3,188 employees redundant, equivalent to about 3% of staff. This week another national charity, Sue Ryder, highlighted increasing staff costs, including National Living Wage uplifts, and a 25% increase in the price of food, medical supplies and utilities as it published its annual accounts. Sue Ryder has also shed staff, divesting its neurological services. Tough but necessary decision Matthew Tyler, Marie Curies chief financial officer, said the charitys operating context had become increasingly challenging. While fundraising has been robust, the level of NHS funding we receive for our commissioned services is not increasing at the same rate as our costs to deliver high quality end-of-life care, he said. To protect the vital care and support we provide to people at the end of life and ensure our long-term financial sustainability, we have had to take the tough but necessary decision to make some changes to the charitys support functions, he added. None of the charitys frontline clinical and patient-facing, information and support, or retail teams were impacted by the changes, Tyler said. Marie Curie did not answer questions from Civil Society about the specific teams affected by the cuts or what the redundancies would mean for service delivery. The way the hospice sector is currently funded is unsustainable. Something must change soon, or we will continue to see cuts in end-of-life care across the UK, Tyler said. Too many people are dying in unnecessary pain, in poverty, and alone, and it needs to stop. We need the new government to fix this urgent crisis. As the government considers the NHS pay award for 2024/25, we would also ask for serious consideration to be given to how it will be ensured that any increases are fully funded for non-NHS providers of NHS services, like Marie Curie, Tyler said. Failure to address this longstanding issue contributes to an overreliance on charitable fundraising to deliver hospice and hospice care at home services, and to an ever-growing postcode lottery in the availability of end-of-life care. From surplus to deficit In its most recently published accounts , for the year ending 31 March 2023, Marie Curie posted a deficit of 8.7m despite benefiting from a record 44m in legacies. The charitys total reported income was 167.3m, slightly up from the year before (165.8m) but down from 2021 (170.6m). In each of those previous two years, Marie Curie reported a surplus 25m in 2021 and 12m in 2022. Between 2021 and 2023 its income from government grants dwindled from 22.7m to just 62,000, while income from charitable activities fell by more than 20m even as expenditure on those activities rose. The 2023 report said the year-end deficit reflected increased investment in growth across the full scope of our activity, with charitable activity spend increasing by 13% to 126.7m (2022: 111.7m). Over that year, the average number of employees at the charity grew from 3,721 to 3,843 despite a national shortage of healthcare workers, thanks to a successful social media-driven campaign. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Sign up for The Media Today, CJRs daily newsletter. Official voter guide, read the mailers sent to voters in seven battleground states ahead of the 2022 midterms. Presenting simple side-by-side comparisons of down-ballot candidates views on key issues like abortion, education, and democracy, the author assured readers theyd had researchers dig through local candidates backgrounds, statements, and votes on key legislative issues, then provide that information to voters like youso you can make an informed choice on Election Day. Given they were produced by My Voter Information, a project of Forward Majority Action, a dark-money group formed in 2017 to elect Democrats to state legislatures, it comes as little surprise these mailers had a strong political slant. Nor is it any shock that, for six of the seven states, most of the material researchers dug through to construct these caricatured candidate profiles was low-hanging fruit like candidates campaign websites and social media posts, the websites of relevant advocacy groups, and online stories from local TV stations or newspapers. The exception was the mailers covering races in Michigan. Analysis of 92 mailers shared on the Michigan page of Forward Majority Actions website found 69 citations of the Main Street Sentinel, a mysterious, short-lived quasilocal news site that targeted Michiganders on Facebook, garnering over 100 million impressions in ten months thanks to an untraced ad spend of over $1.4 million. The Main Street Sentinel The Main Street Sentinel comprised three digital entitiesa website, a Facebook page, and an Instagram account, all of which were created in February 2022. The Facebook page, on which it self-categorizes as a Broadcasting & Media Production Company, was created on February 7, 2022, and the first post was made on February 24, 2022. Its Instagram page shows only that the account was created in February 2022, and the earliest post visible as of August 14, 2024, is dated March 1, 2022. The websites domain was registered on February 17, 2022, according to ICANN Whois records. The Wayback Machines last capture of an operational website is dated February 8, 2023. It now redirects to a template page from Teal Medias Archie, a platform that promises websites on a quick timeline and a limited budget for big nonprofits with small initiatives, new organizations just getting started, and political campaigns that need donations yesterday. Teal counts Courier Newsroom, the partisan local network that originated from liberal dark-money group Acronym, among its clients. The Main Street Sentinel was clearly conceived to exploit Facebooks targeting capabilities. According to Meta Ad Library data, between $1,215,000 and $1,665,689 was spent on ads for the page between February 25, 2022, and November 18, 2022. (The Meta Ad Library gives a figure of $1,412,891, which it describes as the estimated total amount of money this advertiser has spent on ads about social issues, elections, or politics.) This outlay appears to have gotten the Sentinel in front of a lot of Michiganders. Metas Ad Library provides minimum and maximum figures for ad impressionsthe number of times an ad was on a screen, which may include multiple views by the same peopleand the approximate location of the Facebook users who were served the ads. Per this data, Main Street Sentinel ads received between 108.5 million and 123.9 million impressions, 99.4 percent of which were in Michigan (approximately 107.9 million). As a further measure of the extent to which Michigan was targeted, California ranked second, with around 61,000 impressions. The Sentinels first ad campaign began on February 25, 2022, with 30 ads for ten stories. These can be grouped into four thematic groups: Four boosted Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer , highlighting her policy priorities, bipartisan praise for job creation, and external approval of her education policy proposals (e.g., Experts: Gov. Whitmers Education Budget Prioritizes Classrooms, Books, School Quality). Two attacked Michigans GOP senators and GOP candidates for attorney general (e.g., GOP-Led Michigan Senate Passes $2 Billion Tax Cut for Big Corporations). Three painted a picture of a booming US economy , directing credit toward the early phase of the Biden administration (e.g., Supercharged U.S. Economy Gained 6.6 Million Jobs in Bidens First Year). One framed a six-day blockade of the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Ontario by a freedom convoy protesting cross-border vaccine requirements as the Canadian trucker protest . Having drawn support from Donald Trump, Fox News personalities, and right-wing extremists and armed citizens in Canada, the protests had become a divisive partisan issue in Michigans gubernatorial race, with GOP candidates blaming Whitmer and the Biden administration for demonizing the truckers, lacking leadership, and pushing big government socialism by strangling personal freedom ( Canadian Trucker Protest Cost Michigan Workers at Least $51 Million in Wages) . These ads, which cost $8,900, received 1,078,000 impressions, according to Meta data. All 27 of the ads for which the Meta Ad Library returns regional data were seen exclusively by users in Michigan. (The Meta Ad Library does not return location data for ads with fewer than 1,000 impressions.) Therefore, Facebook delivered over 1 million impressions to this faux news operation within four days of its first post. Murky provenance The Main Street Sentinel received a smattering of attention at the beginning and end of its short life, much of which noted the opaqueness around its ownership. On March 27, 2022, Axios mentioned it as part of a report on Real Voices Media, a group responsible for a massive network of social media communities in political battleground states that can activate ahead of elections and policy fights. Of the Main Street Sentinel, Axios wrote, Its not clear whos behind the site. Its listed publisher, Star Spangled Media LLC, was formed last month [February 2022] in New York and lists a registered agent service as its only officer. Shortly afterward, on April 11, 2022, conservative news site National Review covered the Sentinel under the headline Your Favorite Facebook Page May Be a Trojan Horse for Progressive Propaganda. The report characterized the Sentinel as a website with a name that screams small-town news, but that is actually a left-wing propaganda site that serves up a heavy dose of Democratic spin and White House talking points. A month before Election Day, the Sentinel was cited in analysis copublished by Substack newsletters Statehouse Action and FWIW, the latter of which has longstanding ties to Courier Newsroom. FWIW is run by Kyle Tharp, who held various communications positions at Acronym and Good Information Inc., and is now national managing director of Courier Newsroom. FWIW is now listed as a Courier Newsroom newsletter. Presenting a relatively positive take on the Sentinel, the FWIW/Statehouse Action authors opined, Out of all the states that have competitive legislative elections this year, Democrats and their allies seem to be running their most sophisticated digital operation in Michigan. They added: Candidates, the state party, and outside groups all are hammering Republicans across the state with abortion-related advertising. Over the past 90 days, the top spender on political Facebook ads in Michigan was not Gov. Gretchen Whitmers campaign or some large national advocacy group. Rather, it was a relatively obscure progressive digital political outfit called the Main Street Sentinel. The liberal site, somehow affiliated with a progressive Facebook network called Real Voices Media, has spent over $700,000 on ads supporting Democrats running for the state legislature and other offices. Continuing its rundown of the biggest digital ad spends around Michigans down-ballot races, it was noted that Forward Majority Action Michigan had launched new Facebook ad campaigns attacking Republican down-ballot candidates. Three of the ads launched by Forward Majority Action Michigan in September and October went to myvoterinformation.org. Shortly afterward, a couple of weeks before Election Day, NewsGuard featured the Sentinel alongside Courier Newsroom, the American Independent, and Metric Media in a report detailing almost $4 million of political ad spend on Meta platforms. They too noted the obscure provenance, reporting, The Main Street Sentinel states on its website that it is owned by Star Spangled Media LLC, [but] the groups Facebook and Instagram ads say that they are Paid for by The Main Street Sentinela name that does not appear on any state business registries, and that give the ads a patina of journalistic authenticity. NewsGuards finding received further coverage from Bloombergs Davey Alba under the headline Meta is making millions off political ads from fake pink slime newsrooms. Alba noted a connection to Democratic strategist Will Robinson, first reported in the March report from Axios, but added, Other investors arent known, but the site has run multiple stories with President Joe Biden and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as beneficiaries. To date, nothing has been reported about the Main Street Sentinels function outside of Meta platforms. Forward Majority Action Forward Majority is a super-PAC formed in 2017 to help Democratic candidates in state legislative races. It is affiliated with Forward Majority Action PAC and has numerous state-specific spin-offs. Forward Majority Action Michigan was the biggest recipient of funds from Forward Majority Action PAC in the 2022 election cycle, according to Open Secrets. At the super-PACs 2017 launch, Politico wrote, Forward Majoritys model includes targeting more races than most local parties or state caucuses are likely to touch. The goal is to flip chambers from GOP hands to Democratic control by using the kinds of expensive campaign tactics seldom used in such local races, including polling and message testing. According to OpenSecrets, Forward Majority received $4.1 million from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, the dark-money group with a track record of funding deceptive media operations like the Main Street Sentinel. As Anna Massoglia reported: Sixteen Thirty Fund sponsored social media pages and digital operations for five pseudo local news outlets in three states in 2018. They appeared to be independent of each other, but promoted themselves with nearly identical digital ads. Facebook pages operating under the auspices of the Colorado Chronicle, Daily CO, Nevada News Now, Silver State Sentinel and Verified Virginia gave the impression of multiple free-standing local news outlets with unique names and disclaimers. But the sponsors of those ads are merely fictitious names used by the Sixteen Thirty Fund, according to digital ad data and incorporation records from the D.C. government. As of the 2022 midterms, the Target States page on ForwardMajority.org stated, Forward Majority Action is excited to be supporting Democratic candidates across several key targeted states. Pages for eight target states, accessible via the Wayback Machine, each showed a breakdown of information about that states program. This included Forward Majoritys target districts, a breakdown of which subset of the electorate would be targeted, the digital ads with which they would be targeted (usually via YouTube), and the accompanying strategy for physical mail. The mail strategy for Michigandated October 27, 2022, eleven days before Election Daystates, We will be mailing voters with a midterm turnout score >5, middle partisans roughly ranged 30-60. Alongside the five dates on which different mail pieces would be dropping (which ranged from October 5 to 28), Forward Action linked to PDFs of the mailers it would be sending to voters who met its target criteria. A total of 92 mail pieces were shown for Michigan, the most for any of the eight target states. The file names all followed the same pattern: [State]-[Mail Piece Number]-[Chamber and District].pdf e.g., MI-M01-HD22.pdf (Michigan-Mail Piece 1-House District 22) Each mail piece followed the same basic formula of contrasting the Republican and Democrat candidates stances on three key issues (e.g., womens health/abortion access, water quality, education/public schools, environment, public safety, and taxes). Citations were provided for each. To give one example, information about the Michigan Senate District 9 candidates views on womens health stated that the Democrat, Padma Kuppa, opposes efforts to ban abortion and will enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade into state law, while her Republican rival, Michael Webber, is supported by a far-right anti-abortion group and opposes access for women even if they are victims of rape or incest. He even voted to restrict access to birth control. The curious intersection of the Main Street Sentinel and Forward Majority Action The 69 citations of the Main Street Sentinelall of which related to Democratic candidateswere spread across 38 Forward Action mailers. Of these, 57 were found in 26 mailers covering House races in six districts. The other 12 appeared in 12 mailers covering three districts Senate races. This, of course, means the profiles of some candidates cited the Main Street Sentinel multiple times. At the most extreme end of the scale, all five mailers covering the House District 83 race between John Fitzgerald (D) and Lisa DeKryger (R) relied on the Main Street Sentinel to support all three claims about Fitzgeralds policy positions. Another curious coincidence is that the URL slugs for the Sentinel stories followed the same [Chamber and District] naming convention used for the PDFs of Forward Majoritys mailers. For example, where Forward Majoritys mailers promoting Fitzgerald were MI-M01-HD83.pdf, MI-M02-HD83.pdf, etc., the URLs of the articles cited as evidence of his views on key issues were: mainstsentinel.com/ 2022-07-13_ hd83 / mainstsentinel.com/ hd-83 _john-fitzgerald_060722/ mainstsentinel.com/ 2022-05-09_ hd83 _john-fitzgerald-public-education/ We dont know that Forward Majority Action has any connection to the Main Street Sentinel. The group didnt respond to requests for comment. What we do know is that they were extremely willing to leverage it as part of a targeted influence operation. That this supposed news site was repeatedly cited in physical mailers to augment and reinforce narratives circulated through an expensive digital ad campaign shows another simple utility of this electioneering tactic. We also know that the Main Street Sentinel is remarkably consistent with a strategy of leveraging digital platforms for localized information warfare that Forward Majority set out in a Blueprint for Power published in January 2022. Making the case that Democrats outmoded digital playbook had given Republicans carte blanche to influence persuadable audiences by targeting them with localized political narratives, this document had many echoes of the infamous memo Tara McGowan sent to Acronym stakeholders outlining her vision for what would become Courier Newsroom. The second of Three Accelerants to Build Power outlined in the Forward Majority documenttitled Long-Term Narrative and Brand Development with Key Audiencesprescribed the perceived problem for Democrats: An Out-of-Date Playbook Cant Compete with Right-Wing Propaganda: [T]he vast majority of ordinary voters spend only moments making their vote choice, a decision dominated by existing narratives about the parties, increasingly influenced by right-wing media, disinformation and propaganda. This was followed by a vision of a solution, which primarily amounted to a strategy of fighting fire with fire: Opportunity to Cut Through by Building Local Narrative and Brand: To counter this, particularly in Republican trifecta states, Democrats need a local communications operation that is similarly relentless, but more astute and opportunistic. Going forward, as we continue to move new voters into the electorateand long before campaign season startswe must help to reshape local political narratives in our targeted districts. This includes accountability communication that shines a light on the track record of incumbent Republicans on unpopular legislation, builds the local Democratic brand, dents the GOP brand, and highlights how state legislatures impact peoples lives. Democrats have been over-built on targeting, and under-built on content. This means we know who to communicate with, but far less on how to most effectively communicate to move sentiment and achieve electoral goals. Whats needed is cutting-edge approaches to content sourcing, testing, and dissemination, leveraging earned and paid media. Notably, this local brand cultivation and strategic communication has the potential to influence not only local races, but to seed from the ground-up winning narratives and shifting party affinity that can influence the broader electorate. The Main Street Sentinel arguably had the air of a disposable Courier-lite. It focused on a competitive swing state; it had a strategy for identifying persuadable voters and spent large sums micro-targeting them via Facebook ads; it emphasized the importance of targeting voters with a small number of localized political narratives. Speaking in the immediate aftermath of Joe Bidens 2020 election victory, McGowan framed partisan local news as peerless in its ability to help Courier achieve its overtly political goals. Notably, McGowan implied that Couriers expensively assembled network could be something of a short-term political endeavor: I certainly wouldnt have invested in a local news network if there were models that I was seeing start to gain traction and success at covering that territory and countering disinformation at the local level. Im just not somebody whos willing to twiddle my thumbs and watch democracy die in the meantime if there are short-term solutions that can be deployed at scale. In the same interview, McGowan described the expensive but effective pursuit of marketingnews content to audiences who live in these narrative deserts and deliver[ing] it on the news feeds and platforms where they spend their time. While the seven-figure ad spend puts it at the pricier end of the spectrum, it could be argued that the Main Street Sentinel is a manifestation of McGowans reasoning taken to its logical conclusion. Active for less than 12 months, it was a short-term solution. Having generated at least 108 million impressions, it was deployed at scale. By using Facebooks targeting capabilities to reach a pre-identified segment of persuadable voters in a specific location, it was marketing narratives to micro-targeted audiences on the platforms where they spend their time. And while its total outlay of around $1.4 million was closer to the sum Acronym was allegedly spending each week in the run-up to the 2020 election, it is still, to use McGowans phrase from the same interview, insanely expensive. Thanks to platform companies, this problem isnt going anywhere The case of the Main Street Sentinel shows how easy platforms make it for deep-pocketed political influence operations to pollute geo-specific news feeds at scale. In this case, a brand-new page was able to accrue over a million impressions in one targeted state within four days of its first post. By the time it was disbanded, having served its political purpose, it had accrued at least 108 million impressions in under 12 months. Such figures only reinforce why this trend shows no sign of abating. Earlier this year, research by Clemson Universitys Media Forensics Hub showed that groups with ties to Russia have used generative AI to launder pro-Kremlin narratives on fake local news sites with names like DC Weekly, the Miami Chronicle, and New York News Daily. The emergence of these sites suggests that the appetite for polluting the digital news ecosystem with political narratives disguised as local news remains strong. The case of the Main Street Sentinel doesnt just highlight the ongoing appeal of this playbook, or the flagrant hypocrisy of groups that claim to be driven by a commitment to strengthening democracy while undermining journalism and debasing the information ecosystem. It also highlights platform companies lack of interest in doing anything about it. The disparity between the ease with which political actors can flood the information ecosystem and the ease with which the citizens that are being bombarded with it (and researchers interested in examining it) can establish provenance could not be greater. That, of course, comes down to money. While we may have a sense of how many times the Sentinel successfully infiltrated Michiganders Facebook feeds, we cant determine whether it succeeded in persuading voters. But we can be sure that if its operators deemed it a success, they will have something similar in the works ahead of November 5. As will countless contemporaries from across the political spectrum. Whether their platform of choice is Facebook, TikTok, Instagramor, indeed, paperwell be on the lookout. The Tow Center maintains a list of politically backed and partisan news sites here. It includes details of individual networks, copies of physical mailers that have been sent, and existing research about individual networks. If you receive a physical mailer, have examples of similar networks operating in your area, or would like access to more granular data, please get in touch with us here. Royal Bank of Canadas former CFO Nadine Ahn has filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the bank, and alleged that gender-based stereotyping was at play in her dismissal. In April, RBC, Canadas biggest bank, said it had terminated Ahn after its investigation found she was in an undisclosed close personal relationship with another executive that led to preferential treatment of the executive, including promotion and compensation increases. Ahn, 53, said in a lawsuit filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Aug. 8 that the banks allegations are patently false and her successes, career, and reputation were destroyed in an instant by the bank. She has sued RBC for nearly C$50 million ($36.38 million). (RBC) failed to provide her with a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations, and the bank was, at least in part, motivated by stereotypical assumptions concerning friendships between women and men, Ahns lawyer wrote in the lawsuit. Ahn alleged in the lawsuit that she was ambushed by RBCs external counsel on April 5 and questioned for two hours. She added that the bank seized her laptop and her work and personal cellphones. The lawsuit stated that RBC did not provide Ahn with a copy of a co-workers complaint or the particulars of the allegations against her. It said RBC did not allow Ahn to postpone the meeting to obtain legal advice. Ahn also alleged RBC had already decided to replace her at the time she was questioned, as it announced her dismissal and the appointment of Katherine Gibson as interim CFO the same evening. In a statement, RBC said Ahns claims are without merit, and that it would vigorously defend against them in court. RBC said Ahn and the co-worker, Ken Mason, had engaged in an undisclosed close personal relationship leading to preferential treatment for Mason, including promotion to vice president. The facts are very clear that there was a significant breach of our code of conduct based on the irrefutable evidence collected during the investigation, RBC said in its statement. Mason is suing the bank for about C$20 million for wrongful termination and denies he and Ahn had a close personal relationship. RBC as a whole has been an environment for old-boys-club cronyism, his lawsuit, also filed Aug. 8, said. RBC said that the claims in Masons suit are also without merit and that it would defend against them. (Reporting by Balu in Toronto; Editing by Rod Nickel) Johnson & Johnson was twice blocked in New Jersey from getting bankruptcy protection from one of its units to resolve billions of dollars in cancer claims tied to baby powder use. For its third try, the company is eyeing Texas, home to what are widely considered more business-friendly courts. The third Chapter 11 bid including a $6.5 billion settlement offer will likely land somewhere in the Lone Star State after judges in New Jersey concluded that thousands of cancer lawsuits didnt pose enough financial distress to justify bankruptcy protection. The company outlined its plans in public disclosures to claimants last month. By shifting the case outside its home base in New Jersey, critics say J&J is joining the growing list of companies seeking more-favorable venues for an edge in court. The maneuver, known as forum shopping, is legal and can be an effective way to get the case in front of a judge that could be more inclined to side with the company. Related: J&J Near Disclosing Support for Talc Settlement, Sources Say Its a blatant case of forum shopping, said Robert Lawless, a University of Illinois law professor who teaches about the US bankruptcy system and its effects on consumers. I dont blame J&Js lawyers for trying different strategies to advance their clients interest. Its up to the judges to resist. Forum Shopping Business-friendly Texas has become a popular option for litigants frustrated with courts in other states. Billionaire Elon Musk moved electric-car-maker Tesla Inc.s incorporation to Texas this year after a Delaware judge threw out his record $56 billion compensation plan. Although Texas is the anticipated venue of any prepackaged Chapter 11 case, a final determination has not and will not be made until the final vote count is certified by the claims administrator, said Erik Haas, J&Js worldwide vice president of litigation. Related: J&J Gets Plaintiff Backing for $6.5 Billion Baby Powder Accord J&J has said its talc-based powders never caused cancer and that it appropriately marketed its baby powder for more than 100 years. Last year, the company discontinued the talc-based version of the product and replaced it with a cornstarch-based substitute. In July, a federal appeals court rejected the second attempt by a J&J unit to get bankruptcy protection in New Jersey. The court concluded that it failed to prove a realistic possibility of financial distress posed by baby powder litigation because it was backed by J&J. The health-care company reported a revenue of $85.2 billion in 2023. Texas Two Step J&Js efforts to use the bankruptcy system in a place other than where its headquartered involve a controversial move, known as the Texas Two Step filing. It allows the company to confine liability to a unit set up specifically to resolve tens of thousands of baby powder lawsuits. Last year, J&J moved the unit to Texas, in preparation for its third attempt to resolve the cases in bankruptcy court. Related: J&J Loses Latest Legal Bid to Revive Talc Bankruptcy Strategy Critics say the maneuver unfairly allows profitable companies to trap mass-tort cases in bankruptcy court, forcing victims to accept less-than-robust recoveries. Koch Industries and its Bestwall unit used it to confine lawsuits blaming the building-supplies maker of selling goods tainted with asbestos, a carcinogen. The US Supreme Court recently declined to hear an appeal by victims who opposed the bankruptcy move. In 2017, Koch argued it was unfairly facing 70-80% of all lawsuits tied to mesothelioma caused by asbestos even though its product, a joint compound that contained asbestos sold by Bestwall, amounted to less than 2% of the market for that product. A bipartisan group of US lawmakers recently proposed a bill to crack down on the Texas Two Step, unless a company can prove it faces true financial distress and has the right to invoke bankruptcy protection. Third Attempt The J&J units third attempt in bankruptcy court will have another new feature along with the venue change. The company has secured the support of more than 75% of claimants who blame the companys former talc-based version of baby powder for causing a variety of cancers although the tally hasnt yet been announced as certified. Under Chapter 11 rules, J&J needed to cross that level of support so a bankruptcy judge can quickly approve the units settlement plan, which offers $6.5 billion to resolve all current and future ovarian and gynecological cancer suits related to its baby powder. Some legal experts argue the support of claimants wont alter the outcome and that J&Js third attempt will likely fail. Melissa Jacoby, a University of North Carolina law professor and bankruptcy expert, said earlier this year the chances of success should be zero. J&Js first attempt with a Chapter 11 filing was in North Carolina, but a bankruptcy judge there found the company and its subsidiary didnt have enough connection to the state, so he sent it to New Jersey. The same thing could happen in Texas. But Samir Parikh, a Wake Forest University law professor who teaches about bankruptcy issues, said the process could still create a fair settlement for talc victims. Some have been waiting years on compensation for their injuries or their loved ones death. This case has been filled with twists and turns, Parikh said. It seems like the finish line is in sight. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at an event with U.S. President Joe Biden (not pictured) in Prince George's County, Maryland, U.S., August 15, 2024. Vice President Harris' campaign on Thursday will roll out some of her housing policy proposals, including her support for efforts aimed at lowering the cost of rent and helping renters who are struggling financially, according to details obtained by NBC News from a campaign official. Harris will propose plans to stop data firms from driving up lease rates and plans aimed at stopping Wall Street investors from buying up and reselling homes in bulk at a higher price, according to the proposal. As part of the rollout, Harris will call on Congress to pass the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act, a bill introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and Peter Welch, D-Vt., that they said would prevent corporate landlords from using private equity-backed price-setting tools to raise rents dramatically in communities across the country. Harris will also call on Congress to pass the Stop Predatory Investing Act, a bill introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and several other Democratic senators. The bill is designed to stop communities from being taken advantage of by Wall Street investors and distant landlords. The bill would curtail those practices by removing key tax benefits for major investors who acquire large numbers of single-family rental homes. Harris will offer her full-throated support for both measures, according to the proposal obtained by NBC News. Harris also plans to express support for the ongoing efforts by the Biden administration to "expand rental assistance for Americans including for veterans, boost housing supply for those without homes, enforce fair housing laws, and make sure corporate landlords can't use taxpayer dollars to unfairly rip off renters." Harris abruptly went from President Joe Biden's running mate to presidential nominee, leaving her to quickly articulate a policy platform of her own and create a space to differentiate herself from some of the president's current positions. The economy is the first policy arena that Harris is wading into. She is scheduled to deliver a speech Friday afternoon about her views on the economy. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 14: Roundup weed killing products are offered for sale at a home improvement store on May 14, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. A jury yesterday ordered Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, to pay a California couple more than $2 billion in damages after finding that the weed killer had caused their cancer. This is the third jury to find Roundup had caused cancer since Bayer purchased Monsanto about a year ago. Bayer's stock price has fallen more than 40 percent since the takeover. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Bayer shares jumped in morning trade as the German life sciences company said it scored a legal victory in its suit over claims that exposure to its popular Roundup weed killer led to cancer. The stock was up 11% at 3 p.m. London time. The company on Thursday announced that the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia found in its favor against plaintiff David Schaffner's claim alleging that Monsanto which Bayer acquired in 2018 violated state law by failing to add a cancer warning to the Roundup label. Schaffner was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a type of cancer affecting the lymph system in 2006. He and his wife, Theresa Sue, sued Monsanto in May 2019, partly citing a loss of consortium, which refers to the impact of his illness on their relationship. Schaffner, a landscaper, claimed he was exposed to Roundup both professionally and as a private property owner. Writing for a three-judge panel, Chief Judge Michael Chagares said that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act demands uniformity of state law labeling requirements, preventing the obligation to add a cancer warning to Roundup in Pennsylvania in this case. Chip Becker, a lawyer for the Schaffners, expressed disappointment in the court decision and said that federal law should not preempt the failure-to-warn claim of his clients, who will review their legal options, according to Reuters. Bayer has been mired in legal conflict over Roundup, with Reuters estimating that 165,000 charges were brought against the product in the U.S., of which roughly 54,000 reportedly remain as of August, following a $10.9 billion settlement in 2020. On Thursday, Bayer noted that the Philadelphia ruling conflicts with decisions made by other federal appeal courts and called upon the U.S. Supreme Court to preside. "This decision on federal preemption, a cross-cutting issue in this litigation, creates a circuit split among the federal appellate courts and necessitates a review by the U.S. Supreme Court to settle this important issue of law," Bayer said, adding it is "considering the impact of this ruling on other pending litigation and looks forward to presenting its arguments, as fully embraced by the Third Circuit, to the U.S. Supreme Court." By SA Commercial Prop News KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance Ina Cronje While the bulk of the provincial budget in KwaZulu-Natal will go towards education and health, a significant portion will be spent on infrastructure programmes. The total budget for the 2012/13 financial year is R83 571 460 with 42 and 32 percent of it going into the education and health coffers respectively. Aligned with President Jacob Zumas plans for a massive infrastructure development drive, the province has budgeted over R13 billion for various projects. During her 2012/13 budget presentation at the Legislature building in Pietermaritzburg on Friday, MEC for Finance, Ina Cronje, said: This budget addresses both social infrastructure development as well as economic infrastructure. It is a budget that will stimulate economic growth and employment creation in the province. There are plans to give people living in rural areas more access to public services the Department of Transport will spend more than R16 billion over the next three years on infrastructure projects. Part of the funds will be used for the continued development of the Pietermaritzburg and Ulundi airports. Scheduled flights between the two areas will commence on 21 March. Upgrades on roads with national importance will also be given priority. The department will use labour-intensive construction methods in order to create employment and will continue to give preference to local suppliers of goods and services, said Cronje. The Education Department will use its provisions to improve the quality of teachers entering the profession. More learners will have access to schools with government funding close to 4 800 no-fee schools. The transformation of health services is paramount in meeting the increasing demands of health care users and to prepare for the implementation of the National Health Insurance, said Cronje. With R24 billion at their disposal, the health department will continue to focus on both national and provincial priorities including strengthening the health systems effectiveness. Funds will be used by the Economic Development and Tourism Department to scale the impact of The Dube Trade Port, visited by Zuma on Thursday. The budget provides for a transfer to the Dube Trade Port for further development of the airside and landside service provision and expanding air to road tracking operations to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, said Cronje. Meanwhile, the financial state of the KwaZulu-Natal Government is quite encouraging it finds itself in a cash positive position since December 2011. With no overdraft to pay, the province had R3.6 billion in cash in the bank at the end of last year. The province has a contingency reserve this financial year which according to Cronje has become a norm over the recent years. Cronje warned, however, that the reserve will not be used to bail-out poor budget management in departments. After the surprise leadership change at Starbucks this week, Wall Street has focused on what's next for its struggling China business amid a rough patch for the stock. Starbucks announced earlier this week that Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol would helm the coffee chain, replacing Laxman Narasimhan. Afterward, investors sent the shares soaring and the Street rewarded the company with several analyst upgrades. Niccol has been lauded for his work at Chipotle, particularly in regards to his focus on digitization and online ordering models. But analysts who cover the company are looking farther back in his career for his time in leadership at Yum Brands and Taco Bell for insights into how Niccol will handle Starbucks' floundering China business. Starbucks has been one of several brands fighting to win Chinese consumers. The Seattle-based company said same-store sales in the region tumbled by 14% in the quarter ended June 30. By comparison, sales slipped by just 2% in the U.S. As a result, revenue at the more than 7,000 Starbucks locations in China slid 11% in the quarter. Given this backdrop, investors have been left wondering if the company will spin off the China business, or if there are other ways to rectify the model. Outgoing CEO Narasimhan said on the company's most recent conference call that "strategic partnerships" were being explored for the China segment, which could include a joint venture or tech agreement. With the installation of Niccol, there's broad agreement that, at the minimum, some course correction will be done. Market participants are also hoping for better share performance, with Starbucks stock falling about 22% from when Narasimhan took over in March 2023 and Monday's closing bell. By comparison, Chipotle climbed around 74% during the same period. "No one knows what direction Starbucks will go with China," said Gordon Haskett analyst Jeff Farmer. "But a fresh perspective on the country's competitive environment, consumer landscape and capital-intensive development strategy is long overdue." SBUX CMG 5Y mountain Starbucks vs. Chipotle, 5 years China's weakness has weighed on the stock for some time, and was the reason TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles downgraded Starbucks shares in September 2023. To spin or not to spin? Charles, who was among the analysts who upgraded Starbucks to buy after Niccol's arrival, expects that the China operations will face "prolonged headwinds" due to competition, macro and potentially geopolitical issues. In a research note ahead of Niccol's arrival, Charles said refranchising would only slightly weigh on Starbucks' earnings, while a spinoff would be slightly accretive to earnings per share. "In our view, a China refranchising is a more important acknowledgement that capital will be deployed in a more judicious manner, a first step towards improving the company's direction," Charles wrote in a note dated Aug. 7. The analyst has been hoping for management to intensify its focus on fixing the U.S. business. While Niccol was at KFC and Pizza Hut parent Yum Brands , the conglomerate separated its China business into what is now known as Yum China . Though the chopped-off business is based in Shanghai, it can be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker YUMC. JPMorgan's John Ivankoe said Niccol should take a similar course of action. "We continue to think it's advisable for SBUX to pursue a spin of their China business, much like Brian's previous employer YUM did," Ivankoe told clients. He added that the deal can be neutral to operating income and help free cash flow. Ivankoe pointed to performance in recent history to show how little fruit Starbucks has gotten for its labor in the region in spite of expansion efforts. In the 2018 fiscal year, the entire international market had an operating income of about $1.15 billion with more than 5,600 company-owned stores and 6,200 licensed locations. International is slated to end 2024 with just $1.05 billion in operating income, despite swelling to more than 9,800 company stores and 12,000 licensed ones. Yet it hasn't necessarily been smooth sailing for Yum China's stock, with U.S. shares recently lagging the flagship Yum Brands stock amid challenges for consumer-facing brands in the Asian country. Yum China has tumbled more than 19% in 2024, building on last year's slide of more than 22%. Yum Brands, meanwhile, has added more than 5% this year, extending gains after advancing 2% in 2023. YUMC YUM 5Y mountain Yum China vs. Yum Brands, 5 years Ivankoe isn't the only one on Wall Street making the case for a big change. Citi's Jon Tower said some sort of spin, joint venture or change in ownership may be best for investors over the long run. He pointed to the fact that, in this scenario, local operators would be able to oversee the brand on the ground. Evercore ISI analyst David Palmer said a spinoff and licensing plan wouldn't be surprising given the need to focus on turning around the U.S. business. Within the U.S., Starbucks has struggled to bring customers to stores and leaned on promotions. Investors were pleased with Narasimhan's comments about the potential for a strategic partnership in China, further offering evidence of why it's a good course of action, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Lauren Silberman. She also noted that the company-owned model is only common in the U.S. and China, while licensed partners already operate businesses across most other markets. And when it comes to Niccol himself, she highlighted that most of his experience has been centered on U.S. operations as another reason that a spin makes sense. A 'fan of company ownership' outside U.S. To be sure, not everyone sees a separation as the likely path. BTIG's Peter Saleh said Niccol's appointment should suggest to investors that there will be no major changes to the development of the China segment, including a sale or spin. "We believe Brian has earned investor respect and confidence (as well as founder Howard Schultz), and will be given the leeway to make investments domestically and or stay the course in China," Saleh said. Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Harbour said a hybrid approach with both owned and licensed stores is more likely for the China business than a full push to franchising. On top of that, Niccol's Chipotle track record, Harbour said, shows that he's a "fan of company ownership" in some instances internationally. Alternatively, investors can join the camp of Stifel's Chris O'Cull, who doesn't think it matters much for the stock either way. However, he said traders would appreciate clarity around what direction it will go within a reasonable time frame and more information on how Starbucks will address challenges and grow market share. "Clarity on the strategic direction in China will help, but it will remain a secondary issue, in our opinion," he said. "Absent a significant incremental deterioration, we believe the stock can work even if the China business continues to struggle." Still, even O'Cull had a take on what he thinks Niccol will do: "We would not be surprised if Mr. Niccol preferred to keep the business as a company-owned operation," he said, "which would give him the control and flexibility needed to address any issues." Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on May 31, 2024 in New York City. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here . Winning streak Wall Street rallied as strong retail sales and labor data eased recession fears. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite notched their sixth consecutive day of gains, rising 1.61% and 2.34% respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 554 points. All three indexes have recovered to their levels before the global stock market rout on Aug. 5. Meanwhile, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose, while U.S. oil prices climbed 1.3% as recession fears eased. Consumer health Walmart's shares rose 6.5% after the discounter boosted its annual sales and profit forecasts and second-quarter results beat Wall Street estimates. While traders have been on the lookout for signs of economic weakness, CFO John David Rainey told CNBC Walmart has not seen a shift in consumer behavior. "We see, among our members and customers, that they remain choiceful, discerning, value-seeking, focusing on things like essentials rather than discretionary items, but importantly, we don't see any additional fraying of consumer health." Retail sales Consumer spending defied expectations in July, with retail sales jumping 1%, significantly higher than the 0.3% forecast. This positive momentum also extended to the labor market, with jobless claims falling to a four-month low, signaling a resilient economy amid easing inflation concerns. Initial unemployment benefit claims for the week ending Aug. 10 totaled 227,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week and lower than the estimate for 235,000. Renewed confidence United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby expressed renewed confidence in Boeing's recovery after meeting with the plane maker's new CEO. United, which has 484 unfilled Boeing orders, has expressed frustrations about the aircraft maker's troubles, which have delayed deliveries. Kirby had lunch with Boeing's new CEO Robert Ortberg earlier this week. In a LinkedIn post on Thursday, Kirby said he "came away with a renewed confidence that Boeing is on the right path and will recover faster than most expect." Ortberg also met with American Airlines CEO Robert Isom earlier this week, according to a person familiar with the matter. Streaming wars As legacy media companies vie for both viewership and profitability in the streaming wars, CNBC's Alex Sherman uncovers the inside story of what drove executives at Comcast's NBCUniversal to splash out $2.45 billion annually for 11 years to secure NBA games for its Peacock streaming service. But with competition from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, the question remains: Will this massive investment be enough to ensure Peacock's long-term sustainability? Disclosure: Comcast's NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC. [PRO] Central bank easing cycle Stock markets have bounced back from last week's sharp and sudden sell-off. While positive economic indicators have eased recession fears, there's another key factor: central banks around the world are starting to ease monetary policy. U.S. crude oil futures fell more than 1% on Friday amid reports that Qatar told Iran to not attack Israel while Gaza cease-fire talks are ongoing. Qatar's prime minister told Iran's leaders in a phone call after the first day of Gaza cease-fire talks in Doha Thursday that they should de-escalate, warning of the consequences of attacking Israel when progress is being made in the negotiations, two diplomats told The Washington Post. The U.S. benchmark ended the week slightly down, 0.25%, while Brent marginally gained 0.03%. Here are Friday's closing energy prices: The cease-fire talks were paused Friday, with negotiations expected to resume next week. Hamas did not participate in the talks, but was briefed by mediators. A senior official with the militant group told Reuters that Israel "did not abide by what was agreed upon" in earlier round of negotiations. Daniel Ghali, senior commodity strategist at TD Securities, said the risk premium appears to be "seeping out of energy markets once again, suggesting traders are curiously disregarding the risk of geopolitical aggressions ahead of the weekend." The U.S. benchmark jumped more than 4% on Monday on fears that an attack by Iran on Israel was drawing closer. Iran has vowed to retaliate over the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran in late July. Prices have subsequently pulled back as an assault has not yet materialized. Worries about softening oil demand in China have also weighed on the market, with OPEC lowering its forecast for 2024. Phil Flynn, senior market analyst with the Price Futures Group, said the market appears to be "buying into the thought that global demand growth might not be as strong as some people had originally thought." "The pendulum of price influence keeps swinging between fundamentals and geopolitics, with today's selloff seemingly dictated by negotiations in the Middle East and an ongoing lack of retaliation by Iran," said Matt Smith, lead oil analyst for the Americas at Kpler. A balcony above a trading floor inside the Euronext NV stock exchange in Paris, France, on Monday, March 13, 2023. Nathan Laine | Bloomberg | Getty Images LONDON European markets closed higher Friday, rounding off what's set to be a winning week for global stocks. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed up 0.31%, to record a weekly gain of 2.4%. Autos stocks recorded the biggest sectoral gain, adding 1.06%, while oil and gas stocks lost 0.15%. European markets U.S. stocks have also posted solid gains, with a big boost coming Thursday when weekly jobless claims fell and U.S. retail sales data was much stronger than forecasts had suggested. That further signaled to investors that the jitters over a U.S. recession, which contributed to the sharp global sell-off at the start of the month, are overblown. Along with ripple effects from Japanese monetary policy, analysts say part of the volatility may be explained by a historical August trend, when trade tends to be more shallow. U.S. stocks hovered around the flatline in Friday morning trade. The Stoxx 600 and Wall Street's S&P 500 remain shy of the levels they started the month at, but steady gains through the week have recuperated losses from the recent rout. On the data front on Friday, U.K. retail sales showed a rebound from a 0.9% decline in June to 0.5% growth in July, in line with expectations in a Reuters poll. Sales volumes were up 1.1% in the three months to July. Alex Kerr, U.K. economist at Capital Economics, said in a note Friday that the retail uptick was not broad-based, with sectors such as food, clothing and household goods struggling. "We continue to think that rising real incomes, as inflation falls, should mean consumer spending growth accelerates over the rest of this year," Kerr said. This photo, from the Office of the New Jersey Governor, shows Gov. Phil Murphy, as he announced the departure of his longtime Chief of Staff George Helmy, right, Sept. 22, 2023. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday that he's appointing his former chief of staff George Helmy to temporarily replace Sen. Bob Menendez when the disgraced Democratic senator resigns next week following his conviction on corruption charges. Helmy served as Murphy's chief of staff from 2019 to 2023. Since leaving the post last year, he has been working for a major health care company in New Jersey. "George is the ideal leader to take on this role," Murphy said at the morning announcement in Newark, adding that Helmy is very familiar with the inner workings of the Senate after being a staffer for current and former Democratic New Jersey senators. Before he worked in the governor's office, Helmy spent several years working for Sen. Cory Booker in various roles, including state director. Helmy also spent time in the private sector and was an aide to the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, according to the governor's office. "George understands on a very fundamental level how a U.S. Senate office operates, and he will be ready to run this office from moment one, and he will bring to this office firsthand expertise in providing the best possible constituent service" to families, Murphy said. "That expertise will be especially relevant over the next few months as the presidential election rapidly approaches and as the Senate will be in recess as a result for much of the fall." Murphy's office said Helmy is scheduled to be sworn in on Sept. 9 when the Senate reconvenes from its summer recess. "Our residents deserve a functioning Senate office upon which they can call for help," Helmy said Friday. "Our nonprofits and local governments deserve an office that will fight for them for their grants and support them in navigating the arcane maze of federal agencies, and, yes, New Jersey deserves its full voice and representation on the floor of the United States Senate. Relying on my familiarity with the Senate and my deep knowledge of the issues facing this state, I will stand as our second crucial voice in the Democratic caucus, under Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on the important items that will come before us over the next months." Helmy will only hold the office temporarily; New Jersey voters will elect their next senator in this November's general election to a six-year term. Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican Curtis Bashaw are set to face off in the general election this fall for the seat. On Friday, Kim praised Helmy and said he "knows how to navigate the Senate and can step in immediately to keep delivering services for our state. That's incredibly important experience with so many challenging issues facing our state and our nation. I look forward to working with him in the Capitol." Menendez formally informed Murphy of his decision to resign in a letter last month after he was found guilty on all 16 counts, which included bribery, extortion, honest services wire fraud, acting as a foreign agent of Egypt, obstruction of justice and several counts of conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 29. Murphy said Friday that it was a "tragic ending to a long and largely productive career in public service." "Senator Menendez accomplished many things on behalf of our state and our residents," he said, "But sadly, he will be remembered for putting his own interests ahead of the public interest." Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., August 15, 2024. Former President Donald Trump lauded a wealthy donor on whom he bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom as having gotten the "better" award compared to the top military honor, the Medal of Honor, because those recipients are often deceased or injured. Speaking at a campaign event intended to discuss antisemitism, Trump was introduced by Miriam Adelson, a wealthy Republican donor and widow of Sheldon Adelson, who pumped millions of dollars of his own money into electing Republican candidates. He died in 2021. "I watched Sheldon sitting so proud in the White House when we gave Miriam the Presidential Medal of Freedom," Trump said at his New Jersey resort. "That's the highest award you can get as a civilian. It's the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor," Trump continued, referring to the highest military honor bestowed for valor in combat. The Medal of Honor is often mistakenly called the Congressional Medal of Honor. "But civilian version, it's actually much better because everyone [who] gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, they're soldiers. They're either in very bad shape because they've been hit so many times by bullets or they're dead," Trump concluded. "She gets it, and she's a healthy, beautiful woman, and they're rated equal, but she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and she got it for and that's through committees and everything else." Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have criticized the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for his military record and have sought to make reverence for military service an issue in the election. Vance, who is also a veteran, has criticized Walz for opting to retire after more than 20 years in the National Guard but before his unit was set to be deployed to Iraq. Walz has defended his military service. Trump awarded Miriam Adelson the Medal of Freedom in 2018, commending her donations to anti-addiction facilities and her work as a doctor. The Trump White House described her as a "committed member of the American Jewish community" who "has supported Jewish schools, Holocaust memorial organizations, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, and Birthright Israel, among other causes." President John F. Kennedy established the Medal of Freedom in 1963. Intended to recognize a wide variety of people, the award is created to honor civilians who have contributed to the "interests of the United States," "world peace" or other cultural or "significant public or private endeavors." A president may unilaterally issue the honor. In the award's more than 60 years, over 600 civilians have been granted the honor. The Medal of Honor, in an earlier iteration, was first established in 1861, and there have been 3,519 recipients, including more than 1,500 during the Civil War. There were 472 honored for acts of service during World War II. There are 60 living recipients. The most recent requirements for the honor say a military member must distinguish "himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." To be honored, the military members must be engaged in active combat on behalf of the U.S. against a foreign foe, but there is no requirement that recipients be injured in war. To be honored, military members must have their acts of valor documented with multiple witnesses and run up the chain of command, with approval from the president. The citations accompanying the honor often detail bravery under fire, such as saving fellow military members or civilians in the face of personal risk. In this article DJT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Republican Presidential nominee and former President Donald J. Trump holds campaign rally at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 20, 2024. Bill Pugliano | Getty Images News | Getty Images When U.S. congressman Tom Rice voted to impeach Donald Trump for inciting the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol in January 2021, it was the beginning of the end of his political career. Angry calls and emails including three death threats flooded the South Carolina Republican's office. The next year, as Rice ran for a sixth term, a sheriff's deputy often guarded him at public events. Trump backed Rice's foe in the party's primary election. At a rally, the ex-president warned voters that the congressman "partnered with the Democrats to stab the Republican Party and, frankly, to stab our country in the back." Rice got crushed in the primary. Today, the one-time conservative darling, a small-government fiscal hawk, is shunned by former allies and some old friends, he told Reuters. He feels betrayed by fellow Republicans who, "rather than upholding their oath and defending the Constitution, decided their position and their power was worth more." WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 03: Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) addresses reporters during a press conference to unveil the Joseph H. Rainey Room in the in the U.S. Capitol on February 3, 2022 in Washington, DC. Former Rep. Joseph H. Rainey (R-S.C.) was the first elected Black member of the House of Representatives who served from 1870 to 1879. (Photo by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images) Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images In cementing his third-straight Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump and his staunchest followers have used menace and harassment to fundamentally reshape the party of Reagan, purging officials and activists seen as insufficiently loyal to Trump and his Make America Great Again agenda. Trump has imposed this fealty at every level of the party, from minor state and local officials to members of Congress, cabinet secretaries and rivals for the presidency, calling for revenge on those who resist his demands, vote against his interests or cross his allies. Since launching his Truth Social media platform in early 2022, Trump has posted more than 600 attacks on fellow Republicans, singling out more than 100 party officials, activists and right-leaning media figures for condemnation, according to a Reuters review of his nearly 20,000 posts during that time. One recent target: Brian Kemp, Republican governor of the battleground state of Georgia, which Trump narrowly lost in 2020. Trump berated Kemp at an Aug. 3 rally as "Little Brian" for refusing to help overturn the last presidential election. Trump framed his Kemp attack as part of a broad cleansing of the party. "He's a bad guy. He's a disloyal guy," Trump said of Kemp. Earlier that day, he wrote on Truth Social: "We have to purge the Party of people that go against our Candidates and make it harder for a popular Republican President to beat the Radical Left." Kemp did not respond to a request to comment. Trump's ultimate weapon is his coveted endorsement, often wielded to drive the disloyal from office. Since the start of 2022, he has endorsed Republican challengers against at least 13 members of his own party in Congress who he's accused of betrayal, a Reuters review of his endorsements shows. All but three of the 13 lost their seats or quit the race. And of the 10 Republican members of the House of Representatives who voted to impeach him, just two remain in office. Four lost to Trump-backed primary challengers, including Liz Cheney, a former member of the Republican House leadership, and four opted not to run again. At least seven were threatened or harassed by Trump backers, according to police reports, court records and their own public statements. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) campaigns with Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) at an Evening for Patriotism and Bipartisanship event on November 1, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan. Bill Pugliano | Getty Images News | Getty Images Trump also subjects lower-tier party officials to opprobrium, often triggering copycat harassment and political defeat. More than a quarter of his Republican targets on Truth Social were state legislators, state judges, local election officials and other relatively low-profile political figures, Reuters found. Asked about the former president's attacks on his fellow Republicans, Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "President Trump continues to build a historic and unified political movement to make America strong, wealthy and safe again." Glenn Rogers, a conservative Texas legislator and rancher, faced intimidation after joining a vote last year to impeach the state's attorney general, Ken Paxton, a Trump ally, over allegations that he abused his office to benefit a donor. Paxton ultimately was acquitted, but the vote sparked rage from the Republican right and ultimately from Trump himself. One Facebook post warned Rogers he should prepare to "face your maker." Vandals spray-painted RINO short for Republican in name only on his campaign signs. Then, days before the party's nomination vote, Trump ripped Rogers on social media, calling him a RINO and endorsing his Republican opponent, who unseated him. The fallout "was like a tsunami," Rogers said in an interview. "There's people that actually worship Trump like a deity." He still plans to vote for Trump, dismissing Democrats as too far left. Reuters documented at least 39 cases of elected national and state Republican officials who have been threatened or harassed since 2021 for taking actions or expressing views seen as contradicting Trump and the MAGA agenda. Targets included Republicans who question Trump's false claim that the 2020 election was stolen. "Menace is a big part of the power," said Sarah Longwell, a former Republican strategist who publishes the Bulwark, an anti-Trump publication, and runs Republican Voters Against Trump, a political action group. Republicans who oppose Trump must consider the possibility they'll face threats or intimidation from his supporters and be driven from politics, she said. "It's hard to disaggregate the fear of political violence and the fear of career suicide." The result: By the time Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination on July 18, the party was fully behind him. Most of his prominent Republican critics had fallen in line including his most potent challenger, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and onetime Attorney General William Barr. Both called Trump unfit for office but later recanted and said they would vote for him. Trump's salvos against fellow Republicans bring political risks, some political experts say. The attacks mattered less when Trump's Democratic opponent for the White House was 81-year-old President Joe Biden, who trailed him in polling for months, burdened by concerns about his age. As Biden's successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, draws even in polls, Trump's intra-party assaults, like the one against Kemp, amount "to self-harm," said David Wasserman, senior editor at the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan political publication. In a tight race, Trump needs the support of Republican moderates, he said. In Arizona, where Trump recently seemed headed for victory, Harris now has a lead of seven percentage points over Trump with independent and unaffiliated voters, said Doug Cole, a Republican strategist whose Phoenix-based firm, HighGround, surveyed voters there in late July and early August. "He's got a problem with moderate Republicans," Cole said. "I don't know how this premise of purging the party helps him." Polling aggregates show Harris and Trump broadly even in Arizona among voters overall. U.S. Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at his campaign rally at the Bojangles Coliseum on July 24, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Brandon Bell | Getty Images "You hit the wrong button" Sometimes the intimidation happens behind closed doors. At other times, it plays out in public, amplified by right-wing influencers and Trump himself. Congressman Rice experienced both kinds. After Rice cast his ballot to impeach Trump in January 2021, then-House Minority Whip Steve Scalise immediately phoned him, Rice told Reuters. The Republican leadership had told party members to vote their conscience, but Scalise was calling to register disapproval. "He said, 'Tom you hit the wrong button,'" Rice recalled. "I said, 'No, I didn't, Steve. I loaded it exactly the way I intended.'" Scalise's office did not respond when Reuters asked about the exchange. Rice received hundreds of angry emails and voice messages after the vote, including a warning "to watch out." Within weeks, the South Carolina Republican Party censured him, a formal expression of disapproval. Trump piled on, calling Rice "a disaster" who was "respected by no one." At public events, some constituents called Rice a traitor, he said. Others harangued him for condemning the pro-Trump rioters who sacked the Capitol. One state politician confided to Rice he wanted to denounce Trump, too, but knew voters would throw him out, Rice recalled without identifying the individual. Rice said he doesn't regret the impeachment vote: "If you are conservative and support the Constitution, you cannot support what Donald Trump has done." Trump had help in hounding him. After the vote, Rice and the nine other Republican House members who defied Trump were targeted by Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist in Trump's White House. On Bannon's daily "War Room" podcast, Rice was lambasted by Jason Miller, a Trump 2020 campaign advisor, as "worthless" and "not coming back." The "War Room" abuse went on for two days. In an email responding to questions from Reuters, Miller did not address his attacks on Rice. Bannon's "War Room" program, a goto interview for pro-Trump celebrities, claims to reach millions of viewers. That puts him at the center of a far-right online influencer network that joins and amplifies Trump's calls to purge unfaithful officials. Other top MAGA figures have been hosting the show since July, when Bannon began a five-month prison sentence for refusing to testify to Congress about the Capitol attack. Nebraska congressman Don Bacon, a retired Air Force general and evangelical Christian with a firmly conservative voting record, says he has been threatened and harassed repeatedly by people "radicalized" by far-right media personalities such as Bannon. Last October, Bannon targeted Bacon as disloyal to the Trump agenda after the congressman opposed the candidacy of Trump ally Jim Jordan as speaker of the House of Representatives. "Bacon is one of the hardcore of the hardcore. He's never-Trump, hates Trump," Bannon said, urging the audience to call the lawmaker's office. They did. Bacon and his wife each received anonymous threats and harassing messages by text and phone, he said. One caller vowed to stalk and molest his wife, prompting her to begin sleeping with a loaded gun. "You think you're the chosen one because you married the pig," warned another message reviewed by Reuters. "See you later, bitch." Bacon says Bannon and other far-right commentators inspire an "ends-justify-the-means" mentality with their audiences in enforcing loyalty to Trump and his agenda. "You have a few bloggers out there and people on social media with a million followers, and everything they say is gospel," he said. Bacon, seeking a fifth House term, managed to win the Republican nomination for his seat this spring with more than 60% of the vote, despite the state Republican Party chairman endorsing his opponent. Fred Upton, a former Republican congressman from Michigan, also voted to impeach Trump over the Capitol riots. That day, Bannon called on his show for constituents "to deal with" the Republican impeachers. Upton was deluged with threats. "Who the HELL do you think you are?!!! You work for US!!! There is NO GOP without MAGA Nation!," read one emailed message, which Upton shared with Reuters. "Get ready for hell. Cause we're going to make your life a living one," the email said. Upton said lawmakers are desperate to avoid attacks by Trump and Bannon. "Nobody wants to be on that list." Reuters was unable to contact Bannon in prison and no one at his office was authorized to speak on his behalf. In a December 2022 social media post, Trump savaged Upton after the lawmaker's name was floated as a candidate for House Speaker, calling him a "RINO" and "a disaster for anything having to do with the word Republican." Upton opted not to seek re-election after a new map of his district put him in the same seat as a Republican who had Trump's strong backing. He said he worries about score-settling against enemies in a second Trump White House, citing Trump's vows in speeches to exact "retribution." "They're going to be going after people," he said. Denunciations and threats Two categories of Republicans have faced the heaviest fire from Trump, the review of his social media posts shows: his rivals for this year's presidential nomination and officials who resisted his baseless claim that the 2020 election was rigged. Trump ridiculed early rival Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, more than 250 times as "DeSanctimonious." And he derided his last rival to drop out, former South Carolina Governor Haley, more than 50 times as "Birdbrain." Both were subjected to threats and harassment throughout the campaign, prompting increased security measures, according to their respective offices and law enforcement agencies. DeSantis, who later endorsed Trump, did not respond to a request for comment. As Trump competed with Haley for the Republican nomination, some of his supporters posted violent messages on social media, calling for her death or physical abuse. Her office told Reuters it wasn't aware of any threats made against her by Trump supporters. Trump also has gone after lesser-known state and local officials. Rusty Bowers, a conservative Republican who was speaker of Arizona's House of Representatives, refused to overturn Biden's narrow 2020 win in the state. Local party members called him a traitor, threatening messages flooded his office, and a man with a pistol turned up at his home, Bowers said in an interview. Trump blasted Bowers as "weak" and "wrong on everything," and he backed a Republican rival in a 2022 state senate race. Bowers lost but the rancor endured. "I have been neutralized in their mind," he said, referring to Trump's supporters. "I am not a factor." "Worship and Idolatry" DETROIT United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain ratcheted up criticism of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares in a video Friday afternoon, accusing the chief executive of price gouging consumers and failing to uphold parts of the union's labor contract with the automaker. The comments are the latest in an ongoing back-and-forth between the CEO and union leader following contentious collective bargaining talks last year between the UAW and Detroit automakers, including Stellantis. "Something is rotten at Stellantis," Fain said to begin the 2:30-minute video posted Friday. "Sales are down, profits are down, and CEO pay is way, way up. The problem isn't the market at GM and Ford, auto sales are up, and the problem isn't the auto workers. The problem is this man, Carlos Tavares." Spokespeople for the union and automaker did not immediately respond for comment regarding the accusations or video. Several of the criticisms, including those around job cuts and Tarvares' pay, aren't new. But Fain's comments Friday took the claims a step further, accusing Tavares of price gouging consumers in the name of profits. He also alleges that Stellantis is not honoring parts of the company's worker contract, citing specifically that Stellantis is halting plans to reopen an assembly plat in Illinois. "Fact, for years, Stellantis has sold fewer cars, but made more in profits. What does that tell you? They're price gouging. Now they've gone too far, and they're tanking their own sales," Fain said. "Fact, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is trying to go back on commitments the company made in our last contract, including putting the brakes on reopening the Belvidere Assembly." Tavares recently criticized the UAW-Stellantis workforce, noting quality problems at a truck plant in metro Detroit producing the Ram 1500 pickup truck. The company also has announced thousands of layoffs at U.S. plants amid declining sales and product changes. "The direct run rate of some of our plans starting with SHAP, Sterling Heights, is not good," Tavares told reporters July 25 while discussing ongoing issues with the company. "That is something that we need to fix with our plant management team as well with our people." A man waves a Venezuelan flag as demonstrators clash with police officers during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas on July 29, 2024, a day after the Venezuelan presidential election. Protests erupted in parts of Caracas Monday against the re-election victory claimed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but disputed by the opposition and questioned internationally, AFP journalists observed. The new election suggestion is among several from the international community which have no support so far from either Maduro or his opposition coalition opponents. A U.S. official, speaking on background, said the U.S. position had not changed and the vast majority of countries in the region were asking Maduro to release the results and recognize the outcome of the election. The spokesperson added it is "abundantly clear" that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won the election. A National Security Council spokesperson later said Biden was "speaking to the absurdity of Maduro and his representatives not coming clean about the July 28 elections," without fully walking back Biden's comment. Asked if he supports a new election in Venezuela, Biden said "I do". Biden spoke to reporters in the wake of Lula's suggestion that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro could call a new contest involving international observers as a potential solution for the political crisis in the country. The U.S. has rejected Madura's victory claim. U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday seemingly backed a new election in Venezuela, after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also floated the idea, despite rebuffs from Venezuela's ruling party and its opposition which both claim victory in the July 28 contest. The U.S., which hardened oil sanctions in April on the OPEC member for what it said was Maduro's failure to comply with a deal on electoral conditions, and other Western countries are showing little sign of swift, tough action over what many of them have condemned as voting fraud. Maduro rejected Biden and Lula's comments, saying the United States and Brazil have had contested elections where Venezuela has refrained from involving itself. "I reject absolutely that the United States is trying to become Venezuela's electoral authority," Maduro said on state television. "Biden gave an interventionist opinion on the internal issues of Venezuela... half an hour later they squashed it." Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado ruled out Biden and Lula's suggestion. "The election already happened," Machado told journalists from Argentina and Chile in a video call later on Thursday. "Maduro must be made to know that the cost of his staying grows with each day that passes." Ruling party officials in Venezuela have also previously ruled out new elections. Lula had said a "coalition government" could be another possible solution for Venezuela. "If (Maduro) has common sense, he could put it to the people, perhaps calling new elections with a nonpartisan electoral committee," Lula said in a radio interview. The Brazilian president said he still does not recognize Maduro as the winner of the vote and that his government must publish voting tallies that have not been released, echoing calls from countries around the world over the last two weeks. "Maduro knows he owes Brazil and the world an explanation," Lula said. Lula and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro spoke by phone on Wednesday as part of efforts to find a solution to Venezuela's crisis, but no details were released of the conversation. Petro suggested in a post on X on Thursday that the Venezuelan ruling party and the opposition could temporarily trade off power, echoing an arrangement used in Colombia for 16 years in the twentieth century. "The political solution for Venezuela depends on Nicolas Maduro, who carries the peace and prosperity of his country," Petro said, adding in another post that a political deal is the best option and depends on Venezuelans. Healthcare data breaches have severe consequences for every party involved. For patients, breaches can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and unauthorized access to sensitive medical information, not to mention mental anguish and anxiety. For healthcare providers, data breaches can result in substantial financial penalties, legal implications, and loss of trust in the patient community, which is their livelihood. According to Security Intelligence, the average cost of a data breach in the healthcare industry was $10.9 Million in 2023, the highest among all industries. Moreover, breaches can disrupt operations, leading to delayed treatments and compromised patient care. Regulatory frameworks like HIPAA were designed to safeguard patient information by setting national standards for data protection and to ensure appropriate attention is given to every aspect of handling a patient's health information. HIPAA requires healthcare providers and their business associates to implement physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information (ePHI). Compliance with these regulations is crucial for preventing data breaches and ensuring that patient information remains secure. The ongoing shift towards digital healthcare, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has further emphasized the importance of robust data security measures. Telehealth services, electronic health records (EHRs), and other digital tools have become integral to modern healthcare delivery, making data security an essential component of healthcare infrastructure without undermining the need for appropriate access to the information and its portability. AI has changed many aspects of healthcare, with clinical documentation of the encounter or visit notes being a critical area of transformation. Traditional documentation methods have long been a burden on healthcare providers, consuming valuable visit availability time and, in some cases, leading to medical or billing errors. With the advent of AI, these processes have become more efficient and accurate, enabling healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care. OnPoint Healthcare is at the forefront of evolution with its AI-driven system, IRIS. This platform leverages natural language processing (NLP) and state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms to transcribe and organize clinical notes with exceptional accuracy (98.7% nationally across 39 unique medical specialties and nearly a million encounter notes). IRIS not only captures spoken words but also understands their context, ensuring that the documentation is precise and comprehensive to the standards set by the utilizing healthcare Providers. This advanced technology significantly reduces the time providers spend on documentation (three hours per day, on average), thus alleviating one of the primary causes of physician burnout. Ensuring clinical accuracy and also ensuring data security is paramount in healthcare, and OnPoint takes this responsibility seriously. OnPoint's IRIS system incorporates robust security measures to protect patient information. This includes advanced encryption of data both at rest and in transit, compliance with HIPAA regulations, and the use of secure cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure, which are high-trust and SOC 2 certified. A key component of OnPoint's security strategy is its patent-pending proprietary learning loop and quality assurance (QA) process. This system continuously learns from real-world data and feedback, enhancing the AI's performance over time. Additionally, the QA process involves experienced QA physicians who monitor and validate the AI-generated documentation. This combination of advanced technology and clinician oversight ensures the highest levels of accuracy and reliability, safeguarding the integrity of patient data. "At OnPoint Healthcare, we understand that safeguarding patient data is non-negotiable in today's digital landscape," says Jim Boswell, President & CEO at OnPoint Healthcare. "Our commitment to integrating state-of-the-art security measures, such as end-to-end encryption and compliance with rigorous HIPAA standards, ensures that patient information is always protected. We continuously evolve our security protocols to stay ahead of potential threats, combining advanced AI technology with stringent data protection practices to maintain the highest levels of confidentiality and trust." OnPoint has successfully balanced the need for efficient documentation with stringent data security requirements. By automating the note-creation process and providing real-time documentation, IRIS allows healthcare providers to reclaim valuable clinical time every day, which can be redirected toward patient care and other critical tasks. The platform's clinical accuracy rate of 98,7% ensures that healthcare providers can rely on precise and comprehensive documentation, which is crucial for maintaining the quality of patient care and reducing the risk of medical errors. Moreover, OnPoint's AI-driven approach is designed to be EHR-agnostic, integrating seamlessly with all electronic health record systems. This flexibility ensures that healthcare providers can adopt IRIS without disrupting their existing workflows, making the transition to AI-enhanced documentation smooth and efficient. Physicians frequently state that the notes are more comprehensive and much more timely than their daily responsibilities would permit if they were documented without IRIS. The future of AI in healthcare documentation is incredibly promising, with continued advancements poised to transform the industry further. OnPoint Healthcare is committed to being at the forefront of this evolution, continuously innovating to meet the dynamic needs of healthcare providers. As AI algorithms become more sophisticated, the capabilities of solutions like OnPoint's IRIS will expand significantly. Future advancements are expected to enable AI systems to handle more complex tasks, provide deeper insights, and offer even greater levels of accuracy and efficiency across additional tasks within the clinic or hospital workflow. For instance, emerging AI technologies are focusing on predictive analytics, which can anticipate patient needs and potential health issues based on historical data and current trends. This predictive capability can revolutionize preventive healthcare, allowing providers to intervene earlier and more effectively. OnPoint is actively investing in research and development to integrate these advanced AI capabilities into their IRIS platform. By doing so, they are delivering enhanced overall functionality of their system, making it an indispensable tool for healthcare providers. Moreover, OnPoint is exploring ways to leverage AI to improve patient engagement and education. By utilizing AI-driven virtual assistants, healthcare providers can offer personalized support and information to patients, enhancing their understanding of their health conditions and treatment plans. This increased engagement can lead to better adherence to the medical advice provided to patients, which can lead to improved health outcomes. OnPoint also recognizes the importance of interoperability in the future of healthcare AI. Ensuring that their AI systems can seamlessly integrate with all electronic health record (EHR) systems and other digital health tools is crucial for providing a cohesive and efficient healthcare experience. Their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of data security ensures that as AI technology evolves, patient information remains protected against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The Pixels Live Captions settings hold a treasure trove of hidden helpers. JR Raphael, IDG Just be sure to hit your volume button again once the call is done and turn the Live Caption system back off via that same volume-panel icon. Otherwise, the system will stay on and continue to caption stuff indefinitely (and also consume needless battery power while its doing it). Pixel calling trick #6: The automated screener Perhaps my favorite tucked-away Pixel phone feature is one that brings us into the realm of incoming calls. Its an extraordinarily sanity-saving system for screening calls as they come in to keep you from having to fritter away moments of your day talking to telemarketers, totally theoretical relatives named Ned, and anyone else youd rather avoid. This ones available on all Pixel models but also only for English and in the US, as of now. The feature sort of works in a bunch of other countries, too, though without the automated element. To set it up, head back into your Pixels Phone app and once again tap that three-dot menu icon followed by Settings. This time, find and select the line labeled Call Screen. It may take the system a few minutes for your phone to activate the feature the first time you open it, but once it does, you can set up exactly how the system works and when it should kick in. The latest version of Googles Pixel Call Screen gives you three simple paths to choose from, depending on how aggressively you want your Pixel to screen and filter calls for you: Maximum protection automatically kicks all unknown numbers (i.e. anyone who isnt in your Google Contacts on Android) into the screening processes and auto-declines any calls determined to be spam on your behalf automatically kicks all unknown numbers (i.e. anyone who isnt in your Google Contacts on Android) into the screening processes and auto-declines any calls determined to be spam on your behalf Medium protection takes things down a notch and screens only suspicious-seeming calls, while continuing to auto-decline spam takes things down a notch and screens only suspicious-seeming calls, while continuing to auto-decline spam And Basic protection declines only known spam calls, without all the extra screening Pick whichever path you prefer, and the next time a person and/or evil spirit on the other line gets sent into screening, your phone will ring while showing a transcription of their response on the screen. That way, you can see what the calls about before deciding if you want to pick up. Call Screen lets your Pixel screen and filter calls on your behalf. JR Raphael, IDG And heres the especially cool part: Once the system is set up and activated, you can also always activate it manually, too even when a call is coming in from a known number. Just look for the Screen call command on the incoming call screen. Whoevers calling will be asked what they want, and youll see their responses transcribed in real-time. You can then opt to accept or reject the call or even select one-tap follow-up questions to get more info (and/or annoy your co-workers, friends, and family an equally valid use for the function, if you ask me). Call Screen can ask all sorts of questions for you before you decide to take a call. JR Raphael, IDG You can always find a full transcription and audio recording of those interactions in the Recents tab of your Phone app, too, in case you ever want to go back and review (and perhaps publish) em later (hi, honey!). Your Pixels Call Screen recordings and transcriptions are always available, if you ever want to revisit em. JR Raphael, IDG Ahefficiency. Pixel calling trick #7: The out-loud call announcer Provided you work in a place where occasional noises arent a problem, another interesting way to stay on top of incoming calls is to tell your Pixel phone to read caller ID info out loud to you anytime a call comes in. That way, you can know whos calling as soon as you hear the ringtone, without even having to find your phone or glance up from your midafternoon Wordle break Very Important Work Business. This ones super-simple to set up: Just gallop your way over into the Phone app, tap that three-dot menu icon and select Settings, then look for the Caller ID announcement line way down at the bottom of the screen. Tap it, and youll be able to choose to have incoming call announcements made always, never, or with the lovely middle-ground option of only when youve got a headset connected. Hear incoming call info out loud in whatever scenarios you want with the Pixels Caller ID announcement options. JR Raphael, IDG And heres an extra little bonus to go along with that: If youve got a Pixel 6 or higher and use English, Japanese, or German as your system language, you can even accept or reject a call solely by speaking a command out loud. You only have to configure it once: Provided you have one of those devices, head into your Pixels system settings and type quick phrases into the search box at the top of the screen. Tap Quick phrases in the list of results, then turn the toggle next to Incoming calls into the on position and the next time a call starts a-ring-a-ring-ringin, simply say Answer or Decline to have your Pixel do your bidding without ever lifting a single sticky finger. Pixel calling trick #8: The polite rejecter All right, so what if you get a call you know you want to avoid but in an extra-polite way that prevents you from having to respond to a voicemail later? Well, fear not, for your Pixel has a fantastic feature for that very noble purpose. The next time such a call comes in, look for the Message button on the incoming call screen, right next to that Screen call command we were just going over a minute ago. (And if your Pixels screen was on when the call started and youre seeing the small incoming call panel instead of the full-screen interface, press your phones power button once. Thatll bump you back out to the standard full-screen setup, where youll see the button you need.) Tap that command, and how bout that? With one more tap, youll be able to decline the call while simultaneously sending the person a charming message explaining the reason for your rejection. One-tap rejection with the Pixels Quick Responses system doesnt get much easier than that. JR Raphael, IDG You can pick from a handful of prewritten texts or even opt to write your own message on the spot, if youre feeling loquacious. You can also customize the default responses to make em more personalized and appropriate for your own friendly rejection needs. Just go back into the Settings area of your Pixel Phone app and look in the Quick responses section there to get started. You can create your own custom Quick Responses within the Pixel Phone apps settings. JR Raphael, IDG Cordial, no? And speaking of simple dismissals, weve got one more important Pixel calling trick to consider Pixel calling trick #9: The simple silencer Lets be honest: No matter what type of pleasant-seeming ringtone you pick out on your phone the gentle tolling of chimes, the majestic fwap! of an octopus violently flapping its limbs, or maybe even the soothing bellows of that weird guy who for some reason shouted in every single song by the B-52s something about the sound of a phone ringing always manages to raise ones hackles. Well, three things: First, on the Pixel 2 or higher, you can configure your phone to vibrate only when calls first come in and then to slowly bring in the ring sound and increase its volume as the seconds move on. That way, the actual ringing remains as minimally annoying as possible and only begins (and also only gets loud) when its actually needed. To activate that option, look in the Sound & Vibration section of your system settings, tap either Vibrate for calls or Vibration & haptics, then make sure the toggle next to Vibrate first then ring gradually is in the on and active position. Second, more recent Pixel models have a nifty Adaptive alert vibration feature thatll intelligently turn down your devices vibration strength anytime your phone is sitting face-up on a surface. Thats a nice way to make that buzzing a bit less bothersome when a call comes in in any such scenarios. And finally, a super-simple possibility to remember: The next time your Pixel rings and you want to make it stop whether youre planning to answer the call or not just press either of the phones physical volume buttons. Its easy to do even with the phone in your pocket, and the second you do it, all sounds and vibrations will end. Youll still be able to answer the call, ignore it, send a rejection message, scream obscenities at the caller with the knowledge that theyll never hear you, or whatever feels right in that moment. But the hackle-raising sound will be silenced, and your sanity will be saved. Whew. Remember: Theres lots more where this came from. Come join my completely free Pixel Academy e-course for seven full days of delightful Pixel knowledge starting with some camera-centric smarts and moving from there to advanced image magic, next-level nuisance reducers, and oodles of other opportunities for advanced Pixel intelligence. Ill be waiting. The agreement is one of SC State's new mutually beneficial initiatives with the West African nation. Note: This is the second in a series of articles regarding South Carolina State Universitys academic exchange and agricultural extension partnership in the developing West African nation of The Gambia. BANJUL, Gambia South Carolina State University and the University of the Gambia (UTG) have entered a historic partnership for mutual research, student and faculty exchange opportunities and agricultural extension services. We are delighted to enter a formal strategic partnership with the University of the Gambia to provide sustainable solutions for food security and safety challenges, said Dr. Lamin Drammeh, associate vice president for SC State Public Service and Agriculture (PSA), who coordinated the agreement for SC State. Our alliance strengthens our capacities to better address the research, academic and extension education needs of our students, our faculty and the communities we serve. SC State President Alexander Conyers discusses the university's agriculture capabilities with UTG Vice Chancellor Herbert Robinson on Aug. 7, 2024. On Aug. 7, SC State President Alexander Conyers and College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences Dean Ralph Noble signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with UTG Vice Chancellor Herbert Robinson and School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Dean Sidat Yaffa at the UGTs Dr. Musa Sowe Climate Change Building. The MOU is among a series of ongoing initiatives between SC State and the West African nation, which also include a solar-powered water system aiding 400 women farmers and a project supporting a citrus growing operation. SC State PSAs extension work in Gambia is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture via the 1890 Universities Foundation Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense (GFSD) housed at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Drammeh is the grants principal investigator. Conyers said SC State is best positioned among U.S. institutions for the relationship with UTG, given its status as an HBCU (historically Black college or university) with agricultural education, research and extension programs. We were founded more than 125 years ago in 1896 specifically with the mission of agriculture for African American students, Conyers told the UTG representatives at the MOU signing ceremony. So, we know this business -- we know this business well. We look forward to sharing what we have learned over the past 100 years of educating and elevating African American students so that they can empower their families and their communities sharing that with you, Conyers said. Strengthening Gambia's agricultural sector with more grads Robinson said Gambias agricultural sector needs to be stimulated, so UTG has a goal to increase the number of graduates produced by the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. This country must feed itself, and the only way you feed yourself is to make sure our School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences is well equipped, Robinson said. Its clear that there are huge capacity gaps, but there are opportunities, as well, and this is why we are here signing this MOU to begin to put these ideas into action. According to the MOU, the universities will cooperate and collaborate in the following areas of mutual interest: Faculty exchanges. Student experiential learning. Educational administration and leadership. Food and agriculture systems. Climate change and climate-smart agriculture. Artificial intelligence and data science. Innovative research. The experiential learning opportunities for students open the doors to immersive cultural experiences and prepare students for global leadership opportunities in many sectors, foremost in agriculture, Drammeh said. The faculty exchange and joint research components will deepen connections between faculty members thus expanding diversity in ideas and creating opportunities for new knowledge. Extension support will help train and develop agents who deliver applied research and innovative solutions to smallholder farmers, families and communities that can easily apply them in business or their everyday lives, he said. How will SC State students benefit from the MOU? Noble said SC State College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences students who study in Gambia will be more attractive to employers. One thing thats being encouraged for new graduates in the United States is that they get some international experience, Noble said. Some of the primary companies located in the U.S. are really international companies. When a student has any type of international experience on their resume, it raises up their qualifications in their field. Anytime our students get a chance to travel, they get opportunities they would not see anywhere else, he said. The Gambian experience will be especially important for the College of Agriculture as it develops new animal science degree programs. SC States next major grant-funded extension effort in Gambia will be a small ruminant project intended to improve nutrition. Ruminants are cattle, sheep, goats and other mammals that chew regurgitated cuds. The project will introduce a new breed of goat in hopes of mitigating stunting in the countrys children. Ag students will first get experience at SC State PSAs Research and Demonstration Farm in Olar, South Carolina, before taking their expertise to Gambia. UTG also hopes to develop a demonstration farm with SC States guidance. We have our university farm in place now, and we are making plans for a segment of that farm to accommodate beef cattle, hair sheep and meat goats, Noble said. Thats where we will give our students hands-on experiences. So, they understand how those applications they learn in class will fit in when they go into extension work and international work. Increasing Gambian farmers access to extension agents Yaffa, Nobles equivalent at UTG, looked forward to SC States assistance with extension development, as the West African nation has a ratio of one extension agent per 1,000 farmers. Extension services are very challenging in our country. South Carolina State has a lot of experience in different aspects of agricultural extension services, Yaffa said. They can teach us so we can close the gap between the number of farmers and the number of agents in this country. With the help of South Carolina State University, we should be able to achieve that in three to five years, he said. Along with Conyers, Noble and Drammeh, SC States delegation to Gambia included Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president of research and PSA; Dr. Edoe Agbodjan, associate extension administrator for PSA; and Dr. Joshua Idassi, SC State PSA's state program leader for sustainable agriculture and natural resources, all of whom will contribute to the agricultural work in Gambia. Dr. Louis Whitesides, SC State vice president of research and PSA, discusses how using artificial intelligence and other advanced technology can improve agriculture at the University of the Gambia. The MOU with the University of Gambia symbolizes a shared commitment to advancing research and educational opportunities that will address local issues for Gambians and ultimately serve as model solutions for global agricultural challenges, Whitesides said. Through this partnership, we aim to cultivate innovation and sustainability that will benefit both institutions and most importantly, the communities we serve while developing the next leaders in agriculture. After the MOU was signed, Whitesides delivered a presentation to the Gambiansabout how using artificial intelligence and other technology can enhance agriculture. Yaffa said UTG students who visit South Carolina will gain from SC States expertise, particularly in technological applications for agriculture. It will expand their knowledge about how a bigger country like the United States of America does agriculture, he said. Hopefully when they come back, they will replicate some of those new technologies they learn about while they are there. As much of an honor as it is to go to space, theres a lot to worry about: completing your mission, making sure everything separating you from the void doesnt explode, the lack of IMAX theaters, etc. But the worst-case scenario (that doesnt kill you immediately, at least) is getting stuck out there, with no way of knowing when youll be able to come back to your home planet. It happens more often than youd think. 5 The Boeing Starliner Test Flight On June 5, 2024, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore embarked upon a test flight to the International Space Station on Boeings new Starliner spacecraft. They were supposed to come back eight days later, but technical issues with the Starliner have left them stranded for more than two months, and they might be up there for eight more. They might even have to hitch a ride back on a SpaceX flight, which is like getting a lift home from a party with the glee club because your friends abandoned you. 4 Expedition 15 Amazingly, this isnt the first time Sunita Williams has stared down the prospect of getting stuck in space. In 2007, she was on a mission to the ISS that was supposed to end in early July, but damage to a space shuttle meant potentially delaying her return by several weeks. NASA was discussing ways to make her more comfortable for that extended period of time, but she actually ended up coming home early, in late June. What a roller coaster. 3 Expedition 57 In June 2018, Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Sergey Prokopyev and Alexander Gerst flew up to the ol ISS, expecting to return in early December after two other astronauts were sent to join them in October. Then a booster rocket that was supposed to launch those guys failed, leaving the original three stranded indefinitely. That turned out to be 17 days longer than expected, which is about a century in stuck in space years. 2 Expedition 67/68/69 Would you believe it? Once again, the same astronaut got stuck in space twice. In 2022, it was Sergey Prokopyev who somehow worked up the nerve to return to the ISS, along with Dmitri Petelin and Frank Rubio, for what was supposed to be a six-month mission but ended up lasting more than a year after their return capsule was damaged. Rubio got the American record for the longest spaceflight, but since another Russian had him beat by about two months, all Prokopyev got was a well-deserved vacation. An analysis of build artifacts generated by GitHub Actions workflows inside open-source repositories belonging to major companies revealed sensitive access tokens to third-party cloud services, as well as GitHub itself. In addition, a change made this year in the GitHub artifacts feature has introduced a race condition that attackers can exploit to abuse previously unusable GitHub tokens. The investigation, performed by Yaron Avital, a researcher with Palo Alto Networks, found secrets in artifacts stored in dozens of public repositories, some corresponding to projects maintained by Google, Microsoft, Amazon AWS, Canonical, Red Hat, OWASP, and other major organizations. The tokens provided access to various cloud services and infrastructure, music streaming services, and more. This allows malicious actors with access to these artifacts the potential of compromising the services to which these secrets grant access, Avital wrote in his report. In most of the vulnerable projects we discovered during this research, the most common leakage is of GitHub tokens, allowing an attacker to act against the triggering GitHub repository. This potentially leads to the push of malicious code that can flow to production through the CI/CD pipeline, or to access secrets stored in the GitHub repository and organization. Hong Kong's population in mid-2024 up 0.1 pct from 2023 Xinhua) 10:10, August 16, 2024 HONG KONG, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's population in mid-2024 stood at 7,531,800, up 0.1 percent compared with the end of 2023 and down 0.1 percent compared with mid-2023, according to government estimates released on Thursday. Provisional figures by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government indicated that in mid-2024 there were 7,287,400 usual residents in Hong Kong and 244,400 mobile residents. The population at the end of 2023 was revised to 7,527,900, with the figure for usual residents revised to 7,246,400 and that for mobile residents to 281,500. A government spokesperson said the population saw a small increase in the first half of 2024 due to the introduction of various government policies to draw talent and import labor, with a sizeable inflow of persons from the Chinese mainland and other places around the world. In early 2023, with the full resumption of normal travel, many Hong Kong residents living abroad began returning to the city for short durations of stay, resulting in a notable increase in the population in mid-2023 compared to a year earlier, the spokesperson added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Officials located the body of 48-year-old Patricia Portella-Wright of Kings Beach off a Nevada highway. Provided by Placer County Sheriff's Office Officials found the body of 48-year-old Patricia Portella-Wright of Kings Beach off a Nevada highway. Brent Clifford, 55, her boyfriend, is in custody on murder charges. Provided by Placer County Sheriff's Office No motive for Patricia Portella-Wrights death was released and the investigation is continuing, officials said. Provided by Placer County Sheriff's Office A Tahoe-area woman was found dead off a Nevada highway, officials said Wednesday. Officials tentatively identified the body as that of Patricia Portella-Wright, 48, a Kings Beach woman who was reported missing on Aug. 9, the Placer County Sheriffs Office wrote on social media. Her body was found down a steep embankment off Mount Rose Highway in Nevadas Washoe County in a condition that suggested foul play, officials said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Portella-Wright had not been seen since Aug. 4, when officials believe she was with her boyfriend, Brent Clifford, 55, also of Kings Beach. Officials identified Clifford as a suspect and arrested him in Portola Wednesday on an active warrant. He is in custody in the Placer County jail on a murder charge. Clifford is also a person of interest in a Reno homicide, according to the Reno Police Department. The victim in the Reno case was discovered dead Sunday from a gunshot wound, police said. A person of interest then fled in the victims vehicle, a Chevrolet Blazer. The car was later found near where Clifford was arrested in Portola. Advertisement Article continues below this ad CATSKILL Less than one month after the newly refurbished Dutchmans Landing boat launch reopened, the Board of Trustees voted at a special m SCHENECTADY The New York Folklore Society (NYFS) is hosting a metal art demonstration as part of its Art in Bloom event series on Sunday at On Tuesday, Ernest Dykes, once a death row inmate and now 52, was handed down a new sentence that will allow him to be freed from prison next year. Associated Press The bullet pierced Bernice Clarks neck first, then penetrated her 9-year-old grandsons heart, stomach and liver. Clark survived the 1993 shooting in East Oakland. Her grandson, Lance Clark, did not. The shooter was convicted of charges including murder and attempted murder, and sentenced to death, but on Tuesday, Ernest Dykes, now 52, was handed down a new sentence that will allow him to be freed from prison next year. All because of what Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said amounted to prosecutorial misconduct in the jury selection process three decades ago. In line with a resolution reached between Prices office and Dykes attorneys, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Stevens reduced Dykes murder conviction to voluntary manslaughter and sentenced him to 32 years in prison for the double-shooting. With credit for time served, Dykes is expected to be released on probation in May. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The resolution marked a monumental development in a case that Price said lay bare evidence that, in past decades, defendants in death penalty cases did not receive fair trials because prosecutors improperly dismissed prospective jurors who were Black or Jewish. The revelations in Dykes case, made public in April, kicked off a review of the 35 death sentences in the county dating back to the 1980s, as ordered by U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, who was assigned a federal appeal Dykes filed. Lances sister, Kristie Clark, expressed sorrow in a letter filed in court Wednesday. While she did not explicitly object to Dykes new sentence or release, she said she felt profound hurt over the trial and what she perceives as a lack of genuine regret or remorse on Dykes part. Her brother and grandmother were not at the wrong place at the wrong time; she said, adding that Dykes targeted her grandmother in what she called a planned and monstrous act. Her family, she said, is still here, still hurting, and have not forgotten the pain and injustice we have endured. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a statement to the Chronicle, Price apologized to the Clark family and the public, including the Black and Jewish communities, for what she called prosecutorial misconduct under previous district attorneys. Dykes attorney declined to comment. Clark was Dykes landlady. He and his mother rented a unit at an apartment building Clark owned in East Oakland. On July 26, 1993, Clark, who was 70, drove to the apartments with her grandson. As they sat in her car, a tenant asked to borrow $20. She agreed. As the tenant signed a receipt, Dykes, then 20, approached with a stocking mask covering his face. He put a gun against Clarks head and demanded money. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But his disguise failed; Clark recognized him. Thats when he fired several shots. Clark, who was hospitalized, wasnt told right away that her grandson had died. The concern was shed suffer a heart attack. It didnt take long for police to identify Dykes as the shooter. He admitted to the crimes, but he claimed the shooting was unintentional. He insisted as much when he testified at his trial. The jury rejected his testimony and found him guilty of charges including murder, attempted murder and robbery, as well as gun-use allegations and a special-circumstance allegation that the murder occurred during a robbery. The jurors imposed a death sentence. Dykes appealed his convictions and death sentence first in state court, then in federal court, after the state Supreme Court upheld the case. As part of the proceedings in federal court, Prices office reviewed the case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In its files from Dykes trial, the office found notes that indicated the prosecutors sought to limit the number of Black and Jewish jurors, Price said in April when she announced the review of death sentences. None of the jurors were Black or Jewish in the end. Price, a former civil rights attorney, took office last year after a campaign in which she promised not to seek the death penalty or lengthy sentences. She will face a recall vote in November. Critics lambaste her stance as far too lenient with defendants while supporters say her reform-minded approach is necessary to make the criminal justice system more fair. In a motion that sought a new sentence for Dykes, Prices office described the prosecutors actions as prosecutorial misconduct, citing it as grounds for a new sentence for Dykes. The motion included copies of prosecutors written notes about several jurors. Some noted the race of jurors and the prosecutors belief theyd likely not vote for the death penalty. I liked him better than any other Jew but no way possible must kick, too risky, one of the notes stated. The office also cited other factors for the court to consider, including Dykes age at the time of the crime. The motion stated that youthful impulsivity likely played a role in his poor (and dishonorable) decision to rob someone he knew while ineptly disguised and his decision to pull the trigger when Clark recognized him. The motion also said Dykes childhood was marked by poverty, as well as neglect and abuse from his parents. In prison, his disciplinary record remained minimal over the years, according to the motion. His record includes a fistfight in 1997, according to the motion. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In 2019, he obtained a high school-equivalent diploma. He has also completed domestic violence and substance use disorder courses and victim impact and restorative justice classes, according to the motion. A psychologist evaluated Dykes in June and opined that Dykes has rehabilitated himself and was at extremely low risk of committing another act of violence, the motion said. While Prices office supported Dykes release from prison, the reentry team in the office favored a delay to solidify a plan for Dykes to successfully reintegrate in society. As part of the ongoing review of the countys death sentences, the office reached a resolution in two other cases. In one of the cases, Keith Thomas, 51, who was convicted in 1997 of kidnapping, raping and murdering Francia Young, of Oakland, was handed down a new sentence last month: 23 years to life in prison, a term that made him eligible for parole. San Francisco had the fifth-highest fatal overdose rate among large U.S. counties in 2023. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle San Francisco is on track to reduce its number of fatal overdoses this year, a promising shift in the citys drug epidemic. But its unlikely that progress alone will be enough to shake its status as an epicenter of the United States overdose crisis, which was cemented by a major jump last year. San Franciscos overdose rate rose to 88 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, up from 73 the previous year. That made the citys overdose rate the fifth highest of any large county in the U.S. last year, according to newly available full-year data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The increase went against last years national trend, with the CDC reporting the first decline in fatal drug overdoses since 2018. The CDC estimates that the final tally will show more than 108,000 deaths last year, down slightly from the 111,000 in 2022. Nationwide, the fatal overdose rate was 31 deaths per 100,000 in 2023, about one-third of San Franciscos number. The CDC data for San Francisco is generally less up-to-date than counts from the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which are generally higher since the health department conducts additional tests to identify overdose that are not included in the CDC data. The OCME tallied 810 accidental drug overdose deaths in 2023, about 100 more than the 713 reported by the CDC. While the city considers its totals to be more reliable, experts say the federally compiled numbers are the best available for comparing rates between counties. (More information about the CDCs numbers are available on the Chronicles national overdose tracker.) Experts met the decline in U.S. overdose deaths with caution, noting that overdose deaths are still alarmingly high, especially compared to their pre-pandemic counts, and that its too early to tell if the decline will continue. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And not everywhere saw a drop in deaths. Besides San Francisco, fatal overdose rates also jumped in Portlands Multnomah County and Seattles King County. The overdose rate in Baltimore, the worst of any large U.S. county or independent city, increased after a 2022 dip. A number of counties in parts of the East Coast and Appalachia, which were initial hot spots for the overdose epidemic, saw declines. Fatal overdose rates in Indianapolis Marion County, Memphis Shelby County and Philadelphia all dropped modestly. Those rates could be affected by differences in jurisdictions abilities to detect and report fatal drug overdoses. Brendan Saloner, a researcher of substance use disorder at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg University School of Public Health, said that while optimists might see the data as a sign the crisis has turned a corner, he believes its too soon to celebrate. Saloner said that rising fatal overdose rates in West Coast counties are partially due to the growing dominance of fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid now involved in the vast majority of overdose deaths. Fentanyl became a major presence on the East Coast first, and overdose deaths surged west of the Mississippi only after the substance gained a foothold in counties there a few years later. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Francisco has had (a long advantage) of being isolated from this issue, said Saloner. Now its hitting really hard. Fentanyl is still driving overdose deaths in the United States, but public health officials also have to contend with a rapidly changing drug supply, Saloner said. In East Coast cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, animal sedatives like xylazine and medetomidine have contributed to drug overdose deaths. San Francisco public health officials have raised the importance of monitoring for those substances, though they havent yet been detected to the same degree they are in some other regions. Keeping the public informed of the presence of new drugs is also important for limiting the number of overdoses, Saloner said, as are long-term solutions like medication-assisted treatment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Has Keir Starmer, apparently bewitched by his enforcer Sue Gray, read former chief secretary to the Treasury David Laws's 2016 account of working with Sue in the Cabinet Office? 'Unless she agrees, things just don't happen,' wrote Laws. 'Cabinet reshuffles, departmental reorganisations, the whole lot it's all down to Sue Gray Our poor, deluded voters think the Prime Minister holds the reins of power. 'Wrong! The truth is our real leader, Sue Gray, sits at a small desk in the Cabinet Office. If only the Chinese and the Russians knew! They have probably been bugging all the wrong phones for years.' Sue Gray spotted in Westminster on July 29 Has Keir Starmer been bewitched by his enforcer Sue Gray? Miriam Margolyes's 'Jewish and vile' rant Attention-seeking Miriam Margolyes, gets noticed at the Edinburgh Festival by telling BBC Radio 4 Front Row's Kirsty Wark that she thought Charles Dickens's creation Fagin was 'Jewish and vile' when she was a child, adding: 'I didn't know Jews like that then sadly I do now.' The BBC has removed her unpleasant spout from recordings. Hasn't vulgarian Miriam, who usually grabs attention by passing wind on the Graham Norton Show, gone too far? Miriam Margolyes with A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens A painting fit for a Queen? As the funeral of the late Queen's private secretary Lord Fellowes looms, opinion remains divided on Lucian Freud's portrait of Her Majesty, which was engineered by Fellowes. He spent six years convincing artist and monarch that it was a good idea. The portrait was both hailed as a triumph and condemned as resembling a corgi in a wig. Prince Philip hated it. When Andrew Parker Bowles told Philip he was sitting for Freud, the Duke replied, 'What on earth do you want to go and do that for?' Lucien Freud's portrait of the late Queen now hangs at Buckingham Palace Her Majesty liked Freud's minuscule portrait so much that she kept it with her private paintings rather than passing it on to the Royal Collection. But King Charles and Freud didn't really get on. In the 1990s, he tried to get a free Freud in exchange for what he called 'one of my rotten old watercolours'. The director of the National Gallery asked Freud how he was going to respond. 'Tell him to f*** off, of course,' replied Lucian. Meghan Markle is not British, but could she be an honorary Colombian? Might Meghan transform into an honorary Colombian during her state visit? Touring Nigeria, she revealed herself to be 43 per cent Nigerian, calling it 'my country'. She has also claimed Malta as her country. No claim yet that Meghan thinks the UK to be her country, however, even though she is distant kin to Robert I of Scotland and is related to Danny Dyer via Edward III. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on their first day of their trip to Colombia The cheapskate billionaire who owns ritzy hotels Femme Fatale Petronella Wyatt shares details of her lunch with a wheelchair-bound octogenarian billionaire seeking a 'purely sexual relationship'. 'He said that in return he would "help me with my holidays",' she says. 'His family owned a couple of ritzy hotels and I assumed he was offering me one of them.' He wasn't. "What I can do," he continued, "is get you a room upgrade".' Petsy describes him as a 'dirty, rotten cheapskate'. Fancy! It was the look on Putin's face that said it all the sudden lip-twitching indignation of the autocrat hearing the truth. He was on live TV, and the governor of the Kursk region was explaining what was actually happening to Russian towns and villages. They were being overwhelmed, said Alexei Smirnov. The Ukrainians had already taken a chunk of land that was 12km deep and 40km wide. At this point Putin's features went into small but visible spasm, like a stroke victim, and he cut the man off. It was up to the military to explain these details, said the Russian president, and moved the conversation on. But Smirnoff had made his point. Putin's embarrassment was plain for the world to see, and since that moment on Monday his humiliation has only intensified. Russian president Vladimir Putin has a face like thunder during the meeting with his officials on Monday Alexey Smirnoff, governor of the Kursk region, gives his report at the meeting on live television before Putin cuts him off When he launched his evil and unjustified invasion, over two years ago, he believed the Ukrainians would fold like napkins. He thought his armoured columns would topple Kyiv in days. Never in his worst nightmares did he imagine that one day Ukrainian tanks would be crossing into Russia; or that they would capture more territory in about a week more than 1,000 square kilometres than the Russians have captured in a year. He never dreamed that he would have to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Russians from their homes, and pay 90 each to those affected. When Putin attacked Ukraine, he thought he would soon be installing a puppet regime in Kyiv. Now he finds that the Ukrainians have actually captured 80 villages inside Russia itself, and set up a military administration in the Russian town of Sudzha. As I write, the Ukrainian counterpunch continues. For those of us who love Ukraine, and who passionately want the Ukrainians to be free, the past few days have been exhilarating: the best news in a long time. This lightning dash into the Kursk region reminds us of the key truth about the whole war: that from the beginning we have always underestimated the Ukrainians. We have underestimated their gift of surprise, the way they ruthlessly kept their latest plan a secret. We have underestimated their boldness their willingness to do what people have thought impossible. And we have chronically underestimated their sheer fury at the Russian invader the deep yearning in Ukrainian breasts to expel Putin's troops from every inch of Ukrainian land. So for pity's sake, can we finally cut the cackle, drop the ludicrous Putin-phobia and give the Ukrainians the tools they really need to finish the job; and by that I mean the proper permission to use the tools we have already given. We all want this war to be over; we all want to stop the bloodletting, on every side. So let's end the delay and the half-measures. When it comes to UK support for the Ukrainians, it is time for the Labour Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, to stop pussyfooting around. We can all see why the Kursk operation is tactically brilliant. By taking and then defending a chunk of Russian territory, the Ukrainians pose a grim strategic challenge for Putin. He can either let the insult go unavenged impossible or else he will be forced to retake the salient, village by village, with waves of conscript troops. What this war has shown so far is that it is far costlier in blood and weapons to retake a piece of land than to defend it. So Putin will probably have to divert troops from elsewhere, and the Ukrainians are naturally hoping that this will relieve the pressure in the Donbas. Here, by contrast, it is the Russians who have been making some grinding progress: using huge air-launched glide bombs to flatten Ukrainian positions. The Ukrainians have been unable properly to retaliate and unable to protect themselves, because we have been forcing them to fight with one hand tied behind their backs. The only way to stop the glide bombs is to hit the air bases used by those Russian planes; and the only way to hit those bases is to use the Western kit they already have. The Ukrainians have the ATACMS system from the US, they have bunker-busting Storm Shadow missiles from the UK. What they do not have is the permissions they need to use those missiles against their tormentors. Why don't we do it? Why don't we give them the freedom to strike military sites in Russia? After all, the Russians have rained indiscriminate murder on Ukrainian cities never mind military bases for more than two years. We are told, as ever, that we fear 'escalation'. But in truth the person who really fears escalation is Putin. He has lost hundreds of thousands of troops; he has lost huge quantities of armour; he is now severely overstretched. Now is the moment for the friends of Ukraine, led by the US and the UK, to go up a gear. Boris Johnson when he was British Prime Minister warmly greeting Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv in 2022 Throughout this conflict we have tended not only to underestimate the Ukrainians but to be too slow and gingerly in coming to their aid. We always end up changing our minds, and recognising the case for arming the Ukrainians but only after unconscionable delays and the consequent loss of life. Remember that in 2022 we told the Poles that they couldn't even give the Ukrainians some Soviet-era MiG-29s. Well, the US has now moved so far as to furnish the Ukrainians with F-16s. We were told that it would be 'provocative' and 'escalatory' if we gave the Ukrainians the kind of battlefield armour they needed. Today, there are American, French and German tanks involved in that Kursk operation and of course there are British Challengers. It was the British Challengers that broke the taboo on sending tanks, and encouraged other countries to follow suit, just as it was the British decision to give the NLAW anti-tank missiles that emboldened other European countries to give their own lethal weaponry. Now is the time for the UK to do the same again: show some leadership, show some initiative on Storm Shadow, and the rest of our friends and allies will follow suit. When Volodymyr Zelensky came to Britain last month, he was mystified to be told, by Keir Starmer, that he had UK permission to use Storm Shadow against Russian bases only for that permission to be rescinded a few days later. There followed a peculiar briefing, to a newspaper, that Storm Shadow could only be used with 'French' permission. I can assure readers that this is complete nonsense. Yes, of course it is always better as Churchill said to do things in concert with the Americans. But these are UK weapons, paid for by the UK taxpayer, and we should have the guts to decide how they can be used. As my friend former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace never tires of saying, there are other things we should also be doing such as training more Ukrainian troops. But the most important task now is to give the Ukrainians the permissions they need for the weapons they already have, to save time and save lives. By their heroism, the Ukrainians have once again exploded the myth of Putin's invincibility. They have proved to their Western backers, again, that they can and will win. We are morally obliged to help them and faster. A new TikTok trend has taken social media by storm with Generation Z using the phrase 'very demure, very mindful' to describe everything - from how they dress to how they eat. The trend is said to have been sparked by a now viral TikTok video by American content creator Jools Lebron (known on the platform as @joolieannie). In the satirical clip, Jools tells people to dress 'demurely' - with the phrase becoming so popular that people are predicting that what Gen Z-ers have called 'Brat Summer' will be followed by 'Demure Fall'. In the clip, which now has nearly four million views and 1.5 millions likes, the self-described 'fierce diva' encourages women to dress in a way that is 'demure and modest and respectful at the workplace'. 'You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure. Very mindful,' she said in the video. 'I don't come to work with a green-cut crease. I don't look like a clown when I go to work. I don't do too much. I'm very mindful while I'm at work. You see how I look very presentable? The way I came to the interview is the way I go to the job.' In one British user's video where she is pictured in a hooded sweatshirt in bed, an individual said 'Remember girls, we may be rotting, but we can keep it demure' Another TikTok creator made a video in which she described eating doughnuts in a way that is 'very demure' She continued: 'A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like Patty and Selma. Not demure. I'm very modest. I'm very mindful. You see my shirt? Only a little chee chee out, not my cho cho. Be mindful of why they hired you.' 'Here's your reality check, diva,' she added. 'What's the name you'd like me to make it out to?' The clip has become a viral sensational with Gen Z filming videos featuring the words 'very demure, very mindful'. The videos are becoming increasingly bizarre, with Jools herself referring to the explosive trend as 'demurity obscurity' to describe the strange ways users have described doing literally anything from eating sliced apple to wearing deodorant as 'vey demure'. It appears there are no limits as to what can be described as 'demure and mindful' with Gen Z using it to glamourise activities from 'bed rotting' (where individuals spend a long period of time in bed scrolling on their phones) to eating chocolate cake or going for a walk. After the satirical clip captured the imagination of Gen Z-ers, Jools began to create more content around the 'demure' trend, creating further videos telling fans how to be 'modest' in a plethora of scenarios, many absurd. The original creator of the trend, Jools Lebron, joked about using deodorant 'in a demure way' In the clip, the self-described 'fierce diva', Jools Lebron (pictured) encourages women to dress in a way that is 'demure and modest and respectful at the workplace' A user joked about what she's 'like at the pool' describing herself as behaving very demurely and mindfully, as part of the ongoing trend Another creator describes eating an apple are 'demure'. The trend is thought to make reference to the previously popular 'clean girl aesthetic' that dominated social media and encouraged women to embody classiness and refinement Describing 'the obscurity of demurity', Jools noted that she had seen the abundance of videos made in the name of being 'demure' but was aware of their comical value. She said: 'Every demure video is just me referencing me, that's the entire joke. 'People are like, maybe we shouldn't judge people for the way they arrive to work, like girl, I'm judging myself!' In one clip, she tells her fans how to 'demurely' thank hotel staff by buying them a tray of donuts, as well as how to have a 'demure' midnight snack with a 'low-calorie' option. Jools has even posted clips where she described being 'demured' in public by fans repeating the viral phrase to her. Others that have since been posted by Jools show 'how to get your nails done and be demure', how to visit New York 'in a demure way' and how to 'have a nice demure drink at the airport'. In a clip which has gathered four million views, nearly as many as the original video, a British mother joked about eating a slice of chocolate cake with cream in a way that was 'demure and mindful'. In the video, she wears a hooded sweatshirt in bed, and says: 'Remember girls, we may be rotting, but we can keep it demure. 'When I'm rotting in bed, I like to keep it very classy, very mindful and very demure. I like to keep it clean and the snacks green, very coordinated, thoughtful and demure. 'I'm not like the other girls, I like to shower and then get into clean clothes because every bed rotting day deserves a new outfit. Commenting on the video when it first came out, one user accurately predicted: 'Demure is going to take the internet by storm 'The videos are very melodic, the way that she's speaking, is begging to become a sound.' Since the video was posted, clips featuring the trend have received millions of views. The now viral word has become so popular that some are predicting that it will take over 'brat' as the sensation of the year Some believe that videos glamourising eating cake, going on walks and bed rotting 'demurely', are poking fun at the former trend of opposing 'clean' values Since the satirical clip became a descriptor for Gen Z, Jools herself began to create more content around the 'demure' tend, creating further videos telling fans how to be 'modest' in a plethora of scenarios, some absurd The trend is thought to make reference to the previously popular 'clean girl aesthetic' that dominated social media and encouraged women to embody classiness and refinement. Some believe that videos glamourising eating cake, going on walks and bed rotting 'demurely', are poking fun at the former trend of opposing 'clean' values. In another video, one user reveals 'how to be demure and take your antidepressants'. While taking one of their tablets, the creator says it is 'so I don't fall into a manic episode'. The now viral word has become so popular, that some are predicting that it will take over 'brat' as the sensation of the year. One user wrote: 'Brat summer, demure fall,' predicting the upcoming season will be domianted by even more 'demure' related content. A woman in her fifties who hasn't had sex with her husband in ten years has revealed how her libido was transformed by taking HRT - and she's now having affairs behind her spouse's back. Nikki*, from the south east of England, has been with her husband for 20 years and they have one teenage child together. She has been celibate for the past decade as her spouse, who is 25 years her senior, isn't interested in having sex. Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, the 51-year-old said: 'He's always struggled with erectile dysfunction. He just doesn't bother anymore. I wasn't happy with it but just kind of [accepted] that [celibacy] was the life I was going to lead.' Nikki said being in a sexless relationship for a decade has affected her mental health as she felt 'incredibly lonely' and 'unseen'. Nikki, not her real name, has been having an affair with a man five years younger than her (stock image) She added: 'You just feel like you're housemates, the feeling of there's nothing more to life than this.' Nikki has been going through perimenopause, where you have symptoms of menopause but your periods have not stopped. She experienced mood swings, brain fog and and periods so heavy that she could not leave the house. What is HRT and does it affect sex drive? The main medicine treatment for menopause and perimenopause symptoms is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This replaces the hormones that are at low levels. It involves using oestrogen to replace the body's own levels when facing menopause. Those who have wombs will also need to take progesterone to protect the lining from the effects of oestrogen. Taking both hormones is called combined HRT. After taking these hormones, some find that they may have an increased sex drive. Testosterone is usually only recommended for women whose low libido does not improve after using HRT. Source: NHS Advertisement Her doctor gave her oestrogen and progesterone patches which left her feeling like a 'Duracell bunny' - full of energy and unable to sleep. They then gave her the Mirena coil, which now lasts up to eight years, resulting in her periods stopping. She was also told to apply oestrogen gel once everyday. 'One of the side effects of it is that you feel really randy all of the time, which I wasn't expecting. It was like a happy accident,' she said. But the HRT treatment helped Nikki realise that she was not happy in her marriage, leading her to look for intimate satisfaction elsewhere. 'With the hormones from HRT, it has awakened my senses a bit more and I just thought I can't live like this anymore,' she added. 'I'm 51, I've got years and years left to enjoy it and [I thought] I'm just going to have to look for it somewhere else.' She started a profile on the dating website, Illicit Encounters - a dating site for married people - , and said it has 'brought her back to life'. Nikki said she has had a range of different experiences on the dating website, from meeting up with people and having no chemistry to getting ghosted. 'I [then] met somebody and we've been having an amazing time. We have an emotional connection as well as a physical one,' she said. Her lover is a married man who is five years younger than her and has a young family. They met in February this year and became physically intimate one week after they met up in real life. Nikki and her mystery man get hotel rooms halfway from where they both live, sometimes staying overnight. 'We never go over to each other's houses, it has to be a hotel,' she said. The mother-of-one is able to slip away unnoticed by telling her husband that she is going to the gym or doing a food shop. Nikki was celibate for a decade because her husband could not perform in the bedroom (stock image) She said: 'We have [stayed overnight] a couple of times. I would go and stay with family because I've got relatives in different parts of the UK, so I can tag on an extra night.' She said her lover is also struggling with loneliness and a lack of intimacy in his marriage and they usually meet up every week or fortnight. Speaking about the first time they had slept together, she said: 'I was terrified, especially knowing he was younger as well, I was worried about the physical side of things, like being too dry, not remembering what to do. 'I know it sounds really silly, but I had forgotten how to kiss somebody. 'Actually when we first got together, he couldn't get an erection because I think he was very terrified as well.' After having sex for the first time in ten years, Nikki said she felt a sense of relief that her body had performed as she had wanted. She said: 'I had forgotten how fun it was and I thought oh my god what the hell have I been doing for the past ten years? 'But I feel guilty. Maybe a bit more sad that I didn't have this relationship with my husband and never will again. We've gone past that now, there's just no way it's going to happen again.' Nikki said she was nervous to have sex for the first time in 10 years and said she had forgotten 'how fun it was' Nikki said her husband is the type of man to 'brush things under the carpet' whereas she describes her new lover as emotionally intelligent and sensitive. When asked whether an open marriage could be an option for them, she said that they struggle with communication in their relationship, which is getting worse as the 'age gap becomes more obvious'. 'When we were first together, we'd talk about anything and everything but now as he's getting older we don't have that level of communication to the point where we rarely speak. There's just nothing between us anymore, which is really sad,' she added. Nikki said leaving her husband has crossed her mind 'pretty much every day for the last five years' but she feels guilty because of his age and also for their child. 'I felt like I've had to stay in the marriage for [my child] to see it through, do my job as a mum and get them through school' she added. The mother has not been physically intimate with anyone else and admits she is 'picky' when it comes to finding a new love interest. Speaking of people on Illicit Encounters, she said: 'Sometimes they'd do funny things like send a list of demands of things they'd want in the bedroom, things I'd never heard of, before even asking your name. So it makes me feel lucky with what I did find,' she said. The only person who knows about her secret relationship is one of her close friends, who said her only concern is that Nikki will end up 'emotionally hurt'. Ever since starting her affair, Nikki said she has felt 'happier, brighter and more glowy' and feels as though she gets more attention in public. She said: '[Leaving my husband] has been on my mind a lot. Meeting other people has made me realise that I don't have to be in a non-affectionate, non-physical, non-communicative relationship. 'I don't know how he'll feel. Maybe his pride will be hurt or maybe he'll just be accepting of the fact that he doesn't offer me a good marriage or partnership.' Nikki believes her child, who is in their teenage years, would be 'relieved' if they were to split up as they've 'really sensed the tension'. *Names have been changed A psychologist and academic has slammed a cosmetics company over the name of one of its nail varnish shades, claiming it promotes an unhealthy relationship dynamic. Dr Jessica Taylor, a feminist author and campaigner from Stoke-on-Trent, took to her X/Twitter and Instagram accounts to tell her 100,000 followers that she loves the shade of her Sally Hansen nail varnish but 'hates' its name, 'Jealous Boyfriend'. On Wednesday, Jessica posted a picture of the offending nail item on her Instagram and X account writing: 'I absolutely LOVE the new colour of my nail varnish but I absolutely HATE the name of the shade. What were you thinking Sally Hansen? 'I didn't even notice the name until just now 'Why would you call your cosmetic product 'jealous boyfriend'? Jessica Taylor, 33, a feminist author and campaigner from Stoke-On-Trent, took to her Twitter and Instagram account to tell her 100k followers that she 'hates' Sally Hansen's nail polish because the shade is called 'jealous boyfriend' normalises envious partners Yesterday, Jessica posted a picture of the offending nail item onher Instagram and Twitter account writing: 'I absolutely LOVE the new colour of my nail varnish but I absolutely HATE the name of the shade. What were you thinking Sally Hansen? The offending nail polish is Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in a deep and rich shade of forest green. The polish, which costs 9.99 from Superdrug, is called 'jealous boyfriend', presumably to reflect envy and jealousy, which are commonly associated with dark green shades. Responding to Dr Taylor's post, people shared their own distaste over the name of the nail polish, with many writing that the language promotes 'male toxicity'. One wrote: 'Again normalising a perpetrators' behaviour! What do victims have to do to be the priority! I'd prefer a bottle called badass survivor or she's a warrior!' Another furious viewer wrote: 'The Jealous (and Possessive) has been romanticised in the Teen-Bop world for a long time. Think of Edward in the Twilight saga: stalking, jealous, possessive. 'But he's so dreamy!' Others accused the product of 'glorifying toxicity' while others expressed fears the nail varnish brand was 'normalising' jealous boyfriend tropes for young girls. Femail has contacted Sally Hansen for comment. Despite Dr Taylor's post, the product has glowing reviews on the Superdrug website with 86 per cent of users saying they would recommend it to a friend and over 11,000 awarding it a five star review. While commenters didn't remark on the political implications of the shade branding, several did compliment its durability and shine. Jealous Boyfriend' isn't the first cosmetic product to upset people with his tongue in cheek branding. In 2019, the luxury makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury, found themselves in hot water after they named a lipstick shade and eyeshadow palette 'The Walk of Shame'. While the lipstick and lip liner had long featured of the expensive collective, the release of the new eyeshadow palette raised eyebrows from some who said the name was 'slut-shaming' and humiliating women who embarked on casual sexual encounters. In a post on Instagram by the brand featuring the new product, commenters wrote: 'The name of this palette bugs me' and 'Pillow Talk and Glowgasm, OK. But why Walk Of Shame?' Another said: 'The name of this gorgeous palette is a real oversight.' The shimmery quadrant palette subsequently received a touch up on its name after being rebranded 'walk of no shame'. The offending nail polish is Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in a deep and rich shade of forest green (pictured) Social media users flocked to the commenters to express their distaste towards the nail polish, with many writing that the language promotes 'male toxicity' It comes after Dr Taylor, who is a campaigner for women's rights, revealed in her the prejudice she faced from academic peers in her memoir which came out earlier this year. Jessica was raised in poverty on a council estate on the fringes of Stoke-on-Trent. The author said she was advised to stop telling people about the traumas, including child abuse and repeated rapes, that she endured growing up. She fell pregnant with her first son as a teenager and after giving birth to a second son, she worked full time while completing her degree, and later a PHD in forensic psychology - but says she was judged on her upbringing and for being 'too' open about the abuse she experienced. She told MailOnline she was driven to write her memoir because of the 'them and us' culture that still exists in the profession, saying: 'The elitism and superiority in psychology and academia sickens me. 'I never expected to be framed as stupid, dangerous and unsophisticated just because of where I come from and my childhood.' The tweet, in 2017, that sparked the email from a colleague suggesting that if Dr Taylor continued to discuss her trauma then she would bring the profession into disrepute Speaking on a recent episode of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, the psychologist recounted how an email discussing her upbringing was sent around an 'entire department' while she was studying for a PHD She wrote on X at the time: 'I remember growing up poor as f*** and hating living on a council estate. Now I love that I grew up there cos it gave me the connection to real poverty & real life I need to be a great psychologist and activist. Ain't enough of us in this field.' The email that followed to her university colleagues warned that being so open about her upbringing might bring 'the entire field into disrepute'. Speaking to Woman's Hour presenter Clare McDonnell in May about the incident, she said: 'A psychologist basically sent a load of emails around all the other professors and psychologists in my department saying: ''Did you know she's from a council estate? Did you know she's been raped? Did you know she was a teenage mum?'' She said the individual also told colleagues: 'If someone like her ever becomes a psychologist, she will bring the entire field into disrepute.' That is word for word in those emails.' Jessica claimed she was repeatedly asked to stop talking about her upbringing and prior experiences since people wouldn't be able to take he 'seriously'. She also described Brisbane suburbs as 'rundown and trashy' Lauren was excited to move from America to Australia and experience a new way of life - but despite the hype of travelling abroad, there's one aspect she dearly misses about home. The 28-year-old quickly realised videos and pictures she saw on social media romanticised reality of living Down Under. She claimed the gorgeous sunsets she admired often in Arizona don't compare to sunsets in Brisbane - and dubbed the city as 'so rundown'. 'No one romanticising moving to Australia talks about how hard it is to go from this.. to this,' she wrote in a now-viral TikTok video. The short clip showed a sunset with orange and purple hues compared to a dreary grey sky in Australia at dusk. 'Yes, there are beautiful places in Australia and yes it's possible to find them and live there too,' Lauren wrote. 'But they aren't as common and most of the suburbs look like this: rundown and trashy. 'I'm just posting this to show the reality of moving to Australia. It's not always pleasant and Instagram-worthy.' An American expat living in Australia dubbed suburbs Down Under as 'rundown and trashy' and claimed she's yet to see a gorgeous sunset In the comments, Lauren claimed she's 'never seen' a nice sunset while in Australia. 'I've been all over the US and seven different countries, and while Australia definitely has beautiful places, I would not say any part of it is "the most beautiful landmark I've ever seen in my life",' she declared. In her eyes Brisbane on the east coast is 'so rundown', but admitted she's never been to Western Australia which is known for its glorious sunsets. The short video quickly caught the attention of the masses and exceeded more than 1.5million views - but opinions were divided. Americans agreed Arizona sunsets are incredible, while others encouraged Lauren to explore other parts of Australia. 'I've been all over the US and seven different countries, and while Australia definitely has beautiful places, I would not say any part of it is "the most beautiful landmark I've ever seen in my life",' she declared Which Australian city has the most beautiful sunset? 1. Busselton, Western Australia 2. Cable Beach, Western Australia 3. Great Ocean Road, Victoria 4. Glenelg, South Australia 5. Uluru, Northern Territory 6. Kakadu, Northern Territory 7. Lord Howe Island, New South Wales 8. Moreton Island, Queensland Source: Experience Oz Advertisement 'That's not fair. It's impossible to compare Arizona sunsets to anything. There is nothing like it,' one American commented. 'Finally someone said it,' another wrote and Lauren said: 'Feels good to know I'm not alone. It's been a hard transition.' But dozens of Australians were outraged by her comments and added sunsets Down Under are often picturesque depending on the location. 'As an Aussie, I've actually never seen anywhere like this,' one admitted, referring to the grey skies. 'Don't lie, the US is pretty much a third world country compared to Australia darl,' another wrote. Someone else said Lauren should 'love it or leave it'. This building at 42 Otis St. in San Francisco will be converted to housing for young adults. Google Street View San Francisco will turn a building in the South of Market Street neighborhood into supportive housing for young adults, the city said Thursday after receiving a key grant from the state. Under its plan, the city will convert 24 studio units in the building at 42 Otis St. into housing for homeless residents aged 18 to 24. The project is supported by an $8.2 million grant from the state. The site will be operated by Five Keys, a nonprofit that also operates a site for transitional housing in the city. The city did not release a timeline for the construction work or opening of the facility. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The project comes after the city fell short on its promise to cut youth homelessness in half by 2024, which it previously attributed to a regional and statewide shortage of housing. Despite not reaching this goal, the city has seen some decrease in youth homelessness. The 2024 point-in-time count, a one-night citywide homeless population survey, found that 1,196 youths were homeless in San Francisco, with 823 of those being unsheltered. The unsheltered population of homeless youths saw a 9% decrease since the last point-in-time count in 2022. The mayor has tried to tackle the issue of youth homelessness by adding more housing for young people and a navigation center specifically for homeless youths. The Otis Street project is also part of the mayors plan to cut unsheltered homelessness in half over the next five years. The city increased its housing for the formerly homeless by over 50% since 2018, and now has the most permanent supportive housing of any county in the Bay Area, officials said. The city has over 900 beds for homeless young adults aged 18-24, 75% of which are dedicated to long-term affordable housing. The funding for this project is part of Project Homekey, a statewide program started four years ago that provides money to cities and counties to buy buildings and turn them into affordable housing. This is the eighth grant San Francisco has received from Project Homekey. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In total, San Francisco has received $239 million from Project Homekey grants, contributing to 897 units for the citys homeless population. Other properties the city has purchased with funds from the state program include Mission Inn, Hotel Diva and Granada Hotel. Meghan Markle 'can't keep her hands off' Prince Harry as she performs 'love swoon', flirty smiles and 'hangs on his every word' to reassure him and make him centre of her attention during Colombian tour, a body language expert has claimed. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, looked more loved-up than ever with her husband, 39, as the couple enjoyed their first day of engagements yesterday on their four-day visit to the South American nation. During one particularly tender moment between the pair, Meghan sweetly placed her head on Harry's shoulder while he wrapped his arm around his beaming wife and placed a kiss on her hair. But that wasn't the only affectionate moment between the couple, who at times appeared to struggle to keep their hands off one another. Plenty of photos show the loved-up pair holding hands while watching folk dancers on the first day of their visit - and body language expert Judi James told FEMAIL the act was a 'tie-sign of ownership and affection' from Meghan towards Harry. Meghan Markle once confessed she has 'always been a hugger' - and yesterday proved no different as she put on a very affectionate display with Prince Harry She said: 'Meghans hand on Harrys knee is a tie-sign of ownership and affection as it suggests she still cant keep her hands off him. It would also act as a connecting signal of approval and reassurance if Harry has an qualms about the visit or event. 'Its Meghan who acts like the lead and host for Harry so far on this tour, introducing him to the VP and taking some central spots in the more formal poses, so this "stroking" suggests he still has her love and support. Harrys response comes as he places one hand over hers to show he appreciates the bonding gesture. 'Meghans other key stroking ritual comes from her eye-gazing, where she throws Harry some extended, loving glances or teasing, flirty smiles or raises her brows or aims a pinging laugh at him to show he is still the centre of her attention and to encourage him to relax and laugh himself. 'Even during this first day of the tour she seems to be showing that she is hanging on his every word here. 'Meghans love swoon ritual is one of the most intensely affectionate pieces we have seen from the couple and that is a very high bar. 'Standing together, Meghan folds her hands in a soft, elegant gesture and places them over her heart as she leans her head onto Harrys shoulder. Her mouth smile is wide but her eye expression is softened and lowered, as though she is reflecting on their love in a romantic moment. 'And it has to be said that Harry totally joins in here, making the romantic-looking signals reciprocal and evenly-matched. 'Keeping one hand slung into his jeans pocket to create a manly-looking display along with his leg splay, he bends to kiss his wife on the head here, performing a coy-looking in love smile as he does so.' The Duchess of Sussex, 43, looked more loved-up than ever with her husband, 39, as the couple enjoyed their first day of engagements on their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan and Harry, who live with their two children, Prince Archie , five, and Princess Lilibet, three, in their $14 million Montecito home, were treated to a vibrant tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts The pair at times appeared to struggle to keep their hands off one another Prince Harry speaks with his wife Meghan Markle, flanked by Colombia's vice-President Francia Marquez (L) and the director of the National Centre for the Arts Xiomara Suescun Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meghan and Harry, who live with their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, in their $14 million Montecito home, were treated to a vibrant tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts. The Duchess chatted to vice president Francia Marquez and pointed to some of the costumes, before shaking hands with the dancers at the end of the performance. She looked stylish as she changed into her second look of the tour - a colourful maxi dress by Johanna Ortiz, who has Colombian heritage. The Duchess opted for the $2,150 burgundy Navajo Weaver Metallic Tweed Maxi Dress, and styled her hair into loose waves after her earlier up-do. She wowed in the look, which boasted a slit up the thigh and featured a stylish cut-out in the middle. Though the dress itself appeared to be new, Meghan wore a very similar look on her 'quasi-royal' tour of Africa back in May, wearing a 2,275 striped sundress also by Johanna Ortiz. Meghan kept the same jewellery from earlier in the day, but also appeared to add her $12,800 Cartier juste un clou necklace, which she has sported many times before. She gave a sweet nod to the hosting country, as the dress is made in Colombia itself. It's also practical - featuring removable ruffle sleeves and being cool for the climate, as well as stylish in nature. She styled her hair into loose waves after her earlier up-do - for her second look of the day Meghan wore a colourful maxi dress by Johanna Ortiz made in Colombia in a sweet nod to the hosting country Earlier, Meghan proved her fashion prowess once again as she stepped out in Colombia alongside Prince Harry to begin their four-day tour of the South American nation Meghan was beaming as she watched the performance, with the couple holding hands and showing much affection Meghan was beaming as she watched the performance, with the couple holding hands and showing much affection. Earlier, Meghan proved her fashion prowess once again as she stepped out in Colombia alongside Prince Harry to begin their four-day tour of the South American nation. She put on a stylish display in a 596 collared vest from New York-based brand Veronica Beard. Looking effortlessly elegant, the mother-of-two teamed her sleeveless, buttoned garment with matching navy, ankle-grazing trousers from the designer, priced at 349.33. Cinched at the waist to flatter the Duchess' slender figure, the smart ensemble was paired with black Manolo Blahnik high heels and a cream $4,700 handbag from Italian company Loro Piana. Harry and Meghan were met in the capital Bogota by Colombia's vice president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo on Thursday. During their visit, Prince Harry appeared to criticise the recent riots in the UK following the Southport murders. The Duke and Duchess were welcomed to the South American nation as they began a four-day tour, before visiting a school to discuss the impact of social media. Harry and Meghan were met in the capital Bogota yesterday by Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez, who invited the couple after watching their Netflix docuseries, and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo. After visiting a local school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, Harry told a summit on digital responsibility: 'What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isn't true.' It comes after riots across England and Belfast following the fatal stabbing attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29, which killed Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez and Yerney Pinillo Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at a Summit on Responsible Digital Future in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duke of Sussex visits local charter school, Colegio Cultura Popular Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visits local charter school, Colegio Cultura Popular The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday The couple spoke to children in a session where the class talked about their favourite and least favourite parts of social media, technology and dealing with life on the internet. Later at the conference, the prince addressed the rise of AI as he said 'education and awareness' would be vital in tackling misinformation in a discussion with around 20 students aged 12 to 18. 'It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake,' he said. 'In an ideal world those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts. 'For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down.' His comments follow rioting by far-right thugs across England in recent weeks which saw police officers attacked, hotels housing vulnerable asylum seekers set alight and shops looted. Unrest began after false rumours spread on social media claiming the 17-year-old arrested over the Southport attacks was a Muslim asylum seeker. Axel Rudakubana was actually born in Cardiff to Christian parents and has no known links to Islam. Harry's comments have also been interpreted as a dig at Elon Musk, who owns X and has been criticised by the UK government for spreading fake news related to the attack. Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, attend the 'Responsible Digital Future' forum at EAN University in Bogota, Colombia Prince Harry, Meghan, Ms Marquez her husband Yerney Pinillo visit local charter school, Colegio Cultura Popular Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Responsible Digital Future Forum at EAN University after being invited by Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez Harry poses for hte camera as he shakes hands with a student of the Popular Cultural School in Bogota Meghan and Harry chatted to a group of about 20 students during their visit to the school on the first day of their tour of Colombia During the visit to the school Harry told the teachers to keep up their good work, 'which they loved' Harry poses for a selfie with an artist as his wife Meghan looks on during a visit at the National Centre for the Arts Harry continued: 'It's becoming harder and harder to stem the flow from the source, spotting true from fake comes down to us. 'One of my biggest worries is that for social media being what it is we will forever be divided, we are debating misinterpretation, and we are being misled, misleading each other. 'While we are debating and discussing how to solve the problems of digital media a very small group of powerful people are getting richer and richer and that is a fundamental flaw in the system.' He added that 'every single week we are seeing examples of social cohesion broken down' because of misinformation and that 'information integrity is a fundamental right'. 'This worries me and it makes us all very sad to see people who are acting on information that isn't true.' Addressing social media abuse more broadly, Meghan said: 'It doesn't matter where you live. It doesn't matter who you are. 'Either you personally or someone you know is a victim to what's happening online. And that's something we can actively work on every day to remedy.' A translator was at hand, but Meghan showed off her linguistic skills as she chatted away in Spanish. She added the group should aim to be 'self-reliant and not tech-reliant' while Harry about asked the conversations they have with their families about managing social media and literacy. After their arrival in Colombia, the couple spent around half-an-hour at the vice-president's residence, where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono - Colombian cheese bread. The Sussexes are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour, following a similar trip to Nigeria. Across the next four days, the Sussexes will take in the city of Bogota before heading off to Cartagena and Cali as part of a 'cultural and social' visit. Harry will also meet members of the Team Colombia squad participating in the Invictus Games, who are gearing up for the 2025 games in Whistler, Canada. Prince Harry is seen shaking hands with Ms Marquez as a smiling Meghan looks on. The Duke and Duchess stayed at the residence for half an hour, where the Vice President expressed her gratitude for the couple's official visit The royal couple were treated to a colourful tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts A smiling Megan and Harry stand and clap along to the music alongside the country's VP Ms Marquez (left) The Sussexes pose for a snap with one of the dancers after the performance finished A person takes part in a Colombian folkloric performance as Harry and Meghan visit the country Officials have kept the itinerary a closely guarded secret as parts of the country are described as 'best avoided' due to ongoing internal conflicts. Colombia, like Nigeria, is seen as a high risk destination in parts by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. 'FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of Colombia,' the government agency says, adding that many armed groups remain active in the country despite a 2016 peace deal between the government and revolutionary outfit FARC. Besides several police cars and vans, armed soldiers were also deployed to protect Harry and Megan in a massive ring of steel. Roads were blocked off and residents forced on lengthy detours to reach their homes or wait at checkpoints for events to finish so they could carry on. Answering questions from journalists at a press conference ahead of their arrival, Ms Marquez said she was inspired to ask Harry and Meghan to visit the country after being moved by their Netflix documentary. 'I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world,' Ms Marquez said. Ms Marquez described the Sussexes' trip as a 'very special visit' aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying and online digital violence and discrimination, as well as promoting women's leadership in Colombia. The Sussexes' team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means. The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes' second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation's chief of defence staff. Harper's Bazaar magazine, covering the trip as the only words pool, said Ms Marquez shared her personal admiration for Harry's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Meghan and Ms Marquez were pictured embracing as they greeted each other warmly, with Ms Marquez clasping Harry's hands in her own as they were introduced. Harry waves and smiles at some students as he arrives at the National Centre for the Arts Harry holds onto Meghan's hand as they go to take their seats ahead of the performance Meghan was enthralled throughout the performance and was seen nodding her head and smiling Musicians wearing traditional Carnival dress perform during a welcoming ceremony for Prince Harry and Meghan The Duke laughs and jokes as he gestures next to the director of the National Centre for the Arts, Xiomara Suescun During the sit-down chat, Ms Marquez said she shared the same ideals and goals as Harry and Meghan amid their campaign to make the digital world safer for children. The royal couple were treated to a colourful theatrical performance of the play 'The Kiss of the Hummingbird' at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts. Tapping her toes and smiling enthusiastically, Meghan chatted to vice president Francia Marquez and pointed to some of the costumes. Ms Marquez, a lawyer and human rights and environmental activist, is Colombia's first black vice-president and serves in the country's first left-wing government, led by president Gustavo Petro. For Ms Marquez, part of the reason for the trip may be that she sees Meghan as an ally in cyberbullying. Ms Marquez says she was the victim of over 12,000 racist comments on social media last year - and she has been the target of death threats and attacks. The duke has meanwhile maintained it is 'still dangerous' for Meghan to return to the UK. He is said to be missing the private funeral of his uncle Lord Fellowes - husband of Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes - in Norfolk later this month due to his security fears. Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK, but he has been given the green light to appeal. During the case, the court was told Harry believes his children cannot 'feel at home' in the UK if it is 'not possible to keep them safe' there and that he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with 'additional layers of racism and extremism'. Harry and Meghan stepped down from the working monarchy in 2020 and no longer travel at the request of the UK Government on official overseas royal visits, when travel costs would have usually been met by the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant. Favouring sleek and elegant silhouettes Meghan Markle certainly knows what style suits her best. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, who is currently on a a four-day tour in Colombia with her husband Prince Harry, owns the same figure hugging 1722 dress in three different colours. Yesterday, the mother-of-two debuted the burgundy Navajo Weaver Metallic Tweed Maxi Dress by Johanna Ortiz, who has Colombian heritage, as she met with vice president Francia Marquez. Meghan wore the same dress from the California based designer, this time in a black and cream palm tree design, during the couple's tour of Nigeria in May. Meanwhile the beauty sparkled in a gold version of the stunning gown for the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards in New York last year. Meghan Markle, 43, who is currently on a a four-day tour in Colombia with her husband Prince Harry, owns the same figure hugging $2,150 dress in three different colours Meghan always manages to pull out the dress which boasts a slit up the thigh and features a stylish cut-out in the middle. The colourful gown, which the duchess donned yesterday, featured removable ruffle sleeves that could transform it from a one-shoulder to a strapless design. It was crafted from a mixed-tweed fabric with intricate embroidery and metallic fibres into a tailored, column silhouette. She kept the same jewellery from earlier in the day, but also appeared to add her $12,800 Cartier juste un clou necklace, which she has sported many times before. Meghan was first spotted in the gown as she accepted a Women of Vision award at a glitzy New York gala with Prince Harry by her side last year. She donned the strapless version of the gold Johanna Ortiz dress, which had scalloped pattern detailing. It marked the first time the royal had ever worn the metallic shade in public, and appeared to mark a new era for Meghan, who is relaunching herself in the US. She paired the gown with some strappy $1,350 gold heels from Tom Ford and a matching $1,100 clutch bag by Carolina Herrera. Meghan wore the same dress from the California based designer, this time in a black and cream palm tree design, during the couple's tour of Nigeria in May Meanwhile the beauty sparkled in a gold version of the stunning gown for the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards in New York with her mother Doria Ragland (left) and Prince Harry (centre) last year She appeared to have had her dress altered for the occasion; images of the original design show it with straps, which the duchess opted to go without. Meanwhile earlier this year, the duchess donned Ortiz's Tropicana Nights dress, which featured a black and cream palm leaf style design, while on a tour of Nigeria. She complemented her ensemble with bold gold jewellery, including statement circular earrings and a variety of matching bracelets. Meghan's hair was slicked back into a ponytail for her outing, and her make-up was simple and fresh. Taking the gown to a daytime look, she opted for flat black sandals instead of heels. It comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were welcomed to the South American nation as they began a four-day tour yesterday, before visiting a school to discuss the impact of social media. Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan were met in the capital Bogota by Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez, who invited the couple after watching their Netflix docuseries, and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo. After visiting a local school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, Harry told a summit on digital responsibility: 'What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isn't true.' It comes after riots across England and Belfast following the fatal stabbing attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29, which killed Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. The couple spoke to children in a session where the class talked about their favourite and least favourite parts of social media, technology and dealing with life on the internet. Later at the conference, the prince addressed the rise of AI as he said 'education and awareness' would be vital in tackling misinformation in a discussion with around 20 students aged 12 to 18. Harry and Meghan hold hands as they are treated to a colourful tribal dance after their arrival in Colombia Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez and Yerney Pinillo Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at a Summit on Responsible Digital Future in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visits local charter school, Colegio Cultura Popular The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday 'It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake,' he said. 'In an ideal world those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts. 'For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down.' His comments follow rioting by far-right thugs across England in recent weeks which saw police officers attacked, hotels housing vulnerable asylum seekers set alight and shops looted. Unrest began after false rumours spread on social media claiming the 17-year-old arrested over the Southport attacks was a Muslim asylum seeker. Axel Rudakubana was actually born in Cardiff to Christian parents and has no known links to Islam. Harry's comments have also been interpreted as a dig at Elon Musk, who owns X and has been criticised by the UK government for spreading fake news related to the attack. Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, attend the 'Responsible Digital Future' forum at EAN University in Bogota, Colombia Prince Harry, Meghan, Ms Marquez her husband Yerney Pinillo visit local charter school, Colegio Cultura Popular Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Responsible Digital Future Forum at EAN University after being invited by Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez Harry poses for hte camera as he shakes hands with a student of the Popular Cultural School in Bogota Meghan and Harry chatted to a group of about 20 students during their visit to the school on the first day of their tour of Colombia During the visit to the school Harry told the teachers to keep up their good work, 'which they loved' Harry poses for a selfie with an artist as his wife Meghan looks on during a visit at the National Centre for the Arts Harry continued: 'It's becoming harder and harder to stem the flow from the source, spotting true from fake comes down to us. 'One of my biggest worries is that for social media being what it is we will forever be divided, we are debating misinterpretation, and we are being misled, misleading each other. 'While we are debating and discussing how to solve the problems of digital media a very small group of powerful people are getting richer and richer and that is a fundamental flaw in the system.' He added that 'every single week we are seeing examples of social cohesion broken down' because of misinformation and that 'information integrity is a fundamental right'. 'This worries me and it makes us all very sad to see people who are acting on information that isn't true.' Addressing social media abuse more broadly, Meghan said: 'It doesn't matter where you live. It doesn't matter who you are. 'Either you personally or someone you know is a victim to what's happening online. And that's something we can actively work on every day to remedy.' A translator was at hand, but Meghan showed off her linguistic skills as she chatted away in Spanish. She added the group should aim to be 'self-reliant and not tech-reliant' while Harry about asked the conversations they have with their families about managing social media and literacy. After their arrival in Colombia, the couple spent around half-an-hour at the vice-president's residence, where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono - Colombian cheese bread. The Sussexes are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour, following a similar trip to Nigeria. Across the next four days, the Sussexes will take in the city of Bogota before heading off to Cartagena and Cali as part of a 'cultural and social' visit. Harry will also meet members of the Team Colombia squad participating in the Invictus Games, who are gearing up for the 2025 games in Whistler, Canada. Prince Harry is seen shaking hands with Ms Marquez as a smiling Meghan looks on. The Duke and Duchess stayed at the residence for half an hour, where the Vice President expressed her gratitude for the couple's official visit The royal couple were treated to a colourful tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts A smiling Megan and Harry stand and clap along to the music alongside the country's VP Ms Marquez (left) The Sussexes pose for a snap with one of the dancers after the performance finished A person takes part in a Colombian folkloric performance as Harry and Meghan visit the country Officials have kept the itinerary a closely guarded secret as parts of the country are described as 'best avoided' due to ongoing internal conflicts. Colombia, like Nigeria, is seen as a high risk destination in parts by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. 'FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of Colombia,' the government agency says, adding that many armed groups remain active in the country despite a 2016 peace deal between the government and revolutionary outfit FARC. Besides several police cars and vans, armed soldiers were also deployed to protect Harry and Megan in a massive ring of steel. Roads were blocked off and residents forced on lengthy detours to reach their homes or wait at checkpoints for events to finish so they could carry on. Answering questions from journalists at a press conference ahead of their arrival, Ms Marquez said she was inspired to ask Harry and Meghan to visit the country after being moved by their Netflix documentary. 'I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world,' Ms Marquez said. Ms Marquez described the Sussexes' trip as a 'very special visit' aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying and online digital violence and discrimination, as well as promoting women's leadership in Colombia. The Sussexes' team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means. The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes' second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation's chief of defence staff. Harper's Bazaar magazine, covering the trip as the only words pool, said Ms Marquez shared her personal admiration for Harry's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Meghan and Ms Marquez were pictured embracing as they greeted each other warmly, with Ms Marquez clasping Harry's hands in her own as they were introduced. Harry waves and smiles at some students as he arrives at the National Centre for the Arts Harry holds onto Meghan's hand as they go to take their seats ahead of the performance Meghan was enthralled throughout the performance and was seen nodding her head and smiling Musicians wearing traditional Carnival dress perform during a welcoming ceremony for Prince Harry and Meghan The Duke laughs and jokes as he gestures next to the director of the National Centre for the Arts, Xiomara Suescun The vice-president of Colombia says she was moved to invite Harry and Meghan to the country after watching their Netflix documentary (pictured) The Sussexes were colour co-ordinated style-wise, with the duchess in a navy halterneck top and trousers and Harry in a dark blue suit and light blue shirt. During the sit-down chat, Ms Marquez said she shared the same ideals and goals as Harry and Meghan amid their campaign to make the digital world safer for children. The royal couple were treated to a colourful theatrical performance of the play 'The Kiss of the Hummingbird' at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts. Tapping her toes and smiling enthusiastically, Meghan chatted to vice president Francia Marquez and pointed to some of the costumes. Ms Marquez, a lawyer and human rights and environmental activist, is Colombia's first black vice-president and serves in the country's first left-wing government, led by president Gustavo Petro. For Ms Marquez, part of the reason for the trip may be that she sees Meghan as an ally in cyberbullying. Ms Marquez says she was the victim of over 12,000 racist comments on social media last year - and she has been the target of death threats and attacks. Last year a woman was convicted after making a racist rant in which she called Ms Marquez an 'ape'. A former housekeeper who had her first child at 16, Ms Marquez rose to prominence for her opposition to illegal gold mining in her home province and won a prestigious environmental prize for her work. She spearheaded a 10-day, 350-mile march of 80 women from La Toma to the nation's capital, resulting in the removal of all illegal miners and equipment from her community. Ensuring the couple's security will be a high priority during their stay. The Foreign Office warns against all but essential travel to certain parts of Colombia, with kidnapping rates remaining high. It also describes the country as 'seriously afflicted by conflict' with a resurgence in violence in parts of Colombia despite the peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) movement to end the civil war. The duke has meanwhile maintained it is 'still dangerous' for Meghan to return to the UK. He is said to be missing the private funeral of his uncle Lord Fellowes - husband of Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes - in Norfolk later this month due to his security fears. Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK, but he has been given the green light to appeal. During the case, the court was told Harry believes his children cannot 'feel at home' in the UK if it is 'not possible to keep them safe' there and that he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with 'additional layers of racism and extremism'. Harry and Meghan stepped down from the working monarchy in 2020 and no longer travel at the request of the UK Government on official overseas royal visits, when travel costs would have usually been met by the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant. Meghan Markle is known for her love of expensive and flashy jewellery, often donning the most eye-catching pieces and this was no different during the first day of her trip to Colombia on Thursday. And the Duchess certainly made an impression on her first day in South America, wearing 38,000 worth of jewels. . The couple were met in the capital Bogota yesterday by Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez, who invited the couple after watching their Netflix docuseries, and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo. Eager to look her best for the politician, Meghan donned her Lorraine Schwartz Against Evil Eye' bracelet, which cost around 15,000. She then added a further touch of glamour with her Pippa Small Kyanite Classic Stud Earrings, which retail for around 495. Meghan Markle donned more than 36,000 worth of jewellery during the first day of her Colombia tour with Prince Harry. Duchess of Drip! Meghan's 38,000 of jewellery Princess Diana's Gold Tank Francaise Watch 17,800 Small Kyanite Stud Earrings 495 Lorraine Schwartz Against Evil Eye Five Eye Diamond Pave Bracelet 15,000 Vintage High Tea Yellow Gold Coral Bead Flower Ring 970 Cartier Love Yellow Gold Bracelet 5800 Lanvin Gold Arpege Sleeper Earrings 283 Cartier Justr Un Clou Necklace in Yellow Gold with Diamonds 15500 Birks Muse Citrine and Diamond Drop Earrings 1,964 Advertisement The former working royal was also snapped sporting Princess Diana's 17,800 ($22,950) Cartier Tank Francaise watch. It was worn by the late royal on a number of occasions before it was gifted to Meghan after her death. According to former royal butler Paul Burrell, Prince William initially picked the Cartier watch from his mother's collection. He told British Vogue Harry chose her famous sapphire engagement ring, but then swapped it with his brother before he proposed to the Princess of Wales. The Duchess then matched this with her 5,000 ($6,446) gold Cartier Love Bracelet that she's owned since at least 2017. The oval Cartier band is made of two C-shaped halves screwed together. The only way to remove it is with a screwdriver, like the 18-carat one supplied - a feature said to be inspired by medieval chastity belts. Her outfit consisted of a 596 collared vest from New York-based brand Veronica Beard and matching navy, ankle-grazing trousers from the designer, priced at 349. The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday Cinched at the waist to flatter the Duchess' slender figure, the smart ensemble was paired with black Manolo Blahnik high heels and a cream 3,647 handbag from Italian company Loro Piana. Later on in the day, Meghan looked in high spirits as she watched folk dancers in the South American nation at Delia Zapata Art Center in Bogota, alongside Harry. She looked stylish as she changed into her second look of the tour - a colourful maxi dress by Johanna Ortiz, who has Colombian heritage. The Duchess opted for the 1,668 burgundy Navajo Weaver Metallic Tweed Maxi Dress. Though the dress itself appeared to be new, Meghan wore a very similar look on her 'quasi-royal' tour of Africa back in May, wearing a 2,275 striped sundress also by Johanna Ortiz. The Duchess paired this ensemble with her 12,800 ($16,503) Cartier Juste Un Clou necklace in yellow gold, which sat elegantly on her collarbone. She was seen wearing this stand-out piece during her interview with CBS's Jane Pauley earlier this month, where both she and the Duke spoke about suicide as they announced The Parents' Network, a campaign aimed at tackling child safety online. The Duchess also donned a Vintage High Tea yellow gold coral bead flower ring which costs around 970 ($1,250), thought to be a new piece in her jewellery collection. Meghan opted to wear her 150 ($193.39) gold Lanvin Arpege Sleeper Earrings, which were made in Italy and described as handcrafted hoop earrings in gold-tone brass. She styled her hair into loose waves after her earlier up-do - for her second look of the day Meghan was seen wearing her 5,000 Cartier love bracelet along with Princess Diana's Cartier watch at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Earlier, Meghan proved her fashion prowess once again today as she stepped out in Colombia alongside Prince Harry to begin their four-day tour of the South American nation Meghan was pictured wearing her 12,800 Cartier Juste Un Clou necklace in yellow gold with her 150 gold Lanvin Arpege Sleeper Earrings She has worn the fashion house a number of times in the past, including to attend the ballet in New York in 2013 and for her cover of the fashion magazine The Cut last year. Meghan was still pictured wearing her Cartier love bracelet and Princess Diana's Cartier Tank Francaise watch, which are staple pieces in her wardrobe. During the day, Meghan and Harry also attended a summit on digital responsibility at EAN University after being invited by Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez. She swapped her outfit a third time and sported her Victoria Beckham brown silk shirt, a modest by classy number that costs a designer price of 597, along with her La Ligne Colby Pants. She continued wearing her Cartier Juste Un Clou necklace but instead donned her 1,964 ($2,532) Birks Muse Citrine And Diamond Drop Earrings. The Sussexes are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour, following a similar trip to Nigeria. Across the next four days, the Sussexes will take in the city of Bogota before heading off to Cartagena and Cali as part of a 'cultural and social' visit. Officials have kept the itinerary a closely guarded secret as parts of the country are described as 'best avoided' due to ongoing internal conflicts. Colombia, like Nigeria, is seen as a high risk destination in parts by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. 'FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of Colombia,' the government agency says, adding that many armed groups remain active in the country despite a 2016 peace deal between the government and revolutionary outfit FARC. In her third outfit change of the day, Meghan continued to don her Cartier necklace but swapped her earrings for her 1,964 Birks Muse Citrine And Diamond Drop Earrings Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Responsible Digital Future Forum at EAN University after being invited by Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez Besides several police cars and vans, armed soldiers were also deployed to protect Harry and Megan in a massive ring of steel. Roads were blocked off and residents forced on lengthy detours to reach their homes or wait at checkpoints for events to finish so they could carry on. Answering questions from journalists at a press conference ahead of their arrival, Ms Marquez said she was inspired to ask Harry and Meghan to visit the country after being moved by their Netflix documentary. 'I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world,' Ms Marquez said. Ms Marquez described the Sussexes' trip as a 'very special visit' aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying and online digital violence and discrimination, as well as promoting women's leadership in Colombia. The Sussexes' team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means. The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes' second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation's chief of defence staff. Harper's Bazaar magazine, covering the trip as the only words pool, said Ms Marquez shared her personal admiration for Harry's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Meghan and Ms Marquez were pictured embracing as they greeted each other warmly, with Ms Marquez clasping Harry's hands in her own as they were introduced. Meghan Markle has ditched her Hollywood glam and opted for more 'regal, sophisticated and mature' makeup during her four-day tour of Colombia, an expert has revealed. Makeup artist Laura Kay told FEMAIL that the Duchess of Sussex, 43, has embraced a 'more refined, royal aesthetic' - complete with 'rosy cheeks, softer brows and peachy lips'. The American mother-of-two, who donned three sophisticated ensembles for her and Prince Harry's first day of engagements in the South American nation yesterday, is known to often do her own hair and makeup. She was without a stylist during her quasi-royal tour to Nigeria in May 2024, and did her own hair and makeup ahead of getting on stage and speaking at the Invictus Games in Germany in September 2023. It's unclear if Meghan is again without a stylist during her visit to Colombia. MailOnline has contacted representatives of the Duchess of Sussex for comment. Meghan Markle (pictured yesterday) has ditched her Hollywood glam and opted for more 'regal, sophisticated and mature' makeup during her four-day tour of Colombia, an expert has revealed Laura, founder at Laura Kay London, said: 'Meghan Markle's latest look marks a distinctive evolution from her Hollywood glam days that she used to love to a more refined, royal aesthetic. 'Yesterday, at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata, she appeared to be embracing a more sophisticated, mature, and elegant vibe. 'What first catches the eye is her shift to fresh, peachy, and pink tones, giving her complexion a regal feel. It's a noticeable move from her past bronzed and dewy, Kardashian-inspired look - also perhaps a clever nod or reminder of her royal roots.' The expert also noted how the Duchess' eye makeup appeared to be different this time around. 'She used to love smudgy eye shadow, blending it across her entire lid to create an intense, glamorous look that commanded attention,' said Laura. 'But now, she has moved away from that, and her makeup is significantly more defined and refined than we've seen in a long while. In fact, it is more reminiscent of her wedding day. 'Her look is now more sophisticated. She has swapped her usual creamy, glossy makeup for a more traditional look. 'The bold eyeliner and glamorous lash extensions are back, but with a twist - her eyelids now feature a muted, reddish-brown hue edged with a shimmering highlight to make her eyes pop. Makeup artist Laura Kay told FEMAIL that the Duchess of Sussex, 43, has embraced a 'more refined, royal aesthetic' - complete with 'rosy cheeks, softer brows and peachy lips'. Pictured, Meghan sporting a glam Hollywood look in Nigeria in May 2024 The American mother-of-two (pictured), who donned three sophisticated ensembles for her and Prince Harry's first day of engagements in the South American nation yesterday, is known to often do her own hair and makeup 'She has not used as much blending as previously, and her eye makeup application is more concentrated. Also, her brows, while still well-defined, appear slightly softer, adding to the overall fresh and sophisticated feel. 'Her cheeks have a cupid-like, rosy flush that perfectly compliments her return to a more royal look. The clever makeup application draws you in naturally. 'Her days of loving a nude lip with a gloss finish have been replaced here by a more peachy tone. She definitely is showcasing a fresher and more formal look than we are used to seeing.' While a working member of the royal family Meghan would often do her own hair and make-up. 'She just likes doing her own makeup. Meghan has her makeup done for some special occasions but likes to do it herself,' a source told US weekly in 2019. Meanwhile, celebrity make-up artist Daniel Martin, who cemented himself in the history books when he did Meghan's make-up for her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, revealed how the Duchess did her own makeup recently. Speaking to US Weekly in June 2024, Meghan's friend Daniel said: 'She's in Nigeria right now. It's just her. There's no stylist, there's no hairdresser. 'She's doing everything herself and she's so good at it. I mean, she loves some blush. She loves the cheek. She loves a big brow.' The Duchess of Sussex, 43, looked more loved-up than ever with her husband, 39, as the couple enjoyed their first day of engagements on their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan and Harry, who live with their two children, Prince Archie , five, and Princess Lilibet, three, in their $14 million Montecito home, were treated to a vibrant tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts The pair at times appeared to struggle to keep their hands off one another Prince Harry speaks with his wife Meghan Markle, flanked by Colombia's vice-President Francia Marquez (L) and the director of the National Centre for the Arts Xiomara Suescun Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, looked more loved-up than ever with her husband, 39, as the couple enjoyed their first day of engagements on their four-day tour of Colombia. During one particularly tender moment between the pair, Meghan sweetly placed her head on Harry's shoulder while he wrapped his arm around his beaming wife and placed a kiss on her hair. But that wasn't the only affectionate moment between the pair, who at times appeared to struggle to keep their hands off one another. Numerous photos show the loved-up couple holding hands while watching folk dancers on the first day of their visit to the South American nation. Meghan and Harry, who live with their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, in their $14 million Montecito home, were treated to a vibrant tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts. The Duchess chatted to vice president Francia Marquez and pointed to some of the costumes, before shaking hands with the dancers at the end of the performance. She looked stylish as she changed into her second look of the tour - a colourful maxi dress by Johanna Ortiz, who has Colombian heritage. The Duchess opted for the $2,150 burgundy Navajo Weaver Metallic Tweed Maxi Dress, and styled her hair into loose waves after her earlier up-do. She styled her hair into loose waves after her earlier up-do - for her second look of the day Meghan wore a colourful maxi dress by Johanna Ortiz made in Colombia in a sweet nod to the hosting country Meghan was beaming as she watched the performance, with the couple holding hands and showing much affection She wowed in the look, which boasted a slit up the thigh and featured a stylish cut-out in the middle. Though the dress itself appeared to be new, Meghan wore a very similar look on her 'quasi-royal' tour of Africa back in May, wearing a 2,275 striped sundress also by Johanna Ortiz. Meghan kept the same jewellery from earlier in the day, but also appeared to add her $12,800 Cartier juste un clou necklace, which she has sported many times before. She gave a sweet nod to the hosting country, as the dress is made in Colombia itself. It's also practical - featuring removable ruffle sleeves and being cool for the climate, as well as stylish in nature. Meghan was beaming as she watched the performance, with the couple holding hands and showing much affection. Earlier, Meghan proved her fashion prowess once again today as she stepped out in Colombia alongside Prince Harry to begin their four-day tour of the South American nation. She put on a stylish display in a 596 collared vest from New York-based brand Veronica Beard. Looking effortlessly elegant, the mother-of-two teamed her sleeveless, buttoned garment with matching navy, ankle-grazing trousers from the designer, priced at 349.33. Cinched at the waist to flatter the Duchess' slender figure, the smart ensemble was paired with black Manolo Blahnik high heels and a cream $4,700 handbag from Italian company Loro Piana. Harry and Meghan were met in the capital Bogota by Colombia's vice president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo on Thursday. While many people around the world suffer from sleep disorders that see them walking around in the night and chatting away, one incredibly rare condition can cause particular problems for people who suffer from it. Sexsomnia is a condition that causes people to engage in sexual activity while their brains are technically asleep. This can include masturbation, groping, sexual vocalisation and attempts to initiate sex with a partner. Although sexsomnia is an uncommon condition, it's unclear how many people suffer from the sleep disorder. It is believed to affect three times more men than women, however many people are unaware they suffer from the disorder; while others are ashamed to admit they have it. Studies estimate that roughly seven percent of the global population experience it at least once, and many typically cannot remember what they did in deep sleep and many are ashamed of it. It is a parasomnia, which is a term for a variety of involuntary sleep behaviours which includes sleepwalking and bedwetting. Sexsomnia is an incredibly rare sleep disorder, however doctors say it's difficult to know how many people live with the condition because they're embarrassed to admit they have it The causes of sexsomnia are relatively unknown, although it's thought that genetic factors can make people more prone to suffering from the illness, ie. if someone has a relative suffering from a parasomnia disorder. Obstructive sleep apnea, which causes a person to stop breathing in their sleep for 10 seconds or more, may also be a trigger. Sleep apnea may be the cause, though not always. Dartmouth doctors described the case of a 34-year-old woman who had been treated for it early but still experienced sexsomnia, which caused her to masturbate in her sleep but could not remember it in the morning. For people who suffer with sexsomnia, it can be an embarrassing and difficult condition to live with. But for people in relationships with others who suffer from sexsomnia, it can cause distress. What is sexsomnia? Sexsomnia is a rare sleep disorder in which a person engages in sexual activity during their sleep. This can include masturbation, groping, sexual vocalisation and attempts to initiate sex with a partner. In the most serious incidents it can lead to rape of another individual. It is a parasomnia, which is a term for a variety of involuntary sleep behaviours which includes sleepwalking and bedwetting. As with other parasomnias sexsomniacs have no recollection of their actions they performed while asleep. What causes it? Exact triggers vary. It can be associated with other sleep disorders like sleepwalking and sleep apnoea. It has been liked to depression, sleep deprivation and excessive drug or alcohol use. Why is it controversial? Some men accused of sexual crimes up to and including rape of an individual have cited sexsomnia as the reason for their actions arguing that they could not be held entirely responsible, much in the same way as a sleepwalker. While some of these men have been found to have the condition, with previous partners or wives often provided a history of such behaviours others have been found to not have the disorder prompting concern that some men are using it as potential excuse for their crimes. How common is it? Sexsomnia is considered a rare condition, estimated to only account for about 7 per cent of referrals to sleep clinics. However, some think this may be an underestimation due to embarrassment in seeking help. How is it treated? Generally, clinicians will attempt to determine any potential triggers for sexsomnia and try to address those. This could involve an assessment of sleeping patters and drug and alcohol intake or a night in a sleep clinic to see if a suffer has nay other sleep disorders which act as trigger. Advertisement In 2022, a man in the Czech Republic sought help from professionals after his girlfriend was bothered by his attempts to have sex with her when he was asleep. While not aggressive in his actions, the man's girlfriend complained the harassment was continually interrupting her sleep. The man had no recollection of his bizarre nocturnal behaviour, but told doctors that his ex-lover also had to fend off his sexual advances but claimed 'she did not mind it'. After visiting specialists at the Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, the man was told his 'sleep-related head jerks' may have been responsible for his behaviour. Writing in the journal Sleep Medicine, Dr Jitka Buskova and colleagues described the case of a man who was bombarding his girlfriend with 'sexually motivated nocturnal behavior'. They claimed this behaviour included 'masturbation, sexual intercourse/attempted intercourse, and sexual vocalisations'. Dr Buskova said the man's partner was complaining about the impact it was having on her life. 'His current girlfriend particularly complained of incitement to sexual intercourse, and her sleep was also disturbed by the patients sexual talking and groping,' she said. 'She did not describe his behavior as being aggressive, but rather as harassing. The patient was completely unaware of it.' The man had a history of parasomnia, having been known to sleepwalk as a child and estimated the nocturnal sexual behaviour had started in his mid-20s. Dr Buskova said the man had an irregular sleeping pattern, varying between five and eight hours a night due to his erratic work schedule. Apart from this, the man had no known medical problems, wasn't taking any drugs or addictive substances and did not drink alcohol excessively. In order to discover the potential trigger for his sexsomnia, Dr Buskova and her team attached a series of devices to the man to wear as he slept, in order to measure his movements and brain activity. They also video recorded him. Results showed that his non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM), the part of the sleep cycle considered the deepest with the least brain activity, was interrupted by an involuntary movement of his neck muscles. Called sleep-related head jerks, these movements are 'common', especially in young men. In the man's case it trigged activity in part of his brain, despite him still being asleep. This allowed the experts to conclude that the 'sexually motivated behaviour was triggered by sleep-related head jerks'. Because sexsomnia can carry potentially serious personal and legal consequences, identifying potential triggers for the disorder is critical. Dr Buskova said further research is needed verify the potential of sleep-related head jerks being a trigger. The medical case report did not detail if the man had received any treatment for his condition, or when his case was originally reported. Sexsomnia is generally treated by addressing potential trigger factors like reducing alcohol intake or fixing irregular sleeping patters. While the Czech man's girlfriend had not been distressed by his behaviour, some doctors are concerned that many partners of people suffering from sexsomnia are left shaken by the behaviour. Dr. Carlos Schenck, senior staff psychiatrist at the Hennepin County Medical Center at the University of Minnesota, has warned the unexpected sexual activity is 'alarming' many patients' partners in the dead of night. Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, 32, has won a payout of 35,000 after the Crown Prosecution Service admitted it should not have dropped her 'sexsomnia' rape case A Reddit user from the US who said she was a 26-year-old female once took to the platform where she described her boyfriend one night reaching into her pants while ignoring his girlfriends objections. She said he doesnt remember anything after an initial attempt (more like a dream fog where he finds himself doing something, not that he was conscious enough to intentionally do these things). I let him know that he didnt stop for a while, and I had to take his hand away several times before he actually stopped. He felt really bad and apologized. Dr. Carlos Schenck told CNN: These are disorders of arousal. They most often occur during the slowest, deepest stage of sleep, called delta sleep. Its like an alarm or trigger goes off in the central nervous system, and you go from your basement to your roof in no time flat.' Dr Schenck added: Your cognition is deeply asleep, and youre not with the program, but your body is activated. Thats dangerous because then you start walking and running and doing all sorts of things without your mind being awake. Behaviours in men tend to be more aggressive, while women are more likely to masturbate. The disorder has also been associated with cases of sexual assault, and concerns have recently been raised in the UK after several rape trials have been derailed by defences of 'sexsomnia'. Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, 32, has just received 35,000 in compensation from the Crown Prosecution Service after her rape case was dropped when lawyers for the alleged perpetrator claimed she had 'sexsomnia'. Jade, who was living in South London at the time of the alleged assault in 2017, woke up and thought she had been raped while she slept. As first reported by the BBC, the CPS has now admitted it was wrong in closing her case - saying it should instead have been taken to trial. A spokesperson said: 'A settlement has been reached with Ms McCrossen-Nethercott, to whom we have apologised unreservedly, and we continue to wish her the very best going forward. 'We are committed to improving every aspect of how life-changing crimes like rape are dealt with and are working closely with police from an early stage to ensure we focus on the behaviour and actions of the suspect, not the victim. 'We remain positive about the progress being made and recognise there is still a long way to go to improve outcomes for victims, so more people can come forward and report with confidence.' The condition can also be tied to stress. Dr Schenck treated a woman in Brazil who had been living with sexsomnia for at least 10 years. Her husband would often wake up to her moaning sexually, masturbating, or engaging him in sexual intercourse. At times, her husband believed she was being unfaithful, as she often said names that were not his out loud. At one point, her nine-year-old son found her moaning sexually, which was extremely embarrassing for her. She reported working at a high-stress job with tight deadlines. Her episodes stopped after she was transferred to a part of her work with almost no stress. Dr Schenck said: What is really disconcerting to these patients is they have total amnesia. Its the bed partner or family member telling them, You did this, why did you do that? and then the patient says, I dont remember anything. So they are really embarrassed, full of shame, very apologetic and totally miserable. Meghan Markle appears to have finally found a tailor and opted for fitting trousers in Colombia. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, has showcased an array of stunning ensembles throughout the trip to the South American nation, including an ankle length $2,150 maxi dress by Johanna Ortiz, and a collared navy vest which she paired with 349.33 ankle-grazing trousers from New York-based brand Veronica Beard. The main difference in these outfits to her previous ensembles is the length of th trousers. During a tour of Nigeria earlier this year, instead of wearing clothes that fitted her 5ft 6in frame, Meghan opted for a more relaxed approach to tailoring and allowed garments to trail along the floor. It is clear Meghan has been evolving in her look, swapping out floor skimming frocks and trousers to the striking form-fitting ensembles of a true fashionista. As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex carry out their four-day tour of Colombia a new trend appears to be emerging in Meghan's outfits as she dons trousers, skirts and dresses that all appear to be tailored to perfection, (right) when previously she was known for floor-length garments that cover her feet (left) The Duchess showcased several examples of very long clothing since stepping down as a senior member of the royal family with husband Prince Harry and moving to California to start a new life. One such outfit came in the city of Abuja, where she opted for an aptly-named Windsor dress in blush silk, which retails for 1,106. Its California-based designer, Heidi Merrick (one of the Duchess's favourites) actually offers a slightly altered version of the frock for petite customers via its tailoring service. However as Meghan danced the afternoon away at the Wuse Lightway Academy, she appeared not to have opted for the tailored version of the frock and instead donned a version which skimmed the floor as she bopped to Jump Up, Turn Around. In contrast the mother-of-two donned an ankle-skimming colourful maxi dress by Johanna Ortiz, who has Colombian heritage, as she met with vice president Francia Marquez. The gown, which the duchess donned yesterday, featured removable ruffle sleeves that could transform it from a one-shoulder to a strapless design. It was crafted from a mixed-tweed fabric with intricate embroidery and metallic fibres into a tailored, column silhouette. The dress stopped just above her ankle which showed off her elegant brown kitten heels. Celebrity stylist Rochelle thinks Meghan wore longer outfits that cover her feet to look taller than she is. Above: Meghan in September 2022, Germany In another stylish tailored ensemble, the mother-of-two teamed her sleeveless, buttoned garment with matching navy, ankle-grazing trousers from the designer, priced at 349.33 Similarly, in another stylish tailored ensemble, Meghan put on a stylish display in a 596 collared vest from New York-based brand Veronica Beard in Columbia. Looking effortlessly elegant, the mother-of-two teamed her sleeveless, buttoned garment with matching navy, ankle-grazing trousers from the designer, priced at 349.33. Cinched at the waist to flatter the Duchess' slender figure, the smart ensemble was paired with black Manolo Blahnik high heels and a cream $4,700 handbag from Italian company Loro Piana. However in contrast, the former senior working royal chose to wear a Carolina Herrera Overlay Column floor length gown in 'taxi cab' yellow in May. Meghan was all smiles as she soaked up the sun in the 30-degree weather and visited the Lagos State Governor's Office. And yet again, she wore a lengthy vibrant and flamboyant ensemble that dragged along the grass lawn. In Lagos, Meghan donned a Carolina Herrera Silk Overlay Column Gown in 'taxi cab' yellow It seems Meghan has always been a fan of long floaty dresses as she donned this striped garment when she visited Sydney in 2018 It might seem an odd miss in the otherwise incredibly stylish Duchess's repertoire - but a celebrity style expert has suggested Meghan's perceived oversight may actually be a very deliberate decision on her part in order to create a particular illusion. Celebrity stylist Rochelle White told Femail that the Duchess likely wears long clothing that covers her feet because it gives the illusion of height. She said: 'Long dresses and trousers, depending on body type, can help to elongate the body and shape. 'They can make you look taller and depending on the styles can help to define areas of the body you either want to highlight or cover up.' When the royal couple spent a week in Frankfurt last summer to attend the Invictus Games, Meghan wore an all-brown ensemble on a day that saw them both watching events and attending a NATO meeting. This was made up of a chocolate-coloured blouse and creased taupe trousers that trailed along the floor. She stood next to Prince Harry - who is a whopping 6ft 2inches in height - and although she barely came up to his shoulder, Rochelle says she appears taller because of her outfit choice. She said: 'Looking at Meghan, I feel that these styles make her look taller and highlight her silhouette. I feel it makes her look taller. Meghan Markle is pictured in a long ballgown at the Variety Power of Women Los Angeles Dating back to 2019, Meghan wore long black trousers that trailed along the floor in Edinburgh Meghan sported a pair of creased brown trousers during her trip to Germany last September with Harry The Duchess has worn long ensembles throughout the years including on her trip to Morocco in 2019 'I feel that she knows her body and the things or items that work for her best and is tapping into that with her looks.' In 2018, during Meghan's trip to Edinburgh with Harry, she proudly donned a pair of lengthy, flared black trousers which were too long for her despite wearing a pair of heels. As the Duchess was busy greeting people who braved the unpredictable Scottish weather to see the former royals, the slacks were pulled along the wet concrete, gathering dirt on the bottom of them. In 2018 during her visit to Sydney, the mother-of-two was pictured walking along the sand in a black and white striped maxi dress and the following year during her visit to Morocco with Harry, Meghan donned a large cobalt patterned frock. It's no secret that her wardrobe is different from Kate's, with Rochelle noting that the Princess of Wales opts for more traditional pieces of clothing. She said: 'Meghan has more of trendy edge when it comes to her style. Kate is very classic and chic in her fits and style with traditional pieces thrown in. 'With Meghan, I feel she is very much herself and has elements that really showcase her personality and personal style. 'With off the shoulder tops, shorts, co-ords and racer back tops, she doesn't hide what she likes and what works for her.' While Kate tends to wear more fitted dresses and tailored trousers, Meghan's style is dubbed more relaxed and personal. It comes after the Duchess of Sussex looked more loved-up than ever with her husband, 39, as the couple enjoyed their first day of engagements on their four-day tour of Colombia. During one particularly tender moment between the pair, Meghan sweetly placed her head on Harry's shoulder while he wrapped his arm around his beaming wife and placed a kiss on her hair. But that wasn't the only affectionate moment between the pair, who at times appeared to struggle to keep their hands off one another. Numerous photos show the loved-up couple holding hands while watching folk dancers on the first day of their visit to the South American nation. Meghan Markle once confessed she has 'always been a hugger' - and today proved no different as she put on a very affectionate display with Prince Harry The Duchess of Sussex, 43, looked more loved-up than ever with her husband, 39, as the couple enjoyed their first day of engagements on their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan and Harry, who live with their two children, Prince Archie , five, and Princess Lilibet, three, in their $14 million Montecito home, were treated to a vibrant tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts The pair at times appeared to struggle to keep their hands off one another Meghan was beaming as she watched the performance, with the couple holding hands and showing much affection Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez and Yerney Pinillo Meghan and Harry, who live with their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, in their $14 million Montecito home, were treated to a vibrant tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts. The Duchess chatted to vice president Francia Marquez and pointed to some of the costumes, before shaking hands with the dancers at the end of the performance. Meghan was beaming as she watched the performance, with the couple holding hands and showing much affection. Earlier, Harry and Meghan were met in the capital Bogota by Colombia's vice president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo on Thursday. Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visits local charter school, Colegio Cultura Popular The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday The couple spoke to children in a session where the class talked about their favourite and least favourite parts of social media, technology and dealing with life on the internet. Later at the conference, the prince addressed the rise of AI as he said 'education and awareness' would be vital in tackling misinformation in a discussion with around 20 students aged 12 to 18. 'It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake,' he said. 'In an ideal world those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts. 'For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down.' His comments follow rioting by far-right thugs across England in recent weeks which saw police officers attacked, hotels housing vulnerable asylum seekers set alight and shops looted. Unrest began after false rumours spread on social media claiming the 17-year-old arrested over the Southport attacks was a Muslim asylum seeker. Axel Rudakubana was actually born in Cardiff to Christian parents and has no known links to Islam. Harry's comments have also been interpreted as a dig at Elon Musk, who owns X and has been criticised by the UK government for spreading fake news related to the attack. Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, attend the 'Responsible Digital Future' forum at EAN University in Bogota, Colombia Prince Harry, Meghan, Ms Marquez her husband Yerney Pinillo visit local charter school, Colegio Cultura Popular Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Responsible Digital Future Forum at EAN University after being invited by Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez Harry poses for hte camera as he shakes hands with a student of the Popular Cultural School in Bogota Meghan and Harry chatted to a group of about 20 students during their visit to the school on the first day of their tour of Colombia During the visit to the school Harry told the teachers to keep up their good work, 'which they loved' Harry poses for a selfie with an artist as his wife Meghan looks on during a visit at the National Centre for the Arts Harry continued: 'It's becoming harder and harder to stem the flow from the source, spotting true from fake comes down to us. 'One of my biggest worries is that for social media being what it is we will forever be divided, we are debating misinterpretation, and we are being misled, misleading each other. 'While we are debating and discussing how to solve the problems of digital media a very small group of powerful people are getting richer and richer and that is a fundamental flaw in the system.' He added that 'every single week we are seeing examples of social cohesion broken down' because of misinformation and that 'information integrity is a fundamental right'. 'This worries me and it makes us all very sad to see people who are acting on information that isn't true.' Addressing social media abuse more broadly, Meghan said: 'It doesn't matter where you live. It doesn't matter who you are. 'Either you personally or someone you know is a victim to what's happening online. And that's something we can actively work on every day to remedy.' A translator was at hand, but Meghan showed off her linguistic skills as she chatted away in Spanish. She added the group should aim to be 'self-reliant and not tech-reliant' while Harry about asked the conversations they have with their families about managing social media and literacy. After their arrival in Colombia, the couple spent around half-an-hour at the vice-president's residence, where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono - Colombian cheese bread. The Sussexes are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour, following a similar trip to Nigeria. Across the next four days, the Sussexes will take in the city of Bogota before heading off to Cartagena and Cali as part of a 'cultural and social' visit. Harry will also meet members of the Team Colombia squad participating in the Invictus Games, who are gearing up for the 2025 games in Whistler, Canada. Prince Harry is seen shaking hands with Ms Marquez as a smiling Meghan looks on. The Duke and Duchess stayed at the residence for half an hour, where the Vice President expressed her gratitude for the couple's official visit The royal couple were treated to a colourful tribal dance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts A smiling Megan and Harry stand and clap along to the music alongside the country's VP Ms Marquez (left) The Sussexes pose for a snap with one of the dancers after the performance finished A person takes part in a Colombian folkloric performance as Harry and Meghan visit the country Officials have kept the itinerary a closely guarded secret as parts of the country are described as 'best avoided' due to ongoing internal conflicts. Colombia, like Nigeria, is seen as a high risk destination in parts by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. 'FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of Colombia,' the government agency says, adding that many armed groups remain active in the country despite a 2016 peace deal between the government and revolutionary outfit FARC. Besides several police cars and vans, armed soldiers were also deployed to protect Harry and Megan in a massive ring of steel. Roads were blocked off and residents forced on lengthy detours to reach their homes or wait at checkpoints for events to finish so they could carry on. Answering questions from journalists at a press conference ahead of their arrival, Ms Marquez said she was inspired to ask Harry and Meghan to visit the country after being moved by their Netflix documentary. 'I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world,' Ms Marquez said. Ms Marquez described the Sussexes' trip as a 'very special visit' aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying and online digital violence and discrimination, as well as promoting women's leadership in Colombia. The Sussexes' team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means. The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes' second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation's chief of defence staff. Harper's Bazaar magazine, covering the trip as the only words pool, said Ms Marquez shared her personal admiration for Harry's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Meghan and Ms Marquez were pictured embracing as they greeted each other warmly, with Ms Marquez clasping Harry's hands in her own as they were introduced. Harry waves and smiles at some students as he arrives at the National Centre for the Arts Harry holds onto Meghan's hand as they go to take their seats ahead of the performance Meghan was enthralled throughout the performance and was seen nodding her head and smiling Musicians wearing traditional Carnival dress perform during a welcoming ceremony for Prince Harry and Meghan The Duke laughs and jokes as he gestures next to the director of the National Centre for the Arts, Xiomara Suescun During the sit-down chat, Ms Marquez said she shared the same ideals and goals as Harry and Meghan amid their campaign to make the digital world safer for children. The royal couple were treated to a colourful theatrical performance of the play 'The Kiss of the Hummingbird' at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts. Tapping her toes and smiling enthusiastically, Meghan chatted to vice president Francia Marquez and pointed to some of the costumes. Ms Marquez, a lawyer and human rights and environmental activist, is Colombia's first black vice-president and serves in the country's first left-wing government, led by president Gustavo Petro. For Ms Marquez, part of the reason for the trip may be that she sees Meghan as an ally in cyberbullying. Ms Marquez says she was the victim of over 12,000 racist comments on social media last year - and she has been the target of death threats and attacks. The duke has meanwhile maintained it is 'still dangerous' for Meghan to return to the UK. He is said to be missing the private funeral of his uncle Lord Fellowes - husband of Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes - in Norfolk later this month due to his security fears. Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK, but he has been given the green light to appeal. During the case, the court was told Harry believes his children cannot 'feel at home' in the UK if it is 'not possible to keep them safe' there and that he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with 'additional layers of racism and extremism'. Harry and Meghan stepped down from the working monarchy in 2020 and no longer travel at the request of the UK Government on official overseas royal visits, when travel costs would have usually been met by the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant. Princess Beatrice and Edo beamed as they walked around central London Princess Beatrice looked in high spirits on Thursday as she strolled around the streets of Mayfair with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The royal, 36, opted for a relaxed look as she joined her 40-year-old businessman beau as they nipped to Marks & Spencer. The couple, who have been married for four years, stopped by the upmarket retailer for a healthy food shop picking up on the vine tomatoes and leafy greens. Beatrice - who is the daughter of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew - donned a casual, oversized denim shirt, which she wore buttoned up, and paired with a black satin maxi-skirt. She opted for comfortable footwear as she stepped out in white velcro-strapped Veja trainers, which retail for 150. Princess Beatrice was all smiles with her 40-year-old businessman beau as they walked alongside each other in central London Beatrice - who is the daughter of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew - donned a casual, oversized denim shirt and black midi skirt Edo picked up tomatoes and leafy greens from the shop The mother opted to wear her fiery red tresses up in a messy bun and sported little to no makeup during the trip to the supermarket The mother opted to wear her fiery red tresses up in a messy bun and sported little to no makeup during the trip to the supermarket. Edo went for a relaxed look and sported a white linen shirt along with navy suit trousers and a pair of white trainers. He accessorised by stacking bangles and leather bracelets up his arm and added a faded red cap to his ensemble. He was carrying their M&S shopping bag, which was seemingly full of fruits and vegetables, along with their premium collection of vine tomatoes. The pair have been living in St James's Palace while their 3.5million house in the Cotswolds is being renovated. The couple share a daughter named Sienna, who was born in 2021, and are often joined by Edo's eldest child, Christoper Woolf, known as Wolfie, whom he shares with his ex-partner, Dara Huang. Beatrice, who is not a working royal, is the Vice President of partnerships and strategy at Afiniti, a software and data company based in New York which focuses on using AI technology in call centres. Last month, the Princess also recently topped the prestigious poll by Tatler Magazine for best dressed - 13 years after her she was mocked for her 'pretzel' hat at William and Kate's wedding. Edo went for a relaxed look and sported a white linen shirt along with navy suit trousers and a pair of white trainers The couple, who have been married for four years, stopped by Marks and Spencer for a healthy food shop The pair have been living in St James's Palace while their 3.5million house in the Cotswolds is being renovated Both Beatrice and her sister Princess Eugenie are reported to have cried over articles criticising their hats at the wedding. The society bible praised Beatrice for being 'a beacon of sartorial elegance' by 'pairing vintage-inspired cuts with fresh-from-the-catwalk glamour', although it did note she was the 'subject of much jest' for the Philip Treacy hat. Beatrice recently celebrated her 36th birthday, with her younger sister Eugenie sharing pictures of her sister on Instagram to mark the occasion. The snaps showed Beatrice lighthearted poses on Instagram, and Eugenie described her as 'an inspiration' who has 'paved the way' for her. The couple share a daughter named Sienna, who was born in 2021, and are often joined by Edo's eldest child, Christoper Woolf, known as Wolfie, whom he shares with his ex-partner, Dara Huang Beatrice kept it casual for her walk in Mayfair It comes after Princess Eugenie has posted a series of sweet snaps of Princess Beatrice to celebrate her older sister's 36th birthday. Eugenie, who is two years younger than Beatrice, shared three images of her sister in lighthearted poses on Instagram, and described Beatrice as 'an inspiration' who has 'paved the way' for her. The first image, taken at trampoline park at Desert X AlUla in Saudi Arabia , shows Beatrice jumping in the air with her arms outstretched. The beaming Princess is sporting dark sunglasses and a denim jacket, which she's paired with khaki trousers and trainers for a casual look. The second picture, which was taken in the same location, shows the two smiling sisters holding hands in a similar mid-air pose. The first image shared by Princess Eugenie was taken in an undisclosed desert location and shows a beaming Princess Beatrice jumping in the air with her arms outstretched Another image showed a fun-loving Beatrice in her role as auntie to Eugenie's sons and appears to have been taken at her parents' residence, the Royal Lodge in Windsor This picture, which was taken in the same desert location as the first, shows the two smiling sisters holding hands in a mid-air pose Meanwhile, the third photo pictures a fun-loving Beatrice in her role as auntie to Eugenie's sons and appears to have been taken at her parents' residence, the Royal Lodge in Windsor. Wearing a headband featuring rabbit ears, Beatrice is jumping out from behind a patch of daffodils to surprise her one-year-old nephew, Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, who appears captivated by his auntie's amusing show. Eugenie added a heartfelt caption to her 'Happy Birthday' post, writing: 'Happy birthday dearest Beabea!! What an inspiration you are. You've paved the way for your little sissy. Love you x. Enthusiastic Fans of the royal sisters were quick to comment on Eugenie's post, which received over 37,000 likes with an hour. One person wrote: 'Happy birthday Beatrice!!!! Love the photos! Thanks for sharing!' A second, international fan added: 'Happy Birthday Princess Beatrice! Greetings from Brazil '. Others took the opportunity to share their thoughts on the pictures, with Instagram users picking out the picture of Beatrice with her nephew as their favourite. One person, who noted that Beatrice's was born on the eighth day of the eighth month of the year in 1988, posted: '8-8-88 Happy Birthday Princess Beatrice. May the coming year be wonderful. Love the last pic.' A reporter who said she was 'belittled' by Blake Lively has shared that the actress's 'bump' comment 'felt like a bullet' since she can't get pregnant - and revealed the real reason why she decided to share the 'traumatizing' interview now. Blake, 36, has been embroiled in controversy recently, as rumors of an ongoing feud between her and her It Ends With Us costar, Justin Baldoni, continue to make headlines. Amid the drama, award-winning journalist Kjersti Flaa, 51, posted a clip of an 'uncomfortable' chat that she had with the Gossip Girl alum back in 2016. During the interview, Kjersti congratulated a then-pregnant Blake on her impending arrival, but the actress seemed completely unamused with the comment, and replied with a sarcastic quip. Now, Kjersti has spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com about how Blake's response left her feeling 'paralyzed' and 'like a complete failure.' A reporter who said she was 'belittled' by Blake Lively has admitted that the actress's 'bump' comment 'felt like a bullet' since she can't get pregnant She said Blake made her feel 'belittled and ignored' throughout the entire sit-down, and ultimately, it resulted in her questioning if she 'ever wanted to do these types of interviews again.' The reporter, who is originally from Norway but now lives in California, also shut down speculation that she shared the video to distract from the backlash that Justin, 40, has been getting - a rumor that erupted on social media after fans noticed a strange connection between Kjersti and one of the other clients of the PR crisis manager that Justin hired. 'It was such a traumatizing experience to me. I was there to do a job and they made sure to make it as difficult as possible for me to do that,' Kjersti told DailyMail.com of the interview. 'I was there so they could promote a movie. I was invited to meet them. It certainly did not feel like that. 'I felt belittled and ignored and it made me question if I ever wanted to do these types of interviews again. 'It took me a while to get over it and build up my confidence again.' Blake and fellow actress Parker Posey sat down with Kjersti back in 2016 to discuss their film Cafe Society. But when Kjersti made a comment about the actress's baby bump, things immediately turned tense. Blake, 36, has been embroiled in controversy in recent weeks, as rumors of an ongoing feud between her and her It Ends With Us costar, Justin Baldoni, continue to make headlines Now, Kjersti (seen) has spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com about how Blake's response left her feeling 'paralyzed' and 'like a complete failure' 'First of all, congrats on your little bump,' Kjersti, who is the founder of Content Now TV, gushed. 'Congrats on your little bump,' Blake fired back, as the interviewer giggled nervously. Now, Kjersi told DailyMail.com that Blake's response was especially hurtful because she cannot conceive. '[Her comment] left me almost paralyzed. To be honest it hurts because I obviously wasn't pregnant and I could never get pregnant so to me that comment was like a bullet,' she shared. 'I didn't know how to react. I felt very uncomfortable throughout the interview and all I wanted to do was leave and get out of there as fast as I could. 'It made me feel like a complete failure. I kept going through the interview in my head afterwards trying to figure out what I had said or done to make them behave like that. It made no sense to me.' After Kjersi resurfaced the 'uncomfortable' interview on her YouTube channel, it sparked intense backlash against Blake. But soon after, social media users began to wonder if she only posted it because she was part of a 'smear campaign' against Blake launched by Justin. But Kjersi insisted to DailyMail.com that her decision to share the video now had nothing to do with the actor. When asked if she uploaded the clip to help him, she stated, 'No, not at all. I dont know him.' The Norwegian journalist said she became inspired after 'another reporter who had a terrible interview experience with someone else' contacted her to ask if she had ever endured 'something similar.' She said Blake made her feel 'belittled and ignored' throughout the sit-down, and ultimately, it resulted in her questioning if she 'ever wanted to do these types of interviews again' 'I was contacted by another reporter last week who had a terrible interview experience with someone else,' she explained. 'They confiscated his tape after the interview and he wondered if something similar had ever happened to me. 'I told him about the horrible interview I had with Blake Lively and [said] that I never wanted to share it with anyone because the experience had traumatized me so much. 'After talking to him I decided to post the interview on my YouTube channel because I think it's time that people behaving badly in Hollywood, or anywhere else for that matter, gets called out for it. It's not OK, even if you are rich and famous.' Leading up to the release of It Ends With Us, rumors of a divide between Blake and Justin have swirled. Amidst the speculation, Justin hired crisis publicist Melissa Nathan to represent him - a woman who previously worked with Johnny Depp during his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. But some online users pointed out that Kjersti is an avid support of Johnny's, and spoke highly of him during the actor's controversial courtroom showdown against his ex. Back in 2022, Kjersti shared an old clip from 2014 that showed her chatting with him about his 'biggest insecurities.' And in the description of the video, she described Johnny as 'the most polite and sweet' person she had ever interviewed. It's exactly the opposite of what she did amid the It Ends With Us drama, as she branded her interview with Blake as the 'most uncomfortable situation she had ever experienced.' After Blake's 'bump' comment, things only got more awkward when Kjersti asked the women her first question. After Kjersi resurfaced the 'uncomfortable' interview on her YouTube channel, it sparked intense backlash against Blake The reporter also shut down speculation that she shared the video to distract from the backlash that Justin, 40, has been getting But Kjersi (seen at the Golden Globes) insisted to DailyMail.com that her decision to share the video now had nothing to do with the actor Since the movie took place in the 1930s, Kjersti wondered if they enjoyed wearing old-school clothes in the movie. But Blake didn't like the query, and as Parker started to answer, she interjected, 'Everyone wants to talk about the clothes but I wonder if they would ask the men about the clothes.' 'I would,' Kjersti promised. Then, the ladies started talking to one another rather than to Kjersti; she sat their awkwardly as the two ladies discussed some of their favorite outfits worn by men in the movie. Kjersti uploaded a clip of the awkward encounter to her YouTube channel recently, and titled it: 'The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.' 'Sitting down with Blake Lively and her co star Parker Posey for Cafe Society is the most uncomfortable interview situation I have ever experienced,' she added in the caption. 'Is it not OK to congratulate someone on their pregnancy or to ask another woman about costumes she is wearing in a film?' The resurfaced interview quickly went viral, and it lead to Blake receiving intense criticism. People flocked to the comment section to slam her, with one person branding the star as 'rude' and another calling her behavior 'weird and uncalled for.' Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury shocked the nation on Wednesday when the popular influencer couple called it quits on their romance in an unexpected and devastating split. As mother-of-one Molly, 25, announced the separation on Instagram on Wednesday, she said she was 'extremely upset' over the break-up - and she wasn't the only one. A seller on second-hand clothes site Vinted, who is a mega fan of the couple, has revealed she's pausing her business activities in order to mourn the relationship. In a thread posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a prospective buyer revealed a conversation she claimed to have had with a seller - who refused to post the item she wanted to buy as a result of Tommy and Molly-Mae's split. The Vinted seller said the breakup between the two celebrities had 'impacted my mental health' to such a degree that she had paused all postages. When Molly revealed the split in an Instagram earlier this week, she wasn't the only one who was left 'extremely upset' as one mega fan revealed that she's had to take time out of being a Vinted seller to cope Molly-Mae (right( and Tommy Fury (left) shocked the nation on Wednesday when the popular influencer couple called it quits on their romance in unexpected and highly speculated split In a screenshot of the conversation between the Vinted seller and their customer, the hopeful buyer can be seen asking if they'd managed to post the item yet. Having received no reply, they followed up with a message reading 'Hello?' after which she received a long message from the 'distraught' seller who announced she taking time off for her 'mental health'. In her statement on the second-hand clothes selling app, the Molly-Mae fan wrote: 'Hiya guys, assuming you didn't see my last listing. I'm taking the time out of Vinted this week due to the Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury situation. 'I'm distraught and it's affected my mental health quite a lot as I am a big fan of her, I'm subscribed to her YouTube channel. 'Sorry for the inconvenience but all items will be on hold until foreseeable future hope you understand.' The devastated seller had then posted on her profile with a caption reading: 'Sorry for the inconvenience but I will be taking time out of Vinted to deal with Molly Mae and Tommy situation. I am generally(sic) distraught and didn't expect it to happen this week. Those who viewed the Tweet online were quick to mock the Vinted seller for her immense distress with one commenter simply describing the situation as 'pathetic' The item in question was a bright pink cropped t-shirt with bubble lettering reading 'Angel Baby', from the Chinese fast fashion retailer, Shein The devastated seller had then posted on her profile with a caption reading: 'Sorry for the inconvenience but I will be taking time out of Vinted to deal with Molly Mae and Tommy situation 'It's affected my mental health badly so I need to take time out. I am subscribed to her YouTube channel and I wasn't expecting this. Will update you all next week.' The item in question was a bright pink cropped T-shirt with bubble lettering reading 'Angel Baby', from the Chinese fast fashion retailer, Shein. While the t-shirt is no longer for sale on Shein's website, the item has been uploaded on the app by other sellers for between 1-3. After the disappointed buyer posted her bizarre conversation with the seller online, people responded in disbelief over the seller's position, with some branding her 'pathetic'. One person wrote: 'Generally instead of genuinely is the epitome of Fiat 500 Molly Mae.' Other shocked commenters said: 'Dead realistic this' while another stunned individual wrote 'I have absolutely no words'. Taking to Instagram Stories on Wednesday, Molly. 25, wrote: 'Never in a million years did I think I'd ever have to write this' The couple met on series five of Love Island in 2019, finishing in second place It comes after Molly-Mae shared the shock news that she had split from fiance Tommy following months of off and on again speculation Fans were left bewildered after Molly-Mae announced her split from Tommy Fury on Wednesday after five years together. The Love Island pair, both 25, had faced split speculation at the start of the year but in recent weeks they seemed to be stronger than ever. Fans have speculated that Tommy was blindsided by the breakup, as recent posts on his social media accounts gave no indication their relationship was over. In contrast, Molly-Mae hinted at trouble in their relationship as she posted pictures without her engagement ring on. On July 23, the influencer seemed to still be smitten with Tommy as she celebrated the one year anniversary of his proposal by reposting a video of the moment. The couple, met on Love Island in 2019 and went onto get engaged and welcome their daughter Bambi in 2023. Taking to Instagram Stories to share the bombshell statement on Wednesday, Molly, 25, wrote: 'Never in a million years did I think I'd ever have to write this. 'After five years of being together I never imagined our story would end, especially not this way. 'I am extremely upset to announce that mine and Tommy's relationship has come to an end. 'I will forever be grateful for the most important thing to me now and always, my beautiful daughter. Without us there would be no her, she will always be my priority. 'I want to thank you all for the love you have shown us over the last five years. You have all been a part of our journey and I feel it's right to share this with you all. Prince Harry couldn't resist a bit of 'dad dancing' as he got into the spirit of a traditional performance on his first day in Colombia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were welcomed by Colombias vice-president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo after arriving in the country on Thursday for the start of a four-day tour. Prince Harry and Meghan were treated to theatre, music and dance performances at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts in Bogota on the first day in South America. And it appears Harry got swept away in the vibrant atmosphere as he bounced back and forth from the sidelines as he watched his wife show off her impressive dance moves. The prince appeared in great spirits as he clapped his hands and beamed as Meghan who joined the dancers in the centre of the room. Prince Harry couldn't resist a bit of 'dad dancing' as he got into the spirit of a cultural performance on his first day in Colombia The royal couple were treated to a colourful theatrical performance of the play 'The Kiss of the Hummingbird'. Harry looked on as the outfits, which included multicoloured feathered headdresses adorned with exotic birds, were explained to him. At the end of the performance Harry and Meghan shook hands with the dancers with the Duke telling one: 'These costumes are amazing.' Harry is known for getting involved on royal tours as he was spotted dancing enthusiastically in Jamaica in 2012. The then 27-year-old royal proved that he had remarkably good rhythm as he gyrated to a rendition of reggae legend Bob Marley's One Love. Meanwhile he was filmed trying to master the traditional dance in Lesotho in 2013. In jeans and desert boots, the then 28-year-old took part in an impromptu dance session on his knees in the dust. Harry and Meghan made a quick wardrobe change for the performance, opting for lighter colours compared to the dark and navy outfits they wore when they landed in the country. Harry got swept away in the vibrant atmosphere as he bounced back and forth from the sidelines as he watched his wife show off her impressive dance moves Prince Harry and Meghan were treated to theatre, music and dance performances at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts in Bogota on the first day in South America The Sussexes had earlier smiled as they arrived hand-in-hand in the country's capital for the start of their four-day quasi-royal visit. They were warmly embraced by Ms Marquez who took them to city centre public school Centro Nacional Cultura Popular, which was under heavy armed guard for the couple's visit. In one snap, Harry appears to be brushing something away from his blazer with his hand while a pupil sitting in between Meghan and Ms Marquez stares aimlessly ahead. During the visit the pupils chatted to Harry and Meghan about what worries them about technological change. A translator was at hand, but Meghan showed off her linguistic skills as she chatted away in Spanish. The Duchess described the group as incredibly 'impressive, smart, and savvy' and highlighted the importance of them aiming to be 'self reliant and not tech reliant.' During a speech yesterday, Harry appeared to reference the Southport attack in which three little girls were killed, according to the BBC. He said: 'For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down now what happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets.' The then 27-year-old royal proved that he had remarkably good rhythm as he gyrated to a rendition of reggae legend Bob Marley's One Love He was filmed trying to master the traditional dance in Lesotho in 2013. In jeans and desert boots, the then 28-year-old took part in an impromptu dance session on his knees in the dust Meghan and Harry had earlier presented Ms Marquez and her partner, Rafael Yerney Pinillo, with an unspecified personal gift ahead of a closed-door tea and coffee hour with traditional pan de bono - Colombian cheese bread. The Duchess of Sussex was invited to the country by VP Marquez after she learned of her story in depth via the couple's two-part Netflix documentary. The Sussexes were pictured smiling and walking hand-in-hand in Bogota shortly after meeting Ms Marquez earlier yesterday; official pictures show Meghan smiling broadly as she greets the top politician. Meghan wore a navy blue Veronica Beard summer suit - comprised of 448 trousers and a 598 waistcoat - along with a 3,775 Loro Piana 'Loom' White handbag. She also wore shoes that resembled a pair of 595 Manolo Blahnik court shoes she has been seen in before. Harry put on a unifying front with his own outfit, donning a matching dark suit, light blue shirt and black dress shoes. The couple have a busy schedule for the days ahead on the royal-in-all-but-name tour three months after their Nigeria visit - starting with a visit to local children's school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, which is under heavy armed guard. They were invited to Colombia for their quasi royal tour after the country's vice president saw them on Netflix and was 'moved' by their story. Musicians wearing traditional Carnival dress perform during a welcoming ceremony for Prince Harry and Meghan Meghan Markle is seen smiling broadly as she greets Colombia's vice president Francia Marquez in Bogota The Sussexes have arrived in Colombia - landing in capital city Bogota - for their four-day royal-in-all-but-name tour three months after their Nigeria visit Harry and Meghan stand with Colombian vice president Francia Marquez and her partner Rafael Yerney Pinillos Harper's Bazaar, the Sussex-sympathetic publication which is accompanying the couple on the trip, reports the couple were met by Ms Marquez after landing. The Duke and Duchess stayed at the residence for half an hour, where the Vice President expressed her gratitude for the couple's official visit. Ms Marquez described the Sussexes' trip as a 'very special visit' aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying and online digital violence and discrimination, as well as promoting women's leadership in Colombia. The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes' second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation's chief of defence staff. Harper's Bazaar magazine, covering the trip as the only words pool, said Ms Marquez shared her personal admiration for Harry's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales. The VP spoke at a press conference where she spoke of Diana's 'dream' of visiting the country. Ms Marquez said: 'I think that Prince Harry being here today after that dream of his mum's of visiting this country is an opportunity to show the best of our nation, to show who Colombians are. We are people who in the midst of adversities do everything possible to give the best of ourselves.' During the sit-down chat, Ms Marquez said she shared the same ideals and goals as Harry and Meghan amid their campaign to make the digital world safer for children. Seen is a screenshot from the California DMVs mobile drivers license video on YouTube. People will soon be able to add digital drivers licenses to their Apple and Google smartphone wallets. California DMV/YouTube After rolling out digital drivers licenses and state ID cards last year, California will soon make it easier for people to use them by adding them to their Apple and Google smartphone wallets, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday. Around 500,000 Californians so far have taken advantage of the Department of Motor Vehicles pilot program offering 1.5 million free sign-ups for the states first digital drivers license. But users have to download the California DMV Wallet app to store and access it. Soon, people will be able to sign up directly through their Apple or Google wallets on their iPhone, Apple Watch or Android devices and store the license there, the governors office said in a news release. Those who already have their license in the DMV app can add it to their Apple or Google wallet (they will still be counted as just one person in the pilot program). Advertisement Article continues below this ad DMV Director Steve Gordon said in an interview the exact launch date is up to the two tech companies, but he expects it to be soon. While up to 1 million new users may get licenses and IDs through the program, the number of places that accept them is still small: They can be used at TSA security checkpoints at San Francisco International, Mineta San Jose International and Los Angeles International airports, plus a handful of convenience stores in Sacramento and Los Angeles. Gordon said he anticipates that the list of places and businesses that accept the digital drivers licenses will expand now that Apple and Google have come on board. He noted that the presentation of the digital ID is standard, so the same reader will be able to get information whether the ID is in an Apple, Google or DMV digital wallet. We want to see the number of use cases expand, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He added that the digital identification is great from a privacy perspective, as it only presents the information needed for the transaction. That means that if youre at a store buying wine, it only shows the reader your photo and age rather than giving away all the information thats on your physical drivers license, like your address and full name. The digital IDs will not replace a physical drivers license or identification card, state officials said, so people are urged to continue carrying their physical cards. However, it does make it easier for Californians to validate their age and identity at participating businesses and airports, the news release said. This is a big step in our efforts to better serve all Californians, meeting people where theyre at and with technology people use everyday, Newsom said in the release. For more information, go to www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/ca-dmv-wallet. When presidential hopeful Kamala Harris takes to the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, all eyes will be on the A-list backers who might grace the stage alongside her. Rumoured names on the bill so far have included everyone from Beyonce to Michelle Obama and Taylor Swift (who's performing in London until Tuesday) - but none have yet confirmed whether they're bound for Chicago's United Center for the four-day convention. However, according to one leading media voice, it's highly unlikely that Meghan Markle will be amongst the famous faces showing their support for Kamala Harris in person. Andrew Cockburn, the Washington D.C editor of Harpers, told Tatler magazine that Meghan's current influence on voters is negligible. Washington D.C. Harper's editor Andrew Cockburn said he thought it highly unlikely that Meghan Markle would make an appearance in Chicago next week to show her support for Kamala Harris The editor said the Duchess of Sussex's selling power in the US was 'rock bottom'...and Prince Harry's wife was unlikely to hold much sway with US voters At the United Center in Chicago, the Democrat National Convention will take place from August 19th to 22nd Cockburn said: 'I haven't heard any rumours. I'm sure she'd like to, but her selling power has really gone pretty rock bottom here.' He added: 'I don't think she would have much effect. I doubt shell show up at the Convention. I doubt theyd want her there.' There's also the matter of simple logistics too; Markle and husband Prince Harry are in Colombia on their 'quasi-royal' tour until Sunday, making a trip to Chicago the next day possible but unlikely. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been in Bogota since Thursday, after being invited to the South American country by Vice-President Francia Marquez. The biggest draw for the Democrats right now? Taylor Swift backing Kamala Harris...but with the global pop sensation in London until Tuesday, it's also unlikely she'll make an appearance in Chicago next week On day one, Prince Harry showed his political voice, appearing to criticise Elon Musk following the Southport riots in Britain. The Duke of Sussex attacked misinformation on social media during a summit on digital responsibility and appeared to blame fake news for sparking the disorder. Some 80 adults have so far been sentenced following violence which broke out in parts of the UK in the wake of three girls being murdered in Southport on July 29. And Harry told an audience yesterday: 'What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isn't true.' He added that a lot of people were 'scared and uncertain 'about the potential impact of AI and that 'education and awareness' would be key to tacking misinformation. Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday X founder Musk has come under intense criticism for misinformation on his platform relating to the events, with the world's richest man even falling victim to it after sharing a fake story about Sir Keir Starmer looking at detainment camps for rioters. And Harry said: 'It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake. In an ideal world those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. 'We are no longer debating facts. For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down.' Meghan also told how the 'digital age has almost created a culture where if you don't have anything cool to say, don't say anything at all - and that is fundamentally changing how we move through the world, how we connect with each other'. Belgian woman shocked at 3.55 price for two croissants and water in London A tourist has come under fire for complaining about paying 3.55 for two croissants and a bottle of water at a London supermarket. The young woman is visiting the UK capital from Belgium for Taylor Swift's five-night Eras tour and ducked into Marks and Spencer in Kensington for a snack. She was left in disbelief when the total at the self-serve checkout came to more than 3 and she vented her frustrations on X, formerly Twitter. 'I love London but why in hell did I pay 3.55 for two croissants and water?' she asked in a tweet that racked up almost 4million views. The Swiftie's complaint was met with backlash from Londoners who quickly pointed out the price was considered a 'bargain' in the notoriously pricey city. A tourist from Belgium was met with a barrage of backlash after she complained about the price of two croissants and a bottle of water from a London supermarket The woman, who is in London for Taylor Swift's Eras tour, took to X to share her disbelief at her 3.55 total but Londoners were quick to point out that 'cheap' for the pricey city 'I'm convinced they only charged you for one croissant because there's no way!' one woman said. 'As a Londoner, why is that actually a bargain?' a second replied and another said: 'Two for one? That seems shockingly cheap for London!'. 'Girl, bye, that's as affordable as it gets,' someone else retorted. The lively debate even caught the attention of people in Australia and the US who agreed 3.55 for the three items would be a 'steal' in their home countries. 'I'd pass away for that price a croissant where I am in America is easily $5-$8,' one user responded. 'In AUD that's just under $9. A bottle of water is $5. What are you complaining about?' an Aussie answered. The Swiftie's tweet racked up almost 4million views and hundreds of replies. Many claimed 3.55 for two croissants and a water was considered a 'steal' The disgruntled shopper responded to the onslaught of replies saying she would have paid much less for the same three items at a supermarket where she lives in Belgium. 'Guys, I don't know about you but where I live I can get that for 1.80which is like 1.50,' she explained. She said she paid 1.20 for the bottle of water and was 'shocked' that croissants in London stores would cost more than 1. The woman chastised herself for being 'too lazy' to walk the extra distance to Tesco to get the item at a cheaper price so she opted for the dearer M&S instead. However, her laziness didn't cost her much extra. A two-pack of butter croissants from Tesco is priced at 1.60 but they can cost 1.60 fresh from the bakery section while a 750ml of Evian water is 1.45. Women are more than twice as likely to develop bipolar disorder in the years leading up to the menopause, a study suggests. Researchers examined data on 128,294 UK women in the four years around their final period. Analysis revealed there was a 112 per cent increase in bipolar during perimenopause, while the onset of major depressive disorder increased by 30 per cent. Perimenopause happens when a woman has symptoms of menopause, such as anxiety, mood swings and brain fog, but still has a period. Study leader Professor Arianna Di Florio, of Cardiff University, said: 'During perimenopause approximately 80 per cent of people develop symptoms, but the impact on the onset of severe mental illness was unknown. Analysis revealed there was a 112 per cent increase in bipolar during perimenopause, while the onset of major depressive disorder increased by 30 per cent (stock image) Study leader Professor Arianna Di Florio, of Cardiff University (pictured), said: 'During perimenopause approximately 80 per cent of people develop symptoms, but the impact on the onset of severe mental illness was unknown' 'In my clinic, I found that some women, previously living lives without any experience of severe mental health issues, developed severe mental illness around the time of the menopause. What is Bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects your moods, which can swing from 1 extreme to another. It used to be known as manic depression. People with bipolar disorder have episodes of: Depression feeling very low and lethargic Mania feeling very high and overactive Symptoms of bipolar disorder depend on which mood you're experiencing. Unlike simple mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks (or even longer). Source: NHS Advertisement 'I feel a duty towards the women I work with. 'I wanted to provide them and other women with the answers to why this terrible thing happened to them.' Professor Di Florio said the findings could help provide additional support for women who have 'previously been left in the dark'. 'Research like this is vital, as women experience these profound changes in their lives and bodies and are currently let down by the lack of detailed understanding of these changes,' she added. 'We have been able to expand our knowledge of the mental health changes associated with perimenopause, which can help provide explanations, diagnoses and support for women who have previously been left in the dark about what is happening to them.' The study, published in the journal Nature Mental Health, was conducted in collaboration with the charity Bipolar UK and the UK Biobank. Clare Dolman, an ambassador for Bipolar UK and patient and public involvement lead on the project, said the findings could be 'life-saving'. She added: 'This study is extremely important as it demonstrates for the first time in a very large sample that the menopausal transition has a measurable impact on women's mental health. Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another (stock image) 'For me, this confirms what we have observed and heard from women with bipolar themselves; that hormonal change is a very important factor in mood disorders and one that deserves to be researched thoroughly. 'As a woman with bipolar myself who has gone through menopause, I am looking forward to the research community recognising the importance of this funding. 'The studies will allow us to predict an individual woman's risk of becoming unexpectedly ill at this time of life. That knowledge could be life-saving.' The study focussed on first-onset experiences of psychiatric disorders during perimenopause and did not investigate links with the recurrence of pre-existing psychiatric disorders. Bipolar UK said further research focussing on people with a previous history of mental illness is needed. Special K, Ket, or Kit Kat was popular as a party drug in the late 1990s, when it was commonly taken at all-night raves despite its sedating effects. But its popularity slipped in the 2000s when it became a Schedule III drug in the UK and concerns were raised over side effects including hallucinations and, in rare cases, seizures. Now, the drug is attracting fresh attention due to its role in the death of Friends star Matthew Perry, who was injected with ketamine 21 times in the week before he died. The doctor accused of supplying the drug, which eventually killed him, told of disturbing details of the drug's effect on the actor's body including seizures and 'freezing up', just days before his death. Here, we reveal how the substance now used in private clinics for its alleged anti-depressant effect can wreak havoc on the body within an hour of taking even one large hit, leaving users paralysed, unable to breathe and choking on their own vomit. Here, we reveal how the substance now used in private clinics for its alleged anti-depressant effect can wreak havoc on the body within an hour of taking one large hit, leaving users paralysed, unable to breathe and choking on their own vomit The drug is attracting fresh attention due to its role in the death of Friends star Matthew Perry (pictured), who was supplied with ketamine up to six times a day in the week before he died Even in low doses, long-term use can cause severe, irreversible damage to the bladder and kidneys, and excruciating abdominal pain sometimes known as k-cramps. Ketamine works as an anaesthetic by blocking the neurotransmitter N-methyl-D-aspartate (NDMA), which controls actions in the nervous system. This can rapidly diminish sensations, prevent pain, induce sleep or even inhibit memory. For this reason, it is usually taken in small doses for non-anaesthetic purposes, and large doses as an anaesthetic in a medical setting, such as before an operation. At smaller doses, it gives users a feeling of euphoria, out-of-body experiences, and hallucinations. If injected, ketamine's effects can take control within just a minute. Users typically feel such effects within five to 15 minutes if snorted and half an hour if swallowed. Snorting ketamine results in a more potent 'rush', may present a higher addiction risk and can damage the nasal passage. While its effects when taken in smaller doses can last around an hour, a user's coordination or senses may be affected for up to 24-hours after initial use. Signs and symptoms of a ketamine overdose or toxicity can vary depending on how much Ket is consumed. Typically, within a couple of minutes of taking the drug users experience an increase in heart rate and even palpitations. At the same time, blood pressure drops over 10 to 20 minutes, resulting in a woozy and faint feeling. A dramatic quick drop acts as a key sign of an overdose or toxicity, which can happen with one, large dose. Its numbing effect also makes users unresponsive more quickly. When in this state, users experience involuntarily rapid eye movement, dilated pupils, and stiffening of the muscles such as them 'freezing up'. Its effect on muscle relaxation also suppresses the respiratory system, leading to sudden difficulty swallowing and making it harder for people to breathe. This lack of oxygen, in turn, may even result in permanent brain damage. Tolerance to the drug, which usually comes as a crystalline powder or liquid, recreationally is known to build quickly. This leads to users needing more and more to feel the same high, which increases the risk of overdosing or experiencing adverse side effects. Higher doses can also lead to a phenomenon dubbed the 'k-hole', an intense feeling of dissociation, delerium and being disconnected or unable to connect to reality. Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his LA home on October 28 by his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa. His cause of death later determined to be 'the acute effects of ketamine'. Pictured, Perry in August 2023, three months before his death Special K, Ket, or Kit Kat (pictured), as it is also known, was popular as a party drug in the late 1990s, when it was commonly taken at all-night raves According to the Bristol Drugs Project, a drug and alcohol services charity, a heavy and potentially fatal dose is around 150mg, compared to a common dose of 30-75 mg. Experts have long warned that although death from ketamine poisoning alone is rare, since paralysis is a side effect of taking the drug, if users start vomiting they are at risk of choking on their own vomit. The shocking details of the days leading up to Matthew Perry's death emerged on Thursday as Plascencia and four other alleged co-conspirators were arrested following a grand jury indictment. Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his LA home on October 28 by his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa. His cause of death later determined to be 'the acute effects of ketamine'. Iwamasa has since admitted being the one who administered the fatal doses to the actor, after being trained how to deliver them by Plascencia. On October 4, Iwamasa reported that he had successfully injected Perry, noting that he 'found the sweet spot but trying different places led to running out' of ketamine. The affidavit claims that Perry spent $55,000 on ketamine supplied by Plascencia in the two months before he died, and that Iwamasa injected Perry with 27 shots of ketamine in just five days. 'Matthew Perry's journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials', DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. An autopsy found that the amount in Perry's blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery, and listed 'the acute effects of ketamine' as the primary cause of death. Experts have long warned that rising ketamine use has been driven by both its affordability and availability. It is thought to cost around 20 a gram compared to 40 a gram for MDMA and 100 for cocaine. High profile endorsements, including Elon Musk who earlier this year revealed the drug was 'helpful' in getting him 'out of a negative frame of mind', may also be behind the rise, they have suggested. Figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, show one in twenty (4.8 per cent) 20 to 24-year-olds in England and Wales last year admitted to taking the drug, more popular among men. This compared to just 0.9 per cent across all age groups. But campaigners have also called ketamine a 'campus killer', with it linked to dozens of student deaths over the past few years, according to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths. Ketamine is only licensed in the UK as an anaesthetic but can also be prescribed off-license as a pain killer. These versions are medical-grade and proven to be safe. The class B drug is also increasingly being studied as a potential therapeutic for depression and PTSD. Pakistan has registered its first cases of mpox, health officials confirmed today. A mutant form of the rash-causing virus is currently spreading rampantly in Africa, killing an estimated 10 per cent of those infected. It is a descendent of the deadly clade 1 strain of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, and different than the mild version which spread to over dozen countries, including the UK, in 2022. But Pakistan's public health agency said it wasn't yet clear if the three cases logged were the same strain and where the virus had originated from. It comes just a day after Sweden reported its first case of the new deadly form, marking the first time it has been found outside of Africa. This map shows areas where cases of the new mpox strain has been confirmed (shaded in red) and those where nations deemed to be at risk of cases emerging according to UK health officials A mutant form of the rash-causing virus is spreading rampantly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), killing up to 10 per cent of those infected. It is a descendent of the deadly clade 1 strain of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox , and different than the mild version which spread to over dozen countries , including the UK, in 2022 On Thursday the World Health Organization (WHO) also declared the ongoing mpox outbreak a global public health emergency for the second time in two years. A spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Health today said: 'The first case of mpox has been confirmed in Pakistan.' Salim Khan, the director general of health services for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, also added two of the patients were confirmed to have mpox. A third patient's samples have been sent to the National Health Institute in the capital, Islamabad, for confirmation. All three patients are being quarantined. Latest World Health Organization data shows more than 99,000 mpox cases have been logged globally since January 2022. However, it is unclear exactly how many cases, and deaths, the new strain accounts for with older versions still circulating. The mutant form currently striking alarm among health experts, called clade Ib, kills about one in 20 adults it infects, rising to up to one in 10 children. Infections have also been linked to an alarming rise in miscarriages among pregnant women. Olivia Wigzell, director-general at the Swedish public health agency told a press conference the country's first clade 1b case was infected while in a part of Africa where there was a large outbreak of the disease. Magnus Gisslen, a state epidemiologist also added the patient had 'received care' but gave no further details of their condition. The public health agency said Sweden 'has a preparedness to diagnose, isolate and treat people with mpox safely'. It added: 'The fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population, a risk that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) currently considers very low.' Cases of the new mpox strain are centred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). More than 17,000 cases and 571 deaths have been logged in Africa this year, officials have said, a 160 percent surge compared to the same period last year. The city of Goma in the DRC also has an international airport providing frequent direct flights to Europe which experts have previously warned is a possible path for the virus to enter a new continent. Mpox, also known as monkeypox, spreads between people through skin-to-skin contact. This map shows the location of mpox cases by UK nation between January 2023 and as of the end of July this year It is a far cry from the 2022 outbreak where thousands of cases were recorded, mostly in London This can be through sex, or by a simple touch like when caring for children, though it can also spread by secondary contact like sharing towels or bed linen for example. It causes characteristic lumpy lesions, as well as a fever, aches and pains and fatigue. However, in a small number of cases, it can enter the blood and lungs, as well as other parts of the body, when it becomes life-threatening. A different, less severe, form of mpox, called clade II, sparked alarm among health officials globally in 2022 when it began spreading rapidly across multiple countries mainly through sexual contact among gay and bisexual men. However, new infections gradually tapered off amid boosted awareness of the disease and a hurried vaccination program. At the time the UK reported almost 4,000 cases, with NHS England inoculating over 68,000 people against the disease with the smallpox vaccine, which works due to the two viruses being closely related. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) yesterday announced it was 'already planning' for UK cases. Dr Meera Chand, deputy director at the UK health Security Agency, said the current threat to the UK by the new mpox strain is 'currently considered low'. But she added: 'However, planning is underway to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK. 'This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission.' A new deadly strain of mpox has officially reached Europe and could soon reach the UK, leading infectious disease experts have warned. The clade 1b mutation, which experts have called ' the most dangerous one so far', is believed to be behind a wave of miscarriages, and kills one in ten of those infected. Sweden has reported its first case of the new deadly form, marking the first time it has been found outside of Africa. Yesterday the World Health Organization (WHO) also declared the ongoing mpox outbreak a global public health emergency for the second time in two years. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has already announced it is 'already planning' for UK cases. So just how worried should we be, who is most at risk, and what, if anything, should we do to protect ourselves? Here MailOnline explains everything you need to know. This map shows areas where cases of the new mpox strain has been confirmed (shaded in red) and those where nations deemed to be at risk of cases emerging according to UK health officials What is mpox? Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral infection once mainly confined to west and central Africa. The WHO renamed monkeypox in 2022 to restrain what it called 'racist and stigmatising language' surrounding the infection. Mpox was spread to humans through direct contact with animals such as squirrels, which are known to harbour the virus. However, it can also be transmitted through very close contact with an infected person, most commonly via sex. However, mpox isn't considered a sexually transmitted disease, because it also spreads via other forms of close contact, such as skin-to-skin contact or sharing towels, clothing or bedding with someone who has the virus. The virus was first discovered when an outbreak of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research in 1958, hence the previous name. The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the infection has been reported in mainly central and western African countries since then. In 2022, an outbreak in Europe and the US that largely affected gay and bisexual men, prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency. It was the first time mpox had been reported to have primarily spread via sexual contact. More than 17,000 cases and 571 deaths have been logged in Africa this year, officials have said, a 160 percent surge compared to the same period last year. What is the new strain? Clade 1b is a descendent of the deadly clade 1 strain of mpox and different than the milder version (clade 2) which spread to more than 20 countries, including the UK, in 2022. Once again, sexual transmission seems to be the primary way clade 1b is spreading. Researchers believe Clade 1b emerged in September last year, with the first cases found in sex workers in the DRC mining town of Kamituga, around 170 miles from the border with Rwanda. Clade 1 has historically only been found in people who eat infected bushmeat, with transmission largely confined to the affected household. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare viral infection which people usually pick up in the tropical areas of west and central Africa. Pictured, a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox particles (green) found within an infected cell (pink and purple) It is a far cry from the 2022 outbreak where thousands of cases were recorded, mostly in London How is it different to other strains? Scientists have previously warned the strain was 'undoubtedly' the 'most dangerous one' yet, and there is some evidence that it is more contagious. Although it is currently not entirely clear how fast the new strain spreads. Like Clade 2, Clade 1b causes a severe blister-like rash at the site of the infection. But symptoms are more severe, with the rash often spreading to the entire body. The emergence of a new mutant strain, or clade, is concerning as it indicates the virus is adapting and getting better at spreading from person to person. The number of asymptomatic cases or people with minimal symptoms, who could still potentially spread the infection, is also still unknown. Where has the mutant form of the virus been found? Thousands of cases of the disease and hundreds of deaths have already been reported in DRC this year. In recent weeks, infections have begun to spread to other neighbouring countries across East and Central Africa. Since mpox Clade 1b was first witnessed in DRC there have been confirmed cases in Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda, before the new case identified in Sweden. And in the past month, at least 50 mpox cases have been reported in four other countries bordering the DRC countries that have not experienced the virus previously. Yesterday, Olivia Wigzell, director-general at the Swedish public health agency told a press conference the country's first clade 1b case was infected while in a part of Africa where there was a large outbreak of the disease. Magnus Gisslen, a state epidemiologist also added the patient had 'received care' but gave no further details of their condition. How deadly is it? Mpox is usually not serious, with most patients recovering within a few weeks without treatment. Yet, the disease can prove fatal. Estimates suggest the new mutant strain has a mortality rate of five per cent for adults and 10 per cent for children. But another worrying aspect was infection in pregnant women was causing an 'alarming' number of miscarriages. Experts have also previously said some cases had even resulted in irreversible sight loss, as well as recurrent whole-body rashes. Declaring a public health emergency this week, the WHO said the 'rapid spread' of the new clade was 'very worrying'. This map shows the location of mpox cases by UK nation between January 2023 and as of the end of July this year After clade 2 sparked alarm among health officials globally in 2022, new infections gradually tapered off amid boosted awareness of the disease and a hurried vaccination program. At the time the UK reported almost 4,000 cases, with NHS England inoculating over 68,000 people against the disease with the smallpox vaccine. Pictured, long lines to receive the vaccine How does it spread and what can you do to protect yourself? Mpox is not classified a sexually transmitted infection, though it can be passed on by direct contact during sex. Contagious lesions, through which infections are most likely to be passed on, can appear on any part of the body. The infection can also be passed on through contact with clothing or linens used by an infected person. According to the WHO, if someone you know is diagnosed with or has suspected mpox, avoid close contact with them, including sexual contact. If you have symptoms, seek health advice and self-isolate while you wait to get tested. Clean and disinfect environments that could have been contaminated with the virus from someone who is infectious. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also says smallpox vaccines and antivirals can be used to treat mpox as well as control it. What is a global health emergency and why was one declared? A 'public health emergency of international concern' or PHEIC is the WHOs highest form of alert. They are declared when diseases are spreading in new or unusual ways, and are aimed at galvanising international co-operation and funding to tackle an outbreak. It is the second time in two years that the WHO has declared an mpox outbreak a global public health emergency. 'Its clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives', WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. The WHOs declaration also follows a similar warning published by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this week. What are the symptoms people should be aware of? Initially, mpox causes a flu-like illness: fever, headache, sore muscles, back pain, swollen lymph nodes (glands found in the neck, groin or under the arms) and fatigue. Within one to five days, a rash appears, usually first on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body, including the genitals. The rash is similar to chickenpox. It starts as raised spots that then turn into small fluid-filled blisters. These blisters turn into scabs, which eventually fall off. The illness can last up to four weeks, but most cases clear up on their own without any treatment. During the last outbreak, the UK Health Security Agency advised anyone with unusual rashes or lesions on any part of the body in particular, gay or bisexual men, those who have been in contact with someone who has or might have mpox, and anyone whos travelled to West Africa in the past three weeks to contact NHS 111 or phone their local sexual health service. The smallpox vaccine works due to the two viruses being closely related. But experts said there wasn't yet enough evidence to suggest a vaccine would be effective against this new strain How likely is it to reach the UK? Infectious disease experts have warned it is probable clade 1b will reach the UK and could lead to British deaths. The city of Goma in the DRC has an international airport providing frequent direct flights to Europe which experts have previously warned is a possible path for the virus to enter a new continent. And Kenya, which has also been struck by the outbreak has direct 9-hour flights from Nairobi to London. Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases from the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline: 'It probably will spread to Europe, but that doesnt mean we should stop trying to control it now.' He added that while the new mpox strain could lead to fatalities in developed nations, they could be lower due to better access to a higher standard of health care. However, he said there was reason for optimism, as given countries managed to control the 2022 spread of the clade II strain, nations could use the same measures against clade I. Meanwhile, Dr Simon Clarke, an infectious disease expert University of Reading, said while people shouldn't panic, mpox will likely reach the UK. 'All countries should be aware of the risk that this new variant of the virus will spread, indeed its already doing so in Africa and likely find its way to Europe and the UK in due course, so its important that authorities in the developed world assist with containing this wave of infections,' he said. 'This will spread beyond Africa and may already have begun to do so, but nobody really knows to what extent.' Thankfully he said it is unlikely we will see anything near the same level of travel restrictions as during Covid, but added that health systems like those in the UK still need to prepare for cases. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) yesterday announced it was 'already planning' for UK cases. Dr Meera Chand, deputy director at the UK health Security Agency, said the current threat to the UK by the new mpox strain is 'currently considered low'. But she added: 'However, planning is underway to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK. 'This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission.' What happens if someone does test positive in the UK? If a person is suspected to have monkeypox in the UK, they usually will be given a PCR test similar to the ones that were used to pick up Covid. These use swabs taken from the skin and throat. There are no specific treatments, and the NHS currently says if symptoms are mild, patients may simply be advised to stay at home until they recover. If the illness is more serious, patients may be offered treatment including antiviral medication Tecovirimat, which was designed for smallpox, and Cidofovir. Will the current vaccine work against it? After clade 2 sparked alarm among health officials globally in 2022, new infections gradually tapered off amid boosted awareness of the disease and a hurried vaccination program. At the time the UK reported almost 4,000 cases, with NHS England inoculating over 68,000 people against the disease with the smallpox vaccine. This works due to the two viruses being closely related. According to the European Centre for Disease Control, data on clade-specific vaccine effectiveness is currently limited. But public health experts say, because the two strains are 90 per cent similar, they expect the vaccine to work against clade one. Trials will be needed to work this out, which will take time, they added. In May 2019, Emily Kelleher, a high school English teacher in Massachusetts, woke up in excruciating pain. Her left eye felt like it was being stabbed by a 'knife or an ice pick' and was blood red. She put on her glasses, but still couldn't see out of the affected eye. She went to the doctor, who saw flecks of white, cloudy material all over her eye. Eventually, they diagnosed Ms Kelleher with a rare parasitic infection, called acanthamoeba keratitis. Her doctors told her she likely got it when the parasites got into her eye while showering with contacts, something she used to do every day. 'Tell your friends. Learn from me, because I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy,' Ms Kelleher said. About 45 million people in the United States wear contact lenses. Though they may seem like an every day accessories, the CDC notes that contacts are medical devices, and using them improperly can lead to infection, scarring and blindness. In rare cases like Ms Kelleher they can cause painful parasitic infections. These bugs live in water, and can get into the eye through microscopic tears in the cornea. They burrow this clear outer layer of her eyeball and breed, multiplying and eating the healthy tissue there. An estimated 1,500 Americans get it each year, according to The Cleveland Clinic. Roughly 90 percent of those cases occur in people who wear contact lenses. As such, eye doctors recommend against showering, swimming or using a hot tub with your lenses in. Ms Kelleher's eye under the microscope (pictured here) in her doctors office revealed the presence of acanthamoeba parasites Ms Kelleher said there were hundreds of the microscopic parasite in her eye. She had to have her eye scraped with a scalpel to try to remove as many of the parasites as possible, and was blind for three days after. For three months following, she had to use special eye drops every hour all day and all night. Some people lose their eye or vision completely. But after about a year, Ms Kelleher has healed completely, though now she wears glasses exclusively. What's more common than acanthamoeba keratitis are problems related using non-sterile contacts or to buying contacts online that don't fit. Azula Cinta, a lifestyle creator from Singapore, purchased contacts a TikTok shop in May of 2024. In a video with over 16 million views, Ms Cinta shared that she had been wearing contacts for 11 years, and had never before had any issues with her prescription lenses. Despite wearing these new contacts for less than eight hours, Ms Cinta noticed her eyes becoming extremely red, swollen and painful. She went to an optometrist to get examined. There, her doctor told her that she had developed an infection from the contacts, and sent her home with antibiotic eye drops. 'Please do not buy contact lenses from Tiktok shop' she said. Buying contact lenses from an online retailer without guidance from a doctor puts you at risk of purchasing contacts that don't fit your eye correctly, Dr Rupda Wong, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told ELLE. 'If you are wearing a contact lens thats not fit properly to the surface of your eye, it can cause a lot of complications,' Dr Wong said. Wearing improper fitting contacts can block the flow of oxygen and water your eyes need to stay healthy, irritate the eyes and cause tiny tears in the eyes surface. If the lens is too tight, it can cause the eye to swell, making for painful and blurry vision. 'Best case scenario, the lens might be a little bit uncomfortable. It can cause dryness or irritation on the front surface of the eyes,' Dr Brieann Adair, an optometrist from NYU Langone Eye Center, said. Other times, irritation from a lens that's too small could cause bacterial infections, leading to scarring which makes vision worse. Ms Cinta stated that living through this experience made her unlikely to purchase contacts online again. 'Moving forward, i will only be buying lenses from a licensed optometrist shop to prevent this to ever happen again and i hope you guys would take my advice as well,' she said. The mother of a 13-year-old who died after drinking a single sip of a Costa Coffee hot chocolate has slammed food firms for treating allergy training as a 'tick box exercise'. Hannah Jacobs, from Barking in East London, suffered a suspected anaphylactic reaction to the drink last February. She had severe allergies to dairy, egg, fish and wheat, which had been diagnosed as a toddler and the family had managed this well throughout her life. An inquest today found the 13-year-old died following both a 'failure to follow the processes' and a 'failure of communication' between staff and Hannah's mother. But Abi Duyile, Hannah's mother, said 'unacceptable' allergy training 'is really not taken seriously enough'. Hannah Jacobs, from Barking in East London , suffered a suspected anaphylactic reaction to the drink last February. She had severe allergies to dairy, egg, fish and wheat, which had been diagnosed as a toddler and the family had managed this well throughout her life. Pictured, Hannah's mother, Abimbola Duyile, holds a picture of her daughter today outside East London Coroner's Court An inquest today found the 13-year-old died following both a 'failure to follow the processes' and a 'failure of communication' between staff and Hannah's mother In a statement read on behalf of Hannah's mother, Abi Duyile, today she said: 'Hannah was just entering adolescence and learning to be independent, taking ownership of her allergies when she was tragically taken from us' Pictured, Costa Coffee branch on Station Parade in Barking, east London, where Abimbola Duyile bought her 13-year-old daughter Hannah Jacobs a hot chocolate Assistant coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said: 'The root cause of this death is a failure to follow the processes in place to discuss allergies combined with a failure of communication between the mother and the barista.' The coroner also noted that on the day of her death, 'neither Hannah or her mother were carrying an epi-pen that had been prescribed'. A post-mortem examination found Hannah died after suffering from a hypersensitive anaphylactic reaction triggered by an ingredient in her hot chocolate that caused an allergic response. In a statement read on behalf of Ms Duyile today, she said: 'Hannah was just entering adolescence and learning to be independent, taking ownership of her allergies when she was tragically taken from us. 'She had known from a young age what her allergies were and took them very seriously. 'I have always been extremely diligent in managing Hannah's allergies and she had never suffered a serious allergic reaction prior to this incident. WHAT IS ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK? Anaphylaxis, also known as anaphylactic shock, can kill within minutes. It is a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to a trigger, such as an allergy. The reaction can often be triggered by certain foods, including peanuts and shellfish. However, some medicines, bee stings, and even latex used in condoms can also cause the life-threatening reaction. According to the NHS, it occurs when the immune system overreacts to a trigger. Symptoms include: feeling lightheaded or faint; breathing difficulties such as fast, shallow breathing; wheezing; a fast heartbeat; clammy skin; confusion and anxiety and collapsing or losing consciousness. It is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment. Insect stings are not dangerous for most victims but a person does not necessarily have to have a pre-existing condition to be in danger. An incremental build-up of stings can cause a person to develop an allergy, with a subsequent sting triggering the anaphylactic reaction. Advertisement 'Hannah loved life. She was a vivacious, caring, affectionate, outspoken and energetic child with a strong sense of right and wrong. 'Hannah had everything to live for and was so full of life and promise. 'Having heard all the evidence over the last week it is clear to me that although the food service industry and medical professionals are required to have allergy training, this training is really not taken seriously enough. 'And better awareness is needed in these industries and across society of the symptoms of anaphalxis.' She added: 'Allowing people who serve food and drinks to retake an allergy training test 20 times is not acceptable. 'Treating allergy training as a tick box exercise is not acceptable. 'Being a medical professional and not reacting quickly to even a possible anaphylactic reaction is not acceptable. 'And the consequence is that my daughter is no longer here. My beautiful Hannah only had 13 years on this earth when she should have had many, many more. 'I truly believe that with Hannah's combination of confidence, outspokenness, deep sense of right and wrong and her natural thoughtfulness and affectionate nature she could have achieved so much in this world.' Legal firm Leigh Day, who represented Hannah's family, also said: 'Abi and her family want meaningful changes to prevent any further deaths including the following changes. 'First, food businesses to come together to provide extra safeguards by implementing a process for the order details to be printed and stuck to coffee cups. 'Second, we welcome the Coroners decision to write to the Department of Education and the Department of Health to consider the practicalities of children with allergies carrying adrenaline when travelling to and from school. 'Third, the Department of Health to provide further education to the general public, medical professional and businesses on managing allergic reactions which require adrenaline. 'Last but not least, Abi supports the call by The Natashas Allergy Research Foundation for a dedicated person in Government to ensure people with allergies receive proper support and joined up healthcare to prevent avoidable deaths and ill health.' Meanwhile, Costa Coffee said: 'The loss of Hannah is a tragedy, and our heartfelt thoughts remain with her family and friends. 'Understanding how this awful situation occurred is in the interest of everyone. We have listened to everything the coroner has said this week and will carefully consider her comments together with any report she may issue and respond appropriately.' On February 8, 2023, Ms Duyile ordered Hannah and herself a hot chocolate from their local Costa before heading to a dentist appointment. But when Hannah took a sip of the drink in the waiting room of the dental practice, she immediately told her mother the drink hadn't been made with soy milk. On February 8, 2023, Ms Duyile ordered Hannah and herself a hot chocolate from their local Costa before heading to a dentist appointment. But when Hannah took a sip of the drink in the waiting room of the dental practice, she immediately told her mother the drink hadn't been made with soy milk Ms Duyile told the hearing she rushed Hannah to a chemist after complaining of chest pains and that her lips and mouth were very swollen and itchy Ms Duyile told the hearing she rushed Hannah to a chemist after complaining of chest pains and that her lips and mouth were very swollen and itchy. Urmi Akter, who served Hannah's mother in Costa, told the court she was asked by her: 'Can you wash the jug because my daughter has a dairy allergy?' Ms Duyile was not shown a book containing dietary requirements, as per Costa's allergen rules. In her statement, Ms Akter said she did not show Ms Duyile the book 'as she told me washing the jug was fine'. Hannah tasted the drink on the way to the dentist, where she started to feel unwell and where nurses offered Ms Duyile an EpiPen with 300mg of adrenaline, dentist Iqra Farhad told the court. Ms Farhad said this could have saved Hannah's life, but Ms Duyile decided to go to the chemist for an antihistamine called Cetirizine instead. She told the court she saw Hannah only briefly and said 'there was no sign of panicking or distress'. When they arrived at the chemist there were no EpiPens due to general shortages, pharmacist Santokh Kahlon said. He would 'definitely' have used the extra EpiPen from the dentist if he had known there was one, he told the court. Despite this and an ambulance crew arriving shortly afterward to take her to hospital, resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful. Hannah was declared dead at 1pm that day. Experts estimate that 10 Brits die from an allergic reaction to food each year, with 5,000 people hospitalised for severe reactions. Hannah was pronounced dead at Newham General Hospital in East London (file picture) Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, was on a dream trip to Nice with her best friend and her father when she suffered a severe reaction to sesame seeds baked into an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she bought at Heathrow Latest Government figures suggest around 2.4million adults are living with a food allergy in the UK, with hospital admissions for severe reactions more than tripling within the last 20 years. Allergies can provoke a variety of symptoms but the most serious is a dangerous inflammation of the airways called anaphylaxis. This can make it hard and even impossible to breath and can cause the body to go into a cardiac emergency like a cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen. Children with allergies are considered to be especially at risk from severe reactions as, due to their smaller body size, small amounts of allergens provoke bigger reactions. Allergies are also often discovered in childhood meaning parents may not have an emergency injection to hand if an allergic reaction occurs. Bereaved families of those who have lost children to allergic reactions have repeatedly called for the Government to appoint an allergy tsar to improve NHS services and awareness of allergies, to prevent avoidable ill health and death. Recently more than 50 campaigners and experts including ex-Towie star Megan McKenna and Love Island's Jack Fowler, said the country wasn't doing enough to support the millions of Brits living with allergies. In the open letter, the coalition said the lack of a national leader for allergies has been raised 'time and time again by coroners at the inquests' of those who have died following severe reactions, including from products they thought were safe. Yet of the 45 such leaders appointed by NHS England, who cover issues ranging from obesity to autism, not one is dedicated to supporting people living with allergies. The issue of allergies, and the danger they pose to children, have also been in the spotlight since the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse. Commenting on the outcome of the inquest, Nadim (pictured) and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founders of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said: 'It has been heartbreaking to hear over the course of the last few days the catalogue of errors and missed opportunities which resulted in the death of schoolgirl Hannah Jacobs from a food allergy Her father was forced to watch helplessly as the 15-year-old died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret sandwich while on a flight from Nice. Commenting on the outcome of the inquest, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founders of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said: 'It has been heartbreaking to hear over the course of the last few days the catalogue of errors and missed opportunities which resulted in the death of schoolgirl Hannah Jacobs from a food allergy. 'This is yet another death from food allergy that should never have happened. It was entirely preventable. 'We need urgent Government action to improve understanding within schools, businesses and society that food allergies can be a serious, unpredictable health condition, not a lifestyle choice, and ensure people with allergies have access to joined up and timely NHS allergy care. 'Today, along with Hannah's grief-stricken mum Abi and on behalf of other parents who have lost children to food allergies, we once again urge the Government to appoint an Allergy Tsar a national champion for the one in three people who live not just with food allergies, but all types of allergic disease including asthma and eczema. 'We have written to Ministers asking them to meet with us to discuss the critical issue of allergy-related deaths and the urgent need for an Allergy Tsar, and were disappointed to be told they were too busy. 'Today, in the light of Hannah's case and the pressing need for action, we have written to Ministers again asking for an urgent meeting and are hoping that they will understand the time critical seriousness of this situation and reply with a more positive response. 'How many more children must die before we start taking food allergy seriously?' A Dubai-based billionaire who claims to have fathered more than 100 children has suggested women want his 'high-quality' genes. Pavel Durov, founder of the Telegram app, said he had donated sperm on a mass scale to dozens of couples in 12 different countries. But the unmarried 39-year-old who was born in Russia and is now worth an estimated 14billion, is still open to fathering further children via IVF clinics. In a post on his own app, he claimed it was his 'civic duty' given his 'high quality donor material'. According to Russian news site E1. RU, Durov's sperm can also still be purchased from a clinic in Moscow, for 35,000 rubles (303). Pavel Durov, founder of the Telegram app, said he had donated sperm on a mass scale to dozens of couples in 12 different countries. But the unmarried 39-year-old, worth an estimated 14billion, is still open to fathering further children via IVF clinics Their investigation also found IVF treatment with his sperm could set people back more than 300k rubles (2,600) and artificial insemination 700. His profile also says he is a vegetarian, enjoys 'getting up early' and speaks nine foreign languages including English, Persian and Latin, E1. RU claimed. Mr Durov also recently claimed to have fathered more than 100 children as a sperm donor. It comes as he took to Telegram just days earlier to confess he has 'over 100 biological kids'. He said: 'My past donating activity has helped over a hundred couples in 12 countries to have kids.' The tech billionaire explained he signed up for sperm donation 15 years ago when one friend approached him with a 'weird request'. Although sperm donors can only provide samples to 10 families in the UK, some foreign centres allow sperm donations from the same person to be used to create a 1,000 or more. Mr Durov also recently claimed to have fathered more than 100 children as a sperm donor. In a Telegram post, he wrote: 'I was just told that I have over 100 biological kids' He added: 'He and his wife couldn't have kids due to a fertility issue and asked me to donate sperm at a clinic for them to have a baby.' He said he felt like donating sperm was one of his 'civic duties' and claimed he wanted to 'open-source his DNA' so that his biological children can find each other more easily. The tech mogul added: 'Of course, there are risks, but I don't regret having been a donor. 'The shortage of healthy sperm has become an increasingly serious issue worldwide, and I'm proud that I did my part to help alleviate it. 'I also want to help destigmatize the whole notion of sperm donation and incentivise more healthy men to do it.' In the UK, current rules mean a single sperm donor can only create ten families in this country, with each family potentially including multiple siblings. But there is no regulation limiting the number of families that donors can create overseas. Some foreign centres allow sperm donations from the same person to be used to create a 1,000 or more separate families. Experts warn the issue is becoming pressing because more than half of donated sperm used in Britain is imported from abroad and demand for sperm donors is growing due to an increase in single women and same-sex female couples having children. In a post on his own app, he claimed it was his 'civic duty' given his 'high quality donor material'. According to Russian news site E1. RU , Durov's sperm can also still be purchased from a clinic in Moscow , for 35,000 rubles (303) The number of same-sex female couples having IVF jumped by 33 per cent between 2019 and 2021, according to fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Meanwhile, the number of single women having artificial insemination rose by 26 per cent. Last year, Professor Jackson Kirkman-Brown, chair of the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists, warned it could be 'psychological harmful' for children to discover they have hundreds or even thousands of half-siblings. He said: 'If you've always thought you're an incredibly special gift, suddenly finding there are 300 people who share 50 per cent of your DNA is a very difficult concept to get your head around.' Research also suggests people who are donor-conceived often feel pressure to keep in touch with dozens of half-siblings but this can be 'almost an impossibility' which can cause great stress. Last month Netflix premiered an explosive documentary 'The Man with 1,000 kids' investigating Jonathan Meijer who defrauded dozens of parents across the globe. Women told how they felt 'betrayed' and 'angry' after discovering how many other children the now 43-year-old musician has fathered. Meijer was banned from donating sperm in the Netherlands in 2017, external after it emerged he was the father of 102 children, born from donations made to 11 clinics around the country. He continued donating in other countries until 2023, when one woman and a foundation supporting her filed a civil suit against Meijer, arguing he was increasing the risk of incest for his children. In his testimony, Meijer admitted having between 550 and 600 children. However, the court said he may have fathered up to 1,000 across several continents. The judge ultimately banned Meijer from donating sperm to new parents in the Netherlands, and said he would be fined 100,000 (85,000) per donation if he did so. Starting this fall, women will have access to a simple swab test for cervical cancer in a major update to women's healthcare. The screening test for cervical cancer, known as a Pap smear, can be so uncomfortable that women avoid going to the doctor because of it. Around eight million women who should be screened for cancer haven't been to the doctor in the past five years. The delay in care translates to more women unknowingly carrying human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer. And the later the diagnosis is made, the more difficult cancer is to treat. The current in-office procedure involves a device called a speculum, a cold duck bill-shaped metal device that goes into the vagina and widens it to allow the doctor to take a swab of cells on the cervix. In addition to being physically uncomfortable, it can be emotionally distressing, particularly for people who have experienced sexual abuse. But a new model of cervical cancer screening has arrived and allows women to circumvent the speculum entirely. The newly-approved Roche HPV test allows women to self-swab rather than lay down with legs in stirrups. The sample is sent to a lab which screens for HPV, the cause of 95 percent of all cervical cancer cases In May, the FDA approved two self-collection screening tools for cervical cancer from the pharmaceutical companies Roche and Becton, Dickinson and Company. The tests are done in a doctors office like a traditional Pap smear, but rather than lying down with legs in stirrups while the doctor performs the uncomfortable procedure, the new tests allow women to go into a room, swab their vaginal canals themselves, and leave a sample with the doctor, similar to leaving a urine sample. In traditional Pap smears, the doctor swabs the cervix and deposits the sample onto a slide and sends it to a cytopathologist, a lab professional who is especially trained to examine cells under the microscope. The primary goal of a Pap smear is to identify abnormal cells in the cervix that may indicate cervical cancer or precancerous conditions. The newly-approved self-collections are sent to labs that are now able to test samples from vaginal walls as opposed to the cervix. The lab tests the sample for strains of HPV most likely to cause cervical cancer. Dr Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society, said: 'Almost all cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with certain types of HPV. 'Self-collection can expand access to screening and reduces barriers, which will give more people the opportunity to detect, treat, and ultimately survive cancer.' The lab relays those results to the doctor who ordered the testing, and the doctor meets with their patient to discuss them. By detecting possible HPV, the doctor is then able to determine whether the patient is at risk of developing cervical cancer by testing for precancerouschanc Dr Shieva Ghofrany, an OB-GYN and Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said: 'The integration of self-collection with testing for individualized strains of HPV represents a significant advancement in cervical cancer screening. 'Self-collection provides greater access to testing and [the Becton, Dickinson and Company test] allows health care providers to determine the specific HPV strains present in the samples and more precisely identify and treat individuals at high-risk and avoid unnecessary treatments for women at low risk.' The speculum is a cold duck bill-shaped metal device that goes into the vagina and widens it to allow the doctor to take a swab of cells on the cervix But a growing wave of women are railing against the deeply entrenched notion that women's healthcare involves pain and must be accepted. By detecting possible HPV, the doctor is then able to determine whether the patient is at risk of developing cervical cancer by testing for precancerous changes in cervical cells. Researchers are hoping to take their innovation a step further and introduce at-home testing that would negate the need for an potentially awkward and painful doctor's appointment. It would work in the same way that colorectal cancer screening kits do: a woman would take a swab of her vaginal canal, packages it, and mails it to a lab, which tests for HPV. If the test returns a positive result, the patient and her doctor can discuss steps The Pap smear has gone relatively unchanged since its inception in the 1940s. It was a revolutionary medical development that has helped slash cervical cancer rates by 70 percent since the pre-screening days. But a growing wave of women are railing against the deeply entrenched notion that women's healthcare involves pain and must be accepted. The dreaded IUD, a notoriously painful form of contraception, is in the midst of a makeover. Experts at Swiss tech company Aspivixhave invented an alternative method that uses suction to manipulate the cervix, slashing pain in a study by three-quarters. Menopause symptoms are also getting overdue attention, with several menopause-focused drugs in the pipeline. The FDA approved the first-ever drug last year specifically to treat hot flashes caused by menopause. Roughly 80 percent of menopausal women get hot flashes. Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, speaks at the joint California summit on generative artificial intelligence at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco in May. On Thursday, members of Congress urged Newsom to veto a bill related to AI. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle In an admittedly unusual move, a group of Democratic members of Congress dipped their toes into state politics Thursday, urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto what has become the marquee piece of artificial intelligence regulation in California, and perhaps the country. Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Santa Clara; Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose; Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; and Scott Peters, D-San Diego, released a letter Thursday that urged the governor to veto a bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, that aims to hold makers of some large AI programs accountable for major harms they might cause. The bill has not yet passed the Legislature but cleared a key Assembly committee Thursday. Lawmakers must pass the bill by Aug. 31, and Newsom has until Sept. 30, to sign or veto all bills. Newsom generally does not comment or take a position on pending legislation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is somewhat unusual for us, as sitting Members of Congress, to provide views on state legislation, the somewhat unusual letter from the members of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, wrote. Based on our experience, we are concerned SB 1047 creates unnecessary risks for Californias economy with very little public safety benefit, they said, urging the governor to exercise his veto. Those arguments appear to echo concerns raised by big tech companies who make open-source AI models that anyone can repurpose for free, like Meta, and venture capitalists like Marc Andreessen, who say they are advocating for little tech. In a nutshell, the bill would allow the state attorney general to go after makers of very large AI models if they cause catastrophic harm like loss of life. Many in the tech world, including startup incubator Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, have argued that would cause big companies to stop making open-source models for fear of the risk of what someone else might do with them and hinder smaller startups from innovating and trying new things. The bill would cover models that cost $100 million to train and would be substantially more powerful than any AI in existence today, according to Wieners office. In response to concerns coming from Tans corner, Wiener amended the bill so that if a developer spends less than $10 million fine-tuning an AI model, they would not be liable under its provisions, an attempt to exempt smaller developers from drawing the states legal fire should their program go off the rails and hurt people. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wiener defended his bill at Y Combinator headquarters late last month with Tan and a host of techies in attendance, stressing his desire to work with the developer community and to avoid unfairly tamping down innovation. Tan told the Chronicle afterward his mind remained unchanged. In a statement Thursday Wiener said, The Assembly will vote on a strong AI safety measure that has been revised in response to feedback from AI leaders in industry, academia, and the public sector, adding, We can advance both innovation and safety; the two are not mutually exclusive. Notably, Wiener agreed to include a number of amendments to his bill suggested by San Francisco AI model maker Anthropic. Those include doing away with an envisioned new government agency focusing on big AI models, instead making it part of the states existing Government Operations Agency. The changes also limit when the state attorney general can sue AI companies that play fast and loose with their safety practices. The amendments narrow but do not eliminate going after companies before their tools have caused damage, allowing the attorney generals office to sue after a harm has occurred or when there is an imminent threat to public safety. Wiener has said in the past the bill is needed to get ahead of harms instead of waiting for them to happen, as has been the case in some other attempts at tech regulation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wiener also agreed that makers of big AI models no longer could face perjury charges if they certified their model as reasonably safe and it were to then run amok. That section of the bill had become ammunition for Tan and others who used it to say Wieners legislation could be used to throw developers in jail. The bill has also received support from some quarters of the tech community, including former Google AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton and noted AI researcher Yoshua Bengio. Co-founder of Stanford Universitys Human-Centered AI Lab Fei-Fei Li has come out against the bill in a recent op-ed and onstage at Stanford. Wiener said the amendments suggested by Anthropic build on significant changes to SB 1047 I made previously to accommodate the unique needs of the open source community, which is an important source of innovation. Noting Washingtons gridlock over AI regulation, Wiener said that aside from banning TikTok, Congress has passed no major technology regulation since computers used floppy disks California must act to get ahead of the foreseeable risks presented by rapidly advancing AI while also fostering innovation. Lofgren previously wrote to Wiener to voice her concerns about the bill, and Khanna recently released a statement saying he was concerned about the bills efficacy and its potential to punish developers and stifle innovation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Schools should be given a slice of the Government's NatWest stake to teach youngsters about investing, according to the UK's first ISA millionaire. Lord (John) Lee of Trafford, the first person to make 1million through a tax-efficient Individual Savings Account (ISA), believes the Government's stake in the bank, acquired when it was bailed out in the financial crisis in 2008, could be used to educate pupils. Lee has written a book for children about the stock market. The previous Conservative government planned to offer shares to the public in a sale similar to privatisations in the 1980s. Solution: Lord Lee of Trafford (pictured), believes the Government's stake in the bank, acquired when it was bailed out in 2008, could be used to educate pupils But last month, Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the 5.6billion taxpayer stake will instead be offered to pension funds, insurers and asset managers. Lee wants her to give every state secondary school in the country around 5,000 worth of shares, which he reckons would cost around 20million. His idea is that pupils then could vote on how to spend the 350 annual dividend, for instance to subsidise a school trip, a donation to charity or investing it in more shares. 'This would be a real hands-on opportunity for youngsters,' the Liberal Democrat peer told the Mail. 'It would increase their awareness of the stock market and they would learn about dividends and banks. 'We all agree financial education in our schools is lamentable.' Lee believes it would be a corrective to misinformation found on social media platforms encouraging young people to get sucked into cryptocurrency trading. He has put his proposal to the Treasury and the department of education. Labour's decision to abandon the sale of NatWest shares to the public has been branded a missed chance to encourage people to develop investment habits and to reinvigorate the London stock market. Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and private investors' lobby group ShareSoc were among the most vocal critics. The former Conservative government had been planning to launch a 'Tell Sid'-style push, using the slogan that encouraged the public to buy shares in British Gas back in 1986. NatWest had already spent 24million on an advertising campaign to promote the share sale, featuring Sir Trevor McDonald. But the bank was forced to shelve the campaign, in which the veteran news reader asked: 'Are you in?' Mobile phone network Three UK said its losses underlined its need to list with larger rival Vodafone. The company, owned by Hong Kong group CK Hutchison, lost 30million for the six months to June 30, compared to a 76million loss in the same period last year. But finance chief Darren Purkis said: The only viable way for us to invest in a network is through the merger with Vodafone that would unlock 11bn of investment. Merger plea: Mobile phone network Three UK, which is owned by Hong Kong group CK Hutchison, reported losses of 30m for the six months to June 30 Vodafone and Three agreed a 15billion deal last summer to create the UKs largest mobile phone network. But it has not yet got the green light after attracting concerns from regulators. Threes losses come despite growing its customer base by 3 per cent, to 10.9m people, mainly across its cut-price mobile network Smarty, plus its broadband offerings for home and business customer. Chief executive Robert Finnegan said: Our cash flows have been negative since 2020 and our costs have almost doubled in five years, meaning that investment in network is unsustainable. The Competition and Markets Authority is scrutinising the deal. Merger would cut Britains mobile networks from four to three. Recruiters have warned the Government to avoid spooking employers on workers rights. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation said Labours workplace laws could hit jobs. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds have been urged by industry figures to do their best to reduce harm to firms and the wider economy. Workers' rights: Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner (pictured) and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds have been urged by industry figures to do their best to reduce harm Labours plans include giving workers rights from day one and a crackdown on zero-hours contracts. It will also scrap Tory moves to restrict strikes. But Neil Carberry, chief executive of the REC, said: The plans to make work pay mustnt inadvertently jeopardise access to temporary work by spooking employers. Uncertainty about what new employment rules might mean needs to be answered by designing the rules with business. Industries such as hospitality rely on part time and temporary workers. They say these employees also appreciate flexibility. Other business groups including the Confederation of British Industry have warned of the unintended consequences. Labour promised to push through changes within its first 100 days of taking office. Blow: Orsted is the largest offshore wind developer The worlds largest offshore wind developer Orsted has ditched plans for a mega plant to develop green fuels becoming the latest company to scale back commitments to switch to cleaner energy such as hydrogen and wind. It had been building a hub in Sweden for use by sectors from shipping to aviation. Through combined hydrogen and carbon dioxide, the facility would have produced 55,000 tons per year of e-methane. But chief executive Mads Nipper said: The business case has deteriorated due to the inability to sign long-term offtake contracts at sustainable pricing and significantly higher project costs. The move to halt work has cost 172million. Orsted is a major player in the sector and is set to build an 8billion offshore wind farm in the North Sea by the end of 2027 to power more than 3.3m UK homes. My family and I live in a flat in London. Last week, half the rendering that runs along the top of the three-storey building in which we live collapsed onto the pavement. It made an almighty crash and could have caused serious harm if anyone had been standing directly underneath. All the flats in the building are owned by leaseholders and we pay the landlord around 250 a year in ground rent. We are also liable to pay a service charge, although this only covers basic maintenance. Who is responsible? Our reader lives in the building pictured, and is wondering if their freeholder is responsible for fixing the damage to the wall The landlord is claiming the insurance won't cover the repair as it will be classed as wear and tear as there were no storms or heavy rain at the time of the incident. But we suspect he hasn't contacted the insurer. In fact, there is a concern that the building may not be insured at all given the freeholder has failed to deal with an incident in the past. Who is responsible for sorting it out, and what are our legal options? Also, is the landlord obligated to show us the insurance company's response? The council also inspected the property in the past few days and issued a dangerous structure notice. Would this change anything? Ed Magnus of This is Money replies: This is an unfortunate situation and quite frankly should come as a warning to leaseholders up and down the country. With an estimated 4.77 million leasehold homes in England alone, there will no doubt be situations similar to this one happening all the time. Leaseholders are typically reliant on a freeholder, also known as a landlord, or a management company to look after the building. This is all well and good, if the freeholder takes their responsibilities seriously and looks after the building and common parts. But there are also many cases like this, where freeholders or management companies are failing in their obligations and taking a reactive, rather than proactive, stance towards keeping their building in a decent state of repair. This can not only lead to extra costs for leaseholders when a major problem does arise, but it is also dangerous. For expert advice on the matter, we spoke to Mike Hansom, a consultant in property litigation at BLB Solicitors, and Olivia Egdell-Page, a partner and head of the property department at Joseph A Jones & Co solicitors. Is the freeholder responsible for repairing damage? Mike Hansom replies: This sudden and dangerous incident must have come as a shock to you. Thankfully, it appears nobody was injured. Incident: Half the rendering that runs along the top of the three-storey collapsed onto the pavement overnight In most leases of residential flats, the obligation to maintain and keep the structure of the building in repair falls on the freeholder or a management company. Olivia Egdell-Page replies: Having looked over your lease document, although only partially provided, it seems to suggest that the landlord is responsible for the main structure of the building. It says this includes 'the roof, chimney stacks, gutters and rainwater pipes, exterior walls, foundations and any walls of the building not demised by this lease, or any lease of any other part of the building'. This would suggest the fascia or cladding would be their responsibility to maintain and repair. Will the leaseholder have to pay for the repairs? Olivia Egdell-Page replies: Your flats are above a shop, and the same clause on your lease also states that the tenant shall not be obliged to contribute towards costs relating to the building as whole, which are not part of the flats. It would depend on how the fascia itself is construed as to whether a contribution could be sought. Ultimately in these cases, the provisions in the lease will dictate the areas of the building which are 'common parts' and therefore the responsibility of the freeholder. Emergency: The fire service was called and spent a long time checking that the rest of the rendering was not about to also collapse Will the service charge go up? Mike Hansom replies: It is likely the landlord will try to pass its associated costs to the lessees through the service charge, which could prompt a dispute about the reasonableness of those charges. Normally, the freeholder must consult with the leaseholders about service charge increases to pay for repairs. However, the law says that where major works of repair are urgent, the landlord can apply for dispensation from the usual consultation obligations. Once the building is made safe and the need for works is no longer urgent, the landlord should follow that procedure for the subsequent repairs by serving section 20 Notices under the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985. Statutory consultation is required where anticipated repairs are likely to result in individual lessees paying more than 250 in their service charge. If the landlord fails to consult it will be limited to recovering a maximum of 250 per lessee. Legal expert: Mike Hansom, a consultant for property litigation at BLB Solicitors Could they sue the landlord? Mike Hansom replies: If the lessees suffer financial loss due to the landlord's failure to repair, in principle, a lessee can sue the landlord for compensation. If appropriate, they could also obtain an injunction order compelling the landlord to undertake the repairs. The financial implication for you in this case will be having to contribute a share of the clean-up and repair costs through the service charge. Imagine a hypothetical scenario where the landlord failed to inspect and repair the roof and guttering, resulting in water gushing into your flat. In that case, you would have a claim for breach of the landlord's repairing covenant, and could claim the costs of repairing your flat and replacing any damaged contents. If you were letting out the flat, you would potentially also have a claim for the lost rent. Likewise if the landlord failed to repair the render, you could - in principle - claim compensation reflecting the reduction in value of the flat, as well as an injunction order requiring it to do the work. Should the freeholder have inspected the flats? Mike Hansom replies: To comply with their repairing obligations, the landlord should routinely inspect and undertake repairs before failure occurs. If an earlier inspection had identified the need to repair the render, the landlord would be entitled to recover the leaseholders' share of the costs through the service charge. However, it is unclear whether the current cost of repair will be any different from the cost if your landlord had inspected and identified the issue sooner. In both cases, the render needs to be repaired. Small print: In most leases of residential flats, the obligation to maintain and keep the structure of the building in repair falls on the freeholder or a management company Will buildings insurance cover the cost? Mike Hansom replies: Although it is unclear precisely what caused the render to come away, the insurer has concluded it was down to disrepair, which it says is not covered under the policy. If the cause was, say, impact or flood, it may be insured, but ultimately the cause must be determined by a surveyor's evidence. It is common for disrepair-related issues to be excluded in policies, but you need to obtain the policy to check what is covered. I appreciate you want to satisfy yourself that their conclusion of disrepair is correct. Legal expert: Olivia Egdell-Page , a partner and head of the property department at Joseph A Jones & Co solicitors Olivia Egdell-Page adds: With regard to insurance, a lease will often contain a provision obliging the landlord to insure the building as a whole and to recover the cost from the leaseholders. In return, leaseholders can usually request a copy of the policy or schedule from the landlord, although whether this extends to further correspondence will again depend on the lease provisions. Is the landlord legally obliged to share the insurance policy? Mike Hansom replies: It is common for leases to compel the landlord to insure the building. Assuming that is the case here, you have a statutory right to see the policy wording. If the landlord fails to comply with your request without reasonable excuse, they are guilty of a criminal offence. In addition, some leases contain specific clauses requiring the lessee's interest in the building to be noted on the insurance policy. If that applies to you, you may be able to compel the insurer to provide copies of the exchanges of correspondence about the claim if the landlord refuses. How much can you afford? Find out how much you can afford to borrow for a monthly payment amount with This is Money's mortgage affordability calculator. Alternatively, if you are a member of the management company, right to manage company, or own a share of freehold, you may be able to use your status as a member, director or co-owner to obtain sight of the insurance documents. Short of that, you could suggest to the landlord that you might not pay your service charge relating to the repairs until they demonstrate the cause of the loss has been properly assessed. However, this risks escalating matters, including the possibility of the landlord bringing legal proceedings against you. Rather than withholding service charges, the more appropriate step is for you to apply to the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to determine the reasonableness of those charges. But bear in mind that the end result may be no different regarding your share of the repair costs. Can the leaseholders take over the management? Mike Hansom replies: Moving forward, it is worth taking legal advice on whether your building qualifies for the Right to Manage, which would enable you to form a company with the other lessees and take over the landlord's management functions, including those relating to repair and insurance. If the building contains a non-residential element exceeding 25 per cent of the internal floor area, you will not qualify. This will increase to 50 per cent when the relevant parts of the new Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 come into force, expected in the next 12-24 months. Does the council's involvement change anything? Mike Hansom replies: The fact the council has now got involved is good news because it is more likely now the landlord will undertake some works urgently to make the building safe, without the leaseholders having to compel it to do so with injunction proceedings. This is because the freeholder potentially commits a criminal offence if it fails to comply with a dangerous structure notice, as well as the local authority having the power to undertake limited work and recovering the cost. The power of the local authority will extend to making the building safe, rather than the subsequent work of reapplying render. Pension credit: Tops up weekly income to a minimum of 218.15 for single people and 332.95 for couples The number of people claiming pension credit has dropped for the second year in a row despite awareness campaigns and targeted sign-up trials, new official figures show. An estimated two thirds of the poorest pensioners who are eligible claim the benefit, which tops up weekly income to a minimum of 218.15 for single people and 332.95 for couples. The news on take-up follows the Government's announcement that the Winter Fuel Payment will be limited to those who claim pension credit or certain other benefits. The pending change has prompted calls for a fresh pension credit sign-up drive before the winter. Tom Selby of AJ Bell, says: 'Failure to do this would risk leaving vulnerable pensioners in a desperate financial position when the cold hits.' Another, Jon Greer of Quilter, says: 'Linking winter fuel payments to a benefit which appears to have just 60 per cent take-up has drawn broad consternation.' > How to claim pension credit: Find out below Some ten million pensioners could lose Winter Fuel Payments, worth between 100 and 300 a year, and it is estimated one to two million of the poorest of them will struggle to pay energy bills to heat their homes this winter. That includes an estimated 850,000 older people who are eligible for but not claiming pension credit. The Scottish Government has just confirmed that it has 'no choice' but to means test its version of the Winter Fuel Payment too, due to a 160million funding cut related to the UK Government's decision. An Age UK petition calling on the Government to rethink plans to scrap the payments for most pensioners has racked up more than 380,000 signatures. Ros Altmann, a former Pensions Minister who now sits in the House of Lords, is calling for the decision to be delayed to give pensioners time to prepare and for more careful consideration of the impact. She suggests three ways in which the payments could be taxed instead of withdrawn for most pensioners, to address the need for cost savings and still protect the poorest recipients. New figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show that in February this year there were 1.4million people receiving pension credit, or 1.5million including partners. That is 11,000 fewer than the previous year, and 24,000 fewer than in 2022. Around two thirds of recipients are women. The DWP says there has been a long-term downward trend in the pension credit caseload due to the raising of the state pension age and introduction of the new state pension. Pension credit is set at a few pounds less a week than the full state pension, which is currently 221.20 a week for people retiring since the flat rate system was introduced in April 2016. The headline state pension rate could increase to 231 a week, representing a 500 hike to 12,000 year next spring under the triple lock. However, if you are elderly and not well off, getting your income topped up via pension credit opens the door to a lot of other help with household bills. You can gain thousands of pounds on top, including help with housing costs, heating, council tax and TV licences - and now Winter Fuel Payments too. The previous Government ran a series of awareness campaigns urging more people to claim pension credit. And last summer, it launched a trial where older people living in households receiving housing benefit were sent 'invitation to claim' letters about the benefit. How to claim pension credit If you are elderly and not well off, pension credit tops up weekly income to a minimum of 218.15 for single people and 332.95 for couples. Pension credit also opens the door to a lot of additional help with household bills. Find out more about making claims on gov.uk and read a This is Money guide to pension credit. You can apply yourself by phone on 0800 99 1234, do it online or get a form to do it by post. A friend or family member can apply on behalf of an elderly person. Age UK has a free helpline on 0800 678 1602 for older people struggling with bills, or friends and family who are concerned about them. This is open every day of the year between 8am and 7pm, or you can visit Age UK's help page here. Age UK staff will check you are getting everything you are entitled to, including pension credit, and can help with making applications. Age UK also has a free, anonymous benefits calculator which can provide an estimate of what you could be entitled to if you want to find out this information privately. 'Absolutely vital' to scale up drive to increase pension credit take-up The latest 'stagnant' pension credit figures highlight the significant challenge facing the Government in increasing uptake before universal winter fuel payments are scrapped, says AJ Bell's director of public policy Tom Selby. 'Given the winter fuel payment is worth up to 300 a year, this will represent a significant hit on the incomes of millions of retirees. 'The fact the number of pension credit claimants has been gradually falling over the past two years presents a concerning picture for pensioners who most need support from the Government but who may not be aware they need to claim. 'It is therefore absolutely vital the Government scales up communications around pension credit to drive an increase in take-up. Failure to do this would risk leaving vulnerable pensioners in a desperate financial position when the cold hits. 'The Chancellor has also indicated plans to amalgamate pension credit and housing benefit in order to drive increased take up, but the benefits system is incredibly complex so this may not be a simple fix.' Not checking if you can claim pension credit could be 'incredibly costly' 'Pension credit has become all the more important following the Labour Governments changes to the winter fuel payment,' says Jon Greer, head of retirement policy at Quilter. 'It is an incredibly important benefit targeted towards the poorest pensioners in the country.' He adds: 'Linking winter fuel payments to a benefit which appears to have just 60 per cent take up has drawn broad consternation. 'At present, despite many media and government awareness campaigns, there are many pensioners who are missing out on claiming pension credits despite being eligible. 'This is most often due to a lack of awareness or an assumption being made that they will not be eligible, but not checking could be incredibly costly as you may not only be missing out on a substantial boost to your retirement income, but now the winter fuel payment too.' We hope for a swift pension credit take-up action plan 'Up to 1.2million older adults living on a low income could be missing out,' says Joanna Elson, chief executive of the charity Independent Age. 'The low take-up numbers show that now is not the right time to make changes to the Winter Fuel Payment. Its dangerous and puts older lives at risk. 'Starting to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment this Autumn doesnt give the UK Government enough time to significantly boost pension credit take-up.' She adds: 'Our helpline regularly hears from frightened older people making cutbacks and looking for support, and in the days following the Winter Fuel Payment announcement, there has been an increase in calls regarding pension credit and other entitlements. 'We hope the new UK Government takes swift action to introduce a pension credit take-up action plan. There needs to be innovative and impactful efforts to move the dial on this problem and get this money directly to older people living in poverty.' In the early hours of August 13, 1964, Peter Allen was frantically pacing his cell at Walton Prison, in Liverpool. Every so often, the 21-year-old would break down in tears or howl in distress as the clock ticked down to 8am. On the hour, the key turned in the lock of his cell door and executioner Robert Leslie Stewart led the 6ft 2in condemned man to the scaffold and positioned him over a trapdoor, before placing a white hood over his head. As Stewart slipped a noose around his neck, Allen muttered just one word: 'Jesus.' The hangman pulled the lever, Allen dropped through the hatch and the rope did the rest. The entire process took less than ten seconds. At the very same time, a similar scene was being played out 31 miles away in Strangeways Prison, Manchester, where Allen's friend Gwynne Owen Evans, 24, was being held. Like Allen, Evans tearfully protested his innocence to the end. Peter Allen was executed at Liverpool's Walton Prison in 1964 - one of the last hanged in the UK The crime for which the pair had been convicted was the murder of John West, a van driver for a laundry firm. West had been callously bludgeoned and stabbed to death in the course of a robbery at his home in Cumbria four months earlier, a crime Evans and Allen had allegedly staged to acquire the means to pay off fines imposed on them for an offence they'd committed in February of that year. The murder, the trial and their subsequent executions merited only a few lines in the Press. But, in death, they acquired a notoriety they never achieved in life because Peter Allen and Gwynne Evans were the last people to be executed for murder in Britain. Less than a year after their deaths, a Labour MP called Sydney Silverman who had committed himself to the cause of abolition for more than 20 years introduced a Private Member's Bill to suspend the death penalty for murder for five years and it was passed on a free vote in the House of Commons by 200 votes to 98. When the Bill later went to the House of Lords it was passed by a similar margin: 204 votes to 104. Four years later, the then Home Secretary Jim Callaghan proposed a motion to make the Act permanent, which won an overwhelming majority to loud cheers from the public gallery. Yet 60 years to the week after the hangings of Allen and Evans, the debate over capital punishment persists, most recently reignited by the conviction of nurse Lucy Letby, who was last year found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another six. Gwynne Evans was hanged at Strangeways for the murder of van driver John West in 1964 So what was it about Allen and Evans's crime that condemned them to the hangman's noose at a time when popular sentiment turned against the ultimate sanction and murderers were regularly reprieved? To establish that we must go back to the night of Tuesday, April 7, 1964. At 3am, Mr and Mrs Fawcett, an elderly couple in Seaton, Cumbria, woke up to the sound of thuds and a scream coming from the cottage next door. Mr Fawcett called a neighbour who walked over to the house and knocked on the door. By then, the intruders had fled by car at high speed and, when no one answered, he called the police. Officers found the sole occupant, 53-year-old John West, lying dead in a pool of blood at the foot of the stairs. West, a bachelor who lived alone, was naked from the waist down and his head was covered in cuts. The walls and the stairs were spattered with blood and on the floor near the body was a primitive cosh: a piece of rubber tube with a short piece of steel tube at one end and putty at the other. Upstairs, in West's bedroom, police found a lightweight raincoat folded on a chair. In the pocket was a lifesaving medallion inscribed 'G O Evans' and a piece of paper with the name Norma O'Brien written on it, next to an address in Liverpool. When police called on O'Brien in Liverpool the next day, they found she was a 17-year-old girl who had met Evans while visiting her brother-in-law, a soldier at Fulwood Barracks in Preston, four months earlier. They then located Evans's parents, who gave their son's address in Preston, where he was living in a small terraced house with Peter Allen and his wife and two young children. The police knocked on the door to find only Allen was home. Evans had travelled to Manchester with Allen's wife, Mary. But when the police tracked them down, they hit the jackpot. Evans was in possession of a wristwatch that had belonged to West, and Mary had a bloodstained shirt in her basket that belonged to her husband. With both men under arrest, the interrogations began. It soon became clear that each suspect was determined to blame the other for striking the fatal blows. West was bludgeoned and stabbed to death in the course of a robbery at his home in Cumbria But no amount of bluff and bluster could save them and both men were charged with murder within 24 hours of being arrested, the case going to court less than three months later. After deliberating for just over three hours at the end of a two-week trial, a jury of nine men and three women unanimously found both men guilty of 'capital murder' making them automatically eligible for the death penalty. According to medical reports released to the National Archives in the summer of 2017, Gwynne Evans had 'serious psychological problems', which, had his defence team entered a plea of diminished responsibility at his trial, could have saved his life. His mother Hannah sent a letter to the Home Secretary, pleading for a reprieve. 'My son is mentally impaired and I had him under a mental doctor at the age of 8 years but he is not a wicked boy,' she wrote. 'Please may God guide you to make a mercyful [sic] judgement.' The mothers of both men also sent a last-minute plea for mercy to the Queen. It had no effect. But where there was life there was hope. Of 48 death sentences passed since the 1957 Homicide Act introduced some restrictions on the use of the death penalty, 19 people had been reprieved. Only two executions had taken place in England in 1963 and none in 1964 up to the point Evans and Allen were sentenced. According to Elwyn Jones, the creator of the TV series Z-Cars, who wrote a book about the case, even the police expected them to be reprieved. But, as we have seen, there was to be no 11th-hour change of heart on the part of the judiciary. Protesters march against the death penalty outside Wandsworth Prison in 1959 This year Lucy Letby became the fourth woman in the UK to be handed a whole-life jail term And when the death penalty was suspended the next year, efforts to re-establish it got under way almost immediately. Patrick Downey, the uncle of Lesley Ann Downey, a victim of the Moors murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, stood in the 1966 General Election against Sydney Silverman, the architect of the 1965 Act, on an explicitly pro-hanging platform. (The Act had been passed just four weeks after Brady and Hindley were arrested.) He failed to depose Silverman but polled over 5,000 votes, then the largest vote for a genuinely independent candidate since 1945. Public support for capital punishment has dropped in recent years to 40 per cent, according to the most recent YouGov poll. But when asked about specific crimes, Britons are more inclined to support the death penalty for the murder of a child, for example, or murders committed as part of a terrorist act and cases of multiple murder. When Lucy Letby became the fourth woman in the UK to be handed a whole-life jail term, a poll for The Spectator showed that 66 per cent were in favour of the death penalty. The age of the noose may have ended with the deaths of Evans and Allen but the debate over whether it should be reinstated rages as hot as ever. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts call the National Suicide Hotline at 988 The airport worker who discovered the body of a woman in a luggage carousel chute at Chicago O'Hare Airport told police how he could not immediately make sense of the ghoulish scene that confronted him when he started his August 8 shift. Missionary Virginia Vinton was found dead shortly before 7:30am on Thursday llast week with initial reports suggesting she had become 'entangled' in one of the airport's luggage belts. Now, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal the chilling truth of the 57-year-old mother of two's bizarre death and why it was ruled a suicide by authorities in Cook County, Illinois. According to the Chicago Police Department incident report obtained by DailyMail.com Vinton was found by a Delta Airlines baggage handler when he arrived to begin loading luggage from a recently arrived flight at Carousel 11. North Carolina mom-of-two Virginia Christine Vinton, 57, with husband, Jim, 59, and daughters Abby and Emily Vinton's death in the carousel area of O'Hare Airport was ruled a suicide by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office The report details the sinister scene as it unfolded, stating: 'He began starting up the conveyor belt by swiping his airport ID and using his fingerprint to begin operations.' As the belt began to move and the small overhead door opened, the handler noticed a woman at the entrance of the conveyor belt.' The worker whose name is redacted in the report stated: 'He thought to himself, 'why is there a lady in the chute looking at me, maybe observing me do my job.' He then asked the woman, 'Do you want me to turn off the conveyor belt?' As he continued to place bags on the belt, he told officers he felt an 'eerie feeling' and called out to her, 'Hey, are you ok?' It was only as he got closer to her he realized she wasn't responding and she had an electrical cord wrapped around her neck. Chicago Fire Department responded to the scene and managed to cut Vinton down. They performed life saving measures, the report reads, 'to no avail', and she was declared dead by a doctor on the scene at 7:55am. Vinton worked for the Wycliffe Ministries in Waxhaw, North Carolina, where she lived with husband, Jim, 59, and daughters Abby, 23, and Emily, 21. It is not known why she was in Chicago, but the couple said on a website that they liked to visit friends in the Midwest every summer. Information on Wycliffe Ministries' website states that the couple lived in Mozambique, East Africa, for 12 years where they worked as missionaries translating bibles into local languages. A police report obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com includes details of the airport employee's gruesome discovery, revealing he found her 'unresponsive with an electrical cord wrapped around her neck, possible strangulation' The area of O'Hare Airport terminals where Vinton's body was discovered is considered secure, but not 'highly secure' In 2011 Jim became a bible translation consultant, carrying out the final check of translated Scriptures before they are printed and he was recently promoted to CEO of Seed Company, an organization that translates bibles with, according to the company website, the goal of transforming lives. What is known, is that Vinton was seated by Customs Door B in O'Hare's Terminal 5 in the small hours of Thursday morning. Security footage obtained by Chicago PD shows that she, 'left her seat and walked over to Carousel 11 and walked into the chute of the same @2.26HRS.' She wasn't seen again unti five hours later when the baggage handler made his gruesome discovery. Chicago Fire officials initially believed Vinton's death to be the result of an industrial accident. But as a fuller picture emerged, along with the conclusion that Vinton had wrapped the cord around her own throat, Cook County Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide by asphyxiation. Her husband Jim could not be reached for comment. Authorities said the part of the airport the woman entered is restricted to employees, and while it's considered secure, it isn't a high-security area, ABC 7 reported. The doctor accused of supplying the ketamine that killed Matthew Perry realized the actor could die when he saw him 'freeze up' from an overdose just days before his death, prosecutors have claimed. Dr Salvador Plascencia had a license to prescribe and administer the powerful tranquilizer but needed help from another medic to keep pace with the vast amounts the Friends star was consuming in the weeks before he died in October last year. Plascencia, 42, showed contempt for Perry as his dependency spiraled asking a crooked colleague 'I wonder how much this moron will pay', it is alleged. But he realized the actor's life was hanging by a thread when he suffered a seizure during an overdose a mere 16 days before he died. 'Let's not do that again,' he told Perry's assistant nervously. Matthew Perry was pictured out in LA with personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa exactly two months before his death. Iwasama is charged with injecting the Friends star with dozens of doses of ketamine, including the one that killed him Doctor Salvador Plascencia, 42, allegedly referred to the Friends star as a 'moron' while earning thousands of dollars for the ketamine he supplied him with in the days before his death The shocking details emerged on Thursday as Plascencia and four other alleged co-conspirators were arrested following a grand jury indictment. Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his LA home on October 28 by his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa. His cause of death later determined to be 'the acute effects of ketamine'. Iwamasa has since admitted being the one who administered the fatal doses to the actor, after being trained how to deliver them by Plascencia. On October 4 Iwamasa reported that he had successfully injected Perry, noting that he 'found the sweet spot but trying different places led to running out' of ketamine. The affidavit claims that Perry spent $55,000 on ketamine supplied by Plascencia in the two months before he died, and that Iwamasa injected Perry with 27 shots of ketamine in just five days. San Diego doctor Mark Chavez, 54, has admitted to diverting supplies from his clinic by filling out fake prescriptions as Plascencia scrambled to fulfil Perry's orders. In one instance, Plascenica worked with Chavez to charge Perry $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that cost $12, after he became increasingly desperate to get his hands on the drug, according to the filings. Iwamasa would relay Perry's requests in coded language, referring to bottles of ketamine as 'Dr Pepper', 'cans', and 'bots' via encrypted messaging apps. At one point he asked if he could pay with 'something besides cash' because 'it's hard to get to the bank on the fly with all that's going on which happens so fast now.' But the doctors struggled to keep up with demand and Iwamasa turned to a friend of the actor, Eric Fleming, 54, to source extra supplies. He in turn went to Hollywood's alleged 'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha, 41, telling Iwamasa 'She only deals with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff she'd lose her business.' Sangha sold dozens of vials of the drug to Iwamasa via Fleming and was so pleased with the size of his orders that she threw in some lollipops made of ketamine as an 'add on'. But she was well aware of the drug's risks, prosecutors claim, after allegedly selling it to client Cody McLaury, just hours before his overdose death in 2019. 'The ketamine you sold my brother killed him,' a furious relative told her in a text message. 'It's listed as the cause of death.' Jasveen Sangha, 41, is better known as the 'Ketamine Queen' of north Hollywood. Prosecutors say she is the lynchpin for a 'broad underground criminal network' which supplied the Friends star the fatal dose which killed him in October 2023 The Friends star and Iwamasa had been living in a $49,000-a-month Beverly Hills property for a little over a year while his Pacific Palisades pad underwent renovations Iwamasa had originally relied on Plascencia to inject Perry in meetings which would usually take place at Perry's home. But on October 10 the three men met at a car lot in Long Beach where Plascencia injected Perry inside a parked car. Two days later Plascencia issued his warning after Perry's near-fatal overdose but then handed Iwamasa with more bottles before leaving. As the assistant's expertise developed, Iwamasa was injecting Perry up to six times a day before finding him dead in his hot tub on October 28. And as news of the beloved actor's death filtered out that evening, Sangha ordered Fleming to 'delete all our messages'. But police were on her trail and secured permission to raid her 'drugs emporium' home in March this year. Agents found 'significant quantities of illegal drugs, including approximately 1,978 grams of orange pills that field tested positive for methamphetamine, 79 bottles containing a clear liquid that field tested positive for ketamine, and various other suspect narcotics' a court filing claims. Prosecutors said Sangha was a 'large volume drug dealer' previously identified by the DEA, LAPD homicide detectives and the US Postal Inspection Service. Investigators said they discovered a 'drugs emporium' at Sangha's home during a raid in March 2024 including 79 bottles containing a clear liquid that field tested positive for ketamine Prosecutors say that Sangha's distribution of ketamine on October 4, 2023 led to Perry's death The indictment alleges that the defendants sold Perry a vial of ketamine that costs $12 for $2,000 as he became increasingly dependent on the substance Analysis of her phone found 'conversations related to selling pressed methamphetamine pills and ketamine'. And videos recovered from her phone showed her 'cooking ketamine', a DEA agent wrote. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted of all charges. Plascencia is charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation. He could face up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years in federal prison for each records falsification count. Fleming admitted to obtaining the ketamine from Sangha and distributing it to Iwamasa, who admitted then giving the drug to the star. Iwamasa and Fleming will face up to 15 years and 25 years, respectively, when they are sentenced in their federal cases. Chavez has been charged in an information pursuant to a plea agreement and will be arraigned on August 30. At sentencing, Chavez will face up to 10 years in federal prison. In his last post to his Instagram Perry shared images of himself at home in the hot tub where he would soon be found dead Alleged drug dealer Sangha could be facing life in prison if convicted of all offences 'We allege each of the defendants played a key role in his death by falsely prescribing, selling, or injecting the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry's tragic death,' said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. 'Matthew Perry's journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials.' The actor had been open about his struggles with substance abuse. In 2022, he said he had spent an estimated $9 million battling his addictions across 15 rehab stays. He already had a legitimate prescription for ketamine at the time of his death, but had not drawn on it for a week-and-a-half, allowing prosecutors to conclude that Sangha supplied the ketamine which killed him. An autopsy found that the amount in Perry's blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery, and listed 'the acute effects of ketamine' as the primary cause of death. 'These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr Perry than caring for his well-being,' US attorney Martin Estrada told a press conference. 'Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people's lives over greed. 'This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug-dealers who cause death, send a clear message that we will hold drug-dealers accountable for the deaths they cause.' Footage has captured a bizarre encounter between Queensland Police officers and a sovereign citizen who was stopped for driving an unregistered vehicle. When police officers told him they were doing a 'registration and license check', he handed her a sheet of paper and said, 'You're being served (with) a document of mine for any unlawful detainment.' According to the man, any 'unlawful detainment, apprehension, or arrest' would incur a fee of $10,000 per hour, though that's not how things turned out. As confusion mounted, the sovereign citizen's claims became even more bizarre. He insisted his car was registered under 'international law,' not Queensland law, and described the vehicle as being 'in dry dock.' The female officer, still bemused, made a radio call to verify his claims. The sovereign citizen argued that the registration wasn't in their system because it was 'private'. 'You don't realise this, but everything's changed since 2020. You know we are currently in martial law. I own every part of this vehicle. I own the plates, I own the car, and it can't be touched or tampered with, it's my vehicle.' Footage has captured a bizarre encounter between Queensland Police officers and a sovereign citizen (pictured) who was stopped for driving an unregistered vehicle He insisted his car was registered under 'international law,' not Queensland law, and described the vehicle as being 'in dry dock' - leaving police very confused He then went into the reasons sovereign citizens use for not registering their vehicles. 'Everybody has their own right to travel and no one should try and stop them. Right now they're contemplating whether they should continue down the path or not. 'And they realise they've been served with my document now as well, which is making them question that too - how much an hour (in costs) do they want to be at and what do they want to go through.' The footage ended with the police officers informing the sovereign citizen that he was 'right to go,' which led to speculation online that he had been let off without any penalties. The public's concern was unfounded, though. 'Police have issued a 54-year-old Kallangur man with four traffic infringement notices totalling $1,484 in fines following a routine traffic stop conducted in Southport on June 22,' a Queensland police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. The four infringements were: Use/permit use vehicle without number plate attached as required under regulation ($123) Make, sell, or possess something that resembles a registration certificate, number plate or permit ($371) Driving an uninsured class 1, 2, 6, 8, 13, 16 or 24 motor vehicle on a road ($619) Use/permit use of unregistered 4 cylinder or 2 rotor motor vehicle ($371) His vehicle was also impounded for a period of 90 days and has since been registered by the owner. The sovereign cititzen points to a fine he planned to issue to the police - instead it was him who got fined Many people called out the sovereign citizen after viewing the footage. 'The irony that this is all for his freedom but if he just registered his car like a normal person he wouldn't get pulled over and wouldn't have to go through this circus every time,' one said. A second added: 'A cooker citing international law is ... something else. Also for anyone playing at home, no international law does not register vehicles or vessels.' A third added: 'Imagine having to deal with this'. A team of researchers and science-minded snorkelers work together on Aug. 10 to recover a dead oarfish from La Jolla Cove near San Diego. Michael Wang/Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP Researchers and science-minded snorkelers teamed up to recover a dead oarfish from La Jolla Cove ner San Diego on Aug. 10. Michael Wang/Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP This story might sound like a whopper, but scientists assure there is nothing fishy about it: A rare 12-foot-long fish was found last weekend in La Jolla Cove near San Diego. According to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the lifeless oarfish was discovered by a group of kayakers and snorkelers in the cove. It was taken by marine life officials, assisted by lifeguards, to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Southwest Fisheries Science Center, where a necropsy will be conducted to determine the fishs cause of death. Oarfish are rarely spotted in California: Only 20 of the oceanic species have washed up in the state since 1901, according to Scripps officials. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Scripps, which happens to be just around the corner from where the fish was found, announced its discovery in social media posts complete with photos of the retrieval Wednesday morning. Researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and science-minded snorkelers worked together on Aug. 10 to recover a dead oarfish from La Jolla Cove near San Diego. Michael Wang/Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP Following the necropsy, the oarfish will become part of the Scripps Marine Vertebrate Collection, one of the largest collections of deep sea fish in the world, where scientist will be able to study it further, Scripps officials said. The silvery fish has gray spots on its ribbon-like body and a strange prehistoric look in the photos posted on social media. Its nearly as long as an ocean kayak. According to the Ocean Conservancy, oarfish can grow to more than 30 feet in length. Theyre sometimes called the doomsday fish, because lore has it that spotting them means a dangerous natural phenomenon like a big earthquake is about to occur, the conservancy said on its website. In the months before Japans devastating 2011 quake, about 20 of the fish washed up. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A team of researchers and snorkelers work together to recover a dead oarfish from La Jolla Cove near San Diego on Aug. 10. Michael Wang/Scripps Institution of Oceanography via AP Oarfish live in the deep sea and usually only appear near the surface when theyre sick, dying or dead or at least disoriented, according to the conservancy. Whether kayaking, snorkeling or engaging in other beachy activities, anyone who discovers a mysterious fish can contact Scripps by e-mail at scrippsnews@ucsd.com or by phone at 858-534-3624. A Colorado dentist has been arrested after he allegedly arranged to have sex with a mother and her eight-year-old daughter. Federal authorities say Dr. James Jason Atha, 50, of Broomfield, started messaging what he believed was a single mother from Florida, who described in online chatrooms how she groomed her young daughter with sex toys during play time in October 2023. He then replied, 'That's a beautiful thing. I would sooo love to be a part of that,' according to a federal indictment obtained by the Palm Beach Post. The two messaged back and forth for months, until June 14, when investigators say Atha and the woman began discussing when he could visit her and the child. But he did not realize that the woman with whom he had been speaking was actually an undercover agent with the Department of Homeland Security, and he was arrested by federal agents when he landed at Palm Beach International Airport on August 9. Dr. James Jason Atha, 50, of Broomfield, Colorado, was arrested on August 8 for allegedly arranging to have sex with a single mother and her eight-year-old daughter Prosecutors say Atha spoke to the undercover agent multiple times over the past 10 months, discussing the sexual acts he would like to perform on the non-existent child. 'I would love to find mother-daughter to play with,' he allegedly wrote in one message. When asked by the undercover agent in another conversation whether he'd had sex with a mother and daughter duo before, Atha replied, 'unfortunately no,' according to the 27-page indictment. 'I have had so many of what I thought were opportunities, only to get ghosted when it got down to it,' he reportedly wrote. The agent proceeded to ask him multiple times whether he was sure he wanted to have sex with her daughter, and each time he said he was, prosecutors argue. Eventually, the agent and Atha agreed that he would visit Palm Beach from August 9 - 11, and they discussed flights and plans for the weekend. At first, prosecutors say Atha was hesitant, and seemingly predicted his demise in a message to the undercover agent, writing: 'I am very nervous but serious. 'In my head I get there and cops are waiting for me.' But eventually Atha agreed to meet her at the Palm Beach airport. Atha was accosted by federal agents when he landed at Palm Beach International Airport He even allegedly called the agent to discuss the details of the possible trip, according to KDVR. Atha also allegedly asked the woman to dress the girl in 'something not all that age appropriate' - suggesting she wear a halter top with 'short shorts,' lipstick and eye shadow. The undercover agent then suggested he start 'playing' with the girl on the way home from the airport. Just one day before his arrest at the airport, Atha messaged the woman saying he had bought chocolate-flavored lubrication and condoms to use during sex with the girl and her mother, the indictment says, according to 9 News. But when he arrived at the airport, Atha was accosted by federal agents who led him - and the undercover agent - away in handcuffs, the Palm Beach Post reports. A representative at Alpine Dental in Boulder said Atha is no longer employed there According to an arrest affidavit, he 'spontaneously' asked how he could be arrested and how his conversations with the mother could be known to federal agents - when the undercover agent revealed herself. Atha then reportedly waived his Miranda rights and admitted he flew to Florida to watch the undercover agent engage in sex with her daughter. He also allegedly admitted that his phone contained child pornography - which agents later confirmed - and said he did have all of those conversations with the undercover agent, but denied he was going to follow through. Agents then conducted a search warrant and found evidence that he was involved in multiple incest and taboo chat rooms. Atha is now charged with attempted enticement of a minor and could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. He is scheduled to appear at a pre-trial detention in South Florida on Friday. In the meantime, a woman at Alpine Dental in Boulder, Colorado, where Atha was employed, told CBS 12 that he no longer works there. It is unclear, however, if he resigned or if he was fired. His 'about me' section on the office's website notes he traveled every summer to North Carolina to perform free dental work for children and adults who would otherwise forego their dental care. The fine weather for Australia on Friday could be brief with more rain set to soak the country over the weekend. Rain is forecast for the country's southern coast stretching from the Queensland border all the way across to Perth, though it will likely not be as intense as earlier this week. 'Temperatures are set to drop on Friday in Adelaide and Saturday in Melbourne and a low pressure system could bring rain in SA that will spread into Victoria, NSW and the ACT on Friday and Saturday,' Weatherzone's Ashleigh Madden said. Weatherzone said widespread falls of 20 to 40mm are forecast in the next three days across southeastern SA, parts of Victoria and NSW, while western Tasmania could see 40 to 60mm. 'In NSW on Friday there is potential for a squall line to form which could generate damaging winds across parts of the state,' Ms Madden said. 'Perth, could see dangerous thunderstorms from late Friday into Saturday with possible damaging winds and heavy rain. 'The wind, storms and rain should clear later on the weekend, before another strong cold front approaches Australia's southeast mid next week.' The Bureau of Meteorology said flooding remains a concern near the Queensland and NSW border after particularly heavy rainfall this week. 'We've got flood warnings in place for the Southern Capricornica and Wide Bay-Burnett districts in Queensland and the Northern Rivers and the Mid-North Coast of NSW,' meteorologists Miriam Bradbury said. Rain could likely return over the weekend for south-east Australia but lighter than earlier this week, as this three day accumulated rainfall map shows Perth and Adelaide are also set for a wet and cold weekend after a run of warmer weather Sydney Friday: Max 21 Possible shower. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1 mm. Chance of any rain: 40 per cent. Sydney area: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely at night. The chance of a thunderstorm about the southeast in the evening. Light winds. Saturday: Min 12 Max 21 Possible shower. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1 mm. Chance of any rain: 40 per cent. Sydney area: Slight chance of a shower, most likely in the early morning. Sunny day. Light winds becoming westerly 20 to 30 km/h in the morning. Sunday: Min 11 Max 20 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 2 mm. Chance of any rain: 50 per cent. Sydney area: Mostly sunny morning. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. Winds westerly 15 to 20 km/h turning southerly 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon. Brisbane Friday: Max 26 Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 20 per cent. Brisbane area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower in the late morning and afternoon. Light winds. Saturday: Min 15 Max 28 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 10 per cent. Brisbane area: The chance of fog in the early morning. Sunny day. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 25 to 35 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening. Sunday: Min 13Max 24Sunny.Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Brisbane area: Sunny. Light winds becoming westerly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening. Melbourne Friday: Max 18 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 1 to 6 mm. Chance of any rain: 70 per cent. Melbourne area: Cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Winds northerly 30 to 45 km/h. Saturday: Min 10 Max 15 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 4 mm. Chance of any rain: 70 per cent. Melbourne area: Cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. Winds north to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h turning westerly during the morning and early afternoon. Sunday: Min 10 Max 15 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1 mm. Chance of any rain: 50 per cent. Melbourne area: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds west to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h tending south to southwesterly during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. There are still flood watches in place for South-East Queensland and parts of northern NSW Adelaide Friday: Max 16 Showers. Possible rainfall: 5 to 15 mm. Chance of any rain: 95 per cent. Adelaide area Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm about the hills and southern suburbs in the morning and early afternoon. Winds northwesterly 25 to 40 km/h turning westerly in the middle of the day. Saturday: Min 11 Max 16 Showers. Possible rainfall: 1 to 5 mm. Chance of any rain: 80 per cent. Adelaide area: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds westerly 25 to 35 km/h turning southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the afternoon. Sunday: Min 9 Max 17 Partly cloudy. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1 mm. Chance of any rain: 30 per cent. Adelaide area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower in the morning. Light winds becoming east to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the evening. Perth Friday: Max 21 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 2 mm. Chance of any rain: 60 per cent. Perth area: Partly cloudy. The chance of fog in the northeast early this morning. Medium chance of showers, most likely during this afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming northerly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning. Saturday: Min 12 Max 18 Possible storm, heavy falls. Possible rainfall: 15 to 40 mm. Chance of any rain: 100 per cent. Perth area: Cloudy. Very high chance of rain. The chance of a thunderstorm. Heavy falls possible. Winds north to northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h turning westerly 20 to 30 km/h in the late morning. Sunday: Min 9 Max 18 Showers. Possible rainfall: 5 to 20 mm. Chance of any rain: 95 per cent. Perth area: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds westerly 15 to 25 km/h turning southwesterly 25 to 35 km/h during the morning. The rain forecast for Saturday across the country showing NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, parts of SA and southern WA will see rainfall Hobart Friday: Max 17 Showers. Possible rainfall: 2 to 10 mm. Chance of any rain: 90 per cent. Hobart area: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers, becoming less likely in the evening. Light winds. Saturday: Min 10 Max 15 Showers. Possible rainfall: 4 to 20 mm. Chance of any rain: 95 per cent. Hobart area: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. Winds west to southwesterly and light tending southerly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day then increasing to 25 to 35 km/h in the early afternoon. Sunday: Min 7 Max 11 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1 mm. Chance of any rain: 50 per cent. Hobart area: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Winds south to southwesterly 25 to 35 km/h tending west to southwesterly and becoming light during the evening. Darwin Friday: Max 32 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 0 per cent. Darwin City and Outer Darwin area: Sunny. Winds east to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending northwest to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the late afternoon. Saturday: Min 20 Max 33 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Darwin City and Outer Darwin area: Sunny. Light winds becoming northwest to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the evening. Sunday: Min 21 Max 32 Mostly sunny. Chance of any rain: 0 per cent. Darwin City and Outer Darwin area: Mostly sunny. Light winds becoming northwest to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the late evening. Thousands of women have taken to the streets of India to call for measures to tackle sexual violence, after a trainee doctor was savagely raped and murdered at a state-run hospital in Calcutta. Smaller protests were held other Indian cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune. The largest event, described as a 'Reclaim The Night' march, saw thousands of protesters gathering at the city's busy Shyambazar five-point crossing at the start of the country's Independence Day celebrations on Thursday night. The event's main organiser, 29-year-old social science researcher Rimjhim Sinha, said she hoped the protest marked the start of structural change in the country, which has long been plagued by gender-based violence. The horrific crime that sparked the nationwide protest saw a 31-year-old female trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital get raped and killed while she was on duty, resting in a seminar hall that was meant to be secure. Officials, including principal of the medical college Dr Sandip Ghosh, tried to dismiss the death of the young woman, who has not yet been named, as a suicide. Thousands of women have taken to the streets of India to call for measures to tackle sexual violence The largest event, described as a 'Reclaim The Night' march, saw thousands of protesters gathering at the city's busy Shyambazar five-point crossing at the start of the country's Independence Day celebrations on Thursday night The horrific crime that sparked the nationwide protest saw a 31-year-old female trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital get raped and killed while she was on duty Ghosh, who has since resigned from his prestigious post, said: 'It was irresponsible of the girl to go to the seminar hall alone at night.' A volunteer hospital worker associated with the Calcutta police named locally as Sanjay Roy has since been arrested in connection with the sick attack. The murder and rape case has since been taken over by the country's Central Bureau of Investigation, amid claims that the local force would not investigate it fairly. Sinha said: 'The brutality of this case is enraging. It's not just another rape case where survivors can speak for themselves this time, we lost a life. 'The aggressiveness of these crimes is escalating, and it's clear that women are increasingly becoming victims of these criminal activities.' Despite the protest in Calcutta starting off peacefully, local media reported that a group of men broke through a police barricade outside the hospital the murder took place in, ransacking an emergency ward. Officials, including principal of the medical college Dr Sandip Ghosh, tried to dismiss the death of the young woman, who has not yet been named, as a suicide Medical professionals and activists hold candles as they take part in a midnight protest to condemn the rape and murder of a young medic, in Kolkata on August 14, 2024 A child is lighting up a candle and holding a placard during a vigil condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, on a street in Mumbai, India Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal blamed the mob attack on a 'motivated media campaign' that painted the 'Kolkata Police in a very poor light' 'We were preparing to take out a rally, when out of nowhere dozens of men barged in and started assaulting whoever they could see,' a resident doctor, who did not wish to be named, told the Independent. 'We ran inside the hospital to save ourselves. They were out for blood.' The doctor added that the mob broke into a women's hostel on the campus, ransacking the place by overturning beds and destroying important medical equipment. Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal blamed the mob attack on a 'motivated media campaign' that painted the 'Kolkata Police in a very poor light'. 'Unfortunately this incident would not have happened if this kind of malicious campaign was not being run by the media,' he claimed. The country's prime minister, Narendra Modi, addressed the shocking incident in his Independence Day address, calling for strict punishments for crimes against women. 'As a society, we have to think about the atrocities being committed against our mothers, daughters and sisters. There is outrage against this in the country. I can feel this outrage,' he said. Donald Trump could be blindsided by an 'October surprise' that would obliterate his chances at retaking the White House, a former Bush administration official has said. Legal scholar John Yoo sounded the alarm that the former president could wind up in prison - as soon as next month. Trump has been desperately seeking to hold off his sentencing hearing until after the election, following his conviction by a Manhattan jury of 34 counts of falsifying business records. But the controversial Judge Juan Merchan has consistently denied his appeals. While speaking to Fox News host Bill Hemmer on Thursday, Yoo said Merchan wields the power to 'order Donald Trump...to jail immediately.' Trump could face an 'October surprise' in the form of a jail sentence, according to law professor John Yoo Yoo, a former Bush administration official, has sounded the alarm that Donald Trump could wind up in prison as soon as next month An October surprise historically refers to a significant news event that takes place in the closing weeks of a presidential campaign. Hemmer called Trump's possible sentencing as 'the story nobody's talking about.' Yoo agreed, explaining that a possible jail sentence is 'the October surprise that'll hit in September.' 'Five weeks from yesterday, Judge Merchan will sentence Donald Trump,' Hemmer said. The former Bush official acknowledged that 'the calendar is working this way,' and much to the former president's disadvantage. Trump's legal team has unsuccessfully tried to get Merchan to recuse himself from the trial on three separate occasions. Merchan has been slammed for a possible conflict of interest due to the fact that his daughter has worked at a political consultant for Democrats. New York Judge Juan Merchan already delayed sentencing following a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity By invoking the Supreme Court's recent ruling on 'presidential immunity,' Trump is seeking to overturn his conviction. If his bid fails, the former president will be sentenced on September 18. '[Merchan has] been asked yet again to step aside. He refuses to do that. How do you see this playing? What does the judge do?' 'Merchan has ruled against Donald Trump every opportunity hes had,' Yoo continued. Yoo, a distinguished legal professor, has been critical of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's prosecution of Trump, calling it 'open season on former presidents.' Lawyers for former President Donald Trump said it would amount to 'election interference' to go ahead with scheduled Sept. 18th sentencing in his Stormy Daniels hush money case 'He could have exercised his discretion here to change the sentencing date. But instead, he actually moved it closer to the beginning of absentee voting in my home state of Pennsylvania,' Yoo added. A key battleground state, Pennsylvania is currently leaning toward Harris, according to the latest surveys. 'Could you imagine what would happen if Judge Merchan sentenced Donald Trump to jail time, even though hes a first-time nonviolent offender?' Yoo asked. 'What if Judge Merchan even went crazier and said, Donald Trump doesnt even get to stay out of jail while his case is on appeal?' the legal scholar continued. 'Could you imagine what would happen if Judge Merchan sentenced Donald Trump to jail time, even though hes a first-time nonviolent offender?' Yoo asked Then Yoo raised a shocking prospect. '[Merchan] has the power to actually order Donald Trump sent to jail immediately,' he said, before qualifying the statement: 'although I expect he wouldn't.' 'But this judge has used the discretion every time to try to force this trial in a political direction that will have an effect on the election,' the former Bush official concluded. On May 30, the former president was found guilty of 34 counts of falsification of business records in an effort to conceal reimbursements to a lawyer who had wired 'hush money' to porn star Stormy Daniels in order to keep her quiet about an alleged tryst. On May 30, the former president was found guilty of 34 counts of falsification of business records Trump's lawyers are now endeavoring to postpone the trial's sentencing until after the presidential election. In a letter to Judge Merchan, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche argued that the current schedule courts the risk of 'election interference.' 'Setting aside naked election-interference objections,' Blanche wrote. 'There is no valid countervailing reason for the Court to keep the current sentencing date on the calendar.' 'There is no basis for continuing to rush.' Police hold 'serious concerns' for their welfare Andrews Stephens, 37, last seen in Perth's south Search underway for missing man and three kids A desperate search is underway for a missing man and three young children. Andrew Stephens, 37, an eight-year-old boy, a four-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl were last seen in Warnbro, in Perth's outer south, at about 3.30pm on Thursday. Police believe Mr Stephens and the children are travelling in a 2004 red Holden Commodore with the registration G16341. The vehicle was last seen on the Roe Highway in Hazelmere, about a 50-minute drive from Warnbro, at about 10.15pm on Thursday. Mr Stephens is described as being approximately 175cm tall, of slim build with black hair and brown eyes. Police say they hold 'serious concerns' for their welfare and have asked for public assistance in locating Mr Stephens and the children. Anyone who sees Mr Stephen or the 2004 red Holden Commodore or has any information on their whereabouts has been urged to contact police. Andrew Stephens (pictured), an eight-year-old boy, a four-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl were last seen in Warnbro, in Perth 's outer south, at about 3.30pm on Thursday An engineering graduate lost his job and his wedding after being jailed for 14 months for throwing a punch at a man during anti-immigration rioting. Noman Ahmed, 24, was among a group of Muslims who went to guard a mosque in Middlesbrough during nationwide violence this month. When two white men made 'racist threats' they were chased from the mosque and attacked. Prosecutor Rachel Masters said Ahmed was caught on camera punching or attempting to punch one of the men. Teesside Crown Court heard he had paid a heavy price for his violent outburst. Noman Ahmed, 24, has lost his job and his wedding after being jailed for 14 months for throwing a punch at a man during anti-immigration rioting The engineering graduate, pictured in the blue top) was among a group of Muslims who went to guard a mosque in Middlesbrough during nationwide violence this month Gary Wood, defending, said Ahmed lost his job as an EE salesman as a result of the incident. He was also due to marry in eight days, but will now be behind bars instead. Mr Wood said his appearance in court for the first time in his life had left his family 'completely devastated'. He added: 'Mr Ahmed was due to marry on August 24 in a wedding that has been planned for quite some time at significant expense to his family and his fiancee's family. 'It will cost them financially because they have spent an enormous amount of money planning a very special day and special celebration. 'The defendant's future wife and her family are very disappointed by the defendant's actions.' However, Judge Francis Laird, KC, imposed a jail sentence despite Ahmed's forthcoming marriage and glowing references that described him as a 'polite, intelligent man'. Meanwhile, a Hatton Garden jeweller was jailed for eight months at Inner London Crown Court after a demonstration near Downing Street in Whitehall last month. Russ Cooke, 66, told officers they would be put to the sword when the Muslims... start yelling Allahu akbar. Tom Neblett, 20, was handed a 30-month prison sentence at Liverpool Crown Court after climbing on to a van and repeatedly throwing missiles at police officers during rioting in Southport. He threw a brick at the passenger side window of a police carrier while the driver was inside. Ukraine set up a military command office in an occupied region of Kursk last night, in an indication that Volodymyr Zelenskyy's troops are planning to remain in the Russian region for the long-term. Oleksandr Syrskyi - the country's top general - said that his forces now occupy 686sq miles of the border region in southern Russia, claiming his forces are still advancing. It marks the first foreign invasion on Russian soil since the Second World War. 'We are moving forward in Kursk region. A military commandant's office has been created which must ensure order and also all the needs of the local population,' Syrskyi said in a written statement on his Telegram channel. The office would be headed by Major General Eduard Moskalyov, he added in the message. A Ukrainian tank passes by a burning car near the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sumy region, Ukraine on August 14 Ukrainian servicemen operate an armoured military vehicle on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, Oleksandr Syrskyi - the country's top general - said that his forces no occupy 1,150sq km of the border region in southern Russia of Kursk The plans to build the office marks the strongest sign yet that Kyiv's plan to dig in after launching a lightning cross-border assault on Russia last week that has opened a new front in the war that's been raging for more than two years. Ukraine's surge into Russian territory caught Moscow by surprise after the Kremlin had continue to make small but steady gains all year in eastern Ukraine, occupying 18 per cent of the country. Syrskyi told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video published by the Ukrainian leader that the incursion had so far advanced 35 km into the Kursk region, capturing 82 villages, towns and cities. Zelenskyy, who spoke cryptically of the need to move on to the 'next steps' in public remarks on Wednesday, again hinted at other possible offensive actions on Russian territory. 'We must clearly guarantee at the legislative level that our warriors, who participate, for example, in the Kursk operation and will participate in all our other actions on the territory of the aggressor state, will receive absolutely all payments and benefits designated for the front line,' he said in an address posted on Telegram. It comes as Vladimir Putin was left red-faced after his prized nuclear-capable Russian strategic bomber aircraft crashed last night in a remote Siberian region. Witnesses said this type of plane - used by Putin as a key plank in his nuclear arsenal - broke up in the sky before crashing amid fierce explosions. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech on the stand in front of the first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon received by Ukraine President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with acting governor of Tula Region Dmitry Milyaev at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia yesterday The Tu-22M3 (pictured) is prized by Putin for its nuclear capabilities The plane crashed near the village of Mikhailovka in Irkutsk region, some 3,300 miles east of Moscow It came at a time of deeply strained relations between the east and west, and as Russia is at war with Ukraine. Putin's regime is also making repeated threats to unleash nuclear weapons on Ukraine or the West. Earlier yesterday, Russia celebrated destroying a British Challenger-2 tank involved in Ukraine's Kursk incursion. A video from the battlefield has emerged showing an armoured vehicle being blown up by a drone. The footage, which was shared on social media app Telegram, shows a huge battlefield explosion as the tank, reportedly deployed by the Ukrainian 82nd Brigade, was blown up. It was hit by a low-flying Russian Lancet-3 kamikaze drone near Sudzha on Ukraine-occupied Russian territory, according to Svarshchiki - or Welders - Telegram channel. 'Our technically savvy operator jeweled the Lancet-3 into the upper hemisphere with a dive of the upper hull armour plate', the channel posted. The videos come as Ukrainian forces continue the cross-border offensive they launched on August 6. Russian war media shared a video of a supposed British Challenger 2 tank being hit by a kamikaze drone in the Kursk region, Russia The footage, which was shared on social media app Telegram, shows a huge battlefield explosion as the tank, reportedly deployed by the Ukrainian 82nd Brigade, was blown up The video from the battlefield shows an armoured vehicle being blown up by a drone Kyiv's forces have started seizing Russian territory in what constitutes the most significant cross-border attack on the country since World War II. The Ukrainians have since managed to advance up to 20 miles in some directions and have captured dozens of towns and settlements. More than 120,000 Russian citizens have been forced to flee their homes amid widespread regional evacuations since last Tuesday, while 12 civilians are said to have died. North Korea is set to open its borders to international tourists in December - for the first time since the pandemic. A China-based tour operator confirmed they will be the first to take visitors over the border and into North Korea later this year. Beijing's Koryo Tours said on their website: 'We have received confirmation from our local partner that tourism to Samjiyon and potentially the rest of the country will officially resume in December 2024.' The secretive state was the first in the world to seal itself in early 2020 as a response to the spread of Covid-19. As other nations slowly began to welcome international visitors, North Korea only welcomed a select few - and they were usually travelling diplomats or the odd tourist group from Russia. A tourist group from Russia arrive at Pyongyang International Airport on February 9, 2024 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiles in Samjiyon - a city redeveloped with tourists in mind Another tour operator called KTG Tours, based in Shenyang, China revealed that tourists will be able to visit the picturesque city of Samjiyon this winter. It seems as though Samjiyonis at the centre of North Korea's reopening. Located just ten miles from North Korea's border with China, Samjiyon will be easily accessible for tourists via a land crossing, according to a spokesman for Koryo Tours. The re-development of Samjiyon is one of the biggest economic initiatives over seen by Kim Jong Un. The North Korean leader himself visited the mountainous area to ensure the newly built apartments, hotels and even a ski resort, would be ready to accommodate 4,000 families. According to the Korean Central News Agency, Mr Kim described the city as 'an oasis of our people and the world [which will] make tourism a major driving force of regional development'. He also deemed it a 'socialist utopia'. The city is close to Mount Paektu, the tallest mountain in the country which has immense cultural significance to both North and South Koreans, featuring in both national anthems. According to North Korean propaganda, the mountain is where Kim Il Sung fought Japanese forces and launched the revolution. It is also believed to be the birth place of his Mr Kim's father Kim Jong Il - although other sources suggest he was in fact born in Russia. Chief Executive of US-based analysis firm Korea Risk Group Chad O'Carroll told the BBC he had doubts about the reopening of North Korea's borders. He explained that the city of Samjiyon is not yet complete. 'If it does get completed in time, I can imagine only Russian tourists and possibly Chinese visiting in any real numbers at first,' he said. 'Unless [the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] offers direct Samjiyon flights to a neutral connection country like Mongolia, I will believe it when I see it. For now, I am quite sceptical we will see any real movement in December.' Construction of Samjiyon has been hampered by a lack of materials and manpower. Human rights groups say that youth labour brigades were brought in under poor conditions in an attempt to complete the redevelopment project. But don't fret - tourists will not be limited to the city of Samjiyon. KTG Tours predicted that 'Pyongyang and other places will open too'. Located just ten miles from North Korea's border with China, Samjiyon will be easily accessible for tourists via a land crossing Kim Jong-un inspects the new builds in Samjiyon where a ski resort has been built The North Korean leader looks out over the city of Samjiyon in July 2024 where a redevelopment construction project is taking place Kim Jong-un leading the redevelopment project in Samjiyon - a city he called a 'socialist utopia' It is also thought that Pyongyang (pictured) will be opened to international visitors Pyongyang citizens walk on the street in North Korea - where tourists may soon flock More than 10,000 new hotel rooms are being built near the Wonsan-Kalma international airport on the east coast of North Korea in preparation for international visitors. And additional buildings dedicated to the tourism industry are popping up across the country. So do you fancy a trip to North Korea this Christmas? Under-fire comedian Reginald D Hunter has been axed from an upcoming stand-up show after an Israeli couple were 'hounded' and booed out of his Edinburgh Fringe gig. The American, 55, was due to perform at a council-owned hall in Scottish town Giffnock, but the local authority has cancelled the show saying: 'We have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously.' Local Conservative councillor Paul Edlin accused Hunter of 'encouraging a baying mob' to hound out the Jewish couple. Hunter had been performing his new standup show 'Fluffy Fluffy Beavers' at Edinburgh Fringe when he made a quip about how watching a recent Channel 5 documentary about domestic abuse had made him think of Israel. But when two Israeli audience members had objected to the distasteful joke, they were reportedly sworn at, called 'genocidal' and told 'you're not welcome' by fellow spectators shouting 'Free Palestine'. Hunter has taken to X to apologise for his part in the incident, claiming it is part of his job as a comedian to 'push boundaries'. The comedian who is from Albany, Georgia, but has lived in the UK since 1997, has insisted that he is 'staunchly anti-war and anti-bully' after the backlash he received following the incident. Under-fire comedian Reginald D Hunter has been axed from an upcoming stand-up show after an Israeli couple were 'hounded' and booed out of his Edinburgh Fringe gig The American, 55, was due to perform at a council-owned hall in Scottish town Giffnock, but the local authority has cancelled the show Hunter has taken to X to apologise for his behaviour Hunter was set to perform in Giffnock on September 28, but East Renfrewshire Council said it had taken the decision 'to cancel Eastwood Park Theatre's show featuring Reginald D Hunter'. They added: 'We have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously.' Local Conservative councillor Paul Edlin told the Jewish Telegraph: 'He encouraged a baying mob in the audience to hound out a Jewish couple, one of whom was in a wheelchair.' The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities and the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council (GJRC) had both complained about the incident to East Renfrewshire Council. Dominic Cavendish, chief theatre critic at The Telegraph who was at Sunday's Fringe show, said it was the 'most unpleasant comedy gig I've ever attended'. A Police Scotland spokesman said: 'We have been made aware of a hate incident which reportedly took place at an event in Edinburgh. We are reviewing the circumstances.' In a post on X Hunter wrote: 'There was an unfortunate incident in my new show 'Fluffy Fluffy Beavers'. 'As a comedian I do push boundaries in creating humour, it is part of my job. This inevitably creates divided opinions but I am staunchly anti-war and anti-bullying. 'I regret any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members.' Anti-semitism campaigners called the incident 'a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy' - as organisers maintained they were 'committed to upholding the principles of creative freedom of expression.' The pressure group Campaign Against Antisemitisim have asked their own lawyers to review footage to see whether any action can be taken. In a statement the group said: 'Reginald D Hunter has laughed off his Holocaust jokes and another supposed joke about 'typical f***ing Jews' in the past, but watching on and cracking jokes as Jews are hounded out of your show is a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy. 'We have seen this before in recent months, and venues must stand extremely firm against this kind of behaviour.' The US-born entertainer was half-way through the packed gig at the Edinburgh Festival on Sunday night - described by one theatre critic as the 'ugliest Edinburgh Fringe moment ever' - when the commotion began. Reginald D Hunter has insisted that he is 'staunchly anti-war and anti-bully' following the backlash he has received online The statement made by the pressure group Campaign Against Antisemitisim on social media As a woman told her story of how she was ill-treated by her husband, the comedian revealed that he thought to himself: 'My God, it's like being married to Israel.' While the joke evoked laughter from the audience, a couple on the front row were prompted to shout out 'not funny', before revealing they were Israeli. Dominic Cavendish, chief theatre critic for The Telegraph, was in the audience when the furore erupted. Writing a review of the show, which he awarded one star to, Cavendish said: 'The pair, who said they were from Israel, then endured their fellow audience members shouting expletives ('f--- off' among them), and telling them to go with slow-hand claps, boos and cries of 'genocidal maniac', 'you're not welcome' and 'free Palestine' part of the toxic mix.' Rather than pulling the audience up for their animosity towards the unwitting hecklers, Hunter apparently instead said to them: 'You can say it's not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish.' The couple, one of whom was disabled, are then said to have exited from the show as Hunter apparently 'openly laughed' at them and as fellow audience members continued to jeer. Two Israeli audience members were sworn at, called 'genocidal' and told 'you're not welcome' by fellow spectators shouting 'Free Palestine ' at them after objecting to a joke told by stand-up comedian Reginald D Hunter at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Not done with the pair, even as they left, Hunter then related a story about how his partner had complained about not being able to access the Jewish Chronicle's website, as it is behind a paywall. He is reported as saying: ''Typical f---ing Jews, they won't tell you anything unless you subscribe.' 'It's just a joke,' he added. The incident has provoked outrage among some social media users, who describe it as 'awful' and 'anti-semitic'. One wrote: 'His behaviour was abhorrent - but what was the audience thinking by abusing two strangers who happened to be Israeli? Hateful, toxic, repellent stuff.' Another posted: 'So disappointing that someone who is from a minority doesn't empathise with (in fact encourages) racism towards another minority.' A third said: 'If your gags are at the expense of [a] bullied minority, you're not a comedian - you're a bully.' Three girls from an inner-city sixth form are heading to the US after securing the A-level results needed for their 1million Ivy League scholarships. Tasneen Hossain, Feyisara Adeyemi, and Harmanpreet Garcha, all 18, were each awarded places at top universities in the States through a programme run by their East London school. The bright trio passed their admissions tests with flying colours meaning Harvard and Princeton offered to fund the entire cost of their four-year education - for close to 350k each. However, the final step of getting onto their courses rested on their A-level results - making for an anxious few months for the Newham Collegiate Sixth Form (NCS) pupils. Yesterday it was confirmed that all three teenagers scored the grades necessary to study in the US - meaning they can now start preparing for the big move. Left to right: Tasneen Hossain, Feyisara Adeyemi and Harmanpreet Garcha were each awarded places at top universities in the States Harvard and Princeton (pictured) offered to fund the entire cost of their four-year education Tasneen turned down an offer from the University of Cambridge to study maths and physics at Harvard (pictured) Your browser does not support iframes. Tasneen, whose family is from Bangladesh, didn't speak English when she first arrived in the UK from Italy at age nine. But a few months ago, she turned down an offer from the University of Cambridge to study maths and physics at Harvard. Harmanpreet, who will major in engineering at Harvard after scoring straight A _She is now definitely off to study there - after scoring A_s in Physics and Maths, an A in Further Maths and a B in English. The teenager from Poplar, Tower Hamlets said: 'I am really happy with my results. 'I can't wait to get to America now. There will be some readjustment needed but I know I'm going to enjoy it. 'East London and Princeton are very different places, but I am confident I will adapt and have a great time.' Former San Rafael police officer Daisy Mazariegos saw assault charges against her dismissed. The case against her arose after video surfaced of hers and another officers physical confrontation with a man they were trying to arrest in 2022. Associated Press A Marin County judge cleared a former San Rafael police officer of assault charges stemming from a violent 2022 arrest seen on video. Officers Daisy Mazariegos and Brandon Nail faced charges for allegedly assaulting a day laborer during a 2022 arrest in one of the Bay Areas most segregated neighborhoods. On Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Kevin Murphy dismissed the assault charge against Mazariegos, clearing her of all criminal charges. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The ruling dismissed a preliminary hearing decision in December from a different judge ruling that there was enough evidence for both defendants to stand trial for assault, the Marin Independent Journal reported. An initial charge against Mazariegos for allegedly intentionally filing a false police report was also dismissed in December. It was a tremendous relief for her and her family, said Alison Berry Wilkinson, attorney for Mazariegos. She was really, very overcome with emotion. I think the process was an overreach by the district attorney and believe Judge Murphy got it right: she did not use excessive force. A representative for the district attorneys office could not be immediately reached. In July 2022, Nail and Mazariegos approached Julio Jimenez Lopez, who was drinking beer with other day laborers behind a Mexican restaurant in San Rafaels Canal neighborhood. He was first ordered to sit down, then swept to the ground by Nail, who then punched Lopez in the face. Body camera footage of the incident opened wounds in the overwhelmingly Latino community. Lopez was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct involving alcohol, obstruction and battery on a police officer. Prosecutors dropped the charges. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Wednesday, Mazariegos and Nails actions were considered separately before the judge dismissed charges against Mazariegos. Charges against Nail were not dismissed and will proceed. His attorney, Julia Fox, said she would not advise a plea deal based on the facts of the case, arguing that it was an appropriate response and compatible with police training. Im disappointed by it, Fox said. It has always been my position that this case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The next hearing for Nail is scheduled for Oct. 24, though Fox said it would likely get delayed. The woman who brought rapist doctor Stephen Matthews to justice has exposed the method he used to lure unsuspecting targets back to his home. The Denver cardiologist cried in court on Tuesday as he was convicted of drugging 11 women and raping nine of them in a four-year reign of terror between 2019 and the start of last year. Prosecutors said there was a remarkable similarity between the accounts given by his victims, and now the last of those victims has revealed the strategy that was already chillingly familiar to the other 10. 'He gave all of us a life sentence, just not behind bars,' she told KDVR. 'One of the hardest things about sexual assault and rape is that your body is the crime scene, and you carry that with you forever.' After final victim 'Audrey' went to the police they found a succession of women with the exact same story at the hands of Denver's rapist doctor Stephen Matthews The pervert cardiologist would go out of his way to gull his victim's suspicions, according to attorney Stephen J Burg, and used the same tactics on each Matthews, 36, trawled through online dating apps including Hinge and Tinder and 'strategically' tried to arrange dates near his home in the city's Lower Highland neighborhood. It was on Hinge that he multiple rapist arranged to meet the woman, who gave her name as 'Audrey' in January 2023. 'It was just a first date,' she said. Matthews was a trusted and respected member of Colorado's medical community They met for brunch before he invited her back to his home where they played Jenga and took a dip in his hot tub. Her last memory is of sipping a drink he made her, before coming to, hours later, back in her own home with no recollection of what had happened. Attorney Stephen J Burg said the pervert cardiologist would go out of his way to gull his victim's suspicions. 'He would build trust and then get them to have a drink, usually close to his home, and drug them in that drink' he explained. 'They would be very, very impaired and not know what was going on. And he would sexually assault them.' 'He was very savvy and able to build trust. He'd say "Let's meet in a public place," and talk about his dog and then oftentimes use that as an excuse to head back to his house or apartment.' But Audrey was suspicious when she noticed unexplained bruises and went to a doctor for an examination which found she had been raped. 'I didn't remember any sexual activity, but I did have a hickey,' she said. She went to the police and as they began to investigate they found more women with exactly the same experience; a date, a game of Jenga, a drink, a hot tub - and nothing else. One said that 10 hours after meeting Matthews were a complete blank and 'she had no idea how she got home. Another recalled vomiting and curling up in a fetal position after a single drink at Matthews' home before waking up at her home with Matthews in the room. When she refused a second date he sent her nude photographs he had taken of her unconscious. Matthews denied all the allegations as his defense team tried to poke holes in the women's stories. But Audrey testified against him in court and plans to deliver a victim impact statement at his sentencing on October 25. The self-pitying multiple rapist sobbed in court as he faced up to 25 years in prison 'It just makes your skin crawl. You want to yell at that person and just shake them and ask why,' she said. 'It's something that you carry for the rest of your life. And I don't think he's sorry.' Matthews has been stripped of his professional license and has remained in custody at at the Denver jail on a $5 million bond since his arrest in March 2023. He was convicted of 35 out of the 38 felony counts that went to the jury and faces anywhere between five and 25 years in prison. 'A verdict doesn't change what happened to you,' one victim told CBS. 'There are lifelong physical and emotional things that I will be dealing with as a result of what happened to me. I think he's not sorry for what he did. I think he's sorry he got caught.' Audrey too said she has been struggling to deal with what happened and 'there are days when you don't want to get out of bed'. But she does not regret coming forward and is grateful to the other women who were brave enough to tell their stories. 'It was really, really nice just to meet all of them and just to give them a hug and tell them thank you for coming forward after I did,' she said. 'Because they didn't have to.' A desperate young mother is locked in a race against time to make sure her baby's head is not deformed for life. Shanielle Tawney, 25, from Caringbah in southern Sydney, gave birth to Adaliya in mid-December last year. Weighing 3.023kg, Adaliya was a healthy, happy baby and mother and daughter were out of hospital within 24 hours. But when she was around a month old, Ms Tawney noticed that Adaliya could not turn her head to the left and was only sleeping on her right hand side. 'She was a very long baby which meant that when she was in the womb she couldn't move her head very much so her neck muscles became very tight,' Ms Tawney told Daily Mail Australia. 'This meant she could hardly turn her neck to the left so I had to go to a physio for six months and we now have full movement in the left hand side. But all that time lying on her right has left her with a flat head on that side. 'It's been explained to me that a baby's head is like Play-Doh, so when they press down and sleep on one side more than the other it can cause their head to go flat.' Shanielle Tawney, 25, from Caringbah in southern Sydney , gave birth to Adaliya in mid-December last year (pictured: mother and daughter together) Weighing 3.023kg, Adaliya was a healthy, happy baby and mother and daughter were out of hospital within 24 hours. But when she was around a month old, Ms Tawney noticed that Adaliya could not turn her head to the left and was only sleeping on her right hand side This is because of a baby's fontanelle, which is the name for the soft spots on an infant's head where the bony plates that make up the skull have not yet fused together. It is normal for infants to have these soft spots, which can be seen and felt on the top and back of the head. Adaliya's condition, which is called deformational plagiocephaly, does not usually affect the development of a baby's brain but, if left untreated, it can leave them with an misshapen face and head. Varying a baby's head position can help balance it out but if this is not achieved by four months, then a specially-moulded helmet is required. Adaliya, who is now eight months old, has been categorised as an 'extreme' case but Ms Tawney has been told that a helmet is not available on Medicare. Adaliya, who is now eight months old, has a flat side on her head Her case has been categorised as an 'extreme' case but Ms Tawney has been told that a helmet is not available on Medicare The single mother, who used to work as a cafe manager but now relies on Centrelink, is desperately trying to raise the almost $3,000 it costs for a helmet to be made for Adaliya - and only has a three-month period in which it can work. Ms Tawne, who has started a GoFundMe page to try to cover the costs, said she was unwilling to countenance the idea of not providing her daughter with the treatment she needs. 'I'm not trying not to think about what will happen if I don't raise the money,' she said. 'I've raised $700 so far and I can probably put some of my Centrelink money in there and just leave myself short of food. I'd do anything for her.' Adaliya would have to wear a helmet like the one pictured but it costs close to $3,000 Ms Tawney encouraged other mothers to be alert to their babies lying on one side - and to act quickly if they discovered they were. 'Go and see a private specialist straight away instead of trying to fix it yourself,' she advised. 'You will then have a time frame to save up the money required because the treatment can only work in a very short window, up until about 18 months at the latest. 'It's really until the little soft spot on their head, the fontanelle, closes.' Deformational plagiocephaly is quite common, affecting up to one in five babies to varying degrees. A mother and Iranian refugee who funded a lavish lifestyle by taking part in the sale of meth will remain in jail after a desperate attempt to be freed on Friday failed in the state's highest court. Yosra Rabieh, 35, was last year sentenced to at least five-and-a-half years in prison after she was found guilty of a string of serious drug offences. The mother was charged following a raid on her Sydney home where police found a large stash of meth that had been imported from Thailand. Rabieh and her husband Ali Maleki fled Iran in 2013 for Australia before they were granted temporary protection visas. In February 2018, the pair were charged over the supply of more than 30kg of methylamphetamine, which was found in their home they shared with their two children. When police raided their Asquith house in Sydney's north, they found more than 32kg of meth in their garage and bedroom, along with $264,000 in cash. Rabieh pleaded guilty in August 2019. However, in a bizarre twist in January 2021 she withdrew her plea, with the former law student claiming that at the time she did not know what 'guilty' meant. Yosra Rabieh (right) and her husband Ali Maleki (left) fled Iran in 2013 for Australia before they were granted temporary protection visas and started a life in Sydney's north Police found more than 32kg of meth (pictured) in their garage and bedroom Officers also found $264,000 in cash during raids at the family home in 2018 Ultimately, following a District Court trial in early 2023, she was found guilty of supplying a commercial quantity of methamphetamine and dealing with the property proceeds of crime. The court was told that Rabieh enjoyed the spoils of the drug importation scheme, including luxury cars, purchases from designer stores like Louis Vuitton and overseas holidays. In September last year, she was jailed for nine years and two months, with a non-parole period of five years and six months. At the time of the offences, neither she nor her husband were working and were receiving Centrelink payments. Maleki imported the methylamphetamine from Thailand hidden inside crates of charcoal, the court was told. In February 2018, the pair (pictured on their wedding day) were charged over the supply of more than 30kg of methylamphetamine Maleki (pictured with his wife) imported the methylamphetamine from Thailand hidden inside crates of charcoal, a District Court trial was told in early 2023 Despite the guilty verdict, Rabieh maintained her innocence and challenged her conviction in the Court of Criminal Appeal. On Friday, the court dismissed her appeal. She will first be eligible for release on parole in August 2027. For his role in the scheme, Maleki was in 2021 sentenced to a maximum of 14 years in prison, with a nine-year and four-month non-parole period. A former Home and Away star who led police on a three-day manhunt is expected to appeal after he was sentenced to jail. Orpheus Pledger, 31, returned to the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday wearing a black hoodie, where he was sentenced to seven months of imprisonment by Magistrate Justin Foster. 'This court does not and can not allow the use of drugs to explain violence against women,' Mr Foster said. 'It now transpires you mostly minimise your involvement and blame the victim.' Last month, Pledger pleaded guilty to charges of recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault, relating to two attacks on a woman in March during a suspected mental health crisis. The court was told the woman called police at 1.35am on March 25 amid fears for Pledger's mental health, with the line disconnecting after she said; 'he's here'. Officers arrived 15 minutes later to find the woman injured and unable to get off the floor. She was taken to hospital where doctors observed multiple bruises to her face and neck, with 'diamond-shaped' bruising on her cheek matching the sole of Pledger's shoe. Pledger (pictured) was a mainstay on Home and Away before leaving the role in 2019 Parts of the attack on the woman including dragging her by the hair was captured by CCTV A motion-capture camera screwed into a light bulb captured part of the attack, with Pledger seen dragging the woman by the hair and stomping on her head. The court was told Pledger had previously assaulted the same woman on March 1, punching and kicking her when she confronted him about his drug use and erratic behaviour. He was released on bail in late April to undergo a medical assessment but fled after waiting in the Royal Melbourne Hospital for 6 hours prompting a manhunt. Nursing staff later described him as 'quite elevated' and told police he had said he was going to 'kill'. Pledger was rearrested in the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir on April 25 and returned to custody. Orpheus Pledger (right) arrives for sentencing at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, in Melbourne, Friday, August 16, 2024 Pledger was then released on bail to live with his jazz musician father in northern Victoria in July after spending a total of three months in custody. Mr Foster had expected to sentence the former TV star on July 3, but instead said it was appropriate to adjourn the case for six weeks to allow community corrections to prepare a report into Pledger's 'complex needs'. His lawyer Justin MacCuspie told the court his client's recreational drug use escalated and the actor's mental health had deteriorated after he was refused a role on US series The 100. 'He certainly feels terrible for what has happened and the impact it's had,' Mr MacCuspie said. 'Overall, in my submission, he's done everything he possibly can to prove to Your Honour he's addressing the underlying causes that brought him before the court.' But Mr Foster said it was now known Pledger began using drugs six years earlier, and denied missing out on The 100 had a significant impact. 'Its just what happened,' the court was told he said. 'Your mental health deteriorated because of drugs rather than any underlying issue,' Mr Foster said. 'The actions of stomping... was unacceptable in any way shape or form.' The former TV star said he wanted to get himself 'straightened out' upon release and had aspirations to make music Pledger is expected to appeal the jail sentence and said he feels terrible for what happened Pledger began acting at age 9 in commercials and on children's series Silversun before landing a stint on Neighbours in 2011. He would later take the role of Mason Morgan in Home and Away from 2016 to 2019 and most recently appeared as a contestant on SAS Australia in 2022. Pledger was sentenced to seven months imprisonment and ordered to be placed on a 12-month community corrections order upon his release. Mr Foster said he understood Pledger would appeal. Australia is being urged to take swift protective action as mpox cases spike in the eastern states. The World Health Organisation has declared the viral infection a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, with an African outbreak spreading to other continents. Australia has recorded 35 cases in the past 15 days amid spread in several states. Nearly 100 cases have been detected in NSW since the start of June after just one case in the prior five months. Another 110 cases of mpox have been detected in Victoria and 23 in Queensland since April. NSW's peak health authority has issued a major warning to Australians after a potentially deadly disease was declared a global health outbreak. A woman is pictured getting an injection World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently declared an upsurge of mpox cases around the world to be a public health emergency. Vaccine pictured The virus is transmitted chiefly through prolonged physical or intimate contact with an infected person. A rash, lesions or sores, fever, chills, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and sore throat are among the common symptoms. In rare cases, the disease can cause death. CSIRO virologist Nias Peng said the emergence was similar to the one in 2022, which he said saw the infection 'neglected' in causing a global outbreak. 'The declaration of a public health emergency of international concern is timely to allow health authorities of respective nations to reinforce measures in order to curb the spread,' he said. 'It is now time for us to act quickly to prevent history from being repeated.' Previously known as monkeypox, the disease is caused by infection with the mpox virus, which was first identified in monkeys. More than 15,000 cases of mpox (pictured) were reported in central Africa this year - many from a new strain (clade 1b) of the virus The disease has made its way to Europe, with the deadly clade 1b variant detected in Sweden from a man who had travelled to Africa. Many of central Africa's more than 15,000 cases are the deadly strain, which has not yet been detected in Australia. NSW Health recommended sexually active gay and bisexual men (cis and trans) and their sexual partners, as well as sex workers and their sexual partners get mpox vaccinations and watch out for symptoms. 'People who have any symptoms of mpox - even if they have had the mpox vaccine and even if mild - should immediately contact their GP or sexual health service for an appointment,' NSW Health executive director of health protection Jeremy McAnulty said. Smoke from raging Canadian wildfires has once again descended on major cities across the Northeast. As the smoke drifted across the Northeastern seaboard on Thursday, skies appeared yellowish and hazy, conjuring up fears from last year's wildfire incident. In a statement posted on X.com, the National Weather Service wrote: 'You may notice hazy skies today. It is coming from wildfire smoke, which has overspread across the area from north to south.' Smoke from raging Canadian wildfires has once again descended on major cities across the Northeast 'We expect this to stick around for the next several days. Not expecting harmful impacts to air quality, at this time,' they added. The smoke is forecasted to affect a wide range of cities including New York, Washington DC, Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Ben Noll, a meteorologist with the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, posted a graphic depicting the path of the smoke. In the image, billowy green streaks representing smoke can be seen drifting toward the Northeast. Ben Noll, a meteorologist with the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, posted a graphic depicting the path of the smoke 'It's back: Canadian wildfire smoke will grow in coverage across the Northeast today,' Noll wrote. 'Hazy afternoon and evening skies are likely from NYC to Boston and points north,' he continued, before adding that the 'smoke will continue to be prominent into the weekend.' The NWS has urged people with sensitivities to poor air quality to 'consider making outdoor activities light and short.' High atmospheric pressure is driving the smoke over Canada and into the East Coast. As the smoke drifted across the northeastern seaboard, skies appeared yellowish and hazy, conjuring up fears from last year's wildfire incident Dave Dombek, an eminent meteorologist with AccuWeatherInc., told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the source of the smoke had been identified about 2,500 miles away in the forests of Alberta, where roughly 140,000 acres were burning as of last week. The wind initially coaxed the smoke in the direction of northeastern Canada, before shifting and driving south toward the northeastern United States. According to information published by the Canadian government on August 7, there are currently 155 uncontrolled wildfires, in addition to the 297 that are controlled or held. In early June 2023, wildfires swept across Canada, burning a swathe of territory larger than West Virginia. Last year, smoke from the fires blanketed the skies over the northeast United States and dragged down the air quality in several cities Smoke from the fires blanketed the skies over the northeast United States and dragged down the air quality in several cities. Experts have been quick to reassure people that this year's smoke won't pose nearly as dire a threat. 'It's a much different situation,' Dombek explained to the Inquirer. This is because the smoke has remained in the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere and has not sunk down into the levels in which we breathe. Luke Brett Moore spent three weeks in jail as a result The state of NSW will concede that a man who spent weeks in jail because of an ex-premier's cop son fabricating evidence was maliciously prosecuted. Ex-police officer and son of former premier and senator Kristina Keneally, Daniel Keneally, is expected to shoulder the blame for it. Luke Brett Moore was jailed for three weeks in February 2021 after Keneally's false statement that Mr Moore had threatened to kill a police officer at Sydney's Newtown Police Station during a phone call. The activist and founder of ISuepolice was later released on bail and the charge dropped, due to a recording of the conversation made on his phone. Taken without Keneally's knowledge, the recording showed significant discrepancies from the officer's statement. The state will not deny he was maliciously prosecuted, the NSW Supreme Court was told on Friday. 'It doesn't concede that the malicious prosecution involved more than one officer,' a lawyer for the state of NSW said. Mr Moore is weighing a response to the state's amended defence, received late on Thursday, his lawyer said. Daniel Keneally, 35, was sentenced to a 15-month intensive correction order in February. He is pictured with his mother Kristina (middle left) and ex-Premier Gladys Berejiklian (right) Activist and founder of ISuepolice Luke Brett Moore (pictured) was jailed for three weeks following the then-constable's false statement that he had threatened to kill an officer His civil suit against the state returns to court in February for a review. Keneally avoided jail when he was sentenced to a 15-month intensive correction order after being convicted of fabricating evidence, later resigning from the police force after losing an appeal against his conviction in June. He was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and pay a $2,000 fine. That appeal's failure allowed the state to concede a malicious prosecution, the court was told on Friday. Keneally (pictured leaving a Sydney court in December 2023) resigned from the police force after losing an appeal against his conviction in June Keneally was charged in October 2022 after the NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission investigated an internal police probe which initially cleared him of wrongdoing. The probe was first revealed by Daily Mail Australia. The commission's report into the case, released earlier in August, recommended introducing telephone systems in police stations that can record conversations. Newtown Police Station already had such an ability, but Keneally did not know, the report said. The Queensland government has been been accused of hiding a list of 15 towns where negotiations could see land handed over to Aboriginal corporations as freehold title. Queensland Natural Resources Minister Scott Stewart revealed the list - which included major settlements such as Mt Isa, Roma and Maryborough but also tiny towns such as Duchess with a population of just 53. Under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 (ALA), Aboriginal corporations could establish 'inalienable freehold' at regional towns dotted around Queensland encompassing 45,810 residents, according to documents tabled in parliament. The list also includes major tourist destination towns on K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) and Rainbow Beach. Accusations of 'secret land grabs' have been swirling since residents of the Queensland border town of Toobeah, which is on the list, said that up until a community forum they were kept in the dark about 95 per cent of the town and $2million worth of land being given away. Following this former One Nation MP Steve Andrew asked Mr Stewart a question on notice in parliament in May about the consultation process and how the land transfer would impact residents' 'property rights' and also for the list tabled on Friday. In a response tabled in June, the department said the ALA did not require 'broad community consultation' but a Toobeah town forum had been held in March. Mr Andrew said the land transfers were being made 'with no consultation', claiming negotiations were held between the state government and the corporations with local councils sometimes involved. Some of the Queensland towns where Aboriginal corporations negotiating freehold title 'The results of the (Voice) referendum showed that people are just sick of division they're sick of all the 'them' and 'us' stuff,' he told The Courier-Mail in June. 'I don't know why the government's pushing it all of a sudden. How come they aren't being open and honest?' Speaking on Friday, Mr Andrew accused the government of not being 'open and transparent'. 'If there's nothing to fear, why the secrecy?' he said. 'Why aren't they being more transparent and giving an open understanding of what's happening? 'If they were honest and open in the beginning, we wouldn't even get to the point of being fearful. Residents in the Queensland border town of Toobeah have been furious over what they called a 'secret land grab' Queensland towns where Aboriginal corporations are applying for freehold title 1. Augathella (pop 328) 2. Boonoroo (pop 371) 3. Croydon (pop. 215) 4. Duchess (pop. 53) 5. Eurong, K'gari (pop. 11) 6. Happy Valley, K'gari (pop 152) 7. Laura (pop. 133) 8. Maryborough (pop. 15,287) 9. Mount Isa (pop. 18,317) 10. Rainbow Beach (pop. 1220) 11. River Heads (pop. 2044) 12. Roma (pop. 6,838) 13. Thargomindah (pop. 243) 14. Theodore (pop. 451) 15. Toobeah (pop. 149) Advertisement 'It's no good coming out after the fact and saying "there's nothing to fear".' Queensland Libertarian Senate candidate Jim Willmott also came out swinging. 'What this could do is restrict access to our favourite fishing spots, our favourite parks and recreational areas, our favourite reserves or beach access areas where we have had access to for generations,' Mr Willmott claimed in an X post. 'The minister Stuart doesn't think they need an open and transparent consultation in these areas. 'What the hell is going on? We have a government that doesn't think they have to consult with the people these transfers are going to effect.' Mr Stewart defended the deals saying the land 'can never be sold' and would be held in trust for First Nations people. 'The grant of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander land recognises the spiritual, social, historical, cultural and economic importance of land to Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people,' he said. Queensland's Labor Premier Steven Miles said the land deals were not for townships but for 'discrete parcels that have relevance to the applicants' and said all proper processes had been followed. 'I am proud of my government's commitment to working alongside First Nations people in recognising their deep spiritual connection to their land and supporting their preservation of culture, customs and traditions,' he said. 'Applications are treated confidentially and with cultural sensitivity but, to be clear, an application does not guarantee that land will be made transferable; nor does an application give the applicant the right to be granted the land under the act. 'There are processes under legislation that are followed by the Department of Resources, in consultation with interest holders and local councils, before any decisions are made. I am advised this has been the case since 1991.' Mr Stewart also revealed 6.7million hectares of land, or 3.93 per cent of the state, had been transferred under the Aboriginal Land Act or Torres Strait Islander Land Act since 1991, and this included 11 parcels of land transferred in 2023-24. Department of Resources figures show almost 70 parcels of land have been declared transferable by the state government since 2001. Friends of the Ketamine Queen charged with selling drugs that killed Matthew Perry hit back today, defending her as uplifting,' 'bubbly,' sweet and spiritual. One longtime friend said the alleged deadly drug dealer, Jasveen Sangha, gave no inkling she was facing severe drug charges at her birthday party just days ago. And another buddy suggested Perry was at fault, telling DailyMail.com that at the end of the day, nobodys forcing anybody to do drugs. Prosecutors announced 18 charges against Sangha, 41, on Thursday, along with two doctors who allegedly supplied Perry ketamine illegally, a middleman who trafficked it, and Perrys assistant who injected him with the tranquilizing drug the day he died. Sangha pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles federal court today, and was jailed awaiting trial. Jasveen Sangha, 41, is facing 18 criminal charges related to the overdose death of Matthew Perry Sangha's friends have suggested the Friends star is to blame for his death Interior designer Clancy Carter, who has been friends with Sangha since 2008, told DailyMail.com that she was surprised her friend would get mixed up in large-scale drug dealing as she came from a rich family who supported her. Shes always in the nicest designer clothes. She has a family that takes care of her, the Orange County mother of three said. She has never been the type of person who needed money. She has property in the UK. Shes always traveling and doing fun things with her family. I would never guess she would do something like this at all. But if they have evidence connected directly to her Im completely shocked. She described Sangha as uplifting, bubbly and sweet and spiritual, but added, either way someone innocent died, someone who needed proper attention and care. So its concerning for sure. Interior designer Clancy Carter, who has been friends with Sangha since 2008, told DailyMail.com that she was surprised her friend would get mixed up in large-scale drug dealing According to an indictment filed Thursday, drug runner Eric Fleming texted Perrys assistant Kenny Iwamasa on October 11 last year, telling him that Sangha only deal[s] with high end and celebs when supplying drugs. Prosecutors then detailed sales of 50 vials of liquid ketamine Sangha allegedly sold to Perry via his assistant. Carter told DailyMail.com that her friend did indeed mix with high society in Hollywood working in marketing and event planning for the rich and famous, and had been to past Golden Globes and Oscars ceremonies with Carter. She knows a lot of people in the industry, Carter said. Her and I have been to the Golden Globes and the Oscars. Theres a lot of celebrities she was mingling with. I care for her deeply. Id hate to see something terrible happen to her regardless of the case. Artist Heather Pardieu, 42, said she had never seen Sangha dealing or being involved with drugs. Artist Heather Pardieu, 42, also said she was surprised to learn of the charges against her friend Sangha but suggested that at least some responsibility for Perrys death lay with the actor himself. Shes a friend of mine, Pardieu told DailyMail.com. I mean, at the end of the day, nobodys forcing anybody to do drugs. She added that she had never seen Sangha dealing or being involved with drugs. But prosecutors say that when the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other law enforcement raided her North Hollywood home in March, they found thousands of pills and kilograms of powder. During the search, law enforcement seized significant quantities of illegal drugs, including approximately 1,978 grams of orange pills that field tested positive for methamphetamine, 79 bottles containing a clear liquid that field tested positive for ketamine, and various other suspect narcotics, DEA Agent Tyler Abrego wrote in a March 20 criminal complaint. The agent wrote there were texts on her phone about selling ketamine, as well as videos of her cooking ketamine, the basis for a slew of drug charges filed even before her alleged involvement in Perrys death was revealed. Friends say Sangha hid the impending charges and dire legal situation from them expertly, throwing a birthday party earlier this month and giving no hint of the trouble she was in. Los Angeles realtor Greg Wasik said Sangha seemed normal and serene when she celebrated her 41st birthday with friends at a bar in Hollywood just days ago Los Angeles realtor Greg Wasik told DailyMail.com that he was shocked to learn his friend of several years had been indicted for selling drugs that killed Perry. Wasik said Sangha seemed normal and serene when she celebrated her 41st birthday with friends at a bar in Hollywood just days ago. I was at her birthday party just the other day and there was no inkling of anything like this going on in her life, he said. She was definitely just a pretty normal person Ive known for years. Wasik said he met Sangha through dance music events they frequented, attended her birthday party this month as well as a more lavish 1970s-themed event for her 40th last year, where Sangha dressed in sequins, carried a pimp-style cane and posed next to a high-end Mercedes. Prosecutors argued Sangha, who has a wealthy family and dual citizenship with the UK, posed a flight risk. Judge Alka Sagar agreed and jailed her ahead of an October trial. Australian philanthropist and entrepreneur Dick Smith believes there is no time to waste when it comes to rethinking the nation's anti-nuclear power stance. So when he received an email from young Year 6 Sydney student Lachlan Kidd asking if he would come to his school to discuss the issue, he decided to skip the traffic and make a quick flying visit instead. That is when Daily Mail Australia heard the keen aviator had been spotted landing his helicopter on a school oval in the city's west on Friday. 'What happened was I received an email from Lachlan, a 12-year-old young man, about nuclear energy,' Mr Smith said when asked about The King's School sighting. 'His class had been studying nuclear energy and they wanted me to come and talk about it. 'He's a really smart young lad and the work his class has been doing sounded quite amazing. 'I think it's nothing short of criminal that the silver bullet that could solve our country's energy problems is illegal to even discuss, just ridiculous, and I that has to be changed as soon as possible. 'So I arranged to go by helicopter because I'd given a talk there once before with Cate Blanchett, and there's plenty of area for my helicopter to land. Dick Smith jumped in a helicopter after getting an email from a Year 6 student - and went and lectured his class about nuclear energy The millionaire philanthropist says he made a flying visit to the school because he feels it is important to engage in serious conversations with the next generation of Australians Chopper is Dick Smith's mode of transport of choice when there is no time to lose 'Instead of driving an hour in the traffic, I jumped my helicopter at my home in Terrey Hills and I was there in seven minutes. 'I explained to the kids, "In a helicopter, there's no speed limit, no traffic lights and no radar guns, so I cruise there at 280km/h!" 'So I went out and I've given about a 25-minute talk about how we should have (nuclear energy) on the agenda - it really should be on the table - and now I've just landed back home at Terrey Hills about 10 minutes ago.' Despite his hectic schedule, Mr Smith said he felt it was important to take the time to engage with the next generation of young Australians about critical issues involving renewable energy and their future. 'The nuclear issue is incredibly important for our young kids,' he said. 'I'm a believer in climate change, and I'm concerned for my grandkids. 'I believe the only answer for the world to tackle climate is by going nuclear, by embracing it. 'Thirty-one countries already have nuclear, which I explained to the young school boys, and it's the silver bullet. It's the way of solving our problem. 'And we have a government which says, not only that you can't have it, but you can't even put it on the table. 'I explained to the boys how it wasn't logical. 'The government claims that it's too expensive, but I said countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan have embraced nuclear, and they're poor countries, so it's not logical that Bangladesh can afford nuclear and Australia can't. 'It just doesn't meet the commonsense test, I explained to the boys.' It was a message that seems to have found a receptive audience. 'We had a vote on nuclear power at the end of the talk and I think about 90% of the kids agreed,' he said. 'Now, they are only 12 today and not of voting age but they are the next generation that will carry this country forward. 'That's why I'm a strong supporter of young people like Will Shackel, who's an 18-year-old school boy from Brisbane, who's pushing to legalise nuclear power, and running a petition on a website called Nuclear for Australia.' Mr Smith slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's anti-nuclear stance during an interview with Shackel, the founder of Australia's first youth-lead campaign for nuclear energy, earlier this year. While the Liberal Party is proposing to establishing a nuclear industry in Australia, Labor and the Greens are resolutely opposed, preferring renewable energy sources to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Mr Smith says he is a supporter of similarly youthful activist Will Shackel's pro-nuclear advocacy It is not the first time Mr Smith has landed his chopper on a school oval in recent years Mr Smith said Mr Albanese's opposition is misguided and negatively impacts Australia's youth. 'Please look into it in an objective way, because I believe it's the only answer for the future and we need to do something as quickly as possible,' Mr Smith said. 'We won't be around when the problems occur.' His comments came after Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen previously admitted that, to meet the government's net-zero goal, Australia would have to install 40 large wind turbines a month and 22,000 solar panels a day. Patricia McKenzie, the chair of the country's biggest coal-fired power generator and CO2 emitter AGL, warned in 2022 that the National Electricity Market would need about 98 gigawatts of new capacity to meet the Paris Agreement's 1.5 degree threshold to speed up the closure of its coal power stations. She said that new capacity would be needed by 2030 to 'keep the lights on', which would put 'unacceptable pressure on energy security and affordability'. Australia has added only about 2.2GW of capacity over each of the past five years. Mr Smith said it was unrealistic to expect renewable energy to be able to supply all of Australia's energy as coal was phased out and gas remained a backup source leading up to 2050. Smith became the first person to fly a helicopter solo around the world in the 1980s. Above, the Dick Smith Australian Explorer 'I've always thought renewables are fantastic, but common sense alone told me that you can't run a whole country entirely on renewables. If it was so, I'd support it. But I'm absolutely positive it's not so,' he said. 'It's never been done anywhere in the world, and to be able to do that running industry, running transport, hospitals and everything continuously, on the wind and the sun. Wonderful if it was possible, but it's not possible.' Mr Smith revealed he has a way of solving the controversial issue of nuclear waste, and said it could be stored in the military-restricted Olympic Dam mine in northern South Australia. 'You drive down into the mine, and there are huge great caverns where they've taken the uranium ore out, and we could store our waste there perfectly safely.' Mr Smith said France uses nuclear power for 70 per cent of their electricity and the waste is stored at the power stations. 'Do you get warnings not to go to France? Of course you don't, it's a very safe place.' Mr Smith revealed that it was in fact Labor's longest-serving prime minister Bob Hawke who converted him to the nuclear cause back on Australia Day 1988 at Kirribilli House. Mr Dutton's Coalition has backed setting up a nuclear power industry in Australia - although has gone relatively quiet on the issue since introducing its policy earlier this yer 'Bob Hawke said to me, 'Dick, You'll be against nuclear' and I said no, because I was helping Bob Brown and the blockade and I was known as an environmentalist.' 'Bob said, 'We need to move to nuclear, it's so obvious'. 'So here it is, the Labor PM, one of the most famous and best Labor PMs, telling me you should be supporting nuclear.' Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said nuclear power had the potential to reduce electricity prices and achieve zero carbon emissions. 'You can replace the coal-fired generators with the smaller modular reactors or the bigger modular reactors,' he said. 'The latest technology, it's zero emissions, it's lower cost and it means you can distribute the energy with the existing grid network. 'It means you have reliability to firm up renewables in the system.' A tribute to a toddler identified in court papers as O.Y. was posted online shortly after her death on Aug. 26, 2022. The 18-month-old child had no family members by her side when she was declared dead in a hospital bed on Aug. 26, 2022. A federal lawsuit filed this week describes the circumstances in disturbing detail: The girl from Antioch identified as O.Y. in court papers was rushed to UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital in Oakland with signs of blunt force trauma, including bruising on her head and body, brain bleeds and a ruptured pancreas that poured enzymes into her body, devouring her internal organs. Her death was not only a tragedy but could have been avoided, the lawsuit says, had a Contra Costa County juvenile court judge not returned the girl from foster care to her troubled parents less than a year earlier. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The suit which also blames county social workers, Antioch police officers and a pediatrician, all of whom allegedly failed to intervene and protect the girl despite evidence she was in danger was filed by a woman identified as Jane Doe in court documents. Since the death, she has adopted two of O.Y.s siblings. The suit seeks damages on their behalf under causes of action including wrongful death and failure to perform mandatory duties. All defendants turned a blind eye to unexplained bruises and injuries, domestic violence calls, and misconduct by defendant parents, the court complaint states. Neither of the parents, mother Jessika Fulcher nor father Worren Young Sr., faces criminal charges in connection with the childs death. Young is now incarcerated in Valley State Prison in Chowchilla (Madera County) after an unrelated mayhem conviction, and Fulcher could not be reached for comment. A tribute to O.Y. shortly after her death, bearing a photo of a smiling child with an angels wings and halo set against a purple background, said, Rest easily baby girl. Until we meet again. Forever in our hearts. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Other defendants named in the lawsuit, including Contra Costa County Child Protective Services, either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment about the allegations. Spokespeople for Antioch police said the department is investigating the childs death. According to the suit, the Antioch couple lost custody of O.Y. and her older brother, identified as W.Y., shortly after the girls birth in February 2021. Doctors had found methamphetamine in her system, the complaint says, and Child Protective Services sought to make both children wards of the juvenile court. They were placed in foster care the following month, the suit states. That June, the biological parents were granted unsupervised overnight visits with the two children, before the court gave them full custody in September 2021. But the lawsuit contends that O.Y. should not have been with her parents in this final year of her life, and argues, further, that agencies and workers charged with helping the child should have detected clear warning signs. Jane Does attorneys accuse Child Protective Services of misleading the court by assuring it that Fulcher and Young had complied with a mandatory case plan, despite drug test violations and outstanding warrants in Georgia. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They say Antioch police who responded to domestic violence calls at the couples home did not cross-report the incidents to CPS or the Contra Costa District Attorneys Office. Additionally, they allege that when CPS workers discovered bruises on O.Y.s head after visits with her parents, they did not consult medical records or a pediatrician who had made similar observations and also didnt report them. Reached by phone, the pediatrician named in the lawsuit hung up when told the purpose of the call. Another defendant, who ran an Antioch day care center that O.Y. attended for four months, did not return a phone call. The day care center alerted Fulcher to significant bruising in O.Y.s groin area, the lawsuit says, but did not tell Child Protective Services. In April 2022, a juvenile court judge terminated the dependency case for O.Y. and her brother, the suit states. A month later, Fulcher and Young had a third child, identified as A.Y., who allegedly tested positive for marijuana. The hospital notified CPS, which declined to follow up, the lawsuit says. The situation appeared to further unravel between April and September of 2022, a period in which Antioch police responded to at least three domestic violence incidents at Fulcher and Youngs home. During one of the incidents, on June 28, 2022, the lawsuit says, Young recorded a video of 1-year-old O.Y. sitting motionless in a booster seat, blood oozing from a cut between her nose and lip. As she starts to move, Young allegedly screams at her, then grabs her by the shoulders and flings her onto a bed at which point the video ends. The suit does not explain when or how the video was obtained by authorities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Aug. 25, 2022, the lawsuit states, Fulcher called 911 to say O.Y. was having trouble breathing. The toddler was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, and then transported to UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital for emergency surgery, where doctors found her pancreas torn in half, according to the complaint. To the doctor in charge of suspected abuse cases at UCSF Benioff, who later testified during a dependency hearing for O.Y.s siblings, her death appeared to be a homicide, the suit says. The doctor testified that O.Y. suffered intense and horrible pain before her death. Moreover, he remarked that a 10-year old child would have known something was wrong with O.Y. indicating the failure to seek medical care for O.Y.s injuries was intentional and not inadvertent. Several hours before she died, the lawsuit says, both parents left her room, saying they were taking a smoke break. Despite the hospitals attempts to reach them, they did not return. A new crowd-funding campaign has been set up to support a sexual assault survivor advocate who may be forced to face court after she created a fundraiser for Brittany Higgins. Lawyers for Senator Linda Reynolds have asked to call Saxon Mullins to give evidence about the fundraiser during the high-profile defamation battle between Ms Reynolds and her former staffer. The senator is suing Ms Higgins and her husband David Sharaz in the Western Australia Supreme Court over social media posts published in 2022 and 2023 that she claims damaged her reputation. The social media posts were critical of the senator's handling of Ms Higgins' allegation that she had been raped by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann inside Parliament House in 2019. Lehrmann faced a criminal trial in 2022 that was abandoned due to juror misconduct. The rape charge was subsequently dropped and he has continued to maintain his innocence. Lehrmann lost a subsequent civil defamation case in April this year when the Federal Court determined, on the balance of probabilities, that he had raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House. Ms Mullins created the #Stand With Brittany Higgins fundraiser earlier this month and it has so far raised more than $51,000 to cover 'ongoing medical, counselling and legal costs'. A new crowd-funding campaign has been set up to support a sexual assault survivor advocate who may be forced to face court after she created a fundraiser for Brittany Higgins (pictured) Lawyers for Senator Linda Reynolds (pictured) have asked to call Saxon Mullins to give evidence about the fundraiser during the high-profile defamation battle 'After speaking out about her assault, Brittany has been the victim of an endless stream of attacks and is now being sued for defamation,' Ms Mullins wrote on social media at the time. However, the fundraiser has now landed the sexual assault survivor advocate in the spotlight after Ms Reynolds' lawyer, Martin Bennett, called for her to testify in court. He claimed the fundraiser was 'an attempt of mischaracterisation of these proceedings' to focus on Ms Higgins' alleged rape in 2019. '(It is) an attempt to say that Senator Reynolds is trying to silence a sexual assault survivor,' he said in the WA Supreme Court. The application for Ms Mullins to testify has generated a second fundraiser, which has been set up to purportedly help Ms Mullins respond to her unforeseen involvement in the defamation battle. Founder of the #LetUsSpeak movement, Nina Furnell, launched the #Support Saxon Mullins campaign on Thursday, saying the advocate has 'already been through hell when it comes to courts in this country' in relation to other matters. She said Ms Mullins' legal costs were 'mounting' after she engaged lawyers to comply with a subpoena to hand over any communication with Ms Higgins over the #Stand With Brittany Higgins fundraiser. 'Saxon has done nothing wrong, has nothing to hide and will willingly comply if she is compelled to give evidence in court,' Ms Furnell wrote. 'But like many survivors, her existing trauma associated with courts and cross-examination has made this a triggering and distressing episode, which has opened old wounds causing pain and injury.' The crowd-funding campaign aims to raise $10,000 to support Ms Mullins' (pictured) legal and counselling costs arising from the defamation suit The crowd-funding campaign aims to raise $10,000 to support Ms Mullins' legal and counselling costs arising from the defamation suit. At the time of writing, more than $2,000 had been donated. Ms Furnell wrote that additional funds would cover any additional sexual assault survivors who may be subpoenaed or would form a donation to a sexual assault charity of Ms Mullins' choosing. Justice Paul Tottle is expected to hand down his decision on Friday as to whether Ms Mullins will be called to give evidence. A man has been rushed to hospital after suffering a penetrating wound from a stingray. The victim, who is in his 30s, was stung through his foot at Tin Can Bay in south-east Queensland. He was reported to be in stable condition at Gympie Hospital. It was unclear if the man was stung while swimming or walking on the local mudflats. Last year a man swimming in Tin Can Bay was also barbed by a stingray on Good Friday. That man was able to take himself to the Tin Can Bay ambulance station and was transported from there to Gympie Hospital. Stingray stingers or barbs are covered with rows of sharp spines made of cartilage that are strong enough to pierce through the skin of an attacker. Not only does the puncture cause injury and pain, but the stinger also releases a complex venom, which can lead to intense pain at the site of the wound. A man has been rushed to hospital after being barbed by a stingray at a south-east Queensland beach Less common effects of the venom include headaches, nausea and vomiting, fainting, low blood pressure, arrhythmias of the heart, and even seizures. Perhaps the most famous stingray victim was famed Australian wildlife handler and TV star Steve Irwin. The beloved conservationist was killed when he was barbed by a stingray on September 4, 2006, at Batt Reef near Port Douglas in far north Queensland. Justin Lyons, an underwater cameraman who was filming Irwin for the TV program Ocean's Deadliest was the sole witness of the tragedy. He said the stingray's barb pierced Irwin's chest a number of times causing massive damage to his heart. The stingray victim was rushed to Gympie Hospital where he was reported to be in a stable condition Famed wildlife handler and TV star Steve Irwin was killed by stingray barb off the far north coast of Queensland Although the whole terrible incident was caught on film the footage has never been released publicly, according to the wishes of Irwin's close friends and family. All copies were destroyed immediately after authorities completed their investigation in 2007. The whereabouts of the one remaining copy are shrouded in mystery, but is believed to be sitting in a dusty police vault somewhere, according to Irwin's widow Terri. A married PE teacher who allegedly sexually abused a male student has been slapped with six fresh charges relating to another teenage boy. Tayla Brailey, 30, was arrested last week after allegedly assaulting a 17-year-old boy she taught at a school in Sydney's south west, multiple times throughout July. She was charged with three charges - sexual touching, sexual intercourse with a person under care, and aggravated sexual assault - and faced Liverpool Local Court last week, where she was granted bail. Now, police have charged Brailey with new alleged offences in relation to a second student, including having sexual intercourse with a teen under her care, and sexually touching a teen under her care. The fresh charges also include inciting a teen under her care to sexually touch her, and soliciting, accessing and possessing or controlling child abuse material. The second alleged victim is aged between 16 and 17 years old. 'About 7am this morning, detectives attended a house in Mangerton and arrested a 30-year-old woman,' NSW Police said in a statement on Friday. 'She was taken to Wollongong Police Station and charged with six additional charges.' Tayla Brailey, 30, (pictured) has been hit with fresh sex abuse charges Brailey's latest matter was heard before Wollongong Local Court on Friday, where police initially refused her bail before it was granted again by the magistrate. The same strict bail conditions imposed last week remain in place, which require Brailey to reside with her parents and only leave home if she is accompanied by one of them. Under the conditions she is also bound by a night-time curfew, has to surrender her passport, and must report to police three times a week. She is also barred from accessing social media, entering Lurnea, contacting her alleged victims or any prosecution witnesses, being on any educational facility, or being in the presence of a minor unless the child is in the company of a parent or guardian. Police will allege Brailey, who only married 11 months ago, began speaking to the first boy after he added her on Snapchat, before the pair began exchanging sexually explicit videos. According to documents referenced in court last week, police will allege a friend who accompanied her first alleged victim to her home in mid-July walked in at one stage while she was performing a sex act on him. Police will also allege she had sex with the first boy in a car after he wagged school to meet her before she went to a pharmacy to get the morning-after pill. Brailey is pictured in Wollongong on Wednesday Brailey married her partner last year, having got engaged in December, 2021 According to the documents, police will allege she became 'hysterical' and made admissions to officers when they confronted her at the school last week with the allegations. The school has confirmed she been suspended without pay and support is being provided to staff and students at the school. Brailey completed a bachelor's degree in Physical and Health Education at the University of Wollongong in 2017 before picking up a teaching job in October that year. The 30-year-old became engaged to her partner in December, 2021 and tied the knot in September last year. She celebrated her Hens party in Bali with friends and family, enjoying time at the popular Finns Beach Club, with several snaps shared to social media. She also appeared on Channel Seven's quiz show The 1% Club earlier this year. Her matters are next due before Campbelltown Local Court on October 2. The body of Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks has 'gone', a congressman revealed in a report last night accusing the FBI of a 'scorched earth' investigation. Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who was appointed to Congress' bipartisan task force reviewing the assassination attempt, tried to view Crooks' body on August 5 as part of his own personal inspection. The former police captain said his request to view the body 'caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact'. It was at this point that he learned that the FBI had 'released the body for cremation 10 days' after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Higgins says 'nobody knew' that the body had been returned to the family, including the county coroner and local enforcement. He writes that the coroner still had 'legal authority over the body' when the FBI made this decision and accuses the agency of 'obstruction'. The congressman's report comes amid grave concerns over how the shooting was allowed to unfold, with Trump barely escaping with his life and a rally attendee being killed in one of the greatest security failings in American history. The body of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate former President Trump, was returned to his family for cremation only ten days after the shooting The FBI released the body of Crooks only ten days after his assassination attempt on former President Trump Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle was forced to resign on July 23 - but many questions remain unanswered, with no motive yet provided for 20-year-old Crooks' assassination attempt. Higgins said that he took it upon himself to investigate during a 'boots on the ground' trip to Butler from August 4 to 6. His 'preliminary investigate report' was submitted to Task Force Chairman Mike Kelly (R-PA) on August 12 and released to the public on Higgins' website last night. In it he questions why Crooks' body was released to the family by the FBI without any oversight. 'The problem with me not being able to examine the actual body is that I won't know 100% if the coroner's report and the autopsy report are accurate. We will actually never know,' Higgins writes. 'Yes, we'll get the reports and pictures, but I will not ever be able to say with certainty that those reports and pictures are accurate according to my own examination of the body. 'Again, similar to releasing the crime scene and scrubbing crime scene biological evidence... this action by the FBI can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any following investigative effort.' Higgins states that on July 23, the day that Crooks was cremated, both the Homeland Security Committee and the Oversight Committee had opened investigations into the assassination attempt, while Speaker Mike Johnson had stated he was forming a congressional investigative body. 'Why, then, by what measure, would the FBI release his body to the family for cremation? This pattern of investigative scorched earth by the FBI is quite troubling,' Higgins writes. Representative Clay Higgins, a Republican from Louisiana who was appointed to the bipartisan task force reviewing the assassination attempt, tried to view Crooks' body on August 5 as part of his own personal investigation By July 23, 'Crooks was gone,' Higgins wrote. 'Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc' Speaking after the publication of his report, Higgins stated that he will leave no stone unturned as he continues to work alongside his colleagues as part of the bipartisan group investigating the shooting. 'As I have said, every question will be answered, every theory explored, and every doubt erased. The American people deserve the full truth on the attempted assassination of President Trump,' he said. 'Our investigative efforts are moving forward in good faith. The release of my preliminary investigative report is reflective of my desire to deliver transparency and reassurance to the American people.' Prior to being elected to the lower house in 2016, Higgins worked as a police officer in Louisiana. In November 2023, he suggested that violence at the Capitol on January 6 was caused by operatives who were brought in by the FBI on 'ghost buses.' Higgins has also attended and spoken at events organized by groups like the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers. On July 29, the Louisiana congressman was named as one of seven Republican members of a bipartisan group tasked with investigating the attempted assassination of Trump. The task force consists of 13 members - seven Republicans and six Democrats. It's mission is to determine what went wrong on the day of the attempted assassination and it will make recommendations to prevent future security lapses. The task force will issue a final report before December 13. Prince Harry appeared to criticise Elon Musk following the Southport riots in Britain as he and wife Meghan Markle began their four-day quasi-royal tour of Colombia. The Duke of Sussex attacked misinformation on social media during a summit on digital responsibility and appeared to blame fake news for sparking the disorder. Some 80 adults have so far been sentenced following violence which broke out in parts of the UK in the wake of three girls being murdered in Southport on July 29. And Harry told an audience yesterday: 'What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isn't true.' He added that a lot of people were 'scared and uncertain 'about the potential impact of AI and that 'education and awareness' would be key to tacking misinformation. X founder Musk has come under intense criticism for misinformation on his platform relating to the events, with the world's richest man even falling victim to it after sharing a fake story about Sir Keir Starmer looking at detainment camps for rioters. And Harry said: 'It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake. In an ideal world those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. 'We are no longer debating facts. For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down.' Meghan also told how the 'digital age has almost created a culture where if you don't have anything cool to say, don't say anything at all - and that is fundamentally changing how we move through the world, how we connect with each other'. During the discussion, the Duchess was wearing a Cognac brown silk shirt worth 550, which she previously wore in 2020; Victoria Beckham Trousers worth 220; La Ligne 'Divine' shoes worth 620; and a Cartier Aquazurra Necklace worth 12,800. Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle dances at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan pose for a photo at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan pose for a photo at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan watch at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez and Rafael Yerney Pinillo Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Meghan meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan applaud at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan pose for a selfie at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Earlier yesterday, Harry and Meghan were met in Bogota by Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo. They spent around half-an-hour at the vice-president's residence, where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono - Colombian cheese bread. The Sussexes are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple to travel to Colombia after watching their Netflix docuseries for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour. Harry spoke out about misinformation follow rioting across England in recent weeks which saw police officers attacked, hotels housing vulnerable asylum seekers set alight and shops looted. The Duke of Sussex meets people at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday A musician performs at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday A dancer performs at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Unrest began after false rumours spread on social media claiming the 17-year-old boy arrested over the Southport attacks was a Muslim asylum seeker. Harry's comments have also been interpreted as a dig at Musk, who has been criticised by the UK government for spreading fake news. The Duke said: 'It's becoming harder and harder to stem the flow from the source, spotting true from fake comes down to us. 'One of my biggest worries is that for social media being what it is we will forever be divided, we are debating misinterpretation, and we are being misled, misleading each other. 'While we are debating and discussing how to solve the problems of digital media a very small group of powerful people are getting richer and richer and that is a fundamental flaw in the system.' Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan pose for a photo at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan pose for a photo at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday He added that 'every single week we are seeing examples of social cohesion broken down' because of misinformation and that 'information integrity is a fundamental right'. 'This worries me and it makes us all very sad to see people who are acting on information that isn't true, the Duke said. Addressing social media abuse more broadly, Meghan said: 'It doesn't matter where you live. It doesn't matter who you are. 'Either you personally or someone you know is a victim to what's happening online. And that's something we can actively work on every day to remedy.' She also said: 'Think about parents, maybe your grandmother used to say it to you also: 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'. 'But what's happened? The digital age has almost created a culture where if you don't have anything cool to say, don't say anything at all. Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan pose for a photo at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke of Sussex waves in Bogota yesterday on the couple's four-day tour of Colombia The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke of Sussex waves in Bogota yesterday on the couple's four-day tour of Colombia Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday 'And that is fundamentally changing how we move through the world, how we connect with each other. 'And I think as we continue with this work, we continue learning and investing and grant-giving to young adults who can be change makers and are being change makers in this space, a lot of it also is how we as adults role model that behaviour, how we role model offline and certainly how we role model online. 'As parents we have that responsibility, as global citizens we have that responsibility. But as digital citizens we have that responsibility, to model how we want our children to be raised and the world in which we want them to be raised in which now includes the digital world - it's not going away. So it's how we can use what we know and continue to push the envelope to keep us all safer, specifically our chidlren.' A translator was at hand, but Meghan showed off her linguistic skills as she spoke in Spanish. She told a group of young people that they should aim to be 'self-reliant and not tech-reliant' while Harry asked about the conversations they have with their families about managing social media and literacy. The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan applaud at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle watches at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday A dancer performs at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan applaud at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle watches at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Across the next four days, the Sussexes will take in the city of Bogota before heading off to Cartagena and Cali as part of a 'cultural and social' visit. Harry will also meet members of the Team Colombia squad participating in the Invictus Games, who are gearing up for the 2025 games in Whistler, Canada. Officials have kept the itinerary a closely guarded secret because parts of the country are described as 'best avoided' due to ongoing internal conflicts. Colombia, like Nigeria where the couple visited in May, is seen as a high risk destination in parts by UK and US officials. Besides several police cars and vans, armed soldiers were also deployed to protect Harry and Megan in a massive ring of steel. Roads were blocked off and residents forced on lengthy detours to reach their homes or wait at checkpoints for events to finish so they could carry on. Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan applaud at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle watches at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday A dancer performs at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Answering questions from journalists at a press conference ahead of their arrival, Ms Marquez said she was inspired to ask Harry and Meghan to visit the country after being moved by their Netflix documentary. 'I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world,' Ms Marquez said. The Sussexes' controversial six-part Netflix show, aired just three months after Queen Elizabeth II's death, laid bare their troubled relationship with the royal family and the struggles which led to their decision to step back from the working monarchy. Ms Marquez described the Sussexes' trip as a 'very special visit' aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying and online digital violence and discrimination, as well as promoting women's leadership in Colombia. Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez waves in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday A dancer performs at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex points in Bogota yesterday on the couple's four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Prince Harry listens during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Prince Harry listens during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Dancers perform at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry and Meghan pose for a photo at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan pose for a photo at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday The Duke of Sussex meets people at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Sussexes' team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means. The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes' second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation's chief of defence staff. Harper's Bazaar magazine, covering the trip as the only words pool, said Ms Marquez shared her personal admiration for Harry's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Meghan and Ms Marquez were pictured embracing as they greeted each other warmly, with Ms Marquez clasping Harry's hands in her own as they were introduced. The Sussexes were colour co-ordinated style-wise, with the duchess in a navy halterneck top and trousers and Harry in a dark blue suit and light blue shirt. The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry watches on during the couple's four-day tour of Colombia in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Security in Bogota yesterday for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Colombia Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday During the sit-down chat, Ms Marquez said she shared the same ideals and goals as Harry and Meghan amid their campaign to make the digital world safer for children. Harry and Meghan visited a local school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, and joined a summit, in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation, about creating a healthier digital landscape. They spoke to children in a session where the class talked about their favourite and least favourite parts of social media, technology and dealing with life on the internet. Meghan said the group should aim to be 'self-reliant and not tech-reliant' while Harry about asked the conversations they have with their families about managing social media and literacy. Ms Marquez, a lawyer and human rights and environmental activist, is Colombia's first black vice-president and serves in the country's first left-wing government, led by president Gustavo Petro. Security in Bogota yesterday for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Colombia Meghan Markle is pictured during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Security in Bogota yesterday for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Colombia Prince Harry applauds during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez and Rafael Yerney Pinillo Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday A dancer performs at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Dancers perform at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday A dancer performs at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Meghan meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duke and Duchess with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry meets a dancer at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex meets people at the Colegio Cultura Popular school yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday A former housekeeper who had her first child at 16, Ms Marquez rose to prominence for her opposition to illegal gold mining in her home province and won a prestigious environmental prize for her work. She spearheaded a 10-day, 350-mile march of 80 women from La Toma to the nation's capital, resulting in the removal of all illegal miners and equipment from her community. Ensuring the couple's security will be a high priority during their stay. The Foreign Office warns against all but essential travel to certain parts of Colombia, with kidnapping rates remaining high. It also describes the country as 'seriously afflicted by conflict' with a resurgence in violence in parts of Colombia despite the peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) movement to end the civil war. The Duke has meanwhile maintained it is 'still dangerous' for Meghan to return to the UK. Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez and Rafael Yerney Pinillo Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan watch dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday The Duke of Sussex meets people at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke of Sussex meets people at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday The Duke of Sussex meets people at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Meghan Markle at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan meet dancers at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez speaks in Bogota during the Sussex tour yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia Meghan Markle on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia The Duchess of Sussex with Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry speaks during the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Sussexes meet people at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Bogota yesterday for their four-day tour of Colombia The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Harry and Meghan on stage at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday The Duke of Sussex at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Security in Bogota yesterday for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Colombia Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday The Duke of Sussex meets people at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota Security in Bogota yesterday for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Colombia Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday Security in Bogota yesterday for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Colombia The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Colegio Cultura Popular school in Bogota yesterday Colombia's vice-president Francia Marquez at a press conference in Bogota yesterday Security in Bogota yesterday for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Colombia Prince Harry is seen before the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota yesterday He is said to be missing the private funeral of his uncle Lord Fellowes - husband of Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes - in Norfolk later this month due to his security fears. Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK, but he has been given the green light to appeal. During the case, the court was told Harry believes his children cannot 'feel at home' in the UK if it is 'not possible to keep them safe' there and that he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with 'additional layers of racism and extremism'. Harry and Meghan stepped down from the working monarchy in 2020 and no longer travel at the request of the UK Government on official overseas royal visits, when travel costs would have usually been met by the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant. Rising Labor star and three-time Maribyrnong Mayor Sarah Carter has been remembered as a 'force of nature' after her untimely death. Hundreds of family, friends, and community members gathered at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Friday to farewell the beloved 45-year-old. She is believed to have died from a brain aneurysm on August 6, just days after returning from an overseas trip. Daily Mail Australia earlier revealed that her partner, Melbourne pilot Nikhil Roy, found her body at home after she failed to meet him at Melbourne Airport as planned. The couple were supposed to be going away on a European getaway. In an emotional address at her funeral on Friday, her mother Gaynor paid tribute to her 'best friend' whom she described as an 'intelligent, vivacious and caring woman' and a 'force of nature' who sought to change people's lives for the better. 'When I think of the things Sarah has achieved in her short life, my heart swells with pride because she fit more into 45 years of life than some people achieved in a lifetime,' her mother told the crowd. Ms Carter's father David said the 'overwhelming loss' of his daughter was 'unbearable' and revealed her family was struggling to come to terms with her death. Former three-time Maribyrnong mayor Sarah Carter died earlier this month Daily Mail Australia earlier revealed that her partner, Melbourne pilot Nikhil Roy, found her body at home after she failed to meet him at the airport as planned. Pictured is Mr Roy speaking at her funeral Despite the tragic circumstances, Mr Carter said he felt 'immense pride' when thinking of his daughter's life that had been 'marked by unwavering dedication, compassion and a fierce commitment to making the world a better place'. 'There is no doubt, given the opportunity, she would have achieved so much more and touched so many more lives,' her father said in a tribute delivered by her sister Caroline. 'Sarah's impact was profound, and it was felt by those she worked with, those who she served and those who had the privilege of knowing her.' Her partner also shared a tribute to Ms Carter. 'She helped me believe in love, real and unconditional love, a life worth living,' Mr Roy said. 'I didn't know but our journey would be filled with adventure, devotion and sacrifice. 'Our time together was the happiest of my life ... she was my home.' Friends of the 45-year-old are seen speaking following the death of Ms Carter Ms Carter's coffin is seen with a scarf from the AFL Hawthorn Hawks team draped over it Hundreds of family, friends, and community members have gathered at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Friday to farewell the beloved 45-year-old (pictured is her partner Nikhil Roy) Ms Carter's sister Carolyn read out a tribute on behalf of her father Former Labor leader Bill Shorten was one of many who farewelled Ms Carter at a funeral service at Flemington Racecourse on Friday Ms Carter was the first woman to be elected as mayor of Maribyrnong three times and she received multiple awards for her contributions to the local community. The councillor, who had been serving her fourth term, has been remembered as a trailblazing local politician who was a 'role model' and 'an inspiration to girls and young women in the community'. Her casket was covered with flowers including white lilies and red and pink roses. Scarves from AFL team Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs were also hung over her casket. In lieu of giving flowers, mourners were instead asked to donate to Save The Children on Ms Carter's behalf, which was considered her 'life's work'. Ms Carter had travelled to Fiji, Jordan, Lebanon, Cambodia and Indonesia to help disadvantaged communities as part of her work for the charity. Ms Carter was found dead in her home in Melbourne's inner west on August 6. Her death is not being treated as suspicious Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins was also in attendance Scarves from AFL team Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs were also hung over her casket A bouquet of flowers was prepared by the Footscray Markets for Ms Carter's funeral service Nationals MP Michael McCormack also spoke at the funeral service Political heavyweights streamed into the racecourse on Friday afternoon, including former Labor leader Bill Shorten and Nationals MP Michael McCormack. Deputy Premier Ben Carroll was also in attendance as was Minister for Women, Natalie Hutchins. Ms Carter was touted by many as a future Labor MP and was well liked and known in political circles in both Melbourne and Canberra. She was serving her fourth consecutive term on the council at the time of her death. Ms Carter's death is not being treated as suspicious. Turkish bushfires are threatening to ravage the war graves of Anzac diggers on Gallipoli. The fires broke out on the Gallipoli Peninsula earlier this week and have been raging out of control in hot conditions with low humidity. In Australia the Returned & Services League (RSL) said it was monitoring the situation and hoping the graves of Australians and New Zealanders killed in the seminal WWI Gallipoli campaign would be unscathed. RSL Australia President Greg Melick said he understood the famed Lone Pine cemetery was closed to visitors for safety and to allow firefighters to better do their job. 'We are confident that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, local authorities and firefighters will do all they can to protect and rehabilitate the sacred sites and monuments, but we understand that the situation is serious and remain concerned,' he said. Although communication with local authorities was limited the RSL was also seeking to discover the condition of the original landing site. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned on Friday the fires may reach the graves of Australian soldiers at Anzac Cove. 'Our thoughts today are also with our friends in Turkiye. We understand there are efforts underway to control fires that are burning on the Gallipoli Peninsula,' Mr Albanese told a press conference. Turkish bushfires are threatening the war graves of Anzac soldiers killed in the Gallipoli campaign 'Gallipoli is, of course, sacred ground to both of our countries. 'Some 60,000 Australians served at Gallipoli during the eight-month campaign, and 8,700 Australians lost their lives,' he said, referring to the Gallipoli campaign of World War I. '18,000 were wounded during the campaign. And there were more than 7,200 Australians buried in cemeteries or listed as missing there. 'So our thoughts today are with those who continue to care for those cemeteries, and welcome thousands of Australians who visit ANZAC headstones each year, as they endure these difficult times.' Turkiye's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Bekir Karacabey, earlier said firefighters were managing the blaze around the region of the graves. 'We are intervening non-stop from land and air with the guardians of #GreenHomeland to bring the forest fire in Eceabat, Canakkale under control,' Mr Karacabey wrote in a Facebook post. 'Let's be careful to prevent other fires in these days when the risk of fire increases due to extraordinary weather conditions.' Dozens of Israeli settlers surged into a Palestinian village in the West Bank yesterday, burning cars and killing at least one person, Israeli authorities admitted yesterday. The Palestinian health ministry said one 23-year-old man was killed and another suffered a critical gunshot wound in the chest when Israeli settlers opened fire in the village of Jit, the latest in a series of attacks by violent settlers in the West Bank. Shocking footage circulated on social media showed houses and cars smouldering after being set alight by Molotov cocktails thrown by the Israeli settlers. The fatal attacks came hours after an Israeli airstrike in the West Bank killed two other young Palestinians. More than 600 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed since October 7, most of whom died as a result of incursions by Israeli settlers. The White House, whose diplomats are now engaged in a fresh round of ceasefire talks with international mediators, declared Israeli settlers' attacks in the West Bank 'unacceptable' and insisted they 'must stop.' 'Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence, and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account,' a White House spokesperson added. Shocking footage circulated on social media showed houses and cars smouldering after being set alight by Molotov cocktails thrown by the Israeli settlers More than 600 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed since October 7, most of whom died as a result of incursions by Israeli settlers The smouldering wreckage of cars is pictured in the West Bank yesterday People check a burnt car a day after an attack by Jewish settlers on the village of Jit near Nablus in the occupied West Bank that left a 23-year-old man dead and others with critical gunshot wounds, on August 16, 2024 People assess the damage a day after an attack by Jewish settlers on the village of Jit near Nablus in the occupied West Bank that left a 23-year-old man dead and others with critical gunshot wounds, on August 16, 2024 Palestinian youth inspect destoyed cars after an Israeli raid in the Balata refugee camp, near Nablus, West Bank 15 August 2024 The sister of Ahmad Shaikh Khaleel, who was killed during an Israeli airstrike on the Balata refugee camp east of Nablus that killed two Palestinians early morning on August 15, 2024, reacts during funeral The Israeli military said police and army units intervened and arrested one Israeli. It condemned the incident, which it said diverted security forces from other responsibilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying he viewed the incident with 'utmost severity'. 'Those responsible for any offence will be apprehended and tried,' it said. But Palestinians regularly accuse Israeli security forces of standing by and allowing groups of violent settlers to attack their houses and villages. The United States and a number of European countries have imposed sanctions on violent settlers and called repeatedly on Israel to do more to curb the attacks. The violence in the West Bank comes as international mediators kicked off a new round of talks aimed at halting the Israel-Hamas war and securing the release of scores of hostages - all while heading off the prospect of an even larger regional conflict. The United States, Qatar and Egypt met with an Israeli delegation in Qatar as the Palestinian death toll from the more than 10-month-old war climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities. Hamas, which didn't participate directly in Thursday's talks, accuses Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support and to which Hamas had agreed in principle. A cease-fire in Gaza would likely calm tensions across the region. Diplomats hope it would persuade Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and of Hamas' top political leader in an explosion in Tehran. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said that Iran has made preparations and could attack soon with little to no warning - and that its rhetoric should be taken seriously. The mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release scores of hostages captured in the October 7 attack that triggered the war in exchange for a lasting cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. A US official briefed on Thursday's talks in Doha called the discussion 'constructive.' The official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said mediators will continue their talks Friday. Both sides have agreed in principle to the plan, which President Joe Biden announced on May 31. But Hamas has proposed amendments and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of making new demands it can't accept. Hamas has rejected Israel's latest demands, which include a lasting military presence along the border with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza where it would search Palestinians returning to their homes to root out militants. Activists are blocked by Israeli security forces from reaching a land confiscated by Israeli settlers in the al-Makhrur area, near Beit Jala in the Israeli occupied West Bank on August 15, 2024 Activists try to reach a land confiscated by Israeli settlers in the al-Makhrur area, near Beit Jala in the Israeli occupied West Bank on August 15, 2024 Mourners carry six-month-old Abdullah Sheikh Khalil during the funeral of his father, Ahmed Sheikh Khalil, 20 and Wael Misha, 18, both killed by an airstrike overnight during an army operation in the occupied West Bank Palestinian mourners carry the body of Ahmad Shaikh Khaleel who was killed during an Israeli raid in the Balata refugee camp, near Nablus, West Bank 15 August 2024 Boys walk on dry bricks to traverse a puddle of sewage water past mounds of trash and rubble along a street in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on August 14, 2024 People bury the body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli raid, on a cemetery where displaced Palestinians shelter as Gaza health ministry announced that death toll has surpassed 40,000, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict An Israeli tank manouvers near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, August 14, 2024 Relatives of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and their supporters protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 Relatives of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and their supporters protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan said the group is only interested in discussing the implementation of Biden's proposal and not in further negotiations over its content. A Palestinian official who closely follows the negotiations said Hamas wouldn't take part in Thursday's talks, but that its senior officials, who reside in Qatar, were ready to discuss any proposals from the mediators, as they have in past rounds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies that Israel has made new demands, but he has also repeatedly raised questions over whether the cease-fire would last, saying Israel remains committed to 'total victory' against Hamas and the release of all the hostages. The most intractable dispute has been over the transition from the first phase of the cease-fire - when women, children and other vulnerable hostages would be released - and the second, when captive Israeli soldiers would be freed and a permanent cease-fire would take hold. Hamas is concerned that Israel will resume the war after the first batch of hostages is released. Israel worries that Hamas will drag out the talks on releasing the remaining hostages indefinitely. Hamdan provided documents showing Hamas had agreed to a US bridging proposal under which talks on the transition would begin by the 16th day of the first phase and conclude by the fifth week. More recently, Hamas has objected to what it says are new Israeli demands to maintain a presence along the Gaza-Egypt border and a road dividing northern and southern Gaza. Israel denies these are new demands, saying it needs a presence along the border to prevent weapons smuggling and that it must search Palestinians returning to northern Gaza to ensure they aren't armed. On Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the broader framework of the deal laid out by Biden in May has generally been accepted and that the negotiation was a process, which was expected to continue. A boy walks through a puddle of sewage water past mounds of trash and rubble along a street in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on August 14, 2024 Displaced Palestinians shelter in a cemetery, as Gaza health ministry announced that death toll has surpassed 40,000, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 15, 2024 People stage a protest in front of the Defense Ministry building demanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to sign a ceasefire and hostage swap deal with Hamas and to hold early elections in Tel Aviv, Israel on August 15, 2024 Palestinians prepare graves in a cemetery as death toll surpasses 40,000, according to health ministry, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis Men carry the coffin of Hezbollah fighter Mohamad Bader el Dine who was killed in an Israeli drone strike on his car on August 14, in the Christian village of Marjayoun during his funeral on August 15, 2024 in Harouf, Lebanon The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the heavily guarded border on October 7 in an attack that shocked Israel's vaunted security and intelligence services. The fighters rampaged through farming communities and army bases, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted an additional 250 people. More than 100 were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza - though Israeli authorities believe around a third of them have died in captivity. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed 40,005 Palestinians, Gaza's Health Ministry said Thursday, without saying how many were militants. The offensive has reduced much of the territory to rubble and has driven the vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million people from their homes, often multiple times. 'Oh Lord, we hope they reach an agreement and the war ends, because the population has been annihilated completely,' Abu Nidal Eweini told AP reporters in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah. 'People have no breath left in them anymore. People are tired.' A mother accused of murdering her young daughter may be deemed unfit to stand trial over the alleged crime due to mental illness. Yingying Xu, 46, has been charged with murdering her 10-year-old daughter Sophie Wang at their Emerald Lakes home, in Carrara, on the Gold Coast on Tuesday night. Sophie, a Year 5 student at Emmanuel College, was found by her father at 6pm with her throat slashed and paramedics were unable to save her. Xu, who was arrested and charged with the murder at about 10.30pm, may be dealt with by the Mental Health Court, legal sources have told the Courier Mail. The court determines whether a person charged was of sound mind at the time of the alleged crime and if they're fit to be prosecuted. While police have not confirmed whether Xu has a history of mental health issues, she posted three videos on TikTok showing her muttering in Chinese about religion on the day she allegedly murdered her daughter. In the clips, Xu talks about Christianity and how the 'trinity' is the 'only true god' and 'Jesus is the incarnate son of man'. The videos will form part of the investigation into the case, which seasoned Queensland Police detectives have described as one of the 'most confronting' they have ever seen. Sophie wang, 10, was allegedly murdered by her mother at their Emerald Lakes home, in Carrara, on the Gold Coast on Tuesday night Her mother, Yingying Xu, 46, may not stand trial due to possible mental illness Her school, Emmanuel College, held a memorial service for her on Friday morning which was followed by a candlelight vigil in Emerald Lakes later in the afternoon Dr Yun Wang (pictured) found his daughter with critical injuries at their family home It comes after a candlelit vigil was held for Sophie in Emerald Lakes on Friday afternoon. The hour-long vigil began after an emotional service at Sophie's school, Emmanuel College, on Friday morning amid a public outpouring of grief for the Year 5 student. Hundreds of distraught locals, including friends of Sophie's father, Dr Yun Wang, paid their respects at the vigil, many placing candles around the water fountain. Emmanuel College principal Dan Brown addressed the crowd, thanking those who turned out to support. 'This is a testament to the strength of our community,' he said. 'Thank you all for being here to cherish Sophie.' A minute of silence was held for Sophie, followed by the hymn Amazing Grace. Detective Acting Inspector Kent Ellis said on Wednesday that the case was one of the 'most confronting' he had experienced throughout his 15-year career. Sophie's father called triple-0 when he found his daughter but she was unable to be saved. Heartbroken community members turned out for a vigil for Sophie on Friday Many left candles by the fountain in honour of Sophie Many of Sophie's classmates from Emmanuel College turned out to the vigil Hundreds of locals turned up to the vigil on Friday to show their support Sophie was remembered as a 'sweet angel' at the vigil on Friday afternoon Members of the community leave behind candles at the vigil Friends of Sophie's father were also seen at the vigil A young girl and her mother are seen at the vigil in Emerald Lakes on Friday A group of Emmanuel College students are seen hugging each other at the vigil Hundreds of community members were seen at the vigil 'In my 15-year career as a detective it's one of the most confronting scenes I have seen,' Mr Ellis said on Wednesday. 'Despite her father and the emergency service's best efforts, the 10-year-old was pronounced deceased by attending paramedics. 'This is a tragic and distressing incident and our thoughts are with the family and community at this time.' Police and paramedics who responded to the call will be provided with professional support. Sophie's classmates and others from Emmanuel College placed flowers and cards at a memorial site at the school Hundreds of community members arrived to pay tribute to the 10-year-old at a memorial service on Friday afternoon Students were informed of what had happened via a letter sent out by Emmanuel College Principal Dan Brown on Wednesday morning Sophie's classmates were seen grief stricken at a memorial service at the school on Friday morning A young girl is seen wiping away tears following the death of Year 5 student Sophie Wang An emotional service was held for Sophie on Friday morning Many students found comfort in their parents following the tragedy Emmanuel College students supported each other during a service on Friday Sophie's classmates at Emmanuel College received a letter from Principal Brown explaining what had happened on Wednesday morning Mr Ellis said Xu was found on a nearby street some four hours later but would not comment on whether she had a history of mental health issues. The 46-year-old woman was due to face Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning. She did not appear in person and a police application to have names and details of the case suppressed was later withdrawn after it was opposed by lawyers and media. Xu was remanded in custody and will next appear on November 29. Along with the memorial and candlelit vigil, grieving neighbours have been seen placing flowers outside the family home. Sophie's classmates at Emmanuel College received a letter from Principal Brown explaining what had happened on Wednesday morning. 'It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of a tragic incident that occurred in a home within Emerald Lakes last night, resulting in the passing of one of our beloved students,' Mr Brown wrote. 'We are devastated by this incident and know it will profoundly impact our school community. 'Our prayers go out to the family and friends of the child, and we extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy.' Mr Ellis said that Xu was found by detectives on a nearby street four hours after Dr Wang's triple-0 call Xu's social media activity will make up part of police's investigation into the alleged murder Heartbroken community members have left flowers at the scene of the alleged murder It is understood that counselling will be made available for students and staff at the school. 'Our priority is the wellbeing of our students and staff, and we will do everything possible to help our community over the coming days,' the letter continued. 'Please be assured we are here for all in our community students, staff and parents and these support services are available to anyone in need. 'While words cannot ease the shock and pain of such a tragic loss, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you all.' The husband of a grandmother jailed for more than a year for posting on Facebook mosques should be blown up has said the sentence is 'well over the top'. David Sweeney, 76, believes his wife Julie, 53, did not deserve to be locked up for her post in the aftermath of the Southport stabbings which were followed by rioting. At her sentencing at Chester Crown Court, Judge Steven Everett branded her a 'keyboard warrior' adding 'even people like you need to go to prison.' The court heard she was led a 'quiet, sheltered life' but became angry when watching the news and hearing of the knife attack. Mr Sweeney, who used to work as an RAF supplier, argued the jailing his wife for 15 months was too harsh. He said: 'It is completely out of proportion, it's just ridiculous.' Julie Sweeney: Jailed for 15 months after posting on Facebook mosques should be blown up In happier times: David Sweeney and his wife Julie on their wedding day David and Julie have been married for 29 years and he describes her as his 'right arm' Speaking to the Telegraph, he added: 'Three police cars turned up, there were three officers. What's that about? It's too big a force for what it was. It's just crazy. 'It's a big loss, she's my right arm. It does anger you, it's over the top, well over the top. It's difficult, it's hard to come to terms. 'She just got angry on the night because we watched a news item with her it just wound her up because of what had happened to the three girls.' Following the Southport stabbings in which three young girls were killed, Sweeney posted in the Facebook group in Kidsgrove: 'It is absolutely ridiculous. Don't protect the mosques. Blow the mosques up with the adults in it.' Prosecutor Sarah Badrawy explained the post was reported to the police after one of the group's 5,100 members found it distressing. Mr Sweeney said he tried to delete his wife's post but was unable to work out how to do so, and later it was taken down by Facebook. Sweeney, from Church Lawton, Cheshire, admitted sending a communication to convey a threat of death or serious harm. Another family member, who did not wish to be named, agreed the sentence was harsh, saying: 'There needs to be some sort of punishment, I'm not denying that but 15 months is quite a lot, considering other people do worse things and get lesser sentences.' A spokesman for Cheshire Constabulary said: 'Since the start of the recent disorder in other areas of the UK, we have been clear that we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour in Cheshire, including those who post abusive and threatening messages online. 'People may think that posting hateful messages on social media, instead of engaging in this sort of behaviour in person, offers them some sort of anonymity. But this could not be further from the truth. 'As this case demonstrates, there is nowhere to hide. If you choose to engage in this behaviour, whether in person or online, we will find you and you will be held responsible.' A San Jose man told investors he was investing their money in publicly traded electric vehicle securities. Instead, he transferred over $4.5 million into his failing private company. Marilyn Nieves/Getty Image A San Jose man was sentenced to 33 months in prison on Monday for defrauding investors and making false statements to a bank to obtain loans, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Between 2015 and 2022, Joon Woo Kim, 58, of San Jose persuaded investors to contribute millions to the M5 Doctors Fund, a fund he created in San Francisco. Kim told investors their money would be invested in publicly traded securities of electric vehicle companies including Tesla, federal prosecutors said. Instead, Kim transferred $4,690,000 nearly all the money invested to CKR Enterprise Inc., a failing private wholesale food distribution company he operated with his wife. All the while, Kim suggested to investors that the fund was solvent and sent them fabricated quarterly reports suggesting their money was invested in public securities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a second scheme, Kim defrauded Hanmi Bank by lying on bank loan applications. Kim received a $1.3 million line of credit and a $3.2 million business loan for CKR based on false representations of his business, prosecutors said. Many of the investors Kim defrauded were nonprofit institutions that can only invest in public securities, prosecutors said in a memorandum filed for the sentencing hearing. Investors were convinced to trust Kim because of his resume, which included multiple Ivy League degrees and investment experience, prosecutors said. Kim pleaded guilty in March to charges of committing wire fraud and making false statements to a bank to obtain a loan. In addition to 33 months in prison, Kim must undergo a three-year period of supervision following his release and pay over $4.7 million in restitution to his victims, U.S. District Judge James Donato ordered. As a condition of his supervised release, Kim must also give at least three presentations to university MBA students about the consequences of fraudulent business practices. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A Russian tourist who allegedly tried to rape a cow was gored by the animal and had to be rescued by Thai police. Evgenii Kuvshinov, 26, is said to have stripped off and sidled over to a male bull before turning his attention to a female tied to a wooden fence in a field in Surat Thani, southern Thailand, yesterday afternoon. The holidaymaker allegedly tried to mount the cow only for her to react violently - pinning him to the ground and goring him. Concerned locals, who suspected the Russian was up to no good when they saw him prowling naked, had already called police. They also heard his cries for help while being attacked and stood next to him as they waited for officers to arrive. Shocking footage shows Kuvshinov lying on the ground without any clothes as the brown cow attacks him. Evgenii Kuvshinov, 26, is said to have stripped off and sidled over to a male bull before turning his attention to a female tied to a wooden fence in a field in Surat Thani, southern Thailand , yesterday afternoon Police and paramedics arrived at the scene and carried the Russian away on a stretcher Police and paramedics arrived at the scene and carried the Russian away on a stretcher. He was taken to the Bannaderm Hospital to be treated for wounds on his bottom and abrasions all over his body. A paramedic from the Ban Na Doem Foundation who treated Kuvshinov said they suspected he had been trying to have sex with the cow. They said: 'We found cannabis in his car so maybe he was high. The way we found him, his actions suggest that he was trying to do something dirty with the cow, that he was trying to have sex with her.' Police Lieutenant Thongchai Chaikit of Ban Na Doem Police Station Kuvshinov said they received reports of a foreign man in an 'altercation' with a cow on August 15 at 5.40pm. The officer said the cow charged at the suspect when he was trying to restrain it by holding its head and he was 'lucky that the rescue team arrived to save him'. Concerned locals, who suspected the Russian was up to no good when they saw him prowling naked, had already called police. They also heard his cries for help while being attacked and stood next to him as they waited for officers to arrive He was taken to the Bannaderm Hospital to be treated for wounds on his bottom and abrasions all over his body. A paramedic from the Ban Na Doem Foundation who treated Kuvshinov said they suspected he had been trying to have sex with the cow Police Lieutenant Thongchai added: 'When we arrived at the scene, the suspect was being attacked by the cow. Witnesses said he had first went to a male cow then over to the female and tried to climb on top of her. 'It's possible he was trying to make love to the cow but we can't say for sure. There was no semen on her. 'He kept walking and speaking Russian without any meaning. He had no smell of alcohol. In his car, there were marijuana and his passport torn apart. 'We sent him to hospital because he was injured on his bottom, but he went crazy at the hospital and the doctors would not admit him, so now he is detained at our police station. 'Now we are waiting for the tourist police and the immigration police to work on it, then we can conduct investigation.' Silent prayer could be banned outside abortion clinics amid Home Office plans to stop protests within 500ft of the buildings. The Home Office will be reviewing draft guidance published in December under the then Tory government. MPs voted for the legislation last year to ban protests, including silent prayer, within 150 metres of a hospital or clinic providing abortion services. But the draft guidance, which has not yet come into force, allowed for silent prayer within 'safe access zones'. A pro-life activist prays with his rosary beads outside the Marie Stopes Clinic in Belfast, Northern Ireland All three Home Office ministers, including Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (pictured), voted against allowing silent prayer inside buffer zones while in opposition It also allowed 'consensual' communications within the zones, such as handing out leaflets or engaging people in conversation. Ministers will review this guidance and pro-choice campaigners are hoping that silent prayer and handing out leaflets will be massively limited, The Telegraph reported. The current draft guidance said prayer is allowed within a safe access zone and should not automatically be seen as unlawful. 'Silent prayer, being the engagement of the mind and thought in prayer towards God,' the draft guidance reads, 'is protected as an absolute right under the Human Rights Act 1998 and should not, on its own, be considered to be an offence under any circumstances.' The Home Office consultation ended in January and finalised guidance was expected in the spring but was not published before the general election. All three Home Office ministers, including Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, voted against allowing silent prayer inside buffer zones while in opposition. Since taking office, pro-choice organisations wrote to Ms Cooper urging her to review the guidance and to urgently implement safe zones around clinics. Louise McCudden, of MSI Reproductive Choices, said: 'We hope the new Government will make sure safe access zones are implemented in line with what elected MPs voted for. Ms Vaughan-Spruce's arrest came weeks after she was found not guilty by Birmingham Magistrates Court for silently praying outside the same clinic in December last year 'With a Home Secretary who voted for safe access zones, a Home Office team of fierce reproductive rights advocates like Diana Johnson and Jess Phillips, and a Government that says it wants to make tackling violence against women a priority, we are cautiously optimistic that they recognise the dangers of watering down this legislation.' Rachael Clarke, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: 'The law was designed specifically to stop activities such as being present all day every day, staring at and approaching women as they try to access confidential medical care, handing out false medical information in leaflets, or standing at the clinic gate with rosary beads and candles. 'It should be clear to everyone that these activities are designed to influence women's reproductive choices there's simply no other reason to be present at the gate to an abortion clinic.' Some MPs and campaigners claim silent prayer should never be considered a form of protest and that the proposed ban would be a threat to religious freedom. In March 2023, anti-abortion campaigner and devout Catholic Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested outside the BPAS Robert Clinic in Kings Norton, Birmingham, in February. Supporters of Father Sean Gough, a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, and Isabel Vaughan-Spruce at Birmingham Magistrates' Court in February after they were accused of protesting outside a Birmingham abortion clinic Officers from West Midlands Police told her 'engaging in prayer' was 'the offence' after she insisted she was 'not protesting'. Ms Vaughan-Spruce's arrest came weeks after she was found not guilty by Birmingham Magistrates Court for silently praying outside the same clinic in December last year. The police released Ms Vaughan-Spruce, who is the director of anti-abortion group March for Life UK, without charge after the incident and apologised to her. She was not carrying a placard and did not say anything about abortion procedures aloud. Ms Vaughan-Spruce later compared it to George Orwell's 1984 and said that he had been targeted for a 'thought crime'. Her arrest came weeks after she was found not guilty by Birmingham Magistrates Court for silently praying outside the same clinic in December the previous year. Not many things split the Great British public opinion more than their views on High Street coffee chains. For many, grabbing a Costa, Starbucks or Pret is as fundamental a part of their morning routine as it is brushing their teeth. Others are appalled by the sight of these stores and believe they symbolize everything that is wrong with the modern world. But now there is a new player that has been rising through the ranks and entering the national coffee game, driving a bigger divide between residents in towns and villages up and down the country. Gail's Bakery started as a single store in Hampstead, north-west London, and slowly began to spread across the capital before cherry picking new towns and cities to set up in. The chain now has more than 130 shops across Britain already and is seen by many as the successor to Waitrose, with plans now in place for new sites to be opened across Britain. Gail's Bakery started as a single store in Hampstead, north-west London, and slowly began to spread across the capital before cherry picking new towns and cities to set up in But its rise to prominence has not been welcomed with open arms, as some look to fight the gentrification of their towns. This week, it was reported that hundreds of residents in Walthamstow had signed a petition to stop the company opening on their High Street amid fears it could run independent cafes out of business. To find out more about what it is like to live in a town where a Gail's Bakery already exists, MailOnline went to speak to residents in Petersfield (Hampshire), Greenwich (south London) and Witney (Oxfordshire) to find out their views on the coffee chain and its impact on the local economy. MailOnline went to speak to residents in Petersfield (Hampshire), Greenwich (south London) and Witney (Oxfordshire) to find out their views on the coffee chain and its impact on the local economy. Pictured (from left to right) 24-year-old Maisy Cole, from Greenwich; 76-year-old Peter Kew, from Witney and Sammi Healey, 40, from Petersfield Petersfield People in Petersfield complained the affluent area is becoming 'Londonised' after Gail's opened a store there. Shoppers on the High Street in the leafy Hampshire market town said they feel 'sorry' for local bakeries in the town after the arrival of upmarket chain Gail's. However, others are delighted to have a Gail's on their doorstep as they see it as a sign that the area is 'well off'. Houses in Petersfield, which sits in the South Downs countryside, cost an average of half a million pounds. The area has been called home to celebrities including Noel Gallagher and Take That's Mark Owen, while it is also noted for the 30,000 a year Bedales School, where Daniel Day-Lewis and Lily Allen studied. Today, it enjoys a constant flow of customers visiting the cafe - although some people grumble at its prices, including 5 orange juice. Sarah Duveen, from London, regularly visits Petersfield to escape the capital and see her in-laws - but doesn't feel like she has escaped. Shoppers on the High Street in the leafy Hampshire market town said they feel 'sorry' for local bakeries in the town after the arrival of upmarket chain Gail' Sarah Duveen (pictured) regularly visits Petersfield to escape the capital and see her in-laws - but doesn't feel like she has escaped The self-employed 30-year-old said it has become a running joke that Gail's is synonymous with 'posh' areas. 'It's always the posh bits of London', she said. 'I think people take the p sometimes - if there's a Gail's in the area, that's a good one.' Ms Duveen added: 'Petersfield is becoming more Londonised by having one. 'I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, I think it makes house prices go up. I was pretty surprised when I found out it was here. It almost feels like it sticks out. I see this place as a local countryside safe place away from London - I can't escape. 'It is really quite expensive - I would pay for it, but I would probably feel a bit sick that I spent 10 on coffee and cake.' Communications worker Sammi Healey, from Petersfield, sipped on a Gail's coffee and told how she is a fan of the chain but sympathises with local establishments. She said: 'I love it... There's part of me that always feels sorry for the Hoxton's [a local bakery].' When asked whether a Gail's was a sign of gentrification, the 40-year-old said: 'I haven't really though of it like that. 'The town needs a bit more of this - it's definitely feeling run down of late.' Ms Healey's usual order is coffee and a ham and cheese croissant when she visits Gail's. Communications worker Sammi Healey, from Petersfield, sipped on a Gail's coffee and told how she is a fan of the chain but sympathises with local establishments Andrew Madgwick, a market researcher, is glad that Gail's has a branch in Petersfield since it means an old building on the High Street isn't being left empty. Her daughter has inherited her love for the bakery. She said: 'My daughter starts school in September - she said can I get my hair cut, my nails painted and can we go to Gail's?' Andrew Madgwick, a market researcher, is glad that Gail's has a branch in Petersfield since it means an old building on the High Street isn't being left empty. 'They are always in nice buildings and they picked a very nice one in Petersfield,' Mr Madgwick said. 'It seems very appropriate. The worst thing for high streets I think is premises being left empty, especially ex-banks. They don't always fit every type of business - a cafe goes very nicely.' On whether Gail's improves the High Street, the 63-year-old said: 'I don't think it actually improves Petersfield in that way. 'It's already pretty gentrified - [the buildings] have nice shops in them and nice cafes already. It's just a chain now really.' Project manager Katie Kempster thinks that Gail's does improve the High Street, but it can be unaffordable for families. 'I don't go there, it's not a child friendly environment,' she said. On the rare occasion she does go, she said the prices can be shocking: 'For lots of families it's not particularly affordable. Orange juice on its own was 5 - I don't care how freshly squeezed it is, it does not have to be 5. 'Some people can afford it, some can't - you can't please everyone.' The 38-year-old admired the fact that Gail's donates food to the local community rather than letting it go to waste. 'It's a lovely establishment, a good use of the building,' she said. 'It's not out of place here.' Greenwich Residents in Greenwich said they 'understood' why people were resistant to a Gail's Bakery opening in their area. Despite plans to open another to shops in London and having more than 130 openings, managers at Gail's do not consider themselves a chain. But Joslin, 23, said she chose to avoid Gail's shops as she preferred the 'personal experience' with independent coffee shops. She said: 'I think it's ok. I personally don't go to them that often. It's not hugely convenient. Personally I would choose independent coffee shops over Gail's, Starbucks and places like that. 'For me those [independent places] are more convenient. I like to support a more personal experience with independent places, I know the people that work there and stuff like that, rather than employees from larger corporations.' Joslin, 23, said she chose to avoid Gail's shops as she preferred the 'personal experience' with independent coffee shops. Maisy Cole, 24, also preferred to support local coffee shops and businesses, claiming these places were 'a lot more friendly' The arrival of a Gail's in a town is a boost for property prices and a sure indicator that the area is on the up and up. But for some locals, including those in Greenwich, the introduction of the brand threatens their individuality. When asked if she felt a Gail's made Greenwich more gentrified, Joslin said: 'Yeh I would definitely say so. It's always the first thing to pop up. 'I can absolutely understand why people would be angry. It takes away from more small independent coffee shops that have been selling stuff that Gail's sells and it takes away from that business.' Maisy Cole, 24, also preferred to support local coffee shops and businesses, claiming these places were 'a lot more friendly'. She said: 'I completely understand [why people don't want them in their town]. I think it is a shame. Especially when you have got some beautiful coffee shops where they spend a lot of time sourcing the coffee and getting local produce. 'Big corporations coming in attracting new customers. It pushes the local coffee shops out and I can see why local residents are not happy about that. 'I would definitely support local. I think the coffee is always a lot better when you go to a local coffee shop and the service you get is a lot more personable. It's a lot more friendly and you feel a bit better about yourself going into a local shop and supporting local business.' Witney Locals in the small Oxfordshire town of Whitney felt the High Street needed a Gail's Bakery, even if the prices were 'ridiculous'. Gail's first foray outside of London was in Oxford in 2016 when the bakery opened a store in nearby Summertown. It followed this up with a bakery in Jericho as well as opening a store in Witney. Many residents were pleased to see another coffee shop open in the area, claiming they couldn't get into any other outlets most of the time because they were too busy. Linda Kennedy, 71, retired teacher, said: 'I had never heard of it until yesterday and it's just another cafe. We have just been in it and it seems like any other cafe. it wouldn't do any harm if it was a sign of gentrification. Linda Kennedy, 71, was pleased to see another coffee shop open in the area, claiming they couldn't get into any other outlets most of the time because they were too busy Vanni Cook, a teacher of language related studies was visiting the town from Devon and felt having a Gail's Bakery in the town was a 'really positive thing'. Retired farm worker Peter Kew, 76, claimed he wouldn't visit the shop again because it was 'too expensive' for working class people. 'It's absolutely not [a sign of gentrification]. There are lots of cafes anyway and people are in their enjoying having a coffee. I bought a flat white and cake and it was very pleasant. The other cafes were full which is why we ended up in there.' Vanni Cook, a teacher of language related studies was visiting the town from Devon and felt having a Gail's Bakery in the town was a 'really positive thing'. The 75-year-old said: 'I'm completely indifferent. It fills a gap in the High Street and I think that is a really positive thing. 'I think it is a cake and coffee. Cakes are tasty and that's all their is. It's just another cafe. 'I think all cafes are really important because they are social centres. So therefore it is good. I went there today and had a coffee and a cake. The coffee was really good and the cake was tasty. I couldn't get into any of the other cafes because they were all full. So I think that says something about Witney.' Whilst many were pleased with the service Gail's provided, retired farm worker Peter Kew claimed he wouldn't visit the shop again because it was 'too expensive' for working class people. The 76-year-old said: 'It's a nice place. Clean. Respectable. But it's very pricey. 'I've been in there a couple of times. My sister is a 90-year-old lady from Charlton and I've took her in and we got four cakes and it was nearly 14. Ridiculous for working class people and Witney is working class people. 'I wouldn't go into Gails again because it is too expensive. Unless I really need a cup of coffee. But I don't think there is any need to pay that sort of money. It's not just them though. I think a lot of shops are [too expensive].' Ukrainian officers fighting in the Kursk offensive have implored Britain to green-light the use of Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets deep into Russia. Deploying the British long-range rockets would allow Kyiv's forces to sever vital supply lines by striking key infrastructure up to 150 miles across the Russian border, Dmytro Lantushenko, the captain of a mortar brigade involved in the Kusk incursion declared yesterday. 'Those who are able to control their supply flows can maximise the use of their forces... If we had Storm Shadows we would be able to strike logistics hubs and railways and disrupt those lines,' he told the Times. British-made weaponry has reportedly been used to great effect by Kyiv's troops in their foray into Russia already. Several Challenger-2 tanks are believed to have forged across the border as part of the invasion force - though Russian military bloggers gloated yesterday that drones had successfully destroyed one of the British-made vehicles used in the offensive. Lantushenko's pleas for Storm Shadow missiles came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed drones are simply not enough to destroy key Russian military infrastructure and hammer home his advantage in Kursk. 'Our Ukrainian drones work exactly as they should, but unfortunately, there are things that cannot be done with drones alone,' the Ukrainian president said in his nightly address Wednesday. 'We need other weapons - missiles... long-range decisions for Ukraine. This must be done. The bolder our partners' decisions, the less Putin will be able to do about it.' Storm Shadow missiles are seen attached to the hard points of a Eurofighter Typhoon Storm Shadow missiles, accurate to beyond 150 miles, have already been used by Ukraine to hit targets in Russian-occupied territory to great effect. A Ukrainian soldier rides along a dirt road on a Challenger-2 tank on August 3, 2023 in Ukraine Ukrainian servicemen operate an armoured military vehicle on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, 2024 Newest NATO member Sweden declared yesterday morning that Ukraine has the right to defend itself both inside and outside its territory, with Kyiv's Western allies seemingly supportive of the incursion in Kursk. But approving the use of long-range missiles on Russian soil would signify a major shift from British, US and European governments who have thus far provided weaponry to Kyiv on the proviso they are not used for offensive strikes in Russia. Vladimir Putin and top-ranking Russian officials have trumpeted incessantly that they would consider any Western country to have directly entered the conflict should its weapons be used to attack Russian land, sparking fears that such a move could trigger the descent into World War III. However, Taras Kuzio, a professor of political science at the National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, posited that the assault on Kursk has shown that the fear of crossing Russian 'red lines' that could lead to nuclear escalation 'is a myth'. Sir Keir Starmer told reporters en route to Washington for NATO's 75th-anniversary summit in July that decisions on the use of UK-supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles were for the Ukrainian armed forces to make. Many believed this indicated that Kyiv had been granted permission to use the missiles to strike targets on Russian soil. But Downing Street was later forced to clarify that, although Ukraine was permitted to use UK-supplied weapons in Russia, the deployment of the long-range missiles had not been granted. 'There has been no change in UK Government policy, under Article 51 of the UN Charter Ukraine has a clear right of self-defence against Russia's illegal attacks, that does not preclude operations inside Russia,' a government spokesperson said, specifying that Storm Shadows were not to be used. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed drones are simply not enough to destroy key Russian military infrastructure and hammer home his advantage in Kursk Emboldened by the stunning offensive of his armed forces into Russia's Kursk region, the Ukrainian President is seizing the opportunity to hammer home his advantage A Ukrainian armoured military vehicle travels past a burned car near the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sumy region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 A Storm Shadow Cruise missile in display inside the R.A.F. Museum A massive explosion at a port in Crimea is pictured late last year in what is thought to have been a Storm Shadow strike on a Russian Navy vessel Sir Keir Starmer told reporters en route to Washington for NATO 's 75th-anniversary summit in July that decisions on the use of UK-supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles were for the Ukrainian armed forces to make Ukraine's invasion of Kursk appeared to have stalled somewhat earlier this week, with Russian commanders scrambling to pile fresh units into the battle on the ground while bombing Ukrainian positions from the air with Su-34 jets. But by Wednesday, Ukrainian officials claimed to have regained the initiative and claimed to have captured almost as much Russian land in Kursk as Russian forces took in Ukraine in the last seven months, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank. Kyiv claims its troops are now controlling at least 74 settlements, including the strategic town of Sudzha, and have advanced almost 30 miles into some parts of Kursk. Hundreds of Russian prisoners have also been captured, blindfolded and ferried away in trucks. Kyiv could use those men to bargain for the return of hundreds of imprisoned Ukrainians in future prisoner exchanges, with Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets declaring Wednesday that his Russian counterpart, Tatyana Moskalkova, had initiated a conversation about that very subject - the first time such a request has come from Moscow. Images from the battlefield showing columns of destroyed Russian weaponry are reminiscent of Ukraine's successful counteroffensives in 2022 in Kherson and Kharkiv. The photos also offer a sorely needed boost to national morale that deflated after the failed 2023 summer counteroffensive and months of recent territorial losses in the east. Ukrainian servicemen drive a Humvee military vehicle past a destroyed border crossing point with Russia, in the Sumy region, on August 14, 2024 Ukrainian servicemen operate a tank on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, 2024 A Ukrainian military vehicle drives past a burning car on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, 2024 Ukrainian servicemen drive an armoured military vehicle past a destroyed border crossing point with Russia, in the Sumy region, on August 14, 2024 Evacuated people queue to fill out the form for humanitarian aid at a distribution centre in Kursk on Wednesday Matthew Savill, the Director of Military Sciences at the RUSI think tank, told MailOnline there could be as many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops now in Russia, with upper estimates from other sources putting the figure as high as 12,000. 'There's evidence of Ukrainian forces from at least four different brigades - 22nd and 88th Mechanised and 80th and 82nd Air Assault, and possibly more - now involved in the offensive in Kursk. 'These brigades are using Western-provided equipment like infantry fighting vehicles as well as Soviet-era tanks. 'It's hard to judge numbers, but it might be enough for around a division - perhaps 10,000 - given the spread of fighting now underway. 'But we should be very cautious about determining exact size, because units are being rotated, and the presence of elements doesn't tell us the whole unit has been deployed. 'That ambiguity suits the Ukrainians.' Kyiv was forced to pull some troops from the hottest parts of the front line in eastern Ukraine in order to launch the Kursk offensive, raising fears that key battles along the frontline could be lost. Ukrainian commanders have said they hope the incursion will also force Russia to do the same, or at the very least deploy reserves that were intended to bolster attacks at other parts of the 620-mile front line. So far, Moscow's focus in the Donetsk region seemingly remains unchanged, with fighters in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson reporting that Russian forces had if anything upped the intensity of their attacks. 'There is no way Russia will stop its actions in the parts of the front line where they are tactically succeeding,' Ukrainian military expert Konstantin Mashovets said. 'There, they will push and squeeze until their last man is standing, no matter what.' But he said the push into Kursk might force the Kremlin to pull reserves 'from the parts of the front line that are of secondary importance.' 'The stretching of the front line for us is also stretching the front line for the enemy,' said the commander of the 14th Regiment of Unmanned Drones, who uses the call sign Charlie, after he participated in the opening stage of the offensive. 'Only we have prepared for this operation in detail. The Russians were not prepared for this operation at all.' Under-fire comedian Reginald D Hunter has been cleared by police investigating an alleged 'hate crime' after an Israeli couple were 'hounded' and booed out of his Edinburgh Fringe gig. The American comic, 55, had a performance cancelled by council chiefs after being accused of 'encouraging a baying mob' to hound out the pair during one of his performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He was due to perform at a council-owned hall in Scottish town Giffnock, but a local authority has axed the show, saying: 'We have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously.' And Police Scotland spokesman said they were 'reviewing the circumstances' after being 'made aware of a hate incident which reportedly took place'. But the force has now dropped the probe, telling MailOnline this afternoon: 'All information gathered was fully reviewed and no crime was established.' Under-fire comedian Reginald D Hunter has been axed from an upcoming stand-up show after an Israeli couple were 'hounded' and booed out of his Edinburgh Fringe gig The American, 55, was due to perform at a council-owned hall in Scottish town Giffnock, but the local authority has cancelled the show Hunter has taken to X to apologise for his behaviour Hunter had been performing his new standup show 'Fluffy Fluffy Beavers' at Edinburgh Fringe when he made a quip about how watching a recent Channel 5 documentary about domestic abuse had made him think of Israel. But when two Israeli audience members had objected to the distasteful joke, they were reportedly sworn at, called 'genocidal' and told 'you're not welcome' by fellow spectators shouting 'Free Palestine'. Hunter has taken to X to apologise for his part in the incident, claiming it is part of his job as a comedian to 'push boundaries'. The comedian from Albany in the US state of Georgia, who has lived in the UK since 1997, insisted that he is 'staunchly anti-war and anti-bully' after the backlash he received following the incident. Hunter was set to perform in Giffnock on September 28, but East Renfrewshire Council said it had taken the decision 'to cancel Eastwood Park Theatre's show featuring Reginald D Hunter'. They added: 'We have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously.' Local Conservative councillor Paul Edlin told the Jewish Telegraph: 'He encouraged a baying mob in the audience to hound out a Jewish couple, one of whom was in a wheelchair.' The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities and the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council (GJRC) had both complained about the incident to East Renfrewshire Council. Dominic Cavendish, chief theatre critic at The Telegraph who was at Sunday's Fringe show, said it was the 'most unpleasant comedy gig I've ever attended'. Hunter has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to apologise for his part in the incident - claiming it was part of his job as a comedian to 'push boundaries' The comedian from Albany in the US state of Georgia, who has lived in the UK since 1997, insisted that he is 'staunchly anti-war and anti-bully' In a post on X Hunter wrote: 'There was an unfortunate incident in my new show 'Fluffy Fluffy Beavers'. 'As a comedian I do push boundaries in creating humour, it is part of my job. This inevitably creates divided opinions but I am staunchly anti-war and anti-bullying. 'I regret any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members.' In further comments on social media, he has suggested he could be let go from more scheduled gigs ahead - telling one commenter who suggesting meeting up for a drink: 'I may become extremely unbusy real soon.' Anti-semitism campaigners called the incident 'a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy' - as organisers maintained they were 'committed to upholding the principles of creative freedom of expression.' The pressure group Campaign Against Antisemitisim have asked their own lawyers to review footage to see whether any action can be taken. In a statement the group said: 'Reginald D Hunter has laughed off his Holocaust jokes and another supposed joke about 'typical f***ing Jews' in the past, but watching on and cracking jokes as Jews are hounded out of your show is a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy. 'We have seen this before in recent months, and venues must stand extremely firm against this kind of behaviour.' Assembly George Square Studios today confirmed there were no plans to cancel his gigs at its venue, which are set to run until August 25. Reginald D Hunter said: 'I regret any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members' The statement made by the pressure group Campaign Against Antisemitisim on social media A spokeswoman for the venue said: 'We are aware of two members of the audience choosing to leave Reginald D Hunter's performance on Sunday August 11. 'The venue front of house team attended and supported them upon exiting.' The US-born entertainer was half-way through the packed gig at the Edinburgh Festival on Sunday night - described by one theatre critic as the 'ugliest Edinburgh Fringe moment ever' - when the commotion began. As a woman told her story of how she was ill-treated by her husband, the comedian revealed that he thought to himself: 'My God, it's like being married to Israel.' While the joke evoked laughter from the audience, a couple on the front row were prompted to shout out 'not funny', before revealing they were Israeli. Dominic Cavendish, chief theatre critic for The Telegraph, was in the audience when the furore erupted. Writing a review of the show, which he awarded one star to, Cavendish said: 'The pair, who said they were from Israel, then endured their fellow audience members shouting expletives ('f--- off' among them), and telling them to go with slow-hand claps, boos and cries of 'genocidal maniac', 'you're not welcome' and 'free Palestine' part of the toxic mix.' Rather than pulling the audience up for their animosity towards the unwitting hecklers, Hunter apparently instead said to them: 'You can say it's not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish.' The couple, one of whom was disabled, are then said to have exited from the show as Hunter apparently 'openly laughed' at them and as fellow audience members continued to jeer. Two Israeli audience members were sworn at, called 'genocidal' and told 'you're not welcome' by fellow spectators shouting 'Free Palestine ' at them after objecting to a joke told by stand-up comedian Reginald D Hunter at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Hunter then related a story about how his partner had complained about not being able to access the Jewish Chronicle's website, as it is behind a paywall. He is reported as saying: ''Typical f***ing Jews, they won't tell you anything unless you subscribe.' 'It's just a joke,' he added. The incident has provoked outrage among some social media users, who describe it as 'awful' and 'anti-semitic'. One wrote: 'His behaviour was abhorrent - but what was the audience thinking by abusing two strangers who happened to be Israeli? Hateful, toxic, repellent stuff.' Another posted: 'So disappointing that someone who is from a minority doesn't empathise with (in fact encourages) racism towards another minority.' A third said: 'If your gags are at the expense of [a] bullied minority, you're not a comedian - you're a bully.' A tourist claims that she has been gang-raped for five days after being abducted in Pakistan before being dumped in the street with her hands and legs tied. The 28-year-old woman was found lying in the streets in Islamabad, with a picture appearing to show her with her hands tied behind her back and her ankles strapped together. She said that the men who allegedly gang-raped her threw her out of a vehicle in the city, where she was found by passersby who called the police, local media reports. The woman, who claims to be a tourist from Belgium, was taken to hospital. She reportedly told police that she had been in Pakistan for six months. Police have since arrested one man and searched his apartment, Pakistani outlets report. The 28-year-old woman was found lying in the streets in Islamabad, with a picture (above) appearing to show her with her hands tied behind her back and her ankles strapped together After investigators reached out to the Belgian Embassy to confirm the woman's claims that she is a tourist, officials reportedly told them they had no record of the woman being in Pakistan. Pakistan's security agency, the FIA, echoed this statement and said they had no trace of the woman entering their country. Officials at the Belgian Embassy sent police to the Dutch Embassy, as the woman's home town is said to be near the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. But local police who are investigating the woman's claims reportedly said that they believe she is not a foreigner. The arrested man also told police that the woman was mentally unwell and did not carry any ID with her, according to reports. This comes two years after an American vlogger claimed to have been gang-raped in a hotel in Pakistan by her guide and an accomplice who took videos of her to use as blackmail. Pakistan's police arrested two people after the 21-year-old woman reported the assault in July 2022, which she said happened when she was visiting a tourist resort in the eastern Punjab province. The detainees included the woman's host, who took her to a hotel in Dera Ghazi Khan, a district in the Punjab province, where she said she was sexually assaulted, according to a police investigation. The woman arrived in Pakistan three weeks before, according to police. This comes two years after an American vlogger claimed to have been gang-raped in a hotel in Pakistan by her guide and an accomplice (one of which is pictured in handcuffs above) who took videos of her to use as blackmail The woman earlier stayed at the home of one of the alleged attackers for five days, with local reports suggesting he was her 'guide'. The Free Press Journal reported at the time that it had seen the First Information Report (FIR) - a written document by police when a case is first reported. In it, the Free Press Journal said the woman told police she was gang-raped by two men who filmed the assault and used it to blackmail her. 'We stayed in a hotel at Fort Monroe where both suspects gang-raped me and also made a video of the act to blackmail me,' she alleged in the FIR. She then said one of the suspects threatened her after she went to the police. The Secret Service is set to bolster Donald's Trump's security by pulling agents from Joe Biden's protection team following the assassination attempt on the former president last month, it has been reported. The new plan has been approved to allow Trump to continue campaigning at outdoor rallies after a gunman fired multiple shots at him on July 13. The Secret Service will also use a bulletproof glass to shield Trump, as well as other technical security measures that are not normally been provided for presidential candidates in order to add additional layers of protection. An unidentified Secret Service official was cited in the New York Times as saying the reassignment of members of a president's team to a candidate is 'unusual'. But they added that the recent threat of violence against Trump and Biden's reduced travel schedule made the move 'necessary and feasible'. Donald Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents following the assassination attempt Pictured: President Joe Biden is welcomed by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on June 5 Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden (hidden) disembark from Air Force One upon arrival at Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania on June 9 The use of bulletproof glass is also a major step up in security measures with such protection usually only reserved for presidents and vice-presidents at outdoor events. Spokespersons from the White House and Trump's campaign made no immediate comment on the claims. Trump has not appeared at an outdoor rally since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, which is being considered the most serious since President Ronald Reagan was shot and nearly killed in 1981. A bullet grazed Trump's ear in the attack and a rally attendee was killed with two others seriously injured. The Secret Service has been under intense security since the shooting with serious concerns raised about how the suspect was able to access a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to where Trump was speaking. The Secret Service has said it was 'ashamed' of the security lapse and its chief, Kimberly A. Cheatle, stepped down in the assassination attempt's aftermath. Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event on July 13 President Biden delivers a speech at a campaign rally at Renaissance High School in Detroit, Michigan on July 12 Secret Service agents surround the stage following the assassination attempt Secret Service agents converge to cover Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate former President Trump Crooks was shot dead after he opened fire on the campaign rally on July 13 FBI officials have yet to identify a motive for the suspected shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, who was shot dead by a Secret Service agent after opening fire. Following the attack, the Secret Service recommended that Trump should avoid large outdoor events. Trump subsequently said he would continue outdoor rallies and that the Secret Service had 'agreed to substantially step up their operation' to protect him. The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the claims made around the changes in security for Trump. Illegal immigrants are using legal loopholes in the fast-food delivery industry to fund their lives in Britain, according to an expert. Deliveroo, UberEats and Just Eat are some of the most prominent options for a takeaway meal brought to homes on the back of bike or scooter. In recent years they have become a part of modern British life but there are growing fears that this seemingly simply and convenient option is sustained by immigrants working in the 'grey economy'. According Lara Brown, a senior policy fellow at the Policy Exchange think tank, companies find it difficult to check the background of their workers, and those measures in place can be evaded by those who want to. Last year Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister now standing to lead the Conservative Party, said the failure to carry out right to work check was endangering the public. Fast food delivery firms are being urged to carry out more stringent checks on their moped drivers after a crackdown led to scores of arrests and the discovery of imitation firearms Footage posted on social media now shows Omer Muhammad grinning as he sprays a wad of cash in his free hotel in Derby Speaking to the Telegraph, she said: 'If it's easy to work in the grey economy, it undermines the Government's position.' The 'grey economy' is a term to classify areas work which is not scrutinised by the government or taxed. Ms Brown added: 'It also encourages traffickers to tell migrants that there's work waiting for them.' Part of the problem is riders with delivery companies can opt to pass their shift onto a friend in a process called 'substituting'. Though bosses can ask for a photograph of the rider on the day, it is feared illegal migrants simply ask the person they take the shift from to pose for the picture. And even though riders have work profiles with companies such as Uber Eats, some lend their account out for roughly 70 a week to their friends by sharing their log in details. It is much harder to check who is working if the shift has been substituted out. Only in April, 2023 the Home Office revealed that two in every five delivery riders were working here illegally. Some bragged about earning up to 1,500 a month while living in Britain. In December, the Mail on Sunday tracked down an illegal delivery driver posting pictures of himself spraying cash about the floors of a hotel. Sudanese national Omer Muhammad, 34, made a series of posts on social media, showing him with wads of cash. Mr Muhammad was in France posing for photos by the Eiffel Tower just before he was seen crossing the English Channel in a small boat packed with migrants. Tracked to his hotel in Derby where he was staying with 200 other migrants, he explained he works in takeaways and building sites, earning up to 60 per day. He said: 'Plenty of work in food delivery.' He said he left his wife behind in Darfur, Sudan, and headed to Libya by land, before boarding a migrant boat to Malta. After working there illegally for three years, he flew to Milan with an Italian passport bought on the black market, and then headed to Paris by train, posting Instagram photos in front of the Eiffel Tower. In April the Home Office launched a crackdown on illegal working in the fast-food industry. In one week 60 delivery drivers were arrested and the Home Office entered into talks with Deliveroo, JustEat and UberEats. Most of the 60 were detained further and sent for removal from Britain. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Illegal working undermines legitimate employers and employees, as well as our immigration system. Robert Jenrick: Formerly the immigration minister who wants fast-food chains to crackdown 'Employers also have a critical role to play in combating illegal working, and we will be working closely with them to develop more preventative strategies.' Most of the major delivery companies have introduced a means to control who is working on the substitute shift. This includes Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. But Ms Brown warned the problem is not going to be solved anytime soon. She said: 'The problem right now is there's no market forces encouraging the delivery apps to solve this,' she says. 'The incentives are massively in favour of ignoring the problem, because you have the chance to pay people very low wages and the companies themselves aren't on the hook if someone's found to be illegally working on the app. 'So I think the market could solve this, but it would have to be the case that Deliveroo and the other companies were facing the prospect of fines for employing people illegally.' A Deliveroo spokeswoman said: 'We take our responsibilities seriously and have strengthened our controls to prevent platform misuse. 'We have introduced a market leading, thorough registration process for substitutes to ensure their right to work is verified, enhancing our existing measures for main account holders. 'Deliveroo uses identity verification technology to ensure compliance and we remain committed to working with the Home Office and industry leaders to support ongoing efforts.' A Just Eat spokeswoman said: 'We take our responsibilities on this issue seriously and as part of our work with the UK Home Office, have introduced a register for couriers using substitutes, which includes spot checks to ensure account holders are conducting right to work checks required by law. 'This is just the first step we are taking to tackle this issue and our dedicated teams continue to explore additional measures we can implement to ensure couriers substituting their work do so safely and in accordance with the law.' An Uber Eats spokesperson said: 'Uber Eats has launched identity verification checks to help ensure only those who legitimately use someone else's account to earn with us are able to. We are constantly reviewing these processes to ensure they are as robust as possible.' A man has been killed and two police officers have been injured in an explosion at a home near Brisbane. A loud bang was heard just after 9pm on Thursday before neighbours found the house in Walloon, in Ipswich, on fire, the Brisbane Times reported. A man could be heard screaming inside but locals were unable to get inside the property. FIrefighters were able to rescue the man from the flames but he died at the scene. Two police officers were taken to hospital after suffering smoke inhalation. Two dogs who were stuck inside a parked car on the drive way were freed. The police and firefighters are investigating the cause of the blaze. A man has been killed and two police officers have been injured in an explosion at a home near Brisbane Starbucks' new CEO Brian Niccol is expected to be paid well over $100 million in his first year with the company in one of the biggest US hires on record. In an added sweetener, Niccol will not be required to relocate from his home in Newport Beach, California, to Seattle, the headquarters of the global cafe chain. Starbucks announced on Tuesday that Niccol would take over from Laxman Narasimhan, who stepped down abruptly after spending little more than a year in the top job after facing public critiques from the company's founder. Niccol, who was lauded for his successful turnaround at Burrito chain Chipotle, will take the reins as the coffee giant's chairman and CEO on September 9. 'Right now he's considered to be almost the LeBron James or the Tom Brady or the [Lionel] Messi of the restaurant industry,' Bernstein analyst Danilo Gargiulo said as news broke of his hiring. Brian Niccol will take the reins as the coffee giant's chairman and CEO on September 9 Niccol became one of the most highly sought after corporate executives in the world after he established a track record of success in turning around companies that have hit a rough patch, including Taco Bell and, most recently, Chipotle. He took the top job at the California chain in 2018 when Chipotle was being roiled by a series of foodborne illness outbreaks that had sickened more than 1,000 of its customers over several years. Revenue at Chipotle has nearly doubled since his arrival after he energized product innovation and at the same time, instituted employee benefits like a program that pays employees' college tuition costs at certain schools. Starbucks is counting on Niccol to revive fading sales and re-establish the company as a destination where customers are willing to pay premium prices for its products. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Wednesday, Starbucks said that the 50-year-old Niccol will receive a cash bonus of $10 million as well as $75 million in equity to make up for what is being forfeited by his abrupt departure from Chipotle. The equity component of his pay package will vest over time and is contingent on meeting performance targets. If Starbucks meets those targets and other goals, his pay could easily surpass $100 million in his first year. Laxman Narasimhan former boss of British consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser - joined Starbucks in March 2023 Niccol's annual base salary will be $1.6 million. He'll also have an annual cash incentive opportunity at a target of 225 per cent of his base salary and a maximum of 450 per cent of base salary. If he achieves the maximum incentive, it would be about $8.8 million. Starting in fiscal 2025, Niccol will be eligible to receive annual equity awards worth up to $23 million. Perhaps just as notable, Starbucks is not requiring that Niccol relocate to Starbucks headquarters in Seattle, saying he can remain in Newport Beach, California, where he currently lives and where Chipotle is based. According to a regulatory filing, Starbucks will help create, with assistance from Niccol, a small remote office in Newport Beach and the company will hire an assistant for Niccol at that location. Niccol will commute to Seattle as needed on the company plane, as well as embark on any other business travel that's deemed necessary. Niccol will commute to Seattle as needed on the company plane, as well as embark on any other business travel that's deemed necessary Starbucks Chief Financial Officer Rachel Ruggeri is serving as the interim CEO until Niccol arrives in early September. Niccol will be the fourth boss in less than three years after Narasimhan former boss of British consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser who joined in March 2023 - left with immediate effect. Throughout his tenure, Narasimhan faced scrutiny over his lack of experience in the restaurant sector, as well as critiques from predecessor Howard Schultz, the pioneer who built Starbucks into the world's largest coffee chain. Schultz, who severed ties with Starbucks last September but remains one of its largest shareholders, published an open letter on LinkedIn in May slamming disappointing earnings and what he called the company's 'fall from grace'. He said the company needed to renew its focus and begin fixes at home in the US, as well as face up to its problems. 'At any company that misses badly, there must be contrition and renewed focus and discipline on the core,' he said. 'Own the shortcoming without the slightest semblance of an excuse.' Starbucks' downturn has been blamed on weaker demand due to price rises and boycotts related to the war in Gaza and alleged links to Israel Narasimhan, who was recruited by Schultz, said at the time: 'We had a tough quarter. We need to do better, and we will. As I look forward, I'm confident we have the right strategy.' Starbucks' downturn has been blamed on weaker demand due to price rises and boycotts related to the war in Gaza and alleged links to Israel. Mellody Hobson, who spearheaded the leadership shake up, said the board had begun pushing to have Narasimhan replaced 'a couple months ago.' 'I made an overture through someone to Brian, and he took the call,' Hobson told CNBC. 'We thought we had the opportunity to engage with one of the biggest names in the industry, someone whose track record is just clearly proven,' she said. 'He knows this industry, and we thought he would be the right leader for this moment.' Shares of Starbucks surged 20 percent when Niccol's appointment was announced earlier this week, and changed little Thursday. Commentary: China, Brazil join forces for next "golden 50 years" of ties 10:13, August 16, 2024 By Chen Weihua and Zhao Yan ( Xinhua RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- As China and Brazil commemorate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, it is worth reflecting on what has become one of the most important partnerships within the Global South that features mutual respect, equality, and win-win cooperation. As the largest developing countries and important emerging market economies in their respective regions, China and Brazil have no geopolitical conflicts or disputes over interests. Their economies are highly complementary and their interests are deeply intertwined. Their similar positions on international and regional issues represent a valuable strategic asset and shared interest. For 50 years, China and Brazil have pursued a relationship grounded in a shared vision of mutual development, viewing each other's progress as an opportunity for their own growth. This partnership, driven by a commitment to practical cooperation, has not only achieved remarkable leaps in economic cooperation but has also provided substantial support for the modernization efforts of both nations. Since 2009, China has become Brazil's largest trading partner and a major source of investment, while Brazil has become China's largest trading partner in Latin America. Chinese customs data have shown that the trade volume between China and Brazil reached 181.53 billion dollars in 2023, with Brazil becoming the first Latin American country to surpass 100 billion dollars in exports to China. Beyond traditional manufacturing and goods trade, Chinese companies have actively participated in renewable energy projects in Brazil, including hydropower, solar, and wind energy. This involvement in green economic development has further diversified and advanced China-Brazil investment cooperation. The two countries are also aligning their development strategies and expanding cooperation in cutting-edge areas such as energy transition, digital economy, low-carbon and smart agriculture, biotechnology, information technology, artificial intelligence, and aerospace. Cultural exchanges between China and Brazil have also thrived, strengthening the friendship between their people. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the Brazilian city of Recife has designated 2024 as the "Year of China" to foster a conducive environment for cultural relations. Brazilian music, literature, and films are gaining popularity in China. Brazil was invited as the guest of honor at the Beijing International Film Festival, where Brazilian films were showcased to Chinese audiences. After overcoming various challenges over the past half-century, China-Brazil relations have gained significant strategic importance and global influence. The overall strength of their relationship has become increasingly evident. In a rapidly changing world, China and Brazil are strengthening strategic cooperation within multilateral frameworks like the UN, G20, BRICS, and the WTO to amplify the voices of developing countries and safeguard the interests of emerging markets. Their joint six-point consensus on the Ukraine issue has gained recognition from a growing number of countries. As both nations look toward a shared future, they have the opportunity to draw on past successes as a foundation for progress. By enhancing their mutually beneficial cooperation, they can together pave the way for the next "golden 50 years" of bilateral relations. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Dozens of misdemeanor criminal cases to be heard at San Franciscos Hall of Justice were dismissed in the wake of a California appellate court ruling that said the citys courts were taking too long to process cases. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle San Francisco Superior Court officials dismissed dozens of misdemeanor cases after a wave of courtroom delays that pushed trials past their constitutional deadline. Thursdays dismissals come a month after a panel of California appellate judges found that San Francisco courts improperly postponed a defendants trial, largely by citing pandemic-era delays that were no longer justified. The ruling paved the way for others in the same circumstances to also have their charges thrown out. The massive courtroom blunder has prompted parties from all sides of the cases to begin pointing fingers, with prosecutors and defense attorneys blaming judges for the delays, while the court argued that it was actually the San Francisco District Attorneys Office that was at fault. Advertisement Article continues below this ad District Attorney Brooke Jenkins office said prosecutors identified 74 cases that could be impacted by the appellate decision which included charges of DUIs, sexual battery and violations of a stay-away order and did not oppose the dismissal of 70 of them. All 70 of those cases Thursday were tossed by a judge, after court officials ordered prosecutors to show why the cases shouldnt be dismissed in light of the ruling. In statement, Jenkins said her office was duty bound to try cases fairly and ethically, and agreed that the courts were required to dismiss the cases. But she stressed that the courts delays had failed not only the defendants who were deprived of their right to a speedy trial, but the countless victims of crime who will not see justice done. At the Civic Center courthouse Thursday morning, San Francisco Superior Court Presiding Judge Anne-Christine Massullo listened to the statements of seven people named as victims in several of the dismissed cases, who described their anger and pain of being denied their day in court. Among the dropped cases was a vehicle crash that killed two pedestrians near the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in 2022. Wayne Henderson, the husband of Mary Henderson, 72, and father of 31-year-old Willa Henderson, who both died in the crash, attended the hearing via Zoom as victim advocate Ariel Edwards read his statement to the court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We, the victims of these crimes, are being denied our moment of accountability to see and hear the defendant answer for his misconduct. The moment that we at the very least deserve, his statement read. How is this justice? Massullo thanked Henderson for his moving and eloquent letter, and said she is sorry for the familys loss. In a statement to the Chronicle, Massullo said the court was required to dismiss the cases after the Court of Appeal ruling. There was no discretion. We were required to follow their order, Massullo said, noting the bravery of the victims who came forward Thursday. Massullo did not address the appeal judges conclusion that the courts pandemic-based delays were unwarranted, but instead appeared to place blame on prosecutors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the future, we hope that the district attorneys office will prioritize cases appropriately so that justice can be served, Massullo said. In response to the apparent criticism, a spokesperson for the district attorneys office said it isnt the responsibility of prosecutors to manage the courts caseload. Any insinuation by the Court that our office should resolve cases irresponsibly in order to help the Court manage its caseload is injudicious, misplaced, and improper, the spokesperson said. The decision to toss the cases followed a ruling by a state appeals court last month that said a San Francisco woman was denied her constitutional right to a speedy trial after years of delays that her trial judge attributed to the pandemic and overcrowded courtrooms. Judges cannot perpetually rely on the COVID-19 pandemic to postpone trials beyond the dates guaranteed by California law, said the 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco. Citing a Superior Court judges findings in the case, the appellate panel said there were potentially hundreds of misdemeanor cases in Superior Court that are beyond the statutory last day to commence trial. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The dismissals marked a rare moment of unity between prosecutors and public defenders, who both squarely laid blame for the postponements on San Franciscos Superior Court judges. Jenkins called the trial delays an abuse of discretion by judges. Attorneys with the public defenders office who for years have protested courtroom backlogs and sued the court over them praised the appeals court decision while noting the harm that the years of postponements had caused. The city shut down all jury trials for three months at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, partially reopening in June. But even years later, after the rest of the city had returned to business as usual, courtrooms sat vacant or were used to prioritize civil over criminal trials, defense attorneys said. We saw our attorneys caseloads really balloon, (and) our clients were incredibly frustrated, said Andrea Lindsay, a manager of the public defenders offices misdemeanor unit. A lot of people had righteous cases that if they went to trial, they would have been vindicated. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lindsay said over the past year and a half, long after most COVID-era restrictions had been lifted, attorneys would show up on the day of trial with their clients, only to be told by the judge that it wasnt happening, frequently with little explanation. Lindsay said while none of those involved in the dismissed cases were incarcerated while awaiting trial, several were subject to release conditions such as restrictions on their driving or requirements to attend weekly classes. Lindsay said its possible that more cases could be dismissed after Thursday and that attorneys are still working to identify which could qualify under the appeals court ruling. However, she said, the courts stopped pushing trial dates past their deadlines earlier this year. The ruling came in the wake of reductions in state funding for courts. Californias 2024-25 budget approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers included $16 billion in spending reductions to address Californias fiscal deficit. Funding for trial courts was reduced by $97 million, and budgets of the state Supreme Court, appellate courts and administrators were cut by 7.95%. We will continue to raise our concerns about the real-life impact of these cuts on Californians throughout the state who rely on our courts, Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero said in a statement after the cuts were announced. Despite these challenges, we will continue to work diligently to mitigate and manage impacts to the courts and to the public we serve. In Alameda County, the courts are encouraging employees to take four days off without pay during Christmas week, said Superior Court spokesperson Paul Rosynsky. The most severe judicial impact was apparently in Los Angeles County, where Superior Court officials said they will have to eliminate as many as 130 paid staff positions among their nearly 5,000 employees. In 1997 they were known as 'Blair's Babes' and in 2010 they became 'Cameron's Cuties'; so in 2024 they have been dubbed 'Starmer's Sisterhood'. Thirteen MPs elected as part of Labour's landslide last month are featured in the September issue of British Vogue. The fashion bible has titled them the 'women MPs determined to change Britain for the better' and they have promised a 'shift' in British politics. Six of the 'Vogue 13' are newly-elected MPs, while seven have returned to the House of Commons following the general election on 4 July. But, since they posed for a glossy photoshoot with the magazine, two of their number - Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana - have been suspended from Labour. This followed their rebellion against Sir Keir over the King's Speech, as they backed an amendment in favour of scrapping the two-child benefit cap. Thirteen MPs elected as part of Labour's landslide last month are featured in the September issue of British Vogue Tony Blair famously posed for a photograph with most of the 101 female Labour MPs elected as part of his 1997 landslide victory The images led to the female MPs being known as led to them being known as 'Blair's Babes'. Who are the 'Vogue 13'? Apsana Begum, 34, MP for Poplar and Limehouse - former council worker who is the UK's first hijab-wearing MP. Currently suspended by Labour. Kate Dearden, 30, MP for Halifax - former trade unionist and ex-chair of Labour Students. Now a Government assistant whip. Bell Ribeiro-Addy, 39, MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill - former chief of staff to veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott and an ex- shadow minister. Elsie Blundell, 33, MP for Heywood and Middleton North - a local councillor who was campaigning at eight months pregnant. Gen Kitchen, 29, MP for Wellingborouh and Rushden - former charity fundraiser who cut short her honeymoon to win a by-election. A Government assistant whip. Amanda Martin, 50, MP for Portsmouth North - former teacher who was once president of the National Education Union. She ousted Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt at the general election. Uma Kumaran, 38, MP for Stratford and Bow - former aide to Sadiq Khan and Sir Keir Starmer. She is the first British politician of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her parents fled the country's civil war in the 1980s. Zarah Sultana, 30, MP for Coventry South - chair of the Socialist Campaign Group. Currently suspended by Labour. Nadia Whittome, 27, MP for Nottingham East - previously the 'Baby of the House' following her election in 2019 at the age of 23. Louise Haigh, 37, MP for Sheffield Heeley - former trade unionist who is now Transport Secretary and the youngest member of Sir Keir's Cabinet. Taiwo Owatemi, 32, MP for Coventry North West - former pharmacist who is now a Government whip. Helena Dollimore, 30, MP for Hastings and Rye - previously worked for Save the Children in refugee camps and was once chair of the Oxford University Labour Club. Rosie Wrighting, 27, MP for Kettering - quit her job as a buyer for fashion website Asos to focus on being elected to Parliament. Advertisement Bell Riberio-Addy, the 39-year-old who was re-elected to Parliament as Clapham and Brixtol Hill MP on 4 July, told the magazine that Labour's landslide had ushered in 'the most representative parliament in history'. Helena Dollimore, 30, who was newly-elected as MP for Hastings and Rye last month, said: 'We're going to see a shift in the way we saw [with] the biggest intake of women in 1997. 'For the first time, Parliament started talking about childcare and domestic violence properly. 'The same could happen this time with the huge change we've seen we've already seen that in who's leading the country.' Tony Blair famously posed for a photograph with most of the 101 female Labour MPs elected as part of his 1997 landslide victory, which led to them being known as 'Blair's Babes'. Prior to the 2010 general election, David Cameron selected a number of female candidates in safe Tory seats as he pushed to change the image of the party. Many of them took part in a glossy photoshoot prior to election night, including future Cabinet ministers Kemi Badenoch, Priti Patel and Penny Mordaunt - which saw them dubbed 'Cameron's Cuties'. The 1997 general election saw a total of 120 women elected to the House of Commons, exactly double the number elected in 1992. On July 4 this year, a record number of women were elected to Parliament with 263 of the 650 MPs (40 per cent) now female. This was up from 220 in 2019. But Louise Haigh, 37, the Transport Secretary and MP for Sheffield Heeley, hailed Labour's new Government as 'not just much more female, it's much more representative of the country at large'. 'It's just much more normal than any cabinet, I think, that's ever sat before it,' she added. Stratford and Bow MP Uma Kamaran, 38, now holds the distinction of being the first British politician of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. 'You feel the weight of history,' she said. 'I've seen an incredible outpouring of support from the Tamil diaspora.' Kettering MP Rosie Wrighting, 27, described how she took leave from her job as a buyer for fashion website Asos to stand in her Northamptonshire constituency. She said her 'real-world experience' of struggling at university when 'there wasn't money at the end of the month, despite working full-time' prompted her to get into politics. 'Yesterday was the first time I've ever walked into the House of Commons,' she told the magazine. 'I've never been in the building before.' Since the 'Vogue 13' posed for a glossy photoshoot, two of their number - Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana - have been suspended from Labour On July 4 this year, a record number of women were elected to Parliament with 263 of the 650 MPs (40 per cent) now female. This was up from 220 in 2019 Gen Kitchen, 29, who first won her Wellingborough seat at a by-election in February before being re-elected in July, recounted her emotions on election night when her constituency was projected by the exit poll to be too close to call. 'I went upstairs, had a bit of a cry in the shower, listened to some piano versions of Taylor Swift's Reputation and then I got myself together,' she said. Kim Jong Un has dished out cakes to children who have been relocated following devastating floods in North Korea. The dictator visited flood victims on Thursday after they were relocated from the northwestern regions near China due to severe flooding, with state media reporting on high-level efforts to mitigate the impact of 'disastrous abnormal weather'. Kim joined hundreds of children eating in a dining hall in Pyongyang and gave cake to the youngsters, who gathered around their leader. He was pictured laughing with the children as he handled the sweet treats before hugging a few of them. About 13,000 people - including children, pensioners and disabled soldiers - are now staying at Pyongyang's April 25 Hotel and a military base built to train troops for parades, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Kim Jong Un has dished out cakes to children who have been relocated following devastating floods in North Korea Kim joined hundreds of children eating in a dining hall in Pyongyang and gave cake to the youngsters, who gathered around their leader He was pictured laughing with the children as he handled the sweet treats before hugging a few of them This comes after state media said on August 10 that North Korea would move more than 15,000 flood victims to the capital, as leader Kim Jong Un insisted recovery efforts would be 'based on self-reliance' despite offers of aid from abroad. Kim promised to rebuild and modernize regions near the border with China that were devastated by recent floods as he greeted thousands of displaced residents given temporary accommodation in the country's capital, state media said Friday. Farmland and homes were flooded after heavy rain hit Sinuiju city and Uiju county, which border China, at the end of July. North Korean state media said earlier this month that about 4,100 houses, 7,410 acres of agricultural fields and numerous public buildings, roads and railways in Sinuiju and Uiju were flooded. In an emergency Politiburo meeting presided in Sinuiju, leader Kim Jong Un asked authorities to 'strictly punish' those who he said neglected their responsibilities for disaster prevention and caused 'even the casualty that can not be allowed,' according to KCNA. KCNA said Politburo members later approved the appointments of new Workers' Party secretaries in the flood-hit regions and a new public security minister. This picture taken on August 15, 2024 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on August 16, 2024 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (centre) welcoming victims of the flood-affected areas in the northwestern part of the country after they arrived in Pyongyang Kim made his rounds around the children's dining hall and spoke to a few of them North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (left) rides in a dingey through flood waters as he inspects the area for damage after record-breaking heavy rains on July 29 in the city of Sinuiju in North Pyongan Province Kim Jong Un looking out from a car as he inspects the area for flood damage after record-breaking heavy rains in the city of Sinuiju on July 28, 2024 In the Politiburo meeting, officials decided to build 4,400 new houses and strengthen embankments in Sinuiju and Uiju and restore damaged facilities in Jagang province, KCNA said. Kim ordered urgent steps to supply flood victims with materials stockpiled for disaster relief and asked Politburo members to visit displaced people living in tents to console them and observe their living conditions, KCNA said. State TV aired footage in early August showing Kim and other officials riding on rubber boats to examine the scales of damages in the flood-ravaged areas. The footage showed many houses submerged in muddy waters, only their roofs visible. North Korea is prone to flooding from heavy summer rains because of poor drainage, deforestation and dilapidated infrastructure. A raging businessman destroyed a bed of wildflowers in a row with green-fingered neighbours who installed a community planter outside his house. Video footage appears to show wind turbine company director Mike Hodgson, 54, pulling out the colourful herbs and flowers less than 24 hours after the raised bed had been tenderly planted by volunteers. Mr Hodgson and his partner, who have been accused of 'terrorising' locals with anti-social behaviour, allegedly took 'power tools and crowbars' to destroy the bed of blooms next to his luxury home. The green energy boss and his partner Shirin Poostchi, 55, were filmed on Tuesday as they climbed onto the soil and pulled out the plants that had been put in place. Mr Hodgson was seen ripping out all the insect friendly plants before trying to cut up the wooden planter with an angle grinder. Residents of Gwaenysgor then staged a 'sit-in' to protect the flower bed during the turf war in the heart of the countryside village. Video footage appears to show wind turbine company director Mike Hodgson, 54, pulling out the colourful herbs and flowers less than 24 hours after the raised bed had been planted Mr Hodgson was pictured holding a crowbar aloft as he spoke to village volunteers Mr Hodgson attempted to destroy the wooden planter by cutting it up with an angle grinder Villagers staged a sit in to try and protect the bed, but Mr Hodgson simply climbed over them Michael Hodgson, 53, is the CEO of an offshore wind company but used to work in the oil and gas industries Locals said there had been an ongoing planning dispute with wind turbine company boss Mr Hodgson after he moved into the countryside village of Gwaenysgor, North Wales, around 10 years ago. Tuesday's incident marked a low point in a long running feud between Mr Hodgson, his partner Shirin Poostchi and a number of residents in Gwaenysgor, near Prestatyn, in Flintshire, north Wales. There has been allegations of verbal abuse, vandalising of cars and other vehicles being covered in stale bread, chip fat and lipstick when they had been parked close to Mr Hodgson's home. Complaints to police about the hostile climate and distressing incidents in the village have created a bulging file known by insiders as the 'Gwaenysgor problem' but have not resulted in any action. At lunchtime on Tuesday, two police cars containing four officers raced to the scene and separated the opposing factions amid fears it could come to blows over the biodiversity project. It was one of six planned planters to be set up on odd areas of unkempt, unadopted ground around the village and it was constructed with the help of the local conservation group as part of a Britain in Bloom bid. Mr Hodgson, who worked for 20 years in the oil and gas industries, is understood to have become increasingly incensed over three failed planning applications he had made for his 500,000, four bedroom home at the end of Lon Capel street. The bed was planted in preparation for Britain in Bloom and in association with the village Conservation Group and Community Council Biodiversity Project Community volunteers sat on the planter in an attempt to stop the couple from destroying it Mr Hodgson and Ms Poostchi brought tools to the flower bed and tried to demolish it completely Less than 24 hours earlier members of the Gwaesnygor community had come together to plant the first of six planned beds The plants were all bee and insect friendly, and it was hoped the planters would help the area's biodiversity On each occasion there has been vociferous opposition from locals opposed to his attempt to build a home office and gym in his garden and create off street parking for himself on land which they say he does not own. Mr Hodgson, 53, director of a company which maintains the blades on wind turbines, and Ms Poostchi, 55, moved into Gwaenysgor in 2013. Soon after clashes with neighbours began. He has even been barred from the Eagle & Child opposite his house by landlord Clinton Borders who has complained about access to his premises for customers and brewery drays being blocked. Neighbour Andy Clarke, 58, said: 'We installed a herb planter adjacent to their house - it is not on their land but is next to it. 'Members of the public had to sit on the bed to stop them destroying it. The police were called but no one was cautioned or arrested. 'What happened was breathtaking. 'We had all worked on this to try and brighten up some of the messier parts of the village. There is a wonderful growing sense of community here but one which Mr Hodgson does not seem to share. 'We hoped this planter would be the beginning of a planned project of six which would blossom in to a full-blown Britain in Bloom entry. After less than 24 hours, we are back to square one.' Mr Clarke, a creative director at a design agency, added the flowers had been planted with the support of the community council in what he described as a 'sleepy, rural, village, where the average age of residents must be over 60'. He said: 'We planted this to brighten things up and as part of readying the village for Britain in Bloom and in association with the village Conservation Group and Community Council Biodiversity Project.' Mr Hodgson is seen gesticulating at the person filming the incident It is not known what happened to the plants uprooted during the row on Tuesday Posting a video of the incident on social media, Mr Clarke added: 'To see our friends and neighbours terrorised and threatened by [Mr Hodgson] will haunt my sleep.' During the video, a man can be heard saying in front of Mr Hodgson: 'This is how CEOs of companies behave. I'm going to love putting this on his LinkedIn account later on today. This is going to be fabulous on his LinkedIn profile.' Mr Clarke said villagers had previously contacted their local Conservative Senedd Member Mark Isherwood and police regarding alleged 'anti-social behaviour' problems with Mr Hodgson but to no avail. Accusations levelled by residents include verbal abuse and inconsiderate parking. Mr Hodgson said he did not wish to comment on the dispute and said: 'To be honest it is not something we want to be dealing with.' Ms Poostchi added: 'We're trying to get on with our day at work.' North Wales Police has been contacted for comment. A Southport riot yob who hurled himself at a police van and smashed it up while officers were trapped inside has pleaded guilty to causing violent disorder. Luke Moran, 38, was seen in shocking body-worn camera footage striking the driver's window of the vehicle during the mass disturbance on July 30. The video showed him approaching the stationary van - where a police officer was at the wheel - and try to pull the wing mirror off. Moran went on to forcefully punch the window, making the police officer fear for his safety. It was impossible at that point for the police officer to move the vehicle away from the scene, meaning he was, in effect, trapped. Moran was part of a mob that had descended on Southport, Merseyside, after three kids were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club event a day earlier. CCTV clips showed Moran in the crowd before the attack, milling around and appearing to incite the disorder, which was near the mosque. Luke Moran (pictured) was seen in shocking body-worn camera footage striking the driver's window of the vehicle during the mass disturbance on July 30 Moran went on to forcefully punch the window, making the police officer fear for his safety Speaking about the attack, the officer's statement read: 'My carrier became isolated and a focal point of the ongoing barrage. 'I seriously feared for my safety as I was faced by hundreds of men attempting to inflict serious harm onto the police. 'There was an obvious 'hardcore' element of the mob which stood at the front of the crowd who were intent on inflicting harm on officers.' Moran was arrested on August 14 by Merseyside Police after being identified from the CCTV footage. His initial response to questions during his interview was: 'I was nowhere near Zetland Street, St Luke's Street, mate'. But Moran, of Birkdale, Merseyside, later pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Liverpool Magistrates' Court today on August 15. He will be sentenced on August 21. District Crown Prosecutor Sarah Gray, of CPS Mersey Cheshire, said the video of Moran was 'truly shocking'. She said: 'The footage of Moran battering at the police van door is truly shocking, it made it impossible for the officer to either drive away or get out - the level of violence and aggression used absolutely appalling. 'In the midst of the serious violent disorder Moran persists in battering the door and seems absolutely determined to try to get at the officer. 'He was part of a crowd of people who were attacking police officers who were simply trying to maintain the peace. The video showed Moran approaching the stationary van - where a police officer was at the wheel - and try to pull the wing mirror off. It was impossible at that point for the police officer to move the vehicle away from the scene, meaning he was, in effect, trapped. 'The idea that Moran was motivated to behave in such a dreadful way in response to the murder of three children is extremely distressing and quite disgusting. 'Whatever he thought his motivation was, he behaved dreadfully on that day and is now facing the consequences.' Sarah Hammond, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said following Moran's plea that convictions of rioters would continue at pace. She said: 'Since this disorder began, prosecutors in Mersey-Cheshire have worked tirelessly to ensure convictions are secured swiftly. 'I am proud of the work my team has done to ensure those who incite violence online, and who have taken part in disturbing unrest on the streets, face the justice they deserve. 'We have already seen many convictions and imprisonments in Mersey-Cheshire, and I expect this number to grow as our prosecutors continue to work round-the-clock. 'Make no mistake, if you have taken part either by fanning the flames online or by bringing violence and disruption to our community, you will be caught, convicted and most likely imprisoned. 'It does not matter what your motivation may have been, you will be prosecuted.' A grandfather has been placed on home detention for a year after he climbed over a 1.8 metre high glass wall to attack his daughter's killer in court. Graham Mokaraka's daughter and mother-of-six Arohaina Henare, 34, was stabbed by Moses Taua and left to die on November 18, 2022. Taua, who is currently serving a life sentence in prison after pleading guilty to murder, appeared in New Zealand's Napier District Court on September 11 last year for a hearing. Mokaraka, 55, had gone to the court that day to drop off car keys to family members who were there for the hearing. Taua was only supposed to appear via videolink but instead sat behind a glass wall in the dock. When Taua's upbringing was mentioned in court and he was described as being a 'victim of circumstances', his victim's father snapped, the New Zealand Herald reported. Mokaraka managed to climb over the glass wall, stepping on the door handle, and began to attack Taua, who was handcuffed. Mokaraka had his shirt ripped off by a corrections officer who tried to stop him. The officer was knocked to the ground, breaking his kneecap in the process. Graham Mokaraka's daughter and mother-of-six Arohaina Henare, 34, (pictured) was stabbed by Moses Taua and left to die on November 18, 2022 Three other members of Ms Henare's family, including her 18-year-old twin sons, also then jumped the wall and joined in on the attack. The twins later pleaded guilty to assault and were sentenced to 12 months of supervision. Mokaraka pleaded guilty to assault with intent to injure over the attack on Taua and aggravated assault in relation to the corrections officer. He was sentenced in the same court as where the attack unfolded on Friday, where it was heard he'd felt 'overwhelming rage' when his daughter's murderer's background was brought up. Judge Richard Earwaker said on Friday that Mokaraka's 'vigilante justice' could not be tolerated despite his family's trauma. He also has a history of violence. 'Your family has been through a tremendous ordeal as a result of all this and I can't ignore that fact,' Judge Earwaker said. 'This was clearly vigilante justice which you were seeking to mete out, which can in no way be condoned or accepted.' Mokaraka was sentenced to 12 months of home detention. Mokaraka was sentenced to 12 months home detention for his 'vigilante justice' by Judge Richard Earwaker on Friday at New Zealand's Napier District Court (pictured) Taua was not badly injured in the attack but the Corrections officer has only just returned to work. The other family member who scaled the wall has since died. Taua murdered Ms Henare, who lived in a sleepout on his property, over a dispute about her moving out. The court heard that after a day of plying himself with alcohol, methamphetamine and cannabis, Taua confronted Ms Henare early in the morning due to an earlier altercation where she had shoved his partner. 'How dare you put your hands on my missus,' Taua said as he stabbed Ms Henare in the chest. He was sentenced to life in prison in October 2023, with a non-parole period of 10 years. Families forced to leave their homes in Russia's Kursk region amid Ukraine's cross-border offensive wept on television after being evacuated to Crimea, which is regularly hit by Ukrainian drones and missiles. Hundreds of evacuees from the Ukraine counter-offensive inside Russia have been sent to the peninsula annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014. The displaced are reportedly being paid to relocate to Crimea as Moscow's forces attempt to repel the Ukrainian advance in Kursk, despite regular Ukrainian warnings that it is unsafe for Russians to travel to the peninsula due to the ongoing war. Ukraine earlier today hit the peninsula with multiple thunderous attacks close to the 3 billion Kerch Bridge that links Crimea to the Russian mainland. Displaced people are being housed in vacant tourist complexes and sanatoriums where there is space because regular summer tourists have been scared away. Families forced to leave their homes in Russia 's Kursk region amid Ukraine's cross-border offensive wept on television as they learned they were being evacuated to Crimea The displaced are reportedly being paid to relocate to Crimea as Moscow 's forces attempt to repel the Ukrainian advance in Kursk A Ukrainian tank passes by a burning car near the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sumy region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 A handout picture made available by Russian Emergency ministry press service shows evacuated people from Belgorod and Kursk regions arriving to temporary accommodation points in Nevinnomyssk in Stavropolsky Kray, Russia War-displaced people receive humanitarian aid at a Russian Red Cross distribution point in Kursk on August 15, 2024 One evacuee named Maria told Russian state television had been taken to Kursk city from her village of Peschanoye in the Belovsky district - territory at risk of Ukrainian invasion. She was told by officials to go to Crimea 'because there are constant missile attacks [in Kursk] and it is very scary'. Another evacuee, Svetlana, from the Bolshesoldatsky district, said: 'They started declaring a missile threat often, it was very scary. 'Then they found out about Sudzha [being under siege], and drones started flying. 'They gathered us all and took us to Kursk [city], where we lived in a temporary accommodation centre. 'And the day before yesterday they called and offered to get us to Crimea. Thank God, they gave us a cash payment, they helped us a lot.' Svetlana, who went to Crimea with two children and her elderly mother, said through tears she was worried that they did not have time to gather winter clothes. 'We only have what we are standing in,' she said. 'That's what we managed to leave in. We really hope that we will not need them here in Crimea. 'We believe that we will return home before the cold weather sets in.' She said: 'Just let us get our bearings and calm down.' Evacuated people from Belgorod and Kursk regions arriving to temporary accommodation points in Nevinnomyssk in Stavropolsky Krai, Russia Evacuated people in the Kursk region queue to fill out the form for humanitarian aid at a humanitarian aid distribution center in Kursk, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 A Ukrainian military vehicle drives past a burning car on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, 2024 In this photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry press service on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, a Russian soldier fires a Rapira anti-tank gun, in the border area of Kursk region, Russia Ukraine has explicitly warned Russians not to travel to Crimea, which Putin annexed from Kyiv in 2014. In May 2023, amid rising tensions and increased military activity, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said: 'The best recommendation to the citizens of the Russian Federation is not to visit the occupied Crimea and the Black Sea coast. 'You are not welcome there. A big war is going on.' Zelensky himself spelt out the risks to people in Crimea, which officials in Kyiv say they want to reclaim following the 2014 annexation. 'I urge everyone in Crimea and other occupied territories to stay as far away as possible from military facilities and infrastructure used by the Russian army,' he said. ' Do not stay near Russian military facilities and facilities supporting their actions. If you are in Crimea, stay away from the military bases and airfields.' Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok is unleashing a 'torrent of misinformation' through its image generation tool, an expert has warned, as harmful images depicting politicians carrying out 9/11 and cartoon characters as killers are spreading on X. A new version of Grok, which is available to paid subscribers on the social media platform, was launched on Wednesday complete with a new AI image generation tool - prompting the flood of bizarre images to appear. The image tool seemingly has few limits on what it can generate - lacking guardrails which have become industry standard among rivals such as ChatGPT, which rejects prompts for images depicting real-world violence and explicit content for example. Grok by contrast has allowed the creation of degrading and offensive images, often depicting politicians or celebrities or religious figures in the nude or carrying out violent acts. The chatbot also does not appear to refuse to generate images of copyrighted characters, with many images of cartoon and comic book characters taking part in nefarious or illegal activities also being posted. Elon Musk 's AI chatbot Grok is unleashing a 'torrent of misinformation' through its image generation tool, an expert has warned Generate an image of Donald Trump and Elon Musk riding unicorns while fighting a horde of zombies Grok: pic.twitter.com/V6MAjN6FTa 0mega6 (@noCinErik) August 14, 2024 You cant unsee this. I asked Grok to create an image of Trump and Kamala working inside of an Amazon FBA warehouse. pic.twitter.com/kZ9llbO7wQ Jon Elder | Amazon Growth | Private Label (@BlackLabelAdvsr) August 14, 2024 Daniel Card, fellow of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, said the issue of misinformation and disinformation on X was a 'societal crisis' because of its potential impact. 'Grok may have some guardrails but it's unleashing a torrent of misinformation, copyright chaos and explicit deepfakes,' he said. 'This isn't just a defence issue - it's a societal crisis. Information warfare has become a greater threat than cyber attacks, infiltrating our daily lives and warping global perceptions. 'These challenges demand bold, modern solutions. By the time regulators step in, disinformation has already reached millions, spreading at a pace we're simply not prepared for. 'In the US, distorted views of countries like the UK are spreading, fuelled by exaggerated reports of danger. We're at a critical juncture in navigating truth in the AI era. 'Our current strategies are falling short. As we move into a digital-physical hybrid world, this threat could become society's greatest challenge. We must act now - authorities, governments and tech leaders need to step up.' But Musk appeared to revel in the controversial nature of the update to the chatbot, posting to X on Wednesday: 'Grok is the most fun AI in the world!' absolutely no one: my 12yo: "tell grok to make biden in diapers eating ice cream riding a unicorn on the moon + trump wearing heart underwear climbing Mt Everest carrying a candy taco." pic.twitter.com/uSMke9NtVK foundring (@foundring1) August 14, 2024 Some users responded to Musk by using the tool to mock him, for example asking the tool to picture him holding up offensive signs or in one case showing the staunch Trump supporter with a Harris-Walz placard. Further fake images show Kamala Harris and Donald Trump working together in an Amazon warehouse, enjoying a trip to the beach together and even kissing. More sinister AI creations included images of Musk, Trump and others taking part in school shootings, while some have also depicted public figures carrying out the September 11 terror attacks. Other users asked Grok to create highly offensive images including of prophet Muhammad, in one case holding a bomb. Several also showed politicians depicted in Nazi uniform and as historical dictators. Alejandra Caraballo, an American civil rights attorney and clinical instructor at the Harvard Law School Cyberlaw Clinic, slammed the apparent lack of filters in the Grok application. Writing on X, she described it as 'one of the most reckless and irresponsible AI implementations I've ever seen.' The wave of misleading images will cause particular concern ahead of the US election in November, with very few of the images accompanied by warnings or X's community notes. It comes in the wake of X and Musk being heavily criticised for the role the platform played in the recent riots in Britain, with misinformation allowed to spread which sparked much of the disorder, while Musk interacted with far-right figures on the site and reiterated his belief in 'absolute free speech'. And last month, he was accused of breaking his platform's own rules on deepfakes after he posted a doctored video mocking Vice President Harris by dubbing her with a manipulated voice. oh wow thx grok, now i can finally have Baroque Obama pic.twitter.com/ZESsvmgOJa Blair Dulder CPA (@runaway_vol) August 14, 2024 The clip was viewed nearly 130 million times by X users. In the clip, the fake Harris' voice says: 'I was selected because I am the ultimate diversity hire.' It then adds that anyone who criticizes her is 'both sexist and racist.' Other generative AI deepfakes in both the U.S. and elsewhere would have tried to influence voters with misinformation, humor or both. In Slovakia in 2023, fake audio clips impersonated a candidate discussing plans to rig an election and raise the price of beer days before the vote. In 2022, a political action committee's satirical ad superimposed a Louisiana mayoral candidate's face onto an actor portraying him as an underachieving high school student. Congress has yet to pass legislation on AI in politics, and federal agencies have only taken limited steps, leaving most existing US regulation to the states. More than one-third of states have created their own laws regulating the use of AI in campaigns and elections, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Beyond X, other social media companies also have created policies regarding synthetic and manipulated media shared on their platforms. Users on the video platform YouTube, for example, must reveal whether they have used generative artificial intelligence to create videos or face suspension. A debt-ridden council has accused a Dubai-based solar tycoon of blowing 150 million of its cash on his luxury lifestyle, including by purchasing his own yacht and private jet. A High Court lawsuit by Thurrock Council in Essex, which declared itself bankrupt in 2022, claims Liam Kavanagh spent 13.7 million on a new yacht, 9.1 million on a private jet and another 20 million on a 232-acre country estate in Hampshire. The council invested some 400 million in bonds for a green energy scheme involving solar farms run by Kavanagh and his company Rockfire Capital, and racked up debts totalling more than 1.4 billion. It initially invested 268m, and claims it then went on to invest more cash based on 'fraudulent misrepresentations' and that Kavanagh deliberately ensured 'completely unrealistic' electricity prices were used to increase the farms' value. A High Court judge first questioned the integrity of the scheme after it came to light that Kavanagh and his company had pocketed 5 million in 'commission'. A High Court lawsuit by Thurrock Council in Essex, which declared itself bankrupt in 2022, claims Liam Kavanagh spent 13.7 million on a new yacht, 9.1 million on a private jet and another 20 million on a 232-acre country estate in Hampshire Kavanagh owns a fleet of super-cars including a Bugatti Chiron (stock image) - although these are not cited in legal filings It is alleged Kavanagh spent almost 14 million of Thurrock Council's money on a Bombardier private jet (stock image) Now court papers have revealed how cash was splurged on the Bombardier jet and yacht, as well as a 3 million home in Mallorca. But the most expensive purchase was the Hampshire country estate, which comes complete with a swimming pool, wine cellar, home cinema and steam and hot tub room. Kavanagh also owned several supercars including a Bugatti Chiron, but there is no suggestion these were bought with the council's money. Thurrock's involvement with Mr Kavanagh began in June 2016 when, alongside Warrington and Newham councils, it financed the purchase of a solar farm in Swindon through bonds marketed by his company Rockfire Capital. Over the next two years, Thurrock helped buy 53 sites across the UK, all of which are now owned by Mr Kavanagh. The investments were issued through a complex series of bonds, all due to mature in the next three to four years. In return, Thurrock would get interest payments worth millions of pounds. Days after concerns emerged about Thurrock's solar deals in 2020, a new company, Anyard Holdings, was registered in the Isle of Man. Kavanagh subsequently liquidated key companies that owed the council hundreds of millions and transferred the solar farms into the new offshore structure. Kavanagh (pictured) subsequently liquidated key companies that owed the council hundreds of millions and transferred the solar farms into the new offshore structure Thurrock's involvement with Mr Kavanagh began in June 2016 when, alongside Warrington and Newham councils, it financed the purchase of a solar farm in Swindon Thurrock Council, which was Conservative until the local elections in May, issued its claim against Kavanagh and Rockfire Capital in March, and is asking for financial compensation. Last month, a judge ruled Kavanagh could be served with legal papers through a legal firm in the UAE. Court papers were published this week after Kavanagh's lawyers acknowledged their receipt. Kavanagh denies the allegations, previously releasing a statement: 'The claim has not been validly served on Mr Kavanagh and he is confident that his application challenging the court's jurisdiction will succeed. 'Irrespective of the question of jurisdiction, Mr Kavanagh strenuously denies the allegations. If and when necessary to do so, and should the court permit the claim to proceed, Mr Kavanagh will be putting forward a full defence.' Cllr John Kent, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: 'We have an obligation to Thurrock residents to recover as much money as possible and we will pursue these claims as vigorously as possible. 'We have served the claim on Kavanagh in Dubai, where he now resides, and now we look forward to our day in court where he will face accusations that he deceived the council and misappropriated money to fund an extravagant lifestyle he could otherwise not afford. 'This action demonstrates how determined we are to maximise our recovery on these investments, establish how our investment money was taken, and make sure that those culpable face the consequences of their actions. Labour has been accused of prioritising their trade union paymasters over pensioners after train drivers were handed a 14 per cent pay hike. In a 'no strings' deal struck between the Government and Aslef, rail workers who staged a series of strikes are set to see their average salaries rise to nearly 70,000. It comes shortly after junior doctors also agreed a pay deal with ministers to end industrial action, which could see their wages rising by 22 per cent over two years. At the same time, Labour is axing winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners as Chancellor Rachel Reeves looks to fill a 22billion 'black hole' in the public finances. Charities said many 'angry' retirees felt they were being treated as a 'lower priority' by the Government as they hit out at 'unfair' actions by ministers. And the Tories accused Labour of bowing down to trade unions over passengers, taxpayers and elderly people. In a 'no strings' deal struck between the Government and Aslef, rail workers who staged a series of strikes are set to see their average salaries rise to nearly 70,000 At the same time, Labour is axing winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners as Chancellor Rachel Reeves looks to fill a 22billion 'black hole' in the public finances Charities said many 'angry' retirees who face losing their winter fuel payments felt they were being treated as a 'lower priority' by the Government Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: 'We have been inundated with messages from pensioners who are angry and upset about the impact on them of losing their winter fuel payment this winter. 'And, in the light of news stories about various industrial disputes being settled, some are also commenting that they feel they are being treated as a lower priority and that this is unfair.' Tory MP Helen Whately, the shadow transport secretary, said: 'The Government has chosen to prioritise the unions over passengers and taxpayers and pensioners, too.' Train drivers are set to vote on their multi-year pay offer, which is 5 per cent for 2019 to 2022, 4.75 per cent for 2022 to 2024 and a further 4.5 per cent for 2024 to 2025. The deal will see the average driver's salary soar from 60,000 to 69,000 and bosses at the Aslef union claimed it was a 'no strings' offer. The previous Tory government had proposed reforms to working rules - dubbed 'Spanish Practices' - as part of a deal with Aslef in a bid to reduce the cost of running the railways. But these appear to have been ditched by Labour after they began talks with union bosses shortly after winning power last month. Aslef donated 100,000 to the Labour Party in the second week of the general election campaign. As well as a hike for striking junior doctors, pay rises for other public sector workers were also recently announced by Ms Reeves as she laid out plans for public spending in the early weeks of Labour coming to power. The Chancellor said she would take winter fuel payments away from about 10 million people by only making them available for those on means-tested benefits. Previously the payments were universal for all pensioners in England and Wales. Ms Reeves said the Government will keep paying winter fuel payments of 200 to households receiving pension credit, or 300 to those who also have someone over 80 years old. Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds this morning said it was 'unfair' to suggest more public sector workers will take industrial action in light of the Government's pay offers to train drivers and junior doctors. He said the Government was 'sticking to the promises we made in opposition' in its deals with public sector workers. When it was put to him that other public sector workers will be queuing up for a double-digit pay rise after the Government's offer to train drivers and junior doctors, Mr Thomas-Symonds disagreed. 'I think that's an unfair characterisation as well,' the Paymaster General told Times Radio. 'I think what is absolutely crucial here is we are a Government again that is sticking to the promises we made in opposition. 'We promised we would sit down and find solutions, and people expressed scepticism about that, but actually that is precisely what we have done in Government.' He said it was wrong to suggest there would be no reform of the railways alongside the pay offer, adding: 'We are absolutely looking to deliver a better service for passengers and, frankly, it's a low bar given the state the railways have been in in recent years.' Aslef's dispute is believed to be the longest-running one of its kind in history of Britain's railways, according to the union. The drivers are being recommended to accept the offer, which would end the two-year-long dispute, during which they have taken 18 days of strike action as well as refusing to work non-contractual overtime, causing huge disruption to passengers. A 32-year-old man has become the first adult to be charged with riot after this summer's violent disorder outbreaks across Britain and could now face a longer sentence of up to 10 years. Northumbria Police said today that Kieran Usher had become their second suspect to be charged with riot in connection with disorder in Sunderland city centre on August 2. It followed the force's announcement yesterday that a 15-year-old boy had been charged with the more serious offence after having previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder and burglary on Saturday. The teenager appeared in court yesterday and his case was adjourned following what a district judge called a 'surprise' charging decision. Riot is an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison - double that of a charge of violent disorder. Kieran Usher has been charged with riot in connection with disorder in Sunderland city centre on August 2 Northumbria Police said today that Kieran Usher had become their second suspect to be charged with riot in connection with disorder in Sunderland city centre on August 2 It followed the force's announcement that a boy, 15, had been charged with the more serious offence after having previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder and burglary Usher, 32, of Sunderland, who was arrested yesterday, appeared today at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court where prosecutors said he had acted in an 'aggressive manner; towards police officers and threw missiles at them during the unrest. The court heard he allegedly gestured towards officers and towards the crowds in the city centre in order to 'encourage violence'. District Judge Zoe Passfield remanded him in custody until his crown court appearance on August 23 after saying a series of video clips played to the court showed he had 'a willingness to engage in large-scale disorder'. Gale Gilchrist, chief crown prosecutor for CPS North East, earlier said: 'This defendant is one of a number of individuals who we expect will be charged with riot.' The move comes after a judge called on Wednesday for those who played a key role in the UK riots to be charged with offences that carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years instead of five. Judge John Thackray KC said prosecutors should look at charging people with riot instead of violent disorder after imprisoning a man who kicked a female police officer to the ground during violence in Hull. The Recorder of Hull made the remarks after jailing Connor Whiteley, 26, for three years for playing a 'prominent role' in the 'racist, hate-fuelled mob violence' that unfolded in the city on August 3. Up until now most defendants have been charged with violent disorder, which means a person intends to use or threaten violence or is aware their conduct may be violent or threaten violence. A person is guilty of riot if intending to use violence or being aware their conduct may be violent. Riots broke out in Sunderland on August 2, as well as in other towns and cities across the UK The disturbances in the north-eastern city were among a series of clashes across the country Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson, of Northumbria Police, has said anyone involved in the Sunderland riots on August 2 could face 'really serious charges' Meanwhile, Andrew McIntyre today pleaded not guilty to charges of encouraging murder, encouraging violent disorder and possession of a bladed article at Liverpool Crown Court. Chris Taylor, prosecuting, confirmed to Judge Neil Flewitt that 'in simple terms' the suggestion was that McIntyre was the administrator on an online group. More than 1,100 people have now been arrested over the recent violence, with almost 650 charged, the National Police Chiefs' Council said yesterday. Courts have continued to be packed with defendants after far-right yobs took to high streets in towns and cities across the UK following the killings of three young girls in Southport on July 29. The attack was wrongly blamed on a fictitious Islamist migrant, a theory spread through online misinformation. Violence broke out in cities across England and also in Northern Ireland - and has been followed by a hundreds of charges including for children as young as 12, while those arrested also include a 69-year-old accused of vandalism in Liverpool. In Hull, a man who looted cosmetics chain Lush during riots in the city is due to be sentenced for violent disorder, burglary and racially aggravated criminal damage. John Honey's sentencing hearing was previously adjourned after claims he asked a prison probation officer 'if he wanted his autograph as he is famous and is all over social media'. John Honey was filmed leaving a Lush store in Hull loaded up with looted products on August 3 John Honey pleaded guilty to the racially aggravated criminal damage of a BMW and damaging nine other cars as well as three charges of burglary, at Hull Crown Court John Honey (left), 25, attacked a BMW carrying frightened passengers in Hull on August 3 - leaving the driver fearing for his life Charges of stirring up racial hatred also continue to be brought before the courts across the country, with Wayne O'Rourke due to appear at Lincoln Crown Court. Geraint Boyce and Daffron Williams are due to be sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court for publishing threatening material on a Facebook account intending to stir up religious hatred. Sentencing hearings for violent disorder are due to take place in a number of different cities, including Bristol, Plymouth and Newcastle. A 28-year-old man who threw bricks, stones and wood at police in Hartlepool has been jailed for two years and eight months. Aaron Bradshaw, from the town, was captured on footage a number of times throwing missiles at officers during the disorder on July 31, Cleveland Police said. The force said he 'played a significant role' in the rioting. A spokesman said: 'He demonstrated aggressive behaviour and at one point was in possession of a police-style baton - lashing out at the officers to attempt to assault them. 'Bradshaw grabbed a large wooden plank which he launched towards the officers.' Honey's St George's Cross rugby shirt meant he was easy to identify during the disorder John Honey, 25, was pictured outside Greggs with stolen goods in Hull on August 3 Honey admitted three charges of burglary at the bath and shoe stores in the city of Hull The aftermath of violent disorder in Hull city centre which saw rioters tear through the shopping district Riot police are pictured standing guard outside a damaged O2 shop in Hull on August 3 Bradshaw was jailed at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday, the force confirmed. Cleveland Police said three other men were also jailed on Thursday in relation to the violence in Hartlepool on July 31 and Middlesbrough on August 4. Ben Judge, 28, from Hartlepool, was jailed for three years, with the force saying he threw bricks and a metal object at police during the disorder on July 31 and kicked-in a boarded-up window after pulling off the boarding. Noman Ahmed, 24, from Middlesbrough, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after he was caught on CCTV throwing punches in a crowd of people during the rioting in the town Jonathan Ambrose, 33, also from Middlesbrough, was identified as throwing missiles at officers during disorder on August 4 and police said he was also found in possession of class B drugs. Ambrose was jailed for 30 months. The UC Berkeley School of Law will offer an artificial intelligence degree to help students understand the synergy of law and technology. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle 2012 UC Berkeley School of Law has become, possibly, the first law school to offer a degree focused on artificial intelligence literacy for lawyers, as the emerging technology begins to alter the legal profession and the practice of law. Weve always had a strong focus on law and technology, and if you think about what is top of mind for regulators and policy makers, its AI, said Adam Sterling, the law schools assistant dean. He said the need for a degree focused in the area has increased, as more companies use AI and the technology becomes something attorneys must be familiar with. Roughly half of law schools already offer classes focusing on AI, with an even higher percentage offering clinics and other education about using AI tools, according to a recent American Bar Association survey. Berkeleys two-semester course is different in that it offers a standalone degree for attorneys. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The law school said its AI-focused master of laws degree is now open for applications, with classes starting in September of next year for those with juris doctor degrees or the international equivalent. Students can complete the program during two summer sessions, or partially remotely with one summer spent on campus. The program will cost around $73,000. UC Berkeley School of Laws AI-focused master of laws degree is open for applications, with classes starting in September of next year. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle 2018 Berkeley Law already offers a three-day program called the AI Institute for executives looking at the intersection of the technology with law and business, which more than 300 people attended last year. A Generative AI for the Legal Profession course saw 500 enrollees in the last go-round. Sterling said it is difficult to estimate the size of the first cohort next year. The coursework is still being hashed out, but one class taught by professor Colleen Chien will focus on AI law and policy. That course will focus on more of the regulation and legal issues that come with the development and use of the technology, Sterling said, including the implications of the European Unions AI Act, and legislation such as state Sen. Scott Wieners SB1047 bill, which would require safety testing of some large AI models, if signed into law. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That coursework will primarily be thinking about how governments are regulating AI including in the consumer protection, antitrust and privacy contexts, he said. Other schools offer courses on AI and the law, although not all of them are through law schools. This year Harvard launched an AI and the Law initiative at its Berkman Klein Center focusing on legal issues created by the rise of AI. Stanfords marquee Human-Centered AI institute has also run numerous studies focusing on the intersection of AI tools and the legal profession. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Some programs, such as Oaklands Everlaw, are already being used by attorneys in litigation. Ukraine has finally revealed footage capturing the first hours of their dramatic thrust into Russia's Kursk region last week. The videos - hidden until now - show how Kyiv's forces took their ill-prepared Russian counterparts totally by surprise with their stunning border breakthrough. One sequence shows Russian FSB security service border guards along with army conscripts emerging with white flags from the blitzed ruins of the Sudzha border checkpoint, which was quickly seized by Ukraine's 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade. Other clips show punishing missile strikes in Russian territory as Ukrainian armoured vehicles surge through open fields and built-up areas with ease as dozens of Russian troops are seen surrendering. Highlighted in the videos are 'de-mining, the border breakthrough, destruction of enemy defensive lines, air force and artillery operations, and taking prisoners', the official channel of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) said. Ukraine has finally revealed footage capturing the first hours of their dramatic thrust into Russia's Kursk region last week The videos - hidden until now - show how Kyiv 's forces took their ill-prepared Russian counterparts totally by surprise with their stunning border breakthrough The footage shows punishing missile strikes in Russian territory as Ukrainian armoured vehicles surge through open fields and built-up areas with ease Ukrainian tanks are seen smashing through 'dragon's teeth' barriers in Kursk Buildings in Russia's Kursk region are seen heavily damaged and trailing smoke amid Ukrainian strikes Drone footage shows Ukrainian armoured vehicles and trucks surging through Kursk Dozens of Russian troops are seen having surrendered to Ukraine's forces in Kursk Wounded Russian troops are seen surrendering after their positions were overwhelmed Russians evacuate a stricken member of their troop, as seen from a Ukrainian drone The AFU footage shows 'the first hours of the offensive operation by the defence forces in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation on 6 August 2024'. Ukraine's offensive into Kursk was described as 'a day that will go down in the history of the Russo-Ukrainian war. 'Careful preparation, planning, surprise, high morale, and information silence were crucial in the initial phase of the operation.' Future success in the incursion will depend on 'the resilience of the Ukrainian soldier in all branches of the armed forces involved in the operation'. It comes as Aleksei Zhivov, a Russian military volunteer and political analyst, demanded that Putin quizzes his top brass over why they ignored clear advance intelligence about the Ukrainian incursion. 'We were not taken by surprise [over the invasion in the Kursk region],' he told Vashi Novosti. 'Everything was reported [by military intelligence] in a timely manner, multiple times.' Zhivov insisted: 'There is information in both open and closed sources that all [Ukrainian troop] gatherings and military and analytical reports were communicated two weeks in advance, a month in advance, five days in advance, and two days in advance. 'There were the last red warning lights flashing from various military units indicating that a military operation might begin soon. 'This question [how Russia missed the preparation for the Ukrainian attack in the Kursk region] is not for me. It is for... the General Staff.' Blame is being attached to Chief of the General Staff of Russia's Armed ForcesValery Gerasimov amid speculation in Moscow that Putin is readying to replace him. Gerasimov allegedly received intelligence of an Ukrainian invasion of Russia before it happened and failed to act on it, before announcing 48 hours after Ukrainian troops attacked that the invasion had been stopped in its tracks - but in reality Ukraine kept seizing territory. A Ukrainian armoured military vehicle travels past a burned car near the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sumy region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 A handout still image taken from handout video provided on 14 August 2024 by the Russian Defence Ministry press-service shows Russian servicemen fire Russian Giatsint-S self-propelled gun towards Ukrainian positions at an undisclosed location Emboldened by the stunning offensive of his armed forces into Russia's Kursk region, the Ukrainian President is seizing the opportunity to hammer home his advantage Russian political analyst and military volunteer Aleksei Zhivov blames the General Staff for failing to act despite receiving multiple warnings about the impending Ukrainian troop invasion into Russia Valery Gerasimov reportedly received intel about Ukrainian troops amassing on the border Furious Russians living near the border town of Sudzha made a video appeal to Putin last week angrily attacking Gerasimov for 'lying' in claiming that the Ukrainian advance had been halted. 'Foreign troops with NATO equipment entered our land,' they complained, upset that they are facing the same foreign occupation that Putin has inflicted on large regions of Ukraine. 'Recently, the Chief of General Staff [General Valery Gerasimov] told you that the situation is under control. This is a lie. This lie allows civilians to die,' a woman in the group said. The military chief's alleged failure to act on intelligence of the invasion and apparent lie about it being stopped could possibly see Gerasimov being demoted in the near future. Putin has already handed the responsibility of tackling the invasion over to FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov, which could be a sign of Gerasimov being in Putin's bad graces. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officers fighting in the Kursk offensive have implored Britain to green-light the use of Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets deep into Russia. Deploying the British long-range rockets would allow Kyiv's forces to sever vital supply lines by striking key infrastructure up to 150 miles across the Russian border, Dmytro Lantushenko, the captain of a mortar brigade involved in the Kusk incursion declared yesterday. 'Those who are able to control their supply flows can maximise the use of their forces... If we had Storm Shadows we would be able to strike logistics hubs and railways and disrupt those lines,' he told the Times. British-made weaponry has reportedly been used to great effect by Kyiv's troops in their foray into Russia already. Several Challenger-2 tanks are believed to have forged across the border as part of the invasion force - though Russian military bloggers gloated yesterday that drones had successfully destroyed one of the British-made vehicles used in the offensive. Lantushenko's pleas for Storm Shadow missiles came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed drones are simply not enough to destroy key Russian military infrastructure and hammer home his advantage in Kursk. 'Our Ukrainian drones work exactly as they should, but unfortunately, there are things that cannot be done with drones alone,' the Ukrainian president said in his nightly address Wednesday. 'We need other weapons - missiles... long-range decisions for Ukraine. This must be done. The bolder our partners' decisions, the less Putin will be able to do about it.' Storm Shadow missiles are seen attached to the hard points of a Eurofighter Typhoon Storm Shadow missiles, accurate to beyond 150 miles, have already been used by Ukraine to hit targets in Russian-occupied territory to great effect. A Ukrainian soldier rides along a dirt road on a Challenger-2 tank on August 3, 2023 in Ukraine Ukrainian servicemen operate an armoured military vehicle on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, 2024 Newest NATO member Sweden declared yesterday morning that Ukraine has the right to defend itself both inside and outside its territory, with Kyiv's Western allies seemingly supportive of the incursion in Kursk. But approving the use of long-range missiles on Russian soil would signify a major shift from British, US and European governments who have thus far provided weaponry to Kyiv on the proviso they are not used for offensive strikes in Russia. Vladimir Putin and top-ranking Russian officials have trumpeted incessantly that they would consider any Western country to have directly entered the conflict should its weapons be used to attack Russian land, sparking fears that such a move could trigger the descent into World War III. However, Taras Kuzio, a professor of political science at the National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, posited that the assault on Kursk has shown that the fear of crossing Russian 'red lines' that could lead to nuclear escalation 'is a myth'. Sir Keir Starmer told reporters en route to Washington for NATO's 75th-anniversary summit in July that decisions on the use of UK-supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles were for the Ukrainian armed forces to make. Many believed this indicated that Kyiv had been granted permission to use the missiles to strike targets on Russian soil. But Downing Street was later forced to clarify that, although Ukraine was permitted to use UK-supplied weapons in Russia, the deployment of the long-range missiles had not been granted. Authorities in Texas are hunting for a suspected serial killer after linking the DNA between two murder scenes six years apart. The Austin Police Department said they had been investigating the recent killing of Alyssa Ann Rivera when they linked DNA with a previous unsolved case. Rivera, 34, was found dead inside an abandoned home on June 21, with her death now linked to the six year old case of Alba Jenisse Aviles, officials said. Aviles, 28, was found inside a silver Ford sedan in Bastrop County in 2018, just a few miles from where Rivera was found. Authorities say it isn't just the DNA at the scene that links the two, with the women both being strangled and their murders 'sexual in nature'. Rivera, pictured here, was found dead inside an abandoned home on June 21 with investigators tracing DNA at the scene to an unsolved case Aviles, 28, was found dead inside of he silver Ford sedan in Bastrop County in 2018, seen here, just a few miles from where Rivera was found Investigators also said that Aviles' killer met her at a bar in Austin called Club Caribe, just three miles from where Rivera was killed. Police have also since released a video that shows Rivera walking with a male 'person of interest' just before she was killed. Sgt. Nathan Sexton of the Austin Police Department said: 'There was a DNA link found between this case, and April 14th, 2018, in the unsolved murder of Alba Jenisse Aviles. 'Both victims are believed to have been sexually assaulted it was DNA found in both scenes, like multiple sources of DNA at both scenes.' Even with the new DNA evidence, they have been unsuccessful in using a DNA index system to track the person, meaning they likely haven't been arrested before. Sexton added: 'Unfortunately that suspect does not come back to CODIS, what we call the national database, so they're not in that system.' According to Sexton, the department and Bastrop County Sheriff's Office are working closely together to turn the DNA into a suspect. He added: 'We're trying to compare notes and see if there's anyone that may come up in both cases or may have lived here; so it will take quite a bit of research in going through the data.' When asked if there were any other murders that were linked, he replied: 'There could be more.' Police have also since released a video that shows Rivera walking with a male 'person of interest' just before she was killed According to Sexton, the department and Bastrop County Sheriff's Office are working closely together to turn the DNA into a suspect When asked if there were any other murders that were linked, Sexton replied: 'There could be more' A GoFundMe has since been set up for the family of Rivera, who said in a post to the fundraiser: 'As many know, our daughter, Alyssa Rivera was found murdered. 'We still have no answers as to how or why. But in the meantime we need to lay her to rest and are asking for any assistance in doing so. 'Alyssa was the most kind and big hearted soul. And anyone who knew her knew that. 'Please help us give our daughter the burial she deserves. Every bit helps and is greatly appreciated.' An anonymous family member also told CBS Austin: 'We love her so much, and we can't even imagine this happened to her. 'If you met Alyssa one time, you would never forget her. She didn't deserve this. She didn't and neither did we.' A young mother who raked in up to 38,000 after setting up an unlicensed puppy trading business was forced out of her home twice due to abuse, a court has heard. Tonicha Grady, 28, admitted at Carlisle Magistrates' Court to running a business in which she sold Staffordshire bull terriers for 2,000 each, claiming to be a licenced breeder on social media and on a website used for buying and selling cats and dogs. Animal welfare experts say that licensing is vital to protect dogs from unscrupulous breeders who avoid veterinary checks for health and 'overbreeding' - when a bitch is forced to have too many litters. Grady, of Carlisle, Cumbria, advertised the puppies on a website called Pets4Homes, a leading UK marketplace for dogs, puppies and kittens. The court heard how on three occasions, Grady advertised and sold puppies without having a licence, although on each occasion her ads falsely claimed that she did, which misled customers. Tariq Khawam, defending, told Carlisle Magistrates' Court that Grady had to leave her address on two occasions because of abuse. He also said the defendant 'never directly went out to deceive,' and explained she had acquired 15,000 of debt following a relationship breakdown. Tonicha Grady (pictured) admitted at Carlisle Magistrates' Court to running a business in which she sold Staffordshire bull terriers for 2,000 each, claiming to be a licenced breeder on social media and on a website used for buying and selling cats and dogs Grady, of Carlisle, Cumbria, advertised the puppies on a website called Pets4Homes, a leading UK marketplace for dogs, puppies and kittens He added there were never any complaints about the puppies she supplied and she gave the dogs everything they needed. District Judge John Temperley accepted that there was no evidence of harm to the puppies and one reference referred to the care and love she had lavished on the puppy supplied to one of her customers. But she was still fined 300, with a 34 surcharge, and costs of 300 as the offence went on for almost two years, he said. Jonathan Farnworth, prosecuting for Cumberland Council, told the court that Grady had previously paid the 430 for the local authority licence that allowed her to trade. The licence, which she had allowed to lapse, meant the dogs and their accommodation was checked by an approved vet to ensure there were no health or welfare issues. Grady continued to sell the terrier puppies illegally between February 1 of 2022 and January 8 of this year, said Mr Farnworth. He said: 'In that timeframe, she advertised four sets of puppies on the Pets4Homes website and on her Instagram business account. 'Basically, she made out that she was a licensed breeder, which the crown says was dishonest.' Although there had been 'no welfare issues,' Mr Farnworth described the business as 'lucrative,' producing a turnover during the period involved of between 33,000 and 38,000. The court heard how on three occasions, Grady advertised and sold puppies without having a licence, although on each occasion her ads falsely claimed that she did, which misled customers In June of 2022, she advertised five female pups at a price of 2,000 each and similar adverts appeared at later dates. Mr Farnworth added: 'Anybody who is running a business selling or breeding puppies has to be licensed, for obvious reasons; 'The Crown maintains that selling puppies can be quite a profitable business. It's right to say that this defendant did have a licence previously. 'She was licensed between December 2020 and December 2021 to breed and sell dogs.' Since her first court appearance for the offence, Grady had received online abuse, Mr Khawam said. He added: 'It's easy to say that she brought it on herself but it caused her to close down her social media accounts.' The District Judge fined Grady 300, with a 34 surcharge, and costs of 300 a little under a quarter of the total 1,299 costs of bringing the case to court. Grady, who admitted one offence of running a business selling dogs without a licence, agreed to settle the debt at a rate of 50 per month. A man pictured looting a branch of cosmetics chain Lush while wearing a 'distinctive' England flag T-shirt during riots in Hull has been jailed for 56 months as courts impose tougher sentences for those involved in the scenes that shamed Britain. John Honey, 25, helped attack a BMW carrying three Romanian men alongside David Wilkinson, 48, another member of the 'baying mob' who has been jailed for six years. And 45-year-old Paul Williams has been jailed for 26 months after threatening riot police while hurling metal fencing and hurling a can of beer at them. The tougher sentences come after a second person was charged with the tougher charge of rioting rather than violent disorder - a more serious offence for which sentences of up to 10 years can be imposed. And police forces across the country are continuing to issue photographs of suspects they want to track down in relation to the widespread riots that were fuelled by misinformation and far-right thuggery online - leaving no stone unturned in order to bring the yobs who wrecked town centres to justice. John Honey has been jailed for more than four and a half years after admitting looting shops in Hull including an O2 phone store He was also seen raiding a branch of beauty shop Lush - carrying bath bomb gift sets and even a selection of other goods in a carrier bag He was also seen trying to wrench open the door of the BMW as it was attacked by other rioters John Honey's (left) and David Wilkinson's (right) mugshots after they were snared by Humberside Police Paul Williams, 45, was jailed for two years and two months after threatening riot police during what a judge called an 'orgy of mindless destruction, violence and disorder' Newcastle Crown Court was told Williams had only nipped into the city centre for a takeaway John Honey - labelled 'Britain's most shameless rioter' for the way he gormlessly looted a beauty shop - also admitted targeting a garage, leaving nine vehicles damaged, and pushing bins at police lines during the disorder on August 3. Honey pleaded guilty to violent disorder and three charges of burglary at Lush, an O2 store and Shoezone. He also admitted racially aggravated criminal damage over the BMW incident, and damaging nine other cars during an attack on a garage. The court previously heard that Honey boasted to one shop employee he was 'famous and all over social media', as images of his looting spree went viral. He was described in a letter written by the officer to a judge as 'over-confident' and someone who 'presented with no remorse'. Footage of the BMW incident showed Honey pulling the passenger door open as a man inside tried to close it to protect himself. Three Romanian occupants of the car got out with their hands raised in a gesture of surrender and fled to a nearby hotel, the court heard. The driver said he feared for his life after more than 100 'angry' men attempted to drag him from the car, punched him in the head and attempted to strike him with a metal bar. At a previous hearing, the court was played footage of Honey looting soap store Lush, where he could be seen taking one of its branded bags and walking around the shop filling it with products. A victim impact statement from the manager of the Lush store said the incident had 'massively impacted' the staff, some of whom 'cannot bring themselves to come back to the store as they are frightened it will happen again'. The probation officer also detailed how Honey had described how he 'went into Greggs to have a drink as the pepper spray made him thirsty'. A sentencing hearing earlier in the week was adjourned after a prison probation officer said Honey had asked him 'if he wanted his autograph because he was famous'. Riot police guard the O2 store in Hull town centre after it was ransacked by thugs including John Honey A Shoezone store was also devastated by rioters - who had originally taken to the streets under the pretence of protecting children in the wake of the Southport stabbings Hull the morning after the riots earlier this month. Less than two weeks later, convictions are already being secured and sentences handed down Thugs rioted in Sunderland on August 2 - throwing flares and missiles. Later, a car was overturned and set alight A car burns in Sunderland town centre following the riots. Many arrests have been made in the days since the shameful disorder Firefighters tackle a fire in Sunderland after a Citizens Advice office was torched by thugs The court was told that his moment of bravado could have undermined Honey's claim of being 'genuinely remorseful'. But after hearing that Honey had developmental issues due to his 'difficult start in life', Judge John Thackray KC said his alleged comment 'does not have the significance it would otherwise have'. The judge told Honey: 'I'm not going to hear any evidence about comments which you may or may not have made in the prison setting. 'I'm not going to give them any relevance. If your defence say that there is now genuine remorse, I'll accept that submission.' Wilkinson was jailed for six years - the toughest sentence yet - after admitting he played a 'prominent role' in the violence and disorder in Hull. At other points during the day of disorder, Wilkinson spat, threw missiles and pushed wheelie bins at a police line protecting a hotel known to house asylum seekers. He appeared to be holding nunchucks - a martial arts weapon - at one point, it was said. Meanwhile, lawyers for shirtless riot yob Paul Williams A 45-year-old man who was at the 'forefront' of an 'orgy of mindless destruction, violence and disorder' in Sunderland had only popped into the city centre to collect a takeaway, a court has heard. Paul Williams, 45, was jailed for two years and two months on Friday by a judge who heard how he threw metal fencing and a can of beer at police after goading officers during the rioting in the city on August 2. Newcastle Crown Court was shown video of Williams, of Esdale, Sunderland, acting aggressively towards lines of police during the widespread disorder. The court heard how Williams shouted 'put your shields down and let's go, let's f****** go' and took his shirt off as he squared up to police, running at the line of riot shields. Sophie Allinson, defending, said her client had not been aware of any protest and had gone into Sunderland city centre to collect takeaway food after a spot of gardening in the sun. The O2 store in Hull was ransacked by rioters who are now facing the prospect of being locked up for years Police vans block the street in Sunderland following the violent disorder for which Paul Williams has become one of the first to be sentenced Ms Allinson said her client's 'moment of madness' was down to having drunk eight cans of lager and pointed out that, earlier in the afternoon, he had been chatting with police officers, sharing his disgust at the mayhem which was escalating. She said it was 'utterly bizarre' that he then 'changed his behaviour in the most disgraceful fashion', becoming the 'front-runner' of the mob. The barrister said her client, who admitted violent disorder, has no political opinions around immigration and was 'entirely unaware of the basis of what started this'. Judge Paul Sloan KC said Williams was part of 'an orgy of mindless destruction, violence and disorder'. He noted that the defendant's behaviour appeared to spur on the rest of the mob, saying it was 'clearly inflaming the situation the square', especially after he removed his shirt. The judge rejected Ms Allinson's submissions that her client's prison sentenced should be suspended due to the caring responsibilities he has for his son. The tough sentences came as a second riot charge was brought by police - leaving violent disorder suspects across the country awaiting news on whether they will be accused of the more serious offence. Judge John Thackray KC said prosecutors should look at charging people with riot instead of violent disorder - which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison rather than five. He said during a sentencing hearing at Hull Crown Court this week: 'The prosecution do need to look, for those who are playing front and central roles, at the alternative charge of riot rather than violent disorder.' Meanwhile, the manhunt continues for scores of people involved in the violent disorder that plagued the country for two weeks in the wake of the Southport stabbings that killed three girls in July. Police in Rotherham have released new images of 14 men they wish to speak to in connection with a riot in Rotherham that saw a Holiday Inn Express being used to house asylum seekers stormed by thugs. South Yorkshire Police says its investigation into the disturbance on August 4, which saw the hotel stormed, its windows smashed and fires set as looters went hunting for immigrants to attack. At least one guest in the hotel was physically attacked and repeatedly punched until police were able to clear the floor, the Times reported. Several people have already been convicted in connection with the deeply disturbing incident, which prompted Sir Keir Starmer to label the incident and others like it in the wake of the Southport stabbings 'far-right thuggery'. Disturbing videos from the scene showed masked men shouting and threatening to slit asylum seekers' throats, while other images appeared to show thugs setting fires before blocking emergency exits, terrifying residents and staff. South Yorkshire Police is hunting suspects in the Rotherham riots that saw thugs attempt to storm a hotel Hundreds of people were involved in the disturbance, which targeted a hotel housing around 200 asylum seekers At least one guest in the hotel was physically attacked and repeatedly punched until police were able to clear the floor A number of convictions have already been secured following earlier appeals by South Yorkshire Police after the August 4 incident More than 50 police officers were left injured as a result of the riot, which saw windows smashed in and asylum seekers fearing for their lives as the mob, whipped up by far-right rhetoric online, sought to storm the hotel. Some scrawled aggressive graffiti on its walls, writing 'scum' and 'get out England' while others set bins alight and hurled them at hotel windows. Locals labelled those responsible as 'far-right scumbags' when interviewed by CNN. One told the American channel: 'A couple of days leading up to the event there were social media posts about 'bringing the violence,' 'it's time to start smashing up the hotel'... It was obvious it was going to happen.' The riots were stoked as misinformation about the Southport stabbing suspect circulated online - claiming, falsely, that he was a Muslim asylum seeker and giving a fake name. It was shared by a number of high-profile far right figures online and a Russian-affiliated 'news' website. Combined with long-driven rhetoric that blamed asylum seekers for the problems facing many Brits - from the cost of living to the struggle to find a house - it was the spark that lit a years-old powder keg. Axel Rudakubana, an 18-year-old born in Cardiff and living in Banks, Lancashire, has been charged with murdering Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine. He has also been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon. Prosecutors have been swift in acting on rioters who have terrified locals in towns and cities across the country in the wake of the July 29 stabbings, with 460 people having appeared in court over the riots and at least 99 already sentenced. More than 300 people have appeared in court since last week, according to Ministry of Justice figures. More than 50 police officers were left injured as a result of the riot, which saw windows smashed in and asylum seekers fearing for their lives Some of the images in the appeal have been derived from CCTV. Others appear to have been extracted directly from police officers' bodyworn cameras South Yorkshire Police has said its investigation continues 'at pace'. It has vowed to find all of those involved in violent disorder or rioting Convictions continue to pour in as many of those involved in the widespread disorder made guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity, ensuring sentencing would be swift. Some, however, have entered not guilty pleas meaning their cases will proceed to a full trial. Today, a 28-year-old man who threw bricks, stones and wood at police in Hartlepool was jailed for two years and eight months. How many people have appeared in court in connection with riots? Following widespread civil unrest at the end of July and the start of August, more than 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with offences including violent disorder, assault and rioting - the latter of which can carry up to a 10 year sentence in prison. As of Thursday August 15: 480 defendants had a first hearing scheduled in the magistrates' court 460 have already taken place 99 were sentenced in either the magistrates' court or crown court 185 have been sent to crown court for sentencing 153 have been sent to crown court for trial 69 have received a custodial sentence in the crown court Source: PA/Ministry of Justice Advertisement Aaron Bradshaw, from the town, was captured on footage a number of times throwing missiles at officers during the disorder on July 31, Cleveland Police said. The force said he 'played a significant role' in the rioting. A spokesman said: 'He demonstrated aggressive behaviour and at one point was in possession of a police-style baton - lashing out at the officers to attempt to assault them. 'Bradshaw grabbed a large wooden plank which he launched towards the officers.' Bradshaw was jailed at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday, the force confirmed. Cleveland Police said three other men were also jailed on Thursday in relation to the violence in Hartlepool on July 31 and Middlesbrough on August 4. Ben Judge, 28, from Hartlepool, was jailed for three years. The force said he threw bricks and a metal object at police during the disorder on July 31 and kicked-in a boarded-up window after pulling off the boarding. Noman Ahmed, 24, from Middlesbrough, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after he was caught on CCTV throwing punches in a crowd of people during the rioting in the town Jonathan Ambrose, 33, also from Middlesbrough, was identified as throwing missiles at officers during disorder on August 4. The force said he was also found in possession of class B drugs. Ambrose was jailed for 30 months. Meanwhile, Kerry Gove, 34, Andrew Ball, 49, and Grant Braidwood, 40 - all from Plymouth - have been jailed at Plymouth Crown Court having pleaded guilty to violent disorder following a demonstration in the Devon city on August 5. Ball and Braidwood were both give prison terms of 32 months, while Gove was jailed for 18 months. Holly Rust, prosecuting, described how Ball had been 'aggressive towards officers, swearing at them, squaring up to them and poured a can of drink over them'. Ms Rust said Braidwood had attended the protest wearing a face covering which he pulled fully over his face when being filmed by police. She said the protest as a whole had caused widespread disruption to the city, including the theatre having to cancel a performance at a 20,000 loss. Thugs in balaclavas hurled chairs, wood and bricks at hotels on Sunday, causing thousands of pounds of damage Serious damage has been done to buildings including hotels, libraries, local shops and homes since disorder started following violence in Southport that killed three girls Violent thugs tried to set a hotel reported to be housing asylum seekers on fire and blocked the emergency exits in Rotherham yesterday A police dog handler during the far-right demonstration outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham (left to right) Aaron Bradshaw, Ben Judge, Noman Ahmed, and Jonathan Ambrose have been jailed for their parts in the recent widespread disorder Police responding to the violent protests in Hartlepool on July 31, two days after the Southport stabbings The court heard that Ball has appeared in court previously on 51 occasions for 93 offences including racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress and for public order offences. Braidwood had been in court previously on 27 occasions for 62 offences including assault and assaulting a police officer and public order offences. Chris Cuddihee, defending Ball, said that Ball had been drinking during the day and had not intended to take part in the protest and was not racist. The lawyer, who also represented Braidwood, said that he was a 'devoted father to four children' and had autistic spectrum disorder which meant he had 'tunnel vision and was unable to stop himself'. In a separate hearing, Ms Rust said that Gove had asked police 'Are you British?', had been seen to climb on railings and had pushed and kicked out at a police officer's shield. Deni Matthews, defending Gove, said she was of previous good character and added: 'She expressed her own disgust at what had been said, there was clear expression of disgust at her own behaviour.' Judge Robert Linford said: 'This city was blighted by the public disorder that there was, police turned out in force and did what they did with considerable restraint because they kept the two warring factions apart. 'The effect of the disorder was immense, pubs, shops, restaurants, theatre, even this court building closed early because of what was to come.' (left to right) Kerry Gove, Andrew Ball and Grant Braidwood have all been jailed after admitting violent disorder The trio were involved in violent disorder in Middlesbrough on August 4 (pictured: a police officer uses his radio as a car burns behind him) Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: 'We continue to see swift justice being done and more people feeling the full force of the law as a consequence of their actions. 'It is thanks to the hard work of people around the country and across the justice system that guilty offenders are being held to account.' Police Scotland have issued a fresh appeal in a bid to locate a missing 14-year-old teen who was last seen leaving her family home in West Lothian a week ago. Eva Brown was last seen leaving a family member's home in the Winchburgh area on Friday August 9. And investigators have followed up their initial appeal for information with a new image of the teen. Eva said she was going to stay with friends in Glasgow, but she has not been in contact since Sunday August 11. Missing 14-year-old Eva Brown has not been in contact since Sunday August 11 She was last seen she was wearing a grey top, grey joggers, black trainers and was carrying a black backpack She is described as white, 5ft 6ins in height and of slim build with medium-length brown hair. When she was last seen she was wearing a grey top, grey joggers, black trainers and was carrying a black backpack. Sergeant Steven Elvin said: 'We are extremely concerned for Eva's safety and wellbeing. Extensive searches and enquiries are ongoing to trace her as soon as possible to ensure that she is safe and well. 'Eva is know to frequent Glasgow City Centre, Aberdeen, Mallaig, West Lothian and Whitley Bay in Northumbria and we are liaising with colleagues in these areas. I would urge anyone who has seen her or who has any information on her whereabouts to contact us as soon as possible. 'We would also ask Eva, if she sees this appeal, to please make contact with us to let us know you are safe. 'Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1258 of Tuesday, 13 August, 2024.' Victims say they are devastated after San Francisco Superior Court shockingly dismissed over 70 cases against accused domestic abusers, sex offenders and drunk drivers. The crisis unfolded this week due to a ruling in July where a suspect successfully argued their constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated by delays caused by COVID-19, which was subsequently applied to other outstanding cases. The Superior Court blamed the San Francisco DA's Office for the delays, which countered it was not their 'responsibility to manage the court's caseload.' For alleged domestic abuse victim Melissa Bonilla, the decision marks the end of a two-year ordeal for justice that has left her in 'shock' before her case ever went to trial. 'Very frustrated, because it's two years waiting for this and then, one day, no more. I'm in shock now,' she told ABC7News. Melissa Bonilla, an alleged victim of domestic violence, said she was left 'in shock' as her case was one of 74 to be dismissed before ever going to trial due to COVID-19 case backlogs Bonilla's case was one of 74 that were dismissed this week due to the technicality, leaving a number of alleged victims and their supporters heartbroken. Anastacio White, who was in Superior Court to support a victim, told ABC7 that she was floored by the move, and felt it is 'not right' that criminals will walk free. 'It could be a bank robber, raper, child molester, no matter what, you're just dismissed,' she said. Each of the 74 defendants were charged between early 2022 and April 2024, including DUIs, sexual battery and deadly driving, and benefitted from a huge backload of cases at the Superior Court that built up during the pandemic. The San Francisco public defender's office said it had raised the issue a number of times, but defended the decision to dismiss the cases this week as it laid the blame on the court's mismanagement. 'Our clients have a constitutional right, just like the victims do,' said public defender Jacque Wilson. Critics pointed to mismanagement specifically at San Francisco Superior Court (pictured), saying that 'unlike other counties', it failed to clear its COVID-19 caseload 'And it was our clients' rights that were violated time and time and time and time and time again. 'There were half of dozen victims who spoke and as a public defender, we obviously dont leave our humanity at the door for those who felt like they were victims. San Francisco public defender Jacque Wilson said he 'felt' for the victims, but insisted that it is 'my job to protect the rights' of defendants 'I felt for them. At the end of the day, its the courts and the DAs office who are supposed to protect their rights. At the end of the day, its my job to protect the rights of our clients.' The San Francisco District Attorney's Office released a scathing statement after the decision, slamming the Superior Court for failing to clear its caseload. 'The Superior Court's Order today, unlike courts in other counties in the post-COVID era that have worked through case backlogs, has unfortunately stripped victims of justice and robbed defendants of their rights,' the statement read. 'It is not the responsibility of the District Attorney's Office to manage the Court's caseload.' But the DA's office was the one blamed by Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massulo when she handed down the decision dismissing the 74 cases this week, citing the original July ruling. She said at the time: 'We hope that the District Attorney's Office will prioritize cases appropriately so that justice can be served.' While the District Attorney's office denies blame over the situation, it comes after a turbulent few years for the department that saw former DA Chesa Boudin ousted from office after murders soared 11 percent and the city was gripped by daylight robberies. Boudin's replacement, Brooke Jenkins, was subsequently accused of nepotism earlier this year after hiring an old friend with no legal qualifications to head the department's Victim Services Division, on a $300,000 salary. Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massulo (pictured) slammed the DA's office in her ruling, saying she hopes in the future it 'will prioritize cases appropriately so that justice can be served' Prithika Balakrishnan, a law professor at UC Law SF, told ABC7 that in her opinion, the reason many alleged victims may never see justice is down to the Superior Court, feeling it is 'a situation that the courts themselves placed themselves into.' 'San Francisco has not attempted to recover from COVID and to push these cases to trial, despite there being open courtrooms, or even civil cases that were taking up court space,' she said. For alleged victims such as Bonilla, the decision is the end of a painful ordeal under a system intended to help her. 'It's very bad because many victims of domestic violence, we need representation and we need support because we feel like it's not correct,' she concluded. With her designer clothes, celebrity friends and extravagant vacations, Jasveen Sangha looks like a typical Hollywood socialite. But the glossy exterior hides a criminal underbelly, according to prosecutors, who say she is responsible for supplying the ketamine which killed Matthew Perry. Between throwing lavish parties and flights on private jets, Sangha has allegedly been operating as a prolific Los Angeles drug dealer. Her alleged antics have even earned her the nickname the 'Ketamine Queen', according to an indictment charging her and four others in connection with Perry's October 2023 overdose death. The dual US-British citizen is currently being held in jail, where she will remain until her trial in October. Alleged drug dealer Jasveen Sangha has not been shy about flaunting her flashy lifestyle Friends told DailyMail.com how just days ago, Sangha had been out celebrating her birthday at a Hollywood bar. But her new home is a far cry from the glitzy lifestyle frequently on display on her Instagram page. Just two weeks after Perry's death, Sangha jetted off to Tokyo - where she indulged in lychee martinis at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, where suites cost $1,847 a night. While a few months later, another post shows her indulging in caviar while waiting to jet off to Mexico in February, just four months after Perry's death. Sangha posted smirking selfies while sunning herself on a trip to Playa del Carmen, where she showed off her beachfront residence while drinking cocktails by the pool. She also boasted about her health and wellness journey - using IV drips after late-night partying and being a proponent of 'sound healing,' which she called 'absolutely uplifting and cleansing for the heart and soul.' The week before Perry's death, Sangha threw a splashy 40th 'Players' Ball' themed birthday party, where she posed up in front of a Maybach. The 41-year-old is accused of supplying the ketamine which killed actor Matthew Perry in October 2023. She is pictured here on a trip to Japan just weeks after his death Her Instagram is packed full of images of her luxury lifestyle, including this plate of caviar inside the LAX private jet lounge Sangha (right) is said to have celebrity connections and is pictured with actor Charlie Sheen at a night out in Beverly Hills She also boasted about her health and wellness journey - using IV drips after late-night partying Her wardrobe is portrayed as an endless rotation of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry, Louis Vuitton sneakers and Chanel clothes. Her family are connected to a fashion line called Michael Paul, that had showrooms in London in the 1980s. Just hours before her arrest, Sangha took to Instagram again fresh from the salon to debut a vibrant purple hairstyle. Prosecutors allege that she was part of a 'broad criminal network' supplying drugs to celebrities. Reports have since emerged that Sangha met Perry during a stint in rehab, where she also befriended Charlie Sheen's actress ex-wife Brooke Mueller. A photo posted by Sangha's uncle shows the alleged drug dealer partying with Sheen during a night out in Beverly Hills. Sangha is just one of five who were arrested on August 15 in connection to Perry's death on October 28, 2023. The actor was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his LA home, with his death later ruled to be from the 'acute effects of ketamine'. Sangha frequently displays her expensive wardrobe, which includes pricey Van Cleef and Arpels pieces pictured Just four months after Perry's death, Sangha posted images from a sun-soaked Mexican getaway Hours before her arrest, Sangha took to Instagram to debut a vibrant new purple hairstyle Sangha lives in an $3,000 a month apartment in luxury building north Hollywood He was receiving ketamine-infusion therapy to treat his depression at the time, but his last sessions was a week and a half before he died ruling out the possibility the ketamine in his system was from this. Doctors Salvador Plasencia, 42, and Mark Chavez, 54, drug dealer Eric Fleming, 54, and Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, have all subsequently been charged. In an indictment, texts between the defendants revealed that Sangha was known in the community for 'only deal[ing] with high end and celebs' in her drug business. She is accused of using her North Hollywood residence, referenced in the indictment as the 'Sangha Stash House,' to store, package, and distribute narcotics, including ketamine and methamphetamine. It is further claimed that Sangha knew the dangers of selling ketamine after another alleged client of hers, Cody McLaury, died of an overdose in 2019. Anne Milgram, administrator for the DEA, said Sangha was a 'significant source of supply [of drugs] in Los Angeles during an appearance on the Today Show. 'She was still running a drug emporium,' Milgram said. 'She was a significant drug trafficker, we have now been able to connect her sale of ketamine to an individual who died in 2019. She is a significant source of supply in Los Angeles.' Los Angeles realtor Greg Wasik told DailyMail.com that he was shocked to learn his friend of several years had been indicted for selling drugs that killed Perry. The socialite is accused of using her North Hollywood residence to store, package, and distribute narcotics, including ketamine and methamphetamine. Pictured: Narcotics recovered during a March 2024 raid Her home was referenced in a in the indictment as the 'Sangha Stash House' But Wasik said Sangha seemed normal and serene when she celebrated her 41st birthday with friends at a bar in Hollywood just days ago. I was at her birthday party just the other day and there was no inkling of anything like this going on in her life, he said. She was definitely just a pretty normal person Ive known for years. Artist Heather Pardieu, 42, also said she was surprised to learn of the charges against her friend Sangha but suggested that at least some responsibility for Perrys death lay with the actor himself. Shes a friend of mine, Pardieu told DailyMail.com. I mean, at the end of the day, nobodys forcing anybody to do drugs. She added that she had never seen Sangha dealing or being involved with drugs. Sanghas trial date is scheduled for October 15, while Plascencia will appear on October 8. The other defendants have all already pleaded guilty or plan to do so. A Voepass Airlines flight was diverted after it encountered a 'technical issue' on Thursday. Flight 211 took off from General Leite de Castro Airport in Rio Verde, Goias at 6:03 pm and was headed to Guarulhos, Sao Paulo when the pilot noticed the problem with the ATR 72-600 aircraft. The pilot requested an emergency landing at 6:54 pm and landed the aircraft in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais at 7:14 pm. Brazilian news outlet Metropoles reported that the problem was due to an 'electrical failure' in the aircraft. The incident comes just six days after Voepass Flight 2283 crashed in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo, killing all 62 passengers on board. Voepass Airlines Flight 2211 lands at UberlandiaTenente Coronel Aviador Cesar Bombonato Airport on Uberlandia, Brazil after its pilot reported a 'technical issue' with the aircraft traveling from Rio Verde, Goias to Guarulhos, Sao Paulo on Thursday evening. Brazilian news outlet Metropoles reported that the problem was due to an 'electrical failure' A Voepass ATR 72-600 aircraft with 38 passengers on board was diverted Thursday night. The airlines said in a statement that it was able to land with 'all operational systems working.' A video recorded by an airport employee captured the moment the airplane landed safely at UberlandiaTenente Coronel Aviador Cesar Bombonato Airport and later taxied to the gate. 'The aircraft landed with all operational systems working,' Voepass Airlines said in a statement. The passengers were placed on another Voepass flight to continue their trip to Guarulhos, which departed at 10:21 pm. Brazilian news outlet G1 reported that two couples declined to get on the airplane. Imaging provided by FlightAware, the flight tracking data company, showed the airplane bound circled around Minas Gerais before it rerouted to Uberlandia. Imaging from AirNav Radabox, a flight tracking and data services company, showed Voepass Flight 2211 circling around Minas Gerais moments before the emergency landing Airport operator Aena said in a statement that it 'allocated all resources from the Emergency Plan to handle the operation, but there was no need to activate it and all passengers disembarked safely, without requiring medical care.' Authorities investigating the August 9 crash already have the transcript of the black boxes, but have been unable to explain what caused the airplane to fall from the sky. TV Globo was able to access the transcript from the cockpit voice recorded which indicated that the pilot and copilot noticed a steep loss of altitude one minute before the crash. The Voepass ATR-72-500 turboprop plane departed from Cascavel, Parana and crashed at around 1:30 p.m. Cell phone videos showed the aircraft spinning before it plummeted into the backyard of a condominium. The Brazilian Air Force said that the pilots did not report an emergency or adverse weather conditions. Investigators told TV Globo that the analysis of the audio alone was unlikely to help determine the cause of the crash and that they have not identified any characteristic sounds, such as from fire, electrical collapse or engine breakdowns. The audio was said to be difficult to listen to because of the noise of engines near the cabin. A missing 10-year-old boy has been found dead days after falling into a creek during a kayaking trip with friends and family. Matthew Coffroth Jr was reported missing last Saturday during the excursion on Yellow Breeches Creek, Pennsylvania. He had set off with a group of four other children and three adults at around 5pm, with plans to kayak one mile. But just minutes into paddling they encountered heavy debris, mainly fallen trees and branches, which swept Matthew out of his boat, according to Penn Live. The boy failed to resurface and his body was found around a mile away four days later, with a coroner now ruling that he accidentally drowned. Matthew Coffroth Jr was reported missing last Saturday during the excursion on Yellow Breeches Creek, Pennsylvania After Matthew vanished, the seven other members of his group made it safely back to shore and a desperate search was launched. First responders were sent to the scene in Fairview Township, with more than 250 people eventually joining the search party. Tragically, Matthew's body was found on Wednesday roughly a mile away from where the group he was with saw him go under the water. His death has been ruled as accidental drowning, according to York County Coroner's Office. Matthew had been in the kayak by himself, and while some of the party had been wearing life jackets, it is unclear if he was. He and his family are understood to have kayaked before last week's tragic incident. Search teams had worked painstakingly to remove the debris from the creek where Matthew had gone missing in the hope of finding him. In a warning to other kayakers, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission spokesperson Mike Parker told ABC 27 that such hazards are 'always present' in creeks and 'can't be underestimated'. Parker also thanked volunteers for helping with the search operation, telling WGAL: 'We're so fortunate to have people in our community willing to do this, that are willing to go into the places that many of us would flee from.' Fairview Township emergency management coordinator Brandon Freistat added that Matthew's family were 'extremely appreciative' of the public's help. On Tuesday, a GoFundMe campaign was created to help support the Coffroth family. Matthew's father is said to be a health center worker who has 'dedicated his life to helping others during their most vulnerable and difficult times,' with the person behind the fundraiser urging people to 'repay the favor to this father, husband, and friend'. At the time of publication, more than 400 people had donated and the page had raised more than $25,000 - exceeding its goal. 'This is a gift that no family ever wants to receive, but easing the burden even in the slightest bit will go a long way,' read the page description. 'It is time we show our family that we love and support them more than anyone could imagine.' A Massachusetts mansion where a wealthy businessman killed his wife and daughter before turning the gun on himself is being touted as the 'perfect family home' after hitting the market for $4.2million. Rick and Teena Kamal bought the home in Dover on Valentine's Day 2019 for $4million. The couple, including their daughter Arianna, 18, would meet a tragic end inside the sprawling estate. Rick, 57, fatally shot his wife, 54, and their daughter in their bedrooms before killing himself just days after Christmas. The family was due to move out after losing the home to foreclosure for failing to pay the mortgage. The stunning 22-room mansion is described as a 'perfect family home' with a 'relaxing family room' and 'peaceful views,' according to real estate listings. The listings make no mention of the home's grisly past. The stunning 22-room mansion is described as a 'perfect family home' with a 'relaxing family room' and 'peaceful views,' according to real estate listings Rakesh 'Rick' Kamal, 57, fatally shot his wife Teena, 54, and their daughter Arianna, 18, as they slept in their beds at the family's Dover mansion in December. He then turned the gun on himself 'Exceptional, custom-designed estate on five acres perfectly situated at the end of a private cul-de-sac. This home is seamlessly integrated into the idyllic, manicured grounds overlooking wooded hiking paths, bridle trails, and a tranquil pond in the extremely desirable Wilson's Way neighborhood,' the listings read. 'A perfect family home, this property offers a 14-seat home theater, relaxing family room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, 20'x40' indoor pool, fully-equipped gym, sauna with a steam shower, extensive storage, and 5,000 bottle wine cellar.' The home was built in 2000 and assessed at a value of nearly $6.8million, according to property records. The Kamals took out a $3.8million loan on the home, which was set to be paid in 2021. The loan became a major issue for Rick Kamal, leading authorities to believe it factored into the murder-suicide, according to the Boston Globe. Extended family was unaware of the financial issues and some even believed the family of three was planning on buying a $16.5million lakefront home in Tennessee, the Globe reported. 'A perfect family home, this property offers a 14-seat home theater, relaxing family room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, 20'x40' indoor pool, fully-equipped gym, sauna with a steam shower, extensive storage, and 5,000 bottle wine cellar,' the listing read When officers arrived at the home after a 911 call, they found a typed message on a piece of paper that seemed to be intended for a person scheduled to retrieve the keys of the home. The note read: 'Please Note, Before entering call the Police to first check three bedrooms on the second floor. Each room will be marked by a white sheet of paper.' The bodies of all three were found inside the rooms. The murders rocked the community, where Rick Kamal was considered to be a wealthy entrepreneur and doting father running a successful startup. Following the deaths, it was revealed Rick had filed for bankruptcy and was served with a foreclosure notice just three months earlier. Rick Kamal's younger brother, Manoj Kamal, told police he had loaned his sibling about $150,000, in roughly $5,000 increments, in the nine months before the killings. Manoj also claims his brother drained their mother's bank account. Police documents also revealed that while Teena Kamal was not fully aware of the extent of her husband's financial issues, she also felt significant pressure. The Kamals took out a $3.8million loan on the home, which was set to be paid in 2021. The loan became a major issue for Rick Kamal, leading authorities to believe it factored into the murder-suicide Manoj Kamal said she had recently made a troubling statement about wanting 'to drive their family car off a cliff due to the recent stress they were under.' Rick Kamal's family confirmed that the veneer of perfection ran so deep even his wife and daughter had no idea they were drowning in debt. The parents and their daughter were found dead by Manoj Kamal on December 28 - three weeks after a foreclosure notice was served on the 20,000-square-foot home. It has since emerged that the mansion was bought with $3.8 million borrowed from the property's builder rather than a bank, with the money needing to be repaid within two years. By 2021, interest and fines had spiraled out of control and foreclosure notices were served. Even as the foreclosure was being processed, Teena Kamal was under the impression that the family was still moving forward with the purchase of a $16.5million chateau along Tennessee's Chickamauga Lake. Listing agent James Perry said that Rick Kamal had provided bank statements proving his 'ability to purchase' the property. The family toured it, with Teena Kamal even starting to buy furniture. But a contract was never signed. Fikscue Craft Barbecue, currently based in Alameda, will open in San Francisco early next year. Benjamin Fanjoy/The Chronicle Texas-style barbecue with Indonesian flavors will soon be available in San Franciscos Mission Bay. Alameda-based Fikscue Craft Barbecue is aiming to open a new location at the 11-acre San Francisco complex Thrive City in early 2025, according to a Thrive City press release. Husband-and-wife duo Fik and Reka Saleh had started the restaurant as a home business in 2020 before opening Fikscue in the East Bay to great acclaim last year. We are excited. We are anxious, said Reka Saleh. I feel like its a proud moment for the Indonesian community as well. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Fikscue is known for its halal smoked barbecue meats, like dino beef ribs and Texas-style brisket, and for Indonesian dishes incorporating those meats. When associate restaurant critic Cesar Hernandez reviewed the Alameda location earlier this year, he hailed Fikscues beef coconut curry rendang and its soto padang soup, featuring a slab of lean, smoky brisket. He also noted that the lines out the door sometimes stretched to the end of the block. At Thrive City, the restaurant will have its own indoor space but share outdoor seating with Harmonic Brewing. Its menu will change slightly, Reka Saleh said, but its still a work in progress. Fikscue is joining a host of other popular restaurants heading to Thrive City this year: Che Fico Pizzeria, Senor Sisig and Kayah, a new Burmese spot from the people behind Burma Love and Burma Superstar. This story has been updated to include comments from Reka Saleh. A migrant who beheaded his victim and caused his intestines to spill out while he was still alive could avoid deportation from Germany - because prosecutors think he would just come back from Somalia. Mursal Mohamed Seid, 24, killed his 52-year-old flatmate Alex K. in a homeless shelter in the Bavarian town of Regen in July 2021. He stabbed his victim 111 times with a knife before beheading him. Seid later told investigators that he believed his flatmate was possessed by two demons he had to kill. The attack was so violent that the victim's intestines spilled out while he was still alive, German media reported at the time. Seid is said to have committed the crime in a schizophrenic delusion and was therefore placed in the high-security ward of the district hospital in Mainkofen, Bavaria. German immigration authorities want to deport him back to his native Somalia as soon as possible, but the prosecutors are hesitant to issue a deportation order because they think the criminal would return to Germany anyway, tabloid Bild reports. Mursal Mohamed Seid (pictured), 24, killed his 52-year-old flatmate Alex K. in a homeless shelter in the Bavarian town of Regen in July 2021 Just a few weeks after he killed his flatmate, the Somalian tried to escape the high-security ward of a hospital in Bavaria where he is being held by hiding in a food cart. Seid made a second escape attempt last week and managed to evade his female minders - a psychologist and an intern - while attending the family screening of a Disney film a week ago. He was on the run for eight hours before the 100 police officers deployed for the search caught him three miles away from the cinema. Prosecutors have been examining whether Seid's sentence in the secure hospital ward could be waived for him to be deported back to Somalia for two years. Senior public prosecutor Oliver Baumgartner told Bild: 'The prescribed overall assessment must include, among other things, the seriousness of the crime, the dangerousness of the convicted person and the likelihood that the convicted person will return to Germany. 'In this regard, it was necessary to take into account that the convicted person would be free in his home country and that there is no guarantee that he will be treated properly. A return to Germany was considered possible.' While the prosecutors are hesitant about signing the deportation order, Said also wrote a letter saying he refuses to be deported to Somalia in February. Despite concerns about Seid's treatment progress, he was given a lower security level that enabled him to leave the hospital grounds while accompanied by a minder. 'The basic goal is to test the patient's resilience outside the clinical environment and to prepare him for later reintegration into society, Sabine Baeter, spokeswoman for the district, told Bild. He stabbed his victim 111 times with a knife before beheading him in the homeless shelter in Regen, Bavaria. Seid later told investigators that he believed his flatmate was possessed by two demons he had to kill But Bavaria's interior minister Joachim Herrman is questioning the decision to grant Seid a cinema visit. He told Bild: 'I will initiate a thorough investigation into why the district hospital even allowed this highly dangerous man to go to the cinema.' Seid came to Germany as part of an asylum seeker programme in 2018 after fleeing Somalia for Sudan and then Libya, according to German outlet Nius. Before the brutal murder of his flatmate, Seid already piled up convictions for causing bodily harm, robbery, theft in conjunction with attempted dangerous bodily harm and fraudulently obtaining services. In February 2021, he received a two-year suspended sentence for these crimes, but since he was not imprisoned, he was allowed to return to the homeless shelter he lived at, where he ended up killing his flatmate. Several domestic flights in and out of Sydney Airport have been cancelled as passengers complain of major delays. Flights were disrupted amid wild weather on Friday afternoon and evening, with more than 20 outbound flights cancelled as a storm hit. Seventeen flights due to land at Sydney Airport from around the country from 6pm onwards were also cancelled. One passenger flying to Sydney from Melbourne claimed they were stranded on the tarmac at Melbourne Airport for four hours. 'Madness at Sydney airport - multiple flights cancelled. A good thousand or so people milling around,' another wrote on X. Several domestic flights in and out of Sydney Airport have been cancelled as passengers complain of major delays One passenger wrote on social media that many travellers were left standing around at the airport That passenger shared a photo of dozens of travellers standing outside the airport with their luggage. Flights from Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas were all disrupted. A handful of inbound and outbound flights were also cancelled earlier on Friday morning but the majority of the disruptions happened later in the day. One international flight due to arrive from Los Angeles was also cancelled. A breeder of XL dog-style 'Bullycats' has hit back at criticism, insisting they are as 'happy and healthy' as any other family pets despite their controversial appearance. Bella Jones, who runs breeding firm BullyCats UK, says people should be better educated - insisting her animals are 'health tested and completely functional'. She spoke out after warnings were issued this week about hairless 'Bullycats' with 'exaggerated' features being bred in Britain and gaining what has been dubbed a 'disturbing following' on social media. The 'unnatural' sphynx-like breed has short bowed legs and heavily wrinkled skin - much like an XL Bully dog. And experts raised concerns about the 'horrifying' growing designer fad which could involve the animals going on to suffer serious health issues - with cat lovers urged to not buy them and instead boycott the breed. Warnings were issued this week about hairless 'Bullycats' with 'exaggerated' features being bred in Britain Bella Jones has hit back at criticism of the breed and insisted they are 'happy' cats The 'unnatural' sphynx-like breed has short bowed legs and heavily wrinkled skin Ms Jones today responded to the backlash against Bullycats and promising to share more positive endorsements of the breed to help convince people otherwise. Potential buyers are assured cats gets 'extensive' health checks for conditions such as heart disease Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Bully Girl Magazine has reported. And Ms Jones today posted on Facebook: 'All of our cats are happy, health tested and completely functional. 'Our cats live in our family home and other family homes around the UK, they jump, play, run and do just as an average cat would. 'We are going to be putting out lots of videos and positive feedback to these claims and educating many more people on this concept and breed as a whole, especially how functional and happy our babies are.' She suggested she and others had been 'named as "animal abusers" along with other breeders across the globe and countless more false claims'. She had some backing from people replying to her, including one who said: 'My girls are super functional and have no health issues.' Animal welfare charity Naturewatch Foundation has issued the warning against taking on Bullycats earlier this week. They told people: 'If you're thinking about getting a cat, don't buy into these harmful designer fads. It's shocking to see that these poor cats are starting to appear in the UK. 'We've seen increasingly extreme breeding practices in the dog world in recent years, and it appears unscrupulous people are now turning their attention to exploiting cats in the same way, all in the pursuit of greed and social media likes. Animal welfare charity Naturewatch Foundation has issued the warning against taking on Bullycats earlier this week They said: 'If you're thinking about getting a cat, don't buy into these harmful designer fads' 'Bullycats are an animal welfare disaster unfolding before our eyes and this kind of breeding is just cruel.' Dr Dan O'Neill, associate professor of companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, described it as 'heartbreaking' that cats were now going under the same suffering as dogs by humans fascinated by 'extreme body shapes'. He said: 'Bullycats are likely to suffer similarly shortened lives to those reported from a recent RVC VetCompass paper in Sphynx cats that lived just 6.7 years compared to an average of 11.7 years in cats overall. 'Deliberately selecting for disease mutations, such as hairlessness that leads to sunburn, dwarfism that leads to mobility issues and joint pain, and folded skin that leads to lifetimes of skin infections means that many Bullycats will endure lives blighted by suffering. 'The advice to anyone thinking of acquiring a cat or a dog is to always put the welfare of the animal first and to stop and think before acquiring an animal with an extreme and unnatural body shape that does not exist commonly in nature.' And an RSPCA spokesperson told MailOnline they were 'very concerned' about the recent trend of Bullycats saying it 'could cause them serious welfare issues'. 'These exaggerated Sphynx cats are bred with very short legs which could put a strain on their joints, and they also appear to have excess skin folds making them vulnerable to skin conditions which can cause a great deal of discomfort, the charity warned. 'Such ailments could also result in trips to the vet leaving owners with costly vet bills too. 'These Sphynx-like cats are also bred to have only a fine covering of downy hair and some may not have eyelashes or whiskers. The so-called Bullycat breed is thought to have got its name due to resembling bully dogs (Pictured: An American exotic bully dog) 'This lack of fur can leave cats vulnerable to harmful ultraviolet light, cause difficulties keeping warm and means they won't be able to use their hair and possibly their whiskers to explore their environment. 'The lack of a fur coat also means they need to be regularly washed as oil can accumulate on their skin. 'There could also be further health issues associated with these cats being bred from a limited gene pool. 'We understand that their emerging presence on social media may fuel a demand for these kinds of cats but we would urge fellow cat lovers to consider adopting the many rescue cats in our care instead of buying from a breeder. 'We would also urge breeders to prioritise the health and welfare of any animal over the way they look.' MailOnline has contacted Ms Jones for further comment. Terrified dictator Alexander Lukashenko has urged Russia and Ukraine to agree a peace deal to avoid the war spilling over into Belarus. President Lukashenko, a key ally of Vladimir Putin, said he fears Kyiv's troops are now planning an incursion into his nation after they launched a cross-border offensive in Russia. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers smashed through Russia's western border on August 6 in a major embarrassment for Putin's top military brass. Now in an interview with Russia state television, Lukashenko has said that only 'high-ranking people of American origin' wanted the Ukraine-Russia war to continue. The West, he said, was encouraging Kyiv to fight because it wants Ukraine and Russia to 'destroy each other'. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko shake hands during a meeting in Russia in January Ukrainian servicemen operate an armoured military vehicle in the Sumy region, near the border with Russia, on August 12, 2024 Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers smashed through Russia's western border on August 6 in a major embarrassment for Putin's top military brass Russia pledged on Thursday to beef up its border defences as hundreds of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate the western Kursk region. Kyiv said its forces have advanced 22 miles into Russia since last week and continue to gain ground. Lukashenko suggested in the interview, without providing evidence, that Kyiv could have plans to attack Belarus and Minsk would not allow Ukrainian troops to 'trample on our country'. The Ukrainian military did not immediately respond to a written request for comment. Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin echoed Lukashenko's comments today, saying there was a high probability of an armed provocation from neighbouring Ukraine. He added that the situation at their shared border 'remains tense', the state-run Belta news agency has reported. 'Given the presence of Ukrainian armed formations in the border areas, there is a high probability of preparing and carrying out armed provocations on our territory, as well as high-profile actions, including with the involvement of Belarusian nationalist formations,' Khrenin said. President Lukashenko has positioned himself as a main backer of Putin since the Russian president ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, part of which was staged from Belarusian soil. But instead of allowing battles to rage on, Lukashenko has now urged talks. 'Let's sit down at the negotiating table and end this brawl,' he said. 'Neither the Ukrainian people, nor the Russians, nor the Belarusians need it. They (the West) need it.' Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko visit the Chapel of the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God on Svetly Island, Russia on July 26 This photograph shows a road sign showing the distance to the Russian town of Kursk next to the destroyed border crossing point with Russia, in the Sumy region, on August 13, 2024 This photograph shows 'dragon's teeth' and other fortifications at the destroyed border crossing point with Russia, in the Sumy region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine President Lukashenko has positioned himself as a main backer of Putin since the Russian president ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 A Ukrainian soldier raises a Ukrainian flag in Guevo, Kursk Oblast, Russia released August 11, 2024 in this still image obtained from a social media video Moscow has said any peace talks should be based on Ukraine ceding land amounting to a fifth of its territory - much of it seized by Russian forces. Ukraine says Kyiv would be prepared for talks provided Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity were fully respected. Lukashenko charged that the West was betting that the destabilising situation in Kursk would encourage a troop mobilisation in both Belarus and Russia and 'shake up society from within.' 'We don't want escalation and we don't want a war against the whole of NATO. We don't want that,' he said. But if Ukraine does provoke Belarus, Lukashenko cautioned, 'we'll have no other choice.' Lukashenko referred to the conflict as a 'common war' of Belarus and Russia against 'those beasts' - Kyiv and its Western allies - and said Moscow would 'back us up' if Belarus was attacked. On Saturday Minsk said it was sending troops to reinforce its southern border with Ukraine after accusing Kyiv of violating its airspace with drones. Kyiv said it had seen no signs of such a buildup. Lukashenko repeated the claims about airspace violations and said the Belarusian troops were being despatched to the border to 'prevent a breakthrough.' He said Minsk saw no reason to use Russian nuclear weapons, deployed on Belarusian territory last year, unless its borders were violated. 'We are not going to use any weapons until you step on our state border,' he said. Melania Trump earned six figures for speaking to a Republican fundraiser earlier this year, part of the million dollars in income she earns. Her compensation and investments were listed as part of Donald Trump's latest financial disclosure report, which all presidential candidates are required to file. The former first lady earns a substantial income from speaking fees, properties in New York and Slovenia that she rents and her non-fungible token (NFT) licensing agreement. Among the revenue listed is over $237,000 for one speaking engagement - paid for by the Log Cabin Republicans - in April 2024. That month Melania Trump hosted a $10,000-a-ticket fundraiser for the conservative LGBTQ group at Mar-a-Lago. Melania earned $237,000 from Log Cabin Republicans in April when she hosted a fundraiser for the group at the Mar-a-Lago The event raised about $5 million, which was split between Donald Trump's re-election campaign and the Republican Party. Melania Trump also hosted a fundraiser for Log Cabin Republicans in July at the Trumps' apartment in Trump Tower. There is no payment listed for that event. The documents also list Melanie Trump as earning $330,607 for a licensing agreement from Designers Manager for the sale of NFTs. She launched an NFT site after leaving the White House. The collections, which sell for $150 a pop, include digital renderings of her likeness. The former first lady has established a new company, called MKT World LLC, to accommodate her speaking engagements and the sale of her NFTs. She also has a significant property portfolio, the disclosures reveal. Her residential real estate ownings in New York are valued between $500,001 and $1,000,000. She also receives between $15,001 and $50,000 in rent from residential real estate owned in Ljubljana, Slovenia. And the former first lady has up to $250,000 in a savings account, the documents note. Melania Trump has not been seen in public since her appearance at the Republican National Convention last month. She did not address the delegates, although the spouse of the presidential traditionally makes remarks. Instead she sat in the audience to listen to her husband, Donald Trump, accept the Republican presidential nomination. Melania Trump in New York last month Melania Trump has earned $330,607 for a licensing agreement from Designers Manager for the sale of NFTs Melania will sell a $150 collector's edition of her memoir featuring 256 pages in full color throughout, with each copy signed by her This fall she will release her memoir entitled 'Melania.' The memoir will include 'personal stories and family photos she has never before shared with the public,' her office said. She is selling two editions: a $150 collector's edition featuring 256 pages in full color throughout, with each copy signed by the author. The memoir edition will be 304 pages and available for $40 with signed copies available for $75. 'Melania' will be released by Skyhorse Publishing, which has published such Trump supporters as former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and attorney Alan Dershowitz. The former first lady has been the subject of many biographies and books but this is the first time she is telling her story. It is unclear if she worked with a co-author and if she will go on a book tour. The remains found in a submerged car by a volunteer sonar team this week are believed to be a missing Florida mother and her daughter who vanished 50 years ago. Doris Wurst, 34, and her three-year-old daughter, Caren, were last seen traveling in a red 1961 Chevrolet Impala in November 1974 before vanishing without a trace. The mother and child lived in the since-shuttered Sunshine City Trailer Park on Northwest 2nd Street in Plantation. Plantation police investigated the case for years, but in 1975, the case went cold. For four decades, investigators continued to look for leads but to no avail until Sunday when a vehicle was found in a submerged canal. Sunshine State Sonar, a nonprofit that uses technology to locate vehicles, boats or missing persons, pulled the wrecked car out of the water on Saturday before calling police. Although their identification has not been officially confirmed - their dental records and DNA are still being verified- Plantation police said family members have been contacted in the likelihood that it is them. Doris Wurst, 34, she would have been 83 if she were alive Her daughter Caren, who was 3 when she went missing, would have been 52 The vehicle pulled from the canal on Sunday was believed to be Doris' 1961 Chevrolet Impala The investigation was a joint operation with Sunshine State Sonar, Plantation Police and the Broward Sheriff Office Forensic Dive Team. In June 2023, the teams ramped up their search to find the missing mom and daughter in hopes of closing the case. Plantation Police Department detectives, along with the Broward Sheriff's Office Forensic Dive Team, confirmed the vehicle's identity, Newsweek reported. The vehicle that was pulled from West Broward Boulevard was approximately five miles away from Wurst's mobile home, officials said. NBC6 Miami reported that finding the vehicle and recognizing there were the remains of a child inside was very 'emotional' for the team at Sunshine State Sonar who has been working on the case for the last year. 'We had no doubt, 100 percent at the time, who we had just found,' Michael Sullivan, founder of Sunshine State Solar, told the news outlet. 'The vehicle was so brittle that as soon as we touched it my finger went right through the metal door.' Some of the contents found in the wreckage were toys, shoes and clothes wer e laid on a blanket. A trumpet was also found and what appeared to be an aluminum baking pan The Fisher Price today that has been completely destroyed The car was pulled from a canal that was reportedly five miles from their home Some of the contents found in the wreckage were toys, shoes and clothes. The discovery of the Fischer Price toy and the car's headlights were the two items that prompted Sullivan to alert police. 'There was a hole in the roof on the vehicle and as I got right above the top of the vehicle I shined my flashlight in that hole and I saw what I didn't know what it was at the time, it looked like a purse or little briefcase,' he said. 'I grabbed it and when I got it up to the surface and saw what it was it was a Fisher Price kids toy. 'Me and my brother just looked at each other and it was a pretty emotional moment because, to us, it was Caren, it was Caren saying, 'I'm here, you got me.'" It comes as international mediators are fighting to secure a Gaza cease-fire deal Jerusalem has told French and British government ministers it expects support in attacking Iran should the Islamic Republic launch a retaliatory strike on Israel after former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran last month. The alarming statement by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz raises fears that Britain could be dragged into a major conflict should chaos break out in the Middle East in the event of an Iranian attack on Israel. 'If Iran attacks, we expect the coalition to join Israel not only in defence but also in attacking significant targets in Iran,' Foreign Minister Israel Katz told his French and UK counterparts today. He also warned Iran - which backs Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels in Yemen, all of whom have attacked Israel since the Gaza war started - to stop their assaults on Israeli soil, describing the country as 'the head of the axis of evil'. Meanwhile, international diplomacy to prevent the war in Gaza from spreading into a wider regional conflict intensified. While British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne and Katz, internationally mediated cease-fire talks in Qatar rolled into their second day. The push for an end to the Israel-Hamas war - along with Israel expressing its expectation of military support from Britain and France - came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000. Jerusalem has told French and British government ministers it expects support in attacking Iran should the Islamic Republic launch a retaliatory strike on Israel (Iranian missile launch pictured) Overcrowding of displaced Palestinians in areas declared unsafe by the Israeli occupation after being classified as humanitarian areas in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip 16 August 2024 An Israeli tank manouvers near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, August 14, 2024 Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz walks with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy after a meeting to see them off, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem August 16, 2024 Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei office shows him (L) leading the prayer, next to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (R), over the coffin of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard, during his funeral procession in Tehran, on Thursday on August 1, 2024 Britain, alongside the likes of the US and France, is one of Israel's foremost allies on the international stage and has supplied Jerusalem with a steady flow of arms, as well as diplomatic support, since the October 7 attacks. But Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government has taken a tougher stance on Israel since winning a landslide election victory last month, despite losing four seats to pro-Palestinian activists. Lammy has restored funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency amid claims that workers participated in the October 7 attacks, which killed roughly 1,200 people. And Labour has dropped the UK's objections to a decision by an International Criminal Court prosecutor to pursue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant amid the court's assessment they bear responsibility for alleged war crimes in Gaza. International mediators believe the best hope for calming tensions in the Middle East would be a deal between Israel and Hamas to halt the fighting and secure the release of Israeli hostages. Diplomats hope such a deal, if achieved in short order, would persuade Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut along with Haniyeh's assassination. Lammy and Sejourne appeared hopeful that a cease-fire in Gaza could be achieved after meeting with Katz today, in spite of his expectation that they would agree to attack Iran. Britain's foreign secretary said Israeli officials told him they were on the verge of securing a cease-fire amid the ongoing negotiations in Qatar. 'As we head now to 315 days of war, the time for a deal for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza and for the fighting to stop is now,' Lammy said. But Hamas has rejected Israel's latest demands, which include a lasting military presence along the border with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza where it would search Palestinians returning to their homes to root out militants. Israel in return accuses Hamas of adding its own new demands to a previously agreed-upon plan. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby called the ongoing talks in Qatar an 'important step', but stressed that a lot of work remains given the complexity of the agreement. A US official briefed on Thursday's talks called the discussion 'constructive', but gave no further insight given he was not authorised to speak on the subject. A boy walks through a puddle of sewage water past mounds of trash and rubble along a street in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on August 14, 2024 Palestinians prepare graves in a cemetery as death toll surpasses 40,000, according to health ministry, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis Former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed last month in an explosion in Tehran Men carry the coffin of Hezbollah fighter Mohamad Bader el Dine who was killed in an Israeli drone strike on his car on August 14, in the Christian village of Marjayoun during his funeral on August 15, 2024 in Harouf, Lebanon Both sides have agreed in principle to a plan President Joe Biden announced on May 31, and Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan said the group is only interested in discussing the implementation of that agreement, not in further negotiations over its content. Hamas has declined to take part directly in talks this week, but its senior officials, who reside in Qatar, are ready to discuss any proposals from the mediators. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies that Israel has made new demands, but he has also repeatedly raised questions over whether the cease-fire would last, saying Israel remains committed to 'total victory' against Hamas and the release of all the hostages. The most intractable dispute has been over the transition from the first phase of the cease-fire - when women, children and other vulnerable hostages would be released - and the second, when captive Israeli soldiers would be freed and a permanent cease-fire would take hold. Hamas is concerned that Israel will resume the war after the first batch of hostages is released. Israel worries that Hamas will drag out the talks on releasing the remaining hostages indefinitely. Meanwhile, Hezbollah released a video today with Hebrew and English subtitles, showing underground tunnels where trucks were transporting long-range missiles in a clear message to Israel. A Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was speaking about military affairs, said the missiles in the video have a range of about 140 kilometres (86 miles), capable of reaching deep inside Israel. Hezbollah has tens of thousands of rockets, missiles and drones that the group says give it the ability to hit anywhere in Israel. The Iran-backed Lebanese group started attacking Israel on October 8 and says it will only stop when the Gaza war ends. The family of the firefighter who was killed during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump has spoken out, shortly after his killer's body was revealed to have 'gone' after being quietly cremated 10 days after the attack. A month after Corey Comperatore lost his life at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, his widow Helen and two daughters Allyson and Kaylee said they don't him to just be remembered as 'the man shot at a rally.' 'He was just a wonderful man,' Helen told Action4News. 'Just remember Corey as he was a great man who was a great father, great husband.' The grieving family said they believe Corey's 'blood is on the hands' of the law enforcement in charge of the rally, amid growing scrutiny over apparent security lapses that allowed the shooting to unfold. Their interview comes as Congressman Clay Higgins revealed last night Thomas Matthew Crooks' body was cremated within days of the shooting after being quietly returned to his family. Higgins accused the FBI of a 'scorched earth' investigation. Corey's daughters Allyson (left) and Kaylee (right) remembered their father as a doting and loving man, and said they blame law enforcement security lapses for his death Helen Comperatore, the widow of the fire chief slain during the assassination attempt of Donald Trump, has spoken out her beloved husband a month after he was killed Corey Comperatore was shot in the head during Trump's fateful rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, as his family said he heroically leapt on top of them when bullets rang out 'On J23, Crooks was gone. Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc,' Higgins said in a damning report. When he was shot dead at the rally, Corey was struck in the head as he dove on top of his wife and daughters at the same moment Secret Service agents raced to cover Trump on stage. His widow praised him as a 'hero', saying he 'saved his wife, he saved his child and he was just the best guy. He was just the best.' Allyson said she remembered the exact moment shots rang out at the event, as her father sprang into action and threw her to the floor. 'As he was throwing me down, that is when he was shot and he ended up falling on me,' she told Action4News. 'I don't remember any other shots. In that moment, I was trying to take care of him. I was really confused when he was on me. 'I had turned around, I went, 'Dad' he fell down, and that's when I started screaming and I was trying to keep him from bleeding.' His other daughter Kaylee said she is still shocked at witnessing the tragedy, and said she told her self to 'wake up, this is a dream.' 'And then you realize it's not a dream, and you feel like your whole world is just over,' she added. Helen branded Corey a 'hero' for his final actions, saying he 'saved his wife, he saved his child and he was just the best guy. He was just the best' Corey and Helen were high school sweethearts who were married for 29 years, sharing two daughters (pictured during their childhoods) that described him as the best 'girl dad' The grieving family say they have been left searching for answers to the tragedy, and described losing Corey as feeling as though 'your whole world is just over' The family remembered on Corey as a doting husband and father, as Helen said their romance began as high school sweethearts when they were sophomores. 'It was Valentine's Day, and Corey showed up at my house with a dozen roses,' Helen recalled through tears. 'I said, 'Does this mean we're dating?' And he said, 'Yes, I think so,' and I said, 'OK.'' They were married for 29 years, sharing their two daughters and Corey's beloved Doberman pinschers. Allyson and Kaylee described their father as the perfect 'girl dad.' 'He would put my hair in braids,' Allyson said. 'When I was in competitive cheer, he was the cool dad because he could do back handsprings little girls begging him to do back handsprings on the tumble track.' After Trump unbelievably survived the assassination attempt by being shot in the ear, days before the Republican National Convention, Corey's firefighter uniform was displayed on stage as a tribute to the victim of the shooting. Helen said his uniform being shared and embraced by Trump was a 'big honor.' 'I'll tell you why,' she continued. 'All day at the rally, he kept saying, 'You're going to hear him (say) Corey, get up here.' He was just joking, 'You're going to get up,' and we were all like, there's his moment. He's up on stage. He got his moment on stage.' Corey was killed days before the Republican National Convention, and his firefighters uniform was displayed on stage with Trump as a tribute to the slain father Helen said her husband was a keen Trump supporter, and described having his uniform displayed next to the former president at the RNC as a 'big honor' Now, amid growing scrutiny on the Secret Service's apparent security lapses that allowed Crooks to fire at Trump on stage, Corey's loved ones say they are considering legal action and have hired an attorney to fight for justice. 'I know he would want me to get to the bottom of this. I know he would,' Helen said. 'I want justice for my husband, and I'm going to get it.' Kaylee added that she blames law enforcement for her father's death, saying: 'I just want them to know I think my dad's blood is on their hands, and I hope they wake up every day thinking about what they took from our family. 'Because we have to wake up every day and see that image of our father in our head, and no child should ever have to see that.' The scrutiny on the Butler rally was escalated this week as Congressman Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who was appointed to Congress' bipartisan task force reviewing the assassination attempt, revealed the shooter's body was quietly cremated after being release to his family within days of the shooting. He said he tried to view Crooks' body on August 5 as part of his own personal inspection, which 'caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact'. It was at this point that he learned that the FBI had 'released the body for cremation 10 days' after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Higgins says 'nobody knew' that the body had been returned to the family, including the county coroner and local enforcement. He writes that the coroner still had 'legal authority over the body' when the FBI made this decision and accuses the agency of 'obstruction'. The congressman's report comes amid grave concerns over how the shooting was allowed to unfold, with Trump barely escaping with his life and a rally attendee being killed in one of the greatest security failings in American history. The body of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate former President Trump, was returned to his family for cremation only ten days after the shooting The FBI released the body of Crooks only ten days after his assassination attempt on former President Trump Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle was forced to resign on July 23 - but many questions remain unanswered, with no motive yet provided for 20-year-old Crooks' assassination attempt. Higgins said that he took it upon himself to investigate during a 'boots on the ground' trip to Butler from August 4 to 6. His 'preliminary investigate report' was submitted to Task Force Chairman Mike Kelly (R-PA) on August 12 and released to the public on Higgins' website last night. In it he questions why Crooks' body was released to the family by the FBI without any oversight. 'The problem with me not being able to examine the actual body is that I won't know 100% if the coroner's report and the autopsy report are accurate. We will actually never know,' Higgins writes. 'Yes, we'll get the reports and pictures, but I will not ever be able to say with certainty that those reports and pictures are accurate according to my own examination of the body. 'Again, similar to releasing the crime scene and scrubbing crime scene biological evidence... this action by the FBI can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any following investigative effort.' Higgins states that on July 23, the day that Crooks was cremated, both the Homeland Security Committee and the Oversight Committee had opened investigations into the assassination attempt, while Speaker Mike Johnson had stated he was forming a congressional investigative body. 'Why, then, by what measure, would the FBI release his body to the family for cremation? This pattern of investigative scorched earth by the FBI is quite troubling,' Higgins writes. Representative Clay Higgins, a Republican from Louisiana who was appointed to the bipartisan task force reviewing the assassination attempt, tried to view Crooks' body on August 5 as part of his own personal investigation By July 23, 'Crooks was gone,' Higgins wrote. 'Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc' Speaking after the publication of his report, Higgins stated that he will leave no stone unturned as he continues to work alongside his colleagues as part of the bipartisan group investigating the shooting. 'As I have said, every question will be answered, every theory explored, and every doubt erased. The American people deserve the full truth on the attempted assassination of President Trump,' he said. 'Our investigative efforts are moving forward in good faith. The release of my preliminary investigative report is reflective of my desire to deliver transparency and reassurance to the American people.' Prior to being elected to the lower house in 2016, Higgins worked as a police officer in Louisiana. In November 2023, he suggested that violence at the Capitol on January 6 was caused by operatives who were brought in by the FBI on 'ghost buses.' Higgins has also attended and spoken at events organized by groups like the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers. On July 29, the Louisiana congressman was named as one of seven Republican members of a bipartisan group tasked with investigating the attempted assassination of Trump. The task force consists of 13 members - seven Republicans and six Democrats. It's mission is to determine what went wrong on the day of the attempted assassination and it will make recommendations to prevent future security lapses. The task force will issue a final report before December 13. Families face summer travel chaos as hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport are set to take 23 days of industrial action from the end of the month. Around 650 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) based at Britain's busiest airport in London will walk out from August 31 to September 3. They will then work to rule and refuse to work overtime until September 22 in action which relates to a long-running dispute about changes to terms and conditions. The union said around 160 staff have left the Border Force because of the lack of flexibility, while others have been forced to change working hours and practices. The action - set to impact families travelling on the final days of the school holidays - comes after it emerged train drivers on Britain's flagship railway line will go on strike every weekend until November, despite having just been offered a bumper pay deal. Hundreds of members of the Aslef union working for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will walk out for a total of 22 days, including every Saturday between August 31 and November 9 and every Sunday from September 1 to November 10. The warning over fresh rail chaos comes just days after the union struck a pay deal with the Labour Government, which will give workers a 14 per cent raise. Aslef insisted the dispute at LNER which runs trains on the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh - is separate from the long-running row over pay, which is set to be resolved after a new offer this week from the Government. But shadow transport minister Kieran Mullan said the strike should 'shock nobody' - and shadow home secretary James Cleverly mocked the Labour government today for being 'played by its union paymasters', adding that the 'latest wave of strikes will be devastating for families who rely on train travel to see their loved ones'. Tory shadow cabinet minister Chris Philp added: 'It's taken Labour barely a month to lose control of state sector pay - they will all now demand double digit rises. None of the increases come with commitments to reform or improve. All the public gets is a much bigger tax bill - or cut winter fuel allowances for 10million pensioners.' People wait in line at London Heathrow for passport control on May 7 during an IT outage And Conservative peer Lord Frost said Transport Secretary Louise Haigh 'must be feeling really stupid this morning' after giving Aslef a 'massive no-strings pay rise' that will see average driver salaries rise to 69,000 excluding overtime by 2025. Meanwhile Ben Curtis from the Campaign for Better Transport said the situation was 'endlessly frustrating to rail passengers', with airlines 'fast becoming the winners'. Labour has been accused of prioritising their union paymasters over rail passengers, pensioners and taxpayers after announcing a series of pay deals for public sector workers since coming to power in early July. This includes a 22 per cent hike over two years for junior doctors who have staged damaging strikes in recent months. At the same time, Labour is axing winter fuel payments for millions of retirees as Chancellor Rachel Reeves looks to fill a 22billion 'black hole' in the public finances. GPs are currently demanding an 11 per cent funding rise in the hope of becoming the next group of public sector workers to get a cash boost from Sir Keir Starmer. Packed concourse at London King's Cross on December 27, 2022 after a previous RMT strike Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan on the picket line at London Euston station on April 5 A rally during RMT industrial action outside London King's Cross station on June 25, 2022 Conservative MP Neil O'Brien, a former government minister, said it was 'absolutely unreal' that Aslef members were planning fresh strike action just days after being handed a pay rise, adding: 'The Government have been absolutely played.' And Tory peer Lord Frost said on X: 'Louise Haigh must be feeling really stupid this morning as Aslef go on strike again after she's just given them a massive no-strings pay rise. 'Aslef complain about LNER management. Yet LNER is already in the public sector, so the bad management - if there is any really and it isn't just an excuse for 70s-style union disruption - is the responsibility of Haigh's own department. 'A reminder that nationalisation is going to do nothing to solve the problems of the rail sector. And a warning to the rest of us of what a state-run railway is going to be like under Labour.' And Mr Cleverley said: 'The Labour government has been played by its union paymasters. This latest wave of strikes will be devastating for families who rely on train travel to see their loved ones. 'Offering a no-strings pay deal to militant strikers whilst stripping millions of pensions of their winter fuel payment is nothing short of a national embarrassment.' Mr Mullan added: 'After a no-strings-attached offer to throw cash at a Labour-backing union, it should shock nobody that more strikes are on the cards. 'It's a taste of what is to come: a nationalised train service seeing Labour-backing unions staging walkouts despite a bumper pay deal. 'All Labour are doing is encouraging the unions into more of this anti-passenger action, putting our rail network at the beck and call of unions whilst passengers pay the price.' In addition, Mr Curtis said: 'It's vital that the Government and Aslef work to find a solution to an issue that is endlessly frustrating to rail passengers. 'Airlines are fast becoming the winners in this situation with disruption on such a key route leading rail users to fly instead. In a climate emergency it's urgent that we get rail back on track.' And a spokeswoman for the independent travel watchdog Transport Focus said: 'It's disappointing that passengers will be disrupted in the coming weeks following the announcement today of strike actions by LNER staff. 'Passengers deserve better and we would urge all parties to get around the table and find a solution as soon as possible. 'Passengers tell us that they want a punctual and reliable railway that delivers on the timetable's promise at an acceptable price. The railway must remain focused on delivering what passengers rightly deserve.' The new Aslef strike could also embolden the equally militant RMT which settled its 18-month dispute with train operators last year - but then said last week that its workers at ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper had voted in favour of a walkout over pay. Today, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch told the Times: 'All things being equal, we are expecting a parallel, synchronised offer to that of Aslef. 'We are meeting with the department on Tuesday on behalf of our members who work for train operating companies and there is another meeting on Thursday for staff who work for Network Rail. 'All the indications are that we will be offered the same terms as Aslef. And we are expecting that it will be delivered.' Aslef donated 100,000 to the Labour Party in the second week of the general election campaign. The union has donated more than 200,000 to the central Labour Party and various local branches and politicians since April 2020, according to Tory research. Aslef said there has been a breakdown in industrial relations, 'bullying' by management, and 'persistent breaking' of agreements by LNER bosses. The union's general secretary Mick Whelan said: 'The continued failure of the company to resolve long-standing industrial relations issues has forced us into this position. 'We would much rather not be here but the company has brutally, and repeatedly, broken diagramming and roster agreements, failed to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery, and totally acted in bad faith. 'When we make an agreement, we stick to it. This company doesn't and we are not prepared to put up with their boorish behaviour and bullying tactics.' But an LNER spokesperson said: 'Our priority focus will be on minimising disruption to customers during the forthcoming Aslef strikes, which sadly will continue to cause disruption and delays. 'We are surprised and disappointed to hear this news following recent constructive conversations. We will continue to work with Aslef to find a way to end this long running dispute which only damages the rail industry.' LNER runs trains on the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh and further north Former Labour minister Bill Rammell said that the dispute at LNER was 'particularised to that regional rail company' and negotiations would be taking place over the next two weeks before the action is due to start. He told GB News: 'It's not about pay, it's about working conditions and management, and I think it can almost certainly be resolved. But what we're seeing is about fairness and getting Britain back to work. 'The Tories always keep public sector pay excessively low and that causes real problems in terms of recruitment, retention and morale within those services which affects the public services - and this is about rebalancing and getting it right. 'And a pay rise, if we're taking about the train drivers, is ultimately I think a better deal for the taxpayer than a dispute carrying on which has already cost more than 850million.' We are aware of industrial action announced at LNER on weekends from 31 August to 10 November 2024.We are currently assessing how this will impact our planned timetable and will share updates on our website as soon as this is confirmed. Visit: https://t.co/64wKWvqKeV pic.twitter.com/KTvW0AlyG6 London North Eastern Railway (@LNER) August 16, 2024 Speaking about the Heathrow Border Force strike, PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: 'Our hard-working members at Heathrow take great pride in keeping our country's border safe, but many are being forced out of the job they love. 'They're being told by managers to choose between caring responsibilities and their job, which is no choice at all. The only reason they're being forced to choose is because their managers are forcing them. 'We know our strike action is likely to cause serious disruption to travellers using Heathrow at the end of the summer, but the strike can be avoided if the employer listens to the concerns of our members.' MailOnline understands that Heathrow officials have previously worked closely with Border Force to support their contingency plans during strike periods in an attempt to keep services running normally. The Border Force has been contacted for comment. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We appreciate the tireless work that Border Force do to keep our borders safe and secure, and we are committed to continuing our conversations with the union so we can find an agreement that works for both the public and staff. 'We will have robust plans in place to minimise disruption where possible, but we urge passengers to check the latest advice from operators before they travel.' Meanwhile the Tories have accused Labour of bowing down to trade unions over passengers, taxpayers and elderly people. Charities said many 'angry' retirees felt they were being treated as a 'lower priority' by the Government as they hit out at 'unfair' actions by ministers. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, pictured arriving at Downing Street in London on July 30 Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: 'We have been inundated with messages from pensioners who are angry and upset about the impact on them of losing their winter fuel payment this winter. 'And, in the light of news stories about various industrial disputes being settled, some are also commenting that they feel they are being treated as a lower priority and that this is unfair.' Tory MP Helen Whately, the shadow transport secretary, said: 'The Government has chosen to prioritise the unions over passengers and taxpayers - and pensioners, too.' Train drivers are set to vote on their multi-year pay offer, which comprised a 5 per cent hike for 2022/23, 4.75 per cent for 23/24 and 4.5 per cent for 24/25. The deal will see the average driver's salary soar from 60,000 to 69,000 - and bosses at the Aslef union claimed it was a 'no strings' offer. Industry estimates suggest the pay rise, which is pensionable, could cost as much as 100million. It is more generous than the previous government's offer of 8 per cent over two years. London North Eastern Railway (LNER) trains at the platforms of King's Cross station today This also included conditions around reforming antiquated and costly working rules, dubbed 'Spanish practices', that the Tory administration wanted, and which would have reduced the cost of running the railways. But these appear to have been ditched by Labour after they began talks with union bosses shortly after winning power last month. After the offer to train drivers was made, former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Daily Mail: 'Labour is throwing money at its union paymasters like confetti. 'The unions have said 'we've put up with 14 years of Tory government, now we want payback for all the times we supported you'. And it's not going to stop there. 'Once you give in to one or two on such a grand scale, everybody else feels like it's Christmas. And taxes will have to rise to cover it all.' As well as a hike for striking junior doctors, pay rises for other public sector workers were also recently announced by Ms Reeves as she laid out plans for public spending in the early weeks of Labour coming to power. The Chancellor said she would take winter fuel payments away from about 10 million people by only making them available for those on means-tested benefits. Previously the payments were universal for all pensioners in England and Wales. Ms Reeves said the Government will keep paying winter fuel payments of 200 to households receiving pension credit, or 300 to those who also have someone over 80 years old. An LNER train at Edinburgh Waverley station during a previous Aslef strike on January 30 Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds this morning said it was 'unfair' to suggest more public sector workers will take industrial action in light of the Government's pay offers to train drivers and junior doctors. He said the Government was 'sticking to the promises we made in opposition' in its deals with public sector workers. When it was put to him that other public sector workers will be queuing up for a double-digit pay rise after the Government's offer to train drivers and junior doctors, Mr Thomas-Symonds disagreed. 'I think that's an unfair characterisation as well,' the Paymaster General told Times Radio. 'I think what is absolutely crucial here is we are a Government again that is sticking to the promises we made in opposition. 'We promised we would sit down and find solutions, and people expressed scepticism about that, but actually that is precisely what we have done in Government.' Empty platforms at London King's Cross during Aslef industrial action on October 4, 2023 He said it was wrong to suggest there would be no reform of the railways alongside the pay offer, adding: 'We are absolutely looking to deliver a better service for passengers and, frankly, it's a low bar given the state the railways have been in in recent years.' Aslef's pay dispute is believed to be the longest-running one of its kind in history of Britain's railways, according to the union. The drivers are being recommended to accept the offer, which would end the two-year-long dispute, during which they have taken 18 days of strike action as well as refusing to work non-contractual overtime, causing huge disruption to passengers. Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that the top civilian honor was better than the top military honor because those recipients are in 'very bad shape' or deceased. He made the comments at an antisemitism event at his Bedminster, New Jersey resort, where he lauded Miriam Adelson, the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who long bankrolled Republican political campaigns. Trump reminded the audience how he had presented Miriam Adelson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018, mispeaking and saying it's equivalent to the 'Congressional Medal of Honor.' The highest military decoration is simply referred to as the Medal of Honor. 'It's actually much better,' Trump commented. 'Because everyone gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, they're soldiers. They're either in very bad shape because they've been hit so many times by bullets or they're dead.' 'She gets it,' Trump continued. 'And she's a healthy, beautiful woman.' Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that the top civilian honor was better than the top military honor because those recipients are in 'very bad shape' or deceased Trump (left) reminded the audience how he had presented Miriam Adelson (right) with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018, mispeaking and saying it's equivalent to the 'Congressional Medal of Honor' 'And they're rated equal,' he said of the two honors. The comments come after Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, have tried to tarnish the military service of Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Walz retired after spending 24 years in the National Guard, before his unit was deployed to Iraq. At times, Walz didn't correct the record when it was suggested that he served in Afghanistan. He served in Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Vance - who also served in the U.S. military - has claimed Walz is guilty of 'stolen valor.' Walz defended himself against the charge during a speech at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees earlier this week in Los Angeles. 'I'm going to say it again as clearly as I can: I am damn proud of my service to the country,' the Minnesota governor said. 'To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.' Former President Donald Trump (right) greets Miriam Adelson (left) at an event Thursday night in Bedminster, New Jersey The Harris-Walz campaign knocked Trump Friday for the comments he made about the civilian honor being better than the one given to servicemembers. 'Donald Trump knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself,' said spokesperson Sarafina Chitika. 'For him to insult Medal of Honor recipients, just as he has previously attacked Gold Star families, mocked prisoners of war, and referred to those who lost their lives in service to our country as "suckers" and "losers," should remind all Americans that we owe it to our service members, our country, and our future to make sure Donald Trump is never our nation's commander in chief again.' Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly confirmed that the now ex-president had called dead veterans 'suckers' back in 2018. The Atlantic reported ahead of the election in 2020 that Trump canceled his trip to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France because his hair would look bad in pictures because it was raining. 'Why should I go to the cemetery?' Trump reportedly said. 'It's filled with losers.' Aging brings increased risk for health issues. A new study identifies periods when there are big molecular shifts. PeopleImages/Getty Images Aging doesnt occur steadily, according to a new study led by Stanford researchers. Instead the human body ages dramatically in two bursts, around age 44 and then again around age 60, based on analyses of thousands of biological molecules. In the Bay Area, there are around 200,000 residents in those two phases, according to projections by the California Department of Finance. The researchers tracked the health of 108 individuals between 25 and 75 years old, collecting blood and biological samples every few months for several years. From these samples, they quantified over 135,000 different biological features, including RNA, proteins, metabolic compounds and even shifts in study participants microbiomes. In total, there were nearly 250 billion data points. The researchers found that the biggest number of age-related changes came when participants were in their 40s and in their 60s. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There are these periods where there are clearly lots of things happening, said study author Michael Snyder, director of Stanford Medicines Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine. For people in their 40s, some of these changes came in molecules related to cardiovascular diseases and lipid metabolism. This could mark a good time to watch out for rising lipids that might clog your arteries, Snyder said. People in their 60s had shifts in molecules related to carbohydrate metabolism and immune regulation. The results broadly align with earlier work published in 2019, also led by Stanford researchers, which investigated plasma proteins over the human lifespan and reported waves of change that peaked at ages 34, 60 and 78. The new study is an impressive body of work, said Dan Belsky, an epidemiologist at the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, who wasnt involved in the research but was a peer reviewer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its really amazing to see this much high-dimensional molecular data organized for this kind of a sample over this kind of time series, Belsky said. Its really an important step forward in the field. But, Belsky added, its still premature to conclude that the patterns identified in the study reflect how these molecules behave in larger populations over longer periods of time. The researchers only followed individuals for a handful of years, piecing together data for different study participants to construct a picture of molecular changes over the human lifespan. The researchers are planning to continue the study, to address such concerns. We want to do this for more people, were going to do it for longer, Snyder said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A police officer who found his former partner taking her clothes off for a fellow copper was sacked after getting into a fight with him. PC Owain Lewis caught his ex with a colleague in the spare bedroom. Despite splitting up, the pair still shared the property and Lewis was angered at what he saw he lost his temper. He grappled with the fellow officer and then threw a baking tray filled with food in the direction of his partner- who was also a police officer. Lewis, who worked for North Wales Police, had been in a relationship with the woman who has not been named for eight years. PC Owain Lewis: Was sacked from North Wales police after getting into a scuffle with a officer A disciplinary tribunal heard problems began to appear in the relationship in September 2022, when he ex-lover kissed the officer. Rumours quickly spread within the force about the troubled couple which frustrated Lewis. PC Lewis moved out of the property in Buckley, Flintshire, but returned to it after a night out in December 2022 and argued with his ex at 4am. The hearing was told she had jabbed her phone at his chest and Mr Lewis 'recklessly' threw her phone away in a temper and breaking it. The hearing heard that Mr Lewis was left 'heartbroken' by the events and claimed he had not gone there looking for a row. North Wales Police Station: Lewis found his partner undressing in the sparebedroom The panel ruled his actions amounted to gross misconduct and he was sacked from the force. Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said: 'Former PC Lewis' actions were inappropriate, unprofessional, and totally unacceptable. 'This type of conduct seriously undermines trust and confidence in policing.. North Wales Police take all reports of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls seriously. 'The position of North Wales Police is to robustly investigate all matters to ensure public confidence is maintained, which is evidenced by this outcome. 'We would encourage anyone with concerns of this nature to speak to us - you are not alone; you will be listened to, and your experiences will be taken extremely seriously.' North Wales Police said: 'Lewis was off duty when he attended at an address in the Buckley area of Flintshire. Whilst at the property he was responsible for an act of violence towards property which resulted in the damage of a mobile phone. This took place in a domestic setting. Recently sacked Channel Seven newsreader Sharyn Ghidella has revealed she wasn't shocked to hear about allegations of harassment and bullying at the network. Seven was thrown under the spotlight in an expose by the ABC's Four Corners this week, with many female employees describing it as a 'toxic' and 'soul-crushing' work environment. One journalist said she jumped in front of a moving car after claiming she was left with 'crippling' anxiety, while another labelled Seven one of the most 'degrading' workplaces. Ghidella, one of 150 Seven West Media staff to get the chop last month amid widespread redundancies, admitted she'd seen problematic behaviour during her 17 years at Seven. 'I did watch it. A lot of that was information that I already sort of knew about,' she told The Courier Mail. 'You see things sometimes that you may think are questionable. And I certainly speak up. I'm not someone who would ever sit back and allow things to happen to me that I didn't feel were right.' Ghidella, who has since announced she'll joining Network 10 to anchor the 5pm Queensland news bulletin, clarified she personally had had a pleasant experience working in television but was saddened by those who hadn't. The issue of toxicity within the journalism industry was also highlighted by veteran TV presenter Tracy Grimshaw at the Kennedy Awards on Friday night. Recently sacked Channel Seven newsreader Sharyn Ghidella has revealed she wasn't shocked to hear about allegations of harassment and bullying at the network Grimshaw used her acceptance speech for the lifetime achievement award to warn those who act inappropriately that 'the jig is up'. 'Let all of this be a shot over the bow over anyone in any workplace anywhere who still thinks it's the wild frontier land out there, because the truth is it's just a phone call away from your own career-ending headline now,' she told the crowd. 'The jig is up, so cogitate on that. 'And I'm also not comfortable with young women being told they should somehow expect to leave their dignity and self-determination at the door when they get into this industry. 'They certainly should not and telling them that sets them up for failure. Think about it, if you're told you'll be bullied and harassed and you better not say anything about it when it happens, well guess what? You won't say anything about it.' The issue of toxicity within the journalism industry was also highlighted by veteran TV presenter Tracy Grimshaw at the Kennedy Awards on Friday night As many as 200 current and former Seven employees spoke to the ABC for award-winning journalist Louise Milligan's investigative piece Don't Speak. One woman who wished to remain anonymous, claimed she had been working 'extremely long' hours for a salary slightly higher than minimum wage and that her life began to 'spiral'. On March 8, the journalist had informed her superiors at the network's Brisbane office atop Mt Coot-tha that she wanted to find another job. But she claims she was told to stay for another six months. 'The only way I can describe it is I felt like I had a noose around my neck,' she said. '[I] felt like she was in a committed domestic violence relationship with [Seven News].' At 10.45am that day, her concerned colleague received a call saying 'they won't let me go', 'I've f**ked up my career', 'I want to be hit by a car'. Just five minutes later, the reporter threw herself in front of a vehicle. 'I just spiralled,' the woman said. Seven reporter Olivia Babb (pictured) claimed she - like other women - had been 'harassed and bullied' during her time at Seven 'I saw a car driving towards me up the road, I ran in front of it and hoped it would hit me. 'It stopped. I kept running to find another car. I saw the edge of the cliff at Mt Coot-tha and I jumped. I tumbled down the hill, through the bush.' She was taken to hospital and never returned to work at Seven. The bombshell allegations come amid a tumultuous time for the TV station, with mass job cuts, plummeting ratings and recent civil court testimony from a former Spotlight producer claiming interview subject Bruce Lehrman was provided with prostitutes and cocaine. Mr Lehrmann and Channel Seven have denied the allegations. 'It is one of the most degrading, soul-crushing places you can work,' former Channel Seven reporter Olivia Babb told the program. 'I feel like sometimes I'm dying on the inside when I go to work every day.' The journalist claimed she - like other women - had been 'harassed and bullied' during her time at Seven. 'I've been verbally assaulted. I've been put in situations where I don't feel safe multiple times. 'This cameraman got in my face and told me, 'I don't like you. I hate you. You are a s**t person'. And I will never forget it.' Babb told one of her bosses she wanted to go to HR about it. 'My boss looked me in the face and said, 'Well, this is going to be more work for me if we go to HR',' she said. 'You really think #MeToo has made any difference to Seven?' 'I have never seen anything come through that makes us think that it even happened, that Seven even knew about #MeToo.' Seven West Media released a brief statement shortly after the Four Corners investigation aired on Monday night. 'While we are clearly concerned about allegations of poor behaviour and any mistreatment of employees, a number of matters raised represent old issues that have been well aired and dealt with, in some cases many years ago,' it read 'A number of people who have displayed behaviour not reflective of SWM's values have already been removed from the organisation. 'We encourage all Seven West Media team members to call out any behaviour that does not reflect our values. Whistle-blower protections are in place and are regularly re-emphasised with all staff. 'We have a great team at SWM and the actions of some individuals do not reflect the values, behaviour and attitude of the business as a whole, which is home to some of the best, hardest working and most passionate media professionals in Australia. 'Our focus is to build a stronger culture that enables our great people to thrive, and where unacceptable behaviour is not tolerated.' Matthew Perry's former live-in personal assistant was arrested in connection with the star's death earlier this week. Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. Perry, 54, died last October in the hot tub of his rented home overlooking Beverly Hills after Iwamasa administered several ketamine injections to Perry. Iwamasa was Perry's assistant since 1994 and was frequently seen out and about with the Friends actor. He is now facing 15 years behind bars. His LinkedIn profile says: 'I thrive in chaotic situations which call for order. I am discreet, loyal and honor absolute confidentiality.' Kenneth Iwamasa, seen here with Perry, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death Prosecutors also say that Iwamasa did not have any medical training or specific knowledge of how to administer controlled substances It continues: 'I love deadlines, contracts, dotting i's and solving puzzling situations and projects.' According to authorities, Iwamasa communicated in code alongside others charged in connection with Perry's death to obtain ketamine. Matthew Perry died in October 2023 Prosecutors also say that Iwamasa did not have any medical training or specific knowledge of how to administer controlled substances. It was Iwamasa who found Perry unresponsive in his hot tub, with his cause of death later determined to be 'the acute effects of ketamine'. On October 4 Iwamasa reported that he had successfully injected Perry, noting that he 'found the sweet spot but trying different places led to running out' of ketamine. The indictment says that Iwamasa administered at least 27 shots of ketamine to Perry during the last few days of his life, including three that prosecutors allege killed him. Perry had another assistant, Briana Brancato, who had worked for the actor for seven years But left to become a personal trainer a few months before his death. Five people, including two doctors, Iwamasa, and an alleged drug dealer known as the 'Ketamine Queen', have been arrested in connection Perry's death. The suspects were apprehended on Thursday over claims they are part of a 'broad underground criminal network' that supplied him with the ketamine. Doctors Salvador Plasencia, 42, and Mark Chavez, 54, alleged drug dealers Jasveen 'Ketamine Queen' Sangha, 41, and Eric Fleming, 54, and Iwamasa, 59, have all been charged. It was Iwamasa who found Perry unresponsive in his hot tub, with his cause of death later determined to be 'the acute effects of ketamine' Perry had recently moved back into his newly refurbished home and was enjoying his hot tub when he died suddenly on October 28 Prosecutors say the group preyed on the vulnerable star's addiction issues, with the doctors even referring to him as a 'moron' in cruel texts where they discussed how to further exploit him. Prosecutors claim that Sangha's distribution of the substance on October 4, 2023 led to his death. Sangha had thousands of pills and kilograms of powder in her 'drugs emporium' home, photos published by prosecutors reveal. Federal law enforcement raided her home in March and recovered the incriminating evidence along with text messages about selling 'double strength' ketamine. In a press conference, US attorney Martin Estrada described Perry's steady descent into ketamine addiction, which started with him obtaining the controlled substance through doctors, before eventually resorting to street vendors. An explosive indictment alleges that the defendants made tens of thousands of dollars by selling the narcotic to the troubled star. Doctor Salvador Plasencia, 42, has also been charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine In one instance, Plascenica worked with Chavez to charge Perry $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that cost $12, after he became increasingly desperate to get his hands on the drug, according to the filings. The doctors allegedly used Iwamasa to distribute approximately 20 vials of ketamine to the actor over a two-month period from September to October 2023 'in exchange for 55,000 dollars'. Text messages between them show them conspiring to supply Perry, with Plasencia insisting that he wants to be the star's 'go to' for the narcotic, the indictment shows. If convicted of all charges, Sangha could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Plasencia could face up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years in federal prison for each records falsification count. Iwamasa and Fleming will face up to 15 years and 25 years, respectively, when they are sentenced in their federal cases. Jasveen Sangha, 41, is better known as the 'Ketamine Queen' of north Hollywood. Prosecutors say she is the lynchpin for a 'broad underground criminal network' which supplied the Friends star the ketamine that killed him in October 2023 Investigators said they discovered a 'drugs emporium' at the home of Sangha during a raid in March 2024 Chavez has been charged in an information pursuant to a plea agreement and will be arraigned on August 30. At sentencing, Chavez will face up to 10 years in federal prison. Perry had been receiving prescribed ketamine therapy to treat anxiety and depression. But he had not had one of those treatments for a week-and-a-half prior to his death. That means the ketamine found in his system after he drowned had not been prescribed. The amount in his blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery. It was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected, the report said. The actor had been open about his struggles with substance abuse. In 2022, he said he estimated he had that spent $9 million battling his addictions across 15 rehab stays. Former President Donald Trump is hoping to push back his sentencing in the Stormy Daniels hush money case until after the November election, but there is the possibility if that does not happen, the ex-president could spend election night behind bars. The Republican presidential nominee was convicted by a Manhattan jury of 34 counts of falsifying business records in May. Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, after it was delayed following a Supreme Court ruling. Former George W. Bush Justice Department official John Yoo told DailyMail.com should that sentencing date stand, Judge Juan Merchan could send the ex-president to jail in the final stretch of the campaign. 'Yes, the judge has the ability to order Trump jailed immediately upon sentence,' Yoo said. Lawyers for former President Donald Trump said it would amount to 'election interference' to go ahead with scheduled September 18 sentencing in his Stormy Daniels hush money case Yoo and other lawyers do not expect the ex-president to get jail time as a first time offender, but it is up to the judge. 'This would show how misguided Judge Merchan truly is,' Yoo said. 'Trump is a non-violent, first time offender convicted of accounting fraud.' Yoo noted Trump has strong arguments on appeal He has strong arguments on appeal and said be believes the former president should win on appeal. 'A sensible judge would allow Trump to be out while his case proceeds,' he noted. In a letter to Merchan this week, Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche argued for a sentencing delay, citing the risk of 'election interference.' Blanche wrote that sentencing should be 'adjourned until after the Presidential election' and brought up the failed effort to get Merchan to recuse himself from the case due to his daughter's work for a firm that does digital ad campaigns for Democrats. President Trump exiting the Manhattan courtroom on May 30 after a New York jury found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up payment to Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet before the 2016 election He also faulted Kamala Harris' new running mate Gov. Tim Walz for having 'wrongly referred to this case in a public speech as the Democrat Party's nominee for Vice President.' Harris, a former DA and California AG, has made going after 'predators' and other suspects a key part of her stump speech since stepping in for President Joe Biden. Trump wants to prevent the District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office from filing a sentencing submission while the court is considering Trump's motion on presidential immunity, following the Supreme Court's ruling last month. The President of the United States has immunity from prosecution for official acts in office, the Supreme Court ruled in a monumental decision in early June with massive implications for presidential powers and the criminal cases against Donald Trump. The case centered on Special Counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of Trump for allegedly masterminding efforts to overthrow the 2020 election while in office, including on January 6. The ex-president's team argued that Trump, and any president, must have absolute immunity from prosecution over actions taken while in office or it could impair important decision-making. The 6-3 decision split along the court's ideological lines ensures that Trump will not face another blockbuster trial before the November election with the case sent back to a lower court to determine what is considered his 'official' versus 'unofficial' acts. New York Judge Juan Merchan already delayed sentencing following a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity 'The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official. The President is not above the law,' the justices led by Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority. Judge Merchan is scheduled to rule on the immunity issue on September 16, and Trump's team wants him to put off sentencing until any appeal is allowed to go through. Despite the ruling, Merchan previously said the September 18th sentencing date 'remains unchanged.' While he has not responded to Trump's lawyers requests yet, Yoo does not expect the delay to be granted. 'Judge Merchan has ruled every chance he has had against Trump, even when Trump has had the law on his side,' Yoo said. 'I think he has managed the trial to humiliate Trump and inflict political harm upon him. I would expect that Merchan would want to sentence Trump before the election and to sentence him to time behind bars.' Megyn Kelly has slammed Donald Trump for obsessing over the crowd size at Kamala Harris' airport rally, labeling his claims that it was faked 'so stupid'. The conservative commentator called out the former president for peddling a conspiracy theory after he claimed a picture of supporters outside Air Force Two, the vice president's official plane, was AI generated. This was later debunked by the photographer behind the picture and experts, as well as by video footage and other photographs from the event which clearly shows thousands of people filling the Detroit Metro Airport hangar. Speaking on her radio show, Kelly said of the Republican nominee's attacks on his Democrat rival: 'So unsmart. So dumb... He's claiming that the crowds, the big crowds outside of [Harris'] airplane and elsewhere are AI-generated, and it's just, there's just no proof of that.' 'It was a conspiracy theory somebody started,' she went on, adding that Trump should pay more attention to his campaign and policies, exclaiming: 'Just focus on the damn border!' Megyn Kelly has slammed Donald Trump for obsessing over the crowd size at Kamala Harris ' airport rally Thousands of Kamala Harris supporters turned up to a rally in Detroit last Wednesday One of Kelly's guests, editor of the libertarian Reason Magazine Matt Welch, suggested that Trump will fail to win over voters if he fails to focus on the issues which matter. 'If Trump spends more time complaining about depictions of the crowd size at Kamala Harris rallies, that's gonna really seal the deal for him,' he said sarcastically. 'That's gonna get the swing state voters!' Former Fox News presenter Kelly also questioned how the footage could have possibly been faked when so much footage was coming out of the event. 'There were all these other pictures from people who were actually there showed the huge like are they all in on it?' she said. 'Like, everyone who showed up got an AI filter that they put on? So stupid.' Her comments came after she started her politics panel show by reading off recent polls, saying they showed that things 'are not going in the right direction for Team Trump'. She dismissed claims that it was just down to the polls' oversampling of Democrats, arguing that it's 'across the board.' Supporters gathered on the tarmac outside of the hangar the Air Force Two in the background attend a campaign rally with US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris 'He's fallen in left-leaning polls, he's fallen in right-leaning polls,' she said. 'This is reality, and the Trump team needs to deal with reality if it wants to win.' It comes as one of the latest polls has put Harris as the current frontrunner in the tight race for the White House. The prediction comes from the Washington Post's polling average, which suggests that the race has effectively reversed itself since Joe Biden was replaced by his Vice President on the Democrat ticket. Compared to July 21 - the day President Biden dropped out of the race - Harris has gained two percentage points nationally, meaning she leads on her Republican rival as it stands. The Harris campaign jumped on Trump's false allegations, claiming it is a sign of the former president's growing desperation as he sees them getting ahead in the polls. Trump reshared a picture of the scene on Sunday, claiming on his Truth Social platform that the high definition image proved Harris 'AI'd it.' 'Look, we caught her with a fake "crowd",' he posted without any evidence. 'There was nobody there!' Harris HQ shared the post on X with the caption 'This is an actual photo of a 15,000-person crowd for Harris-Walz in Michigan.' It made a further swipe by adding: 'Trump has still not campaigned in a swing state in over a week... Low energy?' Fact check website Snopes said that the Winston AI Detector determined the image was '96 percent human' - meaning that it was 'likely photographed by someone and not created using an AI-generation tool.' If anything, Snopes' findings indicate that 'it's possible that [the photograph's] lighting, shadows or filtering was digitally manipulated' but not the photo as a whole. Spectrum News has also determined 'the crowd did in fact exist, and the rally was attended by thousands of people, many of whom posted their own pictures and videos of the event, which was also livestreamed by dozens of news channels and attended by a slew of prominent politicians.' It went on to quote Michigan outlet MLive, which said 'About 15,000 people filled the hangar, the crowd spilling out onto the tarmac.' Getty Images photographer Andrew Harnick defended his photograph, telling The Daily Beast: 'It was a large crowd, and the pictures that I took that are on the Getty website speak to that.' Irish police are investigating a potential terrorism motivation in an attack on a chaplain at an army barracks in Co Galway. The victim, named as Fr Paul Murphy - who is aged in his 50s, was stabbed a number of times and is being treated for injuries that are serious but not life-threatening. The army chaplain was attacked outside Renmore Barracks on Thursday at about 10.45pm and rushed to University Hospital Galway. Fr Murphy was approached by a youth outside the barracks and attacked. The chaplain then ran through the barracks gate and was followed by the youth. A spokesman for the Defence Forces said that live ammunition was fired by on-duty personnel as warning shots after he was attacked. The injured priest received first aid from Defence Forces personnel on duty. A male youth, aged in his teens, was restrained by members of the Defence Forces and arrested by gardai at the scene. Pictured: A car wrapped in plastic at the scene at Renmore Barracks in County Galway The victim, named as Fr Paul Murphy was stabbed a number of times and is being treated for injuries that are serious but not life-threatening (picture from the scene) In a statement, gardai said it is continuing to investigate all the circumstances of the incident. 'The special detective unit of An Garda Siochana is involved in this investigation,' they said. 'One line of inquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation.' They added: 'The suspect remains in detention and is being questioned in a garda station in the north western region. Their period of detention has recently been extended. 'An Garda Siochana wishes to reassure the public that at this time it is not believed this incident is part of a wider conspiracy. 'A thorough investigation is underway and all relevant Bureaux have been engaged and are active in progressing this investigation. 'The Garda Commissioner has spoken tot he Defence Forces Chief of Staff and wished the injured Defence Forces member a full and speedy recovery.' The scene is currently preserved and a technical examination will be carried out today by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit. In a Facebook post, Fr Murphy said: 'Friends, thank you for your prayers, love and concern. 'Sorry that I can't reply to all messages and take all the calls coming my way. I'm doing okay; just awaiting surgery. The army chaplain was attacked outside Renmore Barracks (pictured) on Thursday at about 10.45pm and rushed to University Hospital Galway A sign on the door at St Patrick's Garrison Church at Renmore Barracks in County Galway, after army chaplain Fr Paul Murphy was stabbed on Thursday evening 'All will be well.' Defence Forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Sean Clancy said: 'Our thoughts are with our injured comrade, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery. 'The wellbeing of our personnel is our utmost priority, and we will continue to support him during this time.' He added: 'The swift and decisive response by our personnel last night was exemplary, and in keeping with the highest standards of the Defence Forces and our values. 'Their professionalism ensured that a dangerous situation was quickly brought under control, protecting the lives of others in the vicinity. 'There is no doubt that their actions were critical in preventing further harm or loss of life. 'We are grateful to (gardai) for their rapid response and ongoing assistance in the investigation. We will continue to cooperate fully with their efforts to bring this matter to a thorough and just conclusion.' In a statement, Bishop Michael Duignan said: 'News of the assault on a Catholic priest, who is presently serving as chaplain to the Irish Defence Forces in Galway, is deeply shocking and upsetting. 'I pray for the injured man, asking God that he would make a full recovery. I pray too for his family, for his army colleagues and for the medical personnel who are tending to his injuries at this time.' Taoiseach Simon Harris has said his thoughts are with the member of the Defence Forces in hospital. 'I have been briefed on the shocking incident outside Renmore Barracks last night and my thoughts are with the member of the Defence Forces in hospital. 'I want to thank Defence Forces personnel and Gardai for their action and response,' he posted on the social network X. Pictured: Signage at Renmore Barracks in County Galway, Ireland Tanaiste, and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin condemned the attack. 'I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night,' he posted on X. 'I commend the members of the Defence Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical. 'Our thoughts are with the Defence Forces member injured in the attack.' Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said: 'My first thoughts are with Fr Paul Murphy, and I wish him a speedy recovery. 'An Garda Siochana responded promptly last night, and the suspect is in garda custody. 'I would also like to pay tribute to the members of the Defence Forces who intervened bravely at the scene.' In a statement, a spokesman for the Defence Forces said: 'The Defence Forces can confirm that an incident occurred at Dun Ui Mhaoliosa, Renmore, Co Galway yesterday evening where shots were fired by on duty Defence Forces personnel. 'This action was taken in strict accordance with force protection protocols after a Defence Forces member was assaulted by a male civilian. 'The soldiers on duty responded to the immediate threat with appropriate force to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the area. 'The assailant was quickly detained and handed over to An Garda Siochana, who are now conducting a full investigation into the incident. 'The injured Defence Forces member was provided with immediate first aid at the scene before being transported to hospital for further treatment. We can confirm that the victims injuries, while serious, are not life-threatening. 'The Defence Forces are committed to the safety and security of all personnel and will continue to cooperate fully with gardai in their investigation.' A couple heading to their honeymoon after marrying only days earlier died in a horrific crash in Colorado that also killed the bride's mother and left their one-year-old child orphaned. Ruben Rodriguez, 33, and Juliana Rodriguez Plata, 37, were driving with their son and the bride's parents westbound down I-70 in Wheat Ridge outside Denver around 8:30am on Thursday when a semi-truck carry pipes overturned. The truck's load spilled across both sides of the highway, causing at least three vehicles to crash, Denver 7 reported. The bride's mother, Luz Melba Martinez, died while her father and young son, Daniel, survived with injuries. It is unclear what caused the truck to overturn. Ruben Rodriguez, 33, and Juliana Rodriguez Plata, 37, their son Daniel, and her parents were driving outside Denver on Thursday when a semi-truck carry pipes overturned The truck's load spilled across both sides of the highway, causing at least three vehicles to crash On Saturday, Rodriguez and Plata tied the knot and they had been traveling to the Colorado mountains for their honeymoon. 'They were setting goals early for their kid, possibly have more children together and just had a normal life and just getting to begin their love story,' Rodriguez Plata's sister, Janell Rodriguez, told Denver 7. 'We just want to know exactly what happened because they were on the other side of the highway. They weren't even near the semi-truck.' The newlyweds (pictured at center) and the bride's mother (at right) died in the crash, while the bride'sfather (at left) survived The couple's family launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for their funeral, as well as for Daniel and other expenses. 'Luz Melba Martinez and Julianas father, Carlos, were here from Colombia to celebrate the wedding. Now, Carlos is faced with the unimaginable pain of losing both his daughter and wife in such a short span of time,' the description read. DailyMail.com has contacted the family for comment. A computer programmer has admitted stabbing an Eritrean asylum seeker at a hotel used to house migrants. Callum Ulysses Parslow, 31, knifed Nahom Hagos, 25, in the lobby area of the Pear Tree Inn and Country Hotel in Hindlip, Worcestershire, on April 2. The hotel had been used to house migrants for three years but was closed earlier this year for refurbishments and was due to be reopened for the public. The victim, who had previously lived at the hotel as an asylum seeker, was rushed to hospital following the attack but his injuries were not life threatening. Parslow was arrested on a towpath of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and threw a pocket knife on the ground. Callum Ulysses Parslow, 31, (pictured) knifed Nahom Hagos, 25, in the lobby area of the Pear Tree Inn and Country Hotel in Hindlip, Worcestershire, on April 2 Police and forensic officers at the Pear Tree Inn & Country Hotel near Worcester He appeared at the Old Bailey today and admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and having a bladed article. Parslow denied attempted murder and will stand trial for two weeks at Leicester Crown Court on November 7. Parslow appeared in court via video link from HMP Belmarsh wearing a grey t-shirt and tracksuit trousers. Mr Justice Jeremy Baker told him: 'Your trial will take place on 7 October and in the mean time you'll remain in custody.' Counter-Terrorism Policing West Midlands had been called in to lead the investigation. Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills of West Mercia Police, earlier said: 'This was a truly shocking incident and my thoughts continue to be with the victim as he recovers from his injuries. 'We understand the details of this charge may be alarming to the community, but we can reassure you that there isn't believed to be any wider risk to the public. 'The local policing team from West Mercia Police will remain visible in the area for your reassurance.' Parslow, originally from Hereford, worked as a computer programmer for an automotive diecast manufacturer in Worcester. He remains remanded in custody. Until this moment, the lanky man in khaki had been just a voice on the radio, beamed in from London. Now the 6ft 5in figure was the embodiment of victorious France as he towered over his compatriots in the sweaty, ecstatic throng packed into the Hotel de Ville on the banks of the Seine. General Charles de Gaulle rarely showed emotion, but he swallowed hard on that day of wild celebrations, Friday, August 25, 1944, before he described the ordeal from which the City of Light had just emerged. Paris had been outraged... broken... martyred. But now, he continued triumphantly, it was liberated. Liberated by itself! Liberated by its people with the help of the armies of France, with the help and assistance of the whole of France, of that France which fights, of the only France, the true France, the eternal France!. General Charles de Gaulle and his entourage set off from the Arc de Triomphe following Paris's liberation in August 1944 Ecstatic crowds fill the Champs Elysees to celebrate the liberation of the French capital German officers taken prisoner during the liberation of Paris after four years of occupation This passionate declaration bore little resemblance to the sober facts. The uprising of the previous days had been dramatic and picturesque, but hardly a full-blooded revolt. The armies of France amounted to one armoured division, equipped by the Americans and backed by US infantry. The whole of France had played no direct part in events. And the reputation of the France which fights was heavily tarnished by the debacle of 1940 when the army abandoned the capital to the Germans without firing a shot. De Gaulles version was what today we would call his truth. It was a necessary invention if the nation was ever to recover its self-esteem and come together after decades of venomous division that at times threatened to bring it to the edge of civil war. In crafting this rosy story he had some great imagery to work with. The moment when the Allied armies, fresh from victory in Normandy, joined forces with the dashing Fifis shorthand for the French Forces of the Interior who had taken to the streets of Paris to do battle with the Germans, was the most filmed event in history to date. The pictures captured that day rekindled humanitys love affair with the city. The fall of Paris had been a cause for near universal mourning. Now it was restored to the worlds imagination in all its cliched but reassuring familiarity. The liberators were overwhelmed with bottles and embraces. The jeep of American war reporter Ernie Pyle was simply swamped in human traffic... we were swarmed over and hugged and kissed and torn at. Everybody, even beautiful girls, insisted on kissing you on both cheeks. The fact that I hadnt shaved for days and was gray-bearded as well as bald-headed made no difference. It was, many felt, the day the war should have ended. The myth created on the joy-filled streets was one of the props that supported post-war France as it tried to come to terms with the immediate past. It helped Parisians and the rest of the country forget the painful realities of their conduct during the four-year occupation. In my new book, Paris 44: The Shame And The Glory, I look behind the cinematic facade of the liberation to examine the fascinating contradictions woven into the story. Researching it was a labour of love. I first went to Paris in my late teens, hitchhiking with a pal, camping in the Bois de Boulogne and surviving on bread, cheese and red wine that came in plastic bottles. I have lived there off and on throughout my life and remain a huge fan, though not blind to its exasperations and pretensions. I tell the story through the eyes of the protagonists collaborators as well as resisters, Germans as well as French. Among the cast of characters are some famous names like Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso as well as some intriguing unknowns. My goal was to celebrate one of the great moments in world history while laying bare the conflicts and contradictions bubbling beneath the surface the shame as well as the glory. Crowds line the Champs Elysees to watch Allied tanks and trucks pass through the Arc de Triomphe A young French woman makes eyes at an RAF officer after the liberation of Paris Certainly, in the first years of the occupation there was a lot more of the former than the latter. No one knows how Londoners would have behaved if the Germans had managed to cross the Channel, and it was not my intention to make any lofty judgments. But, put politely, Parisians, and in particular the upper classes, adapted quickly to the new realities. Reactions varied from surly acceptance, to worldly appreciation of the new opportunities the invaders brought with them, to outright enthusiasm. The cafes, cabarets and theatres did not stay shut for long and were soon filled with customers in field-gray uniforms watching many of the acts that delighted pre-war audiences the likes of Maurice Chevalier, Charles Trenet and Edith Piaf. The great restaurants did not miss a beat, and Albert Blaser, the maitre d at Maxims, ushered Nazi generals to the best tables with the same smooth deference he had shown to peacetime celebrities. The high-class brothels, too, did a roaring trade, as well as the humble street walkers in which Paris abounded. When the citys equally numerous band of writers and artists examined their consciences they reacted in very different ways. Some like Albert Camus ended up in the resistance. Others, like Picasso, refused to let the inconvenience of war disturb his working and romantic arrangements and stayed in his adopted home, spurning an American offer to take him in, keeping his head down and waiting for events to pass. But there was also a hard core of Right-wing intellectuals who embraced the Nazi masters. Among the most notorious was Robert Brasillach, editor of the viciously anti-Semitic newspaper Je Suis Partout (I Am Everywhere). He and his ilk saw Frances defeat as a punishment for the decadence of the pre-war Third Republic, and lauded the Nazis as the architects of a new Europe that would defend Western civilisation from the Bolshevik hordes of the Soviet Union. Collaboration was official policy, promoted and overseen by the new authoritarian French state ruled by former war hero Marshal Philippe Petain from his toytown capital in the spa resort of Vichy, more than 200 miles south of Paris. Petain presented himself as a shield who would protect his people from the worst excesses of the occupiers. In fact he proved incapable of stopping the Germans from robbing the country blind of its resources and manpower. French policemen and officials ended up actively participating in some of the most ghastly Nazi crimes, rounding up Frances Jews and sending them off to the death camps. The French gradually grew disillusioned with Petains empty promises. Meanwhile, the prestige of his former protege Charles de Gaulle, virtually unknown before he departed to carry on the fight from London, grew steadily, built by a series of inspirational speeches broadcast by the BBC. Nonetheless, it was 14 months before a Frenchman gunned down a German. Pierre Georges aka Colonel Fabien shot dead a young naval officer in the Paris Metro, thereby sparking a cycle of attack and reprisal that would culminate in the August 1944 uprising. But Georges was a communist who took his orders from Moscow, not London. The assassination marked a cynical volte face. Until Hitler decided to invade Russia and rupture his non-aggression pact with Stalin, Moscows instructions to the French party were to lie low. Indeed, an underground communist newspaper even urged readers who encountered a German soldier in their local bar to buy him a drink, because he is a proletarian like you. Now the orders were to shoot him and it was the communists who would do most of the fighting in the countdown to liberation. The Germans made it clear that any act of defiance was punishable by death. Abetted by Vichy, they shot imprisoned resisters in retaliation for the deeds of their comrades beyond the walls. There is no disputing the courage and heroism of the resisters of the first hour of all political persuasions. Their numbers were small and their military impact very limited but they kept Frances honour alive and provided a narrow foundation on which to build de Gaulles fable of France unbowed. As 1944 advanced, the numbers began to swell. Everyone knew the Allied invasion was coming and the only question was when. Across the Channel, market towns that had rarely seen a foreigner filled up with Americans and other exotic nationalities, including the multi-national soldiers of the French Deuxieme Blindee the Second Armoured Division commanded by Philippe Leclerc. In London, reporters and photographers gathered, eager to have a front-row seat at the liberation of Paris, a city that many of them knew well. Leading the pack was Ernest Hemingway, now at the height of his fame. Success had coarsened him and he had become a booze-sodden parody of himself. Returning to the place where he had made his name would, he hoped, act on him like a dip in the fountain of youth. What the assembled press corps did not know was that General Dwight D. Eisenhower had no intention of liberating Paris. The Allied plan was to smash the Germans in Normandy and chase the survivors back across the Rhine. Diverting to the capital would only slow the operation down and lumber the Allies with responsibility for feeding and maintaining the very hungry population. A British soldier stops to kiss a small child before cheering crowds in Paris, 1944 The yellow star used to identify Jews is sewn onto a jacket in German-occupied Paris in 1942 It was only after relentless badgering by de Gaulle that Eisenhower graciously agreed to change strategy even though it risked friction with President Roosevelt and the State Department, neither of whom had any love for the pathologically touchy Frenchman. De Gaulles arguments were reinforced by emissaries who sneaked through the enemy lines from Paris and painted a lurid picture of a city on the verge of disaster. On August 19, the uprising had started in earnest. Unless the Allies rushed to the rescue, the Germans would put it down with appalling savagery and perhaps reduce the place to rubble just as they were doing at that very moment in Warsaw. Ikes order to Leclercs men on August 23 to march at full speed to Paris backed up by the US 4th Infantry Division in case of mishaps allowed de Gaulle to claim a French victory and handed him the keys to power. The race for Paris and the jubilation that followed is one of the most dramatic and uplifting stories of the war. Robert Capa, the dashing Hungarian-born war photographer, returned to the city where hed learned to eat, drink and love and felt the viewfinder in his camera blur with tears as he snapped brilliant shots of the most unforgettable day in the world. Also present was Sergeant Jerry Salinger, later famous as JD Salinger for his novel The Catcher In The Rye. He arrived with the 4th Infantry and wrote to a friend: There was still shooting on the streets but nobody seemed to care. All the girls looked elegant [in] their best August dresses. He felt that if we had stood on the hood of the jeep and taken a leak, Paris would have said: Ah the darling Americans! What a charming custom! Love was in the air, as evidenced by the soaring birth rate nine months later. In 15th arrondissement it was double what it had been the year before, a living, breathing legacy of what had been the party of the century. Female companionship was freely available for the liberators, both soldier and civilian that night. Lieutenant Colonel Jacques Massu left his unit camped out near the Arc de Triomphe after being summoned by General Leclerc to a victory dinner at Les Invalides. When he returned to camp the revels were in full swing. I would prefer to draw a veil over what happened between my men and the women of Paris around the Place de lEtoile that night, he recalled. Reporter Ernie Pyle joked: Anybody who does not sleep with a woman tonight is just an exhibitionist! But underneath the joy and relief ran an ugly current of vengeance. The celebrations were accompanied by a carnival of retribution. The first to suffer were women accused of sleeping with the enemy collaboration horizontale as it was called. Some were prostitutes, some guilty only of falling in love with a German and some entirely innocent. The pictures of these poor creatures, heads shaven, daubed with swastikas and surrounded by jeering men are a stain on the memory of the liberation. Rough justice was meted out in an orgy of violence against collaborators real and imagined. Shortly after the liberation, a corpse tied to a paving stone was pulled from the Seine. Its hands were tied and it had a bullet hole in the back of the head. In the next days 27 more were recovered from the river in the same condition. The bodies were traced back to a former dental clinic on the Left Bank which had been taken over by communist resisters and turned into a revolutionary court where suspected collaborators were tortured and killed. Some of the victims later turned out to have sheltered Jews and Allied airmen. No one knows for sure how many were killed in this savage cleansing, but a post-war investigation put the number at a minimum of 10,000. De Gaulle soon imposed order. He recognised the need for to punish the most egregious Vichy figures. Petain went on trial in Paris in 1945 and was given the death penalty, a sentence that was immediately commuted to comfortable imprisonment on an island off the Atlantic coast. The Nazi fanboy journalist Brasillach was not so lucky and was executed by firing squad. But de Gaulle wanted to move on. The reckoning was short and followed by a long stretch of official amnesia with many who had served Vichy and the Germans faithfully going on to high positions in post-war France. The cabarets and music halls re-opened with after a brief period of mild disgrace the same old stars treading the boards again. Among them was Maurice Chevalier, whose song Paris Sera Toujours Paris proclaimed that whatever happens, Paris will always be Paris. History has proved him right. The Olympics have reinforced the special place that the city holds in the hearts of the world. Eighty years after the liberation, it is right to remember the darkness that fell over the City Of Light. Beneath the charm and joie de vivre lie historical crosscurrents of anger, resentment and potential violence that are visible in the France of today. But we should also never forget the heroism of those marvellous days. Look closely and you can still see reminders of it in the discreet marble plaques set into the walls, marking the spot where French men and women fell to German bullets, giving their lives to restore the honour of their capital. Two men accused of carrying out an arson attack on a Ukrainian-owned business on behalf of the Russian Wagner Group have appeared in court today. Jakeem Barrington Rose, 22, and Ugnius Asmena, 19, appeared at the Old Bailey accused of setting the blaze on Cromwell Industrial Estate in Leyton, east London, on 20 March. Accused Russian spy Dylan Earl, 20, has appeared in court previously in connection with the plot. He allegedly volunteered to undertake missions for the Wagner Group. Pictured: The blaze at an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, on March 20, which needed 60 firefighters to bring it under control Earl was the first person to be charged under the new National Security Act brought in last year to target those working secretly for hostile states within the UK. Rose, of Croydon, and Asmena, of Wandsworth, appeared in court together via a video link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs wearing grey t-shirts. Earl, Rose and Asemna are charged, along with Paul English, 60, of Roehampton, Nii Kojo Menash, 21, of Thornton Heath, and 22-year-old Jake Reeves, of Croydon, with aggravated arson by starting a 'significant fire causing serious damage'. The blaze required 60 firefighters to bring it under control. Rose is also accused of having a knife at the industrial estate. Earl, of Elmesthorpe, Leicester, is also charged with 'preparatory conduct' between section 18 of the National Security Act 2023, under section 18 of the National Security Act 2023. He is further charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, between 20 December 2021 and 18 April 2024 in that he 'engaged in conduct, namely agreeing to undertake fraudulent activity, research and reconnaissance of targets, and attempting to recruit individuals to assist with such activity, intending that conduct to materially assist a foreign intelligence service carrying out UK-related activities'. Dmitrijus Paulauskas, 22, is charged with failing to disclose information to police about terrorist acts, contrary to section 38B of the Terrorism Act, 2000. An eight-week trial date is set for 2 June 2025 before a High Court judge at the Old Bailey. Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said Rose and Asmena would remain remanded in custody. He said: 'The proposal is the matter is next listed together with the co-accused on 4 October.' Dmitrijus Paulauska leaves Westminster Magistrates Court on April 25 Dmitrijus Paulauska, 22 of Croydon, South London was charged on April 25 with failing to disclose information to police about terrorists acts According to the prosecution, Earl joined a broadcast channel on Telegram 'for the Wagner Group, and from there, he became connected to an individual aligned to the Wagner Group.' The Russian mercenary group has been a proscribed organisation since September 2023, acting as a 'malign proxy military force on behalf of the Russian state' in countries including Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, and Mali. Prosecutor David Cawthorne earlier said Earl 'expressed a willingness to undertake missions for the Wagner Group' and was 'tasked by his handler to provide information on specific people and locations in the UK'. Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Dmitrijus Paulauska (left) and Jake Reeves appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, central London He said Earl's motivation appeared to be the 'accumulation of wealth and status and the associated lifestyle it would bring.' Following his arrest on 10 April police investigated Earl's phone and found enquiries linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Wagner Group along with arson and cryptocurrency. His phone allegedly contained images of a pistol, magazine and bullets while another screenshot showed a cryptocurrency account holding 58,425.80. A video of an arson attack was also stored on his iPhone and later modified with background music added, it was said. English and Menash were allegedly recruited 'to participate in an attack on the building. 'The plan was to destroy it,' said Mr Cawthorne. He added: 'There happened to be a lorry driver asleep in his cab right next to the commercial premises. 'He was alerted and called the emergency services. 'This was a significant fire causing serious damage, a number of fire units attended and the fire service were able to put it out.' The defendants will next appear for a hearing on 4 October. Mark Farrells mayoral campaign is sharing expenses with a ballot measure committee that he established to support Proposition D, an unusual move that opens up a murky legal area thats ripe for exploitation and abuse. Camille Cohen/Special to the Chronicle San Francisco mayoral candidate Mark Farrell has scooped up some of the citys most coveted endorsements including that of the influential firefighters union Thursday by vowing to restore order and safety to the streets and purge City Hall of its corrupting layers of inefficient bureaucracy. But its becoming increasingly clear that for all his talk of law and order, Farrell and his campaign are quite comfortable with aggressively pushing legal limits of their own. Millions of dollars are being poured into S.F. mayoral race. Were tracking where its coming from Advertisement Article continues below this ad As the Chronicle reported in June, Farrells mayoral campaign has taken the unusual step of sharing expenses with a ballot measure committee that Farrell established to support Proposition D, an initiative to cut the citys unwieldy thicket of commissions. Its common for candidates to set up ballot measure committees to increase their visibility with voters. But sharing expenses between a candidate committee and a ballot measure committee opens up a murky legal area thats ripe for exploitation and abuse. Mayoral debate: On Sept. 19, the Chronicle and KQED are hosting an S.F. mayoral debate with the leading candidates. Click here to register for the livestream. While donors can give a maximum of $500 to a candidates campaign, they can make unlimited contributions to ballot measure committees. By pooling the two pots of funds, Farrell has invited accusations from his political opponents that hes laundering money effectively using the ballot measure committee to circumvent contribution limits and funnel money into his mayoral campaign, which would be illegal. Everything we do is vetted, approved, and signed off by legal counsel, Farrell said in a statement. My opponents are working overtime to drag us in the mud because they are trying to distract voters from their failed leadership and inability to deliver real change for our city. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Campaign finance is complicated, with a lot of legal gray areas, and accusations of money laundering certainly sound like the kind of hyperbolic reputational slander typical of San Francisco politics. But after doing some digging of my own into Farrells campaign finances, I found even more evidence of activity that doesnt quite pass the sniff test. Campaign filings show that in June, real estate magnate Thomas Coates and his wife, Linda, each donated $250,000 to Farrells ballot measure campaign. These donations came within 10 days of Neighbors for a Better San Francisco Advocacy a powerful moderate group thats become one of the biggest spenders in local elections refunding Coates $500,000 hed contributed months prior. Why did this catch my eye? Well, Coates was one of just two donors to an independent expenditure committee that the San Francisco Ethics Commission accused of illegally coordinating with Farrells 2010 supervisorial campaign. In 2016, Farrell agreed to pay a record $25,000 fine negotiated down from $191,000 to settle the allegations. Farrell was cleared of any personal wrongdoing and claimed he was unaware of the misconduct, although the settlement said he took ultimate responsibility. Filings show that Neighbors refunded Coates shortly before announcing it would not create an independent expenditure committee to back a mayoral candidate likely to avoid accusations of improper coordination with Farrells campaign. As the Chronicle reported in April, Neighbors leader Jay Cheng helped connect a potential job applicant to Farrells campaign and promised another political player hed hold open a lucrative consulting position. Neighbors has endorsed Farrell and nonprofit executive Daniel Lurie as their top choices for mayor. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In an email, Coates told me that Prop D is necessary to create a city government that is more accountable and efficient for everyone and that I believe and trust in Mark Farrells leadership. But if Coates was primarily concerned about passing Prop D, he could have kept his money with Neighbors, which has heavily contributed to a separate committee backing the measure. The refund suggests that Coates may have preferred for his money to go into a Neighbors-backed independent expenditure committee supporting Farrells mayoral bid and that when that didnt come to pass, he instead redirected it to Farrells ballot measure committee. Again, if Farrell were using money from his ballot measure committee to subsidize his campaign for mayor, that would be illegal and could result in a hefty fine from the San Francisco Ethics Commission of as much as three times the amount of funds proven to be mishandled. Farrells campaign adamantly denies this is happening and insists that the unique financial setup in which Farrells ballot measure committee reimburses the mayoral committee for the value of resources used, such as staff time or office space is legal and helps streamline administrative costs. But Sean McMorris, a campaign finance law expert and Common Causes transparency, ethics and accountability program manager, told me the structure raises a lot of red flags and makes it harder for the public to trust that they are using the money the proper way. Former San Francisco ethics commissioner and San Mateo County Superior Court judge Quentin Kopp filed a June complaint about Farrells cost-sharing practices with the citys ethics commission, which told me it is legally prohibited from commenting on complaints or potential investigations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Indeed, the breakdown of shared costs is suspicious. Campaign filings reveal that, as of June 30, Farrells ballot measure committee had reimbursed his mayoral campaign for about 40% of more than $143,000 in payroll expenses. There arent more recent campaign filings for Farrells mayoral committee, but the ballot measure committee reported reimbursing the mayoral campaign about another $39,000 in payroll expenses from July 1-15. The ballot measure committee also appears to be paying about half of the $7,500 monthly rent for Farrells West Portal campaign headquarters. These figures suggest that Farrells campaign staffers have been spending a significant amount of their time working on the Prop D campaign which is difficult to believe given the intensity and cost of the mayors race, already the most expensive in San Francisco history. They also imply that the ballot measure committee is using a decent amount of space at Farrells campaign headquarters. So, on Wednesday, I paid his office a surprise visit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The windows of the low-slung building at the corner of West Portal and 14th avenues were plastered in red Mark Farrell for Mayor posters. There were no signs mentioning Prop D or a commission-related ballot measure. When I knocked on the door, Farrells mayoral campaign manager, Jade Tu, answered. I introduced myself and asked if she had any Prop D ballot measure campaign literature or material that she could share with me. What ballot measure? Tu asked. I explained that Prop D was the commission-cutting initiative Farrell had formed a committee to support. Tu said there wasnt any ballot measure-related material at the office and it may be stored elsewhere. When I asked if the office was used primarily for Farrells mayoral campaign, she said, Pretty much. I expressed surprise that there werent any materials relating to Prop D in the office because Farrells committee supporting the measure was paying a big chunk of the rent. Tu said she was in the middle of a meeting and would connect me with the campaigns press office. 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 A campaign spokesperson said that given that propositions had just been assigned letters this week, the ballot measure committee was in the process of printing updated materials. If I returned next week, the spokesperson continued, there would be Prop D signs and literature available. The families of two Oklahoma girls who claim they were drugged with fentanyl at a Cancun resort have slammed Mexican authorities for accusing them of making it up. Stephanie Snider, the mother of the boyfriend of Zara Hull, who claimed she was targeted alongside her friend Kaylie Pitze, took to Facebook to dispel allegations the girls were merely too drunk. 'They also are saying that the girls both had clean toxicology reports - there was not even a toxicology report done on Zara at the hospital in Mexico,' she wrote. 'They also claimed to have reached out to the families. We were not contacted. They even said it didn't happen in Cancun. They were staying in Cancun, I can assure you. They went on to say other things that are also false.' After both girls were hospitalized following their fainting-episode at the resort, Snider added that they are both now 'struggling with emotional issues' and 'depression' as they recover back home. Officials in Mexico claimed allegations two college students were drugged with fentanyl-laced drinks at a resort are false, which their families have now countered in a scathing post. Pictured: The students moments after the alleged spiking The mother of Zara Hull's (pictured) boyfriend said she is 'struggling with emotional issues' since she and a friend were allegedly drugged on Holiday in Cancun, as she Snider posted her update two weeks after Hull and Pitzke made headlines with their claims that they were drugged with fentanyl-laced drinks while on vacation with their boyfriends. Disturbing images showed them slumped over a poolside bar after consuming the drinks, and their families said they were left in wheelchairs with no memory of what happened to them. But shortly after, the head of the State Attorney General's office (FGE), Raciel Lopez Salazar, said an investigation found they were never spiked. Salazar claimed the girls' drug tests came back clean and that the case has been 'exaggerated and classifies it as simple alcohol consumption'. 'There was no drug dealing here in Quintana Roo with fentanyl,' he said, adding that they were staying at a hotel in Isla Mujeres, not Cancun. This development was scathed by Snider in her Facebook post, who said they 'were staying in Cancun, I can assure you.' Zara Hull and Kaylie Pitze became dangerously sick on their dream vacation in Mexico two weeks ago Hull was on vacation with her boyfriend (pictured together on the Cancun vacation) alongside Pitze and her boyfriend, on what was intended to be a 'dream' trip to Mexico 'I am not here to have this argument. In fact, it doesn't surprise me at all that they are trying to dismiss this situation. I'm sure they do NOT want our truth to come out because it would hurt them and their tourism industry,' she continued. 'Now these girls are dealing with the aftermath of what happened to them while staying there. They are home and physically safe, but their lives feel very different. 'Both girls are struggling with emotional issues from not being able to remember what happened to them but yet reaping the side effects. 'They're still have some issues with mental clarity and physical stamina. Depression has become an issue as one would expect, but they have such strong support from family and friends and are dealing with these issues as they come. 'Even Jake (Zara's boyfriend) is still struggling with similar issues just because he was trying his best to protect Zara in a different country while overcoming the uncertainty he was facing.' Hull and Pitze were on a dream vacation with their boyfriends when the horror unfolded, and previously described the moment she and Pitze passed out in front of her terrified boyfriend Jake. 'We both got water and within two minutes, Jake had turned around and we both hit the bar, heads down at the same time,' Hull said. Hull initially could not breathe on her own and was put on a ventilator, and her loved ones said she is still 'struggling with emotional issues' following her ordeal The two Oklahoma college students were on a trip with their boyfriends Stephanie Snider, the mother of the boyfriend of Zara Hull, took to Facebook to dispel allegations the girls were merely too drunk when they said they were targeted Hull said she experienced convulsions before passing out and becoming 'basically paralyzed.' Snider rushed her to the hospital and remained by her side as staff reportedly demanded thousands of dollars for treatment. 'They had increased the money they wanted. The baseline was $10,000 for them to even look at me,' Hull said. 'They were holding me captive. We're college students; we don't have the money they're asking for.' Meanwhile, she suffered from seizures throughout the night, and the doctors intubated her. Amid the chaos of their hospital stints, Snider said she believes they were spiked by people who wanted to harvest their organs or subject them to trafficking. 'We believe they were planning to take her away to be trafficked or perhaps even to take her organs (which is what we were later told is a common thing that is done),' Snider wrote in an emotional Facebook post. Hull claimed hospital staff demanded even more money to release her, and the air ambulance to bring Hull back to the United States cost $26,000. After officials say their investigations show that the students' drug tests came back clean, their families claimed no tests were ever performed in hospital A day after ingesting the suspicious beverage, the group secured a private plane to fly them to Dallas. In Snider's most recent update, she said the girls are back home and are 'physically safe', but are still emotionally vulnerable following their ordeal. 'The sad truth is that it is happening. Innocent victims are being drugged,' she wrote. 'Their families are being extorted for lots of money to get them out. More bills are piling up while the victims are receiving proper medical and emotional care while healing from these horrific acts of crime. 'Families are in debt for tens of thousands of dollars from saving their loved ones. 'I don't have to name the resort. We don't have to name the hospital. It's multiple resorts that have done this to people. We are here to tell everyone IT IS NOT SAFE. Many go and return home just fine, but so many, like our kids, weren't that fortunate. Some won't return home at all. 'Our story is real. It's very real. We refuse to stoop to the level of these accusers and have this argument. We don't have to. I have NOTHING to hide. Please be kind to our kids. They've been through hell & all they wanted was to keep you from going through it too.' The FBI is pushing back after a Republican's startling discovery that Donald Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks' body had been quietly cremated. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., a member of Congress' bipartisan task force reviewing the tragic July 13 assassination attempt, unveiled that Crooks' body is 'gone' in an independent report released this week. Higgins, a former police captain, wrote that he 'caused quite a stir' when attempting to review Crooks' corpse which 'revealed a disturbing fact.' It was at this point that he learned that the FBI had 'released the body for cremation 10 days' after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. But the FBI denies the Republican's insinuation that they are obstructing the probe. 'Any suggestion the FBI is interfering with congressional efforts to look into the attempted assassination which took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, is inaccurate and unfounded,' an FBI spokesperson told DailyMail.com. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., a former police officer, conducted his own investigation into Donald Trump's near assassination and revealed that shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks' body was cremated before he or other lawmakers could review 'The FBI has been working closely with our law enforcement partners to conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting, and we have followed normal procedures in the handling of the crime scene and evidence.' 'The FBI continues its painstaking work on the investigation to develop as complete a picture as possible of what led to the shooting, and we remain committed to maximum transparency as we continue to brief Congress and publish information for the public regarding the ongoing investigation,' their statement continued. But the sudden discovery by the Republican has caused a stir with some saying that 'all roads' lead to a 'cover-up.' 'All roads keep leading back to alphabet agencies being involved and/or covering up what actually happened in Butler, PA when President Trump was shot,' Kylie Jane Kremer, Women for America First executive director, wrote on X responding to Higgins' findings. 'It's awfully odd in a case of such importance that there would be some rush somehow to cremate the body,' host Dan Bongino questioned after the report came to light. Podcaster Chris Martenson posted: ''Disturbing' doesn't come close to describing this. It's now 'malfeasance' until proven otherwise.' Longtime Rush Limbaugh partner and radio host Bo Snerdley wrote on X, 'Why was the decision made to quickly rid of the body? What purpose did it serve?' 'The body of alleged Trump assassin, Crooks, has been cremated. The FBI released his body to the family just 10 days after the attack. As of today, the coroner's report has still not been released. Cover. Up,' Libertarian podcaster Clint Russell wrote responding to the Republicans' report. Body camera footage released by Butler Township from the day a shooter attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump shows the moment police encountered the shooter before he opened fire on the crowd Bodycam video released by Sen. Chuck Grassely, R-Iowa, shows the moments authorities discovered Crooks' body Higgins' report says 'nobody knew' that the body had been returned to the family, including the county coroner and local enforcement. He wrote that the coroner still had 'legal authority over the body' when the FBI made this decision and accuses the agency of 'obstruction'. The report comes amid grave concerns over how the shooting was allowed to unfold, with Trump barely escaping with his life and a rally attendee being killed in one of the greatest security failings in American history. His 'preliminary investigate report' was submitted to Task Force Chairman Mike Kelly (R-PA) on August 12 and released to the public on Higgins' website on August 15. In it he questions why Crooks' body was released to the family by the FBI without any oversight. 'The problem with me not being able to examine the actual body is that I won't know 100% if the coroner's report and the autopsy report are accurate. We will actually never know,' Higgins writes. The body of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate former President Trump, was returned to his family for cremation only ten days after the shooting By July 23, 'Crooks was gone,' Higgins wrote. 'Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc' 'Yes, we'll get the reports and pictures, but I will not ever be able to say with certainty that those reports and pictures are accurate according to my own examination of the body.' The report continues: 'Again, similar to releasing the crime scene and scrubbing crime scene biological evidence... this action by the FBI can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any following investigative effort.' The Louisianan states that on July 23, the day that Crooks was cremated, both the Homeland Security Committee and the Oversight Committee had opened investigations into the assassination attempt, while Speaker Mike Johnson had stated he was forming a congressional investigative body. 'Why, then, by what measure, would the FBI release his body to the family for cremation? This pattern of investigative scorched earth by the FBI is quite troubling.' DailyMail.com reached out to the FBI for comment. A prisoner has allegedly been gang raped for half an hour by a group of inmates at a jail in New South Wales. The horrifying incident is alleged to have taken place at Lithgow Correctional Centre, west of Sydney, on Tuesday. The inmates allegedly took turns sexually assaulting the man in a cell, the Penrith Press reported. A source told the newspaper that other convicts could hear the sexual assault happening but claimed that prison guards were unaware and did not intervene. One of the alleged attackers was said to be a convicted sex offender. The alleged victim was taken to hospital on Wednesday. A NSW Police spokesman said it had received 'a report of a sexual assault of an inmate by several other inmates'. Corrective Services NSW said an investigation was under way. A prisoner has allegedly been gang raped by a group of inmates at a jail in New South Wales. A cell at Lithgow prison is pictured The horrifying incident is alleged to have taken place at Lithgow Correctional Centre, west of Sydney, on Tuesday 'On Wednesday, Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) was informed an inmate at Lithgow Correctional Centre had allegedly been sexually assaulted,' a spokesman said. 'Due to the serious nature of the allegations, all relevant areas were immediately secured as a crime scene and NSW Police attended the centre. The inmate was taken to hospital for evaluation, returning to the centre several hours later. 'CSNSW treats all allegations with the utmost seriousness. CSNSW is assisting NSW Police with their investigations and support is being provided to the inmate.' A beauty clinic has allegedly tricked a 19-year-old man with a mental age of five into getting breast implants by telling him they would help him make money. The teen's mother, referred to in local media as Ms Lu, from Wuhan, China, said her son had the breast surgery on July 28. 'When our family heard about this, we were absolutely shocked. It was like the sky was falling. He's only 19 years old,' she told the South China Morning Post. She claims that her son went to the clinic to apply for a job offering full board and a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan (325), but was convinced by staff that he should get breast implants first. A member of staff reportedly told him via text: 'You can get the breast surgery done first and start working once you've recovered.' A beauty clinic has allegedly tricked a 19-year-old man (pictured) with a mental age of five into getting breast implants by telling him they would help him make money The teen's mother, referred to in local media as Ms Lu, from Wuhan, China , said her son had the breast surgery on July 28 When the teenager voiced concerns about having the surgery as a man, the staff member reassured him that it was 'OK for men'. He was also worried about paying for the procedure, but the employee convinced him to pay for the surgery in installments, before suggesting that he could pay the clinic back via a live-streaming income. 'We have many live-streamers who undergo cosmetic surgery here and make a lot of money,' the clinic employee said, according to SCMP. The 19-year-old went on to take out a loan of 30,000 yuan (3,250) and another for 7,000 (750) over the course of two years. His mother said that after the surgery in July, he was left with a B-cup - and two long scars underneath his breasts, which break her heart every time she sees them. After a series of discussions with the clinic, the teenager's breast implants have since been removed, which his mother claims re-traumatised him. She provided medical reports saying that her son has mental capacity of a five-year-old due to his intellectual disabilities and should not have been able to get the surgery done without her consent. Her son has allegedly been suffering from depression, anxiety and sleep disorders since having the surgeries. Labour has been 'played by its union paymasters' after Britain was left facing travel chaos by further strikes despite a 100million pay deal being given to train drivers, senior Tories have claimed. Travellers faced a double nightmare today as dual strikes were announced for the end of August, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of people during the last major weekend of the summer school holidays and beyond. Border Force staff are set to launch a 23-day strike at Heathrow Airport from August 31, while the train driver's union Aslef revealed its members would walkout every weekend on LNER services form the same date until November. It comes just days after Labour gifted Aslef a bumper 100million pay deal which will see base salaries for train drivers rise to 69,000. It will be backdated to April 2022 and even drivers who have since quit will receive a share of the package. The head of the RMT union, Mick Lynch, has warned he expects his members to be given a similar deal when meeting with Transport Secretary Louise Haigh next week. Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan arrives at Number 10 for a meeting with Keir Starmer on July 23, weeks before his members were given a bumper pay rise Mick Whelan (centre) stands with other Aslef members on the picket line outside Euston train station in London during a strike on April 5 The move has been harshly criticised by Tories, who claim Labour are 'throwing money at unions like confetti', as well as consumer groups who called the fresh strikes 'endlessly frustrating'. The strike at Heathrow will see around 650 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) based at Britain's busiest airport in London will walk out from August 31 to September 3. They will then work to rule and refuse to work overtime until September 22 in action which relates to a long-running dispute about changes to terms and conditions. The union said around 160 staff have left the Border Force because of the lack of flexibility, while others have been forced to change working hours and practices. It was announced after Aslef revealed hundreds of its members working for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will walk out for a total of 22 days, including every Saturday between August 31 and November 9 and every Sunday from September 1 to November 10. Aslef insisted the dispute at LNER which runs trains on the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh - is separate from the long-running row over pay, which is set to be resolved after the 14 per cent par rise offered by the government this week. Mick Lynch, the hard-left general secretary of the RMT union which has brought Britain's railways to a halt more than a dozen times over the last couple of years, has warned he expects 'a parallel, synchronised offer' that matches the terms given to Aslef when he meets with the government next week. He told The Times: 'We are meeting with the department on Tuesday on behalf of our members who work for train operating companies and there is another meeting on Thursday for staff who work for Network Rail. 'All the indications are that we will be offered the same terms as Aslef. And we are expecting that it will be delivered.' Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of prioritising Labour's union paymasters over rail passengers, pensioners and taxpayers. Pictured: The Labour leader celebrating his election victory on July 5 The strike at Heathrow is set to bring travel chaos to airline passengers at Britain's busiest airport (file image) Labour has been accused of prioritising their union paymasters over rail passengers, pensioners and taxpayers after announcing a series of pay deals for public sector workers since coming to power in early July. This includes a 22 per cent hike over two years for junior doctors who have staged damaging strikes in recent months. At the same time, Labour is axing winter fuel payments for millions of retirees as Chancellor Rachel Reeves looks to fill a 22billion 'black hole' in the public finances. Former Home Secretary and Tory leadership contender James Cleverly said the 'Labour government has been played by its union paymasters' amid the announcement of Aslef strikes on LNER services. The shadow home secretary said: 'This latest wave of strikes will be devastating for families who rely on train travel to see their loved ones.' Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Conservative leader, said Labour was 'throwing money at unions like confetti'. He added: 'If [the train driver pay deal] is backdated, then a whole bunch of people will end up getting paid who have left. It's a very big payment at a time we're being told we can't afford it. Rachel Reeves pleads that she's got a budget black hole but she's just made it a bit worse.' 'And other public sector workers will now ask: why not them?' Meanwhile Ben Curtis from the Campaign for Better Transport said the situation was 'endlessly frustrating to rail passengers', with airlines 'fast becoming the winners'. And a spokeswoman for the independent travel watchdog Transport Focus said: 'It's disappointing that passengers will be disrupted in the coming weeks following the announcement today of strike actions by LNER staff. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, pictured arriving at Downing Street in London on July 30 LNER runs trains on the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh and further north 'Passengers deserve better and we would urge all parties to get around the table and find a solution as soon as possible. 'Passengers tell us that they want a punctual and reliable railway that delivers on the timetable's promise at an acceptable price. The railway must remain focused on delivering what passengers rightly deserve.' Aslef donated 100,000 to the Labour Party in the second week of the general election campaign. The union has donated more than 200,000 to the central Labour Party and various local branches and politicians since April 2020, according to Tory research. Aslef said there has been a breakdown in industrial relations, 'bullying' by management, and 'persistent breaking' of agreements by LNER bosses. The union's general secretary Mick Whelan said: 'The continued failure of the company to resolve long-standing industrial relations issues has forced us into this position. 'We would much rather not be here but the company has brutally, and repeatedly, broken diagramming and roster agreements, failed to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery, and totally acted in bad faith. 'When we make an agreement, we stick to it. This company doesn't and we are not prepared to put up with their boorish behaviour and bullying tactics.' But an LNER spokesperson said: 'Our priority focus will be on minimising disruption to customers during the forthcoming Aslef strikes, which sadly will continue to cause disruption and delays. 'We are surprised and disappointed to hear this news following recent constructive conversations. We will continue to work with Aslef to find a way to end this long running dispute which only damages the rail industry.' Packed concourse at London King's Cross on December 27, 2022 after a previous RMT strike People wait in line at London Heathrow for passport control on May 7 during an IT outage Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan on the picket line at London Euston station on April 5 A rally during RMT industrial action outside London King's Cross station on June 25, 2022 Former Labour minister Bill Rammell said that the dispute at LNER was 'particularised to that regional rail company' and negotiations would be taking place over the next two weeks before the action is due to start. He told GB News: 'It's not about pay, it's about working conditions and management, and I think it can almost certainly be resolved. But what we're seeing is about fairness and getting Britain back to work. 'The Tories always keep public sector pay excessively low and that causes real problems in terms of recruitment, retention and morale within those services which affects the public services - and this is about re-balancing and getting it right. 'And a pay rise, if we're taking about the train drivers, is ultimately I think a better deal for the taxpayer than a dispute carrying on which has already cost more than 850million.' Speaking about the Heathrow Border Force strike, PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: 'Our hard-working members at Heathrow take great pride in keeping our country's border safe, but many are being forced out of the job they love. 'They're being told by managers to choose between caring responsibilities and their job, which is no choice at all. The only reason they're being forced to choose is because their managers are forcing them. 'We know our strike action is likely to cause serious disruption to travellers using Heathrow at the end of the summer, but the strike can be avoided if the employer listens to the concerns of our members.' MailOnline understands that Heathrow officials have previously worked closely with Border Force to support their contingency plans during strike periods in an attempt to keep services running normally. A road rage driver's impatience immediately backfired after she tried to overtake another car on a Virginia highway - and immediately totaled her own. The female driver, whose identity has not been confirmed was seen trying to overtake an SUV on the road in a video shared on TikTok. She was in such a hurry that she drove off the highway and into a grassy shoulder to try to get ahead, losing control of the vehicle which then flipped upside down. The woman was hospitalized after the incident. The driver was in such a hurry to get ahead of the other vehicle that she lost control on the grassy shoulder The woman lost control of her vehicle on the grassy shoulder One of the crash witnesses, known as @trainyourdawg on TikTok, posted a video of the shocking accident in Virginia yesterday. 'You should have seen her NASCAR exit through the windowit was impressive,' @trainyourdawg wrote. The TikToker said Mitchell exited her car right away and appeared to have no severe injuries. 'She was walking and talking before the squad took her. Lucky girl,' the TikToker wrote. Another witness who drove in front of Mitchell was also unharmed, but the TikToker believed it would've been safer if they 'moved over' to the right lane. 'He stopped and made a statement, as I did. He just wanted to get clear of here, so he turned off further up,' said the TikToker. During that time, paramedics were getting ready to roll Mitchell into an ambulance despite her managing to sit up straight. It's unclear if Virginia police officers will file any criminal charges against Mitchell or if they plan to suspend or revoke her license. The woman exited her car after the accident, and appeared to have no severe injuries Several TikTok users who commented on both of @trainyourdawg's videos insisted that law enforcers should either revoke the woman's license or put her in jail. 'Thank God she didnt kill anyone! She needs to have her license taken away for a while,' wrote a commenter. Another TikToker wrote: 'She should have her license taken away and take anger management classes.' Parents of pupils at Scotlands only all-girls Roman Catholic boarding school have launched a desperate, last-ditch bid to save it from closure. Fee-paying Kilgraston School, near Bridge of Earn, Perthshire, closed on Tuesday, with bosses citing the impact of a forthcoming Labour VAT hike on fees as a factor. Now some parents are spearheading an attempt to prevent the school shutting down by raising cash from an overseas charitable organisation. Last night Richard Ryan, 52, whose three daughters aged eight to 13 attend the school, said the issue of the VAT increase was a pretext for closure. He told the Mail that many parents had been unaware of the rescue plan he was planning and were angry at the way they had been treated. Kilgraston School, near Bridge of Earn, suddenly closed on Tuesday Mr Ryan said: The VAT hike in this case has been used as a pretext for closure. 'On Tuesday, we attended a meeting at the school where parents were very angry and teachers who are out of a job were tearful. We put on the table a deal that could save the school but the board of trustees rejected it following legal advice, which they refused to publish. Many parents were not aware there was a potential rescue plan and were grateful we were pursuing it. 'There are questions for the board to answer, given that enrolment figures have stayed roughly the same over the last year. A fundraising drive saved the school last year and now parents have been told its closing down, just as the new school year in the state sector is getting under way. Another parent, who asked not to be named, said: My children are devastated to be losing their school and their classmates. Parent Richard Ryan said the issue of the VAT increase was a pretext for closure We received notice of the closure just one week before pupils are meant to return for the coming year. So now we are all scrambling find alternative school places. There were also claims last night that the 93 staff at Kilgraston have not received their last wage cheques and are now left without a job. Last night the schools board of trustees refused to comment. Kilgraston was saved last year after an extraordinary call to action by parents which raised 1.2million in 48 hours. The education provider Achieve Group agreed to match funding, and create a further investment plan to keep the school open. Bosses at the school, which charged annual fees of 41,634 for senior boarders, blamed Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions for undermining demand from international boarders. The Achieve Group was contacted for comment. A California city boasting plentiful parks, low crime and a booming job market has become the hottest housing market in the US. Irvine has seen its population soar in recent years, thanks to what many of its residents say is its superior standard of living. Despite the city adding 35,000 new builds over the last 14 years, demand for housing continues to outpace supply. As a result, house prices have skyrocketed by more than 20 percent in the last year to a median of $1.56 million, the LA Times reports. By comparison, the median house price for the US is significantly lower at $361,481. The city of Irvine boasts the hottest housing market in the US thanks to its plentiful parks, low crime and a booming job market Irvine resident Kim Pohas revealed how made a $178,000 profit on her condo within a year of buying it. 'It's like I flipped a house but I didn't do anything to it,' Pohas, 40, told the LA Times. 'It's brand new construction. I just lived there.' Since 2010, more than a third of the new homes built in California have shot up in Irvine. A new residential development in Great Park, the site of a former Marine air base However, its location as an employment hub for many companies means that even this is not enough to keep up with demand. The city has always been popular and began life as a series of villages developed around a new University of California campus in the 1960s. Locals were drawn to the master-planned community in their droves, attracted by the plethora of recreational facilities and conveniently placed schools and stores. Today Irvine is America's 63rd most populous city, attracting 13,000 new residents over the last three years. Despite the city adding 35,000 new builds over the last 14 years, demand for housing continues to outpace supply Despite the rapid population surge, it remains a relatively safe place to live. Last year, FBI data revealed that Irvine was the safest city for violent crime in America for the 18th year in a row, according to officials. However, Irvine is also the third least affordable city in the US according to a study by RealtyHop. Families earning the average income in the Orange County city would need to spend 85 per cent on home costs. As well as the mortgage, there are high property taxes and insurance. This has led to some buyers being squeezed out of the market, particularly those looking to upgrade their homes and who find that the money they can get from their sales is not enough to cover a significant step up the property ladder. Among them is Jonathan Sun, 37, who is hoping to upsize along with his wife and their two children but is finding their $2.7-million budget can't get them much more than the 2,200 square feet they're in now.. 'We could probably sell and move north or south in Orange County and get exactly what we want, but it's our choice to stay,' Sun said. House prices have skyrocketed by more than 20 percent in the last year to a median of $1.56 million Irvine's proximity to the beach and the addition of a shiny, new $2 billion mall still make it an attractive destination. The city was also determined to be the third best place to raise a family in the US in a study by Wallethub. The research cited its low crime rate and highly-rated schools. 'It's such a clean, safe city that still has room to add more housing and jobs,' said John Burns, chief executive of Irvine-based John Burns Real Estate Consulting. 'Nothing else in Southern California is like that.' The Illinois State Comptroller has cut fund payments to a small town after the town's embattled mayor refused to hand over finance reports. Susana Mendoza said that she would be immediately suspending 'offset' fund payments to Dolton after the village failed to hand over financial reports. The money is on pace to total $135,000, according to The Chicago Tribune, and is she threatening to fine them a total of $78,600 if they don't hand over the reports. Mayor Tiffany Henyard has been clinging onto power despite criticism over her management of Dolton and her alleged lavish spending. Mendoza said that Henyard had 'willfully refused to turn over the annual reports all municipalities are required to file' with her office. Mayor of Dolton Tiffany Henyard is said to have racked up eye watering costs including $40,000 spent on Amazon in a single day The offset money is collected from parking tickets and parking fines, that a person in the community hasn't paid. Last year Dolton collected $120,000 The reports include a financial report, financial audit and reports on the performance of Dolton's three tax increment financing districts. The offset money is collected from parking tickets and parking fines, that a person in the community hasn't paid. That money is then withheld from the state income tax refunds by the comptroller, before it is then distributed to towns. Last year Dolton collected $120,000. Susana Mendoza, seen here, said that she would be immediately suspending 'offset' fund payments to Dolton after the village failed to hand over financial reports Mendoza said in a statement: 'When municipalities around Illinois are having legitimate problems filing their annual reports with us, based on staffing or other issues, we earnestly work with them to get them into compliance. 'Dolton is different. The Mayors office has refused to communicate with us or address the problem. 'If Mayor Henyard refuses to follow state law, my office will use the tools at our disposal to safeguard the interests of Doltons citizens.' Dolton's self-proclaimed 'super mayor', Henyard is said to have racked up eye watering costs including $40,00 spent on Amazon in a single day. Last week, a probe by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot uncovered a $3.6 million deficit in the town's budget which has emerged under Henyard's tenure. Just a year after she took office in April 2022, Dolton had a $5.6 million budget surplus. Mayor Tiffany Henyard has been clinging onto power despite criticism over her management of Dolton and her alleged lavish spending 'The village has been unable to pay all of its monthly expenditures with its available cash balance,' Lightfoot told a special meeting on Thursday, the Chicago Sun Times reports. Among these expenses was a $7,700 spent at Target, Walgreens, Wayfair and other retailers on September 1, 2023. Lightfoot does not identify Henyard as making the transactions and said her officials rarely provided purchase receipts. Other concerning revelations center on 'rampant' police over time which saw two officers double their 2024 pay by raking in six figures' worth of overtime each, Lightfoot said. Deputy Chief Lewis Lacey was fired from the force last week and now faces nine counts of fraud. The high-rolling mayor, who earns $300,000 for her public duties, has spent thousands more on first class trips, a professional hair and makeup team and a security detail Prosecutors say Lacey, 61, hid his true income to better position himself in multiple bankruptcy lawsuits. Henyard was banned from using Dolton village credit cards earlier this month after the Illinois village board of trustees brought in measures against her. The trustees said that they will only allow the Director of Administrative Services to use the village's credit card on 'board-approved purchases' only. The high-rolling mayor, who earns $300,000 for her public duties, has spent thousands more on first class trips, a professional hair and makeup team and a security detail. A sadistic restauranteur dubbed the 'Bad Breath Rapist' has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after fleeing his trial and spending almost as long in hiding. Tuen Kit Lee, 55, broke into his young subordinate's home, restrained her with zipties, and sexually abused her at knifepoint for hours on February 2, 2005. He hid his face, but his 21-year-old victim recognized his 'putrid' breath from working together at his family's restaurant in Boston, where he was a manager. Lee, a Chinese immigrant, got the distinctive odor from using traditional herbal medicines, and DNA evidence later confirmed her suspicions. Just before he was to give evidence at his September 2007 trial, he went on the run until he was tracked to a mansion near San Francisco on May 28. Tuen Kit Lee, 55, dubbed the 'Bad Breath Rapist' has been jailed for 20 years after fleeing his trial and spending almost as long in hiding Just before he was to give evidence at his September 2007 trial (pictured during a 2005 hearing), Lee went on the run for almost 17 years Lee was convicted by a jury in his absence and on Thursday jailed for 18 to 20 years by Judge Joseph Leighton in Norfolk Superior Court. 'I'm so sorry for everybody, I hope God forgive me for everything I did,' he said, hanging his head in shame. Prosecutors called his crimes 'a prolonged, violent, and terrifying kidnapping and series of rapes'. His victim, a junior employee at the restaurant in the neighborhood of Quincy at the time, gave a haunting impact statement to the court. 'The impacts of the incident for me have been devastating, profound and far-reaching. They have impacted every area of my life and every part of myself,' she said. 'It left the permanent scar on my body and my soul, like a dark shadow follows me no matter where I go. 'I'm so sorry for everybody, I hope God forgive me for everything I did,' he said, hanging his head in shame Police spotted him leaving with his girlfriend before getting into a car at 6.30am, and pulled the vehicle over on Diablo Road and detained Lee 'I should have spent my twenties laughing, studying and celebrating. Instead I spent in court rooms, testifying, waiting, dreading. 'In the years since my trauma, I felt like I was constantly being followed by a dark shadow, reminding me of the horrors I went through. 'After 19 years, I wasn't sure if this nightmare would ever end, each time I'm thinking back to the incident making me feel trapped, as if I never truly escaped at all.' Lee will undergo five years of supervised probation once his sentence is up, likely while wearing an ankle monitor, and register as a sex offender. Prosecutors pushed for 28 to 30 years in prison, but his defense lawyer Philip Tracy, who also defended him at trial in 2007, wanted just eight to 10 years. Tracy vowed to appeal the sentence, claiming Lee had extra years tacked on because he fled custody - which is not supposed to be done. 'He had been beaten in jail early on, attacked, bitten. So he was terrified of going back to jail. Human weakness,' Tracy said. Lee was handcuffed and taken away by police officers in Diablo on May 28 Lee's trial recounted how he got inside the woman's apartment while her boyfriend was away, gagged her with duct tape, tied her up, and threw her in a spare room. She was then repeatedly raped while he crudely covered his face using a wooly hat with eye holes cut in it. After he escaped, Lee had been on the run for so long the case went cold, but he was finally traced after a Massachusetts State Police officer re-launched the investigation about two years ago. 'He found one picture on social media that tied him (Lee) to California that we were able to start running with and eventually identify him,' US Marshals Senior Inspector Chris Tamayo told DailyMail.com. Police discovered he was living a double life in a $4.3 million mansion in the small town of Diablo, about 20 miles east of the Bay Area. His oblivious girlfriend of 15 years, who owned the mansion and knew him as 'Randy Lee', was shocked when police revealed he was a convicted rapist. State police from Massachusetts and California traced Lee to the home this year and waited outside for him to emerge. Lee (pictured in his 2005 mugshot) broke into a co-worker's home and raped her on February 2, 2005 Lee, a Chinese immigrant, got the distinctive odor from using traditional herbal medicines, and DNA evidence later confirmed her suspicions They spotted him leaving with his girlfriend before getting into a car at 6.30am, and pulled the vehicle over on Diablo Road and detained Lee. He initially insisted that his name was Randy, but eventually admitted who he was under pressure from officers, and fingerprints confirmed his real identity. His girlfriend was aghast when officers broke the news to her about who 'Randy' really was, Tamayo said. 'She had absolutely no idea,' he told DailyMail.com. 'The woman he was with had absolutely no clue who he was. 'Her life got completely turned upside down. I definitely have sympathy for her situation. She couldn't believe it.' Tamayo said the woman owned a flower shop in San Francisco, a 35 minute drive from their lavish pad, and Lee had been working in the shop with her. Lee was finally traced after a Massachusetts State Police officer re-launched the investigation about two years ago He said Lee had 'given up everything from his past life' to go on the run and 'created a new identity' to conceal his horrendous criminal history. Tamayo added that his victim, who has been waiting for closure on the case for almost 20 years, felt 'a sense of relief' when cops told her he had finally been detained. 'There are violent offenders out there who believe they can commit crimes and not be held accountable for their actions,' Chief Inspector Sean LoPiccolo, acting Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force commander, said in a statement. 'Tuen Lee was on the run for more than 16 years and the unwavering dedication by law enforcement to locate and arrest him hopefully brings peace of mind to the victim and her family.' Californians voted to ban single-use plastic bags in 2016, but a loophole allows grocery stores to provide thicker plastic bags at checkout and label them reusable. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle 2016 In 2021, Californians threw away 230,000 tons of plastic grocery bags, according to CalRecycle. Toxic chemicals leach from plastic bags into our waterways and our food, and Americans consume a credit cards worth of plastic each week. These chemicals can have negative impacts on brain development and our reproductive health. Californians voted to ban single-use plastic bags in 2016, but a loophole allows grocery stores to provide thicker plastic bags at checkout and label them reusable. Now plastic bag waste is at an all-time high. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Two bills in the Legislature, SB1053 and AB2236, would close the loophole and finally ban plastic grocery bags in California. For the sake of our health, I urge Chronicle readers to contact their state legislators and urge them to support these bills. Nicolas Riani, Oakland Target of genocide Regarding Evidence of genocide (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 15): I acknowledge the excesses of Israels military in Gaza and fringe Israeli ultra-nationalists. Israeli fanatics should be condemned for promoting genocide. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But I dont agree that the Israeli government or the general Jewish population is motivated to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. Israel is simply motivated to remove threats to its very existence. Perhaps the letter writer should re-read the definition in the United Nations genocide convention, then apply that definition to Hamas and leaders of Arab nations who have historically called for the destruction of Israel and annihilation of the Jews. Perhaps the letter writer should view the multitude of videos that show large Palestinian and other anti-Israel crowds feverishly chanting death to Israel, or gas the Jews. There is ample evidence that anti-Israel factions, from the people in the street to the heads of government, have promoted genocide against the Jewish state. Miguel Martin, Elk Grove, Sacramento County Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bombing ineffective The Israeli government justifies its relentless bombing of hospitals, homes, shelters and schools in Gaza as an effective way to eliminate Hamas military. But is it? If the bombs had that effect, then Hamas military units would have been largely decimated by now. The continuation of the bombing implies that that has not happened. A recent analysis assessed that only a few of Hamas 24 military units have been eliminated. Simple math indicates that Israels dreadful blitz is not effective. Why then does the Biden-Harris administration continue to supply bombs? Michael Buckland, Berkeley Advertisement Article continues below this ad Listen to the people Kamala Harris should add a campaign strategy that neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden employed: listen thoughtfully to the concerns of everyday citizens. In the short time before the Democratic convention, Harris could convene several town halls asking for input on the major issues facing people and what they feel the government should do. Politicians spend too much time listening only to select aides (Biden) or simply assuming they know all the issues already (Trump). They speak at voters rather than with them. Good ideas are circulating in communities that would help her campaign. She should become a good listener as well as a good speaker. Advertisement Article continues below this ad William Strawbridge, Mill Valley Protest is counterproductive Regarding Safety trumps free speech and Protests are righteous (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 14): The shutdown of the Golden Gate Bridge by protesters neither engenders empathy nor encourages a positive relationship to their message. Im an active animal advocate but would not support animal activists blocking a road full of commuters. This form of protest, while framed as civil disobedience, presents a real safety hazard and alienates those who may very well support the cause. Heather Bloch, Kensington Fisher-Paulson missed 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 Regarding Little diamond is perfect for bringing neighbors together (Datebook, Aug. 14): Thank you for republishing Kevin Fisher-Paulsons first column in the print edition. Ive only been reading his articles for the last few years, and I am so pleased to be able to see his earlier work. I have looked forward to Kevins heart-warming articles each week, and I hope with all my heart that he will return to write more. A couple has shared the horrifying story of how they were attacked by their Airbnb host with a double edged knife. Laura Valm and her boyfriend Ryan had been staying at the rental property near Coral Harbour in Nassau, Bahamas last week. The property, which averages around $168 a night, is described as being 'private and peaceful' but it was nothing like that for the couple, after the host attacked them. Sharing two TikTok's, Valm described how they had booked the property after reading rave reviews but found their host, who they name as Jan, to be strange. According to Valm, their host attempted to kill her and her boyfriend and injured a man who works for him with a large double edged blade. Images captured by the two shows Jan being apprehended by police officers after they managed to escape and call for help with the weapon beside him. Laura Valm and her boyfriend Ryan had been staying at the rental property near Coral Harbour in Nassau, Bahamas According to Valm, their host attempted to kill her and her boyfriend and injured a man who works for him. The blade is seen here in the bottom right Valm said: 'We get there, the hosts are fine, they are friendly they are nice. Mind you a bit quirky with some of the things they are saying. 'He told us the CIA was watching him, they own a mushroom farm so we're thinking maybe their dipping into their own supply.' She explains how on their first day at the property, Jan frequently came down to the beach where they were relaxing to interrupt them, which she described as 'weird'. Laura continued: '[He was] very weird, very quirky - our alarm bells were going off. But again we weren't feeling threatened.' After Jan stopped bothering the couple, she says they got the impression his wife had told him to stop going near them. Laura then explains: 'As we are walking back, we have to go through their back gate as our cottage as at the front. 'As we are going through, he comes out and is like 'Hey guys, do you want to come in?'.' After agreeing, Laura says once inside Jan showed her boyfriend something online about the ongoing situation involving Israel and Iran. After Jan stopped bothering the couple, Laura says they got the impression his wife had told him to stop going near them Footage taken after the incident shows officers moving in to seemingly arrest the man According to Laura, her boyfriend told him: 'I don't think so, there is a lot of countries in between I don't think that'll happen.' Laura continues: 'He just snapped, just snapped: he pushed my boyfriend, we think he punched him. 'He dropped a wine glass, [he] is losing his mind shouting and screaming 'get out of my house'. Laura adds that as she attempts to clean up the wine glass so they can leave, one of the workers for the couple appears at the door to try and defuse the situation. Despite this, Laura says Jan then pulled out a double edged sword and slices her boyfriend in the hand with it. She continues: 'Ryan pushes out the door, we ran around the side of the house. We are running, Jan goes out the front door so he cuts us off - I booked it through to the road. The property, which averages around $168 a night, is described as being 'private and peaceful' but it was nothing like that for the couple 'My boyfriend is beside us, we then see the worker then spurting blood all over the place.' Laura says after making it to the main road they managed to flag down two locals who called local police. They then took the worker to a nearby military base for attention. Footage taken after the incident shows officers moving in to seemingly arrest the man. In another clip she explains how Airbnb have since removed the listing, and how she has been pleading with Vrbo to do the same for fear another couple are attacked. DailyMail.com has approached Airbnb for comment and police in Nassau for comment. This is the moment a United States military airplanes landing gear failed during an emergency landing in Colombia. A video filmed by a bystander captured the Beechcraft C-12C Huron landing on the runway at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota on Thursday afternoon when the plane encountered the mechanical failure. The video footage showed the U.S. Air Force plane reducing its speed down the runway when its landing gear abruptly collapsed. The pilot was able to control the aircraft and safely brought it to a stop in the middle of the strip. A United States Air Force plane made an emergency landing at El Dorado International Airport on Thursday. No injuries were reported The Beechcraft C-12C Huron remained grounded and prevented flights from taking off and landing in the northern strip at El Dorado International Airport An Aircraft Fire and Fire truck could be seen tailing the airplane and extinguishing the ground to prevent the fuel from setting off a fire. The aircraft remained on the ground for nearly five hours, preventing the airport from allowing planes to take off and land from the runaway located on the northern end. Video footage released by the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority showed how special inflated devices were placed under the two airplanes wings. A separate video showed a crane lifting the airplane off the ground. A crane was used to remove the U.S. Air Force plane that made an emergency landing at an airport in Bogota, Colombia on Thursday The U.S. military plane's landing gear failed just moments after the it made an emergency landing at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia on Thursday. No injuries were reported A similar incident took place in April 2018 when a Beechcraft C-12C Huron belonging to the U.S. Embassy requested an emergency landing in Colombia. The plane departed from Antonio Narino Airport in Pasto, Narino and was heading to El Carano Airport in Quibdo, Choco when the pilot reported problems with the landing gear. The airplane was diverted to La Florida Airport in Tumaco, Narino, 685 miles southwest of Bogota. No injuries were reported. The State Department told The Daily Mail that 'a Beechcraft C-12 belonging to the U.S. Embassys Department of Defense Office experienced a mechanical malfunction' that forced a hard landing at El Dorado Airport. 'While the pilot recovered the aircraft safely, the incident required a brief closure of a runway. There were no injuries to aircrew or groundcrew,' the department said in a statement. Republicans are worried over Tim Walz's affinity for China and his 'longstanding connections' to the communist nation and its leaders. In a letter sent to FBI Director Christopher Wray Friday, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., expressed his concern over Walz being 'susceptible' to the Chinese Communist Party's influence to the 'detriment' of Americans. He describes a cozy relationship between the Minnesota governor and the hostile nation, highlighting that the former school teacher has taken an estimated 30 trips to the country - including many field trips he and his wife organized. Now Comer is demanding the FBI turn over documents it may have on Walz's communications with Chinese entities and officials to investigate how deeply the ties between the potential vice president and the communist-run country are. Star-Herald newspaper clipping dating January 9, 1994 highlights a story about Walz's trip to China for his honeymoon with his wife Gwen 'Americans should be deeply concerned that Governor Walz, Kamala Harriss vice-presidential running mate, has a longstanding and cozy relationship with China,' Comer wrote in a statement. 'The American people deserve to fully understand how deep Governor Walzs relationship with China goes.' Writing to Wray, Comer said: 'It has come to the Committees attention that Governor Walz has longstanding connections to CCP-connected entities and officials that make him susceptible to the Partys strategy of elite capture, which seeks to co-opt influential figures in elite political, cultural, and academic circles to influence the United States to the benefit of the communist regime and the detriment of Americans.' 'Reporting about Governor Walzs extensive engagement with CCP officials and entities while serving in public office raises questions about possible CCP influence in his decision-making as governorand, should he be elected, as vice president.' Tim Walz's first trip to China reported in his local newspaper Tim Walz in an undated photo from the Mankato West High School Alumni for Walz Facebook Group. Walz is seen here on a class trip In the letter, the Kentucky Republican notes how when the governor was a school teacher he founded a company called 'Educational Travel Adventures, Inc.,' to bring students to China. The group was run by Walz and his wife Gwen and facilitated trips from 1994 until it was dissolved in 2007, Comer notes. In addition to the field trips, the Walzs even had their honeymoon in China, just five years after the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The Democrat has called his experiences visiting the country dozens of times 'amazing.' And his admiration for the country opens the door for him to be attacked by Donald Trump and Republicans as the U.S, and China enter a period of increasing economic and military rivalry. Walz has described his myriad trips to China as 'amazing' and has said he does not believe the country to be an 'adversary' of the U.S. Walz, who speaks some Mandarin, said recently he did not accept that China had to be an 'adversary.' He said: 'I've lived in China and, as I've said, I've been there about 30 times. If anyone tells you they're an expert on China they're probably not telling you the truth because it's a complex country.' 'But it's critically important for us. I don't fall into the category that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship, I totally disagree.' Responding to Walz's selection Donald Trump's running mate Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, speaking in Philadelphia earlier this month, accused him of planning to send jobs to China. Vance said: 'Tim Walz is a guy who wants to shift more and more American manufacturing jobs to China.' Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, Donald Trump's vice presidential pick slammed Walz for sending jobs to China 'He said it on camera in the name of the green energy scam. If you care about the environment, and I certainly do, why are you going to ship American manufacturing jobs to the dirtiest economy in the world? Why wouldn't you keep them right here, in Pennsylvania, the places that really need it?' 'To have a guy who wants to ship manufacturing jobs to China? There is no way the American people are going to buy it. It just doesn't make sense.' Ukraine's advance into Russia has left Vladimir Putin's border defences in 'disarray', the Ministry of Defence said yesterday. An MoD analysis of the offensive inside Russia's Kursk and Belgorod regions said Moscow's defences were not prepared but warned that forces had been redeployed. The intelligence update said the past three months had seen Russia suffer its worst casualties since the start of the war. In a post on social media, the MoD said: 'Poorly trained Russian soldiers are being used as cannon fodder in an attempt to overwhelm strong Ukrainian defences.' Russia has accused Nato and the West of aiding Ukraine's incursion, including by allowing the use of military equipment and weapons. An MoD analysis of the offensive said Moscow 's defences were not prepare. Pictured: Ukrainian snipers and infantry from the 22nd Brigade intensify training near the Northern border with Russia in Ukraine on August 10 A Russian soldier fires a Rapira anti-tank gun, in the border area of Kursk region British Challenger 2 tanks are understood to have been used, and UK Government policy allows Ukraine to use British weapons on Russian soil, although not long-range Storm Shadow missiles. Writing in today's Mail, former prime minister Boris Johnson says it is time to allow the powerful missiles to be used inside Russia. A senior aide to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the assault on Kursk and Belgorod was aimed at forcing Putin to the negotiating table, and not an attempt to occupy Russian territory. Mykhailo Podolyak said: 'We need to inflict significant tactical defeats on Russia. In the Kursk region, we clearly see how the military tool is objectively used to convince the Russian federation to enter into a fair negotiation process.' Moscow claimed its forces were repelling the advances, and said it had carried out a successful air strike on Ukrainian forces in Kursk. It came as Russian troops moved closer to the key city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, prompting Kyiv to tell residents to leave. Moscow claimed its forces were repelling the advances. Pictured: Vladimir Putin on August 15 Local volunteers walk past a building damaged by Ukrainian strikes in Kursk on August 16, 2024 Evacuated people queue to fill out the form for humanitarian aid at a distribution centre in Kursk on Wednesday Meanwhile, Ukrainian officers fighting in the Kursk offensive have implored Britain to green-light the use of Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets deep into Russia. Deploying the British long-range rockets would allow Kyiv's forces to sever vital supply lines by striking key infrastructure up to 150 miles across the Russian border, Dmytro Lantushenko, the captain of a mortar brigade involved in the Kusk incursion declared yesterday. 'Those who are able to control their supply flows can maximise the use of their forces... If we had Storm Shadows we would be able to strike logistics hubs and railways and disrupt those lines,' he told the Times. British-made weaponry has reportedly been used to great effect by Kyiv's troops in their foray into Russia already. Several Challenger-2 tanks are believed to have forged across the border as part of the invasion force - though Russian military bloggers gloated yesterday that drones had successfully destroyed one of the British-made vehicles used in the offensive. Lantushenko's pleas for Storm Shadow missiles came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed drones are simply not enough to destroy key Russian military infrastructure and hammer home his advantage in Kursk. Storm Shadow missiles are seen attached to the hard points of a Eurofighter Typhoon Storm Shadow missiles, accurate to beyond 150 miles, have already been used by Ukraine to hit targets in Russian-occupied territory to great effect A massive explosion at a port in Crimea is pictured late last year in what is thought to have been a Storm Shadow strike on a Russian Navy vessel 'Our Ukrainian drones work exactly as they should, but unfortunately, there are things that cannot be done with drones alone,' the Ukrainian president said in his nightly address Wednesday. 'We need other weapons - missiles... long-range decisions for Ukraine. This must be done. The bolder our partners' decisions, the less Putin will be able to do about it.' Newest NATO member Sweden declared yesterday morning that Ukraine has the right to defend itself both inside and outside its territory, with Kyiv's Western allies seemingly supportive of the incursion in Kursk. But approving the use of long-range missiles on Russian soil would signify a major shift from British, US and European governments who have thus far provided weaponry to Kyiv on the proviso they are not used for offensive strikes in Russia. A Ukrainian soldier rides along a dirt road on a Challenger-2 tank on August 3, 2023 in Ukraine Sir Keir Starmer told reporters en route to Washington for NATO 's 75th-anniversary summit in July that decisions on the use of UK-supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles were for the Ukrainian armed forces to make Vladimir Putin and top-ranking Russian officials have trumpeted incessantly that they would consider any Western country to have directly entered the conflict should its weapons be used to attack Russian land, sparking fears that such a move could trigger the descent into World War III. However, Taras Kuzio, a professor of political science at the National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, posited that the assault on Kursk has shown that the fear of crossing Russian 'red lines' that could lead to nuclear escalation 'is a myth'. Sir Keir Starmer told reporters en route to Washington for NATO's 75th-anniversary summit in July that decisions on the use of UK-supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles were for the Ukrainian armed forces to make. Many believed this indicated that Kyiv had been granted permission to use the missiles to strike targets on Russian soil. But Downing Street was later forced to clarify that, although Ukraine was permitted to use UK-supplied weapons in Russia, the deployment of the long-range missiles had not been granted. J.D. Vance's campaign plane was forced to make an emergency landing after a malfunction in flight on Friday afternoon. The chartered Boeing 737 was forced to return to Milwaukee, where Donald Trump's running mate had appeared earlier with local police officers. 'The pilot advised there was a malfunction with the door seal. After declaring an emergency, Trump Force Two returned to Milwaukee,' said spokeswoman Taylor Van Kirk. 'As soon as the issue was resolved, the plane returned to its originally planned flight path back to Cincinnati.' JD Vance is using a chartered 737, nicknamed Trump Force Two, to travel between events. He is seen here in Wisconsin talking to reporters last week Cincinnati is the Ohio senator's home base and he has been making day trips to campaign events. From there he has been criss-crossing battleground states in the 737, with key staff, Secret Service agents and a handful of journalists, since being named as Trump's VP pick. On Friday, he was also accompanied by his wife Usha and dog Atlas. Photojournalist Asher Heimermann, who witnessed the landing, said the Milwaukee County Fire Department was on the scene and inspected the plane before it took off again for its intended destination. Scanner traffic revealed 43 people were on board. While Trump travels on his own private Boeing 757, kitted out with a bedroom and state-of-the-art music system, Vance's is a more prosaic ride. It features two rows of seats down its length, augmented by a couple of conference tables. The plane's tail is covered with names of donors. And the inside is decorated with campaign slogans (such as 'Drain the Swamp of Washington Corruption'). Last week it touched off a Tarmac showdown when it landed minutes after Kamala Harris's Air Force Two at Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Vance and his entourage headed over to see if he could snag a word with the vice president. The plane has been decorated with campaign details, including the names of donors on the tail Vance talks to reporters on his plane during a campaign trip to Virginia last month On Friday, Vance received the endorsement of the Milwaukee Police Association 'I just wanted to check out my future plane,' he joked afterwards. It is the latest aviation problem to hit the campaign. On Friday Trump's plane was forced to divert during a trip to Montana because of a mechanical issue. It landed in Billings where the former president switched planes to continue his journey to Bozeman where he held a rally. It later emerged he had been traveling on a private jet once owned by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. A man has died after falling overboard from a multi-million pound superyacht off the coast of Scotland. The 52-year-old man had been on board the Berilda when he fell into the Gare Loch at Rosneath near Helensburgh. A major search and rescue operation was launched and his body was recovered from the water. His death is not being treated as suspicious. The Berilda, which is currently for sale for around 15million, can be chartered for up to 160,000 a week in high season. It has been sailing the Firth of Clyde since last month and has been seen moored at Greenock, where its crew took delivery of fresh flowers. The Berlida has been sailing around the Firth of Clyde for the past month Food was also delivered from a local butcher to the James Watt Dock Marina for the chef to cater for those on board. A private whisky tasting event was also held for guests on the yacht, which has six cabins, a jacuzzi and a refurbished deck and swim platform. The 154ft yacht was built in 2001 and registered in the Cayman Islands, and has twice crossed the Atlantic with its current owner. But tragedy struck on Friday when police were alerted at 9.30am to a man in the water close to Rosneath Bay. Police, coastguard and RNLI crews were scrambled and the mans body was recovered. His family has been informed of his death. A Police Scotland spokesman said: Enquiries are ongoing, however, we are not treating the death as suspicious. Photographs posted online yesterday show the Berilda moored near to the Faslane base. The superyacht can accommodate a crew of ten and its captain is described as a longstanding and professional seaman. An online advert about charter hires says a formal dining room on the main deck seats ten guests comfortably and a display case separates this space from the intimate lounge aft, with excellent natural light and fine views. A guest favourite area, her hardwood-floored sky lounge enjoys abundant natural light. The yacht, which is currently for sale, was refitted in 2022 It adds: Her exterior areas are just as impressive as her interior, with open-air dining on the spacious bridge deck aft, an impressive sundeck featuring a raised jacuzzi forward surrounded by sun pads, a fully equipped sit-up wet bar beneath the hardtop, two C-shaped sun lounges aft and plenty of versatile deck space for exercise equipment, entertaining or sun loungers. The superyacht was built in the Netherlands and was named Northern Light by its first owner, a prominent member of the Royal Swedish Yacht Club. Its second owner renamed it Mary A and it has been called Berilda since being bought by a very experienced charter yacht owner. An extensive refit was carried out in 2022, and the sales particulars for it state: The current owner has recently traversed the Atlantic twice while exploring Europe, New England, The Bahamas and the Caribbean. But the Firth of Clyde has also become increasingly popular with well-to-do holidaymakers. Last year the 250ft Rocinante, an 80million yacht owned by US video game tycoon Gabe Newell, and Game Changer, a 45million vessel understood to be owned by a billionaire heiress from Hong Kong, were among superyachts seen berthed at Greenock. The town has also hosted Pi, a 250ft superyacht worth around 120million belonging to former Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz. Social media users praised an arts and crafts enthusiast for her pumpkin-themed Halloween craft, but Instagrammers are concerned about the price. An unidentified Hip2Save content creator advised Instagram and TikTok users not to throw away Tide pod containers in a video tutorial on August 14. However, what was meant to be a 'spooktacular DIY Halloween decoration' - albeit in the middle of summer - is a craft that some Instagrammers claim is actually way more expensive than it looks. 'The actual pumpkin container is $3 at most. But those Tide Pods are at least $25,' an Instagram user claimed yesterday. Others commented on how many Tide Pods containers would be needed to make a display like the one the creator showed. What was meant to be a 'spooktacular DIY Halloween decoration' - albeit in the middle of summer - is a craft that some Instagrammers claim is actually way more expensive than it looks A Hip2Save content creator made the plastic jack-o-lanterns with less than five materials, including the Tide Pod containers The Hip2Save content creator showed social media users how to create these Tide Pod jack-o-lanterns with less than five materials, including the containers. She first took the empty containers and soaked them in hot water so the tags could come off. Once she peeled the stickers off, the Hip2Save, the Halloween enthusiast, took one of the containers and created the face of a jack-o-lantern with a Sharpie. Anyone who is not looking to make their jack-o-lantern's faces with a permanent marker can also use adhesive craft vinyl - a glue-backed vinyl that can be used on smooth surfaces. After the faces are created, all someone would need to do is purchase a battery-operated light and put them inside the containers. The light will shine through the containers, creating an adorable and environmentally friendly jack-o-lantern. Arts and crafts enthusiasts who make these jack-o-lanterns can create the faces either with a Sharpie or adhesive craft vinyl While not everyone is keep to bypass summer to leap into fall activities, Halloween crafts have become more popular than usual this time of year thanks in part to trends like Summerween and Pinkoween. Summerween and Pinkoween grew into popular social media trends this summer after retailer chains started offering them to its customers early. 'I love the idea of taking traditionally spooky elements like skulls, bats, and ghosts and switching them up with pink hues,' HomeGoods ambassador Keiko Lynn told USA Today. Lynn, who is also a social media influencer, even posted a tutorial on how to make a 'secret witch hat' with pink and green material a month before Halloween last year The arts and crafts enthusiast joined in on the pinkoween fun last year after creating a tutorial on how to make a 'secret witch hat.' Various retail stores have began selling its Halloween decorations in June, increasing the popularity of the Summerween and Pinkoween social media trends Various X users have not embraced the idea of an extremely early Halloween despite the creative crafts being made by content creators. 'Is it just me or is everyone putting out fall and halloween stuff even earlier this year,' tweeted an X user last month. 'I work at a craft store so Im used to getting seasonal stuff a season ahead - but everyones putting it out now... It feels early.' Another person tweeted: 'I went into Michaels today, and the entire front of the Store was in full Halloween mode.' 'I dont mind a little early, but this seems excessive. Now pink Halloween decorations? Okay.' Comedian Reginald D Hunter has compared an Israeli couple 'hounded' out of his Edinburgh Fringe gig to Star Wars villains the 'Siths'. The terrified Jewish couple revealed they were left 'in fear of violence' after allegedly being called 'baby killers' and told to 'f*** off'. Hunter jested about the couple just a day after he was cleared by police of any 'hate crime' being committed during his controversial show. Police Scotland confirmed 'no crime was established' following claims that the American comic, 55, was 'encouraging a baying mob' to harass the pair. Hunter had been performing his new stand-up show 'Fluffy Fluffy Beavers' at the Edinburgh Fringe when he made a joke about how a Channel 5 documentary about domestic abuse had made him think of Israel. Comedian Reginald D Hunter has compared an Israeli couple 'hounded' out of his Edinburg h Fringe gig to Star Wars villains - the 'Siths, shortly after being cleared of a hate crime When criticised by an angry users on X for the incident where a Jewish couple were allegedly hounded by a mob at his Edinburgh Fringe gig, he responded with the above But when two Israeli audience members objected, they were reportedly sworn at, called 'genocidal' and told 'you're not welcome' by fellow spectators shouting 'Free Palestine'. Hunter earlier released an apology on X claiming it is part of his job as a comedian to 'push boundaries'. More recently, he joked about the incident again when criticised for his alleged actions against the couple. Responding to the critique he wrote: 'The Sith travel in pairs'. His latest jest comes as advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism posted a detailed statement on Friday night revealing that they had spoken to the couple at the centre of the storm, as well as additional witnesses and the events are 'worse than initially reported.' A spokesperson added that the victims told them 'they were left in fear of violence' and have urged Edinburgh Fringe to cancel his upcoming performance. They said no one in the audience came to their aid and they believed they might be physically attacked. The statement read: 'The entire incident made the victims "feel sick" and understandably so. 'The victims noted how, throughout this shocking ordeal, nobody in the audience came to their aid. Police Scotland had recently confirmed 'no crime was established' following claims that the American comic, 55 was 'encouraging a baying mob' to harass the pair. The statement made by Campaign Against anti-semitism where they claim to have spoken to the Jewish couple The American, 55, was due to perform at a council-owned hall in Scottish town Giffnock, but the local authority has cancelled the show Hunter has took to X to apologise for his behaviour 'One of them told us: 'I thought someone was going to hit me.' 'A Jewish couple being hounded out of a venue whilst being called 'baby killers' and told to 'f*** off' can not be excused as 'pushing boundaries', much as Mr Hunter has tried to in his statement. 'Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but they also have a responsibility to their audience.' The CAA said it was writing to venues currently scheduled to host Mr Hunter 'to ensure that they are fully aware of his conduct at the Edinburgh Fringe.' This comes shortly after the comedian was due to perform at a council-owned hall in Scottish town Giffnock, but a local authority has axed the show. They said: 'We have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously.' Hunter took to X to apologise for his part in the incident. The comedian from Albany in the US state of Georgia, who has lived in the UK since 1997, insisted that he is 'staunchly anti-war and anti-bully' after the backlash he received following the show. Hunter was set to perform in Giffnock on September 28, but East Renfrewshire Council said it had taken the decision 'to cancel Eastwood Park Theatre's show featuring Reginald D Hunter'. They added: 'We have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously.' Local Conservative councillor Paul Edlin told the Jewish Telegraph: 'He encouraged a baying mob in the audience to hound out a Jewish couple, one of whom was in a wheelchair.' The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities and the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council (GJRC) had both complained about the incident to East Renfrewshire Council. Dominic Cavendish, chief theatre critic at The Telegraph who was at Sunday's Fringe show, said it was the 'most unpleasant comedy gig I've ever attended'. Hunter has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to apologise for his part in the incident - claiming it was part of his job as a comedian to 'push boundaries' The comedian from Albany in the US state of Georgia, who has lived in the UK since 1997, insisted that he is 'staunchly anti-war and anti-bully' In a post on X Hunter wrote: 'There was an unfortunate incident in my new show 'Fluffy Fluffy Beavers'. 'As a comedian I do push boundaries in creating humour, it is part of my job. This inevitably creates divided opinions but I am staunchly anti-war and anti-bullying. 'I regret any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members.' In further comments on social media, he has suggested he could be let go from more scheduled gigs ahead - telling one commenter who suggesting meeting up for a drink: 'I may become extremely unbusy real soon.' Anti-semitism campaigners called the incident 'a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy' - as organisers maintained they were 'committed to upholding the principles of creative freedom of expression.' The pressure group Campaign Against Antisemitisim have asked their own lawyers to review footage to see whether any action can be taken. In a statement the group said: 'Reginald D Hunter has laughed off his Holocaust jokes and another supposed joke about 'typical f***ing Jews' in the past, but watching on and cracking jokes as Jews are hounded out of your show is a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy. 'We have seen this before in recent months, and venues must stand extremely firm against this kind of behaviour.' Assembly George Square Studios today confirmed there were no plans to cancel his gigs at its venue, which are set to run until August 25. Reginald D Hunter said: 'I regret any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members' A previous statement made by the pressure group Campaign Against Antisemitisim on social media A spokeswoman for the venue said: 'We are aware of two members of the audience choosing to leave Reginald D Hunter's performance on Sunday August 11. 'The venue front of house team attended and supported them upon exiting.' The US-born entertainer was half-way through the packed gig at the Edinburgh Festival on Sunday night - described by one theatre critic as the 'ugliest Edinburgh Fringe moment ever' - when the commotion began. As a woman told her story of how she was ill-treated by her husband, the comedian revealed that he thought to himself: 'My God, it's like being married to Israel.' While the joke evoked laughter from the audience, a couple on the front row were prompted to shout out 'not funny', before revealing they were Israeli. Dominic Cavendish, chief theatre critic for The Telegraph, was in the audience when the furore erupted. Writing a review of the show, which he awarded one star to, Cavendish said: 'The pair, who said they were from Israel, then endured their fellow audience members shouting expletives ('f--- off' among them), and telling them to go with slow-hand claps, boos and cries of 'genocidal maniac', 'you're not welcome' and 'free Palestine' part of the toxic mix.' Rather than pulling the audience up for their animosity towards the unwitting hecklers, Hunter apparently instead said to them: 'You can say it's not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish.' The couple, one of whom was disabled, are then said to have exited from the show as Hunter apparently 'openly laughed' at them and as fellow audience members continued to jeer. Two Israeli audience members were sworn at, called 'genocidal' and told 'you're not welcome' by fellow spectators shouting 'Free Palestine ' at them after objecting to a joke told by stand-up comedian Reginald D Hunter at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Hunter then related a story about how his partner had complained about not being able to access the Jewish Chronicle's website, as it is behind a paywall. He is reported as saying: ''Typical f***ing Jews, they won't tell you anything unless you subscribe.' 'It's just a joke,' he added. The incident has provoked outrage among some social media users, who describe it as 'awful' and 'anti-semitic'. One wrote: 'His behaviour was abhorrent - but what was the audience thinking by abusing two strangers who happened to be Israeli? Hateful, toxic, repellent stuff.' Another posted: 'So disappointing that someone who is from a minority doesn't empathise with (in fact encourages) racism towards another minority.' A third said: 'If your gags are at the expense of [a] bullied minority, you're not a comedian - you're a bully.' A 15,000 payout for schoolboys infected with HIV and hepatitis during the tainted blood scandal was blasted as 'derisory and insulting' last night. Victims who were used as 'guinea pigs' at Treloar's College in the 1970s and 80s have been left close to tears by the 'unfathomable' sum. It is part of an updated multi-billion-pound compensation scheme for victims of the worst treatment disaster in NHS history which saw 30,000 people infected with deadly viruses. The Government announced yesterday that the victims with the worst affected expected to receive between 2.3million and 2.7million each will be entitled to financial support for life. Those subjected to 'unethical research' will also receive a one-off payment of 10,000 while victims from Treloar's, where pupils were subjected to secret trials, will receive 15,000. People affected by the infected blood scandal attend a vigil in Parliament Square on May 19, 2024 Families affected by the infected blood scandal pose for photographs outside the Methodist Central Hall following the release of findings of the six-year inquiry on May 20, 2024 One of the victims from the scandal Bill Spellman was just 45 years old when he was diagnosed with leukaemia in 1989 Victims who were used as 'guinea pigs' at Treloar's College (pictured) in the 1970s and 80s have been left close to tears by the 'unfathomable' sum More than 120 haemophiliacs at the boarding school in Hampshire were recklessly exposed to contaminated blood products imported from the US by doctors at an on-site NHS centre. Richard Warwick, one of just 30 survivors from the school, said the figure failed to reflect the gravity of their cases and that the group were considering legal advice. 'We all think it is derisory and insulting,' he said. 'It is unbelievable and unfathomable where they got this figure from. It's a kick in the teeth.' Mr Warwick, who was infected with HIV and hepatitis B, said a yearly instalment for those subjected to unethical research would have been closer to what they expected. Fellow survivor Gary Webster, who also contracted both diseases, said: 'We had eight years of non-stop trials at that school. We were used as guinea pigs and knew nothing about it. 'Now 80 boys are dead so 15,000 feels like an insult, it's just too low... so many families have lost sons. 'And it's not just the Treloar's boys, the 10,000 payments for the others across the country is also too low.' Demonstrators hold placards reading message related to the NHS infected blood scandal as then PM Rishi Sunak was questioned by Infected Blood Inquiry on July 26 More than 3,000 have died and many continue to suffer after tens of thousands of vulnerable patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis from contaminated blood products during the 1970s and early 1990s (file image) Blood vials containing personal messages from families affected by the infected blood scandal are seen today in a memorial installation within Methodist Central Hall on May 20 He added: 'All in all we welcome the recommendations. But these one-off sums for those who were tested on seem way off the mark.' Payouts under the plan will start by the end of the year for survivors and by next year for affected people such as family members. Claims for the more than 3,000 who have died waiting for justice can be made through their estate. Paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds said 'no amount of money' can make up for what happened but that ministers had acted in line with expert advice. Asked about the criticism regarding the one-off payments, he told Sky News: 'There was a particularly egregious breach of trust in respect of that school.' The Cabinet Office minister said the Government had settled on the 15,000 sum as it had been suggested by Sir Robert Francis in his compensation framework study. 'That is only one small element of the much larger amounts of money available under the tariff-based scheme,' he added. 'It is important though that we do reflect the fact... people were subjected to these horrific unethical medical practices.' Des Collins of Collins Solicitors, who advised 1,000 victims of the scandal including the Treloar's group said the men felt 'let down'. He added: 'The Treloar's boys' situation called for a novel approach given there has been no comparator in English law for the mass injury and premature killing of children and young adults through experimentation without consent. 'Theirs is undoubtedly a unique and devastating situation which they feel has not been fully addressed.' A Jewish couple last night spoke of their horror after they were hounded out of a comedy gig and branded baby killers for heckling a joke about Israel. The husband and wife said their treatment at Reginald D Hunters stand-up show in Edinburgh last Sunday amounted to absolute hatred. The wife said the Fringe show audience had hate in their eyes as they turned on them, leaving the couple fearing they wanted to attack us and beat us. The UK-born couple, who recently made Aliyah the process of a Jewish person moving to Israel feel their country of birth is no longer a safe place for British Jews amid a recent increase in anti-Jewish sentiment. The pair, who asked not to be named, found themselves targeted both by the US comedian and the audience after they politely heckled the star act for his joke about Israel, saying it was not funny. Reginald D Hunter's show in East Renfrewshire has been cancelled following the row But after the 55-year-old stand-up comedian told them, Ive been waiting for people like you all summer, other audience members at the Assembly George Square Studios began shouting baby killers and genocidal maniacs. The wife said: I am normally a really strong person. But it was horrible. Worse than horrible. Not one person in that audience of more than 300 people not one had the balls to stand up and say, Stop this. It was meant to be a lovely holiday and now I just feel miserable. Her husband, who is disabled, added: You do not know for certain that Jews will always be safe in the UK. No matter how much they might love Britain, Jews in this country will always have that mental backpack packed in case they need to flee. The wife admitted she had not enjoyed the show from the start, while her husband felt that his mobility issues meant they should stay put. However, about midway through Mr Hunters performance, the comedian told a joke about a Channel 5 documentary on domestic abuse, remarking, Its like being married to Israel. Despite a ripple of laughter, the husband retorted with a quick, Not funny. He explained: Its a comedy show youre normally allowed to heckle. Good comedians should be able to deal with a heckle without it being turned into absolute hatred. But the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly, with Hunter hitting back saying: Ive been waiting for people like you all summer, where the f*** you been? The wife said the looks on peoples faces in the audience made it seem like they wanted to attack us and beat us. She added: There was so much hate in their eyes angry that we were daring to be alive. Smirking, Hunter spurred on by the hostility in the room added: You can say its not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish. According to the couple, the comedian then raised his fists in a mock fighting stance and told them hed meet them outside. Incredibly, the couple who left the show because they were sickened by the crowd rather than scared of it had not intended to report their ordeal to the police. But the shameful incident was exposed by a newspaper reviewer who branded the show, Fluffy Fluffy Beavers, the most unpleasant comedy gig hed ever attended awarding it just one star. That sparked a police investigation, although officers confirmed last night that, after reviewing all the information gathered, no crime was committed at the comedy gig. The woman said she was horrified by the bullying behaviour of the audicne Meanwhile, Hunter has said he regrets the unfortunate incident. His remaining shows at the venue which has apologised to the couple will continue as scheduled. However, the comics forthcoming gig at Eastwood Theatre, in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, has been axed in the wake of the furore. East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, which runs Eastwood Theatre, said it cancelled the September 28 show due to Hunters controversial comments. The couple who were abused in Edinburgh say they now want to use their platform to tackle the rising wave of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel racism in Britain. The wife added: I do have an important message to get across and that is that people must stand up and not let hate win. Ive always spoken out, whether its about something Jewish or not. I abhor bullies and it is my firm belief that silence only helps the aggressor. Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation intended to combat retail theft during a visit Friday to Home Depot in San Jose. Thien-An Truong/Special to the Chronicle Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 10 bills into law Friday morning to address retail theft, but a more hard-line measure on the November ballot is gaining support. The bills, which were passed by California lawmakers Monday, include legislation to crack down on the sale of stolen goods and make it easier to prosecute burglaries. They also include a measure, written by state Sen. Scott Wiener, that would eliminate the requirement that victims prove their vehicle was locked to press car burglary charges. Newsom, flanked by legislators, Attorney General Rob Bonta and business leaders, signed the legislation in the back of a San Jose Home Depot. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Newsom and other state leaders say the crime bills strike a balance between targeting prolific thieves with harsher punishments and keeping lower-level criminals out of jail. Thien-An Truong/Special to the Chronicle This is the real deal, Newsom said, before sitting at a Home Depot shopping-cart-turned-desk to sign the bills. We still have more work to do more broadly in this space, but this is a demonstrable advancement of that collective effort. Newsom and legislative leaders say the crime bills strike a balance between targeting organized crime rings and prolific thieves with harsher punishments and keeping lower-level criminals out of jail. Some Democrats with more liberal stances on criminal justice policies argued the bills are too punitive and will lock too many people in jail. On the other side, a bipartisan coalition of moderate Democrats and Republicans says the bills dont go far enough. They argue addressing retail theft requires going back to California voters and asking them to roll back parts of Proposition 47, a ballot measure passed in 2014 that reduced punishments for drug possession and theft of property worth less than $950 to misdemeanors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That coalition backs a November ballot measure, Prop 36, that would allow people caught stealing three times to be charged with felonies, regardless of what they stole and how much it cost. It would do the same for felony drug possession charges and would increase jail time for repeat and organized retail theft. Newsom signed 10 bills into law designed to combat retail theft. Thien-An Truong/Special to the Chronicle A new poll from UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the Los Angeles Times released Friday found that 56% of likely California voters support Prop 36. Only 23% of survey respondents opposed the ballot measure, while 21% were still undecided. Newsom said Friday that supporters of the proposition particularly the handful of Democratic mayors, including London Breed of San Francisco and Matt Mahan of San Jose will be held accountable if the measure passes. The governor said it would bring California back to the 1980s and the war on drugs. Its exactly who were not as a state, Newsom said. I dont want to go back to those days. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But Mahan argued in a statement that more still needs to be done beyond the retail theft package. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister (San Benito County), discusses efforts to combat retail crime and theft during the event at Home Depot in San Jose. Thien-An Truong/Special to the Chronicle Like the governor, I never want to go back to the era of mass incarceration. But the time to begin the era of mass treatment is now, he said, referring to provisions within the ballot measure to compel people with multiple drug convictions into treatment. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, who pushed to get the package of legislation done, celebrated the bill signings as a win for Californians who have been voicing concern with retail theft for months. I have a message for criminal gangs. Gangs who, as we know, have brazenly been preying on our stores, on our workers and on our communities, Rivas said. Your time is up. If you break these laws, you will pay the price. It is that simple. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Legislators and Newsom said that more bills addressing retail theft will continue to be negotiated during the final weeks of the legislative session. But some of those measures have struggled. One bill, by Assembly Member Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, would have allowed thefts from different stores that occurred at different times to be aggregated, potentially allowing smaller thefts to reach the $950 threshold to make the thefts a felony. The bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, ending its path forward for this year. Rachel Michelin, president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, speaks about combating retail theft during the event at Home Depot in San Jose. Thien-An Truong/Special to the Chronicle Rachel Michelin, the chief executive officer of the California Retailers Association, said the organization, which has previously supported Prop 36, is reconsidering its position. Member companies have been the largest funders of the measure, but have held off since March. The companies did not respond to questions about whether they planned to contribute more money to the Prop 36 campaign. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I cant speak for individual member companies and thats their own decision but I will say that the members Ive heard from, and Ive heard from a number of them, are very enthusiastic about this package, Michelin said. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher said the retail theft package is a step in the right direction, but that Prop 36 is still necessary. These were good bills, Gallagher said. Theyre a step in the right direction, but they dont solve the problem by any means. Gallagher derided Newsom and Democrats who worked on the package, arguing they did not do enough to address serial shoplifting by those not involved in organized crime. The Republican also claimed that Democrats only took action when Republicans forced their hand, and that lawmakers turned to the bill package to curb support for Prop 36. Newsom signed the following bills Friday: The mother of a 13-year-old girl who died after taking a single sip of a Costa hot chocolate yesterday accused the chain of treating allergy training 'as a tick-box exercise'. Hannah Jacobs, who was allergic to dairy products, suffered an anaphylactic reaction and died within hours of consuming the incorrectly made drink on February 8, 2023. A coroner concluded that the teen died due to the failure of Costa staff 'to follow the processes in place to discuss allergies' and failure of communication with her mother, Abimbola Duyile. In a statement read on her behalf, a devastated Ms Duyile said: 'Hannah was just entering adolescence and learning to be independent, taking ownership of her allergies when she was tragically taken from us. She had known from a young age what her allergies were and took them very seriously. 'I have always been extremely diligent in managing Hannah's allergies and she had never suffered a serious allergic reaction prior to this incident. Hannah Jacobs, who was allergic to dairy products, suffered an anaphylactic reaction and died within hours of consuming the incorrectly made drink on February 8, 2023 Hannah's mother, Abimbola Duyile, holds a picture of her daughter as solicitor outside East London Coroner's Court following the conclusion of the inquest today Pictured: Costa Coffee branch on Station Parade in Barking, east London, where Abimbola Duyile bought her 13-year-old daughter Hannah Jacobs a hot chocolate 'Hannah loved life. She was a vivacious, caring, affectionate, outspoken and energetic child with a strong sense of right and wrong.' She added: 'Having heard all the evidence over the last week it is clear to me that although the food service industry and medical professionals are required to have allergy training, this training is not taken seriously enough. 'Better awareness is needed in these industries and across society of the symptoms of anaphalxis.' Ms Duyile held a framed photograph of Hannah and cried as the statement was read out. Hannah had been at the dentist when she took her first sip of the drink. She then abruptly went to the toilet and shouted 'that was not soya milk'. The coroner also noted 'neither Hannah or her mother were carrying an epi-pen'. The inquest previously heard that, at the time of Hannah's death, allergen training for new Costa staff involved a series of online modules that could be accessed at home, and a quiz that trainees had to pass. One Costa employee said they had failed the quiz 20 times before passing. Another said their husband had accompanied them to work on their first day to help translate for them, and that they used Google Translate to help them when reading English. In a statement read on behalf of Hannah's mother, Abi Duyile, today she said: 'Hannah was just entering adolescence and learning to be independent, taking ownership of her allergies when she was tragically taken from us' On February 8, 2023, Ms Duyile ordered Hannah and herself a hot chocolate from their local Costa before heading to a dentist appointment. But when Hannah took a sip of the drink in the waiting room of the dental practice, she immediately told her mother the drink hadn't been made with soy milk Ms Duyile told the hearing she rushed Hannah to a chemist after complaining of chest pains and that her lips and mouth were very swollen and itchy Hannah was pronounced dead at Newham General Hospital in East London (file picture) Ms Duyile added that 'treating allergy training as a tick-box exercise is not acceptable'. She said it was 'unacceptable' that a person could be allowed to retake the test 20 times. Assistant coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe told East London Coroner's Court: 'The root cause of this death is a failure to follow the processes in place to discuss allergies combined with a failure of communication between the mother and the barista.' Faton Abrashi, a regional operations manager for Costa Coffee stores in London, whose responsibilities include allergy procedures for staff, previously told the inquest that only Costa baristas with specific allergy safety training were permitted to serve customers who had said they had an allergy when ordering. Mr Abrashi confirmed that, as of February 2023, there was no requirement to complete the online modules in the presence of colleagues and they could be done at home. He said the online training is provided only in English, with no other language options, and he, as a regional manager, would not be aware how many times a trainee had attempted the quiz before they passed. The inquest previously heard there was a factual dispute about the order, but Ms Duyile says she asked for two soya hot chocolates and asked staff to thoroughly clean the equipment. A post-mortem examination found Hannah died after suffering a hypersensitive anaphylactic reaction triggered by an ingredient in her hot chocolate that caused an allergic response. Costa Coffee said: 'The loss of Hannah is a tragedy, and our heartfelt thoughts remain with her family and friends.' A woman who tormented her neighbors' children with racial slurs and then shot a mother dead when she came to complain faces up to 30 years in jail after being convicted of manslaughter. Susan Louise Lorincz, 60, fired a bullet from her Remington .380 handgun at Ajike Owens, 35, who was standing next to her 12-year-old son on the doorstep in Ocala, Florida, in June last year. Lorincz told police she was in 'fear of her life' when she fired through the locked door at the unarmed mother-of-four, and that the state's 'stand your ground' law allowed her to shoot her Remington .380 handgun at the woman. Police took four days to arrest Lorincz as they tested her claims, but Owen's mother Pamela Dias said she had found 'some peace' after a jury rejected her claim of self-defense on Friday. 'My heart is a little lighter, and we're now on the path of true healing,' Dias added. Susan Lorincz, 60, faces up to 30 years in jail for manslaughter after being convicted of shooting dead Ajike Owens, 35, when the neighbor came to her doorstep in June last year. Owens went over to Lorincz's home to confront her over allegations she threw a rollerblade at one of her children earlier in the day and smashed a tablet, before swinging an umbrella Owens went over to Lorincz's home on June 2 last year to confront her over allegations she threw a rollerblade at one of her children earlier in the day and smashed a tablet, before swinging an umbrella. Lorincz, an insurance agent, told police during her interview that Owens' children had been 'trespassing' on her property, and one had threatened to 'beat her up'. But neighbors revealing that she 'had a problem with kids' and would record them before taunting them with slurs as well as waving her guns around in their direction. Phyllis Wills, 33, told NBC that Lorincz would 'harass' her kids, adding: 'Everybody in this neighborhood has feuded with this lady over our children.' Other parents said they called her a 'Karen' after she repeatedly filmed their children and called the police about their antics. 'It's an apartment complex. These are children who, you know, they're, they're going to do things,' Willis said. 'Every time they've went even in the patch of grass over there, she would be like, 'Get off of my lawn, you b****** or you retards or you N-word.' She would wave guns at them.' When interviewed by police, one of Owens' sons claimed that Lorincz had previously called them 'B******' and 'jack****s' as well as saying: 'This isn't the underground railroad, slave.' Lorincz claimed she was in fear for her life and that Florida's 'stand your ground' law allowed her to fire her Remington .380 handgun through her locked front door at the woman The former insurance agent wore a suicide-prevention vest at her court appearances last year The women lived across the road from each other and Lorincz had called 911 at 8.54pm on June 2 to complain that the children were trespassing and shouting outside her door A patched bullet hole, upper right, is seen on the front door of Lorincz's home after she fired her Remington 380 gun and fatally struck Owens who came knocking Owens reportedly told her son, 12, to call 911 after she was hit by the bullet, with the young boy telling officers she 'was only knocking on the door'. She was rushed to hospital, where she later died. Lorincz called 911 after the shooting to lodge a trespassing complaint, before mentioning that she had shot a woman on her doorstep. 'I was never intending to kill,' she told police later. 'I was shaking. I was just so distraught at that point in time. I felt like I was in mortal danger.' But Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods dismissed her version of events as 'BS', noting that videos captured on security cameras at neighboring properties 'were the final nail.' Woods said accounts from Owens' children were backed up by the surveillance footage seen by cops. 'There are things that people say that we're able to prove is a yellow flag a b******t flag and say no that is wrong,' he told WFTV. 'She couldn't see through the door, she couldn't see the individual. So her comments that she was in fear of her life raises the hair on the back of our neck.' Investigators found two surveillance cameras inside Lorincz's home, with one facing the patio and the other attached to the sliding door. She told them that the cameras were functional but only record motion and 'at night sometimes do not capture anything.' The cameras are accessible through her phone, and after initially declining to give the passcode, Lorincz handed over the phone. Officers could not see any recording after 8.40pm the night of the incident, but Lorincz denied deleting any recordings. It later emerged she had been left in possession of her phone for two hours after being placed inside of a police car and footage showed her accessing it briefly, but investigators were unable to determine what she had done with it. Family members had called for the manslaughter charge to be upgraded to murder, but one exclaimed 'Oh, God. Thank you, Jesus,' as the jury delivered its verdict on Friday. Florida law allows for the use of deadly force if a person 'reasonably believes' their life is in imminent danger. But the jury decided that Lorincz had no reason to believe that when she shot the unarmed mother standing outside her locked front door. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said Lorincz's version of events was 'BS' as accounts from Owens' children matched surveillance footage from a neighbor's home An arrest affidavit revealed Lorincz told 911 that a 'female tried to break down her door while yelling' so she shot her 'Not only was Susan Lorincz on trial today, but so was 'stand your ground' and how that's defined,' attorney Anthony D. Thomas said afterwards. 'I think we made one step closer with case law and defining what 'stand your ground' actually means. 'No, you cannot claim to be in fear of your life. No, you can't bait the police by telling them you're in fear for your life over the phone to make sure they hurry up and get there.' Dias said it had been 'a long journey to get to this day, to get to this verdict'. 'She set out to cause harm. She set out to kill. That's exactly what she did,' Dias added. 'She has no regard for any form of human life.' Judge Robert Hodges told Lorincz that she would be held in the Marion County jail without bond until her sentencing at a later date. A ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage swap between Hamas and Israel edged closer last night after an apparent breakthrough in negotiations. Mediators are said to be preparing to implement a deal that would end the ten-month war. A US official, speaking anonymously, said the proposal bridged every gap between Israel and Hamas. It comes hours after Israel's foreign minister said it 'expects' the UK's support in attacking Iran if the hardline Islamic state follows through on threats to assault Israeli territory. End in sight? Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, (right) met British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday amid speculation a ceasefire and hostage swap are close to being agreed Chained Israeli protesters hold up placards in a protest to call for an end to the war in Gaza, during Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy's visit to Jerusalem on Friday The protestors chained themselves together as they called for an end to the ten-month long war Mr Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne are visiting the country while Israel, the US and mediators Qatar and Egypt hold fresh talks in Doha aimed at brokering a ceasefire. They are pictured with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa (centre) The three sat down to begin talks as negotiators try to wrap up a possible ceasefire deal Israel has spent the past fortnight braced for a revenge attack from Iran after Hamas's top political leader was killed in Tehran. The possibility of a ceasefire follows two days of talks in Qatar, which raised hopes that a deal was imminent. A new 'implementation cell' is being established in Cairo to focus on the deal's logistics, including the releasing of hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and monitoring that the terms of the deal are met, the American official said. Mediators plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting. Israel issued a vague statement saying it appreciated the mediators' efforts, but a statement from Hamas did not sound enthusiastic about the proposed deal to end the war and free Israeli hostages held in Gaza. US President Joe Biden said: 'We are closer than we've ever been [to an agreement].' 'Closer than ever': President Biden sounded hopeful that a deal could be struck imminently as the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis was evacuated amid further Israeli strikes today Displaced Palestinians fled Hamad City following an Israeli evacuation order on Friday Makeshift tents are seen as smoke rises from the Hamed area following an Israeli attack The Israeli strike on the Hamad area in Gaza came on Friday following an evacuation order, as British foreign minister David Lammy visited the country today A Palestinian examines a torched vehicle the morning after a rampage by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Jit Children sit in front of a destroyed building in Nusseirat, Gaza Strip on August 12, 2024 A ceasefire is seen as the best hope for heading off an even larger regional conflict. Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, told British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne yesterday: 'If Iran attacks, we expect the coalition to join Israel not only in defence, but also in attacking significant targets in Iran.' A statement from Mr Katz's office added that he 'made it clear that the right way to deter Iran and prevent war is by announcing that if Iran attacks, they will stand with Israel not only in defence, but also in striking targets in Iran'. Mr Katz tweeted: 'Iran is the head of the axis of evil and the free world must stop it now before it's too late.' Mr Lammy and Mr Sejourne are visiting while Israel, the US and mediators Qatar and Egypt hold fresh talks in Doha aimed at brokering a ceasefire and the return of hostages. Both sides previously agreed in principle to a plan Mr Biden announced on May 31. But Hamas has proposed amendments, and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank the deal. However, Hamas quickly cast doubt on whether an agreement was within reach. Houthi supporters hold placards with pictures of Ismail Haniyeh (L) and Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr (R) during a protest following their deaths, in Sana'a, on August 2. The killings have prompted Iran to threaten Israel with a return attack Iran has vowed revenge on Israel for the attack on Iranian soil against Haniyeh late last month Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel on April 13, largely intercepted In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal diverged significantly from the previous version it had agreed to in principle, implying that it may not accept it. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken planned to travel to Israel this weekend to 'continue intensive diplomatic efforts' to reach a ceasefire and to underscore the need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation, the US State Department said. As the possibility of an attack from Iran rises, the Pentagon said on Sunday the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had been ordered to accelerate its deployment to the Middle East Tim Walz has been accused of lying about his military rank by his National Guard successor for 'political gain,' private letters have revealed. Walz, who is currently serving as the Governor of Minnesota, joined the National Guard after high school and served 24 years in the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery, rising to the rank of command sergeant major. The now 60-year-old, who is Kamala Harris's recently-announced running mate, retired in 2005 - months after being warned that the battalion would be deployed to Iraq. Walz left to run for Congress, and he was elected to office in 2006. Private letters addressed to Walz from his National Guard successor, Tom Behrends, from 2016 have accused the Governor of lying about his rank for political gain. Tim Walz has been accused of lying about his military rank by his National Guard successor for 'political gain,' private letters have revealed In April 2016, Behrends wrote 'I can no longer remain silent concerning your rank.' The letter goes on to accuse Walz of not fulfilling the conditions of his promotion to Command Sergeant Major - but continuing to use the title. 'It is quite a title to have, when it has been earned,' Behrends wrote. 'I would hope that you haven't been using the rank for political gain, but that is how it appears,' he continued. After receiving no response - Behrends wrote a follow-up letter to every chair of the committee he sat on in congress in October of the same year. In the follow-up, Behrends said Walz's actions were, in a sense, 'stolen valor' as he is using 'the blood, sweat and tears of "real" Command Sergeant Majors who fulfilled their duties and followed through with the requirements of the rank.' The battalion commander who ran Walz's former unit has also slammed the vice presidential nominee over claims of 'stolen valor'. Kamala Harris' running mate has already been forced to backtrack on claims of having 'carried' weapons of war in combat during his 24 years in the Army National Guard and faced claims of being a 'coward' from family members of soldiers. Harris has also been put in the unenviable position of confronting claims that Walz misrepresented his rank when he retired from the National Guard. Now Lieutenant Colonel John Kolb, the man who would take over Walz's unit after the governor quit in 2005, has obliterated the Democrat for claiming the rank of Command Sergeant Major and for retiring before deployment to Iraq. Walz, who is currently serving as the Governor of Minnesota , joined the National Guard after high school and served 24 years in the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery, rising to the rank of command sergeant major Private letters addressed to Walz from his National Guard successor, Tom Behrends(pictured during Fox interview), from 2016 have accused the Governor of lying about his rank for political gain Kolb wrote in a Facebook post that Walz 'did not earn the rank' and added that 'it is an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps that he continues to glom onto the title.' Kolb continued: 'By all accounts and on the record, he was a competent Chief of Firing Battery/Gunnery Sergeant and First Sergeant. I cannot say the same of his service sitting, frocked, in the CSM [command sergeant major] chair. He did not earn the rank or successfully complete any assignment as an E9 [the highest rank for non-commissioned officers]. 'It is an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps that he continues to glom onto the title. 'I can sit in the cockpit of an airplane, it does not make me a pilot. Similarly, when the demands of service and leadership at the highest level got real, he chose another path.' Last month, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands appeared to be a little irritated during the Olympics. She was looking over as her 19-year-old daughter, Princess Alexia, was blowing bubble gum while watching the 100m breaststroke final - and was snapped the second after it popped. But this is not the only time a younger royal has been spotted doing something that their parents or older relatives might frown upon. Prince Louis, six, is one standout performer when he comes to mischief - as his antics alongside his late great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth in 2022 proved. And although Princess Charlotte often keeps her two brothers in check, even she was caught sticking her tongue out when she was Louis's age. Read below to see all the times the Royals have made us giggle. Princess Alexia of the Netherlands irritates her mother Queen Maxima Last month, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands appeared to be a little irritated during the Olympics . She was looking over as her 19-year-old daughter, Princess Alexia, was blowing bubblegum while watching the 100m breaststroke final - and was snapped the second after it popped Just last month, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands appeared to be a little irritated during the Olympics. She appeared to give her daughter, Princess Alexia, 19, an angry look as the young royal blew bubblegum while watching the 100m breaststroke final. She was photographed immediately after the wodge of gum popped. The princess was photographed just as the bubble popped while she watched the 100m breaststroke final What's that smell? At Trooping the Colour last summer, Prince George, Louis and Princess Charlotte all sat in the same carriage. But at one point, a strong smell - perhaps of horse manure - appeared to get too much for Louis. He was pictured holding his nose as his older siblings kept composed. Prince Louis caught holding his nose during Trooping the Colour last summer Two royal brothers Also last year, Prince George and Prince Louis both had animated expressions on the balcony during Trooping the Colour. But it was Prince Louis's that really drew laughs. During the flypast, he was spotted screwing up his face and holding his fists out in front of him. It is a photo that he will likely be reminded of when he is older. Prince George and Prince Louis both had animated expressions on the balcony during Trooping the Colour last summer. But it was Prince Louis's that really drew laughs Prince Louis steals the show on the Palace balcony During what would be one of the Queen's final public appearances, at Trooping the Colour in 2022, Prince Louis was typically mischievous. The Royal Family had just enjoyed the parade and had gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the flypast. But the noise from the RAF aircraft prompted young Louis - then aged just four - to cover his hears and scream - as the Queen smiled wryly next to him. It was a moment that captured the heart of the nation and did the rounds on social media for days afterwards. Though the hilarious moment seemed to go unnoticed by the other royals who continued to chat amongst one another. The Queen was affectionately known as Gan Gan by the Cambridge children - after Prince George created the adorable nickname for his great-grandmother aged two. During what would be one of the Queen's final public appearances, at Trooping the Colour in 2022, Prince Louis was typically mischievous. He covered his ears and shouted during the RAF flypast Cheeky Charlotte sticks her tongue out In 2019, when she was just four, Princess Charlotte stuck her tongue out while watching a prize giving ceremony at the King' Cup Regatta in Cowes. The cheeky look prompted her mother Kate to laugh, and others joined in too. It wasn't the only laugh of the day though. Kate was awarded a wooden spoon for coming last at the event. Charlotte poked out her tongue making the crowd erupt in laughter at the King's Cup Regatta in 2019 Prince William After presenting newborn Prince Louis to the world from outside of the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in April 2018, Prince William accompanied his wife and son into the car. He then turned to the crowds standing in front of him and jokingly said while holding up three fingers: 'Thrice worry now!' However, the gesture looked rather ruder side-on. The angle meant it looked as though the father of three was holding up his middle finger to the heaps of people waiting to see the family. When Prince William held up three fingers outside St Mary's Hospital after the birth of his and Kate's third son, Prince Louis, in 2018, it looked like he was making a rude gesture when viewed from the side Oh my gosh! Prince George, aged five at the time, attended Princess Eugenie's and Jack Brooksbank's wedding in 2018. An adorable moment between the young royal and his cousin Savannah Phillips was caught on camera during the big day. While the children were chatting, George seems to be rather surprised and opened his mouth in shock. He then covered his mouth with his hand. Prince George, aged five at the time, attended Princess Eugenie's and Jack Brooksbank's wedding in 2018. An adorable moment between the young royal and his cousin Savannah Phillips was caught on camera during the big day While the children were chatting, George seems to be rather surprised and opened his mouth in shock. He then covered his mouth with his hand Mia Tindall At just 12 months old, Mia Tindall was attending horsing events with her family - including the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park in 2015. But at one point, the toddler was snapped appearing to reach for a an electrical cable that was plugged into an outdoor socket. Thankfully, she did not hurt herself. Mia Tindall, then aged just one, appeared to reach for an electrical cable while walking barefoot at the Festival of British Evening in Gatcombe Park in 2015 Like father, like daughter More than 30 years before Charlotte's cheeky expression, her father Prince William pulled a similar face at the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. The four-year-old royal, who was a page boy at the ceremony in Westminster Abbey, was dressed in a sailor outfit and smart leather shoes. He stuck his tongue out while sat next to flower girl Laura Fellowes, the daughter of his aunt Jane. Prince William, aged four, sticking his tongue out at flower girl Laura Fellowes - his cousin - at the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in Westminster Abbey, July 1986 A mischievous Prince Harry Like his brother William, Prince Harry also wasn't afraid to stick his tongue out when he was younger. When riding in the back of a car with Princess Diana to nursery 1987, the young royal pulled the mischievous face at photographers. Prince Harry sticking his tongue out while on the way to nursery with Princess Diana Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson caught poking fun Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson had a complex relationship over the years but formed a close bond over their struggles in the Royal Family. At Royal Ascot in 1986, the pair were spotted using their umbrellas to apparently poke someone in front of them. Both were wearing their best dresses and mischievous smiles as they cheekily teamed up. After losing her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria went into a pit of despair that she would never leave. The perception of the 19th century monarch as a black-clad, miserable monarch is firmly rooted in the public imagination. But historian Dr Kate Vigurs hopes to change that when she portrays a more youthful, happy Victoria next week in her authentic outfit that cost more than 500 to make. The expert, who has been impersonating Victoria at events for a decade, is set to ride side saddle - as the monarch used to do - at her beloved Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. She told MailOnline: 'It's very much about making her young. There's always this image that she never smiled or never seemed to have fun. 'I just don't believe that was the case when she was younger. I very much get the impression she was happy with life and happy with Albert. 'I think it's after he dies that things really start to change for her.' Historical impersonator Dr Kate Vigurs riding side saddle in costume Dr Vigurs as Queen Victoria walking with a Prince Albert impersonator at Osborne House A painting of Queen Victoria riding with Prince Albert in Windsor Park Next Tuesday, the academic will be riding her ex-racing horse, 16-year-old Daxi, during 'All the Queen's Horses', an event organised by English Heritage. She will be portraying Victoria as she was in 1850, the year she turned 31. She was happily married and would give birth to her seventh child, Prince Arthur, in May that year. Dr Vigurs has been riding horses she was eight. She started riding side saddle 15 years ago. During Victoria's reign, strict etiquette dictated that women should ride side saddle. Victoria was helped to become a more proficient horsewoman by her beloved Scottish servant John Brown. After Albert's death, he was sent from Balmoral to Osborne House with the Queen's pony, so she could go out on rides and improve her state of mind. Queen Victoria sat side saddle on her horse Fyvie with her servant John Brown in 1863 Kate, as Victoria, and Albert in character waving from a balcony Osborne House was a favourite place to go of the Queen to get away from the pressures of royalty and to spend time with her family Dr Vigurs' outfit is inspired by a sculpture at Osborne House of Victoria confidently riding side saddle in traditional attire, as well as photographs from the time. She said: 'I've been working with a company called Prior Attire to make sure that what we have is regal enough, authentic enough, and, let's be honest, comfortable enough to be able to wear whilst riding side saddle.' The expert added that although her new outfit 'isn't terribly heavy', it can be 'difficult' to ride side saddle while wearing it. The costumes she wears take inspiration from the time period and she says they feature all the 'correct underpinnings' including corsetry and boots. She added: 'So you very much have to get used to riding in that, because it does make life different, different from a modern day rider.' The regal look can be costly too, the historian's jacket and skirt alone was around 500. The costumes Kate wears take inspiration from the time period and she says they feature all the 'correct underpinnings' including corsetry and boots Kate riding side saddle on Daxi, her 16-year-old ex-racehorse, in costume A sculpture at Osborne House of Victoria confidently riding side saddle in traditional attire She added: 'With the corsetry, the hat, the gloves, the veils, and not forgetting that I need all the royal bits and pieces, like a blue sash, I need the star of the garter, it starts to add up very quickly.' Aside from the outfit, the side saddles are costly pieces of kit too because they're antique and 'need looking after.' However, Dr Vigurs says being someone else for the day, especially royalty, can be 'tiring'. 'You can't be as chatty as you might like to be with people, because you've got to kind of maintain this air of royalty,' she added. A photograph of Queen Victoria wearing full state robes The event will be the first time Kate has played Victoria on horseback at Osborne House. She has impersonated several other historical figures as part of her work, but it all began with a secret agent from the Second World War. Dr Vigurs has also played Florence Nightingale, medieval ladies including Margaret of Anjou, suffragettes and a survivor of the Warsaw Uprising. All the Queen's Horses, at Osborne House, runs from Tuesday 20 Thursday 22 August. Audiences can place their bets and cheer on riders against the backdrop of the Queen's beloved island home, Osbourne. The Biden Administration released the latest border crossing numbers late Friday, showing a 32% drop in migrants caught by Border Patrol in July-- what the feds call the 'lowest number since September 2020.' The staggering decrease in migrant crossings comes four years into the worst border crisis the US has ever seen-- with historic numbers of migrants arriving at the nation's border's seeking entry-- including huge amount of asylum seekers. Since October 2021, over 10 million migrants have crossed into the US, according to federal statistics-- straining the federal agencies that handle migrants and bringing border communities, like El Paso, Texas, to its knees. Texas' sixth largest city operated under a state of emergency for more than a year due as 2,400 migrants a day were crossing there at the peak-- at one point starting its own charter program to bus migrants out off of its streets and to the cities the migrants really wanted to go to, like New York and Chicago. Two crackdowns are responsible for the change, border expert Adam Isacson of The Washington Office on Latin America told DailyMail.com. The quiet border near El Paso, Texas as migrant crossings plummet in recent weeks 'It's a combination-- Mexico making it harder to get across Mexico, and the US making it harder to get asylum is you cross "the wrong way," he explained. Since January, the Mexican government has stepped up efforts to stop mostly South and Central American migrants traveling through its country on their way to the US. Pressured by the Biden Administration, Mexican officials have set up checkpoints to find migrants on northbound buses and trains and return them to the Mexico-Guatemala international boundary. In June, the White House announced changes how migrants could seek asylum at the border. Any migrant who did not legally enter the US would be removed and not allowed to seek asylum. Migrants crossed the Rio Bravo river near El Paso in 2022 on the way to turn themselves into US border control and seek asylum Up until then, even those who crossed the border illegally could simply seek out a Border Patrol agent and surrendering, asking to begin an asylum case. Biden's change in asylum has had a real impact on the ground-- dropping border crossings in El Paso from about 1,000 a day before the announcement to just 398 a day now, Border Patrol officials shared. The West Texas city has gone from seeing a huge amount of so-called 'give ups' (migrants who crossed the border only to surrender and ask for asylum) to more traditional traffic-- migrants sneaking in and trying to evade Border Patrol all together. Now migrants wanting to make asylum claims are forced to wait in Mexico until they can secure a CBP One Appointment at a US port of entry, the 'legal way' to come into the country. However, with only 1,450 appointments available per day, the coveted appointments often take weeks or months to secure-- assuming migrants are not kidnapped or killed in the process. Migrants speak with a border agent near El Paso on December 16, 2022 A migrant from Michoacan, Mexico, uses the CBPOne app Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Tijuana, Mexico Mexican border towns where migrants are waiting for asylum appointment have become hot beds of brutality for migrants who are easy targets for gangs to hold for ransom, sell into sex slavery or kill. However, Biden's asylum rule is already facing lawsuits from the likes of the ACLU and other groups-- which is why Isacson believes the President took so long to enact it. 'This is really a dubiously legal rule-- the ability to ban asylum between ports of entry contradicts section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which says that you can apply for asylum whether you entered at a port of entry or not,' he explained. Earth wasn't always a covered with lush greenery and glorious blue oceans teeming with life. In fact, around 700 million years ago it was a shimmering 'snowball', an ice planet worthy of Star Wars. Now scientists say geological relics of 'Snowball Earth' still exist across Scotland and the north of Ireland. Rocks along a massive 200-mile formation which straddles the North Channel date back to the Snowball Earth era, they claim. After about 60 million years as an ice planet, Earth eventually unfroze, allowing the right conditions for life as we know it today to thrive. Roughly 700 million years ago, our planet plunged into a dramatic deep freeze that lasted millions of years, creating what's come to be known as 'Snowball Earth' (artist's impression) Around 700 million years ago, Earth was a shimmering 'snowball', an ice planet worthy of Star Wars. Pictured, the planet 'Hoth' from 'Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) What is 'Snowball Earth'? Snowball Earth refers to a period in our planet's history when it was totally or almost totally frozen over. From space, it would have looked like a shimmering white ball of Earth, similar to Saturn's moon Enceladus today. Scientists think at least two Snowball Earth glaciations occurred between 640 and 710 million years ago. The older one is known as the Sturtian glaciation and the more recent known as the Marinoan glaciation. They're thought to have triggered the development of complex, multicellular life on Earth. Advertisement 'These rocks record a time when Earth was covered in ice,' said Graham Shields, a professor of geology at University College London. 'All complex, multicellular life, such as animals, arose out of this deep freeze, with the first evidence in the fossil record appearing shortly after the planet thawed.' Earth's 'big freeze' around 700 million years ago which gave it the appearance of a giant 'snowball' is an event known as the Sturtian glaciation. This frigid transformation was likely triggered by historically low carbon dioxide emissions from volcanoes, scientists think essentially leading to the reverse of today's ongoing greenhouse effect. Port Askaig Formation composed of layers of rock up to 0.68 miles (1.1km) thick was likely 'laid down' during the Sturtian glaciation, the authors of this study say. 'The Port Askaig Formation is a sedimentary rock formation so was deposited as horizontal layers,' co-author Elias Rugen, a PhD candidate at UCL, told MailOnline. 'Sedimentary rocks, such as those deposited beneath glaciers, are deposited (or laid down) horizontally.' This map locates the main outcrops of the Port Askaig Formation as red dots. Port Askaig Formation sits within a much larger volume of rock called the Dalradian Supergroup (shaded in green) that contains rocks that are both older and younger than the Port Askaig Formation One exposed outcrop of Port Askaig Formation is found on Scottish islands called the Garvellachs (pictured) For the study, the researchers collected samples of sandstone from Port Askaig Formation and analysed tiny, extremely durable minerals in the rock called zircons. These can be precisely dated as they contain the radioactive element uranium, which converts (decays) to lead at a steady rate. The zircons together with other geochemical evidence suggest the Port Askaig rocks were deposited between 662 and 720 million years ago coinciding with the estimated date range for the Sturtian glaciation. 'These are the first direct ages we have for these rocks which places the deposition of the Port Askaig Formation during a snowball Earth glaciation episode in Earth's history,' Professor Shields told MailOnline. Port Askaig not only offers the first rocky evidence of 'Snowball Earth' in Britain, but it may also be the worlds most complete record of the global freeze. Anthony Spencer, co-author of the latest study, stands on glacial till (sediment deposited by a glacier) of the Port Askaig Formation on Garbh Eileach, the largest of Scotland's Garvellach islands Of course, Snowball Earth eventually melted as carbon emissions gradually increased as volcanic activity increased again. 'Once the snowball melted, there would have been a catastrophic change in circumstance for all forms of life that had adapted to the extreme cold,' Professor Shields told MailOnline. 'Among the winners of that arms race would have been the early ancestors of all animal life on Earth today. 'Other forms of complex multicellullar life (modern types of algae, for instance) also emerged around this time. 'So this juncture represents the transition out of microbially-dominated ecosystems into a more complex, modern-seeming living world.' The study has been published in the Journal of the Geological Society of London. There's nothing more frustrating than noticing your phone is about to die just as you're about to leave the house. But that inconvenience could soon be a thing of the past as smartphone maker Realme reveals a charger that can power up your smartphone in just five minutes. The Chinese tech manufacturer's new SuperSonic Charge Technology can juice up a phone with up to 320W of power - that's 16 times more than a standard iPhone charger. At an event this week, the company demonstrated how it could charge a 4,420mAh battery in four minutes and 30 seconds. Unfortunately, Realme is yet to release a smartphone that can handle that much power so there may be some time before you can fully charge your phone while you make a cup of tea. Waiting for your phone to charge may be a thing of the past as Chinese tech firm Realme reveals a charger that can power your smartphone in just five minutes 320W SuperSonic Charge is officially unveiled today! Click the video to learn more about the technology behind it and see how long it takes to charge a phone fully!#realme828Fanfest #320WFastestCharge pic.twitter.com/osefpxcRlT realme Global (@realmeglobal) August 14, 2024 The company showcased its latest advances in fast-changing technology att Realme's 828 Fanfest event in Shenzhen. After being connected to power for just one minute the smartphone reached 26 per cent charge and had hit 50 per cent in less than two minutes. For a smartphone with a battery just a little smaller than the new Pixel 9, that means going from a dead battery to full power in less than five minutes. This impressive feat is possible due to significant improvements in both the charger and the battery itself. Early last year, Realme set the record for the fastest charging smartphone with the GT Neo 5 which could charge in nine and a half minutes thanks to a 240W charger. The company's latest 'Pocket Cannon' power adapter can provide a maximum of 320w of power to a compatible device. At Realme's 828 Fanfest event in Shenzhen, the company demonstrated how they could charge a phone from 1 per cent to 100 per cent in four and a half minutes The SuperSonic Charge technology uses a power adaptor which provides 320W (pictured). That is 16 times more power than a standard iPhone charger The charger features two USB-C ports which can also be used to send 150W to Realme's smartphones and 65W to devices like laptops. For comparison, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus can only charge reliably at a maximum of 20W which gives a 50 per cent charge in around half an hour. Realme says it is able to avoid burning out the battery thanks to the 'AirGap' voltage transformer which ensures the current reaches the phone at only 20 volts. According to Realme, this uses a technology called 'contact-free electromagnetic conversion' to ensure the power supply can charge at 93 per cent power efficiency. The other key innovation is Realme's new battery which uses four separate cells, each of which can charge simultaneously. Manufacturers like Apple and Samsung generally opt for single-cell batteries because these offer more power storage in a compact space. The 'Pocket Cannon' charger is paired with a new battery design which reduces the charging speed significantly. Pictured: tech fans crowd to take photos of the new charger and battery However, despite using multiple cells Realme still claims to be offering a bigger battery than the iPhone 15's 3,349mAh of storage. According to a promotional video shared by the company, this is thanks to a folded battery design inspired by satellite solar panels. A company spokesperson says: 'First we ingeniously miniaturized each battery cell into layered structures to maximise space utilisation to achieve higher capacity. 'Second, we folded four battery cells in the shape of satellite panels and connected them with flexible charging board.' The resulting battery is also flexible which means that it could potentially be used in a future folding smartphone design. Realme says its battery uses four battery cells which can all charge simultaneously to achieve faster charge times and a greater capacity With a capacity of 4,420mAh, Realme's new battery has a similar charge size to the new Google Pixel 9 (pictured) but can charge in only a fraction of the time After setting the record for the fastest charging smartphone early last year, Realme's record was soon broken by Redmi, another Chinese phone maker. Less than a month after Realme set the record, Redmi, which is a subsidiary company of Xiaomi, announced that it had developed a 300W charger. In demonstrations, Xiaomi's new technology was able to charge a 4,100mAh battery in about five minutes. However, neither Xioami nor Realme are yet to release phones that actually include these new battery designs. A spokesperson for Realme told MailOnline that they had no 'official information' regarding whether this would be used in any new devices. Realme has also not hinted as to when the technology might be rolled out more widely so it could be a significant wait until five-minute charging is commercially available. Growing up, you might have dreamed of one day becoming an astronaut and blasting off to the International Space Station (ISS). But once you take this claustrophobia-inducing virtual tour of the space station, you might be thankful that dream never came true. Life 250 miles (400km) above Earth is far less glamorous than the movies might make you might think. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams recently gained international attention after NASA revealed that the pair would be stuck on the ISS for six months, despite originally expecting to be there for eight days. From the phonebooth-sized bedrooms to the vacuum-powered toilet, here's what the pair will have to put up with - all while wearing the same pair of underwear for weeks on end! As NASA announces that astronauts Butch Wilmore (top) and Suni Williams (bottom) could be trapped on the ISS for up to six months, interactive graphics reveal what life will be like for them This virtual tour allows you to take a look through the International Space Station. In this picture, you can see the inside of the Destiny module which serves as NASA's main lab To get a sense of where Butch and Suni will be spending the next few months, you can take a virtual walking (or floating) tour of the ISS by following this link. Your tour begins in the Columbus module, NASA's main orbiting laboratory at the far end of the space station. To look around, simply click and drag to turn the camera through 360 degrees or use the arrow buttons at the bottom of the screen. Alternatively, you can also press the 'Start/Stop Autorotation' option to experience what it would feel like to spin out of control in zero gravity. With only six beds and nine astronauts now on the station, Butch and Suni don't even have a proper bed. Before takeoff Suni told Time Magazine she would be sleeping in the less-comfortable 'Crew Alternate Sleep Accommodation' in the Columbus module while Butch has to make do with a sleeping bag tethered to the station wall. Moving through the ISS tour you can also see how little privacy astronauts have in these cramped quarters with every room serving multiple purposes. This image from the virtual tour shows the arrangement of the four sleeping compartments in Node 2 where astronauts rest In Node 3 you can see ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti taking some pictures from the station's cupola What is life really like on the ISS? As you might have seen on your virtual tour, everything on the ISS is either strapped down or held in place by velcro. Without the assistance of Earth's familiar gravity, just going about your day can be extremely difficult. On Earth, you might wake up, use the toilet, take a shower, brush your teeth, and grab some breakfast without even really having to wake up fully. But on the ISS each of those tasks requires careful consideration to avoid making a serious mess. Your browser does not support iframes. Samantha Cristoforetti demonstrates how astronauts wash without a shower just by using a little water and a cloth Without gravity, water doesn't fall but rather globs together into floating balls held together by its own surface tension. That means a morning shower is completely out of the question so astronauts use a wet cloth to wash as best they can. A combination of rinseless shampoo and a little water can then be used for washing their hair. Since water sticks to the toothbrush, brushing your teeth in space is much the same as on Earth with the only difference being that you have to swallow your toothpaste. But without gravity to guide things where they need to go, using the toilet can be the biggest challenge of all. When NASA first started sending humans into microgravity, the space agency solved this issue using a combination of condom-like latex sleeves and nappies. As astronaut Chris Hadfield demonstrates how brushing your teeth is exactly the same in space as on Earth apart from the fact you need to swallow your toothpaste Luckily for Butch and Suni, the technology has now moved on considerably and the ISS is now home to two state-of-the-art suction toilets. For urine, the astronauts use a hand-held tube they can position to stop any liquids escaping the bathroom. When it comes to solid waste, the crew use foot straps to hold themselves in place over the toilet. Thanks to the suction provided by the toilet's fans most of that waste usually ends up being safely caught, but astronauts report that the process has a steep learning curve and can get quite messy. Another matter of hygiene which might seem shocking to us back on Earth is that astronauts often have to make do with the same clothes for weeks at a time. Flying water to space is extraordinarily expensive which makes washing clothes impossible. Using the toilet in the morning requires a complicated process to operate the vacuum-powered space toilet aboard the ISS (pictured) That means astronauts don't actually bother with laundry but simply wear their clothes until they are too dirty and then eject them into space. Since flying clothes to the station is costly, astronauts often have to wear the same pants and socks for days or weeks at a time. That situation was particularly bad for Butch and Suni who flew to the station with only the clothes they had on their backs. Since they were only expecting an eight-day stay the pair didn't pack any spares and so had to wear the same set of clothes for two months. Thankfully, last week a Northrop Grumman supply vehicle arrived with 3,720kg of supplies including equipment, fresh food, and some fresh clothes for the Starliner crew. When Suni William (left) and Butch Wilmore (right) came to the station they only brought the clothes on their backs. This means they had to wait two months for any clean clothing What is a day like for an astronaut on the ISS? You might think that Butch and Suni would have plenty of time to kill for the next six months of their unscheduled stay. However, astronauts on the ISS are expected to follow a gruelling routine of 15-hour work days and mandatory exercise. NASA provides each of its astronauts with a personalised schedule which maps out their day in 15-minute intervals. On the station, astronauts can see a tablet on which a red line moves through their schedule in real-time - an experience many astronauts have described as extremely stressful. Every day begins at 6:00am sharp with a wake-up call from Mission Control back on Earth. The life of an astronaut is packed with activity as NASA schedules their day down to the 15-minute interval Astronauts who are lucky enough to have one of the station's crew quarters have some privacy for their sleeping bag (pictured). They are woken up each day at 6:00 am GMT with a call from Mission Control A day in the life of a NASA astronaut 06:00 Wake up 06:00-07:30 Wash, brush teeth, use the toilet, and eat breakfast 07:30-08:00 Daily planning conference with Mission Control 08:00-12:00 Morning work shift 12:00-13:00 Exercise 13:00-14:00 Lunch 14:00-17:00 Afternoon work shift 17:00-18:00 Exercise 18:00-19:00 Evening work shift 19:00-19:30 Evening planning call with Houston 19:30-20:30 Dinner 20:30-21:30 Relaxation and free time 21:30 Bedtime Advertisement The ISS orbits Earth 16 times every 24 hours so NASA keeps the station on Greenwich Meantime for the sake of coordination. After waking up, the crew have an hour and a half to wash up, eat breakfast, and prepare themselves for the day ahead. After freshening up the astronauts will come together for some breakfast and to read the 'Daily Summary' which is like a newspaper for the ISS with news about the state of the ISS, comments on the schedule, and the flight control rota. Just like many of us back on Earth, some astronauts wouldn't think about starting the day without coffee. The space station has a range of powdered hot drinks that the crew can rehydrate with hot water in order to get their morning brew. For a time between 2015 and 2017, astronauts also had access to the ISSpresso which was the first ever espresso coffee machine designed for space. Astronauts can choose between a range of different breakfast options, but if they want cereal they do have to add powdered milk and water. At 7:30am there is a morning planning conference with Mission Control to decide the schedule for the day and by 8:00am the astronauts get to work. Most of their time on the station is divided between scientific research and doing the essential maintenance required to keep the ISS running. Just like us on Earth, astronauts can't start their day without coffee. For a time between 2015 and 2017, astronauts also had access to the ISSpresso (pictured) which was the first ever espresso coffee machine designed for space. Much of an astronaut's day is spent working on scientific research. Here, NASA astronaut Kayla Barron checks out plants growing inside the Veggie plant research facility for the Veggie PONDS experiment As the world's biggest permanently orbiting research station, astronauts are largely focused on testing the effects of microgravity on various physical and biological processes. A lot of that research also looks at the effect of space on the human body so the crew frequently find themselves as the lab rats for each other's experiments. After a break for lunch at 1:00pm the crew might have some of their daily scheduled exercise. Living without gravity causes muscles to atrophy and the cardiovascular system to decline so astronauts have two hours of mandated exercise per day. They can either run on the treadmill, pedal on an exercise bike, or lift 'weights' in the 'Advanced Resistive Exercise Device'. Astronauts have two hours of mandatory exercise each day and can use a treadmill, exercise bike, or the ARED weight-lifting equipment (pictured). Here NASA astronaut Dan Burbank works out by lifting some weights Of course, since everything on the ISS is weightless these devices use a combination of pistons, flywheels, and elastic bands to simulate the feeling of weight. Then, after a few more hours of work, the day comes to a close with dinner and a final planning meeting with Mission Control at 7:00pm. Astronauts need to consume 2,500 calories per day so NASA is careful to provide them with a three-course meal featuring lots of different food options. Studies have shown that astronauts often struggle to eat enough for their daily energy needs and some experts think it might be down to bland food. In microgravity, blood rushes to the head and causes swelling in the sinuses which can interfere with the senses of smell and taste. The day comes to an end with dinner at 7:30 pm. Astronauts are given lots of food options since microgravity affects their taste which makes it harder to ensure they meet their calorie needs. Pictured: NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg has some dinner in the Zvezda module For this reason, some astronauts opt for spicy food featuring chilis and horseradish to overcome their dulled senses. Once dinner finishes at 8:30pm, NASA assigns each astronaut one hour of personal time to relax and unwind. The ISS actually has a good WiFi connection so astronauts often spend their time calling friends and family on Earth, watching movies, or catching up on sports. But with one of the best views in the solar system waiting for them, it isn't much of a surprise that astronauts often choose to simply spend their time looking out of the window. After a long day of work, many astronauts spend their hour of free time simply enjoying the view from the ISS's cupola. Here Astronauts Thomas Marshburn and Mark Vande Hei relax with a spot of 'Earth gazing' Officially, 9:30pm is bedtime for astronauts, giving them a solid eight hours of sleep per day. But with little downtime to enjoy astronauts often stay up a bit later and generally get around six hours of sleep in total. Since the ISS is loud and bright at all hours most astronauts chose to sleep with eye masks and earplugs. It is also vital that their sleeping areas are well-ventilated since CO2 can form a bubble around their head during the night. Then, after a few hours of sleep, the crew are once again woken by a call from Houston and is ready to start the cycle all over again. In a case that arose from complaints by employees at Highland Hospital in Oakland, the state Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Private Attorneys General Act extends only to private employees. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle The state Supreme Court on Thursday narrowed the ability of government workers in California to claim or enforce rights under state labor laws. In a unanimous ruling, the court said thousands of hospital employees at Alameda Health System are not protected by state laws requiring daily meal and rest breaks for private employees. And in the same ruling, the justices said the Private Attorneys General Act, or PAGA a California law allowing workers to join together and sue employers for violating labor laws applies only to private employees and not to state or local government workers. The ruling was welcomed by employers attorneys and criticized by their opponents. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The courts action helps to ensure that public agencies charged with providing essential public services are not subjected to crippling statutory penalties and fees that would jeopardize their ability to carry out their public missions, said Ryan McGinley-Stempel, a lawyer for Alameda Health System. But Ari Stiller, attorney for the California Employment Lawyers Association, said the ruling cuts out public employees from enforcing labor rights under PAGA. He noted that the court has previously called PAGA one of Californias most important laws for enforcing the Labor Code. And while the Legislature could pass a new law that reverses the ruling, Stiller said it is unlikely in the wake of a recent compromise agreement between lawmakers, Gov. Gavin Newsom and employers groups to rewrite PAGA, reduce some of its penalties and remove from the November ballot a business-sponsored measure to repeal the law. State law entitles private employees to unpaid meal breaks of 30 minutes if they work five hours a day or more and unpaid rest breaks of 10 minutes after four hours. Those mandates do not apply to public employees, however, and the court stepped in to decide whether Alameda Health System workers were private or public. The health system operates five hospitals and four clinics in Alameda County. They were managed by the county until 1996 and then transferred to an independent health care agency approved by the state Legislature. The court case arose from complaints by a nurse and a medical assistant at Highland Hospital in Oakland who said workers were not allowed meal or rest breaks and were penalized for taking them. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A state appeals court allowed the suit to proceed but was overruled Thursday by the state Supreme Court. The law that established Alameda Health System repeatedly describes AHS as a public agency, Justice Carol Corrigan wrote in the 7-0 ruling. She noted that county supervisors appoint the health systems governing board and write its governing bylaws and that the health system can borrow funds from the county to operate its hospitals. The broader issue in the case involved PAGA, which allows workers to join and sue their employer in the name of the state for violating labor laws such as minimum wages and overtime as well as meal and rest breaks. If they prove their case, they receive 25% of the penalties provided by state law, with the rest going to the state. The law has strengthened enforcement of California labor standards, allowing employees to effectively supplement the limited staff of state inspectors. Several appellate courts have upheld PAGA complaints by public employees. One case involved two hearing examiners for a Los Angeles transportation agency who said they had been fired for revealing improper pressures to change their decisions. Another was filed by a bus driver in Los Angeles who said the municipal transit agency failed to pay drivers their legal wages or overtime and did not provide rest breaks. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The states high court had not intervened in those cases but barred such suits in the future with Thursdays ruling. The court said one purpose of PAGA was to protect the state from financial harm, a goal that would be undermined by allowing such suits against public agencies. State and local taxpayers are the ultimate source of recoveries obtained from public employers, Corrigan wrote. She said the 25% of penalties paid to employees would be paid from the coffers of other taxpayer-funded public institutions and the result would simply rob Peter to pay Paul. If state lawmakers disagree, Corrigan added, they are free to pass new legislation. The case is Stone v. Alameda Health System, No. S279137. The US Government is funding 'completely insane' brain transplant research that aims to 'defeat' death. Geneticist Dr Jean Hebert has been awarded a $110 million NIH grant to develop a surgery that replaces damaged or aging brain cells with tissue from human embryos. The procedure involves repairing the ailing brain tissue with 'neuronal' stem cells grown in labs, a method which has already shown promising results in mice. A researcher has proposed a radical idea to cheat death that some scientists are calling 'completely insane Stem cells are 'blank, shape-shifting' cells that can transform into cells from any other part of the body. They are abundant in human embryos as a fertilized egg grows and specializes into a complex human being and their use is at the core of this novel new approach. 'It doesn't require you to understand aging,' Mark Hamalainen, co-founder of the Longevity Biotech Fellowship, said. 'That is why Jeans work is interesting.' But others in the field believe the procedure is too severe for common use, and members of the general public have called it 'diabolical.' ('These are the ghouls in charge of "the science,"' as one commenter posted online.) Dr Hebert's initiative, more formally described as 'functional brain tissue replacement,' showed its first signs of success last year in mice. The results from that trial prompted this month's government grant to progress into tests on primates before one day moving on to human trials. Lab mice with brain lesions underwent the procedure, which saw scientists inject mouse stem cells into their aging brains, according to the study published in the journal Bioengineering. The stem cells were grown through cell culture, which involves isolating cells from an embryo and placing them in a petri dish with nutrients like vitamins, amino acids, glucose and salts. The team carefully layered a mixture of the lab-grown cells into a protein-based support gel made by Corning, called Matrigel Matrix, which is derived from cell and tissue components that promotes cell growth. Dr Hebert's preliminary trials in mice showed that these grafted, donor brain cells became 'electrophysiologically active,' firing off and communicating with its mouse host's brain, even responding to 'visual stimuli' within 'one month post-transplant.' 'Using our paradigm, neurons were found to differentiate and project to appropriate targets in the host brain,' Dr Hebert and his team wrote in the study. The young cells, in other words, matured rapidly into specialized cells that were ready to fulfill their new role in the host brain. 'Moreover, transplant-derived neurons were spontaneously active,' they added, 'integrated [...] into functional networks' within the brain without additional work needed by the surgeons. These cells were also seen to respond to sensory inputs, based on electrode studies of the mice in later tests. Dr Hebert's successes caught the attention of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) this year, leading to the multi-million dollar new program. Modeled off the Pentagon's advanced research wing, DARPA, the new US Advanced Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) was created by President Joe Biden in 2022 to play a similar forward-looking role within NIH. The new brain rejuvenation surgery joins ARPA-H efforts to transplant eyes for the blind, anticipate genetic evolution in cancer cells, and radical new indoor air filters. Dr Hebert described the project as part of his life's ambition toward immortality. 'I was a weird kid and when I found out that we all fall apart and die, I was like, "Why is everybody okay with this?"' the researcher explained. The ARPA-H project will expand geneticist Dr Jean Hebert's tests of his surgical technique from past successful transplants in mice to primates and other animals. Above, microscopic 'immunofluorescence images' show the successful layers of new brain cells in mice 'That has pretty much guided everything I do,' Dr Hebert said. 'I just prefer life over this slow degradation into nonexistence that biology has planned for all of us.' The geneticist will be leaving his role at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's neuroscience department in the Bronx for his high-tech ARPA-H post. The ARPA-H project will expand Dr Hebert's tests of this surgical technique from past successful transplants in mice to other animals including primates, the agency said. But despite these promising successes, some scientists in the field have expressed doubts about the surgery's practicality or long-term viability. 'On the surface it sounds completely insane,' the CEO of aging research company Oisin Biotechnologies, Matthew Scholz, told MIT Technology Review, 'but I was surprised how good a case he could make for it.' Scholz, does not expect the surgery to see widespread casual use, however, or spur a new era of human immortality. 'A new brain is not going to be a popular item,' Scholz opined. 'The surgical element of it is going to be very severe, no matter how you slice it.' Others see the procedure's potential as a possible cure for hereditary cognitive issues. 'If it can work, forget aging,' one medical doctor and biotech entrepreneur, Dr Justin Rebo, said. 'It would be useful for all kinds of neurodegenerative disease.' A mysterious black ring appeared in the blue skies over Virginia this week, which hovered for about 10 minutes before vanishing. Williamsburg locals flooded news station around 11am ET on Tuesday when they spotted the ominous circle over a major highway. Ron Stepp said that he was working near Eastern State Hospital when it appeared above like a huge smoke ring in the sky. Others reported the sighting from nearby neighborhoods, suggesting it was visible for miles. Similar black rings have been spotted in other locations, with fires and explosions being cited as the likely cause. But officials reported no fires at the time of the sighting. Renee Fisher snapped this photo of the mysterious black ring was taken in a neighborhood in the Waller Mill area of Williamsburg Joshua Bean spotted the ring hovering over a highway in Williamsburg. Peggy Olszyk captured the black ring as it hung over tree tops, while Renee Fisher snapped a couple photos of it from outside a neighborhood. Two other viewers sent in photos to the station taken on Interstate 64 westbound in the area of the Fort Eustis exit, and in the area of Old Moretown Road. This isn't the first time an object like this has been see floating in the sky. In June, a similar looking ring-shaped cloud was spotted over Venezuela and captured in a now viral video. 'A flying saucer,' one of the young men shouts as they drove down a rode on a sunny afternoon. And in July, another floating black ring was photographed drifting across an orange and pink sunset over Pearland, Texas. There have been numerous other sightings all across the world as well - it seems that these mysterious objects can pop up pretty much anywhere. But so far, no one has officially confirmed what these objects are or where they came from. But there are some theories. Experts have pointed to fire or some type of explosion that most likely create the rings, such as fireworks. WAVY reached out to the James City County Fire Department to ask if there were any reports around the time the Williamsburg circle was reported. The fire chief hadnt heard of any. The black ring vanished in about 10 minutes, one viewer said. No one has officially confirmed what caused the ring to appear, but experts say it was most likely some type of fire or explosion. The news station also reached out to Dominion Energy, a American energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, if there was a blown transformer that could have caused the ring. Dominion spokesperson Tim Eberly told WAVY that there were no incidents this week involving equipment that could have caused a black ring of smoke. But the news station's in-house meteorologist Ricky Mathews said he had seen these rings from pyrotechnics before - basically stemming from concentrated fire rising. He also theorized that it could be a special effect used for a film. An eye-opening documentary delves inside what has been deemed the happiest country to live in for under 30s. Ammar Kandil and Staffan Taylor, from the YouTube channel Yes Theory, ventured to Lithuania for a 50-hour experiment investigating if young people are really as happy as the studies show. The World Happiness Report, published by the United Nations in March, saw Lithuania crowned for having the cheeriest under-30s. For the report, people in 140 countries were asked to say on a scale of one to ten how happy they were, with ten being very happy and zero being very unhappy. The results were based on three years' worth of data of people saying how happy they were. Ammar Kandil and Staffan Taylor, from the YouTube channel Yes Theory, ventured to Lithuania for a 50-hour experiment investigating if young people are really as happy as the studies show On landing into Lithuania's capital city Vilnius, Amma and Staffan get to work talking to locals. Most of the young people they speak to agree on Lithuania being a good place for young people, with some of their reasons being 'great food,' 'friendly people,' 'lots of career opportunities,' and a 'growing economy.' Many of them highlight that the hardships their ancestors endured also taught them to enjoy every moment and 'see beauty in the simple things.' Serving up some background on Lithuania's tumultuous past, the film's narrator explains: 'During most of the 19th century Lithuania was under Russian rule. 'Under this regime, their culture, language and religion were all suppressed. Throughout the 20th century and world wars, Lithuania fought for independence but was continuously put under Soviet rule. 'It was only March 11, 1990 that they finally declared full Independence becoming the first Soviet Republic to do so.' In a bid to get more young people to speak about life in Lithuania, the Yes Theory team go about organizing a meetup event which they publicize on Instagram. At the event, people from the crowd gathered take it in turns to share their views. The World Happiness Report, published by the United Nations in March, saw Lithuania crowned for having the cheeriest under-30s On landing into Lithuania's capital city Vilnius, Amma and Staffan get to work talking to locals One young man says: 'Having spent a year in America, what I came to appreciate in Lithuania is the connection with nature. 'You can [easily] go to a lake, go to a beautiful forest.' Another woman in the crowd says Lithuania was 'never as good as it is now' but she points out that 'all of us are realizing that we can lose this very fast the same way Ukraine has lost it.' Taking a more neutral approach to the topic of happiness, one man tells the YouTubers: 'Let's say if you look at the suicide rates in Lithuania, especially with young people, it's quite high. 'So in the happiest country in the world, would that be the case? 'Yes, we're quite happy as young people here but we're still facing some problems, so I think neutrality that's what I choose right now.' Following the meetup, Ammar and Staffan spend the rest of their trip hanging out with locals and some of the sites they visit include a former prison (Lukiskes Prison) - which has been turned into a cultural venue - and the mysterious Hill of Crosses monument. By the end of their vacation in Lithuania, the duo find the happiness has worn off on them. A local woman says: 'Lithuania was never as good as it is now.' But she points out that 'all of us are realizing that we can lose this very fast the same way Ukraine has lost it' Following the meetup, Ammar and Staffan spend the rest of their trip hanging out with locals Ammar, who has traveled extensively all over the world, tells viewers while he attends a party in the evening: 'This is one of the happiest travel experiences that I've ever had' Ammar, who has traveled extensively all over the world, tells viewers while he attends a party one of the evenings: 'This is one of the happiest travel experiences that I've ever had.' Echoing his sentiments, Steffan says: 'Lithuania is definitely one of the most open, generous, and kind countries I've ever been to.' To date their video has been watched more than 700,000 times with many viewers agreeing with the World Happiness Report findings. One commenter wrote: 'I did my exchange semester in Vilnius and it has been the happiest time in my life. Thank you Lithuania for having me.' Another viewer mused: 'As a person who's Lithuanian, and also a youth worker, my heart sings while watching this video. 'This video totally shows the essence of our country's spirit and transformation: how love, creativity and kindness of our generation can lift us up from the dark past, transform the negativity into the light and to help everyone feel understood, loved and accepted.' Data from the World Happiness Report showed that, overall, Finland was the happiest nation in the world for the seventh year in a row - scoring 7.7 out of ten. Nordic nations Denmark, Iceland and Sweden collected second, third and fourth place - with scores of 7.6, 7.5 and 7.3. Meanwhile, when the global league table was broken down by age group, Lithuania was found to have the happiest under-30s. This is a holiday rental where a whirly-good time is guaranteed. Because it's a former Royal Navy helicopter. With a gorgeous lake right outside the door. Will Roughton, a 45-year-old farmer, splashed out 35,000 on the Sea King after spotting it at a museum in Wales. He then transported it to his coastal Lincolnshire land and spent six months turning the aircraft into comfortable living quarters for a quiet UK getaway. Will revealed: 'It sleeps four adults and there is room for a sofa to be converted into a small single for an extra child.' This amazing holiday rental is a former Royal Navy Sea King helicopter, transformed into comfortable living quarters by farmer Will Roughton Will splashed out 35,000 on the aircraft and transported it to his ex-military base property - RAF Wainfleet - in Friskney, Skegness, on the Lincolnshire coast Will spent six months turning the aircraft into comfortable living quarters for a quiet UK getaway. Discussing the helicopter's former life, Will said: 'It appears that the helicopter was used by the "fleet air arm" of the Royal Navy. Its first flight was on 18 September, 1990' The beds are topped with duvets and inside the walls are painted bright yellow. The helicopter also has one bathroom, a kitchen and outside decking with rattan furniture and a wooden bench, as well as a BBQ and fire pit. Discussing the helicopter's former life, owner Will added: 'It appears that the helicopter was used by the "fleet air arm" of the Royal Navy. Its first flight was on 18 September, 1990. The helicopter was part of the 848 squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton. Pictured right - the interior takes shape Outside the helicopter is a decked area with a picnic bench and rattan table and chairs, as well as a BBQ and fire pit (above) 'It was part of the 848 squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton. I'm afraid I have not found any record of where it served as of yet.' Holidaymakers will find the helicopter at Will's property - ex-army base RAF Wainfleet in Friskney, Skegness. In the 1890s, the site was an army artillery range and it became a WWII bombing practice range in 1938. The helicopter sleeps four adults and there is room for a sofa to be converted into a small single for an extra child The helicopter has one bathroom and the beds are topped with duvets A stay in the Royal Navy helicopter starts at 130 per night. The picture above shows the double bed and kitchen 'I was offered to buy the RAF Wainfleet site when it went out of service,' Will said. 'I then decided to convert its original buildings into holiday lets. 'After I had completed those I decided to look at the possibility of [turning] military aircraft into stays.' The base not only houses the Royal Navy helicopter but also a combine harvester, army ambulance, fire engine and tank. All can be rented for overnight stays. There's also 'the Tower' - a five-storey RAF bombing range control tower that now contains three double bedrooms. There are two planes available for rent too: a Spitfire and a Jetstream aeroplane, which can both fit four to six people. Will - who purchased the base in 2014 - scoured the Internet to find the special vehicles, which have been purchased from across the UK. The Sea King is the latest addition to his 'fleet'. The various army spaces including the Sea King helicopter can be booked through the RAF Wainfleet's website: rafwainfleet.uk. A stay in the Royal Navy helicopter starts at 130 per night. The days of jet-lagged travellers to Australia desperately searching for a pen to fill in an orange card are about to end. In what's been called a major win for the tourism industry, a new pilot program for a digital incoming passenger card was announced on Friday. Tourism & Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said replacing the outdated paper cards with a digital Australia Travel Declaration was a fantastic first step towards more efficient travel across the Tasman. 'Finally, passengers landing in Australia won't have to fill out a paper arrival card with a pen. The paper cards are a relic of the past and we can do much better in the digital age,' Ms Osmond said. 'These reforms will improve the airport experience for travellers when they arrive, whilst prioritising border security, through a more modern, efficient process, which we've long been advocating for.' The pilot program will initially be for Qantas passengers arriving from New Zealand, stating later this year. But Ms Osmond said it was expected to be expanded to other airlines. The pilot is the initiative of the Trans-Tasman Seamless Travel Group, which was established last year to deliver on the Australian and New Zealand prime ministers' commitment to explore ways to move closer to seamless travel between the two countries. The days of jet-lagged travellers to Australia desperately searching for a pen to fill in an orange card are about to end (file picture) The pilot program was announced after NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Anthony Albanese met in Canberra The pilot program was announced after NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Anthony Albanese met in Canberra for their annual leaders' meeting. 'We discussed the report on advancing seamless travel, which again lays the connection for our people-to-people connections and obviously our economic ties. 'Today's announcement is a culmination of TTF's persistent advocacy efforts on behalf of industry and the impressive resolve of government agencies on both sides of the ditch to implement critical border reforms,' she said. 'The Trans-Tasman Seamless Travel Group will continue to meet to discuss further initiatives to enhance the passenger experience for Trans-Tasman travellers, taking advantage of technology to make travel quicker and easier and attract more visitors to our shores.' 'We remain strongly committed to working with our New Zealand partners and advocating for further reforms towards seamless travel, to revolutionise the passenger experience for the benefit of the entire industry.' The world's best cities for nightlife in 2024 have been named by Time Out and it's Rio de Janeiro that takes the crown. It's followed by Manila in the Philippines, described as the 'most affordable city on the list'. Austin in Texas and the UK's Manchester also make the top 10. The ranking has been created based on a survey of thousands of locals who rated their city's nightlife on its 'quality and affordability' as well as naming the 'nightlife venues and experiences they love the most in their city'. Grace Beard, travel editor at Time Out, says: 'Nightlife has changed a lot over the past four years. But while club closures and work-from-home culture have thrown its future into question, cities the world over have done what they do best: rolled with the times. 'Our inaugural Time Out ranking of the Worlds Best Cities for Nightlife champions the destinations where a great night out is an easy find.' Scroll down to see the results in full... 13. Singapore Singapore (13th) has a trend for 'healthy hedonism' - where 'freezing cold plunges are followed by sizzling dance floors'. Pictured above is Singapore's Marquee club Time Out's experts say: 'As well as high-end clubbing and underground techno nights, Singaporeans are also practising "healthy hedonism" a term coined by party people Wild Pearl and Yes You. 'The idea flips nightlife on its head at daytime parties like Immersion, where freezing cold plunges are followed by sizzling dance floors, and where people shirk the booze for kombucha.' 12. Taipei, Taiwan Taipei (12th) has 'something for everyone, whether its a low-alcohol cocktail or a craft beer' '[Taipei] is a city where balance is key, from high-energy parties at Final and Studio 9 to relaxed vibes at Fake Sober Taipei,' says Time Out. The guide adds: 'Theres something for everyone, whether its a low-alcohol cocktail or a craft beer, but the locals know the most important thing is to cap off the night by lining your stomach at one of the citys many late-night hotpot restaurants, open until 2.30am.' 11. Buenos Aires, Argentina Buenos Aires (11th) has a nightlife where boundaries are pushed, says Time Out In Buenos Aires, it's fiestas with a 'relaxed, inclusive and strong familial vibe' that have 'taken over' the city's nightlife scene in recent years, according to the Time Out team. They say: 'Most have a specific theme, and some are really pushing boundaries like Ecstatic Dance, where both talking and wearing shoes are not permitted.' 10. Accra, Ghana In Accra (10th), the 'streets are buzzing with food vendors and music on any given night'. Above - Accra's South Village The capital of Ghana's nightlife is as 'vibrant as ever', say Time Out's experts. They add: 'On any given night, streets are buzzing with food vendors and music as well as open-air concerts, live DJ sets and art festivals.' 9. Budapest, Hungary The party keeps going all year in Budapest (9th), says Time Out 'Budapest's stunning cityscape' is a 'backdrop for DJ sets and parties' at its best summer rooftop spots, says Time Out. But it's not just about summer. The guide adds: 'In winter, cosy communal igloos will pop up to keep the party going all year round.' 8. Manchester, UK In Manchester (8th), 'clued-up clubbers' are 'rejecting mainstream venues and adopting the spirit of early rave' Time Out's experts say that 'Manchester's best clubs are equal parts inclusive and authentic'. They add: '[The city's] clued-up clubbers [are] rejecting mainstream venues and adopting the spirit of early rave in industrial estate venues like Hidden or The White Hotel.' 7. Rotterdam, Netherlands In Rotterdam (7th), 'people gather for for "biertjes" (which means, literally, "little beers")' In Rotterdam, Time Out says 'there's something happening on every corner and canal'. The guide adds: 'Come rain or sun, people gather for "biertjes" (which means, literally, "little beers").' 6. Lagos, Nigeria Lagos (6th) has seen 'familar spaces being used for fun new nightlife events' 'This summer, nightlife in Lagos has taken on a theme with events that celebrate the citys rich history alongside nights that look to the future, with familiar venues like Freedom Park and The House hosting fun new nightlife events like salsa nights and networking,' says Time Out. The guide notes that Lagos earned an 80 per cent quality score for its nightlife scene, and that its not too expensive to locals either, scoring 48 per cent for affordability. 5. Austin, USA Austin (5th) topped the rankings of all US cities surveyed. Above - The Volstead Lounge patio Time Out reveals that Texass state capital 'aka the Live Music Capital of the World' topped the rankings of all US cities surveyed. The guide continues: 'In a city where summer can last six months, Austinites are looking for a different kind of "cool", with many heading to Barton Springs a huge, vibrant, freshwater pool for a relaxed Friday-night party.' Barton Springs 'doubles as Austin's sexiest dating pool', according to Time Out. 4. Guadalajara, Mexico Nightlife in Guadalajara (4th) was rated the highest for quality out of every city on the list Time Out says: 'As the capital of a region that gave the world mariachi music and tequila, Guadalajara is a guaranteed good time and locals agree. 'Nightlife in Guadalajara was rated the highest for quality out of every city on this list, with locals giving it a top score of 92 per cent.' Guadalajara's nightlife is centred around the buzzing 'Expiatorio' neighbourhood, according to Time Out, which adds: 'Known affectionately as Tori, Expiatorio is a relaxed neighbourhood with impromptu salsa dances in the square, loads of quirky bars and local food stalls for a late-night refuel.' 3. Berlin, Germany Berlin (3rd) ranked highest of all European cities surveyed Time Out says: 'With its legendary club scene, techno parties and true 24-hour-city status, itll come as a shock to no-one that Berlin ranked highest of all European cities surveyed.' The guide continued: 'While some of the citys nightlife institutions may have shut down, partygoers are taking things outside with the return of word-of-mouth outdoor raves and, in summer, a weekly beach party on the shores of Plotzensee.' 2. Manila, Philippines Above is Uma Nota restaurant in Manila (2nd), which transforms into a 'vibrant bar' Manila was 'dubbed by locals' as the 'most affordable city on the list', according to Time Out. The guide says: 'Visitors can find a twist on a classic cocktail menu at speakeasy Cheshire with 52 unique drinks presented on a menu printed on a deck of cards.' And the newly opened Uma Nota restaurant transforms 'into a vibrant bar complete with live dancers as the night progresses'. 1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Nightlife in Brazils 'raucous seaside city' Rio (1st) was given a 90 per cent quality score The winning city, Rio de Janeiro, was 'hardly going to miss out on the number one spot' as it's home to Carnaval, 'the world's biggest party', says Time Out. The nightlife experts also highlight the city's 'up-and-coming gastronomic hotspots like Alba and Vian Cocktail Bar [which] become dancefloors at the weekend, taking over from the traditional "nightclub"'. Nightlife in Brazils 'raucous seaside city' was given a 90 per cent quality score. For more visit www.timeout.com/travel/worlds-best-cities-for-nightlife. Hundreds of thousands of Year 13 students received their results on Thursday, and among them were Amanda Holden's and Peter Jones' children. The Class of 2024 was hailed as the smartest cohort in UK history and Amanda, 53, was thrilled with her daughter Lexi's results day. Taking to her Instagram Story, Heart Breakfast presenter Amanda shared a photo of an emotional Lexi in front of a cake that read 'Lexi congratulations' and 'OMG I did it!'. In a second snap, Amanda, who is on holiday with Lexi in Corfu, wrote: 'Congratulations to our @lexi.hughes__ we couldn't be prouder. All the grades and 1st choice uni what a bl**dy relief.' Meanwhile, on his Instagram feed, Peter, 58, shared photos of himself, his wife Tara, and their daughter Lula posing in a doorway. Hundreds of thousands of Year 13 students received their results on Thursday, and among them were Amanda Holden's and Peter Jones' children (pictured: Amanda's daughter Lexi) Lexi Hughes, 18, was one of the students amid what may have been the smartest cohort in UK history She was joined by Peter's daughter Lula Jones, one of the three daughters he shares with second wife Tara Capp (pictured with Peter and Tara) In the caption, he wrote: 'Incredibly proud of you @lulajones_ on your amazing A-Levels results. 'Both @tara_capp and I are beyond proud of you, especially how hard you worked to achieve such amazing grades. 'Well done and congratulations, the world is waiting to see what you do next so heres to you making your dreams reality. We love you so so much. Xxx #makeyoursreamsreality #proud # alevels.' The Repair Shop's Jay Blades MBE, 54, also paid tribute to his child, taking to Twitter, formerly X, to praise his daughter. He wrote: 'Good morning all. Please join me in Congratulating My Beautiful Daughter, on passing her 4 A-levels with Flying Colours.' Also on X, Comedian Rob Deering, 52, wrote: 'Mdaughter didnt just do well in her A-levels; she smashed them into the sun. What a woman. We are as proud as can be. Lexi's success comes after she battled a life-threatening illness while sitting her A-levels. The student, who is signed to Storm Models, was admitted to hospital with life-threatening E. coli amid the latest outbreak. Peter, who has children Annabel and William with his first wife Caroline Jones, bringing his total to five, spoke of his and Tara's immense pride of Lula The Repair Shop's Jay Blades MBE, 54, also paid tribute to his child, taking to Twitter, formerly X, to praise his daughter Also on X, Comedian Rob Deering, 52, told followers 'Mdaughter' smashed her A-levels 'into the sun' Lexi was on a ward for five days with her mother and her father Chris at her bedside. While discussing the warning signs to look out for amid the latest outbreak, Amanda revealed to The Sun in July that her daughter Lexi had been suffering from bloating and stomach cramps. She said: 'For about three weeks, Lexi had been complaining of bloating and stomach cramps. She was not happy at all and in quite a lot of pain with her tummy. 'It was around the time of revision and her A-levels, so I was just putting this down to exam stress.' However, Amanda admitted 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. They were 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. She also confessed that the antibiotics her daughter was given didn't seem to be working. Results Day comes after Lexi, who is signed to Storm Models, was admitted to hospital with life-threatening E. coli amid the latest outbreak (pictured with mother Amanda in 2023) Amanda claimed her doctor called her saying 'I don't want to alarm you' before telling her Lexi's bloods were 'through the roof' and she was in danger of 'contracting sepsis'. The Britain's Got Talent judge recalled how terrified she was to hear the word 'sepsis'. She revealed that Lexi's was the 113th case of E. coli in the country in just two weeks - and that the doctor had warned them that this was just the tip of the iceberg. Lexi, thankfully, made a full recovery. Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story (BBC1) Rating: North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un uses lookalikes as decoys to foil assassins. Russian president Vladimir Putin reputedly has a squad of them. And now Piers Morgan too has his own body double. Robert Glenister mimicked the abrasive presenters gestures and voice with uncanny accuracy, in the true crime drama Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story. Using an exact transcript from Good Morning Britain, he slumped in a pose that conveyed both boredom and irritation, beside Louise Delamere as co-host Susannah Reid. The scene supplied a neat device to explain this story, as Piers and Susannah summed up why Chloe (played here by Nadia Parkes) was on the show. In Milan for a photoshoot in 2017, she was seized by masked men, who drugged her before she was held for ransom at a farmhouse in the Italian mountains. A sceptical Piers accused her of lying to the police and demanded why, if she was being held hostage, one of her captors took her shopping in a nearby village. Chloe Ayling's (pictured: Nadia Parkes playing Chloe) horrific story has been retold in a new TV series, Kidnapped The six-part drama follows terrifying kidnap, her bravery in captivity and the court case that put her kidnappers behind bars (pictured: Nadia Parkes as Chloe) Social media was frantic with accusations that the story was a set-up, staged for publicity (pictured Chloe on Celebrity Big Brother) In a prime illustration of how TV is obsessed with celebrity and itself, the real Chloe turned up with actress Nadia on the sofa again yesterday, to be interviewed for This Morning by Rylan and Josie Gibson. Piers was not alone in doubting Chloes kidnap claims. Social media was frantic with accusations that the story was a set-up, staged for publicity. The chief charges against her were that she didnt seem upset enough, that she hadnt tried to escape or scream for help on the shopping trip, and that it all sounded completely improbable. This six-part drama, which opened with the first pair of half-hour episodes, takes Chloes story at face value but invites viewers to supply their own explanations for what was really going on. Though she was seized by at least two men, we only see one, known by his initials M.D. He tells her she has been abducted by a people trafficking gang who will auction her as a slave via the Dark Web, unless she can buy her freedom. The Chloe Ayling story aired on Wednesday on BBC Three at 9pm Lukasz Herba (pictured, on trial) is still behind bars after being sentenced to 16 years in 2018 but this too was later cut by five years, and he is expected to be released early next year But as he begs her for sex, and tries to win her trust by bringing her food and letting her sleep in his bed, she doesnt know whether hes a lonely fantasist or a pawn in an organised crime gang and her only hope of survival. Nadia Parkes puts in a terrific performance, glammed up for the TV cameras but groggy, dishevelled and confused as a hostage. Writer Georgia Lester draws parallels between Chloes life in captivity and her role in the fashion industry. Wherever she goes, shes seen as an object for sale and exploitation. In one flashback, Adrian Edmondson, as her sweaty agent, runs a tape measure around her thighs, before scolding her for eating doughnuts and spring rolls. Whatever the truth of Chloes ordeal, young women like her are given little protection in a predatory world. Glamour is a greedy business. A comedian has revealed the one celebrity who hated being the butt of the joke during their appearance on Channel Ten's Have You Been Paying Attention? Sam Pang, who is hosting the 2024 Logie Awards this weekend, explained that some of the panellist's jokes didn't sit well with one particular star a few years ago. The 50-year-old claimed famed fashion designer Alex Perry does not have a sense of humour when he was brutally mocked during his show appearance. Alex, 61, appeared on the high-rating comedy quiz back in 2015 when Sam was starring alongside co-panellist Kate Langbroek. Perry, who is frequently photographed wearing his sunglasses on the top of his shaved head, appeared on Have You Been Paying Attention? as a 'guest quizmaster' while he was a judge on Australia's Top Model. 'Alex Perry came on the show... and to me that was memorable because I dont think he had a really good time,' Sam admitted in an interview with News.com.au on Friday. Sam said things with Perry went pear-shaped after Kate made a crack about the designer's trademark 'look'. 'I think Kate Langbroek, not to throw her under the bus because it was hilarious, but I think she may have got him off-side early when she said, ''Hey, Alex, if youre looking for your glasses, theyre on top of your head''.' Sam Pang has revealed the one celebrity who hated being mocked while appearing on 10's comedy quiz Have You Been Paying Attention? Pictured: Sam Pang 'That was her opening gambit! Yeah, I dont know if he had a good time,' he said. Have You Been Paying Attention? format centres on a panel of comedians being tested on their knowledge of the news of the week. Sam has been a regular on the hit show since it debuted in 2012. Past guest quiz masters have included hitmakers Hanson and Gold Logie nominee Robert Irwin. It comes after fans credited Sam's hosting of the Logies last years as the secret for the show's success. The beloved comedian told News.com that fashion designer Alex Perry (pictured) did not 'enjoy' his time appearing on HYBPA? in 2015 Sam's blistering series of gags at the expense of television's biggest stars and biggest stars was a major highlight. The courageous host took a aim at everything from gross reality TV to the scandalous private lives of celebrities. Sam's opening monologue included a dig at Married at First Sight, saying the controversial reality show is 'a clear sign we'll not make it a species'. But he saved a particularly sharp crack for Karl Stefanovic and his infamous Noosa brawl involving cricket great Michael Clarke. 'Karl Stefanovic said yes, as long as the show was held in a park in Noosa,' Sam quipped after joking that the television host was offered a chance to host the Logies. Fans credited Sam's hosting as the secret for the show's success last year, with many tuning in to the Logies for the first time just to see him. Pictured: Karl Stefanovic reacts to a sharp Sam Pang crack during the 2023 Logie Awards Sam said Perry was put 'off side' by co-host Kate Langbroek (pictured, front row centre) when she joked about the fashionista's habit of wearing his glasses on his head 'Can't we have just 3 hours of Sam Pang ripping the Australian TV industry to sheds,' one fan tweeted in praise of Sam. Others were quick to agree, with one viewer tweeting: 'Can we have Sam Pang host every single TV Week Logies Awards from now on?' 'Never ever watch the Logies,' tweeted another, before adding: 'But Sam Pang is crushing it and Channel Seven are unable to do anything about it. Go Sam Pang.' Another viewer agreed: 'The only reason I'm watching the Logies is Sam Pang. Honestly the funniest man on Australian television right now.' David Arquette has revealed the role he played that he 'wasn't right' for, to the point that the job turned into a 'disaster.' The 52-year-old is beloved by horror fans as the bumbling cop Dewey Riley in the Scream franchise, which he has been part of since its first instalment in 1996. However not all his career moves have brought him such a warm response - and one in particular carries sour memories for him to this day. 'I mean, I've played roles too, that I was really sort of, it wasn't the right role for me to play,' said David, the ex-husband of Friends star Courteney Cox. Now he has revealed which job caused him to have such a 'painful, painful experience,' in a new interview with TooFab. David Arquette has revealed the role he played that he 'wasn't right' for, to the point that the job turned into a 'disaster'; pictured last month in New York 'Sherlock Holmes! I played Sherlock Holmes once and it was just a disaster,' said David, who portrayed the fictional detective onstage in 2015. David stepped into director Andrew Shaver's production of the 2013 comic play Sherlock Holmes by the late playwright and magician Greg Kramer. His castmates included Big Time Rush star James Maslow as Dr. Watson, with The Secret Like Of The American Teenager actress Renee Olstead as Lady Irene St. John. The show originally opened in 2013 with This Is The End actor Jay Baruchel playing a goofy, reimagined version of Arthur Conan Doyle's character. Two years later, David took on the role and toured the United States and Canada, earning a dismissive response from critics on both sides of the border. 'Arquettes idea of how to be British is like your middle-aged uncle flouncing around in low-camp fashion after a few too many Cosmopolitans,' sneered the Toronto Star. 'Arquette is a real actor, but this is not his role and you feel like he knows it all too well,' opined the Chicago Tribune, describing the show as 'a total disaster.' Looking back on the professional mishap now, David reflected: 'I learned a lot from It, but it was a painful, painful experience.' While promoting his run as Sherlock Holmes in 2015, he confessed that he might initially appear to be 'an odd choice' for the part. ' Sherlock Holmes! I played Sherlock Holmes once and it was just a disaster,' said David, who portrayed the fictional detective onstage in 2015 (pictured) His castmates included Big Time Rush star James Maslow as Dr. Watson (right), with The Secret Like Of The American Teenager actress Renee Olstead as Lady Irene St. John (left) Two years later, David took on the role and toured the United States and Canada, earning a dismissive response from critics on both sides of the border The 52-year-old is beloved by horror fans as the bumbling cop Dewey Riley in the Scream franchise , which he has been part of since 1996; pictured in Scream 4 in 2011 David is pictured on Tuesday attending the Los Angeles premiere of his new movie The Good Half, which stars him alongside Nick Jonas However he noted that the play's version of the detective was an 'oddball' and 'probably a little lighter than a lot of people play.' David explained: 'He laughs a lot, he finds humor in things. He's still the eccentric sort of wild thinker, very quick-minded, but he's not quite as smart, perhaps, as some of the other Sherlocks,' via the CBC. 'He's not the smartest man in the room, necessarily, but in the play he's the smartest of all the dumb guys, is what I like to say.' Meanwhile David, who has dyslexia, also confessed that he 'thought I was losing my mind' just before previews because of all the lines he had to memorize. 'I was like: "This is too hard, I don't think I can deal with it. It's so much dialogue." It's like two hours of dialogue, so it's a lot,' he said. 'But once we got into a groove, then it really started working, and when you get comfortable with it, then you can have fun with it.' Married At First Sight bride Lauren Dunn has revealed she was the victim of revenge porn when her ex-boyfriend leaked a topless photo of her in Perth 'years ago'. The PR maven, 33, shared several videos to Instagram on Thursday and said 'trolls' are now trying to blackmail her for money by threatening to spread the nude further. However, Lauren said she wouldn't have sent the topless photo to her former partner if she didn't think it would be seen, and decided to post it to her own Instagram. 'Got a little story for you guys. So about 10 years ago my ex at the time... leaked a topless photo that I sent him,' Lauren explained to her followers. 'Everyone ended up getting it. Like, everyone. It was everywhere, but it wasn't a big deal. We've all got tits and nipples, so whatever.' Despite being blase about the leaked nude, Lauren said she was bringing it to light because she has recently received messages from people who have the image. One text message she shared to her Stories read: 'Hey, I got a couple photos of your boobs, Lauren.' When the reality TV star responded with, 'What. Wtf?' they revealed: 'When ya [sic] ex leaked your nudes in Perth years and years ago.' Married At First Sight bride Lauren Dunn, 33, (pictured) has revealed she was the victim of revenge porn when her ex-boyfriend leaked a topless photo of her in Perth 'years ago' Lauren then told her followers: 'I've even had random troll accounts try to blackmail me with them, but it's like, I'll post it. I look good. I'll post my own nude.' The blonde beauty then made good on her own promise as she proceeded to share an image of her topless photo with a black bar censor across her nipples. In the picture, Lauren, who shot to fame on MAFS this year, flaunted her incredible figure as she posed for a bathroom mirror selfie in just her white underwear. The PR maven shared several videos to Instagram on Thursday and said 'trolls' are now trying to blackmail her for money by threatening to spread the nude further However, Lauren said she wouldn't have sent the topless photo to her former partner if she didn't think it would be seen, and decided to post it to her own Instagram 'If you didn't have the photo like everyone else in Australia, now you've got it. Obviously I can't post nipples on Instagram, but use your imagination,' Lauren said. Lauren then took on a more serious tone and warned her followers against leaking someone's nudes because it can be considered a criminal offence in Australia. She then followed it up with yet another video telling her fans to be proud of their bodies and to not let anyone blackmail them. 'If you've got a great set of knockers, get them out, put them on the internet, let the world see,' she joked. Kevin Spacey is 'refusing to leave' his $5.6million Baltimore home weeks after it was sold at a discount at a foreclosure auction, the new owner alleges. The actor, 65, previously said that he was forced to offload the waterfront mansion to help cover the 'millions of dollars' in legal fees he owes after his 2023 sexual assault trial. In late July, the 9,000-square-foot estate was sold at auction for $3.24 million to Maryland real estate investor Sam Asgari, who purchased it anonymously. And now Asgari has come forward to claim that Spacey is refusing to vacate the property and asking to remain in it rent-free for another six months. An attorney for Spacey denied Asgari's allegations to the Baltimore Banner on Wednesday. DailyMail.com has reached out to reps for Spacey for further comment. Kevin Spacey is 'refusing to leave' his $5.6million Baltimore home weeks after it was sold at a discount at a foreclosure auction, the new owner alleges; seen in March In late July, the 9,000-square-foot estate was sold at auction for $3.24 million to Maryland real estate investor Sam Asgari, who purchased it anonymously 'Right now, he's refusing to leave,' Asgari claimed to The Baltimore Banner this week. 'He's asking for six months to leave the property without paying anything.' Asgari said he's been unable to take possession of the home since he bought it at auction three weeks ago. He also claimed that he's been forced to negotiate with Spacey's attorneys in the hopes of convincing the actor to leave. However, Spacey's lawyer, Edward U. Lee III, denied Asgari's claim. 'The accusation by Mr. Asgari is false,' he wrote in a brief statement to the outlet Wednesday. Foreclosure auctions require court approval before the winning bidder can settle on the property, as explained by The Baltimore Banner, which is typically a weeks-long process. Once the sale is ratified, the home buyer could pursue a forced eviction with assistance from the Sheriff. More typically, the previous owner will voluntarily vacate the sold property. News of the sale of Spacey's Baltimore mansion was reported on July 25. At the time, all that was known was that it had been purchased for $3.24 million to an anonymous buyer. 'It is an iconic property in Baltimore,' Compass Realtor Sam Sheibani told the Baltimore Sun of the sale. '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. No images were available of the property at the auction, which was sold in 'as is' condition. Asgari has come forward to claim that Spacey is refusing to vacate the property and asking to remain in it rent-free for another six months 'Right now, he's refusing to leave,' Asgari told The Baltimore Banner on Wednesday. 'He's asking for six months to leave the property without paying anything'; Spacey seen in 2023 Asgari said he's been unable to take possession of the home since he bought it at auction three weeks ago 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. 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. He also claimed that he's been forced to negotiate with Spacey's attorneys in the hopes of convincing the actor to leave However, Spacey's lawyer, Edward U. Lee III, denied Asgari's claim. 'The accusation by Mr. Asgari is false,' he wrote in a brief statement to the outlet Wednesday When recently asked by Piers 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. In June, Spacey 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. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Spacey had put his central London penthouse flat on the market for 3 million. The magnificent duplex, close to Waterloo station and his one-time base at the Old Vic theatre, has sweeping views of London and had been his home for 20 years. The former Oscar winner is thought to have lived in the apartment during the period that brought about his legal troubles - as a number of men came forward to claim he had assaulted them. It's understood that Spacey has already vacated the penthouse but his long term plans are not clear. The actor, 65, previously said that he was forced to offload the waterfront mansion to help cover the 'millions of dollars' in legal fees he owes after his 2023 sexual assault trial; seen on Piers Morgan Earlier this month, it was revealed that Spacey (seen in Netflix's House Of Cards) had put his central London penthouse flat on the market for 3 million A source told MailOnline: 'The Waterloo duplex was Spacey's pride and joy during the high period of his life. 'He came to London when he was riding high having won his Best Actor Oscar for American Beauty in 2000. 'He wanted to emulate the great English actors like Olivier and Gielgud and he thought that being artistic director at the Old Vic, a theatre closely associated with them, would achieve this. 'And he held that title for over ten years when any door would open to him - but at the same time there was also this feeling that he could have whatever he wanted sexually too. And that ended up ruining him. 'This apartment is where it all happened - and where it all went wrong.' The source added: 'Kevin has been listed as living there since at least 2004 but it's unclear if he ever even owned it - he may have just been renting. 'He is after all very guarded about his financial affairs. But the fact that he has moved out and its on the market speaks volumes about his situation. Kim Kardashian showed off her sleek style on Thursday as she stepped out in New York City. The 43-year-old billionaire who was seen out with daughter North West, 11, on Wednesday wore a snug-fitting beige dress. The long-sleeved, turtleneck number cropped below her knees and she added matching pointy-toe heels that doubled as tights. The reality television personality wore her dark locks styled by go-to hair maven Chris Appleton in a center part and loose, sultry curls. The multihyphenate was en route to do prison reform work at the Department of Justice, followed by a stop at her SKIMS store. Kim Kardashian showed off her sleek style on Thursday as she stepped out in New York City The 43-year-old billionaire wore a snug-fitting beige dress Kardashian looked typically stunning in a full face of meticulously applied makeup. She signed autographs for fans who were excited to get a glimpse of the global superstar. Taking to Instagram on Thursday afternoon, the mother-of-four shared bits of her day with her 361 million followers. Part of her content included video footage of artwork from the formerly incarcerated. It included remarkable drawings and photographs hung throughout the Department of Justice offices. Continuing her busy day, she recorded a crowd outside of her SKIMS store in Georgetown. 'Now checking out my first ever SKIMS store in Georgetown,' she wrote along the bottom of a clip showing shoppers admiring her presence at the location. 'You guys, if you're in Georgetown, you have to check out the SKIMS store,' she gushed as she panned mannequins clad in her undergarments. The long-sleeved, turtleneck number cropped below her knees and she added matching pointy-toe heels that doubled as tights. She slung a furry yellow ERL purse over her shoulder Kardashian flaunted her signature curves in the sexy dress Across a snippet of her swarmed by supporters, she reflected on her status as a successful clothing brand founder. 'Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would go from having my first job working at a clothing store to having my own one day, filled with my own clothes!' she wrote. The mogul added, 'I'm forever grateful to everyone that made my dreams come true @skims,' she finished. This week Kim also launched a new collaboration with Beats and Jimmy Fallon, releasing a set of three nude-toned headphones designed by her. A very ill-timed article about Andy El Bayeh and Harriet Williams' marital home has been released by Vogue Australia on the very day news broke that the 'it' couple had allegedly split. The popular Eastern Suburbs couple tied the knot in a fairytale $1million wedding in March 2022 after four years together, but on Thursday were reported to have broken up. That very same day, the fashion and lifestyle magazine unfortunately released a pre-written house tour interview with the pair. The publication shared intimate images from inside Andy and Harriet's marital home and published quotes from the pair gushing over the Bondi apartment they share. 'We love that we can unwind in peace or dive into the action,' Andy said in the interview, which was likely given well before his apparent split from Harriet. He went on to say that they couple worked together to 'breath life' into their coastal paradise home and hired designer Tamsin Johnson to execute their vision. 'Whether it's a laid-back lunch with friends or an intimate dinner, we wanted a space that could seamlessly transition between indoors and out,' Andy told Vogue. Harriet appeared to do little talking in the interview, with none of her quotes, if any were given, being included in the story. Andy El Bayeh (left) and Harriet Williams (right) are said to have split, with a very ill-timed article about the couple releasing to Vogue Australia on the day of the reports Vogue also included a picture which saw Andy standing some distance behind his wife as she lounged on a bizarre couch in the sunny terrace of their home. Williams spent Friday promoting the interview on her Instagram account, tagging Vogue Australia in posts linking to the construction company responsible for the build. The publicist and kinesiologist are said to have abruptly ended their six-year-long relationship earlier this month during a European holiday. Sources close to the couple confirmed the separation to the Daily Telegraph, with the reports shocking Sydney's social set. On the same day the news broke of their split, the fashion and lifestyle magazine released a pre-written house tour interview with the pair gushing over their marital home The couple had been posting very loved-up images together as recently as the start of August as they travelled around Greece and Italy. Andy last posted a photograph with Harriet just two weeks ago, when they attended their friends' Mario Kalpou and Danielle Louise's wedding in Mykonos. However, the pair have since unfollowed each other on Instagram amid reports of their very sudden break-up. Cosy photographs and gushing tributes to one another currently remain on each other's social media pages. Allison Langdon finally broke her silence on Friday after a TikTok user accused the veteran presenter of receiving special treatment on a Qantas flight to Fiji. The A Current Affair host, 45, appeared on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show when co-host Kyle Sandilands, 53, joked her hair looked unkempt in paparazzi shots. 'What you need to do is take your hair person on holidays with you. I noticed they always get you on holidays looking all non-news like,' Kyle told her. Ally responded by joking she didn't need to put the same effort into her appearance when she was on holidays instead of presenting, to which Kyle asked if she was touring the luxury 'super yachts' while away. 'No. Haven't you heard; I fly economy to Fiji!' Ally pointedly replied. Ally's hilarious comments come after a TikTok user posted a wild rant last month, accusing Qantas staff of giving Ally and her family special treatment on a flight to Fiji during the school holidays. Fellow Qantas passenger Courtney ranted: 'There was a famous person from 60 Minutes on the plane, I think her name is Allison. She didn't get a first class seat, she got an economy seat.' 'We flew Qantas. They were turning people down when they were asking for wine and that's fine. I didn't ask but I overheard a lot of people being rejected. Allison Langdon (pictured) finally broke her silence on Friday after a TikTok user accused the veteran presenter of receiving special treatment on a Qantas flight to Fiji 'But then they were offering her wine and handing it out in front of everyone else. So the people who were being declined alcohol had to sit and watch this famous lady be served alcohol when they bought the same ticket for the same price. 'The staff were treating her better than everyone else. It's just not fair. Why are these famous people getting treated better in front of you when you've both paid the same amount of money? 'If you're going to give someone special treatment just because you think they're famous, I think that's wrong. I don't understand what's going on with service these days.' The A Current Affair host, 45, joked she flies economy to Fiji, referencing a TikTok user's wild rant in which she accused Qantas staff of giving Ally and her family special treatment on a flight to Fiji during the school holidays Fellow Qantas passenger Courtney ranted: 'There was a famous person from 60 Minutes on the plane, I think her name is Allison. She didn't get a first class seat, she got an economy seat' But Courtney's account of what happened on the flight was quickly debunked. In photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Allison was pictured with her husband Michael Willesee Jr. and their children at the Qantas business class check-in before flying out for the school holidays. They were also escorted to the gate by Qantas ground staff, a service usually only provided to business or first class passengers - If she was in business class, she would have paid for any 'special treatment' she received. A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia, 'it's ridiculous to suggest Allison was given any special treatment'. Nara Smith has responded to claims she is on Ozempic after fans accused her of using the weight loss drug in her latest viral 'tradwife' video. The 22-year-old Mormon model shares three children with her husband Lucky Blue Smith, 26 - daughters Rumble, three, and Whimsy, four months, and son Slim, two. She regularly posts TikToks that play into the 'tradwife' trend, whipping up complicated meals for her family while decked out in extravagant high-glam outfits. In a new clip, she wore a skintight black dress that highlighted her astonishingly slender frame as she prepared homemade potato chips. Viewers wondered if she was on Ozempic, the diabetes medication that has become a runaway Hollywood fad to slim down - and now she has issued a reply. Nara Smith has responded to claims she is on Ozempic after fans accused her of using the weight loss drug in her latest viral 'tradwife' video 'GIRL PLEASE STOP THEM OZEMPIC. U don't need it!' wrote a commenter, to which she retorted: 'Let's stop accusing people of taking ozempic' with a heart emoji. She has been married to Lucky since 2020 and, in addition to the three children they welcomed together, she is also stepmother to his seven-year-old daughter Gravity, whom he shares with his ex Stormi Henley. Nara has never publicly called herself a 'tradwife,' but has nevertheless come in for brickbats over her content, as some viewers have slammed her for promoting an unattainable and old-fashioned lifestyle. Her TikToks show her dressed to the nines, looking straight out of a 1950s magazine, while cooking dishes like waffles, pudding and cinnamon rolls from scratch. Nara and Lucky have revealed they make their own toothpaste, and she even went viral for concocting her own homemade sunscreen. When she posted her new potato chip video to TikTok, she was deluged with comments joking that she should do a tutorial on making Ozempic from scratch. Speculation has been swirling online that Nara and Lucky secretly have a staff of helpers propping up their do-it-yourself image. Nara has denied as much, telling GQ: 'What people think online is that we have housekeepers and cleaners and nannies and all of these things, when in reality its just me and Lucky wanting a family and sharing our lives online.' In a new clip, she wore a skintight black dress that highlighted her astonishingly slender frame as she prepared homemade potato chips 'GIRL PLEASE STOP THEM OZEMPIC. U don't need it!' wrote a commenter, to which she retorted: 'Let's stop accusing people of taking ozempic' with a heart emoji When she posted her new potato chip video to TikTok, she was deluged with comments joking that she should do a tutorial on making Ozempic from scratch Nara's fans recently urged her to star in a reality show after her family shoot with her husband and fellow model Lucky Blue Smith For a new GQ spread, she and Lucky frolicked on their ranch in Texas with their daughters Rumble, three, and Whimsy, four months , and their son Slim, two She recently divulged the real reasons behind her controversial tendency to make as many of her meals from scratch as possible. 'I wasn't aware that finding joy in cooking for my husband and kids would automatically mean that I just slave away in the kitchen,' she said pointedly. '"I don't have a job, and I have a whole production team at my house making that happen." To clarify, none of that is true,' claimed the professional model. 'I'm a working mom, juggling all kinds of hats and responsibilities.' She added: 'Cooking has always been a massive part of my life, especially after I got diagnosed with lupus and my eczema started flaring up again. I knew that I had to change the way that I eat, and the way that I went about life.' Nara has also insisted that she and Lucky split up their parenting responsibilities equally and have a nanny only for a few hours each week. She also disputed the image of herself as a repressed wife, saying: 'Its not about thinking: "Oh, I need to make my husband a meal right now, or hell be upset."' Lucky described their marriage as a 'a big partnership in every aspect of our lives,' and Nara explained that although she cooks, her husband 'does cleanup. Which Im grateful for, because I hate that part.' Bristol Palin said she was leaning on her faith amid a difficult time as her eldest child Tripp Johnston has moved back to the family's native Alaska to live with his father - her former fiance Levi Johnson - and his current spouse Sunny Johnston. After Bristol, 33, who is currently based out of Austin, Texas, revealed the teenager moved in with his father, she shared a devotional from a Gospel book titled New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional on Thursday on her Instagram Stories. The post came as Levi's wife Sunny Johnston, 32, shared a shot of Tripp, 15, and Levi, 34, hunting while declaring how Tripp's move marked a 'dream' scenario for both father and son. 'Well! According to my news feed, cats out of the bag,' Sunny said. 'Yes, Tripp is living full time in our home in Alaska. We couldn't be happier he's getting to live out his dream of living with his dad! 'This has been Levi's dream as well. It's been a surreal feeling to be a complete family for longer than just school breaks like it has been for years.' Bristol Palin said she was leaning on her faith amid a difficult time as her eldest child Tripp Johnston has moved back to the family's native Alaska to live with his father - her former fiance Levi Johnson - and his current spouse Sunny Johnston Levi's wife Sunny Johnston shared a shot of Tripp, 15, and Levi, 34, hunting while declaring how Tripp's move marked a 'dream' scenario for both father and son Bristol is mother to three children: son Tripp with Johnston, and daughters Sailor Grace, eight, and Atlee Bay, seven, with ex-husband Dakota Meyer, 36. Sunny posted an image of Tripp, who is headed into 10th grade, alongside his three sisters Breeze, 13, Indy Rae, eight, and Delta Jo, five, with their respective classes on the 'first day of school.' Bristol expressed her heartbreak over her son Tripp Johnston's decision to leave her family home in an emotional Instagram post on Wednesday. She posted an image of her two daughters on the doorstep of their home to commemorate their first day of school on Wednesday, while detailing the changing dynamic in her family. The Wasilla, Alaska native posted an image of her younger two daughters in the post, with text explaining how she's dealing with the move. 'This has been the hardest first day of school yet with one of the biggest pieces of my heart missing,' Bristol said. 'Tripp has decided to finish out high school in Alaska to be closer to his dad and our entire family. 'If you know Tripp, you know he lives for hunting/fishing and I honestly cant blame him for wanting to be back home.' Bristol - the daughter of former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin - said she was doing her best to cope with the change. She said, 'As hard as it is has been to come to this decision its truly not about what I want.' Bristol shared a devotional from a Gospel book titled New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional on Thursday on her Instagram Stories Sunny posted an image of Tripp, who is headed into 10th grade, alongside his three sisters Breeze, 13, Indy Rae, eight, and Delta Jo Johnston, five, with their respective classes Levi and Sunny posed in 2020 with Tripp and their three daughters Sunny, like Bristol, works in the real estate industry Bristol cited her son growing older and the value of him spending time with his father in explaining how she's handling the family issue. 'Hes almost 16 years old and that relationship with his dad is a lot more important than my own selfish desires of having him with his mama forever!' Bristol said. Bristol said she was still highly emotional about the situation, and hoping for as seamless a transition as possible. 'I cant talk about it yet without crying,' Bristol said, 'but selfishly praying for a quick year and easy transition for us.' Bristol was thrust into the national limelight in 2008 amid her mother's vice presidential campaign alongside then Republican presidential candidate, late Arizona Sen. John McCain. She appeared at the Republican National Convention in September 2008 alongside Johnston, as her pregnancy with Tripp when she was 17 made headlines, amid her mother's swift rise to political prominence as McCain's running mate. Beyond the campaign, her relationship with Johnston remained in the public eye amid a pair of engagements before they eventually split for good. Bristol made headlines in 2009 when she signed on for a $262,500 position to serve as an abstinence ambassador for a teen pregnancy prevention organization called The Candie's Foundation. 'Abstinence is the only way you can effectively 100 percent prevent pregnancy,' Bristol said in a 2009 Good Morning America appearance. 'It's the safest choice and it will prevent teen pregnancy and a lot of heartache.' Bristol expressed her heartbreak over her son Tripp Johnston's relocation to Alaska from Texas via Instagram Stories Wednesday. Pictured in May of 2022 along with her son Tripp, 15, daughters Sailor Grace, eight, and Atlee Bay, seven, and ex-husband Dakota Meyer, 36 An emotional Bristol was pictured September of 2019 as she was baptized She posted an image of her two daughters on the doorstep of their home to commemorate their first day of school, while detailing the changing dynamic in her family Bristol in March of 2015 revealed she was engaged to Dakota Meyer, a Medal of Honor winner as a Marine. After calling off their engagement, they wed in 2016, prior to Meyer filing for divorce in 2018. She has enjoyed other brief romances since, but appears to be currently single. Bristol documented her teen pregnancy in her book Not Afraid of My Life, in which she called Levi a 'gnat' who had 'stolen her virginity' while she was drunk. She later insisted on Good Morning America that she was 'not accusing Levi of date rape or rape at all.' 'I'm looking back with adult eyes and thinking, that was a foolish decision,' she said. 'I should never have been underage drinking, and I should never have gotten myself into a situation like that.' That launched a round of court battles between the two, which started off bitterly and only got worse. In an initial affidavit, Levi asked for the hearings to be public 'as a check against anyone's need to be overly vindictive, aggressive, or malicious.' He added: 'Not that Bristol would be that way, nor would I. But her mother is powerful, politically ambitious, and has a reputation for being extremely vindictiveSo, I think a public case might go a long way in reducing Sarah Palin's instinct to attack.' In November 2013, Levi filed court documents attempting to get 50/50 custody of Tripp. At the time, he argued it was in the little boy's best interests to have his father around just as much as his mom. Bristol, who had been awarded full custody by a previous judge, claimed the custody demand was an attempt by the former oilfield worker to reduce his child support payments. Her lawyer alleged in court that Levi, who had appeared nearly naked in Playgirl after the split, owed $66,000 in back payments. Bristol posed with her daughters as they headed off for their first day of school Bristol and her then high school sweetheart Levi were thrust into the public eye after her mother Sarah Palin announced the 17-year-old was pregnant at the 2008 Republican National Convention Bristol and Levi called off their engagement in March 2009, just three months after their son, Tripp, was born on December 27, 2008 Shortly afterward, Bristol headed to court again, claiming Levi was an unfit parent, saying he had no regular visits with his firstborn and that rather than pay child support, he spent all his money on fancy cars, hunting, and extravagant trips. However, Bristol made plenty of money from her own lucrative deals. She became a spokesman for the Candie's Foundation a non-profit dedicated to preventing teen pregnancy after Tripp was born, receiving $262,000 in one year for her work, according to her tax returns. She also appeared on Dancing With the Stars, wrote a 2011 memoir, and had a reality show, Life's a Tripp, on Lifetime TV, which was canceled after one season. She also starred in Teen Mom OG in 2018. Bristol used her newfound wealth to buy her first five-bedroom home in Arizona. By 2014, she was claiming she had not earned a penny in 18 months and pushed a judge to increase Levi's child support payments to $1,750 a month. Within weeks of that filing, it was Levi's turn to increase the heat, asking a judge to find Bristol in contempt of court for taking Tripp out of Alaska without his permission. The former couple finally settled their child custody dispute over Tripp in 2016, seven years after their son was born. Levi also has three daughters Breeze Beretta, Indy Rae, and Delta Jo with his wife, Sunny Johnston, nee Oglesby, whom he married in 2012. Bristol and Levi have had an easier time co-parenting in recent years. Bristol is now pursing a career in real estate and has a clothing brand called Boyhart, which she promotes on Instagram. Jana Duggar and Stephen Wissmann said 'I do' on Thursday in Prairie Grove, Arkansas but her sister Jill - who has had a longstanding estrangement from the family - was not one of her bridesmaids alongside their other siblings. The Counting On star, 34 who moved out of her parent's home in July opened up about her big day to People, gushing over how she had 'prayed for this for years.' She and the pastor and bible study leader of the East Fairview Mennonite Church in Milford, Nebraska, 31, held their nuptials at The Grand at Willow Springs in front of 500 guests just three months after getting engaged, which she described as a 'dream come true.' 'I think it is one of those things that all girls envision someday,' she told the outlet just days before he got married. 'For me, it felt like, "Okay, it's never coming." But now it's starting to sink in. Reality is starting to set in. She told the outlet: 'And I'm like, "Wow, this truly is something that I've dreamed of." And just to see it coming about is incredible and kind of hard to believe. It's a dream come true.' Jana Duggar and Stephen Wissmann said 'I do' on Thursday in Prairie Grove, Arkansas; Jana seen in 2024 She and the business owner, 31, held their nuptials at The Grand at Willow Springs in front of 500 guests just three months after getting engaged; Stephen seen in 2024 Jana's sister, Jessa Duggar, was her maid of honor, her sister-in-law, Abbie Duggar, and sisters Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar and Jordyn Duggar were bridesmaids according to the publication. Jill, 33, who is the closest in age to the bride was notably not named as one of the bridesmaids. She modeled a modest off-the-shoulder ivory A-line dress as her father walked her down the aisle arm in arm with her father Jim Bob Duggar as Holy, Holy, Holy by Audrey Assad played. 'The dress felt classy and a bit like a princess,' she said recalling the moment. Explaining her taste for minimalistic decor she shared, 'The venue is already so gorgeous and picturesque that I didn't want to take too much from that. The guys will be in black suits, the girls in champagne-colored dresses, and then just white flowers and greener.' Because both Jana and Stephen come from big families, they wanted to ensure both sides played a part in the day they said 'I do.' 'Coming from two bigger families (Wissmann being one of 13 siblings), we love to be able to get together and celebrate moments like these. And so to have all of them there, it just means a lot,' she said. The TLC alum and the Nebraska native initially met through their families sometime in 2011. She said recalling their meeting: '[Stephen's family] would travel and sing. I remember them coming to our home, probably 13 or so years ago and they ended up getting snowed-in here, which hardly ever happens in Arkansas 'I remember just playing games late into the night, doing puzzles together until the snow melted off, and they were able to travel back home. I don't really remember Stephen that well because I'm older than him and so he was not at all on my radar,' she said. Years later, they reconnected and dated briefly before breaking things off. Then in December of 2020 they rekindled their flame after realizing they 'enjoy each other.' Because both Jana and Stephen come from big families, they wanted to ensure both sides played a part in the day they said 'I do'; Stephen and mother Gloria seen in 2021 The TLC alum and the Nebraska native initially met through their families sometime in 2011; Stephen and a family member seen in 2021 Years later, they reconnected and dated briefly before breaking things off. Then in December of 2020 they rekindled their flame after realizing they 'enjoy each other'; Jana and mother Michelle in 2024 'He's been a good friend over the years and has not pressured me in a lot of ways,' she said of her now husband,' Jana and sister Jessa seen in 2021 Jana's sister, Jessa Duggar, was her maid of honor, her sister-in-law, Abbie Duggar, and sisters Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar and Jordyn Duggar were bridesmaids; Duggar family women seen in 2023 She explained: 'I had been a slower mover on it, but just over time, his character, his coming back, still loving me no matter what. I know we have a big crazy family and still kind of putting up with a lot of things. I'm like, my goodness, there are not too many people that do that. He must really, genuinely care about me. 'It takes me a bit to open up, but I think just his continuing to be there, no matter what, through ups and downs. He's been a good friend over the years and has not pressured me in a lot of ways,' she said of her now husband. As for their plans after becoming man and wife, Jana confirmed that she will move to Nebraska to live with Stephen who finds work in the irrigation system install business. Meanwhile Jana's sister Jill has been estranged from the family for quite sometime. In Amazon Prime's four-part docuseries, entitled Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, Jill railed against her parents and accused them of 'taking advantage' of her and her siblings by tricking them into signing contracts and forcing them to be take part in the family's numerous reality shows against their will - without pay. It's been reported that the Duggars received $18 million over the course of their 21 seasons on TV, but according to Jill, it all went into her father's pocket. When asked if they ever received money for their time in the show, Jill stated: 'No. I never received any payout. 'No check, no cash, no nothing. For seven-and-a-half years of my adult life, I was never paid. We were taken advantage of.' In Amazon Prime's four-part docuseries about the family, entitled Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, Jana's sister Jill railed against her parents and accused them of 'taking advantage' of her as they have been estranged ever since She said they tricked her and her siblings into signing contracts and forced them to be take part in the family's numerous reality shows against their will - without pay During the doc, which premiered in June 2023, Jill also shared some of the extreme measures that her dad took to try to cover up brother Josh's molestation of his own sisters During the doc, which premiered in June 2023, Jill also shared some of the extreme measures that her dad took to try to cover up brother Josh's molestation of his own sisters - and recalled how she was forced to defend him on national television to prevent the family's hit reality show from being canceled. She explained that when news of Josh's alleged abuse was made public in 2015, her dad's main focus was protecting the family's squeaky-clean reputation - rather than the victims. The former reality star went on to release her own tome, called Counting The Cost, in September, and in it, she shared even more of her family's secrets, claiming her dad 'treated her worse' than he 'treated her pedophile brother.' She spoke about her dad's reaction to the book to the Today show days after it came out. 'My dad texted the entire family group text [since were still in the group thread] and he was just saying, "This is so sad,"' she revealed. 'He basically threatening that if anybody speaks out against him or my mom that they would be cut out of the inheritance.' When asked about their relationship at the time, she described it as 'complicated.' 'We just had to draw some pretty strict boundaries and just put things in a healthier place,' she explained. 'There just hasnt been a whole lot of change. And again, we don't expect people to change. 'So while I love my parents and I respect them and honor them, I just have to prioritize our family unit and do what's best and healthy for Derek and I and our kids.' She also recalled how she was forced to defend him on national television (seen) to prevent the family's hit reality show from being canceled The former reality star went on to release her own tome, called Counting The Cost, in September, and in it, she shared even more of her family's secrets Back in January, she and her husband, Derick, 35, admitted that they couldn't remember the 'last time' they had seen Jim Bob - and that it was at least a year prior At the time, she said she would see her mother while 'celebrating birthdays and some holidays,' but as for her father, she said she did not have any 'individual contact with him.' 'My relationship with my dad got pretty toxic to the point where we had to cut off individual contact with him,' she shared. 'It got to the point where Derick was there to step in and kind of say, "Hey, don't reach out to my wife individually or else I'll have to file a protective order," just because it was so hard for me to handle.' At the time, she said she 'hoped for a reconciliation' but said there needed to be 'change' first. 'We do love our family ultimately, and I would love for my kids to have their grandparents involved more in their lives, but we also want to make sure that its a healthy relationship,' she stated. In January during an appearance on The Unplanned Podcast, Jill confirmed that she had seen Michelle recently, but when she was asked about the last time she saw her dad, she couldn't even remember. Derick said he thought it was when their son, Freddy, was born in July 2022, to which Jill added, 'Was it that? Or was it a wedding? I can't remember.' 'It was a birthday thing or baby announcement. Some kind of family function,' she decided, to which Derick interjected, 'That was over a year ago.' Katie Price has sparked speculation she is engaged to boyfriend JJ Slater following a six-month whirlwind romance - on what would be her ninth engagement. The former glamour model, 46, showed off her huge diamond ring as she recovered from her sixth facelift in Turkey. Katie, who had surgical tape and wounds on her face following the major surgery, put on a loved-up display with JJ as they enjoyed lunch together. The television personality flashed a huge diamond ring which was set on a gold band. However, a representative for the star has insisted she is not engaged when contacted by MailOnline. Katie Price has sparked speculation engaged to boyfriend JJ Slater following a six month whirlwind romance, on what would be her ninth engagement The former glamour model, 46, showed off a huge diamond ring as she recovered from her sixth facelift in Turkey Katie put on a loved-up display with JJ as they enjoyed lunch together Katie has previously been engaged eight times and has three ex husbands - Peter Andre, Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler. The television personality flashed a huge diamond ring which was set on a gold band She has been engaged to previous partners Warren Furman (1996), Scott Sullivan (2004), Leandro Penna (2012), Kris Boyson (2018) and Carl Woods (2021). Katie looked happier than ever as she dined with JJ, with the couple joined by Katie's son Harvey, 22. Showcasing her tattooed frame in a pink bandeau top and matching mini skirt, Katie oozed confidence as she strolled around the eatery with JJ. The TV personality added a pair of black boots to her look, while she scraped her raven tresses into an up 'do to further highlight her surgical bandages. Katie recently jetted off to Turkey to go under the knife for her sixth facelift despite a warrant being out for her arrest as part of her 760,000 bankruptcy case. The mother-of-five underwent several tweakments to her face, including a brow lift, neck lift, lip lift and correction to her 'pixie ears'. The couple looked chilled and relaxed, with Katie taking every opportunity to show off her ring on her left hand as she sipped drinks with JJ. It comes only a few weeks after Katie dropped a huge hint she is engaged to JJ, 31, who found fame on Married At First Sight. Katie shared a reel to her Instagram featuring the character of Tiny from the classic kids' TV series Tots TV that was initially posted by her podcast account. The couple looked as loved up as ever as they dined together at the restaurant Katie looked happier than ever as she dined with her love JJ She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she walked hand in hand with the reality star The couple were joined by Katie's son Harvey, 22 Showcasing her tattooed frame in a pink bandeau top and matching mini skirt, Katie oozed confidence as she strolled around the eatery with JJ The TV personality added a pair of black boots to her look, while she scraped her raven tresses into an up 'do to further highlight her surgical bandages Katie recently gushed that she's delighted with her 'natural face' after undergoing her sixth face lift The media personality recently jetted off to Turkey to go under the knife despite a warrant being out for her arrest as part of her 760,000 bankruptcy case The couple looked chilled and relaxed, with Katie taking every opportunity to show off her ring on her left had as she sipped drinks with JJ Back in April, the couple had once again sparked speculation they were engaged following a romantic trip to a cosy cabin Back in June, friends of Katie revealed that she's ready to get serious about her future family plans Earlier this month, Katie flew to Turkey for her sixth facelift, costing 10,000 In the clip, the green-haired puppet said: 'I'll just have one more go, all right?' Over the top of the clip from the 1990s show, a caption read: 'When someone proposes to Katie Price'. Back in April, the couple had once again sparked speculation they were engaged following a romantic trip to a cosy cabin. Katie shared a snap of a neon sign from Secret Cabins in West Sussex where they are staying as she showed off the interiors. The image was of a light up sign that read 'Will you marry me?' and it was posted to her Instagram Story. In June, friends of Katie revealed that she's ready to get serious about her future family plans. A friend told The Sun: 'She's happy and she has always said she wants even more children so that's what she aiming for.' 'She knows she doesn't have much time if she wants to try,' the insider added. 'Katie has always fallen pregnant quite easily in the past, but now she is older, she worries it might not happen as quickly so she doesn't want to wait until it's too late. 'Katie knows some people will think it's too soon with JJ but she doesn't care what other people think - she's confident in their relationship and thinks he'd be a great dad.' The Page 3 legend has five children: oldest son Harvey, 22, whose dad is Dwight Yorke, and Junior, 19, and Princess, 17, with her first husband Peter. Katie has previously been engaged eight times and has three ex-husbands: Peter Andre (seen in 2006), Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler She was also married to Alex Reid from 20102012 (seen together in August 2009) Seen with another ex-husband, exotic dancer Kieran Hayler, in 2015 Prior to her romance with JJ, Katie was engaged to Carl Woods (pictured together in October 2022) The Page 3 legend has five children: oldest son Harvey, 22, whose dad is Dwight Yorke, and Junior, 19, and Princess, 17, with her first husband Peter. She also has Jett, ten, and nine-year-old Bunny, with ex-husband Kieran She also has Jett, ten, and nine-year-old Bunny, with ex-husband Kieran. Katie recently revealed she is set to have another baby - and has chosen a spem donor over JJ. Writing in her new book This Is Me, Katie told how she has an American fertility clinic on speed dial and has already chosen the man whose sperm she will use. In an extract seen by The Mirror, Katie wrote: 'I am going to have another baby. There is a clinic that currently has some donor eggs and sperm ready and is waiting for me to come in and have them implanted.' 'I went through a list of suitable donors and I have chosen sperm from a man who is mixed race from America. 'Although I potentially have one egg that would be viable, I have chosen to have a donor egg too.' It appears Katie's plans with the American donor were already underway before she began dating Married At First Sight star JJ in February. The reality star also discussed her growing romance with JJ in the book, admitting she fancied him from the moment they met. She wrote: 'He wasn't the normal, beggy type man who would say: "I want to see you again, I want to f*** you." That is a real ICK for me. He wasn't anything like that.' Luis 'Louie' Ruelas' ex-fiancee, Vanessa Reiser was arrested for DUI amid restraining order case that caused stress and anxiety for Teresa Giudice, DailyMail.com can reveal. Reiser was central to a major storyline on this season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. During the episode that aired on July 21, Giudice invited her close castmates to her house to share what she had learned about her rival, Margaret Josephs. Joined by her attorney James Leonard, Giudiuce, 52, informed the ladies that Josephs, 57, was allegedly behind Reiser's restraining order case and had been 'talking to Louie's ex the whole time.' In October 2023, around the date the episode was filmed, it was reported that Ruelas scored a legal victory in court after Reiser, 51, was denied her application for a permanent restraining order. In new documents obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, it was revealed that a month before a judge dismissed her complaint, she was arrested for a DUI. Luis 'Louie' Ruelas' ex-fiancee, Vanessa Reiser, has become a major storyline this season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey as Teresa Giudice was forced to keep a secret from her castmates until her husband's legal battle was over In new documents obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, it was revealed Luis' ex Vanessa Reiser was arrested for a DUI On September 22, 2023, the licensed therapist was caught drunk driving during a Monmouth County DWI Strike Force Checkpoint in New Jersey around 10:35pm. According to the police report, the officer reported that he 'immediately detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage' from the passenger in a Jeep, who happened to be Reiser. The officer also observed that her eyes were 'bloodshot and watery and she had droopy eyelids.' Reiser informed the officer that she was coming from a friends' house in Red Bank and that she had only consumed 'two drinks,' according to the report. After 'mumbling' while reciting the alphabet, as instructed by the cop, she was asked to exit her vehicle and take a Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test, a walk and turn test which she opted to remove her heels for and the one-leg stand test. After missing 'heel to toe on all steps' and not being able to stand on one leg, the cop stopped testing 'for her safety' and placed her in handcuffs. In the cop car, the police still smelled the 'strong odor of an alcoholic beverage' as he transferred Reiser to be processed at the Middletown Police Department. She demanded to speak to her attorney as she refused to take the Alcotest, also known as a breathalyzer test. During the episode that aired on July 21, Giudice invited her close castmates to her house to share what she had learned about her rival, Margaret Josephs; seen in February A mugshot, that is not available to the public, was taken, and she was released soon after. She was ultimately charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence, reckless driving, refusing to consent to take samples of breath and failure to possess a driver's insurance card (as hers was expired at the time). Reiser had a court date scheduled shortly after in October 2023, in which DailyMail.com has learned that she entered a not guilty plea. She also had a court hearing on August 8, 2024, but it has been pushed back to next month, which is when discovery for the case will be due. Reiser's attorney released a statement when contacted by DailyMail.com, saying: 'Vanessa refused to take a breath test as the checkpoint was set up in an unconstitutional manner which gave the police no probable cause and was in violation of her 4th Amendment rights. No tests were done to demonstrate conclusively she was under the influence of anything and no alcohol was found in her blood. It was Red Banks first checkpoint in 10 years and they were stopping every car and not complying with the law. 'While we understand the need for these checkpoints, they must be conducted according the constitutional parameters. This matter against Vanessa and many others will be dismissed at the next or a follow up court date.' During the episode of RHONJ in which Giudice, her attorney and her friends met to discuss what's been going on behind the scenes, the Housewives OG pointed out that her husband has been in court with his ex for the past three years. 'Recently, she filed a restraining order, claiming Luis has been harassing her,' she recounted to her castmates. 'So basically, she's been trying to ruin his reputation,' she continued. 'You don't do that. You don't put lies out there about someone and try to hurt them in any way.' During the episode of RHONJ, Giudice, her attorney and her friends met to discuss what's been going on behind the scenes Giudice also confessed that it was 'really stressful' dealing with the legal drama. Meanwhile, her pal, Dolores Catania, said that Giudice was a 'mess' and has 'anxiety beyond anxiety.' Danielle Cabral even took notice of the mom-of-four's weight loss and claimed her stress is causing her to be '90 pounds soaking wet.' Cabral said: 'Teresa is distraught. Teresa is like a shell of the person she was last year because, in the house, there's not a lot of calm. There's not a lot of stability.' The reason why Giudice hates Josephs so much, she revealed, is because of her connection with Ruelas' ex. It was also revealed on the show that Ruelas' lawyer previously subpoenaed Josephs to court in November 2021. The subpoena, exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com, was sent on November 12, and the court hearing was for November 17 of that year. A source told DailyMail.com that Josephs had sent a Motion to Quash to Ruelas' lawyer because she 'barely knew Louie at that point.' Their costars pointed out that Giudice was a 'mess' and has 'anxiety beyond anxiety' Josephs has since confessed to speaking to Ruelas' ex and also dropped the bombshell during the RHONJ finale that Reiser went to Jackie Goldschneider's house to meet with her to get dirt about Ruelas at the time 'She barely knew Louie at that point, nor knew Vanessa Reiser, and certainly was not involved in their domestic dispute. Thus, Margaret did not appear in court and found it theatrical and laughable that she was even contacted,' the insider shared. 'She let the cast, production, and Louie's attorney know that she didn't want to be involved in their dirty laundry.' Josephs has since confessed to speaking to Ruelas' ex and also dropped the bombshell during the RHONJ finale that Reiser went to Jackie Goldschneider's house to meet with her to get dirt about Ruelas at the time. RHONJ's latest episode, a non-traditional reunion special, aired on August 11 on Bravo. The cast will then 'most likely resume filming in 2025,' according to a source who spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com, as it's still not known if the show will be rebooted or if only a few cast members will be returning. Simone Holtznagel has been seen in public for the first time since her shock split from Jono Castano. The model, 31, has been keeping a low profile since the bombshell news emerged last month and she has not yet commented on her separation from Jono, 33. She returned to Instagram after a notable absence this week, confirming she had checked into a 'postpartum' hotel in Double Bay to 'relax and renew' with her baby daughter Gia, four months. And on Friday, Simone was seen driving out of the $2,200-a-night hotel in her first public sighting since celebrity personal trainer Jono confirmed their split. Her public reappearance came just one day after Acero gym owner Jono was seen delivering a bouquet of flowers to the hotel where Simone is staying. Simone appeared to be in good spirits as she smiled while driving her car out of the lavish hotel. For the outing, she cut a stylish figure in a cream jumper and jeans, which she styled with a simple pair of slip-on pumps. She shielded her eyes with black shades as she kept a low-profile while leaving the hotel in her vehicle. Simone Holtznagel (pictured) has been seen in public for the first time since her shock split from Jono Castano The model, 31, has been keeping a low profile since the bombshell news emerged last month and she has not yet commented on her separation from Jono, 33 (both pictured) On Friday, Simone was seen driving out of the $2,200-a-night Sydney hotel where she is staying in her first public sighting since celebrity personal trainer Jono confirmed their split On Thursday, Jono had been seen visiting the hotel with a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of alcohol in hand as he appeared to be delivering gifts to Simone. Jono appeared downcast as he headed to the exclusive hotel's check in and dropped off the flowers and drink. While his actions hinted at a possible reconciliation attempt with Simone, their relationship status remains unconfirmed amid ongoing speculation. Earlier this week, Simone returned to Instagram to reveal that she and her daughter Gia - who she shares with Jono - are staying in a 'postpartum hotel' to 'relax and renew'. Posting two videos to the platform on Wednesday, the socialite cuddled up to her baby girl and explained that they will be spending 'a few days' at the hotel after staying with her family in Wollongong. 'We're going because Gia is currently four months old and after being an amazing baby and sleeping through the night since she was 10 weeks old, we're currently going through the four month sleep regression,' she shared. Simone appeared to be in good spirits as she smiled while driving her car out of the lavish hotel For the outing, she cut a stylish figure in a cream jumper and jeans, which she styled with a simple pair of slip-on pumps She shielded her eyes with black shades as she kept a low-profile while leaving the hotel in her vehicle Simone appeared to be chatting to someone on the phone as she drove her red car out of the luxury postpartum hotel Her public reappearance came just one day after Acero gym owner Jono was seen delivering a bouquet of flowers to the hotel where Simone is staying 'I have some massages booked in and some relax and renew time. Some little special bonding time and you're going to learn how to sleep through the night again.' Jono recently confirmed that he and Simone decided to go their separate ways back in May - just nine weeks after they welcomed baby Gia on Easter Sunday. And last week, a close friend of the couple revealed the writing was on the wall for the end of Simone and Jono's relationship for quite some time. A source told The Daily Telegraph that several friends and family members warned Simone her model lifestyle was not compatible with Jono's fitness influencer career. The first sign of trouble was when Jono posted pictures of himself on a luxurious holiday in Thailand days after Gia's birth on March 31 without Simone and their baby. Although many of Jono's followers were quick to gush over the snaps, Simone neither liked or commented on them. She returned to Instagram after a notable absence this week, confirming she had checked into a 'postpartum' hotel in Double Bay to 'relax and renew' with her daughter Gia, four months At the end of July, Jono officially confirmed the shock news that he and Simone had gone their separate ways in May, just nine weeks after welcoming their daughter Gia (all pictured) At the end of July, Jono then officially confirmed that he and Simone had gone their separate ways in a statement given to Daily Mail Australia. 'Who knows what the future holds, our idea is just to be the best parents for Gia at this stage,' he revealed at the time. News of their split came just hours after Simone posted a cryptic quote about 'moving forward' and being 'patient' for a 'long time' on her Instagram Stories. Simone had posted a thinly-veiled message about prioritising her own happiness to Instagram in what appeared to be a reference to their separation. The quote read: 'You shouldn't feel guilty for moving forward if you've given someone multiple opportunities to improve or change, but they didn't. 'Everyone has limits, and it's important to look out for your own well-being. If you tried to help or waited for them to change their behaviour, but things stayed the same, it's okay to choose what's best for you and move on. 'Prioritising your own happiness and peace is essential, especially when you've been patient and understanding for a long time.' Charlotte Dawson has continued to wear her engagement ring amid claims she refuses to 'rush' her decision over whether to forgive fiance Matthew Sarsfield. The reality star, 31, has been with the rugby league player, 32, for eight years but was left 'hurt and humiliated' after finding out he 'sent intimate texts to another woman'. Amid the drama, Charlotte looked downcast as she left her podcast recording in Manchester on Thursday. The Ex On The Beach beauty looked effortlessly stylish on the outing as she modelled a white summer dress with a tiered hem and blue accents. She accessorised with Gucci sliders, a Jacquemus handbag and of course her dazzling engagement ring. Charlotte Dawson continued to wear her engagement ring as she was spotted in Manchester on Thursday amid claims she refuses to 'rush' her decision over whether to forgive her fiance The reality star, 31, has been with rugby league player Matthew Sarsfield, 32, for eight years but was left 'hurt and humiliated' after finding out he 'sent intimate texts to another woman' Charlotte is reportedly reluctant to 'forgive and forget' that he has sent intimate texts to another woman. Sources recently revealed she's 'holding all of the cards' after 'kicking him out of their home' in the wake of the scandal. 'She is taking her time to process everything and is doing what is best for her two little boys,' a source told OK!. 'It's obvious that Matt would like to go back to how things were, but Charlotte isn't rushing any decisions.' Charlotte was left feeling horrified when it emerged that her partner had been sending 'intimate texts to another woman' behind her back. She hosted a birthday party for her son, Jude, which Matt opted to skip amid the allegations. He has also deleted his Instagram page. Charlotte broke her silence to fans on Instagram earlier this week claiming her only focus right now is her children. She said: 'It's hard enough going through something like this in private, let alone publicly. 'My only focus right now is on my beautiful boys as they are my main priority.' The Ex On The Beach beauty looked effortlessly stylish on the outing as she modelled a white summer dress with a tiered hem and blue accents Charlotte said to her fans: 'Hi my darlings, I look an absolute mess.' 'I feel a mess, I'm not with it. My head feels like it is going to fall off. I feel drained, fed up, up and down like a bloody yo-yo but yeah.' She then issued an apology to her followers for not being present on social media during this turbulent time. She continued: 'I am so sorry I've not been on my stories talking like I usually do but obviously as you can imagine I'm not really feeling up to it right now but I will be back very soon.' 'I'll be back to my d***head self, but yeah - I am just trying to get on with my life as much as I can.' A source told The Sun: 'It was really important for Charlotte to give her son Jude a wonderful first birthday, despite what she had discovered that day.' 'She is an incredible mother, who has always put her two sons before anything else.' 'Jude's party was a prime example of her doing this and showing everyone how brave she is.' Charlotte and Matthew started dating in 2016 with the couple recently returning from a family holiday in Mallorca. But last week Emily Louise Hodgkinson, 34, told The Mirror she was left 'shocked' when the former Swinton Lions player sent an intimate picture to her. The pair met through Emily's ex, who played rugby with Matthew and followed each other on Instagram. She said: 'I feel so sorry for Charlotte. How could he do that to her? I'd be mortified if a partner did that to me behind my back.' Emily said she took a screenshot of the image and added Matthew appeared to be 'worried' as he asked her what she planned to do with the photograph. Charlotte is reportedly reluctant to 'forgive and forget' that he has sext another woman. Sources recently revealed she's 'holding all of the cards' after 'kicking him out of their home' According to sources, the Celebs Go Dating star was 'completely blindsided' when she learned Matthew had sent an explicit image to somebody he knew and it is 'unclear' whether their relationship will survive. They told The Mirror: 'She's been completely blindsided by these revelations. 'To say she is hurt is an understatement, and it's unclear where the relationship lies at the moment. Right now, Charlotte is trying to get her head around his actions. 'She's always stood by Matt, despite some ups and downs in their relationship, and Matt is not just her fiance, he's her best mate so this news has been a very hard pill to swallow.' Netflix fans have been left devastated after the creator of a blockbuster movie reportedly confirmed the sequel and spin-off TV series have been quietly axed in a 'really sad' U-turn.' Army Of The Dead, directed and co-written by Zack Snyder, first made its debut on the streaming platform back in May 2021. The film starred Guardians Of The Galaxy actor Dave Bautista, 55, who led an enormous ensemble cast featuring comedian Tig Notaro and Power star Omari Hardwick. However, while the film was popular, it's been said that Zack and wife Deborah, who is his producing partner, told The Wrap that the plans for an animated series and sequel films have been axed. Fans of the film took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their reaction to the news, with one remarking that it's 'really sad'. Netflix fans have been left devastated after the creator of a blockbuster movie reportedly confirmed the sequel and spin-off TV series have been quietly axed in a 'really sad' U-turn' Army Of The Dead, directed and co-written by Zack Snyder, first made its debut on the streaming platform back in May 2021 They penned: 'This is really sad to me. I loved Army of the Dead and Army of Thieves and wanted more. Now with Netflix is almost done with Stranger Things, there isnt much left for me on there.' 'Looks like we will not be getting anything more from the Army Of The Dead franchise from Zack Snyder.' 'Thank you #Netflix for giving us Snyder movies but if there are no sequels to #ArmyoftheDead or #RebelMoon there is no more subscription.' 'This sucks cause Zack doesnt deserve this hate.' 'Army of the Dead was f**king awesome though!' Zack confirmed the sad news while discussing the director's cut release of another project, Rebel Moon Part 1 and 2, with talk soon turning to Army Of The Dead. The director then confirmed the sequel and spin-off would no longer be taking place but added that fans would still be able to enjoy an Army of the Dead theme park experience. He shared: 'We are very ambitious with everything. And Army of the Dead isnt entirely dead. The film starred Guardians Of The Galaxy actor Dave Bautista, 55, who led an enormous ensemble cast featuring comedian Tig Notaro and Power star Omari Hardwick However, while the film was popular, it's been said that Zack [pictured] and wife Deborah, who is his producing partner, told The Wrap that the plans for an animated series and sequel films have been axed Fans of the film took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their reaction to the news, with one remarking that it's 'really sad' 'As Deborah pointed out that there will be a themed experience coming to the Six Flags theme parks this Halloween. Deborah then added: 'Its going to be a really cool experience.' Dave Bautista starred as mercenary Scott Ward, who along with his team accepts a death-defying mission steal the riches of Las Vegas, which haws been overrunning by flesh-eating zombies. ITV fans have revealed they are already 'hooked', after just one episode of a gripping drama's new series dropped on ITVX on Thursday. Australian series The Twelve, starring Sam Neill, first hit screens back in 2022 for its first season, which was quickly met with critical acclaim. The courtroom drama, based on a Belgian mini series, returned for a second run in Australia last month, with British fans facing an agonising wait as they counted down the days for the show to hit UK screens. And following its return on ITVX on Thursday, fans were quick to share their excitement on social and it's safe to say, they are thrilled. They penned: 'I love this Show! Brilliant Episode 1 & 2 of Season 2 of The Twelve ITV fans have revealed they are already 'hooked', after just one episode of a gripping drama's new series dropped on ITVX on Thursday Australian series The Twelve, starring Sam Neill , first hit screens back in 2022 for its first season, which was quickly met with critical acclaim 'Sam Neill is as brilliant as ever in season 2 of The Twelve.' I am just catching up on the first series in UK and loving it so great that there is a second series coming!' 'Ive been impatiently waiting for this to be aired in the UK. Series one was amazing!' 'Watched the first ep Season 2 tonight and I am hooked again lol.' Luckily for fans, the full series is now available to stream on ITVX. Series one of The Twelve tells the story of 12 jurors who, while dealing with their own personal struggles, must decide the case of a woman accused of killing a child. It stars Sam as barrister Brett Colby, with the Jurassic park star reprising his role for the second series. The second season, which also features Frances OConnor, Tasma Walton and Kris McQuade, sees Brett representing a brand new client in another gripping murder trial. Following its return on ITVX on Thursday, fans were quick to share their excitement on social and it's safe to say, they are thrilled This time around, the case focus around the death of a local landowner and respected town matriarch, with two ex-lovers standing accused of the murder. Sam recently opened up about the new series, remarking that season two will see 'an even stronger story' than the first, reports Radio Times. He shared: 'I think it is an even stronger story than last time, very intriguing indeed. With many twists and turns and surprises. It will keep you guessing until the end. 'It is very relatable. Sometimes very dark, sometimes funny. But always compelling. Great characters, terrific performances. And you simply cant stop watching.'x Series one of The Twelve tells the story of 12 jurors who, while dealing with their own personal struggles, must decide the case of a woman accused of killing a child It comes after Sam gave fans an update on his heath last month after being diagnosed with stage-three blood cancer. The Jurassic Park star says he feels 'great to be alive' after undergoing gruelling treatment while filming his series The Twelve in 2022. 'It just meant that every second week it was a case of forget about the weekend because that would be a bit grim,' he told the Herald Sun. 'But other than that, it's great to be alive and working and in beautiful places, like York.' Molly Smith has hit back a cruel troll for body shaming her in recent Instagram post. The Manchester-based star - who won Love Island All Stars with her boyfriend Tom Clare - was flooded with horrible messages after uploading a photo of her dinner on Thursday. The snap showed the reality star enjoying a night in with a Chinese takeaway and a salad in front of the TV. But it was met with a troll who sent her a direct message which said: 'I'm guessing you just had salad and don't eat stuff like this at all?' Sharing a screenshot of the message which has now expired, Molly wrote: 'Seriously yes I'm perfectly fine thanks for asking. Molly Smith has hit back at trolls for body shaming her over her recent Instagram post on Thursday Molly had shared a now expired snap of herself eating a chinese takeaway when a troll weighed in and said: 'I'm guessing you just had salad and don't eat stuff like this at all?' (stock image) 'I'm getting the impression however you're not, seen as you keep feeling the need to dm me about the health and body.' She added: 'Yet again another trolls strikes, what happened to empowering women?' This is not the first time Molly has spoken about her experiences with trolling as she previously revealed she was body shamed over her small boobs before going under the knife. The blonde beauty told The Sun at the time: 'Before I had the surgery, I had negative comments from people saying, "You're so flat chested." 'I just delete those posts. They are usually by someone who hasn't got a profile picture or any followers.' Earlier this month, Molly looked incredible as she and boyfriend Tom hit the red carpet for the UK Gala screening of It Ends With Us in London's Leicester Square. The reality star looked nothing short of sensational as she put on a leggy display in a blush pink rose embroidered velvet mini dress. Meanwhile, Tom looked incredibly dapper in a navy blue shirt. Molly turned heads as she joined her boyfriend Tom Clare for the UK Gala screening of It Ends With Us in London's Leicester Square last Thursday Since leaving the Love Island villa in January, Tom and Molly's relationship has grown from strength to strength as the pair have now moved in together in Manchester. During an episode of Aftersun in June, host Maya Jama quizzed the couple over the status of their romance. She asked the both of them: 'Now I have heard you are moving in together, or have moved in already?' In response, Tom asked: 'Moved in, yeah,' to which Molly then added: 'It started off with just a drawer [at my place] and then slowly but surely there were more and more things coming in.' Maya then probed further by asking Molly if Tom is messy, to which she responded with: 'No he's actually not, yeah. He's actually really clean.' Matthew Perry's stepfather Keith Morrison has spoken out after multiple people were arrested in connection with the actor's death on Thursday. The Friends star died in October 2023, aged 54, from the acute effects of ketamine, and five defendants were charged with offenses related to the death. 'We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew's death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously,' the Dateline correspondent, 77, said in a statement. 'We look forward to justice taking its course and were grateful for the exceptional work of the multiple agencies whose agents investigated Matthews death.' Morrison concluded: 'Were hoping unscrupulous suppliers of dangerous drugs will get the message.' Matthew Perry 's stepfather Keith Morrison (pictured 2019) has spoken out after multiple people were arrested in connection with the actor's death on Thursday The Friends star died in October 2023, aged 54 , from the acute effects of ketamine, and five defendants were charged with offenses related to the his death; (Morrison and Perry) Perry's mother Suzanne Perry married Morrison in 1981 and the actor has credited his stepfather with bringing his family back together after his parents rocky separation. Suzanne and Matthew's father John Perry were married from 1968 to 1970. Following the arrests, sources told USWeekly that Perry's family friends were 'blindsided' and 'saddened' by the arrest of his personal assistant Kenneth. 'When Matthews [previous] assistant left they didnt hire a new one for a while,' the insider added. 'Matthew wasnt acting at the time so someone was needed only to handle his life and around the house. 'Kenny presented himself to be a decent person.' Perry's autopsy report in December revealed that he died from acute effects of ketamine, with his death officially ruled as accidental. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced charges against Jasveen Sangha, dubbed 'The Ketamine Queen,' and licensed physician Dr. Salvador Plascencia. Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry's personal assistant, had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death. Additionally, Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez face separate charges for their roles in the ketamine distribution conspiracy, as revealed by the Department of Justice. Officials accuse the five individuals of deliberately supplying Perry with ketamine, taking advantage of his addiction, and trying to hide their involvement after his death. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada noted that Perry had relapsed into addiction in the fall of 2023, just before his death. 'These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves,' Estrada said during a press conference. Los Angeles police said in May that they were working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with a probe. 'We look forward to justice taking its course and were grateful for the exceptional work of the multiple agencies whose agents investigated Matthews death,' said Morrison Perry's mother Suzanne Perry married the Dateline correspondent in 1981 and he has credited his stepfather with bringing his family back together after his parents rocky separation; (Perry and Morrison in 2017) The autopsy report in December revealed that Perry died from acute effects of ketamine, with his death officially ruled as accidental; (pictured in 2018) It previously emerged that Charlie Sheen's ex-wife Brooke Mueller was among those who had been interviewed 'multiple times' by LAPD in relation to the death. However, she has not been named as one of those arrested, per TMZ. Mueller and Perry reportedly bonded during a stint in rehab. She has remained adamant that she had nothing to do with her friend's death. The outlet also reports the search warrant uncovered text messages discussing Perry and the ketamine he wanted, including how much he would pay for it. The investigation additionally is said to have revealed other celebrities connected to the drug scene. Local police and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents interviewed some 'key people in Hollywood' who are known drug users. Beloved actor Perry had been receiving prescribed ketamine therapy to treat his anxiety and depression. But he had not had one of those treatments for a week-and-a-half prior to his death. That means the ketamine found in his system after he drowned in a hot tub at his LA home had not been prescribed. Perry's at the age of 54 shocked the world. An autopsy attributed his death to the 'acute effects of ketamine.' The amount in his blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery. It was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected, the report said. The actor had been open about his struggles with substance abuse. In 2022, he said he estimated he had that spent $9 million battling his addictions across 15 rehab stays. Just days before his death, Matthew shared a rare photo of himself hanging out with his dad John Perry to Instagram The beloved Friends actor had been open about his struggles with substance abuse over the years In a tell-all memoir, Perry claimed that he was finally sober after multiple failed attempts to get clean. Later, sources told DailyMail.com that the 'reclusive' star would have younger hook-ups from the dating app Raya to deliver drugs to his house even while he was under the 24/7 care of a nursing team. Despite having a nursing team at his $6 million Pacific Palisades home as well as a live-in sober companion, Perry managed to have casual hook-ups sneak him illicit drugs without detection, sources explained in December 2023. 'He would meet girls on dating apps and have them come over,' insiders claimed. 'There was a slew of 21 to 25-year-olds that he would meet on Raya. They would bring drugs with them. It was mostly Oxycontin [a powerful opioid pain killer]. 'He would also get illicit drugs from old girlfriends, there was a kind of network,' a source said. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner ruled that Perry died from an accidental ketamine overdose on October 28, 2023. He drowned in 'the heated end of his pool,' the autopsy report said, but that it was a secondary factor in his death. The examiner's report does not specify how or when Perry had consumed the fatal dose of ketamine. But it found that trace amounts were detected in his stomach, and that prescription medications and loose pills were present at his home. No alcohol was detected in his system by the autopsy report. Nor were there any traces of other drugs such as cocaine, heroin or fentanyl. Perry's ex-girlfriend Kayti Edwards who dated Perry in 2006 and worked as his assistant in 2011 at the height of his drug addiction has previously called for cops to investigate medical staff, 'to see if he had a deal with any of them to give him some ketamine on the side'. The arrest are not the first to be brought in the case of a celebrity's fatal overdose. Following Michael Jackson's 2009 death, his physician Dr Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after providing him with a lethal dose of propofol. In 2021, prosecutors in New York brought charges against four men who supplied The Wire actor Michael K Williams with fentanyl-laced heroin. Kevin Costner's passion project could have a second life. On Friday, New Line Cinema and Territory Pictures announced that Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 will make its streaming debut on August 23. The epic Western can be seen exclusively on Max. When the movie - which stars Kevin and Sienna Miller - came out in theaters, it was a disappointment. But now it has a chance to win a much wider audience as movies are still being viewed mostly at home event though lockdown is long over. This comes after Kevin revealed he would not be going back to Yellowstone to finish shooting season five. The last few episodes of Yellowstone are now filming in Montana with Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly. Kevin Costner 's passion project could have a second life. On Friday, New Line Cinema and Territory Pictures announced that Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 will make its streaming debut on August 23. The epic Western can be seen exclusively on Max When the movie - which stars Kevin and Sienna Miller - came out in theaters, it was a disappointment. But now it has a chance to win a much wider audience as movies are still being viewed mostly at home event though lockdown is long over 'In the great tradition of Warner Bros. Pictures' iconic Westerns, Horizon: An American Saga explores the lure of the Old West and how it was wonand lostthrough the blood, sweat and tears of many,' a press release shared. 'Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner's ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends, and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America. Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Giovanni Ribisi star alongside an impressive ensemble cast that includes Abbey Lee, Will Patton, Jena Malone, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Jeff Fahey, Isabelle Fuhrman, Ella Hunt, David O'Hara, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Tim Guinee, Scott Haze, Tom Payne, Alejandro Edda, James Russo, Jon Beavers, Jaime Campbell Bower, Michael Anganaro and more. Costner returns to directing, for the first time since his 2003 critically acclaimed hit 'Open Range,' and revisits Civil War-era America, the setting for his 1990 blockbuster and directorial debut Dances with Wolves, which won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. He produces alongside Howard Kaplan and Mark Gillard, with Danny Peykoff, Robert Scannell, Armyan Bernstein, Charlie Lyons, Barry Berg, and Rod Lake executive producing. Screenplay by Jon Baird & Kevin Costner; story by Jon Baird & Kevin Costner and Mark Kasdan. (L-R) Hayes Costner, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Kevin, Sienna Miller, Georgia MacPhail, Ella Hunt, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jena Malone, Was, Luke Wilson and Alejandro Edda in Cannes Costner attends the Horizon premiere at Zoo Palast on August 4, 2024 in Berlin Yellowstone has been filming in Montana this summer. Ryan Bingham, who plays rebellious ranch-hand Walker, shared on Instagram his new wife Hassie Harrison will also be back on the series. They wed in May after dating for one year. On the Dutton ranch, she plays his on-screen love interest as well; her name is Laramie and she works as a barrel racer. Even if Kevin Costner has not returned to close out the end of season five, many others have saddled up again. Luke Grimes has his cowboy boots back on to star again as John Dutton's son Kayce Dutton. This comes after Kevin revealed he would not be going back to Yellowstone to finish shooting season five. The last few episodes of Yellowstone are now filming in Montana with Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly Keilly Reilly, who plays hellcat Beth Dutton, confirmed on July 20 she was on set with a video as she wrote, 'The group of people that continue to make this wild show make it with all their hearts and guts, Im so deeply proud to be running alongside them. The rawness and beauty of this year's season is really something. Cant wait to share it in November.' Others who are back on the ranch: Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler, Jen Landon as Teeter, Jake Ream as Jake, Ian Bohen as Ryan, Denim Richards as Colby, Forrie J Smith as Lloyd Pierce, Dawn Olivieri as Sarah Atwood, and Finn Little as Rip's son Carter. The last few episodes of season five of Yellowstone kick off on November 10, 2024. Yellowstone has been filming in Montana this summer. Ryan Bingham, who plays rebellious ranch hand Walker, shared on Instagram his new wife Hassie Harrison will also be back on the series. On the Dutton ranch, she plays his on-screen love interest as well; her name is Laramie and she works as a barrel racer Bingham was seen on set last month as well with Jen Landon (with her hair pink again) and Jake Ream Brecken Merrill, who plays the son of Luke Grimes' Kayce Dutton and Kelsey Asbille's Monica Dutton, is also on set shooting scenes, though Luke and Kelsey have not been spied yet. Brecken, 16, shared a photo of a director's chair that said Yellowstone on the back with a cowboy hat hanging off of it. 'Its a dirty job but somebodys gotta do it,' wrote Merrill in his caption. And last week he added, 'November premiere date - put it in your calendar and start planning the viewing party.' Gil Birmingham, who stars as Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater, will also be filming along with Mo Brings Plenty. Wendy Moniz, who played the Governor of Montana, is also shootings scenes. Scenes were shot at a home on East Beckwith and Gerald Avenue in Missoula, DailyMail.com has learned. There has also been filming at the Chief Joseph Ranch. The 2,500-acre working cattle ranch in Darby, Montana serves as the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in the show. Ian Bohen, who plays Ryan (the love interest of Lainey Wilson 's Abby), was seen on set while riding a horse Finn Little, who plays Rip's son Carter, was seen celebrating his 18th birthday on set Landon wears her hair pink again as she rides a horse with an instructor on the right Brecken Merrill, who plays Kayce Dutton's son, shared this image as he wrote, 'Its a dirty job but somebodys gotta do it' Many of the actors have been seen practicing lassoing and riding at Chief Joseph Ranch. Hauser has already shared photos from Montana where he has been filming the modern Western series since late May: 'Good morning Montana, Ive missed ya old friend! If you are going to rise, you might as well shine.' Smith, who plays a cattle hand on the show, is also back filming more scenes alongside Hauser and Bingham. He confirmed his return months ago. Wes Bentley and Kelly Reilly are also expected to be in the last few episodes of season five, but not Kevin Costner, who has said recently he will not film any more scenes. It is not yet known if Ryan's new wife Hassie Harrison, who plays barrel racer Laramie on the show, will have any scenes. Hauser has already shared photos from Montana where he has been filming the modern Western series since late May: 'Good morning Montana, Ive missed ya old friend! If you are going to rise, you might as well shine.' Lainey Wilson has said that she is not sure if she is going back to Yellowstone, where she played musician Abby. Her music was also used on the series. Wilson has said many times she would love to shoot more scenes for the series. Piper Perabo shared images from Montana earlier in June suggesting she will return as Costner's love interest Summer Higgins. But because Costner will not be shooting any more scenes for the show, it is likely Perabo won't either. Or she may just be accompanying her husband Stephen Kay, who is a writer on the show. The popular series will return on November 10, 2024. There has also been filming at the Chief Joseph Ranch. The 2,500-acre working cattle ranch in Darby, Montana serves as the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in the show Piper Perabo shared images from Montana earlier in June suggesting she will return as Costner's love interest Summer Higgins. But because Costner will not be shooting any more scenes for the show, it is likely Perabo won't either. Or she may just be accompanying her husband Stephen Kay, who is a writer on the show Lainey Wilson has said that she is not sure if she is going back to Yellowstone, where she played musician Abby. Her music was also used on the series. Wilson has said many times she would love to shoot more scenes for the series. Seen on June 25 in NYC Paramount Network announced on June 20 that Yellowstone will make its much-anticipated return on Sunday, November 10 at 8pm ET/PT. Internationally, Yellowstone will premiere on Paramount+ in Canada on November 10th, the U.K. on November 11th and in Latin America, Brazil and France later in November. Yellowstone chronicles the Dutton family who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States. Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and Americas first national park. Yellowstone is co-created by Sheridan and John Linson. In May Costner shared some insights into his role on the show to GQ. The Oscar-winning star maintained that he told creator Sheridan he would help end the series, but no scripts have ever come his way. And Costner also said that he and Taylor have a 'private' reason for not going forward, hinting they have disagreements over how the show should end. But the star, who is promoting his new movie Horizon, said that he wants to help end the Dutton saga for the sake of the 'audience.' Just hours after Kevin's GQ interview surfaced, Paramount Network announced that Yellowstone had already started production on the end of season five and was currently filming in Montana. Paramount announced on June 20 Yellowstone will make its much-anticipated return on Sunday, November 10; later Kevin said he was not coming back Yellowstone premiered in 2018 and has since attracted as many as 10 million viewers. On the show, Costner plays John Dutton III, who fights to save his ranch; he has been compared to a Godfather character because he uses murder to keep his businesses and family together. The show needs an ending, but there has been talk that Kevin was too busy or wanted too much money or wanted too much say to get it done. He has told GQ that he has tried. 'That's kind of my Western ethic,' he said. 'I've been quiet about the whole thing and I've taken a beating out there. My castmates are confused. The crew was confused.' He shared that he only did Horizon because he wanted to work more, and he felt he could do Horizon and Yellowstone at the same time. 'I've always wanted to do this movie,' Costner said, 'and I was doing Yellowstone. I love Yellowstone.' Costner said he was so committed to Yellowstone that he renegotiated from his original three-season deal for as many as seven total seasons. But there were delays from COVID, the writers' strike, and 'further disagreements about scheduling,' said GQ. 'We very rarely started when we said we would and we didn't finish when we said we would,' said Costner. 'And I was okay with that. I really was. I was okay with it, but it wasn't a trend that could continue for me.' So he worked on Horizon. Then Yellowstone proposed splitting the fifth season of the show into two parts. 'And their big plan was to suddenly do eight now and then in the fall do eight more,' Costner said. 'I said, "I have a contract to do Horizon, and I have people and money." I think there was a belief that I couldn't get it mounted, but I didn't really care what anybody believed.' Jennifer Garner cut a casual figure as she took her child, Fin, to get a driver's permit while stopping by the DMV on Thursday in Los Angeles. The 13 Going On 30 star, 52 - who was seen leaving ex Ben Affleck's home on his 52nd birthday - strolled through a parking lot with the 15-year-old while holding a notebook and papers. The actress donned a short-sleeved, striped shirt as well as a pair of dark navy trousers in the summer heat. She also slipped into a pair of white sneakers with colorful soles and styled her brunette locks into a half up do, allowing the strands to fall down straight behind her. Garner opted for minimal accessories, and wore a pair of dainty earrings as well as brown-rimmed glasses for a finishing touch. Jennifer Garner, 52, cut a casual figure as she took her child, Fin, to get a driver's permit while stopping by the DMV on Thursday in Los Angeles Her child, Fin - formerly known as Seraphina - also dressed down in a Boston shirt as well as khaki shorts. The pair made their way through a crowded parking lot after spending time inside the DMV as Fin made a milestone by getting a driver's permit. Also on Thursday, Jennifer was spotted at Affleck's home as he celebrated his 52nd birthday amid his rumored divorce with Jennifer Lopez. Garner exited the actor's house while driving a sleek, Escalade SUV and was wearing the same ensemble from earlier in the day, while her locks were pulled back into a ponytail. The On The Floor songstress also paid a visit to Ben on his birthday - despite Lopez spending her own 55th birthday last month without the Oscar winner. She was effortlessly chic in a pair of loose-fitting, denim pants as well as a stylish, brown jacket. Her long locks were swept back into a sleek ponytail, and added a pair of large, hooped earrings to complete the look. Lopez and Affleck have been embroiled in split speculation - and are reportedly living separately. Ben notably purchased a $20.5 million home in the Pacific Palisades last month in July - after residing in a $100k-a-month rental in Brentwood. The pair made their way through a crowded parking lot after spending time inside the DMV as Fin made a milestone by getting a driver's permit The On The Floor songstress also paid a visit to Ben on his birthday - although Lopez spent her own 55th birthday last month without the Oscar winner; seen in November 2023 in L.A. The Atlas actress has been staying at their lavish mansion in Beverly Hills - which has been listed on the market for $68 million. Also on Thursday, Lopez appeared to snub the Good Will Hunting actor as she jumped to social media - but did not wish him a happy birthday. She was radiant in a series of Instagram snaps while posing in a sheer, Dior dress that contained shimmering embellishments. The star paused for photos - which were taken during her time at the Hamptons last month - while standing next to a vintage convertible. Earlier last week, a source told People that Jennifer 'is trying to find a new home to start fresh' and added the pair are 'moving on separately.' On Monday, Lopez was spotted spending time with Ben's son, Samuel, 12, during a shopping trip in Los Angeles. The actor shares Samuel, Violet, 18 and Fin, 15 with ex-wife Jennifer Garner. After the outing, Jennifer stopped by Affleck's abode as she dropped Samuel off, and spent some time at the house. 'Just because she's not with Ben doesn't mean that she doesn't care about his kids,' an insider informed People. Also on Thursday, Lopez appeared to snub the Good Will Hunting actor as she jumped to social media - but did not wish him a happy birthday 'She always cared about them. She spent months looking for the perfect house for their blended family last year.' The insider added, 'Now when she's back in L.A. she wants to spend quality time with them before school resumes and Violet is off to college.' And over the past weekend, Lopez was seen also spending time with her twins, Max and Emme, 16 - whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony. During the outing, she seemingly wore her wedding band on her left hand despite the mounting split rumors. Amid Lopez and Affleck's marriage woes, it was recently revealed by a source to People that Ben has been dealing with a difficult summer. 'It hasn't been the easiest summer for him either. He's just trying to stay focused and make every day as good as possible,' the insider told the outlet. 'Ben's doing well. He thrives when he's busy and he's been working nonstop. The kids are still off from school. He spends a lot of time with them, too.' In regards to the actor purchasing a new home - which took place on Jennifer Lopez's 55th birthday - a source told Us Weekly that, 'Ben needed new energy in his life.' Earlier last week, a source told People that Jennifer 'is trying to find a new home to start fresh' and added the pair are 'moving on separately' In regards to the actor purchasing a new home - which took place on Jennifer Lopez's 55th birthday - a source told Us Weekly that, 'Ben needed new energy in his life'; seen in 2023 in Texas 'This one is more his speed. He's in a better mindset and is pushing forward,' the insider continued. 'Ben feels like he's been weighed down this year. He will always care for Jen, but he knows the marriage is done, and he wants to focus on himself right now.' Another source close to Ben also told the publication that the star's decision to purchase the Pacific Palisades abode 'was the closure of the relationship.' Earlier this month, a separate insider told Page Six that Jennifer is 'furious,' adding that Ben 'has humiliated her. He was the one who initiated getting back together.' 'He's humiliated her because she made a big deal that he's the love of her life. They just had two weddings two years ago. This is some kind of a record, they're not young kids.' Katie Holmes was seen running errands with her hair in a French braid on Friday. The Dawson's Creek star, 45, wore a graphic t-shirt which promoted Huma Rosentalski, who is known for nude photography. The ex of Tom Cruise also had on grey sweatpants and carried a duffle bag over one shoulder. She added sunglasses and carried a bottle of water. The First Daughter actress' only child, daughter Suri Cruise, 18, moves into her college dorm at Carnegie Mellon University this weekend. According to the school's website, freshman move-in takes place on Saturday, August 17. Katie Holmes was seen running errands with her hair in a French braid in NYC on Friday Katie shares Suri with her ex-husband Tom, who hasn't been seen with his daughter in about a decade. In fact, when Suri turned 18, she dropped Cruise as her last name and took her mother's middle name, Noelle, as her official last name. In an interview with Town & Country, the Alone Together director reflected on this milestone in her and Suri's life. 'Im proud of my daughter. Of course, I will miss the close proximity, but Im really proud of her and Im happy,' she explained. 'I remember being this age, this time of beginnings. Its exciting to learn about yourself, and I loved that time, so it makes me happy to think about it like that.' Katie was accepted to Columbia University but opted to pursue the role in Dawson's Creek she had just been cast in rather than go to college. Carnegie Mellon has a world-class drama school something Suri is said to be interested in alongside vocal performance. Town & Country noted how Suri 'has contributed vocals to songs in two of Holmess films' - the 2023 drama Rare Objects and 2022 romantic drama Alone Together. Holmes, speaking with Glamour in April 2023, said that she sought to encourage Suri's performing on her projects over the years. The Dawson's Creek star, 45, wore a graphic t-shirt and grey sweatpants and carried a duffle bag over one shoulder She wore sunglasses, carried a bottle of water and had a no-nonsense look on her face The First Daughter actress' only child, daughter Suri Cruise , 18, moves into her college dorm at Carnegie Mellon University this weekend When Suri turned 18, she dropped Cruise as her last name and took her mother's middle name, Noelle, as her official last name, seen here in 2021 Katie shares Suri with her ex-husband Tom Cruise , who hasn't seen his daughter in about a decade, seen here in 2007 'I hope she always does something on my films,' Holmes said. 'I always ask her.' Holmes said that 'both of those experiences came out of the same sense of what I love about our industry, which is, you have these projects and you become a family with people.' Holmes said she strived to create a 'safe, beautiful, creative space' for Suri to hone her craft as a performer. 'So it comes out of love for me to include someone who I love dearly,' Holmes said. 'It was very meaningful to me to have her there, because shes my heart.' Advertisement Jennifer Garner shared several eye-popping photos from a trip to Japan as she seemed to have a blast while sipping champagne and dining on ramen noodles. The Alias actress was generous with her snapshots as she captioned each one with telling insight. In two of her notes she mentioned prayer as she seemed to be on a spiritual journey of sorts. She also mentioned 'honor.' The Hollywood favorite did not share any images with the three children she shares with ex-husband Ben Affleck: The kids are Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12. Rather, the West Virginia native may have been with her boyfriend John Miller. Meanwhile, her ex-husband Ben Affleck came face-to-face with his estranged wife Jennifer Lopez at his home in Los Angeles on his 52nd birthday. Jennifer Garner shared several eye-popping photos from a trip to Japan as she seemed to have a blast while sipping champagne and dining on ramen noodles. The Alias actress was generous with her snapshots as she captioned each one with telling insight Meanwhile, her ex-husband Ben Affleck came face-to-face with his estranged wife Jennifer Lopez at his home in Los Angeles on his 52nd birthday; seen in January 'Dream trip to Japan: a to do list,' began the movie star's caption. In the first image Garner holds up a glass of champagne as she sits on a boat at seas. 'Always find a boat,' she noted as she added drinking champagne resulted in 'extra points.' Next she was seen in a video where she was pouring water on her hands think rinsing her mouth with it: 'Visit every temple and shrine, bow clap pray. But first: purify.' The next photo was of nature: 'Sit still. Tenryu-ji.' Then she was seen with her glasses on as she raised two peace signs on a busy street. 'Pretend to be for Tokyo.' Another image showed an AI cat on a mantle in a video on a building: 'Can this guy visit LA, please?' Then there was a photo of a scenic park: 'Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion. What a beautiful world.' Garner was also seen with a big on as she ate Ramen noodles with a boiled egg: 'Tidy does it! (slurp).' Another nature scene followed: 'Listen to the morning in Ise-Shima.' Jennifer posted a photo of a smiling woman with a cage of oysters: 'Oyster farmers are wonderful, too.' She was seen with her glasses on as she raised two peace signs on a busy street. 'Pretend to be for Tokyo.' Then there was a photo of a scenic park: 'Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion. What a beautiful world' Then she plugged her movie Deadpool & Wolverine. She has a small role in the movie as Elektra. 'Deadpool. ,' she wrote as she showed the film's poster. Next came: 'When seeing is a prayer.' The following slide showed trees in a forest as she said 'look up.' There was another nature scene of lotus flowers: 'No mud, no lotus.' Then she was seen makeup free as she ate a snack: 'Honor the life forces that feed us. Thank you, abalone. (aka: the triumph of the former picky eater).' The last slide showed a city's alley peppered with Asahi lanterns. The Tribes Of Palos Verdes actress is already back in Los Angeles. Next came: 'When seeing is a prayer.' The following slide showed trees in a forest as she said 'look up.' There was another nature scene of lotus flowers: 'No mud, no lotus.' The last slide showed a city's alley peppered with Asahi lanterns and crates near the Bar Albatross Left is an oyster farmer. Then she plugged her movie Deadpool & Wolverine. She has a small role in the movie as Elektra. 'Deadpool. ,' she wrote as she showed the film's poster On Thursday, Jennifer was spotted at Affleck's home as he celebrated his 52nd birthday amid his rumored divorce with Jennifer Lopez. Garner exited the actor's house while driving a sleek, Escalade SUV and was wearing the same ensemble from earlier in the day, while her locks were pulled back into a ponytail. The On The Floor songstress also paid a visit to Ben on his birthday - despite Lopez spending her own 55th birthday last month without the Oscar winner. She was effortlessly chic in a pair of loose-fitting, denim pants as well as a stylish, brown jacket. Lopez and Affleck have been embroiled in split speculation - and are reportedly living separately. Ben notably purchased a $20.5 million home in the Pacific Palisades last month in July - after residing in a $100k-a-month rental in Brentwood. The Atlas actress has been staying at their lavish mansion in Beverly Hills - which has been listed on the market for $68 million. Also on Thursday, Lopez appeared to snub the Good Will Hunting actor as she jumped to social media - but did not wish him a happy birthday. Also on Thursday, Lopez appeared to snub the Good Will Hunting actor as she jumped to social media - but did not wish him a happy birthday. Ben seen right in May She was radiant in a series of Instagram snaps while posing in a sheer, Dior dress that contained shimmering embellishments. The star paused for photos - which were taken during her time at the Hamptons last month - while standing next to a vintage convertible. Earlier last week, a source told People that Jennifer 'is trying to find a new home to start fresh' and added the pair are 'moving on separately.' On Monday, Lopez was spotted spending time with Ben's son, Samuel. After the outing, Jennifer stopped by Affleck's abode as she dropped Samuel off, and spent some time at the house. 'Just because she's not with Ben doesn't mean that she doesn't care about his kids,' an insider informed People. 'She always cared about them. She spent months looking for the perfect house for their blended family last year.' The insider added, 'Now when she's back in L.A. she wants to spend quality time with them before school resumes and Violet is off to college.' And over the past weekend, Lopez was seen also spending time with her twins, Max and Emme, 16 - whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony. During the outing, she seemingly wore her wedding band on her left hand despite the mounting split rumors. Xi says China ready to work with Brazil to promote building of China-Brazil community with shared future Xinhua) 07:56, August 16, 2024 BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to work with Brazil to take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties as a new starting point to jointly promote the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday. Xi made the remarks in his congratulatory message to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. China and Brazil, both major developing countries and key emerging markets, are like-minded good friends and partners that join hands and move forward together, Xi said. Over the past half century since the establishment of diplomatic relations, regardless of changes in the international landscape, the relationship between the two countries has maintained stable development, with increasingly prominent, comprehensive and strategic global influence, he said. While promoting the development and revitalization of their respective nations, China and Brazil have also played significant roles in contributing to world peace, stability, and prosperity, he added. Xi emphasized that during Lula's successful visit to China last year, the two sides reached a significant consensus on piloting and opening a new future for China-Brazil relations in the new era. China is ready to take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relationship with Brazil as a new starting point to continuously strengthen the alignment of development strategies between the two countries, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, add new dimensions of the era to the China-Brazil relationship, and work together to promote the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future, he said. For his part, Lula said over the past half century, the friendship between Brazil and China has been strengthened, and cooperation has become increasingly diversified. At present, the two countries maintain cooperation in many fields and at all levels, to jointly build a more prosperous, peaceful and just world, he added. Brazil-China ties are increasingly important for building the multipolar order, as well as a more just and effective global governance, Lula said, adding the bilateral ties play an underpinning role in the stability and predictability of the two countries and the world. He said that for the next 50 years of bilateral relations, the two countries will chart a new course together and create a bright shared future. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin also exchanged congratulatory messages on Thursday. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) China launches direct flight connecting nations most northerly, eastern cities Global Times) 10:19, August 16, 2024 China's first homegrown jet, the ARJ 21, arrives at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Sichuan Province, on Sunday, November 29. Manufactured by COMAC, the newly unveiled regional passenger plane is the first to join the Chengdu Airlines fleet. (Photo: Tu Lei/GT) The first direct flight connecting Mohe and Fuyuan, China's most northern and most eastern cities, respectively, in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, was launched on Thursday, further boosting local tourism and economic potential. The flight will be operated by Chengdu Airlines, using an ARJ21 aircraft, departing from Harbin each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and making a round trip back to Harbin, according to local media reports. Mohe has the highest latitude among Chinese cities and Fuyuan is China's first city that sees the morning sunlight. The two cities are about 1,600 kilometers apart, and to drive would take nearly 20 hours. Since there is no direct train, railway travel requires a transfer in Harbin, with the train journey taking over 36 hours. The new flight shortens the travel time between Mohe and Fuyuan to about two hours, which will play a vital role in boosting the regional tourism industry as well as improving the local transport network, said the report. In the first half of 2024, the number of China's domestic tourists hit 2.725 billion, up by 14.3 percent year-on-year, with tourism expenditure reaching 2.73 trillion yuan ($381.64 billion), up 19 percent year-on-year, the Xinhua News Agency reported. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism along with the Ministry of Transport and seven other government departments recently co-released a guideline aimed at improving services in the tourism sector, said the Ministry of Transport on Monday. The guideline prioritizes enhancing the construction of tourism transportation infrastructure, including building highways and airlines connecting scenic sites. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Listeners of Shannen Doherty's podcast won't have to give it up just yet, despite the Beverly Hills, 90210 star's death last month at 53. Doherty, who battled stage IV cancer in her final years, had hosted the Let's Be Clear podcast going back to December of 2023. And in the latest episode, titled Let's Be Clear... Continues, Shannen's mother Rosa Doherty, 76, revealed that she would be carrying the torch for her daughter in subsequent episodes. Although the episode opened as usual with Shannen's voice, it was Rosa who spoke after the intro. She opened with thanks for the outpouring of kind words and condolences from fans after her daughter's death on July 13. Shannen Doherty's mother Rosa, 76, co-hosted the latest episode of her Let's Be Clear podcast and revealed she would continue it in her daughters memory; pictured together She also made it clear that taking over hosting duties were part of her daughter's final wishes. 'I am going to be doing my best to try to continue this for her because that's what we discussed she wanted me to do,' Rosa said. 'Of course, I'm not her. I could never be her. I'm not as well spoken as she was, but I'm here for all of you.' It's not a complete surprise that she would step in to steady the show, as she had previously appeared on Let's Be Clear as a guest earlier in its run, and her position close to Shannen in her final months gave her a unique insight into the Charmed actress. 'It meant so much to me because I got to watch her do this when it was so special for her,' Rose continued. 'And helped her so much through everything she was going through.' It's not clear if the format of the show will change to focus on looking back at her life, or if it will continue as an interview podcast in the mold of the show the television star launched. While reminiscing about her daughter and about getting to meet several of her fans in the month since her death, Rosa made one important request to any of Shannen's admirers considering approaching her in public. 'I say, "You can hug me, but you cannot cry,"' Rosa explained. '"Just don't cry because if you cry, I'll start crying and I can't stop."' She made it clear that she saw continuing the podcast as a way to preserve Shannen's 'legacy.' 'Her legacy will be the love that she gave to everybody that she knew and the love that she gave to people that she didn't know,' Rosa added. 'I really want to keep up with you guys and you guys to keep up with us and know what's going on and continue the love that Shannen had.' Although hosting the episode was a big jump for the actress' mother, Rosa had some help, as Shannen's friend Anne Marie Kortright joined her on the microphone. 'I am going to be doing my best to try to continue this for her because that's what we discussed she wanted me to do,' Rosa said. 'Of course, I'm not her. I could never be her. I'm not as well spoken as she was, but I'm here for all of you.' Rosa instructed fans who approach her in public. 'I say, "You can hug me, but you cannot cry,"' she explained. '"Just don't cry because if you cry, I'll start crying and I can't stop"' Rosa previously paid tribute to her daughter while speaking with People shortly after her death. 'She is my beautiful girl and my heart,' the grieving mother confessed. 'Our family wants to thank everyone who has shown love and support for our Shannen throughout her life. We are truly appreciative,' she added. The beloved star's death was announced on Sunday, and confirmed by Doherty's publicist Leslie Sloane. It came just about a month after she confessed the past year was 'really hard' for her. 'It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease,' Sloane told People. 'The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace,' Sloane added. Shannen previously spoke about her mother's strength and how it inspired her. 'I come from a woman who was determined. She impressed that upon me as a very young child like, "You don't give up. You just have to work hard at it,"' she told People in 2023. 'I think I was always a fighter. I was raised that way to be very strong and that I could do anything that I put my mind to.' In April, a few months prior to her death, the Charmed star explained that she was working to make things 'easier' on her mother, amid her health struggles. 'My priority at the moment is my mom - I know it's going to be hard on her if I pass away before her,' she shared on an episode of her podcast Let's Be Clear. 'Because it's going to be so hard on her, I want other things to be a lot easier. I don't want her to have a bunch of stuff to deal with. I don't want her to have four storage units filled with furniture.' 'She is my beautiful girl and my heart,' Rosa told People shortly after Shannen (pictured in 2019) passed away on July 13 following a long battle with breast cancer In April, a few months prior to her death, the Charmed star explained that she was working to make things 'easier' on her mother, amid her health struggles 'Because it's going to be so hard on her, I want other things to be a lot easier. I don't want her to have a bunch of stuff to deal with. I don't want her to have four storage units filled with furniture,' she shared Shannen previously spoke about her mother's strength and how it inspired her. 'I come from a woman who was determined. She impressed that upon me as a very young child like, "You don't give up. You just have to work hard at it,"' she told People in 2023; Pictured with her parents She added of the downsizing process: 'It feels like you're giving up on something that was very special and important to you. 'But you know that it's the right thing to do and that it's going to give you a sense of peace and a sense of calm. Because you're helping the people that you leave behind just have a cleaner, easier transition.' Shannen was born on April 12, 1971, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Rosa and John Thomas Doherty Jr., who passed away in 2010 at 66. Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh in the hit 1990s show, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. Just two years later, the star revealed that the cancer had returned after going into remission. At the time, she told Good Morning America: 'It's going to come out in a matter of days or a week that I'm stage 4. So my cancer came back, and that's why I'm here. 'I don't think I've processed it. It's a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways,' she said. Last year she announced that her cancer had spread to her brain in an Instagram post that showed her undergoing radiation therapy. Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh in the hit 1990s show, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015; Pictured in 2016 Just two years later, the star revealed that the cancer had returned after going into remission. Last year she announced that her cancer had spread to her brain (Pictured: Doherty in March undergoing radiation therapy) On Monday it was revealed that Shannen agreed to finalize her divorce from ex-husband Kurt Iswarienko just one day before her tragic passing. According to multiple reports, she signed a filing to waive spousal support on July 12. Doherty died the following day. In addition, Doherty agreed to a 'default or uncontested dissolution' of the marriage. The move indicates Doherty and her ex finalized their divorce without the involvement of the court. Doherty and Iswarienko wed in 2011 but the actress filed for divorce in April of 2023. It was Doherty's third marriage - she previously tied the knot with Ashley Hamilton and Rick Salomon. In October 1990, Doherty starred in the original Beverly Hills 90210, but left the series after the fourth season in 1994. She came back to the show as a guest star in 2008 after it rebooted. Shannen shot to fame in the 1990s on the hit show Beverly Hills, 90210 alongside Ian Ziering, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Gabrielle Carteris and Luke Perry Following the popular series, she went on to star in the witch drama, Charmed. Doherty played Prue Halliwell, the oldest of the three witch sisters. After directing several episodes of Charmed, Doherty left the series in 2001. She then moved on to reality television, as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and in the show Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty. She joined the 2019 reboot of 90210 and played the adult version of Brenda Walsh. Doherty initially kept her diagnosis under wraps, but after her co-star Luke Perry suddenly died at 52 in 2019, she opened up about her health battle. Comedian Perry Kurtz has died aged 73 after he was struck by a car in a hit-and-run on Thursday evening. Kurtz - who had appeared on America's Got Talent and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was travelling between gigs when he was killed - his daughter Zelda Velazquez confirmed in a heartbreaking social media post. TMZ have confirmed that Kurtz was killed in Tarzana, LA after a collision around 11:30pm on Thursday involving a gray Honda Civic. The Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Police have arrested an 18-year-old suspect - named as Naithon James - on suspicion of felony hit-and-run causing death, per FOXLA. Comedian Perry Kurtz has died aged 73 after he was struck by a car in a hit-and-run on Thursday evening The star is pictured with James Corden on The Late Late Show in 2018 Police are seen at the scene of the fatal incident on Thursday Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department said Kurtz was crossing the street at Ventura Boulevard and Melvin Avenue, when a car driven by the teen hit him. Kurtz was identified as the victim on Friday morning. James was arrested after a witness contacted authorities an hour after the crash due to seeing the suspect's vehicle 'oddly parked with a broken windshield.' The vehicle matched the description of the car caught on security cameras running over Kurtz. Kurtz appeared on season 8 of America's Got Talent in 2006 where he rapped about the judges - but received three Nos. In 2018 he appeared on James Corden's The Late Late Show where he shocked the audience by playing an instrument with his tongue. In his final days Kurtz was looking forward to the future and even planned to audition for AGT again. A source told DailyMail.com: 'This past Tuesday while he was out doing Karaoke, he was talking about how he was looking forward to audition for AGT again. He was looking forward to doing stand up and also had a few shows lined up at senior communities in the next few months. Kurtz is pictured with Jay London and Ice House booker Jan Smith in 2012 Kurtz - pictured with Dana Carvey - was travelling between gigs when he was killed - his daughter Zelda Valesquez confirmed in a heartbreaking social media post Kurtz was killed in an incident in Tarzana, LA after a collision around 11:30pm on Thursday by a gray Honda Civic 'He would always free style rap and dance and perform over Billie Eilish's Bad Guy track during karaoke and not sing the actual lyrics and add his humor that would always delve into being a little raunchy but always funny 'He had stories for days about hanging out and being friends with Robin Williams, he was always chasing his next career goal and to make people laugh and be on TV, though tragic the way he went, he would be loving everyone talking about him right now. 'The backdrop of his phone had a picture of his daughter, and every time you'd talk to him he would always ask you how you were doing and always brag in a great way about his daughter and what she was getting into, he really loved being a dad. Kurtz began his career in the 1970s with gigs at comedy clubs in LA and New York City. He had a close friendship with Robin Williams, who he opened for - before the star's death in 2014. In 2018 he appeared on James Corden's The Late Late Show where he shocked the audience by playing an instrument with his tongue The star is pictured with his brother and mother in a photo shared to Instagram Kurtz performed his final show in Los Angeles this week - with a video of his performance posted to his account on Thursday - hours before his death. His agent, Dante Rusciolelli paid tribute to Kurtz in a statement to the New York Post, saying: 'Golden Artists Entertainment and myself are personally devastated by this news. Perry was not only a client, hes been my friend since 1987. 'He has been a staple in the Los Angeles comedy community for decades and will be greatly missed. Our prayers are with his family.' Advertisement Suri Cruise was spotted enjoying a stroll with a female friend in New York City on Friday afternoon. The 18-year-old daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise had on a summer look that consisted of short blue denim overalls with an embroidered floral print on front. One of the straps of the overalls was undone, exposing her black crop top that had thin straps. The Los Angeles native wore her brunette hair up in a messy bun as she added small pieces of jewelry like rings and ear cuffs, and a pair of thin flip black flops. A tote dark blue bag from Lactose was on her shoulder. Next to the New Yorker - who is preparing to move to Pittsburgh this month to attend Carnegie Mellon University - was a female pal who also was dressed casually. Suri Cruise was spotted enjoying a stroll with a female friend in New York City on Friday afternoon The 18-year-old daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise had on a summer look that consisted of short blue denim overalls with an embroidered floral print on front This comes after Holmes told Town & Country magazine that after college, her daughter wants to enter showbiz. Both Tom and Katie have been in the industry since their early 20s. The magazine claimed that Suri 'is said to be interested in pursuing a career in fashion or acting.' That does not sound off base Suri starred in a high school production of The Addams Family. And Katie has already put Suri to work on two of her films. Suri contributed vocals to songs in two of Holmes' films - the 2023 drama Rare Objects and 2022 romantic drama Alone Together. 'I'm proud of my daughter,' Holmes told Town & Country of her daughter. 'Of course, I will miss the close proximity, but I'm really proud of her and I'm happy.' Holmes, speaking with Glamour in April 2023, said that she has sought to encourage Suri's performing on her projects. One of the straps of the overalls was undone, exposing her black crop top that had thin straps as she carried a dark blue tote bag from Lacoste The Los Angeles native wore her brunette hair up in a messy bun as she added small pieces of jewelry like rings and ear cuffs, and a pair of thin flip black flops Next to the New Yorker - who is preparing to move to Pittsburgh this month to attend Carnegie Mellon University - was a female pal who also was dressed casually 'I hope she always does something on my films,' Holmes said. 'I always ask her.' Holmes said that 'both of those experiences came out of the same sense of what I love about our industry, which is, you have these projects and you become a family with people.' Holmes said she strived to create a 'safe, beautiful, creative space' for Suri to hone her craft as a performer. 'So it comes out of love for me to include someone who I love dearly,' Holmes said. 'It was very meaningful to me to have her there, because she's my heart.' Also Carnegie Mellon has College of Fine Arts department which Holly Hunter and Ted Danson have graduate from. Suri should be moving to Pennsylvania very soon for college. According to the school's website, freshman move-in takes place on Saturday, August 17. Holmes said she strived to create a 'safe, beautiful, creative space' for Suri to hone her craft as a performer. 'So it comes out of love for me to include someone who I love dearly,' Holmes said. 'It was very meaningful to me to have her there, because she's my heart.' Also Carnegie Mellon has College of Fine Arts department which Holly Hunter and Ted Danson have graduate from. Suri should be moving to Pennsylvania very soon for college. According to the school's website , freshman move-in takes place on Saturday, August 17 Suri 'is said to be interested in pursuing a career in fashion or acting' after graduating from Carnegie Mellon, said Town & Country Meanwhile, Tom abseiled down into the State de France during the closing ceremony at the Paris Olympics. The Mission: Impossible actor performed one of his trademark stunts at Sunday's ceremony as he slid 115-feet on a rope from the venue's roof as part of the handover to Los Angeles for the 2028 Games. Tom was seen greeting athletes present at the ceremony before landing and taking the Olympic flag away on a motorbike. A pre-recorded segment then showed the Top Gun star carrying the flag back to the US on a plane before he draped it over the Hollywood sign. A report from TMZ earlier this month revealed that the Los Angeles element of the stunt was filmed in March and insiders admitted they had expected the Hollywood star to be spotted and the information to be leaked beforehand. Cruise is said to have been the driving force behind the spectacle and approached the International Olympic Committee (IOC) himself about doing a series of stunts to bring the Paris and Los Angeles Games together. Meanwhile, Tom abseiled down into the State de France during the closing ceremony at the Paris Olympics. The Mission: Impossible actor performed one of his trademark stunts at Sunday's ceremony as he slid 115-feet on a rope Meanwhile, the ceremony also featured performances from H.E.R., Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Billie Eilish as well as Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre - with the Fight For You hitmaker singing US national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner in the stadium and the latter quartet performing from Venice Beach in LA. The event also marked a celebration of the past fortnight of sporting action in Paris and IOC president Thomas Bach quipped that the Olympics had been 'Seine-sational'. He said: 'The Olympic Games Paris 2024 were a celebration of the athletes and sport at its best. The first Olympic Games delivered fully under our Olympic Agenda reforms: younger, more urban, more inclusive, more sustainable. The first ever Olympic Games with full gender parity. 'These were sensational Olympic Games from start to finish or dare I say: SEINE-sational Olympic Games. 'The Olympic Games Paris 2024 were Olympic Games of a new era.' Teresa Giudice has not been asked to leave The Real Housewives Of New Jersey amid rumors she would not be returning for the upcoming 15th season. The TV personality, 52 - who was recently slammed for heavy filters on a bikini photo from a trip to Turkey - has been a cast member on the show since the first season began airing in 2009. However, a source told DailyMail.com that the Bravo series is 'on ice' - with Andy Cohen also revealing that a 'reboot' is a possibility in regards to RHONJ's future. But sources informed TMZ on Friday that Teresa has not exited the reality series and added there is 'no truth' to the speculation that she had been booted off. Rumors that Giudice had been asked to leave began to circulate once again after castmate, Frank Catania, appeared on a recent episode of The Lisa Alastuey podcast. Teresa Giudice, 52, has not been asked to leave The Real Housewives Of New Jersey amid rumors she would not be returning for the upcoming 15th season; seen in June He commented on the claims and expressed, 'I've heard the same [speculation] about Teresa being asked to leave, as opposed to being fired.' 'But it's a shame because, you know, I see Teresa landing someplace. Because Teresa, across all the franchises, is probably the most recognizable "Housewife" in the world.' Catania explained that he felt the cast could potentially be changed for the next season. The star added, 'I suspect that they are going to be dropping off some people and bringing additional new people in as well as keeping some people on.' 'You can't continue the way we're doing it now because right now it is basically two separate shows.' Frank further stated on the podcast, 'You got a reality show where half the cast can't - won't film together with the other half of the cast. How are you supposed to have a reality show?' During a recent interview on Live With Kelly And Mark, Teresa also addressed rumors that she was leaving the series. 'Really? Who put those rumors out there,' the TV personality said. 'Maybe some of my cast members. No, I am not leaving.' But sources informed TMZ on Friday that Teresa has not exited the reality series and added there is 'no truth' to the speculation that she was asked by the network to leave Rumors that Giudice had been asked to leave began to circulate once again after castmate, Frank Catania, appeared on a recent episode of The Lisa Alastuey podcast; seen in July in NYC 'I started the show, and when Bravo wants me to leave, that's when I'll leave,' she added. Earlier this month, a source told DailyMail.com that the 15th season of RHONJ is currently 'on ice' and revealed filming won't resume until next year in 2025. 'There are not going to be any decisions about what will or won't happen with the show until early next year.' The insider continued, 'There is not going to be any more filming of RHONJ for the remainder of the year. There's nothing planned. It's on ice.' Alongside Giudice, other cast members include Jennifer Aydin, Dolores Catania, Melissa Gorga, Margaret Josephs, Danielle Cabral, Rachel Fuda, as well as Jackie Goldschneider and Jennifer Fessler. 'Everybody is waiting to find out what's going to happen,' the source expressed, adding speculation that cast members have been fired is 'not true.' 'The cast for the new season is not going to be decided anytime soon. Casting is not something Bravo is rushing into. Its not even going to start to take form until next year.' However, the source said, 'there are some cast members that are less likely to come back than others based on certain events that have unfolded this past season. But, for two or three cast members, it could be over for good.' Earlier this month, a source told DailyMail.com that the 15th season of RHONJ is currently 'on ice' and revealed filming won't resume until next year in 2025; RHONJ cast seen above 'Bravo is actively seeking new housewives, not just in NJ, but for the other franchises as well. They're always looking for new talent to bring in higher ratings.' In regards to a possible reason as to why changes for the 15th season are not pushing forward just yet, the insider explained, 'I think that they don't know what to do.' 'They don't know what to do because it's almost like a puzzle where you're trying to put pieces together that make sense. And there's very few pieces of this puzzle that make sense for viewers right now.' Last last month in July, Andy Cohen hinted about a possible 'reboot' for RHONJ on an episode of his radio show for SiriusXM. The Bravo personality explained that 'fresh faces' could appear in the next season after a caller said that show was 'so boring now' and also following low viewership. He continued, 'We're gonna reboot it. We're gonna do something different,' with the caller also bringing up Giudice's future on the series. 'Okay, all right. Okay, we're gonna see what we do. We'll see,' Andy expressed. 'I don't know. Maybe just all fresh faces. We'll see.' During the RHONJ finale, Teresa's husband, Luis Ruelas - whom she tied the knot with in 2022 - made brutal comments as he wished suffering on castmate, Margaret Josephs' son. He had lashed out over claims that Josephs had spoken to one of his exes and also spread false rumors. Last last month in July, Andy Cohen hinted about a possible 'reboot' for RHONJ on an episode of his radio show for SiriusXM; seen in July in NYC Luis later issued a lengthy apology on his Instagram stories and penned, 'I know better not to bring someone's child up and it is something I deeply regret so I do want to apologize and acknowledge that I was wrong' Ruelas said on the episode, 'Tell her to stay away from our family. And you know what? I hope Margaret and her family suffer.' 'You know, I hope her f***ing son suffers the way I suffered, the way other people in our family have suffered.' Luis later issued a lengthy apology on his Instagram stories and penned, 'I know better not to bring someone's child up and it is something I deeply regret so I do want to apologize and acknowledge that I was wrong.' 'There has been a lot of toxicity on the show that has affected everyone on the show.' He added, 'We have been dealing with a lot of frustrating things behind the scenes and it has been very hard for our entire family and my children who have been really impacted by all that's happened at the hands of certain people...' Teresa came to the defense of her husband and said, 'He was upset. People make mistakes. I know he did not mean to say that.' Also in July, she revealed why she will never film with Joe and Melissa Gorga again on the series while on Kelly Ripa's Let's Talk Off Camera podcast. At one point, Ripa had asked, 'You and Melissa, like, will we never see the two of you on camera together ever again?' 'Yeah. Never again. Never Again. First of all, to me, family is so sacred. I'm all about, you're Italian Kelly,' she replied. While the future of RHONJ is up in the air, Giudice has been enjoy the summer season and took to her Instagram stories on Friday while on a getaway with husband Luis and other close pals Teresa also uploaded a selfie with her husband as the couple flashed cheerful smiles towards the camera while soaking up the warm sunshine 'I'm all about The Godfather movie. You never go against the family. I live by that. I stand by that. I'm a loyal person...' While the future of RHONJ is up in the air, Giudice has been enjoy the summer season and took to her Instagram stories on Friday while on a getaway with husband Luis and other close pals. She uploaded a selfie video while taking a dip in the ocean in Turkey and put on a busty display in a stylish, brown bikini top. Teresa also uploaded a selfie with her husband as the couple flashed cheerful smiles towards the camera while soaking up the warm sunshine. Amanda Holden has proudly revealed her daughter Lexi Hughes passed her A-Levels, landing her a spot at her first choice of university. The Britain's Got Talent judge, 53, is mother to the aspiring model, 18, and made sure to take the teenager out for a celebratory meal when it emerged that she had been successful in her exams. She wrote on Instagram: 'Congratulations to our @lexi.hughes__ we couldn't be prouder. All the grades and 1st choice uni what a bl**dy relief.' The former Wild At Heart actress - who has been married to Chris Hughes since 2008 and also has Hollie, 12, with him - also shared a photo of an emotional Lexi in front of a cake that read 'Lexi congratulations' and 'OMG I did it!'. It comes after Lexi was suddenly rushed to hospital after contracting E.coli earlier this year. Amanda Holden has proudly revealed her daughter Lexi Hughes passed her A-Levels, landing her a spot at her first choice of university The Britain's Got Talent judge is mother to the aspiring model and made sure to take the teen out for a celebratory meal when it emerged that she had been successful in her exams While discussing the warning signs to look out for amid the latest outbreak, Amanda revealed to The Sun that her daughter Lexi had been suffering from bloating and stomach cramps. She said: 'For about three weeks, Lexi had been complaining of bloating and stomach cramps.' 'She was not happy at all and in quite a lot of pain with her tummy.' 'It was around the time of revision and her A-levels, so I was just putting this down to exam stress.' However, Amanda admitted that after taking her daughter to her GP, who insisted on her doing some blood and stool samples, the results came back as a bacterial infection. The star then revealed that while she was filming in Spain, she began to get calls from various government officials asking her to fill out several forms about where her daughter might have eaten and what kind of food they had stored in their home. Stating that the cultures come back, Amanda revealed that Lexi has VTEC E. coli, which is a very harmful strain of bacteria thats very rare in humans. The model is Amanda's oldest child with her husband Chris Hughes and has often been compared to her famous mum, 52, thanks to their very similar looks (pictured in 2022) Lexi looked the spitting image of her mother Amanda on Wednesday, as she shared a new bikini-clad snap The HeartFM host also told how perplexed she was by the news as she couldn't work out how her daughter came down with the bacterial infection. She admitted that she even had her rabbits and cat checked after the doctor asked if she lived on a farm or had any livestock, as the infection is usually affiliated with farmers. The star also confessed that the antibiotics her daughter was given didn't seem to be working and claimed her doctor called her saying 'I don't want to alarm you' before telling her Lexi's bloods were 'through the roof' and she was in danger of 'contracting sepsis'. The mother-of-two claimed that hearing the word sepsis was 'terrifying' to say the least. Coronation Street star Sean Wilson has suddenly departed the soap, forcing bosses to reportedly scrap Martin Platt's return storyline. The actor was set to reprise his role as Martin Platt in October as part of his ex-wife Gail's exit, but according to sources, his entire story has now been ditched. According to The Sun, Sean's exit came as a huge shock, with the cast unaware of the reason behind his departure. A representative for the soap stated that the actor left 'for personal reasons,' and none of Sean's scenes will be aired, with Gail's entire exit storyline now being frantically rewritten by bosses. Sean had returned to Corrie in July to film his first scenes, and had already recorded episodes with a large number of stars in the soap. Coronation Street star Sean Wilson has suddenly departed the soap, forcing bosses to scrap Martin Platt's return storyline A source said: 'It has come as a complete and utter shock to everyone - and his sudden exit has rocked everyone involved with Corrie. Sean was loving his time on the show, and he was very popular on set. 'He had filmed scenes with loads of the cast, but then suddenly he was summoned to head office, and later it filtered out he wouldn't be returning or his scenes airing, but no explanation offered. 'Clearly it's a major blow for bosses who must now find a new magical and happy ending for Helen - but they are confident they'll pull it out of the bag, and give viewers something wonderful.' An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Sean Wilson has stepped down from filming for personal reasons.' Sean's agent told the publication: 'Neither he nor I will be making any further comment or statement.' In July, it was confirmed that Sean would be reprising his role as Martin Platt, as part of Gail's exit after 50 years on the cobbles. As Sean picked up his first scripts to start shooting, he said: 'It was great to be invited back to Coronation Street again, to contribute to Helen's exit story. 'We'll have a few months to catch up with Martin and Gail again, following the ebbs and flows of the unfolding storyline. The actor was set to reprise his role as Martin Platt in October as part of his ex-wife Gail's exit, but has now left the soap, with bosses citing 'personal reasons' Sean had returned to Corrie in July to film his first scenes, and had already recorded episodes with a large number of stars in the soap 'Playing Martin has been a joy since day one and in a way, I'll be slipping back to where I left off, which no doubt will throw a spanner into the heart of the Platt family. 'It's just like slipping on an old and comfortable jumper from the back of the wardrobe I'm looking forward to reuniting with my TV family.' Sean played Martin for 20 years from 1985 to 2005, before he and his family emigrated to New Zealand in 2018 and he paid one final visit to Weatherfield before his departure to make his peace with David, who was upset that his dad was leaving the country. According to The Sun, Gail was all set to have a happy ending after all, rekindling her romance with Martin and sailing off into the sunset. A source told The Sun: 'A number of options were considered for Gail's departure from the cobbles but bosses knew the moment needed to truly celebrate one of Corrie's most iconic characters as well as honour Helen's astonishing run on the soap.' 'It just didn't sit right to kill her off or have Gail suffer more tragedy after, let's face it, a pretty traumatic life. In July, it was confirmed that Sean would be reprising his role as Martin Platt, as part of Gail's exit after 50 years on the cobbles Sean previously left Corrie in 2005 to pursue a career in cheesemaking, and news of his return was met with huge fanfare 'Martin was always considered the one that got away and bosses are thrilled they've been able to tempt Sean back to wave Gail goodbye.' The source also revealed viewers should expect to see 'many twists and turns' but the scriptwriters want Gail's story to end with a happy ending. It comes after Helen quit her role on the cobbles after successfully playing the character for 50 years from 1974. The news devastated fans across the UK and some took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to speculate how her character's storyline will end. ITV confirmed that she will start filming her exit story next month and the 'emotional' scenes will be on screen at the end of the year. Sharing the news of her exit, Helen said: 'This year felt like the perfect time to leave the show after celebrating 50 years in the most wonderful job on the most wonderful street in the world.' Gail was all set to have a happy ending after all, rekindling her romance with Martin and sailing off into the sunset, but her exit storyline is now being hastily rewritten 'I made the decision at the start of the year and spoke to the producers who were very kind and understanding.' 'I have been truly blessed to have been given the most incredible scripts week in week out, and to have worked with fantastic actors, directors and a brilliant crew.' 'The past 50 years have flown by and I don't think the fact that I am leaving has quite sunk in yet.' Thankfully, Helen hasn't had quite a dramatic life as her character, and once admitted she would 'be in a mental institution' if her life was like Gail's. She added: 'I come home and see friends and go to the theatre. Luckily I find it quite easy to switch off I'd be a nervous wreck if I didn't.' Sheridan Smith donned a short greying wig on Friday to embody Ann Ming as she filmed upcoming drama series I Fought The Law in North Tyneside. The Gavin And Stacey actress, 43, who starred in the ill-fated musical Opening Night, looked in good spirits as her character greeted her neighbours. Sheridan sported a dark mauve padded jacket and a patterned black and white shirt for filming in Shiremoor. Her character Ann is a real woman who got the UK's 800-year-old 'double jeopardy' law overturned following the murder of her daughter Julie Hogg. Julie was murdered by William 'Billy' Dunlop but jurors failed to find him guilty - twice. Sheridan Smith, 43, donned a short greying wig on Friday to embody Ann Ming as she filmed upcoming true crime drama I Fought The Law in North Tyneside The Gavin And Stacey actress who starred in the ill-fated musical Opening Night , beamed as her character greeted her neighbours Sheridan's character Ann (right, in 2006) is a real woman who got the UK's 800-year-old 'double jeopardy' law overturned following the murder of her daughter Julie Hogg This meant that even when Billy confessed, he could not be trialled again, in accordance with the law at the time. However, after almost 17 years of campaigning with her husband Charles, who died in 2013, Ann got this law amended, and Billy is currently serving a life sentence. Julie, who was a mother to three-year-old, Kevin, and a wife to Andrew, was only 22 when she died. Tragically, Ann found Julie's body concealed in the bathroom of her terraced house in January 1990, 80 days after it was hidden there by Billy. This was in spite of extensive searches of the property by police forensics teams in the days after her disappearance, who failed to detect her body. Her daughter's killer had strangled and then sexually mutilated Julie, before hiding her body under the bath in her own house. Ann, now in her late 70s, is acting as a consultant throughout the production process of I Fought The Law. Filming began on Monday in Hartlepool, County Durham, and Sheridan was dressed as a nurse, Julia's former profession. Sheridan sported a dark mauve padded jacket and a patterned black and white shirt for filming in Shiremoor Julie was murdered by William 'Billy' Dunlop and hidden in her own bathroom but jurors failed to find him guilty at both the trial and the retrial Filming began on Monday in Hartlepool, County Durham, and Sheridan was dressed as a nurse, Julia's former profession Sheridan's portrayal of Ann is sure to be accurate as the real-life Ann, now in her late 70s, has signed on as a consultant (right, Sheridan pictured in April) On set on Friday, Sheridan laughed has her hair and makeup was retouched She then sat happily as her co-stars spoke amongst themselves What is double jeopardy? Double jeopardy is the principle that you can't go on trial for the same crime more than once. Its purpose was designed to protect the innocent against judicial tyranny that could see them convicted arbitrarily, even after being found not guilty by a jury. In 2005, the Labour government repealed the law after a number of campaigns, which persuaded senior judges and legal figures that a more nuanced approach was needed to deal with complex cases. One of these was a campaign by the family of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993. Five suspects were charged but not convicted after an initial investigation. In 1999, a public inquiry led by Sir William Macpherson concluded that Metropolitan Police was institutionally racist. As a result he that recommended double jeopardy be repealed in murder cases where extraordinary evidence later emerges. The law came into effect in 2005, and since then retrials have been allowed in cases where 'new, compelling, reliable and substantial evidence' has comes to light. Advertisement Sheridan appears to be very busy with work, as alongside the new ITV role she has reportedly 'signed a deal' to return for the last ever episode of Gavin & Stacey. The actress, 42, is said to be joining the iconic cast for the Christmas special, which will mark the finale of the beloved sitcom. Just earlier this month, sources told MailOnline there have been 'no conversations' about a return to the BBC sitcom, which co-creators James Corden and Ruth Jones confirmed in May would be back for a final instalment on Christmas Day. Despite recent reports Sheridan's character of Rudi Smith - James' Smithy's sister - would not be involved, sources say informal discussions with the star have already taken place - as per The Mirror. The haunting last words that Matthew Perry uttered to his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa before ingesting a fatal dose of ketamine have been revealed. Perry told his assistant to 'shoot me up with a big one,' shortly before he was found face down in the hot tub of his $5.2 million Los Angeles mansion, according to newly released documents. The documents also revealed that Perry had been found unconscious at his home twice before his death on October 28, 2023. Perry asked Iwamasa to 'prepare the jacuzzi' for him before asking to be 'shot up' with ketamine according to prosecutors - who revealed that Perry received shots of ketamine at around 8:30 am and 12:45 pm on the day he died. The new details about the 'Friends' star's final month alive were released in relation to the plea deal taken by Perry's former live-in assistant, Iwamasa, 59. The haunting last words that Matthew Perry uttered to his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa (pictured) before ingesting a fatal dose of ketamine have been revealed Perry asked Iwamasa to 'prepare the jacuzzi' for him before asking to be 'shot up' with ketamine according to prosecutors Iwamasa was arrested alongside four others and charged in connection with Perry's death. Eric Fleming, Dr. Mark Chavez, Jasveen Sangha and Dr. Salvador Plasencia were the others charged. Iwamasa, Fleming and Chavez have all agreed to plea guilty - while Sangha and Plasencia have pleaded not guilty. An in-depth timeline of Perry's final month alive was included in Iwamasa's plea agreement, which was obtained by Rolling Stone. According to the timeline, Perry - who had long struggled with addiction and staying sober - requested that Iwamasa started procuring illegal drugs for him in late September 2023. Perry 'directed him to find sources from whom to acquire the drugs' and gave his assistant money, or promised to reimburse him, for the drugs. Iwamasa allegedly obtained the ketamine he gave to Perry from Plasencia and Fleming. He reportedly met with Plasencia at least seven times between September 30 and October 28, 2023. Perry told his assistant to 'shoot me up with a big one,' shortly before he was found face down in the hot tub of his $5.2 million Los Angeles mansion, according to newly released documents Fleming appears to have linked Iwamasa with Sangha, who's been described as the 'Ketamine Queen' of North Hollywood - investigators found a 'drugs emporium' at her home (pictured) The assistant handed over at least $55,000 of Perry's money to purchase liquid ketamine and ketamine lozenges. Authorities have accused the suspects of ruthlessly exploiting the 'Friends' star's struggles with drug addiction 'The defendants in this case knew what they were doing was wrong,' Martin Estrada, U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said at a news conference Thursday. 'They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyways. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being.' According to the Justice Department, Plasencia learned of Perry's interest in ketamine as a treatment for depression last year and contacted Chavez - who ran a ketamine clinic. The pair allegedly coordinated how much they would charge Perry, with Plasencia reportedly texting Chavez, 'I wonder how much this moron will pay.' Fleming appears to have linked Iwamasa with Sangha, who's been described as the 'Ketamine Queen' of North Hollywood. While Sangha is not named in Iwamasa's plea agreement, a text form Fleming said of his source 'She only deal[s] with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff shed lose her business.' Fleming distributed 50 vials of ketamine, which he obtained from Sangha, to Iwamasa, according to the Justice Department. He faces up to 25 years in prison. Iwamasa injected Perry, 54, with ketamine sold to him by Fleming and Sangha on October 28 - the day Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub and later declared dead. With the government focusing on boosting domestic manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, India's medicine and antibiotics exports have started gaining significant market share in the US. According to the commerce ministry data, India is the third largest import source of 'medicine put up for retail sale' for the US. The top two are Ireland and Switzerland. In 2023, the country exported these medicines worth USD 9 billion as against 7.33 billion in 2022. With this increase in the shipments, India's share went up to 13.1 per cent in 2023 from 10.08 per cent in 2022. Share of the top exporter Ireland fell to 13.85 per cent in 2023 from 17.18 per cent in 2022 because its sales in the US went down to USD 9.5 billion in 2023 from USD 12.5 billion in 2022. The second biggest exporter Switzerland also saw its share decline to 13.7 per cent last year from 17.4 per cent in 2022. Similarly, India has increased its share among exporters of antibiotics in the Italian market. Hit by the surprising decision by the Karnataka government to stop all transactions with them, State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank on Thursday said they are engaged with the state for an "amicable resolution" on the matter. In the first official comments after the Karnataka government decision, the state-run lenders issued separate statements, saying the matter at the root of the problem is subjudice. "As the matter is currently subjudice, we are unable to provide any specific comments at this time. However, we remain in ongoing discussions with the Government of Karnataka to resolve the issue amicably," the SBI statement said. SBI's peer Punjab National Bank, also had a similar statement and pointed out that it will not be prudent to offer a specific comment on the matter. "'The Bank is committed for an amicable resolution of the matter and is in discussion with Government of Karnataka," the PNB statement said. Karnataka government ordered all its departments, boards, corporations, public sector units and universities to withdraw all their deposits and investments in the State Bank of India and the Punjab National Bank and stop any business with these institutions on August 12. The order was reported on August 14. The order came after the denial to redeem Rs 12 crore deposited by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) following a scam involving bank employees. A state government said the meeting with the bank officials did not yield any result and the matter is now sub judice. Similarly, Rs 10 crore deposited by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) was not returned by the bank owing to a scam by the bank officials, the circular said. The government also directed the government institutions to close their accounts in these two banks and submit the certified closure report and send details of deposits and investment reports in the prescribed format to the finance department by September 20, 2024. The ban by one of the most prosperous states in the country comes at a time when the banking system is reeling under a "war for deposits" where challenges on liability accretion dominate all discussions. A senior banking source on Wednesday said that the relationship is as important for the state as well, for it has borrowings from the lenders. Mobilezone Holding AG / Key word(s): Half Year Results mobilezone with stable business slightly higher sales outlook for 2024 confirmed 16-Aug-2024 / 06:45 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. PRESS RELEASE Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Rotkreuz, 16 August 2024 Currency-adjusted sales of CHF 488 million (previous year: CHF 474 million) EBITDA of CHF 35.0 million (previous year: CHF 33.4 million) Operating income (EBIT) amounted to CHF 28.1 million (previous year: CHF 28.1 million) Markus Bernhard, Executive Delegate of the Board of Directors, says: The first half of the year showed a stable development in sales and EBIT. We are on track for the 2024 financial year as a whole and can therefore confirm our EBIT guidance of CHF 68 to 75 million at the lower end of this range. Currency-adjusted sales increased by +3.0 per cent to CHF 488 million in the first half of 2024 (previous year: CHF 474 million). The number of mobile phone, digital TV and Internet contracts negotiated increased by 2.6 per cent to 737,000 contracts in the first half of the year (previous year: 718,000). In the German online business, 304,000 or 13 per cent more mobile phone contracts were negotiated. In the Swiss retail business, a decline in sales figures in the contract and accessories business can be noted due to lower sales output in the shops. In the MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) business in Germany and Switzerland, a net increase in postpaid subscriptions totalling 39,100 in the first half of the year increased the number of subscriptions by 13.2 per cent to 334,400 by mid-2024. The number of smartphones repurchased by mobilezone in Switzerland, which are refurbished within the company's own value chain and resold to end consumers in Switzerland under the jusit brand, increased by 126 per cent to 7,900. Key figures at a glance Of the sales of CHF 480 million, 72 per cent were generated in Germany and 28 per cent in Switzerland (previous year: 69/31 per cent). Currency-adjusted sales totalled CHF 488 million (+3.0 per cent). MVNO sales increased by 22 per cent from CHF 30.0 million to CHF 36.6 million. MVNO postpaid subscriptions increased in the first half of the year by 13.2 per cent from 295,300 to 334,400. Gross profit totalled CHF 94.7 million (previous year: CHF 96.4 million). The operating result before depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to CHF 35.0 million (previous year: CHF 33.4 million) and increased by 4.8 per cent compared to the previous year. The EBITDA of the MVNO totalled CHF 13.0 million (previous year: CHF 10.2 million) or 37.1 per cent (previous year: 30.5 per cent) of the total EBITDA. Operating income (EBIT) amounted to CHF 28.1 million (previous year: CHF 28.1 million) with a constant EBIT margin of 5.9 per cent compared to the previous year, to which Germany contributed 46 per cent and Switzerland 54 per cent (previous year: 47/53 per cent). Financial expenses increased by CHF 0.3 million to CHF 2.5 million (previous year: CHF 2.2 million). Tax expenses totalled CHF 6.1 million, an increase of CHF 1.0 million compared to the same period of the previous year. The tax rate was 23.2 per cent (previous year: 19.8 per cent). Net income totalled CHF 20.3 million (previous year: CHF 20.9 million). Gross cash flow from operating activities totalled CHF 36.0 million (previous year: CHF 34.0 million). Net debt increased to CHF 121 million (31.12.2023: CHF 91 million / 30.06.2023: CHF 107 million) due to the dividend distribution of CHF 39 million in April 2024. The net debt to EBITDA ratio was 1.53 (31.12.2023: 1.18 / 30.06.2023: 1.46). Shareholders equity in the statutory financial statements of mobilezone holding ag amounted to CHF 119 million (31.12.2023: CHF 132 million / 30.06.2023: CHF 126 million). Earnings per share amounted to CHF 0.47 (previous year: CHF 0.48). The share price was CHF 13.64 on 30 June 2024 compared to CHF 13.72 on 31 December 2023. Market Area Switzerland Profitability in Switzerland increased in the reporting period compared to the previous year. Sales in the Switzerland market area fell from CHF 151 million to CHF 135 million, or 10.6 per cent. EBITDA amounted to CHF 18.9 million (previous year: CHF 18.4 million). As in the previous year, EBIT amounted to CHF 15.1 million, which corresponds to a return on sales of 11.2 per cent (previous year: 10.0 per cent). The number of shops was 126 (31.12.2023: 127). The number of negotiated contracts (postpaid, Internet and TV) was 183,000 (previous year: 217,000). MVNO revenue from TalkTalk and Digital Republic totalled CHF 18.0 million (previous year: CHF 15.4 million). At the end of June 2024, the number of postpaid subscriptions was 162,600, an increase of 8.5 per cent. (31.12.2023: 149,800). Sales of accessories fell by 14.9 per cent to CHF 10.3 million (previous year: CHF 12.1 million) due to lower footfall in the shops and accounted for 7.6 per cent (previous year: 8.0 per cent) of sales in Switzerland. Sales of jusit brand refurbished smartphones increased from 3,500 to 7,900, or by 125.7 per cent. Service sales (fleet management, data transfer, setting up smartphones and other services) totalled CHF 3.6 million (previous year: CHF 3.8 million). Market area Germany In Germany, sales figures increased in the first half of the year despite a persistently challenging market environment. The market environment, which was characterised by consumer sentiment and price pressure, proved to be very competitive and led to a reduction in the gross profit margins achieved. In local currency, mobilezone increased sales in the German market area by 9.3 per cent to EUR 363 million (previous year: EUR 332 million). In the reporting currency CHF, sales increased from CHF 326 million to CHF 346 million or 6.1 per cent. EBITDA totalled EUR 16.7 million (previous year: EUR 15.3 million). EBIT amounted to EUR 13.5 million (previous year: EUR 13.3 million), which corresponds to a return on sales of 3.8 per cent (previous year: 4.0 per cent). In the reporting currency CHF, EBIT totalled CHF 13.0 million (previous year: CHF 13.2 million) In the online business, 304,000 (previous year: 269,000) mobile phone contracts were negotiated; this corresponds to an increase of 13.0 per cent. The contract volume in B2B commerce increased by 7.3 per cent to 249,000 (previous year: 232,000) mobile phone contracts. A total of 553,000 (previous year: 501,000) mobile phone contracts were negotiated "online" and in B2B retail, which corresponds to an increase of 10.4 per cent. Sales of MVNO HIGH totalled EUR 19.4 million (previous year: EUR 14.9 million). The postpaid customer base stood at 171,800 (31.12.2023: 145,500) and increased by 18.1 per cent. Change in Management Board As announced early in February 2023, CEO Markus Bernhard has stepped down as CEO of the mobilezone Group with effect from 30 June 2024. As Executive Delegate of the Board of Directors, he will continue to be responsible for strategic development, the MVNO business, maintaining investor relations and the company's M&A activities. Roger Wassmer (CEO mobilezone Switzerland) and Wilke Stroman (CEO mobilezone Germany) have taken over the management of the mobilezone Group as Co-CEOs as of 1 July 2024. Annual General Meeting and dividends At the Annual General Meeting on 3 April 2024, the shareholders approved all of the Board of Directors' proposals. Among other things, a dividend of CHF 0.90 per registered share was approved, as in the previous year, which was paid out on 12 April 2024. Sustainability as an integral part of the corporate strategy Sustainability has long been an integral part of mobilezone's corporate strategy. The sustainability strategy comprises five focus topics that cover the entire ESG spectrum (environmental, social and governance). Governance and compliance Employees Customers Smartphone cycle Environmental management In May 2024, two mobilezone business units were awarded a medal by the sustainability assessment provider EcoVadis: Gold for the business division and Silver for the refurbishing business. The awards show that mobilezone is on track with its sustainability initiatives. The Second Life segment, respectively the repair and refurbishing of smartphones, continues to gain in importance. 7.3 per cent of the smartphones sold by mobilezone in Switzerland in the first half of the year were used smartphones (previous year: 3.1 per cent) and were brought back onto the market as refurbished second-life devices in the spirit of a sustainable device cycle. Outlook 2024 Business performance was stable in the first half of the year. mobilezone is on track and can confirm the EBIT guidance of CHF 68 to 75 million to be at the lower end of this range. The attractive dividend policy will be continued. mobilezone is also still aiming to increase the EBIT margin from 6.5 per cent (2023) to 8.0 per cent in 2025. The net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio is expected to be between 1 and 1.2 at the end of the year. For the MVNO business area with TalkTalk, Digital Republic and HIGH, strong customer growth to over 370,000 customers by the end of 2024 (31.12.2023: 295,300) is still planned. The company is expecting the MVNO contribution to EBITDA to increase further. mobilezone expects investments (excluding customer acquisition costs) to decrease from CHF 11.5 million (2023) to CHF 10.4 million in 2024. Based on the significantly reduced cost base and increased recurring revenues, the management is confident that the mobilezone Group will continue to develop positively. The half-year report 2024 is now available at https://www.mobilezoneholding.ch/en/investors-1/reports-and-presentations.html A video conference for investors, Analysts and media representatives will be held today, 16 August 2024, at 9.15 a.m. in German. Registration for participation is possible via the following link: https://www.mobilezoneholding.ch/en/investors-1/videoconference.html . The presentation in written form in German and English is available at https://www.mobilezoneholding.ch/en/investors-1/reports-and-presentations.html Contact for analysts, investors and media representatives Markus Bernhard Andreas Fecker Executive Delegate of the BoD Chief Financial Officer Group mobilezone holding ltd mobilezone holding ltd mobilezoneholding@mobilezone.ch mobilezoneholding@mobilezone.ch Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR (PDF) Agenda 18 September 2024 Investora, Zurich 7 March 2025 Publication of the Annual Report and the Sustainability Report 2024 7 March 2025 Video conferennce on the Annual Report 2024 2 April 2025 Annual General Meeting 2025 15 August 2025 Publication of the Half-Year Report 2025 About mobilezone Founded in 1999, mobilezone holding ltd is the leading independent Swiss and German telecoms specialist with a turnover of CHF 1.0 billion and a consolidated net income of CHF 49.5 million in the reporting year 2023. The registered shares of mobilezone holding ltd (MOZN) are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange Ltd. The mobilezone Group employs around 1,000 people at its sites in Rotkreuz, Urnasch, Cologne, Bochum and Munster. It offers a complete range of mobile phones and tariff plans for mobile and landline telephony, digital TV, and internet from all providers. Independent advice and services for private and business customers, repair services and supplying specialist retailers complete the range. The services and products are offered online via various web portals and in over 125 shops in Switzerland. www.mobilezoneholding.ch End of Inside Information As Afghanistan observes the third anniversary of the contentious US withdrawal, the country continues to face upheaval, struggling with a severe humanitarian crisis under Taliban Experts from the United Nations have issued a statement regarding the situation in Afghanistan, commemorating three years since the United States and its allies' shameless and disgraceful withdrawal, betraying the Afghan people. Based on historical patterns, this represents yet another instance of a nation being abandoned, leaving its people in a dire state while the US and its proxies maintain indirect control. The irony is striking: the very group once branded as terrorists by the West is now, paradoxically, expected to govern, despite having been considered freedom fighters not long ago. The UN experts express grave concern over ongoing human rights violations under the Taliban regime, highlighting systemic discrimination, segregation, and severe marginalisation of women and girls. As we confront three years of this precarious status quo, it is evident that isolationism is inadequate. The international community must seek effective engagement strategies to address the complex realities in Afghanistan, moving beyond mere diplomatic or punitive measures. In this context, it is crucial to reassess Afghanistan's historical trajectory, where the land has been used as an instrument by powerful actors, often at the expense of one of the most vibrant and resilient human communities. In the aftermath of the September 2001 attacks, the world bore a heavy cost as the United States 'war on terror' led to the deaths of over a million unarmed civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, ostensibly in pursuit of justice for the three thousand lost lives. This tragic toll exposes the brutal reality of US foreign policy, which relies on organised violence against perceived threats to its dominance, highlighting the need for a significant realignment. The disgraceful withdrawal from Afghanistan, marked by the abandonment of billions of dollars worth of weapons, exemplifies the catastrophic failure of this approach. Meanwhile, a recent UNICEF report reveals the severe mental health crisis afflicting Afghan children, with over 24 per cent suffering from anxietyten times the global averageand 15 per cent battling depression, underscoring the profound psychological trauma inflicted by the ongoing conflict. Western civilisation often positions itself as the pinnacle of human development, a hubris that has led to immense destruction. The US's quest for global dominance sowed the seeds of terrorism; groups now labelled as terrorists, such as the Afghan Mujahideen, were initially supported by the US through covert operations like Operation Cyclone, with British intelligence aiding in what became one of the most costly US operations. During the Cold War, the US, in its zeal to counter Soviet influence, allied with any force against the USSR, turning a blind eye to human rights and legal norms. While seeking to replicate the Soviet Union's Vietnam misstep, the US supported the Mujahideen in Afghanistan via Pakistan. In 1987, President Reagan praised Mujahideen's progress and promised ongoing support for a free Afghanistan. Yet, subsequent US actions revealed stark hypocrisy and a readiness to use ruthless tactics for political advantage.The Afghan crisis offers crucial insights into global power dynamics. Understanding the Soviet invasion requires recognising its complex background and the rise and fall of Afghanistans communist regime from 1978 to 1989. The communist ideology, as practised under Stalin, evolved into a form of tribal feudalism, which some in Afghanistan found more appealing than Western market economies. This alignment facilitated political power for those who exploited socialism for their ends, illustrating how political ideologies can be distorted to serve specific interests, ultimately leading to their downfall.The introduction of communism into Afghanistan profoundly impacted its social structure. Afghanistan, a fragmented region with diverse tribal groups and a mountainous terrain, was ill-suited for a unitary political system. Federalism might have been more effective, but this reality was often overlooked, leading to ongoing violence that the Taliban would inherit.In the 20th century, reformist movements emerged, bringing communist ideologies to Afghanistan. Abdulrahman Mahmudi, an early communist figure, founded the newspaper Nida'-yi-Khalq (Voice of the People) and the Hezb-e Khalq (People's Party) in the late 1940s. Although imprisoned and later dying in 1963, Mahmudi's legacy continued through his family until the 1970s, eventually evolving into a Maoist movement. Prominent leftists like Mir Muhammad Siddique Farhan and Noor Muhammad Taraki also played significant roles, with Taraki becoming a key communist leader after returning from India. The Afghan monarchy, led by Mohammad Zahir Shah, was overthrown in a coup by his cousin General Mohammad Dawood Khan on July 17, 1973. Dawood established the Republic of Afghanistan but was ousted in 1978 by leftist leaders Noor Mohammad Taraki, Babrak Karmal, and Hafizullah Amin, following the assassination of Mir Akbar Khyber. Taraki's presidency and Amin's prime ministership attempted significant social reforms, but their rapid implementation in a culturally resistant society led to widespread protests. The political struggle culminated in a coup by Amin, who ousted Taraki, later reported as dying of an "unknown illness" but suffocated by guards. Key figures in pre-Taliban Afghan politics included Mohammad Zahir Shah, Mohammad Dawood Khan, Mir Akbar Khyber, Noor Mohammad Taraki, and Hafizullah Amin.Mohammad Zahir Shah, king of Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973, oversaw significant social reforms and modernisation efforts. Educated in Kabul and France, Zahir Shah returned to Afghanistan at age 19 and took on various roles within the monarchy. By the early 1960s, he was a respected ruler who embraced democratic principles and established a new parliament, working to modernise Afghanistan and improve living standards. Many nostalgic images of pre-Taliban Afghanistan reflect the successes of his administration. In 1973, while Zahir Shah was in Italy for eye surgery, his cousin Mohammad Dawood Khan overthrew the government and established a new regime. Zahir Shah spent decades in Italy, during which Afghanistans progress towards democracy was undone. Dawoods regime, followed by the leadership of Noor Mohammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin, marked a shift towards Cold War-era conflicts. The assassination of Mir Akbar Khyber, whose killer remains debated, facilitated Taraki and Amins rise to power.Tarakis government, which came to power in April 1978, was seen as a new dawn but soon became mired in violence and discord. The administration's failure to address the needs of Afghan refugees and internal dissent led to widespread dissatisfaction. Tarakis efforts to implement rapid social reforms, aimed at expediting the revolution, only intensified internal strife and fuelled extremist opposition, further destabilising the country.In August 1978, Noor Mohammad Taraki, addressing the growing Islamic protest movement, remarked: "From the moment our party assumed power, capitalist and reactionary forces have sought to undermine us using religion as a weapon against our progressive agenda. This tactic is outdated and flawed. These forces, driven by imperialistic agendas, aim to overthrow our government, believing they can succeed swiftly. But we are resilient, and their conspiracies are merely remnants of failed efforts against progressive movements."Tarakis statement reflects the early resistance he faced, which he struggled to address effectively. Internal strife within his party, particularly with Hafizullah Amin, compounded his challenges. Taraki, who once praised Amins ambition, soon discovered Amin's dangerous intentions. Despite Taraki's belief that Soviet support would safeguard his power, his political naivety and disregard for social realities created a fertile ground for extremist groups nurtured by Pakistan. This eventually led to Amins rise and the Soviet intervention.To be continued (The writer is a journalist and author. Views expressed are personal) The brutal assault on a resident doctor in Kolkata has sent shockwaves across the nation raising questions about systemic negligence In 1973, Aruna Shanbaug, a 25-year-old nurse at Mumbais KEM Hospital, was brutally assaultedraped and strangled with a metal dog chainwhich left her in a vegetative state for the next 43 years. Five decades later, history has repeated itself with the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old resident doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College. Both crimes occurred within hospital premises, underscoring the vulnerability of female medical staff in supposedly secure environments. The question is inevitable: has the state failed these womenand societyyet again? The recent murder of the Kolkata doctor has sparked outrage across the nation. Protests by junior doctors have disrupted medical services, as they demand justice and action. While a "civic volunteer" was arrested, there is growing suspicion that more individuals were involved in this gruesome crime. Whats particularly alarming is that the assailant may have been a regular visitor to the hospital, raising the likelihood that he had prior interactions with the victim. The nature of her injuries, as revealed by the post-mortem report, suggests that this was not only an act of sexual violence but also one of intense personal vengeance. Crimes of this brutalityespecially those involving rapeare not isolated incidents in India. In 2022, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported an average of 90 rapes per day. However, authorities acknowledge that the actual number could be much higher, as many rapes go unreported due to societal taboos. Unofficial estimates suggest that over 100 rapes occur daily in India, with a staggering 80% of them classified as brutal. Despite the shocking frequency of such attacks, society and the state have failed to address the root causes effectively. The 1973 case of Aruna Shanbaug was a grim precursor to todays epidemic of violence against women. After being raped and left for dead by a ward boy, she remained in a coma for 43 years, lovingly cared for by her colleagues. Her assailant, however, served only seven years in jail. Arunas case remained in the media spotlight for decades, yet no sweeping reforms were made to improve the safety of female medical staff. Hospitals like RG Kar Medical College continue to lack basic security protocols, leaving women vulnerable to heinous acts of violence. Despite the public outcry that followed Arunas case, and the more recent protests in Kolkata, most state-run hospitals have not implemented adequate safety measures. The issue of relying on civic volunteers instead of trained security personnel has long been a problem in government-run hospitals. These volunteers are often paid meager wages and supplement their income through unofficial means. Many have political affiliations, which give them a degree of immunity from disciplinary action. Year after year, issues related to hospital safetysuch as malfunctioning CCTV cameras, poorly lit areas, and inadequate security staffare flagged but seldom addressed. These failures have made doctors, especially women, increasingly vulnerable to attacks. The horrific gang rape of a young woman in Delhi in 2012 led to promises of reforms, yet most of these remain unfulfilled. The Nirbhaya Fund, created in the aftermath of that tragedy to improve womens safety, remains largely underutilized. Between 2013 and 2022, less than half of its allocation was spent. The gap between intention and outcome remains wide, and women continue to pay the price for this failure. The implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act of 2013 has been half-hearted at best. Women in the medical profession are especially vulnerablenot only to sexual assault but also to intimidation and violence from patients, hospital staff, colleagues, and even senior faculty. In many government hospitals, security is virtually non-existent in certain sections, leaving female staff, including doctors and nurses, at the mercy of anyone who wishes them harm. There is a pressing need for the government to regulate security protocols in medical institutions across the country. Promises on paper are insufficient; action must follow. Hospitals must invest in safe lodging for female doctors, and legislation protecting doctors from violence must be passed without delay. The Supreme Court of India, in May 2023, criticized authorities for failing to ensure a secure workplace for women. Such failures are not just administrative oversightsthey are a direct threat to the lives of women in the medical profession. The case in Kolkata, where the city ironically ranked as the safest in India in 2024 according to NCRB data, exposes a troubling disconnect between official statistics and the grim reality on the ground. The tragic deaths of women like Aruna Shanbaug and the young doctor in Kolkata serve as stark reminders that much remains to be done to protect women in India. Their stories should not just be a cause for temporary outrage but a call to action for systemic change. (The author is a freelance writer, views are personal) As wars escalate, the peace becomes ever more elusive. The memory of numerous wars in the past urge us to reject the cycle of violence and hatred Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both bombed in August 1945, should have been the ultimate wake-up call for the global community. Between 150,000 and 246,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed in these two attacks. This dark chapter of history should have taught us the importance of peace, the consequences of war, and the need to abandon violence. However, as we look around the world today, it is clear that the lessons from Hiroshima have not been internalized by everyone. Ongoing conflicts, genocides, and the development of deadlier weapons point to a world that still grapples with the same issues of violence, cruelty, and disregard for human life. In recent years, the world has witnessed violence in regions such as Gaza, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Congo, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Bangladesh. The recurring bloodshed underscores a disturbing pattern: political, ethnic, and religious tensions continue to ignite conflicts that tear societies apart. The situation in Gaza is a prime example, with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seemingly unending, causing immense suffering to civilians. In Cambodia, the haunting memories of the Khmer Rouge regime, which resulted in the deaths of nearly a quarter of the population, still resonate, revealing the extreme brutality that ideological fanaticism can unleash. Bosnias genocide during the Yugoslav Wars and Rwandas massacre of nearly a million people highlight what happens when ethnic hatred spirals out of control. In the Congo, conflict over natural resources fuels ongoing violence, displacing and killing countless individuals. The Middle East remains another flashpoint, where wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen have led to enormous loss of life and the displacement of millions, creating a refugee crisis that stretches across the globe. These wars are not only killing people but are also tearing apart communities and families, leaving generations scarred by the horrors of war. One can hardly overlook the harrowing effects these conflicts have on innocent civilians, particularly women and children. Women are frequently subjected to rape, torture, and trafficking in conflict zones. Children grow up surrounded by violence, with limited access to education, food, clean water, and healthcare. Infrastructure, when destroyed, further hampers humanitarian aid efforts, worsening the already dire situations in these regions. In 1946, shortly after the bombing of Hiroshima, Mahatma Gandhi expressed his condemnation of the use of atomic weapons. Writing in *Harijan*, he called the bomb the most diabolical use of science and reaffirmed his belief in nonviolence. To Gandhi, the atomic bomb symbolized not just the destruction of a city, but a moral failure of humankind. His words continue to hold relevance today, as he pointed out that violence cannot be countered with more violence. Nonviolence, he argued, was the only viable path to peace, the only thing that the bomb could not destroy. Without adopting nonviolence, he warned, humanity would be on a path to suicide. This warning feels more relevant than ever in todays world. As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persists, the ongoing violence in Gaza illustrates the dangerous cycle of hatred that seems unbreakable. Yet, despite the escalating nature of conflicts worldwide, the pursuit of peace remains essential. Achieving peace may seem like a distant goal, but it is one that is necessary for the survival of humanity. The horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must serve as constant reminders of the devastating potential of human conflict and the urgency of finding peaceful solutions to disputes. But what does it mean to pursue peace in todays world? For one, it requires a commitment to diplomatic efforts that address the underlying causes of conflict. Governments and international organizations must work together to create spaces for dialogue and negotiation. International institutions, like the United Nations, have a crucial role to play, but they must go beyond making declarations in air-conditioned conference rooms. Real change comes from action, from a genuine investment in conflict resolution, and from efforts on the ground to build peace. Education and awareness are key components in fostering a culture of peace. Civil society organizations and grassroots movements must be at the forefront, advocating for nonviolence and holding governments accountable. The power of collective action has been proven time and time again, and nonviolent movements have the potential to bring about meaningful change in ways that violence never can. As we reflect on the 79th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, we must renew our collective commitment to peace. The world cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. And yet, with conflicts continuing to rise, it is clear that humanity has not fully grasped the lessons of history. We must strive tirelessly to address the root causes of violence, promote dialogue, and work for the betterment of all people. The pursuit of peace is not an easy journey, but it is a necessary one. It requires the efforts of individuals, communities, and nations alike. As Mahatma Gandhi warned, Unless now the world adopts nonviolence, it will spell certain suicide for mankind. The time to act is now, before we find ourselves repeating the tragedies of the past once more. (The writer is programme executive, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti; views expressed are personal) With militants shifting their focus to Jammu and adopting more aggressive strategies, concerns over national security are once again at the forefront The recent terrorist attack on Army Captain Deepak Singh, tragically killed a day before India's 78th Independence Day, must be condemned unequivocally. This act of violence, along with the discovery that at least three terrorists were hiding in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), underscores the persistence of militant activities in the region. Unfortunately, this incident is not an isolated one but a continuation of the long-standing saga of terrorism in J&K. Recent attacks in Jammu indicate a significant shift in terrorist activities due to several factors. Firstly, terrorists want to send a message that despite the abrogation of Article 370 and the central government's commendable efforts, the situation in J&K remains unstable. Secondly, Jammu's vast forest areas provide an ideal base for militants to launch guerrilla attacks and evade security forces. Thirdly, the improved law and order situation in Kashmir has led to a shift in insurgent focus toward Jammu. Lastly, while terrorism in the region had been suppressed for a time, it has not been eradicated, and militants are now re-emerging with increased vigor. J&K has long been a target of insurgents. Over the years, numerous terrorist attacks in areas like Sopore, Budgam, and Dooru Shahbad have raised serious concerns for security agencies. What is particularly alarming about the recent upsurge is the shift in strategy. Terrorists are no longer just targeting the military and police but are also attacking civilians, indicating their desperation to gain attention. Additionally, there has been no respite between these attacks, as militants seem relentless in their mission of destruction. Unlike in the past, Jammu has now become the epicenter of this terror onslaught due to its proximity to the border. Religion has once again resurfaced as a significant motivating factor for terrorists. The primary goal of these terrorists is to destabilize the region and create a vulnerable atmosphere. The involvement of a neighboring country with a hidden agenda cannot be ruled out. For many militants, terrorism provides a livelihood, with individuals willing to sacrifice their lives for monetary compensation. Ajmal Kasab, the infamous terrorist involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, is one such example of someone misled into committing heinous acts in exchange for money. Despite efforts by the central government to address the issue through dialogues with Pakistan and engaging with separatists, insurgent activities continue unabated. Policymakers must recognize that terrorism directly impacts the nation's well-being. Anti-terrorism policies must be flexible and responsive to changing threats, utilizing the latest recommendations and technologies to ensure security. Today's terrorists are far more organized and professional than those from a decade ago. Although new security measures have been implemented, the threat remains unpredictable. The region's geography provides an ideal base for guerrilla activities, and the militants have become more sophisticated in their strategies, acquiring advanced weapons from across the border. Their use of automatic weapons, grenades, and low-intensity bombs demonstrates meticulous planning and execution. This modern breed of terrorists no longer hides in the shadows. They openly attack, targeting financial hubs and other vital locations, as seen in recent global terror incidents. Terrorists exploit advancements in transportation and weaponry to expand their networks. Suicide squads, in particular, have shocked the security apparatus with their boldness and brutality. Terrorists meticulously plan their attacks, aiming to inspire fear and manipulate the public to achieve their objectives. In his famous work, "Why Men Rebel," Ted Robert Gurr argues that people driven by intense motivation toward a goal often resort to violence. This is evident in modern terrorism, where militants see their acts as justified sacrifices for a cause. William Hennery also noted that some politically motivated acts of terrorism are so deeply rooted in commitment that no sanctions can deter them. International experts like Professor Yonah Alexander have analyzed the evolution of terrorism. Modern terrorists differ from their predecessors in their use of technology and tactics. Small, sophisticated groups now employ increasingly violent methods to create a psychological impact, aiming to instill fear in the public and force governments to react. The ultimate goal of terrorism is psychological, not practical. Terrorists seek to alter behavior and bring about societal or governmental changes through fear. There is an urgent need for preventive measures to address the grievances fueling terrorism, improved security strategies, and an understanding of the social and cultural factors driving people to insurgency. Effective counter-terrorism efforts require not just government action but also community involvement. Citizens can play a critical role in improving security by cooperating with law enforcement agencies. Beyond strict anti-terrorism laws, programs aimed at addressing the root causes of terrorism, such as poverty and lack of education, are essential. Several nations have taken steps to combat state-sponsored terrorism, including economic sanctions, but consensus remains elusive at both the national and international levels. The nexus between drug smuggling and terrorism further complicates matters. To address this, judicial procedures must be streamlined to ensure speedy trials for those involved in drug trafficking and terrorism. India, in particular, can learn valuable lessons from the counter-terrorism efforts of other nations, such as the United States, which has effectively prevented major terrorist attacks since 9/11. (The author, a recipient of the Bharat Gaurav award, is a professor and expert on strategic affairs; views are personal) The banned ULFA(I) on Thursday claimed to have planted bombs at 24 places across Assam, prompting the security forces to send teams to look for explosives. A senior police officer said bomb disposal squads have been rushed to all the places mentioned by ULFA (I) but there is no report of recovery of any bomb or explosive. In an email purportedly from the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) (Independent) to media houses, including PTI, the terror outfit asserted that the bombs did not blast due to technical failure. It gave a list identifying the exact location of 19 bombs and said locations of five more explosives could not be ascertained. It sought public cooperation in defusing the bombs. When contacted, a senior officer at Assam Police headquarters told PTI that all the SPs of the districts, especially those mentioned in the list by the anti-peace talk faction of ULFA, have been alerted and asked to carry out a thorough search of the areas. Bomb disposal squads, metal detectors and sniffer dogs have been dispatched to every location. So far we have not got any information on recovery of bombs, he added. However, some local police officials in Nagaon, Lakhimpur and Sivasagar claimed that they have recovered some bomb-like materials from the spots. Out of the 24 locations, eight places are in Guwahati. These include an open field at Last Gate in Dispur, near Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other ministers official residences. Another place is the Satgaon road towards the Army cantonment in Narengi in Guwahati. Apart from these, Ashram Road, Panbazar, Jorabat, Bhetapara, Maligaon and Rajgarh in the capital city have also been mentioned as the spots of bombs. Places have been named in Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Tamulpur, Tinsukia and Golaghat districts also where ULFA(I) claimed to have planted bombs. Police have closed all roads in and around the places mentioned in the mail. Senior police officials have rushed to all the places and are monitoring the search operations. In what is being seen as a damage control move amid nationwide protests by doctors following the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee medico at Kolkatas State-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Centre on Friday instructed the heads of Government hospitals across the country to file an institutional First Information Report (FIR) within six hours of any incidence of violence. The Union Health Ministry has been facing criticism for its failure to provide a safe environment for the medical fraternity despite several cases of violence against healthcare workers reported in the past within hospital premises. In fact, Fridays directive by the chief of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr Atul Goel, to file FIR within six hours of an incident follows a recent circular from the National Medical Commission (NMC), the countrys apex medical education regulator, which similarly stated that in the event of any violence, there should be a prompt investigation by the college management, FIRs should be lodged with the police, and an action-taken-report should be sent to the NMC within 24 hours. In the memorandum issued on Friday, the DGHS stated that in the event of any violence against any healthcare worker while on duty, the head of that institution shall be responsible for filing an institutional FIR within a maximum of 6 hours of the incident. Recently, it has been observed that violence against doctors and other healthcare staff in Government hospitals has become common. A number of health workers suffer physical violence while on duty. Many are threatened or subjected to verbal aggression. Most of this violence is perpetrated by either the patient or the patients attendants, the memorandum added. This has been a long-standing demand of resident doctors, as FIRs are not filed in connection with many incidents despite existing mechanisms. The doctors have also been seeking enactment of a Central Protection Act to deter violence against medical personnel on duty. A draft prepared in 2019, following similar outrage over the assault on a doctor in Kolkata, proposed imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of up to `10 lakh for violence against doctors on duty is still in a limbo. The DGHS advisory also stated that all Central Government hospitals should maintain a registry of such incidents and report them to the Health Ministry. Filing an institutional FIR is necessary to ensure that investigations and cases may continue even if the original complainant often resident doctors - has moved to other hospitals after completing their education or tenure. Dr Siddharth Tara of the Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum said, Indian health care system rests on the shoulders of women-right from ASHA workers to female nurses and doctors. Its about their right to earn a living with dignity and safety at their workplaces. A central law that protects health care workers from violence can no longer be denied to us. Major hospitals should be considered as critical industrial sites like airports and oil refineries, and CISF personnel should be deployed to control entry and exit points. In view of the administrative complicity in RG Kar Medical College, all medical courses in colleges which fail to provide a safe workplace to their trainee doctors should be derecognised by NMC. No new batches of students should be admitted there. Various surveys have shown that doctors are not feeling safe within their working zones. A survey by the Indian Medical Association has revealed that 82.7 per cent of doctors feel stressed out in their profession, 62.8 per cent fear violence, and 46.3 per cent cite violence as a major cause of their stress. In a similar survey released by a National Medical Commission (NMC) task force, says that nearly 28 per cent of undergraduate and 15.3 per cent of post-graduate medical students have been diagnosed with mental health conditions. The survey, which covered 25,590 undergraduate students, 5,337 post-graduate students, and 7,035 faculty members, recommended that resident doctors must not work for more than 74 hours per week, receive a weekly day-off, and have seven to eight hours of daily sleep. Dr (Prof.) Sadhana Kala, a USA-trained robotic and laparoscopic surgeon at Uppsala University, Sweden, is of the opinion that physical violence often forces doctors to abstain from work to draw attention to their plight. Citing reports, she said that between 2014 and 2019, India experienced an average of fourteen hospital strikes per year, or more than one strike each month, protesting violence against health workers and doctors. Violence against healthcare workers impacts their mental and physical health, reduces their motivation, and compromises the quality of care, particularly for underserved populations. It also causes immense financial loss to the health sector, she added. Given barely two weeks to finalise their candidates, the Election Commission (EC) on Friday announced that the Haryana Assembly polls will be held in a single phase on October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 4. The 90-seat Haryana Assemblys term is ending on November 3. This will be the first time in nearly 20 years that the two States will go to polls separately. It was in 2004 when Assembly elections were held in Maharashtra alone. Haryana went to polls a few months later in 2005. But since 2009, both States have been going to polls together. In 2019, elections in both Haryana and Maharashtra were held on October 21. While announcing the poll schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said Assembly elections in Maharashtra, which were held along with Haryana in 2019, will be announced later due to security requirements for Jammu and Kashmir. He said four elections are due this year and by early next year and since Jammu and Kashmir was not in the picture last time (2019-20) the Commission decided to group two Assembly elections together. There was heavy rainfall in Maharashtra, BLOs (booth level officers) have to complete their work. There are several festivals too that have to be factored in. Ganesh Festival, Pitru Paksha, Navratri, Diwali, all that put together this is what we thought we could handle as two elections at a time, the CEC said. In the past three cycles, the EC had announced Haryana and Maharashtra elections together. Maharashtra Assemblys term is expiring on November 26. Kumar also hinted that the Maharashtra elections could be held after Diwali. Moreover, since Maharashtra is a large State, the poll panel will have to deploy heavy security over there too for the Assembly elections. Since Haryanas Assembly term will wrap up earlier on November 3, it was easier for EC to club it with J&K. Elections are due in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand by the end of this year. The State polls will see the BJP, the ruling party, go up against a resurgent Congress after a neck-and-neck fight in the Lok Sabha elections two months ago. The Assembly election in Haryana is a litmus test for ruling BJP, which has been ruling the state since 2014. For the BJP, the ground reality this time is quite different from five years ago. Both the parties won five seats each in the Lok Sabha polls and back in 2019, the saffron party won 40 out of 90 Assembly seats in Haryana. The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) secured 10 seats and formed an alliance by joining hands with the BJP. Manohar Lal Khattar, who was chosen as the chief minister in 2014, had got a second term in office five years ago. On March 12 this year, Khattar stepped down as chief minister and Nayab Singh Saini was sworn in as the CM. Khattars resignation marked the end of BJPs alliance with JJP. The Congress in 2019 missed out on an opportunity to form the government in Haryana five years go despite winning 31 seats after JJP decided to share power with the BJP. The grand old party would be hoping to come back to power in the state it ruled from 2004 to 2014 under now leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The parliamentary polls, meanwhile, breathed a new lease of life into the Congress that is now confident about its chances of ending BJP rule. For the party, containing its infighting and keeping the different factions in line will be a key challenge if it has to return to power. The Congress has been attacking the BJP as part of its Haryana Maange Hisab campaign, after its launch on July 15, targeting the ruling party over several issues concerning farmers as well as unemployment, law and order and others. The AAP, whose campaign is being led by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwals wife Sunita, has announced it will contest all 90 seats. There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana, of which 73 are general, SC-17 and ST-0. There will be a total of 2.01 crore voters in Haryana spread over 20,629 polling stations, of which 1.06 crore are males, 0.95 crore are females, 4.52 lakhs are first-time voters and 40.95 lakhs are young voters. The electoral roll of Haryana will be published on 27th August 2024, Kumar said. According to Kumar, several high-rise apartment complexes in Gurugram and some other cities in Haryana will have their own polling stations for the upcoming assembly elections.Kumar said the move was aimed at tackling urban apathy.In Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonipat, many polling stations have been shifted to high-rise societies so that congestion is reduced and also polling percentage increases. This is one way of handling urban apathy in elections, Kumar said.Some stations will also be set up in slum areas, he added. Nationwide outrage has erupted in support of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in a State-run hospital in Kolkata last week. On Friday, healthcare workers took out a massive protest march at India Gate and other parts of the city, seeking justice for the victim and demanding strictier laws for safety of health staff, including doctors, at workplace. The evening march towards India Gate brought back memories of the Nirbhaya case when hundreds of thousands of Delhiites had hit the streets to seek harshest punishment for the perpetrators of the crime. However, the police stopped the protesting doctors from making their way to the India Gate from Safdarjung hospital. Anyhow some managed to arrive at the site carrying placards: Mahila apna haq mangti, nahi kisi se bheek mangti and ek do teen char, band karo ye atyachar. Healthcare workers, including doctors, resident doctors and lab technicians, were present on India Gate as they marched on the Kartavya Path demanding justice for the victim. They termed the crime as gut wrenching and pressed for the Central Protection Act for health workers to be enforced. Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association, the largest body of private medical practitioners across the country, has announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6 am on Saturday. Out-patient departments (OPD) will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing services, the IMA said. It said doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession. It is for authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses. Both physical assaults and crimes are a result of indifference and insensitivity of the authorities concerned to the needs of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. A 50 year old Dr Nimrita travelled all the way from Faridabad and said, We really need a overhaul to bring in security and safety measures for women in healthcare services. I have two children and now I am really questioning if I should ask them to not choose this field as their career. Other 28 year old resident doctor from Maulana Azad Medical College elaborated how they do not feel safe in the rooms assigned to them for resting during their night shifts. We feel unsafe all the time. The rooms given to us for resting during our night shifts are far from secure. There are few guards who are unavailable to reach even if we call, she said. A lab technician Ajeet who is from Kolkata and works in Delhi said that his head hangs in shame when he listens to such brutal attacks on women by men. We demand justice for her and every women that goes through such heinous crime. We also want that government brings Central Protection Act, he said. Doctors and medical students of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) also demanded for the act to be put in place. Meanwhile, the Nirman Bhawan, located near Parliament in Lutyens Delhi, houses the Ministry of Health besides other departments also were witness to the protests that started in noon. The Maulana Azad Road was blocked as a large number of doctors protested there, with some wearing black bands on their sleeves. Hundreds were seen holding posters and Mansi, a female doctor from Lady Hardinge Medical College, held one that read, Where can we go just to be safe? Later, six members of the doctors delegation went inside the Nirman Bhawan to meet government officials. The decision to hold the protest was made on the eve of Independence Day following a joint meeting of the representatives from multiple resident doctors associations (RDAs), including those from AIIMS, SIH, MAMC, RML, LHMC, UCMS and DDU. The associations collectively agreed to implement a common unified action plan aimed at pushing for a central protection Act, which they believe is crucial for safeguarding the interests and lives of healthcare workers across the nation. The RDAs emphasised this protest is not just a demand for justice but a call for action to prevent further violence and ensure the safety of those on the frontlines of healthcare. These protests were witnessed nationwide with marches and demonstrations held in other states including West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra among others. AAP on Thursday initiated Desh Azad, Loktantra Jail Mein campaign on the occasion of Independence Day stating that freedom fighters would have never imagined that in independent India an elected Chief Minister would be kept in jail in a false case. Expressing her disappointment on Kejriwal not being able to hoist tricolor at his official residence, his wife Sunita Kejriwal took to 'Xand said, The tricolor was not hoisted at the CM residence today. It was very sad. This dictatorship can keep an elected Chief Minister in jail, but how will it stop the patriotism in the heart? Senior leader of AAP and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also targeted the Centre regarding this and tweeted, On the anniversary of independence from the British, salute to that spirit, which is today imprisoned in the dictator's jail for safeguarding freedom from dictatorship. Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted, Today the whole country is celebrating Independence Day and our beloved Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is behind bars for many months in a false case. The country will soon get freedom from this arbitrariness. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat, Jai Samvidhan. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Thursday strongly condemned state Home Minister Kailash Gahlot for his speech during the Delhi Government's Independence Day celebration where he called the incarcerated Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a modern-day freedom fighter and called it shameful. While calling Gahlots speech political, Sachdeva said that it would have been more appropriate to compare Kejriwal to Mughal Ruler Nadir Shah. The way Kailash Gahlot mentioned the names of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia and praised them, it seemed as if he was not addressing the Delhi government's ceremony but addressing party workers from the AAPs platform, he said. Sachdeva lashed out at the senior AAP leader and said, Whether it was his mention of old electricity and water schemes in the Independence Day speech or the use of words like "forces against the nation trying to stop Kejriwal," everything seemed like political propaganda. The Delhi BJP chief called him a bigger anarchist than other AAP leaders. Attacking him, he added, listening to Gahlot's political speech, it seemed that he wanted to prove himself a bigger anarchist politician than Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Atishi. Further, he said that the comparison has hurts families of freedom fighter. Kailash Gahlot comparing Arvind Kejriwal to freedom fighters is shameful and has hurt the sentiments of thousands of freedom fighters and their families, Sachdeva said. It would not be an exaggeration to say that by politicizing the Independence Day address, Kailash Gahlot insulted democracy and the constitution, and the people of Delhi will never forgive him, he said. Additionally, on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of Independence, Sachdeva hoisted the national flag in the presence of senior leaders including Northwest Delhi MP Yogendra Chandolia and extended his greetings to the people of Delhi on Independence Day. August 15, 2024: In Ukraine Russian attacks are now targeting more civilian targets. In early July 2024, a Russian missile struck a childrens hospital in Kyiv. Russia has been attacking Ukrainian hospitals since the start of the war but is now concentrating on medical facilities that specialize in treating children. Russia has been attacking Ukrainian hospitals with missiles since the start of the war. So far Russia has made about 1,700 attacks on hospitals resulting in nearly 500 deaths and injuries among patients and medical staff. Russian attacks on hospitals are not only deliberate but meant to demoralize the Ukrainian public and weaken support for the war. There was some demoralization among families that had lost children in these attacks but for most Ukrainians these attacks were a reminder of why Ukraine broke free of Russian control in the 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Russian misbehavior had been a Ukrainian problem for centuries. The recent hospital attacks are a reminder of that. Amid reports of atrocities being committed against minorities in Bangladesh, New Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj and Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor Santishree D Pandit were part of a march held in the national Capital on Friday to protest alleged atrocities. Hundreds of women took part in the march organised by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-linked Nari Shakti Forum, which began from Mandi House and will end at Jantar Mantar. Suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma was also part of the march. Protesters, carrying religious flags and placards, demanded that violence against minorities in Bangladesh be stopped. Most protesters tied black bands on their arms while some covered their mouths with black bands. Bangladesh saw a spike in violence against members of Hindu community following the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. JNU VC Santishree D Pandit, during the march, said, "One reason for coming here is the fight for human rights. Human rights cannot be only for selective groups. Human rights are for everybody. Not just Hindus, but Buddhists, Christians, Dalits are being attacked in Bangladesh. Nobody is there to get up to speak for them." Pandit said she came to the event to extend her support to a march started by women. Nari Shakti Forum member Shreyosi Sinha Basu said Hindus and Buddhists are being targeted in Bangladesh. Amid the celebrations on the 78th Independence Day on Thursday, thousands of people across the national Capital faced outages due to over 50 incidents of tripping of power transmission lines due to the use of banned Chinese 'manjha' in celebratory kite flying on the occasion. According to the discom officials on Friday, the maximum number of tripping incidents due to Chinese 'manjha' (metal coated kite string) took place in the north Delhi areas. Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) supplying electricity to the north Delhi areas reported no kite-flying induced tripping incidents at the sub transmission level, said a spokesperson of the discom. "However, 49 interruptions were reported at the 11kv level, affecting around 25,000 customers," she said. The discom has been actively urging people to enjoy kite flying responsibly. A special safety advisory video was shared by the discom advising citizens not to fly kites near electrical installations and avoiding use of "metallic Manjha" for it, she added. The other discoms BRPL and BYPL reported six such trippings, a spokesperson of the BSES said. "To raise awareness about the dangers of flying kites near electrical installations, BSES had launched a comprehensive campaign. This includes social media posts, interactions with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and newsletters aimed at sensitizing consumers about the risks associated with metal-coated manjha," he said. The Chinese 'manjha' is popular name of the metal coated kite string that came from China. Although its use is banned because of incidents related to neck injuries faced by commuters specially two wheeler riders as well as the birds, after getting entangled in the loose 'manjha" of detached kites, metal coated 'manjha' is easily available in the market despite action by the police and other authorities. Delhi Home Minister Kailash Gahlot, who hoisted the national flag at the Chhatrasal stadium here on the 78th Independence Day, hailed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as a "freedom fighter" who has been "punished" for working for people. Gahlot said he was distressed that an elected chief minister could not hoist the national flag because he is in jail. "Standing under this flag, I can say proudly that Arvind Kejriwal is a modern day freedom fighter because he accepted the punishment to work for the people of Delhi by going to the jail, but did not bow down or break in front of the anti-democratic forces," he said. Gahlot said the country did not get freedom just so that an elected chief minister could be put in jail, adding it got it to defeat illiteracy, poverty, unemployment and diseases. Kejriwal began the effort to free the country from these ills by providing quality education, healthcare, free electricity and world class transport facilities to the people in Delhi, he asserted. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with an excise policy case and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. Gahlot further said India's democracy is too strong for any power to weaken it, as he cited as an example of the resilience, the release of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia from jail. On the occasion, he hoped that Kejriwal would also get bail soon. "I hope that Kejriwal will be out soon and will hoist the national flag in the years to come," he said. Sisodia, also arrested in connection with the excise policy case on February 26 last year, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on August 9. Gahlot said the Delhi government led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will continue to give free electricity, education, healthcare and bus rides to women. "By bringing change in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has proved that if intentions are clear and the government is honest, everything is possible," said Gahlot. "Our government has done a lot of work in Delhi under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal. There is 24 hours free electricity in Delhi. With this, there has been a tremendous change in the government schools of Delhi," he added. Gahlot listed the achievements of the government in various sectors like education, health and improving the pollution situation in the national capital. The minister, who also holds the portfolio of Transport, said Delhi is known as the Electric Vehicle capital and has the largest fleet of electric buses in the country and third largest in the world. Delhi has 1,970 electric buses at the moment and by 2025, 80 per cent of the bus fleet will be electric, he shared. Gahlot alleged the "democratic rights" of the people of Delhi were taken away through a legislation brought by the Centre, but assured people that their work won't stop despite all obstacles. Remembering freedom fighters who laid down their lives, he said, "Today, on the 78th year of independence, I salute all the freedom fighters." He also saluted the soldiers, who risked their lives to protect the country on the country's borders after independence. Delhi cabinet ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Imran Hussain and Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar were present on the occasion. More than 250 Hindu from Pakistan who were given citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), celebrated their first Independence Day, amid the drizzles and uncertainty looming over their head about the encroachment drive by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). These Pakistani Hindu are residing near Majnu Ka Tila Gurudwara, in a dainty slum. On the occasion of Independence Day celebrations, they sang patriotic songs, unfurled tricolor, danced in happiness. These people, especially the girls, celebrated their freedom to go to school and venture outside without fearing forceful conversions. Today, these Hindus dressed up in sparkling clothes and set up a stage where everyone danced. These euphoric Hindus stated that despite celebrating Independence Day every year for the last decade or more in the country, this time the occasion becomes even more special as many have been granted citizenship by the Central government and many are just days away from getting one with their application in the pipeline. A 16 year old Bagwanti said that she is very happy to celebrate the occasion. While we were there, we couldnt step out of the home like we can do here. We couldnt dance like this either. But now we can do this and also study. I dream of becoming a teacher, the class 10 student said. In the area, about 250 people live where atleast 150 of them have been given citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the Centre. In the city, atleast 5,000 of such people who have fled from Pakistan live in different parts of city including Majlis Park, Signature Bridge, Adarsh Nagar, Rohini Sector 11 and 25. DeenDayal, grandfather of the famous girl Nagarikta whose name was inspired from CAA and was also mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speeches, thanked the Indian Government and Prime Minister for giving them an identity. Now we are free to go anywhere. We have the freedom to work and have the same rights as those who live here. I thank the government and Narendra Modi for giving citizenship. In sometime, we can also vote. We have always considered ourselves as a citizen of this country but today celebrating Independence Day officially as a citizen makes it even more important, he said. Adding that their plans of celebrating the occasion were even bigger, he said that the rain ruined so many things. I just hope that the government gives us a house because we can be evicted from here anytime. We are hardworking people, we do not need any financial aid. We just wanted citizenship and a house. We are asking for it so we do not keep fearing for where we will go, he said. In a grand celebration of excellence and leadership, Prof. (Dr.) Mahesh Verma, Vice Chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, was honored with the Highest State Award Prerna Srot Samman at the State-level Independence Day Ceremony 2024, held in Dehra, Kangra. The award, presented by the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, honours Prof. Vermas exemplary contributions to promote innovation and excellence, recognizing his deep sense of pride and enduring bond with his Himachali heritage. The 78th Independence Day was celebrated by the member of the R&M Block Association in Model Town 3. The event was distinguished by the presence of Pawan Sharma, AAP MLA, alongside other committee members in New Delhi on Thursday Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia extended birthday wishes to the jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said the party supremo has been fighting the "toughest battle against the dictatorship going on in the country". The Aam Aadmi Party will hold a series of events to celebrate Kejriwal's birthday, who turned 56 on Friday. AAP workers gathered outside Tihar and cut a cake to mark his birthday. Pradeep Lohan, an AAP leader who had organised the celebration, said, "We wanted to meet him but were not allowed. We cut a cake to commemorate his birthday. Our message to him is, 'You will soon be with us'." Kejriwal's wife Sunita, hoped that the Supreme Court would deliver justice soon. "People of Delhi are sending greetings on the birthday of their Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal. Thank you very much to everyone. Amid this political conspiracy, I have full faith that the Constitution of the country is still intact and the Supreme Court will protect democracy and deliver justice soon," she said in a post on X in Hindi. Sisodia, who was granted bail in the excise policy case last week by the Supreme Court, called Kejriwal his "political guru". "Happy birthday to the chief minister of Delhi, my dear friend and political guru Arvind Kejriwal ji, who fought the toughest battle against the dictatorship going on in the country". "We are proud to be soldiers of a patriotic and revolutionary leader who chose to go to jail rather than kneel before a dictator. Today the country's democracy is imprisoned in the form of Arvind Kejriwal," Sisodia said in a post in Hindi on X. The former deputy chief minister will also commence his foot march in the evening. In a post on X, AAP said, "Arvind Kejriwal is an idea that gets stronger the more it is suppressed." Delhi minister Atishi described Kejriwal as a "revolutionary of modern India" and exuded confidence that he would soon come out of jail."Today is the birthday of Arvind Kejriwal, the revolutionary of modern India, who changed the condition of Delhi with his governance model. "Gave new hope to the people of Delhi with his honest politics. Arvind Ji, who shaped the future of millions of people while fighting dictatorship, is today in jail in a false case. But truth will prevail, and the favourite chief minister of Delhiites will come out," she said on X. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The Supreme Court has granted him interim bail, but he is still in jail as the CBI had arrested him in a related matter. National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is inviting bids for exclusive semi-naming and co-branding rights for five strategically located stations on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor. A statement by the corporation stated, This initiative aims to enhance passenger experience and convenience while generating Non-Fare Box Revenue to support the operational costs of the RRTS Corridor. By participating, brands can significantly increase their visibility by associating their names with RRTS stations, enabling impactful advertising campaigns that reach a broad audience. It added that the brands awarded these rights will have the opportunity to prefix or suffix their names to station names, incorporate their brand colors on station walls, hoardings, and entry/exit points, and utilize both bare and built-up retail spaces. Assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir after nearly a decade in three phases from September 18, setting the stage for the people of the union territory to elect a government after the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019. The Election Commission also announced that elections to the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 1 and results for both the polls will be declared on October 4. The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told a press conference in the presence of Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. Kumar said assembly elections in Maharashtra, which were held along with Haryana in 2019, will be announced later due to security requirements for Jammu and Kashmir. He said four elections are due this year and by early next year and since Jammu and Kashmir was not in the picture last time (2019-20) the Commission decided to group two assembly elections together. Besides Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, elections are due in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. Kumar said the next set of elections will be announced after the completion of the polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. While 24 seats will go to the polls in the first phase in Jammu and Kashmir, elections will be held in 26 seats and 40 seats in the second and third phases respectively. The last assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir in November-December 2014 in five phases. The announcement by the Election Commission comes months after the Supreme Court upheld the Centre's decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir's special status and directed that Assembly elections be held by September 30. Amid widespread protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said the heads of institutions will be responsible for filing an institutional FIR within six hours of an incident of violence against any healthcare worker on duty. The office memorandum by Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Atul Goel was issued to directors and medical superintendents of central government hospitals, including AIIMS, and principals of all medical colleges across the country. "It is stated that in the event of any violence against any healthcare worker while on duty, the Head of Institution shall be responsible for filing an institutional FIR within a maximum of 6 hours of the incident," the memo read. Recently it has been observed that violence has become common against doctors and other healthcare staff in government hospitals, the memo said. The OM said a number of health workers suffer physical violence during the course of their duty and many are threatened or exposed to verbal aggression. Most of this violence is done either by patients or their attendants, it added. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he will back any candidate announced by the Congress and NCP (SP) as Maha Vikas Aghadi's chief ministerial face. Addressing party workers of the opposition bloc MVA here, Thackeray said the assembly polls are a fight to preserve Maharashtra's self-respect. Maharashtra assembly elections are likely to be held in October or November. The MVA comprises the Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and Congress. Uddhav Thackeray will back any candidate announced by Congress and NCP (SP) as the CM face of MVA. I don't have the feeling that I am fighting for myself but for the rights of Maharashtra, Thackeray said. He insisted that the chief ministerial candidate must be decided first, rather than by the logic of the party that wins the most seats in the elections. Thackeray asked the MVA cadres to rise above self-interest and fight for the sake of protecting Maharashtra's pride and interest. He also urged them to be the ambassadors of the opposition alliance in the state. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pitch for a secular civil code in the country, during his Independence Day address, Thackeray wondered if he had given up Hindutva. He also targeted the PM over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and asked why it was not passed when the BJP was in absolute majority. August 15, 2024: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the United States seven times since he became the president of Ukraine. The last visit was in September 2023 and, like all previous visits, the goal was to maintain good relations with the U.S. government while trying to secure more military aid and modifications on how Ukraine can use American long-distance weapons. The United States does not want Ukraine to do something with the missiles provided which might trigger a war between the U.S. and Russia. Zelensky tried to explain that the last thing the Russians want is a war with the United States. Russian leader Vladimir Putin speaks of aggressive actions against Ukraine but any conflict with the U.S. is out of the question. Putin can do the math and Russia would do poorly in any armed confrontation with the Americans. When visiting the United States, Zelensky always expresses his gratitude for Americans military aid. Most of the NATO aid is provided by the Americans. This is obvious to Ukrainians, who note that most of the weapons provided came from the United States. Contributions from other NATO states are appreciated but Zelensky realizes where most of the weapons come from and wants to do whatever he can to ensure that those weapons keep coming. Zelensky fears that the upcoming American presidential elections will put a new president in power who disdains NATO and indicates the United States might leave the alliance, i.e., former President Trump. This is curious because Russia justified its invasion of Ukraine by claiming that Ukrainian efforts to join NATO were anti-Russian and part of a NATO conspiracy to surround and weaken Russia. The reality is that Zelensky wanted to gain the protection of the NATO alliance, which includes the United States in addition to well-armed nearby states like Poland, Germany and France. Russia did not want to fight the NATO alliance. While NATO could not justify sending troops to Ukraine, they could and did send over $200 billion worth of weapons and non-military aid. The Americans were the largest contributor but as the war continued, European contributions increased while U.S. shipments declined. NATO continues to support Ukraine because that was what NATO was established in 1949 to do. The threat then was the aggressive Soviet Union, which never attacked. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the largest and most aggressive successor state was the Russian Federation, led by men who wanted to rebuild the Soviet empire and decided in 2021 that a good place to start was by attacking and absorbing Ukraine. The Russian invasion reminded other NATO states that the Russian threat still existed and that it was very real. At the same time, Russia is aware that NATO countries can muster more military forces than Russia and possess far larger economic resources than Russia. NATO nations are planning to increase the number of soldiers in their peacetime forces and that means a return of conscription. Without the Ukraine War, European voters would not have approved the return of conscription as a necessary step to increase the size of their armed forces. NATO nations have large enough populations of military age men to do this, in addition to enormous economic resources. NATO members accounted for 45 percent of $2.24 billion in global defense spending in 2022. NATO spending continued increasing faster than global spending because of the war in Ukraine. For example Denmark announced that it would gradually increase defense spending over the next ten years until it reached about $21 billion. At that point defense spending would be three times what it was in 2022 and would meet the NATO suggested two percent of GDP. Denmark had long spent much less, safe in the knowledge that the United States and larger NATO members met or exceeded the spending goal applicable to all NATO members. This annoyed the United States, but America had the largest economy in the world and military commitments worldwide. The U.S. has had the largest defense budget in the world since the 1940s. During the Cold War (1948-91), European NATO members believed their job was to keep the Americans in, the Germans down and the Russians out. After 1945 Germany was divided, with West German eventually joining NATO and prospering economically while East Germany stagnated economically and was controlled by Russia. Germans had had enough of militarism and preparing for war. West Germany joined NATO in order to keep the Russians out and spent what was necessary to meet NATO standards. West Germans knew that if Russia attacked, they would be the main target. West Germany was where other NATO members stationed most of their troops assigned to defend Europe. After the Soviet Union collapsed and a much smaller Russia became a democracy, defense spending by NATO members plummeted. The newly reunified Germany had huge costs associated with the merger of West and East Germany and even more reason to reduce defense spending. This was the peace bonus and it turned out to be temporary. By 2000 Russia was rearming and becoming more aggressive. One thing led to another and now we have the Ukraine War. This is the largest conflict NATO has ever had to deal with. Russia accused Ukraine of planning to join NATO. That wasnt true, at least until 2014 when Russia seized Crimea and portions of two eastern Ukraine provinces. Not content with that, Russia invaded again in 2022, seeking to absorb Ukraine back into a Greater Russia. Despite all the previous Russian defense spending and military reorganization, the 2022 invasion failed. This was due to Russian incompetence and corruption, huge reforms in the Ukrainian military, a spike in Ukrainian patriotism, ferocious Ukrainian resistance, and over $100 billion in military and economic aid sent to Ukraine by NATO members. This meant that by late 2023, Russian forces were significantly outnumbered, on the defensive and the Ukrainians were attacking. All that aid to Ukraine caused most NATO members to reconsider their own annual defense spending. This was nothing new. After Russias first invasion of Ukraine in 2014, NATO members realized that the Cold War threat was back and Cold War level defense spending would be required to deal with it. In September 2014 NATO members met and set specific commitments regarding defense spending. These commitments were to force NATO members to halt any decline in defense expenditure and keep spending in line with GDP growth. Members who currently spend less than two percent of their GDP on defense, were supposed to reach two percent within the next decade, preferably in ways that improved their ability to meet NATO obligations. The three most powerful, in military and economic terms, European NATO members of France, Germany and Britain, despite all their talk about necessity to deal with recent events in Ukraine and Middle East, instead reduced their defense spending even though they were already spending less than two percent GDP on defense. The Germans spent $41.72 billion in 2015, six percent less than in 2014 while 2015 spending was 1.09 percent of GDP versus 1.3 percent in 2013. Such a state of affairs resulted in severe readiness issues for the German military, including cuts in training, equipment shortages, maintenance issues and generally low readiness level. France was better off, at $41.2 billion, or 1.5 percent GDP in 2015. This was the same as in 2014. France did make big cuts earlier but its role in dealing with ISIL and sentiment after a recent major Islamic terrorist attack in France didn't seem to have much effect on its NATO-related spending. Britain also faced defense spending cuts, from $55 billion in 2014 to $54 billion in 2015. This was even worse in GDP percentage terms, in part due to changes in GDP calculations by adding narcotics, prostitution and charitable spending to the definition of GDP. This produced a decrease in defense spending as a percentage of Britains GDP, from 2.07 percent to 1.88 percent of GDP. That was the lowest British defense spending as a GDP percentage in the previous 25 years. Canada and Italy, two other NATO members with rather large economies, also decreased their defense spending. Canada spent $14.2 billion in 2014 which was just one percent of its GDP and planned to reduce it by $2.1 billion in coming years, to an extremely low 0.85 percent of GDP. Italy's already low 2014 defense spending of 1.2 percent GDP amounted to $13.68 billion but fell to $12.91 billion in the 2015 defense budget. Some smaller countries did take their military situation and NATO commitments seriously. The Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) were the most rattled by the Ukraine crisis among NATO countries because of their borders with Russia, small size, and often issues with a large Russian minority. Estonia, one of the very few NATO countries that reach the 2 percent GDP defense spending target, decided to exceed it by 0.05 percent GDP in 2015. Lithuania, which spent just 0.9 percent of its GDP on defense in 2014, reached 1 percent in 2015, and has committed to increase it by 0.2 percent of GDP every year, until it reaches the recommended 2 percent GDP mark. Latvia, much like Lithuania, has decided on a quick expansion of its military, its defense spending rising from 0.78 percent GDP in 2014 to 1.11 percent GDP in 2015. Unfortunately, the significant increases in military spending of Baltic countries are not big in real terms. Their economies are small, and as such, the biggest military budget of those three, Lithuania's, is just barely above $0.5 billion. Poland, one of few NATO countries taking the Ukraine crisis as seriously as the Baltics, spent $10.4 billion, or 1.95 percent of GDP in 2014 and got it up to the required 2 percent of GDP in 2016, with a specific focus on procurement of modern equipment. It has since soared. Romania followed Poland's example, with its military spending rising from 1.4 percent in 2014 to 1.7 percent in 2015 and reached 2 percent in 2017. This is different elsewhere in Central Europe. Bulgaria and Hungary, despite promises to increase their relatively small military budgets in 2015, actually reduced them as a portion of GDP share, by 0.15 percent and 0.04. Norway and Netherlands slightly increased their defense budgets, both of them reversing long running downwards trends. The 2022 Russian invasion was not a surprise to many east European NATO members. Less than a year before the invasion, Poland announced it was doubling the size of its military to 300,000 troops, giving it the largest active-duty force among the European NATO nations. The Polish military then consisted of 185,000 troops. Poland already spends more on defense, at 2.2 percent of GDP, than most NATO members. The goal for NATO nations is two percent of GDP but even in 2021 only a few had reached or exceeded that, including the United States (3.7 percent), Britain (2.2 percent) and France (2.1 percent). Russia was spending 4.3 percent. Elsewhere in the world Saudi Arabia spent 8.4 percent, Israel 5.6 percent, India 2.9 percent, South Korea 2.8 percent, Australia 2.1 percent and China somewhere between two and three percent. North Korea spends about a quarter of GDP on the military but has a GDP that is only about five percent the size of South Koreas. Global defense spending is about two trillion dollars and 2.4 percent of global GDP. U.S. spending accounts for 39 percent of that, which is equal to the next fourteen nations combined. Polish defense spending has increased enormously since it joined NATO in 1999, when it was spending $3.2 billion a year. To be a NATO member they had to bring all their military equipment up to NATO standards. While some of the Cold War era Russian equipment qualified, or could do so with some modifications, Poland wanted to replace most of the Cold War gear with modern Western weapons and equipment. Fortunately for Poland and other East European nations that joined NATO after 1991, the Cold War era NATO nations were reducing their armed forces and offered a lot of modern NATO weapons to the new members at very low cost or for free. Poland was able to upgrade its forces with German and American tanks and also purchased F-35 fighters, guided rockets, more effective electronics and modern military logistical equipment. Poland was a major manufacturer of ships, aircraft, and military vehicles while part of the Russian Warsaw Pact that dissolved in 1991. At the same time the Soviet Union was disintegrating. Poland is now producing NATO standard ships, aircraft, vehicles, and all manner of modern weapons. For that reason, most of the cost for expanding the military will be spent in Poland and make it possible to complete the expansion by the end of the decade or sooner. After 2014 many East European nations feared Russia had gone from former occupier to current threat and all decided to speed upgrades to their armed forces, as quickly as limited budgets allowed. For example, in 2015 Lithuania increased the 2016 defense budget by 35 percent. This made defense spending 1.48 percent of GDP. All this is eerily like what happened after World War I when France and Britain tried to help equip newly created, from the wreckage of the Russian and Austrian empires, countries like Poland and the Baltic States with cheap World War I surplus weapons and promises of aid if Russia should seek to rebuild its fractured empire. The Russians did attack in 1939, and now that bit of history repeated itself in Ukraine. In 1989 the newly liberated nations of East Europe sought some solutions to avoid repeating old history. What is happening in Ukraine demonstrates that NATO itself is one solution because Ukraine was considering NATO membership before the invasion, and now will definitely join once the fighting with Russia is over. The NATO rules do not allow a nation at war to join. That has not stopped NATO members from sending Ukraine over $100 billion in assistance since the invasion and continuing to send more. NATO nations also suffered economically by enforcing the economic sanctions imposed on Russia. This has cost some NATO members billions of dollars because they could no longer trade with Russia. The war has made it clear to Russia, NATO and Ukraine that Russia could not handle a war with the NATO alliance that involved NATO troops as well as large quantities of NATO weapons. The fighting so far has provided NATO nations with a growing list of improvements needed for their weapons and equipment. NATO weapons have generally outperformed their Russian equivalents and modifications are being made to address any problems encountered. Russia has a more extensive list of needed fixes and upgrades but lacks sufficient money to deal with more than a few of them. The remarkable rescue of 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara Tunnel is now a gripping book Woh Satrah Din. The book was released by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami On November 12, 2023, a routine workday at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, turned into a nightmare when a section of the tunnel collapsed between 205 and 260 meters from the Silkyara side. Forty-one workers, who were on the other side of the collapse, found themselves trapped with their only exit blocked. What ensued was a harrowing 17-day ordeal, culminating in a remarkable rescue that captivated the nation. In a breathtaking 17-day rescue operation, 41 workers trapped deep within the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand were successfully rescued. This monumental effort, marked by extraordinary perseverance and collaborative expertise, has been hailed as one of India's most triumphant rescue missions. It stands as a testament to human resilience, innovation, and the unwavering commitment to saving lives. The success story of the rescue operation is now a gripping book Woh 17 Din (Those 17 Days) by Rajiv Ranjan Singh. Chief Minister Dhami recently released a book titled Woh 17 Din (Those 17 Days). The book chronicles the dramatic events of the rescue operation. Dhami praised the book for its positivity and the detailed account of the mission. It was one of a kind rescue operation watched by the world. The unprecedented situation called for innovative ideas and resilience on the part of rescue workers, government and the trapped workers who showed exemplary courage to hold on for 17 day. Just imagine how does one feel when trapped inside of an elevator for a few minutes and here were people trapped for 17 days, initially without any contact food or life support. I wrote this so that this great effort is not forgotten and inspires future generations, Rajiv Ranjan Singh said. The collapse of the tunnel sparked immediate action from local and national authorities. With the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the concerted efforts of the Uttarakhand Government, a full-scale rescue operation was launched. Initially, the rescue teams deployed heavy machinery to drill through the debris, but the complexity of the situation soon became apparent as the equipment faltered. It was at this critical juncture that the rescuers turned to an unconventional yet effective method: rat-hole mining. A team of skilled miners from Uttar Pradesh, led by Vakeel Hasan, was brought in to apply this technique in the rescue mission. The emotional impact was palpable as both rescuers and those they saved experienced a profound sense of relief and accomplishment. The operation was further bolstered by the expertise of Australian tunnel specialists Arnold Dix and Chris Cooper, whose insights proved invaluable. The collaboration between local, national, and international teams exemplified a seamless coordination that ultimately ensured the safe evacuation of all 41 workers. The successful rescue of these 41 workers is not just a feat of engineering and determination, but a reminder of the enduring human spirit. ormer Bangladesh premier Khaleda Zias party on Thursday held sit-in programmes across the country, demanding the arrest and trial of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina and her accomplices for the recent violence in the country. Hasina resigned on August 5 as prime minister and left following massive protests against her government. An interim government headed by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on August 8 along with 16 advisers to lead the government. Activists and workers of the Dhaka Metropolitan unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) gathered at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosques South Gate, in front of Hasinas Awami League partys offices, and at the Central Shaheed Minar to press for their demands. Over 230 people died in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, taking the death toll to 560 during the three weeks of violence. The interim government has already initiated an investigation against Hasina and nine others on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity that took place from July 15 to August 5 during the students mass movement against her government. Activists and workers of the Dhaka Metropolitan unit of the BNP and its affiliate organisations are holding sit-in programmes at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosques South Gate, in front of the Awami League offices, and at the Central Shaheed Minar to demand that autocrat Hasina and her accomplices be brought to justice for the loss of lives in the recent violence. Several hundred BNP activists also gathered in front of the BNPs central offices in Naya Paltan. BNP Dhaka City South Convenor Rafiqul Islam Majnu led the protests at Baitul Mukarram on Thursday. We have announced a programme for today. The BNP and its affiliate organisations are taking part in the programme in Dhaka and across the country. We have one demand - the arrest and trial of fascist autocrat Sheikh Hasina and her accomplices. They have conducted a brutal genocide in Bangladesh. Over a hundred activists and leaders of the Savar Jubo Dal were in front of the destroyed Awami League offices on Bangabandhu Avenue. They chanted slogans calling for Hasina to be brought to justice. Members of the Chhatra Dal, the affiliate student wing of the BNP, also gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar. Nearly a thousand leaders and activists of the organisation chanted slogans demanding trials for the ousted Hasina administration while waving the national and party flags. The Dhaka Metropolitan Unit of the BNP and the Jubo Dal - the youth wing of the BNP also held marches in Malibagh, Mouchak, Shahjahanpur, and Kaptan Bazar. The protest by the BNP came on the 49th anniversary of the assassination of the countrys founder and deposed prime minister Hasinas father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Several students and general people this morning were seen near Mujibur Rahmans residence in Dhanmondi-32 attacking and obstructing people apparently going there to pay their respects. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft acquired a new position in shares of BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BBAI Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 21,262 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $32,000. A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors boosted its stake in shares of BigBear.ai by 64.0% in the 4th quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 19,492 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 7,607 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of BigBear.ai by 22.2% in the 4th quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 44,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 8,000 shares in the last quarter. American International Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of BigBear.ai by 75.4% in the 1st quarter. American International Group Inc. now owns 25,539 shares of the companys stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 10,982 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of BigBear.ai in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD acquired a new stake in shares of BigBear.ai in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 7.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get BigBear.ai alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, HC Wainwright dropped their price objective on shares of BigBear.ai from $5.00 to $3.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Insider Transactions at BigBear.ai In other news, Director Pamela Joyce Braden purchased 140,939 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $1.49 per share, for a total transaction of $209,999.11. Following the transaction, the director now owns 446,396 shares of the companys stock, valued at $665,130.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock. BigBear.ai Trading Up 6.6 % NYSE BBAI traded up $0.08 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $1.29. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,487,110 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,103,600. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.77. The stock has a market cap of $317.44 million, a P/E ratio of -1.36 and a beta of 3.52. BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $1.16 and a 52 week high of $4.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 1.98 and a quick ratio of 1.98. BigBear.ai (NYSE:BBAI Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.07) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $39.78 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $46.55 million. The firms quarterly revenue was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.12) EPS. Equities analysts forecast that BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. will post -0.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. BigBear.ai Company Profile (Free Report) BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc provides artificial intelligence-powered decision intelligence solutions. It offers national security, supply chain management, and digital identity and biometrics solutions. The company also provides data ingestion, data enrichment, data processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics, and predictive visualization solutions and services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for BigBear.ai Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BigBear.ai and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC cut its stake in Belden Inc. (NYSE:BDC Free Report) by 19.0% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 47,878 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 11,212 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in Belden were worth $4,491,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Belden in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Whittier Trust Co. lifted its stake in Belden by 662.2% during the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 343 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 298 shares during the period. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Belden during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in Belden by 41.7% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 829 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 244 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Belden during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $72,000. 98.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Belden alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Belden In other Belden news, EVP Brian Lieser sold 819 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.26, for a total value of $74,741.94. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 21,031 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,919,289.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Belden news, EVP Brian Lieser sold 819 shares of Belden stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.26, for a total transaction of $74,741.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 21,031 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,919,289.06. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Brian Edward Anderson sold 6,556 shares of Belden stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.46, for a total transaction of $658,615.76. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 32,829 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,298,001.34. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 20,537 shares of company stock valued at $2,007,356 over the last quarter. 1.59% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Belden Price Performance Shares of BDC stock traded up $1.94 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $100.40. 410,848 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 273,997. Belden Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $60.54 and a fifty-two week high of $102.47. The firm has a market cap of $4.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.65 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $94.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $89.86. Belden (NYSE:BDC Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.14. Belden had a net margin of 8.51% and a return on equity of 21.13%. The company had revenue of $604.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $574.32 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.91 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Belden Inc. will post 5.85 EPS for the current year. Belden Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 13th were paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 13th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. Beldens dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3.91%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades BDC has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Belden from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 17th. Vertical Research initiated coverage on shares of Belden in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. They set a buy rating and a $110.00 price objective for the company. Benchmark lifted their price objective on shares of Belden from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Loop Capital boosted their target price on shares of Belden from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 17th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Belden from $123.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $111.67. Get Our Latest Analysis on BDC Belden Profile (Free Report) Belden Inc designs, manufactures, and markets a portfolio of signal transmission solutions for mission critical applications in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates in two segments, Enterprise Solutions and Industrial Automation Solutions. The Enterprise Solutions segment offers copper cable and connectivity solutions, fiber cable and connectivity solutions, interconnect panels, racks and enclosures, and signal extension and matrix switching systems for use in applications, such as local area networks, data centers, access control, 5G, fiber to the home, and building automation. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BDC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Belden Inc. (NYSE:BDC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Belden Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Belden and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NYSEARCA:FNGU Get Free Report) traded up 6.5% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $367.59 and last traded at $366.83. 403,104 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 63% from the average session volume of 1,097,701 shares. The stock had previously closed at $344.60. BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Leveraged ETN Price Performance The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $428.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $359.73. The company has a market capitalization of $294.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 123.65 and a beta of 4.82. Get BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Leveraged ETN alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Whittier Trust Co. purchased a new position in BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Leveraged ETN in the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. VitalStone Financial LLC raised its position in shares of BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Leveraged ETN by 192.0% in the first quarter. VitalStone Financial LLC now owns 146 shares of the companys stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DRW Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Leveraged ETN in the second quarter worth about $226,000. About BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Leveraged ETN The MicroSectors FANG+ Index 3X Leveraged ETN (FNGU) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the NYSE FANG+ index. The fund tracks 3x the daily price movements of an equal-weighted index of US-listed technology and consumer discretionary companies. FNGU was launched on Jan 22, 2018 and is issued by REX Microsectors. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Leveraged ETN Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Leveraged ETN and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cigna Investments Inc. New lifted its position in Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU Free Report) by 35.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 27,625 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 7,188 shares during the period. Cigna Investments Inc. News holdings in NU were worth $356,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in NU. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in NU by 56.2% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,264 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 815 shares during the period. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners bought a new position in NU during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $52,000. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new position in NU during the second quarter valued at $54,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NU in the second quarter worth $88,000. Finally, LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in NU during the 1st quarter valued at about $91,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.90% of the companys stock. Get NU alerts: NU Stock Performance Shares of NU traded up $0.40 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $13.78. The stock had a trading volume of 43,329,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 29,622,082. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.00, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $12.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.59. Nu Holdings Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $6.61 and a fifty-two week high of $14.01. Analysts Set New Price Targets NU ( NYSE:NU Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 14th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.09. NU had a return on equity of 22.94% and a net margin of 13.86%. The business had revenue of $2.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.58 billion. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Nu Holdings Ltd. will post 0.41 EPS for the current year. Several research analysts have recently weighed in on NU shares. Susquehanna reissued a positive rating and set a $16.00 price objective on shares of NU in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of NU from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of NU from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and raised their target price for the stock from $12.00 to $14.50 in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. KeyCorp increased their price target on NU from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Finally, Barclays began coverage on NU in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. They issued an overweight rating and a $15.00 price objective on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, NU presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $13.18. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on NU NU Profile (Free Report) Nu Holdings Ltd. provides digital banking platform and digital financial services in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and internationally. It offers Nu credit and debit cards; Ultraviolet credit and debit cards; and mobile payment solutions for NuAccount customers to make and receive transfers, pay bills, and make everyday purchases through their mobile phones. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for NU Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NU and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. DB Fitzpatrick & Co Inc decreased its holdings in Stryker Co. (NYSE:SYK Free Report) by 1.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,300 shares of the medical technology companys stock after selling 30 shares during the quarter. DB Fitzpatrick & Co Incs holdings in Stryker were worth $783,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SYK. Burkett Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Stryker during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Rogco LP acquired a new position in shares of Stryker in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. DSM Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Stryker in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Stryker during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in Stryker during the 1st quarter valued at about $39,000. 77.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Stryker alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have weighed in on SYK shares. UBS Group increased their price target on Stryker from $351.00 to $366.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Stryker in a report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a neutral rating and a $372.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $386.00 price objective on shares of Stryker in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of Stryker from $370.00 to $365.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Stryker from $364.00 to $381.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $373.11. Stryker Price Performance Shares of Stryker stock traded up $1.49 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $334.17. 1,253,723 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,322,153. The business has a fifty day moving average of $336.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $340.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The company has a market capitalization of $127.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.89. Stryker Co. has a 1 year low of $249.98 and a 1 year high of $361.41. Stryker (NYSE:SYK Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The medical technology company reported $2.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.79 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $5.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.40 billion. Stryker had a return on equity of 22.89% and a net margin of 16.12%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.54 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Stryker Co. will post 11.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Stryker Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.96%. Strykers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.53%. Insider Transactions at Stryker In other Stryker news, CFO Glenn S. Boehnlein sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $333.00, for a total transaction of $6,660,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 2,852 shares in the company, valued at $949,716. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Stryker news, Director Ronda E. Stryker sold 190,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $323.46, for a total value of $61,457,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,316,608 shares in the company, valued at $1,072,790,023.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Glenn S. Boehnlein sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $333.00, for a total value of $6,660,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 2,852 shares in the company, valued at $949,716. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 5.90% of the companys stock. Stryker Company Profile (Free Report) Stryker Corporation operates as a medical technology company. The company operates through two segments, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, and Orthopaedics and Spine. The Orthopaedics and Spine segment provides implants for use in total joint replacements, such as hip, knee and shoulder, and trauma and extremities surgeries. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Stryker Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Stryker and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:IDEV Get Free Report) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Tuesday . 828,211 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 14% from the previous sessions volume of 724,262 shares.The stock last traded at $65.96 and had previously closed at $65.24. iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF Stock Performance The company has a 50-day moving average of $66.37 and a 200 day moving average of $66.06. The firm has a market cap of $13.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.79 and a beta of 0.84. Get iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in IDEV. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF by 2,953.3% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,142,000 shares of the companys stock worth $143,793,000 after buying an additional 2,071,846 shares during the last quarter. Nixon Peabody Trust Co. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF by 8.5% in the 2nd quarter. Nixon Peabody Trust Co. now owns 1,121,534 shares of the companys stock worth $73,617,000 after acquiring an additional 87,711 shares in the last quarter. Amarillo National Bank grew its position in iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF by 7.3% during the 2nd quarter. Amarillo National Bank now owns 796,377 shares of the companys stock worth $52,274,000 after acquiring an additional 54,266 shares during the last quarter. Rock Creek Group LP increased its holdings in iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. Rock Creek Group LP now owns 606,286 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,841,000 after purchasing an additional 35,543 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 497,178 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,376,000 after purchasing an additional 28,778 shares in the last quarter. iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF Company Profile The iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF (IDEV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI World ex USA IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of large-, mid, and small-cap stocks from developed countries, excluding the US. IDEV was launched on Mar 21, 2017 and is managed by BlackRock. Read More Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares Global Healthcare ETF (NYSEARCA:IXJ Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $96.87 and last traded at $96.87, with a volume of 22265 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $95.70. iShares Global Healthcare ETF Stock Performance The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $94.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $92.12. The company has a market cap of $4.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.61 and a beta of 0.56. Get iShares Global Healthcare ETF alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On iShares Global Healthcare ETF A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares Global Healthcare ETF by 10.5% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 5,075,149 shares of the companys stock valued at $440,117,000 after purchasing an additional 481,619 shares in the last quarter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC raised its holdings in iShares Global Healthcare ETF by 115,117,000.0% in the 2nd quarter. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC now owns 1,151,171 shares of the companys stock worth $106,875,000 after acquiring an additional 1,151,170 shares during the period. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in iShares Global Healthcare ETF by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 293,787 shares of the companys stock worth $25,477,000 after acquiring an additional 2,320 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in iShares Global Healthcare ETF by 1,645.2% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 291,452 shares of the companys stock worth $27,149,000 after acquiring an additional 274,752 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in iShares Global Healthcare ETF by 225.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 209,279 shares of the companys stock worth $19,630,000 after acquiring an additional 144,962 shares during the period. About iShares Global Healthcare ETF iShares Global Healthcare ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P Global Healthcare Sector Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P Global 1200 Healthcare Sector Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of companies that Standards & Poors Financial Services LLC (S&P) deems to be a part of the consumer staples sector of the economy. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares Global Healthcare ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Global Healthcare ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the aerospace companys stock. SPR has been the subject of several other research reports. Baird R W cut Spirit AeroSystems from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $37.25 price objective (up previously from $36.00) on shares of Spirit AeroSystems in a research note on Friday, July 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a neutral rating and set a $37.00 price objective (up previously from $36.00) on shares of Spirit AeroSystems in a report on Monday, July 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Spirit AeroSystems in a report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Susquehanna reissued a neutral rating and set a $37.00 price target (down previously from $40.00) on shares of Spirit AeroSystems in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Spirit AeroSystems has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $33.60. Get Spirit AeroSystems alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Spirit AeroSystems Spirit AeroSystems Stock Up 1.4 % NYSE SPR opened at $34.70 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.04 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.99 and a beta of 1.84. Spirit AeroSystems has a 52-week low of $14.65 and a 52-week high of $37.08. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $33.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.35. Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The aerospace company reported ($2.73) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.98) by ($1.75). The business had revenue of $1.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.57 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($1.46) EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Spirit AeroSystems will post -4.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Spirit AeroSystems Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Spirit AeroSystems by 1.0% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,954,485 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $395,128,000 after purchasing an additional 109,632 shares during the last quarter. Pentwater Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 18,132.0% during the 2nd quarter. Pentwater Capital Management LP now owns 9,016,000 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $296,356,000 after acquiring an additional 9,066,000 shares during the last quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 1,274.6% during the 1st quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 4,714,874 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $170,066,000 after acquiring an additional 4,371,874 shares during the last quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. now owns 4,423,000 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $159,538,000 after acquiring an additional 296,000 shares during the period. Finally, Earnest Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 2.6% in the second quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 4,096,268 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $134,644,000 after acquiring an additional 105,350 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.59% of the companys stock. About Spirit AeroSystems (Get Free Report) Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc engages in the design, engineering, manufacture, and marketing of commercial aerostructures worldwide. It operates through three segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment offers forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections and systems, floor beams, nacelles, struts/pylons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, flaps and slats flight control surfaces, wing structures, and wing systems. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Spirit AeroSystems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Spirit AeroSystems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. August 16, 2024: As of late July, Ukraine has received 85 F-16s contributed by the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. France has sent over a dozen Mirage 2000 fighters. Most of the required Ukrainian F-16 pilots have completed their training and most of these F-16s will be operational before the end of the year. Ukraine will use these fighters to seize control of the air near the Russian border. Currently, Russian warplanes launch attacks from inside Russia using guided bombs and missiles. Ukrainian air defenses, using American and European systems, prevent Russian aircraft from entering Ukrainian airspace and intercept most of the Russian missiles launched from inside Russia. Ukraine has lost most of its Soviet era Russian warplanes in combat since the 2022 Russian invasion. Eastern European nations which had been members of the old Soviet Unions Warsaw Pact Alliance still had some Russian-designed fighters, including Mig-29s, and sent those to Ukraine. Those were mostly lost too. After that NATO was the only source of replacement aircraft and the first of 128 F-16s began arriving earlier in 2024. The United States backed their European allies in sending F-16s to Ukraine. These countries have received new F-35s recently to replace the older F-16s. There are several hundred European and American F-16s available for shipment to Ukraine and Ukraine is eager to get as many F-16s as they can. The current Ukrainian goal is to have at least 128 F-16s. The Americans are also sending current models of missiles and bombs F-16s are equipped to use. The American F-16 fighter is the most widely used combat aircraft in the 21st Century. An F-16 first flew fifty years ago, and the Americans didnt realize how many F-16 fans were pilots in the Ukrainian Air Force. A growing number of Ukrainian pilots have completed their training in F-16s and deliveries of dozens of F-16s have begun. F-16s have been the worlds most popular post-Cold War combat aircraft. Communist governments and the Soviet Union collapsed by 1991 and eastern European nations, recently under communist rule, wanted to join NATO so the Russians, Communist or not, would be less likely to return. Since the 1990s these former Communist controlled nations joined NATO and have been replacing their Russian weapons with Western models. The Ukraine War that began in early 2022 was often a desperate battle for Ukrainians. Nevertheless, Russia suffered heavier casualties. Two years later the Russians have lost 370,000 soldiers and 17,000 armored vehicles, a third of them tanks. So far Russia has lost 20,000 thousand artillery systems which includes howitzers, large caliber mortars and MLRS (Multiple Launcher Rocket Systems). Ukrainian losses have been nearly half as much, but Ukraine is one third the size of Russia. Aircraft losses have also been heavy, with over 600 manned and unmanned aircraft lost by both sides. Currently Russia has 1,100 jet fighters and strike aircraft. Russia is a large country and most of these aircraft are stationed in distant areas of Russia with about a third of the aircraft concentrated against Ukraine. Russia started this war with a larger air force than Ukraine. Russia has an aircraft production industry. While crippled by sanctions, Russia can still build some new warplanes each year and repair and refurbish even more of them. Ukraine also produces aircraft, but those production facilities have been the target of many attacks and operate at low levels of productivity. At best, these production facilities can be used for repairing and upgrading aircraft. Ukraine depends on its NATO allies for replacement aircraft. Eastern European NATO nations which initially had only Russian warplanes had to convert to NATO standard ones as quickly possible, and replaced their Russian warplanes with Western ones, usually the F-16. Now they are upgrading to more modern aircraft like the new F-35s and no longer need their F-16s. Ukraine noted this and asked for preference to receive used F-16s, but had to convince the Americans that they could quickly adapt to them. Ukrainian MiG and Sukhoi pilots demonstrated that they could quickly adapt to F-16s. Meanwhile, Ukraine has lots of experience with MiG-29s and Su-27s and used them extensively. Some have been modified to handle Western anti-radar missiles as well as GPS guided bombs. While the Ukrainians have made good use of their MiG-29s, they always wanted Western aircraft, especially F-16s. The F-16 and MiG-29 are both considered 4th generation, 1970s and 80s, aircraft. The 5th generation, so far, consists of the American F-22 and F-35 as well as Chinas J-20. Each generation has been about twice as expensive, on average, in constant dollars, as the previous one. But each generation is also about twice as safe to fly and cheaper to operate. Naturally, each generation is more than twice as effective as the previous one. The Russians had a hard time developing their 5th generation, although some of the derivatives of their Su-27 are at least generation 4.5. Then there is the expensive and troublesome Su-57, a true 5th generation warplane. By 2024 Russia has managed to get a few dozen of these 25-ton, single seat twin-engine fighters into service. The Su-57 is the Russian equivalent of the American F-35 and, when operated by equally skilled pilots, can be lethal to opposing F-16s. Russia and the United States are not the only ones to introduce a 5th generation aircraft. China introduced its 25-ton J-20 single seat twin-engine fighter a year or two before the Su-57. This is another example of Chinese weapons developers and manufacturers catching up with and surpassing their Russian counterparts. Now there are three different fifth-gen fighters in service. There were several decades between fourth and fifth generation aircraft, which is partly due to the end of the Cold War in 1991 and China not becoming a major military power until two decades later. The MiG-29 dates from the 1980s and was the last aircraft designed by the now defunct MiG company. Rival Sukhoi later introduced two new aircraft, the Su-24 and Su-35. Both performed poorly in combat over Ukraine. The MiG-29 entered service in 1983. Some 1,600 MiG-29s have been produced so far, with about 900 of them exported. The 22-ton aircraft is roughly comparable to the F-16, but it depends a lot on which version of either aircraft you are talking about. Russia is making a lot of money upgrading MiG-29s, and not just adding new electronics but also making the airframe more robust. The MiG-29 was originally rated at 2,500 total flight hours. At that time, Russia expected MiG-29s to fly about a hundred or so hours a year. Didnt work out that way. India, for example, flew them at nearly twice that rate, as did Malaysia. Eventually Russia offered an upgrade to the airframe so that the aircraft could fly up to 4,000 hours, with more life extension upgrades promised. This has not been easy, as the MiG-29 has a history of unreliability and premature breakdowns, both mechanical and electronic, which indicates a flawed design. Western warplanes are built to last longer. The F-16C was originally designed for a service life of 4,000 hours in the air. Advances in engineering, materials, and maintenance techniques extended that to over 8,000 hours. Because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, F-16s sent to these areas flew over a thousand hours a year more than what they would fly in peacetime. That led to a refurbishment program to extend F-16C flight hours to 10,000 or more. The U.S. Air Force had to refurbish several hundred of its 22-ton F-16 fighters, because their replacement, the 31-ton F-35, did not arrive on time. Most existing F-16s are old, and by 2016, many were too old to operate. Back then the average age of F-16s was over 20 years, and the average aircraft has over 5,000 flight hours on it. In 2009 the first Block 40 F-16 passed 7,000 hours. In 2008 the first of the earliest models, Block 25 F-16s, passed 7,000 hours. While older F-16s are being retired for their age, they tend to have at least twice as many flight hours as their Russian counterparts. Because of greater durability and ease of maintenance, the seemingly more expensive Western fighters are actually cheaper in the lifetime of an aircraft because they last longer and are easier to maintain than equivalent Russian designs. The Block 70 F-16 was also sold to Slovakia which ordered 14, Bulgaria asked for eight and Bahrain received 16 new F-16s plus twenty older F-16s upgraded to Block 7o. South Korea upgraded over a hundred of its F-16s to the Block 70 standard. The F-16V was the popular choice for post-Cold War members of NATO, like Slovakia and Bulgaria, seeking to replace early model MiG-29s. New users of the F-16 also purchase spares, maintenance equipment, training, aircraft accessories, like look and shoot helmets plus tech support and assistance in setting up maintenance and support facilities. These can be used for other aircraft types and are a good investment. The sale includes air-to-air missiles and smart bombs as well. The F-16V was introduced in 2012 as the last model of the F-16 but production of the F-16 did not go as planned in late 2016 because possible further sales of the F-16V became a reality. Additionally it became possible to upgrade some or all of the older F-16s to the Block 7o standard. These Block 7o upgrades are not always possible, or practical, for the oldest models of the F-16. These upgrades include replacing many structural elements as well as installing more powerful engines and the most modern electronics and fire control systems available. Although production of the F-16 ceased temporarily, its manufacturer Lockheed Martin, also known as LockMart, continues to do upgrades and refurbishments, and produce new F-16Vs due to buyer demand. The changes in the V model are considerable. The airframe is upgraded and strengthened to enable 12,000 flight hours per aircraft. The electronics undergo an even more extensive upgrade which involves replacing the mechanical radar with an AESA phased array radar, an upgraded cockpit, a Sniper targeting pod, a Link 16 digital data link and upgraded navigation gear. The newly redesigned cockpit is all digital with flat screen touch displays that replace dozens of gauges and switches and make it much easier to fly. AESA and the new fire control system make it possible to track multiple aircraft at once as well as track vehicles on land or vessels at sea. The targeting pod enables the pilot to confirm visually what is on the surface and promptly attack it with smart bombs or missiles. LockMart initially expected to get orders for at least 700 newly built F-16V or less expensive upgrades. An upgrade brings in as little as $10 million per aircraft while five or ten of these upgrades equals the price of one new F-16V. But when you have orders for hundreds of F-16V upgrades you have a lot of F-16 work. The F-16 thus follows the path of previous best selling fighters. During the 1947-1991 Cold War Russia built over 10,000 MiG-21s and the U.S over 5,000 F-4s. After 1991 warplane manufacturing plummeted about 90 percent. However, the F-16 has been popular enough to keep the production lines going strong into the 2020s. The U.S. still has about 1,200 F-16s in service, with about half with reserve units. F-16s built so far went to 27 countries before Ukraine requested them. America has hundreds in storage, available for sale on the used airplane market. The end of the Cold War led to a sharp cut in U.S. Air Force fighter squadrons. Moreover, the new F-35 will replace all U.S. F-16s by the late 2020s. The U.S. has plenty of little-used F-16s sitting around, while many allies need low cost jet fighters. Many current F-16 users planned to replace the F-16 with the F-35, but that aircraft costs more than twice as much as a new F-16V so air forces are seeking to operate a mixed force of F-35s and late model F-16s. A current example of this is Poland, which is sending its older MiG-29s to Ukraine. These have a few good years left, which is all Ukraine needs. Since the 1990s, most F-16s produced were for export and some cost as much as $70 million each, like the F-16I for Israel. Some nations, like South Korea, built over a hundred F-16s under license. The 16 ton F-16 also has an admirable combat record and is very popular with pilots. It has been successful at ground support as well. When equipped with 4-6 smart bombs, it is an effective bomber. Since first entering service some 4,600 F-16s have flown over 12 million hours. Despite fears that a single engine fighter would be less safe, F-16s have, in the 21st century, suffered an accident rate, meaning total loss or major damage, of 2.4 per 100,000 flight hours. The F-16 is one of the most modified jet fighters in service. While most are still called the F-16C, there are actually seven major mods, identified by block number like 32, 40, 42, 50, 52, 60, 70 and 72, plus the Israeli F-16I, which is a major modification of the Block 52. The F-16D is a two seat trainer version of F-16Cs. The various block mods included a large variety of new components and can choose from five different engines, four sets of avionics, five generations of electronic warfare gear, five radars and many other mechanical, software, cockpit and electrical mods. Until Block 70 came along the most advanced F-16 was the F-16 Block 60. The best example of this is a special version of the Block 60 developed for the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The UAE bought 80 Desert Falcons, the F-16Es which are optimized for air combat. It is a 22 ton aircraft based on the Block 52 model, which the KF-16 was originally, but with an AESA radar and lots of other additional useful accessories. Block 70 goes beyond Block 60, especially in terms of electronics and airframe enhancement to extend flight life. The most successful F-16 user is Israel which set a number of combat records with its F-16s. Israel plans to keep some of its late model F-16s flying until 2030 as it retires the oldest ones. At the end of 2016, Israel retired the last of its 125 F-16A fighters. The first 70 were acquired in 1980 and 1981 and included 8 two-seater F-16B trainers. One of the F-16As achieved a record by being the single F-16 with the most air-to-air kills, 6.5, all achieved in 1982 using three different pilots. Israel received 50 used F-16As in 1994 including 14 B models and used these mainly as trainers. The Ukrainians are well aware of the F-16s track record, especially when compared to the MiG-29. Thats why Ukraine keeps asking for F-16s. SteelPeak Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM Free Report) by 149.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,095 shares of the business services providers stock after purchasing an additional 5,449 shares during the quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLCs holdings in Waste Management were worth $1,940,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft purchased a new stake in Waste Management during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,913,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its holdings in Waste Management by 5.1% during the second quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 7,564 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,614,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisors Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 21.7% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,846 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $394,000 after buying an additional 329 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its stake in Waste Management by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 53,367 shares of the business services providers stock worth $11,385,000 after acquiring an additional 903 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PGGM Investments grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 58.8% during the second quarter. PGGM Investments now owns 24,567 shares of the business services providers stock worth $5,241,000 after purchasing an additional 9,098 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.40% of the companys stock. Get Waste Management alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. They set a buy rating and a $241.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $215.00 to $227.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $229.00 to $224.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Raymond James raised their price target on Waste Management from $219.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on Waste Management from $220.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $215.83. Waste Management Price Performance NYSE WM traded up $0.56 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $206.91. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,080,201 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,710,411. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.21, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.07. The stock has a market cap of $82.99 billion, a PE ratio of 33.76, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.74. The companys 50-day moving average is $208.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $206.78. Waste Management, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $149.71 and a fifty-two week high of $225.00. Waste Management (NYSE:WM Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.82. The business had revenue of $5.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.43 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 12.13% and a return on equity of 39.52%. The companys revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.51 EPS. Analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.24 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity at Waste Management In other news, VP Michael J. Watson sold 4,208 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.28, for a total transaction of $859,610.24. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 45,644 shares in the company, valued at $9,324,156.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, VP Michael J. Watson sold 4,208 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.28, for a total transaction of $859,610.24. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 45,644 shares in the company, valued at $9,324,156.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Michael J. Watson sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $330,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 44,144 shares in the company, valued at $9,711,680. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock. Waste Management Profile (Free Report) Waste Management, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of environmental solutions to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in the United States and Canada. It offers collection services, including picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility (MRF), or disposal site; and owns and operates transfer stations, as well as owns, develops, and operates landfill facilities that produce landfill gas used as renewable natural gas for generating electricity. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Waste Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Waste Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC cut its stake in shares of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Co. (NYSE:VAC Free Report) by 28.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 46,403 shares of the companys stock after selling 18,503 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC owned approximately 0.13% of Marriott Vacations Worldwide worth $4,052,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in VAC. Impactive Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Marriott Vacations Worldwide during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $123,613,000. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Marriott Vacations Worldwide by 55.0% in the 4th quarter. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. now owns 1,064,068 shares of the companys stock worth $90,329,000 after purchasing an additional 377,766 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Marriott Vacations Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,220,000. Capital World Investors bought a new position in Marriott Vacations Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth approximately $210,000. Finally, GRS Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Marriott Vacations Worldwide by 2,050.8% in the 4th quarter. GRS Advisors LLC now owns 242,288 shares of the companys stock worth $20,568,000 after purchasing an additional 231,023 shares during the period. 89.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Marriott Vacations Worldwide alerts: Marriott Vacations Worldwide Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:VAC traded up $1.78 during trading on Thursday, hitting $71.81. The stock had a trading volume of 387,917 shares, compared to its average volume of 494,408. Marriott Vacations Worldwide Co. has a 12-month low of $68.34 and a 12-month high of $112.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a quick ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 3.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $82.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $90.86. Analysts Set New Price Targets Marriott Vacations Worldwide ( NYSE:VAC Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.99 by ($0.89). The company had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.21 billion. Marriott Vacations Worldwide had a net margin of 3.41% and a return on equity of 9.89%. The firms revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.19 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Marriott Vacations Worldwide Co. will post 6.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Marriott Vacations Worldwide from $161.00 to $159.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Marriott Vacations Worldwide from $117.00 to $108.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Mizuho dropped their price target on Marriott Vacations Worldwide from $128.00 to $126.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on Marriott Vacations Worldwide from $121.00 to $95.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Marriott Vacations Worldwide from $106.00 to $82.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $102.67. Get Our Latest Stock Report on VAC Marriott Vacations Worldwide Profile (Free Report) Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, a vacation company, develops, markets, sells, and manages vacation ownership and related businesses, products, and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Vacation Ownership and Exchange & Third-Party Management. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Marriott Vacations Worldwide Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Marriott Vacations Worldwide and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wizz Air Holdings Plc (LON:WIZZ Get Free Report) traded down 5.8% on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 1,236 ($15.78) and last traded at GBX 1,236 ($15.78). 682,411 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 94% from the average session volume of 352,564 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,312 ($16.75). Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WIZZ shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Wizz Air from GBX 2,250 ($28.73) to GBX 2,150 ($27.45) and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a GBX 3,300 ($42.13) price objective on shares of Wizz Air in a report on Thursday, July 4th. Get Wizz Air alerts: View Our Latest Report on WIZZ Wizz Air Trading Down 5.8 % Insider Activity The business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 2,041.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 2,118.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4,303.16. The company has a market cap of 1.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 491.38, a P/E/G ratio of -0.30 and a beta of 2.31. In other news, insider Jozsef Varadi acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 1,409 ($17.99) per share, for a total transaction of 140,900 ($179,902.96). Corporate insiders own 25.72% of the companys stock. About Wizz Air (Get Free Report) Wizz Air Holdings Plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides passenger air transportation services on scheduled short-haul and medium-haul point-to-point routes in Europe and the Middle East. As of June 08, 2022, it operated a fleet of 154 aircraft that offered services for approximately 1000 routes from 194 airports in 51 countries. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Wizz Air Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wizz Air and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Algoma Steel Group (TSE:ASTL Free Report) had its target price raised by Stifel Nicolaus from C$16.00 to C$19.00 in a report published on Thursday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Cormark raised their target price on shares of Algoma Steel Group from C$14.50 to C$18.75 in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Algoma Steel Group from C$14.00 to C$13.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Get Algoma Steel Group alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on ASTL Algoma Steel Group Trading Down 1.2 % Algoma Steel Group Dividend Announcement Algoma Steel Group stock traded down C$0.16 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting C$13.51. The companys stock had a trading volume of 25,656 shares, compared to its average volume of 54,066. The business has a 50 day moving average price of C$10.97 and a 200-day moving average price of C$10.93. Algoma Steel Group has a 12 month low of C$8.71 and a 12 month high of C$13.95. The stock has a market cap of C$1.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -62.14 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 40.09, a current ratio of 4.19 and a quick ratio of 1.51. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Investors of record on Friday, July 19th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 2nd. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.48%. Algoma Steel Groups dividend payout ratio is currently -122.73%. About Algoma Steel Group (Get Free Report) Algoma Steel Group Inc produces and sells steel products primarily in North America. The company provides flat/sheet steel products, including temper rolling, cold rolled, hot-rolled pickled and oiled products, floor plate, and cut-to-length products for the automotive industry, hollow structural product manufacturers, and the light manufacturing and transportation industries; and plate steel products that consist of rolled, hot-rolled, and heat-treated for use in the construction or manufacture of railcars, buildings, bridges, off-highway equipment, storage tanks, ships, and military applications. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Algoma Steel Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Algoma Steel Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM Free Report) by 50.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,634 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after buying an additional 546 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLCs holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $188,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. First Pacific Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Partnership Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Vima LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Exxon Mobil alerts: Exxon Mobil Stock Performance Shares of XOM stock traded down $0.83 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $117.90. The stock had a trading volume of 2,630,340 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,173,258. Exxon Mobil Co. has a fifty-two week low of $95.77 and a fifty-two week high of $123.75. The firm has a market cap of $464.88 billion, a PE ratio of 14.43, a PEG ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $114.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $113.23. Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend Exxon Mobil ( NYSE:XOM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 2nd. The oil and gas company reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $93.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.09 billion. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 9.62% and a return on equity of 16.75%. The businesss revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.94 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 8.65 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.22%. Exxon Mobils dividend payout ratio is presently 46.57%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have recently issued reports on XOM shares. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $139.00 to $135.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 5th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Exxon Mobil to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $128.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Exxon Mobil has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $134.39. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on XOM Exxon Mobil Profile (Free Report) Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Exxon Mobil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Exxon Mobil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Amcor (NYSE:AMCR Free Report) had its target price upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $10.00 to $11.10 in a research note released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Several other analysts also recently commented on AMCR. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on Amcor in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. They set a hold rating and a $10.80 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Amcor in a research note on Friday, June 28th. They set an equal weight rating and a $9.80 price target for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $10.43. Get Amcor alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Amcor Amcor Price Performance AMCR stock opened at $10.85 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76. The company has a market capitalization of $15.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.11, a PEG ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 0.86. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $10.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.68. Amcor has a twelve month low of $8.45 and a twelve month high of $10.91. Amcor (NYSE:AMCR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $3.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.30 billion. Amcor had a net margin of 4.75% and a return on equity of 24.66%. Amcors quarterly revenue was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.19 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Amcor will post 0.7 EPS for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Amcor Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMCR. NorthRock Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Amcor by 2.0% in the first quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 54,237 shares of the companys stock valued at $516,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Alliance boosted its position in shares of Amcor by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Alliance now owns 55,592 shares of the companys stock worth $536,000 after purchasing an additional 1,061 shares in the last quarter. Czech National Bank grew its stake in shares of Amcor by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 254,309 shares of the companys stock worth $2,418,000 after purchasing an additional 1,166 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Amcor by 51.8% in the 2nd quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 3,638 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,241 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors lifted its stake in shares of Amcor by 5.3% in the second quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 25,597 shares of the companys stock valued at $250,000 after purchasing an additional 1,298 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.14% of the companys stock. Amcor Company Profile (Get Free Report) Amcor plc develops, produces, and sells packaging products in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia Pacific regions. The company operates through two segments, Flexibles and Rigid Packaging. The Flexibles segment provides flexible and film packaging products in the food and beverage, medical and pharmaceutical, fresh produce, snack food, personal care, and other industries. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Amcor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amcor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brinker International (NYSE:EAT Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY25 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $4.35-4.75 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $4.80. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.55-4.62 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.53 billion. Brinker International also updated its FY 2025 guidance to 4.350-4.750 EPS. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America upped their price objective on Brinker International from $58.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a report on Thursday. Raymond James lowered shares of Brinker International from a strong-buy rating to an outperform rating and raised their price objective for the company from $62.00 to $82.50 in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Brinker International from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Argus upgraded shares of Brinker International from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $72.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 21st. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Brinker International from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $60.58. Get Brinker International alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on EAT Brinker International Price Performance EAT opened at $67.06 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.98 billion, a PE ratio of 19.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 2.52. Brinker International has a fifty-two week low of $28.23 and a fifty-two week high of $76.02. The business has a 50-day moving average of $67.30 and a 200-day moving average of $57.00. Brinker International (NYSE:EAT Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The restaurant operator reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.65 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. Brinker International had a net margin of 3.55% and a negative return on equity of 154.29%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.39 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Brinker International will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity In other Brinker International news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,953 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total transaction of $215,480.41. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 38,164 shares in the company, valued at $2,784,827.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, COO Douglas N. Comings sold 2,953 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.97, for a total value of $215,480.41. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 38,164 shares in the company, valued at $2,784,827.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Daniel S. Fuller sold 3,611 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.04, for a total transaction of $249,303.44. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 34,764 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,400,106.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 16,564 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,884 over the last 90 days. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. About Brinker International (Get Free Report) Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates and franchises Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant brands. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Brinker International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brinker International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated their outperform rating on shares of California Resources (NYSE:CRC Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $65.00 target price on the oil and gas producers stock. Several other analysts also recently weighed in on CRC. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of California Resources in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. They set a buy rating and a $65.00 price target for the company. Barclays decreased their target price on California Resources from $62.00 to $55.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup started coverage on California Resources in a research report on Friday, July 19th. They set a buy rating and a $63.00 price target on the stock. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of California Resources from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on California Resources from $68.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $62.13. Get California Resources alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on CRC California Resources Stock Performance Shares of California Resources stock opened at $50.47 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stocks fifty day moving average is $50.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.32. California Resources has a 52 week low of $43.09 and a 52 week high of $58.44. The company has a market capitalization of $3.46 billion, a PE ratio of 14.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.98. California Resources (NYSE:CRC Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.96 by ($0.36). California Resources had a return on equity of 11.00% and a net margin of 11.34%. The company had revenue of $514.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $477.07 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.53 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that California Resources will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current year. California Resources Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $0.3875 per share. This is a positive change from California Resourcess previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.55 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. California Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 44.41%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Christian S. Kendall bought 20,895 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $47.97 per share, with a total value of $1,002,333.15. Following the transaction, the director now owns 24,600 shares in the company, valued at $1,180,062. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Mark Allen Mcfarland sold 37,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total transaction of $1,779,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 104,939 shares in the company, valued at $5,047,565.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Christian S. Kendall purchased 20,895 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $47.97 per share, for a total transaction of $1,002,333.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 24,600 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,180,062. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On California Resources Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in California Resources by 4.4% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,100,283 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $446,326,000 after acquiring an additional 344,043 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of California Resources by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,576,306 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $190,328,000 after purchasing an additional 165,629 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management increased its holdings in shares of California Resources by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 3,125,466 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $170,900,000 after purchasing an additional 182,246 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of California Resources by 18.1% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,631,432 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $86,825,000 after purchasing an additional 250,367 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in California Resources by 10.7% during the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,078,123 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $57,378,000 after buying an additional 104,504 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.79% of the companys stock. California Resources Company Profile (Get Free Report) California Resources Corporation operates as an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production, and carbon management company in the United States. The company explores, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids for marketers, California refineries, and other purchasers that have access to transportation and storage facilities. See Also Receive News & Ratings for California Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for California Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO Free Report) (NYSE:BMO) had its price objective decreased by Canaccord Genuity Group from C$136.00 to C$135.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Bank of Montreal from C$141.00 to C$124.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of Bank of Montreal from C$137.00 to C$129.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Bank of Montreal from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and cut their price objective for the company from C$124.00 to C$118.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Bank of Montreal from C$140.00 to C$132.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, TD Securities cut their price target on shares of Bank of Montreal from C$134.00 to C$130.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$128.93. Get Bank of Montreal alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on BMO Bank of Montreal Price Performance BMO stock opened at C$116.35 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of C$115.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$123.10. The stock has a market cap of C$84.40 billion, a PE ratio of 15.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.19. Bank of Montreal has a one year low of C$102.67 and a one year high of C$133.95. Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO Get Free Report) (NYSE:BMO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 29th. The bank reported C$2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$2.74 by C($0.15). Bank of Montreal had a return on equity of 7.28% and a net margin of 17.71%. The company had revenue of C$7.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$8.06 billion. On average, research analysts expect that Bank of Montreal will post 11.2532189 EPS for the current fiscal year. Bank of Montreal Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be paid a $1.55 dividend. This is a positive change from Bank of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 30th. This represents a $6.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.33%. Bank of Montreals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.85%. Bank of Montreal Company Profile (Get Free Report) Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. It operates through Canadian P&C, U.S P&C, BMO Wealth Management, and BMO Capital Markets segments. The company's personal banking products and services include deposits, mortgages, home lending, consumer credit, small business lending, credit cards, cash management, financial and investment advice, and other banking services; and commercial banking products and services comprise various of financing options and treasury and payment solutions, as well as risk management products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Montreal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Montreal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE:CM Free Report) (NYSE:CM) had its target price increased by Canaccord Genuity Group from C$74.00 to C$75.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. A number of other analysts also recently commented on CM. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from a hold rating to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. Desjardins upgraded Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from a hold rating to a moderate buy rating and lifted their target price for the stock from C$71.00 to C$77.00 in a report on Friday, August 2nd. UBS Group set a C$70.00 target price on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$68.00 to C$69.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, May 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$79.00 to C$78.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$71.50. Get Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce alerts: Get Our Latest Report on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Price Performance Shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce stock opened at C$70.73 on Tuesday. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has a 1-year low of C$47.44 and a 1-year high of C$71.77. The businesss fifty day moving average price is C$67.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$66.24. The company has a market capitalization of C$66.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.85, a PEG ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.11. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE:CM Get Free Report) (NYSE:CM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 30th. The company reported C$1.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$1.66 by C$0.09. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had a return on equity of 12.14% and a net margin of 29.50%. The company had revenue of C$6.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$6.11 billion. On average, research analysts expect that Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will post 6.7699387 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 28th were paid a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 28th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.09%. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.21%. Insider Buying and Selling at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce In other Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce news, Senior Officer John Hountalas sold 20,808 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$65.97, for a total value of C$1,372,672.55. In other Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce news, Senior Officer John Hountalas sold 20,808 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$65.97, for a total value of C$1,372,672.55. Also, Senior Officer Christina Charlotte Kramer sold 23,782 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$67.50, for a total value of C$1,605,285.00. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the companys stock. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Company Profile (Get Free Report) Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. August 16, 2024: From late April through June this year, a unit of Ukrainian troops surrounded by Russian forces was supplied solely by drones. Food and ammunition were regularly dropped to the Ukrainian soldiers during the 70 day-long battle. Eventually a relief force of Ukrainian troops broke through and enabled the surrounded soldiers to leave the fighting and get some rest. This is nothing new, in 2009 the U.S. Marine Corps began shopping for a drone to deliver supplies, at least half a ton per trip, in order to get essential items like munitions, water, and food to combat troops in remote locations. The marines wanted the drone available for use within six months, but no one was able to come up with anything in time. In 2010 the marines successfully tested a transport helicopter drone. Some firms told the marines they were working on it, and one of these outfits, Kaman, modified its K-MAX manned helicopter to meet marine requirements. This month, another contender, Boeing, successfully met marine requirements as well, using its smaller A160T. The first to meet the requirement was the Kaman K-MAX. This is a 5.4 ton helicopter with a cruising speed of 148 kilometers an hour and an endurance of over six hours. It can carry up to 2.7 tons slung underneath. This made the K-MAX an ideal candidate for the marine resupply drone. When tested, it was able to carry a 680 kg sling load to 3,900 meters, and hover. It was able to deliver 2.7 tons of cargo, to a point 270 kilometers distant, within six hours (two round trips). The K-MAX drone can also carry up to four separate sling loads totaling 1,568 kg. The A160T carried 1.1 tons of cargo to a spot 135 kilometers distant, within six hours. The A160T did this by making two round trips carrying 568 kg sling loads. The A160T was also able to hover at 3,900 meters. The A160T does not have the carrying capacity of the K-MAX but did hold the world record of 18.7 hours of unrefueled flight. The A160T was built mainly for reconnaissance, while the K-MAX is built for hauling stuff. The A160T is a two ton helicopter, able to fly under remote control or under its own pre-programmed control. It has a top speed of 255 kilometers an hour and was originally designed to operate for up to 40 hours carrying a payload of 136 kg. The marines were confident enough in the K-MAX drone to pay Kaman $860,000 to fund the conversion of the manned version of a Kaman helicopter to a drone. The marines decided not to buy the K-MAX drone, how many and how soon, or go for the smaller A160T. Whichever helicopter drone is used, it will use existing flight control software, which allows such aircraft to be moved from its base to its destination with minimal operator effort. Then, once the operator selects a landing area, the flight control software automatically lands the drone. Once unloaded, the operator uses a few mouse clicks to order the drone to take off, return to base and automatically land. In 2018 the marines tried again, with the AACUS (Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System) that could turn any helicopter into an unmanned aircraft. The marines did not buy any of these, although the system was exported to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. AACUS systems sell for $13 million each. In 2023 the marines ordered 28 TRV-150C TRUAS (Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft Systems) when the system had almost completed development. TRV-150C was ready for use in 2024. Each drone cost $400,000. TRV-150C is a quadcopter with eight rotors. Each of the four extensions has two rotors, one on top of the other. The drone weighs 68 kg and can deliver that much weight in supplies to troops eight kilometers distant. Carrying no payload, or only 7.5 kg, the drone can deliver to troops 45 kilometers distant. Several TRV-150Cs were sent to Ukraine, where they have performed well in a combat zone. It is unknown if TRV-150C was used for the recent incident where surrounded Ukrainian troops were resupplied by drones during a ten week battle. Myomo, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:MYO Free Report) Research analysts at HC Wainwright upped their Q4 2024 EPS estimates for shares of Myomo in a report issued on Monday, August 12th. HC Wainwright analyst S. Lee now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $0.01 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of ($0.01). HC Wainwright has a Buy rating and a $7.50 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Myomos current full-year earnings is ($0.18) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Myomos Q3 2025 earnings at $0.01 EPS and Q4 2025 earnings at $0.05 EPS. Get Myomo alerts: Myomo (NYSEAMERICAN:MYO Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.07) by $0.04. Myomo had a negative net margin of 47.77% and a negative return on equity of 94.02%. The firm had revenue of $7.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.30 million. Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on MYO. Craig Hallum started coverage on shares of Myomo in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. They set a buy rating and a $7.00 target price on the stock. Lake Street Capital increased their price objective on shares of Myomo from $7.00 to $7.50 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Read Our Latest Research Report on MYO Myomo Price Performance Shares of MYO opened at $3.75 on Wednesday. Myomo has a one year low of $0.50 and a one year high of $5.64. The company has a market cap of $108.08 million, a P/E ratio of -13.89 and a beta of 1.56. Insider Activity In other news, Director Thomas F. Kirk acquired 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 29th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $3.50 per share, for a total transaction of $175,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 236,499 shares in the company, valued at $827,746.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 4.54% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Myomo Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Herr Investment Group LLC increased its position in shares of Myomo by 72.9% during the 2nd quarter. Herr Investment Group LLC now owns 2,846,071 shares of the companys stock worth $9,136,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200,244 shares during the last quarter. Rosalind Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Myomo by 27.5% during the first quarter. Rosalind Advisors Inc. now owns 2,447,740 shares of the companys stock worth $8,004,000 after buying an additional 527,830 shares during the period. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC increased its position in shares of Myomo by 537.9% during the first quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 602,744 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,971,000 after acquiring an additional 508,249 shares during the last quarter. AIGH Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Myomo by 21.9% in the 4th quarter. AIGH Capital Management LLC now owns 2,668,290 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,368,000 after acquiring an additional 479,407 shares during the period. Finally, Accel Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Myomo in the 1st quarter worth approximately $135,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.99% of the companys stock. About Myomo (Get Free Report) Myomo, Inc, a wearable medical robotics company, designs, develops, and produces myoelectric orthotics for people with neuromuscular disorders in the United States, China, Germany, and internationally. The company offers MyoPro, a myoelectric-controlled upper limb brace or orthosis product used for supporting a patient's weak or paralyzed arm to enable and improve functional activities of daily living. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Myomo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Myomo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. North American Construction Group Ltd. (TSE:NOA Get Free Report) (NYSE:NOA) Director Martin Robert Ferron bought 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$23.70 per share, with a total value of C$165,900.00. Martin Robert Ferron also recently made the following trade(s): Get North American Construction Group alerts: On Monday, June 24th, Martin Robert Ferron purchased 12,000 shares of North American Construction Group stock. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$26.45 per share, with a total value of C$317,400.00. On Tuesday, May 21st, Martin Robert Ferron purchased 5,000 shares of North American Construction Group stock. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$19.81 per share, with a total value of C$99,050.00. On Thursday, May 16th, Martin Robert Ferron bought 5,000 shares of North American Construction Group stock. The shares were acquired at an average cost of C$27.68 per share, with a total value of C$138,400.00. North American Construction Group Trading Up 2.1 % North American Construction Group stock opened at C$25.28 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$26.55 and a 200 day moving average price of C$29.06. North American Construction Group Ltd. has a 52 week low of C$23.59 and a 52 week high of C$34.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 206.01, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market capitalization of C$675.73 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.28, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.64. North American Construction Group Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 4th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.58%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. North American Construction Groups dividend payout ratio is 22.60%. NOA has been the subject of a number of research reports. ATB Capital reduced their target price on shares of North American Construction Group from C$45.00 to C$40.00 in a report on Friday, August 2nd. TD Securities reduced their target price on shares of North American Construction Group from C$34.00 to C$33.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 2nd. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of North American Construction Group from C$37.00 to C$32.00 in a report on Thursday, August 1st. National Bankshares reduced their target price on shares of North American Construction Group from C$47.00 to C$39.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Ventum Financial reduced their target price on shares of North American Construction Group from C$52.00 to C$47.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$37.00. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on North American Construction Group About North American Construction Group (Get Free Report) North American Construction Group Ltd. provides mining and heavy civil construction services to customers in the resource development and industrial construction sectors in Australia, Canada, and the United States. The company operates Heavy Equipment Canada, Heavy Equipment Australia, and Other segments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for North American Construction Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for North American Construction Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Quantum Private Wealth LLC lessened its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ Free Report) by 22.3% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,772 shares of the companys stock after selling 509 shares during the quarter. Quantum Private Wealth LLCs holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $259,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc purchased a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the first quarter valued at about $31,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. WFA Asset Management Corp grew its position in Johnson & Johnson by 61.4% during the 4th quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 255 shares of the companys stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Disciplined Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at $45,000. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Johnson & Johnson alerts: Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.3 % Shares of Johnson & Johnson stock traded up $0.46 on Friday, reaching $159.55. The stock had a trading volume of 2,457,215 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,324,396. The stock has a market capitalization of $383.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.52. Johnson & Johnson has a 1 year low of $143.13 and a 1 year high of $175.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $152.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $153.14. Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement Johnson & Johnson ( NYSE:JNJ Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.11. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 46.34% and a return on equity of 36.60%. The firm had revenue of $22.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $22.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.80 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.07 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 27th. Johnson & Johnsons dividend payout ratio is presently 30.92%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts recently commented on JNJ shares. Daiwa America downgraded Johnson & Johnson from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded Johnson & Johnson from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $160.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, TD Securities decreased their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $173.21. Get Our Latest Report on JNJ About Johnson & Johnson (Free Report) Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JNJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Johnson & Johnson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Johnson & Johnson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KRS Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 0.3% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 4,770 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 16 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for about 3.2% of KRS Capital Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. KRS Capital Management LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $4,319,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.8% in the second quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 844 shares of the companys stock worth $764,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the period. DeDora Capital Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 4.1% in the second quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 2,240 shares of the companys stock worth $2,028,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the second quarter worth $113,000. Welch Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 6.7% in the second quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 6,339 shares of the companys stock worth $5,739,000 after acquiring an additional 398 shares during the period. Finally, Manchester Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 5.7% in the second quarter. Manchester Financial Inc. now owns 521 shares of the companys stock worth $472,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 750 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $819.47, for a total transaction of $614,602.50. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,130 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,842,821.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 210,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.82, for a total value of $197,362,200.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 96,943,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at $91,109,731,514.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $819.47, for a total value of $614,602.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,130 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,842,821.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 1,214,704 shares of company stock worth $1,066,841,316 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LLY has been the subject of several recent research reports. Bank of America boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Berenberg Bank boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Barclays boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $913.00 to $1,025.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $875.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $956.88. View Our Latest Research Report on Eli Lilly and Company Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 0.1 % LLY stock traded down $1.29 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $930.29. 1,183,456 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,090,686. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $516.57 and a 52-week high of $966.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.35. The business has a 50 day moving average of $877.49 and a 200-day moving average of $802.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $884.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 136.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.41. Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.56%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.58%. Eli Lilly and Company Profile (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Roth Mkm restated their buy rating on shares of Ormat Technologies (NYSE:ORA Free Report) in a research note released on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $80.00 price objective on the energy companys stock. Several other analysts have also recently commented on ORA. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Ormat Technologies from $70.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Ormat Technologies from $75.00 to $73.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Ormat Technologies from $69.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Ormat Technologies from $85.00 to $86.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on Ormat Technologies from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ormat Technologies has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $81.67. Get Ormat Technologies alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on ORA Ormat Technologies Stock Performance Shares of ORA opened at $73.73 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.21, a PEG ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.97. Ormat Technologies has a 1 year low of $58.73 and a 1 year high of $78.51. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $73.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $69.30. Ormat Technologies (NYSE:ORA Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The energy company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $212.96 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $214.07 million. Ormat Technologies had a return on equity of 5.40% and a net margin of 14.89%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.40 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Ormat Technologies will post 2.03 EPS for the current year. Ormat Technologies Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 20th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. Ormat Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.62%. Insider Buying and Selling at Ormat Technologies In other news, Director David Granot sold 686 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.46, for a total value of $50,393.56. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 4,832 shares of the companys stock, valued at $354,958.72. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Ormat Technologies A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ORA. Susquehanna International Group Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Ormat Technologies in the second quarter valued at $1,006,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Ormat Technologies by 45.3% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,809 shares of the energy companys stock worth $417,000 after buying an additional 1,811 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in Ormat Technologies by 10.6% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 19,019 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $1,364,000 after buying an additional 1,822 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in shares of Ormat Technologies during the second quarter valued at about $317,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Ormat Technologies by 6.3% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,450,797 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $104,030,000 after acquiring an additional 86,291 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.49% of the companys stock. Ormat Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Ormat Technologies, Inc engages in the geothermal and recovered energy power business in the United States, Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey, Chile, Guatemala, Guadeloupe, New Zealand, Honduras, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Electricity, Product, and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment develops, builds, owns, and operates geothermal, solar photovoltaic, and recovered energy-based power plants; and sells electricity. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Ormat Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ormat Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shaftesbury Capital (LON:SHC Free Report) had its price objective increased by Berenberg Bank from GBX 160 ($2.04) to GBX 174 ($2.22) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Digital Look reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock. Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on SHC. Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of Shaftesbury Capital in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a buy rating and set a GBX 174 ($2.22) price target on shares of Shaftesbury Capital in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Get Shaftesbury Capital alerts: View Our Latest Report on SHC Shaftesbury Capital Stock Down 1.2 % Shaftesbury Capital Increases Dividend Shares of Shaftesbury Capital stock traded down GBX 1.70 ($0.02) during trading on Thursday, reaching GBX 145.30 ($1.86). The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,407,346 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,374,614. The firms 50-day moving average is GBX 144.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 139.15. Shaftesbury Capital has a 52-week low of GBX 101.90 ($1.30) and a 52-week high of GBX 156 ($1.99). The company has a market cap of 2.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3,632.50 and a beta of 1.16. The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 22nd will be paid a dividend of GBX 1.70 ($0.02) per share. This is a positive change from Shaftesbury Capitals previous dividend of $1.65. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 1.12%. Shaftesbury Capitals payout ratio is presently -7,500.00%. About Shaftesbury Capital (Get Free Report) Shaftesbury Capital PLC ("Shaftesbury Capital") is the leading central London mixed-use REIT and is a constituent of the FTSE-250 Index. Our property portfolio, valued at 4.8 billion at December 2023, extends to 2.9 million square feet of lettable space across the most vibrant areas of London's West End. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Shaftesbury Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shaftesbury Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Investment analysts at StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Barnwell Industries (NYSE:BRN Get Free Report) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The firm set a hold rating on the stock. Barnwell Industries Stock Up 1.7 % Barnwell Industries stock opened at $2.36 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $2.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $2.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.15 and a beta of 0.15. Barnwell Industries has a 12-month low of $2.06 and a 12-month high of $3.20. Get Barnwell Industries alerts: Barnwell Industries (NYSE:BRN Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 14th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $5.77 million during the quarter. Barnwell Industries had a negative return on equity of 18.20% and a negative net margin of 13.29%. Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Inflows and Outflows In related news, major shareholder Ned L. Sherwood acquired 24,011 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $2.89 per share, for a total transaction of $69,391.79. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 2,767,995 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,999,505.55. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In other Barnwell Industries news, major shareholder Ned L. Sherwood acquired 24,011 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 31st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $2.89 per share, for a total transaction of $69,391.79. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 2,767,995 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,999,505.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . Also, major shareholder Ned L. Sherwood purchased 18,034 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $2.81 per share, for a total transaction of $50,675.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,735,117 shares in the company, valued at $7,685,678.77. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Insiders acquired 46,251 shares of company stock worth $131,894 over the last ninety days. 17.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. An institutional investor recently raised its position in Barnwell Industries stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Barnwell Industries, Inc. (NYSE:BRN Free Report) by 1.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 355,534 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 6,612 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned about 3.55% of Barnwell Industries worth $836,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Institutional investors own 40.71% of the companys stock. About Barnwell Industries (Get Free Report) Barnwell Industries, Inc acquires, develops, produces, and sells oil and natural gas in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Oil and Natural Gas, Land Investment, and Contract Drilling. It also acquires and develops crude oil and natural gas assets in the province of Alberta, as well as invests in land interests in Hawaii. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Barnwell Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Barnwell Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Unum Group (NYSE:UNM Free Report) had its target price raised by Wells Fargo & Company from $66.00 to $69.00 in a report released on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the financial services providers stock. Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. They issued an overweight rating and a $57.00 price objective for the company. Evercore ISI increased their price target on Unum Group from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Unum Group from $62.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Unum Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Unum Group from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, April 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $61.78. Get Unum Group alerts: Get Our Latest Report on UNM Unum Group Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE:UNM opened at $54.40 on Monday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $52.06 and its 200 day moving average is $51.44. Unum Group has a 12-month low of $41.75 and a 12-month high of $58.17. The stock has a market cap of $10.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.08, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Unum Group (NYSE:UNM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.02 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $3.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.23 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 10.40% and a return on equity of 15.55%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.06 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 8.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Unum Group declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, July 30th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to buy up to 10% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Unum Group Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 26th. This is an increase from Unum Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.09%. Unum Groups dividend payout ratio is 24.96%. Institutional Trading of Unum Group Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UNM. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its stake in Unum Group by 347.7% in the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 101,462 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,186,000 after buying an additional 78,801 shares in the last quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C bought a new position in shares of Unum Group in the second quarter worth $565,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the second quarter valued at $67,000. Caxton Associates LP lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 280.0% during the 2nd quarter. Caxton Associates LP now owns 18,382 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $940,000 after purchasing an additional 13,544 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Unum Group by 496.6% during the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 12,403 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $634,000 after purchasing an additional 10,324 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the companys stock. Unum Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Unum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial protection benefit solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and internationally. It operates through Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, and Closed Block segment. The company offers group long-term and short-term disability, group life, and accidental death and dismemberment products; supplemental and voluntary products, such as individual disability, voluntary benefits, and dental and vision products; and accident, sickness, disability, life, and cancer and critical illness products. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Unum Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Unum Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Warrior Met Coal, Inc. (NYSE:HCC Get Free Report) dropped 3.8% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $59.43 and last traded at $59.54. Approximately 53,512 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 93% from the average daily volume of 773,119 shares. The stock had previously closed at $61.92. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have commented on HCC. Benchmark reiterated a hold rating on shares of Warrior Met Coal in a report on Monday, August 5th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Warrior Met Coal from $62.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, B. Riley raised their target price on Warrior Met Coal from $91.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $73.00. Get Warrior Met Coal alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on HCC Warrior Met Coal Trading Up 1.3 % The firm has a market cap of $3.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.14 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 5.85 and a current ratio of 6.86. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $66.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.46. Warrior Met Coal (NYSE:HCC Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.03. Warrior Met Coal had a net margin of 25.01% and a return on equity of 23.27%. The company had revenue of $396.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $387.91 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.63 earnings per share. Warrior Met Coals revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Warrior Met Coal, Inc. will post 7.36 earnings per share for the current year. Warrior Met Coal Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 6th were issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 6th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.54%. Warrior Met Coals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 3.85%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider Kelli K. Gant sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.06, for a total value of $750,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 61,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,629,550.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, insider Kelli K. Gant sold 10,000 shares of Warrior Met Coal stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.06, for a total value of $750,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 61,678 shares in the company, valued at $4,629,550.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Walter J. Scheller sold 23,148 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.15, for a total transaction of $1,739,572.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 340,485 shares in the company, valued at $25,587,447.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Warrior Met Coal A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Warrior Met Coal by 2.5% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,863,024 shares of the companys stock worth $116,937,000 after buying an additional 45,950 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Warrior Met Coal by 4.3% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,501,379 shares of the companys stock valued at $94,242,000 after purchasing an additional 62,200 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Warrior Met Coal by 6.1% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,440,965 shares of the companys stock worth $90,449,000 after purchasing an additional 82,622 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Warrior Met Coal by 2.4% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,299,563 shares of the companys stock worth $78,885,000 after purchasing an additional 30,053 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in Warrior Met Coal by 33.8% in the 1st quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 974,247 shares of the companys stock valued at $59,137,000 after buying an additional 246,217 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.28% of the companys stock. About Warrior Met Coal (Get Free Report) Warrior Met Coal, Inc produces and exports non-thermal metallurgical coal for the steel industry. It operates two underground mines located in Alabama. The company sells its metallurgical coal to a customer base of blast furnace steel producers located primarily in Europe, South America, and Asia. It also sells natural gas, which is extracted as a byproduct from coal production. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Warrior Met Coal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Warrior Met Coal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Welch Group LLC grew its holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE Free Report) by 97.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 660 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 325 shares during the period. Welch Group LLCs holdings in Chemed were worth $358,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. TD Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Chemed by 23.9% during the 1st quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 254,953 shares of the companys stock worth $163,662,000 after purchasing an additional 49,176 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in shares of Chemed by 121.5% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 203,096 shares of the companys stock worth $118,760,000 after purchasing an additional 111,399 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Chemed by 19.7% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 188,679 shares of the companys stock worth $110,330,000 after purchasing an additional 31,036 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Chemed by 20.1% during the 1st quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 182,776 shares of the companys stock worth $117,329,000 after purchasing an additional 30,614 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Chemed by 29.3% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 179,465 shares of the companys stock worth $115,184,000 after purchasing an additional 40,695 shares during the period. 95.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Chemed alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts recently commented on CHE shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Chemed from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, May 4th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Chemed from $712.00 to $697.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 21st. Chemed Price Performance Shares of NYSE:CHE traded up $1.92 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $574.92. The companys stock had a trading volume of 7,523 shares, compared to its average volume of 87,812. Chemed Co. has a 52 week low of $492.84 and a 52 week high of $654.62. The company has a market capitalization of $8.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.43. The firms fifty day moving average price is $548.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $581.68. Chemed (NYSE:CHE Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $5.47 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.59 by ($0.12). Chemed had a net margin of 12.88% and a return on equity of 29.21%. The business had revenue of $595.88 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $599.20 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.71 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Chemed Co. will post 21.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Chemed Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.35%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This is a positive change from Chemeds previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Chemeds payout ratio is 10.76%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Nicholas Michael Westfall sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $561.58, for a total transaction of $1,123,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,990 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,363,864.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.17, for a total transaction of $816,255.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 107,049 shares of the companys stock, valued at $58,252,854.33. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Nicholas Michael Westfall sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $561.58, for a total transaction of $1,123,160.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,990 shares in the company, valued at $3,363,864.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 5,784 shares of company stock worth $3,232,313 in the last 90 days. 3.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About Chemed (Free Report) Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CHE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Chemed Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chemed and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The United States State Department has approved a potential sale of 600 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles to Germany for an estimated cost of $5 billion. This significant investment underscores Germanys commitment to modernizing its air and missile defense capabilities amidst heightened geopolitical tensions and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Get alerts: Boosting National and NATO Defense The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced the potential sale, emphasizing its importance for German national security and the broader NATO alliance. The agency highlighted the deals contribution to improving the security of a NATO ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe. The sale, which includes ten fly-to-buy missiles, still requires congressional approval. This announcement comes as Germany actively bolsters its air defense infrastructure, driven by the evolving security landscape in Europe. The country has significantly reduced its Patriot system inventory since the Cold War, and this purchase signals a decisive effort to replenish and enhance its defensive capabilities. Responding to the Ukrainian Conflict Germanys commitment to strengthening its air defense is directly linked to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Germany has donated three Patriot systems to Ukraine, leaving its forces with only nine operational units. The war has highlighted the critical role of advanced air defense systems in modern warfare, prompting many nations to re-evaluate their defense strategies and investments. The Patriot systems effectiveness in countering Russian missile attacks in Ukraine has attracted significant international attention, leading to increased demand for the system globally. This demand has prompted manufacturers like Lockheed Martin to ramp up production to meet the growing needs of allied nations. Meeting Future Threats and NATO Requirements Beyond the immediate concerns of the Ukrainian conflict, Germanys investment in Patriot missiles aligns with broader NATO defense plans. Recent reports suggest that Germany is under pressure to significantly expand its air defense capabilities to meet the alliances evolving requirements. Acquiring these advanced missiles will be crucial in fulfilling these obligations and protecting critical infrastructure and military assets. The planned purchase also reflects a shift in Germanys defense posture. After decades of reduced military spending following the Cold War, Germany is now significantly increasing its defense budget and prioritizing the modernization of its armed forces. The Patriot missile deal represents a significant step in this ongoing transformation. A History of Collaboration and Innovation The Patriot missile system has a long and successful history, with Germany being a long-time user and partner in its development. The PAC-3 MSE variant represents the latest iteration of this technology, offering enhanced range, accuracy, and overall performance. This sale further strengthens the longstanding defense cooperation between the United States and Germany. Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for this potential sale, has already increased its PAC-3 MSE missile production to meet global demand. The company is investing heavily in expanding its production capacity, aiming to produce 650 missiles annually by 2027. A Strategic Investment in Security Germanys $5 billion investment in Patriot missiles represents a significant commitment to strengthening its national and NATO defense capabilities. Driven by the evolving security landscape in Europe and the lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine, this purchase will significantly enhance Germanys ability to counter current and future threats, ensuring the safety and security of its citizens and contributing to the stability of the broader transatlantic alliance. The deal underscores the importance of continued investment in advanced defense technologies and the enduring partnership between the United States and Germany in maintaining peace and security. Two controversial bonfires were lit in the Bogside and Creggan areas on Thursday night. Traditionally, bonfires are lit on August 15 by some nationalists to mark the Feast of the Assumption. But the bonfires are also lit to commemorate the introduction of internment in August 9, 1971. There were many in attendance at both bonfires taking place in Derry, with the event passing peacefully, with the police reporting no arrests. Israeli, Union, Apprentice Boys and King Charles Coronation Flags were among the items placed on the pyre to burn. The PSNI have said they are investigating material placed on bonfires in Derry and they are being treating as hate crimes. Bogside Bonfire on August 15 pic.twitter.com/W8ZdsosEH9 Brendan McGilligan (@BMcGilligan97) August 16, 2024 Foyle MLA Padraig Delargy praised the work of Feile Derry in organising a packed programme of positive community events in the Bogside, Creggan and surrounding areas as diversionary schemes. He said the unacceptable burning of flags on bonfires must stop now. Mr. Delargy said: Hundreds of people have attended positive community events across the Bogside, Creggan and surrounding areas over recent days. I want to commend Feile, and other community festivals, for leading the way and bringing our communities together and looking to the future through arts, sports, music, debate and culture. That is the image of the Bogside that should be projected around the world, because we have much to celebrate, and to build on in the future. Once again, we have seen the burning of flags on bonfires this is unacceptable, disrespectful and there is no place for these displays anywhere in our society. They are in stark contrast to the positive work that is being done in the community to showcase everything that is good about Derry and its people. The Bogside bonfire was constructed in Meenan Square, a site owned by Apex Housing Association. A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) has been submitted to Derry City and Strabane District Council on behalf of Apex as part of plans to redevelop the Meenan Square site. The redevelopment of Meenan Square is a multi-million-pound transformational capital project in the Derry Urban Village area. A spokesperson for Apex Housing Association commented: We have moved quickly to clean and resecure the Meenan Square site following this weeks bonfire. "Following a successful community consultation over the summer, we look forward to submitting our planning application in the coming weeks and hope to begin the exciting transformation of Meenan Square in 2025. This morning the fire service confirmed they responded to a call at 8.53am to deal with the remnants of the fire at Meenan Square. One Appliance from Northland Fire Station attended and Firefighters used 1 jet and 2 hose reels to extinguish the fire. The incident was dealt with by 10.08am. The finalists for Blas na hEireann, The Irish Food Awards, 2024 have been announced and the countdown is now on for another exciting and joyous awards weekend in the pretty seaside town of Dingle. The three-day event will take place from Thursday 3rd October to Saturday 5th October. The excitement is already building and the Blas team are hard at work preparing for the arrival of food and drink producers from across Ireland to celebrate the very best of Irish. Now in its 17th year, Blas na hEireann saw another record-breaking year across all categories along with many new producers entering the awards for the first time this year. During the judging, which took place in June and July, over 3,000 entries were judged, testament to the number of brilliant producers across the country. The 9 finalists shortlisted from Co.Derry across a range of different categories are Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, Carol's Stock Market, Carrick Foods, Corndale Farm, Morelli Ice Cream Ltd, Mullin's Ice Cream, Taste Joy Company Ltd, U-BAKE and Vittle Bakeshop. Speaking as the finalists were announced, Blas na hEireann Chairperson, Artie Clifford said, I started the awards after 30 years in the food industry, and I knew there was a need to celebrate the amazing food and drink being produced on the island of Ireland. 17 years later, it continues to delight me the number of new producers entering each year along with so many familiar faces returning year on year. We are an island of phenomenal producers and should be very proud of that, being able to showcase the very best of the best in Dingle each year is a real privilege for the whole Blas team. This years Blas na hEireann awards in Dingle will see the return of Eat Ireland in a Day market and the Blas Village where the 2024 finalists will get the opportunity to showcase their products, engage with customers and meet key industry buyers. This year's focus will be on sustainability with a commitment to encourage zero-waste throughout the three days of the awards in line with the Dingle Food Festival ethos. One new element at Blas will be the removal of any single use cups and the introduction of the first electric van delivering food and drink to the awards from across the country. These new initiatives are supported by Bank of Ireland in partnership with Blas. With over 3,000 products entered in this years Blas na hEireann, making it as a finalist is a huge achievement and one to be very proud of. The competition ramps up year on year, meaning those producers who are shortlisted as finalists really are the creme de la creme of Irish food and drink. For finalist producers it is not just their exceptional food and drink which will be celebrated in Dingle but the people themselves, the passionate producers who make the very best of Irish will be recognised and rewarded making Blas na hEireann 2024 a food event not to be missed! A 76-year-old man from the Coleraine area, was sentenced at Laganside Crown Court today for three counts of sexual assault of a child. The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the victims identity, was sentenced to nine years. He will serve four years in prison and five years on licence. He will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period and has been disqualified from ever working with children and vulnerable adults. Detective Constable Lesley Cameron said: This was an incredibly disturbing case and it is right this man now has to face the consequences of his disgraceful crimes. My thoughts today remain with the victim and their family. They have shown immense courage in reporting these crimes and working with Police throughout the investigation. "The Police Service of Northern Ireland is wholly committed to tackling all cases of child abuse, regardless of when the crimes occurred, and we will continue to work alongside our partners to support any victims and ensure offenders are brought to justice. We encourage anyone who has been the victim of any form of sexual abuse to come forward to Police. Call 101 or call 999 in an emergency. Ulster University has officially opened the doors to its newly expanded and reimagined Nursing Competence Test Centre today, located at Foyle House in Derry. This significant development aims to address the growing global demand for nursing and midwifery healthcare professionals in the UK. The Ulster University School of Nursing and Paramedic Science hosts and operates this vital Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) Competence Test Centre (CTC) which has, over the years, expanded to meet growing demand. Earlier this year the university purchased a new site that shares a border with the Universitys Duncreggan Student Village, a very short walk from campus buildings, and began expansion plans. The development will enable over 8,000 internationally educated nursing and midwifery candidates per year from around the world, to take their NMC Test of Competence Part 2 Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) assessment in order to join the NMC Register of nurses, midwives and nursing associates. The CTC on the Derry campus is one of just five NMC approved CTCs in the UK and the only one in Northern Ireland, reflecting the Universitys expertise and leadership in nursing. First established in 2017, the test centre has not only helped to alleviate pressures on the health sector but has also become an economic driver for the North West with businesses across the city reaping the many benefits of increased visitor numbers. Marking the significant expansion, Ulster University hosted a celebratory launch event at Foyle House. People from across the UK were welcomed to explore the new facilities, highlighting an important opportunity to support nursing capacity and alleviate pressures on the health service in the UK. Esteemed guests included representatives from the NMC, Healthcare Trusts, the Independent Sector, the Royal College of Nursing, the Deputy Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Darren Guy, and Northern Irelands Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt. Minister Nesbitt said: The test centre here at Ulster University has gained a reputation as the preferred choice for many candidates. This speaks volumes for the efforts made by Ulster University, not only to support the development of the workforce to meet the healthcare needs of our population, but also their unwavering dedication to academic excellence and professional integrity. To the candidates embarking on this journey, I encourage you to view this Centre not simply as an examination stage but as a stepping stone towards a fulfilling career in healthcare. You are joining a community that values compassion, excellence, working together and openness and honesty. The skills you acquire here will not only be instrumental in your personal journey, but will enable you to make a significant contribution to Northern Ireland. Shahneela Grygiel, Assistant Director of Registration and Revalidation at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said: "We are delighted to be in Derry-Londonderry to explore the new Foyle House site at Ulster University. This expansion is good news for people who use health and care services, helping even more skilled and knowledgeable professionals from all over the world to join our register safely and quickly. Were seeing more nursing and midwifery professionals on the NMC register than ever before 826,418. The expansion at Ulster University will play a vital role in this continued growth, enabling internationally educated professionals and those returning to practice, to provide the high-quality care everyone across the UK has the right to receive. Nurses and midwives are required to undergo comprehensive assessment in order to confirm their competency before they can practice in the UK. The designated test centre on the Derry campus delivers the OSCE, which tests candidates skills, knowledge and behaviours in a simulated practice environment. This is the final test that candidates must pass in order to gain registration as a nurse, midwife or nursing associate in the UK. With a responsive approach to meeting the needs of individuals and organisations, the School of Nursing and Paramedic Science at Ulster University facilitates much needed registered nurses and midwives, who have been internationally educated, in their journey to registration. This enables them to move forward in establishing their career in the UK whilst making a valued and essential contribution to the health of the public through their knowledge, expertise, and experience. Since opening in 2017, over 32,000 nurses from countries including Canada, Japan, Philippines, India, Africa, and Barbados have undertaken the OSCE at the Ulster University Competence Test Centre (CTC) and are now working in healthcare settings across Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland. Professor Carol Curran, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences at Ulster University commented: This significant development signifies our continued commitment to the Derry~Londonderry campus and our ambitions for momentum in development here. This allows us to expand our campus footprint into a neighbouring site and importantly, benefits the local economy in the North West by boosting international travel to Derry~Londonderry with associated bed nights in local hotels. Additionally, some 90 staff most of whom are local nurses - are employed in the CTC as assessors and patient role players so this CTC allows us to support the local economy though employment too. We have plans for further recruitment now that our CTC has expanded on the Foyle House site. Professor Neal Cook, Professor of Nursing and Head of School of Nursing and Paramedic Science said We are delighted to see our CTC provision expand from 12 to 20 testing bays at our new site, maximising the responsive provision to facilitating internationally educated nurses, midwives and nursing associates from all over the globe to enter the NMC live register. This enhanced provision will expand on our ability to support these nurses and their sponsors as well as provide our team with bespoke facilities to maximise the quality of our provision, complementing our continued commitment to a person-centred approach. The community support and hospitality the candidates receive on their visit to the city also enhances their positive experience. This is a team and service to be proud of, particularly given the impact on health services nationally. Ulster University has an international reputation for nursing excellence and is rated top 10 in the UK for nursing (QS World Subject Rankings 2023 and Complete University Guide 2024). Indian IC design startup seeks six automotive contracts and eyes mid-term chipmaking investment L&T Semiconductor Technologies, an Indian startup set up less than a year ago, expects to begin developing chips for six automobile companies and eventually venture into the chipmaking business. Sandee Kumar, CEO of L&T Semiconductor Technologies, told Reuters in an interview that the company is expected to sign three Indian automobile companies within two weeks and three European companies by the end of September, with the total value of the contracts amounting to US$150 million per year. Initially operating as an IC design house, the company plans to construct a fab once it reaches U$1 billion in sales. Kumar anticipates achieving U$1 billion in annual revenue within seven years. He noted that the company will need a sufficient product pipeline and a solid customer base to justify the investment in the fab. The announcement of the manufacturing plan marks the company's second major move into the chipmaking business within a week. In an interview with Mint, Kumar revealed that L&T Semiconductor intends to build three wafer fabs in India over the next five to ten years, with potential investments totaling US$10-12 billion. The company aims to become India's first global semiconductor player operating from within the country. Kumar told Mint that the return on investment and the availability of financial incentives from the Indian government will be crucial factors in determining the investments. Kumar outlined that investments in silicon could exceed US$10 billion, with silicon carbide around US$1 billion and gallium nitride potentially costing about US$500 million. However, he emphasized that a strong order book will be essential to operating the fab at full capacity and producing chips at globally competitive prices. L&T Semiconductor Technologies, formed by Indian infrastructure giant L&T in November 2023, designs and develops MEMS sensors, power ICs, analog ICs, and mixed-signal & RF ICs for automotive, industrial, energy, and telecommunication sectors. The company has R&D centers in Bangalore, Delhi, and Chennai and has product engineering and sales divisions in Austin, Munich, and Tokyo. In July, the company announced it had signed a Master Collaboration Agreement (MCA) with Aditya Infotech to develop and supply SoC and other system solutions for CCTV Cameras. International firms eyes Vietnam semiconductor talent amid rising geopolitical tension Vietnam has made talent development a top priority to support the country's growth semiconductor industry. As US-China tensions escalate, the shift in supply chains has positioned Vietnam as a premium hub for international firm's talent cultivation initiatives. While the Vietnamese government aims to train 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030 as reported by Vietnam Plus, presently the talent shortage in the country persists. Long road ahead for talent The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) acknowledges that Vietnam has only enough semiconductor talent to meet 20% of the demand. Hoang Viet Anh, Deputy General Director of Vietnam's leading semiconductor company FPT, noted that the country has around 5,000 engineers working in approximately 40 companies. This means Vietnam must increase its number of engineers tenfold by 2030 to reach its goal. FPT has committed to training 10,000 engineers as part of its contribution to Vietnam's semiconductor industry. Major companies such as Viettel and VNPT are actively engaging in research and talent development. Within the semiconductor supply chain, Vietnam primarily focuses on backend processes like packaging and testing. For example, Intel operates a packaging plant in the country. The Vietnam Institute for Industry and Trade Strategy and Policy (VIOIT) pointed out that while the semiconductor industry encompasses a wide range of activities, Vietnam is currently limited to simpler tasks like packaging. International firms eye Vietnamese talent Despite the current shortage of talent and the early stages of meeting the government's goals, Nikkei Asia observes that many foreign companies are highly interested in Vietnam's talent development efforts. One of the reasons for the growing attention on Vietnamese talent is the ongoing US-China conflict. As supply chains shift to Southeast Asia, the demand for skilled workers follows. Additionally, South Korea, Taiwan, and the US face domestic talent shortages and are looking to Vietnam as a solution. South Korean company MetisX highlighted that after years of hard work, South Korean professionals often move on to work for major companies like Nvidia. South Korean firms have been urged to offer more attractive salaries and benefits to retain talent, but it remains difficult for individual companies to achieve alone. The South Korean business community has therefore suggested leveraging the education systems of other countries and relaxing visa restrictions for foreign talent, with Vietnam frequently mentioned as a key candidate for the initiative. The Taiwan-based Alchip Technologies is also establishing an office in Vietnam and expanding its R&D team there. Vietnam's work ethic and talent appeal have been cited as the factors behind the choice. Comparatively, while Alchip still plans to grow its presence in Japan, the company's size makes expansion in Japan more challenging for them. Nikkei points out companies such as Marvell, Synopsys, Infineon, Global Unichip, eSilicon, BOS Semiconductors, and ADTechnology all have R&D centers in Vietnam. Businesses are also supporting Vietnamese talent through internship programs and scholarships. For instance, Samsung Electronics has partnered with the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC) to launch a talent training program. Similarly, Pegatron offers scholarships and internships in the region. Of Vietnam's 240 universities, nearly 160 offer technology-related training, with programs covering semiconductor topics. Furthermore, 35 universities have established dedicated semiconductor departments. Over 300 Ethiopian students win Chinese government scholarships, vowing to advance bilateral relationship Xinhua) 10:49, August 16, 2024 ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- More than 300 Ethiopian university students have won scholarships provided by the Chinese government to help them pursue graduate and post-graduate studies across different academic fields in major Chinese universities. A special farewell and training event was held Thursday at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia for Ethiopian students in the presence of Ethiopian government officials, Chinese diplomats in Ethiopia, and the families of scholarship recipients. This year, more than 300 Ethiopian students were admitted into universities across China through the Chinese Government Scholarship scheme and the MOFCOM Scholarship scheme. The students are expected to depart for China late this month, according to the Chinese embassy. Idossa Terfassa, head of the Scholarship and Internationalization Desk of the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, underscored the crucial importance of the growing scholarships provided by China as part of the two countries' broader partnership in capacity building. "With the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation serving as a setting for engagement in areas related to economic, diplomatic, and social agendas, supporting Ethiopia's human resource development through experience sharing and short and long-term training is one focus area in the bilateral agreement of the two countries," he said. Terfassa noted that Chinese scholarships are playing a vital role as a critical enabler in driving socioeconomic development and advancing technology in the East African country. He urged the students to serve as ambassadors of their country, to be open to adapting to the Chinese culture, and to contribute to strengthening the Sino-Ethiopian bilateral ties. "You carry with you a responsibility to uphold the values of excellence, integrity, and service to others. Use your education not only to better your own life but also to contribute positively to your community and the society at large," he told the students. Shen Qinmin, minister counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, called on the departing Ethiopian students to excel in their education and make meaningful contributions to their country's future development endeavors. He encouraged them to apply their full potential and the knowledge they will garner from their studies in China to positively contribute to expanding the direct Sino-Ethiopian people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Gedifew Sewenet, one of this year's scholarship recipients, pledged the strong commitment of the new batch of scholarship winners to strive for more knowledge and skills during their academic stay in China. "As prospective students, this scholarship is a great and prestigious award for us in order to pursue our dream of advanced higher education and, thereby, changing our country, Ethiopia," Sewenet said. Melak Mesfin, a former Chinese government scholarship recipient, commended the Chinese government for the continuous scholarship opportunities benefiting aspiring Ethiopian students, eventually enabling them to contribute to their country's development aspirations. "There are ample opportunities (in China). We need to learn there and bring results to our country for future development. We should also be a part of the connecting bridge in culture, language, and different aspects," Mesfin told the departing Ethiopian students. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) This World Photography Day, Monday 19 August, photo printing specialist CEWE, is inviting Louth photographers of all levels to enter the global CEWE Photo Award competition. The CEWE Photo Award is the worlds biggest free photography competition, open to amateur and professional photographers alike, and typically attracting half a million entries each year. This years competition carries the theme, Our world is beautiful. The growing appeal of the CEWE Photo Award is reflected by the surge in photography in everyday life, with an estimated 4.9 photos now captured by the average European every day. Smartphone technology has made it possible for anyone to become a photographer, and 94% of photos are now taken on smartphones. Here in Ireland, meanwhile, a massive 43% of people have admitted their dream career is to become a semi-professional or professional photographer. Steve Manfield, Marketing Director CEWE Ireland, is hoping that World Photography Day, which was first celebrated in 1991 and has become an annual celebration of the art of photography, will inspire people to enter this years CEWE Photo Award. World Photography Day is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge how important photography is in our daily lives, said Mr Manfield. At CEWE, were passionate about celebrating those special moments we capture on our cameras or smart devices, and recognising the joy these photos bring to ourselves and our loved ones throughout the year. To mark the special day, were calling on all Irish photographers to enter the CEWE Photo Award via our website or mobile app, Mr Manfield said. Its free to enter and youll be in with a chance to win, no matter what your level! The CEWE Photo Award 2025 features 10 different categories, with entrants free to submit multiple photos in each category. The competition, which has an overall prize fund of 250,000, will remain open until April 2025. For more information about the 2025 CEWE Photo Award visit: www.cewe.ie/cewe-photo-award 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. A move away from local authority house construction has pushed more and more children into economic homelessness, causing a traumatic breach of their rights, the Childrens Ombudsman said. Dr Niall Muldoon said the Government must take responsibility for children and young people spending their formative years in emergency accommodation. He was speaking as he officially opened Houben House, a family hub run by the Salvation Army in Dublins Harolds Cross which accommodates 350 parents and children. He said: The fact that we are now here within this great facility, which is full to capacity, shows that the State has failed to live up to its promise from 2017 to prevent the use of any emergency accommodation by 2018, except in very exceptional cases. The move away from local authority housing during the economic crash has led to a situation now where we are consistently failing more and more children and families who are falling, rarely due to any fault of theirs, into economic homelessness. That is a most traumatic breach of childrens rights and something for which numerous different governments must take responsibility. The countrys largest family homeless hub, Houben House houses 62 families 17 Irish and 45 from countries including Somalia, Romania, Germany and South Africa. The youngest resident is a newborn boy. The complex, operating since 2020 but its official opening was delayed by Covid-19, spans across four floors and includes 62 rooms, a library, sensory playroom, extensive kitchens, laundry rooms, dining room and outdoor courtyard for a modern play area. When a family arrives, they are met by a key worker who supports them and also offers employment and housing workshops and programmes to help towards long-term, independent living. Dr Muldoon paid tribute to the Salvation Army for trying to create a home setting, security and guidance for families. Within the limitations of the model, they appear to have done extremely well over the past four years, he said. Latest homeless figures for June show 14,303 individuals were accessing emergency accommodation, including 2,093 families and 4,404 children under 18. Anthony Byrne, Houben Houses service manager, told the official opening event that the Salvation Armys vision is that no child or family in Ireland presents as homeless but he warned the country is veering further away from that vision every day. With the support of Dublin City Council, the church and charity has helped 158 families into new homes. Most of the families that come to us have experienced homelessness due to the cost of living and a lack of social and affordable housing, Mr Byrne said. It is a circumstance that any of us here today could find ourselves facing. He said the charity has implemented a 10-year homeless services strategy, taking a trauma informed approach to build safety and trust and restore residents confidence. All of Houben Houses adult residents are offered pathways to finding work through an employment plus programme. Last year, 26 residents successfully gained employment after completing the course. When you come to live in Cork from another country, you tend to view it through a different lens than its residents. So says American post-graduate student, Abigail Johnson, who is the author of the second Summer Soap in The Echo, which starts its 12-episode run in the paper and online at EchoLive.ie on Monday. Entitled Hop, Skip And Stumble, her story follows a college freshman from the U.S, called Natalie, as she adjusts to life in Cork and attending university. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 episodes, chosen from the submissions of students on UCCs MA in creative writing programme. Abigai, 24, says that her soap is semi-autobiographical. Natalie is a fictional character but some of her experiences come from my own adjustments into Cork city, she said. Just like Abigail, Natalie, who is studying finance at UCC, is seeing Cork for the first time. You see things that someone who has lived here for years may just perceive as normal. Used to moving around because of her fathers job in the American air force, Abigail, who lived in Germany and Chile for several years as well as in various US locations, was keen to come to Ireland as it was one of the few European countries she hadnt visited. My parents have been very supportive of sending their daughter to a foreign country, she said. But theyre bound to be a little worried. I was told not to go down any alleys. I rolled my eyes at that. But, staying initially at the Imperial Hotel, I didnt realise that Oliver Plunkett Street is pedestrianised. I thought the streets off it were alleys and I was very wary about them. I had a bit of a mishap which features in the soap. The airline I flew over on lost half of my baggage. I just had my winter wardrobe but it was very warm when I got here. In need of a toothbrush and toothpaste, Abigail couldnt find the Centra store on Oliver Plunkett Street. Google Maps kept trying to take me around Oliver Plunkett Street because it thought I was driving a car. I was walking around and I was nervous. Thankfully, there are three or four other Centras within walking distance of each other. I got what I needed in one of them. I got my baggage back, but not until I had moved into my student accommodation. Abigails soap follows Natalies exploration of the city, making friends, including a possible romantic relationship. The story is not so much plot-driven as a character study, tracing Natalies development in a new environment. Its her first time outside of her home in the U.S, and its also her first time in a university environment, explained Abigail. Students, myself included, get used to a higher degree of independence in a new place. You have to make a lot of choices for yourself for the first time in your life. I have tried to make Natalie become a lot more comfortable and she expands her horizons a little bit. This is reflective of my experience. The first quarter of the story deals with Natalie adjusting to college life. Towards the latter half of the soap, she has done a bit of travelling and is becoming au fait with her new place of residence. The character also partakes in that time-honoured tradition of visiting Americans, namely kissing the Blarney Stone. Abigail recalls her amusing story about the Blarney Stone. One of my mothers friends had been to Ireland. She won a radio contest where the prize was going to see U2 in Dublin along with stopping at the Blarney Stone. The way my mother tells the story, its that you are hoisted onto the stone. Thats what I was expecting. But in fact you dangle over open air. It was windy when I was there. No one told me what to really expect until I was there and it was too late to back out. It was all grist to the mill for Abigail when she wrote her soap. Natalie is an adventurous character that, while a little nervous at first, is keen to broaden her horizons through living in Cork. Abigail has certainly earned her travelling stripes. Attending Clemson University in South Carolina, she graduated with a BA in English. While she always wanted to be a writer, she is practical enough to realise that she will need a day job, initially at least. Id like a job in publishing because being a writer isnt the most stable of careers. But I want to tell stories, regardless of the medium. English is very flexible. It gives you skills that you can use regardless of what path you choose. Being able to communicate well is going to serve you in any career. While writing a book is an aspiration of Abigail, she says it always seemed more like a hobby than anything else. Of course Id like to publish a book. Since doing the Masters, I have a wider understanding of what might help me along the road. I have a first draft of a novel from High School but thats never going to see the light of day. Im hoping that what I refer to as my thesis will be the start of my novel. I really feel Im playing to my strengths. Granted, Im relying on my imagination but now I have a foundation that I hadnt had previously. Abigail says that the recently deceased Dr Eibhear Walsh, director of creative writing at UCCs School of English, will be sorely missed. Ive had a wonderful time doing the MA course that he created. It has been a phenomenal opportunity. Pick up a copy of The Echo on Monday for part one of Abigail's Summer Soap. A Cork TD has sharply criticised the pace of the roll-out of a controversial Government redress scheme, warning that time is running out for survivors of mother and baby home institutions. The scheme pays compensation to mothers who were forced to spend time in mother and baby institutions and to children who spent more than six months in such institutions. The first payments were made last week to hundreds of survivors, after the schemes implementation was delayed a number of times. The 800m redress scheme - the largest in the States history - came after a 2021 State apology for the suffering of women and girls incarcerated in mother and baby homes because they were pregnant outside marriage. Some 34,000 people who were in the institutions are estimated to be eligible to qualify for redress, but a further 25,000 will not be eligible because they spent less than six months in the institutions. By mid-July, some 4,375 applications for redress had been received and nearly 3,500 of these were considered completed and were being processed. According to figures given to Independent TD Catherine Connolly last week by Minister for Children Roderic OGorman, 508 awards have so far been accepted by applicants and 459 of those have already been paid, with an average payment of just under 15,500, while payments to date total 7.1 million. Critised However, the pace at which the scheme has been rolled out has been strongly criticised by Sinn Fein TD for Cork East Pat Buckley. Mr Buckley told The Echo he had been in constant contact with elderly survivors who have had no assistance from the Government since the scheme was announced, with one aspect of the scheme, the proposed provision of enhanced medical cards to survivors, causing particular concern. These people are elderly and have medical needs, such as cataracts, and joint problems, and some are waiting for surgery, but those that Ive been speaking to cannot access the services they need as they are surviving on their pensions only. One constituent explained to me that they would have to borrow money from the credit union, travel to Belfast for cataract treatment and pay for their accommodation themselves, and then wait for the HSE to reimburse possibly 90% of the cost of the procedure, while the individual must pay for the shortfall and their accommodation costs. Mr Buckley said some survivors were dipping into their meagre savings often put aside for funeral expenses in an effort to pay for vital medical procedures. I have been raising the issue of an enhanced medical card repeatedly in the Dail, and I and the survivors are still no closer to a satisfactory answer, he said. We all know what an enhanced medical card will mean for these people, but what we also know that time is running out for these survivors. Mr Buckley said he was calling on the Government to use the upcoming Budget as an opportunity to do the right thing and expedite the rollout of enhanced medical cards and finalise compensation payments to survivors. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth was asked for comment. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested for drug offences in Cork over the past decade, with a local public representative calling for more gardai and a stronger naval service to tackle the issue. Figures released to Aontu by the minister for justice show 36,133 people have been arrested throughout the county for drug offences with the number of arrests peaking in 2021 and 2022 when there were 4,046 and 4,356 respectively. Figures from 2014 to 2024 so far show there were 21,132 drug arrests in Cork City over the last 10 and a half years, and 9,378 in North Cork and 5,623 in West Cork during the same time period. There have been 1,152 arrests in Cork City, 526 in North Cork, and 239 in West Cork up to July 11, suggesting the total figure for Cork could be as high as 4,000 again this year. Cork Aontu representative Becky Kealy says the figures should be a wakeup call to the Government to get a handle on the scourge of drugs in towns and villages throughout the county for once and for all. She said: There is hardly a village in Cork that is untouched by drugs. The ease with which people of all ages and of all backgrounds can access them is frightening and the knock-on ramifications are huge. Crime, serious addiction, family breakdown, desolation, and desperation are their hallmarks, and they leave indelible marks on their users. Our naval fleet has been decimated by this and successive Governments, she said, adding Ireland is seen as a soft touch by drug lords. Why are so many Naval boats in Ireland tied up? We spent millions buying two more from New Zealand in the past couple of years, just to bring them in and tie them up to our ports and pier walls as we cannot find the resources to employ enough naval staff to put them to sea. This is coupled with falling Garda numbers; for every year that Fine Gael has been in government the number of gardai has fallen, morale is at an all-time low and the number of resignations has skyrocketed. Its a perfect storm, Ms Kealy said. Justice Minister Helen McEntee told Aontus Peadar Toibin: The Government is investing record amounts into An Garda Siochana to target those involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs through Operation Tara. Operation Tara has a strong focus on tackling street-level dealing across the country, also seeks to disrupt and dismantle the drug trafficking networks that impact on our communities and prosecute those involved at every level. She assured him the Government is committed to limiting access to illegal drugs to the greatest extent possible and to taking a number of actions to tackle this, including increasing the maximum sentence for conspiracy to murder from 10 years to life in prison, aimed at those who direct gangland and drug-related crime. Legislation to criminalise the grooming of children into a life of crime will be introduced, and a support programme to break the link between the gangs and the children they try to recruit will be rolled out. A strengthening of CABs ability to target the proceeds of crime and speed up the process to dispose of the asset for the benefit of the State, is also planned. Four special schools in Cork are to be included in a pilot scheme which would see the return of vital therapists to schools. The schools, which have yet to be officially confirmed, are understood to include St Pauls Special School, Our Lady of Good Counsel Special School in Ballincollig, Carrigaline Community Special School, and Rochestown Special School. Two Dublin schools are also set to be part of the scheme. Speaking to The Echo, Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he was calling for more schools to be added to the pilot, including St Killians on Corks northside. He said in the background to the announcement was a divergence of views between those who wanted school-based therapists and those who favoured a community-based model, and that the scheme was an attempt to bridge that gap. A guessing game had ensued following an announcement by the department that a small number of schools in Cork and Dublin had been included in the pilot scheme to reinstate therapists in special schools. This comes following their eventual complete withdrawal in early 2020, coinciding but not necessarily linked with the outbreak of the covid pandemic. There had been a process of withdrawing therapists, as the community-based model has been favoured since around 2013. While there are 11 special schools in Cork, St Killians Special School on the northside had, along with others, prepared a pilot scheme which was put forward by the Child Disability Network Team under the auspices of Cork Kerry Community Healthcare in early June. Mr Martin told The Echo that he strongly favoured school-based therapy services and said he pushed for this to be implemented for quite some time. Others have different views, others want to pursue the Progressing Disability model [a model where therapists operate in the community rather than being attached to specific schools] which was developed over a decade ago, Mr Martin said. I dont believe that has been a successful model. There have been different views on this, and the pilot scheme has been an attempt to bridge those two views and to learn lessons and evaluate therapists in schools. Six schools have been selected, four in Cork and two in Dublin, with a view to expanding the number of schools within this school year if possible. I have asked the minister for education to specifically look at some schools to add to the six, including St Killians. Cork North Central Fianna Fail TD Padraig OSullivan said, when contacted, that he and others were all advocating strongly for St Killians we want to see all the special schools in Cork have their therapists reinstated. Cork North Central Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould said: We want St Killians, as well as other special schools, to be able to have therapists back this September. This is a scandal; children with disabilities are being treated like second-class citizens. Forty-one hectares in Dublin Hill are to be surveyed by the Land Development Agency (LDA) to assess their suitability for affordable and social housing. The lands identified in the Governments Housing for All Plan for transfer to the LDA include what is owned by the State under the management of IDA Ireland. The land, and its potential to provide housing, was identified in the Report on Relevant Public Land published by the LDA in 2023, where it was estimated that it could yield 3,250 to 4,420 homes. It was categorised as a class-3 site, with all sites ranked between one and three. Class 3 is the most challenging to develop. Total costs of between 1.07bn and 1.3bn are estimated for the project, though a letter from the LDA to Cork City councillors, in the northeast and northwest wards, states that the information contained in the report, however, regarding housing yield and associated statistics, has to be tested further and are estimates only, until such time as the appropriate baseline work has been undertaken. The aim of Housing for All (HFA) is that everyone in the State have access to a home, to purchase or rent at an affordable price, built to a high standard and in the right place, offering a high quality of life, the letter said. Affordable homes The LDA is a commercial, State-sponsored body that has been established to co-ordinate State and other land to provide affordable and social homes and build communities across Ireland. The LDAs functions include co-ordinating appropriate State lands for regeneration and development and opening up for housing key sites that are not being used. They also drive strategic land assembly, working with both public- and private-sector landowners to stabilise land values and deliver increased affordability. Over the coming months, the LDA will be undertaking non-invasive survey work and early baseline analysis on the site. In the short to medium term, survey individuals and teams may be visible on the lands, conducting these studies, so the LDA said they are informing the key stakeholders now of this to allay any immediate concerns. The LDA letter said that these are early-stage surveys and studies designed to gain a better understanding of the conditions, constraints, and opportunities of the site and to understand the environmental, technical, and infrastructure considerations. The analysis will assist the LDA in understanding the options in any possible future development of the site, or parts of the site. Plans to build homes on the former Vita Cortex plant in Cork have progressed. Recent planning documents submitted to Cork City Council on behalf of Fronville Ltd, a Galway-based company, said the proposed development in Ballyphehane, will facilitate a future mixed-use residential development. The documents also state it would not result in a traffic hazard to surrounding areas and would not injure amenities in the vicinity. Prior to development, investigations revealed that there is historic soil and groundwater contamination at the site, which will need to be addressed before works can begin. The investigations and subsequent reports produced identified potential risks to human health and the environment from the contamination on site which require mitigation through remediation, the documents said. The documents further revealed that remediation works will involve a combination of excavation and offsite disposal of impacted soils, pump and treatment of groundwater and importation of stone/ soil for backfilling. An on-site temporary compound is also proposed for the duration of the proposed remediation works. Earlier this week, Cork City Council granted the planning permission for remediation works, with one submission noted from Inland Fisheries Ireland which stated should permission be granted for the residential development, planning conditions must ensure there can be no contaminated discharge to waters either via percolation or the foul/ storm water networks. The site, where the old Vita Cortex factory was situated, is well-known for a sit-in staged by workers over 13 years ago, after the company announced the closure of its facility. The industrial action was taken by workers after they were let go with immediate effect and without redundancy payments. Demolition of the remaining buildings and removal of remaining pipework and pumping equipment at the plant were completed in February last year, following an application submitted to the council on behalf of Faithbrook Ltd in 2021. Heritage Open Day, which takes place this Saturday, August 17, celebrates the amazing architecture and history of the built heritage in Cork city. This year we celebrate its 19th year anniversary. From small beginnings, with just 30 participating buildings and 5,000 visits, Cork Heritage Open Day was organised to mark the 2005 City of Culture programme of events. Now, 19 years on, Cork Heritage Open Day has more than 40 buildings throwing open their doors free-of-charge and an extensive programme of events ongoing throughout the day, reaching an audience of almost 20,000 people. The events include walks and talks, exhibitions, and festivals. The topics explored every year are quirky and informative, most are child-friendly, and all are linked by a love of the heritage of all things Cork. So, what is the attraction of this event after all these years and why is the appetite for participating in this event as strong as ever? I believe that the answer to this question is multi-faceted. For some, it is the innate pride and sense of identity that is shared by all Cork people for their city, a tribal connection which is mocked and envied in equal measures by those not from Cork. The event is a celebration of this strength of feeling. For many, this event appeals to the voyeuristic curiosity to sneak a peek behind closed doors and glimpse into the lives and work behind the scenes of familiar, but not often accessible places. It also gives visitors an opportunity to ask questions about what business happens in this building or what faith is practiced in this church. Most importantly, it allows people to share their own stories of living, working, or studying in or near a building, such as the retired man who reveals that he was the third generation in his family to work in a brewery, or the nurse who recalls helping people to come into and leave this world in a hospital which is now a hotel. For others, it is the non-fussy, down-to-earth nature of the event. In true democratic fashion, the event is organised by the people for the people, communities coming together to showcase their building or area, nobody getting paid, and everyone given a warm welcome. This approach makes the event accessible to all and encourages those who would not usually participate in such an event to try it out. Whatever the reason, I believe the success of the event goes to the core of the value of heritage. Heritage gives us a sense of place, identity and, in an ever-changing world, gives a community security and belonging. Our built heritage is the most tangible element of our heritage, but Cork Heritage Open Day also feeds into the more intangible elements of heritage such as folklore, stories, history and tradition which is hard to measure but is priceless to our quality of life, health and wellbeing. Cork Heritage Open Day kick-starts Heritage Week in Cork City as part of National Heritage Week and European Heritage Days. The aim of Heritage Week is to build awareness and education about our heritage, thereby encouraging its conservation and preservation. This years theme, Connections, Routes and Networks invites us to explore the links between people and communities, to look at what brings us together and what connects us. So many wonderful events will take place in Cork on Saturday as part of Cork Heritage Open Day. A talk on the Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway 1850 to 1932 will be given by renowned historian and author Diarmuid O Drisceoil at 4pm in the Cork City Library, Grand Parade. This talk will also have an Irish Sign Language Interpreter attending the event Connection to heritage brings joy and a sense of place to all members of our community and it is important that heritage is made as accessible as possible to everyone. In the spirit of connection and access, Cork Heritage Open Day has worked with the Courthouse on Washington St and COPE Foundation to offer accessible tours to this fascinating building to those with intellectual disabilities. The Field of Dreams Down Syndrome Ireland will offer tours of their urban farm and farm shop on Wednesday August 21. Several walking tours will take place on Cork Heritage Open Day. At the VQ on MacCurtain St there will be a walking tour called Out for the Messages, which will look at the history of the various businesses on the street referencing old maps and Census material and will explore the birth of some of Corks iconic brands on this street and how shopping has changed over the years. Cork Heritage Open Day celebrates all that is good about Heritage in Cork city. The participating buildings are the most impressive examples of its military, religious, educational, civic and commercial built heritage and tell the tales of wars and peace, learning and praying, high living and humble beginnings and each building has its own charm, beauty and unique story to tell. However, the one common denominator are the building owners and custodians, who have embraced this event and put so much time and enthusiasm into welcoming visitors into their buildings. Without these champions of heritage, the event would simply not happen. Cork Heritage Open Day is organised by Cork City Council as part of Heritage Week in partnership with the Heritage Council and is proudly supported by media sponsors the Echo. For a full list of events see www.corkheritageopenday.ie or pick up a brochure at Cork City Library or Cork City Tourist Information Office. National Heritage Week runs from August 17 to August 25. 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. If youve ever wondered what healthy soil sounds like, a new study has found that it emits the clicks, crackles and pops of worms and ants moving around underground. Barely audible to humans, the cacophony of sounds is a bit like an underground rave concert of bubbles and clicks, a press release from Australias Flinders University said. Ecologists from Flinders made special recordings to show the tumultuous mix of soundscapes made as small animal species interact with their vast, hidden environment. Our research team has developed a simple way to use sound to monitor life in the soil, which could help improve soil health worldwide, said lead author of the study Dr. Jake Robinson, a microbial ecologist with the Frontiers of Restoration Ecology Lab at Flinders Universitys College of Science and Engineering, and co-author Dr. Martin Breed, an associate professor of biology at Flinders University, in The Conversation. Fifty-nine percent of Earths species live within these below-ground ecosystems. Although still in its early stages, eco-acoustics is emerging as a promising tool to detect and monitor soil biodiversity and has now been used in Australian bushland and other ecosystems in the UK, Robinson said in the press release. The acoustic complexity and diversity are significantly higher in revegetated and remnant plots than in cleared plots, both in-situ and in sound attenuation chambers. The acoustic complexity and diversity are also significantly associated with soil invertebrate abundance and richness. Robinson explained that as 75 percent of soils on the planet have been degraded without restoration, underground species face a dire future. This figure could rise to 90% by 2050 due to deforestation, overgrazing, urbanisation and other destructive practices, Robinson and Breed said in The Conversation. Such degradation poses significant risks, not only to biodiversity but also to the ecosystem services humans rely on, such as food production. The study compared data from acoustic remnant vegetation monitoring to land and degraded plots that had been revegetated 15 years earlier, the press release said. The researchers used a variety of indices and tools in the passive acoustic monitoring of soil biodiversity across five days in the Adelaide Hills of Southern Australias Mount Bold region. Its a bit like going to the doctor, Robinson said, as The Guardian reported. They put a stethoscope on your chest, take a health check, listen to your beating heart were doing something similar in the soil. The research team used a sound attenuation chamber and below-ground sampling device to record invertebrate communities living in the soil, which they also counted manually, the press release said. Flinders University Its clear acoustic complexity and diversity of our samples are associated with soil invertebrate abundance from earthworms, beetles to ants and spiders and it seems to be a clear reflection of soil health, Robinson said in the press release. All living organisms produce sounds, and our preliminary results suggest different soil organisms make different sound profiles depending on their activity, shape, appendages and size. This technology holds promise in addressing the global need for more effective soil biodiversity monitoring methods to protect our planets most diverse ecosystems. The study, Sounds of the underground reflect soil biodiversity dynamics across a grassy woodland restoration chronosequence, was published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Restoring and monitoring soil biodiversity has never been more important, Robinson said. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. Abandoned farmland near Westing on the island of Unst in Shetland, Scotland. Nirian / E+ / Getty Images Abandoned farmlands in Europe which make up nearly 25 percent of the continents landscape have the potential to be rewilded, according to a new study published in Current Biology. The researchers found that 289 million acres of European farmland is ripe with rewilding potential, a press release from Cell Press said. There are many areas in Europe that have a low enough human footprint, as well as the presence of key animal species, to potentially be rewilded, said lead author of the study Miguel B. Araujo, a biogeographer with Portugals University of Evora and Spains National Museum of Natural Sciences, in the press release. We also highlight the need for different strategies depending on the conditions of each region. The research team provided a roadmap for nations to meet the European Biodiversity Strategys targets of protecting 30 percent of land by 2030, with 10 percent strictly under conservation. The team discovered that 70 percent of the opportunities for rewilding the landscape existed in the colder climates of Northern Europe particularly Scotland, Scandinavia and the Baltics with the greatest potential in the Iberian Peninsula. Ruined farmhouses on abandoned farmland in Spain. OlivierGuiberteau / iStock / Getty Images Plus The researchers developed criteria for determining rewilding potential in a given area: extensive land tracts of more than 24,710.5 acres that feature vital species with little human disturbance. Depending on the size of an area and the animal species who inhabit it, the team also established two rewilding strategies: passive and active. Passive rewilding relies on the process of natural recolonization, which is where animals gradually and independently come back to abandoned areas. This approach is best for regions that have a healthy key herbivore population such as deer, moose, ibex and rabbits in addition to carnivores like bears, lynxes and wolves. Regions lacking species of key herbivores or carnivores would need active rewilding the reintroduction of missing species to jumpstart the recovery of the ecosystem. The purpose of both strategies is to create a biodiverse and self-sustaining landscape. I often refer to herbivores as the ecosystem engineers as they graze and shape the vegetation, while predators would be the architects creating fear landscapes that herbivores avoid, Araujo said in the press release. The interaction between herbivores and carnivores creates mosaic patterns in the landscapes, essential for biodiversity. Black and chestnut Icelandic horses on abandoned farmland on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland. Rixipix / iStock / Getty Images Plus Some nations, including France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries, are poised to achieve their conservation targets if they adopt the rewilding strategies and zones suggested by the study. Since Europe has a dense human population, other nations Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands would not be able to meet their conservation goals if they only relied on the studys recommendations, which highlights the necessity of alternative approaches to conservation. Conservation strategies involving ecological restoration of densely populated areas could help some countries reach conservation goals, Araujo said. Countries could reclaim land to turn it into conservation areas or establish networks of small, protected habitats. Traditional multi-use landscapes, like the oak parklands in the Iberian Peninsula and various extensive agricultural and forestry systems across Europe, could also help if managed sustainably. The researchers hope that, as organizations and governments keep investing in land conservation, their framework and findings will assist with attempts to acquire or manage land areas with the best potential for rewilding success. Were racing against time, Araujo said. The areas that look most promising for rewilding today may not be the same in 50 years due to the impacts of climate change. (Image by Gerhard Traschutz from Pixabay) Faith leaders across the United States have released a jointly signed statement entitled "Back from the Brink: Faith leaders call for diplomacy, not war, with Iran" as tensions between the old foes have ratcheted up in recent weeks in the Gulf region. Coordinated through Sojourners, the July 9 statement describes a U.S.-Iran war as "an unmitigated disaster" as well as morally and religiously indefensible. "Preventing another costly and unjust U.S. war in the Middle East is a moral imperative," said the signatories. "Given the escalation of confrontation between the United States and Iran, it is time for leaders from our faith communities to point to more effective ways to transform conflict and to speak strongly against military action," they said. The United States said on July 10 it wanted to create an multinational military coalition to safeguard waters around Iran and Yemen, the BBC reported July 10. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he wanted to "ensure freedom of navigation" in the region, which provides essential trade routes. The United States has blamed Iran for attacks on six oil tankers in May and June. Gen. Dunford said the US was talking to various countries with the "political will" to support the plans. In their statement, the church leaders noted that conflict "could have enormous human and financial costs, and which could easily and broadly escalate." "While we agree that Iran should repudiate terrorism and not resume uranium enrichment, we stand as religious leaders to say that war is not the answer with Iran and is unjustifiable on moral and religious grounds." Nearly 200 church leaders had signed the statement embracing peacemaking over war making said Sojourners calling for people to give the statement to their pastors and churches, sending it to your networks, and sharing it on social media. "Make your convictions clear to a dangerous administration that War Is Not the Answer to Iran" said Sojourners. The signatures and all the others collected will be shared with media and with the U.S. Congress, and used to tell the White House that people of faith will not support the administration's war. Sojourners describe themselves as Christians who follow Jesus, but who also sojourn with others in different faith traditions and all those who are on a spiritual journey. "We are evangelicals, Catholics, Pentecostals and Protestants; progressives and conservatives; blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asians; women and men; young and old." Their statement urges political leaders to learn from the failed policies of the past. "It is time for a different approach," reads the statement. "The United States should end its policy of harsh and punitive trade sanctions against the Iranian people." The statement calls for a different way. "Our scriptures instruct us to avoid war and to live as peaceably as possible with all," the statement reads. "We call on all our religious leaders, theologians, clergy, and laypersons to speak out against the option of war with Iran." Among the requests of the statement are: 1. The United States should offer to return immediately to the Iran nuclear deal and use the resulting discussions with Iran to engage in an effective diplomatic process for enhancing regional security. In the meantime, we urge the United Nations and governments in Europe and beyond to create a new forum for diplomacy with Iran, an international platform that could help restore the positive momentum created by the Iran deal and address the multiple geopolitical issues at the roots of the current confrontation, some of which were not covered in the agreement. 2. The United States should end its policy of harsh and punitive trade sanctions against the Iranian people. Some targeted sanctions may be appropriate to counter Iranian support for armed militancy and weapons proliferation in the region, but these measures should be multilateral in nature and targeted against Iranian officials, not against the entire economy or the general population. 3. If necessary, establish safeguards for commercial shipping in the Gulf. The international naval patrols that have helped to stem piracy off the coast of Somalia may provide a model. This would require agreement from multiple countries and a willingness by the United States to cooperate with other states in coordinated operations. In an atmosphere of close confrontation, blunders must not be used as a pretext for escalating military conflict. (Photo: Ecumenical News / Peter Kenny)Iranian dissident Marina Nemat testifies during a side event at the United Nations in Geneva on October 30, 2014 The Vatican has appealed to the Iranian President not to launch an attack against Israel earlier in the week during a discussion when the Middle East was raised. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, telephoned Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier in the week to note concern over what is happening in the Middle East, Premier Christian News reported. Mediators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar were to meet in Doha to try to broker a cease-fire deal, negotiations that come as the death toll in Gaza topped 40,000 according to local health officials, NBC reported on Aug 15. A top-ranked delegation of officials from Israel was to be in attendance in the Qatari capital, though NBC reported Hamas would l not take part a blow to U.S. hopes of securing an agreement that might head off a retaliatory attack by Iran Premier reported that Vatican press director Matteo Bruni said the cardinal noted "the need to avoid in any way the widening of the very serious ongoing conflict and opting instead for dialogue, negotiation, and peace." It follows an escalation of tension in the region after Israel attacked and killed a senior Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in July. He had been in the country for the inauguration of President Pezeshkian. The killing happened just hours after a top Hezbollah military commander, Fuad Shukr, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, heightening regional tensions. Parolin's words came days after Pope Francis said he was "following with great concern what is taking place in the Middle East." Francis prayed in particular for the "suffering people of Gaza" where the humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels, Vatican News reported. He appealed for "a ceasefire on all fronts, for the release of hostages, and for aid to the exhausted population." The Pope also encouraged efforts to avoid any escalation in the conflict and that "paths of negotiation" be pursued so the tragedy can be stopped. He stressed that war always marks a defeat. "I continue to follow with concern the very serious humanitarian situation in Gaza, and I call once again for a ceasefire on all fronts, for the release of hostages, and for aid to the exhausted population," said Francis. "I encourage everyone to make every effort to ensure that the conflict does not escalate and to pursue paths of negotiation so that this tragedy ends soon! Let us not forget: war is a defeat." (Photo: Peter Kenny / Ecumenical News)Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council Churches (L) and World Evangelical Aalliance general secretary, Bishop Efraim Tendero taking notes during a Nov. 4, 2015 meeting in Tirana, Albania. The World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance along with Pope Francis called this week for restraint and de-escalation to prevent the conflict between the United States and Iran worsening Iran had on Jan. 11 admitted that "unintentionally" shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people on board in the dramatic events unfurling over the current conflict. On Jan. 3, the Geneva-based WCC urged "maximum restraint" following the U.S. air strike that killed General Qasem Soleimani, Iran's most prominent military commander at Baghdad airport in Iraq. Then in the aftermath of armed attacks by both the US and Iran, the WCC, whose member churches represent half a billion mainly Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant Christians, reiterated its call on Jan. 8 for "restraint and de-escalation" of the confrontation. "Further escalation and conflict between the United States and Iran can only serve short-term political interests, while threatening the permanent destruction of many lives, communities and precious cultural and environmental heritage," said WCC general secretary Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit. "I appeal to political leaders on all sides of this confrontation to put the interests of the people of the region ahead of their own interests, and to seek peace through dialogue and negotiation rather than confrontation." 'AGGRESSION BETWEEN US AND IRAN' On Jan. 10 from Deerfield, Illinois Bishop Efraim Tendero, the Secretary General of the WEA, serving some 600 million evangelicals, said it "deeply grieves the recent acts of aggression and violence" between the United States and Iran, in Iraq. "The WEA calls on the leaders of these countries, and their allies, to resist hostile rhetoric and to de-escalate the current crisis. We encourage dialogue that prevents further crises and leads to the removal of sanctions which disproportionally impact civilians," Tendero said in his statement. He noted that the violence playing out in Iraq further threatens the presence of Christians in the country, whose numbers since 2003 have drastically dwindled. "The protection of Christians and other religious communities in Iraq requires active support for peace and stability from the international community, and puts an onus on the United States and Iran to pursue de-escalation and dialogue. "Guided by our belief that each human bears the image of God and enjoys inherent dignity, and pursuant to our scriptural responsibility to be ambassadors of reconciliation, we further call on all citizens worldwide, especially evangelicals, to express political and ideological differences in a manner that does not demean, denigrate or de-humanize," said Tendero. He said, "Through prayer and peacemaking, we will continue to work for peace on earth, as it is in heaven." In his annual address to members of the diplomatic corps at the beginning of the New Year, Pope Francis said the heightening of tensions between Iran and the United States "risks... compromising the gradual process of rebuilding in Iraq, as well as setting the groundwork for a vaster conflict". "I therefore renew my appeal that all the interested parties avoid an escalation of the conflict and keep alive the flame of dialogue and self-restrain in full respect of international law," The Associated Press reported. LOBAMBA Prime Minister Russell Dlamini says the mandate of the Auditor Generals (AG) Office needs to be reviewed. This is contained in written responses to the quarterly performance report of the Prime Ministers office, that were tabled in Parliament yesterday. The responses were tabled by the House of Assembly Portfolio Committee Chairperson and Mtfongwaneni Member of Parliament (MP), Nathi Hlophe. The PM, in his responses, was asked to clarify the statement he made about the AGs Office and its reports during an Editors Forum meeting that was held in June this year. Since then, the PM had not attended a normal sitting in the House of Assembly, but came last week to present the quarterly performance report. The PM, during the meeting, was asked about his take on the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) report that was produced by the AGs Office, as well as the controversy around the NDMAs bookkeeping, during his tenure as chief executive officer of the agency. The PM stated that he felt that the AGs approach to NDMAs financial audits had malicious intentions. The statement led to the suspension of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sittings, as the MPs sought guidance from the attorney general. Opinion The Attorney General, Sifiso Khumalo, told Parliament that the PM was just expressing a personal opinion and the PAC should not have suspended its sittings. During the quarterly performance report and budget debate of the PMs Office yesterday, the PM was asked to explain what he meant by incompetence in the AGs Office. The PM was also asked if he believed the AGs office was capable of safeguarding the public purse, by ensuring that government officials were not mismanaging public funds and if indeed, the statement was a personal opinion. The MPs who requested the clarity were Lobamba MP Masilela, Mayiwane MP Sicelo Dlamini and Kubuta MP Masiphula Mamba. In the written responses, the PM stated that the office of the AG also acknowledged that it needed capacity. The Office of the Auditor General agreed that they needed capacity and that there should be a review of their mandate, states the written responses. On the issue of the statement being a personal opinion, the PM stated that the situation in its entirety lied within the ambits of interpretation and understanding of the different roles and responsibilities of the parties concerned. The PM said his office recognised that the AGs office was committed to investigating the misappropriation of public funds. Despite the issues of capacity raised above, the Office of the Auditor General is doing a fairly good job, stated the PM in the written responses. He went on to highlight the need to capacitate the Public Accounts Committee and recommended the work that the committee had done in terms of recovering funds and bringing officials to book. Acknowledged The PM also stated that the very same PAC also acknowledged that they needed to be capacitated. He was referring to the PAC Chairperson and Deputy Speaker, Madala Mhlanga, who asked the PM to look into capacitating the committee in order to be efficient in carrying out its mandate. The PM said they would continue to identify gaps for committees, including the PAC and arrange necessary capacity building programmes. Worth noting, the PAC is one of the committees of Parliament whose mandate is prescribed in the 2005 Constitution of Swaziland (Eswatini). The committee works with the AGs office to ensure accountability and responsible utilisation of public funds in the public sector. Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's commissioner for competition, won't be back for a third term and will be stepping down this year. According to the Financial Times, the Danish government will be nominating a different candidate as EU commissioner after Vestager's political party didn't do well in the previous election. Vestager is known for being one of Europe's top antitrust authorities and has been been tough on big tech companies during her term. The market abuse cases she has filed over the years inspired the creation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is a regulation meant to ensure that large companies don't abuse their market power. Apple, Google, Meta and other big players in the industry have had to implement changes to how they conduct business after the DMA came into force. Google, for instance, said it will start displaying price comparison results in Search from external aggregators when looking up services, such as flights or hotels. It will be easier for Android users to change search engines, as well. Apple said it will let companies set up their own app stores for iOS, but it conjured its own stringent rules that developers will have to follow. The EU, under Vestager, started investigating Apple, Alphabet and Meta in March to look into their efforts to comply with the DMA. In an interview with CNBC afterward, Vestager said that Apple has "very serious" issues when it comes to non-compliance. Vestager also ruled way back in 2016 that Irish tax authorities had given Apple a "sweetheart deal" for over a decade and had ordered the company to pay Ireland 14.3 billion ($15.72 billion) in taxes. EU's General Court overturned her order in 2020, but the commission had appealed that decision. The European Commission also fined Google 4.3 billion ($5 billion) for antitrust violations surrounding Android and $2.8 billion for favoring its own comparison shopping services over others in Search under her leadership. More recently, the EU slapped Apple with a 1.8 billion ($1.95 billion) fine for suppressing music streaming services on the App Store that rival its own. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will start interviewing new candidates next week, the Times said. Vestager's replacement is expected to replace her this autumn. This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Kim Dotcom, the Megaupload founder and hard-partying face of early 2010s online piracy, is finally headed to the US. Reuters reports that New Zealands justice minister signed an extradition order on Thursday to end the entrepreneurs nearly 13-year legal battle, paving the way for the German-born Dotcom to face charges from the US government. I considered all of the information carefully, and have decided that Mr Dotcom should be surrendered to the U.S. to face trial, Goldsmith said in a statement. The decision came more than six years after a New Zealand court ruled Dotcom could be extradited to the US, paving the way for appeals that culminated in todays decision. YouTube / Kim Dotcom Once the 13th most visited site online, the file-hosting hub Megaupload was a hotbed for pirated content. In early 2012, American authorities charged Dotcom and six others with racketeering, copyright infringement, money laundering and copyright distribution. The US indictment claimed Megaupload cost copyright holders $500 million in damages while making $175 million from ads and premium subscriptions. The raid on Dotcoms Auckland mansion was dramatic fare among 2012s relatively tame headlines. The New York Times reported at the time that when he saw the police, Dotcom barricaded himself inside, activated several electronic locks and waited in a safe room. When officers cut their way inside, they saw Dotcom standing near a firearm that they said looked like a sawed-off shotgun. YouTube / Kim Dotcom Dotcom (born Kim Schmitz) had several brushes with the law before that. He at least claimed to have spent three months in a Munich jail in 1994 for breaking into Pentagon computers and observing real-time satellite photos of Saddam Husseins palaces. Soon after, he received a suspended two-year sentence for a scam involving stolen phone card numbers. In 2001, he was accused in the largest insider-trading case in German history. He reportedly fled Germany to escape those charges, was captured in Thailand, extradited (this week isnt his first go-round) and convicted in 2002. At some point after that, he moved to New Zealand, holing up in a luxurious mansion. You can see that mansion and a taste of his larger-than-life persona in his music video Good Life. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith signed the extradition order on Thursday and followed standard practice in giving Dotcom a short period of time to consider and take advice on his decision. Dotcom, never one to mince words, posted a message on X that the obedient US colony in the South Pacific just decided to extradite me for what users uploaded to Megaupload. A phishing campaign that the FBI believes is linked to Iran has been targeting members of the Trump and Harris camps as they seek to be elected as the president of the United States later this year. While the bad actors have reportedly been trying to spear-phish several advisers of the Biden-Harris and Trump campaigns, The Washington Post specifically named senior Trump adviser Susie Wiles as one of the targets. In June, federal agents worked with Microsoft and Google when they started investigating the spear phishing emails the presidential candidates' staff had received. Google recently published a report detailing how an Iranian government-backed threat actor called APT42 has been targeting high-profile users in Israel and the US for years. It also confirmed that its threat analysis group continued "to observe unsuccessful attempts from APT42 to compromise the personal accounts of individuals affiliated with President Biden, Vice President Harris and former President Trump, including current and former government officials and individuals associated with the campaigns." The company apparently had to block numerous attempts by the hackers to log into the staff members' email accounts. The feds said that Roger Stone, an informal advisor to Trump, fell victim to the phishing emails sent by the Iranian hackers who were then able to take control of his account and send messages with phishing links to other people. Authorities reportedly didn't find evidence indicating the hackers had also successfully compromised the account of anybody in the Harris camp. Feds blamed Iran and Russia for spreading misinformation related to the 2020 US Presidential Election four years ago. However, the US still doesn't see Iran as a major threat when it comes with cyber attacks The Post said officials are concerned that other countries like Russia and China have also launched more sophisticated attacks that won't be as easily detected. US authorities had linked Russia to various attempts at meddling with elections in the US for years, and officials even believe that Vladimir Putin directly ordered the launch of a campaign to destabilize the American vote and denigrate Hillary Clinton when she ran for president in 2016. MBABANE - His Majesty King Mswati III has summoned Imbali for this years annual Reed Dance ceremony, starting with registration on August 27, 2024. Conveying the Kings message at Ludzidzini Royal Residence yesterday, Inkhosatana yeMbali Princess Sakhizwe, said the young girls will be commissioned to fetch the reed on August 28, 2024. She said the reed will be cut on August 29, 2024 and brought back to Ludzidzini Royal Residence on August 30, 2024. On August 31, 2024, she said the maidens will take a break in preparation for the delivery of the reed on September 1, 2024. She said the maidens will dance before Their Majesties and the entire world on September 2, 2024. The King urged chiefs (tikhulu) to assign two women and four men to look after the maidens during the course of the event. He warned chiefs against commissioning children, as they would not be able to travel long distances due to the scarcity of the reed. The King also reminded men to sleep separately from women and Imbali during the course of the event. Princess Sakhizwe was flanked by Acting Minister of Home Affairs Jane Simelane, who declared September 2, 2024 a public holiday. Simelane said the holiday is aimed at affording emaSwati the opportunity to support and cheer the girl child. She urged emaSwati to attend the event in numbers. Also present were former tindvuna and Acting Imbali Overseer Hlangabeza Mdluli, Director of Culture and Traditional Affairs Prince Bukhosi and Lutsango. The Reed Dance is one of the countrys prestigious events, where the girl child celebrates chastity before Their Majesties. The event aims to encourage the girl child to preserve purity and focus on education until the allotted time for marriage. Some parts of South Africa value the culture, so much that girls are taken for virginity tests in order to qualify for the event, among other benefits. The reed is used to build enclosures (emaguma) at royal residences across the country. Apart from Umhlanga, Eswatini uses Umcwasho as another way to encourage men to stay away from the girl child. Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump's son Barron Trump has been accused of killing animals, slapping his nanny and exhibiting other disturbing behavior when he was a child in new viral posts on social media. The controversy began Tuesday when an alleged former nanny responded to a post on X, formerly Twitter, about the former president enlisting his now-18-year-old son's help in his campaign. "Hahaha, I literally saw Barron slap the f**k out of his nanny in Central Park after school," a man who uses the handle @WonderKing82 and goes by "Mr. Weeks" alleged in a tweet, which has since been viewed over 19 million times. Mr. Weeks claimed to have met and been around Barron when he was a child while allegedly working as a nanny for the family of one of the now-18-year-old's grade school classmates in New York City. To prove their connection, Mr. Weeks, who describes himself as a "behavioral specialist," shared several photos allegedly showing him with a young Barron, the kids he was caring for at the time and several of their friends. And for the people who want to act like I don't know that young man.... pic.twitter.com/FE52Q75BqJ Mr. Weeks (@WonderKing82) August 14, 2024 "My [client's] kids attended the same school and grade, through parties, and play dates and field trips.... I worked with the family for 10 years so he's been around me that long," Mr. Weeks responded to one X user who asked how he knew Barron. The alleged former nanny went on to claim that during his 10 years working for his client, Barron "got caught killing animals," including two birds, three rabbits and one dog. In another post, he alleged that Barron recorded himself killing a rabbit and showed the video to other children at his school. Barron got caught killing animals. Barron tossed desk, spat on people, hit people repeatedly. He attacked someone with a knife multiple times. He was even accused of sexually touching someone at a sleepover that resulted in an investigation. let's talk, so I tell it all https://t.co/xn26xCeR0k Mr. Weeks (@WonderKing82) August 15, 2024 Mr. Weeks also claimed that Barron hurt his fellow children, including allegedly attacking two kids "on different occasions with a knife... one at a [sleepover] and [another] in the park." Barron also allegedly "tossed [a] desk, spat on people, [and] hit people repeatedly," the ex-nanny claimed. Another tweet from Mr. Weeks alleged that Barron "was even accused of sexually touching someone at a sleepover that resulted in an investigation." Mr. Weeks suggested that Barron was "highly medicated" as a child due to anger issues, barely spoke and had no friends at school. The alleged former nanny has provided no evidence supporting his claims about Barron's behavior as a child. His claims triggered backlash from some X users and Trump supporters, who accused him of lying and being a supporter of the GOP presidential candidate's opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Texas Freedom Coalition President Sarah Fields claimed that the alleged ex-nanny -- whom she identified as Dane C. Weeks -- defamed Barron and alleged that he has never been a licensed "behavior specialist," thus it was "illegal" for him to run or own a daycare in New York. "Dane Weeks has either broken the law by operating illegally, or he operated in another capacity around Barron, and lied/defamed Barron Trump," Fields tweeted. Some also brought up former President Trump's 2015 People interview, in which he claimed that he and Melania did not employ nannies in the traditional sense for Barron. However, Mr. Weeks doubled down on his claims about Barron and said he was a nanny to a family rather than a daycare center owner. The Trump family has not yet addressed the allegations against Barron. An Alaska Airlines pilot reportedly admitted to passengers mid-flight that he was not qualified to land the plane at their destination, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and had to divert the jet to Utah to change pilots. Alaska Airlines/SkyWest flight 3491 -- which originated in San Francisco -- was nearing Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) on Aug. 8 when the pilot made the announcement from the cockpit, the Cowboy State Daily reported, citing a Reddit user who claimed to be on the flight. "Hey, I'm really sorry folks but due to me not having the proper qualification to land in Jackson Hole, we need to divert to Salt Lake City, Utah. We'll keep you posted on the next steps," the user -- identified by the outlet as Jon Weiss -- quoted the pilot as saying in a Reddit post. The pilot then landed the plane, a Skywest-operated twin-jet Embraer ERJ 175, at the Salt Lake City airport, where passengers had to wait an hour and a half for a replacement pilot. The pilot apologized to the passengers but offered no other explanation beyond apparently being unqualified to land the jet at their destination. According to the Reddit user, the unnamed pilot did a "walk of shame" before a colleague who was certified to land the plane in Jackson Hole took over. The flight's passengers reportedly did not make it to Jackson Hole until 2:55 p.m. local time -- more than three hours after their original arrival time. However, the Reddit user claimed that their landing in Jackson Hole was "perhaps the bumpiest" he'd ever experienced before sharing some of his unanswered questions. "First, why [the f**k] would they have a pilot not qualified to land in Jackson take off in the first place? Were they lying to cover something else, or is that just something that happens?" he wrote. "Second, is flying into Jackson like a Level 10 final boss sort of thing?" the user continued. "And again, why [the f**k] would they have this unqualified pilot take off?" In a statement to Cowboy State Daily, SkyWest confirmed that the flight was indeed "diverted" and blamed the incident on a "paperwork error." "[Flight 3491] landed for a short time in Salt Lake City to correct a paperwork error related to the flight crew," the airline said. It continued, "The flight continued to Jackson Hole after a delay while a new pilot was secured to operate the flight. All pilots involved were qualified to fly and land the aircraft; the flight diverted from Jackson Hole due to an internal administrative error and out of abundance of caution." JAC director Jim Elwood also told the outlet that each airline "has its own training programs and pilot certification protocol." Landing at Jackson Hole's airport is considered "tricky" by even experienced pilots due to its runway elevation of over 6,451 feet and the area's frequently changing weather. The new owner of Kevin Spacey's Baltimore mansion alleges that the actor is "refusing to leave" the premises. The 'House of Cards' actor's Baltimore waterfront property was purchased at a bargain price during the auction at Baltimore Circuit Court, the 'New York Post' reported, for $3.24 million to real estate investor Sam Asgari. Spacey spent $5.65 million for the mansion in 2017. Spacey, 65, stated that he had to sell the home to help cover the "millions of dollars" in legal costs stemming from his 2023 sexual assault trial. Read more: Kevin Spacey Says King Charles Expressed Support For Him Amid Sexual Assault Charges Now, Asgari claims that Spacey is unwilling to move out of the 9,000-square-foot property, once described as "Baltimore's most extraordinary home," and is asking to stay in the house rent-free. "Right now, he's refusing to leave," Asgari, who also bought Baltimore legend John Hopkins' childhood home, claimed in a recent interview with 'The Baltimore Banner.' "He's asking for six months to leave the property without paying anything," he said. Spacey's lawyer has denied these allegations, calling them "false," the lawyer stated in a response. The property was listed for sale after the New Jersey native defaulted on his $20,230 monthly mortgage payments, which occurred after Netflix terminated his contract following sexual misconduct allegations. In 2021, Spacey was ordered to pay nearly $31 million to the studio behind 'House of Cards' after accusations of inappropriate behavior on set. Last year, Spacey was acquitted of all charges related to the sexual assault of four men between 2001 and 2013. A US court also dismissed another sexual assault lawsuit against him in 2022. Earlier this year, in an interview with Piers Morgan, Spacey acknowledged his "bad behavior," admitting that he had been "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." A family in Atlanta, Georgia, is seeking justice after the police made a shocking mistake when they raided the wrong home. Back in 2017, Curtrina Martin and her then-fiance Hillard Toi Cliatt, were victims of an unexpected run in with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) armed officers. Martin's 7-year-old son was in the home during a raid when authorities allegedly pointed guns at the terrified Black boy. Their request to hold the FBI accountable for the mix-up seems to be falling on deaf ears, as the court system has reportedly complicated the process due to qualified immunity protections, per 'Atlanta Black Star.' According to the media outlet, Martin's attempt to seek justice has been overruled. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals investigated, concluding that the leader of the raid FBI Special Agent Lawrence Guerra did not violate the constitution, despite targeting the wrong home. In addition to ruling that their harrowing mix-up was not in violation of the constitution, the court found that Guerra had taken reasonable steps to prepare for the raid, arguing that his actions were warranted given the similarities between the homes and reported poor visibility. The house feds were actually looking for was located approximately one block away from Martin's home, per the news hub. Although the lawsuit was filed, it's allegedly sitting dormant within the legal system, as the government hasn't been required to pay any damages to the family for trauma, nor their legal fees. Cliatt and Martin reportedly attempted to sue under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows victims to sue the federal government for some harms. That said, their case was reportedly blocked due to the ruling that the FBI's actions were considered discretionary, rendering their jaw-dropping maneuver protected. It was reported that Cliatt's insurance company picked up the slack, and the FBI later reimbursed the company. Martin viewed the reimbursement as a small consolation. "It's much more than physical damage," Cliatt stated, per 'Atlanta Black Star.' "It's also mental." "I had to take off work for almost a year," Martin said. "So putting myself and my son through therapy at the time, it took a big strain financially on me... My son at the time experienced so much trauma, and having to put him through therapy and just the anxiety and fear that he experienced from that, that's enough to want to say, 'Hey, there should be some justice done in this situation.'" Martin's attorney, Patrick Jaicomo, agreed. "My clients have lost sleep, jobs, trust, and a basic sense of security in their own home because the FBI couldn't be bothered to check an address before leading a pre-dawn military-style raid in a residential neighborhood," he said. Jaicomo and the family plan to ask the Supreme Court to hear their appeal soon. A Florida jury will determine if a white woman is guilty of manslaughter after she shot and killed her Black neighbor amid a dispute about her kids playing outdoors. Susan Lorincz, a 60-year-old white woman, fatally shot Ajike "AJ" Owens through her front door in their central Florida apartment complex. She admitted to shooting the mother who knocked on her door after an argument about Owens' kids, according to authorities, on June 2, 2023. Cops had been called to the area at least six times before, deputies say, per 'WESH 2.' Lorincz told detectives she previously argued with Owens, according to 'CNN,' about her children leaving toys and playing loudly outside of her home. According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, a confrontation between Lorincz and Owen's children prompted her to go to Lorincz's door. She was killed shortly after. Lorincz was arrested and charged with manslaughter, although Owens' family pushed for a murder charge. During Lorincz's trial, which started on Tuesday, prosecutors argued that 35-year-old Owens was unarmed and did not threaten Lorincz when the white woman killed her. The defense argues Lorincz was in fear for her life. On Friday morning, closing arguments concluded, leading to a deliberating jury. Depending on the length of deliberation, it's possible to have a verdict back today. The jury will determine whether Lorincz was justified under Florida's controversial self-defense laws. The "stand your ground" laws allow "people to respond to threats or force without fear of criminal prosecution in any place where a person has the right to be," 'CNN' reports. The law, adopted in Florida in 2005, allows people to use deadly force in self-defense in certain situations and also protects people who use deadly force as a first resort, even if it means shooting and killing someone in public. "I am so, so sorry for your loss," Lorincz wrote in a letter to Owens' four children, read by Marion County Sheriff's Detective Ryan Stith in court. "I never meant to kill your mother. I was terrified your mom was going to kill me. I shot out of fear." The WHO has issued its highest alert over an outbreak of mpox that has spread from Democratic Republic of Congo to its neighbors and beyond Africa's borders. Reuters explains what that means and why the outbreak is not like COVID. PROVIDENCE, RIMindfulness is the idea that we can train ourselves to become witnesses to our internal thoughts in order to distinguish thoughts, feelings, and behaviors from our higher vs. lower selves. It teaches us to redirect our attention to the best part of our brain and mental functioning. Brian L. Ackerman, MD, has worked in psychiatry for over 50 years and has explored the benefits of mindfulness in his book: Me, Myself, and My Amygdala: A Mindfulness Guide to Sobriety & Well-Being. "In this lively book, illustrated with technical drawings, cartoons, and explanatory diagrams, he provides a highly accessible format that incorporates novel formulations of psychology, neurology, and clinical examples galore." Thomas G. Gutheil, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Dr. Ackerman has been interviewed by numerous talk shows hosts and podcasters. Here's a link to a recent interview with the nationally syndicated Carol Holloway show of the Beasley Broadcast Group. This book includes a thorough description of the parts of the brain and their functions, such as the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, which are responsible for our higher and lower forms of mental processing. By understanding the different roles our brain plays, we can teach ourselves to direct our thoughts and behaviors towards that higher level of thinking in the prefrontal cortex. "The astute blend of Meditation and Mindfulness with anatomical medical discussions and wise metaphors in both words and graphics encourages complete understanding and participation in Dr. Ackerman's healthy regime in treating substance abuse." Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Hall of Fame Reviewer When it comes to addiction and substance abuse, Dr. Ackerman has studied the mindfulness method to directly address self-injurious, self-harming, self-neglecting, and self-hating thoughts and feelings: "Mindfulness-based treatment teaches us that we can become aware of these self-injurious impulses and learn that they are coming from a really small part of our brain: our amygdala. The mission of mindfulness is to help us learn how to get our prefrontal cortex to become large and in charge!" By redirecting our thoughts, we can better assess the long-term effects of self-destructive behaviors and redirect ourselves to a healthier mindset. "Dr. Brian Ackerman's book on addictive behaviors posits that we can learn not just to change our minds but also change our brains, and thereby be effective in reducing our suffering." Sharon Salzberg, author of Loving Kindness and Real Happiness Me, Myself, and My Amygdala is accessible to any reader, and it is accompanied by a multitude of pictures, charts, examples, and exercises. For those looking to overcome addictive behavior or just to create a healthier mindset, this book is filled with tips and tricks that come from a deep understanding of the psychiatric field. "This is a title specifically crafted to provide ease of use and understanding for people unfamiliar with the ideas underpinning mindfulness. It is also geared towards those individuals newly dealing with or who newly know someone dealing with substance disorders and are trying to understand what is happening. This is a good starting point and one which will hopefully guide someone to do more research, or even inspire someone to start the healing process." Kathryn Picard, Librarian Book Connoisseur Me, Myself, and My Amygdala: A Mindfulness Guide to Sobriety & Well-Being, ISBN 978-1952521508, Paperback $20.00, eBook $9.99, 146 pages, Stillwater River Publications, 2020. Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. About Dr. Brian L. Ackerman: Dr. Ackerman is a Harvard Medical School Trained Psychiatrist who has been involved in clinical psychiatry for over 50 years. He served as the Psychiatric Medical Director of Phoenix House in Rhode Island as well as the Director of Meditation & Mindfulness Services & Training at Thrive Behavioral Health. He has taught Mindfulness Training Courses across the State of Rhode Island and is currently the Director of Meditation & Mindfulness Services & Training at Rhode Island Psychiatry and Counseling Associates in Cranston & Lincoln RI. He is a staff psychiatrist at AdCare, a RI substance treatment facility., and has a private practice in Providence. He is a founding member of the American Family Therapy Association, and he gave the Plenary Address at the International Congress of Family Therapy in Jerusalem in 1979. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut and currently resides in Rhode Island, and he is married with 3 children and 5 grandchildren. For more information visit: https://www.ackermanpsychiatry.com/ Media Contact: For a review copy of Me, Myself, and My Amygdala: A Mindfulness Guide to Sobriety & Well-Being or to arrange an interview with Brian L. Ackerman, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or at 734-667-2090. Reach Lorenz on Twitter @abookpublicist. Friday, August 16, 2024 Vladimir Putin is a man who doesnt heed his own advice. He likes to tell a now-famous story from his boyhood days in St. Petersburg that he says he learned a lifelong lesson from. According to him, he and his friends went chasing rats with sticks one day in the apartment building where they lived. In the frenzy, he made the mistake of cornering a huge rat. Left with nowhere to go, the rodent frantically threw itself at him, sending the young Putin running for dear life. Putins telling of the story has been interpreted by foreign policy experts as a warning to the West not to push Russia too far and end up backing it into a corner. The tale has been invoked quite frequently in recent years as Putin has expressed increasing unhappiness about Ukraines efforts to join the EU and NATO. When he launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022, it was apparently his way of saying that he had been trapped with no escape route, and his only option was to lash out. As the war has dragged on over the last two-and-a-half years, Putin has used the same narrative to warn the West that if it continued to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, Russia would be forced to go nuclear. He has managed, quite successfully, to intimidate the U.S. and its allies. They have either withheld some of the weapons Ukraine says it needs to defend itself effectively, or have severely restricted where and how Ukraine can use the ones provided to it. Seemingly, Putin completely forgot to think about how the brutality of his war, especially the indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Ukraine by his forces, would leave the Ukrainians no choice but to fight back. In a surprise attack that began on August 6, as many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops in tanks and armored vehicles entered Russias Kursk region from several directions, taking large numbers of Russian soldiers prisoner along the way. Within a week, they have reportedly captured 74 towns and settlements, and Ukraine now controls about 400 square miles of Russian territory. New reports emerged yesterday that Ukrainian troops have launched a second attack, this time on Russias Belgorod region. The Russian authorities have declared states of emergency in both regions, with about 300,000 civilians being evacuated. However this war ends, these plucky Ukrainians have been quite a revelation. The bravery and ingenuity they have displayed in the face of relentless bombardment by their much larger neighbor will be studied by historians and military analysts for decades, if not centuries. Perhaps it is NATO that should be begging Ukraine to join the alliance, not the other way round. The whole world is watching to see how the Kremlin will respond to the huge embarrassment that Russia has suffered over the course of this past week, something the White House has described as a dilemma for Putin. As a young boy in St. Petersburg, he chose to run when the desperate rodent lashed out at him. Is he going to stand and continue brandishing his stick this time around, or will he once again exercise proper judgment? Press release from the Office of the Governor HELENA, Mont. Governor Greg Gianforte yesterday requested President Joe Biden issue a presidential major disaster declaration in response to the major windstorm in Missoula that occurred in late July. The governors request is for Missoula and Powell counties. On the evening of July 24, 2024, long lasting thunderstorms produced strong damaging winds in west central Montana, particularly in the Missoula County area, Gov. Gianforte wrote in a letter to Pres. Biden. When these thunderstorms settled into to the Missoula area, they produced gusts of winds of 109 mph on Mt. Sentinel, 81 mph at the Missoula Airport and an estimated 90-100 mph winds throughout the city of Missoula. These wind speeds are consistent with the extensive widespread damage across the city and counties. In addition to outlining the conditions which triggered the disaster, the governors request highlights the known impacts of the disaster on Montana communities. The wind downed multiple powerlines throughout the counties leaving several thousand people without power for up to eight days, the governor wrote. In the storms aftermath, Gov. Gianforte visited Missoula and received a briefing at the Emergency Operations Center. He thanked first responders, Missoula Electric Cooperative, NorthWestern Energy, and local officials for working to restore power and help the community recover. The governors request to President Biden may be viewed here. COLUMBUS The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recognized Ohioans with Cardinal Awards and Hall of Fame inductions at the Ohio State Fair on July 31 at Natural Resource Park, E 11th Ave., Columbus, Ohio. Natural Resources Hall of Fame Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and ODNR Director Mary Mertz inducted seven individuals into the Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame. The inductees include Michael Budzik, Leon Mertz, Nancy Stranahan, Peg VanVleet, Milton Brent, the Rev. Pascal Bright and Emmett Conway Jr. Michael Budzik. Budzik started working at ODNRs Division of Wildlife at Wolf Creek Wildlife Area in 1975. He worked numerous jobs in the division before becoming chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife from 1995 to 2003. Throughout his career, Budzik purchased land for preservation and wildlife protection areas as well as led education efforts on wildlife management. He has won several awards including Ohios Man of the Year Award from the Woods and Water Conservation Association and the Conservationist of the Year Award from League of Ohio Sportsmen. Leon Mertz. Mertz is the president of the Lake Loramie Improvement Association, serving as a key promoter of Lake Loramie and the state parks system for over 10 years. He led an initiative to install adaptive boating/kayak launches as well as accessible trails and equipment. Leon is also a wildlife photographer and kayak instructor. Nancy Stranahan. Stranahan has worked as a naturalist, and later chief naturalist, at ODNR state parks for 15 years. In her role, she oversaw the outdoor interpretive programs. Stranahan later co-founded the Arc of Appalachia Preserve system in 1995 and acts as the executive director. Under her leadership, the preserve system has protected roughly 11,000 acres of land and 100 species of state plant and animal species. Stranahan has received numerous awards over the years including a Cardinal Award in 1999. Peg VanVleet. VanVleet has worked as the captain of Blue Sky Charters since 2011 a sport fishing charter that tours anglers around Lake Erie. VanVleet previously organized charter boat captains for DeWines Fish Ohio Day. She also advocates for outdoor enthusiasts and conversation funding at the Ohio Statehouse alongside mentoring young anglers. She has previously won awards for her dedication to Lake Erie and the angling community, including the Captain of the Year award from the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association in 2016 and the 2023 Shore Award for hospitality in tourism. VanVleet was appointed to vice president of environmental issues for Lake Erie by the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association in 2022. Milton Brent. Brent worked as a wildlife officer at ODNR from 1972 to 2001. He began his career at the Ohio Wildlife Academy in 1972, becoming the first black wildlife officer in Ohio. Eventually, Brent became the divisions expert on waterfowl enforcement by using aerial surveys to locate illegal baiting sites. He was given the nickname Black Duck for his expertise in the duck marshes. The award was given to Brent posthumously; his daughter Angela accepted the award on his behalf. The. Rev. Pascal Bright. Bright, known as the father of Hocking Hills State Park, was instrumental in convincing the state government to purchase the land that is Hocking Hills State Park today. For years, he submitted articles to the Columbus Dispatch that highlighted the beauty of the land and hills of Appalachia. He eventually served on the state committee to acquire the land of Hocking Hills. The park was officially purchased by the state in 1924. After the state park opened, he hosted services in Ash Cave to share the beauty of the park with his congregation. The award was given posthumously; Christopher Bright, Brights great grandnephew, accepted the award on his behalf. Emmett Conway Jr. Conway is the founder and CEO of Superior Hardwoods of Ohio, Inc., known for its sustainable practices as well as offering lumber production and forest management services. For years, Conway has acted as a mentor for leaders in Ohios forest products industry and advocated for ethical land stewardship. His dedication to Ohios forest and role in the Paul Bunyan Show an industry trade show that educates the public on the process of cutting timber earned him recognition from the Ohio Forestry Program in 2021. Emmett Conway Jr. will join his father, Emmett Conway Sr., in the Natural Resources Hall of Fame. The award was given posthumously; Adam Conway, Emmetts Conway Jr.s son, accepted it on his behalf. Cardinal Awards ODNR also honored six individuals with Cardinal Awards. The Cardinal Awards are given to individuals and organizations whose contributions align with ODNRs goals as an agency. The awardees include Glen Alexander, Linda Allen, Jose Fernandez, Roy Kroll, Roger Osborne and Elmer Heyob Jr. Glen Alexander. Alexander began working as chief of the Division of Parks and Recreation at ODNR in 1991. During this time, he made significant contributions to the Ohio State Parks by addressing a backlog of maintenance repairs and improving park management. Alexanders leadership led to substantial increases in visitors and park generated funds. Additionally, he restored naturalist programs to higher levels and created the Write Right to the Chief Program, a program that considers customer feedback for park improvements. Alexander also advocated for the NatureWorks bond issue, which led to extensive park enhancements. Linda Allen. Allen is the director of KAMP Dovetail, a volunteer-run summer camp in Rocky Fork State Park for special needs children. She has worked at the camp for 42 years. KAMP Dovetail hosts 250 campers, teaching them activities such as swimming, crafts and camping. Additionally, Allen oversaw the transformation of an old hog barn into a functional kitchen, established an ADA-compliant shower house, a laundry facility, nurse station, an activity storage barn and a horse barn. Jose Fernandez. Fernandez is a forestry and environmental professional at Ahlum and Arbor Tree Preservation and an International Society of Arboriculture board certified master arborist. Fernandez has written numerous articles on plant health and tree care that have served as a valuable resources to professionals and the public. He also created a short course for arborists on recognizing and preventing oak wilt. Roy Kroll. Kroll has spent the last 45 years managing and restoring wetland conservation, acting as an advocate for wetlands in the Lake Erie coastal marshes since 1979. He managed 4,500 acres of wetlands at Winous Point Marsh Conservancy from 1983-2008, which made the marshes some the top wetland habitats in Ohio. Additionally, he worked with Ducks Unlimited and later Standing Rush, a 550+ acre wetland complex, to transform degraded wetlands into flourishing habitats for thousands of migrating waterbirds and other wildlife species. Kroll also mentored more than 50 interns, many of which have taken up significant roles at ODNR. Roger Osborne. Osborne has been a constant advocate for re-mining in Ohio, his efforts resulting in the reclamation of miles of abandoned mine land highwalls, pits and streams. He has implemented new incentives for re-mining with modified permits and procedures. Additionally, Osbornes work has restored streams and wetlands and improved overall water quality. He has received many awards for his contributions to Ohio. Elmer Heyob Jr. Heyob is most known for his contributions to ODNRs Muskie Program a program that maintains catch and release trophy fishing opportunities. He worked at ODNR for 30 years, serving as a key contact with the Ohio muskie clubs. Heyob is known as Mr. Muskie after being recognized twice by the Ohio Huskie Muskie Club, the oldest organized fishing club in Ohio, for his work in the muskie program. He was also appointed to the inaugural class of the Central Ohio Muskies, Inc. Chapter Hall of Fame in April 2023. He retired from ODNR in 2011. The award was given to Heyob posthumously; his daughter Kelsey Heyob accepted the award on his behalf. ODNR will accept nominations for the 2025 class Hall of Fame and Cardinal Awards next spring and early summer. Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a 'serious collision' involving a tractor and motorcycle in North Yorkshire. The incident happened at 7:50pm on Wednesday 14 August on the A59 at Hampsthwaite near Harrogate, involving a red motorcycle and a John Deere tractor. North Yorkshire Police said the motorcyclist conducted an overtake of a vehicle and collided with the tractor. Following the incident, the motorcyclist was taken to hospital, where he is said to be in a 'serious condition'. The tractor driver was uninjured and remained on scene to assist officers with their enquiries, the force said. A section of the A59 was closed for several hours to allow investigation work to be carried out at the scene. NFU Mutual recently urged the public to take extra care over during July and August as agricultural traffic increases due to this year's harvest. It comes after a motorcyclist sustained 'life-threatening' injuries following a traffic collision involving a tractor near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, late last month. Other recent agri traffic incidents include a teenage motorcyclist who recently died following a collision with a tractor on a rural road in Kent. Elsewhere, in Scotland, a motorcyclist died following a crash with a tractor in Moray. Witnesses who saw the North Yorkshire collision, or have dashcam footage, are asked to contact chris.storey@northyorkshire.police.uk or by calling North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference 12240147648. Arable farmers in England and Wales are being encouraged to share their data for this year's harvest survey, launched annually by the NFU. The survey, which takes just a few minutes to complete, aims to help the union build a strong evidence base of how 2024 harvest has gone. This year's data will be especially important following numerous challenges faced by growers this year, such as volatile weather and high input costs. Farmers saw months of wet weather and flooding, combined with high production costs, ongoing market volatility and reduced farm support. The deadline to complete the survey is 29 September, and the union said the data collected would help it lobby for a 'stronger arable sector'. NFU combinable crops board chair, Jamie Burrows said: We will be able to evidence how this years perfect storm of increased input costs and weather have affected harvest. We will take this forward across our lobbying, laying bare the challenges to resilience in the combinable crops sector. Mr Burrows said farmers experiences were not only important on a national scale but also at a regional level, where variations would tell the story of the disparities across the UK. The more regional data we have, the more tailored we can be when taking this information back to MPs and officials and the more relevant a case we can make, he added. This survey will only take a few minutes to complete, and should be undertaken once harvest is finished to get the most accurate figures possible. If harvest is not complete by the survey deadline, the NFU says farmers should provide the average yield realised on the area harvested to date. The survey will close for responses on 29 September 2024. Tips for completing the survey The NFU has provided growers some points before completing the survey: Yield estimates should be based on dried samples. If this is not possible, adjust to give your best estimate of yield on a 14.5% (approx.) moisture content basis for cereals, 9% for oilseeds and 16% for proteins. Areas planted record the same areas as you entered on your June Census return. All figures must be in metric units, (tonnes and hectares). To convert to hectares, multiply the area in acres by 0.405. Farmers who employ temporary seasonal staff are being reminded they may risk a fine if they dont comply with their legal pension duties. The warning comes from the Pensions Regulator (TPR) in an online campaign aimed at employers most likely to hire seasonal temporary workers. Social media posts featuring fruit pickers and farm labourers remind farmers that if they are hiring temporary staff, they should ensure they check on their legal automatic enrolment (AE) duties. The aim of the campaign is to ensure that every worker who is eligible under AE rules is enrolled into a workplace pension scheme and gets the pension they are due. Sarah Howitt Jones, of the TPR, said: Even if your additional staff work for you for a few days or weeks, you must assess whether they are eligible to be enrolled into a pension scheme each time you pay them. And if they are, you must put them into a qualifying scheme and pay contributions." As temporary workers may have variable hours and pay, an assessment of who to put into a pension scheme may take more time and effort. To support farmers, the TPR have step by step guidance to help ensure duties are being met correctly. If a farmer has staff who will be working for less than three months, postponement can be used to delay assessing those employees. This pauses the employer duty to assess staff until the end of the three-month postponement period. Ms Howitt Jones said: If you think you may be late in meeting your duties for your temporary staff, you should tell TPR immediately, so that we can provide support to help you comply. We know the majority of employers in the farming industry are doing the right thing for their staff, but for those that dont, we may take enforcement action to protect savers. Livestock farmers have expressed 'a significant unwillingness' to adopt greenhouse gas mitigation measures, a new study has suggested. Various barriers to adoption were identified by researchers, including inflexible land contracts, cost and poor awareness of mitigation measures. Non-availability of markets for bioenergy crops and scepticism about the future impacts were also identified, the Rothamsted survey of 200 farmers shows. The results consistently showed that age, labour availability and farm sector influence the likely adoption of mitigation measures. In particular, livestock grazing farmers showed an unwillingness to adopt these best practices, the agricultural research institution said. Research lead Dr Asma Jebari said the rapid uptake of greenhouse gas mitigation measures was central to reducing agricultural and land use emissions and meeting the UK net zero policy. She said: The socioeconomic challenges and barriers to uptake are poorly understood, suggesting that existing policies and structures are unlikely to deliver effective outcomes. Some farmers in the survey thought that those proposing mitigation measures and emission reduction targets seemed to have not considered how they might impact profitability. In the case of reducing stocking density, many were of the opinion that, although reducing this in grassland would likely also reduce emissions, it would negatively affect their farms efficiency and profitability and result in poor performance of grassland as a result of under-grazing. If I lose one [animal], I reduce my income, said one farmer. "Reducing organic stocking rates would have no effect on decreasing carbon. In fact, it would reduce carbon sequestration in my soil, said another. The study also highlighted problems of limited farm resources. Shortage of agricultural labour, for instance, is an ongoing challenge in the UK and this may affect farmers ability to implement more innovative practices. Dr Jebari said the research showed a clear need for more flexible land contracts, as this was central to the uptake of certain structural measures such as agroforestry and bioenergy crops. "This also extends to more cost-intensive approaches, such as the use of anaerobic digesters and long-term soil and organic amendments, which require long-term land contracts and flexibility in land use. This research further underscored a general poor awareness and knowledge of GHG mitigation measures, including their impact on business-as-usual farming operations. However, responses were mixed. Some farmers were fully aware of the issues and were already transitioning land use to reduce GHGs. Other respondents stated very limited awareness. Dr Jebari concluded: There is a need to promote farm-level awareness and on-farm demonstrations of the various mitigation measures on offer to improve adoption among farmers. "In addition, cost of uptake is a critical barrier, and there is much uncertainty about the likely outcomes of new technologies and interventions. "Policy innovation could help in varying ways; such as offsets to support on-farm experimentation. In addition, landscape models to facilitate more cooperation and co-adoption between farms would be very helpful." An increasing number of bluetongue cases in Europe has led the UKs chief veterinary officer to call for renewed vigilance and responsible sourcing of livestock. The latest outbreak assessment confirms the growing number of cases of bluetongue virus (BTV-3) in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. According to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), there have been over 4,000 recorded new cases reported since May 2024. The first ever cases have also been confirmed in France, Luxembourg and Denmark, while the virus strain has successfully overwintered in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. The overall risk level for an incursion of BTV-3 into Great Britain remains at 'medium'. However, the risk of infected midges being blown over from northern Europe 'is variable', with it depending on weather conditions, as midges are generally more active during the warmer months. Bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health or food safety, but the disease can impact livestock farms, and damage animal and business productivity. Farmers have been asked to continue to monitor their animals frequently for clinical signs and of the 'vital importance' of responsible sourcing of animals with a reliable health status. APHA said farmers should also speak to their private vet when importing livestock, as the situation in Europe 'is continually changing'. Free testing is also available for animals moving from the highest risk counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent and East Sussex to elsewhere in Great Britain. The UK's chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss warned that bluetongue outbreaks in Europe were on the rise. "We must remain vigilant to the threat of disease spread. If you suspect disease in your animals please report," she said. If you intend to move animals to live out of high-risk counties, including if you are buying in new animals, please take advantage of the free testing scheme to help stop the movement of non-clinical disease. Bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health or food safety, but the disease can impact livestock farms, and damage animal and business productivity. APHA's interim chief executive, Jenny Stewart said the latest outbreak assessment underlined how important it was for farmers to monitor their livestock and to take up the offer of free testing where necessary. She added: Our scientists, vets and field teams stand ready to tackle an outbreak of bluetongue virus and ensure farmers are kept up to date and supported. Bluetongue virus is primarily transmitted by midge bites and affects cattle, goats, sheep and camelids such as llamas. The impacts on susceptible animals can vary greatly some show no clinical signs or effects at all while for others it can cause productivity issues such as reduced milk yield, while in the most severe cases can be fatal for infected animals. It does not affect people, and meat and milk from infected animals are safe to eat and drink. Last November, government vets identified the first case of the disease in Britain through the annual bluetongue surveillance programme. The government recently set out its plans to minimise the impact of a likely outbreak of bluetongue as experts feared a surge in cases during the summer months. There is currently no BTV-3 vaccine authorised or approved for use in the UK, however free testing is now available for animal keepers. Matthew Perry's personal assistant has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the actor's death. Matthew Perry passed away in October 2023 The 'Friends' star died in October 2023, aged 54, from the acute effects of ketamine, and Kenneth Iwamasa, the actor's live-in personal assistant, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. The Department of Justice has accused Iwamasa of "repeatedly" injecting the actor with ketamine "without medical training", including on the day that Perry passed away. Iwamasa is one of five defendants charged with offences related to the actor's death, which also includes Jasveen Sangha and Dr. Salvador Plascencia. Sangha - who is also known as The Ketamine Queen - has been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. What's more, Sangha is facing one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. Plascencia, meanwhile, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Elsewhere, Mark Chavez, another doctor, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Erik Fleming has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Fleming and Iwamasa are potentially facing 15 to 25 years in prison, while Chavez faces up to a decade in prison. Sangha could face a possible life sentence. Perry - who was best known for playing Chandler Bing on 'Friends' - died due to the "acute effects of ketamine". An autopsy report also listed drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects as contributing factors in the his death. Four people have been arrested in connection with 'General Hospital' star Johnny Wactor's death. Johnny Wactor was fatally shot in May and now four people have been arrested in connection with the homicide The actor - who played Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera from 2020 to 2022 - was fatally shot in May aged 37 during a "robbery gone wrong" after he confronted three men apparently tampering with his vehicle, and his death was ruled as a homicide. The Los Angeles Police Department took Robert Barceleau, 18, Leonel Gutierrez, 18, and Sergio Estrada, 18, took into custody, and 22-year-old Frank Olano was booked on a warrant for accessory. In documents obtained by TMZ, it was noted that "no other significant factors" contributed to his death, and the death certificate revealed that his remains were cremated and transferred to his mother Scarlett in South Carolina. After his death, Jonny's family revealed he saved his co-worker's life when he was shot and killed. His brother Grant told the MailOnline: "Were Southern, born and raised, and we would never let a female walk to their car by herself. Were Southern, born and raised, and we would never let a female walk to their car by herself. "He came across them and he thought his truck was being towed. So he said something to the guys, like, 'Hey, are you towing?'. Once he turned around, he saw what was happening and he put his coworker behind him. That's when they shot him." Scarlett initially explained to TMZ that Johnny was with a colleague when they saw three men "messing with Johnny's car" and that the suspects "allegedly tried to steal a catalytic converter". She noted that Johnny "did not try to stop" the alleged suspects in their actions, and that even though paramedics rushed to the scene shortly after the shooting, he was pronounced dead in hospital. Upon the tragic news, the cast and crew released a touching statement: The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactors untimely passing. He was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time. Kaley Cuoco is "super happy" with Tom Pelphrey. Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey recently announced their engagement The 38-year-old actress - who has Matilda, 16 months, with the actor - is loving life with Tom and she can't wait to tie the knot. A source told PEOPLE: "She's super happy with Tom. Her daughter is such a light. Kaley loves being a mom." Kaley has prioritised her TV and film career for many years. But the Hollywood star - who is best known for playing Penny on the CBS sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory' - is now focused on her family life, after recently getting engaged. The insider explained: "For years, her main focus was work. To now focus on her family instead, makes her thrive. "Getting married hasn't been a priority until now." What's more, Kaley is looking forward to her daughter being part of her wedding day. The source said: "Kaley's thrilled to be engaged. You know she'll plan the most gorgeous wedding. And it will be even more special now when her daughter can be part of it." Kaley announced the birth of her daughter via a social media post in 2023. The actress wrote on Instagram at the time: "The new light of our lives! We are overjoyed and grateful for this little miracle. Thank you to the doctors, nurses, family and friends who have helped us immensely over the last few days. We are blessed beyond belief. "@tommypelphrey didn't think I could fall even more in love with you, but I did. (sic)" Tom, 42, also took to social media to celebrate the occasion. The actor wrote: "My heart is full of love and gratitude for this miracle. Eternally grateful for the strength and bravery of my soulmate and best friend @kaleycuoco. You are incredible. (sic)" Sofia Vergara has explained why it was important to hide her natural curves for her titular role in 'Griselda'. Sofia Vergara 'wrapped' her body so it wouldn't 'jiggle' on set of 'Griselda' The 52-year-old actress stars as drugs boss Griselda Blanco in the Netflix series and revealed she "wrapped" her body so it wouldn't "jiggle". She told Variety: I didnt want the bouncing that is natural for Latin women to show. I would have to wrap myself so that my butt wouldnt jiggle. I had to wear a really bad bra. I had to cover my arms, because I have very skinny arms, and you dont look threatening when you have this stupid little arm. On her appeal not being skin deep, Sofia insisted: She was maybe not a Barbie doll, but the real Griselda Blanco had something." The 'Modern Family' star spent several hours in hair and makeup. She told 'The Kelly Clarkson Show': It was a lot. They did a lot to me. It was teeth, it was wig, it was nose. It was plastic from here to here. Sofia had wanted to work on the project for many years but didn't think it was right to do so while the cartel head - who was shot dead in 2012 aged 69 - was still alive. She explained at June's Netflix FYSEE's 'A Conversation with Sofia Vergara' event in Los Angeles: "I started working, finding out more information about her, hiring writers, investigating, but she was still alive. "She was released from jail and she was living in Medellin [Colombia]. And I'm like, I can't do that project right now with this woman that was a monster, destroyed lives, her family's life, her kid's life, and I'm gonna make a movie and now she's out of jail." She quipped: "So I had to wait for her to die." Sophia Loren is determined to "live every moment to the fullest". Sophia Loren is determined to enjoy the present The iconic actress will turn 90 on September 20, and Sophia has revealed that she's still determined to embrace every moment and every opportunity that comes her way. Sophia told Sette magazine: "Time really flew by. "In the blink of an eye, my life went from being in front of me to being behind me. "So I fall asleep every night with the same wish: that tomorrow I can enjoy the present and live every moment to the fullest." The actress now spends most of her time in Geneva, Switzerland, and she remains very active and engaged with her friends and family. Sophia - who has sons Edoardo, 51, and Carlo, 55 - shared: "I like to wake up early. "After my coffee, I check my correspondence. "If my children arent with me, I talk to them on the phone. Then I do some light exercise, like a walk. After that, I have lunch and take a nap. "When I wake up from the nap, I talk to some friends on the phone or someone comes by for an afternoon coffee. I have a light dinner, then I watch the news. "Before going to bed, I watch a movie or read a book. I spend most of my time in Geneva." In 2020, Sophia revealed that she still felt like she was 20 years old. The movie star explained that she wouldn't allow her real-life age to determine how she feels. Sophia - who rose to global stardom during Hollywood's golden age - told AARP the Magazine: "Sometimes when I say Im 86, I dont believe it. I feel 20." Teri Hatcher didn't get to fully enjoy being a Bond girl because she was pregnant while making 'Tomorrow Never Dies'. Teri Hatcher didn't get the chance to savour her role as a Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies The 59-year-old actress starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in the 1997 movie, but Teri has admitted she was more focused on her personal life during the two-week shoot because she was expecting her first child with actor Jon Tenney and "being a mother" was at the "forefront" of her mind. She told the Guardian newspaper: "I do step back with a lot of gratitude. 'Tomorrow Never Dies' was a very small role, perfect as I was secretly nine weeks pregnant. It was only two weeks, a couple of scenes, then Id be too pregnant to keep working. "But the pregnancy got leaked and it was out of my control. I dont think youd get away with that anymore. Womens rights are much stronger. Youre allowed to have privacy." She added of her time on the film: "Women are sensitive before their first trimester because youre still wondering if its all going work out. I wanted to be in the movie, but being a mother was at the forefront of my mind, whereas the forefront of somebody elses mind might have been: 'Oh, Im in this James Bond movie. Thats so cool'." Teri's daughter Emerson was born in 1997, but her marriage to her daughter's father didn't last and they divorced in 2003. The actress previously opened up about raising Emerson as co-parents after the split - insisting the former couple did all they could to keep the youngster's life stable. She told the Irish Examiner: "I never wanted Emerson to have parents in different households, and Ill always feel guilty forever that she has to go back and forth. But her dad and I work really hard to make it as easy as possible for her, and I genuinely think she's OK." Pierce Brosnan is an Irish actor, film producer, and activist. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex spoke about safeguarding children from trolling during a talk in Columbia. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex spoke about her worries over trolling and safeguarding young people The 43-year-old former actress was a guest speaker at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota on Thursday night (15.08.24), amid her unofficial tour with husband Prince Harry, and spoke of adults responsibility to be good role models for their children when it comes to how they behave online. She began: Maybe your grandmother used to say it to you, if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all.'" Meghan continued: The digital age has almost created a culture where if you dont have anything cruel to say, don't say anything at all. And that is fundamentally changing how we move through the world, how we connect with each other, and I think, as we continue with this work, we continue learning and investing and grant giving to young adults, we can be changemakers in this space. A lot of it is how we as adults role model that behaviour both offline, and certainly how we role model online. As parents we have that responsibility, as global citizens we have that responsibility, but as digital citizens we have that responsibility to model how we want our children to be raised, and the world which we want them to be raised in. It now includes the digital world. Its not going away, so its how we can use what we know and continue to push the envelope to keep all of us safer, specifically our children. Elsewhere, Harry warned of the dangers of false information spreading online during a visit to a school during the first day of their tour. The 39-year-old royal gave a speech about issues including the rise of AI and the dissemination of dangerous untruths on social media. He told the audience: "What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isnt true. "It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake. In an ideal world, those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts. "For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down." Harry added that "education and awareness" is key to solving the problems online. Harry and Meghan visited the school alongside Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez and they took part in an Insight Session discussing social media with students. New Delhi, Aug 16 (UNI) The government on Friday approved the proposal of Airports Authority of India (AAI) for development of New Civil Enclave at Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri, West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs.1549 crore. This was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official statement said after the meeting. The proposed Terminal Building spans 70,390 sqm and is designed to accommodate 3000 Peak Hour Passengers (PHP), with an annual capacity to handle 10 million passengers. Key components of the project include the construction of an Apron capable of accommodating 10 parking bays suitable for A-321 type aircraft, as well as two link taxiways and Multi-Level Car Parking. Emphasizing environmental responsibility, the Terminal Building will be a Green Building, integrating renewable energy sources and maximizing natural lighting to minimize ecological footprint. This development is poised to significantly enhance Bagdogra Airport's operational efficiency and passenger experience, reinforcing its role as a pivotal air travel hub for the region, it said. UNI SKB CS2033 Prince Harry warned of the dangers of false information spreading online during a visit to a school in Colombia on Thursday (15.08.24). Prince Harry and Meghan on the first day of their tour of Colombia The Duke of Sussex is visiting the country with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and during the first day of their tour, the royal couple visited a school in the capital Bogota and Harry gave a speech about issues including the rise of AI and the dissemination of dangers untruths on social media. He told the audience: "What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isnt true. "It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake. In an ideal world, those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts. "For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down." Harry added that "education and awareness" is key to solving the problems online. Harry and Meghan visited the school alongside Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez and they took part in an Insight Session discussing social media with students. While Harry gave his opinion on the matter, some of the students were also encouraged to discuss their own experiences of social media and share their favourite and least favourite parts of the online world. According to PEOPLE, Meghan praised the pupils as "impressive, smart and savvy" adding she feels it's important for them to be "self-reliant and not tech-reliant". The couple will be spending Friday (16.08.24) - the second day of their tour - in Bogote where they will meet with the countrys athletes who will be taking part in Harry's Invictus Games - which celebrates the sporting achievements of wounded, sick or injured service people. Professor Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government in Bangladesh, recently urged domestic garment manufacturers not to mix business with politics as it does not help any cause. He briefed representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on the challenges inherited by the interim government and called on manufacturers to support the countrys rebuilding after 15 years of economic plunder under the dictatorship of Sheikh Hasina. Professor Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government in Bangladesh, recently urged domestic garment manufacturers not to mix business with politics as it does not help any cause. Manufacturers requested him to form a task force to address sector-specific challenges so that international buyers' confidence in Bangladesh can be restored. All the institutions were broken. We were in a mess. They left us in an economic crisis. But with the cooperation of everyone we can rebuild the nation, he was quoted as saying in a release from his office. BGMEA acting president Khandoker Rafiqul Islam led the delegation at the meeting, domestic media outlets reported. The BGMEA leaders expressed their full support for Prof Yunus leadership and requested him to form a task force to address sector-specific challenges so that international buyers confidence in Bangladesh can be restored. Their demands included relaxed debt repayment terms and adjustments to utility bill payments. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has started engaging with the interim government in Bangladesh to ensure the continuation of ongoing projects and support a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future for its people, an ADB spokesperson recently said in Dhaka recently. We will continue to work with the interim government toward macro-fiscal sustainability, including a focus on fiscal consolidation and domestic resource mobilisation, the ADB official was quoted as saying by domestic media outlets. ADB has started engaging with the interim government in Bangladesh to ensure the continuation of ongoing projects and support a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future for its people, an ADB spokesperson said. The work will be on macro-fiscal sustainability and expansion of private sector development to enhance competitiveness and create jobs. A second priority is the expansion of private sector development to enhance competitiveness and create jobs, he said. This includes working to streamline government-to-business services to reduce the cost of doing business. ADB will help the interim government build a whole-of-government approach to tackling climate change in its development agenda. This will include support for renewable energy and other initiatives that promote green growth, he added. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Between August last year and July this year, i.e., the first eleven months of the new government, the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) registered 237 investment projects worth more than $6 billion, reflecting foreign investors confidence in the countrys improving investment climate, according to deputy prime minister Sun Chanthol. Chanthol, who is the first vice president of CDC, recently said investments flowed in from South Korea, Japan, France, Switzerland, Australia, Spain, Germany and China. Most FDI into the country has gone to manufacturing of garments as well as of other products like furniture, leather and plastic. Cambodia registered 237 FDI projects worth over $6 billion in August 2023-July 2024, reflecting investors' confidence, deputy PM Sun Chanthol has said. Investments arrived from South Korea, Japan, France, Switzerland, Australia, Spain, Germany and China. A CDC delegation will leave soon for Europe, the US, the Middle East and China to attract more investors. Next month, a CDC delegation will leave for Europe, the United States, the Middle East and China to attract more investors, domestic media outlets reported. The trend is considered a strong vote of confidence in the countrys stability, peace and burgeoning economic growth, Chanthol said during a lecture at the Royal School of Administration. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Seasonally-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.3 per cent quarter on quarter (QoQ) in both the euro area and the European Union (EU) in the second quarter (Q2) this year, according to a flash estimate by EU statistical office Eurostat. GDP had also grown by 0.3 per cent QoQ in both zones in Q1 2024. Seasonally-adjusted GDP rose by 0.3 per cent quarter on quarter (QoQ) in both the euro area and the EU in Q2 2024, according to a flash estimate by Eurostat. It increased by 0.6 per cent YoY in the euro area and by 0.8 per cent YoY in the EU in the quarter. The number of employed persons rose by 0.2 per cent QoQ in both the euro area and the EU in Q2 2024. Seasonally-adjusted GDP increased by 0.6 per cent year on year (YoY) in the euro area and by 0.8 per cent YoY in the EU in Q2 2024, after rising by 0.5 per cent YoY in the euro area and 0.6 per cent YoY in the EU in Q1, an Eurostat release said. The number of employed persons increased by 0.2 per cent QoQ in both the euro area and the EU in Q2 2024. In Q1, employment had grown by 0.3 per cent QoQ in both zones. Employment increased by 0.8 per cent YoY in the euro area and by 0.7 per cent YoY in the EU in Q2 2024, after rising by 1 per cent YoY in the euro area and 0.9 per cent YoY in the EU in Q1. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) on August 30. Reflecting on the film's release, Malavika expressed her joy saying, Today is an extremely special day for me. My film, Thangalaan (Tamil), has released, and I cant wait for the Hindi audience also to experience it. Reflecting on the film's release, Malavika expressed her joy saying, Today is an extremely special day for me. My film, Thangalaan (Tamil), has released, and I cant wait for the Hindi audience also to experience it. She spoke warmly about her experience of working with Vikram saying, Working with Vikram and the entire Thangalaan team has been an unforgettable journey and an experience I will cherish forever. Im lucky to get an opportunity to work with such an amazing co-star, Vikram, whom I've greatly admired. Getting to portray such a unique and strong character in a story that's a class apart... Im thrilled and cant wait for everyone to see the hard work and passion that went into making this film. Fans eagerly await Thangalaans Hindi release, hoping it will capture hearts just as it has in Tamil. Malavika Mohanan is beaming with pride as her much-anticipated Tamil film, Thangalaan, hits theaters. Known for her compelling role as Aarathi, Mohanan has garnered widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics. In an exclusive statement, she shared her excitement about the film's Tamil release and its upcoming Hindi release As per reports on a leading news portal, the five individuals have been charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine during his last days. They took advantage of the actor while he was struggling with addiction issues for financial gain. Reports further reveal that the key defendants in the death probe include Doctor Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha aka The Ketamine Queen. The two, along with Doctor Mark Chavez, Perrys assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and broker Erik Fleming worked to supply ketamine to the actor. As per reports on a leading news portal, the five individuals have been charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine during his last days. They took advantage of the actor while he was struggling with addiction issues for financial gain.Reports further reveal that the key defendants in the death probe include Doctor Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha aka The Ketamine Queen. The two, along with Doctor Mark Chavez, Perrys assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and broker Erik Fleming worked to supply ketamine to the actor. Matthew Perry, remembered for his iconic role as Chandler Bing in the popular sitcom Friends passed away in October 2023 in his home in Los Angeles. He was 54 at the time of his passing. The cause of his death was narrowed down to acute effects of ketamine which led to his drowning. The defendants reportedly gave Matthew Perry 20 vials of ketamine worth $55,000. A text message from Plasencia last year reads, I wonder how much this moron will pay. It was also revealed that Iwamasa was taught to administer ketamine to the actor despite not being a medical professional.Matthew Perry, remembered for his iconic role as Chandler Bing in the popular sitcom Friends passed away in October 2023 in his home in Los Angeles. He was 54 at the time of his passing. The cause of his death was narrowed down to acute effects of ketamine which led to his drowning. Five arrests have reportedly been made following an investigation into Friends star Matthew Perrys death. The charges were announced in a press conference in Los Angeles where five individuals including two doctors, Perrys assistant and a drug supplier known as The Ketamine Queen were named. Critic's rating 3.0 /5 Shekhar Home is a six-episode series featuring a Bengali sleuth (played by Kay Kay Menon) who has christened and modelled himself on the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. So, what's the difference between the two? The Indian setting and the character's background. Shekhar Home is based in the early '90s as the title character solves rather commonplace crimes in the small town of Lonpur, West Bengal. Shekhar is a self-proclaimed and self-aware genius who's powers of deduction are at par with his English counterpart. More is revealed of Shekhar's past in Shekhar Home than what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did with Sherlock in his series of books. Shekhar's more domestic backdrop and his proclivity to be foolhardy make him a little different from Holmes. The series begins on an interesting note as Shekhar meets Dr Sahni (Ranvir Shorey) and the two instantly connect like Holmes and Dr Watson. Their newly forged alliance is put to the rest immediately as a serial killer crops up in the quaint setting of Lonpur. Needless to say, Home and Saini, outsmart the wily killer in the first episode without much ado. That sets the tone for the rest of the show, where Home is unbeatable throughout the rest of his adventures. Barring a few eager-beaver mistakes, Home generally stays two-steps ahead of every challenge and challenger in his crime-solving pursuits. There lies the biggest caveat in recommending this show. Home is never quite challenged by his foes or the case at hand. Everything seems to be a breeze for this genius, even when M (the main antagonist and a nod to Holmes' foe Moriarty) shows up, he hardly poses a challenge for our lead detective. Invincibility can make a character boring, quite quickly. Just ask the Man Of Steel. Also worth noting is the inconsistency in the show's production values. The first three episodes have a distinctly unimpressive visual feel. The production design, lighting and at times the cinematography look a bit humdrum. And then things improve in the fourth episode, while the last two episodes have a totally different visual appeal and aesthetic. But what's consistently impressive is the performances by the lead cast. Kay Kay Menon as Shekhar is an absolute delight. Of all the British and Hollywood veterans who have played Holmes on screen, Kay Kay's portrayal ranks in the top tier for sure. Ranvir Shorey as Dr Sahni is fantastic as well. Rasika Dugal and Kaushik Sen (playing Shekhar's brother and a nod to Holmes' elder brother Mycroft) are good in their brief roles. Rudranil Ghosh handles the comedic performance as Inspector Laha with aplomb. Creators and writers Aniruddha Guha, Srijit Mukherji and Niharika Puri deserve credit for adapting Sherlock Holmes into an all-Indian setting. Getting the clever bits right in a Sherlock Holmes story are extremely important and the writers along with Vaibhav Vishal (who has penned dialogue for the show) manage that to perfection. If only, the show's direction and production had been assigned consistent, this would have rivalled any other Sherlock Holmes show / movie made in the West. Also the climactic twist with a central character goes against the grain of Holmes' ethos. But if you're not a Baker Street purist, you might appreciate the clever writing. Back home, we've had our own answers to Holmes' with Satyajit Ray's Feluda and Sharadindu Bandopadhyay's Byomkesh Bakshi. Shekhar Home, while a straight adaptation of the 221B royalty, is just as intriguing and engaging a character as Feluda and Byomkesh. If you enjoy detection stories and crime solving mysteries, Shekhar Home has the trappings to keep you entertained. But do keep in mind that the inconsistency is a bit of a let down. Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2024) - KISS PR Brand Story, a leading digital public relations company led by Qamar Zaman, a national SEO PR expert renowned for his focus on storytelling and amplifying content through high-quality media exposure, today shared insights on Google's recently rolled out August 2024 Core Update. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, KISS PR, through Zaman, emphasizes the critical importance of narrative-driven content paired with strategic media outreach to maintain and enhance search engine visibility. Google's latest update, which further refines how content is ranked, underscores the ongoing need for authenticity, relevance, and user engagement in SEO strategies. According to Zaman, the update highlights a fundamental truth about digital marketing: the power of a compelling story cannot be underestimated. "With every core update, Google is sending a clear message: content quality and user experience are paramount," said Zaman. "For businesses to thrive online, they must not only create valuable content but also ensure that it reaches the right audience through high-quality media exposure. This combination of storytelling and strategic amplification is key to achieving and maintaining top search engine rankings." Zaman's approach to digital public relations and data journalism is centered on the belief that storytelling is the most effective way to connect with audiences and build lasting brand authority. By leveraging high-quality media channels, businesses can amplify their stories, reach broader audiences, and achieve greater visibility in an increasingly competitive digital environment. "Google's updates remind us that it's not enough to simply produce content," Zaman added. "It must be crafted with care, imbued with authenticity, and strategically amplified to stand out in the crowded digital marketplace. Those who master this will be well-positioned to navigate the ever-changing landscape of search engine algorithms." As the founder of KISS PR, Zaman has helped numerous businesses build their brands and achieve significant media exposure through his expertise in SEO PR and storytelling. His insights and strategies have positioned him as a trusted authority in the industry, guiding companies to success in the digital age. For more information on how to enhance your SEO strategy through storytelling and media exposure, visit KISS PR. About KISS PR Brand Story KISS PR Brand Story is a leading digital public relations firm specializing in SEO, storytelling, and media exposure. Founded by Qamar Zaman, KISS PR has helped businesses across industries build strong brands and achieve top search engine rankings through strategic content creation and media placement. Source: CoffeeWithQShow To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220159 SOURCE: Prodigy PR Egypt hails success of ancient civilization exhibition in China's Shanghai Xinhua) 10:54, August 16, 2024 CAIRO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Thursday hailed the success of the "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" exhibition currently being held in China. Since its opening in July, the exhibition has drawn 136,000 visitors in just two weeks, leading the Shanghai Museum to extend visiting hours, the ministry said in a statement. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said the extension of visiting hours during summer vacations reflected both the exhibition's success and the Chinese people's passion for ancient Egyptian civilization. He viewed the exhibition as a way to promote Egyptian tourist destinations in the Chinese market, emphasizing the appeal of cultural tourism to Chinese tourists. Running until August 2025, the exhibition is the largest of its kind held outside Egypt in the past two decades, featuring 788 artifacts, with over 95 percent making their debut in Asia. The exhibition includes exquisite pieces from museums in Cairo, Ismailia, Suez, and Luxor, as well as warehouses in Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, including pharaoh statues of Tutankhamun, Amenemhat III, and Ramses II, a complete set of mummy coffins, intricate golden jewelry of queens, and new discoveries of painted coffins, animal mummies, and statues from the Saqqara region, according to official introduction. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) New Delhi, Aug 16 (UNI) The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the Phase-3 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project with two elevated corridors for a length of 44.65 Km with 31 stations costing Rs 15,611 crore. On operationalization of Phase-3, Bengaluru city will have 220.20 Km of active Metro Rail Network, an official statement said after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Phase-3 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project represents a significant advancement in the city's infrastructure development. Phase-3 acts as a major expansion of the Metro Rail Network in the city, the official statement added. Besides enhanced connectivity, reduction in traffic congestion this project will lead to environmental benefits as the addition of Phase-3 Metro Rail Project and increase in overall Metro Rail Network in Bengaluru city, can significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to traditional fossil fuel-based transport. Multi-Modal Integration is planned at 10 locations at JP Nagar 4th Phase, JP Nagar, Kamakya, Mysore Road, Sumanahalli, Peenya, BEL Circle, Hebbal, Kempapura, Hosahalli and provides interchanges with existing and under construction Metro Stations, BMTC Bus stands, Indian Railway Stations, proposed Suburban (K-RIDE) Stations, the statement said. All the Phase-3 stations are proposed with dedicated bus bays, Pick up and drop off bays, Pedestrian Paths, IPT/Auto Rickshaw stands. BMTC is already running feeder buses to the operational metro stations and the same will be extended to the Phase-3 stations also, it added. UNI SKB CS2030 Anglesey Mining Plc - Submission of Parys Mountain Mine Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, August 16 Trading Symbol AIM: AYM 16 August 2024 Anglesey Mining plc ("Anglesey" or "the Company") Submission of Parys Mountain Mine Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report Anglesey Mining plc (AIM:AYM), is pleased to announce that it has reached an important project milestone with the formal submission on 31st July 2024 of the Parys Mountain Mine Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Report to the North Wales Minerals and Waste Planning Service (the "Planning Service") as part of a formal EIA Scoping Opinion request. The Planning Service assesses mineral planning applications on behalf of the Isle of Anglesey County Council and other County Councils within the North Wales Region. The Scoping Report forms part of the first stage in the EIA process and comes after almost two years of extensive studies and work by the Anglesey team on site. Cumulative expenditure on the EIA process in that timeframe is almost 300,000. The scoping report sets out the project's perceived impacts, specifically identifying any crucial and significant impacts which will be assessed as part of the final EIA report, the compilation of which will require further environmental and ecological work. At this EIA scoping stage, the project description remains indicative and will be refined following ongoing mining engineering studies, economic analysis and discussions with neighbours, the wider community and other stakeholders. The mining at Parys will be carried out by underground methods; there are no plans for an open pit or opencast mine extraction works. The Scoping Opinion request will now be validated by the Planning Service and when that process is completed it will be placed on the Anglesey Council Planning Public Register. At that time, Anglesey Mining will publish a further RNS release providing information on how interested parties can view and comment on the report. Anglesey's C.E.O. Rob Marsden participated in a monitoring visit and meeting on site at Parys Mountain on 13th August 2024 with the Senior Minerals and Waste Planning Officer under the 'The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications and Deemed Applications) (Wales) (Amendments) Regulations 2020, which mineral planning authorities utilise to monitor mineral sites and their extant planning permissions. A brief overview of Anglesey's new proposal was also discussed at the above meeting. The Anglesey team are committed to close collaboration with stakeholders, communities, industry and supply chain participants, particularly around minimising potential environmental impacts and maximising economic development opportunities for local communities. Preservation of existing heritage areas, sites of special scientific interest (SSSI's) and scheduled historic monuments and buildings have been a major factor in Anglesey determining the location of new proposed surface infrastructure, and similarly, other environmental and social considerations. The EIA Scoping Report considers how measures to avoid, mitigate or compensate would be identified to address the impacts of the project. Copper, zinc, silver and lead are essential metals that will be required for, amongst other uses, the transition of the UK's energy use and distribution towards electricity and away from fossil fuels. To produce these minerals from the Parys Mountain mine, new surface infrastructure will be required, including a tailings management facility, a decline portal and some small ventilation shaft collars. The proposed approximate locations of such surface features are shown in a drawing and are described in the EIA Scoping report. The details may change as the Environmental Impact Assessment process proceeds. Anglesey has decided to submit a fresh planning application, rather than alter the existing one, for several reasons that are outlined in the EIA Scoping Report. This is partly because additional mineral resources have been identified recently during a campaign of exploration drilling and because Anglesey intends to avoid any potential damage to heritage and biodiversity assets that have been designated since the last mineral permission. Finally, technological changes since the original planning permission offer more efficient methods of mining, ore processing, pollution control and tailings storage. Rob Marsden, CEO of Anglesey Mining, commented: "The submission of the Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report for the Parys Mountain Project is a very significant milestone for Anglesey. The assessment of the environmental and social impacts of mining of copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold from Parys Mountain, in addition to the economic feasibility, will play a major part in the permitting processes required to progress the project through investment and financing to mineral production." "It is worth reminding investors that Parys Mountain is demonstrably the largest and most advanced copper/zinc/lead/silver/gold project in the UK with a substantial resource upside. In addition, the project is favourably located on a previously permitted, development site with significant existing infrastructure already in place." About Anglesey Mining plc: Anglesey Mining is traded on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and currently has 461,593,017 ordinary shares in issue. Anglesey is developing the 100% owned Parys Mountain Cu-Zn-Pb-Ag-Au VMS deposit in North Wales, UK with a reported resource of 5.3 million tonnes at over 4.0% combined base metals in the Measured and Indicated categories and 10.8 million tonnes at over 2.5% combined base metals in the Inferred category. Anglesey also holds a 49.75% interest in the Grangesberg iron ore project in Sweden and 12% of Labrador Iron Mines Holdings Limited, which through its 52% owned subsidiaries, is engaged in the exploration and development of direct shipping iron ore deposits in Labrador and Quebec. For further information, please contact: Anglesey Mining plc Rob Marsden, Chief Executive Officer - Tel: +44 (0)7531 475111 Andrew King, Interim-Chairman - Tel: +44 (0)7825 963700 Davy Nominated Adviser & Joint Corporate Broker Brian Garrahy / Daragh O'Reilly - Tel: +353 1 679 6363 Zeus Capital Limited Joint Corporate Broker Katy Mitchell / Harry Ansell - Tel: +44 (0)161 831 1512 LEI: 213800X8BO8EK2B4HQ71 Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - LinkDaddy has expanded its list of providers who are part of its Cloud Authority Backlink service, which is designed to boost the domain authority of business websites by backlinking them on major technology platforms. The agency states that its most recently added provider has a domain authority of 92, making it one of the strongest platforms in the growing portfolio. More details can be found at https://linkdaddy.com/cloud-authority-backlinks Cloud Backlinks High-Authority SEO Services: New Provider Announced By LinkDaddy To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/219862_a1f13da4b4f51b20_002full.jpg The company's Cloud Authority Backlink package now includes five leading providers, and clients can also choose from two other packages, making a total of 15 cloud platforms that are now offered. LinkDaddy develops customized content and HTML pages which are then published on each platform, forming the foundation of the enhanced backlinking service. "By making great content on trusted cloud platforms, you get strong backlinks that search engines like," Tony Peacock, CEO of LinkDaddy, explained. "When your content ranks higher, it's easier for your audience to find it. This can lead to more people visiting your site, more engagement, and ultimately, more conversions." The recent addition offers a new tool for businesses that wish to boost their online visibility. LinkDaddy points to a recent leak of one of the leading provider's API documents, which revealed that domain authority does play a role in the platform's search algorithm, something that it had not previously confirmed. Despite the high-profile nature of these platforms, LinkDaddy states that affordability and accessibility remain key goals of the revised service. Many smaller businesses have limited marketing budgets, impacting their ability to develop an online presence, an imbalance that LinkDaddy is trying to address with its services. High-quality original content also forms an important element of LinkDaddy's latest Cloud Authority Backlink program. The agency works with a team of professional writers who develop multimedia campaigns across a variety of formats, including articles, infographics, videos, and slideshows. While the latest update applies to LinkDaddy's Cloud Authority Backlink service, the agency offers several other techniques to improve the online visibility of clients, such as dofollow SEO, keyword backlinks, and local SEO. Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://linkdaddy.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/219862 SOURCE: Plentisoft LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- XPPen, the world's leading digital art innovation brand, proudly marks its 19th anniversary with a series of grand events themed 'Original is Original.' This milestone is commemorated through the launch of the Future Me 2024 XPPen global drawing contest and the introduction of the upcoming Artist Pro 19 (Gen2), featuring a 4K ultravision display and unparalleled color performance. In addition, with promotional extravaganzas and a variety of thrilling online events, this celebration is designed to offer a heartfelt tribute to creatives across the globe. "Future Me is the theme of the global drawing contest initiated by XPPen on its 19th anniversary. It is an art and cultural exchange platform for all art creators and a place where everyone can encourage each other, express different voices, and exchange different art forms," stated Amy Yuan, Marketing Director at XPPen. She further highlighted the essence of this event, "Creation is a dialogue between an individual and the world. It represents an open attitude, free will, and a curious spirit. Let creation continue and let creatives bloom!" Over recent years, XPPen has made remarkable strides in enhancing its product and brand strength. The trail-blazing 16,384 pressure levels empowered by its proprietary X3 Pro smart chip technology, the innovative products like Magic Drawing Pad, and the X3 Pro Roller Stylus honored by the Red Dot Award, are testaments to XPPen's technological prowess. At the same time, XPPen remains dedicated to being a companion and advocate for artistic expression globally. Future Me 2024 XPPen Global Drawing Contest XPPen provides not only professional digital drawing products but also a creative community for creators to engage and interact. As part of the festivities, XPPen is launching the Future Me drawing contest, inviting artists worldwide to envision and depict their future selves. The contest, featuring separate categories for graphic design and animation, runs from August 16th to October 15th. Prizes include cash awards, the latest XPPen product, trophies, and certificates. Join now by clicking: https://bit.ly/4dlK84j Moreover, globally renowned artists have been invited to witness and participate in this grand event, including Clinton Jones, a well-known 3D creator known for his community and massive 3D challenge Eternal Ascent, and Jake Parker, the founder of Inktober, will lend their expertise to evaluate and celebrate the creative talents of participants. With the intriguing theme 'Future Me,' Jones expressed his anticipation: "You can use it to express a version of yourself that's achieved a long-time dream or a vision of yourself and how you've changed and developed over time. I can't wait to see how each one of you interprets that in your unique way." Upcoming New Addition of XPPen Lineup In conjunction with the anniversary celebration, XPPen will unveil another digital drawing display, the Artist Pro 19 (Gen2), on August 26th. Featuring a 19-inch 4K ultravision display with unparalleled color performance verified by Calman, as well as dual X3 Pro styli, this new choice enables professional creatives to capture vivid inspiration in richer detail. The Artist Pro 19 (Gen2) will also suit diverse usage scenarios, epitomizing XPPen's technological innovation and user-centric design. Participants in the anniversary events and the drawing contest will be able to win this latest product. Grab the Benefits: Save Up to 46% Off From August 16th to September 16th, XPPen will host another special event, Fenix's Adventure of Mysterious Box, on its official website. During this period, users can log in daily to participate in interactive activities and win exclusive rewards such as discount codes, gift packages, Deco 640, Magic Drawing Pad, and other surprising items. In addition, XPPen's official store will offer discounts of up to 46% off during the celebration, customers making purchases also stand a chance to win their orders for free. A series of lottery draws will also be held on XPPen's social media accounts and official community. Through this initiative, XPPen continues to support and inspire the global creative community, fostering a vibrant space for artistic expression and innovation. Join XPPen's 19th anniversary celebration and rediscover the power of originality. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/4fGtBcV Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2479883/1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2479884/2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2479885/3.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xppen-celebrates-19th-anniversary-by-championing-original-is-original-theme-honoring-global-creatives-302221866.html OXFORD, England , Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Unipart is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Bryan Jackson CBE to the role of Non-Executive Chair from 1st September 2024. This follows the announcement on 14th August 2024 that Unipart's Founder and Executive Chairman, Dr John M. Neill CBE, will retire from his position effective 31st August and will continue to support the business until the end of November. Bryan has a long association with Unipart, commencing in 2005 with his appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Unipart Manufacturing Group. He joined the Board as an independent Non-Executive Director in April 2013 and was appointed Senior Independent Director in November 2022. Bryan built an extensive career in automotive and manufacturing, beginning his career with the Ford Motor Company where he spent 23 years before joining Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited in 1990. He has worked across many disciplines, holding senior positions and managing several plants in the UK and Europe covering the full range of vehicle manufacturing. He retired as Managing Director in 2004 and was an advisor to Toyota in Europe until 2009. Bryan has significant Board-level experience gained across a variety of industries. Previous Board roles include being Chairman of Sharing in Growth UK Limited, Wesleyan Assurance Society, the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the East Midlands Development Agency (a government appointment) and the East Midlands Regional Council of the Confederation of British Industry. He is currently Non-Executive Chairman of John Smedley Limited. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in business administration from Nottingham Trent University in recognition of his contribution as an industrialist and champion of economic growth. Bryan is a Fellow of the Manufacturing Technology Centre. He also attended executive development programmes at INSEAD Business School, Fontainebleau and Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania. In 2000, Bryan was awarded an OBE for services to the motor manufacturing industry and in 2012, he was awarded a CBE for services to economic development and manufacturing. John Neill, Unipart Executive Chairman said: "Unipart is an iconic British company, and its next Chair required someone who not only understands the culture that has been meticulously crafted over the past 50 years, but someone whose personal values and integrity are aligned with Unipart. "I have had the privilege of knowing and working closely with Bryan for many decades, during which he has held several non-executive roles within the Unipart Group and added immense value through his expertise and leadership. My priority was to ensure that the Board approved a leader whom all our stakeholders can trust - someone who will consistently prioritise the well-being of Unipart, its people, and its customers above any personal interests. "I am confident that Bryan, who has exemplified this ethos in the past and was therefore an unrivalled candidate based on his extensive experience and commitment to Unipart, will continue to do so in the future. I wish Bryan, the Board and all our colleagues and leaders the very best for Unipart's continued success." Bryan Jackson, Senior Independent Non-Executive Director said: "I am extremely proud to be appointed Chair of Unipart. How do you replace an iconic leader and the creator of this unique, highly-successful great British company? Luckily I have had the privilege of working with John over many years and I am honoured to take on this role and the responsibility of ensuring that the culture he created will continue, and to build on Unipart's success to date in the future. "I believe Unipart has strong growth prospects thanks to the solid, diversified business we have that has been built over the past 50 years of tireless commitment and dedication. I am looking forward to working with our people, customers, shareholders and stakeholders on our journey ahead. "I would like to thank John again for everything he has done and wish him all the best for his future. While it will be incredibly difficult to follow in John's footsteps, I am fully committed to working with the Board, leadership team and colleagues to drive Unipart forward through its next stage of growth and look forward to the many opportunities ahead." Please access Bryan Jackson's biography here . For media enquiries or further information, please contact: Alistair Drummond, Head of External Communications T: +44(0)7771 798835 E: alistair.drummond@unipart.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2483616/Dr_Bryan_Jackson_CBE.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2382356/4856219/Unipart_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/unipart-group-announces-the-appointment-of-dr-bryan-jackson-cbe-as-non-executive-chair-302224214.html The global procurement outsourcing market has grown due to several factors such as technological advancements and rise in need for advanced efficiency & productivity. NEW CASTLE, Del., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Procurement Outsourcing Market by Component (Solution, and Service), Deployment (On-premise, and Cloud), Organization Size (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and Large Enterprises), and Industry Vertical (Banking Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI), Healthcare, and IT & Telecommunication): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2032". According to the report, the procurement outsourcing market was valued at $6.4 billion in 2023, and is estimated to reach $16.1 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 11% from 2024 to 2032. Prime determinants of growth The global procurement outsourcing market has grown due to several factors such as technological advancements and rise in need for advanced efficiency & productivity. However, loss of control & visibility and data security & privacy act as restraints for the procurement outsourcing market. In addition, the surge in demand for strategic sourcing and category management are expected to provide ample opportunities for market growth during the forecast period. Request Sample Pages: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A14633 Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2032 Base Year 2023 Market Size in 2023 $6.4 Billion Market Size in 2032 $16.1 Billion CAGR 11.0 % No. of Pages in Report 400 Segments Covered Component, Deployment, Organization Size, Industry Vertical, and Region. Drivers Technological advancements Rise in need for advanced efficiency and productivity Opportunity Growing demand for strategic sourcing and category management Restraints Loss of control and visibility Data security and privacy Buy this Complete Report (303 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/procurement-outsourcing-market/purchase-options The solution segment is expected to grow faster throughout the forecast period. By component, the solution segment held the highest market share in 2023, as organizations are increasingly outsourcing their procurement activities to specialized service providers to optimize costs, improve efficiency, and enhance their focus on core business operations. The cloud segment is expected to grow faster throughout the forecast period. By deployment, the cloud segment held the highest market share in 2023. This is attributed to its inherent benefits, such as scalability, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and ease of implementation. Cloud-based solutions enable organizations to access procurement services and data seamlessly, anytime, and anywhere, using any device, providing convenience and accessibility. The large enterprises segment is expected to grow faster throughout the forecast period. By organization size, the large enterprises segment held the highest market share in 2023. As large enterprises typically have more complex procurement needs, higher transaction volumes, and larger budgets, outsourcing is a more viable option for them. Large enterprises often have diverse supplier networks, operations, and the need for specialized procurement expertise. The BFSI segment is expected to grow faster throughout the forecast period. By industry vertical, the BFSI segment held the highest market share in 2023. The dominance of the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) segment in the procurement outsourcing market is driven by its complex procurement requirements, such as regulatory compliance, risk management, and cost optimization. The BFSI industry relies on robust procurement solutions to address these specific needs. North America to maintain its dominance by 2032 By region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2023 and is expected to boost in terms of revenue throughout the forecast period. The market for outsourcing services in North America is expanding as a result of the escalating technical breakthroughs and digital transformations occurring across several business verticals, including telecommunications, IT, retail, and finance. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/A14633 Major Industry Players: - Accenture IBM Corporation Infosys Capgemini Genpact Wipro Limited WNS Corbus LLC HCL Technologies Limited Tata Consultancy Services. The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global procurement outsourcing market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Recent Industry Development: In February 2024, Genpact partnered with ServiceNow, to deliver Source-to-Pay applications across finance and supply chain operations. The Genpact Source-to-Pay offering uses ServiceNow AI capabilities to help accelerate team productivity, simplify the user experience, and increase cost efficiency. In September 2022, GEP expanded its services by the opening of a new office in Abu Dhabi. The firm's newest office provides a full range of procurement and supply chain consulting services and the industry's leading procurement software platform. In October 2021, Accenture acquired Xoomworks Group, a consulting and technology company that specializes in procurement technology, digital innovation, and software solutions development. The acquisition is expected to expand Accenture's capabilities for helping clients accelerate technology-led business and procurement transformation. AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model): AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports Insights" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/procurement-outsourcing-market-to-reach-16-1-billion-globally-by-2032-at-11-cagr-allied-market-research-302224260.html London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - CS Global Partners releases the inaugural edition of the Good Life Index. The Good Life Index is an unprecedented study of the factors that make a good life, taking a multifaceted approach to ranking countries by the strength of their Quality of Life. The Good Life Index offers a deep dive into the countries, factors, and data which underpin the Good Life. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10545/220183_8ba786d844c4cabb_001full.jpg Taking stock of global trends, the Good Life Index situates its mixed-methods data analysis and a worldwide survey of high-net-worth-individuals (HNWIs) within the greater context of current affairs. As a citizenship and residency advisory, CS Global Partners is at the forefront of understanding the global changes affecting HNWIs. In the inaugural Index, Monaco came out on top, followed closely by Denmark and Hong Kong. These countries received plaudits for luxurious living, with safety and security of inhabitants highly prioritised by the respective governments. Top-ranked Monaco was praised for offering high standards of education, healthcare and security for residents. Additionally, the stunning Mediterranean natural environment and healthy mode of Mediterranean living affords residents long, culturally-vibrant lives. The United Kingdom also received praise for coming in sixth place. Some countries not found in the top ten may surprise readers, including the United States and Germany. 'The Good Life Index is a timely assessment of the things that make life worth living: education, health, environment. In an uncertain age, it's important for all of us to take a step back and reflect on what makes a Good Life,' said Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners. A key area of focus in the Index is the relationship between age and Quality of Life. The survey of HNWIs conducted for the Index noted that 46 per cent of 55-64-year-olds surveyed prioritised Quality of Life over other motivators to seek a second citizenship. The Index argued that increased financial stability and expanded time for leisure activities and social connections comes with age. This allows older HNWIs to prioritise Quality of Life, rather than more pressing needs such as safety (though Quality of Life needs safety as a prerequisite). The Index also studied the relationship between geographic area and Quality of Life, finding that Africa and Europe prioritise Quality of Life more than other jurisdictions. The Index found that Oceania and North America prioritised Quality of Life least. The Good Life Index also studied the worst ranked countries, probing the reasons why certain countries offer poor Quality of Life. Somalia, Chad and South Sudan all ranked as the worst countries for Quality of Life. The three countries struggle with implementing the rule of law, embroiled in war, corruption and poverty. Somalia, the lowest ranked country for Quality of Life, struggles with civil war and a food insecurity crisis. With a staggering poverty rate, low literacy rates and frequent attacks from Al-Shabab and ISIS, Somalia struggles to provide the necessary standard of living required to enjoy a strong Quality of Life. The Good Life Index is adapted from the World Citizenship Report, which ranked 188 countries across five motivators that global citizens care most about - Safety and Security, Economic Opportunity, Quality of Life, Global Mobility and Financial Freedom. With global instability, frequent elections and burgeoning generational change, the Good Life Index provides data-driven insight that is more needed than ever. Download the report here. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220183 SOURCE: CS Global Partners ADAIRSVILLE, GA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / CFL Flooring (Creative Flooring Solutions), the world's leading manufacturer of SPC and hybrid flooring products, is thrilled to announce the construction of its new manufacturing facility in North Vietnam is well underway, with first shipments due in Q4 of this year. This expansion represents a significant step in CFL's strategy to maintain its position as the reference for diversified supply, with the Adairsville (Georgia, USA), China, and Vietnam factories serving as its main pillars. CFL Hai Phong Overhead Shot of the New CFL Flooring Hai Phong Facilities "Spanning 750,000 square feet, this state-of-the-art facility, once at full capacity, will drastically increase our capacity to meet the growing demand for our innovative flooring products," said Thomas Baert, president and co-founder of CFL. "This expansion is not just a growth in size but a strategic move to benefit our partners with first-to-market innovative flooring solutions, reinforcing CFL's leadership in the industry." Baert added, "Furthermore, in line with our commitment to sustainability and net zero, we are working with the industrial zone on introducing alternative energy sources to reduce our carbon footprint from manufacturing." The company will continue manufacturing its best-selling Atroguard waterproof laminate, Firmfit Eco-Composite Flooring, and its SPC and WPC products out of its current facilities in south Vietnam. Nevertheless, the growing demand has necessitated increased capacity for more complex offerings, such as the patented Novocore Q acoustic SPC, Made-to-Last anti-scratch SPC, and pre-grouted tile solutions. This new facility is set to not only enhance CFL's production capabilities but also establish itself as a new hub for innovation. Tom Van Poyer, CEO, emphasized the need for diversification in light of current market dynamics. "The global landscape is fraught with uncertainties - from geopolitical tensions to economic fluctuations. Our strategic expansion in Vietnam is a proactive step towards ensuring we offer diversified, adaptable solutions to our partners and stay ahead of market trends." Strategically located close to the port of Haiphong, the new factory offers significant logistical advantages, facilitating faster and more efficient global distribution. Contact Information Jerome Nurenberg Marketing Director jerome.nurenberg@cflflooring.com SOURCE: CFL Flooring View the original press release on newswire.com. In financial year 2023/2024, Borussia Dortmund generated not only the highest consolidated revenue but also the highest consolidated total operating proceeds in its history. This was due primarily to the Club's sporting success in the UEFA Champions League as well as to the significant improvement in gross transfer proceeds. Consolidated revenue rose year on year by EUR 90.9 million (21.7%) to EUR 509.1 million and consolidated total operating proceeds rose by EUR 123.6 million (24.0%) to EUR 639.0 million. In financial year 2023/2024, consolidated net profit improved by EUR 34.7 million to EUR 44.3 million. In the financial year ended, the consolidated net profit amounted to EUR 44.3 million (previous year: EUR 9.6 million). Consolidated earnings before taxes (EBT) amounted to EUR 48.6 million (previous year: EUR 10.8 million); consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to EUR 150.3 million (previous year: EUR 123.2 million). Consolidated revenue amounted to EUR 509.1 million (previous year: EUR 418.2 million), of which EUR 52.6 million (previous year: EUR 43.5 million) in income from match operations, EUR 146.6 million (previous year: EUR 142.3 million) in advertising income, EUR 206.0 million (previous year: EUR 157.5 million) in income from TV marketing, EUR 47.9 million (previous year: EUR 33.4 million) in merchandising income, and EUR 56.0 million (previous year: EUR 41.5 million) in conference, catering and miscellaneous income. In the 2023/2024 financial year, Borussia Dortmund generated consolidated total operating proceeds (consolidated revenue plus gross transfer proceeds generated) of EUR 639.0 million (previous year: EUR 515.4 million). Net transfer income, which comprises gross transfer proceeds less residual carrying amounts, other derecognised items and transfer costs, amounted to EUR 97.9 million (previous year: EUR 72.5 million). The Group's personnel expenses increased by EUR 32.3 million from EUR 236.2 million to EUR 268.5 million in the financial year ended. Depreciation, amortisation and write-downs within the Group declined by EUR 2.0 million from EUR 106.3 million to EUR 104.3 million. The Group's other operating expenses were up EUR 52.7 million year on year from EUR 114.0 million to EUR 166.7 million. The consolidated financial result improved by EUR 8.8 million from EUR -6.1 million to EUR 2.7 million and the net tax expense amounted to EUR 4.3 million (previous year: EUR 1.2 million). The above information relates to key figures from the consolidated financial statements of Borussia Dortmund calculated in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). In the separate financial statements of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA prepared in accordance with the German Commercial Code (HGB), the Company reported a net profit for the year of EUR 37.9 million (previous year: EUR 9.1 million). In view of the earning position, the management intends to recommend to the Supervisory Board that it approve the joint proposal to the 2024 Annual General Meeting that it resolve, among other things, to use the net retained profits to distribute a dividend of EUR 0.06 per share carrying dividend rights for the 2023/2024 financial year. The Supervisory Board will adopt a resolution to this effect at its meeting on 26 September 2024. However, the final decision on any distribution of net profits at Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA rests solely with the Annual General Meeting. Dortmund, 16 August 2024 Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA Borussia Dortmund Geschaftsfuhrungs-GmbH At 11:30 a.m. today in Dortmund, Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA will hold an annual press conference on the preliminary figures for the 2023/2024 financial year, which can be live-streamed online at https://tv.bvb.de sowie http://aktie.bvb.de. Contact: Dr. Robin Steden Inhouse Counsel / Investor Relations SOURCE: Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA View the original press release on accesswire.com TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Aclara Resources Inc. ("Aclara" or "Company") (TSX:ARA) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MoU") with the State of Goias and the Municipality of Nova Roma, recognizing the strategic nature of the Carina Module ("Project"), emphasizing its alignment with the best interests of the State and Nova Roma. This strategic relationship aims to accelerate the analysis and evaluation of the permitting process and supports the execution, implementation, and operation of the Project, reinforcing its relevance to social and economic development of Nova Roma and the State of Goias, and further positioning Brazil as a key player in the sustainable supply of critical minerals. Aclara's CEO, Ramon Barua, commented: "We are excited to announce a strategic relationship with the State of Goias and the Municipality of Nova Roma aimed at accelerating the permitting process and overall development of the Carina Module project. By harnessing our world-class Carina deposit, our unique technology to produce clean rare earths, and our strong focus on socio-economic growth, we are dedicated to supporting Nova Roma and Goias State through significant job creation, local supplier development, employee training, among others. This memorandum of understanding highlights our shared responsibility to fostering the sustainable development of the local communities in the surrounding areas of the Project. We extend our gratitude to the municipal authorities of Nova Roma, state authorities, and the Governor of Goias for their support and commitment. Together, we are shaping a brighter future for Goias and setting a benchmark for regional progress." The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation among all parties to facilitate the implementation of the Project. Key Responsibilities: State of Goias and Municipality of Nova Roma: work to efficiently evaluate the environmental and other permits required for the Project, support critical infrastructure enhancements and partner with Aclara to assist in the development of the local workforce. Aclara: Invest $582.3 million (expected CAPEX outlined on the preliminary economic assessment of the Carina Module previously announced by the Company on January 22, 2024), creating 3,200 direct jobs and prioritizing local work force and suppliers. Picture during the MoU signing ceremony including Andrea Vulcanis (Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development), Francisco Servulo (Secretary of State for Economy), Joel de Sant'anna (Secretary of State for Industry, Commerce and Services), Daniel Vilela (Vice Governor), Ronaldo Caiado (Governor), Ramon Barua (CEO of Aclara), Jose Augusto Palma (Executive VP of Aclara). The following individuals attended the MoU signing ceremony: Goias Government RONALDO RAMOS CAIADO - Governor DANIEL CARVALHO VILELA - Vice Governor ANDREA VULCANIS - Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development JOEL DE SANT'ANNA BRAGA -Secretary of State for Industry, Commerce and Services FRANCISCO SERVULO FREIRE NOGUEIRA - Secretary of State for Economy PEDRO HENRIQUE RAMOS SALES - Secretary of State for Infrastructure JOSE FREDERICO LYRA NETTO - Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Innovation CORONEL RENATO BRUM DOS SANTOS - Secretary of State for Public Safety PEDRO LEONARDO DE PAULA REZENDE - Secretary of State for Agriculture, Livestock and Supply LEONARDO LOPES SAAD - Deputy Secretary of State of Government ANA PAULA BRITO DUTRA - representing the Secretary of State for Recovery Aclara RAMON BARUA COSTA - Chief Executive Officer JOSE AUGUSTO PALMA - Executive Vice-President About Acara Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX:ARA) is a development-stage company that focuses on heavy rare earth mineral resources hosted in Ion-Adsorption Clay deposits. The Company's rare earth mineral resource development projects include the Penco Module in the Bio-Bio Region of Chile and the Carina Module in the State of Goias, Brazil. Aclara's rare earth extraction process offers several environmentally attractive features. Circular mineral harvesting does not involve blasting, crushing, or milling, and therefore does not generate tailings and eliminates the need for a tailing's storage facility. The extraction process developed by Aclara minimizes water consumption through high levels of water recirculation made possible by the inclusion of a water treatment facility within its patented process design. The ionic clay feedstock is amenable to leaching with a common fertilizer main reagent, ammonium sulfate. In addition to the development of the Penco Module and the Carina Module, the Company will continue to identify and evaluate opportunities to increase future production of heavy rare earths through greenfield exploration programs and the development of additional projects within the Company's current concessions in Brazil, Chile, and Peru. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events, including statements with regard to streamlining the permitting process of the Carina Module, socio-economic improvement in Brazil, enhancement of infrastructure, job creation, the continued support of state and municipal authorities, the Company's expectations as to the partnerships and transactions described herein, and other statements that are not material facts. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to risks related to operating in a foreign jurisdiction, including political and economic problems in Chile and Brazil; risks related to changes to mining laws and regulations and the termination or non-renewal of mining rights by governmental authorities; risks related to failure to comply with the law or obtain necessary permits and licenses or renew them; compliance with environmental regulations can be costly; dependence on relations and agreements with local communities; actual production, capital and operating costs may be different than those anticipated; the Company may be not able to successfully complete the development, construction and start-up of mines and new development projects; risks related to fluctuation in commodity prices; risks related to mining operations; and dependence on the Penco Module and/or the Carina Module. Aclara cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. For a detailed discussion of the foregoing factors, among others, please refer to the risk factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated as of March 22, 2024, filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile. Actual results and timing could differ materially from those projected herein. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking information contained in this press release is provided as of the date of this press release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required under applicable securities laws. For further information, please contact: Ramon Barua Costa Chief Executive Officer investorrelations@aclara-re.com SOURCE: Aclara Resources Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Total revenue for Q2 2024 of $51.0 million, an increase of $2.1 million from Q1 2024; Completed equity raise of $20.6 million with Hosking Partners LLP; Acquired 100% of MediaNet Solutions, an education software business; Debt repayment of $16.0 million in the quarter; net debt of $98.7 million at Q2 2024; Transitioned CEO role to Jordan Taub and appointed new CFO Mike McKenna. Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - Tiny Ltd. (TSXV: TINY) ("Tiny" or "the "Company"), a technology holding company with a strategy of acquiring majority stakes in businesses, today announced the financial results for Tiny Ltd. for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2024 ("Q2 2024" and "YTD Q2 2024", respectively). Currency amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. Portfolio Company Highlights for the Quarter MetaLab was named a finalist in Fast Company's 2024 Design Company of the Year; Meteor released it's latest update, Meteor 3.0, which introduces substantial architectural changes to modernize the platform and improve its performance and scalability; Stamped and Repeat announced their merger, creating a powerful platform designed to increase customer retention and lifetime value, automate personalized messaging at scale, and turn one-time purchasers into loyal repeat customers. Management Commentary "As we complete the first half of 2024, as a Company we are looking to strengthen our balance sheet, invest in organic growth, and increase cost discipline. We are focused on long-term free cash flow generation and continue to see opportunities to more efficiently operate and grow our existing portfolio," said Jordan Taub, CEO of Tiny. "The second quarter highlighted our commitment to debt repayment, which improves our Free Cash Flow and will allow us greater flexibility to execute on our acquisition pipeline. We will look to continue reducing our leverage levels over the coming quarters, managing to a long-term targeted range commensurate with the profile of the business. We are also evaluating a number of attractive investment opportunities, with a strategic focus on recurring revenue platforms and value-oriented tuck-ins for our existing businesses." "We look forward to further discussing on our upcoming investor call." Q2 2024 Financial Results For the three-month periods ended June 30, For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Revenue 51,005,412 47,472,296 99,945,010 83,804,244 Operating loss (4,952,079 ) (10,899,361 ) (9,782,520 ) (11,969,202 ) Net (loss)/income (1,671,756 ) 32,674,714 (10,526,223 ) 28,593,803 EBITDA (1) 4,864,920 40,635,940 8,215,835 39,312,096 EBITDA % (1) 10 % 86 % 8 % 47 % Recurring revenue (1) 9,637,944 8,537,279 18,894,818 10,129,992 Recurring revenue % (1) 19 % 18 % 19 % 12 % (1) Refer to Non-IFRS Measures for further information For the three-month periods ended June 30, For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Cash provided by/(used in) operating activities (797,399 ) (6,274,992 ) 3,540,450 (7,094,456 ) Free cash flow (1) (3,600,149 ) (5,441,012 ) (2,259,105 ) (6,932,042 ) Adjusted free cash flow post debt servicing(1) (3,584,165 ) (2,633,554 ) (2,302,295 ) (2,513,228 ) Basic (loss)/earnings per share (0.01 ) 0.19 (0.06 ) 0.17 Diluted (loss)/earnings per share (0.01 ) 0.19 (0.06 ) 0.17 Free cash flow per share (1) (0.02 ) (0.03 ) (0.01 ) (0.04 ) June 30, 2024 December 31, 2023 Total assets 385,280,810 392,635,137 Total liabilities 169,935,661 190,081,456 Non-current financial liabilities 109,444,330 132,538,131 (1) Refer to Non-IFRS Measures for further information Revenue in Q2 2024 was $51.0 million, an increase of $3.5 million or 7% compared to Q2 2023. Creative Platform grew $1.7 million compared to Q2 2023 due to a large enterprise licensing deal signed in the quarter while the remainder of the increase is attributable to growth in the Software and Apps segment. Revenue increased $2.1 million or 4% compared to Q1 2024 mainly due to the large enterprise licensing deal in Creative Platform. Recurring revenue (1) in Q2 2024 was $9.6 million and made up 19% of total revenue, an increase of 1% compared to Q2 2023. This growth is mostly due to including a full quarter of Software and Apps' recurring revenue in Q2 2024 as compared to the partial quarter in Q2 2023 (acquired on April 17, 2023). In Q2 2024, the Company acquired MediaNet, which has 98% SaaS based subscription revenue and highlights Tiny's strategic focus in acquiring recurring revenue platforms. Cash on hand on June 30, 2024 was $22.4 million compared to $26.9 million on December 31, 2023. Total debt outstanding on June 30, 2024 was $121.1 million compared to $131.2 million on December 31, 2023. The decrease of $10.1 million is due to debt repayments, net of drawings, of $14.2 million offset with foreign exchange fluctuations to debt of $4.1 million. During the quarter, the Company reduced its leverage by paying down $16.0 million, net of drawings, through a combination of scheduled and voluntary repayments. The Company ended Q2 2024 with cash outflow from operations of $0.8 million, up from Q2 2023 cash outflow of $6.3 million. Q2 2023 cash flow from operations was impacted by the merger with WeCommerce, with the Company incurring business acquisition costs and non-recurring professional and severance expenses of $4.1 million. The improvement in the Company's cash flow from operations is a result of the higher revenue generated during the quarter along with fewer business acquisition and non-recurring costs in 2024. Free cash flow (1) in Q2 2024 was $(3.6) million compared to $(5.4) million in Q2 2023. The improvement is a result of higher revenue generated during the quarter. When factoring in non-recurring costs and scheduled debt payments, the Adjusted Free Cash Flow Post Debt Servicing (1) in Q2 2024 was $(3.6) million compared to $(2.6) million in Q2 2023. This change is due to the timing of two scheduled debt payments falling in Q2 2024 compared to only one falling in the same period in 2023 as well as working capital timing. Net loss in Q2 2024 was $1.7 million compared to net income of $32.7 million in Q2 2023, a change of $34.3 million compared to prior period. Net income in Q2 2023 included a one-time non-cash gain on share transaction of $42.1 million. Without the gain, net loss in Q2 2023 would have been $9.4 million, an improvement of $7.8 million. The improvement in Q2 2024 is mainly due to growth in revenues of $3.5 million and lower operating expenses of $2.4 million, with the remaining amount due to a higher deferred tax recovery. EBITDA (1) in Q2 2024 was $4.9 million compared to $40.6 million in Q2 2023. EBITDA in Q2 2023 includes the one-time non-cash gain on share transaction of $42.1 million. Without the gain, EBITDA in Q2 2023 would have been $(1.4) million, which was a result of one-time costs incurred related to the Merger. Similar to net loss, the improvement is due to revenue growth and lower operating expenses. Total assets on June 30, 2024 were $385.2 million compared to $392.6 million on December 31, 2023. Conference Call Notification The Company will hold a conference call to provide a business update on Friday, August 16, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. ET hosted by: Jordan Taub, CEO Mike McKenna, CFO A question-and-answer session will follow the business update. Conference Call Details Date: Friday, August 16, 2024 Time: 8:00 a.m. ET Dial-In Number: (US) 1.833.470.1428 (Canada) 1.226.828.7575 or 1.833.950.0062 Access code: 788533 This live call is also being webcast and can be accessed by going to: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/227955911. An archived telephone replay of the call will be available for two weeks following the call by dialing 1.226.828.7578 or 1.866.813.9403 and entering the access code 212131. Financial Statements Tiny Ltd's consolidated financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for Q2 2024 is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. About Tiny Tiny is a technology holding company focused primarily on acquiring majority stakes in businesses that it expects to hold over the long-term. The Company is structured to give maximum flexibility to operating management teams by maintaining a focus at the parent company level on only three areas: capital allocation, management, and incentives. This structure enables each company to run independently and focus on what they do best, within an incentive structure that is designed to drive results for both the operating business and ultimately for Tiny and its shareholders. Tiny currently has three principle reporting segments: Digital Services, which provides design, engineering, brand positioning and marketing services to help companies of all sizes deliver premium web and mobile products Software and Apps, which is home to a complementary portfolio of recurring revenue software businesses that support merchants, as well as digital themes businesses that sell templates to Shopify merchants and Creative Platform, which is comprised primarily of Dribbble, the social network for designers and digital creatives, as well as a premier online marketplace for digital assets such as fonts and templates. For more about Tiny, please visit www.tiny.com or refer to the public disclosure documents available under Tiny's SEDAR profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. NON-IFRS MEASURES RECONCILIATIONS EBITDA and EBITDA % For the three-month periods ended June 30, For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Net (loss)/income $ (1,671,756 ) $ 32,674,714 $ (10,526,223 ) $ 28,593,803 Income tax expense/(recovery) (5,287,794 ) (1,597,046 ) (4,826,253 ) (1,878,908 ) Depreciation and amortization 8,873,617 7,473,372 17,598,371 9,202,615 Interest expense 2,950,853 2,084,900 5,969,940 3,394,586 EBITDA 4,864,920 40,635,940 8,215,835 39,312,096 Revenue 51,005,412 47,472,296 99,945,010 83,804,244 EBITDA % 10 % 86 % 8 % 47 % Recurring Revenue For the three-month periods ended June 30, For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Recurring revenues $ 9,637,944 $ 8,537,279 $ 18,894,818 $ 10,129,992 Non-recurring revenues 41,367,468 38,935,017 81,050,192 73,674,252 Total revenue 51,005,412 47,472,296 99,945,010 83,804,244 Recurring revenue % of total revenue 19 % 18 % 19 % 12 % Free Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow per Share For the three-month periods ended June 30, For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Cash (used in)/provided by operating activities $ (797,399 ) $ (6,274,992 ) $ 3,540,450 $ (7,094,456 ) Business acquisition costs 292,028 2,891,075 337,370 2,943,536 Interest paid on debt (3,094,778 ) (2,057,095 ) (6,136,925 ) (2,781,122 ) Free Cash Flow (3,600,149 ) (5,441,012 ) (2,259,105 ) (6,932,042 ) Weighted average number of shares outstanding 181,614,111 171,226,124 180,413,214 158,151,970 Free cash flow per share (0.02 ) (0.03 ) (0.01 ) (0.04 ) For the three-month periods ended June 30, For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 EBITDA $ 4,864,920 $ 40,635,940 $ 8,215,835 $ 39,312,096 Income taxes paid (1,552,564 ) (3,093,441 ) (2,571,418 ) (3,630,195 ) Interest paid on debt (3,094,778 ) (2,057,095 ) (6,136,925 ) (2,781,122 ) Non-cash expenses 628,762 (41,554,108 ) 2,504,458 (39,501,368 ) Business acquisition costs 292,028 2,891,075 337,370 2,943,536 Changes in non-cash working capital (4,738,517 ) (2,263,383 ) (4,608,425 ) (3,274,989 ) Capital expenditures, maintenance - - - - Free cash flow (3,600,149 ) (5,441,012 ) (2,259,105 ) (6,932,042 ) Adjusted Free Cash Flow Post Debt Servicing For the three-month periods ended June 30, For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Free cash flow $ (3,600,149 ) $ (5,441,012 ) $ (2,259,105 ) $ (6,932,042 ) Acquisition-related compensation - 335,775 - 673,725 Non-recurring bad debt expense 833,196 - 833,196 - Non-recurring project costs 775,964 - 775,964 - Non-recurring professional fees 409,206 1,115,167 1,244,011 1,949,972 Severance 1,065,729 2,681,256 1,504,330 3,119,857 Scheduled debt payments (3,068,111 ) (1,324,740 ) (4,400,691 ) (1,324,740 ) Adjusted free cash flow post debt servicing (3,584,165 ) (2,633,554 ) (2,302,295 ) (2,513,228 ) NON-IFRS MEASURES Investors are cautioned that the non-IFRS measures used below should not replace net income or loss (as determined in accordance with IFRS) as an indicator of the Company's performance. These are supplemental measures management uses in managing the business and making decisions. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. These measures are not intended as a substitute for IFRS measures. EBITDA and EBITDA % EBITDA is defined as earnings (net income or loss) before finance costs, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is reconciled to net income (loss) from the financial statements. EBITDA % ratio is determined by dividing EBITDA by total revenue for the period. EBITDA and EBITDA % is frequently used to assess profitability before the impact of finance costs, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Management uses non-IFRS measures in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period and to prepare annual operating budgets. EBITDA and EBITDA % are measures commonly reported and widely used as a valuation metric. Recurring Revenue Recurring Revenue consists of revenues generated through subscriptions that grant access to products and services with recurring billing cycles. The subscriptions are recognized over a time period in accordance with IFRS 15. Recurring Revenue is a part of total revenue disclosed in the financial statements, as determined in accordance with IFRS 15. Recurring Revenue represents revenues that are stable and the Company expects to earn continuously. Recurring Revenue % is determined by dividing Recurring Revenue by total revenue for the year. Recurring Revenue is frequently used to determine any indicators of future revenue growth and revenue trends. Recurring Revenue and Recurring Revenue % are measures commonly reported and widely used as a valuation metric. Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow per Share, and Adjusted Free Cash Flow Post Debt Servicing Free Cash Flow ("FCF") refers to net cash flows from operating activities before interest paid on debt facilities, and business acquisition costs. Free cash flow is also reconciled from EBITDA where it is the net of EBITDA before income taxes paid, interest paid on debt facilities, non-cash expenses, business acquisition costs, and changes in non-cash working capital. Free Cash Flow per Share is determined by dividing Free Cash Flow by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Adjusted Free Cash Flow Post Debt Servicing ("Adjusted FCF") refers to free cash flow net of acquisition related compensation, non-recurring costs and the scheduled payments on debt facilities. Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow per Share and Adjusted Free Cash Flow Post Debt Servicing are frequently used by securities analysts and investors when valuing a business and its underlying assets. It provides a basis to evaluate how much cash is available to repay debt and to reinvest in the Company, which is an important indicator of financial strength and performance. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, statements or information with respect to: our strategies, objectives and financial plans. Forward-looking statements and information are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Although the Company's management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statement or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include risks relating to reliance on the Shopify platform; the Company's limited operating history; reliance on management and key employees; conflicts of interest in relation to the Company's officers, directors, and consultants; additional financing requirements; resale of Common Shares in the publicly- traded market; market price fluctuations for the Common Shares; global financial conditions; management of growth; risks associated with the Company's strategy of growth through acquisitions; tax risks; currency fluctuations; competitive markets; uncertainty and adverse changes in the economy; unsustainability of the Company's rapid growth and inability to attract new customers, retain revenue from existing merchants, and increase sales to both new and existing customers; adverse effects on the Company's revenue growth and profitability due to the inability to attract new customers or sell additional products to existing customers; the successful integration of the Company with Tiny Capital; future results of operations being harmed due to declines in recurring revenue or contracts not being renewed; security and privacy breaches; changes in client demand; challenges to the protection of intellectual property; infringement of intellectual property; ineffective operations through mobile devices, which are increasingly being used to conduct commerce; and risks associated with internal controls over financial reporting. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's estimates should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect results is included in the documents that may be filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by the Company. For a more detailed discussion of certain of these risk factors, see the list of risk factors in the Company's MD&A dated August 15, 2024 and the management information circular dated May 13, 2024 available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com under the Company's profile. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. SOURCE: TINY LTD. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220149 SOURCE: Tiny Ltd. New Delhi, Aug 16 (UNI) The government has approved the second proposal of Airports Authority of India (AAI) for development of a New Civil Enclave at Bihta, Patna, Bihar at an estimated cost of Rs 1,413 crore. The decision was taken at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official statement said here. This infrastructure project represents a strategic move to address the anticipated saturation of capacity at Patna Airport. While AAI is already in the process of constructing a new terminal building at Patna Airport, further expansion is constrained by limited land availability. The proposed New Integrated Terminal Building at Bihta Airport spans 66,000 sqm and is designed to handle 3000 Peak Hour Passengers (PHP) and annually cater to 50 lakh passengers. This will be further expanded by another 50 Lakh whenever it is required and ultimate capacity would be one crore passengers per annum. Key components of the project include the construction of an Apron capable of accommodating 10 parking bays suitable for A-321/B-737-800/A-320 type aircraft, as well as two link taxiways, the official statement added. UNI SKB CS2037 LONDON, Ontario, Aug. 16, 2024("Aduro" or the "Company") (CSE: ACT) (OTCQX: ACTHF) (FSE: 9D50), a Canadian technology company using the power of chemistry to transform lower value feedstocks, like waste plastics, heavy bitumen, and renewable oils, into resources for the 21st century, announces that it intends to consolidate the common shares of the Company (each, a "Share") on the basis of three and one quarter (3.25) pre-consolidation Shares for one (1) post-consolidation Share (the "Consolidation"). The Consolidation will become effective at the opening of the market on August 20, 2024. The symbol "ACT" will remain the same. The new CUSIP number is 007408206. Currently, a total of 88,316,467 Shares are issued and outstanding. Accordingly, upon the Consolidation becoming effective, a total of 27,174,297 Shares, subject to adjustments for rounding, will be issued and outstanding. There is no maximum number of authorized Shares. Computershare Investor Services Inc. will mail out a Letter of Transmittal to the shareholders of record on August 20, 2024, providing instructions on exchanging pre-Consolidation share certificates for post-Consolidation share certificates. Shareholders are encouraged to send their share certificates, together with their Letter of Transmittal, to Computershare Investor Services Inc. in accordance with the instructions in the Letter of Transmittal. The Company also announces the conversion of the Class B Special Warrants upon meeting the Second Milestone in the Securities Exchange Agreement between the Company and Aduro Energy Inc. dated October 22, 2020, as amended. As a result of the conversion, the Company issued an aggregate of 4,102,563 post-Consolidation Shares. About Aduro Clean Technologies Aduro Clean Technologies is a developer of patented water-based technologies to chemically recycle waste plastics; convert heavy crude and bitumen into lighter, more valuable oil; and transform renewable oils into higher-value fuels or renewable chemicals. The Company's Hydrochemolytic technology relies on water as a critical agent in a chemistry platform that operates at relatively low temperatures and cost, a game-changing approach that converts low-value feedstocks into resources for the 21st century. For further information, please contact: Ofer Vicus, CEO ovicus@adurocleantech.com Abe Dyck, Investor Relations ir@adurocleantech.com +1 226 784 8889 KCSA Strategic Communications Jack Perkins, Vice President aduro@kcsa.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events, or developments that the Company believes, expects, or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include adverse market conditions and other factors beyond the control of the parties. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3d15b3a-d0bb-4c63-9352-4390bd91f660 EQS Newswire / 16/08/2024 / 13:30 CET/CEST Techcombank is organizing the 2nd Overseas Talent Roadshow in Singapore and the United Kingdom in August and September, aiming to attract overseas Vietnamese to return to their homeland. HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 August 2024 - Techcombank successfully returned to Singapore and held the Overseas Talent Roadshow in early August, with another roadshow scheduled in the United Kingdom on September 6-7. The aim of the roadshows is to attract overseas Vietnamese talent to return to their homeland. Chief Executive Officer of Techcombank - Mr. Jens Lottner with representatives of the Human Resources division This year's roadshow successfully engaged nearly 1,000 Vietnamese talents in Singapore, showcasing Techcombank's strong appeal within the Vietnamese community there. A notable highlight of this year was the Techcombank Info Day, conducted virtually a week before the in-person event, which expanded our outreach and enhanced candidate participation. The virtual session, featuring Mr. Prasenjit Chakravarti and Techcombank representatives, offered valuable insights into the 2022 roadshow experience and the transition of returning to Vietnam to join Techcombank. The networking event and one-on-one discussion sessions in Singapore were also a great success, with presence of Mr. Jens Lottner - CEO of Techcombank, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Santhosh Mahendiran - Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Ms. Phan Thi Thanh Binh - Deputy Director of Corporate Banking & Financial Institutions, and members of Techcombank's HR team. Aiming to establish itself as a leading bank in the region, Techcombank has been pioneering Overseas Talent Roadshow for three consecutive years. This initiative seeks to attract top-tier professionals with extensive expertise, thereby enhancing the bank's talent pool. This effort plays a crucial role in advancing the bank's transformation strategies in the years ahead. "Homecomers" are always equipped by Techcombank with essential resources to optimize their potential. The bank offers competitive benefits packages for both employees and their families, along with personalized training programs and career roadmap that align with their expertise and desires. Moreover, Techcombank is committed to cultivating an open work environment that fosters collaboration and creativity, enabling each individual's journey to their own greatness. At the event, Mr. Jens Lottner shared that homecomers have integrated very well and made significant impacts, contributing to the success of the bank. "This year, we are prioritizing quality over quantity. We are looking for candidates with the right DNA, the right commitment, and the right ownership. The most important thing is that Techcombank's presence in the market has increased. Then, we may not need to organize many roadshows anymore because Techcombank has become a known name in the community, and people will actively contact Techcombank anytime." said Mr. Jens Lottner. Kimberly Tran - a participant in the Singapore roadshow, shared that she initially had some reservations but, after attending the event and meeting many overseas talents, she completely believes in Techcombank's talent acquisition strategy. "I was impressed by the event's professionalism and scale. The opportunity to meet and interact with Techcombank's executive team gave me a deeper understanding of the bank's vision and growth strategy, and ignited a sense of national pride in me, a desire to contribute to my homeland," Kimberly expressed. First organized in 2022, the Overseas Talent Roadshow has been consistently conducted in leading financial and technological centers of the world, including Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. This initiative has enabled the bank to successfully attract and recruit numerous Vietnamese overseas talents, who are now making significant contributions to Techcombank's growth and development. Techcombank's Overseas Talent Roadshow has established the bank as a trailblazer in "reversing the brain drain" by attracting Vietnamese professionals to return to their homeland. Notably, Techcombank is the sole Vietnamese bank awarded the "Best Workplaces in Asia 2023" by The global authority on workplace culture, Great Place to Work (GPTW). Additionally, for three consecutive years, Techcombank has been honored as the Top 1 "Employer of Choice", awarded by CareerViet. Hashtag: Techcombank OverseasTalentRoadshow OverseasVietnamese Singapore TheUK The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. News Source: Techcombank 16/08/2024 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Media archive at www.todayir.com Grid Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Grid") (TSXV:CELL)(OTCQB:EVKRF)(FRA:NMK2) is pleased to announce that it has engaged i2i Marketing Group, LLC ("i2i") of Key West Florida, and has entered into a Marketing Agreement dated August 15, 2024, whereby i2i will provide a marketing and media distribution for an initial term of four months commencing upon TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange") approval for a fee of US$600,000. Upon Exchange approval, the Company will pay i2i an initial deposit of US$150,000 to write and design the creative for an advertising campaign. The US$150,000 will offset the payments required for the initial medial distribution budget. i2i will create an advertising campaign and utilize their physical marketing program strategy with the aim of increasing investor awareness through various online platforms and methods of engagement, including the direct mailing of advertising materials to potentially interested parties. Following the end of the initial term, the Company has the sole option to extend the media distribution budget for an additional period of six months for an additional US$600,000. After the secondary term this agreement may continue on a month-to-month basis as mutually agreed upon by i2i and the Company. The Company will not issue any securities to i2i as compensation for its marketing services. As of the date hereof, to the Company's knowledge, i2i (including its directors and officers) does not own any securities of the Company and is arm's length to the Company. About Grid Battery Metals Inc. www.gridbatterymetals.com. Grid Battery Metals Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company whose primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's maintains a focus on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market. About Texas Springs Property The Company owns a 100% interest in the Texas Spring Property which consists of mineral lode claims located in Elko County, Nevada. The Property is in the Granite Range southeast of Jackpot, Nevada, about 73 km north-northeast of Wells, Nevada. The target is a lithium clay deposit in volcanic tuff and tuffaceous sediments of the Humbolt Formation. A Phase 1 exploration program at the Texas Springs Property (Fall 2023) yielded average lithium grades of 2010 ppm, applying a 1,000 ppm cut-off, and up to 5,610 ppm Lithium. The Texas Spring property adjoins the southern border of the Nevada North Lithium Project - owned by Surge Battery Metals Inc. ("Surge") (TSXV:NILI, OTC:NILIF) and comprised of 725 mineral claims. Surge's first round of drilling identified strongly mineralized lithium bearing clays. The average lithium content within all near surface clay zones intersected in the 2022 drilling program, applying a 1000 ppm cut-off, was 3254 ppm. (Press release March 29, 2023). More recent results have shown higher grade lithium up to 8070 ppm on this property after initial drilling (Press release September 12, 2023). Our exploration results are on-trend with these results. About Clayton Valley Lithium Project The Company owns a 100% interest in 113 lithium lode and placer claims covering over 640 hectares in Clayton Valley. Clayton Valley is a down-dropped closed basin formed by the Miocene age Great Basin extension and is still active due to movement along the Walker Lane structural zone. As a result, the basin has preserved multiple layers of lithium bearing volcanic ash, resulting from multiple eruptive events over the past 6 million years including eruptions from the 700,000-year-old Long Valley Caldera system and related events. These ash layers are thought to contribute to the lithium brines extracted by Albemarle and are also likely involved in the formation of the exposed lithium rich clay deposits on the east side of Clayton Valley. Volt Canyon Lithium Property The Company owns a 100% interest in 80 placer claims covering approximately 635 hectares of alluvial sediments and clays located 122 km northeast of Tonopah, Nevada. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Tim Fernback" Tim Fernback, President & CEO Contact Information: Email: info@gridbatterymetals.com Phone: 604- 428-5690 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. It should be noted that results from any adjacent property(s) are not an indication of what may be found on the Company's property(s). SOURCE: Grid Battery Metals Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - Optimi Health Corp. (CSE: OPTI) (OTCQX: OPTHF) (FSE: 8BN) ("Optimi" or the "Company"), a GMP-approved, Health Canada-licensed psychedelics pharmaceutical manufacturer specializing in botanical psilocybin and MDMA, is pleased to announce it has completed the inaugural export of it's GMP-validated MDMA capsules to Australia for the treatment of PTSD, along with a series of notable corporate developments. MDMA Capsule Export to Australia The Company is pleased to announce the successful export of its GMP-validated 40mg and 60mg MDMA capsules for the treatment of PTSD under Australia's Authorised Prescriber Scheme. The first cohort of patients is scheduled to begin MDMA-assisted therapy using these capsules in the coming weeks. This milestone marks the start of Optimi's journey in gathering critical Real-World Evidence and Patient-Reported Outcomes for MDMA-assisted therapy in Australian PTSD patients. The export follows the recent acquisition of Optimi's Drug Establishment Licence, a requirement for supplying MDMA capsules to patients in clinical settings worldwide, and was done in partnership with Mind Medicine Australia. Permits Received for Psilocybin Shipment to New Zealand Optimi has received the necessary Export Permit from Health Canada for its first shipment of validated GMP natural psilocybin extract to the Matai Medical Research Institute in New Zealand. The product will be used in a pilot study evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of administering psychedelic-assisted therapy in healthy volunteers. The insights gained from this trial will inform potential future controlled trials involving Maori patients with methamphetamine use disorder. Australian Regulatory Framework Influence Optimi's feedback on GMP manufacturing requirements for MDMA and psilocybin has been adopted by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia, underscoring the Company's role in shaping global regulatory standards. As a recognized leader with one of the largest genetic banks of Psilocybe cubensis worldwide, with over 300 strains on-site, Optimi is pleased that the TGA supports Psilocybe cubensis as the "single species of mushroom" to be offered to patients under its regulatory framework. Closing of First Tranche from Non-Brokered Private Placement The Company also announces it has closed the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement announced August 7, 2024, by issuing 1,796,666 units (each a "Unit") at CAD$0.30 per Unit for gross proceeds of CAD$538,999.80 (the "Offering"). Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (each a "Common Share") and one-half of one (1/2) transferable Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one (1) Common Share at CAD$0.40 until August 15, 2026, subject to an accelerated expiry provision, whereby in the event the closing price of the Company's Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "Exchange") exceeds CAD$0.50 for a period of 20 consecutive trading days, at the Company's election, the period within which the Warrants are exercisable, will be reduced and the holders of the Warrants will be entitled to exercise their Warrants for a period of 30 days commencing on the day the Company provides notice, any outstanding Warrants not exercised during the 30 day period will expire. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to further commercialize business development opportunities in Australia and around the world, commissioning recently purchased equipment for its GMP production and analytical laboratory, and general working capital. All securities issued under the Offering, including securities issuable on exercise thereof, will be subject to a hold period expiring December 16, 2024, in accordance with the rules and policies of the Exchange and applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offering constituted a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as one related party of the Company acquired an aggregate of 333,333 Units. Following the acquisition Dane Stevens, Chief Marketing Officer and a Director, holds 10,617,232 Common Shares or 11.22% of the Company. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation in the Offering by the insiders does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. About Optimi Health Optimi Health Corp. (CSE: OPTI) (OTCQX: OPTHF) (FSE: 8BN) is a leading psychedelics pharmaceutical manufacturer licensed by Health Canada. Specializing in controlled substances such as botanical psilocybin and MDMA, Optimi is dedicated to supplying safe, top-tier GMP-grade products and APIs to researchers, drug developers, and authorized patients worldwide. Optimi's facilities in Princeton, British Columbia, are purpose-built to develop proprietary formulations under strict GACP and GMP conditions, ensuring unparalleled quality and reliability. The Company is committed to being the most trusted supplier of safe psychedelic drug candidates globally. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements") that relate to Optimi's current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result," "are expected to," "expects," "will continue," "is anticipated," "anticipates," "believes," "estimated," "intends," "plans," "forecast," "projection," "strategy," "objective," and "outlook") are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Forward-Looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Optimi's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Optimi undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Optimi to predict all of them or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220178 SOURCE: Optimi Health Corp. BlackRock Throgmorton Trust Plc - Portfolio Update PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, August 16 The information contained in this release was correct as at 31 July 2024. Information on the Company's up to date net asset values can be found on the London Stock Exchange Website at: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-home.html . BLACKROCK THROGMORTON TRUST PLC (LEI: 5493003B7ETS1JEDPF59) All information is at 31 July 2024 and unaudited . Performance at month end is calculated on a cum income basis One Month % Three months % One year % Three years % Five years % Net asset value 7.3 10.8 18.3 -19.7 32.5 Share price 12.5 14.8 19.7 -26.1 30.9 Benchmark* 5.9 9.1 13.2 -9.3 24.5 Sources: BlackRock and Deutsche Numis *With effect from 15 January 2024 the Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM (excluding Investment Companies) Index changed to the Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM (excluding Investment Companies). At month end Net asset value capital only: 711.78p Net asset value incl. income: 724.67p Share price 676.00p Discount to cum income NAV 6.7% Net yield1: 2.3% Total Gross assets2: 657.1m Net market exposure as a % of net asset value3: 111.3% Ordinary shares in issue4: 90,671,864 2023 ongoing charges (excluding performance fees)5,6: 0.54% 2023 ongoing charges ratio (including performance fees)5,6,7: 0.87% 1. Calculated using the Final Dividend declared on 05 February 2024 paid on 28 March 2024, together with the Interim Dividend declared on 24 July 2024 to be paid on 27 August 2024. 2. Includes current year revenue and excludes gross exposure through contracts for difference. 3. Long exposure less short exposure as a percentage of net asset value. 4. Excluding 12,538,000 shares held in treasury. 5. The Company's ongoing charges are calculated as a percentage of average daily net assets and using the management fee and all other operating expenses, excluding performance fees, finance costs, direct transaction charges, VAT recovered, taxation and certain other non-recurring items for the year ended 30 November 2023. 6. With effect from 1 August 2017 the base management fee was reduced from 0.70% to 0.35% of gross assets per annum. The Company's ongoing charges are calculated as a percentage of average daily net assets and using the management fee and all other operating expenses, including performance fees, but excluding finance costs, direct transaction charges, VAT recovered, taxation and certain other non-recurring items for the year ended 30 November 2023. 7. Effective 1st December 2017 the annual performance fee is calculated using performance data on an annualised rolling two-year basis (previously, one year) and the maximum annual performance fee payable is effectively reduced to 0.90% of two year rolling average month end gross assets (from 1% of average annual gross assets over one year). Additionally, the Company now accrues this fee at a rate of 15% of outperformance (previously 10%). The maximum annual total management fees (comprising the base management fee of 0.35% and a potential performance fee of 0.90%) are therefore 1.25% of average month end gross assets on a two-year rolling basis (from 1.70% of average annual gross assets). Sector Weightings % of Total Assets Industrials 34.2 Financials 18.7 Consumer Discretionary 16.4 Basic Materials 7.6 Technology 5.7 Telecommunications 3.9 Consumer Staples 2.1 Real Estate 2.1 Health Care 1.5 Energy 1.1 Communication Services 0.8 Other 0.1 Net Current Assets 5.8 ----- Total 100.0 ===== Country Weightings % of Total Assets United Kingdom 92.4 United States 3.4 Ireland 1.9 Australia 0.8 France 0.8 Canada 0.5 Switzerland 0.4 Sweden -0.2 ----- Total 100.0 ===== Market Exposure (Quarterly) 31.08.23 % 30.11.23 % 29.02.24 % 31.05.24 % Long 112.7 111.3 117.9 114.9 Short 4.5 3.8 3.2 2.3 Gross exposure 117.2 115.1 121.1 117.2 Net exposure 108.2 107.5 114.7 112.6 Ten Largest Investments Company % of Total Gross Assets Breedon 3.0 IntegraFin 2.9 Oxford Instruments 2.9 Gamma Communications 2.9 Grafton Group 2.9 Hill & Smith Holdings 2.8 Rotork 2.6 Tatton Asset Management 2.5 WH Smith 2.4 Workspace Group 2.2 Commenting on the markets, Dan Whitestone, representing the Investment Manager noted: The Company returned 7.3% in June, outperforming its benchmark - the Deutsche Numis Smaller Companies + AIM (excluding Investment Companies) Index - which returned 5.9%.1 To paraphrase a historical leader, there are some years where nothing happens and there are some months where years happen. July was in the latter camp for financial markets. In the month we had a UK general election, a US presidential assassination attempt, Biden's disastrous debate performance and subsequent withdrawal from the presidential race along with a slew of seemingly contradictory economic and company earnings data. The market's reaction to all this information was a violent rotation, with multi standard deviation moves under the surface, particularly in the US. As for the UK, it left some isolated from this volatility with the FTSE 100 Index up 3% and the FTSE 250 Index up 6.6%. UK economic data continued to improve, and domestic shares responded well to the General Election which was helpful to the Company's overall positioning. The top contributor to performance during the month was WH Smith which rose on no stock specific news but benefitted from the general appreciation in consumer shares. Grafton delivered a resilient trading update highlighting the diversification of its business by geography but is ultimately still waiting for its end markets to recover. The third top contributor was Rosebank, an acquisition vehicle that we supported at IPO, as we know the Management team from Melrose. Another interesting company I'd flag is Breedon, which like Grafton delivered resilient trading in a period of adverse weather and subdued market conditions. Breedon continues to be impacted by negative volumes but has continued to make headway with pricing increases and cost efficiencies to protect profitability while it waits for a volume recovery (N.B. UK concrete volumes are now c.8% below the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) trough, and UK housing starts are at a c.20 year low). Breedon is a market leader with a demonstrable track record in improving ROCE (return on capital employed) and profitability, and we think there is a compelling investment here to play out with many drivers to improve the outlook for volumes (i.e. accommodative monetary policy, fiscal support, UK planning reform, new build housing recovery). The biggest detractor was Ascential that was bid for at a large premium by Informa. This was a frustrating development as we had owned Ascential for some time but recently sold out. Shares in Boku fell during the month despite a strong trading update indicating around 30% year on year growth (in constant currency) over H1 of 2024, leaving them the requirement of around 9% growth in H2 to meet full year forecasts. Shares in staffing company Robert Walters fell after reporting weaker than expected trading as trading conditions remain subdued, particularly in regions dominated by political uncertainty. With hopes for a period of greater UK political stability upon us, and a gradual but improving economic backdrop we think the outlook for UK small and mid-caps is compelling. We've continued to increase our exposure to domestic shares, notably housebuilders and brick manufacturers, as well as other industrial and consumer companies we think are well placed to benefit from an improving backdrop for volumes as we move through 2024 into 2025. As mentioned above, we see Labour's victory in the General Election as a positive for our universe. The net of the portfolio is around 108% while the gross is around 112%. We thank shareholders for your ongoing support. 1Source: BlackRock as at 31 July 2024 16 August 2024 ENDS Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.com/uk/thrg on the internet, "BLRKINDEX" on Reuters, "BLRK" on Bloomberg or "8800" on Topic 3 (ICV terminal). Neither the contents of the Manager's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Manager's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement. Kupfer wird oft als das Gold der Energiewende bezeichnet, weil es aufgrund seiner hervorragenden elektrischen Leitfahigkeit eine zentrale Rolle in vielen Technologien spielt, die fur nachhaltige Energiesysteme entscheidend sind. Experten gehen aufgrund der Angebotsknappheit von einem Superzyklus aus. Korrektur als Einstiegschance Nach Hochststanden im Mai korrigierte das rote Metall stark. Die Abwartsspirale verstarkte sich in den vergangenen Tagen aufgrund schwacher Konjunkturdaten aus den USA und China. Langfristig konnte sich die aktuell laufende Korrektur als exzellente Einstiegsmoglichkeit herausstellen. 3 Kupferaktien mit hohem Potential Im neuen, kostenlosen Spezialreport stellen wir drei aussichtsreiche Unternehmen vor, die bei einem weiteren Anstieg uberproportional profitieren konnten. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! ZTEST Electronics Inc. ("ZTEST" or the "Company") (CSE:ZTE) is pleased to announce that it has granted 800,000 stock options to the Directors and Officers of the Company, exercisable at $0.30 per share for 5 years vesting as to 50% after 6 months and the balance after 1 year. The Company also wishes to announce that Derrick Strickland has resigned as a director of the Company. Dave Barnett has been appointed to the Audit Committee to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mr. Strickland. Steve Smith, President and CEO of the Company, stated "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Derrick for his service to the Company as a director and wish him the best in his future endeavours". ZTEST Electronics Inc. ZTEST Electronics Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary Permatech Electronics Corp. ("Permatech"), offers Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) to a wide range of customers. Permatech's offering includes Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Assembly, Materials management and Testing services. Permatech operates from a 21,000 square foot, ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in North York, Ontario, Canada. Permatech is a contract manufacturer of complex circuit boards, serving customers in the Medical, Power, Computer, Telecommunications, Wireless, Industrial, Trucking, Wearables and Consumer Electronics markets. It specializes in servicing customers who are looking for high yield and require high quality and rapid-turnaround on low and mid-volume production of high complexity products. For more information contact: Steve Smith, CEO (604) 837-3751 email: steves@ztest.com The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: ZTEST Electronics Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com GUANGZHOU, China, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, E Fund Management Co., Ltd. (E Fund), China's largest mutual fund manager, and Itau Unibanco Asset Management Ltd. (IAM), Brazil's largest private asset manager, reached a mutual understanding to enhance collaboration across multiple fronts in the future. In recent years, the bilateral relationship between China and Brazil has experienced significant positive growth. Notably, the inaugural China-Brazil Financial Forum held in March this year proved to be a resounding success. Forum participants unanimously agreed on the strategic significance of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, emphasizing the need to embrace fresh opportunities, explore innovative approaches, and expand collaborative efforts in emerging sectors. E Fund is a leading comprehensive fund manager in China with over RMB 3.3 trillion (USD 464 billion) under management. It offers investment solutions to onshore and offshore clients, helping clients achieve long-term sustainable investment performances. E Fund's clients include both individuals and institutions, ranging from central banks, sovereign wealth funds, social security funds, pension funds, insurance and reinsurance companies, to corporates and banks. Long-term oriented, it has been focusing on the investment management business since inception and believes in the power of in-depth research and time in investing. It is a pioneer and leading practitioner in responsible investments in China and is widely recognized as one of the most trusted and outstanding Chinese asset managers. Xiaoyan Liu, Co-chairman of the Board and CEO of E Fund said, "Against the backdrop of the high-level opening up of the China's capital market, E Fund is accelerating its globalization strategy. The cooperation and exchange with IAM will help E Fund provide a more diversified range of products and higher-quality services to our investors. It will also serve as a bridge for investors in Brazil and the broader region to understand and invest in China. We will explore with IAM a broad set of possibilities for collaboration." IAM is the asset management company of Itau Unibanco, one of the largest banks in Latin America. IAM's roots trace back to 1957 when it launched Brazil's first equity mutual fund. With more than 65 years of history, IAM remains at the forefront of the Latin American financial sector with more than USD 170 billion AUM across a complete platform of products, including ETF and other listed funds, fixed income and private credit products as well as a multi-strategy platform with more than 120 portfolio managers. IAM's structure includes more than 200 professionals in offices in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Miami and Santiago. "The partnership with E Fund is aligned with IAM's strategic agenda of always seeking the best investment opportunities for our clients, in any scenario and with geographic and asset diversification. Additionally, it contributes to our international expansion, broadening the scope and reach of our offerings and strategies," said Carlos Augusto Salamonde, Head of Global Investment Management at IAM. While the economic cooperation prospects between China and Brazil are broad, both E Fund and IAM are confident that this collaboration will leverage strength and expertise of both organizations to deepen bilateral financial cooperation and empower high-quality development of trade and investment between the two countries. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2085383/_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/chinas-e-fund-management-and-brazils-itau-unibanco-asset-management-engage-in-strategic-dialogue-together-promoting-china-brazil-financial-collaboration-302224324.html Permitting and Timeline: The Alberta Energy Regulator has issued drilling permits, with lease construction nearing completion. Drilling is set to begin. Operational and Financial Preparedness: The well's total costs are projected at $2.2 million, with Trans Canada's fully funded share at $412,500. Croverro Energy Ltd. will operate the project under the partnership agreement. Trans Canada Gold Corp. (TSXV:TTG)(OTCQB:TTGXF) ("Trans Canada" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Alberta Energy Regulator has issued a drilling permit, and Croverro has started building the second multilateral drilling location on the project lands near Lloydminster, Alberta. The company expects drilling to commence shortly. Croverro Energy under the terms of the agreement, will be the Operator. Commented Tim Coupland, "We are excited to be nearing completion of our surface and pad preparations and pre-setting surface casings on the project lands, and are excited to be drilling our second multilateral oil well with a reliable and experienced partner, who has consistently targeted and successfully drilled, completed and started production of several wells targeting different oil reservoirs. Croverro has proven to be a very competent operator providing low operating cost and consistent production days. We believe drilling multilateral horizontal wells with good well control and utilizing new computer modelling and seismic techniques will provide continued success. The partnership is allowing the Company to grow rapidly and prosper as world oil prices continue to remain high." "Our team is fully prepared and excited to advance our second multilateral well near Lloydminster, marking another key step in our strategic growth and production goals," said Director Chris Timmins. The lands for the well are currently controlled by a partnership led by Croverro with the company holding 18.75% interest. This second multi-lateral horizontal well is based on similar wells drilled in the GP oil formation using surrounding well control combined with recently processed seismic lines. The new multilateral well is expected to contact over 8000 m of GP oil reservoir. Drilling completion and equipping costs are expected to be $2.2 million for the well ($412,500 net to Trans Canada). The company is fully funded for these operations. Croverro Energy Ltd., under the terms of the agreement, is the Operator. ABOUT TRANS CANADA GOLD CORP. - OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION/REVENUE PRODUCING WELLS The Company is a discovery focused Oil & Gas Resource Development and Mineral Exploration Company that is currently focused on developing and drilling its' production of conventional heavy oil exploration properties, increasing production capabilities, and increasing future oil production revenues through responsible exploration. The Company identifies, acquires and finances with its working interest partners, the ongoing development of oil and gas assets primarily situated in Alberta Canada. The Company has qualified Senior exploration management and Geological teams of professionals, seasoned in exploration production, field exploration and drilling. The Company currently works with Croverro Energy Ltd., who has demonstrated proficiency, expected of an experienced oil and gas technical team that has proven oil production, and revenue success with large multi-lateral wells currently under their supervision. The Company has the necessary manpower in place to develop its natural resource properties and manage its production properties. The Company is committed to minimizing risk through selective property acquisitions, and responsible exploration drilling, and maximizing long term petroleum and natural gas resource assets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Tim Coupland, President and CEO Trans Canada Gold Corp. Tel: (604) 681-3131 astar@telus.com www.transcanadagold.com or Christian Timmins, Director Trans Canada Gold Corp. Tel: (403) 597-3410 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider, (as the term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Trans Canada Gold Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com Celebrated for His Expertise in Breast Augmentation, Facial Rejuvenation and Body Contouring, Dr. Vitenas Continues to Lead in Patient Care, Earning Recognition on the Texas Super Doctors List for 2024 HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Dr. Paul Vitenas, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Houston, Texas, has been named to the 2024 Texas Super Doctors list. Featured in Texas Monthly magazine, this recognition underscores Dr. Vitenas' expertise in cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures. Being chosen for this list of honorable, noteworthy doctors highlights his dedication to patient care and his significant contributions to the field of cosmetic medicine. Dr. Paul Vitenas Dr. Paul Vitenas is a Texas Super Doctor recognized for his excellence in cosmetic and plastic surgery. Dr. Paul Vitenas Recognized by Texas Super Doctors Dr. Paul Vitenas, a renowned board-certified plastic surgeon in Houston, has been named to the prestigious Texas Super Doctors list for 2024 and will be in the December 2024 issue. This recognition highlights Dr. Vitenas' exceptional expertise in cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures, including breast augmentation, facial rejuvenation, and body contouring. It's also a testament to his dedication to patient care and achieving natural-looking outcomes, reinforcing his reputation as a leading expert in the field. About Texas Super Doctors Texas Super Doctors is a prestigious list celebrating its 21st year recognizing exceptional physicians who meet rigorous selection criteria. Representing only five percent of doctors in a state or region, these physicians are acknowledged for their outstanding contributions and expertise in their respective fields. The initiative highlights top medical practitioners and has a significant impact on the healthcare landscape in Houston. Being named to this list is a reflection of a doctor's commitment to excellence in patient care and medical practice. About Dr. Paul Vitenas Dr. Paul Vitenas, board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, has been selected as a Texas Super Doctor due to his unparalleled professional achievement in cosmetic and plastic surgery. His practice, Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery, is situated in the heart of Houston and is well-known for providing a wide range of surgical and non-invasive procedures. A Variety of Aesthetic Expertise The variety of services provided at Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery is extensive, including breast augmentation, facial rejuvenation, and body contouring. With a career spanning over 30 years, Dr. Vitenas brings an enormous amount of focused education to his practice. His commitment to patient care and attaining natural-looking outcomes has distinguished him in the field. Dr. Vitenas is particularly known for his expertise in breast augmentation. He is considered a leading breast augmentation specialist and performs more than 500 breast augmentation surgeries every year. His expertise is not just recognized locally; many patients travel from all over the United States for his procedures. Dr. Vitenas: Over 30 Years of Experience Dr. Paul Vitenas has had an impressive career, practicing cosmetic and plastic surgery since 1990. He has undergone extensive specialized training with leading experts in the field, both domestically and internationally. Over time, Dr. Vitenas has developed innovative techniques characterized by his personalized surgical style, establishing him as one of the top plastic surgery providers in Texas. His work has been featured in numerous medical journals and popular beauty publications. Dr. Vitenas' extensive training, compassion, and innovative techniques have contributed greatly to his success. These traits make him beloved by his patients and have also won him numerous awards and attention from the media. Commitment to Patient Safety and Board Certification Houston's Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery team is committed to patient safety and outstanding performance. The practice highlights the importance of choosing an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic procedure. Board certification signifies adherence to high safety standards and ethical practices, minimizing risks and complications. Also, the in-depth training and sophisticated surgical methods guarantee that patients receive the highest level of care. Dr. Paul Vitenas exemplifies these qualities, delivering exceptional results for his patients. Procedures Offered by Dr. Vitenas Dr. Vitenas offers a comprehensive range of cosmetic and plastic surgery services, but is considered a breast surgery expert. Dr. Vitenas offers personalized breast augmentation procedures to enhance the size and shape of the breasts. Using the latest implant technologies and surgical techniques, he creates natural-looking results tailored to each patient's unique anatomy and aesthetic goals. Dr. Vitenas Awards and Accolades Dr. Paul Vitenas has garnered numerous prestigious recognitions in the field of plastic surgery. His expertise and dedication to patient care have earned him accolades that highlight his standing as a top plastic surgeon in Houston and beyond. These are just some of the awards and honors he has earned: Best Facial Plastic Surgeon in Houston for 2022 by Modern Luxury Magazine A Texas Super Doctor by Texas Monthly for many years A Castle Connolly Top Doctor America's Top Plastic Surgeon by the Consumers Research Council of America in 2006, 2007 and 2008 Dr. Vitenas' Approach to Patient Care Dr. Vitenas takes a personalized approach to patient care and focuses on achieving natural-looking results through advanced techniques. After a private consultation with the patient, Dr. Vitenas uses his vast experience to create a custom treatment plan. This approach guarantees that every patient gets care that's specifically designed to meet their unique beauty goals. He performs his surgical procedures at the Houston Surgery Center, a fully accredited ambulatory surgical care facility created exclusively for Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery. Designed by Dr. Paul Vitenas with cutting-edge, state-of-the-art technology, the center prioritizes privacy, convenience, and safety for its patients. How to Contact Dr. Paul Vitenas in Houston, Texas Those interested in attaining transformative results through cosmetic and plastic surgery should call Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery in Houston and schedule a consultation with Dr. Vitenas. To contact Dr. Vitenas, you can reach out to Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery at 281-484-0088. The practice is located at 4208 Richmond Avenue, Suite 200, Houston, Texas. Contact Information Paul Vitenas Medical Director, Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery info@drvitenas.com +1 281-318-5320 SOURCE: Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery View the original press release on newswire.com. New Delhi, Aug 16 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday received a phone call from Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, and both leaders exchanged views on the prevailing situation. According to Ministry of External Affairs statement, the Prime Minister reaffirmed India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He also emphasised India's commitment to supporting the people of Bangladesh through various development initiatives. Moreover, Modi underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Mohammad Yunus assured that the Interim Government would prioritise protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh. The two leaders also discussed ways to take the bilateral relationship forward in line with the respective national priorities. Later, addressing a weekly press conference here, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while replying to questions on Bangladesh including the statement of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said that an Interim Government has been formed in Bangladesh. He said, We are talking to them in the interest of both countries, we want the journey of peace, security and development should continue in Bangladesh. As far as the situation of minorities is concerned, we are constantly monitoring it. India's High Commissioner in Dhaka has met the Foreign Affairs Advisor in the interim government and discussed bilateral issues as well as the security of Hindus. Jaiswal further said that India believes that normalcy should be restored in Bangladesh soon and Hindus and other minorities should be safe. Adding that, We also believe that it is the responsibility of every government to protect its citizens. In response to another question, the Spokesperson said that Indian visa granting services are currently running in a limited state in Bangladesh. Full-fledged visa services at the Indian High Commission will resume ones normalcy is restored there. In response to a question, the Spokesperson indirectly admitted that there has been communication between India and America regarding the incidents in Bangladesh. UNI RBE CS1741 Nestled within the lush landscapes surrounding San Jose, Costa Rica, Casa Fage Fine Art Foundry, supported by MIRAME Fine Art, highlights the rich tradition and evolving narrative of Costa Rican contemporary sculpture. Founded over 30 years ago by the Canadian sculptor Anthony M. Fage and Anabelle Hay, the foundry has grown from a humble atelier into a cornerstone of Costa Rican and Latin American sculpture. SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / MIRAME Fine Art proudly supports Casa Fage as the premier online Costa Rican art gallery dedicated to promoting the nation's finest artists. https://miramefineart.com/ The Casa Fage Family At the Foundry A Family Legacy Casa Fage was founded in 1990 by Anthony Montague Fage, a Canadian artist who found his true calling in Costa Rica. He dedicated his life to art, leaving a great impact on Costa Rican sculpture before his passing in 2008. Today, his legacy lives on through his wife, Anabelle Hay, and their three children - Gregory, Sarah, and Dustin Fage Hay - who are all exciting emerging artists contributing fresh perspectives to the Costa Rican art scene. The foundry, recognized as Costa Rica's only artistic bronze foundry, has become a hub where traditional craftsmanship intersects with contemporary innovation. Over the years, the Fage family has remained deeply committed to nurturing local talent. The foundry has created works for national and international artists, from small-scale pieces to monumental sculptures integral to Costa Rica's cultural fabric. Notably, their work includes a beloved dog sculpture now proudly displayed in Las Catalinas, symbolizing the integration of art into daily life. Expanding the Artistic Palette The foundry has also ventured into other artistic services to meet the evolving needs of its clients. The expansion into resin sculpture, restoration, maintenance, and modeling has allowed Casa Fage to offer a broader range of artistic expressions, reinforcing its position as a pivotal player in the Costa Rican contemporary art scene. The foundry's dedication to art extends to education and community building. Casa Fage Experiences, a new initiative, offers an immersive experience that reveals the intricate processes behind bronze and resin work. This initiative is an educational opportunity and a chance to engage with the Costa Rican art community, encouraging deeper appreciation for Costa Rican traditional sculpture. Buy Costa Rican Art, Support Costa Rican Artists Casa Fage's commitment to the local art scene is also reflected in its support of emerging artists. Gregory and Dustin Fage Hay, who are also painters, have begun to make their mark with haunting, fantastical works that add a new dimension to the family's artistic legacy. Their paintings, alongside the sculptures produced at the foundry, offer collectors a unique opportunity to buy Costa Rican art that is rooted in tradition and brimming with contemporary relevance. As Casa Fage continues to broaden its artistic scope, it plays a vital role in the Latin American art scene, helping Costa Rican artists and their work gain the recognition they deserve. Contact Information Belinda Seppings Co-Founder belinda@miramefineart.com +447821591397 SOURCE: MIRAME Fine Art View the original press release on newswire.com. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / PeakMetrics CEO and Co-Founder Nick Loui has been named to PRWeek's 40 Under 40 2024. This prestigious list recognizes the top PR and communications professionals in the U.S. who are shaping the industry's future. This vibrant group of talented professionals is reinventing the practice of PR and marketing. In febrile political and social times, they demonstrate energy, stability, awareness, and finesse in promoting brands, facilitating employee engagement, stewarding corporate reputation, and managing crises. They exhibit awareness, knowledge, and agility beyond their years and have flourishing careers ahead of them in the ever-changing world of PR. "Nick's unique blend of engineering, entrepreneurial, and marketing expertise drives his deep understanding of the online landscape," said Bobby Lincoln, PeakMetrics COO and Co-founder. "His focus on empowering communications teams to measure and predict online narratives is key to PeakMetrics' success, reshaping how businesses navigate complex digital conversations." Nick's passion for media and storytelling began at Emerson College, where he developed a crisis communication tool on Twitter for his thesis. Loui later became CMO at Vixlet, an AdTech company, where he built digital fan communities and worked with Bobby Lincoln, now PeakMetrics' COO. Together, they founded PeakMetrics, continuing to innovate at the intersection of media influence and data analytics. PeakMetrics is transforming the work of communications professionals by providing advanced analytics and actionable insights for strategic decision-making. Leveraging real-time data, the platform tracks and measures emerging narrative threats in the online information landscape, offering guided action plans to mitigate risks. By simplifying complex data into clear, actionable steps, PeakMetrics empowers teams to proactively manage their reputation while focusing on crafting narratives that align with their brand. "PR is experiencing fundamental changes as the age of AI reveals its impact, threats, and opportunities. The talent required to prosper in this changing environment will shape the comms profession of the future," said Steve Barrett, VP editorial director of PRWeek. "The 40 Under 40 program has been celebrating the next generation of leaders since 2007, and many of them have gone on to hit the heights of the industry - I'm sure the 2024 class will be no exception." Practicing PR in the explosive and precarious worlds of politics and public affairs, healthcare, and digital communications, these rising stars use their skills to conceive messaging strategies that supercharge brands, corporations, and organizations. This year's 40 Under 40 honorees hail from a range of the industry's biggest and most well-respected organizations, as well as leaner, smaller, innovative players in the market. "It's an honor to be recognized alongside such a distinguished group of individuals," said Nick Loui, CEO and Co-Founder of PeakMetrics. "I remain dedicated to supporting enterprises, governments, and communities in navigating the complex media landscape, which is increasingly impacted by manipulation and social media attacks." The 2024 class of PRWeek's 40 Under 40 will be celebrated at a special awards ceremony on October 23, 2024, at The Rooftop at Edison Ballroom in New York City. For more information about the program, and information about tickets, visit www.prweek40under40.com. ABOUT PRWeek PRWeek is the world's leading PR and communications media brand. It reflects an industry playing a more pivotal role than ever before, not only in the marketing strategies of companies, brands and organizations, but also within boardrooms and among the C-suite. PRWeek epitomizes the modern business publishing operation, providing breaking news, analysis and opinion via an omnichannel platform that includes web, mobile, email newsletters, social media, print and digital magazine editions. About PeakMetrics PeakMetrics offers a narrative intelligence platform that helps enterprises and governments identify and combat emerging online narrative threats. Using state-of-the-art ML technology, PeakMetrics analyzes more than 1.5 million media sources and 10 different social media platforms to identify media manipulation and adversarial attacks in real-time, before they cause damage. Organizations use PeakMetrics to discern source credibility, understand how audiences spread narratives, and quantify risk and response scenarios - without spending millions on crisis communication and manual sentiment analysis. Detect, decipher, defend at peakmetrics.com . Media Contact: Anna Stevenson York IE anna@york.ie SOURCE: PeakMetrics View the original press release on accesswire.com Duke Energy partnership with community development organizations will provide grants to help small businesses expand CHARLOTTE, NC / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / The Duke Energy Foundation today announced $700,000 of new funding will be made available to North Carolina small businesses in partnership with community development organizations. Small business grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 will be distributed through 20 community organizations to support retail shops, restaurants and other small businesses looking to expand, upgrade technology and improve downtown storefronts. Now in its fourth year, the grant program has provided over $2 million in funding to small businesses since its inception during the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Duke Energy Foundation's small business grant program has helped fuel a resurgence of entrepreneurial small businesses in North Carolina ranging from bookstores to restaurants," said Kendal Bowman, president of Duke Energy North Carolina. "These small business grants ensure Main Streets across our state are well positioned to benefit from economic development efforts." Small businesses play a critical role in the state's economic health and employ nearly half of North Carolina's workforce, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Anna Impson and Rebekah Rhoden, owners of Little Pep in Winston-Salem, used funding from the grant program to improve the bistro's storefront last year and attract new customers. "Receiving a grant from the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership and the Duke Energy Foundation allowed us to improve and restore our historic storefront and give it the charm and character it deserves," said Impson and Rhoden. "We're thankful that the Duke Energy Foundation helped us make our dreams a reality, and we're excited to have brought Little Pep to our vibrant downtown." Bill King, president and CEO of Downtown Raleigh Alliance, sees the funding as essential to community improvement efforts. "This tremendous support from the Duke Energy Foundation is a huge boost to our efforts to revitalize downtown Raleigh and will go directly to support our small, locally owned businesses," said King. "Since the pandemic, Duke Energy has set a standard for corporate support through its generous and focused efforts on bringing back main streets and small business communities that form the backbone of places like downtown Raleigh." Small businesses interested in applying for funding are encouraged to inquire with the local nonprofit administering the program for their community. A full list of recipients can be found below with quotes from each organization available here. Small Business Grant Program Recipients Organization Counties Served Grant Amount Alexander County Economic Development Corporation Alexander $50,000 Caraway Foundation Anson $25,000 Clinton Downtown Initiatives Sampson $50,000 Davidson-Davie Community College Foundation Davidson $25,000 Downtown Asheboro Randolph $25,000 Downtown Greensboro Foundation Guilford $25,000 Downtown Winston-Salem Foundation Forsyth $25,000 Durham Chamber Legacy Foundation Durham $50,000 Flywheel Foundation Cabarrus $25,000 Friends of the Land of Sky Regional Council Buncombe, Madison, Yancey, Mitchell, Avery $25,000 Heart of Brevard Transylvania $25,000 Jacksonville Onslow Economic Development Partnership Onslow $25,000 Jones County Committee of 100 Jones $25,000 Lumberton Economic Advancement for Downtown Robeson $25,000 Montcross Tomorrow Chamber Foundation Gaston $50,000 Raleigh Civic Ventures (Downtown Raleigh Alliance) Wake $50,000 Region A Foundation Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain $75,000 Rutherford Town Revitalization Rutherford $25,000 Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund Vance $50,000 Wilkes Economic Development Corporation Wilkes $25,000 Duke Energy Foundation The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders. Duke Energy Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear. More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition. Contact: Garrett Poorman Twitter: @DE_GarrettP 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 View original content here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Duke Energy on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Duke Energy Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/duke-energy Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Duke Energy View the original press release on accesswire.com Over 80 Police Departments Now Conducting Live Operational Trials With Cytta COMMS 3.0 Streaming Software Cytta Corp. (OTCQB:CYCA), a leader in real-time communication and data streaming solutions, is thrilled to announce a major breakthrough with the signing of new purchase orders for CyttaCOMMS from five additional Florida police departments: Winter Haven PD, Zephyrhills PD, North Port PD, Sanford PD, and Ocala PD. This incredible momentum, over the last two months, brings our total to 10 police departments, now harnessing the power of CyttaCOMMS 3.0. These results from the 80+ agencies currently in free trials, is a testament to our transformative impact on law enforcement operations The extraordinary adoption rate of CyttaCOMMS 3.0 after their free trial, is a game-changer for bringing Cytta's technology to public safety. Our technology is redefining how police departments communicate and respond to emergencies, providing them with secure, real-time video and data streaming that dramatically improves situational awareness and operational effectiveness. The enthusiasm among these departments is palpable, as they recognize the life-saving potential of integrating CyttaCOMMS into their daily operations. "We couldn't be more excited about the positive feedback we're receiving from the departments that have already implemented CyttaCOMMS," said Mike Elliott, VP of Business Development at Cytta Corp. "They're experiencing firsthand how our technology enhances their ability to protect and serve their communities. This excitement fuels our commitment to delivering unparalleled support to our new customers, ensuring they maximize the benefits of CyttaCOMMS in every situation." But the excitement doesn't stop there. Cytta Corp. is also celebrating a successful national advertising campaign for CyttaAIR, our cutting-edge integrated drone hardware and software solutions. The response has been overwhelming, with commercial drone pilots from coast to coast registering for free trials. This wave of interest underscores the industry's recognition of CyttaAIR as a revolutionary tool for secure, real-time video streaming in drone operations. The market's reaction further validates Cytta Corp.'s position as a leader in both public safety technology and the broader drone industry. As CyttaCOMMS and CyttaAIR continue to gain traction, investors can take confidence in Cytta Corp.'s robust growth trajectory and the significant market opportunities ahead. The expanding adoption of our solutions by law enforcement and commercial operators alike signals a bright future, filled with innovation and success. About Cytta Corp Cytta Corp (OTCQB:CYCA) is at the cutting edge of video streaming and communication solutions, driving innovation to enhance operational efficiency and public safety. Our flagship product, CyttaCOMMS, ensures secure, real-time video streaming across any drone brand, providing seamless integration and heightened situational awareness for law enforcement and emergency responders. Cytta's innovative new product, CyttaCARES, is a game-changer in ensuring the safety and well-being of children in educational institutions and beyond. CyttaAIR, a groundbreaking platform designed to innovate and consolidate the best of drone hardware, software, and resources for Federal and State Law Enforcement Agencies. Cytta's CyttaCOMP ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) technology delivers real-time compression of video streams with ultra-low latency. For more information about Cytta Corp and our groundbreaking technology solutions, please visit www.cytta.com. Contact Us Cytta Corp. Toll free #: 1 877 CYTTAUS (298 8287) Call Local: 1 740 CYTTAUS (298 8287) http://www.cytta.com info@cytta.com Gary Campbell, CEO Direct (702) 900-7022 (or message) Gary@cytta.com Natalia Sokolova, President & COO Direct: (424) 333-0595 (or message) Natalia@cytta.com Mike Elliott, VP of Business Development mikeelliott@cytta.com (689) 222-8708. SOURCE: Cytta Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com Leading UK humanitarian aid organisation calls for increased support for vital role of humanitarian workers in crises around the globe As of May 2024, the European Commission revealed 120 million have been forcibly displaced The UN estimates that nearly 360 million people in 72 countries will require humanitarian assistance in 2024, reaching record levels The 2024 Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) announced that $48.65B is needed to offer humanitarian aid MANCHESTER, England, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Human Appeal, a UK-based humanitarian aid charity, calls on the public to engage with humanitarian causes and this World Humanitarian Day (19th August) to galvanise support and increase awareness of challenges facing displaced communities. Recent news from the European Commission revealed that 120 million people have been forcibly displaced in the world, marking a historic increase and the twelfth consecutive annual rise in global figures. The UN also estimates that almost 360 people across 72 countries will be in need of humanitarian aid in 2024, reaching record levels. The Global Humanitarian Overview estimates that to meet the need of humanitarian aid, an additional $48.65B is required. Considering these stark statistics, Human Appeal calls for increased engagement and support amid the ongoing humanitarian crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Syria and beyond, to commemorate dedication and sacrifice of humanitarian aid workers. Addressing the immediate threat of famine, illness and sanitation during times of crisis requires collective effort, and Human Appeal reminds the public to support humanitarian causes this World Humanitarian Day. Owais Khan, Deputy CEO of Human Appeal, comments, 'We're witnessing unprecedented humanitarian crises around the world, which highlight the need to increase humanitarian aid. To meet this global need will require collective effort from individuals, corporates and governments alike. This is why we're calling on the public to follow the UN this World Humanitarian Day, and take action to stand in solidarity both with those who need our help, and those who are dedicated to helping others day in, day out.' By extending this invitation to take individual steps towards collective change, Human Appeal is showcasing how each of us has the opportunity at home to make an impact around the world. Whether by volunteering time, donating funds or taking part in humanitarian activities, each of us can help save or transform lives. About Human Appeal Human Appeal (registered charity 1154288) is a fully independent British charity and humanitarian NGO based in Manchester, UK. It was established in 1991 and runs targeted aid relief programmes in collaboration with recognised global organisations like the United Nations. Its purpose is to save lives through emergency response and sustainable development programmes, across over 25 countries worldwide. www.humanappeal.org.uk For more information please contact The Media Foundry humanappeal@themediafoundry.com | 020 3011 1023 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/remember-aid-heroes-this-world-humanitarian-day-says-human-appeal-302224369.html The GVN MPOX Action Committee is poised to mobilize resources and catalyze efforts in the urgent global call to action TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the World Health Organization, headquartered at the University of South Florida (USF), USA, swiftly orchestrated an international response to combat the rising threat. The GVN's MPOX Action Committee, formed in 2022, is led by world experts spanning basic research, epidemiology, clinical research, and vaccines. In the past several weeks, the GVN has rapidly mobilized essential resources, launched critical evaluations of diagnostic tools, and provided strategic support to the most affected regions. Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, GVN President and Professor of Yale University, USA, said, "MPOX is a reemerging disease whose magnitude is rising at an alarming rate among general populations in Africa. Furthermore, it has shown potential for sexually associated transmission worldwide. The GVN MPOX Action Committee is working with the WHO and international partners to craft an evidence-based response and further research agenda." Since last week's announcement that MPOX was reported in countries never previously identified with cases, the GVN partnered with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and multiple African institutions through its members to assess point-of-care (POC) tests for MPOX, ensuring these diagnostics are accurate, accessible, and deployable in various environments. Emma Thomson, PhD, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Associate Director, Medical Research Council-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK, a GVN Center of Excellence, added, "GVN's coordinated response exemplifies the power of global collaboration in a public health crisis. We are proud to be part of a network that is helping to set priorities and making a real difference in the fight against MPOX. We look forward to working with the GVN, WHO, and other partners to mitigate this viral outbreak." The GVN's MPOX Action Committee is co-led by Rachel Roper, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at East Carolina University, USA, who expressed deep concern: "The MPOX virus appears to be evolving for more efficient human transmission, which is alarming. With 17,000 reported cases and the unprecedented spread of MPOX Clade Ib from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries, there is a clear need for heightened and continuous surveillance. We have vaccines that mitigate illness and death, but there is an urgent need for improved vaccines with better safety and efficacy." Dr. Roper further emphasized the importance of therapeutics, stating, "We do have antibodies and treatments that offer some protection, but these viruses have already demonstrated the ability to rapidly develop resistance. It's critical that we expand the arsenal of therapeutic agents." In addition to forming an MPOX Action Committee two years ago comprised of top experts, GVN's proactive measures include the deployment of 1,000 newly developed MPOX rapid tests several weeks ago to its members across Africa for immediate side-by-side evaluation. The network is also distributing new rapid test platforms for loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays to strategic locations, aiming to foster the development of diagnostics that can be efficiently implemented in resource-limited settings. Further, since 2022, GVN members published more than 70 scientific papers advancing MPOX research. Laurens Liesenborghs, MD, PhD, an infectious disease specialist and researcher at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium, under the lead of Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, MD, PhD, Director of the Virology Division at the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale (INRB), Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with others, was the first to investigate and sequence the newly identified MPOX Clade Ib variant. Dr. Liesenborghs said, "Our team remains on-site, dedicated to conducting research, and supporting surveillance and patient care. Together, we continue to combat this evolving threat and ensure the health and safety of the affected communities. Support from the GVN, which we are receiving, and other partners, is needed to address this public health crisis swiftly." Drs. Liesenborghs and Mbala-Kingebeni are members of the GVN MPOX Action Committee. Maggie L. Bartlett, PhD, Program Director at GVN and virologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, a GVN Center of Excellence, said, "The ongoing challenges with MPOX underscore the urgent need for comprehensive global surveillance and targeted response strategies. By closely collaborating with WHO and other international partners, we ensure that our efforts are aligned and that our scientific contributions directly address the pressing challenges on the ground." MPOX has been detected in 13 nations this year including previously unaffected nations such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. In 2024, thus far, The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports that these countries have confirmed 2,863 cases and 517 deaths and growing, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Suspected cases across the continent have surged past 17,000, a significant increase from 7,146 cases in 2022 and 14,957 cases in 2023. Officials at the Africa CDC said nearly 70% of cases in Congo are in children younger than 15, who also accounted for 85% of deaths. GVN plays a crucial role in facilitating direct communication between its experts, WHO officials, and other international partners. Christian Brechot, MD, PhD, Vice Chairman of the GVN Board of Directors, GVN President Emeritus and Senior Associate Dean for Research in Global Affairs at University of South Florida Health's Morsani College of Medicine, USA, highlighted the importance of the collaboration: "GVN's role to enhance global efforts is critical in identifying research gaps and facilitating action to fill those gaps. GVN is uniquely prepared to quickly engage our members and provide expertise and on-the-ground support to mitigate the growing MPOX threat. We are pleased to catalyze and facilitate alliances to prepare and protect humankind from viral threats." GVN's Viral Detection and Control Action Committee will convene a critical meeting on August 22 at 11 AM EDT | 5 PM CET, with WHO's MPOX Task Force lead, Lorenzo Subissi, PhD, who will provide updates and garner support from GVN experts. About the Global Virus Network (GVN) The GVN is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense, and first research response to emerging, existing, and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health. Working in close coordination with established national and international institutions, the GVN is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 80+ Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in 40+ countries, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines, and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues, and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visitwww.gvn.org. EQS-News: PlusPlus Capital Financial S.a.r.l. / Key word(s): Restructure of Company/Conference PlusPlus Capital reports on H1 and outlines Recent Developments in its Reorganization Process - Invitation to investors call on 21 August 2024 16.08.2024 / 16:00 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. PlusPlus Capital reports on H1 and outlines Recent Developments in its Reorganization Process Invitation to investors call on 21 August 2024 Tallinn, Estonia, 16 August 2024. PlusPlus Capital ("PPC"), a leading pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivables management group, has published a report for H1 and outlines the recent developments in its reorganization process. The H1 report is available on the Company's website at: https://pluspluscapital.eu/investor-relations/reports-and-presentations/ . Update Call: PlusPlus Capital cordially invites investors and analysts to an investor call with the Management on 21 August 2024, 13.00 CEST. The Management Board will comment on H1 and outline the recent developments in its reorganization by means of a webcast presentation. The update call will be held in English and will be recorded. Please register in time to participate in the update call at: PlusPlus Capital - Investors Call . Contact: PlusPlus Capital Kaarel Raik, Member of the Management Board Email: kaarel.raik@plusplus.ee Phone: +372 56 606 148 About PlusPlus Capital: PlusPlus is a pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivables management company with offices in Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Helsinki. The Company acquires overdue loans and other non-performing exposures from financial institutions and non-financial sector merchants. With its core competence in handling claims against private individuals, PlusPlus prefers diversified portfolios balanced by geography, portfolio type, and other metrics. Since its inception in 2010, PlusPlus has bought over 120 thousand claims with nominal value of approximately EUR 270 million. The Company offers its clients affordable recovery solutions and aims to avoid litigious scenarios. In doing so, PlusPlus pursues win-win solutions that allow sellers to focus on their core business, provide affordable solutions for borrowers, and ensure adequate returns for investors. PlusPlus is a transparent and socially responsible company set to assist people in resolving problems connected with their insufficient solvency. The ambition of PlusPlus is to increase its market share and further strengthen its position as a leading player in its regional market. pluspluscapital.eu 16.08.2024 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com MIRAME Fine Art, Costa Rica's premier online gallery, celebrates and showcases the nation's most renowned artists. SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / As global awareness of Costa Rica's natural beauty and biodiversity grows, MIRAME Fine Art highlights another of the country's treasures: its growing art scene. The question of who the most famous Costa Rican artist is often evokes the name Francisco Amighetti, a legendary figure whose influence shaped generations of artists. Today, however, contemporary masters like Adrian Arguedas and Miguel Hernandez Bastos are redefining Costa Rican art and gaining global acclaim. https://miramefineart.com/famous-costa-rican-artist-mirame-fine-art/ Miguel Hernandez Bastos and Adrian Arguedas Artist studio photographs by Julio Sequeira A Historical Legend: Francisco Amighetti Amighetti (1907-1998), celebrated for rejecting European traditionalism in favor of bold, Surrealist-inspired styles, pioneered a transformation in Costa Rican art. His extensive body of work-including murals, prints, and paintings-embodies the spirit of the nation's cultural and social identity. Amighetti's influence endures, making him a lasting symbol of Costa Rican artistic heritage. Contemporary Masters: Adrian Arguedas and Miguel Hernandez Bastos While Amighetti's legacy is indisputable, the contemporary Costa Rican art scene is rich with talent that continues to push boundaries. Adrian Arguedas and Miguel Hernandez Bastos stand out as two of the most prominent artists in Costa Rica today, each contributing uniquely to the nation's evolving art narrative. Adrian Arguedas: Exploring Identity Through Masquerade and Tradition Born in 1968, Adrian Arguedas is a versatile artist whose work spans various mediums, including woodcut, engraving, watercolor, and sculpture. Central to his practice is the exploration of masquerade, where he examines archetypes and the multifaceted nature of human identity. Inspired by his upbringing in Barva de Heredia, known for its mask parades, Arguedas reinterprets traditional motifs to explore how individuals project and conceal their identities. His surreal compositions feature symbolic masks and enigmatic figures, delving into the complexities of human behavior. This work has earned him critical acclaim, including the "Aquileo Echeverria" award. Miguel Hernandez Bastos: Capturing the Ephemeral Miguel Hernandez Bastos, born in 1961, is renowned for his exploration of the fragility of the human form. Utilizing mediums such as pencil, charcoal, and acrylic, Hernandez Bastos also employs an unconventional technique of burning figures onto canvas with smoke from an oil lamp. This approach creates ethereal compositions that address themes of metamorphosis and the transient nature of existence. His work, which blends human and mechanical forms with a haunting delicacy, has been showcased globally, including at the XLVII International Art Biennale in Venice, where he represented Costa Rica. MIRAME Fine Art: Promoting Costa Rican Art on the Global Stage MIRAME Fine Art is dedicated to promoting the diverse art of Costa Rica, both historical and contemporary. By spotlighting the work of artists like Francisco Amighetti, Adrian Arguedas, and Miguel Hernandez Bastos, MIRAME Fine Art aims to elevate Costa Rican art within the broader Central American art scene and beyond. Contact Information Belinda Seppings Co-Founder belinda@miramefineart.com +447821591397 SOURCE: MIRAME Fine Art View the original press release on newswire.com. Through this collaboration, SegMint users will now have access to high-fidelity RWA analytics and research on the SegMint platform, allowing collectors to obtain timely information about the state of the collectibles market. Digital collectibles are increasingly proliferating across the industry landscape. According to analytics firm CoinGecko, the global NFT market size has reached approximately $73 billion as of July 20241. While metrics are readily available for these "digitally native" assets, there is a pressing need to address data and analytics for tokenized physical collectibles. The collectibles market itself has seen rapid growth. A November 2021 study by HSBC estimated the global collectibles market at $372 billion across six major categories, with projections to reach $522 billion by 20282. This growth, coupled with the increase in tokenization tooling and the rapid proliferation of tokenized products, has created a significant demand for transparency and accessibility in the tokenized collectibles space. Recognizing this need, RWA World is introducing RWA World Analytics to the SegMint platform. This cutting-edge tool will provide SegMint users with a comprehensive dashboard and data feed sourced from multiple on-chain and off-chain sources. The partnership aims to build a definitive standard for tokenized watches before expanding to other tokenized products. "This partnership will empower serious collectors by providing them with comprehensive and accurate data, enabling them to make the most informed purchasing decisions," said Matt Bartlett, CEO of SegMint GmbH/Head of Web3 at VanEck. "At SegMint, our mission is to innovate the way collectors engage with and manage their collectibles, and this collaboration is a significant step towards achieving that goal." "We're excited to work with Matt and the rest of the SegMint team to deliver high-fidelity analytics for the collectibles market," said Tyler Sherwin, co-founder of RWA World. "The focus for us has been to identify immediate market opportunities where there's buyside demand for tokenization. Good data is the best starting point." The RWA World Analytics on the SegMint platform will address crucial questions in the tokenized collectible market, including: Volume data for specific tokenized collectible assets The number of assets tokenized across various platforms and marketplaces Historic on-chain price information between and across these platforms This partnership between SegMint and RWA World marks a significant step towards providing collectors with the tools they need to make informed decisions in the rapidly evolving world of tokenized collectibles. For more information, please visit SegMint at segmint.io and RWA World at rwa.world. About SegMint Launched by VanEck Europe in February 2024, SegMint GmbH revolutionizes the management of digital collectibles. Our platform offers an unparalleled selection of tokenized collectibles, utilizing a unique fractionalization method and a dedicated trading platform. SegMint's innovative 'Lock Key Model' streamlines the management of self-custodied assets, offering an easy-to-use solution for sharing access and enhancing experiences. Please note, access to our trading platform is not available to U.S. residents and citizens. About RWA World RWA World is a research and technology firm specializing in tokenized asset intelligence. Our mission is to bring clarity and transparency to the rapidly evolving world of RWAs. We are the industry standard for research, categorization, and analysis of tokenization trends and market developments. At rwa.world, we host the largest publicly available database on tokenized issuers and initiatives, tracking over 400 entities. This comprehensive resource and our proprietary unified taxonomy for asset and issuer types have attracted readership from major institutions, including Coinbase, Kraken, VanEck, the European Central Bank, and BlackRock. 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SegMint GmbH, Kreuznacher Strasse 30, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. _________________ 1 https://www.coingecko.com/en/nft 2 https://www.privatebanking.hsbc.com/wih/investments-Insights/other-investment-insights/six-of-todays-most-collectible-luxury-items/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240816017184/en/ Contacts: For more information, please contact: Matthew Bartlett CEO of SegMint GmbH/Head of Web3 at VanEck mbartlett@vaneck.com CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) market is expected to reach USD 2,352 million by 2029 from USD 534 million in 2024 at a CAGR of 34.5%, from 2024 to 2029 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Growing adoption of oledos displays in ar/vr hmds, superior picture quality and energy efficiency, increasing demand for high-resolution microdisplays, and increasing investment in the oledos ecosystem are some of the major factors contributing to the growth of OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) market. Moreover, opportunities such as growing consumer electronics industry, advancement in OLED material technology, and expanding applications across various industries to drive the demand of OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) and drive the market growth. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=200863035 Browse in-depth TOC on "OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) Market" 110 - Tables 65 - Figures 250 - Pages OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $ 534 million Estimated Value by 2029 $ 2,352 million Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 34.5% Market Size Available for 2020-2029 Forecast Period 2024-2029 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Product Type, Display Size, Vertical, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Complexities associated with next-generation batteries Key Market Opportunities Expanding applications across various industries Key Market Drivers Growing adoption of OLEDoS in AR/VR displays HMDs to dominate the Near-eye display segment of the market during forecast period. Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) account for the largest share in the Near-eye Display segment of the OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) market due to several reasons. The current growth in adoption of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies has triggered demand for HMDs, driven by high-resolution and high contrast displays from OLEDoS technology. In addition, the integration of OLEDoS displays in HMDs empowers enhanced user experience in terms of better image quality, improved response time, and low latency, making them quite suitable for a number of immersive applications. With their Vision Pro HMD, established players like Apple are aggressive about investing in the development of high-end HMDs equipped with such advanced display solutions, thereby driving the market growth. The growing use of HMDs in various sectors, including gaming, medical, and industrial training, further solidifies their dominant position in the Near-eye Display market. Industrial & Enterprise to register highest CAGR in the market during forecast period. The Industrial & Enterprise vertical segment in the OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) market is experiencing significant growth for several reasons. First and foremost, OLEDoS displays will help provide excellent image quality, a high contrast ratio, and low power consumption things that become quite necessary industrially, where visual information needs to be available precisely for a longer time in operations. As such, the reason for the growth in demand from the application markets will be due to the adoption of OLEDoS technology in devices such as AR headsets and smart glasses, enabling better productivity and accuracy in workflows within manufacturing, logistics, and field services. In addition, the adoption of OLEDoS displays will be driven by demand for advanced diagnostic and monitoring tools within enterprise environments that make clearer, more detailed visuals necessary for complex data analysis and real-time decision making. In addition, growing investments in digital transformation and smart factory initiatives drive the implementations of OLEDoS-based solutions and thereby driving the growth of OLEDoS displays in the industrial and enterprise sectors. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=200863035 Europe to register the significant growth during the forecast period. The growth rate of the OLEDoS industry across Europe is significantly increasing, which can be attributed to a various factor. Europe is home to many leading research institutions and technology companies working towards the innovation of OLEDoS technology. Fraunhofer Institute and Aixtron SE are amongst the most prominent institutions engaged in the research and development activities of the OLEDoS. Also, the strong concentration of leading automotive and aerospace industries in Europe, along with many major adopters of OLEDoS displays for applications in heads-up displays and cockpit systems, would fuel market growth. Active government initiatives and funds for encouragement in the area of advanced display technologies, along with support to semiconductors, act as a booster to the OLEDoS market. Another factor is that increasing demand for high-performance displays, primarily in the medical, consumer electronics, and industrial application industries, which are increasingly adopting OLEDoS technology in Europe. The report profiles key players in OLED-on-Silicon (OLEDoS) companies such as Sony Semiconductor Solutions (Japan), Seiko Epson Corporation (Japan), eMagin (US), BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. (China), SeeYA Technology (China), Kopin Corporation (US), LG Display Co. Ltd. (South Korea), MICROOLED (France), Lakeside optoelectronics technology (jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (China), Semiconductor Integrated Display Technology Co., Ltd. (China). These players have adopted various organic and inorganic growth strategies such as services launches, partnerships, collaborations, acquisitions, and joint ventures. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=200863035 Browse Adjacent Market: Semiconductor and Electronics Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: Microdisplay Market by Product (NTE Devices, HUDs, Projectors), Technology (OLED, LCoS, MicroLED), Vertical (Consumer, Industrial and Enterprise, Automotive, Retail & Hospitality, Medical), Resolution and Brightness & Region - Global Forecast to 2029 Display Market by Display Technology, Resolution, Panel Size (Micro Display, Small and Medium-sized Panels, Large Panels), Panel Type (Fixed Panel, Flexible Panel), Dimension (2D, 3D), Product, Vertical and Region - Global Forecast to 2029 OLED Market Size, Share, Industry Growth, Trends & Analysis by Product Type (Smartphones, Television Sets, Smart Wearables, Large Format Displays), Panel Type, Panel Size, Technology, Vertical, and Geography Micro-LED Market Size, Share, Industry Growth, Trends & Analysis by Application (Display (Smartwatch, NTE Device, Smartphone and Tablet, Television, Digital Signage), Lighting (General, Automotive)), Display Panel Size, Vertical and Region 2027 Augmented and Virtual Reality Market by Enterprise, Technology (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality), Offering (Hardware, Software), Device Type (HMDs, HUDs, Gesture Tracking Devices), Application and Region - Global Forecast to 2029 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/oled-on-silicon-companies.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/oled-on-silicon.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/oled-on-silicon-oledos-market-worth-2-352-million-by-2029---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302224192.html US secret service shifts part of Biden's team to protect Trump after attack Washington, Aug 16 (UNI) The US Secret Service has enhanced security for the Republican Party's presidential nominee Donald Trump after a recent assassination attempt, deploying some of President Joe Biden's protective team, The New York Times has reported, citing several people familiar with the matter. Reassigning a president's team to a candidate is uncommon, but rising threats against Trump and Biden's recent reduced travel made it necessary, a Secret Service official told the newspaper on condition of anonymity. Additionally, the Secret Service will reportedly use bullet-resistant glass to improve Trump's protection at upcoming outdoor rallies. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software market is set for explosive growth, expanding at a 19.9% CAGR between 2024 and 2031. This surge is driven by increasing demand for efficient project management, rising adoption of advanced digital construction tools, and government mandates for BIM usage in infrastructure projects. As the construction industry shifts towards sustainable and smart building practices, BIM software is becoming essential for designing, managing, and operating modern structures, further fueling market growth. LEWES, Del., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Building Information Modeling (BIM) software market is projected to grow from USD 4.73 Billion in 2024 to USD 17.59 Billion by 2031, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.9%. This significant expansion underscores the increasing adoption of BIM technology across the construction and infrastructure sectors. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/download-sample/?rid=1036390 202 - Pages 126 - Tables 37 - Figures Scope Of The Report REPORT ATTRIBUTES DETAILS STUDY PERIOD 2020-2031 BASE YEAR 2023 FORECAST PERIOD 2024-2031 HISTORICAL PERIOD 2020-2023 UNIT Value (USD Billion) KEY COMPANIES PROFILED Autodesk, Bentley Systems, Trimble, Nemetschek, Graphisoft, RIB Software, Dassault Systemes, and AccuRender. SEGMENTS COVERED By Deployment Type, By Application, By End-User and By Region CUSTOMIZATION SCOPE Free report customization (equivalent to up to 4 analyst working days) with purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional & segment scope Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software Market Overview 1. Market Size and Forecast The Building Information Modeling (BIM) software market is expected to expand significantly, from USD 4.73 billion in 2024 to USD 17.59 billion by 2031. This growth represents a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.9%. The substantial increase is driven by the increasing need for advanced software solutions in the construction and infrastructure sectors. As BIM technology becomes integral to project planning, design, and management, the market's expansion reflects the growing recognition of its value in enhancing operational efficiency and project outcomes. 2. Key Market Drivers Several factors are fueling the growth of the BIM software market. The increasing adoption of digital technologies in construction, coupled with the demand for more efficient project management and collaboration tools, is a major driver. Government regulations mandating BIM for public infrastructure projects also contribute to the market's expansion. Additionally, the shift towards sustainable and smart building practices emphasizes the need for BIM solutions to streamline processes and ensure accurate, data-driven decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. 3. Technological Advancements Technological advancements are a crucial driver of the BIM software market's growth. Innovations such as cloud-based BIM solutions, real-time data analytics, and integration with other digital tools enhance the functionality and efficiency of BIM software. These advancements enable improved collaboration, data sharing, and project management, addressing the growing complexity of construction projects. As technology evolves, BIM software continues to advance, offering more sophisticated features and capabilities that cater to the evolving needs of the construction industry. 4. Market Segmentation The BIM software market is segmented based on deployment type, application, end-user, and region. Deployment types include on-premises and cloud-based solutions, with cloud-based options gaining traction due to their scalability and accessibility. Applications span across architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sectors, with end-users ranging from small firms to large enterprises. Regional segmentation highlights varying adoption rates and market dynamics across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other regions, influenced by local regulations, industry growth, and technological advancements. Download Sample Report Now:https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/download-sample/?rid=1036390 5. Regional Analysis The regional analysis of the BIM software market reveals significant growth opportunities across different areas. North America, led by the U.S., holds a substantial market share due to early adoption and technological advancements. Europe follows, driven by stringent regulations and a focus on sustainable construction. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to experience rapid growth, fueled by infrastructure development and increased investments in digital technologies. Emerging markets are also showing potential, driven by growing urbanization and infrastructure projects. 6. Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the BIM software market features a mix of established players and emerging innovators. Key market participants include Autodesk, Bentley Systems, Trimble, and Nemetschek, which offer comprehensive BIM solutions with varying features and specializations. The market is characterized by ongoing product development, strategic partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions, as companies seek to enhance their offerings and gain a competitive edge. Innovation and customer-centric approaches are crucial for maintaining market leadership and addressing evolving industry needs. 7. Challenges and Restraints Despite its growth prospects, the BIM software market faces several challenges. High implementation costs and the complexity of integrating BIM with existing systems can be barriers for smaller firms. Additionally, the need for skilled personnel to effectively use BIM software poses a challenge. Resistance to change within traditional construction practices may also slow adoption. Addressing these challenges requires ongoing advancements in technology, cost-effective solutions, and comprehensive training programs to facilitate widespread adoption and maximize the benefits of BIM. 8. Future Outlook The future outlook for the BIM software market is highly positive, driven by continued technological advancements and increasing adoption across various sectors. The integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and augmented reality into BIM solutions is expected to further enhance their capabilities and appeal. As the construction industry increasingly embraces digital transformation, BIM software will play a crucial role in shaping the future of project management, design, and construction. The market's growth trajectory reflects the growing importance of BIM in achieving efficient, sustainable, and innovative building practices. Geographic Dominance: The Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software market exhibits notable geographic dominance, with significant growth driven by various regions. North America leads, particularly the U.S., due to early adoption, advanced technological infrastructure, and a strong focus on innovation. The region's high investment in infrastructure and construction projects further supports its market dominance. Europe follows closely, where stringent regulations and a commitment to sustainable construction practices drive BIM adoption. The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing rapid growth, propelled by robust urbanization, infrastructure development, and increased digital technology investments in countries like China, India, and Japan. Emerging markets in Latin America and the Middle East are also gaining traction, supported by rising infrastructure projects and urban development. As these regions continue to embrace digital transformation, their contributions to the global BIM software market are expected to expand, shaping the future landscape of the industry. Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software Market Key Players Shaping the Future The Building Information Modeling (BIM) software market is significantly influenced by several key players, including Autodesk, Bentley Systems, Trimble, Nemetschek, Graphisoft, RIB Software, Dassault Systemes, and AccuRender. These companies are leading the market with their innovative solutions and advanced technologies, shaping the future of BIM by driving digital transformation and enhancing project management, design, and collaboration across the construction and infrastructure sectors. Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software Market Segment Analysis Based on the research, Market Research Intellect has segmented the global Biometric Systems Market into Product, Vehicle Type, And Geography. By Deployment Type On-Premises: Traditional software installed and operated on local servers, offering high security and customization but requiring significant upfront investment and maintenance. Traditional software installed and operated on local servers, offering high security and customization but requiring significant upfront investment and maintenance. Cloud-Based: Increasingly popular due to its scalability, accessibility, and lower upfront costs. It facilitates real-time collaboration and updates but relies on internet connectivity. By Application Architecture: Focuses on design and planning phases, enhancing visualization, and coordination among stakeholders. Focuses on design and planning phases, enhancing visualization, and coordination among stakeholders. Engineering: Includes structural, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), and civil engineering applications, optimizing the design and analysis of complex systems. Includes structural, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), and civil engineering applications, optimizing the design and analysis of complex systems. Construction: Supports project management, scheduling, and cost estimation, improving efficiency and reducing errors during the construction phase. By End-User Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Benefit from cost-effective solutions and streamlined workflows, often focusing on specific aspects of BIM. Benefit from cost-effective solutions and streamlined workflows, often focusing on specific aspects of BIM. Large Enterprises: Require comprehensive and scalable BIM solutions to manage complex and large-scale projects across multiple disciplines and locations. By Region North America: Leads in market share due to early adoption, technological advancements, and substantial infrastructure investments. Leads in market share due to early adoption, technological advancements, and substantial infrastructure investments. Europe: Driven by regulatory requirements and a strong focus on sustainable building practices. Driven by regulatory requirements and a strong focus on sustainable building practices. Asia-Pacific: Rapid growth due to urbanization, infrastructure development, and increasing adoption of digital technologies. Rapid growth due to urbanization, infrastructure development, and increasing adoption of digital technologies. Latin America and Middle East: Emerging markets with growing infrastructure projects and increasing BIM adoption. Internet, Communication, and Technology (ICT) category The Building Information Modeling (BIM) software market is a pivotal sector within the Internet, Communication, and Technology (ICT) category, transforming how construction and infrastructure projects are designed and managed. BIM software facilitates the creation of detailed 3D models, improving accuracy, efficiency, and collaboration throughout a project's lifecycle. The market is rapidly expanding, driven by technological advancements, increased adoption of cloud-based solutions, and growing demand for integrated project management tools. Key players such as Autodesk, Bentley Systems, and Trimble are at the forefront, offering innovative solutions that enhance design, visualization, and coordination. The shift towards digital transformation in construction and infrastructure is fueling the growth of BIM software, making it an essential tool for modern project execution and management. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) software market, a crucial component of the Internet, Communication, and Technology sector, is experiencing significant growth. BIM software revolutionizes the construction industry by providing detailed 3D models that improve project accuracy and collaboration. Technological innovations and the rise of cloud-based solutions are driving this expansion. Major companies like Autodesk and Bentley Systems are leading the charge, offering advanced tools that enhance design and project management. As the construction sector embraces digital transformation, BIM software is becoming indispensable for efficient and effective project execution. Our related Reports Global 3D Building Design and Building Information Modeling BIM Software Market is categorized based on Type (Cloud-Based, On-Premise) and Application (Architect, AEC Engineering Office, Contractor, Owner, Others) and geographical regions. Global Building Information Modeling BIM Extraction Software Market is categorized based on Type (On-premise Software, Cloud-based Software) and Application (Water and Waste Water, Rail Transit and Aviation, Energy Generation Facilities, Roads, Bridges, and Highways, Houses and Apartments, Factories and Warehouses, Educational Institutes and Commercial Spaces, Government Buildings, Dams) and geographical regions. Global Building Information Modeling Outsourcing Services Market is categorized based on Type (Information Outsourcing, Service Outsource) and Application (Large Enterprise, Small Enterprise) and geographical regions. Global Virtual Mailbox Software Market is categorized based on Application (Virtual Mailbox Solutions, Mail Scanning Services, Virtual Address Services, Digital Mail Management, Mail Forwarding Services) and Product (Mail Handling, Remote Work, Business Operations, Personal Mail Management) and geographical regions. Global Private Plane Market is categorized based on Application (Light Jets, Mid-size Jets, Heavy Jets, Turboprops, Very Light Jets) and Product (Corporate Travel, Personal Travel, Air Ambulance, Charter Services, Government, Training) and geographical regions. About Us: Market Research Intellect Welcome to Market Research Intellect, where we lead the way in global research and consulting, proudly serving over 5,000 esteemed clients worldwide. Our mission is to empower your business with cutting-edge analytical research solutions, delivering comprehensive, information-rich studies that are pivotal for strategic growth and critical revenue decisions. Unmatched Expertise: Our formidable team of 250 highly skilled analysts and subject matter experts (SMEs) is the backbone of our operations. With extensive training in advanced data collection and governance, we delve into over 25,000 high-impact and niche markets. Our experts seamlessly integrate modern data collection techniques, robust research methodologies, and collective industry experience to produce precise, insightful, and actionable research. Diverse Industry Coverage: We cater to a wide array of industries, ensuring that our insights are both relevant and specialized. Our expertise spans: Energy, Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Chemicals and Materials, Food and Beverages Having collaborated with numerous Fortune 2000 companies, we bring unparalleled experience and reliability to meet all your research needs. Our proven track record reflects our commitment to excellence and client satisfaction. Contact Us: Mr. Edwyne Fernandes Market Research Intellect APAC: +61 485 860 968 EU: +44 788 886 6344 US: +1 743 222 5439 Email: sales@marketresearchintellect.com Web: https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2483702/Market_Research_Intellect_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/building-information-modeling-bim-software-market-set-to-surge-expected-to-reach-usd-17-59-billion-by-2031-market-research-intellect-302224287.html Odevo, the fast-growing international leader that is driving change in the traditional property management industry, continues its expansion in Finland with the acquisition of the market leader in property management, Retta Isannointi Oy. Retta Isannointi, with close to 6,000 customers, 150,000 homes under management and 600 employees, will continue to operate under the Retta Isannointi brand and will be a sister company to Kontu in Finland. Anders Gylling, CEO, and his Retta Isannointi management team will continue to lead Retta Isannointi operations in Finland. Retta Isannointi was previously owned by Altor. The acquisition underscores Odevo's mission to become the leading force in the residential property management industry by leveraging the combined power of people and technology. "I am very happy to welcome Anders Gylling and his team to the Odevo family," said Daniel Larsson, CEO of Odevo. "We have an ambition to simplify living for people all over the world and drive innovation in technology and new services in a traditional industry. Retta Isannointi shares the same drive and ambition, and joining forces allows us to invest in technology and deliver greater value to the Finnish customers." Odevo has a unique approach to building a leading international group by empowering strong local teams and companies while creating value across the group. By being part of the group, these companies can leverage their strengths and expertise while benefiting from the collective resources and support from Odevo. "Joining forces with Odevo gives Retta Isannointi a unique position to continue to be the leading force in Finland when it comes to advancing the residential property management market," said Anders Gylling, CEO of Retta Isannointi. "We share Odevo's strong ambition to use the benefits of technology to improve both customer and employee satisfaction. Being part of an international group with a clear focus on residential property management will strengthen our capabilities to further develop specific housing management solutions for our customers." Odevo Finland today comprises of Retta Isannointi and Kontu, a new and fast-growing property management company formed from the union of 10 property management companies over the past two years. Kontu currently has a revenue of $30 million USD, 2,400 customers and 340 employees. With the acquisition of Retta Isannointi, Odevo has significantly increased its presence in Finland and, together with Kontu, is well-positioned to lead the Finnish market and drive positive change in the industry. Retta Isannointi was previously owned by Altor. "We are proud of the fantastic work by the management team at Retta Isannointi," said Johan Reiersen, Partner at Altor. "The past years have been a true partnership resulting in high-quality solutions. We look forward to following Retta as they reach new heights together with the global reach of Odevo." Odevo has grown more than 30 times in just four years and is now home to 7,000 employees with 1.4 million homes under management and an annual revenue of $720 million USD. Odevo plans to continue its strong growth journey, both organically and by attracting additional companies to join the group. This approach has secured leading positions in Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States in just a few years. About Odevo Established in 2019, Odevo is a fast-growing international company challenging the property management industry, not least through its focus on technology innovation. The Odevo Group consists of 7,000 employees and has an annual revenue of $720 million USD. The average growth between 2019 and 2023 was 71% per year, about 14% of which was organic. Odevo plans to continue its strong growth and invites more companies to join their journey to transform the homeowner experience all over the world. For more information visit https://odevo.com About Retta Isannointi Retta Isannointi is Finland's largest service company in the management of residential and real estate companies, with over 50 years of experience in property management and the execution of demanding renovation and restoration projects. Retta Isannointi has nearly 6,000 customers, manages 150,000 homes, and employs 600 people in Finland. For more information about Retta Isannointi, visit https://retta.fi/isannointi/. About Altor Since inception, the family of Altor funds has raised more than $12 billion USD in total commitments. The funds have invested in just south of 100 companies. The investments have been made in medium-sized predominantly Nordic and DACH companies with the aim to create value through growth initiatives and operational improvements. Among current and past investments are Trioworld, OX2, Carnegie, Kaefer, FLSmidth, Rossignol and Toteme. For more information visit www.altor.com For more information, contact: Daniel Larsson, CEO Odevo tel: +46 736404211 mail: daniel.larsson@odevo.com Anders Gylling, CEO Retta Isannointi tel: +358 46 851 5868 Mail: anders.gylling@retta.fi SOURCE: Odevo View the original press release on accesswire.com Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV: BEX) ("Benton" or the "Company") announces that, further to its July 17, 2024 news release, it has closed its brokered flow-through private placement financing for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,146,411.75 (the "Financing"). Haywood Securities Inc. acted as lead agent and sole bookrunner, together with a syndicate of agents including Red Cloud Securities Inc. and Canaccord Genuity Corp. (collectively, the "Agents"). The Company has issued 6,947,950 flow-through units ("Units"), each Unit consisting of one flow-through common share (the "Flow-Through Shares") and one half (1/2) of a common share purchase warrant, each full warrant being exercisable at $0.25 for one non-flow-through common share of the Company for a period of 2 years from the date of issue. Each Flow-Through Share will qualify as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act"). The gross proceeds from the Financing will be used by the Company to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that will qualify as "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures" as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Qualifying Expenditures") related to the Company's projects in Canada. All Qualifying Expenditures will be renounced in favour of the subscribers of the Flow-Through Units effective on or before December 31, 2024. All securities issued under the Financing will be subject to a statutory hold period in Canada expiring four months and one day from the closing date of the Offering. The Financing is subject to final acceptance of the TSXV. In accordance with TSX Venture Exchange policies, the Company has paid a cash fee of $80,249.00 and issued 486,356 compensation options to the Agents. Each compensation option is exercisable to acquire one common share of the Company at $0.165 per share for a period of 2 years from the date of issue. About Benton Resources Inc. Benton Resources is a well-financed mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BEX. Benton has a diversified, highly prospective property portfolio and holds large equity positions in other mining companies that are advancing high-quality assets. Whenever possible, BEX retains net smelter return (NSR) royalties with potential long-term cash flow. Benton is focused on advancing its high-grade Copper-Gold Great Burnt Project in central Newfoundland, which has a Mineral Resource estimate of 667,000 tonnes @ 3.21% Cu Indicated and 482,000 @ 2.35% Cu Inferred. The Project has an excellent geological setting covering 25km of strike and boasts six known Cu- Au-Ag zones over 15km that are all open for expansion. Further potential for discovery is excellent given the extensive number of untested geophysical targets and Cu-Au soil anomalies. Phase 1 and 2 drill programs returned impressive results including 25.42 m of 5.51% Cu, including 9.78 m of 8.31% Cu, and 1.00 m of 12.70% Cu. All intercepts are core length. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Resources Inc., "Stephen Stares" Stephen Stares, President Parties interested in seeking more information about properties available for option can contact Mr. Stares at the number below. Website: www.bentonresources.ca Twitter: @BentonResources Facebook: @BentonResourcesBEX THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220193 SOURCE: Benton Resources Inc. MyGuava is excited to announce the launch of its new Digital Skins for Visa cards, becoming the first in the UK to offer such comprehensive card personalisation. With over 70 unique designs available spanning vibrant patterns, artistic themes, nature, sports, and more there is something to suit every interest and personality, all easily accessible through the MyGuava App. The MyGuava App, a flagship product of Guavapay, is designed to cater to the diverse financial needs of users from various backgrounds. The App offers accounts in 20 currencies, local and global transfers, along with multicurrency virtual and physical debit cards. Users benefit from cashback on eligible purchases, have the option to purchase discounted gift cards from top brands, and can easily manage shared finances with features like bill splitting, shared wallets, and in-app chat functions. With MyGuava's Digital Skins, users can now transform their digital Visa cards to reflect their individual style, enhancing both functionality and personal expression. The App provides access to over 70 unique skins, offering an extensive selection of themes, including UK-inspired designs, flags, pets, sports, natural landscapes, travel destinations, and various patterns allowing each user to find a design that truly resonates with them. Users can simply change the look of their virtual cards in the App, which will also apply to their digital wallet, making every payment or financial transaction a fun experience. Kamal Hasanov, Group CEO of MyGuava, commented, "At MyGuava, our mission is to drive financial inclusion forward while maintaining a strong focus on client satisfaction. By consistently integrating cutting-edge technology, we ensure that our products and solutions remain at the forefront of innovation. We are immensely proud to introduce this extensive range of digital skins to the UK market, setting a new standard in personalising financial tools." For more information about MyGuava Digital Skins and other features, visit their website or download the MyGuava App today. The MyGuava application is owned and operated by Guavapay Limited, a company registered in England with company number 10601900 and its registered address at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London, EC2M 5QQ, United Kingdom. Guavapay Limited is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom as a Small Electronic Money Institution with reference number 900888. Guavapay Limited's ICO registration number is ZA274504. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240816873397/en/ Contacts: Arzu Nasibova n.arzu@guavapay.com +442045773333 Wainfleet, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - In a shocking display of government overreach, the Township of Wainfleet has unleashed a by-law targeting short-term rental (STR) property owners, leading to widespread fear and anger among the community. The Wainfleet Association of Responsible Short-Term Rentals (STRs), a newly formed non-profit organization, has filed a lawsuit to quash the Township's STR by-law (BLO26-2019), which they argue is both unlawful and maliciously punitive. Mayor Brian Grant & Councillors Joan Anderson, Terry Gilmore, John MacLellan, and Sherri Van Vliet To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10769/220195_dd32c910742a0af3_001full.jpg Scott William Wilson, a local resident, and spokesperson for the Association, has shared his harrowing experience with the by-law. "My wife and I have worked diligently throughout our lives to purchase our lakehouse in Wainfleet, a place we dreamed of retiring in. Now, the city is attempting to seize it. This situation is almost beyond belief. People often respond with disbelief, saying, 'This can't happen in Canada; this sounds like something out of a third-world country.' But it is happening-right here in Wainfleet, Ontario." On August 15, 2024, the Township of Wainfleet escalated its actions by serving Scott and Joanne Wilson with a notice at their home, stating that the STR fines had been migrated to their property tax bill. The Township informed the Wilsons that this was the first step toward seizing their home. "They are doing it," Wilson emphasized. "The city has started the process, and they intend to take our home." The by-law, passed by Mayor Brian Grant and Councillors Joan Anderson, Terry Gilmore, John MacLellan, and Sherri Van Vliet, imposes staggering fines on homeowners for renting their properties short-term. Wilson explained, "The initial fine is $10,000 per owner, per dwelling, per day. For each subsequent infraction, the fine increases by $5,000. My wife and I own two homes on our lakefront property, so the fines could reach $120,000 per day. The city has even started migrating these fines to our property tax bill, threatening to seize our home." The Association's lawsuit argues that the by-law violates multiple provincial laws. One of the most troubling aspects is the use of the Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP) system, which the Association contends is ripe for exploitation. "The AMP system allows the Township to bypass the courts and impose fines without due process," Wilson explained. "Even worse, they are double fining property owners-each person on the title is fined separately for a single alleged infraction. This is not only unfair, but it's also illegal." Scott William Wilson, Spokesperson for the Wainfleet Association of Responsible STR's To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10769/220195_dd32c910742a0af3_002full.jpg Wilson isn't alone in his fight. Hundreds of families across Wainfleet have been devastated by the Township's actions. Laurel, a local resident and member of the Association, shared her story: "In the last couple of years, my husband and I have been living mainly on our small pensions, so we rented our cottage for two weeks to help pay the taxes. This spring, I found out rentals were outlawed by the Township, so I closed my Airbnb ad. I wasn't really aware of the new by-law - we didn't have a rental, so it didn't really apply to us. But I was shocked when I received a $10,000 fine for simply having an Airbnb listing, even though no bookings were allowed. The Township is harassing property owners, mostly young families, just trying to make ends meet." The atmosphere in Wainfleet has become one of fear and intimidation. Residents report that by-law officers are visiting properties, taking pictures of homes and cars, and questioning neighbours. "It's truly a reign of terror," Laurel continued. "The Township's behavior is mean-spirited and bullying. In one council meeting, fines were raised tenfold, from $500 to $5,000 and from $2,000 to $20,000, purely to be punitive and severe." The Wainfleet Association of Responsible STRs is calling on the public to support their fight against this unjust by-law. "This isn't just about us; it's about protecting the rights of every property owner in Wainfleet," said Wilson. "We believe this lawsuit could seek over ten million dollars in damages. But more than that, we aim to restore Wainfleet as a free and lawful Canadian town-one where residents don't have to live in fear of their own local government." In a video posted online, Laurel further exposes the harsh realities of living under this by-law. Her testimony can be viewed at this link, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mIxN2iZGoQ) offering a glimpse into the struggles faced by many in the community. Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mIxN2iZGoQ The Association has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the existing lawsuit and raise awareness about the issue. They are also encouraging anyone who has been financially harmed by the by-law, including landscapers, cleaners, contractors, and restaurant owners, to join our list to join a potential class action lawsuit. "We need to fight back against this unlawful by-law and protect our freedoms," Wilson urged. "Visit our website, WainfleetWars.ca, to learn more, donate, and join our cause." About The Wainfleet Association of Responsible Short-Term Rentals (STRs): The Wainfleet Association of Responsible STRs is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending the rights of property owners in Wainfleet, Ontario. The Association is committed to challenging unlawful government actions and restoring the rights and freedoms of the community. SOURCE: The Wainfleet Association of Responsible Short-Term Rentals (STRs) To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220195 SOURCE: Wainfleet Association of Responsible Short-Term Rentals (STRs) Erinnern Sie sich, als Moderna und BioNTech von unbekannten Unternehmen zu globalen Marktfuhrern wurden und fruhzeitige Investoren reich belohnt haben? Die Branche steht vor einem erneuten Innovationsschub von bahnbrechenden Medikamenten bis hin zu revolutionaren Therapien. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Sie sollten jetzt in Biotech-Aktien einsteigen, weil wir am Beginn einer neuen Ara der medizinischen Innovation stehen konnten! Gen- und Zelltherapien, personalisierte Medizin und bahnbrechende Technologien konnten das Gesundheitswesen revolutionieren und die Aktienkurse in die Hohe schieen lassen. Die nachste Erfolgsgeschichte im Biotechbereich warten nur darauf, entdeckt zu werden. Wer jetzt investiert, hat die Chance, von gigantischen Durchbruchen und enormen Renditen zu profitieren. Warten Sie nicht, bis es zu spat ist - der nachste Biotech-Superstar konnte morgen schon durchstarten! Verpassen Sie nicht diese Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Biotech-Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 3 Biotech-Aktien das riesige Potenzial haben, Ihren finanziellen Erfolg zu sichern. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen zukunftstrachtige Investments im Biotech-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! Mount Pleasant, South Carolina--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - Dr. Thomas Funcik, a distinguished facial plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience, proudly announces the launch of the revolutionary 8-Minute Face Lift System. This innovative program is set to redefine the standards of natural facial rejuvenation, offering a groundbreaking alternative to invasive surgeries and Botox treatments. Dr. Thomas Funcik Introduces Revolutionary 8-Minute Face Lift System To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8843/219753_dr__thomas_funcik_pr_2.jpg The 8-Minute Face Lift System is a culmination of Dr. Funcik's extensive research and clinical experience. It is designed to provide significant, visible results in facial lifting and toning through simple, daily exercises that can be effortlessly integrated into one's routine. The system stands out for its ease of use, effectiveness, and alignment with the natural anatomy of facial muscles. A recent surge in interest for non-invasive beauty solutions has led to the development of this system. "People are increasingly seeking safer, natural methods for facial rejuvenation," said Dr. Funcik. "Our system responds to this demand by offering a time-efficient, cost-effective solution that produces tangible results, without the risks associated with surgery or injectables." The 8-Minute Face Lift System is unique in its approach, utilizing resistance training methods tailored specifically for facial muscles. This approach is supported by a set of patented ergonomic devices, designed and perfected through advanced 3D printing technology. The program promises to deliver a more youthful appearance in just 30 days, with benefits including lifted cheeks, smoother forehead, and reduced wrinkles. This system is ideal for individuals aged 35 and above, catering to both men and women who prioritize natural health and beauty practices. It is particularly beneficial for those who have tried traditional facial exercises, yoga, or other home remedies with limited success. "Through the 8-Minute Face Lift System, we're offering a scientifically-backed, holistic solution to aging gracefully," added Dr. Funcik. "It's about empowering individuals to achieve their aesthetic goals in a healthy, natural way." For more information about the 8-Minute Face Lift System and to learn how to integrate it into one's lifestyle, people can visit: https://EightMinuteFacelift.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/219753 SOURCE: Jeremy McGilvrey LUXEMBOURG, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. (AMBP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Stefan Schellinger as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective September 1, 2024. Stefan brings more than 25 years of financial and commercial experience to the role as well as a strong background in relevant industrial end markets. Stefan was previously CFO and Executive Director of two listed companies, ContourGlobal plc and Essentra plc. Stefan succeeds David Bourne who has decided to move on to new opportunities and will leave the business in September after a handover period. Commenting on Stefan's appointment, Oliver Graham, Chief Executive Officer of AMP said: "I am delighted that Stefan is joining AMP as our Chief Financial Officer. Stefan is a highly experienced public company CFO with a proven track record of creating value through organic and inorganic growth. I would like to thank David Bourne for his outstanding contribution to the Company and his strong support to myself and the AMP global team, and I wish him every success for the future." Biography Stefan served as Executive Vice President, Global Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of ContourGlobal plc from 2019 to 2023. Prior to ContourGlobal, Stefan was Group Finance Director and Executive Director of the diversified industrial company Essentra plc from 2015 until 2018, having joined the company as Corporate Development Director and Group Management Committee member in 2013. From 2005 to 2013 Stefan spent eight years with Danaher Corporation, as Corporate Development Director and as Finance Director-Emerging Markets in Danaher's Gilbarco Veeder Root business. Prior to this, Stefan worked as Vice President in investment banking at J.P. Morgan in London. He started his career in accountancy in Germany at Arthur Andersen. Stefan is a dual British and German citizen. He received his MBA from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business and holds a degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. SOURCE Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, August 16 For immediate release 16 August 2024 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announce that it has today purchased 100,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 838.00 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 23 January 2024. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 52,561,243; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 172,430,060. The figure of 172,430,060 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - ONGold Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ONAU) ("ONGold" or the "Company") announces that it has accepted the resignation of Mr. Thomas Morris from his position as a director of the Company. Mr. Morris has decided to step down to explore new opportunities. The Company extends its gratitude to Mr. Morris for his valuable contributions and dedicated service during his tenure. About ONGold Resources Ltd. ONGold (formerly 1348515 B.C. Ltd.) is a reporting issuer in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. ONGold owns significant exploration assets in Northern Ontario, highlighted by the district-scale TPK project and the October gold project. These projects represent a strategic footprint in one of Canada's most prolific gold-producing regions. The TPK project, known for its extensive gold mineralization, covers 47,976 of hectares in a highly favourable geological setting, and has shown promising exploration results from historical drilling and associated surveys. The project area is situated in a region renowned for its mineral potential. Similarly, the October gold project, consisting of 1,281 claims covering an area of 265km2, holds substantial promise with its favorable geological setting for large-scale gold deposits and is located approximately 35 km along strike from IAMGOLD Corporation's Cote Lake Mine. The project has undergone preliminary exploration activities, which have indicated the presence of mineralized zones with significant gold anomalies. ONGold also holds a 100% interest in additional properties in northwestern Ontario, known as Rapson Bay, Thorne-Ellard and Meston Lake. Together, these comprise 2,334 cell claims, covering 43,791 hectares. Led by a seasoned management team of industry veterans, ONGold is committed to responsible exploration practices and sustainable development, emphasizing strong partnerships with local Indigenous communities and stakeholders. By adhering to high standards of environmental stewardship and community engagement, ONGold aims to not only explore and develop its assets but also contribute positively to the regions in which it operates. ONGold Resources Ltd. on behalf of the Board of Directors Kyle Stanfield, Chief Executive Officer & Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220218 SOURCE: ONGold Resources Ltd. Dallas, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - Teakell Law, in conjunction with John R. Teakell Criminal Defense Attorney, renowned for its robust defense in federal criminal cases, proudly announces the expansion of its specialized legal services to include white collar crime defense in Frisco and Tyler, Texas. This strategic expansion enables the firm to provide its distinguished legal expertise in complex financial and corporate crime cases to a broader client base across Texas. John R. Teakell's firm excels in federal criminal law, addressing complex cases from financial to corporate fraud. The firm's seasoned legal team, led by acclaimed federal crime lawyer John R. Teakell, brings extensive experience in navigating the intricate legal landscapes of white collar offenses, including embezzlement, fraud, and corruption. With an established track record of success in federal courts, Teakell Law is dedicated to offering the same level of vigorous defense and personalized legal strategy to individuals and businesses in Frisco and Tyler, ensuring meticulous attention to the specifics of each case. Teakell Law's team of experienced attorneys is well-versed in the nuances of the federal criminal process, particularly in cases involving federal drug crimes and theft crimes. The firm's criminal defense lawyers employ tailored defense strategies to ensure that every client's legal rights are vigorously defended throughout the criminal prosecution. Understanding the complexities of federal offenses, the firm is committed to guiding clients through the legal process, from the initial charges to the final verdict, ensuring a fair trial and the best possible outcome. Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzUBrbse2KU Clients facing criminal charges, especially for violent crimes or drug-related offenses, can rely on the firm's comprehensive expertise to protect their civil rights and prevent a criminal conviction from impacting their future. Each criminal lawyer at the firm brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of federal districts and the specific legal defenses needed for each case. Teakell Law is dedicated to providing quality service and robust legal support, helping clients navigate the challenges of the criminal justice system with confidence and assurance. Teakell Law, recognized for its adept handling of criminal trial law, is committed to safeguarding clients' constitutional rights throughout the entirety of the legal process. With a proven track record in federal court, particularly in Waco Federal Court, the law firm's experienced attorneys are well-prepared to confront federal prosecutors and navigate complex jury trials. From mail fraud to felony charges, the firm constructs solid defense strategies aimed at reducing or dismissing federal convictions and the associated criminal penalties. During the initial consultation, the firm's attorneys assess the specifics of each case involving federal charges, ensuring that clients are thoroughly informed about their legal options and the potential impacts on their civil litigation rights. The law firm's dedication extends beyond the courtroom, as they often advocate for alternative resolutions such as community service, helping clients maintain a clean criminal record and mitigating long-term consequences. Clients in Frisco and Tyler facing allegations of white collar crimes are encouraged to leverage the expanded presence of Teakell Law alongside founder John R. Teakell Criminal Defense Attorney. The firm's approach focuses on a thorough analysis of all financial transactions and communications, challenging any accusations of illegal activities and ensuring that the rights and reputations of clients are rigorously defended. Interested parties seeking premier legal representation in white collar criminal defense are invited to consult with the firm's legal experts. https://maps.app.goo.gl/mnyBJx6rftZycuw68 Teakell Law's commitment to excellence in the realm of federal criminal law is unwavering. The firm's expertise encompasses a wide range of criminal offenses, from financial crimes to more complex federal and corporate fraud cases. With the expansion into Frisco and Tyler, the firm is better positioned to address the legal challenges faced by clients throughout Texas, providing strategic defense services that cater specifically to the nuances of white collar crime. In addition to its robust defense services for white collar crimes, Teakell Law and John R. Teakell Criminal Defense Attorney are equally proficient in handling cases involving gun crime violations. As Texas continues to navigate complex and evolving firearm laws, the firm stands out for its comprehensive understanding of both state and federal regulations concerning firearms. With a vigilant eye on legislative changes and court precedents, John R. Teakell's legal team offers expert counsel and defense strategies to clients facing charges from unlawful possession and trafficking to violations involving improper licensing. Gun crime allegations can carry severe consequences, including significant fines and extended prison terms, which necessitate a defense that is both strategic and informed. John R. Teakell's expertise extends to vigorously defending clients against such accusations by scrutinizing the evidence, challenging procedural errors, and ensuring that the constitutional rights of the accused are protected. The firm's approach is tailored to each case, reflecting the specifics of the alleged offense and the unique circumstances of each client, which is critical in achieving favorable outcomes in these high-stakes matters. Understanding the broader implications of gun crime charges, Teakell Law not only focuses on the immediate legal challenges but also considers the long-term impacts on their clients' lives. The firm prioritizes a defense strategy that seeks to minimize or eliminate potential civil penalties, striving to preserve their clients' rights to own firearms in the future. This comprehensive approach ensures that clients receive not only legal representation but also guidance through the complexities of the legal system and the ramifications of their case. For anyone facing allegations related to firearm violations, the expertise of Teakell Law provides a crucial advantage. The firm's detailed knowledge of gun laws, coupled with their proven track record in federal and state courts, positions them as a formidable ally in defending against gun crime charges. Clients in Frisco, Tyler, and across Texas can expect dedicated and effective representation that addresses both the charges at hand and their broader legal rights and future. About John R. Teakell Criminal Defense Attorney Located in the bustling city of Dallas, Texas, Teakell Law is celebrated for its proficiency in handling federal white collar crimes, insider trading, and tax violations. The firm's unwavering commitment to defending the rights of individuals and businesses, coupled with their dedication to achieving the best legal outcomes, has positioned them as a prominent force in criminal defense law. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-deep-dive-into-federal-criminal-defense-with/id1562180400?i=1000653164222 Expanding to Frisco and Tyler, the firm strategically tackles Texas's white collar crime challenges. About John R. Teakell Criminal Defense Attorney John R. Teakell brings over 20 years of courtroom experience with a focused background in criminal law and securities. His comprehensive understanding of both federal and state crimes, along with his expertise in navigating the complexities of federal and state court systems, allows him to adeptly handle cases ranging from misdemeanors to federal death penalty cases. Specializing in white collar crimes, drug offenses, violent crimes, sex crimes, and SEC litigation, Mr. Teakell has earned a reputation for meticulous attention to detail and effective defense strategies. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/219957 SOURCE: Teakell Law Stillwater, Oklahoma--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - Oklahoma State University has set a new enrollment record at its Stillwater and Tulsa locations (26,805) and reported record-setting freshman enrollment for the third consecutive year. When OSU launched the We Are Land-Grant plan in fall 2022, the first imperative was to enroll over 5,000 first-time freshmen by 2026. Although numbers will not be finalized until the census later this fall, this year's freshman class represents an 8% increase over last year, topping the 5,000 mark for the first time. OSU President Kayse Shrum said she's excited to welcome students to campus and to continue OSU's momentum after meeting a significant strategic milestone two years ahead of schedule. "The enrollment trends at Oklahoma State University showcase the significant progress we're making," Dr. Shrum said. "In 2022, we launched a strategy to transform higher education and better align students' goals and passions with career opportunities. By keeping tuition and mandatory fees steady for the third consecutive year, we're not just talking about our commitment to students; we're living it. "Through efforts like the Ideal Graduate initiative, which launches this fall, we are equipping students with the skills and competencies that will open doors to fulfilling careers after graduation. By aligning industry needs with students' career goals, we are also serving our state as an economic innovation and workforce development engine. As a premier, modern land-grant university, our goal is to empower students to solve society's most pressing challenges, and that starts by ensuring they have every reason to dream big and every opportunity to pursue those dreams." Vice President for Enrollment Management Karen Chen said OSU's sustained trend of positive enrollment figures highlights not only OSU's academic quality but also its commitment to transforming higher education with a student-focused approach. "Our enrollment continues to break records, and students and parents are choosing OSU because they know they're not just a number here," Chen said. "At OSU, our priority is to deliver a world-class education in an environment dedicated to helping students grow and succeed." OSU also has set new school records for Honors College enrollment (3,395), Native American student enrollment (3,498) and nursing student enrollment (737), which is up nearly 120% compared to last year. Online enrollment (2,601) has risen nearly 19% compared to last year, and Graduate College enrollment (4,696) has risen 5% compared to last year. Total enrollment for the OSU System - the state's largest university system, which includes OSU-Stillwater, OSU-Tulsa, OSU-CHS, OSUIT and OSU-OKC - is nearly 36,000. "As we celebrate these record-breaking enrollment figures, we reflect with pride on the dedication and hard work that have driven our progress and propelled us forward in implementing our strategic plan," OSU Provost Jeanette Mendez said. "Meeting the 5,000 freshmen milestone two years ahead of our goal is a testament to the collective effort of the Cowboy family, and we are excited to continue to expand access to higher education." This fall, OSU will welcome students from all 77 Oklahoma counties, all 50 states and 127 countries. One of those is Sawyer Henbest, an incoming freshman and aspiring wildlife ecology management major. He is no stranger to the Cowboy family. His father, Heath Henbest, graduated from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. "I originally considered OSU just because [my dad] had gone to school there, but I did some research on the academic programs, and they seem to be very advanced," Sawyer said. Tradition and academic excellence weren't the only things that drew Sawyer to OSU. "I feel like Oklahoma State did a good job at reaching out to me a lot and making me feel like I really was wanted here, which was very encouraging. That was actually one of the main reasons," he said. "We visited in March for admitted students weekend, and the faculty members were just so knowledgeable and so kind, and they really helped answer all my questions. They were really accessible, which is what you want." Heath said the genuine care and support OSU prioritizes for students was evident in the recruitment process and in the university's emphasis on increasing scholarship funding. "OSU always had this genuine, demonstrated interest in him as a person and as a student. And that, to me, was probably the No. 1 thing," he said. Heath said his son toured many different schools, but when he came to Stillwater, the decision was quick and sure. "It took maybe 30 minutes of being on the Stillwater campus before he just kind of looked at me and said, 'This is where I see myself.' So it's been a very good process, and we couldn't be happier for Sawyer," Heath said. While Sawyer did find some surprises when he first came to campus, learning that he would be part of the largest incoming freshman class in school history didn't surprise him at all. "I don't see why anybody wouldn't want to go to Oklahoma State," he said. "It's a great place, a great community for both academics and atmosphere, and the campus is amazing." VIDEO: https://digitalassets.okstate.edu/share/A415699C-658D-42AC-998D5375D1585E5F/?mediaId=F9F3AD02-0689-43BB-907A2A43B9E70146 PHOTOS: https://digitalassets.okstate.edu/share/4A64ABA0-B085-4208-A840F2CDD60B6915/ Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 35,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 26,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and more than 127 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 290,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220219 SOURCE: Oklahoma State University RICHMOND, VA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Sedona Taphouse Restaurants, NAPA Kitchen and Wine, and parent company DJB Hospitality are proud to announce their inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies for the fifth year. Dennis Barbaro, Founder/CEO Pictured is veteran restaurateur, Dennis Barbaro, Founder/CEO of DJB Hospitality. DJB Hospitality currently oversees 16 Sedona Taphouse locations, one NAPA Kitchen and Wine location, and expects to continue to increase its breadth in the coming years. The two concepts bring different strengths to the portfolio: Sedona Taphouse is well known for creating memorable craft experiences for their guests with Southwest-inspired scratch menus, a large offering of craft beers, innovative cocktails, and thoughtful wine lists. Meanwhile, NAPA Kitchen and Wine features a menu influenced by California along with a carefully curated wine, bourbon and cocktail list. While the proven menus of the concepts have spearheaded the success of DJB Hospitality, the brands have also become known for their philanthropic support. As part of its 'Dine Out for Charity' initiative, each Sedona Taphouse location supports a local profit organization each month. Since the inception of the program, they have donated more than one million dollars to benefit the local communities that support its success. Along with supporting local charitable organizations, both concepts have partnered with Tunnel to Towers Foundation on a national level. Through sales of the popular T2T Lemon Basil Martini, they provide aid to military heroes and first responders in need. In addition, NAPA Kitchen and Wine is also a yearly participant in a local brunch weekend that supports a local animal shelter. "A cornerstone to our success is our commitment to giving back to the communities we serve," said Dennis Barbaro, Founder and CEO of DJB Hospitality. While philanthropy is a main ingredient is the recipe for success of DJB Hospitality, the people behind the brands are also an integral component. Franchisees set the foundation of excellence for each location and DJB Hospitality prides itself in fostering those relationships. "Our experience with DJB Hospitality as franchisees has been nothing short of extraordinary. A great team of professionals at the franchisor level that are anxious to support our teams in meaningful and tangible ways. The group is responsive, knowledgeable, and all skilled in restaurant operations and best practices. DJB Hospitality is continually evolving this great brand and pushing the envelope by staying ahead of culinary and beverage trends in the industry," said David Trout, Franchisee of Sedona Taphouse. About DJB Hospitality Founded in 2011 and currently operating 16 Sedona Taphouse locations and one NAPA Kitchen and Wine, the brand's growth has been recognized through DJB Hospitality's inclusion on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list for five years. Well known for an award-winning happy hour, and a repertoire of local recognitions, DJB Hospitality plans to continue its expansion of its two concepts, Sedona Taphouse and NAPA Kitchen and Wine. Both concepts are accepting applications from qualified franchise partners. Contact Information Lauren Barbaro Marketing Manager l.barbaro@djbhospitality.com 804-545-2498 SOURCE: DJB Hospitality View the original press release on newswire.com. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - Nova Pacific Metals Corp. (CSE: NVPC) (OTCQB: NVPCF) (FSE: YQ10) (WKN: A40GFH) (the "Company" or "Nova Pacific") is pleased to announce the results of its annual general meeting of shareholders (AGM) held on August 8, 2024. At the AGM, shareholders overwhelmingly re-elected all five directors, with over 99% voting in favor, and De Visser Grey LLP was reappointed as the Company's auditor for the upcoming fiscal year. Nova Pacific's audited financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2023, were received without objection. The following individuals were re-elected as directors of the Company: J. Malcolm Bell Patrick O'Flaherty Saman Eskandari Nicholas Standish Dal S. Brynelsen In addition, Nova Pacific is excited to announce the launch of the Company's newly designed website at www.novapacificmetals.com. As an exploration company, Nova Pacific is committed to advancing its operations with the support of its shareholders, investors, and industry experts. The new website will serve as a key platform for providing timely and relevant information regarding the Company's operations and value proposition to all stakeholders. Commenting on the launch, Nova Pacific's CEO, J. Malcolm Bell, stated, "Our flagship Lara project has seen substantial exploration over several decades. It is crucial to present a clear and comprehensive overview of these exploration activities so that market participants and industry experts can accurately assess Nova Pacific's assets and potential." Nova Pacific encourages shareholders, investors, and industry stakeholders to visit the website, explore the Company's developments, and sign up for regular updates and news. About Nova Pacific Nova Pacific is a Canadian exploration and development company focused on pursuing projects with a significant mineral discovery thus providing a viable pathway to potential development. The key projects owned by the Company are its recently acquired Lara VMS project located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and its Deer Musk West Lithium project located in Clayton Valley, Nevada. The Company intends to continue its exploration and development efforts on its mineral projects with a view towards maximizing shareholder value. For additional Information please visit: www.novapacificmetals.com. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the matters referenced herein and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to the Company's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220271 SOURCE: Nova Pacific Metals Corp. Timberline Resources Corporation (OTCQB:TLRS)(TSX-V:TBR) ("Timberline" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its stockholders have approved the previously announced merger with McEwen Mining Inc. ("McEwen"). Based on the preliminary tabulation of the stockholder vote, more than 99.98% of the shares voted at the special meeting, representing approximately 62.50% of the shares of Timberline common stock outstanding as of the record date for the special meeting, were voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement with McEwen (the "Merger Agreement"). The final voting results of the special meeting, as tabulated by an independent inspector of elections, will be reported on a Form 8-K to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The closing of the transaction is expected to occur on or about August 19, 2024. About McEwen Mining McEwen Mining Inc. is a gold and silver producer with operations in Nevada, Canada, Mexico and Argentina. In addition, it owns approximately 48.3% of McEwen Copper which owns the large, advanced stage Los Azules copper project in Argentina. McEwen's goal is to improve the productivity and life of its assets with the objective of increasing its share price and providing a yield. Rob McEwen, Executive Chairman and Chief Owner, has a personal investment in the group of US$220 million and takes an annual salary of US$1. About Timberline Resources Timberline Resources Corporation is a Nevada based exploration company with its flagship gold-silver property in the Eureka District. The Eureka property includes the historical Lookout Mountain and Windfall mines in a total property position of approximately 27 square miles (70 square kilometers). Near the northern end of the Battle Mountain - Eureka Trend, the Company also jointly holds the Paiute Project with Nevada Gold Mines. Timberline also controls the Seven Troughs Project in northern Nevada. In total, Timberline controls over 43 square miles (111 square kilometers) of mineral rights in Nevada. Bridge Financing As previously announced, in connection with the merger, McEwen and Timberline entered into an interim financing arrangement whereby McEwen agreed to provide Timberline with loans as the Company may request from time to time (each, a "Loan") to fund working capital and corporate costs of Timberline through the anticipated closing of the proposed transaction (the "Note"). For each calendar month, McEwen is not obligated to make any Loan that would cause the aggregate amount of Loans for such calendar month to exceed the lesser of (i) the monthly budget for each calendar month provided by the Company to McEwen in advance of such applicable month from time to time or (ii) the Company's monthly budget as a provided on a schedule to the Note. The Note bears interest at a per annum rate of 15%, accruing monthly, and matures on October 15, 2024 (the "Maturity Date"); provided, however, that if the Merger Agreement is terminated by the Company pursuant to Section 7.01(d)(ii) of the Merger Agreement, then the Maturity Date shall be 5 business days following the effective date of such termination; provided further, however, that if the Merger Agreement is terminated by McEwen pursuant to Section 7.01(c)(i) or Section 7.01(c)(ii) of the Merger Agreement, then the Maturity Date shall be 20 calendar days following the effective date of such termination. The Note is unsecured and the Company has the right to prepay the Note, in whole or in part, at any time without penalty. The Note will become an intercompany loan between McEwen and the surviving company upon closing. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Patrick Highsmith" President and CEO Tel: 208-664-4859 CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS RELEVANT TO FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE SAFE HARBOR PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements regarding the potential transaction between McEwen and Timberline, including any statements regarding the expected timetable for completing the potential transaction. Words or phrases such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "targets," "advances," "commits," "drives," "aims," "forecasts," "projects," "believes," "approaches," "seeks," "schedules," "estimates," "positions," "pursues," "progress," "may," "can," "could," "should," "will," "budgets," "outlook," "trends," "guidance," "focus," "on track," "goals," "objectives," "strategies," "opportunities," "poised," "potential," "ambitions," "aspires" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations of McEwen's and Timberline's management and therefore involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in the statements. Key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include the risk that a condition to closing the potential transaction may not be satisfied; the risk that regulatory approvals are not obtained or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated by the parties; the effects of disruption to McEwen's or Timberline's respective businesses; transaction costs; McEwen's ability to achieve the benefits and projected synergies from the proposed transaction; McEwen's ability to promptly, efficiently and effectively integrate acquired operations into its own operations; unknown liabilities; the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; and the effects of industry, market, economic, political or regulatory conditions outside of McEwen's or Timberline's control. Additional risks that may affect McEwen's results of operations and financial position appear in Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors" of McEwen's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as amended, and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Additional risks that may affect Timberline's results of operations and financial position appear in Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors" of Timberline's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, as amended, and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Other unpredictable or factors not discussed in this news release could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements. Neither McEwen nor Timberline assumes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Timberline Resources Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com Eventeny, an event technology startup, recently announced the launch of its Community Enrichment Initiative, a philanthropic commitment aimed at supporting non-profit organizations in the Southeastern United States. ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Since their founding in 2018, Eventeny has always believed in more than just business. As a startup, they have navigated uncharted waters, but their compass has always pointed towards helping others. Eventeny Co-Founders Aly Hussaini & Nausheen Punjani Eventeny co-founders and husband-and-wife duo, Aly and Nausheen, at GalaxyCon, one of the events that rely on Eventeny for their planning. This spirit of resilience and care is at the forefront of their newly launched initiative, where Eventeny has committed to donating 1% of their gross revenue to support non-profit organizations. The Atlanta based company has already donated over $10,000 to local non-profits since launching the program, making sure their growth translates into real, tangible benefits for the community. Eventeny has grown exponentially in recent years, tripling in size from 2022 to 2024 with over 14,000 events and 150,000 small businesses benefiting from the platform daily, 53% of which are nonprofits. Eventeny's startup spirit has always driven them to be more than just a business. Their agility and innovative mindset have allowed them to quickly adapt and respond to the needs of their clients and communities, even before adopting their 1% initiative. In 2019, thousands of events on Eventeny's platform faced cancellation, and their clients, many of whom are small businesses, were left in a precarious situation. Unlike many corporations that retreated during the pandemic, Eventeny rolled up its sleeves and went to work. Within days, their team developed a virtual vendor marketplace, ensuring that these events could continue and their clients could keep their doors open virtually. "It's beyond inspiring seeing our platform now helping so many small businesses, many of them nonprofits." Nausheen Punjani, Eventeny co-founder and former social worker, shares. "Eventeny started from a personal need, created for my sister-in-law, who organizes events in Georgia. We built Eventeny to solve her problems, and what began as a small solution has grown into something far beyond what we ever imagined. This growth means so much to us because it shows how deeply our mission to empower communities resonates with others." Additionally, Eventeny is launching a grant program tailored to its non-profit customers. This program will provide special discounts in the form of grants to 501(c)(3) organizations, ensuring access to Eventeny's robust software solutions without budget constraints. "Nonprofit organizations are the heart of our communities, dedicating their efforts to support, connect, and uplift those they serve. Through events, they create vital opportunities to fundraise, educate, build awareness, and foster a sense of belonging. These events are more than just gatherings-they are lifelines that sustain the mission of nonprofits. My co-founder and I have experienced this firsthand through our personal volunteer work, where we've had the privilege of helping underserved communities. Witnessing the transformative impact of these organizations on the lives of so many is deeply moving and fuels our commitment to support their invaluable work," added Aly Hussaini, Eventeny co-founder and CEO, underscoring Eventeny's commitment to supporting non-profits through practical assistance. As they expand into new territories like Canada, their focus remains rooted in their core values. The Community Enrichment Initiative isn't just a program; it's a reflection of who they are. Through innovation, support, and care, Eventeny aims to build a future where everyone has the tools to thrive. About Eventeny - Eventeny is an all-in-one event planning software solution based out of Atlanta, GA. Contact Information Cat McDevitt press@eventeny.com SOURCE: Eventeny View the original press release on newswire.com. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - Goldmoney Inc. (TSX: XAU) (US: XAUMF) ("Goldmoney" or the "Company"), wishes to remind shareholders about the upcoming annual general and special meeting ("AGSM") to be held virtually on September 16, 2024. The materials for the AGSM were filed on August 16, 2024 and may be found on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Among the special business to be addressed at the AGSM is Goldmoney's proposed continuance into the British Virgin Islands. Shareholder votes must be received by 1:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on September 12, 2024. Your vote is important, regardless of the number of shares you own. Your shares can still be represented and voted by proxy at the AGSM, via mailing, the internet, or fax, following the instructions provided in the meeting materials, even if you cannot attend the meeting. Proposed Continuance to the British Virgin Islands Goldmoney presently exists under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "BCBCA"). Shareholders will be asked at the Meeting to consider and, if thought fit, to pass a special resolution to direct and authorize the continuation (the "Continuation") of the Company into the British Virgin Islands ("BVI"), whereafter the Company will be subject to the BVI Business Companies Act (As Revised). Goldmoney's Board of Directors believes that the Continuance is in the best interest of the Company. At present, more than 90% of the corporation's share capital is owned by non-Canadian beneficial owners. Continuing into the BVI will permit the Company to more efficiently return capital to all shareholders by way of dividends and share buybacks. The continuance will also simplify long-term capital allocation and management within its subsidiaries. The Common Shares of the Company will continue to be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") after the Continuation, and as such the Company's Common Shares will remain subject to the rules and policies of the TSX. The Continuation will affect certain of the rights of the Company's shareholders as they currently exist under the BCBCA. Shareholders should consult their legal advisors regarding implications of the Continuation which may be of particular importance to them. For further information please refer to the management information circular filed on SEDAR+ under the Company's profile or contact the Company's Chief Financial Officer for a copy of the same: About Goldmoney Inc. Goldmoney Inc. (TSX: XAU) specializes in the investment and custody of enduring real assets. Through its subsidiaries, the Company offers precious metals trading services to clients, including secure custody and storage solutions. Goldmoney also maintains diversified interests in property investment and jewelry manufacturing. For more information about Goldmoney, visit goldmoney.com. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains or refers to certain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can often be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "may", "potential" and "will" or similar words suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. All information other than information regarding historical fact, which addresses activities, events or developments that Goldmoney Inc. believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, is forward-looking information. Forward-looking information does not constitute historical fact but reflects the current expectations of the Company regarding future results or events based on information that is currently available. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking information will not occur. Such forward-looking information in this release speak only as of the date hereof. Forward-looking information in this release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: the holding of the AGSM and the timing and format thereof; the business to be considered at the AGSM, including the Continuation; potential or predicted effects on the Company of the Continuation, should the same be approved and completed. This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time it was made, and involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: the Company's operating history; history of operating losses; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing; fluctuations in the market price of the Company's common shares; the effect of government regulation and compliance on the Company and the industry; legal and regulatory change and uncertainty, whether in British Columbia, the BVI or elsewhere; jurisdictional factors associated with international operations; foreign restrictions on the Company's operations; product development and rapid technological change; dependence on technical infrastructure; protection of intellectual property; use and storage of personal information and compliance with privacy laws; network security risks; risk of system failure or inadequacy; the Company's ability to manage rapid growth; competition; the ability to identify opportunities for growth internally and through acquisitions and strategic relationships on terms which are economic or at all; the ability to identify and complete the acquisition of suitable real estate investment opportunities on terms which are economic or at all; effectiveness of the Company's risk management and internal controls; use of the Company's services for improper or illegal purposes; uninsured and underinsured losses; theft & risk of physical harm to personnel; precious metal trading risks; and volatility of precious metals prices & public interest in precious metals investment; and those risks set out in the Company's most recently filed annual information form, available on SEDAR+. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220201 SOURCE: GoldMoney Inc. Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) regrets to report that a fatal accident occurred at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The accident occurred underground at the Kansoko mine when Mr. Bruno Akake Mutombo, a Kamoa Copper drill rig operator, was struck by a fall of ground. Mr. Mutombo was stabilized by the emergency response team and evacuated to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. Management has commenced a comprehensive review of the incident. Kamoa Copper is working with the DRC authorities to facilitate their investigation of the accident. The company is committed to enhancing all safety protocols at its operations. On behalf of the Kamoa Copper Joint Venture, Ivanhoe Mines extends its deepest condolences to the grieving family, friends, and colleagues of Mr. Mutombo who have been impacted by this tragic accident. Mining activities at Kansoko were temporarily suspended to conduct a full investigation and have since restarted after the company secured the area of the incident. About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal projects in Southern Africa; the expansion of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC, the construction of the tier-one Platreef palladium-nickel-platinum-rhodium-copper-gold project in South Africa; and the restart of production at the ultra-high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC. Ivanhoe Mines also is exploring across circa 1,808 km2 of highly prospective, 60-100% owned exploration licences in the Western Forelands, located adjacent to the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC. Ivanhoe is exploring for new sedimentary copper discoveries, as well as expanding and further defining its high-grade Makoko, Kiala, and Kitoko copper discoveries as the company's next major development projects. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220286 SOURCE: Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 16, 2024) - US Copper Corp (TSXV: USCU) (OTCQB: USCUF) (FSE: C73) ("US Copper" or the "Company") announces a proposed non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $200,000 comprised of up to 6,666,667 units at a price of $0.03 per unit (each such unit being comprised of one common share and one warrant) (the "Offering"). Each whole warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share for $0.06 at any time within 2 years after closing. All securities issued pursuant to this private placement will be subject to a four (4) month hold period. Completion of the Offering is subject to receipt of all required regulatory and TSX Venture Exchange approvals. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Offering for general working capital purposes. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "hopes", "anticipates", "expected to", "plans", "planned", "intends" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220297 SOURCE: US Copper Corp. EDINBURGH, Scotland, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Organised by China Shanghai International Arts Festival, co-organised by Branding Shanghai, the fourth edition of 2024 CHINA FOCUS has officially launched at the Edinburgh Festivals, showcasing a remarkable array of eight outstanding Chinese theatre productions. The programme promises a feast for the senses, blending traditional and contemporary Chinese culture. This year's lineup features an exciting selection of performances, including Wu Man at the Edinburgh International Festival, Riding Alone, Look at Them!, Forging the Swords, Hi, Sid!, Hu Opera Love Bridge, Ancient Ship, Beautiful Earth The Blue Bird at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. These productions draw inspiration from classic myths and literary masterpieces of Chinese heritage, highlighting the rich diversity and vibrant spirit of China while offering a unique fusion of Chinese and Western cultures to a global audience. Launched in 2017, CHINA FOCUS aims to promote Chinese heritage and cultural products in international markets. This celebration of excellence in Chinese theatre showcases high-quality performances in Edinburgh, each reflecting a contemporary interpretation that melds traditional elements with modern creativity. The official reception for CHINA FOCUS on 16 August welcomed distinguished guests, including representatives from UK Department for Business and Trade, British Council, Scottish Government, Scottish Development International, Festivals Edinburgh, as well as Chinese Consulate General in Edinburgh, The Center for China Shanghai International Arts Festival and Shanghai Huangpu District Government. Guests also watched the show of Ancient Ship by CSIAF Youth Art Troupe following the reception. CHINA FOCUS serves as a strategic and dynamic platform for fostering innovation in the Sino-UK creative industries. By presenting an exquisite selection of theatrical productions, this annual programme is poised to become a cornerstone of the Edinburgh Festivals' celebration of Chinese culture, strengthening existing relationships and forging new connections between individuals and organisations within the creative sectors. Founded in Shanghai, China Shanghai International Arts Festival is a premier national arts festival that serves as a gateway for international cultural exchange. It focuses on showcasing and promoting outstanding Chinese works on the global art stage, collaborating with festivals and art organisations worldwide. Through its efforts, the festival tells the story of China while interpreting the vibrant culture of Shanghai. Media Enquiries: Jennifer QIAN Marketing & Communication Manager T: +86 21 5383 0558 Email: jqian@brandingshanghai.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2483966/Branding_Shanghai.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/china-focus-returns-to-edinburgh-festivals-showcasing-premier-chinese-theatre-productions-302224690.html Drift Energy, a Bath, UK-based startup set to make green energy at sea using hi-tech sailing vessels, raised 4.65m in seed funding. The round was led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from Blue Action Accelerator. The company intends to use the funds to bolster its vessel design program, support team growth and enable the onboarding of new partners. Led by CEO and Founder Ben Medland, Drift Energy is committed to driving the transition to clean energy worldwide by deploying a fleet of high-performance sailing vessels that harness deep ocean wind to produce green hydrogen at sea and deliver it globally. The company has also recently been awarded funding from Innovate UK, the UKs innovation agency, through its Investor Partnership Programme, which is designed to drive investment into high-growth, innovative UK companies working on technology. The grant will catalyse the research and development programme and accelerate the design process of the first vessel. FinSMEs 16/08/2024 Creator: Darren Star Cast: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Camille Razat, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, Lucien Laviscount For a show to be engaging, it doesnt need to be perfect. But the way Netflix Emily in Paris has moved from one season to another is commendable. And along with Emily (Lily Collins) we get to tour Paris, in the most glamorous possible way. Netflixs Emily in Paris for me falls under the feel good, look good show which fits well under the category of travel, food and fashion series. Its packed with sass and style. Advertisement Not all is perfect, but that is the magic of Emily. Sometimes it is important to watch fluff too. And it is good to see the not so perfect life of Emily, including her boyfriend, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), the gorgeous Chef who is most often confused between his ex, Camille (Camille Emilie Razat) and Emily. Netflixs Emily in Paris Season 4 promises glitz, glam, and oh la la moments bound to make you want to indulge in the Parisian adventure. Emily in Paris Season 4 will be split into two 5-episode parts, with Part 1 premiering on Netflix on August 15, 2024, followed by Part 2 on September 12, 2024. As we all know Emilys life is full of ups and downs, but she always comes out strong. Starting from coming to Paris and then being ditched by her boyfriend in Chicago to being accepted by her boss and co-workers in Paris, its never been an easy ride for her. But this time too she comes out as a winner with a smile on her face as always. Thats what makes Emily special. A still from Netflixs Emily in Paris Emily Cooper and Gabriels slow burn romance has a magic which is difficult to forget. And good to see Emily who has adapted herself to French life and has got sophisticated with her dressing and the way she conducts herself. Emilys boss Sylvie too has developed a liking for her and trusts her with major marketing projects because she knows that Emily is a go-getter. That is the quality of Emily that even her boss has started liking. Even in the thickest of problems, Emily has a solution. Netflix Emily in Paris-S4 Part 1 touches upon the Me Too movement too. Ever since Emily in Paris started streaming in 2020, the people across the globe have shown their love because the show is definitely aspirational and thats exactly what the viewers love about Emily and her high life in Paris. Paris is definitely a fashion and art lovers paradise. You are encouraged to don your best berets and join in celebrating Emilys whimsical journey. The best thing about Emily is even when she double timing, she is harmless and she doesnt want to hurt anybody. Advertisement The best thing about Netflixs Emily in Paris is that its not preachy. But, yes it does have a specific audience who love the show and there is a group of pseudo intellectual audience who hates it for its fluffy content. Well this group too watches it and gives their expert comments and thats what makes Emily in Paris so popular. You love it or you hate it, but you definitely cant ignore it! Rating: 3 and half out of 5 WATCH the trailer of Netflix Emily in Paris-S4 Part 1 here: Indias apex medical education regulatory body, the National Medical Commission, has revealed that 31.23 per cent of postgraduate students have had suicidal thoughts, while 4.4 per cent attempted suicide in the last 12 months. Among undergraduates, 27.8 per cent reported being diagnosed with a mental health condition, and 16.2 per cent experienced suicidal ideation read more The survey also highlighted a significant lack of access to mental health services and a strong reluctance to seek help among these students. Reuters A recent survey by the National Medical Commission (NMC) has uncovered distressing insights into the mental health of medical students in India. The online survey found that one in four MBBS students in India suffers from a mental disorder, while one in three postgraduate medical students has experienced suicidal thoughts, revealing a worrying picture of future healthcare providers. The survey also highlighted a significant lack of access to mental health services and a strong reluctance to seek help among these students. Many fear privacy violations while others stigma surrounding mental health issues that further discourages them from seeking the help they need, the survey found. Advertisement Conducted by a task force established by the countrys apex medical education regulatory body, the survey gathered responses from 25,590 undergraduate students, 5,337 postgraduate students, and 7,035 faculty members. The findings were detailed in a report titled National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students. It not only highlighted the gravity of the situation but also proposed several recommendations for corrective action. Heres a detailed look at the NMC report Widespread mental health issues The committees survey reveals a troubling prevalence of mental health issues among students. Among undergraduates (UGs), 27.8 per cent reported being diagnosed with a mental health condition, and 16.2 per cent experienced suicidal ideation. For postgraduates (PGs), the figures are even more alarming: 31.23 per cent have had suicidal thoughts, 10.5 per cent (564 students) contemplated suicide in the past year, and 4.4 per cent (237 PG students) attempted suicide in the last 12 months. The survey also found that among PG students, nearly 41 per cent of them feel very uncomfortable seeking help for mental issues, while other 44 per cent of students avoided seeking assistance altogether due to concerns about confidentiality, fearing privacy breaches. There was also a lack of accessibility and quality of mental health services at medical colleges, the report found. About 19 per cent of UG students rated these services as very or somewhat inaccessible, and 19 per cent described their quality as very poor or poor. Image for Representation. PTI Stigma associated with mental health issues also played a significant role, with 20 per cent of students worrying about societal judgment and misunderstanding. Additionally, 16 per cent of PG students reported unspecified obstacles to seeking help. Advertisement Further, 36.4 per cent of medical students (9,319) felt they lacked adequate knowledge and skills to manage stress. There was also a lack of accessibility and quality of mental health services at medical colleges, the report found. About 19 per cent of UG students rated these services as very or somewhat inaccessible, and 19 per cent described their quality as very poor or poor. Faculty or mentors are perceived as extremely unsupportive by 4,664 students (18.2 percent), the report highlighted. The report called for immediate action and stated, This level of mental health disorders and suicidal ideation, combined with students risk factors, demands urgent and aggressive implementation of intervention programs. Advertisement Working conditions Managing stress requires breaks, but for postgraduate medical students, this is difficult to achieve. Nearly 45 per cent of PG students, or 2,432 individuals, reported working over 60 hours a week, with more than 56 per cent (3,020 students) missing their scheduled days off. Excessive duty hours pose risks to physical and mental health of medical students and also compromise patient safety, the task force headed by Dr Suresh Bada Math, a professor of psychiatry at NIMHANS Bangalore quoted as saying by The Times of India. A significant 42 per cent of students attributed their stress to college administration issues, including patient and family interactions, while the remaining 50 per cent identified faculty and seniors as their primary sources of stress, equally split between the two. Advertisement Living conditions in hostels are also a major concern. About 41.6 per cent of MBBS students (10,645) expressed dissatisfaction with their hostel facilities, citing issues with cleanliness and maintenance. Additionally, 33.7 per cent (8,613 students) reported inadequate privacy in their rooms. Food quality in hostel messes is another pressing issue, with 55.9 per cent of students (14,294) dissatisfied with the meals provided. The survey also found that insufficient and non-uniform stipends that dont match living costs or workload, coupled with delays in payments, create significant financial instability for medical students. Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) members holding placards stage a strike over allowance issue, outside Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Nagpur in Feb 2024. File Photo/ PTI About half of the PG students (2,747 or 51.5 percent) reported stress due to the PG seat leaving bond, where students have to pay the state exchequer if they leave their course midway or do not provide services in rural areas or other specified services. Nearly 37.4 percent (1,998) of PG students reported stress related to the rural service bond, affecting a substantial number. Advertisement If these are the concerns faced by future healthcare professionals themselves, their potential in influencing patients to seek help becomes a question that needs to be thought through, NMC task force said. What did the report recommend? The report offered 44 recommendations to address the mental health and working conditions of medical students. It proposed measures such as providing 24/7 support through the governments counselling helpline, tele-MANAS, improving amenities in colleges and hostels, and involving families in induction programmes to better understand the pressures faced by medical students. The report emphasised that Given the individualised nature of mental health issues and suicidality, a one-size-fits-all solution for suicide prevention is impractical. Addressing this complex challenge requires a sophisticated, multi-faceted approach tailored to meet the unique needs and circumstances of medical students in India. Additionally, it recommended that resident doctors work no more than 74 hours per week, with a maximum of 24 hours at a stretch. The proposed schedule includes one day off per week, one 24-hour duty, and 10-hour shifts for the remaining five days. The report stressed, Ensuring 7 to 8 hours of daily sleep for medical students is crucial for their mental and physical health. The report recommended that resident doctors work no more than 74 hours per week, with a maximum of 24 hours at a stretch. The proposed schedule includes one day off per week, one 24-hour duty, and 10-hour shifts for the remaining five days. Image for Representation. Reuters The report also suggested adopting the pay scale structure and retirement policies of AIIMS-Delhi across all institutions to address compensation disparities, which range from Rs 15,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Standardising pay scales, retirement and rotational headship policies across institutions ensures equity and attracts high-quality faculty. Prohibiting private practice for medical teachers and providing non-practicing allowances can maintain the quality and integrity of education, it stated. Furthermore, it advocated for the abolition of the bond policy and the establishment of mentor-mentee programs to offer guidance and professional development. These programs should include regular meetings, mentor training, and support for mentees. At the national level, a permanent member of the National Medical Commissions (NMC) Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) should oversee the implementation of these recommendations, the report advised. With input from agencies Bangladeshs interim government is considering an extradition request to India for Sheikh Hasina over several cases including murder accusations. However, do the two nations have an extradition treaty in place? Will New Delhi heed Dhakas call if such an appeal is made? read more Facing numerous murder cases now, the Bangladesh interim government is now mulling whether to file a request of extradition with India for Sheikh Hasina. File image/Reuters Nearly a fortnight ago, Bangladeshs politics changed when anti-government protests forced Sheikh Hasina to resign as prime minister and flee the country, making her way to India. Since then, an interim government under the leadership of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has been set up. Now, it seems that Bangladesh may demand Hasinas extradition from India with the countrys de-facto foreign minister Mohammad Touhid Hossain saying on Thursday (August 15) that the government will soon enough decide on the same. Advertisement But what is extradition? Can Sheikh Hasina be extradited? We explore all of this and get you the answers. Hasinas likely extradition On Thursday (August 15), which is marked as National Mourning Day in Bangladesh, the countrys foreign affairs adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain, speaking to news agency Reuters, said that the government will decide whether to ask India to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is facing numerous cases at home. In an interview, he said he did not want to speculate, but noted that Hasina was facing so many cases. If the countrys home and law ministries decided, we have to ask for her return to Bangladesh, he said. That creates an embarrassing situation for the Indian government, he said, adding India knows this and I am sure they will take care of it. People gather at the entrance of the Parliament Building a day after the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. File image/Reuters The news of Hasinas possible extradition comes after she bolted from the country on August 5, facing angry protesters. In the time that she has left, multiple cases have been filed against her. On August 13, a murder case was filed against the former Bangladesh PM for her alleged involvement in the death of grocery shop owner Abu Sayeed, who was killed in a police shooting on July 19. This was the first legal action against Sheikh Hasina since her resignation from the Prime Ministers office on August 5. Later, on August 14, a case of enforced disappearance was filed against her and several others, including former ministers of her Cabinet, on the charge of kidnapping a lawyer in 2015. According to a Daily Star report, the application was filed by the victim Supreme Court lawyer Sohel Rana. His application, as per the report, said: On 10 February 2015, I was detained from Sector 5 in Uttara and forced into a vehicle. As soon as I was inside the car, I was nearly made unconscious by electric shocks to my ears and genitals. Advertisement After enduring various forms of brutal torture over time, I was eventually released in August in Godagari, Rajshahi. And on August 15, Ataur Rahman, deputy director of the investigation cell of International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic court, said it had launched a third case an investigation against 10 people, including Hasina, for murder, torture and genocide during the period of the protests. The case comes after a Supreme Court lawyer filed the case on behalf of Bulbul Kabir, father of slain Arif Ahmed Siyam, a class 9 student who was shot dead by police during the protest on August 5. Protesters shout slogans as they vandalise a mural of Sheikh Hasina with paint and mud at Teacher Student Centre (TSC) area of University of Dhaka in Dhaka, Bangladesh. File image/Reuters Extradition explained Facing a slew of cases back home, the Bangladesh government may ask for her extradition from India. But what does extradition mean? Advertisement Extradition is the formal process of a state surrendering an individual to another state for prosecution or punishment for crimes committed in the requesting countrys jurisdiction. For this, countries sign extradition treaties with one another to facilitate this process. Extradition treaties between countries vary from one another; some may state what is an extraditable crime. Moreover, treaties also define instances when extradition is to be denied. As the Council on Foreign Relations notes, authorities generally cannot extradite individuals for military or political offences, with exceptions for terrorism and other violent acts. Some states will not extradite to jurisdictions with capital punishment or life imprisonment under any circumstances, or unless the requesting authority pledges not to impose those penalties. Advertisement India-Bangladesh extradition treaty But can Hasina be extradited from India to Bangladesh? And if yes, whats the process? New Delhi and Dhaka have an extradition treaty in place since 2013, which allows the countries to exchange convicts or undertrials as and when required. In 2016, there was an amendment added to the treaty, allowing the exchange of convicts sentenced for more than a year in prison but does not apply to political prisoners and asylum seekers. For Bangladesh to request for Hasinas extradition, it will have to approach the Indian government, namely the Ministry of External Affairs, which is the central authority in extradition matters. Advertisement However, top Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader and former Cabinet minister Abdul Moyeen Khan said that the extradition treaty between the two countries may not be applicable to Hasinas case. Thats because the agreement between New Delhi and Dhaka doesnt extend in the case of political asylum seekers. He told the Indian Express that the government of India hasnt yet made its position clear on how and on what basis Sheikh Hasina, who fled from Bangladesh, has been accommodated in India. He told the Indian Express, It is obvious to the people of Bangladesh that she is probably going to stay for the time being in India. Its now up to the Indian authorities, the policymakers, the politicians and their foreign ministry to appreciate the circumstances under which she had to leave the country, and whether patronising her and allowing her to make statements which go against the people of Bangladesh would be helpful for the friendly relations between India and Bangladesh. In a CNA interview, professor Sreeradha Datta from the Jindal School of International Affairs also noted that it is up to New Delhi now to consider Dhakas request based on the charges that the country imposes on her. Will India consider Bangladeshs request for an extradition if made? New Delhi shares close ties with Sheikh Hasina, dating back to 1975. File image/Reuters Implications for India The question that many are now asking is will India extradite Hasina if a request is made? India and Sheikh Hasina share old ties she had sought refuge in India in 1975 after soldiers assassinated her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with seven family members including his 10-year-old son Russell. India had provided political asylum to Hasina. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi met her soon after she returned from Germany and assured her safety, providing her house. In the subsequent years, she has maintained ties with India and the Narendra Modi-led government. While India has old ties to keep in mind, it also has to remember that it needs to maintain good relations with the current administration in Bangladesh in order to maintain its position in the region. Moreover, it will stoke stronger anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh. As experts note, India will have to walk a tightrope between old friends and its future in the region. But for now, the future remains uncertain for Hasina. With inputs from agencies ISRO is launching its earth observation satellite EOS-08 onboard the third development flight of its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). The BJPs womens wing will march to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjees residence in Kolkata over RG Kar hospital violence and vandalism. Heres what else to expect during the day read more Independence Day celebrations are over. Before the weekend arrives, Friday is going to witness several key developments. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to the earth observation satellite EOS-08 onboard the third development flight of its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold a candlelight march to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees residence in Kolkata to protest against the vandalism at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the wee hours of Thursday night. Advertisement Heres all this and more that is expected to make headlines throughout the day. ISROs satellite launch The Indian space agency will use the final developmental flight of SSLV to launch the 175-kg EOS-08. The earth observation satellite will carry three instruments. The Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR) will click images in mid-wave and long-wave infra-red during day and night. The data can help in satellite-based surveillance, disaster and environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity, and so on. The second payload is Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is capable of examining ocean surface wind and soil moisture, conducting cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, and flood and inland waterbody detection. The other payload SiC UV Dosimeter monitors UV irradiance at the viewport of the Crew Module in the Gaganyaan Mission and serves as a high-dose alarm sensor for gamma radiation, according to ISRO. SSLV-D3/EOS-08 Mission The launch of the third developmental flight of SSLV can be watched LIVE on August 16, 2024, from 08:50 Hrs. IST on ISRO Website https://t.co/8RuXZOVn5M ISRO Facebook https://t.co/zugXQAYy1y ISRO YouTube channelhttps://t.co/7Xb5e4uBo6 and pic.twitter.com/sFwJHQc1Fp ISRO (@isro) August 15, 2024 Advertisement The mission, which aims to place the satellite in a Circular Low Earth Orbit at a 475 km altitude and an inclination of 37.4 degrees, will take place at Satish Dhawan Space Centre spaceport. BJPs march to Bengal CMs house The womens wing of the BJP will hold a candlelight rally from Hazra crossing to Banerjees south Kolkata residence at Kalighat to protest against violence and vandalism at the Bengal capitals RG Kar hospital. A 31-year-old junior doctor was brutally raped and murdered at the state-run hospital last week. Doctors have led protests against the heinous crime across India. Amid protests, RG Kar Medical College and Hospital saw violence in the wee hours of August 15 as a mob barged into the emergency building, damaging medical equipment, and breaking lights, fans and computers. Advertisement The police have arrested nine people in connection with the vandalism. The BJP has demanded the resignation of CM Banerjee over the incident. The saffron party has decided to hold protests across the state and block roads. Manish Sisodias padyatra Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia will kickstart his padyatra from Friday. He was earlier scheduled to launch it on Independence Day. However, the plan had to be deferred following the Delhi Polices security advice. The AAP leader was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court after over 17 months in jail. AAP leader Manish Sisodia will begin his padyatra across Delhi. File Photo/PTI Senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said it was probably natures plan that the foot march will begin on August 16, which is chief minister Arvind Kejriwals birthday. Advertisement According to the Hindi calendar, his birthday is on Janmashtami but according to English calendar, it falls on August 16. Whatever happens happens for good. Maybe it was natures plan that the padyatra begins on Kejriwals birthday, he reportedly said. Foxconn chief may meet Karnataka CM Young Liu, the chairman of Taiwan-based Hon Hai Technology Group, also known as Foxconn, will visit Karnataka. He is expected to meet CM Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries MB Patil. Liu will hold discussions with the CM and Industries Minister. He will also visit Foxconns under-construction manufacturing plant near Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, where work is progressing. Its unclear if any new investments will be announced, but if there are, it will be a bonus for us, a source told Moneycontrol. Advertisement The Foxconn chief met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on August 14. I highlighted the wonderful opportunities India offers in futuristic sectors. We also had excellent discussions on their investment plans in India in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Modi said in a post on X. Drive against fake GST registrations Tax officers will begin a two-month-long special drive against fake GST registrations, according to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). This will be the second such initiative. As per PTI, the first special drive was conducted last May when nearly 22,000 fake registrations involving suspected GST evasion of over Rs 24,000 crore were discovered. With inputs from agencies British Challenger 2 tanks are playing a key role in Ukraines audacious cross-border raid into Russias Kursk Oblast, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. While their deployment showcases Ukraines growing military capabilities, the tanks operational challenges ranging from mobility issues to logistical constraints raise questions about their long-term effectiveness on the battlefield read more Ukrainian personnel hold a Ukrainian flag as they stand on a Challenger 2 tank during training at Bovington Camp, near Wool in southwestern UK, February 22, 2023. File Image/Reuters British Challenger 2 tanks have been used in Ukraines daring cross-border raid into Russia, with reports from British news outlets confirming their deployment on Russian soil for the first time. A UK military source confirmed that these tanks were part of Kyivs offensive in the Kursk region, representing the largest foreign incursion on Russian soil since World War II. Kyivs 82nd Air Assault Brigade, equipped with these tanks, has been central to the operation. Advertisement The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has maintained that Ukraine has the right to use UK-supplied weapons in self-defence, even if that entails operations within Russia. However, the use of Storm Shadow missiles remains restricted to Ukrainian territory and Crimea. Watch: Footage released by Moscows defence ministry purportedly shows a Challenger 2 tank being struck by a Russian kamikaze drone near the Ukrainian-occupied town of Sudzha. Western analysts, however, have questioned the authenticity of the heavily-edited footage, suggesting that the tank may not have been destroyed as claimed by Russian sources. How old are UKs Challenger 2 tanks? The Challenger 2, designed and built by Vickers Defence Systems (now BAE Systems), has been a cornerstone of British armoured forces since its introduction in 1994. Developed as a replacement for the Challenger 1, it has seen action in several major conflicts, including Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq, where it gained a reputation for its durability and firepower. Serving in four armoured regiments across the UK, each regiment operates 56 Challenger 2 tanks, emphasizing their importance in the British Armys operational capabilities. British Army soldiers from Badger Squadron, The Royal Tank Regiment part of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team ride Challenger 2 tanks during Exercise Immediate Response as one component of NATOs Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, in Drawsko Pomorskie training area, Poland, May 15, 2024. File Image/Reuters Despite its storied history, the Challenger 2s unique design and specialized equipment have presented challenges in its deployment within the Ukrainian conflict, where it faces harsh terrain and logistical hurdles. What challenges do the Challenger 2 tanks face? The Challenger 2 tanks have been sparingly used by Ukrainian forces, largely due to their specific design and operational limitations. Britain donated 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, but only a handful reportedly remain operational after one was destroyed during fighting around Robotyne in southern Ukraine last summer. Advertisement The tanks, which weigh 71 tonnes, are equipped with a 1,200-horsepower engine that has been criticised for being underpowered, leading to instances where the tanks have become bogged down in Ukraines soft soil. British Army soldiers from Badger Squadron, The Royal Tank Regiment part of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team, are seen on a Challenger 2 tank during Exercise Immediate Response as one component of NATOs Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, in Drawsko Pomorskie training area, Poland, May 15, 2024. File Image/Reuters A Ukrainian Challenger 2 crew member, speaking to UKs The Sun, described the tank as a sniper rifle among tanks due to its accuracy. However, the tanks rifled L30 120-millimeter cannon poses logistical challenges, as its ammunition is incompatible with other Western tank guns. Also Read: Why are Ukrainian vehicles marked with white triangles? The L30A1 cannon also wears out after 500 rounds, significantly less than the 1,500-round lifespan of smoothbore cannons on other Western tanks. This limitation has led the 82nd Brigade to use the tanks primarily as mobile howitzers, keeping them miles behind the front line to avoid the risk of them getting mired in combat zones, reported Forbes. Advertisement As of March 2024, Ukrainian media reported that only seven of the original 14 Challenger 2 tanks remain in combat-ready condition. The tanks frequently require repairs, particularly to turret parts and the aiming system, with delays in obtaining parts contributing to the low level of readiness. What now? The use of Challenger 2 tanks in Ukraines cross-border operations has raised concerns about a potential escalation of tensions between Russia and the West. The deployment of these tanks is seen as part of a broader strategy by Kyiv to reinforce success on the battlefield, as noted by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British tank commander. Advertisement He told The Telegraph, Its a mark piece of kit and has a psychological hold over the Russians. The demonstration of combined arms maneuver is the first time in this war and very impressive. It must have taken months of training in secret, which is amazing on this transparent battlefield. British Army soldiers from Badger Squadron, The Royal Tank Regiment part of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team, ride Challenger 2 tanks during Exercise Immediate Response as one component of NATOs Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, in Drawsko Pomorskie training area, Poland, May 15, 2024. File Image/Reuters Despite their symbolic and tactical significance, the Challenger 2 tanks face operational challenges that limit their effectiveness. The lack of mobility, inadequate protection in some areas, and the unique logistics required for their maintenance and ammunition supply make them a double-edged sword in the Ukrainian arsenal. With inputs from agencies Like IITs, Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have seen a slow placement season this year. For graduates, it is a lose-lose situation. The institutes are increasing fees but the median salary has become stagnant or even dropped for some of these top business schools in India read more The median salary has remained constant in several IIMs for the 2024 batch. Instagram/iimaofficial (Representational Pic) Students at Indias top management schools are bearing the brunt of a tight job market. After a slow placement season at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) this year, median pay has stagnated. The median wage is what a middle-ranked candidate would earn. It is the amount between the highest and lowest salary of workers in a specific occupation. What is going on? Lets understand. Tough time for IIM graduates As per a Livemint report, the median salary at IIMs has become static and even dropped in some cases for the 2024 batch. Advertisement The median salary at IIM-Kozhikode was Rs 26.5 lakh per annum for the 2020-22 batch. It increased to Rs 27 lakh for the next batch and remains the same for the 2022-24 group, noted the newspaper. The median annual salary stood at Rs 32.5 lakh at IIM-Bangalore for the 2024 batch, a drop from Rs 33 lakh in 2023. The median compensation was Rs 31.2 lakh for students of the 2020-22 session. A similar scenario was seen in IIM-Indore. The median pay dipped from Rs 27.2 lakh in 2023 to Rs 24.5 lakh for the 2024 batch. In IIM-Lucknow, the median wage was Rs 27 lakh for the 2024 batch, down from Rs 30 lakh in 2023 and Rs 29 lakh in 2022. For IIM-Ahmedabad students, the median pay was stagnant at Rs 31.58 lakh and Rs 31.59 lakh in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The top business school is yet to release the number for 2024, reported Livemint. The latest figures are not out for IIM-Calcutta either. The management institute had a median salary of Rs 33.67 lakh in 2023, a jump from Rs 31 lakh for the 2022 batch. As per the Livemint report, the 2023 batch benefited from the increased median wages as the companies went on an over-hiring spree after the pandemic. However, campus placements felt the effects of a forecast of a global economic slowdown as the job market turned uncertain due to wars. Advertisement The stagnant median pay reflects the volatility in the market and even now, global wars are on. It will be difficult to predict the salaries for the upcoming batch but if the median remains same over few years, then it is a cause of worry, Debashis Chatterjee, director at IIM-Kozhikode, told Livemint. According to Brajesh Singh, president of management consultant Arthur D Little India, the median salary is expected to be constant for IIM students, noted the financial newspaper. Rising costs sting IIM students While median pay has remained stagnant or even plunged, the IIMs have enhanced fees for the upcoming batches citing rising costs. Advertisement Students enrolling at IIM Ahmedabad for a two-year MBA this year will have to shell out Rs 26.5 lakh. The fees were Rs 25 lakh and Rs 24.61 lakh in the previous two years, respectively, as per the Livemint report. IIM Indore increased the fees to Rs 20 lakh for the 2022-24, 2023-25 and 2024-26 batches, a hike from Rs 16 lakh paid by students of the 2021-23 group. The fees had remained unchanged during the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating an adjustment to keep pace with rising operational costs, Himanshu Rai, director at the institute, told the financial newspaper. IIM-Bangalore is charging Rs 26 lakh from students of the 2024-2026 group, compared to Rs 24.5 lakh from the last batch. Advertisement ALSO READ: Why IITs are struggling to get students placed this season Slow placements this year IIMs had a slow placement season this year. Officials and students told Economic Times (ET) in January that it was turning out to be the most difficult ever to get jobs for IIM students of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore and Kozhikode. Consulting firms, which are among the top recruiters at IIMs, slashed the number of offers. To mitigate the impact, institutes tapped into their alumni network to get all students placed. While the older IIMs like Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Bangalore usually achieve 100 per cent placement by the first phase, it took longer than usual for students to get hired this year. Advertisement Prospects improved by the last phase of the placement season. As per a News18 report in February, recruiters, especially in the tech sector, were open to hiring after the narrative around the global economic slowdown lost steam. Even though placements gained pace, median salaries remained less compared to 2023. Although its a positive sign that more offers are being made in the final phase, the median salaries remain low and are non-comparable to previous years. Even during the pandemic, the institutes managed to get higher pay packages. There is a sharp drop in the average CTC offered by major recruiters in many of the third-generation IIMs, a placement executive told News18. IIMs were not the only ones hit by economic uncertainty. Indias top engineering colleges Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) also struggled to get students placed this year. A CNBC report in May citing data collated by IIT-Kanpur alumnus and placements mentor Dheeraj Singh mentioned that 8,000 IITians 38 per cent of students who registered for campus placements were yet to be hired in the 2023-24 placement drive. With inputs from agencies The Indian Space Research Organisation on Friday successfully launched its third development flight of the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV). The small three-stage rocket which is just two metres in diameter and weighs 120 tonnes can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kilogrammes and place them in Low Earth Orbit (up to 500 kilometres above Earth) read more The SSLV is a three-stage rocket, with solid propellant powering the first three stages. Image Courtesy: @isro/X The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Friday morning successfully launched its third development flight of the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV). The vehicle is carrying the 175-kilogramme Earth Observation Satellite-8 (EOS-08) on board, according to the space agency. The launch took place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradeshs Sriharikota at 9.17 am. Following the launch, Isro said in a post on X, The third developmental flight of SSLV is successful. The SSLV-D3 placed EOS-08 precisely into the orbit. Advertisement SSLV-D3/EOS-08 Mission: The third developmental flight of SSLV is successful. The SSLV-D3 placed EOS-08 precisely into the orbit. This marks the successful completion of ISRO/DOS's SSLV Development Project. With technology transfer, the Indian industry and ISRO (@isro) August 16, 2024 The SSLV development project by Isro has been completed with SSLV-D3. Heres all we know about it. The SSLV-D3 The small rocket is just two metres in diameter and 34 metres long and weighs 120 tonnes, as per NDTV. It can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kilogrammes and place them in Low Earth Orbit (up to 500 kilometres above Earth). By contrast, the Bahubali, also known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk 3) is Indias biggest rocket, weighing 640 tonnes, according to the report. The mini rocket was developed by Isro with the aim of commercialising it. The SSLV took more than seven years to build and was ready for a total cost of more than Rs 170 crore, in keeping with Isros goal of launching affordable yet successful space missions. SSLV-D3/EOS-08 Mission: The launch of the third developmental flight of SSLV is scheduled for August 16, 2024, in a launch window of one hour starting at 09:17 Hrs. IST pic.twitter.com/JWxq9X6rjk ISRO (@isro) August 12, 2024 Advertisement According to Swarajya magazine, almost 21 new technologies are being tested for this launch, according to Isro. Dr M Sankaran, Director of the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), as per the magazine said, It is a trailblazing satellite packed with new futuristic technologies. The small 175 kilogrammes, EOS-8 satellite is packed with new and novel experimental technologies that will help power Isros and Indias dreams. The launch is special According to space scientists, the SSLV is a three-stage rocket, with solid propellant powering the first three stages. The last stage, the terminal stage, has a payload adapter and a liquid propulsion system known as the Velocity Trimming Module (VTM), explained The Week. Advertisement The payload adapter firmly fastens the payloads to the rockets top, guaranteeing their safe delivery into space, and the VTM is utilised to change the rockets speed as needed. To generate thrust, the VTM modifies by releasing tiny volumes of liquid fuel. With this thrust, the rockets velocity may be precisely controlled by increasing or decreasing its speed. With this, the VTM assists in directing the rocket into the desired orbit. The SSLV can be launched quickly when needed, allowing Isro to serve the growing market for small satellite launch services efficiently. This launch vehicle can send one satellite weighing up to 500 kg into a planar orbit, 500 km above the Earth and is capable of conducting six to eight missions each year, said space expert Girish Linganna, as per the report. Advertisement Commercialising SSLV According to Indian Express which cited Isro officials, this is the final SSLV mission that Isro will launch; after that, all missions will be executed by the selected commercial business. The technology is already up for acquisition by a minimum of six companies. An MoU was signed by Isros commercial division, New Space India Limited (NSIL), to launch an Australian satellite aboard a commercially operated SSLV in the future. The Australian company Space Machines Company is planning to launch a satellite into space that can repair other satellites while they are in orbit. Isro Chairperson Dr S Somanath stated, as per NDTV, By its sheer simplicity and production friendliness, SSLV will be a game changer in the industry production and launch goal for commercial launchers of India. Advertisement The need for small launch vehicles that can be rapidly built on demand to launch numerous small and microsatellites into low earth orbit is increasing on a global scale. Although Isro does not release precise costs, analysts project that each SSLV launch will come with a price tag of approximately Rs 30-35 crore, placing it among the most reasonably priced rockets in its class. The global small satellite market is expected to reach $13.71 billion by 2030, from an estimated $3.25 billion in 2020, according to a Bloomberg report. Thus, the commercialisation of SSLV holds great promise. The SSLV is designed to be a cost-effective choice for launching into space. It offers the flexibility to carry multiple satellites and can be ready to launch quickly. The SSLV requires minimal infrastructure, has a short turnaround time, and can be built faster by industries. It also requires very little time at the launch pad, allowing integration and launch within 24 hours, said Linganna, as per The Week. EOS-08 and its advanced payloads The EOS-08 satellite is designed to enhance environmental monitoring, facilitate the management of natural disasters, and assist with the Gaganyaan mission. It is constructed on a regular Isro Microsat/IMS-1 bus. It is equipped with three instruments: The Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR) is intended to take daytime and night time mid-wave and long-wave infrared photos. In satellite mainframe systems, the EOS-08 offers numerous new technological advancements. These include the Communication, Baseband, Storage, and Positioning (CBSP) package, an integrated avionics system that may combine several tasks into a single, effective unit that supports up to 400 GB of data storage, reported CNBC-TV18. According to the space agency, it also features a flexible solar panel and a nanostar sensor for onboard technology demonstration. The previous two developmental flights of SSLV On August 7, 2022, the Microsat 2A and AzaadiSAT satellites were launched on SSLVs maiden developmental mission. However, a sensor failure that escaped the attention of the ground control staff prevented it from successfully putting the satellites into their planned circular orbit, as per The Week. On February 10, 2023, the second SSLV development flight, or SSLV-D2, was launched. The EOS-07 (Earth Observation Satellite-07), Janus-1, and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites were successfully launched into an orbit 450 kilometres above Earth during this mission. With inputs from agencies The EC has announced that Jammu and Kashmir will go to the polls in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1. This is the first election in the Union Territory since 2014. Will we see a repeat of those results? read more Kashmir previously went to the polls in 2014. PTI Jammu and Kashmir is going to the polls. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced that the Union Territory will hold Assembly elections in three phases. Phase 1 will begin on September 18, phase 2 on September 25 and the third and final phase on October 1. Jammu and Kashmir currently has 90 seats in the Assembly with Jammu having 43 seats and Kashmir having 47 seats. There are about 3.71 lakh first-time voters in the Union Territory. Advertisement The results will be announced on October 4. Jammu and Kashmir previously held election in 2014. But why is Jammu and Kashmir finally going to the polls now? And what happened the last time it held elections? Lets take a closer look: Why is it finally going to the polls? The Supreme Court in December had ordered the Election Commission to hold polls in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024. The apex court bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprising justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant made the ruling on a clutch of petitions challenging the revocation of Jammu and Kashmirs special status. The court unanimously upheld the Centres August 5, 2019 decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 bestowing special status to the erstwhile state. The then state was bifurcated into two Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The bench also ordered the restoration of statehood at the earliest as well as elections to the Assembly by September 30. Justice Chandrachud referred to Solicitor General Tushar Mehtas statement that Jammu and Kashmirs statehood will be restored except for the carving out of the Union Territory of Ladakh. Advertisement We direct that steps shall be taken by the Election Commission of India to conduct elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir constituted under Section 14 of the Reorganisation Act by September 30, 2024. Restoration of statehood shall take place at the earliest and as soon as possible, the CJI said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the ruling a resounding declaration of hope, progress, unity for our sisters and brothers in J&K and Ladakh. What happened last time? Polls in Jammu and Kashir were last held in 2014. At the time, Omar Abdullah was chief minister of the then state. Advertisement The period before the polls witnessed high-drama with the Congress and National Conference breaking off their alliance. The 2014 election was held in five phases from November 25 to December 20 2014. The state saw a respectable turnout of 65 per cent despite calls from the usual suspects to boycott the polls, as per Hindustan Times. The results, announced on December 23, saw the PDP emerging as the single-largest party with 28 seats in the 87-seat Assembly. Meanwhile, the BJP nabbed 25 seats, the National Conference got 15 seats, the Congress won 12, the JKPC got two seats seats, the CPI(M) and JKPDF won netted seat each, and Independents won 3 seats. As per Hindustan Times, Omar Abdullah resigned and Presidents Rule was imposed for a bit. Advertisement The BJP, then fresh off taking power at the Centre, teamed up with the PDP to form the government. This was another historic first for the BJP the first time it became a coalition partner in the Jammu and Kashmir government. The new regime took office on March 1, 2015, with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as chief minister. The BJPs Nirmal Kumar Singh took the oath of office as the deputy chief minister of Kashmir. Then, in January 2016, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away. The then state was put under governors rule again before Mehbooba Mufti took over as chief minister. But it wouldnt last. On June 19, 2018, the Jammu and Kashmir government fell. Advertisement Mehbooba Mufti resigned as Kashmir chief minister after the BJP withdrew its support. Image courtesy: X Mehbooba resigned as chief minister of Kashmir after the BJP withdrew its support from the alliance. The BJPs Ram Madhav at the time told the media it has become untenable for the BJP to continue with the alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir. Keeping in mind that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and in order to control the prevailing situation in the State, we have decided that the reins of power in the state be handed over to the Governor, Madhav added. Mufti in turn blamed the turn of events on the muscular policy of the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir. We defended Article 370 and 35A, Mufti said after her resignation, We cant treat J&K as enemy territory. There is no room for muscular policy in the state. Though some regional parties were ready to give support to the PDP, then governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the state Assembly. In 2018, the Centre imposed Presidents Rule in Jammu and Kashmir. However, everything would change in August 2019 when the Centre scrapped the special status and bifurcated the then state into two Union territories. With inputs from agencies The West Bengal government is facing questions from the opposition over the rape and murder of a young doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Amid pressure, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP and the CPI(M) of trying to foment trouble read more West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee addresses the media after meeting parents of a postgraduate trainee doctor who was sexually assaulted and killed in Kolkata, at Panihati in North 24 Parganas, August 12, 2024. File Photo/PTI The horrific rape and murder of a young trainee doctor in West Bengals Kolkata have triggered a political blame game. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has blamed the opposition the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M) for trying to foment trouble in the state. The opposition has questioned the Mamata Banerjee-led government over the incident. The violence and vandalism at Kolkatas state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where the womans body was found in the wee hours of August 15 amid doctors protest has further added fuel to the political slugfest. From the ruling TMC to the opposition BJP, several political parties are taking to the streets in Bengal today (August 16) over the brutal rape and death case and vandalism at the hospital. Advertisement Lets take a closer look. Mamata Banerjee slams opposition West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is set to lead a rally at 4 pm in Kolkata seeking justice for the rape-murder victim through the death penalty for the main accused. One Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, has been arrested in the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the case and has so far questioned five officials of the RG Kar hospital in connection with the case. On Thursday, Banerjee blamed CPI(M) and the BJP for the late-night attack on the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Speaking to reporters after a visit to the Raj Bhawan to attend the Independence Day tea party, she said the protesting doctors were not responsible for the vandalism and violence. The troublemakers were outsiders. I dont blame the students. They were some outsider political people who want to create trouble in Bengal baam and Ram (which means the Left and the BJP in local political parlance). They have united to create this trouble, the CM said, as per The New Indian Express (TNIE). She added, In the videos I saw, there were people with the Indian flag who were BJP (workers) and others with DYFIs red-and-white flag. DYFI is the Democratic Youth Front of India, the youth wing of the CPI-M. Earlier, Banerjee had alleged a coordinated effort by the BJP and CPI(M) to politicise the rape and murder of the junior doctor. Advertisement Referring to the students protest in Bangladesh that brought down the regime of Sheikh Hasina, the Bengal CM alleged the opposition was trying to make a Bangladesh here. She also accused the opposition parties of attempting to defame West Bengal. A coordinated approach has been executed by the BJP and CPI(M), with support from the Centre, to defame Bengal and exploit the situation They want to make a Bangladesh here. I have no longing for the chair. I came here to serve people, Banerjee was quoted as saying by Indian Express. The West Bengal CM also brought up the atrocities against women under the previous Left government in the state and similar crimes in other places like Delhi and Uttar Pradeshs Hathras. Advertisement I want to ask the Congress too, many incidents take place in your states, what action do you take? Dont try to politicise the incident just for a few likes on social media and media footage, she told the opposition parties. Her statement on Wednesday came hours after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi spoke about the Bengal rape-murder case. Accusing the TMC government of attempting to save the accused, he wrote on X, The entire country is shocked by the gruesome incident of rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata. The way the layers of the cruel and inhuman act against her are being revealed, there is an atmosphere of insecurity among the doctors community and women. Advertisement The attempt to save the accused instead of providing justice to the victim raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration, he said. , Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 14, 2024 Opposition lambasts Bengal govt The opposition BJP in Bengal has demanded Banerjees resignation over the violence at RG Kar hospital. BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, alleged TMC goons were behind the vandalism. Mamata Banerjee has sent her TMC goons to the apolitical Protest Rally near RG Kar Medical College and HospitalThey were given safe passage by the Police, who either ran away or looked the other way so that these lumpens would enter the hospital premises and destroy areas containing crucial evidence so that it doesnt get picked up by the CBI, he wrote on X. Adhikari has also written to the Union government demanding the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) at the RG Kar Medical College to prevent further destruction of evidence. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar previously hit out at female TMC MPs, questioning their silence on the brutal crime. TMC MP Mahua Moitra has criticised the political narrative of painting women TMC leaders as Gungi gudiya (mute dolls). There is no cover-up. Mamata Banerjee is the only lady chief minister in India and has always stood for womens causes. To somehow put a political leaning to this and say that all of us are Gungi gudiya (mute dolls) is some kind of political narrative that we had to face before and that we are going to fight back again, she said in a video posted on X. We are in total solidarity with the outpouring of real grief and fear on the streets . But it is necessary to separate facts from false propaganda. @MamataOfficial pic.twitter.com/WLI5n908sg Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) August 15, 2024 The CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim has also criticised the TMC and the state government over the vandalism. CPI(M)s Sujan Chakraborty alleged the hand of the CM in the vandalism. Another leader of the party Bikash Ranjan, as per Times of India, said: Trinamool has orchestrated both the crime and the attack by miscreants yesterday. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate has questioned whether women are safe in India. Alleging cover-up by the local administration of the crime in Bengal, she said to ANI, What is happening with women in this country? Why did the local administration try to cover up the crime? The violence we saw yesterday is unacceptable and it is not the answer to anything Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary Annie Raja has called the political blame game over the rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor a tragedy of Indian women. This is the tragedy of Indian women, whenever they are raped and murdered brutally, the political blame game takes place. After a few days, everything ends, again it will start when other lady meets the same fate. Nobody is sincere to see that women of this country enjoy equal citizenship or equality and justice. Until and unless all the political parties will take it as a serious political issue, (this cant be addressed). Finally, who are the victims? Who are the sufferers? It is the women and the girls, she told PTI. Opposition protests in Bengal As Banerjee takes to the streets, the opposition parties in Bengal have planned their own protests. The BJPs womens wing will hold a candlelight march to Banerjees south Kolkata residence demanding the resignation of the CM over the RG Kar vandalism. BJPs Majumdar has said the party will hold a sit-in demonstration near the hospital. The saffron party has also planned road blockades from 2 pm to 4 pm in Kolkata and other districts of the state today. The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) began its 12-hour general strike on Friday to protest the rape and murder of the doctor. The party leaders also condemned the TMC government over its failure to ensure the safety of doctors. With inputs from agencies The probe into Matthew Perrys tragic death has unravelled a complex web of addiction and exploitation involving his assistant, two doctors, and a notorious drug dealer, Jasveen Sangha, known as the Ketamine Queen. Charged with supplying the lethal dose of ketamine that killed the FRIENDS star, these individuals face serious legal consequences, shedding light on the darker side of Hollywoods battle with addiction read more A makeshift memorial for actor Matthew Perry, the wise-cracking co-star of the 1990s hit television sitcom "Friends," who was found dead at his Los Angeles home on October 28, is pictured on Bedford Street in Manhattan in New York City, US, October 30, 2023. File Image/Reuters The investigation into the death of Matthew Perry, beloved FRIENDS star, has unveiled a dark and intricate web of addiction, exploitation, and illegal drug distribution. This probe has led to the indictment of multiple individuals, including Perrys live-in personal assistant, two doctors, and an alleged drug dealer known as the Ketamine Queen. The revelations paint a harrowing picture of the final days of a man who fought a lifelong battle against addiction. Advertisement Watch: Who are the key players in the case? US Federal authorities have charged five individuals in connection with Perrys death: Kenneth Iwamasa, Perrys personal assistant; Dr. Mark Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, both of whom were involved in illegally supplying drugs; and drug dealers Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the Ketamine Queen, and Eric Fleming. At a news conference, US Attorney Martin Estrada highlighted the defendants exploitation of Perrys addiction, stating, These defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring about his well-being. Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing in FRIENDS, was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. File Image/Reuters The allegations indicate that these individuals conspired to supply Perry with ketamine, a powerful anesthetic that is also used recreationally for its dissociative effects. Who is the Ketamine Queen? What is her role in this case? At the centre of this criminal enterprise is Jasveen Sangha, a 41-year-old dual British and American citizen who allegedly operated a drug empire from her Hollywood residence. Dubbed the Ketamine Queen, Sangha is accused of being the primary supplier of the ketamine that ultimately led to Perrys death. When US federal agents raided her home, they discovered a staggering 79 vials of ketamine, nearly 2,000 methamphetamine pills, psilocybin mushrooms, and other illicit substances. THE QUEEN OF KETAMINE ALLEGEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MATTHEW PERRY'S DEATH, Jasveen Sangha, 41, earned herself the notorious nickname for selling ketamine and meth out of her North Hollywood stash house going back to as early as June 2019, according to a CA. federal indictment. pic.twitter.com/jnDtBq5F0g Andre Nuta (@andre_nuta) August 16, 2024 Advertisement The indictment also revealed that Sangha kept detailed records of her drug transactions in a green journal, documenting the thousands of dollars she made from her illicit activities. According to prosecutors, Sangha sold 50 vials of ketamine to Perrys assistant, Iwamasa, in two separate transactions in October last year. Sangha first provided a sample vial on October 13, followed by a larger sale of 25 vials the next day. Advertisement A week later, she sold an additional 25 vials. Sangha reportedly went so far as to offer ketamine lollipops to Iwamasa as a gesture of goodwill for Perrys large order. How did ketamine impact Matthew Perry? Matthew Perrys battle with addiction was well-documented in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, where he expressed his hope to be remembered for helping others overcome addiction. Perry sought ketamine treatment for depression and anxiety, but when his doctors refused to increase his dosage, he turned to outside sources, leading him into the hands of the accused. Perrys autopsy revealed that he had 3.54 micrograms per millilitre of ketamine in his system, nearly three times the amount typically used for general anesthesia. Advertisement A redacted undated photograph in a Grand Jury charging document shows what is described as a fraudulent prescription for ketamine and a box containing ketamine lozenges that alleged co-conspirator Dr. Mark Chavez had sent to Dr. Salvador Plasencia of Santa Monica, after five people were charged with supplying FRIENDS star Matthew Perry with ketamine, in this handout image obtained by Reuters on August 15, 2024. The medical examiner reported that the ketamine caused cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression, contributing to Perrys death, which also involved drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid-use disorder. At the press conference, Anne Milgram, Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator, summarised Perrys final days: Matthew Perrys journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials. What is the legal fallout for the arrested? The legal consequences for those involved are severe. Iwamasa, 59, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death and faces up to 15 years in prison. He admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine, including multiple injections on the day Perry died. Advertisement A person leaves flowers outside the home of late actor Matthew Perry in Pacific Palisades, California, US, October 31, 2023. File Image/Reuters Fleming, 54, who also pleaded guilty, could face up to 25 years in prison. Dr. Chavez, 54, agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, with a potential sentence of up to 10 years. Sangha, facing the most serious charges, could spend life in prison if convicted. Her charges include conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. What now? Perrys death has spurred a broader investigation into what Estrada described as a broad underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Perry and others. This case has exposed the dangers of unregulated ketamine distribution and the ruthless individuals who prey on vulnerable people struggling with addiction. David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc of Friends, appear in the photo room at the 54th annual Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, US, September 22, 2002. File Image/Reuters Perry, who had been sober for 19 months at the time of his death, was remembered by those close to him as being in good spirits in the weeks leading up to his passing. He had even quit smoking two weeks before his death and was attempting to wean himself off ketamine. However, the dark forces of addiction and exploitation ultimately claimed his life. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies Despite global efforts to combat child marriage, the United States has recorded over 300,000 cases since 2000, with 37 US states still allowing the practice under certain conditions. While 13 states have banned it outright, the persistence of legal loopholes leaves minors, predominantly girls, vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Why hasnt the US fully eradicated this harmful practice? read more Only 13 of the 50 US states have abolished child marriage. Representational Image/Pixabay The United States, often regarded as a champion of human rights, is grappling with a disturbing reality: the persistence of child marriage. Despite global condemnation and strides in combating the practice, child marriage remains legal in most US states. While child marriage is typically associated with countries in South Asia and Africa, it is a pervasive issue in the US as well. According to research by Unchained At Last, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to ending forced and child marriages, over 300,000 children have been married in the US from 2000 to 2018. Advertisement The vast majority of these marriages involved young girls being wed to adult men. Shockingly, in 2017, child marriage was legal in all 50 states, with Delaware and New Jersey becoming the first states to ban the practice in 2018. Child marriage remains legal in 37 states and is happening in the US at an alarming rate, states Unchained At Last. The organisations research uncovered that children as young as 10 have been married across the country, and that the age of majoritywhen a child legally becomes an adult and gains full legal rightsis 18 in every US state. However, children who marry before reaching the age of majority often face overwhelming legal and practical barriers to escape abusive relationships. Why is child marriage legal in most US states? Despite the widespread occurrence of child marriage in the US, the legal landscape remains fragmented. The minimum age for marriage is determined by individual states, not the federal government, leading to a patchwork of laws riddled with exceptions. As of 2024, 13 states have passed legislation banning child marriage outright, including Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Michigan, Washington, Virginia, and New Hampshire. However, 37 states still allow child marriage under certain conditions, such as parental consent or judicial approval. Perhaps most shockingly, children are typically not allowed to initiate a legal proceeding, such as seeking a protective order or even filing for divorce, unless they act through a guardian or other representative. This outrageous legal setup puts the lock in wedlock, says Fraidy Reiss, founder and executive director of Unchained At Last. Advertisement Also Read: What is Iraqs proposed law that may allow girls to marry at 9? In states like Texas, which recorded the highest number of child marriages (41,774) from 2000-2018, these legal exceptions have allowed the practice to persist. Other states with high numbers include California (23,588), Florida (17,274), Nevada (17,403), and North Carolina (12,637). The state with the fewest child marriages during that period was Rhode Island, with 171 cases. The inconsistency in state laws often leads to situations where minors are taken across state lines to marry in jurisdictions with more lenient laws. When one state ends child marriage, often youll see in a neighboring state that still allows it, or even a few states over, youll see those numbers increase, Reiss told Newsweek. You have to pass simple, common-sense legislation that costs nothing, harms no one, to end a human rights abuse that destroys girls lives and creates a nightmarish legal trap for minors. Advertisement How does child marriage impact the victims? Child marriage is more than just a legal issueit is a severe form of gender-based violence that has long-term consequences for those involved. Marrying at a young age often leads to an imbalanced power dynamic, leaving minors vulnerable to domestic and sexual violence. In the US, 86 per cent of child marriages involve a minor girl marrying an adult man, setting the stage for potential abuse and exploitation. According to the Population Institutes study titled Behind Closed Doors: Exposing and Addressing Harmful Gender-Based Practices in the United States, child marriage is a significant factor contributing to the dropout rate among adolescent girls. Globally, it is the leading cause of girls leaving school. Advertisement Also Read: Sierra Leone abolishes child marriage in a historic legislation that came after long struggle In the US, women who marry before the age of 19 are 50 per cent more likely to drop out of high school, four times less likely to graduate from college, and 31 per cent more likely to live in poverty. These consequences perpetuate cycles of poverty and limit opportunities for those affected. Child marriage is a form of gender-based violence and a human rights violation," Maniza Habib, research associate at the Population Institute wrote for Al Jazeera. It puts minors at higher risk for poverty and exploitation and denies them educational and economic opportunities. Advertisement What is stopping the US banning the practice? Efforts to ban child marriage across the US have faced significant resistance from both conservative and progressive groups. In conservative states, opposition often stems from concerns over religious freedom and anti-abortion stances. In more liberal states like California, lawmakers have stalled efforts to pass laws against child marriage, citing fears that it could prevent minors in abusive relationships from accessing social support and protection. However, the arguments against banning child marriage fail to address the fundamental issue: the protection of minors. Ending child marriage is more important to the health and dignity of American children than preserving antiquated traditions, Habib asserts. They need protection from entering legal contracts that they do not have the power to escape, and empowerment to make their own choices about their lives. Leading human rights lawyer Amal Clooney speaks next to former US first lady Michelle Obama during the Discussion on Ending Child Marriage and Empowering Adolescent Girls at the Centre for the Book in Cape Town, South Africa, November 16, 2023. File Image/Reuters Despite the challenges, there is growing momentum to address the issue. As of July 2023, only four states California, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma had no minimum age for marriage. Legislation to ban child marriage under the age of 18 is pending in states like California, Illinois, Missouri, and South Carolina. Advocates argue that a nationwide ban on child marriage, without exceptions, is necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of minors. The lack of a comprehensive federal law setting a minimum age for marriage has allowed this harmful practice to continue, leaving thousands of minors vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. As Habib states, Child marriage threatens the bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom of a child more than any ban ever could. Also Watch: Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire and former prime minister of Thailand. Paetongtarn, 37, is the youngest of Thaksins three children and is known in Thailand by her nickname Ung Ing. Experts say Paetongtarn faces multiple challenges including the cratering of the economy, the dwindling popularity of her Pheu Thai Party and questions over how much freedom how she will be given by her father who remains a strong power-broker behind the scenes read more Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been elected Thailands youngest prime minister. Paetongtarn is the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire and former prime minister of Thailand. Paetongtarn is the fourth member of her family to serve as prime minister. The development comes just days after Thailands Constitutional Court ousted Srettha Thavisin as prime minister and a week after the same court banned the countrys most popular politician Pita Limjaroenrat and dissolved the Move Forward Party. But who is Paetongtarn? And what challenges lie ahead of her? Advertisement Lets take a closer look: Who is Paetongtarn? As per The Guardian, Paetongtarn is the youngest of Thaksins three children. Paetongtarn in Thailand is known by her nickname Ung Ing. Thaksin was ousted from the prime ministers chair by an army coup in 2006 but he remains a strong power-broker and his Pheu Thai Party remains a major force in Thai politics. He returned to Thailand last year after years in exile in what was interpreted as part of a political bargain between Pheu Thai and their longstanding rivals in the conservative establishment to stop Move Forward Party from forming a government. Paetongtarn grew up in Bangkok, attending private schools in the centre of the city. She was exposed to politics from a young age, and would follow her father around when he became foreign minister. As Thai political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak from Chulalongkorn University told CNN: She was very prominent and was often seen with him. She later went to the United Kingdom to get a masters degree in international hotel management at the University of Surrey. Paetongtarn helped run the hotel arm of the familys business empire. Advertisement In 2019, she married commercial pilot Pidok Sooksawas. They have two children. Paetongtarn entered politics in 2021 when the Pheu Thai party announced she would lead an inclusion advisory committee. She was appointed as leader of Pheu Thai last year, after she was named one of its three prime ministerial candidates ahead of the polls. When Paetongtarn was on the campaign trail for Pheu Thai, she acknowledged her family ties but insisted she was not just her fathers proxy. Its not the shadow of my dad. I am my dads daughter, always and forever, but I have my own decisions, she told a reporter. According to The New York Times, her decision to accept the top job shocked many. Advertisement The outlet quoted sources close to Paetongtarn as saying she was hesitant to do so. What are the challenges she is facing? Paetongtarn faces challenges on multiple fronts, with the economy floundering and the popularity of her Pheu Thai Party dwindling. The party is yet to deliver on its flagship cash handout program worth 500 billion baht ($14.25 billion). The fall of Srettha after less than a year in office will be a stark reminder of the kind of hostility Paetongtarn could face, with Thailand trapped in a tumultuous cycle of coups and court rulings that have disbanded political parties and toppled multiple governments and prime ministers. Advertisement The Shinawatras and their business allies have borne the brunt of the crisis, which pits parties with mass appeal against a powerful nexus of conservatives, old money families and royalist generals with deep connections in key institutions. Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Reuters The legacy and and political future of the billionaire Shinawatra family, whose once unstoppable populist juggernaut suffered its first election defeat in over two decades last year, and had to do a deal with its bitter enemies in the military to form a government, is also on the line. Paetongtarns popularity too remains under the scanner. Advertisement According to The New York Times, Paetongtarn, who has never served in government, was the choice of just six per cent of voters in a recent poll as the preferred prime minister. Paetongtarn trailed both Pita and Srettha . Paetongtarn has urged the public to be patient and let Pheu Thais economic policies bear fruit. It has only been one year I will push all the Pheu Thai policies for success, she said. We are determined and ready to push the country forward. Recent events in Thailand are also a reminder of how the dangers and perils of the countrys politics, according to The New York Times. As per The Guardian, the turn of events also display the tenuousness of the arrangement made to keep Move Forward Party out of power. Nine days ago, the same court that dismissed Srettha over a cabinet appointment also dissolved the anti-establishment Move Forward Party the 2023 election winner over a campaign to amend a law against insulting the crown, which it said risked undermining the constitutional monarchy. It has since formed a new Opposition party. In the span of one week, the court has disfranchised more than 14 million voters by dissolving their party of choice, and unseated a democratically elected prime minister, Napon Jatusripitak, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, told The Guardian. He described the development as essentially a judicial coup. The upheaval in the past few days also indicates a breakdown in a fragile truce struck between Thaksin and his rivals in the establishment and military old guard, which had enabled the tycoons dramatic return from 15 years of self-exile in 2023 and ally Srettha to become premier the same day. The decision to put Paetongtarn in play at such a critical juncture has surprised many analysts, who had expected Thaksin to delay his dynasty and avoid exposing Paetongtarn to the type of battles that led to the downfall of himself and sister Yingluck, who both fled overseas to avoid jail after their governments were ousted by the military. Paetongtarn also faces a tough time as Thaksin continues to call political shots for Pheu Thai, said Petra Alderman, a political research fellow at Englands University of Birmingham. Thaksin was a political force to reckon with, but he was also a liability, she said, He has a tendency to overplay his political hand, so serving in his shadow has never been easy. Researcher Ken Lohatepanont told The Guardian it is likely that the coalition government remains. But Thaksins freedom of navigation is being increasingly limited, he added. However, others contend that the coalition under the leadership of Paetongtarn could strengthen their unity. This is because Paetongtarn possesses something that Srettha does not a direct line to her powerful father who has the final say said Napon Jatusripitak, a political science researcher at Singapores ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. In a strange way, it creates a clear chain of command and curbs factionalism, he said. Paetongtarn will be given clear jurisdictions on where she can exercise her own agency and where it is a matter between her father and the coalition members. With inputs from agencies A day after the World Health Organization declared mpox to be a global health emergency, medical officials confirmed a case in Sweden, a first outside of Africa. Three other cases have also been recorded in Pakistan. Is it time for us to be concerned? read more Dr. Tresor Wakilongo, verifies the evolution of skin lesions on the ear of Innocent, suffering from Mpox - an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus that sparks off a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever; at the treatment centre in Munigi, following Mpox cases in Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo July 19, 2024. Reuters Mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close contact, has been declared a global health emergency for the second time in two years. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday issued its highest level of alert for the viral disease, noting that more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year have already exceeded last years figures. The announcement comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Africa declared mpox a public health emergency. Advertisement Heres all we know about the virus. What is mpox? Mpox is a viral infection that primarily affects humans and animals. It belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, called Orthopoxvirus genus. Like smallpox, which is now eradicated, mpox is caused by the same poxvirus as cowpox and vaccinia, as per Al Jazeera. Mpox usually results in a pox-like illness that causes skin blisters or raised lumps. The lumps can gradually crust over and heal, and they are frequently filled with pus or fluid. Zawadi Bwira Bakulu, 35, shows the rash marks on her son Christevie Lukeka who recovered from Mpox in Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo July 18, 2024. Reuters Originally named monkeypox, the virus was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a pox-like disease in captive research monkeys in Denmark, as per The Associated Press. In 1970, the first reported human case was a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in central and west Africa who had close contact with infected animals. Given that the illness can also infect rodents and human beings, the WHO suggested changing the name in 2022 to mpox to lessen stigma and associations with monkeys. Advertisement How is it transmitted? Humans contract the mpox virus when they come into close contact with an infected animal or person. Animal bites, scratches, or direct contact with an infected animals blood, bodily fluids, or wounds are the most common ways that animals can spread an infection to humans. The respiratory system, mucous membranes, such as those in the mouth, nose, and eyes, and broken skin are the passages that bring the virus into the body, according to Al Jazeera. Transmission from one person to another can occur via: Direct contact with skin lesions, body fluids, or respiratory droplets of an infected person. Prolonged face-to-face contact with an infected person. Touching contaminated objects, such as bedding or clothing that have been in contact with the infectious material, although this is a rare mode of transmission. What are its symptoms? Fever, headaches, aches in the muscles, and an unusual rash that can emerge on the face, hands, feet, and other parts of the body are just some of the symptoms. Before the rash heals, it eventually develops pustules and scabs. Advertisement As the immune system tries to combat the virus, lymph nodes bean-shaped glands may also swell up, often behind the neck, on the sides, and beneath each arm. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared recent mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant of the virus has been identified. Reuters The infection can linger anywhere from two to four weeks overall. However, its symptoms may appear three to 21 days after being exposed to the virus. The virus can spread from one person to another for one to four days before symptoms appear, as per the report. Is there a vaccine against it? No vaccines are yet available, although efforts are underway to change that and work out who best to target. Advertisement The report says treating mpox is being researched with the antiviral medication tecovirimat (TPOXX), which was first developed for smallpox. JYNNEOS (also known as Imvamune or Imvanex), a smallpox vaccine, has been licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in cases of severe mpox in individuals 18 years of age and older. Christian Musema, a laboratory nurse, takes a sample from a child declared a suspected case Mpox - an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus that spark-off a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever; at the the treatment centre in Munigi, following Mpox cases in Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo July 19, 2024. Reuters Vaccines and behaviour change helped stop the spread when a different strain of mpox spread globally, primarily among men who have sex with men, and WHO declared an emergency in 2022, as per Reuters. The CDC advises vaccination and isolation after coming into contact with an individual who has mpox. Why has it been declared a global emergency? Advertisement A new mpox variant was discovered, and cases were recorded for the first time in numerous countries, including Kenya and Rwanda, prompting the WHO to designate mpox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), warning the diseases potential to spill across international borders. PHEIC status is WHOs highest level of alert and aims to accelerate research, funding and international public health measures and cooperation to contain a disease. Its clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as per Reuters. Sarah Bagheni, in the Bulengo refugee camp in Goma, Congo, suspects she may be infected with Mpox after the World Health Organization had declared Thursday, August 15, 2024, the increasing spread of mpox in Africa a global health emergency, warning the virus might ultimately spill across international borders. AP Two years ago, WHO declared mpox was an emergency when a form of the disease began to spread globally, largely among men who have sex with men. The virus was reported in more than 70 countries across the world. That outbreak was brought under control after behaviour change and safe sex practices, plus vaccines, helped people at risk protect themselves in many countries. Once cases declined, the WHO lifted the emergency status in May 2023. Tedros said on Wednesday that WHO had released $1.5 million in contingency funds and plans to release more in the coming days. WHOs response plan would require an initial $15 million, and the agency plans to appeal to donors for funding, as per the report. Also read: Can a deadly new mpox strain in Africa ignite another global outbreak? How bad is the situation in Africa? Mpox has been a public health problem in parts of Africa for decades. The first ever human case was in Congo in 1970, and it has had outbreaks ever since, as per the news agency. The current outbreak, Congos worst ever, has seen 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths since January 2023, largely among children. Last week, the Africa CDC reported that mpox has now been detected in at least 13 African countries. Compared with the same period last year, the agency said cases are up 160 per cent and deaths have increased by 19 per cent. Whats behind the current outbreak? The outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I. But a new variant, clade Ib, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact. It has spread from the Congo to neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, triggering action from the WHO. Clade Ib appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact. Clade I mpox tends to cause a higher number of severe infections and have a higher mortality rate than clade II mpox, according to US health officials. Dr. Tresor Wakilongo, verifies the evolution of skin lesions on the ear of Innocent, suffering from Mpox at the treatment centre in Munigi. Reuters This is especially concerning for vulnerable groups like children in displacement camps in parts of the Congo, who are now moved from the eastern Congo to Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Kenya. What about other countries? Global health officials on Thursday confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden and linked it to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent. Swedish health officials said at a press conference that the person was infected while in Africa with the clade Ib type of mpox involved in the recent outbreak. The person is receiving treatment. The emergence of a case on the European continent could spur rapid international spread of mpox, said Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert and professor at Georgetown Law in Washington. A case in Sweden most likely means dozens of undetected cases in Europe. Pakistan has detected three patients with the mpox virus, the health department in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said on Friday. The viral infection was detected in the patients on their arrival from the United Arab Emirates, the department said. State epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen, Olivia Wigzell, acting Director General of the Public Health Agency and Jakob Forssmed, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health give a press conference to inform about the situation regarding mpox, in Stockholm, Sweden, August 15, 2024. Reuters China will monitor people and goods entering the country for mpox for the next six months, a statement from its customs administration said on Friday. Personnel from countries with monkeypox outbreaks who have been in contact with monkeypox cases or display symptoms should take the initiative to declare themselves to Customs, it said. Vehicles, containers and goods from areas with mpox cases should be sanitised, the statement added. Chinas National Health Commission last year announced mpox would be managed as a Category B infectious disease, enabling officials to take emergency measures such as restricting gatherings, suspending work and school or sealing off areas when there is an outbreak of a disease. According to Focus Taiwan CAN English News, Taiwans Centers for Disease Control (CDC) raised its travel alert for Congo and six other African countries on Thursday after the WHOs alert. CDC Deputy Director-General Lo Yi-chun reportedly said that the CDC decided to raise Travel Health starting Thursday due to the high transmission rate and mortality rate of the new strain that has already spread in the country and neighbouring countries. With inputs from agencies Jammu and Kashmir is set to return to local electoral politics, with the Election Commission announcing the poll schedule for the Union Territory on Friday. The last elected local government fell in 2018 read more Jammu and Kashmir elections will be held in three phases September 18, 25 and October 1. Source: PTI/FILE. Jammu and Kashmir will be voting in its first assembly election since it became a Union Territory in 2019. The Election Commission announced the poll schedule for the Union Territory on Friday. The elections will be held in three phases September 18, 25 and October 1. Votes will be counted on October 4. The extended delay in holding assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir had drawn criticism from various quarters. The last assembly election was held in 2014. Advertisement Hearing matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, the Supreme Court earlier directed the Election Commission and the central government to hold assembly election in the Union Territory by September 30. The election schedule was announced after the poll panel visited the Union Territory to review security situation and administrative preparedness for the democratic exercise. The upcoming assembly election makes it a special exercise as it includes various firsts. First in 10 years In 2014, Jammu and Kashmir was still a full-fledged state. It went to the polls in five phases from November 25 to December 20 for 87 assembly seats. Separatist leaders gave a call for election boycott but the then-state that also included Ladakh recorded a 65 per cent voter turnout. The Bharatiya Janata Party surprised many with a resolute performance in Jammu while the Peoples Democratic Party dominated the Kashmir region. The PDP won 28 seats, followed by the BJPs 25. The National Conference won 15 seats and the Congress 12 as they fought separately. A seemingly unnatural alliance was formed in 2015 to form a PDP-BJP government, which fell in 2018. First election as Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir lost its statehood in August 2019, when the Modi government brought a bill for states reorganisation. It was for the first time in Indias constitutional history that a state was relegated to the status of a Union Territory. The new law created two Union Territories in place of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The resulting units were Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which had long demanded a separate identity as a Union Territory. Advertisement Jammu and Kashmir continued to have a legislative assembly while Ladakh was denied that facility. Ladakh was to be governed by local autonomous bodies under the Centres watch. First election post-Article 370 For seven decades, special status was a matter of Jammu and Kashmirs identity. It was created in combination with Article 370 of the Constitution of India and Article 35A mentioned in its annexure. The twin-provision allowed Jammu and Kashmir to have its own Constitution, a separate flag and a local residency condition unlike other Indian states. Its special status had been a contentious issue for years and the BJP had campaigned against it from the days of its predecessor, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh. Advertisement The scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and its relegation to the status of a Union Territory were anticipated to cause an upheaval in social and political space of Kashmir, which has seen unabated sponsorship of separatism from Pakistan-based groups. The Indian government placed several senior leaders under prohibitory detention to maintain peace in the Union Territory. Five years later, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is set to go to the polls. First assembly election without Ladakh While Ladakh was part of Jammu and Kashmir, the state, it had four assembly seats. It craved attention in policy-making that remained highly Valley-centric. Both Jammu and Ladakh regions complained about bias in policy-making and fund allocation for various development works. Advertisement With the Modi governments decision to reorganise Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh got a separate identity. Its tagging with Jammu and Kashmir ended. This means this will be the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the 1950s in which Ladakh wont be voting together. First election after delimitation Following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, the central government went for a delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir. The final order of the delimitation panel was announced in 2022. The Lok Sabha polls were held according to the delimitation order. This will be the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir after delimitation. Advertisement Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir with Ladakh had 87 assembly seats. Now, it has 90 seats 47 in the Kashmir region and 43 in the Jammu region. Another 24 sears are theoretically reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This takes the full strength of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to 124. The first Union Territory assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will take place in three phases, with voting scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1, followed by vote counting on October 4 read more (File) People stand in line to vote at a polling station during the fourth general election phase, in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, May 13, 2024. Reuters The Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases with voting scheduled for September 18, September 25 and October 1 followed by the counting of votes on October 4. The transformation of Jammu and Kashmir from a state to a Union Territory was a significant political move marked by the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. This abrogation led to the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. With the new status, a delimitation process became essential to reorganise the electoral constituencies to reflect the new administrative structure. Advertisement Key changes due to delimitation The Delimitation Commission, formed in March 2020, was tasked with redrawing the boundaries of the constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. The commission was chaired by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, with members including the former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Sushil Chandra, and the State Election Commissioner for Jammu and Kashmir, KK Sharma. After extensive consultations, the final report was submitted in May 2022. Here are the key changes: Jammu gained six new assembly constituencies, while Kashmir gained one. The changes were based on the population data from the 2011 census. The commission faced challenges due to the cultural and geographical diversity of the region. Constituency changes pre- and post-delimitation Distribution of seats With the new delimitation, the 90 assembly constituencies are divided as follows: Kashmir region: 47 constituencies Jammu region: 43 constituencies Reserved seats: The commission also reserved nine assembly constituencies for Scheduled Tribes (STs) for the first time in Jammu and Kashmirs history. This was significant given the demographic presence of Gujjar, Bakarwal and other tribal communities in the region. Additionally, seven constituencies were reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), mainly in the Jammu region. 9 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes 7 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes Additionally, 24 seats are reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (not contested). Impact of the First Assembly Elections as a Union Territory Advertisement The upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be historic as it will be the first time the region votes as a Union Territory. The delimitation has significantly altered the political landscape potentially affecting the outcome of the elections. Key factors: The addition of new constituencies in Jammu might shift the political balance. The reserved constituencies for STs and SCs could influence the representation of marginalised communities. The reorganisation might lead to new alliances and political strategies. The third round of the India-Japan 2+ 2 Foreign-Defence ministers meeting will be held on August 20 in DelhiDefence Minister Rajnath Singh and EAM S Jaishankar will be attending from the Indian side, said MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal read more Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that the third round of the India-Japan 2+2 Foreign-Defence ministers meeting will be held on August 20 in Delhi. #WATCH | MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "...The third round of the India-Japan 2+ 2 Foreign-Defence ministers meeting will be held on the 20th of August, 2024, in Delhi...Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and EAM S Jaishankar will be attending from the Indian side..." pic.twitter.com/DB21cpC2mu ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Advertisement Addressing a press conference on Friday, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, The third round of the India-Japan 2+ 2 Foreign-Defence ministers meeting will be held on August 20 in DelhiDefence Minister Rajnath Singh and EAM S Jaishankar will be attending from the Indian side. Jaiswal said the third edition of Voice of Global South will be held on August 17, in virtual format. #WATCH | MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "The third edition of Voice of Global South will be held tomorrow, in virtual format. All global south countries have been invited. We have a large number of countries participating..." pic.twitter.com/NjoenI4yzB ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 All global south countries have been invited. We have a large number of countries participating, he added. Advertisement He also said that the details of Prime Minister Narendra Modis upcoming visit to Ukraine will be shared soon. With inputs from agencies In response to the nationwide outrage following the Kolkata rape and murder, the Centre has mandated that all healthcare institutions file a police report within six hours if violence against doctors occurs read more A woman holds a placard as she attends a candlelight vigil held outside Jadavpur University campus, condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, India, August 15, 2024. Source: REUTERS. Its been a week and the family of the junior doctor, who was raped and killed, at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital continue to wait for justice. The parents are joined by several doctors across the country, people and many on social media for stringent punishment for those involved in the heinous crime. The trainee doctor who was on night duty at the state-run RG Kar hospital was brutally raped and murdered when she had gone to rest at the seminar hall finishing her night rounds. Her semi-naked body was found on Friday (August 9) morning and bore severe injuries, blood gushing out of her eyes and mouth, and her legs were 90 degrees apart. Advertisement Clamouring call for speedy justice The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide withdrawal of services on Saturday, August 17 for 24 hours in protest against the rape and murder of the doctor in Kolkata. In a statement, IMA said, After the brutal crime in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day, the Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday August 17 to 6 am Sunday August 18, for 24 hours." All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all sectors where modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors, the statement further stated. Mamata murdering the truth: BJP There has been a breakdown of the state machinery, BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia remarked. The uniform is supposed to protect the citizens of the state. When there are pressures on the uniform and police to act contrary to the spirit of the constitution, to protect and shield certain criminals who have affiliation with the political party and especially if that political party is the party in power we see such incidents happening. There are constitutional checks and balances like the High Court and Supreme Court Mamata Banerjee needs to realise that you cant murder the truth, he further said. Advertisement Calcutta HC blasts Bengal govt On Friday, the Calcutta High Court addressed the vandalism at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which occurred on the night of August 14 during a protest over the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor. The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court noted that the court had taken up the matter in response to emails received about the incident, as reported by Live Law. This is an absolute failure of state machinery. There was a police force present (at the spot). They couldnt protect their own men? Sorry state of affairs. How will these doctors work fearlessly? the Chief Justice criticised the West Bengal government, adding, You pass section 144 of the CrPC orders for any reason. When so much commotion is going on, you should have cordoned the area, he added. Advertisement 7,000 people cant come walking, he said. Mamata Banerjee blames Bam, Ram for RG Kar vandalism West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused outsiders and opposition parties of orchestrating the vandalism at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, was linked to protests over the rape and murder of a PG trainee doctor. She attributed the violence to a coalition of the Left and BJP, referring to them as bam (Left) and Ram (BJP). Bam (Left) and Ram (BJP) want to create unrest in Bengal and they both have come together to do this, she said. Claims of unrelated agitators Advertisement Banerjee asserted that those responsible for the vandalism were not associated with the student protests at RG Kar Medical College. The people who vandalised RG Kar Hospital yesterday and created this ruckus are not connected to the student movement of RG Kar Medical College. They are outsiders, she claimed. Centre asks hospitals to file case in 6 hours In response to the nationwide outrage following the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, the Centre has mandated that all healthcare institutions file a police report within six hours if violence against doctors occurs. The Ministry of Health issued a memo stating that the responsibility to file the FIR rests solely with the head of each institution. Advertisement This directive is part of a broader effort to address the widespread protests by doctors across the country, who are calling for legislation to protect healthcare professionals from violence. The move comes in the wake of the tragic murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. With inputs from agencies. Father of RG Kar hospital rape-murder victim on Friday said that his daughter was facing some problems at the college and made a big claim that the entire department was a suspect in the case read more Father of RG Kar hospital rape-murder victim on Friday said that his daughter was facing some problems at the college and made a big claim that the entire department was a suspect in the case. Speaking to reporters in West Bengals North 24 Parganas, the father said, She had to face some problems in college, the entire department was a suspect I spoke to the officials of CBI yesterday but I cannot say anything else since the matter is subjudice." Advertisement #WATCH | North 24 Parganas, West Bengal: Father of deceased doctor in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-death case says, "My daughter left for duty at around 8:10 am on that day. She was on OPD and last spoke to her mother at around 11:15 PM. In the morning when my pic.twitter.com/nWbFCzuoKr ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 He said his daughter left for duty at around 8:10 am on that day and last spoke to her mother at 11:15 pm. She was on OPD and last spoke to her mother at around 11.15pm. In the morning, when my wife was calling her, her phone was ringing but no one picked up, by that time my daughter had died, said the father. He said that despite being an on-duty doctor she was not engaged in work from 3 am to 10 am, which raises doubts. Talking about the support the family is getting from students and others all around, the father said that all the people who are protesting on the streets are like his sons and daughters. Advertisement My daughter has passed away but crores of children are standing with me now, said the father. The woman post-graduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminar room of the state-run health facility on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day. A group of people entered the hospital and vandalised the emergency department, nursing unit and medicine store in the early hours of Thursday. The mob also damaged CCTV cameras at the state-run health facility and ransacked a stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating against the alleged rape and murder of the doctor there and demanding security at their workplace. Advertisement Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the opposition CPI(M) and the BJP of orchestrating vandalism at RG Kar hospital and trying to distort the truth behind the rape-murder of a woman doctor by spreading fake news on social media. The nexus between the Left and BJP should be exposed. The CPI(M) and the BJP are behind the vandalism at the hospital. They vandalised the facility to destroy evidence of the ghastly crime, she said. Banerjee also reiterating her demand for capital punishment for the culprits. We want the truth to come out, but some quarters are spreading lies to mislead people. Attempts are being made to hide the truth by circulating fake news on social media. We condemn these activities. We want the culprits to be punished, she said while addressing a protest rally she undertook from Moulali to Dorina Crossing in Kolkata on Friday. Advertisement The Chief Minister also slammed the Union government for sending teams to Bengal but turning a blind eye to similar incidents in BJP-ruled states. They dont send teams to Uttar Pradesh even after incidents like Hathras and Unnao. They are always busy maligning Bengal. I dont want to talk about diplomatic matters, but why all the neighbouring countries are complaining about India. This has never happened before, they have messed up everything, she said. Banerjee also slammed the Congress, her partys ally in the opposition bloc INDIA, over its remarks regarding the incident. The Congress is criticising us but what about their track record in the states they rule. They should first look into their own backyard before making any remarks against us, she said. Advertisement Amid the public outrage, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently had said the attempt to save the accused instead of providing justice to the victim raises serious questions on the hospital and the local administration, triggering angry reaction from the TMC, its ally as part of opposition bloc INDIA at the national level. With inputs from agencies Elections in J&K will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, while Haryana will head to polls on on October 1, Election Commission of India announced on Friday, adding, counting of votes will be on October 4 read more Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases starting September 18, while Haryana will head to polls on October 1, Election Commission of India announced on Friday. Addressing a press conference in the national capital on Friday, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, Elections in J&K will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1; counting of votes will be held on October 4. Advertisement He said Haryana will head to polls in one-phase elections on October 1 and the date for counting of votes will be same as that of Jammu and Kashmir (October 4). He said the electoral rolls in J&K will be published on August 20 and in Haryana on August 27. Kumar said there are 3.7 lakh first time voters in Jammu and Kashmir. #WATCH | Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar says, "There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, of which 74 are general, SC-7 and ST-9. There will be a total of 87.09 lakh voters in Jammu and Kashmir, of which 44.46 lakh are males, 42.62 lakh are pic.twitter.com/O4Nd8Go7Zc ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, of which 74 are general, SC-7 and ST-9. There will be a total of 87.09 lakh voters in Jammu and Kashmir, of which 44.46 lakh are males, 42.62 lakh are females, 3.71 lakh are first-time voters and 20.7 lakh are young voters. The Amarnath Yatra will end on August 19 and the final voter list will also be published on August 20, said the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. Advertisement #WATCH | Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar says, "There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, of which 74 are general, SC-7 and ST-9. There will be a total of 87.09 lakh voters in Jammu and Kashmir, of which 44.46 lakh are males, 42.62 lakh are pic.twitter.com/O4Nd8Go7Zc ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 On August 14, the Election Commission held a meeting with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. In December last year, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to conclude the election process in the Union territory by September 30, 2024. We recently visited Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana to take stock of the election preparation in these places. A great enthusiasm was seen among the people. They wanted to participate in the election process. People want elections to be conducted there as early as possibleThe long queues at the polling booth in J&K during the Lok Sabha elections are proof that people not only want change but also want to raise their voice by becoming a part of that change. This glimpse of hope and democracy shows that the people want to change the picture. They want to write their own destiny. The people of Jammu and Kashmir chose ballot over bullet in Lok Sabha elections, said Kumar. Advertisement #WATCH | Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar says, "We recently visited Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana to take stock of the election preparation in these places. A great enthusiasm was seen among the people. They wanted to participate in the election process. People want pic.twitter.com/BTeZqOL9H2 ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 The term of the Haryana Legislative Assembly will end on November 3 and polls are required to be conducted before the completion of its term. With inputs from agencies by Eric Feigenbaum I noticed around the time I turned 30, conversations at parties and get-togethers inevitably turned toward real estate: how much homes cost in which neighborhood, who people know who had bought a house and how. There was an innate understanding that financial success was tied into owning a home and in a city like Los Angeles where I live, getting into a house is no easy feat. The house with a white picket fence has always been the symbol of the American Dream. Especially in the postwar era, Americans prided themselves on an upwardly mobile middle class who could own at least a small piece of their country. American homeownership peaked in 2004 at 69.4 percent and today hovers at around 65 percent which is still favorable to the entire 1960s when homeownership was around 63 percent. Imagine a country with 90 percent homeownership. Imagine what it would mean to have a society with that rate of homeownership with that high a level of security and wealth accumulation. Thats exactly what Lee Kuan Yew, Singapores founding Prime Minister did. Although educated in economics and law at University, Lee Kuan Yew noticed as a child the differences between neighborhoods dominated by homeownership versus those that were mostly rented. Cleanliness, stability and low crime rates were among the benefits of an owned neighborhood. In 1965 when Singapore declared its independence both from the Malaysian Federation from which it was ejected and from the United Kingdom from which it was being decolonized, Singapore had a roughly 27 percent homeownership rate. Shockingly low. Why? Singapore was an open port filled with immigrants. The British needed workers to power the colony they essentially designed as their anchor in Southeast Asia a colony aimed at holding naval and trade superiority across the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. Going from 27 to 90 percent homeownership in less than 30 years was as it sounds no small feat. Singapores founding leaders were systems thinkers and saw the connections how certain actions could synergize to multiple benefits. First, a fledging nation that had yet to define itself faced several concerns which Prime Minister Lee thought homeownership could at least in part solve. Singaporeans had no deep roots in a common historical experience, Lee posited. My primary preoccupation was to give every citizen a stake in the country and its future. I wanted a home-owning society. For example, in order to enter military service, a soldier whose family owned their home would be preferable. Otherwise, he would soon conclude he would be fighting to protect the properties of the wealthy. Homeownership could therefore give all parents whose sons would have to do national service a stake in the Singapore their sons had to defend. Equally important to Lee Kuan Yew, I had seen how voters in capital cities always tended to vote against the government of the day and was determined that our householders should become homeowners, otherwise we would not have political stability. Lee Kuan Yews Cabinet used a three-prong approach: Create affordable housing Make financing readily available to people of all walks of life Help people gather down-payments Even prior to independence, post-war reconstruction and growth was pushing inhabitants out of the kampongs or villages. The island was already on the path to urbanization. Singapores autonomous local government created the Housing and Development Board to build 50,000 units of rental flats affordable enough for even the poor. The original Bukit Ho Swee estate provided a template for future large-scale housing construction. This made it easy for Lee Kuan Yew and his then Minister for National Development, Edmund Barker to in 1965 begin building housing geared for sale. The initial housing estates condominium developments in American parlance were fairly basic and later required renovations to maintain their attractiveness and value against later iterations of HDB housing blocks. All the same, for most of their inhabitants, these basic condos were first homes and, in that way, personally and economically transformative for them. Initially there were fewer buyers than the government had hoped for or expected. Even at affordable prices, most people still needed financing and that ran up against two obstacles: banks wouldnt lend to low-income buyers and even if they were willing, buyers lacked a downpayment. In 1968, the Singaporean government tackled both issues at once. It created the Development Bank of Singapore which was tasked in part with providing loans to HDB housing buyers of all income levels. Simultaneously Singapore changed the rules around the Central Provident Fund Singapores answer to Social Security to allow people to withdraw for purposes of a downpayment on a first and/or second HDB home. This allowed DBS a quick and easy path to issue home loans. Unlike the Social Security Administration which uses todays working taxpayer to fund payments to retirees, Singapores Central Provident Fund uses the withholdings and tax payments from a citizen for that same citizens own benefit. There is no borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. As a result, the government reasoned that while homeownership isnt a cash retirement payout, owning real estate assets and having no mortgage in later years age contribute meaningfully to a successful, stable retirement. The results of the DBS-CPF combination speak for themselves. By the 1990s, Singapores homeownership has hovered around 90 percent. Moreover, it has allowed for a widespread accumulation of generational wealth. At the same time, the creation of HDB flats helped with a completely different, but critical goal. Given Singapores meagre 290 square miles, the government concluded soon after independence the island lacked the agricultural resources to sustain its population. It then made the unusual move of eradicating all agriculture and committing young Singapore to an urban industrial and post-industrial future. Farmers and villagers were ultimately forced off their land to make way for factories, office buildings and industrial parks. New construction of single-family, landed housing was banned. High rise housing became the vehicle for maximizing Singaporean land use and bolstering a non-agrarian economy. What can we take from Singapores successes in homeownership? In the end, Singapore is a city-state and when viewed as a city, there are some stark contrasts to its American counterparts. Sixty-three percent of Angelenos are renters as are sixty-nine percent of New Yorkers. Fifty-nine percent of Dallasites, fifty-five percent of Seattleites and fifty percent of Chicagoans also rent. Our urban corridors are vast lands of have-nots. Or perhaps another way to look at it is that simply by owning a home in urban America even if it doesnt necessarily feel like it you have joined an elite class. The American experience with housing projects has been so bad the very term projects has a pejorative connotation. Unlike countries such as Sweden and France, we have not been successful with delivering high-quality government services and benefits. Singapore offers us another model one that works better with American values: socialistic and humanistic goals with capitalistic methods. While the Singaporean government created DBS to help provide capital for both home ownership and funding commercial projects, today DBS is the largest bank by assets in Asia privately owned and operated with the Singaporean government as a significant, but not majority shareholder. Beginning in the 1990s, the Housing and Development Board responsible for building and selling affordable housing began using private architects and developers to create higher quality, more appealing housing for the next generation. Today there are waiting lists to get into new HDB estates even when they are further away from the city center. The connection between wealth accumulation and homeownership is undeniable. While some deem the Singaporean government paternalistic, many Singaporeans see it supporting them to establish and maintain personal financial security. During the 2006 elections, I asked my then-girlfriend in Singapore how she would be voting, assuming that a young, Australian educated Singaporean would choose an opposition party wanting change in a country that has only ever had one ruling party the Peoples Action Party. The PAP, of course! she said to my surprise. You cant trust all of this to anyone else they might break it. Singapore is a system that works. Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now. Pakistan is never short of news. As Arshad Nadeem became the first Pakistani to ever win an individual gold at the Olympics, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed became the first ever intelligence chief to get arrested. Arshad won national glory and a buffalo. Hameed could lose his reputation and his head. All this is vastly interesting in terms of the flamboyant Faiz Hameed himself. What is more interesting is what it says about the Pakistani army. The days when Indian army officers often saw the others army as quite alike itself in terms of a British-trained and disciplined force are long gone. Think again. Things are getting dangerous. Advertisement An absolutely efficient General First, the issue of the arrested ISI Chief. Enough has been said about his prowess in the field and his now famous photograph at the Serena hotel in Kabul, sipping a cup of tea as the Taliban took over the country. Enough to say that no intelligence chief worth his salt would be seen dead in an operational area, where he has a strong role to play. But that was Faiz all over. He got the Taliban in, and he had no qualms about claiming it. Then was his equal prowess in bringing all Imran Khans opponents to a sticky end. That included the virtual creation of the right-wing Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), led by a fiery preacher, Khadim Rizvi, who led a series of protests against Nawaz Sharif that ate away at his political bastion in Punjab. That was when he was a Major General in charge of the counterintelligence wing, believed to have backed the famous 2017 Faizabad protests that brought Islamabad to a halt, even while an Army officer was seen paying them off later. Its another matter that when Rizvi became too big for his boots, he died under mysterious circumstances shortly thereafter. In 2017 was also the (in)famous Joint Investigation Committee against Nawaz Sharif that probed his alleged corruption, which included an extensive publication and televising of a series of reports that exposed his vast wealth. So brutal was the exercise that the then Chief Justice Saqib Nisar observed that ISI and military intelligence officers were made part of the team to spice it up. Visuals of riches beyond the imagination of an average Pakistani finished Nawaz Sharif off in the eyes of the populace for good. Faiz was nothing if not thorough. Routine ISI businesses But such exercises are hardly unusual in the agency. Its all par for the course. Neither was the whole Top City case, which is getting media attention now. Simply put, on May 12, 2017, the Pakistan Rangers and officials of the ISI raided the office of a massive property developed Top City and owner Kunwar Moiz and took away valuables, including gold and diamond ornaments and money, supposedly in a terrorism case. The owner was also pressured into giving a large slice of land to Faizs brother, a tehsildar, who was arrested in March this year. The brothers clearly had large ambitions; as scholar Ayesha Siddiqa observes, hundreds of acres of land were thus acquired. The case landed up on a bench that included Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa (accused of being overtly lenient to Imran Khan), who directed the military to probe allegations that included a whole group of ISI officers and at least two Brigadiers and six others from the agency. Advertisement None of this still explains why Faiz Hameed was arrested. There have been dozens of such cases before. Remember the Mehran Bank case, when a bank was literally carved out for the express purpose of disbursing funds to diverse politicians to oppose the then liberal Benazir Bhutto? That was in the 1990s and dragged on for years. Younis Habib, a former chief of the Mehran Bank, revealed that he was pressured by then army chief Mirza Aslam Beg and the President, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, to transfer some Rs 1.48 billion, out of which Rs 140 million were distributed among political parties while the rest were invested in army welfare schemes and transferred to account numbers provided by ISI officials. He went to jail. The others got off scot-free. Another little nugget. Allegedly, some Rs 50 million was paid to Bangladeshs Khaleda Zia to enable her to fight Sheikh Hasina at the time. How much of that actually went into ISIs pockets remains unknown. Then was money paid to jehadis in the Kashmir struggle, much of which was siphoned off by ISI officials on the ground. Advertisement In other words, the ISI and its henchmen have been having fun for years. But the military is not usually very quick to act against its own. Earlier, some 12 army officers were arrested for corruption and made to pay heavy fines, but they kept their pensions intact. Then was the serious attempt at a coup by a triumvirate in 1995 that aimed to kill the Army Chief and Benazir Bhutto. That trial was still going on in 2023. But matters have undoubtedly been getting worse. In April 2024, Lt Gen Ayman Bilal Safdar, the GOC 1 Corps, resigned after the ISI recorded critical comments he made about Gen. Munir during a Saudi Arabia visit. Then was the response to the May 9 violence, which cost at least three senior army officers their jobs, including an honourable Lieutenant General who refused to fire on the protestors. Advertisement Then is the instance of Khadija Shah, grand daughter of former Army Chief Asif Nawaz Janjua, who was arrested together with a son-in-law of a retired four-star general, wife of a retired three-star general, and wife and son-in-law of a retired two-star general, according to the military spokesman. Rumours abound of further arrests of army officers over their sympathies with Imran Khan. Its not just the army. Just days ago, a senior official of Adiala Jail was arrested for being a messenger to Khan. Now Pakistani business is hit badly by an internet slowdown, as the Army Chief declared that digital terrorism (read social media and Whatsapp) was at the heart of the danger to Pakistan. In other words, its not just Hameed and his group, but almost the entire population that is being held as suspects. Advertisement The key question Now heres the icing on the cake. Remember that the whole Top City case dates back to 2017 (or earlier) after which the then Major General Faiz Hameed was promoted to one of the most sensitive posts in the country. Certainly he could have been shielded by the then army chief, General Bajwa, one of the most corrupt army chiefs, with his Papa Joes chains and dirty money. But appointments like this are not just the prerogative of a chief. It is scrutinised across the board. Now Faiz Hameed is also charged with treasonous activity after his retirement, presumably related to the May 9 violence. He is to face a Field General court martial despite having retired in December 2022, due to an Amendment in 2023, which makes political activity punishable to even retired officers (within 2 years), or if he held a sensitive post, for 5 years after retirement. Paranoia and the Pakistani army The upshot of it all is two. First, the present Chief of Army, Gen Asim Munir, has gone down a road of arresting his own people, where there is no turning back. He has alienated an entire echelon of officers and, worse, their families, leading to a kind of accelerating paranoia based on the reality of deep divisions within the army. That means anyone and everyone is suspect. It is entirely likely that this paranoia will turn around and hit him soon, especially as the trial of Gen Hameed is likely to draw in more officers, especially the former Army Chief Qamar Bajwa. But all this is Pakistans internal mess and has not really a lot to do with India. Its the second issue that is dangerous. What was once a highly disciplined force has degenerated due to the all too frequent military rule and now hybrid regimes into a corrupt group that can take any action to suit itself. Remember, armies are kept at a distance from civilians and politicians for a reason. Governance implies bending the rules, bribery, and deceit even in the most advanced democracies. Militaries, on the other hand, are expected to behave with decorum and integrity for the simple reason that they are armed and dangerous and trained to be so. To mix one with the other is asking for serious trouble, where neither governance nor defence of the country is in good hands. Under Asim Munir, this decay has worsened to a level not seen before and is likely to create unrest within the force itself. If India is even thinking of possible talks with its unstable neighbour, this needs to be kept in mind. Talking could get a better insight into the dangers within, but the key question is, just who is in charge? Certainly not Gen Munir and his coterie. Theyre too busy biting their nails to the bone. The writer is a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi. She tweets @kartha_tara. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. No matter who rules Bangladesh, the development assistance from India, the hope of getting bailed out like the Maldives and Sri Lanka from debt-ridden bad days, the charm of the large Indian market, and the security from its military prowess will always be on their minds read more A wave of pessimism has descended on Indians since the time the pro-India leader Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in Bangladesh, and her opponents, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, have become dominant in the new scheme of things. There is no doubt that Hasinas stay in power helped India achieve its key strategic goals in the region with a stable ally in the east, but not all is lost with her exit either. Advertisement In fact, the tendency to declare every day as a doomsday sometimes stretches it too far and closes the avenue for meaningful cooperation with anyone who is at the helm in the neighbourhood. Just like we cant choose our neighbours, we also cant choose their leadership, and despite not getting a favourable hand at power sometimes, common sense dictates that the engagement mustnt stop. This is because in the absence of India, the vacuum would be filled by another power, and that would not bode well for Indian interests at all. The sense of despair which is dominating our current state of mind regarding Bangladesh is not new. A similar loss of optimism had occurred early this year when our relations with another neighbour had soured due to the implementation by their new leadership of an India Out policy. Today India is back in the saddle with a very successful visit by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar that just concluded this week with the general sentiment from the Maldives government being Welcome India. In 2023, when Mohamed Muizzu won the presidential elections with 54 per cent votes, the writing was on the wall for India that relations with this country will definitely hit a roadblock in the new presidents tenure. After all, Muizzu had contested the elections with a jingoistic poll pitch of India Out, where he had successfully created a narrative around the countrys overt influence in the Maldives domestic affairs. The centrepiece of his charge against India was the presence of Indian troops in the Maldives that were actually stationed for non-combat roles and whose only responsibility was to operate the defence equipment and helicopters gifted by India to the Maldives. They were also playing a key role by training the Maldivian National Defence Force for disaster response. Advertisement However, Muizzus desire to benefit politically from an anti-India sentiment superseded the Maldivess national interest, and he came to power by accusing India of baseless charges. Once in power, he made sure that he delivered on his promise by actually seeing India Out when the 90-odd Indian military personnel stationed in the country were removed at his behest in May 2024. Interestingly, those military personnel were replaced by Indian civilians only, who were designated as a technical team to assist in the operation of equipment in the Maldives. The ouster of Indian troops from the country was accompanied by another strain in ties when a section of politicians in the Maldives started terming PM Modis promotion of tourism in Lakshadweep island as an attempt to target the tourism sector in the Maldives. It was a very absurd charge that had no factual base at all. A joke by a few Indian social media accounts was taken to this non-sensical level, and the result was a diplomatic fallout between India and the Maldives. Advertisement Cut to August 2024, and the relations between the two countries seem to have taken a 180-degree turn. In marking the first high-level visit from New Delhi to the Maldives after Muizzu came to power, S Jaishankar has concluded a fruitful tour of the country just this week. During the visit, he not only met President Muizzu and conveyed the good wishes of Indian PM Narendra Modi to him, but he also took stock of the India-funded projects that are being executed in the Maldives. This includes the Greater Male Connectivity Project, which is being funded by an Indian grant of $100 million and a line of credit of $400 million. Once ready, it will link the Maldives capital Male to Villingli, Gulhifalhu, and Thilafushi islands. Jaishankar also launched a new 923 crore project for proper sanitation facilities in around 28 islands in the Maldives. Advertisement The project will provide climate-resilient and cost-effective water and sewerage systems to around 7 per cent of the Maldives total population. Thanking him for this gesture, President Muizzu wrote on X that the partnership between India and the Maldives will continue to endure. Interestingly, Muizzu has also toned down the anti-India rhetoric as observed in the last few months. While delivering a speech on the occasion of his countrys independence day, he expressed his sincere gratitude towards India for easing their debt repayment burden and enabling the country to ensure its economic sovereignty. This is a complete U-turn from the times when he wanted India out and accused the country of breaching the sovereignty of the Maldives. This is not all; in the same speech, he also mentioned that he is negotiating a free trade agreement as well as a currency swap arrangement hinting at broadening trade ties with India. Advertisement From India Out to Welcome India, what exactly has changed in the Maldives? First of all, despite simmering anger among Indians towards the Maldives, the Indian government kept its pragmatic side alive by continuing to engage with the Muizzu leadership. President Muizzu was invited to India during PM Modis swearing-in ceremony in June with a budgetary aid of $50 million rolled over for another year by India. India even raised its development assistance to the Maldives by around 50 per cent in the interim budget before the Modi government went for re-election. Despite the tensions between the two countries, India kept its promise to spend around 800 crore on various development projects in the country. Indias refusal to let the Maldives slip away into the embrace of any extra-regional power was accompanied by the Maldives own predicaments. For all the vitriolic hate that their leadership keeps throwing on India, the truth is that they are in a deep economic crisis with around $1 billion in dues that they have to pay to the market in 2026. They cant bank on anyone else except India, which keeps easing their debt servicing burden by rolling over its share of debt to the Maldives on a continual basis. It did this in May; it may again do it in September. Even in terms of security, the Maldives, as an Indian Ocean country with a vast access to 900,000 square km as an exclusive economic zone, is heavily dependable on India for its protection from non-state actors such as drug paddlers, arms smugglers, and pirates. India has been its primary security partner for a long time now, which steadily supplies gifts in the form of defence equipment to the small island nation. Even in terms of economy as well, the tourism sector is the mainstay of the Maldivian economy, with threats of boycott from Indians bringing the country under great pressure. After a 42 per cent dip in tourists, their foreign minister paid a visit to India in May, appealing to Indians to visit the Maldives as their economy is dependent on it. They are even undertaking a fresh attempt to invite Indian tourists to the country by holding outreach campaigns in key Indian cities that say Welcome India. Clearly, there is a marked change in India-Maldives relations now where the latter has finally realised that its dependence on India is too deep to be wished away. Also, the Indian government must also be praised for cultivating as many levers as possible in the Maldives that can be utilised for Indias strategic interests in the region. Diplomatic relations in a neighbourhood are never set in stone, and the Maldives is a good example of the same. Whats seeming like an end of the road may be just a bad turn, after which the transit will be smoother and much better. So many examples have proven this in the last decade. At one time, India was written off in Sri Lanka as well, but we all saw what happened in 2022. In 2024, we are seeing the same in the case of the Maldives as well. This brings us to the hot question of the current times: what about Bangladesh? Well, India has again shown pragmatism in giving Hasina a safe passage for a later day when Awami League workers would need a leadership face for revival. At the same time, India is also engaging with the interim government as well. In politics, we can never write off any of the players. The wise course is to build bridges across all sides of the spectrum. No matter who rules Bangladesh, the development assistance from India, the hope of getting bailed out like the Maldives and Sri Lanka from debt-ridden bad days, the charm of the large Indian market, and the security from its military prowess will always be on their minds. After all, if Bangladesh is such a huge economic success story, then a key role was also played by India, as recognised in their internal vision documents. The people there may have grudges with India today, but they will soon come around, as many of them have admitted to the author in private conservations. Todays India understands that neighbourhood diplomacy is hinged on continued engagement, and the results are there for all of us to see. The author is a New Delhi-based commentator on geopolitics and foreign policy. She holds a PhD from the Department of International Relations, South Asian University. She tweets @TrulyMonica. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. A look at the facts of the case indicates that the state government has tried to cover up for its serious administrative lapses through political firefighting and street activism read more The chief minister would do well to remember that this is a time for acknowledgement, accountability and answerability, not political gamesmanship. Image: PTI I have started writing this piece almost 24 hours since a mob of violent outsiders broke into RG Medical College and Hospital campus in Kolkata, attacked the demonstrating doctors, demolished the protest site, sent the police scurrying for cover, vandalised the premises not sparing even the critical care units in an ostensible attempt to tamper with and destroy evidence into the gruesome rape and murder of the trainee doctor. Advertisement Job done, they vanished amid a blur of tear gas shells, almost as magically as they had emerged. Houdini would have been proud. Estimates of their numbers vary, depending on whom you ask. The general consensus, according to eye-witness accounts, is that members of this mysterious shorts-clad squad were armed with metal rods, sticks, bricks, bottles and other missiles, numbered around 500-1000 and were purposeful in their action plan. Were the cops too stunned to react? Questions are being raised why they adopted the role of a mute spectator as the outsiders unleashed ferocious mayhem in a 40-minute span in which the vandals completely destroyed the emergency ward, smashed the medicine cabinets, medical equipment, computers, upturned emergency beds, vandalised the gynaecologist and ENT wards, thrashed doctors, patients, their relatives, and issued rape threats to the nursing staff. Such was the audacity of the inebriated mob that it also damaged police vehicles, police outpost and CCTV monitoring station while terrified cops took refuge inside lavatories. Members of the nursing staff told Economic Times newspaper that police were so scared of these goons that they hid inside bathrooms and asked the nurses to shield them, while female cops sought civil dresses. Sounds incredible? Some cops even wrapped themselves up in patients blankets, alleged nurses, who are furious and have refused to join duty. According to another member of the nursing staff, the attackers wanted to break into the seminar room on the third floor, the scene of the crime, but were unsuccessful, a fact later corroborated by the police. Advertisement One senior doctor was quoted by Hindustan Times, as saying that the attackers entered through the emergency unit on the ground floor, went up the stairs and destroyed property on the first floor and even at the ENT department on the second floor. But they could not reach the third floor since the gates were locked. In the words of one police officer to The Print, I have been in this force for 28 years, but I have not seen anything like this. The mob was tearing wires to snap the electricity with their bare hands, they had rods and swords and came charging towards the police Advertisement Anupam Roy, a final-year MMS student, told ANI that when the mob entered, we took our female protestors to the medical college We requested police to deploy more force. We called the DC but he did not pick up the phone. Police were silent saying that they had no orders. The Kolkata Police said it had arrested 10 suspects and in a subsequent social media post, released several images of the rampaging mob, seeking help from members of the public in identifying the goons. It is curious. In a state where not even a leaf moves without the knowledge of the chief minister, and even a random bus stand in a random city corner is constructed in her inspiration, how can a vandalism of such scale, savagery and ill intent take place in a high-profile protest zone without the knowledge of the police who resembled deer caught in headlights? What happened to the states intelligence apparatus? How did the goons manage to escape? Advertisement Whats even more perplexing is the fact that chief minister Mamata Banerjee has since claimed that these outsiders who were holding national flags are BJP people, and some are DYFI are holding white and red flags. It is not clear how she reached the conclusion that holding the Tricolour automatically signifies that they were BJP workers. However, if indeed the hooligans were Opposition cadres bent on hijacking peaceful protests and destroying critical public property, not to speak of crucial forensic evidence in an ongoing investigation, why did the police force fail in their duty? Reporting from the site of the incident, the correspondent of The Hindu newspaper writes, When the mob entered the hospital premises, the police stood guard but did not resist the protesters. The police ran to take shelter when a mob of about 30 to 40 people stormed inside the hospital. Amidst the violence and chaos, The Hindus correspondent had to take shelter in an auditorium with students and senior doctors. Advertisement The MD, Radiology, of AIIMS, New Delhi, posted on X (formerly Twitter), tagging Union home minister Amit Shah, that I want to bring to the immediate and urgent notice of @AmitShah that we have just received shocking visuals from RG Kar Medical College where goons have attacked the college! Police is nowhere to be seen! There is absolute mayhem in West Bengal! Where is police? @MamataOfficial. Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, sent a letter to the Union home ministry urging the deployment of central forces at the scene of the crime, accused the chief minister of sending TMC goons to carry out the vandalism, and charged the police with giving the lumpens safe passage. In a post addressed to the Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal, the officer in the eye of the storm, Adhikari wrote, The events of last night where an unruly mob was allowed to carry out unabated vandalism at RG Kar was completely facilitated by the Police. The conspiracy was hatched by the Police, TMC and State Govt. It was a brazen attempt to wipe out or tamper any evidence which the Police could not contaminate in the first few days. These charges were echoed by the states governor, CV Ananda Bose, who visited the emergency department of the RG Kar hospital, and later told reporters that the custodians of law have themselves become conspirators. A section of the police is politicised and criminalised. This rot has to end The government is responsible for this. The first responsibility lies with the government. While the Calcutta High Court has transferred the case to the CBI, the beleaguered chief minister has resorted to another round of even more blatant political manoeuvring. Facing flak from media and at the receiving end of unprecedented anger from enraged residents of the state whose collective conscience has been shaken by the brutal murder and rape of the 31-year-old doctor, Mamata is trying to manage the headlines. To deflect the narrative and take the edge off the anger, that led to women of the state across all ages descend on the midnight hour on August 15 to reclaim the night, creating one of the largest protest movements ever witnessed in Bengal, the ruling party has decided to adopt the mantle of Opposition, and hold a series of agitations demanding death penalty for the culprits. It is fascinating to note the attempted appropriation of the organic protests. Mamata has demanded that the CBI must complete the probe within Sunday (18th August) and facilitate hanging of the guilty, claiming that Kolkata Police has completed 90% of the probe. However, handing over the case to the CBI on Tuesday while hearing a batch of petitions, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court headed by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam criticised the Kolkata Police and the chief minister, and in its order, observed that the case in hand, is a peculiar case and the facts and circumstances warrant appropriate orders without further loss of time. We are convinced to say so because even after a lapse of five days there appears to be no significant progress in the investigation, which ought to have happened by now and by further loss of time, we would be well-justified in accepting the plea raised by the writ petitioners, more particularly, the parents of the victim that there is every possibility that the evidence will be destroyed and the witnesses will be influenced. The court also came down heavily on Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar, and observed that that the principal or the hospital administrations failure to lodge a formal complaint when the deceased victim was a doctor working at the hospital is a serious lapse giving room for suspicion. The division bench also frowned at the fact that Ghosh was given another plum posting within hours of his resignation, and ordered that he must be immediately relieved from his duties, sent on long leave and shall not be reinstated until further notice. A look at the facts of the case indicates that the state government has tried to cover up for its serious administrative lapses through political firefighting and street activism. This is unfortunate. The brutal rape and murder of the junior doctor, the details of which are too gory and vicious to be recounted, has become a watershed moment for women for whom the victims horrific ordeal was a projection of the hazard, insecurity and vulnerability faced by them in daily lives. The chief minister would do well to remember that this is a time for acknowledgement, accountability and answerability, not political gamesmanship. As Indias only female chief minister, she owes it to the women who feel that their security is compromised. The author is Deputy Executive Editor, Firstpost. He tweets @sreemoytalukdar. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The virtual summit to be held on Saturday shows Indias commitment to unifying the concerns of the Global South and enabling them to make the G20 platform more relevant to their needs read more As the world is beset by conflicts, wars, and the impact of the pandemic and geopolitical fault lines, the Global South continues to suffer for no fault of theirs and gets caught in the crossfires of geoeconomic contestations. India has once again made a choice to voice the concerns and plight of the developing and underdeveloped world across continents while alleviating their suffering in accordance with its universalistic policy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam"the world is one family. Advertisement Even during its G20 Presidency (202223), the theme of the summit was One earth, One family, and One Future. Although many would have preferred to refer to the requirements of the developing countries as a given, PM Narendra Modi made a point to invite the leaders of the Global South for a virtual summit, enabling them to articulate their genuine concerns and suggestions for ploughing into the G20 remit and landscape. As a result of conflicts and pandemic the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fight against climate change had taken a back seat, which was brought forward and into the focus by India. New Delhi had a very difficult task to wade through the geopolitical divide between Russia and the West, which would have otherwise marred the summit altogether. But PM Modis personal connection with the leaders and diplomatic dexterity carried the day in an exemplary manner. India hosted the first virtual Voice of the Global South Summit (VOGSS) in January 2023 with the participation of over 120 leaders from across the continents. The theme was Unity of Voice and Unity of Purpose. PM Modi, in his remarks, laid out the 4Rs matrix, which essentially hinged on the key issues confronting the developing world. The mantra included Respond, Recognise, Respect, and Reform. To re-energise the world, we should together call for a global agenda of Respond, Recognise, Respect, and Reform: Respond to the priorities of the Global South by framing an inclusive and balanced international agenda. Recognise that the Common but Differentiated Responsibilities principle applies to all global challenges. Respect the sovereignty of all nations, the rule of law, and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes. And reform international institutions, including the United Nations, to make them more relevant, PM said while underscoring that your voice is Indias voice and your priorities are Indias priorities. Advertisement One of the key agendas India followed at the G20 was greater representation of the Global South; hence, the inclusion of the African Union (AU) with its fifty-five member states became a priority so that the voice of Africa and the Global South could be heard loud and clear. VOGGS served as a platform to discuss ways to sustain the momentum generated towards our common aspiration of a more inclusive, representative, and progressive world order. After the G20 Summit, New Delhi organised the second summit in November 2023 with 140 countries to take stock of the efforts and the relevant outcomes of the G20 with the theme Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka VishwasTogether, for Everyones Growth, with Everyones Trust. Even as the Eurasian and Middle East wars continued to take their toll, especially in the Global South, Indian priority was to de-weaponise and de-politicise the food, fuel, and fertilisers, which are so essential for the well being of the Global South. Advertisement Besides the issues such as climate change, health, food and energy security, resilient value and supply chains, sustainable development, global governance, and international cooperation remained at the forefront. India also inaugurated the Global South Centre of ExcellenceDakshin, which acts as the incubator of ideas and projects for enhancing South-South cooperation. Moreover, initiatives like the platform of the Global South Science and Technology Initiative, the Global South Scholarship Programme, cooperation in the health sector, and the Global South Young Diplomats Forum have acquired reasonable traction as engagement with think tanks and other institutions became commonplace. Foreign Ministers conversed on India and the Global South: Emerging Together for a Better Future for creating a new road map. Advertisement Again, on August 17, the third Voice of Global South Summit will seek to do a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis. Since conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war are increasing in intensity with huge escalation potential, there is hardly any respite for the Global South countries. Hence the third summit, which appears to be institutionalised and will be chaired by PM Modi, will seek to address the inherent shortcomings apart from the global challenges of development, terrorism, and climate change, as well as capacity building and making the human resource future ready as the countries lead into AI-driven Industrial Revolution 4.0 with new technologies and newer frontiers. Advertisement Moreover, effort is needed to create and curate the indigenous developmental solutions and critical mass of specified interests and opportunities, which should be mutually sustaining within the ambit of South-South cooperation devoid of dependence on the ODA model and Washington Consensus. India has acquired tremendous heft in the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which could act as a starting point with AAA technologies that are available, affordable, and accessible within the parameters of our capacity-building assistance matrix. Likewise, health care, logistics and agronomic practices, and agro-processing could benefit from the technological advances. S-S trade and government-to-government (G2G) efforts to help the evolution of functional public-private partnership (PPP) models of cooperation would go a long way for the creation of viable global and regional value supply chains. Neo-colonial practices by certain countries leading to non-sustainable indebtedness will have to be structurally addressed through innovative and indigenous expertise within the Global South, where India can lead the charge. The institutionalisation of VOGGS clearly attests to Indias commitment to the Global South in a holistic framework of mutually beneficial cooperation, as PM Modi believes, Despite the challenges the developing world faces, I remain optimistic that our time is coming. The need of the hour is to identify simple, scalable, and sustainable solutions that can transform our societies and economies. The author is the former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta and is currently a Distinguished Fellow with Vivekananda International Foundation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. According to Googles latest intelligence report, a group known as APT42, a hacking group backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been actively targeting organisations connected to the US presidential race read more In response to these threats, Google has recommended that high-risk individuals, such as elected officials, candidates, campaign workers, journalists, and government officials, enrol in its Advanced Protection Program. Composite image. AFP, Reuters Google has recently issued a warning about Iranian hackers targeting the upcoming US presidential elections, echoing concerns previously raised by Microsoft. According to Googles latest intelligence report, a group known as APT42 has been identified as the primary actor behind these cyber threats. This group, with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been actively targeting organizations connected to the US presidential race. Over the past six months, 60 per centr of APT42s cyber activities have focused on Israel and the United States. Their methods include phishing attacks and sophisticated social engineering tactics aimed at compromising Gmail accounts, particularly those belonging to high-profile individuals. Advertisement APT42 has also been involved in targeting various sectors, including military, defence, diplomacy, academia, and civil society, using phishing campaigns to steal credentials. In the context of the US, APT42 has directed its efforts at both the Trump and Biden campaigns, with a specific focus on the personal email accounts of former US government officials and campaign staff. Some of these phishing attempts have been successful, including one that targeted a well-known political consultant. Despite ongoing efforts to thwart these attacks, Google has observed that APT42 continues to launch unsuccessful phishing attempts against individuals linked to President Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump. APT42 has been employing a variety of tactics to breach security measures. One of their strategies involves identifying accounts that use Device Prompts for two-factor authentication (2FA). They then initiate login or account recovery attempts that are cleverly spoofed to appear as legitimate prompts from the same geographic location, making it difficult for users to distinguish between authentic and fraudulent access attempts. In response to these threats, Google has recommended that high-risk individuals, such as elected officials, candidates, campaign workers, journalists, and government officials, enrol in its Advanced Protection Program. This program offers additional layers of security to protect against phishing and unauthorised access, providing a more robust defence against the kind of sophisticated attacks being launched by APT42. Advertisement As the US presidential election draws closer, the risk of cyber threats like those from APT42 is expected to remain high, making enhanced security measures increasingly critical for those involved in the election process. Indias role in Apples global production has grown substantially. India now contributes approximately 14% to Apples total production, a sharp increase from the 7% contribution in FY23. The majority of this growth comes from iPhone manufacturing read more Apple has achieved remarkable growth in India, becoming the fastest-growing company in the country over the past 50 years. This surge in Apples presence is primarily driven by a significant increase in iPhone manufacturing and the domestic sales of its other products, such as MacBooks, iMacs, iPads, Watches, and AirPods. The companys operations in India reached a value exceeding Rs 2 lakh crore ($23.5 billion) in FY24, a significant jump from Rs 1.15 lakh crore the previous year. Advertisement This growth not only highlights Apples expanding influence in India but also marks it as the largest global value chain (GVC) operating within the country, surpassing other multinational corporations. Indias growing contribution to Apples global production Indias role in Apples global production has grown substantially. According to a recent Economic Survey, India now contributes approximately 14 per cent to Apples total production, a sharp increase from the 7 per cent contribution in FY23. The majority of this growth comes from iPhone manufacturing, with exports of iPhones alone valued at around Rs 1.35 lakh crore ($15 billion) in the last fiscal year. This marks a significant milestone for India, as it becomes a key hub for Apples global exports, particularly as the company begins to shift part of its supply chain away from China. Apples success in India can be attributed to the governments production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, which was introduced in 2020 to boost domestic manufacturing. Apple began manufacturing iPhones in India in 2021, and the production has steadily increased through its three contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron. In FY24, the total production of iPhones in India reached Rs 1.20 lakh crore, with the market value of these devices estimated at Rs 1.80 lakh crore. Of this, approximately 75 per cent of the iPhones were exported to markets in Europe, the US, West Asia, and other regions, while the remaining 25 per cent were sold locally. Advertisement Impact on employment and domestic sales The rapid growth of Apples manufacturing ecosystem in India has also had a significant impact on employment. Since 2021, Apples ecosystem has created over 150,000 direct jobs in the country, with Foxconns factory alone employing 41,000 people. This expansion has helped Apple increase its market share in India, particularly in the highly competitive smartphone market, which is largely dominated by Android-based devices from brands like Vivo and Xiaomi. Despite the challenges posed by the dominance of Android devices, Apples share in the Indian smartphone market has risen steadily, from 2 per cent in FY18 to nearly 6 per cent in FY24. Advertisement The companys India revenue reached Rs 68,000 crore in FY24, a fivefold increase from Rs 13,756 crore in FY20. This revenue growth includes not only iPhones but also a wide range of Apple products such as MacBooks, iPads, Watches, AirPods, and other accessories. Strategic importance of India for Apple Apples performance in India is particularly notable given the broader trends in the countrys smartphone market. According to Counterpoint Research, smartphone shipments in India fell by 2 per cent year-on-year in the June quarter, largely due to a heatwave, a seasonal slump, and a slowdown in demand. Despite these challenges, Apple has continued to grow, emphasising the strategic importance of India in its global operations. Advertisement Apple CEO Tim Cook has recognised Indias potential, describing it as an incredibly exciting market and a major focus for the company. Cooks visit to India in April last year, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and launched Apples first two company-owned retail stores in Delhi and Mumbai, underscored Apples commitment to expanding its presence in India. As Apple continues to invest in India, the country is expected to play an increasingly important role in the companys global strategy, particularly as it navigates the challenges posed by the current geopolitical environment and the need to diversify its supply chain. Apples strong position is largely because all current Macs come with M-series chips, which, from the beginning were designed with AI capabilities in mind. In contrast, many Windows computers still include processors that are not specifically optimised for AI read more In Q2 2024, Apples Macs, powered by the companys proprietary Apple Silicon chipsets, captured a substantial 60 per cent of the AI PC market. Image Credit: Firstpost | Mehul Reuben Das The global market for artificial intelligence (AI) PCs experienced significant growth in the second quarter of 2024, according to a recent report by market research firm Canalys. During this period, over 8.8 million AI-capable computers were shipped by manufacturers, with Apples Mac computers dominating the market. As the demand for AI-driven technology continues to rise, the adoption of these advanced PCs is expected to increase further in the latter half of the year, especially with the more and more OEMs launching their Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipset-equipped laptops, the report indicates that Advertisement In Q2 2024, Apples Macs, powered by the companys proprietary Apple Silicon chipsets, captured a substantial 60 per cent of the AI PC market. This dominance was notably higher than the share held by Windows AI PCs, which accounted for just under 40 per cent of shipments during the same timeframe. The strength of Apples position is largely attributed to the fact that all current-generation Macs come equipped with M-series chips, which are designed with AI capabilities in mind. In contrast, many Windows computers still include processors that are not specifically optimized for AI functions. However, Apple users are expected to fully unlock the AI potential of their devices with the introduction of Apple Intelligence features, slated for release later this year or in early 2025. While Apple led the market, Windows AI PC shipments showed impressive growth, increasing sequentially by 127 per cent. Among the manufacturers of Windows AI PCs, Lenovos Yoga Slim and ThinkPad laptops contributed to a 6 per cent market share, slightly trailing Dell, which holds a 7 per cent share with its Inspiron, XPS, and Latitude models. HP outpaced both competitors, securing an 8 per cent share following the launch of its EliteBook and Omnibook Copilot+ PCs. The report also highlights that the Snapdragon X series chipsets from Qualcomm, which are based on Arm architecture, were only introduced in June 2024. This limited timeframe meant that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) had a narrow window to ship AI-capable computers powered by these new chipsets within the second quarter. Advertisement Despite this, OEMs have committed to integrating these advanced Arm chipsets into future products, which are expected to offer superior performance and efficiency compared to traditional x86 chips. Canalys Principal Analyst, Ishan Dutt, emphasised that with the strong groundwork laid by recent developments, AI-capable PC shipments are poised for even greater momentum in the second half of 2024. The combination of new technologies and growing market demand suggests that the AI PC market is on the cusp of further expansion, with both Apple and Windows platforms set to play significant roles in this evolving landscape. Although state-sponsored hacking is not a new phenomenon the recent efforts by Russian operatives demonstrate a marked increase in both technical sophistication and cunning strategies read more The surge in phishing activities coincides with a separate investigation by the FBI into similar hacking attempts, but originating from Iran, targeting advisors to both former President Donald Trump and the Harris-Walz campaign. Image Credit: Pexels Russian state-sponsored hackers have escalated their efforts, launching increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks against members of civil society in the US, Europe, and even within Russia. These attacks, backed by Russias state security agency, have become more advanced, particularly in how they manipulate social engineering tactics to impersonate individuals close to their targets. This information comes from a recent investigation conducted by the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto and Access Now. Advertisement This surge in phishing activities coincides with a separate investigation by the FBI into similar hacking attempts, but originating from Iran, targeting advisors to both former President Donald Trump and the Harris-Walz campaign. Although state-sponsored hacking is not a new phenomenon Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign was notably targeted by Russian-linked hackers the recent efforts by Russian operatives demonstrate a marked increase in both technical sophistication and cunning strategies. Among those targeted in this latest wave are Steven Pifer, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, and Polina Machold, an exiled Russian publisher known for her investigative work on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. In Pifers case, the attackers impersonated another former US ambassador, someone Pifer knew well, leading to what researchers described as a highly credible interaction. Machold, who has been living in Germany since her expulsion from Russia in 2021, faced a similarly complex attack. Initially contacted by someone she had previously worked with, she was asked to open an attachment that was mysteriously missing. Months later, she received another email from the same person but through a secure Proton Mail account. When she opened the attached file, it appeared as a legitimate Proton Mail drive and requested her login details. Suspicious, Machold contacted the individual, only to find out he had not been emailing her at all. Advertisement This level of deception highlights the lengths to which these hackers will go to gain access to sensitive information. Machold noted that anyone connected to the Russian opposition is at risk, as the attackers seek to gather as much information as possible. The phishing campaigns that targeted Pifer and Machold have been attributed to a threat actor named Coldriver, linked to Russias Federal Security Service (FSB). Another group, known as Coldwastrel, has exhibited similar targeting patterns, also focusing on individuals of interest to Russia. The investigation underscores the vulnerabilities faced by Russian independent media and human rights groups in exile. Unlike their counterparts in the US, these groups often lack the resources to defend against such advanced attacks, yet the consequences of a security breach could be far more severe, particularly for those still within Russia. Advertisement The phishing tactics employed by these threat actors are disturbingly effective. The attackers typically initiate contact by pretending to be someone the target knows, requesting them to review a document. The attached PDF often appears to be encrypted through a service like Proton Drive, with a login page that might even be pre-filled with the targets email, making it seem legitimate. Once the target enters their credentials and two-factor authentication code, the hackers gain immediate access to their email and any associated online storage, such as Google Drive, potentially exposing a wealth of sensitive information. Experts warn that once these attackers obtain login credentials, they move quickly to extract as much data as possible, posing immediate risks to the safety of individuals, particularly those still in Russia. The implications of these attacks are profound, not only for the security of the individuals targeted but also for the broader landscape of international cyber threats. TikToks legal team has made the First Amendment a central pillar of their defence. TikTok has been comparing itself with several prominent American media organisations that are also foreign-owned and yet enjoy First Amendment protections read more TikTok is currently embroiled in a significant legal battle in the United States, centring on whether the popular social media platform, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, is entitled to First Amendment protections. On Thursday, TikTok pushed back against the US governments claims that the platform is not shielded by these constitutional rights, arguing that its status as a foreign-owned entity should not strip it of free speech protections. National security vs free speech The conflict began last month when the US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a legal brief arguing that TikTok, along with its parent company ByteDance and its US operations, does not qualify for First Amendment protection. Advertisement The DOJs position is rooted in national security concerns, asserting that TikToks ownership by a foreign entity, particularly one based in China, disqualifies it from the same constitutional protections that are typically afforded to US-based companies. The government contends that the federal law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok to an approved buyer or face a potential ban is not an infringement on free speech but rather a necessary step to protect national security. Is TikTok a media company? In response, TikToks legal team has made the First Amendment a central pillar of their defence. On Thursday, they filed a court document arguing that TikToks US arm does not lose its constitutional rights simply because it is owned by a foreign entity. To strengthen their argument, TikTok drew comparisons between itself and several prominent American media organisations that are also foreign-owned but still enjoy First Amendment protections. These include Politico, Business Insider, and Fortune, all of which are owned by foreign companies but operate freely under US law. TikToks attorneys argued that there is no precedent for the governments stance that foreign ownership disqualifies a company from free speech protections. They claimed that the governments interpretation represents a dramatic rewriting of what counts as protected speech, one that could have far-reaching implications for any foreign-owned media operating in the United States. Failed negotiations The legal battle is the latest chapter in a long-standing dispute between TikTok and the US government. Over the past few years, the Biden administration has expressed concerns about TikToks ownership and its potential to compromise US national security, particularly regarding data transfers between TikTok and ByteDance engineers in China. Advertisement To address these concerns, TikTok proposed a detailed 90-page agreement, known as Project Texas, outlining how it would separate its US operations from its parent company in China while still maintaining ties with ByteDance. However, the government ultimately rejected TikToks proposal, arguing that it failed to create sufficient separation between the companys US operations and China. The DOJ pointed to data transfers and other security concerns as reasons why the proposal was inadequate. Federal officials also expressed doubts about whether the sheer size and scope of TikToks operations would allow for meaningful enforcement of any agreement, further complicating efforts to resolve. TikToks legal team has countered that some of the governments criticisms of the proposal were never raised during negotiations, suggesting that the government may not have fully engaged in the process before walking away from the table. Advertisement Court battles The legal dispute is set to escalate as oral arguments are scheduled to begin on September 16. In a separate but related development, the DOJ requested that the court submit evidence under seal, citing the presence of information classified at Top Secret levels. TikTok has opposed these requests, arguing for transparency in the proceedings. As the case unfolds, it raises significant questions about the balance between national security and free speech, particularly in the context of foreign-owned media operating in the US The outcome could have broader implications not just for TikTok but for any foreign company seeking to do business in the United States under similar circumstances. Vice President Kamala Harris chose Raleigh, North Carolina, to share her economic policy agenda since the state is touted as a pivotal battleground state both she and former President Donald Trump will work to win in November read more US Vice President and Democratic Presidential nominee for the 2024 US Elections, Kamala Harris shared more details about her economic agenda while addressing a rally in North Carolina on Friday. As the crowd chanted New way forward, Harris emphasised that her policies are focused on the future. The vice president chose Raleigh, North Carolina, to share her economic policy agenda since the state is touted as a pivotal battleground state both she and former President Donald Trump will work to win in November. Advertisement This election I do strongly believe is about two very different visions for our nation, Harris told the charged-up gathering. One is ours, focused on the future. The other is focused on the past. We see that contrast clearly in many ways, including when it comes to how we think about the economy, she added. It is pertinent to note that this is the first time Harris shared her economic policy agenda after clinching the Democratic ticket. The exit of her boss, US President Joe Biden, paved the way for her to take the party to the 2024 polls. As president, I will be laser-focused on creating opportunities for the middle class that advance their economic security, stability and dignity. Together, we will build what I call an opportunity economy, she said. What are her economic policy agendas? Heres a glimpse of What Harris economic policy agenda entails: Grocery Prices: In her first 100 days, Harris pledged to help the US Congress to pass a national ban on price gouging for food and groceries, as well as give the Federal Trade Commission and prosecutors authority to go after companies they determine are price gouging. She also vowed to aggressively investigate price-fixing in meat supply chains specifically. Housing Costs: Harris also pledged to provide $25,000 down payment assistance to first-time homeowners. She also called for the creation of three million new housing units within the next four years. Child Tax Credit: Harris proposed to give families a $6,000 tax credit for newborns in their first year of life. She also plans to restore a pandemic-era tax credit of $3,600 per child for middle and lower-class families. Rental Costs: Harris also promised to expand a tax credit for housing developers so that they can build affordable rental units. She pledged to stop predatory investors who buy up rental units and eventually raise prices. Prescription Drug Price: The vice president proposed a $35 cap on insulin and capping out-of-pocket expenses on prescription drugs at $2,000 per year on Friday. The promise came after US President Joe Biden announced a deal lowering costs on 10 medicationsand cracking down on anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry that cause spikes in prices. Miss on Paid leaves and minimum wage: During her North Carolina address she missed out on talking about a specific paid leave proposal. But previously she co-sponsored 12-week paid leave legislation Patty Murray. I absolutely believe that when they are in office, we will get a paid leave bill done finally, she told Politico. Meanwhile, Harris called for raising the minimum wage in a Las Vegas speech earlier in August, but her campaign did not specify by how much. Fed Independence: The democratic leader also pledged to maintain the independence of Federal Reserves. This came after Trump said that the president should have at least [a] say on the Federal Reserves decisions. Healthcare: Another interesting plan is Harris promise to work with states to cancel Americans medical debt. She also proposed expanding subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans that would save health insurance customers an average of $700 on their health insurance premiums. No Tax on Tips: The vice president also supported the plan to get rid of taxes on tips for hospitality and service workers, a controversial proposal pushed by Trump in the past. Taxes: Harris also expressed her desire to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for workers in lower-income jobs. Experts believe that this would cut taxes by up to $1,250, Forbes reported. In the past, she has said that she would continue Bidens promise to not raise taxes on American households earning $400,000 or less annually. While Trumps campaign is yet to hit back, Harris police agenda is garnering significant attention among the American working class. With inputs from agencies. Khan on Thursday welcomed the process of internal accountability initiated by the military and called for across-the-board action, according to a report read more Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has welcomed the process of internal accountability initiated by the military against former spymaster Lt Gen (Retd) Faiz Hameed. Hameed, who served as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021, was arrested following action in the complaint of a private property developer over alleged misuse of official authority. He was arrested on August 12 in the Top City Case. Khan made these remarks on Thursday while talking informally to journalists in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi after the hearing of a case against him. Advertisement Commenting on a statement by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif alluding to the alleged involvement of retired Lt Gen Hameed in the May 9 protests following his arrest the former prime minister said that if Faiz Hameed was involved, it should be investigated. Hameed was head of the ISI during Khans term in office. Having distanced himself from the former spy chief after news of his court martial became public, Khan on Thursday welcomed the process of internal accountability initiated by the military and called for across-the-board action, Dawn newspaper reported. Lt Gen (retd.) Hameed was considered extremely powerful when he headed the spy agency from 2019 to 2021. He was appointed to the coveted post when then ISI chief and current Army chief Lt Gen Asim Munir was prematurely removed from the post. It was reported then that then prime minister Imran Khan was not happy with Munir. Later, the army decided to replace Hameed, a move vehemently opposed by Imran Khan and it is believed that it was the beginning of souring of his ties with the powerful military. The Top City case made headlines when on November 8, 2023, Moeez Ahmed Khan, the owner of Top City, filed a petition in the Supreme Court in which he accused Hameed of misusing his authority. Advertisement He stated in the petition that on May 12, 2017, at the behest of Gen Hameed, ISI officials raided the top city office and his house and seized valuables, including gold, diamonds and money. He also stated that Sardar Najaf, the brother of Hameed, also contacted him to resolve the issue later. The petition also claimed that Gen Hameed later personally met him to resolve the issue. He alleged that the ISI officials extorted Rs 4 crore cash from him. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which included Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, Justice Attar Minullah and Justice Aminuddin, heard the case and decided to send it to the Ministry of Defence for probing the allegation. Advertisement The army announced in April this year that it constituted a high-level inquiry committee headed by a major general to look into the allegations. Hameed took premature retirement in November 2022, four months before his retirement date after the current army chief took over. He was considered close to then Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa. The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Pakistan Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 76-plus years of existence and has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy. The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Pakistan Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 76-plus years of existence and has wielded considerable power in security and foreign policy matters. read more A day after three more retired military officers were arrested in the case, Pakistans Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced on Friday that more arrests are expected in connection with the court martial of former ISI chief General (Retd) Faiz Hameed who is implicated in a housing scam. Hameed, who served as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021 was arrested following action in the complaint of a private property developer over alleged misuse of official authority. Advertisement Investigations are underway in the Faiz case. More arrests are likely in the army and elsewhere, Dawn News quoted the minister as saying here. It seems the ambit will not just remain limited to the military but whoever is involved and whoever has compromised the countrys security all those will come in its grasp, Tarar said. The ministers remarks came hours after the ISPR, the militarys public affairs division, in a statement on Thursday said: In connection with the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) proceedings of Lt Gen (Retd) Faiz Hameed, three retired officers are also in military custody for their actions prejudicial to military discipline. The ISPR said more retired officers and their associates were being probed for allegedly inciting instability in collaboration with and on behalf of a political entity with vested interests. The ISPR did not release the names or ranks of the officers arrested and did not indicate when the arrests had been made, but media reports claimed they were identified as Brigadier (Retd) Ghaffar, a former deputy director general for projects at ISI; Brig (Retd) Naeem Fakhar, a former officer commanding; and Colonel (Retd) Asim. Welcoming the fresh arrests in connection with the court martial proceedings against Gen Faiz for his alleged involvement in the case, Tarar said the institution of the army had prioritised self-accountability. We think this act of self-accountability is positive and that it is a step that needs to be lauded, moving towards accountability and discord in the country being stopped. Tarar said when a no-confidence motion was tabled against ex-prime minister Imran Khan, Gen Faiz was in contact with him. [Even] after going to jail Imran Khan remained in touch with Gen Faiz, he alleged. Advertisement Taking note of the ISPR statement, Tarar regretted that discord and instability were being spread. Attempts were being made to impose an uncertain situation in the country and there were security attacks. I think it is a very good and timely decision of the military to arrest Gen Hameed and the subsequent three officers, he said, adding that jailed former premier Khan was trying to dissociate himself from Gen Faiz Hameed but wont be able to save his neck. The ISPR announcement follows speculation that numerous retired officers had been detained about Gen Hameeds trial for his post-retirement actions that violated the Army Act and on the complaint of the owner of a housing society in Islamabad, which had been referred to the Defence Ministry by the Supreme Court. Advertisement Hameed was arrested on August 8 after being summoned to Rawalpindi by a senior army officer, with his detention only being publicly confirmed on the following Monday. His trial is being described as one of the most high-profile court martials in the history of the Pakistan Army. The unprecedented arrest of the top-ranking officer, who led the premier intelligence agency, broke the myth in the country that such powerful officers were beyond the reach of law. Lt Gen (retd.) Hameed was considered extremely powerful when he headed the spy agency from 2019 to 2021. He was appointed to the coveted post when then ISI chief and current Army chief Lt Gen Asim Munir was prematurely removed from the post. It was reported then that Khan was not happy with Munir. Advertisement Later, the army decided to replace Hameed, a move vehemently opposed by Khan. It is believed that it was the beginning of the souring of his ties with the powerful military. Hameed took premature retirement in November 2022, four months before his retirement date after the current army chief took over. He was considered close to then Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa. With inputs from PTI. In the province of Canakkale, a fire broke out in the Eceabat district, near the village of Buyukanafarta. The blaze was so strong that it eventually led to the closure of the 57th Regiment Memorial and Conkbayiri in the Historic Gallipoli Peninsula read more After Greece, severe wildfires are also spreading across Turkey with authorities fearing that the blazes would reach Anzac Cove, the burial site of thousands of Australian and New Zealand soldiers. According to Turkey Today, the Eurasian nation is currently battling forest fires in four provinces: Canakkale, Bolu, Izmir, and Manisa. In the province of Canakkale, a fire broke out in the Eceabat district, near the village of Buyukanafarta. The blaze was so strong that it eventually led to the closure of the 57th Regiment Memorial and Conkbayiri in the Historic Gallipoli Peninsula. Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumakli assured that the wildfires pose no risk to residential areas and stated that necessary precautions have been taken to mitigate the issue. Advertisement Thankfully, the fire was contained before reaching the 57th Regiment Memorial. No structures were damaged at Conkbayiri. Our efforts will continue through the night, but everything is going well so far. I hope to share even better news tomorrow morning, the Turkish official told reporters on Friday, Turkey Today reported. Threat to an important site Meanwhile, the governments of Australia and New Zealand are expressing concerns over the risk of wildfire spreading and reaching the Anzac Cove. In a joint press conference with New Zealands PM Christopher Luxon, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed concerns over the matter. Our thoughts today are also with our friends in Turkey. We understand there are efforts underway to control fires that are burning on the Gallipoli Peninsula," the Australian premier averred. Gallipoli is, of course, sacred ground to both of our countries. Eighteen thousand were wounded during the campaign. And there were more than 7200 Australians buried in cemeteries or listed as missing there, he added. Authorities take hold of the situation Turkish official Bekir Karacabey shared drone footage of the wildfires and maintained that the authorities are getting a hold of the situation. We are intervening non-stop from land and air with the guards of #YesilVatan to bring the forest fire in Eceabat, Canakkale under control, he wrote on X. Canakkale Eceabatta meydana gelen orman yangnn kontrol altna almak icin #YesilVatann muhafzlaryla karadan ve havadan durmakszn mudahale ediyoruz. Yangn riskinin olaganustu hava sartlar nedeniyle arttg su gunlerde azami dikkat ederek baska yangnlarn onune gecelim pic.twitter.com/mhRT55lhnF Bekir KARACABEY (@BekirKARACABEY_) August 15, 2024 Advertisement Lets be careful to prevent other fires in these days when the risk of fire increases due to extraordinary weather conditions, the Turkish official furthered. Meanwhile, Yumakli warned that the next three days of the operation to curb the forest fires will be extremely risky due to low humidity, high temperatures, and strong winds. After two days of talks in Doha, the mediators the United States, Qatar, and Egypt said they expect the Gaza ceasefire deal to be signed by the end of next week read more The mediators the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have floated a new bridging proposal for a deal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages (Representative Photo, Credit: Reuters) As the talks for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip concluded in Doha on Friday, the Hamas said it has rejected the new conditions in the proposal. However, the rejection referred to the new demands inserted by Israel at the behest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks and not the latest bridging proposal presented by the mediators the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. Following the conclusion of the talks, the mediators on Friday said they have presented a revised ceasefire proposal to bridge the gaps between the positions of Israel and Hamas. They said they expect a deal to be reached based on the revised bridging proposal by the end of the next week. Advertisement Has Hamas rejected Gaza ceasefire proposal? Hamas on Friday said that it has rejected new conditions in the Gaza ceasefire plan, according to AFP. The news agency reported that Hamas had rejected the new conditions inserted by Israel in recent weeks in the ceasefire proposal. An informed source told AFP that the conditions Hamas objected to include keeping Israeli soldiers in the Philadelphi Corridor (the strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border), veto rights on Palestinians prisoners to be swapped with hostages, and the ability to depart some prisoners instead of repatriating them to Gaza. These conditions have been reported before and have been an irritant in the talks. As Hamas and Egypt reportedly rejected these conditions, the mediators came up with a revised proposal on Friday and said it bridged the gaps that remained. In the joint statement, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt termed the talks serious and constructive. They said they have presented to both the parties a revised bridging proposal in line with the one originally announced by US President Joe Biden in May. Earlier today in Doha, the United States with support from Egypt and Qatar, presented to both parties a bridging proposal that is consistent with the principles laid out by President Biden on May 31, 2024 and Security Council Resolution No. 2735. This proposal builds on areas of agreement over the past week, and bridges remaining gaps in the manner that allows for a swift implementation of the deal, said the statement. Advertisement The mediators said they expect to conclude the deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages before the end of the next week. Palau has instead strengthened its ties with Taiwan and Japan, which along with Australia have supplied diversity to a tourism market still rebounding from the coronavirus pandemic. In May, a non-stop airline route opened between Palau and Brisbane. read more Beijing weaponized tourism to the Pacific archipelago of Palau over its allegiance to Taiwan and its accusations that China was behind a major cyberattack there, President Surangel Whipps Jr. told The Associated Press. Palau, along with Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, is one three Pacific nations to recognize Taiwan as an independent democracy viewed as a snub by Beijing, which asserts it is part of China. Taipeis allies in the Pacific have dwindled from six countries in 2019; Nauru abandoned its ties in January. Advertisement Whipps told the AP in an interview late Thursday that, in 2020 while he was running for his current post, the Chinese ambassador to a neighboring country pledged to flood his tourism-dependent nation of 20,000 people with a million visitors if he capitulated on the countrys stance. That continues to be the overture, he said by phone Thursday. They say, why are you torturing yourselves? Just join us and the skys the limit. Whipps refused. We dont need a million tourists, he added. Its not always about how much money we get. His stance is vanishingly rare amid Pacific island nations some struggling to sustain themselves and feeling overlooked by Western powers while their backyards are increasingly the settings for some of the worlds most potent contests for influence. Amid intensifying conflict over ocean territory, resources and political sway, Beijings pressure on the three hold-out countries was increasing, analysts said. As the number of Taiwans diplomatic allies in the Pacific dwindles, the obstacles to Chinas regional diplomacy diminish, said Mihai Sora, Director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute. Chinas penalties for Palaus intransigence are not new, but they have escalated in the months leading up to Novembers election in which Whipps will seek another term as leader, he said. In May, he blamed China for a major cyberattack on Palau in which 20,000 government documents were stolen. The claim was unproven, Whipps said, but no other motive or actor had emerged. Earlier that month, Palau tourism industry representatives were denied visas to enter Macau for a lucrative international industry conference. Then reports appeared in Chinas state media and on an official WeChat channel in June, warning tourists of an increase in safety issues for Chinese visitors to Palau. The remarks, seen by the AP, urged citizens to be cautious when traveling there. Advertisement Whipps rejected the reports of security problems but said the claims had stuck visitor numbers from China halved in 2024, now down to 30% of its tourists. Once, 70% of Palaus visitors came from China, but the country tried to diversify its market after Beijing unofficially blocked its citizens from visiting in 2017. Palau has found itself in a position where it relies on Chinese tourists for income, Sora said. This is a tap China can quite easily turn on and off and it does. Support comes from other quarters, however. Unlike most Pacific nations, Palau, a republic that has been independent since 1994, holds close ties to the United States in a free association agreement. Washington provides aid and defense support to Palau and its citizens can live and work in the U.S. Advertisement In February as renewal of the aid for Palau, Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia stalled in a divided Congress Whipps warned U.S. lawmakers that Beijing was trying to capitalize on the uncertainty. The funds have since been unlocked, and Whipps on Thursday shrugged off any suggestion of lasting damage, adding that democracy sometimes takes a little longer than expected. But many analysts say Washington was too slow to recognize Chinas campaign of influence in the Pacific and took for granted relationships with the leaders of tiny island nations who struggled to address growing economic and climate woes. Meanwhile, Whipps said, Beijing offered incentives and wooed with red carpets and fanfare some leaders who had never met an American president before a Pacific summit at the White House first held in 2022. Advertisement Western nations had at times seen Pacific island countries as dots on a map, Whipps added. Things were changing, he said this week, Palau hosted New Zealands Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who is also the Foreign Minister, in the highest-profile visit Whipps had received from that country. That mutual respect, that caring, it means a lot, he said, adding that China had elsewhere done very good at that diplomacy. Whipps also hailed educational opportunities for Palaus youth in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. We want our best and brightest to be educated in schools that share our values, he said. Advertisement He also urged more security for its pristine waters 80% of which are a marine sanctuary, the largest proportion of any country in the world. Four Chinese vessels have made incursions without permission since he became leader, Whipps said. Recent elections in the Pacific have proved fertile ground for bolstering ties with China. In the first round of national voting Wednesday in Kiribati which cut ties with Taiwan in 2019 the Chinese embassy announced on polling day that Kiribati seafood could now enter Chinas market. Ahead of an election in the Solomon Islands in April which also switched allegiance in 2019, forming a secretive security pact with Beijing the ruling party warned that cooling relations with China could stifle logging trade with the Solomons, a boon its economy is dependent on. As Novembers Palau election approaches, challenges from long-time pro-Beijing voices in Palau are growing once more, Whipps said. However, he said the campaign would be fought not on foreign influence but on the merits of tax reform, and did not believe a change in leadership would weaken ties to Taiwan. Politicians in Palau do not run on party platforms. Whipps main opponent for the presidency was the countrys leader until 2021. Former President Thomas Remengesau Jr. also rebuffed Chinas attempts at sway during his time in office. Weve always had the belief that we should be friends to all and enemies to none, Whipps said. Our relationship to Taiwan shouldnt be questioned by anybody. Beijings backing of Myanmar juntas proposal, despite the ongoing violence and the militarys struggles to maintain control, shows its strategic interests in stabilising the region and protecting its infrastructure projects read more This photograph taken and released on August 14, 2024 by the Myanmar Military Information Team shows Myanmar's military chief Min Aung Hlaing (R) meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Naypyidaw. File image/AFP China has expressed its support for Myanmars military junta in its plan to hold fresh elections as part of what it describes as a democratic transition. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi voiced this backing at a regional meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, reinforcing Beijings stance on fostering political reconciliation within the framework of Myanmars constitution. This announcement comes as Myanmar continues to grapple with widespread conflict and political instability following the military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyis government in 2021. Advertisement Since the coup, Myanmar has been mired in violent unrest, with the military clashing not only with established ethnic armed groups but also with newer pro-democracy forces like the Peoples Defence Forces. The junta, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has promised to hold elections, yet it has repeatedly postponed the timeline for these polls as it struggles to suppress the nationwide opposition to its rule. Concern over juntas promised election Earlier this week, Wang Yi met with Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw, where they discussed the prospects for free and fair multi-party general elections. The junta has framed these elections as a step toward restoring democracy, although significant doubts remain about the legitimacy and fairness of any future polls. The United States and other Western nations have dismissed the juntas election plans as a sham, with concerns that the elections could lead to further bloodshed, given the deep divisions and ongoing conflict within the country. Chinas interests in Myanmar Chinas support for the juntas election plan is consistent with its broader strategic interests in Myanmar. As a key ally and arms supplier to the junta, China has maintained a complex relationship with Myanmar, also engaging with ethnic armed groups that have gained significant territory in the countrys northern Shan State. These groups, including the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), have recently made significant advances against the junta, further complicating the political landscape. Advertisement The juntas inability to maintain control over large swathes of the country has raised concerns in Beijing, particularly as it threatens the stability of the region and the progress of Chinese infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. Despite this, China continues to back the junta, emphasising its opposition to external forces interfering in Myanmars internal affairs and supporting the countrys independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The situation in Myanmar remains volatile, with civilians caught in the crossfire of daily bomb blasts, targeted killings, and clashes between military forces and their opponents. With inputs from agencies The call between Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Vaticans special peace envoy, and his Chinese counterpart Li Hui was relatively unusual, as the Holy See does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, according to a report read more The Vatican and China have both been calling for talks between the warring parties. AFP File China has discussed its peace plan for Ukraine with the Vatican as the latest offensive made further advances into Russian territory. According to a South China Morning Post report, the call between Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Vaticans special peace envoy, and his Chinese counterpart Li Hui was relatively unusual, as the Holy See does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Beijing. Li Hui appreciates the Vaticans constant efforts to mediate the Ukraine crisis and provide humanitarian assistance. He stressed that the current situation shows the significance of the six common understandings issued by China and Brazil, South China Morning Post quoted the Chinese foreign ministry as saying. Advertisement The six-point plan includes a call for a ceasefire and a negotiated end to the settlement. According to the report, citing the Chinese foreign ministry, the call had taken place at Zuppis invitation who thanked the Chinese government for its unswerving efforts to promote peace and expressed his appreciation for the six-point plan. The Vatican has yet to comment on the call, added the report. Although Russia and Ukraine have expressed willingness to talk under specific conditions the latest offensive has cast further doubt on the prospects of negotiations taking place any time soon. Ukraine has urged Moscow to accept a just peace after it seized control of dozens of settlements inside Russia for the first time in the war, reported South China Morning Post. The invasion has prompted the border provinces of Kursk and Belgorod to start evacuating residents, and on Wednesday Ukraine continued its offensive, striking four Russian airfields with drones. China has positioned itself as a peacemaker and has recently stepped up its efforts to push for direct talks between the two warring parties. Li has been travelling the world to drum up support for its six-point plan, especially among Global South nations. China says it has so far obtained support from 26 countries and more than 100 have given it a favourable response. Zuppi also carried out his own peace missions last year, including meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden and top advisers to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Advertisement Zuppi also made a three-day trip to Beijing last year to meet Li, but few details of those talks have been made public. Pan Dawei, director of the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said the Vatican and China share a similar position on the war. In terms of religious significance, the Vatican has a very high position among Western countries, South China Morning Post quoted Dawei as saying. If it can join China in [its stance] on Ukraine, of course that is Chinas goal, Dawei added. Although China insists it is neutral in the war, its position has been one of the main sources of tension with the European Union because of the widespread suspicion about its close ties with Russia. Advertisement A number of Chinese companies have been sanctioned by the EU and United States on suspicion of transferring products with dual military and civilian uses to Russia. With inputs from agencies Data on Thursday showed Chinas economy lost momentum in July with new home prices falling at the fastest pace in nine years, industrial output slowing and unemployment rising. read more Chinas Premier Li Qiang told a cabinet plenary session on Friday that great efforts must be made to boost the economy and the country will focus on stimulating consumption, state media reported. Li added that China will look at measures to boost household income in both rural and urban areas, and will make support appropriate to the needs of different groups of people, state media reported. Chinas economic growth failed to gain momentum after experiencing its most sluggish period in five quarters with an uneven recovery in July held back by consumer spending still lagging industrial activity & investment. Advertisement Industrial output rose 5.1% from a year ago, down from Junes increase of 5.3%. According to a report, the string of dismal indicators has dulled expectations for Chinas economic performance in July, an ominous sign for the rest of 2024 and pointing to the need for more stimulus measures beyond plastering over pain points in the worlds second-largest economy. Calls for more growth-boosting measures for the $19 trillion economy have dogged officials after a widely expected post-pandemic recovery failed to materialise in 2023. Still, the government is targeting economic growth of around 5% this year. The latest data point to a rocky start to the second half. On Tuesday, central bank data showed July new bank loans plunged to a 15-year low, while other key gauges showed export growth slowed and factory activity slumped as manufacturers grapple with tepid domestic demand. The economy had already grown more slowly than expected in the second quarter, expanding 4.7% from a year earlier, as wary consumers remained reluctant to spend and trade ties with major markets became more tense, suggesting a period of prolonged sluggishness is increasingly likely. On Thursday, China will release a raft of activity data. Economists polled by Reuters poll expect that retail sales grew 2.6% year-on-year last month, versus 2.0% in June, while industrial output was forecast to have grown more slowly and investment growth levelled off. Officials will also release the latest reading on new home prices, which fell at the fasted clip in nine years in June despite a host of support measures aimed at luring back buyers and stemming a protracted property crisis. Advertisement Credit data this week showed household loans, mostly mortgages, contracted 210 billion yuan ($29.37 billion) in July, compared with a rise of 570.9 billion in June. One of the main reasons people are not spending in China is 70% of household wealth is held in real estate, a sector which had long been a major growth driver. With inputs from agencies. The August 10 flight from southwestern Chinas Chongqing was already departing when it had to return to the gate. Following this, police escorted the woman off the plane, which led to a one-hour delay and disrupted subsequent flights, according to a report read more A Chinese woman had to be escorted off a plane after she refused to put her Louis Vuitton handbag worth $3,000 under the seat in front of her, as is the rule in most flights, thereby delaying the flight by one hour. According to a South China Morning Post report, after a passenger posted the video of the incident on Douyin, the clip garnered 4 million views and triggered a heated debate on the platform. Advertisement The passenger, who requested anonymity, said that the woman in economy class insisted on placing her Louis Vuitton handbag beside her seat instead of stowing it under the seat in front, reported South China Morning Post. The August 10 flight from Chongqing, southwestern China, was already departing when it had to return to the gate. Following this, police escorted the woman off the plane, which led to a one-hour delay and disrupted subsequent flights. The Louis Vuitton handbag, valued at around $3,000, contrasted sharply with the economy class ticket price of 800 yuan ($110) for the flight operated by China Express Airlines. According to the report, the airline did not respond to questions about the case or reveal the outcome after speaking to the passenger. The passengers identity remains unknown. However, the video led to mixed reactions on Chinese social media. While some criticised the passenger, others suggested that the flight attendant might have been overly strict in enforcing the rules. She valued the bag more than her life, South China Morning Post report quoted as one person saying on Weibo. The flight attendant could have offered her a bag to put her handbag in. Is it really necessary to waste an hour and kick her off the plane? a user was quoted as asking on Douyin. Another online observer said she had seen many economy class passengers putting their small bags on the seat during take off and were not asked to remove them. Advertisement The flight attendant did not insist on the rule for nothing. The woman should value her safety and that of other passengers rather than the bag, said another user. Passengers are required to put their bags under the seat in front of them to prevent injuries or blockages during turbulence, ensuring safety and clear escape routes. LVMH, the luxury conglomerate behind brands like Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, reported a 13 per cent drop in sales in Asia (excluding Japan) for the first half of the year, reported South China Morning Post. Despite this, CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony noted that the Chinese customer is holding up quite well, as many are traveling to Japan to purchase luxury goods, which are currently more affordable due to the weak yen. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Russia has claimed to have captured a village near the important logistics hub of Pokrovsk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk read more Russian has claimed to have won another village in the ongoing war in Ukraine (Representative Photo, Credit: Reuters) Even as Ukraine continues to make gains in the Kursk region, Russia has continued its offensive in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Earlier this month, Ukraine launched the ongoing offensive in Russias border region of Kursk that took the Russian forces there by surprised. The offensive, which has now spread to the second border region of Belgorod, has so far led to the capture of one city, more than 80 settlements, and a total of around 1,000 square kilometres of territories. Advertisement The stated purpose of the offensive has been to relieve the pressure on Ukrainian forces in other theatres of war, but Russia has continued to press on in the eastern Ukraines Donetsk province. Since the invasion began in 2022, the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine comprising Donetsk and Luhansk have seen most of the fighting. Now, Russia has claimed to have captured the village of Sergiivka, near the Ukrainian-held logistics hub of Pokrovsk, according to AFP. The victory of Sergiivka is the latest that Russia has claimed to have scored in eastern Ukraine this month. Starting with Avdiivka, Russia said it has won dozens of villages in eastern Ukraine many since May when it launched a surprise offensive in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine in May. The importance of Russias latest victory The village of Sergiivka lies around 15 kilometres (9 miles) away from key logistics hub of Pokrovsk. Pokrovsk lies on the intersection of an important road that supplies Ukrainian forces and towns in the eastern theatre and has long been a target for Russia, according to AFP. The control of village is expected to benefit Russia in the assault on Pokrovsk. For months, Russia has been moving towards the city and has been slicing of villages on the outskirts of the city. Earlier this week, the Russian forces claimed to have captured two villages near Pokrovsk: Lysychne and Ivanivka. Advertisement The situation is dire and Pokrovsks military administration has ordered the remaining locals to evacuate. It said the Russians were just around 10 kms away. The enemy is rapidly approaching the outskirts of Pokrovsk. Evacuation is underway, said the administration on Telegram, as per AFP. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus salutes to the attendees upon arrival at the Bangabhaban in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reuters. Weeks after a new interim government took over Bangladesh, four more advisers joined the administration headed by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus. Bangladeshs President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath-taking ceremony of the new advisers. Indias neighbouring country has been in a transitionary phase after the nationwide anti-government protest led to the fall of the countrys Former PM Sheikh Hasina. According to Bangladeshi news outlet Prothom Alo, the oat-taking ceremony took place on Friday. The new advisers who took oath in the ceremony were; economist Wahiduddin Mahmud, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, former power secretary Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan and Lieutenant General (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. Advertisement With 21 advisers Bangladesh heads towards a transition After Fridays oath-taking ceremony, the interim government will now comprise 21 members. The new advisers are yet to be appointed as in charge of a particular ministry. It is pertinent to note that after assuming office, Yunus has already taken charge of 24 ministries and departments including the cabinet division, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Ministry of Food, Ministry of Agriculture, ministry of public administration and ministry of commerce, Prothom Alo reported. Earlier today, Yunus held a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, PM Modi said that he had a telephone conversation with Yunus. During the conversation, the two leaders discussed the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh and Yunus assured the safety and protection of all minorities in the country. Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated Indias support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh, PM Modi wrote on X. Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2024 Advertisement He assured the protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh, he added. Yunus was appointed as the head of Bangladeshs interim government following a nationwide anti-government protests. The demonstrations which eventually turned violent, led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. After ending her 15-year-long reign, the former Bangladeshi premier fled from Dhaka and is currently in India. Negotiators seeking a Gaza ceasefire were set to meet for a second day in Qatar on Friday, while top European diplomats were expected in Israel to stress the urgency of averting a wider war. read more Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip flee from Hamad City, following an evacuation order by the Israeli army to leave parts of the southern area of Khan Younis, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. Image- AP The second day of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Gaza facilitated by international mediators are set to resume for a second day in Qatar on Friday to prevent the conflict from escalating into a wider regional crisis. Although Hamas is not directly involved in the talks, representatives from Qatar and Egypt are participating on their behalf. Meanwhile, Israels foreign minister is set to meet with his counterparts from the United Kingdom and France on Friday to discuss strategies for preventing regional escalation. The renewed efforts to end the Israel-Hamas conflict come as the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 40,000, according to health authorities in Gaza. Advertisement Fears of a wider Middle East war have soared since the July 31 killing of Hamas political leader and truce negotiator Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran and its allied groups in the region blamed Israel and vowed revenge. Haniyehs death came hours after an Israeli strike killed Fuad Shukr, the military commander of Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, which has exchanged near-daily cross border fire with Israeli forces. The Gaza war has also drawn in Tehran-aligned groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. The US military said its forces had destroyed a ground control station operated by Yemens Iran-backed Huthi rebels. The Huthis have for months fired missiles and drones at shipping in waterways vital to world trade off Yemen. The Huthis, like Hezbollah, say they are acting in support of the Palestinians. Violence has also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday condemned a Jewish settler attack on a West Bank village that the Palestinian Authority said killed one Palestinian and wounded another. In a statement carried by the Qatari News Agency, he said the mediators are resolute in their commitment to move forward in their endeavors to reach a cease-fire in (Gaza) that would facilitate the release of hostages and enable the entry of the largest possible amount of humanitarian aid into the territory. Mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release scores of hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war in exchange for a lasting cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Advertisement That would likely calm tensions across the region and may persuade Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah to refrain from retaliatory strikes on Israel after the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike and of Hamas top political leader in an explosion in Irans capital. With inputs from agencies. The United States has been working to revive a coalition involving France and United Kingdom to help Israel defend itself in case of an Iranian attack read more In the wake of threats from Iran, the United States has boosted military presence in the Middle East (Representative Photo, Credit: US Navy) Israel has told the United Kingdom and France that it expects them to join retaliation against Iran in case of an attack. Since the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month, which Iran blamed on Israel, an attack on Israel by Iran and its allies in the region, such as the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, has been widely anticipated. Israel conveyed its expectations in a meeting with top British and French diplomats on Friday. Advertisement Earlier on Friday, British Foreign Minister David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne visited Israel and met Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. The meeting came at a time when Israeli negotiators were holding talks in Qatars Doha for a deal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages. It has been said that a ceasefire deal in Gaza may convince Iran to scale down the scope of its attack. In a statement following the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Israel said that Israel expects France and Britain to publicly clarify to Iran that it is unacceptable for it to attack Israel and that if Iran attacks, the US-led coalition will join Israel not only in defence but also in an attack against significant targets in Iran, according to The Times of Israel. In the of the anticipated Iranian attack, the United States has been working to revive a coalition it forged in April to help with the defence of Israel against the Iranian attack the first time ever Iran directly attacked Israel. The coalition comprises the US, British, French, Saudi, and Jordanian militaries and it is expected that the coalition or at least some members of the coalition would be part of the defensive actions this time as well. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Katz thanked the UK and France for their support since the outbreak of the war last year and called for a united response to any attack by Iran. Advertisement I thanked them for their support of Israel and made it clear that the right way to deter Iran and prevent war is by announcing that if Iran attacks, they will stand with Israel not only in defense but also in striking targets in Iran. Iran is the head of the axis of evil, and the free world must stop it now before its too late, said Katz. I hosted my colleagues, the French FM @steph_sejourne and the British Foreign secretary @DavidLammy, in Jerusalem today for an urgent visit amidst Iran's threats to attack Israel. I thanked them for their support of Israel and made it clear that the right way to deter Iran and pic.twitter.com/2bDs1B8LRU Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) August 16, 2024 Advertisement Following the meeting, Lammy said that any Iranian attack would be devastating for the Middle East. Lammy said, This is a dangerous moment for the Middle East. The risk of the situation spiraling out of control is rising. Any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences for the region. There are widespread fears that any Iranian attack and subsequent Israeli retaliation could lead to an escalatory cycle that could plunge the entire Middle East in an all-out war. It has previously been reported that Israel has assessed that a coordinated attack by Israel and its allies could open as many as five fronts of war. Advertisement Lammy further said, As we head now to 315 days of war, the time for a deal for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza and for the fighting to stop is now. Sejourne stressed that any action to destabilise the ongoing peace talks was unacceptable. He said that the Middle East was at a critical junction as the region because it could lead to peace or war. As per a report, Indian officials demanded the US to tone down criticism of Sheikh Hasin, arguing that if the opposition were allowed to gain power in an open election, Bangladesh would become a breeding ground for Islamist groups posing a threat to Indias national security read more Many Bangladeshis were disappointed after the Biden administration softened its criticism and shelved threats of further sanctions against former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasinas government. Source: AFP. In the wake of Sheikh Hasinas recent ouster amid student protests in Bangladesh, reports have come up regarding the complex diplomatic to-and-fro between Indian and US officials over the past year. A year before her deposition, Indian diplomats had actively lobbied their American counterparts to ease pressure on Hasina, the long-standing and authoritarian prime minister of Bangladesh, a report by The Washington Post quoted sources from both nations as saying. The Biden administration had been critical of Hasina for her harsh crackdown on political opponents and alleged human rights abuses leading up to a contentious election in January. The US had sanctioned a Bangladeshi police unit under Hasinas command accused of extrajudicial killings and threatened visa restrictions on Bangladeshis involved in undermining democracy. Advertisement In response, Indian officials, concerned about the potential rise of Islamist groups should the opposition gain power, urged the US to moderate its pro-democracy stance. You approach it at the level of democracy, but for us, the issues are much, much more serious and existential, the report quoted an Indian government adviser as saying on request of anonymity. There were a lot of conversations with the Americans where we said, This is a core concern for us, and you cant take us as a strategic partner unless we have some kind of strategic consensus, the Indian governmeny adviser said. Despite these appeals, the Biden administration toned down its criticism of Hasina, disappointing many in Bangladesh. US officials, however, argue that this decision was made independently of Indian pressure. The US approach to Bangladesh was always one that tried to both be consistent with our values and we spoke about those publicly on many occasions but also pragmatic about the reality that the situation in Bangladesh was very complicated and that there were a number of interests that we had there and that other countries had there, the report quoted a US official as saying. As unrest continued in Bangladesh, leading to Hasinas flight to India, both New Delhi and Washington are now grappling with the implications of their handling of the situation. According to the US official, Bangladesh always sees a balancing act as the on-ground situation is perpetually complicated. Advertisement Internal divisions within the US government became apparent as the election approached. Some State Department officials advocated for a tougher stance on Hasina, aligning with President Bidens campaign promise to restore democratic norms. Meanwhile, others feared alienating Hasina and risking the safety of US diplomats who faced threats from her supporters. The US-India dynamic was particularly influential in shaping the American response. Indian officials, including External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, met with US officials such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken to argue against excessive criticism of Hasina. Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval also visited Washington to present Indias case. Advertisement Jon Danilowicz, a retired US diplomat, criticised the approach, suggesting that both nations failed to fully support the democratic aspirations of the Bangladeshi people. The US has built its relationship with India and has this tendency to defer to its wishes in the region, and probably nowhere was that more evident than Bangladesh, Danilow said, adding, But the risk is like Iran 1979: If youre seen as colluding with the dictator, when the dictator falls, youre left playing catch-up. Post-ouster, Indian officials have expressed readiness to work with the new leadership in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his best wishes to Muhammad Yunus, who now heads Bangladeshs interim government, even though Yunus had previously criticized Indias support for Hasina. Advertisement In the meantime, BNP leaders, potential victors if new elections occur, have reassured Indian officials of their commitment to maintaining safety and stability in Bangladesh. The recent unrest in Bangladesh has prompted speculation about whether the US played a role in Hasinas removal, a claim US officials firmly deny. The situation has also sparked debate in India about whether supporting Hasina was a misstep. The mediators of Gaza ceasefire talks, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, expect a deal to be concluded between Israel and Hamas by the end of the next week read more FILE - A view of the rubble of buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Jabalia, Gaza strip, on Oct. 11, 2023. After 11 weeks of war in Gaza, the Israeli military campaign against Hamas now sits among the deadliest and most destructive in history. The Palestinian death toll is approaching 20,000 and satellite data shows that one-third of structures across the tiny enclave have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa, File) As talks for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have picked up pace, Iran has put its plan to attack Israel on hold for now, according to a report. For more than two weeks, the Middle East has been on the edge over anticipated attacks by Iran and allies on Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. There are fears that an Iran-led attack and subsequent Israeli response could lead to an escalatory spiral that could plunge the region into an all-out war. Advertisement Now, as significant progress is said to have been made in talks in Doha for a deal to end the war in Gaza, Iran is expected to delay any attacks to allow the ongoing talks to conclude, according to The New York Times. The mediators of Gaza ceasefire talks, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, expect a deal to be concluded between Israel and Hamas by the end of the next week. The deal would institute a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages in captivity. Iran & Hezbollah have lowered alert level: Israeli assessment As talks continue for a deal to end the war in Gaza, Israel has assessed that Iran and Lebanon-based Hezbollah have lowered their level of alertness in their rocket and missile units, according to The Times. The assessment indicates that an attack on Israel is no longer imminent. Previously, Iran had said that its reprisals for Haniyehs assassination would be such that they do not compromise the ongoing talks for a peace deal for Gaza. Earlier on Friday, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks with Acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and urged him to refrain from any escalation at the moment. Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs @MBA_AlThani_ , Iran's Acting Foreign Minister Discuss Regional Developments#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/Mj288KBqh9 Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 16, 2024 Advertisement In a separate statement, the mediators said they have presented a new revised proposal to bridge the gaps between Israels and Hamas positions. They said they expect a deal to be concluded by the end of the next week based on this revised proposal. The proposal is rooted in the one outlined by US President Joe Biden in May, which sought to end the war in Gaza in three-stages starting with a six-week truce and the release of a select class of hostages. The talks for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages are continuing today for the second consecutive day in Qatari capital Doha read more Talks for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages are being held in Qatar's Doha ( Representative Photo, Credit: Reuters) Israel has told the United Kingdom and France that it is on the cusp of a striking a deal with Hamas in the ongoing talks in Qatari capital Doha. Since Thursday, the Israeli negotiators are holding indirect talks with Hamas in Doha through mediators Egypt and Qatar and facilitator the United States for a deal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages in captivity. Now, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne have said that the Israeli government has told them they are on the cusp of a deal in the ongoing talks. Advertisement Lammy and Sejourne visited Israel on Friday and held talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. In a joint statement after the meeting, Lammy and Sejourne said the first day of the talks in Doha had gone well. The reports out of Qatar suggests the first day of hostage talks has gone well and it has been important to listen to ministers here in Israel and hear too from them that they hope we are on the cusp of a deal, said Lammy in the statement, according to The Guardian. Lammy further said, As we head now to 315 days of war the time for a deal for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in, in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza, and for the fighting to stop is now. Of course that is the message that we have jointly underlined to ministers today, both in Israel and in the occupied territories. Previously, it had been reported that the talks had been compromised by the new demanded inserted into the proposal on the table by Israel and the boycott of the talks by Hamas. However, the White House on Thursday said the Hamas participation in the talks was as per expectations and the talks had made a promising start. Any deal reached by Israel and Hamas is expected to be within the broad framework announced by US President Joe Biden in May, which sought to end the war in Gaza in three stages, which would start with a six-week truce and a return of a smaller group of hostages, followed by a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages in lieu of release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and the return of displaced Gazans to their homes. In the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, sexual violence has left deep scars on both sides. Recent reports and a UN expert Firstpost spoke to highlighted harrowing accounts of women and men subjected to rape, sexual humiliation, and torture read more Rape and sexual violence appear to be authorised or condoned by Hamas and Israel top brass. AI-generated image via DALL-E To them, she was just one of the many women they needed to hurt. What was her name? Did she have a family waiting home? It is unlikely that they cared. She was a body one from the enemy group and nothing more. They restricted her movement. Got rid of her clothes. And then, they raped her. The story is the same, but the victims are two different women. One of them an Israeli; the other, a Palestinian. Advertisement The Israeli woman was violated on October 7, 2023 on Road 232, close to the Nova Music Festival site. Her rapists have been referred to as armed elements in a mission report by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (OSRSG-SVC). The Palestinian woman was reportedly raped while in detention by Israeli army personnel. Based on a press release by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, she was likely violated sometime between October 7, 2023 and February 19, 2024. We do not know whether these two women are alive. A grim pattern emerges What we do know, however, is that their stories are not isolated ones. These acts fit into a broader pattern. Its a feature of every conflict. From the Rwandan Genocide to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond this is use of rape (and sexual violence) as a tool of war. It is a feature of all conflicts, this kind of conduct. This is why we look to international law. We look to states to comply with international law. We look to military leaders, political leaders to prevent this kind of conduct, Navi Pillay, a South African jurist who is the Chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, exclusively told Firstpost. Advertisement Navi Pillay, a South African jurist of Indian Tamil origin, has served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. She has served as a judge of the International Criminal Court and President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In addition, she is the President of the Advisory Council of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, and the Chair of the Quasi-Judicial Inquiry into Detention in the North Korea. Image courtesy: nurembergacademy.org During the October 7 attack, and afterwards, multiple cases of rape, gang rape, sodomy, and sexualised humiliation and torture by both Hamas and Israeli security forces have emerged. Systemic violations by Hamas Consider actions by Hamas, first. On the day Hamas and other Palestinian groups attacked Israel and took hostages, murdered people, mostly women, were found shot in their heads with their hands tied behind their backs. Some of these individuals were totally naked, while others were unclothed from their waist down. Its circumstantial, but this pattern of undressing people prima facie appears to be evidence of sexual violence. Bodies in this condition were found at multiple locations. That points to a systematic use of sexual violence by Hamas militants collectively. Advertisement Then there are the accounts of released hostages. These provided the OSRSG-SVC clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape and sexualised torture, occurred against some women and children while they were held captive. In fact, UN experts said there are reasonable grounds to believe that this violence may still be happening. Mia Schem, an ex-hostage released by Hamas in late November said she feared being raped by the gunman who watched over her around the clock in the home where he lived. Reuters We saw one video where this woman was being forced from Israel into Gaza by these armed Palestinians and other civilians with them. So we saw some graphic footage like that and that gives you an idea that they are being subject to violence and ill treatment and huge indignities, Navi Pillay pointed out. Advertisement Evidence, when it comes to Hamas, is limited. Their assault lasted just one day on October 7. And the hostages are being held in underground tunnels, where satellites cannot locate them and footage or videos can not be taken. Israeli forces and sexual violence towards Palestinians Israels actions, on the other hand, are much better documented. There was a great deal more footage, testimonies, and reports of the treatment of Palestinian detainees by Israeli soldiers. Earlier this year, UN experts including Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, had pointed towards reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence. Advertisement The Israeli army also took photos of female detainees in degrading situations. These pictures were reportedly uploaded online. One Gazan man recounted his experience during evacuations. It was winter of 2023 early in November when he, his family, and other displaced persons were travelling via Salah al-Din Street. This satellite image gives a detailed view of the Gaza Strip, including various locations of key cities, towns, refugee camps, and important infrastructure points. Source: UN HRC report They [Israeli soldiers] ordered all of us, men and women, to take off our clothes and to continue walking, ordering us to only look forward. I was walking naked between the tanks, not even wearing underwear. An Israeli soldier spit in my face, he told the UN-backed Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. Another witness spoke about the sexual abuse on Salah al-Din Street. He said Israeli security forces ordered women to take off their clothes: No veil to cover their hair, and nothing but their underwear on their body. The witness said that while they were stripped, several women faced sexual harassment by the soldiers. A girl about the age of 17 or 18 was among the victims. Beyond the body: Impact on psyche The sexual abuse is not only directed towards the body. It aims to psychologically break the person, too. With regards to [Israeli security forces] orders to remove veils, the womens choice is between shame and abuse, possibly death. Being forced to remove your veil has a deep psychological impact on women, a person working with an organisation providing psychosocial support to women in the Gaza Strip told the Commission, which is chaired by Navi Pillay. Massive scale of these acts against of women in detention, during evacuation, and in womens centres also point to a systemic use of sexual violence as a tactic of war. From everything Ive read and seen, women activists clearly see this as a deliberate use of rape and sexual violence against women as part of the weapons of war. Its an attack on the enemy, Navi Pillay said, referring to sexual violence against women on either side. But, it isnt women alone. The sexual violence towards men is a notable feature of Israeli security forces onslaught in Gaza. We just look at the facts and when we look at the level of the crimes, its true that women were mostly violated by Hamas and its men and boys who are violated by Israeli soldiers and law enforcement on this side, the South African jurist noted. The intent of targeting men was to feminise, and shame them. It was to make them feel like they were not man enough. One Palestinian victim detailed his humiliation during evacuation of an area in Beit Lahia. Two months into the war, early in December 2023, he was in his home. Soldiers entered the area and ordered people to evacuate. At the same time, men and boys were forced to undress in front of family members. They were ordered to kneel. The victims wife and children saw his forced undressing before they left. He and about 50 other men were made to walk till the end of the street: barefoot, and only in their undergarments. They were forced to kneel with about 250 other males each of them in only their underwear. Digital evidence corroborated this information. Captured and detained Palestinians sit on a street in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, as Israeli soldiers stand guard, amid the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas this handout image obtained by Reuters on December 8, 2023. The victim went on to say that a female Israeli soldier had also ordered two teenage boys who had been stripped to their underwear to dance. She recorded them. And she laughed. Women are certainly seen as the property of the enemy, and in this case, Palestinian men and boys also seen as property. They [Israeli forces] could do what they liked with them [Palestinian males] and thats why the humiliation, the stripping, parading them naked, Navi Pillay told this correspondent. Again, this isnt a one-off violation. The Commission documented at least nine incidents where hundreds of Palestinian men were recorded by Israeli soldiers in humiliating and degrading situations. There are pictures of undressed Palestinian men. Some were tied to a chair, others knelt on the ground, while still others were seen lying blindfolded and tied. There is photographic evidence of physical abuse, too. Most of the footage was first published in Israeli Telegram groups, and later disseminated on X (formerly Twitter). That is not all. There is solid proof that this, too, was systematic. Daniel Hagari, the official spokesperson of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said that the circulated photos did not originate from the IDF Spokespersons Unit. Yet, the Commission revealed most videos were taken by Israeli soldiers. Their analysis was based on the proximity of the images to the soldiers, the captions of the footage, and the camouflage uniform of the cameraman appearing in some of the frames. Regarding the sexual violence, Navi Pillay told Firstpost, Clearly they see them as enemies. As people theyve captured as trophies of war. And because this has happened so often historically in all wars, international law has tightened up and has very strict rules against this kind of conduct. The evidence limited, but overwhelming The evidence is limited. Hamas is not easily traceable. Israel has not allowed the Commission to enter the country and has blocked access to victims. The atrocities and sexual violence unleashed by both sides may well be a lot more intense. Still, in a way, the evidence is overwhelming. It clearly shows: Israel has been carrying out sexualised torture and humiliation; Hamas has treated womens bodies as trophies of conquering the enemy. Sexual violence on both sides is not the result of individual desires. It is entrenched. It is systemic. And it is systematic. There are now two things to address: the intention and the support powering heinous sexual violence. The intention, reports show, is revenge. Revenge through punishment and humiliation. In the aftermath of the October 7 attack, there has been a massive increase in the range, frequency and severity of sexual and gender-based violence by Israeli security forces against Palestinians. Investigations have suggested that the increase is linked to an intention to punish and humiliate Palestinians in retaliation for the attacks. Historically, as also in contemporary times, womens bodies and sexuality are believed to be linked with the nations honour and dignity. Women are seen as property of the men, and a true man is one who can protect his possessions. And so, violating the woman would mean violating the nation. Raping a woman would mean emasculating the man. At the same time, sexually humiliating the man and feminising him via sodomy is an even greater affront to his manhood, his masculinity. He is not only incapable of protecting his possession, but also has no control over his own body. The same lens may be applied to Hamas. The rapes and gang rapes of women are revenge towards the perceived coloniser who has hurt their land, and their women. And what of the institutional support for these practices? Did Israel, Hamas top brass authorise sexual violence? Navi Pillay has a clear answer. Her Commissions report suggests these acts may be condoned or even authorised. She says, We did identify that. The former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights goes on to say that those above the perpetrators, in this case Hamas or the Israeli security military heads, are aware of the sexual violence. She explains that sometimes, the culprits send the videos up to their bosses saying Look, Ive done this in revenge for what has been done to us. We have identified that those in authority have tacitly consented to this or authorised it, because international law requires those in authority to prevent and/or punish the perpetrators. And none of these people have so far investigated or punished any of their soldiers or their their activists who carried out sexual violence. So thats why we say its condoned or authorised as to why they would do that, as I said. And therein lies the suffering of the Israeli woman, and the Palestinian woman, with whose tales we began this story. The US Attorney said that the defendants, who have been charged, took advantage of Matthew Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to him, but they did it anyway' read more Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing in 'Friends', was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. Source: REUTERS. Five people have been charged for allegedly supplying ketamine to Friends actor Matthew Perry who died in 2023. As per federal officials in Los Angeles, the five individuals, who have been charged, exploited the actors drug addiction for profit which led to his death due to overdose. The charges announced on Thursday come after the investigators say they have uncovered an underground network of drug sellers and suppliers who they allege are responsible for distributing the ketamine, a potentially deadly drug, that killed Perry. His body was found in his luxurious Los Angeles home last year. Advertisement Martin Estrada, the US Attorney for the central district of California said that in the fall of 2023, Perry, who has struggled with addiction in the past, fell back into addiction, and these defendants took advantage to profit for themselves." These defendants took advantage of Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Perry, but they did it anyway, Estrada said. These defendants were more interested in profiting off Perry than caring for his well-being, Estrada further said. Who are the 5 people charged in connection to Matthew Perrys death? The charges have been levied against two doctors, Perrys live-in personal assistant, a broker and a North Hollywood dealer known as the Ketamine Queen, who has been linked to the overdose death of another man. The US Attorney said that three of the five charged have reached a plea agreement, while the other two defendants Dr Salvador Plasencia, 42, a licensed medical doctor from Santa Monica, California, known as Dr P. and Jasveen Sangha, 41, allegedly known as the ketamine Queen who Estrada said ran what amounted to a drug selling emporium in her home, were indicted on Wednesday. According to the Department of Justice the three others who have been separately charged in the case include Dr Mark Chavez, 54, a licensed medical doctor who admitted in court documents to selling ketamine to Plasencia; Eric Fleming, 54, who admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry; and Perrys live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, who admitted in court documents to administering the ketamine on the day that Perry died. Advertisement Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom Friends from 1994 to 2004, was found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. He was 54. An autopsy found the cause of his death was the acute effects of ketamine, a controlled drug the recovering addict was taking as part of supervised therapy. 20 vials of drug sold over two months for $55,000 Estrada said that the five people charged on Thursday sold Perry 20 vials of the drug for over two months for $55,000. Each one cost them as little as $12. In one text message, Plasencia, 42, wrote: I wonder how much this moron will pay Lets [sic] find out." Advertisement Plasencia, who reportedly works in the tony Calabasas neighborhood outside Los Angeles, knew Perry was spiralling out of control, but carried on. On one occasion, he injected Perry with ketamine, and he saw Perry freeze up and his blood pressure spike. Despite that, he left additional vials of ketamine for (Perrys assistant Kenneth) Iwamasa to administer, Estrada said. Perry also obtained the drug from Jasveen Sangha through broker Eric Fleming, including the batch that would ultimately kill him. As per officials, Jasveens home was a drug-selling emporium containing methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription drugs like Xanax. Ismael El Mayo Zambada said he was kidnapped by the son of his former partner and armed men in what he described as an ambush and then taken on a plane to the United States, where they were then arrested read more A plane believed to have carried Mexican drug lord Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of Zambada's former partner, Joaquin El Chapo' Guzman, who were arrested in El Paso, Texas, is seen on the tarmac of the Dona Ana County private airport, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, US, July 25, 2024. Source: REUTERS. Mexican prosecutors said they were investigating the disappearance of two bodyguards the same day as last months dramatic US arrest of one of the founders of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, alongside the son of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. Ismael El Mayo Zambada, who co-founded the cartel with Guzman, said he was kidnapped by the son of his former partner and armed men in what he described as an ambush and then taken on a plane to the United States, where they were then arrested. Advertisement In a letter shared by his lawyer, Zambada said he had been accompanied to the meeting with Guzmans son by Jose Heras, the head of Sinaloa states judicial police, and Rodolfo Chaidez, a long-time member of his security team. The Guzman family lawyer said the arrest was a voluntary surrender following years of negotiations. Sinaloa state prosecutor Sara Quinonez told reporters that both Heras and Chaidez, a former state investigative agent, had been reported missing by their families. She said that Heras had been suspended from his post and if found alive, would be arrested. Heras had been on vacation since July 15 and his family said he was going to visit a relative the day he disappeared, she said. A source from the prosecutors office told Reuters Chaidez had been an active member of the security forces for several years, working in investigation, but did not share more details. Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said he was not aware of how Zambada was arrested on July 25 and has rebuked the US government for lack of transparency. The US embassy, meanwhile, has said that the flight that carried Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez out of Mexico to an airstrip near El Paso, Texas, operated without US resources and its flight plan was not shared with US authorities. Both Zambada and Guzman Lopez have pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in a US court. Advertisement Lopez Obrador has urged prosecutors to investigate the full facts of the arrest, seen as one of biggest blows to Mexican drug trafficking in recent years. Mexicos president however argues the arrest of major crime bosses will not stop the United States growing consumption of fentanyl and the thousands of deaths it continues to cause. The first case of mpox was reported in Pakistan on Thursday, while two other people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who also returned from the UAE, have tested positive of the viral infection, the health department said read more The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared recent mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant of the virus has been identified. Source: REUTERS. Mpox has started to spread in Pakistan with two more cases detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the health department said on Friday. There are now a total of three cases of monkeypox virus in the country. On Thursday, day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox as a public health emergency of international concern, Pakistan reported the first case of the virus this year after a 34-year-old man who recently returned from Saudi Arabia tested positive. Advertisement The man, a resident of Mardan, had arrived in Pakistan on August 3 and started showing symptoms shortly after reaching Peshawar. The two other patients who also were tested positive for the viral infection had returned from the United Arab Emirates, the health department in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said. Health officials have sped up tracing the contacts of these individuals who have tested positive for mpox. All close contacts of the patients, fellow passengers on their flights are being traced. Pakistan had had cases of mpox, however, it is not clear which variant was detected in the three patients who have recently tested positive. On Wednesday, the WHO declared the recent outbreak of the disease in Africa as a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant of the virus has been identified. The WHOs highest level of alert was sounded after cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to nearby countries. As per the global health body, over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths of mpox have been recorded in Africa this year, surpassing last years figures. More than 96 per cent of these cases and deaths have occurred in Congo, where a new, potentially more transmissible variant is causing concern among scientists. What is mpox? Advertisement Mpox or monekypox was first identified in 1958 among monkeys. Recently it has spread to over 70 countries. Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox. The virus, though similar but milder to smallpox, has caused outbreaks globally since it was confirmed to spread via sex in 2022. Initially, mpox cases were mostly reported in central and West Africa among people in close contact with infected animals. However, the 2022 outbreaks marked a significant shift, making it a global concern. Mpox symptoms Mpox symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes along with pox-like rashes that last for two to three weeks. Advertisement In more serious cases, people can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals. Mpox is a self-limiting disease but can lead to death, especially among children and those with weak immune systems. With inputs from agencies Chinese envoy reiterates call for Houthis to respect rights of navigation in Red Sea Xinhua) 10:58, August 16, 2024 UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday reiterated the call for the Houthis to respect the rights of navigation of all merchant ships in the Red Sea in accordance with international law. In remarks at the Security Council briefing on Yemen, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said China welcomes the recent agreement between the Yemeni government and the Houthis on financial and aviation issues. "We hope that the parties will build on this example and bear in mind the interests and well-being of the Yemeni people, stay committed to a political solution, eliminate interference, meet each other halfway, and resolve the conflict through dialogue and negotiation, so as to jointly promote the Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned comprehensive political process," he said. Geng noted that China supports the mediation efforts of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, and expects all parties, particularly those countries with influence on the situation in Yemen, to play a constructive role in this regard. "China, once again, calls on the Houthis to respect the rights of navigation of all merchant ships in the Red Sea in accordance with international law, stop the harassment and attacks, and maintain the safety of the shipping lanes in the Red Sea," said the ambassador, urging the relevant parties to exercise restraint and stop actions that will exacerbate tensions. He also called on the international community to increase humanitarian assistance, speed up honoring the pledges, and help alleviate the severe humanitarian situation in Yemen, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN personnel and the return of the related assets detained in Yemen. The situation in Yemen and the Red Sea is closely related to the Gaza conflict, he said, warning that the slow and difficult process to achieve ceasefire in Gaza has negative spillover effects that exacerbate regional turmoil. Geng urged for the implementation of Security Council Resolutions 2712, 2720, 2728, and 2735 as soon as possible to achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and to advance sooner the deescalation of tensions in the region, including in Yemen and the Red Sea. "China is ready to continue to work with the international community to make efforts for a political solution for the Yemeni issue to restore regional peace and stability and achieve long-term peace and stability in the Middle East," he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) New Zealand has shown enthusiasm over expansion of the scope of cooperation within the Aukus a pact among Australia, the US and the UK. What New Zealand stands to gain from a group it is not part of? read more (fILE) Former Britain prime minister Rishi Sunak, second right, walks during a meeting with US President Joe Biden, second left, and Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, left, at Point Loma naval base in San Diego, Calif., on March 13, 2023. AP In September 2021, when Australia, the UK and the US announced the Aukus trilateral defence pact, then New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had said, We werent approached, nor would I expect us to be. Incidentally, the same day the New Zealand government under the Official Information Act revealed that the country was considering its possible role in the defence agreement. Now, three years later, incumbent New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has released a joint statement with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese hailing the security treaty. Advertisement Luxon and Albanese said on Friday that the Aukus trilateral defence pact would boost regional security and stability. They also underscored that the two countries were facing the most challenging strategic environment since World War II. It is interesting to see New Zealand, which is not a party to the defence pact between the United States, Australia and the UK, taking so much interest in it only three years after its prime minister showing scant inclination towards the agreement. We share very much common values and we share common objectives, and it is not surprising we will look at any opportunity for including New Zealand in pillar two, Albanese said in a media briefing with Luxon. Scratching the surface If one digs a little deeper, it seems that New Zealand was possibly always interested in the Aukus deal. What prevented it from becoming a part of it or joining the discussion in the initial stage was its nuclear weapon prohibition policy. When the Aukus was announced its main focus was supplying nuclear submarines to Australia as the Pacific security situation was changing fast. China-Australia relations were nosediving particularly after Canberra sought probe into the origin of Covid-19, a global demand that Beijing vehemently resisted any inspection of possible sites by an international team of experts or scientists. Their economic and trade ties had taken a major hit, with the two countries blaming one another. Australia, in response to Chinas growing assertiveness, reworked its security policies, committing to defence spending. Advertisement When surroundings were heating up over security concerns, New Zealand could hardly have kept its eyes closed to the possibility of joining major Western powers to leverage its position. The Aukus treaty itself provided a window that New Zealand was looking to explore pillar two. Whats pillar two? The first pillar of the Aukus agreement means the provision to supply nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. The pillar two is a separate provision that allows the delivery of non-nuclear technology and facilities. This came up in the reckoning in March 2023 two years after the Aukus deal was announced. Months later, in October 2023, New Zealand warmed up to the idea of joining or at least keeping the possibility open for a wider Aukus pact. The pillar two, in a way, is a standalone technology-sharing arrangement that has been carefully crafted to ensure non-nuclear military arrangements. Advertisement In October 2023, the New Zealand government advised its ministers on the Aukus deal saying there are likely to be significant opportunities [for] future cooperationbeyond the submarines, particularly in the cyber and artificial intelligence areas. What now? Reacting to New Zealans stand, the US has said the door was open for New Zealand to engage on Aukus. These developments have followed a statement by the US state department saying that the Aukus members now had comparable export-control regimes a significant step needed to facilitate technology sharing on Aukus, Reuters reported. New Zealand says that it is happy with formal security ties with Australia and ready to collaborate with the Aukus within the defence framework of its immediate neighbour. Luxon said, Our intention is to say we want to be fully interoperable with Australias defence forces." Advertisement Australia and New Zealand signed a deal last year to help improve the capability and readiness of military personnel. This came against the backdrop of Australias growing involvement in the larger security affairs of the Pacific, more specifically the South China Sea in alignment with the West to counter Chinese attempts to claim the entire sea, which is an international water body. Australia is already a partner in the Quad security dialogue grouping that also has the US, India and Japan as members. The Quad is scheduled for a joint military exercise in the South China Sea later this year. With Australias greater geo-strategic engagement, New Zealand stands to gain immensely through its own arrangement with bodies like Aukus particularly in dealing with cyber intrusions and accessing advanced security technology. It also strengthens its position with such moves to meet challenges, if arise, to its territorial integrity. Authorities in western Germany have warned some 10,000 residents not to drink the tap water after a hole was found in a fence around a water tank that also supplies a nearby military base read more A view shows the entrance to the German air force base of Cologne-Wahn next to Cologne Bonn Airport after it has been sealed off and the soldiers working there were advised not to drink tap water as authorities investigate what may be an act of sabotage, according to a local media report, in Cologne, Germany, on 14 August, 2024. Reuters File Authorities in western Germany have warned some 10,000 residents not to drink the tap water after a hole was found in a fence around a water tank that also supplies a nearby military base, in the second such incident this week. Local authorities in the town of Mechernich said the cut fence was discovered Thursday afternoon and that tests were currently being carried out to determine if the water had been contaminated. Advertisement Germany - a key ally of Kyiv - has been on high alert for sabotage and attacks on military facilities in the country in the wake of Moscows 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Due to unauthorised access to Mechernichs drinking water system, there may have been a health-endangering contamination of the drinking water, said a statement on the towns website late Thursday. Residents of Mechernich and surrounding towns, some 10,000 people overall, were told to avoid using the water for drinking, showering, cooking or washing clothes. Mechernichs water system site also supplies a nearby Bundeswehr military base, and the hole in the fence was spotted after patrols were increased this week following a suspected act of sabotage at a base near Cologne airport, local official Thomas Hambach told German media. The Cologne-Wahn base was temporarily sealed off Wednesday after a hole was discovered in a fence near drinking water storage facilities. Tests later showed unusual values in the water, the military said. The defence ministry said authorities were investigating a possible act of sabotage. Around the same time, Nato announced there had been an attempted trespassing incident late Tuesday at its base in the western German town of Geilenkirchen, which houses AWACS reconnaissance aircraft. No link was established with the Cologne incident, and Nato said there were no concerns about the water supply at Geilenkirchen. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday said the security scares show we must remain vigilant. Advertisement In April, investigators arrested two German-Russian men on suspicion of spying for Russia and planning attacks in Germany - including on US army facilities - to undermine military support for Ukraine. The 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the leader of the Pheu Thai party. She does not hold an elected office, which the law doesnt require of prime ministerial candidates in Thailand read more Pheu Thai Party's leader and prime ministerial candidate Paetongtarn Shinawatra gestures on the day of a pivotal parliamentary vote on a new prime minister in Bangkok on August 16, 2024. Reuters Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been nominated to become the prime minister of Thailand in a parliamentary vote, which took place on Friday (August 16), by Pheu Thai partys secretary general, Sorawong Thienthong. This vote comes after former prime minister Srettha Thavisin was removed from office by a Constitutional Court order over an ethics violation a few days ago. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 37, is the leader of the Pheu Thai party. She does not hold an elected office, which the law doesnt require of prime ministerial candidates. The parliament also does not require her to be present at the vote. Advertisement If she is approved in Parliaments vote, Paetongtarn will become Thailands youngest leader. She would also be the second female prime minister and the countrys third leader from the Shinawatra family. Previously, her father and aunt had been at the helm of the countrys politics. To become the prime minister, a candidate must either secure a majority from the lower house or get at least 247 votes. The present 11 party-coalition led by Pheu Thai currently has 314 lawmakers in the lower house. All of them have announced their unanimous support for Paetongtarn. Paetongtarn Shinawatras family background Paetongtarn billionaire-tycoon Thaksin Shinawatras youngest child. Thaksin was the first Thai politician ever to win an overall majority of seats. He is one of Thailands most popular but divisive political figures and was ousted by a military coup in 2006. He is widely seen as a de facto leader of Pheu Thai. His residual popularity and influence is a factor behind the political support for Paetongtarn. Thaksin returned to Thailand last year after years in exile. When Paetongtarn was on the campaign trail for Pheu Thai, she acknowledged her family ties but insisted she was not just her fathers proxy. Not the shadow of my dad Its not the shadow of my dad. I am my dads daughter, always and forever, but I have my own decisions, she told a reporter. The reality may be different, though. According to Napon Jatusripitak, a political science researcher at Singapores ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, the coalition under the leadership of Paetongtarn could strengthen their unity because she possesses something that Srettha did not a direct line to her powerful father who has the final say. Advertisement In a strange way, it creates a clear chain of command and curbs factionalism, he said. Paetongtarn will be given clear jurisdictions on where she can exercise her own agency and where it is a matter between her father and the coalition members. With inputs from agencies Homeland Security Investigations notified ICEs field office in Buffalo last month that the man, Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, 38, was wanted in Peru, the agency said read more A Peruvian gang leader was apprehended by US immigration officials in New York on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said on Thursday. Homeland Security Investigations notified ICEs field office in Buffalo last month that the man, Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, 38, was wanted in Peru, the agency said. ICE said Torres-Navarro was transferred to Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, New York, pending immigration proceedings. ICEs online detainee locator did not list a legal representative for Torres-Navarro. Advertisement Gianfranco Torres-Navarro poses a significant threat to our communities, and we wont allow New York to be a safe haven for dangerous non-citizens, ICE Buffalo Field Office Director Thomas Brophy said in a statement. The US agency did not say what Torres-Navarro is wanted for in Peru. He is known as Gianfranco 23 in Peruvian media, in a reference to alleged victims. He fled to the United States after allegedly killing a retired police officer, according to Peruvian media. Torres-Navarro entered the United States at or near Roma, Texas, on May 16, according to ICE, where he was arrested and served with a notice to appear for immigration proceedings. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said if Maduro were sensible he could try to appeal to the people of Venezuela, perhaps even organize elections. Lula told a Brazilian radio station there should be criteria for participation of all candidates in a new election, which should allow observers from all over the world. read more Venezuelans living in Colombia take part in a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's disputed victory in Venezuela's presidential elections during a rally in Medellin, Colombia, on August 7, 2024.- AFP The presidents of Brazil and Colombia called Thursday for fresh elections in Venezuela after last months disputed victory by Nicolas Maduro a proposal quickly rejected by the opposition, who slammed the strongman for blocking a political transition. The two South American leaders, who spoke on the phone Wednesday to discuss a possible political way forward from Venezuelas post-election crisis, independently urged Maduro to consider a new election. But Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said it would show a lack of respect for the popular will already expressed on July 28. Advertisement And opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, a 74-year-old retired diplomat who claims he defeated Maduro by a wide margin, accused the longtime leftist leader of playing with the lives of millions by refusing to cede defeat. The countrys economy is getting worse and worse with each passing day with no political solution in sight, and you are responsible for this tragedy, Gonzalez Urrutia said in a video posted to social media on Thursday. Venezuela deserves a future of stability, prosperity and peace, but in order to have that, the will of the people must be respected. For his part, Maduro, while not directly mentioning a new election, said: Conflicts in Venezuela are resolved by Venezuelans, with their institutions, laws and Constitution. - Sensible - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said if Maduro were sensible he could try to appeal to the people of Venezuela, perhaps even organize elections. Lula told a Brazilian radio station there should be criteria for participation of all candidates in a new election, which should allow observers from all over the world. Colombian President Gustavo Petro meanwhile called on X for the lifting of all sanctions against Caracas, a general national and international amnesty, new, free elections and a transitional cohabitation government. In Washington, US President Joe Biden signalled he would back such a move, but the White House walked back his comment, with a spokesman suggesting Biden had been speaking to the absurdity of Maduro and his representatives not coming clean about the July 28 elections. Advertisement It is abundantly clear that Gonzalez Urrutia won, the US spokesman said. When asked about statements made by foreign leaders, Maduro said: Were not going to conduct diplomacy at microphones. Every president, every country knows how to manage domestic affairs. - Still managed to win - Machado, who was barred from seeking election by Maduro-friendly state institutions, told a virtual press conference Thursday that Venezuelans had voted in very adverse conditions where there was fraud and we still managed to win. The countrys CNE electoral council proclaimed Maduro the winner of a third, six-year term, giving him 52 percent of votes cast but without providing a detailed breakdown of the results. The opposition says polling station-level results show Gonzalez Urrutia won easily. Gonzalez Urrutia and Machado have been in hiding since the president accused them of seeking to foment a coup detat and called for the pair for be jailed. Advertisement Maduros victory claim has been rejected by the United States, European Union and several Latin American countries. The Organization of American States will meet Friday at Washingtons request to consider a resolution that would call on the CNE to publish detailed election results and allow independent verification of that data. Anti-Maduro protests have claimed 25 lives so far, with dozens injured and more than 2,400 arrested. - Legislative offensive - Maduro has previously rejected the possibility of new elections and asked the countrys highest court, also viewed as loyal to him, to certify the outcome. Meanwhile, Venezuelas legislature on Thursday approved a law to regulate the registration and funding of NGOs described by Maduros regime as a facade for the financing of terrorist actions. Advertisement The law is one of several under consideration in the regime-friendly National Assembly that critics say are meant to criminalize Maduros opponents. The vast majority of the 277 lawmakers in the single-chamber National Assembly are loyal to Maduro, who had warned of a bloodbath if he lost his reelection bid. Rights activists in Venezuela on Thursday raised the alarm over the NGO law, which they said would deepen the persecution of Maduro critics. Since coming to power in 2013, Maduro has presided over an economic collapse that has seen more than seven million Venezuelans flee the country as GDP plunged 80 percent in a decade. Advertisement His previous reelection, in 2018, was also rejected as a sham by dozens of countries. Many South Africans are wary of the governments nuclear ambitions after a 9,600 MW deal with Russia initiated during Jacob Zumas scandal-plagued presidency was thwarted in 2017 by a court challenge read more South Africa will delay the launch of a procurement process for a new nuclear power station to allow for more consultation, its energy minister said on Friday, following legal challenges. The government said in December last year that it was preparing to request bids for an extra 2,500 megawatts (MW) of nuclear power, but the then opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party and two non-governmental organisations launched legal challenges to try to block the procurement. Advertisement The DA is now part of the countrys unity government formed after the African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in three decades in an election in May. Addressing reporters on Friday, Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa conceded there should have been greater public participation in the process. He said he had decided to withdraw a document in the government gazette that would have allowed the procurement to proceed. Officials will rework a report addressing conditions the energy regulator gave for its support for the procurement and consult the public again. Ramokgopa made clear that the government still wanted to expand its nuclear capacity beyond the 1,900 MW Koeberg plant outside Cape Town at a pace and scale the country could afford. Nuclear is part of the future, but its important that as we go out and procure, the procurement process must be able to stand the test of time, the minister said. He estimated the procurement process could be delayed by three to six months. Many South Africans are wary of the governments nuclear ambitions after a 9,600 MW deal with Russia initiated during Jacob Zumas scandal-plagued presidency was thwarted in 2017 by a court challenge. South Africans have struggled with power outages for years, but this year there has been a marked improvement in power availability with no power cuts for more than four months. Advertisement Koeberg is the only operational nuclear power plant on the African continent. It was granted a 20-year life extension last month. Sue Gray, one of Britains most senior officials, knows the levers of the government machine well, but has long proved to be a divisive figure, according to a report read more Sue Gray listens to a speaker on the third day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, northwest England, on October 10, 2023. AFP File Sue Gray, one of Britains most senior officials, spearheaded UK Labour Leader Keir Starmer partys preparations in the run up to the polls. Now, with Starmer being the prime minister, Gray is one of the central figures charged with driving through the changes to Britain he promised on his path to power. According to Politico, Gray who has dedicated much of her career to Britains impartial civil service, taking on a series of influential roles in Whitehall including the much talked about role involving investigation into former Prime Minister Boris Johnsons behavior during the Partygate scandal, which eventually led to his resignation knows the levers of the government machine well, but has long proved to be a divisive figure. Advertisement Sues got her fans from when she was a civil servant, and shes got the people who didnt like her either personally or because they crossed swords with her, Politico quoted a senior Whitehall official who has worked closely with Gray as saying. Putting it more bluntly, a former Tory special adviser told Politico that she has made plenty enemies on both the official and political side She knows how the system works, which is why she was hired but has made plenty enemies on both the official and political side, so will have a huge fight on her hands, the former Tory special adviser was quoted as saying. Signs of division visible According to The Mail on Sunday, Gray has been accused of restricting access to the prime minister, including blocking officials who tried to brief Starmer on intelligence. However, Downing Street rejected these claims as noises off from people who dont know what theyre talking about. Labour staffers privately complain that Gray has delayed ministerial and special adviser appointments, with many requiring her personal approval, reported Politico. Concerns were raised when her son, Liam Conlon, was quickly given an unpaid role in the Department for Transport shortly after being elected an MP in July. Labour denied that she had significant influence over such appointments, added the report. Advertisement Its not about who she likes, but more about who she rates," Politico quoted a senior Whitehall official as saying. She does not suffer fools gladly. She never has done, the official added. Grays formidable reputation in Westminster was cemented during her tenure as the head of ethics in the civil service, where she made career-impacting judgments on ministers and officials conduct. Her status became almost mythical. Former Lib Dem minister David Laws recounted in his memoir on the 2010-15 government that Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Letwin wryly noted, our great United Kingdom is actually entirely run by a lady called Sue Gray. Advertisement Unless she agrees, things just dont happen. Cabinet reshuffles, departmental reorganisations, the whole lot its all down to Sue Gray, Letwin was quoted as saying. Nothing moves in Whitehall unless Sue says so. Gets things done vs flashpoint for controversies According to _Politico, m_any who have worked with Gray commend her for getting things done. Shes very effective. Once she knows what she wants to do, youre not getting in her way, Politico quoted a senior Whitehall official as saying. Because shes very effective at delivering things, and she has good judgement, and is a networker, it means she can get things done. Advertisement Shes very different and very driven, which is why everyone is fascinated by her, they added. She never takes a holiday. However, there are also many who are not happy with her way of functioning, arguing she makes herself the focal point of decision-making, creating roadblocks and becoming a flashpoint for controversies a view Labour disputes. The question with Sue is what does she want? asked a Labour MP, speaking anonymously to discuss Gray candidly. Does she want to delegate and appoint good people to make government work effectively, or does she want everything to run through her? The interesting thing about Sue is she is not a policy person, Politico quoted a Whitehall official as saying. Advertisement Its about power and control and making things happen. Shes the bureaucrats bureaucrat. Staunch opponent According to Politico, Simon Case, the current head of the civil service, is not a fan of Sue Gray. Case, the Cabinet Secretary, blocked Grays appointment to head the civil service in Northern Ireland in 2020 and also prevented her from becoming the top official at the Department for Business and Trade in 2023. Later that year, as Gray resigned to join the Labour Party, Case recommended delaying her new role as long as possible. Case is set to step down soon due to health issues, opening the door for Gray to potentially reshape the civil service next year. Labours recent victory has raised hopes for a better relationship between ministers and officials, contrasting with the previous Tory governments conflicts. The civil service, once derisively called the blob, now feels a profound sense of relief, Politico quoted a Whitehall official who spoke anonymously. However, this warmth may not last. Jack Worlidge, a former Tory special adviser, told Politico that as the governments term progresses, challenges and strained relationships are inevitable. Another former aide noted that the civil services entrenched habits might hinder Labours efforts. Gray, known as a disruptor, may face significant challenges in transforming government operations. Reflecting on her past, she admitted, I suspect people may have thought that I perhaps was too much of a challenger, or a disrupter. I am both. Perhaps I would bring about too much change. Similar to Dominic Cummings, who criticised the civil services resistance, Gray may encounter obstacles from officials resistant to change. There are also internal Labour tensions, with some staff feeling sidelined or dissatisfied with their new roles, reported Politico. Overall, Grays tenure may be marked by resistance from both within the civil service and her own party, presenting a challenging road ahead. As the Whitehall official said, She had a lot of protection being a civil servant but she has none of that now. With inputs from agencies Ukraine has occupied around 1,000 square kilometres of territories in Russias Kursk region in the ongoing incursion read more Ukraine claims to have captured nearly 1,100 square kilometres of land in Russia's Kursk. Image used for representational purpose/AP A Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Friday that Kyivs cross-border incursion into Russias Kursk region was required to convince Moscow to start fair peace talks. Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine had no interest in occupying Kursk but it had to force Russia to start talks on Kyivs terms. We need to inflict significant tactical defeats on Russia, Podolyak wrote on Telegram. In the Kursk region, we clearly see how the military tool is objectively used to convince the Russian Federation to enter into a fair negotiation process. Advertisement Ukraine mounted a cross-border assault on Russia last week and occupied part of the Kursk region. Senior Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity should be fully respected in any peace agreement. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and now controls about 18 per cent of its territory. Ukraines offensive in Russias Kursk region intensifies as both Kyiv and Moscow claim victories. Ukraine claims to have seized over 1,100 square kilometers, including Sudzha, while Russia said it recaptured Krupets read more Ukraine claims to have captured nearly 1,100 square kilometres of land in Russia's Kursk. Image used for representational purpose/AP Ukraines military offensive in Russias Kursk region intensified on Thursday (August 15), with both Kyiv and Moscow asserting conflicting victories as the largest foreign attack on Russian soil since World War II unfolds. Ukraine claimed to have seized control of 1,150 square kilometers of territory, including the town of Sudzha, just eight kilometers from the Russian border. Ukraines territorial gains According to top military commander Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukrainian forces now control 82 settlements in the region. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the completion of the liberation of Sudzha, marking a significant milestone in Ukraines ongoing counteroffensive. Advertisement The Ukrainian offensive, launched on August 6, came after more than two years of enduring a Russian invasion that has devastated much of Ukraines eastern regions. Ukrainian officials have described the campaign as an act of self-defense, with military experts suggesting that the move could be aimed at relieving pressure on the eastern front, particularly in the embattled Donbas region. Ukraines offensive appears to have caught Russian forces off guard, leading to hurried defensive measures in the border regions. How Russia responded Meanwhile, Russia countered by announcing the recapture of the village of Krupets in the Kursk region. Moscows defence ministry claimed that Russian forces had completed destruction of the enemy and restored control of the settlement. Additionally, Russia has reportedly begun deploying additional forces to the neighbouring Belgorod region to counter Ukrainian advances and secure its borders. The human toll of the offensive In Sumy, a regional hub near the border, emotional scenes played out as mourners gathered to honor six Ukrainian soldiers killed in the offensive. As a funeral mass was held in a local Orthodox church, air raid sirens echoed across the city. It is hard to say goodbye to them because we want them to live forever, to live among us as honoured sons of their homeland, the presiding priest told the gathered families and friends. Advertisement On the Russian side of the border, the human cost of the conflict is becoming increasingly visible. In Kursk, around 500 evacuees from the contested areas queued for food and clothing distributed by the Russian Red Cross. According to Russian authorities, more than 120,000 people have been displaced by the fighting. I was very scared, very scared. Shells were flying from all sides, said Nina Golinyaeva, an evacuee from Sudzha, describing the chaotic scene before her evacuation. The intensity of the fighting has led to civilian casualties on both sides. Russian authorities reported that at least 12 civilians have been killed and 121 wounded since the offensive began. Moscow has not updated the toll since Monday (August 12), as reinforcements continue to be dispatched to the front lines. Advertisement With inputs from AFP Senior officials from the mediating countries will now reconvene by the end of the week to work towards finalising a deal read more US presents a new 'bridging' Gaza ceasefire proposal on the second day of talks in Doha. Image used for representational purpose/Reuters On the second day of the Doha talks, Egypt, Qatar and the United States released a joint statement which stated that Washington has presented a new Gaza ceasefire proposal. The countries believed that the proposal intends to close the remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas. In light of this, senior officials from the mediating countries will now reconvene by the end of the week to work towards finalising a deal. Over the last 48 hours in Doha, senior officials from our governments have engaged in intensive talks as mediators aiming to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees. These talks were serious and constructive and were conducted in a positive atmosphere, the joint statement released on Friday reads. Advertisement Joint Statement from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/A7myXPKsh3 Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 16, 2024 The United States with support from Egypt and Qatar, presented to both parties a bridging proposal that is consistent with the principles laid out by President Biden on May 31, 2024 and Security Council Resolution No. 2735. This proposal builds on areas of agreement over the past week, and bridges remaining gaps in a manner that allows for a swift implementation of the deal, the mediating party furthered. The joint statement came hours after Israel told the United Kingdom and France that it is on the cusp of striking a deal with Hamas. Mediators to convene next week In the joint statement, the officials noted that a working team will be formulated to continue with technical work regarding the proposal. The talks will resume next week in Cairo and the meeting will aim to conclude the deal. Working teams will continue technical work over the coming days on the details of implementation, including arrangements to implement the agreements extensive humanitarian provisions, as well as specifics relating to hostages and detainees, the statement continued. Advertisement Senior officials from our governments will reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week with the aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward today. As the leaders of the three countries stated last week, There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay, it added. Why it matters? The world was monitoring the recent series of talks very closely because before fresh negotiations begin, Israeli officials have said this is the last chance to get a deal. The talks were also conducted amid regional tensions and threats by Iran and Hezbollah to attack Israel in retaliation for the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Tehran and Beirut. Advertisement From the very beginning, the Biden administration has said that a hostage and ceasefire deal is key to de-escalating tensions in the Middle East and preventing a war spillover. Meanwhile, a source connected to Hamas told Al Jazeera that the Palestinian group was briefed by the mediators about the talks and said that what is being presented now doesnt coincide with what Hamas accepted on July 2. Attacks by violent settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank are unacceptable and must stop, a National Security Council spokesperson said read more Settlers violence against Palestinians increased in West Bank after the start of the Israel-Hamas war. File Image/AP The White House condemned the unacceptable attacks on Palestinians by Jewish settlers that occurred in a village in the occupied West Bank, which resulted in one death and one injury. The Palestinian health ministry said a 23-year-old man was killed and another suffered critical gunshot wounds to the chest in the attack mounted by Jewish settlers on Thurday (August 15). A spokesperson from the National Security Council said that the attacks by violent settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank are unacceptable and must stop. Advertisement In the US, the National Security Council (NSC) serves as the Presidents main platform for making decisions on national security and foreign policy. It involves senior national security advisors, cabinet officials, and is the primary mechanism for coordinating these policies across federal agencies. Who are settlers in Israel? Settlers are Israeli citizens who live on private Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The vast majority of the settlements have been built either entirely or partially on private Palestinian land. According to Al Jazeera, more than 700,000 settlers representing 10 percent of Israels nearly 7 million population now live in 150 settlements and 128 outposts dotting the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Scale of settler violence In the latest incident, dozens of Israeli settlers, some wearing masks, attacked a Palestinian village called Jit near the city of Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank. Footage shared on social media showed cars and houses on fire after the attacks. According to United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there have been over 1,000 attacks by settlers against Palestinians since October, resulting in at least 1,390 people being displaced, including 660 children. Palestinians regularly accuse Israeli security forces of standing by and allowing groups of violent settlers to attack their houses and villages. These attacks have attracted increasing concern internationally. Advertisement With inputs from AFP Screenshot of Hezbollah tunnel network from video released by the terror group to threaten Israel on August 16, 2024. X Amid the brewing tensions in the Middle East, the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah released a new video in which they unveiled a large tunnel complex, where the group keeps its missile and rocket launcher. The Lebanese group have been engaged in a conflict with Israel following the start of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated after Israel Defence Force said that it had eliminated Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr. The Lebanese group released the controversial video two weeks after Hezbollah vowed to increase its attack against Israel. Advertisement The video in question showed Imad 4, a massive missile complex with long subterranean tunnels and massive rocket launchers. It is not clear where the tunnel complex is situated and Hezbollah has claimed that the place has not been detected by any foreign intelligence agency as of now. " ". # . https://t.co/WkhHbMgq6J - (@IranEmbassyLB) August 16, 2024 The tunnels are so huge that even large trucks and vehicles can move through them. Entry and exit points of some of the tunnels include blast doors. The timing of it all The group has already launched over 7,500 rockets and 200 drone attacks on Israel since October 2023. In response to this, Israel has preferred to conduct precision and proportional responses to Hezbollahs attacks as the conflict surpasses 10 months. Advertisement Amid the brewing tensions between the two, the Israeli authorities have evacuated some 60,000 people, including 14,000 children, from northern Israel. It has also killed around 410 Hezbollah members, The Jerusalem Post reported. Hezbollah has claimed that the new underground facility has dedicated construction, security, and backup launch teams. These teams operate based on pre-determined coordinates for launching operations. In addition, the facility, according to exclusive sources, is outfitted with a field hospital and enough supplies to sustain its occupants for a period ranging from eight months to a year, the group told Al-Mayadeen. Many experts believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Interestingly, in the past, Iran has showcased similar underground missile and drone sites. Advertisement What is also concerning is the fact that the video also included a statement from Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who said that resistance rockets cover all of Palestinian territory from Kiryat Shmona in the north to Eilat in the south. The Iranian embassy in Beirut also shared the video of the tunnel and claimed that Iran can attack Israel from any location. In Persian, we call the missile installations located underground and inside rocks and mountains missile cities, the consulate wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. These missile cities are located all over the Iranian territory, and they strike terror into the hearts of Irans enemies, it added, noting that if necessary, we can attack the enemy from any location in the Islamic Republic of Iran," the embassy furthered. The brawl broke out among lawmakers during a debate on jailed MP in the Turkish parliament read more Turkish ruling and opposition lawmakers fight each other after a scuffle between former footballer Alpay Ozalan (unseen), a lawmaker from Erdogan's ruling AKP party and Turksih Workers Party (TIP) and deputy Ahmet Sik (unseen) at the parliament. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) The Turkish parliament on Friday witnessed a brawl that left a woman lawmaker bloodied. During a heated debate on a jailed member of parliament (MP), a brawl broke out among the lawmakers and punches were exchanged among dozens of MPs. The entire incident was caught on camera. In the video of the attack was shared by Egyptian broadcaster Rudaw, a MP is seen passionate addressing the house when a bunch of lawmakers close on him from the side. One of them hits the speaker in the head. Then, dozens of lawmakers rush towards the podium and an all-out brawl breaks out as punches are thrown out between the two camps. Advertisement A brawl broke out in Turkeys parliament on Friday during a session to discuss reinstating a lawmaker who had been stripped of his parliamentary membership. : TIP READ MORE: https://t.co/ayt4HV2GzX pic.twitter.com/mqA3oqrOFP Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) August 16, 2024 The MP initially attacked has been identified by the Associated Press as Ahmet Sik. The MP who attacked him is from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans party. Sik was speaking about his partys MP who has been jailed on whats deemed politically-motivated incarceration. The news agency reported that the attack on Sik happened after he called Erdogans ruling party as a terrorist organisation. The news agency reported that at least two MPs were injured in the brawl and one of them, a woman, was left bloodied. Ozgur Ozel, the chief of the principal Opposition party, dubbed it as shameful situation. Instead of words flying in the air, fists are flying, there is blood on the ground. They are hitting women, said Ozel. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has announced he would not seek another term as party leader, which means Japan will have a new premier in September read more After Japans Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced his plan to step down, all eyes are on his potential successors. There is a chance of Japan having a woman premier for the first time as two of the six top candidates likely to succeed Fumio are women including one who is a darling of the partys right-wing and another whom Fumio is widely expected to endorse. Japan will get the next premier in September when Fumios party LDP will elect the new party leader. Around 1.1 million party members will elect the new leader who will then be approved by the LDP-controlled parliament as the next premier. Advertisement Tobias Harris, the founder of the Japan Foresight political risk advisory firm, told The Guardian that there was no favourite in the intra-party poll and it was a free-for-all election. Haris said, By stepping out of the race, Kishida has cleared the way for an especially chaotic LDP election, turning what was already looking like a competitive race with a vulnerable incumbent into a free-for-all with numerous plausible contenders but no obvious favourite. Here are the top six candidates 1. Tara Kono Tara Kono is widely seen as a maverick politician. He lost the premiership race to Fumio last time and is seen as a frontrunner this time. As the party as well as the public is miffed with scandal-ridden politics of recent times, Konos image as an outsider could further bolster his chances. It further helps his case that he is currently the Minister for Digital Transformation and has previously held foreign and defence portfolios as well key cabinet experience that would help in setting the house in order. Kono has been critical of China and has called for greater cooperation with the Five Eyes nations of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, according to Time. Even though Kono has an image of an outsider, he comes from one of Japans political dynasties. His father Yohei Kono was once the Deputy Prime Minister of Japan and served as the LDPs president the same post that he is widely expected to seek in Septembers partys election. Advertisement 2. Yoko Kamikawa Yoko Kamikawa is the Foreign Minister of Japan, the first woman to hold the role. Fumio appointed her as the nations top diplomat last year. A Harvard graduate and an English speaker, Kamikawa ran her own consulting firm before joining politics. She has also served as Justice Minister of Japan previously. Even though Fumio has stepped down out of unpopularity and a string of scandals, he could still have a say in deciding the next premier if he endorses Kamikawa. Prof. Mikitaka Masuyama at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies told The Guardian that Kamikawa could be the leader that unifies the party and the government more so with Fumios endorsement. Advertisement Masuyama said the LDPs next leader should be able to bring the party together and manage the government. Masuyama further said, Someone with experience is better than those who are just popular in voter polls. If Kishida picked Kamikawa, and others in the LDP joined him, she could be the one. 3. Toshimitsu Motegi Toshimitsu Motegi is considered to be the political heavyweight of LDP. He is the current General Secretary of LDP and former Foreign Minister of Japan. The Time magazine notes he has a tough guy image in Japan. The magazine reported political analysts as saying that Motegi might be able to replicate the personal relationship of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with Donald Trump if Trump wins the US presidential election later this year. Advertisement 4. Sanae Takaichi Sanae Takaichi is the second woman seen as a contender for the Japaneses premiership. She is currently the Economic Security Minister of Japan. Takaichi is seen as a darling of the conservative wing of the LDP. She has been preparing to run for premiership since November last year. Takaichi has been an admirer of the late premier Abe and in her 2021 run for the leadership supported his ultra-loose monetary policy stance, according to Time. Takaichis conservative leaning and her frequency at the Yasukuni Shrine, which is seen as a symbol of Japans historic imperial militarist period, may sour ties with South Korea and China. While Japan and China have not been best friends, Japan has lately been improving ties with South Korea. Advertisement 5. Shigeru Ishiba Shigeru Ishiba, the former Defence Minister of Japan, has been popular with the public and may be the most probable next premier, according to reports. Ishiba has made runs for the premiership before as well. In terms of policies, he has been supportive of counting more on supporting domestic growth and demand instead of relying more on foreign trade. Along with Shinjiro Koizumi, Ishiba is the most preferred leader to be the next premier, according to a survey cited by Nikkei Asia. 6. Shinjiro Koizumi Shinjiro Koizumi, a former environment minister, is a son of a former prime minister. A youthful face, he may be a surprise winner of the premiership race. In a departure in Asia where leaders under 50 are rare, he is just 43. Koizumi has, however, kept a low-profile and has taken up environmental causes, including advocacy of renewable energy as opposed to the governments push for coal-generation, according to Time. Mikhail Sheremet, a member of the Russian parliaments defence committee, echoed Vladimir Putin by saying that NATO countries had given a green light to the incursion plans, a charge Washington has denied. read more On August 6, Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Russia's Kursk and have since advanced significantly, forcing Moscow to evacuate over 200,000 people from their homes. Source: REUTERS/FILE. A Russian parliamentary deputy said on Friday that the Western-backed Ukrainian incursion has brought the world close to an all-out global war, Russias RIA news agency reported. Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Russias Kursk region on August 6 and have since advanced significantly, forcing Moscow to evacuate over 200,000 people from their homes. Considering the presence of Western military equipment, the use of Western ammunition and missiles in attacks on civilian infrastructure and irrefutable proof of foreigners participation in the attack on Russian territory, one could come to the conclusion that the world is on the brink of a third world war, RIA quoted deputy Mikhail Sheremet as saying. Advertisement Sheremet, who is a member of the Russian parliaments defence committee, echoed Putin by saying that NATO countries had given a green light to the incursion plans, a charge Washington has denied. Putins aide, Nikolai Patrushev, on Friday also accused the West of being behind the attack, in an interview with Izvestia newspaper. Patrushev said NATO and Western intelligence agencies were involved in planning the Kursk operation, although he provided no evidence. Ukraine and its allies say Russia is receiving assistance in its war effort from China, Iran and North Korea. Earlier on Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed a pledge to deepen cooperation with Russia and expressed confidence that Moscow would be victorious in its holy war for peace and justice. On August 15, 2024, President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Xi Jinping pointed out that both as major developing countries and important emerging markets, China and Brazil are good friends sharing the same goals and good partners moving forward together. Over the past half century since the establishment of diplomatic relations, no matter how the international landscape evolves, bilateral relations have always maintained steady growth with increasingly prominent overall, strategic and global significance. While promoting the development and revitalization of their respective countries, they have also played important roles in world peace, stability, prosperity and development. Xi Jinping stressed that during President Lula's successful visit to China last year, they reached important common understandings on guiding and opening up new prospects in China-Brazil relations in the new era. Taking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil as a new starting point, the Chinese side is ready to make sustained efforts with the Brazilian side to seek closer synergy between their development strategies, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two sides, add new dimensions to China-Brazil relations, and join hands to promote the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future. Lula said, over the past half century, the Brazil-China friendship has been continuously strengthened and cooperation has become increasingly diversified. At present, the two countries have maintained cooperation in various fields and at all levels to jointly build a more prosperous, peaceful and just world. Brazil-China relations are increasingly important for building a multipolar order as well as more just and effective global governance, and play an underpinning role in the stability and predictability of the two countries and the world. In the next 50 years of bilateral relations, the two sides will open up a new path together and build a bright shared future. On the same day, Vice President Han Zheng exchanged congratulatory messages with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. HONOR launched its HONOR 200 series smartphones in India last month, as the successor to HONOR 100 series which did not launch in India, after the HONOR 90, which was launched as the companys smartphone as a comeback into India. We have the HONOR 200 smartphone here. Compared to HONOR 90, this has an improved AMOLED screen, better SoC, improved cameras, bigger battery, and faster charging. Is this a good phone for the price? Let use dive into the review to find out. Box Contents Regarding the box contents, the unit we got is the European version, but the Indian retail version will be different, and doesnt come with a charger in the box. The company is selling the 100W charger for Rs. 2,999. Display, Hardware and Design Starting with the display, the HONOR 200 has a 6.7-inch 1.5K curved AMOLED screen with a pixel resolution of 2664 1200 pixels, 19.98:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of about 436 PPI. There is also smart screen resolution option. The display is bright, since it has up to 4,000 nits peak brightness, and the sunlight legibility is good as well. The colours are vibrant as well, thanks to 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. The phone has a 120Hz refresh rate. It also has HDR support, which works for YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Under the display options, there are Normal and Vivid options. You also get video enhancer option that boosts colors and contrast for apps like YouTube, Prime Video, Netflix and more. The phone has, 3840Hz PWM Dimming technology that minimizes flicker, reducing eye strain and ensuring a comfortable viewing experience for users. The phones Dynamic Dimming feature replicates natural light conditions, reducing eye fatigue by up to 18%. The displays brightness adjusts subtly based on external lighting conditions and usage duration, prioritizing user comfort, said the company. You also get always on display feature. The phone has a punch-hole screen that houses a 50-megapixel camera. The earpiece is present on the top edge, and acts as a secondary speaker, which was missing in the HONOR 90. There is minimal bezel below the screen. The phone users a toughened glass for protection. You can see the glossy frame, which is plastic. The phone has a power button and volume rockers on the right side. The dual SIM slots, primary microphone, USB Type-C port and the speaker grill are present on the bottom. The secondary microphone is present on the top, along with the IR blaster and vents for the secondary speaker. The phone has a glass back with nice pattens on the Moonlight White model that we have. It is a bit slippery to hold, but the sides have a good grip. It also comes in Black colour that also has a matte finish, but it doesnt have any patterns. The phone comes with a 5200mAh battery, yet weighs 187 grams. It doesnt have IP ratings. Camera 50MP camera with 1/1.56 Sony IMX906 sensor, f/1.95 aperture, OIS 12MP 112 ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, 2.5cm macro option 50MP 2.5x portrait telephoto camera with Sony IMX856 sensor, OIS, f/2.4 aperture 50MP front camera with Sony IMX906 sensor f/2.1 aperture The camera UI is familiar with most HONOR smartphones with MagicUI that include a quick toggles between main camera, ultra-wide camera, zoom option on the bottom, quick toggles for flash, AI, motion photo, filters on the top. Other camera features include Aperture, Night mode, Multi-cam, Pro mode, Slow-mo, Panorama, HDR photo, HDR video, Time-lapse, stickers, Super macro, High-res, Solo cut, Story and Scan document. Daylight shots came out well, thanks to the 50MP Sony sensor, and the dynamic range is better with auto HDR. There is AI mode which recognizes different photo scenes and automatically adjusts camera settings to make boost the colours. The 12MP ultra-wide camera does a good job, but it is not as good as the main camera in low-light that offer a lot of details and less noise. Macro option with the ultra-wide camera is decent, but macros with the main camera look better. The 2.5x portrait telephoto does a good job for portrait shots, and the Harcourt portrait modes are useful. The front camera also does a good job in daylight. The night mode is useful, but it takes a few seconds to process. The bokeh shots good with decent edge detection. Check out the camera samples It can record videos in up to 4K 30 fps from both the front and rear cameras, as well as the ultra-wide camera, and you can switch between the cameras seamlessly. The AI video mode recommends the modes, and the multi-cam mode is interesting. There is also a separate HDR video mode that also works in 4K, and a Portrait video mode that is limited to 1080p 30fps. There is always-on EIS for all the cameras, and OIS does a good job. Software, UI and Apps The HONOR 200 runs MagicOS 8, powered by Android 14, and it recently got the Android security patch for August, 2024. The company has promised 2 years of software update and 3 years of security patches. This has Google apps and the Google Play Store. The HONOR MagicOS 8.0 feature MagicLM, an AI large language model. It also includes AI features such as Magic Capsule, Magic Portal, and Magic Ring. It recently got the call recording feature for the native dialer in an update. There are gestures and multi-window feature. A few things that needs improvements in the Magic UI is that you cant go to an apps settings with a long press to control permissions. There is no option to switch to vibrate mode with the volume buttons. The HONORShare lets you seamlessly transfer cross-system files between an HONOR smartphone and a PC with HONOR Computer Manager. There is multiscreen collaboration, so you can share screens, keyboards, and mice among different devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. It has MagicText that intelligently identifies text within an image and converts it into a file. You can capture text using the camera and save it as a PDF file. The version we have packs 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and there is also a 8GB RAM version. You also get up to 7GB of virtual RAM, which is enabled by default. There is 512GB UFS 3.1 of storage, and there is also a 256GB storage version, but you only get 8GB + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB options in India. Out of 12GB RAM, you get 11.01GB of usable RAM, out of which about 7GB of RAM is free on boot with just the default apps running in the background. Out of 256GB of internal storage, you get about 222.7GB of usable storage. Fingerprint sensor and Face unlock It has an in-display fingerprint sensor that unlocks the phone quickly, but it is not as fast as a physical fingerprint sensor. You can add up to 5 fingerprints. You can also use the fingerprint for app local and payments in apps. Furthermore, you can change the fingerprint animation and also disable it. Music and Multimedia YouTube Music is the default Music Player. There are Histen sound effects with Auto, 3D audio, Natural and Standard modes, which works when wired or wireless headset is connected. It doesnt have FM Radio support. Audio through the stereo speakers and through earphones are good. This has Widevine L1, so that you can play HD content on Netflix and other streaming apps. It supports HDR content on YouTube, Netflix and Prime Video. Dual SIM and Connectivity The HONOR 200 has support for several 5G Network Bands in India. It has 4G Wi-Fi and VoLTE, with support for Carrier Aggregation on 4G. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6 802.11 ax (2.4GHz + 5GHz), VoWiFi / Wi-Fi calling support, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS / GLONASS / Beidou. It has OTG support and NFC support. Moving on, the call quality is good, and we did not face any call drops and the earpiece volume was loud. Since, we dont have the Indian retail unit, we dont have the SAR value for the phone in India. Performance and Benchmarks This is powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 Mobile Platform. It has 1+3+4 architecture, as the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2. This uses 1 x 2.63 GHz ARM Cortex-A715 prime core, 3 x A715 performance cores at up to 2.4 GHz, and 4 x Cortex-A510 efficiency cores at up to 1.8 GHz. It is fabricated using the TSMC 4nm Process Technology. It promises 15% improvements in CPU performance compared to Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, which powered by HONOR 90. The phone stainless steel vapor chamber with a generous area of 36,881mm, offering a 10% increase in the dissipation area when compared to HONOR 90, said the company. This uses Adreno 720 GPU. We did not face any issues or frame drops in the graphic-intensive games, and it also didnt get hot. In 3D Mark wild life stress test, it scored 99.6% which is good, and the temperature shot up from 32 to 44 degrees. That said, check out some synthetic benchmark scores below. As you can see in the benchmarks, the HONOR 200 powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip is decent, but there are phones with Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 and even Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 at a cheaper rate, if you need a phone for the performance. Battery life Coming to the battery life, the phone packs a 5200mAh (typical) built-in silicon-carbon battery with AI power-saving, slightly bigger than the HONOR 90. It lasts for a whole day with Wi-Fi, but with 4G or 5G and dual SIMs. I got about 6 hours of screen on time with a day of use on Wi-Fi and in 120Hz. This is impressive and is a huge improvement compared to HONOR 90. The phone has support for 100W SuperCharge fast charging that can charge up to 50% in less than 20 minutes and up to 100% in about 45 minutes. However, the phone doesnt come with a charger in the box. Conclusion Priced competitively at Rs. 34,999, the HONOR 200 shines with its impressive camera system, vibrant display, and long-lasting battery life, significantly surpassing its predecessor, the HONOR 90. The inclusion of stereo speakers and optical image stabilization (OIS) are welcome additions. While performance is solid, there are other options in this price range that offer slightly better processing power. Pricing and availability The HONOR 200 is priced at Rs. 34,999 for the 8GB + 256GB model and the 12GB + 512GB model costs Rs. 39,999. It is available from Amazon.in, offline stores and Explorehonor.com. There are bank offers, and at times coupon offers that brings the price of the phone down. Alternatives The vivo V40 is a good alternative in the price range with IP68 ratings, ZEISS optics, even though it has the same SoC. For the performance, there is POCO F6, and realme GT 6T, and even the OnePlus Nord 4 at a cheaper rate. Pros Brilliant display Eye-catching design Good cameras Smooth performance Decent battery life Cons MagicOS needs improvements No charger in the box With inputs from Siva Bharani Explore the rich history and architectural beauty of Trinity Episcopal Church in this captivating tour given by Reverend Jimmy Abbott. Join J.R., Lisa, Erika, and Reverend Jimmy in uncovering the layers of history, from its founding in 1841 to its role in wartime and natural disasters. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024. President Nicolas Maduro's claim of victory in the July 2024 election has been rejected by the United States, European Union and several Latin American countries Secretary Blinken's Call with Head of the Sovereign Council of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson August 14, 2024 The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with President of the Sovereign Council of Sudan and Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The Secretary reiterated the need for participation in on-going peace talks in Switzerland to achieve full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan. He emphasized that the international community has come together in support of these negotiations, co-hosted by Switzerland and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to reach compliance with the Jeddah Declaration, a cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access, and establishment of a mechanism to monitor implementation. The Secretary emphasized that these objectives reflect commitments contained in the Jeddah Declaration, and the goal of the talks is to achieve its full implementation. The Secretary underscored the urgent need for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to end the war and guarantee humanitarian access for the millions of Sudanese who are suffering. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Condemnation of Houthi Seizure of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Headquarters in Sana'a US Department of State Press Statement Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson August 14, 2024 The United States strongly condemns the Houthi seizure of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) headquarters in Sana'a, Yemen. The storming and takeover of the OHCHR headquarters in Sana'a by Houthi militants violates international norms. It further demonstrates that the Houthis have no respect for the most basic international practices. This is just one more step in an aggressive series of Houthi actions including detentions of UN, international organization, and diplomatic personnel working to help the Yemeni people. These actions will further obstruct the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemenis who have endured crisis conditions for far too long. The United States continues to support a negotiated peace in Yemen under UN auspices and strongly supports the work of the OHCHR and other agencies and organizations bringing relief to the Yemeni people. But there can be no sustainable solution to Yemen's conflict as long as the Houthis insist on attacking international ships and threatening their neighbors and the Yemeni people. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Army's newest garrison: USAG Black Sea By Joshua Rojas August 15, 2024 MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE, ROMANIA -- On Aug. 8, the United States Army Garrison (USAG) Black Sea marked its official uncasing of colors and change of command ceremony. The U.S. Army formally redesignated the Army Support Activity-Black Sea to USAG Black Sea, effective June 15, 2024. This development establishes USAG Black Sea as the ninth Army garrison in Europe and the 81st globally, further strengthening the U.S. Army's presence in the Black Sea region. Located at Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase (MKAB) in Romania and Novo Selo Training Area (NSTA) in Bulgaria, USAG Black Sea is tasked with managing a total of five sites across both countries. These include Babadag Training Area in Romania, as well as Aytos and Chubra Training Areas in Bulgaria. This move comes after USAG Black Sea realigned to report to USAG Poland as its higher headquarters, with V Corps serving as the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO). This realignment ensures that the Army's operations on NATO's Eastern flank are fully integrated and coordinated. "USAG Black Sea will support V Corps, and all U.S. Army forces in the region, enhancing our command-and-control capabilities and ensuring our forces are ready to meet any challenges in the European theater," said Lt. Col. Christopher Kuszniaj, USAG Black Sea garrison commander, highlighting the strategic importance of this move. "What's most important for everyone to understand is that fundamentally, we will continue to deliver those world-class services that we have been over the years. Our mission is to make sure that the soldiers coming to Romania and Bulgaria have everything available to them to have mission success and that their quality of life remains as high as possible while they're here. I'm excited to work side by side with our host nation partners to accomplish that mission and, of course, to see more of their beautiful countries while I'm here," said Kuszniaj as he emphasized the significance of the transition for the garrison at both the command level and for the organization as it moves into a full garrison designation. The redesignation underscores the Army's commitment to strengthening its infrastructure and operational capabilities in Eastern Europe. The garrison's mission is to deliver and integrate flexible base support to enable the readiness of permanent, rotational, allied, and expeditionary forces in Romania and Bulgaria. USAG Black Sea aims to serve, support, and secure the total force community, thereby enabling power projection for the European Theater. Mr. Scott Delay, deputy to the garrison commander, noted that the transition to a USAG will be seamless for soldiers stationed at these installations. "What it means in the long run is that we will be able to improve our infrastructure and deliver more robust services to the U.S. Army warfighter as we receive more resources and grow and mature as a garrison," said Delay. USAG Black Sea's vision is to build a trusted team of Army professionals dedicated to supporting mission partners and communities. The garrison is committed to delivering world-class services and enabling readiness to meet emerging requirements. Modern, resilient, and sustainable installations are at the core of this vision, enhancing strategic readiness while providing quality facilities, services, and support to soldiers, their families, Army civilians, and soldiers for life. Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Gutierrez, discussed the balance between mission objectives and building strong relationships with host nations. "In the realm of military operations, the subtle balance between supporting rotational forces and fostering positive relationships with Host Nation Partners is a critical aspect of mission success," said Gutierrez. "By maintaining open lines of communication between the rotational forces, garrison personnel, and host nation representatives, we can ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding mission objectives and community engagement efforts." The establishment of USAG Black Sea aligns with Installation Management Command's lines of effort (LOEs), which include people, infrastructure, protection services, and operationalizing the Black Sea. These LOEs are essential to the mission, ensuring that the garrison can support the diverse needs of its community and mission partners. As USAG Black Sea begins its journey, it does so with a clear mission and vision supported by a robust framework of strategic goals. This new garrison is poised to play a critical role in the U.S. Army's operations in Eastern Europe, ensuring that the forces stationed there are well-supported and ready to meet any challenges that arise. The U.S. Army's continued investment in the Black Sea region reflects its commitment to maintaining a strong, ready, and resilient presence on NATO's Eastern flank. With the establishment of USAG Black Sea, the Army is well-positioned to support its mission partners and enhance the readiness of its forces in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by ministers Joly, Hussen and Miller on third year since fall of Kabul, Afghanistan Global Affairs Canada Statement August 15, 2024 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, and the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today issued the following statement: "It has been 3 years since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. During this time, 2 decades of gains in democracy, human rights and education have eroded in the country and for its people. The treatment of women and girls by the Taliban is nothing short of horrifying. The egregious violations of women's and girls' human rights have led to restrictions on their freedom of movement and dress as well as their access to education, health services and justice, along with their ability to work. Women and girls have become prisoners in their homes and communities and have little hope for a brighter future. "Under the Taliban, ethnic and religious minorities and other vulnerable groups continue to face violence and marginalization. This includes persistent persecution and violence targeting Hazaras, Ahmadis, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and LGBTQ persons. Peaceful demonstrations are met with arbitrary arrests and brutality, and the country has once again become a safe haven for terrorist groups. This has terrible consequences for Afghanistan, for regional stability and for international security. "Canada has a long-standing tradition of responding to the needs of vulnerable people. Since 2021, Canada has provided $243 million in funding for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and $108 million in support of basic needs, health, education and women's and girls' rights and empowerment there. "We have provided support for human rights defenders in exile and have resettled more than 53,600 Afghans in the second-largest Afghan resettlement program in the world. Canada has also been working with Afghanistan's neighbours to strengthen counter-terrorism capabilities. "Canada is an active party to the UN-led 'Doha [Qatar] process' on Afghanistan, which seeks a political road map, and we will continue to use this forum to advocate strongly for the reinstatement of full respect for women's and girls' rights and for their and civil society's meaningful participation in the political process. "While the situation continues to evolve in Afghanistan, our message remains the same: We stand by the people of Afghanistan in their fight for a stable, secure and peaceful Afghanistan where no one lives in fear or under oppression." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address August 15, 2024 Transcript Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds a Press Briefing DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: Okay. All right. Good afternoon. A few things at the top and then happy to take your questions. Yesterday, Secretary Austin spoke with his UK counterpart, Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, to discuss a range of regional and bilateral issues. The two leaders discussed their close cooperation to address shared challenges, including countering Russian aggression in Ukraine, the ongoing instability in the Middle East, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Secretary Austin and Secretary Healey reflected on the strength of the US-UK defense relationship and committed to continue working together on their many common priorities. Separately, Secretary Austin also spoke by phone yesterday to Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov regarding priorities, security assistance efforts, and Ukraine's ongoing operations. Secretary Austin and Minister Umerov also discussed the strong support from allies and partners in helping meet Ukraine's urgent military requirements. Minister Umerov provided an update on battlefield dynamics as well as the impact of Russia's continued attacks in Ukraine. And the full readouts of both of these calls can be found on Defense.gov. And finally, the department continues to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East. As you've heard us say throughout the week, Secretary Austin and the department have taken actions to reinforce the United States's commitment to defend Israel and to protect our forces by strengthening US military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of the escalating regional tensions. We remain focused on de-escalating tensions in the region while also postured for deterrence and the defense of Israel. The US government also remains very focused on securing a ceasefire as part of a hostage deal to bring all hostages home and to end the war in Gaza. And with that, I'd be happy to take your questions. Q: Hey, Sabrina. So, let's start with Ukraine. You just did the readout from the call. Did that call include, now that Ukraine is on an offensive, does that change what sort of weapons they are seeking? And would the US support a different request specifically to support this new offensive maneuvers? MS. SINGH: Thanks, Tara, for the question. So, in terms of weapons that we're providing Ukraine, in the immediate, it doesn't impact what we're providing them. But you've seen us change the types of weapons and systems that we've given over the course of time. And certainly, since the war began back in February and our first security assistance package rolled out, the types of artillery, the types of equipment that they were getting, you've seen that change and evolve over time to where they have sophisticated long range capabilities along with, you know, we're training their pilots on F-16s. So, you've seen us modify and give different capabilities over time, and we reserve that right to continue to do that. Q: So, has anything changed from the US decision on supporting Ukraine if it continues to push in further? Will there be any sort of limitations on what Ukraine can or cannot do with the systems that the US has provided? MS. SINGH: So, won't get into engaging in the hypothetical. But what I can tell you is that we're in touch with our Ukrainian counterparts. As I mentioned at the top, the secretary had a call with his counterpart yesterday. We're always assessing what they need on the battlefield to be successful. And we believe the capabilities that we continue to provide them are you're seeing those successes come to fruition as they continue to fight along the East and sort of the northern south southern part in that eastern area in Ukraine. So we're committed to providing more Presidential drawdown packages. I think the most recent one was as of last week. We're going to continue to do that. If there is a change in capabilities or anything that we're providing them, we always read that out in our PDA packages. So we'll keep you updated on that. Q: OK, just one last one, any indications that Russia is sending in reinforcements to Kursk? MS. SINGH: So we have seen some Russian units be redirected from operations in Ukraine towards the Kursk area. These are just early reports, so I can't really say with certainty the numbers or their objectives, but we have seen some movement there. Q: Thank you, Sabrina. So that was kind of my question, I'll phrase it in kind of a different way though. So does the DOD have any assessment of how Ukraine's operation in Kursk may have changed the battlefield dynamics inside Ukraine in terms of Russia shifting resources over the last 10 days? Has that impacted their ability to advance Ukraine's ability to defend given they've also, you know, devoted a lot of troops to the Kursk operation? MS. SINGH: So right now what I would say is it's still too early to tell. The secretary had a call with Minister Mayorov yesterday. Throughout the department, we are engaging with the Ukrainians trying to get a better understanding of their objectives. So I don't have more for you right now. It's something that we're continuing to engage on. We're going to continue to monitor, but I'm just going to have to leave it at that right now. Q: Does the secretary support the operation given that he spoke to Mayorov and now, you know, probably has a better understanding of what they're trying to achieve? MS. SINGH: Well, what I can tell you is that we're still trying to learn more about it. We're still trying to learn more about what their objectives are. So I'm not going to get further into what they discussed on the call or our support. What I can tell you is where we are supportive and that is Ukraine continuing to defend itself. And that's why you've seen us provide packages at the rate that we do and at the consistency that we do and that commitment hasn't changed. And the President has been clear that we're going to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. So I think we'll just leave it at that. Q: Thank you so very much. I have two questions, one on Iran and one on Afghanistan. Let's start with Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, yesterday said that Non-tactical retreat in any field including the military leads to God's wrath. How does the Pentagon interpret that? Does it suggest Iran is still considering a retaliatory attack on Israel? Or it includes that Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran is backing down? MS. SINGH: Yeah, I'm not going to speculate on comments that the Supreme Leader makes. What I can tell you is what we're doing in the region is that you've seen from some of our announcements that the secretary has made is that we are moving additional capabilities into the region so that regional tensions can calm. And so we're bolstering our security presence should we need to defend Israel, if Iran were to attack. We don't want to see that happen, which is why we've been very clear and you've heard, you know, Secretary Blinken speak to this as well and Secretary Austin when they were on their trip in the Indo-Pacific together just a few weeks ago. We've been very clear with Iran directly, publicly and privately that we do not want to see this this broaden out into a wider regional war. Q: If Iran retaliates against Israel, how does the Pentagon assess the threats from the proxies in the region in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen? And what strategies are in place to counter those groups if they join forces with Iran in any sort of a coordinated attack against Israel? MS. SINGH: So appreciate the question, but as you know, I'm just not going to engage in a hypothetical on if what and when could happen. What I can tell you is what we're doing, and that is exactly what I said earlier, is that we've increased and enhanced our regional presence so that to send a message of deterrence to send a message that we don't want to see this widen out to a regional war. And when it comes to attacks on our forces, you've always seen us take measures we need in order to respond. And if there were to be any attacks on our forces, whether it be in Iraq and Syria, we always reserve that right to respond at a time and place of our choosing, but I'll just leave it at that. Q: So on Ukraine and the situation in Kursk, could you just maybe clarify a little bit about what's happening on the battlefield and how to interpret it? You were indicating that Russian forces have had to be diverted from areas in Ukraine from Donbas to help defend Kursk. Is that correct? MS. SINGH: So what I would tell you on the actual battlefield and as you know this as we usually let the Ukrainians speak to what's happening on the battlefield. So I would let them really speak to their objectives and what they're looking to accomplish in Kursk. We too are trying to learn more about their objectives and goals. In terms of what I said about Russia, again these are early reports, but we are seeing some movement of Russian units being directed towards that region. But in terms of numbers or what their objectives are, I don't have that for you right now. Q: Is there an indication though that Russian supply lines and communication lines have been damaged or strained because of the operation in Kursk, that they're having trouble supplying their troops in Donbas, for example? MS. SINGH: So I don't have that assessment right now, so I just I wouldn't be able to speculate on that. Go ahead. Q: Sabrina, this spring you sent reinforcements to the Middle East, but that did not deter Iran from carrying out a major attack on Israel on April 13th. Why should this time be any different? MS. SINGH: Well, Lucas, thanks for the question. I actually think you should take a step back and realize what we did accomplish on April 13th. Yes, Iran did attack Israel in an unprecedented manner. But I'll remind you that on that day, we shot out of the sky 90 percent of what they threw at Israel, and that was an incredibly intricate operation with the Israeli military, our military, and our partners and allies in the region. So while you can focus on the fact that Iran did launch that attack, I think it's incredibly important to remember what US forces did that day and the fact that we will stand with Israel again and have said that very publicly and privately. So why getting to your question of, you know, what's to stop Iran doing it again? Well, Lucas, we demonstrated our air power on that day in quite a professional manner. And again I'd point to the fact that you know over 90 percent of what was shot towards Israel was taken down by either our forces or partner forces or Israeli forces. So I you know if I were Iran, I'd be thinking about that. And as you've seen, we've you know, we've removing the aid to the region, we've accelerated her movement into central command, and I'll just leave it at that. Q: So just to be clear, the message to Iran right now is if you launch another major attack, the US and its allies will shoot down these missiles and drones. That's the message? MS. SINGH: I don't think we've actually been delicate in our messaging to Iran. We've been very clear that if Israel is attacked, we will come to the defense of Israel. You saw us do that on April 13th. I'm kind of paraphrasing what you're saying there. We will do that again. Should Israel be attacked, we absolutely will come to Israel's defense. Q: Does part of that defense of Israel also include potential strikes inside Iran? MS. SINGH: Yeah, so I'm just not going to go into any hypotheticals, Lucas, but I appreciate the question. Q: Thank you, Sabrina. Two questions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Former Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu recently visited Iran and promised the missile support to Iran. Normally, Iran provides Russia with weapons to be used to in the war in Ukraine. Will this affect the war between Israel and Iran and Hamas? MS. SINGH: So just making sure that I understand your question, Janne, you're asking about a visit by Shoigu to Iran and how that could impact the Middle East? Q: Yes. MS. SINGH: So I can't speculate on you know on that visit. I would say that I think, separately, we've seen a deepening cooperation and relationship between Russia and Iran as Russia continues to engage in its unlawful war in Ukraine. So, we've seen that deepening partnership. We've seen Russia continue to seek weapons out from Iran. While I can't speculate on what this visit entails, you know, we've seen these visits of leaders happen over the course of the last two years. In terms of how this plays into the Middle East, look, Iran has a choice. I think we've been very clear on our messaging when it comes to the defense of Israel. We are going to stand in the defense of Israel just as we did, you know, on April 13th, but I'm just not going to speculate out onto anything else. Q: But the North Korea is providing weapons to Hamas, and do you think Israel will be threaten if the arms trade between Iran and North Korea continues? MS. SINGH: Well, look, I think Hamas certainly has a network of being able to be financed by Iran. I mean these are Iran proxy groups engaging in acts that we saw happen on October 7th. Israel has a right to continue to go after Hamas and that's what they're doing in Gaza. I haven't seen some of these reports that you've referenced, so I'm just going to leave it at that. Q: I wanted to ask you one question about Bangladesh. Has the Pentagon ever sought access to one Bangladeshi island called San Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal, to have some military footprint over there? MS. SINGH: I have to refer you to INDOPACOM and Central Command more on that. I just don't have more for you on that. Q: And secondly, during this visit of India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh next week, what were the main topics or issues which the Defense Secretary Austin wants to raise with the Indians? MS. SINGH: Yeah. So thanks for bringing that up. Of course we're looking forward to a visit, but I just don't have more for you right now. I'm not going to get ahead of the secretary or any meetings that he's doing. As always, we will have a readout of his meeting, but I just don't have more to provide on the front end, but we will on the back end, as we always do. Q: And the next six months of this administration, what are the things that secretary wants to accomplish on the India-US defense front? MS. SINGH: I think there's many things that the secretary has laid out at the beginning of his tenure, that include always following the NDS. That is our North Star. So our relationships with the Indo-Pacific, meeting our pacing challenge with the PRC, that of course is in cooperation with our partner India. And the secretary is coming off of his 11th visit to the Indo-Pacific. We've hosted his Indian counterpart here at the State Department at the White House as well. So the relationship with India remains one of great importance. It's one of great importance to the Indo-Pacific as well. And you know, as you mentioned, there's a visit coming up and when we have more to share on that, we certainly will. Q: Thank you. MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: Thank you. So I have a couple on Ukraine. MS. SINGH: Sure. Q: So she is asking for permission to use Western weapons for longer range strikes inside Russia to build momentum during its Kursk operation. Is it something that the United States is considering? MS. SINGH: So I don't have anything more to provide on long range deep strike capabilities. We have given them capabilities and sort of worked with the Ukrainians on setting those parameters, but those haven't changed. Q: Why is this still considered to be escalatory, given that there has been no major response from the Russians to the incursion of Ukrainians into their territory? I mean, it seems like that every red line that Russia draws, Ukrainian military is rising now. MS. SINGH: We can have a very long conversation about this. I will tell you that the weapons that we are providing them, and not justyou have to remember, this is not just the United States. This is a coalition of countries coming together through the UDCG, providing weapons and capabilities and support to Ukraine. We believe the best way that they can be effective on the battlefield is by knitting those capabilities together and continuing to push forces back to regain their sovereign territory. That doesn't necessarily happen by doing long range deep strikes within Russia. And of course, we're worried about escalation. So just because Russia hasn't responded to something doesn't mean that they can't or won't in the future. And that's something that the administration is always weighing. But you have to remember that what Ukraine has been able to do with some of thewhether it's from us or other countries, they've been very successful in being able to take back their sovereign territory and they still continue to do it. This is not something that's going to end in a day, although it could, if Putin decided to withdraw his troops from Russia. But certainly, Ukraine, it's going to take time, it's taking training. And what I will tell you is what you know is that our commitment is with Ukraine for the long haul. I'll just leave it at that. Yes. Q: Thank you so much for opportunity. Couple weeks back, White House Middle East advisor delegation visited Saudi Arabia along with Pentagon and State Department officials, held talks there. And just last week we have seen that US lifted ban on Saudi Arabia from offensive air to ground mutations. So the question is, is this is part of ongoing Saudi Arabia, US and Israel trilateral deal in the context of Saudi Arabia and Israel normalization. MS. SINGH: Yeah, so we put out a statement on that from the State Department or from the White House. I would refer you them to speak more to that. That has to do with FMS sales, so I just would refer you to them. Q: And secondly, Saudi Crown Prince [inaudible] and some Congress people said that he's at the risk of being assassinated because of normalization talks with Israel. So he's armed forces chief in Saudi Arabia. He's the man like who is directly engaged with United States and maybe indirect channels with the Israelis as well. So how concerning it is for the United States? MS. SINGH: I haven't seen those reports, so I just can't offer a comment on that at this time. Q: Thank you. MS. SINGH: Yeah, over here. Q: Yeah. Thank you, Sabrina. Yesterday, State Department deputy spokesperson told me at no point the US government did discuss the US military withdrawal in Iraq. And soon after these comments, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry issued a statement and they said, there are no US forces in Iraq except for military advisors under the umbrella of the international coalition. And these advisors arethere is discussion to terminate these advisers in Iraq. Could you tell me, do you have any US forces troops in Iraq? MS. SINGH: So as you know, we have forces in Iraq, and we have forces in Syria and those forces are committed there to ensure the defeat of ISIS, and we work with the Iraqi security forces to do that. You know that. You've asked me about it before, so I'm not sure where the disconnect is here. If you're asking about the higher military commission, those talks continue and are ongoing and they are continuing, and you've seen us do readouts of every time those talks happen here or whether it's in Iraq. But I don't have an update on where those stand right now. Q: The things that the Iraqi government says that there is no US forces, their advisor. What's the difference between the US troops forces in Iraq and the advisors? MS. SINGH: So I haven't seen those comments, so I'm not going to directly comment on that. But as you know, because we've talked about this before, we do have forces in Iraq that actually have been attacked before, which you've also asked me about. And so their mission there is to ensure the defeat of ISIS and we work with the Iraqi security forces to do just that. So while you're referencing someone's comments, I just haven't seen them, so I just don't have more to share on that. MS. SINGH: Charlie. Q: Thank you, Sabrina. With the Abe Lincoln headed to the vicinity at haste, this has been repeated, it still won't be there for a number of days, so it'll be irrelevant if Iran or Hezbollah were to strike. Is the plan, strategy to have two carrier strike groups in the vicinity at the same time and maybe have an overlap of the Roosevelt? MS. SINGH: So I'm not going to speak to timelines or how long one carrier will remain in the region and the other will depart right now. What I can tell you is, the secretary directed the Lincoln to accelerate towards the Central Command area of responsibility. And while I'm not going to engage in hypotheticals, we believe that we are postured in a way that should we need to come to the defense of Israel, even if the Lincoln is not there, we would be able to do so with the carrier that we have there, which is the TR and other destroyers that we've moved closer to Israel, should we need to come to their defense. Q: But it still doesn't answer the question why, why speed up? Why? What's the rush? MS. SINGH: Look, I mean as you know, when the TR was initially moved into the Central Command area of responsibility, she was eventually going to leave. We were going to have another carrier come in and backfill. We accelerated the Abe's movement to the region because we know tensions are high right now and we want to see them deescalate. These are all defensive moves. They do send a message of de-escalation; they send a message of power as well, that we will come to the defense of Israel should we need to. And that's why you've seen, it's not just the carrier, you've seen us move also a squadron of F-22s there as well. You've seen us move destroyers closer to Israel. This is all done to send a message of deterrence, and I'll leave it at that. Q: Can you give us an update on the USS Georgia? MS. SINGH: The latest update that I have is that she's not in the Central Command area of responsibility right now, not yet. Yes Q: Thank you, madam. Two questions please. One, unrest in Bangladesh still continues. As far as US military is concerned, have they ever, if Bangladeshi military have ever asked any help from the US military in those areas or before or now? MS. SINGH: Not to my knowledge. We have not received a request for assistance, but also that I can't speak for State Department, so I'd refer you to the state to speak more to that. Q: And second, madam, today is India's 77th Independence Day and yesterday, India shown to the world military might on the streets of Dehli and including Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, that is coming this week in Washington was also there. My question is, as far as US-India military to military relations are concerned, this will be his first visit in Washington at the Pentagon after a long, long time, and now third term of Prime Minister Modi. And this will be the first time after Prime Minister Modi visited Moscow. Military to military relations between India and Russia. So how the military to military relations now will be India and US and, now before now, India and Russia? MS. SINGH: We still have great military relationships between our two countries. The Secretary, you know, visited India on one of his trips to the Indo-Pacific, as I told Lilith earlier. But you know, India is an important partner when it comes to the Indo-Pacific and much of the NDS that continues to guide. This department is focused on the Indo-Pacific and our pacing challenge of China and India has shown to be a great partner in that. So our mil to mil relationship is strong. You know, ahead of a visit, again, I'm not going to I'm not going to get ahead of that. We will always have a readout, but I'm not going to get ahead of the secretary. Q: Thank you. MS. SINGH: Yes. No, go ahead. Q: Also on deterrence, so same topic, has the force posture changed for those forces that have been moved in the region in light of the ceasefire negotiations ongoing? And just broader, does the administration see the Doha negotiation as an opportunity to avoid a broader conflict in the region? MS. SINGH: I think certainly the negotiations to reach a ceasefire deal would de-escalate tensions and would avoid or, you know, has the potential to avoid a larger regional conflict. But it's also really important to remember that it's not just that it's about getting our hostages home. There are still Americans that are hostages. It's also about ensuring that aid can get in to the people, the Palestinian people who desperately need it in Gaza. So there's a lot of components to the ceasefire talk and, you know, the framework that, you know, has been put together. But that's something that, you know, for more details on that, I would I would refer you to the State Department to speak to that and the NSC as well. Q: But has the force posture changed for those deterrence forces in light of those negotiations? MS. SINGH: You mean, like heightened we don't typically talk about that, so I'd refer you to CENTCOM for any further details. Q: Do you have any updates on any new US assets that have reached the CENTCOM AOR in recent days? Just to broaden Charlie's question out a bit. MS. SINGH: I think CENTCOM put out a statement when the F-22s had had come in. But beyond that, not to my knowledge. Q: And then to follow up on the Ukraine's objectives, note that you said we're still looking for a bit. Is there a reason that Minister Umarov wasn't able to offer further clarity on that? I'm just wondering why there needs to be more exploration after the call? MS. SINGH: Yeah, thanks for the question, Noah. Look, I'm just not going to get into more specifics or details of the call. We have asked you know for more from the Ukrainians. I'm just going to leave it at that. Q: Hi, Sabrina. Iranian press is reporting state run press is reporting that an IRGC official has died. He had been deployed to Syria and, you know, his injuries had resulted from a strike I believe between July and August. Not a lot of clarity there, but the Iranian press is saying that it was done by coalition forces who are illegally in Syria. Did the United States conduct a strike and does the department believe they may have killed an Iranian IRGC official? MS. SINGH: I haven't seen these reports from Iranian state owned media, so I can't confirm them. I'd refer you to CENTCOM for any details on any strikes. Yes. Q: Thank you very much, Sabrina. Mr. James Bond Stockdalee was a US POW in Vietnam for a long time and he was honored Medal of Honor as well. He was my teacher at age 15. And then since 25 years I've been a journalist from Afghanistan, Pakistan, that border region. I'm the only English newspaper there. Can you explain to your State Department colleague that journalists who have worked in these terrorist zone areas and who were the first media providers to the US bases over there, they at least treat them with respect? Both Vedant and Matt since last one year because of some policy differences, they treat me with so much respect and this podium, you guys have treated me with so much respect. So is it possible that you at least tell them that journalists who are from the war zone areas, they act their attitude, that everything is a little different than these diplomatic trained journalists, you know what I mean? MS. SINGH: So look, they're my dear colleagues at the State Department. I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to here, but I can tell you that, you know, this administration, I think, certainly values journalists wherever you are in the world. We value your coverage. We value the questions that you ask us here at the briefing room, whether it's in this briefing room or other briefing rooms across the administration. And I don't know if you have a question, but happy to take it. Q: Yesterday the Taliban were celebrating their three years anniversary of their takeover in Afghanistan and they were flying US made helicopters. They were driving US vehicles, the military vehicles. I had to email this office, Pentagon, right before the US withdrawal as well that what's going to happen. So at least can the US now at least disable these helicopters, these big things or, no, they have not thought about it? They were displaying yesterday at the Bagram airbase. MS. SINGH: OK. So look, I don't have a comment on the types of parades that you know the Taliban is doing right now. But you know, as the department as we come up on, you know, closer to an anniversary, I would say that we are certainly grateful for all those that have served, for their bravery, for their selflessness, from their for their compassion every single day that they showed while they were in Afghanistan. And we certainly honor those that came back and those that made the ultimate sacrifice. But I just don't have a comment to offer on the Taliban. Q: Thank you. Just last question. Several senior Pakistani military officials have been has been arrested in the last couple of days, including a spymaster the general and they were arrested on corruption charges. Senior politicians, Javed Hashmi and Georgetown graduates, again a senior politician Mushahid Hussain, they all complain from the US that the US only contacts the Pakistani military more directly instead of the people to people relationship instead of the diplomatic. Do you guys ever feel that? Have anybody ever told you that the people of Pakistan, who many of them support democracy as well, but when their senior politicians say that the US military keeps more focus on the Pakistani military than the diplomatic relations, is that anything of concern to you or not? MS. SINGH: So I think two separate questions here. In terms of the reports that you're cited, you know, aware of those reports regarding the arrests. I just don't have anything for you on that. That's really a Pakistani internal matter for them to speak to. As you know, the US values our partnership with Pakistan and engage with both military and civilian leaders based on mutual interests. And we remain committed to working with Pakistan to support regional stability and our mutual goals, and I'll just have to leave it at that. Q: Thanks. Just a quick update on JLOTS, if you don't mind. Has the remaining aid that was in Cyprus been finally delivered? And are there any JLOTS components or personnel still in the region? MS. SINGH: There's approximately 6 million pounds of aid left on the Cape Trinity. That has not been fully distributed into Gaza yet. We're still working that through. In terms of redeployment, and this is what I wanted to make sure that I had for you, 235 soldiers returned to Joint Base Langley-Eustis earlier this month. 209 sailors returned to Naval Air Station North Island last week, and an additional approximately 100 will be returning in the coming days. We expect all personnel and equipment to be coming home by mid-September as soon as that aid is distributed. And as you know, we are committed to making sure that that aid does get distributed into the people of Gaza, but that is still ongoing. Q: Thank you. MS. SINGH: OK, yes, in the back. Q: Thank you, Sabrina. Two questions. First one, do you have any new information about the possible of Iranian attack? I mean, if they move some their assets to prepare for that attack, because we heard that last day, is that we don't have anything about that. So do you have anything, any new information about that? MS. SINGH: Yeah, I don't have anything to provide. We certainly wouldn't get into Intel assessments. We remain postured of course to protect our forces and to come to the self-defense of Israel, but I just don't have anything to share on any type of attack. And as I read out in the top, you know, it's something that I know there's keen interest in. We're going to continue to monitor what's going on in the region, but I just don't have more to share or a crystal ball to predict the who, what, when where, and how right now. Q: My second question, you still haven't seen any signs that Hezbollah wants to start a new war. Do you expect that they would observe a six week ceasefire, let's say, if the deal were done in Doha, and the Houthis too? MS. SINGH: Well, look, I think a ceasefire deal is good for everyone. That's something that the president has been pushing. And you saw him outline that earlier this year, some of the framework component pieces. Those talks are ongoing. It's an important step to securing the release of hostages, some of which are American citizens. We want to see them come home. We do think a ceasefire would certainly de-escalate tensions in the region, and that's ultimately what we want to see. Q: The Ukraine's cross-border operation into the Kursk region was the most significant mission really since the start of the war. This was apparently done without the knowledge of their largest patron, the United States. Now, why shouldn't that be considered an intelligence failure on the part of this administration, this building and the rest of the IC? MS. SINGH: Well, Mike, I'd push back on that a bit. You know, I think some of the things that the Ukrainians demonstrated earlier on in the war is the ability to hold Kyiv and then subsequently Kharkiv, Kherson. They were able to hold major, major cities that I think back then you were here in this briefing room as well and speculating on what the Ukrainians would and wouldn't be able to hold. In terms of is this an intelligence failure, no. Q: [Inaudible] that the United States did not know that that this happened until after the fact. MS. SINGH: We were not made aware of this operation. That doesn't mean that it's an intelligence failure. What I would tell you is that we are working with the Ukrainians to better understand their objectives. And I'm not going to go beyond what we had in that readout. Q: The fact that they didn't let anyone in the administration know, does that indicate that there's a lack of trust between Kyiv and Washington? MS. SINGH: No, I don't think so, Mike. I would actually push back on that. We have a very good relationship with our Ukrainian counterparts. The secretary, on an almost weekly basis, is speaking to his Ukrainian counterpart. And it's not just the secretary. It's the secretary of state. It's, you know, other administration officials across this administration, including the president. There is deep trust there, and there has to be deep trust. We're on our 61st, 62nd presidential drawdown package. We are pouring millions upon billions of dollars into Ukraine to make sure that they have what they need on the battlefield. We are assisting them with their capabilities. We're training their pilots. We're training their infantry to be better to improve their skills. There's absolutely trust there. As we said, we didn't know about this one operation. That doesn't mean that we're not engaged on other things, and I'm just going to leave it at that. Q: Back to the Middle East, is there are there indications of an increased threat from the Iranian backed militias in Iraq and Syria in recent days? Is there is there any kind of change in the posture of those adversaries? And then also, given the threat that's kind of continuous to those US forces in Syria and Iraq that you were talking about earlier, what is the rationale for keeping US troops in Syria, for example, if ISIS is is severely degraded and mostly defeated? MS. SINGH: So, on your first question, I'm not going to speak to any force posture changes. I'm not aware of any heightened levels in the recent days. I'd refer you to CENTCOM. In terms of the rationale of keeping forces within Syria and Iraq, we are there to ensure the defeat of ISIS, that by no means that ISIS has completely evaporated. They still remain a threat. You might remember from this podium just a few weeks ago I was asked about a concert that was canceled because of an ISIS threat. So, ISIS remains a very real threat in the region and around the world. Were they the threat that they were, in 2014, 2016 when our forces were at the height of engaging them and, you know, they were outside of Baghdad? No. That threat has evolved, and they have, changed their tactics and methods and, you know, become degraded because of our because of the global coalition that we've built. But ISIS still remains a threat, and I don't think we're turning a blind eye to that in any way. Q: My colleague's question about ISIS. So, President Biden repeatedly said that over-the-horizon is an effective program to monitor or to control what's going on in the region, like Pakistan and Afghanistan. How what is the Pentagon's assessment on that? Is that effective? How does it work? And also, does the United States still control Afghanistan's airspace? Because the Taliban's defense ministry said a couple of days that a couple of days ago that we, the Taliban, don't have any control on our airspace in Afghanistan. And they claimed that some drones are flying over different cities of Afghanistan like Kandahar, Jalalabad and some other areas. Who controls that? The Pentagon has that? MS. SINGH: Well, that seems like a them problem, not an us problem. In terms of are over-the-horizon capabilities effective, yes, they are. Q: Yes. Thank you, Sabrina. I'm just curious, going back to Ukraine and Russia, I know the United States has cautioned Ukrainians of using certain weapons that might penetrate deep inside Russia. Now that the line of scrimmage has moved forward, are there restrictions on what kind of weapons can be used on Russian soil? MS. SINGH: Thanks, Charlie, for the question. Nothing has changed in terms of our policy. So, the policy that we set out from the beginning in allowing those counter-fire measures to take place around that Sumy area, nothing's changed on that. And nothing has changed on our long range, you know, fires policy as well. We still believe that with the coalition that we've built through the UDCG that we are providing the Ukrainians what they need on the battlefield to be successful in that northeast area region and in the south. And we believe that they have the capabilities to be successful with what we've given them. Q: But the US policy was never considering that weapons like these might be used inside Russia. MS. SINGH: So, Charlie, what I would tell you on that is, once again, on the Kursk incursion, we're still we're still working to get more from the Ukrainians on their objectives. So, I don't have more to share on that. In terms of like what you were saying on like we've never seen this, you have to remember that, and to Tara's question at the beginning, at the beginning of the war what we were providing were like Javelins and Stingers. What we're providing them today looks very, very different from that PDAs 1 through 20 possibly. So, you have to remember that, every time that the battlefield has changed and adapted, whether it be terrain or capabilities, we have adapted as well. So, we're not ruling anything out right now. But if as the battlefield dynamics change, we always reserve the right to work with the Ukrainians on what they need. And right now you're seeing them they have these F-16s that are there. They've showcased that. That was a capability that was not something that they needed at the very beginning of the war, but now we but they need that. So, I'm going to leave it at that. Q: Sabrina, in the past three years, US forces have pulled out of Afghanistan. The Taliban's taken over. Putin launched a major invasion of Ukraine. Iran carried out a major attack on Israel. There was the October 7th massacre. The US Navy's been engaged for months in a war again in Yemen against the Houthis. US forces have pulled out of bases in Africa. Has the Pentagon lost the ability to deter? MS. SINGH: No, I would actually say quite the opposite. You mentioned many, many examples there. But what I would tell you is the United States is not in a long protracted war. What you're seeing the United States do, whether it be in the Red Sea and the BAM, we're protecting commercial shipping. What you're seeing us do in the eastern Mediterranean and the Central Command area of responsibility is we're protecting our forces and we're coming to the self-defense of Israel. Q: [Inaudible] US Navy to defeat the Houthis? MS. SINGH: So happy to have a longer conversation about this. But our goal right there, I think I think you have to separate defeat versus what our intentions are. And our intentions are to allow commercial shipping, to allow to allow Let me just let me just take this one, Lucas, and finish this up. We have to continue to allow commercial shipping through that Red Sea passage. It's important. It's something that the president set out from the very beginning. And the secretary found built a coalition through Operation Prosperity Guardian of like-minded nations coming together to protect interests from all over the world sailing through that corridor. So we remain committed to that objective and I'm just going to leave it at that. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3875565/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address August 15, 2024 By U.S. Army Pacific Public Affairs Office Fiji, U.S., Host Seminar for Regional Land Forces Against the backdrop of the scenic Pacific Ocean, and a traditional kava ceremony, the armies of Fiji and the United States kicked off the 48th annual Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar and the 10th annual Senior Enlisted in Fiji. IPAMS is the largest conference for land forces in the region. It is co-hosted by the Fijian Army and United States Army Pacific, attracting senior army leaders from 21 Indo-Pacific countries. "This seminar serves as a platform for leaders to exchange ideas, share best practices and forge stronger partnerships," said Fiji Land Commander Brig. Gen. Onisivoro Covunisaqa. U.S. Army Pacific commander Gen. Charles Flynn echoed those comments saying, "I think the structure that we have in the forums to discuss matters like humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and the role land forces play in those particular crises, where countries are challenged and people are struggling, is vitally important." The theme for this year's conference is "Joint & Combined Operations in the Indo-Pacific Region." Flynn referred to this as a "unity of action," involving synergistic applications of all partner forces. "What makes this such an achievable goal for this group of land forces, we can achieve unity of action because unlike our adversaries, we share a vision, a common vision, a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific," said the U.S. commander. Conferees participated in plenary sessions, as well as smaller breakout groups. They heard from distinguished guest speakers and participated in lively discussions on topics, such as peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, leadership development and climate change. Fiji last hosted this conference in 2006, but much has changed in the regional security environment to where both countries say they have improved capability and interoperability thanks to conferences like this. "In 2006 we were not focused on the collective approach to threats in the Pacific," said Covunisaqa. "But we are moving towards that now. I'm glad USARPAC has come with us, bringing partners, nations and our forces together to discuss common things during this conference." Flynn added, "I have seen at least in the last decade, a substantial increase in all countries wanting to conduct more multilateral activities to bring professional military and, in this case, army forces together to discuss common ways that we can overcome challenges." Those challenges said Flynn have been in cyber, transregional crime, human trafficking, illicit activities with fishing and narcotics "and then on top of that you've got some major powers and large countries that have lots of capabilities that can be threatening depending on how they're used." Fiji and the U.S. participated in the annual joint exercise "Cartwheel," named after an actual World War II military operation where both armies collectively helped secure this region. That's how long both nations have been friends and more importantly reliable partners. "I will tell you with many nations throughout the 'Blue Pacific,' the U.S. Army would not have been successful had it not been for local forces being able to partner, demonstrate, assist and enable the U.S. Army to do a range of missions in the region." IPAMS is the region's longest and largest running multinational military seminar promoting security, peace and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. In 1977, IPAMS started with nine nations attending in Honolulu, Hawaii, and expanded to more than 31 nations attending the conference in Seoul, South Korea in 2018. This year's lists included: Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, United Kingdom and Vietnam. The SELF program was added in 2014, and this year drew the largest number of senior enlisted leaders with 16 participating. The conference ends today with Malaysia accepting the role as co-hosts of IPAMS, and the much larger bi-annual conference involving chiefs of regional armies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Venezuela: Statement by the High Representative on the publication of the interim report of UN Panel of Experts on presidential elections European External Action Service (EEAS) 15.08.2024 EEAS Press Team I welcome the decision by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to make the interim report of the United Nations Panel of Experts public. The Panel was invited by Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) to assess the overall conduct of the elections within the framework of the Barbados Agreement. This timely report sheds light on the electoral process and highlights the lack of substantiation for the results announced by Venezuelan authorities. The report establishes that election day on 28 July took place in a largely peaceful environment and was logistically well organized. However, the announcement of the election outcome without the publication of its details or the release of tabulated results to candidates is extremely concerning. The report clarifies that the CNE postponed and subsequently cancelled three key post-electoral audits. It concludes that "the results management process of the CNE fell short of the basic transparency and integrity measures that are essential to holding credible elections". I also take note that the UN Panel of Experts confirms, in line with the reviews and assessments of several independent organizations, the reliability of the copies of the electoral records published by the opposition. According to these published copies of the 'actas,' Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia would appear to be the winner of the Presidential elections by a significant majority. In a democracy, results must be complete and independently verifiable to be recognized. At this critical time, the European Union reiterates its call for the Venezuelan electoral authorities to publish and independently verify the electoral records. The international community must defend the democratic process and ensure the conditions for the Venezuelan people to exercise their civil and political rights. We welcome the efforts by regional partners to promote a Venezuelan-led dialogue that reflects the will of the people as expressed at the polls, provides guarantees to both sides, and leads to a democratic transition. Respecting the will of the Venezuelan people remains the only way for Venezuela to restore democracy and to solve the current humanitarian and socio-economic crisis. Venezuelan authorities must put an end to arbitrary detentions and repression against members of the opposition and civil society, and release all political prisoners. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Germany Federal Foreign Office 15.08.2024 - Press release Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock issued the following statement today (15 August) on the Taliban's seizure of power in Afghanistan three years ago: Three years ago today, the lives of everyone in Afghanistan, and above all the women and girls, were turned upside down. Since the seizure of power by the Taliban, with their radical Islamist worldview, the women of Afghanistan have been subjected to the most severe systematic human rights violations worldwide. Every day for the past three years, the inhumane Taliban regime has destroyed the hopes of millions of Afghan women and girls for a better life in greater freedom. Half of the population is no longer permitted to do things that are part of any normal life. They can't work, they can't enter a hospital or restaurant alone, they're not allowed to sing, to show their face on the street, to go to school once they reach their teens, to be women. Life for many women and girls in Afghanistan is like life under house arrest. Today - and every day - we stand by the women and girls of Afghanistan, and by all people there who are threatened by the Taliban. Wherever it is still possible, we support the people by providing emergency humanitarian assistance in the form of food aid and basic healthcare. Wherever it is in any way possible and sensible, we facilitate projects to protect human rights in Afghanistan. More than 34,000 people who were persecuted by the Taliban have come to Germany under various admission programmes and have found protection, safety and prospects for a future without persecution. Last year, the EU - including Germany - imposed sanctions on key figures of the Taliban regime in response to gender-based violence. We will not slacken our efforts. Together with our international partners, we are also continuing our advocacy in the UN Human Rights Council to shed light on the darkness in Afghanistan. Almost all states in the world agree that as long as the Taliban fail to comply with Afghanistan's international obligations, it cannot be welcomed back into the international community. Any other stance would furthermore be unfair to the German soldiers and the many civilian aid workers who risked their own lives and tried for so long to protect the people of Afghanistan from the Taliban. New cease-fire talks start as Gaza death toll passes 40,000 Global Times Hamas reportedly absent amid high tensions in the region By Zhao Yusha and Shen Sheng Published: Aug 15, 2024 10:22 PM A new round of Gaza cease-fire talks was held in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday afternoon, while Hamas officials did not join the talks, media reported. Hamas' absence from a new round of Gaza cease-fire talks has dashed hopes that they may yield some substantial results, and the failure to reach a deal increases the risk of Iran striking Israel to avenge the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran last month, said observers. The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the current round of Israeli-Hamas conflict began on October 7 has surpassed 40,000, Xinhua News Agency reported. Hamas said on Wednesday it would not take part in the cease-fire talks, but an official briefed on the talks said mediators were expected to consult with the Palestinian group afterwards, per Reuters. This round of talks is based on a three-phase proposal that US President Joe Biden laid out in a national address on May 31 calling for a cease-fire, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and detainees and the reconstruction of Gaza, media reported. Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, believes that the prospects for the talks' success seem dim, as all the problems that needed to be resolved in previous negotiations between Hamas and Israel have not been resolved, and new obstacles are emerging, adding pressure to the talks. Iran this week rejected calls from some Western countries to refrain from retaliation against the assassination in Tehran of Ismail Haniyeh last month, just hours after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed a senior commander of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the US is sending more troops and military hardware to the Middle East to defend Israel from a possible attack from Iran, and has recently approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel. Experts said the failure to reach a deal this time also increases the likelihood of potential retaliatory strike by Iran against Israel for the killing of the Hamas leader. Ahead of the talks, top Hamas official Osama Hamdan told the AP that the Palestinian militant group is losing faith in the US' ability to mediate a cease-fire in Gaza. The US has recently increased pressure on Israel to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza, but Washington's overall policy toward the country remains supportive and is unlikely to change in the short term, Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times. He said this biased stance has downgraded the US' authority and status in mediating a cease-fire deal in Gaza. Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on Tuesday, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong said that two months ago, when pushing for Security Council Resolution 2735, the US claimed that Israel had accepted a cease-fire agreement, but the reality is quite the opposite. Instead of credible signs of Israel's commitment to a cease-fire, what we see is ever-expanding military operations and ever-increasing civilian casualties. The US, as the largest supplier of weapons, has enough influence over Israel. We hope that the US will take sincere and responsible actions to push Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza as soon as possible and to stop slaughtering civilians, said Fu. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN calls for immediate end to Gaza war as death toll tops 40,000 IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 15, 2024 New York, IRNA -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has demanded an immediate ceasefire and end to the war on Gaza as the Palestinian death toll in more than 10 months of non-stop Israeli bombing and shelling campaign crosses the grime milestone of 40,000. Volker Turk issued a statement on Thursday local time about the increase in the number of casualties in Gaza, saying "Today is a bitter turning point for the world." This unthinkable situation is largely due to the Israeli military's repeated failures to observe the laws of war, he further said with reference to the Zionist regime's non-compliance to the UN Security resolution and defiance to verdicts issued by the World Court. "As the world ponders its inability to stop this carnage, I call on all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire, lay down their weapons and stop the killing once and for all," the UN official said. On Thursday, The Ministry of Health in Gaza released a new figure, putting the number of those killed in the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza at 40, 005 and the number of wounded at 92,401, most of them women and children. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli military will 'never eliminate' Hamas, say US and Zionist officials IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 15, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- American and Israeli officials have conceded that the Israeli military has failed to achieve its objectives in Gaza, with the possibility of weakening Hamas being further diminished as the war drags on, the New York Times reports. Officials interviewed by the daily said the Israeli regime has exhausted its military options in Gaza, and continued bombings would only lead to more civilian casualties. While ten months of military offensive has set the Palestinian resistance movement back to some extent, the officials acknowledged that the Israeli military "would never be able to completely eliminate" Hamas. The report, which did not name the officials, also noted that the Zionist captives held in Gaza cannot be recovered through military means. Furthermore, the officials said Israeli efforts to disrupt Hamas's extensive tunnel network have fallen short, admitting that the network appears larger and more resilient than previously thought. Pentagon officials have also expressed concerns that the Israeli military has not been able to establish control over the areas it has seized in Gaza, according to the American daily. 4353**4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US: Reports of Israel's use of civilians as human shields 'disturbing' IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 15, 2024 New York, IRNA -- The US State Department has called "disturbing" the reports that the Israeli army is using Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip as human shields and asked the regime to investigate the allegations. According to IRNA, Vedant Patel, the deputy spokesperson of the Department of State, told reporters on Wednesday local time that Washington has called on the Israeli authorities to immediately and transparently investigate these accusations and hold perpetrators to account. Patel added that Israel is obliged to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law, which American officials know well is impossible for the regime to abide by. An investigation by Zionist newspaper, Haaretz revealed that the army is systematically using Palestinian civilians as human shields during operations in Gaza, especially while inside the tunnels. The report published Tuesday said the practice is conducted with the knowledge of senior military officials, including Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK, Russia slam Zionists' storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 15, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Britain and Russia have joined the chorus of condemnations over Tuesday's storming and desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers accompanied by far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. According to IRNA's report on Wednesday night, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy wrote on his X social media post: "The UK strongly condemns Ben-Gvir's deliberately provocative visit to Jerusalem's Holy Sites". The post further said that "such actions undermine the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan's role as a custodian of the sites and longstanding Status Quo arrangements". Meanwhile, Russia described the incident as "another provocative act" and expressed concern over an incursion by Ben-Gvir and Israeli settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds. "The Israeli authorities should not limit themselves to condemning such actions, but must take effective measures to stop this evil practice," a Russian foreign ministry statement said, adding that such actions violate the existing status of the holy places as was stipulated in a treaty between Jordan and Israel in 1994. Earlier on Tuesday, far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir along with some 400 Zionists under the protection of the regime's forces broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is the third holiest place in Islam, saying that Jews should be allowed to pray at the compound. Ben-Gvir's remark and the desecration of Al-Aqsa drew strong condemnations from several countries, including Iran that said "the provocative" act showed the regime wanted to expand tension in the region. "This evil act is also indicative that the leaders of the Israeli regime intend to fuel the fire of their warmongering by hurting the religious feelings of the Muslims in Palestine and the Islamic world", the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. Under the exiting treaty, non-Muslims including Jews are not allowed to perform their rituals inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. But Zionist settlers and some extremists Israeli ministers often defy the treaty by storming into the complex while regime's forces blocking Muslims to enter the site to offer prayers. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkiye urges Islamic countries to strive for Gaza ceasefire IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 15, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara, called on Islamic countries to put more efforts to establish a ceasefire in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. The communication department of the Turkish presidency issued a statement that Erdogan and Abbas discussed and reviewed the developments in Gaza, including the mass killings of Palestinians by the Zionist regime, according to IRNA's Wednesday night report citing the Turkish media. Erdogan reiterated that Turkiye will continue to support the just cause of Palestine and stressed that all countries, especially Islamic, should increase their efforts to ensure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The head of the Palestinian Authority arrived in Ankara on Wednesday evening for a two-day visit after a trip to Moscow. Abbas is scheduled to address the Turkish parliament where lawmakers will hold an emergency meeting in support of Palestine on Thursday. While in Moscow to meet the Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Palestinian Authority chief called the United States the main obstacle to prevent a Palestinian state and denounced efforts to put Russia away from the so-called Middle East peace process. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Danish Battalion integrates NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08/15/2024 - 16:51 In Latvia International cooperation Information prepared by Media Relations Section On Monday, 19 August, a ceremony will take place at the military base "Adazi" to highlight the integration of the Royal Danish Armed Forces Battalion within the NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia. "The integration of the Danish battalion will significantly strengthen the NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia, enhancing its ability to respond immediately to any threat. We are grateful for Denmark's commitment to strengthening Latvia's defence, demonstrating NATO's unity and, together with our Armed Forces, ensuring the defence of our country," underlines Defence Minister Andris Spruds welcoming the Danish troops to Latvia. The ceremony will be attended by Major General Jette Albinus, Commander of the NATO's Multinational Division "North" Headquarters, Colonel Cedric Aspirault, Commander of the NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia and Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Nyholm Jrgensen, Commander of the Danish Battalion. National Armed Forces will be represented by Brigadier General Kaspars Zdanovskis. The Danish contingent in Latvia will be comprised of up to 800 soldiers. The Danish contingent is planned to serve alternately with the Swedish contingent in Latvia. The Royal Danish Armed Forces have already been deployed to the military base "Adazi" in varying numbers. Until now, the Danish contingent was part of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade of the Land Forces, but with the ceremony it will be integrated within the NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia, which in turn is subordinate to NATO's Multinational Division "North" Headquarters. As reported earlier, in July this year, a ceremony was held to highlight the launch of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Latvia Battle Group to brigade level and the establishment of the new NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia which will be comprised of more than 3,500 troops. The brigade is expected to reach full combat readiness by 2026. NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia has Canada as a Framework nation, along with forces of contributing nations: Albania, Czechia, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia adn Spain. Sweden is also expected to join the new NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia. As reported earlier, in response to Russian invasion of Ukraine, in 2022 parliament of Denmark decided to support the government decision to send 1,000 Danish troops to Latvia. In 2023, Denmark took a decision to deploy a battalion of Danish Royal Army troops to Latvia in 2024 as part of its commitment to continued strengthening of NATO eastern flank defence. Danish soldiers are already serving in NATO's Multinational Division "North" Headquarters in the military base "Adazi". Denmark has played an important role in the development of the Latvian National Armed Forces and has been one of the leading Nordic countries in providing political support and practical assistance to Latvia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PCG accuses China Coast Guard of neglecting fishing regulations in WPS Philippine News Agency By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz August 15, 2024, 3:44 pm MANILA -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday accused the China Coast Guard (CCG) of neglecting its responsibilities with the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) due to its failure to properly inspect Chinese fishing vessels. In a statement, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela said CCG vessel 5303 registered by China on the WCPFC as an authorized inspection vessel has not inspected Chinese maritime militia (CMM) vessels since it arrived at Escoda Shoal in the WPS. "Instead of conducting inspections, they interacted with the crew of the CMM as if they were familiar acquaintances, sharing meals," Tarriela said. The WCPFC is a regional fisheries management organization established to conserve and manage tuna and other highly migratory fish stocks across the western and central areas of the Pacific Ocean. "It is evident that no formal boarding procedures were carried out by the CCG to question the CMM's intentions, despite their prolonged presence without any signs of fishing," Tarriela said. The CCG's lack of action against CMM vessels, he said, showed that CMM vessels were recognized by China as an "integral part of their maritime operations, aiding in encroaching upon the Exclusive Economic Zones of other countries throughout the South China Sea." "These state-subsidized maritime militias support the CCG and the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in intimidating neighboring maritime states such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines," he said. The situation, he said, highlighted that the CCG "should not be entrusted with the responsibilities of the WCPFC to board fishing vessels." "Their true objective is not to combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing. [China's] aim appears to be the innovative legitimization of its unlawful presence and activities in the WPS, disguised under the pretense of maritime law enforcement," he said. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas: Ceasefire must involve 'complete' Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 10:17 PM The Islamic resistance movement Hamas has once again stressed that any agreement with Israel must ensure a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and a prisoner exchange deal. The Palestinian resistance group said in a statement on Thursday that the agreement should also facilitate the return of the displaced Palestinians and the reconstruction of the devastated territory. "Hamas views the ongoing negotiations in Doha regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange from a strategic perspective aimed at ending the aggression on Gaza, " Hamas official Hossam Badran said in the statement. "Hamas believes that any negotiations must be based on a clear plan to implement what was previously agreed upon. The obstacle to reaching a ceasefire in Gaza is the continued 'Israeli' evasion," Badran added. "Any agreement must achieve a comprehensive ceasefire, a complete (Israeli) withdrawal from Gaza, (and) the return of the displaced, along with a prisoner exchange deal," he said. The Hamas statement emphasized that any negotiation must be based on a clear plan to implement the existing agreement, which was agreed upon in early July. The agreement was also upheld by the UN Security Council. The statement comes as a new round of truce talks is underway in Doha, in which Hamas has opted not to participate. Instead, the group has urged mediators to enforce the UN-backed truce agreement rather than holding more talks on a new one. Hamas has, time and again, expressed readiness to implement a ceasefire deal, but says Israel's continued massacres in Gaza prove the regime is not serious about a permanent ceasefire. Hamas official Ahmad Abdul Hadi said on Wednesday that it "would not take part in new talks" with the Israeli regime on a ceasefire in Gaza. In addition to Hadi, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri also told Reuters on the same day, "Hamas is committed to the proposal presented to it on July 2," which is based on the UN Security Council resolution and the Biden speech and the movement is prepared to begin discussion over a mechanism to implement it immediately. "Going to new negotiation allows the occupation to impose new conditions and employ the maze of negotiation to conduct more massacres," Zuhri said. Israel reportedly presented new demands in the ceasefire talks after Hamas had agreed to the latest terms. Meanwhile, the Israeli regime is pushing ahead with its air and artillery attacks in the besieged Gaza Strip as the genocidal war enters its eleventh month. The latest massacres have raised the number of Palestinians killed to over 40,000 leaving more than 92,400 others injured. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Houthi: Resistance front's response to Israeli assassinations 'definite' Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 4:20 PM The leader of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement says the Axis of Resistance's response to the recent Israeli assassinations is "definite and decisive." Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the deployment of US warships cannot prevent Yemeni forces from launching an anti-Israel retaliatory operation after their attack on the strategic western province of Hudaydah. "The resistance front is utterly determined to retaliate against Israeli assassinations and mass killings. The United States is doing its utmost and going through political channels in order to prevent resistance groups' response to the [Israeli] targeted killings," Houthi said on Thursday afternoon. "Response to the Zionist regime's acts of aggression is in the offing. It is decisive and there will be no retreat. It is a faith-based, humanitarian and moral obligation." The Ansarullah chief said retribution against the regime for the assassination of regional resistance figures has led the settlers to live in a state of overwhelming fear. "Retaliation against the Israeli enemy is a strategic matter and an absolute necessity to stop the criminal, vicious and reckless entity from perpetrating more crimes," Houthi stated. He said Yemeni naval units will press ahead with their maritime operations against Israeli-affiliated merchant vessels in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. "As long as the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and the tight blockade on the coastal territory persist, we will continue our military operations," Houthi said, describing the Yemeni forces' anti-Israeli operations a religious and humane duty towards the Palestinian nation. "Steadfastness and resilience are part of our faith, loyalty and truthfulness. We will never backtrack on our support for Palestinians and their cause." The Ansarullah chief also dismissed the deployment of US military forces and warships in some Arab countries of the West Asia region, stating that such steps can't deter Yemeni armed forces from launching an anti-Israel retaliatory operation after the attack on the strategic western province of Hudaydah last month. He said Yemeni forces used 15 ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones in various operations against Israeli targets this week. Houthi vehemently denounced the Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City that killed more than 100 Palestinians and wounded dozens of others. The attack on the Tabaeen school was carried out by three US-built bombs, Houthi said. The bloody strike could not have been possible without American support and munitions, Houthi said. The Yemeni leader also slammed certain Arab nations' silence and inaction on what he called "the crime of the century". "Certain Arab regimes are feverishly working to shied Israel from missiles and drones fired by the Axis of Resistance. Most Muslims have shirked their duty to assist the oppressed Palestinian nation. "The perseverance of Gazans despite the full blown Israeli genocide and starvation campaign is a lesson for the entire Muslim world," Houthi said. The Ansarullah chief finally called upon all walks of the Yemeni society to take to the streets on Friday in a strong show of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza amid the relentless Israeli ground and aerial offensives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli genocide in Gaza passes grim milestone of 40,000 deaths Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 3:44 PM The overall death toll from the Israeli-US campaign of death, destruction and genocide in Gaza has surpassed the grim milestone of 40,000, the Gaza Health Ministry says. In its most recent detailed report on the dead issued Thursday, the ministry said 40 people had been killed during the past 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths since October 7 to 40,005. The number of those injured has also topped 92,400. Civil defense workers say the true toll could be considerably higher given the fact that a large number of bodies remain buried under the rubble of buildings Israel has bombed. In July, the Lancet, a leading general medical journal, estimated that the death toll could be 186,000 or even more. The Lancet said the figure includes both direct and indirect deaths from the Israeli campaign and those still buried under the rubble. Media reports indicate dozens of people were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza in a time span of 24 hours. The skies of central Gaza and eastern Khan Yunis, according to local reports, were clouded with attack drones, creating a very intimidating atmosphere for people. Israeli forces have regularly targeted mosques, schools, hospitals and cemeteries, often causing civilian casualties. UN rights chief deplores 'grim milestone' In remarks on Thursday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk blamed Israel for the soaring death toll in the besieged Palestinian territory. "Today marks a grim milestone for the world," Turk said in a statement. "Most of the dead are women and children. This unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the Israeli Defense Forces to comply with the rules of war." "The scale of the Israeli military's destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship is deeply shocking." Turk said his office had documented "serious violations" of international humanitarian law by the Israeli military. The entire territory of Gaza is at high risk of famine and hundreds of thousands of people are expected to experience the most severe level of hunger in the next months. Sanitation systems have been destroyed, leaving pools of sewage and towers of garbage in tent camps packed with displaced families. The Israeli campaign likely either damaged or destroyed 59% of all structures in Gaza by July 3, including 70% of buildings in north Gaza, according to an analysis of satellite data. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Aug 14: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 2:36 PM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians so far, the majority of them children, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers. The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Wednesday, August 14, are as follows: Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on August 14: - Engaged in intense clashes for several hours with Israeli occupation forces in the city of Tubas, located in the occupied West Bank. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on August 14: - Targeted Israeli soldier positions along the supply line in the "Netzarim" axis with mortar shells. - Detonated several pre-planted explosives on an Israeli military vehicle in combat zones within the city of Tubas, occupied West Bank. - Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles in the Al-Zana area, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, with heavy mortar shells. - Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces around Balata camp in Nablus, occupied West Bank, using machine guns and explosive devices. Al-Quds Brigades' operations on August 14: - Targeted Israeli military gatherings along the supply line in the "Netzarim" axis with mortar shells. Mujahideen Brigades' operations on August 14: - Targeted Israeli forces in the "Netzarim" axis with medium-caliber mortar shells. Al-Asifah Forces' operations on August 14: - Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles along the supply line in the "Netzarim" axis with mortar shells. Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations on August 14: - Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles near the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip with mortar shells. Hezbollah's operations on August 14: - Targeted surveillance equipment at the Matla site with appropriate weapons. - Fired rockets at Israeli soldiers in the Shtula Forest. - Launched missiles at the Al-Baghdadi site. - Targeted the Zabadani site in Lebanon's Shebaa region with missiles. - Fired missiles at the Ramtha site in Lebanon's Kfar Shuba. - Targeted Israeli soldiers in northern Abiriem with drones. - Launched Katyusha rockets at the Kiryat Shmona settlement. - Targeted the headquarters of the Al-Sahl Battalion at the Beit Hillel site with Katyusha rockets. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia-China sci-tech collaboration yields impressive results, mutual benefits, says Nobel laureate Barry J. Marshall Xinhua) 11:05, August 16, 2024 PERTH, Australia, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The strong collaboration between Australia and China in science and technology has already yielded impressive results and mutual benefits, said Nobel laureate Barry J. Marshall here on Thursday. "By continuing to build on this foundation, we can tackle major challenges from health care to environmental sustainability, and work towards a better future for our nations and the world," he said. Marshall delivered a speech at a reception celebrating his winning the China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award 2023 hosted by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Perth. He is the fifth Australian to receive the award. "The China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award is more than a personal accolade," he said. "It highlights the importance of cross-border collaboration in driving innovation, sharing expertise, and making scientific breakthroughs that benefit everyone." Marshall and J. Robin Warren were awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for showing that bacterial infection, not stress, was to blame for painful ulcers in the stomach and intestine on Oct. 3, 2005. In the past decade, Marshall has devoted himself to cooperation with Chinese colleagues and partners to transfer his research results into products and to benefit both Chinese and Australian people. Stephen Dawson, Western Australia's science minister, said at the event that Marshall had been a champion of promoting science cooperation, collaboration and exchange between China and Western Australia. His work and the award he won would help to inspire further collaborations between the great scientific minds of Australia and China. "I look forward to witnessing the continued development of Western Australia's strong relationship with China in science and technology," he added. Chinese Consul General in Perth Long Dingbin said that Marshall set up an academician workstation in central China's Henan Province in 2017, and he was affectionately known by the local people as the civilian doctor. He said Marshall is a model to follow and strengthen the China-Australia bond. Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian sent a congratulatory letter to Marshall, which was announced at the event. Xiao said that the award Marshall won is also a recognition for all Australian scientists who have long been committed to scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation with China. "We sincerely appreciate your outstanding contributions to promoting China-Australia scientific research, exchanges and cooperation. Nurturing high-level patents and improving public health, all of which are really manifestations of a shared vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind in China-Australia scientific cooperation." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Deif is 'fine': Hamas rejects Israeli claims of military chief assassination Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 11:04 AM A senior member of Hamas has categorically dismissed Israeli reports on the assassination of the Palestinian resistance movement's military leader, Mohammed Deif, in the occupying regime's barbaric aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip. Osama Hamdan, who represents the movement in Lebanon, made the assertion in an interview with the Associated Press (AP) published on Thursday. Hamdan said Deif, the commander of al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, is "fine" after the Israeli officials and media outlets claimed he had been assassinated. This is the first time a senior Hamas official has addressed the Israeli claim, first made on August 1, that the top Palestinian commander was killed in an airstrike last month. Hamdan told AP that Hamas believes Israel mentioned Deif as the target of the July strike to "justify the massacre" that day, in which 88 Palestinians were killed in a bombing of the so-called humanitarian zone. Deif is among the founders of al-Qassam Brigades in the 1990s and has led the force for more than 20 years. Israel has identified Deif and Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's newly appointed head of political bureau, as the chief architects of the large-scale and surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the regime on October 7. Sinwar was Hamas's Gaza leader before he replaced Ismail Haniyeh who was killed in an Israeli attack in Tehran last month. The high-profile Hamas military commander became the head of the al-Qassam Brigades in 2002 after Israel killed his predecessor, Salah Shahada. Deif is believed to have helped expand Hamas's labyrinth of tunnels that run beneath Gaza, with the occupying regime describing the underground network as "highly complex." Israel launched the aggression after Operation al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation staged by the Gaza-based resistance groups in reprisal for the regime's decades-long crimes against Palestinians. The US-backed bloody onslaught has so far killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 92,294 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli forces increasingly killing, injuring children in occupied West Bank since Gaza war, warns UN Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 9:05 AM Since the onset of Israel's brutal war on the besieged Gaza Strip, the Israeli military's use of live ammunition to kill and wound Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank has significantly increased compared to the previous 10 months, the United Nations warns. In its Humanitarian Situation Update about the West Bank, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Wednesday that the number of Palestinian children killed by Israeli gunfire in the occupied territory since October 7 stood at 115. This is while the number of children killed by Israeli live fire in the West Bank in the previous 10 months up to October stood at 39, it added. Furthermore, the number of Palestinian children injured by Israeli live fire in the occupied territory has also doubled during the reporting period, with 1,411 children wounded by bullets since October 7, compared to 615 during the preceding 10 months. The OCHA has also documented 1,250 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians since October, including around 120 settler assaults that resulted in Palestinian deaths and injuries. According to a UN report, in an attack on August 12, Israeli settlers armed with knives kidnapped two 15-year-old Palestinian shepherds and forced them into a newly established Israeli outpost settlement near Khallet an Nahala, where they "assaulted the boys, broke their legs, and urinated on them." "Afterwards, the settlers handcuffed the boys, put them in a vehicle and threw them in an open area" where they were later found, the UN said. Since Israel unleashed a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in on October 7 last year, casualties have been rising in the West Bank as a result of intensified near-daily raids by the regime troops into Palestinian towns. A total of 624 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces since the beginning of Israel's Gaza onslaught. Nearly 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have also been killed in Israeli attacks across the besieged Gaza in the past more than 10 months. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address From Allies To Enemies: Relations Between Afghan Taliban And Pakistan Hit Rock Bottom By Abubakar Siddique August 15, 2024 Days after the Taliban seized power in 2021, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, the powerful head of Pakistan's notorious Inter-Services Intelligence agency, took what seemed a victory lap in the Afghan capital, Kabul. "Please don't worry -- everything will be OK," he told a Western journalist while smiling and sipping tea in the five-star Sarena Hotel. Allies Turn Into Enemies But three years later, Pakistan's sense of scoring a strategic victory by helping the Taliban to reclaim power has vanished as the Taliban-led government has cemented its position as Pakistan's key foe. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering the Tehrik-e Taliban (TTP), which has killed hundreds of its soldiers since 2021. Repeated Pakistani air strikes on the TTP's alleged hideouts inside Afghanistan and diplomatic warnings of severe consequences have not led to the Taliban reigning in the group as Islamabad has frequently demanded. On August 14, Torkham, the main border crossing connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan, remained closed for a third day after a firefight that injured several Taliban fighters and at least three Pakistani soldiers on August 12. The Taliban said three Afghan civilians were killed in the cross fire. Such clashes are almost a weekly occurrence along their 2,500-kilometer border. Frequent border closures and the expulsion of nearly 1 million impoverished Afghans from Pakistan have also failed to pressure Afghanistan's current rulers to acquiesce to Islamabad's demands. "The situation has turned 180 degrees," said Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud, news director at the Khorasan Diary, a website tracking militant groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan. "There is now a conflict situation inching toward a war." In a conciliatory gesture on Pakistan's Independence Day on August 14, the country's powerful army chief, General Asim Munir, asked the Taliban-led government to reciprocate Islamabad's desire for cordial, cooperative relations. He asked the Taliban-led government not to "prioritize" ties with the TTP over relations with Pakistan. "Just as Pakistan has always helped you out, you should join us in finishing off this scourge," he told a gathering of new military graduates. Reverse Strategic Depth But Michael Semple, a former EU and UN adviser to Afghanistan, told RFE/RL it would be difficult for the Taliban to give up on the TTP's nearly two-decade campaign when it sees a tipping point given the grave political and economic crises engulfing Pakistan. "Can the level of backing which [the TTP militants] are receiving from the Afghan Taliban change?" asked Semple, a professor at Queen's University Belfast. After the Taliban's return to power, the TTP emerged with new vigor. It had retreated to Afghanistan in 2014 after a Pakistani military operation and U.S. drone attacks decimated its ranks and leadership. As a close ideological and organizational ally, the TTP cloned the Taliban insurgency's tactics. It mainly targeted security forces while establishing a shadow government to challenge Islamabad's authority in some border regions. Semple said there is now "mounting evidence" that the General Directorate of Intelligence, the Taliban spy service, is supporting the TTP with the blessing of its supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. "There's this dream of achieving the strategic depth -- being sort of the senior partner in delivering a Shari'a-based system in Pakistan," he said. "Strategic depth" once denoted a Pakistani military doctrine. After Islamabad became a frontline state against the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, its military planners pushed for eventually dominating the neighboring country so it could be used as a rear base in case of a war with its archrival India. In Islamabad, Mehsud said a sizeable number of Afghan Taliban fighters seem to be embedded in the TTP. He noted some Taliban-allied clerics have repeatedly issued fatwas or religious decrees supporting the TTP's campaign in Pakistan. "Things will keep on getting worse," he said, adding that the Pakistani government claims at least 15 suicide bombers who conducted attacks in Pakistan were Afghan nationals. Interdependence But Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator, said high anti-Pakistan sentiment among Afghans who blame Islamabad for their misery prompted the Taliban to adopt hard-line public positions against Islamabad. "Being seen as Pakistani proxy by the Afghans is a major disadvantage for the Taliban," he said. Islamabad's covert military support enabled the Taliban to sweep through most of Afghanistan by 1996. Pakistan then joined Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to formally recognize the first Taliban-led government after it seized Kabul in September 1996. "This relationship gets very tense at times, but they can still reach an understanding," he said. Hameed Hakimi, an Afghanistan expert at London's Chatham House think tank, sees relations between the Taliban and Pakistan shifting toward greater interdependence. He said Islamabad is unlikely to seek "instability in relations" with Afghanistan at a time when India is cementing its role as a regional hegemon because of its rising global clout. He said the Taliban's relations with Pakistani Islamist factions are much more profound than its ties with Islamabad's security establishment. "These contacts and networks immediately come into play when there is a risk of escalation of violence between Kabul and Islamabad," he told RFE/RL. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-pakistan- taliban-ttp-terrorism/33078685.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghan Evacuees Remain In Limbo In Albania 3 Years After Taliban Takeover By Abubakar Siddique August 15, 2024 Fatima and her young son fled their home soon after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. A former lawmaker, she was in danger of reprisals from the hard-line Islamist group. But three years after the Taliban takeover, Fatima lives with her 7-year-old son in limbo in Albania, waiting to be resettled to the United States. "The uncertainty is excruciating," said the single mother, whose name has been changed to protect her identity. "Our futures are hanging in the balance." Fatima was among the hundreds of thousands of at-risk Afghans who escaped their homeland after the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government and the Taliban's seizure of power. The United States and its allies airlifted tens of thousands of Afghans out of the country during the chaotic and deadly evacuation of Kabul. Fatima was among those who fled by road to neighboring Pakistan. From there, several thousand Afghans were relocated temporarily to Albania as they waited for their U.S. visas to be processed. But three years on from the Taliban takeover, dozens of Afghans remain stranded in the small Balkan country. "It is painful not to know what's wrong with my case," said Fatima, who lives in an apartment in the capital, Tirana. "Why is it being delayed?" According to the State Department, more than 160,000 Afghans have been resettled in the United States under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program since September 2021. SIVs are intended for Afghans who served the U.S. government or U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan for at least one year. U.S. allies in the West have also taken in tens of thousands of Afghans. Afghans who do not qualify for SIVs can apply for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which gives special priority status for Afghans who worked for U.S.-government funded projects in Afghanistan, interpreters for the U.S. government, and stringers for U.S.-based media organizations. The application process for SIVs and resettlement through USRAP can take years, and advocacy groups have said the programs are proceeding too slowly. That has meant that thousands of Afghans hoping to resettle in the United States have remained in extended limbo in third countries, including in Albania, Kosovo, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. 'Adding To Our Anxiety' Fatima admits she is lucky to be alive. But she also revealed that the uncertainty has taken a toll on her. "I never even took a pill for a headache," she said. "But I now take medication three times a day." The former member of parliament is not allowed to work. She makes ends meet with the help of a Washington-based nongovernmental organization. Her son attends a local school, although the language barrier has deprived him of a meaningful education, she said. Fatima is not alone. Ahad, a former Afghan military officer, is among the around 40 Afghans stranded in Albania. Ahad, who requested his real name not be used for security reasons, lives with his four children and wife in a resort town along the Adriatic coast. Each member of the family receives a $50 monthly stipend from the UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR. But Ahad says the money is barely enough to pay the rent for their small apartment. "Mounting financial problems are adding to our anxiety," he said. Unable to work, Ahad says he has accumulated debts to local shopkeepers from whom he has received food and other essential items. 'Why Have They Left Us Here?' The U.S. State Department says the cases of Afghans in Albania are being considered under the U.S. refugee program. "We are focused on increasing capacity, expediting processing, and resolving long-delayed applications," a U.S. State Department spokesperson told RFE/RL in written comments. "While continuing to maintain the program's rigorous screening and vetting standard." The spokesperson said the State Department is "issuing SIVs to Afghan partners at record rates." In the last U.S. fiscal year that ended in September 2023, the State Department issued more than 18,000 SIVs to Afghans, the most in a single year, the spokesperson said. "In this fiscal year (FY2024), we have already surpassed that figure," the spokesperson added. But the assurances from Washington have not quelled the concerns of Afghans stuck in Albania. "Why have they left us here when they even evacuated animals from Afghanistan?" said Fatima, referring to the British government's evacuation of animals from Kabul in 2021 even as London left behind thousands of at-risk Afghans who had worked with the British military. Going back to Afghanistan is not an option for Fatima or Ahad. The Taliban declared a general amnesty shortly after seizing power that included all Afghan officials, security forces, and individuals who cooperated with the departed U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan. But international rights watchdogs and the United Nations have documented widespread cases of retribution including extrajudicial killings and torture. Ahad says if he does not qualify for resettlement to the United States, Washington should help him move to a third country. "I want our misfortune to end," he said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-albania-siv- visa/33070437.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At Least 1.4 Million Afghan Girls Banned From Attending School Since Taliban Takeover, UNESCO Says By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi August 15, 2024 At least 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural agency, said on August 15. "In just three years, the de facto authorities have almost wiped out two decades of steady progress for education in Afghanistan, and the future of an entire generation is now in jeopardy," the agency said in a statement. It comes as the Taliban marked three years since its forces seized Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, on August 15, 2021, after the U.S.-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile. Since the Taliban's return to power, women have been squeezed from public life -- banned from many jobs as well as parks and gyms -- and barred from secondary and higher education. The restrictions amount to what the United Nations has described as "gender apartheid." There are now nearly 2.5 million girls deprived of their right to education, representing 80 percent of Afghan school-age girls, UNESCO said. This represents an increase of 300,000 since the previous count carried out by the UN agency in April 2023. "As a result of bans imposed by the de facto authorities, at least 1.4 million girls have been deliberately denied access to secondary education since 2021," UNESCO said. Access to primary education has also fallen sharply, with 1.1 million fewer girls and boys attending school, the agency added. It blamed the drop on the authorities' decision to ban female teachers from teaching boys as well as the lack of incentive for parents to send children to school. The agency is "alarmed by the harmful consequences of this increasingly massive drop-out rate, which could lead to a rise in child labor and early marriage." Enrolment in higher education is equally concerning, the statement said, adding that the number of university students had decreased by 53 percent since 2021. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay urged the international community to remain mobilized "to obtain the unconditional reopening of schools and universities to Afghan girls and women." Lack of access to education has been among the main points of criticism by Afghans toward the Taliban authorities. "There are those who are not literate enough, and more importantly, a part of society, women, are deprived of education, and this is a big problem for the people of Afghanistan," a male resident of the northern Balkh Province who preferred not to be named due to security concerns, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "The issues of education -- women's education and work -- and their participation at national and international level have been completely nullified and pushed to the sidelines," a female resident of Kabul, who also preferred not to be named, said. The Taliban celebrates their return to power both in mid-August around the date Kabul fell and at the end of the month, when the last U.S.-led international troops left Afghanistan. The withdrawal, agreed by the United States and the Taliban on February 29, 2020, allowed the radical Islamist movement's return to power 20 years after being ousted by U.S. forces following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. The Taliban government remains unrecognized by any other state. International aid organizations have warned that millions of Afghans struggle in "one of the world's largest and most complex humanitarian crises, three years after the change in power." "Heavily dependent on humanitarian aid, Afghans are trapped in cycles of poverty, displacement, and despair," a statement by 10 aid groups -- including Save the Children, World Vision, Islamic Relief Worldwide, and the International Rescue Committee -- said on August 13. Women and girls are among the most seriously affected by this humanitarian crisis, Human Rights Watch has said. The Taliban has created "the world's most serious women's rights crisis," the organization said on August 11. With reporting by AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-girls-education- access-taliban/33079700.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Death Toll From Israeli Strikes on Gaza Strip Exceeds 40,000 - Gaza Health Ministry Sputnik News 20240815 CAIRO (Sputnik) - The death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has exceeded 40,000, the Gazan Ministry of Health said on Thursday. "The death toll from Israeli strikes has increased to 40,005 since October 7 last year, other 92,401 were injured," the ministry said in a statement. Over the past day, 40 dead and 107 injured have been admitted to Gaza hospitals, the statement added. On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented missile attack from the Gaza Strip. In addition, Hamas fighters infiltrated the border areas, opened fire on the military and civilians, and took hostages. Israeli authorities say that about 1,200 people were killed during the raid. The Israel Defense Forces launched the Swords of Iron operation in the Gaza Strip and announced a complete blockade of the enclave. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sanctions Targeting Houthi and Hizballah Networks US Department of State Press Statement Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson August 15, 2024 The United States is imposing sanctions on one individual and six companies, and blocking three vessels, for their involvement in illicit revenue generation to support the Houthis' destabilizing activities on behalf of Iran-based, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force-backed Houthi financier Sa'id al-Jamal. The United States is also sanctioning one company and blocking four of its vessels tied to Hizballah official Muhammad Qasim al-Bazzal and the shipment of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas valued at tens of millions of dollars. Since the Houthis began their attacks on Red Sea shipping last year, the United States has sanctioned dozens of entities, individuals, and ships associated with the network of al-Jamal. The revenue from this network finances the Houthis' reckless attacks in vital waterways and strikes on civilian infrastructure, with devastating consequences for the region and globe. We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to deprive the Houthis of revenue to carry out their attacks on international shipping, and we will continue to confront Iran's enabling Houthi attacks. The Department of the Treasury designated Sa'id al-Jamal on June 10, 2021, and Muhammad Qasim al-Bazzal on November 20, 2018. Treasury's sanctions actions today were taken pursuant to counterterrorism authority Executive Order 13224, as amended. For more information, see Treasury's press release. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Treasury Adds Further Sanctions Targeting Houthi and Hizballah Trade Networks U.S. Department of the Treasury August 15, 2024 WASHINGTON -- Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned several companies, individuals, and vessels for their involvement in the shipment of Iranian commodities, including oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), to Yemen and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on behalf of the network of Iran-based, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF)-backed Houthi financial official Sa'id al-Jamal. OFAC is also updating the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) entry for the sanctioned vessel ARTURA (IMO: 9150365), which was responsible for shipping commodities for Sa'id al-Jamal, to reflect the changing of its name to OHAR. The revenue from al-Jamal's network helps finance the Houthis' reckless targeting of shipping in the Red Sea and civilian infrastructure, which has led to grave consequences for both the region and the international community. "Today's action underscores our continued commitment to disrupting Iran's primary source of funding to its regional terrorist proxies like Lebanese Hizballah and the Houthis," said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. "Our message is clear: those who seek to finance these groups' destabilizing activities will be held to account." In addition to today's action targeting the network of Sa'id al-Jamal, OFAC is also designating Hong Kong-based Kai Heng Long Global Energy Limited for its role in shipping Iranian LPG worth tens of millions of dollars for Lebanese Hizballah, and identifying as blocked property four vessels the company owns and manages. Today's action is being taken pursuant to counterterrorism authority Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended. OFAC designated Sa'id al-Jamal pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, on June 10, 2021 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the IRGC-QF. OFAC designated the IRGC-QF pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 25, 2007, for providing material support to multiple terrorist groups. The U.S. Department of State's designation of Ansarallah (commonly known as the Houthis) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, became effective on February 16, 2024. houthi sHIPPING Sa'id al-Jamal and his network rely on a host of shipping companies, vessels, and facilitators to enable the sale and shipment of Iranian commodities, including oil and petroleum products, in order to generate revenue for the Houthis and the IRGC-QF. The Palau-flagged LPG tanker LPG OM (IMO: 9160475), which is owned and operated by Marshall Islands-registered KDS Shipping Limited, has carried multiple shipments on behalf of Sa'id al-Jamal. Similarly, the Palau-flagged LPG tanker RAHA GAS (IMO: 8818219), owned by Marshall Islands-registered Arafat Shipping Company, has shipped millions of dollars of LPG falsely identified as having loaded in the UAE to Yemen on behalf of the al-Jamal network. Indian national Arif Ibrahim Khot captains the RAHA GAS and directed the LPG shipment to Yemen. Houthi-affiliated and UAE-based ONX Trading FZE has facilitated illicit payments related to the al-Jamal network's shipping operations. KDS Shipping Limited, Arafat Shipping Company, Arif Ibrahim Khot, and ONX Trading FZE are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sa'id al-Jamal. The LPG OM is being identified as property in which KDS Shipping Limited has an interest. The RAHA GAS is being identified as property in which Arafat Shipping Company has an interest. Additionally, the Palau-flagged products tanker DIVINE POWER (IMO: 9171357), which is owned and operated by Marshall Islands-registered DP Shipping Limited, has shipped millions of dollars' worth of fuel oil to the UAE on behalf of al-Jamal's network. The DIVINE POWER engaged in a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer with the U.S. sanctioned MEHLE (IMO: 9191711) to facilitate a shipment of fuel on behalf of the network. The MEHLE was sanctioned on January 12, 2024 for its role in shipments on behalf of Sa'id al-Jamal. DP Shipping Limited is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sa'id al-Jamal. The DIVINE POWER is being identified as property in which DP Shipping Limited has an interest. Sa'id al-Jamal's network relies on a variety of foreign shipping agents to facilitate shipments overseas. Malaysia-based Transmarine Navigation (M) SDN. BHD. (Transmarine) provided forged documents for the U.S.-sanctioned DAWN II (IMO: 9185530), falsely showing the commodities on board were of Malaysian rather than Iranian-origin. Transmarine was also involved in the transportation of Iranian commodities aboard the U.S.-sanctioned RENEEZ (IMO: 9232450) on behalf of Sa'id al-Jamal. UAE-based K F D General Trading L.L.C. has similarly aided the al-Jamal network in arranging a shipment of Iranian commodities to the People's Republic of China (PRC). Transmarine and K F D General Trading L.L.C. are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sa'id al-Jamal. HIzballah lpg shipments Hong Kong-based Kai Heng Long Global Energy Limited is the ship manager, operator, and registered owner of the Eswatini-flagged LPG tanker FENGSHUN (IMO: 9007386), formerly known as the VENUS 7, as well as the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged LPG tanker VICTORIA (IMO: 9113379), the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged LPG tanker LADY LIBERTY (IMO: 9005065), and the Panama-flagged LPG tanker PARVATI (IMO: 8519966), all of which shipped Iranian LPG. The Lebanese Hizballah-controlled Talaqi Group used the FENGSHUN and VICTORIA to ship LPG worth tens of millions of dollars from Iran to the PRC. In early July 2024, the FENGSHUNconducted an STS transfer with the VICTORIA in Singapore, which ultimately delivered the cargo to the PRC. The U.S. Department of State designated Hizballah as an SDGT pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 31, 2001. The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated the Talaqi Group pursuant to E.O. 13224 on September 4, 2019 for being owned or controlled by Lebanese Hizballah official Muhammad Qasim al-Bazzal. Al-Bazzal was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 on November 20, 2018 for acting for on behalf of Lebanese Hizballah to oversee the operations of multiple front companies, such as Talaqi Group, that allow Lebanese Hizballah to move and sell Iranian petroleum products and other commodities for profit. Kai Heng Long Global Energy Limited is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the Talaqi Group. The FENGSHUN, VICTORIA, LADY LIBERTY, and PARVATI are being identified as property in which Kai Heng Long Global Energy Limited has an interest. SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of these individuals and entities named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or otherwise exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions with the individuals and entities designated today entails risk of secondary sanctions pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended. Pursuant to this authority, OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that has knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant transaction on behalf of an SDGT. The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here. View identifying information on the individuals and entities designated today. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Foreign Secretary David Lammy has issued a statement on the restart of negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. 15 August 2024 Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: We are at a crucial moment for global stability. The coming hours and days could define the future of the Middle East. That is why today, and every day, we are urging for our partners across the region to choose peace. As the UK made clear at the UN Security Council this week, the situation in Gaza is devastating. The strike on the al-Tabeen school demonstrated that Palestinians in Gaza have nowhere safe to turn. These talks are an opportunity to secure an immediate ceasefire that protects civilians in Gaza, secures the release of hostages still cruelly held by Hamas and restores stability at a dangerous moment for the region. The UK will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire. In the last week, I have spoken with partners from across the region on the urgent need to bring this conflict to an end and the Prime Minister has spoken to his US, French and German counterparts, as well as the Iranian and Egyptian Presidents. It's clear from these conversations that a ceasefire would not only protect civilians in Gaza, but also pave the way for wider de-escalation and bring much-needed stability for the Middle East. It is in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians for a deal to be agreed, urgently. I urge all parties to engage in the negotiations in good faith and show the flexibility needed to reach an agreement. I thank Qatar, Egypt, the US and all international partners for their efforts in co-ordinating this vital moment. The UK condemns the Houthis' reckless and escalatory attacks across the Middle East: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Yemen. 15 August 2024 President, the situation in Yemen is desperate, with devastating flooding coming on top of an already dire humanitarian crisis and we express condolences to all those affected by the flooding. The prospect of regional escalation threatens to further undermine security and stability. We urge all parties to deescalate to avoid deepening the humanitarian crisis. The United Kingdom condemns the Houthis' reckless and escalatory attacks across the region in conjunction with other Iranian-linked groups. We also reiterate our call on the Houthis to cease their attacks in the Red Sea which threaten international shipping. Recent reports have also shown Houthi links to Al Shabaab. We firmly condemn these actions as part of a wider pattern of Houthi destabilising activity beyond Yemen's borders. The relevant UN sanctions committees must coordinate closely to monitor and counter this worrying trend. President, the UK condemns the Houthis' closure of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana'a. The OHCHR presence is critical for the protection of civilians and reporting of human rights abuses. As we've heard, this follows the detention of UN, NGO and former diplomatic missions' staff in June, and is yet another blatant aggression which will severely impede the delivery of vital aid to those most in need. These acts demonstrate, once again, the willingness of Houthi leaders to inflict harm and suffering on the Yemeni people to advance their own ambitions. It is the duty of this Council, to ensure the Houthis guarantee a safe and unimpeded operational environment for humanitarian organisations. We call on the Houthis to immediately and unconditionally release the detainees, leave the OHCHR premises and return the assets they have seized. Finally President, the Yemeni people deserve peace and further escalation will only move us further away from achieving this. We urge restraint from all parties to preserve space for negotiations in line with the UN roadmap. We call on this Council to remain unified in support of the Special Envoy's efforts to secure an inclusive and sustainable peace in Yemen. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Most of Gaza's 40,000 dead are women and children, says UN rights chief 15 August 2024 - As the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza passes the dark milestone of 40,000, UN rights chief Volker Turk called on Thursday for an end to the killing "once and for all" and the release of all hostages while negotiators prepared to meet in Qatar to renew efforts to halt the conflict and avert a wider war. "Most of the dead are women and children. This unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the Israeli Defense Forces to comply with the rules of war," the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement. "On average, about 130 people have been killed every day in Gaza over the past 10 months," Mr. Turk continued, citing estimates based on data from the enclave's health authorities, before describing the "scale of the Israeli military's destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship [as] deeply shocking." He noted that his Office had documented serious violations of international humanitarian law by the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas fighters responsible for the 7 October terror attacks on multiple locations in southern Israel that left some 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage. Precious respite Meanwhile in Gaza, a fortunate few in the devastated enclave enjoyed a little respite from the ongoing conflict, at a restored water pumping station in Khan Younis. "The last time I visited this well was at the end of April, and it was destroyed, surrounded by shrapnel and potential unexploded ordinance," said Louise Wateridge, spokesperson for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, which led repairs at the facility. "I saw so many children not only collecting drinking water for their families, but also enjoying cooling off and playing under the water, spilling over from filling the larger tanks...a basic joy that is available to so few here." The severe shortage of clean water throughout Gaza since the war began has compounded families' efforts to stave off disease and malnutrition, highlighting the importance of the reopened facility in the southern city and beyond to tens of thousands of people. It is the largest drinking water supply to families in Khan Younis and operates for eight hours a day, "pumping over 500 cubic metres of clean drinking water on a daily basis to around 100,000 displaced people," Ms. Wateridge said in an online video post that showed children and adults filling up jerrycans and other youngsters playing happily under a leaky hose. "There are so few water sources across the Gaza Strip that many families are forced to travel huge distances in sweltering temperatures," she explained. "Others are not able to access [clean water] at all, forcing them to survive on dirty water." No let-up in bombing Despite the "relentless" bombing, the UNRWA official noted that in addition to those arriving at the water station in person, tankers were being filled continuously to serve those unable to go there themselves. As humanitarians welcomed the development, media reports indicated that new evacuation orders had been issued by the Israeli military, impacting Al-Qarara and Al-Sathar in and around Khan Younis. On Tuesday, communities in Makhta and Beni Suhaila in eastern Khan Younis received orders to move to the so-called "safe zone". According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, the order impacted essential services, including eight water and sanitation facilities, along with two primary healthcare centres. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN reiterates call to release staffers detained in Yemen 15 August 2024 - Ansar Allah in Yemen must immediately release 13 UN staff and dozens of personnel from civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other entities, who have been arbitrarily detained for more than two months, two senior officials told the Security Council on Thursday. Hans Grundberg, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Yemen, and Lisa Doughten from the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, made the appeal in separate briefings to ambassadors. Civic space shrinking "In four days, on the 19th of August, we will commemorate World Humanitarian Day," Mr. Grundberg said. "Yet, in Yemen, we are facing a clampdown by Ansar Allah on the humanitarian and civic space." The more than 60 people who have been detained are all Yemeni citizens and include one of his staff members. Furthermore, four other staff from the UN's human rights office, OHCHR, and its cultural agency, UNESCO, have been held since 2021 and 2023, respectively. Ansar Allah - more commonly known as the Houthi movement - also closed OHCHR's office in the capital, Sana'a, on 29 July and ordered international staff to leave. The Houthis control much of Yemen after rebelling against the internationally recognized Government and battling a Saudi-led coalition in support of the authorities from 2015, after seizing the capital the previous year. A UN brokered ceasefire lapsed in 2022 but there has not been a return to all-out fighting. 'An ominous signal' Earlier this week, human rights chief Volker Turk said Ansar Allah forces had stormed the UN's premises on 3 August, seizing documents, furniture, vehicles, and the office's keys. "This is an ominous signal of the broader direction Ansar Allah is taking and represents a serious attack on the ability of the UN to perform its mandate," Mr. Grundberg told the Council. "I therefore call on Ansar Allah to act responsibly and compassionately towards its fellow countrymen and women and immediately and unconditionally release all UN, NGO, civil society, diplomatic mission and private sector employees as well as members of religious minorities, and refrain from further arbitrary detentions." Impact of regional escalation Turning to the wider region, the Special Envoy noted that "the Middle East is currently holding its breath" as developments surrounding the war in Gaza draw in other countries, including Yemen. He expressed hope that this "escalatory trajectory" can be reversed. He said that despite serious efforts to shield Yemen from the escalation, Ansar Allah continues to attack ships plying the Red Sea, while the United States and the United Kingdom have continued strikes on military targets in Ansar Allah-controlled territory in response. "This situation, which has lasted for over eight months now, is not sustainable," he warned. Shift focus back to Yemen Mr. Grundberg said the regional escalation is also unfolding at a point when real and urgent challenges inside Yemen need to be addressed. For nearly a decade the Houthis have been fighting Yemeni Government troops and their allies and the conflict has claimed hundreds of thousands of victims, weakened the social fabric, and undermined the delivery of public services. As a result, Yemen is more vulnerable to natural disasters, environmental hazards and disease, as the dire flooding this week in some governorates and a continuing cholera outbreak have demonstrated. "Therefore, I, once again, call on the Yemeni parties, and Ansar Allah in particular, to prioritize the Yemenis. Your responsibility lies, first and foremost, with Yemen. We need to shift the focus back to Yemen and find solutions for Yemen's problems," he said. Military manoeuvres continue Mr. Grundberg reminded the Council how he has continually voiced deep concern over the trajectory of events in Yemen in recent months, and "unfortunately, this regressive trend, illustrated by continuing military activities and escalatory rhetoric, has continued." Although violence along frontlines remains relatively contained when compared to the period before the UN-brokered truce, "we are continuing to witness military preparations and reinforcements accompanied by continuous threats of a return to war", he said, pointing to clashes in six governorates. Despite the "bleak picture", the warring parties halted a dangerous cycle of escalation by reaching a deal last month, with support from Saudi Arabia, that ensures the functioning of the national carrier, Yemenia Airlines, and continued access of the country's biggest banks to international banking services. "However, the onus is now on the parties to not only act in good faith and fully implement the commitments they made, but also to transform the understanding into something that improves the lives and livelihoods of all Yemenis," he said. Humanitarians facing constraints Ms. Doughten, OCHA's Director of Financing and Partnerships, also addressed the ongoing detention of the UN and other personnel, urging Member States "to exert any influence and leverage they have" to support efforts to secure their release. She also highlighted the "worrying deterioration in the operational environment in Houthi-controlled areas," where the situation is growing more constrained at a time when humanitarians are already struggling to meet the needs of millions nationwide. The recent heavy rains and flash flooding have affected some 69,500 families and left 98 people dead and more than 600 injured. Humanitarians have provided immediate life-saving assistance, but lack of funding continues to hamper their efforts. A $2.7 billion Humanitarian Response Plan, launched in February to assist more than 11 million people this year, is currently only 27 per cent funded. Families going hungry Meanwhile, food security continues to deteriorate in Yemen, where 60 per cent of surveyed households are not getting enough to eat. Rates of severe food deprivation have more than doubled over the past year in Houthi-controlled areas, from 17 per cent to 36 per cent. They have also increased sharply in Government-controlled areas, where the rate is 32 per cent. Ms. Doughten said the impacts of increasing food insecurity and malnutrition extend far beyond hunger as they put children, especially girls, at increased risk of abuse and neglect. "Today, an alarming 30 per cent of girls in Yemen are forced into marriage before the age of 18 as families struggle to provide for them," she said. "And the number of children out of school - currently at a staggering 4.5 million - is likely to rise as more children are forced to leave school to help provide for their families." Avert 'potential catastrophe' She said the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is planning a one-off distribution to counter the impacts of a recent pause in general food distributions in Houthi-controlled areas. The aim is to reach more than 1.6 million people in the 34 worst-affected districts. "However, as the overall situation of food insecurity continues to deteriorate across the country, enhanced action will be needed to avert a further potential catastrophe," she said. "Full and urgent funding of the Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen is a minimum requirement for these and other critical humanitarian needs." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Attack on a city in Sudan kills at least five and injures more: UNICEF 15 August 2024 - Bombing which devastated a school and market in the Sudanese city of El Obeid on Wednesday has left five girls dead and 20 children injured according to the UN Children's Fund's Sudan Representative. The bomb hit the Al-Khansa Secondary School for Girls and a crowded marketplace in El Obeid city in Kordofan state, said the statement released by UNICEF's Sheldon Yett, released on Thursday. This attack followed another on Sunday where a "shell struck a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space in Al Hattana, Khartoum state, killing two boys and injuring at least 8 eight others," said Mr. Yett. The attacks "come in wake of" other strikes against health facilities in other regions of the country, he added. Forces of the military government have been battling formerly allied rival militia the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April last year for control of Sudan, throwing the country into chaos and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Closed schools The UNICEF Representative said that schools have remained closed for more than a year now due to the conflict in the country, leaving over 17 million school-aged children without access to safe education. Hundreds of partially opened schools are used as shelters for internally displaced people, further restricting children's access to education. "Attacks on schools represent a grave violation against children," Mr. Yett said. "Such attacks disrupt and deprive children of their education." Deaths and injuries The UNICEF representative reported that since the beginning of the brutal civil war over 110 schools and hospitals have been attacked. These attacks have killed and injured thousands of children, Mr. Yett said. "Many more have been exposed to other grave violations including sexual violence and recruitment or use in the conflict," he said. He noted that there has been a "five-fold increase in grave violations against children" in 2024 than two years prior. Mr. Yett said the UN children's agency is calling on all armed forces to end their attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure and protect children according to their international humanitarian law obligations. "Schools give children in the war-torn country a chance to learn, play with their friends, and help them cope with trauma," the representative said. "Attacks on schools, health facilities and other civilian objects must stop immediately." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: Zimbabwe rights plea, 'serious concern' over Azerbaijan prosecutions, Bahrain prisoner alert 15 August 2024 - Zimbabwean authorities must immediately release human rights defenders who have been arbitrarily detained for over two weeks and drop the charges against them, a group of independent UN human rights experts said on Thursday. Woman human rights defender Namatai Kwekweza; teacher and labour rights defender Robson Chere, the Secretary-General of Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), along with a local council member from the capital Harare, Samuel Gwenzi, were forcibly removed from a departing flight at Harare Airport on 31 July, according to a news release from the UN rights office. Unidentified men escorted the three to a high security zone within the airport and held them incommunicado for eight hours. While being held they were reportedly subjected to enforced disappearance, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including waterboarding. They were also severely threatened against protesting in advance of or during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit scheduled for 17 to 19 August in the Zimbabwean capital. 'Inexcusable' treatment "The enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention and torture, followed by the arbitrary detention of these human rights defenders is inexcusable, and not only violates international human rights law but also makes a mockery of the safeguards contained in Zimbabwe's own Constitution," said the UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts, who do not receive any salary or renumeration for their work. The rights defenders were charged with "disorderly conduct" under section 41 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, relating to their alleged participation in a demonstration calling for the release of a detained opposition politician. Namatai Kwekweza was not even in Zimbabwe at the time of the demonstration in question, the experts reported. "These baseless charges are being used as a fig-leaf to target human rights defenders and opposition voices for calling for greater democracy, human rights and accountability in Zimbabwe. "At a time when Zimbabwe is preparing to host the SADC summit, whose values include institutions that are 'democratic, legitimate, and effective', it is unconscionable that these human rights defenders working to strengthen such institutions remain arbitrarily detained." The activists are still being held by authorities and a further bail hearing has been scheduled for Friday. Rights expert voices 'serious concern' over prosecution of rights defenders in Azerbaijan The UN independent expert monitoring human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, expressed serious concern on Thursday over the ongoing detention and prosecution of six human rights defenders and journalists in Azerbaijan. "In recent months, I have witnessed an alarming wave of arrests and criminal cases" involving defenders and media workers, Ms. Lawlor said. "I have raised two such cases with the Government that are part of this worrying trend." Cases which have sounded the alarm include that of Anar Mammadli, chair of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, and journalists of Abzas Media, an outlet dedicated to human rights issues and corruption investigations. Some were accused of a conspiracy to smuggle money and face up to eight years in prison. "Anti-corruption investigations, independent election monitoring, and international human rights advocacy are all legitimate human rights work," said Ms. Lawlor. 'Clear violations' "Retaliation for this work and for exercising freedom of expression is a clear violation of international human rights law." The Special Rapporteur - who along with other independent experts does not represent any government or work for the UN - expressed alarm over the alleged seizure of electronic devices and documents from the Abzas Media office and the homes of the journalists and human rights defenders who were arrested. She said confiscating devices could potentially compromise their sources in anti-corruption investigations. "Azerbaijan's failure to restore justice in the Mammadli case for over six years exposes the lack of effective remedy within the country and raises concerns that violations of the rights of human rights defenders may be recurring" she said. Bahrain's treatment of prisoners comes under human rights spotlight Finally, to Bahrain where the treatment of prisoners is the focus of an appeal by leading human rights experts, amid protests by detainees and allegations of exposure to soaring temperatures. In a call to the Bahraini authorities, the independent experts - who report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva - urged "immediate action to safeguard the rights of all prisoners in Jau prison". Among the experts, who are not UN staff, Special Rapporteur on torture, Alice Edwards, highlighted worrying allegations that authorities "have cut air conditioning", exposing prisoners to temperatures in excess of 50 degrees Celsius - or 122 Fahrenheit. Since March this year, and in response to prisoners' demands for better conditions, the Special Rapporteur maintained that those held in some buildings are "often" denied medical care "and do not have regular access to adequate food and safe drinking water". These conditions "could prove fatal for some detainees" said Ms. Edwards, who along with other independent rights experts urged the Bahraini authorities "to enter into meaningful dialogue with the prisoners and their families about improving conditions". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen 'Facing Clamp Down by Ansar Allah on Humanitarian, Civic Space', Special Envoy Warns Security Council, Calling for Release of Those Detained Meetings Coverage Security Council 9707th Meeting* (AM) SC/15972 15 August 2024 Calling on the Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, for the immediate release of all detained humanitarian and diplomatic staff in Yemen, the United Nations' top official in that country underscored today that the Security Council must continue supporting its political transition. Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, said the country is "facing a clamp down by Ansar Allah on the humanitarian and civic space". Dozens of men and women, among which are 13 UN personnel, including one of his own staff members, are still being detained in unknown locations, he said, noting that these detentions are in addition to Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) staff who have been detained since 2021 and 2023 respectively. On 29 July, Ansar Allah closed the OHCHR office in Sana'a and asked its international staff to leave, he said, adding that they stormed that Office on 3 August. Calling on the organization to release all humanitarian, diplomatic and private sector employees, as well as members of religious minorities, he said: "Let them be reunited with their families. Let them go back to their jobs serving Yemenis." "The Middle East is currently holding its breath," he said, adding that what started in Israel and Gaza has drawn in several countries. Ansar Allah continues to attack ships in the Red Sea, and the United States and the United Kingdom have continued their strikes on military targets. While levels of violence along the front lines remain relatively contained compared to before the 2022 truce, there are military preparations and reinforcements accompanied by continuous threats of a return to war. Calling on the parties to implement their commitments, he said it is vital "to transform the understanding into something that improves the lives and livelihoods of all Yemenis". Last month, he said, he held a meeting in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), bringing together different segments of Yemeni to continue the work to develop a vision for inclusive peace, elevating the voice of women. "I remain determined to achieve the task entrusted to me by this Council: to support the resumption of an inclusive Yemeni-led political transition," he said, calling on that organ to send consistent messaging on the importance of a political process and a ceasefire, as well as to continue to advocate for the release of UN personnel. Also briefing the Council today was Lisa Doughten, Director, Financing and Partnerships Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on behalf of Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya. Outlining the humanitarian situation, she said that, over the past 10 days, heavy rainfall and flash flooding hit several governorates in Yemen, damaging homes, farms and public infrastructure. About 69,500 families have been directly affected, with many losing their homes and sources of livelihood. Some 98 people have been killed, and more than 600 others injured. In response, humanitarian partners have provided immediate life-saving assistance, delivered critical medical supplies to local hospitals and deployed dozens of mobile health teams to affected areas. However, a lack of adequate funding continues to undermine efforts to address critical needs across Yemen, she cautioned, adding that eight months into the year the humanitarian response plan for 2024 is only 27 per cent funded, "forcing humanitarians to make difficult decisions about which vulnerable families and communities would receive support". Preventing the spread of cholera is one area where additional funds are urgently needed. Although the UN-led multi-agency cholera response plan is currently 60 per cent funded, this was based on an initial estimate of 60,000 cholera cases between April and September. Regrettably, as of the beginning of August, the number of suspected cases across the country has swelled to more than 147,000. On the deteriorating food security in Yemen, she said inadequate food consumption is now affecting 60 per cent of surveyed households nationwide. Rates of severe food deprivation in areas controlled by the Houthi de facto authorities have more than doubled compared to 2023 while also increasing sharply in Government-controlled areas. "The impacts of increasing food insecurity and malnutrition extend far beyond hunger," she stated, noting that they expose children, especially girls, to increased rates of abuse and neglect. Today, an alarming 30 per cent of girls in Yemen are forced into marriage before the age of 18 as families struggle to provide for them. The World Food Programme (WFP), she added, is currently planning a one-off food distribution to more than 1.6 million people in the 34 worst-affected districts. However, enhanced action will be needed to avert a further potential catastrophe. Full and urgent funding of the Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen is a minimum requirement for these and other critical humanitarian needs. "The people of Yemen cannot afford the devastating toll of further conflict," she stated, stressing: "Their ability to recover from the devastation of the conflict, address increasing humanitarian needs and take concrete steps towards a more promising and stable future all depend on locking in progress on peace." When the floor opened for discussion, many Council members reiterated the call for release of detainees. The representative of the United States said there are "credible reports" that the Houthis are mistreating the detainees, including her country's diplomatic staff members, and that they have warned families of the detained against speaking out publicly. "So, the actual number of detainees may be significantly higher," she said. Reaffirming support for Israel's right to self-defence, she said the Council must not justify the actions of Houthis "because things are happening elsewhere in the world". The Houthis are deliberately trying to "distract from their failed record" by focusing on other events in the region, she said. She stressed that the Council must condemn the attacks in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and surrounding waterways which threaten navigational freedoms as well as regional peace. "Make no mistake, Iran has directly enabled these attacks," she said, highlighting Council resolution 2216 (2015) which established an arms embargo. Calling on the 15-member organ to take steps to deny Houthis weapons and supplies, she added that it should heed the request made by Yemen's representative for additional support in enforcing that resolution. The detention of humanitarian and diplomatic staff, the United Kingdom's delegate said, "demonstrate once again the willingness of Houthi leaders to inflict harm and suffering on the Yemeni people to advance their own ambitions". Calling on them to immediately and unconditionally release the detainees, leave OHCHR premises and return assets they have seized, he expressed concern about their "reckless and escalatory attacks across the region in conjunction with other Iranian-linked groups". Recent reports have shown Houthi links to Al Shabaab, he said, calling on the relevant UN Sanctions Committees to monitor this. Condemning the Houthi closure of OHCHR's office in Sana'a, he said that it is critical for the protection of civilians and reporting of human rights abuses. Other delegates joined their voices to strongly condemn the Houthis' storming of OHCHR in Sana'a, calling on the movement to leave the premises and return all seized assets and belongings immediately. Among them was Japan's representative who demanded that the Houthis release the 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, who have been held for nearly nine months, without any further delay. Echoing that call, the representative of France said Houthi actions in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden "show scorn" for the resolutions adopted by the Council. Further, Iran must stop its support for destabilizing actions in the region. Reiterating her country's commitment to "the security of its partners in the region", she said France will continue its engagement in the context of European operation Aspides to guarantee maritime security and freedom of navigation. The representative of Yemen also spoke to the Council today, asking members "to shoulder their responsibilities and to exercise yet more pressure onto the militias so that they ensure that the interests of the people prevail". After 10 years of conflict initiated by the Houthi militia, leading to severe economic and humanitarian devastation, his country is "facing a dangerous and difficult stage", he said. Despite efforts from regional and international actors like Saudi Arabia and Oman, the Houthis take the country "backwards, towards a war", exacerbating the suffering of civilians and threatening regional stability. Voicing regret over the continued attacks on the UN premises and the obstruction of the humanitarian work by the Houthi militia, he said: "The lack of measures and international pressure [...]simply encourage these militias to continue their violations and abuses against the personnel of UN agencies." He reiterated his Government's call to the international organizations to relocate to the interim capital, Aden, to ensure the safety and effectiveness of humanitarian efforts. Highlighting the devastating impacts of recent natural hazards, compounded by the economic deterioration, particularly the cessation of oil exports, and climate change, he said: "The humanitarian situation is bleak." The harsh underfunding of the Humanitarian Response Plan threatens the closure of over 1,000 health centres. "This would leave over 500,000 women and 600,000 children without access to vaccines and health care," he stressed, adding: "We will be unable to stop the spread of many epidemics." The United Nations must consider Yemen's humanitarian crisis as "a priority", he urged. Numerous delegates sounded alarm over restricted humanitarian access across Yemen and the lack of funding, with Malta's delegate noting that 17.6 million people are suffering acute food insecurity, and 18 million people need humanitarian assistance. The representative of Sierra Leone, Council President for August, speaking also for Algeria, Guyana and Mozambique, highlighted the deepening poverty in Yemen, adding: "We urge donor countries to support the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan." Denouncing the seizure of the UN human rights office and the detention of UN staff, he urged all actors to prioritize diplomatic channels. The representative of the Russian Federation said the actions of Ansar Allah reflect regional frustration with the Israeli actions. "Normalization in the Middle East and in the Red Sea is not possible without de-escalation in Gaza," he asserted, accusing the United States of pursuing a "pro-Israel stance" that prevents achievement of a ceasefire. "The inaction of the Security Council is only facilitating this conflagration," he concluded. He also underscored the need to launch inclusive inter-Yemeni dialogue under the UN auspices, adding: "The end goal is to achieve long-term stabilization." The Council must "wrap up the Yemeni dossier" as soon as possible, otherwise all the efforts undertaken since April 2023 will be reduced to naught, he warned. China's delegate also cautioned about a negative regional spillover effect of the "slow and difficult" process of achieving a ceasefire in Gaza. Drawing attention to the recent agreement between the Yemeni Government and the Houthis on financial and aviation issues, he urged the parties to remain "committed to a political solution, eliminate interference and meet each other halfway". Calling on the Houthis to ensure the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, he demanded "the immediate and unconditional release of all UN personnel and the return of the related assets". Underscoring the devastating humanitarian situation in Yemen, he pleaded for increased assistance from the international community. In light of the attack carried out by the Houthis in Tel Aviv and the prospects that similar attacks could be repeated the representatives of Ecuador and Slovenia warned about the exacerbation of a new front between Israel and Yemen. This would only lead to more human suffering, they said, urging all actors to prioritize the Yemeni people and work to prevent a broader regional flare-up. On that note, Switzerland's delegate reminded States of their duty to avoid conflict and its far-reaching consequences, echoing the compelling plea for peace of 40-year-old Sana'a resident Elham Hassan: "Even when the fighting ends, things don't go back to the way they were. You may still be alive and breathing, but you're not really living anymore." __________ * The 9706th Meeting was closed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pacific Partnership 2024 - 2 Concludes Second Mission Stop In Legazpi, Philippines US Navy - Press Release 15 August 2024 LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines -- Pacific Partnership 2024-2 (PP24-2) concluded its second mission stop in Legazpi, Philippines, Aug. 13, at a closing ceremony hosted aboard the expeditionary fast transport ship USNS City of Bismarck (T-EPF 9) at the Legazpi City Port, Philippines. In a collaborative effort between Australia, Japan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, United Kingdom and the United States, PP24-2 participants held basic first aid workshops for 98 members of the community, taught health and music fundamentals to 2,776 local students, facilitated training for search and rescue professionals and K-9's, organized a multinational conference with faith community leaders, provided free spay and neuter clinics including rabies vaccinations for 281 cats and dogs, performed eight public concerts for approx. 7,500 people with the Philippine Navy Seabees Band, and renovated a building at Legazpi Port Elementary School. The Pacific Partnership team also worked with the Legazpi City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to test the city's tsunami response plan for the first time. "Pacific Partnership brings nations together to prepare in calm to respond in crisis," said U.S. Navy Capt. Daniel Keeler, PP24-2 mission commander. "Multilateral efforts with the local government and military representatives alike are crucial to laying the groundwork for Indo-Pacific disaster response preparedness, maritime security and stability." The largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific, Pacific Partnership enables participants, including U.S. and Filipino personnel, to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships. In addition to mission leadership, the Legazpi City Mayor Carmen Geraldine B. Rosal and Philippine Army Lt. Gen. Facundo Palafox, commander Southern Luzon Command also attended the closing ceremony. "We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for the services and projects you have shared with us and our community," said Mayor Rosal. "Our collaboration is a testament that we can do great things if we put our efforts together for the benefit of the people." Born out of the devastation brought by the December 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Partnership began as a military-led humanitarian response to one of the world's most catastrophic natural disasters. Building on the success and goodwill of this operation the U.S. helped spearhead the inaugural Pacific Partnership mission in 2006. This mission leveraged partner nation militaries and Non-Governmental Organizations proficiencies to expand disaster relief capacity in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste. The Pacific Partnership mission brings a unique opportunity for collaboration and cooperation to the Indo-Pacific in a deliberate, sustainable, and transparent way by working to enhance the knowledge, experience, and capacity of all participants. "Building upon the success of last year's Pacific Partnership, we have strengthened our collaboration, expanded our capabilities and deepened our commitment to regional resilience," said Lt. Gen. Facundo Palafox, commander Southern Luzon Command. "This year's progress is a clear reflection of our dedication to enhancing the partnerships that are essential to our collective security and humanitarian efforts in the Indo-Pacific region." The United States stands ready to assist when called upon and continuously demonstrates its commitment to the region. Recent relief efforts include the 2023 volcanic eruption in Papua New Guinea, 2022 volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga, 2018 Super Typhoon Yutu relief efforts in Northern Mariana Islands, 2016 earthquake relief efforts in New Zealand, 2013 relief efforts in the Philippines for Operation Damayan in the wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan, and 2011 relief efforts during Operation Tomodachi in Japan following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Pacific Partnership 2024-2 will conduct mission stops in Vietnam and the Federal States of Micronesia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Jakarta's exercises with Beijing signal nonalignment stance in US-China rivalry By Christy Lee August 15, 2024 As Indonesia gears up to participate in U.S.-led joint military exercises this month, it agreed at a meeting this week to hold military training with China, a move analysts say points to Indonesia's nonalignment stance regarding the U.S.-China rivalry. The Indonesian military is preparing to host Super Garuda Shield exercises led by the U.S. with participation by dozens of countries, including Japan, Australia, South Korea, Germany, Singapore and Malaysia. The annual drills will be held in the Indonesian provinces of East Java, West Java and South Sumatra from August 26 to September 5. In the meantime, senior Indonesian and Chinese officials agreed to hold joint military training and reaffirmed their commitment to boost regional security, among other things, at a meeting Tuesday in Jakarta, according to a statement by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry. It was the first senior officials' meeting of a joint foreign-defense ministerial dialogue that will be elevated to a ministerial-level meeting during a new Indonesian administration next year. President-elect Prabowo Subianto will begin his term in October. The two countries agreed to launch a new dialogue when outgoing President Joko Widodo met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October in Beijing. "If it takes place next year, the bilateral exercises with the Chinese will reflect Indonesia's pursuit of showcasing its neutrality" based on "bebas and aktif," or "free and active" foreign policy aimed at making it "difficult for any major power to pull Indonesia into its sphere of influence," said Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow in the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. However, if the exercises with China focus on combat operations and interoperability rather than nontraditional security areas such as piracy and counterterrorism and are conducted in the contested South China Sea, it "will raise red flags for the U.S. and its allies," Yaacob said. "Indonesia under Prabowo will have to balance many factors when planning exercises with the Chinese, as potential repercussions could be high." The U.S. and its allies, including South Korea, France and Japan, could reconsider a decision to supply the Indonesians with advanced weapons systems, he added. Indonesia, like other Southeast Asian countries, has been conducting joint drills with both the U.S. and China. Last year, China sent a naval destroyer and frigate to participate at the invitation of Jakarta in a multilateral naval exercise aimed at fostering cooperation on humanitarian operations and disaster management. The U.S. Navy, which also participated, described the drills as allowing "exchanges that support multilateral cooperation." Indonesia's defense cooperation with China is considered underdeveloped, mainly focusing on low-level exercises. But recently, Jakarta expressed its desire to hold more military exercises with China, in addition to ASEAN member states and the U.S. In an interview with Nikkei Asia in July, Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak said the Indonesian army is preparing to conduct joint drills with China that could start next year. "Indonesia, like most of its neighbors, both seeks pragmatic cooperation with and wants to hedge against the hegemonic ambitions of China," said Gregory Poling, senior fellow and director of the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "That also explains why Jakarta would be open to low-level military exercises with China even as it prioritizes its much more robust military relationship with traditional partners like the United States, Japan and Australia." The U.S. Navy SEALs and the Indonesian navy's Frogman Forces Command held a joint training exercise in July. The drills have been taking place annually since their bilateral defense talks in 2022. Andreyka Natalegawa, an associate fellow for the Southeast Asia Program at CSIS, said, "Despite the apparent and nascent deepening of Indonesia-China defense ties, the United States remains the primary partner of choice in defense cooperation with Indonesia." He continued, "The depth, frequency and institutionalization of U.S. bilateral and multilateral exercises with Indonesia remains second to none, and it is highly unlikely that China will supplant the United States' role as Indonesia's primary defense partner of choice in the immediate future." At their first U.S.-Indonesian senior officials' foreign policy and defense dialogue in October 2023 in Washington, the U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to support Indonesia's defense forces as the country's "largest military engagement partner." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address White House: Latest Gaza cease-fire talks have 'promising start' By VOA News August 15, 2024 The White House said Thursday that the latest Gaza cease-fire talks in Doha, Qatar, with top U.S. officials are off to a "promising start" but that closing a deal immediately appeared to be unlikely. "Today is a promising start," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. "There remains a lot of work to do. Given the complexity of the agreement, we do not anticipate coming out of these talks today with a deal," he added. The talks are expected to continue through Friday. CIA Director William Burns is among those in attendance. Negotiators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar met with a delegation from Israel. Hamas said Wednesday it would not take part in the talks, but representatives might meet with mediators later, the Reuters news agency reported. Palestinian health officials said more than 40,000 people have died in Israel's campaign in retaliation for the 1,200 people killed and 250 people captured by Hamas during a surprise attack on Israel on October 7. More than 100 hostages are still held in captivity. Palestinian officials say the war casualties are mostly women and children, while Israel says the majority are combatants. "Remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must bring this process to a close," Kirby said. "We need to see the hostages released, relief for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, security for Israel and lower tensions in the region, and we need to see those things as soon as possible." Without specifying details, Kirby said that the negotiations are mainly concerned with implementation now that the framework has largely been accepted. The stakes are high. In addition to ongoing fighting in Gaza and the West Bank, Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire on the border with Lebanon. Commercial shipping remains under attack by Yemen-based Houthi fighters in the Red Sea, and Iran has threatened retaliation against Israel for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. Although Israel did not claim responsibility for the killing, it is widely blamed for Haniyeh's death. Additionally, a Hezbollah military commander was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut recently. Three senior Iranian officials have said a cease-fire deal in Gaza would be the only thing preventing retaliation for the killing, Reuters reported. The plan being discussed in Doha began as a three-phase "road map" to a truce unveiled by U.S. President Joe Biden May 31. The proposal calls for a six-week cease-fire, withdrawing Israeli troops from populated areas in Gaza, and releasing women, elderly and wounded hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Humanitarian aid would increase, and Palestinians would be able to return to their homes. The six-week cease-fire would lead to the second phase, which would involve the release of all hostages and Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza. The cease-fire would become permanent. The reconstruction of Gaza would be the third phase. Fighting continues as talks get under way. On Thursday, the health ministry in the West Bank said Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in an airstrike on a refugee camp. Seven people were wounded. The Israeli military reported two armed militants who posed a threat to security forces in the area were killed. Material from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse was used in this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, UN, Arab states condemn al-Aqsa visit by Israeli hardline minister By Dale Gavlak August 15, 2024 The United States, the United Nations and Arab countries condemned a visit by Israel's hardline national security minister and hundreds of supporters to Jerusalem's flashpoint al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where they performed Jewish prayers. Washington criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's "unilateral action" of storming the compound Tuesday with the aid of Israeli police, calling it a provocation that could undermine efforts for a cease-fire in the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas. U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said, "Any unilateral action, which this would be ... that jeopardizes such status quo is unacceptable. "The United States stands firmly for the historic preservation of the status quo with respect to the holy sites of Jerusalem," he said. "And not only is it unacceptable, it detracts from what we think is a vital time as we are working to get this cease-fire deal across the final line." Ben-Gvir has often defied the Israeli government's longstanding ban on Jewish prayer at the mosque compound. Known to Jews as the Temple Mount, it's one of the most sensitive religious sites in the Middle East. Jews and other non-Muslims are allowed to visit the mosque compound during certain hours, but they are not allowed to pray or display religious symbols there. Last month, Ben-Gvir announced that he considered Jewish prayer now to be permitted on the Temple Mount. However, Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu's office quickly rebuked him, saying the status quo was unchanged. Meanwhile, Israel's interior minister, Moshe Arbel, of the ultraorthodox Shas coalition party, said, "The day will come when the era of Ben-Gvir's trolling will pass. The Torah will never be replaced." Hardliners such as Ben-Gvir do not want a Gaza deal, analyst Dania Koleilat Khatib told VOA, but want the war to continue in the belief that Israel will retake the enclave. "They don't want a deal with Hamas [because] if I do a deal with you, that means I recognize you," said Khatib, president of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building in Beirut. She said it was no coincidence that Ben-Gvir acted just after U.S. President Joe Biden, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Eqyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi "put their foot down and said that's it, we need to finish this." Jordan, which also criticized Ben-Gvir's actions, has been the custodian of the mosque compound since its 1994 peace treaty with Israel, Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab, a former professor at Princeton University, told VOA. The arrangement was reiterated in a 2014 understanding supervised by then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and agreed to by Netanyahu and Jodan's King Abdullah. "This is a violation of so many agreements, understandings and peace agreements," he said. "The state of Israel cannot claim this is some kind of rogue person. This is a minister in the government of Netanyahu, who himself reached that understanding. So, there is something extremely wrong in that Netanyahu and his government are not doing anything. The Israelis have to answer, but the Jordanians as well as the rest of the world are upset." Jordan's Islamic Affairs Ministry is the legal authority for managing the al-Aqsa compound and regulating access to it. Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah said continued Israeli unilateral measures and violations of the historical and legal status in Jerusalem require a clear and firm international response and protection. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban 'deliberately' keep 1.4 million Afghan girls out of school By Ayaz Gul August 15, 2024 The United Nations said Thursday that Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have "deliberately deprived" 1.4 million girls of schooling since they reclaimed power three years ago, putting at risk the future of an entire generation. The U.N. Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or UNESCO released the new report as de facto Afghan leaders marked the third anniversary of ruling the poverty-stricken South Asian country this week. The Taliban swept back to power in August 2021 and have placed sweeping restrictions on women's access to education and public life, making Afghanistan the only country in the world to prohibit access to education for girls ages 12 and older. "As a result of bans imposed by the de facto authorities, at least 1.4 million girls have been deliberately denied access to secondary education since 2021," said Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO director-general, in a statement. "This represents an increase of 300,000 since the previous count carried out by UNESCO in April 2023 - with more girls reaching the age limit of 12 every year," she noted. The U.N. and global human rights groups have denounced the bans as "gender apartheid" and called for their immediate reversal. The Taliban government, not formally recognized by any country, has not immediately responded to the UNESCO findings and demands for removing the bans on female education. The radical Afghan leaders have vehemently and persistently rejected criticism of their policies, claiming they are aligned with local culture and their harsh interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. Azoulay said that almost 2.5 million girls in Afghanistan, which accounts for 80% of school-age girls, are now unable to access education due to the bans. The report also includes girls who were not attending school before the Taliban takeover, she added. The UNESCO report said that access to primary education had "also fallen sharply," with 1.1 million fewer Afghan girls and boys attending school under the Taliban rule. It added that Afghanistan had only 5.7 million girls and boys in primary school in 2022, compared with 6.8 million in 2019. The study attributed the drop in primary school enrollment to the Taliban's decision to prohibit female teachers from teaching boys, exacerbating the teacher shortage. Increasingly difficult "socio-economic" circumstances facing Afghanistan are also responsible for parents' lack of incentive to send their children to school, according to the report. "UNESCO is alarmed by the harmful consequences of this increasingly massive drop-out rate, which could lead to a rise in child labor and early marriage." "In just three years, the de facto authorities have almost wiped out two decades of steady progress for education in Afghanistan, and the future of an entire generation is now in jeopardy," Azoulay said. Enrollment in higher education is equally concerning, the statement said, adding that the number of university students had decreased by 53% since 2021. "As a result, the country will rapidly face a shortage of graduates trained for the most highly skilled jobs, which will only exacerbate development problems," said UNESCO. Azoulay urged the global community to "maintain its mobilization for the full restoration of the right to education for girls and women in Afghanistan." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Brazil's Lula calls for new election in Venezuela By VOA News August 15, 2024 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva does not recognize Nicolas Maduro as the winner of last month's contested Venezuelan presidential election and has called on Venezuela to publish voting tallies that the country has so far failed to release. "Maduro still has six months left in his term. He is the president regardless of the election. If he has good sense, he could call upon the people of Venezuela, perhaps even call for new elections, create an electoral committee and allow observers from around the world to monitor," Lula said Thursday in an interview with Radio T. Marian Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader, said she was against a new presidential election. "The election already happened," she said in video call with journalists from Argentina and Chile, Reuters reported. "Maduro must be made to know that the cost of his staying grows with each day that passes." While several Western nations regard the results of the Venezuelan election as vote fraud, none has taken any action against the oil-rich South American country. "It is abundantly clear to the majority of the Venezuelan people, the United States and a growing number of countries that the CNE [Venezuela's electoral council] has not provided full, detailed, tallied votes because they would show that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the vote," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this week. Venezuela's electoral authority said incumbent Maduro won 51% of the presidential election vote, while the opposition reported its tallies revealed its candidate, Gonzalez, was the victor. "Maduro knows he owes Brazil and the world an explanation," Lula said. Meanwhile, Celso Amorim, Lula's top foreign policy adviser, told a Brazilian Senate committee on Thursday that Brazil has not formally proposed that Venezuela stage a new election. "Let's find a solution that is democratic, electoral and peaceful in Venezuela," he told the committee. The Associated Press reported that it had reviewed Venezuela's released tally sheets, and results from 79% of the voting machines indicated that Gonzalez "won significantly more votes that the government has claimed." Brazil's Lula spoke by phone with Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday about their neighbor's political troubles, but the presidents have not shared any details about the content of their conversation. Both presidents, whose countries share a border with Venezuela, have urged Maduro to find a solution to Venezuela's political crisis. Earlier this week, the United Nations expressed concern about Venezuela's tense political climate following the presidential election. The U.N. reported that, according to official statements, more than 2,000 people have been arrested in Venezuela since the election. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said that the number of arbitrary detentions was continuing to rise, along with a "disproportionate use of force by law enforcement officials." Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mongolia finds ways to align with the West without alarming China, Russia By John Xie August 15, 2024 Landlocked between Russia and China, analysts say Mongolia is finding ways to balance its outreach to Western democratic nations without alarming it neighbors to the north or south. Although Mongolia regards China and Russia as its top foreign and economic priorities, with most of its trade transiting the two, it has also committed to deepening and developing relations with the United States, Japan, the European Union and other democracies, calling these countries its "third neighbors." Sean King, senior vice president of Park Strategies, a New York-based political consultancy, tells VOA, "They're smart to involve us as much as possible as a counterweight to Moscow and Beijing." United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his latest trip to Asia earlier this month in Mongolia, where he emphasized the country is the United States' "core partner" in the Indo-Pacific and that such partners are "reaching new levels every day." Blinken's visit came after the two sides held their first comprehensive strategic dialogue in Washington. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was scheduled to visit Mongolia this week, but the trip was canceled as Japan braces for a rare major earthquake predicted for the coming week. Instead, the two sides spoke by phone on August 13. Leaders of democracies who visited Mongolia the past few months include German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo. French President Emmanuel Macron visited Mongolia for the first time last year. The State Department said that including Mongolia as one of two countries in Campbell's diplomatic debut "underscores the United States' strong commitment to freedom and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond." Charles Krusekopf, founder and associate director of the American Center of Mongolian Studies, told VOA, "Being able to have some regional presence by having a close relationship with Mongolia, having a friend in the region, I think, is important to the United States." The June 2019 edition of the U.S. Defense Department's "Indo-Pacific Strategy Report" includes Mongolia, along with New Zealand, Taiwan and Singapore, in the camp of Indo-Pacific democracies, positioning them as "reliable, competent and natural partners." Despite its geographical location, which limits its diplomatic space to maneuver, Mongolia has managed to maintain close relations with all parties, from the U.S., China, and Russia to North and South Korea, making it an exception in complex geopolitics. At last month's Ulaanbaatar Dialogue, government officials and strategic experts from eight countries, including Britain, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, gathered in Ulaanbaatar to discuss the most pressing strategic issues in Asia today, including tensions on the Korean Peninsula. "It's one of the rare places in which people from all countries of the region can come together to meet, and it's considered kind of a neutral ground," Krusekopf tells VOA. Mongolia abstained from U.N. resolutions in 2022 and 2023 that condemned Moscow's annexation of Ukrainian territory and demanded that Russian troops leave the country. Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai also met with Chinese leaders Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, respectively, last year. Oyun-Erdene visited China just a month before his state visit to the U.S., where the two countries issued the U.S.-Mongolia Joint Statement on the Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership. Shortly before Blinken's visit this month, Mongolia held its annual military exercise called Khan Exploration, which, although it was a peacekeeping exercise, was attended not only by troops from the U.S. and Japan but also China. Krusekopf says with most of Mongolia's foreign trade being mining exports through China, Beijing doesn't feel a threat from Western security interests there. "Mongolia is friends with everyone in the region. It's never been a threat to other countries, and they're seen as a middle country. And it's a broker in that region," he said. Editor's note: An earlier version of this story erroneously referred to the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue as the Mongolia Forum. VOA regrets the error. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address On-the-Record Press Gaggle by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby August 15, 2024 10:15 A.M. EDT MODERATOR: Hey, everyone. Thanks for joining. Kirby has a few words here at the top, and then we'll get through as many questions as we can. Thanks. MR. KIRBY: Hey, folks. Good morning. Talks are moving forward today in Doha. President Biden directed Director Burns and Brett McGurk to participate for the United States. They're on the ground right now working with representatives from Israel, Qatar, and Egypt. Qatar and Egypt are, in turn, mediating with Hamas. The resumption of these talks is an important step. And in the lead-up to this meeting, we'd already narrowed some gaps. Today, we are focused on the details of the implementation of the agreement. There remains a lot of work to do, given the complexity of the agreement. We do not anticipate coming out of these talks today with a deal. In fact, I'd expect the talks to continue into tomorrow. This is vital work. The remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must bring this process to a close. We need to see the hostages released, relief for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, security for Israel, and lower tensions in the region. And we need to see those things as soon as possible. So today is a promising start, and we'll have more to say over the course of the day and into tomorrow as things move forward. And with that, we can take some questions. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our first question will go to Aamer with the AP. Q Hey, yeah, thank you for that. One just follow-up on the talks in Doha. Can you detail how long the talks went on today? Are they still ongoing today? And then secondly, on Ukraine: Are there any signs that Russia is shifting troops from Ukraine? I'm sorry yeah, shifting troops from Ukraine to deal with the Ukraine operation in Kursk? And if so, is there any sense of how significant the troop movements are? Thanks. MR. KIRBY: Yeah, Aamer, I don't know for sure whether the talks are ongoing as we speak now. You know, with the time difference, they could be they could well, actually, I take that back. They are just starting. I was just passed a note that, in fact, they are just starting. So the talks are just starting there in Doha. So, I apologize for my stammer. And on the second question about Russia shifting, we have seen some Russian units being redirected from operations in and around Ukraine to the Kursk area. But these are just early reports that we're seeing. I can't say with certainty how many or how many more may go or what their intentions would be, but we have begun to see some Russian units being reapplied to the Kursk area. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Steve with Reuters. Q John, what is the main obstacle to getting a hostage ceasefire deal? MR. KIRBY: I don't know that I could identify just one, Steve. I think it's important to remember what we're doing right now. And the details we're working out are details of implementation. It's not that we're having a debate over the framework of the deal. We're at a point now where the framework is generally accepted. And where the gaps are are in the execution of the deal, the individual muscle movements that go with putting the deal in place. And I know I'm talking around it, and I know that's not helpful. I know what you want to know is what are the hang-ups, what are the details of implementation that are still being hashed out. And I'm just not going to get into that. But I do think it's important to put this into some context. Look, we're talking about specific implementing measures of the deal that still need to be agreed to. So, what our team is hoping for some constructive talks here today. And as I said earlier in my opening statement, we expect that those talks will continue into tomorrow. Q And just to follow up on Aamer's second question, will Ukraine have the capability to hold Russian territory? MR. KIRBY: I simply am not qualified to answer that question. I can't and won't speak for Ukrainian military operations. And I certainly am in no position to since I'm not going to speak for what their intent ultimately is, I can't speak to their ability to achieve whatever objective they're trying to achieve. So I really just need to leave it at that. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Molly with ABC. Q Hey. Thanks so much for holding the call. Does the administration have any response to the dual American Russian-American citizen who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for her donation to a Ukrainian charity? MR. KIRBY: I think the way we would describe this sentence of 12 years is vindictive cruelty. I mean, we've spoken out about her case before, when she was charged and arrested. The sentence just proves all the more that there's no real system of justice coming out of Moscow. So we're going to continue to seek consular access to her, of course. And we're going to continue, as we have been, trying to work for her release. But to your answer to your question, it's nothing less than just vindictive cruelty. We're talking about 50 bucks to try to alleviate the suffering of the people of Ukraine. And to call that treason is just absolutely ludicrous. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Nick with PBS. Nick, you should be Q Thanks, Sam. Thanks, John. Oops, sorry. I guess thank you. John, I know you don't want to go into detail, so let me just give you some variables and ask you to comment in general. You know, the Israelis have been focusing on control of the Philadelphi Corridor. They've been focusing on movement from the south to the north, the nature of, you know, who gets released in the first round and how many Palestinians they get to (inaudible). Do you believe that the Israelis have added new conditions over the last month? And just to put a point on your opening statement: Given Hamas's public statements, do you believe that Hamas's engagement with today's negotiation is any different at all from its previous engagements previous engagements with previous negotiation dates? Thanks. MR. KIRBY: I'm just not going to get into the details of what's being negotiated, and I will just say a couple of things. The way negotiations work is that you start with some text on a piece of paper, and both sides work on that text. Usually both sides make amendments to that text. You cycle it back around again, you have some more discussions about the amendments, and that leads to even more discussions, and on and on you go. And both sides have had the opportunity to look at the texts that either side recommended and make amendments and changes and suggestions as negotiations pursued. And here we are today, with the central framework being agreed to and negotiating on the details. So, I'm just not going to get into the business of saying, "On this date, this person or this side added this or took that out or wanted to change that." This is the business of negotiating, and the last thing I'm going to do is prejudice that process by getting into the details. I hear what you're saying, and I've seen the press reports about who wants this and who wants that, and I'm just not going to play in that game right now, not when we're as close as we certainly hope to be today. And then, your second question on Hamas's participation: So, in the past, it has worked very similar to how it's working in Doha today, where mediators will sit and discuss, work things out, and then those mediators will be in touch with Hamas, and then the Hamas leaders in Doha then communicate directly with Mr. Sinwar for final answers. So the process that is playing out in Doha is very much in keeping with the process that has played out in the past. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Andrea Mitchell with NBC. Q Hi there. Thank you very much. John, can you comment on criticism from Defense Minister Gallant and many in the Israeli war cabinet, as well as other Israeli officials in the military, that they have accomplished their goals, their obtainable goals in Gaza, and that the stated position of the Prime Minister is both not realistic and, you know, counterproductive, echoed by many U.S. officials, as we talk about these negotiations? And on some of the recent civilian attacks, which have hit civilians, widely criticized, where Israel has still not justified some of the deaths that we've seen recently. And in terms of let me just ask you also on Ukraine, if you don't mind. Do you think that Vladimir Putin is going to, you know, react and retaliate? Do you have any sense from the movement of troops that there is going to be some massive attack in response to what is clearly a huge embarrassment to him? Thank you. MR. KIRBY: Okay, there's a lot there. Let me take them in turn. The last thing that I'm going to do, and the last thing I want to do, is insert myself into internal Israeli politics or the machinations of the war cabinet over there. That's not my place. It would be inappropriate for me to go there. I'll just say a couple of things. Number one, it is without doubt that the Israeli Defense Forces have brought down significant blows on Hamas and their military capability. They have killed, I mean, thousands of Hamas fighters. They have decimated their leadership ranks at all levels, from tactical to operational to strategic, where senior leaders have been taken off the battlefield. And Hamas is a military organization as well as a terrorist network, and what has given them purchase in the past was their ability to move and act and plan and organize and resource like an army. And the Israelis have done an effective job at dramatically reducing their military capacity and capability. I won't go so far as to say that they've eliminated the military threat that Hamas poses to the safety and security of Israel. There are still fighters alive and fighting. There are still tunnels that they use to move about and to store arms and ammunition, and they still have resources available to them. But there has been a tremendous amount of pressure put on Hamas. And from a military perspective, they have definitely achieved the vast majority of their objectives. Hamas is not, however, just a military organization. It is also an ideology, an ideology which still does not believe in the existence of the State of Israel; an ideology which continues to persist in the warped idea that what happened on the 7th of October ought to be able to happen again. So we're going to continue again to make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against that threat, at the same time doing everything we can, as I alluded to in my opening statement, to get this ceasefire in place, which can give us six weeks of calm, at least in phase one, to get hostages home, to get the fighting to stop so that there are no innocent civilians put in the crossfire anymore, and that humanitarian assistance can get to so many people that are still desperately in need of it. And it doesn't mean we're going to stop talking to the Israelis about what more they need to do to limit civilian casualties, to better deconflict with aid organizations, and to be more precise and discriminate as they continue to go after the military targets that they're going after. Q Do you expect, John, that, as they did last time in November, Hezbollah and even the Houthis would observe a six-week ceasefire or a ceasefire, let's just say if one were negotiated for Gaza? MR. KIRBY: The ceasefire would be between Hamas and Israel. I can't speak for what other groups might do or not do as a result of that. I would I'd go back on in terms of Hezbollah, you know, we still haven't seen signs that Hezbollah wants to jump in with both feet here and start a new war on a second front at this time. Now, that doesn't mean that there's not still a threat from Hezbollah. Of course, there is. They continue to fire rockets into northern Israel, and certainly we're monitoring and watching for any participation they might want to partake in should Iran decide to attack Israel in retaliation. But I can't speak for what either group might or might not do. They have both said I would remind, though, the leaders of Hezbollah and the leaders of Houthis have said they want to see a ceasefire. And they have, in their own ways, said that or tried to justify the attacks that they have perpetrated on Israel as tied to a ceasefire; you know, that that's why they're doing it, to try to force a ceasefire. So one would conclude from that that, should there be a ceasefire in Gaza, that given their public pronouncements of that being a goal and an objective, that they would likewise observe it. But, you know, we'd have to see. And on Putin: Difficult to say. All I can tell you is that we have seen some units being reapplied and sent to that area. But it's not clear right now how many are eventually going to go and what their military mission is going to be. So, I just I know it's not a very satisfactory answer, but it's an honest one. We're watching this closely, but we can't say with certainty exactly what Mr. Putin is going to do. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to David Sanger with the New York Times. Q Thanks. John, you alluded to the other factor in here, which is whether Iran goes ahead with some kind of an attack, either directly or indirectly. So, can you bring us up on your thinking? It's now been, what, nearly three weeks since the killing of the Hamas leader in Tehran. We haven't seen a reaction. Obviously, you've been sending lots of messages to the Iranians. Are you getting any kind of response back? Do you have any sense of whether they've made a political decision to go ahead; whether they are considering the effects on the talks underway in Doha here? What's your read? And then I have a Ukraine question for you when you're done. MR. KIRBY: Yeah, hey. I want to be careful that I don't get into intelligence assessments in too great of detail, David. We obviously are watching this very, very closely, as you might expect. As you also rightly noted, we have been messaging Iran through our counterparts and people that have direct diplomatic relations with Iran. And of course, we have our own ways of doing that, through other vehicles, as you know. And our messages have been consistent: We don't want to see an escalation here, and we would like to prevent the outcome of them attacking Iran. In addition to all that intense diplomacy, as you know, we've also made moves with defense capabilities, ships, aircraft, other military capabilities to make sure that should Iran choose to go forward with some sort of an attack on Iran [Israel], that we're ready for it to defend ourselves, our facilities, and our people, but also to defend Israel. And we are constantly looking at that posture as well to make sure that it matches up to what the potential attack could be. We have to take seriously the rhetoric coming out of Tehran, and the rhetoric coming out of Tehran has been pretty aggressive in terms of what their intent is. We have to take that seriously. So I can't sit here and tell you for sure that there's been a decision to change their mind. And I can't tell you for sure, if they attack, what that is going to look like or even when it would occur. As I said earlier, a few days ago we had information, which we continue to have that information, that an attack could come with little or no warning, and certainly could come in coming days. And we have to be ready for it. But the messaging effort continues and will continue, because what we're really after is de-escalation and trying to prevent this. Q My Ukraine question is this: At other moments in time when Putin has been embarrassed or performing badly, we've seen him make nuclear threats. And you remember October 2022 and that whole period of time when there was concern about that. Are you hearing, seeing anything that indicates similar distress on his part? MR. KIRBY: Well, I reckon that if he's moving troops over there, he's got some level of concern about what's going on. I don't know whether that qualifies as distress or not, but he certainly is reacting, at least in some way, to what's happening in the Kursk Oblast. But we haven't seen or heard any escalatory rhetoric, particularly around nuclear weapons, in recent days. So I think Q None of the signs that you saw in October 2022? MR. KIRBY: No, sir. And the other thing I'd say is that not only have we not seen or heard that kind of rhetoric, we haven't seen or heard anything that would cause us to change our own strategic deterrent posture or calculus. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Aurelia with AFP. Q Hi, and thank you so much for doing this. John, I was wondering whether you could elaborate on something the President said. He said that this Ukrainian offensive in Russia was causing a dilemma for Putin. So if you could, like, expand on that. And a second question: Can you comment on this report in the Wall Street Journal saying that senior Ukrainian officials approved the sabotage operation against the Nord Stream pipeline? Thank you so much. MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to comment on the Wall Street Journal reporting on this. On your first question, I've kind of already addressed it. I mean, look, Mr. Putin and the Russians have had to make adjustments, and we see signs that they are trying to reinforce themselves in and around the Kursk area as a result of Ukrainian operations there. And doing that means you're taking assets that were in one place doing one thing, and now they have to go do another. And that's you know, that certainly presents a dilemma in the decision-making process. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Alex Ward with the Wall Street Journal. Q Yeah, thanks, John. I have two quick questions. One is, do you have any I know we talked about Iran a little bit. Do you have any indications about this attack still? I mean, I know, you know, officials keep saying, you know, "We don't know" or anything like that, but maybe there's some more clarity in recent hours. And relatedly, if there was if you have any indication that maybe Iran is waiting to see how these ceasefire talks would go. And then second, the other ceasefire talks, the ones in Sudan, where it looked like neither party warring party showed up, I'm wondering if the administration is planning any moves to make sure that those sides actually get chatting to stop that civil war. Thank you. MR. KIRBY: We're still very focused on getting both sides in Sudan back to the table and to come to meaningful agreements about laying their arms down and doing the right thing for the people of Sudan. So, diplomatically, we are very much engaged in that and have every interest in trying to get those talks back on or getting them started, I should say. On your first question, I kind of already answered it, Alex. I don't know that I can say anything or would say anything differently about you know, about what we anticipate. I mean, as I said earlier, even this morning, we have to take the rhetoric seriously. We know that Iran has made some preparations. We believe that, should they choose to attack, that they could do it with little or no notice and that it could come it could come soon. But we obviously would like to prevent that outcome, which is why, in my answer to David's questions, you know, we're involved in continue to be involved in some pretty intensive diplomacy to try to keep this situation from escalating. We don't want it to come to that. If it does come to that, we got to be ready, and we believe we are, but we're going to try as hard as we can through diplomacy to try to prevent it. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Juan with La W. Q Thank you, John. Given that it's clear for the U.S. that Edmundo Gonzalez won the election I'm talking about Venezuela when will the U.S. formally recognize him as the victor? And is it true that the U.S. has offered Nicolas Maduro something like amnesty to facilitate that transition of power in Venezuela? Thank you. MR. KIRBY: Nope, it is not true that there's been amnesty offered to Mr. Maduro. And what we want to see is we want to see the actual vote tallies, the data, and we haven't seen that yet. So we still need to see that. We do believe that Mr. Gonzalez won the majority of votes. We believe that through a number of ways and a number of sources. What's really definitive is the actual voting data. And the fact that Mr. Maduro won't release that data, certainly, I think, speaks to what must be his concern about the transparency that that would the results that that would transparently display. So I've got nothing on nothing more in terms of recognition to talk about. We want to see the data. MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to Neria with Channel 13 Israel. Q Hi, Kirby. Thank you so much for doing this. And thank you, Sam. I'm wondering if you have any new information about the possible Iranian attack to tell us. We've been talking in the past few days about the possibility of an attack in the next few days. What does the U.S. do in order to try to deter Iran today from this attack? Because we've seen the submarine and the Raptors that were sent to the Middle East. Are you doing anything more? And do you still have that same exact assessment of a few days ago, or do you feel like Iran is more deterred than before? MR. KIRBY: Yeah, I mean, again, I've kind of already answered this one. We're still working very hard diplomatically to prevent that outcome, to prevent there being an attack, but we also have to be ready for one. And I would tell you that we believe we are. We have devoted more capability to the region air and sea, particularly. And Secretary Austin even modified that posture over the weekend by speeding up the Lincoln and announcing a guided missile submarine to the region. Force posture is a pretty dynamic thing, and we'll adjust it as necessary. I don't have any changes to speak to today, and if there were to be any, that would come from the Pentagon, rightly. But we're constantly looking at the situation and making sure that, you know, that we've got what we need in place should there be an attack. I want to stress again that, you know, we don't have a lot of certainty here, so it's not exactly clear whether there'll be one. We hope there won't be. It's not clear, if there is one, when it would come. It could come, as I said earlier, with little or no notice. Certainly, we have to be ready for that in the coming days. And I'll tell you something else. It's not exactly clear, if there's going to be one, what it's going to look like, what scope is it going to entail. Is it going to be the same size as what they threw at Israel in April? Smaller? Bigger? We don't have a firm sense of it which is why, again, we're working so hard on the diplomatic front to see if we can forestall it. And if we can't, working so hard on the military front to make sure we're ready for it and that Israel is ready for it. So, I don't know that I can say much more than that. MODERATOR: Thank you. We have time for one more question, which will go to Jihan with The National. Q Thank you. Thank you, Kirby. Thank you, Sam. I wanted to ask about does this administration have a position on Israel maintaining control on Gaza's southern border, or within Gaza, in the short or long term, post war? MR. KIRBY: We've talked about this before. Look, we all recognize that, you know, whenever the war actually ends, permanently ends, that there's probably going to be some sort of a transition period here, or IDF may have some security responsibilities. But what that looks like, I can't speak to in any great clarity. What we're focused on right now is getting a ceasefire deal in place, getting those hostages home, getting six weeks of calm, and all the parameters that the ceasefire deal lays out in terms of military activity and military presence. That's really what our goal is right now. Q And another question on President Mahmoud Abbas said that he plans on visiting Gaza. Has this visit been coordinated in any way with this administration? And is this part of I mean, is the Palestinian Authority involved in the talks at this stage? MR. KIRBY: You mean the ceasefire talks? Q Yes. MR. KIRBY: No. The Palestinian Authority is not involved in the ceasefire talks. And I'm going to have to get back to you on this trip to Gaza. This is the first I'm hearing of that. So, I Q Yeah, he said it earlier today, and I was wondering if that was part of I mean, how would this be (inaudible). MR. KIRBY: No, I wouldn't read into that as being part of the ceasefire talks. I'm pretty comfortable with that, but saying that. But in terms of whether we were aware of it or in any way coordinated it, I'd have to get back to you on that. This is the first I'm hearing of it, and I don't want to speculate. MODERATOR: Thank you. That is all the time we have today. As always, if we weren't able to get to you, feel free to reach out to our distro and we'll try to get back as soon as we can. Thanks. 10:50 A.M. EDT NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Man Arrested for Explosives Threats and Attack on Energy Facility Thursday, August 15, 2024 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, a Jordanian citizen residing in Orlando, Florida, is charged with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility. At his detention hearing yesterday, Hnaihen was ordered detained pending trial. "We allege that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "Such acts and threats of violence, whether they are targeting the places that Americans frequent every day or our country's critical infrastructure, are extremely dangerous and will not be tolerated by the Justice Department." "Under the guise of expressing his beliefs, the defendant allegedly attacked a power facility and threatened local businesses, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "Violence and destruction of property to threaten and intimidate others will never be tolerated. The FBI and our partners will work together to pursue and hold accountable those who resort to violence." "Targeting and attacking businesses for perceived beliefs is unacceptable," said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. "The U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and federally prosecute those who make violent or hate-based threats and who seek to act on these threats." According to court documents, beginning around June 2024, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel. Wearing a mask, under the cover of night, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind "Warning Letters." Source:Case number 6:24-cr-201 in the Middle District of Florida, Document 17. Supplement to motion for detention. Damage at two of the targeted businesses Source:Case number 6:24-cr-201 in the Middle District of Florida, Document 17. Supplement to motion for detention.Damage at two of the targeted businesses In his letters, which were addressed to the United States government, Hnaihen laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to "destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel." Aerial photo of the solar panel field Hnaihen attacked with targeted panel areas outlined in red Aerial photo of the solar panel field Hnaihen attacked with targeted panel areas outlined in red Source:Case number 6:24-cr-201 in the Middle District of Florida, Document 17. Supplement to motion for detention. Solar panels with cracked glass that Hnaihen attacked Source:Case number 6:24-cr-201 in the Middle District of Florida, Document 17. Supplement to motion for detention.Solar panels with cracked glass that Hnaihen attacked Hnaihen's attacks escalated. At the end of June, as law enforcement worked to identify the masked attacker, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays. He smashed panels, cut wires, and targeted critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter. Hnaihen is believed to have caused more than $700,000 in damage. Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another "Warning Letter" threatening to "destroy or explode everything" was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando. Hnaihen is charged with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each threat offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense. The FBI and Orange County Sheriff's Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance by Maitland Police Department, Winter Park Police Department, and Orlando Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan for the Middle District of Florida is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Ryan White and George Kraehe of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Topics: Counterterrorism Domestic Terrorism National Security Components: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Security Division (NSD) USAO - Florida, Middle NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Space Forces in Europe - Space Forces Africa holds change of command ceremony U.S. Space Forces in Europe - Space Forces Africa, also known as SPACEFOREUR-AF, is the U.S. Space Force component field command charged with supporting both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, encompassing 51 countries in Europe and 53 countries in Africa, respectively. By U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa Public Affairs , United States Africa Command Stuttgart, Germany Aug 15, 2024 RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) -- U.S. Space Force Brig. Gen. Jacob Middleton became the new commander of U.S. Space Forces in Europe - Space Forces Africa in a change of command ceremony at the Ramstein Officers Club Tuesday. U.S. Space Forces in Europe - Space Forces Africa, also known as SPACEFOREUR-AF, is the U.S. Space Force component field command charged with supporting both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, encompassing 51 countries in Europe and 53 countries in Africa, respectively. "We recognize the importance of space to our allies and partners, as well as our own national security," Middleton said. "In the last year, SPACEFOREUR-AF has established relationships across two continents to expand space situational awareness of events in today's contested space environment. I look forward to engaging with our Space Force leaders and combatant commanders, to working alongside our Airmen and Guardians, and to building on those partnerships to tell the next chapter of the United States Space Force story." Middleton said that a U.S. Space Force goal is for field components such as SPACEFOREUR-AF to build on existing alliances and partnerships to enhance interoperability and resiliency, thereby bolstering the security and long-term sustainability of space. The scope of missions across two continents and their importance to the international order and the balance of rules governing use of space is the cornerstone of the SPACEFOREUR-AF mission. U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman expanded on that theme during the ceremony. "This unit is singularly responsible for integrating space forces with two combatant commands, enhancing the security of our nation and its allies from Iceland to South Africa," Saltzman said at the ceremony. "In just eight months, SPACEFOREUR-AF established relationships with 15 other spacefaring nations, enhanced integration with NATO, via automated data flow, and provided training on Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations." Saltzman noted Middleton was the right choice to head the rapidly evolving SPACEFOREUR-AF and expand relationships with our allies and partners. He added that Middleton's experience working with the Joint Staff, National Security Council, and U.S. legislature all empower Middleton to further bolster expanded connections with NATO, allies and other vital regional partners across two continents to integrate space power. "I can confidently say that there are few more impactful positions in leadership within the Space Force than that of a service component commander, especially one supporting two regions," Saltzman said. "Elevating the command to a one-star level reaffirms the Space Force's commitment both to our Joint Force and to our international partners. Service components like SPACEFOREUR-AF provide the vital connective tissue between space capability and the combatant commander authorities. I look forward to what Brig. Gen. Middleton will achieve next." Activated at Ramstein Air Base Dec. 8, 2023, SPACEFOREUR-AF is responsible for a wide range of space operations including the space situational awareness mission and security cooperation in support of the two combatant commands' objectives. Middleton follows Col. Max E. Lantz II, the first and previous SPACEFOREUR-AF commander. Lantz is scheduled to retire after more than 33 years of active-duty service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Generational export reforms to boost AUKUS trade and collaboration The Hon Richard Marles MP Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Defence 16 August 2024 Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have finalised the establishment of an export licence-free environment, unlocking billions of dollars of investment and cutting red tape for Australian industry and our AUKUS partners. Delivering on our collective commitment just over a year ago to streamline defence trade, AUKUS partners have implemented generational legislative reforms that provide reciprocal national exemptions from our respective export control frameworks. Together, our respective national exemptions remove the licencing requirements for most controlled goods, technologies and services exported, re-exported or transferred to, or within, AUKUS nations. This will be critical in driving scientific and technological collaboration, including under AUKUS Pillar II Advanced Capabilities. From 1 September 2024, AUKUS partners will operate in this new export licence-free environment, significantly boosting defence trade and innovation. It will support unprecedented levels of advanced scientific, technological and industrial cooperation, fastatracking the delivery of high-end capabilities to the Australian Defence Force. Importantly, the new licence-free environment removes barriers to trade and collaboration and reduces costs to local businesses, supporting industry, higher education and research sectors in all three nations. This milestone delivers on key reforms that defence industry has been calling on for years. The changes to our export control mechanisms will enable: Licence-free trade for over 70 per cent of defence exports from the US to Australia that are subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations. for over 70 per cent of defence exports from the US to Australia that are subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Licence-free trade for over 80 per cent of defence trade from the US to Australia that are subject to Export Administration Regulations. for over 80 per cent of defence trade from the US to Australia that are subject to Export Administration Regulations. The elimination of around 900 export permits required under the previous export controls from Australia to the US and UK valued at $5 billion per year. required under the previous export controls from Australia to the US and UK valued at $5 billion per year. The removal of approximately 200 export permits required for defence exports from the UK to Australia valued at over $129 million per year. Australia has implemented national exemptions for the UK and the US through the Defence Trade Controls Amendment Act 2024 and associated regulations. The US provided national exemptions through amendments to its International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations, and the UK provided national exemptions through an AUKUS-specific Open General Export Licence. The Albanese Government committed $28 million in the 2024-25 Budget to implement reforms under the Defence Trade Controls Amendment Act 2024, including to support industry engagement and accelerate trade between AUKUS partners. Quotes attributable to Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP: "I commend AUKUS partners for their tireless efforts to deliver this generational change so quickly." "These critical reforms will revolutionise defence trade, innovation and cooperation, enabling collaboration at the speed and scale required to meet our challenging strategic circumstances." "This is another example of how the Albanese Government is working for Australians, delivering in practical ways to support Australian jobs, research and science." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and President To Lam's Upcoming Visit to China Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: August 15, 2024 15:07 Q: China announced General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and President To Lam's upcoming state visit to China. Could you share with us the program and China's expectation of the visit? How does China view the current relations between China and Viet Nam? A: At the invitation of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and President To Lam will pay a state visit to China from August 18 to 20. General Secretary and President Xi Jinping will have talks with General Secretary and President To Lam. Premier Li Qiang, Chairman Zhao Leji of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Chairman Wang Huning of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will meet with him respectively. China and Viet Nam are working intensively to implement the outcomes achieved during General Secretary and President Xi Jinping's historic visit to Viet Nam at the end of last year. Efforts to build the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significancea have had a good start. China is the first country that General Secretary To Lam will visit after assuming office. This says a lot about the great importance that he attaches to the relations between the two parties and countries. Through this visit, China looks forward to carrying forward traditional friendship, deepening the building of the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future, and working with Viet Nam to achieve success in our respective socialist paths towards modernization with distinctive characteristics, jointly advance the global socialist cause, and contribute to regional and global peace, stability and development.a NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US urged to stop crackdown against China as financial talks reportedly underway Global Times Meeting sends positive signal that China-US communication continues amid growing tension By Wang Cong and Ma Tong Published: Aug 16, 2024 12:42 AM Chinese officials are expected to express concerns over US' growing economic and trade restrictions against China and urge the US to stop politicizing trade issues, Chinese experts said, as Chinese and US officials reportedly kicked off a new round of financial talks on Thursday. While neither China nor the US has publicly announced the dates for the fifth meeting of the bilateral Financial Working Group, several US media outlets, citing US Treasury Department officials, have reported that the meeting was scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday in Shanghai, where the two sides will reportedly focus on macroeconomic policies and financial stability, among other topics. Amid growing concerns over the global economy, the new round of talks would send a positive signal that the world's biggest economies are continuing communications amid growing tension. However, as Washington continues to intensify its crackdown campaign against Chinese products and businesses, China will firmly push back against US' crackdowns and steadfastly promote high-quality development at its own pace, experts said. There was no official information released about the reported meeting in Shanghai as of press time on Thursday. Still, in line with the US' long-standing practice ahead of talks with China, US officials have revealed their intensions for the upcoming meeting to US media outlets. A US Treasury Department spokesperson was quoted by Bloomberg as saying the talks will focus on issues including macroeconomic and financial stability, governance of the International Monetary Fund and capital markets issues. The topics are in line with those covered by the Financial Working Group, which was established last year and has held four meetings so far. The fourth meeting, which was held in April in Washington DC, also focused on monetary policies of the two countries and financial stability, according to an official Chinese statement at the time. "The China-US Financial Working Group is part of arrangements made to enhance communication in line with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. Specific topics for discussions depend on the prevailing economic and financial situation, as well as the concerns of the two sides," Zhao Xijun, co-president of the China Capital Market Research Institute at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Thursday. The fifth meeting comes as global markets are becoming increasingly concerned over the US economy. Recent disappointing economic indicators from the US, including the country's unemployment rate, which rose to 4.3 percent in July, the highest since 2021, have rattled global markets. And some expect a slowdown and even a potential recession in the US economy. Against such a backdrop, the US' focus on financial stability is within expectations, experts said. Notably, US Assistant Secretary of Treasury for International Finance Brent Neiman, who co-leads the group with his Chinese counterpart, said the US intended for the meeting to include conversations on "concrete steps we can take to improve communication in the event of financial stress." While talks and potential policy coordination between the two countries are in the interests of both sides as well as the global economy, the US' sincerity in effectively addressing differences and stabilizing bilateral ties through talks remain in question, given Washington's hostility toward China, experts said. "The US is pursuing talks with China due to domestic political and economic pressures, but it is not abandoning its long-term goal of containing China," He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times. "We need to understand this and work to further stabilize bilateral ties." China's firm stance With regard to the US' two-faced approach toward China, Chinese officials have clearly stated China's firm stance, in that it will firmly counter Washington's illegal crackdown measures, while remain open to dialogue. China has reiterated such a stance at various occasions. During a meeting of the China-US Economic Working Group, which was also set up last year along with the Financial Working Group, in April, the Chinese side expressed concerns over the US' economic and trade restrictions against China and responded to claims of production capacity, the Ministry of Finance said at the time. However, despite China's repeated opposition, Washington has continued to escalate its crackdown campaign against China. Since the meeting in April, the US in May announced additional tariffs on a wide range of Chinese products, including electric vehicles. The US also reportedly planned to announce new restrictions on exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment from foreign countries to Chinese chip makers, media reported. Responding to the reported plans, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on July 31 slammed the US for continuing to politicize trade and tech issues, tie them to national security and use them as a weapon to tighten control over chip export to China. "Let me stress that containing and going after China will not stop China's development, but will only make China even more determined and capable in boosting our own strength in technology and innovation," Lin said at a regular press briefing. During the reported meeting in Shanghai, Chinese officials are also expected to reiterate China's firm stance and brief their US counterparts about China's reform and opening-up agenda outlined by the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, experts said. "We have drawn up the direction and goals of our economic and social development. These goals include further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization," Zhao said, noting that China will continue to help the international community understand its determination and confidence in its reform and opening-up and the new opportunities it will bring. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Vietnam's To Lam to visit China in first overseas trip as party chief Global Times First overseas trip underscores importance of bilateral ties, enduring friendship By Liu Xin, Liu Caiyu and Zhao Shuang Published: Aug 15, 2024 11:20 PM Vietnam's top leader To Lam will make a three-day state visit to China starting Sunday, his first overseas trip since becoming the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee. Analysts said the trip shows a continuation of the close relationship between the two countries as developing long-term, stable and sound Vietnam-China relations has always been the strategic choice and top priority of the CPV and the Vietnamese government. At the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam will pay a state visit to China from August 18 to 20, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Thursday. Lam was elected General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee on August 3, following the passing of former General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 19. Analysts said that Lam's visit to China underscored the unique and strategic significance of China-Vietnam relations, highlighting that cooperation with China is a top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy in the post-Trong era. President Xi will meet Lam during his visit to China. Premier Li Qiang, Chairman Zhao Leji of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and Chairman Wang Huning of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, will meet with Lam respectively, the spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. China and Vietnam are working intensively to implement the outcomes achieved during Xi's historic visit to Vietnam at the end of last year, the spokesperson said, adding that efforts to build the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance have had a good start, said the spokesperson. Noting that China is the first country that Lam will visit after becoming the general secretary of the CPV central committee, the spokesperson said this fully demonstrates the great importance that he attaches to the relations between the two parties and countries. "Through this visit, China looks forward to carrying forward traditional friendship, deepening the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, and working with Vietnam to achieve success on our respective socialist paths toward modernization with distinctive characteristics, jointly advance the global socialist cause, and contribute to regional and global peace, stability and development," said the spokesperson. China-Vietnam relations have a rich and positive legacy. Since the normalization of relations in 1991, Vietnam's leaders have adopted a pragmatic foreign policy toward China, leading to steady progress in the relationship. With Lam taking over, the most important task is to ensure a smooth transition and build on this positive legacy, Feng Chao, director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian Studies in Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times. Maintaining strong ties with China is highly beneficial for Vietnam's industrialization and modernization, especially given the current economic development challenges the country faces, said Feng. By choosing China as Lam's first overseas visit, Vietnam has reaffirmed the significant role China plays in its diplomacy and the enduring friendship between the two parties. The relationship between the CPC and CPV will steer the development of bilateral relations, highlighting that strong party ties continue to be a key feature of the current China-Vietnam relationship, Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at the Guangxi Minzu University, told the Global Times on Thursday. Ge said that Lam is expected to have in-depth discussions with Chinese leaders on further developing relations between the CPC and CPV, with new consensus possibly being made. One of the main goals of Lam's visit to China is to engage in high-level strategic dialogue with Chinese leaders on future cooperation. In addition to reconnecting with old friends, new connections will be established, Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. As both China and Vietnam are socialist countries and led by communist parties, Lam's visit is key to deepening mutual understanding. It also aims to shape the development of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, said Xu. China and Vietnam have maintained high-level interactions in recent years. In December 2023, President Xi paid a state visit to Vietnam, during which Xi and then general secretary of the CPV Central Committee Trong announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Analysts are highly anticipating Lam's visit, which will advance the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. They believe it will not only deliver tangible benefits to both nations but also provide significant certainty, confidence, and momentum for regional development. In addition to economic cooperation, China and Vietnam will also hold discussions covering core issues, particularly maritime issues, said Xu. Balanced diplomacy unchanged The US and some Western countries are closely watching Lam's visit to China. Ge noted that Lam's visit underscores Vietnam's balanced foreign policy, termed "bamboo diplomacy" and honed under the late general secretary Trong, remains unchanged. Despite facing challenges and pressures, Vietnam has effectively integrated into the international community and regional value chains by maintaining a non-aligned stance, said the expert, noting that being committed to an open and inclusive model of international relations, Vietnam aims to enhance its global standing to foster economic development and achieve long-term national goals. "This strategy supports Vietnam's autonomy while contributing to regional and global stability," said Ge. Since becoming president in May, Lam has visited Laos and Cambodia. He also met with Russia's President Vladimir Putin during Putin's visit to Hanoi in June and spoke with him by phone on August 8 after assuming his role as party leader. Amid rising protectionism from Europe and America, Vietnam, like China, faces challenges from the US and Europe's "small yard and high fence" strategy, analysts said. Strengthening cooperation between regional countries and developing countries are crucial for addressing these issues effectively, observers said, calling for more cooperation and exchanges between China and Vietnam. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Analysts: Flood disaster exposes Kim Jong Un's fear of South Korean influence By Young Gyo Kim, Kim Hyungjin August 15, 2024 As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un struggles to cope with devastating floods in his country, his recent brash words have exposed his fear of South Korean influence over his people, analysts in Seoul said. During a visit to a flood-stricken area last week, Kim slammed South Korean news reports about the flooding, claiming media outlets were producing fake news stories about the damage and death toll. Kim accused the South Korean media of spreading false rumors, calling news reports "conspiracy propaganda" and "blasphemy" from "the country of waste." The South's media had reported that an estimated 1,500 people were dead or missing after the flooding, citing unnamed South Korean government officials. While Kim often engages in bellicose rhetoric, his direct criticism of South Korean media stood out as rare. His sister, Kim Yo Jong, has often taken the role of verbally attacking the country's southern neighbor. Anxiety over outside influence Some analysts said Kim's denunciation of the South Korean media was spurred by his anxiety over North Koreans' greater access to outside information. Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, told VOA Korean on Tuesday that thanks to modern technology, North Korean people receive information from the outside world more easily today. According to Cho, there are around 34,000 North Korean defectors in South Korea these days. This is a 23.6% increase from the end of 2014, when there were 27,500, data from South Korea's Unification Ministry show. "Many of them manage to talk frequently with their families in North Korea over the phone," Cho said. "The information from South Korea tends to spread faster through the intranet within North Korea, even though the internet connected to the outside world is blocked." North Korean authorities are having more difficulty controlling the flow of information now than they did in the past, Cho added. Nam Sung-wook, professor of North Korean studies at Korea University in Seoul, said the reopening of the North's border with China in the post-COVID-19 era has allowed more information to enter what is often called the "Hermit Kingdom." "Those who live near the Chinese border area should be able to get hold of the foreign news," Nam told VOA Korean in a phone call Tuesday. "They must be upset to find out the regime's incapability in dealing with the disaster, and the regime, on the other hand, is trying to contain such dissatisfaction." South Korea has always been an easy target for the North Korean regime to frame as a source of fake news, Nam said. North Korea would be hesitant to blame China, its longtime benefactor, he said, although it is likely that some North Koreans have heard from the Chinese side across the border along the Yalu River about the flooding, which has affected both countries. Cha Doo-hyun, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, said Kim might fear that his incompetence would be highlighted if he accepted support from South Korea, which made an offer earlier this month that Kim rejected. "For Kim, the news reports of the offers from other countries only underscore that the Kim regime doesn't have enough capacity to handle the situation," Cha told VOA Korean on the phone Tuesday. "And that is what makes Kim Jong Un respond to the South Korean media even more defiantly." Refusal of aid In his speech last week, Kim also stressed that North Korea would "pioneer its own path with its own strength and effort," while admitting that several countries and international institutions had offered to help the North. Kim's remarks suggested that the regime would refuse to accept any support from outside. Lim Eul-chul, associate professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University in Changwon, South Korea, told VOA Korean on the phone Tuesday that Kim is trying to discredit the South Korean media. "Kim Jong Un has already defined a new relationship with South Korea and is seeking an internal unity while escalating animosity toward the South," Lim said. "He cannot receive the humanitarian aid proposed by South Korea in this situation, so I think Kim is using this South Korean media report as an excuse to lower expectations about the humanitarian aid that South Korea was willing to provide." Lim added that Kim is exploiting the natural disaster to more broadly limit South Korean influence among North Korean people. The South Korean government interpreted Kim's remarks about its nation's news media as his attempt to "minimize public sentiment turning against the regime" by pointing fingers outward. North Korea is "shifting the subject of criticism to the outside," Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson at South Korea's Unification Ministry, told a press briefing earlier this month. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Flood Victims in North Phyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang Provinces Arrive in Pyongyang Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Visits Lodging Quarters to Warmly Greet Flood Victims Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- The noble intention and benevolent care of the Workers' Party of Korea, which regards it as a sacred duty and an immutable mode of existence to uphold the people as Heaven and defend them with firm determination, warmly reached first to the minds of all those who suffered misfortune from the grand natural disaster. This boundlessly produces the legend of devotion for the people stirring the whole country. The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un , who devotes all his heart and soul to the security and well-being of the beloved people, braving any hardships and trials, saved thousands of lives from the flood that hit the northwestern part of the country and opened a gigantic plan of dramatic change for recovery from flood damage. And he took an important measure to make sure that the flood victims enjoy state-backed care and benefits in the capital city of Pyongyang without any worry. Under the direct organization of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, a strong step was taken to give an emergency assistance. The April 25 Hostel and the military parade training base in the capital city have been fully provided with education, nursing, upbringing, living, rest, recreation and medical treatment conditions for the preschoolers, schoolchildren and inhabitants from the flood-stricken areas. More than 13 000 of children, schoolchildren, aged persons, the sick and honored disabled soldiers and nursing mothers left the relevant areas by train amid the warm send-off by officials of the Party and power organs and inhabitants in North Phyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces. They arrived in Pyongyang on August 15 and came to the lodging quarters. With excitement and pleasure, the families of flood victims entered the lodging quarters associated with the warm care and sincerity of the great Party Central Committee always devoting its absolute and ardent love to the honorable service for the people. Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visited the lodging quarters to meet the inhabitants from different flood-stricken areas. When he arrived, the flood victims broke into enthusiastic cheers. They raised cheers of emotion at the top of their voices, looking up to the respected Marshal with tears in their eyes, as he came to their lodging quarters despite the fierce heat with the affection of the father who warmly greets his own flesh and blood, after repeatedly showing the great love and benevolence lest all of them should live in gloom. He waved his hand to acknowledge their enthusiastic cheers. The compound was full of emotion, displaying the true feature peculiar to the DPRK where the leader and the people are united with affection and obligation. He was accompanied by senior officials of the C.C., WPK. He made a welcome speech. He expressed thanks to the flood victims from different regions for having trusted and followed the measures taken by the Party and the government as well as his pleasure over the meeting in Pyongyang. Referring to the efforts made by the Party and the government to provide with sincerity the living conditions and environments for old persons, nursing mothers, honored disabled soldiers and children who experienced inconveniences in the afflicted areas near the border and of the northern inland parts of the country, he stressed that the utmost sincerity would be offered to them with the main stress on health and convenience as absolute standard. It is painful that parts of the country and regional people suffered from the unexpected natural disaster, but the great socialist family has been united more firmly in a noble spirit in the face of pain and trials, he said, referring to the steadfast will of the Party and the government to turn the present disaster into a watershed for regional efflorescence and the bright prospect. He warmly wished that all of the flood victims would spend an impressive and significant time in peace and comfort during their stay in the capital city of the motherland, asking those concerned including the officials and employees of the April 25 Hostel and the military parade training base to work hard so that the flood victims could see their remodeled villages with better health and brighter faces. When he finished his welcome speech, all the participants were moved to tears by the ardent feelings of the great father, who has devoted his all to the people, regarding any trouble for them as his pleasure. He warmly waved his hands for a long time toward the flood victims bursting out sobbing with deep gratitude. The flood victims, who came to enjoy a dreamy privilege under the special care and important measure of the Party and the state, expressed boundless gratitude to the respected Marshal Kim Jong Un , in reflection of the unanimous desire of all the inhabitants in the flood-hit areas and the people of the whole country, with tears in their eyes. Kim Jong Un visited a dining room for children. The children unreservedly moved into his arms. Warmly embracing them, he said that they should grow up healthily with good appetite to become happy children adding to the laughter of their families and country. He wished again that all of those flood victims would spend pleasant days in good health, enjoying benefits to their hearts' content without any worries during their stay in Pyongyang. The DPRK people, who set the address of their life under the red flag of the great Workers' Party of Korea subordinating all the state affairs to the people, will enjoy eternal happiness in the great socialist family, without any fear of natural disasters. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Receives Greetings from Russian President Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, received a message of greeting from V. Putin, president of the Russian Federation, on August 13. In the message, the Russian president extended heartfelt congratulations to Kim Jong Un on the occasion of Liberation Day, a holiday of the Korean nation. The message said that the two countries pay tribute to the soldiers of the Red Army and the Korean patriots who fought shoulder to shoulder for Korea's liberation. It also noted that what is important is that the bonds of friendship and mutual assistance consolidated in those days of the grim war still now serves as a reliable basis for the development of good neighborly relations between the two countries. The message expressed belief that to thoroughly implement the agreements reached at the recent talks held in Pyongyang would continue to promote the expansion of the reciprocal cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. This fully conforms to the interests of the two peoples and will contribute to ensuring the regional stability and security, the message said. The Russian president in the message wished Kim Jong Un good health and success and all the citizens of the DPRK happiness and prosperity. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Sends Reply Message to Russian President Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a replay message to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, on August 15. The message said: I express deep thanks to you for your warm congratulations on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of Korea's liberation. On this historic day when our people achieved the national independence and sovereignty and greeted the bright future of rejuvenation, we are reverently recollecting the feats of the fallen fighters of the Soviet Army who participated in the war for liberating Korea and devoted their blood and precious lives to it with a noble sense of mission to the cause of internationalism, together with the Korean revolutionary forerunners. The friendly feelings of the armies and peoples of the two countries forged and deepened in the bloody struggle against the common enemy serve as a strong driving force for developing the traditional DPRK-Russia relations of friendship and cooperation into comprehensive strategic partnership and invincible comradeship and for promoting the building of powerful states in the two countries and the building of a multi-polarized new world. Availing myself of this opportunity, I express firm belief that the strong and brave Russian people will firmly defend the sovereign right and security interests of the state and surely win victory in the sacred war for regional peace and international justice under your energetic leadership. I heartily wish you good health and greater success in your responsible work for the prosperity of the country and the well-being of the people. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Makes Speech Welcoming People Who Have Arrived in Pyongyang from Flood-hit Areas Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, August 16 (KCNA) -- The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un made a speech welcoming the people who have arrived in Pyongyang from the flood-hit areas on August 15. The full text of the speech is as follows: Dear citizens from North Phyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces, Respected residents from several regions, How are you? First of all, I would like to express my thanks to you for trusting in and following the measures adopted by the Party and government. All of you must have taken much trouble coming all the way here. It is my pleasure to be receiving you with a hearty welcome in Pyongyang. And you, students, my beloved children, I welcome you here. To me, it is a great relief that hostels with fairly good conditions can be provided to the elderly, nursing mothers, honoured disabled ex-soldiers and children, who have lived in discomfort in the flood-hit areas along the border lines and the northern inland region of the country. Here, the April 25 Hostel and the base for military parade training are fully prepared to receive you with all sincerity and provide every convenience for you. We will make further efforts to ensure a comfortable living for all of you. We will also pay due attention to working out schedules so that that you can spend a pleasant, memorable time at the tourist attractions and bases for leisure activities in the capital city. The April 25 Hostel, where you will stay starting from today, has been used to accommodate delegates to significant national conferences, and the base for military parade training is specially furnished to provide the conditions and environment necessary for the participating service personnel. Several national events are already slated for the latter half of this year, but we have decided to commit these facilities to the exclusive use of the people from the flood-hit areas. I hope you will feel at home here, enjoying yourselves without any worry. Some of you may be physically unfit to move freely, and some others may experience inconveniences that are beyond their physical abilities. We will do our best to ensure that you live happily doing what you want to do, and in doing so, our absolute criteria will be meticulous attention to your health and comfort. This is an impressive and happy day. Our Party and government are most proud of such days. You are justifiably entitled to such grand welcome and sincere hospitality, and our Party and government are obliged to take full responsibility for the life and health of all the people within the territory of our Republic. This is a mandatory obligation and top priority for our Party and our state. All of you, who are present here, as precious members of our people, have remained faithful to our Party all their lives, working with devotion for the prosperity and development of our state; even when left homeless in the aftermath of an unexpected disaster, you treasured your trust in our Party more than your personal property or houses that had been lost, and your confidence in it remains fundamentally unchanged. In view of the important role you are playing in actively supporting our Party and state, and considering your position as future buttresses of the country, you justly deserve the best possible hospitality and services. I believe that this time, while staying in Pyongyang, you will spend pleasant and memorable days thanks to the utmost sincerity of Pyongyang citizens and their tender care. This time Pyongyang citizens showed heartfelt sincerity and tender solicitude towards the afflicted people by joining our Party and government in their initiatives to remove those people's sufferings as soon as possible. I was deeply moved by the citizens' ennobling spiritual world. At this moment, large numbers of Party members and young people from the capital city are working hard to restore the flood-hit areas, and relief supplies from Pyongyang are continuously being sent to these areas. It is heartbreaking that people in some parts and regions of the country experienced mental pain owing to the unexpected natural disaster, but in the face of the pain and trials our grand socialist family has been rallied more closely and united more firmly with an ennobling feeling. And our confidence in changing today's disaster to a watershed for transforming regions has become more unwavering based on this unity of the whole society. We will transform regions. This is our ideal, and we are capable of turning it into reality. The natural disaster was a stumbling block to our advance, but in these trials we have found another driving force for defending our ideal and bringing it into full bloom. By dint of this force, we will renovate your home villages, workplaces and schools, precious parts of our country, more beautifully and more wonderfully. This time we are not going to confine ourselves to simply rebuilding the afflicted areas, but we will turn them into a model and textbook of regions becoming urbanized, modernized and civilized. Soon the places destroyed by flooding and landslides will become transformed and richer beyond recognition without fail. Therefore, please, all of you, have a good, happy time here without any worry. I hope that the officials and employees of the April 25 Hostel and the base for military parade training, as well as others concerned, will work hard so that these disaster victims can be in a better condition than before, when returning to their dear native places that will be transformed beyond recognition. I entrust these elderly people, mothers and children to the members of the mobile education teams in charge of the teaching and edification of the children, and to the members of the mobile medical teams who are responsible for patient treatment and elderly care. I am in firm belief that these mobile team members will show utmost sincerity and selfless devotion. Availing myself of this opportunity, I would like to extend my thanks once again to you for invariably trusting and supporting our Party. Dear citizens, Comrades, The trust placed in us by our people-this is our biggest and most valuable asset which cannot be compared to any material wealth. I reaffirm that we are ready to go through thick and thin to prove ourselves worthy of the great trust shown by our people, and that we will work with devotion for the good of our great people and faithfully serve them. Today it is a significant holiday, which marks the liberation of our country. I hope that the elderly, women and all others from the flood-hit areas will enjoy this holiday happily and have an unforgettable and significant time while staying in the capital city of their beloved motherland. Thank you. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Germany - PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement Missiles Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov Transmittal No: 24-70 WASHINGTON, August 15, 2024 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Germany of PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $5.0 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Government of Germany has requested to buy up to six hundred (600) PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles (includes ten (10) fly-to-buy missiles). The following non-MDE items will also be included: tools and test equipment; range and test programs; support equipment; associated publications and technical documentation; training equipment; spare and repair parts; new equipment training; transportation; quality assurance team support; U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance, engineering, and logistics support services; systems integration and checkout; field office support; participation in the International Engineering Services Program and Field Surveillance Programs; launcher modification kits; MSE conversion kits; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $5.0 billion. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe. The proposed sale will improve Germany's capability to meet current and future threats and increase the defensive capabilities of its military. It will support Germany's goal of improving national and territorial defense as well as interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces. Germany will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The prime contractor will be Lockheed Martin, located in Dallas, TX. The purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor. Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Germany. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded. All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military-Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TABAR REACHES GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN FOR A TWO DAY VISIT India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 15 AUG 2024 9:01PM by PIB Delhi Indian Navy's frontline stealth frigate, INS Tabar commanded by Capt MR Harish arrived at Gothenburg, Sweden on 14 Aug 24 for a two day visit. India and Sweden share warm bilateral diplomatic relations that span diverse fields, including defence relations. The visit by INS Tabar to Gothenburg, Sweden aims to strengthen these bonds and also explore newer avenues of bolstering the relationship in the maritime domain. INS Tabar is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors and is amongst the earliest stealth frigates of the Indian Navy. The ship is part of the Indian Navy's Western Fleet which is based at Mumbai under the Western Naval Command. Further, the ship during her inbound transit to Gothenburg, Sweden conducted a Maritime Partnership Exercise with the Swedish Navy Ship HMS Munter, involving visual signaling and escort operations. The ship's crew will participate in various bilateral professional interactions with the Swedish Navy. These engagements seek to enhance best practices between the two navies. The Indian Navy remains committed to fostering partnerships with navies across the world. INS Tabar, celebrated the 78th Independence Day in Gothenburg, Sweden. Gp Capt Amit Budhawar, Indian Defence Attache, Stockholm & Capt MR Harish, Commanding Officer, Flagged Off 7.7 kms of run today to commemorate 77 yrs of Indian Independence with participation by 77 Indian Navy & Swedish Armed Forces personnel. ****** VM/SKY (Release ID: 2045739) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rescuing Sahand Frigate major achievement for Iran Navy: Cmdr. IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 15, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Commander of the Iranian Navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani has hailed the recent successful operation to save the Sahand Frigate, which had rolled over in Bandar Abbas while undergoing repairs. Addressing graduates from the Supreme National Defense University and the Army's University of Command and Staff on Thursday, the admiral said the operation to save Sahand last month was a major achievement that provided valuable scientific insights for the Navy in areas such as "logistics, engineering, and technology." The commander further said that foreign companies had estimated that it would take at least two months to rescue Sahand, with no guarantees for the safety of the vessel. However, the Iranian Navy managed to complete the operation within just ten days, without any damage to the ship or incidents, Irani added. "We have crossed certain boundaries in the Navy and are actively working on completing and upgrading our equipment and facilities," he said, noting that these advancements are crucial for maintaining and improving Iran's naval strength. While undergoing repairs on July 7, Sahand lost its balance as water leaked into its tanks. The ship rolled onto its side, with only part of the hull and sonar dome appearing above water. 4353**4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel mounting 'diplomatic pressure' to stave off ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant: Report Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 2:44 AM The Israeli regime is reportedly applying "diplomatic pressure" on the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is seeking arrest warrants against the regime's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its minister of military affairs, Yoav Gallant, on charges of war crimes. Israeli paper Ha'aretz reported the development on Wednesday, citing official sources and legal experts as saying that the regime was mounting the pressure through its allies. At the regime's request, the report said, Tel Aviv-allied countries have written to ICC, saying the Hague-based court lacked "jurisdiction" to rule in the case. The countries that have challenged the ICC's jurisdiction over the issue include the United States, the regime's biggest benefactor, and Germany. Earlier this year, the UK's former government also submitted a legal opinion that the court did not have the jurisdiction to issue the warrants. The country's new Labour government has, however, retracted the challenge. Norway, Ireland, Colombia, Mexico and other countries have, however, offered observations in support of the court's jurisdiction. The judges could issue the warrants within just days of reviewing relevant documents. The regime, though, hopes that the pressures would force them to take weeks to issue the warrants. "It is hard to predict...how these measures will influence the judges' decision," Ha'aretz added. The ICC's Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan made a formal request for the warrants back in May. The accusations facing both Netanyahu and Gallant include "causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict." Khan's request came amid the Israeli regime's October 7-present war against the Gaza Strip that has so far killed at least 39,965 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded another 92,294. Concomitantly with the war, the regime has been enforcing a near-total siege on the coastal sliver, which has reduced the flow of foodstuffs, medicine, electricity, and water into the Palestinian territory into a trickle. Tel Aviv has, nevertheless, described Khan's move as a "historical disgrace." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar Leader Min Aung Hlaing Meets with Wang Yi People's Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Updated: August 14, 2024 23:45 On August 14, 2024 local time, Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing met with Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Nay Pyi Taw. Min Aung Hlaing said, Myanmar and China jointly initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and have always carried out friendly cooperation in accordance with the spirit of the Principles. Myanmar attaches great importance to its relations with China, is committed to developing bilateral friendship, firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is ready to remain forever a friendly neighbor that China can trust. Myanmar looks forward to advancing Belt and Road cooperationawith China and strengthening cooperation in economy, trade, infrastructure, agriculture, energy and other fields to benefit the two peoples. Min Aung Hlaing congratulated the Chinese athletes on their excellent performance at the Olympic GamesaParisa2024. Noting that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Myanmar and China, he said, the two sides may jointly hold celebrations to carry forward the traditional friendship and push for greater development of bilateral relations. Min Aung Hlain thanked China for its constructive role in promoting peace talks in northern Myanmar and expressed the hopeathat China willacontinue to support Myanmar in maintaining domestic stability and achieving political reconciliation. Myanmar is also willingato continue to cooperateawith China to jointly crack down on cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, and will never allow any act that undermines China's security and interests. Wang Yi saidathat China and Myanmar are linked by mountains and rivers, and enjoy a deep "pauk-phaw"afriendship. Seventy years ago, leaders of the elder generation of the two countries jointly initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which have been widely recognized by the international community and become basic norms governing international relations as well as fundamental principles of international law. China-Myanmar friendship has withstood the test of history and the evolving international landscape, maintained the momentum of steady development, and setathe goal of building a China-Myanmar community with a shared future. China's friendly policy towardsaMyanmar is foraall the people of Myanmar. Chinaaupholds the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and respects Myanmar's political tradition and the development path chosen by Myanmar in light of its national conditions. China appreciates Myanmar's adherence to the one-China principle and firm support for China on issues concerning China's core interests. Wang Yi pointed outathataChina firmly supports Myanmar in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, committing itself to domestic peace and stability and economic development, and advancing the new Five-Point Road Map withinathe constitutional framework to realize political reconciliation and resume the process of democratic transition at an early date, so as to find a path to long-term peace and stability. As a friendly neighbor, China opposes chaos and conflictsain Myanmar, interference in Myanmar's internal affairs by outside forces, and any words and deeds that attempt to drive a wedge between China and Myanmar and smear China. WangaYi said, China's efforts inafurther deepening reform comprehensively and promoting Chinese modernization will bring new development opportunities to the world, especially its neighbors. China is ready to deepen cooperation with Myanmar in various fields, accelerate the implementation of major projects under the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, properly operate the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline project, help Myanmar improve people's livelihood, and push for more tangible results in the building of the China-Myanmar community with a shared future. WangaYi expressed his hope that Myanmar will earnestly safeguard the safety of Chinese personnel and projects in Myanmar, maintain peace and stability along the China-Myanmar border, step up joint efforts to crack down on cross-border crimes and create a safe environment for bilateral exchanges and cooperation. During his visit to Myanmar, Wang Yi held talks with Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister U Than Swe and met with former Chairman of Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wang Yi Holds Talksawith Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister U Than Swe People's Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Updated: August 14, 2024 23:55 On August 14, 2024 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Myanmar'saDeputy Prime Minister and ForeignaMinister U Than Swe in Nay Pyi Taw. Wang Yi said, for more than 70 years, regardless of the changing international landscape, China and Myanmar have alwaysaupheld the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence that they jointly advocate, setting a fine example of relations between countries of different sizes based on equality and mutual support. China is ready to work with Myanmar to carry forward the "pauk-phaw"afriendship, continue to support and help each other, and jointly push forward the building of a China-Myanmar community with a shared future. Wang Yi saidathat asathe world today is undergoing both transformation and upheaval, China's development contributes to the forces for world peace and strengthens the stabilizing factors. The 20th CPC Central Committee recently held its third plenary session, which clearly stated that China will further deepen reforms comprehensively, build a high-standard socialist market economy, and promote high-quality development and high-standard opening-up. This will provide new opportunities and new momentum for China-Myanmar cooperation. China is ready to deepen Belt and Road cooperation with Myanmar, follow through on the three major global initiatives, and steadily advance the building of a China-Myanmar community with a shared future. The two sides should maintain high-level exchanges and enhance political mutual trust, steadily promote the development of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, and ensure the safe and smooth operation of the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline project, strengthen security cooperation and jointly combat cross-border criminal activities, accelerate cooperation in agriculture and other fields to help Myanmar improve people's livelihoods. Wang Yi said, taking the opportunity ofacelebratingathe 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar next year, the two sides will carry out a series of celebrationaactivities, strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and consolidate public supportafor friendship. U Than Swe said, Myanmar-China relations enjoy a long history andaaadeep "pauk-phaw"afriendship, and the two countries will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year. Myanmar attaches great importance to its relations with China, adheres to the one-China principle and supports the Belt and Road Initiative, the three major global initiatives and the visionaof a community with a shared future for mankind. Myanmar is willingato work with China to engage in closer exchanges at all levels, speed up the construction of major projects withinathe framework of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, deepen cooperation in agriculture, energy, tourism and other fields, and work for more results in building a Myanmar-China community with a shared future, so as to benefit the Myanmar people. U Than Swe said that Myanmar will make all-out efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese project personnel in Myanmar, effectively safeguard security and stability at the Myanmar-China border, and combat cross-border crimes with China. The two sides had an exchange of views on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC). They agreed to deliver on the important common understandings reached at the fourth LMC Leaders' Meeting, realize the goal of building a community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries, work foramore fruitful LMC results, and jointly promote stable development and regional integration. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PH, Singapore push for peaceful resolution of Myanmar conflict Philippine News Agency By Darryl John Esguerra August 15, 2024, 8:27 pm MANILA -- The Philippines and Singapore on Thursday pushed for the peaceful resolution of the continued unrest in their Southeast Asian neighbor Myanmar. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam met in Manila to strengthen bilateral relations. During their meeting, the two leaders also discussed regional issues such as the Myanmar crisis. According to Marcos, he and his Singaporean counterpart, along with the rest of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed that a peaceful resolution is "more urgent now than ever before." "As fellow founding member states of ASEAN, the Philippines and Singapore have discussed and shared our concerns on [the] developments in Myanmar, which had undoubtedly affected both Singaporeans and Filipinos alike," Marcos said after his meeting with Tharman. "We have continued to speak on this in all the ASEAN fora and we have all come to the consensus that a peaceful solution, as prescribed under ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus, is more urgent now than ever before," he added. The five-point consensus serves as ASEAN's guidance in responding to the Myanmar crisis, which calls for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar; exercise of utmost restraint from all parties; a constructive dialogue to seek a peaceful solution; and humanitarian assistance as priorities. The United Nations earlier said human rights situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate and is now "in freefall" three years after the military deposed its elected government. Tharman is in Manila for a three-day visit upon the invitation of Marcos to further strengthen the two countries' over five-decade-old ties. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar's rivals compete to win over young hearts and minds Both sides promote education opportunities after protests against a 2021 coup led to a 90% drop in enrollment. By Kiana Duncan for RFA 2024.08.15 -- Both sides in Myanmar's civil war are trying to win over young people, offering opportunities in education to the third of the population who have faced disruption and disappointment since a 2021 military coup triggered bloody turmoil. Myanmar society, strictly regimented over decades of military rule, went through an unprecedented opening up from 2011, with young people, especially in towns and cities, plugging into the world via social media as civilian politicians looked to a more prosperous, stable future. But the coup shattered those hopes and young people were at the forefront of nationwide protests against the military takeover that the army crushed. Now the junta, struggling with an economy in crisis, is trying to win back the disaffected youth, promising eight new universities across the country to "nurture science and technological human resources," state-run media reported this week. "It is necessary to organize youths to play a crucial role in digital transformation and meeting the sustainable development goals," the junta leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, told an event marking International Youth Day on Aug. 12. Myanmar possesses "a massive workable force of youths" who make up 33% of the population, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Min Aung Hlaing as saying. The new polytechnic universities, to open through 2024 and 2025, would encourage research, "beefing up science, technology and innovation," as well as "nurturing science and technological human resources," the newspaper added. University students across the country boycotted classes after the coup as part of their protest against military rule. The junta later reopened at least 250 universities and training colleges but those institutions had lost 90% of their students by early this year, according to statistics from the junta's education department. With their dreams shattered, and a military regime looking to draft young people into its embattled army, many young people have left the country to places like Thailand, hoping to find work or continue their education. The junta has responded to the exodus with travel restrictions, preventing young people from leaving by air and creating new bureaucratic hurdles for prospective overseas workers and students. 'Nourish the skills' Myanmar's civilian shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, which opposes the junta, says it sees education as key to ending military rule once and for all and fulfilling the dream of a democratic Myanmar. The NUG said on Wednesday it had opened 21 online and in-person universities, in addition to an existing 16 educational institutions it already supported, attracting more than 20,000 students. "The purpose of vocational education is to contribute to the future federal, democratic Myanmar where we would work to nourish the skills of the public," the NUG's deputy minister of education, Sai Khaing Myo Tun, told an online press conference. Colleges have been opened in areas under the control of anti-junta insurgent forces, offering degrees in the social sciences, political science, teacher education, arts and sciences degrees, he said. "Educational access for many students has been improved." Editing by Taejun Kang Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar's old army leader calls on China to help restore stability China's foreign minister expressed displeasure at Myanmar's battles, promised election help. By RFA Burmese 2024.08.15 -- A former military leader of Myanmar, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, has called on China to help Myanmar end internal conflict and stabilize the country, according to China's foreign ministry. The 91-year-old ruled during a period of strict military rule, from 1992 to 2011, when Myanmar was facing the condemnation of Western governments for suppressing democracy and locking up Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. He is rarely seen in public these days. Than Shwe, during a meeting on Wednesday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, praised Beijing's long-term support and said he hoped it would continue "to provide valuable support to help Myanmar prevent external interference and maintain domestic stability," Wang's ministry said. Wang told Than Shwe that China was willing to "support Myanmar in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and support Myanmar in its efforts to achieve domestic political reconciliation within the constitutional framework, smoothly hold national elections, and restart the process of democratic transformation." The two met as Wang visited Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw for talks with the junta leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmar's state-controlled Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported that China had offered to help Myanmar organize an election next year but it did not report Than Shwe's request for help in restoring stability. The Myanmar military, shunned and sanctioned again by Western nations after ousting a government led by Suu Kyi in early 2021, has been able to rely on China for diplomatic, economic and military support. But China has also maintained links with some of the ethnic minority insurgent forces battling the junta, particularly groups operating along its border in northeastern Myanmar's Shan state and it calls on all sides to resolve differences peacefully. This year, China brokered two short-lived ceasefires between the junta insurgent forces as battles affected trade and stability along the border. This month, insurgents in Shan state called on China to press the junta to stop attacks on civilians. Opposition to 'foreign interference' China is one of Myanmar's main foreign investors, in minerals and energy in particular, and some insurgents have promised to protect China's interests. Fighting in central Myanmar's Mandalay region has in recent days come near to oil and natural gas pipelines that run from Myanmar's coast into China. Wang stressed China's displeasure at renewed fighting along the border, and also his opposition to "interference of foreign forces in Myanmar" and actions that "destroy peace and development," his ministry said. He did not specify which foreign interference he referred to but analysts say China is keen to limit the influence in Myanmar of Western countries like the United States, as well as that of India. Wang promised technical support and aid for the junta's promised election, which could be held next year, and a census late this year, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported. "Necessary technological assistance will be provided for Myanmar to conduct the census-taking process," the newspaper reported. "Moreover, essential aid will be given for the election." He also stressed the need for all parties to be represented in the vote, calling in his talks with Min Aung Hlaing for an "all-inclusive election." Political analyst Than Soe Naing told RFA that Than Shwe's request to China for help might be an indication of how desperate the junta was in the face of major battlefield setbacks in recent weeks. "He's asking China to put pressure on the fighting in northern Shan state to maintain the junta leader's power," the analyst said. On Friday, Wang Yi will attend a regional foreign ministers' meeting in Thailand. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Korean president proposes official dialogue channel with North Korea Yoon Suk Yeol also outlined plans to expand North Koreans' 'right of access to information.' By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.08.15 -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol proposed an official dialogue channel with North Korea that can "take up any issue" as tension rises on the Korean Peninsula. In an address marking Liberation Day on Thursday, which celebrates the 1945 end of Japan's colonial rule, Yoon proposed that authorities from both Koreas establish an "Inter-Korean Working Group". "This body could take up any issue, ranging from relieving tensions to economic cooperation, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and disaster and climate-change responses," said Yoon. Yoon said he believed that dialogue and cooperation can bring about substantive progress in inter-Korean relations, urging the North to respond to his proposal. The president also stressed the importance of helping awaken the people of North Korea to the "value of freedom," outlining plans to expand North Koreans' "right of access to information." "Testimonials from numerous North Korean defectors show that our radio and TV broadcasts helped make them aware of the false propaganda and instigations emanating from the North Korean regime," Yoon said. "If more North Koreans come to recognize that unification through freedom is the only way to improve their lives and are convinced that a unified Republic of Korea will embrace them, they will become strong, friendly forces for a freedom-based unification," he said. The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea. Apart from that, Yoon said the South would actively support nongovernmental activities that promote freedom and human rights in North Korea while continuing to try to provide humanitarian aid. "The freedom we enjoy must be extended to the frozen kingdom of the North, where people are deprived of freedom and suffer from poverty and starvation," Yoon said. "Only when a unified free and democratic nation rightfully owned by the people is established across the entire Korean Peninsula will we finally have complete liberation," he added, noting "complete liberation remains an unfinished task" as the Korean Peninsula remains divided. The two Koreas are still technically at war, having signed an armistice, not a peace treaty, when the Korean War ended in 1953. North Korea has recently abandoned calls for reunification and, since the start of the year, its supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, has ordered the government to take several steps to distance the North from the South. It has removed language from state media indicating that Koreans are "one people," ended economic cooperation with the South, and has even torn down a major Pyongyang landmark symbolizing a future reunion. Kim has also publicly threatened to "annihilate" Seoul. In a speech last week, Kim Jong Un called South Korea "trash" while discussing South Korean media reports on the North. Separately, the North's state-run news agency on Tuesday criticized security collaboration among the United States, Japan and South Korea, saying that it would only expose people of Japan and South Korea to the danger of nuclear war. Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vulin, Moscow, August 14, 2024 14 August 2024 16:38 1527-14-08-2024 Mr Vulin, Dear friend, We are glad that you have paid another visit to the Russian Federation. You have a very extensive programme, which reveals the areas of cooperation that are of priority for the government leaders of Russia and Serbia, and the interests of our nations. We should develop our cooperation in all areas. This is particularly relevant when natural relations between the states, which are willing to work together, are under unprecedented attacks from those who seek to ideologise the world politics and subject it to the rules invented by the collective West and aimed to preserve the hegemony. The other day you addressed the audience at the ceremony to unveil a monument to Serbs in the Patriot Park, saying that neither Russia nor Serbia will let the history be forgotten or support those who are ashamed of their legacy. Neither Serbs nor Russians have anything to be ashamed of; we fought together in the Second World War and contributed to the victory over Nazism. Unfortunately, it is like then, almost a century ago, when Adolf Hitler subjugated almost the entire Europe, placed it under arms and decided to capture the Soviet Union under the slogan of "superhuman". He failed. Obviously, those Western European elites that collaborated with Hitler would like to forget this shameful page of their history. Today we see how the Anglo-Saxons have once again united almost the whole of Europe in their declared goal of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia on the battlefield. To this end they have created an overtly Nazi racist Ukrainian regime, by the hands of which they are trying to achieve their goal. I think it is clear to any sober-minded person that these plans are doomed to failure. It is alarming that they are trying again to use Nazi slogans and practices to defeat their competitors, along with the fact that this Nazism, which has so far surfaced in certain EU countries, the Baltic states and partially in Poland, now begins to flourish in Germany where laws rehabilitating Nazi criminals are adopted. We all can feel it. In your interview with RIA Novosti, you mentioned such method as colour revolutions, used by the West to suppress the dissenters. Specifically, you gave the example of October 2000, when such first clear attempt was made in Serbia, with the illegal change of power. Then the West applied the colour revolution tactics in Georgia and Ukraine, with different degrees of success. Now, something of that kind is taking place in Moldova. Quite recently another attempt to do the same was undertaken in Serbia. We have appreciated the firmness of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his team in opposing these attempts and defending the principles that irritate the West, which seeks to undermine President Vucic's line to the unity of the Serbian people in every possible way. The All-Serb Assembly has shown that this is fully in the interests of Serbs in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic' policy towards Kosovo, demanding strict implementation of the UN Security Council resolution that the West disregards and seeks to destroy by indulging the Pristina regime in every way and following its lead at the expense of forgetting and belittling the legitimate interests of Serbs. I cannot but mention that the West is trying to destroy canonical Orthodoxy. The Russian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church jointly with other fraternal churches are active in defending their rights and ideals common for all major world religions, which the West is trying to replace with "neoliberal values." The current global developments that I have tried to describe in brief from Russia's point of view require even greater consolidation of those who stand for the principles of the UN Charter in all their entirety and interconnection, and not selectively, solely in parts necessary to the West for justifying its aggressive policy and promoting mutually advantageous cooperation. We have many plans in our bilateral relations. Attempts are being made to interfere with them. I believe that regular contacts between our leaders, prime ministers and deputy prime ministers, including you, Mr Vulin, as well as relations between our foreign ministries and parliaments, have created and continue to consolidate the solid foundation that meets the interests of our nations. Invitations to visit Russia have been sent to President of the National Assembly of Serbia Ana Brnabic and Foreign Minister of Serbia Marko uric. We will be glad to receive them here. Welcome again. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vulin 14 August 2024 18:29 1528-14-08-2024 On August 14, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vulin met in Moscow. They had a thorough discussion on a wide range of issues concerning bilateral cooperation and further steps to expand the strategic partnership between Russia and Serbia. The parties reaffirmed the mutual interest in maintaining a regular political dialogue and implementing high-potential and mutually beneficial projects. They also noted that the two countries take the same approach to the settlement of the Kosovo problem on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, with close coordination of diplomatic efforts to protect Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and with proper respect for the rights of the Serbian population of Kosovo and Metohija. Both officials underscored the need to curb the Kiev regime's steps to destroy the Russian language, education, mass media, culture and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. They discussed a few current aspects of the situation in the Balkans and agreed that the countries need to continue working together in the interests of strengthening security and stability, and countering any attempts at destructive external interference in regional affairs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dual U.S.-Russian Citizen Sentenced To 12 Years For Treason In Yekaterinburg By RFE/RL's Russian Service August 15, 2024 A Russian court in Yekaterinburg has sentenced dual U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina to 12 years in prison after convicting her of treason for transferring $51 to a Ukrainian aid charity in early 2022. The verdict was rendered on August 15 by Sverdlovsk regional court Judge Andrei Mineyev after prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison term for Karelina, who is also known by her marital surname Khavana. Karelina's lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, said his client admitted making the donation, but planned to appeal the verdict. The verdict came one day after a Moscow court gave a U.S. citizen identified as Joseph Tater a 15-day jail term for "petty hooliganism." Karelina, 33, moved to the United States in 2015, married a U.S. citizen, and received U.S. citizenship in 2021. The U.S. State Department is aware of Karelina's verdict, spokesman Vedant Patel said, adding that Russia "has a track record of...not recognizing their (dual nationals') American citizen status and frankly being uncooperative when it comes to...meeting their obligations under consular conventions." She was arrested in Yekaterinburg in January on suspicion of petty hooliganism. On February 7, however, treason charges were filed against her after investigators learned that on the second day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, she had transferred $51 to Razom, a Ukrainian aid group that helps civilians affected by the war. Patel reiterated that donating to a nonprofit, NGO, or supporting the Ukrainian cause and its people, especially on American soil, is not a crime. Patel also strongly condemn the Kremlin's "escalating domestic repression." Lawyer Mushailov said prosecutors found evidence of the donation on her mobile phone. In February, Razom co-founder Dora Chomiak appealed to the U.S. government to "continue doing everything possible to demand that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin free all those unjustly detained in Russia." Mineyev was the same judge who in July sentenced U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on espionage charges. The Wall Street Journal correspondent was then included in a large prisoner exchange on August 1 that also included RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and several imprisoned Russian dissidents. According to rights groups, nearly 900 Russians have been convicted of treason, espionage, or cooperation with foreign governments since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-karelina-donation- treason-prison/33079852.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pacific Fleet's detachment overcomes Strait of Malacca and enter Singapore Strait 15.08.2024 The Pacific Fleet's detachment made up of the Guards missile cruiser Varyag and frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov has overcome the Strait of Malacca and entered the Singapore Strait. Pacific seamen return from a long-distance mission to their home base making their way through the Asia-Pacific region. After passing the Singapore Strait, a detachment of ships of the Pacific Fleet will conduct a maritime replenishment exercise involving a sea tanker. For reference: A long-distance mission of the Pacific Fleet ships began on 22 January this year. During this time, the Pacific sailors have conducted dozens of training sessions in combat training and organisation of the ships' daily activities at sea. The ships also made business calls at the ports of such countries as Eritrea, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, and Qatar. Press Service of the Eastern Military District NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Eastern MD troops arrive in Mongolia to participate in Selenga 2024 international exercise 15.08.2024 Military trains of the Eastern MD arrived in Mongolia to participate in the joint Selenga 2024 Russian-Mongol exercise. A solemn welcoming ceremony of Russian troops was held at the Bayantumen railway station near Choibalsan. According to the ancient tradition, Russian guests were met with national cuisine. Russian troops removed materiel from the trains when the ceremony was over and marched 30km to the Choibalsan training ground. The preparing phase and the exercises themselves will take place there. An official opening of the Selenga 2024 Russian-Mongol drills will be held at the training ground in Mongolia. Russian and Mongolian servicemen will march on the parade ground in a single formation. There will be trainings to hone skills in tactical operations; days of Russian and Mongolian cultures will be organised during the exercises. A tactical-level operation on searching, blocking and destroying a mock illegal armed formation will be held during the active phase of the exercises. On the 85th anniversary of the Soviet-Mongol victory in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, it is planned to hold a number of official events such as wreath-laying ceremony to the memorial in Choibalsan. The Selenga Russian-Mongol exercises are annually held since 2008. It was tactical exercises with combat shooting till 2011 and was called Darkhan (translation from Mongolian is builder.) In 2011, the exercises were named after the river which starts in Mongolia flowing through the Republic of Buryatia and empties into the Baikal Lake. Since that time, the exercises are focused on counter terrorism. Press Service of the Eastern Military District NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian helicopters undergo combat training in Tajikistan highlands 15.08.2024 Russian crews of the Mi-8MTV5-1 transport and combat helicopters and the Mi-24 attack helicopters of the 201st Air Force Base aviation group practised search and elimination of mock enemy in the mountains of Tajikistan. During the drills conducted as part of the training flights, the crews practised reconnaissance of enemy forces and armour in hard-to-reach highland areas. At low altitudes at the Liaur training ground, the S-8 unguided air-to-surface missiles were launched electronically at a concentration of hardware and manpower of the mock enemy. In addition, the pilots honed piloting skills when passing mountain gorges, summit and rock areas, and landing helicopters on areas up to 3,000 metres above sea level. The 201st military base in Tajikistan is the Russia's largest military facility outside the country. It is located in two cities: Dushanbe and Bokhtar. It includes motorised rifle, tank, artillery, reconnaissance, air defence, nuclear, biological, and chemical protection troops, and signal troops. Press Service of the Central Military District NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Opposes Militarization of Eastern Mediterranean - Foreign Ministry Sputnik News 20240815 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow believes that Turkey's readiness to establish a military base in Northern Cyprus could increase regional conflict risks, and opposes the militarization of the Eastern Mediterranean, Yuri Pilipson, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Fourth European Department, told Sputnik. "We are closely monitoring the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean a this is an important region, especially in terms of ensuring security. We oppose its militarization and any actions that could lead to increased conflict potential," Pilipson said. Russia seeks to assist in finding balanced solutions to the Cyprus problem, the diplomat said. Moscow proceeds from the "necessity of a comprehensive, viable and fair solution to the Cyprus problem within the agreed international legal frameworks established by UN Security Council resolutions, with the mandatory consideration of the legitimate interests and concerns of both communities," Pilipson said. In July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara might build naval bases and other military facilities in Northern Cyprus. Cyprus has been de facto divided into Greek and Turkish territories since 1974. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was declared in 1983 with Ankara's backing. Negotiations on Cypriot reunification have been underway almost from the moment of its partition. The latest round of talks, in the Swiss town of Crans-Montana, collapsed in July 2017. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Several dead as Syrian tribesmen fight US-backed separatists in east Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 7:25 PM Clashes in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr between Arab tribal fighters and US-backed Kurdish-led separatists from the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have left several people dead and others wounded, local media say. The exchanges of gunfire, which continued on Thursday, were among the worst in months in the region along the border with Iraq. The clashes broke out after the US-backed and Kurdish-led SDF separatists detained several leaders and members of the Akidat clan. Locals said SDF militants have killed several tribesmen in the village of al-Dahlah and that the US-backed separatists are seeking an ethnic conflict in eastern Syria. They have recently arrested a number of Arab tribal leaders on spurious allegation of connection with the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. Women in Dayr al-Zawr province, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisal, have also said SDF forces use the females as human shields, and that clashes are taking place between Arab clans and the US-backed Kurdish separatists in vast swathes of land from Diban town to the town of al-Baghouz. The United States and its proxies have accused Arab nomads of being linked to Iran and the resistance front to justify the continued presence of American forces in Syria. Over the past month, the area east of the Euphrates has experienced significant unrest, supported by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Political developments, including elections in Kurdish-controlled areas and potential rapprochement between Damascus and Ankara, have led to armed conflicts in northern Syria, signaling possible shifts in the region's power dynamics. Takfiri elements, previously aligned with Turkey, have lately been attacking Turkish forces in northern Syria. Meanwhile, the Turkish military is targeting SDF positions to disrupt their US-backed plan to establish a separatist statelet in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC adviser martyred following injuries in US-led airstrike in Syria Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 2:20 PM A military adviser of the Aerospace Division of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has been martyred from injuries in a recent airstrike in Syria by the US-led occupation. "Colonel Ahmadreza Afshari, a distinguished officer and adviser in the IRGC Aerospace Division, was martyred in Syria due to injuries sustained during an airstrike," IRGC Chief Commander Major General Hossein Salami wrote in a message of condolence on Thursday. Afshari was seriously wounded in the airstrike by the "aggressive" occupation forces between July 22 and August 5 in Syria, Gen. Salami said. He was transported to Iran for medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries on Thursday, the IRGC chief commander added. "I extend my congratulations and condolences on the martyrdom of this honorable soldier. I ask the Almighty God to elevate this dear martyr to the highest ranks and grant him companionship with the martyrs of Karbala," Gen. Salami said. Iran maintains an advisory mission in Syria at the request of Damascus to help the war-torn Arab country defeat the foreign-backed militants who have been fighting the democratically-elected government since 2011. Israel and the United States frequently target military positions inside Syria, especially those of resistance fighters, who have played a key role in helping the Syrian army in its fight against foreign-backed terrorists. Their attacks on Syria's civilian and military infrastructure have grown in intensity since Israel ignited its bloody war machine in the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan's military releases footage of under-development suicide drone ROC Central News Agency 08/15/2024 09:17 PM Taipei, Aug. 15 (CNA) Taiwan's military on Thursday released rare footage of an under-development suicide drone. The clip released by the defense ministry-run Military News Agency shows a quadcopter, or quadrotor, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operated by a soldier via remote control destroying a car and a ship by crashing into them. A voiceover accompanying the footage states: "The armed forces are actively working closely with domestic and international partners to develop small UAVs to meet the nation's defensive needs." "Via military exercises, these UAVs are being tested to prove their excellent capabilities and the results of training," the narrator says, adding that "in the future, [the armed forces] will be working with domestic UAV supply chain to construct reliable defensive capabilities [for the nation]." "At the same time, military unit/units to be equipped with these experimental weapon systems will be formed to beef up the nation's asymmetrical warfare capabilities," the narrator says, without elaborating. A source told CNA that the suicide drone shown in the video footage is still under development by Taiwan's Navy and has not been officially commissioned. The 30-second clip of the suicide drone is part of over seven minutes of footage that the Military News Agency filmed on several rounds of live-fire exercises testing the precision shooting capabilities of its missiles and rockets conducted this April. (By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ASG NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Harris to continue Biden's Taiwan policy if elected: U.S. congresswomen ROC Central News Agency 08/15/2024 06:35 PM Taipei, Aug. 15 (CNA) A group of visiting Democratic Party congresswomen told CNA on Thursday that United States Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to continue President Joe Biden's foreign policy regarding Taiwan if she wins the presidency later this year. House member Jill Tokuda said she believes the future Harris administration "will be a continuation of the good work that has been built in Asia," when asked by CNA about the policy of Biden's potential successor toward Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region as a whole. "It's understanding the shared past that we've had together, and those are struggles and challenges as well as opportunities that we have been through," Tokuda said. "And so she [Harris] will bring to the table, more than anyone else, a preexisting relationship, an understanding, a connection that we, quite frankly, are going to need," she added. The U.S. is expected to continue to serve as an ally in the Indo-Pacific if Harris wins the presidency, she said. Tokuda continued that Harris has managed the trilateral cooperation between the U.S., the Philippines and Japan during her time as vice president. The only way we will be able to prevent aggressive action is if we continue to build upon those trilateral conversations, whether it be with Korea and Japan, or with the Philippines and Japan, she said. She said she is optimistic that the future U.S. leadership will build and continue what has been "extremely good work in the Indo Pacific," because "should the PRC [People's Republic of China] try to do anything, they need to know Taiwan will stand up and defend itself. You are not alone." Marilyn Strickland, a U.S. House Committee on Armed Services member, said the Biden-Harris administration has been rebuilding Barack Obama's "pivot to Asia" policy. She said Harris would continue to "reiterate that dedication." "We know that a big part of the global economy is here in the Indo-Pacific region, one of the fastest growing places in the world, with economic growth, a growing middle class," she said. Both congresswomen were taking part in a five-day visit to Taiwan from Sunday until Thursday. They were joined by two other House members, Julia Brownley and Jasmine Crockett. During the trip, they met President Lai Ching-te (), Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim () and other government officials and NGO representatives. Asked about the significance of a Democratic Party delegation comprising only women, Strickland said, "We [women] benefit the most from democratic society because democratic societies believe in civil rights, human rights, women's rights, worker's rights, environmental protections, reproductive rights, and women stand to lose the most if democracy crumbles, and we stand to gain the most if we maintain and make them stronger." Brownley said they are in Taiwan to "celebrate Taiwan and its gender equity." She also lauded Taiwan for having elected a woman as president and for having a higher ratio of women in the legislature than the U.S. Crockett, meanwhile, said that although many countries may look up to the U.S., her country actually has something to learn from Taiwan. "This is an opportunity for the United States to look to Taiwan because we've never elected a female president," Crockett said. "And for those that may have angst or questions about, what does that mean for a woman to lead a country? Well, we already know what it can mean for a woman to lead the country," she said, referring to former President Tsai Ing-wen () who led Taiwan from May 2016 to May 2024. A Democratic Party delegation is also meant to reassure people in Taiwan that supporting Taiwan is a bipartisan consensus in Washington D.C., she said, a nod to the fact similar trips tend to mainly involve Republicans. "We understand the coercion and the pressure that they are currently under. We know that the PRC is continuously encroaching upon Taiwan. We get it, but we want it to be here and make sure that the people of Taiwan are assured that it's not just the president, it's not just the vice president, it's not just Nancy Pelosi," she said. Asked about their major takeaways from the Taiwan tour, Brownley told CNA that they heard about Taiwan's whole-of-society deterrence initiative, which includes building a strong healthcare system, and boosting national security and economic deterrence, from local political and civil leaders. "All of these issues are so very important. And looking at it in a holistic way, I think, is very, very powerful, and is very important, and I think a concept that we can take home to the United States as well." (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MAC criticizes China's claim of uncovering over 1,000 Taiwanese spy cases ROC Central News Agency 08/15/2024 09:55 PM Taipei, Aug. 15 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday that China's claim of detecting more than 1,000 cases of espionage by Taiwanese spies was a means of achieving "goals" set by high-level Chinese authorities. If the Chinese authorities' claim is not a boast, then it suggests that they are abusing their power to detain people, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh () said at a press conference. He was referring to an article published Tuesday on the social media account of China's Ministry of State Security, which said that its authorities had "uncovered more than 1,000 cases of espionage by Taiwanese spies," without providing any details. A large number of espionage networks established by Taiwanese spies in China have been destroyed, while "Taiwan independence leaders" such as Yang Chih-yuan () have being arrested, dealing a "severe blow and strong deterrence" to Taiwan independence forces, according to the article titled "Resolutely Fight against Taiwan-related Separatism and Espionage." Yang, one of the founders of the Taiwanese National Party, was the first Taiwanese to be prosecuted and arrested for the crime of "secession" in China and has been in custody there since August 2022. On Thursday, Liang said the approach taken by the Chinese Communist Party over the years has been very simple, with the high-level authorities setting certain targets, and the subordinates working to achieve those "goals." "Historically, whether it's the Anti-Rightist Campaign, the Cultural Revolution, the Great Leap Forward, or others, it has always been the same [approach]," Liang added. Regarding Yang's arrest, Liang said the MAC has been in contact with his family and now has "a better understanding of his current situation" but cannot disclose any detailed information, as it has to respect his family's wishes. Liang said Yang's political stance has often been fluid, aligning sometimes with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and at other times with the opposition Kuomintang, which means it is difficult to categorize his views. "Before his arrest, he was teaching Go in China and participating in some Go competitions," Liang said. "It is quite absurd that someone like him can be labeled as a leading advocate of Taiwan independence, just to achieve those [Chinese] 'goals.'" (By Sunny Lai) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC Ministry of National Defense 2024/08/15 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Date 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Wednesday to Thursday, Aug. 14-15 PLA activities 6 PLA aircraft, and 11 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "We will continue our efforts until terror is no more a source of threat to our country" Presidency of The Republic of Turkey 15.08.2024 Speaking at the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy Graduation Ceremony, President ErdoAYan said: "We will continue our efforts with determination until terror is no more a source of threat to our country." President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan made a speech at the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy Graduation Ceremony in Ankara. Underscoring that the most important reason for TArkiye being capable of displaying a bold and conscientious stance all around the world today is the achievements it has made in the area of defense over the past 22 years, President ErdoAYan stressed that historic gains have been achieved in the fight against the separatist terrorist organization employed to cause trouble to the Turkish nation for 40 years. Noting that most recently, a red-category murderer was brought to account for all the blood he had shed, President ErdoAYan said: "Backing down on this issue is out of the question. We will continue our efforts with determination until terror is no more a source of threat to our country. We have nothing to do with anyone that obeys rules and laws, but we will show no mercy to those who deviate from the law or consider themselves to be superior to the state or public authority." Pointing out that the they will not tolerate those who threaten citizens' lives, properties, dignity and peace, President ErdoAYan said: "We will give no respite to them, be them mafia, gangs, human traffickers, terrorists, or city bandits." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address August 15, 2024 By Jim Garamone, DOD News U.S., Ukraine Leaders Discuss Current Situation in Russia-Ukraine War U.S. and Ukrainian defense leaders discussed the attack on the Russian province of Kursk as well as the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh today. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov yesterday "trying to get a better understanding of their objectives," Singh said. "It's something we're continuing to engage on [and] going to continue to monitor." The current offensive towards Kursk does not change what weapons the coalition supporting Ukraine is providing the embattled nation, she said. She noted that weapons provided to the Ukrainian armed forces have changed since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Singh said the Ukraine Defense Contact Group a a coalition of more than 50 nations a began sending basic anti-armor and anti-aircraft weaponry to Ukraine. That has morphed as the war continued and changed with Ukrainian pilots now flying F-16s, Ukrainian infantrymen receiving sophisticated training, Ukrainian tankers driving German Leopard and U.S. Abrams tanks and more. "You've seen us modify and give different capabilities over time, and we reserve that right [to] continue to do that," Singh said. There is some indication that the Ukrainian attack in Russia is drawing Russian forces away from Russian efforts in the Eastern provinces of Ukraine, she said. There are early reports of some movement of Russian units being directed towards Kursk, Singh said. She had no comment on the number of units or their possible objectives. "We have seen some Russian units be redirected from operations in Ukraine," she said. U.S. officials believe the Ukrainians have been effective on the battlefield and are pushing Russian forces back from areas they captured. The United States is worried about escalation between Russia and Ukraine, Singh said, "that's something that the administration is always weighing, but you have to remember what Ukraine has been able to do. ... They've been very successful at being able to take back their sovereign territory, and they still continue to do it." The war in Ukraine could end in a day if Russian President Vladimir Putin withdrew his troops, but Ukraine is prepared to continue the fight. "What I will tell you is ... that our commitment is with Ukraine for the long haul," she said. In the Middle East, U.S. deterrence forces continue to arrive, Singh said. Austin ordered F-22 Raptor aircraft to the region and ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to accelerate its arrival in U.S. Central Command. The secretary also ordered more U.S. naval vessels to the waters off Israel. "The U.S. government also remains very focused on cease-fire as part of [an effort] to bring all hostages home and to end the war in Gaza," she said. A cease-fire in Gaza would serve to help de-escalate the situation in the region. Iran and Iranian-backed groups have threatened to attack Israel, and Singh said the Iranians would do well to look at what happened in April when Iran and its proxies launched drones and missiles at Israel. "Iran did attack Israel, but I'll remind you, we shot out of the sky 90% of what they threw at Israel," she said. "That was an incredibly intricate operation with the Israeli military, our military and our allies in the region." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine, Russia equally claim advances on battlefield in Kursk region Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 5:00 PM Ukraine and Russia equally claim to have made advances in Russia's volatile region of Kursk, more than a week after Kiev launched a cross-border attack into Russia's soil for the first time. Kiev on Thursday announced that Ukrainian forces had made new advances in their surprise offensive inside the Russian territory, where it claimed that its forces had seized more than a thousand square kilometers. On August 6, Ukrainian forces mounted a surprise invasion into Russian territory in what was described as Kiev's biggest attack on Russia's soil since the Ukraine war started in February 2022. The surprise attack is also the biggest one launched by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II. Kiev claimed that it had already taken the control of dozens of settlements and Sudzha, a town eight kilometers from the common border separating Ukraine and Russia. Oleksandr Syrski, head of the Ukrainian armed forces, said Ukrainian forces advanced 35 kilometers into Russia's Kursk region and set up an administration office "to maintain law and order and meet the priority needs of the population in the controlled territories." "We have taken control of 1,150 square kilometers of territory and 82 settlements," said the top military commander, whose troops broke months of setbacks for the Ukrainian army last week by launching the landmark cross-border attack, which triggered the evacuation of tens of thousands. The claim by Ukraine came as Russia also said that its forces had managed to take back a first village from Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region on Thursday, announcing that it was sending "additional forces" to the neighboring Belgorod region. Moscow has already deployed reinforcement in the region. Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the army had "completed destruction of the enemy and restored control of the settlement of Krupets." Major General Apti Alaudinov, commander of Chechnya's Akhmat Special Forces, told Russia's state news agency RIA on Wednesday that Russian forces had regained control of the settlement of Martynovka in Kursk region. He added that Ukrainian forces did not have complete control of the town of Sudzha in Kursk region either. The town is home to a pipeline that continues transporting Russian natural gas to Europe despite the ongoing hostilities. Separately on Wednesday, Alaudinov shared a video on his Telegram channel, claiming that Ukraine had deployed between 11,600 and 11,900 soldiers in Kursk region. Ukraine has "thrown all of its resources that were more or less operational into the furnace where they won't escape anymore," he said. The Russian military says it has already taken measures to prevent attacks on neighboring regions, particularly Belgorod. Since the onset of Russia's military campaign in Donbas in February 2022, the West has flooded Ukraine with an overwhelming supply of Western weapons and ammunition to help strengthen the Kiev forces against Russian troops. Despite the all-out support for Kiev by the US-led Western countries, the former Soviet republic has failed to gain any militarily-significant objectives in the West's proxy war against Russia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia forces out invading Ukrainian forces from Martynovka in Kursk region: Chechen commander Iran Press TV Thursday, 15 August 2024 11:01 AM Russian troops have managed to recapture Martynovka in Kursk region from invading Ukrainian forces, a commander says, a week after Kiev launched a cross-border attack into Russia's soil for the first time. In an interview with Russia's state news agency RIA on Wednesday, Major General Apti Alaudinov, commander of Chechnya's Akhmat Special Forces, said that Russian forces had regained control of the settlement of Martynovka in Kursk region. He added that Ukrainian forces did not have complete control of the town of Sudzha in Kursk region either. The town is home to a pipeline that continues transporting Russian natural gas to Europe despite the ongoing hostilities. "The enemy is all around and in some parts of the city. Active clashes happen there each day. The enemy can't claim full control of Sudzha because, in reality, it doesn't have it," Alaudinov further said. Separately on Wednesday, Alaudinov shared a video on his Telegram channel, claiming that Ukraine had deployed between 11,600 and 11,900 soldiers in Kursk region. Ukraine has "thrown all of its resources that were more or less operational into the furnace where they won't escape anymore," Alaudinov said. On August 6, Ukrainian forces mounted a surprise invasion into Russian territory in what was described as Kiev's biggest attack on Russia's soil since the Ukraine war started in February 2022. In the attack, Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Russia and launched an incursion into Kursk region, capturing several villages. However, their advance deep into Russian territory has been halted by Russian armed forces. Since Russia launched its military campaign in Donbas in February 2022, the West has flooded Ukraine with an overwhelming supply of Western weapons and ammunition to help strengthen the Kiev forces against Russian troops. Despite the all-out support for Kiev by the US-led Western countries, the former Soviet republic has failed to gain any militarily-significant objectives in the West's proxy war against Russia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Claims Full Control Of Sudzha, Sets Up Military Command By Current Time and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 15, 2024 Ukrainian forces have taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on August 15, adding that the Ukrainian military is setting up a command office there. Sudzha is the administrative center for the border area of the Kursk region and is larger than any of the other small towns or settlements that Ukraine says its forces have taken since launching a cross-border incursion on August 6. Zelenskiy didn't elaborate on what functions the command office might handle, although he said earlier that Ukraine would be distributing humanitarian aid to Sudzha residents in need. An informed source within the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) told RFE/RL on August 15 that Ukraine had captured 102 Russian soldiers in the Kursk region, one of numerous competing claims by both sides about the fighting in the western Russian region. "This is the result of a special operation carried out by soldiers of...the SBU," the source said about the operation the previous day. A Telegram channel connected to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that "more than 100 Russians" had surrendered on August 14 after having been "abandoned by their commanders." It was unclear whether it was the same group of Russian soldiers. Ukraine's top military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, announced that a military commandant's office had been created for the parts of the Kursk region controlled by Ukrainian forces. The office has been charged with assuring order and the safety of civilians. Syrskiy also said Ukraine now controls 82 settlements in the region and about 1,150 square kilometers of territory. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had regained control of the Kursk region settlement of Krupets. It was Moscow's first claim to have retaken a settlement since the Ukrainian incursion began on August 6. The ministry added that "the enemy has been eliminated" in the area and that Russian forces had "thwarted" Ukraine's advances. Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes in three Ukrainian regions killed five civilians. Two people were killed in an air attack in the northeastern Kharkiv region and one person died in an artillery strike in Donetsk in the east, local officials said. One person was killed in a drone attack and another died in a hospital from injuries sustained in an earlier strike in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, authorities said. Neither side's battlefield claims could be independently verified. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov met in Moscow with military officials, members of the presidential administration, and the governors of the three western Russian regions most directly affected by the Ukrainian incursion. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss additional measures to ensure "the integrity and inviolability of the territory and protecting the population and infrastructure" of the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions, a ministry statement said. Kursk region officials earlier in the day ordered the mandatory evacuation of civilians from the entire Glushkov district situated along the border with Ukraine. The Glushkov district is also near the region's Sudzha district, which has been the scene of the most intense fighting since Ukraine launched its military incursion into Russian territory. Its prewar population was about 20,000 people. Announcing the move, acting Kursk region Governor Aleksei Smirnov called on locals to "treat the current situation with understanding and follow all recommendations of security agencies and local authorities" in a post on Telegram.Amid the fighting, authorities in Ukraine on August 14 voiced concern about the humanitarian situation in Kursk and announced efforts to assist displaced Russians, including those who wish to evacuate to Ukraine. "Ukraine complies with all norms of international humanitarian law," the Reintegration Ministry wrote on Facebook. "We will provide the civilians of the Kursk region with the necessary protection and humanitarian support." Russia has declared a federal state of emergency for the Kursk region and a regional state of emergency for the neighboring Belgorod region. Moscow has also proclaimed an "anti-terrorism operation" in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions. Ukraine's military reported on August 15 that Russia had targeted at least nine regions of the country with missile and drone attacks overnight, most of them launched from air bases inside Russia, saying that 29 drones were reported "destroyed." Late on August 14, Ukraine's military confirmed that it had launched drone strikes targeting four airfields in Russia's Voronezh, Kursk, and Nizhny Novgorod regions and had caused heavy damage. Earlier, a source in the Ukrainian security agency told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that it was the largest attack on Russian airfields since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-kursk-evacuations- humanitarian/33079550.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Defence Minister holds meetings on security issues of border regions of Russian Federation 15.08.2024 Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Andrei Belousov held a regular meeting on ensuring the security of the population and infrastructure in the border areas of the country in Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions. During the meeting today, additional measures were discussed to ensure the integrity and security of the territory, as well as to protect the population and infrastructure in Belgorod region from AFU attacks. 'We plan to hear a concrete action plan prepared by the General Staff on additional measures. We talk about, first of all, improving the effectiveness of the military command and control system in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies and administration of Belgorod region, defining responsible officials, and providing additional forces and facilities that are to be deployed to carry out basic tasks,' stressed the Russian Defence Minister. Andrei Belousov noted that he is going to supervise the implementation of the presented plan personally. The meeting was attended by Governor of Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov, deputy ministers of defence of the Russian Federation Lieutenant General Andrei Bulyga and Aleksei Krivoruchko as well as representatives of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Defence Ministry report on repelling an invasion attempt of the AFU on the territory of the Russian Federation (15 August 2024) 15.08.2024 The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to repel the AFU attempt to invade the territory of the Russian Federation. The Sever Group's intensive operations, air and artillery strikes have repelled an attack launched by assault detachments of the 115th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU in the direction of Kremyanoye. Russian troops have repelled further enemy attacks by hitting concentration areas of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade south of Kremyanoye and of the 80th Air Assault Brigade west of Russkaya Konopelka. The enemy losses were up to 90 servicemen, five U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and six armoured fighting vehicles. Russian troops have routed the enemy units and restored the control over Krupets. Army Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles and artillery have foiled attempts of mobile enemy groups to break through to the Russian territory close to Varvarovka, Safonovka, Sheptukhovka, Kauchuk, Alekseyevskoye, and Matveyevka. Russian units have hit manpower and hardware clusters of the 22nd, 61st mechanised, 92nd assault brigades, 95th Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 1st National Guard Brigade, and the 129th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Olgovka, Snagost, Pogrebki, Mirnoye, Zaoleshenka, Uspenovka, and Yuzhnoye. Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system have destroyed a convoy of 15 fuel supply vehicles close to Lubny (Sumy region). Operational-Tactical Aviation have attacked AFU reserves, ammunition and supply depots close to Yunakovka, Khoteni, and Kondratovka (Sumy region). Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses were more than 340 Ukrainian troops and 19 armoured vehicles, including five Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and 14 armoured fighting vehicles as well as eight motor vehicles, five field artillery guns, two Anklav-N and Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations. Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the enemy lost up to 2,640 Ukrainian troops, 37 tanks, 32 armoured personnel carriers, 23 infantry fighting vehicles, 206 armoured fighting vehicles, 96 motor vehicles, four air defence systems, three MLRS launchers, 20 field artillery guns, and three electronic warfare stations. The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Loses Up to 650 Soldiers in Fights With Russia's Battlegroup Yug - MoD Sputnik News 20240815 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine lost up to 650 personnel in the area of operations of Russia's Battlegroup Yug in the past 24 hours, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Thursday. "The enemy lost up to 650 soldiers, two armored combat vehicles, five vehicles, a 152-mm D-20 cannon, three 152-mm Msta-B howitzers, two US-made 105-mm M119 guns," the ministry said. Kiev lost up to 470 soldiers in battles with Battlegroup Zapad and 470 fighters in battles with Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr, the ministry added. Russian troops also liberated the Ivanovka settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the ministry said. Russia's Battlegroup Vostok repelled two Ukrainian attacks, and Kiev lost up to 105 soldiers, the MoD concluded. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine seizes town in Russia's Kursk region By VOA News August 15, 2024 Ukraine said Thursday its military has taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, the largest town Ukraine has seized so far in its incursion into Russian territory. In a statement posted to his official account on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was informed by Ukrainian military Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi of the "successful liberation" of Sudzha from Russian forces. "A Ukrainian military commandant's office is being established there," Zelenskyy added. He said more than 80 Russian settlements have been "liberated," and an area of 1,150 square kilometers seized so far during the 10-day Ukrainian incursion. Sudzha is about 9.6 kilometers inside Russia from the Ukraine border and had a pre-war population of about 5,000 people. It is the site of the Russian pipeline infrastructure in which gas flows for distribution to Europe. There were no reports of any interruption of gas deliveries into Europe since the town was seized. Russia did not immediately respond to Zelenskyy's statement, but its defense ministry said earlier Thursday that Russian forces had blocked Ukrainian attempts to take several other communities. In an exclusive interview with British newspaper The Independent, top Zelenskyy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the incursion is being seen as a "psychological" tactic to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and end the war. Podolyak said Ukraine believes "inflicting significant tactical defeats on Russia, in addition to economic and diplomatic tools," are needed to coerce Russia to negotiate. Analysts had also suggested the incursion was designed to draw Russian troops away from front-line conflicts. During a telephone briefing with reporters on Thursday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. had observed some Russian units being redirected from operations in and around Ukraine to the Kursk area, but he stressed that those were merely early reports. Kirby added that he was not in the position to speak for Ukrainian military operations or for what Ukraine's intent or ultimate objective might be. Russian officials Wednesday announced the evacuation of 20,000 more people, as Ukrainian troops continued their push into the Kursk region. Kursk Acting Governor Alexei Smirnov said on the Telegram messaging app that police and other authorities would coordinate the evacuation of the Glushkov district, which borders Ukraine. Russia has evacuated nearly 200,000 people since Ukraine launched its cross-border attack August 6. Ukrainian military commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that more than 100 Russian soldiers were taken prisoner. Zelenskyy said they would eventually be traded for Ukrainian prisoners of war. In his nightly address on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said the advance in the Kursk region was going well, and added, "The 'exchange fund' for our state has also been significantly replenished." "It is important that Ukraine fights by the rules, and the humanitarian needs that exist in this area must be met," he added. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the military would open humanitarian corridors so civilians in the Kursk region under Ukrainian control could go elsewhere in Russia or Ukraine. "The more the Russian military presence in the border area is destroyed, the closer peace and real security will be for our country," Zelenskyy said on Tuesday. "The Russian state must be held accountable for what it has done." While Kyiv has said it has no intention of permanently holding the Russian territory, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said Ukraine wants to create a buffer zone to prevent Russian strikes. "The creation of a buffer zone in the Kursk region is a step to protect our border communities from daily hostile shelling," he said. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia evacuates more residents from Kursk region after Ukraine incursion By VOA News August 15, 2024 Russian officials Wednesday announced evacuation of 20,000 more people as Ukrainian troops continued their push into the Kursk region. Acting Governor Alexei Smirnov said on the Telegram messaging app that police and other authorities would coordinate the evacuation of the Glushkov district, which borders Ukraine. Russia has evacuated nearly 200,000 people since Ukraine launched its cross-border attack August 6. Ukrainian military commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi said more than 100 Russian soldiers were taken prisoner, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they would eventually be traded for Ukrainian prisoners of war. "Our advance in the Kursk region is going well today - we are reaching our strategic goal," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Wednesday. "The 'exchange fund' for our state has also been significantly replenished," he said. Ukraine's cross-border invasion advanced 1 to 2 kilometers into the Kursk region since the start of the day and its troops had finished clearing the Russian border town of Sudzha of Moscow's forces, Zelenskyy said. In the first incursion onto Russian soil since World War II, Ukrainian troops have taken control of up to 1,000 square kilometers of land. "It is important that Ukraine fights by the rules, and the humanitarian needs that exist in this area must be met," he added. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereschuk said the military would open humanitarian corridors so civilians in the Kursk region under Ukrainian control could go elsewhere in Russia or Ukraine. "The more the Russian military presence in the border area is destroyed, the closer peace and real security will be for our country," Zelenskyy said Tuesday. "The Russian state must be held accountable for what it has done." While Kyiv has said it has no intention of permanently holding the Russian territory, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said Ukraine wants to create a buffer zone to prevent Russian strikes. "The creation of a buffer zone in the Kursk region is a step to protect our border communities from daily hostile shelling," he said. Material from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters was used in this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 30, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Seritage Growth Properties (Seritage or the Company) (NYSE: SRG), if they purchased the Companys securities between July 7, 2022 and May 10, 2024, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Get Help Seritage investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-srg/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit Seritage and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On August 14, 2023, the Company disclosed a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting due to a deficiency in the design of our control over the identification of impairment indicators for investments in real estate and documentation of evidence of review related to the failure to identify potential indicators of impairment related to development projects in a timely manner. On this news, the price of Seritages shares fell $0.86, or 9.67%, to close at $8.03 per share on August 15, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume. Then, on May 10, 2024, the Company released its 1Q2024 financial results, disclosing that it was adjusting [its] pricing projections for some of [its] assets resulting in the gross value of the Companys portfolio of assets being reduced by at least $325 million. On this news, the price of Seritages shares fell $2.54, or 27.3%, to close at $6.78 per share on May 13, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume. The case is He v. Seritage Growth Properties, et al., 24-cv-05007. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman urges Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now. The firm also encourages persons with knowledge who may assist the investigation to contact its attorneys. Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/SPIR Contact the Firm Now: SPIR@hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895 Investigation Into Spire Global, Inc. (SPIR): The investigation focuses on the propriety of Spires assurances that its financial reports complied with applicable accounting rules and that its internal controls over financial reporting were sufficient. On August 14, 2024, Spire announced that it would not timely file its Q2 quarterly report as previously planned. The company said that it is in the process of reviewing its accounting practices and procedures with respect to revenue recognition related to certain contracts in its Space as a Service business. The company further explained that [t]he re-evaluation relates to the potential existence of embedded leases of identifiable assets in the Contracts and the related recognition of revenue for pre-space mission activities. Spire also said that it may be required to restate previously filed financial statements and the type of contracts being re-evaluated resulted in recognized revenue of approximately $10 million to $15 million. Further, Spire said that, based on preliminary information, it believes it may be in violation of the maximum debt to EBITDA leverage ratio financial covenant under its financing agreement with Blue Torch Finance. The company said it is attempting to secure waivers or amendments to the financing agreement but could give no assurances of success. This news sent the price of Spire shares about 33% lower on August 15, 2024. We are looking into whether Spire Global may have misled investors about financial results and overall health, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. If you invested in Spire Global and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firms investigation, submit your losses now If youd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Spire Global investigation, read more Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Spire Global should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email SPIR@hbsslaw.com. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Bermans team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (EnWave, or the "Company") announced today it will report its financial results for the third quarter ended June 30, 2024 on Thursday, August 22, 2024 after market close. The financial statements and MD&A will be available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Companys website in the late evening Vancouver time. The Company has scheduled a conference call to discuss the results for Q3 2024 and business outlook on Friday, August 23, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time). Brent Charleton, Chief Executive Officer and Dylan Murray, Chief Financial Officer will present EnWaves results and host a question and answer period. Conference Call Details: Date: August 23, 2024 Time: 7:00am PST / 10:00am EST Participant Access: 1-877-407-2988 (toll free number) Webcast: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=U1HS8n1E About EnWave EnWave is a global leader in the innovation and application of vacuum microwave dehydration. From its headquarters in Delta, BC, EnWave has developed a robust intellectual property portfolio, perfected its Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) technology, and transformed an innovative idea into a proven, consistent, and scalable drying solution for the food, pharmaceutical and cannabis industries that vastly outperforms traditional drying methods in efficiency, capacity, product quality, and cost. With more than fifty royalty-generating partners spanning twenty-six countries and five continents, EnWaves licensed partners are creating profitable, never-before-seen snacks and ingredients, improving the quality and consistency of their existing offerings, running leaner and getting to market faster with the companys patented technology, licensed machinery, and expert guidance. EnWaves strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with food producers who want to dry better, faster and more economical than freeze drying, rack drying and air drying, and enjoy the following benefits of producing exciting new products, reaching optimal moisture levels up to seven times faster, and improve product taste, texture, color and nutritional value. Learn more at EnWave.net. EnWave Corporation Mr. Brent Charleton, CFA President and CEO For further information: Brent Charleton, CFA, President and CEO at +1 (778) 378-9616 E-mail: bcharleton@enwave.net Dylan Murray, CPA, CA, CFO at +1 (778) 870-0729 E-mail: dmurray@enwave.net Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management's expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures, and the expected synergies following the closing are forward-looking statements. All third-party claims referred to in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate. All third-party references to market information in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate as the Company did not conduct the original primary research. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Perth, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) is hosting an investor webinar and conference call to discuss its FY24 Results, which are anticipated for release around 8:30am AEST on Wednesday August 28, 2024. CALL DETAILS Australia: Wednesday August 28, 2024 Perth 7:00am Sydney/Melbourne 9:00am Canada: Tuesday August 27, 2024 Vancouver 4:00pm Toronto 7:00pm UK: Wednesday August 28, 2024 London 12:00am Register for the investor webinar at the link below: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_b3eUvn7tRuOhlasH0jpWMw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. To join the webinar via telephone, please use one of the following numbers and enter the Webinar ID: 868 2889 3455 For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location: Location Australia Singapore Canada USA New Zealand United Kingdom Dial in Number +61 8 7150 1149 +61 3 7018 2005 +65 3165 1065 +1 778 907 2071 +1 669 900 9128 +64 9 884 6780 +44 203 901 7895 ASX/TSX CODE: PRU REGISTERED OFFICE: Level 2 437 Roberts Road Subiaco WA 6008 Telephone: +61 8 6144 1700 ABN: 27 106 808 986 WWW.PERSEUSMINING.COM CONTACTS: Jeff Quartermaine Chairman & CEO jeff.quartermaine@perseusmining.com Stephen Forman Investor Relations stephen.forman@perseusmining.com Nathan Ryan Media Relations nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kpuFt3B2Z A recording of the conference call will be made available via Perseuss website at www.perseusmining.com. This announcement was approved for release by Jeff Quartermaine, Chairman and CEO. AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Aug. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sticker Mule, the Internet's most kick-ass brand, is excited to announce the arrival of its new White Label Hot Sauce, allowing customers to customize Sticker Mule's award-winning Mule Sauce with their own branding. To boost the debut of White Label Hot Sauce, Sticker Mule partnered with Internet personality Ricky Berwick. Together, they launched a marketing campaign to promote this major new product. Berwick is a globally recognized social media sensation, celebrated for his creative and hilarious video content that captivates audiences worldwide. "Mule Sauce started as a dare but it's become a sensation with 1 million bottles shipped annually. Now, with white label hot sauce, we're allowing everyone to use our award-winning recipe to promote their business, brand or just have fun," said Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule. Since launching in 2019, Mule Sauce has become a fan-favorite condiment, earning a loyal following with its unique sweet heat and versatility that enhances any dish. Mule Sauce has quickly positioned itself as an everyday hot sauce, rivaling iconic hot sauces like Tabasco, Frank's RedHot, and Sriracha. If youre an influencer, youre an idiot if you dont buy white label mule sauce to grow your brand. Im buying it and selling it because Im not an idiot and because its delicious, said Ricky Berwick. Sticker Mules white label hot sauce is perfect for restaurants, brands, influencers, or as a unique gift. Customers can easily upload their design, and Sticker Mule will prepare an FDA-compliant label. Or, start with a design template and create a label using Sticker Mule's intuitive design tool, Studio . Once the order is placed, customers receive an online proof showing how their hot sauce will look, with free revisions until they are happy. Mule Sauce is featured in every White Label Hot Sauce bottle. Its known for its perfect balance of sweet and spicy, with a three-out-of-five heat intensity. It pairs well with nearly any dish and adds almost zero calories, making it a guilt-free addition to any meal. For more information visit Sticker Mules website. About Sticker Mule Sticker Mule is the best way to buy and sell custom merchandise, including stickers, t-shirts, magnets, buttons, labels, packaging, keychains, temporary tattoos, and an award-winning hot sauce. Founded in 2010, its now powered by 1,200+ people in 30+ countries, with factories in New York, South Carolina and Italy. About Ricky Berwick Berwick is a globally recognized social media sensation, celebrated for his hilarious video content that captivates audiences worldwide. He was born with a physical disability (called Beals-Hecht syndrome) that limits his movements. Ricky embodies the message that disability is not inability, using his creative talents to entertain and inspire through his skits and witty reporting via the Crippled News. The Canadian entertainer has also established himself as an entrepreneur, leveraging platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to build his brand and connect with millions. For media queries, please contact: James Colistra, Director of Public Relations, Sticker Mule Email: press@stickermule.com Luxembourg 16 August 2024 - Subsea7 S.A. (Oslo Brs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced the award of a sizeable(1) contract in the US Gulf of Mexico. The scope of work includes engineering, procurement, construction, and offshore installation of a water injection flowline, hull piping, and associated subsea infrastructure. Project management and engineering work will start immediately at Subsea7s office in Houston, Texas, and offshore activity is expected to begin in 2026. (1) Subsea 7 defines a sizeable contract as being between USD 50 million and USD 150 million. ******************************************************************************* Subsea7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industrys partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs. Subsea7 is listed on the Oslo Brs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62. ******************************************************************************* Contact for investment community enquiries: Katherine Tonks Investor Relations Director Tel +44 20 8210 5568 ir@subsea7.com Contact for media enquiries: Ashley Shearer Communications Manager Tel +17133006792 ashley.shearer@subsea7.com Forward-Looking Statements: This document may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, future, goal, intend, likely may, plan, project, seek, should, strategy will, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the Risk Management section of the Groups Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; (xvii) global availability at scale and commercially viability of suitable alternative vessel fuels; and (xviii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this document. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock exchange release was published by Katherine Tonks, Investor Relations, Subsea7, on 16 August 2024 at 08:15 CET. Attachment New York, United States , Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Advanced Wound Care Market Size is to Grow from USD 10.57 Billion in 2023 to USD 16.70 Billion by 2033, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.68% during the projected period. Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-sample/5437 A wound is defined as any injury or disruption to the cellular, anatomical, and/or functional integrity of living tissue. In technical terms, acute and chronic wounds are distinguished by the period after the first injury and, more importantly, the presence of physiological impairment. Advanced wound care healing films are expected to become more common in the coming years as the worldwide diabetes patient population grows and the prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers rises. Diabetes and obesity are two main factors contributing to the increasing incidence and complexity of wounds, which include ulcerations (such as those on the legs or feet) and chronic wounds. Taking care of these wounds will increase medical costs and necessitate advanced wound therapy. Furthermore, improper wound management, particularly in emerging markets, restricts market growth due to a lack of understanding of complex wound care technological advances. Browse key industry insights spread across 210 pages with 119 Market data tables and figures & charts from the report on the " Global Advanced Wound Care Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (Alginate Dressing, Hydrocolloid Dressings, Foam Silicone Dressings, Bordered Foam Silicone Dressings, Non-Bordered Foam Silicone Dressings, Gelling Fiber Dressings, Collagen Dressings, Transparent Film Dressing, Xeroform (Antimicrobial), Silver Foam Dressing (Antimicrobial)), By Wound Type (Neuropathic, Arterial Ulcer, Venous Ulcer, Perineal Dermatitis, Skin Tear, Pressure Ulcer, Burns), By Point of Care (Hospitals, Homecare, Nursery/Elderly Homes), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023 2033." Buy Now Full Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/checkout/5437 The foam silicone dressings segment accounted for the largest revenue share of the advanced wound care market during the projected timeframe. Based on the product type, the advanced wound care market is divided into alginate dressing, hydrocolloid dressings, foam silicone dressings, bordered foam silicone dressings, non-bordered foam silicone dressings, gelling fiber dressings, collagen dressings, transparent film dressing, xeroform (antimicrobial), and silver foam dressing (antimicrobial). Among these, the foam silicone dressings segment accounted for the largest revenue share of the advanced wound care market during the projected timeframe. The foam silicone dressing affords soft and highly absorbent absorption for moderate drainage wounds of a variety and sizes. Because of an increase in burn cases, various forms of ulcers, open wounds, and surgical cases, there is an increasing demand for foam dressing solutions. The neuropathic segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of the advanced wound care market during the projected timeframe. Based on the wound type, the advanced wound care market is divided into neuropathic, arterial ulcer, venous ulcer, perineal dermatitis, skin tear, pressure ulcer, and burns. Among these, the neuropathic segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of the advanced wound care market during the projected timeframe. The rising number of diabetic foot ulcers, venous pressure ulcers, and other chronic wounds will probably drive market growth. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy causes over 90% of diabetic foot ulcers. Chronically high glucose (blood sugar) levels kill nerves, particularly sensory, motor, and autonomic nerves. Diabetic neuropathy also impairs the immune system, lowering the body's ability to fight infections. The hospitals segment is projected to hold a significant market of the advanced wound care market during the projected timeframe. Based on the point of care, the advanced wound care market is divided into hospitals, homecare, and nursery/elderly homes. Among these, the hospitals segment is projected to hold a significant market share of the advanced wound care market during the projected timeframe. The implementation of dedicated wound clinics staffed by multidisciplinary teams has significantly improved clinical outcomes while minimizing the economic expenses associated with longer hospital stays and readmissions. Wound clinics make the best use of diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic resources, enhancing patients' quality of life and allowing them to return to normal activities faster. This strategic focus on comprehensive wound care solutions in hospital settings underscores their vital role in enhancing treatment standards and driving healthcare industry growth. Inquire Before Buying This Research Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/5437 North America is expected to hold the largest share of the advanced wound care market over the forecast period. North America is expected to hold the largest share of the advanced wound care market over the forecast period. According to our research, the National Center for Chronic Condition Prevention and Health Promotion reported in May 2023 that six out of every ten people in the United States have a chronic disease such as cancer, diabetes, or other conditions. As a result, there is a greater demand for improved wound care procedures. Population growth and an increase in senior citizens create opportunities for key players in the advanced wound care market. Furthermore, this region's advanced wound care market is predicted to grow as healthcare spending increases and recommendations are developed. Asia Pacific is predicted to grow at the fastest pace in the advanced wound care market during the projected timeframe. The Asia Pacific market is expected to grow steadily over the projected period. This is the outcome of increased per capita healthcare spending. Furthermore, market participants in this region make considerable investments, which would drive up demand for better wound treatment products. Furthermore, increased government efforts to raise knowledge about effective wound management are expected to encourage the adoption of these devices. In Europe, the advanced wound care business is expanding rapidly. The large spending income and the presence of trained authorities are also propelling industrial growth. Payment coverage provided by the government or private organizations resulted in greater surgical procedure adoption. Competitive Analysis: The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major vendors in the advanced wound care market are Molnlycke Health Care, Smith & Nephew, ConvaTec Group plc, Coloplast A/S, Cardinal Health, 3M Company, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Hartmann Group, Urgo Medical, Lohmann & Rauscher, and others Key Vendors. Get Discount At @ https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-discount/5437 Recent Developments In March 2024, FibroBiologics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology firm with over 150 issued and pending patents, revealed that it is giving an oral and poster presentation at the Advanced Wound Care Summit USA in Boston, Massachusetts. The company focuses on exploiting fibroblasts and fibroblast-derived materials to identify medicines and potential solutions for chronic diseases. Market Segment This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2033. Spherical Insights has segmented the advanced wound care market based on the below-mentioned segments: Global Advanced Wound Care Market, By Product Type Alginate Dressing Hydrocolloid Dressings Foam Silicone Dressings Bordered Foam Silicone Dressings Non-Bordered Foam Silicone Dressings Gelling Fiber Dressings Collagen Dressings Transparent Film Dressing Xeroform (Antimicrobial) Silver Foam Dressing (Antimicrobial) Global Advanced Wound Care Market, By Wound Type Neuropathic Arterial Ulcer Venous Ulcer Perineal Dermatitis Skin Tear Pressure Ulcer Burns Global Advanced Wound Care Market, By Point Of Care Hospitals Homecare Nursery/Elderly Homes Global Advanced Wound Care Market, By Regional Analysis North America US Canada Mexico Europe Germany UK France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Rest of Asia Pacific South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America Middle East & Africa UAE Saudi Arabia Qatar South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa Browse Related Reports Global Precision Diagnostics Market Size , Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Genetic Tests, Esoteric Tests, and Others), By Application (Oncology, Cardiovascular, Immunology, Neurology, and Others), By End User (Hospitals, Clinical Laboratories, and Homecare), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023 - 2033. 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About the Spherical Insights & Consulting Spherical Insights & Consulting is a market research and consulting firm which provides actionable market research study, quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight especially designed for decision makers and aids ROI. Which is catering to different industry such as financial sectors, industrial sectors, government organizations, universities, non-profits and corporations. The company's mission is to work with businesses to achieve business objectives and maintain strategic improvements. CONTACT US: For More Information on Your Target Market, Please Contact Us Below: Phone: +1 303 800 4326 (the U.S.) Phone: +91 90289 24100 (APAC) Email: inquiry@sphericalinsights.com, sales@sphericalinsights.com Contact Us: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/contact-us Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter BEIJING, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) (Sunlands or the Company), a leader in Chinas adult online education market and Chinas adult personal interest learning market, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024. Second Quarter 2024 Financial and Operational Snapshots Net revenues were RMB492.2 million (US$67.7 million), compared to RMB526.4 million in the second quarter of 2023. Gross billings (non-GAAP) were RMB383.9 million (US$52.8 million), compared to RMB354.1 million in the second quarter of 2023. Gross profit was RMB415.6 million (US$57.2 million), compared to RMB466.9 million in the second quarter of 2023. Net income was RMB82.3 million (US$11.3 million), compared to RMB173.9 million in the second quarter of 2023. Net income margin 1 was 16.7% in the second quarter of 2024, compared to 33.0% in the second quarter of 2023. was 16.7% in the second quarter of 2024, compared to 33.0% in the second quarter of 2023. New student enrollments 2 were 168,296, compared to 154,209 in the second quarter of 2023. were 168,296, compared to 154,209 in the second quarter of 2023. As of June 30, 2024, the Companys deferred revenue balance was RMB986.9 million (US$135.8 million), compared to RMB1,113.9 million as of December 31, 2023. _______________ 1 Net income margin is defined as net income as a percentage of net revenues. 2 New student enrollments for a given period refer to the total number of orders placed by students that newly enroll in at least one course during that period, including those students that enroll and then terminate their enrollment with us, excluding orders of our low-price courses, such as mini courses and RMB1 courses, which we offer in the form of recorded videos or short live streaming, to strengthen our competitiveness and improve customer experience. In the face of challenging macroeconomic conditions, our company demonstrated enough strategic flexibility to deliver solid results in the second quarter. We achieved net revenues of RMB492.2 million and net income of RMB82.3 million. This underscored our resilience and ability to adapt in the face of adversity and demonstrates our strong commitment to cost optimization and sustainable growth. This solid financial position not only enables us to respond effectively to unpredictable circumstances, but also creates opportunities for our business to grow. Looking ahead to the second half of the year, our top priorities are to enhance brand awareness and improve the quality of our existing products and services. We're taking a prudent but proactive approach to expanding and refining the offerings. Our commitment to these key growth initiatives remains unwavering as we continue to focus on improving operational efficiency and profitability. said Mr. Tongbo Liu, Chief Executive Officer of Sunlands. Mr. Hangyu Li, Finance Director of Sunlands, commented, We had another excellent quarter in our core business. Although business of post-secondary courses has been rather slow in recent quarters, we achieved year-over-year growth in gross billings for the fourth consecutive quarter due to new enrollments in our interest courses offerings. In addition, we realised net income of RMB82.3 million and positive operating cash flows for the quarter. This gives us the confidence to face the challenge in a dynamic environment. Looking ahead, we will continue to optimize our courses offerings while maintaining efficient operations. These strategic initiatives will enable us to capitalize on emerging opportunities, strengthen our leadership position in the industry and continue to create value for our shareholders. Financial Results for the Second Quarter of 2024 Net Revenues In the second quarter of 2024, net revenues decreased by 6.5% to RMB492.2 million (US$67.7 million) from RMB526.4 million in the second quarter of 2023. The decrease was primarily driven by the decline in gross billings from post-secondary courses over the recent quarters, partially offset by the growth in revenues from interest courses offerings and sales of goods such as books and learning materials. Cost of Revenues Cost of revenues increased by 28.8% to RMB76.6 million (US$10.5 million) in the second quarter of 2024 from RMB59.5 million in the second quarter of 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase in the cost of revenues from sales of goods such as books and learning materials. Gross Profit Gross profit decreased by 11.0% to RMB415.6 million (US$57.2 million) in the second quarter of 2024 from RMB466.9 million in the second quarter of 2023. Operating Expenses In the second quarter of 2024, operating expenses were RMB338.9 million (US$46.6 million), representing a 9.0% increase from RMB311.0 million in the second quarter of 2023. Sales and marketing expenses increased by 10.2% to RMB297.4 million (US$40.9 million) in the second quarter of 2024 from RMB270.0 million in the second quarter of 2023. The increase was mainly due to a growth in spending on sales activities, including enhanced compensation for sales personnel as well as increased spending on branding and marketing activities focusing on interest courses offerings. General and administrative expenses increased by 2.2% to RMB33.8 million (US$4.7 million) in the second quarter of 2024 from RMB33.1 million in the second quarter of 2023. Product development expenses decreased by 4.2% to RMB7.7 million (US$1.1 million) in the second quarter of 2024 from RMB8.0 million in the second quarter of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to declined compensation expenses related to headcount reduction of our product development personnel. Net Income Net income for the second quarter of 2024 was RMB82.3 million (US$11.3 million), as compared to RMB173.9 million in the second quarter of 2023. Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share Basic and diluted net income per share was RMB12.00 (US$1.65) in the second quarter of 2024. Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Short-term Investments As of June 30, 2024, the Company had RMB758.6 million (US$104.4 million) of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash and RMB243.9 million (US$33.6 million) of short-term investments, as compared to RMB766.4 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash and RMB142.1 million of short-term investments as of December 31, 2023. Deferred Revenue As of June 30, 2024, the Company had a deferred revenue balance of RMB986.9 million (US$135.8 million), as compared to RMB1,113.9 million as of December 31, 2023. Share Repurchase On December 6, 2021, the Companys board of directors authorized a share repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to US$15.0 million of Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs over the next 24 months. On December 1, 2023, the Companys board of directors authorized to extend its share repurchase program over the next 24 months. As of August 14, 2024, the Company had repurchased an aggregate of 542,172 ADSs for approximately US$2.9 million under the share repurchase program. Financial Results for the First Six Months of 2024 Net Revenues In the first six months of 2024, net revenues decreased by 7.1% to RMB1,015.5 million (US$139.7 million) from RMB1,093.2 million in the first six months of 2023. Cost of Revenues Cost of revenues increased by 20.5% to RMB153.8 million (US$21.2 million) in the first six months of 2024 from RMB127.6 million in the first six months of 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase in the cost of revenues from sales of goods such as books and learning materials. Gross Profit Gross profit decreased by 10.8% to RMB861.7 million (US$118.6 million) from RMB965.6 million in the first six months of 2023. Operating Expenses In the first six months of 2023, operating expenses were RMB680.1 million (US$93.6 million), representing a 7.6% increase from RMB631.8 million in the first six months of 2023. Sales and marketing expenses increased by 10.6% to RMB599.0 million (US$82.4 million) in the first six months of 2024 from RMB541.4 million in the first six months of 2023. General and administrative expenses decreased by 8.7% to RMB66.4 million (US$9.1 million) in the first six months of 2024 from RMB72.7 million in the first six months of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the decline in rental expenses as certain leases for office space were partially terminated in 2023 before the expiration of the lease term for cost saving. Product development expenses decreased by 17.0% to RMB14.7 million (US$2.0 million) in the first six months of 2024 from RMB17.7 million in the first six months of 2023. Net Income Net income for the first six months of 2024 was RMB195.0 million (US$26.8 million), compared with RMB354.0 million in the first six months of 2023. Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share Basic and diluted net income per share was RMB28.44 (US$3.91) in the first six months of 2024, compared with RMB51.13 in the first six months of 2023. Outlook For the third quarter of 2024, Sunlands currently expects net revenues to be between RMB490 million to RMB510 million, which would represent a decrease of 2.8% to 6.6% year-over-year. The above outlook is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Companys current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, which are all subject to substantial uncertainty. Exchange Rate The Companys business is primarily conducted in China and all revenues are denominated in Renminbi (RMB). This announcement contains currency conversions of RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (US$) solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to US$ are made at a rate of RMB7.2672 to US$1.00, the effective noon buying rate for June 28, 2024 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate on June 28, 2024, or at any other rate. Conference Call and Webcast Sunlands management team will host a conference call at 7:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time, (7:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong time) on August 16, 2024, following the quarterly results announcement. For participants who wish to join the call, please access the link provided below to complete online registration 15 minutes prior to the scheduled call start time. Upon registration, participants will receive details for the conference call, including dial-in numbers, a personal PIN and an e-mail with detailed instructions to join the conference call. Registration Link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI825ca1738fae48d2807c6faff61460db Additionally, a live webcast and archive of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Sunlands website at https://ir.sunlands.com/. About Sunlands Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) (Sunlands or the Company), formerly known as Sunlands Online Education Group, is a leader in Chinas adult online education market and Chinas adult personal interest learning market. With a one to many live streaming platform, Sunlands offers various interest, professional skills and professional certification preparation courses as well as degree- or diploma-oriented post-secondary courses. Students can access the Companys services either through PC or mobile applications. The Companys online platform cultivates a personalized, interactive learning environment by featuring a virtual learning community and a vast library of educational content offerings that adapt to the learning habits of its students. Sunlands offers a unique approach to education research and development that organizes subject content into Learning Outcome Trees, the Companys proprietary knowledge management system. Sunlands has a deep understanding of the educational needs of its prospective students and offers solutions that help them achieve their goals. About Non-GAAP Financial Measures We use gross billings, EBITDA, non-GAAP operating cost and expenses, non-GAAP income from operations and Non-GAAP net income per share, each a non-GAAP financial measure, in evaluating our operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. We define gross billings for a specific period as the total amount of cash received for the sale of course packages, net of the total amount of refunds paid in such period. Our management uses gross billings as a performance measurement because we generally bill our students for the entire course tuition at the time of sale of our course packages and recognize revenue proportionally over a period. EBITDA is defined as net income excluding depreciation and amortization, interest expense, interest income, and income tax expenses. We believe that gross billings and EBITDA provide valuable insight into the sales of our course packages and the performance of our business. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, their most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the historical non-GAAP financial measures to their respective most directly comparable GAAP measure has been provided in the tables included below. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation of the historical non-GAAP financial measures to their respective most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. As gross billings, EBITDA, operating cost and expenses excluding share-based compensation expenses, general and administrative expenses excluding share-based compensation expenses, sales and marketing expenses excluding share-based compensation expenses, product development expenses excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP net income exclude share-based compensation expenses, and basic and diluted net income per share excluding share-based compensation expenses have material limitations as an analytical metric and may not be calculated in the same manner by all companies, it may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies. In light of the foregoing limitations, you should not consider gross billings and EBITDA as a substitute for, or superior to, their respective most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. We encourage investors and others to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as will, expects, anticipates, future, intends, plans, believes, estimates, confident and similar statements. Sunlands may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Sunlands beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements that involve factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but not limited to the following: Sunlands goals and strategies; its expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its brand and services; its ability to retain and increase student enrollments; its ability to offer new courses and educational content; its ability to improve teaching quality and students learning results; its ability to improve sales and marketing efficiency and effectiveness; its ability to engage, train and retain new faculty members; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; its ability to maintain and improve technology infrastructure necessary to operate its business; competition in the online education industry in China; relevant government policies and regulations relating to Sunlands corporate structure, business and industry; and general economic and business condition in China Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Sunlands filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is current as of the date of the press release, and Sunlands does not undertake any obligation to update such information, except as required under applicable law. For investor and media enquiries, please contact: Sunlands Technology Group Investor Relations Email: sl-ir@sunlands.com SOURCE: Sunlands Technology Group SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted) As of December 31, As of June 30, 2023 2024 2024 RMB RMB US$ ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 763,800 753,559 103,693 Restricted cash 2,578 5,013 690 Short-term investments 142,084 243,858 33,556 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 109,018 120,156 16,534 Deferred costs, current 14,274 6,708 923 Total current assets 1,031,754 1,129,294 155,396 Non-current assets Property and equipment, net 786,670 772,389 106,284 Intangible assets, net 975 1,011 139 Right-of-use assets 135,820 128,418 17,671 Deferred costs, non-current 68,773 59,582 8,199 Long-term investments 61,354 49,179 6,767 Deferred tax assets - 14,713 2,025 Other non-current assets 33,160 34,190 4,705 Total non-current assets 1,086,752 1,059,482 145,790 TOTAL ASSETS 2,118,506 2,188,776 301,186 SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted) As of December 31, As of June 30, 2023 2024 2024 RMB RMB US$ LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY LIABILITIES Current liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 409,691 424,117 58,362 Deferred revenue, current 553,812 426,030 58,624 Lease liabilities, current portion 8,019 8,673 1,193 Long-term debt, current portion 38,654 38,654 5,319 Total current liabilities 1,010,176 897,474 123,498 Non-current liabilities Deferred revenue, non-current 560,111 560,908 77,184 Lease liabilities, non-current portion 157,269 152,944 21,046 Deferred tax liabilities 3,742 2,841 391 Other non-current liabilities 6,994 7,256 998 Long-term debt 104,665 85,338 11,743 Total non-current liabilities 832,781 809,287 111,362 TOTAL LIABILITIES 1,842,957 1,706,761 234,860 SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY Class A ordinary shares (par value of US$0.00005, 796,062,195 shares authorized; 3,131,807 and 3,131,807 shares issued as of December 31, 2023 and June 30, 2024, respectively; 2,702,523 and 2,687,391 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and June 30, 2024, respectively) 1 1 - Class B ordinary shares (par value of US$0.00005, 826,389 shares authorized; 826,389 and 826,389 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and June 30, 2024, respectively) - - - Class C ordinary shares (par value of US$0.00005, 203,111,416 shares authorized; 3,332,062 and 3,332,062 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and June 30, 2024, respectively) 1 1 - Treasury stock - - - Accumulated deficit (2,171,284 ) (1,976,297 ) (271,948 ) Additional paid-in capital 2,305,042 2,303,270 316,940 Accumulated other comprehensive income 143,276 156,527 21,539 Total Sunlands Technology Group shareholders equity 277,036 483,502 66,531 Non-controlling interest (1,487 ) (1,487 ) (205 ) TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY 275,549 482,015 66,326 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY 2,118,506 2,188,776 301,186 SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted) For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2023 2024 2024 RMB RMB US$ Net revenues 526,353 492,223 67,732 Cost of revenues (59,491 ) (76,627 ) (10,544 ) Gross profit 466,862 415,596 57,188 Operating expenses Sales and marketing expenses (269,969 ) (297,443 ) (40,930 ) Product development expenses (7,992 ) (7,657 ) (1,054 ) General and administrative expenses (33,085 ) (33,829 ) (4,655 ) Total operating expenses (311,046 ) (338,929 ) (46,639 ) Income from operations 155,816 76,667 10,549 Interest income 7,561 10,576 1,455 Interest expense (2,046 ) (1,516 ) (209 ) Other income, net 8,171 3,015 415 Gain/(loss) on disposal of subsidiaries 247 (250 ) (34 ) Income before income tax benefit and gain/(loss) from equity method investments 169,749 88,492 12,176 Income tax benefit 1,404 78 11 Gain/(loss) from equity method investments 2,730 (6,318 ) (869 ) Net income 173,883 82,252 11,318 Less: net income attributable to non-controlling interest - - - Net income attributable to Sunlands Technology Group 173,883 82,252 11,318 Net income per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of Sunlands Technology Group: Basic and diluted 25.12 12.00 1.65 Weighted average shares used in calculating net income per ordinary share: Basic and diluted 6,921,304 6,852,828 6,852,828 SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Amounts in thousands) For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2023 2024 2024 RMB RMB US$ Net income 173,883 82,252 11,318 Other comprehensive income, net of tax effect of nil: Change in cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments 29,603 3,715 511 Total comprehensive income 203,486 85,967 11,829 Less: comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interest - - - Comprehensive income attributable to Sunlands Technology Group 203,486 85,967 11,829 SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS (Amounts in thousands) For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2023 2024 RMB RMB Net revenues 526,353 492,223 Less: other revenues (42,377 ) (62,094 ) Add: tax and surcharges 9,779 15,740 Add: ending deferred revenue 1,379,073 986,938 Add: ending refund liability 107,319 126,797 Less: beginning deferred revenue (1,513,896 ) (1,044,866 ) Less: beginning refund liability (112,188 ) (130,840 ) Gross billings (non-GAAP) 354,063 383,898 Net income 173,883 82,252 Add: income tax benefit (1,404 ) (78 ) Add: depreciation and amortization 7,677 7,362 Add: interest expense 2,046 1,516 Less: interest income (7,561 ) (10,576 ) EBITDA (non-GAAP) 174,641 80,476 SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted) For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 2024 2024 RMB RMB US$ Net revenues 1,093,229 1,015,463 139,732 Cost of revenues (127,646 ) (153,790 ) (21,162 ) Gross profit 965,583 861,673 118,570 Operating expenses Sales and marketing expenses (541,383 ) (599,018 ) (82,428 ) Product development expenses (17,672 ) (14,667 ) (2,018 ) General and administrative expenses (72,725 ) (66,381 ) (9,134 ) Total operating expenses (631,780 ) (680,066 ) (93,580 ) Income from operations 333,803 181,607 24,990 Interest income 14,122 19,865 2,734 Interest expense (4,170 ) (3,120 ) (429 ) Other income, net 16,969 8,795 1,210 Gain/(loss) on disposal of subsidiaries 247 (250 ) (34 ) Income before income tax (expenses)/benefit and loss from equity method investments 360,971 206,897 28,471 Income tax (expenses)/benefit (6,327 ) 469 65 Loss from equity method investments (654 ) (12,379 ) (1,703 ) Net income 353,990 194,987 26,833 Less: net income attributable to non-controlling interest 1 - - Net income attributable to Sunlands Technology Group 353,989 194,987 26,833 Net income per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of Sunlands Technology Group: Basic and diluted 51.13 28.44 3.91 Weighted average shares used in calculating net income per ordinary share: Basic and diluted 6,923,858 6,854,922 6,854,922 SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Amounts in thousands) For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 2024 2024 RMB RMB US$ Net income 353,990 194,987 26,833 Other comprehensive income, net of tax effect of nil: Change in cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments 27,276 13,251 1,823 Total comprehensive income 381,266 208,238 28,656 Less: comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interest 1 - - Comprehensive income attributable to Sunlands Technology Group 381,265 208,238 28,656 SUNLANDS TECHNOLOGY GROUP RECONCILIATION OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS (Amounts in thousands) For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 2024 RMB RMB Net revenues 1,093,229 1,015,463 Less: other revenues (84,224 ) (120,968 ) Add: tax and surcharges 27,774 32,109 Add: ending deferred revenue 1,379,073 986,938 Add: ending refund liability 107,319 126,797 Less: beginning deferred revenue (1,690,946 ) (1,113,923 ) Less: beginning refund liability (133,066 ) (143,744 ) Gross billings (non-GAAP) 699,159 782,672 Net income 353,990 194,987 Add: income tax expenses/(benefit) 6,327 (469 ) Add: depreciation and amortization 15,267 14,793 Add: interest expense 4,170 3,120 Less: interest income (14,122 ) (19,865 ) EBITDA (non-GAAP) 365,632 192,566 Dublin, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Healthcare Finance Solutions Market by Solutions (Capital Finance, Electronic Health Records (EHR) Solutions, Equipment & Technology Finance), Types (Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) Plans, Healthcare Loans, In-house Payment Plans), End-Users - Forecast 2024-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Healthcare Finance Solutions Market grew from USD 151.55 billion in 2023 to USD 163.60 billion in 2024. It is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 8.11%, reaching USD 261.72 billion by 2030. These solutions help manage patient billing, claims processing, payment systems, and overall accounting processes, ensuring efficient financial flow and compliance with regulatory requirements. Increasing expenses associated with medical treatments drive healthcare providers to seek efficient financial solutions to manage costs. Strict regulatory requirements for transparency and accountability in healthcare necessitate robust financial management tools. More people with health insurance result in a greater volume of transactions and data, which need effective management tools to handle. However, the difficulty in integrating new financial solutions with existing IT systems can hinder smooth operations. Protecting sensitive patient financial and health data against breaches and the possibility of cybersecurity breaches is a significant challenge. Implementing blockchain can enhance the security and transparency of financial transactions in the healthcare sector, reducing errors and fraud. The integration of AI/ML, data analytics, and IoT strategies is being explored as they have the potential to advance the healthcare finance solutions market by automating complex tasks such as claims processing and fraud detection. Regional Insights In the Americas, particularly in the U.S. and Canada, the market for healthcare finance solutions is robust, driven by the robust healthcare system, presence of major healthcare providers, and high government spending on insurance policies and medical services. With a considerable emphasis on healthcare reform and patient care optimization, there is an uptick in the adoption of technology-driven services. Companies are continually investing in research to refine data analytics and improve payment systems, ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the U.S. Consumers show a preference for transparent billing and personalized finance plans, reflecting a demand for more patient-centric solutions. In the EU, the strong emphasis on patient security and push towards ensuring data privacy in line with the General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR) has shaped the market dynamics for healthcare finance solutions. The region is also experiencing the digitalization of healthcare finance systems to improve efficiencies in health spending amidst an aging population. Investment in smart healthcare solutions that integrate financial and clinical aspects is notable. APAC's rapidly expanding healthcare sector is powered by substantial governmental investment in both healthcare and technologically advanced finance solutions. APAC's healthcare finance is undergoing transformational changes with a surge in digital payment solutions and government initiatives aimed at promoting health insurance coverage. With a vast and diverse population, tailored financial solutions are critical in addressing the varied consumer needs across different regions. Recent Developments Strategic Alliance to Revolutionize Primary Care Through Integrated Health Solutions Elevance Health and private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) have announced a strategic partnership to enhance primary care delivery, focusing on improving patient experience and health outcomes. This partnership integrates assets from Elevance Health's Carelon Health, and CD&R's apree health and Millennium Physician Group (MPG), aiming to create advanced primary care models that address physical, social, and behavioral health needs comprehensively Mastercard Introduces Virtual Card-based Medical Claim Payments in India, Enhancing Healthcare Financial Operations Mastercard, in partnership with a key financial institution and Remedinet Technologies, has introduced a novel medical claim payment solution in India. This innovative system leverages Mastercard's virtual card technology, integrated into Remedinet's HealthTech platform, to facilitate prompt business-to-business (B2B) healthcare claim settlements. This initiative aims to address inefficiencies in the existing payment process by replacing the protracted waiting periods that healthcare providers endure with almost instantaneous transactions. MyHealthFin Boosts Innovating Healthcare Finance in Partnership with NBFCs MyHealthcare has introduced MyHealthFin, a new vertical aimed at enhancing healthcare affordability through innovative, paperless financing solutions in collaboration with Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in India. This initiative targets the critical gap in medical insurance coverage by offering quick medical loans for diverse healthcare needs such as hospitalization, home care, and daycare services. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 189 Forecast Period 2024 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $163.6 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $261.72 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.1% Regions Covered Global Market Dynamics Market Segmentation Analysis Solutions: Widening usage of electronic health records (EHR) solutions to cater to the need for rapid access to patient data End-User: Large scale of operations and the critical need for continuous technology and infrastructure in hospitals and health systems Market Drivers Rising need for early diagnosis of chronic diseases Growing demand for hi-tech equipment and technology Increasing digital adoption by the industry and focus on reducing healthcare expenditure Market Restraints Stringent regulatory policies or high costs of implementing new finance systems Market Opportunities Government initiatives to adopt digital solutions for availing financial reimbursement Increasing adoption of cloud-based finance solutions Market Challenges Data security concerns or resistance to change from traditional financial systems Industry Insights Market Disruption Analysis Porter's Five Forces Analysis Value Chain & Critical Path Analysis Pricing Analysis Technology Analysis Patent Analysis Trade Analysis Regulatory Framework Analysis Key Company Profiles Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Becton, Dickinson and Company BOK Financial Canon Medical Systems Cardinal Health Commerce Bancshares, Inc. De Lage Landen International B.V. eCapital, Inc. General Electric Company HCA Healthcare Hill-Rom Holdings by Baxter International Inc. Johnson & Johnson Medical Ltd. Koninklijke Philips N.V. Lusha Systems Ltd. McKesson Corporation Medtronic PLC Octet Finance Pty. Ltd. Oxford Finance LLC Philips Healthcare Siemens AG SLR Healthcare ABL Specialist Lending Ltd. Stryker Corporation Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. UnitedHealth Group Market Segmentation & Coverage Solutions Capital Finance Electronic Health Records (EHR) Solutions Equipment & Technology Finance Patient Financing Project Finance Solutions Risk Management & Compliance Working Capital Finance Types Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) Plans Healthcare Loans In-house Payment Plans End-Users Diagnostic Laboratories Hospitals & Health Systems Outpatient Imaging Centers Outpatient Surgery Centers Region Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Mexico United States California Florida Illinois New York Ohio Pennsylvania Texas Asia-Pacific Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand Vietnam Europe, Middle East & Africa Denmark Egypt Finland France Germany Israel Italy Netherlands Nigeria Norway Poland Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3rp4hw About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment 16 August 2024 LEI: 2138003QW2ZAYZODBU23 LSE Code: 3NGL WISDOMTREE MULTI ASSET ISSUER PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY (a public company incorporated with limited liability in Ireland) WISDOMTREE NATURAL GAS 3X DAILY LEVERAGED SECURITIES ISIN: XS2819843900 PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THE AFFECTED SECURITIES ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING OF THE ETP SECURITYHOLDERS THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt about what action you should take, you are recommended to consult your independent financial adviser. If you have sold or transferred all of your WisdomTree Natural Gas 3x Daily Leveraged Securities (the Affected Securities) of WisdomTree Multi Asset Issuer Public Limited Company (the Issuer), please send this document, together with the accompanying form of proxy, at once to the purchaser or transferee or stockbroker, banker or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was made, for onward transmission to the purchaser or transferee. The Issuer wishes to announce that the Meeting of the holders of the Affected Securities scheduled for Friday, 16 August 2024, at 11:00 a.m. (the Original Meeting) has been adjourned, in accordance with paragraph 20 of Schedule 7 of the Trust Deed, for lack of a quorum. The adjourned meeting will be reconvened on 11:00 a.m. on Monday, 9 September 2024, being a date not more than 30 days after the Original Meeting, and will be held at the offices of Apex IFS Limited in 2nd Floor, Block 5, Irish Life Centre, Abbey Street Lower, Dublin 1, D01P767, Ireland (the Adjourned Meeting). The Adjourned Meeting is being held to consider certain amendments to documentation, made under the powers set out in clause 2 of schedule 7 of the master trust deed of the Affected Securities, required to effect a reduction in the principal amount of the Affected Securities from USD 4.25712 to USD 0.425712. This follows the price of the Affected Securities falling below 500 per cent. of its current principal amount on 17 July 2024, and is designed to maintain the normal trading and operations of the Affected Securities. Full details of the Proposal and Extraordinary Resolution are set out in the notice dated 24 July 2024. Under article 11.5 of the Issuers Articles of Association, no further notification is required for the Adjourned Meeting. Holders of the Affected Securities are therefore directed to the original notification, including the circular dated 24 July 2024, and also a revised form of proxy for the Adjourned Meeting, which are available on the website of the Issuer at https://www.wisdomtree.eu/en-gb/resource-library/prospectus-and-regulatory-reports#tab-2A942D42-5AA1-4008-9080-3C2DADB050A7. Holders of the Affected Securities should note that a duly completed voting instructions already made in respect of the Original Meeting will NOT continue to be valid for the Adjourned Meeting. Holders of the Affected Securities should therefore not rely on any voting instructions already made in respect of the Original Meeting and should therefore make arrangements to vote again on the matters being considered, in order to participate in the Adjourned Meeting. Holders of the Affected Securities are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold their Affected Securities when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from a holder of Affected Securities in order for such holder of Affected Securities to participate in the Adjourned Meeting by the deadlines specified in this circular. The deadlines set by any such intermediary and each ICSD for the submission instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified in the circular. In relation to the delivery instructions or obtaining voting certificates or otherwise making arrangements for the giving of voting instructions, in each case through the ICSDs, holders of the Affected Securities should note the particular practice and policy of the relevant ICSDs, including any earlier deadlines set by such ICSD. The deadlines set by any intermediary or by the ICSDs will be earlier than the deadlines set out in the circular. In accordance with normal practice, The Law Debenture Trust Corporation p.l.c., as trustee, expresses no opinion as to the merits of the Proposal, the terms of which were not negotiated by it. It has however authorised it to be stated that, on the basis of the information contained in the original circular and in this document (which it advises holders of Affected Securities to read carefully) it has no objection to the form in which the Proposal and Notice of Meeting are presented to holders of Affected Securities for their consideration. Holders of the Affected Securities will be notified of the outcome of the Adjourned Meeting shortly thereafter. Dublin, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "France Condom Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Material Type (Latex, Non-latex), Product (Male Condoms, Female Condoms), Distribution Channel, and Segment Forecasts, 2024-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The France condom market size is anticipated to reach USD 353.18 million by 2030 and is growing at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2024 to 2030 The increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and efforts by government institutes to improve public health and create awareness regarding sexual health are expected to drive the growth in the France condom market. For instance, in December 2021, the France government announced free birth control for all women under the age of 25. Such initiatives are likely to help in increasing access to contraceptives and drive their demand. The introduction of regulations to promote condom use, coupled with the launch of new & innovative products and awareness campaigns, are further expected to drive market growth. Various key companies in the country are also taking initiatives to introduce a variety of products & campaigns to promote safe sex. For instance, Saint Laurent, which is a French fashion brand, announced the launch of a range of luxury condoms with their signature designs. Such steps can help create awareness and encourage the use of condoms in the country. France Condom Market Report Highlights Based on material type, latex condoms held the largest revenue market share of 87.71% in 2023.The launch of new products and reimbursement initiatives in condoms in France are expected to boost the market for latex and non-latex condoms over the forecast period Based on product, male condoms dominated the market with the highest revenue share in 2023 due to factors such as open-mindedness regarding the use of male condoms as compared to female condoms and a diverse portfolio The drug stores distribution channel segment dominated the market with the largest revenue share in 2023. The growth is attributed to factors such as easy access to drugstores E-commerce is expected to exhibit substantial growth during the forecast period. Discrete delivery services and freedom to choose on e-commerce platforms are anticipated to fuel the segment's growth In October 2023, ONE Condoms launched the graphene condom ONE Flex, claiming it was the world's first graphene condom Companies Featured Ansell Healthcare LELO One Condoms Fair Squared Trojan (Church & Dwight Co., Inc.) REAL FIT (OKAMOTO) SOFT Protex (Sagami Rubber Industries Group) GLYDE Health Pty. Ltd Lifestyles Healthcare Suisse Norma Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 70 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $203.75 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $353.18 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 7.0% Regions Covered France Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope 1.1. Market Segmentation & Scope 1.2. Segment Definitions 1.3. Research Methodology 1.4. Information Procurement 1.5. Information or Data Analysis 1.6. Market Formulation & Validation 1.7. Model Details 1.8. List of Secondary Sources 1.9. Objectives Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Market Outlook 2.2. Segment Outlook 2.2.1. Material Type Outlook 2.2.2. Product Outlook 2.2.3. Distribution Channel Outlook 2.3. Competitive Insights Chapter 3. France Condom Market Variables, Trends & Scope 3.1. Market Lineage Outlook 3.1.1. Parent Market Outlook 3.1.2. Related/ancillary Market Outlook 3.2. Market Dynamics 3.2.1. Market Driver Analysis 3.2.2. Market Restraint Analysis 3.3. France Condom Market Analysis Tools 3.3.1. Industry Analysis - Porter's 3.3.2. PESTEL Analysis Chapter 4. France Condom Market: Material Type Estimates & Trend Analysis 4.1. Material Type Market Share, 2023 & 2030 4.2. Segment Dashboard 4.3. France Condom Market by Material Type Outlook 4.4. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the Following 4.4.1. Latex 4.4.2. Non Latex Chapter 5. France Condom Market: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis 5.1. Product Market Share, 2023 & 2030 5.2. Segment Dashboard 5.3. France Condom Market by Product Outlook 5.4. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the Following 5.4.1. Male Condoms 5.4.2. Female Condoms Chapter 6. France Condom Market: Distribution Channel Estimates & Trend Analysis 6.1. Distribution Channel Market Share, 2023 & 2030 6.2. Segment Dashboard 6.3. France Condom Market by Distribution Channel Outlook 6.4. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the Following 6.4.1. Mass Merchandizers 6.4.2. Drug Stores 6.4.3. E-commerce Chapter 7. Competitive Landscape 7.1. Recent Developments & Impact Analysis, by Key Market Participants 7.2. Company/Competition Categorization 7.3. Vendor Landscape 7.3.1. List of Key Distributors and Channel Partners 7.3.2. Key Customers 7.3.3. Key Company Market Share Analysis, 2023 7.4. Company Profiles 7.4.1. Company Overview 7.4.2. Financial Performance 7.4.3. Product Benchmarking 7.4.4. Strategic Initiatives For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/eg4ag0 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Membership in the group service organization (GSO) will allow the Company to collaborate with the worlds foremost compounding and manufacturing companies SPRING BRANCH, Texas, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Callan JMB (Callan or the Company), a vertically-integrated logistics and fulfillment company with an ecosystem that utilizes advanced predictive technology to ensure product integrity during emergency response activities and throughout the supply chain, today announced its membership in Complete Group Services (CGS), the first-ever group service organization (GSO) developed to support compounding and manufacturing companies. Together with the other members, Callan will offer support and services to the compounding and manufacturing communities and provide access to resources targeted at helping the members grow their businesses and increase profitability. Our collaboration with CGS creates an opportunity to introduce their membership to solutions that can significantly enhance distribution processes, helping them to ensure that time- and temperature-sensitive goods remain within specified parameters throughout transit and provide them with a solution that will integrate with their back-office systems, said Wayne Williams, Founder and CEO of Callan JMB. Additionally, our unique, environmentally-responsible solutions, such as leased and reusable packaging, will allow them to reduce waste as well as the space needed within warehouses so they can achieve their sustainability goals. Utilizing his expertise gained in the military, veteran Wayne Williams founded what is now Callan in 2007 to provide time- and temperature-sensitive solutions, asset visibility platforms, and monitoring systems to safeguard sensitive pharmaceuticals at healthcare clinics and small pharmacies. Since signing its first account with the Chickasaw Nations in Oklahoma, the Company has expanded its platform to serve corporations and government agencies across the US. The Company has further expanded and now services clients internationally, working with governments and corporations in highly-regulated industries to help solve complex challenges. About Callan JMB Callan JMB is a vertically-integrated logistics and fulfillment company with an ecosystem that utilizes advanced predictive technology to plan for and respond to emergencies and to revolutionize the supply chain by prioritizing the safety and integrity of every product handled, ensuring environmental responsibility and immediate response in time-sensitive industries. Callan JMBs ecosystem provides agility, allowing its data platform to integrate operations, sales, compliance, tracking, billing and close-out by utilizing Sentry, its monitoring, physical location, and diagnostics platform, to empower the healthcare, food & beverage, and emergency response industries with solutions to ensure time- and temperature-sensitive goods remain within specified parameters throughout transit. With unparalleled experience in quality assurance and quality control, Callan JMB delivers reliability by anticipating, responding, and overcoming the most complex situations with precision and compassion, providing peace of mind and a comprehensive solution for its customers. Investor Contacts: Valter Pinto, Managing Director KCSA Strategic Communications CallanJMB@kcsa.com 212.896.1254 Investor Webinar scheduled for Monday, August 19, 2024, at 12:00 pm ET (9:00 am PT) TORONTO, Ontario, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avante Corp Inc. (TSX.V: XX) (OTC: ALXXF) (Avante or the Company), a global provider of technology enabled security solutions and services, is pleased to announce that the Company will host an investor webinar to provide a corporate update and discuss the Companys fiscal first quarter results on Monday, August 19, 2024, at 12:00 pm ET (9:00 am PT). The call will be hosted by: Emmanuel Mounouchos, CEO, Chairman, and Founder of Avante, and Raj Kapoor, CFO of Avante. Webinar Details: Webinar Registration: https://bit.ly/Avante-FYQ1-2025 Date: Monday, August 19, 2024 Time: 12:00 pm ET (9:00 am PT) Dial-in: 778-907-2071 (Vancouver local) 647-374-4685 (Toronto local) Confirmation #: 829 0571 3185 Please connect 5 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure time for any software download that may be required. About Avante Corp. Avante Corp Inc. is a Toronto based leading provider of security operatives and technology enabled security solutions to residential and commercial clients. Avantes mission is to deliver an elevated level of security globally, with white-glove mentality to high- net-worth families and corporations alike, through advanced solutions and methods of detecting conditions that require immediate response. The Company has developed a diversified security platform that leverages advanced technology solutions to provide a superior level of security services. With an experienced team and proven track record of solid growth, Avante is taking steps to establish a broad portfolio of security businesses and solutions for its customers through organic growth complemented by strategic acquisitions. Avante acquires, manages and builds industry leading businesses which provide specialized, mission-critical solutions that address the security risks of its clients. Avante is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker XX. For more information, please visit www.avantecorp.ca and consider joining our investor email list. Avante Corp. Emmanuel Mounouchos CEO, Chairman, and Founder (416) 923-6984 manny@avantesecurity.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the World Health Organization (WHO) declares MPOX a public health emergency of international concern, the Global Virus Network (GVN), headquartered at the University of South Florida (USF), USA, swiftly orchestrated an international response to combat the rising threat. The GVN's MPOX Action Committee, formed in 2022, is led by world experts spanning basic research, epidemiology, clinical research, and vaccines. In the past several weeks, the GVN has rapidly mobilized essential resources, launched critical evaluations of diagnostic tools, and provided strategic support to the most affected regions. Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, GVN President and Professor of Yale University, USA, said, "MPOX is a reemerging disease whose magnitude is rising at an alarming rate among general populations in Africa. Furthermore, it has shown potential for sexually associated transmission worldwide. The GVN MPOX Action Committee is working with the WHO and international partners to craft an evidence-based response and further research agenda. Since last week's announcement that MPOX was reported in countries never previously identified with cases, the GVN partnered with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and multiple African institutions through its members to assess point-of-care (POC) tests for MPOX, ensuring these diagnostics are accurate, accessible, and deployable in various environments. Emma Thomson, PhD, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Associate Director, Medical Research Council-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK, a GVN Center of Excellence, added, "GVNs coordinated response exemplifies the power of global collaboration in a public health crisis. We are proud to be part of a network that is helping to set priorities and making a real difference in the fight against MPOX. We look forward to working with the GVN, WHO, and other partners to mitigate this viral outbreak." The GVN's MPOX Action Committee is co-led by Rachel Roper, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at East Carolina University, USA, who expressed deep concern: "The MPOX virus appears to be evolving for more efficient human transmission, which is alarming. With 17,000 reported cases and the unprecedented spread of MPOX Clade Ib from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries, there is a clear need for heightened and continuous surveillance. We have vaccines that mitigate illness and death, but there is an urgent need for improved vaccines with better safety and efficacy." Dr. Roper further emphasized the importance of therapeutics, stating, "We do have antibodies and treatments that offer some protection, but these viruses have already demonstrated the ability to rapidly develop resistance. It's critical that we expand the arsenal of therapeutic agents." In addition to forming an MPOX Action Committee two years ago comprised of top experts, GVN's proactive measures include the deployment of 1,000 newly developed MPOX rapid tests several weeks ago to its members across Africa for immediate side-by-side evaluation. The network is also distributing new rapid test platforms for loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays to strategic locations, aiming to foster the development of diagnostics that can be efficiently implemented in resource-limited settings. Further, since 2022, GVN members published more than 70 scientific papers advancing MPOX research. Laurens Liesenborghs, MD, PhD, an infectious disease specialist and researcher at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium, under the lead of Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, MD, PhD, Director of the Virology Division at the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale (INRB), Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with others, was the first to investigate and sequence the newly identified MPOX Clade Ib variant. Dr. Liesenborghs said, "Our team remains on-site, dedicated to conducting research, and supporting surveillance and patient care. Together, we continue to combat this evolving threat and ensure the health and safety of the affected communities. Support from the GVN, which we are receiving, and other partners, is needed to address this public health crisis swiftly." Drs. Liesenborghs and Mbala-Kingebeni are members of the GVN MPOX Action Committee. Maggie L. Bartlett, PhD, Program Director at GVN and virologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, a GVN Center of Excellence, said, The ongoing challenges with MPOX underscore the urgent need for comprehensive global surveillance and targeted response strategies. By closely collaborating with WHO and other international partners, we ensure that our efforts are aligned and that our scientific contributions directly address the pressing challenges on the ground. MPOX has been detected in 13 nations this year including previously unaffected nations such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. In 2024, thus far, The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports that these countries have confirmed 2,863 cases and 517 deaths and growing, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Suspected cases across the continent have surged past 17,000, a significant increase from 7,146 cases in 2022 and 14,957 cases in 2023. Officials at the Africa CDC said nearly 70% of cases in Congo are in children younger than 15, who also accounted for 85% of deaths. GVN plays a crucial role in facilitating direct communication between its experts, WHO officials, and other international partners. Christian Brechot, MD, PhD, Vice Chairman of the GVN Board of Directors, GVN President Emeritus and Senior Associate Dean for Research in Global Affairs at University of South Florida Healths Morsani College of Medicine, USA, highlighted the importance of the collaboration: GVNs role to enhance global efforts is critical in identifying research gaps and facilitating action to fill those gaps. GVN is uniquely prepared to quickly engage our members and provide expertise and on-the-ground support to mitigate the growing MPOX threat. We are pleased to catalyze and facilitate alliances to prepare and protect humankind from viral threats. GVNs Viral Detection and Control Action Committee will convene a critical meeting on August 22 at 11 AM EDT | 5 PM CET, with WHOs MPOX Task Force lead, Lorenzo Subissi, PhD, who will provide updates and garner support from GVN experts. About the Global Virus Network (GVN) The GVN is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense, and first research response to emerging, existing, and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health. Working in close coordination with established national and international institutions, the GVN is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 80+ Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in 40+ countries, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines, and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues, and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org. DURHAM, N.C., Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scorpius Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: SCPX), (Scorpius, or the Company), an integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced the new pricing of an underwritten public offering of 12,500,000 shares of common stock (or pre-funded warrants (Pre-Funded Warrants) in lieu thereof). Each share of common stock (or Pre-Funded Warrant) is being offered at a public offering price of $1.00 per share (inclusive of the Pre-Funded Warrant exercise price). The gross proceeds to the Company from the offering are expected to be approximately $12,500,000, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,875,000 shares of common stock and/or Pre-Funded Warrants solely to cover over-allotments, if any. As previously announced, the Company had terminated the pricing of its underwritten public offering that it had announced on August 6, 2024. Subsequently, the Company requested, and the NYSE American approved, a financial viability exception to the NYSE American stockholder approval rules that would allow the Company to proceed with the closing of the underwritten public offering upon the terms set forth above. The offering is expected to close on August 19, 2024, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions and trading of the Companys common stock on the NYSE American is expected to resume that same day. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to fund working capital and for general corporate purposes. ThinkEquity is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-280887), as amended, including a preliminary prospectus, relating to the securities being offered was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and became effective on August 6, 2024. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus, when available, may be obtained from ThinkEquity, 17 State Street, 41st Floor, New York, New York 10004. The final prospectus will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SECs website located at http://www.sec.gov . This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Scorpius Holdings, Inc. Scorpius Holdings Inc. is an integrated large molecule contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) focused on rapidly advancing biologic and cell therapy programs to the clinic and beyond. Scorpius offers a broad array of analytical testing, process development, and manufacturing services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies at its state-of-the-art facilities in San Antonio, TX. With an experienced team and new, purpose-built U.S. facilities, Scorpius is dedicated to transparent collaboration and flexible, high-quality biologics biomanufacturing. For more information, please visit www.scorpiusbiologics.com. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions and include statements regarding the timing and completion of the proposed offering, the timing that trading will resume and the intended use of proceeds. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the ability to complete the proposed offering, and other factors described in the Companys annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, subsequent quarterly report on Form 10-Q and any other filings the Company makes with the SEC. The information in this presentation is provided only as of the date presented, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. For Investor Relations Inquiries: David Waldman +1 (919)-289-4017 investorrelations@nighthawkbio.com ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TYSON 2.0 , the brand led by legendary boxer, entrepreneur and advocate Mike Tyson, announced its further expansion into Florida and Illinois with Verano (Cboe CA: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF), a leading multistate operator in the cannabis industry. This collaboration marks a significant milestone as TYSON 2.0 expands its footprint in Florida and Illinois, two of the most dynamic cannabis markets in the United States. We are thrilled to join forces with Verano, a leader in the cannabis industry, said Mike Tyson, co-founder and chief brand officer of TYSON 2.0. This partnership represents a major step forward in our mission to deliver exceptional cannabis experiences to a wider audience. With Veranos unparalleled industry knowledge and resources, we are in position to make a significant impact in Florida and Illinois. TYSON 2.0 stands out for its unique suite of high-quality products, inspired by Mike Tysons personal journey and commitment to excellence. TYSON 2.0 will leverage Veranos extensive network and operational expertise to broaden its saturation of Florida and Illinois markets. Veranos state-of-the-art cultivation facilities and well-established dispensaries MUV (Florida) and Zen Leaf (Illinois) will play a crucial role in scaling TYSON 2.0s impact, ensuring that cannabis enthusiasts in these key markets can access the premium products that define the brand. TYSON 2.0s famous Mike Bites edibles are now available in both markets. Additionally, vape cartridges are currently available in Illinois with plans to launch in Florida later this year. Verano founder and CEO George Archos echoed Tysons enthusiasm: Partnering with TYSON 2.0 is a fantastic opportunity for Verano, and we are excited to support their expansion into Florida and Illinois. Together, we will elevate the cannabis experience for consumers in these key markets. Our continued partnership with Verano marks a pivotal moment for TYSON 2.0 and our mission to elevate the cannabis experience for consumers across the nation, said Adam Wilks, CEO of Carma HoldCo , parent company of TYSON 2.0. By joining forces with a respected industry leader in Verano, we're not only expanding our presence in Florida and Illinois, we're also setting the stage for unprecedented growth and innovation for the TYSON 2.0 brand. We're excited about the potential this partnership holds and look forward to working closely with Verano to reach more consumers, introduce new products, and further establish TYSON 2.0 as a dominant force in cannabis markets across the U.S. About TYSON 2.0 TYSON 2.0 is a brand founded by the legendary boxer Mike Tyson. The Company entered the cannabis ring in 2021, with a commitment to providing the highest quality products in each market that it entered. While continuing to conquer the global cannabis market, TYSON 2.0 has also expanded into a variety of other consumer product categories, spanning across the US and 16 other countries. In every endeavor, the brand undertakes Mike Tysons legendary mindset of being the greatest of all time. Whether its cannabis or beyond, TYSON 2.0 is committed to delivering the goods while cultivating unrivaled experiences. For more information visit TYSON20.com . About Carma HoldCo Carma HoldCo Inc. is a leading global house of brands that harnesses the power of cultural icons to transform industries. The company focuses on creating unique experiences and product offerings that aim to connect with, inspire, and elevate consumers' lives. Within Carma HoldCos talent roster is a lineup of globally recognized superstars, including Mike Tyson, Ric Flair, and Future, who bring their legendary charisma and influence to the forefront of every venture. For more information visit CarmaHoldCo.com . About Verano Holdings Verano Holdings Corp. (Cboe CA: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF), one of the U.S. cannabis industrys leading companies based on historical revenue, geographic scope and brand performance, is a vertically integrated, multi-state operator embracing a mission of saying Yes to plant progress and the bold exploration of cannabis. Verano provides a superior cannabis shopping experience in medical and adult use markets under the Zen Leaf and MUV dispensary banners, including Cabbage Club , an innovative annual membership program offering exclusive benefits for cannabis consumers. Verano produces a comprehensive suite of high-quality, regulated cannabis products sold under its diverse portfolio of trusted consumer brands including Verano, (the) Essence, MUV, Savvy, BITS, Encore, and Avexia. Veranos active operations span 13 U.S. states, comprised of 13 production facilities with over 1,000,000 square feet of cultivation capacity. Learn more at Verano.com . Media Inquiries: Dublin, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Microcarrier Market Report By Applicati, End User, Countries and Company Analysis 2024-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global microcarrier market will reach US$ 1.91 billion in 2022 to US$ 4. 07 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.87% from 2024 to 2032. Some of the factors which are driving the growth of this market are; cell culture technique improvements, growth in demand for cell culture derived vaccines, and rising investment being made in the biopharmaceuticals industry. Microcarriers are small, bead or particle like structures onto which cells of importance for tissue adhesion and growth in bioreactors are firmly attached. These particles usually consist of dextran, glass, or polystyrene which foster cell growth in a micro-environment. In connection with the utility of microcarriers for cell cultures, it should be noted that these structures are used more and more actively in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries because they increase the productivity and efficiency of cell cultures. Some of the uses of microcarriers include preparing vaccines where the need to support large cell growth that is required for viral replication is felt. Biologics such as, monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins are also produced with their help. In regenerative medicine, seeding and culture of cells on microcarriers is essential for the expansion of stem cells and other cell types used in tissue engineering or cell therapy. Their application in the areas of operation promotes mass production of cells that is vital in the advancement of health and Biotechnology. Driving Forces for the Microcarrier Market Advancements in Cell Culture Technology Constant evolutions in cell culture technology have also greatly boosted the growth of the microcarrier market. New approaches to the bioreactors' design, the culture media, and modifications of the microcarrier surface improve the cell cultures in terms of efficiency and reproducibility. Such advances in technology help to improve the cell attachment, growth and rates of proliferation thus boosting production. Moreover, there is progress in automation and those systems that control the process of cell culture, which makes the functioning of facilities more efficient, cuts the personnel expenses, and eliminates mistakes. These developments enhance the productivity and quality of cell-based products and facilitate scaling of cell culture, driving increased need for microcarriers in applications, such as in vaccines and biotherapeutic manufacturing and in regenerative medicine. Increasing Demand for Cell-Based Vaccines Increasing trends of infectious diseases and the requirement of cell-based vaccines, in turn, necessitating microcarrier growth, and stimulating the growth of the microcarrier market. Compared to the egg-based vaccine production methods, Production using cells eliminate the constraints that come with outbreaks for instance by being faster and more flexible. Microcarriers enables cultivation of adherent cells needed for virus production hence necessary in vaccines production. The readiness for production increasing as response to the new emerging infectious diseases' strains is a very strong benefit therefore microcarriers become the key components of the modern vaccine production. Cultivated vaccines tend to refer higher yields and better uniformity, thus boosting the use of cell-based vaccines and, consequently, the market demand. Expanding Applications in Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy The microcarrier market is fueled by the emergent new industries of regenerative medicine and cell therapy. These medical disciplines require a vast number of stem cells and other adherent cell types for treatments that can restore or replace the lost or damaged tissues as well as cure several diseases. Microcarriers are suitable for the growth and differentiation of these cells and thus suitable for clinical advances. The applicative growth of clinical trials and registration approvals of cell-based therapies also contributes significantly to the call for efficient and affordable cell culturing. Thus, as the regenerative medicine and cell therapy expand and move to the regular application, the specifically organized microcarriers can provide the base for the high-quality and high-volume cell generation. Rising Investments in Biopharmaceutical Research and Development Lifesciences and more specifically, escalating research and development in processes of Biopharmaceutical R & D is contributing tremendously to the enhanced growth of the microcarrier. In this regard, marketing growth is stimulated by biopharmaceutical companies that are always in search of new solutions to improve production. The constant emphasis on new and technologically progressive biotherapeutics &, better manufacturing processes ensure the continuous demand for microcarriers, thus paving the market's way. Asia Pacific Microcarrier Market Currently, the Asia Pacific microcarrier market is on the right Track due to the following reasons. Another factor that contributes to the growth in demand for microcarriers is the growth of the area's biopharmaceutical sector as well as a higher interest in investment in biotech and life sciences research. Areas such as China, Indian, and Japan specifically leading the pack due to the solid backing from their governments, and bullish policies in place for promoting the growth in biomanufacturing. Also, higher incidences of chronic diseases and the desire for better treatment types such as cell-based vaccines, regenerative medicine act as another factor that boosts the growth of the global biological market. The accessibility of a robust workforce, economical manufacturing processes, and the setting up of several biotech centers also help to increase a rate of growth of the microcarrier market in the Asia Pacific region. Microcarrier Company Analysis The microcarrier industry leader are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Eppendorf AG, Danaher Corporation, Sartorius AG, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc, Corning Inc, Lonza Group, Getinge and Becton, Dickinson and Company. These companies are generally recognized as specialists in the manufacturing of excellent microcarriers for use in cell culturing. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 200 Forecast Period 2023 - 2032 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $1.89 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2032 $4.07 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.9% Regions Covered Global Key Players Analysis: Business Overview, Product Portfolio, Recent Development & Strategies, Revenue Analysis Thermo Fisher Scientific Merck KGaA Eppendorf AG Danaher Corporation Sartorius AG Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Corning Inc. Lonza Group Getinge Becton, Dickinson and Company Consumables - Market breakup in 2 viewpoints: Microcarrier Beads Media & Reagents Application - Market breakup in 3 viewpoints: Cell Therapy Vaccine Manufacturing Others End User - Market breakup in 3 viewpoints: Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies Contract Research Organizations & Contract Manufacturing Organizations Academic & Research Institutes Market breakup of 25 Countries: North America United States Canada Europe France Germany Italy Spain United Kingdom Belgium Netherland Turkey Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Thailand Malaysia Indonesia Australia New Zealand Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia UAE South Africa For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kn422c About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Ottawa, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global transformers market size is predicted to surpass around USD 124.19 billion by 2034 increasing from USD 59 billion in 2023. The market is registering a solid CAGR of 7% from 2024 to 2032, According to Precedence Research. The transformers market is driven by the rising usage of electronic equipment, changing consumer preferences and R&D projects. The transformers market encompasses the global industry involved in the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of transformers. Transformers are essential components for many uses, including distribution, power transmission, and isolation. They are very dependable and efficient because of the magnetic connection that allows them to transmit energy. Their efficiency has increased because of advancements in material technology, reaching around 97% efficiency. The Complete Study is Now Available for Immediate Access | Download the Sample Pages of this Report@ https://www.precedenceresearch.com/sample/3201 Distribution transformers reduce high voltage for usage in industry, commerce, and residential settings, whereas power transformers are necessary for long-distance power transmission. Transformers play a crucial role in electronic systems and power distribution by raising end-user currents and lowering high transmission voltages at substations. They operate on a straightforward basis, include no internal moving components, and may be linked in reverse to provide step-up or step-down functions. Transformers Market Highlights: Asia Pacific dominated the transformers market with the largest market share of 38% in 2023. North America is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. By cooling type, the air-cooled segment accounted for the highest market share of 70% in 2023. By type, the power transformers segment contributed the biggest market share in 2023. By phase, the three-phase segment transformer is expected to expand at a notable CAGR during the forecast period. By application, the industrial segment dominated the market in 2023. Analysis by Geography Asia-Pacific region generated the biggest market share of 38% in 2023. The Asia Pacific transformers market size was USD 22.42 billion in 2023, accounted for USD 23.99 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to reach around USD 47.19 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2024 to 2034. Due to the expansion of electrical infrastructure, the distribution market in the Asia Pacific region is growing significantly, with China accounting for the greatest part of the market. To expand the market, the Chinese government is replacing the country's existing smart power meters with upgraded models. The rising usage of smart sensors, smart meters, and networking hardware and software technologies is responsible for this sector's growth. Gains from renewable energy sources and the digital transformation of utilities are major market prospects. In-depth details on market definition, impact analysis, Porter's Five Forces analysis, market strategies, and industrial player positioning are all included in the research. You can place an order or ask any questions, please feel free to contact at sales@precedenceresearch.com | +1 650 460 3308 North America is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The need to upgrade outdated transmission and distribution networks and meet the growing energy demands of various sectors is projected to propel the North American market. Carbon emissions are decreased via smart grid technology, which is seen to be an effective and affordable option. The North American transformers market may see possibilities in the future because of network upgrades in the area. One of the greatest and oldest power infrastructures in the world, the US system is essential to national security, public health, and financial stability. Transformer demand is predicted to climb along with the country's electrical consumption, suggesting a shift in the balance of power generation. It is anticipated that this situation will result in a huge demand for transformers. For instance, in July 2024, to increase transmission capacity and reliability of the power supply in Lagos, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) of Nigeria has constructed two brand-new 60 MVA transformers at its Apapa 132/33kV Transmission Substation. By addressing power fluctuations and interruptions, the transformers will improve customer service delivery. Customize this study as per your requirement@ https://www.precedenceresearch.com/customization/3201 Transformers Market Coverage Report Attribute Key Statistics Transformers Market Size in 2023 USD 59 Billion Transformers Market Size in 2024 USD 63.13 Billion Transformers Market Size by 2034 USD 124.19 Billion Growth Rate from 2024 to 2034 CAGR of 7% Largest Market Asia Pacific Base Year 2023 Forecast Period 2024 to 2034 Historical Year 2021-2022 Segments Covered Type, Power Rating, Cooling Type, Insulation, Phase, Application, and Regions Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Transformers Market Segmental Analysis Analysis by Cooling Type The air-cooled segment dominated the transformers market and is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. An air-cooled transformer is a cooling medium utilized in mining, tunneling, and quarrying operations. It is appropriate for many different applications, including department shops, subways, multi-story structures, hospitals, and foundations. It can also change voltage levels. Industrial transformers come with a variety of characteristics to suit various requirements and uses. They are intended to provide a precise voltage supply by giving each circuit an exact winding ratio. Analysis by Type The power transformers segment dominated the transformers market in 2023. Static in nature, a power transformer transfers electrical energy between circuits without altering frequency. It functions in power systems at high voltages, mostly to modify the voltage differential between distribution circuits and generators. Power transformers are categorized as static and passive devices that have a long history of outstanding dependability and efficiency. They are employed in many different industries, including electronic equipment, audio systems, lighting, power production, transmission, and distribution. To provide effective power delivery, they provide impedance matching and galvanic isolation at various voltage level steps. In addition, they isolate and amplify audio signals, offer low voltage and controlled power to electronic devices, and supply high current and low voltage for lighting systems. Analysis by Phase The three-phase segment transformer is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. Three single-phase transformers with the same ratings and operational characteristics are connected using three-phase transformers in mines to ensure supply continuity. They are simpler to move and keep consistent. One three-phase transformer may be used to build a three-phase bank, saving money and weight while using less iron and insulating materials. But in case of a malfunction, the complete machine needs to be taken apart. Three-phase transformers provide the following benefits: prewired installation, less core material needed, lighter, smaller, and easier to carry. They also provide easier installation, reduced expenses, and increased efficiency. Analysis by Application The industrial segment dominated the transformers market in 2023. Transformers are essential to the industrial sector because they guarantee precise, risk-free, and safe power supply for a range of businesses. Sustaining voltage levels as needed increases efficiency and safety and is crucial for long-distance power distribution and regulation. Safety-conscious manufacturing sectors like steel and engineering items need high-voltage supply. Smart transformers are needed in the automotive industry to monitor voltage levels and give the right amount of power to charging equipment. Rectifier transformers are used in the electrochemical industries for effective operation. Transformers are also used in the communications, healthcare, and military sectors. A well-known transformer manufacturer in India, Macroplast Transformers combines voltage, current, and CT-VT metering devices to provide bespoke solutions for distribution and power transformers. Transformers Market Dynamics Driver: Flexibility and control Digital transformers are essential to the security of electrical networks, particularly when integrating electric cars and renewable energy sources. Their ability to connect with other digital equipment, like chargers for electric vehicles, gives utilities and grid operators a detailed picture of grid activities. Flexibility and control are becoming more and more crucial as DERs and EV charging become more and more integrated into contemporary networks. Digital transformers improve grid flexibility and control by enabling ideas like distributed energy resource management and efficient EV charging. Browse More Insights: Distribution Transformer Market: The global distribution transformer market size was valued at USD 25.30 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach around USD 48.07 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.63% from 2024 to 2033. The global was valued at USD 25.30 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach around USD 48.07 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.63% from 2024 to 2033. Floating Wind Power Market : The global floating wind power market size was estimated at USD 1.9 billion in 2022 and is expected to hit around USD 65.37 billion by 2032, poised to grow at an impressive CAGR of 42.5% from 2023 to 2032. : The global was estimated at USD 1.9 billion in 2022 and is expected to hit around USD 65.37 billion by 2032, poised to grow at an impressive CAGR of 42.5% from 2023 to 2032. Nuclear Power Market : The global nuclear power market demand was estimated at 423.19 giga-watt in 2022 and is expected to hit around 498.41 giga-watt by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 1.7% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. : The global nuclear power market demand was estimated at 423.19 giga-watt in 2022 and is expected to hit around 498.41 giga-watt by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 1.7% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. Power Inverter Market : The global power inverter market size was valued at US$ 72 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach over US$ 117.84 billion by 2032, poised to grow at a noteworthy CAGR of 5.10% from 2023 to 2032. : The global was valued at US$ 72 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach over US$ 117.84 billion by 2032, poised to grow at a noteworthy CAGR of 5.10% from 2023 to 2032. Thermal Power Plant Market: The global thermal power plant market size was estimated at USD 1,430.46 billion in 2022 and is expected to hit US$ 1,988.68 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 3.4% from 2023 to 2032. Restraint: Complexity in training Transformers are very computationally demanding models that need a large amount of memory to train and run. Because they rely on fixed-size input sequences, handling variable-length inputs is challenging. Transformers' typical self-attention process is likewise non-causal, which complicates interpretation. Further complicating fine-tuning is their enormous data requirements for efficient training. Common sense thinking, bias amplification, and managing unusual situations are areas in which Transformers falter. They also need a lot of processing power, which may have an impact on the environment. Furthermore, it might be challenging to efficiently parallelize certain transformers, such as autoregressive decoding. Opportunity: Power transformers Power transformers are essential for sustaining the flow of energy in distribution lines that connect homes to power facilities. The need for efficient transformers has grown along with the need for solar power generation, opening doors for growth opportunities in the transformers market. While conventional designs are best suited for residential and commercial applications, impedance flexibility is necessary for wind and solar power generation. The energy generation and transmission infrastructure must be significantly altered to accommodate renewable energy sources, which presents new potential for the power transformer sector. Players in the market are making investments in innovative designs to reduce power losses in transmission and are reimagining power transformers by substituting a new composition for metal in the core. For instance, in April 2024, to modernize and upgrade its power transformer production and facilities in Quebec, Canada, Hitachi Energy has announced a $100 million investment. The initiative, which has some funding from the Quebec government, intends to address the demand for global energy transition while accelerating time to market. The facility will allow for capacity expansion and the creation of about 70 jobs. Transformers Market Top 10 Companies Siemens Energy GE Co. Alstom SA Toshiba Corp. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. Crompton Greaves Ltd. ABB Ltd. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Hyosung Power & Industrial Systems Performance Group Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Recent Developments: In July 2024 , In Loughborough, Leicestershire, the UK, BRUSH Group opened a transformer test cell facility worth millions of pounds. The facility, located within Falcon Works, will test recently constructed power transformers to make sure they live up to client standards. The facility boosts manufacturing capacity with four transformer units having their own storage. , In Loughborough, Leicestershire, the UK, BRUSH Group opened a transformer test cell facility worth millions of pounds. The facility, located within Falcon Works, will test recently constructed power transformers to make sure they live up to client standards. The facility boosts manufacturing capacity with four transformer units having their own storage. In July 2024 , A bid of $1,463,528 was accepted by the board of the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District for a new 69kV transformer for the Jeffrey Hydro plant. The 34.5kV sub-transmission transformer that is currently in use is being replaced with a new transformer. To run at 69KV, the Dawson Public Power District will update its system. , A bid of $1,463,528 was accepted by the board of the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District for a new 69kV transformer for the Jeffrey Hydro plant. The 34.5kV sub-transmission transformer that is currently in use is being replaced with a new transformer. To run at 69KV, the Dawson Public Power District will update its system. In April 2024, Tata Power commissions the biggest natural ester-filled power transformer in India for the Mumbai Transmission Network with the goal of lowering its environmental impact and increasing capacity. Natural esters provide better fire safety and environmentally beneficial solutions because they are created from renewable, biodegradable fluid. Market Segmentation By Type Distribution Transformer Power Transformer Others By Power Rating Small Medium Large By Cooling Type Air Cooled Oil Cooled By Insulation Dry Liquid Immersed By Phase Three Phase Single Phase By Application Utility Industrial Commercial and Residential By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East and Africa (MEA) Immediate Delivery Available | Buy This Premium Research Report@ https://www.precedenceresearch.com/checkout/3201 You can place an order or ask any questions, please feel free to contact at sales@precedenceresearch.com | +1 650 460 3308 Unlocking Market Insights through Data Excellence The "Precedence Statistics" flexible dashboard is a powerful tool that offers real-time news updates, economic and market forecasts, and customizable reports. It can be configured to support a wide range of analysis styles and strategic planning needs. This tool empowers users to stay informed and make data-driven decisions in various scenarios, making it a valuable asset for businesses and professionals looking to stay ahead in today's dynamic and data-driven world. To Access our Premium Real-Time Data Intelligence Tool, Visit: http://www.precedencestatistics.com About Us Precedence Research is a worldwide market research and consulting organization. We give an unmatched nature of offering to our customers present all around the globe across industry verticals. Precedence Research has expertise in giving deep-dive market insight along with market intelligence to our customers spread crosswise over various undertakings. We are obliged to serve our different client base present over the enterprises of medicinal services, healthcare, innovation, next-gen technologies, semi-conductors, chemicals, automotive, and aerospace & defense, among different ventures present globally. Web: https://www.precedenceresearch.com Our Blogs: https://www.towardshealthcare.com https://www.towardspackaging.com https://www.towardsautomotive.com For Latest Update Follow Us: Dublin, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Free Trade Zone Warehouses Logistics - Global Strategic Business Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global market for Free Trade Zone Warehouses Logistics is estimated at US$4.4 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$5.6 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 3.7% from 2023 to 2030. This comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of market trends, drivers, and forecasts, helping you make informed business decisions. The growth in the Free Trade Zone warehouses logistics market is driven by several factors. The increasing globalization of trade has heightened the demand for efficient logistics solutions that can manage the complexities of cross-border commerce. The expansion of e-commerce has further propelled the need for FTZ warehouses, as businesses require flexible storage and distribution solutions to meet the demands of international customers. Technological advancements in warehouse management and automation have enhanced the efficiency and appeal of FTZs, making them a crucial component of modern supply chains. Additionally, favorable government policies and incentives aimed at promoting international trade and investment have spurred the development and utilization of FTZs. The rising focus on cost reduction and efficiency in logistics operations has also driven businesses to adopt FTZ warehouses as part of their strategic planning. These factors, combined with ongoing innovations and the increasing complexity of global supply chains, ensure the continued growth and evolution of the FTZ warehouse logistics market. Key Insights: Market Growth: Understand the significant growth trajectory of the 3PL Service segment, which is expected to reach US$3.3 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of a 3.8%. The 4PL Service segment is also set to grow at 4.0% CAGR over the analysis period. Regional Analysis: Gain insights into the U.S. market, estimated at $1.2 Billion in 2023, and China, forecasted to grow at an impressive 7.1% CAGR to reach $1.2 Billion by 2030. Discover growth trends in other key regions, including Japan, Canada, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific. Why You Should Buy This Report: Detailed Market Analysis: Access a thorough analysis of the Global Free Trade Zone Warehouses Logistics Market, covering all major geographic regions and market segments. Competitive Insights: Get an overview of the competitive landscape, including the market presence of major players across different geographies. Future Trends and Drivers: Understand the key trends and drivers shaping the future of the Global Free Trade Zone Warehouses Logistics Market. Actionable Insights: Benefit from actionable insights that can help you identify new revenue opportunities and make strategic business decisions. Report Features: Comprehensive Market Data: Independent analysis of annual sales and market forecasts in US$ Million from 2023 to 2030. In-Depth Regional Analysis: Detailed insights into key markets, including the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Company Profiles: Coverage of major players such as Arshiya Ltd., Buhariwala Logistics, Dimerco Express Group, and more. Complimentary Updates: Receive free report updates for one year to keep you informed of the latest market developments. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 190 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $4.4 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $5.6 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.7% Regions Covered Global MARKET OVERVIEW Influencer Market Insights Global Economic Update Free Trade Zone Warehouses Logistics - Global Key Competitors Percentage Market Share in 2024 (E) Competitive Market Presence - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial for Players Worldwide in 2024 (E) MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS How FTZ Warehouses are Revolutionizing Global Supply Chains Increasing Globalization of Trade Spurs Growth in FTZ Warehousing Expansion of E-Commerce Expands Addressable Market Opportunity for FTZ Warehouses Technological Advancements in Warehouse Management Systems Propel Efficiency Innovations in Automation and IoT Devices Enhance Operational Effectiveness Integration of Blockchain Technology Throws the Spotlight on Supply Chain Transparency Rising Focus on Cost Reduction and Efficiency Drives Adoption of FTZ Warehouses Impact of Cross-Border Commerce Complexities on FTZ Logistics Increasing Demand for Flexible Storage and Distribution Solutions Accelerates Market Demand Influence of Global Trade Policies on FTZ Warehousing Dynamics Here`s How Technological Innovations are Shaping the Future of FTZ Warehousing Influence of Economic Shifts on FTZ Warehouse Utilization Focus on Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Practices Sustain Growth in FTZ Logistics Growth in International Investments Enhances Demand for FTZ Warehousing Solutions Expansion of Multi-Modal Logistics Solutions in FTZs Drives Adoption Advances in Security and Surveillance Technologies Enhance FTZ Warehouse Appeal FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS(Total 49 Featured): Arshiya Ltd. Buhariwala Logistics Dimerco Express Group Genex Logistics J Matadee Free Trade Zone Pvt Ltd. Kanban Logistics, Inc. Kerry Indev Logistics Pvt. Ltd. M/s Vardhman Custom Clearing and Forwarding Agents NDR Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. ProLogis, Inc. Rhenus SE & Co. KG Rinchem Company, Inc. Sislocar Logistics Group TVS Supply Chain Solutions Verexcrest Logistics Pvt Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7fdflj About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Cleveland, Ohio, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP recently announced that Ellen G. Dorsten has joined the law firm's Corporate and Finance practice group as a partner. Dorsten will work from the firm's Columbus, Ohio, office and assist clients with their commercial lending needs across the U.S. and globally. An experienced corporate finance attorney, Dorsten has led complex, innovative engagements across diverse sectors ranging from fintech and telecommunications to hospitality and apparel. She has experience with a variety of capital arrangements and transaction structures including cross-border facilities, acquisition and project financings, workouts and restructurings, private placement offerings, structured finance, and securitizations. Dorsten has handled substantial financing matters for regional, super-regional, and national banks as well as non-bank and direct lenders, public companies, and private equity sponsors in transactions totaling over $15.0 billion. Prior to joining Calfee, Dorsten was a financial markets attorney with an international law firm and held in-house counsel roles at a multinational bank and a venture-backed financial technology start-up. Dorsten earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in Political Science. "Im thrilled to be joining a stellar team of attorneys at Calfee with decades of experience in commercial lending, and I look forward to providing our clients market-leading representation in their financing transactions," Dorsten stated. With 45+ dedicated attorneys, Calfees Corporate and Finance practice group is one of the largest and most prolific in Ohio, handling a significant number of complex and sophisticated business and financial transactions for clients across the country and globally. Ellen is a phenomenal addition to our Finance practice, and we could not be more excited to have her as part of the Calfee team. Her vast experience and excellent client service will allow us to even better service our Corporate and Financial institution clients, stated Ann Z. Seger, partner and vice chair of Calfee's Corporate and Finance group. Calfees commercial lending attorneys represent clients in all aspects of domestic and international transactions, financings, and debt structures. They counsel financial institutions and borrowers in analyzing, structuring, documenting, and negotiating all aspects of finance in private, public, syndicated, international, and governmental settings. Calfee lawyers also assist companies in developing and structuring the commercial aspects of domestic and international business relationships including development projects, sales, distribution arrangements, and multinational ventures. We are thrilled to have Ellen join our strong team of Corporate lawyers in Calfees Columbus office. Ellen brings a somewhat unique perspective, having worked at a multinational law firm as well as in-house legal counsel on the business side. As one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S., Central Ohios business and financial sectors are booming, and Ellens expertise will be invaluable to both corporate and banking clients looking for experienced and practical corporate finance legal counsel," stated Leah Pappas Porner, partner-in-charge of Calfees Columbus office and chair of the firms Government Relations and Legislation practice. About Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP is a full-service corporate law firm with 160 attorneys and professionals and five offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Washington, D.C. Calfee serves clients in the Midwest, nationally and globally in the areas of Corporate and Finance, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, Energy and Utilities, Estate and Succession Planning and Administration, Government Relations and Legislation, Intellectual Property, Investment Management Law, Labor and Employment, Litigation, and Real Estate Law. Calfee has been recognized as a leading law firm by the Chambers USA 2024 Legal Guide in Antitrust, Banking & Finance, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Corporate/M&A, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Government Relations: State & Local, Insurance: Policyholder, Intellectual Property, Investment Funds: Regulatory & Compliance, Labor & Employment, Litigation: General Commercial, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, and Real Estate Law and by Chambers High Net Worth 2024 Guide in Private Wealth Law. A founding member of Lex Mundi, Calfee offers international representation through a network of independent law firms with access to 22,000 attorneys located in more than 125 countries. Additional information is available at Calfee.com. Attachment TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ninepoint Partners LP (Ninepoint) is pleased to announce that the Ninepoint 2024 Short Duration Flow-Through Limited Partnership II (the Partnership) filed a preliminary prospectus (the Prospectus) on August 15, 2024in connection with its offering of limited partnership units ( the Units). A receipt for the preliminary prospectus has been issued by the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. The Units are being offered at a price per Unit of $25.00 with a minimum subscription of 100 Units ($2,500). Ninepoint is a leading manager of Flow-Through Funds in Canada. Since its inception in 2017, Ninepoint has successfully raised more Flow-Through Fund capital than any other asset manager in Canada. The Partnership intends to provide liquidity to limited partners through a roll-over to the Ninepoint Resource Fund Class in the period between January 15, 2026 and February 28, 2026. Investment Objective of the Partnership The Partnerships investment objective is to achieve capital appreciation and significant tax benefits for limited partners by investing in a diversified portfolio of Flow-Through Shares (as defined in the Prospectus) and other securities, if any, of Resource Issuers (as defined in the Prospectus). Attractive Tax-Reduction Benefits Flow-through partnerships are one of the most effective tax reduction strategies available to Canadians. Ninepoint anticipates that investors participating in the Partnership will be eligible to receive a tax deduction of approximately 100% of the amount invested. Resource Expertise The Partnership will be sub-advised by Sprott Asset Management LP (Sprott), one of Canadas leading investment advisors in small and mid-cap resource companies. Over its long history of investing in the resource sector, Sprott has developed relationships with hundreds of companies. Its experienced team of portfolio managers is supported by a team of technical experts with extensive backgrounds in mining and geology. Portfolio manager Jason Mayer will manage the portfolio of the Partnership and will be supported by Sprotts broader team of experienced resource investment professionals. Agents The offering is being made through a syndicate of agents led by RBC Dominion Securities Inc. which includes CIBC World Markets Inc., TD Securities Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Manulife Wealth Inc., iA Private Wealth Inc., Raymond James Ltd., Richardson Wealth Limited, Canaccord Genuity Corp., Desjardins Securities Inc. and Ventum Financial Corp. About Ninepoint Partners LP Based in Toronto, Ninepoint Partners LP is one of Canadas leading alternative investment management firms overseeing approximately $7 billion in assets under management and institutional contracts. Committed to helping investors explore innovative investment solutions that have the potential to enhance returns and manage portfolio risk, Ninepoint offers a diverse set of alternative strategies spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Alternative Income, Real Assets, F/X and Digital Assets. For more information on Ninepoint Partners LP, please visit www.ninepoint.com or for inquiries regarding the offering, please contact us at (416) 943-6707 or (866) 299-9906 or invest@ninepoint.com. Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions expects, intends, anticipates, will and similar expressions to the extent that they relate to the Partnership. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Partnerships, Ninepoints and Sprotts current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Although the Partnership, Ninepoint and Sprott believe the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Neither the Partnership, nor Ninepoint or Sprott undertake any obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other such factors which affect this information, except as required by law. A preliminary prospectus containing important information relating to these securities has been filed with securities commissions or similar authorities in all the provinces and territories of Canada. The preliminary prospectus is still subject to completion or amendment. Copies of the preliminary prospectus may be obtained from one of the dealers noted above. There will not be any sale or any acceptance of an offer to buy the securities until a receipt for the final prospectus has been issued. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/ TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: MON) (Montero or the Corporation) is pleased to announce that, further to its news release of August 6th, 2024, it has closed the first tranche (the First Tranche) of its non-brokered private placement of up to 4,814,815 common shares of the Corporation (the Common Shares) at a price of $0.27 per Common Share, for gross proceeds of up to $1,300,000 (the Offering). An aggregate of 2,444,444 Common Shares were sold under the First Tranche for total gross proceeds of $660,000. Closing of the second tranche of the Offering is expected to be on or before August 30th, 2024, or such other date or dates that the Corporation may determine. Dr. Tony Harwood, President and CEO of Montero, commented: We are pleased to have completed the closing of the first tranche of Monteros private placement and are delighted in the lead subscription from Mr. Jeremy Raper. Montero intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate and working capital purposes. Completion of the Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV) and applicable securities regulatory authorities. In connection with the First Tranche, the Corporation will pay a cash finder fee of $39,600 to 708 Capital Pty Ltd. The Common Shares issued under the First Tranche are subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period from the date of issuance. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the United States Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Montero Montero is currently in arbitration proceedings before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) seeking in excess of $90 million in damages from the United Republic of Tanzania over the expropriation of the Wigu Hill rare earth element project. Montero is also seeking a joint venture partner to advance its Avispa copper-molybdenum project in Chile. Montero trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MON and has 47,725,739 shares outstanding. For more information, contact: Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. Dr. Tony Harwood, President and Chief Executive Officer E-mail: ir@monteromining.com Tel: +1 604 428 7050 www.monteromining.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements, projections and estimates with respect to the Offering, including the terms, timing and completion thereof and the use of proceeds from the Offering. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such information is based on information currently available to Montero and Montero provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking information by its very nature involves inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Montero to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Actual results relating to, among other things, completion of the agreement, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Monteros mineral properties, and financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: an inability to complete the agreement on the terms as announced or at all; changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Monteros activities; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Monteros forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Montero does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monteverde & Associates PC (the M&A Class Action Firm), has recovered money for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2018-2022 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating Kellanova (NYSE: K), relating to its proposed merger with Mars, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, all Kellanova common stock will be automatically converted into the right to receive $83.50 in cash per share. Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/kellanova/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE THE SAME. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask: Do you file class actions and go to Court? When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders? What cases did you recover money in and how much? About Monteverde & Associates PC Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholdersand we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740 New York, NY 10118 United States of America jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com Tel: (212) 971-1341 TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: PFIA, PFSS, PFCB, PFAA) Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the August 2024 monthly cash distribution of $0.0206 per unit for the ETF units (ETF Units) of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Income Alternative Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the August 2024 monthly cash distribution of $0.0149 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Special Situations Alternative Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the August 2024 monthly cash distribution of $0.0357 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Core Bond Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the August 2024 monthly cash distribution of $0.0001 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Alpha Alternative Fund. Unitholders of record of the ETF Units, at the close of business on August 23, 2024, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on August 30, 2024. About Picton Mahoney Asset Management Picton Mahoney Asset Management specializes in differentiated investment solutions and rules-based volatility management. Picton Mahoney helps its clients fortify their portfolios based on experience honed over the years through different market cycles and investing environments. Founded in 2004 and 100% employee-owned, Picton Mahoney is a portfolio management boutique entrusted with over $10.8 billion (as at July 31, 2024) in assets under management. Pioneers of Authentic Hedge investment principles and practices in Canada, the firm offers a full suite of investment solutions, including mutual and alternative funds, to institutional and retail investors across the country. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees, performance fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Alternative funds can only be purchased through a registered dealer and are available only in those jurisdictions where they may be lawfully offered for sale. For further information please contact: Arthur Galloway Picton Mahoney Asset Management Tel: (416) 955-4108 Web site: www.pictonmahoney.com Email: service@pictonmahoney.com SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GFG Resources Inc. (TSXV: GFG) (OTCQB: GFGSF) (GFG or the Company) announces the signing of a definitive agreement (the Agreement) for the sale of its 100% owned Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project (the Project) to Patriot Gold Vault Ltd., (Patriot). Under the terms of the Agreement, Patriot will pay GFG an aggregate consideration of approximately C$3.3 million (the Transaction). GFG and Patriot had previously announced the signing of a letter of intent (LOI) on May 9, 2024 (see press release: GFG Signs Binding LOI with Patriot Gold to Sell its Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project). Transaction Terms Patriot will acquire a 100% interest in the Project on the following terms: Cash payment of C$250,000 to GFG on signing of the binding LOI (complete); Cash payment of C$250,000 to GFG upon the execution and delivery of a definitive agreement (pending); On closing of the Transaction, Patriot will: Make a cash payment of C$1,200,000 to GFG; and Issue to GFG the greater of 3,000,000 common shares of Patriot (the Consideration Shares ) or $600,000 in value of Consideration Shares based on the volume weighted average trading price of the Consideration Shares for the 20 trading days immediately preceding the Closing Date, or in the event that Patriot is not listed, the value of the Consideration Shares shall be determined by the last financing price of the Patriot shares sold to arms length investors to Patriot; and On the date that is 12 months following the Closing Date, Patriot will pay to GFG a cash payment of C$1,000,000. Additional Terms On closing of the Transaction, Patriot will replace the US$219,000 reclamation bond for the Project, which in turn GFG will recoup. If a National Instrument 43-101 resource estimate in the Project reveal a mineral resource of greater than 3,000,000 ounces of gold in a Measured and Indicated or Inferred category, Patriot will pay to GFG a further C$1 per total mineral resource ounce in cash or common shares of Patriot, at the election of Patriot. Patriot shall reimburse GFG and cover all costs and expenses relating to the Project incurred from the date of the signed LOI to the Closing Date. The closing of the Transaction is expected to occur on or about 120 days following todays date. About The Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project The Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project is a district-scale gold exploration project located in central Wyoming, approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Casper. Geologically, the Project is centrally located within a roughly 1,500-kilometre-long belt of alkalic intrusive complexes that occur along the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains from Montana to New Mexico, several of which are associated with multiple gold deposits. The Project has approximately 100,000 metres (m) of historic drilling which has outlined three significant zones of alteration and precious metal mineralization that are associated with Eocene age alkalic intrusions at North Stock, Antelope Basin and Blackjack. The majority of the drilling has focused on near-surface, open pit mineralization in the North Stock and Antelope Basin deposits with highlights that include intercepts(1) of 1.85 grams of gold per tonne (g/t Au) over 236.2 m hole length; 4.20 g/t Au over 77.7 m hole length; 2.08 g/t Au over 150.9 m hole length and 0.82 g/t Au over 99.1 m hole length. In addition to the outlined zones of mineralization, the Company believes that the district is highly prospective and has outlined several kilometre-scale greenfield targets that have never been drill tested. These greenfield targets were generated from the Companys geophysical and geochemical programs and host strong similarities to the North Stock and Antelope Basin systems. (1) Gold intervals reported are based on a 0.20 g/t or 0.50 g/t Au cutoff. Weighted averaging has been used to calculate all reported intervals. True widths are estimated at 60-100% of drilled thicknesses. About Patriot Gold Vault Ltd. Patriot Gold Vault is a gold mineral resource aggregator whose principal activity is to acquire high quality resource-ready gold assets in Tier 1 jurisdictions. Led by a team of proven technical and financial mining executives, Patriot will focus on increasing asset resources via drilling in Phase 1 and profitably divesting of its assets in Phase 2. About GFG Resources Inc. GFG is a North American precious metals exploration company focused on district scale gold projects in tier one mining jurisdictions, Ontario and Wyoming. In Ontario, the Company operates three gold projects, each large and highly prospective gold properties within the prolific gold district of Timmins, Ontario, Canada. The projects have similar geological settings that host most of the gold deposits found in the Timmins Gold Camp which have produced over 70 million ounces of gold. The Company also owns 100% of the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project, a district scale gold exploration project located approximately 100 km southwest of Casper, Wyoming, U.S. For further information, please contact: Brian Skanderbeg, President & CEO or Marc Lepage, Vice President, Business Development Phone: (306) 931-0930 Email: info@gfgresources.com Website: www.gfgresources.com Stay Connected with Us Twitter: @gfgresources LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gfgresources/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GFGResourcesInc/ Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, disclosure regarding possible events, the Agreement and proposed activities thereunder (the Transaction), exploration plans for the Project and expected results, conditions or financial performance that is based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; planned use of proceeds, expenditures and budgets and the execution thereof. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate or believes, or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results, may, could, would, will, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved or the negative connotation thereof. All forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions, including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long-term price of gold, that the current exploration and other objectives concerning its mineral projects can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected; that the current price and demand for gold will be sustained or will improve; the continuity of the price of gold and other metals, economic and political conditions and operations; that all conditions precedent to the Transaction, including requisite regulatory approval will be fulfilled in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of GFG to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks and uncertainties related to the Transaction not being completed in the event that any of the conditions precedent thereto are not satisfied; actual results of current exploration activities; environmental risks; future prices of gold; operating risks; accidents, labour issues and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining government approvals or financing; and other risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties are not, and should not be construed as being, exhaustive. Although GFG has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. In addition, forward-looking statements are provided solely for the purpose of providing information about managements current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof and GFG assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. CHURCHILL, Manitoba, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the first time in over two decades, an export shipment of Critical Minerals has departed from the Port of Churchill. The zinc concentrate shipment marks a significant milestone in Arctic Gateway Groups work to revitalize the Hudson Bay Railway, diversify the Port of Churchill, and seize the opportunity to further develop Canadas Arctic trade corridor to global markets. Were building a new era of economic development and international trade for northern Manitoba while strongly supporting the principles of Indigenous reconciliation, said Mike Spence, Chair of Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) and Mayor of Churchill. Thanks to the strong partnership that we have developed between the Indigenous and northern ownership group, the Government of Canada, and the Province of Manitoba, weve been able to improve the reliability of our operations and secure new contracts to export Canadas critical minerals to international markets. Over the past two months, more than one hundred rail cars of zinc concentrate from Hudbay Minerals Inc. (Hudbay) operations in Snow Lake, Manitoba were delivered to the Port of Churchill. The zinc concentrate was then stored temporarily at a recently built storage facility, which is the first new building at the port in over twenty years. This new storage facility is the first step in a broader plan to significantly increase critical minerals storage capacity at the Port of Churchill. The collaborative work done between all levels of government and the leadership of the Arctic Gateway Group has paved the way for this historic day, said Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for PrairiesCan. With a revitalized Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill, jobs will be created, mining and forestry opportunities will open, and Bayline communities will have the opportunity to position themselves as a true gateway to the Arctic and the world. This export activity through Churchill is proof that our investment in the transportation system is bringing a wave of growth and renewal for the north, and advancing economic reconciliation for Indigenous peoples, said Lisa Naylor, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure for the Province of Manitoba. Hudbay has a long history of mining in Manitoba and is committed to supporting the northern economy. The Port of Churchill provides us with an efficient gateway to deliver our products to global customers. We hope to build on this initial concentrate shipment to explore other mutually beneficial opportunities with Arctic Gateway Group in the future, said Rob Carter, Vice President of Hudbays Manitoba Business Unit. Alongside work to improve and diversify the Port of Churchill, AGG has made historic investments in capital upgrades along the Hudson Bay Rail Line that help to ensure the stability and reliability of freight and passenger services. This years construction season includes: replacement of 125,000 rail ties 800,000 feet of resurfacing several crossing rehabilitations turnout replacements various bridge improvements, including the replacement of a large rail bridge at Mile 179.8 of the Thicket Portage Sub-Division. In addition to todays critical minerals export shipment, the Port of Churchill also loaded a second vessel of essential northern resupply items in mid-July, including construction equipment, vehicles, and an array goods for the people and businesses in the Arctic. With a $60 million investment by the federal and provincial governments in 2024, this construction season AGG is set to complete major capital upgrades on the Hudson Bay Railway, purchase essential port handling equipment, and lay the groundwork for future growth and port developments. These investments are made possible through the shared vision for a reliable, efficient, and financially profitable Arctic trade corridor, supported by the Government of Manitoba, the Government of Canada, and the Arctic Gateway Group. AGG looks forward to continuing this partnership as it progresses to the next phase of development. When fully realized in 2028, the potential benefits of the Arctic Gateway port and railway are expected to: Reduce shipping time and costs for key international markets and more competitively priced imports and exports. Generate over $1 Billion annually in associated economic activity for the Canadian economy. Support over 5,500 jobs annually, including indirect jobs in associated industries such as construction and transportation. Be a model for economic reconciliation, which is a key focus of AGGs unique ownership group of Indigenous and northern communities. Provide Canada with multi-use infrastructure that enables a stronger assertion of Canadas sovereignty in the Arctic. Give Canadian imports and exports an alternate deep sea arctic port that is accessible by rail, strengthening Canadas supply chain. Reduce costs of resupply shipments to arctic communities and increase food security. Spence added, This shipment shows the strength of Manitobas resources and the opportunity of our deepwater Port and arctic trade corridor were exporting critical minerals mined in Manitoba through a Manitoba port using infrastructure built by Manitobans. About Arctic Gateway Group The Arctic Gateway Group is a proudly Indigenous- and community-owned Manitoba company that owns and operates the Port of Churchill, Canadas only Arctic seaport serviced by rail, as well as the Hudson Bay Railway, which runs from The Pas to Churchill. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1b7fa691-10e3-4ad6-8ac8-2cddd0d6f4f5 ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Theriva Biologics, Inc. (NYSE American: TOVX), a diversified clinical-stage company developing therapeutics designed to treat diseases in areas of high unmet need, announced today a reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock, par value $0.001 per share, at a ratio of one (1) share of common stock for every twenty five (25) shares of common stock, effective as of 12:01 a.m. (Eastern Time) on August 26, 2024 (the Effective Date). The Companys common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis when the market opens on August 26, 2024. The reverse stock split was authorized by the Companys Board of Directors on August 15, 2024. Pursuant to the laws of the State of Nevada, the Companys state of incorporation, the Companys Board of Directors has the authority to effect a reverse stock split without shareholder approval if the number of authorized shares of common stock and the number of outstanding shares of common stock are proportionally reduced. The Company will file a certificate of change to its articles of incorporation, as amended, with the Secretary of State of Nevada to effect the reverse stock split. The Companys common stock will continue to trade on the NYSE American under the stock ticker TOVX but will trade under the new CUSIP number 87164U 508. As a result of the reverse split, each twenty five (25) pre-split shares of common stock outstanding will automatically combine into one (1) new share of common stock without any action on the part of the holders, and the number of outstanding common shares will be reduced from 25,131,230 shares to 1,005,249 shares without taking into account fractional shares. The reverse stock split is being effected to ensure that the Company can meet the per share price requirements of the NYSE American, the Company's current listing exchange. No fractional shares will be issued as a result of the reverse stock split. Shareholders who otherwise would be entitled to a fractional share because they hold a number of shares not evenly divisible by the 1 (one) for twenty five (25) reverse split ratio, will automatically be entitled to receive an additional fractional share of the Companys common stock to round up to the next whole share. The Companys transfer agent, Equiniti Trust Company, which is also acting as the exchange agent for the reverse split, will send instructions to stockholders of record who hold stock certificates regarding the exchange of their old certificates for new certificates, should they wish to do so. Stockholders who hold their shares in brokerage accounts or street name are not required to take action to effect the exchange of their shares. About Theriva Biologics, Inc. Theriva Biologics (NYSE American: TOVX), is a diversified clinical-stage company developing therapeutics designed to treat cancer and related diseases in areas of high unmet need. The Company is advancing a new oncolytic adenovirus platform designed for intravenous (IV), intravitreal and antitumoral delivery to trigger tumor cell death, improve access of co-administered cancer therapies to the tumor, and promote a robust and sustained anti-tumor response by the patients immune system. The Companys lead candidates are: (1) VCN-01, an oncolytic adenovirus designed to replicate selectively and aggressively within tumor cells, and to degrade the tumor stroma barrier that serves as a significant physical and immunosuppressive barrier to cancer treatment; (2) SYN-004 (ribaxamase) which is designed to degrade certain commonly used IV beta-lactam antibiotics within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to prevent microbiome damage, thereby limiting overgrowth of pathogenic organisms such as VRE (vancomycin resistant Enterococci) and reducing the incidence and severity of acute graft-versus-host-disease (aGVHD) in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients; and (3) SYN-020, a recombinant oral formulation of the enzyme intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) produced under cGMP conditions and intended to treat both local GI and systemic diseases. For more information, please visit Theriva Biologics website at www.therivabio.com. Forward-Looking Statement This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions, and include statements regarding our planned stock split. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the stock split having the desired effect, the ability to continue to enroll patients as planned, generating clinical data that establishes VCN-01 may lead to improved clinical outcomes for patients with PDAC and other solid cancers; the Companys and VCNs product candidates demonstrating safety and effectiveness, as well as results that are consistent with prior results; the ability to complete clinical trials on time and achieve the desired results and benefits; the ability to obtain regulatory approval for commercialization of product candidates or to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements, regulatory limitations relating to the Companys and VCNs ability to promote or commercialize their product candidates for the specific indications, acceptance of product candidates in the marketplace and the successful development, marketing or sale of the Companys and VCNs products, developments by competitors that render such products obsolete or non-competitive, the Companys and VCNs ability to maintain license agreements, the continued maintenance and growth of the Companys and VCNs patent estate, the ability to continue to remain well financed and other factors described in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and its other filings with the SEC, including subsequent periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and Theriva Biologics undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. For further information, please contact: Investor Relations: Chris Calabrese LifeSci Advisors, LLC ccalabrese@lifesciadvisors.com 917-680-5608 FREDERICTON, New Brunswick, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NextGen Digital Platforms Inc. (NextGen or the Company) (CSE: NXT) is pleased to announce that it has published and filed its Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Statements and Management Discussion & Analysis for the three months ending June 30, 2024 (Q1 2025), which are available on the Companys SEDAR+ profile page at www.sedarplus.ca. Joel Freudman, Founder, President & CEO of NextGen, stated, Q1 2025 marks NextGens first set of financial statements reported as a public company, and I'm pleased that we maintain a healthy working capital position while continuing to generate revenue from both of our business lines, namely PCSections.com and our Cloud AI Hosting hardware-as-a-service business. Added Heran (Kevin) Zhou, NextGens Director of Platforms & Marketing: In the coming months, we plan to expand our fleet of GPU workstations to scale up our Cloud AI Hosting business, which we believe has exciting growth potential. This will allow us to build on our current capabilities and support our long-term operational goals. Among other results, NextGen reported Q1 2025 revenue of $823 and a net loss of ($38,218), and as at June 30, 2024 the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $349,368. About NextGen Digital Platforms Inc. NextGen is a Canadian technology company specializing in the development and acquisition of revenue-generating micro-technology digital platforms. The Company currently operates e-commerce platform PCSections.com (PCS) and a hardware-as-a-service business supporting the artificial intelligence sector, called cloud AI hosting (Cloud AI Hosting). Both PCS and Cloud AI Hosting were developed in-house by NextGen. From time to time the Company also intends to evaluate and acquire or develop other micro-technology platforms. NextGen is a portfolio company of Resurgent Capital Corp. (Resurgent), a merchant bank providing venture capital markets advisory services and proprietary financing. Resurgent works with promising public and pre-public micro-capitalization companies listing on Canadian stock exchanges. For more information on Resurgent and its portfolio companies, please visit Resurgents website at https://www.resurgentcapital.ca/ or follow Resurgent on LinkedIn at https://ca.linkedin.com/company/resurgent-capital-corp. For further information about NextGen, please contact: Joel Freudman Founder, President & CEO NextGen Digital Platforms Inc. Phone: (647) 368-7789 Email: info@nextgendigital.ca Website: https://nextgendigital.ca/ Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including those relating to the Companys future operational plans and objectives for Cloud AI Hosting. These statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Companys business plans and technological development forecasts that are believed by management to be reasonable in the circumstances, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans; technological and business risks inherent in artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and other emerging sectors that the Company is or may become involved in; volatility in financial markets and economic conditions. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements herein. Investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements herein except as required by applicable securities laws. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blender Bites Ltd. (the Company, Blender Bites or Blender) (CSE: BITE, FWB: JL4, WKN: A3DMEJ) announces that it has filed an amended and restated Offering Document (as defined below) related to its previously announced (August 2, 2024) non-brokered private placement under the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (as defined below) of 1,875,000 units of the Company (each, a Unit) at a price of $0.64 per Unit to raise gross proceeds of $1,200,000 (the Offering). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one-quarter-of-one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.80 at any time on or before that date which is thirty-six months after the closing date of the Offering. The net proceeds from the Offering are expected to be used for operational expenses, including raw material purchases, retailer listing fees, marketing related expenses and for general working capital purposes. Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions (NI 45-106), the Offering is being made to purchasers resident in Canada, excluding Quebec, pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI- 45-106 (the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption). The securities offered under the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will not be subject to a hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. There is an amended and restated offering document dated August 16, 2024 (the Offering Document) related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Companys profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Companys website at: www.blenderbites.ca. Prospective investors should read this Offering Document before making an investment decision. Closing of the Offering remains subject to the receipt of any required regulatory approvals. The Company may pay finders fees to eligible parties who have assisted in introducing subscribers to the Offering. The Company will also issue common shares equal to two percent of the number of Units issued in the Offering (the Administrative Fee Shares) to Amalfi Corporate Services Ltd. (Amalfi) as an administrative fee for Amalfi's assistance with the Offering. Amalfi is a private company controlled by Geoff Balderson, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, and an issuance of Admin Fee Shares to Amalfi is considered to be a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the issuance of the Admin Fee Shares issued to Amalfi will not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons nor shall there by any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. ABOUT BLENDER BITES Blender Bites is a multi- award-winning Canadian company involved in the development and marketing of a line of premium frozen beverage products with a focus on functionality. Blender Bites was founded in 2017 and quickly became a leader in the easy smoothie category in North America. With a focus on better-for-you ingredients and convenience, the Company is proud to be pre-portioned without the use of any inner plastic packaging. Blender Bites products are certified organic, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free and soy free and contain functional ingredients such as whole food vitamins, collagen, and probiotics. Blender Bites 1-Step Smoothies and 1-Step Frappes are distributed across Canada and the United States, and the Companys products are available in over 5,000 retail locations, including Walmart Canada, Walmart USA, Whole Foods Market, Loblaws, Publix Super Markets, Winn-Dixie, H-E-B and the Albertsons Group of Companies. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Blender Bites Limited Chelsie Hodge, Chief Executive Officer Email chelsie@blenderbites.com Telephone 236-521-0626 For further information, contact Blender IR Team at: Email investors@blenderbites.com Telephone 1-888-997-2055 Media Contact teamblenderbites@jonesworks.com CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to the intended use of proceeds from the Offering. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties, and uncertain capital markets. Readers are cautioned that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Toronto, August 15, 2024 - Andean Precious Metals Corp. (TSXV: APM) (OTCQX: ANPMF) ("Andean" or the "Company") today announced the voting results from the Company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting") held on Thursday, August 15, 2024. A total of 132,185,426 common shares, representing 88.37% of the Company's total issued and outstanding shares, were voted at the Meeting. The majority of shareholders voted in favor of the management resolutions presented, including: The number of directors of the Company was fixed at seven (7) The members elected to the Company's Board of Directors for the ensuing year are as follows: Grant Angwin Yohan Bouchard Felipe Canales Peter Gundy Alberto Morales Ramiro Villarreal Michele Ashby KPMG LLP was re-approved as auditors for the Company for the ensuing year About Andean Precious Metals Andean is a growing precious metals producer focused on expanding into top-tier jurisdictions in the Americas. The Company owns and operates the San Bartolome processing facility in Potosi, Bolivia and the Soledad Mountain mine in Kern County, California, and is well-funded to act on future growth opportunities. Andean's leadership team is committed to creating value; fostering safe, sustainable and responsible operations; and achieving our ambition to be a multi-asset, mid-tier precious metals producer. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220153 /NOT FOR RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES/ TSX SYMBOL: FCU OTCQX SYMBOL: FCUUF Glass Lewis joins ISS' earlier recommendation for shareholders to vote FOR the Arrangement Resolution at the upcoming special meeting of securityholders Shareholders are encouraged to vote well in advance of the proxy deadline of August 22, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific time) Shareholders who have questions or need assistance in voting should contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group by telephone at 1-877-452-7184 (North American Toll Free) or 1-416- 304-0211 (Outside North America), or by email at assistance@laurelhill.com KELOWNA, Aug. 16, 2024 - Fission Uranium Corp. ("Fission" or the "Company") is pleased to announce Glass Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis") has recommended shareholders of Fission ("Fission Shareholders") vote FOR the previously announced plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement") with Paladin Energy Ltd. (ASX: PDN) (OTCQX: PALAF) ("Paladin"). Glass Lewis is the second leading independent proxy advisory firm to conduct analysis on the Arrangement and determine Fission Shareholders should vote FOR the Arrangement, after Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") made a similar finding, as detailed in the Company's August 8, 2024 press release. Glass Lewis is an independent proxy advisor to institutional investors, covering 30,000 shareholder meetings each year, across approximately 100 global markets. Their customers include the majority of the world's largest pension plans, mutual funds, and asset managers who collectively manage over $40 trillion in assets. "The recommendations of ISS and Glass Lewis are welcome endorsements of this exciting transaction to create one of the largest pure-play uranium companies in the world," said Ross McElroy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fission. "We're pleased both influential proxy advisors recognize the immediate premium and ability for Fission Shareholders to continue to participate in the upside of the Patterson Lake South project." MEETING INFORMATION The Special Meeting of Fission Securityholders (the "Meeting") is being held in person at Suite 3500, 1133 Melville Street, The Stack, Vancouver BC, V6E 4E5 on August 26, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on August 26, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time). At the Meeting, securityholders of Fission will be asked to consider the Arrangement, whereby Paladin will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company, and in return Fission Shareholders will receive 0.1076 shares of Paladin ("Paladin Shares") for each Fission share held, which represents a 30% premium to Fission's undisturbed 20-day volume-weighted average price on the Toronto Stock Exchange as at June 21, 2024, being the last trading day prior to the date of the Arrangement Agreement. Fission Shareholders may find materials related to the Meeting under the company's profile on SEDAR+ (http://sedarplus.ca) as well as on Fission's website at https://fissionuranium.com/investors/#sgmMaterials. VOTING IS IMPORTANT AND EASY - VOTE YOUR FISSION SHARES FOR THE ARRANGEMENT TODAY Shareholders are encouraged to vote in advance of the meeting, in accordance with the instructions accompanying the form of proxy or voting instruction form mailed to shareholders together with the Circular. Further details and voting instructions can be found in the Circular under the section entitled "Information Concerning The Meeting - Proxies and Voting". Voting Methods Online Phone Mail Registered Securityholders Securities held in own name and represented by a physical certificate or DRS statement and have a 15- digit control number. Vote online at www.investorvote.com 1-866-732-8683 Return the completed Form of Proxy or Voting Instruction Form in the enclosed postage paid envelope. Beneficial Securityholders Securities held with a broker, bank or other intermediary and have a 16-digit control number. Vote online at http://www.proxyvote.com Canada: 1-800-474-7493 (EN) or 1-800-474-7501 (FR) USA: 1-800-454-8683 The deadline for Shareholders to return their completed proxies or voting instruction forms is Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific time) SHAREHOLDER QUESTIONS AND VOTING ASSISTANCE Shareholders who have questions or need assistance in voting should contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group by telephone at 1-877-452-7184 (North American Toll Free) or 1-416- 304-0211 (Outside North America), or by email at assistance@laurelhill.com. About Fission Uranium Corp. Fission Uranium Corp. is an award-winning Canadian uranium project developer and 100% owner of the Patterson Lake South uranium property - a proposed high-grade uranium mine and mill in Canada's Athabasca Basin region. Fission's common shares are listed on the TSX Exchange under the symbol "FCU" and trade on the OTCQX marketplace in the U.S. under the symbol "FCUUF" and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol 2FU. Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This announcement contains certain "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Australian securities laws and "forward looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (collectively referred to as "forward looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address circumstances, events, activities or developments that could, or may or will occur are forward looking statements. Forward looking statements involve subjective judgment and analysis and are subject to significant uncertainties, risks and contingencies including those risk factors associated with the mining industry, many of which are outside the control of, change without notice, and may be unknown to Fission. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to liabilities inherent in mine development and production, geological, mining and processing technical problems, the inability to obtain any additional mine licences, permits and other regulatory approvals required in connection with mining and third party processing operations, competition for amongst other things, capital, acquisition of reserves, undeveloped lands and skilled personnel, incorrect assessments of the value of acquisitions, changes in commodity prices and exchange rates, currency and interest fluctuations, various events which could disrupt operations and/or the transportation of mineral products, including labour stoppages and severe weather conditions, the demand for and availability of transportation services, the ability to secure adequate financing and management's ability to anticipate and manage the foregoing factors and risks. Forward looking statements in this announcement include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the expected timetable, outcome and effects of the Arrangement; the anticipated benefits of the Arrangement to Fission's shareholders; the ability of Fission to complete the Arrangement on the terms described herein or at all; the plans and strategies of Fission; the future performance of Fission; and the recommendation and analysis by ISS. Forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward looking words such as "anticipate", "expect", "likely", "propose", "will", "intend", "should", "could", "may", "believe", "forecast", "estimate", "target", "outlook", "guidance" (including negative or grammatical variations) and other similar expressions. No representation, warranty, guarantee or assurance, express or implied, is given or made in relation to any forward looking statement. In particular no representation, warranty or assumption, express or implied, is given in relation to any underlying assumption or that any forward looking statement will be achieved. There can be no assurance that the forward looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual and future events may vary materially from the forward looking statements and the assumptions on which the forward looking statements were based, because events and actual circumstances frequently do not occur as forecast and future results are subject to known and unknown risks such as changes in market conditions and regulations. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward looking statements, and should rely on their own independent enquiries, investigations and advice regarding information contained in this announcement. Any reliance by a reader on the information contained in this announcement is wholly at the reader's own risk. To the maximum extent permitted by law or any relevant listing rules of the ASX/TSX, Fission and its respective related bodies corporate and affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, advisors, agents and intermediaries disclaim any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to the information in this announcement to reflect any change in expectations in relation to any forward looking statements or any such change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements were based. Nothing in this announcement will, under any circumstances (including by reason of this announcement remaining available and not being superseded or replaced by any other announcement or publication with respect to Paladin, Fission or the subject matter of this announcement), create an implication that there has been no change in the affairs of Paladin or Fission since the date of this announcement. SOURCE Fission Uranium Corp. Japan scholars scold war-linked shrine visits over fostering militarism Xinhua) 14:44, August 16, 2024 TOKYO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- While the world observes the anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII) on Aug. 15 every year, some Japanese politicians would openly visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism and its wartime aggression. This year, Japan's incumbent defense minister was found among the senior officials visiting the notorious shrine, and Japanese scholars warned that amid the government's efforts to enhance military capabilities, the Yasukuni Shrine is contributing to the revival of Japan's militaristic past. In January, Hiroki Kobayashi, deputy chief of staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (SDF), led dozens of SDF members in a collective visit to the shrine riding in an official vehicle. In April, retired Maritime SDF Admiral Umio Otsuka was announced as the 14th chief priest of Yasukuni Shrine, the highest religious position at the shrine. The bond between the SDF and Yasukuni Shrine is strengthening with activities such as group visits by Maritime SDF trainees to the shrine's war-memorial Yushukan museum. On Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent ritual offerings to the shrine in his capacity as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Atsushi Koketsu, an emeritus professor at Yamaguchi University of Japan, noting that Yasukuni Shrine, which played a key role in supporting Japanese militarism, is central to Japan's state Shinto, pointed out that visits by SDF members clearly violated the constitutional principle of the separation of religion and state. "This is an attempt to revive the pre-war militarism that used State Shinto, and such moves should be strongly criticized," the scholar stated. Why is the SDF leadership so obsessed with Yasukuni Shrine? In a recent public lecture in Tokyo, Tetsuya Takahashi, an emeritus professor at the University of Tokyo, explained that many of the SDF predecessors, such as members of the National Police Reserve and the Maritime Guard, had participated in Japan's aggressive wars. "To put it simply, the SDF has not severed ties with the old Japanese military, nor does it wish to," Takahashi remarked. The scholar said that the SDF is now openly teaching students at the National Defense Academy of Japan about how officers of the former Japanese military commanded their subordinates, by inviting right-wing politicians to promote the so-called "military spirit" of the old Japanese forces. According to Takahashi, the SDF also uses Yasukuni Shrine as an "educational base," where young people who lack a proper understanding of Japan's history of aggression are taken to visit. There, they are indoctrinated with the idea that dying for the country allows one to enter the shrine and be enshrined as a deity, a concept Takahashi described as an "emotional alchemy." Sayuri Saito, a constitutional law professor at Keisen University in Japan, argued that Yasukuni Shrine "has not erased the militaristic, colonialist, and imperialist values of the old Constitution, or the so-called 'Meiji Constitution,' but affirms instead a historical perspective that could revive these values." In her view, the controversial shrine "does not recognize the value of the current pacifist Constitution, with its beliefs incompatible with the basic principles of peace enshrined in the Constitution," which explains why forces that support the "Yasukuni historical perspective" are eager to revise Japan's Constitution. Saito pointed out that although Yasukuni Shrine lists words like "safety" and "peace" on its website, its very concept is entirely different from the peace envisioned by the Japanese Constitution. The Yasukuni Shrine, located in central Tokyo, honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II, including Hideki Tojo. In-person visits of Japanese politicians to the shrine have long been strongly condemned by peace advocates within Japan and the international community. Koketsu warned that the SDF's frequent involvement with Yasukuni Shrine would only heighten concerns in Asia, particularly in China and South Korea, and increase distrust and vigilance toward the Japanese government. "The growing power of the SDF and the revival of the 'Yasukuni ideology' will be seen as a resurgence of Japanese militarism...True peace will not come from an elite SDF, but from efforts to cultivate peace and build mutual trust," the scholar noted. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Vancouver, August 16, 2024 - Headwater Gold Inc. (CSE: HWG) (OTCQB: HWAUF) (the "Company" or "Headwater") is pleased to provide an update on activities across the Company's portfolio of projects under earn-in agreements (the "Earn-In Agreements" or "Agreements") with Newmont Corp. ("Newmont") (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT, ASX: NEM, PNGX: NEM) announced on August 16, 2022 and May 9, 2023. Highlights: Spring Peak Drilling: A multi-rigdrill program is underway at the Spring Peak Project earn-in with Newmont. Approximately 2,500 metres of up to 7,000 metres of planned drilling has been completed. Five drill holes have been completed, with three additional Reverse Circulation "RC" pre-collars cased and pending completion with diamond core. The program is designed to follow-up on high-grade epithermal vein intercepts as well as stepping out testing new target areas. Spring Peak and Lodestar Regional Exploration Program: District-scale geophysical surveys have been completed over Headwater's recently expanded land position including gravity, magnetics and radiometrics. Reconnaissance rock sampling on Headwater's newly acquired ground has identified large areas of epithermal vein float. Initial sample results include 6.7 g/t Au and 3.2 g/t Au from banded epithermal vein float. Follow-up sampling and geologic mapping is already underway. Midas North and Mahogany: The Company has received notice that Newmont has declined to continue exploration into Phase I of the earn-in agreements announced on August 16, 2022 after having met the minimum commitment required expenditure on both. The projects revert to Headwater on a 100% owned and royalty-free basis. A 2024 field program at Midas North is planned and will be executed by Headwater, including additional geological mapping and the completion of a previously planned soil geochemistry survey. No further work is planned at Mahogany. Caleb Stroup, President and CEO of the Company, states: "We are very pleased with the ongoing work programs at our Spring Peak and Lodestar projects in Nevada. Drilling is proceeding as we had hoped and our regional exploration program on the newly expanded Lodestar and Spring Peak land positions is turning up positive indications of a large, previously unrecognized epithermal system. This year's systematic exploration program is on track to significantly advance our efforts to unlock the full potential of this high-grade district, which has become the primary focus of our partner funded exploration with Newmont. We are also excited to advance exploration at Midas North on a 100% owned basis as we further develop targets for a Phase II drill program testing this high-upside project at depth." About Headwater Gold: Headwater Gold Inc. (CSE: HWG, OTCQB: HWAUF) is a technically driven mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and discovery of high-grade precious metal deposits in the Western USA. Headwater is aggressively exploring one of the most well-endowed and mining-friendly jurisdictions in the world with a goal of making world-class precious metal discoveries. Headwater has a large portfolio of epithermal vein exploration projects and a technical team of experienced geologists with diverse capital markets, junior and major mining company backgrounds. The Company is systematically drill testing several projects in Nevada and in August 2022 and May 2023 announced significant transactions with Newmont where it acquired a 9.9% strategic equity interest in the Company and entered into earn-in agreements on several of Headwater's projects, including Spring Peak and Lodestar which continue under partnership towards a goal of discovering a Tier-One gold deposit in Nevada. Headwater is part of the NewQuest Capital Group which is a discovery-driven investment enterprise that builds value through the incubation and financing of mineral projects and companies. Further information about NewQuest can be found on the company website at www.nqcapitalgroup.com. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.headwatergold.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Caleb Stroup President and CEO +1 (775) 409-3197 cstroup@headwatergold.com For further information, please contact: Brennan Zerb Investor Relations Manager +1 (778) 867-5016 bzerb@headwatergold.com Qualified Person: The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Scott Close, P.Geo (158157), a "Qualified Person" ("QP") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding future capital expenditures, exploration activities and the specifications, targets, results, analyses, interpretations, benefits, costs and timing of them, Newmont's anticipated funding of the earn-in projects and the timing thereof, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, including the Company's exploration plans and the proposed expenditures for exploration work thereon, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, the risk that Newmont will not elect to obtain any additional interest in the earn-in projects in excess of the minimum commitment, the ability of the Company to obtain the required permits, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, the Company's limited operating history, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's prospectus dated May 26, 2021 and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law. Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Kolwezi, August 16, 2024 - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) regrets to report that a fatal accident occurred at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The accident occurred underground at the Kansoko mine when Mr. Bruno Akake Mutombo, a Kamoa Copper drill rig operator, was struck by a fall of ground. Mr. Mutombo was stabilized by the emergency response team and evacuated to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. Management has commenced a comprehensive review of the incident. Kamoa Copper is working with the DRC authorities to facilitate their investigation of the accident. The company is committed to enhancing all safety protocols at its operations. On behalf of the Kamoa Copper Joint Venture, Ivanhoe Mines extends its deepest condolences to the grieving family, friends, and colleagues of Mr. Mutombo who have been impacted by this tragic accident. Mining activities at Kansoko were temporarily suspended to conduct a full investigation and have since restarted after the company secured the area of the incident. About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal projects in Southern Africa; the expansion of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC, the construction of the tier-one Platreef palladium-nickel-platinum-rhodium-copper-gold project in South Africa; and the restart of production at the ultra-high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC. Ivanhoe Mines also is exploring across circa 1,808 km2 of highly prospective, 60-100% owned exploration licences in the Western Forelands, located adjacent to the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC. Ivanhoe is exploring for new sedimentary copper discoveries, as well as expanding and further defining its high-grade Makoko, Kiala, and Kitoko copper discoveries as the company's next major development projects. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220286 The question of whether or not elections are secure, and whether or not voting machines are reliable, is one that has come up in discussion regularly these days. While the Wyoming Republican Party has filed a lawsuit regarding election integrity in Laramie County and Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray has requested county clerks to retest electronic voting systems around the state, the Sweetwater County Republican Party is reassuring voters that local equipment is secure. "Recently there have been some allegations around the state regarding irregularities with voting equipment," Elizabeth Bingham, Chairman of the Sweetwater County Republican Party, said in a letter sent to local Republicans on Saturday, August 10. Bingham explained that Wyoming Statute allows each party to send representatives to inspect the County Clerk's preparation and certification of voting equipment. Bingham, precinct committee members, and active Republicans attended a certification of Sweetwater County's equipment with County Clerk Cindy Lane. "Following that inspection and review, the Sweetwater County Republican Party would like to assure our fellow voters that the equipment which will be used in our upcoming primary election has been properly prepared and inspected and we have full faith and confidence that our votes will be fully and fairly counted," Bingham said in the letter. Those with questions were encouraged to contact either Chairman Bingham or Clerk Lane, and everyone was encouraged to participate in the primary election next Tuesday, August 20. "Voting is essential to maintaining our freedoms and way of life," Binghman said. Despite these reassurances for Sweetwater County, the question of election integrity is still in debate across Wyoming, with Secretary of State Chuck Gray sending out a request for retesting eight days before the election. "Following multiple reports that some counties' public testing of voting equipment did not assign a different number of valid votes to each candidate for an office during their respective public testing of voting equipment as required by statute, Secretary of State Chuck Gray sent a letter to all county clerks, requesting those whose test failed to comply with Wyoming law to retest the electronic voting systems they intend to use in the 2024 Primary Election in conformance with Wyoming law," a press release from the office of Chuck Gray, sent out Monday, August 12, explained. "As outlined in our office's June 25, 2024 guidance, W.S. 22-11-104(b)(iii) unambiguously states that '[d]uring the test a different number of valid votes shall be assigned to each candidate for an office, and for and against each measure,'" Secretary Gray wrote in his letter to the county clerks. "This requirement is not just a formality," Secretary Gray continued. "It is crucial to ensuring that the electronic voting machines are accurately counting and tabulating the votes for each candidate when the actual ballots are tabulated on election night. Assigning the same number of votes for two or more candidates in the same race is plainly contrary to that statute." Gray added that "multiple counties have failed to assign a different number of valid votes to each candidate for their test ballots," and asked every county whose public test initially failed to retest their voting systems. On Monday, the same day that Secretary Gray asked counties to retest their equipment, the Wyoming Republican Party sent out several press releases related to the issue, pointing out counties whose tests have failed, and explaining why the testing numbers are important. "By erroneously using the same numbers for candidates in the same race, it is unclear if Candidate A got his own votes or that of Candidate B with the same number of assigned test votes, and vice versa," the Wyoming GOP explained in a press release. "Second, by using 0s, a 0 is not a valid number under the statutes for purposes of testing. Further, in some instances the write-in votes and overvotes will be assigned a 0, which is also untestable and is not a 'valid vote.'" The first county to fail to test its voting systems using valid testing procedures was Laramie County, which led to the Wyoming GOP joining Laramie County candidates in filing a lawsuit "to hold Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee accountable for failing to test the voting system properly," a press release from the Republican party sent on August 8 explained. As other tests came back from other counties that didn't properly follow statute, the Wyoming GOP said in their August 12 press releases that the "errors cast doubt on the accuracy of Wyoming's primary elections," and "Wyoming voters should be very concerned and demand action to ensure our primary election 8 days from now is fair, accurate and honest." From Dawn Marquard, Lincoln County Republican Precinct Committeewoman 1-8: During election seasons, it is a common refrain for incumbent politicians to encourage constituents to come directly to them with questions about their voting records and integrity, while vehemently denying any involvement in statements made by a PAC. After stumbling upon an allegation concerning my house district representative's ties to China, I delved into a thorough investigation that unearthed concerning information involving several current and former legislators. The findings have raised numerous pressing questions that demand answers. Recently, on July 17, 2024, Senate District 14 candidate Albert Sommers made a post on his political Facebook page directing followers to his new website. Interestingly, while listing his organizational affiliations, he conspicuously omitted a significant detail - his position as one of the 43 members on the Board of Directors of the prestigious State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF). The SLLF, with documented connections to the Chinese Communist Party, brings together state legislators and corporate entities from across the USA and internationally, holding meetings globally. In fact, its advisory board includes mega social media empires including TikTok and META (Facebook) as well as several Big Pharma entities. Bill Gates is also an advisory board member of the SLLF. This is easily verifiable with a quick google search of "SLLF." Despite its claims of not engaging in lobbying efforts, the foundation is believed to function as a conduit connecting corporate donors with state lawmakers, as highlighted in emails from Hunter Biden's laptop obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, which you can find by a quick search. Further investigation revealed a list of past and present Wyoming legislators who have been associated with the SLLF, prompting concerns about lingering influences from their involvement. As a neutral observer, my observations indicate that the SLLF operates as a networking intermediary benefiting both big businesses and state legislators, providing a platform for corporations to propose benefits to states based on legislators' actions on specific legislation. Exactly how it benefits Wyoming people remains a mystery, one which nobody including Albert Sommers wants to talk about much. Key questions arise from this situation. Why did Speaker Sommers delay in disclosing his SLLF affiliation until recently? How did he secure a position on the SLLF Board, and was he recruited to influence legislation in favor of donors and the CCP due to Wyoming's natural resource wealth? How exactly is he benefitting us by being on this board, or is he not acting in our best interest, explaining why he never told us was a director on this powerful entity until he was caught being on it? Is he on the board to promote Governor Gordons "Net Zero," green energy agenda? Interesting fun fact, the SLLF held its December 2023 Meeting in Dubai in conjunction with the UN's COP 28. This tidbit goes a long way to give you an idea on what this SLLF organization is aligning itself with. It is crucial for voters to scrutinize the evidence, conduct independent research, and question the transparency and integrity of Speaker Sommers and other legislators up for re-election. The future of Wyoming and its citizens hinges on informed decision-making at the ballot box. Your vote is your voice, shaping the direction of Wyoming's sovereignty and future. I implore you to examine the evidence, conduct thorough research, and hold elected officials accountable for their actions and associations. From Albert Sommers, House District 20, Speaker of the House: Recently my opponent posted a rant from one of her Freedom Caucus friends who insisted I was tied to the Chinese Communist Party because I am a board member of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation. What is the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF)? Established in 1972, it is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the effectiveness of state legislative leadership across the United States. Founded on the principles of impartiality and integrity, the SLLF brings together U.S. legislative leaders from all political backgrounds to foster collaboration, share best practices, and enhance governance. SLLF's mission is to support and strengthen the leadership skills of state legislators, ensuring they can serve their constituents effectively. The State Legislative Leaders Foundation, much like the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Council of State Governments (CSG), is designed to provide information on the most pressing issues facing state legislatures, and to provide networking of ideas among state legislators. All of these organizations seek funding from American businesses to host conferences. This spring, I attended an SLLF conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Stanford University. This conference hosted a myriad of speakers who talked about what AI is, auditing of AI, ethics of AI, bias in AI, and finally state and international policy around regulation of AI. Interestingly, the researcher on bias in AI concluded in his study that AI had a left leaning bias. I learned a tremendous amount about Artificial Intelligence. The 2023 National Speakers Conference was also focused on Artificial Intelligence. The SLLF fosters leadership through civility and mutual respect, which are the keys to solving the hardest problems facing a state. Recently, I learned that a Wyoming State Senator had said that civility was a liberal concept. I totally disagree. Civility is neither liberal nor conservative, but engages the better part of our humanity to work with each other, which is essential on a daily basis. I was asked to serve on the SLLF board of directors because I believe that civility and respect are critical for solving problems, and that our state legislative institutions are far more important than any single issue or our own individual moment in the sun. I believe in becoming educated about the most difficult issues facing states. I was voted onto the board last fall. Any suggestions that the SLLF is influenced by foreign governments, including the People's Republic of China, are categorically false and in fact laughable. The SLLF operates with complete independence, guided solely by the goal of advancing democratic governance and public service excellence. This humbug about Communist China is just the latest desperate fabrication that the Freedom Caucus and its surrogates have cooked up, much like my opponent's belief in the "Chem Trail" conspiracy. When a campaign has nothing substantive to offer citizens, it relies on innuendo, fear-mongering, and bald-faced lies in an attempt to pull the opposition down. The Freedom Caucus churns out lies because it has nothing to offer Wyoming. Google launched AI Overviews in Search in the US back in May, and the results haven't been amazing - the feature notoriously recommended eating rocks and putting glue on pizza. Google still hasn't explained why it thought it a good idea to replace the old, non-AI-branded overviews for search queries with this new, AI-branded but inferior feature, but it doesn't take a genius to figure it out: everything has to be AI these days, regardless of actual usability. So, with that in mind, today Google has announced the triumphant expansion of AI Overviews to six more countries, following the rather disastrous experiment in the US. The new places that will have to make do with AI Overviews replacing the old AI-free (but much more accurate and reliable) overviews are the UK, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil. The expansion comes alongside local language support in each of these countries. While AI Overviews may hallucinate a lot (and consider satire to be reality), Google is happy to let us know that it's seen "higher engagement from younger users, aged 18-24, when they use Search with AI Overviews". To that we can only say AI Overviews are probably better than TikTok. Google also says that "people prefer using Search with AI Overviews, and they find their search results more helpful". Whether they're more accurate doesn't seem to be a concern at all. Anyway, there is now a right-hand link display for AI Overviews on desktop (which is also accessible on mobile by tapping the site icons in the upper right). Google is also testing the addition of links to relevant web pages directly within the text of AI Overviews, to make it easier to go and check out what you're interested in. A new experiment in Search Labs lets you save a specific AI Overview for future reference. You just need to tap the new Save button that appears underneath your AI Overview. Then, you can see your saved ones by tapping on your profile icon and navigating to your Interests page. This is only available for English in the US, and you need to enroll in the "AI Overviews and more" experiment in Search Labs first. Finally, on some AI Overviews there will be an option to simplify the language with one tap, which could come in handy if you're new to a topic and want an easier way to digest information. There's a huge lost opportunity here for Google to have called this button "Dumb it down, please". Source Crisis averted it turns out that the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL units sold in India, Malaysia and Singapore do indeed have LTPO displays, the same Super Actua panels that the rest of the world is getting. Google has updated the specs listed on the support page that caused this confusion. Theres more good news all Pixel 9 phones support Wi-Fi 7 in all regions. This includes the vanilla Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Google fixed the mistake in the specs listings and added a note that operation in the 6GHz band is available only in regions where local regulations allow it. For example, in India, 6GHz Wi-Fi is not officially sanctioned, but that doesnt prevent Wi-Fi 7 from working on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Pixel fans in India, Malaysia and Singapore can breathe a sigh of relief, they are not getting lower quality displays. We have a Pixel 9 Pro XL in for review and a vanilla Pixel 9 on the way, stay tuned for a detailed look. Source Samsung has today made the Galaxy A06 official in Vietnam. Undoubtedly, the phone will arrive in more markets in the coming days and weeks. The Galaxy A06 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 SoC, paired with either 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. In both cases you get a microSD card slot too. The phone has a 50 MP main rear camera and a 6.7-inch HD+ touchscreen with a 60 Hz refresh rate. The battery capacity is 5,000 mAh, and it supports 25W fast wired charging. Samsung has emphasized the phone's flat back with vertical stripes. This combo is meant to effectively prevent fingerprints, and also looks nice. The A06 has a fingerprint sensor embedded into the power button. The company promises that the A06 will receive two major Android updates, so it will reach Android 16. Over in Vietnam, the Galaxy A06 goes on sale on August 22 for VND 3,190,000 ($127 or 115) in the 4/64GB variant or VND 3,790,000 ($151 or 137) in the 6/128GB iteration. Until September 30, customers will receive a free 25W charger, as one is not to be found inside the box. Source (in Vietnamese) Samsung has introduced SmartThings Family Care, aimed at caregivers. The company says about 1 in 3 adults in the US provides some form of caregiving, according to the Mayo Clinic. This means there's a need for tech-based solutions to ease the caregiving load, and that's exactly what SmartThings Family Care is for. This is a new service available for US-based owners of Samsung smartphones. It goes live tomorrow, and it's tailored to the aging population along with those who are in need of assistance with their daily activities. Family Care "harnesses SmartThings, Samsung's global connected living platform, with Smart home devices to offer comprehensive schedule management, activity notifications, medication reminders, and location-based care", the company explains in its press release. With Family Care, caregivers receive alerts if any abnormalities are detected in their loved ones' daily routines. Family Care can recognize the first activity of the day, such as your loved one using their Samsung smartphone, and will reassure you that they're okay. Family members can get reminders to check their blood pressure and blood sugar, and can schedule their doctor's appointments through their Samsung smartphone or TV to ensure their loved ones are staying on track with their medication. Caregivers receive alerts when their loved ones arrive at or leave a place, helping to ensure their safety. Samsung says this can be especially useful for scheduled medical appointments or regular visits to pharmacies. Finally, caregivers can also set up automations to help their loved ones save energy by turning off appliances when no one is home, and improve air quality by automatically activating a Samsung air purifier when outdoor pollutants are high. The Family Care service will be accessible through the Life tab of the SmartThings app in the US. Samsung promises to continuously improve and expand Family Care in the future. Source Restoring the faith and trust in Guams Catholic Church, taking on social ills that have gripped the island, and improving Catholic school education were among the items at the top of Archbishop Ryan Jimenezs mind on his first full day on the job. Jimenez spoke to members of the media at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica Friday, his first press appearance after being installed as the islands fourth archbishop. I hope that people would give us the time to truly do our part, and to bring back that faith, that trust in us, knowing that in Jesus alone, we truly find or can have, that sense of unity and healing and meaning, Jimenez said. The new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Agana said he wants to ensure that the governance of the church and especially the closeout of the archdioceses bankruptcy case continues as he learns the ropes of his new job. Jimenez takes the lead of the archdiocese at the tail end of tumultuous years for the church. Former archbishop Michael Byrnes resigned his post in March 2023, after seven years, over a life-changing illness. Byrnes predecessor, former archbishop Anthony Apuron was ousted after being convicted by a Vatican tribunal for sexually assaulting multiple minors, part of a clergy sex-abuse crisis that rocked the island and left the archdiocese bankrupt. One of Jimenezs first acts Friday was to reappoint Father Romeo Convocar as vicar general, essentially the archbishops right-hand man. Convocar, Jimenez noted, has been the signatory on all the documents for the churchs years-long bankruptcy case, which culminated in over $45 million being placed in a trust account to compensate more than 270 clergy sex abuse survivors. The archbishop said Convocar will continue, making sure that we are on time, on board, able to deliver and have that sense of continuity. Jimenez said he has heard about delays in payouts to survivors, though it was the court-ordered trust responsible for those matters, not the church. I believe we have done, and we continue to do ... our moral obligation of being faithful to what we have been mandated by the court, to make sure that we follow that everything goes into the trust, he said. A number of church properties were sold off during the bankruptcy process, to fund compensation for survivors. As of Friday, the archdioceses chancery complex is the only property still on the market, Jimenez said. No, were not selling churches or parishes, Jimenez said, though he has had to find a new permanent home, as the complex previously housed the archbishops residence. Jimenez also reappointed Father Michael Crisostomo as vicar of clergy Friday, to continue overseeing the assignments of priests on the island. Both Convocar and Crisostomo will serve in their posts until next June. As a church, we need to be open, transparent, Jimenez stressed. My role now, as you know, as the Lord puts me here, I need to do my best to reach out to these people who lost their trust, he said, and the archdiocese was working to make all parishes a safe environment. Jimenez said he plans to visit more parishes around the island and engage in personal conversations with the church community around November. He said he still plans to speak to his brother priests and meet more people before making any major changes. Evangelization of religious values remains a priority for the new archbishop, but he recognized that he must also remain patient with those who have lost trust in the Catholic Church. It doesnt mean that I wont do anything, it is our role to proactively go out there and reach out, Jimenez said. Social programs, advocacy Jimenez said hes set to work familiarizing himself with Catholic Social Services and the ways the archdiocese provides community support. I want to spend my time get to know the organization, the programs. What kind of services are we doing? Because we are the hands and feet of Jesus, he said. On topics of social change, opposing abortion would always be a top priority for the church, the archbishop noted. When you talk about life issues, its not just about abortion, right? But what do you do with the poor? What do you do with the homeless? What do you do with those in drugs? These are all life issues, right? Jimenez said. Catholic schools A former Catholic school teacher in Rota, Jimenez said one of his first priorities is schools run by the archdiocese. He said he wanted to home in on how a Catholic education could differ from a public education, and has already reached out to superintendent of Catholic schools Father Jeff San Nicolas. I really would like to engage our educators, our committed and hardworking teachers and leaders, on how we can do that work hand in hand, because my role as a teacher of the faith, is to do that equally important part, the Catholic aspect. If we do this well, Im sure side by side admin concern for tuition enrollment would (improve), Jimenez said. A man who told police hed just been released from the Department of Corrections was arrested after he parked a car in the middle of Route 10 and threw beer bottles at 3:47 a.m., according to a magistrates complaint filed in Superior Court. Kaynor Stephen Muritok, also known as Kaylor Muritok, Knor Muritor and Kaynor Stephen Muritoc, with listed birthdates placing his age at 26, 27 and 33, was charged Thursday with driving while impaired and driving with an open container of alcohol. When police were called to Route 10 by Leyang Road early Thursday, they found a beige car parked in both the inner and outer southbound lanes of the street. They saw Muritok, who had a hard time maintaining his balance, get in the car. As officers began to investigate, a resident approached them and said Muritok whom he did not know knocked on his door. When he answered, Muritok looked stunned and walked away from the residence, throwing beer bottles, the complaint stated. Muritok initially told police a friend had been driving the car, but could not name the friend. A witness identified Muritok as the driver, according to the complaint. Muritok told police he had no license, insurance or registration, but officers were able to identify him by his Guam ID card. They noted he smelled like alcohol, and there were several open containers of alcohol in the car, according to the complaint. Muritok has a pending case involving criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, according to records from the Office of the Attorney General. In November, after losing his job at Jamaican Grill, he reportedly caused a disturbance at the restaurant, according to court documents. On Thursday, he was ordered held on $2,000 cash bail. Edwin Joseph San Agustin was found guilty of robbery and retail theft by a 12-person jury on Friday in Superior Court of Guam Vernon P. Perezs courtroom. The trial lasted just four days, with jury selection starting on Aug. 13 and closing arguments and final verdict on Aug. 16. San Agustin faced charges of robbery as a second-degree felony, and retail theft, also as a second-degree felony. Both charges included special allegations of possession or use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony. The jury declared San Agustin guilty of the second-degree felony robbery and not guilty of retail theft as a second-degree felony. The jury did find San Agustin guilty of retail theft as a third-degree felony and not guilty of the two charges of possession or use of a deadly weapon in commission of a felony, cutting San Agustins potential jail time to a fraction of what he originally faced. According to the magistrates complaint for the case, on July 13, 2023, San Agustin filled a shopping cart with merchandise and left the store. When store staff attempted to speak with him and retrieve the merchandise, San Agustin pulled out what appeared to be a Beretta handgun. The staff retreated into the store and called police. San Agustin walked the cart to a nearby hotel and unloaded the items into a vehicle, which was traced to San Agustin. The report gave a value of more than $4,000 worth of merchandise that was taken. Attorney Peter J. Santos from the Alternate Public Defenders Office defended San Agustin and conceded the second-degree robbery charge which was caught on video. During trial and again in closing arguments, Santos said that government prosecutors did not prove that the weapon San Agustin brandished to Home Depot staff was an actual weapon, and the jury agreed, voting not guilty to both special allegations. Santos also said that the government brought no evidence to show that the value of the merchandise in the cart exceeded $1,500. He reminded the jury that it was not allowed to assume anything. This is a court of law. You are a jury, you have to hold them to their standard. Youre that teacher who says to the student, Show me your work. Santos told the jury. They had the power to do so but they didnt. They dont get to ask you to assume that it was over $1,500. Safe to say, it was over 50 bucks. But what if the rest came out to $1,499? They have claimed that there was over $3,000 in merchandise stolen, OK. But wheres the paperwork? The jury agreed with the retail theft charge, but not the amount of merchandise. The jury found San Agustin guilty of retail theft as a third-degree felony instead, shaving several years off the potential jail time San Agustin originally faced. Attorney General of Guam Douglas B. Moylan credited assistant attorney general Sean Brown and investigator Henry James for the guilty verdict. He said that his office would seek the maximum jail sentence of 40 years. Santos said justice was served. As far as this trial is concerned, it went very quick, very smooth. Mr. San Agustin wanted his day in court, and my job was to ensure the process was fair, Santos said. It was fair, the criminal justice system wins in this trial. We got justice. He was found guilty for some things and not guilty for others. The process was fair, the process was just and the result is justice. 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. 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However, Conille recently joined the list of politicians skeptical about the holding of general elections in 2026. This attitude of the Head of Government, stems from the slowness displayed by the international community which is slow to materialize the Mission of support for the maintenance of security in Haiti authorized by the UN Security Council. Prime Minister Garry Conille in an interview last week for the BBC World Services Hard Talk podcast with Stephen Sackur https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42944-haiti-politic-holding-elections-will-be-really-difficult-if.html had declared "[...] The Haitian people are extremely patient, the team formed for the transition is very fragile and is based on the expectation that international support will arrive soon [...] If the country does not receive the promised security aid soon, it will be very difficult to organize general elections in 2026 [...] hence the importance that Haitis partners and neighboring countries respect their commitments," Conille declared. Let's recall that the Commander of the Kenyan forces Godfrey Otunge had declared at the beginning of August "[...] The armored vehicles provided by the United States are used to transport troops but do not allow us to fight against armed gangs..." https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42900-haiti-news-zapping.html requesting from the Americans, armored combat vehicles equipped with a turret. Similarly, the mission finds it necessary to have at least one combat helicopter to respond to the situation... https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42951-haiti-flash-weapons-ammunition-and-armored-vehicles-arrive-as-reinforcements.html Without this equipment, the offensive against the gangs will not be able to materialize and Haiti remains. For the moment waiting for the Americans to deliver this equipment. SL/ HaitiLibre iciHaiti - Literature: The PM and the President of the Transitional Council at the Livres en Folie Fair On Thursday, August 15, 2024, Prime Minister Garry Conille and Edgard Leblanc Jr., President of the Transitional Council, participated separately in the 30th edition of the "Livres en Folie" Fair, which took place at the Karibe Convention Center (Petion Ville). The Head of Government expressed his satisfaction with the leaders and organizers of Haitis largest literary event. "It is with great pleasure that I participate in this edition of Livres en Folie, which brings together authors and readers from all over the country to experience and keep the culture of books alive [...] I praise and salute this initiative," declared Garry Conille adding "I realize, more than ever, the importance of such an event recalling the level of resilience and resistance of the Haitian population, the willingness of young people and thousands of families to get involved and participate in the emancipation of art and culture of good and beauty in Haiti" concluding "Thanks to the courage and leadership of the institutions involved in the creation of such events with national and international scope, this helps to restore the image of the country [...]" For his part, the President of the Transitional Council took the opportunity to congratulate Le Nouvelliste and its partners for this initiative, emphasizing that Livres en Folie is an essential platform for authors, publishers and readers, allowing to celebrate culture and promote access to knowledge. He also encouraged the public to support local authors and to actively engage in the promotion of reading. "Haitians want to start living again. They need spaces that can brighten this feeling despite the fact that the environment does not meet security needs. My presence aims to encourage all social activities in the country, but especially to support production and creation," he said. Furthermore, in an interview, the Ambassador of Canada to Haiti Andre Francois Giroux praised this "Livres en Folie" fair and recognized the appetite of Haitians for the resumption of cultural life. S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Culture : Cap-Haitien celebrates 354 years of its founding With a projected budget of 64 million Gourdes, the city of Cap-Haitien is celebrating its 354th anniversary of the founding of the city from August 7 to 19, 2024, with a rich program of cultural and artistic activities (exhibitions, dance and music shows, parades, concerts, agri-food fair, film screenings and excursions among others) to celebrate the history and cultural diversity of Cap-Haitien. Download the program (PDF in French) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/354-cap-haitien.pdf On Thursday, August 15, 2024, the historic city of Cap-Haitien proudly celebrated its 354th anniversary. This special day was marked by a series of events, including a major religious ceremony in the presence of three ministers. The celebration began in the morning with a solemn mass at the Cathedral of Cap-Haitien, where local authorities, government representatives and citizens gathered to pay tribute to this historic, touristic and national heritage city. Throughout the day, the city vibrated to the rhythm of cultural and festive activities shared by a large number of residents and visitors from all over. A day that ended with the Tropicana Anniversary Gala. This August 15 celebration was not only a look back, but also an opportunity to look to the future with hope and determination. Cap-Haitien, "La Cite Christophienne", will continue to stand out as a pillar of Haitian history and culture. Should be noted that a delegation from the city of Allada in Benin, arrived on August 13 in Cap-Haitien, joined the cultural events. A twinning between Cap-Haitien and Allada that symbolizes a step towards strengthening historical ties and local development, offering great opportunities for both cities and their inhabitants In a note, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the North expressed its warmest wishes to the citizens and friends of the city of Cap-Haitien on the occasion of its 354th anniversary. "Cap-Haitien, with its rich historical and cultural heritage, remains a source of pride for all of us [...] Together, let's continue to work, despite the situation, for a prosperous and dynamic Cap-Haitien. And forward to new successes ! Happy birthday to the city of Cap-Haitien and all its inhabitants." Download the program (PDF in French) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/354-cap-haitien.pdf See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42949-haiti-social-official-kick-off-of-the-festivities-for-the-354th-anniversary-of-cap-haitien.html S/ HaitiLibre Millions of Pixel phones have been shipped with remote maintenance software that makes them vulnerable to spyware but only if the perpetrator has physical access to the device, enters the user's password and knows how to activate the normally invisible and inactive software, according to Google. Under these conditions, an attacker could also install any other software. The remote maintenance software is said to have been installed at Verizon's request since the Pixel phones were launched in 2017. The US mobile operator used the program for a while to demonstrate Pixel phones in its sales outlets. Anzeige Whether Android phones other than Pixel are also affected is still unclear. Active exploitation is not known. The vulnerability was discovered by the "Endpoint Detection and Response" scanner (EDR) von iVerify on a customer's cell phone. iVerify, together with the affected customer Palantir and the security company Trail of Bits, was able to trace this back to a hidden Android software package. Even though the software is no longer used, it is still present in the images of Pixel smartphones, as Trail of Bits CEO Dan Guido notes on X. In fact, firmware images for the Pixel devices can still be downloaded from Google's official servers, which contain the priv-app directory with the aforementioned Showcase.pkg in product.img, as heise online was able to verify using the Android 14.0 image for the Pixel 8a. According to iVerify, once activated, the application downloads a configuration file via an insecure connection, which can result in system-level code being executed. The configuration file is retrieved from a domain hosted by AWS over unsecured HTTP, which leaves the configuration and the device vulnerable to malicious code, spyware and data wiping. The affected package is pre-installed in the firmware of Pixel devices. By default, the application is not active, but since it is part of the firmware image, millions of phones could be running this app at system level. Users cannot uninstall Showcase.apk themselves. According to Verizon, an update that removes the inactive software is in the works and will be made available to all affected OEM manufacturers. Anzeige GrapheneOS authors disagree The publication of the results has been criticized by the developers of GrapheneOS, the operators of a particularly secure operating system for Pixel devices. In their opinion, this is all a marketing campaign for an overrated security application from iVerify. If no Verizon SIM is available, the operating system would not load the corresponding carrier configuration and the apps could not be executed, the account "GrapheneOS" writes on Mastodon. It can do little more than statically scan APKs and is a crippled antivirus app. Further criticism was heaped on Palantir, a mass surveillance company that is complicit in blatant human rights violations. According to GrapheneOS, Trail of Bits should think about whether they want to be a partner of Palantir in building a police state with ubiquitous surveillance. Lesen Sie auch Dokumentarfilm uber Palantir-CEO: Alex Karp gefallt das nicht Developed for Verizon According to media reports, Showcase.apk comes from Smith Micro, a company that provides software for remote access, parental control and data erasure. "This is neither an Android platform nor a Pixel vulnerability," Google told Forbes. The app was developed for a demo function for stores of the US mobile phone provider Verizon, but is no longer in use. Both physical access to the device and the user's password are required to activate the app. The function is no longer used by Verizon, nor by consumers, a company spokesperson told Forbes. Neither iVerify nor Verizon have found any evidence of the vulnerability being exploited. As a precautionary measure, the demo function will be removed from all devices. The discovery of Showcase.apk and similar incidents show the need for greater transparency and discussion around third-party apps that are part of the operating system. Incidentally, the problem is not new - nor is it limited to Pixel smartphones: back in 2016, a person complained to Verizon that a "Verizon store demo mode app" was on his Samsung Galaxy Note 5. (mack) In a trial that began with a preliminary hearing at the District Court of Lapland on Monday, Kristo stands accused of 77 counts of aggravated human trafficking for subjecting Thai berry pickers to forced labour-like conditions. The prosecution is calling for a five-year prison sentence also to Kalyakorn Phongphit, the Thai business partner of Kristo. The defendants should also relinquish to the state whatever is left of the 985,000 euros they made criminal profits after compensating the victims. Polarica should also be ordered to pay a corporate fine of 300,000 euros, the prosecutors said. Both defendants have denied the charges. The number of counts is likely to increase given that police have yet to wrap up their pre-trial investigation into all possible victims. Human trafficking carries a minimum penalty of four months and a maximum penalty of six years in prison, and aggravated human trafficking a minimum penalty of two years and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison under the criminal code of Finland. According to YLE, at least 30 hearings will be organised next spring, when the trial is set to begin in earnest, to enable the victims to appear remotely before the court from the District Court of Helsinki. Kristo and Phongphit are accused of subjecting berry pickers to conditions that violated their human dignity in various parts of Finland in 2022. On Monday, the prosecutors argued that the pickers worked in forced labour-like conditions with insufficient opportunities to rest, were accommodated in unfit facilities that did not necessarily have showers and were provided with insufficient amounts or partly contaminated food. Such conditions, they added, came as a surprise to the berry pickers as they had been misled about the work and accommodation conditions. The defendants both shifted the blame on each other and argued that the conditions aligned with the berry act and relevant regulations. Kai Kotiranta, the defence counsel of Kristo, stressed that the berry pickers had not signed their contracts with Polarica but with the company of Phongphit. The pickers, he added, were also paid for their harvest via Phongphit. Kotiranta said the information unearthed about the business associate during the pre-trial investigation came to some degree as a surprise to Kristo and Polarica. For example, the cost structure which also this charge has been and continues to be about as it has been described in the charge, Kristo and Polarica had no knowledge of it. That some extra costs were charged from the pickers, he noted. Jaakko Kuprainen, the defence counsel of Phongphit, denied that his client had charged additional fees from the pickers. While Phongphit was responsible for weighing the berries in the forest, the weighing equipment and tare weights had been provided by Polarica. He also denied, though, that incorrect tare weights had been used to scam the workers. The trial is the second in a handful of human trafficking cases linked to berry picking in Finland. In May, the District Court of Lapland heard preliminary statements in a case against Vernu Vasunta, the chief executive of Kiantama. Vasunta has denied the accusations. Finland granted work permits for roughly a thousand Thai berry pickers for this summer and autumn. None of them, though, are expected to make the trip because Thai authorities have chosen to reject their exit visa applications over human trafficking concerns, Helsingin Sanomat wrote in July. Aleksi Teivainen HT HUS Group on Thursday revealed that it has proposed the consultative negotiations to its executive board of the joint authority for Helsinki and Uusimaa. AROUND 990 person-years of jobs are under threat in what appear to be imminent consultative negotiations concerning the entire staff of 28,000 at HUS Group, the provider of specialised health care in Uusimaa. The negotiations may result in measures such as lay-offs, the conversion of permanent contracts to fixed-term contracts, changes in job descriptions, non-filling of vacancies and closer re-evaluations of fixed-term service contracts. Also on the table are employee transfers between units, changes to the form of working hours and adjustments to pay. Direct patient work will primarily be outside the scope of the measures, according to HUS Group. The measures should generate cost savings of 50 million euros, accounting for over a third of the savings the municipal authority is pursuing in 2025. The authority has already launched a large-scale adjustment programme and imposed a recruitment ban. The proposed budget framework for 2025 and the roughly 140-million-euro need for adjustments it includes leave us with no other options. Unfortunately we will have to seek savings also from staff costs, said Jari Finnila, the chief financial officer at HUS Group. The executive board will convene to mull over the proposal on 19 August. If the negotiations are launched, the objective is to wrap them up by the end of October. The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) has ordered HUS, along with 14 well-being services counties, to comply with statutory limits for waiting times to non-urgent special hospital care by 31 March 2025. Nina Jaara, the chief shop steward at HUS for the Union of Health and Social Care Professionals in Finland (Tehy), told YLE that the staff cuts will inevitably have an impact on care. It sounds very harsh, she retorted. This will inevitably be reflected in everything, and patient queues will grow, she added. The result may be that going forward nurses will have to do work that isnt part of their occupation or job description. Jaara also highlighted the disconnect between the staff cuts and the fact that health care providers across the country have long sought to find remedies for the nurse shortage. [The lay-offs] definitely wont make it better. Matti Bergendahl, the chief executive of HUS Group, assured Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday that the possible personnel cuts will not compromise patient safety in Uusimaa. We wont be compromising the safety and quality of care. We have to be careful about targeting the cuts. Primarily the cuts wont be targeted at employees working directly with patients. But no occupational group can be ruled outside the cuts, he admitted. HUS Group is estimating that its annual result for this year will fall short of expectations, falling about 70 million euros into the red. Aleksi Teivainen HT The most-played song of the summer was "Paremmin ku kukaan muu" by Benjamin and BESS , which was played an impressive 4,454 times between June and August. This summer , Finnish music has taken center stage on the countrys airwaves, with six of the ten most-played songs on commercial radio stations being domestic hits. According to the latest summer statistics from copyright organization Gramex, local artists have not only secured the majority of top spots but have also introduced fresh tracks that have resonated strongly with listeners. Following closely were ANI's "Jos puhutaan totta" and Mirella's "Timanttei," both of which garnered nearly 4,000 plays each. Rounding out the top six were BEHM's "Syntymapaiva! (Viela KRRAN Jee)," KUUMAA's "Tuhoaisti," and the collaboration between Ege Zulu and BEHM on "Tunnista tuntiin." These tracks, all released either late last year or in 2024, have clearly struck a chord with the Finnish audience, dominating the airwaves during the summer months. Kari Niemela from Gramex, who compiled the statistics, expressed delight at the strong presence of new music on the airwaves. "It's exciting to see that new releases have secured their place on playlists and are receiving such significant airplay," Niemela said. In addition to the influx of new music, the prominence of domestic artists on the summer charts is noteworthy. "While typically around 35% of radio play is reserved for Finnish music, this summer, that figure has surged to 60% on the most-played list. It's heartening to see such strong support for Finnish artists," Niemela added. The summer playlist also included a few international hits, with Dua Lipa's "Training Season," Artemas' "I Like The Way You Kiss Me," David Guetta & OneRepublic's "I Don't Wanna Wait," and Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things" securing spots in the top ten. However, the clear dominance of Finnish music highlights the thriving local music scene, proving that homegrown talent continues to captivate audiences across the country. HT The study, conducted by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and released on August 15, 2024, A new study highlights a growing concern in the healthcare and social welfare sectors: only 35% of employees are recovering adequately from their work, raising alarms about their long-term health and the sustainability of these critical industries. reveals that inadequate recovery among healthcare and social welfare workers is leading to significant risks, including diminished work performance, increased health issues, and potential reductions in work ability. These sectors, already grappling with labor shortages, are facing an even greater challenge if recovery rates do not improve. Young and Older Workers Particularly Affected The study presents concerning statistics: only 29% of healthcare and social welfare professionals under 30, and 39% of those over 60, report recovering well from their work. Overall, just 35% of employees across all age groups in these sectors experienced adequate recovery. Even among supervisors and managers, who are critical in shaping workplace culture, recovery rates were only slightly better, at 40% and 41% respectively. The Role of Management in Recovery Research Professor Jaana Laitinen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health emphasizes that individual recovery efforts alone are insufficient. Instead, there is a pressing need for community-level recovery strategies, which require competent and proactive management. These strategies involve better workload management, increasing resources, and ensuring that employees have access to recovery methods, such as adequate breaks during work hours. "Management and supervisors must ensure that the work environment supports recovery," Laitinen stresses. "This includes establishing clear work objectives, fostering a safe and open workplace atmosphere, and encouraging employees to discuss work-related challenges and recovery strategies." Key Recommendations for Enhancing Recovery The study outlines several key measures for improving recovery in the healthcare and social welfare sectors: Active Leadership: Managers should lead by example, prioritizing their own recovery to set a standard for their teams. This includes managing workloads effectively and ensuring that recovery is integrated into daily practices. Adequate Resources and Training: Ensuring that supervisors have the time and skills necessary to support their teams is crucial. This may involve updating job descriptions and providing ongoing training to improve recovery practices. Structured Work Environments: Clear objectives, rules, and regular team events can foster a supportive and innovative work community, essential for promoting recovery. Workload Management: Regular well-being surveys and risk assessments can help managers monitor workloads and take timely action to prevent burnout. Promoting Recovery Methods: Encouraging the use of recovery methods both during and outside of work can significantly enhance employees ability to recuperate. Psychological Safety: Creating a work environment where employees feel safe to express concerns and seek support is vital for effective recovery. Social Support: Managers should make time to check in with employees, offering social support and positive feedback to bolster morale and recovery. Early Intervention: Familiarity with early intervention models is essential, ensuring that employees receive support before issues escalate. Addressing a Growing Crisis As the healthcare and social welfare sectors continue to face mounting pressures, the findings of this study underscore the urgent need for systemic changes to ensure that employees are not only able to perform their duties but also maintain their well-being. The implementation of these recommendations could be pivotal in sustaining a workforce that is essential to the well-being of society at large. HT A recent report from the University of Helsinki's Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy reveals a downward trend in homicide rates across Finland, with a nearly 25% reduction in the homicide rate from 2009 to 2022. This decline is most evident in cases involving male victims, while the rate of violence against women has remained relatively stable. Despite this positive trend, the report notes that the decline in homicides has plateaued somewhat in recent years, although fresh data from Statistics Finland indicates a further 23% drop in homicides last year. Patterns in Homicide Cases The review points out that most homicides in Finland occur in private residences, often between men who are known to each other and under the influence of alcohol. A kitchen knife is the most common weapon used in these crimes, with both the victim and perpetrator typically intoxicated at the time of the incident. Over the study period, 65% of homicide cases involved both parties being intoxicated, while at least one party was under the influence in 78% of cases. Men are overwhelmingly both the perpetrators and victims in these incidents. The report shows that the number of male victims decreased from an average of 70 per year between 2009 and 2015 to 52 per year between 2016 and 2022. In contrast, the number of female victims saw only a slight decrease, from 29 to 25 annually over the same periods. Youth Involvement in Homicides Remains Low Despite public concern about youth violence, the study finds that homicides involving young people, either as perpetrators or victims, have decreased over the past 20 years and remain relatively rare. When such cases do occur, they often involve victims who use drugs, are exposed to criminal environments, or are attacked in public places, particularly in situations involving alcohol. The report calls for further research into youth homicides, particularly to better understand how these cases differ from more typical homicides in Finland. It also emphasizes the need to focus on the connections between drug use, the drug market, and violence, and to improve substance abuse and healthcare services to mitigate these negative impacts. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic The pandemic has also influenced homicide patterns. The report notes an increase in homicides occurring in victims' homes during the pandemic and the subsequent years (20202022) compared to 2018. Conversely, homicides in public places decreased during the pandemic but have since risen as society has reopened. The "Homicide Review" was conducted as part of the Homicide Monitoring System, maintained in collaboration with the Finnish National Police Board. This system continues to track trends and provide insights into the factors contributing to changes in Finland's homicide rates. HT The mural, set to be completed in August, is the third in a series of public art projects under the Oulu2026 initiative. As part of the Oulu2026 cultural program, renowned Italian artist Fabio Petani has been selected to create a large-scale mural in Myllyoja, Oulu, this summer. Petani, chosen from 479 applicants across Europe, draws inspiration from local nature for his work, which will adorn the side of a six-story building at Karvarinaukio 12. This annual series features murals created by international artists in different neighborhoods of Oulu, with the final piece set to be unveiled in the city center during Oulus year as the European Capital of Culture in 2026. Petani, who specializes in plant-themed art, was selected by a panel of public art professionals for his distinctive and original style. The artist arrived in Oulu at the beginning of August and has since been immersing himself in the local environment, even participating in a community day trip to Hailuoto organized by the Myllyoja residents' association. "My aim is to create a work that reflects the spirit of Oulu," Petani explains. "I've explored the city's history and culture, with a particular focus on the diversity of the local flora, which serves as the foundation for my artistic work. The mural will combine plant elements with cultural symbolism." Petani is committed to making art accessible to everyone and transforming everyday spaces into unique visual experiences. "I want to create a mural that the local residents can take pride in, one that fosters a sense of community and celebrates the harmonious relationship between humans and the environment," he adds. Born in 1987, Fabio Petani is known for his art that explores the relationship between nature and humanity, characterized by a blend of harmony and disruption. His work can be seen not only in public spaces across Italy and Europe but also in galleries. The selection of Petani was made by a professional jury that included visual artist Minna Kangasmaa, Oulu Art Museum curator Katariina Kemppainen, Oulu Cultural Foundation producer Inka Hyvonen, and Upeart art coordinator Yiorgos Slunga. The locations for the Oulu2026 murals are chosen through annual neighborhood voting, open to all residents of Oulu. Previous murals were completed in Rajakyla in 2022 by British artist Eloise Gillow and in Tuiran in 2023 by Canadian artist Ilana Pichon. In 2026, during Oulu's European Capital of Culture year, the final mural will be created in the city center, accompanied by various activities such as art tours and competitions. Upon completion, these murals will become part of the Oulu Art Museums collection. As the European Capital of Culture in 2026, Oulu and Northern Finland will host a wide array of cultural events, art, and festivities, bringing international attention to the region. This cultural journey will culminate in a grand celebration in 2026, marking a significant moment for the region on the global stage. HT According to the Arjen katsaus survey, 64% of respondents who expressed an opinion believe that every generation should fund their own pensions, a slight increase from the 2021 survey. A new survey by LahiTapiola has revealed that a significant majority of Finns believe that each generation should be responsible for funding their own pensions, reflecting growing concerns about the sustainability of the current pension system amid declining birth rates. The current Finnish pension system operates on a pay-as-you-go model, where the working population funds the pensions of retirees. However, with birth rates at historic lows, many Finns are questioning the viability of this approach. Rising Concerns Among Younger Generations The survey highlights a significant generational divide in confidence in the statutory pension system. Among 25- to 34-year-olds, a striking 77% believe they would receive better returns by managing their own pension savings, compared to just 13% of those over 75 who share this view. This shift reflects a growing skepticism among younger Finns, who are increasingly looking towards personal investments as a more reliable means of securing their financial future. Hannu Nummiaro, an economist at LahiTapiola, suggests that the traditional pension model may need to evolve to address these concerns. "Finns seem to favor a more fully funded pension system, which would be less vulnerable to demographic shifts," Nummiaro explains. "If previous generations had their pension contributions invested over decades, the system would be on a more stable footing today." Challenges of Transitioning to a Fully Funded System Despite the support for a shift to a fully funded pension system, Nummiaro acknowledges that such a transition would be challenging. "Current workers would have to fund both their own future pensions and the pensions of current retirees," he notes. "A fully funded system should have been established when the pension system was first created, but at that time, the long-term demographic changes we're seeing today were not anticipated." One potential solution, according to Nummiaro, could be to relax solvency regulations for pension funds, allowing them to invest more aggressively and potentially increase returns. "Currently, regulations require pension funds to keep about half of their investments in equities. Increasing this proportion could boost returns and perhaps improve public satisfaction with the statutory system," he suggests. Self-Managed Pension Savings on the Rise The survey also reveals that 56% of respondents believe they could achieve better returns by managing their own pension savings rather than relying solely on the statutory system. This sentiment is particularly strong among younger adults, who are increasingly aware of the limitations of the current system and the benefits of diversifying their retirement savings. Nummiaro advises individuals to take a proactive approach to their retirement planning. "While the statutory pension system provides a basic level of security, it's wise not to rely on it entirely for retirement income. By starting to save and invest early, individuals can ensure a more comfortable retirement and contribute to the overall stability of the system." Ongoing Pension Reform Discussions The Finnish government and labor market organizations are currently exploring ways to reform the pension system to alleviate pressure on public finances and prevent increases in pension contributions. While Nummiaro cautions that no "magic bullet" solution exists, he emphasizes the importance of addressing the root causes of the pension system's challenges, including declining birth rates and slow economic growth. As Finland prepares for potential changes to its pension system, the debate over how best to secure the financial future of its citizens continues. With growing support for a more individualized approach to pension savings, the landscape of retirement planning in Finland may soon see significant changes. HT A new report from the Kalevi Sorsa Foundation highlights a growing challenge for low- and middle-income Finns: it's becoming harder than ever to reach the highest income brackets. This trend is particularly pronounced in Eastern and Northern Finland, where economic opportunities are more limited. and emeritus professor of economics Matti Tuomala. Their analysis of income mobility data from 1995 to 2022 reveals that individuals in both the lowest and highest income deciles are more likely to remain in the same income bracket year after year, compared to those in the middle-income brackets. This persistence has notably increased at the top end of the income spectrum. "Comparing the periods 19952008 and 20092022, the likelihood of staying in the top income decile has risen by over five percentage points, with the most significant increase seen among the top 1%. It's clear that moving into the upper-income groups has become more difficult, even over long periods," Tuomala explains. Riihela adds that this growing economic polarization has been ongoing since the 1990s, with wealth becoming increasingly concentrated among a smaller portion of the population. "As the share of total income held by the highest earners grows, the share for low- and middle-income groups has diminished. The increased stability among the top income groups also makes annual income-based inequality measures less reflective of the true disparity." Regional and Gender Disparities in Income Mobility The report also explores how income mobility varies across regions and between genders. Sociology professor Jani Erola and senior researcher Esa Karonen of the University of Turku examined the intergenerational transmission of income levels, focusing on those who were raised in the top income decile. Their findings reveal a stark divide between prosperous Southern and Western Finland and the less affluent Eastern and Northern regions. "In Eastern Finland, fewer than half of the men reach the income level of their fathers who were in the top decile, compared to 60% or more in growth centers like Helsinki," Erola notes. "This concentration of high incomes in urban centers reflects better economic opportunities in these areas." Erola and Karonen's study also highlights significant gender disparities in intergenerational income mobility. "Among those in the top income decile, men are 81% likely to match their father's income level, whereas daughters are only 39% as likely to achieve their mother's income level," Karonen points out. "This perpetuates gender inequality and shows that it's becoming generally harder for low- and middle-income earners to reach the income levels of their parents, indicating a decline in equal opportunities." Broader Implications and Ongoing Discussions Inequality in Finland 2024 is the third installment in a series that examines various aspects of inequality in the country. The report includes contributions from 15 leading scholars who explore topics such as perceived well-being, family policy, and the socio-economic inclusion of immigrant youth. The publication, edited by Anna Rajavuori and funded by the Wage Earners Foundation and the Consumer Cooperative Foundation, aims to spark public debate on these critical issues. The Kalevi Sorsa Foundation will host a discussion event based on the report on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at the University of Helsinki's Tiedekulma STAGE. The event will feature presentations on the reports findings and provide a platform for broader discussions on how to address growing inequality in Finland. Interested participants can register on the event's webpage. HT Health department offers vaccine clinics Aug. 27-29 The Henderson County Department of Public Health will host a series of evening vaccine clinics 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 27, 28 and 29 to help school-aged children get caught up with required immunizations. The clinics are open for all students ages 5-18. All vaccines required for public school in North Carolina will be offered, such as DTap and Varicella. The clinics are at the Henderson County Department of Public Health, 1200 Spartanburg Highway, Suite 100. Please use the immunizations entrance. No appointments are needed. Students will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Getting your child vaccinated not only keeps them healthy, but also helps reduce missed school days due to illness, said Medical Director Diana Curran. Our goal is to keep kids in the classroom, learning and thriving, while also protecting the health of their classmates, teachers and families. Families should bring insurance or Medicaid cards (if they have them) and the childs vaccination records (not required if past vaccines were given in North Carolina). The Health Department accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield, MedCost, United Health, Aetna and Cresent. Please note if your insurance is out of network, you may need to pay out of pocket. Medicaid is accepted. If you do not have insurance or are underinsured, your child can still receive routine childhood vaccines at no charge through the Vaccines for Children Program. For a full list of required K-12 school immunizations, visit the N.C. Immunization Branch website at https://immunization.dph.ncdhhs.gov/schools/k-12.htm. For other questions call 828-692-4223 or visit www.hendersoncountync.gov/health. Our mission at HHS is to ensure the health and well-being of all Americans, which includes ensuring that Americans receive the care they need, and health providers and facilities have the tools necessary to do the job. We are aware of disruptions in the availability of BD BACTEC blood culture media bottles, which could impact clinical practices for health care providers and laboratories. We recommend that health care providers, laboratory professionals, and health care facility administrators prioritize and conserve BD BACTEC blood culture media bottles per FDA's published recommendations during this shortage. Additionally, we encourage those affected by this shortage, along with state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments, to assess their situations and develop plans and options to mitigate the potential impact of the shortage on patient care. HHS and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are working closely with the manufacturer and other partners to accelerate rapid resolution of the shortage, including expediting any necessary review (e.g., for shelf-life extension), meeting with alternative suppliers, and communicating best practices and conservation strategies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network Health Advisory with additional resources to mitigate the potential impact on patient care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is coordinating with partner agencies and the hospital industry to monitor the disruption and is providing hospitals with an update today. We are taking action to mitigate and resolve disruptions as quickly as possible. The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to pull every lever available to support health care providers and protect the safety of patients. Microhistories and a multiplicity of stories This weeks pick of interesting reads includes essays on identity in Northeast India, a tribute to a poet and author, and the writings of Viktor Frankl (HT Team) 316pp, Rs599; HarperCollins (Shedding light on the complex fabric of identity in Northeast India) The ideas of who belongs and who does not, who is an insider and who is an outsider have sparked severe friction in Northeast India for decades now. From the frequent characterization of Bengal-origin Muslims in Assam as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to the ethnic battles between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals of Manipur, from the Naga and Mizo separatist insurgencies to the prejudice the tribal minorities face in the mainland negotiating identity has always been a complex issue. In recent years, the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship Amendment Act have added to that complexity. Amidst sweeping political and social changes in the Northeast and the rest of the country, have things changed for the Northeasterner? How do the tribals and the old settlers find a way to coexist in the region? This anthology addresses these pressing questions by bringing together a variety of voices from different communities across the Northeast. Each essay offers a unique perspective, reflecting the distinctive micro-history of diverse groups and the multiplicity of stories within every state. Timely and perceptive, But I Am One of You sheds light on the complex fabric of identity in Northeast India.* A festschrift for Keki N Daruwalla 192pp, 250; Sahitya Akademi (A tribute to poet and author Keki N Daruwalla) A House of Words is an anthology of reflections, memoirs, and poetics by 30 writers in celebration of Keki N Daruwallas 87th birthday in 2024. Two new and categorical interviews in this volume focus on Daruwallas craft in poetry and fiction. With an introduction by Basudhara Roy, the volumes contributors include Adil Jussawalla, Arundhathi Subramaniam, Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca, Malashri Lal, Menka Shivdasani, Namita Gokhale, Priya Sarukkai Chabria, Rukmini Bhaya Nair, Saleem Peeradina, Sukrita Paul Kumar and AJ Thomas, among others. A House of Words is a tribute to the man and his generosity of spirit.* On how to lead a purposeful life 164pp, 799; Penguin (Writings by Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl on how to find meaning and fulfilment) During his lifetime, world renowned psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl had an unshakably optimistic outlook on life. He believed that regardless of circumstance, we can all find meaning and fulfilment in our lives, even in the face of great adversity. But how much influence do we have on shaping our own lives? How do we seize opportunities and create a meaningful life? And in doing so, can we still respect the dignity of others and tolerate all views? Published in English for the first time, Embracing Hope shows that by exercising our freedoms, we have a duty and responsibility to ourselves, to others and to the world around us. This collection of timeless lessons offers hope and consolation, admonition and warning, and reveals how to turn tragedy into triumph and lead a fulfilled, purposeful life.* *All copy from book flap. If asked to name Urdu fiction writers, most English readers would list historical icons such as Manto and Chughtai contemporary writers in the language do not have that kind of widespread recognition. Those familiar with Urdu literature would associate it with contemporary authors belonging to or adjacent to major Urdu literary centres, such as Lucknow, Lahore, or Delhi. Immersed: Reading an Urdu newspaper in Kolkata (Shutterstock) Most would be surprised to learn that Urdu literature also flourishes in a city more famous for Bengali literature and culture: Kolkata. The language has been entwined with the citys cultural fabric for centuries, partly due to various colonial policies. However, it has not received even a sliver of the attention that Bengali writing does in literary circles. 292pp, 415; Niyogi Books Thats why the new anthology, Contemporary Urdu Short Stories from Kolkata, edited by Shams Afif Siddiqi and Fuzail Asar Siddiqi and translated by the former, is a pioneering work. It compiles 19 short stories by eight authors from the city, giving English readers a hitherto unavailable glimpse into its Urdu literature. While some of these authors works have been translated into other languages, most havent, nor have they featured as prominently in collections of contemporary Urdu writing. The tales have eclectic themes and narrative styles, though common among them is a preoccupation with the abstract. One of the reasons for this is that some stories are fleshed around ideas rather than characters or plots. Besides, a sense of strangeness and mystery pervades most of them, even in the occasional instances where they are built on the scaffolding of everyday lives and experiences. Many dwell on existential unease and alienation. Still, they read more like an intellectual examination of these rather than indulgences in mere despair. Siddique Alams The Stopped Clock features a man desperate to leave the city of his birth, but a non-functional clock at the railway station leaves him seemingly stranded. Agonys protagonist receives a letter predicting his death, which puts his life in disarray. In Mahmoud Yaseins Epic of the New Colony, a family faces attacks from hooligans. They eventually lay siege to their home and cut off electricity, water, and supplies, pushing them to the brink of starvation amid unceasing violence. The family has no contact with the world outside. With others of their community facing similar dispossession, at what scale could horrors be unfolding? In The Shop of Words, a father purchases a bunch of old words from a vendor, but his wife, distraught at their potential to unsettle the status quo, stows them away. With violence increasingly impinging upon their lives, what words will prevail? Anxieties about sectarian violence, ghettoization, and the curtailing of civil liberties are at the forefront of the latter two narratives. But only a couple of stories are grounded in such communitarian experiences. Most explore individual eccentricities and social dynamics, with some digging deep into psychological recesses. Bollywood-esque twists also make an appearance, such as in Anis Rafis A Story Heard Before. This story too has an element of eeriness, which makes its plot curveball more palatable. Among the quirkiest pieces is The Wedding Register, featuring the narrators quest to learn more about Pinki Salman, a Chinese convert to Islam in Kolkata. The former stumbles upon the latters wedding register, which mentions that he has officiated over 1,353 weddings. The narrator scurries down several blind alleys even as his obsession with the register threatens to engulf his life. Unexpected descriptions like, A friend of mine who was of Fidel Castros age further add to the narratives peculiarity. Siddiqis adept translation makes these stories a pleasure to read. The voices of the different authors shine through rather than the translators. In a few instances, though the translations are exceedingly faithful to the Urdu originals sentence construction and style, they are rendered so well in English that they do not seem stilted, even if they are odd. While there are diverse opinions on what constitutes a good translation, Siddiqis mostly veers towards American translator Norman Shapiros ideal: I see translation as the attempt to produce a text so transparent that it does not seem to be translated. At times, I forgot that I was reading works originally written in Urdu. The anthologys introduction, however, falls short. It delves into the origin and evolution of short stories across the world, right from the second millennium BC to the 20th century. But when it comes to Urdu literature in Bengal, all Siddiqi offers is, The history of Urdu in Bengal is interesting and The progress of Urdu prose [in Bengal]... is replete with achievements that require serious studies. Regarding the authors featured in the collection, he writes, Shahira Masroor is the only woman writer, and I wish I had accommodated more. But he does not explain why he included just one despite wishing otherwise if there is no dearth of women writers in the city. We also do not know why he included certain celebrated authors, but left out others, such as Khurshid Akram and Ishrat Betab. Rather than dwelling on the history of the short story globally and Urdu short stories in the Indian subcontinent, which are fairly easy to find, I wish Siddiqi had provided an overview of Urdu literature in Bengal, why he selected the authors he did, and more information on the common threads in their work and preoccupations. I am not sure whether the stylistic and thematic similarities among the stories constitute a literary movement of sorts, bear the imprint of a Zeitgeist, or are a result of editorial discretion. There is scholarship on Urdu literature from Kolkata, including on Shodhganga, a digital repository of PhD theses from Indian universities. Sadly, it is predominantly in Urdu with barely any analysis in English. With this anthology, Siddiqi has done a stellar job of taking the oeuvre of Kolkata Urdu writers to a wider audience. I hope he publishes more such works and builds upon his experience as a literary scholar to shed critical insights on a much-overlooked category of Urdu literature. Syed Saad Ahmed is a writer and communications professional. Private lender Yes Bank has appointed veteran banker Sumit Bali to head its retail business and collections, three sources directly familiar with the matter said on Friday. The logo of Yes Bank is pictured on the facade of its headquarters in Mumbai.(Reuters) Bali will join Yes Bank from Aug. 26 and report to executive director Rajan Pental, one of the sources said. The banker, who headed retail lending for India's third largest private lender Axis Bank, had quit in June. Friday is his last day at Axis Bank. The sources did not wish to be identified as they are not allowed to speak with the media. Yes Bank did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment. Bali has almost three decades of experience in retail banking, and worked at Kotak Mahindra Bank before joining Axis Bank, where he worked in multiple roles. At Yes Bank, his role will be crucial "as the bank is now entering its transformational phase in its hunt to find a new promoter", the second source said. Yes Bank's loan book stood at approximately 2.30 trillion rupees ($27.39 billion) as on June 30, of which 60% was made up of retail and small and medium enterprise loans. Japanese lender Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp and Dubai-based Emirates are in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in Yes Bank, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda on Friday said the final report in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case in which Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and others are accused will be submitted to the court by the police at the earliest after getting remaining forensic reports. Actor Darshan case: Final report will be submitted to court soon, says top cop A total of seventeen people, including Darshan, along with his friend Pavithra Gowda, are currently under judicial custody in connection with the case. Also Read - Bengaluru boys perform dangerous bike stunts on busy roads for social media fame, 44 booked. VIDEO "In connection with the Renukaswamy murder case, the investigation is reaching its final stage. Several oral, circumstantial and technical evidence have been gathered. The evidence gathered has been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Bengaluru, and some electronic devices were sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Hyderabad," Dayananda said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "We have got some reports, we are told by the concerned FSL officials that more reports will be sent soon. On receiving them, as part of the further investigation, certain clarifications will be sought if necessary. After that, at the earliest, we will submit the final report to the court." Also Read - Who is Darshan? Kannada actor arrested in connection with murder case. 5 points "Almost about 70 per cent of the reports have come from the Bengaluru FSL, and the remaining regarding electronic devices which we had sent to CFSL Hyderabad, those reports are still pending," he added. A court here on Wednesday had extended till August 28 the judicial custody of Darshan and all other accused. According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9. Raghavendra, one of the accused who is part of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, had brought Renukaswamy to a shed in R R Nagar here, on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him. It was in this shed that he was allegedly tortured and murdered. According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries. Police sources said Gowda, who is accused number one, was the "major cause" for Renukaswamy's murder, claiming that it has been proved from the probe that she instigated other accused, conspired with them, and took part in the crime. Between August 10 and August 15, Bengaluru experienced a rise in temperature from a maximum of 28.5 degrees Celsius to 31 degrees Celsius, according to The Hindu. After a period of rain and cooler weather since July, many residents have felt a return to summer-like heat and humidity. Officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bengaluru attributed the temperature increase to a weakening monsoon. The forecast predicts that temperatures in Bengaluru will remain between 31 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius over the next few days.(Getty Images/iStockphoto) The intensity of rainfall has reduced in the last few days. In the last 15 days, there has been no heavy rainfall. There is only one system in the Arabian Sea, which is a cyclonic circulation extending up to 4.5 kilometres above mean sea level. We have no systems over coastal Karnataka and, hence, rainfall has reduced, C S Patil, Director, IMD Bengaluru, told the publication. Patil also noted that urban factors contribute to the heat. Due to vast area, concrete roads and huge buildings, air does not retain its coolness in Bengaluru. When rainfall ceases for one or two days, the temperature rises very quickly here, Patil added, as quoted in the report. The forecast predicts that temperatures in Bengaluru will remain between 31 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius over the next few days. The agency has forecast light rainfall in Bengaluru city in the next four to five days, Patil said. Monsoon is weak in most parts of Karnataka. Some light to moderate widespread rainfall is expected in south interior Karnataka and coastal Karnataka in the next few days. We have sounded a yellow alert in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts, Patil further stated. Rainfall intensity is expected to increase with the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon, anticipated by October 15. The arrival of the northeast monsoon should bring significant rainfall to various parts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, in October, the report noted. The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) on Friday suspended outpatient department (OPD) services at public health-care centres, including Aam Aadmi Clinics, in the state to express solidarity with the agitation for justice following the rape and murder of a resident doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Doctors holding a protest at the Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala on Friday. Outpatient department (OPD) services at all public health-care centres, including Aam Aadmi Clinics, in Punjab were suspended to express solidarity with the agitation for justice following the rape and murder of a resident doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. (HT Photo) Medical professionals across Punjab are holding sit-ins at health centres, demanding prompt justice for the victim. The PCMSA has urged the government to not only ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book but also to implement a central protection Act for healthcare professionals. The association has sought adequate security measures for staff at public healthcare facilities in Punjab. The protest has hit healthcare services in the state with the medical staff united in their demand for a safe working environment. The PCMSA said that the protest would continue until their demands were addressed. The Resident Doctors Association of the Government Medical College in Amritsar announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including OPDs, operating theatres and wards, beginning from Friday and continuing until further notice. They announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services on Friday. Doctors have been staging protests outside Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. (With PTI inputs) The Punjab government has issued transfer orders of six IAS officers, including four deputy commissioners, with immediate effect. The Punjab government has issued transfer orders of six IAS officers, including four deputy commissioners, with immediate effect. (Representational photo) Kulwant Singh, deputy commissioner (DC), Moga, and commissioner, municipal corporation, Moga, has been posted as the Mansa DC in place of Paramvir Singh, according to orders issued by the chief secretary on Thursday. Vishesh Sarangal, deputy commissioner, Gurdaspur, is now the Moga DC in addition to being the MC commissioner. Uma Shankar Gupta, director, local government, has been transferred as the Gurdaspur DC. He replaces Sarangal. Rajesh Tripathi, additional secretary, revenue and rehabilitation, and director, land records, settlement, consolidation, and land acquisition, Jalandhar, is the new Muktsar DC in place of Harpreet Singh Sudan. The posting orders of Paramvir and Sudan will be issued later. Over a hundred birds were injured or killed by banned glass-coated kite strings, colloquially called Chinese manjha, on Independence Day, officials said. An injured birds that got entangled in a kite string being treated at Charity Birds Hospital at Chandni Chowk in New Delhi on Friday. (HT PHOTO) Most of these cases were reported from rescue centres and bird hospitals across the city, with volunteers and doctors saying the number is likely to rise, as more such birds will be discovered as kite-flying will continue till Rakshabandhan on August 19. Experts said such cases are reported every year due to violations in the form of use of Chinese manjha despite a clear ban. Such is the extent of damage from the manjha that some birds are unable to fly again, an official from the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Wazirabad said. Police said they are keeping a strict vigil and drives are being conducted to take action against violators. The use and sale of glass-quoted kite string has been prohibited in Delhi since January 10, 2017. Of the injuries reported on August 15 and August 16, the most common were crows and pigeons, followed by black kites, officials said. At the Jain Charitable Bird Hospital in Chandni Chowk, around 100 injured birds were reported till Friday, slightly lower than the 120 injuries received last year on these two days. There has been a slight drop in numbers compared to last year, but manjha injuries continue to impact birds. Pigeons and crows are the most common cases, with their wings slashed. In cases, other body parts have also received deep cuts. The string is sharp enough to cut through their wings or body completely, said Dr Haravtar Singh, who works at the hospital. Mohammad Saud from Wildlife Rescue Centre in Wazirabad, which treats only birds of prey, said eight injured kites were reported on Independence Day, with around 20 on Friday. Till last year, the count was around 30 too over these two days. Out of the 28 cases, 27 were black kites and one was a cormorant, which is not a bird of prey, but a waterbird which someone dropped at our centre, Saud said, stating that a restriction on the time-period for flying kites can also help reduce cases. He said more cases would be reported in the coming days, with people likely to fly kites till Rakshabandhan on Monday. After kite flying ends on August 15, people start to discover injured birds on August 16 and 17, so we are expecting more cases. Over the weekend, before Rakshabandhan, more kite flying is expected, so this count is likely to grow further, he said. Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO and co-founder of the animal rescue NGO Wildlife SOS said the same violations are observed in Delhi each year, despite a clear ban. Birds often get entangled in loose kite strings while foraging on trees and shrubs. In their desperate attempts to free themselves, they suffer severe injuries and blood loss, which can be fatal, especially when trapped without food or water, he said. Police seize banned manjha, register FIRs The city police, meanwhile, said action against violators found to be using, selling or storing the banned manjha was being taken, with more drives to be carried out in the coming days. Till August 16, Delhi Police said it seized over 14,000 rolls of Chinese Manjha and 191 FIRs have been registered so far, with 200 people arrested. Delhi Police have mounted a strict vigil round the clock on activities of those involved in manufacture, sale, storage, purchase, and use of Chinese Manjha, said a senior police official. Despite Delhi Polices claims of taking stringent action, incidents like the recent one and the sale of the glass-coated manjha continue to take place in the national capital. Even if someone is booked for using, keeping or selling these strings, they are let off comparatively easily. The maximum punishment for this offence prescribed under section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is imprisonment for up to only six months or a fine up to 1,000 or both. None of those booked in Delhi for this offence since the 2017 ban has been jailed so far. A senior Delhi Police officer said that punishment for the offence is not significant enough to cause any fear of legal consequences. All police stations in Delhi have been asked to increase vigil around kite shops and see if rules are being flouted... Any person found selling metallic powder or nylon or plastic manjhas will be booked under Section 223 of the new law. However, the maximum punishment for this offence is so small that people do not have much fear, said the officer, asking not to be named. The officer added that surprise raids are also being conducted at various shops in different parts of the city. Most of the manjhas sold in Delhi come from Firozabad, Bareilly, Meerut and Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Rohtak in Haryana. While many people, including children, have fallen victim to the deadly manjha, it is difficult for us to identify the suspects through CCTV footage, he said. Quoting the 2017 ban, the officer said that the term Chinese is simply a terminology commonly used for nylon, metallic or synthetic threads. This Chinese manjha is in fact predominantly manufactured in different parts of India famous for its manjha and kites. The respective state governments can easily stop this menace at its roots, but they have not done it so far, he added. Suman Nalwa, deputy commissioner of police (public relations), said that a notice has been issued from the police headquarters on Thursday, in which all the deputy commissioners of police have been asked to create awareness among target groups, and utilise eyes and ears approach to ill-effects and illegal use of Chinese manjha. They have also been asked to ensure strict surveillance and carry out sustained enforcement. A fortnightly performance assessment of DCPs with regards to this shall be discussed at PHQ (police headquarters) level, she said. Doctors across government-run hospitals and medical colleges in Delhi continued their indefinite strike over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata for the fifth day on Friday even as private medical professionals announced that they will be joining in the stir for a day on Saturday halting all out-patient department (OPD) consultations, elective surgeries, and non-essential services across the city. Doctors hold a protest in front of Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi on Friday. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo) Protest marches were held by doctors across different parts of the city on Friday with a section of doctors marching outside Nirman Bhawan which houses the Union health ministry. A strike call, issued by the India Medical Association (IMA) for a protest that will see halting of all OPD and non-essential services for 24 hours starting from 6am on Saturday, is likely to hit hospital operations for tens of thousands of people through the day at a time when such a protest has already been underway at all major government hospitals. The move to expand coverage of the strike to private hospitals for a day comes at a time when resident doctors in Delhis public hospitals also have halted all out-patient department consultations, elective surgeries, and non-essential services in solidarity with their counterparts in Kolkata. However, all essential emergency services, including ICUs, emergency surgeries, and emergency operation theatres have continued to operate without any disruption. We are deeply saddened and shocked by the horrific incident in Kolkata... At Fortis Hospitals, we stand in solidarity with the Indian Medical Association and the wider medical community in condemning this act. We respect the sentiments of our doctors, and will support those who wish to participate in the nationwide shutdown. Essential services will continue to be provided to ensure that patient care is not compromised, said Fortis Health Care in a statement on Friday. Doctors and medical students at AIIMS Delhi demanded a central protection act for healthcare workers. The announcement of protests by doctors who are part of IMA comes on the same day that Centre directed heads of all government-run medical colleges and institutions across India to file an institutional FIR in cases of violence against health care workers on duty within six hours of the incident, addressing one of the key demands of protesting doctors across the country. While many of the doctors welcomed the quick FIR in cases of violence, they also felt that the order should not remain only on paper. It is a good move but its effective implementation is important. We need to see how it pans out, said a resident doctor from a prominent medical college in Delhi. Doctors have also unanimously demanding bringing in a Central Protection Act for doctors to safeguard their safety as cases of manhandling of doctors by patients and their relatives frequently are reported from hospitals, especially government-run hospitals. Our main demand from the government is that it addresses safety concerns and improves work conditions of doctors working in public hospitals, said another resident doctor. The United Doctors Front Association (UDFA) India stands in solidarity with RDAs across Delhi at Nirman Bhawan. The protest is a united demand for justice and the implementation of the Central Protection Act. Together, we ensure the safety of all health care professionals, said Dr Lakshya Mittal, president, UDFA. Outrage has gripped hospitals as well as the wider public in the wake of an August 9 case in Kolkata where a 32-year-old woman doctor was sexually assaulted and murdered in Kolkatas RG Kar medical college and hospital. Former Delhi deputy chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia on Friday launched his padyatra (foot march) in Kalkaji in south Delhi where he said he was glad that he again has the opportunity to be back among my family. AAP leader Manish Sisodia in Kalkaji in New Delhi on Friday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) This was Sisodias first major public outreach event since he walked out of Tihar jail on bail last week, ending his 17 months of incarceration related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy. Today I am back among my family. The people of Delhi were worried about me and I was worried about my people. Today I have come to know about the well-being of the people. The people of Delhi are very worried about their chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and are praying to get him out of jail, Manish Sisodia said while talking to media persons during the march. The senior AAP leader arrived at Greater Kailash MLAs office located at DDA Flats, Kalkaji at 7pm to a warm welcome by hundreds of party workers and locals who were waiting since 5pm to receive him in the humid evening. The march is part of a series of outreach programmes planned by the AAP in the run-up to next years state assembly elections, which are likely in February 2025. The march is set to continue for three weeks during which Sisodia will conduct padyatra in different parts of the city. It coincided with the birthday of Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on August 16. Meanwhile, AAP leaders and workers in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, celebrated Kejriwals birthday by cutting cake on Friday. AAP volunteers also gathered outside Tihar jail in Delhi and cut cake to celebrate the CMs birthday. Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj escorted Sisodia inside the MLA office from where he emerged a few minutes later and started his foot-march amid the waving of national flags and AAPs flags. Patriotic songs were playing from speakers on a vehicle which moved a few meters ahead of him. Surrounded by a battery of security personnel, photographers and media persons Manish Sisodia walked along the road in the area, greeting people, shaking hands with some, engaging in brief conversations with people, accepting flowers and garlands from a throng of supporters. The whole of Delhi is my family. Today I feel as if I am among my brothers and children. Prayers of all Delhi residents are with Arvind Kejriwal ji and he will come out soon, Sisodia said. Sisodia was released from jail on August 9 after over 17 months of incarceration in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy of 2021-22. The route of the 1.5km-long march was confined to internal society routes, causing some traffic congestion within Kalkaji. The padyatra began at 7.20pm and continued for nearly 50 minutes during which the former deputy CM walked around 1.5km and it concluded near Alakhnanda Market. Sisodia also stopped at several shops, places where people had gathered to talk to them. He was also seen obliging people including children who requested him for a picture. DDA Flats Kalkaji are located under Greater Kailash assembly constituency and the place where the march concluded also falls under the GK constituency. GK constituency is represented by AAP since 2013 and its MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj is a minister in Delhi government. Narender Kumar, a resident of DDA Flats Kalkaji, said he came to see the foot-march because Manish Sisodia has come out of jail after a long time. I just came to see him. He has improved the government schools, said Kumar. Asked to comment on the corruption allegations against him, Kumar said: All leaders in the country are corrupt. But the corruption allegations of Sisodia have not been proved that is why he has been released from jail. Navin Kumar, a resident of Govindpuri, who was passing through the area to go to his house, said he was less bothered about the corruption charges but more about the work of the government. The AAP government is not different from other governments. After a little rain the city turns into a lake, that says a lot about the work of the AAP government. On Saturday, the padyatra will be held in Patparganj assembly constituency represented by Sisodia since 2013. Sisodia has planned to take public feedback during the march which will help the AAP in charting out the strategy for 2025 polls. When we go among the people we will see the work done. It is only from the ground that you get an understanding of what more the government should do, Manish Sisodia said recently in an interview to HT. The BJP hit out at Manish Sisodia over his foot-march. From the construction of schools to the expansion of liquor shops, Manish Sisodia has been involved in scams. He should not be undertaking a padyatra but rather a paschatap yatra (repentance march). The way Manish Sisodia has been active since his release from jail is not ordinary activism; it is a well-planned activity, which implies that either the Aam Aadmi Party believes that Arvind Kejriwal will remain in jail for a long time, and they are positioning Sisodia as an alternative, or Manish Sisodia himself is eager to take control of the party, said Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva in a statement. DU Admissions 2024 Live: Delhi University released DU Admissions 2024 CSAS 1st allocation list. All those candidates who have registered themselves for Phase I can check the allocation list on the official website of DU at du.ac.in. The list can also be checked on the DU Admission website at admission.uod.ac.in....Read More Candidates who have acquired a seat in the allotment list can accept the allocated seat from August 16 to August 18, 2024. The seat acceptance link will be available after candidates login to their account. The provision for acceptance of a particular Allocated Seat will be valid only for the round in which the seat was allocated to the candidate. Also to participate in subsequent rounds, candidate must accept the allocated seat within the stipulated time. All the colleges can verify and approve the online applications from August 16 to August 20, 2024. The last date for candidates to pay fees online is August 21, 2024. Follow the blog for latest updates on first list, cut offs and other details. Uttar Pradesh Technical Admission Counselling has released UPTAC 2024 seat allotment result for Round 2 on August 16, 2024. The seat allotment result is out for B.Tech and MBA. MCA , MCA courses. Candidates who have registered themselves for the counselling round can find the result on the official website of UPTAC at uptac.admissions.nic.in. UPTAC 2024 seat allotment result for Round 2 out, here's how to check UPTAC 2024 Round 2 seat allotment result released at uptac.admissions.nic.in, here's direct link to check As per the schedule, the online willingness (freeze/ float) can be done from August 16 to August 19, 2024. The payment of seat confirmation and online withdrawal can be done from August 16 to August 19, 2024. MCC NEET UG Counselling 2024: Round 1 choice filling begins today at mcc.nic.in, seat allotment on August 23 UPTAC 2024 seat allotment result: How to check To check the seat allotment result, candidates can follow the steps given below. Visit the official website of UPTAC at uptac.admissions.nic.in. Click on UPTAC 2024 seat allotment result for Round 2 link available on the home page. A new page will open where candidates will have to enter the login details. Click on submit and your seat allotment result will be displayed. Check the seat allotment result and download the page. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. Also Read: DU UG CSAS 2024 first allocation list releasing today at du.ac.in, heres how to check As per the official brochure, the tuition fees in Govt. / Govt. aided colleges / institutes shall be as per latest orders of Government of U.P applicable in the respective colleges/institutes. However, few courses are under self-finance scheme and the details of the fee for such courses can be obtained by the respective colleges/institutions. The fees in Private Institutions/Govt. aided Institutions running self-finance courses will be as per the latest notification/orders issued by Govt. of Uttar Pradesh Fee Fixation Committee. The record of the Counselling would be preserved only up to 90 days from the closing date of last round of counselling. No request for providing any information thereafter shall be entertained. For more related details candidates can check the official website of UPTAC. UK Board Compartment Result 2024 Live: Uttarakhand Board of School Education has declared UK Board Compartment Result 2024. Candidates who have appeared for the Class 10, 12 compartment examination across the state can check the results on the official website of UBSE at ubse.uk.gov.in. Direct link to check Class 10, 12 improvement result ...Read More Uttarakhand Board conducted UBSE 10th, 12th compartment examination from July 18 to July 22, 2024. The examination was held across the state at various exam centres. Media reports suggest that around a total of 21,887 students appeared for the examination. The main examination for Class 10 and 12 was held from February 27 to March 16, 2024. The UK Board 10th and 12th results were announced on April 30, 2024. The overall pass percentage of Class 10 was 89.14 percent, whereas for Class 12, it was 82.63 percent. Follow the blog for the latest updates on results, direct links, and more. Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board released the tentative UP Police Constable exam city slip on August 16, 2024. Candidates who have registered for the exam and wish to check the exam city slip can visit the official website of UPPBPB at uppbpb.gov.in. UP Police Admit Card 2024 Live Updates UP Police Constable examination is scheduled to be conducted on August 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 2024 at various exam centres across the state.(Bachchan Kumar/Hindustan Times/For representation only) Direct Link to check UP Police Constable exam city slip Director of Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board, Rajeev Krishna said Candidates have been informed about the city where their examination centre is likely to be kept. He also said that the information about the city is shared on the website of the UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board. UP Police Constable examination is scheduled to be conducted on August 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 2024 at various exam centres across the state. The examination will be held in two shifts-the first shift will be held from 10 am to 12 noon and the second shift will be held from 3 pm to 5 pm. The exam will be held for the recruitment of 60,244 posts of police constables in the organisation. UGC NET Admit Card 2024 Live Updates Earlier, the UPPBPB constable exam was conducted in four shifts on February 17 and 18, 2024, and over 48 lakh aspirants attempted the exam. However, the state government cancelled it on February 24, 2024, as its question paper was leaked. The government directed that the exam be conducted again within six months. Candidates who have registered for the exam and wish to check the exam city slip can follow the below mentioned steps. Visit the official website of UPPBPB at uppbpb.gov.in. Click on UP Police Admit Card 2024 link available on the home page. Enter the login details and click on submit. Your exam city slip will be displayed on the screen. Check the details and download the page. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. For more information, visit the official website of UPPBPB at uppbpb.gov.in. Also Read: AIMA MAT CBT Admit Card 2024 released at mat.aima.in, download link here As the student travel season begins, navigating the visa application process can be challenging for many. To help students get the information they need, here is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the student visa application process. These FAQs are designed to guide students every step of the way, reducing confusion and making the visa application process smoother and more straightforward. Dusty Amroliwala, COO of Education Services and Migration Services at VFS Global, shares valuable insights to ensure students are well-prepared for their journeys. By answering common questions, students can better plan their international travel, with the visa application as the crucial first step toward a seamless experience. Dusty Amroliwala, COO of Education Services and Migration Services at VFS Global, shares valuable insights to ensure students are well-prepared for their journeys. 1. When is the right time to apply for my student visa? Applying for a visa should be your very first step after you have been accepted onto an academic course abroad where you wish to study. Since the student visa application process can differ from country to country, it is best to apply in advance to avoid any last-minute surprises. Most countries accept visa applications up to 90 days (3 months) before the date of travel. In some cases, you can apply for a student visa up to 6 months before your intended start date. VFS Global's Education Services will guide you through the entire visa application process, covering everything from gathering the right documents to support your application to actually submitting the application. This assistance is provided no matter your country of origin, the passport you possess, or the country where you intend to study. 2. What are the typical turnaround times for student visas? Each country has different processing timelines for student visas, clearly outlined on their websites. During peak seasons, visa processing may take longer than expected, so applying early is advisable to avoid last-minute rush. VFS Global has no role in the processing timelines of a visa application. Decision making on the granting or refusal of visa is at the sole directive of the respective embassies/consulates. 3. What documentation is required for a student visa application, and which specific documents need to be submitted? You will need original copies of important documents, such as your IELTS/TOEFL test scores or your academic results and certificates (depending on the checklist specifications), and of course your current passport which should be valid for the next 6 months. These are the common documents you will need at the time of the visa interview, some of which must be original copies. Note that this is only an indicative list please do refer to the exact checklist of requirements for the country you are planning to study in on the official website of that country. * Passport * Photos * Acceptance letter * Financial documents with proof of funds * Student loan approvals * Academic qualifications * Test scores English language qualifications * Proof of international student health cover 4. How do I track the status of my application? Once your application is submitted, you can opt for our SMS service and receive timely updates on your applications progress. The status will be updated as and when your passport is ready for collection/delivery. Please note however that VFS Global cannot track your application during the assessment process within an embassy or consulate. 5. Can VFS Global offer me advice and guidance on visa categories? The VFS Global Education Services will assist you with wider questions that a student might have concerning the alignment of their visa validity with their academic course timeline and other key aspects such as the number of entries permitted. They can also advise whether, if necessary, other family members can travel with the student, or whether the student might work part-time, and, if so, for how many hours per week? Even after their graduation VFS Global Education Services will advise the student about any application they wish to make for a work permit, and if so, for how long is it might be valid? All such advice is given on a bespoke and personal basis as every country has different requirements for all these issues. 6. Is my passport prepared for my visa application? While having a passport is a given requirement, having a passport with sufficient pages for stamping is key. Some countries demand that your passport have at least two usable blank pages. Please follow the guidelines of the destination country with respect to documentation. 7. Can I expedite the process? Does availing any of the value-added services guarantee a faster visa outcome? Once a visa application has been submitted, VFS Global cannot play any role in expediting the application process. Taking any of VFS Global optional value-added services has no bearing on the processing time of the application itself and or the final decision that may be taken on the application. In some cases (for instance with travel to the UK) it may be possible for a student to seek an expedited visa processing service the details of which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement and which the Education Services Team can discuss with the applicant. 8. Are there health restrictions that one should be aware of? Some countries have health restrictions which form a part of the student visa application. For example, the student may need to undergo medical tests to demonstrate that they do not carry any infectious diseases, or, show that they have been immunised if their home country has had a recent outbreak of diseases such as cholera or yellow fever. Some countries may also require mandatory health insurance before they grant a student visa. As with all of the many variables in the student visa application processes around the world, the VFS Global Education Services team stands ready to assist you in addressing these and other questions. A nationwide withdrawal of services has been announced by doctors of modern medicine starting from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 am Sunday, August 18, per the official statement released by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday. Kolkata rape-murder case: IMA to withdraw services for 24 hours on August 17(PTI) Notably, the strike has been called by IMA amid the ongoing protest in Kolkata over the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College. CBSE elaborates guidelines for children with special needs, details inside In its official statement, IMA stated that routine OPDs and elective surgeries will not take place during those 24 hours; however, other essential services will be maintained. "All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors," the release stated. Also Check: Govt will build such an education system so that youngsters need not go abroad: PM Modi The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) also announced a protest against the incident at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on August 16. "To voice our protest against these acts, we (BMC MARD, IMA, IMA JDN, ASMI) are organising a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, on 16th August 2024 at 1 pm. We urge our fellow medical colleagues, doctors, medical students, resident doctors, senior doctors and other associations to join us in this protest against the injustice," MARD stated in a press release. Meanwhile, people from the Bengali film and television industry have also joined hands with protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Read More: "Have to awaken Nalanda's spirit to give new consciousness to traditions of knowledge of world" PM Modi On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. The incident triggered massive protests. On Wednesday, the protest ground and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalised by a mob, forcing the security personnel to disperse the crowd. Blast from the past The actor took to Instagram to share their vacation pictures from Greece in 2007 and 2024. The nostalgic post captured their transformation over the years, from their early days of romance to their current life. Happy birthday to the love of my life (heart emoji) Parthenon 2007, Parthenon 2024 who would have thought?(rainbow and loving emoji) As they say must keep growing (laughing emoji) which we did and quite well, she wrote as caption to her post. Meanwhile, Saif was also spotted outside his home in Mumbai in a casual avatar. He was photographed wearing blue track pants, paired up with a pink T-shirt. He completed the look with a cap. Their recent vacay Kareena was off on a family vacation with Saif and her sons for the past few months, and returned to Mumbai earlier this month. She was using her social media to post notes and snaps from her blissful summer break in the UK. From cozy family snaps to stunning beach photos from their Greek getaway in June, Kareena posted several memories from her summer escapades on Instagram. About the couple Saif and Kareena began dating in 2007 on the sets of Vijay Krishna Acharya's action entertainer Tashan. They tied the knot in 2012, and gave birth to two sons Taimur Ali Khan and Jehangir Ali Khan aka Jeh in 2016 and 2021 respectively. Kareena often uses her social media to post tidbits from her personal life. On the work front, Saif will be next seen in Devara: Part 1, whereas Kareena will feature in Singham Again, Buckingham Murders, and Meghna Gulzar's next. The tragic incident involving the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a medical college in Kolkata has left the nation in shock and grief. In response to the tragedy, Bollywood actors Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, Kriti Sanon, Genelia D'Souza, and Suhana Khan among others expressed his deep anger and concern on social media. (Also Read Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra, Ayushmann express shock over rape-murder of Kolkata doctor: Women aren't safe anywhere) Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and other actors spoke about the Kolkata rape-murder case Hrithik Roshan On his X account, Hrithik wrote, Yes we need to evolve into a society where we ALL feel equally safe. But that is going to take decades. It's going to hopefully happen with sensitizing and empowering our sons and daughters. The next generations will be better. "We will get there. Eventually. But what in the interim ? Right now justice would be to put a hard stop to such atrocities. And the only way to do that is a punishment so harsh that it scares the living daylights out of such perpetrators. That's what we need. Perhaps ? I stand with the victim's family in seeking justice for their daughter and I stand with all the Doctors that were attacked last night," his post further read. Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra took to her Instagram Stories on late Thursday night and reposted a BBC photo from a protest site. In the picture, a protestor held a sign which read, Who will speak for her if you don't? She shared the post with a sad emoji. Twinkle Khanna Twinkle took to her Instagram handle and shared a picture with the text that stated, Fifty years on this planet, in this country, and I am teaching my daughter the same things I was taught as a child. Don't go alone to the park, to school, to the beach. On her X account, Genelia D'Souza wrote, Monsters need to be hanged!!! Just reading what the survivor went through sent chills up my spine. A woman, a lifesaver who was on duty faced this horror in the seminar hall. My heart goes out to the family and her loved ones - can't even imagine how they are facing this tragedy. In an Instagram post, Kriti Sanon on Thursday wrote, While we celebrate our 78th year of Independence and feel proud on how far we've come as a country globally.. it breaks my heart to see the terrifying reality that women are still not Safe in their own country. There is absolutely no fear in the people who commit these inhumane acts. And even today, its the woman being blamed for being a victim!!! Raising concern over the safety of the women in the country, she asked, Unless there is faster justice, severe punishments and more importantly better upbringing, nothing is gonna change. Are we really FREE when our basic safety is in question?? She captioned the post, Heavy heart and angry soul. Aaj wish karne ka mann nahi kiya (didn't feel like wishing on Independence Day today). On Thursday, Suhana Khan shared a message from friend Navya Naveli Nanda on her Instagram Stories. "Yet another horrific rape has unfolded in front of our eyes. First and most importantly, let us pray for her and her family.Women have always played a very important role in the growth and development of our country. The workplace, the classroom and the home must be an enabling and safe space for us.Men and women need to unite against those mindsets and belief systems that continuously objectify women or think of them as easy prey," read the Instagram post. "The times we are out at night or what we wear are NOT signs for anything other than the fact that we have a right to live our life the way we desire. And for this, we cannot be made to live in continued fear or under threat.While nothing can ever compensate the pain and suffering the doctor went through that day, we need to take concrete steps to ensure this NEVER happens again. Whether it's stricter law enforcement or building safety protocols - steps need to be taken immediately. We deserve better. We will continue to fight for better. Because nothing and no one should ever be able to override the agency and dignity of women," it further read. Details about the incident The post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The family has alleged that the victim was raped and murdered. In a strong display of support, doctors across the nation continue to protest over the murder and alleged sexual assault of the post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor, demanding justice for the victim. The protests were held in the cities of Kolkata, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Mumbai on Wednesday. The protestors were holding placards saying, "Justice needs to be served," "No duty without security" and Justice delayed is justice denied. Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the tragic murder of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor. Nearly three months after the 37-year-old soap opera star was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles, the LAPD has detained multiple suspects linked to the crime. Wactor was gunned down after he and a friend caught three people attempting to steal his cars catalytic converter. LAPD releases chilling images of General Hospital star Johnny Wactors alleged killers (@LAPDPIO/X, Scott Kirkland/ABC via AP) Johnny Wactor's murder development Late Thursday, the LAPD announced that the Central Bureau Homicide had executed search warrants at multiple locations across the region in connection with the ongoing investigation into the death of Johnny Wactor. In a statement to PEOPLE on August 15, the department revealed that several arrests had been made and evidence recovered as part of their probe into the May 25 killing. "Early this morning, the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Bureau Homicide conducted search warrants relating to the John Wactor case at several locations throughout Los Angeles, the statement read. Wactor was tragically shot after confronting armed car thieves attempting to steal the catalytic converter from his vehicle. Known for his roles in supernatural series like Siberia and Criminal Minds, Wactor's death left his mother and two younger siblings in mourning. 4 arrested in connection with Johnny Wactor's murder? The LAPD announced the arrests on August 15, identifying the suspects as Robert Barceleau (18) of Huntington Park, Frank Olano (22) of Inglewood, and Leonel Gutierrez and Sergio Estrada (both 18) of Los Angeles County. Also read: Matthew Perry's assistant purchased drugs from 'Master Chef' then injected 27 deadly doses: Report The arrests were made just over a week after police released photos of the suspects and their vehicle, a black Infiniti Q50 sedan, which was linked to the crime as per AP. No additional details have been provided regarding the arrests or the evidence. The men escaped in a car, and Wactor was rushed to a hospital where he was subsequently declared dead by the police. How did Johnny Wactor die? The County Medical Examiner has determined that Wactor's demise was the result of a gunshot to the chest, classifying the incident as a homicide. Grant Wactor, the brother of the deceased, earlier disclosed that Johnny Wactor, who worked as a bartender, did not confront the thieves. Instead, he was attempting to protect his colleague while walking to his vehicle after his shift at a downtown L.A. bar when the thieves approached. Grant stated that Johnny put his body in front of his colleague and raised his hands when he was shot. Also read: Blake Lively doing all that over this? Fans argue if Justin Baldoni is real villain in It Ends With Us BTS drama Some of his notable shows include Westworld, The OA, NCIS, Station 19, and Hollywood Girl, among others, but his breakthrough role was in General Hospital. Erik Fleming, one of the five arrested in the drug overdose case of late Friends actor Matthew Perry, was once a filmmaker. The Hollywood Reporter claims Erik, who was a middleman in the ketamine scheme that led to Matthew's death, even directed Scarlett Johansson in a 1999 movie. (Also Read: Matthew Perry was 'killed' by his aide and doctors? That moron,' disturbing texts and details emerge after arrest) Matthew Perry died of drug overdose last year Who is Erik Fleming? Erik helmed the 1999 children's fantasy comedy My Brother the Pig, which starred Scarlett and Eva Mendes. In the same year, he directed the road movie, Tyrone, starring Coolio and Kevin Connolly, who later broke out with his recurring role in the show Entourage. Erik was also a producer he backed the inaugural season of the reality show The Surreal Life (2003), which featured Cory Feldman, Gabrielle Carteris, Vince Neil and MC Hammer. Later, he started an unsuccessful production company Rich Hippie with Sydney Holland. Update in Matthew Perry case Five people, including his personal assistant and two doctors, have been charged in connection with Matthew's death in what prosecutors called a broad underground criminal network dedicated to getting the Friends star the powerful surgical anaesthetic that killed him. The doctors preyed on Matthew's history of addiction in the final months of his life last year to provide him with ketamine in amounts they knew were dangerous, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said as he announced the charges Thursday. They knew what they were doing was wrong, Estrada said. "They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry. But they did it anyway. Matthew died in October last year due to a ketamine overdose and prosecutors said he received several injections on the day he died from his live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who found Perry dead later that day and was the first to talk to investigators. Perry had been receiving regular ketamine infusion treatments for depression in amounts not nearly enough to account for his death from his regular doctors, who were not among those charged, authorities said. When those doctors refused to give him more, he went in desperation to others. U.S. double standards on anti-doping 14:54, August 16, 2024 By Chen Zi ( People's Daily Online Cartoon by Ma Hongliang Recently, some U.S. media outlets and politicians have been continuously hyping up the so-called doping issues, smearing Chinese swimmers and extending political manipulation into the arena of sports. Their accusations against Chinese athletes are totally baseless. According to World Aquatics, Chinese Olympic swimmers were the most tested athletes in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics with an average of 21 anti-doping tests each. In just 10 days after the Chinese swimming team arrived in France, Chinese swimmers had undergone nearly 200 tests administered by the International Testing Agency, with no issues detected. While the United States exercises its long-arm jurisdiction and uses doping accusations to attack athletes from other countries, it applies glaring double standards to its own athletes. According to a Reuters report, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has allowed American athletes who had used performance-enhancing drugs to avoid punishment and act as informants. This one rule for us, another for everyone else approach has laid bare the United States blatant double standards. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liang Jun) The late Friends star Matthew Perry apparently froze up after a doctor administered a large dose of ketamine two weeks before he died of an overdose in his Los Angeles home. (FILES) Actor Matthew Perry arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of 17 Again at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California, April 14, 2009. (AFP) Five individuals were charged on Thursday in connection with the beloved actor's death in October 2023. The list of multiple arrests included two doctors - Salvador Plascencia and Mark Chavez. Additionally, Perry's longtime assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, alleged street dealer Erik Fleming and the so-called Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles Jasveen Sangha were also accused of deceitfully extracting thousands of dollars from the 54-year-old actor for the vials containing the drug that reportedly only cost $12. Defendant Plascencia's role in Matthew Perry's death The New York Post reported that 16 days before Perry was found dead in his jacuzzi, Plascencia noticed the actor was seemingly experiencing an unfortunate episode in which he appeared to freeze up and his blood pressure shot up after he was injected with the large ketamine dose. The 42-year-old crooked doctor, who had a license to prescribe and administer the drug, was supposedly also aware of Perry's substance abuse, especially since the actor had been avidly vocal about his addiction. Despite the knowledge, Plascencia took the chance to cash in on his problems, as documented in his texts with Perry's live-in assistant. I wonder how much this moron will pay for the powerful tranquiliser, Plascencia said in a message, according to an indictment. Also read | Blake Lively source blames rude statement for 2016 nightmare interview backlash amid It Ends With Us drama How Matthew Perry's assistant worked as a co-conspirator days before the actor's death In the final days of his life, Iwamasa, who'd been living with Perry since 1994 and had no medical training, injected the actor with at least 27 shots of ketamine, following Plascencia's instructions. Prosecutors alleged that these also included the three that contributed to his death and serious bodily injury. On the day he died, Iwamasa gave him his first ketamine shot at around 8:30 am. Four hours later, as Perry was watching a movie at his LA home, the assistant administered another dose. However, Perry soon called out for another shot. Iwamasa stated in a plea agreement he signed that his boss called him up merely 40 minutes after that for another dose, asking him to Shoot me up with a big one. Perry also asked Iwamasa to prepare his hot tub. Giving him a third injection filled with ketamine, Iwamasa exited the premises to run some errands, as per court papers. Upon his arrival at the house, the assistant found Perry face down in the water. He was already dead. Perry's history of substance abuse was taken advantage of Perry had been reportedly undergoing ketamine therapy for anxiety and depression at the time of his death. However, his physicians at a local clinic did not increase his dosage, making Perry eager to get his hands on the drug through illegal sources. As this had initially pointed towards suspicion and foul play in the case, the latest development in the investigation revealed that the 17 Again star had approached Plascencia to obtain the drugs. Ultimately, Plascencia turned to Mark Chavez for the ketamine, Anne Milgram, administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said on Thursday. Also read | Johnny Wactor's murder: 4 gang members arrested in General Hospital star's shooting From September 2023 onwards, the doctor was allegedly responsible for supplying Perry with about 20 vials of the drug. In exchange, they bilked Perry of $55,000 in cash, charging $2,000 for a $12 vial, despite knowing the actor's addiction was only growing. Court documents also state defendant Sangha directed co-conspirator Fleming to delete evidence after learning about Perry's death. Believed to have supplied the final dose of ketamine to the actor, Sangha reportedly called Fleming using the Signal application and discussed distancing themselves from selling ketamine to the Friends star, among other things, deleting digital evidence on their cell phones. Defendants charged with the following counts Plascencia and Sangha have been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Meanwhile, the former is also charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to a federal investigation. Sangha is additionally charged with one count of maintaining drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. On the other hand, Fleming, Iwamasa and Chavez confessed to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and conspiracy to distribute ketamine, resulting in death. Recent arrests and the discovery of disturbing evidence suggest that Matthew Perry's demise may have been a tragic outcome orchestrated by those closest to him. Shocking details are emerging about the role of Perry's longtime assistant and the medical professionals involved in his care, who allegedly took advantage of the FRIENDS stars struggle with substance abuse. They are accused of selling him ketamine for thousands of dollars, which ultimately led to his death. (FILES) Actor Matthew Perry arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of 17 Again at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California, April 14, 2009. 'Friends' actor Matthew Perry dies aged 54 (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)(AFP) Matthew Perrys assistant and doctors involved in his death: Report The recent developments surrounding the death of beloved actor Matthew Perry are far more sinister than initially believed. What was once classified as an accidental drowning is now transitioning into a complex case potentially involving homicide. Five defendants, including two doctors and Perry's domestic aide who worked for him for almost two decades, have been formally charged in connection with the actor's death. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada revealed that the medical professionals provided Perry with a substantial amount of ketamine, a drug typically used as an anaesthetic. Additionally, it was uncovered that the doctors discussed how much the former Friends star might be willing to pay in a series of text messages, using derogatory language to refer to him. Also read: Matthew Perry's assistant purchased drugs from 'Master Chef' then injected 27 deadly doses: Report These defendants took advantage of Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong, Mr Estrada remarked. The disturbing text exchange between the doctors Perry developed an addiction to ketamine while seeking treatment. When his regular medical professionals refused to help, he was introduced to the two charged doctors. Jasveen Sangha, 41, the drug dealer also known as "The Ketamine Queen," and licensed doctors Dr. Salvador Plascencia, 42, and Dr. Mark Chavez are said to have orchestrated the plan together with another street dealer. Out of desperation, Perry turned to them, who clearly saw an opportunity to exploit the situation. In a text exchange between them, one doctor reportedly said, I wonder how much this moron will pay. Perry, driven by desperation, paid $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that cost the physicians about $12. Perrys live-in assistant pleads guilty Kenneth Iwamasa found the FRIENDS star's face flipped over in his hot tub on October 28 and called paramedics, who pronounced him dead. In recent developments, Iwamasa has reportedly pleaded guilty to obtaining ketamine from another accused individual, Eric Fleming. Fleming had initially received the drugs from Sangha. It is reported that Iwamasa received a delivery of nearly 50 vials of ketamine for Perry to use, with 25 of them being handed over four days before the actor died. Also read: Johnny Wactor's murder: 4 gang members arrested in General Hospital star's shooting Fleming admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry. He further admitted to obtaining the ketamine from his source, according to the US attorney's office. Developments so far Dr. Salvador Plasencia is accused of giving ketamine to Perry and his personal helper, Kenneth Iwamasa, without a real medical reason and a valid prescription at least seven times. Ketamine from Sangha led to Perry's death, according to the authorities. Two people involved, Iwamasa included, have already admitted to the charges, and another person has decided to plead guilty. Sangha and Plasencia might have their first court showings later this Thursday, both of them have pleaded not guilty. The helper confessed to often giving Perry ketamine shots without any medical training, even giving him several shots on the day he passed away, October 28, 2023. We allege each of the defendants played a key role in his death by falsely prescribing, selling, or injecting the ketamine that caused Matthew Perrys tragic death, said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. Matthew Perry's assistant allegedly played a central role in the actor's fatal overdose, according to federal authorities. Kenneth Iwamassa is accused of purchasing illicit drugs, including from a person described as a "master chef," before injecting a deadly dose into the "Friends" star which ultimately led to his shocking demise. FILE PHOTO: Cast member Matthew Perry attends the premiere of the film "17 Again" in Los Angeles April 14, 2009. REUTERS/Phil McCarten/File Photo(REUTERS) Perrys long-time assistant administered the fatal dose of Ketamine The Hollywood star was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his rented home last October. Initially believed to be a drowning accident, authorities later determined that Perry had been fatally injected with ketamine. Now, Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry's longtime assistant, has confessed to a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute ketamine leading to the actor's death. The live-in assistant to Matthew Perry for nearly three decades allegedly injected the fatal dose that killed Perry. US Attorney Martin Estrada, as per Page Six, revealed that Perry had suffered a relapse in his battle with substance abuse and that a group of five individuals, including Iwamasa, took advantage of the situation for their own gain. Also read: Matthew Perry death: Several, including at least 1 doctor, arrested in connection with ketamine overdose Iwamasa might have to spend up to 15 years behind bars, as the Department of Justice said on Thursday. The claims also revealed the ill motives of Dr. Salvador Plasencia who worked together with Iwamasa, who's been living with Perry in his LA house since 1994, to give the actor about 20 vials of ketamine during a two-month time frame. Several arrested in Matthew Perrys death plot Five people have been charged so far in connection with the actor's fatal overdose. The group, allegedly led by a woman dubbed "The Ketamine Queen" (Jasveen Sangha, 41) and a doctor (Dr. Salvador Plascencia, 42), is accused of exploiting Perry's addiction. The assistant admitted to administering the fatal dose. Also read: Kate Middleton made phone call to Meghan at Kings request to 'clear the air' after Royal racism claims Meanwhile, another licensed doctor (Dr. Mark Chavez), who acknowledged selling the drug to Plascencia, and Eric Fleming (54), who admitted to distributing the drug that killed Perry, are also in detention. All five face charges related to drug distribution and conspiracy. Prosecutors allege they profited from Perry's struggles with substance abuse. Matthew Perry took 27 shots of Ketamine before passing away In a press release on Thursday, the Department of Justice stated that Iwamasa "admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training," including injecting "multiple injections" on the day of his death as per POST. According to the updated criminal complaint filed today, Iwamasa, who's 59, worked together with Sangha, Fleming, and Plasencia to break the law by getting ketamine and then sharing it with Perry. His assistant, Kenneth Iwamassa, allegedly administered 27 ketamine injections in the final five days of the actor's life. The fatal dose came from a mysterious supplier referred to as a "master chef" by those involved. Iwamasa discovered Perry in a hot tub, barely keeping his eyes open, with a dangerous amount of ketamine in his body. The helper came clean about giving him the drug, and some others, including a so-called "ketamine queen," are being charged in this case. The Union movie review: Julian Farino's new spy thriller gives a lot of Citadel. Like the Russo Brothers' Prime Video espionage show, there are two spies who have a rich, romantic past. Like that series, they're on a mission to protect highly confidential data with details about spies across the globe. But the similarities end here. At its heart, the Halle Berry, Mark Wahlberg-starrer is a rare spy thriller about the American dream. The Union movie review: Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg in a spy thriller (Also Read Emily in Paris season 4 part 1 review: Not everything is perfect, but all of it is beautiful) The working class spy Mark Wahlberg plays Mike, a construction worker who proudly represents the humble American dream, building the nation one brick, one pipe at a time. One day, he's visited and then abducted by his high-school sweetheart Roxanne (Halle Berry), who transports him from New Jersey to London. She reveals herself to be a spy, who works with the CIA. Well, not directly with the CIA. She is recruited by the Union, an agency outsourced by the CIA which gets the actual work done. It hires workers who act upon the intel provided by the parent agency and get their hands dirty in the field. Tom (JK Simmons), the Union chief, prides his task force for working as the blue collared over merely being the blue-blooded. But out of all the blue collared workers out there, why is Mike the one who's been recruited for this job? Well, for one, because of his clean record. And secondly, because Roxanne is aware that he believes he's made for much more. That he may be pulling off the average Joe front rather boastfully, but when the night falls, he's also the one who sleeps with their high-school English teacher in order to make himself count. The latent wish to do something bigger, more meaningful is also embedded in the American dream. Not just his story But Mike doesn't have a dramatic transformation arc, where he rises to the occasion and becomes the agency's top spy. He doesn't do the heavy-lifting here, which makes refreshing, logical sense. However, that also makes Mike a dull boy. Mark Wahlberg appears too steely to react to his absurd predicament he was eating Subway on top of an under-construction building one day, and the next day, he's a spy in London, hired by his ex-girlfriend no less! Mark goes about this bizarreness with a strange clinical detachment in a situation that could've been quite comical. He does make up for it during his training montage. Director Julian Farino doesn't treat the sequence with the intensity of an espionage thriller, but with the beats of a funny TikTok video. It's oddly hilarious to watch a tough guy like Mark Wahlberg get beaten around and slapped across the face twice by a woman. To his credit, Mark continues to be that sloppy, clumsy spy right till the end and doesn't miraculously save the day. One can't say the same for his co-star though. Halle Berry is top-notch as the ace action spy, she moves like a slick panther, and her stance is bang on. Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry in The Union Old wine, new bottle It's also heartening to witness her arc. Her identity as a Black woman is central to her growth in a myriad ways to not have a boyfriend stand up to his racist father, to disappear like all spies do in order to escape her trauma, and by taking the lead, to prove that the American dream is not just a white man's property the Black population contributes to nation-building as much, or even more, if given equal opportunities. At the same time, she also reaches a point where she has to choose what she primarily is an American or a Black American. It's a surprise JK Simmons wasn't cast as the stereotypical spy top boss yet. Needless to say, he fits right in, but also represents everything that's wrong with the film and the saturated espionage genre at large. A James Bond's M-like figure barking orders on walkie talkie, spies hiding in plain sight while shooting in broad daylight, exhilarating but repetitive chase sequences particularly set against exotic locales like Croatia, and more which can't be dwelled upon without spoilers. Given it's yet another old wine in a new bottle, a couple of self-deprecating jokes come as a breath of fresh air. For instance, a spy referring to going rogue as freelancing. But these are few and far between. This genre now desperately demands excessive shaking or stirring. The Union will premiere on Netflix on August 16. The 70th National Awards were announced today for films released in 2022 and Oscar-winner AR Rahmans name featured in the prestigious list. He won the National Film Award for Best Music Director (Background Score) for his work in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan - Part 1, which had become a blockbuster in 2022. (70th National Film Awards live updates) AR Rahman has won numerous awards, including Oscars, in his career. This award gives AR Rahman a record seven National Awards, the most any music director has won in India. Isaignani Ilaiyraaja comes a close second having won five National Awards for music, the last being in 2015 for the Tamil film Tharai Thappattai. Hindi music director Vishal Baradwaj stands third in this list with four and Jaidev with three. AR Rahman made his official entry into Tamil films as music director with Mani Ratnams Roja in 1992 and there in began his spectacular journey. He won his first National Award for best Music for Roja followed by Minsara Kanavu in 1996. He had already started scoring music in numerous languages by the year 2000 and it was not surprising when he bagged the National Award for the Hindi film Lagaan in 2001. He immediately followed it up with another win for Mani Ratnams Kannathil Muthamittal in 2002. Post 2002, Rahman won numerous awards around the world including Golden Globes, Critics Choice Movie Awards and the Oscars for his work in world cinema on films like Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours. He made a name for himself internationally while he continued to work in Indian cinema but it was only after 15 years that he made a mark once again at the National Awards with a win for both Mani Ratnams Kaatru Veliyidai and the Hindi film Mom starring Sridevi. And with the National Award for Ponniyin Selvan 1, Rahman has cemented his place in Indian history and in the history of cinema as the music director with the most wins. The Mani Ratnam Factor One of the most significant aspects about Rahmans music when he came into Tamil cinema was his uncanny ability to reinvent Tamil music. He worked out of a small studio when he started and the new sounds he created fascinated ace director Mani Ratnam who signed him on for Roja in 1992. Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman, who is called the Mozart of Madras, are considered one of the most successful and greatest director-composer duo of our time. Mani Ratnam had told Deadline in an interview, And he (Rahman) played something hed recorded for a jingle, and the sound was just unbelievable. It was something that Id never heard before in such a small studio. But it wasnt the conventional tools or the conventional form that he was using, so we worked with him for a few months to see if he could fit the storyto see if he could do what we required in terms of six songs and the background score. According to the Ponniyin Selvan director, every film with Rahman was a special journey and he brought newness to each project, new sound and new music. This was the start of a deep bond between Mani Ratnam and Rahman which continues to this day and evolves with every film. In fact, looking at the list of National Awards Rahman has won, one can see that four of them were for Mani Ratnam films. In turn, the Lagaan music director considers Ratnam as a brother and mentor who has been with him over the last 32 years. The USP of ARRs music When Rahman came out with the Roja album, it was like a breath of fresh air that took everyone - from the young and old alike - by surprise. The new compositions, melodies and use of new sounds was something totally unexpected, that the Tamil film audience couldnt get enough of it. His beautiful, soulful combination of Indian and Western sounds and elements was a turning point in Tamil film music (and possibly in Indian music) and it became his signature for decades to come. The Slumdog Millionaire music director played around with sounds combining Broadway-style orchestrations, jazz, pop, Sufi and reggae and other world music with Indian sounds to compose unique songs for Indian films. From Madras, Rahman has performed around the world and worked with some of the best in Hollywood and international cinema and beyond. The Oscar-winner summed up his philosophy in life and music when he gave this advice to aspiring musicians. Rahman stated, Dont let other people put you down, just believe in yourself, pursue your passion and one day you will surprise the world. Also, while it is fine to get inspired by someone, find what is charming in your personality, develop it. Then everybody will come to you because no one else can be you. And truly, there's no one who can replace AR Rahman and his music. Indian K-Pop star Sriya Lenka and her girl band Blackswan say they are waiting to be part of Bollywood. I am ready and waiting to be part of a Hindi film, Lenka tells us as her Senegalese bandmate Fatou expresses desire to dance and perform action in a Bollywood film. Lenkas Brazilian bandmate Gabi says, If they need foreigners to be part of the ensemble Nvee [from the United States] and I are ready. Their Bollywood pitch comes at a time when many K-Pop stars in South Korea are increasingly transitioning into film roles. Sriya Lenka Blackswan - the first non Korean-K-pop girl group, made headlines with its maiden album That Karma in 2023. The quartet - Sriya Lenka, Fatou, Gabi and Nvee are now back with their second EP: Roll Up in collaboration with BTS Butter producer Rob Garimaldi and Kany who is known to be Beyonces choreographer. The foursome describes Roll Up as the ultimate girl crush anthem. Asked what has changed between their first EP and the second, Nvee says, From That Karma to Roll Up we have levelled up in terms of dance, vocals and confidence. We are more in sync with each other since we had to work on that aspect, the 25-year-old admits. Also Read: Sriya Lenka, India's first K-pop star, calls Blackswan entry 'dream come true'; fans say 'congratulations didi' Blackswan sings mainly in Korean with a mix of English. The band members say they bring their own unique cultural sensibilities into their compositions. With no Koreans in the K-Pop band, the girls have been asked if their music can even be categorised as K-Pop. To such questions, Lenka says, The language of music is universal. We dont need to be from the country of origin to be K-Pop artists. We all come from different nationalities but we are not only representing our heritage but Korean as well. We sing in Korean, we promote Korean music and we also represent the musical cultures of Korea and our own. We appreciate the genre and the contribution of all those artists who have made it what it is today. In an industry that until recently was made up of only Korean artists, Blackswan may have well spawned a trend. A five-member British boy band is soon set to make its K-Pop debut. What is behind this global love for K-Pop? Fatou says, The unique aspect of K-Pop is that it creates a sense of belonging among performers and listeners. There is a fun factor that you cannot find anywhere else. Then there is eye-catching choreography and melodies. She adds: The whole process of training, living together as a group, sharing our joys and sorrows as we create a project. When we present the same all those memories of what each of us goes through binds us together, that is the X-factor. The competition within the K-Pop ecosystem, however, is difficult to navigate. New rookie groups launch faster than one can sing a note and as many bow out of the race. What does Blackswan do to re-invent and stay ahead of the curve? The girls say: Our competition is with our own selves. The idea is to be better than our last song. We dont like to compare ourselves with other groups. TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains multiple mentions of domestic violence. Blake Lively in still from It Ends With Us(Photo: X) "Grab your friends, wear your florals, head out to see it!" nothing more, nothing less, this is exactly how Blake Lively has been marketing her latest release, It Ends With Us, across the extensive bouts of media interactions she has been leading. Over the past few weeks, Blake has made headlines multiple times, owing to, well, florals. She plays a florist by the name of Lily Bloom in the Justin Baldoni directorial and has thoroughly committed to decking herself out in florals every time she steps out, a sartorial strategy which has kept conversation around the film going strong. The release of It Ends With Us however, has left audiences and fans of the actor dumbfounded in what now feels like a deliberate attempt to blindside them about what the movie is actually about. It Ends with Us is not a film about flowers and girl power It's about domestic violence. And what is appalling is that in today's day and age absolutely no attempt was made to sensitise the audience about what they were heading in for. The film is an official adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel of the same name so those acquainted with the read already knew what they were going in for. In defense of the film's team as well as director Justin, who incidentally also stars alongside Blake here, the trailer was not all pretty and posh and definitely hinted at DV as a theme. The pressing problem here is that DV is not just a subplot, its the entire premise. The even bigger problem? Blake's continued refusal to acknowledge it. The internet is deeply unhappy with Blake Blake established her on-screen legacy with her long-standing portrayal of Serena van der Woodsen on the cult series Gossip Girl (2007-2012) seamlessly making her transition to the movies around the same time. Over the years, Blake has emerged as an absolute fan favourite owing to her candid persona, warm demeanour and seemingly picture-perfect relationship with husband and fellow actor Ryan Reynolds. This near-flawless public image however, now stands seriously threatened. Blake's interviews have covered all bases both related and unrelated to the film ranging from zodiac signs, to wearing her own clothes in some scenes, to being such a girl's girl and dressing up her co-star for a red carpet event. While all of this can be put down to a glaring lack of emotional intelligence, Blake is now being accused of intentionally side-stepping questions about the DV theme in the film. Exhibit A when pointedly asked what she would say to fans who would like to reach out to her in relation to the "sensitive themes" in the film, Blake cracks a misplaced joke about how she should simply just share her address and location, immediately jumping into a filler about her being a Virgo. What has also left fans miffed are the incessant plug-ins for her own newly launched hair care brand, often singularly discussed at the cost of mentioning the elephant in the room which Blake for some unknown reason, just won't talk about. The internet never disappoints when it comes to meme-coding controversies and Blake, for better or for worse, has a whole trend dedicated to her these days. Several creators have been sharing reels, posing as Blake, with quippy one-liners describing down-right tear-jerkers or emotionally sensitive films with the most tone-deaf, misleading versions of their plots. Exaggerated caricatures of Blake from the creator community, too have been flooding social media platforms. What has Ryan Reynolds got to do with all of this? Wherever there's Blake, you can bet Ryan Reynolds is just around the corner and vice versa. Now while this has been the couple's USP over the years, this time around it seems to be their biggest undoing considering the controversy at hand. A the New York premiere of the film earlier this month, Blake blushed as she shared how Ryan had a big role to play in how the film shaped up, also having reportedly "written" the keynote rooftop scene. While Blake was anticipating spinning an 'aww' moment for her hubby and she, it has actually backfired. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at the New York premiere of It Ends With Us(Photo: X) The film's actual screenwriter, Christy Hall, had no idea about Ryan having contributed to the script. Whatever bits she could not identify in the final cut as her own words, was put off by her as potential on-the-scene improvisation. "So I recognize the scene and I'm proud of the scene. And if those flourishes came from Ryan, I think that's wonderful", said Christy in a byte to The Hollywood Reporter, while asserting the core writing was still very much hers. A still from the rooftop scene featuring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends With Us(Photo: IMDb) The bigger issue at hand here however, is Ryan potentially having 'crossed the picket line'. The Hollywood twin strikes, one half of which was the Writers Strike lasted between May and September of 2023. It Ends With Us began filming around this time. As per the rules, filming during such a situation can only commence if the script is locked. If Ryan actually went back in to rewrite the rooftop scene, it essentially means he went against the WAG and what they were standing for at the time. There's something fishy about the Blake vs Justin drama There has been a stark difference in how Blake and Justin have gone about promoting their film. While Blake has been all about having a girl's night out with your besties, Justin's interviews and responses have been more measured, gaited and geared towards actual advocacy and ally-ship. That being said, in the earlier stretch of promotions, the tension between Justin and Blake was evident. Reports have also shared how Blake has allegedly recounted being fat-shamed by him alongside being made to feel uncomfortable when he lingered on longer than he should have for an on-screen intimate scene. Not just this, Justin also appears to be at odds with the rest of the film's cast, having walked the red carpet for the NY premiere with just his wife. Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively in a scene from It Ends With Us(Photo: IMDb) The internet remains divided over Justin. Amid the drama which has clearly superseded the actual film, the actor-director has now hired veteran PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan, who has names like Johnny Depp on her clientele list. Blake is yet to address or acknowledge the unraveling fiasco. We never plan a studio album, says vocalist and rhythm guitarist Vasu Dixit of the folk-fusion band Swarathma, who will perform in Lucknow today at Farida Memorial Auditorium LMGC, as part of their concert tour Roshan. Swarathma Best-known for their albums Swarathma (2009), Topiwalleh (2012) and the last one, Raah-e-Fakira, which was released six years ago, the band is more about taking the stage than getting in a studio. As a band, we are more inclined towards performing live, we take time to write songs. For us, it's not like we sit in a studio for two months, write songs and cut an album. Songs can happen any time, anywhere and anyhow. Its when we see if we have some 10-15 new songs and we zero in on the best of them. Before we start jamming, we confirm whether we are ready to take them to the next level, adds Dixit. Talking about the album culture being hit hard, bass guitarist Jishnu Dasgupta says, Its fading because the listening pattern has evolved, and a lot is being left to be decoded. Earlier, it was an album on a CD but today singles that end in two-three minutes are most sought for. He adds, In our 17 years as a band, we have and still want to stick to what we do best and that is our kind of music. We would never want to change that. We tried to experiment with a few new things, like other musicians, but realised its not our game. We are not in any race, nor are we desperate to put our content on mediums that are selling. Its our kind of music that has brought us here and it will take us further. India's rich cultural heritage is represented in its arts and crafts. Artefacts depicting these have been received as gifts by various Indian Presidents, over the years. At present, 250 objects that are displayed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum are part of the ongoing first-ever auction on E-Upahaar portal. Though there are still 10 days left for the bidding to close, but the officials are noticing an unprecedented enthusiasm related to the displays, which includes tribal jewellery, furniture, idols, and sculptures. There are 250 artefacts that are currently displayed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum, which have been selected for first-ever auction of Presidential gifts. From the glory of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, crafted intricately in a shell painting, to a time table clock that has four dials for four different global cities there is a huge variety of things that are going under the hammer. The base price of all these articles ranges from 2,700 to 4,02,500. But, their highest quoted price is already mounting hopes, for the proceeds are to be donated to help the children as per a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Rashtrapati Bhavan has launched its first-ever e-auction of Presidential gifts, featuring 250 carefully selected mementos. This initiative, aligned with the Hon'ble President's vision of connecting with people, has already seen bids placed on 95% of the items. The proceeds from the auction will be directed towards a charitable cause benefiting children. With most items set at a nominal base price, this auction offers an opportunity for everyone to own a piece of history, says Kumar Samresh, PRO (Visitors Facilitation Cell), Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum, Rashtrapati Nilayam & Rashtrapati Niwas, President's Secretariat. While it might have been common for the art collectors to witness the auction of exclusive gifts to PM Narendra Modi, in the past, here's why the President's gift collection is no less alluring for those who wish to own a piece of history while contributing to the country's social upliftment. Read on to get a peek into the historical and cultural significance of some of the objects in the auction (on the E-Upahaar portal; from August 5 to 26, 2024) catalogue along with their highest quoted price (HQP) so far: Thangka Painting (HQP 1,02,500) Thangkas exemplify sacred art and convey profound reverence. Lord Buddha seated on a vibrant lotus throne is highlighted in this dual cloth painting. Received by President Droupadi Murmu at Vividhta Ka Amrit Mahotsav, it's framed within a traditional green, blue and peach coloured silk brocade border. Thangkas exemplify sacred art and convey profound reverence. Wooden Memento of An Owl (HQP 9,200) Owl, a universal symbol of wisdom and knowledge, was presented as a gift to the former President Ram Nath Kovind, by Lt Gen MS Kahlon, Commandant of the DSSC during his visit to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington. The sculpture captures the regal presence of this bird, perched atop a stack of books with a quill by its side, embodying the essence of learning and scholarly pursuits. Shell Craft Painting of Subhash Chandra Bose (HQP 4,02,500) This shell craft painting of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, weighing more than 14 kg, has the highest starting price of 4.02 lakh. Encased in an elegant frame with intricate detailing, this memento received by President Droupadi Murmu features a meticulously crafted depiction of freedom fighter, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. At the top of the frame, the memento marks the 75th anniversary of the historic act of hoisting the Indian Tricolor by Netaji for the first time in Port Blair on December 30, 1943. Jalianwala Bagh Memento (HQP 3,000) Encased in a clear acrylic box, this memento of Jallianwala Bagh, received as a gift by President Droupadi Murmu, has an eye shaped structure at its heart. Crafted with geometric patterns and lines, it's surrounded by four smaller buildings, standing tall as a testament to the historical significance of the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial, established in 1951, to honour the indomitable spirit of Indian revolutionaries and the innocent lives lost in the tragic massacre of 1919 during the struggle for Independence. The Kamadhenu Idol With Calf (HQP 8,800) Presented to the President by the National Dairy Development Institute, Karnal, this stunning golden coloured sculpture of the sacred cow, Kamadhenu reflects India's rich cultural heritage. Embodying the spiritual and religious significance of cows, the idol is depicted with a rich array of details on its body, and embellished with depictions of various deities. The calf is considered as a symbol of prosperity and good fortune. Wooden Model of Kamakhya Temple ( 3,800) Received from the Governor of Assam, this memento captures the sacred essence and architectural grandeur of one most revered Shakti Peethas of India. It intricately details the temple's domes and sanctum, reflecting the ancient architectural style, which is carved with precision to highlight the spiritual and historical significance of this pilgrimage site dedicated to the goddess Kamakhya. Time Table Clock (HQP 40,100) This clock gifted to former President Kalam has four dials, each for a different global city namely Paris, New York, Tokyo and New Delhi. Presented to the former President late APJ Abdul Kalam, this timetable clock shows both precision and elegance. It has four dials, each for a different global city namely Paris, New York, Tokyo, and New Delhi. The clock, in a wooden frame with a golden hue, was gifted on December 9, 2006 by late Sudarshan Agarwal, the then Governor of Uttaranchal. Sikki Grass Basket (HQP 3,500) The art of crafting with Sikki grass is a unique tradition in Bihar. Hence, the locally sourced natural material is expertly transformed into both decorative and utilitarian items, which showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state. This colourful basket is among the same, and was received as a gift by President Droupadi Murmu, at Raj Bhavan in Patna. Lippan Art (HQP 3,000) This memento representing the Lippan art, from Kutch region of Gujarat, was gifted to President Murmu by the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA). Received as a memento from the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), by President Murmu, this plate encased in a red velvet box stands out due to its bright colours. Lippan Art comes from the Kutch region of Gujarat, and is known for its mirror work and clay reliefs. Its patterns make it a visually appealing piece! Musical Instrument of Himachal Pradesh (HQP 8,700) Presented to President Murmu, at the training center of the National Academy of Audit and Accounts in Himachal Pradesh, this memento with exquisite craftsmanship stands out due to its unique design and elegance. The frame features two intricately designed copper Ransingas in an elegant S shape, adorned with detailed patterns and golden coverings. Symbolising the rich cultural tapestry of the region, where these traditional instruments are used in ceremonial music to herald important events. Musical Instrument Sarinda (HQP 7,600) The Sarinda, played with a bow, is a famous musical instrument from the eastern part of India. It has its roots in the tribal fiddle instrument of Dhodro Banam, which is deeply embedded in the culture and religious practices of the Santhals in West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. Presented to President Murmu, this bowed instrument is carved from a single block of wood, featuring three main playing strings. Its integrated wooden body, complete with a peg box, short fingerboard, and a pear shaped resonator partially covered with skin, showcases remarkable craftsmanship. The top is adorned with a wooden carved bird, while its flat frontal face enhances its unique appearance. For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction Dehradun: The state disaster response force (SDRF) has recovered three bodies from the Kedarnath trek route, which saw destruction after heavy rainfall on July 31, while over 20 people continue to remain missing, officials said on Friday. SDRF recovered at least bodies trapped under debris following landslides in Kedarnath last month (HT Photo) Meanwhile, the Rudraprayag district administration restored the pedestrian movement on the trek route after repair work, which saw damages at 29 locations, officials said. Around 260 labourers were engaged in the repair work, which began on August 7, a day after chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the officials concerned to promptly repair the national highway and pedestrian route. Some pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana successfully reached Kedarnath Dham using the trek route, according to officials. According to the Rudraprayag police, they have so far recovered seven bodies from the route, while over 20 are still missing. SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra said, On Thursday, some labourers engaged in the repair work informed us that they saw bodies under the debris near Lincholi. Upon receiving the information, our team led by sub-inspector Prem Singh rushed to the spot and carried out a search operation. We found three bodies. Rudraprayag district disaster management officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said, Since April 1, SDRF, district disaster response force (DDRF), and police teams have been carrying out search operations on the entire pedestrian route. On Wednesday, three bodies were recovered near Chhoti Lincholi. The two bodies were identified as Krishna Patel and Sumit Shukla, both residents of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, while the identification of the third is being ascertained, said officials. The bodies were taken out of the debris after 7 hours of struggle and shifted to the Bhimbali helipad to airlift them. However, the helicopter operation couldnt be carried out due to bad weather, Rajwar said. Head constable Rajesh of the Sonprayag police station said, As of yesterday, 22 people were reported missing. With the recovery of three bodies on Thursday, we are yet to confirm if they are among the 22 missing people. Until this verification is complete, we cannot adjust the number of missing individuals. Therefore, the count remains at 22. The death toll has now risen to 7, said police. A press release by the government said, The Kedarnath trek route was damaged at various locations due to heavy rainfall on July 31. As the priority, the pilgrims stranded on the trek route were evacuated safely in the rescue operation conducted under the supervision of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the leadership of district magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar. Apart from this, there was a challenge to repair the trek route at a fast pace to restore the Kedarnath yatra. In the entire 19 km trek route, damages were reported at 29 locations. With swift work from the district administration, except in one or two locations, the trek route has been repaired. In these locations, we have deployed the security personnel to help pilgrims move forward. So far, 10.93 lakh devotees have visited the Kedarnath temple this year. These days, around 150 to 200 pilgrims are reaching the Kedarnath Dham on a daily basis, the release said. On August 6, CM Dhami visited the affected areas in Rudraprayag district and conducted an aerial survey. He also held meetings with the officials and affected people. The CM reviewed the relief and rescue operations and reconstruction works in the areas affected by heavy rains. The government had then said that nearly 12,500 pilgrims have been rescued from the Kedarnath trek route in Rudraprayag district since May 31. Senior officials of the Uttarakhand government on August 12 said efforts will be made to restart the Kedarnath Yatra within two weeks. At a height of nearly 3,500 meters above sea level, the Kedarnath temple is located near the river Mandakini in the Rudraprayag district. The shrine was the worst affected area during the 2013 flash floods, with Kedarnath town suffering extensive damage. A 42-year-old female government school teacher was brutally murdered by unknown people in Mulabagilu town, Kolar district, a police officer said on Thursday. A 42-year-old female government school teacher was brutally murdered by unknown people in Mulabagilu town, Kolar distric (File photo) Kolar SP B Nikhil said the incident took place on Wednesday night when the victim, identified as Divya Shree, was at her home along with her daughter, who was in her room on the first floor at the time of the attack. Her husband, who runs a business in Mulabagilu, was away at the time. Divya was employed at the Mudiyanuru Government Lower Primary School in Mulabagilu taluk. The officer said: Preliminary investigations suggest the attack took place between 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm. We suspect two-three armed people barged into the house and attacked her, leaving no time for her to raise an alarm. She died on the spot. We are ruling out robbery as a motive and believe the crime may have been driven by personal rivalry or a grudge. We have deployed sniffer dogs and a forensic team to gather more evidence. He further said that upon hearing the noise, the victims 19-year-old daughter rushed in to check her mother and was confronted by the attackers. She narrowly escaped by retreating to her room and locking the door. SP Nikhil noted that the miscreants seemed to be aware of the husbands routine, carrying out the attack during his absence. Forensic teams have collected crucial evidence from the crime scene, and we are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby areas. We are confident that we will solve the case within the next 48 hours, he added. Jammu and Kashmir is set to witness a multi-cornered contest for 90 assembly seats in three phases from September 18, setting the stage for its first election since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 amid a spike in terror attacks in the Jammu region. The results will be declared on October 4. Jammu and Kashmir is set to witness a multi-cornered contest for 90 assembly seats. (File)(HT_PRINT) The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar told a press conference in the presence of election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu in New Delhi on Friday. While 24 seats will go to the polls in the first phase, elections will be held in 26 segments and 40 constituencies in the second and third phases, respectively. The last assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir a decade ago in November-December 2014 in five phases. The announcement by the Election Commission comes months after the Supreme Court upheld the Centres decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmirs special status and directed that assembly elections be held by September 30. Seats up after delimitation In 2014, the Peoples Democratic Party had emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats followed by the BJP with 25 seats, while the National Conference won 15 seats and the Congress 12. The PDP and the BJP joined hands to form a coalition government that lasted three years before the BJP withdrew its support in June 2018, leading to Mehbooba Mufti quitting as chief minister and Presidents rule being imposed in the state. After the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and fresh delimitation, the landscape of electoral politics in Jammu and Kashmir changed. Ladakh that had five assembly constituencies was bifurcated into a separate Union Territory. The number of seats in Jammu and Kashmir has gone up to 90 seats with 43 constituencies in Jammu region and 47 in Kashmir. Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir had 87 assembly seats. New parties, new equations Since the abrogation of Article 370, two new regional parties have been set up. While Apni Party is led by former minister Altaf Bukhari, the Democratic Progressive Azad Party has been founded by former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Both parties not only failed to open their accounts in the recent Lok Sabha elections, rather their candidates had forfeited their security deposits. The National Conference and the BJP won two seats each. The NC won the Anantnag and Srinagar Lok Sabha seats, while the BJP managed to retain the Jammu and Udhampur constituencies, while the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat was won by Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, who contested as an Independent despite being lodged in Tihar Jail. Though the PDP did not win any seat in the Lok Sabha, it got a good vote share in Srinagar and Anantnag constituencies. The NC and the Congress contested jointly as members of the INDIA group. The PDP that was also part of the alliance decided to contest all three Kashmir seats after the NC denied a ticket to its president Mehbooba Mufti. Gupkar alliance not working In a break from the past, NC president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullahs recent statements indicate his party wants to go it alone in the assembly elections. Though the NC, PDP, Peoples Conference and CPI(M) formed the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration and won 110 seats in the District Development Council (DDC) elections held after the abrogation of Article 370, the PAGD started disintegrating as the PC left the group and later the NC and the PDP contested against each other in the Lok Sabha elections. Last month, CPI(M) general secretary Yusuf Tarigami tried to hold a meeting of opposition parties but that was postponed, suggesting that the parties are not interested in a pre poll alliance for the assembly elections. Congress leaders are, however, hopeful of reviving the INDIA bloc. We want the alliance partners to fight jointly to defeat the BJP. Our leaders are in touch with different parties, said former Jammu and Kashmir Congress president and Congress working committee member Ghulam Ahmad Mir. BJP faces terror heat in Jammu BJP leaders, who are eyeing the chief ministers chair after a good showing in the recent Lok Sabha elections in the Jammu region, face the heat of public anger over the spike in terror attacks in the region. Compared to previous elections, the party lost ground in certain pockets of Jammu. Though the NC and the BJP look dominant political forces, the PDP could emerge a dark horse in certain constituencies of Kashmir, particularly with leaders who quit returning to the party fold. Can Engineer Rashid do it again? Jailed Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid had taken the lead in 14 assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency but this time, it is not going to be easy for his Awami Ithead Party (AIP) to repeat the feat as the candidates dont hold the same appeal among the masses that he did. The recent Lok Sabha polls had witnessed a record 58% turnout and the poll percentage is likely to go up this time as the people of Jammu and Kashmir are eagerly awaiting assembly elections. A decade is a long time, after all. It is that time of year again when all of us engage in a healthy dose of nostalgia, amnesia and hope about how India has changed since independence. Lists will come aplenty about things to be proud of and things to worry about. For this column though, I thought I would take a different tack. I thought I would figure out what I could do to help my community, city and therefore country: a small project that was doable. Ask what you can do for your country this I-Day? If you ask city activists, philanthropists, and evangelists about one issue that will give maximum bang for the buck in terms of helping Bengaluru, you will come up with many different answers, but two will likely top the list. One is a robust public transport system that will ease our citys traffic woes and the second will likely have to do with infrastructure. To put this theory to test, I asked V Ravichandar who calls himself the patron saint of lost causes, and has worked across the public and private arena in Bengaluru. What would help Bengaluru the most? The challenge for our city projects is that the ideas are poorly conceived and therefore badly implemented, he said. I would use philanthropic money to develop smart solutions that the city could implement with tax money to make life better for all of us. What this meant was that the government ought to use the abundance of talent available in the city to come up with detailed project reports before implementing the request for tender protocol for civic solutions. My takeaway from this was that it would be hard to do anything substantial in Bengaluru or any other city without governments involvement. But what project could I tackle? I was mulling this when I got an invitation to the release of the Dorekere Biodiversity Report, at Gandhi Bhavan (or Gandhi Bhavana as it is called in Karnataka where we elongate the last letter of each word). I came away inspired because it is a stellar example of how citizens take charge of a lake, use the help of government and other civic bodies such as the Public Works Department (PWD), Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and others in order to rejuvenate said lake or at least prevent it from deteriorating. Bengaluru used to be a city of lakes. Estimates vary but there used to be at least 270 lakes. Now there are about 80 living lakes in Bengaluru. I live in Ulsoor near Ulsoor Lake. The lake is dead. It used to be alive but these days, thanks to copious sewage water from apartment buildings being released into the lake, life has no chance. From what I understood, in order to rejuvenate a lake, you need a whole range of what the corporate world calls stakeholders. So I decided to get buy-in from all my neighbouring apartment complexes by throwing a party. Okay, let us leave out the Ambani wedding about which enough has been said. Let us just think of parties in the normal sense of the term, not in terms of pre- and post- wedding parties where global superstars show up. In terms of throwing parties, I thought (and still think) that Delhi does it best, not only because the rich folks in Delhi have space think of those bungalows in Lutyens Delhi with sprawling lawns. Plus Delhi has the natural flamboyance that comes from the Punjabi influencethe show off culture that my Delhi friends mock. Bengaluru and Chennai are hamstrung by their Southern notions of the evil eye and the concept of enough, which means that you cannot think of gaudy grandiose show-off parties. Hyderabad did not fall prey to this culture of enough and these days, most Kerala cities with their love of gold, also have no qualms in showing off. Havent you seen photos and reels of Kerala weddings where the bride wears enough gold necklaces that they become a gold armour? Bengaluru is changing though and these days, here too, you see parties that are not necessarily the obviously show off variety, but dont skimp on the flamboyance either. The great news in Bengaluru though is that if you want to enjoy a party, there are many ways of doing this. Organising a party or event is equal parts love, equal parts sharing, and equal parts agenda. And my agenda with this party was clear: I needed people who would help me clean Ulsoor Lake. I need Kannada speakers who could work with the BBMP to stop the sewage, researchers who knew how to rejuvenate this dead lake, naturalists who could teach us residents how to attract migrating birds, and philanthropists to fund the whole thing. The great thing is that you throw in a few beers and a lot of neighbourly conversation, and the whole thing falls in place. Within an evening, we had a group of citizens interested in lake preservation and restoration. And now, the real work begins. I will keep you posted. (Shoba Narayan is Bengaluru-based award-winning author. She is also a freelance contributor who writes about art, food, fashion and travel for a number of publications) Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the first there since 2014, and Haryana will be held from September 18 to October 1, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday, setting the stage for the first major electoral exercise after the 2024 national elections. The counting of votes will take place on October 4. In 2019, elections in Haryana were held along with Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu this month held deliberations over poll preparations. (ECI) Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar said polls in J&K will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The polls will be held in single phase on October 1 in Haryana. Kumar said there was great enthusiasm among the people in J&K and they wanted to participate in the poll process. People want elections to be conducted there as early as possible...The long queues at the polling booth in J&K during the Lok Sabha elections are proof that people not only want change but also want to raise their voices by becoming a part of that change. This glimpse of hope and democracy shows that the people want to change the picture. They want to write their own destiny. The poll schedule was announced a month after the Union government widened the scope of J&K lieutenant governors (LG) powers from police and public order to postings and prosecution sanctions. The Opposition condemned the move calling it the step to rendering the chief minister in J&K powerless and disempowering the regions people. Hours before the schedule was announced, the authorities ordered a major reshuffle in the J&K police and administration. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah said that the J&K administration had to call officers to the secretariat and police headquarters to work on Independence Day to order this massive reshuffle meant they had absolutely NO CLUE that the ECI would be announcing poll dates. All the more reason that the @ECISVEEP should look at this transfer order from the prism of a free & fair poll. @JKNC_ suspects a biased intent on the part of the @OfficeOfLGJandK, he wrote on X. Ali Mohamad Sagar, a leader of Abdullahs National Conference (NC), said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appointed LG appears to have orchestrated the reshuffle to benefit his party and its allies. This move seems clearly intended to undermine the integrity of the electoral process, which restricts such transfers to prevent the ruling party from gaining an undue administrative advantage over the opposition, said Sagar. He added the LG government has strategically shaken up the entire administrative setup compromising the principles of free and fair elections. We call on the @ECISVEEP to thoroughly investigate this blatant attempt and to immediately suspend the implementation of these orders. In July, the Union government amended the transaction rules in the J&K Reorganisation Act enacted alongside the revocation of the Constitutions Article 370, which gave the region semi-autonomous status, in 2019 for the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of J&K with an assembly and Ladakh without one. The amendments give LG, who reports to the Union government, more say in matters of administrative importance. Abdullah then said the people of J&K deserve better than a powerless, rubber-stamp chief minister who will have to beg the LG to get their peon appointed. Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu this month held deliberations with leaders across party lines in J&K as the ECI began the process of deciding the schedule for polls in the region. Representatives of different parties urged the poll body to hold the elections as soon as possible and ensure a level playing field. J&K has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP withdrew support to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led coalition government. The region was under the governors rule before the Union government in August 2019 revoked Article 370 of the Constitution. In December last year, the Supreme Court upheld the revocation of Article 370 and directed the ECI to conduct polls for the 90-member J&K assembly by September 30, 2024. The court asked the Union government to restore statehood to the region as soon as possible. In May 2022, a three-member delimitation commission redrew the electoral map of J&K, earmarking 43 seats to the Hindu-majority Jammu region and 47 to Muslim-majority Kashmir. Out of the seven new seats, six were allotted to Jammu and one to Kashmir. The regional parties rejected the panels decision calling it an attempt to consolidate BJPs vote bank. In Haryana, the term of state assembly ends on November 3. The assembly polls in the state will be held months after the ruling BJP, which has been in power in the state since 2014, and Opposition Congress wrested five Lok Sabha seats each. The BJP led in 44 assembly segments while the Congress-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alliance in 46 across 10 parliamentary constituencies. AAP has announced it will contest the assembly polls on its own in Haryana. New Delhi: Bangladesh will give priority to the protection and security of the countrys Hindus and other minorities, interim government head Muhammad Yunus on Friday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had expressed concern about the safety of these communities in his Independence Day speech. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took oath as the head of the interim government in Bangladesh on August 8 (Reuters Photo) Modi conveyed Indias support for a democratic and stable Bangladesh during a phone conversation with Nobel laureate Yunus, who took over as head of the interim government in Dhaka last week after the sudden collapse of former premier Sheikh Hasinas administration following weeks of student-led protests. The two leaders also discussed ways to take forward bilateral relations in line with national priorities. In his Independence Day speech on Thursday, Modi expressed concern over the security of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and hoped the situation in the neighbouring country would become normal soon. During Fridays phone call, Modi again pointed to the importance of ensuring the protection of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, the external affairs ministry said in a readout. Yunus gave an assurance the interim government would prioritise the protection, safety, and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh, the readout said. Modi expressed Indias support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, and progressive Bangladesh and emphasised New Delhis commitment to support the Bangladeshi people through development initiatives. Following the fall of Hasinas government, there were reports of attacks on the homes, businesses, and temples of the Hindu minority in different parts of Bangladesh. A post on X by Yunuss office quoted him as telling Modi that the interim government is committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country, including the minorities. Yunus said reports of attacks on minorities have been exaggerated and Indian journalists could visit Bangladesh to report from the ground on the issues of minority protection.. The situation in Bangladesh has been brought under control, and life is becoming normal across the country, Yunus said. Also Read: Who is Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate set to head Bangladeshs interim govt? Yunus said his interim government had taken over as a result of the students movement, which was a second revolution for Bangladesh, and his government will fulfill the democratic aspirations of the students and people. He thanked Modi for the phone call and his post on X on August 8, immediately after he was sworn in as head of the interim government. Yunuss office quoted Modi as praising the leadership of the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate and saying that Yunus has long experience and his leadership will bring good to the people of Bangladesh. Modi expressed his desire to work with Bangladesh for the benefit of people as close friends and his desire to work with the Yunus-led interim government. Yunus accepted Modis invitation to participate in the third Voice of Global South Summit to be hosted virtually by New Delhi on Saturday. Meanwhile, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing that there was no update on the travel plans of Hasina, who fled to India after stepping down on August 5 in the face of massive demonstrations across Bangladesh. Jaiswal described a question about the possibility of Bangladesh seeking Hasinas extradition following several cases against her as hypothetical. He added, It is not our practice to answer hypothetical questions at this point in time. He reiterated that India had granted approval to Hasina to come to the country at short notice. The situation is still evolving. At this stage, we have nothing new to share about her plans, he said. India is talking to Bangladeshs interim government to work together for the interests and aspirations of the people of the two countries and to strengthen peace, security, and progress of the two sides, Jaiswal said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday received a phone call from Bangladesh's interim head Muhammad Yunus and the two leaders exchanged views on the prevailing situation in the country following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Mohammad Yunus assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh.(PTI) In a post on X, PM Modi said he reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh while Yunus assured him of the safety and security of Hindus and other minority communities living there. PM Narendra Modi posted on X, Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh. The assurance from Yunus comes after reports of attacks on members of the Hindu community living in Bangladesh. Read: Awami League event thwarted; interim govt to decide on Hasinas extradition Prime Minister Modi had earlier asked for the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities of Bangladesh when he congratulated Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities as the chief advisor to the interim government. Modi also expressed concern about the security of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh during his Independence Day speech on Thursday. As a neighbouring country, I can understand the concern regarding whatever has happened in Bangladesh. I hope the situation there becomes normal soon, he said while addressing the nation from the Red Fort. In particular, the concerns of 140 crore Indians that the security of Hindus and minorities there is ensured, he said, speaking in Hindi. Meanwhile, Bangladeshs de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain told Reuters on Thursday that the interim government will decide whether to ask India to extradite Hasina as cases rise against her, including murder accusations. He said he didnt want to speculate but noted Hasina was facing so many cases. If the home and law ministries decided, we have to ask for her...return to Bangladesh, Hossain said. That creates an embarrassing situation for the Indian government, he said, adding that India knows this and I am sure they will take care of it. He didnt elaborate. There was no immediate response from Indian officials to Hossains remarks. Kolkata: The Calcutta high court on Friday pulled up the West Bengal government for failing to stop the mob attack on Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 15 and questioned the urgency to renovate portions of the emergency buildings third-floor, where a 31-year-old junior doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on August 9. Unidentified miscreants entered the premises of the state-run hospital shortly after midnight on Thursday and vandalised portions of the medical facility (PTI Photo) The division bench of chief justice TS Sivagnanam and justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, which ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe from the Kolkata police on August 13, directed the state government on Friday to file its reply to allegations that the renovation around the third-floor seminar hall of the chest department in the emergency building was ordered to destroy vital evidence. A mob of a few thousand people stormed into the hospital around 12.40am on August 15 and destroyed property on the ground floor emergency ward, a ward on the first floor, and the ENT department on the second floor of the same building while junior doctors were holding their agitation outside seeking justice for the trainee doctor. The bench pulled up the state for not taking preventive measures to protect the crime scene. When so much commotion is going on, doctors on strike, you should have cordoned off the entire area. If suppose 7,000 people have to come, they cant come walking. This is an absolute failure of state machinery. A sorry state of affairs; how do you think the doctors would be able to work fearlessly? the chief justice remarked, according to lawyers present at the hearing. The states counsels told the court that the mob comprised around 7,000 people, and several policemen were injured while trying to control it. The allegations regarding the renovation work were raised by the lawyers who filed five PILs alongside a writ petition by the victims parents, leading to the CBI probe. On Friday, the bench also denied immunity from arrest by CBI to the former principal of the medical college, Dr Sandip Ghosh, who was detained hours later by the federal agency for allegedly skipping summons. The victims body, with multiple injuries in the head, upper body, abdomen, and private parts, was found inside the chest departments seminar hall on the morning of August 9. Sanjay Roy (31), a civic volunteer working for the Kolkata police, was arrested on August 10 as the prime suspect. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee later said some insiders could also be involved. The division bench on Friday asked the counsels for the state what promoted the government to carry out renovation work near the crime scene after a CBI probe had been ordered. The states counsels told the court that the allegations were not correct because the demolition work was not carried out at the seminar hall. The renovation was being done to build a restroom for doctors, they said. The bench questioned the timing of the renovation work. What was the urgency? You go to any district court complex and see if ladies have any restrooms. I say this with responsibility. What has the PWD done? See the condition of the restrooms in the court complex, the chief justice remarked, according to lawyers who attended the hearing. The chief justice then directed the state to file an affidavit with photographs by August 20 to prove that the crime scene is intact. Justice Sivagnanam said he will hear the matter on August 21. We direct appropriate police authorities as well as the person-in-charge to file a reply related to the vandalism and all matters connected to it, the judge said, referring to the August 15 incident. Police usually have intelligence on these matters. If 7,000 people gathered, it is hard to believe that state police did not know, the chief justice observed and asked why orders were not issued in advance to prevent unlawful assembly around the hospital. The state counsels told the court that rapid action forces have been deployed and efforts are on to trace the vandals. Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday detained Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, for questioning in the August 9 alleged rape and murder of the 31-year-old junior doctor at the hospitals chest department, where she was on duty, officials of the federal agency said. CBI officials at Kolkatas R G Kar Medical Hospital (PTI Photo) Ghosh was grilled alongside Dr Arunava Dutta Chowdhury, who took charge as head of the chest department on August 1, and the hospitals former superintendent, Dr Sanjay Vashisth, who, like Ghosh, was transferred after the crime. Dutta Chowdhury and Vashisth were questioned for more than eight hours on Thursday as well. In a parallel development, the Kolkata police arrested 20 people, including a woman, till Friday afternoon in connection with the rampage at the hospitals emergency departmentwhere the chest department is located on the third floorby a mob that stormed into the hospital around 12.40 am on August 15. The mob destroyed hospital property on the ground floor emergency ward, a ward on the first floor, and the ENT department on the second floor while junior doctors were holding their agitation outside seeking justice for the victim. Nine people were arrested after they were identified from security camera footage. The others were arrested on the basis of information provided by these nine, Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal said at a press conference in the afternoon hours after the division bench of the Calcutta high court chief justice, which transferred the rape and murder case from the police to the CBI on August 13, pulled up the state government for failing to stop the mob. The government told the court that the mob comprised around 7,000 people. There were too many people for the small number of policemen to stop the breach of peace. If you say it is a failure of assessment on our part, then it is so, Goyal said. Those arrested for the rampage did not have any common background, and many seemed to have no political affiliation, contrary to allegations made by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties of orchestrating the violence. The latter, on the other hand, blamed Trinamool Congress. Jit Biswas, one of the arrested youths, is a tea stall owners son with no criminal background, the police found. Sheikh Sajan, a resident of Lake Town on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata, was also arrested. He did not do the right thing. He said he was going to a protest rally, Arjina Bibi, the mother of the accused, told a Bengali news channel. She said her daughter was recently admitted to the same hospital. Soumik Das, a third accused, was held from the East Sinthee area in Dum Dum. He was caught on camera breaking the gate of the emergency department with an iron rod. Talking to the media before the arrest, Das said, I went to a protest rally with a lot of other people. We had no intention of going on a rampage. The local Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor from Dum Dum, Raja Sen Sharma, claimed before the media that Das was not affiliated with any political party. The interrogation of Ghosh was welcomed by the agitating students at RG Kar Hospital. We were saying from day one that he should be questioned, Soumyadip Roy, a junior doctor, said. Ghosh was summoned by CBI on Friday, but instead of going to the agencys office at the Salt Lake CGO Complex, he moved a petition through a lawyer before the bench of the Calcutta high court chief justice seeking immunity from arrest. The court rejected the prayer and said Ghosh could be charged with contempt of court for moving such a petition, lawyers said. Ghosh, against whom numerous charges of corruption have been raised by a section of members of the Indian Medical Associations West Bengal chapter, was picked up by CBI officials while he was travelling in his car in the Salt Lake area after the court rejected his prayer. Ghosh said on August 12 that he had resigned from service, but hours later he was posted as principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH). On August 13, the court-monitored CBI probe was ordered with immediate effect by the bench of chief justice TS Sivagnanam and justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya Barley a day after Mamata Banerjee, who is also in charge of the home and health departments, asked the Kolkata Police to complete its investigation by August 18, failing which, she said, the case would be handed over to CBI, a demand raised by the victims parents and opposition parties. Banerjee did not rule out the involvement of insiders in the crime even though Sanjay Roy (31), a civic volunteer working for the Kolkata Police, was arrested as the prime suspect on August 10. The CBI probe was ordered after hearing on a writ petition filed by the victims parents. As many as five more petitions were also filed by some senior lawyers and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. The role of Dr Ghosh came under scrutiny during the court hearing on August 13. Several submissions were made at the bar with regard to how highly influential Professor Sandip Kumar Ghosh is; however, these aspects are not gone into at this stage. We have advised the learned advocate appearing for Professor Sandip Kumar Ghosh to direct his client to immediately proceed on leave, failing which the Court will be compelled to pass necessary orders, the bench said in its order, a copy of which was seen by HT. New Delhi: Congress on Friday launched a 100-day Samvidhan Raksha (save Constitution) Campaign aimed at defending Indias Constitution and promoting democratic values across the nation while mobilising support from the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST), party officials aware of the development said. The campaign was launched by party treasurer and MP Ajay Maken, along with All India Congress Committee ST department president Rajesh Lilothia (Twitter Photo) The campaign was launched by party treasurer and MP Ajay Maken, along with All India Congress Committee ST department president Rajesh Lilothia. The campaign will run until November 27, targeting all assembly constituencies in Delhi, said party officials. Maken said that the campaign has so far mobilised 300,000 Samvidhan Rakshaks (Constitution protectors) nationwide. He said that the campaign has been launched exclusively in Delhi and will visit all 70 assembly constituencies of the city over the next 100 days to establish these protectors. I am also a Samvidhan Rakshak, for which I am grateful, he stated. During the launch event, Maken emphasised the importance of Indias Constitution in maintaining peace and stability, contrasting it with neighbouring countries where democratic values have diminished. Our Constitution makes our country different from our neighbours, he remarked. He highlighted that while there is chaos in neighbouring countries, India remains peaceful due to its robust constitutional framework. The Congress MP alleged that certain forces are intent on undermining the Constitution to hinder the progress of the backward and underprivileged sections of society. Those powers that do not want the backward, underprivileged sections of the country to progress attack our Constitution, he asserted. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of advocating for constitutional changes after winning two elections and before the commencement of the 2024 general polls. He said those who do not want the backward and Dalit classes of the country to progress attack the Constitution. We have seen how BJP leaders have talked about changing the Constitution. That is why I am very happy that I am a part of the launch of Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyan. We have to protect the Constitution even by sacrificing our lives. The BJPs objectives were twofold, he said, to attack the foundation of democracy and to take away the power and equality given by the Constitution to the underprivileged sections of society. He emphasised the dual role of the Constitution in protecting democracy and being protected by it, citing electoral campaigns from the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. When Rahul Gandhi went to elections with the Constitution, it had two meanings; one is to protect the Constitution, and the second is that the Constitution is protecting our democracy, Maken said. New Delhi, A court here has acquitted a man, his father and two brothers from the charges of cruelty and causing dowry death, saying there were "material inconsistencies" in the testimonies of prosecution witnesses. Delhi court acquits husband, in-laws of dowry death charge Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Pahuja was hearing the case against Gaurav, his father Sewak Ram and brothers Sugar Shri and Saurav who were accused of harassing the deceased, Neetu, for dowry, because of which she committed suicide by hanging in February 2018. According to the prosecution, the couple got married in 2016, following which Gaurav and his family members used to demand dowry and beat Neetu. Two months after she gave birth to a girl, the harassment increased to such an extent that she took the extreme step. In a recent order, the court noted that the prosecution had relied on the testimonies of the deceased's mother and minor brother but discrepancies, contradictions and vague allegations marred their depositions. So they did not support the prosecution's case, nor did they inspire confidence, the court said. It, however, noted some transcripts of the phone calls and chats of Neetu with her husband and mother, two days before she committed suicide. "Bare perusal of the transcripts reflects that everything sounds normal between the deceased and the accused and the chat ended by 'bye' from both sides, the court said. It said the transcript about the calls between Neetu and her mother on the same date showed normal things being discussed, and there was not a whisper about harassment or demand of dowry, the court said. It said that this contradictory evidence dented the prosecutions version. "A cumulative consideration of the overall evidence on the facet of dowry leaves this court unconvinced about the truthfulness of the charge qua the accused persons. The prosecution has failed to prove this indispensable component of the two offences beyond a reasonable doubt," the court said. "In view of the material inconsistencies in the testimony of the prosecution witnesses, this court is of the view that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt Therefore, the accused persons are hereby acquitted," it added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Chennai, The trial in a money laundering case against former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji commenced in a sessions court here on Friday with the examination of a witness by the prosecution. ED commences trial against Senthil Balaji Special Public Prosecutor N Ramesh, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, examined Harish Kumar an official of the City Union Bank, who was formerly the Karur branch manager. The examination was on the transactions of Balaji and his wife Meghala and the prosecution marked seven exhibits. At the request of defense counsel Gouthaman, the judge posted to August 22, further hearing of the case for cross examination of Harish Kumar. The judge extended the remand of Balaji, who was produced before the court through video conferencing from Central prison, Puzhal here, till August 22. Balaji was present throughout the proceedings during the examination of witness Harish Kumar. Principal Sessions Judge S Alli had on August 8 issued summons to three witnesses for examination in the case. Accordingly, all the three witnesses were present on Friday. In total, the prosecution has cited 22 witnesses in the case. Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023, by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to cash-for-jobs scam when he was the transport minister during the previous AIADMK regime. On December 14, 2018, he joined the DMK and became a minister in 2021. He resigned from that post in February 2024, eight months after his arrest. Soon after his arrest, he underwent a bypass surgery at a private hospital. Later, the ED took him into custody for questioning and following that, he was remanded in judicial custody and his remand is being periodically extended by the court. The ED had on August 12, 2023 filed a charge-sheet, running to 3,000 pages against Balaji. The Sessions Court and the Madras High Court had dismissed the bail petitions of Balaji thrice and twice respectively. His petition to defer the trial was dismissed by the Principal Sessions Judge on February 15, 2024. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the schedule for assembly elections on at 3pm Friday, August 16. ECI to announce Assembly polls schedule today at 3pm(file) An invitation to the media from the Election Commission for a press conference at New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan around 3pm did not mention the states for which the election schedule would be announced. The terms of the legislative assemblies of Haryana and Maharashtra end on November 3 and November 26, respectively. The election panel also plans to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir before September 30, the deadline set by the Supreme Court. The Election Commission has visited Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana recently to oversee the poll preparedness but is yet to visit Maharashtra. Assembly election is also due in Jharkhand. The term of the legislative assembly of Jharkhand ends in January 2025. The poll body is also likely to announce the election schedule in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Also Read | Election Commission team on 2-day visit to Haryana If it happens, Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of 10 years as the last assembly election was held in 2014. In 2019, the Narendra Modi government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. However, after the bifurcation in August 2019, the Assembly polls could not be held due to various reasons, including a delimitation exercise completed in 2022 Recently, a poll body delegation led by chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar had reviewed the poll preparations in Jammu and Kashmir. During a press conference in Jammu during the visit, Kumar had emphasised that the commission is committed to holding elections there "at the earliest". "We are committed to conducting polls in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest and we will not let any internal or external forces derail the election. All political parties in Jammu and Kashmir are batting strongly for holding assembly elections as soon as possible," Kumar had said. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah announced his decision to contest the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the first regional polls in the region in a decade. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Farooq Abdullah (L) along with his son and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah.(AFP / File) Farooq Abdullah, a veteran leader and former chief minister of the erstwhile state, said that his son, Omar Abdullah, would not be participating in these elections. Instead, he emphasised that Omar would only contest once statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir. "I will contest these elections, Omar Abdullah will not contest the elections. When the state status is granted, then I will step down and Omar Abdullah will contest from that seat," Farooq Abdullah told reporters. Omar Abdullah welcomed the announcement of a three-phase assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir and said it was better late than never. "Some time back, the ECI announced the schedule for assembly elections in J-K. People of J-K were waiting for this day for a long time. It is better late than never," Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar. This will be the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which stripped the region of its special status and split it into two Union Territories, that assembly elections will be held. J&K still waiting for full statehood: Congress after EC announces poll schedule The Supreme Court of India had earlier set a deadline of September 30 for the polls, following a rejection of petitions challenging the revocation of the region's special status. The National Conference, which has historically been a dominant political force in Jammu and Kashmir, has consistently advocated for the reinstatement of the region's statehood. The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1. While 24 seats will go to the polls in the first phase in Jammu and Kashmir, elections will be held in 26 seats and 40 seats in the second and third phases respectively. The last assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir in November-December 2014 in five phases. An FIR has been registered at the High Grounds police station against 28 prominent BJP leaders, including Member of Parliament Basavaraj Bommai and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka, for organizing an unauthorised protest on June 20, 2023, in Bengaluru. The BJP leaders, led by Bommai, gathered at Maurya Circle on Racecourse Road to protest against the Congress-led state government, alleging that its policies were detrimental to the public. Despite their grievances, the protest was conducted without the necessary police permission, rendering it an illegal assembly. (SansadTV) The BJP leaders, led by Bommai, gathered at Maurya Circle on Racecourse Road to protest against the Congress-led state government, alleging that its policies were detrimental to the public. Despite their grievances, the protest was conducted without the necessary police permission, rendering it an illegal assembly. The FIR, registered under the Karnataka Police Act 103, names several high-profile BJP figures, including N. Ravikumar, Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Legislative Council; P.C. Mohan, MP; M. Krishnappa, MLA; Muniraju, MLA; and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House, among others. In total, 28 leaders have been implicated for their involvement in the unauthorised protest. KPCC spokesman M. Lakshman stated, The BJP leaders, knowing the law, violated it intentionally. The Congress party has no role in this. Even when we stage protests, we always obtain police permission. The guilty should be punished. State BJP spokesman Ashwath Narayan responded, saying, We always submit requisitions to the police before conducting protests. We had no intention of violating the law. The party will address the legal aspects in court. High Grounds police inspector Bharat Kumar confirmed that the FIR was registered following a directive from the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court. The order was issued after then-sub-inspector Anil Kumar Mullur filed an application under Section 200 of the CrPC, requesting legal action against the BJP leaders for staging a protest without permission. The court, after reviewing the circumstances, directed the police to file an FIR against the involved leaders for unlawful assembly and violations of public order. The Centre on Friday directed the heads of all government-run medical colleges and institutions in the country to file an institutional FIR, in cases of violence against health care workers on duty, within six hours of the incident. Resident doctors and medical students protest in Mumbai on Friday. (Anshuman Poyrekar/ HT Photo) The directive comes at a time when doctors and medical professionals across India have taken to streets in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The central government, addressing one of the key demands of protesting doctors, put out the directive as it sometimes takes days to file an FIR, which further delays action in cases of assault against health care workers, including doctors. Recently, it has been observed that violence has become common against doctors and other health care staff in Government Hospitals. A number of health care workers suffer physical violence during the course of their duty. Many are threatened or exposed to verbal aggression. Most of this violence is done by either patient or patients attendants, read the order issued by the Union ministry of health and family welfare. Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr Atul Goel, sent out the circular to directors and medical superintendents of all central government hospitals and institutions, the director of New Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and all other AIIMS in the country, and directors and the principals of all government medical colleges across India. In view of above, it is stated that in the event of any violence against any health care worker while on duty, the head of institution shall be responsible for filing an institutional FIR within a maximum of 6 hours of the incident, the formal order read. Protests continue to rock the nation, with senior as well as resident doctors demanding the Central Protection Act (CPA) be implemented in the aftermath of the rape and murder of the junior doctor in Kolkata. The Resident Doctors Association of several medical colleges and hospitals in Delhi has also planned to hold a peaceful protest outside Nirman Bhawan that houses the Union health ministry. Our main demand from the government is that it addresses safety concerns and improves working conditions of doctors, said a resident doctor in one of the prominent government hospitals of Delhi. The Union environment ministry has introduced several draft notifications to implement the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of the Provisions) Act, 2023 with provisions the government has said is meant to promote enhanced trust-based governance, ease of living and ease of doing business. The notifications also propose to introduce a new trust-based regime for monitoring industries environmental impact. (HT Photo) The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has reportedly been issued a show-cause notice by the directorate general of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Intelligence, demanding 120 crore in tax on research grants received between 2017 and 2022, along with interest and penalties. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.(Agency File Photo) Although IIT-D has not commented on the issue, a senior official from the Ministry of Education called the notice unfortunate and said they plan to contest it, arguing that GST should not apply to government-funded research, The Times of India reported. A senior official from the ministry of education hinted that a response to the notice is being prepared, suggesting that the issue may stem from a misinterpretation as they believe GST should not apply to government-funded research, according to the report. The official also expressed concern over such notices and said that research should be encouraged and supported, not treated as a taxable entity, as per the report. Government officials have said that various educational institutions throughout India such as leading IITs, central universities and both state-run and private universities have recently been issued comparable notices by GST authorities. Notices question GST on exempt research grants These notices generally question whether research grants, which are currently exempt should actually be subject to GST. A former head of an IIT suggested that the GST, GEM (Government e-Marketplace) portal, Global Tender Enquiry (GTE), GFR (General Financial Rules) and governance practices are significantly impacting institutions negatively. The academic said that while funding is not being increased and adequate overheads are not provided, the money is effectively being reclaimed through GST. The head of a private deemed university, who received a similar notice, remarked that imposing GST on research grants represents a significant setback for the advancement of Indian higher education. The finance ministry has ignored that a large portion of the grant goes toward buying assets and consumables, which are already taxed and warned that treating educational institutions as tax revenue sources will only raise the cost of education, the head has mentioned. Outrage over the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata intensified on Friday, when doctors called for a major shutdown of hospital services. Patients seen waiting outside the OPD of RML Hospital as the Doctors stage a protest against the alleged Kolkata Doctor Rape and Murder case in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)(Hindustan Times) The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the largest organisation of medical staffs in the country, has announced a nationwide strike starting Saturday morning, August 17. This strike, expected to be the largest in over a decade, will close most hospital departments. Also Follow: Kolkata murder-rape case LIVE updates The protests follows August 9 incident, when a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. This has sparked widespread demonstrations and strikes by the medical community across the nation. ALSO READ- Calcutta high court takes up matters on vandalism at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital Whats open and closed during nationwide doctors' strike? Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide strike starting from 6am on Saturday, August 17, until 6am on Sunday, August 18. Expect most hospital departments to be closed during this weekend. Routine outpatient departments (OPDs) and elective surgeries will remain shut. Essential services will remain operational. This includes emergency care and critical treatments, which will continue as usual. Casualty services will be available to handle any urgent medical needs that arise. The strike will affect all areas where modern medicine doctors work, including both public and private hospitals. ALSO READ- Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Why is Mamata Banerjee leading a protest rally? Trinamool MP explains Medical fraternity rally in support The Resident Doctors Association at Government Medical College, Amritsar, has announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including outpatient departments (OPDs), operating theaters (OTs), and wards, starting August 16 until further notice. Resident Doctors' Associations across Delhi will hold a joint protest march on August 16, starting at 2pm from Nirman Bhavan in the National Capital. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) will organise a candle march at India Gate at 5pm on August 16 to protest the rape-murder incident. The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) will hold a protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on August 16 in response to the incident. The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) has called a 12-hour general strike in Siliguri on August 16 to protest the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College. The strike has caused significant disruptions in the city, with most shops closed since 6pm on Thursday. NEW DELHI: In his 98-minute Independence Day speech delivered from the imposing Red Fort on a drizzly morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday captured the strides made by India to further self-reliance in the critical defence manufacturing sector and how the country had gradually transformed itself from being an importer of military hardware to an exporter. India has made strides to further self-reliance in defence, exporting weapons too: PM I am elated to say that our defence sector, which was dependent on importing even small items, has gradually emerged and is establishing itself as an exporter and manufacturer of defence equipment, Modi said in his 11th consecutive Independence Day address, one of his longest. The PM used notes to deliver his customary address, instead of the teleprompter. Intermittent drizzle during the function saw the invitees, including top three-star military officers, slip in and out of disposable raincoats made available at the venue. Umbrellas are among the items that are not allowed for security reasons. Modis comments came at a time when military exports have risen sharply, and imports have dropped on the back of policy initiatives and reforms during the last 10 years, and the country is on course to achieve an annual defence export target of 50,000 by 2028-29. The PM praised the military for its role in pushing the self-reliance drive. I am deeply grateful to our defence forces...They have shared a list of defence items that they have resolved not to import. We should learn true patriotism from our armed forces. With this spirit, we are becoming self-reliant in the defence sector. Modi was referring to a series of positive indigenisation lists published by the defence ministry to ban the import of different types of weapons, systems, ammunition, and critical sub-systems and components over the next four to five years. India has taken a raft of measures to boost self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector. Apart from the phased import bans, these steps include creating a separate budget for buying locally made military hardware, increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) from 49% to 74% and improving ease of doing business. We were earlier in the habit of questioning any increase in the defence budget. No one ever tried to find out where the funds were utilised. The budget was spent on importing military hardware, he said. Indias defence exports stood at 6,915 crore during April-June 2024, data shared by the defence ministry last week showed. This was 78% higher than 3,885 crore for the corresponding period in financial year 2023-24. In April, the defence ministry announced that Indias defence exports grew 32.5% in 2023-24 and crossed 21,000 crore for the first time as the country remained focussed on boosting the indigenous defence manufacturing sector as well as military exports. The value of exports in 2023-24 was 32.5% more than that in the preceding year, when it was 15,920 crore. Defence exports have grown 31 times in the past 10 years, official data shows. India exports military hardware to around 85 countries, with around 100 local firms involved in the effort. The hardware includes missiles, artillery guns, rockets, armoured vehicles, offshore patrol vessels, personal protective gear, radars, surveillance systems and ammunition. In his speech, the PM also touched upon the 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the 2019 air strikes into the neighbouring country to highlight the Indian militarys capabilities. Both strikes were a direct military response to Pakistan-backed terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir. There was a time when the country was a victim of terror attacks, but now its bold and strong, with the armed forces giving a befitting reply to anyone who tries to harm the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country, a defence ministry statement said, quoting from the PMs speech. He asserted that the nation is proud of its brave soldiers who selflessly serve the motherland, it added. The risk of an upsurge of Mpox cases, formerly known as monkeypox, remains very low in India, according to health ministry officials, even as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) following a surge in cases in Africa. The U.N. health agency declared a global health emergency for mpox this week after a huge outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo spread into nearby countries.(AFP / File) The last reported Mpox case in India was in March this year from Kerala, reported PTI quoting official sources within the health ministry. Since 2022, the country has documented 30 laboratory-confirmed cases of the viral infection. "At the moment, the risk of a surge in monkeypox infection is very low in India and there is no need to panic," PTI quoted the person aware of the development as saying. Read: Mpox virus detected in Pakistan, days after WHO declared it a global health emergency In response to the global situation, the health ministry may issue advisories to points of entry such as airports and seaports, instructing them to be vigilant and prepared to manage suspected cases as per existing guidelines. These guidelines include protocols for isolation and treatment to prevent potential spread. Union health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda is expected to hold a meeting on Saturday with officials from the ministry, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to review the situation and ensure all necessary precautions are in place. Mpox outbreak: Symptoms, preventions. Why has WHO declared it global health emergency? Explained Indias guidelines on the management of Mpox, issued in 2022, outline that human-to-human transmission primarily occurs through large respiratory droplets requiring prolonged close contact. The virus can also spread via direct contact with bodily fluids or lesion material and indirectly through contaminated clothing or linen. Outbreak in Europe The recent upsurge has prompted several countries, including those in Europe, to raise their alert levels. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) increased its risk assessment for Mpox to "moderate" from "low" following the detection of a new strain in Sweden, the first case outside Africa. Despite rising global concerns, the WHO has advised against imposing travel restrictions, and countries like China and Pakistan have introduced monitoring measures for incoming travellers. Jammu and Kashmir is set to have its first assembly elections in six years as the Election Commission is set to announce the dates for the newly formed union territory today. The primary reason for undertaking delimitation is to split the two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Assembly polls may take place in Jammu and Kashmir soon, after six years of no elected government. (PTI) From state to union territory, Jammu and Kashmir has undergone several changes that could impact the assembly polls - namely delimitation. Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections: What happened in 2014 polls? A recap of events To put it simply, delimitation is a process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral constituencies. Also Read: Election Commission likely to announce poll dates for Maharashtra, J-K and 2 other states at 3pm today After the abrogation of Section 370, the splitting of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two separate union territories, required a delimitation process to be carried out. In order to reorganise the state into a union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the boundaries of constituencies would change. Delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir The primary reason for undertaking delimitation is to clearly bifurcate the two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Delimitation was carried out as per two laws - the Delimitation Act, 2002, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act of 2019. In March 2020, a three member Delimitation Commission was formed, with retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai as the chairperson. The former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Sushil Chandra, and the State Election Commissioner for Jammu and Kashmir, K.K. Sharma, were the other members. Also Read: Indian Army captain killed in encounter with terrorists in J-K's Doda district; operations underway The commission presented their final delimitation report on May 5, 2022. Their suggestions, such as adding six more assembly constituencies to Jammu and one more to Kashmir. Based on population data from the 2011 census, the commission changed and re-made constituencies based on population demographics. In two years, they visited Jammu and Kashmir twice, and held meetings with public stakeholders, political representatives and regional leaders. The cultural and geographical diversity in the region, became one of the crucial hurdles to overcome while reorganising constituencies. Division of seats in Jammu and Kashmir Previously, Jammu and Kashmir had 87 constituencies and now it has 90. Out of these 90, 47 are part of the Kashmir region and 43 are part of the Jammu region. There are also 24 seats, apart from the 90 seats, which are reserved for Pakistan occupied Kashmir. 18 assembly constituencies are a part of each of the parliamentary constituencies in the union territory and nine assembly constituencies have been reserved for scheduled tribes. There were also seven reserved for scheduled castes. These changes have also necessitated different names being given to certain constituencies such as - naming Tangmarg as Gulmarg, Zoonimar as Zaidibal, Sonwar as Lal Chowk, Padder as Padder-Nagseni, Kathua North as Jasrota, Kathua South as Kathua, Khour as Chhamb, Mahore as Gulabhgarh, Darhal as Budhal etc. Tehsils also shifted from one assembly constituency to the other as they fell within their boundaries. The final order was implemented on May 20, 2022, and in 2024 Jammu and Kashmir participated in Lok Sabha polls from newly organised parliamentary constituencies. The supreme court has also ordered the ECI to ensure that assembly polls take place in Jammu and Kashmir before September 30, 2024. This will be Jammu and Kashmir's first time voting as a union territory and it's first time forming government after six years. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced that the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections will be held in three phases, beginning September 18, with results to be declared on October 4. Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu held separate deliberations with leaders across party lines in J&K this month. (HT PHOTO) Polling for the first phase will be held on September 18, the second phase on September 25, and the final phase on October 1. The dates for the gazette notification for the three phases will be August 20, August 29, and September 9, respectively. The last dates for making nominations for the three phases will be August 27, September 5 and September 12 respectively. The announcement comes a week after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, along with election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, visited the union territory. Follow Live Updates on J&K and Haryana poll schedule We have seen long queues of people in Jammu and Kashmir during Lok Sabha polls, which showed they want to be part of the democratic process and preferred ballot over bullet, said Rajiv Kumar during the briefing on Friday. Jammu and Kashmir has 87.09 lakh eligible electorates with an equal percentage of males and females, said the CEC, adding that the total number of polling stations will be over 11,800. Among the total voters, 44.46 lakh are male, 42.62 are female and 3.71 lakh are first time voters. Average voters per polling station is 735, showed the ECI data. Jammu and Kashmir has a total of 87.09 lakh eligible voters, including 44.46 lakh males, 42.62 lakh females, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters. Of the total 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, 74 are reserved for general, nine for Scheduled Tribes, and seven for Scheduled Castes. Earlier during the visit to the union territory, Rajiv Kumar said that the time has come to give the people of Jammu and Kashmir their government through elections. We are committed to conducting elections at the earliest. We are confident that the people of J&K will give a befitting response to disruptive forces. No internal or external intervention will be allowed to derail the democratic process. We are fully prepared for it, said CEC Kumar in a media briefing. The three-member delegation was in the region to consult all stakeholders and assess the preparedness of the Jammu and Kashmir union territory to conduct elections in 90 seats. There have also been concerns due to an uptick in terror attacks in the region. No elected government in J&K Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since June 2018, when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) broke its alliance with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) forcing Mehbooba Mufti to resign as chief minister. The state was headed by then Governor Satya Pal Malik, who dissolved the J&K Legislative Assembly on November 28, 2018, soon after Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form the government with the support of Congress and National Conference (NC). However, on December 19, 2018, then President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, issued a notification announcing President's Rule in J&K under Article 356 of the Constitution of India. Eight months later, on August 5, 2019, the BJP-led government at the Centre repealed Article 370, providing special status to J&K, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into union territories. For one month earlier this year, between April 19 and May 20, the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir reacquainted itself with the fervour of a major election, voting across five parliamentary seats. Three months after the general elections, where over 58% electorate turned out to vote, the region's people will vote again across three phases in late September. (PTI file photo) Political leaders crisscrossed the mountains of Kashmir and the plains in Jammu, drumming up support, addressing rallies of cheering crowds, even as the sceptre of violence faded through the campaign. It was an exercise that the region had rarely seen, having lost its statehood in August 2019, its administration passing into the hands of the Lieutenant Governor, on a day Article 370 was abrogated. Three months after the general elections, where over 58% electorate turned out to vote, the people of the region will vote again across three phases in late September. But this time, they will vote for issues closer home, and for their own legislators, for their own elected administration. Khurshed Ahmad Bhat, a businessman from North Kashmir, said that assembly elections were the first beginnings of the restoration of democratic rights of citizens, and that he was enthused to vote. Everything was snatched from us. The holding of assembly polls is very encouraging news and we will definitely vote as we want full democracy to be restored here, he said. In the bylanes of Srinagars old city, Jasim Ahmad who is a tour operator that the announcement was an encouraging continuation of wheels set in motion during the Lok Sabha elections. Like our representatives have raised our issues in parliament, we hope that our local elected representatives in the assembly will attempt to solve our issues which have piled up for the past few years. Our economy is in distress, there is over-taxation, and there are problems in essential commodities like power, water and ration, he said. But even as there is enthusiasm, there are also corners of scepticism, largely centered around the question of statehood. Mohammad Ashraf Lone, a retired government employee based in Srinagar said, Though elections to the assembly have been announced after a considerable delay, the main question is the restoration of statehood. If Delhi wants to end the general apathy among masses, it should give statehood back to the JK. In Jammu, there was similar enthusiasm for the assembly elections, but mixed with some trepidation, with the region the target of increased terror activities over the past year. In 2024 alone, 13 security personnel have been killed in terrorist attacks in Jammu, with senior police officers and security agencies admitting that between 50 and 60 terrorists have infiltrated into the region. Sardar Balvinder Singh, an RTI activist based in Jammu, however, said that terror could not hold elections to ransom. The situation is not that bad. Our government and security forces are capable. Terrorism has been weeded out of Kashmir but while stray incidents do take place, we cant delay elections because of the. We want our statehood back and it is time that a popular government be put in place, he said. But Sumit Raina (50), a Jammu-based Kashmiri Pandit, who had to flee Kashmir with his family in the early 90s, said that the increased terrorist activity in Jammu had left him worried. There is some uncertainty and fear among the people, especially in hilly and remote areas like Kishtwar and Doda. There is a chance of large scale violence, and this is a big challenge for the government. A popular elected administration is always better but the security scenario is a grave concern for me, he said. After the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the assembly poll schedule for Jammu and Kashmir, Congress on Friday alleged that the recent moves by the central government have only increased the powers of the Lieutenant Governor, reducing the powers of a duly elected state government to a mockery. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh (PTI file) For the past five years, the Indian National Congress has been consistently demanding the restoration of full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and the holding of assembly elections. Jammu and Kashmir is still waiting for full statehood, said Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Earlier the poll-panel announced that the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections will be held in three phases, beginning September 18, with results to be declared on October 4. Polling for the first phase will be held on September 18, the second phase on September 25, and the final phase on October 1. Recent actions by the central government have further increased the powers of the Lieutenant Governor, effectively reducing the powers of a duly elected state government to a mockery, Ramesh added. Additional powers granted to LG Last month, the Centre granted additional powers to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, including decision-making authority over the police, officers from all-India services like the IAS and IPS, and the power to sanction prosecutions in various cases. These powers were granted to the LG through amendments to the rules under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. This act facilitated the division of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while also abrogating Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since June 2018, when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) broke its alliance with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) forcing Mehbooba Mufti to resign as chief minister. The state was headed by then Governor Satya Pal Malik, who dissolved the J&K Legislative Assembly on November 28, 2018, soon after Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form the government with the support of Congress and National Conference (NC). The last assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held in November-December 2014, and these upcoming elections will be the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. With PTI inputs New Delhi: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national covenor Arvind Kejriwal will soon come out of jail, and he will be mentally stronger as the federal agencies do not have any evidence against him or any other party leaders. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday met AAP leader Manish Sisodia in Delhi (X/@BhagwantMann) Mann, who on Friday met with senior AAP leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in Delhi, also said that the AAP is the future of the country. Kejriwal has been in custody since March 21 following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate ED and by the Central Bureau of Investigation on June 26 in connection with the alleged irregularities in the excise policy case. Sisodia, senior leader and the former Delhi deputy chief minister, walked out of the Tihar jail on August 9, 17 months after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the alleged corruption and money laundering cases. Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mann said they have tried to break AAP but failed. As is their habit, the BJP tried to break and scare the party. I am happy to say that the AAP remained united and there are no fissures in the party.We are made of different soil, and we have come from a non-political background. We do not have the culture of pulling one another down. The party will become stronger with the release of Manish Sisodia. Arvind Kejriwal will also come out mentally stronger, and AAP is the future of the country, said Mann while talking to reporters after meeting the AAP leader. Today is the birthday of Arvind Kejriwal; I also met Sunita Kejriwal (wife of Delhi CM). I believe the way Sanjay Singh (AAP Rajya Sabha MP) and Manish Sisodia came out, breaking the wall of their (BJPs) dictatorshipArvind Kejriwal will also come out of jail, said Mann. Sisodia, meanwhile, praised the work being done by the AAP government in Punjab. It gave me immense pleasure to meet the beloved Chief Minister of Punjab, Sardar Bhagwant Mann Ji, today. During the conversation, he told how after Delhi, now Punjab is also becoming a strong partner in Arvind Kejriwals education revolution. Seeing the development taking place in the state, one feels proud that the reins of Punjab are in the hands of Mann Saheb., he said in a post on X. He (Sisodia) became a victim of dictatorship and remained in jail for over 1.5 years. When they did not find anything (evidence) against him, we got some relief, and ultimately truth triumphed. We pray for his good health and hope that he will again get back to work to make the future of the children of Delhi bright, said Mann. The AAP came into power in Delhi in February 2020, and with six months left of the current government, it is likely that Sisodia may join the Delhi cabinet. AAP leaders have said that a decision will be taken on the induction of Sisodia after consultation with Kejriwal and top party leaders. About AAP contesting assembly elections in Haryana, Mann said since AAP is a national party, it will contest all the elections. The recent Wayanad tragedy has rekindled the memory of devastating landslides of 2018 in the minds of Kodagus residents and yet the district continues to struggle with landslides, encroachment and environmental threats. In August 2018, relentless rainfall triggered landslides that caused death of 20 people, destroyed over 4,000 homes, and forced the evacuation of 18,000 people. (HT) In August 2018, relentless rainfall triggered landslides that caused death of 20 people, destroyed over 4,000 homes, and forced the evacuation of 18,000 people. It was a disaster of unprecedented scale, marking the first major landslide-related calamity in Karnataka. Even though the Karnataka government and its people stood by its neighbours in times of crisis, the problems at home were being ignored for years. When, in response to this tragedy in Wayanad, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) conducted a study, it, identified 104 disaster-prone areas in Kodagu. Authorities have since earmarked nearly 3,000 families for relocation to safer zones, with 313 families already moved, and 10 relief centres set up for temporary shelter. Plans are underway to establish 95 more relief centres across the district, in preparation for future evacuations. According to experts, the critical situation is because of the rampant deforestation in Kodagu. Col CP Muthanna, former president of the Coorg Wildlife Society, has warned that the unchecked destruction of forests and rapid construction are endangering the districts ecosystems, particularly the watershed of the Cauvery river. He said that if the present trend of commercial conversions continues in Kodagu, then within a few years, Gonikoppal, Ponnampet, and Virajpet will become a single large city like Mysuru. In North Kodagu, Madikeri. Kushalnagar, and Somwarpet will become likewise. If we have two Mysuru-sized cities in Kodagu, then all the Cauvery water will be required within Kodagu and the 70% of water supply to Bengaluru will be cut off, he said. He added that said that one of the reasons for the water shortage in Bengaluru is the rampant and unchecked commercial land conversions and urbanisation of Kodagu, and argued against giving No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for such conversions in the district. The widespread encroachment on forest land in the Western Ghats, threatens the fragile ecosystems. The Kodagu division of the forest department has registered over 3,000 cases of encroachment, with some already in the process of eviction. The Madikeri division alone faces 3,410 pending cases involving over 5,500 acres of forest land. These are just known cases, said a forest department official, who didnt want to be named. According to the government, despite stringent legal provisions, Karnataka has lost around 25,767 acres of forest land due to encroachment between 2014 and 2023. The recent environmental disaster in Wayanad, have intensified concerns about the impact of these encroachments. In response, on August 2, forest minister Eshwar Khandre formed a special task force (STF) to tackle this issue. The forest encroachment clearance operation in the Western Ghats and other Ghats has started. The task force will work diligently to clear illegal resorts, homestays, and other encroachments in all Ghats, including the Western Ghats, which span 10 districts of the state, he said. The newly formed task force will operate under the leadership of the principal chief conservator of forests and chief forest task force. Clear instructions have been given to carry out clearance operations in all cases regarding encroachments in the forests in the Ghat areas after 2015, the minister said. However, the removal of encroachment is just one part of the problem, according to the environmental activists. The controversial K Kasturirangan commission report, which proposed designating 20,668 square km in Karnataka as an Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA), is back in the spotlight after the Wayanad tragedy. Although the government initially rejected the report, chief minister Siddaramaiah has now signalled a potential re-evaluation, acknowledging the need for further discussion. K Kasturirangan commission report (formally titled Report of the High-Level Working Group on Western Ghats) was submitted in 2013. The government is against the implementation of the Kasturirangan committee report. Though the government rejected the report, we will discuss the issue with forest minister Eshwar Khandre and not make a hasty decision. The issue needs more discussions before arriving at any decision, he added. Environmentalists are divided on the ESA designation. A faction opposing the Kasturirangan report expressed concerns that the reports recommendations, which include restrictions on permanent structures, roads, industries, and tourism infrastructure within the ESA, would severely impact the livelihoods of local villagers and hinder regional development. In contrast, environmentalists argued that the rapid development occurring in Karnatakas Western Ghats benefits outsiders rather than residents. As the debate continues, Kodagus environmental challenges grow more urgent. The districts booming tourism industry, which attracted over 42 lakh visitors last year alone, is straining natural resources and heightening the risk of future disasters. As Kodagu braces for the rest of the monsoon season, the district finds itself at a crossroads, balancing the demands of development with the urgent need to protect its natural environment. The coming months will likely determine whether the region can avoid another disaster or face a repeat of the tragic events of 2018. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday blamed outsiders and Opposition parties for vandalism at the RG Kar Hospital, saying 'bam' (the Left) and 'Ram' (the BJP) organised the violence. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee after the 'State Reception' at the Governor House on 78th Independence Day.(PTI) "Bam (Left) and Ram (BJP) want to create unrest in Bengal and they both have come together to do this," she said. She said those who vandalised the hospital on Wednesday weren't linked to the agitation of doctors over the rape and murder of a PG trainee doctor. She said outsiders and political parties carried out the vandalism. "The people who vandalised RG Kar Hospital yesterday and created this ruckus are not connected to the student movement of RG Kar Medical College, they are outsiders, I have seen as many videos, I have three videos as I can see, in which some people are holding national flags, they are BJP people, and some are DYFI are holding white and red flags," CM Banerjee said, per ANI. On Wednesday night, a mob entered the RG Kar Hospital campus, causing damage to the protest site, vehicles and public property. The protesting doctors and nurses said the mob wasn't part of the agitation. Banerjee also praised the police for their restraint during the incident. Yesterday, police were attacked; among them was one Deputy Commissioner (DC) who was there for security purposes, and two Officer-in-charges (OCs). For one hour, they couldn't be found, and when they were found, they were unconscious and were seen blood oozing out from their heads. I informed the police at 3 am and had them taken to Apollo Hospital... I would like to congratulate them that they did not lose patience, they did not hurt anyone, she said. She said the case wasn't in the hands of the Bengal police as it was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. "Now the case is not in our hands, it is in the hands of CBI, if you have something to say, then tell CBI, we have no objection...," Banerjee added. She said the only punishment for the rape and murder of the doctor was hanging. "This is a very big crime, and the only punishment for it is that the accused should be hanged, if the culprit is hanged then only people will learn a lesson from it but no innocent should be punished," she added. The doctor was raped, tortured and killed inside the seminar hall of the state-run hospital. She had gone to the hall to rest during her night shift. With inputs from ANI Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: The ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday clarified the reasons behind West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to lead a protest rally in response to the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The explanation comes amidst backlash on social media following the announcement of her participation in the protest. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee decided to lead a protest rally on August 17 in response to the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. (ANI file) While TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said the public outrage is entirely understandable, he explained the reason why Mamata Banerjee decided to lead the rally on Friday, August 16. "'Why is @MamataOfficial leading a rally on the RG Kar Hospital incident? Fair question. Because: CBI, which is now handling the case, must give daily updates on the investigation. The deadline given by the CM to Kolkata Police to complete the investigation was August 17. The same must apply to CBI. Kolkata Police has arrested one accused. Justice will happen only when CBI nabs ALL involved and sends case to a fast-track court," Derek O'Brien wrote on social media platform X (formally Twitter). The Trinamool MP further said the Central Bureau of Investigation taking over the case shouldnt lead to it being quietly buried. The urgent need of the hour is swift justice and the harshest punishment for the culprits. No one who committed this barbaric act must be spared, he said. Kolkata Police arrests 19 miscreants for RG Kar Hospital vandalism Derek O'Brien also pointed to the arrest of 19 miscreants allegedly involved in the mob violence at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital premises on early Thursday morning. On Friday, the Kolkata Police said it has arrested 19 miscreants for the violence. Taking to social media Kolkata Police today said, 19 arrests so far in RG Kar hospital vandalism. Five of them were identified by social media feedback. If you recognise any of the suspects from our earlier posts, kindly inform us. Thank you for your support and trust. P.S. Those who attacked and ransacked the hospital also need to be booked. The police have arrested 19 people, Derek O'Brien wrote. The father of the Kolkata trainee doctor who was raped and murdered inside a state-run hospital has said he declined to accept compensation because it would hurt her deceased daughter. He said all he wants from the authorities is "justice". Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Medical professionals and students participate in a silent march as they condemn the rape and murder of a doctor.(AFP) "I have turned down the compensation. It will hurt my daughter if I accept money as compensation for her death. I want justice," he told reporters. The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the grisly rape and murder, met with the deceased's family on Thursday. The victim's father refused to divulge what transpired at the meeting. However, he said the CBI assured the family that the accused will be arrested soon. He also thanked the masses for supporting them. "It is not lawfully appropriate to give details on our conversation with the CBI. I can't give you details on the questioning that has been done in connection with this case. They have recorded our statement and taken it in writing...I express gratitude to everyone, regarding the protest that has been happening across the country and world. I consider everyone who is standing with us, as my sons and daughters...CBI has assured us that the accused will be arrested at the earliest and awarded strict punishment based on whatever we have told them," he added. The trainee doctor was raped and murdered inside the seminar hall of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The victim had gone to the hall to rest during her graveyard shift. The victim's post-mortem report revealed blood was oozing out of her private parts, eyes and mouth, indicating she was brutally thrashed and subjected to genital torture. On Wednesday, the victim's father told a news channel she was a hardworking student. Citing a diary entry, he said his daughter wanted to become the gold medalist in her post-graduate medical course. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Crime Branch Thursday summoned five doctors and hospital staff for questioning. The incident has triggered worldwide outrage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the Kolkata rape and murder in his 11th Independence Day speech. Hestressed the need to instill the fear of the law in those who plan to commit crimes against women. Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case updates: Kolkata witnessed political protests and rallies on Friday, August 16, as the BJP's women's wing will hold a candlelight rally to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's residence demanding her resignation over the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor and vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. A nurse breaks down after the violence at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. (Samir Jana/HT Photo) Mamata Banerjee also took to the streets on Friday demanding capital punishment for the accused in the trainee doctor's rape-murder case. The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), meanwhile, called for a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal on August 16 in protest against the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital by a mob and demanding the arrest of all those involved in the rape and murder of a woman post-graduate trainee doctor in the medical establishment. Mamata Banerjee has announced launching a protest to demand justice for the Kolkata trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at city's RG Kar College and Hospital. The chief minister also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation, which took over the probe from the Kolkata Police, to ensure justice within next Sunday. The Kolkata Metro Railway on Thursday announced it would run normal services on August 16 when a 12-hour general strike has been called by Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist). Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6am on August 17 to protest against the incident and the subsequent vandalism at the RG Kar hospital on early Thursday morning. Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case: The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) has called for a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal on August 16 in protest against the vandalisation at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital by a mob and demanding the arrest of all those involved in the rape and murder of a woman post-graduate trainee doctor in the medical establishment. Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha will organise silent candlelight march in all the district headquarters of West Bengal on Friday evening against the rape and murder of the woman doctor. The march will be taken out outside RG Kar Medical College by the BJP Mahila Morcha under the leadership of National Mahila Morcha president Vanati Srinivasan along with National Office Bearer of Mahila Morcha and Rajya Sabha MP Darshan Singh, Sangeeta Yadav, Geeta Shakya and Indu Bala Goswami and West Bengal Incharge Pooja Kapil Mishra at 6pm on August 16. The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association has also called for a day-long cease-work on Friday to protest the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. In a statement, the association denounced any attempts to conceal evidence related to the rape-murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor and demanded justice for the victim's family. In Delhi, the Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) will be holding a joint protest march on Friday from 2pm from the Nirman Bhavan in the National Capital. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) also held an emergency meeting to discuss the rape-murder incident on Thursday and the association has decided to hold a candle march at India Gate at 5pm on Friday. In its official statement, IMA stated that routine OPDs and elective surgeries will not take place during those 24 hours; however, other essential services will be maintained. The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) also announced a protest against the incident at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on August 16. Meanwhile, people from the Bengali film and television industry have also joined hands with protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. The incident triggered massive protests. On Wednesday, the protest ground and the hospital campus at RG Kar hospital were vandalised by a mob, forcing the security personnel to disperse the crowd. (With inputs from PTI, ANI) Kolkata doctor rape-murder case updates: A clash broke out between Bharatiya Janata Party workers and Kolkata Police outside CGO Complex on Friday during a protest demanding justice for the victim of the RG Kar's Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case. Several BJP workers were detained by police during the protest. Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) activists being detained during their 12-hour general strike against the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, Friday. (PTI) A scuffle also broke out between Kolkata Police and Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) SUCI (C) in Hazra when the latter were protesting during a 12-hour general strike call in West Bengal in solidarity with the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College on August 9, reported news agency ANI. The SUCI (C) supporters were detained in Kolkata. SUCI (C) supporters were then arrested and taken to Lalbazar Police station in Kolkata after they staged a protest at Hazra Intersection. Doctors protest across India Meanwhile, doctors and representatives of various medical organisations across the country staged protests at various locations. Medical services in Rajasthan were derailed due to outrage over the horrific incident at RG Kar Medical College. Resident doctors of Sawai Man Singh Hospital (SMS) Medical College have announced a complete shutdown. Resident doctors are scheduled to take out a rally from Dhanvantari OPD in SMS Medical College to Statue Circle in Jaipur. Apart from OPD and ICU, the shutdown has had a wide impact on all kinds of emergency services in SMS. Most of the routine operations have been postponed in SMS for the last 5 to 6 days. Serving doctors also boycotted work for one hour on Friday. In Patna, protesting doctors at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science said that until justice is given, services will not be provided. "Emergency facilities have also been closed since late last night and tomorrow we will also take out a march across the country. The emergency services will also remain closed as the main accused has not been caught yet and we want justice," doctors said. The doctors demanded that the Central Protection Act should be implemented immediately. At AIIMS Delhi, Dr Kumar Kartikay said, "We want to peacefully put forward our demands. We demand a Central Protection Act for healthcare workers. Till we do not get a written assurance, we will continue our strike... We are expecting around 3000-5000 people at Nirman Bhawan today from all the medical colleges in Delhi... We will not step back or sit quietly till we get an assurance that action will be taken." Junior doctors and medical students at AIIMS Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh staged a protest and performed a street play to protest against the horrific incident. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which has led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. 19 arrested for vandalism at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital Kolkata Police said it has so far arrested 19 people in connection with the vandalism and violence at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the metropolis. Those arrested were remanded to police custody by a city court till August 22, officials said. The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalised by miscreants on Thursday amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal, condemning the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in the hospital's seminar hall on August 9. Several persons, including some policemen, were injured in the violence. By , Kolkata News Highlights: CBI summoned four doctors from RG Kar hospital amid probe over trainee doctor's rape-murder case. Union Minister of State and BJP state President Sukanta Majumdar, party leader Agnimitra Paul and others during a candlelight march for the victim of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital murder case (PTI Photo) Kolkata News Highlights: Amid the ongoing probe over the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College, the CBI has summoned four doctors on Friday. The body of a 31-year-old trainee woman doctor was found in a semi-naked state in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on Friday morning. According to the police, the incident took place between 3am and 5am. The autopsy report of the victim indicated that the woman was sexually assaulted before being strangled and smothered to death. According to the report, there was bleeding from both her eyes and mouth and injuries over the face, nails, belly, left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger, and lips. The victim was also bleeding from her private parts, the report said....Read More Massive protests have rocked the country over the gruesome crime in Kolkata, with doctors demanding a thorough probe into the incident and strict punishment for the accused persons. Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) across Delhi will be holding a joint protest march on Friday, August 16, from the Nirman Bhavan in the national capital. The protests will begin at 2 pm. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) also held an emergency meeting to discuss the rape-murder incident on Thursday, and the association decided to hold a candle march at India Gate at 5 pm today. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will lead a protest rally on Saturday, August 17, to demand justice for the victim. The rally will be held from Moulali to Dharmtala in Kolkata. Here are the latest updates on the Kolkata doctor's rape and murder case: One accused, identified as Sanjoy Roy, has been arrested in the case so far. Roy, a civic volunteer who is not associated with the RG Kar Medical College but used to visit the place frequently, was arrested on Saturday, following which he was sent to a 14-day police under the charges of sections 64 (rape) and 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. According to the probe, after severely hurting and sexually assaulting the doctor, Roy killed her by throttling and smothering her. Several doctors from hospitals across the country had suspended their non-emergency services after the incident, but resumed it after a meeting with JP Nadda. On Wednesday, the CBI took over the probe from the Kolkata police, following which a team of senior CBI officials - comprising medical and forensic experts reached Kolkata to investigate the case. A large group of unidentified men stormed into Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital around 12.40 am on Thursday and destroyed hospital property at rampant in the middle of the junior doctors ongoing agitation. The incident took place while midnight protests named Reclaim the Night were being held by women against the horrific rape and murder of the doctor at the hospital. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the vandalism was carried out by "TMC goons" sent by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The father of the doctor who was raped and murdered last week at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata said on Friday that it is concerning to him that no one called her for seven hours while she was on duty. Resident doctors of BHU take part in a march demanding justice for RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim in Varanasi on Friday.(PTI) He said his daughter was on duty in the outpatient department (OPD), left home around 8.10 am, and last spoke to her mother around 11.15 pm. My daughter left for duty around 8.10 am that day. She was working in the OPD and last spoke to her mother around 11.15 pm. When my wife tried calling her in the morning, the phone rang but went unanswered as my daughter had already passed away by then, said deceased doctor's father. The concern is that despite being on duty, no one needed her from 3 am to 10 am and those protesting are like my own children. What is concerning that despite being a doctor on call , no one needed her from 3 am to 10 am. While my daughter has passed away, countless people are now supporting me. She faced issues in college and the whole department is under suspicion. I support those protesting and have spoken to CBI officials also, he added. The parents informed the Central Bureau of Investigation that they believe several interns and physicians from the hospital may be involved in their daughter's murder. They also provided the names of individuals they suspect to the central agency, which is investigating the case under a Calcutta High Court order. The agency is focusing on questioning these individuals as well as Kolkata Police officers involved in the initial investigation. The CBI on Friday summoned a house staff member and two post-graduate trainees who were on duty with the doctor the night of the murder. They also escorted former hospital principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh for questioning. Dr. Ghosh, who resigned two days after the body was found, had feared for his safety, leading his lawyer to seek protection from the Calcutta High Court, which directed him to approach a single bench. As part of the investigation, CBI officers conducted a crime scene reconstruction and 3D tracking at the hospital's seminar hall. The post-graduate trainee's body was discovered in the seminar room of RG Kar Hospital on August 9, and a civic volunteer was arrested the following day. With PTI inputs Amid outrage on the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a nationwide shutdown of medical services, irrespective of sector of workplace. IMA said in its statement that the shutdown will remain in place for 24 hours, starting on Saturday, August 17. Resident doctors and medical students protest in Mumbai on Friday. (Anshuman Poyrekar/ HT Photo) Doctors earlier had called off their strike over the horrific incident, but decided to continue after the RG Kar Medical College, the scene of the crime, was vandalised by a mob of unidentified people during a late-night peaceful protest on August 14. In its press release, the IMA said that it has declared 24-hour withdrawal of services by all the modern medicine doctors of the country irrespective of the sector and place of work. Emergencies and casualties will function. No OPDs. No elective surgeries. The withdrawal commences at 6 am on Saturday 17th August 2024 and ends at 6 am on Sunday 18th August 2024, the statement reads. In its list of demands, the association called for a central law to be implemented to ensure the safety of doctors and healthcare workers. The medical association further said that the security detail at hospitals should be no less than an airport. Declaring hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security entitlements is the first step. CCTVs, deployment of security personnel, and protocols can follow, it said. The association demanded a timely and transparent investigation into the gruesome crime, and said that the family of the victim doctor should be given a hefty compensation after the cruelty inflicted on their daughter. On August 9, a 31-year-old postgraduate doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, with the autopsy showing signs of sexual assault. The woman had sustained multiple injuries, was bleeding from her eyes and mouth, and her pelvic girdle was broken. This kicked up a major nationwide outrage and the doctor fraternity across the country went on strike, demanding swift justice and improved laws to ensure safety in the workplace. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged that the opposition parties CPI(M) and BJP were responsible for the vandalism at RG Kar Hospital and were spreading false information on social media to hide the truth about the rape and murder of a woman doctor. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee along with party leaders and supporters takes part in a protest rally demanding justice for a woman doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. (PTI) Banerjee called for the death penalty for the culprits and praised the Kolkata Police for their work on the case, which was later given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Calcutta High Court. She asked the investigative agency to solve the case by Sunday and demanded the culprits be hanged. We want the truth to come out, but some quarters are spreading lies to mislead people. Attempts are being made to hide the truth by circulating fake news on social media. We condemn these activities. We want the culprits to be punished, PTI quoted Banerjee as saying while addressing a rally. She led a protest rally from Moulali to Dorina Crossing in Kolkata, demanding justice for the woman doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last week. The nexus between the Left and BJP should be exposed. The CPI(M) and the BJP are behind the vandalism of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. They vandalized the hospital to destroy evidence of the ghastly crime, the chief minister added. The post-graduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in a seminar room at the state-run health facility on August 9. The following day, a civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime. Early Thursday morning, a group of people entered the hospital and vandalized the emergency department, nursing unit, and medicine store. They also damaged CCTV cameras and ransacked a stage where junior doctors had been protesting the alleged rape and murder, demanding improved security at their workplace. With PTI inputs Amid nationwide strikes, Resident Doctors' Associations (RDA)across Delhi have announced that they will be holding a joint protest on Friday, August 16, demanding justice for the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Amid nationwide strikes, Resident Doctors' Associations (RDA)across Delhi have announced that they will be holding a joint protest on Friday(PTI) On Thursday night, doctors and nursing officers of Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, stood in solidarity with the protests at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata and carried a candlelight march. Also Read: Chaos as mob storms hospital amid night protest In a press release by AIIMS RDA, they stated that it had been unanimously decided after a meeting with representatives of RDA's across Delhi that a joint protest march would take place on August 16 from 2pm at Nirman Bhavan. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) also held an emergency meeting on Thursday and decided to hold a candlelight march from 5pm at India Gate. President of the DMA Dr Alok Bhandari also warned the state of the consequences if justice was not seen to its end, saying, If the government still does not wake up and does not find a permanent solution to these problems, then people associated with the medical profession will have to come on the streets. Also Read: Doctors to withdraw services for 24 hours on Aug 17, says IMA After mob violence disrupted protests on August 14 night at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Kolkata, where the body of the trainee doctor was found, the Indian Medical Association announced a nationwide strike by doctors on August 17. In their statement, they said, Subsequent to the brutal crime in R G Kar Medical College, Kolkata, and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day (Wednesday night), the Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 am Sunday, August 18 for 24 hours. As strikes and protests spread across the country due to national outrage, the Central Bureau of Investigation has begun its probe into the case. A low-pressure area that has formed over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of West Bengal and Bangladesh is likely to bring widespread rainfall over northwest India next week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday. A woman enjoys the rain at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. (PTI Photo) The low-pressure area is likely to move north-northwestwards over the next 2 days and spread over Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal. Thereafter, it is likely to move west-northwestwards further into Jharkhand and adjoining areas in the subsequent 3 days. The low-pressure area will move towards Rajasthan after crossing Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. After the next three days, we can expect widespread rain over NW India also, IMD director general M Mohapatra said. The monsoon trough at mean sea level is likely to remain active and near its normal position during the week. Meanwhile, a cyclonic circulation is lying over northwest Rajasthan and its neighbourhood, extending up to the mid-tropospheric levels. A cyclonic circulation is also lying over south interior Karnataka and its neighbourhood. The trough is now running from north interior Karnataka to Comorin area, across the cyclonic circulation in lower tropospheric levels. The IMD predicts isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka over the next 2-3 days. There is a 5% excess in rainfall over India since June 1, with 12% excess rain over central India, 20% excess over South Peninsula, 0% excess over northwest India and 12% deficiency over east and northeast India. Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia interacted with the people of Delhi as he took to the streets of Greater Kailash on Friday, launching his padyatra. Sisodia greeted people in the GK constituency and discussed their issues as AAP prepares for the Delhi assembly elections in 2025. AAP leader Manish Sisodia along with Saurabh Bhardwaj meets the locals of Kalkaji during a Padyatra, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, August 16, 2024. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna / Hindustan Times)(Hindustan Times) Sisodia, who is the former deputy chief minister of Delhi, said that he "felt very happy to be among the people again." The AAP leader walked out of Tihar Jail recently, where he was lodged for 17 months in connection with the liquor excise policy case. "They prayed for me and now welcoming me back. Now, they are praying for Arvind Kejriwal and he will also be out soon," Sisodia told reporters during the nearly two-hour-long march that started from DDA Flats, Kalkaji. In a post on X, Sisodia said that a woman walked up to him during his interaction with the crowd and tied a rakhi on his wrist. "It was an emotional moment for me. I was away from the people for 17 months but there is no let up in their love for me," the AAP leader said. Similar to Greater Kailash, Manish Sisodia will hold marches across all 70 assembly constituencies in Delhi over the coming days, as part of campaigning for the elections next year. On Friday, many locals greeted Sisodia with flowers and raised his posters welcoming him. One man raised a poster that described Sisodia as a "revolutionary" in the field of education. Announcements were kept being made as Sisodia criss-crossed the area on foot, hailing him as the "father of education revolution in Delhi." Sisodia also met with many children and interacted with them during his march. See these small children, they are future of Delhi. I have to work for them. The whole politics of Arvind Kejriwal is based on shaping a better country for them, he said. Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj and several AAP leaders and volunteers accompanied the former Delhi education minister during the march. (With inputs from PTI) The Congress on Friday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. We were expecting that dates for all four Assemblies will be announced because only yesterday we heard the Prime Minister loudly shouting that there should be One Nation, One Election. Now if they cant do four Assemblies together, then why do they give these hollow slogans? Congress leader Pawan Khera told PTI. "The expectation of the Congress is that we will win all four, two we will win in October and the other two, well win in December, he added. The elections to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1. Haryana will vote in only one phase on October 1. Counting of votes in both Haryana and J&K will be held on October 4. However, the Election Commission did not announce the schedule for Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the other two poll-bound states. Congress leader Pawan Khera said that the party will win all four assembly elections set to be held later this year. On Maharashtra, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar said assembly elections in Maharashtra, which were held along with Haryana in 2019, will be announced later due to security requirements for Jammu and Kashmir. ALSO READ: EC skips Maharashtra over rain; Thackeray takes 'one nation, one election' jibe He said four elections are due this year and by early next year and since Jammu and Kashmir was not in the picture last time (2019-20) the poll panel decided to group two assembly elections together. Frequent elections create obstacles in countrys progress': PM Modi In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for One Nation, One Election. Frequent elections create obstacles in a country's progress. Request everyone to come together to achieve resolve of one nation, one election, he said. CEC Kumar said the next set of elections will be announced after the completion of the polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. Spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Thursday said the Kolkata trainee doctor's rape and murder case shows the amount of frustration and lack of morality ethics in the society. Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar (Mujeeb Faruqui/HT photo) A very unpleasant incident has occurred in the recent days that shows the amount of frustration and lack of morality ethics in the society. But at the same time, you see, Navaratri is going to come and women are going to be there. People are dancing, and they are partying. All that is happening, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said in a video released on the Art of Living. According to the spiritual leader, atrocities against women, children, or the elderly should be dealt with an iron fist. There are pockets in this country which still are not very safe. Unfortunately, they have to deal with an iron fist very strongly, and one should condemn any such atrocity on women, children, or elderly people. It's very serious. We have to take it up because we can't allow the culture of the society to go down on wrong path. The culture of the society diminished, and a culture of violence took over what had not been part of India. For millenniums a lot of awareness needs to be created and a lot of work needs to be done, he said. On the violence during the late night doctors' protest in Kolkata, the spiritual leader said that it shows a lack of awareness. They are there to save the lives of the people, and they have been attacked...This shows such a lack of awareness. Let me tell the medical community in this whole country and the world that we are with you. Our solidarity is with you all, he said. In another post, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar condemned the incident and urged to implement more stringent measures to protect women. The inhuman crime against the young lady doctor and the mob attack on the hospital have shocked the entire nation. This should never be repeated, he wrote on X. The body of a 31-year-old trainee woman doctor was found in a semi-naked state in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College last week. According to the police, the incident took place between 3am and 5am. The autopsy report of the victim indicated that the woman was sexually assaulted before being strangled and smothered to death. According to the probe, after severely hurting and sexually assaulting the doctor, the arrested accused, identified as Sanjoy Roy, killed her by throttling and smothering her. Protests across country The gruesome incident has spared widespread outrage and led to protests within and beyond the medical community across the country. The Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) across Delhi will be holding a joint protest march on Friday, August 16, from the Nirman Bhavan in the national capital, while the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) will hold a candle march at India Gate at 5 pm. Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee will lead a protest rally on Saturday to demand justice for the victim. The rally will be held from Moulali to Dharmtala in Kolkata. Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of people smashed through police barricades to storm the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, wrecking the emergency unit, several wards and medical equipment at the government facility, even as the streets throbbed with irate protesters at midnight marches. Roughly 29 million people in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana will vote in assembly polls held between September 18 and October 1, the election commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday, laying the stage for the first major democratic contest since the general elections three months ago. The panel also reserved nine seats for scheduled tribes, a first, renamed some assembly constituencies, and redrew some others. (PTI) The first assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir in a decade will be held in three phases on September 18 and 25, and October 1. This is also the first assembly polls in the restive region since its special status and statehood were scrapped five years ago and is likely to be the last step before the Union territorys statehood is restored. Elections in Haryana will be held in a single phase on October 1. The votes for both elections will be counted on October 4. The long queues at the polling booth in J&K during the Lok Sabha elections are proof that people not only want change but also want to raise their voices by becoming a part of that change, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. He was referring to a historic turnout of 58.46% in the region during the general elections. This glimpse of hope and democracy shows that the people want to change the picture. They want to write their own destiny. The announcement came hours after a major police reshuffle in J&K, which has been convulsed by mounting terror attacks in the Jammu region. A month ago, the Union government also widened the scope of the lieutenant governors (LG) powers, in what is likely to be a significant poll issue. There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies in J&K, of which 74 are general, nine are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and seven for Scheduled Castes. ECI said it will set up 11,838 polling booths, with three floating on the Dal Lake. We recently visited Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana to take stock of the election preparation in these places. A great enthusiasm was seen among the peoplethey chose ballot over bullet in Lok Sabha elections, Kumar added. People want elections to be conducted there as early as possible. Last year, the Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of Article 370 but fixed a deadline of September 30 for assembly elections to be held in the region. Though the poll calendar breached this deadline, Kumar defended the schedule citing security concerns. In Haryana, the announcement came months after surprising Lok Sabha results showed the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress locked in a neck-and-neck fight. The 90-member assembly has 73 general seats and 17 reserved for the scheduled castes. Kumar said ECI will fight to reverse urban voting apathy by setting up polling booths in high-rises. In Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonipat, many polling stations have been shifted to high-rise societies so that congestion is reduced and also polling percentage increases. This is one way of handling urban apathy in elections, Kumar said. Some stations will also be set up in slum areas, he added. In all, 20,629 polling booths will be set up. This is the first assembly polls in the Jammu & Kashmir since a controversial delimitation exercise earmarked 47 assembly seats for Kashmir and 43 for Jammu in its final order. The panel gave Jammu six additional seats and Kashmir one, sparking allegations from the Opposition that the balance was tilting in favour of Hindu-majority Jammu. The panel also reserved nine seats for scheduled tribes, a first, renamed some assembly constituencies, and redrew some others. In 2014, the Peoples Democratic Party emerged as the single-largest party with 28 seats and formed an alliance of ideological extremes with the BJP, which had 25 seats. But the coalition collapsed early in 2018 after the BJP withdrew support and Governors Rule was imposed in June that year in controversial circumstances. On August 5, 2019, the Union government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the erstwhile region. I welcome the announcement of the assembly elections in Jammu and KashmirIn the last 10 years, the Modi government through a series of relentless initiatives has created a new era of peace, development and strengthening democracy in J-K, Union home minister Amit Shah, whose ministry oversees the LG in the region, said on X. Mainstream parties in J&K welcomed the announcement but sounded caution on LG Manoj Sinhas recent expansion of powers. We are ready for the pollsNow people will come out in large numbers to participate in the elections, said former chief minister and National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah. Though part of the wider Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, the Congress, PDP and NC are likely to fight the elections individually. Among ordinary people, the mood was more sombre as many people said the restoration of statehood was the main issue for them. If we dont get statehood back, its completely a whitewash. The people will come out to vote in big numbers in Kashmir as they want their basic rights back which has been promised to them, said Mudasir Naqshbandi, a lawyer in Srinagar. The schedule was announced a month after the Union government widened the scope of the Centre-appointed LGs powers from police and public order to postings and prosecution sanctions. The Opposition alleges that this has left the elected government with nominal powers over sectors such as education and culture. The polls are likely to revolve around issues of statehood, Kashmiri identity, the impact of Article 370s abrogation and the spike in terror in Jammu, as well as everyday developmental and civic issues. Security scenario has deteriorated across Jammu since June this year Now, we have to see how the government and forces deal with the terrorists, said Sumit Raina, a Jammu resident. This year, 13 security personnel and 11 civilians have died in separate extremist attacks in Jammu, with security forces gunning down six terrorists in the region. In Kashmir, five personnel and seven civilians have died in terror attacks this year. Security forces have killed 21 terrorists in the Valley in the same period. In Haryana, the polls will be held months after the ruling BJP, which has been in power in the state since 2014, and Congress won five Lok Sabha seats each. This was the first time in a decade that the BJP didnt sweep the state. In 2019, the BJP won 40 of the 90 seats and formed the government in alliance with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which won 10. The Congress won 31 seats. But earlier this year, the ruling coalition collapsed after the JJP abruptly withdrew support, prompting the BJP to change its chief minister from Manohar Lal Khattar to Nayab Singh Saini. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, both part of the INDIA bloc, are likely to fight the elections alone. The elections are likely to be fought on a host of issues ranging from anti-incumbency against the BJP government to discontent around the governments short-service armed services recruitment scheme, Agnipath. Protests by Indias top wrestlers against sexual harassment and caste fault lines are likely to be other issues. I welcome the announcement and our workers are already preparing to contest the elections. And of course, just like the government has been formed at the Centre under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, in the same way, the BJP will form the government for the third time in Haryana, Khattar said. The Congress, which only rules three states on its own and is looking to win in Haryana, projected confidence. We are ready and the people of Haryana are also ready, said former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. In 2019, Haryana went to the polls along with Maharashtra but ECI cited security concerns for the staggered schedule. Earlier Maharashtra and Haryana happened together. At that time, Jammu & Kashmir was not a factor so one could have gone a little later. This time there are four elections this year and fifth just immediately afterwards Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. So depending on the requirement of forces which are in a higher tone in Jammu & Kashmir, we decided to hold elections in two states at a time. We cannot announce another [election] in the middle of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, Kumar said. But the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra alleged that the state polls were delayed to allow the Centre to announce sops for Maharashtra, a state where the National Democratic Alliance performed poorly in the 2024 elections. Seems like the EC is giving them breathing time to allow their contractors to loot our state, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday approached the Delhi high court seeking directions to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to cancel the Indian citizenship of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. According to a report by legal website Bar and Bench, Swamy had written to the home ministry in 2019 in which he claimed that a firm named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in 2003 and the Congress MP was one of its directors and secretary. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and Rahul Gandhi Swamy alleged that the firm's annual returns filed on October 10, 2005 and October 31, 2006 showed that Rahul Gandhi declared his nationality as British. The Bar and Bench report further quotes Swamy who alleged that Backops Limited's dissolution application on February 17, 2009 had Gandhi's nationality again declared as British. Swamy alleges Rahul Gandhi violated Constitution Swamy alleged that it violated Article 9 of the Constitution of India and the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955. According to the report, the home ministry on April 29, 2019 had written to Rahul Gandhi and asked him to put forward the factual position in this regard within a fortnight. The BJP alleged that even after five years since his letter, there is no clarity on the home ministry on the decision taken on Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi has been an MP for five terms, having represented Amethi for three terms between 2004 till 2019 when he was defeated by BJP's Smriti Irani. He was elected from Kerala's Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi, elected as an MP from Congress bastion Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, is the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha. The grand old party is the largest member of the INDIA bloc with 99 seats. The Congress got the leader of opposition post after a gap of 10 years. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday denied allegations of a cover-up in the case of rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra.(X/Mahua Moitra) In a video message posted on X, Moitra expressed deep anguish over the incident and said that her heart bleeds for the victim. This could be me, you. It could be all of us, women, she said. The least we can expect is an atmosphere of safety at our workspace. Further, acknowledging the fear and insecurity triggered by the incident, the TMC MP pointed out that "there is room for propaganda in the fog of emotion. The story that is going around that the state government and, most of all, the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) and all of us who are elected representatives are indulging in some kind of systematic cover-up is absolutely wrong and incorrect, Mahua Moitra said. She added that Mamata Banerjee was in Jhargram-Medinipur when the incident happened and that the chief minister spoke to the doctor's family as soon as she was informed about it. "The chief minister was in Jhargram-Medinipur when the incident happened. When she was informed about it she spoke to the family of the girl immediately. Upon her return to Kolkata, she went and visited them within 12 hours. The police arrested the prime suspect on the basis of CCTV evidence," Moitra said. She said that the chief minister offered to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and pointed out that the investigation relies heavily on forensic evidence, which is currently with the Central Forensic Lab. It is impossible to make arrests without forensic or CCTV evidence, Moitra noted. Mahua slams Opposition In her video message, the Krishnanagar MP criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in Opposition in the state, for their remarks that TMC MPs are gungi gudiyas (mute dolls). "There is no cover-up. Mamata Banerjee is the only lady chief minister in India and has always stood for women's causes. To somehow put a political leaning to this and say that all of us are gungi gudiya (mute dolls) is some kind of political narrative that we had to face before and that we are going to fight back again," Moitra said. Moitra's response comes after West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar had criticised the TMC, saying that none of their woman MP have spoken about the rape and murder of the doctor in Kolkata. He had also alleged that a particular TMC MP's nephew's name keeps coming up repeatedly in this case, according to ANI. "In the doctor's team, many such topics have come up in their WhatsApp group, some screenshots of this have also reached us like drugs, racket, sex racket...One TMC MP's nephew's name keeps coming up repeatedly. I don't know what the truth is, but something seems off because despite so many women MPs from TMC, not a single one has spoken much after such a major incident. Two TMC MPs and three MLAs are alumni of the same medical college, yet they seem to have been silenced, indicating that something is amiss," Majumdar had said. In a meeting of the office bearers of the MVA parties. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray said that the alliance must enter the election arena after announcing the name of its chief ministerial candidate. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray (PTI file photo) "After our experience of alliance with BJP, we are of the view that we should not follow the policy of CM post for party with the most number of MLAs in the alliance. In several past elections, with an alliance with BJP, we have experienced that to make maximum number of MLAs, parties themselves try to put their other allies' candidates down. So I will not be in favour that the party with the most number of MLAs should get the CM post," he said. Let's discuss what you (Mahayuti) do and what we do (Maha Vikas Aghadi) for the country and state, he added, per ANI. Uddhav Thackeray also said he would back any candidate announced by the Congress and NCP (SP) as the alliance's chief ministerial candidate. He said the Maharashtra assembly elections will be a fight to protect the self-respect of the state. He said the system of announcing the chief minister from the party which won most seats encourages internal conflict. He said he wasn't fighting the elections for himself but for the benefit of Maharashtra. "Many IAS officers calling me and requesting me to come again," he added. Uddhav Thackeray said that temple and waqf lands will be protected. He demanded inquiry of land deals in Ayodhya and alleged theft of gold from the Kedarnath temple. Also read: Mistake, wrong: Ajit Pawar on fielding wife Sunetra Pawar against cousin Supriya Sule NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule requested all leaders of the MVA to finalise seat sharing as soon as possible. Sule also took a dig at cousin Ajit Pawar. "Till the Lok Sabha results, they did not realise the importance of sister. One cannot buy sister's love for just 1500," she added. The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday conferred the Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage and Daring Enterprise to nurse A Sabeena, who saved over 35 lives after she ziplined across a river to treat those stuck in the landslides in Kerala's Wayanad last month. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin presents the Kalpana Chawla Award to Sabeena on August 15 for rescuing people injured in Wayanad landslides.(PTI) Chief minister MK Stalin presented the award to A Sabeena, who hails from the Nilgiris district, during the Independence Day celebrations. Wayanad's Mepaddi and Chooramala areas were hit by devastating landslides, triggered by heavy rainfall , on July 30. At least 229 persons died, and over 130 continue to remain missing. Sabeena said she got a call from her colleagues at an NGO about the requirement of nurses in Wayanad around 11am on July 30, following which she immediately left for the landslide-ravaged area. I had seen footage of the destruction, of bodies strewn everywhere and houses getting washed away, but that did not stop me. I wanted to do what I could to help, she was quoted as saying by The Times of India. Everybody has to join hands during disasters Sabeena said upon arrival, she found the people were stuck on the other side of the river and there was no way to reach out to them. The NDRF had built a zipline across the river, but no one was available. Also Read | Keralas woman ambulance driver focuses on landslide relief amid personal loss About 100 women nurses were doing various tasks but the NDRF forces wanted only male nurses to zip-line, but no one was available. Also, the women were too scared because of the fierce current, Sabeena told the newspaper. I told them I would cross over. From the moment I reached there, my only thought was saving lives. I did not think about my own anymore. Sabeena said she saw bodies being swept away in the currents as she ziplined to the other side. Over the next few days, the nurse from the Nilgris ziplined across the river 10 times to treat those stucked. We helped 35 people on the island with medical treatment. The NDRF forces managed to bring them back using the zip-line" she told the newspaper. Her act of bravery was revealed after videos of her zip-lining were shared on social media by residents of her village. The post went viral and reached Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin who invited me to the secretariat to honour me. It all happened just a few days ago and I am so happy about getting this award from the chief minister, she said. I believe everybody has to join hands during disasters irrespective of differences of language, caste, class and religion. The Calcutta High Court on Friday slammed the West Bengal government over vandalism at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a doctor was raped and murdered on August 9. The court said the vandalism of the medical facility was an absolute failure of state machinery. A nurse breaks down after the violence at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. (Samir Jana/HT Photo) The court came down heavily on the administration, saying it would shut down the hospital and shift everyone. We will close down the hospital. We will shift everyone. Close the hospital. How many patients are there? the court asked, per News18. A bench of chief justice TS Sivagnanam said the police couldn't protect themselves. Also read: Kolkata doctor rape-murder | 'Will hurt my daughter': Victim's father doesn't want money, demands The government, in its response, said a mob of 7000 congregated at the hospital. It said the seminar hall where the crime took place was protected by the police. This is an absolute failure of state machinery. There was a police force present (at the spot). They couldnt protect their own men? Sorry state of affairs. How will these doctors work fearlessly? the Chief Justice said while slamming the West Bengal government. Also read: Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Victim wrote heartbreaking diary entry hours before death You pass section 144 of the CrPC orders for any reason. When so much commotion is going on, you should have cordoned the area, he added. 7,000 people cant come walking, he said. A 32-year-old trainee doctor was murdered last week inside the hospital. She was found dead at the seminar hall of the state-run hospital in Kolkata. Her post-mortem report revealed she was raped and tortured before being smothered to death. On Thursday, the victim's father said he declined to accept compensation. He said all he wants from the authorities is justice. Looking to transform your living room into a haven of comfort and style? If you're in the market for the perfect recliner sofa set, look no further. We've curated the top 9 picks to help you create a space that's not only visually appealing but also exceptionally cosy. Chill out in style with the best recliner sofa set for ultimate comfort. Recliner sofas offer a host of benefits that go beyond just seating. First and foremost, they provide unmatched comfort with their adjustable positions, allowing you to find your ideal relaxation angle. Whether you're unwinding after a long day, enjoying a movie night, or gathering with family, these sofas offer support and comfort that make every moment more enjoyable. The best recliner sofa sets also enhance your living room's functionality. They often feature built-in recline mechanisms and plush cushioning that promote better posture and reduce stress on your back. Additionally, many models come with added features like cup holders, storage compartments, and even USB charging ports, blending convenience with luxury. By choosing one of our top picks, you're not just investing in a sofa; you're enhancing your home's comfort and style. With just a click of a button, you can bring one of these must-have recliners into your space, making your shopping experience hassle-free and your home a more inviting place. Lets explore all the options below: The Wakefit Stargazer Recliner Sofa Set is crafted to enhance your relaxation experience with both style and comfort. Upholstered in high-quality leatherette with a chic Dark Fantasy finish, this 2-seater recliner seamlessly blends with any living room decor. It features a user-friendly reclining mechanism, allowing you to effortlessly adjust to your ideal position for lounging, watching TV, or reading. The ergonomic design is backed by plush high-density foam cushions, ensuring lasting comfort and support. Plus, with a generous 3-year warranty, you can have confidence in the sofa's long-term performance and quality. Whether youre looking to relax after a long day or entertain guests in style, the Wakefit Stargazer Recliner Sofa offers the perfect combination of luxury and functionality. Specifications of Wakefit Stargazer Recliner Sofa Set: Material: Leatherette Colour: Dark Fantasy Type: 2-Seater Recliner Sofa Warranty: 3 Years Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable leatherette upholstery Leatherette may not suit all preferences Smooth and adjustable reclining mechanism Limited colour options Comfortable high-density foam cushioning May require regular maintenance What a buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers on Amazon praise the Wakefit Stargazer Recliner Sofa for its stylish design and smooth reclining feature, making it a comfortable choice for relaxation. However, some users note that while the sofa is visually appealing, it may feel firmer than expected and has a slightly higher price point. Why choose this product? The Wakefit Stargazer Recliner offers a blend of style, durability, and comfort with its high-density foam and smooth reclining mechanism. Ideal for enhancing relaxation in your living space, its sleek design and reliable warranty ensure long-lasting satisfaction. 2. Amazon Brand Solimo Musca 2 Seater Fabric Recliner Sofa Set The Amazon Brand Solimo Musca 2 Seater Fabric Recliner combines comfort and practicality for any living space. Covered in soft, durable fabric, it fits seamlessly with various decor styles. The recliner features a smooth reclining mechanism, allowing effortless adjustment to your ideal relaxation position. Plush cushioning ensures maximum comfort, while the robust construction guarantees durability for long-term use. Perfect for relaxing with a book or enjoying a movie night, this recliner also offers easy maintenance, making it a smart choice for your home. Its blend of affordability, comfort, and functionality makes it an excellent addition to any living area. Specifications of Amazon Brand Solimo Musca 2 Seater Fabric Recliner Sofa Set: Material: Fabric Type: 2-Seater Recliner Features: Smooth Reclining Mechanism, Plush Cushioning Warranty: Manufacturers Warranty Included Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Soft and durable fabric upholstery May not suit modern decor preferences Smooth and easy reclining mechanism Limited colour options Plush cushioning for extra comfort Fabric may require more frequent cleaning What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers on Amazon appreciate the Solimo Musca 2 Seater Fabric Recliner for its comfort and affordability, noting it fits well in smaller spaces. However, some mention that the fabric shows stains easily and that the recline feature has limited adjustability. Why choose this product? The Solimo Musca 2 Seater Fabric Recliner provides excellent value with its blend of comfort, durability, and affordability. Its practical features and classic design make it a smart choice for enhancing relaxation in any living space. Also Read: Best recliner sofas: Where comfort meets style, top 10 picks The Sleep Company Luxe 2+1 Seater Motorised Recliner Sofa Set is designed for ultimate relaxation and convenience. Featuring patented Smart GRID technology, this recliner set offers superior comfort with its unique lumbar support and adjustable motorised recline function. The 2+1 seater configuration includes integrated cupholders and a generous 25-litre storage compartment, perfect for keeping essentials within reach. The modern grey upholstery complements any decor, while the built-in USB charging ports ensure your devices are always powered. Ideal for cosy movie nights or relaxing evenings, this recliner set combines advanced technology with practical features to enhance your living space. Specifications of The Sleep Company Luxe 2+1 Seater Motorised Recliner Sofa Set: Material: Fabric Colour: Grey Type: 2+1 Seater Motorised Recliner Design: Unique Lumbar Support Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Advanced SmartGRID technology for comfort Higher price point compared to others Motorised recline for customizable relaxation Fabric may require regular cleaning Built-in cupholders and substantial storage USB charging ports are not universally compatible What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers appreciate the comfort and handy features like USB ports and storage. Some find the motorised recline a bit noisy. Why choose this product? The Sleep Company Luxe Recliner offers cutting-edge comfort with Smart GRID technology and motorised adjustments, making it a top choice for a luxurious and functional living space. Its built-in features like USB charging and storage provide added convenience, ensuring a premium relaxation experience. 4. Amazon Brand Solimo Capri 2 Seater Fabric Recliner Sofa Set Looking for a stylish yet comfortable recliner that fits perfectly into smaller spaces? The Amazon Brand Solimo Capri 2 Seater Fabric Recliner in Mocha offers a blend of elegance and practicality. Upholstered in soft, durable fabric, this recliner features a sophisticated mocha color that complements various interior styles. Its manual reclining mechanism allows you to adjust effortlessly for the perfect relaxation angle. The plush cushioning and ergonomic design ensure exceptional comfort, making it ideal for unwinding after a long day. Built with a sturdy frame, this recliner promises long-lasting durability while its compact size makes it a smart choice for cosy areas. Specifications of Amazon Brand Solimo Capri 2 Seater Fabric Recliner Sofa Set: Material: Fabric upholstery Colour: Mocha Type: 2 Seater Recliner Recline Mechanism: Manual Cushioning: Plush foam Frame: Sturdy wood and metal Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Comfortable and plush cushioning Fabric may require regular cleaning Smooth manual reclining mechanism Recline position adjustment is limited What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers appreciate the comfort and stylish design of this recliner. Some mention its perfect for small spaces but note the manual recline can be a bit stiff. Why choose this product? The Solimo Capri Recliner is ideal for those seeking a stylish, comfortable seating option in a compact design. Its blend of elegance and functionality makes it a great choice for enhancing your living space. Also Read: Best wooden sofa: Enhance your living space with 7 exquisite picks for a stunning living room transformation Looking for a sophisticated and cosy addition to your living room? The Couch Cell Two Seater Recliner Sofa Set in Tan Suede Fabric offers a luxurious seating experience for two. Crafted from premium tan suede fabric, this recliner set combines style and comfort effortlessly. The recliner mechanism allows you to adjust the seating position to your ideal relaxation angle, making it perfect for lounging, reading, or watching TV. The high-density foam cushions provide plush support, while the sturdy wooden frame ensures long-lasting durability. With its elegant tan suede finish, this sofa set enhances any decor while offering unmatched comfort. Specifications of The Couch Cell Two Seater Recliner Sofa Set: Material: Tan suede fabric Colour Tan Type: 2 Seater Recliner Sofa Recline Mechanism: Manual Cushioning: High-density foam Frame: Sturdy wood Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Luxurious tan suede fabric adds elegance Suede may require regular maintenance Comfortable high-density foam cushions Manual recline may not suit everyone Sturdy wooden frame ensures durability Limited recline positions What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers love the elegant tan suede and comfort of this recliner. Some note that its perfect for small spaces but mention that the manual recline can be stiff. Why choose this product? The Couch Cell Two Seater Recliner Sofa Set combines luxury and comfort in a compact design. Its elegant tan suede finish and durable construction make it an excellent choice for enhancing your living area with style and functionality. 6. Home Centre Helios Toledo Pine Wood Fabric 3+2 Manual Recliner Sofa Set Looking to enhance your living room with style and comfort? The Home Centre Helios Toledo Pine Wood Fabric 3+2 Manual Recliner Sofa Set in Brown is designed to offer a luxurious seating experience. Upholstered in durable fabric, this sofa set features a rich brown colour that complements any decor. The 3+2 arrangement includes a three-seater and a two-seater, both equipped with manual recline mechanisms for customisable comfort. The pine wood frame provides sturdy support, while the high-density foam cushions ensure plush seating. Perfect for relaxing after a long day or hosting family gatherings, this recliner set combines functionality with timeless design. Specifications of Home Centre Helios Toledo Pine Wood Fabric 3+2 Manual Recliner Sofa Set: Material: Fabric upholstery, Pine wood frame Colour: Brown Type: 3+2 Seater Manual Recliner Sofa Set Recline Mechanism: Manual Cushioning: High-density foam Frame: Pine wood Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Durable fabric and pine wood construction Manual recline may require physical effort High-density foam cushions for added comfort Limited recline positions What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers appreciate the sturdy build and classic look of this recliner set. Some note that while the manual recline works well, it requires a bit of effort to adjust. Why choose this product? The Home Centre Helios Toledo Recliner Sofa Set offers both style and comfort with its durable fabric, pine wood frame, and high-density foam cushioning. Its classic design and versatile configuration make it a great addition to any living space, providing both elegance and relaxation. Also Read: Best L shape sofa: Add a touch of modern elegance to your home with the top 7 stunning picks 7. Home Centre Harvey Faux Leather 3+2 Seater Recliner Sofa Set Upgrade your living room with the Home Centre Harvey Faux Leather 3+2 Seater Recliner in Brown. This elegant sofa set combines luxury with practicality, featuring a rich faux leather upholstery that adds a sophisticated touch to any room. The set includes a three-seater and a two-seater, both equipped with smooth recline mechanisms for customizable comfort. The high-density foam cushions and sturdy frame ensure lasting support and plush seating. Ideal for enhancing your homes style and providing a comfortable seating experience, the Harvey Recliner Set is perfect for both relaxation and entertaining guests. Specifications of Home Centre Harvey Faux Leather 3+2 Seater Recliner Sofa Set: Material: Faux leather upholstery Colour: Brown Type: 3+2 Seater Recliner Sofa Set Recline Mechanism: Manual Cushioning: High-density foam Frame: Sturdy construction Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Luxurious faux leather for a sophisticated look Faux leather may show wear over time High-density foam cushions for comfort Manual recline requires physical effort Sturdy construction ensures durability Limited color options What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers love the elegant design and comfort of the Harvey Recliner Sofa Set, highlighting how it enhances their living space. A few buyers have noted that the manual recline mechanism may be a bit firm. Why choose this product? The Home Centre Harvey Faux Leather Recliner Sofa Set combines luxury with durability, featuring high-density foam for comfort and a stylish brown faux leather finish. It's a great choice for adding sophistication and relaxation to your home. Also Read: Best electric recliners: Relax in style with top 10 options Transform your living room with the Little NAP Recliner Sofa Set, a stylish and comfortable choice for any home. This 2-seater recliner in sophisticated grey is designed for both relaxation and functionality. Its manual recline mechanism allows you to adjust your position effortlessly, providing personalized comfort. The high-density foam cushioning offers excellent support, making it ideal for lounging or casual gatherings. The durable fabric is designed for easy maintenance, ensuring the sofa remains a centerpiece of comfort for years. With a 1-year warranty, you can enjoy peace of mind with your purchase. Specifications of Little NAP Recliner Sofa Set: Material: Durable fabric Colour: Grey Type: 2-Seater Manual Recliner Sofa Cushioning: High-density foam Recline Mechanism: Manual Warranty: 1 year Assembly: DIY Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Comfortable high-density foam for enhanced relaxation Manual recline can be challenging for some Stylish grey color complements various interiors Fabric may require regular cleaning Compact size fits well in smaller rooms DIY assembly might be time-consuming What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers value the Little NAP Recliner Sofa Set for its comfortable cushioning and elegant grey hue. However, some find the manual recline adjustment a bit cumbersome. Why choose this product? The Little NAP Recliner Sofa Set combines sleek design with exceptional comfort, making it a great addition to any living space. Its high-density foam and durable fabric ensure long-term satisfaction, while the 1-year warranty offers peace of mind. Indulge in exceptional comfort with the Lofty Dreams Electric Three-Seater Recliner Sofa Set. This premium recliner set brings modern luxury and effortless relaxation to your living space. Designed with advanced electric recline technology, it allows you to adjust the seating position at the touch of a button, ensuring perfect comfort for lounging, reading, or watching TV. Upholstered in high-quality, durable fabric, the sofa set features plush cushions and a sturdy frame for lasting support. Ideal for larger spaces, it combines functionality with style, adding a touch of elegance to your home. Specifications of Lofty Dreams Electric Three-Seater Recliner Sofa Set: Material: High-quality fabric Colour: Various options available Type: Electric Three-Seater Recliner Sofa Set Cushioning: Plush foam Recline Mechanism: Electric Frame: Sturdy wood and metal Warranty: Varies by retailer Assembly: Some assembly required Reasons to Buy Reasons to Avoid Electric recline mechanism for effortless adjustment Higher price point compared to manual recliners Plush foam cushioning for superior comfort Larger size may not fit in compact spaces What are buyers saying on Amazon? Buyers rave about the Lofty Dreams Recliner Sofa Set for its plush comfort and easy-to-use electric recline feature. A few note that the size may be too large for smaller rooms. Why choose this product? The Lofty Dreams Electric Recliner Sofa Set offers a perfect blend of modern convenience and luxurious comfort, making it an ideal choice for enhancing your living space. Its electric recline feature and high-quality materials ensure a premium seating experience. How do I choose the best recliner sofa set for small spaces? For small spaces, look for compact recliner sofas that offer functionality without overwhelming the room. Opt for models with a smaller footprint, such as 2-seater or armless designs. Consider recliners with a wall-hugger mechanism that allows them to recline close to the wall, maximising floor space. Are there any maintenance tips for keeping a recliner sofa set in good condition? To maintain your recliner sofa set, regularly clean the upholstery according to the manufacturer's instructions. For leather sofas, use a gentle leather cleaner and conditioner. Fabric recliners can be vacuumed and spot-cleaned with appropriate fabric cleaners. Additionally, check and lubricate moving parts periodically to ensure smooth operation. What are the benefits of a motorised vs manual recliner sofa set? Motorised recliner sofa sets offer the convenience of power adjustments with the touch of a button, allowing for effortless reclining and customized comfort. They often include additional features such as built-in USB ports and massage functions. Manual recliners, on the other hand, are generally more affordable and require less maintenance, but they require physical effort to adjust the reclining position. Choosing between motorised and manual options depends on your preference for convenience versus cost and maintenance. Best value for money recliner sofa set: The Amazon Brand Solimo Musca 2 Seater Fabric Recliner offers exceptional value for money. Its soft, durable fabric and smooth reclining mechanism make it a practical choice for any home. The versatile design fits seamlessly into various decor styles, while the plush cushioning ensures comfortable seating for movie nights or relaxing. Easy to maintain and with a sleek appearance, this recliner provides a perfect balance of affordability and quality, making it a smart investment for those seeking both comfort and style. Best overall recliner sofa set: The Wakefit Stargazer Recliner Sofa Set stands out as the top pick for anyone looking for style and comfort. Its classy leatherette finish and modern design fit beautifully in any living room. Enjoy easy reclining and plush foam cushions that provide lasting comfort. Built with a strong frame and supported by a 3-year warranty, this 2-seater not only looks great but also offers superb relaxation and durability for all your lounging needs. Factors to consider when buying a recliner sofa set on Amazon: When purchasing a recliner sofa set from Amazon, consider these factors: Comfort: Look for high-density foam cushioning and adjustable reclining positions to ensure maximum comfort. Material: Choose between leather, fabric, or faux leather based on durability, ease of cleaning, and aesthetic preferences. Size and configuration: Measure your space and select a size and configuration (e.g., 2-seater, 3-seater) that fits your room and seating needs. Recline mechanism: Decide between manual or electric recline mechanisms for convenience and ease of use. Durability: Check for a sturdy frame and high-quality construction to ensure long-lasting use. Warranty: Consider the warranty period to ensure coverage for any potential issues or defects. Additional features: Look for extra features such as built-in cup holders, storage compartments, USB charging ports, or lumbar support. Customer reviews: Read reviews to gauge user satisfaction, comfort, and any common issues experienced by other buyers. Price and budget: Compare prices and look for deals to get the best value for your budget while ensuring quality and features meet your needs. Top 3 features of the best recliner sofa sets: Best Recliner Sofa Sets Type Material Special Features Wakefit Stargazer Recliner Sofa Set Recliner Set Leatherette 2-Seater, Reclining mechanism, 3-Year Warranty Amazon Brand - Solimo Musca 2 Seater Fabric Recliner Sofa Set Recliner Sofa Fabric 2-Seater, Smooth Reclining, Versatile Design The Sleep Company Luxe 2+1 Seater Motorised Recliner Sofa Set Motorised Recliner Set Fabric, Smart GRID Technology Cupholders, 25 Litre Storage, USB Charging, Unique Lumbar Design Amazon Brand - Solimo Capri 2 Seater Fabric Recliner Sofa Set Recliner Sofa Fabric 2-Seater, Reclining Mechanism, Mocha Colour The Couch Cell Two Seater Recliner Sofa Set Recliner Sofa Suede Fabric 2-Seater, Reclining, Tan Colour Home Centre Helios Toledo Pine Wood Fabric 3+2 Manual Recliner Sofa Set Manual Recliner Set Pine Wood, Fabric 3+2 Seater, Manual Recline, Pine Wood Frame Home Centre Harvey Faux Leather 3+2 Seater Recliner Sofa Set Recliner Set Faux Leather 3+2 Seater, Manual Recline, Brown Colour Little NAP Recliner Sofa Set Recliner Set Fabric 2-Seater, Manual Recline, 1-Year Warranty Lofty Dreams Electric Three-Seater Recliner Sofa Set Electric Recliner Set Fabric 3-Seater, Electric Recline, Ultimate Comfort Similar stories for you: Enjoy the comfort and luxury of the top 6 picks of beautiful sofa sets for your home Best recliner sofas that transform into comfortable loungers for reading or napping, top 8 picks for you Best recliner chair: Create your ultimate home retreat with our top 9 models for relaxation Whats the difference between sectionals and sofas and which one to buy for your living room? FAQs on the best recliner sofa set What should I look for when choosing a recliner sofa set? Focus on comfort, material quality, size, and the type of reclining mechanism. Ensure it fits your room and meets your lounging needs. Additional features like built-in storage or USB ports can also enhance your experience. Are electric recliners better than manual ones? Electric recliners offer convenience with easy adjustments at the push of a button, but they can be more expensive. Manual recliners are often more affordable and require no power, but may require more physical effort to adjust. How do I maintain and clean my recliner sofa? Regularly dust and vacuum your recliner. For fabric upholstery, use a fabric cleaner. For leather, apply a leather conditioner periodically. Always follow the manufacturers cleaning instructions to avoid damage. What is the typical lifespan of a recliner sofa set? With proper care, a high-quality recliner sofa can last 7-10 years. Factors influencing lifespan include the quality of materials, frequency of use, and how well its maintained. Are recliner sofa sets covered by warranties? Most recliner sofa sets come with a warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship. The length and terms of the warranty vary by manufacturer, so its important to review these details before purchasing. Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority. Catch your daily dose of Fashion Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs. So, India and the Maldives are making up. The Foreign Minister went to Male, the Maldivian capital, last week on an official visit. And the President of the Maldives attended the swearing-in of the Indian cabinet a few months ago . Its a welcome return to normal. Soneva Secret can be reached by a seaplane from Male airport. (PHOTOS: SONEVA SECRET) Janhvi Kapoor attended a musical show on Lord Krishna at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai. The actor arrived at the star-studded event with her boyfriend, Shikhar Pahariya. She wore a sindoori red organza saree and a contrasting green net blouse for the occasion. (Also Read | Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday attend the musical Rajadhiraaj at NMACC; steal the spotlight in gorgeous sarees) Janhvi Kapoor poses in a luxurious organza saree and contrasting green blouse. (Instagram ) What is the price of Janhvi Kapoor's luxurious organza saree set Janhvi Kapoor's sindoori red saree and the green backless blouse are from the traditional wear label Torani. The drape is called the Saroja Ramani Saree, while the choli is named Mayuri Ramani Blouse. The hand-embroidered saree and blouse sets are worth 1,62,000. The saree is worth 1,15,500, and the blouse costs 46,500. The price of Janhvi Kapoor's saree and blouse. (torani.in) Decoding Janhvi Kapoor's saree look The hand-embroidered organza red saree could be a great heritage piece for your ethnic wear collection. It features intricate dori embroidery, antique dabka work, moti and sequin embellishments, and a balda lace border. Janhvi wore the nine yards in traditional style with pleats on the front and the pallu falling elegantly from the shoulder in a floor-grazing length. Meanwhile, the green butterfly net blouse is inspired by the traditional Indian angia (a form of bodice or breast cloth dating from 19th century India). Mixing tradition and modernity, the lush jeni silk choli features antique dabka work, intricate zari work, hand-embroidered pearl embellishments, full-length sleeves, a deep neckline, cropped hem, and a backless design with dori ties. Meanwhile, Janhvi accessorised the ensemble with gold and polki jewellery, including a choker necklace, rings, nath, and earrings. Lastly, she chose pink eye shadow, winged eyeliner, mascara-adorned lashes, a dainty bindi, pink lips, feathered brows, and rouge-tinted cheeks for the glam. About Janhvi Kapoor Janhvi Kapoor is Boney Kapoor and late actor Sridevi's eldest daughter. On the work front, Janhvi has Devara: Part One with Jr NTR and Saif Ali Khan. Directed by Koratala Siva, it is set to be released in September 2024. Becky Litvintchouk didnt think shed be able to manage the mountain of tasks needed to become an entrepreneur. Every other part of her life has been overwhelming because of ADHD, which can impact her ability to concentrate. Experts say generative AI tools can help people with ADHD to get through tasks quicker. (AP ) So, she turned to AI. The app Claude helps her decide which contracts made the most sense for her hygienic-wipes business, GetDirty, without having to read them word for word. She also created business plans by telling the generative AI bot what her goals were and having it create steps for her to get there. Its been just massively instrumental. I probably would not be where I am today, she said of using AI for about two years. Experts say generative AI tools can help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who experience difficulties with focusing, organizing and controlling impulses to get through tasks quicker. But they also caution that it shouldnt replace traditional treatment for ADHD, and also expressed concerns about potential overreliance and invasion of privacy. Will apps replace ADHD treatment? Emily Kircher-Morris, a counsellor who focuses on neurodivergent patients, said shes seen the tools be useful to her clients with ADHD. She even uses them herself since she has ADHD. Her clients, she said, seem to have varying levels of comfort with the idea of using AI. But for those who take to the technology, it really can help to hook people in, like, Oh, this is kind of a fancy new thing that catches my interest. And so I really want to dig in and explore it. She also said it's good to use caution. John Mitchell, an associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine, added that AI apps should be used more as one tool in a toolbox instead of replacing traditional treatments such as developing organizational skills or taking prescription medications. If youre kind of treading water in your job and AIs a life preserver, well, thats great youre staying above water, but, you know, you still dont know how to swim, he said. What else can the apps do? Litvintchouk, a married mother of four living in New York City, dropped out of high school and left the workforce all things that research shows are more likely to happen to people with ADHD, putting them at higher risk of economic instability. Aside from helping with her business, she uses ChatGPT to help with grocery shopping another thing that can be fraught for people with ADHD because of the organization and planning skills needed by having it brainstorm easy-to-prepare recipes with a corresponding grocery list. When she shared her technique with another mom who also has ADHD, she felt more people needed to know about it, so she started creating videos on TikTok about various AI tools she uses to help manage her ADHD struggles. Thats when I was like, you know what? I need to, like, educate people, she said. Generative AI tools can help people with ADHD break down big tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. Chatbots can offer specific advice and can sound like you're talking with a human. Some AI apps can also help with reminders and productivity. Software engineer Bram de Buyser, said he created Goblin.tools with his neurodivergent friends in mind. Its most popular feature is the magic to-do, where a user can enter a task, and the bot will spit out a to-do list. They can even break down items on the list into smaller tasks. Im not trying to build a cure, he said, but something that helps them out (for) two minutes out of the day that they would otherwise struggle with. What kinds of problems could apps create? Husson University professor Russell Fulmer describes the research around AI and ADHD as inconclusive." While experts say they see how artificial intelligence could have a positive impact on the lives of people with anxiety and ADHD, Fulmer said, it may not work perfectly for everyone, like people of colour with ADHD. He pointed to chatbot responses that have been racist and biased at times. Valese Jones, a publicist and founder of Sincerely Nicole Media, was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and uses AI bots to help with reading and responding to emails and proofreading public relations plans. But its responses dont always capture who she really is. Im southern, so I talk like a southerner. There are cadences in my writing where you can kind of pick up on the fact that Im southern, and thats on purpose, said Jones, who is Black. It doesnt pick up on Black womens tone, and if you do put in like, 'say it like African American, it automatically goes to talking like Malibus Most Wanted. And de Buyser said while he sees a future where AI chatbots function more like a personal assistant that is never tired, never sleeps, it could also have privacy implications. If you say, Oh, I want an AI that gives me personal information and checks my calendar and all of that, you are giving that big company access to your emails, your calendar, personal correspondence, essentially your deepest, darkest secrets just so it can give you something useful back, he warned. Like millions of Indian women, I am angry, sad, exhausted and haunted. I am haunted by the thought of a young woman brutalised at her place of work, possibly by men she knew. I cannot shake off the horrifying details we now know about the condition of her corpse. Found half naked, her legs were wrenched open and she was bleeding profusely, including from her private parts and both her eyes. Her body was badly scarred from head to toe. Doctors are convinced this evidence points to a gang rape. These details have been shared by her father who had to plead three hours before he was allowed to see his daughters body. He took a photograph as proof. Imagine being that father. Imagine that being the last memory you have of your child. What has unfolded in the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata the rape and murder of a young doctor is a horrific illustration of institutional misogyny and malevolence. And if it is at all possible to think anything could be worse, well, what has happened after the rape has been even more repulsive. Cover-up attempts have compounded the crime. To understand this case, we have to speak about a man called Sandip Ghosh, the (now removed) principal of the medical college where the rape took place. First, as the captain of the ship, he is answerable for the fact that the assault took place at all, especially since doctors have argued that this is not the work of an outsider; but an inside job. An outsider, it has been pointed out by doctors, would not have even known about the whereabouts of the seminar hall, where the victim was resting after a 36-hour shift. Protesting doctors say that the victims car was also vandalised on the night she was raped and killed. Was she silenced for knowing something? Ghosh is answerable for the rape taking place on his watch. But what he does next is astounding. In his initial remarks, he blamed the woman. He faulted her for being in the seminar hall at that time of night, in the worst sort of victim-shaming and victim-blaming. If that callousness was not enough, officials of the RG Kar Medical College lied to the family and said their daughter had died by suicide. This was outright and unacceptable deceit. First, why was Ghosh not personally communicating with the family? Secondly, he cant feign ignorance of what the family was told. Family members have now told doctors that they were offered money by the police, for silence. Shockingly, though he later claimed the young doctor was like his daughter, Ghosh did not even file a complaint. Why were the police not summoned immediately? Why was an FIR not registered for murder and rape that very night? Even the Calcutta high court (HC) has now raised this very question about his behaviour. These bizarre responses were magnified by suspicions of evidence tampering. A renovation video surfaced showing routine construction and repair work taking place very close to the crime scene. Did Ghosh not think to ringfence the area for forensics? Or was the entire idea for the evidence to be irretrievable? You would think Ghosh would at the very least be sacked, right? Guess what happens instead. He is transferred as the head of another medical college. Students at this college, Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC), ensured that his office was locked and did not allow him to start his new gig. But why was he given another job within hours of his resignation? Not just that, West Bengal media reported how two Trinamool Congress (TMC) politicians a legislator and a state minister arrived at CNMC to talk to students and urge them to call off their protests against Ghosh. What makes Ghosh so powerful? He has been transferred three times in the past amid controversy but always manages to come right back. Students and doctors speak of him as some sort of local mafioso whom it was impossible to take on. It has finally taken the HC to have him sacked, but not before asking why a government lawyer was sent to defend him. Other questions are mounting too. Who sent a mob of thugs to assault protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College on the eve of Independence Day? The nursing staff has told us that the mob threatened to rape them in the same way as the victim had been violated. Young female doctors I spoke to said the police fled, leaving them to fend for themselves. They saw mobsters breaking everything in sight, including destroying the emergency room. They saw an overturned ambulance. They saw men clambering up pipes and walls to try and enter hostels. The police failure is evident, irrespective of who these mobsters are revealed to be. Women have to battle a thousand demons to pursue professional dreams. If their place of work is also unsafe, fewer women will be incentivised to join the workforce. In the Kolkata rape, and its attempted cover-up, every Indian woman sees a shade of her own reflection, either from an experience already lived, or the dread of one just around the corner. Barkha Dutt is an award-winning journalist and author. The views expressed are personal The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) lottery 2024 has reserved 33 affordable homes in Mumbai for sitting and former Members of Parliament (MP) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) out of the 2,030 affordable homes up for sale. These apartments include homes in the mid-income, high-income and low-income groups. MHADA lottery 2024 has reserved 33 affordable homes for sitting and former Members of Parliament (MP) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) out of the 2,030 affordable homes up for sale.(Picture for representational purposes only)(Mehul R Thakkar/HT ) As per the MHADA Act, nearly 2% of the total homes sold in the MHADA lottery are reserved for MPs and MLAs. Of the total of 2,030 apartments up for sale in the lottery, 33 are reserved for MPs/MLAs/MLCs in this year's Mumbai Board lottery, according to the list issued by MHADA. The apartments reserved for the sitting and former elected representatives are located in areas like Vikhroli, Byculla, Santacruz, Chembur, Andheri, Kurla, Goregaon, Powai, Malad and Wadala. Also Read: Costliest MHADA flat for MLA-MPs has no takers Apart from reservations for sitting and former elected representatives, there are other reservations for Scheduled Class (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), freedom fighters, specially abled, artists, journalists followed by the general category. Last year, of the total of 4,082 apartments up for sale, about 80 were reserved for MPs/MLAs/MLCs in the Mumbai Board lottery. MHADA lottery 2024 applications The MHADA has started accepting applications for the lottery from August 9 and the last date is September 4 up to 11.45 pm. Results for the MHADA lottery 2024 will be announced on September 13 at 11 am. Since August 9, MHADA has received more than 3,500 applications and more than 2,000 applicants have also paid the required earnest money deposit (EMD) in order to apply for the apartment preferred by them. Also Read: Mhada lottery reserves low-income group flats for MPs, MLAs A MHADA official said, "In 2023, we got more than 1 lakh applications for MHADA Mumbai lottery, and we anticipate a similar response this year too. However, the numbers in the initial one week cannot be compared with last year as maximum applications are received in the last one week or 10 days. We still have more than 15 days for the application window to close." The apartments for sale in MHADA lottery 2024 are available in the range of 29 lakh to 7.58 crore. The high-end apartments for the higher income group (HIG) are priced above 1 crore and 7 crore. The costliest among them is a unit worth 7.58 crore in south Mumbai's Tardeo area measuring over 1,500 sq ft. This sea-facing apartment is located on a higher floor, is ready-to-move, and overlooks the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. How to apply for MHADA lottery 2024? According to MHADA officials, the application procedure for MHADA lottery 2024 is completely online and homebuyers can keep a track of lottery related updates on https://housing.mhada.gov.in/ MHADA has also developed a mobile application where applicants need to register themselves. Once the registration of the individual is completed on the mobile app, he or she can apply for the MHADA lottery 2024. Also Read: MHADA lottery 2024: Divorced applicants to face additional scrutiny while applying for 2,030 affordable homes in Mumbai Income slabs for MHADA lottery 2024 According to MHADA rules, those with a family income of up to 6 lakh per annum can apply for a home under the EWS category. Those with an income between 6 lakh and 9 lakh can apply under the LIG category. Also Read: MHADA lottery 2024: Applications for over 2,000 homes open, here are the details For those with a family income between 9 lakh to 12 lakh can apply under the MIG category and those with family income above 12 lakh per annum can apply under the HIG category. Shaadi.com has been helping Indian people find their life partners for over 2 decades. With over 50 million members since its inception, it has become the biggest matchmaking service in the world. Shaadi.com: User experience and Reviews Shaadi.com's achievement lies in the many success stories of its happy members. This article looks at real user experiences that show how the platform has brought together countless couples in meaningful relationships. Trusted by Millions From its early days when online matchmaking was in its infancy to now becoming a household name, Shaadi.com is the most trusted matrimonial brand in the country. Using innovative features and a stringent profile screening system, Shaadi.com ensures its members have access to genuine and relevant profiles. Advanced search algorithms and personalisation technology allow users to find partners that meet their preferences efficiently. As the first ISO-certified matrimonial service globally, Shaadi.com also takes data privacy and security very seriously. These aspects have earned the trust of over 50 million members, with the number growing each day. Success Stories - Matches Made in Heaven As per shaadi.com reviews, numerous couples have found their life partners and soulmates on Shaadi.com. One such happy couple is Shruti, a professor from Moradabad and Shubham, a banker from Bangalore. Despite geographical distance, they connected deeply over shared outlooks and interests thanks to the Shaadi.com. After online conversations, their first meeting was a joyous event the start of a new chapter as lifelong partners. They got married in a beautiful ceremony, surrounded by friends and family. The couple is now excited to build their life together and eternally grateful to Shaadi.com for making this possible. Similarly, Esha and Subrata met fortuitously on Shaadi.com. Their unexpected meeting soon blossomed into realizing they had found their ideal partnersomeone who perfectly complemented each other in ways they hadn't imagined. Today, they are happily settled in marital bliss and thank Shaadi.com wholeheartedly for the incredible blessing of togetherness. There are millions of such success stories where Shaadi.com matched people with similar priorities who may not have had the chance to meet otherwise. The platform enabled them to ultimately find friendship, compatibility and love in their life partner. Emphasis on User Experience Numerous positive Shaadi.com reviews also highlight the app's exceptional user experience that has made it the worlds favourite matchmaking platform. The app offers a clean, uncluttered interface, allowing users to navigate various features easily. Profile setup is intuitive using guided sections while document uploads and verifications happen seamlessly in the background. Multiple communication mediums like chat, video calling, and voice calling ensure that users connect with partners in the most convenient way and in a secure environment. The homepage dynamically highlights profiles based on partner preferences to show relevant matches at all times. All communication and activity inside the app is SSL encrypted ensuring complete privacy and security. Timely and relevant notifications keep users informed about interests and responses without becoming annoying or intrusive. Members can seamlessly upgrade to paid subscription plans to access premium features like detailed view of profile information, chance to message directly to members, featuring profiles under the spotlight and quick responsive services etc. Value for money 3 monthly and yearly packs also make the pricing reasonable for long-term use. The attractive and interactive UI combined with purpose-built matchmaking features makes Shaadi.com the highest-rated matchmaking app on the Play Store and App Store. Its excellent rating showcases the trust and satisfaction it enjoys among members. Bringing People Together For over 2 decades, Shaadi.com has had a single goal - to enable meaningful connections and help people discover love, joy and togetherness. Their efforts have led to millions of members signing up, success stories spanning generations and overwhelmingly positive Shaadi.com reviews that have made it a household name in the country. As we enter the era of digital matchmaking, Shaadi.com continues to lead industry innovation by improving matching algorithms and introducing new ways for people to communicate, express themselves, and find their perfect life partner. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. A man took to Reddit, claiming that landlords in Bengaluru are refusing to accept him as a tenant because of his religion. The 22-year-old NIT graduate, who says he works in a MAANG-level company, added that despite being willing to pay 25,000 per month as rent and being flexible with the amount, he couldn't find a house in a good locality. The individual also added that the entire situation has left him feeling pretty helpless and unwelcomed. A NIT graduate's post on accommodation in Bengaluru has gone viral. (Unsplash/@bhargavpanchal1986) A bit of background about myself - I'm 22M, Muslim, just graduated from a top NIT and moved to Bangalore to work as a Software Engineer at a MAANG level company. My office is in between the Bellandur and Marathalli area on the ring road. I'm looking for a 1 bhk in a newer building that's in a good locality with good roads and has public transport connectivity with around an hour commute to work. I'm willing to pay around 25K for it, he wrote. In the following lines, he shared about situations where landlords suddenly refused to rent him a house after learning his religion. He added that the brokers are also showing him accommodations in dilapidated places. Take a look at the entire post here: Screenshot of a Reddit user's post. (Reddit) With over 500 upvotes, the post has attracted the attention of people. While some showed their support, a few suggested ways through which he can get a good accommodation. What did Reddit users say about this post? There are a lot of Muslim flat owners, mostly mallus. Ask a mallu friend, he will be able to help you out, wrote a Reddit user. Another added, I am sorry to hear about your experience but the best way is to reach out to people your age directly via Flatmates groups on FB. Even nobroker has a flatmate/PG section. I just skimmed through your post so pardon me if you were looking for emotional support and not solutions. A third commented, Man you are not going to get that kind of place in prime locations with 25k/month rent. I don't think it's got anything to do with your religion. Bangalore is ridiculously expensive now. In indiranagar you will have to pay at least 30-35k for a decent 1bhk. I'm a Hindu but it took 4 months to find my current place which is a very old 2bhk apartment. I'm not happy with it but it's the best we could afford in our budget. A fourth joined, Bruh 25k is ridiculous for 1bhk, don't make Bengaluru like Mumbai. What are your thoughts on the mans post claiming he cannot get a flat in Bengaluru due to his religion? Five people have been charged in connection with Matthew Perrys death, including his longtime personal assistant, two doctors, and Ketamine Queen Jasveen Sangha. Sangha, 41, is accused of selling Perry the batch of ketamine that led to his fatal overdose in October 2023, while the actors assistant is accused of procuring the powerful surgical anaesthetic for him. 'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha has been charged in Matthew Perry's death The Friends actor, who had a long history of substance abuse, was found unresponsive in his hot tub on October 28. His autopsy report said he died of acute effects of ketamine. Perry was 54 at the time of his death. Prosecutors say that Matthew Perrys assistant, Kenneth Iwamassa, worked with his doctors and a drug dealer named Erik Fleming to procure ketamine for the actor. Jasveen Sangha, who is accused of distributing ketamine, was arrested Thursday and pleaded not guilty in court, as per ABC News. Court documents reveal that two doctors were also involved in procuring ketamine for Matthew Perry despite knowing about his history of drug abuse. They also discussed how to overcharge the actor for the drugs. In one disturbing text message that has been revealed, Dr Salvador Plasencia, accused in the case, messaged another doctor asking: I wonder how much this moron will pay. Delete our messages Prosecutors say that Sangha earned the nickname Ketamine Queen by selling drugs out of her North Hollywood mansion. She is a dual citizen of the United States and Great Britain. After learning of Matthew Perrys death from the news, she tried to distance herself from the actor. The Ketamine Queen reportedly texted Erik Fleming and asked him to delete their text message history. Delete all our messages, she wrote, according to a screenshot obtained by TMZ. Sangha has been accused of selling 50 vials of ketamine to Perry over two weeks. She earned $11,000 through the transactions, according to US Attorney Martin Estrada. The indictment alleges that Sangha was well aware of the dangers of ketamine overdose. According to ABC News, in August 2019, she sold ketamine to Cody McLaury, who died of an overdose. After learning about McLaurys death, Sangha apparently did a Google search for can ketamine be listed as a cause of death. India celebrates its Independence Day on August 15, which fell on Thursday this year. Many employees took Friday, August 16, off so that they could enjoy a long holiday, as the next two days are weekends. However, a CEO issued a notice among his employees sharing that all sick leaves on August 16 would be rejected. His decision was met with applause from employees. Why? He decided to give an off to the entire office on the said day. LinkedIn users appreciated a CEOs post on not giving sick leave on August 16. (LinkedIn/Shubham Singhal) On the occasion of 'World Sick Leave Day,' we at Dot Media have decided to reject all sick leave requests! While we understand that taking a leave on the 16th August would make it a long weekend, it comes at a cost to the company, the CEO wrote on LinkedIn. Instead, weve decided to close our office and give all our employees a well-deserved holiday! The day corporates start valuing what their employees need, nothing can stop them from putting forth their best, he added. Because at Dot Media, our people come first, and their well-being drives our innovation, the company wrote and concluded his post. Take a look at the entire share here: "It's truly great for employees, and they will appreciate it. I'm glad that new-age founders and management are changing how things used to be, a LinkedIn user posted. Love this Shubham Singhal... It's all about people. No company can run without its employees. They are the backbone, and gestures like these keep them motivated and driven. Kudos, added another. A third person posted, This is a great initiative. Good for everyone's well-being. While companies take such people-friendly cultural initiatives, we, as employees, must be responsible and accountable for our jobs. Despite all the perks, I have seen that many people would still make this leave extended till Tuesday. Many folks who do not value or care still are irresponsible and would further exploit, which is when companies tend to revert or remove such policies. It is important to understand that if we want such great perks to continue and companies to adapt, we all as employees should be responsible for our jobs, and when we return to work, it should be all work and on time. Cheers. A fourth wrote, Wow!! Amazing job done! Interview ke liye kab aau? The CEO asked the person to send a CV. He replied similarly to all the comments asking him about vacancies in his company. What are your thoughts on this post about the CEOs decision to give off to his employees on August 16? In the wake of the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case, social media is filled with "avoid India" posts where people are asking foreign women not to visit India. A retired colonel joined them in sharing why he supports his daughters decision to settle outside the country. He added that it is because of the multiple incidents of harassment she faced regularly while on her way to her college in South Delhi about 13 years ago. A post by a retired colonel about his daughters experience has left people horrified. (Unsplash/Markus Spiske) With so many posts on women dont come to India and women go abroad, here is my own story. My daughter did her three years of graduation in Delhi. We, then, lived in a super posh colony in South Delhi. College was 15 minutes walk of which 7 mins was within the colony and seven on the main road, colonel Sanjay Pande wrote. He added that half the route towards her daughters college was inside a very premium government auditorium and the rest was on a footpath with an institutional area wall. SAFEST right? No shops, no public, main road, no people and absolutely safe road, he asked. In the following lines, he shared his daughter's harrowing experiences. Cars would slow down and guys would ask her to accompany! They would ask rate. I was sure someone would be doing the same with the guys sister, daughter, wife too. In second year I gave her a car exclusively. No stepping on road. Ever, he shared. The colonel posted how when his daughter wanted to settle abroad, he agreed and supported her. This was 13 years back. She has right to her life. She is abroad since then. I could afford. What about 95% plus who cannot? he further expressed. Take a look at the entire post here: With over one lakh views, the share has accumulated close to 2,400 likes, prompting people to post varied comments. What did X users share about this post? I am surprised that a Fauji indirectly recommends migration as a course of action for women seeking safety! expressed an X user. Colonel Pande replied, Kyun? Fauji BAAP nahi hota Kya? (Why? Arent soldiers fathers?). Another person added, I lived in South Delhi and each time I had to take an auto or cab at night because of late work, it gave me so much anxiety. Just waiting for the auto made so many men stop and stare. I can totally relate to her. Agree. My cousin lives in Vadodara, a safe city, and has 2 young daughters. He goes to drop them to school & all after the rikshawala he knows said Don't trust your daughter even with me. He is well off but wants to leave India. Said that when they grow older, I can't be with them, commented a third. A fourth wrote, You did the right thing. Sanjay. What are your thoughts on this retired colonels post on his daughters horrific experiences? A US company is being criticised for its sexist hostess lampshade outfits during an event. People are accusing the company of being tone-deaf. The outrage came after a picture from the event, showing two women posing with company-branded lampshades on their heads, went viral. The outrage also prompted a response from the company, and its CEO issued an apology, adding that what happened was unacceptable. The image shows the "sexist" hostess lampshade outfits, which prompted Palo Alto Networks CEO to apologize. (Screengrab) The incident occurred at an CyberRisk Collaborative Happy Hour event, sponsored by Palo Alto Networks, at the Black Hat conference. As soon as the picture of the models made their way onto social media, people expressed their anger. Among them is Olivia Rose, a Security Maturity Strategist, who wrote, Shame. Shame. Shame on you, adding, So we women are nothing more than props to you? We are only at BlackHat to be lampshade holders?? Are those intended to represent bright ideas inside our heads or just light bulbs? Shame on you. Just shame. Do better. Its really not that hard. How did the company respond? The firms CEO Nikesh Arora issued an apology soon after the outrage. Let me be clear: what occurred was unacceptable. We could have, and should have, done better. We will do better, he said. Investigated how the error occurred and addressed the issue within our event team and the entire marketing organisation to ensure that we consistently follow our marketing guidelines, he added. Take a look at the entire statement here: What did social media users say about the apology? While most people appreciated the CEO's address to the matter, a few said this idea should never have been considered. An individual wrote, I feel like someone with a brain should've stopped this when was actually live. What does that say for everyone working there? We wait for our prompt leader to send an email?! This reminds me of Beauty and the beast, where everyone was under a curse and the villagers didn't care as well. Another person added, This thing is, to get this to the conference floor, multiple people would have signed off on this which means your company really failed the smell test. This is not just a marketing problem. And this is more than a diversity problem, it's a misogyny problem. I wrote extensively about the booth babe problem I encountered upon moving to Europe - it looks like legacy US companies have kept the same old status quo when it comes to using women as a lure and characterising men as atavistic and ruled by their base needs. A third added, This is not about diversity and inclusion, this is about sexism and misogyny. Palo Alto Networks is an American multinational company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company deals with cybersecurity and helps organisations prevent cyber breaches. What are your thoughts on this lampshade outfit fiasco and the CEO's response? A post by a US man asking Indian X users for help has gone viral. In his post, the man urged the desi social media users to help him understand an inscription on a book he received as a gift from his Indian professor. The image shows the maths book page with an inscription from an US mans India professor. (X/@martinmrmar) Dear fine people from India! Would anyone be able to translate this inscription into English? This book belonged to my Indian math advisor/professor in college which he gave me to study for the whole year with him. When I graduated, he gave it to me as a gift, X user Martin wrote and shared a picture of the book. Take a look at the post here: With over 5.7 lakh views, the share has collected nearly 6,900 likes. People posted varied comments while helping the man understand whats written in the book. Heres how X users came to the mans rescue: It says Shri ramajayam. Like Lord Ram attained victory, we write it before starting any good endeavour praying to him to help us emerge victorious in our pursuits, shared an X user. Hi! As others have mentioned, it says "Shri Ramajayam", and is written in Tamil. It's common to put these sort of inscriptions praising God before starting any educational text (at least that's how I learned it from my parents), commented another. A third commented, That little alphabet on top of Sri Ramajeyam -is the tamil alphabet for the 'u' sound. It's written as a first note on any page to invoke the blessing of Lord Ganesha,the remover of obstacles. When handwritten,the alphabet may look like the side profile of the elephant faced god. A fourth wrote, It's in Tamil. People with religious beliefs write "Sri ramajayam" or variants of such, to seek blessings from the God to give them strength and positivity to succeed in the activity that they are about to begin. It can be viewed as a form of prayer or belief. To each their own! Shri Rama Jayam means "Victory to Lord Rama". It is a popular chant that is widely used to instill confidence and promote peace and harmony. Twitter, now rebranded X, has been ordered to pay compensation to a former employee in an unfair dismissal case. The social media platform has been asked to pay 550,000 euros ( 5 crore approximately) to Gary Rooney, who was fired in December 2022 after Elon Musks takeover of the company. Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo(REUTERS) According to a report in Fortune, Rooney had been working at Twitters Ireland unit since September 2013. On Tuesday, Irelands Workplace Relations Commission held that he had been unfairly dismissed in December 2022 and ordered X to pay him 550,000 euros. This is the largest sum ever awarded by the agency. What led to the dismissal In November 2022, shortly after his takeover of Twitter, Elon Musk sent a company-wide email demanding employees commit to working long hours at high intensity or receive three months of severance. Employees, including Rooney, were given one day to click yes on the email to accept the new working conditions laid out by Musk, who was then acting as CEO of Twitter. In the email, Musk wrote: If you are sure that you want to be part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below. He said that employees who did not do so would receive three months of severance pay. X argued that Rooney had resigned voluntarily after failing to click yes on Elon Musks ultimatum. The Irish Workplace Relations Commission, however, refused to buy this argument. It is not OK for Mr. Musk, or indeed any large company to treat employees in such a manner in this country or jurisdiction. The record award reflects the seriousness and the gravity of the case, the complainants solicitor Barry Kenny told Bloomberg. Tesla billionaire Elon Musk acquired Twitter in October 2022 in a $44 billion deal. He laid off almost half the employees shortly after his takeover of the company, and sent the hardcore ultimatum to the remaining staff. Popular content creator Arun Maini today lashed out at Google, suggesting that the tech giant did not invite him to the Pixel 9 launch event as he had been critical of last-gen Pixel devices in his reviews. YouTuber Arun Maini with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in 2023.(Instagram/@mrwhosetheboss) Arun Maini aired his grievance against Google in a post shared on the social media platform X. The popular tech influencer has over 19 million subscribers on his Mrwhosetheboss YouTube channel, where he shares videos on tech news, latest gadgets, smartphone reviews and more. However, subscribers who had been waiting for Mainis review of the latest Google Pixel 9 series were left disappointed - and the influencer revealed the reason in his post. For those of you asking for our Google Pixel review...We didn't get an invite to the Google Pixel event this year. Reached out to multiple different Google contacts and not heard anything back, he wrote. Maini suggested that he failed to score an invite because he had been critical of Pixel devices earlier. We were critical of the last-gen Pixel devices, but that shouldn't be a reason to not be included in this year's launch, he said, adding: I stand by my criticisms, and if anything it should be seen as a chance to make the product better and then prove it by allowing us to go hands on. His post has gone viral with over 1.7 million views on X. Reactions on X Oh wow this is real shady of Google. youre one of the largest tech content creators on YouTube, and theyre just not going to invite you because you gave negative feedback? asked X user Holly. Others also voiced their support for Maini. Your Pixel 8 review was very reasonable, showing actual drawbacks in the user experience. Google did a poor job here, another said. However, some people were not convinced by his argument. Why should Google cater to him when his reviews of Pixels have been full of inconsistencies and incorrect information since the 6 series? asked X user Jason. Google has been telling me they are going to start weeding people out . They told me that at the pixel 4 event hahah, wrote Jeremiah Bonds. Google showcased its latest advancements in artificial intelligence and hardware at the ninth annual Made by Google event on August 13 in Mountain View, California. A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit off Taiwan's east coast Friday morning, the United States Geological Survey said. A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit off Taiwan's east coast Friday morning Initially reported by the island's Central Weather Administration as a magnitude 6.3, the tremor struck at 7:35 am (2335 GMT) at a depth of 15 kilometres (about nine miles) near the city of Hualien. Also Read: JD Vance stokes fresh row with bizarre remarks on abortion, misogynistic views on family: My wife had this baby The CWA also issued mobile phone alerts warning people to "keep calm and seek cover nearby". Also Read: Awami League event thwarted; interim govt to decide on Hasinas extradition Taiwan's National Fire Agency issued a statement confirming "no report of damages" at around 8 am. The island experiences frequent earthquakes due to its location between two tectonic plates. Also Read: Sweden reports deadly clade I variant of mpox, first such case outside Africa The last major one occurred in early April, when it was hit by a deadly 7.4-magnitude quake that officials said was the strongest in 25 years. At least 17 people were killed in the quake, which triggered landslides and severely damaged buildings around the epicentre near Hualien. Dhaka, Bangladesh's newly-appointed Home Affairs Ministry adviser has vowed to take swift legal action against those who attack or abuse minorities, stressing that there is no place for violence, conflict, or hatred in the country. Bangladesh's caretaker government vows to take swift action against people attacking minorities Brigadier General M Sakhawat Hussain's assurance came during a meeting with a delegation from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness Bangladesh at his office in the Secretariat on Thursday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. Bangladesh saw a spike in violence against members of Hindu communities following the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. Hussain emphasised that Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony, where people of all religions have grown up together without any divisions. He said that no one would be spared if they attacked or abused minorities, and swift legal action would be taken. He said that there is no place for violence, conflict, or hatred and that the country believes in peace. During the meeting, Satyaranjan Baroi, president of ISKCON Bangladesh, requested the adviser to take priority measures for the safety of minorities and presented eight proposals for ensuring their safety, including enacting laws, establishing monitoring cells, forming a Minority Commission and providing continuous state security for temples. The adviser assured his full support for these matters. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said that the minority community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 and termed it as an "assault on the Hindu religion." Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus who is heading the interim government on Tuesday reached out to the distressed Hindu community and urged them to "exercise patience" and assured them that his government would punish those who attacked the minority members. On Monday, Hossain's ministry set up a hotline asking people to provide information about attacks on temples, churches or any other religious institutions. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. By Sachin Ravikumar Britain stops export of World War Two code breaker Alan Turing's wartime papers LONDON, - Britain has stopped the export of rare wartime papers that once belonged to national hero Alan Turing, who helped the Allies win World War Two by cracking Nazi Germany's Enigma code. An export bar has been placed on Turing's unpublished papers relating to the "Delilah" project, which developed a portable encryption system for use in military operations, the British government's culture department said on Friday. The measure temporarily stops important cultural objects from leaving the country when they are due to be sold to a foreign buyer, and is intended to allow time for a UK institution to buy them. The "Delilah" papers - two bound notebooks and six gatherings of loose sheets - are valued at 397,680 pounds and date from 1943-45. "The Delilah project papers offer unique insights into the extraordinary mind of Alan Turing," Arts Minister Chris Bryant said. "It is right that a UK buyer has the opportunity to purchase these papers to give people the opportunity to continue to study and appreciate his work as an important part of our national story." Considered the father of modern computing, Turing is known for cracking the Nazi's Enigma cipher device, a breakthrough which some historians say helped shorten the war by several years and was dramatised in the 2014 movie "The Imitation Game". As Adolf Hitler's forces bombed British cities and prepared to invade Russia, it was at Turing's base at tranquil Bletchley Park in southern England where German air force signals were being read. Turing pleaded guilty to gross indecency in 1952 after a sexual relationship with another man and, after being forced to have hormone injections, killed himself two years later aged 41 by eating an apple laced with cyanide. He was granted a royal pardon in 2013 and his face today appears on 50-pound banknotes. A 56-page handwritten notebook that belonged to Turing sold for more than $1 million at an auction in New York in 2015. Britain has placed export bars on a number of items, including earlier this year on a table top once owned by Louis XIV and an Iron Age coin bearing the name of a British ruler from 40 B.C. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Aug 16 - Dominican Republic leader Luis Abinader prepared to assume his second four-year term as president at his inauguration on Friday, hosting global heads of state and other public figures such as the king of Spain, after naming key members of his executive. Dominican Republic's Abinader names cabinet posts as leaders gather for inauguration Abinader, a 57-year-old former businessman, cinched another term when he secured some 58% of the vote in May on a pro-business platform with a tough stance on corruption and barring migrants from neighboring conflict-hit Haiti. Early Friday, guests from the political and private sectors dressed in white gathered at the National Theater in Santo Domingo. Regional leaders present are expected discuss the outcome of Venezuela's contested July election on the sidelines of the event. Abinader late on Thursday named economist Joel Santos as the country's new mines and energy minister. The Dominican Republic is home to Puerto Viejo, one of the world's largest gold mines, and is also an important supplier of ferronickel. Santos, a former economy professor, had previously served as Abinader's minister of the presidency, overseeing transport, water and electrical infrastructure and construction. Jose Ignacio Paliza, the president of Abinader's Modern Revolutionary Party and a former senator for the northern Puerto Plata province, was named minister of the presidency, coordinating between the president and other sectors. Abinader also signed a decree for key members of the financial administration to stay on in their posts, including long-standing central bank veteran Hector Valdez as the authority's governor, Clarissa de la Rocha as its vice governor and Alejandro Fernandez as superintendent of the country's banking watchdog. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. By Bart Biesemans Floating bathtubs battle it out in a colourful Belgian regatta DINANT, Belgium, - More than 200 participants competed in bathtub rafts colourfully decorated with iconic Belgian symbols including the Manneken Pis statue, fries and the Atomium landmark, in an annual regatta on the Meuse River in the Belgian city of Dinant. The unique race started in 1982 after a local shopkeeper heard on the radio that someone in Italy had gone down a river in a bathtub, co-organiser of the event Maxence Adam said. "He then went to a hardware dealer and bought a whole bunch of bathtubs, which he dropped in front of the shops of our city. This encouraged local shopkeepers to join. That was in 1982, it's 2024 now and it still exists," Adam said. This year's theme was Belgium, so people dressed up as Tintin, the Smurfs, Jacques Brel, and decorated bathtubs with Belgian symbols. "It's the first time I'm doing a real activity with my best friend. We've been friends for almost ten years and we realised that we don't do many things that are out of the ordinary," Edouard Adrien, 28, said while sitting in his bathtub raft, dubbed the bathmobile. Joining is not as simple as taking your bathtub and jumping into the river, he added. "There're regulations... For the raft to be approved, at least one bathtub on the raft must touch the river Meuse. That's the most important rule," Adam said. There's always the risk of sinking. Two of the 42 bathtub rafts in Thursday's regatta did not make it to the finishing line. For those who did, there was no need to worry about coming last: every participant received a medal or trophy, with awards given for originality, theme, beauty, and ambiance. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. In Phoenix, heat is a constant challenge: Last year, the city experienced 31 consecutive days of temperatures above 110F . Thats why Phoenixs Paideia Elementary started buying cooling vests loaded with ice packs for its teachers to wear during daily dismissal. The school now has more than 30 of them. How Extreme Heat Is Reshaping Daily Life School starts Aug. 1 when [its] over 100F, and that is going all the way through September, says Brian Winsor, executive director of Paideia Academies, which also includes a 7th-to-12th-grade school. Paideia Elementarys ice vests are just one example of the adjustments made necessary by a warming world. This year is poised to be the hottest ever, leaving systems, services and infrastructure struggling to function. High temperatures have melted roads, strained power grids and killed thousands. Theyre also forcing a rethink of the most quotidian activities, from choosing an outfit to buying groceries or simply falling asleep. This is a disaster that were all going to have to deal with, says Maren Mahoney, director of Arizonas Office of Resiliency. Whether that means running errands at 6 a.m. or spending Saturdays in a cooling center, individuals and institutions all over the world are finding new heat wave workarounds. Leaning into early mornings From growing up in Southern Californias Inland Empire, Daniel Coats knows a thing or two about sweltering heat. The regions ambient temperature often exceeds 100F in summer, and Coatss first line of defense is shifting most of his exercise, errands and other daily activities into early mornings or evenings , when the heat is less fierce. Living in such a hot environment completely reshapes your routine, says Coats, a communications specialist. He isnt alone. Globally, individuals and businesses are rethinking their schedules in the face of extreme heat. The National Trust, a charity group that oversees British cultural heritage sites, introduced new working hours to accommodate higher temperatures. Madrid-based waste management firm Urbaser banned street sweeping in temperatures above 39C and pushed afternoon shifts from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. following the death of a worker during a heat wave in 2022. And with concerns over heat-induced health hazards growing, labor unions in Italy and Greece have also called for new worker protections. Staying heat-ready When Vivek Shandas knows hell be spending a day out in high temperatures, the Portland State University professor who studies heat starts preparing 24 hours in advance. Im hydrating. Im avoiding alcohol. I dont overdo caffeine, he says. I dont eat inflammatory foods, like very heavy foods that I know my body is going to be kind of overheated by. For fieldwork, Shandas dresses in loose clothing that covers up much of his body, and packs a collection of crucial accessories: sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat made from natural fibers, a wet towel, and ice to hold against his wrist and neck. But most important is water. I always have water in my bag, Shandas says. Usually I use a little insulated thermos. When working outdoors, Shandas keeps his hands free for the tools he uses to measure temperatures. But for many people, this summers hottest accessory is a small portable fan. Google searches for portable fans and neck fans hit a five-year high, and in June they were briefly among Amazons top 30 most-searched terms in the US, according to e-commerce industry researcher Marketplace Pulse. Popular models, some of which come with a mister, can be handheld, worn around the neck or clipped onto a belt. Rethinking the commute So far this summer, US commuters have faced canceled trains as tracks buckled under triple-digit temperatures, while soda cans that sat on blistering airport tarmacs exploded on planes. But the most perilous part of traveling in extreme heat can be simply walking to a bus or train stop and waiting for transportation to arrive. Folks need to think about the last-mile situation, as getting to the transit stop might be where theyre fully sun-exposed, says V. Kelly Turner, an associate professor of urban planning and geography at the University of California at Los Angeles, where she studies heat. The other element that is talked about less is wait times, since heat waves make transit delays more likely. Beyond protective clothing, shade is critical during those last-mile moments and often overlooked. UCLA research based on mobile phone location data found that people seek out shade more often while walking on the weekends, when their schedules are more flexible, but tend to stick to their usual path on weekdays. Turner notes that standing in the shade can change the way your body experiences heat by as much as 54F to 72F . Some cities share maps online that can help people find the coolest route from one place to another. Turner says urban planners also need to consider shade in heat adaptation strategies. While there are many communities that are thinking about tree planting, I don't think theyre thinking about how much shadow is being cast as the primary important thing that they need to be providing to pedestrians and transit riders, she says. Honing hydration When working in the heat, a good rule of thumb is to drink one cup of water every 20 minutes. But as rising temperatures up the ante on hydration needs, wearable sweat monitors are becoming an increasingly helpful tool for outdoor workers. Roozbeh Ghaffari sees that demand firsthand. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Epicore Biosystems, which Ghaffari co-founded in 2018, sells reusable wearable patches that measure their users eccrine sweat and offer real-time recommendations on liquid and electrolyte intake. If someone wearing an Epicore patch is close to dehydration, they receive a smartphone alert. The company says it has supplied more than 5,000 patches to 30 companies. Companies are finding Epicores data helpful, too. Findings have been used to inform the number of drinking fountains a construction firm will need on site, for example. Spending time in a cooling center As heat gets more extreme, having a place to cool down becomes critical. Thats why, whenever temperatures cross 95F , Washington D.C.s Kennedy Recreation Center transforms into one of the citys 100-plus cooling centers. We have whats called a porch party, says Thennie Freeman, director of the citys Department of Parks and Recreation. When the cooling center is activated, the department often sets up a tent outside and provides snow cones and water and popcorn as people are walking by, Freeman says. Inside, people sit around tables in the air-conditioned front room, and have access to water fountains and restrooms equipped with laundry machines. Many cities are embracing cooling centers, though approaches vary. The centers can be existing public spaces such as libraries, or private spaces that open to the public. They can have AC, fans or just water. They can be open all summer or only during heat waves. They can serve everyone or cater to specific groups such as seniors. Getting people to show up isnt always easy, but Freeman says foot traffic at the Kennedy Recreation Center is high. Its families. Its our vulnerable population. Were seeing our unhoused residents who come in and sit. We see a lot of tourists, she says. They also see a lot of latchkey kids who would otherwise head home alone after school. On busy hot days, [were] trying to keep them engaged in somewhere safe and fun, Freeman says. Giving in to air conditioning Arbi Shakhgiriev has been in the air conditioning business for six years, but it wasnt until 2023 that he struck out on his own, starting installer Airconcool out of London. The record-hot year gave Shakhgiriev an inkling of future demand for his services. I think Im entering a perfect time, he says. If I start now, then 10 years down the line when it gets very popular, Ive already established myself. This summer, Airconcools Google advertising has gotten three times more clicks than it did in March or April. Globally, the residential AC market grew by almost 10% in 2023. Sales are growing the fastest in the Middle East, and in rapidly-developing parts of Asia like India. In the UK, less than 5% of homes had AC between 2013 and 2019, but that number is also on the rise, says Sarah Atkinson, head of marketing and product development at Mitsubishi Corp. We saw a marked increase from Covid onwards, as people spent more time at home, she says. Poor building design is also a factor. When Yin Wu moved to the UK from Hong Kong in 2001, he left a land of humid summers and ample AC for a markedly milder climate. But just three years later he found himself buying a portable air-conditioning unit. In Wus home, a new-build south-facing apartment in east London, all my windows face one side. So even if its nice and windy and breezy outside, it just is impossible to cool the flat down. In 2020, Wus family installed a water-cooled integrated AC system at a cost of about 8,000 . He says its been a game-changer: Itll cool the room down within three or four minutes. Handling heat days at school When Paul Chinowksy, professor emeritus at the University of Colorado Boulder, led a study of heat-related school closures in the US in 2021, he found that they had doubled over the preceding decade. Now those figures have tripled, Chinowsky says, to eight days per year on average. Heat has also prompted school closures in the Philippines and South Sudan, among other countries. There are two major issues at play. The first is that high temperatures are especially dangerous for kids, who heat up three to five times faster than adults. Children arent just small adult bodies. Theyre differently threatened by extreme heat, says Sara Ross, co-founder of the educational nonprofit UndauntedK12. Studies also show that extreme heat is associated with increased bullying and worse academic performance. The other issue is air conditioning, which even in AC-heavy America isnt guaranteed. Around 14,000 US schools are in need of new HVAC systems, according to a recent White House report. At colleges and universities, many student dormitories also lack AC. We used to design schools in the Northeast in a way to retain heat, says Joe Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard University. We designed schools for a different climate than this. At the start of the 2023 academic year, Juliette Deley, an environmental engineering student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, started a petition for the university to provide AC for all dorms. Last August and September, she says students were sleeping anywhere but their own rooms to escape the heat, including hotel rooms and even air-conditioned lobbies. Losing sleep While daytime temperatures get the most attention, hotter nights bring their own hazards. Tropical nights, when the temperature doesnt drop below 68F , make it harder for the body to recover from heat, and can contribute to sleep deprivation. In the UK, building standards say overnight temperatures shouldnt exceed 26C in bedrooms for more than 1% of annual hours. But thats based on a study from the 1970s, says Arash Beizaee, a senior lecturer in building energy at Loughborough University. To improve our understanding of the heat/sleep relationship, Loughborough last year launched a Sleep in the City project to monitor the summer sleep patterns of more than 100 people in East London. The goal is to determine the point at which high temperatures make it hard for people to fall asleep, stay asleep and access deep sleep . Similar studies have been done in South Korea, China and Germany, but every country sleeps differently. The micro-climate of the bed what bedclothes are used, what people wear to sleep, whether they have air conditioning or keep their windows open is an essential part of determining what temperature is tolerable. Check out more Heat Week coverage: Listen on Zero: What Extreme Heat Means for Your Health This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Toronto: One of the Indian nationals accused in the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar may have been assaulted in a holding facility, according to a local media report. Suspects arrested by Canadian police for the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. (REUTERS) The Indo-Canadian Voice reported that, based on information from unnamed sources, it had learnt that one of the three was attacked at the Surrey Pretrial Centre and that incident may have occurred in the gym. Three of the four arrested in connection with Nijjars murder on June 18 last year in Surrey, British Columbia, are in custody as the cases against them proceed through the courts. The Hindustan Times also received a tip on Wednesday about the alleged assault but was unable to confirm the incident. The Voice also said BCs Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General did not confirm (or deny) whether the incident occurred and shared no further information citing privacy laws and security considerations. Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, were arrested from Edmonton in Alberta on May 3. There were no details on which of the three may have been attacked. The fourth accused, 22-year-old Amandeep Singh, was charged in relation to Nijjars killing on May 11 while he was already in custody after having been arrested by Peel Regional Police in November 2023 on unrelated drugs and weapons charges. All four appeared virtually before a judge at the BC provincial court in Surrey on August 7 but their trial was adjourned till October 1. Amandeep Singh made his first court appearance on May 15, while the other three appeared before a judge on May 7. May 21 was the first time all four appeared together in a court. All four are facing charges related to first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Canadian investigators are yet to announce any link to the Indian Government in relation to the murder. However, on May 3, Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, Commander of the Federal Policing Program in the Pacific Region, said there were separate and distinct investigations ongoing including investigating connections to the Government of India. The case is being probed by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team or IHIT. Nijjars murder caused India-Canada relations to crater after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in the House of Commons three months later that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the murder. India reacted by saying those charges were absurd and motivated. Prince Harry reportedly turned down an invitation from his father, King Charles III, to stay at Buckingham Palace during his brief May visit to the UK for a service at St Paul's Cathedral for the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games. The Duke opted for a hotel stay instead of the royal residence. Report reveals rift between Prince Harry-Meghan Markle and King Charles over security and funding(AP) While it was previously known that Harry had declined the offer to stay at a royal property, new details from The Times reveal that the accommodation specifically offered to him was within Buckingham Palace itself. I don't know what more the King could have done. He offered Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace but that it seems even that wasn't good enough, the source told The Times. ALSO READ| Revealed: Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markles chief of staff quit after just 3 months It was far from clear what the duke's plans were. When it came to it there was no space in the King's diary in between treatment and other scheduled events. 'It makes Harry's decision to stay in a hotel all the more strange when the Palace would naturally offer all the security you could wish for, they added. King Charles snubbed Prince Harry time to time Despite the King's proximity at Clarence House during Harry's visit, the two did not meet. Reports suggest that this was due to the monarch's full programme. To which the Duke's spokesperson replied, The duke is of course understanding of his father's diary commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon. However, many royal experts also speculated that difficult Prince William was preventing Prince Harry from meeting his father. The last meeting between Harry and Charles occurred in February, when the Duke made a quick trip across the Atlantic to meet with his father following the announcement of the Kings cancer diagnosis. The two reportedly spent 45 minutes together at Clarence House before Charles traveled to Sandringham. ALSO READ| Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could lose Royal titles after family prepares for Despite this brief reunion, Harry's relationship with the rest of the royal family, particularly with his father and brother, Prince William, remains strained due to back-to-back royal revelations in Harry's memoir, Spare, and his tell-all Netflix docuseries. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are literally making waves in Colombia with a focused agenda. American actress Meghan Markle speaks during the 'Responsible Digital Future' forum in Bogota on August 15, 2024. Prince Harry and his wife,. (Photo by Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP)(AFP) The Sussexes arrived in the South American country on Thursday for a four-day visit, kicking off their trip in style and purpose. Meghan began the Columbia journey in a sleek navy Veronica Beard ensemble paired with a metallic Johanna Ortiz dress. She didnt stop there, the Duchess donned three different outfits in one day. For an event on digital safety, titled Responsible Digital Future, held in Bogota, Meghan opted for a sophisticated brown silk shirt by Victoria Beckham, a longtime friend, and paired it with silky earth-toned La Ligne pants, priced at $295. The Duchess completed her look with Aquazzura sandals, adding a touch of elegance with her gold Carter Juste Un Clou necklace, which costs $16,200. ALSO READ| Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's staffers quitting hints something is wrong, expert says Meghan, who previously wore the brown silk top during a Time 100 special on ABC in 2020, styled her hair in a chic curly ponytail, maintaining a warm, cohesive color palette throughout. Prince Harry, not to be outdone, also donned his third outfit of the day, a dark suit paired with an icy blue dress shirt, complementing Meghans polished appearance. Sussexes' visit to Colombia was more than just a fashion statement Upon arrival in Bogota, Meghan and Harry were warmly welcomed by Vice President Francia Marquez, the first Black woman to hold the position in Colombia. Markle presented Marquez with a personal gift,. The Columbian VP, who had been moved by the Sussexes' tell-all Netflix documentary, invited the couple to her private residence for tea and coffee, where they sampled traditional Colombian pan de bono, a delicious cheese bread. During their meeting, Marquez reportedly expressed her admiration for Prince Harrys late mother, Princess Diana, whose legacy continues to inspire. The couple was later seen holding hands as they took a leisurely stroll through Bogota, exuding warmth and unity as they engaged with locals. ALSO READ| Prince Harry-Meghan Markle's Colombia itinerary revealed The Sussexes then started their tour by attending an Insight Session at a local childrens school, where they interacted with students and educators. This was followed by a summit with experts, activists, and community members focused on creating safer online environments, a cause that both Harry and Meghan have long advocated for. The day concluded with a luncheon hosted by Vice President Marquez, where the couple continued to build relationships and discuss critical issues affecting the region. Meghan and Harry are also set to visit the cities of Cartagena and Cali. By Nora Buli Norway's Morrow Batteries opens factory, plans first deliveries by year-end ARENDAL, Norway, - Battery start-up Morrow on Friday opened Norway's first battery cell production site on the country's south coast, with plans to deliver the first units by the end of the year and adding more production step by step. Battery cell production is one new industry Norway is keen to enter, hoping to benefit from access to green power and proximity to European customers keen to source batteries away from China. Founded in 2020, Morrow Batteries will initially use existing lithium iron phosphate technology and its plant in Arendal, southern Norway, is Europe's first gigawatt LFP factory. "The important thing is for us to start selling batteries closer to the year end," CEO Christian Bacher told Reuters. The company has secured a delivery agreement for 5.5 gigawatt hours over seven years with Nordic Batteries, which builds customised storage solutions. The first months will be spent tweaking the process, improving quality and get to a stable production of battery cells, he added. "I'd rather have problems when you are in the process of starting up than having problems two years down the road when you are into stable production," Bacher said. Each of Morrow's cells has a capacity of 340 watt hours and weighs 2 kilograms, with the factory's 1 gigawatt hour annual output equating to some 3 million units. This would be enough to equip 20,000 smaller electric cars, which typically have a battery capacity of 50 kilowatt hours , Andreas Maier, Morrow's chief operating officer, said. However, offtake agreements with car manufacturers are not yet on the cards, with initial production volumes too small, CEO Bacher said. "It will take years for us to qualify for selling batteries to an automotive company." Still, Morrow plans to expand production step by step with three more facilities at the Arendal site by 2029, which will have an annual capacity of 14 GWh each. Early investors in Morrow include local utility A Energi, engineering firms ABB and Siemens, Danish pension funds PKA and Norwegian state-owned green investment firm Nysnoe. Abb Ltd Siemens AG This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Toronto: In a message marking Indias 78th Independence Day, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that Ottawa stands ready to work with New Delhi. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (AP) In the statement, released on Thursday, Trudeau said, As an Indo-Pacific partner, Canada stands ready to work with India to make life better for people in both our countries. Today, we join the people of India and Indo-Canadians in marking Indias Independence Day, he said. He pointed out that Canada is home to over 1.3 million people of Indian origin, and the Indo-Canadian communities play a vital role in shaping Canada, making us stronger and better. Today, we celebrate the contributions they have made, and continue to make, to strengthen our country and secure our prosperity, he said. The greetings extended this year were certainly less effusive than those in 2023. Relations between the two countries have cratered since Trudeaus statement in the House of Commons on September 18 last year that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, three months earlier. In his 2023 greetings, he had said, As the worlds largest democracy, India is and will continue to be a key partner for Canada in the promotion of our shared values of democracy, pluralism, and progress. Meanwhile, Independence Day was celebrated at Indias mission across the country. Indias High Commissioner in Ottawa hoisted the national flag at the mission in the Canadian capital and read out excerpts from the address to the nation by President Droupadi Murmu. Similar ceremonies were also held at the Consulate Generals in Toronto and Vancouver. While protests were held by pro-Khalistan elements outside the missions, there was no disruption in the celebrations, as diplomatic security and local law enforcement secured the premises. WELLINGTON, New Zealand Beijing weaponized tourism to the Pacific archipelago of Palau over its allegiance to Taiwan and its accusations that China was behind a major cyberattack there, President Surangel Whipps Jr. told The Associated Press. Palau's president says China is weaponizing lucrative tourism over his refusal to break Taiwan ties Palau, along with Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, is one three Pacific nations to recognize Taiwan as an independent democracy viewed as a snub by Beijing, which asserts it is part of China. Taipeis allies in the Pacific have dwindled from six countries in 2019; Nauru abandoned its ties in January. Whipps told the in an interview late Thursday that, in 2020 while he was running for his current post, the Chinese ambassador to a neighboring country pledged to flood his tourism-dependent nation of 20,000 people with a million visitors if he capitulated on the countrys stance. That continues to be the overture, he said by phone Thursday. They say, why are you torturing yourselves? Just join us and the skys the limit. Whipps refused. We dont need a million tourists, he added. Its not always about how much money we get. His stance is vanishingly rare amid Pacific island nations some struggling to sustain themselves and feeling overlooked by Western powers while their backyards are increasingly the settings for some of the worlds most potent contests for influence. Amid intensifying conflict over ocean territory, resources and political sway, Beijings pressure on the three hold-out countries was increasing, analysts said. As the number of Taiwans diplomatic allies in the Pacific dwindles, the obstacles to Chinas regional diplomacy diminish, said Mihai Sora, Director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute. Chinas penalties for Palaus intransigence are not new, but they have escalated in the months leading up to Novembers election in which Whipps will seek another term as leader, he said. In May, he blamed China for a major cyberattack on Palau in which 20,000 government documents were stolen. The claim was unproven, Whipps said, but no other motive or actor had emerged. Earlier that month, Palau tourism industry representatives were denied visas to enter Macau for a lucrative international industry conference. Then reports appeared in Chinas state media and on an official WeChat channel in June, warning tourists of an increase in safety issues for Chinese visitors to Palau. The remarks, seen by the , urged citizens to be cautious when traveling there. Whipps rejected the reports of security problems but said the claims had stuck visitor numbers from China halved in 2024, now down to 30% of its tourists. Once, 70% of Palaus visitors came from China, but the country tried to diversify its market after Beijing unofficially blocked its citizens from visiting in 2017. Palau has found itself in a position where it relies on Chinese tourists for income, Sora said. This is a tap China can quite easily turn on and off and it does. Support comes from other quarters, however. Unlike most Pacific nations, Palau, a republic that has been independent since 1994, holds close ties to the United States in a free association agreement. Washington provides aid and defense support to Palau and its citizens can live and work in the U.S. But many analysts say Washington was too slow to recognize Chinas campaign of influence in the Pacific and took for granted relationships with the leaders of tiny island nations who struggled to address growing economic and climate woes. Meanwhile, Whipps said, Beijing offered incentives and wooed with red carpets and fanfare some leaders who had never met an American president before a Pacific summit at the White House first held in 2022. Western nations had at times seen Pacific island countries as dots on a map, Whipps added. Things were changing, he said this week, Palau hosted New Zealands Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who is also the Foreign Minister, in the highest-profile visit Whipps had received from that country. That mutual respect, that caring, it means a lot, he said, adding that China had elsewhere done very good at that diplomacy. Palau has instead strengthened its ties with Taiwan and Japan, which along with Australia have supplied diversity to a tourism market still rebounding from the coronavirus pandemic. In May, a non-stop airline route opened between Palau and Brisbane. Whipps also hailed educational opportunities for Palaus youth in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. We want our best and brightest to be educated in schools that share our values, he said. He also urged more security for its pristine waters 80% of which are a marine sanctuary, the largest proportion of any country in the world. Four Chinese vessels have made incursions without permission since he became leader, Whipps said. Recent elections in the Pacific have proved fertile ground for bolstering ties with China. In the first round of national voting Wednesday in Kiribati which cut ties with Taiwan in 2019 the Chinese embassy announced on polling day that Kiribati seafood could now enter Chinas market. Ahead of an election in the Solomon Islands in April which also switched allegiance in 2019, forming a secretive security pact with Beijing the ruling party warned that cooling relations with China could stifle logging trade with the Solomons, a boon its economy is dependent on. As Novembers Palau election approaches, challenges from long-time pro-Beijing voices in Palau are growing once more, Whipps said. However, he said the campaign would be fought not on foreign influence but on the merits of tax reform, and did not believe a change in leadership would weaken ties to Taiwan. Politicians in Palau do not run on party platforms. Whipps' main opponent for the presidency was the countrys leader until 2021. Former President Thomas Remengesau Jr. also rebuffed Chinas attempts at sway during his time in office. Weve always had the belief that we should be friends to all and enemies to none, Whipps said. Our relationship to Taiwan shouldnt be questioned by anybody. video producer Olivia Zhang contributed reporting from Beijing. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. By Ali Sawafta Palestinians describe "brutal" West Bank settler attack JIT, West Bank, - Muawiya Sedeh, a 38 year-old father of five was at home in the West Bank village of Jit when his house was torched by a band of Jewish settlers, some masked and wielding Molotov cocktails, who stormed in on Thursday night. He said he escaped with his family with only minutes to spare. When he returned, he said the settlers were jeering and taunting him, saying "We will come back and kill you!" and telling him to go to Jordan or Syria. Local people said more than 100 people took part in the attack, many wearing masks and clad in black, and appeared well-coordinated, dividing into groups armed with guns and others throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. "I was lucky, it was a matter of minutes between life and death," Sedeh said. Video shared on social media showed cars and houses ablaze and Palestinian emergency services reported that a 22-year-old man was killed by gunfire from the settlers. The Jit attack was larger than recent raids by West Bank settlers but was hardly unique, with violence against Palestinian villages already on the rise as settlement building has spread unchecked across the West Bank. Since the start of the Gaza war, they have picked up even more rapidly. Between Oct 7, when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel, and this week, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA recorded around 1,250 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, or around four per day. Of these, around 120 led to Palestinian deaths or injuries and around 1,000 damaged Palestinian property. Thursday's attack took place as negotiators met in Doha for last-ditch talks aimed at halting the fighting in Gaza and heading off the looming threat of a wider regional war involving Iran and its proxies. There was swift condemnation by senior Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who promised an investigation, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and even Bezalel Smotrich, the hardline head of a pro-settler party, who has dismissed such incidents in the past. The heads of two West Bank settler associations, the Samaria Council and the Kedumim Council also condemned the attack, which, like Smotrich, who blamed "criminals", they suggested was carried out by groups from outside the area. "Those who come to create disorder and violence - don't come to Samaria, you are not welcome here," they said, using a Biblical name used by Israelis for part of the West Bank. DELAYED RESPONSE Jit, located between the flashpoint cities of Nablus and Qalqilyah, in the northern West Bank, has not seen settler attacks on a comparable scale in the recent past, residents said, but they said there had been tensions as nearby settlements have grown and expanded. Palestinians in the West Bank have regularly complained of the growing violence and strength of settler incursions in Palestinian areas like Huwara or Burqa, which have seen repeated attacks and there was a feeling of shock in the village. "We've seen attacks before but not in such a brutal and organized way," said Hassan Orman, a resident who saw the attack. "What happened wasn't about four or five settlers who just wanted to carry out an attack. What happened is something organized, they planned for it for days, they had weapons, tear gas, pepper spray, knives, all kinds of weapons." Although the Israeli military condemned the attack, and said it had arrested one person, local people said it took around an hour for the first security forces to arrive at the scene. "If anyone from the village goes towards the settlements, they're there in minutes," said 40-year-old Saddam Kahder. Palestinians and rights groups regularly accuse Israeli forces of standing by as attacks take place and even joining in themselves and legal action against violent settlers is extremely uncommon. "How can these terrorist gangs mobilize 100 of their members ... and attack a Palestinian village if they did not feel protected," the Palestinian foreign ministry said in a statement. In a report from January, Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group that monitors settler violence, said an analysis of 1,664 investigation files between 2005-23 showed almost 94% were closed without an indictment. But as global pressure has mounted on Israel over the Gaza war, now in its 11th month, the patience of Israel's allies, including the United States, has been increasingly strained by incidents which cause deep anger in their home countries. Many, including the United States have begun imposing sanctions on individuals and face pressure to do more and to curb the expansion of settlements on land the Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state, a key part of the two-state solution favoured by Western countries. Most countries deem the settlements, built on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as illegal. British Foreign Minister David Lammy and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne, who spoke with Israeli counterparts during a joint visit to Jerusalem on Friday, both condemned the attack. "Prime Minister Netanyahu has said there will be a swift investigation. I hope that that investigation can ensure that those who have engaged in this settler violence over the course of the last 24 hours are brought to justice," Lammy said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. By Mikhail Flores Philippines seeks to assure China missile system deployment not a destabilising factor MANILA, - The Philippines sought to assure China on Friday that the presence of a U.S. intermediate range missile system on its territory posed no threat to China and would not be a destabilising factor in the region. The U.S. deployed its missile system to the Philippines in April as part of the two countries' joint military drills, the first time it has set up the system in the Indo-Pacific region. Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said on Friday that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised concerns over the missile system's presence which the Beijing official described as "destabilising" in bilateral talks in Laos on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings. Manalo assured Wang that the presence of the system was non-threatening, however. "He said it could be destabilising, the presence, and I said 'No, they're not destabilising'," Manalo told a forum with foreign correspondents. "I believe that particular missiles he's referring to are only there temporarily," he added. Wang had warned that the deployment of the U.S. intermediate-range missile system could fuel regional tensions and lead to an arms race. The Typhon missile system, capable of firing Tomahawk land attack and SM-6 missiles, was not fired during the drills, but the Philippines said it was shipped to test the feasibility of transporting the 40-ton weapon system by air. Security engagements between the Philippines and its treaty ally the United States have intensified as both nations seek to counter what they see as China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea and near Taiwan. Tension between China and the Philippines has increased, in particular over disputed territories in the South China Sea. Last week, the Philippines accused China's air force of carrying out dangerous manoeuvres over the contested Scarborough Shoal. China maintains its aircraft operated lawfully and professionally. The air incident came after Manila and Beijing have agreed to better manage maritime disputes. Manalo also said he hoped that China would honour its provisional arrangement with Manila over the latter's resupply missions to a beached vessel at another contested spot, the Second Thomas Shoal. Asked whether that arrangement could be replicated in other contested parts of the South China Sea, Manalo said it would depend on the situation. China has claimed most of the South China Sea as its territory, including the Scarborough and Second Thomas Shoals. It rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that Beijing's expansive claims in the South China Sea had no basis under international law. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. A second retired military general was set to join Bangladesh's interim government on Friday, one of four new additions to the caretaker administration formed after last week's ouster of autocratic ex-premier Sheikh Hasina. Second retired general to join interim Bangladesh cabinet Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, 71, and three others will join the "council of advisers", the de facto cabinet now running Bangladesh under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Chowdhury was a three-star general and second-in-command of the army but retired from the forces in 2010 the year after Hasina, now 76, took office. The pair had butted heads in the aftermath of a savage mutiny by troops against senior military officers that raised fears of a power struggle between the armed forces and the government. Chowdhury and three others were scheduled to be sworn into office later on Friday, said a statement from the council of advisers. The 2009 mutiny killed 74 people over two days, including 57 senior officers, some of whom were hacked to death or burnt alive before their bodies were dumped in sewers or shallow graves. More than 150 soldiers were sentenced to death in 2013 for participating in the uprising, which began partly in anger that their pleas for better pay and treatment had been ignored. Their trials were criticised for procedural irregularities and claims that the defendants were tortured while in custody, which Hasina's government denied. Chowdhury was tasked with leading a "neutral" army probe into the mutiny soon after it occurred, competing with a rival investigation already set up by Hasina's administration. He left the army a year later on his 57th birthday, the usual retirement age for officers of his rank at that time. Also to be sworn in Friday were former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, Cambridge-educated economist Wahiduddin Mahmud, and professor and infrastructure expert Fouzul Kabir Khan. Sworn in last week were rights activists, an Islamic cleric, a former central bank chief, and two student leaders of the protests that toppled Hasina. Retired one-star army general Sakhawat Hossain was also tapped to run the home ministry. Several of the cabinet's members are associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the main opposition to Hasina's Awami League. Hasina's 15-year rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Yunus, 84, returned from Europe eight days ago to head a temporary administration that faces the monumental challenge of steering democratic reforms. On Thursday, his government said it had invited a United Nations' fact-finding team to probe "atrocities" committed during the final weeks of Hasina's rule. More than 450 people were killed in the weeks of protests leading up to her August 5 ouster, most by police fire. gle/amj This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. BERLIN - The U.N. special rapporteur on torture on Friday condemned what she called a "particularly gruesome" case of the alleged sexual abuse of a Palestinian prisoner by Israeli soldiers and said the perpetrators of such crimes must be held accountable. UN expert condemns alleged sexual assault of Palestinian in Israeli custody "There are no circumstances in which sexual torture or sexualised inhuman and degrading treatment can be justified," Special Rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards said in a statement. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said prosecutors have requested that soldiers accused of abusing a Palestinian detainee be placed under house arrest. Israeli media reports said the soldiers have been accused of sexually abusing a member of an elite Hamas unit at the Sde Teiman detention facility in the Negev desert in southern Israel. "This alleged sexual torture involving multiple offenders is particularly gruesome," Edwards said, adding that Israeli authorities had informed her that several soldiers suspected of involvement were under investigation. All alleged crimes must be investigated and those responsible held accountable by civilian courts, she said. The Israeli foreign ministry had no immediate comment on the matter when contacted by Reuters. The United Nations has received multiple reports of alleged torture against Palestinians detained since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed Israel in a shock assault that killed some 1,200 people. More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the 10 months of fighting that have followed, according to health officials in the Palestinian enclave. Israel has also detained thousands of Palestinians, according to the United Nations statement. Hamas reiterated its call for international judicial bodies to investigate all cases of gross violations against Palestinian prisoners. Israeli rights group B'Tselem said in a report Israel has conducted a systematic policy of prisoner abuse and torture since the Gaza war erupted, subjecting Palestinian detainees to acts ranging from arbitrary violence to sexual abuse. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Harvard University and three graduate students have settled a federal lawsuit accusing the Ivy League school of ignoring complaints of sexual harassment by a renowned professor and allowing him to intimidate students by threatening to hinder their careers. (Photo for representation) An unidentified person walks through Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., December 7, 2023. REUTERS/Faith Ninivaggi/File Photo(REUTERS) The suit filed in Boston in 2022 was dismissed without court costs and with prejudice, according to an order by federal Magistrate Judge Judith Dein dated Thursday, meaning the students cant re-litigate the claims. Terms of the settlement were not made public. The students' lawyers praised their clients courage in coming forward, speaking up about their experiences and shedding light on important issues." We are glad that our clients will now be able to move on with their lives and careers, the statement from Sanford Heisler Sharp said. ALSO READ| Detroit judge suspended for handcuffing teen girl who fell asleep on court field trip What were the allegations? The lawsuit alleged that one of the students was subjected to repeated forcible kissing and groping as early as 2017 by John Comaroff, a professor of anthropology and African and African American studies. And when the student met with him to discuss her plans to study in an African country, Comaroff repeatedly said she could be subjected to violence in Africa because she was in a same-sex relationship, the lawsuit said. The other two plaintiffs said Comaroff threatened to derail their careers after they reported his behavior to university administrators. One accused him of giving her unwanted sexual attention when she was an undergraduate at the University of Chicago. Comaroff, 79, was not named as a defendant, and his lawyers said at the time that he categorically denies ever harassing or retaliating against any student. He consistently made every effort to assist these students and to advance their careers, their statement said. As for the discussion about the dangers of possible violence in the African country, he said his advice was appropriate, motivated by concern for her safety if she traveled with a same-sex partner a warning similar to what's published by the U.S. State Department. Comaroff said in a July statement announcing his retirement from Harvard that the lawsuit repeated all of the allegations already found to lack merit" during a Harvard investigation, but in more lurid, hyperbolic terms" to make him a scapegoat in their fight against the university. All this extraordinary attention, all the furor, all the nastiness, arose out of two brief office-hour discussions, both academic in intent and content, Comaroff wrote. An ugly, ferocious campaign had been waged against me at Harvard by a small group of activists, people who have no knowledge of me, of my pedagogy, or of the facts of the case as established by Harvards thorough, largely exonerating investigation. ALSO READ| Knicks' Josh Hart admits he really wanted Noah Lyles to lose at Paris Olympics At the time the lawsuit was filed in 2022, a Harvard spokesperson shared a letter saying Comaroff was put on administrative leave for the rest of that spring semester after university investigators found his verbal conduct violated the schools sexual, gender-based and professional conduct policies. Before the lawsuit went to mediation in November, lawyers for Harvard had argued for a dismissal, saying the statute of limitations had expired for some claims and that others lacked merit. Emails seeking comment on the settlement from attorneys representing Comaroff and the university were not immediately returned Friday. The death of the Friends star, Matthew Perry, sent shockwaves across the world last year. After the 54-year-old's body was discovered in a hot tub at his LA home, initial reports suggested he died of acute effects of ketamine. However, shocking new details have emerged as part of the Hollywood veteran's death investigation, leading to multiple arrests. Five individuals have been arrested in Matthew Perry's death investigation(AFP) Matthew Perry's death investigation reveals shocking new details Almost a year after the 17 Again star's death, five individuals, including two doctors and Perry's live-in assistant, have been arrested, according to the US Attorney's Office. On Thursday, the investigators revealed that they had uncovered a drug racket run by an underground network of drug dealers who allegedly supply the potentially fatal drug ketamine. The probe into Perry's death has brought forward a suspicious new figure, Jasveen Sangha, also known as the Ketamine Queen. According to investigators, she is thought to be the person responsible for supplying a fatal dose of the drug, which is popularly used as an antidepressant, to the Friends actor. US Attorney Martin Estrada said that Sangha ran a drug-selling emporium in her home. ALSO READ: Matthew Perry told Iwamasa to 'shoot me up with a big one,' hours before he died Three of the five individuals arrested in the probe have reached a plea deal, while Dr. Salvador Plasencia of Santa Monica, California, and the Ketamine Queen were indicted on Wednesday. Estrada said the defendants took advantage of Mr Perrys addiction issues, adding that they knew what they were doing was wrong, per New York Times. Estrada went on to explain that the accused were more interested in making money out of Perry by supplying him with dangerous amounts of ketamine instead of his mental health. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry. But they did it anyway. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being, the US Attorney said. ALSO READ: Meet the friends who conspired and killed Matthew Perry, saw him as a cash cow and called him a moron What is ketamine? How did it lead to Perry's death? Ketamine is an anaesthetic used by medical providers and veterinarians with some hallucinogenic effects, according to the DEA. Since it is a dissociative drug, its users feel detached from pain and experience distorted vision and hearing. Perry, who had a history of struggle with mental health, began undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to treat his depression and anxiety. While it is used in the field of medicine to induce and maintain anaesthesia, it has not been approved by the FDA for treating depression or other mental issues. Due to the risk of its user developing a moderate to high dependency on the drug, ketamine is a controlled drug. However, it is often sold off-market, leading to an increase in addiction among illegal users. The Friends star became highly addicted to ketamine after years of using it for therapeutic purposes. In the days leading up to his death, Perry began injecting the drug six to eight times a day. During Thursday's conference, it was revealed that despite telling a patient that the actor was too far gone and spiralling in his addiction, Plasencia continued selling him the drug. The European Space Agency (ESA) engineered a historic breakthrough in November 2022 by picking now-43-year-old Briton John McFall as the first parastronaut." As a former Paralympic sprinter and an orthopaedic surgeon, McFall was cleared to fly into space earlier this year following the groundbreaking two-year Fly! feasibility study. John McFall - a member of the ESA Astronaut Class of 2022. A motorbike accident resulted in the amputation of his right leg at the age of 19. Earlier this year, he was cleared to fly in space, becoming the first "parastronaut."(European Space Agency) McFall's introduction to a relatively more diverse ESA astronaut class of 2022 became the space agency's answer to enhance our comprehension of the challenges posed by space flight for astronauts with physical disabilities, aiming to overcome these barriers. A new journal publication in Nature's Communications Medicine explores the consequential butterfly effect this pioneering step towards diversity inclusion in the space sector can have on Healthcare. Published on July 25 (IST), the Healthcare can learn from space exploration to champion disability inclusion article, primarily steered by project lead Dr Farhan Asrar, sees him join forces with experts from NASA and ESA. Their joint study, now reflected as a publication in one of the leading journal groups' databases, also happened to have been released in time for the 34th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) July 26. HindustanTimes.com had the privilege of discussing the new study at length with Dr Asrar, who perceptively helped weave a bigger web of the diversity inclusion issue in an exclusive interview. As a Canadian dual Public Health Physician and Family Physician, academic, and researcher, Dr Asrar is a professor at the University of Toronto. Also read | Immigration biggest issue for Britons for first time since 2016, poll shows Dr Farhan Asrar (right) with astronaut Col. Jeremy Hansen, who will become the first Canadian (& first non-American) to enter the Moon's orbit on the Artemis II mission. Exploring the space sector's efforts to expand diversity inclusion The ADA is a U.S. law that prohibits discrimination based on disability and mandates equal access to public accommodations, employment, and services, he informed. Our submission to it was long before, so it was not planned to be published at the same time. Once the journal accepted the manuscript and the publication was going to take place near this day, the journal accommodated to timely publish it around the USA's National Disability Independence Day due to its relevance. Mapping out the message similar to Dana Bolles' (co-author of the journal) NASA QnA profile, Dr Asrar underlined how, historically, space exploration has been limited in involving women, minorities, and those with physical disabilities. However, relatively recent initiatives launched by the space sector reflect a significant change with an increasing focus on promoting diversity and inclusion and breaking down barriers. There have been several steps taken to increase awareness and involvement in space among those with disabilities, which includes a number of zero-gravity space flights. One major leap forward is the European Space Agency's Parastronaut program" as it specifically invited "those with a physical disability to apply to become an astronaut, he added. Also read | Taco Bell testing new Nostalgic Menu with returning fan-favourites from each decade Speaking up against ableism When asked if McFall's case, as a former Paralympian and an orthopaedic surgeon, feeds into the model minority myth, i.e., pushing candidates to be extra perfect on several accounts compared to other astronaut programs, Dr Asrar instantly shut down the suggestion. For anyone who might think of there being a model minority myth, I would ask them to self-reflect and see if this is not ableism speaking. Research studies have even shown that professionals with disabilities felt their career advancements were impacted, Dr Asrar said of ableism working its way into this diversity discourse. Acknowledging McFall's previous achievements and hurdles he overcame to excel in the roles he took on, Dr Asrar lauded him as someone who challenged the odds and excelled in several realms, such as the physical world of sports, the educational and knowledge world of medicine. He affirmed that the mental resilience needed to achieve all this ultimately led him to become the world's first astronaut with a physical disability. Actively moving towards an inclusive framework and overcoming barriers Our next question advertently led us to a conversation about how space agencies could foster a welcoming environment for candidates like Dr John McFall, considering the challenges (like environmental barriers) that must be overcome. I would say the space world has pushed itself towards a welcoming environment by developing and organising such a parastronaut program in the first place! Dr Asrar said. "The environmental barriers are being assessed and studied to see what technology updates, training updates, and structural updates may be needed since the original suits, vehicles and infrastructure did not cater to someone with a disability." By Kanishka Singh Jordanian charged in US for threats against perceived Israel supporters WASHINGTON, - A Jordanian citizen residing in Orlando, Florida, was charged with threatening to use explosives and destruction of an energy facility after threats against businesses for their perceived support of Israel, the U.S. Justice Department said. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Incidents of hate against Jews, Muslims, Arabs, Palestinians and Israelis in the U.S. have risen since Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Israel subsequently launched its now more than 10-month old military assault on Hamas-governed Gaza that has caused a humanitarian crisis. KEY QUOTES "We allege that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel," U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Thursday. The arrested man was identified as Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43 and could not immediately be contacted. FBI Director Christopher Wray added that "the defendant allegedly attacked a power facility and threatened local businesses, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages." CONTEXT From about June, Hnaihen allegedly targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel, the Justice Department said. Wearing a mask, under the cover of night, Hnaihen allegedly smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind warning letters, the department said. Hnaihen is believed to have caused more than $700,000 in damage, the Justice Department said, adding he was arrested on July 11. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each of the four threat offenses and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense, according to the Justice Department. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The ugly truth behind Matthew Perry's tragic due to a ketamine overdose has come out to shock his fans. Latest arrest after months long homicide investigations reveal how those he trusted, his so called Friends in real life, took advantage of his vulnerability, leading to a heartbreaking end. Mathew Peery was allegedly 'killed' by his close confidantes and friends: DoJ findings(Rich Fury/Invision/AP) New insights reveal, in the months leading up to his death, Perry was desperately seeking relief from his battles with depression and addiction. While his regular doctors provided ketamine treatments under strict supervision, Perrys demands for more were eventually denied due to the risks involved. Desperate and unwilling to face his inner demons alone, he sought out others who were less concerned with his well-being and more interested in their own gain. Friends who killed Matthew Kerry Among those who conspired against Perry were his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, two doctors, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez, Meet Kenneth Iwamasa, Matthew Perry's personal assistant Iwamasa, who was supposed to care for Perry, ended up being the one who facilitated his access to the dangerous drug. On the day of Perrys death, he allegedly administered several injections of ketamine, despite knowing the severe risk it posed. Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, per the DoJ. It was him who had found the actor face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28. The assistant received the ketamine from Erik Fleming, who has pleaded guilty to obtaining the drug from Sangha and delivering them to Iwamasa. In all, he delivered 50 vials of ketamine for Perrys use, including 25 handed over four days before the actors death. Meet Matthew Perry's doctors Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez The doctors involved, Plasencia and Chavez, took their roles as caregivers and twisted them into something unrecognizable. Plasencia, who has been charged with multiple counts of distributing ketamine even falsified records after Perrys death. In court assistant U.S. Attorney Ian V. Yanniello stated, Plasencia had essentially acted as a street corner drug dealer. He saw Perry as a cash cow rather than a patient in need. In fact, he even joked about how much Perry might pay for the drug in a text messagecallously disregarding the stars life. Chavez, who admitted to his role in supplying the drug, also played a key part in this tragic chain of events. Also Read: Disturbing texts expose culprits called Matthew a moron San Diego physician, Dr. Mark Chavez, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Prosecutors allege Chavez funneled ketamine to Plasencia, securing some of the drug from a wholesale distributor through a fraudulent prescription. From September until Perrys Oct. 28 death, Plasencia and Chavez allegedly supplied him with about 20 vials of ketamine in exchange for around $55,000 in cash, including having Perry shell out $2,000 for a $12 vial of the drug. Meet Jasveen Sangha, also called Ketamine Queen Jasveen Sangha, a drug dealer known as the Ketamine Queen supplied the ketamine that ultimately led to Perrys death, living a lavish lifestyle funded by her illegal activities. Despite being initially released on bond, she was later re-arrested when it became clear she was directly linked to Perrys overdose. Sangha has been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine. Also Read; Who is the Ketamine Queen The prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, was clear in his condemnation of these actions. He described this group as an underground criminal network that knowingly endangered Perrys life for their own gain. The fact that these individuals attempted to cover their tracks, deleting messages and falsifying records, only added to the tragedy. Meghan Markle may not attend the Democratic National Convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be confirmed as the partys nominee to challenge former US President Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election. Earlier it was reported that Meghan Markle will support Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidency.(AP/AFP) However, political expert predicts that the Duchess's influence within the Democratic Party has reached rock bottom and that her presence at the event could be more harmful than beneficial. Meghan, who has previously shown interest in a political career, is not anticipated to be among the notable celebrities endorsing Harris at the convention, which will be held at Chicago's United Center. The Suits star previously called Trump as misogynistic and divisive and many speculated at that time that the Duchess was well-poised to run for Oval. ALSO READ| Netizens doubt JD Vance accidentally promoted Kamala Harris while Stars like Beyonce, Michelle Obama, and Taylor Swift are expected to make appearances, but Meghans inclusion on that list seems unlikely. Experts say no to Meghan for endorsing Harris Andrew Cockburn, the Washington DC editor of Harpers, told Tatler magazine that Meghans current sway over voters is minimal. I haven't heard any rumors. I'm sure she'd like to [attend], but her selling power has really gone pretty rock bottom here, Cockburn said. I don't think she would have much effect. I doubt shell show up at the Convention. I doubt theyd want her there. Also, BBCs former royal correspondent Michael Colde said told GBN America, She's made no secret of her political interest from a very young age, and all those interests have been in the Democratic cause. To such an extent that when former President Trump, as president, made a state visit to Britain, she absented herself. She didn't want to be presented to Trump. Such was her disdain for the Donald. It has been rumoured that maybe she will look towards a political career in California because there has been precedent in the past. ALSO READ| Meghan Markle wears THIS UK pal's fashion brand during Colombia tour Kamala Harris has previously expressed support for Meghan The Vice President publicly backed the Duchess when Meghan shared a video about the Black Lives Matter movement, responding with the message, we are with you, and praising Meghan for her powerful statement. Joe Bidens sister, Valerie Biden Owens, also endorsed Meghan last year, stating, The more women we have, the better our democratic system will work, with a better point of view, a different point of view, and we embrace all women. However, Meghans participation in the convention is challenging, as she is currently on a tour of Colombia with her husband, Prince Harry. The couple has been in Bogota since Thursday, following an invitation from Colombia's Vice President, Francia Marquez. Do you remember how many times you recently accepted the general protocol of giving the Terms and conditions green light without putting much thought behind it when signing up for a streaming service? This Disney lawsuit will put many things into perspective while making you retrace your steps in fear of the future. FILE PHOTO: People gather at the Magic Kingdom theme park before the "Festival of Fantasy" parade at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, U.S. July 30, 2022. (REUTERS) A New York woman, Dr Kanokporn Tangsuan, died in February after experiencing a severe allergy, consuming food with allergens at a restaurant in Disney World. Months after the tragedy, her husband, Jeffrey J Piccolo, sued Disney Parks and Resorts in February. However, the company is now trying its best to get this wrongful death lawsuit dismissed just because the widower signed up for a Disney Plus account several years ago. What does the lawsuit against Disney say? Piccolo's complaint states that he, his wife, and his mother went to Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at the Orlando resort in Florida for dinner on October 5 because Disney's website billed the place as having allergen-free food. The suit also alleges that Tangsuan told their server several times that she had a severe allergy to nuts and dairy products. They were eventually guaranteed that the food was allergen-free. Also read | X-Men 97 creator was fired because Discrepancies between Disney and Beau DeMayo's accounts with LGBTQ fan art at focus About 45 minutes after the 42-year-old doctor finished the food, she had difficulty breathing. She was out shopping when it happened. Tangsuan, who was a physician with NYU Langone Health, ultimately collapsed and died at a hospital, as per the lawsuit. The complaint also informs that the medical examiner determined the cause of her as anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system. Disney's response to the wrongful death lawsuit This is where Disney's piece comes in. This week, the company released a statement saying it was deeply saddened by the family's loss. Responding to the plaintiff's lawsuit, Disney asserted that the Irish pub in question is neither owned nor operated by them, per the Associated Press' report. A company spokesperson told NBC News, We are deeply saddened by the familys loss and understand their grief. Given that this restaurant is neither owned nor operated by Disney, we are merely defending ourselves against the plaintiffs attorneys attempt to include us in their lawsuit against the restaurant. To divert attention further to the T&C clause Piccolo had agreed to while signing up for a month-long trial of Disney Plus in 2019, the company argued that he had agreed to settle any lawsuits against them out of court through arbitration. Also read | Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 4 Absolute Doom: What will the game feature? Plot, weapons and locations explained The first page of the Subscriber Agreement states, in all capital letters, that any dispute between You and Us, Except for Small Claims, is subject to a class action waiver and must be resolved by individual binding arbitration, Disney wrote to have the case $50,000 lawsuit dismissed. In court documents filed this May, Disney also said he accepted the same terms when buying tickets on the Walt Disney Parks website. Piccolo's lawyers responded to Disney's argument earlier this month, slamming the reasoning as preposterous. They also stressed that it was absurd to agree that over 150 million Disney Plus subscribers have waived all rights to sue the company and its affiliates, especially considering that Piccolo's case has nothing to do with the streaming service. They also emphasised that he signed up for the Disney Plus account on his PlayStation but cancelled it during the free trial. There is simply no reading of the Disney+ Subscriber Agreement which would support the notion that Mr Piccolo agreed to arbitrate claims arising from injuries sustained by his wife at a restaurant located on premises owned by a Disney theme park or resort which ultimately led to her death, his attorneys said. A Wall Street Journal report has reignited controversy surrounding the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, claiming that a small team of Ukrainians was responsible for the attack. The pipeline, crucial for transporting natural gas from Russia to Germany, was heavily damaged by a series of explosions in September 2022, exacerbating the energy crisis in Europe. (FILES) This file handout photo taken on September 28, 2022 from an aircraft of the Swedish Coast Guard (Kustbevakningen) shows the release of gas emanating from a leak on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, in the Swedish economic zone in the Baltic Sea. (AFP) The explosive report blames Ukraine for Nordstream explosion The WSJ report alleges that the sabotage was carried out by a group of six individuals, including Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, who used a small sailing boat to execute the mission. The operation worth around $300,000 was reportedly funded privately but directed by a high-ranking Ukrainian general. The report suggests that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially approved the operation but later attempted to call it off after the CIA became aware and urged Kyiv to stand down. Despite this, the operation allegedly proceeded under the direction of Ukraines then-Commander-in-Chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. According to the Journal, the idea of blowing up the pipelines emerged during a meeting of senior Ukrainian military officers and businessmen in May 2022, just months after Moscow invaded Ukraine. Zaluzhny, who was removed from his post earlier this year in a shake-up, pushed ahead anyway, the WSJ said, citing Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian officials deny allegations Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations. President Zelenskys spokesperson reiterated that Ukraine had no involvement in the explosion, once again pointing fingers at Russia as the likely perpetrator. "Ukraine's involvement in the Nord Stream explosions is absolute nonsense. There was no practical sense in such actions for Ukraine," Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak told AFP. Mykhailo argued that such a sophisticated attack could only be carried out by a nation with significant resources, which, at the time, only Russia possessed. "It is clear that the explosions of the Nord Stream pipelines did not stop the war, did not deter Russian aggression, and did not affect the situation on the front line," he said. The WSJ report, however, has added another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigations. German authorities are reportedly continuing their probe, now focusing on senior Ukrainian military officials. This development could strain relations between Germany and Ukraine, given the potential implications of an ally conducting sabotage against critical infrastructure. German authorities have issued arrest warrant for 'Volodymyr Z' Adding to the intrigue, German authorities have issued a European arrest warrant for a man identified as Volodymyr Z, who is alleged to have been directly involved in the attack. Despite these developments, some German officials, including Roderich Kiesewetter of the opposition CDU party, have urged caution, suggesting that this could be a disinformation campaign aimed at framing Ukraine. The Nord Stream incident has been shrouded in mystery and speculation, with various theories implicating different actors, including Russia, the CIA, and now Ukraine. As investigations continue, the true culprits behind the attack remain uncertain, with the situation becoming increasingly complex as new information emerges. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's chief of staff stepped down from the role earlier this week, raising eyebrows about the Sussex household. Josh Kettler's exit just three months after employment has provoked experts and netizens to question the treatment of their staffers behind closed doors. In light of the situation, a royal expert has suggested that the resignation of 18 staffers employed by the Sussexes is a sign that something is wrong. Britain's Prince Harry (C), Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan Markle react while attending a show during a visit to the National Centre for the Arts in Bogota on August 15, 2024. Prince Harry and his wife, American actress Meghan Markle, arrived in Colombia at the invitation of Marquez, with whom they will attend various meetings with women and young people to reject discrimination and cyberbullying. (Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA / AFP)(AFP) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's chief of staff's exit raises eyebrows The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had employed Kettler just days ahead of their quasi-royal trip to Nigeria in May. However, he is not the first staffer employed by the Sussexes to have stepped down. Assessing the situation, Helena Chard told Fox News Digital, A revolving door of staff seems to be the norm for Harry and Meghan, adding, Eighteen members of their staff have departed their team. ALSO READ: How did Ketamine, an antidepressant drug kill Matthew Perry? Shocking details emerge The British broadcaster and photographer pointed out that while the addition of new employees can, at times, prove to be beneficial, it may be a sign of something being wrong behind closed doors if the employee turnover is unusually high. Sometimes introducing new staff to a team can keep ideas alive, but this is an unusually high turnover of staff and highlights that something is wrong, Chard said. ALSO READ: Taco Bell testing new Nostalgic Menu with returning fan-favourites from each decade Chard went on to explain that Prince Harry and Meghan's staffers are highly skilled and competent. Prior to his employment at the Sussex household, Kettler was the chief of staff and head of strategic partnerships at Cognixion. The sad thing is all these employees have been chosen carefully, the expert added. They have previously excelled working for demanding bosses in high-performing companies and environments. I can only believe that Harry and Meghan are tricky customers and make it near impossible for their staff to excel in their roles, Chard explained. MOSCOW, - Russia's ambassador to Washington said on Friday that he did not believe Ukraine would have attacked the Nord Stream gas pipelines without the tacit approval of the United States, and that Russia would identify and punish those behind the attack. Russia diplomat says Ukraine wouldn't have attacked Nord Stream without US approval A sharp pressure drop on the pipelines under the Baltic Sea was registered on Sept. 26, 2022 and seismologists detected explosions, triggering a wave of speculation about who sabotaged the multibillion-dollar project that carried Russian gas to Germany. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, which occurred off the Danish island of Bornholm and ruptured three out of four lines of the system. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Ukraine's top military commander approved the 2022 attack on the gas pipelines despite a warning from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy not to carry out the attack. "They seek to shift all responsibility to their Ukrainian puppets," Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said in a statement on Nord Stream. "We will seek to identify the real perpetrators of the bombing and punish them." Russia has repeatedly said that attack on Nord Stream was carried out by the United States and Britain. Washington and London have denied those accusations. The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal have reported that Ukraine - which has repeatedly denied involvement - was behind the attack. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak on Thursday denied his country was involved, and pointed the finger at Russia. Antonov said that there was no way that Ukraine would attack Nord Stream without "the wink" from Washington. "In fact, we are talking about the implicit legitimisation of terrorism, even when it comes to the territory of the allies," Antonov said. The blasts occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark. Both countries said the explosions were deliberate, but have yet to say in public who was responsible. Those countries and Germany are investigating. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Taco Bell is honouring its rich history with a new Nostalgic Menu that features popular discontinued items from each decade. The fast-food giant is presently testing the menu at three locations in Southern California for a limited time only. The company aims to treat its loyal fanbase by reviving five fan-favourite menu items from the 60s to the 00s. Taco Bell introduces new limited-edition Nostalgic Menu, available at select SoCal locations (Taco Bell) Taco Bell introduces new Nostalgic Menu The fast food chain announced in a statement released Wednesday that it is testing an all-new Nostalgic Menu at select SoCal locations for a span of a couple of days. Following this brief run, the company is planning to roll out these classic menu items nationwide for a limited time. ALSO READ: Hawk Tuah girl throws first pitch at Mets Game, sparks debate online, Do better! Presently, customers can take the trip down memory lane with Taco Bell's latest menu at these three locations: Barranca (2222 Barranca Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92606), Brea restaurant (303 W Imperial Hwy, Brea, CA 92821), and the Fullerton restaurant (31 E Orangethorpe Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832). The Nostalgic Menu is available at the first two locations from August 15 to August 21, while at the latter from August 15 to August 19, while the supplies last. The five popular discontinued menu items that are returning from each decade are: Tostada from the '60s Green Burrito from the '70s Meximelt from the '80s Beef Gordita Supreme from the '90s Caramel Apple Empanada from the '00s ALSO READ: Chick-fil-A brings back fan-favourite Banana Pudding Milkshake for first time in 13 years Taylor Montgomery, Chief Marketing Officer at Taco Bell, said, of the company's latest offering, Thanks to our rich history, we have a vault of craveable products our fans have become passionate about and we continuously explore ways to reintroduce the ones that deliver on the comfort and value they are looking for. Now, were thrilled to unite two groups of fans: those who fondly remember these menu items and those who have yet to experience the delight of a Caramel Apple Empanada or savor their first bite of a Meximelt with this menu, Montgomery added. Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz has been accused of branding Joe Biden a war criminal on social media. The 40-year-old journalist came under fire after a screenshot of her controversial Instagram story went viral. In the screengrab, Lorenz had written war criminal over her selfie featuring the US president in the background. Taylor Lorenz allegedly called Joe Biden a 'war criminal' on her Instagram story(X) Taylor Lorenz accused of calling Biden war criminal In the selfie, which was taken at the White House Creator Economy Conference on Wednesday, Lorenz can be seen wearing a mask as Biden spoke to the crowd behind her. The photo was shared via the close friends feature on Instagram and was first obtained by NY Post's Jonathan Levine. Amid the severe backlash regarding her choice of words against Biden, Lorenz denied the credibility of the photo. You people will fall for any dumba** edit someone makes, she told Levine, per Fox News. However, the Post reporter wrote on X, formerly Twitter, She's denying it's real, but she has a long history of lying about things like this and it came to me from someone reliable. So take it as you will. Washington Post looking into accusations against Taylor Lorenz In the wake of the incident, a spokesperson for the Washington Post told NPR, Our executive editor and senior editors take alleged violations of our standards seriously. Were aware of the alleged post and are looking into it. In addition to the NY Post, NPR also obtained a screenshot of Lorenz's actual post and confirmed that it did contain the controversial caption. Additionally, four people who had direct knowledge of Lorenz's post, in which she branded Biden a war criminal, confirmed its authenticity to the outlet. They spoke to NPR on condition they not be identified due to the professional sensitivity of the situation for Lorenz, the outlet explained. Japanese veteran confronts gruesome germ-warfare crimes in China Xinhua) 14:58, August 16, 2024 HARBIN, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- As 94-year-old Japanese veteran Hideo Shimizu concluded his four-day visit to the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin on Thursday, he remarked, "This may be my last chance to come to China and express my apologies." Over the past 79 years, Shimizu became the fifth member of the notorious Japanese Unit 731 germ-warfare detachment during World War II, and likely the last, to return to Harbin to confess and seek forgiveness for their war crimes, said Jin Chengmin, curator of the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. Out of the 3,607 registered members who served in Unit 731, only a few have acknowledged the historical facts, according to Jin. Hideo Shimizu visits the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Aug. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao) Shimizu fled China with the retreating Japanese forces on Aug. 14, 1945. His trip to Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, from Aug. 12 to 15 marked his first return to Chinese soil in 79 years. Even after nearly 80 years, the former member of the Unit 731 Youth Corps still remembers the place where he stayed more than four months and witnessed the war crimes committed by the germ-warfare detachment during World War II, including the cultivation of pathogens, human dissections and human experiments. During his poignant visit to the former headquarters of Unit 731 and the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, Shimizu walked through the commander's office, the specimen room, and the site of the frostbite laboratory, recounting to the museum curator and others what had seen during his military service. He repented, bowing deeply before the monument dedicated to "apology and the commitment to peace without war." Then, he stepped forward to touch the black tablet. Hideo Shimizu (L) repents and apologizes in front of the monument to "apology and the commitment to peace without war" at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Aug. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Song) "I cannot restrain my profound regret and apology for joining the germ corps and becoming an aggressor," Shimizu said. "Once again, I express my heartfelt apologies." Headquartered in Harbin, the Japanese bacteriology unit killed thousands of Chinese civilians and prisoners of war at its sprawling complex from the late 1930s until the end of the war. Shimizu said that as a teenager, he was coerced by his Japanese school teacher to join the army as an "apprentice technician," unaware of the unit he was being recruited into. In Unit 731, he saw the remains and bodies of Chinese victims, referred to in Japanese as "marutas," or wooden logs. Even pregnant women and children were soaked in formaldehyde in the specimen room. He described the actions of Unit 731 in China as war crimes that have always haunted him. Before his trip to China, Shimizu had delivered over 20 public speeches exposing Unit 731's germ-warfare crimes using his personal experiences and historical records. He had also expressed a strong desire to return to China to pray for the deceased and apologize to their families. His visit to Harbin was made possible by donations from various Japanese civilian groups. Hideo Shimizu prays in front of the list of victims at the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Aug. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao) The crimes committed by Unit 731 were among the most gruesome atrocities of the Japanese invasion of China during World War II. On Thursday, China marked the 79th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as people across the country held activities observing these historical memories. The Chinese people remain profoundly dismayed by the revelations of the germ warfare conducted by Unit 731. More than 2 million people had visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army by Aug. 1 this year, making it one of the top tourist destinations in Harbin, as people choose to confront this history and yearn for peace. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Andrew McCarthy, a Fox News commentator and former assistant U.S. attorney, expects Donald Trump to face prison time in September in charges related to the hush money case. McCarthy argues that Judge Juan Merchan is using this sentencing to brand Trump as a convicted felon just before the 2024 election, which he believes will benefit Vice President Kamala Harris for her presidential bid. BOZEMAN, MONTANA - AUGUST 09: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump (Getty Images via AFP) Additionally, Judge Merchan has rejected Trumps plea to save himself from the case, which is being led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Will Trump face prison time before the elections? In early June, a jury found the ex-president and the Republican candidate for president guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records. Following this conviction, the defence counsel for Trump has been diligently pushing efforts to postpone the execution of the sentence. The former prez has petitioned the judge in New York to postpone the execution of the sentence until after the November presidential election. Also read: Matthew Perry was 'killed' by his aide and doctors? That moron,' disturbing texts and details emerge after arrest On July 1, the U.S. Supreme Court held that presidents (including former presidents) are (a) presumptively immune from criminal prosecution for any official acts taken as president. McCarthy wrote in his piece. And (b) absolutely immune if the official acts are core constitutional duties of the chief executive, he added. McCarthy thinks Trump might end up in jail, but he's not sure if that will happen right away because they're probably going to let him out on bail while they figure out if he can appeal. Some legal experts are worried that putting Trump in prison could trigger a constitutional crisis, leading to emergency motions to postpone the sentence. Also read: Nord stream pipeline was sabotaged by a Ukrainian team? Ukraine calls shocking report 'absolute nonsense' McCarthy also stated that Judge Merchan's goal is to give Harris, Trump's political opponent, the opportunity to label him as "a convicted felon sentenced to prison" by September 18, a timeframe when voting will have already begun in several key states, like Pennsylvania, which is a big deal in the election. Trump seeks delay in criminal sentencing The judge rejected the motion for Trumps recusal, a decision he had hinted at in a letter to the involved parties last week. He also indicated that he would issue a ruling on Trumps immunity claim by August 16. The former president has often tried to postpone the hush money case and his three other criminal cases, which haven't started yet. All this as he eyes the White House for the second term in this year's presidential election and then puts an end to his indictments. Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove in a letter to the judge wrote, setting aside naked election-interference objectives, there is no valid countervailing reason for the Court to keep the current sentencing date on the calendar. The details that were made public on Thursday further read, There is no basis for continuing to rush. The request continued, Accordingly, we respectfully request that any sentencing if one is needed, be adjourned until after the Presidential election. Russian parliamentary deputy, Mikhail Sheremet, has made a chilling statement on the back of growing war offensive along the Russian-Ukraine border. Ukrainian servicemen ride a tank, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine August 15, 2024. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi(REUTERS) He has warned that the world is edging closer to a potential World War III due to the Western-backed Ukrainian incursion into Russias Kursk region. Sheremet, who is a member of Russia's defence committee, claims involvement of Western military equipment and foreign participation in the attack on Russian soil signifies a dire escalation that could lead to global conflict. Earlier on Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed a pledge to deepen cooperation with Russia and expressed confidence that Moscow would be victorious in its "holy war for peace and justice". World is on the brink of a third world war, claims Russia "Considering the presence of Western military equipment, the use of Western ammunition and missiles in attacks on civilian infrastructure and irrefutable proof of foreigners' participation in the attack on Russian territory, one could come to the conclusion that the world is on the brink of a third world war," RIA quoted deputy Mikhail Sheremet as saying. This incursion, which began on August 6, has seen Ukrainian forces making significant advances, pushing deep into Russian territory and forcing the evacuation of over 200,000 people. Sheremet's comments, reported by Russia's RIA news agency, reflect growing fears within Moscow that the conflict is no longer a regional issue but one that could spiral into a global catastrophe, considering Ukraine is being aided by Western countries led by United States. He pointed to the presence of Western military equipment, the use of Western-made ammunition and missiles in attacks on civilian infrastructure, and what he described as "irrefutable proof" of foreign involvement in the assault on Russian soil as evidence that the world is edging closer to a full-scale war. Russia has accused NATO and Western intelligence agencies of Ukraine incursion The gravity of the situation was further echoed by Nikolai Patrushev, a close aide to President Vladimir Putin, who in an interview with Izvestia newspaper accused NATO and Western intelligence agencies of orchestrating the incursion. Although no concrete evidence was provided to substantiate these claims, the rhetoric highlights the increasing paranoia within the Kremlin and its efforts to frame the conflict as a broader confrontation with the West. The growing escalation in the Kursk region This incursion represents the largest foreign attack on Russian territory since World War II, with Ukrainian forces claiming to have seized control of over 1,150 square kilometers and 82 settlements, including the strategic town of Sudzha. The offensive has marked a significant shift in the dynamics of the conflict, breaking months of setbacks for Ukraine's military and demonstrating Kyiv's capability to strike deep into Russian territory. In response to these advances, Moscow has scrambled to reinforce its defences, particularly in the neighbouring Belgorod region, and has announced the recapture of at least one village in the Kursk region. The sudden intensity of the fighting has led to widespread displacement, with more than 120,000 Russians evacuated from the border areas. Decomposed human remains found at a wastewater treatment plant near the Texas apartment where missing college student Caleb Harris vanished must undergo DNA analysis for positive identification. A Perry Place wastewater lift station worker found the remains in a Corpus Christi, Texas, collection well Monday, according to police. Authorities have not confirmed if the corpse which "bore no obvious signs of homicide" belongs to the 21-year-old Texas A&M student who was reported missing by his roommates after disappearing from their off-campus apartment in the middle of the night March 4, according to police. Prior to vanishing, Harris sent a Snapchat photo of a bridge over a drainage ditch within a few hundred feet of the apartment entrance to a friend in San Antonio around 3 a.m., according to police. Harris' roommates reported him missing hours later when they were unable to locate him who they previously described as a "homebody and a creature of habit" and realized his keys and wallet were in the apartment, while his pickup truck remained in the parking lot. Throughout their investigation, police have said there is no evidence of a struggle or foul play found within the apartment or in the immediate area, and friends and family had been "extremely cooperative" during its entirety. A Minnesota state trooper with a spotty driving record was charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide Tuesday in a high-speed crash that killed a high school cheerleader weeks before she was set to graduate. Witnesses said Shane Roper, 32, was allegedly "hauling ass" and "flying" in a patrol car without its emergency lights or siren activated when it T-boned a Ford Focus making a left turn near the Apache Mall in Rochester around 5:40 p.m. on May 18. One or both cars then struck a Toyota RAV4 SUV, leaving all five people in the civilian vehicles seriously injured. Olivia Flores, 18, of Owatonna, Minnesota, who was traveling in the rear in the Focus, died of blunt force trauma at a local hospital. A "ride along" passenger in Roper's car suffered multiple fractures but Roper escaped with minor injuries, according to authorities. An investigation revealed that Roper had floored the accelerator and was traveling at 83 mph more than twice the 40 mph speed limit when he approached the intersection, Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem said in a news release. Roper, who said he was pursuing a suspected traffic violator, allegedly didn't ease off the accelerator until 1.4 seconds before impact. "Trooper Roper, violating his duty in such a gross fashion, caused the death of a young lady celebrating her impending graduation from high school," Ostrem said. "As with any other person driving recklessly and without regard to very basic rules of the road, Mr. Roper's conduct cannot be tolerated." Roper didn't have a lawyer listed for him, the Associated Press said. The investigation into the deadly crash revealed that Roper drove in excess of 99 mph four times earlier in the day and once reached 135 mph, all without his emergency lights on, Ostrem said. Roper's disciplinary records also showed he was involved in four earlier crashes blamed on "inattentive driving or excessive speed," according to the criminal complaint against him. In addition to the charges in Flores' death, which each carry a maximum 10 years in prison, Roper faces seven lesser counts involving the other victims. The Minnesota State Patrol said Roper was on paid leave pending resolution of the case. "We express our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Olivia Flores and to the other community members affected by the tragic fatal crash that occurred on May 18 in Rochester," Col. Christina Bogojevic said in a statement reported by the Star Tribune. "The conduct alleged in the criminal complaint is concerning and does not align with the State Patrol's core values." A former deputy in Oklahoma has been arrested for harboring a fugitive with whom she had a romantic relationship, tipping him off about the movements of a task force searching for him, according to reports. Alicia Briones, 34, a former Pottawatomie County sheriff's deputy, was arrested on Aug. 6 following a months' long investigation for harboring Emanuel McClain at her home, KFOR reported. Sheriff Mike Booth said there were suspicions about Briones even before the investigation began. "A little while back we started seeing some inconsistencies and there were some issues kind of on our radar," Booth told the station. "Sometimes, you know, things happen, there might be a good reason for something, but when red flags go up, you got to check it out." "Our suspicions were about things that were going on, was even worse than what we thought as the investigation continued," he continued. According to the affidavit for her arrest, the probe began in February under the belief that Briones and her sister, Miranda, were protecting McClain. In May, Miranda was taken into custody in another county in Oklahoma for a felony warrant and she gave authorities consent to search her cell phone. "Miranda states Alicia had given McClain information about what vehicles undercover agents were currently driving as well as investigators locations," the court document said. Briones also informed McClain about how Shawnee Police officers were writing a search warrant for a house he was staying at in February. Officers got a search warrant for Briones' phone and found more than a thousand text messages between her and McClain going back to December 2023. There were also multiple photos of McClain on the phone. In one message, from April 2024, McClain asked Briones who drove a white Charger. "Alicia responds back by telling McClain 'the DA Task Force," which was operating surveillance on him at the time. Briones is being held in the Pottawatomie County Jail on a $250,000 bond. An Ohio man who shot and killed a woman in a Taco Bell drive-thru before turning his gun on himself Wednesday was apparently upset that she got in front of him in line, authorities said. Jason Williams, 53, was identified Thursday by the Summit County Medical Examiner as the person who fatally shot 25-year-old Megan Keleman before killing himself at around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Taco Bell at 993 Graham Road in Stow, a suburb northeast of Akron. At a press conference Thursday, Stow Police Chief Jeffrey Film said numerous witnesses to the incident told detectives that Williams began honking his horn at Keleman when she pulled in front of him to get into the drive-thru. Williams struck the rear of her car, and she asked a Taco Bell employee through the drive-thru speaker to call the police. Film said multiple 911 calls then came in reporting that Williams exited his vehicle and shot Keleman before shooting himself. Film said the two were not previously known to each other, and a motive for the killing has not yet been determined. "This is a true tragedy," Film said. "Not only did the Kelemans lose a daughter, but the community lost one of our daughters. ... We at this time do not have an answer as to why this happened, and we may never know why." Police later released several 911 calls about the incident. "A man just shot somebody and shot himself in the head. I'm sorry, I'm really shaken up, I saw him shoot himself in the head," one of the callers said. A dog found in Keleman's car unharmed was retrieved by Rubber City Rescue and washed before being returned to her family. Film said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is assisting in the case because Stow does not have enough homicide detectives. This is the first homicide in Stow in five years. Akron Mayor Shammas Malik expressed his condolences to the victim's family on X. "Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this tragic incident in Stow," Malik wrote. "We must all work together to address the underlying issues that lead to violence. My thoughts remain with the families at this time as they mourn their loss." Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this tragic incident in Stow. We must all work together to address the underlying issues that lead to violence. My thoughts remain with the families at this time as they mourn their loss. https://t.co/wbOWEF1zle via @beaconjournal Mayor Shammas Malik (@AkronOhioMayor) August 15, 2024 The Taco Bell has remained closed since the incident. The company said in a statement that its "priority is to consider the team's well-being and proceed at their pace." The company said the franchise owner is cooperating with authorities and offering support to staff. With TMX A key architect of the controversial extremist Project 2025 has been captured on a secret video revealing that presidential executive orders are already being drafted for a Trump administration, according to an explosive report. Former President Donald Trump has distanced himself from the 920-page far-right manifesto for a radically revamped government created through the conservative Heritage Foundation, saying he knows "nothing" about it. But scores of his White House staff have worked on it and he echoes several of its key points in his speeches. He also traveled on a private jet with Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, and Trump running mate JD Vance has written a forward for Roberts' upcoming book on the plan. One of the plan's authors and former Trump aide Richard Vought, who was secretly recorded by the British journalism nonprofit the U.K.'s Centre for Climate Reporting, dismissed his former boss' comments, saying they were "graduate-level politics," triggered by an expectation of negative fallout over the plan. Project 2025 aims to eliminate the federal Department of Education and Medicaid, and would officially support only "intact" heterosexual marriages because all other relationships are "unstable" and create "bad behavior." It would fire thousands of federal workers to replace with right-wing loyalists, would quickly "dispatch" all prisoners on death row, and would seek to ensure that "all pregnancies come to term" Trump's election and the enactment of Project 2025 are expected to be so controversial that the plan also aims to use the Insurrection Act to create a national police force of military troops to quell protests, an insider told the New Yorker for a recent article. Vought told an undercover journalist and actor pretending to be relatives of a wealthy American donor that he had a team of staffers working to draft regulations and executive orders that would translate Trump's campaign speeches and Project 2025 plans into government policy. "We've got about 350 different documents that are regulations and things of that nature that are, we're planning for the next administration," he was recorded saying. "For example, you may say, 'Okay, all right, we want to have the largest deportation,'" Vought said. "What are your actual memos that a secretary sends out to do it? Like, there's an executive order, regulations, secretarial memos." He emphasized: "Those are the types of things that need to be thought through so you're not, you're not having to scramble or do that later on." Vought added that "80% of my time is working on the plans of what's necessary to take control of these bureaucracies. We are working doggedly on that, whether it's destroying their agencies' notion of independence ... whether that is thinking through how the deportation would work." Plans would be distributed to Trump's staff, but not to their emails, said Vought ally and Project 2025's Micah Meadowcraft on the video, where they would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. He said a "second phase" of changes would involve a concrete transition plan for each federal agency." These "much more detailed plans" are "confidential," he noted. An Iowa father was shot in the face during an argument with his son over "stinky feet," cops said. David Carpenter, 48, has been charged with attempted murder and child endangerment, according to police in Burlington, Iowa. Carpenter allegedly shot his wheelchair-bound dad, William Carpenter, in the middle of a disagreement over the stench of Carpenter's feet Sunday. According to the criminal complaint obtained by Law & Crime, the victim told Carpenter "that his feet stink." The comment triggered a "heated argument between the two of them over family issues," police alleged. William then allegedly "made a comment about shooting" Carpenter. Police said Carpenter retreated to his bedroom and returned with a gun. "David stated that he had the gun behind his back, yelling at William about 'guns' when he pulled the firearm out from behind his back and pointed it at William's face and accidentally pulled the trigger which then shot William in the face," the complaint read, according to the outlet. The victim, who suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, corroborated his son's account. Police said two kids under the age of 14 were present in the home during the shooting, spurring the child endangerment charge. Carpenter was being held on $10,000 bond. Vice President Kamala Harris bashed Donald Trump Friday as a "fighter" for billionaires and corporations as she unveiled her economic plan for middle Americans that would include tax breaks, new housing and protection of Social Security "when I win" the presidency, she told an enthusiastic crowd in North Carolina. "He's got it backwards," Harris said of Trump. "If you want to know who someone cares about, look who they fight for," she said. In Trump's case, he "fights for billionaires and corporations," she added. "I will fight to give money back to hard-working Americans," Harris vowed. She promised that more than 100 million Americans would save money through a child tax credit and earned income tax credit when she is in the White House. The once-expanded child tax credit cut poverty for children by about half in 2021, but expired two years ago when negotiations over renewing it broke down. Harris vowed to bring back the credit, and make it even more generous, promising $6,000 in tax relief to families during the first year of a child's life. She also promised 3 million new housing units in the nation, a subsidy for first-time home buyers, and protection of Social Security benefits. She argued that she could still reduce the federal budget deficit at the same time because the nation wouldn't keep hemorrhaging money to the wealthiest as it did under Trump. Trump intends to ... "give billionaires massive tax cuts year after year, and he plans to cut corporate taxes by over a trillion dollars, even as they pull in record profits," Harris said. "That's on top of the $2 trillion tax cut he already signed into law when he was president, which, by the way, overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly went to the wealthiest Americans and corporations, and exploded the national deficit," said Harris. Trump posted a reply on Truth Social: Authorities believe there is a serial killer at work in central Texas after DNA linked a June murder in Austin to a murder six years ago in neighboring Bastrop County. On June 21, the Austin Police Department responded to an abandoned home on Metcalfe Road and discovered a deceased woman later identified as 34-year-old Alyssa Ann Rivera. Investigators say she was sexually assaulted and strangled. Police released surveillance footage of Rivera walking with an unknown man shortly before her death. Police believed the murder was an isolated case until earlier this month, when DNA from the crime scene was matched to DNA from the scene of the 2018 murder of 28-year-old Alba Jenisse Aviles. That killing was being investigated by the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office. Aviles had been in Austin the night before she was found dead, and her body was found only about three miles from the location where Rivera was found, police said. Aviles had also been sexually assaulted and strangled, and police say both crime scenes appeared to have the same characteristics. Surveillance footage has emerged, according to Fox News, showing Alyssa Ann Rivera, a Texas woman found dead inside an abandoned home, walking alongside a male 'person of interest' shortly before her death. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Austin Police Sgt. Nathan Sexton said the DNA of the unknown suspect did not match any records in the national Combined DNA Index System. He said it is "relatively rare" for a person who commits "really violent murders" to not have an arrest record for previous crimes. The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office said it has been working with the Texas Rangers to "explore genealogy" to potentially identify the DNA of the suspect. Surveillance footage has emerged showing Alyssa Ann Rivera, a Texas woman found dead inside an abandoned home, walking alongside a male person of interest shortly before her death. The eerie video has sparked concerns as DNA evidence from the crime scene links Rivera's death to pic.twitter.com/TYT3rpa004 Kristy Tallman (@KristyTallman) August 16, 2024 --with reporting by TMX The Secret Service plans to erect bulletproof glass around the podium to shield Donald Trump at future outdoor campaign rallies, in an effort to beef up security following an unsuccessful assassination attempt against the former president. "It is a significant undertaking when it comes to logistics," a senior official familiar with the ramped up security measures, that are typically only reserved for sitting presidents and vice presidents, told CNN. Speaking with NBC, the source said the Secret Service plans to deploy more agents, increase technology for threat analysis and prevention, and up its stationing of counter-snipers at the Trump campaign events. The agency declined to confirm the new safety initiatives, but a spokesperson said, "The safety of our protectees is our highest priority. Due to operational security, we cannot comment on specific protective means and methods," according to CNN. The bolstered protection protocols come more than a month after Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, shot at the former president while he was campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service agents killed him moments later. Corey Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter, was also killed in the shooting, and two others were wounded. The huge security lapse prompted former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign nearly two weeks later. AC Hotel Columbus Dublin is proud to welcome Deniz Akyuz as the new General Manager of the property. In his new role, Akyuz is responsible for spearheading day-to-day hotel operations and further enhancing guest experiences at the hotel. Previously the Regional Director of Food & Beverage for Life House Hotel Group in Miami, Fla., Akyuz has worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. Throughout this professional career, he has also held Director of Operations and General Manager positions at various premier hotels, resorts, restaurants, and major service operations across the globe. The AC Hotel Columbus Dublin is home to the Spanish-inspired rooftop lounge and restaurant, VASO, which has been honored with accolades like 'Restaurant Bar of the Year' by Nightclub and Bar Media Group Awards, 'Best Designed Bar in Ohio' by Architectural Digest, and was named 'Best Rooftop in America' by Tasting Table making Akyuz's background in F&B a natural fit for the property. Akyuz holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management, Hotel and Restaurant, from the Florida International University in Miami, Fla.. Throughout his career, Deniz has been heavily involved in the strategic planning, staffing, budgeting, financial forecasting, and guest service initiatives at hotels and resorts throughout the U.S. and overseas, with a focus on achieving optimal quality, profitability, and innovation in the luxury hotel space. Agilysys, Inc. announced Joe Youssef - who has led multiple functions, solution verticals and regional markets during his 18-year career at global travel and tourism technology innovator Amadeus - will join the Company as Senior Vice President, Sales, Americas and EMEA and Chief Commercial Officer. Joe Youssef's extensive career in the travel and hospitality industry has established him as a visionary executive and a key market influencer for pioneering technology. Mr. Youssef joined Amadeus in 2006 as Managing Director for Egypt, shaping strategies that enabled Amadeus to become the market leader there in less than two years. In Dubai, he executed growth strategies that established Amadeus as a market leader in the Middle East and North Africa. After moving to Amadeus' Hospitality Division in 2013, Mr. Youssef played a critical role in defining and executing the Company's inorganic growth strategy. He also led Amadeus' Business Intelligence (BI) solution vertical, solidifying the Company's position as the hospitality industry's most respected BI player. In his most recent role as Executive Vice President, Sales, he created a highly effective sales structure that drove double-digit growth and deep customer engagement. Earlier in his hospitality and travel career, Mr. Youssef held management positions at Kanoo Travel and American Express Travel Services. Mr. Youssef is stepping into the executive role held by Don DeMarinis since January 2018. Mr. Youssef will officially begin his tenure at Agilysys on August 19, 2024. JLL's Hotels & Hospitality group announced today that Tony Muscio will be joining as a Senior Managing Director for its JLL Hotels & Hospitality group, leading the Western region. With over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, including 18 years at JLL, Muscio brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new role. Specializing in the sale of luxury resorts and trophy hotels, Muscio has been involved in over $12 billion worth of hospitality transactions over the course of his career. Based out of JLL's Los Angeles office, Muscio will report to Kevin Davis, Americas CEO for Hotels & Hospitality, and will work closely with Jeff Bramson and Jeff Sause, who co-head JLL's Los Angeles Capital Markets team. Muscio's career started at PKF Consulting, where he conducted hotel feasibility studies and appraisals. He later joined JLL in 2004, where he spent nearly two decades, most recently as a Managing Director in the Hotels & Hospitality Group, covering the West Coast and working on some of the largest sales in the region, including the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, Montage Beverly Hills (now The Maybourne Beverly Hills) and the recapitalization of Sunset Tower Hotel. Muscio's latest role was as a Managing Director at KBC Advisors. Muscio holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, where he is also a recurring guest lecturer. As he slipped the key card into the reader on his hotel room door and tried the handle - to no avail - he realised what he had done. For years, Steven Murdoch, a security researcher at University College London, had taken care not to put tickets or cards with magnetic stripes in his pocket next to his smartphone. This is because the magnets in smartphones are sometimes strong enough to wipe the data on magnetic stripes. But so-called magstripe hotel key cards are rare these days, increasingly superseded by contactless cards with radio frequency identification (RFID) chips inside them. As such, during his hotel visit in January this year, Prof Murdoch forgot to take precautions and, he concludes, wiped his room key having used it only once. I should have known better, this is the sort of thing I do know about, he says. Upon arriving back at reception, he realised he was not alone. There was a queue of people with exactly the same problem as me, he recalls. The magnetic stripe was invented by an IBM engineer in the 1960s his wife was instrumental in the process as it was she who suggested melting a strip of magnetic tape onto a card using a clothes iron. In the decades since, magstripes have been used on bank cards, rail tickets, IDs and even cards containing medical information, to set up hospital machines. But that murky brown strip of plastic usually made with polluting heavy metals may not be around for much longer. From this year onwards, for instance, Mastercard will not require banks to put a magnetic stripe on debit and credit cards. For ticketing, new technologies including printable barcodes and reusable contactless cards are considered more environmentally friendly and potentially more convenient. You also cant wipe them by accidentally putting them too close to your iPhone. There are, broadly, two kinds of magnetic stripe, called HiCo and LoCo. The latter is cheaper, less durable, and more susceptible to disruption from magnets, says Lee Minter, head of global operations at Nagels, which makes magstripe tickets and other products. Recently, the company investigated reports from a customer who said multiple magstripe tickets they had bought had got corrupted. Mr Minter says he cant be 100% sure but he and his colleagues are of the opinion that it was caused by part of a circular magnet within the customers iPhone. Read the full article at bbc.com A recent post on LinkedIn claimed that word-of-mouth was a potent driver and could overcome hotels shortcomings like an abysmal website and poor booking engine experience. The post concluded When a guest wants to stay with you, they will make that booking. I strongly disagree. Unless we are talking about some super iconic hotel with a long waitlist, I do not believe this statement holds true for any of the remaining 750,000 hotels on this planet. Lets assume that your hotel has been strongly recommended by friends and family, colleagues at the office water cooler, social media or influencer word-of-mouth marketing. How does the traveler find your hotel? Most probably online by searching on Google the name of the hotel. What happens when the traveler googles the name of your hotel? He/she sees a) a number of Google Ads by the OTAs and their affiliates promoting the best rate for your hotel, b) Google Hotel Ads (metasearch) again by OTAs and their affiliates, and c) Organic listings of your hotel page on the OTAs, ranking high due to the OTAs superior SEO. With abysmal property website, your hotel website would not be visible enough to be found in any of the scenarios above. So the traveler may find a hotel listing of your hotel in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), may even book and come to your hotel, but as an OTA booking, not as a direct booking. But wait, there is more! Once you click on any of the a), b) or c) listings described above and go to the OTA page of your hotel, what else do you see? A highly visible section You may also consider these hotels which takes the traveler to the myriad other accommodations in the destination/location, some with much better rates and location. So your hotel may not even get this traveler, in spite of all the glowing recommendations by family/friends or social media and office water cooler word-of-mouth. The OTAs make a killing by bidding on the branded keywords (official names and their derivatives) of hotels, especially independent hotels. Who searches your hotel by its official name? These are past guests, people referred by friends and family, as a result of word-of-mouth, people who have read positive reviews on social media or PR about the property. What happens when they search? As described above, they see Google Ads by the OTAs, Google Hotel Ads by the OTAs or organic listings of your hotel OTA pages. Travelers book the hotel, but they book it via the OTAs or their tens of thousand of affiliates. This is called hijacking of a direct client! Hotels..com became multibillion dollar company before being acquired by Expedia by doing exactly this: bidding on and owning the official hotel names (branded keywords) of independent hotels. The OTAs continue with this detrimental to the hospitality industry tradition. As a priority, hoteliers should implement the following action steps. Google Ads: Hoteliers should own 100% of the searches of their branded keyword terms - this is 100% SOV (Share of voice) of the impressions. Google Hotel Ads: Hoteliers must participate in the free booking links and budget to participate in the paid booking links in need periods. Organic Listings: Hoteliers must maintain a robust SEO strategy and own their slice of the pie via on-page SEO, backlinks and technical SEO, and content marketing. I am not even talking here about poor booking engine experience, which is one of the key factors for poor website conversion rates. See my article Increasing website conversion rates - top priority in 2024 on HospitalityNet https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4122903.html. The moral of the story? Unless you are the venerable Ritz Paris Hotel (though this hotel rigorously protects its brand name by bidding on Google Ads), relying on word-of-mouth will not solve your occupancy or RevPAR problems. The only solution is hoteliers implementing in a robust direct online channel strategy and maintaining adequate investments in talent, digital marketing and technology. Max Starkov NYU In todays competitive job market, employer branding has become an essential strategy for attracting and retaining top talent. However, many managers still dont know what exactly constitutes a strong employer brand. Is it down to company culture, work-life balance, benefits and compensation, or is there some other secret sauce that makes an employer desirable? To find out what makes an employer brand truly effective, we consulted with industry experts and entrepreneurs who have devised proven strategies for creating a unique and strong employer brand. From their experience and diverse roles in renowned companies, and their deep understanding of marketing, management, sales, and corporate culture, these contributors provide valuable insights that can guide you and your organization through your employer branding efforts. Well-being and self-leadership Nicole Wiggenhauser, Head of Marketing & Communications at Oberwaid, emphasizes that employer branding is an important part of their healthy management approach and corporate culture. As a four-star hotel and specialized medical clinic in Switzerlands St. Gallen region, Oberwaid prioritizes a health-focused environment that encourages employees to take proactive steps for their well-being. This vision is incorporated into their leadership principles, which focus on three key areas: Self-Leadership: Employees are encouraged to act responsibly and honestly and look out for their own interests to lead effectively. Team Leadership: Focus on valuing, helping, and encouraging team members, fostering open communication, constructive feedback, and inspiring a sense of purpose. Corporate Leadership: Prioritizing sustainable goals and profits while centering healthy experiences in all actions. Oberwaid also places a strong emphasis on cultural and team development through various events and interdisciplinary exchanges. The company offers attractive employee benefits, such as partner programs, free parking, customized leadership and health program (BGM), and discounts to further show appreciation for their staff. Additionally, they give employees opportunities to grow and innovate through continuous training and development Employer branding or the development of an attractive employer brand is not an end in itself at the Oberwaid but is an essential component of a healthy management and corporate culture in all areas. Nicole Wiggenhauser, Head of Marketing & Communications at Oberwaid Transparency and positivity Insa Thalau, Head of Management Workshops & Seminars at EHL Hospitality Business School, highlights the critical role of transparency within a company and the importance of providing employees with the opportunity to voice their opinions. She believes that positive employee management and development contribute significantly to a positive working environment and culture. Insa, with her expertise in management training, offers some deep insights for creating a transparent and positive work environment. Transparency in the company and the opportunity to express one's opinion are fundamental. Positive employee management and development create a positive working environment and culture. Insa Thalau, Head of Management Workshops & Seminars at EHL Clear values and benefits Benjamin Fiedler, Assistant Director of Sales at Sunstar Swiss Hotel Collection, underscores the importance of clear corporate values, attractive benefits, career development opportunities, and a positive working environment in strengthening employer branding. The companys job portal is a great example of how this corporate philosophy looks in practice, as it clearly shows how they embrace the unique qualities of their team members and offer enticing benefits. To sum it all up, Benjamin, with his extensive experience at Sunstar, shares how these factors must be genuinely embraced and practiced by all employees to be effective: At Sunstar, we focus on clear corporate values, attractive benefits, career development, and a positive working environment. These factors make us an attractive employer, but the key is that these initiatives must be genuinely embraced and practiced by all employees. Benjamin Fiedler, Assistant Director of Sales at Sunstar Swiss Hotel Collection Strong employer branding messages Tobias Wolf, Online Marketing Manager at Sunstar Hotels, advocates creating a strong employer brand by showing the authentic embodiment of company values and providing tangible benefits. He emphasizes the importance of making career advancement possible, and supporting, encouraging, and challenging employees to create a genuine and attractive employer brand. His observations, based on his role in online marketing, highlight the foundations of a strong employer brand. Authentic living of values, offering real benefits, making things possible, supporting career growth, encouraging personal development, and offering challenges these are the foundations of a strong employer brand. Tobias Wolf, Online Marketing Manager at Sunstar Hotels One way that the company implements this branding strategy is through the collection of insight stories in the form of testimonials from current employees. Through these stories, prospective employees can get a picture of what its like working for the company and the advantages and culture that awaits them therein. Authenticity and living values Both Claudia Pronk, General Manager at Nira Alpina, and Alain Packes, General Manager at Hotel RAMADA Regina Titlis, stress the importance of authenticity. Claudia simply states, "Being authentic," while Alain elaborates on the need for authenticity and a living corporate philosophy. Their views, drawn from their positions as general managers, illustrate how authenticity must permeate every aspect of the companys operations and culture. An authentic and lived corporate philosophy is essential. Authenticity must permeate every aspect of the companys operations and culture. Alain Packes, General Manager at Hotel Ramada Regina Titlis In practice, a successful company with a strong employer branding approach will tend to have rituals and routines that initiate employees into the company culture and promote the company values. This approach is reflected in the policies and expectations that apply to all managers and workers in the corporate culture, such as: Commitment to customer satisfaction and employee wellbeing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies Accountability and honesty from management and staff Consequently, the corporate culture isnt just about words on paper, its a living, breathing ecosystem. The strong employer brand is one that prioritizes strong company values and authenticity in its people and policies that aim for putting people first. Creating a distinctive employer brand requires a comprehensive approach that combines excellence, transparency, authentic values, and tangible benefits. As these industry professionals have shared, its not just about implementing policies and procedures but deeply embedding these principles into company culture and day-to-day practices. By doing so, organizations can attract and retain top talent, creating a more efficient and healthy work environment. More articles Employer Branding: the secret to attracting and retaining quality staff Fostering a culture of well-being for workplace mental health Improving wellbeing at work: Hospitality leaders, you need those tips! Industry 4.0: Why human-centric management is key Contributors Nicole Wiggenhauser, Head of Marketing & Communications, Oberwaid Insa Thalau, Head of Management Workshops & Seminars, EHL Hospitality Business School Benjamin Fiedler, Assistant Director of Sales at Sunstar Swiss Hotel Collection Tobias Wolf, Online Marketing Manager, Sunstar Hotels Claudia Pronk, General Manager, Nira Alpina Alain Packes, General Manager at Hotel RAMADA EHL Hospitality Business School Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Pittsfield school officials are considering reconfiguring the grade structure to address issues at the middle schools. PIttsfield School Committee Endorses 'Aggressive' Timeline to Decide on Middle School Configuration Superintendent of School Joseph Curtis addresses the School Committee on Wednesday night in City Council chambers. PITTSFIELD, Mass. The School Committee on Wednesday approved an ambitious timeline that could see the city's middle school reconfiguration implemented as soon as the 2025-26 academic year. On a vote of 6-0 with one member, Diana Belair, absent, the committee accepted the proposal of Superintendent Joseph Curtis that would see a Middle School Restructuring Committee organized later this month. That committee would continue studying possible grade configurations, assess data on student performance and gather feedback from stakeholder groups before presenting a final recommendation on reconfiguration to the School Committee in January 2025. If all goes according to plan, the School Committee would make its final decisions on grade spans and the educational models for the, potentially, newly configured schools in February. The administration would work out an implementation plan in March. Before voting to agree to the timeline, School Committee members agreed with Curtis that the plan was "vigorous" and that action was sorely needed to find solutions to long-term concerns about the current middle school structure. "I think it's brave and appropriate that we are taking on the issues around middle school," Sara Hathaway said. "This isn't something that has suddenly exploded into a problem. Middle schools around the country have this issue." And, Hathaway said, she has seen that issue hit very close to home. "When I served on this committee a little over 20 years ago, I remember Dr. [William] Travis saying, 'We lose [students] in middle school,' " Hathaway said. Vice Chair Daniel Elias said that last year he visited the city's middle school classrooms at the beginning of the school year and found teachers who were upbeat and optimistic. "I was able to go back at the end of the year, and they were, for the most part, mentally defeated," Elias said. "I thought the school leadership did a good job, and the staff, despite being defeated, felt the leadership did a good job. "That left me with the thought that it is an unattainable goal in the current configuration. We have to do something, because what we're doing now is not working. I've gotten a lot of feedback from a lot of people. They were just relieved that we were finally taking this on." Curtis' presentation on Wednesday walked the committee through a couple of different potential paths from maintaining the status quo (prekindergarten through Grade 5 elementary schools, 6-8 middle schools and high school) to a five-school model with students split by PK-1, Grades 2-4, Grades 5-6, Grades 7-8 and high school. He stressed that none of the configurations he showed the committee were his recommendation. That recommendation will come from the Middle School Restructuring Committee that the elected officials on Wednesday authorized the superintendent to create. Curtis said that, ideally, he would like to see the committee include about 25 members who would do much of the work in smaller working groups. Given the compressed time schedule, Curtis will be asking for a major time commitment, with the MSRC meeting, initially, at least twice a month. "I'm envisioning once a month will not be enough to make this decision," Curtis said. "We'd start to meet right in September. I'd predict we'd meet at least every other week. That may be accelerated toward the end." Curtis said he will create an invitation that will be well publicized to seek volunteers to serve on the comittee. His hope is that it will include: parents, guardians and caregivers; school staff and leaders; central office officials; elected officials; and union representatives. In answer to a question from School Committee member William Garrity, Curtis said the committee could include high school students who have the recent lived experience of the city's current middle schools; either way, he said he envisions focus groups to gather feedback from current students in the city's system. "We'd invite roughly 30 people to participate, making sure we have representation from the groups I've outlined," Curtis said. "For example, we wouldn't have 30 staff members and no families. I would hope to have even participation from the groups I've mentioned." The School Committee members were enthusiastic in their endorsement of Curtis' proposed timeline for taking action. Elias noted that Curtis' presentation included a mention that six Massachusetts school districts already have gone to a grade 5 and 6 configuration for their middle school; regionally, that group includes Westfield, which operates Westfield Intermediate School. He suggested that the MSRC could benefit from the lessons learned in other districts. "Most people are content and happy with the job we do at the elementary level," Elias said. "We see now at the high school level, some kids do come back. But we're losing them at the middle school. It's well past the point of having to do something." "You're right," Cameron told Curtis, "this is an aggressive timeline. But it's been a problem for years, and I'm glad we're finally dealing with it." Air Quality Alert for Western Mass A foggy, hazy Friday in North Adams. BOSTON The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued an air quality alert effective for Friday for Berkshire County. The alert also covers Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Worcester counties. Smoke from Canadian wildfires will affect the region through Friday night. The region woke up to hazy skies Friday morning that spread over the Northeast and as far south as Washington, D.C. Air quality is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to air pollution. MassDEP advises people in sensitive groups to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks, do less intense activities, follow asthma action plans, and keep quick relief medicine handy. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath. The wildfires have burned nearly 10 million acres in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. As of Wednesday, the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System reported 178 uncontrolled burns and nearly 350 being held or under control. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Matt Rife has hit back at his apparent cancellation over a controversial joke he made about domestic violence. The 28-year-old US comedian began his 2023 Netflix special, Natural Selection, with an anecdote about a waitress with a black eye, which provoked a major backlash in some quarters. My boy who I was with was like, Yeah, I feel bad for her, man, I feel like they should put her in the kitchen or something where nobody has to see her face. And I was like, Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldnt have that black eye, Rife joked. Rife responded to the criticism at the time with an Instagram Story aimed at those offended by the joke. Tap to solve your issue, read a URL link, which directed his followers to a website selling helmets for people with special needs. In a new interview with the New Yorker, he addressed the controversy, explaining that comedy could be used as a way to heal. Whether its depression or a physical disability, not everyone wants to be seen as a victim, he said, claiming that hundreds of victims of domestic violence had reached out to support him in the aftermath of his joke controversy. open image in gallery ( Getty Images ) They also want to laugh at themselves, he continued. Sometimes people need to laugh to heal through the things that make them uncomfortable. The Wild N Out star also went on to reveal the advice that fellow comedian Dave Chapelle gave him following the backlash. Even when the world turned against me after the special, Chappelle was like, Dont f**kin give in. It doesnt matter what you do, Rife said. If you apologise, you still lost. Ahead of the release of his Netflix special, Rife told Variety that Natural Selection was aimed at men, despite a widespread perception that his core audience were women. One thing I wanted to tackle in this special was showing people that, despite what you think about me online, I dont pander my career to women, he said. I would argue [Natural Selection] is way more for guys. After the special was released on 15 November, several X/Twitter users called Rife out for the misogynistic joke about domestic abuse especially considering his online fan base is predominantly comprised of women. One user wrote: The way women catapulted Matt Rife into popularity and the second he gets a comedy special on Netflix he immediately betrays them with a joke about domestic violence, crazy innit. The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated mens advice line on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa has said Blake Livelys little bump remark was like a bullet, as she was struggling with infertility during the nightmare interview. Earlier this week, Flaa posted a clip of a 2016 interview with the actor and her Cafe Society co-star Parker Posey, which made her want to quit her job. In the interview which has since gone viral the reporter opened the conversation by congratulating Lively, then 28, on her little bump. The Gossip Girl alum had just announced she was pregnant with her second baby with her husband Ryan Reynolds. Congrats on your little bump, Lively sarcastically responded. Reflecting on Livelys retort in the wake of the controversy, Flaa, 51, told the Daily Mail: To be honest, it hurts because I obviously wasnt pregnant and I could never get pregnant. So to me, that comment was like a bullet. She recalled feeling almost paralyzed in that moment, adding that she was very uncomfortable and wanted to leave and get out of there. Kjersti Flaa says Blake Livelys little bump comment was like a bullet ( Kjersti Flaa on YouTube ) Once Flaa had the opportunity to begin the interview, she started by asking whether Lively and Posey enjoyed the fashion, which played a big role in a film set in the 1930s. Lively is then seen ignoring Flaa, and instead turns to Posey to say: Everyone wants to talk about the clothes, but I wonder if they would ask the men about the clothes. Although Flaa insisted that she would have asked the male actors the same question, Lively seems to ignore her as she continues to speak with Posey about the best outfits worn by the men in the film. Its not just the women that have the clothes, but I feel like the women get the conversation, Lively concluded. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Speaking to the Daily Mail, Flaa said the interview made me feel like a complete failure. I kept going through the interview in my head afterwards trying to figure out what I had said or done to make [Lively and Posey] behave like that. It made no sense to me, she said. It was such a traumatizing experience to me. I was there to do a job, and they made sure to make it as difficult as possible for me to do that, she continued. I was there so they could promote a movie. I was invited to meet them. It certainly did not feel like that. I felt belittled and ignored, and it made me question if I ever wanted to do these types of interviews again. Lively did not immediately respond to The Independents request for comment. The interview comes amid growing speculation of an on-set feud between Lively and her It Ends with Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni. Baldoni is recently reported to have hired Johnny Depps crisis manager, and PR veteran Melissa Nathan, according to Deadline. It Ends with Us is out in theaters now. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} One of the five people arrested in connection with the death of Friends star Matthew Perry was once a Hollywood director who worked with Scarlett Johansson. Perry, who was best known for his portrayal of the sarcastic Chandler Bing in Friends, died in October 2023 at the age of 54, with a toxicology report concluding that he had died from acute effects of ketamine, which had caused him to drown in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home. Yesterday (15 August) five people were arrested and charged with providing the much-loved actor with the ketamine that killed him. Among them were two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, Perrys live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and Jasveen Sangha, the woman known as the ketamine queen. The fifth defendant was Erik Fleming, a former director and producer who was described in court documents as an acquaintance of Perrys. The 54-year-old previously worked with a young Johansson and Eva Mendes on the 1999 childrens film My Brother the Pig and produced the 2003 season of reality show The Surreal Life, in which stars such as Cory Feldman and MC Hammer moved into a mansion together. He also directed episodes of Queer Eye spin-off Queer Eye for the Straight Girl in 2005 and previously worked at the production company Rich Hippie. The defendants were said to have taken advantage of Perrys addiction issues ( Getty Images ) The US Department of Justice said that Fleming had coordinated the drug sales of ketamine with Sangha and had brought cash from Iwamasa to Sanghas stash house in North Hollywood to buy vials of ketamine. Fleming pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free These defendants took advantage of Mr Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves, US Attorney Martin Estrada said. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr Perry, but they did it anyway. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting. Iwamasa has pled guilty to one charge of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, while Chavez, a physician based in San Diego, California, has pled guilty to a count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Perry, pictured with co-stars Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston, was best known for his role as Chandler Bing ( Getty Images ) Plasencia has pled not guilty to charges, with his trial set for 8 October. He was given permission to keep running his medical practice not related to controlled substances while on bail. However, he was told he must post a note at his office explaining the charges and that his patients must sign forms confirming that they understand these allegations. Sangha also pled not guilty. At the time of Perrys death, sources close to the actor said that the star had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression and anxiety. However his last scheduled therapy session was one and a half weeks before his death, and the coroner said that the ketamine found in his system could not be from that therapy, since ketamines half-life is three to four hours, or less. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rust director Joel Souza has said the accidental killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the films shooting ruined him. Souza was himself injured when a prop gun handled by actor Alec Baldwin went off during a rehearsal in New Mexico on 21 October 2021. When I tell someone it ruined me, I dont mean in the sense that people might generally think, the director told Vanity Fair, speaking publicly about the tragedy for the first time. I dont mean that it put my career in ruins. I mean, internally, the person I was just went away. That stopped. Baldwin has maintained that he pulled back the hammer, but not the trigger, and the gun fired a live round of ammunition towards crew members standing behind the camera. The bullet hit Hutchins in the chest, killing her, and struck Souza in the shoulder, fracturing his scapula. An American trial court later convicted prop armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced her to 18 months in prison for loading the live round into the gun. Assistant director Dave Halls pleaded no contest to a misdemeanour charge of negligent use of a weapon and received a suspended sentence of six months of probation. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the case was dismissed in July after it was revealed that the prosecutors had withheld evidence that could have shed light on how live rounds got onto the movie set. After the dismissal of Baldwins case, Gutierrez-Reed asked a judge to dismiss her involuntary manslaughter conviction or convene a new trial. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Baldwin and the films producers still face civil lawsuits from the parents and sister of Hutchins. open image in gallery A still from a video clip played in court shows actor Alec Baldwin during Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's involuntary manslaughter trial ( POOL/AFP via Getty ) Asked if he felt justice was served, Souza said: I dont know what that even is anymore, Ill be very honest with you about that. No one feels good about someone going to jail. I think it would be disingenuous and lunacy to say people didnt screw up things. I dont think anyone would ever allege that anything was intentional, he said when asked where he placed the blame for what happened. The live bullet got put in the gun. It was a horrible mistake to make, and [Gutierrez-Reed is] living with the consequences of that mistake. Everything that happened was born out of that sin, out of that moment. That single act is what put the rest of this into motion. open image in gallery A photograph of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a vigil in her honour in Albuquerque ( AP ) Speaking about Baldwin, Souza said they have known each other since 2015. Getting through it was tough, he said, referring to the incident. We got through it. I got the performance I wanted. Were not friends. Were not enemies. Theres no relationship. As to whether he believed Baldwin was reckless and should have examined the gun himself before firing it, Souza said there were arguments both for and against the actors actions. Does it matter if I think its fair or not? There is an argument that says, if he checks it and starts fiddling around with it, he is creating a safety issue. And then there is another thing that says, it is common sense, Jesus Christ. Be careful with this goddamn thing, he said. So I dont know anymore, to be honest with you. The charges got filed. Thats what they decided to do. Was he overcharged? I dont know. open image in gallery Alec Baldwin hugs his defence attorney Alex Spiro after his case is dismissed ( AP ) As for the film itself, Souza said he went back and finished it out of respect for Hutchinss memory and to help her family financially, even though there was a very long period of time where I thought I was just done ever doing this for a living. I knew that the movie being finished would financially benefit Halynas family, which is very important to me, he said. And I know this can sound trite for people who arent creative, but her last work matters. People seeing her last work matters. That was the tipping point for me in the decision. As for the fateful scene that was being filmed when the gun discharged, Souza confirmed it will not appear in the movie. Im not going back to that, he said. I dont want anyone who ever does see this to be waiting for that. No one ever pushed to keep anything like that. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Houston rapper Justin Riley, better known by his stage names Beatking and Club Godzilla, has died. He was 39. Riley shot to international fame in 2020 when the Beatking single Then Leave, featuring fellow rapper Queendome Come, went viral on TikTok and racked up millions of streams. His death was announced on Instagram by his longtime manager, Tasha Felder, who wrote: Today, August 15, 2024 we have lost @ClubGodzilla. BeatKing has been the best part of the club for over a decade. He has produced and worked with so many artists, that his sound will forever live. He loved his daughters @clubgodparenting, his music and his fans. We will love him forever. TMZ reports that Riley was hosting a takeover show at Houstons Urban One/Radio One station on Thursday morning when he fainted and was rushed to a nearby hospital. He died at the hospital later that day after suffering a pulmonary embolism, with his two daughters Jayla and Kayla by his side. Riley, born in 1984, has been playing music since he was a child. He took up drums from a young age, and would accompany his mother while she played piano at the local church they attended together. At the age of 26 he released his debut album as Beatking, 2010s Kings of the Club, which spawned Billboard chart hits Crush and Hammer. He soon became a well-known figure on the Texas club circuit and remained a fixture of the scene for over a decade. Following the viral success of Then Leave, Beatking went on to collaborate with 2 Chainz and Juicy J on the 2021 single SDAB and with Ludacris and Queendome Come on "Keep It Poppin". Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up As well as his prolific music career and boisterous live shows, Beatking was also well know for his many witty self-penned slogan T-shirts, that included lines like: Gum Is Not Toothpaste, All Hustle No Luck and Stop Moving To Houston. Last month, on July 25, Riley released what will now be the last album of his lifetime, Never Leave Houston on a Sunday. On Instagram, fellow rapper Bun B paid tribute to Riley, writing: Its always the good ones. Damn this s*** hurt. Just a great spirited person. We lost a talented artist and father. Prayer for @talameshia and his loved ones. RIP @clubgodzilla Riley is survived by his partner, Talameshia, and his two daughters from a previous relationship Jayla and Kayla. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Billie Eilish has reportedly parted ways with her live booking agent Casey Wasserman after allegations emerged that he had affairs with many of his female employees. Eilish, 22, and her brother Finneas OConnell, 27, finalized the split after they performed at the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony. Wasserman, 50, is the chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games committee. Eilish was said to be very upset after details of Wassermans many alleged extramarital affairs were published earlier this month. In a statement to The Wrap, a spokesperson for Eilish said: While grateful to their former live booking agents at Wasserman, Billie Eilish and Finneas OConnell have opted to have film, TV and music handled by the same agency, WME, moving forward. Wasserman is the CEO of Wasserman Music, which acquired Paradigm Talent Agencys North American live music representation business, including Eilish and OConnell, in 2021. He has found himself at the center of an ongoing scandal since the Daily Mail published a report on August 1 that described him as a serial cheater who has had a chronic condition of sleeping with people who work for him. open image in gallery Billie Eilish and her former live booking agent Casey Wasserman. They have parted ways after accusations of his affairs. ( Getty ) Wasserman has been married to Laura Ziffren since 2001, although the couple are now separated. His role as the chairperson of the LA28 Olympics committee made it difficult for Eilish to part ways with Wasserman Music until after the Paris closing ceremony. In a statement regarding the ceremony, Wasserman said: This is the biggest moment in LA28 history to date, as the Olympic flag passes from Paris to LA. We are thrilled to feature the very best of LA with local artists and are grateful to Billie, H.E.R., the Chili Peppers and Snoop for their collaboration on what will be an incredible show to a global audience that will give fans a taste of whats to come in 2028. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Earlier this month, OConnell hit out at a TikTok user who accused Eilish of singing a predatory verse on the remix of Charli XCXs song Guess. Eilish sings: I wanna try it, bite it, lick it, spit it / Pull it to the side and get all up in it / Kiss it, bite it, can I fit it? / Charli likes boys, but she knows Id hit it / (Knows Id hit it) / Charli, call me if youre with it. In the TikTok, the user is seated on a carpeted floor while solving a Rubiks Cube. The screen is overlayed with text that reads: Billies verse on Guess is high key predatory, but yall blinded by her usual queerbaiting for commercial gain. Ever since the Lost Cause controversy, shes been reducing girls to mere objects, all in an effort to convince the masses that shes actually into them lol. Charli is 32 and engaged FYI. OConnell responded in the comments: What a take you little clown. I got to watch the entire internet slam my sister for queer-baiting for an entire year when in reality, you were all forcing her to label and out herself. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The stars of Netflixs Emily in Paris have talked about heading to Italy for part two of the shows fourth season. Lily Collins, who plays the titular Emily, described filming in Italy as a holiday for the crew. Being in Rome was so amazing, it was the most special way for us to end this season with the crew because it felt like a holiday. The culture theres just so warm and welcoming, the streets are paved with so much history, and the food is so wonderful, she told The Hollywood Reporter. It was so great to go from Paris to Rome because you are still in Europe and you are still feeling that romance and passion of Europe, but you are getting to experience a different part of history which was really fun. Show creator Darren Star talked about how filming in Italy was like for the crew, especially as the Paris shoots all took place in winter. Its like the sun came out fresh in Rome when we got there. It was just a whole different experience, it was like starting something fresh. It kind of reinvigorated all of us. Season four of Emily in Paris continues to follow marketing executive Emilys love life as she decides between Gabriel, played by Lucas Bravo, and Alfie, played by Lucien Laviscount, and her job at luxury marketing agency Agence Grateau with boss Sylvie, played by Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, and colleagues Julien and Luc, played by Samuel Arnold and Bruno Gouery respectively. The Independents Katie Rosseinsky gave part one two stars, describing it as low-stakes fluff that ends with a Gallic shrug. As ever, Emilys sanitised, heavily filtered version of Paris makes Richard Curtiss London look gritty no one would ever get sick after swimming in this parallel universe Seine, she wrote. And while the shows silliness has a certain limited charm, the cumulative effect is akin to eating too much sugar too quickly: it leaves you feeling a bit queasy and vowing to swear off this stuff in future. Emily in Paris part one is streaming on Netflix and part two is scheduled for release on 12 September. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Matthew Perrys step-father has released a touching statement following the arrests of five people in relation to the death of the beloved Friends star. Five individuals were arrested and charged with providing Perry with the ketamine that killed him last October, authorities said on Thursday (15 August). At a press conference, US Attorney E Martin Estrada said the suspects include Perrys personal assistant, two doctors, and a North Hollywood woman known as the Ketamine Queen. The star, who struggled with depression and anxiety, had been using the drug in therapy to treat his mental health, but appears to have moved to using the substance outside of treatment sessions. I wonder how much this moron will pay, one doctor who allegedly supplied Perry said, in a text to another, according to the investigation. Lets find out. Keith Morrison, Perrys step-father and Dateline host, released a statement to NBC News along with other members of the stars family. We were and still are heartbroken by Matthews death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously. We look forward to justice taking its course, they said. Morrison, 77, was identified as informant on Perrys death certificate, meaning that the TV personality was responsible for identifying Perrys body for authorities following his death. open image in gallery Morrison identified Perrys body after his death ( Getty ) As other people have told me hundreds of times, it doesnt go away, he told Hoda Kotb on her Making Space podcast in March. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Its with you every day. Its with you all the time, and theres some new aspect of it that assaults your brain. Its not easy, especially for his mom. open image in gallery Police confirmed that five people had been arrested and charged in connection with the death ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Morrison married Perrys mother Suzanne Perry in 1981. When asked if the death was surprising he had previously said: Yes and no. After a medical examiner ruled his death an accident last year, Perrys passing was considered a closed case. But almost seven months later an investigation, at both federal and local level, had been opened into who supplied the Friends actor with the ketamine that caused his death. open image in gallery Star played Chandler Bing on the popular show Friends ( Getty Images ) The investigation into how Perry came to have so much ketamine involved the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the LAPD confirmed in May. The showbiz world was plunged into sadness when Perrys death was revealed last year. The star had played Chandler Bing in Friends, a character known for his dry and witty retorts. Following the news, his five co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow released a joint statement asking for time to process this unfathomable loss. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Watch as doctors protest in Mumbai in solidarity with the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata. The 31-year-old postgraduate trainee was found dead in a seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in state capital Kolkata on 9 August. An autopsy confirmed sexual assault. A suspect has been arrested, a civil volunteer named Sanjay Roy, who is associated with the Kolkata police. The incident sparked protests in several cities and an attack on a medical college campus as doctors and paramedics in several cities across India demand better and safer working conditions. Scores of people went on a rampage at a medical college campus in eastern India, attacking vehicles and ransacking patient wards Wednesday night (14 August). Government hospitals in several cities across the country have since suspended medical services except for emergency departments as protesters demanded justice, claiming that it was a case of a gang rape and more were involved. Police in India recorded 31,516 reports of rape in 2022, a 20 per cent increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Many cases of crimes against women go unreported in India due to stigma surrounding sexual violence. Close Protests in India after doctor is raped and killed For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Doctors in India are staging protests against the rape and murder of a junior doctor, who was killed while on duty at a prominent state-run hospital in her West Bengal state. The 31-year-old postgraduate trainee was found dead in a seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in state capital Kolkata on 9 August. An autopsy confirmed sexual assault. A suspect has been arrested, a civil volunteer named Sanjay Roy, who is associated with the Kolkata police. The federal Central Bureau of Investigation has overtaken the case amid calls for an unbiased and transparent inquiry. Services in government hospitals were affected and thousands of patients suffered after doctors launched a strike against workplace violence. The Indian Medical Association, the countrys largest organisation of medics, said that it would implement a nationwide shutdown of most departments for 24 hours from Saturday morning, the largest such strike in at least a decade. Hundreds and thousands of women across the country poured on to the streets at midnight demanding justice for the junior doctor as they participated in reclaim the night marches. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thousands of people in Japan have been ordered to evacuate and hundreds of flights and trains have been cancelled as typhoon Ampil bears down on Tokyo. The widespread disruptions come as Japan is celebrating the Obon holiday week when millions of people return to their hometowns. Ampil, which is expected to reach waters near Tokyo by Friday evening, is the seventh typhoon of 2024 to hit Japan. It is packing sustained winds of 162kph and moving north at 15kph, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Although Ampil is not expected to make landfall and may weaken to a tropical storm by Sunday, authorities have issued evacuation orders and warnings in anticipation of dangerous conditions. The typhoon is expected to pass close to the Tokyo region, home to almost 40 million people, on Friday and move towards the Pacific coast. open image in gallery Typhoon Ampil headed toward Tokyo ( Japan Meteorological Agency ) Thousands evacuate amid windy conditions In Fukushima prefecture, more than 320,000 residents of Iwaki city were ordered to evacuate to 30 designated shelters such as school gymnasiums and community centers. Similar evacuation warnings were issued for at-risk areas in the cities of Asahi and Mobarashi in Chiba prefecture, located east of Tokyo. As Friday progressed, Tokyo experienced drizzly and windy conditions, although the citys streets were relatively quiet due to the Obon summer holiday period and the stormy weather. Despite the typhoon, stores in the capital remained open, though officials have urged residents to avoid rivers, beaches, and other potentially hazardous areas. Shuichi Tachihara, chief forecaster at the Japan Meteorological Agency, warned of extremely fierce winds and extremely fierce seas as Ampil continued its path northward. On the island of Hachijojima, south of Tokyo, residents were seen boarding up windows as the typhoon passed the Hachijo island group by midday Friday. Thousands stranded as typhoon bings travel disruptions Japan Airlines has cancelled 191 domestic and 26 international flights, some of which were scheduled to arrive or depart from Tokyos Haneda airport on Friday. All Nippon Airways announced the cancellation of 280 domestic flights on Friday, which it said would affect about 60,400 passengers scheduled to fly to regions such as Osaka, Fukuoka and Okinawa. Approximately 90,000 travelers were affected by the cancellations, according to Japanese media reports. Central Japan Railway cancelled all Shinkansen bullet train services between Tokyo and Japan's industrial heartland of Nagoya on Friday. Rail services on the Tohoku, Yamagata and Joetsu Shinkansen lines were operated on a reduced service from 11am on Friday. Tokyo Disneyland, which typically remains open until 9pm local time, closed early at 3pm. Yamato Transport, responsible for delivering packages for Amazon and other online retailers in Japan, suspended all deliveries in Tokyo and nearby regions for Friday and Saturday. The weather agency warned residents in eastern regions to be highly vigilant against storms, high waves, heavy rains and possible landslides. "We urge the public to stay informed about evacuation advisories and take early steps to seek safety," disaster management minister Yoshifumi Matsumura said at a regular briefing. In a rare advisory, Japans Coast Guard asked large vessels to evacuate Tokyo Bay and to avoid venturing out into the sea. Japan is bracing for Ampils arrival less than a week after Storm Maria lashed the country with intense rainfall, prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents. Footage from NHK public television shows muddy waters flooding rivers in towns like Iwaizumi, where a 2016 typhoon claimed nine lives. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Protesters in Bangladesh have started returning the loot from the residence of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina as the new interim government struggled to restore law and order after months of violent protests. Some 500 items, including 120 pieces of furniture, 70 electronic gadgets, and 150 mattresses, have reportedly been returned so far. The stolen items started arriving after student leaders who drove the protests launched a campaign to recover the loot and restore the prime ministers official ransacked residence. Bangladesh continues to be riven by violence with more than 100 people injured in capital Dhaka on Thursday alone. The violence began in late June when security forces cracked down on protesters demanding the rollback of a contentious jobs quota for relatives of the veterans of Bangladeshs 1971 war of independence. After a brief lull, the protests turned into an agitation against Ms Hasinas government. On 5 August, hundreds of protesters stormed the prime ministers residence demanding her resignation. She fled away on a helicopter to India. The protesters ransacked and looted the house, stealing clothes, furniture, refrigerators, laptops, a guitar, and even live and dead goats, chicken and rabbits. open image in gallery Protesters loot a big metal box from the prime minister's residence in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 5 August 2024 ( Reuters ) An autorickshaw driver who had stolen 100,000 Bangladeshi taka (659) from a drawer in one of the rooms has returned the cash, The Indian Express reported. One protester, who had taken a duck and eaten it, paid money, while another returned jewellery, including a diamond nose-pin and a pendant. Also returned were a pigeon and a cat. A cache of classified defence and security documents that was returned recently is being kept in a safe room guarded by the army. The campaigners have set up a counter at the gate of the residence for people to drop back the looted items. The campaigners told the newspaper they were trying to find a woman who was seen carrying a Dior luggage bag from the residence. Meanwhile, more than 100 members and supporters of Ms Hasinas Awami League party were injured when they were attacked by a mob of student protesters and political activists armed with bamboo sticks, iron rods and pipes in Dhaka. The partys supporters had gathered to mark the anniversary of the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladeshs founder and the exiled prime ministers father, despite the interim government cancelling it as a national holiday. open image in gallery Protesters surround a suspected sympathiser of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina near the house of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka ( AFP via Getty ) Ms Hasina had asked her supporters earlier this week to pray for the salvation of all souls by offering floral garlands and praying outside the museum of her father. The protesters have been demanding a trial of Ms Hasina in connection with the killing of protesters. Police cases have already been filed against her and her partys top leaders as well as senior police officials. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than a million doctors in India will strike work on Saturday and shut down hospital services amid snowballing protests over the rape and murder of a junior medic last week in the eastern city of Kolkata. The doctor had settled down for a nap in a college lecture hall after working nearly 20 hours of a 36-hour shift when she was assaulted, according to staff at the RG Kar Medical College, run by the West Bengal state government. She had slept on a floor carpet as there were no dormitories or resting rooms available for doctors, her colleagues told Reuters. She was found dead last Friday, with police confirming that she had been raped and murdered. The Indian Medical Association, the countrys largest association of doctors, said the 24-hour shutdown would affect most hospital departments except for essential services. Hundreds of thousands of women in several Indian cities also rallied to reclaim the night, demanding justice for the doctor. Their march, a powerful expression of defiance, was born from a deep and collective anguish over the incident. The largest of the protests unfolded in Kolkata, where women, holding placards, candles and the national flag, welcomed the countrys 78th Independence Day at midnight by demanding justice for the doctor. Riya Banerjee, a 22-year-old student, said she had walked more than 5km to take part in the protest after roads became impassable for traffic, as it was important for everyone to step out of their comfort zone and raise their voices. We want justice for [the victim], she told The Independent earlier. We want to reclaim public space. Why should we live in fear of being abused by men? The womans rape and murder has sparked nationwide protests, reminiscent of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case. Political parties, including the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party, are organising protests, while public figures are calling for stricter punishments for crimes against women. Five men and a juvenile lured a 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist and her male friend on to a bus in New Delhi on 16 December 2012, before repeatedly raping the woman and beating both with a metal bar and dumping them on a road. The woman died of internal injuries nearly two weeks later in a Singapore hospital. Despite tougher laws introduced after 2012, activists argue that little has changed in ensuring womens safety. In 2022, an average of 86 rapes were reported in India every day. Protests erupted at over 100 locations across Kolkata and extended to nearby towns in West Bengal late Wednesday, with rallies continuing into Thursday morning in several other Indian cities including the capital New Delhi. We want justice, read one sign at a Kolkata rally. Hang the rapist, save the women, read another. Doctors nationwide are questioning what is so difficult about enacting a law for our security, Dhruv Chauhan, from the medical associations Junior Doctors Network, told the Press Trust of India news agency. The strike will continue until all demands are formally met. open image in gallery Protest in Kolkata over an alleged rape and murder incident at RG Kar Medical College ( EPA ) Meanwhile, during his Independence Day address in New Delhi on Thursday, Mr Modi did not directly mention the Kolkata incident but conveyed his deep sorrow over ongoing violence against women. There is anger for atrocities committed against our mothers and sisters, there is anger in the nation about that, he said. Crimes against women should be quickly investigated; monstrous behaviour against women should be severely and quickly punished, he added. That is essential for creating deterrence and confidence in the society. A civil volunteer named Sanjay Roy, associated with the Kolkata police, has been arrested in connection with the case, which has now been handed over to the federal investigative agency Central Bureau of Investigation following demands for an impartial and transparent inquiry. More protests were planned for Friday even as the ongoing strike severely impacted non-emergency medical services at government hospitals nationwide, affecting thousands of patients. The National Federation of Resident Doctors Association, a key union, is calling for a thorough investigation, compensation for the victims family, and the establishment of a new law to specifically address violence against healthcare workers. open image in gallery India rape protest ( AP ) Not any more, shouted Debjani Roy, who joined the protest at College Square in Kolkata with her two young daughters. They needed to witness the protest so that when they grow up, they are able to hit back at any man who dares to harass them, she told The Independent earlier. It is not just about one night. Every night, women should have this freedom and choice to go out, so that in future no girl childs parents have to think in case it gets late in the evening, whether their child shall return home safe or not, Shalini Datta, one of the demonstrators, told The Telegraph. open image in gallery India rape protest ( AP ) Across several cities, hundreds of thousands of women marched to chants of reclaim the night. Pinjala Kundu, a PR manager at a fintech company was quoted as saying by the Mint newspaper: I personally didnt expect the whole city to turn up at the protest march. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my city still has a spine. It was heartening to see mothers walking hand-in-hand with their daughters. Even fathers let the daughters take the lead while they stood behind like rocks. Rimjhim Sinha, the driving force behind the Reclaim the Night movement, described the event as a new freedom struggle for women, encapsulated by a powerful viral poster depicting a red hand gripping a crescent moon. Ms Sinha, a social science researcher and 2020 sociology graduate from Presidency University in Kolkata, was deeply shocked by the rape and murder of the junior doctor. Angered by a victim-blaming comment from the medical colleges ex-principal, she decided to spend Independence Day eve outdoors in protest. Sandip Ghosh had allegedly questioned why the junior had gone to the seminar hall alone. open image in gallery India rape protest ( AP ) Such a comment, shifting the blame on the victim, cannot be accepted. In protest, I decided to spend the night of 14 August outdoors. No one can lay a claim on the night and dictate to us who can be outside and why, she told The Kolkata-based newspaper The Telegraph. Ms Sinhas Facebook post about her decision unexpectedly went viral, leading to thousands joining her on the streets. She expressed her surprise and overwhelming emotion at the widespread response, noting that many women joined the protest, even if only for a few hours. I am very overwhelmed by the entire response. I am seeing women coming out of their homes and even if they cannot stay for the entire night, they are making a decision to stay for two hours or three hours in the night, she was quoted as saying by News18. The Reclaim the Night movement is a global movement that started in the 1970s, advocating for womens rights to feel safe and be free from violence, particularly in public spaces at night. The movement often features protests, marches, and vigils where women and their allies take to the streets at night, symbolically reclaiming these spaces and challenging societal norms that limit womens freedom and perpetuate victim-blaming. open image in gallery Medical professionals and activists hold posters and wave the Indian flag as they take part in a midnight protest ( AFP via Getty ) Reclaim the Night seeks to address issues such as sexual assault, harassment, and gender-based violence, advocating for safer communities and greater awareness of these critical concerns. Ranjana Kumari, the director of the Centre for Social Research, told The Guardian: It makes my blood boil when I see this silence when I read how he butchered her, this total neglect of safety at the hospital. Nothing, nothing has changed since 2012. The room where it happened didnt even have a CCTV camera. open image in gallery Medical students hold posters as they protest the rape and murder of a young medic from Kolkata ( AFP via Getty ) The anguished and grieving father of the junior doctor told The Indian Express that he would not accept money from the government. If I accept money for my daughters death, it will hurt her. We need justice. We have rejected the compensation and wont take any in the future too. A member of parliament in India, Kanimozhi also wrote on X: The entire country is shaken by the gruesome incident of rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata. The details of the cruel and inhuman act against her shocks us to our core. We are forced to think that if any woman is safe anywhere in India. We should stand up and act. She added: I stand with the victims family in this unbearable pain. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Paetongtarn Shinawatra was appointed as Thailands youngest ever prime minister on Friday a remarkable moment for the political dynasty founded by her billionaire father who was ousted by a military coup in 2006. The 37-year-old, who is the daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and head of the ruling Pheu Thai party, won the support of nearly two-thirds of the countrys parliament. I really hope that I can make people feel confident, that we can build opportunity and quality of life, she told a news conference after the vote, appearing to be overwhelmed. I hope that I can do my best to make the country go forward. Ms Paetongtarn is set to immediately face challenges on multiple fronts, with Thailands economy floundering and the popularity of her party dwindling, having yet to deliver on its flagship cash handout programme worth 500bn baht ($14.25bn). open image in gallery Newly-elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra poses for a selfie with members of her Pheu Thai party on Friday ( AP ) It comes just days after Srettha Thavisin was removed as PM by a constitutional courts order, after he briefly appointed a lawyer convicted of bribery to his cabinet in April. Thaksin Shinawatra, who was last year convicted of corruption and defaming the monarchy, was sentenced to eight years in prison but was released on parole in February. Ms Paetongtarn will become Thailands second woman prime minister and the countrys third leader from the Shinawatra family if the parliament vote approves her. She has acknowledged her family ties in Thailands leadership legacy and insisted that she is not just her fathers proxy. Its not the shadow of my dad. I am my dads daughter, always and forever, but I have my own decisions, she had said on the campaign trail. Her public entry into politics came in 2021 when the Pheu Thai party announced she would lead an inclusion advisory committee. She was appointed as leader of Pheu Thai last year, after she was named one of its three prime ministerial candidates ahead of the polls. open image in gallery Acknowledging her familys political dynasty, Ms Paetongtarn insisted she is not her fathers proxy ( AFP via Getty Images ) Political experts have said Thaksins shadow is too big to be dismissed and she will face hardships with her father continuing to call political shots for the party. Thaksin was a political force to reckon with, but he was also a liability, said Petra Alderman, a political research fellow at the University of Birmingham. He has a tendency to overplay his political hand, so serving in his shadow has never been easy. She added that public support is not the only factor that will determine the course of Ms Paetongtarns premiership. Who gets to govern in Thailand and for how long are questions that are often answered by unelected and unaccountable watchdog institutions, [such as] the Election Commission of Thailand and the constitutional court, or military coups, she said. Pheu Thai and its predecessors linked to Thaksin won all national elections since 2001, with core populist policies pledging to solve economic problems and bridge income equality, until it lost to the reformist Move Forward in 2023. It was given a chance to form a government, however, after Move Forward was blocked from taking power by the previous Senate, a military appointed body. Move Forward was excluded from the coalition by Pheu Thai, which went on to join with parties affiliated with the military government that previously ousted it in the 2006 coup. When Thaksin returned to Thailand from exile last August, Ms Paetongtarn was the most prominent among the family members who appeared with him. Speculation that she would take a cabinet position proved unfounded. Instead, she took on the role of promoting Thailand's soft power, highlighting such national selling points as food, culture, sports and the Pride parade in Bangkok. Her political position strengthened significantly last October when she was chosen as leader of Pheu Thai. The move reasserted the Shinawatra familys overt domination of the party and made a future bid for the post of prime minister almost inevitable. As it turned out, that chance came sooner rather than later. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A faulty power cable may have sparked Greece's most devastating wildfire this year that scorched an area the size of Paris and left one person dead earlier this month. An ongoing investigation into the cause of the wildfire that started in a forest near Varnavas, about 35km from the capital Athens, has reportedly found that a loose cable on a wooden pole could have been the spark. Investigators have been questioning residents of Varnavas and one of them, a 76-year-old man, informed them about a pole outside his home, Reuters quoting unnamed sources as saying. A fire brigade official, who spoke to the news agency anonymously, confirmed that the area near this electricity pole was likely the fires point of origin. Investigators have not ruled out arson, however. open image in gallery A home left damaged by a wildfire in the Chalandri suburb of Athens ( AFP via Getty ) Some local media reports have quoted residents as saying that they heard explosions before the fire broke out, with some suggesting there were initially two separate fires. A prosecutor overseeing the investigation has enlisted engineers to examine the potential causes of the fire. Greeces electricity network operator, HEDNO, has said it found no evidence of a malfunction. We have no indication that anything like a short circuit occurred, a HEDNO official told Reuters while emphasising that only the relevant authorities could determine the true cause of the wildfire. open image in gallery A view of a burned warehouse in Nea Penteli suburb of Athens ( AP ) The fire began on 11 August and quickly spread into the northern suburbs of Athens, charring 10,000 hectares of land. Although wildfires have long been a feature of Greek summers, often attributed to human activity or natural causes, their frequency and intensity have reportedly increased in recent years because of the climate crisis, which has brought hotter, drier conditions to the region. Greece recorded over 8,000 forest fires in 2023 alone. open image in gallery A drone view shows a charred forest area around a marble quarry following a wildfire in Dionysos, near Athens, Greece ( Reuters ) The latest wildfire, fueled by high temperatures and strong winds, covered a distance of 40km before reaching the Athens suburbs of Penteli and Vrilissia, where it claimed the life of a woman. Though milder winds have since calmed the flames, authorities have warned of flare-ups as winds are expected to intensify again. The devastating wildfire occurred during a week-long high fire risk alert, with Greece experiencing a hot and dry summer after its warmest winter on record. Firefighters said these conditions created the perfect storm for fire disasters. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ernesto has strengthened into a Category 2 storm, raising fears that the hurricane could intensify further as it barrels towards Bermuda. Forecasters said Ernesto could become a Category 3 storm by the time it closes in on the island on Friday, threatening the British Overseas Territory with severe weather just days after devastating Puerto Rico. The storm is packing maximum sustained winds of up to 100mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane, the US National Weather Service said late on Thursday. Ernesto is not expected to approach the mainland United States, but forecasters warned that it could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents along the East Coast through the weekend. Bermuda is under a hurricane warning as Ernesto, currently centred about 410 miles south-southwest of the island, is forecasted to pass near or over it on Saturday. Residents are being urged to prepare for the worst, with national security minister Michael Weeks warning against complacency and emphasising the devastating consequences of previous storms. I cannot stress enough how important it is for every resident to use this time to prepare. We have seen in the past the devastating effects of complacency, he said. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami has alerted that Ernesto could unleash heavy rainfall, with expected total ranging from 15 to 30cm and upto 38cm in some isolated areas. The storm is expected to continue on its path, potentially impacting Atlantic Canada early next week. open image in gallery Broken electricity lines are seen above homes after Ernesto hit Fajardo, Puerto Rico ( AFP via Getty ) Meanwhile, Puerto Rico is grappling with the aftermath of Ernesto, which swept past the island earlier this week as a tropical storm before intensifying into a hurricane. The storm left nearly 300,000 residents without power on Thursday evening, down from a peak of 735,000 outages. Many people are also facing water shortages and the situation is exacerbated by dangerously high temperatures, with the National Weather Service issuing a heat advisory. We know a lot of people dont have power, Ernesto Morales of the National Weather Service said as he warned of extreme heat and urged people to stay hydrated. Authorities in Puerto Rico are struggling to restore power and water services as the island, plagued by economic hardships, faces mounting health risks. When pressed for an estimate of when power would be restored, Alejandro Gonzalez, operations director of the utility company Luma, said it would be irresponsible to provide an exact date. The slow recovery has sparked concerns, particularly for vulnerable populations who lack access to backup power sources like generators or solar panels. Puerto Rico has a poverty rate exceeding 40 per cent. In September 2017, Puerto Rico was struck by hurricane Maria, a devastating Category 4 storm that left at least 2,975 dead. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom is set to be extradited to the US from New Zealand to face criminal charges relating to the defunct file-sharing website Megaupload after he lost a 12-year legal battle. New Zealand justice minister Paul Goldsmith said on Friday that he had signed orders to extradite the internet mogul to the US. The decision could mark the end of an almost 12-year legal tussle with New Zealand authorities after US authorities shut down Mr Dotcoms file-sharing website Megaupload and charged him with conspiracy, racketeering, and money laundering, along with three others. German-born Mr Dotcom, whose birth name is Kim Schmitz, was arrested following a dramatic raid by New Zealand officials at his mansion in Auckland in 2012 along with three others. The raid was conducted at the request of the FBI. Prosecutors said his website Megaupload raked in at least $175m (136m) mainly from people who used the site to illegally download songs, television shows, and films before the FBI shut it down earlier that year. He has, however, described himself as an internet freedom fighter and claims he had no control over what users uploaded on the website. File Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom speaks during the Intelligence and Security select committee hearing at Parliament in 2013 ( New Zealand Herald ) New Zealands justice minister said that Mr Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial but did not set a date for his extradition. I considered all of the information carefully, and have decided that Mr Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial, Mr Goldsmith said. As is common practice, I have allowed Mr Dotcom a short period of time to consider and take advice on my decision. I will not, therefore, be commenting further at this stage. Reacting to the news, Mr Dotcom said, Dont worry I have a plan, along with a wink emoji, and added, I love New Zealand. Im not leaving. In comments to the New Zealand Herald, he said he received extensive advice from government officials. Mr Dotcom faces a maximum prison sentence of 55 years if convicted on all counts, according to the Justice Department. A member of his legal team, Ira Rothken, said, Our legal team is working on a judicial review in the High Court for Kim Dotcom in New Zealand. The fight for justice continues. The world is watching. Mr Dotcom, 50, founded the website in 2005, which went on to become hugely popular in the US. At its peak, the website became the 13th most popular in the world, accounting for 4 per cent of all online traffic. He used to live in a Hong Kong hotel before gaining New Zealand residency in 2010. Two years later, he was arrested but was released on bail. The website generated millions of dollars in revenue, causing an estimated $500m in damages to copyright holders after copyrighted material was illegally shared on it. He has since started a political party and another file-sharing website called Mega, alongside fighting the US prosecutors attempts to extradite him. However, in 2021, New Zealands Supreme Court ruled that Mr Dotcom and two other men could be extradited. Two of his former business partners, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, pleaded guilty to charges against them in a New Zealand court in June 2023 and were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail. The US dropped efforts to extradite them in exchange for the guilty plea. Prosecutors had earlier abandoned their extradition bid against a fourth officer of the company, Finn Batato, who was arrested in New Zealand. He left for Germany, where he died of cancer in 2022. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A post-Brexit border control system has caused a string of errors with businesses mistakenly charged for goods checks that never took place, customs agents say. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has come under fire after angry businesses experienced errors with the chaotic customs system. During an online meeting on Tuesday, government officials were told a consignment was not unloaded at a government-run border inspection facility at Sevington in Kent because of a design flaw in the inspection bay. But the shipment owner was still charged for the inspection despite never happening, a customs agent complained. open image in gallery Lorries at the Sevington Inland Border Facility in Ashford as the National Audit Office warns over uncertainty for a post-Brexit border controls system ( Gareth Fuller/PA Wire ) Defra officials also heard how others paid for physical checks but their shipments were cleared electronically. Customs agent Steve Habbershaw in Dover claimed had was charged after most of his consignments had been automatically cleared without checks. He said: The border situation at Sevington currently is rather chaotic, calling for the revenue from the charge to be spent to improve the system. During pre-Brexit era rules, businesses previously operated without these additional checks and paperwork. Goods coming from the UK into the EU are now subject to full border controls since January 2021, including export health certificates (EHC) for animal products which must have a veterinarian check to ensure compliance with EU standards. Added costs on food exports have sparked calls on the government to forge a veterinary deal with the EU in a bid to reduce need for inspections and paperwork on plant and animal exports. Labour pledged that Sir Keir Starmer would seek a UK-EU veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks with Brussels talks due to begin next year. The head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce insisted a deal was essential to prevent businesses from charging consumers higher prices to mitigate the extra costs. William Bain told the Financial Times: We would urge the government to work with business to find ways to mitigate this impact. Trade groups also warned the new checks have incurred higher food prices and reduced margins for importers for foods entering Dover. The Common User Charge (CUC) was brought into play in April for goods arriving via the Eurotunnel. Although the Tories capped charges at 145 per consignment, businesses argued the charges can spiral as many import multiple products in a single load. British importer of Hungarian foods HunPro explained how it had to increase its staffing to cope with the amount of paperwork from the new control checks. Its just a huge extra expense for nothing, said managing director Fulop Illes. open image in gallery ( REUTERS ) Policy director Sally Cullimore of the Horticultural Trades Association, which represents the UKs plant nursery industry, said one small business member was hit with a 27,000 bill for the first three months of border checks. That represents around 7 per cent of this companys profits, which is significant when you consider this is an entirely new cost that delivers little or no benefit to the business, she said. A government spokesperson said: This government is committed to seeking a veterinary agreement that will prevent unnecessary border checks, get our great food exports moving again and tackle the cost of food. Risk-based checks on certain imports are essential to protect our national biosecurity and prevent an outbreak of disease that would severely damage our food supply, the environment and future trade. This includes checks on products coming into the country through the short straits, one of the busiest trade routes between the UK and EU. The common user charge supports these vital checks by paying the operating costs of the Border Control Post at Sevington, helping to protect our biosecurity and trading routes by ensuring that we only import safe, high-quality products. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Blake Lively has shared what she would do differently with Taylor Swifts Eras Tour. In an August 14 appearance on BBCs Radio 1 Breakfast Show, the It Ends With Us star played a game of Unpopular Opinion, sharing the one change shed make to the concerts production. The Gossip Girl alum said that in an ideal world, shed love it if Swift would extend her already 3.5-hour Eras Tour setlist. Honestly, I wish the [concert] was just, like, 47 hours long so that all the songs could be played at all times, she said. So my popular opinion is that [I want it] all, like, yes. Whats the setlist? Yes. My answer is yes. The Eras Tour began in March 2023, with shows across the globe. The blockbuster tour included performances of songs from nearly all of the pop stars studio albums. Many famous faces have been spotted in the VIP section of the Eras Tour, including Swifts close friends Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds in attendance multiple times along with their daughters, James, 7, Inez, 6, and Betty, 5. The family was last seen at the Eras Tour stop in Madrid, with one Instagram fan video, the couple was seen sharing kisses, taking selfies and singing along to Swifts 2019 single Lover. Another viral video showed the family dancing along to 2014s Shake it Off, and later on, the pop star gave an onstage shoutout to Lively and Reynolds girls. She referenced the song Betty when she told the crowd: I have to say that on Folklore, some of my favorite characters are named James, Inez, and Betty. In an appearance on Today with Hoda & Jenna, Reynolds, the Deadpool star, shared hed be going to support Swifts Eras Tour, saying it was the best concert on planet Earth. Im about to go to the Madrid show. This will be my first because this last year and a half Ive been trapped in a nonstop work bubble, and its a problem, the actor said, proceeding to joke about getting help. Im getting help, I got help. Intervention is the word theyre using. Meanwhile, at the August 10 premiere of Livelys film It Ends with Us in London, a reporter asked the actor about how she felt about the terror plot that was averted at Swifts Austria concerts. Oh my gosh. I mean, how terrifying, she said. But thank goodness that they are completely on top of that. Swifts concerts, scheduled for August 8-10 at the Ernst Happel Stadium, were canceled after police arrested two suspects who were planning an attack at one of the performances. As of last week, three suspects were arrested including a 19-year-old Austrian, who was clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels, according to officials. Concert organizer Barracuda Music issued a statement saying the company had no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyones safety. They added, All tickets will be automatically refunded. Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The lead up to GCSE results day (August 22) can be a stressful time for many youngsters across the country. The fear of the unknown and the uncertainty about how their hard work has translated into grades can leave some students feeling anxious and overwhelmed. So, here are a few tips on how to keep your child calm and positive over the next few days Plan the day Organise a fun activity to do on the day so your child has something to look forward to. It is important that parents have contingency plans in place before the day, advises Matt Buttery, chief executive of parenting programme Triple P UK and Ireland. Scheduling an activity to undertake on the day can serve as a welcome distraction from the emotions you may all be feeling. If its good news, going out to grab a bite to eat can be a positive celebration and help bring them back down to earth from the immediate high, adds Buttery. However, if the news is not as positive as they hoped, walking around a park may help calm anxious feelings and provide a welcome distraction. Set an example Teenagers learn a great deal about managing their behaviour and dealing with difficult situations from their parents, says Buttery. Lead by example by staying positive and upbeat when discussing results day. Avoid using phrases such as you must be nervous, as you may risk accidentally making your child more stressed! Encourage honest conversations Open communication is key. Encourage honest discussions about feelings and expectations and reassure your child that their worth and future are not solely defined by their results, recommends Ryan Lockett, former secondary school teacher and current director of studies at tutoring company TLC LIVE. Establish a relaxing bedtime routine Staying well-rested can help alleviate stress. Encourage your child to unwind with activities like reading a book or taking a warm bath an hour before bed, suggests Lockett. Also limit their screen time in the evenings and promote a comfortable sleeping environment with a cool, dark and quiet room. Remind them that its a learning experience GCSE results should be treated as one step in a wider educational journey with ups and downs, says Sean DArcy, vice president at learning platform Kahoot!. When the results come in, they should be handled constructively, as a learning experience, with parents and their children taking the time to figure out what worked and what didnt work. Prepare for all outcomes Discussing future plans and understanding that there are multiple paths to success can help keep anxiety in check, says Helen Lami, founder of Academic Camp. Vish Ungapen, senior product marketing manager at Quizlet, adds: From exploring other college subjects that have lower entry requirements, or discussing the possibility of re-sitting exams, this will help to show your child that there are multiple options available and that its not all doom and gloom. Practice mindfulness Practicing mindfulness, deep breathing exercises and yoga can significantly help in managing stress effectively, says Lockett. Encourage your child to do simple breathing exercises, it can help manage anxiety if it becomes overwhelming for them. Stay calm and supportive on the morning of results day Start the morning with positive and reassuring interactions. Keep to a regular morning routine, including a healthy breakfast and some light physical activity, to ground the day in normality, advises Lockett. Being present with them when they receive their results will also offer immediate support and a sense of security. Lami adds: Parents can support their children by keeping conversations positive and highlighting the value of skills beyond academic achievements. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy 19 Kids and Counting star Jana Duggar has tied the knot two months after getting engaged to fiance Stephan Wissmann. The oldest daughter in the family of 19 children celebrated her wedding on Thursday, August 15, in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, in front of 500 guests, according to People. I think it is one of those things that all girls envision someday, Duggar, 34, told the outlet, two days before the ceremony. For me, it felt like, Okay, its never coming. But now its starting to sink in. Reality is starting to set in. And Im like, Wow, this truly is something that Ive dreamed of. And just to see it coming about is incredible and kind of hard to believe. Its a dream come true. Members of her large family were all featured in the wedding, including her sister Jessa Duggar Seewald as her maid-of-honor. Her sister-in-law, Abbie Duggar, and sisters Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, and Jordyn Duggar were all bridesmaids. The bride added that because both her and her fiance come from large families Wissmann is one of 13 siblings their goal throughout the planning process was to keep the wedding simple and accommodate both families. The venue is already so gorgeous and picturesque that I didnt want to take too much from that. The guys will be in black suits, the girls in champagne-colored dresses, and then just white flowers and greenery, Duggar said. Coming from two bigger families, we love to be able to get together and celebrate moments like these. And so to have all of them there, it just means a lot. The now-married couple first met through their families years before getting together. [The Wissmanns] would travel and sing. I remember them coming to our home, probably 13 or so years ago and they ended up getting snowed-in here, which hardly ever happens in Arkansas, Duggar recalled. I remember just playing games late into the night, doing puzzles together until the snow melted off, and they were able to travel back home. I dont really remember Stephen that well because Im older than him and so he was not at all on my radar. They went on to briefly date before ending the relationship, although they did keep in touch and talked to each other on and off over the years. Duggar and Wissmann reconnected when they became in-laws. Her brother, Jeremiah Duggar, and his sister, Hannah Wissmann, got married in 2022, which led to the two of them reevaluating their relationship. It was like, What are we doing? We still enjoy each other. We still really appreciate each other, Duggar said. She explained that despite taking extra time to open up to her now-husband, he proved to her that he was worth it. I had been a slower mover on it, but just over time, his character, his coming back, still loving me no matter what, the oldest Duggar daughter said. I know we have a big crazy family and still kind of putting up with a lot of things. Im like, my goodness, there are not too many people that do that. He must really, genuinely care about me. It takes me a bit to open up, but I think just his continuing to be there, no matter what, through ups and downs. Hes been a good friend over the years and has not pressured me in a lot of ways, she added. Duggars family came to fame on the TLC reality show, 19 Kids and Counting. The series followed her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, as well as their 19 children all of whom have names that begin with J and the familys devout Christian faith. The show ran from 2008 until its cancellation in 2015, following allegations that Josh Duggar the eldest son of the Duggar family molested five girls, including some of his sisters. He is currently in prison after being convicted in 2021 of one count of receiving and one count of possessing child pornography. He had pleaded not guilty. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An investigation found no evidence that the water supply at a major air force barracks in western Germany was tampered with, the country's Defense Ministry said Friday, two days after the facility was sealed off for hours over fears of possible sabotage. The probe was launched on Wednesday after a hole was found in a fence near the waterworks of the Wahn barracks outside Cologne and what the military called abnormal water values were reported. The facility was sealed off in case a perpetrator or perpetrators were on the grounds, but none was found and the gates were reopened. The Defense Ministry wrote Friday on social network X that a manipulation of the drinking water facility could not be confirmed after extensive investigations and that the quality requirements for drinking water were fulfilled. It added that further investigations are ongoing, without giving details. The Wahn barracks serves the military part of Cologne/Bonn Airport, where the fleet of military aircraft that serves the German government has its main base. The incident came at a time of jitters about the possible vulnerability of infrastructure to attempted Russian sabotage. On Thursday evening, officials in the western town of Mechernich which is home to a military barracks said that a hole had been found in a fence on the grounds of a drinking water tank and called on 10,000 inhabitants not to use the water. On Friday, they said that an analysis found no sign of chemical or biological contamination. They recommended that locals boil water before drinking it as a precaution while further tests were carried out. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Mexican drug lord who was arrested in the U.S. could be headed to trial in New York City, after prosecutors filed a request Thursday to move him from Texas. Ismael El Mayo Zambada, known as a top leader and co-founder of Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, faces charges in multiple U.S. locales. He and a son of notorious Sinaloa kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman were arrested last month after being flown into New Mexico. Zambada has said he was kidnapped in his home country en route to what he thought was a meeting with a Mexican official. Zambada, 76, has so far appeared in U.S. federal court in El Paso, Texas, which is in one of the jurisdictions where he has been indicted. He has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and other charges. Federal prosecutors in Texas asked a court Thursday to hold a hearing to take the procedural steps needed to move him to the New York jurisdiction that includes Brooklyn, where the elder Guzman was convicted in 2019 of drug and conspiracy charges and sentenced to life in prison. If prosecutors get their wish, the case against Zambada in Texas would proceed after the one in New York. A message seeking comment was sent to Zambadas attorneys. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn declined to comment. Zambada is charged there with running a continuing criminal enterprise, murder conspiracy, drug offenses and other crimes. Meanwhile, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the El Chapo son arrested with Zambada, has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a federal court in Chicago. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} China expressed its very dramatic alarm over a mid-range missile system that the U.S. military recently deployed to the Philippines, and warned it could destabilize the region. But Manilas top diplomat said Friday he reassured his Chinese counterpart that the weaponry was only in the country temporarily. Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, expressed Chinas concern over the U.S. mid-range missile deployment to the Philippines during their talks last month in Laos on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings with Asian and Western countries. We discussed it and, well, they made it very dramatic, Manalo said in response to questions during a news conference with foreign correspondents in Manila. I said you shouldnt be worried. Pressed to specify what Chinas specific concerns were, Manalo said Wang warned the presence of the U.S. missile system could be destabilizing, but the Philippine foreign affairs chief said he disagreed. Theyre not destabilizing and the missile system was only in the Philippines temporarily, Manalo said he told Wang. The U.S. Army said in April it transported the mid-range missile system, a land-based weapon that can fire the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, from the U.S. to the northern Philippines as part of combat exercises with Philippine troops. The missile system, however, was not fired during the joint combat exercises of the longtime treaty allies and the Philippine military has said the missile system may be transported out of the country next month. China has strongly opposed increased U.S. military deployments to the region, including to the Philippines, and warned these could endanger regional stability and peace. The U.S. and the Philippines have repeatedly condemned Chinas increasingly assertive actions t o fortify its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where hostilities have particularly flared since last year between Chinese and Philippine coast guard forces and accompanying vessels. In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the busy waterways, a key global and security route. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Wednesdays decision by Thailands Constitutional Court to oust Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin after just under a year in office was jarring, but not entirely a surprise given what critics say is the expanding overreach of unelected bodies. Thais have long been accustomed to sudden changes of government due to military coups, numbering more than a dozen since the 1930s. But in the past two decades, they have increasingly seen such changes imposed by the courts, which have ousted four prime ministers and dissolved three election-winning political parties, often on narrow technical grounds. In most cases the targets were viewed as challengers to the traditional royalist establishment, whose most powerful defenders are the army and the courts. Other nominally independent state bodies such as the Election Commission and the National Anti-Corruption Commission also have controversially exercised constitutional powers to purge officeholders. Wednesdays court ruling ousted Srettha for breaching a law on ethical behavior by appointing a Cabinet member who had gone to prison in a 2008 case involving an alleged attempt to bribe a judge. The Constitutional Courts decision to dismiss Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his entire Cabinet exemplifies the overreach of undemocratic institutions within Thai politics and public life, said Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn, a human rights associate at the Fortify Rights group. This ruling is not an isolated incident but instead reflects a troubling pattern of unelected officials wielding disproportionate power over elected political leaders," she said. The ruling was the courts second major exercise of political power in about a week. On Aug. 7, it dissolved the progressive Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in last years election but was blocked from taking power when it could not secure the support of another conservative institution, the Senate, whose members refused to endorse its candidate for prime minister. The court said the party violated the constitution by proposing to amend a law against defaming the countrys royal family, which it said amounted to an attempt to overthrow the nations constitutional monarchy. Prajak Kongkirati, a political scientist at Bangkoks Thammasat University, described the courts actions as judicial coups. The judiciary cemented its power over the legislative branch when they ruled against amending a law, and over the executive branch with the removal of the head of government over the appointment of one minister, he told The Associated Press. Its rulings upset the usual checks and balances in a democratic system," and show that Thailand is not a democracy, he said. A reformist 1997 constitution underlined the independence of agencies and courts in a way that was intended to strengthen democracy by combating money politics that fostered corruption. The courts, especially the Constitutional Court, were supposed to serve as ultimate, nonpartisan arbiters. However, these bodies in 21st century Thailand have been accused of using laws to cripple or crush opponents of the royalist establishment. A 2017 constitution enacted under a royalist military junta only strengthened their powers. Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang, a Thai constitutional law expert, wrote last year in the New Mandala blog, that the Election Commission and the Constitutional Court have engaged in heavy-handed intervention in Thai politics. They're known to be biased in favor of the military, and against the democratic camp, Khemthong said. Theyve become a potent weapon to harass a democratic leader," he said. The royalist establishment opposes any group suspected of disloyalty to the country's monarchy. Its main target over the past couple of decades has been the political machine of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, though in recent years it also has gone against a new progressive political movement with no ties to Thaksin. Faced with what it deems a more existentialist threat from the new progressives, it has turned down the heat on Thaksin's bloc, which in turn has softened its once-strident populist tone. Thaksin, a telecoms billionaire who formed his own Thai Rak Thai political party and promoted innovative populist policies to sweep to power in 2001, was ousted by a military coup in 2006, accused of abuse of power and corruption, as well as disrespect toward then-King Bhumibol Adulyadej. His ouster sharply polarized Thai politics, setting off years of contention between his supporters and opponents, sometimes violently in the streets, at the ballot box and in the courts. Since his ouster, his Thai Rak Thai Party was dissolved in 2007 for violations of election laws, and its successor, the Peoples Power Party, made a political comeback but was dissolved in 2008, after its deputy chairman was convicted of electoral fraud. Two of the People's Power Party prime ministers came and went in quick succession. One of them, Samak Sundaravej, was ousted when the Constitutional Court found he violated a conflict of interest law by continuing to accept nominal pay for hosting a TV cooking show. Thaksins forces in the 2011 general election staged another political comeback, in their third incarnation as the Pheu Thai Party, with Thaksins sister Yingluck Shinawatra, taking the post of prime minister. Aggressive street protests undermined her authority, and in May 2014, the Constitutional Court forced her out of office when it found her guilty of abuse of power for transferring a senior civil servant. A few weeks later her Pheu Thai government was ousted by a military coup. In 2020, the Constitutional Court dissolved the Future Forward party, a new progressive party that won the third highest popular vote in the 2019 election. The court ruled that it had violated a law on donations to political parties. As in the other party dissolution cases, its executives were served with bans on political activities for several years. The party was reconstituted as the Move Forward party, which suffered a similar fate earlier this month but quickly reconstituted itself under the name of the Peoples Party. In what kind of democracy is a court, endorsed directly or indirectly by coup makers, given the power to disenfranchise 14 million voters by dissolving their chosen party and unseat a democratically elected prime minister, all within one week? Napon Jatusripitak, a political science researcher at Singapores ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said in reaction to the courts most recent actions. Its rulings, he said, remind us that entrenched institutions continue to check the power of elected forces in Thailand. Until a broader consensus is reached on their overreach, no real democracy can take root in Thailand. ___ Follow AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Harry and Meghan will touch down in Colombia this week as guests of the vice-president following the success of their three-day visit to Nigeria but the invite has not been without controversy. The royal couple will be given the opportunity to illuminate Colombias role as a beacon of culture and innovation, according to vice-president Francia Marquez, who has come under growing pressure alongside incumbent President Gustavo Petro, as part of a government stained by scandal and corruption allegations. Now, a leading Colombian scholar has suggested Marquezs invite of the Sussexes was a move of self-promotion, rather than an act of serious diplomacy. Colombias first black vice-president and a symbol according to political scientist Monica Pachon, Marquez famously led a campaign against illegal mining, which saw her named on the BBCs 100 Women list in 2019. In 2014, she was also involved in the Colombian peace process between the government and FARC - a Marxist revolutionary guerilla group - in one of Colombias largest steps towards ending the decades-long Colombian conflict. Petro and Marquez have faced a difficult period in power ( AFP via Getty Images ) But Pachon told The Independent that Marquez is not close to the President and has not done much in the last two years - so wants to bring people who give her media attention. Some suggested the invite was a ploy from President Petro to deflect attention from a scandal-ridden term - but Ms Pachon dismissed the idea, arguing Petro doesnt care about diplomacy and was not involved. He doesnt care, right? His behaviour as a diplomat, he doesnt arrive to the most important meetings with the US President, hes travelling abroad to do stupid stuff. Meghan and Harry (Jordan Pettitt/PA) ( PA Archive ) But I think he allows the vice president to do this kind of thing because she is the vice president, and she requires a little bit of attention. If the Duke and the Duchess are willing to play that game, well, good business for them, Ms Pachon added. Scandal and corruption Gustavo Petro, Colombias first left-wing President, elected on an ambitious programme of social reform, is halfway through a difficult first term, as a sluggish economy and multiple scandals consume his premiership. In 2023, the attorney generals office opened an investigation into Laura Sarabia, Petros chief of staff, which revealed police had been tapping her nannys phone. Sarabia and Armando Benedetti, Petros election campaign manager who also employed the nanny, stepped down due to public pressure. An incensed Benedetti was recorded having an outburst against Petro, in which he threatens to reveal dirt about the election campaign. Months later, Nicolas Petro, the presidents son, was indicted in January on money laundering charges, accused of funnelling funds from a drug lord towards his fathers presidential campaign. ( Getty ) Varied legislative success Among the scandal, some progress was made on Petros election promises. An early coalition of support with opposition parties was vital in pushing through his ambitious and highly progressive tax and pension reforms. His government also boosted private-sector commitments towards environmental initiatives and has overseen the decline of deforestation to record lows. Petro was partly elected upon his Total Peace plan, which sought to broker ceasefires with paramilitary, guerilla and cartels. Crime has long been on the decline in Colombia, with the homicide rate currently around a third of what it was at its 1991 peak, when 84 murders per 100,000 people were recorded. Successive governments have sought to produce peace deals with the guerillas, paramilitaries and cartels - the trio of groups which brought devastation to Colombia in the late 20th century. Other signature reforms concerned education, health, and labour. But not only have these stalled legislatively, they have prompted mass protests and political upheaval since the beginning of the year. Gustavo Petro is under major pressure as corruption allegations loom ( AP ) The public voice their dismay Today begins the Colombia of the possible, was Petros rallying cry following the election. But since then, his approval rating crashed from 56 percent to around half that figure in the last 6 months. Up to 200,000 people protested against Petros programme of social reforms in April, with critics claiming it would damage a struggling economy. Tens of thousands took to the streets in Colombia to protest against Petros health reforms ( AFP via Getty Images ) Last Octobers regional elections, touted as a referendum on Petros 14-month-long presidency, saw voters in major cities flocked to Petros opponents, with Pacto Historico winning just two out of 32 governorships. He is nonetheless likely to survive until the next election, analysts believe, as no president has ever been impeached in Colombia before. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A rioter who went viral after looting a number of shops including a Lush cosmetics store in Hull has received one of the longest sentences after weeks of violent disorder. John Honey, 25, was pictured wearing a distinctive St Georges Cross T-shirt and carrying boxes of bathbombs when the store was ransacked on 3 August, before also stealing goods from O2 and Shoezone. As well as participating in the ransacking of the high street, he was part of a baying mob that forced three Romanian men from their BMW, leaving them terrified. Honey has been jailed for over four years for taking part in the violent disorder (Humberside Police/PA) ( PA Media ) A court heard the driver of a BMW was left in fear for his life when more than 100 angry men descended on him and his two cousins and attempted to drag them from their vehicle during 12 hours of racist, hate-fuelled mob violence in the city on August 3. The man said he was punched in the head, and one person tried to hit him with a metal bar. In footage of the incident, the three terrified occupants of the car could be seen getting out with their hands raised in a gesture of surrender before fleeing to a nearby hotel, the court heard. Honey had pulled open the passenger door while David Wilkinson, 48, was seen damaging the windscreen of the vehicle. He has now been jailed for 56 months after previously pleading guilty to violent disorder and three charges of burglary at Lush, the O2 and Shoezone. A manager at Lush said the incident had massively impacted staff ( X/Twitter ) Video footage played to the court showed him carrying on of the Lush branded bags and filling it with products, with the manager saying the incident had massively impacted the staff. A previous sentencing hearing that had been due to take place earlier this week was adjourned after it emerged Honey had asked a prison probation officer if he wanted his autograph because he was famous. During Fridays hearing, the judge was informed that Honey had developmental issues due to a difficult start to life. Judge John Thackray KC told Honey: Im not going to hear any evidence about comments which you may or may not have made in the prison setting. Im not going to give them any relevance. If your defence say that there is now genuine remorse, Ill accept that submission. He also admitted racially aggravated criminal damage over the BMW incident, and to damaging nine other cars during an attack on a garage. David Wilkinson, 48, has been jailed for six years for his role in the Sunderland riots (Humberside Police) ( PA Media ) Also jailed on Friday was Wilkinson, who received a six year sentence after playing a prominent role in the riots, which saw him spitting, throwing missiles and pushing wheelie bins towards police officers. In the same garage attack, he was seen trying to set fire to a bin on top of a pile of tyres which were already alight, sending plumes of black smoke into a workshop where a group of people were sheltering. Four men who took part in a barrage of verbal and physical abuse towards police during the riots were also locked up at the same court. Also jailed today for two years and two months was Paul Williams, a 45-year-old man who was at the forefront of an orgy of mindless destruction, violence and disorder in Sunderland. During the rioting, he was seen throwing metal fencing and a can of beer at police before taking his shirt off and shouting put your shields down and lets go, lets f****** go. Lisa Bishop was jailed for 26 months after admitting violent disorder ( Avon and Somerset Police ) A mother-of-five who was part of a terrifying mob outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Bristol has also been jailed for 26 months after throwing a can and shouting verbal abuse. Lisa Bishop, 38, was in a prominent position outside the Mercure hotel, which left police officers overwhelmed as they struggled to maintain order. A second riot charge has been brought by police as violent disorder suspects across the country await news on whether they will be accused of the more serious offence. Northumbria Police said on Friday that Kieran Usher had become their second suspect to be charged with riot, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The 32-year-old appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates Court on Friday, where prosecutors said he had acted in an aggressive manner towards police officers and threw missiles at them during the unrest. It followed the forces announcement that a 15-year-old boy had been charged with the more serious offence after having previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder and burglary on Saturday. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 13-year-old girl died of a severe allergic reaction just hours after taking one sip of a Costa Coffee hot chocolate following a failure to follow processes, an inquest concluded on Friday. Hannah Jacobs had a severe dairy allergy and suffered an immediate reaction while out with her mother in Barking, east London, in February 2023 after drinking the beverage, which should have been made with soya milk. Assistant coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said: The root cause of this death is a failure to follow the processes in place to discuss allergies combined with a failure of communication between the mother and the barista. The coroner noted that on the day of her death neither Hannah nor her mother were carrying an EpiPen that had been prescribed. In a statement issued by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, Hannahs parents called for the government to bring in an allergy tsar. Following the inquest, Hannahs mother, Abimbola Duyile, paid tribute to her vivacious, caring, affectionate daughter who had everything to live for. Hannah Jacobs suffered an immediate reaction after just one sip of a Costa Coffee hot chocolate ( PA Media ) A member of Ms Duyiles legal team read a statement outside East London coroners court on her behalf, saying: Having heard all the evidence over the last week, it is clear to me that although the food service industry and medical professionals are required to have allergy training, the training is really not taken seriously enough. Better awareness is really needed in these industries and across society of the symptoms of anaphylaxis. Allowing people who serve food and drinks to retake an allergy training test 20 times is not acceptable. A post-mortem examination found Hannah died after suffering from a hypersensitive anaphylactic reaction triggered by an ingredient in her hot chocolate that caused an allergic response. There was a failure of communication between the coffee shop staff and Hannah Jacobss mother. Hannah was allergic to dairy, along with fish and eggs, since she was a toddler, East London Coroners Court was told. Her mother ordered two takeaway soya hot chocolates from the coffee chain before a dental appointment and said her anger gave way to terror after her childs reaction to the drink. Ms Duyile told the coffee shop staff that her daughter had an allergy and that it was vital for staff to clean the equipment when they made her drink. In a statement in court, she said Hannah abruptly got up and went to the toilet and shouted that was not soya milk. She said her daughters reaction happened quickly and she was coughing up phlegm and had chest pains. Ms Duyile rushed Hannah to a nearby chemist as her lips and mouth were very swollen and she was itchy. My initial response was of anger to the Costa Coffee staff it gave way to terror, she said. Hannah collapsed in the chemist and a pharmacist administered an EpiPen injection in her leg. Resuscitation attempts began when a customer alerted an ambulance and paramedics arrived to continue resuscitation efforts. Hannah was eventually rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead. Her mother said in a statement: Hannah was just entering adolescence and learning to be independent, taking ownership of her allergies when she was tragically taken from us. She had known from a young age what her allergies were and took them very seriously. I have always been extremely diligent in managing Hannahs allergies, and she had never suffered a serious allergic reaction prior to this incident. Hannah loved life. She was a vivacious, caring, affectionate, outspoken and energetic child with a strong sense of right and wrong. Hannah had everything to live for and was so full of life and promise. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse,15, died in 2016 after suffering a severe allergic reaction to sesame baked into a Pret-a-Manger baguette ( Ednan-Laperouse family ) The parents of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after suffering a severe allergic reaction to sesame baked into a Pret-a-Manger baguette, have called for urgent government action to improve understanding of allergies across schools, businesses and society generally Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, co-founders of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, a food allergy charity, said: Today, along with Hannahs grief-stricken mum Abi and on behalf of other parents who have lost children to food allergies, we once again urge the government to appoint an allergy tsar a national champion for the one in three people who live not just with food allergies, but all types of allergic disease including asthma and eczema. The inquest heard that, at the time of Hannahs death on 8 February, 2023, allergen training for new Costa staff involved online modules that could be accessed at home and a quiz that trainees had to pass. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An accountancy firm has warned businesses about a convincing scam letter which impersonates the HMRC tax office The letter, which uses a font that closely resembles the style of an HMRC letter states: We need you to verify your financial information. Azets accountancy firm flagged the scammers in a social media post on Friday which showed a scam letter that had been sent to one of their clients. Sajid Ghufoor, head of Azets tax investigation & dispute resolution services, said: A client received the letter below and believed it to be genuine however my colleague Jemima Jones was suspicious and on closer inspection, we identified that it was a scam, as the email address is not one ever used by HMRC. The scammers used language and style that closely mimicked the HMRC style. ( Sajid Ghufoor/Azets ) Ghufoor said the obvious giveaway was the email address used by the scammer which reads companies-review@hmrc-taxchecks.org the tell being that it fails to include a gov ending. HMRC issued an urgent scam alert after receiving news of the scam via their phishing inbox on Friday morning. A HMRC spokesperson said: Criminals are great pretenders. They use various methods to try and dupe citizens and often mimic government messages to make them appear authentic. Tax scams come in many forms. Some offer a rebate, others tell you that your tax details are out of date, or threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion. Never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying theyre HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. We will also never ring up threatening arrest. Only criminals do that. The fake email address was flagged as the obvious giveaway. ( Sajid Ghufoor/Azets ) Unexpected contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so take your time and check HMRC scams advice on GOV.UK. In the image posted by Sajid Ghufoor, the senders address was invalid on Google Maps and the letter included HMRC-style statements such as Please tell us if you have any health or personal circumstances that may make it difficult for you to deal with us. The scammer uses stern language, stating: If you do not reply we will conduct an investigation and possibly freeze any business activity until we conclude our investigation. Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud reporting centre highlighted that scams were not exclusively postal stating: Watch out for these fake HMRC emails, they've been reported to us over 700 times this month! Other accountancy firms have since shared the scam alert on their social media pages. X users were quick to voice their concerns over the scam and point out the markers which set it apart from official HMRC documents. Tax expert Dan Neidle commented: Woooah this is a very smart/evil scam. The web savvy will immediately spot the dodgy email address, but I bet plenty wont. Tax director Nikita Cooper at Price Bailey LLP told The Independent: HMRC are well-targeted by scammers and they can often replicate very close replicas. Asking you to verify your financial information is very unusual as they would never write to you to ask you for your bank details. Compliance checks will typically regard returns or overseas information. She said the following were easy ways to check the letters: always look at the logo to check if its distorted, google the address, always check to see if the information matches the online government website where you can report it, and never click any links in emails or texts. Have you been caught out by scammers or been affected by this story in any way? Get in touch at madeline.sherratt@independent.co.uk Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Domestic violence is a 50/50 thing. Its not like you were beaten. Maybe one day youll be able to forget what happened. These are just some of the shocking comments that vulnerable women say they have been forced to face in court from the judges tasked with deciding their families futures. They say the comments show a problem with misogyny in the secretive family courts that not only subjects them to further trauma often in a courtroom with their abuser present but leads to rulings that can even leave them legally required to face the perpetrator. Now campaigners are calling for judges who sit in the family courts to undergo further training so they have a proper understanding of the complexities behind domestic abuse, including coercive control, when deciding on cases including access to and custody of children. Reinforcing the coercive control Emma* broke up with her partner after 10 years, during which she says he controlled her money and would bill her for costs including when she was on maternity leave raising their child. He was investigated by police for coercive and financial control but, despite this, she faced hours of questioning over money in court after he brought a case against her. She said she had been put into debt even before the process started, because the assets under her name meant she did not qualify for legal aid despite them being controlled by her ex-husband. She said: I have assets on paper, but my ex-husband has trapped the capital in those assets [in property], so I am thousands in the red while he controls the assets that I have no access to, because his name is on the mortgages despite the first property being one I bought many years before I knew him. Initially his barrister spent a lot of time attacking me on the finances and the money. He focused on the fact that [my ex-husband] was paying for things while I was on maternity leave. So its reinforcing the coercive control, its reinforcing that you should somehow be grateful that hes controlling the money. The judge was not challenging things that should have been challenged, such as victim-blaming from my ex-partners barrister and reinforcement of outdated and sexist attitudes. They were quite happy to just take my husbands word for everything. I was attacked by a barrister for four-and-a-half hours, and the trauma just came right up to the surface that entire time. The system is abusing them A 2020 report published by the Ministry of Justice found that the courts were putting domestic abuse victims and their children at risk of additional harm yet little has been changed since. Family court cases, which often involve parental disputes concerning the upbringing of children, are anonymised and closed to the public, placing a shroud of secrecy around proceedings. But campaigners say this is also leading to a lack of accountability. Solicitor Rachel Horman-Brown, who has worked within the family courts for 30 years, said domestic abuse victims face a lottery when it comes to who hears their case. Some clients feel effectively the system is abusing them and colluding with the perpetrator or minimising the abuse, she said. Solicitor Rachel Horman-Brown said the current system is a lottery in terms of how survivors are treated by judges ( PA Archive ) The lawyer said that judges often avoid investigating domestic abuse as it takes up time and resources in a stretched legal system. While official guidance has caught up and has recommend that the court takes [domestic abuse] seriously, the reality isnt quite there, she said. Its sad we have a system that which judge your case gets put in front of will change the outcome. Ms Horman-Brown said more training needs to be offered to judges to deal with domestic abuse. This infects all participants within the family system. Judges are the top of that pyramid of power within it, she said. For the judge to make a comment the victim feels is unfair or minimising abuse, hurts so much more than if it was said by a lawyer or social worker. That person wields so much power and it really is terrifying for victims if they feel judges dont understand domestic abuse. Its something they find really traumatic. Where can you feel safe? Following a decade-long abusive relationship, Sally* was taken to court by the father of her child for visitation rights. The 31-year-old informed the judge of his abusive past and provided evidence. She requested an investigation but says the judge told her it would have to be shelved because she didnt think it was fair. She added: What does she mean its not fair? It sounded like she didnt believe me. He did this to me for 10 years, what makes you think he wouldnt do it to my son? She added: Because she dismissed the abuse, I now have to call him every week and I myself have to drop my son off to him every six weeks. It makes me feel sick every time. My stomach turns, I absolutely hate it. A campaign launched by Riverlight which provides support for abuse survivors has brought to light testimony from victims of their experiences during family court proceedings ( Getty Images ) A campaign launched by Riverlight which provides support for abuse survivors has brought to light testimony from victims of their experience during family court proceedings. Survivors were invited to submit testimonies, which also included judges rolling their eyes at mentions of gaslighting and saying: If you are so afraid of him and we are to believe what youve said, how can you sit near him in court? The Judicial College, which is responsible for training of judges, said all family judges and magistrates complete an induction and training that covers domestic abuse. But Riverlight founder Roda Hassan is calling for more to be done. She said: Victims and survivors constantly tell us that they often feel more abused and victimised by the court system itself than the perpetrator. If you cant feel safe in a court of law where this happens, then where can you feel safe? For help or support contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which is open 24/7 365 days per year on 0808 2000 247, or go to its website at www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk. For more information on Riverlight, visit https://www.riverlight.org.uk/. *Names have been changed. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Duke and Duchess of Sussexs invitation to Colombia was inspired by a Netflix documentary about their bitter departure from the royal family. Colombias vice president, Francia Marquez, said that she was moved by Harry & Meghan one of a series of shows made as part of their $100m deal with the streaming giant. Marquez, who greeted the former working royals in the capital of Bogota said that she wanted to give Meghan, in particular, another chance to share her life story. The four-day visit will not just give the Sussexes a chance to discuss their own lives but is designed to illuminate Colombias role as a beacon of culture and innovation. Marquez said: [The documentary] moved me and made me say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country to tell her story. This exchange will undoubtedly empower so many women in the world. The vice presidents desire to promote this message of female empowerment also holds personal significance in her own life, as she is the first black woman to occupy the role. Harry and Meghan were greeted by Marquez when they arrived at around 9am local time and retreated to enjoy tea, coffee and traditional Colombian cheese before discussing their goals for the visit. Their engagements included a visit to a school where they stressed the importance of online safety, having candidly discussed how online trolling played a significant role in their departure from the royal family. The royals were all smiles as they met the vice president yesterday. ( vicecolombia ) While not an official visit, the trip has many of the hallmarks of a royal tour. ( vicecolombia ) Press intrusion was also cited as one of the couples reasons and their trip to has been a source of controversy in some circles after Harry recently dubbed the UK too dangerous for his wife to visit. He told ITVsTabloids on Trial that he will not bring Meghan to the UK without taxpayer-funded security because he fears an acid or knife attack inspired by negative tabloid stories. While the British government advises citizens against travel to some parts of Colombia, the couple have been provided with full security on the trip. Their accompanying journalist, Nick Pisa, said that they have a massive security presence. Weve seen 14 car and police van convoys carrying the Sussexes through the streets of Bogota since they arrived this morning and have been on four engagements, he said. Theres a bit of controversy with the vice president over the fact that she seems to travel everywhere by helicopter, but we should say she has been subjected to several death threats and also several attempted assassinations. Colombia is currently experiencing several dangers, including a high crime rate and kidnappings. The journalist added: It does raise serious questions about why Harry thinks that Great Britain might be a little bit too unsafe for him, but hes happy to stand next to someone who has, unfortunately, quite literally got a target on her back. Harry and Meghan met with Colombian school children yesterday to discuss the importance of online safety. ( vicecolombia ) This is Harry and Meghans second unofficial tour of the year, having also visited Nigeria in May to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. The couple are set to meet with Colombian Invictus team later today as they spend a second day in the capital. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A new, more deadly strain of mpox sweeping the world is highly likely to already be in the UK, a specialist in infectious diseases has warned. Professor Paul Hunter said mpox, which used to be called monkeypox, can spread very quickly between countries because it is a sexually transmitted infection. And he urged people at risk to get vaccinated against it or cut the number of sexual partners they have. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a public health emergency over an outbreak of the latest mpox variant in several African nations and one case in Sweden the first confirmed case in Europe. Prof Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, told The Independent about 180 infections of mpox had been found so far this year in the UK, but they have all been the earlier strain, known as clade 2. The latest variant, known as clade 1b, has a higher mortality rate in Africa, estimated at 4-10 per cent. More than 17,000 cases have been confirmed across Africa after the disease emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The WHO says there have been 524 deaths in more than a dozen African countries this year a death toll already higher than all of last year. The incubation period is officially described as about two weeks. Jean Kakuru Biyambo, 48, a father of six from DRC has the virus ( Reuters ) I think typically, somewhere between one and two weeks is the norm. So if somebody came into the UK today having just recently acquired mpox, it would take about two weeks before, on average, maybe a bit longer, before they developed symptoms, and maybe a few days after that before they sought care, Prof Hunter said. Then sample results would have to be analysed, he said, but that would not distinguish between clade 2 and clade 1b, so it could be two or three weeks between someone being infected and a diagnosis of the variant. So it seems highly likely there are already cases here, but not certain, he said. Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox and symptoms include fever, chills and body aches. People with more serious cases can develop characteristic lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals. It can also be transmitted through close contact, such as skin-to-skin and breathing close to an infected person. The UK Health Security Agency says there are no known cases of the new strain in the UK but it has been reminding GPs to be aware of the diseases spread. People at risk are urged to get the jab ( AP ) Prof Hunter, a specialist in medical microbiology, said many people at risk those who have a number of sexual partners would either have already had the jab or have immunity from infection with the earlier strain, clade 2, which in 2022 infected 3,732 people in the UK during a large outbreak. Shortly after the initial outbreak, the UK began rolling out mpox vaccines to at-risk individuals. Prof Hunter said his research had found that strain was contained by behavioural change. If you are part of the scene where you have multiple sexual partners, either realise its a potential threat and modify that, or if you havent been vaccinated, get the vaccine, he added. Antiviral medicines are ineffective, so treatment consists of watching while the disease improves, he said. Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Many Muslims feel less safe living in the UK after far-right rioters targetted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers, a poll has revealed. The survey commissioned by Muslim Census, a data organisation focusing on Muslims and ethnic minorities, found 92 per cent feel much less safe as a result of the violent disorder. The poll, conducted between 5-6 August with a panel of 1,519 participants from various backgrounds, reported one in six people have personally experienced racist attacks since the riots began on 30 July, while two in three people witnessed one. Verbal attacks are the most commonly faced by Muslims with 28 per cent followed by 16 per cent recording abuse online. Four per cent said they had experienced a physical attack in the weeks since the disorder. Locals clean up debris outside a Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth, Staffordshire ( Getty ) Muslim Census co-founder Sadiq Dorasat said: We have heard stories about Hijabis that dont feel safe to leave their homes or go to work. Weve seen a witch hunt directed to people of the Muslim faith mentioning Allah and His messenger and people are concerned for their safety. For days, far-right individuals targeted mosques, Muslim-owned businesses and hotels housing asylum seekers in cities including London, Liverpool, Bristol, Blackpool and Belfast. Violence broke out after misinformation was spread following the deadly stabbings of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on 29 July. Southport Islamic Centre was one of the mosques targeted by far-right rioters who set cars on fire and pelted local buildings with rocks. Since the riots, more than 900 people have been arrested and more than 400 charged nationwide, including for racial hatred. Mosques around the country have advised worshippers to take safety measures including refraining from traveling alone, avoid leaving their homes after sunset and consider traveling in groups to avoid being a target, Leicester Islamic Centre announced. Far-right rioters in Rotherham earlier this month ( Getty ) The polling expert fears racism cases and widespread security concerns have now increased even more and argued the shocking spike in Islamophobia is not an isolated incident. Mr Dorasat said: This has been a growing and rising problem. We see it day to day and some people might not even be surprised at the riots that are taking place. Since the start of the year, Muslims have been experiencing these Islamophobic incidents and it has only been accelerated in the last week. Nobody should be surprised. He argued the rise hasnt happened overnight and it has been increasing over the past five years like a domino effect leading to the violence around the country. Imam Sheik Ibrahim Hussein surveys the damage in the Southport Islamic Centre Mosque after a protest ( PA ) According to the survey, half of the people quizzed have been the victim of a racist attack just in the last year and an overwhelming 93 per cent of Muslims feel Islamophobia has increased over the past five years. The pollster believes the government should have condemned the violence using stronger terms and criticised party leaders for not working towards establishing a definition for Islamophobia. The word has been used very rarely in the last weeks and there is a reluctance to use it and it is because there is no agreed definition of Islamophobia by our current and our previous government, he added. The nearest to an official definition in the UK came when an all-party parliamentary group in 2019 defined Islamophobia as rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness. Although the term has been used by some politicians from multiple parties including Labour, Lib Dems, and Scottish Conservatives it was never officially recognised by the Tory government at the time. Keir Starmer visiting a mosque in Solihull after the riots ( Reuters ) Mr Dorasat said: The conversation around the term needs to be brought to the table so that when we are discussing these events, we can label them correctly so we can deal with them appropriately. At the moment some people are just using the term anti-Muslim hate. Following the disorder, Sir Keir Starmer insisted his government is committed to tackle violence and hate against those affected and the home secretary promised to grant greater protection to mosques around the country. Despite the measures, Mr Dorasat urged the prime minister to spell out the threat racism poses for ethnic communities and to properly call out and punish the perpetrators. He added: We hope that what we are seeing on the streets causes a real reaction to prevent this from going ahead in the future. And it sets a precedent that the targeting towards a specific faith group is going to be called out and properly punished. I urge those people to speak to the police to speak to the Islamophobia response unit. Dont think this is okay or expected and you just need to be quiet. Raise the alarm because these instances need to be handled correctly. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Duke of Sussex turned down a stay at Buckingham Palace in favour of a hotel on his last trip to London. Prince Harry was invited to use apartments at the palace when he visited the UK to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, The Times reported. Instead, the duke opted to stay in a more humble hotel for the visit, in which he did not see his father or brother due to scheduling difficulties. The King was staying at Clarence House during the visit as offered his son accommodation in the most prestigious location available. Harry also stayed in a London hotel during his fleeting visit to see his father following his cancer diagnosis earlier this year. Prince Harry was invited to use apartments at the palace when he visited the UK to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, The Times reported. ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The prince flew from his home in California for a 30 minute meeting with Charles at Clarence House in February before flying back the next day. It was thought he would return to the UK imminently for his uncles funeral, but is now said to be missing the private funeral of Lord Fellowes husband of Dianas sister Lady Jane Fellowes in Norfolk later this month due to his security fears. Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK, but he has been given the green light to appeal. During the case, the court was told Harry believes his children cannot feel at home in the UK if it is not possible to keep them safe there and that he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with additional layers of racism and extremism. Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK, ( REUTERS ) Harry and Meghan stepped down from the working monarchy in 2020 and no longer travel at the request of the UK Government on official overseas royal visits, when travel costs would have usually been met by the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant. Although a visit to the UK looks unlikely, the couple began their four-day tour of Colombia on Thursday in the capital of the South American nation. Harry and Meghan were met in Bogota by Colombias vice-president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo. The Sussexes are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple to travel to Colombia for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour. Harry and Meghan began their four-day tour of Colombia on Thursday in the capital of the South American nation. ( AFP via Getty Images ) The Sussexes team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghans Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means. The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nations chief of defence staff. Ensuring the couples security will be a high priority during their stay. The Foreign Office warns against all but essential travel to certain parts of Colombia, with kidnapping rates remaining high. It also describes the country as seriously afflicted by conflict with a resurgence in violence in parts of Colombia despite the peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) movement to end the civil war. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Prince Harry took a veiled swipe at Elon Musk over the rapid spread of misinformation on social media in the wake of far-right riots across the UK. The Duke of Sussex said those with positions of influence should take more responsibility for tackling lies online and warned social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down. Speaking at a conference about improving the digital landscape on the first day of their tour of Colombia, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoke to a school children about dealing with life on the internet. Harry addressed the rise of AI and said education and awareness would be a vital part of the fight against misinformation. What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isnt true, the duke said. ( REUTERS ) Critics say Musk has allowed disinformation to spread on Twitter since his takeover of the platform. During his tenure, the US businessman has let go of around 6,000 staff, or 80 per cent of the workforce, including the entire moderation team. He has also allowed previously banned users like Donald Trump, Andrew Tate, and Tommy Robinson. It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake, he said. In an ideal world those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts. For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down. Critics say Musk has allowed disinformation to spread on Twitter since his takeover of the platform. ( PA Archive ) The comments come weeks after far-right riots swept across England and Northern Ireland following a host of online misinformation about the identity of the Southport murderer. Hours after the deaths of three girls at a Taylor Swift themed summer holiday dance class, posts on social media falsely claiming the attacker was a Muslim illegal-migrant swept through the internet. One post earned nearly four million impressions with misogynist influencer Andrew Tate also echoing the false narrative. The posts were not taken down by social media giant X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk who has defended the platforms position. What ensued was days of far-right violence with calls to stop the boats and take our country back. Hours after the deaths of three girls at a Taylor Swift themed summer holiday dance class, posts on social media falsely claiming the attacker was a Muslim illegal-migrant swept through the internet. ( Getty Images ) Mosques were targeted in certain areas with Southport, Liverpool, Sunderland and Hull amongst the many places terrorised by the rioters. During the unrest Musk replied to a video of rioting in the UK originally posted by Tommy Robinson. Analysts say this boosted the right-wing organisers reach, with Musks reply now reaching 9.2 million views. As the government were desperately trying to quell the riots, Musk, who bought the social media platform in 2022, launched a tirade of posts in which he mocked and criticised the UK prime minister. Following a statement from the Labour leader criticising the attacks on Muslim communities, Musk questioned why all communities should not be protected. He later reposted this comment, alongside several memes which depict the UKs criminal justice system as racially biased, as well as calling the Labour leader #twotierkeir. During the unrest Musk replied to a video of rioting in the UK originally posted by Tommy Robinson ( Getty Images ) Harry and Meghan tackled the issue of online misinformation on the first day of their tour of Colombia. They were met in the capital Bogota on Thursday by Colombias vice-president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo. The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nations chief of defence staff. Harry and Meghan visited a local school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, on Thursday and joined a summit, in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation, about creating a healthier digital landscape. They spoke to children in a session where the class talked about their favourite and least favourite parts of social media, technology and dealing with life on the internet. Meghan said the group should aim to be self-reliant and not tech-reliant while Harry about asked the conversations they have with their families about managing social media and literacy. China's largest electronics commercial area Huaqiangbei propels entrepreneurship 15:00, August 16, 2024 By Han Xin, Cheng Yuanzhou ( People's Daily At 9:00 a.m., electronic markets at Huaqiangbei commercial area in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, were already bustling with activities. Known as the largest commercial area for electronics markets in China, Huaqiangbei was crowded with people running errands, making purchases and enquiring about prices. Lu Dongli, in his forties, walked through the crowds and made his way into the Black Ark, a hardware innovation center in the Electronic Technology Building of Huaqiangbei. Lu came to Huaqiangbei in 2006 for semiconductor trade. Five years later, he founded his company ChipReal in a small cubicle within the SEG Science and Technology Park of Huaqiangbei. Such a tiny cubicle measuring one meter in width was also referred to as a "one-meter counter." Photo shows the SEG Electronics Market in Huaqiangbei commercial area, Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province. (Photo from the official account of the Information Office of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government on WeChat) There are countless one-meter counters in Huaqiangbei, each representing a business venture and the aspiration of entrepreneurship. "Thanks to the complete industrial chain and aggregation effect in Huaqiangbei, our company has experienced steady growth in recent years," said Lu. In October 2022, Lu moved his office to an office building in the central area of Huaqiangbei, turning his one-meter counter into a business start-up that covers over 300 square meters. There are millions of entrepreneurs like Lu in Huaqiangbei. Before China began the reform and opening up process in 1978, Huaqiangbei was only a large paddy field. After Shenzhen was established as a special economic zone, major enterprises started building factories in the region, laying the foundation for the electronics industry in Huaqiangbei, which later emerged as one of the most vibrant business hubs in Shenzhen. Just one month ago, Lu's company received an intended order for 40,000 power supply chips annually. Yesterday morning, the company got an unexpected call from the customer to confirm the order, and Lu immediately contacted his suppliers, only to be told that market prices had risen and their previously agreed price was no longer valid. A man inquires about prices of electronic products in front of a "one-meter counter" in Huaqiangbei commercial area, Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province. (Photo from the official account of the Publicity Department of Futian district, Shenzhen, on WeChat) Lu made a quick decision to replace the supplier. "I don't want to make a poor deal and couldn't risk losing a potential client as well," said Lu. "There's nothing you can't buy in Huaqiangbei," Lu said. As a business area covering 1.45 square kilometers, Huaqiangbei is home to around 110,000 businesses, each of which has business relations with factories across China. This has made Huaqiangbei the world's largest distribution center of electronic parts and components. After spending nearly two hours making phone calls, Lu eventually found a supplier whose office was right in the building next to his. Lu received the samples at 2:00 p.m., checked the necessary details, and then sent them to a third-party organization for examination. Subsequently, he received the approval certificate, which marked the success of his new deal. Technical services are also essential for a seller of electronic parts and components. Since 2018, ChipReal has expanded its business into product distribution, providing clients with technical assistance throughout the entire production process, from solution design to mass production. Photo shows a view of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Zhiqiang) Behind this expansion was a change in its business strategy. "Trading a single product can lead to quick profits, but it also comes with high risks. By expanding our range of services, our business has become more stable and sustainable," said Lu. Thanks to the expanded technical services, ChipReal has seen an average annual revenue growth of 15 percent and gained nearly 900 new clients in China's Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and northeast China. In the first half of this year, the company's sales volume rose by over 10 percent year on year, with technical services contributing nearly 40 percent to the increase. Huaqiangbei, which gave birth to numerous "one-meter counters," is undergoing a profound transformation. Last year, 100,000 square meters of business areas were newly built in the commercial area, and over 80 percent of the space of newly renovated electronics markets has been rented. This year, 14 business incubators began serving more than 400 innovative companies, and daily foot traffic in the business areas has exceeded 1 million. Seizing new opportunities, Huaqiangbei is brimming with new vitality. Planning to build itself into a global electronic component trading hub, a global hardware innovation and entrepreneurship center, and an international consumer center for trendy electronics, it is growing into an internationalized district for innovation and entrepreneurship. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are being protected by a ring of steel as they continue their quasi royal tour of Colombia. Harry and Meghan are being protected alongside Francia Marquez, who has had threats against her life since becoming the countrys first female vice president. A journalist accompanying the trio described the security presence as massive. Weve seen 14 car and police van convoys carrying the Sussexes through the streets of Bogota since they arrived this morning and have been on four engagements, said Nick Pisa. Theres a bit of controversy with the vice president over the fact that she seems to travel everywhere by helicopter, but we should say she has been subjected to several death threats and also several attempted assassinations. The vast security detail follows Harrys highly-publicised battle to have his taxpayer-funded security in the UK reinstated after he lost the protection when he stepped down as a working royal. The couple enjoyed tea, coffee and local cheeses with the vice president, who greeted them upon their arrival. ( vicecolombia ) He said that without royal security, the UK is too dangerous for Meghan to visit because of the risk of an acid or knife attack inspired by negative tabloid stories. The Foreign Office advises British nationals against all but essential travel to certain parts of Colombia because of the prevalence of violent crimes, including kidnappings. The journalist added: It does raise serious questions about why Harry thinks that Great Britain might be a little bit too unsafe for him, but hes happy to stand next to someone who has, unfortunately, quite literally got a target on her back. Meghan and Harry are embracing Colombian culture. ( vicecolombia ) Harry and Meghan have a packed itinerary of engagements, spending two days in the capital before travelling to the smaller cities of Cartagena and Cali. The couple will be championing several causes on their visit including mental health awareness and the dangers which exist online. Described as a cultural and social visit, the quasi-royal tour will illuminate Colombias role as a beacon of culture and innovation. The royals visited a school on the first day of their visit to raise awareness of issues close to their hearts. ( vicecolombia ) However, because of the countrys many problems and desire to have billions of foreign debt forgiven, some have accused authorities of using the royals as political pawns. Vice president Marquez, who is the first black woman to hold the role, explained that she was inspired to invite the couple to Colombia after watching the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan. [The documentary] moved me and made me say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country to tell her story, she said. This exchange will undoubtedly empower so many women in the world. While the details of the first two days of the visit have been released to the press, the remaining itinerary has not yet been released for security reasons. It has, however, been confirmed that Harry and Meghan will visit the first free slave down in the Americas, San Basilio de Palenque, and the Petronio Alvarez music festival. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A yoga teacher who was stabbed during the Southport knife attacks has been rushed back to hospital after her condition deteriorated, her family have said. Former primary school teacher Leanne Lucas, 35, tried to protect the children in the Taylor Swift-themed dance class during an attack which left three young girls dead on 29 July. Three children were killed and eight injured after a knifeman launched an attack at the dance studio in the Merseyside seaside town. She and a colleague are said to have helped shield up to 16 innocent children from the onslaught. Ms Lucas has been readmitted to hospital due to breathing problems. Posting to a GoFundMe page set up to support the instructor, a friend wrote: "Unfortunately this week Leanne was readmitted to hospital due [to] struggling with her breathing. She is waiting for an operation for another drain on her lung due to infection. The update continued: Leanne had barely begun her road to recovery. Please keep her in your thoughts and continue supporting her as you have been. More than 22,000 has been raised so far from over 900 donations. Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were stabbed to death at the class, while 10 others were injured. Left to right, Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine (Merseyside Police/PA) ( PA Media ) Ms Lucas reportedly planned the two-hour dance and yoga session to coincide with the school holidays, and taught the class alongside Heidi Barlow. Ms Barlow was also injured in the attack, but not as seriously as Ms Lucas. More than 68,000 has been donated to Elsies mother and father, Jennifer and David, who need time to grieve and support their other daughter, Rosie. Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been charged with the murder of the three girls in Merseyside. He is also charged with the attempted murder of yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes, and eight children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and possession of a kitchen knife with a curved blade. Soon after the attack, false claims of the suspects identity were spread online with some posts speculating he was a Muslim migrant who had arrived in the UK by boat in 2023. Far-right riots then engulfed the country, and now a total of 1,117 arrests and 677 charges have been made in connection to the disorder. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been welcomed to Colombia as they began their four-day tour of the South American nation. Harry and Meghan were met in the capital Bogota on Thursday by Colombias vice-president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo. They spent around half-an-hour at the vice-presidents residence, where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono Colombian cheese bread. The Sussexes are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple to travel to Colombia for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour. Answering questions from journalists at a press conference ahead of their arrival, Ms Marquez said she was inspired to ask Harry and Meghan to visit the country after being moved by their Netflix documentary. I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world, Ms Marquez said. The Sussexes controversial six-part Netflix show, aired just three months after Queen Elizabeth IIs death, laid bare their troubled relationship with the royal family and the struggles which led to their decision to step back from the working monarchy. Ms Marquez described the Sussexes trip as a very special visit aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying and online digital violence and discrimination, as well as promoting womens leadership in Colombia. The Sussexes team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghans Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means. The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nations chief of defence staff. Harpers Bazaar magazine, covering the trip as the only words pool, said Ms Marquez shared her personal admiration for Harrys late mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Meghan and Ms Marquez were pictured embracing as they greeted each other warmly, with Ms Marquez clasping Harrys hands in her own as they were introduced. The Sussexes were colour co-ordinated style-wise, with the duchess in a navy halterneck top and trousers and Harry in a dark blue suit and light blue shirt. During the sit-down chat, Ms Marquez said she shared the same ideals and goals as Harry and Meghan amid their campaign to make the digital world safer for children. Harry and Meghan visited a local school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, on Thursday and joined a summit, in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation, about creating a healthier digital landscape. They spoke to children in a session where the class talked about their favourite and least favourite parts of social media, technology and dealing with life on the internet. Meghan said the group should aim to be self-reliant and not tech-reliant while Harry about asked the conversations they have with their families about managing social media and literacy. Ms Marquez, a lawyer and human rights and environmental activist, is Colombias first black vice-president and serves in the countrys first left-wing government, led by president Gustavo Petro. A former housekeeper who had her first child at 16, Ms Marquez rose to prominence for her opposition to illegal gold mining in her home province and won a prestigious environmental prize for her work. She spearheaded a 10-day, 350-mile march of 80 women from La Toma to the nations capital, resulting in the removal of all illegal miners and equipment from her community. Ensuring the couples security will be a high priority during their stay. The Foreign Office warns against all but essential travel to certain parts of Colombia, with kidnapping rates remaining high. It also describes the country as seriously afflicted by conflict with a resurgence in violence in parts of Colombia despite the peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) movement to end the civil war. The duke has meanwhile maintained it is still dangerous for Meghan to return to the UK. He is said to be missing the private funeral of his uncle Lord Fellowes husband of Dianas sister Lady Jane Fellowes in Norfolk later this month due to his security fears. Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK, but he has been given the green light to appeal. During the case, the court was told Harry believes his children cannot feel at home in the UK if it is not possible to keep them safe there and that he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with additional layers of racism and extremism. Harry and Meghan stepped down from the working monarchy in 2020 and no longer travel at the request of the UK Government on official overseas royal visits, when travel costs would have usually been met by the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Foreign secretary David Lammy has said during a visit to Israel that the time is now for a Gaza ceasefire as he pushes for a truce that would also ease hostilities across the Middle East that have left the region on the brink of a wider war. His visit, alongside French counterpart Stephane Sejourne, piles on the pressure for a deal as talks continue in Doha to stop the fighting between Israel and Hamas and secure the release of Israeli hostages still held inside Gaza. Those talks, convened by Qatar, Egypt and the US, are aimed at breaking weeks of diplomatic deadlock after the number of dead in Gaza this week passed 40,000. It also came hours after Israeli settlers launched an attack on a village near Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, killing at least one Palestinian whose funeral drew huge crowds. Israeli protesters in Jerusalem during the visit by the British and French foreign ministers ( Saeed Qaq/NurPhoto/Shutterstock ) Mr Lammys trip included the West Bank where, in Ramallah, he met Palestinian prime minister Mohamed Mustafa. In Jerusalem, he called for hostages to be returned, aid to be allowed into Gaza in the quantities that are necessary, and for the fighting to stop. This is a war and a crisis that has taken so many lives across the region, and of course began with the most horrific events on 7 October, Mr Lammy said. But as we head now into 315 days of war, the time for a deal for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza and for the fighting to stop is now. And of course that is the message that we have jointly underlined to ministers today, both in Israel and of course in the occupied territories. Mourners during the funeral of Rashid Al-Sadeh, a Palestinian who was killed during an Israeli settlers attack in the West Bank ( Reuters ) More than 100 hostages were released during a week-long ceasefire in November, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third of them are dead. Mr Lammy met Israels foreign minister, Israel Katz, and minister of strategic affairs Ron Dermer, saying beforehand that there is no time for delays or excuses from all parties on a ceasefire deal. He added that the first day of talks in Qatar had gone well and that Israeli officials hope that we are on the cusp of a deal. Before the talks began, Hamas, which didnt participate directly in the discussions but would be consulted by mediators Qatar and Egypt, accused Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support and to which Hamas had agreed in principle. Israel accuses Hamas of adding its own new demands. Palestinian PM Mohamed Mustafa (centre) with Stephane Sejourne of France and David Lammy ( AFP via Getty Images ) Tensions have spiked in the region following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil late last month, which Tehran has blamed on Israel and has vowed revenge. Possible retaliation from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah across the Israel-Lebanon border with Israel having killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut a few hours before Haniyeh was assassinated is also contributing to growing concerns over a wider war. Mr Katz told his French and British counterparts during Fridays meeting that Israel expects support in attacking Iran if it strikes Israel. He said: If Iran attacks, we expect the coalition to join Israel not only in defence but also in attacking significant targets in Iran. Three senior Iranian officials told Reuters earlier this week that only a ceasefire deal in Gaza would prevent the country from launching direct retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Haniyeh. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as foreign secretary David Lammy and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne deliver a joint statement during a visit to Jerusalem on Friday 16 August. The pair are visiting Israel to advocate for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza. In the first joint UK-France visit to the region in over 10 years, Mr Lammy and the French foreign minister will also visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). They said they will use the visit to stress there is no time for delays or excuses from all parties on a ceasefire deal. Mr Lammy and Mr Sejourne will meet Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz and the minister of strategic affairs of Israel, Ron Dermer. This week, officials from the US, Qatar and Egypt are to meet an Israeli delegation in Qatar. Hamas has not yet said whether it will be participating after accusing Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support. Mediating parties have been attempting to secure an agreement for a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release a number of hostages captured in the October 7 attack in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The government will establish a unit dedicated to preventing violent crime among young people to give teenagers the best start in life, the home secretary has announced. The young futures unit will include setting up youth hubs and identifying those most at risk of being drawn into violence, exploitation, crime and anti-social behaviour. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said teenagers today have it much, much harder than previous generations because they face pressures from social media, county lines gangs, and child criminal exploitation. It comes following the killings of three children in Southport, which she described as deeply traumatic and just absolutely awful. Its part of our cross-government mission to halve serious violence and also rebuild confidence in policing and the criminal justice system, Ms Cooper told the Guardian. As part of that, the young futures programme is a 10-year vision, about how we prevent young people being drawn into crime in the first place, and also about how we give their future back. Plans for young futures hubs have previously been proposed by the Labour Party, and at last years party conference Ms Cooper announced an ambition to spend 100 million on the policy, which also aims to improve mental health services for young people. Councils and police forces will have until Christmas to put proposals in place to tackle crime among young people, according to The Guardian. New Home Office guidelines will be in force by the end of the year and will set out how networks of police, mental health professionals, local schools, youth offending teams and charities can work together to reduce teenage crime. The unit forms part of the Governments ambition to halve knife crime and levels of violence against women and girls within the next ten years. Ms Cooper expressed frustration at the lack of progress when it comes to violence against women and girls, adding: For too long its been treated as something that will just always be there. New data from the British Transport Police revealed the number of crimes against women and girls on the countrys railways more than doubled from 7,561 in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023. The home secretary added that under previous Conservative governments, support for teenagers became neglected, with councils stretched and struggling to coordinate activity. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Transport secretary Louise Haigh says a major breakthrough has been reached in the ongoing rail disputes as ASLEF union bosses agree to recommend a new pay proposal to their members. However, just 48 hours later ASLEF announced a fresh round of strike action, separate to the proposed deal, raising concerns that the pay agreement has failed to solve the issue of walkouts that have caused chaos across the countrys rail network. It had been hoped that the pay deal marked a major turning point in the dispute which has lasted two years and seen numerous strikes held across the country. The offer made is for a backdated pay rise of 5 per cent in 2022/23, 4.75 this year and 4.5 next year. Labour has indicated they would be more willing to negotiate pay rises with public sector working, marking a major shift from the previous Conservative government. Sir Keir Starmer and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh (Owen Humphreys/PA) ( PA Wire ) When I took this job, I said I wanted to move fast and fix things starting by bringing an end to rail strikes, Ms Haigh said earlier this week. Finally the end is in sight. If accepted, this offer would finally bring an end to this long-running dispute and allow us to move forward by driving up performance for passengers with the biggest overhaul to our railways in a generation. In July, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced all public sector workers can expect a pay rise of 5 to 6 per cent this year. Who is Louise Haigh? The Secretary of State for Transport arriving at her new office in Westminster ( Department for Transport ) Ms Haigh first entered parliament in 2015, having been elected to a seat in her native Sheffield. After leaving the University of Nottingham, she worked as a youth worker and then political researcher for now-fellow minister Lisa Nandy. She was also at one point a union official and shop steward for Unite. After entering parliament, Ms Haigh has been outspoken about womens rights and financial justice. She campaigned for the UK to remain in the European Union in 2016. She held two junior shadow cabinet positions under previous Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn before being given the Northern Ireland and finally transport brief by Keir Starmer. As transport secretary, she has outlined her plans to deliver Labours promise to renationalise Britains railways. It will mark the first time they are brought into public ownership since being sold 31 years ago. She also said she wanted to end the ongoing rail disputes and was willing to work with trade unions to find an agreement. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The hearings and sentencing of those involved or caught up in the far-right riots are making their way through the courts at breakneck speed. More than 1,100 people have been arrested following the nationwide unrest and almost 650 will face court, according to police. And its not just the pace of retribution thats of note, its also the severity of punishment. On Thursday it was made clear that violent disorder suspects could face more serious charges after a 15-year-old boy became the first person to be charged with riot. When we asked for your views on how the government is handling the fallout from the riots, many were postive about Sir Keir Starmers response, praising his leadership, the swift legal actions, and the deterrence provided by tough sentencing. Several readers appreciated the contrast with previous government, noting that Starmers approach was so much better. However, concerns remained about underlying issues like immigration that many felt hadnt yet been addressed. Meanwhile, a few criticised the prime ministers visibility and questioned the effectiveness of his actions compared to grassroots efforts from counter demonstrations. Heres what you had to say: An excellent job He has done an excellent job. He said these thugs would face the full consequence of the law and they have. The sentences handed down have been a major deterrent to future rioting and the counter-demonstrations have shown that most people do not support right-wing rioters. Terrydm The right initial response There is a serious issue when 34% either support or somewhat support protests of this type, and 42% thought they were either justified or somewhat justified (YouGov 05/08). Of course, cracking down on it is the right initial response, but it would be pretty alarming if there were no recognition whatsoever that there are real underlying issues that many want to discuss. Ignoring that is simply not an option. Justaquestion Credit where it is due I believe in giving credit where it is due. Starmer was competent, calm and displayed good leadership. Of course, the police, the judiciary and the ordinary decent people who protested against racism and thuggery also deserve credit. DonKeeOT The underlying problems remain Thus far, he has done everything a PM could do to stop the violence with strong policing and strong sentencing of those found guilty. The demonstrations against violence mobilised public opinion but the underlying problems of mass immigration, remain especially of the illegal arrivals and must be addressed. Lysanderix Lack of visibility The handling of the riots has been competent but his lack of visibility has been disappointing. The main problem is that he is not addressing the structural inequalities in the country that favour the middle classes. In fact, he's probably going to make them worse. At the end of his Premiership, the wealth gap will be greater. Slightly Tipsy Max Baptism of fire Fair play to Starmer, not my choice for PM, but he's shown firm leadership and dealt admirably with a very difficult situation. This awful situation has been a real baptism of fire and has tested his mettle but he's already shown the country is better and more secure and united with him at the helm. neatsmudge72 Not perfect, but better Johnson, Raab et al responses to national emergencies: miss COBRA meetings, carry on holidaying/ partying, disparage experts, line cronies' pockets, lie to the public, dither and delay, hide. Starmer and his team's response: holidays cancelled, working with the experts, clear decision-making. It might not be perfect but it's so much better Ginger55 Relieved it wasnt Sunak On the face of it, Starmer is fairly boring BUT he has a steady hand and has dealt with the Farage riots well. The speed which people have been arrested and dealt with in court has been spot-on, and I have been impressed with how he has achieved this. So relieved it wasn't Sunak, Truss or, god forbid, Johnson, that had to deal with it. SB60 Being violent = prison time Starmer gets nearly full marks. By getting the police, courts and prison service to work together quickly and effectively he has stopped the riots. The rabble, most of whom seem to be criminals, not racists, now see that being violent = prison time. He has also wrong-footed Farage and the Tory leadership contenders. The only mark he loses for me is not sending the whole lot to rot on Bibby Stockholm. dj55 So far, so good Starmer and Cooper have done a good job. They've mobilised the police and judiciary to issue a harsh lesson to these neo-fascist scum that justice will be swift and harsh. One thing is certain, the previous government would never have acted so promptly and efficiently. So far, so good folks... hayneman Calm authority from the top This needed to be quickly gotten on top of. There are justified concerns about immigration but no excuse whatsoever for the violence, intimidation and criminal behaviour we have seen. Calm authority from the top and a great response of responsible people at all levels have all contributed. It feels like there are adults in charge at last TomB Nobody wants to spend Christmas in prison The expeditious policing and legal processing of the rioters would probably have stopped them. Nobody really wants to spend Christmas in prison. But the spontaneous eruption of thousands of decent, anti-racist protesters onto the streets was such a hopeful sign. It restored the faith in human nature which had been shattered by the previous government and the pro-Conservative press. Longmemory23 Mob on the rampage I didn't vote Labour but so far, they have been effective in curtailing these so-called right wing riots. These are not political, it's just a mob on the rampage, I doubt if any have ever voted or could articulate their anger lucidly. Starmer could not go on holiday, because of the criticism that would follow, not because he is needed daily. Martyn Citizens returned order Starmer took credit for stopping the riots, whereas it was actually congregations of ordinary decent-minded citizens who were responsible for returning order to our streets. Starmer's 'hard sentences' are actually less than have recently been handed out to non-violent protesters and the rioting thugs will, in addition, be eligible for early release. There's a message there alright but not the one the MSM are passing on. bottlebank Mass mobilisation of people It was the mass mobilisation of people that stopped the racist riots, not Starmer. Starmer can't even bring himself to use the word "racist" when explaining the racist riots. stonia What would Corbyn do? Starmer is doing a great job as PM. How would Corbyn have handled the situation? I dread to think. YsthafGynghori Some of the comments have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article. All you have to do is sign up, submit your question and register your details - then you can then take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking log in on the top right-hand corner of the screen. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Genealogists have identified the man suspected of killing a 22-year-old Texas college student in a 40-year-old cold case. Terri McAdams was at her fiances Arlington, Texas apartment on Valentines Day, 1985. Her fiance was out of town on a business trip, so McAdams decided to make him a heart-shaped cake. Afterward, she called her soon-to-be sister-in-law, CBS News reports. However, moments after hanging up the phone, someone entered through a sliding door in the bedroom before beating, sexually assaulting and killing McAdams. Her body was found in the apartment by a maintenance worker. For nearly 40 years, McAdams case went unsolved. However, advanced technology and investigative genetic genealogy have allowed police to identify her suspected killer: Bernard Sharp. Terri McAdams was brutally murdered in her fiances apartment in 1985. Decades later, police have used advanced technology to identify her suspected killer ( Arlington Police Department ) Nine months after Sharp is thought to have killed McAdams, he was involved in another string of killings in Arlington. He shot three people, killing two, before dying by suicide, police said. Karen Hooper, McAdams sister, described the University of Texas at Austin student as feisty and fun, and someone who truly loved life. Terri was an amazing girl, beautiful and full of life, Hooper said. She was a friend to everyone. As I stand here today, I know she is smiling down on this miraculous moment. To know her was to love her, she continued. As I stand here today, I know that she and my mom and dad are smiling down on this miraculous moment. Police say Bernard Sharp killed McAdams before dying by suicide nine months later ( Arlington Police Department ) For decades, police could not link Sharp to the murder because they had no DNA samples. However, earlier this year, investigators identified a close relative who provided DNA. Using their sample, genealogists determined Sharp was a genetic match to the DNA found in the apartment of McAdams fiance. Investigative genetic genealogy is one of the most valuable tools that law enforcement has access to today, Chad Yarbrough, a special agent with the FBI office in Dallas, said in a statement. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Brent Clifford, the son of Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford, who has been arrested in connection with a California murder after a woman believed to be his missing girlfriend was found dead in Nevada, is also a person of interest in murder in Reno. Clifford, 55, was taken into custody on Wednesday in a joint effort between the Reno Police Department, the Placer County Sheriffs Office and Plumas County Sheriffs Office, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. He is accused of killing Patricia Portella-Wright, 48, who has been missing since August 9, the Placer County Sheriffs Office said. A body found Thursday morning off Mount Rose Highway in Washoe County, Nevada, was tentatively identified to be Portella-Wright, but officials are awaiting confirmation from the Washoe County Coroners Office. Brent Clifford, 55, was arrested on Wednesday after the body of a woman, believed to be his girlfriend was found dumped along a highway in Nevada ( Placer County Sheriff's Office ) Through investigation we obtained information that led us to the area of Mt. Rose Highway. Using a drone, we were able to locate the body of a female down a steep embankment, the sheriffs office said. Investigators say Portella-Wright was Cliffords girlfriend and believe she was last seen with him on August 4. A motive for the killing has not been revealed, but authorities say there is apparent foul play involved. Clifford was also named a person of interest in another murder and a warrant was out for his arrest after William Andrews, 68, was found with a gunshot wound to the head in Reno, according to Reno Police. Patricia Portella-Wright, 48, has been missing since August 9 ( Placer County Sheriff's Office ) Police said the two men knew each other. When Clifford was arrested in Portola, about 50 miles northwest of Reno, he was driving Andrews red 2003 Chevy Blazer. The male victim in that homicide was discovered on the morning of Sunday, August 11," the Placer County Sheriffs Office also said. "The red 2003 Chevrolet Blazer that belonged to the homicide victim was found in the same area Clifford was arrested in Portola." Clifford was charged with homicide and booked into Placer County Jail and is being held without bail. He is the son of Doug Clifford, longtime drummer for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Over a decade after an 85-year-old retired Indiana farmer was found dead on his bedroom floor, a second man has been charged over his murder. Richard Taft, 39, was indicted for murder and burglary resulting in bodily harm over the 2012 death of Lowell Badger. On 8 December 2012, Badger was found dead on his bedroom floor at his rural Sullivan County home. He had been shot with investigators believing he was killed during a burglary. Badgers safe and his Sony television were taken during the break-in. But for over 11 years despite a reward of $30,000 being offered to anyone who provided information leading to an arrest his murder went unsolved. Then, three months ago, the first suspect William Ray Grimes was arrested. Now, a second man has been arrested in the case. Taft was hit with the new charges at the Michigan City Correctional Facility, where he is currently incarcerated on a separate conviction. He was expected to be released in 2031, according to PEOPLE. Lowell R. Badger was shot and killed during a robbery at his rural Indiana home ( Indiana State Police ) The new charges come after police questioned 58 witnesses, with some describing Taft as emotional and crying in the months following Badgers murder, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WTWO. While he denied his involvement to law enforcement, witnesses claimed he had given different versions of what he knew about the case. In his obituary, Badger was described as an active member of Kingsley Memorial UMC since 1960 who also held various leadership positions in the church. He was buried next to his wife, Nellie, who died in 2008, and his son, Byron, who died at the age of seven in 1957. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An Indiana father charged for allegedly shaking his infant daughter has told police officers that he does not remember the incident, blaming time blindness. Kyle James Lawson, 28, was arrested on August 9 on two felony counts of neglect of a dependent, resulting in serious injury, after his three-month-old nearly died and was left with a constellation of injuries. Doctors at an Indianapolis childrens hospital recorded the infant as having 18 rib fractures, all of which were in different stages of healing. She also had a left leg fracture; fractured finger on her left hand; blood collecting outside her brain on both sides of her head; and blood on three spots in her spine, according to WXIN. Lawson claims to have no memory of how his daughter sustained her injuries due to what he described as time blindness, a symptom of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to an unofficial diagnosis from the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, this is when a person struggles to judge how much time has passed and estimate the time needed to get something done. However, this organization and others do not mention the symptom as causing a person to suffer from memory loss. According to court documents, the defendant was vague about how his daughter received her injuries. Maybe I shook her, I dont really know, he reportedly told doctors. On July 13, Lawson called 911 to report that his daughter was unresponsive. The child was taken to a local hospital but later airlifted to a childrens hospital due to the severity of her injuries. Kyle James Lawson, 28, was charged on August 9 with two felony counts of neglect of a dependent, resulting in serious injury, after his three-month-old nearly died and was left with a constellation of injuries. ( Shelby County Jail ) The childs mother told police that Lawson never admitted to harming their baby but a police reported noted that she did feel that some of his conversation was apologetic for his behavior, causing the injuries to the child. The mother also reportedly told medical staff that she had previously seen a red spot on the infants pupil and blood mixed with the infants saliva. The filings also included text messages that Lawson allegedly sent to the childs mother. Am I really calling 911? he sent, minutes before he made the emergency phone call. What the f*** could have happened? The next day, Lawson allegedly blamed himself, texting the childs mother to say he needed help with his mental health and anger management. Ill never forgive myself for what has happened. Im not gonna stop fighting for our family, he wrote, according to the documents. However in the charging documents, police cited video footage that they say shows Lawson shaking his daughter three times while she was on a changing table before giving her rescue breaths, and then flipping her over by one of her legs. A doctor at the childrens hospital, who reviewed the clips, told police that the behavior would be expected to cause the near fatal event. Lawson told investigators he had no memory of the events in the clips, citing time blindness, and adding that recent stress had resulted in him experiencing blackout periods. Lawson was released on bond and is expected to appear in court on October 16. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Four people were arrested in connection to the May killing of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor, who was shot dead as he walked a coworker to her car, police said. Los Angeles police served warrants and arrested Robert Barceleau, 18, of Huntington Park; Leonel Gutierrez, 18, of Los Angeles County; and Sergio Estrada, 18, of Los Angeles County, on suspicion of murder, and arrested Frank Olano, 22, of Inglewood, for allegedly being an accessory to the killing, the LAPD announced Thursday. It is unclear if the men have legal representation from jail records. The Independent has contacted the Los Angeles Public Defenders Office for comment. General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor was killed in May and now police say they have arrested four suspects. ( 2018 Invision ) Police are investigating the activity of the Florencia 13 gang and catalytic converter thefts across the region as part of the case, law enforcement sources told The Los Angeles Times. Wactor was killed in the early morning hours of May 25 as he walked to his car after a shift at a local bar near Pico Boulevard. He and a coworker came upon a group of men attempting to steal the vehicles converter. They shot Wactor without provocation, the LAPD said Thursday. Thieves target the car parts for the precious metals inside, including rhodium, platinum, and palladium. Earlier this month, the LAPD released a picture showing three suspects wearing hooded clothing in a parking lot. ( LAPD ) Just two days ago, family members and friends gathered in Los Angeles, demanding accountability for the killers. Im asking that anybody that knows anything please come forward, his mother, Scarlett Wactor, said at a news conference. It will help me and his brothers in our healing to know that theyve been captured and convicted. Earlier this month, police released images of the assailants fleeing the scene in an Infiniti Q50 that police said was stolen. Those who knew Wactor remembered him fondly. "Johnny Wactor was such a kind soul, a talented actor and an inspiration to those around him. His professionalism, his enthusiasm and love for his craft was infectious and made him such a joy to work with. He pursued his dreams and achieved them, all the while remaining a good human being caring for others," his manager told ABC News on Thursday. "I am proud to say I was Johnnys manager and friend. He will always be cherished in my memory." The actor also appeared on shows including Westworld, NCIS and Criminal Minds. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Matthew Perrys ketamine use was spiraling out of control in the weeks before his death, an investigation has revealed. He was injecting the drug between six and eight times a day, and paid $55,000 for it in the month before he died, prosecutors revealed in court filings this week. Five people have been charged with a conspiracy to distribute ketamine in the death of the Friends actor in October 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said in December that Perry had passed away from acute effects of ketamine, with the autopsy report stating that the amount of ketamine found in his blood was about the same level as for general anesthesia. Dr Salvador Plasencia is accused of having provided the drug to the actor, and Perrys assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, injected him on the day of his death, filings stated. Dr Mark Chavez, owner of a San Diego ketamine clinic, is charged in the death. Erik Fleming, a friend of a friend of Perry, allegedly provided the drug, along with Jasveen Sangha, a seller referred to as the ketamine queen. Matthew Perry attends the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 29, 2023 in Los Angeles. He died in October of that year ( Getty Images ) A plea agreement was reached by Iwamasa and two other defendants. Sangha and Plasencia have pleaded not guilty. Their trials are set for October. While Perry had been in ketamine infusion therapy as a treatment for depression and anxiety, it wasnt the therapy that led to his death. Prosecutors say that the actor had been taking unsupervised doses of the drug and that his addiction was out of control, according to NBC News. On October 28, 2023, Perry received his first shot at about 8.30am from Iwamasa, his live-in assistant. The second shot came four hours later and another was injected about 40 minutes after that, Iwamasa stated, according to a plea agreement. Shoot me up with a big one, Perry reportedly told the assistant, before asking him to prepare his hot tub. After running some errands, Iwamasa returned to the home and found Perry facedown in the water. He was 54. After doctors refused to boost his dosage, Perry had found other means of getting access to the drug, court papers reveal. There were several occasions when the actor experienced negative effects from the drugs, such as when Perry became unconscious and lost his ability to speak following a large dose, according to The New York Times. The indictment came after an investigation lasting seven months. Prosecutors have accused several of the defendants of taking advantage of Perrys addiction despite being aware of his struggles and attempts to get sober. The US attorney for the Central District of California, Martin Estrada, said on Thursday that the defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr Perry than caring for his well-being. Plasencia allegedly taught Iwamasa how to inject Perry with the ketamine, according to prosecutors. At one point, the doctor injected Perry in the backseat of his car during a meeting in Long Beach. I wonder how much this moron will pay, Plasencia had also texted Chavez. As Perry looked for further sources of the drug, he was put in touch with Fleming. The pair had a mutual friend, and Fleming told Perry he had a source, Sangha. Fleming, who agreed to cooperate with authorities, at one point sent Iwamasa a picture of a ketamine vial with a horse on the packaging, as the drug is used as an animal tranquilizer. Court papers state that Iwamasa wrote to Fleming that Perry was only interested in the unmarked ones, not the horsey version. I did some calling around about the Mexican stuff and its fine for people too, Fleming said. Iwamasa faces up to 15 years in prison, Fleming as much as 25 years, and Chavez as much as 10 years behind bars, The New York Times reported. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Pictures of lavish vacations, glamorous photoshoots and glitzy nights out adorn the Instagram page of Jasveen Sangha, the so-called Ketamine Queen who has been charged in connection to Matthew Perrys drug overdose death. Sangha, 41, and four others were arrested and charged in August with providing the Friends star with the ketamine that killed him on October 28 last year, authorities said yesterday. The other suspects include Perrys personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Perrys acquaintance Erik Fleming and two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez. According to an indictment unsealed in Los Angeles federal court, Iwamasa and Erik Fleming worked with the two doctors to procure large quantities of ketamine for Perry in the period leading up to his death. Sangha, meanwhile, is accused of supplying Perry with the ketamine doses that ultimately killed him, US Attorney E. Martin Estrada said at a press conference. She is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. So who is Jasveen Sangha the woman known as The Ketamine Queen of North Hollywood? Lavish, jetset lifestyle Prior to her arrest, Sangha appears to have enjoyed taking lavish vacations and club hopping in LA with friends. Photos shared on her Instagram account appear to show her enjoying a trip to Japan on November 8 less than two weeks after Perry died. Jasveen Sangha, who has been dubbed the Ketamine Queen by prosecutors ( Instagram ) In the posts, which she labeled as Japan 23, she is seen dressed in a traditional Japanese Kimono, sipping on cocktails and enjoying views from a skyscraper with friends. Another holiday posted on the highlights section of her social media profile shows her enjoying a getaway to Mexico in February this year. Sangha posted pictures sunning herself by a luxurious poolside and overlooking the beach, drinking cocktails. She has also posed for a number of glamorous photoshoots, including one holding a gun which shoots fake dollar bills. Play money, but dont be playing with my money, she wrote on the caption. Ties to another ketamine death But besides Perry, Sangha has also been linked to an another tragic drug-related death, according to prosecutors. In August 2019, Sangha allegedly sold ketamine to Cody McLaury, 38, in the hours before he died from an overdose. Following his death, McLaurys family members sent Sangha a text message saying her ketamine had killed him, prosecutors said. A screengrab of Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the Ketamine Queen by prosecutors who allege she provided Matthew Perry with the ketamine that killed him ( Instagram ) After receiving the message, Sangha conducted a Google search for can ketamine be listed as a cause of death? prosecutors said. According to the indictment, Sangha continued to sell ketamine from her stash house after McLaurys death. Estrada described Sanghas home in North Hollywood as a drug-selling emporium and called it the Sangha Stash House in the indictment. It is where she allegedly packaged and distributed the drugs for her high end and celebrity clients. Matthew Perry: From dealing to death Sangha began supplying Perry with ketamine in mid-October just days before he died, according to prosecutors. And, according to the indictment, it was ketamine that she supplied on October 24 2023 that ultimately caused Perrys death on October 28. Sanghas involvement allegedly began when Plasencia who had allegedly been providing the drug began having supply issues. Plasencia saw Perry, 54, as a cash cow, the indictment suggests, citing text messages he sent to Chavez about a month before the actors death. I wonder how much this moron will pay, he wrote in one. Lets find out, he wrote in another. In a third text to Chavez, Plasencia described meeting Perry as like a bad movie. Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry at times, in one visit shooting him up with 360 milligrams of the drug over the course of an hour, the indictment states. Plasencia also taught Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine, leaving the drug and a supply of syringes behind for him in exchange for $4,500, according to the indictment. At the beginning of October 2023, the indictment says Iwamasa texted Plasencia an order for eight vials of ketamine, referring to them as 8 bottles of dr pepper. Sangha is charged with supplying Perry with the ketamine doses that ultimately caused his demise ( Getty Images ) On October 12 last year, Plasencia injected Perry with a large dose of ketamine that unexpectedly caused the actor to freeze up, and spiked his blood pressure, rattling the doctor, according to the indictment. When Plasencia began having supply issues, Perrys go-betweens branched out to Sangha, who said she had a master chef cooking up ketamine for her, the indictment states. And since Perry bought a lot of her product, Sangha provided him with ketamine lollipops as an add-on, the indictment states. In the days leading up to Perrys death, Iwamasa administered at least 15 shots of ketamine to him, all of which were supplied by Sangha, according to the indictment. It says Iwamasa gave Perry the final three doses of ketamine purchased from Sangha, using needles provided by Plasencia, on October 28 2023 the date the actor was found dead in his hot tub. Later that same day, the indictment says Sangha messaged Fleming on Signal, writing: Delete all our messages. Now, nine months on, the five suspects including Sangha are facing a string of charges. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Buying a home in this economy is becoming a lot harder for first-time buyers, according to new real estate analysis. The Wall Street Journal reports that about one in 10 homes across the country has a value of $1m. The increase is due to record high home prices in the US. In June, the median home sale rose to $442,525, according to brokerage Redfin. The price of luxury homes, considered to be the top 5 per cent of listings, hit a new high of $1.18m during the second quarter, the outlet reported. Some of the most expensive real estate is in Californias San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco has the highest number of $1m homes in the country. As of June, 80 percent of houses there were listed at more than $1m. That number is only slightly higher than the 76 percent reported at the same time last year. One Bay Area real estate agent told the outlet that she assumes buyers with a $1m budget are only looking at condos, because even that wouldnt be enough to afford a single-family home. Statewide, California has the most expensive real estate in the country. Even areas that hadnt historically had high home prices are seeing increasing demand, like Anaheim, where 58 percent of homes are now worth $1m. Thats up from 51 percent in 2023. Despite a decline in sales due to high-interest mortgages, a lack of inventory is whats keeping the price of homes high. In one metro area, however, prices did go down. Austin saw a decline of $1m homes from 10.1 percent to 10 percent this year. According to the outlet, the slight decline was attributed to additional developments across Texas bringing in competition. Only Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Detroit metro areas had about 1 per cent of homes worth $1m. Of course, first time buyers wanting to get the biggest bang for their buck could still do so outside of the countrys largest metro areas. Some of the cheapest places to buy a home in the US included Jackson, Mississippi; Syracuse, New York; Toledo, Ohio and Wichita, Kansas, among other cities, according to Zillow. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden on Friday designated a national monument at the site of the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Ill., a seminal moment in the United States' long and difficult history with racial violence targeting Black people. Biden was joined in the Oval Office by lawmakers as well as civil rights and community leaders as he signed the proclamation establishing the monument on 1.57 acres of federal land. The monument is intended to be a solemn reminder of the two-day riot sparked by mobs of white residents tearing through Illinois capital city under the pretext of meting out judgment against two Black men one jailed on a sexual assault charge involving a white woman, and the other jailed in the separate murder of a white man. The Democratic president's effort to establish the monument comes as he looks to burnish his legacy in his final months in office. Biden is also looking to help Vice President Kamala Harris contrast herself with former President Donald Trump, who is aiming to cut into Democrats historic edge with Black voters. We can't let these things fade, Biden said before signing the proclamation. He added, I know this may not seem significant to most Americans, but its of great significance. ... It can happen again if we dont take care of and fight for our democracy. The issue of racial violence continues to reverberate throughout the country. The monument designation was announced less than six weeks after the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, by a white sheriffs deputy in her Springfield home after she called 911 for help. Biden said he saw the establishment of the Springfield monument as an opportunity to recognize a significant moment of the Black community's resilience. The event helped spur the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Still, Biden, who has repeatedly criticized Trump for sowing racial discord and failing to speak out against white supremacy, in his Oval Office remarks expressed concern that the country is at moment where he continues worrying about people wanting to erase history. The 1908 riot was a chilling episode that started just blocks from where Abraham Lincoln had once lived. After authorities secretly moved the prisoners from the jail and sent them to another lockup about 60 miles away, the mob took out their anger on the citys Black population. Two Black men, Scott Burton and William Donnegan were lynched, dozens of Black-owned and Jewish-owned businesses were looted and vandalized, and several Black-owned homes were damaged or destroyed. At least eight white people were also killed in the violence and more than 100 were injured, mostly by members of the states militia or each other, according to news articles from that period. The National Guard was called in to restore order. White rioters were charged, but later acquitted for their roles in the lynching and destruction. Fed-up civil rights leaders met in New York and chose the centennial of Lincolns birthday, Feb. 12, 1909, to form the NAACP, whose original board included scholar W.E.B. DuBois. The National Park Service in 2018 completed a reconnaissance survey of sites associated with the Springfield riot and a special resource study in 2023 that found the sites met the criteria for inclusion in the National Park System. Good things can come out of bad things as long as you dont forget what happened, said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who was on hand for the signing. Over the course of his presidency, Biden has signed into law legislation codifying lynching as a federal hate crime, established Juneteenth as a federal holiday, and signed a proclamation establishing the national monument across three sites in Illinois and Mississippi honoring Emmett Till, and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley. The 14-year-old Emmett was tortured and killed in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a white woman in Mississippi. His mother, Till-Mobley, insisted on an open casket at the funeral to show the world how her son had been brutalized. Jet magazines decision to publish photos of his mutilated body helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden and the State Department are again calling for the release of American journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria in 2012. The call comes on the heels of the largest US-Russian prisoner swap in history, which saw the return of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine Paul Whelan. Tice was working as a freelance reporter in Syria when he was kidnapped in Damascus, according to the FBI. The agency has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the safe location, recovery, and return of the journalist. "For more than a quarter of his life, Austin has been separated from his family and kept in unknown conditions," the State Department said in a statement. "We know the Syrian government has held Austin, and we have repeatedly offered to find a way to bring him home." On Wednesday, Biden issued a statement calling for Tice's return to the US. Austin Tice has been held hostage in Syria for 12 years. Joe Biden and the US State Department once again demanded the Syrian government release Tice back to his family. ( Austinticefamily.com ) This week marks 12 long, terrible years since American Austin Tice was abducted in Syria, he said. We have repeatedly pressed the government of Syria to work with us so that we can, at last, bring Austin home. Today, I once again call for his immediate release. The US cut ties with Syria in 2011 in response to the civil war in the Middle Eastern nation. We stand in solidarity with Austin, his family, and all Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad," Biden said. "I will continue to do everything possible to advocate for and pursue his release and support his loved ones until he is safely returned home. The Syrian government has denied holding any Americans, including Tice, but the State Department has maintained that the reporter is still being held in the country. "This has gone on for far too long. We call on the Syrian government to work with the United States to end Austins captivity and to provide an accounting for the fate of other Americans who went missing in Syria," the department said in its statement. "Over the past three and half years our government has secured the release of dozens of Americans held hostage or unjustly detained around the world and we continue to pursue any available path that may lead to Austins return." In anticipation of the upcoming anniversary of Tice's abduction, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), joined by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, called on the Biden administration to give its "full and active support of our government to secure his release" and to provide Congress with updates on the effort to secure the reporter's release, according to The Hill. Marc and Debra Tice, the parents of Austin Tice, speak at a press conference. Debra admitted she had a mixed reaction to the recent US-Russia prisoner swap with her son still being held. ( Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) As an American and a veteran, Austin deserves the full and active support of our government to secure his release. We also encourage your administration to utilize all available means to further discourage the hostage taking of American citizens," the lawmakers said in their statement to the Biden administration. Tice's mother, Debra Tice, last saw her son when he was 30 years old. He's now 43, a reality that she told Voice of America she simply "gets past." She said waiting for the government to secure her son's release has been difficult as presidents and geopolitical circumstances have change. Every year it seems like its different, because the news is different, and what were hearing from the White House changes year to year, Tice's mother told VOA. I never know what to expect, which is also just another stressor. She had a bittersweet reaction to the recent prisoner swap, noting that she was happy the released Americans were returned, but also frustrated that her son is still in captivity. It is just an incredible tumbler of emotions. And as a human and as a mother and as a woman of faith, of course were overjoyed to see these people walk free, she said. And then theres the details about how long [the U.S. government] worked on it, and how diligently they worked on it, and how many countries they worked with on it. And thats the part where I just become so frustrated. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A key swing county in Georgia has approved nearly $50,000 in funding toward panic buttons for election workers this November. The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved the funding on Tuesday as part of a $2.43 million package for the upcoming election presented by the director of the countys Board of Elections and Registration. Now, the Board of Elections has the funding to purchase some 200 devices for workers. The devices are small rectangles that fit in pockets and can be worn on a lanyard, NBC News reports. They can be programmed to send alerts to local law enforcement and can pair with cellphones to transmit the users location. Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid told The Independent they approved the funding to help the Board of Elections keep workers safe. There has been a trust with respect to this elemental aspect of government to ensure that people have the opportunity to vote, Cupid told The Independent. The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved funding for panic devices for election workers amid rising threats against them ( Cobb County ) Those that are responsible for that process feel a level of concern and possibly even threats that they have not felt in the past, she continued. It is pretty unfortunate. Cobb County isnt the first to use these devices. More than half of Georgias counties use them, NBC News reports. Threats against election officials are on the rise across the country in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, during which Donald Trump and other major GOP players falsely claimed the vote was fraudulent and President Joe Biden did not win the election. At least four secretaries of state have revealed they have received death threats since the 2020 election. Meanwhile, one in six election workers reported being threatened because of their job, according to a 2022 survey from the Brennan Center for Justice. Cobb County borders Fulton County, where Trump is being charged alongside his former attorney Rudy Giuliani and several others over election interference charges. It was there that Trump had his infamous booking photo taken, which has proven to be a massive fundraising machine for his campaign. Donald Trump seen in his infamous booking photo after he was criminally charged in Fulton County ( via REUTERS ) Giuliani now owes $148 million after he was found guilty of defaming two election workers in Georgia: Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Shaye Moss. Moss has previously said that she has received countless threats and that she is scared for her life. Im most scared of my son finding me and my mom hanging in front of our house, or having to get news at school that I was killed, she testified. Thats what Im most afraid of. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vice President Kamala Harris will go head-to-head with Donald Trump in less than a month as Americans cast their votes in the 2024 election. A new set of polls from the New York Times finds that Harris is leading by a thin margin, but also, that she represents change to the public more than Trump. In another twist, it has recently been a tumultuous period for Florida in the presidential race. With multiple polls showing a dwindling Trump lead with Harris just 2 points behind, the latest NYT poll has reversed expectations, once again putting Trump ahead by a mile. While one new poll suggests that many Republicans may vote Democrat next month, how will Harris and Trump fare in November? Harris has a 2.6-point lead over Trump in the latest average of national polls, collated by FiveThirtyEight. On average, Harris has been marginally ahead of Trump in national polls for several weeks. The latest polls from the New York Times/ Siena College have Harris ahead by 3 points, at 49 per cent and Trump at 46 per cent. The nationwide poll of 3,385 voters shows the most positive result for Harris since she entered the race, but is still within the 2.4 margin of error and represents a highly competitive race. Most interestingly, the candidates are both promising change, but Trump has typically had more success in developing that reputation than Harris. Yet this poll shows that Harris is now more likely to represent change (46 per cent) than Trump (44 per cent). In particular, 52 percent of women view Harris as representing change, while 52 percent of men feel the same about Trump. Unstable polls in Florida There was a flurry of interest around polls in Florida in the past few weeks, with Harris appearing to encroach on Trumps lead in his home state. In particular, figures from the historically Republican pollster RMG Research showed Trump with 50 per cent of the vote and Harris with 48 per cent in Florida, which is home to Mar-a-Lago and several key Republicans. However, this mornings polls from the New York Times show Trump ahead by a strong +13 points in the sunshine state, at 55 per cent to Harriss 41 per cent. Though this is out of line with several recent polls in the state, New York Times analyst Nate Cohn suggests that this poll is not an outlier, saying: Mr Trump [excels] in states where Republicans performed well in the 2022 midterm elections as they did in Florida. As a result, this poll is not the usual outlier. If Florida becomes more solidly Republican in 2024, it suggests that the upheaval during and after the pandemic has had a lasting effect on American politics. Vance wins the VP debate and a popularity boost Last weeks debate between Ohio senator Vance and Minnesota Governor Walz turned expectations on its head; with betting markets and pre-polls eyeing Walz as the presumed winner. Not only did Vance win the debate, but his performance appears to have done wonders for his public perception, which had been suffering for months. Our analysis before the debate found that Walz led Trump, Vance, and even Harris in terms of favorability. Vance received an +11 point boost in favorability from last weeks debate, according to the latest poll from YouGov. This leaves Vance in a neutral position, while voters had an overall -11 percent unfavorable opinion of him before the debate. Most interestingly, Vance improved his favorability by an astonishing +19 points among Democrats. Although, overall, he is still at a net 52 percent negative score among this group. Walz also received a more modest 3-point boost, reaching 15 percent favorability in YouGovs poll. Although Walzs performance was not debate-winning, he is still the most-liked candidate, and he even improved his favorability among independent voters following the debate. Among his own party, though, he lost approval from 7 per cent of voters, still ending up at a net-positive position of 72 per cent favorability with Democrats. Snap polls following the debate show that viewers were split on both candidates and Vance came out a few points ahead. A CBS/YouGov poll found that 42 per cent of viewers considered Vance the debate winner, compared to 41 per cent for Walz. However, Walz did emerge as more in touch with the average American, and more likely to share voters vision for America. For the full post-debate polling analysis, click here. Key issues for voters Regardless of political affiliation, the economy is the most important issue impacting how people will vote in this election. A poll from Redfield & Wilton Strategies, of 2,500 US adults up to September 26, shows that abortion is considered the second most important issue, for 37 percent of voters, followed by immigration at 34 percent. For Trump voters, however, these priorities are flipped. Over half (57 per cent) of Trump voters view immigration as one of the biggest issues, amid border security tensions and recently debunked claims from Trump and Republicans about Haitian migrants. Interestingly, healthcare and abortion are tied as the next most important issues for Trump voters at 23 per cent each. Though Trump has advocated for overhauling Obamacare, with unsuccessful attempts during his presidency, he was unable to outline an alternative healthcare policy at the September presidential debate. Meanwhile, abortion is front and center for Harris voters (55 per cent), with Harris herself critical of abortion bans, following the overturning of Roe v Wade. Healthcare is also a top priority for Harris voters (40 per cent), followed by housing (23 per cent). Battleground states Recent polls from the swing states by Bloomberg/Morning Consult have Harris ahead by +3 points on average, ranging from neck-and-neck with Trump to a +7 point lead. The poll of more than 6,000 registered voters in the swing states was conducted from September 19-25, with margins of error ranging from 1 to 4 percent in each state. In Pennsylvania, which hosted the first Harris-Trump presidential debate, Harris has seen her lead increase from +4 points to +5 points since August. The state had previously been leaning towards Trump when President Joe Biden was on the Democratic ticket. Harris has the strongest 7-point lead over Trump in Nevada, with 52 per cent of the vote to 45 per cent. In Georgia, the two candidates are tied at 49 per cent each, while Harriss 5-point lead in Wisconsin has shrunk to 3 points ahead of Trump. Harris is also 3 points ahead in Michigan and Arizona and 2 points ahead in North Carolina. While the economy remains the top issue for swing-state voters, the perceived competency gap is shrinking: 45 per cent of swing-state voters think Harris can better handle the economy, slightly behind Trump at 49 per cent. Who will vote? A YouGov/Economist poll has Harris with a three-point lead among registered voters, at 47 percent and Trump at 44 percent. The poll shows a wide 25-point margin for Harris among young voters, aged 29 and under. However, according to the same poll, the younger generations are also the least committed to voting, with 13 percent of the 18-29-year-olds surveyed saying they will maybe vote, while 3 percent will not vote or are still unsure. This amounts to 16 percent who are on the fence or not voting, higher than any other age group, and higher than the average of 9 percent. Just 65 percent of the 18 to 29-year-olds polled said they would definitely vote in November. This is in comparison to 77 percent of 30 to 44-year-olds, 85 percent of 45 to 64-year-olds, and 94 percent of the 65+ age group. Though the numbers may seem dismal, and represent a degree of hesitancy among younger voters, the overall picture is significantly more engaged than in 2020. The same YouGov/Economist poll at this stage in the 2020 presidential election showed that nearly a third of young people (27 percent) were not committed to voting in November, with 10 percent maybe voting and 17 percent definitely/probably not voting. Arizona: key issues In Arizona a historically Republican state that has 11 electoral college votes and flipped for Biden in 2020 polls have shown inconsistent leads for both Harris and Trump. The Trump campaign has made frequent stops in the state over the summer. In a state that borders Mexico, one in five (19 percent) of Arizona voters say that immigration is the most important issue affecting their vote, according to the same poll. This is second to the economy, which is the number one issue impacting voters statewide and nationwide. The majority (51 percent) of Arizona voters believe that Trump is better equipped to handle the top issues, which has flipped since August when Harris was slightly more trusted. This indicates that, despite the overall enthusiasm for Harriss debate performance, Arizona voters may favor Trump and his approach to key issues. As a generally Republican state, this is unsurprising. Make sense of the US election with The Independents experts in our exclusive virtual event Harris vs. Trump: who will make history? Reserve your space here. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} First lady Jill Biden will have a role on the first day of the Democratic National Convention to honor and preserve the legacy of her husband, President Joe Biden despite having voiced her disappointment with those who encouraged the president to exit the 2024 race, according to a report. The DNC will be held on August 19 to 22 in Chicago and will likely look drastically different from the original plan, drafted when the president was still running for re-election. The White House confirmed that the president and first lady will travel to Chicago, Illinois, on Monday with Biden set to give the keynote address on the opening night. Jill will also speak on Monday night. According to NBC News, the first lady will give a tribute to her husband in her speech, touting her husbands 50-year legacy of public service. Her public appearance at the event celebrating the fresh Democratic party picks vice president Kamala Harris and Minnesota governor Tim Walz is notable given the allegations that the first lady has privately expressed dismay at some Democrats who did not publicly support President Bidens re-election bid, the outlet reported. Shes tough and of course defends her family when she needs to, Elizabeth Alexander, the first ladys communications director, told NBC News. Always has, always will. Pressure for Biden to drop out of the race from donors, voters, and prominent Democrats alike mounted after the presidents fumbling debate performance on June 27. Three days after the debate, Politico reported that Jill and Hunter Biden, the presidents son, were among the loudest advocates for the 81-year-old to stay in the race behind closed doors. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden talking during an event at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 13, 2024. ( REUTERS ) Publicly, the first lady also stuck by her husbands side, announcing that she was all in for his re-election campaign in a July 8 speech. For all the talk out there about this race, Joe has made it clear that hes all in, she told the North Carolina crowd. Thats the decision that hes made, and just as he has always supported my career, I am all in too. After Biden stepped aside and endorsed Harris for president, the first lady posted a handwritten note on X, providing some insight into her thoughts on those that pressured Biden to leave the race: To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude. Thank you for the trust you put in Joe now its time to put that trust in Kamala. Love, Jill. The first couple will only be in Chicago for Monday, so as not to distract from the new Democratic ticket, the outlet reported. This reasoning for the Bidens early departure differs from Politicos report earlier this week that claimed that President Biden would not be staying for Barack Obamas speech on Tuesday because he harbors resentment toward the former president. While Obama publicly did not support calls for his former vice president to leave, Obama allegedly privately raised concerns that he could not defeat Donald Trump in November. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} When the Democratic National Convention gets underway in Chicago on Monday, it is expected to be accompanied by the largest pro-Palestine protests in the citys history, according to advocacy groups. Pro-Palestine demonstrators arent new to Chicago. They have been marching on the citys streets every weekend since last October, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 250 people hostage. An estimated 40,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza and 85 per cent of people displaced from their homes there since the wars onset. The DNC, where Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are expected to accept their nominations, faces significant disruption from protests, with Chicago home to the largest community of Palestinians in the country. Tens of thousands are anticipated to mobilize. Itll be the largest protest in the history of Chicago for Palestinian rights, specifically, Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair for the US Palestinian Community Network, told Block Club Chicago. Heres everything we know about the pro-Palestine protests. When and where will the protests take place? The protests are expected to take place on the first and last days of the convention, August 19 and 22. Demonstrators are expected to gather in Park 578 and Union Park both a stones throw from the United Center, one of the two DNC venues. There has been a months-long court battle over the protest route. Advocacy groups requested parade permits to march near the United Center but were repeatedly denied by city officials. The city, in turn, offered the groups an alternative route, a requirement that prompted them to sue the city and Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation, alleging First Amendment violations. The alternative march route proposed by Chicago officials for pro-Palestine protesters who want to march closer to the DNC at the citys United Center ( Northern District of Illinois US district court ) The groups then asked a federal judge to extend their route by a mile, and move the route closer to the United Center. The judge denied that request on August 12, partly due to the route interfering with the Secret Service perimeter, court filings show. Organizers said they plan to appeal the decision, according to ABC7. Its unclear whether the groups will stick to those restrictions or will march without a permit. Were going to march regardless, but were fighting for the best route possible, Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesperson for the March on the DNC coalition, told Semafor. Weve got our park permit, but the City has refused to allow us to use port-a-potties, a stage, and a sound system. How many people are expected to take part in the protests? The exact number is unknown but estimates say Chicago could see anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 demonstrators. The demonstrations come after nearly a year of war in the Middle East and ensuing unrest that has erupted in the US over the Biden-Harris administrations response to it. One group, the March on the DNC coalition, said it intends to bring the peoples agenda to within sight and sound of the Democratic Party leadership. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris addressing Pro-Palestine protesters that interrupted her Michigan rally on August 7 ( AFP via Getty Images ) The coalition added: Genocide Joe Biden has stepped down from running for President as the Democratic Party nominee. His decision doesnt change the policies of Democratic Party leadership, specifically their support of the genocide in Palestine, so our movement must continue to apply pressure. Harris recently confronted Pro-Palestine protesters at a rally in Michigan last week. Protesters seemed to be shouting: We wont vote for genocide! Harris cut in: You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, Im speaking. She also said: Im here because we believe in democracy. Everyones voice matters. But I am speaking now. What kind of security measures are in place? City officials said on August 13 that planning and police training have been ongoing for a year. Police superintendent Larry Snelling said there will be resources in every single neighborhood not just at DNC venues. So its not forgotten that we have a city to protect, he added. When asked how Chicago police plans to handle arrests of protesters, Snelling replied: If everyone is doing exactly what is expected of them and they are exercising their first amendment rights, this isnt an arrest situationBut we will not guarantee someone that were not going to make arrests if they start to act violently or commit crimes. But ahead of the convention, civil rights groups have raised serious concerns about mass arrest policies and polices ability to handle the crowds, a fear likely stemming from the recent moves by the city. Demonstrators protest against the participation Donald Trump in the National Association of Black Journalists convention, outside the venue in Chicago while holding Palestinian flag on July 31 ( REUTERS ) Court officials announced the temporary reopening of a defunct courtroom at a police station to potentially process and release dozens of people, The Independent previously reported. The Chicago Police Department has also shelled out millions of taxpayer dollars to defend and settle lawsuits related to misconduct during 2020 protests. There are also the indelible images of violence that emerged from the 1968 DNC in Chicago of cops beating anti-Vietnam War protesters. More than 600 demonstrators were arrested while 190 officers and 100 protesters were injured, according to a report at the time. Snelling addressed this point, and tried to quell concerns. Oftentimes, it is forgotten that there was a Democratic convention between 1968 and now. It was a success, he said, referring to the 1996 convention where former president Bill Clinton accepted the nomination. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told NBC News that his agency feels prepared for the major political event. What people really need to understand is this is a national security event. Every resource of the federal, state, county and local government will be used, Guglielmi said. Its the highest security designation that the United States can give to anything. ... We feel very confident in the security plan in the Chicago Police Department. Were going to work hand in glove to make sure that the DNC is safe and that Chicago is safe. The DNC arrives as the Secret Service has been heavily scrutinized for its handling of Donald Trumps rally in Pennsylvania last month where he survived an assassination attempt. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A CNN panel devolved into a shouting match on Thursday after a GOP representative refused to pronounce Kamala Harriss name correctly. The panel featured Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina. She was joined by several other commentators, including Democratic strategist Keith Boykin and Vanderbilt University professor Michael Dyson The conversation began with Mace pronouncing Harriss first name correctly, before quickly correcting herself to the wrong pronunciation. You had it right, you almost got it, Boykin responded. Thats when Mace refused to correct herself: I will say Kamalas name any way that I want to. Nancy Mace had criticized Donald Trump before throwing her support behind him ( Getty Images ) The correct pronunciation of Harriss first name comma-lah, not cam-el-uh or kuh-mal-uh is no secret. She even released an instructional video in 2016 during her senate campaign. The panel devolved into several members talking over each other before Boykin was able to speak through the chaos: If I purposely mispronounced your name, that would probably not be appropriate. The conversation was dropped but brought up again a few minutes later. This congresswoman is a wonderful human being, Dyson added. But when you disrespect Kamala Harris by saying you will call her whatever you want, I know you dont intend it to be that way, thats the history and legacy of white disregard for the humanity of Black people. Mace then accused Dyson of calling her a racist. I just said you werent a racist, Dyson replied. No, you dont have to intend racism to accomplish it. Your disrespect of Kamala Harris is part and parcel of a tradition. The panel then turned into a shouting match. When Mace once again mispronounced the vice presidents name, several panelists shouted the correct pronunciation back. Its Kamala, youre doing this on purpose, congresswoman, Boykin said. Youre a white woman disrespecting a Black woman, Dyson added. Later in the panel, the conversation turned to Donald Trumps comments that Harris happened to turn Black. When asked if he should stop using this rhetoric, Mace didnt give a clear answer. Trump claims Kamala Harris happened to turn Black' I didnt hear him say it, I didnt hear what he said about her race, Im not going to weigh in on her race, Mace said. The panel moderator further pushed Mace: He said that she turned Black, he questioned whether she was really Black. I dont think thats that hard to say, Thats out of bounds. Can you say that? I didnt say it, Mace repsonded, as another panelist shouted: Just say yes. Mace, who criticized Donald Trump before throwing her support behind him, isnt the only GOP politician to disregard the correct way to say Harriss name. Donald Trump said during a speech last month that he doesnt care that he regularly mispronounces her name as he faces claims that hes doing so on purpose. Donald Trump mocks Kamala Harris's name during speech By the way, there are numerous ways of saying her name, they were explaining to me, you can say Kamala, you can say Kamala, I said, dont worry about it. It doesnt matter what I say. I couldnt care less if I mispronounce it, Trump said. Some people think I mispronounce it on purpose, but actually, Ive heard it said about seven different ways. Harriss husband, Doug Emhoff, was quick to respond to the former presidents remarks. I know you have so much trouble pronouncing her name, Emhoff said during a fundraising event. But heres the good news: After the election, you can just call her Madam President. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The two top candidates for president have never been in the same room or spoken - a situation that is about to change when they square off for a debate. Democrat and Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump have never been feet apart, according to the New York Timess Katie Rogers . Harris has also never spoken to Trump or met him in person. The only time they have been close was when Harris, then a Senator from California, was in the gallery for Trumps State of the Union addresses. While both have been major players in politics for years, the lack of encounters isnt surprising. They are of opposite parties and never worked in the same branch at the same time. Harris was the vice presidential candidate in 2020 when much of the campaigning was sidelined amid the COVID pandemic. Trump also skipped the Biden and Harris inauguration in 2021. Before being on the 2020 ticket, Harris was a senator and Attorney General of California. Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris have never been in the same room, except for a State of the Union address. But that is about to change. ( REUTERS ) Trump had no political experience before being elected in 2016 and then ran again in 2020. But, he was mainly based out of his homes in Florida or New York. The two will come face-to-face in weeks, when on September 10, they are set to debate hosted by ABC. Assuming Donald Trump actually shows up on September 10 to debate Vice President Harris, then Governor [Tim] Walz will see JD Vance on October 1 and the American people will have another opportunity to see the vice president and Donald Trump on the debate stage in October, Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement. Trump has called for three debates, with one proposed for September 4 on Fox News. I hope she agrees to them, Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month. I think they will be very revealing. The September 10 debate will be the first time they are together, and Harris has already started her prep work for the event. ( AFP via Getty Images ) Harris has already started her debate prep, according to the Times . She took a break from the campaign trail to huddle with advisers and has participated in at least one mock debate. During the meetings, Harris has been quizzed about her messaging and strategy for the debate, according to the report. The hope is that the vice president can plot out how to contrast herself with Trump and share her vision with Americans, many of whom still dont know her as she was thrust to the top of the ticket after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Philippe Reins, who helped Hilary Clinton prepare for debates in 2016, is also assisting Harris. Reins plays Trumps role in Harriss prep and even dresses to look like her Republican rival. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Talks between Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt will reconvene next week after two days of productive negotiations on a potential peace deal between Israel and Hamas to end nearly a year of war and arrange for the return of hostages held by the militant group, a US official has said. The senior administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar on Friday about the talks, which he described as a very, very constructive two days in the Qatari capital, Doha. There was a consensus between all three leaders that this process, which obviously has been ongoing for months, is now in the end game, said the official, who said the leaders discussed a final bridging proposal put forth by the United States with full support of the Egyptian and Qatari governments. We will be reconvening in Cairo at this level before the end of next week, with an aim to close out this process once and for all, the official added. Basically what we've done is taken the gaps that remain and have bridged those in a way that we think basically is a deal that is now ready to close and implement and move forward. President Joe Biden told reporters that the parties are closer than weve ever been to a ceasefire deal ( AP ) The official added that there is still more to do and working group engagements that will take place between the parties to discuss delicate matters, such as the hostages to be exchanged by Hamas in exchange for prisoners held by Israel, and the sequence by which they would be exchanged. The call between Biden and the Egyptian and Qatari leaders comes hours after he told reporters that Israel and Hamas were closer than weve ever been to a deal that would end the 10-month war and bring about the return of more than 100 hostages who remain in Hamas custody. We may have something, Biden said. But were not there yet. The Israeli prime ministers office also issued a statement saying it appreciates the efforts of the U.S. and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal. More than 40,000 people in Gaza have been killed over ten months of fighting, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. The war is expected to be a source of tension when Democrats convene for their quadrennial nominating convention in Chicago next week to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris and her running-mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to march on the convention to voice opposition to Americas support for Israel. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Five summers ago, Donald Trumps running mate JD Vance then a 34-year-old memoirist and father of a 2-year-old boy took the stage at a conservative conference and tackled an issue that would become a core part of his political brand: the United States' declining fertility rate. Our people arent having enough children to replace themselves. That should bother us, Vance told the gathering in Washington. He outlined the obvious concern that Social Security depends on younger workers contributions and then said, We want babies not just because they are economically useful. We want more babies because children are good. And we believe children are good, because we are not sociopaths. Vance repeatedly expressed alarm about declining birth rates as he launched his political career in 2021 with a bid for the U.S. Senate in Ohio. His criticism then of Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee, and other high-profile Democrats as childless cat ladies who didnt have a direct stake in the country have drawn particular attention since Trump picked him as his running mate. The rhetoric could threaten the Republican tickets standing with women who could help decide the November election. But its delighted those in the pro-natalist movement that has, until now, been limited largely to policy wonks, tech executives and venture capitalists. Theres no question the discussion around family life, childbearing and pronatalism has gotten a lot more popular and gotten media attention because of JD Vance, said Brad Wilcox, the director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and author of Get Married. Vance once referred to Wilcox as one of my favorite researchers. Vance's spokespeople did not respond to messages seeking comment. An aspiring politician's war against anti-child ideology Vance, who wrote a bestseller about his working-class upbringing, has been clear about making family formation a policy priority. He has suggested ideas such as allowing parents to vote on behalf of their children or following the example of Hungarys Viktor Orban of giving low-interest loans to married couples with children and tax exemptions to women who have four children or more. In a May 2021 interview with The Federalists podcast in which he said he was exploring a Senate run, Vance described a society without babies and kids as pretty icky and pretty gross. We owe something to our country. We owe something to our future. The best way to invest in it is to ensure the next generation actually exists, he said. I think we have to go to war against the anti-child ideology that exists in our country. Vance has suggested people without children should pay higher taxes than people who have children. Thats the spirit of the existing child tax credit at $2,000 per qualifying child, which Vance has said he'd love to see raised to $5,000. He has also mentioned in interviews he wants to ban pornography for minors, citing it as one of the causes for why people are marrying less and having fewer children. His anti-abortion views, he has said, are separate from his concerns on birth rates, arguing the procedure is not really driving the decline in fertility. In several interviews, he's argued policymakers should make it easier for two-parent households to be able to live on a single wage so that one of the parents can stay home with their children. The ruling class is obsessed with their jobs. Even though they hate a lot of their jobs, they are obsessed with their credentials and they want strangers to raise their kids, he told then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson in 2021. But middle-class Americans, whatever their station in life, they want more time with their children. Vance had a chaotic childhood raised mainly by his grandparents in southwestern Ohio and a mother who battled substance abuse, and her revolving door of father figures as he described in his book. He is now married to a trial lawyer he met at Yale Law School. The couple has three young children, who he has said attend preschool. Usha Vance left the law firm where she worked shortly after her husband was chosen as Trumps running mate. Declining births in an aging America The U.S. was one of only a few developed countries with a fertility rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself about 2.1 kids per woman. But the number has been sliding since 2008 and in 2023 dropped to about 1.6, the lowest rate on record. Earlier this year, Vance cited fertility rates in arguing against American support for Ukraine. Not a single country even the U.S. within the NATO alliance has birth rates at replacement level. We dont have enough families and children to continue as a nation, and yet were talking about problems 6,000 miles away, he said. Vance as well as researchers and experts on the pro-natalist movement also argue that immigrants cant provide a long-term fix to the decline in birth rates. He has separately blamed immigrants for crime and creating inter-ethnic conflict. Demographers and other experts for years had predicted declining fertility rates would pose challenges for the Social Security system as fewer workers are supporting a growing aging population. Tech executives such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, who donated millions for Vances primary race, have also been vocal about the decline in birth rates. We as a nation, as a society, policymakers cant be neutral on the question of family, said Oren Cass, who founded a conservative think tank, American Compass, that is closely aligned with the senator. Cass, a former policy adviser for U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, said he has known Vance for a decade and partnered on several events but said he was not speaking on behalf of the vice presidential nominee. He criticized how progressives have celebrated what he described as a culture of you do you and all choices are equally valid, when he considered the work of forming a family and raising children an indispensable foundation for the country. Thats not to say, obviously, that you mandate or criminalize the alternative, but it is to say that we shouldnt be neutral about it," he said. Vance on the defense Vance's views on birth rates have contributed to his rocky rollout as Trump's running mate. Democrats went from labeling Trump and his Republican allies as a collective threat to democracy to calling both men weird, a strategy that coincided with Vances comments coming to light. Other unlikely critics have also piled on. Trump-backing influencer Dave Portnoy said Vance sounds like a moron. Former Republican congressman Trey Gowdy tried unsuccessfully to force an apology out of Vance for his denigrating of childless women on his Fox News show, introducing him with a story about a pair of Catholic nuns he met at an airport. Actress Jennifer Aniston, who has been open about her fertility issues, weighed in by saying she hopes Vances daughter does not face the same problems and she truly cant believe that this is coming from a potential VP of the United States. Vance responded by calling her Instagram reaction disgusting. Trump has come to his defense, accusing Democrats of spinning things and expressing empathy for people who don't get married or have children and are every bit as good. He likes family. I think a lot of people like family. And sometimes it doesnt work out, Trump said in one interview. But youre just as good, in many cases a lot better than a person thats in a family situation. Vances wife has also tried to do some damage control, saying Vance was not referring to those who struggle with fertility or cant get pregnant for medical reasons, though the ideas he proposes dont make that distinction. The reality is he made a quip in service of making a point he wanted to make that was substantive, Usha Vance told an interviewer on Fox and Friends. Can Vance advance this? Wilcox, the author of Get Married, said JD Vance now needs to focus on convincing a broader audience that his ideas are worth pursuing. The challenge for JD Vance is taking that attention and translating it into more of a concrete policy agenda that would be compelling to ordinary Americans and articulating a clear and positive agenda around making family formation both more affordable and more appealing, Wilcox said. Supporters at a recent Trump rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, shrugged off Vances assertion that parents should have more of a vote than childless adults and expressed complicated feelings about his views. Kenneth Nemo Niemann, 70, said Vance might be speaking figuratively about giving parents more votes. His wife, Carol, 65, disagreed, saying Vance has been crystal clear that that is exactly what he means. The Niemanns had children later in life their twins are 16 and they spent far more of their adult lives as childless adults. And while they talked about how adults with children can have more to say when it comes to policies affecting children or they can have a different worldview about the future than childless adults, they still disagreed with Vance. My sister never had children, but I cant imagine my vote means more than hers, Carol Niemann said. ___ Associated Press writers Michelle R. Smith in Providence, Rhode Island, Mike Schneider in Orlando and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as well as Associated Press researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York, contributed to this report. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukrainian forces have captured hundreds of square miles of territory inside Russia in one of the most significant incursions into Russia since the Second World War. Thousands of Ukrainian troops smashed over the border from Ukraines Sumy region into the neighbouring Russian Kursk region on 6 August. Since then, Kyivs forces have claimed to have taken more land in a fortnight than Russia has in Ukraine during this entire calendar year. While the ground offensive appears to be slowing down, with Russian forces moving several thousand troops from less hot areas on the frontline in Ukraine, Kyivs air force have started destroying Moscows vital military supply lines, suffocating the troops still defending the area in Kursk. How much territory has Ukraine taken in Russia? View more The numbers vary. Calculating territory taken during an incursion that ebbs and flows is difficult. Ukraines army chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrksyi claims his forces have captured almost 445 square miles (1,150 sq kilometres) of land in Kursk, while they have also set up a military commandants office in the occupied part of the region. For context, that is nearly three times the amount of territory they retook in occupied Ukraine during their three-month counteroffensive last summer, according to estimates. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based think tank that tracks developments on the frontline, offers a more conservative estimate of around 300 square miles (800 sq km). Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said last week that Kyivs forces were pushing one to two kilometres further all along the new frontline. The attack, which appears as a bulge into mainland Russia, is around 37 miles wide and almost 17 miles deep. Could Ukraine take more territory? View more Last Friday, Ukraines air force destroyed the first of three bridges on the Seym River to the west of the Ukrainian troops in Kursk. On Saturday and then Sunday night, they destroyed the two other permanent bridges in that area, leaving Russian troops in the southern half of the Glushkovsky district, which is bisected by the Seym, effectively trapped between the river, the Ukrainian border and Kyivs forces in front of them. The aviation of the Air Force continues to deprive the enemy of logistical capabilities with accurate air strikes, which significantly affects the course of hostilities! air force commander Mykola Oleschuk wrote on Sunday morning. Recent drone footage from a Ukrainian brigade also suggests that Kyiv is now using first-person view (FPV) drones to destroy the makeshift Russian pontoon crossings erected in the days since the targeted strikes on the bridges. The Centre for Defence Strategies, a Ukrainian security think tank, wrote that this indicates that the objective [of Ukrainian forces] is to take control of a portion of Kursk Oblast south of the Seym River. Should they take this area, they would almost double the territory they currently control. How many troops are involved? Ukrainian servicemen guard an area at a destroyed border crossing point with Russia ( AFP via Getty Images ) A Ukrainian colonel who asked not to be identified to speak openly about sensitive issues told The Independent that around 8,000 soldiers were involved in the incursion. Thousands more Ukrainian soldiers were ready to enter the fray, he said. He claimed, in comments that were mirrored by multiple Ukrainian officials, including Mr Zelensky, that the troops were planning to hold their positions to create a buffer zone. Most simply, this zone would put more distance between Russian forces and Ukrainian civilians, reducing, though not halting completely, Moscows ability to fire artillery and missiles over the border. It would also prevent another Russian cross-border assault of their own like the one into the nearby northeast Ukrainian region of Kharkiv in May, which brought the countrys second largest city - with a population of around 1.3 million people - roughly within artillery range of Russian forces. How many Russian civilians have been evacuated? Volunteers sort a humanitarian aid for residents of Kursk region at the humanitarian collection point 'Moscow Helps' in Moscow, Russia ( EPA ) Russian officials say nearly 200,000 civilians have been evacuated from the Kursk region and the neighbouring Belgorod area. Ukrainian forces have not entered Belgorod but a state of emergency has been declared and local officials say Ukraine has launched aerial attacks on the area. Authorities in the Kursk region decided late on Wednesday night to evacuate another district, Glushkov, as Ukrainian forces continue to advance forwards. The district directly borders Ukraine and has a population of about 20,000 people. Regional governor Alexei Smirnov said on the Telegram messaging app that police and other state bodies would coordinate the evacuation process. Have Ukraine captured Russian soldiers? Mr Zelensky this week claimed one of the goals of the incursion was to replenish an exchange fund of Russian prisoners of war. Thousands of POWs from both sides have been swapped throughout the course of the war in Ukraine, with exchanges taking place roughly every few months. Private and public estimations of how many Russian soldiers have been captured during this incursion differ significantly. Mr Zelensky has suggested around Ukrainian troops have taken roughly 100 PoWs; the Ukrainian colonel claimed the true figure was closer to 2,000. Footage has, however, showed blindfolded men that appear to be Russian soldiers being escorted through the Ukrainian Sumy region in the back of a military pick up. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukraines surprise attack inside Russia is the only way to force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table as part of a psychological tactic to win the war, president Volodymyr Zelenskys chief adviser has told The Independent. In its most successful move of the two-and-a-half-year conflict, Kyiv has captured more Russian land in the past seven days than Moscow has taken in Ukraine all year. Ukrainian forces have steadily advanced across the border into the Kursk region, taking over towns and villages and forcing hundreds of thousands of ordinary Russians to flee their homes. Mykhailo Podolyak, the top aide to the Ukrainian president, said the incursion had shown Russians the harsh realities of Vladimir Putins war. We need to use absolutely clear tools to coerce Russia [into negotiation]. One of them is a military instrument of coercion. That is, we need to inflict significant tactical defeats on Russia, in addition to economic and diplomatic tools. In the Kursk region, we are seeing the optimisation of this military tool of coercion to force Russia into the negotiation process. Ukrainian servicemen operate an armoured military vehicle in the Sumy region, near the border with Russia ( AFP via Getty ) Nearly 200,000 Russians in Kursk and the neighbouring region of Belgorod, where a state of emergency has been declared have been forced to flee their homes and relocate to temporary shelters. Ukrainian forces have also taken Russian soldiers as prisoners of war to use as bargaining chips for their own civilians previously taken by Putins troops. Pictures on Wednesday showed blindfolded personnel in Russian uniforms in the back of Ukrainian trucks, heading across the border. One Ukrainian colonel told The Independent that as many as 2,000 Russian soldiers had been taken captive, a figure that could not be independently verified. Mr Podolyak is the first Ukrainian official to speak on the record about Ukraines motivation behind the incursion and what he believes is needed to bring the conflict to an end. There has to be a complex, a multitude of instruments to force Russia to stop this war, he said. One incursion is not going to be enough for Putin to realise that the war is not worth it. [Russians] dont discuss the war, and they generally feel quite comfortable because there is a war going on somewhere, someone is killing. Its interesting for them to watch on TV. But when the war proceeds into the territory of Russia, they are certainly scared. They are shocked. This has a significant impact on the psychological state of Russia. It is also a tool of influence. Russian civilians get on buses to be evacuated from their homes in border settlements in Kursk ( EPA ) Ukraines military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi claims they have occupied nearly 400 square miles of Russian territory, while Mr Zelensky said this week that the military had taken control of 74 settlements in Kursk and was advancing further into the region. Western analysts estimate Ukraine has taken around 300 square miles. President Putin was caught unaware by the surprise incursion, and footage from a meeting of Russian officials this week showed him shutting down any talk of the raid, which was a closely guarded secret even among Kyivs most senior officials. When the governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, began to describe the extent of Ukraines control of the area, Putin abruptly cut him off, demanding the official focus be on the socio-economic situation. While tens of millions of Ukrainian people have lived with war and suffered continual displacement for years, this is the first time in earnest that Russian civilians are living through a comparable experience. Russian forces have resorted to dropping deadly glide bombs, capable of levelling whole buildings, onto their own territory, and onto some of the houses of those displaced, to target the Ukrainian offensive. Ukrainians who have described the hell of living with the constant destruction in their home towns, are now enjoying a brief stay of execution as the launchpads for the missiles in Russia are immobilised by Kyivs advancing troops. But civilians in Ukraines Sumy region, which borders the Kursk area, have not been left unscathed as Russia continues to fire drones and missiles from afar. Kyiv was also forced to lock down the region over fears Russian saboteurs could infiltrate and attempt to undermine the incursion. Ukrainian servicemen wait in a military vehicle to head for a combat mission, in the Sumy region ( AFP via Getty ) Ukraines key Western allies, including Britain and the US, say they were not informed about the attack before it happened, but Mr Podolyak suggested this was not the case. There are certain things that have to be done with the element of surprise, and that have to happen on a local level, he said. But there were discussions between partner forces, just not on the public level. One item of contention between Ukraine and Nato is the use of long-range warfare, which is banned for offensive operations against Russia. Mr Podolyak, who described Sir Keir Starmers election victory as very positive, said Ukraine was deeply frustrated at not being able to use missiles, such as Britains long-range Storm Shadow, deep in Russian territory. During a visit to Downing Street in the first week of Sir Keirs premiership, Mr Zelensky asked for permission to carry out deeper strikes into Russia but was rebuffed. Sir Keir said there would be no change in policy. He declined to say, but previous hesitancy has been attributed to fears it could provoke the Kremlin. I cant understand the parameters of this discussion, Mr Podolyak said. Ukraine either needs to defeat the target at its source, namely destroying the bases from where the missile and artillery strikes are being launched, or be able to defend itself from the ground with anti-air weapons, which we cant do because we dont have enough. That decision does not make sense. When weapons are given to Ukraine, it [should] become our responsibility. We have all these conversations about international law but it is our own choice how we expend those resources. He added: I am sure that if the informal ban on the use of [long-range] weapons was lifted, the landscape of the war would look a lot different. Russia would understand the cost of war is too high. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Firefighters in Turkey have been battling four wildfires as temperatures in the country reach record-breaking levels. Three wildfires broke out earlier this week in the northwest of the country, with blazes in the Eceabat district of Canakkale province, in the Goynuk district of Bolu province and Manisa provinces Gordes district. A fourth then raged in the Karsiyaka district of the western coastal province of Izmir on Thursday. Turkey recorded the hottest July for 53 years, with temperatures reaching 45.9C in Srnak in the countrys southeast, according to an update released by the Turkish State Meteorological Service this week. Such conditions have left forest and scrubland tinder-dry. Agriculture and forestry minister Ibrahim Yumakli said the fire in Canakkale was under control, while the Manisa blaze was partially contained. Firefighters are continuing to get the other two under control. He also urged caution over the weekend, with high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds, which are tinderboxes for further blazes. Turkish forestry official Bekir Karacabey said it was a superhuman effort from the firefighters to bring the blaze in Goynuk under control. Lets be careful to prevent other fires in these days when the risk of fire increases due to extraordinary weather conditions, he said in a social media post. The governors of Canakkale and Bolu provinces said several neighbourhoods or villages had been evacuated as a precaution, but there was no immediate threat to residential areas. An unknown number of forest workers have been admitted to hospital following smoke inhalation, according to Turkish newspaper Sabah. It is not the first time the country has been ravaged by fires. In the summer of 2021, flames engulfed coastal resorts and claimed nine lives. Fears of this years fires escalating have spread as far as Australia, with the countrys prime minister, Anthony Albanese, warning that the blaze may reach the graves of Australian soldiers at Anzac Cove. One of the fires is just a few miles from the war graves where more than 7,000 Australians are buried or listed as missing following the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. Mr Albanese said at a press conference: Our thoughts today are also with our friends in Turkey. We understand there are efforts underway to control fires that are burning on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Gallipoli is, of course, sacred ground to both of our countries. Some 60,000 Australians served at Gallipoli during the eight-month campaign, and 8,700 Australians lost their lives. Greg Melick, president of the Returned and Services League of Australia, said he understood that the site had been closed to protect the community and to facilitate fighting the fires. Turkish authorities announced two months ago that record-breaking temperatures had resulted in a fivefold increase in forest fires compared to last year. Meanwhile, a European Union satellite mapping agency says 40 square miles of land was burned northeast of Athens, Greece, this week during a deadly wildfire that ravaged homes. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} British tanks have been used to force back Vladimir Putins troops during Ukraines audacious incursion into Russia. Defence chiefs have hailed the contribution of Challenger 2 tanks, saying they are playing a crucial role in Volodymyr Zelenskys startling tactic of using troops on Russian soil after years of defensive combat. It is the first time UK tanks operated by Ukrainian troops have been used in combat on Russian territory, and comes as the incursion into the Kursk region expands as it enters a second week. Mr Zelensky said on Thursday that his troops have full control of the Russian town of Sudzha. It is the largest town Ukraine has seized so far in the war, with a population of around 5,000, and it is home to a measuring station for Russian natural gas that flows through pipelines to Europe. Ukrainian personnel stand on a Challenger 2 tank during training at Bovington Camp, near Wool, Hampshire ( Reuters ) Former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace hailed the use of British equipment at the forefront of enabling Ukraine to defend itself from [Mr Putins] illegal invasion. He was optimistic about the impact the tanks will have, saying: If the weapons we supply make a difference in protecting their self-defence, Britain should be satisfied that they are being used. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, who served as defence secretary under John Major, said the move could be critical for Ukraines confidence as well as an enormously invaluable asset on the battlefield. He said Ukraine is making it clear that Russia must expect to experience the same sort of suffering and the same sort of damage to their infrastructure as the Ukrainians have been subjected to for two years. If it is a land battle, covering large areas of space, then these tanks are enormously invaluable, Sir Malcolm said. If they were not useful, the British army would not be having them. Sir Ben said that the use of British weapons on Russian soil was inevitable and that Ukraine should be legitimately allowed to go after [any] infrastructure and enablers that are prosecuting [Mr Putins] illegal invasion. It is inevitable that these things were going to be integrated into [Ukraines] military units and that they were going to be used. If Russia is using fuel depots or command posts just over the border [in Kursk], they are legitimate targets under international law, he said. During his time in government, Sir Ben gave permission for Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia using all weapons supplied to it, with the exception of long-range Storm Shadow missiles. Ukraine has repeatedly called for unrestricted use of Storm Shadows to hit targets deep inside Russia. Defence secretary John Healey told the BBC that the UK was having intense discussions on the subject, but gave no details. On the issue of using Storm Shadows which have a potential range of hundreds of miles inside Russia, Sir Ben said it would be difficult for Britain to authorise without sign-off from other allies. The use of Storm Shadows is not entirely independent from other nations capabilities, he said. With missiles, all missiles, you have to use data, GPS, intelligence, targeting etc. That means that sometimes the use of missiles like Storm Shadows is more collaborative than Ukraine being able to unilaterally use them. He added: You might want to say to Ukraine, Yeah, you can use them, but if country B says they cannot use their equipment, then you cant use them, he added. View more The Ministry of Defence did not deny that Challenger 2 tanks have been used in Kursk, but said it would not comment on operational matters. A UK source confirmed that the tanks have been used, but it is still unclear exactly how many and when. There has been no change in UK government policy: under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Ukraine has a clear right of self-defence against Russias illegal attacks that does not preclude operations inside Russia, a spokesperson said. We make clear during the gifting process that equipment is to be used in line with international law. A Ukrainian military source also told The Independent that they believe Challenger 2 tanks have been used in Kursk, with Ukraines 82nd Air Assault Brigade, the unit that has been using the British battle tanks since last year, operating in the Russian region. The source added that they would be being used alongside weapons and vehicles supplied by other Western partners. American Bradley and Stryker armoured vehicles are being used in the operation, and I believe also Challengers have been used nearer the border, while the majority are Ukrainian Soviet-era tanks and other armoured vehicles, the source said. We have abided by any restrictions, because we know if we break our word, we may lose our allies support, they added. Ukrainian service personnel operate an armoured military vehicle on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine ( AFP via Getty ) Ukraines top commander said on Thursday that Kyiv had also established a commandants office in the occupied part of Kursk, from where forces were still advancing seizing up to 1.5km (0.93 miles) in 24 hours. Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces had taken over 82 settlements since the start of the incursion, and a total area of 440 square miles (1,150 sq km). The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, has put the area closer to 800 sq km. Kursks acting governor, Alexei Smirnov, ordered the evacuation of the Glushkovo region, about 28 miles northwest of Sudzha. Meanwhile, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine told reporters that special forces had captured a group of more than 100 Russian soldiers. The 102 servicemen of Russias 488th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment and its Akhmat unit are the largest group of soldiers to be captured in one go since Russia launched its invasion in 2022. They captured and cleared a sprawling, concrete and well-fortified company stronghold from all sides with underground communications and personnel accommodation, a canteen, an armoury and even a bathhouse, the source said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The families of hostages held in Gaza have begged the Israeli government to reach a ceasefire-hostage deal during talks in Qatar warning it is the last chance to bring their loved ones home alive. World leaders, including from the UK and the US, have piled pressure on all sides to sign an agreement, which they hope will end the unprecedented bloodshed in Gaza, bring the remaining 115 hostages home and pull the Middle East back from the brink of an all-out regional war. Britains foreign secretary, David Lammy, and his French counterpart visited Jerusalem on Friday in the first joint UK-France visit in more than a decade. Mr Lammy said the time is now for a ceasefire deal that would see the release of hostages. In Tel Aviv on Thursday night desperate families of the hostages gathered outside Israels military headquarters chanting bring them home now. There Yulie Ben Ami, 28, whose parents Ohad, 55 and mother Raz, 57 were kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Beeri on 7 October, issued a heartfelt plea to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the extreme-right members of his cabinet who have publicly opposed a deal. Ben Ami said her mother Raz was released in an earlier prisoner-hostage swap after 54 gruelling days inside Gaza and is still suffering from medical complications. Her father remains in Gaza. The talks happening right now in Doha are the last chance to bring them home alive, she told The Independent wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the image of her father, an accountant who was last seen in a photograph shared on social media being dragged into Gaza. This must happen immediately because my father was taken 314 days ago, its almost a year, she said. When my mother was returned months ago, she said conditions were terrible. There was not enough food and water, hostages suffered abuse, she didnt have medical treatment. She is still having weekly hospital visits now. In the same march Dany Elgar, whose brother Itzik Elgart is also a hostage, told the crowds that if Itzik dies in Gaza: The responsibility for his blood is on the hands of those who are stalling the negotiations. We hear about far-right ministers threatening and sabotaging the possibility of reaching a deal, he said. They prefer land over people, and dont understand that the hostages are evidence of the greatest security, social, moral, and religious failure in the history of the State of Israel, he added. Israel launched a crippling siege and unprecedented bombardment of Gaza in retaliation for the 7 October bloody attacks by Hamas in southern Israel, during which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 hostages taken, according to Israeli counts. At least 115 Israel and foreign hostages remain in Gaza, many are feared dead already. A demonstration in Tel Aviv by families calling for their loved ones to be brought home ( Bel Trew/The Independent ) Palestinian health officials said on Thursday that the death toll from Israels assault had risen to over 40,000 people, with a further 10,000 believed to be trapped under the rubble of the decimated strip. UN rights chief Volker Turk said on average 130 people have been killed everyday in Gaza since October, most of them women and children. This unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the Israeli Defense Forces to comply with the rules of war, he added. Pressure is mounting to reach a deal that would stop the bloodshed and could also prevent a regional war. Iran appears poised to retaliate against Israel after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Western countries including the UK and the US, who have deployed military hardware and personnel to the region, hope a ceasefire agreement in Gaza will defuse this risk of a wider conflict. Diplomats briefed on the negotiations, which are taking place in the Qatari capital of Doha told The Independent talks would continue for a second day with high-level Israeli, American, Qatari and Egyptians delegations hammering out details. After that, mediation would continue between representatives of Hamass negotiating team and Qatar and Egyptian officials. The demonstration in Tel Aviv ( Bel Trew/The Independent ) Mediators have spent months trying to agree out a three-phase plan first announced in May by US president Joe Biden. In it Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a lasting cease-fire, the staggered withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But both Hamas and Israel have both accused the other side of trying to scupper the deal with suggested additional conditions and clarifications.Among the most contested sticking points are Israels demands to retain military presence along the borders with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza, allowing it to control movement of Palestinians between the north and south. Some of Israels extreme-right politicians including finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have also maintained public opposition to any agreement calling it a surrender deal. In Tel Aviv, families of the hostages said they felt their loved ones had been abandoned in Gaza, and were deeply worried by statements from Israeli ministers like Ben-Gvir slamming negotiations. I feel like if it was their sons, their mothers, their brothers, their fathers, they would do everything they could, everything possible and even impossible, to bring them home now, Ms Ben-Ami told The Independent. We know that there are people alive, they need to come back as soon as possible. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A new round of Gaza ceasefire talks has started in Qatars capital Doha as the death toll in the Palestinian enclave moves past 40,000. Israels spy chief, the head of the CIA and his Egyptian counterpart plus Qatars prime minister are involved in the talks. Hamas will not join the behind-closed-door discussions directly, but mediators Egypt and Qatar plan to consult with them afterwards. After 10 months of war and multiple stalled attempts to end the bloodshed and release more than 100 Israeli and foreign hostages still being held in Gaza, the latest talks have been given an added gravity by fears of a revenge attack by Iran on Israel. Iran has threatened a response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran late last month. Some Iranian officials have suggested that only a ceasefire deal in Gaza would hold Iran back from direct retaliation. But a possible escalation from Iranian-backed Hezbollah across the Israel-Lebanon border with Israeli having killed a senior Hezbollah commander hours before the assassination of Haniyeh is also weighing on the meeting, with deep concerns over the threat of a wider regional war. There is significant international pressure to make these talks fruitful. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby cautioned that they were unlikely to produce an agreement on Thursday and would probably continue on Friday. The Independent understands that one of the biggest sticking points to a deal is the Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor which runs along the border between Gaza and Egypt and the return of displaced people to the north of Gaza. Israel wants control over the corridor and the movement of people between the north and south. Mr Kirby told reporters that negotiators were focused on narrowing the gaps and implementing the framework agreement, which he said had been generally accepted by both sides. The remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must bring this process to a close, he said. Todays a promising start. It was reported in the days before the talks that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had allegedly added new conditions to the framework agreement, an accusation staunchly denied by Mr Netanyahus office. In return, Israel has accused Hamas of seeking to scupper the talks by demanding changes. Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and head of the Palestinian National Initiative, said the success of the talks depends on whether Netanyahu wants a deal or not and whether the US has the guts, the ability and the will to pressure Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal without making new changes. Accusing the Israeli PM of thinking only about himself and his political career, Mr Barghouti spelled out the consequences of failing to reach a deal. The issue is very serious, he said. Not only because no ceasefire will mean more people being killed and injured [but] if there is no deal this could drag [us] into a regional war. As the negotiators arrived in Qatar, fighting continued in Gaza, with Israeli troops hitting targets in the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis. Palestinian health officials said on Thursday that more than 40,000 people had been killed in the bombardment of Gaza by Israel. The UNs human rights chief, Volker Turk has said it marked a grim milestone. Palestinian health officials say the true toll is likely thousands higher, since many bodies are believed to remain buried under the rubble of buildings destroyed in airstrikes. The war in Gaza was triggered by a Hamas attack inside Israel during which around 1,200 people were killed and another 250 taken hostage. Israel says 111 of the captives have not been released, including the bodies of 39. The hostages include 15 women and two children under the age of five. The vast majority of Gazas 2.3 million people have been forced to leave their homes, some fleeing multiple times across the territory to escape ground offensives. During the war, thousands within Israel and in southern Lebanon have also been displaced. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, killing a man and burning homes and cars, local authorities said. The Israelis, many of them masked, allegedly stormed the village of Jit near Qalqilya city in what was only the latest of a series of attacks by violent settlers in the occupied region. The Israelis went on a rampage and shot at the Palestinian villagers, killing a man in his early 20s and critically injuring another, reports said. Israeli settlers attacked the West Bank village of Jit and set fire to homes and cars ( Screengrab/@upuknews1 ) A video from Jit showed a raging fire engulfing houses at night, another shot from a distance showed a column of smoke rising in the area. The Israelis are accused of routinely attacking Palestinians in the West Bank, destroying and stealing their homes and farmlands. The White House said late on Thursday attacks by settlers on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank were unacceptable and must stop. Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence, and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account, a White House spokesperson added. The Israelis have killed at least 632 Palestinians and displaced 1,390 in more than 1,000 attacks in the West Bank since 7 October, according to data collected from Israeli forces, Palestinian authorities and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. In that same period, the Israelis have killed more than 40,000 Palestinian men, women and children in Gaza, according to the Palestinian authorities. The Israeli war in Gaza, launched after Hamas raided southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people, has also displaced 1.9 million people in the besieged territory and left the entire population of over 2.2 million at the risk of famine and disease, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. The unrelenting Israeli violence in the West Bank, which long predates 7 October, has prompted international sanctions, including by the US, against a few settlers. Announcing the sanctions earlier, president Joe Biden said violence by Israeli settlers had reached intolerable levels. The measures, meant as a deterrent, expose the settlers to asset freezes and travel and visa bans. The Israeli military said one person had been arrested for their alleged involvement in the attack on Jit. It condemned the incident, which it said diverted Israeli forces from other responsibilities, and said they were examining reports about a death caused during the attack. The military claimed that the attackers were removed from the village within minutes. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that "those responsible for any criminal act will be caught and prosecuted". I take seriously the riots that took place this evening in the village of Jit, which included injury to life and property by Israelis who entered the village, he said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ten years ago, their village in Iraq's Sinjar region was decimated by Islamic State militants. Yazidi men and boys were separated and massacred, Yazidi women and children were abducted, many raped or taken as slaves. Now the survivors are coming back to Kocho, where Yazidi community leaders on Thursday announced plans for an internationally funded new village nearby to house those displaced in what was one of the bloodiest massacres by the Islamic State group against their tiny and insular religious minority. On Aug. 15, 2014, the extremists killed hundreds in Kocho alone. During their rampage across the wider region of Sinjar the Yazidi heartland IS killed and enslaved thousands of Yazidis, whom the Sunni militants consider heretics. To this day, the Kocho massacre remains as a glaring example of IS atrocities against the Yazidi community. Out of 1,470 people in Kocho at the time, 1,027 were abducted by the IS, 368 were killed and only 75 managed to escape, according to a report by the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics. All the permits have now been finalized and construction for the new village will break ground on Sept. 5, said Naif Jaso, a prominent Yazidi leader. The New Kocho is planned to be built near the village of Tel Qassab, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) north from the original Kocho, now mostly in ruins. The International Organization for Migration, the U.N. Development Program and Nadias Initiative, an nonprofit founded by Yazidi survivor Nadia Murad, are hoping it will provide much-needed housing and infrastructure to encourage displaced Yazidis to return to their historic homeland. Their return is a thorny issue and few Yazidis have trickled back to their former homes. In Sinjar, the situation is particularly grim, with destroyed infrastructure, little funding for rebuilding and multiple armed groups vying to carve up the area. Though IS was defeated in Iraq in 2017, as of April this year only 43% of the more than 300,000 people displaced from Sinjar have come back, IOM says. Jaso said 133 displaced families have said they are willing to return and settle in New Kocho Village, which envisages parks, marketplaces, a health facility, a psychiatric support center and recreational spaces along with homes for people. Each house will be built according to the size and needs of each family, Nadias Initiatives spokesperson Salah Qasim said. Alyas Salih Qasim, one of the few male survivors from Kocho says he plans to go back once the new village is ready. He has been living for years in a displacement camp in northern Iraqs semi-autonomous Kurdish region and plans to settle in the new village. I would love to return to my original house, he said but was not optimistic about others many Yazidis have since migrated and started new lives elsewhere. But it's difficult ... to return to an empty village, and its better if we settle in the New Kocho once they finish constructing it," he said. Earlier this year, Iraq's government ordered displacement camps in the Kurdish region housing thousands of Yazidis to be closed by July 30 and even offered payments of 4 million dinars (about $3,000) to those who leave, but later postponed the order. Fatima Ismael, another survivor of the Kocho massacre who has been living in the same camp as Qasim for nine years and also hopes to settled in the new village, said the old village of Kocho contains too many painful memories. The remains of her husband and two of her sons were found in a mass graves while three other sons are still missing, with empty graves waiting for them at the local cemetery. I can never return home because I cant look at the empty rooms, she said, though she misses the old village community. How can I live with that? Survivors still live in fear of IS and part of the reason for placing the new Kocho at a distance from the old village is to be closer to mountains where many Yazidis took refuge during the militants' rampage. Since their defeat, IS militants have gone underground but are still able to stage surprise attacks. Commemorations and ceremonies like Thursday's bring back traumatic memories. It feels like the first day every time theres a ceremony or event to remember these days, Qasim said. Whatever they do for us, or how hard they try, what we saw is unbearably terrible and impossible to forget. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The leading travel company taking tourists to North Korea says it hopes to send in the first Western tourists for almost five years by the end of 2024. The nation was the first to close its borders to tourism at the start of the pandemic in January 2020 and is the only country still to reopen. International passenger flights resumed in August 2023, but have not been open to tourists. Simon Cockerell of Koryo Tours told The Independents daily travel podcast: A few hours ago, we were informed by our partners [in Pyongyang] in the National Tourism Administration that one specific area is going to open to all nationalities in December. That area is Samjiyon, a newly developed tourism complex in the far north of the country, near the Chinese border and close to Paektu, the tallest mountain in North Korea. Its not a full reopening of the country back to what it was, or more than what it was, said Mr Cockerell. Its a specific opening of one, relatively obscure-up-till-now area. Its considered to be the home of various guerilla bases used during the resistance of the Japanese occupation, and the official birthplace of Kim Jong Il as well. So theres a lot of what the North Koreans call revolutionary history in the area. He said access to Samjiyon would likely be through a land crossing in the north of China, which has not previously been used by any Western tourists. North Koreas current leader, Kim Jong Un son of Kim Jong Il imposed the most severe border closure of any nation during Covid. It was a real, a proper lockdown beyond what most other people in the world have experienced, said Mr Cockerell In the last year or so, theyve slowly opened to some trade to some diplomats returning and to some Russian tourist groups whove been travelling in. But thats thats associated with the North Korean support for the Russian war effort. The Foreign Office warns against travel to North Korea, and tells British citizens: You cannot get consular support within North Korea. The security situation can change quickly with no advance warning about possible actions by the authorities. This poses significant risks to British visitors and residents. But Mr Cockerell said tourism can only bring positives and that visitors help to open eyes and open minds, and these are things that should be promoted. He said: The cure for isolation is not more isolation. A lion with psychological issues is to travel 1,400 miles from Ukraine to an animal sanctuary in the UK as part of a project rescuing the animal from the war-torn country. Yuna, an African lioness, suffered shell shock, psychological issues and lost her sense of co-ordination, according to The Big Cat Sanctuary, a Kent-based charity behind the Big Cats in Crisis campaign raising funds to rescue the lions from Ukraine. Yuna and African male lion Rori are the first of five lions to be rescued out of Ukraine after debris was blasted close to their enclosure in January as a result of Russias invasion of the country. Elon Musks father has defended the comments his son made about a UK civil war following riots across Britain. Errol Musk said his sons prediction following violence on the streets of the UK, was stating a simple fact. Downing Street openly clashed with Mr Musk over his civil war comments, while courts minister Heidi Alexander denounced them as deplorable. Appearing on TalkTV on Thursday (15 August), Errol said: Of course, he does not want to see that, but he is stating a simple fact, he is not making anything up. The mother of a nine-year-old girl shot dead by a burglar in her own home has called for an end to gang violence, two years on from her daughters death. Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed when a masked gunman opened fire as he chased a convicted burglar through the door of her home in Liverpool on 22 August 2022. Olivias mother Cheryl cried as she called for an end to the no-grass culture associated with gang violence. Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Friday (16 August), she said: Anything that you know. You need to speak up. A trainee doctor in India was raped and killed, sparking protests in several cities and an attack on a medical college campus as doctors and paramedics in several cities across India demand better and safer working conditions. Scores of people went on a rampage at a medical college campus in eastern India, attacking vehicles and ransacking patient wards Wednesday night (14 August). The unrest began when police said a 31-year-old trainee doctor was found raped and killed. A police volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime. Government hospitals in several cities across the country have since suspended medical services except for emergency departments as protesters demanded justice, claiming that it was a case of a gang rape and more were involved. Police in India recorded 31,516 reports of rape in 2022, a 20 per cent increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Many cases of crimes against women go unreported in India due to stigma surrounding sexual violence. Taylor Swift sent the crowd at Wembley Stadium into a frenzy as she brought out Ed Sheeran to sing with her during the surprise song section of her 15 August show. The duo shared a medley of their hits, including Everything Has Changed, and Sheerans timeless ballad, Thinking Out Loud. The Eras tour has been a whirlwind of nostalgia, and the duos surprise performance had fans going wild. Social media was immediately flooded with videos and photos of the moment, with Swifties expressing their disbelief and joy in equal measure. Confirmation that British-made Challenger 2 tanks are now in action inside Russia, in Ukraines counteroffensive in its Kursk region, have set off an explosion of Anglophobia in the Russian media. It is understandable why the deployment of British-made tanks there made headlines here. But given the scale of American, German and French involvement in backing Ukraines military as well, at first glance the venom directed from Moscows media at the UK seems irrational. But Russian TV viewers are treated almost nightly to discussions by experts on Britains malign role not only in the current conflict, but over centuries of perfidious Albions plotting against Russias interests and its territorial integrity, even when the two nations were allied against Napoleon or Hitler. Modern Britain is in many ways not only a post-imperial society but also a post-historical one. Who here remembers, let alone gets excited by, the Crimean war 170 years ago? Russia has not forgotten its past, though its official memory is highly selective. For Russians, the Crimean war was yesterday. Moscows seizure of the peninsula in 2014 wasnt a stepping stone to Vladimir Putins grab for the rest of Ukraine eight years later, but a turning back of the clock not only before Khrushchevs grant of Crimea to Soviet Ukraine in 1954 but before the thin red line of British redcoats landed there in 1854. Back then Lord Palmerston hoped to split up the Russian Empire by encouraging non-Russians to rebel against the Tsar. Todays Russia contains many of the same ethnic groups from its North Caucasus border regions to deep inside its territory. open image in gallery A Ukrainian military vehicle drives from the direction of the border with Russia carrying blindfolded men in Russian military uniforms ( AFP via Getty Images ) Only a few emigres and their sympathisers in the West really expect an implosion of multi-ethnic Russia today, like the collapse of the USSR itself in 1991. But in Moscow these dreams are seen as a threat by Russias most widely quoted historian Vladimir Putin. What might seem ancient history to us, something over and done with, is Putins guiding light. Recall how he justified his invasion of Ukraine with so much historical background on the wars opening morning in his speech or his production of centuries-old documents in his recent long interview with the American Trumper and media gadfly, Tucker Carlson. So Putins historical grudges have consequences. Britain could be in line for provocations short of war to punish us for supporting Ukraine so openly and effectively. The UK could be a softer target for Russian countermeasures than the main enemy America, but still send a message to Washington. Putin has a particular animus against the UK as Russias veteran imperial rival but also as the first active European supporter of Ukraine after his invasion. Russian media flatters Boris Johnson with the perverse credit for scuppering the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in spring 2022 after the Kremlin recognised that its original plan to seize Ukraine had failed. Britains armed forces are very rundown. All six of our nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarines are in dock being serviced at a leisurely pace. The army is short of tanks and personnel. The RAFs Storm Shadow cruise missiles are largely in or en route to Ukraine. More importantly, our vital infrastructure is ill-guarded and often already ill-maintained. The recent poisoning of the water supply to two German barracks is an example of what hostile agents could achieve by spilling even small amounts of toxic fluids into reservoirs. Sabotaging Britains offshore undersea internet cables could be achieved by a deniable accident, just as a Chinese ship dragged its anchor over the energy interconnector between Finland and Estonia, two Nato members, but not protected against accidents. Cyberattacks hitting hospitals or transport systems could inflict social and economic damage without leaving Russian fingerprints. The recent spy swap showed there are Russian sleeper agents in European countries. Why not in Britain? Recent incidents like the sabotaging of the French high-speed railway system on the eve of the Olympics might well have been the work of an autonomous radical left-wing group, but they showed how a very small number of people with strategic knowledge and fairly simple equipment can cause temporary havoc. This old grudge match between Russia and Britain holds within itself risks of escalation to a wider conflict. Overconfidence that Putin has not gone over the top when previous apparent Russian red lines were crossed doesnt mean that he will swallow humiliations forever. Botched sabotage or cyberattacks could trigger Natos common defence pact. There were good reasons why Britain backed Ukraine strongly from the start of the war. There are still good reasons for standing by Kyivs struggle for independence. But just as the Russians mistakenly assumed their own territory was off the map as a place for actual combat, lets not be naive and presume these islands are invulnerable. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared mpox a global health emergency in response to the growing number of cases both in Africa and other continents. Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches. People with more serious cases can develop characteristic lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals. Formerly known as monkeypox, the virus that was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a pox-like disease in monkeys. The name was changed to mpox because it is inaccurate, with scientists suggesting that the virus may have actually originated from rodents. This week WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the emergence and spread of a new variant of mpox as very worrying. Its clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives, he said, as he raised concerns about the viruss spread across international borders. The first case to reported outside of Africa was discovered in Sweden, with officials in Thailand also seeking on Wednesday to determine the strain of an mpox case in a European man who arrived from Africa the previous week. More than 17,000 mpox cases and 524 deaths have been reported in Africa this year alone, with more than 96 per cent of fatalities reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is the second time in two years that the WHO has expressed deep concern about the virus, which first seized global attention in 2022. The WHOs emergency declaration is aimed at spurring donor agencies and countries into action. But the global response to previous declarations has been mixed. This photo supplied by MSF (Doctors Without Borders) dated 31 May 2023, shows health workers educating children on the symptoms of the mpox disease in Goma, Congo ( AP ) Africa CDC director general Dr Jean Kaseya said his own agencys declaration of a public health emergency was meant "to mobilise our institutions, our collective will and our resources to act swiftly and decisively." He appealed to Africas international partners for help, saying that the escalating caseload in Africa had largely been ignored. "Its clear that current control strategies arent working and there is a clear need for more resources," said Michael Marks, a professor of medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "If a (global emergency declaration) is the mechanism to unlock these things, then it is warranted," he said. Heritier Bwira, a Congolese health worker guides relatives and patients discharged on the hygienic measures to follow after recovering from Mpox ( Reuters ) For decades most human cases of mpox were seen in people in central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals. The WHO declared its first mpox emergency in 2022 when the virus was confirmed to spread via sex for the first time, triggering outbreaks in more than 70 countries across the world that had never previously reported cases. Cases plunged dramatically after a sustained campaign to deliver vaccines. However, it remained endemic to certain parts of Africa where the vaccines could not be delivered. The number of cases this year has jumped dramatically, already exceeding last years figure. Last week, the Africa CDC reported that mpox has now been detected in at least 13 African countries. Compared with the same period last year, the agency said cases are up 160 per cent and deaths have increased by 19 per cent. Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10 per cent of people and may spread more easily. Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form of mpox causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals. That makes it harder to spot, meaning people might also sicken others without knowing theyre infected. During the global outbreak of mpox in 2022, gay and bisexual men made up a large majority of cases and the virus was mostly spread through close contact, including sex. This undated image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission electron micrograph of mpox particles (red) found within an infected cell (blue), cultured in the laboratory that was captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility ( AP ) Although some similar patterns have been seen in Africa, children under 15 now account for more than 70 per cent of the mpox cases and 85 per cent of deaths in Congo. Ahead of its emergency meeting, Mr Tedros said officials were dealing with several mpox outbreaks in various countries with "different modes of transmission and different levels of risk." "Stopping these outbreaks will require a tailored and comprehensive response," he said. The WHO said mpox was recently identified for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of those outbreaks were linked to the epidemic in Congo. This is an outbreak that has been simmering and festering and expanding over the course of a year now, Gregg Gonsalves, a Yale School of Public Health epidemiologist who has advised the WHO on mpox, was quoted as saying by the Washington Post. Im not quite clear why they took so long to do it, he added referring to the emergency declaration. Now that its done, we need to move quickly to ensure DRC gets all the requisite tools they need to combat the outbreak. One person in Sweden has been diagnosed with mpox caused by the clade I variant, marking the first such case outside Africa. There are two distinct clades of the mpox virus: Clade I and Clade II. Clade II was responsible for the global outbreak that began in 2022. Clade I is considered more severe and is classified as a high consequence infectious disease. According to the public health agency of Sweden, the individual contracted the virus during a stay in a part of Africa experiencing a major outbreak of clade I mpox. Clade I is more likely to cause severe disease and higher mortality than clade IIb the variant previously found in Sweden. Although the risk to the general population remains very low, the public health agency said the authorities are closely monitoring the situation. Sweden has measures in place for infection control and no additional steps are needed at this time, it added. MPXV a virus related to smallpox causes a rash illness that can range from mild and localised to severe and widespread. Reuters reported on Friday that China will monitor people and goods entering the country for mpox over the next six months, following the declaration by the World Health Organisation that the virus is again a global health emergency. Individuals from countries with mpox outbreaks who have had contact with cases or show symptoms are required to report to customs. Vehicles and goods from affected areas should be sanitised. China classifies mpox as a Category B infectious disease, allowing for emergency measures during outbreaks. The global health agency has released $1.45m from its emergency fund to assist surveillance, preparedness and response activities to contain the spread of virus, but would need up to $15m to ramp up the system effectively. Then Finance Minister Michael McGrath was told in June AIB was one of the best-performing bank stocks in Europe and that a further sale of state-held shares would not create the legal requirement to revisit the salary cap for senior staff. The minister was also told by officials that the window for a summer sale was closing quickly ahead of the latest reduction of the States stake in the bank which yielded 593m for the Exchequer. In a submission on 25 June, Department of Finance officials said if another AIB share disposal was to go ahead, a decision would need to be made within a week. Officials said, if delayed, a sale could not take place until early August, which was not ideal as it has traditionally been a quiet month for large-scale transactions. The submission said holding on until September could also end up clashing with the Budget. It said: Of course, this period runs into the budget so the risk of possessing price sensitive information, which would prevent a trade, increases. The document said it was hoped that 610m could be raised, based on share prices at the time, and that it would reduce the States stake in the bank to 25.6pc. It said: Given AIB is one of the best-performing bank stocks in Europe this year, it is our view that we should continue to take advantage of this. While there was some share price weakness in AIB (and European banking stocks more generally) following the European elections and the calling of a snap election in France, we saw the AIB share price recover most of the ground it had lost. The submission also explained how the States shareholding in AIB was getting close to the 25pc level, below which the minister could no longer block special resolutions. However, it said: There is no legal requirement to remove or alter the compensation cap at any point as the states shareholding in AIB reduces. A further share disposal can happen without visiting the topic of remuneration. The minister signed off on the share sale, saying the proceeds should be transferred to the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) pending a government decision on what to do with the money. In a post-sale submission, officials said the shares had been sold at a price of 4.90, which was 24.7pc higher than what had been achieved in a similar sale in November of 2023. It said the price was the highest we believed we could push investors without losing some significant orders from long-only investors. The submission also said the State had now clawed back 16.1bn from the 20.8bn it had invested in AIB during the financial crash. It added: Our remaining shareholding in AIB (25.5 pc) is worth approximately 3.1bn today. At the beginning of 2022 when our shareholding was 71.1pc it was worth approximately 4.2bn. Officials said that overall, of the 29.4bn the Exchequer had pumped into AIB, Bank of Ireland, and Permanent TSB, 25.6bn had since been recovered. It said the gap between what the taxpayer had paid and what had come back, along with the remaining holdings, was now only around 270m. The state is no longer a shareholder in Bank of Ireland and our shareholding in AIB (25.5pc) is reducing in a prudent, sensible and well-managed manner. Asked about the records, a spokesman for the Department of Finance said they had nothing further to add. C&C owns Bulmers, Magners and Tennents, as well as brands such as Five Lamps and Orchard Pig Shareholders in Bulmers-maker C&C have overwhelmingly voted to reject the pay report in its 2024 annual report, in a non-binding but embarrassing result for the board. The vote of 59pc of shareholders to reject the directors remuneration report was an outlier at the annual general meeting of the company in Dublin on Thursday. Most of the dozen motions up for voting passed with overwhelming support, including motions on new senior executive pay and bonus policies. However, the 2024 pay report which included seeking shareholder approval for the packages of top executives was hit by massive opposition, not least because C&C is seeking its third chief executive in little over a year and has paid out millions in hiring and exit costs. Former CEO David Forde, who stood down in May 2023, received 2.3m for the last financial year, including a 1.9m termination fee. He was replaced by then CFO Patrick McMahon in the top job before he too stepped down in June this year after C&Cs board revealed accounting issues that the company said will amount to 17m and which had dated to his time leading the finance function. In his year as CEO, Mr McMahon was paid 915,000 in salary and bonuses. In June this year, C&Cs chairman Ralph Findlay took over as chief executive and is expected to stay in the role for up to 18 months, until a permanent successor is found. That recruitment process is underway and the incoming chief will be subject to the new remuneration policies accepted by shareholders at the AGM. The votes came after C&C said in a trading update that earnings in its financial year to date are in line with expectations despite poor weather in June. The group will also commence the second 15m tranche of its share buyback programme at the start of September. C&C previously announced it intends to return at least 150m to shareholders over the next three financial years. The directors have also proposed a final dividend of 3.97 cent per share. C&C has appointed IDA chair Feargal ORourke as an independent non-executive director. The group reported the move comes as part of the boards ongoing programme of refreshment and renewal. This is separate from the groups recent engagement with Engine Capital, it added. Engine Capital, which owns just under 5pc of beer and cider maker C&C Group, called for a sale of the business in June. In a letter to the groups board, Engine Capital called on the Bulmers maker to explore strategic alternatives for the company. The activist investor described C&C Group as a perennial underperformer. Earlier this month, C&C made a deal with Engine Capital to appoint a new non-executive director with capital markets expertise to its board from an agreed list. Following the agreement, Engine Capital said it would withdraw the two nominees it had planned to put forward for election at todays meeting. It added that it would agree to all resolutions at the meeting. C&C, which has manufacturing operations in Co Tipperary, owns Bulmers, Magners and Tennents, as well as brands such as Five Lamps and Orchard Pig. The group exports its Magners and Tennents brands to over 40 countries. Opportunistic investor Strategic Value Partners has struck a deal to buy Blanchardstown Centre, Ireland's largest shopping mall, from Goldman Sachs, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The US investment bank offered the center for sale last year, seeking about 650m, Bloomberg News reported at the time. The selling price is lower than that, the people said, asking not to be identified because the transaction has yet to be completed. A Goldman Sachs representative declined to comment. SVP, founded by Victor Khosla, also declined to comment. The firm has more than $18bn of assets under management. After a decade of being roiled by online shopping, malls are starting to become attractive to investors again because declines in rents in recent years have made space more affordable for retailers, meaning there's less chance they'll miss payments. Tenants have also been boosted by 14 consecutive quarters of rising consumer spending in Dublin, according to data compiled for the city council. "Capital values for prime shopping centers in Europe have fallen more than 40pc since the peak and rental values in the best malls are now increasing, so if yields stabilize there is value recovery potential," Sue Munden, a senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said. Goldman Sachs, based in New York, acquired the mall from Blackstone in late 2020, when it was valued at about 750m. The complex has 180 stores and restaurants, according to its website, and gets about 16 million visitors a year. Occupants include Zara, Hollister and JD Sports. (Bloomberg) Goods exports have risen 6pc in the first half of 2024, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The export of goods from January to June this year were valued at 107bn, the CSO reported today. Exports of chemicals jumped by 3.7bn in the first six months of the year compared with the same period in 2023, the data showed. The CSO reported that exports of medical and pharmaceutical products were down 7pc in June. Exports of these products, which accounted for 39pc of the total, stood at 6.5bn. Organic chemicals exports plunged 27pc to 2.5bn in the same month, while exports of food and live animals also declined by 8pc to 1.3bn. However, exports of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances soared by 56pc in June to reach 985m. The newly published data also showed exports to Britain were 1.1bn in June, accounting for 7pc of the total. Food and live animals represented the largest share of exports to this market, followed by machinery and transport equipment. Overall, exports to this market have fallen 13pc in the first six months of 2024. Despite the slightly disappointing headline export performance, it is still quite encouraging that traditional exports from the food and beverage sectors to UK are marginally ahead year on year, particularly when increased border friction and continued subdued consumer sentiment in this key market is taken into account, BDO partner Carol Lynch said. She also pointed to a slump in exports of chemicals to this market compared with the US. The value of exports fell by 1.164bn relative to June 2023. By contrast, the value of exports of chemicals and related goods to the USA was identical when compared with June 2023, she said. "On a year-on-year basis, though, the value of chemicals and related products exports to the UK has seen a considerable decline relative to 2023 exports to the USA have increased in value by 5.75bn, she added. Ms Lynch pointed to the flexibility of the Irish pharma sector as it moves away from the production of Covid vaccines to other products. Exports to countries in the European Union accounted for 37pc of the total, valued at 6n. The CSO reported that over 1.4bn worth of goods headed to the Netherlands, while a further 1.36bn went to Belgium. The CSO reported that exports to the United States were 5.7bn, or 34pc of the total. Total exports to this market are up 23pc in the first half of 2024. Overall, seasonally adjusted goods exports were 16.9bn in June, down 2pc from May. The report also revealed that goods imports dropped 8pc in the first half of this year. Unadjusted goods imports stood at 11.8bn, down 700m from the same month a year earlier. Seasonally adjusted goods imports for May were up 868m to 11.6bn. Imports of organic chemicals plummeted 71pc year-on-year to 1.4bn, while imports from Britain, which represented 13pc of the total, were 1.5bn in May. This was down from 1.7bn a month earlier. Overall, Irelands seasonally adjusted trade surplus was 5.3bn for the month, down 18pc from May. Ryanair warns cuts to Dublin Airport passenger numbers will hit tourism IAA says it has not yet proposed any limits for next summer, despite the airlines claims It is believed the DAA suggested 25.2 million seats could be permitted for next summer John Mulligan Fri 16 Aug 2024 at 03:30 Ryanair says any plan to cut the number of passengers who can use Dublin Airport next summer by up to one million so the gateway doesnt breach a passenger cap will further damage the Irish tourism sector. Matthew Perrys assistant and two doctors are among five people who have been charged after the Friends star died from an accidental ketamine overdose last October, United States attorney Martin Estrada told a press briefing. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Perrys death revealed that in autumn last year the 54-year-old actor fell back into addiction and these defendants took advantage to profit for themselves, Mr Estrada said. The Good Luck, Babe! singer just played for a record 110,000-strong crowd but will make do with the 1,200-seater Olympia. Heres why her fans are so frustrated Chappell Roan bills herself as your favourite artists favourite artist. Shes certainly a favourite of the twentysomething women of Ireland: a scheduled gig at the Academy in Dublin has been moved to the larger Olympia, and even that sold out months in advance. With just a month to go, her fans are clamouring for her to play a bigger venue or add an extra date both of which seem unlikely. The meagre 1,200-capacity Olympia might feel like a step down for Roan this month the 26-year-old performed in front of the largest ever crowd at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, an estimated 110,000 people. Not that the Irish audience will lack for enthusiasm. Taylor Swifts Dublin gigs sparked a frenzy earlier this year and Chappellmania is just as real. The lack of tickets may not be garnering as much sympathy as it did when it came to Swifties, but it is causing mass hysteria among frustrated fans. Roan, whose real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, has been working for the best part of a decade on what looks like an overnight success. She was thrust on to the phone screen of every Gen Zer when her single Good Luck, Babe! blew up on social media at the start of the summer. This month, Ireland became the first country where the song topped the charts. Her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess claimed the top spot a week after. It is tipped to be part of an all-female best album shortlist at the Grammys, alongside Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa. In a summer dense with women in pop dominating the charts, there seems to be no saturation point for girly pop. But the grittier bumps of Charlis brat, the lighter jaunts of Carpenters Espresso and even the melancholic whispers of Billie Eilish are a world away from the space Roan has carved out for herself. Her cornerstones of queer love, situationships and the guilt of leaving an old life behind show her as someone unsure of the world around her but absolute in her own sense of self. On stage, she has sported camo corsets, latex habits, a full Statue of Liberty outfit and Mexican wrestling gear Her favourite artist slogan came via RuPauls Drag Race, where drag queen Sasha Colby proclaimed she was your favourite drag queens favourite drag queen. Roan performs drag herself and at her September show in Dublin she will carry on her tradition of having local queens open her shows for her, having put out a call out for Irish talent. She is doing something few of her peers are, which is treating her songs and live performances as a chance to reinvent herself every time. On stage, she has sported camo corsets, latex habits, a full Statue of Liberty outfit and, at Lollapalooza, Mexican wrestling gear, complete with mask. Its all very Lady Gaga but in an entirely more thought-out way. It looks like Roan is playing dress-up in front of tens of thousands of people when, historically, this happened in dark clubs and childhood bedrooms. Roan writes a lot about safe spaces and how important they are for queer people, herself included, while also having a real longing and nostalgia for her former life in Missouri. I can hear your southern drawl a thousand miles away, goes one lyric. Her music is reminiscent of Kate Bush, and the strong synth-pop youd be used to hearing from Marina or 80s Madonna. She cites Lana Del Ray as a prominent inspiration, and also sees the fictionalised Hannah Montana as the ultimate pop star, elements of whom you can see in tracks like Hot to Go!. Club culture plays a large role in her music, but in an entirely different way to Charli, as seen in songs After Midnight and Pink Pony Club. For Roan, its about finding space for self-expression, which for many means moving away from home: I heard that theres a special place, where boys and girls can all be queens every single day. In a recent interview, she spoke about grappling with being recognisable, and how her red hair is a dead giveaway. She wears a disguise to go clothes shopping and says she misses anonymous socialising doing drugs in public and being a f**king freak at the bar. While the serious undertone of her music resonates with her LGBTQ+ audience and straight women, Roan as an act is all about fun. Whether watching live performances or listening privately, it is evident that she wants people to enjoy engaging with her work in a non-serious way. Roan grew up in a religious household in Missouri. She was signed by a record label and moved to Los Angeles but was dropped when her song Pink Pony Club did not perform as well as hoped. She moved back home, saved up and gave it one more year in LA. She teamed up with producer Dan Nigro, who has worked with acts including Kylie, Olivia Rodrigo and Caroline Polachek. What cemented Roans success story was a North American tour supporting Rodrigo. After that, her own tour and festival appearances took off during the summer. She has also found a home in the social media of every twentysomething female. And while the price of tickets for her Academy gigs was 23 in March, she isnt going to sell one for anything close to that price any time soon. There are Chappell Roan club nights popping up in venues in Dublin this month, and these may have to satiate many Irish fans cravings for now. Appropriate dress is encouraged, so for those unsure, just follow the trail of ghostly pale make-up, razor-thin eyebrows and fishnets and you wont be far off. Theres also a five-bedroom home in a pristine grasslands and lakeside setting There are two well-stocked lakes, one of which is currently let to Islandderry Trout Fishery. There is 165ac of prime grassland with the remainder in woods and lake The house has features more often associated with houses of an older vintage Island Dairies is a Co Down residential dairy farm on 185ac that includes state-of-the-art milking facilities and the option to buy the 600-cow herd and followers. Situated 5km from Dromore and 11km from Lurgan, the holding will most certainly catch the attention of dairy enthusiasts on both sides of the border and beyond. It comes with a five-bedroom home in turnkey condition along with a partially restored 17th century manor house and an extensive farming infrastructure that includes an option to buy processing and pasteurising equipment once used for producing and bottling a range of flavoured milks. The farm is for sale as a unit with a guide price of 7.57m (6.5m) in a transaction handled by agents Savills. The original placename is Islandderry or Oilean Doire and the farm can trace its existence back to early Celtic times with the existence of a crannog on Islandderry lake a lake on the farm that extended to 20ac in the 17th century. The land was originally owned by the McGennis (Mac Aonghusa) clan who lost it after the 1641 rebellion when Art Og Glaisne Mac Aonghusa forfeited his property to the Crown in 1642. The five-bedroom home was built in 1979 It then came into the ownership of the Waddell family from Lanarkshire in Scotland, who paid a quit rent to Art Og for 679ac. Alexander Waddell built Islandderry House in the 1640s on the site of an old rath overlooking the land. The house and lands remained in the Waddell family until 1975 when they were bought by the Wilson family who renamed it Island Dairies and built a new house on the property in 1979. The 17th century residence, located beside the farmyard, is a two-storey over basement structure extending to 7,341 sq. ft. It was the subject of extensive but incomplete renovations between 2006 and 2008. These included works on the plumbing, roofing, wiring, insulation and windows. The ground floor has four reception rooms and a kitchen with a large pantry. There is cubicle accommodation for 600 cows and followers On the first floor are five bedrooms, while the basement is laid out to accommodate a cinema room, wine cellar, games room and bathroom. The modern dwelling was built by the Wilsons in 1979 and finished to a high standard. Extending to 4,023 sq. ft under a hipped roof, the house has features more often associated with houses of an older vintage. These include wooden herringbone floors, cornicing, ceiling roses architraves and decorative fireplaces. The front door opens to the main hallway which in turn leads to a sitting room, a drawing room, a dining room and a sunroom. Island Dairies farm is a fully operational residential dairy enterprise with a 600-cow herd. The kitchen is centred around an Aga cooker and fitted with a range of crafted units. To the rear of the house is a back hallway, a bathroom with a walk-in shower, a utility room and two storage rooms. The sleeping accommodation on the first floor includes a master bedroom with a Jack and Jill bathroom, while a smaller adjoining bedroom is used as a dressing room. There are three further bedrooms and a games room on this floor, while a back staircase leads to the utility. The Wilsons built up a fine farming business that specialised in dairying enterprise and was based on a 600-cow herd made up mainly of registered Holsteins and their followers. The house has features more often associated with houses of an older vintage They also developed an extensive and comprehensive milking infrastructure that includes a 32:32 DeLaval rapid-exit parlour with cubicle accommodation for over 600 cows and heifers. There are seven silage clamps, plenty of dry fodder storage space along with slurry storage for over four million gallons of effluent. Four Lely robotic milking units are part of the infrastructure, and while excluded from the sale, the new owner will have the option to buy them. The milking infrastructure is centred around a 32:32 DeLaval rapid-exit parlour. A range of more modern farm buildings is centred around a milk processing and pasteurising plant built to produce customer-ready milk products. It also includes an eco-friendly glass bottling operation and tanks capable of pasteurising 3,000 litres per hour. The processing plant is not currently in operation and the equipment is not included in the sale, but could be bought by the new owner. In total, the farm buildings cover 86,456 sq. ft. The farmland is in one block with the larger part comprised of 165ac of top-class grassland that is also suitable for ploughing. The ground is laid out in a series of fenced and watered paddocks with access to a number of public roads, while inside the boundary the divisions are serviced by a network of internal tracks. There are two well-stocked lakes, one of which is currently let to Islandderry Trout Fishery. About 8ac of the remaining lands are in mature woodland, while the balance is in two well-stocked lakes currently let to Islandderry Trout Fishery. Island Dairies is an outstanding commercial farm with a contiguous block of productive, versatile land, according to James Butler, head of residential and country agency at Savills. Having been under the ownership of the present family since 1975, Island Dairies Farm presents one of the finest opportunities in recent years to acquire an extensive and productive farm in Co Down. It is well-served with residential accommodation and by an extremely well-equipped modern dairy complex. Fr Murphy (52) said he is doing okay after being stabbed up to five times outside barracksBoy (16) arrested in relation to attack at Renmore barracks in Co GalwayDefence Forces personnel had to wrestle suspect to groundWarning shots fired in air by soldiers to prevent suspect from further injuring chaplain The scene at Renmore barracks in Galway, where at Chaplin was stabbed. Photo: Ray Ryan Fr Paul Murphy thanked for the public for their good wishes in the wake of the attack Gardai are trying to establish if there was a terror link to an attack on an army chaplain who was stabbed outside a barracks in Co Galway last night. The 52-year-old priest, Fr Paul F Murphy, suffered a number of serious but non-life threatening injuries to his arms in the incident, which happened outside Renmore Barracks shortly before 11pm last night. Speaking from hospital, where he is recovering, Fr Murphy said earlier on Friday that he was awaiting surgery and reassured his parish and friends that he was okay. A 16-year-old Irish boy has been arrested in relation to the attack and he is currently being questioned at a garda station in Galway. His period of detention has recently been extended. The scene at Renmore Barracks Galway where an army chaplain was stabbed Gardai are investigating whether the teenager may have made comments at the scene of the stabbing about Irish military involvement in the Middle East before he was brought away by officers. Gardai say the Special Detective Unit is involved in the investigation and one line of inquiry is to establish if the attack was motivated by reasons of terrorism. Fr Paul F Murphy It is understood the chaplain, who was in plain clothes, was in his car at the gate of the barracks and rolled down the window when the teenager approached and began stabbing him with a knife through the window. Immediately following the attack, a member of the Defence Forces fired a number of warning shots in an attempt to prevent the suspect from inflicting further injury on the chaplain. Up to three Defence Forces personnel then managed to wrestle the suspect to the ground and detain him before the garda armed support unit arrived at the scene. Appropriate force protection measures were used in this incident, a source told the Irish Independent. Sources say gardai are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident. Fr Paul Murphy underwent surgery for his injuries yesterday Fr Murphy has worked for the Irish Defence Forces for a significant number of years and has served on a number of overseas missions. In a statement on social media, Fr Murphy said: "Friends, thank you for your prayers, love, and concern. Sorry that I can't reply to all messages and take all the calls coming my way. I'm doing okay; just awaiting surgery. All will be well. Today's News in 90 Seconds - August 16th The attack has caused huge shock according to army sources as the chaplain is very highly regarded and well known within the organisation. In a statement, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: A Garda investigation is ongoing into a serious attack on a member of the Defence Forces at Dun Ui Mhaoiliosa, Renmore in Galway last night. "A serious line of inquiry is being pursued and at this time it is important to allow gardai to work to establish all the facts. "I have also spoken to the Tanaiste and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin, on the quick action of Defence Forces personnel who intervened during the attack. "My thoughts remain with Defence Forces Chaplin, Fr Paul Murphy, and on behalf of the government I wish him a speedy recovery and want to thank the officers of the gardai and Defence Forces for their response. The Tanaiste condemned the attack. In a statement posted online, Mr Martin said: I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night, the Fianna Fail leader said on X. I commend the members of the Defence Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical. Our thoughts are with the Defence Forces member injured in the attack. 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 Bishop of Galway Michael Duignan said: "News of the assault on a Catholic priest, who is presently serving as Chaplain to the Irish Defence Forces in Galway, is deeply shocking and upsetting. "I pray for the injured man, asking God that he would make a full recovery. I pray too for his family, for his army colleagues and for the medical personnel who are tending to his injuries at this time." The scene at Renmore barracks in Galway, where at Chaplin was stabbed. Photo: Ray Ryan Bishop of Waterford Alphonsus Cullinan said: First and foremost, I unequivocally condemn this act of violence. Such behaviour is unacceptable in any form and goes against the very tenets of our faith, which teaches us to love one another and to seek peace. "Violence begets violence, and we must strive for understanding and compassion rather than resorting to harm. Our priest, who has dedicated his life to serving God and our community, is now facing an unimaginable ordeal. We are praying for his swift recovery and healing - both physically and spiritually. "The Church stands firmly behind him during this challenging time. I urge all members of our congregation to keep him in their thoughts and prayers as he navigates through this painful experience, Fr Cullinan added. In an update this afternoon, gardai stated: An Garda Siochana continue to investigate all the circumstances of the incident. "The Special Detective Unit of An Garda Siochana is involved in this investigation. One line of inquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation. The suspect remains in detention and is being questioned in a Garda station in the North Western region. Their period of detection has recently been extended. An Garda Siochana wishes to reassure the public that at this time it is not believed this incident is part of a wider conspiracy. A thorough investigation is underway and all relevant Bureaux have been engaged and are active in progressing this investigation. The Garda Commissioner has spoken to the Defence Forces Chief of Staff and wishes the injured Defence Forces member a full and speedy recovery. The Defence Forces also gave some details of the incident in a statement. The Defence Forces can confirm that an incident occurred last night at Dun Ui Mhaoiliosa, Renmore, Co Galway, where shots were fired by on-duty personnel, a spokesperson said. "This action was taken in strict accordance with established force protection protocols after a Defence Forces Chaplain was stabbed by a male civilian while awaiting entry to the barracks. Upon witnessing the assault, the soldiers on duty responded swiftly and appropriately to the immediate threat, using necessary force to ensure the safety of all personnel and to secure the area. This included the firing of live ammunition as Warning Shots. "The assailant was promptly detained and handed over to An Garda Siochana upon their arrival, and a full investigation into the incident is now being conducted by An Garda Siochana. The injured Defence Forces member received immediate first aid from Defence Forces personnel on duty before being transported to hospital for further treatment. We are relieved to report that while the victims injuries are serious, they are not life-threatening. Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, extended his best wishes to the chaplain. We are grateful to An Garda Siochana for their rapid response and ongoing assistance Our thoughts are with our injured comrade, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery. The well-being of our personnel is our utmost priority, and we will continue to support him during this time, he said. He also commended the actions of the soldiers on duty. The swift and decisive response by our personnel last night was exemplary, and in keeping with the highest standards of the Defence Forces and our values. "Their professionalism ensured that a dangerous situation was quickly brought under control, protecting the lives of others in the vicinity. There is no doubt that their actions were critical in preventing further harm or loss of life. He added: We are grateful to An Garda Siochana for their rapid response and ongoing assistance in the investigation. We will continue to co-operate fully with their efforts to bring this matter to a thorough and just conclusion. The spokesperson added: The Defence Forces remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of all its members and will continue to act in accordance with our duty to protect those under our care. More to follow... Fiona Smyth said her experience was exceptionally stressful Clare TD Violet-Anne Wynne has been ordered by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to pay 11,500 to a former employee. The award against Ms Wynne was in relation to an unfair dismissal case by former employee Fiona Smyth, who worked as a secretarial assistant for the TD, who was first elected for Sinn Fein before the left the party. The dismissal arose after Ms Smyth was called to a performance review with Ms Wynne. Before the meeting, Ms Smyth requested more clarity in relation to the meeting and had asked that a trade union representative for Ms Smyth be present. However, on foot of these requests Ms Smyth was dismissed. In her decision, WRC adjudicator Louise Boyle said Ms Wynne failed to engage in any procedures prior to dismissal, failed to provide the complainant with a reason for the dismissal, failed to provide an appeals process and would not engage with mediation. Whatever the reason(s) for the dismissal which from Ms Wynnes evidence appears to have been varied, it is difficult to to see how the decision to dismiss is within the range of reasonable responses of a reasonable employer in the circumstances, Ms Boyle added. In the decision, made on August 9, the WRC found that Ms Wynne should pay her former employee 11,500 in compensation for the dismissal. Ms Smyth said her experience was exceptionally stressful. The outcome that we have achieved at the WRC recognises that what was done to me was wrong and that means more than anything, Ms Smyth said. I am so grateful for the support, guidance and representation received from my union throughout this exceptionally stressful experience, she added. In response to queries, Ms Wynne told the Irish Independent the decision to dismiss her former assistant related to her decision to leave Sinn Fein in 2022. I knew from the outset that this would be seen as an unfair dismissal. I had to take action either way. The ability to carry out the job was not there after I had left Sinn Fein, she said. Aine Feeney, an advocate at SIPTUs Workers Rights Centre, said Ms Smyth was given no reason by her employer for the dismissal and said it was shocking to find that a legislator has such scant regard for the legal rights of a worker. Fiona found herself in a situation where she was called to a performance review with her employer and have asked for clarity around the meeting and the opportunity to have representation from her trade union in attendance, she was dismissed. This was done without her being given any reason by her employer, Ms Feeney said. The employer was not willing to provide the politics applicable in the case and after the dismissal, the employer failed to provide any appeal mechanisms, contrary to best practice, Ms Feeney added. Peter Glynn, sector organiser at SIPTU said Ms Smyths efforts to ensure her legal rights were vindicated should be commended, especially as her employer was a public representative. Fiona showed great strength and conviction in pursuing her claim when she had been faced with obstruction from the commencement of the process. Her commitment to highlight her treatment and ensure that her legal rights were vindicated must be commended, particularly when her employer is a public representative, Mr Glynn said. Ms Wynne was first elected to the Dail in 2020 as a Sinn Fein candidate in the Clare constituency. However, two years later the TD left the party and is now an Independent. Gardai at Thornton Hall in north Co Dublin, where workers are converting the site into accommodation for asylum-seekers. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins Local councillors have raised concerns over plans to house up to 1,000 male asylum-seekers at a site previously earmarked for a super prison in north Co Dublin. The first 40 asylum-seekers are to be housed in six tents, alongside a further six tents of ancillary services, at the 35-acre Thornton Hall site in coming weeks. A further 400 people will be moved in during October and November. The Department of Integration hopes to build modular units on the site in the coming months, but currently aims to erect up to 12 tents to house migrants. Three meals will be provided to residents every day, with snacks and tea stations available 24 hours a day, according to a briefing from the department sent to local representatives. Eco-toilets and shower blocks will also be put in place, with waste water and sewage removed from the site on a scheduled basis. A number of people have appeared in court in the past week over alleged threats to workers at the Thornton Hall site, as well as public order offences amid protests by anti-immigration activists. Gardai at Thornton Hall as site prepares to accommodate asylum seekers Local Sinn Fein councillor Helen Meyer said the plans should be halted while they were fully fleshed out by the Department of Integration. She said officials were not able to answer many questions posed to them at a meeting earlier this week with local representatives. If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail, she said. They way they are doing it now is very concerning. What wed like to see is that they put good thought and planning into this so that it works. She said there was a lack of bus services in the area and local politicians had been lobbying for many years to have the local route run more frequently. In community engagement meetings in recent days, officials from the department told politicians and stakeholders they would be liaising with the National Transport Authority to ensure there was enough capacity on buses. Local Fine Gael councillor Alan Tobin said local representatives had spent 30 years fighting for better bus services and now the department was magically making them available. He said the department doesnt negotiate, it dictates and that he had invited Integration Minister Roderic OGorman to meet local people. Mr Tobin said planning permission to build houses on the site would not be granted due to the noise from overhead passing planes going into Dublin Airport. Theyre now going to put tents of people fleeing war, under severe stress, with aircraft flying overhead every 90 seconds, he said. The Fine Gael councillor also raised concerns over whether the proposed number of 1,000 migrants being housed on the site would be exceeded. Meanwhile, former minister and Fianna Fail TD Willie ODea has called on Justice Minister Helen McEntee to put in place enhanced checks to ensure deportation orders are being obeyed. I understand that forcibly removing someone from the State isnt a simple process, but for the whole system to be credible, it has to be done, he said. The asylum application process needs to be speedy and robust, and when a deportation order is issued, we need to be able to show that all of these deportation orders have been enforced. I needed as much help as I could get how Irelands first baby bank provides a lifeline to women struggling with costs of having a baby A cuckoo fund that bought up hundreds of distressed Irish properties is trying to offload dozens of them because they were not making a good return. However, the investment group served a number of invalid eviction notices on tenants and wound up before the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). It comes after the head of another large fund warned in recent weeks that its rivals could be lining up the sales of thousands of properties. Disputes published by the RTB provide an insight into how Cyprus-based Xerico Limited bought a portfolio of distressed properties across the country, but then sought to offload up to 120 of them. Some people renting the houses had racked up significant debts, with tenants ordered to pay nearly 300,000 in combined arrears. However, the RTB also found that at least a dozen eviction notices were invalid. An RTB tribunal hearing was told how a tenant was served with an eviction notice in May 2022 as the landlord wanted to sell the house on the Ratoath Road in Dublin. Home Club Ltd, a Dublin estate agent that has been managing rental accommodation on behalf of Xerico, said the company wished to raise finance by selling a number of properties. Cyprus-based cuckoo fund trying to sell up to 120 Irish homes due to poor return on investment Some tenants had racked up arrears of nearly 20,000 Cuckoo fund tries to sell 120 homes amid poor returns Amy Molloy Fri 16 Aug 2024 at 03:30 A cuckoo fund that bought hundreds of distressed Irish properties is trying to offload dozens of them because they were not making a good return. A second Dublin man has been charged with disposal of body parts and impeding the investigation into the murder of Drogheda teenager Keane Mulready Woods. The youth, 17, was last seen alive by his family on the evening of Sunday, January 12, 2020. He was killed, and his body was later dismembered. The the Lion Zip sleepsuit, one of the three items being recalled by Dunnes Stores Dunnes Stores has issued a product recall for three childrens clothes items for newborn babies sold in Ireland. The retailer issues the recall in an advertisement in todays Irish Independent newspaper. "It has come to our attention that a safety issue has been identified with the use of these products, Dunnes Stores said in its warning to Irish customers. The first item is a Bunny Zip Sleepsuit for newborns up to 18 months, with the style number 6421432. The Lion Zip sleepsuit for newborns up to 18 months with style number 6421433 is also affected. The final item being recalled by the grocer is the Animal Sleepsuit for newborns up to 18 months, with the style number 6421434. "We are issuing a product recall notice in respect of these products, Dunnes Stores said. Customers who have purchased any of the three items can return the products to their local store where a full refund will be issued. Any customers with further queries in relation to the recall, is being asked to email in at customerservice@dunnesstores.com. "We apologise for any inconvenience, Dunnes Stores added. Dunnes Stores has been contacted for comment. The breach concerned the woman signing in as a friend of Dwyers A woman who described herself as a friend of murderer Graham Dwyer has been banned from visiting him by prison bosses. The woman previously confirmed that she has gone to visit Dwyer behind bars after first striking up a friendship by writing to the killer. She has visited Dwyer twice in prison and was due to visit him in the Midlands prison last weekend but the visit was cancelled by the prison authorities. It has been confirmed that the woman has been barred from visiting after breaching prison rules. The breach concerned the woman signing in as a friend of Dwyers. A review was undertaken and it was determined that this was not the case. Last weekend, the woman told the Sunday Independent she was annoyed when her visit to Dwyer, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of childcare worker Elaine OHara in 2012, was cancelled by prison authorities on Wednesday of last week. Despite the fact that I still wanted to visit him on Saturday morning, and he still wanted the visit too, I was told it was cancelled because there was a problem with it. I am annoyed by that. Its not fair. She explained that she began visiting the former Foxrock architect when she wrote to him after reading a book about his crimes in the aftermath of his 2015 murder trial. Our conversations are private and confidential, he insisted on that. I respect this, and his privacy. He did speak to me about her [Elaine OHara] and I got an understanding of her, from him. But, like I say, thats a private conversation. I have not been trying to ascertain whether he is guilty or not. What Im interested in is how he was treated in the court case and how that process ended. She continued: I was fascinated about how it panned out in court for Graham Dwyer and I wanted to talk to him, so I wrote to him. He wrote back and thats how the conversation began. I am mostly interested in how he was treated in the court process. Am I his girlfriend? Absolutely not. I have visited as a friend and Im on a fact-finding mission. The woman said the death of Ms OHara was so very sad given the childcare workers own personal mental health struggles. Insisting that she was not the sick killers girlfriend, she reiterated that she was visiting him in a personal capacity, as a friend. "Im on a fact-finding mission. I am not his girlfriend. I really just wanted to hear his side of the story, she said. Im absolutely not into BDSM (the sexual practice of bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism). I had a very specific reason for wanting to meet him. The original murder trial jury found Dwyer stabbed Ms OHara to death on Killakee Mountain, Co Dublin, on August 22, 2012. Dwyer was a married man at the time and had met his victim through a website. The trial heard he was a violent sadomasochist who filmed himself stabbing sexual partners, one of whom gave evidence against him. Mobile phone data played a large part in the prosecution case as it helped link Dwyer to Ms OHara and to locations connected with the murder. Dwyer denied murdering Ms OHara and claimed she was suicidal when she disappeared. On July 31, Dwyer lost his last-ditch appeal against his murder conviction. The decision came after more than a decade of anguish for the OHara family, who have endured appeal after appeal by the killer. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that evidence of mobile phone data was admissible at Dwyers trial. The Court of Appeal rejected Dwyers appeal last year on all grounds. The Supreme Court agreed to hear this final appeal as it said it raised issues of law of exceptional public importance. Dwyer has now exhausted all his legal options and will continue to serve his life sentence. In a statement following the Supreme Court decision, Elaine OHaras family said: We are relieved that the Supreme Court has upheld the verdict of the Court of Appeal, adding that they hope Elaine can now, at last, rest in peace. Australian police have arrested several Irish nationals in recent times for burglaries. Photo: Getty Five Irish people have been arrested in Australia after allegedly committing more than 20 burglaries while posing as tourists. Australian police arrested four Irish men, aged between 31 and 33, and a 32-year-old Irish woman. The men are believed to have entered Australia from the UK earlier this year. They are accused of carrying out more than 20 burglaries between April and last month and later covering their tracks using bleach and cleaning products. The police believe the group stole property with an estimated value of AU$500,000 (300,000), including designer jewellery, handbags and cash, as they targeted houses in the suburbs of Melbourne. Following five search warrants last week, police seized vehicles of an estimated value of AU$190,000 (115,000), and designer watches, including a Rolex worth more than AU$120,000 (72,000). It is understood the group were buying new clothes before burglaries and later dumping them in rubbish bins or water drains. The individuals are also accused of two home invasions and one serious burglary. Today's News in 90 Seconds - August 16th One of the alleged victims, a young woman, was leaving the shower to find an intruder in her house, who demanded she hand over her most expensive jewellery. The four men are due to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court in November, while the woman, who was arrested at a caravan park in Coburg, was charged with theft but later bailed. She will appear before the courts again in October. The 9News television show broadcast CCTV footage of the men at the Coburg caravan park after they arrived to Australia. Victoria Police senior sergeant Daniel Brown, told 9News: We will continue to target serious and organised crime groups, no matter where theyre from. It comes after similar incidents earlier this year when six Irish men were arrested for a series of burglaries in Australia. Three Irish nationals were arrested at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport in May while trying to leave Australia. They appeared in court on May 3 after allegedly stealing more than AU$1m (600,000) in cash, jewellery and designer handbags in 60 robberies. Victoria Police alleged the men, aged 19, 24 and 25, carried out a spate of sophisticated residential burglaries in the months before. They were charged with multiple counts of aggravated home invasion, aggravated burglary, burglary and theft. The men allegedly broke into homes in Melbournes east while residents were not at home and then tried to cover their tracks with cleaning products. Earlier this year, police arrested another three Irish nationals for robberies in March, allegedly part of the same syndicate. They are believed to be part of a broad network of fly-in and fly-out burglars. Investigators are continuing to probe whether both groups are linked to any other unsolved burglaries, an Australian police spokesperson said at the time. Joanna Murphy dressed for Ladies Day at the Dublin Horse show 2024, in the RDS. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Cora Taguibao from the Philippians dressed for Ladies Day at the Dublin Horse show 2024, in the RDS. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Ladies Day at the Dublin Horse show 2024, in the RDS. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Natalie Sexton from Co Louth dressed for Ladies Day at the Dublin Horse show 2024, in the RDS. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Aine Purcell dressed for Ladies Day at the Dublin Horse show 2024, in the RDS. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Tikhala Loughlin from Malawi living in Mayo dressed for Ladies Day at the Dublin Horse show 2024, in the RDS. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Serena Caulfield from Co Wexford dressed for ladies day at the Dublin Horse show 2024, in the RDS. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Tanya Correa from Columbia dressed for ladies day at the Dublin Horse show 2024, in the RDS. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Lana from Ukraine dressed for ladies day at the Dublin Horse show 2024, in the RDS. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Camilla Grey from Straffan Co Kildare enjoying the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS. Photo by Steve Humphreys Lily Martin (5) from Malahide enjoying the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS. Photo by Steve Humphreys Bernie Leadon Bolger from Baltinglass Co Wicklow enjoying the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS. Chloe Hester from Clooncalagy Roscommon, Fiona Monne from Oughterard Galway and Shauna Feeney from Athenry Galway enjoying the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS. Photo by Steve Humphreys From left, Most Creative Hat winner Laura Hanlon, Tressed to Impress winner Babatunde Alabi, Best Dressed First Prize winner Lorraine Ryan Kelly and runner-up Jodie da Silva Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland Best Dressed entrant Philip Brophy gets a birthday kiss from his carer Aine Cryan as he celebrated his 90th birthday. Photo: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland A Galway teacher has told of her surprise at winning Best Dressed on Ladies Day at the Dublin Horse Show yesterday. The overall Best Dressed winner in the competition, which was judged by stylist Clementine MacNeice and former Irish Independent fashion editor Bairbre Power, was Lorraine Ryan Kelly from Galway. Attending the Horse Show with her husband and daughter Willow (2), Ms Ryan Kelly wore black trousers from No Name Style with a black and bronze shirt by Irish designer Julie Caulfield, shoes from Zara and her mothers handbag, to claim the 10,000 prize. Hats off to teacher Lorraine as she wins Best Dressed on Ladies Day at Dublin Horse Show "I'm in absolute shock, she said. My blouse is by Julie Caulfield, who express-posted this to me because they know how unorganised I am. My shoes are Zara and this is my mam's bag that I stole off her. For today I changed up the styling. My career is teaching but I love fashion as well and any opportunity I have to dress up I try to take it. I have a two-year-old down there who will probably make a list for me and it's her birthday in a month so we'll have to splash out. It was clear that style and community were the order of the day on Ladies Day. While some of those in attendance yesterday had cherished childhood memories of the Horse Show, for many this year marked their first visit. Best Dressed entrant Philip Brophy gets a birthday kiss from his carer Aine Cryan as he celebrated his 90th birthday. Photo: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland The Horse Show draws dapper crowds all anxious to see the best Ireland has to offer in dressage, local produce and fashion. People mingled in the sun, but had to take cover when the occasional shower arrived. Mary Ajide (31), originally from Nigeria and now living in Dublin, attended with Alan Sherwood (77) from Blackrock. Alan actually introduced me to the Dublin Horse Show, otherwise I would have never heard of it, said Ms Ajide. I wouldnt regularly attend something like this so its really a great way to experience Irish culture. Mr Sherwood came to the Horse Show for years with his father and brother. Now he keeps the tradition alive by attending with his son. Events such as these have a long history here in Dublin. Its a good show and Ireland breeds some of the best horses in the world, he said. Even though I am more of a city person like my father, I do enjoy watching various breeds of horses compete. Its important to see the introduction of new machinery and new methods into farming. While most of the crowd were happy just to relax and soak up the atmosphere, others chose to raise awareness on issues that mattered to them. Family traditions live on as thousands descend on RDS for Dublin Horse Show Teresa McMahon and Denise Flynn from north Dublin both wanted to show how any clothing can be worn by women of all ages, sizes and shapes. Ms McMahon is the owner of Curvy Couture, an inclusive fashion store with sizes ranging from 12-18. She has two stores, one in Saggart and one in Glasnevin. The two women hope to have their own stand at the Dublin Horse Show next year. Svetlana Sova (38) is originally from Ukraine and is now based in Dublin. She attended the horse show previously with her two daughters and they bonded over equestrian sports. I love seeing all the female jockeys on the course, she said. Dressed to the nines, she said her friend, who is a designer, needed a model to promote her portfolio. Ms Sova obliged and happily walked around the grounds of the RDS in a stunning assortment of white and red with subtle but elegant touches of tulle and lace. Nearby, colleagues Babatunde Olabi (27) from Ashford, Co Wicklow, and Sarah Inaven (28), from Stoneybatter in Dublin, stood proudly in unique attire, with both of them entered in the Best Dressed competition. Id been to the Horse Show every time since I first moved here in 2018 but this time I saw that they were offering a cash prize to the winner of the Best Dressed competition so I knew I had to call Baba, Ms Inaven said. From left, Most Creative Hat winner Laura Hanlon, Tressed to Impress winner Babatunde Alabi, Best Dressed First Prize winner Lorraine Ryan Kelly and runner-up Jodie da Silva Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland At first, I wasnt all that interested but once she mentioned the Best Dressed competition, my interest was piqued and I knew I had to show up and show out, said Mr Olabi. The pair were not expecting to meet such a variety of people attending the RDS on a dazzling Thursday afternoon. What people might not expect is that you meet a lot of different people, whether it's in the queue for the event, or just sitting down to eat. It's people from all walks of life here. We met a GP who talked to us about how she handled Covid and we spoke to people about their grandchildren. Its really interesting, said Ms Inaven. There's a lot of people I'm talking to today that I wouldn't really have encountered in my day-to-day or in my regular walk of life, so that's whats exciting to me, Mr Olabi added. Speaking after his win in the Tressed to Impress category, Mr Olabi said a new summer tradition might have been born. Im so thrilled, shocked and happy. I really was not expecting to win but I hoped I would. So to actually win is amazing, he said. Everyone is looking fab. If you have a look around you can see everyone is showing up and showing out. Its a great event. Vice-president Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz at a campaign rally in Las Vegas. Photo: AP Donald Trump has shown no sign of modifying his campaign message of populist authoritarianism despite Kamala Harris and Tim Walz shifting the dynamic of Novembers presidential election, a leading US political strategist has said. Laura Barberena, who will deliver a keynote address at the Kennedy Summer School in New Ross, Co Wexford, said the presidential election was shaping up to be a choice for American voters between white nationalists and joyful warriors. Dr Barberena, a graduate of the University of Texas who has worked on Democratic presidential election communications for Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, said the November ballot represented a pivotal moment in American history. The newly minted Harris-Walz ticket has shifted the campaign narrative from acuity and age to energy and enthusiasm, she said. Meanwhile, former president Trumps response to the change is under scrutiny. Trump 'made up' conversation with Putin during Musk discussion - former National Security Advisor His most recent appearances, press conferences and interviews suggest no significant modification in his message of grievance politics and populist authoritarianism. Will white nationalists or joyful warriors prevail in November? What, if any, role will foreign policy play in persuading voters? The Kennedy Summer School programme is dominated this year by Irish-US issues, including the potential effect on Ireland of the presidential election outcome. Dr Barberena will take part in a keynote discussion on US politics and the November presidential election on Saturday, August 31, in St Michaels Theatre. It is time for a candid conversation about the health of American democracy Also taking part in the discussion will be former Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard, chairman of Republicans Overseas-UK Greg Swanson and Moritz College of Laws Professor Dakota Rudesill. Dr Barberena is the founder and owner of VIVA Politics in San Antonio, Texas. Her firm manages political campaigns and produces political direct mail, radio spots, television commercials and other campaign materials. It is time for a candid conversation about the health of American democracy and the forces that are contributing to its current trajectory, she said. Dr Barberena also develops and produces social media campaigns in English and Spanish, prepares organisational strategic plans, provides candidate training and designs and implements research projects. In 2020, she was a key member of the Biden for Presidents Latino creative team and helped write, direct and produce television and radio commercials for the campaign. That same year, she lent her talents to candidate Jon Ossoff, directing Spanish television and social media ads for his successful run for Georgias US Senate seat. Dr Barberena worked for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and in 2008 was a key member of the Obama for Latino America media team. We cant run those extra slots therefore the fares this Christmas will be double or triple One-way flights from Dublin to London could cost up to 500 this Christmas, Ryanair boss Michael OLeary has warned, in the latest chapter of the airlines dispute with Dublin Airport over limits on flight and passenger numbers. Mr OLeary claimed the airline and other airlines applied for extra slots for flights this Christmas but were refused by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). We run about 270,000 extra slots at Christmas time every year just to keep fares down. We cant run those extra slots therefore the fares this Christmas will be double or triple. We think the fares will be about 500 one-way, Mr OLeary said on RTEs Morning Ireland programme. Mr OLeary said he was also informed of a reduction of one million passengers at Dublin Airport next year in a letter from an Irish Aviation Authority on August 14. They have written to all the airlines at the airport and the DAA inviting us to submit proposals as to how such a reduction would be implemented in practice and to ensure that any such reduction would be optimally implemented, he said. In response to queries, the IAA said it had earlier this year conducted a stakeholder consultation on its proposals for capacity at Dublin Airport for winter 2024/5. "That consultation closed on Wednesday 24 April, and we published a final decision on capacity for the Winter 2024/5 season on 7 May, a spokesperson said, directing queries towards the report published at the time. In relation to next summer, it said it expected to publish a draft decision early next month that would be the first time the IAA will make any suggestion or proposal in relation to capacity for summer 2025. Mr OLeary labelled the IAAs response as bureaucratic waffle. Today's News in 90 Seconds - August 16th The problem here is that we have a ridiculous traffic cap of 32 million passengers on the main gateway airport in Ireland. It was imposed in 2007 because there was serious concerns about road access to the airport. Those fears no longer apply. Fingal County Council dont even respect the cap because they have issued planning approval for a second runway which takes passenger numbers in Dublin Airport up to 60 million passengers, Mr OLeary said. He claimed that Irelands tourism industry was now being strangled by a defective 17-year-old road traffic concern. Mr OLeary said less than 5pc of passengers used public transport to access Dublin Airport in 2007, which he said had now risen to over 25pc. There is no problem for traffic accessing to and from Dublin Airport. We have opened a second runway, which doubles the capacity of Dublin Airport. Airlines all over Europe, including Aer Lingus, American Airways and Ryanair want to add new routes to our main gateway to this island, he said. The Ryanair chief executive said: We have an incompetent Transport Minister who wont lift a finger to remove this defective 17-year-old traffic cap. A spokesperson for Mr Ryan has previously said it is a planning matter and the Transport Minister cannot interfere in the planning process. Mr OLeary described Mr Ryan as an abject failure in his four or five years as a Transport Minister, adding that the minister had previously written to An Bord Pleanala setting out Government policy in relation to the Shannon LNG. He doesnt want to touch aviation Dublin is the second most congested city in the world for traffic, the Ryanair boss said. Mr OLeary said that Dublin Airport had already applied to Fingal County Council to remove the restriction however the process, which he believes will be removed, would take three to four years. When asked why Mr Ryan, who is also the Environment Minister, would increase carbon emission through additional flights, Mr OLeary said he is the minister for transport, not the minister for the environment. Mr Ryan is Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment and Communications. Mr OLeary said Mr Ryan was the minister who opened the second runway, however he wont lift a finger to allow us to use the second runway. We would have added another three aircraft and another million passengers if there was no restrictions at the airport, Mr OLeary said. He said there was capacity at Dublin Airport for 50 to 60 million passengers per year, adding that 50pc of traffic was inbound and would bolster the economy. Why is Ireland building this extra infrastructure if we cant use it? Mr OLeary added. In response to a query from the Irish Independent, the IAA said it had made no suggestion to reduce summer traffic in 2025. "The coordination committee at Dublin Airport provides advice to the IAA on the slot coordination parameters to be declared for each season. The committee consists of DAA (chair), Ryanair, Aer Lingus, AirNav Ireland and other airlines using the airport, it said. "We are aware that at a coordination committee meeting on 8 August DAA outlined a proposed seat cap of 25.2m seats for Summer 2025. "At the end of August, the coordination committee will finalise its advice for the IAA on this proposal, and on the other coordination parameters for Summer 2025. The IAA will consider this advice and expects to then publish a draft decision in early September, which will be the first time that the IAA will make any suggestion or proposal in relation to capacity for Summer 2025. Regarding slot allocation and decisions, the IAA said as required by the EU Slot Regulation, the IAA has appointed a company Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) to act as the independent slot coordinator at Dublin Airport. "The availability of slots in the coordination process is based on specific capacity parameters as set by the IAA, such as runway capacity, parking stands, passenger processing capacity, etc, it said. "Slots can be allocated to requesting airlines if there is available capacity within the parameters. THE Government has been warned it is critical to engage with coastal communities over long-delayed marine protection legislation. Fair Seas, a group which represents Irish environmental groups, urged the Government to brief coastal communities including farming and fishing groups in detail about marine preservation goals. Legislation to protect specific marine areas is now over 14 months behind its original publication date. Now, Fair Seas wants the Government to urgently publish the legislation - and to carefully engage with coastal communities about the key environmental challenges involved and how best to achieve them. The plea came as Fair Seas officials, working with volunteers from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), are conducting a survey of marine areas off the Irish coast. Conducted from the sail research vessel 'Celtic Mist', the survey aims to create a benchmark ecological reference for future measures to protect vulnerable Irish marine wildlife. Fair Seas official Jack O'Donovan Tra, who is a marine biologist, said a partnership approach to the environmental and ecological challenges facing Ireland was vital. "We have these 2030 targets but it is important to do things not for the sake of the target but to do them properly," he told Radio Kerry. "You need to give communities a chance to have proper input and ownership over plans. That takes time. "We do not want the Government to come in and say: 'This is now a protected area.' We want them to go back a few steps - go to a community and say: 'Look, the science says that there is a particular endangered species or there is a habitat in this area that is in decline.' "What we are advocating is that they would come up with recommended measures and explain to the local community how that would work. "Say to communities that we need to come up with a plan together that works." Fair Seas argued that it was critical that coastal communities feel that they have an involvement with marine conservation areas. The group stressed that it was vital all parties work together to protect vulnerable marine areas and stocks. Fair Seas pointed out that Oceana's 2022 report 'On The Brink' noted multiple depleted fish stocks in the north east Atlantic. These include such species as anchovy, eel, herring, horse mackerel, Dublin Bay prawns, sardines and whiting - many of which are vital to Irish fishermen. The most extreme case is that of cod which has the highest number of depleted stocks. "The depletion of these stocks has caused alarm due to the possibility that their abundance may have fallen below tipping points which will have negative biological and ecological implications, as well as adverse economic and social consequences for the fishing industry since the stocks can no longer sustain direct exploitation." In a worse-case scenario, if the reproductive capacity of these stocks is further undermined, there is an increased risk of a total stock collapse. This situation also makes these stocks more vulnerable to man-made pressures such as habitat degradation and loss and to unprecedented environmental conditions brought on by climate change. Fair Seas insisted that legislation to protect Irish seas and ensure the future viability of marine fish stocks can be achieved on a partnership and engagement approach with fishermen, farmers and coastal communities. The group argued that the major benefit of properly operated marine protection areas is the 'spillover effect' whereby fish stocks outside the protected area gradually increase. Sinn Fein had initially voting in favour of new legislation, but was accused of making a U-turn Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party wanted stronger laws around hate crime, but believed the Government's approach to be wrong. Photo: Frank McGrath Sinn Fein had a real dilemma deciding whether to support proposed hate-speech laws, according to party leader Mary Lou McDonald. The party was accused of a U-turn on the proposed laws after it initially voted in favour of the laws in the Dail and then later urged they be scrapped. Ms McDonald was speaking to Adam Long, board director of the National LGBT Federation (NXF), as part of its annual 'Pride Leaders' interview series organised in tandem with Gay Community News (GCN). Sinn Fein is now drawing up its own proposals, according to Ms McDonald, who criticised the Governments decision to bring forward plans to tackle hate speech and hate crimes in one piece of legislation. On the one hand, there is no doubt that we need stronger law to protect peoples safety, she said. Theres no question in my mind about that. The issue that arose was the balancing of that with freedom of speech. I abhor things that are hateful, obnoxious...vicious speech. The real test of free speech is when you hear things you abhor and you still abhor them and you contradict them, but you allow an environment in which they are said. We found ourselves in a real dilemma. Because on the one hand, we are adamant that the law has to be strengthened. Existing pieces on the statute book have to be strengthened to acknowledge the fact that people now feel less safe than they may have a number of years ago. We need to protect peoples safety, without a doubt. But freedom of speech is something that matters to all of us. Ms McDonald said existing laws could be updated by creating a category of aggravated offences that bring it significantly up the pecking order, I think that needs to happen. The hate-speech bit is complex and contentious. She said the Governments hate-speech legislation was finished and that she didnt see it being resurrected. The Dublin Central TD said she would not bring the laws back if Sinn Fein was to enter government, but added there was a need for stronger law against hate crimes. Justice Minister Helen McEntee is currently looking at the laws again and is due to bring them back with some amendments. Ms McDonald said one of the ways to give more teeth to hate-crime laws was to update the Offences Against the Person legislation for people protected under equality laws. I want us then, in a responsive way, to do our job to the very best of our ability, to ensure safety, to ensure that hate crime is named and punished hard, she said. She added that if an issue such as freedom of speech was mishandled, later down the line, you can pay a price for that. Mr Long told Ms McDonald that some in the community felt the party had U-turned and flip-flopped around proposed hate-crime laws, and that there was backlash against Sinn Fein. I know there was a conversation around this legislation, said Ms McDonald. We have never and I never will alter my position around an insistence for respect for peoples identity. Art, eats and irony in Oslo our restaurant critics tips for a cool city break in Norway Yes, its expensive, but Oslo is also relatively uncrowded and a pleasure to visit, says Katy McGuinness Oslo's waterfront, with its Opera House. Photo: Mats Anda / Getty Katy McGuinness Fri 16 Aug 2024 at 03:30 Earlier this year, Visit Oslos promotional video, Is It Even A City?, went viral. What have been described as last-chance peace talks in the Gaza conflict have begun in Doha. For 40,000 Palestinians, they are too late. That is the number killed in the 10-month war between Israel and Hamas militants. The majority of the fatalities were civilian, many of them women and children. It seems that Gazas fate is to become one large cemetery, with its streets, parks and homes, where the living are merely dead awaiting their turn, wrote Palestinian author Yousri Alghoul. Those attending the talks, and Hamas, which is not directly participating, should be haunted by the words. This is the seventh time CIA director Bill Burns and his Israeli counterpart David Barnea have met since December. The US and fellow mediators Qatar and Egypt are struggling to convince Israel and Hamas to agree a deal. The first priority is to stop the carnage and release the hostages. The second is to withdraw troops and ultimately reach agreement on a political solution. The urgency has been intensified by the prospect of an Iranian retaliatory strike on Israel. This is believed to be imminent, unless a ceasefire is agreed. The catastrophic consequences of failure are almost incalculable. The entire Middle East could be engulfed in a conflagration. But if these latest talks are approached with the same level of commitment as the others, the chances of success are bleak. There is deepening concern that hopes of saving the remaining dozens of hostages are fading with every passing day Sticking points are Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus insistence that his forces will not withdraw from the Gaza-Egypt border region and his refusal to allow the free unvetted movement of displaced Palestinians back. His entrenched stance has put him at odds with his own defence minister and military chiefs. The consensus is that Hamass capacity to attack has been degraded. There is also deepening concern that hopes of saving the remaining dozens of hostages are fading with every day that passes, Mr Netanyahus reliance on support for his political survival from hard-right government factions has so far left no room for compromise. Hamas is adamant Mr Netanyahu has added new conditions. It is demanding a roadmap based on a proposal outlined by US president Joe Biden. There have been reports that, should the talks fail, Washington will call on Hamas and Tel Aviv directly to do a deal. But the real pressure point, were it to be applied, would be to put an embargo on the supply of US weapons to Israel. A framework agreement was now on the table, with only the details of implementation left to conclude, sources said. It is truly time for the living hell for the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza to end. Yet with Israel warning Iran that it would exact a heavy price for any aggression and Iran insisting a punitive response is its right, the prospects of their nightmare concluding through diplomatic means seem despairingly dim. Calls to make narrow pathway at Broombridge less dangerous A young woman who rescued a man who fell into Dublins Royal Canal, has called for changes to be made to a narrow pathway used by walkers, joggers and cyclists. Marianne Gormley (21) was jogging home from work through Broombridge, which crosses the Royal Canal in Cabra, when she had to jump into action to rescue a cyclist who fell into the water. She described the area as lethal due to the condition of the ground and lack of visibility on approach, and always exercises caution as she knows how narrow the path is. You cant see whats coming from the other side because the path turns a corner as you go underneath the bridge. Cyclists regularly go through it because gates were installed to stop people from crossing over the bridge, she said. I understand why the gates were installed, but because of them, nobody wants to dismount and wheel their bike over the top of the bridge and down the other side. So everyone uses the narrow path where you cant see whats coming. On one recent run home from work, a cyclist passed by her at a normal pace, before she heard a yelp and a splash. It took me a moment to turn around as I was so confused by what had happened. Then I saw a man who was swallowing a lot of water and struggling to breathe, so I knew I needed to help, she said. The cyclist was wearing a backpack which was filling with water, along with heavy clothing. Acting quickly, Marianne lowered herself halfway into the water and asked the cyclist to grab onto her legs and pulled him to safety. Marianne Gormley (21) described the area along the canal around Broombridge as lethal Id be very surprised if this is the first time something like this has happened. The cyclist was commuting home from work and was being careful enough. He was probably in his 40s or 50s. He was okay physically, but really shocked and he was incredibly grateful to me for getting him out. He just kept thanking me. I helped him pull his bike out and we found his phone was destroyed. At this point another cyclist came and checked we were both okay. I think both of us had a fright so she told me shed sit with him until hed calmed down. I made sure he was okay physically and asked if I could call anyone, but he said he was fine, he just needed a minute. I was soaked, so I headed on then back home once I knew he was okay. I wish Id even gotten his name but I dont think either of us were thinking straight! He was honestly in very good humour, given the situation. He was even making jokes that he didnt need water because he was after drinking half the canal a minute ago, she added. This area around the bridge is well known for being where Sir William Rowan Hamilton first wrote down the mathematical formula for quaternions in 1843, which is commemorated by a stone plaque on the bridge. Waterways Ireland has been contacted for comment. Fans prepare for the bands Croke Park show at pop-up shop on Dublins Dame Street Dublin couple Cora and Frank cant wait for the AC/DC gig in Croke Park tomorrow Dublin fans are preparing for tomorrow nights AC/DC concert in Croke Park, by visiting the bands pop-up shop in the city centre. The legendary rockers bring the curtain down on their Power Up European Tour with the eagerly awaited gig in Dublin. Fans have travelled from far and wide to see the band in Croker and the official AC/DC pop-up shop, at the Central Plaza on Dame Street, is open until Sunday. Chris, from Manchester, was in the store today and will be seeing the band take to the stage for the first time ever tomorrow night. Ive never been to Dublin before, and I always wanted to do it. This seemed like the perfect excuse. I always wanted to see AC/DC, theyre a bucket list band, he said. AC/DC performs to thousands in Dublin's Croke Park It might be the biggest gig Ive ever been to, therell be like 80,000 people. John and Doug took a plane from Arizona to London and then onto Dublin, just to catch the gig. AC/DC brought us here to Dublin, we havent been here before, they said. Richard travelled from Munich in Germany for the final concert of the band's European tour Ive seen them at least 12 times, Doug added. Theyre the best band on the planet. Theyre no frills, rock and roll. They dont have a bad song. Were hoping they come to America soon. John added: Every person in the crowd is enjoying every minute of the show. We hope its not the last gig, thats why were here. Wayne, from Portsmouth, was also shopping for some AC/DC merch today. I always wanted to go to Dublin anyway. I got these tickets as back-up in case I didnt get Wembley tickets, but then we got both, he said. As straight rock bands go, theres nothing better, there are no better soundtracks. Ive got a front standing golden circle ticket so its going to be my most up-close AC/DC gig. Its a distilled, good time rock and roll vibe. They do it better than anyone else. Theres so much personality, honesty and a bit of cheekiness in there, I love it. Ive been listening to them for more than 20 years. I want to get a Dublin specific tour t-shirt if its here, but Ill definitely be buying something. Richard travelled from Munich for the final concert of the bands European tour. Its the last European concert for AC/DC, I specifically booked for the final gig, he said. Ive already seen them eight times in Germany, and in Switzerland. Ive been listening to them since I was 14 years old, its the soundtrack of my life. Im not sure if I will see them again after this. I saw them in 2016 and I wasnt sure theyd come back. This time is the last time in Europe, and I dont know if therell be another chance to see them live. Wayne, from Portsmouth in England, was shopping for some AC/DC merch in Dublin today Kenneth, from Norway, is also getting ready to see his favourite artist. This is the last concert of the tour so thats why Ive come here. This is the fourth time Im seeing them, he said. Its expensive to go to these gigs, but its worth it. Its what I love to do, Im here with some family and were having a great time. Nothing is better than this. Natalie, from France, came with her two brothers. AC/DC is an institution, a legend. Our parents were big fans, so we heard about this group a long time ago. Theyre the reason why were here, she said. This will be our first time seeing them. Were really happy and excited to be in Dublin. Dubliners Cora and Frank said they cant wait for tomorrow. The first concert I ever saw was in 1979 and that was in the Olympic Ballroom, that was my first gig and Ive been hooked ever since, Cora said. The music, the vibe, the atmosphere, the fans, its a brilliant night out and I love rock music. Frank added: Were all rockers, were both in our sixties. We grew up with AC/DC back in the 1970s. They were like Thin Lizzy. I saw them in Wembley, and I saw them here in the Aviva in 2015. We want to make sure we get our t-shirts. We collect t-shirts from every gig we go to, this is another one. Kerry Rose Emer Dineen and Louth Rose Justine McGuirk pictured with Cllr. Michael Cahill, Cathaoirleach Kenmare Muncipal District and Hannah O'Sullivan from Portmagee at the Kerry Cliffs as part of the Rose Tour. Photo by Domnick Walsh. Roscommon Rose Rachel Hastings, Wicklow Rose Kerry Byrne and New York Rose Billie Cooper meet Tom Fitzgerald and his sheep at Coomakista Viewpoint as part of the Rose Tour. Photo by Domnick Walsh. Roses get a big welcome at An Siopa Dubh in Castlecove as part of the Rose Tour. Photo by Domnick Walsh. Wicklow Rose Kerry Byrne, London Rose Glenna Mannion, Chicago Rose Megan Cahill, Kilkenny Rose Lisa O'Rourke, Donegal Rose Niamh Shevlin and Cavan Rose Grace Farrelly pictured enjoying a creamed coffee at An Siopa Dubh in Castlecove, Co Kerry as part of the Rose Tour. Photo by Domnick Walsh. With the 2024 Rose of Tralee festival officially today (Friday), the Rose tour wound its way down to the Kingdom in recent days, where all 32 Roses were treated to some of the best sights, sounds, and...sheep racing that Kerry has to offer. Having checked into their home for the next week, the Meadowlands Hotel, on Tuesday night, the ladies hopped on a bus bright and early on Wednesday morning and headed off down to south Kerry for the day. First up on their itinerary was the stunning Kerry Cliffs near Portmagee, which left them in awe. They then made their way down to the beautiful hidden gem that is Derrynane beach, where they enjoyed a refreshing stroll and a spot of lunch at O'Carrolls Cove. After this, it was off to Coomakista viewpoint to take in the vista before the ladies enjoyed the unique spectacle of sheep racing at An Siopa Dubh at Castlecove, with the Kildare Rose Catherine Cunningham coming out on top as the winner. Carmel Galvin from An Siopa Dubh spoke to The Kerryman on Thursday about the Roses' visit, and she could not have spoken more highly of them or of the day itself. "It was absolutely brilliant," she said, "we had a sheep race, and the Kildare girl won it. It entails putting sheep into a pen, and they put ribbons around them, and they have a race up and down two or three times. They [the Roses] had never seen anything like it," Carmel laughed. "When they came off the bus, they all circled around on both sides and then all the people went out into the middle of the road, cheering them on. After that, there was the sheep race, and they all came over to us here in An Siopa Dubh, where we presented them with flowers and Irish coffee," Carmel continued. "You couldn't ask for nicer girls. We're hoping the Kingdom girl will win, as she's such a lovely girl. She came inside and took a picture with Brenda, my daughter, and me, so we're absolutely over the moon. They had a great day out down here. They were saying that it's great to go around to rural places. They said it was the best bar they had visited so far, so we were thrilled," Carmel added. Finally, it was then on to Sneem for a seaweed bath and boat trip, which worked up an appetite for the dinner they enjoyed at the Sneem Hotel. Independent Deputy Carol Nolan TD with members of the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group who have handed in a letter opposing the wind farm development to Bord na Mona representatives in Ballycumber village Bord na Mona has signalled that it intends to proceed with the development of a wind farm in north west Offaly consisting of 15 220m high wind turbines on an archaeologically important bog, despite local opposition. Independent TD Carol Nolan said this week she will continue to advocate for the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group and its supporters. Follow Independent Offaly on Facebook Deputy Nolan was speaking after attending a protest by the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group, during which it handed over a letter opposing the development to Bord na Mona representatives in Ballycumber village. The Independent TD said she has been a consistent supporter of the objectives of the Lemanaghan group, and has previously described the proposed wind farm as tantamount to archaeological vandalism of the worst kind. Despite thousands of written objections, despite clear opposition by the local community and despite evidence of the potential for long-term and irreversible archaeological damage, Bord na Mona and its partners SSE Renewables have decided to proceed with this project, said Deputy Nolan. I find this alarming. I will continue to do all that I can to shine a light on this unwanted and unloved planning application and I will certainly work to ensure that the voices of local communities, such as Lemanaghan are heard, said Deputy Nolan. Bord na Mona and SSE Renewables intend to submit a planning application for the proposed Lemanaghan Wind Farm in the coming months, said a spokesperson for Bord na Mona. The archaeological, architectural and cultural heritage of Lemanaghan Bog, and its surrounds, will be considered as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) that will accompany the planning application for the proposed development. Since the project first launched in 2021, the project team and its community liaison officer have engaged with the local community on an ongoing basis in relation to the proposed wind farm. The project team has conducted a range of community engagement activity, including the creation of a dedicated project website and virtual consultation room, meetings with members of the local community, house visits to neighbouring residents and recently held a public information evening, which took place on Tuesday, August 13. Engagement with the local community will continue throughout the development of the proposed wind farm, added the spokesperson. The White Hag brewery in Sligo celebrated the 10th year of its annual craft beer festival Hagstravaganza in Ballymote last Saturday week. The event showcased a dazzling selection of more than 50 craft beers from global industry leaders as well as new brewers who are just entering the scene. A celebration of French and Irish culture is planned for Fethard on Sea this Sunday, when the Baginbun Norman Festival takes place. At the creek of Baginbun, Ireland was lost and won is well remembered here in Wexford. It refers to the Normans victory over the local forces who fought them on their arrival in Baginbun in 1170 arguably, one of the most significant events in Irish history. The fun-filled celebration of history, culture, and community kicks off with an opening ceremony at 2 p.m. The Norman Journey by Jeremy Hill will be told in St Mogues Church and admission is 15, and at 3.30 p.m. there will be a display by the Dunbrody Archers Display behind Fethard Castle. A night of music with Eleanor Shanley and Mike Hanrahan follows at 7 p.m. in St Mogues Church and admission is 25. See eventbrite.ie Baginbun Norman Festival for tickets. The fourth Baginbun Norman will also see free medieval displays, kids games, Norman reenactors, local crafts and delicious food, and who knows you might even get a chance to try your hand at a bit of archery. After months of petitioning from elected Wicklow representatives and community groups, Bus Eireann has confirmed that all Expressway Route 2 buses will be routed past St Vincents Hospital in Dublin starting in October. With the Expressway Route 2 running from Wexford to Dublin Airport via St Vincents Hospital (Nutley Lane) four times a day from Monday to Saturday, and three times on Sundays, the amendment to the schedule will mean that commuters will no longer have to make the over 20-minute walk to the hospital from the nearest stop or find alternative transport. The news will be welcomed by commuters across south Wicklow and Wexford, including members of the Arklow Active Retirement group, who had highlighted the need for the routing change to local representatives, and pressed home that many of their group did not have their own vehicles and relied on family members or friends to accommodate them. Outlining the details of the amendment, a statement from Bus Eireann to Wicklow TD Stephen Donnelly noted: The Expressway team has received positive feedback from our customers for better connectivity for customers travelling from Wexford to St Vincents Hospital and submitted an amendment request for the timetable at the end of 2023 to the National Transport Authority (NTA). The amendment request stated that all services on Expressway Route 2 operate via Nutley Lane and serve St Vincents Hospital. I am pleased to report that the NTA has offered this amendment request and we are liaising with the local authorities along the route and aim to have the new Expressway Route 2 timetable in place for October. This will mean that all Expressway Route 2 services will stop at Nutley Lane (St Vincents Hospital) in both directions, thereby offering improved health service connectivity for customers travelling along the corridor. Heralding the news, councillor Pat Fitzgerald, who has been making representations on the issue for the past year, said that he was delighted that commuters would finally get the service they need. Ive made representations through my own contacts and through Minister Stephen Donnelly, whose staff have been great throughout and always came back to me, Cllr Fitzgerald said. Im delighted for the people of south Wicklow because in recent times, people going up to St Vincents visiting a family member or friend had to walk a good 20 minutes to half an hour from the nearest stop, which is a lot to ask of our older community members. Not everyone has a car, and people didnt like hassling their families or friends to get a lift up or back from the hospital. Now that all buses will go past Vincents, it will mean there are fewer people having to make that journey by car, and there will be fewer cars on our roads so its a win-win for everyone. Its a shame it has taken this long to get to this point, but now that we have this confirmation, it is something that should be celebrated, because it will make a huge difference to our community who have been very patient waiting for this. Echoing those sentiments, Cathaoirleach of the Arklow Municipal District, councillor Pat Kennedy added: This has been a long time coming, and its something that has been raised and desired by the community for an age. I wholeheartedly welcome this positive news as it stands to make a big difference for our commuters who had to walk long distances to get there or find someone to drive them. This is great news for everyone involved and I couldnt be happier that this amendment to the schedule is finally being made. The plight of parents in Greystones whose children remained without a secondary school place in September has finally reached a satisfactory outcome, after the interminable wait came to an end with the last-minute offer of places at Greystones Community College. The rolling issue of the drastic shortfall of places in the towns three schools came to light last year, when in October, the principals Ruairi Farrell (Greystones Community College), Simon Carey (St Davids Holy Faith Secondary School) and Alan Cox (Temple Carrig School) issued a collective statement acknowledging that they were aware of the distress, worry and frustration among parents because of the shortfall in school places in the town for the academic year 2024/2025. Wicklow TD for the Social Democrats, Jennifer Whitmore, campaigned tirelessly to highlight the issue, bringing it to the Dail on multiple occasions, and slowly but surely the numbers began to dwindle from 72, down to roughly 30 in February of this year when parents took to the streets to vent their frustrations, and, at the last count, 12 students remained without a place. In the interim, there were interventions from Taoiseach Simon Harris, who was able to confirm that at least one of the sticking points, the new building for Greystones Community College, was resolved and in April confirmed a contract was being awarded for work to begin in the near future. While at the time that was greeted with a lukewarm response by many bereft parents as it didnt address the here and now, even the symbolism of the Taoiseachs mediation in his hometown was promising, and at the final hour, Greystones Community College has saved the day by taking on those children who face having to seek school places further afield. Deputy Whitmore has welcomed the news that the remaining students have been allocated places in Greystones Community College, putting an end to an incredibly stressful time. I was delighted to hear today from a parent that the final allocation of places was made today and that this resolves the crisis in secondary school places we have seen over the last number of months, she said. "This is wonderful news for these children and their families. It has been an incredibly stressful time for these families and in particular the children who should have been looking forward to starting secondary school with their friends, not worrying that they had no school to go to, she continued. Im very thankful to Greystones Community College and their Principal Ruairi Farrell for accommodating these children and ensuring that they will be able to start school next week. Greystones Community College has consistently been at the forefront of providing solutions to the Department of Education throughout this school places crisis and this is another example of that approach by the school. However, Deputy Whitmore has sounded a note of caution that while this is a small victory for the embattled town, unfortunately, next year will bring further skirmishes. The Department should have never let this crisis go on this long, she said. The Department of Education were made aware of a significant shortfall of school places in October of last year, when local schools rang alarm bells about accommodation needs. "I have been working with the schools and local parents to try to resolve this issue since it was first brought to my attention. But despite assurances from both the Minister for Education and the Department that all children would get a school place in Greystones, several families were left in limbo and suffered a huge amount of stress over the last few months. "It is completely unacceptable that these children have only finally been offered a secondary school place one week before schools start back, added Deputy Whitmore, who is also the Social Democrats spokesperson for children. Every year there are issues with a lack of school places in Greystones and I believe that next year will also be problematic as the long-awaited new school builds, such as the GCC permanent school building, will not be ready for the 2025/26 school year. The Department needs to start planning ahead and have solutions in place so that children and families arent put through this traumatic experience again. Every child deserves to go to school and the most basic thing that a government should do is provide a classroom space for each child. This government has failed to do this time and time again in Wicklow and across the country, she concluded. Bernie Leadon Bolger from Baltinglass Co Wicklow enjoying the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS. Photo: Steve Humphreys From left, Most Creative Hat winner Laura Hanlon, Tressed to Impress winner Babatunde Alabi, Best Dressed First Prize winner Lorraine Ryan Kelly and runner-up Jodie da Silva Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland A Co Wicklow man won an award for his hair style on Ladies Day at the Dublin Horse Show on Thursday. The Tressed to Impress category was part of the overall Best Dressed competition, which was judged by stylist Clementine MacNeice and former Irish Independent fashion editor Bairbre Power. Sponsored by Peter Mark, the hair category was won by Babatunde Alabi from Ashford, Co Wicklow. He took home a hamper of hair care products to the value of 1,000. Speaking after his win in the Tressed to Impress category, Mr Alabi said a new summer tradition might have been born. Im so thrilled, shocked and happy. I really was not expecting to win but I hoped I would. So to actually win is amazing, he said. Everyone is looking fab. If you have a look around you can see everyone is showing up and showing out. Its a great event. Mr Alabi (27) attended the show with colleague Sarah Inaven (28), from Stoneybatter in Dublin. Both stood proudly in unique attire, with both of them entered in the Best Dressed competition. Id been to the Horse Show every time since I first moved here in 2018 but this time I saw that they were offering a cash prize to the winner of the Best Dressed competition so I knew I had to call Baba, Ms Inaven said. At first, I wasnt all that interested but once she mentioned the Best Dressed competition, my interest was piqued and I knew I had to show up and show out, said Mr Alabi. The pair were not expecting to meet such a variety of people attending the RDS on a dazzling Thursday afternoon. What people might not expect is that you meet a lot of different people, whether its in the queue for the event, or just sitting down to eat. Its people from all walks of life here. We met a GP who talked to us about how she handled Covid and we spoke to people about their grandchildren. Its really interesting, said Ms Inaven. Theres a lot of people Im talking to today that I wouldnt really have encountered in my day-to-day or in my regular walk of life, so thats whats exciting to me, Mr Alabi added. The main Best Dressed prize was awarded to Co Galway teacher Lorraine Ryan Kelly, who won the 10,000 cash prize provided by sponsors 1664 Blanc. Attending the Horse Show with her husband and daughter Willow (2), Ms Ryan Kelly wore black trousers from No Name Style with a black and bronze shirt by Irish designer Julie Caulfield, shoes from Zara and her mothers handbag, to claim the 10,000 prize. Im in absolute shock, she said. My blouse is by Julie Caulfield, who express-posted this to me because they know how unorganised I am. My shoes are Zara and this is my mams bag that I stole off her. For today I changed up the styling. My career is teaching but I love fashion as well and any opportunity I have to dress up I try to take it. I have a two-year-old down there who will probably make a list for me and its her birthday in a month so well have to splash out. It was clear that style and community were the order of the day on Ladies Day, but the previous afternoon, as the show opened, Bernie Leadon-Bolger, from Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, was captured showing off her innate sense of style and bargain-hunting panache. She paired a cool horse-themed handbag bought by her daughter at a thrift stall at Cheltenham with a pretty gold horse pendant necklace from Dubai. She shared how shed snapped up her beautiful green and blue full-length tea-dress, for only 1 on sale at Penneys. Shed also bagged her matching blue ankle boots for just 3. My money goes on travel and horses, Ms Leadon-Bolger said. And my hat I got in Italy at a horse show, as it was so hot. An investigation into Matthew Perry's death from an accidental ketamine overdose last October has led to five people including his assistant and two doctors being charged. It is claimed that Perry first went to a clinic for depression and anxiety, and became "addicted to intravenous ketamine", and when he asked for an increased dosage, he was refused. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) claims he then turned to "unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust". Here is a look at how events unfolded: - November 2022: Perry releases the book Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing, in which he says he was on the brink of death, aged 49, when his colon burst from drug abuse. Perry also discloses he spent two weeks in a coma and five months in hospital and had to use a colostomy bag for nine months. He says he is in "sobriety". - Late September 2023: According to the indictment, Dr Salvador Plasencia, 42, of Santa Monica, learned Perry "was interested in obtaining ketamine". Plasencia then allegedly contacted Dr Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, to supply Perry with the anaesthetic medication. - September and October: It is claimed that Plasencia used Perry's live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, of Toluca Lake, to distribute approximately 20 vials of ketamine to the actor. - Mid-October: It is alleged Iwamasa began also to buy ketamine for Perry from Erik Fleming, 54, of Hawthorne, and Jasveen Sangha, 41, of North Hollywood. During the same month, Iwamasa was allegedly told that "Perry's ketamine addiction was spiralling out of control". - October 28: The US Attorney's Office, Central District of California, says Iwamasa injected Perry at his Pacific Palisades home with the ketamine that was sold to him by Fleming and Sangha, and using syringes from Plasencia. Perry was found face down in his hot tub, and paramedics declared him dead. Perry's death was announced and it is claimed that Sangha texted Fleming: "Delete all our messages." - October 29: An post-mortem examination is completed on Perry. - November 3: Friends co-stars Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston reportedly attend his funeral at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, where he was buried. - December 15: The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident from the "acute effects of ketamine". Perry was receiving "ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety", the examination said. It concluded that this would not explain the levels found in his blood, which was in the range used for general anaesthesia during surgery. Matthew Perry death ruled accident from acute effects of ketamine - February and March 2024: The US attorney alleges that Plasencia provided altered and falsified medical records, which claimed he had a legitimate "treatment plan" in place for Perry, which they say was an attempt to influence the investigation. - May: The Los Angeles Police Department confirms it is continuing to work with the DEA on an investigation into the circumstances of Perry's death. - August 7: Iwamasa pleads guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. He admits to "repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including performing multiple injections" on the day of his death. - August 8: Fleming pleads guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He admits to "obtaining the ketamine from his source, Sangha, and to distributing 50 vials of ketamine" to Iwamasa, the US attorney said. - August 15: Plasencia, Chavez, Iwamasa, Fleming and Sangha are charged over the circumstances surrounding Perry's death. Sangha and Plasencia are set to appear in court. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is paid almost 98,000 a month by GB News (Maja Smiejkowska/PA) Clacton MP Nigel Farage is paid almost 98,000 a month to be a presenter on GB News, his register of interests has revealed. The Reform UK leader is paid 97,928.40 a month by the broadcaster, for 32 hours of work. Meanwhile, Mr Farages party colleague Lee Anderson is being paid 100,000 a year by GB News for eight hours work a month. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage following his election as Clacton MP (Joe Giddens/PA) During the general election, Mr Farage cancelled his show, which aired Monday to Thursday each week, to focus on campaigning but following his success in Clacton he returned to the channel as a presenter. Ofcom has repeatedly found that GB News has breached broadcasting rules on impartiality, which allow politicians to present current affairs programmes but not act as newsreaders. The media watchdog has previously investigated programmes presented by former Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, as well as former Conservative minister Esther McVey and former backbencher Philip Davies. Married couple Ms McVey and Mr Davies are no longer part of the channels line-up. On Friday evening, the full list of MPs registered financial interests was published. In addition to his GB News earnings, Mr Farage made 4,000 on Cameo, a platform on which well-known people record personalised videos for paying customers. Mr Farage also earns 4,000 a month writing articles for the Daily Telegraph. Reform UK MP Lee Anderson (Maja Smiejkowska/PA) The list shows that investor Christopher Harborne donated 32,836 to Mr Farage to visit Donald Trump in the US, after the former president had been shot at earlier this year. The description for this donation states: To support a friend who was almost killed and to represent Clacton on the world stage. George Cottrell donated 9,253.60 to Mr Farage to attend the National Conservatives conference in Brussels in April this year. As well as receiving a salary from GB News, Mr Anderson was paid 1,000 to write an article for the Daily Express. And the British Association of Shooting and Conservation gifted the Ashfield MP an overnight stay, dinner and clay shoot which totalled 708 in March. Taylor Swift performs on stage during her concert at Wembley Stadium on Thursday. Pic: Getty Taylor Swift reached out in private to bereaved families of the Southport victims before taking to the stage on Thursday night for her first gig since the tragedy. Swifts history-making Eras tour made a triumphant return, with a surprise appearance by Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium. He joined the headliner on stage at Wembley Stadium for the acoustic section, playing two of their collaborations, Everything Has Changed and Endgame, before a burst of Sheeran's hit Thinking Out Loud. It was the stars first gig since the Southport stabbings last month at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class for youngsters, which claimed the lives of three young girls. Although Swift, 34, did not publicly reference the deaths of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice Aguiar, nine, and Bebe King, six, she is understood to has reached out privately to their families. A source told The Sun newspaper: Taylor may not have spoken about Elsie Dot, Alice and Bebe on stage but she has reached out to their families. It is something that has weighed heavily on her mind. In the wake of the tragedy, the star had issued a statement speaking of her horror at the scenes unfolding in the Merseyside town. The horror of yesterdays attack in Southport is washing over me continuously and Im just completely in shock, she said. The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families. It comes after a foiled plan to attack her concert venue in Austria, where police arrested three Islamic State-inspired extremists. The August shows in Vienna were cancelled, making Thursday's Wembley concert the return of the Eras Tour to the stage. She thanked the 92,000-strong audience for making the effort to attend, which had involved increased security measures. Swift has four remaining dates at Wembley Stadium, which will make it a record breaking solo residency at the venue and round out the European leg of her Eras tour. It picks up again in Toronto in November. Ukrainians set up military office inside Russia as troops advance Belarus president Lukashenko says two countries should negotiate an end to their brawl Ukrainian servicemen return from Russia near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Sumy region. Photo: AP Olena Harmash Fri 16 Aug 2024 at 03:30 Ukraines top commander said yesterday that Kyiv had set up a military commandants office in the occupied part of Russias Kursk region where he said his forces were still advancing and had taken up to 1.5km in the last 24 hours. Talks raise hopes of Gaza peace deal that would avoid wider war Mediators have spent months hammering out ceasefire plan in bid to end conflict Palestinians react as they wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis as conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in the northern Gaza Strip August 14, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa Abby Sewell Fri 16 Aug 2024 at 03:30 International mediators held a new round of talks yesterday aimed at halting the Israel-Hamas war and securing the release of scores of hostages, with a potential deal seen as the best hope of heading off an even larger regional conflict. Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community! Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region. Image Credit: Representational image (Courtesy: Unsplash) Mumbai: The Adani Group-controlled Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has pledged a 51 percent stake in the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL) to the State Bank of India (SBI), media reports said. This pledge is tied to a loan of Rs 12,770 crore granted by SBI for the greenfield airport project, the Financial Express reported. MIAL, which holds a 74 percent stake in NMIAL, is managing the airport's development. The Navi Mumbai airport is now expected to begin operations in the final quarter of the 2024-25 financial year (FY25), after a three-month delay from its original schedule. The Adani Group achieved financial closure for the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL) project in March 2022 after SBI agreed to underwrite the entire debt requirement of Rs 12,770 crore. Previously, NMIAL had secured financing of Rs 8,645 crore from Yes Bank to fund the design, development, and construction of Phase I of the airport. However, Yes Bank later unilaterally canceled the arrangement, prompting a revised financing deal with SBI. Upon full completion, the Navi Mumbai airport is expected to accommodate 90 million passengers and handle 2.6 million tonnes of cargo annually by FY32. The first phase alone will introduce a capacity of 20 million passengers. The airport will ultimately have four passenger terminals and two parallel runways. By comparison, Mumbai International Airport currently handles 55 million passengers per year. Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL), which oversees Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) and controls 23 percent of Indias air traffic, recently sought shareholder approval to increase its borrowing limit from Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore. This move, passed through a special resolution at the company's annual general meeting, underscores AAHLs plans for further expansion and managing its financial commitments. Despite operating seven airports across India, including Mumbai International Airport, AAHL faces financial difficulties. MIAL reported a loss of Rs 608 crore in FY24, while Ahmedabad airport posted a Rs 327 crore loss. Other airports in AAHL's portfolio, such as those in Jaipur, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, Mangaluru, and Lucknow, also incurred losses during the same period. Mumbai: Sajjan Jindal-promoted JSW Cement on Friday filed its offer documents with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), for a Rs 4000-crore initial public offering. The document stated, the company looks to raise Rs 2000 crore through a fresh issue and another Rs 2000 crore through an offer for sale. The groups energy, ports and steel are already listed businesses, with the ports vertical JSW Infrastructure being the latest. In August last year, Parth Jindal, scion of the JSW group and managing director for JSW Cement, had shared the listing plans for 2024 and said, the proceeds will help the group achieve its 60 million tonne plan. The Friday document noted the proceeds would be utilised to part finance the cost of establishing a cement unit in Rajasthan, payment of certain borrowings and other general corporate purposes. JSW Cement plans to triple the cement business capacity to 60 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in four years from now, from the current 20.60 MTPA. The company has shared plans to expand to markets in North and Central India. JSW Cement currently has presence in Southeast and West India. In May this year, the company said it plans to invest around Rs 3,000 crore to establish a greenfield, integrated cement manufacturing facility in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. Private equity (PE) investors with exposure to JSW Cement include Apollo Global Management (through its managed funds) and Synergy Metals Investments Holding. In July 2021, JSW Cement entered into definitive agreements to raise up to Rs 1,500 crore from these two global PE investors. Both, AP Asia Opportunistic Holdings Pte. and Synergy Metals Investments Holding Limited are listed as selling shareholders, for equity worth Rs 937 crore each in the offer document filed on Friday. JSW Cements IPO will hit the market while its other listed competitors are in a frenzy to increase capacity and gain market share. Cement volumes in FY24 grew by 9 per cent, and are expected to clock 6-8 per cent growth in the current financial year. Higher volumes, however, are against the backdrop of subdued cement prices. Private equity (PE) investors with exposure to JSW Cement include Apollo Global Management (through its managed funds) and Synergy Metals Investments Holding. In July 2021, JSW Cement entered into definitive agreements to raise up to Rs 1,500 crore from these two global PE investors. Both, AP Asia Opportunistic Holdings Pte. and Synergy Metals Investments Holding Limited are listed as selling shareholders, for equity worth Rs 937 crore each in the offer document filed on Friday. JSW Cements IPO will hit the market while its other listed competitors are in a frenzy to increase capacity and gain market share. Cement volumes in FY24 grew by 9 per cent, and are expected to clock 6-8 per cent growth in the current financial year. Higher volumes, however, are against the backdrop of subdued cement prices. Photo Courtesy: NIAID The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting African countries to scale up response to curb mpox, which is now an international global health emergency. The outbreak that affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and spread to neighbouring countries continues to grow. On Thursday afternoon, WHO member Sweden became the first country outside Africa to record a case of the mpox Clade 1 variant that is believed to be driving the latest outbreak. We are hard at work on the frontlines of the response, collaborating closely with governments and communities to strengthen mpox control measures and are ramping up efforts to curb the widening trend of the virus through coordinated action with partners and national authorities, said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. Viral disease, global concern Mpox formerly monkeypox - is a viral disease that can be transmitted through physical contact with an infected person, animal or contaminated objects. It was first detected in humans in 1970, in the DRC, and is considered endemic to countries in Central and West Africa. Outbreaks are caused by different mpox viruses called clades, and the clade 1 strain has been circulating in the DRC for years. The emergence of a new offshoot clade 1b - and its rapid spread, including to nearby countries, is among the main reasons why WHO declared on Wednesday that mpox constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). So far this year, more than 2,100 laboratory confirmed cases of the disease, and 13 deaths, have been reported in the DRC and 11 other countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. This compares to 1,145 confirmed cases, and seven deaths, in 11 countries for all of 2023. Support and collaboration WHO is stepping up support to the affected countries by deploying additional experts, including epidemiologists and anthropologists, and providing initial funding to accelerate outbreak response measures. Efforts are underway to enhance cross-border collaboration for case investigation, contact tracing and community engagement to ensure compliance with preventive measures. The UN agency is also assisting national regulatory authorities to speed up regulatory approvals, as well as providing guidance to national immunization technical advisory groups to ensure readiness for vaccine rollout. Improving access to vaccines WHO has also begun the process for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for mpox vaccines, which will accelerate access for lower-income countries which have not yet issued their own national regulatory approval. EUL means that partners such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) will be able to procure doses for distribution. WHO is also working to strengthen national diagnostic capacities by providing testing kits, and reagents, as well as machines to decentralize testing. Genomic sequencing is also ongoing to determine the mpox clades. To enhance preparedness in countries neighbouring the DRC and those at risk, disease surveillance and training of frontline health workers is being increased, along with public awareness campaigns. Image credit: NIAID Islamabad/IBNS: Officials of the health department in northern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province reported on Friday (Aug 16) that it had detected three cases of the monkeypox (Mpox) virus. Reuters reported, quoting the Pakistani health department, that three individuals were detected to be infected with the disease upon their arrival from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the recent mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant of the infectious virus was identified in Sweden. On Thursday (Aug 15), WHO member Sweden became the first country outside Africa to record a case of the mpox Clade 1 variant that is believed to be driving the latest outbreak. Pakistan has previously reported cases of Mpox infection, the Reuters report said, adding that it is not yet clear which variant the newly found patients are infected with. Reuters reported, quoting KP province's director general of health services Salim Khan, that two patients were confirmed to have Mpox. The third patient's samples have been sent to the National Health Institute in Islamabad for confirmation, the health official said, adding that all three are being quarantined. A spokesperson for Pakistan's national health ministry said the country had detected one suspected case of Mpox, according to Reuters. Since the Mpox outbreak began last year (2023), at least 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths the majority cases among children have been reported in Congo, a country in the central Africa, the report said. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has directed travellers who are planning to visit Africa should consider getting vaccinated amid mpox outbreak in the region. "Due to frequent and close travel links between the EU/EEA and Africa, ECDC recommends that EU/EEA Member States issue travel advice for people visiting or returning from areas affected by the outbreak," read a statement issued by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. "The likelihood of infection for people from the EU/EEA travelling to affected areas who have close contact with affected communities is high. Additionally, there is a moderate risk for close contacts of possible or confirmed imported cases into the EU/EEA," it said. "ECDC recommends travellers to epidemic areas consult their healthcare provider or travel health clinic regarding eligibility for vaccination against mpox," the statement said. The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting African countries to scale up response to curb mpox, which is now an international global health emergency. The outbreak that affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and spread to neighbouring countries continues to grow. On Thursday afternoon, WHO member Sweden became the first country outside Africa to record a case of the mpox Clade 1 variant that is believed to be driving the latest outbreak. We are hard at work on the frontlines of the response, collaborating closely with governments and communities to strengthen mpox control measures and are ramping up efforts to curb the widening trend of the virus through coordinated action with partners and national authorities, said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. Viral disease, global concern Mpox formerly monkeypox - is a viral disease that can be transmitted through physical contact with an infected person, animal or contaminated objects. It was first detected in humans in 1970, in the DRC, and is considered endemic to countries in Central and West Africa. Outbreaks are caused by different mpox viruses called clades, and the clade 1 strain has been circulating in the DRC for years. The emergence of a new offshoot clade 1b - and its rapid spread, including to nearby countries, is among the main reasons why WHO declared on Wednesday that mpox constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). So far this year, more than 2,100 laboratory confirmed cases of the disease, and 13 deaths, have been reported in the DRC and 11 other countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. This compares to 1,145 confirmed cases, and seven deaths, in 11 countries for all of 2023. Support and collaboration WHO is stepping up support to the affected countries by deploying additional experts, including epidemiologists and anthropologists, and providing initial funding to accelerate outbreak response measures. Efforts are underway to enhance cross-border collaboration for case investigation, contact tracing and community engagement to ensure compliance with preventive measures. The UN agency is also assisting national regulatory authorities to speed up regulatory approvals, as well as providing guidance to national immunization technical advisory groups to ensure readiness for vaccine rollout. Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from X post Kolkata/IBNS: The political rallies and protests are set to take the centre stage of West Bengal on Friday with the SUCI's 12-hour state-wide bandh against the vandalism, which was carried out by miscreants at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday late night. The SUCI supporters were seen clashing with police in various districts of the state. Mild response towards the bandh call has been reported by local channels from Siliguri, a city in North Bengal. Some visuals showed how SUCI supporters clashed with police at Hazra Road in Kolkata. Similar incidents were reported in Cooch Behar. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a rally demanding justice for the 31-year-old lady trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered at the seminar hall in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital a week ago. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday snubbed Banerjee's direction to her police to solve the case by August 18 and handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Chief Minister has now demanded that CBI should solve the case by August 18 and "deliver justice". On the other hand, Bharatiya Janata Party has planned a candle march to Chief Minister's residence demanding her resignation over the RG Kar rape-murder case and vandalism which took place at the state-run hospital. Photo courtesy: Wikipedia/IBNS Video Kolkata/IBNS: The Calcutta High Court on Friday slammed the West Bengal government for its "absolute failure of state machinery" in tackling the vandalism of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital by miscreants on Wednesday late night, media reports said. The High Court has termed the vandalism as "pre-planned" and asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit an interim report on it. In reply to the court's questions, the state said a mob of about 7,000 people were there during the vandalisation. The number suddenly increased, they broke the barricades and ransacked the hospital but the place of occurrence of the crime was protected, said the state counsel. Slamming the state's counsel, the court said, "7,000 people can't come walking." The court questioned the administration as to how doctors will work fearlessly at the hospital. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed the supporters of DYFI (the youth wing of CPI-M) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conspired to unleash the vandalism. She cited the presence of a white-red flag and a tricolour to back her claims. Speaking to reporters after visiting Raj Bhavan, Banerjee said, "As far as I have received information, I am not blaming students but some outsider political people- DYFI and BJP- who want to create anarchy in Bengal." "The ones who vandalised are outsiders. They are not related to the students' protests." Some miscreants suddenly entered the Emergency building and resorted to violence at a time thousands of women and men took the streets across West Bengal and outside demanding justice for the RG Kar case. The agitating doctors had to flee owing to the sudden clashes. Media personnel were attacked. The miscreants vandalised the stage where the protest was taking place. They even overturned the police vehicles. Some police personnel also received injuries. The police had to resort to using tear gas to disperse off the crowd. Nineteen people have been arrested by police so far in connection with the vandalism. The situation turned grim amid the massive protest organised called 'Relcaim The Night' to seek justice over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee lady doctor at Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and its alleged cover-up that triggered a tsunami of anger against the authorities. Women and men across West Bengal took to the streets on the eve of Independence Day. As per the directive of the High Court, the CBI is already probing into the rape-murder case under the monitoring of the judiciary. Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from YouTube video The Central Bureau of Investigation officials on Friday took former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh to CGO complex in Salt Lake for questioning in the PG trainee doctor's rape and murder case. He was picked up from the street after he failed to respond to summons. The CBI had sent him notice to appear before it. However, Ghosh did not appear before the agency. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered controversial RG Kar principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh, who was appointed as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College within hours of his resignation as the head of RG Kar Medical College, to go on a long leave, coming down heavily on the role of the state government in trying to protect him. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday snubbed the Chief Minister's deadline and handed over the case to the CBI, which will probe into the matter under the monitoring of the judiciary. The accused civic volunteer was on Wednesday handed over to the CBI by police. Meanwhile,the Calcutta High Court on Friday questioned the West Bengal government over it urgency to carry out a renovation work near the crime scene at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where a 31-year-old lady trainee doctor was raped and murdered last week. A High Court bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya has asked the state to respond to the allegations that the renovation work was conducted to erase all evidence from the crime scene. In response, the state counsel said the allegations are incorrect as the demolition work was not conducted near the place of occurrence. The court questioned the timing when the state counsel said the renovation work was conducted for a restroom of doctors. The court asked the state counsel, "What was the urgency? ...You go to any district court complex, see if ladies have any restrooms! I say this with responsibility. What has the PWD done? ... We'll shift patients to other hospital, close the (RG Kar) hospital. That will be the best. All the stories - 'within 12 hours rest room have to be provided' - see the condition of the restrooms in the court complexes!" What happened in RG Kar? The trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which is located in North Kolkata's Belgachia area. She was found in a half naked state with multiple injuries in the whole body from neck and eyes to private parts. The parents were initially told by the hospital that their daughter committed suicide. One person, a civic volunteer, has been arrested in connection with the case but protesting students suspect more people are involved in the crime. But Indian officials, in a series of meetings, had demanded that the US tone down its pro-democracy rhetoric. You approach it at the level of democracy, but for us, the issues are much, much more serious and existential, an Indian government adviser was quoted as saying by The Washington Post. Ultimately, the Joe Biden administration substantially softened its criticism and shelved threats of further sanctions against Hasinas government, which disappointed many in Bangladesh, as per the report. According to The Washington Post report, US diplomats had publicly harangued Sheikh Hasina for jailing thousands of her rivals and critics ahead of an election scheduled for last January, while the Joe Biden administration had sanctioned Rapid Action Battalion or RAB a Bangladeshi police unit under Hasinas command accused of carrying out extrajudicial abductions and killings and had threatened imposing visa restrictions on Bangladeshis who undermined democracy or committed human rights abuses.Indian officials argued if the opposition were allowed to gain power in an open election, Bangladesh would become a breeding ground for Islamist groups posing a threat to Indias national security.There were a lot of conversations with the Americans where we said, This is a core concern for us, and you cant take us as a strategic partner unless we have some kind of strategic consensus, the official told the American daily on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks.US officials say it was a calculated decision that had little to do with Indian pressure, said the report, adding that many details of the bilateral discussions and US deliberations have not been reported previously. Now, after protesters defied the Bangladeshi armys curfew orders and marched on 76-year-old Hasinas official residence, Ganabhaban, compelling her to flee to India, policymakers in both New Delhi and Washington are forced to confront whether they mishandled Bangladesh, according to the report. Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/Nahidhasan027 There is always a balancing act in Bangladesh, as there is in many places where the situation on the ground is complicated and you want to work with the partners you have in a way that is not inconsistent with what the American people expect, a US official, who like several others interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matters diplomatic sensitivity, told The Washington Post. Divisions emerged within the US government over how to handle Bangladesh in the months leading up to the January election in the South Asian nation, the report said. Some in the US Department of State, including then-Ambassador Peter Haas and other embassy officials, argued for a tougher stance against Sheikh Hasina, particularly since President Joe Biden had campaigned on a foreign policy plank of restoring democracy, The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter. However, Peter Haas, who has since retired, declined to comment on the matter. Other US officials felt there was little to be gained from further alienating the then Bangladeshi PM and risking the safety of US diplomats, including Haas, who had received threats from Hasinas followers. Some officials in the White House also considered the downside of antagonizing India, which made a series of appeals to the US that it moderate its pressure on Hasina, including when Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in November last year in New Delhi, reports The Washington Post, citing people familiar with the matter. Indian national security adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval also played a key role in presenting the Indian case during a visit to Washington that autumn, the report added. The US approach to Bangladesh was always one that tried to both be consistent with our values and we spoke about those publicly on many occasions but also pragmatic about the reality that the situation in Bangladesh was very complicated and that there were a number of interests that we had there and that other countries had there, a US official was quoted as saying by The Washington Post. We needed to try to find a constructive way to engage with that administration, as we do in all places. So our policy was much more about trying to strike a balance between both of those things, the official told the American media outlet. Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/Rayhan9d Earlier in January, after Hasina claimed victory in a "one-sided" election with many of her opponents in jail or in hiding, Indian officials endorsed the election results, fueling calls from the Bangladeshi opposition for a boycott of Indian imports. The US has built its relationship with India and has this tendency to defer to its wishes in the region, and probably nowhere was that more evident than Bangladesh, Jon Danilowicz, a retired US diplomat who served as deputy chief of mission in Dhaka, told The Washington Post. Last year, in the tiny Indian Ocean country of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu rose to power as president by campaigning on an India Out platform, and in Sri Lanka, anti-Indian sentiment flared this year after Narednra Modi claimed on the campaign trail that his opponents gave Indias rightful territory cheaply away to Sri Lanka, according to The Washington Post.New Delhi and Washington have to show some humility and acknowledge they got Bangladesh wrong by not siding with the Bangladeshi people and their democratic aspirations, Danilowicz now added. US officials have strongly disputed the characterization that they were swayed by Indian lobbying. Both Sheikh Hasina herself and opposition leaders said the Secretarys steps reduced violence, the official added. After the elections, which were neither free nor fair, some criticized the US for not imposing more restrictions on Bangladeshis, falsely attributing this to Indian influence. Narendra Modi, last week, sent his best wishes to Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Prize-winning banker who took charge of Bangladeshs interim government, even though he criticized India for backing Sheikh Hasina. Blinken had led efforts to reduce violence and encourage a fair and free election in its run-up, a US State Department official told The Washington Post.After Hasinas ouster, which followed weeks of unrest in which hundreds of protesters were killed, Indian officials have publicly changed tack and expressed willingness to work with whoever comes to power.Muhammad Yunus has called for new, free and fair elections once stability is restored in the country, the report said. Photo Courtesy: PID Bangladesh The United States Department of State endorsed Yunus, with spokesman Matthew Miller saying the US hoped to see the Bangladeshi people decide the future of the Bangladeshi government, according to the report. Aside from the US, India had simultaneously warned other Western governments about the dangers of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) returning to power. It was intense, recalled an official from a Western country allied with the United States. They started briefing Western governments that Bangladesh could become the next Afghanistan, that the BNP could lead to instability, violence and terror, according to The Washington Post. Indian officials say they have reason to feel burned by the Bangladeshi opposition, the report added. Indian and US officials say this experience with BNP rule explained why India had been so adamant on keeping Hasina in power for 15 years, as per the report. During the rule of Hasinas rivals, the BNP, in the mid-2000s, militants smuggled weapons to attack northeast India and trained in camps inside Bangladesh with the help of Pakistani intelligence, Indian officials were quoted as saying by The Washington Post.In recent days, Indian officials have warned that Bangladeshi Islamist political party, the Jamaat-e-Islami, could gain power, and Indian media have reported on a spike in attacks on Bangladeshs Hindu minority population in the days since Hasina was deposed, reports The Washington Post. BNP leaders, who could win if elections are soon held, say they have met Indian officials in recent years to mend ties and assure them that India and Hindus in Bangladesh would be safe if India stopped propping up Hasina and the BNP returned, the outlet reported. Weve been in touch with India, trying to tell them, Dont put all your eggs in one basket, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, a senior BNP leader, told The Washington Post. We have tried to assuage whatever concerns India has. It would be stupid for both sides to carry the baggage of the past, he added. Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/Indian Prime Minister's Office As India grapples with the shock of suddenly losing one of its closest allies, Indian foreign policy circles and media have been awash with speculation that Washington orchestrated the removal of Sheikh Hasina, who has long had a chilly relationship with the US, the report said. However, top US officials have staunchly denied the claim. Others in the Indian government say India was to blame for propping up an autocrat for so long, the report said, adding that a former senior Indian national security official said it made sense, in theory, to support Hasina, but New Delhi did not grasp the situation on the ground. Everybody who came from Dhaka was giving the same feedback that anti-India feelings are at an unprecedented level, yet we calculated that she has full control over the administrative and coercive arms of the state, the former Indian official told The Washington Post. We thought repeated attempts to destabilize the government have failed, so she will manage again. The truth is, the whole thing just needed a spark to set the whole house on fire, the official added. Photo Courtesy: In images PM Modi (PIB) & MuhammadYunus taking oath (X/@SwissAmbBD) Bangladesh Interim Government head Muhammad Yunus on Friday assured Indian PM Narendra Modi that the safety and security of Hindu community members and other minorities will be ensured. During their telephone conversation, Modi reaffirmed India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He emphasised India's commitment to supporting the people of Bangladesh through various development initiatives. Modi also underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh. "Yunus, in turn, assured that the Interim Government would prioritise protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh," the Indian government released statement said. Following the conversation, Modi posted on X: "Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB . Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh." Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2024 Several Hindu houses and temples were targeted by radicals during the recent violence in Bangladesh which led to the fall of former PM Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. Visuals of the alleged attack on Hindu homes and shops were circulating on the social media since the toppling of Hasina regime. Hindus have been demonstrating in different corners of the globe demanding security for the community in Bangladesh in the wake of the recent attacks. Photo Courtesy: X page videograb West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday led a protest march in Kolkata to demand justice for the PG trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in a state-run hospital last week. Several TMC women leaders, including Satabdi Roy and June Maliah, accompanied her in the rally when they demanded capital punishment for the accused. Extending support to the women protesters who marched across West Bengal on Wednesday night as a part of the 'Reclaim the Night' demonstration, Banerjee said: "I salute the women for their protest.They did the right thing." West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee lead a rally demanding justice for the PG trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in RG Kar Medical College Hospital In Kolkata #kolkata #KolkatDoctorCase #KolkataDoctorDeathb #RGKarattack #RGKarcase #MamataBanerjee pic.twitter.com/v85tleaXFE India Blooms (@indiablooms) August 16, 2024 She blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party Of India (Marxist) for the attack on RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on the same night when the women took out protest demonstrations across West Bengal. She claimed they tried to damage evidence during the attack on the medical facility. It is the same hospital where the doctor was raped and murdered. "The CPIM and BJP vandalised in RG Kar. They went there to damage evidence. They damaged the hospital and even broke the CCTVs and other crucial elements there," she said. "Hospital is not a place for vandalism," she said. "I salute the protest by women of Kolkata. They did the right task," she said. The Bharatiya Janata Party members demonstrated against the rape and murder of the doctor in Kolkata and demanded CM Banerjee's resignation. , ... , pic.twitter.com/Hn6nC220yP BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) August 16, 2024 "We will continue our protest across the state," BJP West Bengal posted on X. The Central Bureau of Investigation officials on Friday took former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh to CGO complex in Salt Lake for questioning in the PG trainee doctor's rape and murder case. He was picked up from the street after he failed to respond to summons. The CBI had sent him notice to appear before it. However, Ghosh did not appear before the agency. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered controversial RG Kar principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh, who was appointed as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College within hours of his resignation as the head of RG Kar Medical College, to go on a long leave, coming down heavily on the role of the state government in trying to protect him. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday snubbed the Chief Minister's deadline and handed over the case to the CBI, which will probe into the matter under the monitoring of the judiciary. The accused civic volunteer was on Wednesday handed over to the CBI by police. Meanwhile,the Calcutta High Court on Friday questioned the West Bengal government over it urgency to carry out a renovation work near the crime scene at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where a 31-year-old lady trainee doctor was raped and murdered last week. A High Court bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya has asked the state to respond to the allegations that the renovation work was conducted to erase all evidence from the crime scene. In response, the state counsel said the allegations are incorrect as the demolition work was not conducted near the place of occurrence. The court questioned the timing when the state counsel said the renovation work was conducted for a restroom of doctors. The court asked the state counsel, "What was the urgency? ...You go to any district court complex, see if ladies have any restrooms! I say this with responsibility. What has the PWD done? ... We'll shift patients to other hospital, close the (RG Kar) hospital. That will be the best. All the stories - 'within 12 hours rest room have to be provided' - see the condition of the restrooms in the court complexes!" What happened in RG Kar? The trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which is located in North Kolkata's Belgachia area. She was found in a half naked state with multiple injuries in the whole body from neck and eyes to private parts. The parents were initially told by the hospital that their daughter committed suicide. One person, a civic volunteer, has been arrested in connection with the case but protesting students suspect more people are involved in the crime. Friends actor Matthew Perry. Photo Courtesy: Matthew Perry Instagram page A licensed physician and an alleged San Fernando Valley drug dealer were arrested on Thursday in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry, who suffered a fatal ketamine overdose in October 2023. "In total, five defendants, including two doctors, have been charged in this matter, according to court documents unsealed today," read a statement issued by US Attorney's Office. The defendants arrested are charged in an 18-count superseding indictment returned on Wednesday with distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of the actors life. Jasveen Sangha, 41, a.k.a. The Ketamine Queen, of North Hollywood; and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 42, a.k.a. Dr. P, of Santa Monica. were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. "Sangha also is charged with one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine," the statement said. The superseding indictment alleges that Sanghas distribution of ketamine on October 24, 2023, caused Perrys death. Plasencia is charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation. These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being, said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other peoples lives over greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug-dealers who cause death, send a clear message that we will hold drug-dealers accountable for the deaths they cause. Bringing these individuals to justice for their role in the untimely death of Mr. Perry required coordination and hard work by a number of people, and I want to thank LAPD detectives and our federal partners for their patience and dedication, said LAPD Chief Dominic Choi. As the boots on the ground in our communities, on a daily basis LAPD officers witness first-hand the harm that these narcotics can cause, so Im pleased that our collective efforts have led to the arrest of these individuals. Today we announce charges brought against the five individuals who, together, are responsible for the death of Matthew Perry, said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. We allege each of the defendants played a key role in his death by falsely prescribing, selling, or injecting the ketamine that caused Matthew Perrys tragic death. Matthew Perrys journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials. Every day, the DEA works tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to protect the public and to hold accountable those that distribute deadly and dangerous drugs whether they are local drug traffickers or doctors who violate their sworn oath to care for patients. Three other defendants charged separately are Erik Fleming, 54, Kenneth Iwamasa, 59 and Mark Chavez, 54. According to the superseding indictment unsealed today, in late September 2023, Plasencia learned that Perry, a successful actor whose history of drug addiction was well documented, was interested in obtaining ketamine. Ketamine is a general anesthetic whose medical risks require a health care professional to monitor a patient who had just been given the drug. After learning about Perrys interest in ketamine, Plasencia contacted Chavez who previously operated a ketamine clinic to obtain ketamine to sell to Perry. In text messages to Chavez, Plasencia discussed how much to charge Perry for the ketamine, stating, I wonder how much this moron will pay and Lets [sic] find out. During September and October of 2023, Plasencia distributed ketamine to Perry and Iwamasa outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose on at least seven occasions. "He did so by teaching Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine, selling ketamine to Iwamasa to inject into Perry, leaving vials of ketamine with Iwamasa for self-administration, personally injecting ketamine into Perry without the proper safety equipment including once inside a car parked in a Long Beach parking lot and failing to properly monitor Perry after Plasencia injected Perry with the drug," read the statement. Plasencia knew that Iwamasa had never received medical training and knew little, if anything, about administering or treating patients with controlled substances. The superseding indictment also alleges that Plasencia conspired with Chavez about inventory, price, and availability of ketamine to sell to Perry and Iwamasa. Chavez, in turn, sold Plasencia orally administered ketamine lozenges that he obtained after writing a fraudulent prescription in a patients name without her knowledge or consent, and lied to wholesale ketamine distributors to buy additional vials of liquid ketamine that Chavez intended to sell to Plasencia for distribution to Perry. Beginning in mid-October 2023, Iwamasa also began obtaining ketamine for Perry from Fleming and Sangha. After discussing prices with Iwamasa, Fleming coordinated the drug sales with Sangha, and brought cash from Iwamasa to Sanghas stash house in North Hollywood to buy vials of ketamine. On October 24, 2023, while waiting for Sanghas ketamine to arrive, Fleming advised Iwamasa that the ketamine was on its way to our girl, referring to Sangha. Sangha has distributed ketamine and other illegal drugs from her stash house in North Hollywood since at least 2019. Sangha was aware of the danger of ketamine: In August 2019, Sangha sold ketamine to victim Cody McLaury in the hours before his overdose death. After a family member of McLaurys sent Sangha a text message saying that her ketamine had killed McLaury, Sangha conducted a Google search for can ketamine be listed as a cause of death[?] The superseding indictment alleges that Sangha nonetheless continued to sell ketamine from her stash house. Using the Plasencia-provided instructions and syringes, Iwamasa injected Perry with the ketamine that was sold to him by Fleming and Sangha, including on October 28, 2023, when Perry died at his Pacific Palisades home after receiving multiple ketamine injections. Plasencia sold the ketamine to Iwamasa despite being informed at least one week earlier that Perrys ketamine addiction was spiraling out of control. After Perrys death was reported in the news, Sangha texted Fleming, Delete all our messages. After Perrys death, federal agents and detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department executed search warrants at Sanghas residence, where they found evidence of drug trafficking, including approximately 79 vials of ketamine, approximately 1.4 kilograms (3.1 pounds) of orange pills containing methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, cocaine, and prescription drugs that appeared to be fraudulently obtained. In February and March of 2024, in response to a legal request for production of documents in connection with the federal investigation, Plasencia provided altered and falsified medical records, purporting to show that he had a legitimate treatment plan in place for Perry, with the intent to influence the investigation into Perrys death. The U.S. Postal Inspection Services partnership with state and federal law enforcement agencies and the support of the U.S. Attorneys Office demonstrates our continued dedication to protecting communities from the harm caused by the illicit distribution and misuse of dangerous drugs, said Matthew Shields, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Los Angeles Division. We will continue to work diligently to bring justice to families affected by these types of crimes. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of all charges, Sangha would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Plasencia would face up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years in federal prison for each records falsification count. Iwamasa and Fleming will face up to 15 years and 25 years, respectively, when they are sentenced in their federal cases. Chavez has been charged in an information pursuant to a plea agreement and will be arraigned on August 30. At sentencing, Chavez will face up to 10 years in federal prison. Photo Courtesy: Drug dealer Jasveen Sangha charged in actor Matthew Perry death case Photo Courtesy: Andre Nuta X page Drug dealer Jasveen Sangha's name has emerged ever since the probe into Matthew Perry's death progressed and prosecutors are now charging her for supplying ketamine to the actor. The Friends star died of a ketamine overdose in October last year. Sangha, 41, dubbed as 'The Ketamine Queen', is among the five people charged with the death of the actor. According to the US Attorney's Office released statement, Sanga is charged with one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. "The superseding indictment alleges that Sanghas distribution of ketamine on October 24, 2023, caused Perrys death," the statement said. Sangha and her old history with ketamine supply Before Matthew Perry's death due to an overdose of ketamine, Sangha's name was not widely known. However, her involvement in illegal activities is not new. In August 2019, Sangha, who is reported to have dual British and American citizenship, sold ketamine to victim Cody McLaury in the hours before his overdose death. Cody McLaury was a 33-year-old Alaskan man who had lived in Los Angeles. After a family member of McLaurys sent Sangha a text message saying that her ketamine had killed McLaury, Sangha conducted a Google search for can ketamine be listed as a cause of death [?] "The superseding indictment alleges that Sangha nonetheless continued to sell ketamine from her stash house," read the statement. Prosecutors told ABC News she became known as the "Ketamine Queen" for allegedly selling drugs out of a North Hollywood property known as the "Sangha Stash House" since at least 2019. Detective found a large amount of drugs in Sanga's residence After Perrys death, federal agents and detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department executed search warrants at Sanghas residence, where they found evidence of drug trafficking, including approximately 79 vials of ketamine, approximately 1.4 kilograms (3.1 pounds) of orange pills containing methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, cocaine, and prescription drugs that appeared to be fraudulently obtained. If convicted of all charges, Sangha would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Matthew Perry, who is best remembered for his powerful performance in the American TV series Friends, was found dead in his hot tub on October 28, 2023. What is Ketamine? Ketamine is a medicine used by doctors and vets as a pain killer and a sedative. It stops your brain from interpreting pain messages. Its being studied as a medicine for depression, read the health direct website. Its also used illegally for its hallucinogenic high effect. If bought illegally, it comes as a white powder that can be made into tablets or dissolved into a clear liquid, the website said. The entire nation has once again been left in shock with the news of a female postgraduate female doctor being gang-raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The gruesome details that are emerging are just beyond comprehension, highlighting the brutal reality of women security in India. The incident has sparked outrage as well as grief among people as a horrendous crime was committed inside a place which is meant to save lives. Farhan Akhtar's poetry for Kolkata doctor In the memory of the victim, Bollywood director and actor Farhan Akhtar penned down a heart-wrenching poem as a tribute to the RG Kar doctor's tragic fate. Taking to Instagram, he wrote, "Speak for me, when I am gone, of shattered dreams, and unfinished songs, Speak of empty canvases, of poems half written, of stillborn promises, the death of a kitten, Speak of homes on fire, speak of decaying desire, of unrealised ambition, a cause stripped, of fruition Speak for me, when I am gone, speak of me, when I am gone". Farhan has switched off the comments for this post. Bollywood demands justice Previously, Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan, Swara Bhasker, Sara Ali Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Parineeti Chopra, Richa Chadha, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Preity Zinta among others shared their condolences and expressed anger in the case. Calling the incident disgusting, Preity Zinta said, "As a woman, I want to say Im sorry to Nirbhaya, to Moumita and to every girl that has been wronged. Im sorry I didnt fight hard enough for you in the past. But not anymore! None of us are safe until all of us are safe." In a post, actress Kareena Kapoor wrote, "12 years later, the same story, the same protest. But we are still waiting for change." Parineeti Chopra said, "If its too difficult for you to read, imagine what it was for her. Disgusting. Horrific. Hang him by his b***s." Ayushmann Khurrana also penned down a heart-wrenching poem called Kaash Main Bhi Ladka Hoti. Actress Richa Chadha urged Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee to ensure justice for the Kolkata rape-murder victim. "The women of this country expect a fair and impartial investigation from you @MamataOfficial, and swift justice. Youre the only woman currently to occupy the post of Chief Minister. #JusticeForMoumita," she wrote. Actress Swara Bhasker wrote, "The rape and murder of the resident doctor in #Kolkata is gruesome & horrifying & and a harsh reminder of how we as a society treat women no matter if they are the ones who will treat and save us should the need arise." The rape and murder of the resident doctor in #Kolkata is gruesome & horrifying & and harsh reminder of how we as a society treat women no matter if they are the ones who will treat and save us should the need arise! Also abject lapse on the part of hospital authorities & Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) August 13, 2024 Also Read: 'Grwm while I talk about rape, murder': Outrage against influencer for video trivialising Kolkata doctor case For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Our beloved FRIENDS actor Matthew Perry's death has left his millions of fans all over the world in shock. After the toxicology report finally revealed the cause of his death as "the acute effects of ketamine" due to accidental overdose, now five people have been charged in the 54-year-old's death case including 'Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles' Jasveen Sangha and his personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa. Who is Jasveen Sangha, charged in Matthew Perry's death case? THE QUEEN OF KETAMINE ALLEGEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MATTHEW PERRY'S DEATH, Jasveen Sangha, 41, earned herself the notorious nickname for selling ketamine and meth out of her North Hollywood stash house going back to as early as June 2019, according to a CA. federal indictment. pic.twitter.com/jnDtBq5F0g Andre Nuta (@andre_nuta) August 16, 2024 It has come to light that Jasveen Sangha had provided a lethal dose of ketamine to the actor which led to his death. The British and American citizen reportedly ran a drug operation from her house in North Hollywood where she used to reportedly pack, store, and distribute various narcotics including cocaine, methamphetamine, and other prescription drugs such as Xanax. She first came under the radar in 2019 for selling methamphetamine in an unrelated case. When the Police raided her house, which was called a "drug selling emporium", 79 bottles of liquid ketamine and about 2,000 meth pills were found there. A neighbor tells me he lives 2 doors down from Jasveen Sangha, The Katamine Queen, and would notice people leaving her room with briefcases. Sangha is 1 of 5 people facing federal charges relating to Matthew Perrys death. #LosAngeles pic.twitter.com/EiPc0QXudr Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) August 15, 2024 Now, it has been found that Perry had taken the fatal batch of ketamine via a broker named Eric Fleming who had obtained the drug from Sangha. Perry initially tried the drug on October 13, after which Fleming delivered two large batches to his home on October 14 and October 24. As a bonus for the size of Mr Perry's order, Sangha even included "ketamine lollipops." Others arrested in Perry's case Other two people arrested in the case include Matthew Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa who worked with worked with two doctors to provide him with over $50,000 of ketamine in the weeks before his death. One of these doctors has been arrested too. Doctor Salvador Plasencia allegedly wrote in a text message, "I wonder how much this moron will pay." Doctor Mark Chavez and broker Erik Fleming have also been charged in the case. As per US Attorney Martin Estrada, "These defendants took advantage of Mr Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Perry, but they did it anyway." For the unversed, Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic used in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and pain. Perry was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy. Also Read: Matthew Perry Died Of 'Accidental Overdose Of Drug Ketamine', All You Need To Know About The Drug For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Someone had to say it. We have always wondered how Bollywood celebrities or even general public take a stand about the most painful things and express their emotions through Instagram stories and posts. Soon after, we see them gleefully posing for pictures and going back to having a good time. Bollywood actor Gajrat Rao actually penned down, taking a sly dig at social media behaviour. Penning down his thoughts, Gajrat writes, "Dear Insta friends, a question has been bothering me since a few days. I often see people posting about painful and disturbing incidents happening around us on their handles. Naturally, the purpose of such posts is to express protest, release emotions, or convey their message to like-minded people. But after a few minutes or hours of posting such things, I notice people start posting other images... beautiful vacation photos, delicious food, and sometimes selfies taken with pride. Perhaps I've done this many times too." Credit: Instagram/Gajraj Rao Lashing out at active members of social media, Gajraj points out how we probably are failing as humans. He continues, "This behavior really troubles me... When we post such things, do we distance ourselves so quickly from those painful news stories that we begin posting romanticized images? Or do we want to detach ourselves from what we posted? Or is our protest merely a token protest? What do you think?" His post is obviously in regards to Kolkata doctor rape and murder case where the whole country is in shock. A few days before 78th Independence Day, this case alarmed India. All of 31-year-old female doctor as brutally raped and murdered at a hospital. Many women came to the forefront to protest and calling the country unsafe. We saw many Bollywood stars and A-listers coming together and asking if women are truly safe. Gajraj's questions should make us question about our integrity on how we slowly shift our focus on social media for mere followers and likes. For more such stories on wellness and celebs, follow us on Indiatimes Lifestyle Taking strong note of the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata following the horrific rape and murder of a doctor there, the Calcutta High Court has suggested that it should be shut down. The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store, and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalized by miscreants on Thursday amid midnight protests by women, condemning the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in the hospital's seminar hall on August 9. Several people, including some policemen, were injured in the violence. CREDIT: BCCL 'Absolute failure of state machinery' A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya called the act an "absolute failure of state machinery" and warned the Bengal government it would order the medical facility to be closed if state police could not protect it and the doctors working there. CREDIT: BCCL The court also noted that it was the duty of the government to provide safety to the doctors and nurses working in the hospital and ensure that they were able to carry out their duties with a sense of security. Also read: RG Kar doc rape-murder: Women in Kolkata, suburbs to march at midnight in protest against brutality 'Produce photographic evidence' The High Court directed the CBI to submit an interim report on the "pre-planned" vandalism and also sought photographic proof of the safe condition of the seminar room in which the rape victim's body was found. CREDIT: BCCL How was so many protesters allowed? The HC questioned how the police were unaware that a large crowd of 7,000 people had assembled and wondered how they were allowed to do so. You pass Section 144 of the CrPC orders for any reason. When so much commotion is going on, you should have cordoned the area. 7,000 people cant come walking, Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam said. CREDIT: REUTERS According to the police, during the protest on August 14, some 40-50 vandals, who were carrying sticks, bricks, and rods, entered the hospital premises and vandalized property. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. The extinction of the mighty dinosaurs is one of the most terrifying, yet fascinating events the Earth has witnessed until now. It is believed that dinosaurs went extinct from the face of this planet, along with around 75 percent of all our planet's species, about 66 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous Period. CREDIT: POPULAR SCIENCE What caused extinction of dinosaurs There is consensus among scientists that the mass extinction was caused by the impact of a large asteroid or comet that hit the Yucatan Peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The roughly six-mile-wide asteroid slammed into the planet at a speed of about 12 miles per second, causing catastrophic changes to the Earth's climate, to which a large number of species could not adjust rapidly enough and perished. CREDIT: LIVE SCIENCE Where did the asteroid come from Now, scientists have uncovered new information about the origins of the asteroid. According to a study published on August 15 in the journal Science, the culprit behind the mass extinction was a rare carbonaceous asteroid from beyond Jupiter. Scientists came to the conclusion after examining the remains of the impactor collected from European regions. They found the chemical composition of a rare element called ruthenium to be similar to that within asteroids hovering between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Also read: Dinosaurs Thrived During A Mass Extinction Event In Freezing Temperatures CREDIT: Steven Goderis/Philippe Claeys Impact of the asteroid They noted that the asteroid was likely nudged toward Earth either by collisions with other space rocks or by influences in the outer solar system, where gas giants like Jupiter harbor immense tidal forces capable of disturbing otherwise stable asteroid orbits. CREDIT: NASA The Chicxulub crater is the only known impact site on Earth made by an outer solar system asteroid, so documenting its origins could inform models that describe impacts on planets from objects within their systems. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. A day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern, Pakistan has confirmed its first case in 2024. According to local media reports, the patient, a resident of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, started showing symptoms of Mpox days after he returned from a Gulf country. While some reports claim that the patient returned from Saudi Arabia, others stated that the person in question came from the United Arab Emirates. CREDIT: Reuters Patient has mild symptom According to Pakistan's Ministry of National Health, a citizen from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, who recently arrived from a Gulf country, displayed the symptoms of Mpox. Samples have been taken and sent for confirmation. The patient reportedly has mild symptoms, and efforts are underway to trace and test those who have been in contact with him. Pakistan has had cases of Mpox previously, and it was not immediately clear which variant was detected in the patient. First Mpox case in Europe The development comes at a time when Mpox is spreading rapidly across several African countries. One case of Mpox has also been reported in Sweden, making it the first European nation to report the infection in 2024. CREDIT: SCIENCE PLUS "We have now also during the afternoon had confirmation that we have one case in Sweden of the more grave type of Mpox, the one called Clade I," Sweden's Health and Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed said. Also read: What is Mpox and why WHO has declared the outbreak a Global Health Emergency WHO declares Global Health Emergency Earlier, on Thursday, the WHO had declared the Mpox outbreak a global public health emergency. This was the first time in two years the WHO has declared Mpox a health emergency. The first was in 2022, and the alert was lifted in 2023. 2022 saw arguably the most widespread outbreak of Mpox to date, in countries including Europe, North America, and Asia. DRC, worst affected by Mpox Formerly called monkeypox, the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970 in what is now the DRC. Until 2022, localized outbreaks were limited to central and western Africa. CREDIT: AP In 2024 so far, the DRC has recorded 15,664 potential Mpox cases and 548 deaths from it. How Mpox spreads Mpox can spread between people through close contact with infected individuals, including via sex. Mpox can also spread from the environment to people via things and surfaces that have been touched by an infected person. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. If you are a millennial, there is a very high chance that you have used a Nokia phone. Long before the likes of iPhones, Samsungs, and the numerous other Chinese brands that have become synonymous with smartphones, the good old Nokia was the undisputed king of mobile phones. CREDIT: Nokia Some of the OG Nokia phones, like the Nokia 3310 and Nokia 1100, have attained legendary status for being indestructible. Many of these Nokia devices are still the darling of fans who would go to any lengths to collect them. How much is too much? But how many such Nokia phones are you willing to collect? Well, if your name is Wences Palau Fernandez, the answer is over 700! Thats rightthe Nokia superfan from Spain has more than 700 of the over 1,000 mobile phone models Nokia ever made. CREDIT: Guinness World Records Largest collection of mobile phones Thats not all; Fernandez has also set a Guinness World Record for the largest collection of mobile phones in the world. Fernandez has a massive collection of 3,615 unique mobile phone models, all housed at his home in Barcelona. Also read: Will Nokia 3310 Survive A Charge Of Million Volts? Find Out Here Apart from Nokia, Fernandez's collection of mobile phones also includes brands like Siemens, NEC, Motorola, BlackBerry, Samsung, HTC, Apple, and more. How it started According to Fernandez, his love affair with Nokia started in 1999 when he was gifted a grey Nokia 3210 for Christmas. It turned into an obsession in 2008 when Fernandez started collecting models he wasnt able to afford in the past. By 2018, Fernandez had over 700 unique Nokia phones in his collection, including some limited-edition devices, such as his Nokia 3220 Star Wars Ep III. CREDIT: Guinness World Records A work in progress In my collection, I have very exclusive and difficult-to-find models," he said. My current collection is the result of a lot of perseverance and financial effort. If you are a collector, you will know well what I mean. A collection that is still incomplete but that I continue to expand whenever possible, he added. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. A US company is under fire for their "sexist" hostess lampshade dresses at an event. People have accused the corporation of being tone-deaf. The uproar erupted after a photo from the event of two women posing with company-branded lampshades on their heads went viral. The uproar forced a response from the corporation, and its CEO apologized, stating that what occurred was "unacceptable." Where did the incident occur? The incident occurred at a Palo Alto Networks-sponsored CyberRisk Collaborative Happy Hour event at the Black Hat conference. People reacted angrily as soon as the models' photos appeared on social media. What did the CEO say? Nikesh Arora, the firm's CEO, offered an apology shortly after the backlash, Let me be clear: what occurred was unacceptable. We could have, and should have, done better. We will do better, he said. Investigated how the error occurred and addressed the issue within our event team and the entire marketing organisation to ensure that we consistently follow our marketing guidelines, he added. While the majority of individuals welcomed the CEO's response to the issue, a handful argued it should never have been considered. The original post now seems to have been deleted. What are some other similar incidents? A viral video of a woman standing near to mannequins at a clothing store in a Dubai mall triggered a social media debate in the recent past. Some have accused the store of "modern world slavery." The model's Instagram video shows her posing with mannequins at the Manto Bride store in Dubai Festival City Mall. Also read: Internet outrage as woman displayed in Dubai clothing store is labeled 'Inhuman' What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending. The Edo State Special Taskforce on Anti-Cultism announced on Thursday that it has made a significant arrest. A butcher, who is also a high-ranking member of a cult group in the state, was taken into custody. Chris Nehikhare, the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, revealed this on behalf of the taskforce while parading 11 captured cultists in Benin City. Advertisement According to Nehikhare, the cult leader and five other suspects were apprehended at the Ekosodin axis in the Ovia North East Local Government Area. He added that on August 7, 2024, the taskforce detained three suspected cultists in the Auchi Polytechnic community. He further revealed that on August 10, 2024, following a large show of force within Benin City, the taskforce attacked a hotel in Upper Sakponba where suspected cultists were meeting and captured two individuals at the scene. According to the commissioner, the suspects are presently being held in custody while investigations continue. He stated that the squad had made multiple arrests of key cult members across the board based on meticulous intelligence gathering. Nehikhare stated that Governor Godwin Obasekis taskforce is led by the Department of State Services, DSS. READ MORE: Make Una Settle VeryDarkMan Reacts To Peter Okoyes Open Letter To Brother He noted that the taskforce was formed in response to an increase in cult killings that had taken the lives of numerous young people around the state. Since the inauguration of the taskforce, it has demonstrated unwavering commitment to rid Edo State of cultism. Initial efforts focused on education and persuasion, engaging with communities and stakeholders to dissuade the youths in particular from joining cults. A total of eleven suspects are currently in custody and investigations are ongoing. Let it be clear: this is just the beginning. We have a long list of targets, and the taskforce will stop at nothing until every last cultist is brought to justice. No one is above the law. No political, religious, ethnic, or social standing will protect anyone involved in cult activities. Governor Obaseki has made it clear that the newly enacted anti-cultism law will be enforced to its fullest extent. The Edo State Special Task Force on Anti-Cultism is empowered to crush all cult-related activities and enforce the ban on the notorious Okaighele groups. We will not rest until Edo State is free from the clutches of cultism, he said. The commissioner ordered all cults to renounce their associations, warning that those who refused to do so would face the full force of the law. He also urged parents to be vigilant and direct their children away from the path of destruction, stating that the Edo State administration, led by Governor Godwin Obaseki, is committed to restoring the states peace and security. Out of 400 individuals arrested during the states recent anti-hunger protests, the Jigawa State Police Command has prosecuted 390 of them. Mr. A.T. Abdullahi, the State Commissioner of Police, made the statement while addressing with reporters in Dutse on Thursday, stating that the arrested protestors were from the ten local government areas where violence occurred during the protests. He claimed the demonstrators were seized for vandalising and looting government and public property. Advertisement We arrested 400 protesters and out of the number 390 have been prosecuted while the cases of the remaining suspects are still pending, the commissioner said. He said that demonstrators vandalised and looted state fertiliser depots in the Babura and Hadeja local government regions of the state. He named the local government regions where the demonstration occurred as Kiyaye, Hadeja, Kazaure, Kaugama, Malammadori, and Gumel, among others. READ MORE: It Was A Skit Husband Confesses About Viral Passport-Tearing Incident At Lagos Airport, Begs For Forgiveness According to him, the police were able to recover part of the stolen property from the suspects. The CP praised the Commands officers and men for their efforts to keep the protest under control despite a personnel shortfall. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stated that Africa must take full responsibility to address its own challenges, adding that without unity and peace, the continent wont progress. It was gathered Tinubu led this out at a dinner held in his honor at the Peoples Palace in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Wednesday. He urged African leaders to adopt more strategic and intentional measures to combat the outflow of skills and talents from the continent. Advertisement Tinubu said: We have to develop our resources for our progress. Find solutions among ourselves and focus incisively on research and development, and reward those research and development programmes. To the international organizations, we are partners. We will continue to be partners, but we must implement more than half of the results of the research established here. We have many youths to take care of. Millions yearning for progress. It is a joy coming down here from Abuja, and for me, it is a homecoming. We are one single family on the continent. We are like twins held together at the hips. We have nowhere to go, but to cling to each other. READ MORE: #EndBadGovernance: Tinubu Didnt Become President To Fail, He Heard Protesters Minister Of Culture Our gathering here is a significant milestone in the history of Africa, particularly for West and Central Africa; between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. I am happy to hear very deep thoughts coming from my brother, the President of Equatorial Guinea, concerning Africa. Africa must solve its own problems. For the world, Africa is wretched and ragged, full of conflicts. We say no. Peace, stability, and democracy are the way forward for our collective and progressive development. We have agreed on that with President Mbasogo. We definitely will continue to promote peace and stability throughout the continent. Some of our other brothers in shackles are still there, at each others throats. We will both work together and do whatever is possible to promote peace. Without peace, we cannot have development. Our problem is not that we do not understand what to do. We identify them, and we understand what to do. Our problem is how and when we should do them. I say the time is now. We had better roll up our sleeves, put on our knickers, and move strongly for the peace and stability of our continent. Operatives of the Bauchi State Police Command have apprehended a 23-year-old man, Ibrahim Liman, for allegedly kidnapping and murder of a boy, Kamal Aliyu in the state. It was gathered that Ibrahim, who is said to be a resident of Runjin Gani in Toro Local Government, is also a close neighbor of the victims family. Advertisement In a statement made available by the Commands Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Wakili, to newsmen on Thursday, disclosed that the suspect confessed to conspiring with another individuals, to kidnap Kamal Aliyu by luring him under the pretense of delivering a message to his father, Alhaji Ali Runji. Ibrahim also admitted to taking the young boy into a nearby bush, where they killed him and buried his body in a shallow grave. The statement reads: On August 4, 2024, Kamal Aliyu was reported kidnapped by unknown individuals in Rinjin Gani village in Toro LGA of Bauchi state. In response, the Division Police Officer, DPO of Toro Police Divisional headquarters launched an intensive search and rescue operation in the area. Acting on credible intelligence and a tip-off on August 15, 2024, the Divisional Police Officer apprehended Ibrahim Mohamed Liman, a 23-year-old male resident of the same Rinjin Gani community and a close neighbour to the victims family. The suspect also disclosed that they had demanded a ransom of two hundred thousand naira from the victims father. Although the father complied and took the ransom money to the designated location, the suspects were unable to retrieve it due to the presence of security operatives in the nearby area. The Federal Government has initiated legal and diplomatic actions to overturn the interim orders leading to the attachment of three Nigerian presidential aircraft in France. These steps are being coordinated by the Offices of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), according to a statement released by Kamarudeen Ogundele, spokesperson for AGF, Lateef Fagbemi. The Federal Government became aware of the temporary attachment of the jets on Wednesday. Advertisement The orders, which were issued by the Judicial Court of Paris on March 7 and August 12, 2024, were secured by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company seeking to enforce an arbitral award granted in its favor on March 26, 2021. READ ALSO: NJC Recommends Lagos Judge, Kekere-Ekun, As CJN The dispute stems from a contractual disagreement between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government over the operation and management of the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone. Despite the dispute originating at the subnational level, the enforcement actions are being directed against the Federal Government, as international law holds that actions of subnational entities are attributable to the State. In its statement, the Federal Government clarified that the jets in question are sovereign assets, used solely for official purposes, and thus immune from attachment. Further actions are being taken to resolve the entire dispute through available legal means, the statement read, emphasizing Nigerias firm position on the immunity of its sovereign assets. The seized aircraft include a Dassault Falcon 7X stationed at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus A330 located at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. All three jets were undergoing routine maintenance at the time of the seizure. The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said that religion and ethnicity are elements of manipulation, used by politicians that are not doing well. The former Anambra states governor said that all Nigerians across religions and tribes are facing economic hardship and hunger as a result of bad leadership. Obi led this out during an interview, posted by Why Not Afrika via its X handle on Wednesday. Advertisement He said that failed political leaders manipulate the poor citizens along ethnic and religious lines to capture power. He said: In Nigeria, we dont have religious and tribal issues. This sentiment is brought about by incompetent, unqualified, never-do-well leaders. So they use this as their only means of engagement or to capture votes. READ MORE: Obi Knocks FG Over Nigerias Poor Olympics Outing, Calls For Investigation Of Officials Responsible Athletes Failure The general populace is poor, is living in deep pain, hungry. So this becomes a tool of manipulation to them. There is no part of Nigeria where any tribe buys bread cheaper. There is no part of Nigeria that is not hungry; there is no part of Nigeria that gets uninterrupted electricity because they are from that part, no part of Nigeria that has pipe-born water. There is no religion that buys food cheaper. If they dont buy food cheaper why is anyone talking about religion? So I dont know where this is coming from. But I can tell you it is a tool of manipulation. The country has failed over the years, and its leadership failure. Whenever they can't perform or can't deliver on their promise, they resort to manipulating voters through Tribalism and Religion. @PeterObi talks to @FahadAmirN pic.twitter.com/aoQnZEvuWx Why Not Afrika (@WhyNotAfrika) August 14, 2024 Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, received a courtesy visit from Nigerian artist Oladapo Oyebanjo, also known as DBanj, on Thursday at the State House. Jubril Gawat, the governors Special Assistant on New Media, confirmed this in a video posted on X on Thursday. Gawats caption read, Between Governor #jidesanwoolu and #iamdbanj earlier today. Advertisement Dbanj called Mr. Governor the real Koko Master. The visit is timed to coincide with the release of his new album, The Entertainer: DSequel, on Friday. READ MORE: Chidimma Adetshina Accepts Invitation To Compete In Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 During the visit, DBanj gave Sanwo-Olu a commemorative plaque honouring the albums release. In another post on X, Jubril Gawat wrote, Governor of Lagos State, Mr @jidesanwoolu today received Mr. Dapo Oyebanjo @iamdbanj KokoMaster, as he presented a commemorative plaque on the launch of The Entertainer DSequel album. Venue: Lagos House, Ikeja During the visit, Dbanj discussed his album and shared other plans for his brand later in the year The Entertainer: The Sequel is said to be a follow-up to Dbanjs recent release, Koko, and it builds on the momentum of his previous tune, Since04, which celebrated his 20-year career in the music industry. SEE POST: The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has stated that the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigerias President is a will of God to reset the country and to take it back from economic saboteur. The former governor of Ebonyi State, while speaking in Bauchi State, during a courtesy visit to Governor Bala Mohammed on Thursday, said that President Tinubu is a technocrat that knows everything about the situation in the country. Umahi expressed the federal governments commitment in addressing the countrys pressing issues. Advertisement He urged Nigerians to support and pray for the president, emphasizing the importance of unity and collective effort in overcoming the countrys difficulties. READ MORE: Tinubu Should Admit His Mistakes, Review Policies Former Kano Gov Umahi said: We dont have any other country, and I want to ask for your support and that of the Bauchi people to support him. For me, even when there were challenges in the South-East in terms of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, I kept saying that it was the will of God for the president to come and reset the nation and retake our nation. The president has taken wide and courageous decisions but it may not be very clear to the citizens, especially those who are not deeply exposed. When you have somebody that is sick, the first thing you do is to give first aid and then begin to do tests to find out the problem but the good thing is that the president is a technocrat, he knows everything about the situation in the country. He is doing a lot to alleviate the sufferings of the people. When you talk about cash transfers, the students loan, the CNG answers to the needs of our energy. Talk about his exploit in the area of security, road infrastructure. Yes, the North-East has been saying that they were shortchanged but the President is set to change the narratives. No fewer than four individuals, suspected to be kidnappers have been arrested by the operatives of the Yobe state police command, on Thursday. It was gathered that a sum of N8 million, which is said to be ransom obtained from the families of their victims, was recovered by Police. A source from the Command who confirmed the arrests by operatives attached to the Police Division in Fika, told Leadership Newspaper that the suspects were apprehended after collecting part payment of the ransom from relatives of their victims. Advertisement READ MORE: EndBadGovt: Yobe Govt Imposes Curfew In Three LGAs As Hoodlums Set Seven Buses On Fire He said: We received intelligence from a local government chairman and concerned citizens regarding a group of kidnappers planning to collect 15 million from the relatives of their victims. We mobilised our patrol team and some members of the local vigilante group to the location, and the operation resulted in the successful arrest of the suspects. The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, has denied the claim that he hired protesters to break into the State high court to steal documents relating to his corruption trial. Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, had disclosed that Ganduje used miscreants masquerading as protesters to steal the sensitive documents. The Yusuf-led state government filed at least two corruption charges against Ganduje, including one in which the ex-Governor, his wife, Hafsat, son, Umar and others were accused of $413,000 and N1.38bn bribery. Advertisement In a statement on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Ganduje said Yusufs claim about stolen court documents called into question his capacity to handle Kano States security and judicial system. Describing Yusufs claim as disingenuous, Ganduje said even if miscreants took away the documents in the courts custody, what about the copy with the governments lawyer handling the case? Yusuf had on Wednesday told newsmen in Kano that enemies of the state hired undesirable elements to vandalise the state high court, considered one of the states historic public buildings, and carted away the corruption charges files of the former Kano Governor. The Governor made the statement after he paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the court, which was vandalised by hoodlums during the recent nationwide anti-hunger protests. READ ALSO: EndBadGovt: Political Thugs Who Invaded Court, Carted Away Gandujes Corruption Trial Documents Kano Gov According to him, it was obvious that the vandals were on a sponsored mission. But Gandujes aide said they found the allegation as preposterous and baseless. His words, It is laughable that governance has been reduced to a huge joke in Kano where a state government could condescend low to suggesting that demonstrators broke into a court and carefully selected documents relating to the trial of the APC national chairman, handpicked and take them away in this digital age. No discerning mind will buy into this pedestrian propaganda. What happened to the documents with the governments lawyers? The state government is bereft of ideas on how to run the affairs of the state and has always resorted to churning out myriads of corruption allegations against Ganduje and his family, who served the state diligently. This claim is nothing more than a desperate attempt by Governor Yusufs administration to divert attention from their culpability in the violence that erupted in the state. The insinuation that such critical documents could be carted away during a protest is a clear indication of the states growing incompetence in handling both security and legal matters. Governor Yusuf should understand that the words and actions of leaders carry weight and have dire consequences. We stand with the people of Kano and call on all well-meaning citizens to remain calm and law-abiding while the authorities conduct their investigations. When it comes to cloud computing security and AI, we have a lot to learn about protecting AI systems. Most cloud security pros dont know how to implement effective AI security, and many dont know where to start. I suspect this will result in significant breaches in the next few years; I just hope my data wont be involved. However, we can leverage AI to define AI and non-AI systems. Weve known for years that we can integrate AI with core security services. These can become proactive systems that spot problems before they escalate, all while learning and improving. How to improve with AI Integrating AI with cloud security significantly transforms the landscape, bringing about capabilities that enhance how we protect data and systems in the cloud. Lets explore the key trends in cloud security, particularly the impact of AI. Adaptive security through AI. This is one of the foremost AI trends. Adaptive frameworks enable real-time monitoring and automatically adjust security protocols based on identified threats. AI systems can ingest vast amounts of network data, learn standard behavior patterns, and accurately detect anomalies. This capacity to adapt and respond dynamically to threats shifts security paradigms from reactive to proactive. Cloud providers are increasingly embedding AI models to predict potential security breaches before they occur, reducing the risk of attacks and ensuring data integrity. Delaware grows closer to selling legal weed as it begins to accept applications for cannabis businesses in the state on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Read more Another Pennsylvania border state gets closer to legal weed sales as Delaware prepares to issue 125 business licenses for the cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and retail sale of recreational-use marijuana. Starting Monday, Aug. 19, the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) will accept applications for these licenses. Applicants have until Monday, Sept. 30, to submit their proposals. Advertisement It feels good to hit that deadline and weve had a lot of deadlines in this process, said Delawares marijuana commissioner, Robert Coupe. Were actually two weeks ahead, as Delaware law instructed us to begin accepting applications by Sept. 1. It took a lot of work to get here. The state plans to issue 60 licenses for marijuana cultivation, 30 for manufacturing, 30 for retail stores, and five licenses for testing products. More than a third of those licenses are set aside as social equity licenses for prospective operators who were convicted of marijuana-related offenses or live in what is considered a disproportionately impacted area by the OMC. Additional licenses will be earmarked for small business owners. The OMC will evaluate applications on a pass/fail basis. Successful applicants will then be entered into a random lottery, which will take place at the end of October, Coupe said. There will be 33 drawings for licenses based on the license type, county, size of the operation, and if the applicant qualifies for social equity or microbusiness licenses. Selected applicants will start receiving their licenses on Nov. 1, 2024, Coupe said, with the expectation that the industry will be up and running by April 1, 2025. Medical marijuana operators must go through a separate licensing process to convert their medical licenses into recreational ones. Coupe said an additional 32 adult-use marijuana licenses will be generated from those conversions, which are expected to be completed by mid-September. While Delaware is moving forward with legal marijuana sales, the timeline for legalization in neighboring Pennsylvania remains uncertain. Pennsylvania lawmakers failed to reach a consensus before this summers fiscal budget deadline. The state could potentially earn an estimated $41 million in tax revenue in its first year of legal sales, according to the states Independent Fiscal Office. How to apply for a marijuana license in Delaware Applications will be accepted online at de-dshs.my.site.com/OMC. Click Log in at the top right of the page and then Sign up on the following page to create an account. Use this account to apply for a license and upload the necessary documents. The deadline to apply is Sept. 30. Applicants must submit a government-issued ID, Delaware business license, capitalization table, staff and employee training plan, operating plan, safety plans, and a comprehensive business plan, among other documents depending on license type. The OMC has a step-by-step guide available online. For more information visit omc.delaware.gov/licensing. At the end of October, the OMC will host a lottery to select licensees. Licensees will be notified starting Nov. 1. Application fees range from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the license, with the actual license fee ranging from $3,000 to $10,000. However, social equity and microbusiness applicants will receive discounted fees. Marijuana cultivation facility: 60 licenses available Open cultivation license: 20 licenses available Social equity cultivation (2500-square-feet): 10 licenses available Microbusiness cultivation: 20 licenses available Social equity cultivation (2500-square-feet): 10 licenses available Marijuana product manufacturing facility: 30 licenses available Open manufacturing: 10 licenses available Social equity manufacturing: 10 licenses available Microbusiness manufacturing: 10 licenses available Retail marijuana store: 30 licenses available Open retail license: 15 licenses available Social equity retail license: 15 licenses available Marijuana testing facility: 5 licenses available Cassidy Elementary students applaud at the opening dedication ceremony of their new school on Friday. Read more It was show-and-tell day Friday for a brand new, $62.1 million Philadelphia School District building. Lewis C. Cassidy Academics Plus, on Parkside Avenue in Overbrook, will open to teachers on Tuesday and students on Aug. 26. It will serve students in prekindergarten through eighth grade. Advertisement The three-story, brick-and-metal structure has two wings and plenty of bells and whistles not present in many of Philadelphias old school buildings: a maker space, an innovation lab, a library, a playground, a cafeteria with a full-service kitchen and outdoor seating, an art studio with a kiln, and more. The new Cassidy Elementary was a long time coming. It replaced a 100-year-old school that, in 2017, moved a 10-year-old fourth grader to write to politicians asking for help because every day I go to school, I feel like Im in a prison or a junkyard. State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D., Philadelphia) said the plaintive letters from Cassidy students helped spur his advocacy for improved buildings for schools in Philadelphia and statewide. The vestiges of slavery and Jim Crow was the old Cassidy, Hughes told over 100 community members, dignitaries, students, and staff who attended the ribbon-cutting for the new Cassidy Friday. The poor conditions of the old school attracted national attention and were chronicled in The Inquirers Toxic City: Sick School series. The district has opened two new schools this year Cassidy and T.M. Peirce, in North Philadelphia. The old Peirce also had significant environmental hazards and other building issues. Many Philadelphia schools remain in need of significant upgrades or replacements. Officials have estimated the school system needs about $7 billion in facilities work. READ MORE: The Inquirer's Toxic City: Sick Schools series But Friday was about celebrating a hard-won victory. Now a 17-year-old senior at Central High, Chelsea Mungo, the student whose letter initially caught politicians eyes, took in the new school with wonder. Im just so happy right now, Mungo said. I cant even imagine it. Khalif Wilder, 11, a rising sixth-grader at Cassidy, was pretty impressed, too. Its really cool, Wilder said. As for the former Cassidy building, which has been torn down? It was real old, said Khalif. It looked like it was about to fall apart. It had no air-conditioning. School board president Reginald Streater said the money spent on Cassidy, which marks the first school project helmed by a Black-owned construction firm, Perryman Shoemaker, was well worth it. Philadelphias children deserve modern, healthy schools, he said. We are making the investments that have been denied to our learners for far too long, said Streater. As district staff conducted tours of the brand-new school, Stephanie Jenkins, who has lived across the street for 28 years, clapped her hands and marveled at a prekindergarten room, all bright colors, sensory toys, and natural light. To see this school built up like this, its the best, said Jenkins, whose daughter, now an engineer, attended the old Cassidy years ago. Her mother worked for years in the schools cafeteria. The new Cassidy feels like a victory for the community, and for the kids, Jenkins said. Its beautiful. Zachary Williams Jr., an 8-year-old entering third grade at Cassidy, eyed everything with wonder. I love it, said Zachary. His dad, Zachary Williams Sr., recorded video and took pictures of his sons new school. Hes going to be safe here, said Williams. I feel proud to send him here. The Souderton school board abruptly ended a meeting Wednesday night after it was interrupted by parents who wanted to address a board members vulgar comment about Vice President Kamala Harris. For weeks, district parents and other local residents have demanded the resignation of the board member, Bill Formica, who wasnt in attendance Wednesday. Formica had posted on X that Harris blew a lot of dudes, in response to another users post asking to name ONE THING this chick has accomplished, politically? The board member appears to have since deleted his account. Advertisement Facing the public for the first time since a petition began circulating July 31 calling for Formica to step down, board member Stephen Nelson told the crowd in the districts administrative building that the boards practice during committee meetings was to limit public comment to items on the agenda. It is abundantly clear that the controversy around Formica does not have a direct nexus to the curriculum agenda, Nelson told the crowd, adding that people could make comments during the boards action meeting on Aug. 29. As people shouted, Nelson said: Were not amending the agenda, directing security personnel to escort a woman out. Heres the deal, Superintendent Frank Gallagher told the room. Neither the board nor the administration has the ability by law to remove Mr. Formica. The crowd continued to call out, and the board ended the meeting. Formica, who was appointed to the board last summer and won election in November as part of a slate of Republican candidates, did not respond to a request for comment. Parents and teachers have criticized Formicas post as sexist and misogynistic, and also say he has a history of making offensive comments, including on LGBTQ issues. Though Formicas comments werent on the agenda, parents showed up Wednesday because they felt there was no other way to get information, said Corinne DeGeiso, the chair of Souderton Area for Responsible Leadership, a political action committee that supported the Democratic candidates in last years election. DeGeiso said the district hasnt been responding to parent emails on the topic, and hasnt issued a statement since Aug. 2, when it said Formica had used inappropriate language and poor judgment. It asked for time for the board to process this situation. Im not quite sure how much time you need to process this, she said. DeGeiso, who said she had never seen as many parents at a committee meeting, said she expects meeting attendance will remain high until this has been addressed properly and to the communitys satisfaction. In his new film Sing Sing, West Philly native Colman Domingos character, Divine G, is not a Philadelphian, but the actor gets to deliver a monologue about his fondness for the most Philadelphia of all treats: water ice. In the scene, a group of incarcerated men sit around reminiscing about summer days spent on the outside. Advertisement I wanted to find the Divine G that part of me that lives in Divine G, as well as the Divine G that lives in me, Domingo said to The Inquirer. So, when the actors were asked to improvise on the scene, he wanted to make it specific to my experiences. I felt like, You know what, Im going to talk about a water ice story, because thats a true story. Im sure Divine G had a snow cone, some cold summer beverage, but I have water ice. So for me, that was honoring who I am as well. Sing Sing, directed by Greg Kwedar, with Domingo serving as an executive producer, is based on the true story of a group of incarcerated men at the titular prison in New York who participate in a theatrical production through a program called Rehabilitation Through the Arts. With the exception of those portrayed by Domingo and Paul Raci, all of the films major characters are played by formerly incarcerated men. Kwedar and his cowriter, Clint Bentley, had been discussing the idea of a movie about Rehabilitation Through the Arts for six or seven years but had struggled to find the right story for it. Eventually, they approached the Rustin star. At that point, the project had no script, so Kwedar and Bentley sent Domingo an Esquire article about the program. When I found out about just how important the arts were when it came to rehabilitation, in this container of a prison, I thought it was incredible, Domingo said. And then finding out it had [only] a 3% recidivism rate among the community thats gone through this program, I thought that was outstanding. And I thought they were right, there was some story there. The film was produced independently and was acquired for distribution by A24 at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. We looked at the themes of brotherhood, of smashing tropes about Black and brown men as well, and we really wanted to create a film about our humanity not a prison film, but a film about the possibility of what we can be, if love is afforded to us, or care, or grace, is extended, the actor said. Domingos character, John Divine G Whitfield, is a leader of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing, and is a man trying to clear his name of the murder for which he was convicted. Hes introduced as the mostly levelheaded authority figure for the program but later gets put through an emotional wringer. I think the film is absolutely doing the work that the RTA program did which is smashing tropes of exactly who we are as Black and brown men, Domingo said. The thing in particular that I was interested in, and my way into this film, was that I want to see more tenderness on screen when it comes to men and male relationships. And Im not talking about sexually, Im talking about tenderness, plain and simple. Domingo was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in last years Netflix film Rustin, in which he portrayed the West Chester-born 1960s civil rights leader Bayard Rustin. His other prominent credits include the movies Zola and If Beale Street Could Talk, the TV series Euphoria, and the Broadway musical The Scottsboro Boys. The actor is quick to credit his Philadelphia upbringing for helping shape his performing career. I always say people in Philly are what you see is what you get, he said. I come from a very blue-collar neighborhood, and people are very salt of the earth I think it sort of grounded me in a sense of who I am. I think [in] Philly we pride ourselves on being underdogs, and I know thats sort of where I pull from. Oh, you dont think I can do it? You just wait, you just watch. Because I believe in myself. Domingos father sanded hardwood floors and his mother worked in a bank. We ate around the table and had dinner at 6:00 every night it wasnt rare, which is why I always like to say it, because I feel like theres many ideas about growing up in inner-city West Philadelphia. Domingo attended Temple, where he majored in journalism. A professor, he recalled, was very frustrated with me as a writer. I was too colorful in my writing, I was too creative in my writing. She said, You had to stick to the points, You have to stick to just the facts. And it was hard for me But the thing that I knew for sure was that I had a journalistic heart. Later in life, the actor realized that its all about archiving who we are and where we are. You have to have a journalistic heart and have that interrogating mind to do a deep dive into character and story and history. When he makes it back to his hometown, Domingos favorite haunts include everywhere from the Four Seasons Hotel to Ishkabibbles, where he likes to get a nice messy cheesesteak. I like going down South Street, he said. Even though it wasnt as busy as I remember when I was a kid it takes me back to my youth, when I was a teenager, going down there, and sort of watching the counterculture of Philly. Sing Sing, which had a local premiere in April at the PFS SpringFest film festival, with several cast members present, opens locally on Friday, Aug. 16. Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz are on the campaign trail this week, and starred in a new promotional video where they discuss their interests, from taco recipes to favorite musicians. When Harris asked Walz about his relationship to music, he immediately talked about Bruce Springsteen. For me, the transformational piece of music was Bruce Springsteens The River, which is a journey, you know you know all the tracks, and Im that guy. Walz then talked about the summer of 1980, when he bought his first car, a 1973 orange Chevy Camaro, in which the previous owner left Bob Segers album Night Moves in the eight-track player. Its kind of the soundtrack of my life, of Detroits own Bob Seger, he said. Walz has the same eight-track player in his car (now a 1979 International Harvester Scout) to this day. Advertisement Harris went on to talk about her mothers love for Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder as well as her dads love for jazz greats Miles Davis and John Coltrane. She said one of her favorite musicians is Prince, who was from Walzs home state of Minnesota, and added that while shes more of a hip-hop girl her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, prefers Depeche Mode. Im sure you and he like the same music, she told Walz, chuckling. Emhoff made his own nod to The Boss a few weeks ago following a Harris rally when he posted photos on X asking, Springsteen concert or Kamala Harris rally? I gotta tell you, the energy on the ground is electric right now. For Walz, it wasnt the first time he shouted-out The Boss on the campaign trail. When the governor joined Harris in Philadelphia after she announced he was her VP pick, he talked about the time he went to see Springsteen with Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro (who had also been in the running for VP). I know this from experience, Walz told the crowd at Temple Universitys Liacouras Center. There is no one you would rather go to a Springsteen concert in Jersey with than him! Turns out, it was New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy, who invited Walz and Shapiro to see The Boss at MetLife Stadium over Labor Day weekend in 2023. Former Texas Congressman Beto ORourke came along as Walzs guest. Murphy shared a photo of them on X. We knew Tim was a big Bruce fan, Murphy told The Inquirer. As one does at a Bruce Springsteen concert, we had a grand evening and a great time together. Great guys, great fun. FILE - A Social Security card is displayed on Oct. 12, 2021, in Tigard, Ore. A massive number of Social Security numbers and other personal information could be compromised following a data breach. Here's what we know and how to keep your information safe. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File) Read more Social Security numbers and other personal information could be compromised following a massive data breach. The leaked data landed in the hands of a nefarious hacking group and is now for sale on the dark web, according to court documents. The hacking group, called USDoD, claims to have stolen the personal records of 2.9 billion people from a data company that specializes in background checks. The Los Angeles Times reports the theft may include Social Security numbers for every American. Advertisement Heres what we know and how experts say you can protect yourself. What information was included in the data breach? According to the law firm Schubert, Jonckheer & Kolbe, which is handling a class-action lawsuit surrounding the data breach, stolen data included the following information for 2.9 billion people, including U.S., United Kingdom and Canadian citizens: Full names Addresses Birthdays Phone numbers Family history including relatives Social Security numbers, for American citizens Advertisement A cybersecurity expert said on X that the hackers were selling the database for $3.5 million since April. The LA Times reported that a purported member of the hacker group had released all of the files on a forum for free this month. Where did the compromised information come from? The data USDoD took came from National Public Data a Florida-based background check company, according to court documents. The company hasnt publicly commented on a data breach. In a statement to the LA Times, a spokesperson said it was aware of certain third-party claims about consumer data and are investigating these issues. How do I know if my personal information has been compromised? While theres no official way to tell if your Social Security number or other personal information was stolen from the National Public Data breach, some groups are trying to help. The LA Times reports that cybersecurity company Pentester is offering a free tool to see if your information was part of the National Public Data breached files. Advertisement More broadly, service providers like Experian can scan dark web audits to see if your personal information has been compromised. How can I protect myself? To find out if your personal information has been compromised, you can solicit a credit report to get a baseline. Its always a good idea to check your credit reports anyway, but now is a great reminder to do so, said personal finance expert Howard Dvorkin, CPA and chairman of Debt.com. Its free, and the federal government estimates 1 in 10 reports have errors that can drag your credit score. So even if you pleasantly discover you havent been scammed, you might still find the review worth your time. Advertisement You can get a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) once a week. There are also paid credit monitoring services to consider if youre extra concerned. How do I freeze my credit? Dvorkin says the only foolproof defense consumers have against scammers is a credit freeze. A credit freeze is crucial in hacks like this one, because scammers cant get their payday with just your Social Security number, he said. They need to pair it with other personal details before they can cash in. Advertisement Credit freezes also known as security freezes block lenders (or anyone else) from accessing your credit reports, a necessary step when applying for a credit card, auto loan, mortgage, or any other form of credit. Still, Dvorkin warns, nothing is foolproof. The problem is, the just-announced hack reportedly happened back in April, he said. So if scammers already used your Social Security number and opened a fraudulent account before you froze your accounts, a credit freeze today wont help you. That horse is already out of the barn. Other personal finance safety tips and tricks The LA Times notes that bad actors and scammers rely on consumers vulnerability to pounce on sensitive information. A common tactic theyll use is posing as a bank or employer to entice you to click a dangerous phishing link or give up personal details. Banks will never ask for account information by phone. Still, scammers have convinced victims into sharing key details like account numbers and passwords. To ensure extra safety, remember to: Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter Its a hot and sunny Friday, Philly, with high temps near 90. If youre visiting the Shore, watch out for extra-strong rip currents. Pennsylvanias status as a swing state will be especially pronounced this weekend, when both leading presidential candidates visit in hopes of swinging it in their direction. Read on for a rundown of where the election stands in our purple Commonwealth. Advertisement And two months after University of the Arts surprise shutdown, a former dance instructor is rushing to avoid deportation. Heres what you need to know today. Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. Call it a battleground, or call it the swingiest of all states like a nearby senator just did. The leading candidates know purple Pennsylvania could hold the key to winning the presidential election. With just 80 days to go, national eyes will be on the Keystone State this weekend when former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris campaign in Wilkes-Barre and Pittsburgh, respectively. Trumps visit to Luzerne County is a sign of how essential, and unpredictable, such places will be in November. The blue-collar county went red in the past two elections, but had been solidly blue for decades before. Its now evenly divided between registered Republicans and Democrats. Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance on Thursday visited New Kensington in Westmoreland County. And Harris made her first public appearance with her own VP pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, at a Philadelphia rally last week. The visits come as Harris is polling ahead of Trump in the state. Meanwhile, the election is impacting even the most local of politics: The Souderton school board abruptly ended a meeting Wednesday night after being interrupted by parents who wanted to address a board members vulgar comment about Harris. P.S. Our politics team just kicked off their PA 2024 newsletter, featuring weekly analysis, fact checks, and data dives on this election cycles most important developments. Sign up for free to get it every Friday. University of the Arts sudden closure in June left 1,300 students without a school and hundreds of employees without a job. One of them was Su Guzey, a dancer from Turkey who moved to Philadelphia in 2021 to earn her MFA. She later became an adjunct assistant professor in the dance program. Now, shes desperately trying to find her footing. Her options include finding another job in academia a challenge in a city with diminishing arts programs or pursuing an artist visa, which could grant her an extended stay in the United States. The feeling of home is something you desperately seek, Guzey told The Inquirer, of her experience as an immigrant. Its not a space that you create. People make a home for you, and the people Ive met have made Philly home for me. Arts and culture reporter Earl Hopkins has the story. What you should know today Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. Well feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the citys quirks. This week, we have an explainer from reporter Michelle Myers on why the visage of Danny Trejo is painted onto a wall at East Tusculum Street and Frankford Avenue. Perhaps the Los Angeles-native actor has some Kensington connection? None thats apparent. Still, inspired by the Machete Kills stars 55 years of sobriety, the local muralist behind it picked him as a symbol of hope in the fight against addiction. Heres the full explanation. Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space. Trivia time Another experiential retail space coming to Philly, at the former West Elm on Chestnut Street. What is it? A) Formula One racing arcade B) Bluey play space C) Netflix House theater D) Insomnia Cookies kitchen Think you know? Check your answer. What were... Jealous of: These Dobbins High culinary arts students summer vacation. High-tailing it to: This Manayunk social club for dogs (and people). Excited to see: West Philly native Colman Domingos water ice monologue. Unscramble the anagram The name of the pedestrian-focused initiative to temporarily close public thoroughfares to vehicular traffic. OPT SERENEST Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Michael Bloom, who solved Thursdays anagram: Freedom Theatre. American Fiction actor Erika Alexander will soon have a section of Master Street named after her to commemorate the North Philadelphia theater, where she was discovered at age 14. Photo of the day You can practically taste summer just looking at those watermelons. And on that note, I hope you enjoy your own summer weekend. See you back here next week! By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. Jefferson police speak with a man who was sleeping on the street at North 11th Street at Filbert Street in Center City in July. Read more Years from now, I hope that we will look back on todays watershed ruling as the turning point in Americas homelessness crisis. That was the reaction of Theane Evangelis, the lead attorney for the city of Grants Pass, Ore., responding to the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling that cities can ban people who are homeless from sleeping outside, even if there are no resources or alternatives for them. Her words are darkly ironic: If this ruling is a historic watershed, it will be that the United States definitely decided criminalizing persons for being homeless is constitutionally and morally acceptable. Advertisement Its been some seven weeks since the courts decision, yet to many, it feels like weve gone back decades. Only two weeks after the initial shock of the ruling, the realities of its impact began to come into play: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a liberal Democrat, had ordered the removal of thousands of homeless encampments throughout the state. We must ensure Philadelphia does not criminalize homelessness in the wake of the ruling. The legal and moral battle over using policing, laws, and force to remove people from the streets has been fought in communities for decades. Court rulings nationwide have upheld the fundamental human rights of persons who found themselves in situations of homelessness without the necessary resources to overcome struggles such as addiction, mental illness, and especially affordable housing. READ MORE: The Supreme Court criminalized homelessness. Where is our humanity? | Opinion While such battles were being fought in the courts of law and of public opinion, many nonprofits and local governments were developing solutions, empowering hundreds of thousands of people to break the cycle of chronic homelessness, and demonstrating that resorting to police and prohibitions was not only inhumane but also mostly unnecessary. We must ensure Philadelphia does not take steps to criminalize homelessness in the wake of the ruling. Through effective supportive housing programs, we drastically lowered the rates of homelessness of veterans and young adults. This was a problem that, with the political will and appropriate resources, we could solve at the same time meeting the needs of persons experiencing homelessness and enhancing quality of life for the entire community. After much progress in lowering the rates of homelessness, the last several years have seen a dramatic worsening of the affordable housing crunch nationwide as well as new waves of horrific drug epidemics. But as a nation, rather than ramping up efforts to address the human and social crisis, we have regressed in our commitment and now, in this shocking ruling from our highest court, we have basically codified that there is no ultimate national responsibility to our poorest and more vulnerable citizens. We have affirmed an approach to homelessness that is basically us vs. them, justifying moving people we find undesirable out of sight and out of mind. READ MORE: Police crackdown in Kensington wont help people dealing with homelessness, substance use | Opinion Criminalizing homelessness is a failed policy. In addition to being cruel and dehumanizing, such policies can burden those who are unhoused with criminal records, warrants from unpaid fines, and disqualification from public housing and other benefits. Sweeping out encampments, without viable supportive housing, will simply move very vulnerable people to someone elses backyard, cause more unsafe altercations with police, and fill our costly criminal justice system with sick people rather than criminals. Legally validating these kinds of measures takes us as a society back to the absurdity and barbarism of the debtors prisons of the past. It is now more urgent than ever that we work together on real solutions to assist our fellow citizens. Given the courts ruling, however distressing and unwise, it is now more urgent than ever that we work together on real solutions to assist our fellow Philadelphians in getting off the streets and achieving their full potential. Governments must work with the private sector and the nonprofit community to expand affordable supportive housing and access to effective behavioral health treatment. Faith communities must intensify efforts to provide the moral and spiritual leadership to effect systemic change and open their doors and hearts to those of us who are most struggling. Here in Philadelphia, we need to work harder than ever to ensure everyone not only those who are experiencing homelessness has access to decent, affordable housing, quality health care, meaningful education, and opportunities for employment. We must work on strategies that connect solutions to homelessness with the common good remembering that America is strongest when we unite in a common vision of We the People. To go down the path of dehumanizing those who are poor and marginalized is to dehumanize ourselves. This can be a true turning point when we renew our commitment to the great American vision of the essential equality of all people, recognizing that, as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said: We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. This is the vision of a true America, of a beloved community. This is the path home for all of us. Sister Mary Scullion is the cofounder of Project HOME, an organization that has worked for 35 years to end chronic street homelessness and alleviate poverty in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is once again back at the center of the political universe. The first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will take place at the National Constitution Center on Sept. 10, ABC News announced Friday. Advertisement The debate will begin at 9 p.m. and air live on ABC, ABC News Live, Disney and Hulu, the network said. It will be moderated by Linsey Davis an anchor on ABC News Lives Prime and David Muir, the managing editor and anchor of World News Tonight. We are honored to be selected, the National Constitution Centers President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen said in a statement on Friday. The National Constitution Centers mission is to model civil dialogue ... Presidential debates are a meaningful opportunity for all Americans to learn more about the principles that define American democracy. This is not the first time a presidential debate has been held on Independence Mall. The National Constitution Center hosted the Democratic primary presidential debate between former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2008, as well as ABC News Town Halls for Trump and President Joe Biden in 2020. The announcement of the debates location comes after Trump claimed it would take place near the National Constitution Center at Independence Hall. At the time of Trumps comments, ABC told The Inquirer a venue had not been confirmed. READ MORE: Philly was not yet confirmed to be the site of the first presidential debate, despite Donald Trumps comments The debate will mark the first time Trump and Harris will face off since Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, following his own disastrous debate performance in June. Harris formally secured the Democratic presidential nomination earlier this month. Trump initially backed out of the proposed Sept. 10 debate, citing Biden withdrawing from the race and his legal conflicts with ABC. He instead proposed a Sept. 4 debate hosted by Fox News in front of an audience. Ill see her on September 4th, or I wont see her at all, Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social on Aug. 3. He then recommitted to the debate at a news conference held at his Florida country club Mar-a-Largo where he pushed for the Sept. 4 debate, as well as a third faceoff on Sept. 25 on NBC. READ MORE: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris agree to presidential debate on ABC next month The Harris campaign told ABC News that she would not debate Trump on Sept. 4 and that future debates are contingent on Trump actually showing up to the first one. Trump is suing ABC News and George Stephanopoulos for defamation after the Good Morning America anchor said a jury concluded Trump had raped E. Jean Carroll. The Manhattan jury had found Trump liable for sexual abuse but not rape in the 2023 trial, which has a narrower definition under New York state law. During a recent appearance on Fox & Friends, Trump said that the ongoing legal proceedings would not affect his ability to debate on ABC since Stephanopoulos would not be hosting. READ MORE: Tim Walz and JD Vance agree to CBS vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 You can use that as an excuse, I could use that, Trump said. My preference would be Fox ... the most important thing is we get to debate. As for the vice presidential nominees, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance will debate in New York City on Oct. 1, hosted by CBS. There are 80 days until Election Day. In this edition: Advertisement Julia Terruso, Aseem Shukla, Sean Collins Walsh, Katie Bernard, Fallon Roth, Oona Goodin-Smith, pa2024@inquirer.com If youd like to get this free newsletter in your inbox, sign up for free here. Do you have a question about this election? Email us here, and we may answer it in a future newsletter. Does Kamala Harris actually have a Scranton problem? Scrantons favorite son is no longer on the ballot in the state that could determine the election, and some Republicans see that as an opening. This weekend, Trump travels to Wilkes-Barre, Scrantons sister city in Northeast Pennsylvania, where he hopes he can appeal to more of the white, non-college educated, working class voters who helped him win the state in 2016. President Joe Biden won just enough votes with that group in 2020 to help land him in the White House. [Vice President] Kamala Harris may be trying to claim a lot of new things about her biography and record, former Trump communications director and Pennsylvania native Tim Murtaugh told us. But I doubt she can get away with claiming to be from Scranton. Bidens Scranton loyalists relayed some concern when he dropped out of the race about how well Harris might fare in the city and the critical swingy Rust Belt towns nearby. But theres not a ton of evidence so far that Harris will have a major problem in the Northeast. Early polling shows her doing better than Biden in the region, and regions like it. And her favorability is up with independent voters, a key bloc in counties like Luzerne and Lackawanna. Everyone says that district will be worse for Harris than it was for Biden, said a Pennsylvania Republican strategist, wary of sounding the alarm on the record. And I say theres not a district in America thats gonna be worse for Harris than Biden. The Northeast has also become more diverse, and Harris has showed early signs of improving Democratic appeal among Black voters and younger voters, which could offset other potential losses. Scrantonians headed to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention said theyre motivated to turnout their region for Harris even if the spotlight on the Electric City may dim. Joe Biden passed the torch to Kamala Harris, Scranton-based DNC delegate Andrew Cutillo said. Now Scranton passes the torch to Oakland. The latest The epidemic of fentanyl overdoses is becoming increasingly important to voters. And in Pennsylvanias closely-watched U.S. Senate race, its become a key issue with investments in a Chinese fentanyl company at its center. In the three weeks since Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Harris, Pennsylvania has seen a spike in registered Democrats perhaps signaling growing enthusiasm in the party. Elections officials will play a critical role in ensuring things run smoothly in November particularly in Philadelphia, the largest city in the state poised to decide the presidency. Thats why, when one city election official quit her job last month, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker visited her at her home to stop her. A Montgomery County man has been charged in a rare election fraud case after voting in three counties in Pennsylvania and Florida. One Philly official said the case shows the system is working, and when there are irregularities and fraud of them being investigated and caught. He may have lost the veepstakes, but polls show Gov. Josh Shapiro is still the states most popular politician. Fast-forwarding to the 2025 election: Around half a dozen people are already thinking about challenging Larry Krasner for Phillys district attorney and one already has registered several campaign-styled domain names. Data dive This week, were passing the mic to our colleague, data reporter Aseem Shukla, to talk about the five kinds of places predicted to win Pennsylvania in November: So you want to win Pennsylvania. Pull up a chair. You say Pennsylvania is a swing state. I say its a state of swing demographics. As some voters inch left, others are moving right or theyre staying home. Who wins depends on which of those subtle, evenly-balanced trends works out in their favor. We cant look into every voters mind, but we can look at trends on the ground. Lets divide the state into five groups, based on population density, ethnicity, and education: Rural areas, the least densely populated Suburban areas, the next most densely populated White working-class urban areas, where voters are mostly white and mostly dont have bachelors degrees White college-educated urban areas, where voters are mostly white and largely do have college degrees, and Non-white urban areas, which have a combination of Black, Latino, and/or Asian majorities in cities big and small Those groups are listed in increasing order of Democratic votes. But heres the thing theyre moving in different directions than you might have expected. Take a look at this chart, where the arrows show whether the group netted more votes for Joe Biden (left) or Donald Trump (right) in 2020, compared to 2016. While the suburbs and whiter parts of cities netted more votes for Joe Biden in 2020 than for Hillary Clinton in 2016, both rural areas and non-white cities both of which have lower rates of college education than the rest of the state bled Democratic support. If those trends continue in 2024, and if Democratic losses in cities and the countryside outweigh gains elsewhere, things might favor Trump. If those losses remain limited, the outlook may be better for Harris. Stock up Dems in Phillys outer suburbs: Philadelphias suburbs have become a stronghold for Democratic votes even in outer, more exurban areas of the suburbs that shifted left more slowly than other parts of the region. There are a number of fast-growing municipalities in Chester and Montgomery Counties where the population growth has almost exclusively benefited Democrats. This is especially clear in East Brandywine Township. Decades ago the area was predominantly rural. A rush of new development has brought self-described city folks into the township. And theyre bringing their politics with them. Stock down X Spaces: Elon Musks meandering conversation with Trump on X Spaces got off to a very, very glitchy start Monday night. The talk in which Trump discussed the assassination attempt and his promise to return to Butler started 42 minutes late after users trying to get into the Space were met with a message that read: This Space is not available. Those who were able to make it inside the Space were met with seemingly-never ending lo-fi techno beat music as they waited. Musk said the delay was caused by a massive DDOS attack, which is malicious in nature, but one X staffer told the Verge there is a 99 percent chance Musk was lying. Campaign cash From the land of E-A-G-L-E-S in the east to Terrible Towel territory out west, there arent many places in Pennsylvania where people think highly of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. One exception may be the campaign headquarters of Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick. As former Inquirer political reporter Jonathan Tamari pointed out on X, Kraft in February donated $24,500 to support McCormicks bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. McCormick may need that financial help. A recent Quinnipiac poll has him down among likely voters by 8 points. Scenes from the campaign trail What were watching next This weekend in Pennsylvania, as Trump heads to the northeastern part of the state, while Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, tour Western Pennsylvania by bus. Whether the Sept. 10 presidential debate will actually take place at Independence Hall, as Walz and Republican VP candidate JD Vance plan their debate for October. If a New York judge will grant Trumps request to delay his sentencing in his hush money criminal case until after the election. What happens at the DNC next week, as Parker, Shapiro, Casey, Rep. Joanna McClinton, and more Pennsylvania Democratic political movers and shakers head to Chicago. Thats it for us this week. Head to inquirer.com/politics to follow our latest coverage of the candidates weekend visits, and as Julia and Sean are on the ground at the DNC next week. Well see you in your inbox next Friday. A surfer navigates huge swells from Hurricane Cristobal in 2014 on Long Beach Island. Cristobal tracked offshore, as Ernesto is forecast to do, and swimming was restricted on some beaches. Read more Hurricane Ernesto wont have a direct impact on the Philly region as it parallels the coast, but it is expected to make the Atlantic Ocean a dangerous place at the Shore and for hundreds of miles in either direction. Even though the center of Ernesto will be hundreds of miles offshore, the National Weather Service is warning of very dangerous rip currents powerful currents that move away from the shore and take swimmers with them along the New Jersey and Delaware beaches as it effectively becomes a massive plunger agitating the Atlantic. Advertisement The rip current risk will be high pretty much from Miami to Maine, said Alex Staarmann, meteorologist with the weather service in Mount Holly as Ernesto generated long period swells. The rip current risk is forecast to become high both Saturday and Sunday. The risks could persist into the workweek, the weather service says. As of 5 p.m. Friday morning, Ernesto was about 125 miles south of Bermuda, where a hurricane warning was in effect, with top winds of 100 mph and was plodding north at less than 15 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. It was forecast to lose some intensity but to retain its hurricane status as it passes the Canadians maritimes. Staarmann said Ernesto likely would make its closest approach to the Midatlantic coast sometime Sunday, and even after it passes, there will probably some rough surf with the lingering swells, he said. Surfs up, and dangerous A National Weather Service study published in 2017 found that, in the previous two decades, on average, rip currents were blamed for two deaths annually. The majority of the deaths had occurred between 5 and 7 p.m., when lifeguards tend to be off-duty. In May 2022, three juveniles, including a 12-year-old who was hospitalized, were rescued after they evidently were caught in a rip current on an unguarded beach in Ocean City. Although beach patrols in all likelihood will be advising people to stay out of the water or err strongly on the side of caution, it may be even more likely that not everyone is going to listen. Surfers will be out there doing their thing, said Michael Crowley, with the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership. Whether or not its dangerous. If youre caught in a rip current, heres advice from the National Weather Service Financial strain is also affecting insurance decisions, with 49% of vehicle owners adjusting their coverage. Notably, 11% of respondents have dropped their insurance altogether, and 27% have switched to less expensive policies. Additionally, 14% of drivers reported difficulties in making their insurance payments due to the increasing cost-of-living. The company emphasised that it has taken steps to protect the health, safety, and privacy of its personnel, as well as the integrity of its systems and data. It does not expect the breach to have a substantial impact on its operations. Youve got this increased cost of insurance, increased cost of supplies, increased cost of labor, increases that are consistent with other industries, but for the wine industry you cannot pass costs into the bottle of wine thats already expensive, and remain a viable choice for consumers especially when Gen Z and Gen Y are consuming less wine than past generations, explained Costa. So the industry is looking at their own business models to figure out how to drive through and remain a viable business. Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, Arch MIs flagship mortgage insurer, Arch Mortgage Insurance Company, is licensed to write mortgage insurance in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Its reinsurance covers a pool of approximately $30.5 billion in mortgages. This coverage was achieved through the issuance of around $163 million in bonds and $41 million in direct reinsurance. Carmen Sharp (pictured above), senior vice president of claims at The Hanover, stated that the companys enhanced claims approach differentiates it from other providers. By administering surveys to both injured employees and their employers at the time of injury, The Hanover can identify factors that might impact a claim earlier in the process, she suggested. Join Tokio Marine HCC Cyber & Professional Lines Group's Jacob Ingerslev, USI's Nadia Hoyte and Aon's Matt Chmel in the latest cyber insurance power panel as they debate the recent surge in high-profile cyberattack incidents. The experts also delve into the rise of extortion events, supply chain issues and give vital tips to brokers.. Note: this video was recorded prior to the CrowdStrike outage. A home builder is not covered under the property damage coverage in its commercial liability policy for construction defects for which it was responsible. A three-judge panel of the Massachusetts Appeals Court has held for the first time that construction defects, standing alone, do not constitute property damage within the meaning of a commercial general liability policy. The question before the appellate court justices was whether the costs of repairing or removing construction defects constitute damages because of property damage within the meaning of a commercial general liability policy. In answering that construction defects are not property damage, the appeals court upheld a declaratory judgment by an Essex County Superior Court in favor of the insurer, Main Street America (MSA). MSAs insured, R.C. Havens, was the general contractor for the construction of a single-family home in Marblehead. As the project neared completion, the homeowners discovered substantial issues with the quality of the construction, a number of which compromised the structural integrity of the home. A portion of a structural post that was supposed to run from the roof to the basement was missing, and partition walls, sill plates, and support beams were installed incorrectly. As a result, some partition walls were improperly weight bearing. The homeowners structural engineer concluded that fixing the structural problems would require extensive work, including installing the missing post, doubling up the floor joists under the partition walls, and jacking up the floors. Separate from these structural faults, counter flashing was not installed on the posts of a roof deck; the homes siding was not fastened correctly; and there were numerous problems with the installation of the homes metal roof. The roof deck, siding, and metal roof all had to be replaced to fix the construction defects. A jury found the contractor liable and awarded the homeowners $114,159 for the structural defects, $14,207 for the roof deck, $37,000 for the siding, and $52,500 for the metal roof. The jury also awarded the homeowners $925 for problems with the homes insulation, $18,036 for mold damage, $8,430 for loss of use of their home during repair work, and $27,276 for costs of investigating the defects. Following the trial on the contractors liability, the homeowners and the contractors insurer, MSA, cross-moved for summary judgment on whether MSA had a duty to indemnify R.C. Havens. Among the issues raised was whether the homeowners losses were covered under the policy as property damage caused by an occurrence. A Superior Court judge ruled for MSA on all the issues. After a declaratory judgment was entered for MSA, the homeowners appealed. The policy required MSA to pay those sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of property damage to which this insurance applies. The policy defined property damage to mean physical injury to tangible property, including all resulting loss of use of that property or loss of use of tangible property that is not physically injured. The appeals court found that these words, construed in a reasonable and practical way, did not provide coverage for sums that R.C. Havens became legally obligated to pay as damages for the construction defects. While the issue was one of first impression in Massachusetts, other jurisdictions have held that costs to repair or remove construction defects are not covered as damages because of property damage under commercial general liability policies. These courts have reasoned that commercial general liability policies define property damage as physical injury, which suggests the property was not defective at the outset, but rather was initially proper and injured thereafter, the appeals court noted citing a Connecticut ruling. The appeals court further noted that because faulty construction is defective at the outset, other jurisdictions have distinguished between claims for the costs of repairing or removing construction defects, which are not claims for property damage, and claims for the costs of repairing damage caused by construction defects, which are claims for property damage. The appeals court found a simple example convincing: an improperly installed window would not be property damage, but resulting water damage to the surrounding wall would be. The court said that was persuasive and consistent with the general purpose of commercial general liability policies. Commercial general liability policies provide coverage for tort liability for physical damages to others and not for contractual liability of the insured for economic loss because the product or completed work is not that for which the damaged person bargained,' states the appeals court panel opinion written by Associate Justice Sookyoung Shin. Accordingly, the court held, construction defects, without more, do not constitute property damage within the meaning of a commercial general liability policy. The homeowners had wanted the insurance to cover what they said was damage caused by the construction defects. However, the court dismissed this argument because the summary judgment, the jury verdict, the jury award and the sums the homeowners submitted were for repairing or removing the defects themselves, not for damage such as cracks, water damage or mold they may have caused. Topics Liability Commercial Lines Business Insurance Property Construction Changes in the mpox virus are just the latest challenge facing disease trackers trying to contain an outbreak of the virus thats become a global health emergency. The surge of cases is centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country roughly the size of Western Europe thats been wracked by decades-long conflict, severe poverty and malnutrition as well as camps housing hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Now, just like the coronavirus, influenza and the many other pathogens that pose persistent risks, the virus that causes mpox is mutating, further complicating the effort to track its spread. With this outbreak, mpox had a big evolutionary jump, said Tulio de Oliveira, director of Stellenbosch Universitys Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation near Cape Town. We have every reason to believe that there are many more cases that we have not detected. (Editors note: Mpox was formerly known as the monkey pox virus). Why Is Mpox an Emergency Again, and How Worried Should I Be? The last big surge of mpox in 2022 was also declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization in Geneva. That was caused by a milder strain of the virus known as clade IIb. The new mutated strain is related to a more virulent version called clade I that appears to be spreading more quickly in children and adolescents, as well as through sexual contact. The DRC has dealt with outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola, cholera and malaria before often with little global assistance. In the current mpox outbreak, the government last month reported an exponential increase in infections. The country has developed a vaccination strategy, Roger Kamba, Congos public health minister, said in a video posted on the X social media site. In a later briefing, broadcast on national television, he said 2.5 million people will need to be vaccinated to stop the spread of the disease. For that to happen, 3.5 million doses will be required and that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, he added, urging to the international community to provide assistance. While not as deadly as smallpox, mpox still is lethal in about 3% to 6% of reported cases. Lesions from the infection can cause blindness, disfigurement and severe pregnancy complications. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the DRC from the disease since the beginning of the year. Health systems in eastern DRC, where transmission is highest, were extremely fragile even before this outbreak and a scarcity of staff and medical supplies further complicate efforts to contain the disease. Now as this strain has emerged in eastern DRC, where there are mining towns with a large number of sex workers and its very close to the borders of multiple countries, including Rwanda and Uganda, the risk is spreading, Stellenboschs de Oliveira said. He ran a team of scientists that identified the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Another concern is the possibility that some mpox patients are also infected with HIV, which cuts the bodys ability to fight disease. Africa has the worlds biggest number of HIV infections. Efforts to contain mpox should focus on improving knowledge among communities of its existence, getting timely diagnostics run and making vaccines available, Oliveira said. While mpox has spilled over from its animal hosts to infect humans in West and Central Africa with increasing frequency since the 1970s, its when it enters more direct transmission between humans then we get worried, De Oliveira said. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. A European Union satellite mapping agency says 104 square kilometers (40 square miles) of land was burned northeast of Athens this week during a deadly wildfire that gutted scores of homes and prompted multiple countries to send assistance. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service announced the damage estimate Wednesday, a day after the wildfire was contained in a massive effort that ended on the outskirts of the capital. A factory worker was killed in the fire that swept through mountainous areas southward, covering an area almost twice the size of Manhattan and blanketing the Greek capital with a thick cloud of smoke. The fire damaged 22 businesses and rendered at least 78 homes uninhabitable, with nearly half of them completely destroyed, Greek officials said Wednesday. Inspections in fire-afflicted areas will continue in coming days. Nine countries, including neighbor Turkey, sent assistance to Greece to boost ground crews and water-dropping planes and helicopters operating outside Athens. The wildfire follows successive heat waves across southern Europe and low levels of rainfall this year. According to an updated estimate by the National Observatory of Athens, over the past eight years 450 square kilometers (174 square miles) of forest have been burned in the Attica region that includes Athens. That amounts to 37% of the regions total forested area. Photograph: A damaged house is seen in Penteli, a suburb of Athens, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, following a deadly wildfire near the Greek capital. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire The family of Casey Goodson Jr., a Black man who was shot and killed by an Ohio sheriffs deputy, will receive $7 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit over the December 2020 shooting. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the settlement late last month. Goodson, 23, was shot multiple times as he tried to enter his grandmothers Columbus home. His death one of several involving Black people killed by white Ohio law enforcement officers over the past decade came at the end of a year in which mass protests swept the nation over the murder of George Floyd. Goodsons name was added to rallying cries in protests over racial injustice in policing. Goodsons family issued a statement calling the settlement historic. The settlement allows Caseys family to resolve their civil claims against Franklin County, enabling them to concentrate fully on the upcoming murder retrial of Michael Jason Meade, family attorney Sean Walton said. While no amount of money can ever compensate for the loss of Casey, this settlement is a crucial acknowledgment of the profound impact his death has had on his family and the broader community. Meade was charged with murder and reckless homicide, but a mistrial was announced in February when a jury couldnt agree on a verdict, ending tumultuous proceedings that saw four jurors dismissed. Prosecutors soon announced he would face a retrial, which is scheduled to start Oct. 31, but they have since dropped one of the two murder counts he faced. Meade has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have said the prosecutions decision to seek another trial was due to political pressure from local elected officials. Meade testified that Goodson waved a gun at him as the two drove past each other, so he pursued Goodson because he said he feared for his life and the lives of others. He said he eventually shot Goodson because the young man turned toward him with a gun. Goodsons family and prosecutors have said he was holding a sandwich bag in one hand and his keys in the other when he was fatally shot. They do not dispute that Goodson may have been carrying a gun and note that he had a license to carry a firearm. Goodsons handgun, which had an extended magazine, was found on his grandmothers kitchen floor with the safety mechanism engaged. Meade was not wearing a body camera so there is no footage of the shooting, and prosecutors repeatedly asserted during the first trial that Meade is the only person who testified Goodson was holding a gun. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Ohio A federal judge in Florida has temporarily blocked a U.S. Federal Trade Commission rule that would ban agreements commonly signed by workers not to join their employers rivals or launch competing businesses, becoming the second judge to rule that the ban is likely invalid. After a hearing on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan in Ocala, Florida, blocked the FTC from applying the rule to real estate developer Properties of the Villages, pending the outcome of the companys lawsuit claiming the commission lacked the power to adopt the ban earlier this year. Corrigan did not issue a written opinion explaining his decision. Properties of the Villages, which operates a residential community of more than 145,000 people, claims that only Congress, and not the FTC, has the authority to ban practices that it deems anticompetitive. About 30 million people, or 20% of U.S. workers, have signed noncompetes, according to the FTC. The commission enforces federal antitrust laws. FTC spokesman Douglas Farrar said in a statement the limited nature of Corrigans ruling meant that the noncompete ban will still go into effect for most Americans on Sept. 4. The FTC will continue its fight to free hardworking Americans from unlawful noncompetes, which reduce innovation, inhibit economic growth, trap workers, and undermine Americans economic liberty, he said. Lawyers for Properties of the Villages did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Democratic-controlled commission and supporters of the rule, which takes effect in September, say noncompete agreements suppress workers wages and mobility and violate U.S. antitrust law by limiting competition for labor. California, Minnesota, Oklahoma and North Dakota have already banned noncompete agreements, and at least a dozen other states have passed laws limiting their use, but the FTCs rule would be the first nationwide ban. Business groups and many Republicans say that noncompetes are a crucial tool for businesses to protect trade secrets, confidential information, and their investments in recruiting and training workers. At least three lawsuits have been filed challenging the ban. A federal judge in Texas last month blocked the FTC from enforcing the rule against a coalition of business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the countrys largest business lobby, and tax service firm Ryan. But a judge in Philadelphia later in July refused to block the rule in a lawsuit by a tree-trimming service, finding that it was reasonable for the FTC to determine that noncompetes are exploitative and coercive. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by David Holmes) Topics USA Legislation A U.S. judge on Wednesday said he was planning to issue an order forcing Alphabets Google to give Android users more ways to download apps, but would not micromanage the tech giants business, following a jury verdict last year for Fortnite maker Epic Games. U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco heard from technology experts and lawyers for Epic and Google about proposed reforms in the blockbuster antitrust case. Donato showed impatience for Googles protests about the costs and difficulty of implementing many of Epics proposals, and signaled he would issue a ruling that would maximize users and developers flexibility to download and distribute apps outside the Play store. Youre going to end up paying something to make the world right after having been found to be a monopolist, Donato said. He said his injunction will be about three pages long and will ensure Google knows what the rules of the road are. Donato said he will rule in the coming weeks and set up a three-person compliance and technical committee to implement and monitor the injunction. Google foreclosed competition for years and years and years. Were opening the gate now and letting competitors come in, Donato said. Google and Epic declined to comment on the hearing. Epics lawsuit accused Google of monopolizing how consumers access apps on Android devices and how they pay for in-app transactions. The Cary, North Carolina-based company persuaded a jury in December 2023 that Google unlawfully stifled competition through its controls over app distribution and payments. Epic has asked Donato to require Google to make it easier for Android users to download apps from third-party app stores, such as Epics, and from other internet sources. It also wants the court to forbid Google from automatically installing its Play store on Android devices. Google has denied harming competition, and it told Donato that Epics proposals would make it nearly impossible for the Alphabet unit to compete and harm consumer privacy and security. Google lawyer Glenn Pomerantz told Donato on Wednesday that Google should not be forced to distribute its rivals app stores. Competition will be worse if you impose a duty that you have to deal with your competitor, Pomerantz said. Epics lawyer Gary Bornstein urged the court to direct Google to act quickly to implement his injunction. Google faces another threat to its business practices in a separate government lawsuit in Washington, D.C. challenging the companys dominant search engine. Last week, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled for the U.S. Justice Department and said Google had illegally monopolized web search, spending billions to become the internets default search engine. Google has denied the claims. Mehta has set a Sept. 6 hearing to discuss a timeline for the court to impose remedies on Google in that case. (Reporting by Mike ScarcellaEditing by David Bario and David Gregorio) Topics Legislation Worldwide Printing and Distribution, Inc., doing business as ResourceOne, a Tulsa, Oklahoma commercial printing, direct mailing and direct marketing company, will pay $47,500 and furnish other relief to resolve a harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. According to the EEOCs lawsuit, in August 2022, a ResourceOne employee showed her supervisor results from an at-home DNA test kit indicating the employees ancestry from Cameroon and the Congo. Afterward, the supervisor repeatedly called her ape and Congo. The supervisor also mocked the employee, saying she was swinging through the trees and was an ape princess looking for a king. The employee asked the supervisor to stop but the harassment continued, the EEOC said. When the employee complained to a higher-level manager, he asked the employee if she preferred to be called ape or Congo and did nothing to stop the supervisors conduct. The EEOC charged the harassment was so intolerable the employee resigned. Following the employees forced resignation, the supervisor obtained her phone number and sent her a text message calling her Congo, the EEOC charged. ResourceOnes conduct violated the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which prohibits discrimination and harassment in the workplace based on genetic information, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination and harassment based on national origin and race. The agency filed suit (EEOC v. Worldwide Printing and Distribution d/b/a ResourceOne, Civil Action No. 23-cv-00419) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma after attempting to reach a settlement through its conciliation process. The consent decree settling the suit, which runs through March 31, 2027, requires ResourceOne to pay $47,500 in monetary damages to the former employee and to adopt and maintain policies and procedures designed to prevent future discrimination. They must also provide employee training regarding compliance with GINA and Title VII. The decree requires ResourceOne to notify employees about their right to be free from discrimination and harassment based on race, national origin and genetic information. Topics Oklahoma Whats in a name? Thousands of dollars, a lost job, denied insurance coverage and the possibility of a suspended law license for a Mississippi workers compensation attorney, apparently. It all has to do with injured workers both named Dorothy Anderson. One lives in Greenwood, Mississippi; the other in Hattiesburg. At least one was a client of attorney Jay Foster of Ocean Springs on the Mississippi coast. Foster is accused of mixing up the two women and settling an injury claim on behalf of the Greenwood Dorothy, when the claim actually came from, and the settlement money mistakenly went to, the Hattiesburg Dorothy, according to court records. Instead of admitting his mistake, though, Foster allegedly provided false information to his professional liability insurance carrier and to others, then filed charges against one of the women, claiming she was an imposter, lawsuits contend. The alleged actions and reactions have created a world of trouble for all parties involved, court documents contend. Attorney Protective Insurance Co., underwritten by National Liability & Fire Insurance, a Berkshire Hathaway firm, this week filed suit in federal court, asking a judge to declare that it has no duty to defend or indemnify Foster and his firm in claims made by both Dorothys. The insurers lawyer called it an extraordinary case. You have represented to AttPro that you did not represent Hattiesburg Dorothy and that you did represent Greenwood Dorothy, an attorney for Attorney Protective wrote to Foster in an Aug. 12 letter filed with the U.S. District Court for South Mississippi. But documents and the limited information Foster provided all contradict Fosters position, the insurer noted. AttPro has repeatedly asked Foster to provide his firms complete file on both Dorothies claims but he has refused, attorney Rusty Comley wrote. Unfortunately, considering the evidence and your lack of cooperation in AttPros investigation, AttPro has no choice but to conclude that it is very likely that you repeatedly made material misrepresentations regarding Hattiesburg Dorothys and Greenwood Dorothys claims against you, Comleys letter contends. AttPro said it has no way to refute the claims and is denying Fosters professional liability coverage. The carrier agreed to provide a defense under a reservation of rights, meaning that Foster may be asked to reimburse the insurance companys attorney fees when the case is concluded. Foster could not be reached Thursday by Insurance Journal. He has not yet filed an answer to the AttPro suit. The allegations have made their way to the Mississippi Bar Association. The Bar notified Foster in March that it had received a formal complaint about him and would proceed with an investigation. A spokesman for the Bar on Thursday declined to comment on the status of the investigation except to say that as of this week, Fosters law license remains in good standing. He has been a member of the Bar since 1994. The apparent name confusion and Fosters actions have also caused difficulties for the two Dorothys, court records maintain. It all began in late 2022, when Greenwood Dorothy returned to work at a Mississippi Delta fish-processing company, known as Americas Catch. She had worked there for 27 years, had suffered a few work injuries through the years, had represented herself and had received workers comp benefits and time off, her lawsuit against Foster explains. After her latest surgery, she was told that her comp claim had been settled for $25,000 by her lawyer, Jay Foster. And, as part of the settlement, she had agreed to stop working at the fish plant. She was flabbergasted and said she had never agreed to any settlement and was not represented by Foster. Her lawsuit contends that Foster had mistakenly provided the settlement funds to the wrong Dororthy Anderson, minus his firms fee, without bothering to verify anything. Foster later attempted to talk Greenwood Dorothy into accepting the settlement, even though her medical costs were much greater than the settlement amount, her suit charges. Had attorney Foster conducted a cursory review of the medical records, he would have realized that the value of the plaintiffs claims clearly exceeded the amount which he attempted to force Ms. Anderson to accept, reads the Greenwood womans lawsuit, filed in June. Now at odds with her employer, Greenwood Dorothy did not feel welcome by Americas Catch and eventually quit the job. She has been unable to find employment since, her attorneys said in the suit. Six months earlier, Hattiesburg Dorothy had filed her own lawsuit against Foster. Her lawyers, Ronald Johnson and Corey Gibson, wrote that they must alert the Court to the bizarre, convoluted and complex nature of this case and will attempt to present the facts in the most straightforward way possible. For Hattiesburg Dorothy, the trouble began a few years earlier, in 2019 when she contacted Foster to represent her in a workers comp claim. Foster had worked with her on a previous claim, the suit said. She worked at a nursing home in Hattiesburg where she had injured her shoulder lifting wet linens. She later reinjured the shoulder and signed an agreement with the Foster firm to represent her comp claim. In November 2022, Foster reportedly notified Hattiesburg Dorothy that he had obtained a settlement and she would need to come to his office to sign documents and accept the check. She did that, deposited the check, then spent much of the money, the court documents contend. A day or two later, Foster apparently realized the terrible mistake he had made. All along, he had somehow confused the two women and wrongly told the Mississippi Workers Compensation Commission that he had represented the Greenwood woman. The settlement check was intended for the Greenwood Dorothy, even though she knew nothing about it, the lawsuit said. To make matters worse, Foster had failed to take any action on the Hattiesburg clients claim, allowing the claim filing deadline and statute of limitations to pass, the complaint notes. At this point, Foster accused the Hattiesburg Dorothy of committing fraud by accepting the check, and he asked her to return the money. When she said she had spent it, Foster and his wife, Sheila, who also worked at the law firm, went to the Ocean Springs Police and pressed charges. Dorothy J. Anderson of Hattiesburg was indicted, arrested and jailed. Eventually, some of the facts came to light and local prosecutors dropped the case against the woman. She then filed suit against the Fosters and the law firm, seeking compensatory, bad-faith and punitive damages. The AttPro/National Liability request for declaratory judgment can be seen here. Topics Lawsuits Trends Mississippi Florida authorities have arrested a well-known southwest Florida insurance agent, charging him with larceny and embezzlement of premiums. Reid McDaniel, 33, who was named the honorary mayor of North Fort Myers last year but who also was facing a negligence lawsuit from a policyholder and a sexual assault complaint from an employee, was booked into jail Thursday by the Lee County Sheriffs Office. He had not posted bond by late Thursday and a hearing was not scheduled until next month, according to the sheriffs office. The alleged embezzlement amounts to more than $20,000 and less than $100,000, the arrest record shows. The Florida Department of Financial Services said the charges stemmed from a complaint filed by a business owner who said he had paid McDaniel Insurance Solutions more than $22,900 in premiums for two insurance policies in October. But the carriers canceled the policies for non-payment. A telephone number for McDaniel was not in service Friday morning. NBC2 TV news in Fort Myers reported that McDaniels office space on Hancock Bridge Parkway was recently taken over by the business next to it, a roofing company, and the McDaniel Insurance Solutions sign out front was being dismantled. McDaniel had been featured in several local TV news reports in recent months, speaking about Florida property insurance issues. The DFS license page shows that McDaniel held a valid general lines/property and casualty agents license, a life and health agent license, and an adjusters license. He holds active appointments with 38 national and Florida-admitted property insurance carriers, including some of the largest companies in the industry. McDaniel was reportedly well known in the community, even though he had been there only a few years. In early 2023, he was named mayor of North Fort Myers after he raised more than $8,500 for the local Chamber. Im fortunate to partake in the event. It means somebody is going to champion the community, the Chamber, and bring some exposure as a leader in the community, McDaniel told the North Fort Myers Neighbor news site last year. Exposure soon followed, and trouble may have been brewing for some time. Last December, an elderly policyholder won a judgment of $198,543 against McDaniel in Lee County Circuit Court. The woman had filed suit after Hurricane Ian slammed the area in 2022. She charged that she had paid more than $2,200 in premiums for a mobile home policy with Lloyds of London, but McDaniel never secured the coverage. When the home was decimated by the storm, the homeowner discovered she had no coverage. Also in December, a sales agent hired at McDaniels agency in 2022 said in a lawsuit that he had repeatedly touched and groped her inappropriately, once after drinking at least 4 whiskeys, according to the lawsuit. That case is still pending. NBC2 TV said that McDaniel had started an insurance agency in Indiana then sold it, moved to the Fort Myers area and started his agency there in 2021. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners license page shows that McDaniel is still licensed in Indiana as a non-resident producer. HIs agency in Greenwood, Indiana, still maintains a website but the phone number was not in service Friday. McDaniel previously worked in the hotel business until 2019, according to his Linkedin page. Topics Lawsuits Florida Agencies The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division fined a building materials supplier $92,226 for repeatedly failing to protect workers from potential fall hazards. The citation issued to ABC Supply Co. Inc. followed an inspection of a jobsite in Salem where the company was supplying roofing materials. The inspection reportedly found two employees using a conveyor system to load and distribute roofing materials at a house. One employee at ground level loaded the conveyor while the other employee on the roof took the materials from the conveyor and placed them throughout the roofs structure. The employee reportedly walked and carried materials on the roof with no fall protection system in place, according to the inspection. The employee was exposed to a potential fall of up to 18 feet to the ground. The rules require employers to ensure that fall protection systems are provided, installed, and implemented where employees are exposed to a hazard of falling 6 feet or more. Oregon OSHA conducted the inspection under its prevention-based emphasis program addressing workers exposed to fall hazards. This was the third time since July 2022 that ABC Supply reportedly violated fall protection requirements at jobsites in Oregon. Oregon OSHA issued a penalty of $92,226 for the third repeat violation. Under Oregon OSHAs rules, penalties multiply when employers commit repeat offenses. ABC Supply has appealed the citation. Topics Oregon Chevron Corp. is to pay Richmond City Council $550 million over 10 years, the city said in a statement, in a settlement that saw it drop a proposed ballot on a new tax on the oil majors Richmond refinery. Richmond planned to seek voters approval for a tax on the refinery, which processes about 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day, saying Chevron should pay its fair share to the community it has been in for over a century. As a result of the settlement the council approved on Wednesday, the city agreed to withdraw the measure, it said in the statement posted on its website. The company will pay the money in annual installments starting from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2035, it said. Chevron Richmond and the City of Richmond have reached an agreement that settles litigation and removes the Refining Business License Tax measure from the ballot, the company said in an emailed response to Reuters. This agreement ensures Chevron Richmond can continue to provide Northern California with the affordable, reliable and ever-cleaner energy the regions economy needs. (Reporting by Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Topics California Freedom to log into work from anywhere in the world is seeing an era-defining rise in digital nomads people living in one country while working in another. The shift towards flexibility, remote work and hybrid working models has opened a door that millions of workers are taking advantage of. One survey by the online network Digital Nomad World estimates that there are over 35 million digital nomads working across the globe today. According to a 2023 Statista report, almost 40% of digital nomads were either freelancers or self-employed. Another survey, from MBO Partners, found that 80% of digital nomads reported being highly satisfied with their work life, compared to only 59% of non-digital nomads workers. In this Q&A interview, Andrew Henderson, CEO and founder of Nomad Capitalist, outlines some of the main impacts of digital nomading on global corporate culture and employee engagement. Professional services company Nomad Capitalist advises businesses and individuals on tax, immigration, asset protection, and investment strategy. A serial entrepreneur, Andrew is now a tax resident in Ireland. Having spent two decades travelling extensively, Andrew has established himself as a highly sought-after expert on global citizenship. In what ways will the rise of 'digital nomad' culture impact workplaces, notably in Ireland and the EU? The rise of digital nomad culture is making waves, especially in Ireland and the EU. When people in Ireland hear about the chance to live somewhere else, they're intrigued. Ireland is pretty open-minded about immigration, unlike the US or the UK. So, when folks realise they can make decent money but avoid the hefty taxes and high rents of Dublin, they start considering their options. Consider living in Kuala Lumpur, renting a two-bedroom apartment in a prime location for 500 euros a month, enjoying favourable tax outcomes, and never dealing with cold weather. That's a strong incentive. This shift means companies can hire talent globally. As people realize employers can hire from anywhere, more will jump on board. This competition is great; it pushes markets to deliver better value. In the EU, many are frustrated with the weather, high utilities, and taxes. They don't always get much for their money, pushing them to look elsewhere. Even with a 50% pay cut overseas, lower housing and tax costs can lead to more savings. That's why tax savings and affordable housing are powerful motivators. Can you outline some of the advantages that are creating such high levels of work-life satisfaction among digital nomads? I'm the Nomad Capitalist. I'm not really a digital nomad. Being a Nomad Capitalist isn't about constantly traveling; it's about choosing where to live intentionally. You might decide to live in one place in the spring and summer, and another in the fall and winter. Or you could pick a single spot like Malaysia, Dubai, or somewhere in Latin America. The key is intentionality. When I decided I didn't like the conditions where I was from and made a change, it felt empowering. Choosing where you live rather than just accepting where you were born creates a positive feeling. Living intentionally in places with better conditions like Malaysia or Eastern Europe adds to this satisfaction. Time zones can be tricky, but they can also offer flexibility. Some people in Ireland have team members in the US, leading to later working hours. Moving from Ireland to Georgia for the 1% tax rate, or adjusting your work hours, can be beneficial. In Bogota, people start their day early, so you could work from 6am to 2pm and have the rest of the day free. But, being a Nomad Capitalist isn't about working as little as possible. While some digital nomads aim to work minimally, I love what I do and the mission behind it. It's about doing what you love and having the freedom to give more to charity, save more, and build generational wealth. For example, buying a three-bedroom apartment in Colombia for about 150,000 is much more affordable than in Ireland. Living in different places can also mean significant tax savings. If a family makes 200,000 a year and avoids high taxes, renting a place for 15,000 to 20,000 a year instead of paying a mortgage can result in extra cash. This wealth can be used to buy homes in different locations, enhancing work-life satisfaction. What are the opportunities and challenges for employers in recruiting digital nomads into their existing teams? Cultural differences are a big challenge. Some cultures are very hierarchical and may not embrace much autonomy. They're used to constant supervision, which doesn't fit a more flexible setup. For example, moving from Belgrade to Dublin showed me the differences in directness and politeness between Eastern Europe and Ireland. We once hired a British guy who struggled with our communication style, expecting more formal greetings in emails. These cultural differences require adaptation. To address these cultural differences and much more, we hold an annual citizen summit, bringing everyone together for team-building and cultural exchange. Recognizing that talented people are everywhere is crucial. Hiring people and paying them well for where they live offers better value. This global approach allows us to learn about different cultures and open up opportunities. For instance, if we only hired Westerners, we wouldn't be selling to Moroccans or Brazilians. Expanding our team has helped us crack the code of selling in other countries, which is very helpful. How can corporations and workplaces adapt to fit the needs of these modern jet-setting workers? Adapting to modern jet-setting workers is complex, mainly due to tax issues depending on where someone moves. For instance, we had an employee who wanted to move to the US for family reasons, which created a tax problem, so we couldn't keep them. But if someone wants to move to Georgia, its more about the company's internal policies and data regulations. We don't mind where our employees are as long as they use a VPN and follow certain rules. However, we prefer they not constantly move. Even with high motivation, constant travel can be exhausting and isn't suited for a typical nine-to-five mindset. The best we've managed is letting people move around three times a year, which proved difficult. Companies can open up the option and cut out the dogma, saying, "Here's where you can move based on tax planning". That's what we do for our clients: assess where their people can move without tax risks. We help them understand which regulations or rules apply. From an employer's perspective, it shouldn't be a free-for-all. We need to know where our employees are. Some travel a lot for work, which is different. Splitting time between two places can work if tax and policy requirements are met. That's why creating a comfortable environment is important for both employers and employees. This reduces frustration and makes life easier. Whether buying or renting, having a plan for permanence is essential. nomadcapitalist.com MY JOB Name: Dr Caroline Roche Occupation: Offshore Environment & Consents Manager, Energia Background: Energia provides up to 18% of Irelands total electricity requirements and 23% of the total wind power through a portfolio of on and offshore wind farms, solar, bio-energy and energy storage projects. In a job that is as varied as it is demanding, Dr Caroline Roche looks after the environmental and consenting elements of Energias potential offshore wind energy projects. SUSTAINABILITY & CLIMATE Check out our Sustainability and Climate Change Hub where you will find the latest news, features, opinions and analysis on this topic from across the various Irish Examiner topic desks and their team of specialist writers and columnists. The work covers all forms of permissions needed, licences to carry out surveys, pre-planning consents, in addition to the planning permission itself. A core part of my role is to set out how we can protect the environment and implement mitigation measures throughout all stages of our projects' development," Dr Roche says. "This environmental protection and satisfying Environmental Impact Assessment Report requirements is fundamental to our approach. We want to ensure that we can deliver clean renewable electricity in a way that protects the environment. With an academic background marrying a degree in Marine Science with a PhD in Benthic Ecology, she admits to eventually finding a job that best suited her chosen career direction. She explains: In my college days I didn't even know what an offshore wind farm was, and I never envisioned this particular role. But I did know that I always wanted to have some role in making sure that manmade activities, whatever they are, were done in a way that is not out of balance with what the oceans can tolerate hence the subject of my PhD. In that sense this role in Energia is the perfect role for me I'm making sure our offshore wind farms will have a positive impact not only on the climate but on the marine environment and biodiversity two things which I am passionate about. When the Government last year announced moving to a plan-led regime for offshore wind, projects that Dr Roche had been working on for a number of years effectively ceased. Fortunately for Energia, one of the sites we had identified and carried out significant work on was also identified by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) as being the best site to take forward for the next Offshore Renewable Energy Support Scheme auction. Personally, it is very satisfying to know that all the hard work, investment and expertise that went into identifying a suitable offshore wind site has been verified by DECC identifying largely the same area. Energia is currently working to leverage their understanding of the site in advance of the upcoming auction, and from there the real work will begin again. In my role, I will be leading the consenting activities for the project to get through the planning process and to enable Energia to build out in the early 2030s. The Government's Climate Action Plan is ambitious particularly within the designated timeframe: The Climate Action Plan is ambitious, and it needs to be, as it sets out a pathway towards achieving Net Zero in 2050. In my opinion, we have many of the fundamental requirements in place to reach this 2050 target, such as a clear goal, the pipeline of projects and required investment, to name a few. "Now it will be a case of ensuring we can accelerate this overall transition process across onshore, offshore and other renewable energy opportunities to the benefit of communities at a local and national level. As a result of the recent cost-of-living challenges and various issues internationally, Dr Roche believes the public have come to understand the benefits of being able to produce our own electricity and not to rely on importing fossil fuels. Developing renewable energy gives us energy security, supports jobs and the economy as well as investment in local communities. "Overall, I believe there is a growing awareness of the threat posed by the climate emergency as well. People understand how important it is to cut our carbon emissions and there is no better way to do that than building new wind farms and investing in other renewable energy projects. The wind energy sector is increasingly an area future graduates should be looking at for sustainable and rewarding careers, she adds: Without a doubt. I think some people think that to have a career that is rewarding from both a sustainable and environmental perspective that they must focus on environmental or ecological areas but that is so not true. The sector needs a wide variety of skills, not just science-based, but also in the areas of engineering, legal, finance, HR and communications to name a selection. Wind Energy Ireland currently have a campaign, for which Dr Roche is an ambassador, promoting the variety of jobs available in the sector workinwind.ie. Offshore wind In relation to our EU neighbours, Ireland is already a leader in onshore wind energy no other country in Europe gets a greater share of their electricity demand from onshore wind farms than we do. However, offshore wind is still in its infancy in Ireland we were slow to the starting line whereas some of our EU neighbours have wind farms operational for the last 20 years. "This does have some positives in that we can take advantage of the cheaper costs and benefit from the lessons learned over the past two decades in other parts of the world, but it also leads to challenges as we seek to attract supply chain to a nascent market. Offshore wind is key to combating climate change and will be critical for Ireland in achieving our carbon emission targets, she says: We are heading in the right direction now and significant progress has been made in recent years. There is a real sense that things are speeding up and it's an exciting time to be working in renewable energy. Day-to-day work In a position where no two days are the same, Dr Roche travels the country, meeting people in all the localities where potential sites may be found. I love getting to visit sites around the country and meeting the local and fishing communities, and understanding the uniqueness of each site and what is important at a local level. "Energia is deeply committed to community engagement along every step of the way, and we know and understand that many Irish coastal communities are coming to terms with offshore windfarm developments for the first time. Therefore, we want to listen and share discussions and viewpoints where, as a leading Irish energy provider, we're committed to ensuring that local communities and all areas of the local economy can thrive in parallel with offshore wind. As the sector continues to develop, the day-to-day variety keeps things interesting and enjoyable: There are always new challenges and deadlines and new things to learn, but the bigger picture is knowing that I'm working in an area that can make a real difference. It's great to have the opportunity to be part of something really meaningful, to make a difference and contribute to Ireland's decarbonisation efforts. Seaweed once played a vital role in Irish agriculture, industry, and cuisine. According to medieval Irish scholars, a rock that could produce a crop of seaweed had a value equivalent to two and a half cows. By the 17th century, seaweed was harvested and used for fertiliser, as a food (dulse and carrageen moss were traditionally consumed), in the manufacture of glass and soap, and was even a substitute for chewing tobacco. Now, there is a resurgence of seaweed farming, according to the EU-funded C-Faarer project (Community-driven Farming for the Atlantic and Arctic sea basins through REgeneRative aquaculture). C-Faarer aims to develop regenerative aquaculture systems that produce food while restoring ecosystems. This includes cultivating species such as seaweed and shellfish that clean and oxygenate the water, stabilise sediments, and provide habitats for other species. It is unclear how much seaweed is cultivated in Ireland but, worldwide, the seaweed industry is estimated to have increased by 46% between 2012 and 2019. C-Faarer supports ocean farmers in the Atlantic and Arctic Sea basins by fostering community-driven business models for regenerative ocean farming in Norway and Ireland. As part of the project's work in Ireland, it is actively involved in the creation of the Irish Seaweed Association, to unify stakeholders, advocate for industry interests, and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and best practices. Emphasising regenerative practices is a crucial project aim, to ensure the long-term sustainability and health of the Irish marine ecosystem. The C-Faarer consortium is led by Trinity College Dublin and brings together six organisations and enterprises from three European countries. Last November, the C-Faarer consortium met with 20 ocean farmers, processors, producers and investors at Trinity College. Major challenges That workshop meeting helped in identifying four major challenges hindering regenerative ocean farming in Ireland. Participants expressed concerns over the cumbersome and often restrictive regulatory environment, with a slow process for licensing. One ocean farmer revealed it took him 12 years to secure a permit. Secondly, securing funding remains a daunting challenge, especially for startups and small-scale operators. Operators must show significant operations to attract funding, yet scaling their operations is dependent on securing that very funding. Thirdly, limited access to essential resources such as hatcheries and refineries was identified as one of the most pressing challenges. These specialised facilities are vital for spawning, seeding, growing, and processing, pivotal stages in cultivation of seaweed and shellfish. Seaweed is used for human food and ingredients; cosmetics or life-style products; and animal and plant feed and stimulants. Picture: Denis Minihane There is also a lack of integrated infrastructure to support the entire lifecycle of seaweed and shellfish farming, from seed to product. Finally, the workshop highlighted challenges in establishing communication and knowledge-sharing, which leave seaweed stakeholders disconnected, and increase the challenge to attract the next generation of seaweed farmers. The project, attracting just over 1m of EU funding, is about halfway through its two-year mission to support new community-driven business models for sustainable, regenerative aquaculture, founded on science, and technically and economically viable. Working with ocean farmers and coastal communities in Norway and Ireland, C-Faarer (funded by the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme) will analyse technical, operational, economic, environmental, and social needs and guide site-specific community-led business plans. Irish participants in C-Faarer include Horizon Nua Innovation in Dublin, which supports the transition towards a just, carbon-neutral, nature-positive economy; and Forbairti Rosrua Teoranta in Co Mayo. Irelands seaweed sector Irelands seaweed sector is dominated by harvesting and processing wild stock, mostly Ascophyllum nodosum, according to a report on the sector commissioned by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, which outlines a strategy for the sector to 2030. Seaweed cultivation by about 10 growers resulted in an estimated 50 (wet) tonnes in 2021. Seaweed is used for human food and ingredients; cosmetics or life-style products; and animal and plant feed and stimulants. Ireland is estimated to have exported about 3,000 tonnes of food grade seaweeds and microalgae in 2020, with an estimated market value of 800,000. In contrast to Ireland, most of the global seaweed output is cultivated (97% by volume), mostly in Asia. EU policies give seaweed a significant role in the transition to a green economy, well-positioned to displace some carbon-producing terrestrial sources of biomass. But Ireland has not matched the growth of production seen elsewhere in Europe, particularly of cultivated seaweed. A crackdown on marauding and dangerous dogs is imminent after the Government announced further funding for local authorities to support warden services from 2025. The move follows increased calls for action after a series of shocking dog attacks on people and livestock across the State in recent years. A four-month-old girl, Mia OConnell, died from injuries in one such attack in Clashmore, Co Waterford, in 2021. Earlier this year 23-year-old Nicole Morey suffered fatal injuries in another incident in Ballyneety, Co Limerick. In Kerry this week, a young girl was also badly injured in a suspected XL bully attack. There have also been reports of people being injured in an increasing number of dog attacks at different locations countrywide. A total of 3,158 emergency in-patient hospitalisations with dog bite-related injuries were recorded during a 10-year study period (2012-2021). The joint study was conducted by the Department of Agriculture, the National Health Intelligence Unit and the University of Limerick. Attacks on sheep Statistics collated by the Irish Farmers Association have also indicated the number of sheep injured and killed by roaming dogs could be 3,000 to 4,000 a year. Earlier this year, Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys established a new stakeholder group on dog control headed by retired Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey. New regulations will prohibit the importing, breeding, selling and re-homing of XL bullies from October 1. Last month, an allocation of 2m for local authorities to hire up to 40 new dog wardens and support services was announced. New regulations will also prohibit the importing, breeding, selling and re-homing of XL bullies from October 1. And from February 1, 2025, it will be illegal to own an XL bully without a certificate of exemption It is expected most of the new positions will come on stream next year. Recent statistics indicated there are 74 dog wardens employed in total across the local government sector. A person guilty of an offence under legislation shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of up to 2,500, or to imprisonment of a term of up to three months, or both. Any dog found straying, or abandoned, will be seized by a dog warden and may then be put down after five days if not claimed and any charges paid. The funding recognises the increased demands around dog control and the need to ensure there are resources on the ground to enforce the pending ban on XL bully dogs. Stressing public safety is the number one priority, Ms Humphreys said the funding would help each local authority to ensure they have the necessary number of dog wardens in place. The measures banning the import, sale and breeding of XL bullies will be in place very shortly. This funding will help ensure that these new measures are enforced on the ground. Increased fines for offences I have already trebled the fines for a range of offences. Whether its in our towns, villages or cities, there should be zero tolerance for people who do not keep their dogs under proper control in public spaces, she said. The move builds on previous funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development to improve local authority dog pound facilities. Local Government Minister Daragh OBrien said local authorities played a vital role in the enforcement of dog control laws. It is important each of them has the necessary resources. I fully recognise the additional demands in this area, and the need to ensure that there are sufficient services in place to meet these demands. This funding will help achieve that, he said. Im not sure I should be doing this Nebbiolo is arguably Italys greatest grape variety and Im here to sing its praises today. The problem is that the best versions will quickly drain your bank account. Nebbiolo is old, with the first mention dating to 1266 - it is so old that its parent grapes are likely extinct. Jancis Robinson summarises the best Nebbiolo wines as perfumed, expressive, age-worthy and capable of great beauty, I couldnt put it better. Barolo, Barbaresco and Langhe are its most famous expressions but you will also find it in smaller Piedmont regions such as Bramaterra, Ghemme and Gattinara as well as in Valtellina in Lombardy. It has been grown outside Italy but it is rare to find the same profundity that even lesser Italian wine regions can produce with this grape. The perfume is the key, from strawberries to cherries (both sweet and sour), to tar to rose petals to ink to cold tea to smoke - sometimes all at once but with red fruit generally the dominant note. It is late ripening so it can struggle in some cooler northern regions but it almost always offers charm. Any good wine shop will have good Nebbiolo, besides the wines below watch for Varja, Conterno, Produttori Barbaresco are more names (try MacCurtain Wine Cellar). On Monday September 2 in the Hyatt Centric Dublin, you can learn more with a tutored tasting and masterclass as part of the Barolo & Friends Event. Sandro Minella, Scientific Director of the Barolo-Barbaresco Academy is hosting, 6pm start, tickets: 40 available on eventbrite.ie (search for Barolo). Three relatively affordable Nebbiolo suggestions this week, best served a little cooler - say around 12-14C. If you are at Electric Picnic do visit Drinks Theatre, where I will be doing some tastings with wines from Whelehans. Ascheri Langhe Nebbiolo San Giacomo 2022, Piedmont, Italy - 23.95 Ascheri Langhe Nebbiolo San Giacomo 2022, Piedmont, Italy - 23.95 OBriens Nationwide, wine.ie Ascheri are a solid producer based in Bra, home to the slow food movement, I also recommend their striking modern hotel above the winery. Ascheri Barolo is 39 and has fine concentration and fruit but I also rate their Langhe Nebbiolo which offers similar pleasures - liquorice and red fruit aromas, black cherry palate, focused and balanced. San Silvestro Patres Barolo 20219, Piedmont, Italy - 35 San Silvestro Patres Barolo 20219, Piedmont, Italy - 35 JJ ODriscolls; Matsons; Vintry; Martins; Deveneys; Independents This sounds suspiciously cheap for Barolo but be not afraid this has good typicity and drinks early - the Sartirano family have run the estate for 4 generations and also source from neighbours. Tar and rose petal aromas with a touch of ink and spice, red fruits, integrated tannins, fruit and elegance. Oddero Langhe Nebbiolo 2020, Piedmont, Italy - 33 Oddero Langhe Nebbiolo 2020, Piedmont, Italy - 33 Bubble Brothers English Market The Oddero Barbaresco and Barolo wines are gorgeous with succulent complex fruit flavours and a long life, but they also cost over 70 so are perhaps for special occasions. Their Langhe Nebbiolo is a little approachable in youth and in price! Floral, earth-tinged cherry fruits, layered, grippy but approachable with fruit, spice and herbal notes. OBrother Brewing NASC Session IPA, 4.0% ABV, 440ml 2.49 OBrother Brewing NASC Session IPA, 4.0% ABV, 440ml 2.49 Aldi stores nationwide OBrother Brewing is one of the success stories of Irish craft brewing and they are about to move production to the Belmont Demesne in Wicklow which will include a tap room and visitor centre. This collab with Aldi is a good introduction to their beer and at this price you can buy more than one for your session. This pours cloudy and hazy with a light honey-gold hue - bright aromas of pine and citrus, creamy, fruity and crisp. Perfect for bringing to Electric Picnic! Buddy Oliver has had a role in his dads TV shows, along with his four siblings since he was small. His popular YouTube channel, Cooking Buddies, was set up in 2020 and now has 135,000 subscribers. Cooking Buddies has also made the move to television with a BBC show. Dad, of course, is Jamie Oliver, the one-time Naked Chef, who made his first TV series at the ripe old age of 24 in 1999. The apple hasnt fallen far from the tree, and now 13-year-old Buddy, Olivers second youngest child, is here to put his own slant on healthy home cooking for a new generation with his YouTube videos, TV series and Lets Cookhis just-released cookbook. The theory is great, but does it work in practice? With friends staying for a week, I had a panel of four critics on hand when young Olivers book arrived on the doormat. My daughter Maya (12) and her sister Hannah (15) were joined at the kitchen table by Fi (13) and Claire (11) to leaf through the recipes. They had just spent three afternoons doing live online cooking classes with Galway-based Cepta Mahon of Cookalicious, an hour and a half each day during which they had made substantial lunches such as beef burritos, marry me pasta and buttermilk chicken burgers. After managing that (mostly) by themselves - they dont seem to count the washing up as being part of the cooking event - they felt eminently qualified to pass loud and vociferous judgment on Lets Cook. The first recipe they spotted was chocolate porridge, something they decided they were all too grown up for. I would not eat that, said former porridge lover Claire, who very much disliked the idea of chocolate being involved. The egg section was approached more positively, with recipes for poached and scrambled eggs considered a good idea. Anyone who makes soft-boiled eggs and soldiers is a good person, commented Fi. Other recipes my panel approved of included sausage and bean casserole, crispy chicken with slaw, corn and wedges, fish finger sarnieswhere you make the fish fingers from scratchand new potato and pesto focaccia (I would eat that, said Maya.) I love pasta, said Fi when she turned to the pasta chapter. This will be good. And so it proved, as the girls gave many dishes an approving thumbs up: spicy tomato pasta, that scruffy lasagne bake (but without the cottage cheese, pleaded Maya), and even the greens pasta, although the inclusion of spinach was a divisive issue. We make way better mac and cheese, was Claires reaction to the cauliflower mac and cheese. Maya Hennessy and her Mum Caroline in the kitchen cooking from Buddy Oliver's new cookbook at her home in Tragumna, Co Cork. Picture Dan Linehan A chapter on skills for life was nodded over approvingly, with recipes for perfect cooked rice, flatbreads, baked potatoes, and jam-jar dressings striking a chord. They all thought Buddy was making sweet things a bit too healthy as they dismissed his grilled fruit salad and a rocky road that included a small amount of nuts alongside the familiar chocolate, biscuits, and marshmallows. Overall, my critics agreed that they liked the book and that there were plenty of dishes they would cook, although a few were deemed just weird, including a savoury breakfast muffin that I was looking longingly at. Over the following days, I noticed more than one child quietly reading through the cookbook, and when Fi and Claire left for Dublin, it was with the gingernut recipe in their pocket. Research done, it was time to get down to some proper experimentation in the kitchen. Maya decided to make the scruffy lasagna bake and a new potato and pesto focaccia for lunch while Hannah took on those gingernuts. While the lasagne recipe looks short, its a three-parter with Buddys Bolognese and fresh pasta dough on other pages, involving much flipping through the book. I was set chopping veg for the sauce while Maya carefully made the pasta, cracking an egg into a pile of flour, mixing all the straggly bits together and kneading it - while standing on a stool - until it was, as Buddy says, smooth and elastic. With the dough resting, she fried sausages and mince for bolognese while chopping garlic (one of her favourite jobs). The instruction to scrunch in the tomatoes initially caused a little consternation, but after she figured out that she needed to crush the whole tomatoes in with the meat - making a nice mess in the process - it was set to simmer. As the lasagne had become such an involved project, we cheated on the foccacia: I showed Maya how to make the dough in my ancient bread machine and our pesto-making plans were abandoned for a pre-made jar. The rolling pin was out, the pasta was rested and it needed to be rolled until it was just 2mm thick. We all love ginger. Hannah doubled the recipe to make a big batch of gingernuts, involving plenty of mental arithmetic as she easily baked her way through that recipe. While Maya and I were still stretching pasta, Hannah had the gingernuts in the oven. The focaccia followed, and then, the appropriate scruffiness achieved, the lasagne. Lunch was well deserved. The girls happily devoured the lasagne, using the warm cheesy focaccia to mop the sauce. However, they noted that the potatoes would have worked better if they had been sliced thinner than halved, as per the recipe. The gingernuts were a little crumbly but perfect with a cuppa or even a hot chocolate. Its that kind of summer, after all. Let's Cook: Fun, Easy Recipes For Kids by Buddy Oliver Ultimately, Lets Cook was a success in our house. Fresh from their Cookalicious online classes, all four girls had plenty of opinions about Buddys choice of recipes, the photographs and his inclusion of what they called healthy ingredients (basically, what their parents and I include in most of the meals they eat anyway). While off school and looking for things to do, Lets Cook allowed us to talk about food, learn new skills, and have them take more responsibility for family meals. Maya was our head chef on that particular day, delighted that she had made that delicious silky egg pasta using just her hands and a rolling pin, but we now have a long list of recipes to try and different foods to taste. Getting kids into the kitchen is never a bad idea, even if you have to do the washing up. Thanks. Buddy. Buddy Oliver's Ultimate Burger Homemade burgers are fast, fun and taste juicier than the ones you buy. Plus, you can stack up the toppings and layer in your favourite sauces exactly as you like them. Servings 4 Preparation Time 30 mins Cooking Time 15 mins Total Time 45 mins Course Main Ingredients 4 gherkins 2 ripe tomatoes 200g red cabbage red wine vinegar an iceberg lettuce a cucumber extra virgin olive oil 1 x 400g tin of green lentils 250g higher-welfare minced beef or veggie mince olive oil 4 slices of Cheddar cheese (60g total) 4 small burger buns optional: tomato ketchup and/or mayo Method Slice the gherkins (use a crinkle-cut knife, if youve got one) and tomatoes, and set aside. Finely slice or grate the red cabbage, then toss in a mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Shred the lettuce and slice the cucumber, then place in another mixing bowl and dress with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Drain the lentils and pat dry with kitchen paper, then blitz in a food processor with the mince and a pinch of black pepper. Divide the mixture into 4 equal pieces and shape into 3cm-thick patties. Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Brush the patties with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then carefully place in the hot pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through, nudging the patties towards the edge of the pan to sear the sides. When the burgers are looking good, place a slice of cheese on top of each one, add a splash of water to the pan (the steam will help the cheese to melt), then cover for an extra 4 minutes, or until melted. Cut the buns in half (toast them if you like), add a dollop of ketchup and/or mayo (if using) to each base, then place a burger on top. Layer the gherkin, tomato and cucumber slices, and a pinch of lettuce on top of each one, then pop the lids on. Serve the rest of the lettuce, cucumber and tomato on the side, along with the pickled cabbage. Buddy Oliver's Rocky Road With white chocolate drizzle. Servings 16 Preparation Time 4 hours 30 mins Total Time 4 hours 30 mins Course Dessert Ingredients olive oil, for greasing 100g dark chocolate (70%) 100g quality milk chocolate 125g unsalted butter 75g golden syrup 50g marshmallows 150g biscuits, such as ginger nuts, digestives 75g unsalted nuts, such as pistachios, toasted hazelnuts 75g chocolate-covered honeycomb 75g glace cherries or dried fruit 50g quality white chocolate Method Lightly oil a 25cm x 30cm roasting tray and line it with a sheet of damp greaseproof paper. Sit a heatproof bowl on top of a pan of lightly simmering water, snap in the dark and milk chocolate, add the butter and golden syrup, and stir occasionally until melted. Halve the marshmallows, snap up the biscuits, roughly chop or bash up the nuts, bash up the honeycomb and halve the cherries or dried fruit (if needed), then stir them into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the lined tray and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, then carefully turn out. Snap the white chocolate into a clean heatproof bowl and melt as described in step 2 (or melt in the microwave, if easier). Drizzle the melted chocolate over the rocky road, leave to set in the fridge, then slice up and serve. Buddy Oliver's Barbequed Chicken Lollipops With pepper and pineapple salsa, and lemony couscous. Servings 2 Preparation Time 30 mins Cooking Time 20 mins Total Time 50 mins Course Main Ingredients 150g wholewheat couscous olive oil 2 lemons 2 x 120g higher-welfare skinless chicken breasts 4 sprigs of rosemary (tied together with a piece of string) 1 tsp runny honey 1 red pepper of a small red onion 150g pineapple extra virgin olive oil optional: a bunch of soft herbs, such as mint, flat-leaf parsley (15g) 4 tbsp natural yoghurt Method Soak 6 wooden skewers in cold water to stop them burning later on. Place the couscous in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil. Finely grate in the zest of a lemon and squeeze in the juice, throwing the squeezed half into the bowl. Just cover the couscous with boiling water, then cover and leave aside to fluff up. Carefully push 3 skewers horizontally into each chicken breast (trim the skewers, if needed), season with black pepper, squeeze over the juice of a lemon and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. You can cook the skewers on a hot barbecue or in a non-stick frying pan on the hob. Either way, cook them for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through, turning regularly. For the final minute of cooking, use the rosemary sprigs to brush the honey over the chicken, giving it a lovely sticky glaze. Halve, deseed and finely chop the pepper, then peel and finely chop the onion and pineapple, and scrape everything into a bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil, then taste and season with sea salt and pepper, if needed. Pick and finely chop the herbs (if using), then add to the bowl and toss together. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, season to taste with salt and pepper, and divide between serving plates. Slice the chicken between the skewers, making sure its cooked through if its not, give it a little longer. Place 3 chicken lollipops on each plate and divide up the salsa. Serve with yoghurt for dipping and cut the remaining lemon into wedges for squeezing over. Lets Cook by Buddy Oliver (23) is published by Penguin Michael Joseph. Find Cooking Buddies at www.youtube.com/c/cookingbuddies www.cookalicious.ie Set in a small Chinese town in 1995, Only the River Flows (15A) stars Yilong Zhu as Captain Ma, who heads up a model team of police detectives who investigate the apparently motiveless murder of an old woman on a muddy riverbank. Under pressure from the Chief (Tianlai Hou) to get a quick result, Ma reluctantly agrees that the most likely suspect is the village madman who was unofficially adopted by the old woman. No sooner has Ma reached his conclusion, however, than a host of more plausible suspects emerge, which include a fatalistic young man who seems to crave a guilt that is not his. With its ceaseless rain, chain-smoking detective and dimly lit, off-kilter camera angles, Wei Shujuns thriller is stained deepest noir. As with the best noir, of course, the story peels back the background culture as the criminal probe proceeds, shedding light on a place and time where non-conformism is not only a valid reason for suspicion but, suppressed for too long, might well find an outlet in a murderous impulse. With Ma struggling to obey illogical orders, the story takes on a Kafkaesque quality that lends itself to a tense, claustrophobic mood as Ma struggles to maintain a logical approach to an investigation that grows increasingly surreal. The Government has been urged to prioritise funding to increase the number of available places for children in early years settings in the upcoming Budget, as figures show thousands of children vying for just a few hundred spaces. Early Childhood Ireland made the call ahead of Octobers Budget, and ahead of the return of many early years and school age care settings which are set to re-open next week after the summer break. It said that thousands of children are waiting to access the care and education they deserve, and a lack of proper planning has meant these needs are going unmet for children across the country. We hear stories of parents putting their childs name down for a creche place before theyre even born, director of policy at Early Childhood Ireland Frances Byrne said. We know how many children are born in the state every year, and we need the Government to enact a proper capacity planning system to meet the needs and rights of young children. Ms Byrne said that Ireland should have a system of planning cycles to ensure there are enough places for children in their communities. Data that the group highlighted from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile, carried out by Pobal, showed that there are 6,663 children under the age of 1 on creche waiting lists with 223 places available. For children aged 1-2, there were 13,208 on the list with 675 places available and there were 12,448 children aged 2-3 years on waiting lists with 2,210 places available. The figures also show how acute the problem is in Cork, with 534 children under the age of 1 on waiting lists with just 17 places available for them. There are 1,124 children aged 1-2 on waiting lists with 36 places available, and a further 1,110 children aged 2-3 on lists with 291 places available. However, Early Childhood Ireland also said that waiting lists are not in place for all services and an individual child may be on multiple waiting lists for different services. Nonetheless, it said it the Government must ensure that every child has access to high-quality and inclusive early years and school age care. It also called for the Government to provide greater recognition and support for childminders, and offer families the chance to access financial supports, by implementing the National Action Plan for Childminding. In other countries, families get a choice between a place with a childminder or one in an Early Years centre and this should be our ambition for children here too, Ms Byrne added. Last month, Minister for Children Roderic OGorman announced an increase in core funding for early learning and childcare services of 44m. His department said that this would see larger increases for places offered to children under the age of three. The increases I am announcing today will take effect in September 2024 and will support expanded capacity, particularly capacity for children under three and stability of income to services, particularly low-income services, he said. Since its introduction, I have pledged to grow core funding and I have delivered on that. The Government has declined to respond to renewed demands from Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary that a passenger cap at Dublin Airport be scrapped. Mr O'Leary, who last month said the airline would cut prices by at least 5% in an attempt to spur demand following a weak start to its latest financial year, on Friday claimed a cap on passenger numbers by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) for the winter would lead to 500 one-way flights to London. He told RTE's Morning Ireland the company had applied for extra slots over the winter but had been refused. "We run about 270,000 extra slots at Christmas time every year just to keep fares down. We cant run those extra slots therefore the fares this Christmas will be double or triple. We think the fares will be about 500 one-way," he said. Mr O'Leary has long been a critic of the 32 million passenger-a-year cap imposed by planners at Dublin Airport and has called for Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to become involved. "Dublin Airport has opened a second runway now. Theres capacity there for 50 or 60 million passengers a year. The industry could double traffic coming and going from Dublin Airport. And remember, 50% to 60% of this traffic is inbound, its visitors coming here, sustaining jobs in hotels. The Government is talking about raising the minimum wage in the hotel and hospitality sector the only way youre going to pay that is to deliver additional growth but the Green minister doesnt want to do anything, Under Dublin Airports current planning permission, the number of passengers it can manage in a year is capped at 32 million. In December, airport operator Daa submitted an application to Fingal County Council to increase the passenger cap to 40 million a year, with the Daa saying the demand was already there for over 34 million passengers a year. Daa has also sought to have Dublin Airport classed as critical infrastructure, which would mean its planning is handled purely by An Bord Pleanala. Several Government sources pointed out on Friday that Mr Ryan cannot legally intervene in any planning process and to do so would be to risk a potential planning tribunal. A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said increasing the capacity of Dublin Airport is "in line with the National Aviation Policy, which recognises the strategic importance of Dublin Airport to meeting national social and economic policy goals and includes the objective to develop Dublin Airport as a secondary hub airport". "Daa has statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of Dublin Airport and has submitted a planning application to Fingal County Council seeking to increase the passenger cap to 40 million and planning permission for capacity-enhancing projects including new aircraft piers and stands. "The minister for transport has previously indicated he cannot, and will not, intervene in the planning process. "All planning matters, including amendments to planning conditions, appeals or enforcement of decisions are matters for the relevant statutorily independent planning bodies. "There are no capacity constraints at Irelands other State airports Shannon Airport and Cork Airport." A second Dublin man has been charged with disposal of body parts and impeding the investigation into the murder of Drogheda teenager Keane Mulready Woods. The youth, 17, was last seen alive by his family on the evening of Sunday, January 12, 2020. He was killed, and his body was later dismembered. Remains found at Coolock and in a burned-out vehicle at Trinity Terrace, Dublin, and at Rathmullan Park in Drogheda, Co. Louth, were those of the missing boy. Glen Bride, 30, of Mount Olive Park, Kilbarrack, was arrested at his home shortly before 1pm on Friday and brought before Judge John Brennan at Dublin District Court that evening facing three charges. He was accused of damaging a Volvo V40 car bearing false registration plates by fire for the benefit of a criminal organisation on January 15, 2020, at Trinity Terrace, Ballybough, Dublin 3. The second charge alleged that from January 13 15, 2020, at Trinity Terrace, to enhance the ability of a criminal organisation to commit a serious offence, murder, he participated in or contributed to the transportation and disposal of body parts of Keane Mulready Woods. The third charge stated that over the same two-day period at locations in the State, he impeded the apprehension or prosecution of another person who committed the murder and knowing they were guilty of that or another offence. Detective Sergeant Padraig Cleary of Mountjoy station told Judge Brennan that Mr Bride made no reply to the charges. The judge heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed trial on indictment in the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Mr Bride has yet to indicate a plea. Defence counsel Garrett Casey (instructed by Tracy Horan & Company Solicitors) said his client was not making a bail application at this stage. Mr Bride consented to be remanded in custody but instructed his barrister to ask that he be held at Mountjoy Prison rather than Cloverhill. Mr Casey said, My client has concerns for his safety. Judge Brennan agreed to make that part of the court order as he remanded Mr Bride in custody to appear again on Wednesday. Prosecutors must serve a book of evidence must be served on him before a return-for-trial order is granted. Dressed in a black hooded top, blue shorts and runners, Mr Bride spoke briefly, saying No when asked if he wished to appear via video link rather than in person at his next hearing. He was also allowed free legal aid. In May, Stephen Carberry, 46, of Adair Apartments, Sandymount, Dublin 4, was charged with the same three offences. He is currently awaiting trial in the Special Criminal Court. Last year, that court jailed two men for connected crimes. Gerard Cruise, 50, of Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, pleaded guilty to a charge that, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, he facilitated the murder of Keane Mulready Woods, at Rathmullan Park, Drogheda. He was handed a seven-year jail term. Paul Crosby, 28, of Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, also admitted the same offence and was imprisoned for 10 years. Those proceedings heard that the prime suspect in the murder was Robert Lawlor, a notorious Dublin criminal. Lawlor, 36, was shot dead in Belfast in April 2020. A 90-year-old woman, who as a pregnant teenager had a priest look up her skirt to check if she was wearing underwear before sending her to a mother and baby home, said it is "humiliating" that she is still waiting for redress. Helen Culpan from Co Carlow is one of 34,000 survivors who are entitled to a redress payment for the time they spent in one of the country's many mother and baby homes. The 800m scheme finally opened for applications on March 20 this year three years after it was first promised by the State. Priority is to be given to elderly applicants, according to the Department of Children and Integration which is responsible for the scheme, many of whom are in their 80s and 90s. However, Helen Culpan is still awaiting her payment, and fears she may pass away before it is paid. Helen Culpan: 'The priest abused my mother he shouted get her out of here, and then he pulled up my skirt. I could not afford any knickers so no I did not have any on, if Im being honest but most young girls in poverty didnt have them.' Photo: Patrick Browne Helen's story is typical of so many young girls who ended up in these religious-run institutions, and which were documented in harrowing detail by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. Helen became pregnant at the age of 17 after being raped by a neighbouring farmer. She was later banished from her home in Castledermot, Co Kildare, to Dublin by her local priest who sent her, on on her own, to St Patricks Mother and Baby home. She gave birth to her only child, a son, who was later adopted. The priest called me a tramp," she said, "He roared at my mother get her out of here and before I left, he pulled up my skirt to see if I had any knickers on, the rotten man he was." Helen applied for payment from the mother and baby home redress scheme after it opened for applications. According to the Government, the redress is intended as "acknowledgement of suffering experienced while resident in a mother and baby institution or county institution. However, despite Helen's age, she is still waiting for payment, and the promised enhanced medical supports. Helen Culpan told the Irish Examiner she believes survivors were deliberately humiliated by the Church, and that the State is repeating that behaviour by ignoring her. It is humiliating to have to ask for the money and it is humiliating to have to wait, she said. She has chosen to tell her story now because she does not want to die and take it to the grave. The priest that put me in the home was a bastard. God forgive me, but he was. I was 17 years old, and I was being raped from the age of 10 by a dirty old farmer up the road who was around 60 years of age. He had loads of land, he was a bachelor a horrible man, he gave us milk for free. We were so poor, and my mother would send me up there. I did not know what he was doing to me, I thought this must be what men do to women. But then I was pregnant, and I told my mother everything. She was disgusted with me. No man got the blame in those days. My mother took me to the doctor; he said go to the gardai and the gardai said go to the church. The priest abused my mother he shouted get her out of here, and then he pulled up my skirt. I could not afford any knickers so no I did not have any on, if Im being honest but most young girls in poverty didnt have them. He shouted, Get her out of here, get her out of the town and then I heard after I left that he stood on the altar and told a packed Sunday mass theres too many bastards being born in this town. The priest gave her mother the name of a home in Dublin and told her to send her daughter there. She said: I had never been to Dublin in my life I had to go on my own and find my way to the nursing home. How I found my way I dont know. I did find it and I was pregnant, and I remember my heart rate was sky high when I arrived. There were around 40 girls there waiting to have babies. "The woman who ran the home told me one day to go to St. James Hospital because she said the baby was due. I went and was admitted, and my son was born in 1952. Pain Like many women who gave birth in mother and baby homes at that time, Helen was given no pain relief. They cut me open, I didnt know how babies were born, she said. They cut me up during the delivery, I had so much pain. Grasping her side as she spoke, she said: To this day I still have a pain in the area of where my womb was. I had stitches and sutures. A few years later, I had to have a hysterectomy, and the doctors told me the nuns in the hospital had made bits of my insides. After that, I had no more children. I got married and my husband was very angry over that, my mother had 15 children so I should have had a big family, but it didnt happen. St Patricks Mother and Baby home After the birth of her only child, a boy, she stayed for two years at St Patricks Mother and Baby home with her son on the Navan Road in north Dublin. She then placed him for adoption because she had no money, no roof over my head, I had nothing, there was no choice. The nuns later transferred her to Donnybrook Magdalene Laundry in south Dublin where she scrubbed floors, windows and folded laundry for eight months. My son did not come with me, he stayed behind and was adopted, she said. Compensation Helen is entitled to redress for the time she spent in St Patrick's Mother and Baby Home on the Navan Road, and also for her unpaid labour in Donnybrook Magdalene Laundry. She estimates that she is entitled to between 25,000 and 30,000. In a statement, the Department of Children said: Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases for obvious reasons, we can confirm that we are prioritising by age. However, some cases are more complex than others and this will impact on the timeline for processing." The Department of Children said as of August 5, a Notice of Determination, which is a decision on an application has issued in 1,956 cases and more than 80% of these included an offer under the Payment Scheme. To date, 1,065 offers have been accepted and 859 applicants have received their award, with an average payment of approximately 15,000. Overall, 4,769 applications have been received to date of which 3,856 are completed applications and are progressing or determined. Helen's story While Helen continues to wait for her payment, she is keen to record her story, so that it doesn't die with her. Born in February 1934, she grew up in Castledermot in Co Kildare to her parents Paddy and Bridget Core who had 15 children Helen was the eighth child. The war had broken out and my father left my mother with all of those children, and she was pregnant with another. He went to England and didnt come back, she said. We had no money and mother went to the sergeant in Castledermot, and he brought my father home, and he promised he would send money and then he went back and sent money once or twice and then stopped. He was brought to court in England, and he turned around and told the judge, they are not my children they are my brother's, his brother was living at home. The judge could do nothing. From that day he never came home, he died in 1983, good riddance to him. My poor mother was alone with nine girls and six boys; we had no electricity no water. A gang of men went off to England at that time, and my father went and didnt want to come home. I never forgave him for what he did on my mother, never mind us. A local farmer, who owned acres of land, and cattle offered Bridget Core free milk. I was sent up to get the milk, I was around 10, Helen explains. He would lift me up on the shelf, I didnt know what he was doing to me. I just thought this was what men did to women. He wasnt married, he was on his own in a big home, a big plantation, with plenty of money. When I was 14, I got a chance to go to Manchester, my sister was there. But she lost her job, and I had to come home. I was 17 then and thats when the farmer raped me again and I got pregnant. I couldnt even read or write, I knew nothing, we hadnt a clue about the birds and the bees. She said the farmer knew about her pregnancy but never owned up and nobody in authority took any action. Helen Culpan: 'I was 17 then and thats when the farmer raped me again and I got pregnant.' Photo: Patrick Browne After her son was adopted friends of Helen decided to go to Wales to look for work and she joined then. She secured a job as a barmaid. I enjoyed the work, she said. It was a great life over there. I met my husband Edward Culpan, he died 26 years ago; we got married in 1957." Years later, she managed to trace her birth son, but the relationship did not work out. It was very upsetting, but what can I do? She made friends when she moved to Carlow, including well-known former Magdelene survivor Maureen Sullivan. I kept it a secret but started telling Maureen a while back and then I thought well nobody helped me back then, and I had to keep all this a secret all of my life. I want to say it now before I die, I want to put it out there and not take it to the grave with me. I remember absolutely everything. I was deprived of more children over whatever they did after my son was born. That farmer got away with raping me and all that land and home and property could have gone to my son, except nobody would let me put his name as the father on the birth cert. There was no help for women like me or my poor mother who was abandoned by my father. Sex was ignored, sexual abuse was ignored, they all got away with it." A British judge who was part of a Hong Kong court panel that unanimously dismissed an appeal from imprisoned prominent publisher Jimmy Lai and six former pro-democracy legislators has quit his position on an advisory board to an international media freedom group because of concerns over his role on the citys top court. Lord David Neuberger, a non-permanent overseas judge on Hong Kongs highest court, announced his decision to step down as chairman of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom in a statement dated Wednesday. The panel advises the Media Freedom Coalition, a partnership of countries that advocates for media freedom. I have now concluded that I should go now, because it is undesirable that focus on my position as a non-permanent judge in Hong Kong should take away, or distract, from the critical and impactful work of the High Level Panel Lord Neuberger, also a former president of the Supreme Court in the UK, said he had raised the possibility of leaving the advisory panel some months ago because he had been in the post for nearly five years and there were concerns raised about his role in Hong Kong. I have now concluded that I should go now, because it is undesirable that focus on my position as a non-permanent judge in Hong Kong should take away, or distract, from the critical and impactful work of the High Level Panel, he said. He did not specify what the concerns were in his statement. Hong Kong, a former British colony, is a common law jurisdiction, unlike mainland China. Since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, non-permanent overseas judges have continued to serve on the citys top court. Lord Neubergers announcement came days after he and four other judges at the court ruled against an appeal brought by Lai and the six former pro-democracy legislators over their convictions linked to their roles in one of the biggest anti-government protests in 2019. That ruling has drawn criticism of Lord Neuberger from activists and Hong Kongs last British governor, Lord Chris Patten. The British media outlet The Independent also ran two critical articles about the judge and the ruling. In a statement on Tuesday, Lord Neuberger insisted his role as a judge in Hong Kong is to decide cases that come before him according to the law. The Hong Kong government also condemned Lord Pattens wanton personal vilifications of Lord Neuberger a day later. Lord Patten (Kirsty OConnor/PA) On Thursday, the media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said Lord Neubergers resignation was necessary to protect the independence and integrity of the High Level Panel. Its director of campaigns, Rebecca Vincent, said it has been disappointed by Lord Neubergers continued involvement with the Hong Kong courts during an unprecedented decline in media freedom and rule of law in the city. Ms Vincent is also a member of the consultative committee to the High Level Panel. After Beijing imposed a national security law on the territory in 2020, Hong Kongs media landscape underwent drastic changes. Apple Daily and Stand News, media outlets known for critical reporting about the government, were forced to close in 2021 following the arrests of their top management. The Hong Kong government insists that the security law brought back stability to the city and that its people still enjoy press freedoms. In June, two other British non-permanent judges resigned from the top court. One of the judges, Lord Jonathan Sumption, said he stepped down because rule of law in the city is in grave danger and judges operate in an impossible political environment created by China. The other, Lord Lawrence Collins, said his resignation was because of the political situation in Hong Kong. But he said he continues to have the fullest confidence in the court and the total independence of its members. Hong Kong currently has seven non-permanent overseas judges. Pakistans Health Ministry said it has identified the first case of a new mpox variant that might be more easily transmitted, days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the spread of mpox a global health emergency. The case, in a man who had recently returned from a Middle Eastern country, is only the second confirmed case of the new variant outside of Africa. The first case was reported on Thursday by authorities in Sweden. The ministry said in a statement that the man who tested positive for mpox was from Mardan, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. It said the ministry has directed officials at border crossing points and airports to ensure strict surveillance and collect samples for medical tests if they see symptoms of the disease in any passenger returning from abroad. It was unclear which Middle Eastern country the man had visited, and no cases of the new variant have yet been reported in that region. The United Arab Emirates, however, has had 16 confirmed cases of mpox since 2022, according to the WHO. The UAE is particularly affected by transnational outbreaks given its role as a hub connecting East and West with its long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad. Sarah Bagheni, center back, in the Bulengo refugee camp in Goma, Congo, suspects she may be infected with Mpox after the World Health Organization had declared on Thursday. Picture: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa On Wednesday, the WHO said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, which already exceed last years figures. More than 96% of all cases and deaths have been in Congo. The director of public health for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr Irshad Roghani, said the person infected with mpox in Pakistan has mild symptoms. Contact tracing of the affected person has been started and samples of more people are being obtained, he told The Associated Press. Dr Roghani said that since 2022, 300 people have been tested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, of whom two tested positive last year. This is the first case detected this year. Police in New Zealand have so far accounted for 41 chunks of methamphetamine enclosed in sweet wrappers each a potentially lethal amount of the drug that were unknowingly distributed by an Auckland food bank. The authorities were in the process of collecting two dozen more of the contaminated sweets from members of the public late on Friday, police said in a statement, bringing the total number of sweets accidentally shared in food parcels to at least 65. It was not known how many more were circulating, Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said. Up to 300 times the dose someone would usually take The amount of methamphetamine in each sweet No-one has been seriously harmed by the sweets. An unknown person donated the sweets which were in wrappers from the Malaysian confectionery brand Rinda and looked identical to boiled sweets to the Auckland City Mission sometime in the past six weeks, the charity said on Wednesday. A day earlier, staff frantically began tracking down the recipients of up to 400 food parcels after a client reported a funny-tasting sweet and drug testing revealed the sweets were solid methamphetamine. Three people were treated in hospital after trying the sweets but were quickly discharged. The revolting taste led most who tried the sweets to immediately spit them out, city missioner Helen Robinson said. The amount of methamphetamine in each sweet was up to 300 times the dose someone would usually take and could be lethal, according to the New Zealand Drug Foundation, the drug checking and policy organisation that first tested the sweet. Ben Birks Ang, a foundation spokesperson, said at a news conference on Wednesday that disguising drugs as innocuous goods is a common cross-border smuggling technique and more of the sweets might have been distributed throughout New Zealand. New Zealand authorities still do not know how many were distributed by the Auckland City Mission, or whether the sweets might show up elsewhere, Mr Baldwin said. 1,000 New Zealand dollars (467) The street value per sweet of the doctored sweets There are about 40 Rinda pineapple sweets in each retail-sized bag, suggesting at least two bags were donated to the charity. The doctored sweets had a street value of 1,000 New Zealand dollars (467) per sweet, which suggests the donation was accidental rather than a deliberate attack, Mr Birks Ang said on Wednesday. The authorities said they were investigating whether the episode was an importation scheme gone awry as well as reports that someone had attempted to sell one of the sweets on Facebook. The charitys food bank accepts only donations of commercially produced food in sealed packaging, Ms Robinson said. The pineapple sweets, stamped with Rindas label, appeared as such when they were donated, she added. Rinda said in a statement on Wednesday that the company would co-operate with authorities. We want to make it clear that Rinda Food Industries does not use or condone the use of any illegal drugs in our products, general manager Steven Teh said. Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It takes the form of a white, odourless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol. Military authorities in the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk have urged civilians to speed up their evacuation because the Russian army is quickly closing in on what has for months been one of Moscows key targets. Authorities said in a Telegram post that Russian troops are advancing at a fast pace. With every passing day there is less and less time to collect personal belongings and leave for safer regions. Israeli leaders have roundly condemned a deadly settler rampage in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a rare Israeli denunciation of settler violence that has grown more common since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The settler riot in the village of Jit, near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, killed one Palestinian and badly injured others late on Thursday, Palestinian health officials said. Residents interviewed by The Associated Press said at least a hundred masked settlers entered the village, shot live ammunition, burned homes and cars and damaged water tankers. Those who fight terrorism are the IDF and the security forces, and no-one else Video showed flames engulfing the small village, which residents said was left to defend itself without military help for two hours. Benjamin Netanyahu said he took the riots seriously and that Israelis who carried out criminal acts would be prosecuted. He issued what appeared to be a call for settlers to stand down. Those who fight terrorism are the IDF and the security forces, and no-one else, he said, using an acronym for the Israeli military. President Isaac Herzog also condemned the attack, as did defence minister Yoav Gallant, who said the settlers had attacked innocent people. He added they did not represent the values of settler communities. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, as the heartland of a future state, a position with wide international backing. It was unclear why the Jit attack yielded such a strong rebuke from Israeli leaders. A Palestinian woman stands in her home the morning after it was torched in a rampage by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Jit (Nasser Nasser/AP) A similar settler riot in the village of Al-Mughayyir in April went without comparable mention from the authorities. Israel is currently engaged in ceasefire talks with American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha, in yet another attempt to broker an end to the 10-month-old war. The US has broadly condemned settler violence and the expansion of Israels West Bank settlements. US ambassador Jack Lew wrote on the social media platform X on Friday that he was appalled by the attack, and the White House National Security Council called violent settler attacks unacceptable. Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence, and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account, it said in a statement. Other Israeli officials distinguished between the settler attack on Jit and the larger Israeli settlement project, which the international community views as illegal under international law. Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich an ultranationalist settler who has turbocharged settlement expansion, railed against US sanctions on violent settlers and previously defended violent settlers as heroes labelled the rioters criminals who were in no way related to the settlement and the settlers. We are building and developing settlements in a legal and official manner, Mr Smotrich wrote on X, adding that he reject(s) any expression of anarchist criminal violence that has nothing to do with love for the land and the desire to settle in it. Ultra-orthodox Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel called on Israels Shin Bet internal security agency to investigate those involved and said the riot ran against Jewish values and harmed the settlement enterprise. A Palestinian films a torched vehicle, seen the morning after a rampage by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Jit (Nasser Nasser/AP) Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, violence has flared in the occupied territory. Palestinian health officials say 633 Palestinians, including 147 children and teenagers, have been killed by Israeli fire and more than 5,400 injured. Many have been killed during Israeli military raids into Palestinian cities and towns, but settlers have killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, and injured 234 people, according to AIDA, a coalition of non-profit and other groups working in the territory. The UN documented more than 1,000 settler attacks in the West Bank since the start of the war, averaging four a day. That is double the average during the same period last year, AIDA says. Sufian Jit, a resident of the village, said a group of 100 settlers streamed in before sundown on Thursday, burning cars, puncturing water tankers and destroying homes. He called the army and firefighters, pleading for help. Firefighters never came, so villagers ran between burning cars to put out the fires, he said. It was more than 100 settlers against us. At the beginning, there were just a few people trying to stop them, and then later the whole town came and stopped them After two hours, he said soldiers arrived. It was more than 100 settlers against us. At the beginning, there were just a few people trying to stop them, and then later the whole town came and stopped them, he said. The Israeli military said late on Thursday it had arrested one Israeli civilian in connection with the violence and opened an investigation. Police did not say whether the civilian was still in custody on Friday, but said they were working with the Shin Bet and military to investigate and bring the relevant perpetrators to justice. Rights groups say that arrests for settler violence are rare, and prosecutions even rarer. Israels left-leaning Haaretz newspaper reported in 2022 that based on statistics from the Israeli police, charges were pressed in only 3.8% of cases of settler violence, with most cases being opened and closed without any action being taken. Mourners prepared on Friday for the funeral of young 23-year-old Rasheed Mahmoud abed Al Khadier Sadah. His relative, Ibrahim Sadah, said many residents wanted to help defend the village but had to take shelter once settlers started firing live ammunition. A brawl broke out among Turkish MPs on Friday during a heated debate over an opposition MP currently jailed on what are widely considered to be politically motivated charges. Televised footage showed Ahmet Sik, an MP from the same party as the imprisoned MP, being approached and attacked by an MP from President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling party, while speaking at the chambers podium. Mr Sik had just called members of the ruling party a terrorist organisation. In a subsequent scuffle involving dozens of MPs, a female MP was hit, leaving drops of blood on steps leading to the speakers lectern. Turkeys AK Party MP Alpay Ozalan, second left, scuffles with Workers Party of Turkey MP Ahmet Sik ((DIA Images/AP) Another opposition member was also reportedly injured. Physical tussles are not uncommon among Turkeys MPs. It is a shameful situation, said Ozgur Ozel, who heads the largest opposition party. Instead of words flying in the air, fists are flying, there is blood on the ground. They are hitting women. The extraordinary session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly was called to debate the case of Can Atalay, who was elected from prison as a parliamentary MP for the Workers Party of Turkey, or TIP, in last years election. MPs scuffle in parliament (DIA Images/AP) He had been sentenced the previous year to 18 years in prison for his role in anti-government protests in 2013, which challenged the rule of Mr Erdogan, then Turkeys prime minister. Since being elected, Mr Atalay has been fighting to take his seat in parliament, which comes with immunity from prosecution and would see him released from Marmara prison. He has said he would return to prison once his term ends. Although he has achieved successful rulings from the constitutional court, these have been ignored by lower courts, sparking a judicial crisis and enflaming a sense of injustice among his supporters. In its third ruling in Mr Atalays favour, the constitutional court on August 1 said the decision to strip him of his parliamentary status was null and void. Opposition parties then demanded a special session to discuss the case. The conviction of Mr Atalay and seven other defendants in the Gezi Park case led to widespread criticism from human rights groups and lawyers. The main defendant, philanthropist Osman Kavala, was jailed for life without parole. The European Court of Human Rights has twice called for his release, saying his detention was arbitrary and based on political motives. The Gezi Park protests began in the summer of 2013 with an environmental camp to stop the development of a central Istanbul park. The discontent soon spread to other cities as people protested against Mr Erdogans increasingly authoritarian rule. Atalays personal freedom and security, as well as his right to be elected, which the constitutional court ruled to have been violated, should be restored, Amnesty Internationals Turkey office said on Friday. The parliamentary session resumed after three hours, with both Mr Sik and his assailant accepting reprimands from the parliaments speaker. 1371138342::cfb49c8e-2422-11e5-99a3-d7f5c6e8b241 A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. China outlines key tasks for ecological conservation Xinhua) 08:11, August 16, 2024 An aerial drone photo shows a view of Dajinhu scenic area of Taining County, Sanming City, east China's Fujian Province, Aug. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) FUZHOU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, on Thursday specified key tasks it will undertake to conserve the ecological environment. The NDRC will act to advance reform in ecological conservation and promote green, low-carbon and high-quality development, said Zhao Chenxin, deputy head of the commission, at an event held in the city of Sanming, east China's Fujian Province, to mark National Ecology Day. The commission will work actively, but prudently, towards achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, will step up efforts to protect the ecological environment, and strengthen international cooperation in green and low-carbon development, he added. The NDRC will implement fiscal, tax, financial, investment and pricing policies as well as standards to support green and low-carbon development, Zhao noted. The official also pledged to refine the mechanisms for realizing the market value of ecosystem goods and services, advance comprehensive compensation for ecological conservation, and improve the trans-regional compensation mechanism for ecological conservation. Meanwhile, the NDRC will deepen international cooperation concerning the circular economy, promote the export of advanced technologies, products, standards and business models for green and low-carbon development, and actively participate in global climate governance, Zhao remarked. Last year, China's top legislature voted to designate Aug. 15 as the country's National Ecology Day -- with the aim of enhancing public awareness and actions to protect the ecological environment. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) Nahal Toosi at Politico reported on Wednesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has emphasized to the Biden administration that the grand bargain they want him to make with Israel could result in his assassination. She says he instanced the late Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat, who was shot to death by the Egyptian Islamic Jihad in 1981, after Sadat made a peace treaty with Israel. It is worth mentioning that Saudi royalty are also no strangers to assassination. In 1975, King Faisal was shot to death by his disgruntled nephew, whose motives remain murky. Former crown prince and former Minister of the Interior Mohammed Bin Nayef survived several assassination attempts, the last in 2009 when al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula targeted him with a suicide bomber who hid his bomb in his butt cheeks. MBS is, of course, leaking these concerns to put pressure on Biden administration diplomats Brett McGurk and Antony Blinken, who have been attempting to pressure him to join Jared Kushners Abraham Accords and recognize Israel. The Saudis have repeatedly underlined that they can only recognize Israel if a Palestinian state is created. A rapprochement with Tel Aviv that throws the Palestinians under the bus would be enormously unpopular among the public in Saudi Arabia, and could indeed lead to unrest. Peoples blood in the region is boiling over Israels killing of over 40,000 Palestinians, a majority of them women and children, in Gaza. Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, concluded accords with postage stamp countries such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain is a set of small islands a little larger than Rhode Island with a Shiite majority and a hard line Sunni monarchy, which is desperately afraid of Iran. Iran ruled Bahrain in the early modern period and Iranian parliamentarians occasionally give speeches in which they make claims on the islands. Bahrains population is about 1.5 million, similar to that of Hawaii, and only 46% of the countrys residents are citizens. The rest are guest workers. The United Arab Emirates likewise has 9.4 million residents but only 1.14 million citizens, in a territory slightly larger than South Carolina. It is possible for these monarchies, with their iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove security apparatuses, to keep their small citizen populations in line when they do something unpopular. The guest workers who make trouble are summarily deported to their home countries. In contrast, Saudi Arabia is a real country. Its territory is a little over a fifth of the US, equivalent to Texas, California, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada taken together. Its citizen population is 18.8 million, comprising 58.4% of the residents of the country. That population is a little larger than the Netherlands and a little smaller than Chiles. Saudis can rise up against their government. In 2003-2006 and again later in that decade, the kingdom was wracked by political violence spearheaded by Saudis who had enrolled in the peninsulas branch of al-Qaeda and who directly targeted Riyadh and the royal family. In 1979 a millenarian movement Saudis briefly took over the grand mosque in Mecca. So, Bin Salmans trepidation is perfectly reasonable and the Biden plan for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel at all costs is daft. As Bin Salman pointed out, if a Palestinian state is not created, there just will be endless trouble in the Levant. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dead set against any such Palestinian state, and his parliament actually passed a law against recognizing a Palestinian state, last month. Morocco, another Abraham Accords signatory, has witnessed demonstrations demanding the expulsion of Israeli diplomats from the country. If the Biden administration manages to pressure the Saudis into recognizing Israel, without making any provisions for the Palestinians to escape their status as stateless people with no real basic human rights, it will only destablize the region and set it up for another round of wars in the future. - Bonus video added by Informed Comment: Times of India Video: Saudi Crown Prince MBS Sends A Shocking Message To U.S. Congress Members On Israel | Watch Donald Trump is all too literally the candidate from hell and, yes, hes threatening to take the United States and the world to no place else! hell and back. Hes the greatest danger to this planet imaginable. And Im not even thinking about what else hed do, were he to win election 2024 and return to the Oval Office, having reassured his religious voters that, should they opt for him this November, theyll never have to do so again. (Get out and vote, just this time You wont have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? Itll be fixed, itll be fine, you wont have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.) Forget all of that, including the racism, the madness, the urge to transform this country into the all-American equivalent of an autocracy. Forget every last bit of it even if, yes, thats one hell of a lot to forget! Instead, focus on just one thing: Donald Trump and his crew, including that gem J.D. Vance, who attacked what he called the Green New Scam at the Republican convention, are determined to fossil-fuelize our future in a fashion never before seen, not at least under these circumstances. And unfortunately, Donald Trump is anything but alone. (Do you hear me, Vladimir Putin?) In fact, according to a recent Guardian report, almost one-quarter of this countrys congressional representatives (100 members of the House and 23 senators) deny the very existence of climate change and be shocked, very shocked, but every last one of them is a Republican! In what now passes for the mainstream, The Donald and his vice-presidential buddy, the very opposite of cat ladies, are extreme but all too common examples of the urge to heat this planet to the boiling point or beyond. Admittedly, the competition is fierce. After all, whatever steps President Joe Biden took in relation to climate change and he did take them and they will make a difference American oil production and oil and natural gas exports all set staggering new global records during his term in office. Still, theres no question about one thing: Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and crew are determined to fully reject that Green New Scam (as Republicans now love to call it), which means the two of them are intent on making you, me, and everyone else on this planet sweat, sweat, sweat. I say that given the fact that, only recently, humanity experienced the hottest day ever recorded and the very next day set an even more feverish daily global record. And that, mind you, was after 13 straight months each of which (including two Junes) set new heat records for human history (and probably far beyond it), and all of that, in turn (if you dont mind the longest, hottest sentence imaginable), came after 2023 set a global record as the hottest year ever and count on this: Im undoubtedly leaving all sorts of things out. Yikes, Im already sweating! A Green New Scam President? Given the recent withdrawal of 81-year-old Joe Biden from the presidential race, 78-year-old Donald Trump is now the oldest American presidential candidate ever (yes, ever!), so why should he give a damn about how hot our future could become? Admittedly, there are his kids and grandkids to consider, but its not clear that, even when it comes to them (and despite his recent family-ization of the Republican convention), he gives a damn about anyone other than yes, Donald Trump. Based on the last few years of him, I doubt it. In the most literal sense possible, as far as hes concerned, hes always the man of the moment. Any moment. And if the moment isnt his, then to hell with it and everything else! And believe me, under the circumstances, Im not just using hell figuratively. After all, this planet and this country are both growing hotter all too quickly. This was already one hell of a summer in the United States. State after state, city after city simply broiled, while records were regularly set across the globe. (Hey, Las Vegas hit a new city high of 120 degrees Fahrenheit in July and, in breaking local heat records, it was anything but atypical.) After all, June, as I mentioned, was the 13th straight hottest month of its kind ever. And while later in the summer, we might get a slight break from such record-setting temperatures, the future looks all too grim. While youre at it, consider yourself lucky that you dont live in someplace like Dubai, where on one recent anything-but-atypical July day the temperature hit 113 and the heat index 144. In fact, the Washington Post now suggests that the Persian Gulf region may be the most likely to regularly exceed life-threatening heat thresholds during the next 30 to 50 years. Of course, only this summer, Donald Trump held a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, where the temperature hit go ahead, just for hell of it, take a guess! Yes, 113 degrees! Eleven of his listeners were treated right there for heat exhaustion on stretchers hooked to IV bags, while The Donald continued to rail against wind turbines and electric vehicles. And mind you, unlike the acts of the assassin whose bullet hit Trumps ear at that rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the former presidents statements in Arizona blasting any efforts to deal with this overheating globe of ours werent considered acts of violence. And Im not even including Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation greenhouse-gas nightmare of a document prepared for the possible second term of the president who called climate change a great hoax and once said sarcastically, The oceans are going to rise 1/100th of an inch in the next 300 years and its going to kill everybody, while insisting that windmills cause cancer and that electric cars are bad for the environment. After all, despite the fact that so many of Project 2025s creators at that notorious rightwing climate-denying think tank were former Trumpian officials and J.D. Vance is closely tied to it, the former president has claimed it has absolutely nothing to do with him. Still, heres the Trumpian essence of it all: hes always been a fossil-fuelizer of the first order; the oil and gas industry has backed his presidential runs big-time; and he seems desperately eager to do it all (and more) again. As he so classically put the matter during this election campaign: on day one back in the Oval Office, hes going to act like a dictator and, above all, institute a drill, baby, drill regime for the next four years (and undoubtedly beyond). He and his key officials the second time around are going to do their damnedest, in other words, to encourage the long-term, full-scale overheating of this planet. The plans that he and J.D. Vance have when it comes to fossil fuels should make anyones hair stand on end (even someone as bald as me). After all, hes already promised that, above all else, when he next enters the Oval Office, his main goal will be to drill, baby, drill. You cant be more blunt than that when it comes to encouraging the fossil-fuel companies from whom you recently demanded a fortune in election funding. And thats obviously just the beginning. He and his crew have promised to wipe out anything the Biden administration did aimed at dealing with climate change and fossil fuels while nixing any steps taken to support the creation of clean energy. Instead, he would develop the liquid gold that is right under our feet and unleash domestic energy production like never before. From obliterating wind power projects (I hate wind) to promoting oil and natural gas drilling from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alaskan Arctic, theres no end to what he and his cronies have in mind. He and his team may even be ready to systematically dismantle, if not obliterate the Environmental Protection Agency (which, in case youve forgotten, was created in 1970 by a Republican president, Richard Nixon, who did little else right). Donald Trumps next presidency, in other words, will clearly force the U.S. government to literally worship at the foot (or the oil rig) of the fossil-fuel companies. The Slow-Motion Equivalent of a Nuclear War To put all of this in some grim perspective, the British outfit Carbon Brief estimated that, by 2030, a Trump presidency would add approximately four billion more tons of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere than another Biden administration (or, assumedly, one run by Kamala Harris). And all of that means that a country and a world already overheating at a record pace would do so in an even more dramatically grim fashion. The startling thing is that, on this distinctly overheating planet of ours, a person whose platform is essentially an oil or natural gas-drilling rig should have the faintest chance of being elected president. Its not all that complicated really. Leaving aside any other issue, voting for Donald Trump in our already rapidly warming world would be all too literally a suicidal act. And keep in mind that, even before Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office a second time (should he win in November), the news daily has gotten ever worse. As a start, were talking about a country that, in the Biden years and despite the money that he and his crew began investing in climate-change-mitigating activities, set its sixth consecutive yearly record in 2023 for producing oil (more than any other country on the planet) and another for exporting oil and natural gas, while the giant U.S. oil companies continued to garner record profits. Of course, climate change is hardly the only danger on planet Earth right now. Theres the potentially explosive set of horrors underway in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East that could erupt into something far worse at any moment. (Ominously enough, the U.S. only recently dispatched yet more warships and planes to the region.) And there are other dangers, including the possibility of a future war with China, a potential nuclear face-off with Russia, or even (should Donald Trump lose the election this year), a rise in violence in this country, if not some possible version of a civil war here at home. But put in proper perspective, climate change should be seen as the slow-motion equivalent of a nuclear war on this planet, one that not in a day, a week, a month, or a year but over the decades to come, could make our world ever less livable, ever less ours. While a full-scale nuclear exchange could almost instantly create a nuclear winter that might result in up to five billion of us dying of hunger, climate change could devastate this planet in a similarly horrific fashion, just over the (very) long term. So, consider a vote for Donald Trump a vote for nothing less than destroying the Earth as a livable environment for well, all of those to come. And given the apocalyptic nature of that, dont you find it strange that Trumps climate-change views and his ultimate support for the fossil fuel industry above all else (except himself) havent gotten more attention in this election season? Anyone who lived through the last blistering year should realize that global heat of an unprecedented sort isnt anywhere near a high point but, given the fossil fuels still pouring into the atmosphere (including staggering amounts of methane, a gas that heats the planet faster than any other), at something closer to a low point. And under the circumstances, Donald (drill, baby, drill) Trump should be considered, not figuratively but all too literally, the presidential candidate from yes, hell. Voting for him would be voting for, in historical (and Christian) terms, the devil and thats not just an image but potentially an all-too-literal reality. As president, Donald Trump would undoubtedly prove to be a first-class global heat machine and voting for him would be the slow-motion equivalent of putting an atomic weapon in the Oval Office. Quite a prospect, dont you think? Copyright 2024 Tom Engelhardt The new Korean drama "The Tyrant" has garnered praise and criticism since its August 12 release. Kim Seon Ho, Cha Seung Won, Kim Kang Woo, and Jo Yoon Soo star in the Disney+ series. The race to recover a stolen bioweapon in "The Tyrant" is widely recognized for its compelling storyline and notable acting, especially by Kim Seon Ho, who plays the director of a South Korean national intelligence agency, and Jo Yoon Soo, who plays a technician turned robber. YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Kim Seon Ho Shares How Variety Show 'Brothers Eating and Watching' Fulfilled His Travel Bucket List Many fans have praised the show's storyline and acting, although some have criticized its visuals. sorry but i can't stop thinking about this elevator scene. it was done in such a genius way. my heart freaking dropped the way this was executed. his acting, facial & micro expressions are top notch #KimSeonHo ate this scene I AM IN AWE #TheTyrant pic.twitter.com/PS6CALLowd (@seonhosam) August 15, 2024 Social media comments note that numerous scenes are too dark to see. Reddit users deem the lighting "awful." One spectator said some images are "so dark that it is difficult to discern the events taking place." Fans remain engaged with the series despite these objections, showing a definite audience preference. So he drew this himself because Director Choe is someone who can't really focus on something easily? and if not he can't think clearly? Actually I think he needs sleep. I really love the transition in this scene and he's really good at drawing actually.#TheTyrantEp3#TheTyrant pic.twitter.com/Hru3thTlOG ann (@anythingkworthy) August 16, 2024 Intrigue? Check out "The Tyrant" trailer below. READ ALSO:Kim Seon Ho to Reunite With This K-Actress in New Project What can you say about the story? Share your comments below Kdramastars own this. This article was written by: Rovelyn Barba Lee Min Ho's recent social media posts with "Pachinko 2" co-star Kim Min Ha had fans speculating on the real score of their relationship. Lee Min Ho, who starred in "The Heirs" and "The King: Eternal Monarch," has fascinated fans with his on-screen interactions. The newest collaboration with Kim Min Ha seems to transcend the screen. Lee posted Instagram photographs of them seemingly having a date surprise followers. The actor captioned one photo, "hansu & sunja in new york," referring to their series' characters. Fans were excited by this message and wondered whether their on-screen relationship had grown real. Lee and Kim also held hands at a recent photo call, demonstrating their connection. This exhibition of devotion sparked questions about their relationship. Some fans believe the two stars are dating, but others attribute their conduct to clever advertising for their upcoming production. Here are some comments from the netizens: "Pachinko Season 2 is coming at the door" "Are they're couple in real life? just asking" "She is very beautiful and suitable for you, why not date her" Fans and media have been drawn to the scenario since both actors had historically maintained professional boundaries with their co-stars. READ ALSO:Kim Seon Ho's Rookie Co-Star in 'The Childe' Joins 'Pachinko 2' 'Pachinko' Season 2 The cast of Pachinko gathered in New York City on August 13 to promote the upcoming second season of the Apple TV+ program, Just Jared reported. Lee Minho portrayed the character Hansu, while Minha Kim took on the role of adolescent Sunja, and Jin Ha brought Solomon to life on screen. During the event, they engaged in conversations with fans and reporters. Pachinko received high praise in 2022 for its stunning visuals, captivating writing, and powerful performances by the main actors. Min Jin Lee's 2017 novel served as the inspiration for Pachinko, a captivating tale that spans multiple centuries and follows four generations of Koreans. The show's expansive storyline is revealed through jumps in time and a talented cast portraying characters of different ages. Pachinko showcases a rich tapestry of different time periods and characters, with a blend of English, Korean, and Japanese. The highly anticipated Season 2 is set to premiere on August 23, and fans are buzzing with excitement. Soo Hugh has mapped out four eight-episode seasons. Hugh is eagerly awaiting the renewal of Pachinko's fourth season. Apple TV+ has released a teaser for the upcoming season. Check out here: READ MORE:Pachinko' Season 2 Teaser Boasts Lee Min Ho's Dancing Skills What can you say about the story? Share your comments below Kdramastars own this. This article was written by: Rovelyn Barba Friday, August 16, 2024 - Mining Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho left heads turning after he went to the mosque for prayers in a flashy entourage. Johos entourage comprised of Mercedes Benz G-Wagons with customized number plates and a Bentley. Joho, who revealed that his net worth is Ksh 2.3 billion during vetting, is known for living a lavish lifestyle. He is a car enthusiast with a fleet of expensive cars worth millions of shillings. The video comes at a time when millions of Kenyans are struggling to make ends meet as senior government officials like Joho continue to live large and show off on social media. Watch the video. A fleet of Mercedes G Wagons and Bentley - CS JOHO displays opulence as he goes to the mosque for prayers pic.twitter.com/SHXqPKu4Fa DAILY POST (@dailypost_ke) August 16, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Friday, August 16, 2024 - Former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General, Cleophas Malala, has accused Embu County Governor Cecily Mbarire and Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichungwah of being behind the plot to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Malala, who spoke to the press on Thursday, barely two weeks after his dramatic ouster as the Secretary-General, blamed his downfall on Kimani Ichung'wa and Cecily Mbarire. While terming his ouster 'illegal', the outspoken politician alleged that the two, together with other accomplices, hatched the plot to kick him out first, before pushing for the impeachment of Gachagua. "That this coup was plotted and orchestrated by two senior party officials alongside others within the party secretariat. These senior officials are Mrs. Cecily Mbarire, and Mr. Kimani Ichungwa, MP for Kikuyu constituency," stated Gachagua. "That my ouster by the above officials had nothing to do with incompetence or my inability to run the UDA party, but was a well-choreographed script intended to climax with the impeachment of the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua." The former Kakamega Senator argued that the duo were vexed by his cordial relationship with the deputy president and his boss and thus choreographed the scheme to remove the obstacle, which he says would have frustrated the impeachment goal. "My close and inevitable working relationship with the deputy president, who is also the UDA deputy party leader irked them, and when their concerted effort, lobbying, and coercion to set me against my Deputy Party Leader failed, I was effectively profiled and labeled an obstacle towards their evil plot and conspiracy to have Rigathi Gachagua impeached," he stated. According to Malala, the Kikuyu MP and the governor wanted to impeach Gachagua to strategically position themselves politically in the Mt Kenya region come 2027 and 2032. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba flew out of the country to visit former Ghanaian President John Kufour, with reports indicating that they are dating. A video of the controversial Senator toasting wine with the former President has surfaced on social media after she visited his palatial home. Kufuors wife died in 2023 after a prolonged illness took a toll on her. His appetite for beautiful women is well-known despite his advanced age. Word has it that he might be financing Glorias flamboyant lifestyle and philanthropic activities. Watch the video of the former President having fun moments with Senator Orwoba at his residence. Kumbe huyu hupeana her services in Ghana too. Kazi ipo. pic.twitter.com/YhaXbM4lRQ Rodgers Kipembe Mpuru (@RodgersKipembe) August 15, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Friday, August 16, 2024 - A close confidante of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has criticised Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya for parading his wives when he was appointed to the cabinet by President William Ruto. Oparanya, who is among five ODM individuals who joined Rutos cabinet, organized a party at his home where he paraded his two wives and children but his girlfriend was missing from the much-publicized event. Speaking on Wednesday, Nyeri County GovernorMutahi Kahiga called on Oparanya and the other 18 Cabinet secretaries to focus on their responsibilities and assist President William Ruto in fulfilling his promises to the Kenyan people. "I saw even one of them instead of getting to business he is very busy introducing his wives. "I mean Gen Z were very specific and said that they did not want people who were flaunting affluence and many other things," he said. Kahiga also reminded the Cabinet secretaries that their appointments followed historic Gen Z-led protests that led to significant loss of life. "As they go out to celebrate and do homes homecomings, let them remember that they are doing that on the blood of the fifty Kenyans who were killed. "At least we want some decency and modesty let them go to work not start going around here telling us that they are now doing homecoming, what for? "Let them get down to work and help the president," he said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - Acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has revealed his net worth. Speaking on Thursday, August 15 while appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security, Kanja said his net worth is Sh 46 million. Kanja further added his net worth comprises land, farming activities, his police salary, and the houses he owns in Nairobi and his rural home. My worth now is around Sh46 million. It is made up of land, I am a farmer, I have agricultural activities, I have a house in Nairobi, I have a rural home, and the salary that I earn, Kanja revealed. During the vetting, the IG nominee vowed to protect key government offices if approved by Parliament "Parliament is one of the key bodies established by the Constitution and if approved, this is an area we can't allow anyone to joke around. "For me, I will do whatever it takes to ensure that this parliament is safe and secure as IG, said Kanja. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 The plans to introduce toll charges on Thika Road and other major highways are in top gear. This is despite public uproar from Kenyans who have objected to the move, saying the roads were built with taxpayers money and would be unfair for President William Rutos government to charge them again for using the roads. However, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) argues that tolling will enable the authority to rehabilitate and maintain the specific roads where the tolls are collected. The agency believes this strategy will allow the redirection of funds from the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) towards constructing new road projects, thereby expanding the country's road network. "In the event of successful tolling, the collected fees will then be used to maintain and rehabilitate the specific road that they are collected from," KeNHA stated. "This could free RMLF to fund new road projects." The roads identified for potential tolling include the Nairobi Southern Bypass, Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway, Thika Superhighway, Kenol-Sagana-Marua Road, Mombasa Southern Bypass, and the Dongo Kundu Bypass. KeNHA emphasized that the revenue generated from these tolls would be allocated to maintaining the same roads, ensuring that the toll fees directly benefit the motorists who pay them. This will free money collected from road levies for the construction of new roads, expanding our network and improving connectivity across the country. "Through this approach, KeNHA is committed to creating a safer, more efficient road system for all Kenyans, the authority explained. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachaguas allies have expressed skepticism, stating they don't foresee any positive outcomes from former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his associates joining the Kenya Kwanza Alliance government. Speaking on Thursday, Gachaguas allies led by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, said that the government could collapse following President William Ruto's 'handshake' with former Premier. Kahiga said that Raila could rock the Kenya Kwanza Alliance administration from within and leave before the 2027 General Election. "It is a pattern whose margin of error is slim. We might soon be running helter-skelter to save our government," Kahiga warned. On the other hand, former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu wants retired president Uhuru Kenyatta to confirm whether he asked Raila to call Ruto about forming a broad-based government to quell Gen Z protests. On Monday, Raila Odinga alleged that it was Uhuru who urged him to have a handshake with Ruto to quell the Gen Z protests that had made the country ungovernable. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - What does it mean for a community when an elected official that was once seen as a figure of integrity is involved in behaviour contrary to principles of ethical governance? What consequences should the elected officials face when their actions fall so short of public expectations? Can investigative and oversight bodies effectively play their role in addressing such matters? These are the questions roiling through residents of Kabiro Ward in Dagoretti North Constituency where locals claim their area MCA is involved in actions that betray the principles of public service. According to multiple sources, his conduct has raised serious ethical questions and caused considerable distress among the community. Reports suggest that he is accused of a multitude of heinous crimes including involvement in inappropriate relationships with young members of the female gender. It is also alleged that the aforementioned politician made two attempts on his wife's life after she became aware of his clandestine activities. "Hello, Cyprian. I am a resident and voter in Kabiro, Dagoretti North Constituency. I am also a parent here and what is worrying us is the behaviour of the area MCA one Clarence Munga, who is now impregnating our daughters and then threatening parents. We have evidence of what he has done and now children who should be in secondary school suffer the risk of the area MCA impregnating them and then trying to bribe some parents while also threatening some of them. His wife discovered his behaviour and now he has tried to kill his wife twice. Cyprian kindly help us highlight this and send the message to the EACC to help protect us from this Clarence Munga who cant keep to his age mates. Please hide my ID and find evidence of him assaulting his wife." ODM politician threatens to kill his wife after she confronted him for impregnating secondary school girls pic.twitter.com/Q8fzyWZh04 DAILY POST (@dailypost_ke) August 16, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Friday, August 16, 2024 - Kapsaret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi has re-opened his posh Timba XO club that was raided by goons during anti-government protests. Sudi claimed in an interview on Obinna show that he incurred a loss of Ksh 25 million after the high-end club was vandalized by the goons reportedly hired by his political opponents. See how the VIP section looks like after the club was repaired. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 Protesters will continue to be brutalized and abducted by police officers in plainclothes and unmarked vehicles despite the ban by the court. This is according to former Police Spokesperson Charles Owino, who revealed that the courts cannot stop the police from doing their job. In a ruling on Wednesday, High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye ordered the Inspector General (IG) of the National Police Service to ensure that plainclothed officers do not mask their faces or obscure the identification of vehicles when dealing with protestors during demonstrations. However, speaking during an interview, Owino shed some light on the practical challenges of implementing the order. He questioned the feasibility of such directives, terming them unpractical. You cannot stop the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) from operating the way they are supposed to operate, he stated, adding that it would be unreasonable to expect DCI officers, who traditionally operate covertly, to start wearing uniforms or using government-marked vehicles. The former police spokesperson emphasized that the use of unmarked vehicles by DCI officers is standard procedure. You cannot ask them to have GK vehicles, they don't have. "They are using unmarked vehicles. Not actually unmarked, but civilian plate vehicles, Owino asserted, highlighting the operational norms of the DCI, he stated. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has once again proved that he is a real watermelon. This is after he changed his tough stance and expressed willingness to engage Azimio Leader Raila Odinga despite betraying them by joining President William Rutos government. Speaking yesterday, Kalonzo maintained that he would have to engage Raila despite being a sharp critic of the broad-based government in which the former Premier is working with President William Ruto. The former vice president affirmed that a formidable coalition is crucial for challenging the incumbent Ruto in the 2027 general election. "We must continue to engage with Raila Odinga. As we speak, he is the leader of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, there's no way we will not engage with him going forward until we decide on whether to release him to go completely to the AU," Kalonzo stated. Kalonzo has been a fierce critic of Odinga after four leaders from ODM secured four cabinet slots in Ruto's cabinet. The Wiper leader had even threatened to direct his party MPs to shoot down the nominations of Hassan Joho, John Mbadi, Opiyo Wandayi, and Wycliffe Oparanya, now CSs, during the vetting process. At the same time, Kalonzo Musyoka had already been chosen by the Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition to lead the political outfit. In a statement read by Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, it was explained that current Azimio Leader Raila Odinga was busy campaigning for the Africa Union Commission (AUC) chairperson position. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - A United Democratic Alliance(UDA) insider has revealed how Cleophas Malala was fired as the party's Secretary General at 5:30 a.m. Two weeks ago, Malala was fired by the UDA National Executive Council (NEC), and his place was taken by Hassan Omar in an acting capacity. On the day he was sacked, Cleophas Malala arrived at the NEC meeting accompanied by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who is the UDA deputy party leader. However, when they arrived at the UDA headquarters, the NEC had already met and decided to remove Malala as Secretary General, replacing him with Hassan Omar. Shocked by the ouster, Gachagua and Malala rushed to State House to see President William Ruto, the party leader, who had the authority to halt Malalas removal. Like a patented con man, Ruto pretended to call NEC members, but their phones were switched off. He then told Gachagua and Malala, "Nimejaribu yangu yote, nimeshindwa" (I tried my best, but I failed). Here is a screenshot of what happened on that shameful day in UDA politics according to an insider. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Friday, August 16, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has pleaded with the athletes who took part in the just concluded Paris Olympics Games, among Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet, to invest their earnings wisely. This is after they secured a good amount of money following their successful outing in the Olympic Games. Speaking during a welcoming ceremony at the Eldoret State Lodge yesterday, Gachagua advised the athletes to invest wisely their hard-earned proceeds. According to Gachagua, proper investments will help them live a dignified life in retirement. The Deputy President noted that it would not be a good show for them to end up languishing in poverty after exiting the stage despite winning medals and putting Kenyas name on the global stage. Please invest and invest well so that the name you carry is dignified in life. It will be very sad that after you have won medals at the Olympics, later on in life you start struggling. Please remember, invest well, Gachagua reiterated. At the same time, Gachagua challenged parents and guardians to support the budding athletes. He argued that the country can tap into the sporting sector to create employment and sustain lives. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - Below is a tweet by popular blogger Aoko Otieno accusing Raila Odinga of chewing his househelp after he allegedly came home drunk. The househelp later died under mysterious circumstances in his palatial Karen home. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, August 16, 2024 - Shock and outrage have gripped Kenyans following revelations of non-existent schools across the country. One such school, Kaptiony Girls High School in Kaptiony village, Barwessa Ward, is depicted by a large signboard and gate in the bushes, with no actual classrooms or structures. Concerned Kenyans visited the non-existent school and took photos. The school has been receiving funding capitation from the Ministry of Education and the money goes to the pockets of cartels. See photos. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Friday, August 16, 2024 - After a gripping year-long trial at the JKIA law courts, two notorious traffickers have been handed a hefty 24-year prison sentence for trafficking narcotics worth over Sh4 million. Hussein Otita Wakhayanga and Daniel Gor John were nabbed on May 22, 2023, along the Nairobi-Naivasha highway in the Flyover area. Their white Toyota Passo (KCS 679P) was intercepted by officers from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU). A meticulous search revealed seven sacks and eight packages brimming with dry plant material suspected to be narcotics. The suspects, along with the seized substances and vehicle, were whisked away to DCI headquarters, where the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) took the reins. Analysis confirmed the material was cannabis sativa, tipping the scales at 161.75 kg with an estimated street value of Sh4,852,500. On May 29, 2023, the suspects were arraigned before the JKIA law courts. Six witnesses took the stand, leading to the conviction of the accused. They were slapped with a 24-year prison sentence and fined fifty million each, with an additional one-year sentence if the fine is not paid. This case underscores the DCIs unwavering commitment to combating narcotics trafficking. The public is urged to steer clear of such illegal activities, as offenders will face the full force of the law. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Friday, August 16, 2024 - Former President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to meet ODM Leader Raila Odinga face-to-face for the first time after Babas controversial decision to join President William Rutos government. This comes even as Raila has indicated that it was Uhuru who advised him to join Rutos government in a bid to defuse Gen Z protests. According to sources, Uhuru is stepping back into the political arena to prevent the complete collapse of Azimio over Railas betrayal. Amid growing tensions and allegations, Uhuru will convene a critical meeting with the coalitions affiliate parties, seeking to address the crisis that has gripped the opposition following Babas unpopular decision Railas move to donate some of ODMs top guns to Rutos Cabinet sparked discontent in Azimio, leading to whispers of betrayal and plans to exit the alliance. The once formidable opposition coalition now teeters on the brink of disintegration. Nonetheless, Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka is hopeful that the upcoming meeting, led by Uhuru Kenyatta, will offer a platform to address the concerns of all parties involved. The Kenyan DAILY POST Having an ambitious understanding that small private medical practice businesses are the belt and suspenders that enable your medical career to approach your elite expectations for your medical career success is only part of your drive toward an illustrious medical career. Your medical training, knowledge, and skills are how you grow, expand, maintain, and earn income. Physicians have struggled for decades to weave these two pillars into a highly functional, well-oiled, and highly productive business machine. Asking yourself logical questions will help you see and understand the interaction of value and benefits of these gripping and deeply personal business requirements. Can you practice medicine without any income? Try practicing medicine on a street corner. Yes, if you can tolerate the poverty that comes with it. Its why hundreds of physicians over the last six decades have lost their practices, sold the practice to the local hospital, or sold their practice to equity predatorsnever making enough income to maintain their practice or their lifestyle. It will continue until private medical practice disappears soon. Physicians lose full control of their practice freedom and career destiny. How do physicians avoid burnout? The real cause of burnout seems unknown, but many obvious contributing factors overwhelm physicians and become intolerable. No definite cure has been found. Unfortunately, most of the medical literature focuses on physicians managing more than one source of income. That doubles the workload and stress. Over 95% of physicians have not been educated in any other profession or business, so they are destined to find low-income jobs outside medicine. Physicians in our nation have lacked business education in our medical schools for over a century. They are never told about the value and benefits of business education to their medical careers. Their arrogance regarding the topic leads to persistent and exorbitant income loss that they never recognized during their medical careers. What would happen if physicians had a business education? Imagine if physicians knew how to avoid most of the alleged causes of burnout. And imagine there is a way to avoid the huge financial consequences resulting from a lack of income that are deeply widespread in our profession today. These are the reasons for the increasing physician attrition and complete frustration (or worse) in their private practices. Additionally, imagine all they needed to do was to remain in their medical practice and use the business tools that are key to the success of all small businessesmedical practices. How much easier would that be than piling on more dysfunctional methods for survival? Business education is the only internationally known way all small business owners worldwide learn to love their businesses. It is not the creative ability of medical doctors in their practice business that lights up the sky. Its believing that business experts worldwide know what works and what doesnt. Following their advice, you roll in the dough and become a believer. As a comparison, physicians who treat medical patients understand that their patients know little about medical advice and treatments but easily accept the treatment they prescribe. Why does that happen? Because they trust your knowledge and advice without any proof first. Similarly, you cant rationalize why most practicing physicians in our nation refuse to believe that business education can reliably produce an income surge, even when the facts prove the validity. Millions of business owners see it happen almost daily. Is this non-belief attitude protecting those physicians from something secret they fear, cant live with, prefer to leave a couple of million dollars on the table that they will never recognize, costs too much to obtain a business education, or are not open-minded enough to believe this physician who practiced 40 years, has the business expertise and knows what he preaches? The business tools that have been proven a thousand times over to result in huge increases in income include every facet of business management (the productive way) and the details of marketing business far beyond every physicians mental intelligence and superficial knowledge. I am incredibly frustrated that thousands of physicians have been forced out of private medical practice over decades for financial reasonsinsufficient incomeknowing that most of those issues could have easily been resolved by a simple business education. Nothing of value has ever been done about preventing that issue from happening. And what kind of medical school scholars would purposely never mention the need to know about one of the most valuable bits of knowledge that offers medical practice success to all physicians? Physicians who reject such business education, dont believe it works, and continue to believe that they know more about business than business experts will never reach their greatest potential in medical practice. Examples to think about Do you have enough income to afford conferences or workshops that keep you on the cutting edge of medical knowledge, skills, and technology for the duration of your medical career? Would that solve your limitations with income? The amount of income you can earn with these tools is unlimited. They will always be a trusted financial backup that gives you confidence, an edge to keep up and do more, and always there to use when needed. Business tools prevent income problems such as fear of failure, loss of your familydivorce, loss of reputation, inadequate retirement funds, inability to provide for the kids college education, burnout, failed expectations for your career, and lifestyle restrictions, among many others. My beliefs First, the joy of practicing medicine reaches its maximum when a physician drowns in the diligence and foresight required to prepare for their life in medical practice. It removes most of the I didnt know about those things. But you must learn about those things as early as possible. What are my personal skills? What specialty should I train in? Where will I practice, and what is my best practice setup? We know physicians who are in the wrong specialty, poor at surgery or chose the wrong profession. Second, enjoyment in medical practice is reached when income is never an issue during your medical career. It allows you the freedom to practice what you love to do. Tell me that Im wrong. Ive studied hard to learn the causes of physician attrition and know what prevents it. Curtis G. Graham is a physician. By Winfred Watenya The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting African countries to scale up response to curb Mpox, which is now an international global health emergency. The outbreak that affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and spread to neighboring countries continues to grow. On Thursday afternoon, WHO member Sweden became the first country outside Africa to record a case of the Mpox Clade 1 variant that is believed to be driving the latest outbreak. We are hard at work on the frontlines of the response, collaborating closely with governments and communities to strengthen Mpox control measures and are ramping up efforts to curb the widening trend of the virus through coordinated action with partners and national authorities, said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. So far this year, more than 2,100 laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease, and 13 deaths, have been reported in the DRC and 11 other countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote dIvoire, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. Former Forum for Democratic Change leader, Dr Kiiza Besigye has expressed his dissatisfaction with what he called failure of the state to conclude the case against him on inciting violence, despite having been charged over two years ago. In June 2022, Besigye and political activist Samuel Lubega Mukaaku were arrested in downtown Kampala while reportedly calling on Ugandans to rise up and protest against the high cost of living worsened by skyrocketing commodity prices. They were then charged and remanded to prison before being granted bail a few weeks later. However, since then, the hearing of the case has not been concluded due to the state not being available or the trial magistrate at Buganda Road being indisposed. The case was set for hearing today, August 16, 2024, with the possibility of the state summing up its submissions to allow, Trial Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya to set up a judgment date, however, this too has flopped because she is indisposed. Sit-in Magistrate Caroline Kyoshabire has thus adjourned the matter on behalf of the trial magistrate until August 30, 2024. Speaking to the media after the court proceedings, Besigye expressed his frustration with what he called a politically motivated case to just drain them mentally. The reality of the situation is that there is no case, they just hold us as part of political persecution, its not prosecution to make sure that we dont have time to do our own work, and whatever we have, we spend it on court appearances and its part of psychological torture, he said on Friday, August 16, 2024. Documents before court show that on June 14, 2022, in Kikuubo, Shauriyako Parish, Kampala City, Besigye, and Mukaaku without lawful excuse made statements indicating that it would be desirable to demonstrate, which could cause violence and damage to property. Prosecution says without any lawful excuse, the two rallied masses to rise up against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. By Winfred Watenya The search for bodies and missing persons at Kiteezi landfill in Wakiso District continues today. This is after four more bodies were retrieved on Thursday, giving hope for finding more as the search efforts are stepped up. According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, this puts the death toll at 34. He adds that so far, 23 of the bodies that were retrieved earlier have been claimed by relatives, while 7 are unclaimed and over 30 other people remain unaccounted for. Meanwhile, the government remains at crossroads about finding an alternative dumping site. KFM understands that government plans met stiff opposition from residents and leaders of Dundu in Mukono district, and Katabi in Wakiso district which KCCA had proposed for a temporary site. The Lord Mayor of Kampala, Mr. Erias Lukwago, has called for the arrest and prosecution of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials allegedly responsible for the Kiteezi landfill tragedy. Over 30 people lost their lives, and many remain missing following the collapse of the landfill. Addressing the media at City Hall on Friday, Lukwago questioned why the KCCA technical team overseeing the citys sanitation and waste management remains in office. Despite early warnings, he claimed the team failed to prevent the disaster. Government should investigate and prosecute or bring to book particular individuals within KCCA who are directly responsible for this catastrophe particularly in regard to misappropriation and squandering of the Shs4.18 billion annual allocation meant for the maintenance of Kiteezi dumpsite, he said. Lukwago demanded the immediate resignation and arrest of the team before the end of next week, threatening to take appropriate action through the citys Executive Committee if his demands are not met. Kildares National Women's Enterprise Day has now been decided for 10 October, with the very clever theme of "Girls Just Wanna Have Funds!" The county councils Local Enterprise Office (LEO), in association with Chamber and Network Ireland are proud to launch, a pivotal event dedicated to empowering female entrepreneurs. The event focuses on equipping women with the knowledge and resources they need to successfully secure funding or investment to start or scale their businesses. Kildare County Council is inviting female entrepreneurs across the county to celebrate in The Moat Theatre from 5.30pm. This talk-show style event will feature industry experts, investors, and successful female entrepreneurs sharing insights and strategies for securing business finance. Economist, Susan Hayes will MC and lead challenging conversations with female entrepreneurs who have successfully secured significant investment into their companies. Other speakers joining the stage include Chupi Sweetman, owner of Chupi an heirloom jewellery brand that raised 3.75 million in new equity and debt investment in 2023 to fuel its growth plans for Ireland and the UK. Also speaking will be Kilcullens Heidi Davis of Identify Her - awarded HPSU investment in 2023 by Enterprise Ireland, as well as Denise McQuaid, Investment Director of Awaken Angels. Her mission is to significantly increase the number of active Irish and Irish-connected women angel investors, investing in women founded businesses on the island of Ireland Despite their growing presence in the business world, female entrepreneurs continue to face significant barriers, particularly in accessing business finance, said Jacqui McNabb, head of enterprise, tourism and economic development. Research shows that female-owned businesses receive less funding compared to their male counterparts, yet they often deliver higher returns on investment." To register, check out www.localenterprise.ie. A SOBERING report released this week has shown that even if both purchase partners in Kildare are earning more than a grand a week, have saved almost 50k deposit and availed of the Help to Buy relief, they will still fall 65,000 short of the average price of a new, three-bed semi in the county. This comes only a week after the shocking revelation that the average house price in Kildare has now topped 400,000, a new, three-bed, semi-detached in the county is now priced at 487,821, with property prices nationally having increased by 144.5 per cent from their trough in early 2013. This all came to light in the mid-year report from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) released this week that focussed on affordability in five counties. A couple on a combined salary of 107K who want to buy a new three-bed semi and who have the 10 per cent deposit. will afford to buy in only one of the five locations, namely Meath, and only then with the support of the First Home Scheme. This report makes depressing reading, said cllr Angela Feeney, Labours candidate for Kildare North. Sadly this is the scenario I met so many times while out campaigning for the local elections, many parents worried about their adult children, still living at home even though they are working and have a good education behind them, and it is one I share myself as a parent of adult children. It is shocking to hear that a couple on a combined income of 107K who want to buy a new three bed semi and have the 10% deposit, couples will still face a shortfall of 65,000. Whoever would have thought this could be allowed to happen? she said. Her concerns were echoed by a spokesperson for the SCSI. Last year our case study couple could buy in three locations without the support of the First Home Scheme (FHS), however this year a new home is only affordable in one and that is with FHS support, so the widening affordability gap is a real concern, said Gerard OToole of the SCSI. While buyers with savings should be able to overcome the gap in Meath, Galway and Cork, new three-bed homes in Wicklow and Kildare remain totally out of reach for people on these salaries. In addition, there are thousands of people on lower salaries who will not be able to buy and will require support. This years report included an affordability scenario for a two-bed terraced house in all five locations and the picture here was a great deal more positive with the affordability gap met in four locations without recourse to FHS while in Wicklow it was met with the support of FHS. Gerard OToole said the clear message from the report was the urgent need to increase supply. On the eve of National Heritage Week, Minister for Heritage and Green Party TD for Carlow Kilkenny, Malcolm Noonan, is encouraging everyone in Kilkenny to connect with their local heritage at one of over 50 events taking place across the county over the next nine days. This year, National Heritage Week runs from August 17 to 25, and the theme Connections, Routes and Networks invites us to explore the links between people and communities; to look at what brings us together and what connects us. Speaking about the festival, co-ordinated by the Heritage Council, Minister Noonan said: "National Heritage Week has undoubtedly and deservedly become one of Irelands largest cultural events; a wonderful celebration of Ireland's built, natural, and cultural heritage bound up in one festival. Now its 25th year, the awareness and appreciation of our heritage that Heritage Week has fostered over the years has helped to create a real sense of ownership and community around our local heritage. The thousands of events nationally that make up the programme are each helping to shape more informed views, change hearts and minds and preserve one of our most valuable cultural resources. As Minister of State for Heritage, I am privileged to connect on almost a daily basis with the passionate individuals who run events every year, and I regularly get to witness firsthand the extraordinary efforts that people make to bring our heritage to life through a very considered programme of events. With over 2,000 events taking place, Minister Noonan commended the hundreds of volunteers, community groups and organisations across the country who give freely of their time, expertise and enthusiasm each year to organise events, adding: This year's theme encourages everyone to explore the connection between people and heritage and to discover Irelands wealth of natural habitats, our traditions, roads, routes and connections, so I'm urging everyone to make the most of the events that are on offer and explore those connections for themselves. At a local level, National Heritage Week presents an invaluable opportunity to connect with our local heritage, and once again Ill be spending the next nine days right here in Kilkenny, celebrating our built, natural and cultural heritage and learning about the unique history, crafts and traditions that connect us today to the generations that went before us. There's a wonderful programme of events taking place across Kilkenny, with 55 currently listed, including exhibitions, heritage walks and history talks, along with treasure hunts, trad sessions and a chance to see a working steam engine from 1902 at McDonagh station this Sunday. There really is something for everyone, and I might see you there, so check out heritage week.ie and start planning your National Heritage Week activities today! The Guardian reports: A 55-year-old woman has been arrested in relation to a social media post containing inaccurate information about the identity of the suspect in the Southport murders. The woman, from near Chester, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred and false communications. She is being held in custody by Cheshire police. This has generated a lot of heat in the UK. If someone knowingly states something false along the lines of The killer is an asylum seeker or The killer is Muslim then that is false and inciting. Someone tried to burn down a hotel of asylum seekers. But if someone else has tweeted this, and you simply retweet it because you honestly thought it was true, that is not a good use of criminal law. So the details in this case matter. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr MU meal plan discounts on campus dining are lower this year due to inflation. Meal plan costs are up 5%. Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of Hold by the eighteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $113.03. Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on CPT shares. Scotiabank raised their price target on Camden Property Trust from $108.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Camden Property Trust from $104.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, June 17th. StockNews.com raised Camden Property Trust from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 30th. Bank of America raised Camden Property Trust from an underperform rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $111.00 to $147.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Camden Property Trust from $98.00 to $105.50 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. Get Camden Property Trust alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on CPT Institutional Trading of Camden Property Trust Camden Property Trust Price Performance Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Camden Property Trust by 16.8% during the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 191,374 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $18,831,000 after purchasing an additional 27,465 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its stake in Camden Property Trust by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 160,309 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $15,781,000 after purchasing an additional 5,926 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its stake in Camden Property Trust by 59.4% in the 1st quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 18,831 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,853,000 after acquiring an additional 7,018 shares during the last quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. bought a new stake in Camden Property Trust in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,374,000. Finally, Twin Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Camden Property Trust in the 4th quarter worth approximately $811,000. Institutional investors own 97.22% of the companys stock. CPT opened at $119.80 on Friday. Camden Property Trust has a 12-month low of $82.81 and a 12-month high of $121.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $111.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.32. The company has a market cap of $12.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.88. Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.67 by ($1.27). Camden Property Trust had a net margin of 25.64% and a return on equity of 7.95%. The company had revenue of $387.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $384.76 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.70 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Camden Property Trust will post 6.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Camden Property Trust Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 28th were given a dividend of $1.03 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 28th. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.44%. Camden Property Trusts payout ratio is currently 100.98%. Camden Property Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report Camden Property Trust, an S&P 500 Company, is a real estate company primarily engaged in the ownership, management, development, redevelopment, acquisition, and construction of multifamily apartment communities. Camden owns and operates 172 properties containing 58,634 apartment homes across the United States. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Camden Property Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Camden Property Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP Free Report) from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has $28.00 price target on the utilities providers stock, down from their previous price target of $32.00. Several other equities research analysts have also commented on CNP. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on shares of CenterPoint Energy from $31.00 to $29.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CenterPoint Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. KeyCorp lowered shares of CenterPoint Energy from an overweight rating to a sector weight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of CenterPoint Energy from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $30.00 to $29.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of CenterPoint Energy from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $32.00 to $29.00 in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CenterPoint Energy has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $29.73. Get CenterPoint Energy alerts: Get Our Latest Report on CNP CenterPoint Energy Stock Up 0.4 % CNP stock opened at $25.87 on Tuesday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $29.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $28.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.22, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.92. CenterPoint Energy has a fifty-two week low of $25.41 and a fifty-two week high of $31.57. CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The utilities provider reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.04. CenterPoint Energy had a return on equity of 10.81% and a net margin of 12.28%. The firm had revenue of $1.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.88 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.28 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that CenterPoint Energy will post 1.62 EPS for the current fiscal year. CenterPoint Energy Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. CenterPoint Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 56.34%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of CenterPoint Energy by 34.4% during the 2nd quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 679,394 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $21,048,000 after acquiring an additional 173,710 shares during the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC acquired a new stake in CenterPoint Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,394,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP increased its position in CenterPoint Energy by 28.1% during the 2nd quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 13,921 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $431,000 after purchasing an additional 3,053 shares in the last quarter. Merewether Investment Management LP acquired a new stake in CenterPoint Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,188,000. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in CenterPoint Energy by 59.0% during the 2nd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 324,124 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $10,041,000 after purchasing an additional 120,272 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.77% of the companys stock. CenterPoint Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) CenterPoint Energy, Inc operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Electric and Natural Gas. The Electric segment includes electric transmission and distribution services to electric customers and electric generation assets, as well as optimizes assets in the wholesale power market. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for CenterPoint Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CenterPoint Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CMHHY Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $14.76 and last traded at $14.76, with a volume of 0 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.76. China Merchants Port Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The firms fifty day moving average price is $14.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $13.35. Get China Merchants Port alerts: China Merchants Port Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 25th were paid a $0.5644 dividend. This is a boost from China Merchants Ports previous dividend of $0.54. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 25th. About China Merchants Port China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited, an investment holding company, operates as a port operator in Mainland China, Brazil, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and internationally. The company operates through Ports Operation, Bonded Logistics Operation, and Other Operations segments. It engages in the container, and bulk and general cargo terminal operation; logistic park operation, ports transportation, and airport cargo handling; and property development, holding, and investment activities. See Also Receive News & Ratings for China Merchants Port Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Merchants Port and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF Get Free Report) and Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Free Report) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and risk. Insider & Institutional Ownership 89.8% of Capital One Financial shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.9% of Wells Fargo & Company shares are held by institutional investors. 1.3% of Capital One Financial shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Wells Fargo & Company shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Get Capital One Financial alerts: Volatility & Risk Capital One Financial has a beta of 1.45, indicating that its stock price is 45% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Wells Fargo & Company has a beta of 1.17, indicating that its stock price is 17% more volatile than the S&P 500. Earnings and Valuation Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Capital One Financial $37.78 billion 1.38 $4.89 billion $12.77 10.74 Wells Fargo & Company $82.89 billion 2.30 $19.14 billion $4.87 11.21 This table compares Capital One Financial and Wells Fargo & Companys gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Wells Fargo & Company has higher revenue and earnings than Capital One Financial. Capital One Financial is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Wells Fargo & Company, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Dividends Capital One Financial pays an annual dividend of $2.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.8%. Wells Fargo & Company pays an annual dividend of $1.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.9%. Capital One Financial pays out 18.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Wells Fargo & Company pays out 32.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Capital One Financial and Wells Fargo & Company, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Capital One Financial 1 12 7 0 2.30 Wells Fargo & Company 0 12 5 1 2.39 Capital One Financial presently has a consensus price target of $145.89, suggesting a potential upside of 6.38%. Wells Fargo & Company has a consensus price target of $59.91, suggesting a potential upside of 9.78%. Given Wells Fargo & Companys stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Wells Fargo & Company is more favorable than Capital One Financial. Profitability This table compares Capital One Financial and Wells Fargo & Companys net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Capital One Financial 9.01% 9.31% 1.11% Wells Fargo & Company 15.17% 12.30% 1.04% Summary Wells Fargo & Company beats Capital One Financial on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks. About Capital One Financial (Get Free Report) Capital One Financial Corporation operates as the financial services holding company for the Capital One, National Association, which engages in the provision of various financial products and services in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It operates through three segments: Credit Card, Consumer Banking, and Commercial Banking. The company accepts checking accounts, money market deposits, negotiable order of withdrawals, savings deposits, and time deposits. Its loan products include credit card loans; auto and retail banking loans; and commercial and multifamily real estate, and commercial and industrial loans. The company also offers credit and debit card products; online direct banking services; and provides advisory, capital markets, treasury management, and depository services. It serves consumers, small businesses, and commercial clients through digital channels, branches, cafes, and other distribution channels located in New York, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and California. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia. About Wells Fargo & Company (Get Free Report) Wells Fargo & Company, a financial services company, provides diversified banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management. The Consumer Banking and Lending segment offers diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses. Its financial products and services include checking and savings accounts, and credit and debit cards, as well as home, auto, personal, and small business lending services. The Commercial Banking segment provides financial solutions to private, family owned, and certain public companies. Its products and services include banking and credit products across various industry sectors and municipalities, secured lending and lease products, and treasury management services. The Corporate and Investment Banking segment offers a suite of capital markets, banking, and financial products and services, such as corporate banking, investment banking, treasury management, commercial real estate lending and servicing, equity, and fixed income solutions, as well as sales, trading, and research capabilities services to corporate, commercial real estate, government, and institutional clients. The Wealth and Investment Management segment provides personalized wealth management, brokerage, financial planning, lending, private banking, and trust and fiduciary products and services to affluent, high-net worth, and ultra-high-net worth clients. It also operates through financial advisors in brokerage and wealth offices, consumer bank branches, independent offices, and digitally through WellsTrade and Intuitive Investor. The company was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Receive News & Ratings for Capital One Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capital One Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jakartas contribution slashed from $1.2 billion to $440 million; technology transfer also reduced By Jung Min-ho Korea accepted Indonesias proposal to drastically reduce the Southeast Asian countrys financial contribution to their joint project of developing a new fighter jet, according to the state arms procurement agency. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Friday that it approved the suggestion of cutting Jakartas contribution to the KF-21 project from 1.6 trillion won ($1.2 billion) to 600 billion won, about one-third of the original amount. This decision comes amid Indonesias struggle to meet its obligation to pay its part of the project, through which the country sought to obtain technical data and know-how as well as the opportunity to participate in the production process in return for the cost-sharing. We considered the bilateral relations between the two countries and other factors such as whether we would be able to fill the financial hole, DAPA said in a statement. After finishing the (new) cost-sharing deal with Indonesia, we will aim to meet public expectations by finalizing the project successfully. DAPA officials said the benefits that the Indonesian government stands to gain from the project, namely technology transfer, will also be reduced proportionally. However, they have not provided details as to how they will do so. Indonesia initially agreed to fund 20 percent of the 8.1 trillion won program, which was launched in 2015 to develop an advanced supersonic fighter jet. Yet the Southeast Asian partner has so far contributed only about 400 billion won. Citing economic issues that emerged during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, it asked the government and participating companies in Korea to reduce its financial responsibility. The decision to accept the request means that the Korean participants the Korean government and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), who initially covered 60 percent and 20 percent of the total cost respectively will now have to absorb the financial impact. On a positive note, Korean officials said they have discovered ways to trim the total project cost to 7.6 trillion won. This means the Korean partners will have to pay an additional 500 billion won to complete it in 2026 as scheduled. Despite the payment delays, the project is on track to start delivering the advanced fighters, designed to replace Koreas F-4 and F-5 Cold War-era jets, to the Air Force in 2026. In July, DAPA said KAI officially began production on the KF-21 at its headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. The previous month, KAI signed a 1.96 trillion-won agreement with DAPA to build 20 KF-21 units through 2027. Koreas military seeks to build even more units and operate a total of 120 KF-21s by 2032. The first production model is scheduled to be delivered to the Air Force in late 2026. Through this project, we aim to secure the capabilities to develop our own fighter aircraft, which is expected to reinforce our military strength and contribute to its arms exports, DAPA said. By Yi Whan-woo The bureaucracy is aging at a sharper pace, in line with the fast-aging population of Korea, where one out of five citizens is anticipated to be aged 65 or older by 2025. Young people shunning civil service jobs are also accelerating the aging of the group. According to data released by Rep. Yang Bu-nam, 63, of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Thursday, the number of regular employees at the central government increased by 21,983 across all ministries from 2014 to 2023. The data was compiled by the Ministry of Personnel Management and submitted to Yang. Of the 21,983, those aged 50 or older made up 68 percent. The lawmaker noted that such a trend marks a significant change from the past when those in their 20s and 30s largely led the increase of the civil service workforce at the ministries. The data also showed that those in their 50s or older took 27.9 percent of the total central government employees in 2022, which is more than those in their 30s at 25.9 percent. In 2019, the ratio of those in their 30s was 27.5 percent, higher than those in their 50s or older at 25.7 percent. The lawmaker assessed that the change is related to the waning popularity of the civil service sector among job seekers in their 20s and 30s. Separate data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety showed that the number of low-level civil servants who quit their jobs nearly doubled to 13,321 from 2019 to 2023. Mainly in their 20s and 30s, they picked low salary and highly demanding workload as reasons for their departure. Yang said, Under the circumstances, the government should come up with measures to nurture younger bureaucrats, and to minimize the adverse impacts of the aging society." By KTimes Model-turned-TV personality Hong Jin-kyung announced that she opened a Korean snack shop in Spain, offering popular light meals such as gimbap (seaweed rice rolls), tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and noodles. On Thursday, a video titled "Why Did Hong Jin-kyung Open a Korean Snack Shop in Spain?" was posted on her YouTube channel, RealStudyKing. In the video, Hong shared her motivation, saying, "After running a food company for 25 years, I have always dreamed of starting a Korean restaurant franchise to introduce our cuisine to the world. A fateful meeting with former KBS TV presenter Son Mi-na led to the opening of this snack shop in Spain." She added, "It's a mix of excitement and worry as I'm starting something new in an unfamiliar place, but I'm preparing with all my heart. I hope that our passion for spreading Korean cuisine reaches not only our subscribers but also people around the world." The video also shows Hong meeting Son Mi-na at Barcelona Airport. Son said, "I've been importing and selling olive oil from Spain. When Hong Jin-kyung appeared on a YouTube channel and recommended olive oil as a product, her sincerity shone through. I felt I had to give her a bottle of olive oil as a gift, so I called her, and we had a deep conversation during our first meeting." Son said that Spain is an intriguing opportunity because the market for Korean food here is still largely untapped. "There is demand and interest, but no major companies have successfully entered the market. Unfortunately, some opportunists have filled the gap with misinformation, like claiming kimchi is a Chinese sauce," Son said. "That's why it's crucial to approach this with a sense of mission. Spain could be a land of opportunity." With Son's help, Hong successfully navigated the complex permitting process. She also met with business partners, personally showcasing Korean dishes like fried rice and dumplings, which were well-received. When the high cost of mango bingsu (shaved ice with red beans) in Korea was mentioned, someone even suggested creating "kimchi ice cream." Additionally, Son expressed her plan to introduce Korean food to Montserrat Monastery, saying, "I want to bring Hong Jin-kyung and my Korean cuisine to the monastery. I believe the chances are high. It was difficult just to arrange this meeting, especially since it's their summer vacation, but they agreed to come." This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed a pledge to deepen cooperation with Russia in a message to President Vladimir Putin as Pyongyang marked an anniversary of independence from Japan's colonial rule, KCNA state news agency said on Friday. It was in reply to a message of congratulations from Putin on the Aug. 15 Liberation Day anniversary where the Russian leader said the bond forged as Soviet soldiers fought against Japan continues to serve as the basis of their ties, KCNA said. "The friendly feelings of the armies and peoples of the two countries forged and deepened in the bloody struggle against the common enemy serve as a strong driving force for developing ... relations of friendship and cooperation into comprehensive strategic partnership and invincible comradeship," Kim said. Kim and Putin held a second summit meeting in less than a year in June in Pyongyang, signing a pact on "comprehensive strategic partnership" that includes mutual defence agreement. It came amid accusations by South Korea, Ukraine and the United States that Kim is helping Russia in the war against Ukraine by supplying rockets and missiles in return for economic and other military assistance from Moscow. Kim visited a memorial honoring the soldiers of the Korean revolutionary soldiers who fought in resistance to Japan to end the 1910-1945 colonial rule and the Liberation Tower where Soviet Red Army soldiers are remembered, KCNA said. North Korea's state founder Kim Il-sung, who is the current leader's grandfather, was backed by Soviet Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin who declared war against Japan near the end of World War II. The Soviets backed Kim's communist forces that eventually established North Korea after Korea's liberation in 1948. North Korean state media made no mention of a blueprint for unification announced by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday, calling for dialogue with Pyongyang and proposing an international conference on North Korea's human rights. Coming at one of the lowest points in the two Koreas' ties, Yoon's blueprint was accepted with scepticism among some experts, who doubt whether it is realistic to expect Pyongyang to see it as anything other than an existential threat to its regime. (Reuters) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged to transform backward regions, as the recent downpours in the country's northwestern border areas left many flood victims displaced and caused damage, state media reported Friday. Kim made the remark Thursday during his visit to lodging quarters in Pyongyang prepared for the victims from flood-hit areas in North Pyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Heavy rains in late July inundated large areas along the Amnok River, with some South Korean media outlets reporting that the number of those who died or went missing probably exceeded 1,000. The North's leader said going beyond recovery work in the affected areas, the country needs to turn them into a "model and textbook" of regions to become "urbanized, modernized and civilized." "Our confidence in changing today's disaster to a watershed for transforming regions has become more unwavering based on this unity of the whole society," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. During last week's trip to Uiju County in North Pyongan Province, Kim met with flood victims staying at a temporary shelter and promised to bring them to Pyongyang. The KCNA said more than 13,000 victims, including children, the elderly and sick people, arrived in Pyongyang, Thursday, and given lodging quarters. Photos carried by the state media showed Kim looking around children having meals. He was seen hugging a child and wiping tears of another in an apparent bid to show an image of a leader caring for his people. Last week, Kim promised to support flood victims without outside help in a message that amounted to rejecting international aid, and South Korea's proposal for flood damage relief. (Yonhap) Hospitals were set to wrap up the hiring of more junior doctors Friday, but there are expected to be few applicants as many trainee doctors have defied the government's medical reform for nearly seven months, officials said. Hospitals issued new recruitment notices for trainee doctors last week after the medical community was lukewarm to the initial round that ended last month. Some medical professors have even warned of a potential boycott of training new applicants. During the previous round, the total number of applicants was just 104, filling only 1.4 percent of the 7,645 available positions. The health ministry reported that the number of applicants for the new round continued to remain low as of Wednesday, adding that it will review additional measures after hospitals close applications. "There are not many applicants so far," a health ministry official said. Last month, hospitals processed the resignations of nearly 7,700 trainee doctors who have been protesting the medical school quota hike since February, allowing departing doctors to seek new jobs and enabling hospitals to recruit fresh trainees. "Trainee doctors resigned in clear protest against the increase in medical school quotas and the medical reforms. Unless the government changes its stance, it is unlikely that those who chose not to apply last month will reconsider," a resigned trainee doctor said. Amid concerns that some resigned doctors are hesitant to reapply due to potential backlash from colleagues, the government has asked the police to investigate the origin of lists circulating online that name junior doctors who have decided to return to work. In a separate effort, the government is also working to reform policies to expand the roles of physician assistants in order to fill the vacuum left by junior doctors. (Yonhap) Defense Minister nominee Kim Yong-hyun said Friday he was open to all means to respond to North Korea's nuclear threats, while reaffirming that the alliance with the United States remains the basis in dealing with such threats. Kim made the remarks after being questioned on the possibility of South Korea developing nuclear weapons of its own amid persistent domestic calls for such arms to deter North Korea. "Responding to North Korean nuclear threats based on extended deterrence and the nuclear umbrella is the standard," Kim said, referring to the U.S. commitment to mobilizing the full-range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend an ally. "But when looking at the people's safety as the top priority, and if that is determined to be not enough to handle North Korea's nuclear threats, all means and methods are open." The former Presidential Security Service chief has previously called for the need for South Korea to acquire nuclear arms. Regarding North Korea's recent provocative acts, such as launches of trash-carrying balloons across the border, Kim said he would take measures by prioritizing the public's safety. On Monday, President Yoon Suk Yeol named Kim, a retired three-star Army general, as defense minister to replace Shin Won-sik, who has been appointed as the new national security adviser. Kim will have to undergo a parliamentary confirmation hearing before he takes office, but the hearing is widely seen as a formality because his formal appointment does not require endorsement from the National Assembly. In South Korea, the prime minister is the only Cabinet post that requires parliamentary approval. (Yonhap) Korea's defense authorities on Friday approved a plan to reduce Indonesia's contribution to a joint fighter jet development project to 600 billion won ($440 million) from the original amount of 1.6 trillion won, the state arms procurement agency said. The Defense Project Promotion Committee endorsed the plan amid concerns over Jakarta's commitment to the KF-21 project designed to develop an advanced supersonic fighter by 2026 due to its repeated payment delays. Indonesia initially agreed to pay about 20 percent of the 8.1 trillion-won program launched in 2015 in return for technology transfers and one prototype model, among other conditions. Korea and Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), the KF-21's manufacturer, agreed to shoulder the remaining 60 percent and 20 percent of the cost, respectively, as part of the deal. Indonesia, however, has so far contributed only around 380 billion won, recently requesting an adjustment to its total financial contribution to 600 billion won. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the committee approved the plan by considering various factors, including bilateral relations and the possibility of securing the deficit amount. DAPA said it would wrap up cost-sharing talks with Indonesia to successfully conclude the project, noting the approved plan covered measures to make up for the shortfall. "The shortfall will be jointly covered by the (Korean) government and the company, with the government shouldering a larger burden," a DAPA official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "Technology transfers (to Jakarta) were also decided to be made within the 600 billion-won range," the official said. Regarding the prototype, the official said it would be discussed in negotiations with Indonesia if requested but noted Jakarta would have to contribute more if the value of the technology transfers and the prototype exceeds the new contribution amount. The decision came as DAPA expects the KF-21's development to cost around 7.6 trillion won, 500 billion won less than the initial budget. Despite the payment delays, the project is on track to start delivering the advanced fighters, designed to replace Korea's F-4 and F-5 Cold War-era jets, to the Air Force in 2026. In June, KAI signed a 1.96 trillion-won deal with DAPA to start production of 20 KF-21s. Aside from the KF-21 project, defense authorities approved a plan to mass-produce 155-millimeter artillery shells with a 30 percent extended range through 2027. They also green lit a 382.5 billion-won project to locally purchase midsized tactical vehicles for infantry units from 2026 to 2031. (Yonhap) By Lee Hae-rin Korea is banning smoking within 30 meters of day care centers, kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools starting Saturday, the government announced Thursday. Previously, non-smoking areas were designated as within 10 meters of day care centers and kindergartens. However, they were expanded to 30 meters under the revision of the National Health Promotion Act and 30 meters around schools were newly designated under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Violators will face fines of up to 100,000 won ($73), according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The expansion and establishment of non-smoking areas near education facilities will be implemented after a one-year grace period to protect children and adolescents from secondhand smoke. Under the measure, each city, county and district should install signs on the walls and surrounding sidewalks to indicate the 30-meter boundary of no-smoking zones around day care centers, kindergartens and elementary, middle and high school facilities. The health ministry and the Korea Health Promotion Development Institute plan to produce promotional materials such as posters and banners and distribute them to local governments for public promotion. The expansion of non-smoking areas around educational facilities is necessary to protect the health of children and adolescents vulnerable to secondhand smoke, said Baek Sung-taek, director of health policy at the health ministry. We will continue to do our utmost to create a smoking-free environment in the community." By Kim Hyun-bin Over 530 South and North Koreans, including members from approximately 130 civil society organizations, 350 political and social leaders and 180 North Korean defectors, gathered in Seoul on Thursday for the 79th Liberation Day Unification Implementation Resolution Rally for Action for Korea United, according to the Global Peace Foundation, Friday. Participants, including defector-turned-lawmaker Rep. Park Choong-kwon and North Korea Strategy Center President Kang Cheol-hwan, vowed, I will be the owner of the realization of a new unified nation. In a welcoming address, Rep. Lee Yong-sun of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) expressed his respect and gratitude for citizens working toward peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula, despite the tense military situation between the two Koreas. He emphasized the importance of continuing preparation and action for unification and peace, echoing the Korean Dream vision. Kim Choong-hwan, co-chair of Action for Korea United, expressed his hope that next years 80th National Liberation Day would be celebrated by both South and North Korea together. The Constitution of the Republic of Korea recognizes North Korean residents as citizens of South Korea, he said. Kim urged the government to issue temporary one-time passports to North Korean defectors stranded in China and establish a pension system for defectors. I sincerely hope that next years National Liberation Day will be one that North and South Korea can celebrate together. Rep. Joo Ho-young, deputy speaker of the National Assembly, noted the significance of the event in his congratulatory remarks. This gathering is even more meaningful as it is a place where civic leaders and defector organizations pledge solidarity and cooperation for a free and unified Korea, he said. Rep. Park echoed these sentiments, saying, The noble sacrifice of the martyrs, who were ordinary citizens, created todays Republic of Korea. As pioneers of early unification, we will work alongside North Korean defectors to usher in a new era of unification. Seo In-teck, co-chair of Action for Korea United, presented a business plan titled How to Achieve Unification, emphasizing the current opportunity for unification. Now is the opportunity for unification, as the three pillars that supported the North Korean regime distribution-based economy, ideological control and politics of fear have collapsed, Seo said. He urged the resolution of internal conflicts among South Koreans and stressed the importance of the "Korean Dream" vision for a unified Korea that contributes to global peace. Following the rally, participants adopted a resolution for action for unification, committing to overcome political and religious differences and work alongside North Korean defectors to achieve a free and unified Korea. The resolution underscored the Korean Dream, which draws from the spirit of Hongik Ingan a concept rooted in ancient Korean mythology and Confucian principles and is integral to Korean identity and culture. The participants also vowed to promote this vision to the international community. The event concluded with attendees participating in the 2024 Korean Dream Festival held in Seoul. The festival is part of the Global Peace Youth Summer Camp, which aims to build a global network among young people from 30 countries and raise awareness of the international importance of Korean unification. In a series of unification speeches, Jang Man-soon, chairman of the 10 Million Separated Families Committee, pledged to work toward unification. The 10 million separated families will strive to fulfill the two points mentioned by President Yoon in his Liberation Day address on the 79th anniversary of liberation: to inspire the North Korean people to yearn for free unification and to work in solidarity with the international community for unification, Jang said. Kim Yong-in, co-chair of the Korean Dream 10 Million Citizens Campaign, read the speech on behalf of former North Korean diplomat Ri Il-kyu, who said, Unification will certainly come. I believe that if we unite our will, combine our wisdom and gather our thoughts, unification, the dream of 70 million Koreans, will soon be realized. By Jung Min-ho The National Human Rights Commission of Koreas recommendation to lift a ban on student cellphone use during school hours has been rejected by a school, which saw the policy as a necessary measure to protect its students. In a report released on Friday, the commission expressed regret over the decision made by the principal of a high school in an undisclosed location. It said the policy violates the spirit of the Constitution and United Nations treaties regarding the human rights of children. Restrictions on students right to using cellphones should be minimized under unavoidable circumstances to protect their safety or the rights of other people, as the right is intertwined with freedom of action and communication, which are enshrined in Articles 10 and 18 of the Constitution, the commission said in the report. Even if such restrictions are deemed necessary, the school should not confiscate the devices from students who dont agree with the policy, it added. This statement comes after many schools nationwide moved to adopt such policies in recent years as they aimed to manage the growing dependency children have on their phones. In its statement submitted to the commission, the school said the policy was in place to preserve not harm the rights of its students. If students were allowed to use phones freely, they would be able to see harmful content online or play games, which would distract them from learning in class, the school said. The school also said the devices could even be used for unhealthy activities such as unlawfully making voyeur videos, as many such cases were reported in the past. Moreover, given that students are permitted to use their phones in case of an emergency, it said characterizing the policy as a human rights violation would be an overstatement. The report demonstrates a discrepancy between the views of the rights organization and many teachers who regard smartphone use in schools as a significant, growing problem. Korea does not have a law that universally restricts student cellphone use. Prosecutors are examining the financial accounts of former President Moon Jae-in and his wife in an investigation into allegations their former son-in-law was unfairly hired as an airline executive in exchange for favors for the firm's founder, sources said Friday. The Jeonju District Prosecutors Office, about 190 kilometers south of Seoul, recently obtained and executed a search warrant to look into the financial accounts of Moon and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, the sources said. The investigation into the former presidential couple comes four years after the People Power Party filed a corruption complaint regarding their former son-in-law, surnamed Seo, who was employed as an executive director at the Thailand-based budget carrier Thai Eastar Jet following the appointment of Lee Sang-jik as head of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency in 2018. Lee, a former two-term lawmaker affiliated with Moon's Democratic Party of Korea and the founder of the budget carrier Eastar Jet, also established the Thai low-cost airline. Seo's employment, with his previous career including a stint at a game company and no experience in the airline industry, raised skepticism about the background of his appointment at that time. The latest account search reportedly is focusing on the extent of the financial support that the Moon couple extended to their daughter's family. The focus of the broader investigation has been whether Lee's appointment as head of the startups agency was made in exchange for hiring Seo at his airline company. Seo, who divorced Moon's only daughter Da-hye in recent years, has been questioned as a witness three times this year, during which he exercised his right to remain silent. (Yonhap) Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on Friday called on North Korea to respond to South Korea's offer for an official dialogue platform and resume suspended inter-Korean communication channels. Kim made the call a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol proposed to North Korea the establishment of a working-level dialogue channel that can "take up any issue" in an address marking Liberation Day. Yoon unveiled a vision for freedom-based unification with North Korea and pledged to expand the inflow of outside information into the North. "As the president proposed the establishment of a dialogue channel between the two Koreas, (I) am calling on North Korea to accept it," Kim told a press briefing. The minister said South Korea is open to discussing any topics, including North Korea's denuclearization, humanitarian issues and inter-Korean exchanges. "To this end, the inter-Korean liaison communication line and the military hotlines that North Korea unilaterally suspended should be resumed," he said. Yoon's unification vision came in an update to the government's unification formula unveiled in 1994 that calls for the pursuit of reconciliation and cooperation, the creation of a Korean commonwealth and the completion of a unified country. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the appointment of a Seoul National University professor as new science minister Friday, his office said, even as the National Assembly refused to adopt a confirmation hearing report on the nominee. Yoo Sang-im, a material engineering professor, was named the minister of science and ICT last month, but opposition lawmakers refused to adopt a confirmation hearing report, citing allegations of ethical lapses, including his registration of a bogus home address in the past to help his children get into better schools. By law, a parliamentary confirmation hearing should be held for a minister nominee, but the president can go ahead and appoint the nominee regardless of the results of the hearing. The new minister is a brother of Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday endorsed Cabinet motions demanding parliamentary reconsideration of two opposition-led bills, one of them calling for cash handouts to the entire population and the other restricting companies from strike-related damage claims. It marked the 10th time that Yoon has exercised his veto power since taking office in 2022, and a total of 21 bills have been rejected as the cycle has repeated over and over again of the opposition-controlled National Assembly unilaterally passing contentious legislation and Yoon rejecting it. The latest bills are also expected to be ultimately scrapped in revotes because two-thirds support is necessary to override Yoon's veto and the ruling People Power Party holds just a little more than one-third of the Assembly seats. One of the two bills calls for providing handouts of between 250,000 won ($182) and 350,000 won to the entire population, while the other bill, known as the "yellow envelope bill," seeks to limit companies from making damage claims against workers during legitimate disputes. Presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon said Yoon vetoed the two bills, which were unilaterally passed by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea earlier this month, sending them back to the National Assembly for revotes. The presidential office said the cash handout bill contains "unconstitutional" elements because it would compel the government to issue bonds worth 13 trillion won to fund the scheme, thereby infringing on the executive branch's constitutional authority over budgetary matters. "The Yoon Suk Yeol government will push for targeted welfare policies that are essential for vulnerable groups, rather than engaging in populist welfare schemes that indiscriminately distribute cash," Jeong said in a briefing. Jeong said the labor bill is "even worse" than the previous version, which had been vetoed by Yoon and then scrapped, as it expands the scope of affected parties and provides "excessive" exceptions to the liability for damages from illegal strikes. "The bill, even dubbed the 'illegal strike encouragement act,' is raising concerns in the business community that it could negatively impact the job market and lead to the collapse of the industrial ecosystem," the spokesperson said. (Yonhap) By Choe Chong-dae Throughout modern Korean history, numerous foreigners have dedicated themselves to the development of Korea across various fields. One such individual is Franz Eckert, a German composer and musician whose contributions to Korean music have left a lasting legacy. On Aug. 6, the 108th anniversary memorial service for Franz Eckert was held at Han Gyeong-jik Hall at Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery, Seoul. Attendees paid homage to Eckert's grave before enjoying a vibrant performance of the Korean Empire's national anthem by the Rainbow Wind Orchestra. Eckert (1852-1916) was a renowned German composer who played a pivotal role in introducing Western music to Korea. Despite being unfamiliar with Korean society, Eckert dedicated himself to this mission after being invited by the Korean Empire. In 1901, he established the Korean Emperor Brass Orchestra, which performed the first Western-style concert at Pagoda Park, now Topgol Park, in Seoul. The orchestra, comprising both military and civilian musicians, played Western instruments and performed regularly at the Royal Court and in the park for local citizens and the foreign community. In 1902, Eckert composed the national anthem of the Korean Empire, which was performed during public celebrations at the court. "God helps our Emperor, May he live long " However, this anthem was banned following the Japanese colonization of Korea in 1910. Before composing the Korean Empire's national anthem, Eckert arranged the Japanese national anthem, "Kimigayo," in 1880 while serving in the Imperial German Navy in Japan. Due to health reasons, he returned to Germany in 1899 and became director of the Royal Prussian Orchestra. Inspired by Japan's advancements in Western music, the Korean Empire invited Eckert in 1901 to establish its first military band. Eckert organized the band, purchased instruments, recruited and trained members and held regular performances in Korea. In recognition of his contributions, Emperor Gojong awarded Eckert the Order of Taegeuk after he composed the Korean Empire's national anthem. While in Korea, Eckert was asked by the minister of Japanese Legation about the musical talent of Japanese compared to Koreans. Without hesitation, he replied that Koreans were superior in this regard. Following the disbandment of the Korean Imperial Army in 1907, Eckert established a music school in Korea. Among his disciples were Baek Woo-yong and Jeong Sa-in, who became pioneers of Western music in Korea. Eckert died in 1916 due to deteriorating health and was laid to rest at Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery. His family maintained their involvement in Korea, with some descendants also buried in Korea, underscoring their lasting connection to the country. Eckert remains a significant figure in the history of Western music in Korea, symbolizing a cultural bridge between the two nations. Although Eckert's contributions fell into relative obscurity for several decades, interest in his legacy was revived in 1949 by Namgung Yo-yeol, a Navy Commander and Chief of the Navy Band of Korea. More recently, in 2000, Song Je-yong, a retired professor and the first Korean to study wind and orchestral instruments at Berlin University of the Arts, played a leading role in establishing the New Korea Philharmonic Orchestra to promote the music of the historic Korean Emperor Brass Orchestra. Additionally, Song founded the Memorial Society for Eckert. To commemorate the 123rd anniversary of the Korean Emperor Brass Orchestra's founding, a special concert will be held at Topgol Park on the evening of Oct. 12. Conducted by Song, the artistic director of the New Korea Philharmonic Orchestra, this event will celebrate Eckert's contributions and the enduring bond between Korea and Germany. Eckert's musical legacy played a crucial role in fostering friendly relations between Korea and Germany, illustrating how cultural exchange can bridge gaps and build lasting connections between nations. Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist for The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co. and founding director of the Korean-Swedish Association. Korea's business community has submitted formal concerns to the U.S. Treasury Department regarding Washington's policy to restrict American investments in China's advanced technology sector, sources said Friday. According to the sources, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) sent a letter to the department on Aug. 4 expressing concerns about potential penalties for non-Americans who might inadvertently violate Washington's planned investment restrictions in China's advanced technology sectors. In the letter, Lee Sung-woo, the head of the KCCI's international trade division, emphasized that the regulations as of now inherently carry potential extraterritorial impacts and the scope must be clarified while requesting clear compliance guidelines for foreign companies. The KCCI also suggested limiting the scope of the regulations to companies where U.S. persons or entities hold more than 50 percent of the equity or board voting rights. The chamber expressed concerns that if the regulations extend to foreign entities, it could stifle investments that U.S. investors might otherwise pursue. It stressed that third-country companies should not be treated as subjects of these regulations. In August last year, the U.S. administration announced a plan to restrict American investments in three key Chinese sectors advanced semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. In June, the Treasury Department outlined a regulatory proposal to implement these restrictions and recently sought feedback from relevant countries, including Korea. (Yonhap) Selections diversify as demand increases By Ko Dong-hwan Affordable buffets with diversifying spreads are drawing customers as rising dine-in prices prompt people to seek out more cost-effective dining options. As the countrys soaring market prices in food industries are forcing people to scrimp on eating outside home, restaurant businesses that invite customers to load up their plates as much as they want have risen as go-to places for broader age groups. Such businesses promising signs are also seen outside the country. Pizza Mall, a dine-in franchise brand under Seoul-based Elandeats, has proven that an affordably priced buffet with various types of pizza and a salad bar can spread buzz. For 12,900 won ($9.49), an adult patron can gorge on more than seven different kinds of pizza for lunch during weekdays. Pizza Malls sales during the first half of this year jumped 10 percent from the same period last year. Compared to 2022 when the countrys dine-in market was in a years-long freeze under COVID-19, sales have surged by 40 percent. Beyond just the rising sales, Pizza Mall has also created scenes different from the past. Customers in their 40s or older dominate the restaurant's locations. Their portion among the brands total customers during the first quarter this year was 60.1 percent, up from 46.8 percent in 2020. Pizza Mall, among other all-you-can-eat franchise brands under Elandeats, used to be popular particularly among young customers, an Elandeats official said. But the trends key age groups began shifting to older visitors. Dookki, a tteobokki buffet restaurant franchise brand, has been expanding its global network since 2016. Using the stir-fried rice cakes with various sauces, the brand has opened 171 locations across 11 countries, including the United States, Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan. The figure jumped from 87 in 2020. Dareun, which launched the brand in Seoul in 2014, targeted global markets by diversifying sauces and side ingredients to better cater to taste buds of local consumers in each country. Foods that have never been tried in the countrys local buffet market have also begun appealing to customers. Breads and pastries attract visitors at Samjeong Bakery Cafe in Uijeongbu and EveryDay Christmas in Goyang, both in Gyeonggi Province, with unlimited servings. Fried chicken also joined the trend last month when a Genesis BBQ restaurant in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, offered an all-you-can-eat option for 8,000 won. The global franchise company has never previously rolled out a buffet menu. It stirred the public so fast the restaurant has temporarily rescinded the offer. Were now considering whether a chicken buffet will leave us any money, a company official said. Chicken involves a high rate of wages. If we decide to go with the option, it would have to be limited to areas with guaranteed sales like commercially developed zones concentrated with offices. Buffets are increasingly beating other dine-in businesses in the country, according to market observers. Finda, a Seoul-based fintech company, used an AI analysis tool to examine the countrys food business with at least one online platform. It found that buffet businesses sales in June in overall jumped 22 percent from the previous year. While the countrys overall dine-in market was valued at 11.6 trillion won last year and has remained almost static, buffet businesses, unlike other styles of restaurants like Japanese, Chinese and Western, have shown ascending graphs, it added. Victims of a massive Korean apartment complex fire that began from a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle (EV) earlier this month have expressed discontent over the German automaker's initial relief support pledge, claiming the promised amount is "absurdly insufficient" when compared with the actual total damage, sources said Friday. Last week, Mercedes-Benz Korea offered to donate 4.5 billion won ($3.3 million) as part of relief support for victims of the apartment complex in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, where a fire that started from a Mercedes-Benz EV destroyed over 100 cars. On Wednesday, Mathias Vaitl, CEO and president of Mercedes-Benz Korea, met with residents of the affected apartment in Incheon. At the meeting Vaitl said the company will consider offering additional support if the residents deem the amount as being insufficient. The closed-door meeting held at a nearby church, attended by around 150 residents, was initially scheduled to take place for about 90 minutes but ended up lasting approximately three hours. According to sources, residents in general expressed frustration over Vaitl's belated appearance in front of the residents. The CEO was in Germany for over 10 days after the accident and showed up in Incheon 13 days after the EV fire incident. "The residents collectively expressed that the 4.5 billion-won offer was insufficient," a participant at the meeting told Yonhap News Agency over the phone. The resident said Vaitl advised the residents to "use the funds urgently to address the most immediate recovery needs." The person recollected Vaitl as starting the meeting by saying "Hello" in Korean. Soon after, residents criticized the CEO, saying that he should have started by saying "I'm sorry," the person said. The person also said Vaitl showed up about 15 minutes late to the meeting, which, in and of itself, fueled anger among the residents. According to another person at the meeting, residents pointed out "in anger how a single vehicle ended up damaging the livelihoods of 1,581 households." "One of the attendants raised concerns about secondary effects from the dust caused by the fire, noting that children are experiencing sore throats and local residents are suffering from headaches," the person said. Another person raised the issue regarding how different owners of over 100 vehicles have different car insurance plans. The person said that while people with full insurance coverage may receive full reimbursement, those with weaker insurance products may end up having to accept their losses. Another resident pointed out how 4.5 billion won, which may seem large, is actually "absurdly insufficient" when considering the totality of the situation at hand. "We have 1,581 household units in our apartment complex. If you do the calculation, each household on average is subject to about 3 million won each from the relief support by Mercedes-Benz," a resident said. Rep. Lee Yong-woo of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, who also attended the meeting, argued Mercedes-Benz Korea must recognize its responsibility for the accident unless it can prove otherwise. "The company should prepare comprehensive and timely measures without any limitations," Lee said. Lee also said the 4.5 billion-won relief support offered by Mercedes-Benz Korea is grossly inadequate considering the overall level of damage. "The company should immediately reassess the support amount, taking into account the extent of the damages and the feedback from the residents," the lawmaker said. A Mercedes-Benz Korea media representative said the company internally wasn't considering increasing its donation offer at the moment. "At the time of the meeting, the CEO carefully listened to the concerns of the residents and mentioned that additional support would be considered if necessary," the company official added. The official added, "However, as this was discussed during the meeting, no specific plans have been discussed internally yet." (Yonhap) Ukraine on Thursday claimed fresh advances in its offensive into Russia, saying it had seized over 1,100 square kilometres in the biggest attack by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II. Russia said it had recaptured a first village from Ukrainian forces in the Kursk border region and announced it was sending "additional forces" to the neighbouring Belgorod region. Ukraine said it now controlled dozens of settlements and Sudzha, a town eight kilometres from the border. "We have taken control of 1,150 square kilometres of territory and 82 settlements," said top military commander Oleksandr Syrsky. Ukrainian troops launched the offensive on Aug. 6, breaking months of setbacks for the army that has been battling a Russian invasion for more than two years. The top general also told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the army had set up an administrative office "to maintain law and order and meet the priority needs of the population in the controlled territories." Zelensky announced "the completion of the liberation of the town of Sudzha from the Russian military." 120,000 Russians displaced At an Orthodox church in the centre of Sumy, the regional hub across the border from Kursk, dozens of mourners gathered Thursday to pay their final respects to six Ukrainian soldiers killed in the offensive. Tearful family members received a steady stream of friends and relatives wearing black and clutching wreaths as the priest intoned a funeral mass and incense hung in the air. "It is hard to say goodbye to them, because we want them to live forever, to live among us as honoured sons of their homeland," the priest told mourners. "Our task is to pray for our heroic fighters and their families." Pallbearers lifted the coffins one by one for burial as a choir sang hymns. Air raid sirens echoed over Sumy as the service ended. In Kursk, AFP reporters saw around 500 evacuees from border areas queueing for food and clothes being distributed by the Russian Red Cross. 'Completed destruction' The assault took Russian troops by surprise and triggered mass evacuations. Russia says more than 120,000 people have left or been evacuated. The fighting has killed at least 12 civilians and wounded 121 others according to Russian authorities, who have not released a toll since Monday. Moscow scrambled reinforcements and announced the recapture of a first village in the Kursk region on Thursday. Russia's defence ministry said the army had "completed destruction of the enemy and restored control of the settlement of Krupets." The Russian army also announced measures to prevent attacks on neighbouring regions, particularly Belgorod. Russia has prepared "concrete actions" to defend Belgorod from Ukrainian attacks, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said at a meeting with officials including Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. They include "the allocation of additional forces." Kursk and Belgorod have seen small incursions since President Vladimir Putin launched Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but nothing on this scale. Intensity of attacks Ukrainian officials have argued the offensive was an act of "self-defence" and experts suggest it could be aimed at alleviating pressure from the eastern front. Ukrainian troops are still struggling in the eastern Donbas region, a key Russian target. "Most Russian attacks are taking place" in the Donbas, Zelensky said, adding: "We are paying maximum defensive attention." Local authorities in three Ukrainian regions reported at least five civilian deaths in Russian strikes, including Donetsk in the east, Kharkiv in the northeast and Kherson in the south. Russia said its forces had captured Ivanivka in Donetsk, a frontline village just 15 kilometres from the Kyiv-held transport hub of Pokrovsk in east Ukraine. Pokrovsk lies on the intersection of a key road that supplies Ukrainian troops and towns across the eastern front and has long been a Russian target. In a briefing, Russia's defence ministry said its army had "liberated the village of Ivanovka," using the Russian name for the village. Russian forces have been inching towards Pokrovsk for months, taking a string of villages on the way to the city outskirts. (AFP) Ukraine on Thursday rejected as "absolute nonsense" suggestions it was involved in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, which transported Russian gas to Europe via the Baltic Sea. The Wall Street Journal reported late on Wednesday that Ukraine's then top military commander, Valery Zaluzhny, oversaw the plan to blow up the pipelines in September 2022. "Ukraine's involvement in the Nord Stream explosions is absolute nonsense. There was no practical sense in such actions for Ukraine," Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak told AFP. "It is clear that the explosions of the Nord Stream pipelines did not stop the war, did not deter Russian aggression, and did not affect the situation on the front line," he said. "Moreover, such an action significantly strengthened Russia's propaganda capabilities," he added, suggesting Russia had "direct motives" for carrying out the blasts. Nord Stream's twin gas pipelines, which ran from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, came under intense scrutiny when Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Several large gas leaks were discovered emanating from the pipelines in September 2022, with seismic institutes recording underwater explosions just before. The pipelines were not in operation when the leaks occurred, but they still contained gas that spewed up to the surface and into the atmosphere. The Journal report came shortly after German media outlets reported German investigators probing the sabotage were now focusing on Ukraine, and had issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian man. 'Like a torpedo' According to the Journal, the idea of blowing up the pipelines emerged during a meeting of senior Ukrainian military officers and businessmen in May 2022, just months after Moscow invaded Ukraine. Six people were directly involved in carrying out the operation, which cost around $300,000 and was privately financed, the report said. Using a rented yacht, they sailed out to the area of the pipelines and dived down to lay explosives on them, it said. Zelenskyy also initially approved the operation, but when the CIA learned of the plan, they asked him to stop it going ahead and he ordered a halt, according to the report. Zaluzhny, who was removed from his post earlier this year in a shake-up, pushed ahead anyway, the WSJ said, citing Ukrainian officials. Zelenskyy took the military commander to task for going ahead with the operation despite the order to pull the plug, according to the paper. But the commander replied that once the sabotage team had been dispatched, they could not be called off. "He was told it's like a torpedo once you fire it at the enemy, you can't pull it back again, it just keeps going until it goes 'boom,'" a senior officer familiar with the conversation was cited as saying. Speculation has long swirled about who was behind the operation, with both Ukraine and Russia denying any involvement. (AFP) Hong Kong has welcomed two baby pandas which were conceived naturally after Ying Ying gave birth to a pair of twins, a male and female, on Thursday morning, becoming the world's oldest first-time giant panda mum. She bore the two panda cubs just one day shy of her 19th birthday, equivalent to 57 human years, with Ocean Park, which is home to her and partner Le Le, describing it as "a true rarity." The pair succeeded in mating naturally at Ocean Park in March. The park had kept her pregnancy a secret throughout the duration, only revealing the news almost 24 hours after her delivery. "As a first-time mother, Ying Ying was understandably nervous throughout the process. She spent much of her time lying on the ground and twisting," the park said in a statement late on Thursday. Ying Ying and Le Le, the second pair of pandas given as a gift by Beijing to the city in 2007, failed to conceive despite several rounds of natural mating since 2011 and an artificial insemination procedure in 2023. The unexpected news was announced by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Thursday night, as he said it was particularly meaningful for the pair to give birth to the twins in the year which marked the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. "I want to express my gratitude to the country for gifting giant pandas to Hong Kong, which fully shows its care and support to the city," Lee said. "We would also like to thank Ocean Park's team for taking good care of An An, Jia Jia, Ying Ying and Le Le over the years, as well as the experts from the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda for their continuous support, which enabled Ying Ying and Le Le to give birth to the pair of cubs." Ocean Park said Ying Ying started showing pregnancy or pseudopregnancy symptoms including decreased appetite, increased rest time and changes in hormonal levels at the end of July. It said the pregnancy was not "readily detectable" until Sunday when the park's veterinary surgeons and experts from the panda center confirmed it via ultrasound scanning. On Wednesday, Ying Ying displayed labor symptoms, such as increased activity and irritability, had her amniotic fluid broken around 10 p.m. She eventually delivered the twin cubs at 2:05 a.m. and 3:27 a.m. the next day after more than five hours of labor. "This birth is a true rarity, especially considering Ying Ying is the oldest giant panda on record to have successfully given birth for the first time," Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee said. "I would like to express my gratitude to the park's animal care and veterinary team for their tireless dedication to Ying Ying and Le Le. "Thanks also to the experts from the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda for their long-standing partnership and professional assistance over the years, allowing Ying Ying and Le Le to become parents." The female cub, weighing 122 grams, was born first, followed by her brother, at 112 grams. The park said the cubs were "very fragile" and needed time to stabilize, especially the female, who had a lower body temperature, weaker cries and was taking less food. It said both cubs were under 24-hour intensive care by animal care and veterinary team, as well as experts from mainland China, and that it would be a few months before the twins could meet the public. It has been a long and difficult journey to parenthood for Ying Ying and Le Le. The pair, then aged 14, only successfully mated for the first time in 2020, after repeated failures over the past 10 years. Ying Ying also suffered a miscarriage. In 2015, Ying Ying and Le Le joined a national program in Wolong, Sichuan, the biggest panda reserve on the mainland, where the female mated with different pandas and also artificially. Le Le's semen was used to artificially inseminate other pandas. Ying Ying was confirmed as pregnant, but then miscarried, before several false alarms over the following years. The first pair given to Hong Kong, male An An and female Jia Jia arrived in 1999 and died without reproducing. Read the full story at SCMP. After posting a "Shikanoko" challenge on Bubble earlier on May 15, the date for Korea's Liberation Day, Felix experienced backlash and criticism. This was followed by the idol's public apology. On August 15, Felix apologized for his actions according to Korean news outlet Xports News. The Stray Kids member first apologized to fans, and everyone affected by the issue, before recalling the Bubble incident that caused outrage in the K-pop community. Felix shared that he is currently reflecting on his lack of history knowledge. The idol also promised to educate himself further and that he would act more carefully to prevent similar incidents in the future. Read his full statement below: "Hello. This is Felix. First of all, I would like to apologize to everyone, including my fans, who may have been disappointed by my careless actions. During the early hours of August 15, I mentioned a Japanese song while discussing a short-form challenge with my fans in a personal communication platform. I sincerely apologize for my lack of prudence and carelessness on this meaningful Independence Day. I would like to express my sincerest apologies for my lack of consideration and recklessness on such a meaningful occasion as Korea's National Liberation Day. I am deeply reflecting on my lack of historical awareness. I will study more in the areas that I usually lack, and I will be careful and careful not to repeat this by thinking and acting. I am currently reflecting deeply on my lack of awareness regarding historical matters. I will take my time to study the areas that I usually lack in, and I promise to be careful not to repeat such mistake by acting with great caution. Once again, I apologize." Here's how K-netz reacted to his apology: "He apologized, cleanly, let's be careful next time." "He wrote it well, please be careful." "It's cool that he apologized, but please show it in your actions too." "I didn't expect an apology, but he did it anyway." Netizens expressed disappointment towards Felix, as the holiday commemorates Korea's liberation from Japan's rule in 1945. Korean netters were upset by the incident and many of them called out Felix for his "insensitivity" during the holiday. International fans also gave their opinions on the matter and mentioned how frustrating it was to see K-pop idols experience controversies during the specific holiday every year. They even suggested their phones be monitored on Korea's Liberation Day. In other news, Felix was criticized for showing a can of Coca-Cola in a live broadcast. The instance was caught by netizens, causing a ruckus online. After seeing their reactions, Felix immediately addressed the matter and apologized to fans. "I would like to apologize for bringing out the Coca-Cola bottle, I do apologize for showing that on live," Felix said. What are your thoughts on Felix's apology? Share your thoughts on the comments below. For more K-pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 4th-Gen K-pop Idol Under Fire for Posting Anime-Related Content on Korea's Liberation Day: 'He Needs To Apologize' KpopStarz owns this article Written by Israel Monte MANSFIELD, La. A hearing will be held in two weeks to determine if the the DeSoto Police J Vice President Kamala Harris has recently made significant strides in gaining support among Latino voters, a crucial demographic for the upcoming presidential election. According to a poll conducted by Equis Research, Harris now leads former President Donald Trump by 19 points among registered Hispanic voters in key battleground states. This marks a notable improvement from earlier polls, where President Joe Biden held only a slim advantage over Trump. The poll, conducted from July 22 to August 4, 2024, shows Harris with 56% support compared to Trump's 37% among Latino voters in states such as Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Harris's gains are particularly pronounced among younger Latino voters, Hispanic men, and those dissatisfied with both Biden and Trump, often referred to as "double haters." Her support among voters under 40 has increased to 60%, a 17-point rise from Biden's previous backing. Additionally, Harris has seen a rise in support among Latinas and Latino men, with 59% and 51% support, respectively. Despite these gains, Harris still faces challenges in reaching the level of support that Democrats have historically needed to secure the presidency. Her current support among Latino voters is polling in the mid-to-upper 50s, below the 64% benchmark that Democrats typically aim for in presidential elections. This indicates that while Harris has revitalized the Democratic ticket's appeal among Latinos, there remains a significant portion of the electorate that is undecided or unlikely to vote, particularly among new voters. Critics argue that Harris's campaign needs to address specific concerns and issues important to Latino voters, such as the economy, immigration, and education. Latino voters are not a monolithic group, and their diverse backgrounds mean that Harris must tailor her messaging to resonate with different segments. Furthermore, while Harris has received endorsements from prominent Latino organizations, financial support from Latino voters has been lacking compared to other demographic groups, highlighting a potential gap in her campaign's outreach efforts. Overall, while Harris's campaign has made strides in gaining Latino support, there are still significant challenges and criticisms that need to be addressed to ensure a strong turnout from this vital voting demographic in the upcoming election. The outcome of the Latino vote could be pivotal in determining the results, especially in states like Arizona and Nevada, where the Latino population is a significant portion of the electorate. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has issued an executive order mandating that public hospitals in the state collect data on the immigration status of patients. The order, announced on August 8, 2024, requires hospitals to track and report the costs associated with providing medical care to undocumented immigrants. This move is part of Abbott's broader strategy to address the financial impact of what he describes as the Biden administration's "open border policies." For more details, see the official announcement from the Governor's office. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is tasked with implementing the order, which will take effect on November 1, 2024. Hospitals are directed to begin collecting information on inpatient discharges and emergency visits by undocumented individuals and report this data quarterly, with the first submissions due by March 1, 2025. The HHSC will compile these reports and submit annual summaries to the Governor and Texas Legislature starting January 1, 2026. Abbott's directive has drawn sharp criticism from immigration advocates and Democratic lawmakers, who argue that the policy could deter undocumented immigrants from seeking necessary medical care, fearing potential legal repercussions. Critics, including Texas Representative Sylvia Garcia, have condemned the order as a form of "social engineering" that risks turning healthcare providers into immigration enforcement agents. They warn that such measures could lead to racial profiling and undermine public health efforts by discouraging individuals from accessing healthcare services. The Texas Hospital Association has expressed concerns about the order's implementation, noting that hospitals currently do not inquire about a patient's immigration status as a condition for treatment. They emphasize that federal law requires hospitals to provide emergency care to anyone, regardless of their immigration status. Governor Abbott has defended the order, stating that it is necessary to quantify the costs Texas incurs due to federal immigration policies and to seek reimbursement from the federal government. He argues that Texans should not bear the financial burden of healthcare. Hurricane Ernesto, currently a Category 1 storm, is intensifying as it approaches Bermuda, with the potential to become a major hurricane. As of August 15, 2024, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports that Ernesto is located approximately 450 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, with sustained winds of 90 mph. The storm is moving north at 13 mph and is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to Bermuda starting Friday, with the possibility of reaching Category 3 status by Saturday. Ernesto has already caused significant disruption in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, where it brought heavy rainfall and strong winds. At its peak, the storm left approximately 730,000 utility customers in Puerto Rico without power, and as of Thursday evening, about 288,000 homes and businesses remain without electricity. Additionally, around 258,000 residents are without access to drinking water due to flooding-related disruptions. As Ernesto approaches Bermuda, a hurricane warning is in effect, and residents are urged to complete preparations to safeguard life and property. The island could experience up to 15 inches of rain, leading to life-threatening flash flooding. The Bermuda Weather Service has advised residents to take the situation seriously and prepare for the potential impacts. The effects of Ernesto are not confined to Bermuda and the Caribbean. The storm is generating large swells that are expected to impact the U.S. East Coast, the Bahamas, and parts of the Caribbean, creating hazardous surf and rip current conditions. Beachgoers along the Atlantic coast are advised to exercise caution and heed warnings from local authorities. Looking ahead, Ernesto is forecast to continue its northward trajectory, potentially affecting Atlantic Canada early next week. The storm's path and intensity remain subject to change, and residents in affected areas are encouraged to stay informed through official channels such as the National Hurricane Center and local weather services. As the Atlantic hurricane season progresses, Ernesto serves as a reminder of the importance of preparedness and the potential impacts of climate change on storm behavior and intensity. A Hellertown teen was pronounced dead following a crash Thursday night on Route 33 in Northampton County, authorities said. The 17-year-old was driving a Toyota Prius when he crashed on Route 33 South at the ramp to Route 248, Pennsylvania State Police spokesman Trooper Nathan Branosky told lehighvalleylive.com. The crash was reported about 11:20 p.m. at mile 6 of the highway, according to a Northampton County 911 dispatch supervisor. The single-vehicle crash is under investigation by state police at Belfast and the Northampton County Coroners Office. It was the countys second crash with a fatality on Thursday. Earlier, a driver was pronounced dead following a single-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon on Kesslersville Road in Plainfield Township, according to Slate Belt Regional police. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. A Saudi Arabia national has admitted in court that he stole a school bus in New Jersey and drove it across state lines. Bader Alzahrani, 24, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the federal charge of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release. He was indicted by a grand jury last summer. Authorities say he swiped the bus in Livingston and drove it to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Federal authorities say police responded to a break-in at an unoccupied house on Hillside Avenue in Livingston on Jan. 15. While searching the home, officers found a backpack containing a Saudi Arabian passport belonging to Alzahrani, as well as journals with entries that made jihad threats and derogatory remarks about Jewish people and police officers. Among the phrases in the journals were: Why didnt you slaughter the police officer who threw the Quran?, Blood, blood, destruction, destruction. Allah, and Destruction of the new world and the earth will be destroyed from all sides, according to court papers. Two days later, the Livingston Board of Education reported that a school bus had been stolen from a parking lot across the street from the house, officials said. Authorities located the bus in Stroudsburg on Jan. 19 and found Alzahrani in the area a short time later with the keys to the vehicle, prosecutors said. He came to the U.S. on a student visa and was attending an unidentified university, but left the school in October 2022 and was reported missing, court documents said. His sentencing is scheduled for September 9. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com. The decision on a petition to alter Bloomsbury School Districts long-standing relationship with Phillipsburg School District is quickly approaching. The Bloomsbury Board of Education filed a request with the New Jersey Commissioner of Education to terminate its existing sending-receiving relationship with Phillipsburg School District. If approved by the commissioner, the decision would mean Bloomsbury students would no longer attend Phillipsburg High School. Instead, the sending district would enter into a new agreement with North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District Board of Education, according to public documents. Bloomsbury School District would then go through a legally-mandated regionalization process to become of member of North Hunterdon-Voorhees. Phillipsburg School District withdrew its opposition to the request on June 22. As of Thursday, Phillipsburg School District officials have still not publicly opposed the transition. The public comment period ends on Aug. 22. It is possible Bloomsbury students would start attending the North Hunterdon Regional High School by September 2025, public records state. Comments should be addressed to the Commissioner of Education, c/o Director, Office of Controversies and Disputes, New Jersey Department of Education, 100 River View Plaza, PO Box 500, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0500 or may be emailed to the following address: ControversiesDisputesFilings@doe.nj.gov. Letters should address the question of whether the proposed change will result in a substantial negative impact in any of the affected school districts in one or more of the following areas: educational and financial implications; quality of education received by students; and racial composition of the student populations. Officials urge the public not to send in letters and emails that would exceed 10 pages. Once all comments are received, Bloomsbury and Phillipsburg will have 20 days to file any reply. Bloomsbury School District initially considered termination of its agreement with Phillipsburg School District in 2016, but the issue first arose in 2012. Residents have often critiqued the deal because the Town of Bloomsbury is located in Hunterdon County. Opponents of the decision argued the agreement has existed forever, lehighvalleylive.com reported in 2012. A feasibility study conducted by the school district determined that Bloomsbury School District would ultimately pay more in tuition and transportation if it agreed to change school districts at the time. The petition failed, but perspectives have changed since then. A 2022 feasibility study, using 2021 dollars, estimates that while transportation costs will increase, Bloomsbury School District will save $39,000 over five years, equating to $81.25 per student per year, based on the districts current enrollment. The cost to the school district for Phillipsburg students for grades 9-12 for 2023-2024 was $15,750 per student. Bloomsburys average projected enrollment for grades 9-12 is approximately 22. Enrollment is projected to remain stable over the next decade. It should also be noted that Phillipsburg generated approximately $15.4 million in tuition revenue during the same periods further supporting the assertion that Bloomsbury leaving this relationship would not have a substantial negative impact on Phillipsburg, the report states. Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on X (formerly known as Twitter.com), Facebook and Threads. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe to lehighvalleylive.com today. There is a wonderful traditional rural festival coming up in Laois this August, the perfect way to round off the summer. The small but active community in Rosenallis is gearing up to host its biggest ever Rosenallis Festival of the Mountain and Vintage Rally, on Sunday, August 25 on the gentle and scenic slopes of the scenic Slieve Bloom Mountains. This years event has a Ukraine flavour, Garda horses, and new traditional skills and craft additions and participation in the festival from the nearby Rainbow Gathering in Cadamstown. That includes an exciting Interactive Drumming Circle where you can join 30 to 40 fellow drummers in a lively session led by an expert facilitator. Participate in creative workshops including wood carving, basket weaving, DIY skills, and more. You can also make your own memento to take home. Also new this year is a chance to try your hand at archery, relax with free yoga lessons on the mountain, and enjoy traditional Irish music and dance in a new trad music tent. Other highlights this year include the spectacle of Sheep Shearing, with a chance to see famed sheep-shearer George Graham in action. Admire an impressive collection of vintage vehicles thanks to Rosenallis & District Vintage and Classic Club, or join in the tug of war and the many competitions for both adults and children. This fun painted vintage car is getting lots of attention in Rosenallis ahead of their festival. If it's live music you like, don't miss performances by Glor Tire winner Aisling Rafferty, the Malva Ukrainian Choir with their new songs, and the always entertaining Rock on Paddy. There is fun for the whole family, with free face painting, live animals, amusements, and a dog show. Adults can savour hot food, including a pig on a spit and, for the first time, traditional Ukrainian cuisine. Dont miss the tug of war and the wide array of market stalls. Special guests include the Garda Mounted Unit (Horses) and Irish Guidedogs for the Blind, adding to the days excitement. Daniel McDonald is Secretary and PRO of the committee. "I'm incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication from our committee, sponsors, and volunteers. This year's festival is shaping up to be our biggest yet, and we cant wait to welcome everyone to the mountain," he said. New for 2024 is off-site parking and Shuttle Bus Service to ensure the day runs smoothly. There will be an off-site parking area at Hylands Transport Yard (R32 E264), with a convenient shuttle bus service running every 15 minutes to the festival grounds. The shuttle will operate from 11:30am to 6:30pm, Parking at the festival site is reserved for exhibitors and those with disability parking badges. Also for safety, Gurteen Lane will be a one-way system during the festival. It will be closed to the public, with access limited to local residents, shuttle buses, and emergency vehicles. Organisers recommend using the shuttle service as the primary means of reaching the event. Please be aware that the festival will operate on a cash-only basis. Be sure to bring enough cash, as there will be no card facilities on site. Rosenallis Festival of the Mountain runs from noon to 6pm on Sunday, August 25. Entry is 10 per person. Children aged 16 and under go free. A delegation from Laois County Council travelled to Tennessee in the US to mark the 20th anniversary of the Williamson County Fair and to develop links between Laois and Franklin and Williamson County under the Sister Cities Agreement. The delegation included Councillor Padraig Fleming, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council and Simon Walton, Interim Chief Executive and the visit took place from Monday, August 5 to Friday, August 9. The delegation conducted a number of visits, including visits to the Moore & Morris Heritage Centre, Williamson County Archives and Museum and the Franklin on Foot Walking Tour. The delegation also attended various meetings including a Franklin and Williamson County Sister Cities Board Meeting, meetings with both Mayors and their Senior Officials, in addition to various meetings with key cultural, arts, agriculture and Emergency Services representatives, all with a view to developing mutually beneficial measures for the expansion and development of the Sister Cities Agreement. A full report on the visit will be provided to Elected Members at the September 2024 Monthly Meeting of Laois County Council. Commenting on the visit, The Sister Cities of Franklin & Williamson County TN said: "As we reflect on the past and the present, we are filled with hope and optimism for the future. Many connections and relationships have been established, and we eagerly anticipate future collaborations between our two counties in the coming months." A young Limerick woman who lost her life after being involved in a collision is to be laid to rest. Hannah Frawley, aged 25, from Caherelly, Grange, died on Sunday, August 11. A ceremony to celebrate her life will take place at St Michaels Church on Denmark Street at 12 noon this Friday, August 16, with burial afterwards in Caherelly graveyard. She was a passenger in a car involved in a single vehicle collision on the R503 at Drominboy, Lisnagry on July 30. The man who was driving the car, also aged in his 20s, and Ms Frawley were both brought to hospital for treatment. Since the sad news broke out, tributes have been pouring in for Ms Fawley, who has been described as a "talented" and "caring young girl". "It is so heartbreaking that Hannah is no longer with us. I had the pleasure of growing up with Hannah in Laurel Hill Colaiste, and will never forget how kind, warm, talented, humble and genuine she was. Hannah was also such a funny girl, you would always leave a conversation with her with a smile on your face. Hannah, you will be truly missed. I am honoured to have had the pleasure of knowing you. My deepest sympathies to Hannahs family and friends," paid a childhood friend in tribute. READ MORE: Woman, 50s, arrested over investigation into alleged harassment of Simon Harris "The whole school community of Laurel Hill Colaiste FCJ extends it sincere condolences to Ger, Liz, Luke and all your extended family on the passing of Hannah. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this difficult time. Hannah will always be remembered as a kind, gentle and caring young girl who embodied the ethos of companionship. Suaimhneas siorai da hanam," paid someone in tribute. Sincere condolences to Hannahs family on her passing. I worked with Hannah a few years ago and she was such a beautiful person, always smiling. Rest easy Hannah may you get the best bed in heaven and continue to smile down and look after your family, wrote a former colleague in tribute. Ms Fawley is survived by her parents Ger and Liz and her brother Luke. She is also survived by her grandmother Kathleen, her brother Lukes fiancee Ellen, her partner Chase, uncles, aunts, extended family and friends. Gardai have renewed their appeal for witnesses to the incident. "Road users with camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling on the R503 road near Lisnagry, County Limerick, on Tuesday July 30, between 7.45pm and 8.45pm, are asked to make this footage available to gardai. "Anyone with any information is asked to contact Henry Street Garda Station on 061 212 400, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any garda station," said a garda spokesperson. May she rest in peace. The army chaplain stabbed in Galway barracks has thanked people for their "love and concern" as an investigation is ongoing to determine whether terrorism was a motive in the attack. In a message shared on Facebook this morning, Fr Paul F Murphy, aged in his 50s, updated his community after being stabbed a number of times. "Friends, thank you for your prayers, love, and concern. Sorry that I can't reply to all messages and take all the calls coming my way. I'm doing okay; just awaiting surgery. All will be well," Fr Murphy said. Fr Murphy is recovering in the hospital. A 16-year-old teen was arrested and Gardai said in a statement that they are investigating a possible terror motive in the attack. Their anti-terror investigators, the Special Detective Unit, are involved in the investigation. The incident took place at approximately 10.45pm on Thursday at Renmore Army Barracks when a young man approached the chaplain and allegedly attacked him. It is understood Fr Murphy was entering the barracks when he was approached by the 16-year-old. He was taken to University Hospital Galway following the incident. Gardai have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and do not believe it is a broader conspiracy. Volunteers from Portlaoise Action To Homelessness(PATH) are planning to collect leftover sleeping bags at the Electric Picnic on Monday. PATH committee member Catherine Bennett said the charity, which helps homeless people and those in need in Laois and Dublin, collected around 500 sleeping bags at the event last year and 1,200 the year before. We have a volunteer list so we put out word to them. We fill out a form to make sure we get in, she explained. Ms Bennett said the volunteers are given a couple of hours to collect sleeping bags before the bulldozers arrive to clear the festival campsites. She said around nine or ten volunteers are allowed two to three hours to collect as many sleeping bags as they can. She recalled thinking it was like Beirut on her first visit to the post Picnic campsites. Ms Bennett said the sleeping bags are a bonus at this time of year and will be distributed to homeless people, primarily in Dublin, who PATH help on a regular basis. While 500 may sound like a lot of sleeping bags, Ms Bennett revealed the charity distributed far more in recent months. In the last four months I would say we have got through 900 new ones that we buy, she explained. She said the vast majority of the charity users she meets are Irish. The charity hands out meals and parcels in Dublin but also in Portlaoise. There is the best of people up there. We have people coming up to us in suits. They pay the rent and they have no money left, she said. Ms Bennett said the charity is getting very busy and they are seeing a rise in the number of families seeking assistance. She admitted she found it difficult to see young children caught in such hardship. We are very, very busy at the moment which is not a good thing but it is good to help them, she said. On Thursday, August 22, the volunteers bring the sleeping bags to the Laois Shopping Centre in Portlaoise where local people can collect them and bring them home to be washed and dried. PATH usually put out an appeal up on their social media and invite people to help out. The system is in place for a number of years and works well. The following Thursday, people who cleaned the bags will be asked to return them to the PATH volunteers at the shopping centre. PATH will have the Electric Picnic sleeping bags ready to be washed at Laois Shopping Centre on Thursday, August 22 from 6pm to 7pm. TFI Local Link Donegal Sligo Leitrim will be enhancing bus services between Manorhamilton and Carrick-on-Shannon starting Monday, August 26. Routes 567A and 567 will be amalgamated to create one continuous route from Manorhamilton to Carrick-on-Shannon. Route 567 will operate ten daily return services between Carrick-on-Shannon and Drumshambo Monday to Sunday, with four daily return services extending to Manorhamilton. The enhanced service will also operate two additional evening services on Friday and Saturday. The route will provide better connectivity to regional bus and rail services, as well as to villages and areas including Dromahair, Drumkeeran, Arigna, and Leitrim Village. The existing route deviations to Dowra and Keshkerrigan will be removed from Route 567 and will be replaced with route 11319. New route 11319 will provide a service from Dowra to Carrick-on-Shannon six days per week and an enhanced service from Drumcong, Keshkerrigan to Carrick-on-Shannon. This enhancement is part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan which is a major national public transport initiative developed and funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of the Transport for Ireland (TFI) Network. This plan aims to increase connectivity for people living outside of major towns and cities by improving mobility in rural areas. Speaking ahead of the launch, TFI Local Link Donegal Sligo Leitrim General Manager, Fiona OShea said: We are delighted to roll out this enhanced service in Leitrim, under the NTAs Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. Route 567, which has been in operation for a number of years, will now have increased daily frequency along with evening services on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which will be well received by the local communities along the route. This service continues to provide local residents with access to education, employment, health, social and recreational opportunities and onward travel from early morning to late evening, Ms OShea concluded. AI/ML Innovations Inc. Announces Settlement of Debt with ThreeD Capital Inc. AI/ML Innovations Inc. ("AI/ML" or the "Company") (CSE:AIML)(OTCQB:AIMLF)(FWB:42FB) announced that it has entered into a Debt Settlement and Security Agreement with ThreeD Capital Inc. (the "Creditor") of Toronto, Ontario for payment of indebtedness owing to the Creditor in the aggregate total of $47,460 with respect to services rendered by the Creditor (the "Shares for Debt Transaction"). The Creditor has agreed to the conversion of such debt into common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares"). Pursuant to the Shares for Debt Transaction, the Company will issue to the Creditor a total of 949,200 Common Shares, at a deemed price of $0.05 per Common Share. The proposed Shares for Debt Transaction is subject to the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Common Shares issued will be subject to a four-month hold period. About AI/ML Innovations Inc. https://aiml-innovations.com/ AI/ML Innovations Inc. has realigned its business operations to capitalize on the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with an initial investment focus on emerging digital health and wellbeing companies that leverage AI, ML, cloud computing and digital platforms to drive transformative healthcare management solutions and precision support delivery across the health continuum. Through strategic partnerships with Health Gauge (95.2% owned by AIML), Tech2Heal (up to 22% ownership rights, with 12.44% currently owned by AIML), AI Rx Inc. (70% owned by AIML) and other planned accretive investments, the Company continues to capitalize on expanding growth areas, to the benefit of all the Company's stakeholders. AI/ML's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AIML", the OTCQB Venture Market under "AIMLF", and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under "42FB". On behalf of the Board of Directors Tim Daniels, Executive Chairman For more information about AI/ML Innovations : For detailed information please see AI/ML's website or the Company's filed documents at www.sedarplus.ca For further information, contact: Blake Fallis at (778) 405-0882 or [email protected] Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For AI/ML Innovations Investors Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forwardlooking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, AI/ML Innovations' expectations concerning management's plans, objectives, and strategies, including strategies for defending the Company's intellectual property. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. AI/ML Innovations Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or circumstances or otherwise except as expressly required by applicable securities law. Further information regarding the uncertainties and risks can be found in the disclosure documents filed by AI/ML with the securities regulatory authorities, available at www.sedarplus.ca SOURCE: AI/ML Innovations, Inc. 15 august 2024 at 18:15 View the original press release on accesswire.comNews published onand distributed by: Acxiom Awarded 2024 Best Customer Intelligence Platform by MarTech Breakthrough Acxiom, the global leader in customer intelligence and marketing enablement, today announced it has won this year's 'Best Customer Intelligence Platform' in the 7th annual MarTech Breakthrough Awards. Conducted by MarTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization, this recognition honors Acxiom's trailblazing leadership and innovation in people-based marketing for the omnichannel age. Acxiom's customer intelligence platform integrates high-performance audiences, the industry's most comprehensive datasets, advanced identity resolution, and direct connectors, turning data silos into actionable insights that supercharge campaign performance and fuel business growth. Engineered for interoperability and market agility, the platform enables businesses to deeply understand their customers and sharpen marketing strategies, ensuring every touchpoint is memorable, relevant, and impactful. Key capabilities include: Acxiom Customer Data: The platform's foundation, featuring #1-ranked, ethically sourced datasets that unlock granular insights into consumer preferences and behaviors, driving meaningful, tailored customer engagement. Acxiom Real IDtm: Award-winning identity resolution technology that unifies fragmented data sources across channels and devices, delivering a single, accurate customer view by pinpointing the real individuals behind the data. Acxiom Direct Connectors: An industry game-changer that accelerates precision data flow to media publishers, powering instant action on insights and audience segments without the drag of traditional onboarding. "Today's competitive marketing landscape demands more?greater precision, enhanced agility, and faster innovation," said John Watkins, Chief Operating Officer at Acxiom. "This award from MarTech Breakthrough acknowledges our commitment to delivering high-impact, scalable solutions that add value across the entire customer journey. Acxiom's customer intelligence platform ensures accuracy and speed with a 100% deterministic match and rapid campaign execution ? no intermediaries, no third-party cookies, just direct results." The mission of the MarTech Breakthrough Awards is to honor excellence and recognize the innovation, hard work, and success in a range of marketing, sales, and advertising technology-related categories, including marketing automation, customer experience, performance marketing, AdTech, SalesTech, marketing analytics, content and social marketing, mobile marketing and many more. This year's program attracted thousands of nominations from over 15 different countries throughout the world. "Data and privacy expertise are at the core of Acxiom's solution," said Steve Johansson, Managing Director at MarTech Breakthrough. "In a world where personalization is king, generic ads simply miss the mark, underscoring the crucial need for data-driven marketing. But with fragmented data, evolving privacy regulations, and shifting consumer behaviors, recognizing and engaging customers has become more challenging than ever. That's why Acxiom's solution stands out as our 'Best Customer Intelligence Platform,' empowering marketers with a powerful tool that connects real-time insights to real-time interactions, delivering truly personalized brand experiences." About Acxiom Acxiom is the global leader in customer intelligence and stands at the forefront of AI- enabled, data-driven marketing. As part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (IPG), we specialize in high-performance solutions that boost customer acquisition and retention while fueling growth for the world's biggest brands and agencies. We transform omnichannel marketing strategies and execution using our AI-powered data and identity foundation, cloud-based data management, and martech and analytics services. For over 55 years, our teams across the US, UK, Germany, China, Poland, and Mexico have helped businesses optimize their marketing and advertising investments while prioritizing customer privacy. Find us on LinkedIn and discover more at Acxiom.com, where marketing is made better. About MarTech Breakthrough Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the MarTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in marketing, ad and sales technology companies, products and people. The MarTech Breakthrough Awards provide a platform for public recognition around the achievements of breakthrough marketing technology companies and products in categories including marketing automation, AdTech, SalesTech, marketing analytics, performance marketing, CRM, content and social marketing, website, SEM, mobile marketing and more. For more information, visit MarTechBreakthrough.com. Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. 16 august 2024 at 09:05 News published onand distributed by: Government of Canada invests to recruit, retain and train more apprentices in skilled trades GATINEAU, QC, Aug. 16, 2024 /CNW/ - Skilled tradespeople are essential for Canada to build more homes and unlock its full economic potential. To help recruit, retain and train more apprentices in skilled trades, the Government of Canada is making investments to attract more young people, women and other equity-deserving groups to these rewarding and in-demand jobs. Today, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, announced more than $74.6 million is being invested in 124 projects funded through recent calls for proposals under the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP). These projects bolster training through the purchase of equipment and materials and improve the participation of equity-deserving groups in apprenticeships. As part of this funding: 114 projects from the 2022 and 2023 calls for proposals under the Investments in Training Equipment stream are helping unions and training providers improve the quality of training through the purchase of equipment and materials that meet the latest industry standards or new technology. 10 projects from the 2022 call for proposals under the Innovation in Apprenticeship stream support unions to recruit and retain apprentices in Red Seal trades, including women, newcomers, persons with disabilities, Indigenous people and racialized individuals, through mentorship, career services, wraparound supports and job matching. UTIP is part of the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy's response to the skilled trades workforce's most pressing needs, including addressing barriers to people entering the skilled trades, addressing the housing crisis and increasing net-zero construction. The Government of Canada invests nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship supports through grants, loans, tax credits, Employment Insurance benefits during in-school training, project funding, and support for the Red Seal Program to help build a robust skilled trades workforce for the future that is inclusive, certified and productive. Quotes "Canada is home to the smartest minds, the most talented workers and a strong education, training, and employment system. Building on these strengths will help us adapt to a changing global economy and get ahead. By investing in the skilled trades and jobs of the future, we are setting up workers and businesses to take advantage of every opportunity, while creating good jobs for Canadian workers." ? Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages Quick Facts Since the start of the program in 2017, the Government of Canada has invested nearly $305 million in grants and contributions funding under UTIP. has invested nearly in grants and contributions funding under UTIP. A call for proposals under the new UTIP Sustainable Jobs stream was launched on June 20, 2024 to support unions and their partners in leading the development of green training for workers in the trades. An investment of over $95 million over five years will help unions and their partners provide green training to approximately 20,000 apprentices, journeypersons and other workers. This call for proposals is open until September 5 , 2024. As part of this funding, a separate agreement with the Government of Quebec will support the province in implementing a program that accounts for the specific features of Quebec's apprenticeship system. over five years will help unions and their partners provide green training to approximately 20,000 apprentices, journeypersons and other workers. This call for proposals is open until , 2024. As part of this funding, a separate agreement with the Government of will support the province in implementing a program that accounts for the specific features of apprenticeship system. To help address the growing need for skilled trades workers, Budget 2024 announced the Government's intention to deliver a $90 million investment for the Apprenticeship Service to support small and medium-sized employers in creating placements for apprentices and $10 million for the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program to encourage Canadians to explore and prepare for careers in the skilled trades. investment for the Apprenticeship Service to support small and medium-sized employers in creating placements for apprentices and for the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program to encourage Canadians to explore and prepare for careers in the skilled trades. The Government of Canada also supports apprentices financially as they progress through their technical training. Apprentices can access Employment Insurance benefits during technical training and up to $20,000 in interest-free Canada Apprentice Loans as well as apprenticeship grants of up to $4,000 . also supports apprentices financially as they progress through their technical training. Apprentices can access Employment Insurance benefits during technical training and up to in interest-free Canada Apprentice Loans as well as apprenticeship grants of up to . Canada.ca/skilled-trades provides Canadians with information about what the skilled trades are, how to become a tradesperson and what financial supports are available to them while in training. Associated Links Backgrounder: Union Training and Innovation Program About the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy Union Training and Innovation Program Budget 2024 Canada.ca/skilled-trades Follow us on X (Twitter) SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada 16 august 2024 at 11:43 News published onand distributed by: Williams-Sonoma, Inc. announces release date for second quarter results: Thursday, August 22nd, 2024 Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) announced today that it will release its second quarter results on Thursday, August 22nd, 2024 before the market opens. Following the release via the wire services, the Company will host a conference call beginning at 10:00 AM Eastern Time, which can be accessed at http://ir.williams-sonomainc.com/events. Following the call, a replay of the webcast will be available at http://ir.williams-sonomainc.com/events beginning at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, August 22nd, 2024. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the world's largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer. The company's products, representing distinct merchandise strategies ? Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Williams Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, Mark and Graham, and GreenRow ? are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs and retail stores. These brands are also part of The Key Rewards, our loyalty and credit card program that offers members exclusive benefits across the Williams-Sonoma family of brands. We operate in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offer international shipping to customers worldwide, and have unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea and India, as well as e-commerce websites in certain locations. We are also proud to be a leader in our industry with our values-based culture and commitment to achieving our sustainability goals. Our company is Good By Design ? we've deeply ingrained sustainability into our business. From our factories to your home, we're united in a shared purpose to care for our people and our planet. For more information on our sustainability efforts, please visit: https://sustainability.williams-sonomainc.com/ WSM-IR 16 august 2024 at 14:20 News published onand distributed by: 2253457 Ontario Inc. fined $100,000 for unlawful deposit of diesel fuel in Etobicoke Creek BRAMPTON, ON , Aug. 16, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the health, safety, and environment of Canadians. Environment and Climate Change Canada enforces the laws that protect the air, water, and natural environment in Canada, and it takes pollution incidents and threats to the environment seriously. On August 15, 2024, 2253457 Ontario Inc., a fuel-supply company in Mississauga, Ontario, was fined $100,000 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. The company pleaded guilty to one offence under the Fisheries Act relating to the unlawful deposit of diesel fuel into fish-bearing waters between February 7 and March 5, 2019. The fine will be directed to the Government of Canada's Environmental Damages Fund. On February 8, 2019, Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers responded to complaints relating to a diesel fuel spill in Etobicoke Creek. Officers conducted an inspection at the company's diesel fuel station on Dixie Road in Mississauga, Ontario. During the inspection, officers observed diesel fuel entering Etobicoke Creek, a body of water frequented by fish. The officers collected samples, and issued a Fisheries Act Direction to the company, requiring them to stop the release and prevent any further deposits to Etobicoke Creek. On February 14, 2019, enforcement officers initiated an investigation. The laboratory analysis revealed that the samples contained diesel, a substance that is deleterious to fish. Through their investigation, enforcement officers determined that poor maintenance of the on-site oil-water separator led to a system failure, allowing diesel fuel to be discharged through the storm sewer into Etobicoke Creek. As a result of this conviction, the company's name will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry. The Registry contains information on convictions of corporations registered for offences committed under certain federal environmental laws. Environment and Climate Change Canada has created a free subscription service to help Canadians stay current with what the Government of Canada is doing to protect the natural environment. Quick facts Environment and Climate Change Canada administers and enforces the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act . These provisions include a prohibition against the deposit of deleterious substances into water frequented by fish, or in a place where they may enter water frequented by fish. . These provisions include a prohibition against the deposit of deleterious substances into water frequented by fish, or in a place where they may enter water frequented by fish. A Fisheries Act Direction is a compliance tool that may be issued by enforcement officers when there is an unauthorized deposit of a deleterious substance into water frequented by fish, or when there is a serious and imminent danger of such an incident and immediate action is necessary. Direction is a compliance tool that may be issued by enforcement officers when there is an unauthorized deposit of a deleterious substance into water frequented by fish, or when there is a serious and imminent danger of such an incident and immediate action is necessary. Etobicoke Creek is water frequented by fish, as defined under the Fisheries Act . It is in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario and flows into Lake Ontario , which is home to more than 100 species of fish. . It is in the of and flows into , which is home to more than 100 species of fish. Created in 1995, the Environmental Damages Fund is a Government of Canada program administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Fund directs monies received from fines, penalties, court orders, and voluntary payments to projects that will repair environmental damage or benefit the environment. The Fund aims to invest in areas where the environmental damage occurred. Associated links Environment and Climate Change Canada's X (Twitter) page Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada 16 august 2024 at 14:30 News published onand distributed by: A small aerobatic plane crashed into the sea Friday, August 16, during an airshow off the coast of southeast France with the pilot feared trapped inside, officials said. The Fouga Magister aircraft was performing at Le Lavandou just before a demonstration by the French Air Force's elite acrobatic flying team, a French Air Force spokesperson told AFP. Built after World War II, the Fouga Magister was for many years used by the French army as a trainer jet and aerobatic plane. It has no ejection seat. A rescue operation was launched to locate the pilot, the prefecture said in a statement. The show was canceled due to the "tragic circumstances", officials said. On Wednesday, two French pilots died after two Rafale fighter jets collided in mid-air in eastern France, in a rare accident involving France's leading military jet. A third pilot ejected following the crash over Colombey-les-Belles, a town in northeastern France. Read more Two French pilots die after Rafale fighters collide in eastern France Palestinians mourn over a body of a relative, killed in an Israeli strike, ahead of their funeral in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on August 12, 2024. BASHAR TALEB / AFP International mediators held a new round of talks on Thursday, August 15, aimed at halting the Israel-Hamas war and securing the release of scores of hostages, with a potential deal seen as the best hope of heading off an even larger regional conflict. The United States, Qatar and Egypt met with an Israeli delegation in Qatar as the Palestinian death toll from the more than 10-month-old war climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities. Hamas, which didn't participate directly, accuses Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support and to which Hamas had agreed in principle. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby called the talks an important step and said theyre expected to run into Friday. He said a lot of work remains given the complexity of the agreement and that negotiators were focusing on its implementation. A ceasefire in Gaza would likely calm tensions across the region. Diplomats hope it would persuade Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and of Hamas' top political leader in an explosion in Tehran. Kirby said that Iran has made preparations and could attack soon with little to no warning and that its rhetoric should be taken seriously. Three-phase plan The mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release scores of hostages captured in the October 7 attack that triggered the war in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Both sides have agreed in principle to the plan, which President Joe Biden announced on May 31 . But Hamas has proposed "amendments" and Israel has suggested "clarifications," leading each side to accuse the other of making new demands it can't accept. Gaps remain even after months of talks Hamas has rejected Israel's latest demands, which include a lasting military presence along the border with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza where it would search Palestinians returning to their homes to root out militants. Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan told The Associated Press that the group is only interested in discussing the implementation of Biden's proposal and not in further negotiations over its content. A Palestinian official who closely follows the negotiations said Hamas wouldn't take part in Thursday's talks, but that its senior officials, who reside in Qatar, were ready to discuss any proposals from the mediators, as they have in past rounds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies that Israel has made new demands, but he has also repeatedly raised questions over whether the ceasefire would last, saying Israel remains committed to "total victory" against Hamas and the release of all the hostages. Complex talks The most intractable dispute has been over the transition from the first phase of the ceasefire when women, children and other vulnerable hostages would be released and the second, when captive Israeli soldiers would be freed and a permanent ceasefire would take hold. Hamas is concerned that Israel will resume the war after the first batch of hostages is released. Israel worries that Hamas will drag out the talks on releasing the remaining hostages indefinitely. Hamdan provided documents showing Hamas had agreed to a US bridging proposal under which talks on the transition would begin by the 16th day of the first phase and conclude by the fifth week. More recently, Hamas has objected to what it says are new Israeli demands to maintain a presence along the Gaza-Egypt border and a road dividing northern and southern Gaza. Israel denies these are new demands, saying it needs a presence along the border to prevent weapons smuggling and that it must search Palestinians returning to northern Gaza to ensure they aren't armed. The demands were only made public recently. Hamas has demanded a full Israeli military withdrawal, which was also part of all previous versions of the ceasefire proposal, according to documents shared with the AP that were verified by officials involved in the negotiations. On Thursday, US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the broader framework of the deal laid out by Biden in May has generally been accepted and that the negotiation was a process, which was expected to continue. Read more Subscribers only Israel-Hamas war: Last-chance negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip Far from Ukraine and Gaza, another terrible war, less familiar to many Westerners, is raging in Sudan, an East African country more than three times the size of France with a strategic location on the Red Sea, a major world trade route. The opening of ceasefire talks in Geneva on Wednesday, August 14, puts the spotlight back on the civil war that has pitted the army, led by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of his former deputy, General Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, nicknamed "Hemedti," who rose from the Janjaweed militias that took part in the Darfur genocide in the 2000s, since April 2023. In 2021, the two generals jointly overthrew the transitional democratic government in a coup d'etat, wiping out the gains of the popular uprising that toppled the Islamist dictatorship of Omar Al-Bashir in 2019. The outcome of the Geneva talks, held under the aegis of the United States, is uncertain, as Burhan's army refuses to take part. The aim of the talks is to find the conditions for a truce in a conflict that, according to an American estimate, has already claimed 150,000 lives, forced 11 million people from their homes and forced 2.3 million others to flee to neighboring countries. With the belligerents blocking access to food aid, 25 million people in Sudan more than half the population are suffering from severe hunger. Famine has even spread to the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur. Hundreds of women and girls have been raped by combatants, reported UNICEF, and the children born of this violence have been abandoned. War, hunger and atrocities have been compounded by torrential rains to create, according to the UN, "one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent memory." Read more Subscribers only In Sudan, war is raging on the ashes of the revolution If this conflict with cataclysmic consequences continues, it's because the protagonists are aided by third-party countries. While Egypt and Saudi Arabia support the official army, the RSF receives backing from the United Arab Emirates and Russia. This proxy war is dragging in its wake numerous armed groups and, willingly or unwillingly, tens of thousands of civilians. It has metastasized into multiple local conflicts, rekindling age-old ethnic tensions between Arab and black populations, in a climate where weapons proliferate and circulate better than staple foods. As an Amnesty International report has shown, weapons manufactured in China, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen are being delivered to Sudan, particularly in Darfur, despite the UN embargo that has applied to this western region of the country since 2004. But the conflict in Sudan has no military outcome, as neither of the two warlords can rule the country alone, having lost all legitimacy in the eyes of civilians caught in the crossfire. The essential ceasefire requires an end to third-party interference and must lead to political negotiations that include representatives of the Sudanese civil society that brought down the dictatorship in 2019. Only strong international pressure can bring about such a change. Exercising it effectively requires bringing the atrocious war in Sudan out of the deadly silence that surrounds it. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Anthony Myers, Acting Minister of Finance and Development Planning, is expected to submit the recast budget to members of the Legislature today MANY a glass has been raised in the past week to perhaps the longest-serving bar lady in the world - Margaret (Peg) Carmody in Hospital. Peg passed away last week aged 95. She pulled her last pint in Carmodys bar earlier this year. She took over the running of the pub in November 1956 when it passed down from the parents of her late husband Joe (pictured above on their wedding day). Peg spent an incredible 68 years being the bar. One of her seven children, Helen, said it was her mums wish that her family and regulars would have a farewell in the pub She rested in the bar until her wake. Mom returned home to the bar after the wake and spent the night with family before her final journey. We did not want her to be on her own. When the coffin was brought back from the funeral home we laid her out in the pub and some of her regular clients joined us. Mom had always wanted a send-off with free pints to celebrate her great life, said Helen, who described her mother as a remarkable woman. After all, Peg had taught Helen and her six siblings - Pat, Tommie, Joe, Margaret, Geraldine, and Catherine, and her grandchildren, how to pull the perfect pint. She even taught Micheal Martin how to pull the perfect pint of Guinness a number of years ago. The Tanaiste called in to see Peg during the recent mayoral election campaign such was the effect she had on him. Helen said Peg passed away peacefully in the family home which is what she wanted. She is now reunited with her late husband Joe, who passed away in 1995, and grandson Darren Whelan, who tragically died on holiday in Greece in 2021. One regular said the pub will never be the same but the Carmody name will live on as the pub will remain open and in the family. A beautiful eulogy, on behalf of the Carmody family, was read out at the funeral Mass by grandson Johnny. He wrote it with the help of his dad Tommie Carmody. At the age of 95, Peg lived a life full of love, resilience, and had a spirit that has left a mark on all who had the privilege of knowing her. Peg was a proud mother of seven, a cherished grandmother to 21, and a beloved great-grandmother to 8 and counting. "Her family was her world, and she dedicated her life to ensuring that they were cared for and well-educated. Her unwavering love and tireless efforts to provide for her family have shaped the lives of her children and grandchildren in ways that words can scarcely convey, said Johnny, who had travelled from Perth. He said Peg's life was a testament to hard work and dedication. For 60 years, she owned and ran a pub, an extraordinary achievement, especially considering that she never drank herself. Her pub was more than just a business; it was a place where loyal customers became friends, and friends became family. Peg took immense pride in her work, and her legacy is woven into the very fabric of the lives she touched through her pub. READ MORE: Green Limerick: Single-use cups to be ditched in Adare Johnny said Peg was a lover of life, had a unique sense of style and always presented herself impeccably, dressed to the nines. Her elegance and grace were matched only by her warmth and kindness. As the leader of our family, Peg will be deeply missed. But her legacy lives on in each of us, a testament to a life well-lived. Today, we do not mourn her passing; instead, we celebrate the incredible 95 years she graced this world and the stylish, spirited way she lived them. "Peg, you will always be held in the highest regard, your memory cherished and your life celebrated. Thank you for the lessons, the love, and the legacy you have left behind. May she rest in peace. LIMERICKS directly elected mayor has released details of his roadmap for his five-year term of office. From Abbeyfeale to Corbally, and Coonagh to Kilbehenny, Mayor John Moran has set out a roadmap of wide-ranging reforms for right across the county. Following his election in June, he was compelled by law to produce a programme of office within four months of taking office. He has taken half that time to produce a draft strategy, no doubt in the hope he can secure the attention of the Government, whose Budget is in October. The strategy will be scrutinised by councillors at a special meeting later this month. In the 105-page document, Mayor Moran has set out a series of ambitious plans for between now and 2029. And he has identified six sources of publicly available funding to potentially deliver these. READ MORE: Festival fever in Ballylanders this week A key plank of his mayoral programme, Mr Moran says, is safety. He is going to seek extra resources for the gardai in Limerick, and hopes it will bring an end to the days when people calling for help are put through to a Cork call centre. He added he will call for visible booths, and mobile garda vans in areas of concern for crime, anti-social behaviour and drug use. An increase of enforcement to deal with illegal parking and an improvement of restrictions to facilitate safer street use are also on Mayor Morans agenda. A 10-year plan to develop a wider range of retail businesses in the city centre is also part of his programme, with a council official appointed to deliver this. And, if Mayor Moran gets his way, there will be a permanent commercial cinema open in the city centre for the first time in a generation. He has pledged to resolve any issues which are preventing the Royal Cinema at Cecil Street re-opening. I believe it is possible to operate the office of mayor in a way which leads in more transparent government, Mr Moran declared. To this end, he says he will publish information about his diaries and expenses. On top of this, he will also seek to publish information about the expenses of senior management in companies which are connected to the council, such as its development arm, Limerick Twenty Thirty. He sees the Shannon Estuary coastline from Glin through Foynes to Askeaton as forming a key strategic growth triangle with Newcastle West. Also in line for attention is Kilmallock, which Mayor Moran says is ideally positioned to become a key transport hub. He wants to explore the potential of re-opening the towns railway station putting Kilmallock on the Cork-Dublin line. And, the first citizen hopes to persuade RTE to decentralise more of its operations from Dublin to Limerick. Minister Heather Humphreys has announced 3 million in funding to enhance Forest Parks across Ireland with 40,000 allocated to Curragh Chase Forest Park for road and car park resurfacing. A total of 122,899 has been granted for maintenance works across Limerick. This will go towards general maintenance and hedge cutting in Ballinruan, the replacing of signage in Ballyhoura, car park and trail maintenance in Foynes, and tree surgery and contingency for windblow. Funding will also be provided for general maintenance in Glenstal and Liskennett, support for ongoing projects in Mountain Meitheal and clear windblow for Multeen. The investment is part of a strategic partnership between the Department of Rural and Community Development and Coillte to maintain and manage existing trails in Coillte forests, and to develop new recreation opportunities. The funding will be used to deliver a range of projects such as new walking trails, carpark improvements, installation of footbridges and new toilet facilities. The Top 10 most visited Coillte Parks (non-ticketed) in the country were also announced today with Rossmore Park in Monaghan continuing to be ranked number one with 357,834 visitors in 2023. Speaking at Rossmore Park, Minister Humphreys said: Adventure tourism continues to go from strength to strength in Ireland. People want to be out and about enjoying our great outdoors whether its our beaches, lakes, mountains or of course our wonderful forests. We have seen a huge surge in visitor numbers to our forest parks in recent years and I want to see that continue. Im delighted that my Department is working collaboratively with Coillte so that we can upgrade and improve the experience for visitors. If you want to take a break and get some peace and quiet, there is nothing quite like a walk in the forest. There are so many hidden gems on our doorstep in Ireland and I would encourage people to get out and explore them. Imelda Hurley, Coillte CEO said: We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development and this important funding will enable us to further enhance the experience for visitors to our recreational forests across the country. As Irelands largest provider of outdoor recreation, were delighted to welcome an estimated 18 million visits to our recreational areas from across Ireland and indeed, further afield. Getting out in nature has proven positive benefits for peoples wellbeing and we look forward to further developing our recreational amenities for everyone to enjoy. USE ARROWS OR NEXT BUTTON TO SEE MORE PICTURES THE ODDEST roundabout Ive come across is how one frustrated motorist has described a new road feature on the outskirts of Limerick city which sees vehicles frequently drive over the top of it instead of around it. Locals and motorists argue the roundabout's layout is confusing, posing a safety hazard and are demanding immediate action to fix it. The new three-arm roundabout on the Old Cork Road / Kilmallock Road just a mile outside the city has been open to use by motorists over the past month. They're just launching the cars over the top of it, said one resident who contacted Limerick Live to voice his concern over the design of the road traffic measure. The local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said drivers are abusing the roundabout. There's no way of preventing a driver from driving over the top of it at high speed, especially on a straight road, he continued. When Limerick Live visited the site, we witnessed a number of vehicles - cars, trucks and buses - driving straight over the raised circle area and making no attempt to go around the designated roadway circling the large circle. One of the cars which did follow the roadway hit the kerbing on the outside. It is understood that the new roundabout was completed three weeks ago and construction works took place over a six or seven-month period prior to this. The resident said that the other residents are also really frustrated with the current situation. You've got lots and lots of new families and new babies, and new kids that are going to Donoughmore school and that are exiting from Ros Mor housing estate across the gala, and they're using that roundabout but then you have people that are on the main road already who are cutting them off the roundabout by just driving straight over the top of the roundabout. He is frustrated that a safety audit will be conducted in the next month stating that residents don't have a month to wait because an accident may occur on the roundabout in the time being. Someone is going to get really badly hurt on this roundabout and then it's going to be too late and then it's going to make the headlines. He highlighted that trucks are getting stuck at the end of the road. It just goes to show how many heavy goods vehicles travel along that road every day. He added that cars are flying over the roundabout. I just want something to be done so it's safe for people to drive to and from work and to and from dropping kids to school. People don't respect the speed limit and don't respect the fact that there's a roundabout there... They're just launching the cars over the top of it. The concerned local resident is keen for a solution to solve the problem and suggested installing something onto the roundabout to stop motorists driving over it. Something has to sit in the middle of it to prevent a car from driving over the top of it He also highlighted that there is no protective barrier in place from the roundabout into some of the housing in Ros Mor housing estate. Another motorist who travels the Old Cork Road on a regular basis said at the beginning there were efforts on the part of drivers to stay on the designated roadway but now loads of vehicles are just driving straight through as if there was no roundabout there at all. The circle is only slightly raised so there is no deterrent not to go straight through really. Its the oddest roundabout Ive come across, he added. Limerick City East Cllr Catherine Slattery said she understands that some people have concerns that the roundabout is quite large but she has been assured by Active Travel that engineers designed the roundabout specifically for a bus to turn. The roundabout is large and when the bus is turning, the bus does mount the roundabout but that is the way the roundabout is designed so the bus can mount the edge of the roundabout, she added. Cllr Slattery advocated for a bus service on the Old Cork Road for many years and said she continues to advocate for the area. The Fianna Fail councillor explained: Unfortunately, the council do not own the land in front of Ros Mor so the engineers designed the roundabout with that in mind. I have driven the area and used the roundabout and you do have to slow down when turning but I see that as a positive for the area. Cllr Slattery added that the roundabout is well signposted to indicate that there is a roundabout in place and drivers need to be vigilant and remember that there is a new traffic system in the area. I feel that having a bus service will benefit the area and Limerick Council and Bus Eireann have tested this roundabout and are happy to proceed with a full bus service that started on August 18. She concluded that she was delighted with the result of the Ros Mor/Kilmallock Road Active Travel Scheme. I am delighted to say that a brand new bus shelter has now been installed outside Ros Mor Housing Estate and one outside Kilmallock College of Further Education. Fellow Limerick City East Cllr Sarah Kiely said that over the last few weeks she has had numerous calls, texts, and emails regarding the roundabout at Ros Mor. I have spoken to the senior engineer regarding this, she explained. The Fine Gael councillor said a road safety audit will take place in the coming weeks. Functionality will be looked at in terms of built infrastructure. All aspects of safety will be assessed at that point. Cllr Kiely concluded that she will give a further update once the report comes back. A spokesperson for Limerick City & County Council said: The Ros Mor/Kilmallock Road Active Travel Scheme was approved by councillors via a Part 8 planning application in October 2022, having gone through a statutory public consultation process. The project has been subject to a full, independent Road Safety Audit. As part of the project, a new three-arm roundabout to the entrance of the housing estate is being constructed. The roundabout is required to expand the bus service to this location, as required under local transport policy, i.e. the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy 2040. The Active Travel team and the appointed contractor on site is continuing to engage with local residents and other stakeholders as construction on the project approaches its final stages. The scheme is anticipated to be completed in Q3 of 2024, stated a council spokesperson. The Ros Mor/Kilmallock Road Active Travel Scheme was delivered by Limerick City & County Council and funded by the National Transport Authority. Stock Market News BARC Shares - Barclays warns of Japan-style recession risk for China 16-08-2024 02:22 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Carbon-removal projects that suck CO2 out of the atmosphere are getting increasingly popular among companies looking to offset their emissions, with investment more than doubling in just the past year. Most of the money, however, is coming from just one buyer: Microsoft. The tech giant has the deep pockets to back these expensive removal projects. More companies will need to get on board if the sector is to reach a scale that could eventually lower costs for smaller businesses looking to buy the offsets. To this end, a nascent industry has formed aimed at helping firms without big budgets to get in on the act. Companies such as Patch, CUR8 and CarbonX are working as a kind of market maker, linking corporate buyers with carbon project developers to get new projects off the ground and scale the market. CUR8, based in London, creates portfolios of carbon-removal projects for its clients, freeing them from the task of having to perform due diligence on the projects themselves. It counts British Airways, Coca-Cola and Standard Chartered among its customers. The company sets up multiyear offtake agreementsin which a buyer pays for each ton of carbon removed once it has been verified that a project has removed itbetween its clients and developers to finance projects. Once a deal is in place, a developer can say that it has been contracted to produce a certain amount of credits to a lender and gain the financing it needs to get the project off the ground. Removal credits, for projects that pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, are seen as higher quality than credits for projects that simply reduce emissions by preventing their release, known as avoidance credits. Because of that, they are also much more expensive. While an avoidance credit for a project promoting, say, smokeless stoves can cost less than $20 a ton, a removal credit for the latest direct-air capture technology can cost as much as $1,100 a ton, according to BloombergNEF. Investment in removal projects should start to lower the cost, according to Kyle Harrison, head of sustainability research at BloombergNEF. Signing these deals gets economies of scale, developers are going to gain skills and bring down the cost over time," he said. Marta Krupinska, chief executive of CUR8, says by creating portfolios of projects, companies can invest in a wider range of projects, spreading risk and avoiding just a few types of technologies. It also allows companies to work to a specific budget. Patch, based in San Francisco, also invests in carbon offsets but includes projects that arent limited to just carbon removal, such as forestry protection. We provide an education on how you should budget for CO2 removal," said Brennan Spellacy, CEO and co-founder of Patch. The platform allows companies to purchase credits on the spot or sign up to multiyear offtake agreements. Large businesses say buying removal credits represents one of the only ways in which they can hit net-zero goals, especially when considering supply chain emissions, also known as scope 3. Microsoft is using removal credits to meet its 2050 target of being carbon negative" for its historical emissions, going back to its founding in 1975. The tech giant has made more than two thirds of all carbon-removal purchases to date, committing to at least 8 million tons of carbon dioxide removal worldwide. In the process it has funded the launch of many startup developers. Brian Marrs, senior director of carbon removal and energy at Microsoft, says that by buying removals from young companies, innovation in the industry gets a kick-start. Youre pushing solutions into the market and then pulling them forward into mature companies," he said. Frontier, a group of buyers that includes Google-parent Alphabet, consulting firm McKinsey and Co. and payments giant Stripe, has committed to purchasing $1 billion of carbon removals by 2030 and has invested about $317 million to date, largely through long-term agreements or advanced market commitments. Nan Ransohoff, head of climate at Stripe who also leads Frontier, said one of the main issues for startups is working out whether or not there will be demand for their removals. The value of an advanced market commitment is that it sends a really loud signal to entrepreneurs and investors that there is going to be a market for the technologies that they are building and this is the value of pooling funds." One company in which both Frontier and Microsoft has invested is Lithos, a startup that is developing a technology known as enhanced rock weathering, where crushed basalt rock is spread over soil to capture carbon dioxide from the air in a reaction between the air, rain and minerals in the rock. Lithos says that the funding it has received has accelerated its development by years. Something thats very challenging in our market is youre not buying the car, youre not buying a desk, its not physically tangible in the same way and so its really hard to define," said Mary Yap, CEO of Lithos. It allows us to prove to our suppliers like the quarries that we work with, the farmers that we work with, that we are a legitimate group, that were not just like a fun upstart two-and-a-half-year-old company with some research." Write to Yusuf Khan at yusuf.khan@wsj.com AVG Logistics Q1 Results Live : AVG Logistics has announced its Q1 results on 14 Aug, 2024, showcasing a significant year-over-year (YoY) growth. The company's topline surged by 22.49%, while its profit skyrocketed by 105.9% compared to the same quarter last year. However, when compared to the previous quarter, the revenue saw a decline of 10.25% and the profit decreased by 77.22%. The company's Selling, General & Administrative (SG&A) expenses saw a rise of 5.45% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and increased by 17.47% YoY. This uptick in expenses reflects the company's ongoing investments in its operations and administrative functions. Operating income for AVG Logistics experienced a mixed performance. It dropped by 50.44% QoQ but increased by 31.78% YoY, indicating a robust annual growth despite quarterly fluctuations. The Earnings Per Share (EPS) for Q1 stood at 3.81, marking a substantial increase of 77.21% YoY. In terms of stock performance, AVG Logistics has delivered a -0.29% return over the last week, a 10.16% return over the last six months, and a 28.16% Year-To-Date (YTD) return. This demonstrates a strong upward trend in the company's market performance for the year. Currently, AVG Logistics has a market capitalization of 658.69 Crore. The stock has seen a 52-week high of 668.4 and a 52-week low of 238.15, reflecting a significant range in its trading value over the past year. AVG Logistics Financials Period Q1 Q4 Q-o-Q Growth Q1 Y-o-Y Growth Total Revenue 122.91 136.95 -10.25% 100.34 +22.49% Selling/ General/ Admin Expenses Total 4.83 4.58 +5.45% 4.11 +17.47% Depreciation/ Amortization 10.37 10.01 +3.57% 9.09 +14% Total Operating Expense 110.43 111.76 -1.2% 90.87 +21.52% Operating Income 12.48 25.18 -50.44% 9.47 +31.78% Net Income Before Taxes 6.62 28.5 -76.76% 3.1 +113.54% Net Income 5.21 22.87 -77.22% 2.53 +105.9% Diluted Normalized EPS 3.81 9.76 -60.95% 2.15 +77.21% Baroda Rayon Q1 Results Live : Baroda Rayon declared their Q1 results on 14 Aug, 2024. The company reported a significant decline in its topline, with revenue decreasing by 80.67% year-over-year (YoY) and profit falling by 22.81% YoY. Despite this annual downturn, the company showed signs of recovery on a quarterly basis, with revenue growing by 47.18% and profit increasing by 36.33% compared to the previous quarter. The financial report also highlighted that Selling, General & Administrative (SG&A) expenses rose by 0.87% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and increased by 0.39% YoY. This suggests a slight uptick in operational costs, which may have contributed to the overall profit decline. On a more positive note, Baroda Rayon's operating income saw a significant boost, rising by 40.75% QoQ and by 1.14% YoY. This indicates improved operational efficiency and a potential for better profitability in the future. Earnings per share (EPS) for Q1 stood at 1.56, reflecting a sharp decline of 54.14% YoY. This drop in EPS is a key indicator of the challenges the company faces in maintaining its profitability. In terms of stock performance, Baroda Rayon has delivered a -1.53% return over the last week, -8.22% return over the last six months, and -11.44% year-to-date (YTD) return. These figures suggest a challenging market environment and investor sentiment. Currently, Baroda Rayon has a market capitalization of 399.12 Cr. The company's stock has a 52-week high of 249.3 and a 52-week low of 150, reflecting significant volatility over the past year. Baroda Rayon Financials Period Q1 Q4 Q-o-Q Growth Q1 Y-o-Y Growth Total Revenue 10.49 7.13 +47.18% 54.26 -80.67% Selling/ General/ Admin Expenses Total 0.23 0.23 +0.87% 0.23 +0.39% Depreciation/ Amortization 0.04 0.02 +121.18% 0.01 +248.15% Total Operating Expense 5.5 3.58 +53.54% 49.32 -88.85% Operating Income 4.99 3.54 +40.75% 4.93 +1.14% Net Income Before Taxes 6.3 4.62 +36.33% 8.17 -22.81% Net Income 6.3 4.62 +36.33% 8.17 -22.81% Diluted Normalized EPS 1.56 1 +56.3% 3.4 -54.14% Nivaka Fashions Q1 Results Live : Nivaka Fashions declared their Q1 results on 14 Aug, 2024. The financial performance for the quarter showcased a significant decline in revenue and a substantial increase in losses. The topline revenue for Nivaka Fashions plummeted by 60.09% year-over-year (YoY), signaling a challenging quarter for the company. Concurrently, the net loss escalated by a staggering 172.12% YoY. When compared to the previous quarter, the financial downturn was even more pronounced. The revenue saw a sharp decline of 87.59% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), while the net loss surged by an extraordinary 4669.81% QoQ. These figures indicate severe operational and financial difficulties faced by the company in the recent months. On a more positive note, the company's Selling, General & Administrative (SG&A) expenses showed a decrease, reflecting efforts to manage costs amid the financial strain. SG&A expenses declined by 72.72% QoQ and recorded a 12.93% reduction YoY, suggesting improved efficiency in certain operational areas. Despite the overall negative financial performance, Nivaka Fashions reported a modest improvement in operating income on a quarterly basis. The operating income increased by 5.89% QoQ, although it still saw a decline of 24.82% YoY. This indicates that while the company is grappling with revenue and loss challenges, there are some areas where operational performance is stabilizing. The earnings per share (EPS) for Q1 stood at -0.02, marking a significant decline of 172.15% YoY. This further underscores the financial difficulties faced by the company in the current economic climate. As Nivaka Fashions navigates through these tough times, the focus will likely be on strategic adjustments and cost management to steer the company back to a more stable financial footing. Nivaka Fashions Financials Period Q1 Q4 Q-o-Q Growth Q1 Y-o-Y Growth Total Revenue 0.06 0.49 -87.59% 0.15 -60.09% Selling/ General/ Admin Expenses Total 0.09 0.33 -72.72% 0.1 -12.93% Depreciation/ Amortization 0.13 0.45 -71.51% 0.04 +230.49% Total Operating Expense 0.42 0.87 -52.1% 0.44 -4.85% Operating Income -0.35 -0.38 +5.89% -0.28 -24.82% Net Income Before Taxes -0.25 -0.07 -278.12% -0.09 -173.52% Net Income -0.25 -0.01 -4669.81% -0.09 -172.12% Diluted Normalized EPS -0.02 -0 -4636.54% -0.01 -172.15% The July tech outage that knocked out businesses worldwide renews scrutiny over why some companies have access to the very heart of a computer and, therefore, the ability to suddenly crash it. Access to the kernel," considered the core of a computers operating system, is critical to protecting against viruses. But last months tech outage showed the risk of such openness on Microsofts Windows computers. Developers and software makers say there are safer ways to tap in to the kernel without full access, but Microsoft hasnt made the leap. An errant software update from the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike in July took out 8.5 million Microsoft Windows computers, disrupting operations for banks, emergency services, schools and hospitals while forcing airlines to ground flights. Allowing software makers to run kernel drivers," which are programs built to access a computers core and its hardware, isnt the only option for their products to work. Apple, for instance, cuts off access to its MacOS operating system kernel to all third parties, forcing cyber vendors to operate in the more restricted user mode." In user mode, where most applications run today, buggy software cant crash a computer. In kernel mode, where CrowdStrike and most other antivirus makers run on Windows, a faulty update can bring on the blue screen of death." But there are also benefits to running in kernel mode, such as giving antivirus makers access to the low-level system data critical for detecting cyberattacks and threats, and letting their tools activate before malware can. Another open-source alternative is already available on the Linux operating system, but its up to Microsoft to make it available for Windows, said Alexei Starovoitov, a Meta Platforms engineer and a creator of the technology. Called the Extended Berkeley Packet Filter, or eBPF, the decade-old technology pioneered by Starovoitov and others could have helped prevent CrowdStrikes global outage, its proponents and cyber vendors say. EBPF puts programs in a walled-off environment in the kernel, preventing a bad or malicious update from reaching it and crashing a computer. CrowdStrike agrees. Its a super revolutionary technology," the companys president, Michael Sentonas, said. If something happens where you have a crash, you dont take out the entire kernel." While headlines rolled out on the impact of the outage, Brendan Gregg, an eBPF pioneer and fellow at Intel, said he and other leaders of the open-source technology were talking: Were like, We have worked on the solution to this for so many years." Kernel mode for everything Using the kernel isnt new. Theres a lot of software that we dont even realize has access in kernel mode," said Allie Mellen, a cybersecurity analyst at Forrester Research. Many functions on a computer simply work better with kernel access, Microsoft said. Gaming and photo-editing software and programs for printing and enabling Bluetooth all tap in to the kernel to interact with a computers hardware and improve its performance. Any of these can knock out a computerand have. Kernel modules crashing an operating system is nothing new," said Craig Connors, chief technology officer of Ciscos security business group. Its only new that it happened eight million times, from the same thing." For Microsoft, the decision to give developers kernel-level access dates back about 15 years. A company spokesman said it cant legally wall off its operating system because of an understanding it reached with the European Commission at the time. The casebrought by the commission over concerns that Microsoft may have abused its dominant market position by tying its web browser and other software to Windowswas resolved in December 2009 when Microsoft agreed to give users more browser choices. The company also committed to giving third-party vendors the same level of operating system access that Microsoft gets. In other words, Microsofts Defender security product cant hold a competitive advantage over competing products by preventing them from accessing the kernel or running a kernel driver. With access to the Windows kernel, CrowdStrike and other antivirus makers must determine when its best to tap user mode instead of kernel mode in their products, and customers, in turn, have had to figure out the trade-offs in kernel programming decisionsno easy task for even experienced software developers. Microsoft Windows changes One of eBPFs primary benefits is that it enables software like CrowdStrikes to access the kernel, but lets only safe, verified programs actually run. That means the bad CrowdStrike update would have been walled off. Plus, a member of eBPFs open-source community could have spotted bugs much sooner, Starovoitov said, before its deployed to millions of servers around the world." Microsoft has been working with the eBPF Foundation, which is part of the Linux Foundation, for several years to make it available on Windows, said Gregg of eBPF. CrowdStrike said it uses eBPF for Linux, and is willing to use it on Windows when Microsoft makes it available. But, Microsoft said eBPF isnt ready for Windows yet, citing new security risks it could introduce. Its task is to secure and manage Windows holistically, not just the slice that cyber vendors use, it said. Gregg said that while it will take time for the technology to improve on Windows, its additional security measures still make it safer than using the kernel. Without providing a specific timeline, Microsoft said the most likely near-term solution is to give developers other options for direct and indirect kernel access. In the longer term, it will move toward an Apple-like approach where developers get pushed deeper into user mode and out of the kernel. That takes custom engineering work, it said, much of which is already done. Microsoft said it already has worked with some vendors, including CrowdStrike, to put more functionality in user mode. Regardless of how any developer accesses the kernel, they can still crash a computer without proper safeguards, testing and software rollout, Microsoft said. Long road ahead Still, some cyber vendors arent convinced Microsoft will enable eBPF, considered the Linux method, or wall off kernel access, following the Apple method. Alex Stamos, chief information security officer of CrowdStrike competitor SentinelOne, said regardless of the option Microsoft pursues, Microsofts own security product must use the method of access as outside competitors. If not, Microsoft gives itself an unfair advantage as both operating system maker and security vendor, he said. Meanwhile, the pressure to find an alternative grows. In July, Germanys powerful cybersecurity agency asked Microsoft to develop more resilient architectures" for endpoint protection software with minimal kernel-level access. Cisco also is working with Microsoft to build eBPF for Windows, Connors said, aiming to use the technology for its Windows antivirus software. Any kernel overhaul requires a major product change and mind shift, said Gartner cybersecurity analyst Neil MacDonald. Thats time-consuming and costly for both Microsoft and its software partners. It might take the form of a larger Windows revamp, Stamos said, just as Apple made its change as part of a MacOS update and move to its own silicon. Its somewhat painful, but its a necessary evolution," MacDonald said. Write to Belle Lin at belle.lin@wsj.com Taiwan-headquartered electronics brand Acer aims to boost production of laptops in India, making three out of every five devices it sells here, Harish Kohli, president and managing director of Acer India, said. The push for local manufacturing is in line with Acer looking to broaden its presence in the Indian consumer market, where it has also started looking at new product categories such as television and home appliances. Currently, all of our desktop PCs (personal computers) sold are made locally at plants operated by our ODM (original design manufacturer) partners. Weve also sold 2.3 million tablets in the past year, all of which were made in India. At this moment, about 40% of all our laptops are locally madewe aim to ramp this up to 60% of all laptops per year, by the end of 2024," Kohli told Mint in an interview. The company is looking to displace American technology major Dell as Indias second-largest PC brand. The last year was strong for us, and were looking to build on this further with a strong 2024 as well. This will see us compete against Dell, which is currently ranked second in the market. Were definitely looking to grow faster, and move up in the market," he added. Read more | Indians loved to flaunt their budget smartwatches. Not any more. Acers move is in line with Indias PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardwarewhere laptops and computing device assembling in domestic plants were incentivized by the Centre as part of a production-linked incentive scheme. On 18 November, Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the net production value of all IT hardware will be $42 billionwith companies investing $360 million as part of local manufacturing initiatives. Kohli also said that its manufacturing targets for the PLI scheme were met along with its partners. The company has increased its domestic market share over the past two years. In the March quarter of 2022, Acer accounted for 9.8% of total PCs (desktops, laptops and tablets) sold in the period, and was the fourth-largest brand in the country after HP, Dell and Lenovo, as per market researcher IDC India. Last year, a 30% sales slump driven by work-from-office orders after the pandemic ended saw Acers local PC sales in the first three months of 2023 drop 12.5%. Also read | Dixon to make Acer laptops at Noida unit However, Acers sales decline was half of the rest of the top five brands, which saw a fall of 25-50%. This year, Acer was the fastest recovering brand in the top five companies. PC sales in January-March jumped 29% year-over-year to 474,000 units, overtaking Chinas Lenovo to become the third-largest laptop and tablet seller in the country. While Acer Indias FY24 financials are awaited, data from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) showed that Acer reported a net operating income of 4,100.8 crore ($488.4 million) in FY23, up 3.1% over FY22s 3,976.3 crore ($484.9 million). Net profit increased 13.8% to 27.9 crore ($3.3 million). Kohli expressed optimism in the companys prospects in India, going forward. Were diversifying into home appliances with a wholly owned sub-brand. While our smartphone brand licensing is a completely separate operation, we expect much of our growth to still come from an increase in the consumer business. In 2022, 64% of our PC sales were to enterprises. By December 2024, we hope to strike a 50:50 balance given the journey that were on to focus on the consumer market," Kohli said. However, market analysts are not convinced. An investor note by financial services firm Icra Ltd said that Acer Indias profit margina measly 0.7%remains a challenge. The industry is characterized by an intense price-based competition among players. This limits the pricing flexibility across the industry, resulting in thin margins. Moreover, the computer market is very competitive, and Acer India generally prices its products below its competitors. This is due to the intense competition in the desktop and laptop market, which has kept a tight control over product pricing. Still, the margins are especially low for tender-based government-sector orders," Icras note said. The companys government contracts also saw it foray into the education sector. We addressed the demand for computing devices and interactive flat panel displays in smart classrooms and in rural markets, where a device was needed within 15,000. Given that no laptop could serve this market, we supplied over 2 million tablets, all of which were made in India," Kohli said. Also read | Homegrown Indkal Tech in licensing pact to launch Acer smartphones in India To be sure, electronics manufacturing plants in India still work largely as assembling unitswith crucial components such as the semiconductor chip, memory, storage, battery cells and various other core parts still being imported. Kohli said that the company is happy" with the level of sophistication and progress that the domestic manufacturing ecosystem has made over the past years. Weve brought along various inputs from the Taiwan headquarters in terms of improving production mechanisms and ramping up the local component supply chain. Most of our local manufacturing partners, which include Dixon Technologies, Bhagwati Products and Plumage Technologies, have consistently upgraded and ramped up Indias manufacturing plants, which has allowed us to localize more of our product lines," he added. (Bloomberg) -- Bankrupt Steward Health Care System won court approval to sell its managed-care business for $245 million and said its close to finalizing sales agreements for most of its Massachusetts hospitals. Judge Christopher Lopez said Friday hed approve the sale of the troubled health systems so-called Stewardship Health business to an affiliate of investment firm Kinderhook Industries. The deal, which includes Steward Medical Group and Steward Health Care Network, topped a rival offer from Stewards lenders and keeps the companys primary-care doctors separate from its troubled hospital system. Steward lawyer Ray Schrock said during a court hearing that the firm has made substantial progress on proposed purchase agreements for five of its six Massachusetts hospitals, though advisers are still working to sell all of the hospitals in the state. Discussions related to the sales have included Massachusetts authorities, which is advancing $30 million in payments through various state programs to support the hospitals operations, Schrock said. Stewardship Health, the managed-care business, serves more than 800,000 patients a year and employs 900 primary care doctors backed by 2,350 specialists in 10 states, according to court documents. The sale to Kinderhook affiliate Rural Healthcare Group is subject closing conditions. The transaction won court approval days after Steward announced it had an agreement to sell its hospitals in northern Florida to Orland Health for up to $439 million, according to court documents. The transaction is in the form of a stalking horse bid, meaning its subject to better offers should any materialize in the coming weeks. Orlando Health is a private, not-for-profit healthcare organization. Steward filed Chapter 11 in May and has been working to sell its hospitals to new owners. The company operates about 30 hospitals in Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, and other states. The bankruptcy case is Steward Health Care System LLC, 24-90213, US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District Court of Texas (Houston.) --With assistance from Steven Church. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com (Bloomberg) -- Tempur Sealy International Inc. wanted to buy Mattress Firm Inc. to eliminate its biggest rival, according to newly unsealed documents in the government lawsuit seeking to block the deal. Tempur Sealys top executive wrote comments on the cover of a May 2022 presentation about the deal saying that buying Mattress Firm would eliminate future competition and block new competition, according to the documents, which were unsealed by a Texas judge late Thursday. The US Federal Trade Commission sued in federal court to block the $4 billion acquisition last month. Tempur Sealy is the worlds largest mattress manufacturer with top brands including Tempur-Pedic, Sealy Posturepedic and Stearns & Foster. Mattress Firm, owned by South African retailer Steinhoff International Holdings NV, operates more than 2,300 stores across 49 states. In the unsealed documents, the agency didnt name the executive, which it identified as Sealys chief executive officer. Scott L. Thompson has served as the companys chairman and CEO since 2015. In other documents that were also unsealed, executives wrote that they hoped the acquisition of Mattress Firm would let them prevent rivals like Serta Simmons Bedding LLC and Resident Home LLC, which sells the Nectar brand, from being distributed in the stores. Another presentation to Tempur Sealys board said that acquiring Mattress Firm the largest mattress retailer in the US would further build[] a competitive moat and give Tempur Sealy [m]aximum control over a critical retail channel partner. The companies didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Tempur Sealy said after the FTC filed suit that it would contest the allegations and believes the transaction is consistent with the law. The FTC declined to comment. The agency is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the acquisition while a trial takes place in the agencys in-house court. The Texas court hasnt yet scheduled a hearing, though both sides have requested the judge hold one in November on the injunction request. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com A United States court has ordered Sterlite Technologies' foreign arm to pay 810 crore ($96.5 million) in damages to US-based Prysmian for violating trade secret norms, PTI reported on August 16. The order was filed with the regulatory exchanges and the Prysmian also issued a statement, it added. Further, a $2,00,000 penalty has also been levied on Stephen Szymanski, Executive Vice President for Americas Region at Sterlite Technologies Incorporated (STI) for "misappropriation" of Prysmian's trade secrets, the report said. STI is the US subsidiary of Sterlite Technologies (STL). Sterlite Tech has contested the judgement and may file an appeal against it, the report added. Sterlite Tech is backed by Anil Agarwal led Indian conglomerate Vedanta Group. Also Read | Kolkata doctor rape case: IMA to halt medical services nationwide for 24 hours Jury Rules in Prysmian's Favour As per an official statement from Prysmian, a jury ruled in favour of Prysmian on August 9 after a three-weeks long trial in the district court of Columbia, South Carolina. "The jury found that Sterlite was unjustly enriched by taking Prysmian's trade secrets and awarded $96.5 million in damages against STI. In addition, the jury found that Szymanski had been unjustly enriched by misappropriating Prysmian's trade secrets," the release dated August 12 stated. Prysmian further said that the court awarded $2,00,000 penalty against Szymanski, personally. "Szymanski ran Prysmian's optical fibre cable business in North America, and departed Prysmian for Sterlite, a direct competitor, in August 2020," the statement said. Szymanski joined STI in September 2020. Sterlite Tech Contests Judgement In its regulatory filing on August 10, Sterlite Tech informed the BSE that it is "not a party to this dispute neither are any claims being made against it", adding, "STI believes the judgement is not supported by the testimony and evidence presented at trial and intends to vigorously pursue all available post-trial remedies including an appeal." Sterlite Tech posted a consolidated loss of 48 crore and decline of about 20 per cent in revenue from operations at 1,218 crore in the first quarter (Q1FY25) ended June 30, 2024. Adding Doritos-flavored tacos to Taco Bells menu helped put Brian Niccol on the map. Transforming Chipotle from a cautionary food-safety tale into an inflation-proof burrito powerhouse made him a bona fide restaurant-industry superstar. And it has landed him one of the biggest, and toughest, jobs in the business: fixing Starbucks. Over the course of his nearly three-decade career, Niccol, 50 years old, has run into challenges at every stop. He persuaded consumers to reconsider Pringles. He beat back accusations that Taco Bell used filler in its beef and figured out a way to buttress Chipotle Mexican Grills food-supply chain without losing customers drawn to its fresh ingredients. Niccol now moves to Starbucks as the companys next chief executive and chairman, bringing a mix of creative marketing and operational acumen that colleagues say sets him apart from C-suite peers. He also has found ways to work with the restaurant industrys famously outsize personalitiesa potential asset at Starbucks, where longtime leader Howard Schultz keeps close tabs on the brand he built. Starbucks announced Niccols hire this week as the worlds largest coffee chain abruptly parted ways with Laxman Narasimhan, who had assumed the CEO role about a year and a half ago. Since then, Starbuckss challenges have grown deeper and more complex, ranging from baristas inundated with complicated orders to criticism related to the Israel-Hamas war. Some customers say they can face long waits for drinks that seem too expensive. The companys sales have fallen, and its stock, too. Shares had declined nearly 20% this year until the news of Niccols hire sent the stock surging 25% on Tuesday. It was the biggest single-day percentage increase since Starbuckss stock made its market debut in 1992. The challenges at Starbucks are not going to be new to Brian," said Scott Bergren, a former Yum Brands executive who promoted Niccol to become Pizza Huts marketing chief in 2007. Niccol, who Chipotle said wasnt available for comment, has been Chipotles CEO for more than six years and its chairman since 2020. When he joined, the board wanted a turnaround leader to help fix the brands sales and image following food-safety problems that had sickened customers, drawn scrutiny from public health officials and sent the companys stock tumbling. After taking over, Niccol further tightened food-safety procedures and ramped up marketing to rectify brand perceptions. When another food-safety incident sickened hundreds of customers early in his term, Chipotle closed the Ohio restaurant tied to the outbreak and retrained its workers nationwide in safe-handling procedures. Customers came back and Chipotles sales grew, rising to $9.9 billion in 2023 from $4.9 billion in Niccols first year as CEO, while net income was roughly seven times higher. Colleagues, other executives and analysts credited him with speeding up service and growing online ordering. Niccol is one of the best-paid CEOs among publicly traded restaurant companies, earning a total compensation of $22.5 million last year, up from $17.2 million in 2022, according to Chipotle company filings. Starbucks will pay Niccol a $10 million cash award and a $75 million stock grant to replace equity he forfeited by leaving Chipotle, dependent on both performance and tenure, the company said in a Wednesday filing. Niccols salary was set at $1.6 million and he is eligible for an annual cash bonus of up to $7.2 million. He will receive an annual equity award valued at $23 million starting next fiscal year. Bigger stage Niccol steps onto a much bigger stage at Starbucks, which operates in more than 80 countries, versus six for Chipotle. The coffee giant has more than 39,000 locations, 11 times what Chipotle runs, and Starbucks plans to add thousands more in the coming years. Starbucks employs roughly 460,000 people around the world, and once estimated it had 170,000-plus ways its baristas could customize beverages. A native of Philadelphia who grew up mowing lawns as a kid, Niccol in 1995 landed a college internship at Procter & Gamble and later got hired there. As an assistant brand manager for Scope mouthwash, he was challenged to help find a way to get consumers to use Scope on the go, and the team experimented with a gum-like product that squirted the mouthwash when chewed. It freshened breath but left a residue in the mouth, Niccol said on a podcast released earlier this year with one of his previous bosses, former Yum CEO David Novak. Niccol took it as an early lesson. You cant just market past what the product experience is," he said. Rising through Taco Bells ranks at Yum in the early 2010s, Niccol said he approached his work at the brand as a turnaround, with room to be more than a low-cost value option. To get there, Niccol launched the Live Mas" marketing campaign, which the company continues to use, and introduced the Doritos Locos Tacos, which sold hundreds of millions of crispy folded shells in their first year. Keeping burritos flowing and full Speed of service has been one of Starbuckss thorniest challenges, with the chain at times caught between efforts to simplify store operations and offer customers the freedom to design their own drinks. Orders flow into cafes via drive-through windows, mobile apps and the cash register, sometimes leaving baristas scrambling to keep up. At Chipotle, Niccol is credited with helping to make the most of the chains second kitchen production line to speed to-go orders and building more online-order-only drive-throughs. Known as Chipotlanes," the digital pickup locations deliver some of the highest returns for Chipotle, and the company is focused on building as many as possible. On investor calls and in board meetings, Niccol has stressed the need to avoid gumming up operations with new products. When Chipotle started selling quesadillas nationwide in 2021, Niccol restricted them to online orders only so they could be made ahead of time, because they tended to take too long when made to order on the spot. Niccol has had to respond to suspicious customers convinced the chain had begun shorting them on scoops of beans and meat. He initially played down the theory before finding some evidence of a subset of workers that the company said needed retraining on portion sizes. Niccol also developed a ritual to keep the burrito maker relevant. In meetings with other senior executives, he peppered them with questions about their past week: What were their children talking about? What were their kids friends interested in? In other words, what did Chipotle need to know about pop culture? It started out as a little bit of a joke," Niccol said on the podcast with Novak. But it proved helpful. It gives us some insight into what are the things we can do to keep Chipotle fresh, to keep Chipotle connected." Victor Stefanescu and Chip Cutter contributed to this article. Write to Heather Haddon at heather.haddon@wsj.com New Delhi: The Russian Federation and Rosneft PJSC have stuck to their stand on paying dividends in lieu of ONGC Videsh Ltds (OVL) 20% stake in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas field, even as India wants equity oil as agreed earlier. The Russian reluctance to give equity oil comes at a time of stuck dividends from Vankorneft and Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha LLC for Indian state-run firms having climbed to $600 million, two people aware of the development said. The issue of proposed dividends from Indias most lucrative energy equity buy overseasSakhalin-1came up for discussion between officials from both sides during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Moscow visit last month to attend the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit, but has found no resolution as yet. India, the worlds third largest oil importer, is keen on getting equity oil, at a time of continuing production cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec)-plus grouping that includes Russia. In such a scenario, having equity oil rights will help India navigate uncertain energy markets. Energy security is key to Indias national security as the country imports over 87% of its oil requirements. Mint has reported about the vexed issue earlier. The dividend payment for Sakhalin-1 is a new proposed arrangement, given that earlier India used to receive equity oil before the Russian government took over the 30% stake of ExxonMobil along with its operatorship. After a Russian presidential decree, while OVL received its previous shareholding in Sakhalin-1, the shares are yet to be transferred to it. Stuck dividends for Indian state-run energy firms including OVL, Bharat Petroresources Ltd (BPRL), Indian Oil Corp and Oil India Ltd from from CSJC Vankorneft and LLC Taas-Yuryakh have climbed to $600 million, given the difficulty in transferring dividend payments from Russia. While OVL wants equity oil from Sakhalin-1, Russia wants to make dividend payments. The issue was taken up between officials of both sides during PM Modis recent visit. Also, the process of OVL getting equity rights for its shares in Sakhalin-1 is yet to be completed," said one of the two people cited above requesting anonymity. A 9 July joint statement following the India Russia Annual Summit said, The Sides reiterated the importance of the robust and wide ranging cooperation in the energy sector as a significant pillar of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. In this context, the Sides noted the continued special importance of bilateral trade in energy resources and agreed to explore new long term contracts." An OVL spokesperson said in an emailed response, The discussions with Russian Federation on transfer of stake from Sakhalin-1 to Sakhalin-1 LLC are under progress. The transfer can only take place after transfer of Abandonment Fund to Russia which has been held up due to sanctions on Russia. As regards dividends or any other payment in respect of Sakhalin-1, the same shall accrue only after formal transfer of stake." As regards the discussions held by Honble PM with Russian authorities, ONGC Videsh is not in position to comment on the same or on the dividends of OIL, BPRL and IOC stuck in Russia," the OVL spokesperson said and added, As regards ONGC Videsh, an amount of about USD250 MM (million) is in the Russian Accounts of ONGC Videsh." Manifold returns The Sakhalin-1 stake, purchased by ONGCs subsidiary for $331 million in 2001, has yielded multi-fold revenue of $4.5 billion over the years. The Sakhalin-1 asset is spread over 1140 sq. km in far-east offshore in Russia. Japans Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Co. held 30% in the project, with Rosneft units holding the remaining 20%. In a detailed emailed response, a Rosneft spokesperson said, The relationship between Russia and India is characterized by a strategic partnership. Rosneft Oil Company's cooperation with oil and gas corporations in India is developing along the entire technological chain, from production to refining and marketing of petroleum products." Indian state-owned firms have invested $16 billion in Russia till date. Russia also emerged as a major supplier to Indian refiners for the first time in FY23 after it started giving oil at discounted rates amid the Ukraine war. The discounted Russian oil also helped India meet the growing demand for petroleum products. In 2001, ONGC acquired a stake in the highly leveraged Sakhalin-1 offshore project on favourable terms (for $331 million). The Indian company's revenue in Sakhalin-1 has totalled $4.5 billion over the period. In 2022, the project's former operator, Exxon Neftegaz Limited, unilaterally halted operations at Sakhalin-1, exposing its participants to financial losses and putting the project at risk of environmental and man-made emergencies. To prevent adverse consequences, a Russian legal entity Sakhalin-1 LLC, the new project operator, was established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation in October 2022, and it is anticipated that the stakes of its participants will be maintained in proportion to those previously held in the consortium," the Rosneft spokesperson added. Right to participate We believe that it is important to emphasize that ONGC's right to participate in Sakhalin-1 is indisputable and will be reinstated once the required procedure involving the formation of a liquidation fund within the territory of the Russian Federation. In line with the Presidential Decree, the project operator sells the project's oil and pays dividends to its participants. Operating costs to date have been fully funded by the project operator. The receipt of produced oil by participants is contingent upon the price offered aligning with market levels and the incorporation of production costs," the Rosneft spokesperson said. Apart from a 20% stake in Sakhalin-1, OVL also holds 26% stake in CSJC Vankorneft, which is the owner of Vankor Field and North Vankor licence; wherein an Indian consortium comprising of Indian Oil Corp., OIL and Bharat Petroresources Ltd also hold 23.9% stake. RN Vankor, an affiliate of Rosneft which holds 50.1% stake, is its operator. In addition, a consortium of Indian Oil Corp., OIL and Bharat Petroresources Ltd have a 29.9% stake in LLC Taas-Yuryakh. OVL also acquired Imperial Energy Corp. Plc. that has 10 exploration and production (E&P) licence blocks in the Tomsk region of Western Siberia. Indian companies are stakeholders in highly leveraged projects in Russia - Vankorneft and Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha. The aggregate earnings of Indian partners in projects with Rosneft's participation were approximately $9 billion, which is nearly double the initial investment. Rosneft is strict in its payments to shareholders, and there are no dividend debts. Appropriate funds have been transferred to the accounts of the Indian partners, which they can handle at their discretion. We suggest that you address the issue of further disposal, including transfer of funds to the hostile jurisdiction of the Republic of Singapore, where a number of partners are registered, and the jurisdiction of the Republic of India, to the Indian companies. This may be connected to the varying tax regimes," the Rosneft spokesperson said. In response to Mint' queries, an official of India's ministry of external affairs asked Mint to direct the query to ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MoPNG). Queries emailed to the spokespersons of MoPNG, PMO, the Russian Federation embassy in New Delhi, Bharat Petroresources Ltd, Indian Oil Corp, and Oil India Ltd late on Sunday night remained unanswered till press time. MUMBAI : In the midst of covid lockdowns a few top executives of ChrysCapital, a private equity firm headquartered in New Delhi, decided to make a trip to Pune. That city about 150 km to Mumbais south is home to an unassuming entrepreneur who over the past decade and half has founded three startup unicorns. That includes Brainbees Solutions Pvt. Ltdthe parent company of baby products retailer FirstCrythat made a stellar stock market debut this week. The ChrysCapital executives were looking to make their first investment in FirstCry and had conducted most of their due diligence online over Zoom meetings. But they wanted to meet in person the FirstCry team and co-founder and chief executive Supam Maheshwari. We were amazed at the understated office that he worked out of, which was unlike many other new-age founders that we come across," said Kshitij Sheth, managing director, ChrysCapital. ChrysCapital would eventually participate in a $315 million funding into FirstCry alongside TPG Growth and Premji Invest in 2021, valuing the company at $1.9-$2 billion. FirstCry had gained its unicorn tag a year earlier, when it raised $296 million at a $1.2 billion valuation in a funding round led by Japans SoftBank. Many investors have similarly found Maheshwari non-flashy, bringing up comparisons with another high-profile entrepreneur who scored an electric stock market debut last week. Bhavish Aggarwal, outgoing and opinionated, has founded three unicorns, including the now publicly listed Ola Electric Ltd, ride-sharing platform Ola Cabs, and artificial intelligence platform Krutrim, Indias first AI startup estimated to be worth at least $1 billion. Also read | FirstCry, Ola Electric IPOs to build a club of super-rich Maheshwari is considered an introvert, building his businesses almost under the radar. On Tuesday, industrialist Anand Mahindra told analysts and investors at FirstCrys listing ceremony that his team at Mahindra Retail, whose Mom & Me stores originally competed with FirstCry, had found that they were better off supporting him (Maheshwari) than fighting him". When Goliath became a fan In 2016, FirstCry acquired the baby apparel business of the auto-to-technology conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra Group, gaining a chain of traditional retail stores across the country. Mahindra Partners, the investment arm of Mahindra group, also invested in FirstCry, becoming a shareholder. (Maheshwari) has created a delivery system which is the envy of many online retailers," Mahindra said on Tuesday, narrating the backstory of that deal. FirstCry may have been conceptualised as an online-first retailer when it was incorporated in 2010, but it also had a fledgling offline presence aligning with the founders omnichannel mindset. My team found that they were better off supporting him (Maheshwari) than fighting him. We started our first store in Gujarat within months of starting the business," said co-founder Amitava Saha. We knew that though digital is the way forward, the Indian consumer story is an omnichannel play and having physical stores is essential." Another crucial early decision was to enter manufacturing, allowing Maheshwari and Saha to create a moat for the business. View Full Image Although FirstCry was conceptualised as an online-first retailer, it now has a strong offline presence across the country. (Reuters) It is a myth that manufacturing will be a drag on capex. It in fact helps squeeze out better margins," said Sudhir Sethi, founder and chairman, Chiratae Ventures (formerly IDG Ventures), an early backer of FirstCry. Most successful consumer businesses have emerged winners because they understood what works for India and how to bring down costs." Also read | FirstCry IPO: Cracking the baby business code FirstCrys offline presence, though, cast doubts among some potential investors because of the narrative around online retail. Bala Deshpande, managing partner at Megadelta Capital, recalled that convincing her investment committee to back FirstCry had been tough. They were coming from a US perspective and said digital is the way to go. And then, much later, when Amazon started its first retail outlet, I said, seems Supam knew it," Deshpande said. Megadelta eventually sold its investment in Brainbees making manifold returns, and Deshpande now sits on the companys board as an independent director. Supam has two ears and a very stable head between them. He listens to everyone, deliberates, diligences and then decides. Maheshwari showed conviction elsewhere too. When the time came for FirstCry to consider an international expansion, the companys board and key investors suggested Indonesia, perceived to be a homogenous market for Indian companies. Maheshwari spent days in the Southeast Asian country along with his team and decided against it. He came back after doing thorough diligence and said they wont do it in Indonesia, which was uber competitive, and rather pitched for the Middle East," said Sheth of ChrysCapital. Supam has two ears and a very stable head between them. He listens to everyone, deliberates, diligences and then decides." Busy bees Now that Brainbees is listed, Maheshwari and Saha are working on taking their second company, XpressBees, public in 18-24 months. The logistics services provider gained its unicorn status in 2022, and is now valued at about $1.47 billion. There is a mutual trust and telepathic understanding between us which is hard to replicate," Saha said, highlighting the need for a healthy working relationship between founders. When we first met before joining Brainvisa in 2003, he was clear it should be a long-term association. Join only if you never leave," Saha recalled his conversation with Maheshwari from more than two decades earlier. When we first met he was clear it should be a long-term association. Join only if you never leave. Maheshwari, an engineer and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, started e-learning startup Brainvisa Technologies in March 2000, eventually selling it to Indecomm Global in 2007 for $16 million. He declined to be interviewed for this report. After a stellar debut on 13 August, Brainbees shares ended the next days trading down 5.30% at 643.10 each on NSE. Thats still above the companys IPO price band 440- 465 per equity share of the face value of 2. While the company had sought a valuation of $2.9 billion in the IPO, Brainbees had a market capitalisation of 33,388.73 crore, or nearly $4 billion, at the end of trading on Wednesday, 14 August. The stock markets were closed on 15 August on account of Indias Independence Day. Also read | FirstCrys top executives, investors likely to win big with IPO Maheshwari and Sahas third business, Globalbees, a brand aggregator, became a unicorn in 2021 when Premji Invest led a $110-million investment into the company at a $1.1 billion valuation. Having achieved a major milestone for Brainbees with its public market listing, Maheshwari can now work on replicating that success with his two other ventures. Why the bees? Because bees are the most hardworking and they make a lot of honey (money) too, ChrysCapitals Sheth recalled Maheshwari telling him. They have beaten all the odds, beaten many giants with more money. Baby and kids is a really tough category. There is a graveyard littered with great teams and great companies that were trying to pursue the same goal. But FirstCry has succeeded where so many have failed," said Paul Davison, partner, SoftBank Vision Fund said at Brainbees listing ceremony on Tuesday. They have beaten all the odds, beaten many giants with more money, more people to build an imitable, lasting and trusted brand." Also read | How a Street party helped SoftBank cast off its Indian struggles New Delhi: India has firmed up an intensive trade negotiation schedule starting next week to finalize agreements with the European Union (EU), Australia and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), according to the commerce ministry. While India and Australia are set to review their Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) from 19-22 August, the ninth round of free trade agreement (FTA) talks with the EU has been scheduled for 23-27 September. India will also hold the next round of FTA talks with Peru in September, and a trade agreement review with Asean from 19-22 November, a senior government official said. However, the next round of FTA talks with the UK hasnt been finalized yet, with India seeking an exemption from a British proposal for a tax on imports with a large carbon footprint. An FTA with Oman could be announced in the coming months as negotiations are almost complete. FTAs are seen as vital for India amid a challenging global environment as they open new markets, boost exports and attract foreign investments, which fuel economic growth. By reducing trade barriers, FTAs can enhance Indias global competitiveness, drive domestic reforms, diversify export markets, create jobs and strengthen strategic alliances. This makes them a crucial tool for India's economic and geopolitical strategy. FTAs are complex agreements covering a wide range of issues. Reaching a consensus on all aspects can be time-consuming and involve protracted negotiations," said Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). Despite these challenges, both India and the EU recognize the potential benefits of an FTA and have shown a commitment to overcoming these obstacles," he added. Carbon tax, pesticide levels dominate India-EU agenda Important issues on Indias agenda with the EU include discussions on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) or carbon tax, relaxing rules on the maximum amount of pesticide residue allowed in agricultural commodities, and eliminating tariff lines on most Indian products, including processed food and readymade garments, another official at the ministry said. The EU on its part wants tariff cuts on most of its exports including automobiles, wines and spirits; stronger intellectual property protection; and higher sustainability and labour standards. As for services, while the EU wants greater access to the Indian banking, insurance and e-commerce sectors, India is pushing for access for its IT and professional services. Also read: India-EU trade mustnt stumble on digital sovereignty The EU is advocating for stronger intellectual property protections, which India is cautious about due to concerns over generic medicines. Additionally, the EU is pressing for sustainability and labour standards in the agreement, but India is worried about their impact on its domestic regulations and industries," said trade analyst Ajay Srivastava, chief executive officer of Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a think tank. With Asean, India will review its tariff concessions granted to members of the group including Vietnam, which allows zero-tariff imports of mobile phone components. India-UK FTA: Scotch whisky, EVs, services Although India and the UK have made significant progress on their FTA talks, several challenges remain to be addressed. The UK is pushing for zero tariff on Scotch whisky, electric vehicles and chocolates, while India seeks duty-free access for its textiles and pharmaceuticals. According to the first government official cited above, India will not offer zero duty on Scotch whisky, but is considering offering the Australian model of tariff structure to both the EU and the UK. India has allowed tariffs on wine from Australia with a minimum import price of $5 a bottle to be reduced from 150% to 100% on the deals implementation, and to 50% over the next 10 years. The duty on bottles with a minimum import price of $15 has been reduced from 150% to 75% on the implementation of the deal, and to 25% over the next decade. Also read: India weighs softening its stand on UK FTA, expects UK to reciprocate In services, the UK wants India to open up its telecom, finance and legal sectors, while India is advocating for more work visas and mobility rights for its professionals. The UK has tentatively agreed to fixed-period visas but is hesitating on the number. India has also requested an exemption from the UKs 2027 carbon border tax, a contentious issue thats yet to be resolved. The two are also working on finalizing rules of origin and intellectual property rights. India-Australia CECA: Non-tariff barriers In its CECA with Australia, India is pushing to remove non-tariff barriers that hinder the export of agricultural products including grapes to the wine-making nation. Nine formal rounds and inter-sessional meetings have already been held, with negotiations conducted on five tracks agreed to under the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), and 14 new areas including micro, small and medium businesses, innovation, agritech and critical minerals. India has allowed access to Australian products covered under 70% of tariff lines, while Australia agreed to eliminate tariffs on all products from India. Australia wants tariff cuts from India on more products, while India is pushing for removal of non-tariff barriers that hinder the export of agricultural products such as okra, pomegranate and grapes in the review, experts said. Also read: Australia pitches a tech-for-tariff agri deal with India Although Australia has agreed to zero tariffs on these products, non-tariff barriers prevent exports. Discussions are also ongoing about pharmaceutical pricing controls on generic medicines in Australia, which is a significant concern for India," GTRIs Srivastava said. The rules of origin were not fully negotiated (at the time of signing the CECA), and both sides are now working on finalizing product-specific rules. There are also challenges related to investment and services, including mutual recognition agreements and market access for service sectors," he added. A commerce ministry spokesperson did not respond to emailed queries. Comments from the UK and the EU are awaited. Indias trade deficit Indias overall trade remains in deficit, with export growth slowing due to decreased global demand amid falling commodity prices. The merchandise trade deficitthe difference between a country's goods exports and importswidened to $23.5 billion in July, as exports fell and imports rose sequentially. Indias merchandise exports stood at $437.06 billion in FY24, down from $451.07 billion in the previous fiscal. Goods imports fell to $677.24 billion in FY24 from $715.97 billion in FY23. The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) and its units across the country issued over a thousand tax notices to businesses in the weeks leading up to 5 August, enquiring about alleged short payment of taxes and wrongful use of tax credits in 2017-18, two persons aware of the matter said. The notices were issued across industries and states as the extended statutory period for issuing notices for short payment of taxes or fraudulent use of tax credits, wilful misstatement or suppression of facts was coming to an end on 5 August, said one of the persons on the condition of anonymity. The notices issued under Section 74 of the Central GST Act follow the investigating agencys review of companies' tax compliance, which in many cases involved matching the sales data reported in the goods and services tax (GST) returns with that in the annual financial statements and analyzing information received from other parties in the supply chain. Fake input tax credits The DGGI has been active in detecting tax compliance lapses, complementing the governments efforts to widen and deepen the tax base. The numbers speak for themselves. Over the last few years, GST evasion of about 5 trillion has been detected, and of this, 1.2 trillion has been paid voluntarily by the assesses," the first person said. A large chunk of the total tax evasion detectedabout 1 trillionaccounts for using fake input tax credits, said the person. The value of the taxable sales in these cases would be significantly higher than 5 trillion as GST is levied only as a percentage of the sale value. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), earlier this week, said it would launch a second drive against fake GST registrations to weed out entities dealing in bogus tax credits. Tax evasion is suspected in the supply of both goods and services. The services sector, by nature, is prone to tax evasion as end consumers, in many cases, do not insist on an invoice. In the case of goods, iron and steel, cigarette, cement and metal scrap related businesses are prone to tax evasion," said the person. Airlines, shipping companies, asset management companies and insurers had previously come under the probe agency's scrutiny. An email sent to the DGGI on Tuesday seeking comments for the story remained unanswered at the time of publishing. The spurt in investigations and enquiries has led to businesses having to extract data from their systems for past periods, prepare extensive reconciliations and re-evaluate earlier positions, said M.S. Mani, partner at Deloitte India. All of these activities, in addition to being extremely time intensive, are also quite complex considering the various changes in the GST legislation, especially during the first two years of GST and the paucity of precedents and case laws even after seven years of GST," said Mani. Litigation burden Tax experts acknowledged that a large number of notices were issued to businesses in the first week of August under Section 74, which is invoked in cases of fraud and wilful misrepresentation. A higher penalty could be levied under this section. Also, they said penalties have been imposed on many promoters and directors of the companies in these notices. The directors, promoters or individuals can be subject to personal penalties only under specified circumstances provided in the statute," explained Abhishek A. Rastogi, founder of Rastogi Chambers, who has filed petitions against penalties levied on individuals. In a lot of these cases, the benefit has not been retained by these individuals, and hence any penalty invoked on individuals will be subject to the test of being manifestly arbitrary before the jurisdictional high court." The increased formalisation of the economy, the surge in digital payments, enhanced data capture of the movement of goods across the country, and greater disclosure requirements, including e-invoices for business-to-business transactions, have aided the agency in detecting lapses in tax compliance. An industry executive, on the condition of anonymity, said large businesses, especially listed ones, would always try to remain compliant, but big tax claims on account of differences in the interpretation of the law would invariably lead to litigation. The total extent of evasion detected as part of the latest drive is not available immediately. For 2017-18 sales, the due date for businesses to file annual GST returns was 5 February 2020 and the investigating agency had to issue notices at least six months before the completion of five years. Hence the notices were issued before 5 August and the final orders are likely to come by 5 February 2025. For 2018-19 sales, the DGGI has time till 30 June 2025 to send notices. The Haryana Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on October 1 . The announcement was made by the Election Commission on Friday afternoon alongside dates for the much anticipated Jammu and Kashmir polls. Votes for both elections will be counted simultaneously on October 4. According to the timeline shared by the poll body, a gazette notification will be issued on September 9. Nominations must be submitted by September 12 with the next day allocated as the final date for scrutiny of nominations. The polls will be held on October 1 (Tuesday) with votes being counted in the same week on Friday. Haryana is likely to see a four-way contest between the BJP, the Congress, the JJP and the AAP. The term of the current government will end on November 3. Haryana Assembly election timeline The BJP had secured 40 seats in the 2019 polls to form a coalition government with the JJP. The The Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janta Party holds 10 seats in the 90-member assembly. The BJP-JJP alliance broke earlier this year. The ruling BJP is likely to stress on the "clean image" of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar as well as the "transparent administration" provided by the state government. The party also has the added advantage of being in power at the Centre, which allows it to pitch to voters its double-engine capability a promise of more development if the governments at the Centre and the state are run by the same party. Meanwhile a resurgent Congress is looking to cash in on the anti-incumbency factor. Also Read | Assembly elections date announcement LIVE updates: EC begins announcing schedule The Election Commission is also slated to announce the schedule for the assembly elections to the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly in the coming weeks. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the dates would be announced later due to security requirements for Jammu and Kashmir. India bought USD 2.8 billion worth of crude oil in July from Russia and is the second largest importer, while China remains the largest importer of Russian oil, newswire PTI reported on Friday. India is the world's third-largest oil-consuming and importing nation. Russia became India's biggest supplier of crude oil as Russian oil was given a discount after European nations avoided purchasing it from Moscow following sanctions in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Before the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian imports were less than one per cent of total oil imports. According to reports, Russian imports now form almost 40 per cent of India's total oil purchases. The report, citing the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), said that China has 47 per cent of Russian crude exports, followed by India (37 per cent), the EU (7 per cent), and Turkey (6 per cent). Apart from oil, China and India also bought coal from Russia. From 5 December 2022 until the end of July 2024, China purchased 45 per cent of all Russia's coal exports followed by India (18 per cent). Turkey (10 per cent), South Korea (10 per cent) and Taiwan (5 per cent) round off the top five buyers list, it said. India was the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels in July. Almost 80 per cent of India's imports (valued at Euro 2.6 billion or USD 2.86 billion) comprised crude oil, the report said. Also Read | Oil rises for fifth session amid Middle East tensions, positive US economic data India, which is more than 85 per cent dependent on imports to meet its oil needs, spent USD 11.4 billion in July to import 19.4 million tonnes of crude oil, the PTI report said citing official data. Price cap policy and growth of shadow tankers In July, the discount on Russian Urals-grade crude oil widened by 9 per cent month-on-month to USD 16.76 per barrel compared to Brent crude oil. The discounts on the ESPO grade and Sokol blends remained relatively stable at USD 4.23 per barrel and USD 6.11 per barrel, respectively. According to the PTI report citing CREA, in July, 36 per cent of Russian seaborne crude oil and its products were transported by tankers regulated under the oil price cap. The rest was shipped by 'shadow' tankers and hence was not subjected to the oil price cap policy. The US and Western nations introduced a price cap policy in late 2022 to maintain the prices of Russian oil coming to the global markets, limiting Russia's revenue from crude sales. Russian cargoes could only get Western services such as insurance and shipping for sales below USD 60 a barrel. Also Read | Windfall tax on domestically produced crude oil hiked to 6,000/tonne To avoid the price cap policy, a dark or shadow fleet of oil tankers emerged. The shadow fleet consists of second-hand and old oil tankers with unclear ownership structures to hold them accountable for and follow Western laws. 81 per cent of the total value of Russian seaborne crude oil was transported by 'shadow' tankers, while tankers owned or insured in countries implementing the price cap accounted for 19 per cent, the report quoted CREA. Single malts from Amrut and Rampur to Indri are lifting the spirits of Indian liquor makers, powered by a growing diaspora and thirst for premium labels in foreign markets. Overseas shipments of alcohol generated $400 million revenue in FY24, a 30% jump over the pre-pandemic period, according to data the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies shared exclusively with Mint. Volumes surged 52% during the period to eight million cases. Whisky leads the table with nearly a 67% surge in exports since FY20 to 5.8 million cases (of nine litres each), contributing over half of the overseas revenue at nearly $234 million in FY24. Local single malts, the newest favourite among connoisseurs, accounted for about 150,000 cases (six bottles each). The boom is fuelled by growing demand in the UAE, Africa, and duty-free shops across the world, as new and innovative products find more takers. Our exports are being driven by developed countries where there is a strong concentration of the Indian diaspora and has a large amount of disposable income," Anant S. Iyer, CIABC's director general, said. Super premium exports are being driven by regions like Europe, Australasia and the Americas, he said. Tipple abroad Indians settled overseas consume iconic spirits at hotels and restaurants, according to Iyer, and the way for premium and higher Indian brands, including single malts, is being paved by Amrut, and more recently, offerings from Radico Khaitan, Piccadily Distilleries and DeVANS Modern Breweries. Also read | Liquor firms in a twist over permit rollout in Punjab These are in addition to key Indian exporters including Allied Blenders, Jagatjit Industries, Alcobrew and Mohan Meakin, who ship premium and popular whisky brands catering to demand from GCC and African countries. There is a very large Indian diaspora in the GCC countries but at the entry level of the economic spectrum, Iyer said. In Africa, a large part of the export market, whisky is popular, followed by coffee rum and vodka, he said. For Radico Khaitan, which now exports to 100 countries, demand is bolstered by not just the diaspora, but also improved perception about Indias economy. Acceptance worldwide Luxury alcoholic beverages are finding acceptance worldwide, driven by the demand for new and innovative products, said Abhishek Khaitan, the company's managing director. This acceptance is no longer limited to the Indian diaspora; international consumers are also seeking out Indian products. This is very encouraging." The maker of Rampur Indian single malt, Jaisalmer Indian craft gin and Sangam World Malt whisky saw exports rise 10% by volumes in FY24 over the previous year. Its key export markets are the UK, the US, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Hong Kong and Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, said Khaitan. Allied Blenders, the maker of Officer's Choice whisky and Zoya gin, is now exporting its spirits to 14 countries, including its primary overseas markets like the UAE, Haiti, Oman, Hong Kong and Qatar. Its net revenue from exports surged nearly 40% over the previous year to 178 crore in FY24. Beer pickup Beer, too, is showing early signs of rising overseas demand. Goa's Latambarcem Brewers, the brewer of Maka Di Beer, has just started exporting to the US as well. While the business is still fledgling, Aditya Ishan Varshnei, co-founder & CEO, says the company sent about 10 containers this and last year and is seeing a steady increase in demand from restaurants in the US. Delhi-based Medusa beer's founder Avneet Singh recently tied up with a UK-based distributor to put its brand on the shelves at restaurants and bars. "We are starting exports to the UK market in the next two months," he said. While it is not viable to send beer across the world, if we get a good response from our distribution channel, then we will consider local production, but it is a wait and watch till then." Also read | In pubs and homes, Biras beers were the toast of one & all. Then this happened DeVANS Modern Breweries Ltd exports its beers to the UAE, the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Seychelles, Oman and Bahrain. We are heavily focused on building this portfolio further and so our exports are increasing steadily," said Prem Dewan, chairperson and managing director. Our average dispatch is about six containers monthly." Exports are necessary in the development of brands and the company is slowly shifting focus on adding new areas, Dewan said, adding they "we are getting excellent response to our beers". The maker of Godfather beer recently added Seychelles and Canada to the list of export markets and plans to add a couple of more before the year-end, he said. The distiller exports limited quantities of its GianChand Single Malt to the US and Australia. Cera Sanitaryware buyback news: The record date for the buyback of shares by Cera Sanitaryware Ltd is today. So, those who have bought Cera Sanitaryware shares till 14th August 2024 and hold the scrip after the close of the Indian stock market on Friday would be eligible to tender their shares and participate in the Cera buyback offer. The company has declared a buyback price of 12,000 per share, and Cera's buyback size is around 130 crore. Today, Cera's share price is around 9,980 apiece on the NSE, meaning Cera's buyback is available at a premium of over 20 per cent. Cera Sanitaryware buyback of shares The company informed Indian stock market exchanges about Cera Sanitaryware buyback record date saying, "We wish to inform you that the Board of Directors of the Company ("Board"), at its meeting held today, i.e., Monday, 5th August, 2024 has inter-alia, approved, the proposal for buyback of up to 108333 fully paid-up equity shares of face value INR 5 each ("Equity Shares") by the Company ("Buyback"), representing upto 0.83% of the total number of Equity Shares of the Company, at a price of INR 12000/- (Rupees Twelve Thousand only) ("Buyback Price") per equity share payable at cash for a total consideration not exceeding INR 130 Crores (Rupees One Hundred Thirty Crores only) (excluding the transaction costs such as brokerage, filing fees, advisors fees, legal fees, public announcement publication expenses, printing, applicable taxes such as buyback tax, securities transaction tax stamp duty etc.) ("Buyback Size"), representing 9.68% and 9.66% of the total paid-up equity share capital and free reserves (including securities premium account) as per the latest audited standalone financial statements and audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the financial year ended March 31, 2024, respectively through the "Tender Offer" route as prescribed under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Buyback of Securities) Regulations, 2018 as amended ("Buyback Regulations"), on a proportionate basis from the equity shareholders/ beneficial owners of the Equity Shares of the Company including promoters, members of promoter group, and persons acting in concert, as on the record date." "Pursuant to Regulation 42 of the Listing Regulation and Regulation 9(i) of the Buyback Regulations, as amended, the Board has fixed Friday, 16th August, 2024 as the Record Date for the purpose of determining the entitlement and the names of the equity shareholders who shall be eligible to participate in the Buyback," the company added. Cera Sanitaryware buyback: Top 5 details 1] Cera Sanitaryware buyback price: The company has declared a buyback of shares at 12,000 per share. 2] Cera Sanitaryware buyback record date: The record date for the buyback of shares has been fixed at 16 August 2024, which means the stock is trading ex-buyback today. 3] Cera Sanitaryware buyback size: The company aims to spend up to 130 crore on its offer. 4] Cera Sanitaryware buyback acceptance ratio: Due to its smaller size and high interest among the shareholders, experts expect a lower acceptance ratio in this buyback offer. 5] Cera Sanitaryware buyback entitlement: Those who buy Cera shares on or before 14 August 2024 and hold them after the market closes on 16 August 2024 will be entitled to participate in this buyback of shares offered by Cera Sanitaryware Limited. Cera Sanitaryware buyback: Should you participate? Advising Cera shareholders to participate in this buyback of shares offered by the company, Akriti Mehrotra, Research Analyst at StoxBox, said, Given that the share buyback of Cera Sanitaryware is at a premium of about 20 percent to Wednesday's closing price and the proposed changes in taxation, we advise investors to tender shares in the buyback programme. With the tender size relatively smaller at 130 crores and strong investor interest, we expect the acceptance ratio to be lower. We believe that the company's prospects remain strong because of its strong positioning in the sanitaryware market, large distribution network, expected demand improvement in future, strong return ratios and balance sheet strength. Hence, investors can continue to hold shares that are not accepted after the tender in the share buyback programme. Shares of Dynamatic Technologies, a manufacturer of hydraulic gear pumps and automotive turbochargers, have been in a downward trend since mid-May, losing 26% of their value to date. This decline followed a sharp rise in the stock between July 2022 and April 2024, during which it surged by 405% to reach an all-time high of 9,082 per share. However, a recent analysis by domestic brokerage firm ICICI Securities suggests that the stock could soon resume its upward momentum. The brokerage's optimistic view comes after the company reported decent set of numbers for the quarter ending in June. Consequently, it maintained its 'buy' rating on the stock, setting a target price of 10,250 per share, indicating a potential 52% upside from its previous closing price of 6,750 per share. Looking at the company's performance, its net profit showed a 68% YoY improvement to 11 crore, driven primarily by the aerospace division. Also Read | OLA Electric stock spikes 16% as company enters electric motorcycle segment The aerospace segment saw a 31% increase in revenue and a 69% rise in EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) YoY, thanks to sustained revenue growth from existing customers, particularly Airbus. Its hydraulics division reported a 32% QoQ improvement in EBITDA, although it was down 41% YoY due to reduced aftermarket sales in India, which kept margins under pressure. The metallurgy division returned to profitability at the EBIT level after two consecutive quarters of losses. This division is still adjusting to the transition from automotive to aerospace castings. Net debt decreased by 4.8% QoQ to 3.78 billion, with the net debt/EBITDA ratio improving to 2.3x from 2.5x in Q4 FY24. Growth drivers remain strong despite temporary challenges In the short term, the management anticipates that ongoing supply chain issues with key customers may lead to slower-than-expected production rates. Nevertheless, the focus remains on industrialising the large orders received in Q4 FY24, according to ICICI Securities. As a result, the Dassault Falcon 6X Rear Fuel Tank First Article Inspection (FAI) is expected by the end of CY24, with earnings anticipated to benefit from these new orders over the next 23 years. Also Read | Independence Day 2024: Top 5 defence stock picks amid defence production boost In the hydraulics segment, management expects that a favorable monsoon in India will drive increased demand for tractors. For metallurgy, the emphasis on high-margin products and the development of aerospace castings could enhance earnings, according to ICICI Securities. Airbus adjusts build rate for A320 series The brokerage highlighted that in June 2024, Airbus revised its build-rate forecasts, particularly for the A320 series. It also noted that the A220 production ramp-up is progressing towards a monthly rate of 14 aircraft by 2026, with a focus on achieving industrial maturity and strong financial performance for the program. Recently, DTL secured an order for all doors for the A220. The ramp-up for the A320 family has been adjusted to address specific supply chain challenges. The production rate for A320 family aircraft is now expected to reach 75 per month by 2027, revised from the previous target of 2026. The A321 XLR, powered by CFM engines, received its type certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in July 2024. The brokerage highlights that the company's entry into service is now expected at the end of summer 2024, instead of the previously anticipated third quarter of 2024. For widebody aircraft, Airbus continues to target a monthly production rate of four A330s in 2024 and 12 A350s by 2028. Outlook: Positive earnings trajectory The brokerage is optimistic about the company's performance in Q1 FY25, noting that the aerospace segment is showing further improvement, which is positively impacting consolidated margins. The sequential gains in the hydraulics and metallurgy segments are also noteworthy. The brokerage emphasises that monitoring margin improvements in India and the development of aerospace castings will be crucial for both divisions. Additionally, the brokerage supports DTLs strategy of focusing on industrialising recent order wins, especially as supply chain disruptions lead to adjustments in Airbus A320 build rates. US district judge Amit Mehta recently ruled against Google, which had been accused of unlawfully leveraging its dominant search engine to stifle competition and innovation. Well, if that is indeed the case, tech major has much to worry about in terms of its other offerings, apart from its search engine. For instance, Google Maps. Google has become synonymous with maps, thanks to the ubiquity of Google Maps mobile app. Google Maps had a global monopoly on mapping services for decades. It has done its best to prevent competition in the mapping industry. In India, however, the dominance of this segment is under threat with intense competition from homegrown players. A few weeks ago, Google introduced India-specific pricing for developers using the Google Maps platform. The pricing was low enough to kill competition with up to 70% lower costs on most Application Programming Interfaces or APIs. Later, Google announced a slew of new features on Google Maps to woo Indian users. EV charging station information, flyover callouts, and AI-driven routing among others were expected to keep drivers hooked to Google Maps. Why the price cut and whom does it really hurt? Today, digital maps have become an extremely valuable data with huge commercial potential. From agriculture to mining to doorstep delivery, various industries now use maps as a key business asset. That's why India is witnessing map wars. Geospatial mapping was not always a thriving business in India. Earlier, the government imposed significant restrictions on the mapping industry. Companies had to seek licences and follow a cumbersome system of pre-approvals and permissions. It all changed about two years ago when the government notified the National Geospatial Policy. The policy liberalised regulations governing the acquisition and production of geospatial data and services. Thus, it enabled Indian private firms to work without prior approvals. The policy also considers the security risks in the geospatial mapping business. It bars international companies from capturing data in India through satellite-based operations. However, Indian entities can continue to do so. Also, foreign companies can use very high accuracy geospatial data only by subscribing to APIs from Indian companies. The geospatial policy thus unlocked tremendous opportunities for Indian startups in e-commerce, delivery, logistics, Internet of Things (IoT), banking and financial services, and spacetech. To understand the cost implications in the mapping business, it is important to know the mapping ecosystem in India. CE Info Systems, the parent company of MapMyIndia, is the first such listed entity in India in the mapping business. The company has been collecting geospatial data in India for about 30 years. MapMyIndia initially built the digital footprint of the available offline maps. Later, it physically surveyed the areas, visiting different parts of the country. In the past 30 years, MapMyIndia has successfully built a repository of more than 20 million (m) data points, including navigation systems, telematics, and 3D data visualisations. The company claims to have mapped more than 10.8 million distinct locations. It had carried out coverage of more than 2.2 million km of roads, 7,268 cities at the street level with home address level data for 94 cities and 579,000 villages. MapmyIndia has an almost 80% market share in automobile navigation systems. It benefits from an increasing number of use cases for mapping services arising from rapid smartphone and mobile internet penetration in India. The reason MapMyIndia thrived despite Google's presence is because Google Maps was more focused on generating advertising revenues. On the other hand, MapMyIndia focused on licensing products to B2B customers. Google's focus on B2C enabled MapMyIndia to penetrate faster into the relatively more niche B2B businesses. Second, in the automotive and mobility space, MapMyIndia's maps can be directly integrated and stored on to the car's infotainment system. Google's steep price cut announcements came in immediately after ridesharing startup Ola Electric Mobility rolled out Ola Maps. After its listing earlier this month, Ola Electric Mobility became only the second listed Indian entity with exposure to the mapping business. As per Ola Maps, the digital mapping solution was created using proprietary and open source data. This included real-time data of the Ola fleet and open-source government data repositories, OpenStreetMaps. Ola, on its part, had already offered one-year free access to all developers to shift to Ola Maps on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Krutrim platform. Besides, it offered 100 crore in free credits. Ola also claimed that exiting Google Maps and shifting to its in-house navigation system for cab operations had offered a huge boost to its profits. As per the company, the move had reportedly saved the company nearly 1 billion in costs a year. Until not too long-ago, Ola had been using MapMyIndia's licenced mapping services (till 2021). MapMyIndia alleged that Ola used this collaboration to surreptitiously build its own maps product, and then offer it to other users. It also accused its erstwhile client of breaching the license agreement to create Ola Maps. Just as Ola dismissed Google's sovereignty in the mapping business, it also dismissed the 'copyright' claims made by CE Info Systems. Intense competition among private players in the geospatial mapping business is likely to continue given the vast potential for commercial gains. As per the government, India's geospatial economy is expected to provide employment to more than 1 million people mainly through private geospatial companies. India's geospatial market is estimated to be worth approximately 27,700 crore in 2025, rising from 22,900 crore in 2019. The commercial opportunity in the sector is expected to triple by 2030. Foreign entities like Google risk losing market share as CE Info Systems, Ola Mobility, Genesys International, and several startups stand to gain with the India-centric policy edge. Despite the map wars, CE Info Systems is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the B2B demand for maps across industries. Nevertheless, any pricing war could deal a heavy blow to the profitability of the mapping companies. Watch this space... Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com Shares of Hindustan Zinc plummeted nearly 8 percent on Friday, August 16, following the announcement by its promoter, Vedanta, that it will sell a larger portion of its stake through an Offer for Sale (OFS) than initially planned. The OFS, which opened for subscription today and will conclude on August 19, comes with a price of 486 per sharerepresenting a 15 percent discount to Hindustan Zinc's closing price on Wednesday. Initially, Vedanta had intended to sell 11 crore shares (2.6 percent of total equity) in Hindustan Zinc. However, the company has now increased this to 13.3 crore shares, equivalent to 3.17 percent of total equity. The OFS will include a base offer of 1.22 percent with an option to sell an additional 1.95 percent if demand exceeds expectations. If all 13.37 crore shares are sold at the floor price, Vedanta stands to raise approximately 6,500 crore. The OFS is structured to allow non-retail investors to participate on Friday, with retail investors, who have 10 percent of the shares reserved, getting their turn on Monday. Stock price trend The stock plunged by as much as 7.8 percent to reach its intraday low of 528. This marks a significant drop of nearly 35 percent from its peak of 807, achieved on May 22, 2024. Despite this decline, the stock remains over 85 percent above its 52-week low of 285, recorded on March 15, 2024. Over the past year, the stock has surged 82 percent and IT gained 66 percent in 2024 year-to-date. However, in August alone, it has lost almost 17 percent, continuing its downward trend for the third consecutive session. It also fell 3.4 percent in July and 2.3 percent in June. Earlier in the year, the stock experienced a strong rally, soaring 60.5 percent in May and 64 percent in April. However, the first three months of 2024 were less favorable, with declines of 6.4 percent in March, 3.4 percent in February, and a slight dip of 0.24 percent in January. As of June 2024, Vedanta held a 64.92 percent stake in Hindustan Zinc, while the Indian government held 29.54 percent, valuing Hindustan Zinc at 2.42 trillion. Hindustan Zinc, India's largest zinc producer, is currently cash positive. The stake sale news follows a Bloomberg report that Vedanta is aiming to raise $2.5 billion to manage its substantial debt. This comes after the company recently paused plans to sell its steel business, having raised 8,500 crore through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) of shares. Vedanta and its UK parent, Vedanta Resources (VRL), are both focused on reducing their debt burden. As of the end of June 2024, Hindustan Zinc reported a debt of 11,178 crore, contributing to Vedanta Group's consolidated debt of 78,016 crore. In May, Hindustan Zinc announced an interim dividend payout of 4,225 crore. Also Read | OLA Electric stock spikes 16% as company enters electric motorcycle segment Hindustan Zinc's board is scheduled to meet on August 20 to consider a second interim dividend proposal. The company had previously declared a 10 per share interim dividend in May this year. Additionally, according to a report from PTI, Hindustan Zinc is considering a special dividend payout of 8,000 crore to its shareholders for the current fiscal year. Stock market today: After ease in the US recession fear and a dip in the US dollar price, the Nifty IT index witnessed a strong upside on Friday. The Nifty IT index outshined the frontline Indian indices and surged over 1,000 points or around 2.50 per cent to the 401,735 mark, which is enough to explain the kind of enthusiasm witnessed in the IT segment. Among IT majors, Mphasis shares led from the front by logging around a 6.60 per cent intraday rise. Shares of L&T Technology Services followed Mphasis with around 5.50 per cent intraday rally. Shares of Wipro, Tech Mahindra, and Coforge are also up by over 3 per cent. According to stock market experts, the Nifty IT Index is rising for two reasons: ease in US recession fear and weakness in the US dollar rates. They said that better-than-expected US job data had fueled buzz for the US Fed rate cut in the September 2024 meeting of the US Central Bank. This US Fed rate cut buzz has put US Treasury yields and US dollar rates under pressure, which is good news for Indian IT companies. That's why Indian IT stocks are rising, and the Nifty IT index surged around 2.50 per cent during Friday deals. They advised medium- to long-term investors to hold their position with strict stop loss as the Nifty IT breach above 41,300 may fuel a fresh rally in the Indian IT pack. Triggers for the Indian IT shares On why Indian IT shares are rising today, Avinash Gorakshkar, Head of Research at Profitmart Securities, said, Rise in the Indian IT shares can be attributed to two major reasons: easing fear of the US recession and selling pressure in the US dollar. After Thursday's strong US job data announcement, fear of the US recession has dampened, and talks of the US Fed rate cut have again renewed. This has put the US dollar and the US Treasury yields under pressure, and people are shifting money from the bond and currency market to other assets like equities, gold, etc. Nifty IT Outlook Speaking on the outlook for the Indian IT stocks in the near term, Ganesh Dongre, Senior Manager Technical Research at Anand Rathi, said, "Bull trend in the Nifty IT Index was expected after the IndexIndex gave a technical breakout at 39,400 on Wednesday. The Index Index is facing a hurdle at the 41,250 to 41,300 mark. On breaching above this hurdle, we can expect a fresh rally in the Indian IT stocks. However, if it fails to breach this hurdle and breaks below the 39,400 mark, the Nifty IT index may reach the 38,000 mark. Hindustan Zinc, Vedanta: The company plans to distribute a second interim dividend for FY25, with the board meeting scheduled for August 20, 2024. The record date for determining shareholder eligibility is 28 August. HZL aims to distribute a special dividend payout of 8,000 crore. Separately, the company's promoter, Vedanta will be selling a 3.17% stake in Hindustan Zinc through an offer-for-sale (OFS) from August 16-19. The OFS will have a base size of 1.22% with an option to sell an additional 1.95% stake in case of oversubscription. The floor price has been fixed at 486 per share. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals: The company reported a net profit of 340.27 crore for Q1FY25, more than doubling from 149.9 crore in the same period last year. The companys total revenue from operations increased by 7% to 3,244.2 crore. Operating income rose by 34% to 588 crore, with an EBITDA margin of 18.1%. SpiceJet: The company reported a net profit of 158.6 crore for Q1FY25, a 19.7% decrease from the previous year. Revenue fell by 14.7% to 1,708.24 crore as the airline reduced its operations. Despite leading the industry with a 91% domestic load factor, the airline faced financial challenges, including unpaid leases and delayed salaries. Separately, the company's promoter Ajay Singh plans to dilute his stake to raise 3,000 crore. The Delhi High Court also ordered SpiceJet to ground three leased engines due to unpaid rentals. Ola Electric Mobility: The company reported a widened net loss of 347 crore for Q1FY25, up from 267 crore last year, due to increased finance costs and total expenses. Revenue rose 32.3% YoY to 1,644 crore. EBITDA loss stood at 205 crore, slightly improved from 218 crore last year. Ola Electric also unveiled its first electric motorcycle on August 15 at the Sankalp 2024 event. Borosil: The company reported an 86% year-on-year increase in net profit to 9.3 crore for Q1FY25. Revenue from operations rose 23.1% to 216.8 crore. EBITDA jumped 47.2% to 29 crore, with an EBITDA margin of 13.4%. Sales in the glassware segment increased by 42.2% to 55.7 crore, while non-glassware sales grew by 20.3% to 85.1 crore. Opalware sales also rose by 15.0% to 76.1 crore. Tata Steel: The company has acquired 115.92 crore shares worth $182 million ( 1,528.24 crore) of its Singapore-based subsidiary, T Steel Holdings Pte, in a strategic move to enhance its international presence and operational efficiency. Hinduja Global: The company reported a substantial increase in net profit to 165.6 crore, up from 14.9 crore year-over-year. Revenue grew by 3.7% to 1,091.9 crore, compared with 1,133.5 crore previously. EBITDA surged by 78.3% to 16.7 crore, compared to 76.8 crore year-over-year. However, the margin decreased to 1.5% from 6.8%. Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries: The company announced an agreement to acquire over 5% stake in Delaware-based Pharmazz Inc. for up to $15 million. The investment will be made in two tranches, with the first $7.5 million this month and the remaining by February 2025. Sun Pharma will also receive exclusive rights to license Sovateltide for marketing in certain Emerging Market countries. Pharmazz, an Illinois-based biopharmaceutical company, develops drugs for acute cerebral ischemic stroke and hypovolemic shock, with both products approved in India. EID Parry (India): The company reported a 15.5% YoY decline in net profit to 91.3 crore for Q1FY25, down from 108 crore in the same period last year. Revenue from operations dipped 4% to 6,747.6 crore. EBITDA fell 27.7% to 483 crore, with margins at 7.2%, down from 9.5% last year. Standalone revenue rose to 751 crore, but the standalone loss after tax was 79 crore, compared to a profit of 46 crore last year. Power Mech Projects: The company has received an order worth 114.30 crore from Coastal Energen for the operation and maintenance of the 1,200 MW (2*600 MW) Mutiara Thermal Power Plant in Melamaruthur, Tamil Nadu, effective October 1. NBCC (India): The company's subsidiary HSCC (India) secured a 528.21 crore order from the Directorate of Medical Education and Research in Haryana. The order involves procuring bio-medical equipment and hospital furniture for Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhayaya University of Health Sciences in Karnal. NBCC also reported a 38.5% YoY increase in net profit to 107.2 crore and an 11.3% rise in revenue to 2,144.2 crore for Q1FY25. The company recently won orders worth nearly 720 crore and a 15,000 crore order from the Srinagar Development Authority. Hindustan Aeronautics: The company reported a 76% YoY increase in net profit to 1,435 crore for Q1FY25, aided by an 80% jump in other income to 737 crore. EBITDA grew by 13% to 993.7 crore, with margins expanding to 22.8%. However, there are concerns about meeting delivery timelines for the Tejas Light Combat aircraft and reduced engine deliveries from General Electric. Motisons Jewellers: The company plans to raise 170 crore through a preferential issue of shares to support long-term business growth. The Jaipur-based company will issue up to one crore fully convertible warrants at 170 each, convertible into equity shares within 18 months. The board also approved increasing the authorized share capital to 125 crore. MTNL: The company reported a 7.8% year-on-year decline in revenue to 183.9 crore for Q1, while net loss narrowed to 773.5 crore. The PSU telecom company posted an unchanged EBITDA loss of 150 crore. MTNL announced the sale of its stake in Mahanagar Telephone (Mauritius) and its JV with STPI. The company also approved a service agreement with BSNL for 10 years. The government is considering handing over MTNLs operations to BSNL due to MTNLs high debt. PSP Projects: The company announced securing multiple projects worth 654.67 crore. The largest order, valued at 484.02 crore, is for civil and structural work at Sanand, Gujarat, to be completed in 14 months. Another project worth 102 crore is for construction in Ahmedabad, to be completed in 10 months. The company also won smaller orders totaling 67.65 crore, bringing its total order inflow to 889.98 crore this fiscal year. PTC India: The companys board will decide on the appointment of a full-time chairman and managing director (CMD) after Rajib Kumar Mishras removal. Interim CMD Manoj Jhawar stated that the board is addressing the matter. SEBI had restrained Mishra from holding any board or key managerial position due to corporate governance lapses. Despite an increase in net profit, PTC Indias trading volumes remained stagnant in Q1FY25. The company is exploring opportunities to increase volumes while maintaining healthy margins. Shriram Properties: The company reported a 5% increase in consolidated net profit to 17.46 crore for Q1FY25, driven by higher income. Total income rose to 210.90 crore from 157.17 crore in the previous year. The company appointed Ravindra Kumar Pandey as CFO and elevated Rajesh Yashwant Shirwatkar as Deputy CFO. Shriram Properties reported sales volumes of 0.70 million square feet and sales values of 376 crore. Adani Power: The company reaffirmed its commitment to supplying electricity to Bangladesh, stating that a recent amendment to power export rules does not affect its existing contract. The amendment allows connectivity to the Indian grid but does not obligate India to buy electricity. Adani Powers 1,600 MW Godda plant in Jharkhand is contracted to export 100% of its power to Bangladesh. The amendment enables Adani to supply electricity to the domestic market, mitigating political risks in Bangladesh. Panacea Biotec: The company has developed Indias first indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine, DengiAll. The phase three clinical trial began with the first participant vaccinated at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak. The trial will involve over 10,335 healthy adult participants across 19 sites in 18 states and union territories. The vaccine, developed in collaboration with ICMR, aims to address the complex challenge of achieving efficacy for all four dengue serotypes. PI Industries: SEBI has exempted PI Industries promoters from making an open offer under the the country's takeover regulations. The exemption follows the promoters plan to transfer shares to three trusts to streamline succession. The trusts will hold 16.21% of the shares, while the promoters will retain 29.87%. Public shareholders will continue to hold 53.9%. SEBIs decision was based on the promoters assurance that the trusts are a mirror image of their holdings, with no change in ownership or control. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders: The Navratna PSU defence company reported a consolidated net profit of 696 crore for Q1FY25, a 121% increase from 314 crore in the same period last year. Total income rose nearly 10% to 2,628 crore, with revenue from operations at 2,357 crore. Mazagon Dock is in advanced talks to acquire additional Kalvari-class submarines for the Navy, potentially sealing a 35,000-crore deal. Suprajit Engineering: The company announced a buyback of up to 15 lakh fully paid-up shares at 750 per share, a 38% premium to its closing price. The buyback, worth 112.5 crore, will be conducted via the tender offer route. The record date for the buyback is August 27, 2024. Suprajit Engineering reported a 15.1% growth in Q1 net profit to 38.1 crore, with revenue increasing by 8.1%. EBITDA rose 21% to 86.3 crore, with margins expanding by 120 basis points to 11.7%. The company has previously issued bonus shares and split its equity shares. REC: The company has established a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Rajasthan IV 4B Power Transmission Ltd, to enhance power infrastructure in Rajasthans Renewable Energy Zone (REZ). The subsidiary, incorporated on August 14, 2024, will facilitate the evacuation of 3.5 GW of power from Rajasthans REZ Phase-IV, Part B. Initially under REC Ltds ownership, the company will be transferred to the successful bidder through the Tariff Based Competitive Bidding process. REC recently reported a 16% YoY increase in net profit for Q1FY25, reflecting its growth in the power sector. Pitti Engineering: The company reported a significant increase in its Q1 consolidated profit, which soared by 47.1% to 20.5 crore, compared to 13.97 crore in the same period last year. The companys revenue also saw a substantial growth of 32.1%, reaching 382.8 crore, up from 289.8 crore. Additionally, other income rose to 3.9 crore from 0.9 crore. KNR Constructions: The company posted a strong performance in Q1, with its consolidated net profit jumping by 24.6% to 166 crore, compared to 133.2 crore in the previous year, driven by strong operating numbers. The companys revenue saw a slight increase of 0.4%, reaching 985 crore, up from 981 crore. Max India: The company reported a net loss of 27 crore, compared to a loss of 12.2 crore year-over-year. Revenue decreased by 34.9% to 26.5 crore, down from 40.7 crore previously. Sakthi Sugars: The company experienced a sharp decline in its Q1 consolidated net profit, which plunged by 30% to 57.9 crore, down from 82.5 crore in the previous year. Despite this, the companys revenue grew by 5.5%, amounting to 393.6 crore, compared to 373.2 crore. Polyplex Corporation: The company reported a turnaround in its Q1 consolidated results, with a net profit of 97.1 crore, compared to a loss of 10.3 crore in the same period last year. The companys revenue increased by 8%, reaching 1,685.6 crore, up from 1,560.5 crore. Other income also saw a significant rise, amounting to 25.92 crore, compared to 12.42 crore. Shanti Educational Initiatives: Foreign portfolio investor LGOF Global Opportunities sold a 1.24% stake in Shanti Educational Initiatives at an average price of 127.4 per share. Relicab Cable Manufacturing: SK Growth Fund sold a 4.02% stake in Relicab Cable Manufacturing at an average price of 138.29 per share. Kiri Industries: Griffin Growth Fund VCC acquired a 1.4% stake in Kiri Industries at an average price of 334.1 per share, with LTS Investment Fund being the seller. Global brokerage firm Morgan Stanley has reaffirmed its "Overweight" rating on Zomato, setting a target price of 278 per share, signaling a nearly 8 percent upside from the last closing price. This optimistic outlook comes after Zomato's impressive 46 percent surge since May, bolstered by strong June quarter results. Despite the competitive pressures in the quick commerce (QC) business, Morgan Stanley remains confident in Zomato's long-term potential. According to Morgan Stanley, the increasing competitive intensity in the quick commerce sector underscores its growing importance in the market. However, the brokerage also cautioned that this heightened competition might delay Zomato's path to profitability. Despite this, Morgan Stanley emphasised that maintaining market leadership is crucial for Zomato's long-term success, even if it means deferring profitability in the near term. The firm advised investors to consider any short-term price dips due to competitive pressures as opportunities to accumulate shares for the long haul. Zomato's Stellar Stock Performance Zomato has delivered exceptional returns over the past year, with its stock rallying 183 percent and over 111 percent in 2024 year-to-date. Following a strong correction after its IPO, the company has posted positive returns in seven of the eight months of 2024 so far. The stock has already gained 14 percent in August, continuing its upward momentum after a 14.4 percent rise in July and 12 percent in June. Zomato saw a 7.25 percent correction in May, gains of almost 13 percent in January, 18.5 percent in February, 10 percent in March, and 6 percent in April. The stock is currently trading just over 7 percent below its 52-week high of 278.45, reached earlier this month on August 2. Additionally, it has surged over 194 percent from its 52-week low of 88.16, hit on August 21, 2023. Strong Q1FY25 Performance Zomato recently reported a remarkable net profit growth of 126.5 times for Q1FY25, reaching 253 crore, up from 2 crore a year ago. This growth was driven by increased gross order value across its food delivery, quick commerce, and going-out verticals, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of positive earnings for the company. Higher other income, which rose to 236 crore from 181 crore a year earlier, also contributed to this profitability, supported by Zomato's substantial cash reserves of over 12,000 crore. Also Read | OLA Electric stock spikes 16% as company enters electric motorcycle segment The company's revenue surged 74 percent year-on-year in the June quarter, reaching 4,206 crore compared to 2,416 crore last year. Zomato's Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA) also turned positive, standing at 177 crore, up from an EBITDA loss of 48 crore in the same period last year. The EBITDA margin was reported at 4.2 percent. Market Share and Growth Potential Zomato's management highlighted its gain in market share in Southern Indian cities, historically dominated by Swiggy, during the recent earnings call. The company's Gross Order Value (GOV) also rose by 53 percent to 15,455 crore. Zomato defines GOV as the total value of orders from its consumer-facing businesses, including food delivery, quick commerce, and going out. Blinkit, Zomato's quick-commerce arm, reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of 3 crore, but exceeded its store addition guidance by adding 113 new stores. Multiple brokerage firms estimate that Zomato's market share in India's food delivery sector has risen to around 55 percent, while Swiggy has lost ground. Zomato's strategy of focusing on non-metro cities, initially seen as unprofitable, has now proven to be a long-term success. Nomura also raised its target price for Zomato earlier this month to 280 from 225, maintaining a buy recommendation. The firm highlighted Zomato's significant growth potential and improving profitability in both its food delivery and quick commerce businesses. Nomura expects Q-commerce to grow 100-110 percent annually in FY25-FY26, with Zomato nearing adjusted EBITDA breakeven at -0.1 percent and projecting a +1.1 percent margin for FY25. Zomato's high growth trajectory and improving profitability continue to make it a compelling investment opportunity in the Indian market. At the Unesco World Heritage Site of Humayuns Tomb, there is as much history to take in above the ground as below. The 16th century mausoleumthe first gardentomb of the Indian subcontinentlooms large against dark, frothy monsoon clouds on a recent Saturday. And beneath the gardens, lies a repository of history, art and culturethe first such contemporary, sunken museum built within a heritage site in India. Spread across 100,000 sq. feet, the Humayuns Tomb World Heritage Site Museum opened on 29 July. It marks the culmination of 25 years of conservation efforts in the area by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), backed by a multidisciplinary team of engineers, historians, landscape designers and architects. The museum was first conceptualised as an interpretation centre, following Unesco guidelines that all World Heritage Sites should include such a facility, preferably near the entrance. The project underwent several iterations to finally become a sunken museum inspired by the architecture of stepwells and baolis that once populated Delhi. Inside, it feels like you are walking through time as a map showcases Delhis 2,500-year-old history. Visitors can see architectural models of monuments such as the Nila Gumbad, which sits in the middle of a busy traffic intersection a few yards from the Humayuns Tomb complex. There are details about unknown Mughal buildings, including Humayuns mystic palace of which no trace remains. The permanent collection has 500 rare Mughal miniatures, manuscripts, coins, astrolabes, glazed tiles, and more, from the collections of the National Museum, Archaeological Survey of India and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The idea of this museum is to enable people visiting the World Heritage Site to have a deeper understanding of the area before they leave," says Ratish Nanda, conservation architect and CEO of AKTC. Around two million visitors throng Humayuns Tomb every year and over a million come to Sunder Nursery next door. A similar number make their way to the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in the same precinct. The museum hopes to help visitors understand the historical and cultural significance of the entire area, and not just the mausoleum. This entire neighbourhood is home to an ensemble of buildings, created from the 14th century onwards, 60 of which have been conserved by AKTC. This is where the pluralist Hindustani culture the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeebtook root," explains Nanda. Sufi Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya imparted teachings on universal love, Amir Khusrau Dehlavi created the qawwali genre of music, and Rahim, known for his dohas, built a mausoleum for his wife close to Humayuns Tomb. Dara Shukoh translated the Upanishads into Persian. Eight of the 18 Mughal emperors are buried here." Its not every day that you are driven around by the co-founder of one of the most promising Indian startups, but Pavan Guntupalli, co-founder of ride-hailing app Rapido, has no hesitation slipping on the mandatory khaki shirt for auto-drivers in Bengaluru and getting behind the wheels of the sky-blue electric auto rickshaw parked in front of the Rapido headquarters in Bellandur, asking me to sit behind as he navigates the pot-holed filled service road outside. He enjoys driving, says the 33-year-old with a ready grin, although he doesnt own a carhe is fully invested in shared mobility, both personally and professionally. Rapido, founded in 2015, completed a billion rides recently, and has cemented its place among the top 3 companies in its category in India; the other two being Uber and Ola. Although Rapido started as an exclusively bike-taxi service, it added autorickshaws to its fleet in October 2020, and in December, it started providing cabs as well. In July, the company raised around $120 million ( 1,000 crore) in its latest funding round led by existing investor WestBridge Capital, taking the valuation to $1 billion and making it one of Indias freshest unicorns. It recorded revenues of 497 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2023, while its Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) grew to 2520 crore in the same period, a number that has increased 3X in the current fiscal year as per valuation reports. A few features set Rapido apartit runs on a subscription model for its driver partners or captains" instead of the more prevalent commission model, where the platform takes a commission on each ride. The Rapido app offers customers the ability to offer a top-up fee while booking their ride, over and above the suggested price, to incentivise Rapido captains directly when demand outstrips supply. Then there are the small touchesI noticed, using Rapido frequently over the past month, that the one-time pin (OTP) to start the ride has remained constant across bookings, removing a small but not insignificant point of friction. Ride-sharing as an idea wasnt unique, it was happening globally when we got into it. But we felt that the current solutions were not affordable. If you think of a middle-class person, someone who is commuting every day in a city like Bengaluru, using cabs or autos twice a day is not affordable. We thought a two-wheeler could be the solution, but there was uncertainty about whether people would accept two-wheelers as taxis," says the entrepreneur. They launched in Koramangala in Bengaluru, and in the first month, the entire team of 19including the co-founders (apart from Guntupalli, theres CEO Aravind Sanka, whom he met in high school, and Rishikesh SR)drove as captains. It was more than a pilot project; it was a commitment to make it work. There was no turning back." One of the key cornerstones of the company has been impact, says Guntupalli. We clearly said, hey, we want to build a business, but one that is changing hundreds of millions of lives. That has been one of the core philosophies that we follow to this daywhile pursuing initiatives, while making business model changes." They also asked themselves if women would feel comfortable using bike taxis. It was a challenge, and we were driven by the belief that if we could make a woman feel safe on a strangers bike, it would be worth it," says the founder. Today, almost 22% of their customers for bike taxis are female, and they are introducing female captains (along with measures to ensure their safety) as well. Although bike taxis continue to be in a legal grey area in some states, including in Karnataka where the company is based, where there was a recent crackdown on them following protests by autorickshaw unions, earlier this year, the Union ministry of road transport and highways issued an advisory to state governments about them. Titled Motorcycles fall within the definition of contract carriage as per Section 2(7) of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act, 1988", the directive provided regulatory support to the model. This move now allows motorcycles to operate legally as contract carriages in India, potentially opening up new transportation options and income opportunities," reported Business Standard. Rapidos inception story is an interesting one. The team got together for another startup, called TheKarrier, which took off in 2014. It was an intra-city truck and goods transport vehicle aggregator, which combined technology and a network of owners to connect drivers and customers in a hitherto unregulated industry. It was quite a game-changer in last-mile logistics. We were doing 250-300 orders per day, and since in this space the ticket size is big, we were earning substantial revenues," recalls Guntupalli. But the founders were dissatisfied at some level they didnt feel like they were creating sufficient impact. The core idea behind Rapido came from the experience of running this business. We used to provide labour for loading, unloading, etc., and we realised that these guys were spending almost all their daily earnings going from one assignment to other," he recalls. Travelling by buses was unreliable and time-consuming, and autos and cabs were costly. Then we started noticing that many of them would take a lift with one of our sales people on bikes, who would also be going from one point to the other," he says. That is when it struck the three co-founders that pillion-riding on bikes is the one affordable way for low-wage-earners to commute. They experimented using WhatsApp, getting the sales persons and daily workers to communicate over the messaging app to coordinate pickups and drops, and they realised that it was working. They were close to raising Series A funding for TheKarrier. Our investors were like, dude, you are killing it, lets raise the next round. And behind the scenes, we were in this turmoil. We had growth but that sense of purpose wasnt there. It was a hard call," recalls Guntupalli. Almost overnight, the company pivoted from being B2B logistics providers to B2C transportation providers. We gave a notice period to our clients, completed that, and started working on Rapido. Today, we are super glad that we did not think about it too hard," he says, laughing. If we had any MBAs around nothing against MBAs! but if there were smarter, more logical people around, wed probably have not gone through with it." Also read: Saahil Goel of Shiprocket: The delivery guy At the time, Guntupalli, then in his early 20s, was already a serial entrepreneur. This is my eighth startup slash attempt. For my co-founders, it will probably be their second or third," he says, as we bowl along Outer Ring Road in the auto being driven by Guntupalli. Born in Hyderabad, he is the youngest of three and his siblings are doctors. They both said becoming a doctor will be too much pressure for you, dont even attempt it. So I decided to do engineering, got into IIT Kharagpur," he says nonchalantly. Growing up, the family had seen financial ups and downshis father was in real estate and his fortunes had been fickle. At one point, he rolled in in the states first Maruti car, and at another he literally walked 9-10 km to save on bus fare," he recalls. But that didnt make me afraid of being in business. In fact, you could say that I had exposure to risk." At IIT Kharagpur, he read something that he still holds as an abiding inspiration: a biography of Reliance founder Dhirubhai Ambani that created a huge impression on him. I wasnt a big reader, in fact I dont even remember the name of the book, only that it was a biography of some sort, but I still remember the feeling that it evoked: that if one person envisions something, he can change the course of the country," he says. I know that there are many aspects to his life and career, but the fundamental vision was something that moved me." After graduating, he took a couple of years to gather experience, working with Samsung Electronics and living in Suwon , South Korea while travelling around the country. Their infrastructure and quality of life really inspired me, it made me think that I needed to come back to my country and do something. But I only had the willzero direction, no clarity," he says. He quit his job and came back to India, something that surprised most people, including his parents. I told my dad in a haughty manner I am in the drivers seat, I can see the way. I tried a bunch of things, from real estate to mining, tiles, exports, running a marketing agencyin some, I just failed, while in some I failed and lost money." Two years in, he was at the lowest point of his life while working as an unpaid intern and tele-caller in a transportation and logistics company in Hyderabad. It was Christmas eve, and I was sitting in the office and thinking what the hell am I doing?I realised that my inputs and direction were wrong, thats why I was failing continuously." He decided on a fresh start, moved to Bengaluru and met Rishikesh, with whom he started a fin-tech/instant payments company called IMPStant, built on IMPS (immediate payment service) infrastructure used by Indian banks for money transfers. This was in 2013, when the unified payments interface (UPI), the backbone of instant money transfers today, was still being built. The idea was perhaps a bit ahead of its time, says Guntupalli. The IMPS protocol itself was bad. We built an inter-bank wallet, worked with NCPI (National Payments Corporation of India, which developed UPI) but couldnt lift it." He had always stayed in touch with his former classmate and close friend Aravind, who was working with Flipkart in the logistics space. He decided to join hands with Guntupalli and Rishikeshthe partnership that would lead to TheKarrier and ultimately to Rapido. View Full Image Quick questions Back at the Rapido office, Guntupalli talks about the challenges the bike taxi sector has faced in India. These are teething troubles, he feels, and the regulatory environment has to change to accommodate something that he strongly believes has the ability to financially empower millionsnot only by allowing them to use their two-wheelers (and everyone in India, or their father or brother or cousin or uncle, has a two-wheeler," he says) to earn a living but by ensuring mobility to create opportunities for themselves. He talks enthusiastically about working with various state governments to create a more welcoming regulatory environment for bike-taxis and ultimately, for blurring the lines between the white number plate and yellow number plate" in Indiasuch as working with the West Bengal government on a one-tap licence" scheme, an initiative to switch between a private and commercial vehicle licence. New-age economy needs new-age solutions. Of course, the fundamentals have to be preservedthe tax fundamental, the safety fundamentalbut we also believe that you cant stop these solutions. It took 70 years for somebody to step up and ask, hey, can this bike be used as a taxi?. Our worry is that if we give up on this, it will take another 15-20 years for someone else to step up," he says. A core insight has driven the company: the fact that 95% of two-wheelers are driven by a single person without a pillion rider. We want to fill those seats, make traffic less, and maybe in 10 years, when these bikes become electric, make cities greener. Two-wheelers are the common mans vehicle in India. We need to start utilising them efficiently." Also read: Parth Jindal: Giving India a sporting chance The slice doesnt flop from the tip, spilling all the toppings as you lift it," Aditya Dugar explains while serving a New York-style pizza. Last month, he along with his wife Aditi Dugar opened TwentySeven Pizza & Bakes in Mumbai that focuses solely on this style of the cheesy comfort food. The golden brown, crispy base remains strong and stable as an array of toppings is piled over itcomplete with melted mozzarellaenabling you to eat-on-the-go. This particular pie evolved to adapt to the relentless pace of New York. Recently, several places have opened that spotlight only a particular style of pizza. In Mumbai, apart from TwentySeven Pizza & Bakes, theres the delivery kitchen Rocketman with Detroit-style pizza (baked in a rectangular pan), Pass The Salt with Chicago-deep dish, and Bene with pizza al taglio from Rome. In Bengaluru, the two-month-old 23rd Street Pizza serves New York-style pizzas accompanied by a wine menu. Delhi has the trusted EVOO Eatery & Pizzeria and Leos Pizzeria that champion the Neapolitan style. As the world of gastronomy gets hyper-focused with regional cuisines, pizzerias are following suit. Its a natural progression and goes to show how dining evolves. Diners and restaurateurs are moving away from multi-cuisine restaurants and experimenting with niche formats, including specialised pizza places," points out Vijay Sekhar, founder of 23rd Street Pizza. He had his aha moment" last year when he ordered a pizza in Goa. The slices flopped making a mess. There had to be a better way to eat it, he thought and tried re-baking it to firm up the base. Although that experiment didnt yield the desired result, it led him on a mission to find a sturdy, crispy pizza that balanced flavour and functionality. A couple of months later, he was in New York, working pro bono at a pizzeria to learn the basics of wholesome, thin-crust and easy-to-carry recipes. He returned to India, and set up 23rd Street Pizza in June. On the menu are options like the O.G. Roni (tomato sauce, aged mozzarella and pepperoni) and Shroom (a white pizza with smoked mozzarella, a mix of mushrooms, pesto, caramelised onion and ricotta finished with lemon zest). The drinks section has an interesting twist with a list of wines that are changed on a weekly basis". Sekhar wanted to dilute the uppity perception of wine, and make them fun by with pizzas pairings. He recommends Pinot Noir or Sangiovese, like Chianti Classico or Montepulciano Rosso,with Margherita; and Malbec or a Cabernet Sauvignon with meat-heavy options. Any white pizza without a tomato base screams for" sparkling wines. Also read: How the wine menu is planned for flights Bene is a delivery kitchen in Mumbai that serves pizza al taglio. It is run by pastry chef Sana Kabra and pizzaiolo Szymon Piecyk. This particular style, Piecyk says, originated in Rome and al taglio translates to by the size or weight" because thats how its sold. They sell it by the slice, each rectangular piece measuring 8x4 inches. He says it is the youngest pizza that Italy has to offer. It was invented in the 1950s when there was a shortage of natural gas that fuels traditional ovens and people started using electric deck ovens to make pizzas in large trays which birthed the al taglio. Kabra and Piecyk travelled across Italy to sample pizzas and found their inspiration at the legendary Bonci Pizza in Rome. The dough was so light that one could eat an entire pizza without feeling any heaviness," shares Kabra. With pizzaiolo Gabriele Bonci as the inspiration, they set out to create a light, airy base. To get that lightness in the dough, they have almost 80% hydration, which means they add 80ml water to 100mg flour. This is fermented for 72 hours, and to enhance the process of breaking gluten, a preferment called biga is added. This results is large air pockets in the crust like sourdough. This unique technique and the housemade marinara sauce define their pizza menu that has Burrata pizza, Romagnola (mozzarella, mushroom and black truffle cream sauce) and the popular Cubano, which is the classic Margherita infused with Piecyks secret spice blend. As is evident, there are two ways a niche pizzeria works: get a pizzaiolo like Piecyk who knows the craft or gain knowledge the way Sekhar of 23rd Street Pizza did. Dugar brought American pizza consultant Anthony Falco to train his team before launching TwentySeven Pizza & Bakes. Sachin Grover, the co-founder of EVOO in Delhi and Kruti Sanghvi of Pass The Salt in Mumbai have spent time abroad and are self-taught. Grover left a corporate career to start the pizzeria and Italian restaurant in 2017. He learnt to perfect the Neapolitan pizza after many trips to Italy. He says one can judge a well-made Neapolitan pizza by the crust that has prominent brown spots, also known as leopard spots, and it is soft enough to fold with the tip of your fingers. View Full Image Pass the Salt's Mac & Cheese Chicago deep-dish pizza. Sanghvi studied biomedical engineering in the US, and was exposed to Chicago-style deep-dish pizzas. After returning to Mumbai, she quit her career in the sciences and took up cooking. During covid, she launched the delivery kitchen Pass The Salt that evolved into a restaurant. The Chicago-style deep-dish pizza is a thick pie, baked in a pan with the crust spilling over the sides for that nice crisp texture. I am doing the Chicago-style double crumb with a two-layered crust and it looks like a mighty cake," she explains. The best-selling and most-filling pizza on their menu is the Mac & Cheese with a cheesy layer of macaroni topped with marinara. These are the pizzas that will let you travel the world with their combination of cheese, crust and sauce. As Kabra says, When it comes to food, people are looking for an adventure." Also read: Partition food memories that travelled (Bloomberg) -- Suspected attempts by Iranian hackers to infiltrate US presidential campaigns have touched off a widening federal investigation into the first major effort by a foreign actor to disrupt the November election. Investigators believe that attackers tied to Iran succeeded in hacking Republican nominee Donald Trumps campaign and gained access to internal documents, according to a US law enforcement official who discussed the matter on condition of anonymity. The intruders also tried to breach the campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, before his departure from the race, but its unclear whether the attempted hacks on Democrats succeeded, the official said. The inquiry, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, emerged after a report from Microsoft Corp. last week described efforts by the Iranian government to access email accounts of presidential campaign staff members. Microsoft said the attacks were pulled off by a hacking cell dubbed Mint Sandstorm thats linked to Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Allegations of an Iranian hacking effort come just weeks after US intelligence officials warned that foreign adversaries including Iran and Russia would seek to influence the 2024 election in ways that favor their interests. That includes recruiting Americans to spread propaganda, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Microsofts report didnt identify the campaigns targeted by Iran, but said it had notified affected parties. Trump acknowledged the breach in a post on his Truth Social network, where he cast the intrusion as attempted election interference. The law enforcement official confirmed that the Microsoft report was in line with the ongoing inquiry. A Harris campaign official said that its legal and security teams were notified last month by the FBI that it had been targeted by a foreign influence operation. The campaign is unaware of any breaches to its systems and remains in touch with authorities, the official said on condition of anonymity to discuss a security issue. Irans mission to the United Nations has disputed the allegations. We do not accord any credence to such reports, the mission said in a statement. The Iranian Government neither possesses nor harbors any intent or motive to interfere in the United States presidential election. US officials and cybersecurity experts believe Irans government is seeking to undermine Trumps candidacy after he antagonized Tehran during his first term in office. While president, Trump scrapped an international nuclear deal with Iran, imposed severe sanctions on the Islamic Republic and ordered the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps. The regime sees Trump as militantly hawkish on Iran and probably has a preference for Harris, just based on the history of Trumps relationship with Iran, said David Salvo, managing director at the German Marshall Funds Alliance for Securing Democracy. Listen to the Heres Why podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen. The news comes as US officials brace for a possible attack by Iran against Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh last month in Tehran, as the conflict in Gaza threatened to escalate into a wider regional confrontation. The war in Gaza is ample fuel for the Iranian regime to want to step up their information operations against us, Salvo said. This election has real consequences for the Middle East. Iran has tried to disrupt past US elections. In 2020, its operatives impersonated members of the right-wing Proud Boys group as part of a voter intimidation effort, according to the FBI, resulting in charges against two men. That same year, Iranian hackers breached a website that a municipal government in the US used to publish election results, though the attackers were caught before carrying out any nefarious activity, US officials said. The FBI had no immediate comment. A spokesperson for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency referred questions about the hack of the Trump campaign to the Justice Department. Microsoft cited a so-called spearphishing email sent in June to a high-ranking official on a presidential campaign from the compromised email account of an unidentified former Trump adviser. While Microsofts report did not name him, Roger Stone, a close Trump associate, was told by FBI and Microsoft officials months ago that two of his email accounts had been breached by a foreign state actor, according to a person familiar with the matter. Federal authorities told Stone that the hackers aim was to use his email accounts to send phishing emails to people within the Trump campaign, the person said. Stone seldom uses the accounts and doesnt know how they might have been accessed, the person said, adding that Stone is cooperating with authorities. On Wednesday, Googles Threat Analysis Group published a blog post that complimented Microsofts findings. Alphabet Inc.s Google said the Iranian hackers in May and June targeted the personal email accounts of roughly a dozen individuals affiliated with Biden and Trump, including current and former US government officials and individuals associated with their campaigns. Google blocked numerous attempts by the attackers to log in to the personal email accounts of potential victims. Google also observed that the Iranian hackers successfully gained access to the personal Gmail account of a high-profile political consultant, who it didnt identify. Google referred the malicious activity to law enforcement in early July, and it also warned campaign officials about the heightened hacking attempts from foreign state actors, according to the posting. The hack of Trumps campaign was first reported by Politico, which said last week it began receiving emails last month containing purported internal campaign documents from an anonymous account. Those files included a dossier on Senator JD Vance, Trumps vice presidential pick, according to Politico. In his Truth Social post, Trump insisted that only publicly available information had been affected, and his campaign warned media outlets not to publish any materials they received from the breach. Nation-state hackers have previously used email attacks to infiltrate American political campaigns, such as the Russian hack in 2016, when a state-sponsored group obtained internal emails from Hillary Clintons staffers that were later published by WikiLeaks. Its unclear whether the material sent to Politico and other news organizations came via the suspected Iranian hackers. For US adversaries, the goal is to sow chaos, said Christopher Krebs, a former CISA director. Its undermining our confidence in our governments ability and democracy in general to provide us the basic services and look out for us, Krebs told PBS News Hour. --With assistance from Jamie Tarabay, Charles Gorrivan, Josh Wingrove, Jake Bleiberg, Billy House and Hadriana Lowenkron. (Updates with new information from Googles Threat Analysis Group starting in 16th paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -A federal appeals court on Friday left intact a key part of an injunction blocking a California law meant to shield children from online content that could harm them mentally or physically. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said NetChoice, a trade group for companies that do business online, was likely to show that the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act violated members' First Amendment free speech rights. California required businesses to create "Data Protection Impact Assessment" reports addressing whether their online platforms could harm children, such as through videos promoting self-harm, and take steps prior to launch to reduce the risks. Businesses were also required to estimate the ages of child users and configure privacy settings for them, or else provide high settings for everyone. Civil fines could reach $2,500 per child for each negligent violation, or $7,500 per child for each intentional violation. NetChoice said the law would turn its 37 members - including Amazon.com, Google, Facebook parent Meta Platforms and Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter - into "roving censors" of whatever California deemed harmful. Circuit Judge Milan Smith wrote for a three-judge panel that the first requirement was likely unconstitutional because California had less restrictive ways to protect children. He said the state could improve education for children and parents about online dangers, give companies incentives to filter or block content, or rely on enforcing its criminal laws. Requiring "the forced creation and disclosure of highly subjective opinions about content-related harms to children is unnecessary for fostering a proactive environment in which companies, the state, and the general public work to protect children's safety online," Smith wrote. The appeals court set aside the rest of the preliminary injunction issued last September by U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman in San Francisco, and returned the case to her. It said Freeman did not properly assess NetChoice's other objections to California's law, or whether the law could survive without the unconstitutional portions. The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, which defended the law, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Chris Marchese, director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, called Friday's decision "a victory for free expression, online security and Californian families." California modeled its law after a similar law in the United Kingdom. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the state law in September 2022. The law was to have taken effect on July 1, 2024. The case is NetChoice LLC v Bonta, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 23-2969. Assembly elections 2024: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will unveil the schedule for the General Election to Legislative Assemblies today, August 16. The announcement is expected in the afternoon. The election regulating body will announce the schedule for assembly elections at around 3:00 PM via press conference. However, the Commission did not mention the states for which the election schedule would be announced. The poll panel recently visited Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana to oversee the preparations for the Assembly elections 2024. The poll body delegation led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasised that the commission is committed to holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir "at the earliest". However, the ECI is yet to visit Maharashtra but will likely announce the schedule for the elections to the 288-member legislative assembly today. The ECI circular dated August 16 states, Press Conference by Election Commission of India to announce the schedule for General Election to Legislative Assemblies. It further notes that the press conference will be held in Plenary Hall at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan. As per reports, the terms of the legislative assemblies of Haryana and Maharashtra end on November 3 and November 26, respectively. In Haryana, elections are scheduled on 90 legislative assembly constituencies. In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 40 seats and formed a coalition government with the JJP that won 10 seats. Earlier this year, the BJP-JJP alliance broke up. In accordance with the deadline set by the Supreme Court in December last year, the poll panel plans to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir before September 30. Elections will be held after a gap of ten years in Jammu and Kashmir as the last assembly elections took place in 2014. In June 2018, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, following which the PDP-BJP coalition government fell. The Election Commission announced on Tuesday, August 16, that the 2024 assembly polls will be held in three phases in Jammu and Kashmir. The first phase of voting will be conducted on September 18, followed by the second phase on September 25 and the third phase on October 1. Jammu and Kashmir has 87.09 lakh voters, including 42.6 lakh women, across 90 constituencies, according to the Election Commission. CEC Rajiv Kumar said elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir after a long time. He added that the Commission will ensure due security for all candidates in Jammu and Kashmir as requested by political parties. According to the timeline shared by the poll body, a gazette notification will be issued on September 9. The last date for making nominations for Phase I is August 27, while the last date for withdrawing candidatures is August 30. Polling for Phase I will be held on September 18. The last date for making nominations for Phase II is September 5, while the last date for withdrawing candidatures is September 9. Polling for Phase I will be held on September 25. The last date for making nominations for Phase II is September 12, while the last date for withdrawing candidatures is September 17. Polling for Phase I will be held on October 1. Last assembly election was held in 2014 In December last year, the Supreme Court directed the central government to conclude the election process in the Union territory by September 30, 2024. Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of ten years, as the last assembly elections were held in 2014. The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support for the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. Recently, a poll body delegation led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reviewed the poll preparations in J&K. During a press conference in Jammu, Kumar emphasised that the commission is committed to holding elections there at the earliest. New Delhi: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the appointments committee of the Union Cabinet named Nagaraju Maddirala, additional secretary in the ministry of coal, as the secretary, department of financial services. Nagaraju, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1993 batch of the Tripura cadre, will replace incumbent Vivek Joshi, who moves to the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions as secretary, department of personnel and training. Nagaraju has been the additional secretary in the ministry of coal since 2020. He has earlier served in the department of economic affairs of the ministry of finance as director in Japan and North America and the World Bank divisions. Thereafter, he was an advisor to the executive director at the World Bank in Washington DC from 2008-2012. Rajesh Kumar Singh, secretary in the department for promotion of industry and internal trade, will be the new defence secretary, according to a notification. He will take over once incumbent Aramane Giridhar completes his term on 31 October. Till then, Singh will be an officer on special duty in the department of defence. After Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, secretary, ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE), retires on 30 September this year, Prashant Kumar Singh, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), will take over as the next MNRE secretary, the notification said. Corporate affairs secretary Manoj Govil, a 1991 batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, will move to the finance ministry as secretary, department of expenditure; and Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, another officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre of the 1993 batch, will replace him in the corporate affairs ministry. Mukerjee is currently CEO of the National Health Authority. Also read | Cabinet approves expansion of metro rail projects, airport infrastructure Punya Salila Srivastava, special secretary, prime ministers office, will take over as secretary, department of health and family welfare, once current health secretary Apurva Chandra superannuates on 30 September. Katikithala Srinivas, secretary, ministry of minority affairs, will take over as as secretary, ministry of housing and urban affairs. His appointment comes at a crucial time when the government has rolled out the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana 2.0 with an aim to provide houses to 10 million urban poor and middle-class population. The Union health ministry has directed hospital authorities to lodge a first information report (FIR) within six hours after a healthcare professional reports violence as protests continue nationwide against the brutal rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata. It has been observed that doctors and other healthcare staff in government hospitals suffer physical violence and verbal abuse while on duty, mostly by patients or their attendants, said Dr Atul Goel, director-general of health services, ministry of health and family welfare. The heads of institutions shall be responsible for filing an FIR within a maximum of six hours of such an incident, Goel said in a communication, reviewed by Mint, to all medical colleges and hospitals. Doctors are on protest demanding stricter measures after the sexual assault and killing of a young female doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College on 9 August. According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), more than 75% of doctors have faced some form of violence while on duty, besides being subjected to verbal abuse almost every day. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the case on the directions of Kolkata High Court. The IMA, the largest organization of doctors in the country, has declared a nationwide strike starting Saturday in the biggest protest ever in the medical field. Around one million doctors are expected to participate, said Dr Sharad Aggarwal, president, IMA. Only emergency medical services and critical care treatments will be available, while routing outdoor and indoor patient services will be disrupted at both private and government hospitals, he said. Healthcare industry body NATHEALTH has expressed solidarity with medical professionals. Urging the government law enforcement agencies to ensure a safe work environment, a spokesperson for NATHEALTH, Healthcare Federation of India, said, "This requires a stronger legislative framework to protect the medical care giving community at large and strong response to each incidence of violence towards speedy justice. The Kolkata incident, which has sparked a national outcry, being compared to the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder that prompted India to toughen laws against sexual assault. Earlier this week, citing recent incidents of violence, B. Srinivas, secretary, National Medical Commission (NMC), said in a communication that all medical colleges should develop a policy for safe workplace environment on the campus for their staff, including faculty, students and resident doctors. Read more | IMA to halt medical services nationwide for 24 hours starting 6 am on Saturday The policy should ensure adequate safety measures in the OPD (outpatient department), wards, casualty, hostels and other open areas in the campus and residential quarters, said the advisory reviewed by Mint. Corridors and campus be well lit in the evening for staff to walk safely from one place to another and all sensitive areas be covered by CCTV for monitoring. The NMC sought adequate security measures, including male and female security staff at the OPD, wards, casualty, labour room, hostels, residential quarters and other open areas on the campus. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a memorandum on Friday to the heads of government hospitals saying that they should register an institutional First Information Report (FIR) within six hours of any incidence of violence. In the event of any violence against any health care worker while on duty, the Head of Institution shall be responsible for filing an Institutional FIR within a maximum of 6 hours of the incident, read the memorandum shared by news agency ANI on X platform on Friday. Also Read | Kolkata doctor rape-murder: 9 arrested for violence at RG Kar Medical College The memorandum, signed by Atul Goel of the Union Director General of Health Services (DGHS), observed that violence has become common against doctors and other healthcare staff at government hospitals. It stated, A number of healthcare workers suffered physical violence during the course of their duty. Many were threatened or exposed to verbal aggression. Most of this violence is done either by patients or patients' attendees, the memorandum stated. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued the statement after doctors at RG Kar College and Hospital in Kolkata were allegedly attacked by a mob during a protest on Wednesday night. The doctors were protesting to seek justice for the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and killed in the hospital's seminar room on August 9. Senior resident Doctor at AIIMS Mangalagiri, Dr Sreeja, was quoted by ANI as saying, On the eve of Independence Day, the protesting doctors at RG Kar faced mob attacks and also police attacks. The hospital was vandalised and evidence was erased. In condemnation of this, we are protesting here. It's not just a crime against doctors. It's a crime against women and humanity. We request the CBI to conduct a transparent investigation. The victim's family should receive adequate compensation. We also demand a Central Protection Act for all healthcare workers, Sreeja added. Nine months ago, the ties between India and Maldives--the two neighbouring nations--went through a rough patch. They engaged in a fierce diplomatic row following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Lakshadweep islands and the appointment of 'pro-China' Mohamed Muizzu as the President of Maldives. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently concluded a visit to Maldives. Following the visit, leaders described the ties between the two countries as the "strongest" bond and "modern" ties. Later, on Independence Day, Mohamed Muizzu extended "heartfelt congratulations" to India on Thursday, August 15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Mohamed Muizzu, saying, "India considers Maldives a valued friend, and our nations will keep working together for the benefit of our people." Is the India-Maldives relations past its rough patch? Let's take a cruise through the India-Maldives relationship over this year: Following this uproar, the Maldivian President requested that India withdraw its troops, further fueling tensions between the two countries. During that time, Muizzu also announced agreements with the Chinese government and "remarked that the Government would end its dependence on one country for imported staple foods such as rice, sugar, and flour" in a purported reference to India. India has since slipped to the sixth spot on Maldives' Top 10 tourism market chart. India used to be No. 1 till last year. China has now secured the top spot. Cut to August 2024: Here's how India and Maldives have been working on their ties: 1. Maldives trying to boost its tourism from India A. On June 30, the Maldivian media quoted Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Faisal as saying the Maldives' government's aim of positioning "India among the top three tourist arrival countries by year-end". The report added the "Welcome India roadshow" started in New Delhi, continued in Mumbai on August 1, and concluded in Bengaluru on August 3. B. Maldives Tourism Minister Faisal had also said that he intends to hold an investment forum in India, aiming to lure investors in the neighbouring country. C. As per a report on August 12, Faisal revealed that efforts are underway to increase the number of flights between the Maldives and India. He said he held discussions with several ministers in India on the matter. The Maldivian minister also suggested increasing the frequency of scheduled flights by existing airlines operating between the Maldives and India. 2. Maldives, India sign MoU during Jaishankar's visit A. E-commerce sector: According to a report on August 10, the Maldives signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NIPI International Payments Limited (NIPL), a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), to advance the nation's e-commerce sector. The PSM news reported that a digital payment system will be developed as part of the deal "to offer easy and secure remittance services, promote access to services for the underprivileged, and facilitate economic activities". B. Training of civil service employees: The Maldives and India also renewed an agreement which will enable the training of an additional 1,000 civil service employees. It focuses "on capacity building of additional 1,000 Maldivian civil servants in India," the Ministry of External Affairs said. The initial MoU was signed in 2019. It aimed at improving the skills and competencies of Maldivian civil service employees. C. India and Maldives inaugurated India's Line of Credit (LoC)-assisted project of water and sewerage network in 28 islands of Maldives. A press release from the President's office said this project was initiated to provide clean water and safe sanitary facilities to the Maldivians. "With the inauguration of 28 facilities today, 28,298 of the intended beneficiaries have now received these essential services, covering 7 per cent of the total population of the Maldives," the release added. D. Security: In a joint statement, Maldivian Foreign Minister Zameer reaffirmed the current government's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with India and working together to ensure national and regional stability and security, particularly in combating terrorism, extremism, and drug-related issues, according to Maldivian media reports. E. FTA: The Maldives proposed establishing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India. The Maldives presented this proposal to India during official discussions between Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer and S Jaishankar. 3. Modern and strong relations During his visit to Maldives, S Jaishankar said the relationship between India and Maldives was a modern one. Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer stated that this is the time in which Maldives-India relations are the strongest, according to PSM news. Meanwhile, President Mohamed Muizzu said India has always been one of the closest allies and invaluable partners, facilitating and providing aid whenever Maldives needed it. He also expressed optimism that Maldives-India cooperation will prosper and develop in the coming years, a press release from the President's office stated. 4. 'India will deliver perishable goods to Addu' The Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) announced on June 23 that India will begin permanently delivering perishable goods to Addu City starting in July. The Kolkata doctor murder-rape case has left people across the country foaming at the mouth after a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal's capital city on August 9. Since then, the medical fraternity across the country has been protesting against the Mamata Banerjee government, with a 12-hour Bengal bandh organised by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) today. Kolkata doctor rape case: Here are top 10 updates 1) The Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) in Delhi have announced a joint protest march on August 16. The association stated that the march will commence at 2 pm from Nirman Bhavan in the national capital. 2) The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a 24-hour nationwide strike by doctors practising modern medicine, beginning at 6 AM on Saturday, August 17, and continuing until 6 am on Sunday, August 18. 3) Over 1,000 doctors from private and government hospitals in Goa will refrain from providing outpatient department (OPD) services for 24 hours starting the morning of August 17. 4) Healthcare services at the state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack were disrupted on Thursday as students staged a cease-work protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. Wearing black badges, the students held a sit-in on campus, impacting services in the OPD, OT, and laboratories. Also Read | Kolkata doctor rape case: IMA to halt medical services nationwide for 24 hours 5) The Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha will hold silent candle marches across all district headquarters on the evening of August 16, 2024, in protest against the rape and murder of a female doctor in West Bengal. 6) The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) announced on Thursday it will resume its strike protesting the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. 7) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Left of collaborating with the BJP (referred to as "Ram") to stir unrest in the state. 8) Left and Ram want to create unrest in Bengal and they both have come together to do this. The people who vandalised RG Kar Hospital and created this ruckus are not connected to the student movement of RG Kar Medical College," she said. 9) they are outsiders, I have seen as many videos, I have three videos as I can see, in which some people are holding national flags, they are BJP people, and some are DYFI are holding white and red flags," Banerjee added. 10) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Crime Branch in Kolkata on Thursday summoned five doctors and hospital staff for questioning in connection with the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case. Kolkata doctor rape case: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday urged the Central government to deploy paramilitary forces at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as police miserably failed to protect the crime scene. In a letter to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and the Director of CBI, Adhikari said, It was the duty of the police to protect the crime scene and provide security to the people working and patients being treated at the hospital, but they miserably failed. "....due to their incompetence, rather than protecting innocent citizens, they were locking themselves up in toilets, leaving the entire hospital exposed to the rioters. Furthermore, after the mob had completed their riotous run, for a sham show the police started firing tear gas, which further testifies the fact that the police authorities were hand in glove with the rioters and such to make a show of taking action, the said tear gas shells were fired. The role of Kolkata Police and its Commissioner is suspect (suspicious)," the letter read. "In view thereof, I request you to forthwith deploy Central Armed Paramilitary Forces at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to protect valuable evidence such that a proper investigation is conducted and concluded by the CBI...," he added. However, the Trinamool Congress claimed that the vandalism at the RG Kar Medical Hospital was a conspiracy hatched by the BJP and CPI(M). "The CBI has taken over the investigation, and the state has extended all cooperation to the agency. BJP leaders like Suvendu are trying to fish in murky waters," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said. A mob invaded the hospital campus, vandalising the emergency room, sections of the OPD, and the protest area where junior doctors were demonstrating against the rape and murder of their colleague. The postgraduate trainee doctor's body was discovered at the hospital on Friday. Police alleged the trainee doctor was raped and murdered while on duty. The father of the deceased doctor in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-death case on Friday said he gathered more courage as "crores of children" were standing with him. He said, "All those protesting on the streets are like my son and daughter...I lost my daughter, but crores of children are standing with me now, and this gave me more courage." He claimed that his daughter had to face some problems in college and therefore...the entire department is a suspect... Meanwhile, National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for holding a protest march. In a report, the Commission revealed lapses in security, infrastructure, and the investigation surrounding the rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor at the state-run hospital in Kolkata. The trainee doctor, 31, was found dead, reportedly in a half-naked condition, in the seminar hall of Kolkata's RG Kar College and Hospital on August 9. An autopsy report and police suggested that she was raped and killed. Here are the top developments in the Kolkata doctor rape case you need to know: 1. The father of the victim said the entire department was a suspect. He was quoted by ANI as saying, My daughter left for duty at around 8:10 am on that day. She was on OPD and last spoke to her mother at around 11:15 pm. In the morning, when my wife was calling her, her phone was ringing, but no one picked up; by that time, my daughter died. The matter of concern is that from 3 am to 10 am, nobody needed her, despite she was an on-duty doctor. 2. Meanwhile, PTI news reported that the parents of the deceased doctor told the CBI that several interns and physicians from the hospital might be involved in the crime. The report quoted an officer as saying, The parents told us that they suspect the involvement of multiple persons behind the sexual assault and murder of their daughter. They have given names of a few interns and doctors who worked with her at the hospital. 3. The NCWs inquiry revealed that no security guards were present during the incident, leaving on-call interns, doctors, and nurses without sufficient protection during night shifts. The NCW had earlier taken a suo moto cognizance and formed an Inquiry Committee to "inquire about the circumstances...and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future". Now, news agency PTI reported that the committees preliminary findings revealed alarming lapses in the hospitals security and infrastructure. The inquiry also highlighted serious concerns regarding the investigation. The questioning of the former principal, who resigned after the incident, remains incomplete, the NCW said in its preliminary report, according to PTI. 4. Amid such claims, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal accepted "a failure of assessment" when mass rallies were organised in Kolkata and a mob vandalised RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. If you look at it that we should have anticipated that there would be 5,000 or 10,000 here...If you say it is a failure of assessment, then yes, you can call it a failure of assessment...This entire protest was supposed to have been a very peaceful protest. That is my understanding... There was no such intelligence..., Goyal said. 5. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee took out a rally to condemn the rape and murder of the woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. She demanded justice for the victim and capital punishment for the accused. 6. NCW chief Rekha Sharma hit out at the CM and demanded her resignation. Sharma said, "When a CM resort to Dharna Pradarsh in her own state that means she is letting people know that she can't do anything to make things better. It also means she is diverting people's attention to slogans from the real issue and her own failure.(sic)" "If Mamata Banerjee really loves people of Bengal, she should resign immediately. Time and again she has proved that she miserably failed to give safety and security to women of Bengal," Sharma posted on X. 7. A junior doctor of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital put forth the demands of the protesting doctors. She said, "Our primary demand is the arrest of the culprits with proper evidence with an official press release confirming the same from the CBI." Among other demands were a written apology and an order of resignation from higher RG Kar authorities. "We previously stated that no amount of compensation can be made for a life lost. However, her parents should be provided with lifelong support and adequate financial compensation by the government and it should be announced immediately," she said. 8. BJP leader and former Union minister Smriti Irani said, Without a doubt, when she was being raped, that woman was enduring immense cruelty. But the question that arises here is this: did no one on that floor hear the woman's screams?... Was this just the act of a single rapist? Is it possible that the rapist was committing such atrocities against the woman, yet no one heard her cries? Who is the person because of whom the rapist felt assured in the hospital that he could commit the rape and then go home without any fear? 9. The Kolkata Police said it is wrong that 150 grams of semen was found in her body. Meanwhile, TMC MP Mahua Moitra explained and said 150 gms was the total weight of the internal viscera of the reproductive organs. "...there is a figure of 150 grams of bodily fluids being floated around by the mediaIn any autopsy or post-mortem, the weight and situation of each particular organ is commented upon, like the liver, the heart. Similarly in this case ...the total weight of the inner and outer genitalia was something close to 150 grams bodily fluids are measured in millilitres, not in grams, she said. It has nothing to do with any amount of bodily fluids found, the TMC MP added. Protesting doctors in Kolkata have demanded the ouster of several top officials including Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal following the horrifying RG Kar Hospital rape and murder. Demands outlined on Friday evening included calls for the culprits to be arrested with proper evidence and the implementation of new workplace security measures. The protesters have also sought lifelong financial support for the parents of the victim. Our primary demand is the arrest of the culprits with proper evidence with an official press release confirming the same from the CBI. We demand a written apology, order of resignation of higher authorities including the former Principal of RG Kar, MSVP, Dean of Students Affairs, HOD of the Chest Medicine Department and the Assistant Super Support on Duty of the incident. They should be barred from holding any administrative or authoritative positions in any institution for the remaining duration of their services, said a junior doctor at the hospital. The gruesome death of a post-graduate trainee doctor in Kolkata earlier this month has triggered pan India outrage and calls for a nationwide medical strike on Saturday. The 31-year-old victim had been on night duty when she was found dead with severe injuries in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College. A women-led midnight protest against the incident also made waves after a group damaged CCTV cameras and vandalised the hospital. Efforts remain underway to catch the miscreants to wrecked the emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store. In light of the recent mob attack, we would demand the resignation of the current Principal of RG Kar MCH, Commissioner of the Police of Kolkata, officer in charge of Tala PS and Deputy Commissioner of Police North Kolkata on their shameful response to the mob attack on the eve of Independence Day, the protesters said on Friday. The demands outlined by the agitators also calls for the implementation of additional workplace security measures including CCTV cameras and addition of male and female security guards. They also demanded an explanation from the Shastra Bhawan as to why the resignation of the former Principal was not accepted and why was he reinstated in another medical college as a Principal. The Commissioner of the Police should take strict action against the digital defamation of RG Kar MCh students that has been circulated on social media. He should also investigate and take action against the circulation of the photo of the victim that is going on in the social media and he also should take action against taking the victim's name multiple times in the social media, they added. The father of the postgraduate trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital refused to accept the compensation as it would hurt his daughter. Her father also declined to provide details about his conversation with the Central Bureau of Investigation, citing law as a reason. Also Read | Kolkata doctor rape case LIVE updates: 19 arrested for RG Kar vandalism It is not lawfully appropriate to give details on our conversation with the CBI. I can't give you details on the questioning that was done in connection with this case. They have recorded our statement and taken it in writing, he said as quoted by ANI. I express gratitude to everyone, regarding the protest that has been happening across the country and world. I consider everyone who is standing with us, as my sons and daughters, her father said. "CBI has assured us that the accused will be arrested at the earliest and awarded strict punishment based on whatever we have told them...I have turned down the compensation. It will hurt my daughter if I accept money as compensation for her death. I want justice," he added. A woman was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminal hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The Kolkata rape case has brought medical services to a standstill as students and doctors continue to demand justice for the resident PG doctor. Videos show a mob of dozens pushing their way in the emergency ward of the RG Kar Hospital and vandalising chairs. Some were even seen vandalising the protest site. The CBI has taken over the investigation of the Kolkata rape and murder case. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday called for a nationwide withdrawal of doctors' services for twenty-four hours to oppose the death of a trainee doctor. Maharashtra news: Nashik's Bhadrakali area witnessed heightened tensions during a Bangladesh protest march on Thursday over an alleged attack on Hindus. The situation escalated when two groups confronted each other, resulting in widespread stone-pelting. According to news agency ANI, the police had to intervene as the violence escalated. They used lathi charge and deployed tear gas to disperse the crowds. The clash between the groups, followed by the police intervention, greatly escalated tensions. Authorities are taking steps to reestablish law and order in the area. "An atmosphere of tension had arisen. But there is peace now. Police forces have been deployed at places," Senior Police Inspector Dilip Thakur told ANI. Watch video here: A number of Hindu organisations had called for a bandh in Nashik against the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh. While the bandh aimed to shut down businesses, some stores stayed open, leading organizations to insist on closure. Also Read | Bangladesh crisis: Muhammad Yunus meets distressed Hindus at Dhaka temple This insistence sparked a heated debate that turned into a physical confrontation and subsequently stone pelting, exacerbating tensions in the city. Numerous individuals have been hospitalized due to injuries sustained from stone-pelting. The police are currently investigating the circumstances that led to the clashes and subsequent violence. A significant police force has also been stationed in the area. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance, a non-political Hindu religious organisation, has claimed that the minority community has faced attacks and threats at 278 locations in 48 districts since August 5. This was an "assault" on the Hindu religion, the Bangladesh-based organisation has said. Meanwhile in Delhi, the RSS-linked Nari Shakti Forum has written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, appealing to her to intervene to protect Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. Thousands of women, along with other concerned citizens, including academicians, legal experts, diplomats, civil servants and people from all walks of life, participated in the silent march in solidarity with the Hindus and other minorities of Bangladesh, the letter to Murmu read. New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been conducting a serosurvey since last year to determine the exposure to mpox among Indias high-risk population, according to a scientist aware of the matter, even as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global public emergency on Wednesday. The ICMR already has an ongoing sentinel surveillance at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory to pick up mpox cases, the scientist said. The serosurvey, which requires testing blood samples for the presence of antibodies, has been undertaken to understand any past infections, and there are hardly any positive cases from these, the scientist said. Also read | WHO declares Mpox a global public health emergency; coordinated international response essential, says DG Tedros Mpox is a self-limiting viral zoonotic infection (spreading between animals and humans) with symptoms like smallpox, but with less clinical severity. It causes painful skin lesions, fever, headaches and muscle aches. Human-to-human transmission occurs mainly through large respiratory droplets requiring prolonged close contact. It can also be passed on through direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linens of an infected person. No new cases have been reported in India since the fresh outbreak in Congo. Till 24 July last year, 31 confirmed cases of mpox disease were detected in India, including 12 in Kerala and 15 in Delhi. Queries emailed to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till going to the press. ICMR keeping a watch In June 2022, ICMR researchers isolated the first strain of monkeypoxthe WHO later began referring to it as mpox" to reduce stigma around the diseaseand invited expressions of interest from pharmaceutical companies and in-vitro diagnostic kit manufacturers to help develop a vaccine and testing kits for the virus. Serum Institute of India is working on an Mpox vaccine," the scientist quoted earlier said. Read more | Mpox: Key facts about monkeypox virus and how it transmits Most cases detected till date have been mild and treatment for the disease remains largely supportive. According to the WHO, investigational drugs are used in some countries in clinical research settings only. The new mpox strain found in eastern Congo is not found in India right now," a scientist at National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune said. We have monkeypox advisories in places to take public health measures. There is nothing to panic as of now. The ICMR is reviewing the mpox case very closely and reviewing the international trend." Global threat The latest upsurge in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African nations prompted the WHO to declare it a public health emergency of international concern again. It was classified as a global emergency in July 2020, but the WHO lifted the alert in May 2023 after cases declined. According to the WHO, the current upsurge in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain, is an emergency not only for Africa, but for the entire globe. So far, 15 600 cases and 537 deaths have been reported. Also read | Sweden reports first case of Mpox strain outside Africa amid global health emergency Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself," the WHO statement said. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers on potential donations, and coordinating with partners to facilitate equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other tools. World Health Organization has declared the ongoing outbreaks of Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, in Congo and elsewhere in Africa to be a global emergency. However, according to India's Union Health Ministry, the risk of the upsurge of Mpox cases in the country remains "very low". The most recent case of Mpox in India was reported in March of this year, originating from Kerala, reported news agency PTI, quoting official sources within the health ministry. Since 2022, India has documented 30 laboratory-confirmed cases of this viral infection. Also Read | ICMR conducting serosurvey to assess mpox risk in India "At the moment, the risk of a surge in monkeypox infection is very low in India, and there is no need to panic," a person aware of the development was quoted as saying by the news agency. In response to the global situation, the health ministry may issue advisories to points of entry such as airports and seaports, instructing them to be vigilant and prepared to manage suspected cases as per existing guidelines. The guidelines encompass detailed protocols for isolation, treatment, and contact tracing to curb the potential spread, guaranteeing a thorough strategy in controlling the disease. Jagat Prakash Nadda, the Union Health Minister, will be holding a meeting on Saturday to review the situation. Ministry officials, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will attend the meeting to ensure all necessary precautions are in place. In the 2022 guidelines India issued for the management of Mpox, it had been outlined that human-to-human transmission primarily occurs through large respiratory droplets requiring prolonged close contact. The virus can also spread via direct contact with bodily fluids or lesion material and indirectly through contaminated clothing or linen. Also Read | Sweden reports first case of deadly Mpox strain outside Africa India has become the third largest import source of medicine put up for retail sale in the United States (US), following Ireland and Switzerland. According to a PTI report citing Ministry of Commerce data, India's medicine exports grew to USD 9 billion in 2023 from USD 7.33 billion in 2022. Due to this rise in exports, India's share in the overall market increased to 13.1 per cent in 2023 from 10.08 per cent in 2022. The report said that Ireland, the worlds largest exporter, fell to 13.85 per cent in 2023 from 17.18 per cent in 2022 as its sales in the US went down to USD 9.5 billion in 2023 from USD 12.5 billion in 2022. The second biggest exporter, Switzerland, also declined to 13.7 per cent last year from 17.4 per cent in 2022. Also Read | Govts generic pharmacy stores to stock top 200 medicines round the clock Additionally, India's share of antibiotics exports has increased in the Italian market. India ranks 10th in the market by increasing its share to 2.12 per cent in 2023 from 0.96 per cent in 2022. Indias antibiotics exports to Italy stood at USD 23.34 million in 2023 from USD 11.48 million in 2022. According to the report, India's market share is growing in the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) apparatus market in Germany. In 2023, Indias export share in Germany rose to 1.7 per cent from 0.45 per cent in 2022. Also Read | Budget 2024: Three cancer medicines OUT from basic customs duty India exported these MRI machines worth USD 13.02 million last year from USD 2.93 million in 2022. India is the sixth largest exporter of MRI apparatus, whereas the UK is the largest exporter, with USD 460 million in exports. Also Read | DCGI finds Paracetamol among 50 medicines to be substandard "Penetrating the EU market is difficult, and it is important that we have a base coming in. These reflect some efforts which are being put in terms of monitoring various markets and various commodities to see where growth can be pushed," the PTI report said quoting an official. Pharma and medical device manufacturing are the government's priority areas, and they were the initial sectors to receive a Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. An attempt to molest a woman house surgeon was made by a 25-year-old man in Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Wednesday, August 14, The Times of India (TOI) reported. According to the report, the accused, identified as Mayank Galar of Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, was arrested. Galar was booked under Section 74 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhit, which refers to assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intention to malign her modesty, punishable by a jail term of up from a year to five years, and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. The incident occurred when the house surgeon went to get her bike, parked near the CMCH deans office around 9 pm. The accused removed his pants and attempted to molest her, but the house surgeon pushed him back and ran to her hostel on the hospital premises. The accused fled the scene, but by the time other house surgeons called the security guards, who caught the accused at the casualty ward of the hospital at 1 am. They later handed him over to the police, the report said. Based on a complaint by the resident medical officer of CMCH, an FIR was registered. Students held protests in front of the deans office. More than 150 house surgeons and postgraduate students participated. They demanded proper security and the deployment of a night patrol team in the hospital. CMCH dean Nirmala assured the students and the house surgeons that all their demands would be met. "There is a CCTV camera where the incident occurred, but the camera is not working. Likewise, most of the surveillance cameras are not functioning on the campus. There are not enough restroom facilities for house surgeons at the workplace due to which we are forced to return to our hostel rooms," the TOI report said, quoting a house surgeon. (Bloomberg) -- AST SpaceMobile Inc. jumped more than 50% to close at a record high after the satellite communication company confirmed an early September window for its inaugural commercial launch of a network in low-Earth orbit. The Midland, Texas-based company is working with partners including AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. on a plan to provide wireless service from space to regular consumer smartphones, a market also being targeted by SpaceXs Starlink. The stock surge places AST SpaceMobiles market value at more than $8 billion. AST plans to begin operating its satellites by the end of the year, President Scott Wisniewski said in an interview. While Elon Musks company will be a competitor in the direct-to-device market, AST plans to use a SpaceX rocket to send its first five commercial satellites to orbit next month from Cape Canaveral in Florida. AST is working on 17 more satellites, the first of which is scheduled to go to space in early 2025 aboard a rocket from one of Musks launch rivals. Were launch-vehicle agnostic, said Wisniewski, who wouldnt disclose the name of the rocket company or the timetable for the launch of all the new satellites. The satellites that will be launched in September, called BlueBirds, are about 700 square feet (65 square meters), which is a large studio apartment, Wisniewski said. That makes them the largest-ever collections of satellites to be deployed commercially in LEO, short for low-Earth orbit, according to the company. AST doesnt intend that record to last long, though, since the new satellites will be more than three times the size of the BlueBirds. The Federal Communications Commission gave AST an initial license for space-based operations, the company announced Aug. 5. However, thats not the end of the regulatory process. AST, along with AT&T and Verizon, plans on submitting data to the FCC in order to receive authorization for wireless frequencies, said Wisniewski. The surge in the stock price came after AST reported after the market close on Aug. 14 quarterly earnings and sales that trailed estimates, with revenue of $900,000 and a net loss of $72.6 million. Still, the progress so far creates reason for optimism, according to a report from UBS. Initial US regulatory approval, the imminent launch of its first commercial satellites, and partner/funding progress add to our conviction, UBS analysts wrote, adding they see a meaningful revenue ramp in 2026. Subscribe Now: Business of Space newsletter, a weekly look at the inside stories of investments beyond Earth. --With assistance from Janet Freund. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com US September 2024 visa bulletin: The United States Department of States website has released its visa bulletin for September 2024, notifying of the likely wait times for those seeking EB-3 category visas to the country. For most countries, including the Philippines and Mexico, wait times have been extended for up to one year, with the priority date slipping back to December 1, 2020. Applicants from India and China, however, will not see any such delays, with priority dates kept at February 1, 2022, and November 1, 2022, respectively, as per the latest data. Also Read | Germany work visa: Processing time cut from 9 months to 2 weeks for Indians All You Need To Know Applicants for EB-3 visas are those seeking employment-based green cards to the US. The website attributed the backlogs to increased number of applications, and back-up of applications against older pending ones. To apply, your priority date must be either on or before the cut-off date listed next to the country-wise visa category. As per the US Customers and Immigration Service (USCIS) website, the priority date usually implies is the date by which when the immigrant petition should be properly filed for processing by the US Department of Labor. While the cut-off dates, estimates the time it may take to approve your application this keeps moving. All priority dates, deadlines and country-wise information for September 2024 can be found on the US State Department website here. The September 2024 visa bulletin also has details regarding the family-sponsored visa applications, immigrant visa applications and diversity visa applications. Also Read | Kolkata doctor rape case: IMA to halt medical services nationwide for 24 hours Employment-based Preferences Are As Follows: First: Priority Workers comprise 28.6 per cent of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences. comprise 28.6 per cent of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences. Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability comprise 28.6 per cent of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference. comprise 28.6 per cent of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference. Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers comprise 28.6 per cent of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "*Other Workers". comprise 28.6 per cent of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "*Other Workers". Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants comprise 7.1 per cent of the worldwide level. comprise 7.1 per cent of the worldwide level. Fifth: Employment Creation comprises 7.1 per cent of the worldwide level, of which 32 per cent are reserved. Reservation for fifth level are: 20 per cent for qualified immigrants who invest in a rural area; 10 per cent for qualified immigrants who invest in a high unemployment area; 2 per cent for qualified immigrants who invest in infrastructure projects. The remaining 68 per cent are unreserved and are allotted for all other qualified immigrants. Final Action Dates for Employment-based Preference Cases Employment- based All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed CHINA- mainland born INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 1st C 01NOV22 01FEB22 C C 2nd 15MAR23 01MAR20 15JUL12 15MAR23 15MAR23 3rd 01DEC20 01SEP20 22OCT12 01DEC20 01DEC20 Other Workers 01DEC20 01JAN17 22OCT12 01DEC20 01MAY20 4th 01JAN21 01JAN21 01JAN21 01JAN21 01JAN21 Certain Religious Workers 01JAN21 01JAN21 01JAN21 01JAN21 01JAN21 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) C 15DEC15 01DEC20 C C 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) C C C C C 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) C C C C C 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) C C C C C In the table above, "C" means current, i.e., numbers are authorised for issuance to all qualified applicants; and "U" means unauthorized, i.e., numbers are not authorized for issuance. Also Read | Kolkata doctor rape case LIVE updates: Calcutta HC begins hearing Dates for Filing of Employment-based Visa Applications Employment- based All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed CHINA- mainland born INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 1st C 01JAN23 08FEB22 C C 2nd 22MAR23 01JUN20 22JUL12 22MAR23 22MAR23 3rd 01FEB23 01JUL21 01NOV12 01FEB23 01JAN23 Other Workers 08JAN21 01JUN17 01NOV12 08JAN21 15MAY20 4th 01FEB21 01FEB21 01FEB21 01FEB21 01FEB21 Certain Religious Workers 01FEB21 01FEB21 01FEB21 01FEB21 01FEB21 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) C 01JAN17 01APR22 C C 5th Set Aside: (Rural - 20%) C C C C C 5th Set Aside: (High Unemployment - 10%) C C C C C 5th Set Aside: (Infrastructure - 2%) C C C C C JERUSALEM (AP) A U.S. official said Friday that mediators are preparing to implement a Gaza cease-fire and hostage-swap deal to end the 10-month Israel-Hamas war before a final agreement is set. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the proposal currently on the table basically bridges every gap between Israel and Hamas. The comments come after mediators expressed hope for an imminent deal. They said two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below. JERUSALEM (AP) Mediators trying to end the Israel-Hamas war expressed hope for an imminent deal Friday, saying two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting. Israel issued a vague statement saying it appreciated the mediators' efforts, and a statement from Hamas did not sound enthusiastic about the latest proposed deal to end the devastating 10-month war in Gaza and free Israeli hostages held in the territory. A cease-fire is seen as the best hope for heading off an even larger regional conflict. But U.S. President Joe Biden seemed optimistic, saying, We are closer than weve ever been to an agreement. Biden has expressed optimism for a deal before, only for talks to break down. We may have something, Biden told reporters Friday. But were not there yet. Both sides agreed in principle to the plan Biden announced on May 31. But Hamas has proposed amendments, and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank a deal. Hamas has rejected Israels demands, which include a lasting military presence along the border with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza where it would search Palestinians returning to their homes to root out militants. The statement from the mediators Qatar, the United States and Egypt said U.S. officials had presented a proposal that would bridge the remaining gaps between both sides. Teams will continue working in the coming days on how to implement specific measures, they said. Senior officials from our governments will reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week with the aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward today, the statement said. Hamas quickly cast doubt on whether an agreement was within reach. In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal diverged significantly from the previous iteration they had agreed to in principle, implying they were not disposed to accept it. The Israeli prime minister's office issued a statement saying it appreciates the efforts of the U.S. and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken planned to travel to Israel over the weekend to "continue intensive diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire and to underscore the need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said. Blinken was expected to meet with Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the new deal, said an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with official requirements. The new push for an end to the Israel-Hamas war came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities, and fears remained high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. International mediators believe the best hope for calming tensions would be a deal between Israel and Hamas to halt the fighting and secure the release of Israeli hostages. International diplomacy to prevent the war from spreading intensified Friday, with the British and French foreign ministers making a joint trip to Israel. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne appeared hopeful after meeting Friday with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Lammy said Israeli officials told them they hoped they were on the verge of sealing a deal. As we head now to 315 days of war, the time for a deal for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in, in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza, and for the fighting to stop is now, Lammy said. Speaking alongside him, Sejourne called any action to destabilize negotiations unacceptable. He and Lammy had sent very clear messages to all parties that this was a key moment because it could lead to peace or war," he said. Katz said in a statement that he told his British and French counterparts that if Iran attacks Israel, Israel expects its allies not just to help it defend itself, but to join in attacking Iran. He also warned Iran which backs Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels in Yemen, all of whom have attacked Israel since the Gaza war started to stop the attacks. Iran is the head of the axis of evil, and the free world must stop it now before its too late, Katz said on X. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the heavily guarded border on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third of them are dead. Israels devastating retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, Gazas Health Ministry said Thursday, without saying how many were militants. Israels military spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Thursday that Israel had killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants in Gaza in the war, without providing evidence. Diplomats hoped a cease-fire deal would persuade Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and of Hamas top political leader in an explosion in Tehran that was widely blamed on Israel. The mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a lasting cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. While talks were ongoing, Israel continued its offensive in Gaza. On Friday it dropped leaflets asking civilians to evacuate from areas in northern Khan Younis and eastern Deir al-Balah, saying forces plan to respond to rocket fire that targeted Israel. After the orders were given, airstrikes hit some areas of Khan Younis, sending people fleeing. A video showed plumes of black smoke rising into the air after loud booms. Egypts foreign minister said Friday that a cease-fire deal was key to tamping down temperatures across the region. We will exert all efforts in order to reach an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip as this is the basis to stop the escalation, Badr Abdelaty said during a trip to Lebanon. In a clear message to Israel, Hezbollah released a video Friday, with Hebrew and English subtitles, showing underground tunnels where trucks were transporting long-range missiles. A Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was speaking about military affairs, said the missiles in the video have a range of about 140 kilometers (86 miles), capable of reaching deep inside Israel. Hezbollah has tens of thousands of rockets, missiles and drones that the group says give it the ability to hit anywhere in Israel. Hezbollah started attacking Israel on Oct. 8 and says it will only stop when the Gaza war ends. ___ Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Abby Sewell in Beirut, Julia Frankel in Jerusalem and Aamer Madhani in Washington, contributed to this report. ___ (Bloomberg) -- The US Department of Agriculture is pushing for eased tax credit requirements regarding crops used as ingredients in the production of renewable fuels, according to Secretary Tom Vilsack. Current guidance on a subsidy aimed at encouraging production of sustainable aviation fuel which can be made from ingredients including corn-based ethanol and soybean oil requires US farmers to adopt a bundling of practices that include the planting of cover crops during the off season and no-till farming. Producers say such demands are sometimes impractical. The biofuels industry is awaiting guidance from the Treasury Department on the so-called 45Z clean fuel credit under President Joe Bidens landmark climate legislation. The subsidy will take effect in January. The USDA is working on a proposal with the aim of giving farmers flexibility to choose from a menu of activities and actions under the new rules, Vilsack said during an ethanol conference in Nebraska. Another goal is to make sure that crops potentially benefiting from the new subsidies are not restricted to corn and soybeans, which are dominant in the US farm belt, he added. Producers of US ethanol and the corn used to make it are worried that if the US Treasury sticks to its current guidance for the upcoming credit, they wont be able to participate meaningfully in the growing market for sustainable aviation fuel. Vilsack on Thursday also warned against a push to prevent US biofuels made with foreign ingredients from reaping the benefits of the 45Z tax credit, saying it could hurt American trade. If every country does this, then theres no trade, he said. If theres no trade, then what do we do with the 20% to 30% of the crops we are currently selling overseas? What would that do to prices? (Adds Vilsacks comments on trade starting in the 6th paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Canada is actively implementing new changes to enhance its immigration system! Recognizing the crucial role that foreign nationals play in boosting economic growth, the country had earlier launched its 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan. This plan aims to admit approximately 550,000 new permanent residents by 2025. Here's all you need to know about the visa rule changes in the country Study permit restrictions: In response to the rising number of foreign students misusing their study permits, the Canadian government implemented new regulations in July this year. These regulations involve halting the processing of study permits that do not monitor foreign students' enrollment. Under these new rules, students must apply for a new study permit whenever they change schools and must obtain it before beginning their new program. Extending work visa for Israel nationals In June this year, the government of Canada announced that it decided to prolong its work visa options for nationals of Israel until July 31, 2025, amid the Israel-Hamas war. The initiative was opened in February 2024, permitting Israelis to apply for work visas amid the Israel-Hamas war and was set to last until June this year. Later, the government decided to extend this initiative for an additional year. PG Work Permits at port of entry ends In June this year, Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, announced that foreign nationals can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the Canadian border. This new policy was introduced to curb the practice of flagpoling. Flagpoling occurs when temporary residents of Canada bypass the usual waiting periods for work or study permit applications by briefly leaving the country and reentering within 24 hours to obtain same-day immigration services at the border. Foreign caregivers to get PR immediately Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, introduced two new pilot programs that offer qualified caregivers permanent residency as soon as they arrive in Canada. These new initiatives simplify the process for foreign caregivers to secure employment in Canada and gain residency status upon arrival. Super visas for parents & grandparents The Canadian government has begun sending out Super Visa (specifically meant for Parents & Grandparents) invitations to approximately 35,700 potential sponsors who submitted applications as far back as 2020, seeking to bring their parents to Canada. The distribution of these invitations started on May 21, 2024. Canada's Parents and Grandparents Program enables citizens and permanent residents, excluding those in Quebec, to sponsor their parents and grandparents, assisting them in becoming Canadian residents. Reduced wait times for start-up & self-employed visas From April 30, 2024, Canada applied new changes that would facilitate Canadas federal immigration programs. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that these changes aim to reduce processing times, while also addressing the application backlog. Among the changes was the enhancement of the Start-Up Visa Program, which made it easier for innovative entrepreneurs to come to Canada. In a major development in the investigation of Matthew Perry's death, five people, including two doctors and a woman famously known as Ketamine Queen, have been charged with supplying the Friends star with a powerful surgical anaesthetic that killed him, reported Reuters. The woman Ketamine Queen is a part of a criminal network that distributed the drug ketamine to Perry and others, reported Reuters, citing US Attorney Martin Estrada. Matthew Perry was struggling to overcome his addiction over the past decade. He died at the age of 54 from acute effects of ketamine and other factors that caused him to lose consciousness. He was found dead in his hot bathtub last year. 'Defendants took advantage of Matthew Perry's addiction' A criminal network was behind supplying the powerful sedative to Matthew Perry, who played the role of Chandler Bing in popular American television sitcom FRIENDS. Accused Jasveen Sangha, alias Ketamine Queen, was a part of the criminal network that distributed the drug to Perry and others, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said adding that the accused people used Perry's addiction issues for their benefit. "These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves," Estrada said at a news conference on Thursday. Who are the accused in Matthew Perry's drug overdose death In addition to Ketamine Queen, two doctors and a personal assistant of Matthew Perry have been charged with supplying the Friends star with ketamine. Matthew Perry's death due to ketamine overdose was a consequence of false prescription, sale and injection of the powerful drug. Each defendant played a lead role that led to the actor's death in October 2023, Anne Milgram, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said. Two of the defendants - Jasveen Sangha, 41, and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 42 - pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. According to authorities, Sangha was known as the "Ketamine Queen" and sold the doses that killed Perry from her "stash house" in North Hollywood. Dr. Salvador Plasencia allegedly distributed ketamine to Perry and to his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, without a legitimate medical purpose on at least seven occasions. What is ketamine, that caused Matthew Perry's death? Ketamine is a short-acting anesthetic which also causes hallucinations. Sometimes, it is also prescribed to treat depression and anxiety. The drug is also abused by recreational users in many occassions. Matthew Perry was found lifeless in his hot tub on 23 October, 2023. Investigation indicates that he died from acute effects of ketamine and other factors that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub. According to Perry's autopsy report, a toxicology test confirmed that his body contained ketamine at dangerously high levels, which is generally found in anaesthesia patients being monitored by professionals during surgery. Saudi Arabia's efforts to re-balance its troubled ties with Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza may lead to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's assassination. During his ongoing negotiations with US lawmakers to normalise ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler reportedly expressed fear of being assassinated for peace talks, according to the American website Politico. The Saudi royal has reportedly told the US Congress lawmakers that he's putting his life in danger by leading a grand bargain with the US and Israel, which also includes normalising Saudi-Israeli ties, Politico reported citing sources. Also Read | Newborn Gaza twins killed by Israeli raid as father picks up birth certificates In one of his conversations with the US Congress lawmakers, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman even mentioned Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian leader who was killed after he sealed a peace deal with Israel. According to the report, he also asked what the US did to protect Sadat. He even discussed the threats he faces for finalising the deal and how he would explain the reason behind the move, which is likely to enrage Arab countries, which are already pitted against Israel due to the war in Gaza. He also expressed fear of losing his supporters in his own nation as Saudis care very deeply about Israel's war in Palestine. The way he put it was, Saudis care very deeply about this, and the streets throughout the Middle East care deeply about this, and my tenure as the keeper of the holy sites of Islam will not be secure if I dont address what is the most pressing issue of justice in our region, Politico quoted a source aware with the matter. Typhoon Ampil edged closer to Japans main island of Honshu on Friday, forcing major Japanese airlines to cancel flights and the government to issue warning against possible landslides and flooding. Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. canceled some 90 international flights, impacting more than 15,000 passengers. The two carriers also scrapped about 560 domestic flights, disrupting roughly 104,000 travelers who were looking to fly to destinations such as Okinawa, Osaka and Fukuoka, they said. Disruptions from tropical storms have become more frequent in Japan, with the weather agency warning residents to stay indoors and be aware of water hazards and companies urging employees to return home early. The latest typhoon, categorized as a severe tropical storm, will be at its closest around midday Friday, according to weather forecasters. While some people might be planning to spend leisurely time at beach, we urge residents of areas to be potentially impacted to not approach the sea and rivers, Satoshi Omatsu, director of the river management office at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, said at a news conference. The Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents to be careful of high waves, landslides, flooding of low-lying areas and rising or overflowing rivers in eastern Japan. Some foreign airlines operations were also impacted. Korean Air Lines Co. said 12 of its flights between Japan and South Korea will be suspended on Friday and Saturday. Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. said that its Japan flights are currently operating normally, adding that it is closely monitoring the potential impact of severe tropical storm Ampil. Customers are strongly advised to check the latest flight information on our website before their departure, a company corporate affairs official wrote via e-mail. Bullet train services between Tokyo and Nagoya will be halted throughout Friday as the typhoon brings heavy rain and strong winds, according to Central Japan Railway Co. Operations between Shin-Osaka and Nagoya will also be reduced. East Japan Railway Co., which operates bullet trains to Aomori, Akita and Kanazawa, also said there may be disruptions on some routes in the Kanto region surrounding Tokyo. Some local trains are also planning to halt operations within Tokyo. East Nippon Expressway Co., which manages expressways in the Kanto region and Hokkaido, warned that some roads may be shut from Friday through Saturday, and asked travelers to reconsider their plans. Paetongtarn Shinawatra was elected as Thailands prime minister on Friday, continuing the legacy of the political dynasty that began with her father Thaksin Shinawatra. Paetongtarn was nominated following the ousting of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from the Pheu Thai party on Wednesday, after serving less than a year. The Constitutional Court convicted him of a grave ethical violation related to his appointment of a Cabinet member previously imprisoned for an alleged bribery incident. As the sole nominee, she secured the position with 319 votes in favor, 145 against, and 27 abstentions. Paetongtarn, who leads the Pheu Thai partya recent addition to the series of parties associated with Thaksinwas not required to be an elected lawmaker to be eligible for the prime minister candidacy. She will officially become prime minister with royal assent, though the timing of that step isnt known. Also Read | Jailed former Thai PM Thaksin freed on parole after serving six months Who is Paetongtarn Shinawatra? Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the daughter of former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra, one of Thailands most popular but divisive political figures. Paetongtarn is Thailands third leader from the Shinawatra family, after her billionaire father, who returned from exile last year, and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, who lives in exile. She is the countrys youngest leader at 37, and Thailands second female prime minister after her aunt. Also Read | Thailand to implement controversial $13.8bn digital money bill Paetongtarn, a former business executive, has also been active in business and social initiatives. Speaking to reporters after the Parliament vote at the party's office in Bangkok, the overwhelmed new leader said she was very honored and happy. I really hope that I can make people feel confident, that we can build opportunity and quality of life, she said. I hope that I can do my best to make the country go forward. Also Read | Thailand to become first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage When Paetongtarn was on the campaign trail for Pheu Thai, she acknowledged her family ties but insisted she was not just her fathers proxy. IF THERE IS one thing the Chinese Communist Party and Americas security hawks agree on, it is that innovation is the secret to geopolitical, economic and military superiority. President Xi Jinping hopes that science and technology will help his country overtake America. Using a mix of export controls and sanctions, politicians in Washington are trying to prevent China from gaining a technological advantage. Americas strategy is unlikely to work. As we report this week, Chinese science and innovation are making rapid progress. It is also misguided. If America wants to maintain its leadand to get the most benefit from the research of Chinas talented scientistsit would do better to focus less on keeping Chinese science down and more on pushing itself ahead. For centuries the West sniffed at Chinese technology. Self-regarding Europeans struggled to accept that such a far-flung place could possibly have invented the compass, the crossbow and the blast furnace. In recent decades, as China joined the world economy, its rapid catch-up and abuse of Western intellectual property meant that it was more often an imitator and a thief than an innovator. Meanwhile, its science was disparaged, partly because it encouraged researchers to churn out high volumes of poor-quality scientific papers. It is time to lay these old ideas to rest. China is now a leading scientific power. Its scientists produce some of the worlds best research, particularly in chemistry, physics and materials science. They contribute to more papers in prestigious journals than their colleagues from America and the European Union and they produce more work that is highly cited. Tsinghua and Zhejiang universities each carry out as much cutting-edge research as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Chinese laboratories contain some of the most advanced kit, from supercomputers and ultra-high-energy detectors to cryogenic electron microscopes. These do not yet match the crown jewels of Europe and America, but they are impressive. And China hosts a wealth of talent. Many researchers who studied or worked in the West have returned home. China is training scientists, too: more than twice as many of the worlds top ai researchers got their first degree in China as in America. In commercial innovation China is also overturning old assumptions. The batteries and electric vehicles it exports are not just cheap, but state-of-the-art. Huawei, a Chinese telecoms firm brought low after most American firms were barred from dealing with it by 2020, is resurgent today and has weaned itself off many foreign suppliers. Although it earns a third of the revenue of Apple or Microsoft, it spends nearly as much as they do on R&D. China is not yet the worlds dominant technological power. Huawei still has limited access to advanced chips; self-sufficiency is costly. The countrys many state-owned firms are sclerotic. Much of the spending on research is guided by the states heavy hand. And some mediocre universities still produce mediocre research. Chinas innovation, in other words, is inefficient. Yet it is an inefficiency that Mr Xi is willing to tolerate in order to produce a sheaf of world-class results. All this poses a dilemma for America. With more good science comes new knowledge that benefits all humanity, by solving the worlds problems and improving lives, as well as deepening understanding. Thanks to Chinas agronomists, farmers everywhere could reap more bountiful harvests. Its perovskite-based solar panels will work just as well in Gabon as in the Gobi desert. But a more innovative China may also thrive in fields with military uses, such as quantum computing or hypersonic weapons. It will also aim to convert its technological prowess into economic and diplomatic influence. So far America has focused on the threats, by trying to stymie China using sanctions and by limiting the flow of data, talent and ideas. After all, hawks say, China is itself notoriously secretive. It failed to share its early work on the virus that causes covid-19, a shocking breach of its responsibilities that could have cost livespossibly millions of them. If Chinese science is thriving thanks to these tactics, then perhaps America should simply be even harder line and more restrictive. That overestimates Americas ability to constrain the whole of Chinese science. Even Huawei has prospered despite foreign sanctions. And it underestimates the cost to Americas own scienceincluding the technology that underpins its security. Rather than copy Chinas tactics, America should sharpen its own innovative edge, by enhancing the traits that made it successful. One of its strengths is openness. America has long been a magnet for the worlds brightest minds, and it should continue to attract themeven from China. Some work needs to be secret, obviously, but a presumption against hiring Chinese researchers would deprive America of precious talent. America must also be open to ideas. Citations have increased, but too few Western scientists take note of Chinese papers. A deal in the 1970s by Deng Xiaoping and Jimmy Carter to enhance academic collaboration was grudgingly extended in March for only six months, because of Republicans fears about national security. It should be renewed for longer. American and Soviet scientists worked together even in the depths of the cold war. Another strength is Americas dynamic economy, in which the best universities, government agencies and companies innovate. But too much of a scientists time is spent on bureaucracy. Finding faster ways to allocate grants, say by lottery, could help. Last, America should not blunt its market mechanism. In China most research money comes from the state; in America the private sector is a bigger spender. It is not White House edicts that find and develop the best ideas, but markets powered by competition. The fact that an authoritarian regime is nearing the technological frontier is alarming. Yet America should not strive to become more like China, but to draw on its own distinctive strengths. The result will be more scientific discovery and technical ingenuityand ultimately more security. In the early years of independence, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was keenly aware of Indias burgeoning population. While 340 million was only a fourth of the countrys current count, Nehru recognized the country's high fertility rate and how rapid population growth may outpace the expansion of infrastructure and social services. In 1951, Nehru sought the Ford Foundations assistance in charting a course for Indias development. In subsequent years, the Ford Foundation added family planning, public administration, urban planning and the training of economists to its India portfolio. In 1952, Nehru initiated a nationwide family planning programme, the first of its kind in the world, for which he sought assistance from Western governments, intergovernmental agencies and philanthropic foundations. Despite initial reluctance, especially given the Catholic stance on birth control, Nehru's persistence eventually led to substantial international support and resources. Also read: Population decline is not a problem but hungry kids are This marked the start of India's journey in population stabilization and reproductive health initiatives, as documented by Kathleen D. McCarthy in her paper From Government to Grassroots Reform: the Ford Foundation's Population Programmes in South Asia, 1959-1981'. This Independence Day is an occasion to explore our demographic journey. Weve come a long way: From 1947 to the present, India's population has surged from about 340 million to over 1.4 billion, while the world population has grown from 2.5 billion in 1947 to around 8 billion in 2024. Several factors have contributed to this growth, including advances in healthcare that reduced mortality rates, improvements in agricultural productivity, and socio-economic policies that lifted millions out of poverty. However, this growth also brought challenges, such as pressure on resources, infrastructure and social services. Today, Indias population trends are vastly different from those in 1947. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR), the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime, has steadily declined over the decades, from an average of 5.9 children per woman in the 1950s to 2.0 in 2019-21, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). Indias approach to population stabilization has been voluntary and empowerment-based, aligning with the principles of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)a landmark event held in Cairo in 1994 that redefined population policies worldwide, emphasizing the importance of reproductive health and women's empowerment. Key government initiatives have played a significant role in its success. The decline in fertility rates in India is also a testament to the success of Indian women in realizing their aspirations and empowering themselves to take their own health and fertility decisions. Empowered women tend to have fewer children, better health outcomes for themselves and their families, and higher levels of economic productivity. Education plays a crucial role in this empowerment. Women with education are more likely to have access to information about reproductive health and family planning, and they are more likely to use contraception effectively. The gender dividend: Despite the progress, there is an unfinished agenda. More than 9% of women of reproductive age (about 24 million) experience an unmet need for contraception, as reported by NFHS-5 (2019-21). Addressing this is essential to empower women and achieve sustainable population growth. Despite Indias large young population in the reproductive age group, female sterilization continues to be the predominant method of contraception, with limited uptake of spacing methods. In addition, there is limited uptake of male contraceptive methods, placing the burden of family planning almost entirely on women. The UNs World Population Prospects report projects that Indias population will peak at 1.7 billion in the early 2060s before beginning a gradual decline. While we will have a large young population for some time to come, the proportion of the elderly in our population is growing steadily. India must focus on leveraging the brief window of its demographic dividend, where the working-age population outnumbers dependents, to drive economic growth. India's demographic dividend is characterized by its 370-million-strong young population (aged 10 to 24). By channeling investments into health, education and skilling, India can harness this dividend. This approach not only addresses domestic needs but also positions India as a critical player in the global labour market, which is experiencing shifts due to varying population dynamics. As fertility rates decrease, women have more opportunities to engage in the workforce. By investing in women's education and skills, this transition can generate a "gender dividend" akin to the demographic dividend. The silver dividend: The UNFPAs India Ageing Report 2023 highlights that by 2050, 20% of Indias population will be over 60 years old. Investments in social and health infrastructure are essential to support the elderly, which will ensure that India also benefits from a silver dividend. Contrasting Nehrus foresight, todays scenario reveals a concerning gap in recognizing population trends. The delay in a national census, a critical tool for demographic planning, hampers the ability to make informed policy decisions. Instead of leveraging data to drive policy, there is a tendency to use population growth as an excuse for poor governance and blame particular communities. We need independence from myths and prejudices and a return to data and evidence. To achieve sustainable growth and development, India must focus on strategic investments in young people, women and girls, prepare for an ageing population, and address inter-regional socioeconomic disparities. The potential for the three dividendsdemographic, gender and silvershould guide our policymaking to realize the vision of a Viksit Bharat and ensure that the countrys demographic changes become a catalyst for progress. Poonam Muttreja is executive director of Population Foundation of India. Candlelight vigils, rallies and protests took place in cities across the country on Wednesday night as people came out against the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College. Doctors are pushing for a healthcare workers safety bill, meeting ministers and policymakers. Last weeks crime has shaken people to the core, yet sexual violence is a constant worry in any womans life anywhere in the world. Women have to be hyper-vigilant while walking on the street, waiting for a bus, shopping in a marketplace or going to work. In such a situation, its not crime itself that deters women from going out to work. Its the threat of sexual violence. Fertility rates are dropping and education attainment has improved, yet Indias female labour-force participation remains among the lowest in the worlda puzzle the country is constantly trying to solve. Policymakers tend to focus on caregiving and child-rearing as the reason, but rarely do they see high rates of crime against women as a contributory factor. In their 2021 paper, Women, Violence and Work: Threat of Sexual Violence and Womens Decision to Work, Tanika Chakraborty and Nafisa Lohawala make the case that womens fear of violence is a reason for low female participation: For every additional crime per 1,000 women in a district, roughly 32 women are deterred from joining the workforce." Around the world, studies have shown that sexual violence curtails the movement of women and they often alter their lifestyle choices to stay safe. Indias demographic dividend will not last forever and our goal of raising per-capita output requires us to tackle our workforce gender skew. If it persists, we will be less productive overall. Safety in the workplace, irrespective of profession, is thus not just a matter of justice; it is also a must for sustainable economic growth. Some administrations have tried to address these problems with special or free public transport facilities for women and stronger laws against gender violence, but this isnt enough if society at large believes a womans place is in the home. We also need to reform the vocabulary used to discuss women in public rolesthey are routinely referred to as sister, daughter, mother, and more recently, as a separate caste. Such language perpetuates the notion that women can only be viewed in relation to men and detracts from their individuality. While there has been a shift towards valuing educated women, this tolerance does not always extend to accepting that wives, daughters and mothers can choose to work outside the home. We allow women to get educational degrees, but then control and curtail the way they use their qualifications. Often, the shadow of violence is used by families to deter women from seeking paid employment. Should such perceived threats remain a deterrent to women keen on non-household jobs, over time, we could find ourselves back where we started. Without earnings that at least defray the cost of womens education, families lose the incentive to invest in it. Deprived of financial independence, women have less bargaining power within households, which deprives them of inclusion in decision-making and leaves them more susceptible to domestic violence. Families are trying to raise independent women, but male attitudes have not changed sufficiently to keep pace with social changeswhich puts us all in a dangerous position indeed. Maharashtra Assembly Elections: The Election Commission did not announce the dates for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 on Friday. The poll body announced full schedule for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. When asked if Maharashtra Assembly Elections will be held along with the Haryana polls, the Election Commission said, Maharashtra and Haryana elections happened together. That time J&K was not a factor, so one could have gone a little later. This time there are four elections this year and fifth elections immediately, to start with J&K, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi." Citing other reasons for not holding Maharashtra elections with Haryana polls, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, Depending on the requirement of forces...which is in higher tone in J&K, we have decided to conduct two elections together. We can't announce other elections when J&K elections are happening." CEC Kumar added, Rains in Maharashtra and there are several festivals as well Ganesh festival, pitra paksh, Navratri, Diwali...All that put together we thought to do two elections this time. We could handle two elections at a timeand in any case, it is [elections can be held] within six months of the term of the assembly which is ending, Kumar said at a press conference on Friday. The Election Commission held a press conference on Friday to announced election schedule for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. The Haryana Assembly elections will be held in single phase on October 1. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections will be held three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The results will be declared for both Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir assembly elections on October 4, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz appears to be winning the popularity contest against Ohio Senator JD Vance as the US Vice Presidential race heats up. The newly announced running mate of Kamala Harris currently holds a net positive rating of nine points among American voters. His Republican rival meanwhile finds himself floundering with a negative 10 net favorability rating. According to a newly released Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, 39% of the surveyed population have a favorable impression of Walz. Vance presents a slight contrast with 32% of Americans holding a favourable impression. Both men are well-liked within their respective parties with Walz taking a clear lead (plus 72) among Democrats. The Republican leader also had a slightly poorer showing among Independents and potential swing voters garnering 42% approval against the 49% secured by Walz. The survey also indicated that 45% approve of Donald Trump's choice of running mate while 50% disapprove of Vance. Meanwhile around 52% approve of the selection made by VP Kamala Harris while 44% disapprove. Details shared by ABC indicates that Harris had polled an approval rating of 54% during her VP campaign in 2020. Vance, an Ohio senator, has had a rocky start to his candidacy, facing criticism for past comments that mocked women who did not have children. Trump and other Republicans have defended those comments, and the former president has praised his running mates performance even as he has discounted the importance of his No. 2. Minnesota Governor Walz meanwhile has helped Harris coalesce Democrats behind the partys new ticket, but polls suggest he is still largely unknown to many Americans. TEL AVIVFrom the far-right fringes of Israeli politics, Bezalel Smotrich called for years for the annexation of the West Bank. Now, as a minister at the heart of government, he is using little-known policy levers to quietly steer the occupied territory in that direction. On Wednesday, Smotrichwho is Israels finance ministercelebrated his most recent achievement: The creation of municipal boundaries to build a new Jewish settlement that will connect a major West Bank settlement bloc with Jerusalem. The new settlement, named Nahal Heletz, will be built inside land designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2014. The move is part of a strategy by Israeli settlers to cut off Palestinian towns in the West Bank from East Jerusalem, chipping away at the possibility that East Jerusalem could one day be the capital of an independent Palestinian state. We will continue to fight the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state and to create facts on the ground," Smotrich said on Wednesday, celebrating the decision by offices under his control to advance the new settlement. This is my lifes goal, and God willing, Ill continue with it as much as I can." Smotrich came to power in late 2022 when his far-right Religious Zionist Party helped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu win a thin parliamentary majority. Using his new leverage to win dual posts as finance minister and a minister in the Defense Ministry, Smotrich gained influence over policy in the West Bank, and is rapidly deploying his sway to reshape the territory. Since he came to office, Palestinian and Israeli watchdog organizations say land seizures, building permits and illegal outposts in the West Bank have increased. Demolitions of Palestinian homes have risen too. An aide for Smotrich said annexation of the West Bank wasnt the aim and that improvements to infrastructure benefit Palestinians too. As finance minister, Smotrich has directed hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars toward upgrading infrastructure in the territory. In the Defense Ministry, he has replaced military institutions that have long overseen Israels occupation with civilian ones that are better equipped to handle things such as water, road construction and building permits. The goal is to change the DNA of the system for many, many years," Smotrich said of his plans in the West Bank, according to a June recording released by anti-settlement Israeli activists and verified by The Wall Street Journal. The ultimate aim, he said, was to tighten Israeli control of the West Bankand close off the possibility of a Palestinian statewhile avoiding international attention. The changes Smotrich is making could lay the groundwork for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank in all but name, changes that are too in the weeds of government policy for most people to follow. It is way too bureaucratic, regulatory and detailed for the general public," said Yohanan Plesner, a former centrist member of Israels parliament and president of the Israel Democracy Institute think tank in Jerusalem. In June, at Smotrichs request, Israels government authorized the building of Nahal Heletz and four other settlements. In an apparent quid pro quo, Smotrich also agreed to unfreeze tax revenue that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, which governs most Palestinians in the West Bank, which was held back after the Oct. 7 attacks. For years, Israel has maintained that its control of the West Bank is a temporary military occupation run by the army, not a permanent annexation under civilian control. The territorys final status, Israel said, would be part of a negotiated settlement with Palestinians. But Smotrich has overseen the creation of a civilian body called the Settlements Administration with sweeping authority over civilian issues, including appropriating West Bank land, approving settlement expansion and issuing permits for construction. The changes have paved the way for the designation of nearly 6,000 acres in the West Bank as state land, a precursor for future settlements in those areas. So far this year, more land has been seized than in all of the past three decades, Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said. Thousands of kilometers of roads have been built, extending their reach deeper into the territory. Under Smotrich, Israels 2024 budget allocated about $960 million, or 25% of the Transportation Ministrys budget for road infrastructure, for improving the road network in the West Bank. There are nearly 500,000 settlers in the West Bank, out of the nearly 10 million Israeli citizens. For Israeli settlers, being under civilian control like their compatriots inside Israels settled frontiers, simplifies everything from getting building permits to expanding roads. But for Palestinians, it entrenches Israeli rule and makes the dream of a future state less likely. Naomi Kahn, a Jewish settler, said her daily commute to work has been slashed by over an hour after a nearby road was expanded at the end of 2023. A major road that cuts through Jewish settlements north of Ramallah had street lamps installed for the first time this year, said Yisrael Ganz, chairman of Yesha Council, an umbrella organization that represents settlements in the West Bank. While the changes seem inconsequential, they are an early sign of an improving quality of life in Israeli settlements, which could lure more Israelis to move there and marginalize Palestinians even further. Muayad Shaaban, a minister with the Palestinian Authority which administers part of the West Bank, said the changes amount to creeping annexation. The goal is to increase the territory controlled by Israeli settlers, he added, while shrinking the parts of the West Bank accessible to Palestinians. Smotrichs critics and admirers agree that he is an unusually effective bureaucrat, combining political power with a deep knowledge of the nuts-and-bolts of governance. Since early 2023, the total number of illegal settler outposts has grown to about 200, a 25% increase from the year before, according to Hagit Ofran, who tracks settlement growth for Peace Now. In that time, the Israeli government has started the approval process for 20,000 new homes in the West Bank, compared with 8,000 in the two years from 2021 to 2022, the group said. Were building up our good land and preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state," Smotrich wrote on X at the start of July after the announcement of 6,000 new homes in the territory. Jewish settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal by much of the international community, although Israel disputes this. Smotrich started out as a young right-wing activist during Israels disengagement from Gaza in the early 2000s. Israels domestic security service, the Shin Bet, detained him in 2005 after officers found him and other activists in possession of 700 liters of gasoline and oil, according to Dvir Kariv, a former Shin Bet agent who detained Smotrich. He was held for three weeks, but was released without being charged. Smotrichs office disputed parts of that account and said he was only accused of blocking a road and organizing illegal demonstrations. Before entering politics, he co-founded Regavim, a pro-settler group that tracks and protests illegal Palestinian building in the West Bank and southern Israel. Smotrich filed petition after petition lobbying for the demolition of Palestinian homes and structures, analysts said. That gave him a solid grounding in the complex web of Ottoman, British, Jordanian and military law that undergirds the West Bank. In 2015, he won a seat in the Knesset, Israels parliament, and later served stints as transportation minister and a member of a high-level security cabinet. His recent elevation in government shows the growing political strength of Israels religious ultranationalist Jews, many of whom view the land as given to the Jewish people by God. Relatively few in number, they now wield disproportionate power through their alliance with Netanyahu. Palestinians have, since the start of the Gaza war, reported an uptick in harassment by settlers. Mohammad Ishtaye, a 48-year-old Palestinian farmer, said that Jewish settlers have become increasingly brazen in the past 10 months. They have sped up construction, barred Palestinians from accessing their own farms and blocked the main entrance to the city of Salfit where he lives. He said he has been attacked by settlers and received death threats when trying to farm his plot. In the recorded speech to settlers, Smotrich said the government has kept West Bank oversight within the Defense Ministry to give the impression that the military is still in control. It will make it easier to swallow in the international and legal context so they wont say we are doing annexation," he said. Write to Shan Li at shan.li@wsj.com and Dov Lieber at dov.lieber@wsj.com As the world watches with bated breath, geopolitical tensions are not just shaping international relations but also influencing investment strategies. The year 2024 has been marked by an uptick in global conflicts, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, fueling a sector of the stock market that thrives on military spending: war stocks. Company Name Ticker Symbol Stock Exchange Sector Key Products/Services Lockheed Martin LMT NYSE Aerospace & Defense Military aircraft, missiles, defense systems Northrop Grumman NOC NYSE Aerospace & Defense Autonomous systems, cyber solutions BAE Systems BA.L London Stock Exchange Aerospace & Defense Combat vehicles, naval systems, electronics Raytheon Technologies RTX NYSE Aerospace & Defense Missile defense, precision weapons Boeing BA NYSE Aerospace & Defense Fighter jets, military aircraft General Dynamics GD NYSE Aerospace & Defense Land and amphibious combat vehicles Thales Group HO.PA Euronext Paris Aerospace & Defense Military electronics, space systems Saab AB SAAB-B.ST Stockholm Stock Exchange Aerospace & Defense Defense systems, surveillance technology Rheinmetall AG RHM.DE Frankfurt Stock Exchange Aerospace & Defense Land systems, armaments Leonardo S.p.A. LDO.MI Borsa Italiana Aerospace & Defense Helicopters, security electronics Elbit Systems ESLT NASDAQ Aerospace & Defense Advanced defense systems, electronics Huntington Ingalls Industries HII NYSE Aerospace & Defense Shipbuilding for the military Why War Stocks Remain Attractive: Geopolitical Escalation: The ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East, have not only sustained but increased the demand for military hardware. This demand is reflected in the stock performance of companies like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, which have seen their shares rise amidst general market turmoil. The ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East, have not only sustained but increased the demand for military hardware. This demand is reflected in the stock performance of companies like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, which have seen their shares rise amidst general market turmoil. Defense Budget Increases: Governments, especially the U.S., continue to bolster defense spending. The fiscal 2022 budget, for instance, saw a significant increase, signaling a long-term commitment to defense, which directly benefits these companies. Governments, especially the U.S., continue to bolster defense spending. The fiscal 2022 budget, for instance, saw a significant increase, signaling a long-term commitment to defense, which directly benefits these companies. Technological Advancements: Modern warfare requires not just traditional armaments but also advanced technology. Companies like RTX Corp (formerly Raytheon Technologies) are at the forefront of providing missile systems, drones, and cyber defense solutions, making them indispensable in current conflicts. Modern warfare requires not just traditional armaments but also advanced technology. Companies like RTX Corp (formerly Raytheon Technologies) are at the forefront of providing missile systems, drones, and cyber defense solutions, making them indispensable in current conflicts. Stable Revenue Streams: Unlike many sectors, defense companies enjoy a relatively predictable revenue stream due to government contracts. This stability is particularly appealing in times of economic uncertainty or market volatility. Global Conflicts and Civil Unrest: Ukraine: The conflict with Russia has not only led to increased military aid but also to a broader NATO rearmament, significantly boosting defense stocks. The conflict with Russia has not only led to increased military aid but also to a broader NATO rearmament, significantly boosting defense stocks. Middle East: Tensions between Israel and its neighbors, especially the potential for escalation with Iran, keep the region volatile. This scenario has investors eyeing defense stocks as a hedge against rising oil prices and broader conflict. Tensions between Israel and its neighbors, especially the potential for escalation with Iran, keep the region volatile. This scenario has investors eyeing defense stocks as a hedge against rising oil prices and broader conflict. Civil Unrest: From protests in several African nations to ongoing struggles in parts of Asia, civil unrest often leads to increased security spending, indirectly supporting defense contractors. Market Sentiment: Recent posts on X (formerly Twitter) highlight a mixed sentiment but a clear trend towards defense stocks. This indicates a belief among some investors that these stocks are not just safe havens but also growth opportunities. The investment in war stocks in 2024 isnt just about capitalizing on current conflicts but also about anticipating future military engagements and technological advancements in warfare. While the ethical implications of investing in war are debated, from a purely financial perspective, these stocks offer a unique blend of stability and growth potential in an unstable world. As long as geopolitical tensions persist, defense stocks are likely to remain a strategic choice for investors looking for resilience amidst global uncertainty. However, investors should always consider the broader implications of such investments, balancing potential financial gains with ethical considerations. Shayne Heffernan On Thursday, August 15, Isaiah 117 House in Rhea-Bledsoe County celebrated the groundbreaking on the 22nd house location in Tennessee. Isaiah 117 is an in-between home for foster children who have just been removed from harmful living conditions. Ronda Paulson, the Founder and Executive Director of the Isaiah 117 House, had the idea after learning about children waiting for placement in the office of the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) in 2014. A year later, after fostering a child of her own, the idea came to her again. "What if there was a home where children could go when they are removed? What if there was a safe place with friendly, loving volunteers?" said Paulson. "What if there was an environment with clean clothes, bath toys, snacks, comfy beds, and toys? What if, instead of cubicles, the traumatized child could see smiles, books, and snuggly blankets?" TN Gov. Bill Lee tours Isaiah 117 House in Chattanooga Gov. Lee praised the Isaiah 117 House for doing great work for the people of Chattanooga and Tennessee. The groundbreaking of the new home may be the 22nd in Tennessee, but Isaiah 117 has homes in several states around the US: Indiana Florida Georgia Kentucky Michigan The Carolinas Ohio Pennsylvania Texas Virginia For more information, including details on the opening of the Union County, Georgia house, visit the Isaiah 117 website. All children starting school in September 2024 can collect a free book bag at their local library as part of the My Little Library Book Bag initiative. The My Little Library Book Bag initiative aims to support the transition to primary school. The scheme is a collaboration between libraries and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as part of the First 5 Strategy. Supports to help the transition to primary school are available on the Lets Get Ready page on Gov.ie. Also read: Yummy! Four Longford primary schools added to Hot Meals programme Children and their parents or guardians are invited to collect their bag at any County Longford library. These libraries are based in Ballymahon, Drumlish, Edgeworthstown, Granard, Lanesboro and Longford. Book bags are available in both Irish and English and contain a book and a cardholder. Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Mark Casey said, The free book bag initiative is a great way to support our young learners and start their school journey on the right foot. Reading is important for learning and can help children to understand and deal with the steps they take as they grow. By providing free book bags to all children starting school, were ensuring each student has the resources they need to thrive. We look forward to welcoming the children in to collect their book bags. PICTURES | Red carpet rolled out in Longford to greet dedicated Mary's Meals walkers Longford County Council Chief Executive Paddy Mahon said, Longford Library Services are delighted to be involved in the First 5 My Little Library initiative. The library services are the heart of our community, and this scheme shows Longford County Councils commitment to supporting education and literacy. Longford Library services are excited to welcome new members of all ages. PICTURES: Memorable night at Longford Variety Groups 2024 All Star Karaoke The finalists for Blas na hEireann, The Irish Food Awards, 2024 have been announced and the countdown is now on for another exciting and joyous awards weekend in the pretty seaside town of Dingle. The three finalists shortlisted from Longford span a range of different categories; Goodness Grains Gluten Free Bakery, Herterich Artisan Butchers Ltd and Panelto Foods. The three-day event will take place from Thursday, October 3 to Saturday, October 5. The excitement is already building and the Blas team are hard at work preparing for the arrival of food and drink producers from across Ireland to celebrate the very best of Irish. Now in its 17th year, Blas na hEireann saw another record-breaking year across all categories along with many new producers entering the awards for the first time this year. During the judging, which took place in June and July, over 3,000 entries were judged, testament to the number of brilliant producers across the country. Speaking as the finalists were announced, Blas na hEireann Chairperson, Artie Clifford said, I started the awards after 30 years in the food industry, and I knew there was a need to celebrate the amazing food and drink being produced on the island of Ireland. 17 years later, it continues to delight me the number of new producers entering each year along with so many familiar faces returning year on year. We are an island of phenomenal producers and should be very proud of that, being able to showcase the very best of the best in Dingle each year is a real privilege for the whole Blas team. This years Blas na hEireann awards in Dingle will see the return of Eat Ireland in a Day market and the Blas Village where the 2024 finalists will get the opportunity to showcase their products, engage with customers and meet key industry buyers. This year's focus will be on sustainability with a commitment to encourage zero-waste throughout the three days of the awards in line with the Dingle Food Festival ethos. One new element at Blas will be the removal of any single use cups and the introduction of the first electric van delivering food and drink to the awards from across the country. These new initiatives are supported by Bank of Ireland in partnership with Blas. With over 3,000 products entered in this years Blas na hEireann, making it as a finalist is a huge achievement and one to be very proud of. The competition ramps up year on year, meaning those producers who are shortlisted as finalists really are the creme de la creme of Irish food and drink. For finalist producers it is not just their exceptional food and drink which will be celebrated in Dingle but the people themselves, the passionate producers who make the very best of Irish will be recognised and rewarded making Blas na hEireann 2024 a food event not to be missed! A teenager has been arrested after a chaplain at an army barracks in Co Galway was stabbed. The victim, who is aged in his 50s, was stabbed a number of times and is being treated for injuries that are serious but not life-threatening, Irish police said. The army chaplain was attacked outside Renmore Barracks on Thursday at about 10.45pm and rushed to University Hospital Galway. I have been briefed on the shocking incident outside Renmore Barracks last night & my thoughts are with the member of the defence forces in hospital. I want to thank defence forces personnel & Gardai for their action and response. Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) August 16, 2024 The chaplain was approached by a youth outside the barracks. The chaplain then ran through the barracks gate and was followed by the youth. A spokesman for the Defence Forces said that shots were fired by on-duty personnel after the chaplain was attacked. A male youth, aged in his teens, was restrained by members of the Defence Forces and arrested by gardai at the scene. The youth is currently detained at a garda station in the north western region. The scene is currently preserved and a technical examination will be carried out today by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit. Investigations are ongoing, gardai said. I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night. I commend the members of the Defence Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical. Our thoughts are with the Defence Forces member injured in the attack. Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) August 16, 2024 In a Facebook post, the army chaplain said: Friends, thank you for your prayers, love and concern. Sorry that I cant reply to all messages and take all the calls coming my way. Im doing okay; just awaiting surgery. All will be well. In a statement, Bishop Michael Duignan said: News of the assault on a Catholic priest, who is presently serving as chaplain to the Irish Defence Forces in Galway, is deeply shocking and upsetting. I pray for the injured man, asking God that he would make a full recovery. I pray too for his family, for his army colleagues and for the medical personnel who are tending to his injuries at this time. Taoiseach Simon Harris has said his thoughts are with the member of the Defence Forces in hospital. I have been briefed on the shocking incident outside Renmore Barracks last night and my thoughts are with the member of the Defence Forces in hospital. I want to thank Defence Forces personnel and Gardai for their action and response, he posted on the social network X. Tanaiste, and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin condemned the attack. I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night, he posted on X. I commend the members of the Defence Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical. Our thoughts are with the Defence Forces member injured in the attack. In a statement, a spokesman for the Defence Forces said: The Defence Forces can confirm that an incident occurred at Dun Ui Mhaoliosa, Renmore, Co Galway yesterday evening where shots were fired by on duty Defence Forces personnel. This action was taken in strict accordance with force protection protocols after a Defence Forces member was assaulted by a male civilian. The soldiers on duty responded to the immediate threat with appropriate force to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the area. The assailant was quickly detained and handed over to An Garda Siochana, who are now conducting a full investigation into the incident. The injured Defence Forces member was provided with immediate first aid at the scene before being transported to hospital for further treatment. We can confirm that the victims injuries, while serious, are not life-threatening. The Defence Forces are committed to the safety and security of all personnel and will continue to cooperate fully with gardai in their investigation. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: August 16 2024 Joseph Reid, 29, is charged with Assault 2nd degree. The Fifth Squad reports on the arrest of an Elmont man for the Assault of a Police Paramedic that occurred on Friday, August 16, 2024 at 9:30 AM in Elmont. According to Detectives, a Nassau County Police Paramedic responded to the residence of defendant Joseph Reid, 29, of 281 Norfeld Boulevard who called requesting for an ambulance transport. As the Police Paramedic was assessing defendant Joseph Reid, he became irate and charged at the Police Paramedic, pushing him through a door and onto the porch landing outside. The Police Paramedic suffered severe sharp pain and injury to his left shoulder. Officers placed defendant Joseph Reid under arrest without further incident. The Police Paramedic and defendant Joseph Reid were both transported to a nearby hospital for assessment and treatment. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi conducting a situational assessment approving plans for operations on various fronts on August 12. (IDF photo) Hezbollah targeted northern Israel with a series of rocket and drone threats on August 15, continuing daily attacks the group says are separate from its threats to retaliate for an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month. The IDF targeted Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukhr in late July, and Hezbollah has threatened a major retaliation for the killing for two weeks. The IDF conducted the strike on Shukhr in response to a Hezbollah rocket attack that killed 12 civilians in Majdal Shams on July 27. Hezbollahs daily attacks on northern Israel, which began on October 8, 2023, have now included 7,500 rockets and 200 drone attacks. Throughout August 15, sirens sounded in communities in northern Israel, beginning at 9:11 am and continuing throughout the day. A mix of rocket and drone threats affected communities near the Mediterranean and near Kiryat Shmona in the Huleh Valley in the eastern Galilee. Following the sirens that sounded at 14:10 in the area of the Golan Heights, one suspicious aerial target was intercepted after crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory. No injuries were reported, the IDF said about one of the incidents. In another incident, five rockets were fired near the Israeli community of Shamir, which overlooks the Huleh valley. According to the IDF, Israels Iron Dome air defense system intercepted many of the projectiles. Hezbollah claimed it expanded the range of its attacks to include Shamir. In a statement to the pro-Iranian al-Mayadeen media, the group said that it was targeting the area in response to Israeli attacks on areas in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah also stated the rocket attacks were done to support Hamas in Gaza. Later in the day, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari addressed Israels continued high state of alert. The country is preparing for a possible Iranian attack, as well as attacks by Iranian-aligned groups such as Hezbollah. Hagari said that there were no changes in instructions given to Israeli civilians by the IDFs Home Front Command. This statement indicates there are no special emergency instructions, despite two weeks of increased tensions with Iran and Iranian-backed groups. We are prepared and at peak readiness offensively and defensively, and we will act according to the instructions of the political echelon. The Israeli Air Force, the Northern Command, the Intelligence Directorate (J2), the Operations Directorate (J3), and the Home Front Command are all operating around the clockin terms of defense and offense, Hagari said. Hagari also stated Israel was conducting a situational assessment this week. At this stage there is no change in the Home Front Command defense policy. If there is a change to our guidelines, we will update immediately. We have our fingers on the pulse. The publics alertness and vigilance is important, and we urge you to continue to follow the guidelines on the IDF and the Home Front Command official platforms. As part of Israels preparation for a possible escalation, the IDF continued drills in northern Israel. These monthly trainings include different units involved with securing the northern border. The IDF released footage of the Israeli Navy conducting a joint drill with various ground forces over recent days as part of preparations for a possible escalation. The drill included the IDFs 146th Division, which is based in the north, police units, and Rambam hospital staff in Haifa. Hezbollahs actions on August 15 illustrate how the group continues to slowly escalate attacks on Israel and expand their range while threatening much broader attacks. Hezbollahs deputy secretary-general, Naim Qassem, told Al-Mayadeen that any attack related to the killing of Shukhr would be separate from the groups current daily attacks, which it has linked to the fighting in Gaza. In essence, Hezbollah has laid out a two-pronged policy. One prong supports Hamas in Gaza, and these daily attacks could cease if there is a ceasefire. The second prong is a threatened retaliation for Israels July airstrike. The IDF also carried out strikes in Lebanon on August 15. Israeli aircraft hit Hezbollah military structures in Yaroun and Ayta ash Shab in southern Lebanon, the IDF said. Israeli artillery also fired at an area near Deir Mimas, also in southern Lebanon. Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024). One of Bostons most treasured Italian restaurants closed its doors last Wednesday after 35 years of serving classic and made-to-order dishes, following some health concerns for its 72-year-old owner. Dolce Vita Ristorante, located at 221 Hanover St. in the North End, was known for its welcoming atmosphere where customers turned into friends, and could be served any authentic meal their heart desired. It officially closed on Aug. 8 after opening in 1989, the owner said. We were the restaurant where we made anything people wanted for them... I didnt always give a menu. I said to them, Tell me what you feel like eating. Ill make it for you, owner Francesco Franco Graceffa told MassLive on Thursday. This business, you have to be a little bit of a psychiatrist and try to understand the people you got in front of you, what theyre looking for... all I wanted was to give them the Italian experience, thats what it was all about, he said. The 72-year-old, who lives in North Andover, was born in the Sicilian town of Aragona. His passion for food ignited from cooking as a child with his mother and grandmother. After getting a degree in electrical engineering and serving in the Italian army, Graceffa decided to move to the U.S. in 1974 at the age of 22. Graceffa lived with his sister in Waltham for his first two years and worked for a local bakery. But he strived for his own American Dream, and started his own construction company with his technical education. After marrying his wife, Caroline Marie Ciarlone, in 1988, the two finally opened their restaurant on Hanover Street, he said. Dolce Vita means the sweet life, Graceffa said. And that, it was their list of clientele was global, as people came from all over the world to eat classic Italian dishes of all varieties, including lobster, scallops and other seafood, meats such as veal, steak and chicken, antipasti salads and every pasta imaginable. My customers really were my friends. People still call me every day, and thank me for the wonderful days we had... I used to sing for them, taking care of them with the food, he said. A review from a customer on Dolce Vitas page said Graceffa had sang to us all night and that you felt like you were part of the family. Its been the experience of a lifetime, these 35 years, Graceffa said. I was a part of the city of Boston, I gave a food experience and a little culture... I think the city should be proud of me after all those years. But recent afflictions, including problems with his lungs, forced the 72-year-old to reconsider his priorities, he said. Now, his plans include taking care of myself and my health, he said. As for the restaurant space, Graceffa said he sold it to a local company looking to put in a brewery. As of Aug. 15, he said he was doing inventory on the establishment to prep for a potential remodeling. When asked for recommendations on where Boston customers should go looking for fine Italian cuisine like his, Graceffa laughed. Try to go to places where the owner is there and working. Thats when youre going to get your good food, and thats where people are going to take care of you, he said. Graceffa added he wanted to thank everyone whos given him support and that he plans to keep in touch, and thanked those whod called to say hed be missed I really appreciate that. That goes to my heart... so I must have done something right, you know? he said. A lottery player from Massachusetts won $25,000 a year for life on Thursday during the multi-state Lucky for Life drawing. The winning numbers for the Lucky for Life drawing were 3, 7, 19, 24, 38 and Lucky Ball: 11. The winning ticket sold in Massachusetts matched all five of the first numbers to win $25,000 a year for life. The ticket was sold in North Weymouth at a 7-Eleven convenience shop. Drawings for Lucky for Life are held daily at 10:38 p.m., and tickets to play cost $2. Players choose five numbers between 1-48 and one number between 1-18. Winners have one year from the drawing date to claim their prize. Additionally, a $15 million grand prize and $1 million prize were both claimed on Thursday. The $15 million ticket was sold in Lynn from a shop called One Stop Mart, and the $1 million prize was from a ticket sold in Chicopee at a Pride Station & Store. Overall, at least 521 prizes worth $600 or more were won or claimed in Massachusetts on Thursday, including 14 in Springfield, 17 in Worcester and 49 in Boston. The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of winning tickets every day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600. So far, the largest lottery prize won in Massachusetts this year was worth $1 million a year for life. The prize was from the lotterys Lifetime Millions scratch ticket game. The winner claimed their prize through a trust on July 10, and opted to receive a one-time payment of $15.4 million. A 14-year-old from Lowell is facing criminal charges in connection with the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Tewksbury on Tuesday, police said. The teenager, who was not named by police, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (firearm), receiving a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a firearm without identification. They were set to be arraigned in Lowell Juvenile Court on Thursday, Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan M. Columbus said in a statement. Police arrested the teen around 2 p.m. on Thursday. A Dorchester man was arrested and charged Thursday afternoon after a road rage incident he was involved in led officers to find a firearm in his car, Boston Police said. Davente Monteiro, 24, was charged with carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, possession of a large capacity firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, assault with a dangerous weapon and threat to commit a crime, police said. Boston police officers said they responded to a person calling about a gun at 488 Blue Hill Ave. at about 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 15. When officers arrived, they identified the victim who was yelling and pointing at an occupied vehicle, police said. The victim said that while he was driving near Blue Hill Avenue and Columbia Road, he got into an argument with the driver and the passengers of the vehicle he was pointing at, police added. When both vehicles stopped at a red light, the argument got more intense and a passenger Monteiro left his car and started to take photos of the victims car, police stated. Monteiro opened the victims passenger side door and threatened him, leading the victim to think that Monteiro had a firearm, police said. Officers approached the vehicle the victim was pointing to and to investigate the three people inside the car, the police said. The officers searched the vehicle and recovered a firearm inside of a backpack in the backseat, police said. Detectives determined the gun was a Glock 30 .45 caliber loaded with one round in the chamber and 17 rounds in the magazine, police said. The high-capacity magazine was also equipped with an extension and a rail accessory affixed to the firearm, police added. Police detained all three people in the vehicle and a further investigation led to Monteiros arrest, police said. Monteiro is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court, police said. A 41-year-old Florida woman is dead after losing control while driving a moped and crashing into a Jeep in Oak Bluffs Thursday, according to Massachusetts State Police. The collision caused the moped operator, Julia Harris, 41, of Florida, and a 40-year-old passenger from Boston, to be thrown to the ground, officials say. Authorities say Harris died at the scene, on Seaview Avenue in the Oak Bluffs area of Marthas Vineyard. The unidentified passenger was flown to a Boston hospital, where police say she is now in stable condition. Witness statements and video footage of the area show both moped riders were wearing helmets at the time of the crash, authorities say. One Jeep passenger suffered minor injuries, while the other four passengers, including the 41-year-old driver, a Newark, New Jersey woman, were not injured in the crash, according to officials. Shortly before noon on Aug. 15, Massachusetts State Troopers assigned to Oak Bluffs had responded to reports of a two-vehicle crash with serious injuries, on Seaview Avenue. Police say responders discovered the moped and the Jeep Wrangler were involved in what appeared to be a head-on collision, adding the vehicles were headed in opposite directions when the moped operator lost control, crossed the median and collided with the Jeep. The crash remains under investigation. A Chelsea man will serve at least 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to stabbing his wife more than 40 times in 2021, according to the Suffolk District Attorneys Office. Mario Mira, 51, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Aug. 15, for the 2021 murder of his estranged wife, Paula Andrea Ortiz, 47, at her Chelsea apartment, officials said in a release. On Dec. 11, 2021, Chelsea police officers responded to Ortizs Stockton Street apartment around 4:21 p.m, where they found Ortiz with multiple stab and slash wounds, according to the DAs office. Ortiz was pronounced dead at the scene. Mira, who was still at the apartment when responders arrived, had a box-cutter and knife nearby, authorities said. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston with life-threatening wounds. Authorities say he was arraigned in his hospital bed. Mira was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parol after 25 years, according to the DAs office. During Miras sentencing, Ortizs relatives including her sister, Ana Ortiz, and Paula Ortiz and Miras 17-year-old daughter, Maria Paz Ortiz shared statements. Its been almost 3 years of constant panic attacks, PTSD, nightmares, depression, days of not getting out of bed, days where Im mad at the world and wonder who to blame, Maria Paz Ortiz wrote. Ive never really felt okay but I forced myself to find peace ... I still have so many questions, but they will probably go unanswered. A 43-year-old woman was sentenced to six to eight years in prison on Thursday after a jury found her guilty on two charges connected to the death of a jogger in 2019, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruzs office. At sentencing Thursday, the woman, Kristina Blackmore, was also ordered to serve three years probation following her prison sentence, Cruzs office wrote in a post on X. When she is released, Blackmore cannot hold a drivers license, must complete 150 hours of community service, pay a $4,000 fine and restrict her travel, Cruzs office said. Blackmore was convicted of one count each of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation and leaving the scene of injury causing death after three days of jury deliberations on Wednesday, Cruzs office wrote in a prior statement. On June 9, 2019, around 6:37 p.m., Duxbury Police went to 641 Washington St., where they found 46-year-old Andrea Gordon unresponsive on the ground, according to the statement. First responders performed life-saving measures on Gordon, who was taken to South Shore Hospital. She died of her injuries two days later. Investigators later determined that the vehicle that hit Gordon was a Dodge Ram pickup truck, which was later found with damage at a Duxbury home, according to Cruzs office. At that point, Massachusetts State Police arrested Blackmore. Cruz wrote that he hopes Blackmore uses her prison time to reflect on all her actions on that fateful day and how things could have turned out very differently for all involved. Our thoughts today are with the family members of the victim in this case, 46-year-old Andrea Gordon, Cruz said in the statement. From desert control to thriving forests, delegates from across the globe visit Inner Mongolia, witnessing China's impressive green initiatives firsthand. Saugus Public Schools adopted an admissions policy last fall that impermissibly denies entry for migrant children, the advocacy group Lawyers for Civil Rights wrote in a letter addressed to members of the towns School Committee on Thursday. The letter claims that the committee, which adopted the new policy last August, exceeded its statutory authority by impermissibly denying enrollment to children whose families do not complete the towns census. The policy requires all students attending the towns public schools to be legal residents whose actual residence is in Saugus and requires families that move to the town to complete the town census prior to registering their children. But Lawyers for Civil Rights and Massachusetts Advocates for Children say the committee went too far, writing the policys overly-stringent residency and proof-of-identity requirements place an undue burden on immigrant and mixed-status families. School Committee Chair Vincent Serino told MassLive the policy is in place to ensure students in Saugus Public Schools are residents of the town, not other surrounding communities. This policy states, very clearly, that no child who actually resides in Saugus will be denied access to school due to immigration status, nor by law would it apply to homeless students who are entitled to an education here, he wrote in a statement. This is both our policy and practice. The advocacy groups are asking the committee to immediately revise the policy, particularly with the 2024-25 school year on the horizon. Saugus begins school on Aug. 27, according to its official calendar. On Thursday, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education weighed in on the policy, asking Saugus to clarify its policy, a spokesperson confirmed. All school districts in Massachusetts are required to ensure students have equal access to a free public education regardless of their or their parents immigration status, the department said in a statement. In 2023-24, while the policy was in place, Saugus admitted 23 students living in the states emergency shelter system, according to the department. When the committee adopted the policy last fall, Serino said it was simply formalizing the process for families moving into the district, and called it more of a state thing. In the past, people would move into town and just come right in and register their kid and the town had no information, all the information was coming from the schools, Serino said during a July 27, 2023 meeting. Really all it is is cleaning up that they go to the town hall, meet with them first, and then they come here and register. In the letter, Lawyers for Civil Rights and Massachusetts Advocates for Children say the policy disproportionately harms immigrant and mixed-status families. And, they go on to write, they are aware of at least two casesboth involving immigrant families where SPSs illegal requirement impeded childrens enrollment and resulted in substantial time out of school. The policy also requires families to provide proof of identification, such as a drivers license or passport, which the letter notes many migrant families would not have. The groups call for Saugus to remove specific language from the policy to avoid legal action, including references to legal residents and immigration records required by law. But also, more broadly, they call for a change in tone that makes clear that all residents of the Town are welcome to enroll in the Saugus Public Schools. Serino said the committee has not yet discussed if it will change the specific language in the policy. The committee does not have any upcoming scheduled meetings, according to the town website, but Serino indicated they would discus the policy at a coming meeting. With deals in place to keep the doors open at five hospitals operated by bankrupt Steward Health Care, Massachusetts is closing the book ... once and for all, on the company, Gov. Maura Healey said Friday. Its a long time coming. Were here. Its a new chapter starting today, a new chapter for patients and residents, a new chapter for our great healthcare workers, our incredible nurses, healthcare workers, all the staff, the people who make our hospitals actually run, the Democratic governor said during a news conference at the State House in Boston. Good riddance and goodbye, Healey, who has long pressed for the company to leave Massachusetts said. That is a good thing. The midafternoon news conference came hours after Healeys office announced it had reached deals in principle with Steward on the properties. Under the terms of the agreements, the state will take control of Saint Elizabeths Medical Center in Boston, while new operators would assume control of Saint Annes Hospital, Good Samaritan Medical Center, the Holy Family Hospitals, and Morton Hospital, the administration said in a statement. All told, the agreement encompasses four Steward hospitals on five campuses, according to State House News Service. The sweeping transition and health care market restructuring plan that Healey announced Friday is expected to require significant involvement from the Legislature, State House News Service also reported. Healeys office said it has been working with lawmakers on a fiscally responsible financing plan that includes cash advances, capital support and maximizing federal matches to support the transition to new operators, the wire service reported. The agreements, however, do not extend to Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, both of which have received court approval to close by months end. Speaking to reporters Friday, Healey mourned those shutdowns and laid the blame for the companys financial meltdown squarely at the feet of Stewards controversial CEO, Dr. Ralph de la Torre. I understand that the community, patients, and workers in Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center are rightly upset about these closures, and I want them to know that I am, too, she said. I am really upset about what steward did, which was to run them to the point that after an exhaustive process, unlike the other hospitals, there was no [other] hospital operator willing to come forward with a bid to continue operations of those facilities. Thats why those hospitals are set to close. Its because of what Steward ... did in running them to the ground, Healey said. When it comes to the remaining facilities, we have an agreement thats going to save hospitals, its going to protect patients, its going to protect jobs, she said. Healey said her office intended to seize control of Saint Elizabeths through eminent domain, after failing to reach an agreement with its landlord, so that we can facilitate a transition to a new owner and keep this hospital open. Under the terms of the deals, Lawrence General Hospital will become the new operator for both campuses of Holy Family in Haverhill and Methuen. Lifespan would assume operations of Morton and Saint Annes, and Boston Medical Center would take over Good Samaritan, as well as Saint Elizabeths, the administration said in a statement released ahead of the news conference. I think its a win for Massachusetts ... because we got rid of a really bad operator, a really bad operator, Healey said later in the news conference. But what we have left are incredible doctors and nurses and staff whove worked and given their blood, sweat, and tears at these Steward hospitals because they want to provide care. We have those human assets, she continued. Theyre going to continue to work, and theyre going to be working with and for quality hospital operators who understand the way you provide quality care to residents and communities. Steward filed for bankruptcy in May, facing debts running to the tens of millions of dollars in unpaid rent on hospitals in Massachusetts and elsewhere. The company has spent months trying to offload the facilities. In April, Steward permanently shuttered New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, even though the facility had been declared essential by the state Department of Public Health. Advocates, industry leaders, and organized labor praised the move. This is the exact kind of aggressive action that the healthcare workers of 1199SEIU have been demanding from our state leaders, Tim Foley, the executive president of the health care union, 1199SEIU, said in a statement. Stewards hospitals are essential to Massachusetts healthcare system, and this bold step will keep them open to serve our patients despite the outrageous financial brinksmanship of Apollo Global Management, Medical Properties Trust, and Steward Health Care, he said. Steve Walsh, the president and CEO of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, said the trade group was highly encouraged to see that trusted health systems are on track to take over Stewards Massachusetts hospitals and have every confidence in their ability to restore normalcy, build upon relationships with patients and caregivers, and create a new legacy for these hospitals moving forward. The industry group is hopeful that this process will help alleviate the pressures being felt by other healthcare facilities and give Massachusetts a unique opportunity to create an even more responsive system of the future. MHA and our members will be doing everything in our power to help facilitate a safe and efficient transition of these hospitals when the time comes, Walsh said. Earlier in the day on Friday, a Steward lawyer said the company was close to signing purchase agreements for at least five of its Massachusetts facilities, NBC-10 in Boston reported. Im pleased to report weve made very significant progress with the parties, in no small part to the efforts of the mediator, Ray Schrock, Stewards lawyer from the firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, said Friday, according to the station. Were not quite there yet but we are hopeful that we could close out the remaining issues between, on the one hand the buyers, on the second between the commonwealth of Massachusetts and our stakeholders, as we move forward toward what we hope is a signing of asset purchase agreements on hopefully all of the six hospitals that were trying to sell, Schrock said, according to the station. But certainly at least on five, I know were close. In a filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston on Thursday, Steward announced it was postponing a hearing on the sales of its Massachusetts hospitals, scheduled for Friday, until Aug. 22. Some people run for governor. Some have it thrust upon them. Just ask state Auditor Diana DiZoglio. With Gov. Maura Healey and just about every other elected Democrat in state government headed for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, it looks like the Methuen pol could spend at least part of next week as acting governor. Heres why: When Healey is out of town, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll serves as acting governor under the states line of succession. When theyre both out of pocket, Secretary of State Bill Galvin sits in the big chair. If, for some reason, Galvin is unable to serve, the acting governors duties fall to Attorney General Andrea Campbell. And if she cant serve, state Treasurer Deb Goldberg steps into the breach. Healey, Driscoll, Campbell, Galvin, and Goldberg, all are delegates to the DNC, which starts Monday and runs until next Thursday. So, under the states line of succession, DiZoglio likely will spend at least some time next week as acting governor, she told MassLive. Politicos Massachusetts Playbook was the first to report the news. Plans are still being firmed up. And both DiZoglio and Healey were tight-lipped about what might happen and when. But Ill certainly be in the [State House] next week, DiZoglio said, adding that shes currently focused on getting some outstanding audits out the door. The work of the auditors office is taking up my time this week, she continued. But next week, certainly I will be in touch if we have any plans, and certainly I will shift my schedule accordingly for the responsibilities of being acting governor when everybodys at the convention and out of town. Speaking to reporters after an event at the State House, Healey said she didnt know about my schedule entirely yet, for convention week. Healey is among the nations female governors scheduled to sit on an Aug. 21 panel discussion in Chicago hosted by Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, CNN reported. Asked if shed briefed DiZoglio, Healey added Well do whats appropriate, adding, Government will continue. Its OK. Its OK. (*This story was updated at 2:25 p.m., on Friday Aug. 16, 2024, with additional reporting.) Gov. Maura Healeys administration and bankrupt Steward Health Care have agreed to deals in principle that would keep the doors open at the companys five, remaining Bay State hospitals. Under the terms of the agreement, the state will take control of Saint Elizabeths Medical Center in Boston, while new operators would assume control of Saint Annes Hospital, Good Samaritan Medical Center, the Holy Family Hospitals, and Morton Hospital. The Democratic governor was expected to announce more details at a 1 p.m. news conference. Today, we are taking steps to save and keep operating the five remaining Steward Hospitals, protecting access to care in those communities and preserving the jobs of the hardworking women and men who work at those hospitals, Healey said in a midday statement. Our team under [Health & Human Services] Secretary Kate Walsh worked day in and day out to secure new, responsible, qualified operators who will protect and improve care for their communities, Healey continued. Were grateful for the close collaboration of the Legislature to develop a fiscally responsible financing plan to support these transitions. All told, the agreement encompasses four Steward hospitals on five campuses, according to State House News Service. The sweeping transition and health care market restructuring plan that Healey announced Friday is expected to require significant involvement from the Legislature, State House News Service also reported. Healeys office said it has been working with lawmakers on a fiscally responsible financing plan that includes cash advances, capital support and maximizing federal matches to support the transition to new operators, the wire service reported. Earlier in the day on Friday, a Steward lawyer said the company was close to signing purchase agreements for its Massachusetts facilities, NBC-10 in Boston reported. Im pleased to report weve made very significant progress with the parties, in no small part to the efforts of the mediator, Ray Schrock, Stewards lawyer from the firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, said Friday, according to the station. Were not quite there yet but we are hopeful that we could close out the remaining issues between, on the one hand the buyers, on the second between the commonwealth of Massachusetts and our stakeholders, as we move forward toward what we hope is a signing of asset purchase agreements on hopefully all of the six hospitals that were trying to sell, Schrock said, according to the station. But certainly at least on five, I know were close. Steward hopes to be reporting a favorable result on signing the asset purchase agreements for Massachusetts on Monday, Schrock added. In a filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston on Thursday, Steward announced it was postponing a hearing on the sales of its Massachusetts hospitals, scheduled for Friday, until Aug. 22. Steward has already received court approval to close Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer. Healey said her office intended to seize control of Saint Elizabeths through eminent domain so that we can facilitate a transition to a new owner and keep this hospital open. If the deals are completed, Lawrence General Hospital will become the new operator for both campuses of Holy Family in Haverhill and Methuen. Lifespan would assume operations of Morton and Saint Annes, and Boston Medical Center would take over Good Samaritan, as well as Saint Elizabeths, the administration said. To support these new operators through this transition as they continue care for Massachusetts residents, the Healey-Driscoll administration has worked closely with the Legislature to develop a fiscally responsible financing plan that includes cash advances, capital support and maximizing federal matches, the administration said. Maternal health legislation is heading to Gov. Maura Healeys desk. The conference committee report, which emerged from negotiations Wednesday, won House and Senate approval during sparsely attended informal sessions on Thursday. Its with immense gratitude that we get to actually revel in this moment of progress, celebrating this monumental commitment to improving the quality of life, maternal and mental health care for our most at-risk constituents, said Sen. Liz Miranda, who sponsored maternal health legislation this session. With the birth justice bill on its way to Gov. Healeys desk momentarily, we are taking a crucial step forward in tackling the Black maternal health crisis by expanding prenatal, postpartum, mental health, midwifery, doula care, birth centers, while enabling the growth of these freestanding birth centers across our great commonwealth, Miranda, D-2nd Suffolk, said. Inside the Houses temporary chamber in Hearing Room A-1, some advocates cheered as the branch accepted the report without discussion. Lead House negotiator Rep. Marjorie Decker, D-25th Middlesex, quietly exclaimed, Yay! The agreement creates a pathway to licensure for certified professional midwives and lactation consultants, removes barriers to opening birth centers, develops resources for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, expands access to postpartum depression screenings, and improves oversight of ultrasound care. It also requires MassHealth to cover doula services for pregnant people, postpartum individuals up to 12 months after the end of their pregnancy, and adoptive parents until their infants turn one. Beacon Hill lawmakers ran out of time to strike a deal on the bills, which were largely similar across the House and Senate versions, before the end of formal sessions. The maternal health legislation was the first bill to be released from closed-door negotiations since the Aug. 1 end of formals, and the Legislature still has major business unfinished. Emily Anesta, president of the Bay State Birth Coalition, said the maternal health bill will significantly improve access to high-quality, personalized maternity care for countless families across our state. This omnibus package is a powerful, multi-faceted approach to addressing our urgent maternal health crisis and racial inequities, Anesta said in a statement Thursday. People in Massachusetts want and deserve access to midwifery care and birth centers and this is a huge step forward to ensure people can obtain this essential care. BALTIMORE Before Thursdays game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Nick Pivettas velocity would tell the story of his start against the Orioles. Instead, home runs. Pivetta, who had his last start skipped due to arm fatigue, generally pitched well but gave up two homers (to Gunnar Henderson and Cedric Mullins) in five innings as the Red Sox opened an important road trip with a 5-1 loss at Camden Yards. For Pivetta, the return to the mound was a dissatisfactory one. He gave up only three hits and struck out six but took the loss as the Red Sox fell to 63-57 (and 1-6 against the Orioles this season). Boston is now 4-11 in its last 15 games against the Orioles. BALTIMORE When Red Sox rookie Chase Shugart made his major league debut Thursday night at Camden Yards, he had his own personal cheering squad courtesy of some convenient flight paths. Shugart, a 27-year-old right-hander who was called up from Triple-A on Monday, had about 20 friends and family members in Boston for the Sox three-game series against the Rangers. He didnt pitch in any of those games before making his first big league road trip to Baltimore for the four-game series that began Thursday. Originally, the plan was for most of his family members to fly back home to Houston, where the Sox will play a series beginning Monday (100 miles away from Shugarts hometown of Bridge City). But the layover gods had something else in mind. EAST LONGMEADOW After six years of waiting and hundreds of thousands of dollars raised, the East Longmeadow Veterans Memorial still needs $40,000 more to complete the work. Twenty-one East Longmeadow natives served in the U.S. armed forces and paid the ultimate price, losing their lives in battle this century and in the last. The memorial on 328 North Main St. will feature a section dedicated to lives lost in World War I, World War II, Vietnam and Afghanistan, with the names of the fallen soldiers engraved in black granite. Merck Foundation Chairperson & CEO meet Botswana President and First Lady to acknowledge their Alumni and Award winners; Merck Foundation Chairman & CEO meet Botswana President & First Lady to launch long term partnership to build healthcare capacity, stop infertility Stigma & GBV and Support girl education in Botswana; Merck Foundation declared Botswana First Lady as Ambassador of More than a Mother to build healthcare capacity, break infertility stigma, stop GBV and support girl education. Prof. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp and Dr. Rasha Kelej, Chairman and CEO of Merck Foundation meets Botswana President and First Lady to underscore their long-term commitment to health, social and economic development of Botswana; Merck Foundation Marking Strong Milestone of Transforming Patient Care Landscape and Supporting Girl Education in Partnership with Botswana First Lady. Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany officially launched their programs in partnership with H.E. Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of Botswana, also the Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother, the programs which started in 2018 with the aim to transform patient care, build healthcare capacity, break the stigma of infertility, empower women, support girl education, stop GBV in Botswana and the rest of Africa. The program took place in esteemed presence of The President of the Republic of Botswana, H.E. Dr. MOKGWEETSI ERIC KEABETSWE MASISI and Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp. The Summit was chaired by The First Lady of Botswana, H.E. Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI, and CEO of Merck Foundation, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej. H.E. Dr. MOKGWEETSI ERIC MASISI, the President of Botswana emphasized during the launch I deeply appreciate the joint programs of The First Lady of Botswana and the Merck Foundation. I am thrilled to see the tangible, measurable impact of these programs and their long-term commitment to the health and social development of our beautiful country, in such a short time. Botswana needs these valuable programs; I wholeheartedly wish for their success. Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of More Than a Mother Campaign emphasized, It is a great honor to meet H.E. The President of Republic of Botswana, and our long-term partner and my dear sister, H.E. Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of Republic of Botswana and Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother to officially launch the Merck Foundation Programs in the country, and to underscore our commitment towards building healthcare and media capacity, patient care landscape transformation, ending GBV, breaking infertility stigma and supporting girl education, together in the country. H.E. Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of Republic of Botswana, Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother expressed, It is a pleasure to welcome and meet Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO to our country. Together we officially launched and also celebrated important milestones of the great success of our joint programs to build healthcare capacity, transform patientcare, break infertility stigma, support girl education and stop GBV, in our country since 2018. In a very short time, we have been able to provide 46 scholarships to our young doctors in many specialties which are very critical for us. We are proud of our achievements together. I am very happy to share that we have together transformed the patientcare landscape of Botswana by providing 46 scholarships of One-Year Online PG Diploma and Two-Year Master Degree for local doctors from Botswana nationwide in many underserved and critical medical specialties such as Oncology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Embryology, Fertility, Sexual and Reproductive care, Acute Medicine, Dermatology, Obesity and Weight Management, Respiratory Care and Internal Medicine and more, it is considered as an excellent number for 2.7 M population. And we are still going to provide more scholarships to local healthcare providers nationwide, emphasized Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Merck Foundation Board of Trustees. I am also very happy to share that together with Her Excellency The First Lady of Botswana, we are also supporting girl education by providing scholarships and bicycles for 40 schoolgirls to cover their transportation and other education expenses so that they can reach their potentials and achieve their dreams, Dr. Rasha Kelej added. Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp added, Our aim is to improve the overall health and wellbeing of people by building healthcare capacity across Africa, Asia and other developing countries. We are strongly committed to transforming patientcare landscape through our scholarships program. Merck Foundation has provided 1810 scholarships to doctors from 52 countries in 42 critical and underserved medical specialties. Out of the total 46 scholarships provided in Botswana, 19 scholarships have been provided for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity & Weight Management, for Batswana doctors from different provinces across the country, which is very important to improve access to quality and equitable diabetes and hypertension patient care not only in Gaborone but nationwide. After completion of the course, these doctors will be able to establish diabetes or hypertension clinics in their Health Centre or Hospital with the aim to help prevent and manage the disease in their own communities, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej added. Out of the 46 scholarships, 10 scholarships have been provided to doctors in Fertility and one-year PG Diploma and two-year Master degree in Sexual and Reproductive Medicine. This is a huge number that will advance womens health in the country. 5 Scholarships have been provided for Oncology to develop and support the cancer care capacity in the country. Moreover, 12 scholarships have been provided for Acute Medicine, Respiratory Care, Dermatology, Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine and more as part of Merck Foundation Capacity Advancement Program. Merck Foundation is also working closely with Botswana First Lady to inspire girls and sensitize communities about the importance of girl education. As a part of their Educating Linda program, Merck Foundation will sponsor the education of 20 deserving schoolgirls, till they graduate. Moreover, Merck Foundation also provided 20 bicycles to encourage girls to continue going to the school, as they sometimes dropout due to long distances. I really believe that when the girls are educated, their countries become more powerful, stronger & prosperous, added Senator Kelej. Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO together with The First Lady of Botswana also visited schools in the country to meet the beneficiaries of Sewing machines donation and witness their success. During the Summit, Merck Foundation Awards Ceremony was held, during which 7 Winners of the Merck Foundation Awards were acknowledged by Merck Foundation Chairman, Merck Foundation CEO together with Botswana First Lady. Additionally, they also addressed the journalists during the Merck Foundation Health Media Training conducted in partnership with The First Lady of Botswana for the Batswana journalists, to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence society to create a cultural shift with the aim to address wide range of social and health issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, Stopping GBV, Diabetes and Hypertension awareness. Apart from this, the Call for Application for 8 important Merck Foundation Awards in partnership with The First Lady of Botswana were announced for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields Merck Foundation. The training program was also addressed by prominent Medical & Media Experts and Government Officials. Moreover, Merck Foundation Chairman, and Merck Foundation CEO together with The First Lady of Botswana signed a few copies of their different childrens storybooks titled: More Than a Mother created for children and youth to emphasize and strengthen family values of love and respect from an early age; Not Who You Are to teach boys to love and respect their future wives and eliminate domestic violence, to emphasize on the importance of empowering girls through education and Sugar Free Jude and Marks Pressure to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness on the early detection and prevention of Diabetes & Hypertension. Thousands of copies of these storybooks are going to be distributed to school students of Botswana. Almost 1,500 homes, businesses and farms in North Mayo can avail of a high-speed connection today. National Broadband Ireland (NBI), who are delivering fibre broadband under the National Broadband Plan, has said there are 1,547 Mayo properties in its Carrowmorelacken deployment area that can now avail of a high-speed fibre broadband connection. This includes the rural areas and townlands surrounding Killala, Ballycastle and Rathlacken. 2,813 properties across the county have already connected to the network, with 10,481 homes, businesses available to pre-order the broadband. One-hundred-year old Mayo woman, Bridget Joyce, reflected on times with no electricity in rural Mayo as she connected to the fibre broadband. 100 year-old Mayo woman, Bridget Joyce, connected to the network last month Ms Joyce said: We were living a long time with no electricity. I remember the days when we carried paraffin oil a mile from the town on our way to school and carried it home again. We did this until the 1960s, when electricity finally came to our village. Now, with fibre broadband, I can do so much from home. I would have never believed what could be done. Im able to watch Mass and keep up with everything all online. The Westnet team connected our home to NBIs fibre network and even hooked up my iPad. Its great to get that level of support, she continued. Network build works are continuing across Mayo, with Achill Island premises due to be connected between January and March next year. The plan, which NBI is rolling out on behalf of the Government, includes 37,000 Mayo premises in its States Intervention Area, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms, and schools. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, Mayo will receive a 145 million Government investment under the National Broadband Plan. Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said the connection enables those who connect to experience the life-changing benefits of high-speed broadband with minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second. Almost 10,500 homes, businesses and farms in Co Mayo can now order a high-speed fibre connection to the NBI network. This includes over 2,150 premises near Ballina, over 2,00 near Castlebar, almost 1,800 near Newport, over 2,000 near Liscarney and over 1,000 premises in the Killadoon deployment area, he added. NBI is encouraging people to check their eligibility and register for updates on their website to receive regular notifications related to progress in their area. Sixteen pubs in Mayo are set to be turned into 40 residential units. This comes as part of plans for 100 pubs nationwide to be redeveloped to create nearly 300 new homes. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien, published figures showing that local authorities received 1,165 notifications to convert vacant commercial premises into new homes between 2018 and 2023. These notifications have the potential to result in 2,716 new homes across Ireland. Planning exemptions introduced in 2018, removed the requirement for planning permission for the conversion of certain types of vacant commercial property into residential units, and in 2022, the exemption was extended to allow vacant pubs to be converted into homes. The Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, Alan Dillon, called this one of a suite of measures proving effective in encouraging property owners to convert vacant commercial buildings to residential use. Bringing vacant and derelict properties back into reuse can be a catalyst for regeneration and revitalisation, bringing vibrancy back to communities, added the Mayo TD. In 2022 and 2023, 92 notifications relating to pubs were received by local authorities with the intention to create 295 new homes. Minister OBrien said converting empty buildings into homes is a key component of Housing for All. These figures show that policies which have eased the planning burden for those who wish to convert unoccupied commercial premises, including pubs, into residential use are helping to increase supply, tackle vacancy and renew urban areas, he added. Minister OBrien explained that he visited counties and saw first-hand the impact of turning what was once a vacant pub into five or six new apartments. He concluded: It makes sense to provide the exemptions and to make it easier for people to convert commercial buildings into high-quality homes. See below the county-by-county breakdown: Mayo is all set for National Heritage Week. Kicking off tomorrow, Saturday, August 17, the people of Mayo are ready to dive into the rich history of Mayo and Ireland alike. Explore the evolution of the Irish dialect known as Hiberno-English, try your hand at panning for gold and grinding corn the neolithic way at the Ceide Fields, or adventure through the ancient routes of Croagh Patrick. With over 70 free events happening around the county between this Saturday and next Sunday, August 25, its a great opportunity to connect with our built, natural, archaeological and cultural heritage. National Heritage Week takes place from this Saturday 17th August to Sunday 25th August, and most events are free. Deirdre Cunningham, Mayo Heritage Officer explained how this years theme , Connections, Routes, and Networks invites us all to explore the links between heritage, people and communities. She continued Heritage Week provides us with a wonderful opportunity to share and celebrate Mayos unrivalled built, natural, cultural and archaeological heritage, whether it is going on a guided walk, taking part in a workshop, going to a talk or exhibition, or visiting a local heritage site. We can discover what is on our doorstep and hopefully be inspired to explore and enjoy our heritage all year round. Speaking at the launch of Heritage Week in Mayo, Councillor Donna Sheridan, Cathaoirleach of Castlebar Municipal District, commended the hard work, enthusiasm and passion of all the groups and individuals who have organised events, often on a voluntary basis, and without whom Heritage Week would not happen. Other highlights of this years programme include a talk by meteorologist Joanna Donnelly of Met Eireann and RTE on the science behind weather forecasting in the climate of Ireland, a screening of four mini-films on the lighthouses of Erris, and a lecture delivered by Dr Tomas Mac Conmara, on Mayos past recordings. Co-ordinated by the Heritage Council since 2005, National Heritage Week has become one of Irelands largest cultural events. At county level, National Heritage Week is co-ordinated and supported by local authority heritage officers, their colleagues, and with numerous local heritage groups and organisations. Full details of all events taking place in Mayo are available on the Heritage Week website. The Limerick farmer who tragically died following a bull attack will be laid to rest on Saturday. The late Bobby Richardson, of Killeenagarriff, Lisnagry has been fondly remembered as "a pure gentleman" following his untimely passing on Tuesday morning. He is sadly missed by his loving wife Joan, sons Henry and Martin, daughter Brid and their partners Martina, Sinead and Harry, grandson Harry and granddaughter Winnie, brothers George and Noel, sisters Mary, Rebecca and Teresa. brothers in law, sisters in law, nephews, nieces, cousins, neighbours, relations and friends. Reposing at his son Martins home (V94 KF2C) on Friday, August 16 from 4pm onwards. Arriving on Saturday to St Patricks Church, Ahane, for Requiem Mass at 11.30am. Burial afterwards in Killeenagarriff Cemetery. Many have expressed their sympathies to the Richardson family on RIP.ie following their tragic loss of Bobby. "So sorry to hear the devastating news of your dear Bobby's passing. We are all heartbroken for you. Words cannot express the sadness we feel for you all. May you get strength from each other to get through the dark days ahead. The bed of heaven to his gentle soul," wrote one. Former councillor John Egan, from nearby Murroe and a fellow farmer, expressed his condolences to the Richardson family on Bobby's passing. One man said he worked with Bobby in a number of places and he was "a pure gentleman". Another mourner wrote "Bobby was a kind, gentle soul and will be fondly remembered in our community". May he rest in peace. by Barbara Lippert , Columnist, August 15, 2024 Primark, the international clothing retailer offering fall in love fashion at take-me-home prices, introduced itself to America this week via Thats so Primark, its first branding campaign targeted to the U.S. market. Launched in Dublin, Ireland, 55 years ago, the retail chain is a familiar brand in Europe, with some 457 stores throughout 17 countries. And while hardly a household name in the States, Primark plans on operating 60 stores on our shores. So for Primark virgins like myself, living under a rock, two hero spots offer a calling card for the shopping experience. So whats so Primark? Its all about lovelove for the brand, and love for your closets, according to Michelle McEttrick, Primarks global chief customer officer. We want to give American consumers the chance to fall in love with their closet over and over again, she said. advertisement advertisement The love runneth over for Brett Edgar, too. As CEO of VCCP US., the agency that created the campaign, he explained: We wanted to show American consumers what the hype is all about across the pond. ..Its all about falling in love with the brand and its unique products again and again. Two hero spots will run across CTV, OTT and digital. The music underscoring the videos is clever and used to great effect. Jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson (not the blonde rocker who was a partner in Heart) sings My love has no beginning, my love has no end, from You Dont Know How Glad I Am. No front no back, my love won't bend I'm in the middle, lost in a spin Loving you. And Window with a View sure gets viewers lost in a spin. Theres no warm embrace in sight. Rather, its set at night, in an empty, very dark parking lot. We see two women, their silhouetted faces lit up with joy and expectation, wearing attention-getting hair, makeup and accessories (including one with a blonde wolf cut) approaching something. The darkness and harsh lighting make the scene seem haunting, with these two acting a little zomboid. It turns out they are not headed for each other, as some of the early shots might suggest. Rather, theyre in love with a big glass wall that they both not only approach, but smash into. Talk about a nose pressed into a window -- one of the women gets hers and her lips completely squished, and the other gets her cheek sucked into the glass, while drawing a little heart. Then the camera pulls back to reveal that they are in front of an empty Primark store in a little shopping center, clawing through the glass at the outfits displayed in the windows, price tags and all. It's a small thing, but I was disappointed with the empty and generic look of the price tags, which are also supposed to be alluring, since they are in the low two figures and these women are fired up. Then we see more middle-of-the-night shoppers joining them, wailing at the windows in the darkness. Was the "Night of the Living Dead" suggestion part of the joke? Would shooting the spot in the daytime have killed the 2 a.m. danger vibe? At the end, the phrase Pieces you love, prices you want, pops on screen. The love is requited in the second spot, Fall Again, as we see a woman who made it inside a Primark store. The music My love has no beginning, my love has no end swells, and then abruptly reverses, as the price hunter goes from object to object, dancing and hugging the merch. It reminded me a bit of the I Feel Pretty scene in "West Side Story." While its warmer than the first video, its also shot in the dark of night, in sometimes-harsh light. And the store is curiously empty. Of course, our shopper gets lost to the outside world anyway, alone in her low-priced-fashion-finding reverie. The spots do convey a sense of otherness and mystery. But I think Ill wait til morning to check a Primark out. by Dave Morgan , Featured Contributor, August 15, 2024 Last week, I wrote about the optimism-enhancing skills my team and I learned from our leadership offsite keynote from Bill Burke, founder and CEO of The Optimism Institute and host of the Blue Sky podcast. Bill told us one of the best techniques to temper the anxiety of the bad news that overwhelms our social media and newsfeeds today is to read them less - and to read history more. The algorithm-driven optimizations of todays social platforms are designed to heighten emotional response, but have very little perspective on where todays news really fits in the context of the worlds history. So, were not living in the most divisive time in U.S. history. Not even close. This isnt the most horrific time for war around the world and innocent civilian casualties. Not even close. Environmental disasters arent new. Taking nothing away from the true certainty of climate change and climate disasters in our future, history is replete with natural disasters and humankind's fallibility in predicting and preventing them. advertisement advertisement Below are some books that Ive read (or reread) over the past year that have helped me put todays news in its appropriate context. Horror of war. I highly recommend The Second World War by Antony Beevor. It may be the best overall history of that horrific war. Beevor, an extraordinary historian, puts WW II in human terms in ways no similar book had done before. Civil division in the U.S. Yes, there is a lot of civil discord in the U.S. today. Yes, what happened on Jan. 6 threatened key institutions of our democracy. However, take some time to read Erik Larsons "The Demon of Unrest, about the runup to the American Civil War, and youll realize the power and importance of optimistic leaders, both on the battlefield and in the White House and Congress, who arent afraid to step into the breach and do the right things. Catastrophes. Want to learn about the early days of the U.S. weather service, a great storm brewing in the Caribbean, the fights between scientists against politicians, and the horror of not being prepared? Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History is another great one from Erik Larson. Supreme Court Justices meddling in politics. We are living in a moment when theres a general low public opinion of the Supreme Court. Many worry, probably rightfully, about its increasing polarization and politicization. But for more context, have a read of Bruce Allen Murphys The Brandeis-Frankfurter Connection: The Secret Political Activities of Two Supreme Court Justices. While the politics played by Louis Brandeis and Felix Frankfurter, starting in 1915 and ending with Frankfurters retirement in 1962, brought enormous benefits to the nation, much of it during extraordinary circumstances in wartime, there is no question the two Justices stepped way beyond the line. I cant wait for Murphy (my political science professor and advisor back at Penn State in the early 1980s) to finish the book he is writing on the politicization of the Rehnquist and Roberts courts. Nonsensical Putin rhetoric around Ukraine invasion. No modern historian has done a better job relating the history of Central and Eastern Europe, Belarus and Russia than the acclaimed Timothy Snyder. Whether you read Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin; Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning; or The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 15691999, you will come away much better informed about the regions history and much better able to understand the Russian rhetoric (and its incomprehensible amplification in the west). I am not offering these books to make light of challenges of current events, or to minimize atrocities of the past (or present). Quite the opposite. I am suggesting that we all benefit from historical context on these issues. They are not new. I hope that armed with better knowledge of the past, we all might help our nation find better paths forward. What are your suggested history reads to give context to current events? Please post some suggestions in the comments. by Fern Siegel , August 16, 2024 McCann New York added senior staffers to McCann Content Studios, design and production units. McCann Content Studios recently signed Reckitt in the UK and TJ Maxx in the U.S. To add muscle to the practice, two senior positions have been announced: Ezequiel Gori Nastasi is now EVP, head of creative and social, while Amanda Davis is head of content and social. Nastasi was previously head of digital and social at GUT Buenos Aires. Davis, before joining McCann, led social and content at TBWA and Grey. She also spent several years at Vice, where she established their in-house agency, Virtue. Joe Calabrese was named chief production officer to strengthen the agency's capabilities. Previously, he was EVP, director of integrated production at Deutsch & Steelhead NY. Artist Rachel van der Nacht has joined McCann Design as associate design director. advertisement advertisement Finally, Melissa Avery has come onboard as SVP-global creative director on the Chick-fil-A business. Previously, she served as senior creative director at Verizons in-house agency. She has worked on campaigns for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Colgate and Rubbermaid. Amber Guild, CEO McCann New York, noted: Our clients look to us to lead their brands and businesses forward. In todays hyper-visual world a world that is evolving at an exponential pace we must continue to build the next generation of design, social, content and production capabilities. These leaders are critical to that work. McCanns production department has won awards for Microsofts ADLaM campaign, Chick-fil-A's The Brake Room and most recently, Mastercards integrated Stand Up to Cancer campaign. by Ray Schultz , August 15, 2024 An editing service for AI-generated content has been launched by ContentWriters. The goal is to ensure that even AI-generated content meets the highest standards of quality and effectiveness, says Emily OConnor Kefs, CEO of ContentWriters. ContentWriters had integrated the tool Originality.ai into its platform in 2023 and announced a policy that writers who were flagged repeatedly for using AI would be removed. But now, while it still strives for human-written content, it is adding the AI service for clients already using these tools, it says. Two levels of service are being offered: Tier 1This includes a general review and checking of biases, correction of AI hallucinations, and adding of human insights from writers with expertise in the subject. Tier 2This level features fact-checking, reorganizing and addition of brand voice and keywords. The company seeks to help our clients share their expertise and achieve their marketing goals, OConnor Kefs adds. by Ray Schultz , August 15, 2024 The California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA, AB 886), which would require big tech platforms to pay news publishers for using their content, has passed the state Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill -- introduced by Assembly member Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) in March 2023 -- had passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2024 despite the threat of retaliatory news-blocking by Google. Presumably, the bill is headed for a floor vote. The passage was applauded by the News/Media Alliance. We are grateful to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Chair Caballero, and Assembly member Buffy Wicks for their continuing support of this legislation to preserve quality journalism in California and the broader United States, says Danielle Coffey, president and CEO of the News/Media Alliance. advertisement advertisement Coffey adds: News publishers must receive compensation from the Big Tech platforms for the use of their content to be able to continue their critically important work. We need quality news and information now more than ever to stay informed and help counter the tsunami of misinformation online. by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, August 16, 2024 A bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter Thursday to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing concerns about illicit drug ads sold on its platforms -- including Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp -- and asking him more than a dozen questions (see below) about Meta's business model and practices, including how much ad revenue Meta generates from illicit drug advertising. In the letter, which cites recent Wall Street Journal coverage implying Meta has been willfully complicit in monetizing the ads, lawmakers said they were "particularly concerned about the impact these advertisements have on children and teenagers. In 2022, an average of 22 minors, ages 14 to 18, died in the U.S. each week from drug overdoses. This is driven not by an increase in illicit drug use, but rather by the contents of drugs becoming deadlier due to the influx of fentanyl into the United States. Fentanyl is often found in counterfeit oxycodone, benzodiazepines, and other prescription pills all of which have been found on your platforms, including in advertisements. advertisement advertisement Meta appears to have continued to shirk its social responsibility and defy its own community guidelines. Protecting users online, especially children and teenagers, is one of our top priorities. We are continuously concerned that Meta is not up to the task and this dereliction of duty needs to be addressed." The lawmakers asked Zuckerberg to disclose the answers to these questions by September 6: 1. How many illicit drug advertisements has Meta discovered across its platforms? 2. How many illicit drug advertisements have been reported to Meta on its platforms it did not discover? 3. How much revenue has Meta collected from these advertisements for illicit drugs across all platforms? 4. What processes does Meta use to review and approve drug-related advertisements? Were these processes followed for the aforementioned ads? 5. What action has been taken against these advertising entities? 6. What actions have been taken to prevent these entities from continuing to advertise on your platforms, whether through their current accounts or others? 7. Of the advertisements found to be in violation, on average, how long were they available on the platforms before they were taken down? 8. How many users viewed these advertisements? 9. How many users interacted with these advertisements? 10. Of these users who viewed or interacted with these advertisements, how many of them were minors? 11. What will Meta do to prevent illicit drugs from being advertised on your platforms in the future? 12. What governmental authorities are Meta consulting with and referring action to regarding these drug related advertisements? 13. Does Meta review each advertisement prior to tailoring or targeting them to users? 14. Do you believe Meta needs to have health information to provide tailored or targeted advertisements to Americans? by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, August 16, 2024 Ikea wants to make it easier for college kids to snap up those Swedish dorm essentials. In a first, the retailer is kicking off a College Bus Tour, a walkable showroom popping up at colleges across the country. The Ikea Campus Explorer shows off easy-to-achieve dorm looks and hopes to build brand love with plant giveaways and on-site sales. There are also customization stations, so students can put their own spin on those ubiquitous Frakta bags and Dala horses. Ikea has long been one of students favorite destinations for affordable dorm gear. However, Gen Z shopping preferences have called for some new tactics. We continually evaluate how and where we can interact with people to make the most impact, especially college students, as were seeing Gen Z shift the way they interact with content, says Christine Whitehawk, marketing communications manager at Ikea U.S., in an email to Marketing Daily. advertisement advertisement In addition to the first bus tour, the company has also added the Ikea Grad Bash, a student discount program, while starter box kits are all aimed at helping kids discover their decor vibe. College students are looking to find and reflect their personal aesthetic as they start this exciting, new chapter in their life, Whitehawk adds. We offer so many ways to express your personal style this year, we introduced the first-ever Style Guide that highlights four interior design movements as inspiration. Sustainability continues to be a significant component, especially the retailers Buy Back & Resell program, where IKEA buys back gently used products to sell in its As-is section in stores and online. Ikea is running a fully integrated media plan to promote college offers, including social media, influencer support, dedicated emails and direct mail. The National Retail Federation estimates that back-to-college shoppers will spend $86.6 billion this year. Thats a decline from $94 billion in 2023, but still the second-highest spending year since the NRF started the 18-year-old survey. In separate Ikea news, the company is diving deeper into nighttime with a new collection of lower-priced mattresses designed to compete with companies like Costco, Casper and Purple. The emphasis is on affordability, with queen-sized and smaller sizes coming in under $600. The retailer is also having some fun with bedtime. It's hoping to break the Guinness World Record for the largest-ever two-piece pajama gathering later this month at the companys global headquarters in Sweden. (Naturally, the Ikea folks will wear pajamas printed with meatballs.) Later, the pajama party will expand to U.S. stores, offering those who show up to shop in their P.J.s a free breakfast, stylish selfie stations, and design advice. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 16, 2024 A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a block on key provisions of California's Age-Appropriate Design Code -- a 2022 law that regulates online companies' ability to display content to minors and harness their data. The ruling partially affirmed a decision issued last year by U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman, who struck down the entire law. Among other provisions, the statute requires online companies likely to be accessed by users under 18 to evaluate whether the design of their services could expose minors to potentially harmful content, and to mitigate that potential harm. The law also includes privacy provisions, such as a requirement to configure default settings in a privacy-protective way, unless the business can show a compelling reason that a different setting is in the best interests of children In a unanimous 44-page ruling, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the law's mandate to report on and mitigate potential harms to minors' well-being likely violates the First Amendment. advertisement advertisement That mandate -- referred to in the opinion as the report requirement -- deputizes covered businesses into serving as censors for the state, Circuit Judge Milan Smith said in an opinion joined by Mark Bennett and Anthony Johnstone. Smith added that the report requirement reflects an attempt to indirectly censor the material available to children online, by delegating the controversial question of what content may [harm children] to the companies themselves. Smith also wrote that California lawmakers could have addressed concerns about potential online harms to minors without requiring companies to make determinations about content. A disclosure regime that requires the forced creation and disclosure of highly subjective opinions about content-related harms to children is unnecessary for fostering a proactive environment in which companies, the state, and the general public work to protect childrens safety online, he wrote. For instance, the state could have developed a disclosure regime that defined data management practices and product designs without reference to whether children would be exposed to harmful or potentially harmful content or proxies for content, he added. The ruling comes in a challenge to the law brought by the tech industry group NetChoice, which said the statute violates the First Amendment. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 14 news organizations backed NetChoice, arguing in a friend-of-the-court brief that the law would unconstitutionally restrict news organizations' ability to publish lawful material. As the Supreme Court has repeatedly reaffirmed, the publication of even hateful, violent, and profane speech is fully protected by the First Amendment, the groups wrote. They added that a requirement to mitigate potential harms is unconstitutionally vague. One regulator may consider 'potentially harmful' editorial content that includes candid and graphic coverage of gun violence or the wars in Ukraine or Gaza, they wrote. Another may consider 'potentially harmful' editorial content that describes opioid addiction or teen suicide in a manner the regulator disapproves of. The youth advocates and tech industry critics Fairplay, the Center for Digital Democracy and Accountable Tech had urged the 9th Circuit to uphold the law, arguing it was a valid regulation of data capitalism. While Freeman blocked the entire law, the appellate panel said more evidence was needed to make a determination about some of the privacy restrictions, and sent the matter back to Freeman for further hearings about those provisions. For instance, one of the privacy-related terms prohibits companies from using dark patterns -- broadly meaning manipulative user interfaces -- to encourage minors to provide more personal data reasonably expected to provide a particular service. The appellate court essentially said Freeman struck down that provision prematurely. Based on the record developed so far in this litigation, it is unclear whether a 'dark pattern' itself constitutes protected speech and whether a ban on using 'dark patterns' should always trigger First Amendment scrutiny, and the district court never grappled with this question, Smith wrote. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 16, 2024 A new law that could result in a nationwide ban on TikTok by next April represents an unprecedented intrusion on protected speech, the company argues in papers filed Thursday with a federal appellate court in Washington, D.C. The company is urging the court to block the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which will prohibit web hosting services and app marketplaces from distributing TikTok unless its owner, the China-based ByteDance, divests the app by next April. TikTok, which recently sued to block the law, calls the statute the most sweeping speech restriction in this countrys history, adding that it singles out and shutters a speech platform used by 170 million Americans. The Department of Justice recently defended the law, arguing in heavily redacted court papers that the measure is justified by concerns that the Chinese government will obtain data about Americans through the app, and will use it to spread propaganda. advertisement advertisement TikTok counters in its new papers that those expressed concerns don't warrant a ban for several reasons, including that data about U.S. users is stored in the United States. The governments argument is based on clear factual errors about the data TikTok collects, the company writes, adding that the current version of the app doesn't collect precise geolocation data from U.S. users, and doesn't collect information from their contact lists by default. U.S. users sensitive personal data is protected from Chinese access: it is located in the United States, under strict protections, TikTok asserts. The company adds that the government can't constitutionally censor material based on viewpoint. The governments asserted interest in regulating the content Americans view is illegitimate -- Congress may not silence a U.S. companys speech because it wants to block content that Congress deems 'propaganda,' TikTok writes. Patients with #Parkinson's disease experience #REM sleep behavior disorder, frequent nighttime awakenings, and daytime drowsiness. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is crucial for maintaining #cognitive functions. #sleepquality #medindia Trusted Source Sleep 'ON', sleep better! Positive effects of levodopa on sleep behaviour in people with Parkinson's disease Go to source Trusted Source Advertisement Levodopa Effect on Sleep Quality Advertisement Sleep and Mobility Sleep ON, sleep better! Positive effects of levodopa on sleep behaviour in people with Parkinson's disease - (https:onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.14240) Levodopa, a medication that affects dopamine levels, has been shown to improve sleep quality in a study involving twenty-two individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD).After beginning the medication, the average number of nighttime awakenings for the patients decreased by 25%, and the average duration of time spent awake at night decreased by 30%.The sleep-wake cycles of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients were monitored for four nights using a wearable actigraph, which is a wristwatch-style movement-detecting sensor.After taking the medication for three nights and one night without, the volunteers were evaluated. Interestingly, despite the actigraphy findings, the subjective data from the PD patients did not show any difference in the quality of their sleep with or without the medication.The investigation was conducted with FAPESPs support by researchers at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil, and the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA) in France. An article reporting the results is published in the).This was the first study to evaluate the effects of the drug on sleep quality in PD patients objectively [using equipment] and to compare them with the results reported subjectively. The actigraphic readings pointed to an improvement in sleep quality after the patients took the drug, although they didnt experience any benefit. This is important from the standpoint of clinical care. Clinicians should take these findings into account when deciding whether to administer levodopa to PD patients before they go to bed at night, said Fabio Barbieri, the last author of the article. He heads the Human Movement Research Laboratory (MOVI-LAB) and runs a project called Ativa Parkinson offering patients physical activities on UNESPs Bauru campus.For Barbieri, the discrepancy between the objective and subjective results should not be a surprise. The perceptions of PD patients are impaired by the disease. The number of waking episodes was ten per night on average, so its understandable that they failed to report any improvement. Thats why its important to consider the actigraphic measurements, he said. Levodopa and other dopaminergics are first-line therapeutics for motor symptoms of PD such as tremors and shaking at rest. There appears to be a link between these symptoms and nocturnal waking episodes since the dopaminergic system also plays a key role in sleep regulation. Substantial changes in dopamine levels are known to occur as the brain progresses through the sleep-wake cycle, for example.Although dopaminergic medication may also improve sleep quality by reducing sleep onset latency (the time taken to fall asleep) and wakefulness in PD patients, there are documented reports of potential sleep disturbance exacerbation resulting from treatment with levodopa.It bears recalling that the drug should be used only when prescribed by a physician. Possible side effects include confusion, drowsiness, insomnia, nightmares, hallucinations, delusion, agitation, anxiety and euphoria.According to Barbieri, about 90% of PD patients exhibit disturbances such as insomnia, daytime drowsiness and restless leg syndrome , for example. Research has shown that sleep quality is associated with improved early morning mobility and cognition in PD patients.Hence the importance of our objective analysis using equipment. It was necessary to verify the impact of the drug on sleep realistically. We concluded that going to bed without the fourth dose was worse, he said.Impairment of sleep quality is also associated with freezing of gait a sudden inability to initiate or continue movement, often resulting in a fall and one of the most incapacitating symptoms of PD.In a systematic review of 20 studies, an international group of researchers found that PD patients wake up several times during the night, feel sleepy during the day, and have REM sleep behavior disorder. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep plays a role in the maintenance of many cognitive processes.Source-Eurekalert Addressing the nation on Indias 78th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his rousing speech, spoke about several key issues, ranging from crime against women to one nation in one election to a secular civil code. During his speech, PM Modi also reiterated that India dreams of hosting the 2036 Olympics and that his government has already started preparations. Instagram/NarendraModi PM Modi said that by hosting the G20 summit at a large scale, India has already proven that it has the necessary infrastructure and facilities to host global events. PM Narendra Modi, who became only the third Indian PM to hoist the tricolour at the Red Fort for the 11th time, thanked the Indian athletes who made the country proud at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He also sent his best wishes to the athletes who will represent India at the upcoming Paralympics in Paris. Instagram/NarendraModi Today, we also have with us the youth who made the Indian flag fly high in Olympics. On behalf of 140 crore countrymen, I congratulate all our athletes and players, PM Modi said from the Red Fort. In the next few days, a huge contingent of India will leave for Paris to participate in the Paralympics. I extend best wishes to all our Paralympians. India organising the G20 Summit on a large scale has proven that India has the capability to organise large-scale events...It is the dream of India to host the 2036 Olympics, we are making preparations for that, he added. Instagram/NarendraModi The last multi-sport major sporting event India hosted was the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The athletes did the country proud as India finished second on the medals tally behind Australia, with a total of 101 medals, including 38 gold, 27 silver, and 36 bronze. While the athletes put their best foot forward, that event was marred with various controversies, including serious charges of corruption against the organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi. On August 15, 1947, India was born as a free nation. After nearly 200 years of British rule, India was Independent. Of course, it came at a price as Partition formed a new nation called Pakistan with whom we would have hostile relations for the most part of the next seven decades. Another country would be born from Pakistan 24 years later called Bangladesh. Fast forward to 2024 and we have completed 77 years of Independence and observed 78 Independence Days. But believe it or not, August 15, 1947 was not the first time the whole nation observed Independence Day. That actually happened 17 years earlier and the date happened to be January 26. Yes, that is why we celebrate January 26 as Republic Day. X/iStock So what happened? Well, the 1920s had started with the Non Cooperation Movement and as the decade drew to a close, the Indian National Congress resolved to fight for Purna Swaraj (complete independence) in 1929 under party president Jawaharlal Nehru. As a result Independence Day was observed on January 26, 1930. The congress passed this resolution during its session in Lahore in 1929. In fact, that is the very reason January 26 was chosen as Republic Day in 1950. So if India was Independent in 1947, why did it become a Republic only in 1950? Because during that time it was a Dominion Status. This meant it was a self-governing nation with the British still overseeing the affairs. In 1950 that ended and India was completely free. The Pentagon said Thursday that nearly half of the troops it deployed to the Mediterranean as part of the mission to deliver aid to Gaza via a temporary pier are either home or will be home shortly. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters that 235 soldiers returned to Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia earlier this month, and another roughly 100 are expected to return in the coming days. Singh also said that 209 sailors returned home to California last week. In all, the more than 500 troops represent about half of the total forces who were deployed in the spring on a mission that aimed to bring more aid into war-torn Gaza but ended up becoming a point of controversy and a political lightning rod as it was repeatedly disrupted. Read Next: The Army Sacks Another Senior Enlisted Leader in the Washington, DC, Area According to Singh, the remaining forces are still working on delivering the approximately 6 million pounds of remaining aid to the Palestinian people. "We expect all personnel and equipment to be coming home by mid-September, as soon as that aid is distributed," Singh told reporters Thursday. The pier, known as Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, began operations in May with the expectation of delivering up to 150 trucks of food, or 2,000,000 meals per day. But weather delays limited the number of days it was actually able to function and, shortly after the pier began operating, Pentagon officials shifted to using "metric tons of aid" as their measure of success, making any effort at a direct comparison to what was promised versus what was ultimately delivered very difficult. Security concerns within Gaza also meant that food was slow to flow across the pier, and the Pentagon passed off questions about whether the food was actually reaching Palestinians to the U.S. Agency for International Development or the United Nations' World Food Program. Singh conceded in June that aid was "not flowing the way it should." Despite those issues, getting aid into Gaza through other routes was even more challenging and at one point the pier ended up providing the second-highest volume of aid from any entry point into Gaza. By mid-July, when the mission formally ended, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters that the pier, despite having been operational "for a little more than 20 days," delivered 19.4 million pounds of aid. Experts who spoke to Military.com after the mission's end argued that the Army shouldn't be judged too harshly about the pier's performance since troops were asked to perform a mission under difficult conditions -- namely, an inability to step foot on the beach. As troops return home, the next step for Army officials who oversee the JLOTS system is to decide on its future. The rare, high-profile outing has revealed that, while the capability is valuable and could be crucial in a war with China, it is in desperate need of investment. Soldiers who have operated the system have specifically noted that JLOTS went underfunded during the Global War on Terror and its ships are now in desperate need of maintenance and replacement. Related: As the Gaza Pier Is Packed Up, Experts Worry About What It Portends for a War in the Pacific Family members of a special operations airman who was shot by a Florida deputy in his apartment earlier this year voiced concern Friday about the state's investigation lagging for months and the lack of charges against the law enforcement officer. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, who was stationed at Hurlburt Field, was shot multiple times by Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputy Eddie Duran on May 3 when the officer responded to a call at the 23-year-old's apartment complex. Duran shot him six times when he saw Fortson had answered the door with his legally owned firearm to his side and pointed toward the floor. While Duran was fired in late May after an internal affairs investigation determined that his "use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable and therefore violated agency policy," another inquiry probing whether the officer should face criminal charges has been lingering for months. Fortson's family and their attorney, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, said during a press conference at a church in Florida on Friday that they're worried the delay means charges may not be brought forth and that justice won't be served. Read Next: Okinawa Air Force Clinic Says It Gave 'Potentially Ineffective' Childhood Vaccines as First Day of School Looms Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden is facing a contested election next week, on Aug. 20. Crump raised concerns that findings by the local state attorney general's office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on whether to charge Duran could be delayed until after that date. "You can use your common sense," Crump said, responding to a question during the press conference about the timing of the upcoming election. "We don't know what is the prerogative of the state attorney's office, but you all live in this community. You all can make those decisions with more intelligence than we can." Crump and the family have been informed that the findings will be released just days after the election, but they're not sure what that decision will be. "We're in a crucial moment in our fight to get justice for Roger Fortson," Crump added. "We do not know what that decision will be, but we have been told that the decision will come on Aug. 23. Mark you calendars, brothers and sisters." The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the local state attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a Military.com request for comment asking about the timeline for releasing the findings and an update on the investigation in time for publication. "What Roger's parents are upset about is the possibility that local politics is the reason they have not gotten closure," Natalie Jackson, an attorney on Crump's team, told Military.com. "They don't think the decision to charge should be a political one, but one of justice." The press conference comes just weeks after Fortson's teenage brother, Andre, was killed in a shooting near Atlanta, Georgia, in late July. Meanwhile, Duran is an Army veteran. He was a military police officer in the service and deployed to Iraq from May 2008 to August 2009, according to releasable information provided to Military.com by Heather Hagan, an Army spokeswoman. He held the rank of sergeant. Duran's time in the Army stretched from 2003 through 2014, according to the investigative report. While body camera footage, dispatch logs and other files released by the sheriff's office and obtained by Military.com raise questions about the unclear second- and third-hand information that led Duran to Fortson's apartment, the findings from the internal investigation claim the officer went to the right unit, where a disturbance was reportedly underway. Fortson was alone in his apartment, talking with his girlfriend on a FaceTime video call when Duran knocked on the door and shot him within seconds of the door opening. Fortson's sister, Raven Fortson, recalled during the press conference on Friday her brother's service to the country, and said his legacy deserves to be honored and justice needs to be served. "We deserve justice, my brother deserves justice. He spent his career, his life, protecting this country and he deserves to be honored and protected like he protected us," she said. "Why is it taking so long? It shouldn't take this long." Related: 'A Lot Has to Be Done': Slain Airman's Mom Calls for More Action After Deputy Who Shot Her Son Is Fired MEXICO CITY More evidence has emerged that Mexican authorities disposed of the bodies of dissidents in death flights during the country's 1965-1990 dirty war. Mexicos governmental Truth Commission said in a report Friday that recollections by witnesses and documents leaked over the years described the chilling last moments of the victims. The executions were part of an effort by the Mexican government at the time to eliminate leftist social and guerrilla movements. The victims, who have not been identified or counted, were pulled one by one to a bench at a military airfield near Acapulco. They believed they were going to have their photographs taken, but were instead shot in the back of the head, and their bodies dumped by plane out in the Pacific ocean. According to testimony by Gustavo Tarin, who served in a military police unit at the time, the same pistol was used so often in the killings that soldiers came up with a nickname for it: the sword of justice. Tarin said that as many as 1,500 people may have been killed that way, though he provided no lists nor names of the victims. Some of the victims may have been dying, but not yet dead, when they were pushed out of the planes. Military aviation mechanic Margarito Monroy said he participated in 15 of the flights, and that female victims were sometimes offered release, or the release of their husbands, if they had sex with soldiers, though he never saw any of them released. The truth commission located log books for about 30 flights by one plane from the base between 1975 and 1979. And in a two-decade-old witness statement from a man who claimed to be an armed forces deserter, another 25 flights by another plane are mentioned. That statement, which had long been held in the archives of a now-deceased rights activist, included a list of 183 names of likely victims on the death flights. Several of those names match people who disappeared during the government counter-insurgency campaign. Unlike the better-known case of the death flights" carried out by Argentina's 1976-1983 military dictatorship, little is known about the ones carried out by Mexico, mainly in the 1970s, from a small airbase at Pie de la Cuesta, just west of Acapulco. During a 2012-2017 trial, survivors in Argentina testified that the flights took place at least weekly. The Argentine trial, at which 29 former officials were sentenced to life in prison, proved that the Argentine dictatorship used death flights as a systematic mode of extermination. Argentinas junta is widely considered the most deadly of the military dictatorships that ruled much of Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s. Human rights groups estimate 30,000 were killed, many of whom disappeared without a trace. In Mexico, the less-widespread executions appeared to target small rural guerrilla movements in Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located. But a broad range of people were apparently swept up in the killings. The Mexican executions appeared a bit more rudimentary and less well-planned: fishermen in the area recalled seeing bodies wash up on shore, after which the military allegedly began placing them in sacks weighted down with rocks before tossing them into the ocean. The revelations were part of a 4,000-page report detailing everything from executions, torture, disappearances and forced displacement carried out by the government against farmers, students, union activists and members of Indigenous groups. Almost none of the abuses have ever been brought to trial, despite investigations having started as far back as President Vicente Fox's administration (2000-2006). The victims of the death flights were just one small part of a bigger strategy of repression. Overall, the truth commission cited evidence that nationwide there were about 4,500 identified victims of severe abuses during the so-called dirty war. It documented 1,450 were killed and another 517 simply disappeared without a trace. The government has carried out excavations in and around military bases in recent years trying to relocate the remains of those buried in clandestine grave sites, with relatively little success. During the commission's work, the remains of seven victims were recovered. But the report's authors also noted that the Army, National Intelligence Center and other institutions denied requests for some documents and had destroyed others in an attempt to hide the truth. The commission asked that some 600 possible perpetrators of the abuses be investigated for their involvement, though many of them may have died. In 2004, now-deceased former president Luis Echeverria became the first former Mexican head of state formally accused of criminal wrongdoing. Prosecutors linked Echeverria, who governed from 1970 to 1976, to the dirty war in which hundreds of left-wing activists and members of fringe guerrilla groups were imprisoned, killed, or simply disappeared without a trace. In 2005, a judge ruled Echeverria could not be tried on genocide charges stemming from political killings in 1971, saying that while the former president may have been responsible for homicide, the statute of limitations for that crime expired in 1985. In March 2009, a federal court upheld a lower courts ruling. The Navy is dealing with what could be called a sartorial crisis: The sea service has run out of pants. And it may not get more for months. Specifically, service officials confirmed Friday that pants for the Navy Working Uniform, or NWU, the go-to uniform for most sailors, are out of stock at Navy Exchanges. Courtney Williams, a spokeswoman for the Navy's Exchange Service Command, told Military.com that it is "experiencing severe shortages of NWU trousers" both in physical stores and online. Read Next: 4-Star Commander Denies Request to Wear Boonie Hats at Nellis Air Force Base Amid Standards Push Online out-of-stock notifications, which told sailors that the pants were "not available for purchase in any size" first made it to social media on Thursday. Williams said that current pants stock levels are around 13% worldwide, and the exchange is focused on providing what inventory it has to new recruits at Recruit Training Command in Illinois, the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Rhode Island, and the officer training schools. The Navy Working Uniform is one of the few uniforms that sailors are allowed to not only perform work in but also wear pretty much anywhere off base -- including to places such as restaurants and stores. As a result of this multi-purpose role, individual NWU components including pants and blouses are replaced more frequently because, unlike a purely working uniform such as coveralls, they cannot have large stains, rips or damage. The issue appears to be coming from the Defense Logistics Agency, which manages acquiring and providing all the military branches with the myriad supplies and goods that they require. Signs inside Navy Exchanges say that the shortage is "due to Defense Logistics Agency vendor issues." Williams said that they have "been in communication with DLA on a timeline for the uniform's production and supply chain." The online out-of-stock notification says that more pants are expected in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, which means new items would hit store shelves no earlier than October. Mikia Muhammad, a spokeswoman for the DLA, told Military.com in an email that while the agency has put out new contracts and expects initial deliveries in October, those will also go to places such as Recruit Training Command. Navy exchanges should expect full support starting in January. In the meantime, both Williams and officials for the chief of naval personnel have said they are working to get word out to the fleet to keep the effect on sailors to a minimum. Lt. Meagan Morrison, a spokeswoman for the Navy's personnel boss, told Military.com that the command has been getting word out to leaders in the fleet that, while the shortage is ongoing, sailors have other working uniforms -- such as coveralls or its replacement, the "2POC" uniform -- that they can be asked to wear. The Navy is not the only service to experience shortages of key uniforms. In April, the Marine Corps said that it was finally able to get more of its iconic woodland camouflage uniforms in stock for Marines after nearly two years of shortages. In the interim, service leaders have been allowing Marines to wear the lighter-colored desert camouflage uniforms year-round instead of just in the summer. They also issued only two sets of the woodland uniform to recruits. Editors note: This story was updated with a comment from the Defense Logistics Agency. Related: Navy Lifts Ban on Sailors Putting Hands in Pockets, Rolls Out Various New Uniform Changes Officials at Kadena Air Base in Japan said that childhood vaccines administered at a clinic over nearly three months might be "potentially ineffective," with the news coming right as students on base are set to return to school. The vaccinations were for measles, mumps and rubella, as well as varicella, a condition also known as chickenpox that is treated with the Varivax vaccine. The vaccines -- part of the recommended schedule of vaccinations for children -- were administered by the Kadena Immunization Clinic between May 3 and July 29. "There are no assessed health risks associated with the administration of these vaccines," the Kadena Medical Clinic said on Facebook. "In the coming days, the 18th Medical Group immunizations staff will reach out to impacted patients to advise on corrective actions." Read Next: The Army Sacks Another Senior Enlisted Leader in the Washington, DC, Area First Lt. Robert Dabbs, a spokesman for the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, told Military.com that the issue arose from improper storage of the vaccines. "The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and varicella (chickenpox/Varivax) vaccines were temporarily stored at colder than recommended temperatures," Dabbs said. "The 18th Wing is conducting a thorough investigation of this event to ensure the highest standards of safe, quality care for our community." Dabbs declined to quantify the total number of individuals who were given the potentially ineffective vaccines. During the investigation, the Kadena Medical Clinic announced on Facebook that the 18th Medical Group Immunization Clinic "will be closed during this process, and United States Naval Hospital Okinawa is available for urgent needs." The naval hospital is also located on the island. Both inoculations are required to attend Department of Defense Education Activity Schools, per public documents. The 2024-2025 school year for students attending Department of Defense schools in the Pacific is set to start next week, according to the online calendars. Officials advised that people who have not been contacted by the 18th Medical Group clinic staff by Aug. 22 should call the 18th Medical Group Patient Advocate at "DSN 630-4146 or Comm 098-960-4146," according to the Facebook post. This isn't the first time that the Kadena Medical Clinic has made errors when administering vaccines. In January, the clinic announced on Facebook that staff had "determined that four pediatric patients were administered incorrect vaccines while receiving care." Clinic staff contacted parents to check on children and address any questions or concerns, the base said at that time. Related: Troops Suing Defense Department over Vaccine Mandate Reach $1.8 Million Settlement The necks of airmen at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, will continue to scorch under the blistering summer sun after a request to let them don the military's iconic boonie hat was denied by higher headquarters. Col. Joshua DeMotts, commander of the 99th Air Base Wing at Nellis, wrote to Air Combat Command boss Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach last month with a plea for cool heads: Could airmen wear the floppy Operational Camouflage Pattern boonie hats instead of ball caps during the hot weather months from April 1 to Nov. 1? "Due to the extreme heat at Nellis AFB that tops 120 degrees during the summer, it is imperative to adjust aspects of the uniform to ensure appropriate protection is afforded to our airmen performing their duties," DeMotts wrote in the memo. "The boonie hat will allow the relief of excess body heat and protection for the neck and face from the intense summer sun." Read Next: Okinawa Air Force Clinic Says It Gave 'Potentially Ineffective' Childhood Vaccines as First Day of School Looms Wilsbach's response put the request on ice: No. DeMotts' memo, signed July 9, appeared on the unofficial "Air Force amn/nco/snco" Facebook page on Thursday. Air Combat Command spokesperson Lt. Col. Emily Grabowski confirmed the document's authenticity on Friday. She declined to provide a reason why the commander denied Nellis' request. "Local commanders may request exceptions to policy outside of current Department of the Air Force instruction, and it is within the ACC commander's authority to approve or disapprove," Grabowski said. In the hours after the memo leaked online, airmen took to social media to blast the answer as an example of out-of-touch leadership. "@aircombatcommand what is going on," Instagram user @mudhen_memes, an account dedicated to the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter, asked Thursday. "Can you step out of the way and let us execute the mission you're asking??" Boonie hats are round, wide-brimmed sun hats worn by troops in particularly hot or tropical climates, such as the jungles of Vietnam, that call for more-breathable headgear with greater skin coverage than a ball cap to prevent burns and cancer. Air Force regulations allow deployed airmen, and those authorized by a major command such as Air Combat Command, to wear the OCP boonie hat "when theater conditions dictate." For some service members, the hats constitute peak military fashion; for others, they're an unprofessional, confusing accessory. The latter outlook has landed them on the off-limits clothing list for most troops for years. But not all senior officers keep floppy headgear at arm's length. Last October, the commander of Fort Bliss authorized the wear of boonie caps for soldiers at the El Paso, Texas, installation, which averages nearly 300 days of sun each year. They remain banned on other Army bases. Wilsbach's decision to deny Nellis airmen their boonie hats comes on the heels of his command-wide push to reinforce dress and appearance standards that he believes have slipped. In June, Wilsbach told airmen under his purview they had a month to undergo unit-level inspections to ensure all adhere to Air Force regulations on uniforms, grooming, customs and courtesies. He also directed wings to check whether troops' personnel records are in compliance with medical and religious exemptions -- to see, for instance, whether an airman with a beard possesses a shaving waiver. The directive applies to Air Combat Command's more than 157,000 uniformed and civilian employees who supply fighter jets, intelligence-collection aircraft, cyber operators and more to U.S. forces in North America, South America, the Middle East and Southwest Asia. It sparked a scramble to find well-fitting uniforms at base exchanges and thrift shops, as well as plenty of grumbling on social media. Wilsbach argues that holding airmen to the standards in place is key to their military identity and operational prowess as the U.S. prepares for a possible war with China in the Pacific. When troops pay attention to the small details, he said in July, they'll get the hard parts right as well. The deadline to finish the inspections was July 17. Related: Boonie Caps Permitted for Soldiers at Fort Bliss But Remain Unauthorized for Rest of Army Bases The top enlisted leader for the 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, was fired amid allegations he sexually assaulted a subordinate while intoxicated, internal records of the incident reviewed by Military.com show. Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Carlson allegedly sexually assaulted a subordinate noncommissioned officer, according to a document summarizing the events. Army officials did not dispute the authenticity of the document. Carlson was also ordered to be evaluated for alcoholism, due to "a pattern of use." Carlson's removal comes amid the firing this month of two other senior enlisted leaders in the Washington, D.C., area and criminal charges against another. Command Sgt. Maj. Jaime Rubio, the senior enlisted soldier of 5th Squadron, 15th Cavalry Regiment, at Fort Moore, Georgia, faces a court-martial on domestic violence charges, according to an Army docket. Read Next: 4-Star Commander Denies Request to Wear Boonie Hats at Nellis Air Force Base Amid Standards Push Carlson, formerly the enlisted leader of the 173rd, was relieved of his position July 16 by the brigade's commander, Col. Joshua Gaspard, and has been suspended since April. The service often temporarily suspends individuals while an investigation takes place and then outright fires them if an investigation concludes the allegations are substantiated. From there, a case could progress to legal action. As of Friday, the Army's court docket did not indicate any criminal charges had been filed against Carlson in military court. Military.com is withholding the name of the alleged victim because it's the publication's policy not to name victims without their consent. A spokesperson declined to comment on the details of the matter, citing privacy concerns. "Due to privacy concerns, and consistent with the Privacy Act, we are unable to provide further comment at this time," Lt. Col. Alex Tignor, an Army spokesperson, said in a statement to Military.com, citing a federal law that stipulates how the government handles personal information. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is one of the Army's key front-line ground combat formations, serving as the service's premier presence in Europe and set to respond to a crisis on that continent or in Africa, while also building relationships with allied nations through joint training exercises. Carlson's firing is among a recent string of senior noncommissioned officers getting sacked or facing allegations of misconduct. Rubio, the 5-15th squadron command sergeant major, was arraigned Wednesday as part of a court-martial at Fort Moore, the Army's public docket shows. He is charged with two counts of domestic violence under Article 128b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He was removed from the unit's leadership page, and his spot on the page was filled by Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Pitman, according to a review of previous and current versions of the squadron's website. The public affairs office at Fort Moore said Friday it was unable to say whether Rubio had been fired. Rubio enlisted in the Army in March 2004 and has deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and elsewhere, according to his official biography. He has earned the Bronze Star Medal, Distinguished Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal, among other awards. Meanwhile, the Washington, D.C., area saw two command sergeants major relieved of their duties over the past week. Command Sgt. Maj. Harold "Ed" Jarrell, the top enlisted leader for the Army's 1st Information Operations Command, was relieved Tuesday. Command Sgt. Maj. Veronica Knapp, the top enlisted leader for the Army's Military District of Washington, which encompasses much of the service's force around the nation's capital, including its ceremonial forces, was fired Aug. 8. Knapp was among the highest-profile women to serve in recent years. Before her time in the nation's capital region, she was the first woman to serve as the command sergeant major for the historic 101st Airborne Division. It was still unclear Friday why Knapp and Jarrell were fired. Statements from the service said their respective commands lost "trust and confidence" in them -- a standard line from the service as it is historically reluctant to disclose the reasoning for firings of senior officials. Related: Top Enlisted Leader of Army's Washington, DC, Branch Fired After Investigation U.S.-backed forces in eastern Syria launched a major attack on three posts manned by pro-government gunmen on Aug. 12, 2024, killing at least 18 fighters in a rare provocation near the border with Iraq. The assault marked the worst clashes in eastern Syria in nearly a year. Earlier in August, eight U.S. personnel stationed in Syria were injured in a drone attack purportedly carried out by Iranian-backed militants. These incidents highlight a fact that is often forgotten: The U.S. still has an active presence in Syria. The Deir ez-Zor Military Council behind the Aug. 12 attack is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces a Kurdish-led alliance that has been a major U.S. partner in Syria. The group and its local affiliates now control much of the territory that the terrorist Islamic State group once controlled. And as of the beginning of 2024, the U.S. still had close to 1,000 military personnel in the eastern part of Syria. Recent reports suggest that amid the growing tension in the region, additional resources and soldiers have made their way to the civil war-torn country. U.S. troops in Syria serve various purposes: helping prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State group, supporting Washingtons Kurdish allies and containing the influence of Iran and Russia both of which also have a military presence in Syria. But the costs and risks associated with this indefinite U.S. involvement could be significant. A continued presence risks prolonging Americas entanglement in a protracted and costly conflict with no clear end in sight, while antagonizing NATO ally Turkey, which views Syrias Kurdish groups as a cross-border threat. As an expert on Middle East security, I focus on the evolving geopolitical landscape and argue that the U.S. must carefully weigh its commitments in Syria against the broader goals of regional stability and its relationships with allies and adversaries alike. Ultimately, whether the U.S. decides to stay or withdraw, the decision will have profound implications for Syria as well as for regional and global actors involved in the countrys ongoing civil war. Growing US engagement U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war is a complex story. Shortly after the civil war began in 2011, the Obama administration placed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and supported factions of the opposition. However, the administration was largely indecisive about when, how and to what extent it should intervene against the Assad regime. In part, this reflected growing war-weariness among the American public following a decade of engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq. Meanwhile, Washington struggled at first to find reliable partners on the ground in Syria. A U.S. soldier observes form the top of a fighting vehicle at a US military base at undisclosed location in Northeastern Syria, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) As popular protests grew into a full-scale military conflict in 2012, President Barack Obama declared that the use of chemical weapons would be a red line for the U.S. The following year, the Syrian military did just that, deploying chemical weapons during an attack on Ghouta, a rebel-held area, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1,500 civilians, including more than 400 children. Yet the Obama administration hesitated to involve the U.S. militarily in the conflict, fearing escalation due to increasing Russian and Iranian support for the regime. The U.S. military involvement in Syria began in September 2014, when a U.S.-led coalition, including the United Kingdom, France, Jordan, Turkey, Canada, Australia and others, launched an air campaign against the Islamic State group and fellow radical group al-Nusra Front inside Syria. Following the airstrikes, American troops entered northeast Syria to back a Syrian Kurdish force known as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, and later the Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella group that consists of majority Kurdish and other ethnic and rebel groups. The U.S. did not take direct military action against the Assad regime until April 2017, when the Trump administration launched a missile strike on Shayrat Airbase in response to a suspected chemical attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun in Idlib province. In December 2018, President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of the 2,000 to 2,500 U.S. ground troops in Syria, believing the coalitions operations against the Islamic State group had been largely successful and that the U.S. presence in eastern Syria was unnecessary. However, instead of a total withdrawal, the U.S. announced that a contingency force would remain indefinitely. Military presence today As of 2024, around 900 U.S. soldiers, along with an undisclosed number of contractors, are operating in Syria, according to the Defense Department. Most U.S. forces are deployed in northeast Syria in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces, with some supporting the Free Syrian Army at the al-Tanf garrison in southeast Syria, along a transit route between Iraq and Syria used by both Islamic State group fighters and Iran-backed militias. But U.S. military support for Kurdish groups in Syria has angered its NATO ally Turkey, which views the YPG as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a designated terrorist organization. Prioritizing Turkeys security concerns, the Trump administration ordered all U.S. forces to withdraw from Rojava in early October 2019 ahead of a Turkish incursion into the region. But the move also damaged the U.S. alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces. Meanwhile, to appease their Kurdish allies, U.S. troops repositioned to eastern Syria, reinforcing their presence in the al-Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor governorates two Syrian Democratic Forces-controlled regions of Syria that are rich in oil and gas. What an American withdrawal could mean The U.S. military presence currently serves three purposes. First, its presence in northeast Syria acts as a deterrent to military incursions by either the Syrian regime or Turkey into the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). If U.S. forces were to withdraw, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which acts as the AANES de facto military, would need to negotiate the regions autonomy with Turkey and the Syrian regime, both of which have made their opposition to Kurdish autonomy very clear. Recent rapprochement attempts between Turkey and Syria have also fed Kurdish fears that a complete American withdrawal would tip the balance of power in divided Syria against them, risking their very survival. Second, the U.S.s presence in southeast Syria puts pressure on neighboring Iran, whose influence the U.S. seeks to limit in the region. The U.S. presence also serves as a counterbalance to Russian influence and ambitions in Syria and the Middle East. Notably, Russian airstrikes in 2015 over opposition-held areas of Aleppo and the bombing of hospitals were crucial in helping Assad regain territory and stay in power. Third, the U.S. and its local partners have reportedly detained around 5,000 Islamic State group fighters and 50,000 indoctrinated family members. If these detainees were freed by any authority, the group could be reconstituted and grow. Underscoring the threat, the U.S., along with the Syrian Democratic Forces, thwarted a major prison break by Islamic State group fighters in early 2022. Nonetheless, continued U.S. presence in Syria is not assured. In 2023, Republicans in the House attempted to force the Biden administration to withdraw the remaining troops. They failed. But Trump, again the Republican presidential candidate in 2024, has made it clear that he sees no role for the U.S. in endless wars. Meanwhile, a U.S. troop pullout, despite the consequences, has precedence. The Biden administration withdrew all American troops from Afghanistan in 2021 and is formally transitioning to an advisory role in Iraq. But for the time being, U.S. military presence in Syria continues and is emblematic of the broader challenges facing American foreign policy in the Middle East. The decision to stay or withdraw is a strategic one that will reverberate across the region. Sefa Secen is a Postdoctoral Scholar in Political Science, The Ohio State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. According to TripAdvisor, the USS Kidd is the No. 1 tourist attraction in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The World War II Fletcher-class destroyer is the only one preserved in its wartime configuration. It's made its home in Baton Rouge since 1982. Now, it's getting a major makeover. After being stuck for several months due to the 2023 drought, the Kidd left Baton Rouge and floated down to Houma in April. On Tuesday, the destroyer was safely moved into dry dock, thanks to the hard work of 30 shipyard workers laboring in extreme heat. The Kidd is now ready and positioned for major repairs and renovation, and it's coming just in time. "If we waited another year, she might have sunk right in the cradle," said Parks Stephenson, executive director of the USS Kidd Veterans Museum. Over the years, the Kidd has taken damage from the cradle, a unique structure designed specifically to keep the ship in place as it rises and falls with the water levels in the Mississippi River. In order to move the ship, it had to be removed from the cradle. Due to the low water levels, workers only had a one-day window, and the maneuver required cutting 4 feet off the rudder. Seeing most ships out of the water is a once-in-a-lifetime event, but the Kidd is different. "The Kidd is the only museum ship in the world that floats half the year and is completely out of the water and sitting on her keel blocks the other half of the year," said Stephenson. Visitors can see the Kidd out of the water every year, but Stephenson and his team are excited about what the repairs mean for the Kidd in the future. The $11 million project funded by the state will fix the hull, repaint the ship with a new design, rebuild the sewage system and restore the steward's quarters -- the living space for the members of the segregated, Black crew who served in the Navy. The original quarters were removed when segregation was outlawed, but the staff agree that the history is important. The USS Kidd Museum plans to partner with the Baton Rouge African American Museum to help tell that story. "That's one thing that's going to be exciting for Baton Rouge," said Stephenson. "They've seen this thing sit on our riverfront for 40 years. When she comes back, she's not only going to look new, but she's going to look completely different." These changes might seem like boring logistical details to some, said Stephenson, but they are vital in keeping the Kidd in Baton Rouge for another 60 years -- and the modifications are so large in scale that the team at the Kidd could not do them while the ship was in Baton Rouge, even with the Kidd out of the water. Like it or not, a functioning sewage system is a really important aspect of keeping the overnight-ship experience alive. The current sewage system was cobbled together in the early 1980s, and the tank has 40 years of build-up to show for it. According to Stephenson, the Kidd's staff was constantly worried the system would fail at any moment. Imagine 20 12-year-olds on a ship overnight with no functioning toilets. Work on the Kidd will be completed by February, but Baton Rouge will have to wait until the river rises again to have her back. Until then, the Kidd might make a pit stop in New Orleans. Stephenson is tentatively planning the Kidd's return for early May. In the meantime, the team at the museum is working to keep the Kidd relevant in the 21st century. "The city and the museum are tied together," said Stephenson. They did an economic impact survey to see how much money the Kidd and the museum returns to the city. According to that survey, the WWII destroyer and accompanying museum returned $3.1 million in 2023, and they project that it'll jump to over $5 million annually once the Kidd is back. This includes people eating at local restaurants, buying from local shops and the creation of jobs for contractors who work at the museum. But it's hard to sell a warship these days, Stephenson said. The Historic Naval Ships Association expects half the nation's museum ship fleet to be scrapped because they can't stay afloat due to increasing docking costs, insurance rates and repair expenses. The WWII veterans who volunteer and host events on the Kidd and other ships are aging. At the Kidd, they want to respect and honor veterans -- they're also a veterans' museum -- but they also want to move with the times and reach out to new generations. Without the ship, tourism at the museum is down, according to Todd Maulding, business manager for the USS Kidd. For now, visitors can see the museum for a reduced rate of $5 (down from $15). Despite these challenges, the staff is hard at work. The USS Kidd YouTube channel has recently been monetized. The staff is currently planning a pirate prom and doing outreach to the gaming industry because games like "World of Warships" often feature destroyers like the Kidd. The seven-hour dry docking process Tuesday gave the team time to film content and discuss plans for the future. Media coordinator Molly Bahlinger said that if they raised $100 in Super Chats via the livestream, Stephenson would recreate a scene from the "Titanic" movie. He worked with James Cameron on the film and has dove down to the wreckage himself. Stephenson got up while the dry dock was draining and recorded it. This footage of Kidd's staff recreating the door scene with a lot less romance has yet to be released, but the team is ready to welcome the newly refitted Kidd and visitors back with open arms. (c) 2024 The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate Visit The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate at www.nola.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The Astros are planning to select Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston. He has played all over the diamond for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys this season, seeing the bulk of his time at second base, third base, and shortstop. However, his best path to playing time with the Astros will be as a first baseman and occasional corner outfielder and DH. The team will need to make a corresponding move to free up space for Whitcomb on the 40-man roster. Whitcomb, now 25, joined the Astros organization as the final pick in the shortened 2020 draft. Exclusively a shortstop during his time at UC San Diego, he has also played plenty of second and third base at every level in the minors. In 2024, he began seeing more playing time at first base and the outfield corners, presumably because second base (Jose Altuve), third base (Alex Bregman), and shortstop (Jeremy Pena) are all currently blocked at the big league level. While Whitcombs glove might be more valuable at second, third, or short, he has performed well enough at Triple-A this year (25 HR, 26 SB, 122 wRC+) that its worth seeing if he can team up with Jon Singleton to make a productive first base platoon. Singleton has played 77 games at first base for the Astros this year, and while he has a 113 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, he is all but unplayable against southpaws (32 wRC+ in 71 PA). The righty-batting Whitcomb has relatively neutral platoon splits at Sugar Land this year, with an .890 OPS against righties and a .979 OPS against lefties. Earlier this month, Astros GM Dana Brown suggested the team would call up either Zach Dezenzo or Whitcomb to help out at first base. Just two days later, Denzenzo made his MLB debut. While Dezenzo, 24, is a more highly regarded prospect than Whitcomb, the former has had a rough go of it so far with Houston, going just 5-for-25 with a .591 OPS and 64 wRC+. Yet, although Whitcombs promotion comes on the heels of Dezenzos struggles, manager Joe Espada could still find playing time for both, considering how badly the Astros could use a productive right-handed bat at first and in the outfield. Dear Eric: The manager at my place of work volunteers with a group thats not related to our work. The volunteer group works with the court system to help women in recovery from substance abuse access community resources. My co-workers and I hear our manager interact with other group volunteers when they occasionally meet at our workspace: manager loudly and effusively offers support to the other volunteers and promises unbounded support to the women in recovery. The problem is when an individual in the recovery program calls or walks in to see the manager (whose office is in the back of the facility), the manager curses under her breath and disparages the women. The manager usually still comes out to greet the person and will make a huge dramatic show of it, promising more help and support, and apparently never following through. This is heartbreaking for me and my co-workers, but completely in line with the managers day-to-day treatment of us workers. One of my co-workers is close to a volunteer in the recovery program. Should they tell how the manager really reacts to the women? Volunteering Information Dear Information: Not all help is good help. If this manager is willing to be so open about her distaste for the people shes supposedly serving, its surely showing up in her volunteer work and negatively impacting the women in recovery. Your co-worker should share your perspective with the volunteer group. If theyre worth their salt, theyll want to know. And if they dont care, youll see why the manager was attracted to them in the first place. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com. 2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. It felt like 1975 all over again at Pine Knob as the reunited Doobie Brothers celebrated 50+ years since the release of their first album in 1971. And this night was a little extra special as one of the bands founding members, Tom Johnston, was celebrating his 76th birthday, born on August 15, 1948. This is a special evening because my friend here is turning 39 again, co-founding member, Patrick Simmons joked. After 53 years of playing with this guy, I cant tell you how wonderful it is to be standing next to him once again this evening on his birthday. The band also featured longtime members John McFee and Michael McDonald, along with Marc Russo on sax, Ed Toth on drums and Marc Quinones on percussion. But before The Doobies took fans on a journey back to the 70s, another living legend took the stage at 7:00 p.m. in Steve Winwood. Steve Winwood performs at Pine Knob in Clarkston, Michigan on Thursday, August 15, 2024.Mirak Habbiyyieh / Mezgarth The former member of Traffic and the Spencer Davis Group played 10 songs in his hour-long set, including a couple each from the bands we just mentioned like Im a Man and Gimme Some Lovin, along with solo hits with Higher Love, Back in the High Life Again and Roll With It. Winwoods voice was absolutely on-point and it was a treat to hear him perform. The Doobies started performing at 8:30 p.m. and went an hour and 40 minutes and played everything fans wanted to hear and then some. And they acknowledged their long history with the amphitheatre. Pine Knob. Weve played this place more than any place in the whole country, Simmons said. The band was energetic and sounded great with Johnston, McDonald and Simmons taking turns on lead vocals. McFee took lead one one as well. Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers performs at Pine Knob in Clarkston, Michigan on Thursday, August 15, 2024.Photo by Mirak Habbiyyieh / Mezgarth The voices were strong, the harmonies were soothing and Russos sax solos were a-plenty. There werent many bells and whistles. It was just straight up music with only a video screen behind the band which showed some cheesy animations and some cool videos of the band throughout the years. Songs included: Rockin Down the Highway, You Belong to Me, It Keeps You Runnin, Minute by Minute, Jesus is Alright, What a Fool Believes, Long Train Runnin, China Groove, Black Water, Takin it to the Streets and Listen to the Music. A no frills concert, where the live music did all of the talking. Just what fans wanted and The Doobies delivered in a big way. HOLLAND, MI -- Explore West Michigan waterways while balancing in your best costume on a stand-up paddle board with this Holland-area tour group. Tulip City Paddle Tours in Holland hosts monthly themed tours, weekly sunset floats and individual lessons and party paddles. This is the companys third season, getting larger every year, owner and lead guide Beth Felicelli said. Its just been a passion of mine, she said. Whenever I go vacationing, I try to find a paddleboard tour. Its a cool way to see a new place. Felicelli and her late husband, Dave, wanted to bring that sense of adventure to the Holland area. This summer, Tulip City Paddle guided visitors from Switzerland, Germany and Ireland. You can join Felicelli on a guided tour from Paw Paw Park West to Windmill Island and back through Ottawa County Parks and Recreation. The Sunday, Aug. 18 tour is $50 for residents and $60 for non-residents. Registration can be found at miottawacounty.org. Every month, Felicelli brings the silliness of bar crawls to the water with her costumed themes like Christmas in July and Witches on the Water in October. During Tulip Time you can find her in full Dutch attire paddling on the Macatawa River past Windmill Island. This month, shell be paddling with a tight curly wig and a colorful kaftan for the Mrs. Roper Romp on the water, inspired by the eccentric landlady from 1970s sitcom Threes Company. Spots are still available for the Thursday, Aug. 22 event. RELATED: You cant buy this on Amazon. Hollands Dutch Dancing costumes stay true to 19th century heritage If a costumed float is not your thing, Tulip City Paddle Tour also sets out weekly for a sunset tour every Thursday and daytime tours on weekends. Felicelli facilitates a biweekly paddle club every other Tuesday. She posts a new location meet up in Facebook group, West Michigan Paddlers. Her regular tours bring paddle boarders to West Michigan waterways that are accessible to all skill levels, she said. Her three regular routes are along the Macatawa River past the marsh to Windmill Island, a longer route starting in Paw Paw and ending at Windmill Island and paddling along Pigeon Creek and out to the channel for a view of Lake Michigan. Paddle board are available to rent. Prices start at $50 and vary based on the tour and equipment needed. Felicelli also offers private lessons for beginners and private party guides for groups birthdays and bachelorettes have become popular, she said. You can find more details and book a tour at tulipcitypaddletours.com. If youre planning a Holland visit check out holland.org. More Holland News: Viral TikTok candy selling out at Holland candy store Tunnel through a sand dune to find expansive Lake Michigan beachfront Save on parking and try this $2 shuttle service between two Lake Michigan beach towns Learn back dune secrets with this guided walk near Lake Michigan WEXFORD COUNTY, MI An inmate is accused of punching a corrections officer and then falsely reporting that the officer sexually assaulted him, officials said. Michael James English, 34, of Kalkaska, is charged with multiple crimes related to the incident, including false report of a felony and assaulting a corrections officer, according to a news release from the Michigan State Police. On June 19, the MSP Cadillac Post was asked to investigate a report of a sexual assault against an inmate lodged at Wexford County Jail. The inmate alleged that a corrections officer with the Wexford County Sheriffs Office had sexually assaulted him. The inmate and officer were interviewed by MSP. Surveillance video of the incident was reviewed; it showed no evidence of sexual assault, police said. The only contact with the inmate was after the inmate ambushed the officer, punching him in the head, police said. A report was turned over to the Wexford County Prosecutors Office by the MSP. The assault against the corrections officer was investigated by the sheriffs office. English was arraigned in the 84th District Court in Wexford County on charges of false report of a felony, lying to a police officer, habitual offender fourth offense notice, two counts of resisting and obstructing police, and assault on a prison employee. OAKLAND COUNTY, MI -- A 21-year-old White Lake man was sentenced to 2-15 years in prison Thursday after he was convicted on charges of third-degree sexual assault and harboring a child runaway. According to Fox 2 Detroit, Douglas Corbeau pleaded guilty to the charges in June in connection with a January incident involving a missing 13-year-old girl. Corbeau was arrested and charged after police found the missing teen at his White Lake home two days after she reportedly left her home. The girls father said his daughter met Corbeau on social media and snuck out in order to meet with Corbeau. The teen struggles with mental illness according to her father. As part of the sentencing, Corbeau will be required to register as a sex offender and is not allowed to have contact with the victim once he is released from prison. FILE - Matthew DePerno listens to Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, at a campaign rally in Waterford Township, Mich., Feb. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)AP By ISABELLA VOLMERT Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) A Donald Trump ally who faces felony charges of trying to illegally access and tamper with voting machines is seeking the Republican nomination for the highest court in Michigan, an epicenter of efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In June, attorney Matthew DePerno announced his intent to run for the state Supreme Court, almost one year after he was charged and arraigned. Delegates will vote on nominees Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Michigan GOP party convention for two state Supreme Court seats in a battleground state where the court has the potential final say in Michigan election matters. Michigan Supreme Court races are officially nonpartisan meaning candidates appear on the ballot without party labels but candidates are nominated at party conventions. Democratic-backed justices currently hold a 4-3 majority. Republican nominees would have to win both seats to take back majority control while Democrats stand to gain a 5-2 favorability. DePerno rose to prominence for pushing false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from then-President Trump. He unsuccessfully ran for Michigan attorney general in 2022 and lost a bid to be the GOP state party chair in 2023. DePerno was named as a prime instigator in the voting machine tampering case. Five vote tabulators were illegally taken from three Michigan counties and brought to a hotel room, according to documents released in 2022 by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels office. Investigators found the tabulators were broken into and tests were performed on the equipment. He was charged with undue possession of a voting machine and conspiracy. A state judge has ruled it is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, to take a machine without a court order or permission directly from the secretary of states office. DePernos case has not gone to trial and he has denied wrongdoing. He also faces a separate complaint from the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission, threatening his law license, over accused attorney misconduct when he represented a former state lawmaker. DePerno in a phone interview said both the felony charges and the attorney misconduct allegations are politically motivated. Michigan is just one of at least three states where prosecutors say people breached election systems while embracing and spreading Trumps lie that the 2020 election was stolen. DePerno is seeking nomination to run for a partial-term seat currently held by Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after a Democratic-backed justice announced she was resigning by the end of 2022 with six years left in her term. Bolden is seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat she was appointed to in January 2023. She is the first Black woman to sit on the states highest bench and would be the first elected if successful in November. Republican-backed conservative Justice David Viviano announced in March that he would not seek reelection, opening another seat. The Democratic Party is holding its own convention the same day as the GOP, Aug. 24. Campaign finance reports showed an astounding gap between candidates seeking Democratic and Republican nominations and a serious lack of fundraising on DePernos part. Bolden, seeking the Democratic partys backing, has raised more than $1.1 million dollars as of Aug. 8th, while DePerno has only raised $136, according to the most recent campaign finance reports. DePerno has focused on shoring up delegate support, not fundraising and expressed confidence that he can out-fundraise Bolden if nominated for the general election, citing his own name recognition, he said. I dont think the other candidates in my race can raise any money in the general election, he said. DePernos Republican competitors at the party convention include Detroit attorney Alexandria Taylor and Circuit Court Judge Patrick OGrady. Both have outraised DePerno so far by thousands of dollars according to campaign filings. State Court of Appeals Judge Mark Boonstra and state Rep. Andrew Fink are competing for the Republican nomination for Vivianos seat. Boonstra was endorsed by Trump in May. On the Democratic side, University of Michigan Law School professor Kimberly Ann Thomas is seeking nomination for the opening. Michigans Democratic Party executive committee has endorsed Bolden and Thomas and they face no nominating challengers. Thomas reported raising over $826,603 as of Aug. 8 in recent campaign filings, hundreds of thousands more than Fink and Boonstra. State Supreme Court races have taken on new meaning in light of the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, shifting abortion policy to the states. Millions of dollars were spent in hotly contested races in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in 2023. Supreme Court races in Ohio and Montana are expected to be heated because of potential rulings on abortion. Michigan is one of only two state Supreme Courts in the country that could flip to a conservative majority this cycle putting abortion access, unions and workers, and our very democracy at risk, Lavora Barnes, the Michigan Democratic Party chair, said in a statement. Republicans in the state have framed the race as a fight to stop government overreach while Democrats say its a fight to preserve reproductive rights. We continue to respect the laws that are in place in Michigan here, Republican party executive director Tyson Shepard said. Were tired from the fearmongering from the left. ___ Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI Ron Jansen still raises sheep on a portion of his 200-acre family farm south of Saline. He leases the rest to local commodity crop farmers. In the interest of preserving Jansen Farms as farmland, Jansen entered into a conservation deal with nonprofit Legacy Land Conservancy to permanently protect it from development. He did it to keep the familys farmland devoted to farming. Ive always wanted to keep my farmland for farming. No matter how many times I was approached by various developers and companies to sell or lease my land, Jansen said in a statement, adding that working with Legacy on a solution that balanced my financial needs and ensured the land would remain natural and agricultural was the right choice. Jansen, his brother and his father purchased the farmland that spans Bridgewater and Clinton townships in 1974, according to a release from Legacy. The family farmed corn, soy, wheat, oats and hay, and raised ewes. It had already been farmland prior to the family purchasing it. Diana Kern, Ron Jansen, Susan LaCroix at a closing of a conservation deal between Jansen Farms and Legacy Land Conservancy.Provided by Legacy Land Conservancy Farming is my life. My farm means the world to me and Im happy that the land will be here for others to continue what I started, Jansen said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation Service identified about 90% of soils on Jansen Farms as prime farmland and/or farmland of local importance, according to Legacy officials. The state is losing agricultural and natural land at an alarming rate, Legacy officials said in a Aug. 15 statement. The nonprofit cited the American Farmland Trusts data showing over 483,000 acres of Michigan farmland will be converted to uses incompatible with food production by 2040, Legacy Executive Director Diana Kern said. The farm, located along the US-12 Heritage Trail, is protected by a conservation easement, which also protects wildlife, including flowers, apples, pheasants and turkeys, according to Legacy officials. In 2020, Jansen partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through its Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to create three wildlife habitat ponds for migrating birds. Often times people dont realize farms also contain natural areas that benefit from protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist Jim Hazelman said in a statement. Ron Jansen understands his property provides for cattle and sheep, and it also provides habitat benefits for waterfowl, migratory birds, butterflies and native bees along with deer, turkey and other local wildlife, Hazelman said. Its wonderful to see all of his landrestored wetlands and native habitats includedpermanently protected. It is Legacys first conservation easement in Lenawee County, officials said. Securing development rights from Jansen Farms was more than $700,000, and Jansen donated a portion of the conservation easement value. The rest of the funding came from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission, the Carls Foundation, and an anonymous funder. Jansen will use the funds to invest in farm infrastructure and operations, and the conservation easement will be a central component of his succession planning, Legacy officials said. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. ALGONAC, MI -- The Michigan State Police Computer Crimes Unit, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is announcing the arrest of Andrew Michael Arnold, 31 of Algonac, for aggravated possession and distribution of child sexually abusive material and using a computer to commit a crime, according to a press release from MSP. Arnold was arrested following an investigation in which digital evidence was seized from his home. The investigation was initiated when it was learned that Arnold was viewing files of child sexually abusive material on the internet. Arnold was charged with three counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, one count of distributing child sexually abusive material, and four counts of using a computer to commit a crime. He was arraigned in the 72 District Court on Friday, August 16. The MSP Computer Crimes Unit encourages parents to speak to their children about the safe use of the internet. To report information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, send it to the CyberTipLine at missingkids.org/cybertipline. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI Lincoln Consolidated Schools was down a high school Spanish teacher mid-year last year and could find no one to fill the position. So, it used a virtual teacher. The district contracted with Elevate K-12, a Chicago-based live teaching company, to fill in the gap in February. They were able to get live instruction with somebody that spoke Spanish, Superintendent Bob Jansen said. The district was getting down to the wire, but Jansen said Lincoln schools was recently able to hire a Spanish teacher for the upcoming school year, starting Aug. 26. Still, just to be safe, the Lincoln School Board is considering entering into another contract with Elevate K12 that would allow the districts human resources director to use the program as needed. Theres no cost associated with the contract, as the district is only billed if the services are used. It can be difficult to hire for mid-year vacancies, Jansen said. While some classes could be covered by an in-person substitute, he said, teachers cant be trained overnight for some subjects, such as languages. It would just be a resource that we could tap into if need be, Jansen said. Last year, the districts contract with Elevate K12 was priced at $45,750, according to board documents. Jasen said that although Lincoln strives for in-person teaching, the program was a great alternative so students could have a Spanish-speaking teacher. In addition to remote teaching, Elevate K12 provides high-end equipment, such as speakers, a classroom microphone and a camera. Classrooms using Elevate K12 are still supervised by a Lincoln schools staff member. At this point, Jansen said, he doesnt know of gaps where the virtual teaching service will be used this year. Lincoln schools would still try to hire teachers in the event of any mid-year vacancies, he said. With education, you just never know, he said. Life situations happen. Remote teaching programs like Elevate K12 are just one way districts have addressed state and nationwide teacher shortages. While virtual teaching is acting as a backup plan for Lincoln schools, other Michigan districts like Grand Rapids Public Schools use Elevate K12 in varying degrees. Read More: Like quarantine again: Grand Rapids students lobby to end virtual instructors, up teacher pay Both nationally and statewide, there have been growing concerns over teacher burnout exacerbating existing teaching shortages in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a 2024 report. However, teacher shortages vary significantly by state and district. Michigan invested $448 million to address the teaching shortage in the 2024 fiscal year and more than $100 million for 2025. The amount of certified teachers in hard-to-fill subjects - such as math, science, and bilingual education - has increased in recent years, Michigan Department of Education officials announced Aug. 14. The Lincoln School Board will vote on the contract at its Aug. 26 meeting. YPSILANTI, MI An Eastern Michigan University team-up with Target could land two students with $500 gift cards to decorate their new campus apartments. The Reface My Living Space initiative gives students the opportunity to win the gift cards to outfit the new Lakeview and Westview apartments opening this fall on the Ypsilanti campus, according to a university release. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- An Ottawa County commissioner who claimed political pressure from opponents led to his firing from his government-related job cannot get his job back. A federal judge on Thursday, Aug. 15, ruled she would not issue a preliminary injunction to reinstate Ottawa County District 2 Commissioner Chris Kleinjans to his job as a Michigan State University community nutrition instructor. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- Two drivers in a June road-rage crash on Lake Michigan Drive are now charged with second-degree murder for allegedly causing the death of a third driver. Ethan Luke Oosterhouse, 23, of Middleville, and Denis Noel Perez, 42, of Grand Rapids, both are charged with murder, as well as manslaughter and reckless driving causing death. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Its time for Kalamazoo-area residents to say goodbye to Rite Aid. The pharmacy will be closing all area locations by late September, said Catherine Carter, Rite Aids manager of public relations and external communications. She did not provide an official last day for Kalamazoos Rite-Aid locations. In the city of Kalamazoo, theres a Rite Aid at 1032 East Cork St. In Portage, theres a Rite Aid at 1950 West Centre Ave. The Kalamazoo stores are among 170 remaining Rite Aid stores in Michigan, officials confirmed Wednesday, Aug. 14. The stores have been listed for closure in bankruptcy filings. Related: Rite Aid closing all stores in Michigan Rite Aid regularly assesses its retail footprint to ensure we are operating efficiently while meeting the needs of our customers, communities, associates and overall business, Carter said in a statement. While we have had to make difficult business decisions over the past several months to improve our business and optimize our retail footprint, we are committed to becoming financially and operationally healthy. Those who get their prescriptions at Rite Aid will be directed to Walgreens, Carter said. There are four Walgreens locations in Kalamazoo and Portage. Signs outside of the Portage Rite Aid advertised sales between 20% and 40% off the entire store. The sales will be in place through the end of September, Carter said. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. MUSKEGON, MI - A new grassroots initiative has touched down in the Muskegon area, boasting a celebration of humor and community spirit. The inaugural Laughter On The Lakeshore Comedy Festival kicks off Aug. 16-17 with six venues and over 20 Michigan comedians. Hosted by RJN Comedy, the event features clean comedy showcase for family fun, a Canna Comedy bash for those age 21 and over, a headliner show, and more. Ricarlo Williams-Winston, the owner of RJN Comedy and organizer of the festival, said the event has been in the works since the beginning of the year when he attended a comedy festival in Traverse City. It all came together because of my little company RJN Comedy, Williams-Winston told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. Weve been producing shows and then at the beginning of March, I was in a comedy festival in Traverse City. Thats when I got the idea like, Okay, I want to duplicate that here in Muskegon. He said that his goal has always been to bring as much laughter to Muskegon as possible. When I started doing comedy, everybody was like, You cant do anything in Muskegon, and I was like, No, thats where Im from, so Im going to stay right here and try to build something. he said. I just want to highlight Muskegon and bring happiness and laughter to the city. Most events are free and open to the public except the headliner shows, which are $15-$20. Keep scrolling for the full schedule for the stand-up comedy fest. Friday, Aug. 16 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. - LOL Showcase at Tiny Digs Lakeshore, 2033 Lakeshore Dr. 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. - LOL Showcase at The Valkyrie, 1900 Ruddiman Dr. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Dab Bar Pre-Party 21+ at The Bowl (Indigrow), 639 W. Clay Ave. 7 to 8:30 p.m. - Headliner Show with Cam Rowe at Unruly Brewery, 360 W. Western Ave. Saturday, Aug. 17 Noon to 1:30 p.m. - Family Comedy Showcase at Tiny Digs Lakeshore, 2033 Lakeshore Dr. 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Canna Comedy Bash 21+ at The Bowl (Indigrow), 639 W. Clay Ave. 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. - LOL Showcase at The Valkyrie, 1900 Ruddiman Dr. 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Canna Comedy Bash 21+ at The Bowl (Indigrow), 639 W. Clay Ave. 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. - Headliner Show with Adam Degi at Unruly Brewery, 360 W. Western Ave. Rain or shine, the laughter continues. In the event of rain, Laughter on the Lakeshore outdoor shows will be moved to Unruly Brewery and will still be free for the community. Williams-Winston hopes that people from outside of Muskegon visit and see the revitalization happening downtown and the beauty Muskegon can have, he said. Im hoping that a lot of the shows are sold out, he added. I think that the community is going to be surprised by the talent we have here in Michigan. Often, we think comedy is always who is on Netflix or who is doing arenas, but there are some super talented comedians who are a little bit off the radar and are super funny funnier than famous people. Purchase tickets for the two headliner shows online or at Unruly Brewery and Indigrow. Want more Muskegon area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter. MUSKEGON, MI - A local contractor was awarded the bid for a road reconstruction project but wasnt the lowest bidder. The city of Muskegon has a policy that says staff must go with the lowest bid offered for a project, but can supersede that if choosing a local contractor who is within 2% of the lowest bid. The Muskegon City Commission on Monday weighed their options for the reconstruction of Southern Avenue between Lakeshore and Seaway drives in the Nims neighborhood. The city received three bids on the project. Staff originally recommended going with the cheapest bid, which was from Kamminga & Roodvoets, Inc, or K&R, but the commission voted instead to go with Terra Contractors, LLC. The more than $3 million project will cover 0.72 miles of pavement reconstruction, sanitary sewer repairs, storm sewer, water main repairs and more. K&R, of Grand Rapids, offered the cheapest bid for the work at $3,050,306.60. Terra was the second most affordable bid, totaling at $3,135,758.50. The difference between the two is $85,451.90. The highest bid was submitted by Jackson-Merkey Contractors, Inc., of Muskegon Township, for $3,397,018.75 Commissioners said they wanted to keep such a costly project within the Muskegon economy, despite Terra being 2.8% higher. I really would love to see as much, if not all, of that $3-plus-million dollars stay in our city, employing folks in our area, keeping that money circulating in our area, Mayor Ken Johnson said. The mayor said he struggled with the decision and is willing to change the policy to give more wiggle room for local bidders. Dan VanderHeide, deputy director of public works for the city of Muskegon, said he preferred K&R because of their prior work for the city. We did that based on our confidence level in that other contractor to be able to complete the job in the best and most efficient manner possible, VanderHeide said. He said that he didnt intend to disparage Terra, who has also previously done contracted work for the city, but not at quite the scale as the project at-hand. K&R recently completed reconstruction of Sanford Street and are currently doing work in the Bluffton area. Commissioner Katrina Kochin said she was hearing opposite feedback from residents in the Bluffton neighborhood, specifically on Thompson Avenue and Edgewater Street, where K&R has put fill and top soil in resident yards. "Its just filled with toxic Jimsonweed and nails and broken glass and large rocks in the areas of the terrace that have been replaced, Kochin said. Ive got some concerns, so it does give me pause. VanderHeide said he was aware of the issue and was working with K&R to resolve it, explaining that the company failed to seed the top soil. Effectively, what grew up was the natural weeds and seeds that were either in that topsoil or that blew into it, VanderHeide said. They should have, in hindsight, definitely seeded that in that first phase of the project. The areas have since been sprayed with weed killer and will be tilled and seeded correctly, he added. Kochin questioned the quality of the fill or soil being used, bringing up the nails and glass being found. Especially since this project doesnt involve nails, she noted. The public works director said he could not speak to the quality of the fill. While the city does not have as much experience working with Terra, VanderHeide said they have worked more in other surrounding cities, were involved in the Adelaide Pointe project early on, and he has not heard any complaints. Johnson told VanderHeide that staff would need to have more of a heavy handed oversight on this project. We can definitely work with them to achieve a similar level of customer service, VanderHeide said. Scott Drier, project manager/estimator for Terra, spoke during public comment at the beginning of the meeting, encouraging the commission to consider the local contractor. We would love to do the work, Drier said. Related: See what Muskegon roads will be under construction this year Want more Muskegon-area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter. GRAND HAVEN, MI - The 31st annual World-Famous Pedros Pig Roast is coming back to Grand Haven this weekend to raise money for the Momentum Center and other mental health services in West Michigan. All ages are invited to the event on Saturday, Aug. 17 at City Beach, just south of Grand Haven State Park. Suggested cash donations of up to $10 are encouraged for entry. This year, there will be a kids tug of war, tie-dye activties, a beach blanket bingo, hula dancing, a treasure chest, and the Chuckwagon Parade of pulled pork and other comfort foods like sliders, chicken, corn, and bratwursts. Organizer Peter Pedro Stalzer said the focus is always on community, but its also about having fun. A returning favorite, attendees can expect to experience a dove and butterfly release as a sign of hope, peace and unity. Theres just a whole bunch of things that you just wont see anywhere else, Stalzer told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. You get a lot out of it. Its just a really cool event in which its old school, almost like a field party thats brought the beach. To kick off the party at noon, the national anthem will be performed by Lisa Homik, followed by hula dancing with Minnie Morey and the Pacific Island Dancer and live music from the Velvet Mushroom Syndicate. Stalzer wants the community to remember the long-running event focuses on the fun line, not the bottom line. You can raise money for charity, but it also allows the community to get together without costing a ton of money to do something, he said. We build it on the fun line, thats the main thing. Its big fun for everybody. The community-wide party rages on until 4 p.m. Learn more by visiting the Facebook event page. Want more Muskegon area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter. Most students returning to school this month once again have the promise of free breakfast and lunch every day, but thousands of other children will be left out. More than 4,200 students attending nonpublic schools around the state would be eligible for Michigans free school meals program if lawmakers and the governor saw fit to extend the program beyond public schools only. The estimated cost to include a majority of would-be eligible nonpublic schools in the program is $1.6 million a drop in the bucket compared to the $200 million approved by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to continue the program another year for public schools. Its a relatively simple issue: You either think all kids are deserving of getting nutrition and being able to go to school ready to learn or you only think some kids are, said Brian Broderick, executive director of the Michigan Association of Non-public Schools (MANS), which provided those estimates. Michigans program, which Whitmer has hoped to make permanent, serves the 1.4 million public school students in the state. Her office has previously said itll help students focus on learning and save families $850 a year. The continuation of that program, along with free Pre-K for most and free community college, were highlights of the states $23.4 billion education budget touted by Democrats when it was passed this summer. Related: Gov. Whitmer signs $23.4B education budget including free community college, pre-K Officials with Whitmers office and the House Democratic Caucus havent provided clear answers on why nonpublic schools arent included in the now second-year of the state program. They say the state is restricted from using School Aid Fund dollars on nonpublic schools, but the state is allowed to use General Fund dollars on those schools, like they do with public safety initiatives, providing water filters and more. For Broderick, whose organization represents roughly 80% of the 115,000 nonpublic students across the state, the answers from state leadership are just kind of an excuse. The state has allowed nonpublic schools to participate in school safety funding matters, said Broderick. Theres an idea out there that all kids, no matter where they go to school, deserve to be in safe learning environments. Again, nothing to do with education, whats being taught. Why doesnt the same hold true that all kids are well-fed so that they can learn better? The disparity between the number of nonpublic students in the state and those that would be eligible for the states program is because schools have to provide not only lunch but breakfast as well to be eligible for the program. Broderick said not all schools are able to staff and fund breakfast services, and some would-be eligible schools already provide federally-funded meals because more than 25% of the student body come from households receiving federal assistance. Michigans free school meals program stems from the federal government in 2022 ending its pandemic program that provided free meals for all students, both public and private. Related: As federal free lunch program for all students ends, Michigan could spend $171M to keep it going A number of states around the U.S. like Michigan saw the benefit of continuing free access to nutritious free meals regardless of income and adopted their own initiatives. In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential presumptive nominee, adopted a free meals program for all students, public and nonpublic. Lisa Burnis is the principal at St. Francis de Sales Catholic School in Manistique, overseeing 160 students grades Pre-K through eighth. Her school is one of those that would be eligible for the state program. Burnis said there is a marked difference in behavior following the end of the federal free meal program, when students were assured two nutritious meals a day. Were seeing more behavior issues and more lethargy; just not getting the proper nutrition it seems, she said. And parents do a good job, they try their best, but everybody knows how it goes. When the economy isnt doing real well, and our economy is pretty depressed up here, they go home and its TV dinner or drive-thru fast stuff. Theres a misconception that those who attend nonpublic schools come from wealthy families. The reality, Broderick said, is that nonpublic schools, like public schools, often mirror the income patterns of the community theyre in. Even so, the states free meal program isnt about providing meals to impoverished students, many of whom already receive free or reduced lunches. Instead, its about ensuring nutritious meals for all students. The states policy is Were going to feed all kids at public schools regardless of what their income is, Broderick said. If youre in a high income community, lets say Grosse Pointe or Kentwood or Northville, all those kids in a public school have access or eligibility for the free breakfast and lunch program, and no one asks them what their income is. But somehow theres this perception out there that all the nonpublic school kids are well off and thats simply not true. And, two, youre treating kids differently based on how their school is covered. St. Francis de Sales administrative assistant Janet Knaffla oversees student lunch accounts. She recalled how tough it was to tell parents that free meals for their children was ending with the federal program. When it was free, it was so beneficial to our families, Knaffla said. It relieved not only that burden of having to pay that lunch price but also just knowing that theyre going to get a square meal, because it is very tough right now and it was tough right after the pandemic, when we had to go back to charging parents for lunch. That was a huge hurdle for me to talk to parents and explain to them, Yeah, I understand the public school is free and we are not, but theres nothing I can do about it. They were very angry. Jill Annable, president and CEO at West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids, said the number of children taking breakfast and lunch dramatically increased when it was offered for free thanks to the federal governments pandemic program. She has 1,500 students across the high school and six elementaries in the West Michigan area who were cut off when the federal program ended but wouldve been eligible for the states free meals program. If the intent of the legislation is that kids and nutrition come first, then where a child goes to school shouldnt make an impact on that, Annable said. LINCOLN PARK, MI A political billboard ad here involving the 2024 presidential race is gaining some viral buzz online. On Internet forums such as Facebook and Reddit, passersby are sharing images of a digital billboard showing what appears to be a copy of a $5,000 check Donald Trump donated to Kamala Harris political campaign when she was seeking reelection as Californias attorney general more than a decade ago. News of the existence of the check dated September 2011 isnt new. It was documented previously by media outlets, including The New York Times. Trump also donated $1,000 to Harris in February 2013, state records showed. Back then, Trump was not a candidate for political office and Harris was serving the first of two terms as Californias attorney general. She was reelected to the post in 2014. Things have changed since then. Trump, the former president, and Harris, the current vice president, are rivals in the 2024 race for the White House. A representative with Lamar Advertising, the company that sells space on the billboard, said the advertisement featuring the check was paid for by FLIC Votes. The organization is the political arm of the Miami-based Florida Immigration Coalition, an advocacy group for immigrants in Florida. FLIC Votes officials did not return several messages left by MLive. FLIC Votes made other headlines this month for a billboard advertisement it purchased near Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach County, Florida. That advertisement simply read, weird, which is a label Harris surrogates are publicly using with increasing frequency to describe Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance. The billboard in Michigan towers over the eastbound lanes of I-75, near a stretch of the busy highway southwest of Detroit, in the downriver suburb of Lincoln Park. The sign stands between a Democratic stronghold Detroit and Wayne County municipalities as well as a neighboring county that supported Trump in the 2020 presidential race by larger and larger percentages the more south those communities were positioned from Detroit. In Wayne County, Detroit favored Joe Biden over Trump in 2020 with 94% of its residents vote. South of Detroit, Lincoln Park favored Biden over Trump with 56.5% of its residents vote. South of Lincoln Park, Southgate favored Biden over Trump with 52.1% of its residents vote. From there, the results flip in Wayne County. South of Southgate, Riverview favored Trump over Biden with 49.5% of its residents vote. South of Riverview, Trenton favored Trump over Biden by 52.4% of its residents vote. Wayne County as a whole favored Biden over Trump with 68.3% of its residents vote. South of Wayne County about 30 miles south of the billboard Ohio-bordering Monroe County favored Trump over Biden with 60% of its residents vote. The image of the check serves as one of several advertisements that flashed on the digital billboard this week. Other advertisements on the sign feature the images of men, accompanied by words that state they were former Trump voters but will not cast ballots for the Republican this year. Those advertisements state they were paid for by Republican Accountability PAC, Inc. The digital billboard also displays advertisements for Wendys, Leos Coney Island, Colovos Law Firm, and The Carpet Guys. The billboards placement near Detroit puts it inside a hot spot of presidential campaigning this summer. Harris and her Democratic Party running mate, Tim Walz, spent two days in southeast Michigan last week, beginning with a Wednesday, Aug. 7, rally at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and extending to a meet-up nearby with United Auto Workers laborers the following day. Before he dropped out and endorsed Harris last month, one of President Bidens last campaign stops was at Renaissance High School in Detroit. And Trump campaigned in Detroit in June, when the Republican hosted a roundtable discussion at a church and later spoke at an event called The Peoples Convention. Paramount+ and RuPaul have released yet another iconic drag race competition for fans. The first two episodes of RuPauls Drag Race Global All Stars are available to stream now on Paramount+. Watch them for free with a trial from the platform. About the show: In this new series, RuPaul invites 12 of the worlds best queens to return to the runway to compete in the first ever season of Drag Race Global All Stars. Here is what to expect in the first two episodes, per Paramount+. Global Talent Extravaganza -The 12 Global Queens meet each other for the first time in an International Runway Extravaganza. Then RuPaul reveals that six of them have to entertain the judges with a very special talent show. Global Talent Extravaganza Part 2 - The 12 Global Glamazons become Cover Stars in a madcap quick drag challenge. Then, the Queens perform for RuPaul in a talent show that covers everything from pole dancing to clowning to rice cooking. Watch a sneak peek below, then find the full episodes on Paramount+. New episodes air Fridays. See who was invited back in the cast list below. Where to watch: Cast: The first drone delivery service guided by China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System has begun operations in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, offering local residents a glimpse into a futuristic, fast-paced delivery system. On Tuesday, drones departed from the Zhuzhou "Beidou+drone" low-altitude flying service center to deliver packages to an SF Express center about 4 kilometers away in just a few minutes. The drones flew at an altitude of around 200 meters. Operated by Phoenix Technology, a subsidiary of SF Express and Zhuzhou Geckor Group, the service aims to significantly reduce delivery times. According to You Yang, sales director at Phoenix Technology, traditional road transportation would take at least 20 minutes. Drones, bypassing traffic and red lights, reduce that time by up to 70 percent. "Drones are particularly useful for making emergency deliveries, carrying high-value items or reaching remote locations," You said. Current costs for a single delivery range from 70 to 80 yuan ($9.78 to $11.17). With drones capable of carrying 50 to 100 packages, the service could become profitable, but for now, subsidies from local governments and enterprises help cover costs. The center operates five routes for delivering medical supplies, everyday goods, agricultural products and emergency equipment, as well as performing waterway inspections. An additional seven routes have been approved for future use. The drones used in Tuesday's launch are about 2 meters wide, with a maximum payload of 10 kilograms and a flight speed of 50 km per hour. The center also utilizes various other drone models capable of carrying between half a kilogram and 50 kg and flying distances from 10 km to 120 km. The first company in China to receive a license for drone delivery, Phoenix Technology had opened 215 routes by the end of last year, transporting nearly 3 million packages weighing a total of 15 million metric tons. Drone deliveries are now routine in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, with 300 to 400 flights a day, but they are guided by GPS rather than Beidou. Zhuzhou, a key hub for Beidou technology and low-altitude economic development, provides an ideal base for advancing homegrown drone delivery services. Tang Zhibin, a local resident, expressed excitement about the new technology and its potential convenience. Zhou Jin, another onlooker, said he was "blown away" by the sight of the drones. "They're much larger than the drones I've used for photography and remind me of something from Hollywood sci-fi movies," he said. While China's drone technology is considered among the world's best, Zhou said more regulation will be necessary to ensure safety as drone usage becomes more widespread. zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn SteelPeak Wealth LLC lifted its position in ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW Free Report) by 186.5% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,822 shares of the information technology services providers stock after buying an additional 1,186 shares during the quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLCs holdings in ServiceNow were worth $1,433,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Salvus Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in ServiceNow by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Salvus Wealth Management LLC now owns 907 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $714,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted its stake in ServiceNow by 55.5% during the 2nd quarter. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft now owns 1,337 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $1,047,000 after acquiring an additional 477 shares in the last quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in ServiceNow by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,277 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $957,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the period. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of ServiceNow by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 453 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oak Ridge Investments LLC increased its stake in ServiceNow by 4.2% in the second quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 9,915 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $7,800,000 after purchasing an additional 404 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.18% of the companys stock. Get ServiceNow alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have commented on NOW shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on ServiceNow from $920.00 to $935.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on ServiceNow from $885.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on ServiceNow from $875.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and set a $900.00 price target on shares of ServiceNow in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, William Blair restated an outperform rating on shares of ServiceNow in a research note on Tuesday, May 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twenty-six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $842.22. ServiceNow Price Performance NOW traded up $13.09 on Thursday, hitting $832.11. 1,088,603 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,325,565. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $765.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $756.61. ServiceNow, Inc. has a one year low of $527.24 and a one year high of $850.33. The firm has a market cap of $170.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 87.60, a P/E/G ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The information technology services provider reported $3.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $2.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.61 billion. ServiceNow had a return on equity of 14.52% and a net margin of 11.51%. ServiceNows quarterly revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.77 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that ServiceNow, Inc. will post 6.84 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, insider Paul John Smith sold 602 shares of ServiceNow stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $769.75, for a total value of $463,389.50. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,619 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,785,725.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Paul John Smith sold 602 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $769.75, for a total value of $463,389.50. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,619 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,785,725.25. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Gina Mastantuono sold 1,800 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $738.88, for a total value of $1,329,984.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 13,290 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,819,715.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,943 shares of company stock worth $7,566,635. 0.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders. ServiceNow Profile (Free Report) ServiceNow, Inc provides end to-end intelligent workflow automation platform solutions for digital businesses in the North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates the Now platform for end-to-end digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation, process mining, performance analytics, and collaboration and development tools. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NOW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for ServiceNow Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ServiceNow and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU Free Report) by 192.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 10,165 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 6,684 shares during the period. SteelPeak Wealth LLCs holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $1,191,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cambridge Trust Co. boosted its stake in Prudential Financial by 77.2% in the 4th quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 241 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Creekmur Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 78.8% during the first quarter. Creekmur Asset Management LLC now owns 245 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new stake in Prudential Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Prudential Financial in the first quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, ESL Trust Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Prudential Financial during the first quarter worth about $34,000. 56.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Prudential Financial alerts: Prudential Financial Price Performance Shares of PRU traded up $2.16 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $113.56. 2,023,313 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,505,067. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 12 month low of $87.95 and a 12 month high of $128.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock has a market cap of $40.77 billion, a PE ratio of 19.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.34. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $117.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $114.35. Prudential Financial Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 20th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 20th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.58%. Prudential Financials dividend payout ratio is currently 88.44%. A number of brokerages have weighed in on PRU. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Prudential Financial from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $113.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Prudential Financial from $118.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $115.00 to $116.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Prudential Financial from $120.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $112.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $119.42. Read Our Latest Analysis on PRU Insider Buying and Selling at Prudential Financial In other Prudential Financial news, major shareholder Insurance Co Of Ame Prudential acquired 652,884 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $27.57 per share, for a total transaction of $18,000,011.88. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 3,883,390 shares in the company, valued at approximately $107,065,062.30. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock. Prudential Financial Company Profile (Free Report) Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses segments. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Prudential Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Prudential Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities (NYSE:AQN Free Report) from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $6.00 price target on the utilities providers stock, down from their prior price target of $8.50. A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on AQN. StockNews.com raised shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, May 10th. Desjardins raised their price objective on Algonquin Power & Utilities from $5.25 to $5.50 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, June 6th. CIBC lifted their price target on shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities from $7.50 to $7.70 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Scotiabank dropped their price target on Algonquin Power & Utilities from $7.50 to $6.50 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Finally, National Bankshares upped their target price on Algonquin Power & Utilities from $6.75 to $7.25 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, May 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $6.36. Get Algonquin Power & Utilities alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on AQN Algonquin Power & Utilities Stock Performance Algonquin Power & Utilities stock opened at $5.20 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The company has a market cap of $3.99 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.61 and a beta of 0.66. Algonquin Power & Utilities has a fifty-two week low of $4.90 and a fifty-two week high of $7.67. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $5.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $6.08. Algonquin Power & Utilities (NYSE:AQN Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The utilities provider reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $598.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $635.95 million. Algonquin Power & Utilities had a negative net margin of 12.44% and a positive return on equity of 5.39%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.08 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Algonquin Power & Utilities will post 0.46 EPS for the current year. Algonquin Power & Utilities Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.065 per share. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. Algonquin Power & Utilitiess payout ratio is presently -53.06%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Algonquin Power & Utilities Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,248,892 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $165,893,000 after purchasing an additional 262,333 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities by 754.0% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 15,552,484 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $98,292,000 after purchasing an additional 13,731,305 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI raised its stake in Algonquin Power & Utilities by 3.4% in the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 10,565,940 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $61,759,000 after buying an additional 342,528 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its stake in Algonquin Power & Utilities by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 10,226,131 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $64,521,000 after purchasing an additional 542,696 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp grew its holdings in shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities by 156.0% during the second quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 8,905,059 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $52,341,000 after buying an additional 5,426,523 shares during the last quarter. 62.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Algonquin Power & Utilities (Get Free Report) Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. operates in the power and utility industries in the United States, Canada, and other regions. The company operates in two segments, Regulated Services Group and Renewable Energy Group. The company primarily owns and operates a regulated electric, water distribution and wastewater collection, and natural gas utility systems and transmission operations. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Algonquin Power & Utilities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Algonquin Power & Utilities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH Get Free Report) insider William J. Doherty sold 300,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.83, for a total transaction of $19,749,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Amphenol Stock Performance NYSE:APH traded down $0.25 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $65.80. 5,854,083 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,654,878. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.82. Amphenol Co. has a 52 week low of $39.34 and a 52 week high of $70.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.25. Get Amphenol alerts: Amphenol (NYSE:APH Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The electronics maker reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.03. Amphenol had a return on equity of 24.08% and a net margin of 15.69%. The business had revenue of $3.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.72 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 18.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Amphenol Co. will post 1.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Amphenol Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.165 per share. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 17th. Amphenols dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.49%. Amphenol declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Wednesday, April 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the electronics maker to purchase up to 2.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In APH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI restated an outperform rating on shares of Amphenol in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Amphenol from $62.50 to $65.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $69.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a hold rating on shares of Amphenol in a research note on Thursday, June 13th. Finally, Vertical Research started coverage on shares of Amphenol in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a hold rating and a $65.00 price target for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Amphenol presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $65.35. Get Our Latest Analysis on Amphenol Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in APH. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its position in Amphenol by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 31,286 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $3,609,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in Amphenol by 1.7% in the first quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,720 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $544,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the period. Lindbrook Capital LLC grew its stake in Amphenol by 2.0% in the first quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 4,245 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $490,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. grew its stake in Amphenol by 1.5% in the first quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 6,076 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $701,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Amphenol by 3.4% during the first quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,724 shares of the electronics makers stock worth $313,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. 97.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Amphenol Company Profile (Get Free Report) Amphenol Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, primarily designs, manufactures, and markets electrical, electronic, and fiber optic connectors in the United States, China, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Harsh Environment Solutions, Communications Solutions, and Interconnect and Sensor Systems. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Amphenol Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amphenol and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The industrial products company reported $2.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.12, Briefing.com reports. The company had revenue of $1.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.19 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 8.36% and a return on equity of 23.69%. Applied Industrial Technologiess revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.35 EPS. Applied Industrial Technologies updated its FY 2025 guidance to 9.200-9.950 EPS and its FY25 guidance to $9.20-9.95 EPS. Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Up 0.5 % NYSE AIT traded up $1.00 on Friday, reaching $201.03. The company had a trading volume of 45,902 shares, compared to its average volume of 302,538. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.76 billion, a PE ratio of 20.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 3.77 and a quick ratio of 2.70. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $196.45 and a 200-day moving average of $192.02. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 1 year low of $142.66 and a 1 year high of $223.15. Get Applied Industrial Technologies alerts: Applied Industrial Technologies Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. Applied Industrial Technologiess dividend payout ratio is presently 15.51%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have commented on AIT. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday. Loop Capital boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $215.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Monday, July 1st. They issued a neutral rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Applied Industrial Technologies presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $226.67. Read Our Latest Report on Applied Industrial Technologies Insider Activity In other news, VP Jason W. Vasquez sold 650 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.71, for a total transaction of $127,861.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 22,960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,516,461.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 2.20% of the companys stock. Applied Industrial Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc distributes industrial motion, power, control, and automation technology solutions in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. It operates in two segments, Service Center Based Distribution, and Engineered Solutions. The company distributes bearings, power transmission products, engineered fluid power components and systems, specialty flow control solutions, advanced automation products, industrial rubber products, linear motion components, automation solutions, tools, safety products, oilfield supplies, and other industrial and maintenance supplies; and motors, belting, drives, couplings, pumps, hydraulic and pneumatic components, filtration supplies, valves, fittings, process instrumentation, actuators, and hoses, filtration supplies, as well as other related supplies for general operational needs of customers' machinery and equipment. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Applied Industrial Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Applied Industrial Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aya Gold & Silver (TSE:AYA Free Report) had its price objective upped by Stifel Nicolaus from C$18.00 to C$18.50 in a report issued on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports. A number of other equities analysts have also commented on AYA. Eight Capital lifted their price objective on Aya Gold & Silver from C$22.00 to C$26.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. National Bankshares cut their price objective on Aya Gold & Silver from C$22.00 to C$21.75 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. BMO Capital Markets set a C$21.50 price objective on Aya Gold & Silver and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Raymond James lifted their price objective on Aya Gold & Silver from C$13.25 to C$17.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Cormark lifted their price objective on Aya Gold & Silver from C$12.50 to C$15.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of C$20.82. Get Aya Gold & Silver alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Aya Gold & Silver Aya Gold & Silver Price Performance Aya Gold & Silver stock traded up C$0.26 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching C$15.07. The companys stock had a trading volume of 197,494 shares, compared to its average volume of 358,484. Aya Gold & Silver has a 52 week low of C$6.58 and a 52 week high of C$16.26. The company has a current ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 3.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 35.00. The business has a 50-day moving average price of C$14.27 and a 200-day moving average price of C$13.01. The stock has a market cap of C$1.97 billion, a PE ratio of 164.56 and a beta of 1.34. Aya Gold & Silver (TSE:AYA Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 15th. The company reported C($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C($0.02) by C($0.01). The firm had revenue of C$6.85 million for the quarter. Aya Gold & Silver had a return on equity of 3.70% and a net margin of 22.31%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Aya Gold & Silver will post 0.138752 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling at Aya Gold & Silver In other news, Senior Officer Alex Ball sold 5,263 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of C$14.95, for a total transaction of C$78,664.48. In other news, Senior Officer Ugo Landry-Tolszczuk sold 19,850 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$13.99, for a total transaction of C$277,701.50. Also, Senior Officer Alex Ball sold 5,263 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of C$14.95, for a total value of C$78,664.48. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 28,113 shares of company stock valued at $399,686. 10.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. About Aya Gold & Silver (Get Free Report) Aya Gold & Silver Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, evaluation, and development of precious metals projects in Morocco. The company primarily explores for gold and silver deposits. Its flagship project is the Zgounder property located approximately 265 kms east of Agadir in the Proterozoic Siroua Massif of the Anti-Atlas Range, Morocco. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Aya Gold & Silver Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aya Gold & Silver and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bancolombia (NYSE:CIB Free Report) had its target price decreased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $36.00 to $35.00 in a research note released on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an underweight rating on the banks stock. Separately, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Bancolombia in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. They issued a neutral rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bancolombia presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $33.12. Get Bancolombia alerts: View Our Latest Report on CIB Bancolombia Stock Performance Bancolombia Increases Dividend NYSE:CIB opened at $34.31 on Monday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $33.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $33.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a market cap of $8.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.39 and a beta of 1.22. Bancolombia has a twelve month low of $24.15 and a twelve month high of $37.85. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 27th were paid a $0.898 dividend. This represents a $3.59 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.47%. This is an increase from Bancolombias previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 27th. Bancolombias payout ratio is 53.62%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bancolombia Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Bancolombia in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,519,000. Capital Wealth Planning LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bancolombia in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,080,000. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bancolombia in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $218,000. Ballentine Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bancolombia in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $448,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Bancolombia by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 9,644 shares of the banks stock valued at $297,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares during the period. Bancolombia Company Profile (Get Free Report) Bancolombia SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking products and services in Colombia and internationally. The company operates through nine segments: Banking Colombia, Banking Panama, Banking El Salvador, Banking Guatemala, Trust, Investment Banking, Brokerage, International Banking, and All Other. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bancolombia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bancolombia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of Hawaii Co. (NYSE:BOH Free Report) Equities research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q3 2024 EPS estimates for shares of Bank of Hawaii in a research note issued on Monday, August 12th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now anticipates that the bank will earn $0.82 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.84. The consensus estimate for Bank of Hawaiis current full-year earnings is $3.37 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Bank of Hawaiis Q4 2024 earnings at $0.85 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $0.90 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $0.97 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $3.52 EPS. Get Bank of Hawaii alerts: Bank of Hawaii (NYSE:BOH Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 22nd. The bank reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.85 by ($0.04). Bank of Hawaii had a net margin of 14.54% and a return on equity of 12.25%. The company had revenue of $255.62 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $157.12 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.12 earnings per share. Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of Bank of Hawaii from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Bank of Hawaii from $51.00 to $50.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Bank of Hawaii from $53.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Piper Sandler downgraded Bank of Hawaii from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $61.00 in a report on Monday. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on Bank of Hawaii from $63.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and two have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bank of Hawaii currently has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus target price of $59.00. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on BOH Bank of Hawaii Stock Performance Shares of BOH opened at $64.48 on Wednesday. Bank of Hawaii has a 1 year low of $45.56 and a 1 year high of $75.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.56 billion, a PE ratio of 16.62 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.71. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $61.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.44. Institutional Trading of Bank of Hawaii Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its stake in Bank of Hawaii by 0.8% in the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 21,787 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,359,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co. MA raised its stake in Bank of Hawaii by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 48,987 shares of the banks stock valued at $3,550,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in Bank of Hawaii by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 11,134 shares of the banks stock worth $637,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc. grew its stake in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc. now owns 4,773 shares of the banks stock valued at $346,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 1.5% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 20,000 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,144,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.18% of the companys stock. Insider Buying and Selling at Bank of Hawaii In related news, insider Taryn L. Salmon sold 2,364 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.80, for a total transaction of $160,279.20. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 10,785 shares in the company, valued at approximately $731,223. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 2.11% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Bank of Hawaii Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.34%. Bank of Hawaiis dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 72.16%. About Bank of Hawaii (Get Free Report) Bank of Hawaii Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Bank of Hawaii that provides various financial products and services in Hawaii, Guam, and other Pacific Islands. It operates in three segments: Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Treasury and Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers checking, savings, and time deposit accounts; residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, automobile loans and leases, overdraft lines of credit, installment loans, small business loans and leases, and credit cards; private and international client banking, investment, credit, and trust services to individuals and families, as well as high-net-worth individuals; investment management; institutional investment advisory services to corporations, government entities, and foundations; and brokerage offerings, including equities, mutual funds, life insurance, and annuity products. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Hawaii Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Hawaii and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bluebird Merchant Ventures Limited (LON:BMV Get Free Report) traded down 9.1% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as GBX 0.97 ($0.01) and last traded at GBX 1 ($0.01). 2,000,366 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 75% from the average session volume of 7,883,555 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1.10 ($0.01). Bluebird Merchant Ventures Stock Up 5.6 % The company has a quick ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 1.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 1. The stock has a market cap of 6.77 million, a P/E ratio of 215.00 and a beta of 0.45. Bluebird Merchant Ventures Company Profile (Get Free Report) Bluebird Merchant Ventures Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and developing of mineral properties. The company primarily explores for gold and silver deposits. It holds interests in the Gubong project and Kochang project located in South Korea. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Road Town, the British Virgin Islands. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Bluebird Merchant Ventures Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bluebird Merchant Ventures and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brookfield Reinsurance Ltd. (NYSE:BNRE Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 3,304 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 49% from the previous sessions volume of 6,473 shares.The stock last traded at $45.65 and had previously closed at $45.57. Brookfield Reinsurance Stock Performance The firms 50-day moving average is $43.94 and its 200 day moving average is $42.31. The stock has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a PE ratio of 160.07 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.31. Get Brookfield Reinsurance alerts: Institutional Trading of Brookfield Reinsurance Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BNRE. Cowen AND Company LLC raised its position in Brookfield Reinsurance by 29.1% in the 4th quarter. Cowen AND Company LLC now owns 49,885 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,014,000 after purchasing an additional 11,252 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in Brookfield Reinsurance by 3,898.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 512,825 shares of the companys stock valued at $20,518,000 after buying an additional 500,000 shares during the period. Triasima Portfolio Management inc. acquired a new position in Brookfield Reinsurance in the 1st quarter valued at $1,335,000. Swiss National Bank increased its stake in Brookfield Reinsurance by 7.6% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 15,600 shares of the companys stock valued at $656,000 after buying an additional 1,100 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Brookfield Reinsurance in the 2nd quarter valued at $369,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 7.19% of the companys stock. Brookfield Reinsurance Company Profile Brookfield Reinsurance Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides insurance and reinsurance services to individuals and institutions in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Direct Insurance, Reinsurance, and Pension Risk Transfer (PRT). The Direct Insurance segment offers a range of insurance products and services including Whole, Universal, Variable Universal, and Credit Life insurance products; deferred, single premium immediate, and variable annuities; primary and excess casualty products, such as specialty casualty, construction defect, general liability, commercial multi-peril, workers compensation, product liability, environmental liability, and auto liability; professional liability including management, transaction, and errors and omissions liability; property insurance for homeowners and renters, inland marine, and auto physical damages; surety, animal mortality, and ocean marine insurance; and health insurance, credit insurance, and pension products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Reinsurance Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Reinsurance and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA Get Free Report) was down 0.8% during mid-day trading on Friday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $148.69 and last traded at $150.37. Approximately 667,520 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 5,411,746 shares. The stock had previously closed at $151.56. Specifically, Director Ira J. Platt sold 664 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $99,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,227 shares in the company, valued at $4,534,050. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ira J. Platt sold 7,338 shares of Carvana stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.62, for a total value of $1,039,207.56. Following the sale, the director now owns 30,891 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,374,783.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In other news, major shareholder Ernest C. Garcia II sold 75,000 shares of Carvana stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.06, for a total transaction of $10,054,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 940,814 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $126,125,524.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Get Carvana alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Carvana from $90.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. William Blair reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Carvana in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on Carvana in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. They issued a neutral rating and a $160.00 price target on the stock. Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Carvana in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Finally, JMP Securities increased their target price on Carvana from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a market outperform rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Carvana presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $143.73. Carvana Stock Down 1.6 % The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 47.20, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.62. The company has a 50-day moving average of $126.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.11. The company has a market capitalization of $30.21 billion, a PE ratio of 65.95 and a beta of 3.37. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carvana A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Carvana by 39.5% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,459,065 shares of the companys stock worth $655,727,000 after buying an additional 2,112,463 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Carvana by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,023,579 shares of the companys stock valued at $530,648,000 after buying an additional 655,603 shares in the last quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Carvana by 124.9% in the 2nd quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC now owns 581,787 shares of the companys stock worth $74,888,000 after purchasing an additional 323,153 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in Carvana during the second quarter worth $39,997,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Carvana by 17.1% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,483,944 shares of the companys stock worth $78,560,000 after purchasing an additional 216,893 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 56.71% of the companys stock. About Carvana (Get Free Report) Carvana Co, together with its subsidiaries, operates an e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars in the United States. Its platform allows customers to research and identify a vehicle; inspect it using company's 360-degree vehicle imaging technology; obtain financing and warranty coverage; purchase the vehicle; and schedule delivery or pick-up from their desktop or mobile devices. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Carvana Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Carvana and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CCL Industries (TSE:CCL.B Free Report) had its price target lifted by BMO Capital Markets from C$83.00 to C$84.00 in a report issued on Monday, BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. CIBC increased their price objective on shares of CCL Industries from C$83.00 to C$85.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of CCL Industries from C$81.00 to C$83.00 in a research report on Friday, May 10th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on CCL Industries from C$84.00 to C$87.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on CCL Industries from C$79.00 to C$83.00 in a report on Friday, May 10th. Finally, TD Securities boosted their price target on CCL Industries from C$90.00 to C$92.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, CCL Industries presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$84.78. Get CCL Industries alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on CCL Industries CCL Industries Trading Up 4.0 % Insider Buying and Selling at CCL Industries Shares of CCL.B stock opened at C$77.65 on Monday. CCL Industries has a 1-year low of C$52.82 and a 1-year high of C$78.16. The company has a market cap of C$13.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.13, a PEG ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 48.74, a current ratio of 1.95 and a quick ratio of 1.31. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of C$72.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$69.64. In related news, Director Gunther Johann Birkner sold 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$71.69, for a total transaction of C$1,433,800.00. In related news, Director Gunther Johann Birkner sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$71.69, for a total value of C$1,433,800.00. Also, insider CCL Industries Inc. bought 230,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of C$72.48 per share, with a total value of C$16,705,718.00. Insiders sold a total of 24,400 shares of company stock worth $1,758,188 in the last three months. 11.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. CCL Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) CCL Industries Inc manufactures and sells labels, containers, consumer printable media products, technology driven label solutions, polymer bank note substrates, and specialty films. The company operates through four segments: CCL, Avery, Checkpoint, and Innovia. The CCL segment offers pressure sensitive and specialty extruded film materials for decorative, instructional, functional, and security applications in the consumer packaging, healthcare, chemicals, consumer electronic device, and automotive markets. See Also Receive News & Ratings for CCL Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CCL Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cigna Investments Inc. New lowered its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH Free Report) by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,600 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after selling 234 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises about 0.9% of Cigna Investments Inc. News portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Cigna Investments Inc. News holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $4,888,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UNH. James J. Burns & Company LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,773,000. Provident Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $205,000. Leavell Investment Management Inc. increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. now owns 23,017 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $11,722,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares during the period. Phoenix Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $249,000. Finally, Bennett Associates Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $203,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the companys stock. Get UnitedHealth Group alerts: UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:UNH traded down $0.06 during trading on Thursday, hitting $579.61. 2,730,204 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,237,750. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The company has a market cap of $533.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $526.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $506.41. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $436.38 and a 52-week high of $591.54. UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement UnitedHealth Group ( NYSE:UNH Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.66 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $98.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $98.73 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.66% and a return on equity of 26.55%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.14 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.69 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a $2.10 dividend. This represents a $8.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.45%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. UnitedHealth Groups payout ratio is presently 51.34%. Insider Buying and Selling In other UnitedHealth Group news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,500 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $579.03, for a total transaction of $868,545.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,785 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,507,748.55. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $579.03, for a total transaction of $868,545.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,785 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,507,748.55. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 2,851 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $569.88, for a total transaction of $1,624,727.88. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 29,501 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,812,029.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $640.00 to $680.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $600.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Argus lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $570.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $560.00 to $604.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $614.17. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on UNH UnitedHealth Group Company Profile (Free Report) UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for UnitedHealth Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UnitedHealth Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (OTCMKTS:CMWAY Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $92.45 and last traded at $90.14, with a volume of 12619 shares. The stock had previously closed at $88.38. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, UBS Group raised Commonwealth Bank of Australia to a strong sell rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Get Commonwealth Bank of Australia alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on Commonwealth Bank of Australia Commonwealth Bank of Australia Price Performance Commonwealth Bank of Australia Company Profile The companys 50-day simple moving average is $85.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $80.15. (Get Free Report) Commonwealth Bank of Australia provides financial services in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. It operates through Retail Banking Services, Business Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, and New Zealand segments. The company offers transaction, savings, and foreign currency accounts; term deposits; personal and business loans; overdrafts; equipment finance; credit cards; international payment and trade; and private banking services, as well as home and car loans. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Commonwealth Bank of Australia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commonwealth Bank of Australia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Crane (NYSE:CR Get Free Report) and Valmet Oyj (OTCMKTS:VOYJF Get Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability and institutional ownership. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current recommendations for Crane and Valmet Oyj, as reported by MarketBeat. Get Crane alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Crane 0 2 6 0 2.75 Valmet Oyj 0 0 0 0 N/A Crane presently has a consensus target price of $155.00, suggesting a potential upside of 2.64%. Given Cranes higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Crane is more favorable than Valmet Oyj. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Crane 13.10% 24.45% 10.14% Valmet Oyj N/A N/A N/A Dividends This table compares Crane and Valmet Oyjs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Crane pays an annual dividend of $0.82 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.5%. Valmet Oyj pays an annual dividend of $0.11 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.4%. Crane pays out 22.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Valmet Oyj pays out -38.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Crane and Valmet Oyjs gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Crane $2.21 billion 3.91 $401.10 million $3.73 40.49 Valmet Oyj N/A N/A N/A ($0.27) -100.37 Crane has higher revenue and earnings than Valmet Oyj. Valmet Oyj is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Crane, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Institutional & Insider Ownership 75.1% of Crane shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 23.1% of Valmet Oyj shares are held by institutional investors. 2.4% of Crane shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Crane beats Valmet Oyj on 11 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About Crane (Get Free Report) Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials. The Aerospace & Electronics segment supplies critical components and systems, including original equipment and aftermarket parts for commercial aerospace, as well as the military aerospace, defense, and space markets. This segment also offers pressure sensors for aircraft engine control, aircraft braking systems for commercial aircraft and fighter jets, power conversion solutions for spacecraft, and lubrication systems. The Process Flow Technologies segment provides engineered fluid handling equipment for mission-critical applications. It offers process valves and related products, such as lined pipe, fittings and hoses, air-operated diaphragm and peristaltic pumps, instrumentation and sampling systems, valve positioning and control systems, and valve diagnostic and calibration systems; commercial valves; and pumps and systems. The Engineered Materials segment manufactures fiberglass-reinforced plastic panels and coils for use in the manufacturing of recreational vehicles, as well as in commercial and industrial building applications. This segment sells directly to RV, trailer, and truck manufacturers, as well as through distributors and retailers. The company provides its products and solutions to end markets, including commercial and military aerospace, defense, and space; chemical and pharmaceutical production; water and wastewater; non-residential and municipal construction; energy; and other general industrial and consumer-related applications. The company was formerly known as Crane Holdings, Co. Crane Company was founded in 1855 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut. About Valmet Oyj (Get Free Report) Valmet Oyj develops and supplies process technologies, automation, and services for the pulp, paper, and energy industries in North America, South America, China, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company's Process Technologies segment offers pulping process equipment, process islands and complete pulp mills, individual board, tissue and paper machine sections, complete production lines and machine rebuilds, boiler islands, power plants, heating plants, environmental solutions, and technologies for converting biomass to fuels, chemicals, and materials. Its Automation segment offers distributed control systems, quality management systems, analyzers and measurements, industrial applications, and automation services and industrial internet solutions, as well as valves, pumps, valve controls, actuators and limit switches, valve spare parts, and services and industrial internet solutions. The company's Services segment provides spare and process parts, workshop and roll services, fabrics, maintenance development and outsourcing, field service, process upgrades, and industrial internet solutions. It serves pulp, board and paper, energy and industrial gas, biomaterials and fuel, chemical, and mineral industries. Valmet Oyj was founded in 1750 and is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. Receive News & Ratings for Crane Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crane and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC cut its holdings in shares of EnerSys (NYSE:ENS Free Report) by 45.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 43,496 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 36,525 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC owned 0.11% of EnerSys worth $4,503,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of EnerSys in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of EnerSys by 231.6% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 378 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of EnerSys by 141.8% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 382 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 224 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of EnerSys in the 4th quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. increased its position in shares of EnerSys by 250.5% in the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 701 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares during the period. 94.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get EnerSys alerts: EnerSys Stock Performance NYSE:ENS traded up $1.61 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $96.31. The companys stock had a trading volume of 196,319 shares, compared to its average volume of 247,245. EnerSys has a 1 year low of $83.27 and a 1 year high of $112.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 2.46 and a quick ratio of 1.50. The stock has a market cap of $3.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.82, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.28. The businesss fifty day moving average is $103.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $97.58. EnerSys Increases Dividend EnerSys ( NYSE:ENS Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The industrial products company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.01. EnerSys had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 20.21%. The business had revenue of $852.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $877.52 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.89 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that EnerSys will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This is a positive change from EnerSyss previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. EnerSyss dividend payout ratio is presently 14.77%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In ENS has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of EnerSys from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. BTIG Research lowered shares of EnerSys from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, May 24th. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on EnerSys EnerSys Profile (Free Report) EnerSys engages in the provision of stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in four segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, Specialty, and New Ventures. The Energy Systems segment offers uninterruptible power systems (UPS) applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, as well as telecommunications systems; switchgear and electrical control systems used in industrial facilities and electric utilities, large-scale energy storage, and energy pipelines; integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, data center, and renewable and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ENS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for EnerSys (NYSE:ENS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for EnerSys Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EnerSys and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lithium Americas (Argentina) Corp. (NYSE:LAAC Free Report) Equities research analysts at National Bank Financial cut their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Lithium Americas (Argentina) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, August 14th. National Bank Financial analyst M. Sidibe now forecasts that the company will earn $0.04 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $0.08. National Bank Financial currently has a Hold rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Lithium Americas (Argentina)s current full-year earnings is $0.07 per share. National Bank Financial also issued estimates for Lithium Americas (Argentina)s FY2027 earnings at $0.17 EPS. Get Lithium Americas (Argentina) alerts: Lithium Americas (Argentina) (NYSE:LAAC Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 13th. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.04 by ($0.10). During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($0.04) EPS. Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. HSBC upgraded Lithium Americas (Argentina) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. National Bankshares set a $6.00 target price on Lithium Americas (Argentina) and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, June 6th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) from $8.00 to $4.25 and set a sector outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) from $18.50 to $12.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $8.21. View Our Latest Research Report on Lithium Americas (Argentina) Lithium Americas (Argentina) Stock Up 5.2 % Shares of NYSE:LAAC traded up $0.13 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $2.61. 484,342 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,468,539. The businesss 50 day moving average is $3.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $420.81 million, a PE ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.35. Lithium Americas has a one year low of $2.26 and a one year high of $8.79. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithium Americas (Argentina) Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Scotia Capital Inc. bought a new position in Lithium Americas (Argentina) during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,245,000. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) in the 4th quarter worth about $152,000. M&G Plc bought a new position in Lithium Americas (Argentina) in the 1st quarter worth about $5,944,000. FIFTHDELTA Ltd purchased a new stake in Lithium Americas (Argentina) during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,598,000. Finally, Formidable Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Lithium Americas (Argentina) during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,511,000. 49.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Lithium Americas (Argentina) Company Profile (Get Free Report) Lithium Americas (Argentina) Corp. operates as a resource company. The company explores for lithium deposits. The company owns interests in the Cauchari-Olaroz project located in Jujuy province of Argentina. It also has a pipeline of development and exploration stage projects, including the Pastos Grandes project and the Sal de la Puna project located in Salta Province in northwestern Argentina. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lithium Americas (Argentina) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lithium Americas (Argentina) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First PREMIER Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) by 51.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 294 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. First PREMIER Banks holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $42,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVO. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Halpern Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 113.0% in the second quarter. Halpern Financial Inc. now owns 213 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, CNB Bank purchased a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. 11.54% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms recently issued reports on NVO. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $160.00 target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Monday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a buy rating and a $156.00 price objective for the company. Argus increased their target price on Novo Nordisk A/S from $125.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $145.17. Novo Nordisk A/S Trading Up 2.3 % NVO traded up $3.15 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $137.57. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,915,297 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,513,568. The businesss 50-day moving average is $137.06 and its 200-day moving average is $130.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.50. The stock has a market cap of $617.35 billion, a PE ratio of 47.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.41. Novo Nordisk A/S has a fifty-two week low of $86.96 and a fifty-two week high of $148.15. Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 26th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a $0.5126 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.7%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio is presently 25.52%. About Novo Nordisk A/S (Free Report) Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cybin Inc. (NYSE:CYBN Free Report) Equities research analysts at Bloom Burton dropped their FY2025 EPS estimates for shares of Cybin in a report issued on Monday, August 12th. Bloom Burton analyst D. Martin now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of ($0.09) for the year, down from their prior forecast of ($0.08). The consensus estimate for Cybins current full-year earnings is ($0.09) per share. Bloom Burton also issued estimates for Cybins FY2026 earnings at ($0.10) EPS. Get Cybin alerts: Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of Cybin in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $5.00 price objective on shares of Cybin in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Cybin Stock Performance Cybin stock opened at $0.26 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $0.28. The company has a market cap of $108.05 million, a PE ratio of -1.32 and a beta of 0.43. Cybin has a twelve month low of $0.24 and a twelve month high of $0.74. Cybin (NYSE:CYBN Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 26th. The company reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by ($0.02). Institutional Trading of Cybin Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CYBN. AdvisorShares Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Cybin by 13.4% during the 2nd quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC now owns 1,865,217 shares of the companys stock worth $494,000 after purchasing an additional 220,403 shares in the last quarter. Rosalind Advisors Inc. grew its position in Cybin by 38.3% during the second quarter. Rosalind Advisors Inc. now owns 19,300,000 shares of the companys stock worth $5,230,000 after buying an additional 5,340,000 shares in the last quarter. RA Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in Cybin during the 1st quarter worth $24,041,000. Ikarian Capital LLC bought a new position in Cybin during the 1st quarter worth $5,770,000. Finally, AWM Investment Company Inc. acquired a new position in Cybin in the 1st quarter valued at $930,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 17.94% of the companys stock. About Cybin (Get Free Report) Cybin Inc is a biotechnology company. It is focused on progressing psychedelic therapeutics by utilizing proprietary drug discovery platforms, drug delivery systems, novel formulation approaches and treatment regimens for psychiatric disorders. Cybin Inc is based in Toronto, Canada. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Cybin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cybin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE:GDDY Get Free Report) Director Sigal Zarmi sold 400 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.61, for a total transaction of $63,044.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 4,661 shares in the company, valued at $734,620.21. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. GoDaddy Stock Performance Shares of GDDY stock opened at $162.42 on Friday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $144.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $129.86. GoDaddy Inc. has a one year low of $69.18 and a one year high of $162.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.18 billion, a PE ratio of 13.49 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.15, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.55. Get GoDaddy alerts: GoDaddy (NYSE:GDDY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The technology company reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.07 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $1.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. GoDaddy had a negative return on equity of 363.95% and a net margin of 41.12%. GoDaddys quarterly revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.63 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that GoDaddy Inc. will post 4.81 earnings per share for the current year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently weighed in on GDDY. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of GoDaddy from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, May 31st. StockNews.com cut shares of GoDaddy from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of GoDaddy from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of GoDaddy from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on GoDaddy from $132.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $161.25. Read Our Latest Stock Report on GoDaddy Hedge Funds Weigh In On GoDaddy A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GDDY. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of GoDaddy in the 4th quarter worth $1,972,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in GoDaddy in the 4th quarter valued at $773,000. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in GoDaddy in the 4th quarter valued at $240,000. Simplicity Solutions LLC raised its position in GoDaddy by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 16,636 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,766,000 after buying an additional 812 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in GoDaddy in the 4th quarter valued at $4,204,000. 90.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. GoDaddy Company Profile (Get Free Report) GoDaddy Inc engages in the design and development of cloud-based products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Applications and Commerce, and Core Platform. The Applications and Commerce segment provides applications products, including Websites + Marketing, a mobile-optimized online tool that enables customers to build websites and e-commerce enabled online stores; and Managed WordPress, a streamlined and optimized website building that allows customers to easily build and manage a faster WordPress site; Managed WooCommerce Stores to sell anything and anywhere online; and marketing tools and services, such as GoDaddy Studio mobile application, search engine optimization, Meta and Google My Business, and email and social media marketing designed to help businesses acquire and engage customers and create content. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for GoDaddy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GoDaddy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee decreased its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 0.1% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 13,279 shares of the companys stock after selling 13 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for 3.7% of Home Federal Bank of Tennessees holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Home Federal Bank of Tennessees holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $12,023,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC now owns 811 shares of the companys stock worth $734,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Verum Partners LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% in the second quarter. Verum Partners LLC now owns 731 shares of the companys stock valued at $662,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.8% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 736 shares of the companys stock valued at $573,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Innova Wealth Partners lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Innova Wealth Partners now owns 1,068 shares of the companys stock worth $831,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hart & Patterson Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Hart & Patterson Financial Group LLC now owns 679 shares of the companys stock worth $615,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 0.7 % Eli Lilly and Company stock traded down $6.59 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $924.99. The stock had a trading volume of 1,490,022 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,092,626. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $516.57 and a twelve month high of $966.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market cap of $879.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 136.80, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.41. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $877.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $802.12. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.56%. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 76.58%. In other Eli Lilly and Company news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 210,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.82, for a total value of $197,362,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 96,943,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at $91,109,731,514.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Johna Norton sold 7,056 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $819.38, for a total value of $5,781,545.28. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,428 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $20,835,194.64. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 210,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.82, for a total value of $197,362,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 96,943,810 shares in the company, valued at $91,109,731,514.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,214,704 shares of company stock valued at $1,066,841,316. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LLY has been the subject of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $725.00 to $1,025.00 in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $875.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $994.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Bank of America increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $956.88. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Eli Lilly and Company Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. H&R Block (NYSE:HRB Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.15, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. H&R Block had a negative return on equity of 224.81% and a net margin of 17.87%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.05 EPS. H&R Block updated its FY25 guidance to $5.15-5.35 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance to 5.150-5.350 EPS. H&R Block Price Performance Shares of HRB traded up $0.50 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $57.42. 1,572,385 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,071,500. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $54.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $50.59. H&R Block has a 52-week low of $36.33 and a 52-week high of $58.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.01 billion, a PE ratio of 13.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.68. Get H&R Block alerts: H&R Block Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 5th will be paid a $0.375 dividend. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.61%. This is a boost from H&R Blocks previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. H&R Blocks payout ratio is currently 29.29%. Insider Activity Analysts Set New Price Targets In other news, CEO Jeffrey J. Jones II sold 44,975 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.55, for a total transaction of $2,453,386.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 712,386 shares in the company, valued at $38,860,656.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock. Several brokerages have commented on HRB. Barrington Research reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of H&R Block in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com raised shares of H&R Block from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Get Our Latest Stock Report on H&R Block H&R Block Company Profile (Get Free Report) H&R Block, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides assisted income tax return preparation and do-it-yourself (DIY) tax return preparation services and products to the general public primarily in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It offers assisted income tax return preparation and related services through a system of retail offices operated directly by the company or its franchisees. See Also Receive News & Ratings for H&R Block Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for H&R Block and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV Free Report) to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Monday, Zacks.com reports. GEV has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of GE Vernova in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. They set a neutral rating and a $183.00 price objective for the company. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on shares of GE Vernova in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. They issued a neutral rating and a $178.00 price target for the company. Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of GE Vernova in a research report on Friday, June 21st. They issued an outperform rating and a $201.50 price target for the company. HSBC initiated coverage on shares of GE Vernova in a research report on Monday. They issued a buy rating and a $215.00 price target for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of GE Vernova from $174.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $189.83. Get GE Vernova alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on GEV GE Vernova Price Performance GE Vernova stock opened at $188.70 on Monday. GE Vernova has a fifty-two week low of $115.00 and a fifty-two week high of $190.80. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $172.92. GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $8.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.42 billion. Equities analysts forecast that GE Vernova will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On GE Vernova A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in GEV. Anderson Hoagland & Co. bought a new stake in shares of GE Vernova during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,720,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System bought a new position in shares of GE Vernova during the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,892,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA bought a new stake in GE Vernova in the 1st quarter valued at $478,000. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in GE Vernova during the 1st quarter valued at $673,000. Finally, Boit C F David bought a new position in GE Vernova during the first quarter worth $149,000. About GE Vernova (Get Free Report) GE Vernova LLC, an energy business company, generates electricity. It operates under three segments: Power, Wind, and Electrification. The Power segments generates and sells electricity through hydro, gas, nuclear, and steam power. Wind segment engages in the manufacturing and sale of wind turbine blades; and Electrification segment provides grid solutions, power conversion, solar, and storage solutions. Read More Receive News & Ratings for GE Vernova Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GE Vernova and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Human Investing LLC cut its stake in Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY Free Report) by 8.5% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 26,590 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 2,455 shares during the period. Human Investing LLCs holdings in Infosys were worth $495,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in Infosys by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 25,209,033 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $463,342,000 after buying an additional 884,833 shares during the period. FIL Ltd raised its holdings in Infosys by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 18,459,935 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $339,294,000 after buying an additional 1,031,371 shares during the period. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP raised its holdings in Infosys by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 16,591,434 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $297,484,000 after buying an additional 699,641 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in Infosys by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 6,719,669 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $123,508,000 after acquiring an additional 1,150,885 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Infosys by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,360,152 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $98,547,000 after acquiring an additional 209,675 shares in the last quarter. 10.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Infosys alerts: Infosys Stock Up 0.8 % INFY traded up $0.18 on Friday, reaching $22.01. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,219,039 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,811,622. Infosys Limited has a fifty-two week low of $16.04 and a fifty-two week high of $22.94. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $20.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.92. The company has a market capitalization of $91.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.96, a P/E/G ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 0.98. Infosys Cuts Dividend Infosys ( NYSE:INFY Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 18th. The technology company reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.18. Infosys had a return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 17.18%. The company had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.17 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Infosys Limited will post 0.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 31st were paid a dividend of $0.2035 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 31st. Infosyss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.84%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have weighed in on INFY. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on Infosys from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 19th. StockNews.com downgraded Infosys from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Macquarie raised Infosys from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. HSBC reissued a hold rating and set a $20.10 price objective on shares of Infosys in a research report on Friday, April 19th. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their price objective on Infosys from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a negative rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $19.27. Check Out Our Latest Report on Infosys About Infosys (Free Report) Infosys Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides consulting, technology, outsourcing, and next-generation digital services in North America, Europe, India, and internationally. It provides digital marketing and digital workplace, digital commerce, digital experience and interactions, metaverse, data analytics and AI, applied AI, generative AI, sustainability, blockchain, engineering, Internet of Things, enterprise agile DevOps, application modernization, cloud, digital process automation, digital supply chain, Microsoft business application and cloud business, service experience transformation, energy transition, cyber security, and quality engineering solutions; Oracle, SAP, and Saleforce solutions; API economy and microservices; and Topaz, an AI-first set of services, solutions, and platforms using generative AI technologies. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding INFY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Infosys Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Infosys and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Get Free Report) COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total transaction of $505,920.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 35,058 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,434,135.84. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. EOG Resources Price Performance EOG stock opened at $128.10 on Friday. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 12 month low of $108.94 and a 12 month high of $139.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $125.23 and a 200-day moving average of $124.48. Get EOG Resources alerts: EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The energy exploration company reported $3.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.18. EOG Resources had a net margin of 30.33% and a return on equity of 25.65%. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.49 earnings per share. EOG Resourcess revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 12.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. EOG Resources Dividend Announcement Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 17th will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 17th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.84%. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is presently 28.75%. A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $147.00 price objective on shares of EOG Resources in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $139.00 to $125.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of EOG Resources in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They issued a peer perform rating for the company. Scotiabank reduced their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a buy rating and issued a $151.00 target price on shares of EOG Resources in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $144.10. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on EOG Institutional Investors Weigh In On EOG Resources Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in EOG Resources during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of EOG Resources in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Gladius Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of EOG Resources in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Sachetta LLC bought a new stake in shares of EOG Resources in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of EOG Resources in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 89.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About EOG Resources (Get Free Report) EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas primarily in producing basins in the United States, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and internationally. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company. Read More Receive News & Ratings for EOG Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EOG Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,018 shares of the companys stock after selling 292 shares during the quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc.s holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $9,312,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Global Trust Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 5.3% during the 2nd quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 379 shares of the companys stock worth $207,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. Independence Bank of Kentucky boosted its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 2,134 shares of the companys stock worth $1,122,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Unionview LLC boosted its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Unionview LLC now owns 3,293 shares of the companys stock worth $1,731,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Aufman Associates Inc boosted its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Aufman Associates Inc now owns 7,112 shares of the companys stock worth $3,739,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. Finally, Sensible Money LLC boosted its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Sensible Money LLC now owns 1,965 shares of the companys stock worth $1,033,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Price Performance NYSEARCA IVV traded up $9.24 on Thursday, reaching $556.05. The company had a trading volume of 3,943,056 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,107,070. The firm has a market capitalization of $479.82 billion, a PE ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.99. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 1 year low of $411.02 and a 1 year high of $568.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $547.41 and a 200-day moving average of $526.13. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Profile iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 515 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $45,000. Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of BJs Wholesale Club by 6.6% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,512 shares of the companys stock worth $484,000 after buying an additional 339 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital bought a new position in BJs Wholesale Club during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $227,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in BJs Wholesale Club during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $233,000. LVW Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BJs Wholesale Club during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $589,000. Finally, MJP Associates Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in shares of BJs Wholesale Club during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $245,000. 98.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get BJ's Wholesale Club alerts: Insider Activity In other BJs Wholesale Club news, EVP Graham Luce sold 16,596 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.15, for a total value of $1,512,725.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,131 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,288,040.65. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Graham Luce sold 16,596 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.15, for a total transaction of $1,512,725.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,131 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,288,040.65. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jeff Desroches sold 28,842 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.86, for a total transaction of $2,591,742.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 58,452 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,252,496.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 81,544 shares of company stock valued at $7,237,084 in the last three months. Company insiders own 2.00% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms recently commented on BJ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on BJs Wholesale Club from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen raised their target price on BJs Wholesale Club from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 24th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on BJs Wholesale Club from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, May 24th. Loop Capital raised their target price on BJs Wholesale Club from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price objective on BJs Wholesale Club from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, BJs Wholesale Club has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $82.47. View Our Latest Research Report on BJ BJs Wholesale Club Stock Up 0.0 % Shares of NYSE:BJ traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $85.54. 258,316 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,472,429. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $87.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $79.64. The company has a market cap of $11.35 billion, a PE ratio of 22.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.23. BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $63.08 and a 12 month high of $92.37. BJs Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 23rd. The company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.02. BJs Wholesale Club had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 37.78%. The business had revenue of $4.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.85 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. will post 3.91 EPS for the current fiscal year. About BJs Wholesale Club (Free Report) BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates warehouse clubs on the eastern half of the United States. It provides groceries, general merchandise, gasoline and other ancillary services, coupon books, and promotions. The company sells its products through the websites BJs.com, BerkleyJensen.com, and Wellsleyfarms.com, as well as the mobile app. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BJ's Wholesale Club Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BJ's Wholesale Club and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Terreno Realty (NYSE:TRNO Free Report) had its price target boosted by JMP Securities from $65.00 to $72.00 in a research note released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. JMP Securities currently has a market outperform rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Several other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Terreno Realty from $60.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday. Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $57.00 target price (down previously from $67.00) on shares of Terreno Realty in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Terreno Realty from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 24th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Terreno Realty from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Finally, BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Terreno Realty in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. They issued an outperform rating and a $68.00 target price on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Terreno Realty currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $66.44. Get Terreno Realty alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on Terreno Realty Terreno Realty Stock Up 0.4 % Terreno Realty Increases Dividend TRNO stock opened at $67.75 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.55 billion, a PE ratio of 35.29, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a current ratio of 2.34. The firms fifty day moving average is $63.27 and its 200 day moving average is $61.19. Terreno Realty has a one year low of $50.42 and a one year high of $69.74. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This is a positive change from Terreno Realtys previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.89%. Terreno Realtys payout ratio is presently 102.08%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Terreno Realty news, EVP John Tull Meyer sold 6,145 shares of Terreno Realty stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.64, for a total transaction of $421,792.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 110,988 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,618,216.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Terreno Realty news, President Michael A. Coke sold 7,500 shares of Terreno Realty stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.53, for a total transaction of $513,975.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 402,164 shares of the companys stock, valued at $27,560,298.92. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John Tull Meyer sold 6,145 shares of Terreno Realty stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.64, for a total transaction of $421,792.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 110,988 shares in the company, valued at $7,618,216.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 18,643 shares of company stock worth $1,277,581. 2.40% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Terreno Realty A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in TRNO. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Terreno Realty by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 39,394 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,469,000 after acquiring an additional 689 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of Terreno Realty by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 98,648 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $6,182,000 after acquiring an additional 6,102 shares during the period. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. raised its stake in shares of Terreno Realty by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 12,741 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $798,000 after acquiring an additional 380 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of Terreno Realty by 17.7% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 8,597 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $539,000 after acquiring an additional 1,294 shares during the period. Finally, Tandem Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Terreno Realty by 40.2% in the 4th quarter. Tandem Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 977,150 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $61,238,000 after acquiring an additional 280,109 shares during the period. Terreno Realty Company Profile (Get Free Report) Terreno Realty Corporation (Terreno, and together with its subsidiaries, the Company) acquires, owns and operates industrial real estate in six major coastal U.S. markets: Los Angeles, Northern New Jersey/New York City, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Miami, and Washington, DC All square feet, acres, occupancy and number of properties disclosed in these notes to the consolidated financial statements are unaudited. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Terreno Realty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Terreno Realty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Rogers Communications Inc. (NYSE:RCI Free Report) (TSE:RCI.B) by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 90,959 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock after purchasing an additional 7,103 shares during the quarter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in Rogers Communications were worth $3,363,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of RCI. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Rogers Communications by 37.7% during the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 7,969 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 2,182 shares during the last quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Rogers Communications during the 4th quarter valued at about $255,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its holdings in shares of Rogers Communications by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 1,274,064 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $59,935,000 after acquiring an additional 36,496 shares during the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Rogers Communications by 120.8% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 912 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 499 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Rogers Communications by 26.3% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 6,024 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $282,000 after acquiring an additional 1,253 shares during the last quarter. 45.49% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Rogers Communications alerts: Rogers Communications Price Performance Shares of RCI stock traded up $0.06 on Friday, reaching $39.54. The companys stock had a trading volume of 465,506 shares, compared to its average volume of 728,222. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $37.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.33. Rogers Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $35.55 and a 1 year high of $48.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.58. The company has a market capitalization of $20.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.68. Rogers Communications Cuts Dividend Rogers Communications ( NYSE:RCI Get Free Report ) (TSE:RCI.B) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The Wireless communications provider reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.33. Rogers Communications had a net margin of 4.28% and a return on equity of 23.15%. The firm had revenue of $5.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.14 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.76 earnings per share. Rogers Communicationss revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Rogers Communications Inc. will post 3.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, September 9th will be issued a $0.365 dividend. This represents a $1.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 9th. Rogers Communicationss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 180.00%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have recently weighed in on RCI. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a hold rating and issued a $57.00 price objective (down previously from $59.00) on shares of Rogers Communications in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut shares of Rogers Communications from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rogers Communications from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Rogers Communications currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $51.50. Get Our Latest Report on RCI About Rogers Communications (Free Report) Rogers Communications Inc operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The company offers mobile Internet access, wireless voice and enhanced voice, device financing, device protection, global voice and data roaming, wireless home phone, bridging landline, machine-to-machine and Internet of Things solutions, and advanced wireless solutions for businesses, as well as device shipping and express pickup services; and postpaid and prepaid services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Rogers Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rogers Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC lessened its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Free Report) by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 26,016 shares of the companys stock after selling 120 shares during the quarter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLCs holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,221,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee now owns 16,306 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,019,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 27.7% during the second quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 397 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.2% in the second quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. now owns 35,932 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,448,000 after acquiring an additional 1,767 shares during the period. Mcdonald Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the second quarter. Mcdonald Partners LLC now owns 16,065 shares of the companys stock worth $1,989,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, ERn Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% during the second quarter. ERn Financial LLC now owns 2,571 shares of the companys stock worth $318,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the companys stock. Get Merck & Co. Inc. alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. Barclays dropped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $142.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Wolfe Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Evercore ISI upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $132.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Argus upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and four have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $134.58. Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance NYSE:MRK traded up $0.36 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $113.67. The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,065,509 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,716,823. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $124.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $126.07. The company has a market capitalization of $287.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 125.62, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 0.99. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $99.14 and a twelve month high of $134.63. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.12. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 41.67% and a net margin of 21.99%. The company had revenue of $16.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.87 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned ($2.06) earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 8.04 EPS for the current fiscal year. Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a $0.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.71%. Merck & Co., Inc.s payout ratio is currently 342.22%. Merck & Co., Inc. Profile (Free Report) Merck & Co, Inc operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes under the Keytruda, Bridion, Adempas, Lagevrio, Belsomra, Simponi, and Januvia brands, as well as vaccine products consisting of preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines under the Gardasil/Gardasil 9, ProQuad, M-M-R II, Varivax, RotaTeq, Live Oral, Vaxneuvance, Pneumovax 23, and Vaqta names. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated their overweight rating on shares of National Grid (LON:NG Free Report) in a research report released on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have a GBX 1,200 ($15.32) price target on the stock. A number of other research firms have also weighed in on NG. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 1,330 ($16.98) price objective on shares of National Grid in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a GBX 1,125 ($14.36) target price on shares of National Grid in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Get National Grid alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on National Grid National Grid Stock Performance National Grid Increases Dividend LON:NG opened at GBX 982.20 ($12.54) on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of 48.03 billion, a PE ratio of 1,797.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.25. National Grid has a fifty-two week low of GBX 645 ($8.24) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 1,145.50 ($14.63). The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 161.24, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 929.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 999.03. The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 6th were given a GBX 39.12 ($0.50) dividend. This represents a yield of 3.47%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 6th. This is a boost from National Grids previous dividend of $19.40. National Grids dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10,363.64%. Insider Transactions at National Grid In related news, insider Andrew Agg acquired 18,915 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 945 ($12.07) per share, for a total transaction of 178,746.75 ($228,226.19). In other news, insider John Pettigrew sold 197,294 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 892 ($11.39), for a total value of 1,759,862.48 ($2,247,015.42). Also, insider Andrew Agg acquired 18,915 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 945 ($12.07) per share, with a total value of 178,746.75 ($228,226.19). Over the last quarter, insiders have purchased 19,235 shares of company stock worth $18,173,810. Company insiders own 0.16% of the companys stock. National Grid Company Profile (Get Free Report) National Grid plc transmits and distributes electricity and gas. It operates through UK Electricity Transmission, UK Electricity Distribution, UK Electricity System Operator, New England, New York, National Grid Ventures, and Other segments. The UK Electricity Transmission segment provides electricity transmission and construction work services in England and Wales. See Also Receive News & Ratings for National Grid Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Grid and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. OppFi Inc. (NYSE:OPFI Get Free Report) Director David Vennettilli sold 38,886 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.34, for a total value of $168,765.24. Following the transaction, the director now owns 94,497 shares in the company, valued at $410,116.98. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. OppFi Price Performance Shares of OPFI stock opened at $4.34 on Friday. OppFi Inc. has a 1-year low of $2.04 and a 1-year high of $5.34. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $3.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $3.26. The company has a market cap of $482.86 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.33 and a beta of 1.20. Get OppFi alerts: OppFi (NYSE:OPFI Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.12. OppFi had a return on equity of 25.16% and a net margin of 0.83%. The firm had revenue of $126.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $121.14 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.19 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that OppFi Inc. will post 0.6 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Trading of OppFi About OppFi A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in OppFi by 24.2% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 171,318 shares of the companys stock worth $581,000 after acquiring an additional 33,347 shares during the period. LB Partners LLC lifted its position in OppFi by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. LB Partners LLC now owns 920,970 shares of the companys stock worth $3,122,000 after acquiring an additional 11,948 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in OppFi by 120.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 36,690 shares of the companys stock worth $124,000 after acquiring an additional 20,048 shares during the period. Heron Bay Capital Management lifted its position in OppFi by 18.5% during the 1st quarter. Heron Bay Capital Management now owns 45,788 shares of the companys stock worth $114,000 after acquiring an additional 7,141 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in OppFi during the 1st quarter worth about $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 7.10% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) OppFi Inc operates a cialty finance platform that allows banks to offer credit access. Its platform facilitates the OppLoans, an installment loan product; SalaryTap, a payroll deduction secured installment loan product; and OppFi Card, a credit card product. OppFi Inc was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. See Also Receive News & Ratings for OppFi Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OppFi and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PCCW Limited (OTCMKTS:PCCWY Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $5.77 and last traded at $5.77, with a volume of 2412 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $5.21. PCCW Price Performance The firm has a 50 day moving average of $5.07 and a 200-day moving average of $5.14. Get PCCW alerts: PCCW Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be given a $0.1051 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. PCCW Company Profile PCCW Limited provides telecommunications and related services in Hong Kong, Mainland and other parts of China, Singapore, and internationally. The company's services include local telephony, local data and broadband, mobile, enterprise solutions, international telecommunications, and satellite-based and network-based telecommunications services; outsourcing, consulting, and contact center services; and technical consulting and engineering services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for PCCW Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PCCW and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple (NYSE:GRP.U Free Report) Equities research analysts at Desjardins lowered their Q3 2024 earnings estimates for shares of Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday, August 11th. Desjardins analyst K. Stanley now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $0.99 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.00. The consensus estimate for Granite Real Estate Inc. Staples current full-year earnings is $3.93 per share. Desjardins also issued estimates for Granite Real Estate Inc. Staples Q4 2024 earnings at $1.01 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $3.91 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $4.14 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $4.51 EPS. Get Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple alerts: Separately, StockNews.com raised Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple Stock Performance Shares of NYSE GRP.U opened at $52.45 on Wednesday. The firms 50-day moving average price is $51.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.73. Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple has a 52-week low of $45.35 and a 52-week high of $59.78. The company has a market cap of $3.29 billion, a PE ratio of 20.81 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 31st were given a dividend of $0.201 per share. This represents a $2.41 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.60%. This is an increase from Granite Real Estate Inc. Staples previous monthly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 31st. Granite Real Estate Inc. Staples dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.84%. Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple Company Profile (Get Free Report) Granite Real Estate Investment Trust is engaged in the ownership and management of predominantly industrial properties in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe. The Company owns and manages rental income properties. Its services include sourcing and real estate acquisition, site development, assisting with government approvals and re-zoning to specific uses, build-to-suit construction, property renovation, project management and long-term leasing. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Granite Real Estate Inc. Staple and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:RNR Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $240.00 and last traded at $239.21, with a volume of 8680 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $239.10. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Bank of America raised their price objective on RenaissanceRe from $334.00 to $347.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of RenaissanceRe from $251.00 to $248.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe from $257.00 to $240.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of RenaissanceRe from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on RenaissanceRe from $288.00 to $280.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $263.40. Get RenaissanceRe alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on RenaissanceRe RenaissanceRe Trading Up 0.2 % The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of $12.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.38. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $225.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $225.92. RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The insurance provider reported $12.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.88 by $1.53. RenaissanceRe had a net margin of 25.38% and a return on equity of 27.74%. The company had revenue of $2.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. will post 38.91 EPS for the current fiscal year. RenaissanceRe Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. RenaissanceRes payout ratio is 3.45%. Insider Activity In related news, EVP David E. Marra sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $230,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 85,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,675,120. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other RenaissanceRe news, CFO Robert Qutub sold 2,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.56, for a total transaction of $561,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 73,915 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,598,352.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David E. Marra sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $230,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 85,544 shares in the company, valued at $19,675,120. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of RenaissanceRe Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of RenaissanceRe during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in shares of RenaissanceRe during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in RenaissanceRe during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in RenaissanceRe in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in RenaissanceRe in the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.97% of the companys stock. RenaissanceRe Company Profile (Get Free Report) RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Property, and Casualty and Specialty segments. The Property segment writes property catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance and excess of loss reinsurance to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes, including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis, as well as winter storms, freezes, floods, fires, windstorms, tornadoes, explosions, and acts of terrorism; and other property class of products, such as proportional reinsurance, property per risk, property reinsurance, binding facilities, and regional U.S. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for RenaissanceRe Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RenaissanceRe and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (OTCMKTS:BKRKF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 167,600 shares, a drop of 14.8% from the July 15th total of 196,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 39,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.2 days. PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS:BKRKF traded down $0.02 on Friday, hitting $0.31. The companys stock had a trading volume of 6,961 shares, compared to its average volume of 93,989. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $0.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $0.32. PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia has a 1 year low of $0.24 and a 1 year high of $0.41. Get PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk alerts: About PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Get Free Report) Further Reading PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk provides various banking products and services in Indonesia and internationally. The company offers savings and current accounts; foreign currency, on call, and other deposits; mortgage, working capital, investment, franchise, and cash collateral loans, as well as supply chain financing and bank guarantees; and micro, small and medium, and program loans. Receive News & Ratings for PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC lessened its stake in General Electric (NYSE:GE Free Report) by 84.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,991 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 11,057 shares during the quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLCs holdings in General Electric were worth $317,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. USA Financial Formulas increased its position in General Electric by 24,042.9% during the 4th quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 10,140 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,294,000 after buying an additional 10,098 shares during the period. Grandfield & Dodd LLC grew its holdings in shares of General Electric by 9.3% during the 4th quarter. Grandfield & Dodd LLC now owns 269,783 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $34,432,000 after purchasing an additional 22,998 shares in the last quarter. Rathbones Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of General Electric by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 225,814 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $28,821,000 after purchasing an additional 5,997 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of General Electric by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,184,772 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $534,123,000 after purchasing an additional 318,245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of General Electric by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 88,444,222 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $11,288,136,000 after purchasing an additional 550,996 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.77% of the companys stock. Get General Electric alerts: General Electric Stock Down 0.1 % GE stock traded down $0.13 on Friday, reaching $169.81. 218,438 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,916,379. General Electric has a one year low of $84.42 and a one year high of $177.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The company has a market cap of $185.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $163.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $159.86. General Electric Dividend Announcement General Electric ( NYSE:GE Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.99 by $0.21. General Electric had a return on equity of 16.07% and a net margin of 7.66%. The company had revenue of $9.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.68 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that General Electric will post 4.15 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 11th were paid a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 11th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.66%. General Electrics dividend payout ratio is 36.72%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on General Electric from $190.00 to $211.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. UBS Group raised their price objective on General Electric from $201.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 1st. StockNews.com downgraded General Electric from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on General Electric from $148.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, May 13th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on General Electric from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $190.38. Get Our Latest Report on General Electric Insider Buying and Selling at General Electric In other news, SVP Russell Stokes sold 45,309 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.82, for a total value of $7,377,211.38. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 112,958 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,391,821.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.66% of the companys stock. General Electric Profile (Free Report) General Electric Company, doing business as GE Aerospace, designs and produces commercial and defense aircraft engines, integrated engine components, electric power, and mechanical aircraft systems. It also offers aftermarket services to support its products. The company operates in the United States, Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Premium Brands (TSE:PBH Free Report) had its price objective upped by TD Securities from C$125.00 to C$129.00 in a research report released on Monday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. TD Securities currently has a buy rating on the stock. A number of other research firms have also weighed in on PBH. Desjardins lifted their price objective on Premium Brands from C$105.00 to C$106.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Premium Brands from C$99.00 to C$101.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. Pi Financial restated a buy rating and set a C$112.00 target price on shares of Premium Brands in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. CIBC raised their target price on Premium Brands from C$97.00 to C$103.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. Finally, National Bankshares dropped their target price on Premium Brands from C$111.00 to C$101.00 in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$112.30. Get Premium Brands alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Premium Brands Premium Brands Stock Performance TSE PBH opened at C$87.15 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$91.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$90.31. The firm has a market capitalization of C$3.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.92, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.00. Premium Brands has a fifty-two week low of C$84.66 and a fifty-two week high of C$105.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 159.19, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 2.02. Premium Brands (TSE:PBH Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported C$1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$1.32 by C($0.04). The company had revenue of C$1.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$1.70 billion. Premium Brands had a net margin of 1.50% and a return on equity of 5.37%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Premium Brands will post 4.9137555 earnings per share for the current year. Premium Brands Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.90%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. Premium Brandss payout ratio is 159.62%. About Premium Brands (Get Free Report) Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes food products primarily in Canada and the United States. It operates in two segments, Specialty Foods and Premium Food Distribution. The company provides processed meat, deli products, meat snacks, beef jerky and halal, sandwiches, pastries, specialty and gourmet products, entrees, panini, wraps, subs, hamburgers, burgers, salads and kettle products, muffins, breads, pastas, pizza, and baking and sushi products. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Premium Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Premium Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TELUS International (Cda) Inc. (TSE:TIXT Get Free Report) insider TELUS Corporation purchased 200,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of C$4.75 per share, with a total value of C$950,240.00. TELUS Corporation also recently made the following trade(s): Get TELUS International (Cda) alerts: On Friday, August 9th, TELUS Corporation bought 416,400 shares of TELUS International (Cda) stock. The stock was bought at an average price of C$4.09 per share, with a total value of C$1,703,325.84. TELUS International (Cda) Stock Up 1.9 % TSE TIXT traded up C$0.09 during trading hours on Friday, hitting C$4.74. 464,441 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 231,070. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 80.53. The firm has a market cap of C$526.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.71 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a 50 day moving average of C$7.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$10.03. TELUS International has a 52-week low of C$3.90 and a 52-week high of C$15.56. About TELUS International (Cda) TELUS International (Cda) Inc design, builds, and delivers digital solutions for customer experience (CX) in the Asia-Pacific, the Central America, Europe, Africa, North America, and internationally. The company provides digital experience solutions, such as AI and bots, omnichannel CX, enterprise mobility solutions, cloud contact center, big data analytics, platform transformation, and UX/UI design; and customer experience solutions, including work anywhere/work from home, contact center outsourcing, technical support, sales growth and customer retention, healthcare/patient experience, and debt collection. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for TELUS International (Cda) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS International (Cda) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Tesco (OTCMKTS:TSCDY Free Report) to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Tuesday, Zacks.com reports. Tesco Stock Performance Shares of TSCDY stock opened at $13.38 on Tuesday. Tesco has a 12-month low of $9.33 and a 12-month high of $13.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.68. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $12.31 and a 200-day moving average of $11.60. Get Tesco alerts: About Tesco (Get Free Report) Featured Articles Tesco PLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a grocery retailer in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. It offers grocery products through its stores, as well as online. The company is also involved in the food and drink wholesaling activities. Receive News & Ratings for Tesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BWS Financial restated their buy rating on shares of Texas Pacific Land (NYSE:TPL Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $917.00 target price on the financial services providers stock. BWS Financial also issued estimates for Texas Pacific Lands Q3 2024 earnings at $5.35 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $4.84 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $20.14 EPS. Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Texas Pacific Land from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. Get Texas Pacific Land alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on TPL Texas Pacific Land Stock Performance TPL opened at $828.66 on Monday. Texas Pacific Land has a 1 year low of $467.62 and a 1 year high of $854.66. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $778.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $634.99. The company has a market cap of $19.05 billion, a PE ratio of 44.05 and a beta of 1.63. Texas Pacific Land (NYSE:TPL Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $4.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.36 by ($0.38). Texas Pacific Land had a net margin of 66.71% and a return on equity of 41.29%. The firm had revenue of $172.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $182.35 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.35 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Texas Pacific Land will post 21.2 earnings per share for the current year. Texas Pacific Land Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a dividend of $1.17 per share. This represents a $4.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. Texas Pacific Lands dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 24.88%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Texas Pacific Land Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Texas Pacific Land by 204.2% during the 1st quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 1,010 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $584,000 after buying an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. lifted its stake in Texas Pacific Land by 229.3% during the first quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 15,054 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $8,709,000 after purchasing an additional 10,483 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its stake in Texas Pacific Land by 220.7% during the first quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 4,137 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,393,000 after purchasing an additional 2,847 shares during the last quarter. Sandbox Financial Partners LLC lifted its stake in Texas Pacific Land by 175.4% during the first quarter. Sandbox Financial Partners LLC now owns 2,181 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,262,000 after purchasing an additional 1,389 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in Texas Pacific Land by 174.6% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 11,757 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,802,000 after purchasing an additional 7,476 shares during the last quarter. 59.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Texas Pacific Land Company Profile (Get Free Report) Texas Pacific Land Corporation engages in the land and resource management, and water services and operations businesses. The company owns a 1/128th nonparticipating perpetual oil and gas royalty interest (NPRI) under approximately 85,000 acres of land; a 1/16th NPRI under approximately 371,000 acres of land; and approximately 4,000 additional net royalty acres, total of approximately 195,000 NRA located in the western part of Texas. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Texas Pacific Land Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Texas Pacific Land and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Renewables Infrastructure Group (LON:TRIG Free Report) had its price objective lowered by Royal Bank of Canada from GBX 135 ($1.72) to GBX 130 ($1.66) in a report published on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock. The Renewables Infrastructure Group Stock Down 0.1 % TRIG opened at GBX 100.40 ($1.28) on Tuesday. The Renewables Infrastructure Group has a 52-week low of GBX 93.30 ($1.19) and a 52-week high of GBX 117.20 ($1.50). The company has a market cap of 2.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 454.55 and a beta of 0.21. The firms 50-day moving average price is GBX 98.89 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 99.92. Get The Renewables Infrastructure Group alerts: The Renewables Infrastructure Group Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of GBX 1.87 ($0.02) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.87%. About The Renewables Infrastructure Group The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited specializes in infrastructure investments. The fund typically invests in operational assets which generate electricity from renewable sources, with a particular focus on onshore wind farms and solar photovoltaic parks. It seeks to invest in United Kingdom and Northern European countries including France, Ireland, Germany and Scandinavia. Read More Receive News & Ratings for The Renewables Infrastructure Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Renewables Infrastructure Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE:AMH Get Free Report) had its price target increased by UBS Group from $37.00 to $40.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. UBS Groups target price indicates a potential upside of 4.99% from the stocks previous close. A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of American Homes 4 Rent from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, August 10th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on American Homes 4 Rent from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of American Homes 4 Rent from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of American Homes 4 Rent from $43.00 to $42.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of American Homes 4 Rent from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, June 17th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $40.21. Get American Homes 4 Rent alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AMH American Homes 4 Rent Stock Performance Shares of AMH traded down $0.32 on Friday, reaching $38.10. 173,979 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,736,299. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $36.64 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.13. The stock has a market cap of $13.96 billion, a PE ratio of 38.91, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.74. American Homes 4 Rent has a 52-week low of $31.36 and a 52-week high of $38.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE:AMH Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.43 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $423.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $422.46 million. American Homes 4 Rent had a net margin of 21.83% and a return on equity of 4.91%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that American Homes 4 Rent will post 1.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Homes 4 Rent Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in American Homes 4 Rent in the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Homes 4 Rent in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Homes 4 Rent during the 2nd quarter valued at $44,000. Capital Analysts LLC raised its position in American Homes 4 Rent by 58.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 1,436 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 528 shares during the period. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in American Homes 4 Rent in the 2nd quarter worth $54,000. 91.87% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About American Homes 4 Rent (Get Free Report) AMH (NYSE: AMH) is a leading large-scale integrated owner, operator and developer of single-family rental homes. We're an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on acquiring, developing, renovating, leasing and managing homes as rental properties. Our goal is to simplify the experience of leasing a home and deliver peace of mind to households across the country. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for American Homes 4 Rent Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Homes 4 Rent and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC trimmed its position in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG Free Report) by 25.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 50,511 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 17,485 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in Republic Services were worth $9,816,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in RSG. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Republic Services during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new position in Republic Services during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Bogart Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Republic Services in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in Republic Services by 3,014.3% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 218 shares of the business services providers stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new stake in shares of Republic Services during the 2nd quarter valued at $45,000. 57.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Republic Services alerts: Insider Activity In other news, Director Katharine Weymouth purchased 540 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $185.26 per share, with a total value of $100,040.40. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $100,040.40. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In RSG has been the subject of several recent research reports. CIBC increased their price objective on Republic Services from $196.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. UBS Group raised their price target on Republic Services from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Republic Services from $208.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $211.00 to $213.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Republic Services from $215.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Republic Services has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $211.00. Get Our Latest Report on Republic Services Republic Services Stock Performance Republic Services stock traded up $0.43 on Friday, reaching $203.31. 61,576 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,211,023. The stock has a market cap of $64.03 billion, a PE ratio of 35.60, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.69. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $195.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $188.88. Republic Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $140.23 and a twelve month high of $206.54. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Republic Services (NYSE:RSG Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.08. Republic Services had a return on equity of 17.81% and a net margin of 12.11%. The firm had revenue of $4.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Republic Services, Inc. will post 6.18 EPS for the current year. Republic Services Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.58 per share. This is an increase from Republic Servicess previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 2nd. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.14%. Republic Servicess payout ratio is presently 40.70%. Republic Services Profile (Free Report) Republic Services, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers environmental services in the United States and Canada. It is involved in the collection and processing of recyclable, solid waste, and industrial waste materials; transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous waste streams; and other environmental solutions. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Republic Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Republic Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC cut its position in Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN Free Report) by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 252,007 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 17,393 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in Lennar were worth $37,768,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in LEN. Seed Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Lennar by 11.6% in the 2nd quarter. Seed Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,750 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $562,000 after acquiring an additional 390 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its stake in Lennar by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,882 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $432,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Lennar by 12.5% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 226,926 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $34,009,000 after buying an additional 25,282 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lennar by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 4,870 shares of the construction companys stock worth $730,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Foguth Wealth Management LLC. raised its stake in Lennar by 45.6% in the 2nd quarter. Foguth Wealth Management LLC. now owns 1,813 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $272,000 after acquiring an additional 568 shares during the period. 81.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Lennar alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Lennar from $157.00 to $154.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Raymond James lowered shares of Lennar from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Argus raised their price objective on shares of Lennar from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, June 27th. StockNews.com downgraded Lennar from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a market outperform rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Lennar in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lennar presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $169.13. Insider Activity at Lennar In related news, VP Mark Sustana sold 9,176 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.88, for a total transaction of $1,512,938.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 16,768 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,764,707.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 9.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Lennar Price Performance LEN traded up $1.49 on Thursday, hitting $170.61. 1,217,871 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,138,378. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 4.93 and a quick ratio of 0.91. Lennar Co. has a 12 month low of $102.90 and a 12 month high of $182.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.60, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.60. The business has a 50-day moving average of $160.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $158.93. Lennar (NYSE:LEN Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, June 17th. The construction company reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.20 by $0.18. Lennar had a net margin of 11.58% and a return on equity of 15.93%. The business had revenue of $8.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.57 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that Lennar Co. will post 14.16 EPS for the current fiscal year. Lennar Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Investors of record on Friday, July 5th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 5th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.17%. Lennars dividend payout ratio is currently 13.60%. Lennar Profile (Free Report) Lennar Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a homebuilder primarily under the Lennar brand in the United States. It operates through Homebuilding East, Homebuilding Central, Homebuilding Texas, Homebuilding West, Financial Services, Multifamily, and Lennar Other segments. The company's homebuilding operations include the construction and sale of single-family attached and detached homes, as well as the purchase, development, and sale of residential land; and development, construction, and management of multifamily rental properties. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LEN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Lennar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG Free Report) by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,686 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,465 shares during the quarter. Procter & Gamble accounts for about 1.8% of Whitener Capital Management Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Whitener Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $5,885,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in PG. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,956,117,000. TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 114.9% during the 1st quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 3,568,671 shares of the companys stock worth $579,017,000 after acquiring an additional 1,907,716 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 1st quarter worth approximately $233,788,000. Ilex Capital Partners UK LLP bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the 1st quarter worth approximately $228,212,000. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 17.1% during the 4th quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 9,492,039 shares of the companys stock worth $1,390,963,000 after acquiring an additional 1,387,539 shares during the last quarter. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Procter & Gamble alerts: Insider Activity at Procter & Gamble In related news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 72,174 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.01, for a total transaction of $12,342,475.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 263,158 shares in the company, valued at $45,002,649.58. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Procter & Gamble news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 72,174 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.01, for a total transaction of $12,342,475.74. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 263,158 shares of the companys stock, valued at $45,002,649.58. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Sundar G. Raman sold 31,924 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.95, for a total transaction of $5,329,711.80. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,042 shares in the company, valued at $3,179,061.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 116,313 shares of company stock worth $19,703,643. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $174.00 to $163.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $171.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $157.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a buy rating and a $189.00 price target on the stock. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Procter & Gamble has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $173.95. Read Our Latest Stock Report on PG Procter & Gamble Stock Up 0.1 % Shares of NYSE PG traded up $0.21 during trading on Friday, hitting $168.13. The stock had a trading volume of 2,452,924 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,654,110. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 12 month low of $141.45 and a 12 month high of $171.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The company has a market capitalization of $396.81 billion, a PE ratio of 27.37, a PEG ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.41. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $166.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $163.13. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $20.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.69 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 17.71% and a return on equity of 33.46%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.37 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.97 EPS for the current fiscal year. Procter & Gamble Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, July 19th were given a dividend of $1.0065 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 19th. This represents a $4.03 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.39%. Procter & Gambles payout ratio is currently 65.69%. Procter & Gamble Company Profile (Free Report) The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Procter & Gamble Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Procter & Gamble and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WidePoint (NYSEAMERICAN:WYY Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The technology company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by $0.03, Zacks reports. WidePoint had a negative return on equity of 24.70% and a negative net margin of 3.26%. The company had revenue of $36.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $29.64 million. WidePoint Stock Performance Shares of WidePoint stock traded up $0.40 during trading on Thursday, reaching $3.93. The companys stock had a trading volume of 91,199 shares, compared to its average volume of 79,641. WidePoint has a 52 week low of $1.60 and a 52 week high of $4.55. The stock has a market cap of $36.59 million, a PE ratio of -9.36 and a beta of 1.69. Get WidePoint alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts have weighed in on WYY shares. Litchfield Hills Research upgraded WidePoint to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of WidePoint in a research report on Sunday, June 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. About WidePoint (Get Free Report) WidePoint Corporation provides technology management as a service (TMaaS) to the government and business enterprises in North America and Europe. It offers TMaaS solutions through a secure federal government certified proprietary portal and secure enterprise portal that provides ability to manage, analyze, and protect communications assets, as well as deploys identity management solutions that provides secured virtual and physical access to restricted environments. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for WidePoint Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WidePoint and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM Get Free Report)s stock price was down 2.9% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $136.60 and last traded at $136.90. Approximately 228,833 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 1,983,711 shares. The stock had previously closed at $141.03. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have issued reports on WSM shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. TD Cowen lowered their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $340.00 to $170.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $137.50 to $155.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 4th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group cut their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $340.00 to $170.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $134.10. Get Williams-Sonoma alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on WSM Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 2.7 % The stock has a 50 day moving average of $147.78 and a 200 day moving average of $140.17. The company has a market capitalization of $17.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.75. Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 22nd. The specialty retailer reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.65. The company had revenue of $1.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 54.50% and a net margin of 13.83%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 7.24 EPS for the current fiscal year. Williams-Sonoma Cuts Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 19th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 19th. Williams-Sonomas dividend payout ratio is currently 27.99%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, EVP David Randolph King sold 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.93, for a total transaction of $2,878,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 101,024 shares in the company, valued at $14,539,879.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, insider Monica Bhargava sold 17,862 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.14, for a total transaction of $2,663,938.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Randolph King sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.93, for a total value of $2,878,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 101,024 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,539,879.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 77,862 shares of company stock worth $11,800,439. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Williams-Sonoma A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WSM. MCF Advisors LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Quest Partners LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 520.0% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 93 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter worth $32,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Williams-Sonoma Company Profile (Get Free Report) Williams-Sonoma, Inc operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Williams-Sonoma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Williams-Sonoma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Xylem (NYSE:XYL Free Report) in a report published on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $165.00 target price on the industrial products companys stock. XYL has been the topic of several other research reports. TD Cowen raised their price target on Xylem from $135.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 6th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Xylem from $170.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Xylem from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Xylem from $147.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, May 31st. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on Xylem from $110.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $147.54. Get Xylem alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on Xylem Xylem Price Performance Xylem stock opened at $133.19 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $32.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $135.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $132.12. Xylem has a 1 year low of $87.59 and a 1 year high of $146.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.33. Xylem (NYSE:XYL Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $2.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.14 billion. Xylem had a return on equity of 9.48% and a net margin of 9.11%. Xylems quarterly revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.98 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Xylem will post 4.25 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling at Xylem In other news, SVP Rodney Aulick sold 21,800 shares of Xylem stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.01, for a total transaction of $3,030,418.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 76,287 shares in the company, valued at $10,604,655.87. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, CAO Geri-Michelle Mcshane sold 2,278 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.63, for a total value of $315,799.14. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,536 shares in the company, valued at $490,195.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Rodney Aulick sold 21,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.01, for a total transaction of $3,030,418.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 76,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,604,655.87. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Xylem Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Xylem by 68.8% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 189 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its stake in shares of Xylem by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 2,317 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $299,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Xylem by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 1,486 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $202,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Waycross Investment Management Co boosted its stake in shares of Xylem by 1.8% in the second quarter. Waycross Investment Management Co now owns 4,895 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $664,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bleakley Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Xylem by 2.3% during the first quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 4,042 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $522,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. 87.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Xylem Company Profile (Get Free Report) Xylem Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and servicing of engineered products and solutions worldwide. It operates through four segments: Water Infrastructure, Applied Water, Measurement & Control Solutions, and Integrated Solutions and Services. The Water Infrastructure segment offers products, including water, storm water, and wastewater pumps; controls and systems; filtration, disinfection, and biological treatment equipment; and mobile dewatering equipment and rental services under the ADI, Flygt, Godwin, Sanitaire, Magneto, Neptune Benson, Ionpure, Leopold, Wedeco, and Xylem Vue brands. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Xylem Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Xylem and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK Follow us on: DU Admissions 2024: Delhi University first allocation list for CSAS to be released today @admission.uod.ac.in Kareena Kapoor Khan shares throwback pic to wish hubby Saif Ali Khan on his birthday, writes: Parthenon 2007 - Parthenon 2024, who would have thought Follow us on: Why National Award for Aattam and Justice Hema committee reports release are silver lining in our dark times OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Nithya Menen wins Best Actress for Thiruchitrambalam at 70th National Film Awards OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Rishab Shetty wins Best Actor Award for Kantara at 70th National Film Awards 2024 Follow us on: Who is Jasveen Sangha? Meet the Ketamine Queen charged in Matthew Perrys overdose case Working with Vikram has been an unforgettable journey and an experience I will cherish forever," exclaims Malavika Mohanan on the release of her film, Thangalaan (Tamil). Yash congratulates Rishab Shetty as Kantara and KGF win big at the National Awards, says, "This is indeed Kannada cinema's shining moment" Follow us on: Monkeypox symptoms: Dos and don'ts if you are diagnosed with this viral disease BRAND CONNECT *Disclaimer - Brand Connect is a solution that allows brands to break the queue to gain better engagement among our audiences Follow us on: 6 out of 10 travellers complain of paying more as airlines resort to deceptive online practices Jinit Parmar is a correspondent based out of Mumbai covering the banking sector, fintechs, NBFCs, insurance and more, tweets @jinitparmar10 OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Mphasis appoints of Aravind Viswanathan as CFO, Manish Dugar steps down OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Vedanta-backed Sterlite Tech's shares fall 1.5% after US court slaps $96-mn penalty in trade secrets case Follow us on: How did the people react to the PMs Independence Day address? 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OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Kolkata doctor rape-murder: IMA announces nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors on August 17 OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All JNK India shares hit 5% upper circuit on major PSU order win, stock up 18% since April listing Harshita Tyagi is a budding journalist on a mission to prove that financial markets and geopolitics can be as entertaining as your favorite TV show Follow us on: Technical View: Bulls may gain more strength if Nifty climbs above 24,700, Bank Nifty sees double bottom reversal formation Just 10 stocks: Thats what DSP Mutual Funds new fund thinks will win the race. Should you invest? A Moneycontrol review OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Tower InvIT Data Infra Trust to raise Rs 6,600 cr from Brookfield, GIC, British Columbia for ATC deal OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All 'Absolute failure of state machinery': Calcutta HC blasts Mamata govt over vandalism at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Acquitted ex-Bihar MLA Anant Singh demands CBI probe against ASP for 'framing' him Follow us on: Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus speaks to PM Modi, assures him of 'safety, security of Hindus' August 16, 2024 / 22:05 IST Vinesh Phogat on Saturday said that under "different circumstances" she could see herself competing till 2032 because she still has a lot of wrestling left in her but is now unsure about her future as things "might never be same again". Vinesh had announced her retirement from the sport after her disqualification from the women's 50kg final for being overweight by 100gms. She had challenged the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but her appeal was dismissed. In an emotional post on social media, Vinesh shared her childhood dream, the hardships she faced after losing her father and also put on record the contribution made by people in her extraordinary journey that ended in heartbreak in Paris. OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Explained: Why Karnataka govt has cut ties with SBI, PNB 'I'm not interested...': Ajit Pawar hints at opting out of Maharashtra polls, son Jay likely to be Baramati's face Follow us on: Jammu and Kashmir Elections 2024: Bandh era to Naya Kashmir how BJP flipped the Article 370 narrative in 5 years OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Karnataka Govt mandates red-yellow ID card lanyards for employees to commemorate 50 years of state's renaming *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Scientists from around the world were urged to collaborate across borders and disciplines to tackle climate change through technological innovation on Thursday, China's second National Ecology Day, as a green low-carbon conference opened in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. The Green Low-Carbon Development Initiative, released at the 2024 Green Low-Carbon Innovation Conference, called on scientists to transcend borders and disciplinary boundaries in order to enhance openness, exchanges and cooperation. It also urged them to leverage high-level scientific research and technological innovation to save the planet and to build a more united, green and prosperous world. Xue Lan, dean of Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University and an executive committee member of the World Federation of Scientific Workers, emphasized the importance of scientific collaboration. "I believe that cooperation among scientists is easy because we share common aspirations and interests in understanding each other's research and learning from each other," he said. "However, this is not enough. We must also promote collaboration among academia, enterprises and governments." Xue said it was like a triangle, with the three sides academia, enterprises and government needing to strengthen cooperation within and between countries to extend scientific collaboration into the fields of production and application, which was the only way to achieve shared emission reduction goals. China's Top 10 Science and Technology Innovations in Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality from last year were unveiled at the conference. They included key technologies and applications for carbon dioxide capture and utilization, and the development of a carbon source and sink monitoring and verification support system. "These achievements will further inspire scientists across the nation to contribute more wisdom to advancing the green low-carbon transition," Gao Xiang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of the Zhejiang University of Technology, said at the conference's opening ceremony. "They will also promote the integration of research institutions and industries, connecting innovation chains with industrial and knowledge chains to foster the growth of green industries." Wang Zhe, deputy director of the Institute for Carbon Neutrality at Tsinghua University and a professor in the university's Department of Energy and Power Engineering, said the government's support of the conference had greatly facilitated technological exchange, allowing scholars to gain broader insights that could help new concepts emerge. OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All MP Lahar Singh Siroya questions Karnataka Governments decision to close accounts with SBI and PNB OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Mpox's 1st cases outside Africa trigger alarm; WHO sounds emergency: What's next? Follow us on: Nita Ambani commends Vantara as a beacon of hope for wildlife at India House event in Paris Follow us on: Odisha becomes third state to implement one-day paid menstrual leave for working women ULFA(I) plants bombs across Assam, none go off. Now it's asking people to find & defuse them Follow us on: Who is Nalin Prabhat, new Special DG of J&K Police, appointed amid rising terror attacks? OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All PM economic advisor Sanjeev Sanyals clapback at V-Dem Institute over Sweden's new migration rule Bhartendu Kumar Singh is in the Indian Defence Accounts Service. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. Shishir Tripathi is a journalist and researcher based in Delhi. He has worked with The Indian Express, Firstpost, Governance Now, and Indic Collective. He writes on Law, Governance and Politics. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. Santosh Paul is Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India. He is the author of Choosing Hammurabi: Debates on Judicial Appointments (LexisNexis), Appointing our Judges: Forging Independence and Accountability (LexisNexis) and The Maoist Movement in India: Perspectives and Counter Perspectives (Routledge). Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Follow us on: NASA hails citizen scientists for spotting object speeding out of Milky Way at 1 mn miles an hour Follow us on: NASA tests new laser communication technology that could let us watch Live streams from Moon This paan called 'Fragrance of Love', priced at Rs 1 lakh, is a wedding night specialty. It comes with... Follow us on: US girl, 12, dies after parents opt for smoothies & vitamins over medicines to treat injuries Follow us on: As talks continue, Biden says Gaza truce deal 'closer' than ever OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Bangladesh student protesters plan new party to cement their revolution Follow us on: Gaza ceasefire talks to resume for 2nd day in Qatar as Hamas skips meet OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Hamas rejects 'new conditions' in proposed Gaza deal, say officials Follow us on: 'I thought I would get lipstick' - Why Pakistan is seeing disturbing trend of 'monsoon brides' Follow us on: 'I will say Kamala's name...': Nancy Mace faces netizens' ire for mispronouncing VP Harris Follow us on: Kamala Harris set to unveil agenda for US economy in major policy address OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Mpox outbreak: As strain spreads, China orders strict monitoring of arrivals of people, goods OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Pakistan confirms first case of mpox virus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day A total of five people have now been charged in relation to the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry. The Friends actor tragically died at the age of 54 last October after taking the drug ketamine and drowning in his hot tub. A police investigation was subsequently launched to determine how Perry obtained the drugs that contributed to his death and authorities in California have now started making arrests. Federal officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Los Angeles announced that three of the defendants, including a doctor and the actor's assistant, are in plea agreements for federal drug charges in connection with Perry's death. The three include Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who admitted in court documents to administering the ketamine on the day that Perry died; Dr Mark Chavez, a licensed medical doctor who admitted in court documents to selling ketamine to Plasencia; and Eric Fleming, who admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, the DOJ said. "These defendants took advantage of Mr Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves," US Attorney Martin Estrada said during a press briefing. The lead defendants in the case are Jasveen Sangha, allegedly known as 'The Ketamine Queen', and Dr Salvador Plasencia, a licensed medical doctor known as Dr P. Plasencia allegedly worked with Chavez to obtain ketamine and, with Iwamasa, to distribute that ketamine to Perry. Over two months, they distributed approximately 20 viles of ketamine to Perry in exchange for $55,000 in cash, Estrada said. "Plasencia saw this as an opportunity to profit off of Mr Perry," Estrada said, noting that the doctor allegedly wrote in text messages, "I wonder how much this moron will pay," and that he wanted to be the actor's "go-to for drugs". The vials cost the doctors $12 but they were selling them for $2,000 to Perry, authorities said. Perry died on 28 October 2023 at the age of 54. He was discovered unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home. An autopsy report revealed he died from the acute effects of ketamine. Cover Media Senator Marie Alvarado Gil View Photo Sacramento, CA A rape bill authored by Mother Lode State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil to protect victims has cleared a major hurdle. Today, the California State Assembly Appropriations Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 268, which will close a loophole in current law that allows certain rapists to receive preferential treatment in sentencing and early release proceedings. Senator Alvarado-Gil has noted that she is a victim of sexual assault, and the bill has received widespread support from legislators and victims rights groups on all sides of the political spectrum. I sincerely appreciate the bipartisan, positive vote of the members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee today, said Senator Alvarado-Gil. This is not a victory for me, it is a victory for her, for him, and for all the victims of rape who are served half portions of justice by the current system. No rape is less serious than the other. No rape is more acceptable than another. And no law should tell a victim that what happened to them is not as significant as what happened to someone else. Today, we took a huge step away from that, and I couldnt be more pleased. Senate Bill 268 classifies the rape of an intoxicated person as a violent felony. By reclassifying it as such, criminals whose victims are intoxicated would be eligible for sentencing enhancements and ineligible for early release. The bill now moves to the Assembly Floor for a full vote in that house. As reported earlier, this week Alvarado-Gil announced she was moving to the Republican Party. Shortly afterward, she was stripped of all her committee assignments by Democratic Party leaders and voiced concern about retaliation that could include not passing several of her bills. Missing person - Beth Watson View Photo Tuolumne County, CA The search for missing Tuolumne County resident 64-year-old Beth Watson is over, as she and her dog have been found safe by rescuers, and they are actively working on a plan to rescue her due to the rough terrain. Tuolumne County Sheriff David Vasquez confirmed to Clarke Broadcasting that the pair were found around 5:15 p.m. near Lyons Reservoir. Sheriffs spokesperson Ashely Boujikian says the white German Shepherd was found first, tired and thirsty. Rescuers were then diverted to that area. Watson was found in a steep and brush-filled area. Boujikian recounts the emotions when Watson was located, stating, She was found alive and it just brought a huge sense of relief to everyone out here and at the command post. There were a lot of smiles, like even some tears, as everyone was so happy and relieved. As earlier reported here, Watson went missing on Tuesday, August 13, when she was last seen that morning while walking her dog near the reservoir. Boujikian adds that crews are actively working on a plan to rescue her, possibly using a helicopter due to the rough terrain. Over 80 personnel from more than 15 agencies throughout the state were assisting with the search. No further information regarding her condition has been released. Boujikian says further updates will be provided as new information arises. Gweru: A 37-year-old Gweru resident, Takunda Manjokota, has been arraigned before the Gweru Magistrate Courts on charges of theft of trust property and practicing law without registration. He is accused of impersonating a lawyer and embezzling US$15 000 from a woman seeking a divorce. Manjokota, from Senga suburb, appeared before Gweru Magistrate Mr Anorld Maburo on Monday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was remanded out of custody until next Wednesday. The court heard that Manjokota, who is not a registered legal practitioner, convinced Ms Lindiwe Moyo of Daylesford to engage him to handle her divorce case. He allegedly claimed to be a registered lawyer and offered his services to Ms Moyo. The Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) confirmed that Manjokota is not a registered legal practitioner, further highlighting the gravity of his actions. According to the prosecution, Manjokota approached Ms Moyo in January 2023, claiming that he was now a registered lawyer and could assist her in her divorce proceedings. On a date unknown to the prosecutor but during the month of January 2023 and at Nkwande Legal Practitioners offices, Gweru, Takunda Manjokota, not being a registered legal practitioner, notary public or conveyancer and in expectation of a fee, commission, gain or reward in any way, assisted Lindiwe Moyo to process or defend divorce proceedings at the Bulawayo High Court case number HC582/10, said Mr Maburo, outlining the charges against Manjokota. Manjokota allegedly convinced Ms Moyo to pay him US$1 500 (10 percent) for his services after he obtained US$15 000 equivalent in Zimbabwean dollars, for a divorce settlement from her estranged husband, businessman Mr Mthonzima Moyo. The accused allegedly did not give Ms Moyo the money but instead converted it to his own use. When confronted about the missing funds, Manjokota initially claimed to have transferred the money back to Mr Moyos account. However, he later changed his story, claiming he had used the money to pay for one Mrs Purazis estate. Ms Moyo, suspicious of Manjokotas actions, reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News By Lambert Strether of Corrente Patient readers, its been a very long week in the real world and Im tired. So, this Water Cooler isnt exactly an Open Thread, but it is short. And now Im going to find a cool breeze and shut my eyes. Talk amongst yourselves! lambert lambert Bird Song of the Day I looked for another species of songbird that mimics, and came up with the Thrasher. Brown Thrasher, Otsego, Michigan, United States. Plus insect sounds! * * * In Case You Might Miss * * * Politics So many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital. Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles * * * 2024 Less than one hundred days to go! Fridays RCP Poll Averages: There is no good news here for Trump. The deterioration in both Pennsylvania and Georgia is especially marked. Remember, however, that all the fluctuations in fact, all the leads are within the margin of error. So the joy is based on, well, vibes. How Harris Has Completely Upended the Presidential Race, in 14 Maps [New York Times]. We are now back to the same electoral map that we had before Mr. Bidens summertime polling collapse: Once again, the winner in November will come down to the seven battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. 270toWin agrees with the magnitude of the shift, although they leave out North Carolina: Harris has opened up a second path to victory, according to The Posts polling model [WaPo]. Our modeling shows that Harris has two paths to possible success: the Rust Belt states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and the Sun Belt states of Georgia, Arizona and Nevada as well as North Carolina (she could win in either region and still claim the White House). Meanwhile, Trump must win both the Rust Belt and Sun Belt to triumph. Hmm. * * * The Campaign Trail: Kamala: Kamala (D): Kamalas lying again: Trump: I never got credit for COVID (Over a million Americans died and he told us to inject bleach) pic.twitter.com/vww2MtJurW Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 14, 2024 First, Trump is not lying. The vaccines that Biden mandated were all developed by Trumps Operation Warp Speed. Second, of the million that died, most died on Bidens watch. Third, inject bleach is a lie (on a par with the lie about Vance and his couch). Again, Democrats seem to prefer to lie. Even when they dont have to. Its weird. Trump: Trump (R): Trump Gambles on Outside Groups to Finance Voter Outreach Efforts [New York Times]. The Republican campaign for president is quietly being remade by new federal guidelines that empower big-money groups and threaten to undermine party control well beyond the 2024 election. Former President Donald J. Trumps team has enlisted some of these groups to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to knock on hundreds of thousands of doors across the country saving the campaign significant money in the process. But the Trump campaign is making a serious gamble in doing so, betting that these outside groups, which they do not directly control, can carry out their marching orders without accountability. Senior Republican Party officials fear that the decision and the Trump campaigns efforts will lead to the party losing considerable control over get-out-the-vote operations, much as they have in the world of television advertising, where the scripts and strategies are often crafted by super PACs with their own ambitions and ideas. Another imponderable.. Syndemics I am in earnest I will not equivocate I will not excuse I will not retreat a single inch AND I WILL BE HEARD. William Lloyd Garrison * * * Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot ; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); Iowa COVID-19 Tracker (in IA, but national data). Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts (especially on hospitalization by city). Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put COVID in the subject line. Thank you! Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur dAlene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard) ; NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard) ; PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV ( wastewater ); WY ( wastewater ). Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada). Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usees); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater). Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). Stay safe out there! * * * Origins Debate Pentagon still funneling money to suspended EcoHealth Alliance, unable to access potential gain-of-function research data abroad [New York Post]. The Pentagon is still funneling money to the suspended grantee EcoHealth Alliance and is unable to fully access data on gain-of-function research it may be funding overseas including in China, according to a letter exclusively obtained by The Post. Leaving aside gain-of-function, EcoHealth is an obvious NGO cesspit of dodgy accounting and sleazy contracting, as Vanity Fair showed in exhaustive detail back in 2022. Its hard to see why they would have any ongoing contracts. Policy The World Is Not Ready for the Next Pandemic [Michael T. Osterholm and Mark Olshaker, Foreign Affairs]. The deck: Governments Need to Invest Far More in New and Better Vaccines. From the text: Officials should make no mistake: there will be more influenza and coronavirus pandemics, and any one of them could prove far more catastrophic than the COVID-19 pandemic. Whenever it occurs, it will almost certainly be a virus, primarily transmitted from person to person via the airborne route, a virus with wings, meaning the viral particles can be suspended in the air for long periods and distances. When such an outbreak transpires, rapid global transmission will happen before anyone realizes the world is in the earliest days of a years-long pandemic. Governments cannot wait to prepare until a virus is already spreading around the world. As the last five years have shown, even a moderately deadly disease can have enormous health, economic, social, and political consequences. And yet, no mention of non-pharmaceutical interventions at all even though blocking the airborne route through ventilation and masking is the only way to, as it were, clip the wings of the virus before it spreads, whether the virus be Covid, H5N1, MonkeyPox, or even SmallPox. (Incidentally, re: When such an outbreak transpires, the word transpires derives from the Latin spirare, to breathe. Its like the return of the repressed #CovidIsAirborne.) * * * TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts Lambert here: Worth noting that national Emergency Room admissions are as high as they were in the first wave, in 2020. Wastewater This week[1] CDC August 5: Last Week[2] CDC July 22 (until next week): Variants [3] CDC August 3 Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC August 3 Hospitalization New York[5] New York State, data August 13: National [6] CDC July 20: Positivity National[7] Walgreens August 13: Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic August 3: Travelers Data Positivity[9] CDC July 22: Variants[10] CDC July 22: Deaths Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11]CDC July 27: Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12]CDC July 27: LEGEND 1) for charts new today; all others are not updated. 2) For a full-size/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and open image in new tab. NOTES [1] (CDC) This weeks wastewater map, with hot spots annotated. Keeps spreading. [2] (CDC) Last weeks wastewater map. [3] (CDC Variants) KP.* very popular. [4] (ER) Worth noting Emergency Department use is now on a par with the first wave, in 2020. [5] (Hospitalization: NY) Going down. Doesnt need to be a permanent thing, of course. (The New York city area has form; in 2020, as the home of two international airports (JFK and EWR) it was an important entry point for the virus into the country (and from thence up the Hudson River valley, as the rich sought to escape, and then around the country through air travel.) [6] (Hospitalization: CDC). The visualization suppresses what is, in percentage terms, a significant increase. [7] (Walgreens) Fiddling and diddling. [8] (Cleveland) Jumping. [9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up. Those sh*theads at CDC have changed the chart so that it doesnt even run back to 1/21/23, as it used to, but now starts 1/1/24. Theres also no way to adjust the time range. CDC really doesnt want you to be able to take a historical view of the pandemic, or compare one surge to another. In an any case, thats why the shape of the curve has changed. [10] (Travelers: Variants) Its rumored that theres a new variant in China, XDV.1, but its not showing up here. [11] Deaths low, but positivity up. [12] Deaths low, ED up. Stats Watch Housing: United States Housing Starts [Trading Economics]. Housing starts in the United States fell by 6.8% from the previous month to an annualized rate of 1.238 million in July of 2024, the sharpest decline since March to the lowest level since 2020, and contrasting with the downwardly revised 1.1% increase in the previous month. * * * Tech: Fortnite Maker Epic Games Challenges Apples Dominance With New iOS App Store [Wired]. Epic Games today officially launched a rival app store for iOS in the European Union, marking the first time Apples own App Store has had to face a serious rival. The Epic Games Store will initially offer Epics games, including Fortnite, for users to download onto their iPhones, with plans to start onboarding third-party developers games beginning in December. Epic says its app store will take a maximum 12 percent commission on sales, undercutting Apples App Store, where fees can reach up to 30 percent Epic is making use of a new EU regulation known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which forces tech giants to make changes to give rivals more access to their closely guarded communities of users. In Apples case, that means the company has to allow alternative app stores onto European devices. Tech: Elon Musks financial woes at X have Tesla bulls fearing he will liquidate more stock [Fortune]. Musks repeated outbursts against advertisers have dried up the main source of revenue for the loss-making company formerly known as Twitter. A recent decision to sue them for heeding his own advice to not buy ads on the platform hasnt helped. At some point, he will have to provide a fresh infusion of cash to salvage his $44 billion takeover. And that might mean Musk sells Tesla stock to raise the moneyhurting anyone who holds the carmakers shares. I would be expecting something between $1 and $2 billion in stock, said Bradford Ferguson, president and chief investment officer of asset manager Halter Ferguson Financial, in comments posted to YouTube on Wednesday. This alone could cause the stock to lose between 5% and 10% of its value. Its a massive hole they need to plug.' * * * Todays Fear & Greed Index: 36 Fear (previous close: 32 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 23 (Extreme Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Aug 16 at 1:13:54 PM ET. Poetry Nook POETS Day! Useful Lines and a Favorite from Pound [Ordinary Times]. I use a line overuse, my children might say from Yeats whenever the opportunity pops up; O saddest harp in all the world. Its a good line to deploy when a child gives you But, I did my best! when even without bending down you can see piles of Legos pushed under the bed in a supposedly picked up room. POETS = Piss Off Early, Tomorrows Saturday. Which I seem to have done! News of the Wired Cleaning up the aging brain: Scientists restore brains trash disposal system [Science News]. No, this isnt about electoral politics. Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and other neurological disorders can be seen as dirty brain diseases, where the brain struggles to clear out harmful waste. Aging is a key risk factor because, as we grow older, our brains ability to remove toxic buildup slows down. However, new research in mice demonstrates that its possible to reverse age-related effects and restore the brains waste-clearing process. This research shows that restoring cervical lymph vessel function can substantially rescue the slower removal of waste from the brain associated with age, said Douglas Kelley, PhD, a professor of Mechanical Engineering in the University of Rochester Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Moreover, this was accomplished with a drug already being used clinically, offering a potential treatment strategy.' Science is popping! Private, Secure and Uncensorable Messaging Over a LoRa Mesh [unsigned.io]. The deck: Or: How to set up a completely private, independent and encrypted communication system in half an hour, using stuff you can buy for under $100. It looks like I might have install firmware on hardware I buy to get this Reticulum stack to work. Still, periodically, Ive muttered about how I would like to send data over (say) radio, and not over the Internet, away from the Censorship Industrial Complex. Perhaps some networking maven can comment. * * * Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From CC: CC writers: Butterfly for Water Cooler. Been a few of them pictured lately so I thought I would contribute one to the cause, taken lately. * * * Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lamberts, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated: If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you! Conventions are normally hum-drum affairs, with all the charm of a Jerry Lewis telethon. The Democrats hope to extend the Kamala honeymoon by having a festive, well-publicized, and problem-free event. The recent big wave of anti-Israel-genocide protests and possible anti-immigration demonstrations are looming threats. If either happens on any scale, its all too easy to make comparisons to Chicago 1968. That also means the incentives for the dominant Democratic-party friendly media to minimize any effective political action will be strong. That means good odds of under-reporting on any embarrassing scuffles or ambushing of officials or participants. It also means the protests will be held up to artificially high standards for result. This post is intended to raise some questions as opposed to deliver answers. Activists in our readership and those familiar with theory and practice of protest and social change are encouraged to speak up. Sadly, the group with the most expertise in using protests and other means of effecting change is the CIA. That would also suggest that they could readily devise the playbook as to how to undermine their usual moves. Have any readers come across scholarly or good journalistic work seeking to reverse engineer the CIA color revolution manual? Or does it involve too many hard to replicate measures, like finding promising young people and getting them indoctrinated educated in the US? Many readers decry the idea of violent or even merely inconvenience-creating actions. Frederick Douglass disagrees: Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress How do we think about whether protests work? The officialdom and media have done a very good job of persuading the great unwashed public that organized resistance is ineffective. And in many senses that is correct because it takes so long to move the Overton Window and effect change. From a 2010 post: Its astonishing to see how Americans have been conditioned to think that political action and engagement is futile. Im old enough to have witnessed the reverse, how activism in the 1960s produced significant advances in civil rights blacks and women, and eventually led the US to exit the Vietnam War. Im reminded of this sense of despair almost daily in the comments section. Whenever possible action steps come up, virtually without fail, quite a few will argue that there is no point in making an effort, that we as individuals are powerless. I dont buy that as a stance, particularly because trained passivity is a great, low cost way to hobble people who have been wronged. I mistakenly relegated an article by Johann Hari in the Independent on this topic to Links, and Richard Klines commentary on it made me realize it deserved its own post, so I am remedying that error now. As Kline observed: The nut of the matter is this: you lose, you lose, you lose, you lose, they give up. As someone who has protested, and studied the process, its plain that one spends most of ones time begin defeated. Thats painful, humiliating, and intimidating. One cant expect typically, as in a battle, to get a clean shot at a clear win. What you do with protest is just what Hari discusses, you change the context, and that change moves the goalposts on your opponent, grounds out the current in their machine. The nonviolent resistance in Hungary in the 1860s (yes, thats in the 19th century) is an excellent example. Communist rule in Russia and its dependencies didnt fail because protestors won but because most simply withdrew their cooperation to the point it suffocated. So lets return to the headline issue. How do you benchmark particular protests or protest programs? Please do not point out the obvious, that this question seems to contradict the notion right above, that protest does not result in fast, easy, or even much visible wins, but slowly grinds away at the legitimacy and foundations of support for the behavior being targeted. Yet one of the ways to tamp down demonstrations and other forms of opposition is to subject them to performance tests or expected results that movement members never had. For instance, its common to criticize Occupy Wall Street for not achieving anything, even though its members never promised that. The fact that it is still remembered even though the original occupation in New York City lasted all of two months until it was cleared as part of a 17-city paramilitary crackdown shows its very existence in representing the 99% v. the 1% (that was their meme and it has endured) shows it did have an impact, and was perceived as a threat. The press regularly insisted that Occupy serve up leaders and present demands, which it never did. Its cumbersome collective decision-making process was an impediment to action, but was arguably a good vehicle for what in the 1960s was called consciousness-raising. Or consider Black Lives Matter. It was starting to get traction, witness even some Congresscritters taking up the poorly-formulated and therefore discrediting demand to defund the police. But by that point, it had already been infiltrated by Democrats, with actual or pliable potential leaders bought off with various paid opportunities. Lambert can fill in vastly more detail, but even yours truly noticed that the co-opting process started around when Black Lives Matter started organizing die-ins, which got high levels of white and Hispanic participation. More recently, Ive had readers and contacts depict the late spring wave of US campus protests as ineffective because they saved no Palestinian lives. But even though this is the ultimate aim (and sadly looks unlikely to be achieved absent an escalation of Axis of Resistance action, which as we all know risks all sorts of collateral consequences), they had specific demands, such as that school endowments divest holdings in Israel-related ventures (which frankly have to be miniscule) and supporting the BDS movement. Even though the tangible impact on these fronts seems marginal at best, as far as I can tell, an effect of the protests was to greatly increase the medias willingness to use the word genocide. It also exposed the power of Zionist billionaires in stomping on the schools and threatening to ruin the careers of student protestors. There is no reason to think these protests wont continue when the school year resumes, and so the soft costs of backing Israel will continue to increase. These examples underscore the difference in timescales, that for most reform campaigns, progress is so slow and hard to discern that its easy to dismiss them as unproductive. And thats before getting to subversion or simply trying to crush them out of existence, as we saw with the recent wave of campus anti-Israel genocide uprisings. So the expected anti-genocide and anti-immigration protests at the Democratic Convention are vanishingly unlikely to produce a strategic win, absent a horrible miscalculation by the police that turns participants into martyrs. What type of tactical gains could they achieve? This is a partial list: Increasing morale among their sympathizers, perhaps at the margin increase participation and other support Get media attention. Donald Trump has shown that there is no such thing as bad press Show that they have power, by virtue of numbers or cleverness of tactics undermining the Kamala party. This might be more consequential than it appears. The Democrats hope to keep the gasm going through elections. Effective protests, even if way below Chicago 68 levels of disruption, could undermine the party efforts to project a Kamala win as inevitable The venues, United Center and McCormick Place, are already being cordoned off, so demonstrations at the site. beyond stragglers somehow getting close enough to make a fuss and being quickly removed, is na ga happen. . So what about outside? Again this is not my area, but the recent protestor blockage of the 405, a major highway in Los Angeles, suggests that strangling transportation arteries is not hard and has high payoff, at least in terms of getting attention. Chicago has a major point of vulnerability: the Kennedy Expressway, which goes from downtown Chicago to OHare airport. It is also a major commuter road. There is a good public train from the airport to downtown, but it is highly unlikely to have the capacity to replace the expressway if protestors were to stop traffic for any length of time. Ive had cabs take the streets rather than the expressway at peak traffic times. Few knew how to do that, and the route is a bit convoluted. Of course, with GPS, knowledge is no barrier, but those side streets would presumably get choked pretty quickly too. McCormick Place is isolated, meaning it is already a logistical hassle for convention participants to get there from their hotels. A convention is like a fashion show; one big point is to show foot soldiers a good time. So the use of McCormick Place undermines that at the margin. McCormick Place is also near a big highway, and former Chicagoans tell me they think it would not be hard to block that and chock traffic around that convention center. Having said all that, ironically the test here is likely not old-school effective action, which depended on scale to show the protestors had mass or at least considerable numbers, but the ability to generate video vignettes that could and do go viral and succeed in amplifying protestor positions. But well see soon enough if Team Dem has successfully pre-positioned its anti-agitator measures, or whether the demonstrators manage to dent the plan to have a glossy, friction-free event. Yves here. Even though this post looks at the question of what to do about the baby bust in wealthy countries from an economic perspective, unlike many other accounts, it treats seriously the question of how to adapt to a static or falling population. It suggests investing heavily in citizens to make them more productive, particularly focusing on education. It also recommends improving health care and allowing for more flexible work arrangements for the aged, and of course includes the usual trope of better child care. Its noteworthy how many of these policies are at odds with the default behavior under neoliberalism, particularly turning schooling and medical care into looting opportunities. By David Bloom, Michael Kuhn, and Klaus Prettner. Originally published at VoxEU< Fertility rates have been declining in high-income countries for decades. This trend, along with increasing human longevity, poses a challenge for advanced economies. This column argues that a holistic set of policies can be implemented to address the economic risks. These policies should stimulate human capital accumulation and education, which are more important than population size for economic prosperity. Furthermore, polices should promote healthy aging and more choice over retirement decisions, and family-friendly policies to slow the fall in fertility should be enacted. Fertility rates have been declining in high-income countries for decades. From 1960 to 2023, the total fertility rate (TFR, which represents the expected lifetime number of children per woman, given current age-specific fertility rates) among OECD countries fell by more than half from 3.29 children per woman to 1.54 (United Nations 2024a). All but one of the 38 OECD countries (Israel being the exception) currently have a TFR well below the long-run replacement rate of roughly 2.1, meaning that their total and working-age populations are on long-term contractionary paths (see Table 1). Table 1 Total fertility rates (TFRs) of OECD countries and the world in 1960, 2023, and 2050 Source: United Nations (2024a); see also United Nations (2024b) for a description of the TFR estimation and (medium scenario) projection methods. In The End of Economic Growth? Unintended Consequences of a Declining Population, Charles Jones argues that the profound implications of low fertility include a growing paucity of new ideas that could effectively asphyxiate innovation and lead to long-run economic stagnation (Jones 2022). He points out that multiple economic growth models centre on innovation and that a larger population with larger absolute numbers of researchers, scientists, and inventorsand therefore, more bites at the (breakthrough) appleis likely to achieve more (and more significant) discoveries. Jones proposes a model in which negative population growth leads to an Empty Planet scenario (Bricker and Ibbitson 2019) wherein knowledge and living standards stagnate for a population that gradually vanishes. Jones juxtaposes this outcome against one of continued population growth and improvements in living standards that he calls the Expanding Cosmos (Jones 2022). Can the quality of people substitute for the quantity of people in the production of ideas? Jones ponders in a Stanford Graduate School of Business piece. Basically, the answers no. If the number of people is shrinking to zero, its hard to imagine that one person with lots of education can make up for a billion people that contain Einstein and Edison and Jennifer Doudna (Gilson 2022). While Jones allows that automation and artificial intelligence could help maintain or improve living standards by propagating scientific advances, the central question of his pieces title sounds an ominous note for declining fertility (Jones 2022). In our recent paper (Bloom et al. 2024), we review data and ideas pertaining to the historically unprecedented fertility decline that characterises todays wealthy industrial countries. We acknowledge that falling fertility could hinder innovation. But we argue that changes in behaviour, technology, policy, and institutions can influence the economic impacts of fertility and workforce decline and fertility levels themselves. Innovation is indisputably a driver of economic progress, but it depends on more than just population size. Human capital the skills and capacities that are embodied in people and enhance their ability to create valuable goods and services is also key to innovation. Another basic feature of human capital is that it can be purposively accumulated, typically through investments in schooling, job training, or health. Education, for example, is a well-established determinant of macroeconomic performance and economic well-being. It also tends to expand naturally under conditions of low fertility, leveraging wider and deeper investments into the knowledge and skills of small-sized cohorts. In this way, low fertility tends to enhance a populations capacity for innovation and enables it to create more value through work, spurring both individual and societal well-being (Lee and Mason 2010, Prettner et al. 2013). Other things equal, small birth cohorts also aid population health. History and rigorous research indicate that a populations productive characteristics figure more prominently than its size in defining its capacity for knowledge creation and innovation. The number of healthy and well-educated people which is distinct from the number of people represents the human capital that rightly features in the knowledge production function as a fundamental determinant of technological progress and economic growth. Oded Galors recent book, The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality, buttresses our more optimistic perspective on the implications of low fertility for economic growth. This book centres on the argument that falling fertility and rising education (and subsequent technological progress) leading to human capital formation is at the core of long-term increases in economic prosperity (Galor 2022). Indeed, Galor points out that since the 19th century, life expectancy has doubled and per capita incomes have skyrocketed 14-fold across the globe, spurred by fertility decline that alleviated population pressure, paving the way for human capital accumulation and dramatic improvements in living standards. Low and declining fertility also translates into short- and medium-term declines in youth dependency rates, which can further charge the economic growth process by naturally boosting rates of labour force participation, savings, and capital accumulation. This boost, which is known as a demographic dividend (Bloom et al. 2003), contributed up to 23 percentage points to the growth rates of income per capita in many countries following the end of the baby boom that occurred in the aftermath of WWII. As such, the trend of falling fertility in high-income countries from the 1950s to the present day has promoted not impeded economic activity and improved standards of living. The challenge of low fertility is magnified by the fact that it causes older-age population shares to swell. Population aging may naturally hamper economic activity insofar as older people impose significant burdens associated with public expenditures on health and long-term care and economic security and tend to work less than their younger counterparts. Social and economic adaptations to these demographic realities are nevertheless possible. Retirement policy reforms are one of those adaptations (Kuhn and Prettner 2023). Such reforms have considerable potential to forestall workforce shrinkage by removing the disincentives to working longer that increasingly long-lived people face. This strategy is emblematic of how policies related to declining fertility may be stronger in unison than in isolation: robust investments in the health and education of a relatively small youth and prime-age adult cohort may enable that cohort as it reaches the older ages to be healthy and well-trained enough to work productively past traditional retirement ages. In the middle of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing, a frequently asked question remains relevant: are we just adding years to life, or are we also adding life to years (Bloom 2019)? Coupled with allowing more choice over retirement decisions, policies promoting healthy aging could relieve the mounting pressure on pension and health systems and the accelerating demand for long-term care in the wake of population aging (Bloom 2022). Thus, stakeholders would benefit from combining synergistic policy initiatives to augment their efficacy. Public and private policymakers also have at their disposal a myriad of family-friendly policies that can slow or reverse the fall in fertility. These policies, which seek to balance work and family responsibilities, include tax breaks for larger families, extended parental leave policies, andmost effective of all, according to Doepke et al. (2023)public and/or subsidised childcare. Of course, if such policies achieve their aims, the short- and medium-term result would be an increase in the youth dependency ratio, with gains in workforce size not beginning to accrue for approximately 20 years. Policy decisions must be mindful of the evolving work landscape, particularly the rise of digitalisation, robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (see Prettner and Bloom 2020). While these tools offer tantalising potential, such evolution will not only impact the types of jobs available and how they are performed (as well as what is produced and consumed), but it will also affect the way that workers interact socially, which will likely have significant implications for dating and partnering, with an as-yet indeterminate effect on fertility levels and patterns. Thoughtful policy changes should be holistic, recognising the social and political repercussions alongside the economic outcomes. Policies that relax or restrict international migration may be nationally or internationally destabilising, depending on contextual factors, and have implications for social and economic equity. In addition, the environmental implications of low fertility must be kept in view as it could slow or accelerate the pace of climate change depending on whether fewer people with higher incomes have the net effect of easing or intensifying greenhouse gas emissions. Low fertility and fertility decline are indisputable realities in high-income countries across the globe. Given the significant uncertainty surrounding the nature and magnitude of its attendant economic consequences, ignoring the low-fertility alarm bell would be imprudent, particularly when fertility decline is paired with another dominant demographic trend: increasing human longevity. But demography is not destiny. Fertility declineand its implications for population size and structureposes serious challenges, but they are not insurmountable. Humanity has an admirable record of identifying and taking advantage of the opportunities it faces. In this situation, multiple mechanisms are available for countering low fertility and addressing its economic repercussions. The time is ripe for mounting a swift and integrated response to pinpoint and implement the most promising policy countermeasures. See original post for references Stonehenges enigmatic centre stone was hauled 800 kilometres from Scotland Nature 40 Years Of Summer Solstice At Stonehenge: From Anarchy To State Repression To Managed Open Access Eurasia Review Rolling stones (excerpt) Times Literary Supplement. The deck: Was Stonehenge a great communitarian project? The IRA and the challenge of remaking Americas economy FT The world will lose $4.7 trillion of revenue in the next decade to tax havens. How did we get here? The Business Standard. Commentary: For pharma at least, the data is clear: it didn't. A lot of folks, including a lot of folks in the financial sector, think the Trump corporate tax reform ended the incentive to "offshore" profits. Climate We should have better answers by now: climate scientists baffled by unexpected pace of heating Guardian Physicists Pinpoint the Quantum Origin of the Greenhouse Effect Quanta. The deck: Carbon dioxides powerful heat-trapping effect has been traced to a quirk of its quantum structure. The finding may explain climate change better than any computer model. Scottish isles may solve mystery of Snowball Earth BBC * * * Feasibility of peak temperature targets in light of institutional constraints Nature. From the Discussion: A robust insight from this work, however, is that focusing on cost effectiveness without consideration of institutional feasibility and regional differentiation leads to important biases in benchmark scenarios. Revealed: Growing data centre demand cancelling out green energy progress Business Post * * * The world laughs at Britains heatwaves they really shouldnt Independent Dont underestimate the cost of the green transition Gillian Tett, FT America Has a Hot-Steel Problem The Atlantic Candace Owens urges Christian podcasters and politicians to condemn Israeli abuse of Palestinian detainees Political commentator Candace Owens has urged Christian podcasters and politicians to condemn Israeli torture, rape and sodomizing of Palestinian detainees in the belief that she is "going to be waiting a very long time" for this to happen. Owens referred to July reports detailing the severe abuse suffered by Palestinian detainees. One report described a detainee admitted to the hospital with a ruptured bowel, severe anal injury, lung damage and broken ribs. Another report in Hebrew from an Israeli broadcaster described torturers inserting a telephone device into the victim's rectum along with "additional accessories" and calling it. (Related: IDF soldier accused of raping a Palestinian prisoner says interrogators "applauded us.") In the Aug. 1 episode of her podcast, Owens pointed out that these Palestinian detainees are "people that have not been arrested or tried or gone through the court system." They are just held presumably for questioning. She continued: "How does that make you feel? For me, it lets me know that there is a level which can be reached where some people decide, I'm no longer going to abandon my humanity. I'm no longer going to see this as whether or not this is an Israeli or a Palestinian. I'm just going to say that wrong is wrong. "I don't care what religion you practice. I don't care what race you are. I don't care what your ethnicity is. It is wrong for people that are being detained to be raped, to be sodomized. And that is exactly what is happening. "So I'm just wondering, where's the Christian crowd? It's a problem for me when I look up and I see people who I know are wonderful people, who I know love the Lord, who will argue pro-life all day but will stop themselves if the matter pertains to Israel. "We have so much national sovereignty that you have people who have platforms, people that are earning millions of dollars per year, who refuse to condemn something as morally outrageous as sodomizing people who have not even had charges brought against them. They can't do it, because theyre cowards. I'm not for that anymore, because I want to be a real Christian. I don't want to be a fake Christian." Owens challenged her fellow Christian politicians and podcasters to prioritize their faith and humanity over political and financial considerations. "It is a sin to have that perspective, to be fearful of bad headlines," she said. "And it makes me call into question, do you really believe in Christianity? Do you really submit yourself to Christ? If all you care about is the moment now, the money, the good headlines, if all you care about is the job and the career, then it sounds to me like all you believe in is this life," she said. Owens lauds Israeli podcaster for speaking out against Israeli abuses During the podcast, Owens cited Jewish Zionist podcaster Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, who recently spoke out against these abuses on July 29, as an example. Ben-Ephraim posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "I feel stupid and ashamed. In May, an expose came out on CNN detailing the abuses in Sde Taiman. Then, the [New York Times] released their own article on it. Both were backed up with Israeli sources, crossed with Palestinian ones." "I dismissed them because my government sources and Israeli media denied them," Ben-Ephraim continued. "My whole life I was told that the international media was out to get Israel. That they were all antisemites. But today, I realized how much I was lied to. By my country. By my friends. By my media. Today, many of the people I talked to who denied these allegations admitted they were true." Ben-Ephraim continued by noting that the worst thing to him about this whole ordeal is that it is unlikely to change the hearts of many Israelis, least of all those in the Defense Forces and in the government, since news of the abuse only came out due to pressure from international actors like the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. "Worst of all, many of the people in this facility were innocent. Rounded up by accident. But there was no real verification process before they were subjected to this hell on earth," he concluded. "This can't go on." Follow IsraelCollapse.com for more stories like this. Watch the video below about demonstrators in Belfast removing Israeli products from shelves in protest of the continuing genocide in Gaza. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Amazon, Microsoft and Google are supporting Israels genocide in Gaza through their cloud services. Only a failing US empire would be so blind as to cheer Netanyahu and his genocide. Responsible for a genocide: Jewish-American groups reject Netanyahu visit to U.S. GENOCIDE JOE: White House supported Israel despite knowing they were indiscriminately bombing civilians in Gaza. Genocide case against Israel gets underway at International Court of Justice. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com Amnesty.org Brighteon.com DOCTORING DEMOCRACY: Democrats infiltrating healthcare systems with QR code voting initiatives that target vulnerable people most likely to vote Blue For years, the Democratic Party has strong-armed its way into the medical field, using coercive tactics to manipulate patients into agreeing with their left-wing ideals. Over the past four years, the lefts totalitarian political agenda was felt across the medical system, with unlawful and insidious medical mandates engulfing doctors offices, emergency rooms and intensive care units. Democrats managed to purge the most competent healthcare professionals from hospitals across the United States because these nurses and doctors did not follow the vaccine-mask-testing mandates and treatment restrictions that were put in place by Democrat elites. Now these same monstrous, totalitarian Democrats are erecting voting initiatives inside the medical system to push patients into complying with the Democrats sordid political agendas. Democrat Party elite are manipulating healthcare systems, coercing patients to vote Blue Vot-ER, a nonprofit organization, is spearheading an effort to integrate voter registration into medical settings, utilizing physicians to encourage certain patient demographics to register and vote. This approach, described by Democrats as a means of empowering patients, has drawn criticism for its political bias and its impact on the healthcare system. At the core of Vot-ER's approach is a system that outfits physicians with badges that feature QR codes. When patients scan these codes with their smartphones, they are directed to a website where they can register to vote. According to Vot-ER, this integration of voting into healthcare is intended to act as a form of "therapeutic treatment," which "enhances patient empowerment and recovery." For example, Dr. Julie Graziane from the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute asserts that voter registration serves as a therapeutic tool and is integral to the recovery process. Vot-ERs founder, Dr. Alister Martin, suggested to a patient that voting was the only way to address air pollution, a remark that reflects the organizations belief in voting as a solution to solve various societal issues. The patient is then manipulated to believe that Democrats are the only ones who will address air pollution, even though the partys current environmental plan centers around climate change hysteria, and doesnt address any real pollutants. Despite its claims of non-partisanship, Vot-ER's connections to left-leaning politics are evident. In fact, this whole system is funded by Democratic Party donors. Dr. Martin, for instance, is a known donor to Democratic causes and has served as an adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris. The organizations leadership includes figures like Aliya Bhatia, who is a donor to Democratic politicians including Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. Another big donor, Leah Ford, previously received recognition from Planned Parenthood and identifies with gender pronouns. The infiltration of medical offices with forms that require preferred gender pronouns is another way that the Democratic Party asserts itself as inclusive and manipulates patients into accepting delusional Democratic ideals. Vot-ERs funding sources also raise serious questions about the future of left-wing politics infiltrating healthcare and abusing vulnerable patients. Doctors are subconsciously trained to get patients to vote for issues that, allegedly, only Democrats care about. Vot-ER is backed by dark money groups and progressive foundations such as the Tides Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and George Soros Open Society Foundations. These affiliations suggest a significant financial and ideological alignment with progressive causes, vaccine mandates and other forms of ideological and physical oppression marketed as science. Vot-ER system targets patients who are more likely to succumb to Democratic Party lies Vot-ERs tools have been adopted in a wide range of medical settings, including emergency rooms, psychiatric hospitals and substance abuse clinics, spanning approximately 89,000 patients. The application process for institutions to use Vot-ERs tools involves questions about the patient demographics they serve and their commitment to diversity and inclusion, including their commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community. This criterion ensures that Vot-ERs resources are utilized in environments that align with its target voter groups. The organization specifically targets minorities, with a notable focus on clinics serving predominantly Black, Hispanic, LGBTQIA+ and younger populations under age 24. The goal is to make these demographics feel left behind by Republicans and conservatives, while motivating them to scan the QR code and go vote Blue. In these situations, Democrat operatives promise to be the savior of pandemics and climate change, while painting the Republicans as not caring about any health-related matters. By focusing on demographics that lean heavily Democratic, this system remains biased, deceptive and in breach of medical ethics. Pushing left-wing politics and political bias into patient care, especially on patients who may not be mentally or physically stable, is a predatory act against a patient's conscience. These politically-biased schemes should be legislated against and eliminated from healthcare. Sources include: TheGoldReport.com X.com Fitch downgrades Israels credit rating amid prolonged Gaza conflict Credit rating agency Fitch downgraded Israel's credit rating from "A+" down to "A" on Monday, Aug. 12, citing ongoing challenges related to the country's military conflict. Fitch also maintained a negative outlook on Israels future credit rating, suggesting that further downgrades could occur if the situation deteriorates. The downgrade reflects the significant impact of the protracted war with Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 39,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Fitch noted that the continuation of the conflict, along with elevated geopolitical risks and military operations across multiple fronts, contributed to this decision. The agency projects a budget deficit of 7.8 percent of Israel's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2024, which is expected to be driven by increased military spending and decreased economic activity. Fitchs negative outlook is further influenced by recent regional tensions. These include the deadly attack in Majdal Shams on July 27, which resulted in the deaths of 12 children, and Israel's recent actions such as the assassinations of a high-ranking Hezbollah military leader in Beirut, Lebanon, and the suspected Israeli assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran. These events have heightened regional instability and contributed to Fitchs concerns about the conflict's potential to expand. The agency warned that the ongoing conflict in Gaza could extend into 2025 and may even broaden to other regions. This scenario could lead to increased military expenditures, further infrastructure damage and continued strain on economic activity and investment in Israel all of which would only serve to exacerbate the country's fiscal challenges. Fitch does anticipate that the budget deficit may narrow to 4.6 percent of GDP in 2025 if military spending decreases and revenue growth improves. However, this projection is contingent on the immediate resolution of the conflict. If the war persists, the deficit could remain elevated or even worsen. Israel's debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to rise to 70 percent in 2024 and 72 percent in 2025, surpassing the previous peak of 71 percent during the pandemic. This increase in debt could continue if military spending remains high and macroeconomic uncertainties persist. In response to Fitchs decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office emphasized the resilience of the Israeli economy, attributing the downgrade to the extraordinary circumstances of a multi-front war that Israel is currently facing. Netanyahus office expressed confidence that the rating would improve once the conflict is resolved favorably for Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich characterized the downgrade as a predictable outcome given the ongoing war and reassured that the Israeli economy remains robust. He highlighted that Israel is engaged in its longest and most expensive war to date, which has been ongoing for nearly a year. Finance Ministry Accountant General Yali Rothenberg stressed the importance of drafting a 2025 state budget that focuses on rebuilding fiscal reserves and gradually reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio. Smotrich pledged that the government would develop a responsible budget that balances the needs of the war effort with maintaining fiscal discipline and supporting economic growth. Economic crisis in Israel being exacerbated by ongoing conflict Economists are warning of a potential deep economic crisis in Israel, exacerbated by the ongoing war with Hamas, extensive IDF mobilization, strained international relations, high public expenditure, and concerns about democratic governance. Despite these warnings, key economic indicators show mixed results. (Related: COUNTRY IN COLLAPSE: 46,000 Israeli businesses have shut down since October 7.) The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has rebounded to levels higher than before the war, with the Tel Aviv 35 index closing at 1,984.9 points on Sunday, up about 8% from pre-war levels. The shekels exchange rate is stable, with the American dollar at NIS 3.75 and the euro at around NIS 4.04. Unemployment rates, though higher than before the war, have not reached crisis levels. The limited unemployment rate was 3 percent in May, and the expanded rate peaked at 10.4 percent in October but has since decreased to around five percent by April. Overall, while challenges remain, the situation is better than during the early months of the conflict. Watch this short video showing how Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich's extremism is aiding Israel's collapse. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Israeli tourism industry in collapse as 10% of the countrys hotels at risk of shutting down. Intel HALTS construction of $25B computer chip plant in Israel due to lack of supplies stemming from Red Sea blockade. Israel's DEBT has doubled to nearly $43 billion since declaring war on Gaza. Israel faces cascading DEBT COLLAPSE as Jewish state hit with credit rating downgrade. Sources include: MiddleEastEye.net TimesOfIsrael.com Brighteon.com How Leftists define HATE SPEECH and MISINFORMATION so it can be used for Communist-style aggression against conservatives who buck the narrative Hate speech is defined by the Left as any form of expression intended to humiliate, vilify or incite hatred against a group or class of persons based on their skin color, gender identity, ethnicity, religion and so forth. The concept of hate speech has unlimited meanings, and thats what makes regulating it so dangerous. In fact, it functions mainly as a communication limitation weapon It doesnt matter if you say it, write it or act it out (think comedy), the Leftist government and big media, working in tandem with most of social media, are the final judges who can simply claim what you expressed was discriminatory, biased, bigoted, intolerant, pejorative, contemptuous, violent and even terroristic. AI is even trained now to recognize pictures and memes that call out fake news, fake politicians and fake pandemics. Misinformation is defined by the mass media (fake news) industrial complex as incorrect or misleading information that can exist with or without malicious intent. The Left has decided THEY will determine whether or not what you speak about or post online is inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, false, half-truth, disinformation or wait for it a violation of community guidelines (think Fakebook here). Should you oppose this administration, there WILL be consequences, and you will be targeted for spreading hate speech and misinformation. Period. Then theres so-called fact checking. This is all done by the Left also and is used as a weapon to ensure that the false narratives of the Left are believed, carried out without resistance and can dispel any truths that expose fake news for what it is, by labeling it all through their own fact-checking shills as misinformation or disinformation. For example, recently, if you typed into Google the words Biden and senile, you would be shown several videos of Biden speaking perfectly clearly. Advances in technology, including algorithms, AI (artificial intelligence) and humans who work to improve AI (make it worse by making it better at perpetuating propaganda) have made it easier for the Left to convince their base of all the BIGGEST LIES and scams, including gender fluidity, climate change, money and resources spent on foreign wars, the plandemic and of course, vaccines. The Communist Duo of Harris and Walz will finish the Marxist conversion of Amerika and put the nails in the coffin of our Constitution Now, the communist duo of Harris and Walz, should they 'win' in November, will make sure there is NO other kind of news or truth information ever again about their narratives, except what they script and allow. Anyone who bucks the system will be ARRESTED and JAILED for crimes of hate speech and misinformation. Many will be labeled as domestic terrorists who are anti-science and anti-humanity. Communism, when completely installed, keeps any and every citizen from ever criticizing the government, the narratives of mass media, the demands of the CDC and the plan for more chaos, loss of human rights and the permanent dismantling of the Constitution. Everything having to do with stopping radical Marxism from being installed will be labeled hate speech and misinformation. Freedom of press and freedom of speech will be decimated. Exterminated. Dead. Thought crimes are also coming into play (think Minority Report here). Many of the January 6th participants never even went to the Capital or inside the building, they just spoke about it or considered protesting by posting online. These folks were also visited by the FBI, some arrested and some charged with terrorism and other fake insurgency crimes. It's all about censoring the Right and anyone who exposes the insidious rule by the Left. Have no doubt, once Communism is fully installed in America, there will be NO voting it out. Only a full-blown kinetic revolution will overthrow the tyranny and have a chance at restoring the Republic, which would still be left in complete shambles. Dont let this happen. Vote the Commie psychopaths out of office and help ensure a free and fair election by videotaping every drop box and illegal voting action you see or suspect. We need mass documentation and proof of fraud to keep it on the up and up. Bookmark Censored.news to your favorite websites for truth news about the party of hate called the Democrats and the mass load of misinformation coming from the Left, who own and operate the Fake News Industrial Complex. Sources for this article include: NaturalNews.com TheGatewayPundit.com 61-year-old man gets 18 month prison sentence for chanting who the fu#k is Allah (Article by Paul Joseph Watson republished from Modernity.news) Yes really. The sentence handed out to David Spring is the latest shocking example of how low the bar has now been set in terms of free speech in response to rioting that occurred after the murder of three girls in Southport last month. Spring attended a demonstration of around 700 people in London on July 31 which turned disorderly. Police bodycam footage that was played in court showed Spring calling police officers cunts, making hostile gestures and joining in with chants of who the fuck is Allah and youre not English anymore. While Springs behavior could be described as offensive and unruly, the fact that he will spend the next year and a half behind bars for saying mean words exemplifies how the UK has slipped into extreme authoritarianism in the space of just two weeks. When he was arrested, Spring told police, I didnt go up to London to riot. I went to complain about people put up in hotels, referring to illegal immigrants staying in hotels at taxpayer expense. Defending lawyer Piers Kiss-Wilson said, The defendant asked me to put forward his apologies to the court and he says he is embarrassed by his behaviour and he is ashamed by it. He also wants to apologise to his family and friends and his wife who dont deserve this. The mans wife, who suffers from ill health, will now be deprived of her primary carer thanks to Springs imprisonment. Two headlines Two legal judgments Two tier country This is the United Kingdom pic.twitter.com/0F1ZAnPdSB Mahyar Tousi (@MahyarTousi) August 13, 2024 The question once again arises as to why these individuals are continuing to plead guilty despite the fact that it is not preventing them from being handed jail time. Despite the fact that the legislation surrounding hate speech and incitement is more draconian in the UK than in numerous other major western countries, one would think a good free speech lawyer would be able to defend these people more adeptly. As we highlighted yesterday, Springs sentence is only outdone in its absurdity by cases where online speech of people who never even attended riots is leading to prison sentences. Another man was imprisoned for 2 months merely for posting the words coming to a town near you alongside images of Muslim men on Facebook. Read more at: Modernity.news Records show Thomas Crooks spent a lot of time at DHS-linked gun range prior to July 13 Trump shooting Before allegedly trying to assassinate Donald Trump at the former president's July 13, 2024, campaign rally in Butler, Penn., Thomas Crooks visited the Clairton Sportsmen's Club, a shooting range, a total of 43 times since first joining in August 2023, newly released records show Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Ia.) pulled the records as part of an investigation into the shooting, which left Trump with a broken ear for a few days. The most recent time Crooks went to Clairton, a shooting club routinely visited by members of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was on July 12, just one day before the shooting in Butler. According to the Associated Press (AP), Crooks was able to become a member of Clairton "through his family," which apparently had connections to the club. Of the 43 times Crooks visited Clairton, he is believed to have had company on at least four occasions: Aug. 31, 2023; Sept. 28, 2023; Nov. 10, 2023; and April 24, 2024. On each of these dates, someone else, a mystery visitor, signed into Clairton for the same times and ranges as Crooks. To keep the names of the other visitors to Clairton a secret, since many of them work for DHS, Sen. Grassley redacted them from the below-linked documents. Looks like Crooks might've had company at several of his trips to the gun range. 4 times I could find someone else signing in at the exact same time for the exact same range (they even both went to both rifle & pistol on same day once) Grassley redacted other names pic.twitter.com/sHubet5grC Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) August 9, 2024 (Related: Cell phone data shows that someone who visited Crooks' home before the shooting also visited Washington, D.C.) Was Crooks "transitioning" at time of shooting? The nature of Crooks' many visits to Clairton involved "intense preparation in the months prior to his attempted assassination of the former president," Sen. Grassley's office says. Crooks visited Clairton this past Valentine's Day, as well as on the previous Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays. His celebrations for these holidays apparently involved shooting at the range. Clairton is a massive facility, by the way. It boasts 180 acres in Pennsylvania's West Mifflin and Jefferson Hills, servicing 2,000 members. There are multiple rifle ranges there, at least one of which is 200 yards in length. "What happened was a terrible, terrible thing," commented club president Bill Sellitto in the days following the shooting. "That's not who we are." Concerning Crooks, Sellitto added that he and his employees "know very little about him." "That was a terrible, terrible thing that happened Saturday that's not what we're about by any means," Sellitto emphasized a second time. Sellitto has been silent ever since the records from Sen. Grassley's office were released, though. In fact, he declined to comment, probably because those records show that Crooks was a regular at the club. Back in high school, Crooks reportedly tried out for the rifle team but was rejected for poor marksmanship. "Of course the kid had company," a commenter wrote. "The kid was their patsy which is why rally security was at the Keystone Cops level. "One counter sniper was removed from the detail by the White House; the 500 yard perimeter was not secured; warnings and reports of a person on the roof were ignored; and the SS sniper allowed the kid to get multiple shots off. One mistake could possibly be coincidence but multiple, life threatening mistakes speaks to a government backed assassination plot." Another suggested that Crooks may have been "transitioning" at the time this all happened, which could mean his hormones were out of whack due to the "treatments." More related news can be found at Conspiracy.news. Sources for this article include: HeadlineUSA.com Grassley.senate.gov NaturalNews.com Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in North Dakota rules against ATFs pistol brace ban The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in North Dakota has ruled that restricting the ownership of pistol attachments known as stabilizing braces is "arbitrary and capricious." In January 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) classified guns equipped with braces designed for shoulder shooting as short-barrel rifles, which put them in a category of firearms requiring special registration, longer waiting periods for purchase and higher taxes compared to other small firearms. The ATF implemented such a rule due to reports of users repurposing the brace to rest against their shoulders, similar to a rifle stock. But then, the ATF also clarified that this rule does not apply to braces "objectively designed and intended for use by individuals with disabilities." (Related: 2A VICTORY: Texas federal judge halts ATF from enforcing pistol brace ban.) However, several states and other plaintiffs, including a coalition of 25 Republican attorneys general (AGs), sued the ATF in February 2023. United States Senior District Judge Daniel Hovland of the District Court for the District of North Dakota declined to grant a preliminary injunction to block the rule. At that time, Hovland argued that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on the merits and that the ATF had adequately explained its rulemaking process. However, on Aug. 9, the court decided two in favor and one against that the coalition would likely succeed in its legal challenge against the ATF rule and allowed the case to proceed. "The Final Rule, as a whole, is arbitrary and capricious because it allows the ATF to arrive at whatever conclusion it wishes without 'adequately explain[ing] the standard on which its decision is based,'" stated the majority opinion. "Thus, we conclude the Coalition is likely to succeed on the merits of its challenge." In line with this, the Eighth Circuit's majority opinion directed Hovland to reconsider the plaintiffs' motion for an injunction. "We reverse the order denying a preliminary injunction and remand with instructions to reconsider the motion consistent with this opinion," the judges wrote. Court of Appeals Judge Bobby Shepherd argued that the panel should have upheld Hovland's order. Shepherd pointed out that a preliminary injunction was unnecessary after District Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas vacated the rule in June. O'Connor had ruled that the ATFs regulation violated the Administrative Procedures Acts procedural requirements. He even argued that it was not a "logical outgrowth" of the proposed version of the rule. "The Court finds that the adaptation of the Final Rule was arbitrary and capricious for two reasons," O'Connor wrote in June. "First, the Defendants did not provide a detailed justification for their reversal of the agencys longstanding position. And second, the Final Rules standards are impermissibly vague." This case will return to the lower court for further consideration, but the enforcement of the ATFs stabilizing brace rule remains in limbo. Republican AGs lauded the court's decision Over a decade ago, the pistol stabilizing brace was initially introduced to help persons with disabilities and others who require assistance when shooting large-format pistols. However, in 2020, the ATF proposed a restriction on pistol-stabilizing braces. The Department of Justice submitted the final rule to the Federal Registrar in January 2023 after a man killed 10 people at a grocery store in Colorado using a gun with a stabilizing brace. Effective immediately upon publication, the rule required firearms with stabilizing braces to be registered within 120 days, modified to remove the brace, turned into a local ATF office, or destroyed. Order violations can result in severe penalties, including fines up to $10,000, 10 years in prison and a felony conviction that disqualifies individuals from future firearm ownership. The rule has faced significant pushback from Republicans and gun owners' rights groups, including the National Rifle Association, which highlighted that stabilizing braces were originally designed to aid disabled veterans. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, two of the 25 AGs challenging the ATF rule, lauded the recent court decision. "This victory upholds Americans constitutional rights and stops the Biden-Harris ATFs illegal attempt to make millions of law-abiding citizens felons overnight," Bird stated. "The Constitution was meant to be a floor, not a ceiling, for our God-given rights. We will continue to do everything in our power to safeguard Missourians right to keep and bear arms against encroachment by unelected federal bureaucrats." Check out SecondAmendment.news for similar stories regarding gun control and the Second Amendment. Watch this video about the controversy that followed an appeal court's upholding of the assault gun ban in Illinois. This video is from the EARTH SHAKING NEWS channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: POLICE STATE: California to track use of credit cards by lawful citizens who purchase firearms in gun stores. Judge rules New Jerseys AR-15 ban is unconstitutional, but upholds state ban on normal-capacity magazines. Illinois sheriffs rebel, vow to not enforce restrictive new gun control law that includes 'assault weapons' ban, registration. Biden administration suspends issuance of export licenses for civilian firearms and ammunition in latest attack on gun industry. GUN GRAB: Firearms owners protest New Mexico governors ban on carrying guns following absurd public health emergency declaration by Gov. Grisham. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Reuters.com Brighteon.com White House approves new $20 billion arms sales to Israel United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently announced that the White House has approved a new $20 billion arms sales to Israel According to the announcement by the Department of Defense on Aug. 13, the arms sales include new F-15 fighter jets and upgrade kits for the Israeli Air Force's existing fleet of F-15s, covering new engines, radar systems and other enhancements. Also included in the deal are other aircraft and advanced air-to-air missiles, with the goal of bolstering Israel's long-term defense capabilities. The substantial arms sales encompass five major transactions. The largest of these is for 50 F-15 fighter jets and associated equipment, valued at $18.8 billion. Additionally, Israel will acquire $102.5 million in Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), approximately 33,000 120mm tank cartridges worth $774 million, 50,000 high-explosive 120mm mortar rounds valued at $61.1 million and $583.1 million worth of medium tactical vehicles. Specific details of funding for the arms sales remain unclear, but it is known that U.S. military aid will cover a significant portion of it. Tank rounds could be ready for immediate shipment, but the delivery of the F-15 jets and other armaments will take years. According to the State Department, the gradual delivery is designed to enhance Israel's defense capabilities over an extended period. (Related: POLL: Majority of Americans are against deploying U.S. troops to defend Israel.) "The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives," the State Department said in a statement. Biden administration approves another $3.5 billion in military assistance to Israel This follows a recent announcement from the State Department regarding the release of $3.5 billion in military assistance to Israel through the Foreign Military Financing program, which enables foreign governments to purchase U.S. weapons. According to several reports, the State Department notified lawmakers on Aug. 8 that the administration of President Joe Biden is set to release the $3.5 billion worth of foreign military assistance to Israel. Sources confirmed that this assistance would come from the $14.1 billion supplemental funding bill for Israel passed by Congress in April. The allocation is designed to enable Israel to purchase advanced weapons systems and other military equipment from the U.S. through the Foreign Military Financing program. The money will allow Israel to procure systems currently being built, with deliveries expected over the next several years. Additionally, the supplemental funding includes provisions for billions of dollars worth of equipment that the Pentagon can draw from its stockpiles for quicker delivery to Israel. Although the funds won't immediately translate into $3.5 billion worth of U.S.-made weapons, the State Department claimed that this marks a significant step in strengthening Israels defense capabilities. Visit IsraelCollapse.com for more stories related to Israel. Watch the video below that talks about the assassination of Haniyeh, which was allegedly masterminded by Benjamin Netanyahu with Joe Biden's blessing. This video is from Tony Gosling's channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: UN experts demand targeted sanctions, arms embargo against Israel for crimes against humanity. Biden reaffirms "unwavering" support for Israel by promising a fresh set of military deployments. Netanyahu expected to delay Gaza ceasefire deal until after the U.S. presidential election. Netanyahu demands U.S. expedite aid to Israel, says Americans protesting Israel 'stand with evil.' Only a failing US empire would be so blind as to cheer Netanyahu and his genocide. Sources include: News.antiwar.com CBSNews.com CNN.com Brighteon.com WATCH: Britains Youth Parliament, the next generation of leaders, are woke, foreign-focused and wildly gay The United Kingdoms Youth Parliament reveals the future leaders of the country are woke and obsessed with homosexuality, hate crime, and Islamophobia, rather than the socio-economic problems plaguing the British people. (Article by Christopher Tomlinson republished from TheNationalPulse.com) Footage of the Youth Parliament shared on X (formerly Twitter) shows a young member receiving raucous cheers for stating that he is proud to be Muslim and Pakistani. Another says the biggest issue facing the United Kingdom is Kashmir, a region along the Indian-Pakistani border, halfway around the world. Some participants contend that black youths in places like London are unjustly profiled with respect to Britains ongoing problem with stabbings and other forms of knife crime. The recent deadly mass stabbing of three girls, aged just six, seven, and nine, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport was allegedly carried out by a black teenager born to Rwandan parents. I recently watched an entire youth parliament "debate" and it was just several hours of this carry on. https://t.co/OxpDmeSzqupic.twitter.com/TA09BNvfVW Redbeard the Ruthful (@RuthfulThe) August 14, 2024 The clip was posted in response to a now-former member of the Youth Parliament whom the National Youth Agency forced to resign on Tuesday, August 13. Charlie Simpson claims leftists targeted him due to his connections to Nigel Farage MP, leader of the Reform Party. Farage has been openly critical of leftist Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmers handling of the anti-mass migration protests, noting the two-tier policing of protestors versus Muslim mobs running amok in Birmingham. Following these comments, former British spy and Trump-Russia hoaxster Christopher Steele said the British security services will likely target Farage. Today, I resigned as the Member of Youth Parliament for Ashfield. Please read my statement in full below. Thank you, Charlie Simpson Former MYP for Ashfield. pic.twitter.com/2Vide2N0sl Charlie Simpson (@MypSimpson) August 13, 2024 Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com FBI opens investigation after suspicious claim that Iranian hackers targeted Trump campaign The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened an investigation into reports that alleged Iranian or Tehran-linked hackers may have targeted the campaign of former President Donald Trump Trump's campaign reported that it has received a cyber threat assessment report from Microsoft. The report notes that a cyber group dubbed "Mint Sandstorm" hacked one of the campaign's websites. The campaign added that the alleged Iranian group was "only able to get publicly available information." The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center's assessment believes that Mint Sandstorm is tied to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and used what is known as a "spear phishing" email tactic take over the account of an unspecified, high-ranking political advisor for Trump's campaign and then used it to steal documents from the campaign back in June. (Related: Kamala Harris' national security adviser being investigated by Congress over possible ties to Iran.) Spear phishing is when a hacker or hacking group tries to gain access to the email or other digital profiles of individuals or organizations by placing a malicious link in a message. When this is clicked, it installs malware on the computer or smartphone being used that allows hackers to access all of the information it contains. After Microsoft released its assessment, Politico published a report detailing that it had received documents from an unknown AOL email address from someone going by the pseudonym "Robert." A day later, the New York Times reported that it had received the same cache of documents. The documents appear to be from the Trump campaign. They include drafts of what appear to be vetting profiles for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, written when their names were both being circulated by the Trump campaign as potential running mates. After the documents were sent to the media outlets, the Trump campaign confirmed that it was hacked, stating that "foreign sources hostile to the United States" stole the documents. Iran may be stepping up efforts to influence U.S. elections Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung reported that the alleged Iranian-backed hacking operation coincides with other recent reports that Iran is targeting Trump, believed to be a years-long campaign of revenge for Trump ordering the Jan. 3, 2020 drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, leader of the IRGC's special forces unit the Quds Force at the time. The Iranian government has denied targeting the Trump campaign. The FBI is also looking into potential attempts by foreign parties to hack into the former campaign of President Joe Biden and the ongoing campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris. Iran is also the leading suspect for the attempted attacks on these campaigns, with the goal of stealing sensitive data. Mint Sandstorm is just one of at least four hacking groups alleged to be linked to the IRGC the other three being Cotton Sandstorm, Lemon Sandstorm and Peach Sandstorm. They have reportedly been active over the past election cycles trying to influence the election, including by setting up fake news sites that contain content favorable toward Tehran and its political and social policies, as well as disparaging politicians and candidates hostile to Iran. If Iran is indeed behind the hack against the Trump campaign, and if the country did share the documents with U.S. media outlets to spread them and discredit the Trump campaign, it could suggest that Tehran's efforts to sway the election specifically to get voters to dislike Trump are getting bolder. Trump believes this is because his foreign policy decisions related to Iran are better for the U.S. and harsher against Tehran than what the Democrats can come up with. Watch this daily update video from political commentator Alex Christoforou as he discusses the alleged Iranian-linked hack against the Trump campaign. This video is from the Oldyoti's Home Page channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Hackers leak sensitive information from one of U.S. government's largest IT service providers. National security BREACHED after hackers break into most sensitive U.S. government files. Deep state plotting SECOND assassination attempt on Trump, via IRAN. FOREIGN HACKERS target water infrastructure in Pennsylvania, prompting calls for increased cybersecurity. Sources include: NTD.com Reuters.com Vox.com Politico.com Brighteon.com Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, say local authorities The number of Palestinians killed by Israel 's war on Gaza has passed 40,000, the Palestinian health ministry said on Thursday. (Article republished from MiddleEastEye.net) Israeli forces have killed at least 40,005 Palestinians in the besieged enclave since 7 October, the ministry said. More than 92,401 others have been wounded. The latest death toll comes after 40 Palestinians were killed and 107 were wounded by Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours. "Over ten months of hell, people continue to lose their loved ones; family members, close friends and neighbours. Do you know what it means to lose 40,000 of your people?" said Fikr Shalltoot at Medical Aid for Palestinians. "It means that 40,000 women, children, young people, adults, and elderly people will no longer be there. The children will never grow up, they will never go to school or university. Women will not give birth and will not be there to hold their children." The health ministry said on Thursday that around 13,200 of those killed were children, while around 7,360 were women. Elderly victims made up around 3,440 of those killed, it added. A health ministry official told Al Jazeera: "I say to those who doubt the numbers of martyrs that every martyr has a name, a picture and a story." An estimated 10,000 people are missing in Gaza, likely to be dead and buried under rubble. "Many people are losing hope and some are losing faith, but mostly people are losing trust in the international community. They are angry and disappointed and believe that the world has failed them and let them down," Shalltoot said. On 7 October, a Hamas-led surprise attack on southern Israel killed around 1,200 Israelis. More than 250 others were taken captive back to the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israeli forces have also killed at least 632 Palestinians since the war began, according to the health ministry. That figure includes 147 children and nine women. In Lebanon, Israeli attacks since October have killed at least 547 people, including 35 women and 20 children and teenagers, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Read more at: MiddleEastEye.net VP nominee JD Vance calls for breaking up Google Senator J.D. Vance, Donald Trumps running mate in the November presidential election, has past ties to tech, but also strong opinions about it. (Article by Didi Rankovic republished from ReclaimTheNet.org) Informed by the knowledge of the industry many politicians lack, Vance is anti-Big Tech monopolies, and positive on cryptocurrencies. Appearing on the CBS News show Face the Nation, the potential future vice president reiterated his previously stated by-and-large approval of FTC Commissioner Lina Kahns work, and the two seem to be particularly in agreement on the need to break up Big Tech monopolies. The case for spinning off companies like Google has been talked up over the last years from both political camps in the US, unsurprisingly, however, from different angles. Vance focuses on the danger of such large entities controlling speech. I dont want Google or a billionaire that controls Google thats in bed with China to be able to censor American information and thats exactly what theyve done, Vance told CBS. He also mentioned the anti-trust lawsuit against Google launched during Trumps first term in office, noting that they both look at this in the same way. Speaking of the difference between Small Tech and Big Tech, Vance singled out the monopolistic power the latter has to control some key elements, such as Googles digital advertising power vs. for example X. I dont think that Elon Musk has any monopoly hes not using his company to try to destroy competitors, Vance remarked, explaining the importance of anti-trust initiatives around the technology sector. In pushing for better anti-monopoly rules, Vance hopes the Trump presidency would achieve two goals: secure better-paid jobs at home, and freedom of expression. This is not the first time that Vance has criticized Google, but also Facebook and others for their left-leaning bias, posting on X in February that it was time to break Google up. As for cryptocurrencies, Vance, like Trump, wants to avoid overindulgent regulatory measures. Also earlier this year, he criticized the approach taken by Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler during a Y Combinator event RemedyFest. Some reports see these policy points as appealing to a number of Silicon Valley actors, which, after all, isnt uniformly left although its biggest players seem to be. But Vances messages, particularly around cryptocurrencies, seem to resonate among venture capitalists and the likes of Elon Musk, who are willing to put their money where their mouth is and support the Trump-Vance ticket with large campaign contributions. Read more at: ReclaimTheNet.org State Department report shows Hunter Biden sought the governments help for Ukrainian gas company Burisma A newly released report from the Department of State reveals that presidential son Hunter Biden sought the department's help for Ukrainian energy company Burisma while President Joe Biden was vice president. This revelation comes from the New York Times, which filed Freedom of Information Act requests to make public a letter Hunter wrote to then-United States Ambassador to Italy John R. Phillips in 2016 seeking his assistance for Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company which the younger Biden worked on as a member of its board of directors. At the time, Burisma had been working on a geothermal project in Tuscany in central Italy and the company was having trouble getting regulatory approval for the project to push through. It is unclear if the embassy ever provided Burisma with the aid it requested, and the company's geothermal project never got off the ground. The New York Times was able to uncover this revelation at the conclusion of a three-year-long protracted effort by the State Department to prevent the release of these documents. The revelation also comes as Hunter prepares to stand trial in California in September on charges of tax evasion on his foreign earnings from Burisma and other overseas corporations. They follow his conviction back in June on charges of illegally owning a firearm at a time when he was still struggling with his crack cocaine addiction. (Related: Hunter Biden's daughter testifies about father's erratic behavior under the influence of COCAINE.) Hunter denies all wrongdoing, White House claims the president was never involved Emails found in Hunter's laptop cache also indicate that he has been in communication with an Italian businessman who claimed to have ties to Enrico Rossi, who was serving at the time as the president of Tuscany's regional government. Rossi responded to inquiries from the New York Times claiming that he has never met Hunter and had no recollection of the U.S. Embassy in Italy contacting him about the Burisma project. Phillips has also denied knowledge of the incident, claiming he receives a lot of letters and requests to participate in activities as the ambassador. "I certainly would pay attention to it" if Hunter had contacted him, Phillips told the New York Times. "Out of courtesy, I'd probably make sure he got a response of some sort, but not necessarily from me," he continued. "And I wouldn't even want to encourage it, because I wouldn't get us involved in something like that." A lawyer representing Hunter claimed the presidential son's outreach to Ambassador Phillips on behalf of Burisma was a "proper request," and that he had reached out to "various people" to help arrange an introduction between Burisma's board of directors and the regional government of Tuscany. "No meeting occurred, no project materialized, no request for anything in the U.S. was ever sought and only an introduction in Italy was requested." The documents obtained by the New York Times strongly suggest that embassy officials were uneasy about fulfilling Hunter's request. One official reportedly said: "I want to be careful about promising too much." White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed the president did not know that Hunter had reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Italy when he was vice president on Burisma's behalf. "He's not in business with his son," said Jean-Pierre. "He's certainly not aware of this and this is something that Hunter Biden has to speak to. He's a private citizen, it is something for him to focus on." Watch this clip from Newsmax discussing the news regarding Hunter's links to the State Department, and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claiming that President Joe Biden was never involved and has never been in business with his son. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Hunter Biden DROPS lawsuit against Fox News hours after president announces withdrawal from race. Bombshell report: CIA collaborated with Joe Biden's 2020 campaign to downplay Hunter Biden's "laptop from hell" scandal. Experts: Hunter Biden's FAILURE to register as a foreign agent could finally land him in jail. Joe and Hunter Biden used Sandy Hook memorial service visit to forge secret $10 million-a-year deal with China. Ukrainian company Burisma used as "vehicle to launder taxpayer money," lawyer says. Sources include: Breitbart.com APNews.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com Downing Street BANS Ukraine from using Storm Shadow missiles to strike Kursk The British government has insisted that Ukraine is prohibited from using the long-range Storm Shadow missiles in support of its incursion into Russia's western Kursk region. The Telegraph reported this development on Aug. 12, citing a source in London. The tipster said "there has been no change" in Downing Street's stance on the use of the Storm Shadow missiles despite Kyiv's pleas. A British government spokesman also attested to this, emphasizing that it has been made clear to Kyiv that "equipment provided by the U.K. is intended for the defense of Ukraine." Under the current policy, Ukraine can only use the Storm Shadow missiles to strike Crimea and other areas claimed by Kyiv. However, they cannot be used to strike areas internationally recognized as Moscow's territory such as Kursk for fear that doing so could escalate the conflict. The broadsheet also noted that the decision on how Ukraine can use the missiles is not just contingent on the U.K., but also with France. According to French President Emmanuel Macron, Kyiv can use the missiles to strike sites deep into Russian territory but only sites from which Moscow launches its attacks. The Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of up to 550 kilometers (341 miles), are made jointly by France and the United Kingdom. The Telegraph's Aug. 12 report followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim in July that he had received London's permission to attack internationally recognized Russian territory with the missiles. But a source for the outlet said at the time that the situation was "more nuanced" and that Ukraine's other partners would also have to sign off if any changes to the policy were made. "It's not going to happen," the source stressed in July when asked about whether Kyiv can use Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets deep into Russia. Prohibitions on Storm Shadow use are only on paper But at the same time, British Defense Secretary John Healey said: "We're providing weapons to Ukraine for their defense, and that does not preclude them hitting targets in Russia." He did add that Kyiv must use these armaments "within the parameters and the bounds of international humanitarian law." (Related: Ukrainian official says British long-range missiles are already being used to strike Russia.) According to Russia Today (RT), Ukraine's attack on Kursk is the largest on a Russian border region since the conflict began in 2022. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the advance has been halted, estimating Ukraine's losses at around 1,600 troops and 200 armored vehicles. Moscow has accused Kyiv of indiscriminately targeting civilians, in particular using the Storm Shadow missiles to target critical infrastructure. This move, Russia argues, has resulted in civilian deaths. While Ukraine has reportedly been barred from firing British missiles deep into Russia, the U.S. has done the opposite. In May, Washington permitted Kyiv to use American-made long-range weapons to strike Russian targets. RT noted that Washington's move came as a response to Moscow's advance in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region with the latter aiming to protect civilians from Kyiv's artillery strikes. According to media reports, the range of the Ukrainian strikes was limited to around 100 kilometers (62 miles). This, according to the Russian state-owned news outlet, left some high-priority targets beyond Ukraine's reach. Head over to MilitaryTechnology.news for similar stories. Watch this video about Russian forces managing to obtain an intact Storm Shadow long-range missile. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: France promises to supply Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, putting a target on itself for Russia's nuclear weapons. Putin threatens to station missiles close to the U.K. after Brits supplied Ukraine with long-range missiles. White House moves toward lifting ban on Ukraine striking targets deep inside Russia with U.S. weapons. U.S. quietly sent Ukraine long-range missiles following a secret directive from Biden. Italy mulls sending long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine. Sources include: RT.com Brighteon.com Ukraine fails to force ultimatum on Russia following August 11 attack on Kursk nuclear plant: Most of the equipment has already been destroyed Russian chief of general staff Valery Gerasimov is challenging Ukraine's claim that it is achieving a successful offensive in Russia's Kursk region. After the Ukrainian Armed Forces decided to try to seize the Russian territory on August 6, Gerasimov reassured the world that Russia will defeat the enemy and reach the state border. Russian Armed Forces have reportedly entered the Kursk city of Sudzha, which is not controlled by Ukraine. There are, however, clashes every day between the two sides, according to Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Akhmat special forces, in a statement to Russian media. "Today there are units of the Russian Defense Ministry in Sudzha," Alaudinov said. "There is an enemy around and in some parts of the city. There are active clashes there every day." "The enemy cannot say that he completely controls Sudzha, because he does not really control it." (Related: Hungary is off the "NATO Train" now that it is clear the West will never stop escalating the "hopeless" war in Ukraine.) Zelensky's efforts to take over Kursk nuclear power plant "failed" Ukraine's plan was to seize the Kursk nuclear power plant on August 11 and use the capture as a bargaining chip to commence negotiations with Moscow and reach an ultimatum. "We received very interesting materials the whole layout of the operation, which was being prepared, by what forces and what was planned," Alaudinov further explained. "What can I say: on the 11th [of August] it was necessary to take the nuclear power plant in Kurchatov ... [Ukrainian President] Zelensky's blitzkrieg, which was planned with the seizure of the Kursk nuclear power plant and already entering negotiations with an ultimatum ... failed." In other words, Ukraine threw everything it had at taking control of the nuclear power facility in Kursk and it was still not enough to overcome Russian forces in the vicinity. "Most of the equipment has already been destroyed from what was deployed in the Kursk direction," Alaudinov confirmed. It increasingly appears as though Ukraine's "suicidal" Kursk offensive is part of a United States-led effort to control the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel believes that the Democrat establishment is trying to prop up Kamala Harris and Tim Walz with the Kiev assault since it bears all the earmarks of a U.S.-NATO operation. "At this stage, nothing likely happens in Ukraine and vis-a-vis Russia unless approved in advance by someone in the U.S.," Ortel told Russian media. "Relevant questions include: exactly who approved these offensive operations and what debate, if any, occurred in Congress before these raids happened?" Describing the Kursk operation from Kiev as "wag the dog 2.0," Ortel continued that the whole thing "seems a reprise" of then-U.S. President Bill Clinton's assault on one of Sudan's largest pharmaceutical factories in Khartoum back in 1998. The timing of that U.S. bombing came right as investigations were really starting to take shape into Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. It appears as though Clinton authorized the strike as a distraction from his own malfeasances, which is what we are now witnessing again with the Biden regime and the overarching U.S. political establishment of today. Ukrainian officials insist this is not the case and that the Kursk attack was aimed at demoralizing Russian forces and diverting them away from parts of the front. However, on August 12, the Ukrainian military admitted to U.S. corporate media that the Russian Armed Forces' advance in Donbass, including near the strategically important locales of Chasov Yar and Torestk, is moving right along smoothly. The latest news about the Russia-Ukraine skirmish can be found at Chaos.news. Sources for this article include: SputnikGlobe.com NaturalNews.com SputnikGlobe.com Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accused of cooking the books of his states pension funds by vastly underreporting fees An independent pension investigator has claimed that a Minnesota retirement system for public school teachers under Gov. Tim Walz is underreporting annual fees paid to Wall Street investment managers and posting implausible gains As governor, Walz oversees two pension funds for educators in Minnesota: The Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) and the Minnesota State Retirement System. The former provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits for 215,000 active ad retired educations. The latter, which Walz operates as its chairman, oversees $140 billion in funds for state employees, including $28.2 billion for teachers. Both are funded by taxpayer dollars and mandatory salary deductions. (Related: Kamala Harris just made a colossal mistake Here are 7 things you should know about Tim Walz.) However, the lobbying organization Minnesota Public Educators for Pension Reform has raised concerns about "inequities" and "significantly decreased benefits" for some members. The teachers' advocacy group accused the TRA of allegedly underreporting annual fees paid to Wall Street investment managers and posting near-impossible gains equivalent to a "Madoff miracle." In turn, the group raised $78,373 on GoFundMe to hire Edward Siedle, a former attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission and an independent pension investigator, to conduct a forensic audit of the TRA's finances. According to Siedle's investigation, which involved filing public records requests with the TRA and the state for investment documents, the TRA has publicly disclosed less than 10 percent of an estimated $2.9 billion spent on fees over the past decade. "A cursory look at the Minnesota Teachers Retirement Association leads to the conclusion theyre either a world-class pension or they're cooking the books," he said in July. "Minnesota reported investment fees on the $26.7 billion teacher pension fund of $24.1 million. The teachers' fund has a $6.6 billion private equity portfolio that would be expected to pay at least $132 million a year to fund managers. He also pointed out that the TRA reported gains that allegedly beat its custom benchmark over periods of one, five, ten, twenty and thirty years by exactly 0.2 percent is "virtually impossible." Moreover, the TRA's financial statements for fiscal year 2023 revealed that the fund produced an 8.9 percent rate of return. The TRA reported $24.19 million in management fees for that year. But Siedle estimated that the actual amount paid to Wall Street fund managers ranged from $334 million to $467 million or five percent to seven percent of the TRA's private assets. Even if the fees were only one percent, they would total $280 million more than ten times the disclosed fees. In other words, Siedle's findings suggest that the fund might be concealing mismanagement and its ability to pay retirees their promised benefits. Siedle also noted that the Minnesota attorney general and state auditors, who typically investigate such irregularities, sit on the same state pension board that Walz chairs. Minnesota officials want to discredit Siedle's investigation In line with Siedle's investigation, the independent pension investigator also revealed in an article published on his Substack blog that Minnesota officials were already working to discredit the investigation even before he started his audit in April. In March, TRA Executive Director Jay Stoffel warned all TRA Board of Trustees and staff about the independent audit investigation in an email titled "An Important Matter." Stoffel also sent the same email to state legislators and officials, including the offices of Walz, the attorney general and the legislative auditor. "I want to update you on the recent crowdsourcing effort of a group of teachers to raise $75,000 to pay Edward Siedle, a Florida lawyer, to do the following, according to the teacher group's GoFundMe page," Stoffel wrote in the email, along with the detailed problem, solution and goal of the reform program. "As trustees of the TRA Board, it is important for you to be aware of and concerned about risks to the agency and the fund, and this situation poses many serious risks. Specifically, TRA's reputation as a trusted government agency is going to be questioned." Now that Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Walz to be her running mate, this underreporting issue is expected to face more intense and renewed scrutiny in the coming days. Watch this clip from Fox News with Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump discussing how a Harris-Walz presidency should frighten every American. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Tim Walz left EIGHT babies who survived botched abortions to DIE, government data shows. Another video emerges of Tim Walz lying about his military deployment. FLASHBACK: Tim Walz BRIBED parents to give their kids COVID-19 vaccines. Crime rates rising in Minnesota under Tim Walz murders up 50%, carjackings up 163%. VP pick Tim Walz accused of stolen valor by JD Vance and a group of retired MN National Guardsmen. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com MSN.com PensionWarriorsEdwardSiedle.Substack.com Brighteon.com WHO warns that new monkeypox strain is a global emergency The World Health Organization issued a warning yesterday about monkeypox, officially classifying it as a public health emergency of international concern, the highest level of international health law alarm. They also identified a few features of the new mutant strain that make it more worrying than previous iterations. The strain that circulated in 2022 got a lot of hype as the COVID-19 pandemic was still front and center in many peoples minds, but it ended up being far less threatening as it was spread largely through sexual contact among gay and bisexual men and was not particularly fatal. However, the new strain has a much higher death rate, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that the new clade 1 strain can kill as many as 10% of individuals who contract it, while the previously circulating clade 2 strain had a 99% survival rate. In some cases, the virus is being passed among people who are not believed to have had any sexual contact whatsoever, and most of the cases and deaths reported in the current outbreak in Congo have involved children. Authorities are not sure why this is the case. One infectious diseases expert said that it may be that children are more vulnerable, and that social factors such as exposure to parents with the disease and overcrowding may also be contributing factors. Although this new strain can be passed through sexual contact like the previous one and is being transmitted through local sex work, it also appears to be spreading within households and from mothers to their children. Some cases have even been reported of person-to-person spread outside of homes and without any sexual contact, which means it has more opportunities to spread. While it is currently confined to central Africa, there are concerns it could spread to other areas given its easier transmissibility. All confirmed cases of the stronger Clade 1b strain were initially limited to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but authorities now claim that more than 100 confirmed cases have already been reported in nearby countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya. The chair of the WHO emergency committee, Dimie Ogoina, said: It was unanimous that the current outbreak of mpox, upsurge of mpox, is an extraordinary event. What we have in Africa is the tip of the iceberg. We are not recognizing, or we dont have the full picture of, this burden of mpox. More hype or a genuine emergency? If all of this turns out to be true, it is indeed quite worrying. However, there is also a possibility that this is being overblown, and some people believe the intention is to drive demand for vaccines given how profitable they proved to be during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, World Health Organization officials said the virus can be contained quite straightforwardly, if we do the right things at the right time and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday: Its clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives. They have signed off on an Emergency Use Listing process for the two existing monkeypox vaccines. There are currently half a million doses of the vaccines in stock, and they predict that another 2.4 million could be made by the end of the year. Not surprisingly, shares of monkeypox vaccine makers such as Bavarian Nordic skyrocketed following the WHOs public health emergency declaration, jumping as much as 17% in early trading, while Emergent BioSolutions shares soared 12%. Sources for this article include: EndOfTheAmericanDream.com CNN.com Elizabeth Banks says 'environmentalist' Mick Jagger was worried about dying bees H ollywood star Elizabeth Banks shared that she met Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger at a dinner party and discussed "dying bees on the planet". Banks, on the Jimmy Fallon show, said: "I saw Mick on his 80th. It was his 80th birthday. My husband was especially excited because, you know, the Rolling Stones is everything. I mean he's unbelievable," she said. Talking about Jagger, being an environmentalist, she said: "I sat next to him at a dinner party once and he was talking to me about the bees that were dying. He's like an environmentalist. He was worried about the dying bees on the planet." She was then asked by the host what Olympics event she saw. A glimpse of the chat was shared on Instagram. "The thing that I really wanted to see was beach volleyball because the stadium was under the Eiffel Tower and I went to Rio, the stadium was on Copacabana beach in Rio. And it is a party," she said. Banks added: "You know how sometimes you go to something and they're like quiet... please you have to be quiet... 'No'. This is a DJ, they are playing music, the crowd is going crazy, they got everybody into it..." "Talking about the French mascot, Banks said: "Did you see the French mascot? I guess he was a hat... He was supposed to be a hat apparently... He was there doing some dances. He is just a red triangle," she added. Elizabeth's forthcoming film is 'Skincare', where she will be seen playing a "top aesthetician". The trailer of the film was unveiled last month and is described as a fictional story inspired by a true story. In the trailer, the actress essays a top celebrity aesthetician named Hope Goldman and how her career is challenged after a rival aesthetician moves into her neighbourhood, reports people.com. One morning, Banks's character realises that her e-mail has been hacked and the hacker has sent messages pretending to be her, begging for money. Elizabeth Banks says 'environmentalist' Mick Jagger was worried about dying bees Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! 'Ladki Bahin' scheme: Maha govt deposits Rs 999cr in bank accounts of 1.13 crore women T he MahaYuti government in Maharashtra has deposited Rs 999 crore through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode to the bank accounts of 1.13 crore eligible women beneficiaries of the ambitious Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, an official said on Thursday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on the occasion of Independence Day interacted with some of the beneficiaries, reiterating the government's commitment to implement the Ladki Bahin Scheme for their welfare and empowerment. The beneficiaries thanked the Chief Minister for the state government's initiative. The state government has said that the rest of the women beneficiaries will get financial assistance by August 17 -- on the auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan. The registration of 1.62 crore women was done by August 14. Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare said that the DBT of the Ladki Bahin scheme started on August 14. "The Women and Child Development department is working 24 hours a day to ensure that this process goes smoothly. I am personally keeping an eye on this process. We are working on a war footing to transfer the benefits to all eligible women before Raksha Bandhan," she added. Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar has said that he has already allocated Rs 35,000 crore in the budget for the implementation of Ladki Bahin scheme, adding that funds would not be an issue. The MahaYuti government, which has launched the Ladki Bahin scheme on the lines of Madhya Pradesh government with an eye on the upcoming Assembly election, hopes to disburse benefits to over 2.50 crore individuals who would be registered by August 31. The scheme aims to provide financial independence for women, improve their health and nutrition and ultimately make them self-reliant by strengthening their pivotal role in the family. Aditi Tatkare has requested all district guardian ministers to run a campaign to link Aadhaar numbers with the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries of Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. Besides, she suggested the district guardian ministers to organise special functions for the distribution benefits under the Ladki Bahin scheme on August 17. Tatkare said that the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is important for the women of the state. "A state-level programme for distribution of benefits of the scheme will be held in Pune on August 17. At the same time, programmes should be held in every district under the chairmanship of the Guardian Minister. A district-level programme of benefit distribution should be held in the presence of MPs/MLAs in the district where the Guardian Minister is not available. Live telecast of the state-level event should be shown at the venue," she added. 'Ladki Bahin' scheme: Maha govt deposits Rs 999cr in bank accounts of 1.13 crore women Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! RG Kar rape-murder: IMA calls 24-hour nationwide medical shutdown on Aug 17 T he Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday declared a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of medical services starting 6 a.m. on Saturday till 6 a.m. on Sunday in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The withdrawal of services will affect non-essential medical services, including routine OPDs and elective surgeries. However, essential services, including casualty departments, will continue to function normally. In a statement issued by its National President R.V. Asokan, the IMA expressed its concerns over the handling of the case by the medical college authorities and the Kolkata Police, leading to protests by the medical fraternity across the country. "Subsequent to the brutal crime at the R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day, the Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 a.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday for 24 hours. "All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors," the statement read. On August 13, the Calcutta High Court asked the state police to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while expressing discontent with the probe conducted so far, the IMA said. "They also flagged the possibility of destruction of evidence if the state police continued with the investigation. On August 15, the hospital was vandalised by a large crowd which destroyed various sections. The medical students who were on protest were attacked as well. "Doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession. It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses. Both physical assaults and crimes are results of indifference and insensitivity of the concerned authorities to the needs of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers." the IMA said in the statement. Earlier on Thursday, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), a key doctors' body in the country, announced to resume its strike in protest against the R.G. Kar incident with "renewed resolve", just two days after it decided to call it off. In a statement issued on Thursday, FORDA said, "In light of the recent troubling events at R.G. Kar Medical College, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association addresses our colleagues, the medical community, and the public with renewed resolve... We acknowledge that our earlier decision to call off the strike, made in good faith based on assurances from the Ministry, has caused distress and disappointment within our community. We accept responsibility for this and understand the widespread discontent it has caused. "The events that have unfolded since, particularly the violence last night, have shocked and anguished us all. This represents a dark chapter for our profession. We strongly condemn the Union Ministry and state government for their failure to honour their commitments and ensure the safety of healthcare professionals during this crisis." RG Kar rape-murder: IMA calls 24-hour nationwide medical shutdown on Aug 17 Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! WTA Tour: Fernandez saves two match points to upset Rybakina in Cincinnati T he 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez showed a welcome return to form as she halted Kazakhstan's No.4 seed Elena Rybakina's return to action in the second round of the Cincinnati Open with a hard-fought 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 win here on Thursday. Fernandez, who defeated three top-5 players before going down to fellow teenager Emma Raducanu in the 2021 US Open final, came back from a double match point down in the second set before prevailing over Rybakina. Rybakina was playing her first match since falling in the Wimbledon semifinals to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova. Acute bronchitis had forced the Kazakhstani to withdraw from both the Paris Olympic Games and last week's WTA 1000 event in Toronto, and her rust showed throughout in the form of 17 double faults. Two of those came on both of her match points as she served at 6-5 in the second set. Fernandez has been enjoying a resurgent season and returned to the Top 30 in June after an absence of nearly two years. The Canadian, currently ranked 23rd in the WTA Rankings, took advantage to seal her fifth career Top 5 win, and first since she knocked out three Top 5 opponents to reach the 2021 US Open final. Earlier on Wednesday night, World No.1 Iga Swiatek made a winning return to the hard courts at the Cincinnati Open. Playing her first match since winning a bronze medal for Poland at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Swiatek held off Varvara Gracheva 6-0, 6-7(8), 6-2 in her tournament opener. A semifinalist last year, Swiatek will face Marta Kostyuk next in the third round. Kostyuk advanced by defeating Lulu Sun 6-3, 7-5. WTA Tour: Fernandez saves two match points to upset Rybakina in Cincinnati Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Telangana CM launches final phase of crop loan waiver T elangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday launched the third and final phase of crop loan waiver disbursal and dared BRS leader and MLA T. Harish Rao to honour his word and resign. Launching the final phase in Wyra mandal of Khammam district, the Chief Minister reminded former minister Harish Rao of his word that if Congress implements crop loan waiver by August 15, he would resign as MLA. Addressing a public meeting, Revanth Reddy said Harish Rao should either resign or rub his nose on the ground at the Martyrs' Memorial and tender an apology to the Telangana farmers. Revanth Reddy said that as per the promise made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Congress government waived farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh by spending Rs 31,000 crore within eight months after coming to power. Under the third phase, Rs 5,644 crore will be deposited in the bank accounts of 4,46,832 beneficiary farmers to waive their loans of Rs 1.50 lakh-Rs 2 lakh. Crop loans of up to Rs 100,000 were waived in the first phase, benefitting 11,50,193 farmers. In the second phase, Rs 6,190 crore were disbursed to waive crop loans of Rs 1 lakh-Rs 1.5 lakh. This phase benefitted 6,40,823 farmers. With this, the Congress government claimed to have set a new record in the country in crop loan waiver. The Chief Minister reiterated that the Congress government will fulfil all its promises. He said the government was striving to implement the six guarantees. Stating that the government handed over appointment orders for 30,000 jobs in three months after coming to power, he said plans have been prepared to provide 65,000 jobs this year. He mentioned that the government sanctioned 4.50 lakh houses under Indiramma housing scheme this year. Every Assembly constituency has been allotted 3,500 houses. The Chief Minister, who earlier switched on three pumps of the Sitarama Lift Irrigation project, said the project will be completed by August 2026 to provide irrigation facility to 7 lakh acres in Khammam district. "We will take the responsibility of bringing water from Munneru river by gravity and make plans to construct a 15 TMC reservoir in the name of Veerabhadra for Dornakal constituency," he said. Targeting BRS, he said KTR and Harish Rao were trying to cheat people again by spreading lies. He remarked that he would take the responsibility to completely dismantle BRS and throw it in the Bay of Bengal if the Khammam people continue their support. He also slammed the BJP and said that it has no place in Telangana. He agreed with the challenge thrown by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka to BRS for an open debate on agriculture , irrigation projects and welfare schemes during 10-year rule of BRS and eight months of Congress government. Stating that he is ready for debate at Martyrs' memorial, Revanth Reddy said KTR and Harish Rao should decide who will face him. Telangana CM launches final phase of crop loan waiver Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Foxconn's investments to help India become global manufacturing hub: Ashwini Vaishnaw T he investment plans by Hon Hai Technology Group (known as Foxconn) will help India become a global manufacturing hub, Union Minister for Railways, Electronics and IT and I&B, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said on Friday. The Minister met Young Liu, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Foxconn, in the national capital. In a post on social media platform X, Minister Vaishnaw said: "As we strive to make Bharat a global manufacturing hub, thanks to Foxconn's Chairman Young Liu for his continued investment plans." Liu earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed several opportunities in "futuristic sectors" like artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, local electronics manufacturing and more. In his Independence Day address to the nation, PM Modi said that the country has the potential to fulfil the dream of developing a 'Made in India' chip for every piece of equipment. The Prime Minister emphasised that there was a time when we used to import mobile phones but today, we have created a manufacturing ecosystem in the country and India has emerged as a big manufacturing hub. Semiconductors, modern technologies and artificial intelligence are "inextricably linked to our future and we have started working on the Indian Semiconductor Mission," said PM Modi. A key Apple supplier, Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn leads the total iPhone exports from the country, at about 65 per cent, from its factory in the country. Liu was conferred the Padma Bhushan in January this year, and said that he was "deeply honoured" to receive the award from the Indian government. Foxconn, which manufactures around 70 per cent of iPhones globally, is investing heavily towards local manufacturing in the country. The Taiwanese contract manufacturer plans to invest $1.54 billion in the country to help it fulfil "operational needs." The company will invest an additional Rs 3,300 crore in its manufacturing facility in Telangana. This will take the total investment of the company in the state to more than Rs 4,550 crore. Foxconn's investments to help India become global manufacturing hub: Ashwini Vaishnaw Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Rahul Gandhi meets Foxconn Chairman, has 'engaging conversation' T he Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met Foxconn Chairman Young Liu on Friday, and the two had an engaging conversation about the future of technological innovation in India and the world. The Congress MP took to his X handle and shared that the duo had a productive meeting this morning. "It was a pleasure to meet Mr Young Liu, Chairman of Foxconn, earlier today. We had an engaging conversation on the future of technological innovation in India and the world," Rahul said on X. "With the right support, India's tech industry can be positioned for a significant leap forward," he added. Rahul's meeting with Foxconn Chairman comes on the heels of the latter calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Notably, Young Liu was conferred Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, on the eve of the 75th Republic Day. Liu also expressed "high regard" to the Indian government for the honour. Foxconn, a Taiwanese manufacturing giant, is investing heavily in the country in a boost to local manufacturing. The company is the biggest manufacturer of iPhones globally, alone accounting for about 70 per cent of the total production. The Taiwanese contract manufacturer plans to invest $1.54 billion in the country to help it fulfil "operational needs." It's iPhone factory in Tamil Nadu employs more than 40,000 people and has inked a pact to invest Rs 1,600 crore in the new electronics components unit in the state that is slated to create 6,000 more jobs. The company has plans to invest an additional Rs 3,300 crore in a manufacturing facility in Telangana. India's production and export of electronic goods have seen an exponential rise in the last few years and this has largely been driven by the iPhones. The country is looking to enhance its overall electronics production to $300 billion by FY26. Rahul Gandhi meets Foxconn Chairman, has 'engaging conversation' Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Top US diplomat Richard Verma reaches Nepal, will begin India visit from Saturday U S Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard R. Verma arrived in Kathmandu on Friday to advance Washington's shared priorities in climate action, economic growth, and security to promote regional prosperity. "Kicking off this trip in Nepal with an amazing glimpse of the majestic Himalayas! Looking forward to engaging with Government of Nepal officials and others to strengthen US-Nepal partnership in support of a more democratic, prosperous, inclusive, and resilient Nepal," Verma posted on X after landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport. According to the US State Department, in Nepal, the US delegation will meet with senior government officials, development professionals, and business leaders to discuss shared priorities in economic development, women's empowerment, energy, and people-to-people ties. On Saturday, Verma will arrive in New Delhi on a five-day visit where he is expected to advance and support a prosperous, secure, and resilient future for both countries. "Deputy Secretary Verma will travel to New Delhi, India to meet with senior government officials, climate leaders, and aerospace academics and industry representatives to advance the US-Indian partnership on a full range of issues, including economic development, clean energy and climate action, and STEM education," stated the US State Department. He will be joined in India by Senior Advisor to the US President for International Climate Policy John Podesta and Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Energy David Turk. Verma has previously served as the 25th United States Ambassador to India and has also been a former Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs in the Obama Administration. He had visited India in February this year, holding meetings with senior Indian officials in New Delhi to advance the US-Indian global strategic partnership. During his visit from February 19 to 21, Verma met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, then Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, and former Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri to explore opportunities to strengthen US-India cooperation and people-to-people ties to ensure a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. He had also met with Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal to discuss further expanding trade and economic ties between the United States and India. Top US diplomat Richard Verma reaches Nepal, will begin India visit from Saturday Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Australia, New Zealand agree to deepen clean energy collaboration T he leaders of Australia and New Zealand on Friday announced joint economic and energy commitments to support the clean energy transition in the region. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon at the Parliament House in Canberra for the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting, Xinhua news agency reported. Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, the pair announced that New Zealand would join Australia in the Climate Club, an initiative established in 2022 focused on industrial decarbonization and pursuing net zero emissions. Albanese and Luxon said they endorsed a July agreement between the two nations' Treasurers and Climate Ministers to further deepen collaboration to deliver climate outcomes under the Paris Agreement and capitalize on the opportunities of the global clean energy transition. "I'm pleased that New Zealand has joined Australia in the Climate Club, which will support decarbonization across the Tasman," Albanese said. Ahead of the meeting, Luxon said he intended to directly raise with Albanese concerns about Australia's practice of deporting New Zealand citizens who commit violent crimes in Australia, which has long been a point of tension between the countries. The Australian government in June scrapped a ministerial direction that was intended to reduce the number of New Zealand citizens being deported despite having stronger connections to Australia. Following the meeting on Friday, Albanese said that the leaders had agreed to disagree on the issue. "What we have is an understanding that while we have common purpose, we do not have uniform positions," he said. He said that authorities would not ignore a person's connections to Australia when considering deportations but that community safety was the top priority for Australian officials. Australia, New Zealand agree to deepen clean energy collaboration Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Andhra to constitute special task force on industrial development T he Andhra Pradesh government has decided to constitute a Special Task Force (STF) to provide suggestions to the government on industrial development and building 'Swarna Andhra Pradesh'. The decision was taken on Friday by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who will be heading the task force. TATA Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekharan will be the Co-Chairman. This was decided during a meeting Chandrasekharan had with the Chief Minister at the state Secretariat. The Tata Group Chairman had a detailed discussion mainly focussing on investments in the state. Both Chandrababu Naidu and Chandrasekharan discussed industrial development and building Swarna Andhra Pradesh with Vision-2047. The state government decided to constitute a Special Task Force (STF) to provide suggestions to the government on how to proceed and also formulate necessary plans to implement these suggestions. The task force will be constituted with the Chief Minister as the Chairman, the TATA Group Chairman Chandrasekharan as the Co-Chairman along with famous industrialists and experts in the relevant sectors. Since the state government is planning to take Andhra Pradesh to the number one position in the country by 2027 with Vision-2047, the Task Force will mainly focus on the steps to be taken to achieve this goal. The state government also decided to establish the Centre for Global Leadership in Amaravati with the active partnership of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in which the TATA company will become a partner. A TATA Consultancy Service (TCS) Development Centre will also be set up in the port city of Visakhapatnam and the Chief Minister also discussed with the TATA Group Chairman over possibilities of the expansion of Air India and Vistara Airlines in the State. Chandrababu Naidu also held discussions with him on establishing solar, telecommunication, and food processing units in the state. Andhra to constitute special task force on industrial development Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! When Priyanka Chopra Jonas mocked her own accent I ndian actress Priyanka Chopra had once mocked her own accent and said that it changes like every two days. A resurfaced video of Priyanka shows the actress discussing that when she gets angry, she starts "thinking in Hindi". "When I get made, whatever it might be at anything. I think in Hindi. Anyway my accent changes like every two days right." She then quipped: "When the flight goes up my accent changes. Air France vous-la-vous... So, it doesn't matter. So, my accent keeps changing so often it is hard for me to keep up with it." The actress shared an observation her husband and popstar Nick Jonas made. "So, apparently this is an observation my husband has made. Whenever I get angry when my accent becomes so Indian that he cannot understand. ... He physically changes my direction and says 'talk to the wall' when you are willing to have a conversation then move like that." On Friday, wished her brother-in-law, Joe Jonas, whom she referred to as the "coolest cat in town," on his 35th birthday. Priyanka posted a picture featuring her, her husband Nick Jonas, and Joe. In the image, Priyanka is seen wrapped around Nick's arm, while Joe smiles at the camera for a pose. For the caption, she wrote: "Happiest birthday to the coolest cat in town." Joe got married to English actress Sophie Turner in 2019. In 2023, the two filed for divorce. They have two daughters. Meanwhile, Priyanka wrapped up shooting for "The Bluff," a swashbuckler film helmed by Frank E. Flowers. The film was being shot in Australia. It also features popular names such as Karl Urban, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Safia Oakley-Green, and Vedanten Naidoo. "The Bluff" will have Priyanka playing an ex-pirate who protects her family when her past catches up with her. When Priyanka Chopra Jonas mocked her own accent Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Dispatch: Epidemiology of Lyme Disease Diagnoses among Older Adults, United States, 20162019. Image Credit: KPixMining / Shutterstock The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in association with the University of Iowa, USA, has conducted an epidemiological study to determine the incidence rate of Lyme disease among older adults in the United States. The study is published in the CDCs Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. Background Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne bacterial infection caused by a species of Borrelia bacteria that spreads to humans by the bite of infected black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis). The main symptoms are fever, headache, fatigue, and a specific type of skin rash called erythema migrans. While Lyme disease can present with a characteristic erythema migrans rash, it can also lead to severe complications if left untreated, including facial nerve paralysis, arthritis, and even heart rhythm irregularities. In the United States, Lyme disease most commonly occurs in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper-Midwest regions. Previous studies estimating the prevalence of the disease have used employer-sponsored insurance claims data to quantify the disease diagnoses. However, this type of data does not include information on individuals aged 65 years and above who exhibit higher susceptibility to Lyme disease than their younger peers. In this study, scientists have determined the incidence of Lyme disease among older adults in the United States using Medicare fee-for-service data that includes information on individuals aged 65 years and above. Life Cycle of Tick bug with its common hosts and human with Lyme Disease. Image Credit: Crystal Eye Studio / Shutterstock Study design The study analyzed Medicare fee-for-service data together with drug treatment data to identify Lyme disease diagnoses among individuals aged 65 years and above. The data collected during 2016 2019 was included in the analysis. The Medicare fee-for-service study population was compared with the 2019 US Census estimation data for individuals aged 65 years and above to ensure that the two groups were age-, sex-, race-, ethnicity- and region-matched. Lyme disease diagnoses identified in the Medicare fee-for-service data were compared with the confirmed and probable cases among individuals aged 65 years and above obtained through national surveillance. However, the study also notes certain limitations, such as slight differences between the Medicare fee-for-service population and the U.S. Census population regarding race, ethnicity, and sex. These differences, though small, were stable throughout the study period. Important observations The Medicare fee-for-service population included in the study was estimated to have a median of 17,872,466 person-years during the study period, as compared to the US Census population of 51,561,372 individuals aged 65 years and above. Person-years refer to the number of years for which persons contribute data. The proportion of individuals from neighboring high-incidence states was higher in the Medicare population than in the US Census population. Incidence of Lyme disease A total of 88,485 Lyme disease cases were identified in the Medicare population during the 2016-2019 study period. This corresponded to an average incidence of 123.5 diagnoses per 100,000 person-years. The total number of Lyme disease cases reported through public health surveillance during the same period was 34,183. This corresponded to an average incidence of 16.6 cases per 100,000 persons. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a bullseye rash. Approximately 82% of Lyme disease cases were identified among individuals residing in high-incidence states. The median incidence of Lyme disease diagnoses was 346.9 per 100,000 person-years among residents of high-incidence states, 35.3 per 100,000 person-years among residents of states or jurisdictions neighboring high-incidence states, and 29.4 per 100,000 person-years among residents of low-incidence states. Public health surveillance data revealed that about 93% of Lyme disease cases were among residents of high-incidence states. The median incidence of these cases was 57.1 per 100,000 persons among residents of high-incidence states, 3.6 per 100,000 persons among residents of states or jurisdictions neighboring high-incidence states, and 0.6 per 100,000 persons among residents of low-incidence states. The majority of Lyme disease diagnoses occurred in the summer months. Among residents of low-incidence states, a large proportion of disease diagnoses occurred in winter months. According to Medicare and surveillance data, the majority of Lyme disease cases were identified among men. In high-incidence states, men had the highest incidence of Lyme disease for all age groups. In low-incidence states, women had a slightly higher incidence than men only in the 6569-year age group and 7579-year age group. Antibiotics like doxycycline are effective treatments. Study significance The study identified more than 88,000 adults aged 65 years and above diagnosed and treated with Lyme disease during 2016 2019 in the United States. Most Lyme disease cases have been identified among residents of high-incidence states. The study reports a 7-fold higher incidence of Lyme disease diagnoses compared to that reported through public health surveillance. These findings are similar to the findings reported in previous claims analyses. The study also acknowledges the issue of overdiagnosis, which may partly explain the differences observed between the Medicare data and public health surveillance data. Overdiagnosis has been reported in other analyses and may contribute to the higher incidence rates observed in this older population. A variation in Lyme disease seasonality has been observed when Medicare fee-for-service data is compared with surveillance data. Some differences in gender-specific disease susceptibility have also been observed when this study is compared with previous claims analyses. In previous claims analyses, male children have shown higher susceptibility to Lyme disease in both high- and low-incidence states. In contrast, male older adults have shown higher susceptibility in high-incidence states. Overall, the study findings add insight into Lyme disease patterns unique to this older population in the United States. A first-of-its-kind study led by Lawson Health Research Institute is receiving $1.2 million in funding from the federal government, delivered through the Veteran Homelessness Program, to better understand homelessness amongst women in Canada who are military Veterans. This is an important and yet often invisible problem. This is the first Canadian study to focus exclusively on women Veterans' experience of homelessness. Gender matters, especially when we're talking about female Veterans who are homeless. If they've experienced sexual trauma or abuse or have children, and the only Veteran housing available is a group setting for men, that will be an issue." Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Lawson Assistant Scientific Director based at St. Joseph's Health Care London's Parkwood Institute and the study lead Dr. Forchuk and her team have begun travelling to cities and towns across Canada to conduct interviews with female Veterans experiencing homelessness or who have previously experienced homelessness. They will gather data such as demographics, history of housing and homelessness, and services accessed. The team will also host focus groups with homeless- and Veteran-serving agency staff. The locations have been selected in partnership with The Royal Canadian Legion and other Veteran-serving groups, focusing on areas with pockets of female Veterans experiencing homelessness. "We will also explore the pathways and experiences of homelessness, what barriers are faced, what has been helpful and what future services should focus on," adds Dr. Forchuk. "This study is a vital step towards addressing the unique challenges faced by female Veterans experiencing homelessness," says Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for London North Centre on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. "By investing in research like this, we are making significant progress in understanding and improving the support systems for this population, contributing to the federal government's efforts to end homelessness among Veterans." "This significant investment reflects our dedication to addressing the issue of homelessness among female Veterans," says Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West. "By supporting this pioneering study, we aim to uncover the specific barriers they face and develop targeted solutions that honour their service and ensure they receive the support they deserve." The goal of the four-year study is to ensure there is accurate data to inform gender-specific interventions and guidelines for policy, practice and care of female Veterans. Canadian Armed Forces Veterans make up a disproportionate percentage of those experiencing homelessness according to a 2018 report. "It is clear that the circumstances surrounding this particular subset of our Veteran population are not well enough understood," says Carolyn Hughes, Director of Veterans Services with The Royal Canadian Legion. "It is our hope that this project will help fill in some of those blanks and at the same time, further enlighten all of us who serve Veterans, so that we may provide even more timely and focused assistance when and where it's needed most." St. Joseph's Parkwood Institute has an embedded legacy of Veterans' care, having originally been a Veterans' hospital and now hosting a Veterans' inpatient centre, the Operational Stress Injury (OSI) Clinic, as well as the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research and Innovation Centre. The research centre is recognized as Canada's leader in mental health research dedicated to enhancing the lives and wellbeing of military personnel, Veterans and their families. The directors of the centre are co-investigators on the study. Bottom line: Patients with liver cancer who received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) before surgery-;including those who would not have been eligible for surgery by conventional criteria-;had similar outcomes to patients who received surgery upfront, according to results from a retrospective study. Journal in which the study was published: Cancer Research Communications, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Author: Mari Nakazawa, MD, first author of the study and a clinical research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center; and Mark Yarchoan, MD, senior author of the study and an associate professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Background: While immunotherapy has become a mainstay for the treatment of advanced or metastatic liver cancer, the primary curative treatment modality for patients with early-stage disease is surgery alone. Only around 30% of patients are eligible for surgical resection due to factors such as tumor size, proximity to critical structures, the presence of multiple tumor foci, and safety concerns, explained Nakazawa. She added that even patients who receive curative intent surgery often experience a recurrence. "There's a strong unmet need to expand the number of patients who may be eligible for surgery and, further, to transform more patients with early-stage liver cancer into long-term survivors of this disease," Nakazawa said. Studies from other cancers have shown that neoadjuvant immunotherapy may mitigate some high-risk features and help unresectable tumors meet the eligibility criteria for surgery. It may also help the immune system destroy micrometastases, thereby preventing distant recurrences later. The authors hypothesized that neoadjuvant ICI therapy may help make surgery safer and more effective in patients with high-risk, localized liver cancer. How the study was conducted: Nakazawa, Yarchoan, and colleagues retrospectively examined outcomes from 92 patients who underwent resection for hepatocellular carcinoma at Johns Hopkins from 2017 to 2023. This included 36 patients who received neoadjuvant ICI therapy, many of whom were treated under clinical trial protocols assessing the feasibility and efficacy of immunotherapy prior to surgery. Prior to receipt of immunotherapy, 61.1% of these patients would not have been candidates for curative surgery based on traditional surgical resection criteria. Results: Compared with patients who received surgery upfront, patients who received neoadjuvant ICIs more commonly exhibited high-risk disease features, including high serum alpha fetoprotein, tumors larger than 5 cm, portal vein invasion, and multiple tumor foci. High-risk features have previously been associated with worse outcomes. In this study, however, patients who received neoadjuvant ICIs-;who may have been expected to have worse outcomes due to high-risk features-;had comparable outcomes to patients who received upfront surgery. Among those who received neoadjuvant ICIs, 94.4% underwent successful margin-negative surgical resection, and the median recurrence-free survival was 44.8 months, compared to 49.3 months among those treated with upfront surgery. The median overall survival was not reached in either cohort. Author's comments: "This study shows that the criteria by which we classify patients as being candidates for curative therapy is probably too narrow for this disease," Yarchoan said. The authors emphasized that these findings are retrospective and intended to be hypothesis generating, but they believe these data set a promising stage for future research. "Prospective trials that are thoughtfully designed in the right populations can help us understand which patients can benefit most from this approach," Nakazawa said. "Our findings demonstrate that systemic therapy may not only be useful for patients with advanced disease but can potentially be paradigm changing in patients with early-stage disease," Yarchoan added. "There is a group of patients with high-risk liver cancer who, in a contemporary era, may have long-term survival through aggressive treatment with systemic therapy followed by surgery." Study limitations: Limitations of this study include its retrospective, single-institution nature with a relatively small sample size. Further, as the study cohort was compiled from patients treated in several different clinical trials, as well as those who underwent upfront surgery as the standard of care, factors such as baseline disease characteristics, the duration of neoadjuvant immunotherapy (if received), use of locoregional therapies, and receipt of adjuvant immunotherapy differed between patients. Funding & disclosures: Funding for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the Lou and Nancy Grasmick Fellowship, the Linda Rubin Pancreatic Cancer Fellowship, and the James and Frances McGlothlin Fellows to Faculty Award. Yarchoan is a co-founder with equity of Adventris Pharmaceuticals; has received consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Exelixis, Genentech, Replimune, Hepion, and Lantheus; and has received research funding through Johns Hopkins from Bristol Myers Squibb, Exelixis, Incyte, and Genentech. In 2016, medical device giant Abbott issued a recall for its MitraClip cardiac device "a Class I recall, the most serious type," the FDA said. "Use of this device may cause serious injuries or death," an FDA notice about the recall said. But neither the manufacturer nor the FDA actually recalled the device or suspended its use. They allowed doctors to continue implanting the clips in leaky heart valves in what has become a common procedure. In a notice, the manufacturer explained, "Abbott is not removing product from commercial distribution." Rather, Abbott revised instructions for use and required doctors who implant the clips to undergo training. When it comes to medical devices, recalls can include not only "removals," in which the device is removed from where it is used or sold, but also "corrections," which address the problem in the field for instance, by repairing, adjusting, relabeling, or inspecting a device. "It's very oxymoronic," said Rita Redberg, a cardiologist at the University of California-San Francisco and former editor-in-chief of the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. "A recall makes it sound like it's recalled. But that is not actually what it means." Though the FDA and federal regulations call these actions recalls, they might be described more aptly as "non-recalls." And they have happened repeatedly in recent years. For instance, in addition to other Abbott devices, products made by Medtronic, Abiomed, and Getinge have had recalls that left them in use. Safeguarding the public Recalls that leave what the FDA identifies as potentially dangerous products in the marketplace can raise the question: Do they do enough to protect the public? There are other ways to handle recalls. In announcements about products as varied as crib bumpers, pool drain covers, bicycle helmets, and coffee mugs, the Consumer Product Safety Commission routinely alerts consumers to stop using recalled products and contact the manufacturers for refunds, repairs, or replacements. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regularly advises consumers to bring recalled cars back to the dealer to have them fixed. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the FDA announce food recalls, they routinely tell consumers to return or discard the food. In some cases, a medical device that is the subject of a recall can be kept on the market safely because there is a simple fix, said Sanket Dhruva, a cardiologist and an associate professor at UCSF who has studied FDA oversight of devices. In other cases, recalls that don't remove devices from the market can provide unwarranted reassurance and leave the public at risk, Dhruva said. From 2019 through 2023, there were 338 Class I medical device recalls, 164 of which were corrections and 174 of which were removals, FDA spokesperson Amanda Hils said. Some products undergo recall after recall while they remain on the market. Products in the MitraClip line have been the subject of three rounds of recalls, none of which removed devices from use. "When deciding whether a recall warrants device removal from the field, the FDA considers the frequency and severity of adverse events, effectiveness of the corrective actions that have been executed, and the benefits and risks of preserving patient access to the device," FDA spokesperson Audra Harrison said. Where recalled devices have already been implanted, "removal" doesn't necessarily mean removing them from patients' bodies. "When an implanted device has the potential to fail unexpectedly, companies often tell doctors to contact their patients to discuss the risk of removing the device compared to the risk of leaving it in place," the FDA website says. The FDA allowed the recalled MitraClip devices to remain in use "because the agency believed that the overall benefits of the device continued to outweigh the risks and the firm's recall strategy was appropriate and adequate," Harrison said. The FDA reviews the recall strategies that manufacturers propose and often provides input to ensure the public will be protected, Hils said. The agency also monitors the effectiveness of recalls and, before terminating them, makes sure the strategy was carried out, Hils said. Abbott, the maker of MitraClip, said the device has been proven safe and effective "based on more than 20 years of clinical evidence and has profoundly improved the lives of people living with mitral regurgitation," a condition in which blood flows backward through the heart's mitral valve. The condition can lead to heart failure and death. "With MitraClip, we're addressing the needs of people with MR who often have no other options," company spokesperson Brent Tippen said. Speaking of the MitraClip recalls, Redberg said, "So hard to imagine these are effective actions in protecting patients." In 2021, for Medtronic's StealthStation S7 cranial software, the company and the FDA sent a different message. StealthStation is an elaborate system of screens and other equipment that guides neurosurgeons using instruments in the brain for instance, to biopsy or cut out tumors. Drawing from CT scans, MRIs, and other imaging, it's meant to show the location of the surgical instruments. In connection with a Class I November 2021 recall, the FDA website said potential inaccuracies in a biopsy depth gauge could result in "life-threatening injury (such as hemorrhage, unintended tissue damage, or permanent neurological injury), which could lead to death." The FDA website explained what Medtronic was doing about it. "The recalling firm will provide a warning and instructional placard to be applied to impacted systems," the website said. "Until a software update is available, ensure you are following the instructions below to prevent the issue from occurring," it advised doctors. In a statement to KFF Health News, Medtronic spokesperson Erika Winkels said the safety and well-being of patients is the company's primary concern, and certain issues "can be safely and effectively remedied with a correction on site." Richard Everson, a neurosurgeon and an assistant professor at UCLA, noted that the 2021 recall allowed doctors to continue using unaffected StealthStation features, a benefit for patients and facilities depending on them. "But, I mean, then you could ask, 'Well, why don't they just disable the view [of the brain] that's bugged?'" Everson said. "Why would they give you the option of looking at an inaccurate one?" "That's kind of a strange solution," he said. The FDA lists the 2021 recall as still open, explaining "not all products have been corrected or removed." That recall was not the last word on problems with StealthStation. Since then, the manufacturer has submitted adverse event reports to the FDA describing trouble in cases involving various versions of StealthStation. In a September 2022 case, guidance provided by a StealthStation device was allegedly off the mark, a procedure was aborted, and, when the patient awoke, they "had almost no speech for two days," according to a Medtronic report. In the report, Medtronic said there was "insufficient information to determine the relationship of the software to the reported issue." In a February 2024 case, after brain surgery, an MRI found that the operation "missed the tumor" and that other tissue was removed instead, according to a report Medtronic submitted to the FDA. In the report, Medtronic said that when a company representative tested the system, it performed as intended. In March 2024, Medtronic recalled versions of StealthStation S8 without removing them from hospitals. The company said at the time that it would provide a software update. "Software updates are available to correct the anomalies identified in the 2021 S7 and 2024 S8 recalls and are actively being deployed," Medtronic's Winkels told KFF Health News in a July email. "While the software updates for the 2021 S7 recall are complete in the US, they remain ongoing in some international regions." In June 2023, Abiomed issued an urgent medical device correction for its Impella 2.5 intravascular micro axial blood pump, which supports the heart. In patients with a certain type of replacement heart valve, there was a risk of "destruction of the impeller blades," which could cause "low flow" and "embolization of the fractured impeller material," an entry on the FDA website said. "Clinicians are cautioned to position the Impella system carefully in patients," the FDA website said, among other instructions. The updated instructions "provide technical guidance to mitigate the risk of rare complications," Abiomed spokesperson Ryan Carbain said. There were no product removals and no reports of adverse events "related to product design or manufacturing," Carbain said. Another set of medical devices, Cardiosave Hybrid and Rescue Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps made by Getinge of Sweden, have failed persistently, according to FDA records. The devices which are placed in the aorta, a major artery, to assist the heart were the subject of eight Class I recalls from December 2022 to July 2023. All were corrections rather than removals, a KFF Health News analysis found. In a May 2024 letter to health care providers, the FDA said that, in the previous 12 months, it had received almost 3,000 adverse event reports related to the balloon pumps. It was referring to reports of malfunctions and cases in which the products might have caused or contributed to a death or injury. Of those, 15 reportedly involved serious injury or death, the FDA said. During the summer of 2023, the FDA noted that "alternative treatments are limited" and said the devices could continue to be used. But, in May, the FDA changed its stance. The agency advised health care facilities to "transition away from these devices and seek alternatives, if possible." "These recommendations are based on our continued concerns" that the manufacturer "has not sufficiently addressed the problems and risks with these recalled devices." Getinge sent KFF Health News written answers from Elin Frostehav, the company's president of Acute Care Therapies. "There is no question that we would have liked to have solved these issues in full much earlier," she said. As a result of the FDA's May action, the company "immediately paused proactive marketing" of the balloon pumps in the United States, and it is selling them only to customers who have no alternatives, Frostehav said. "We are working with the agency to finalize remediation and product update solutions," Frostehav said. 'Known possible complications' Abbott's MitraClip system includes tiny clips implanted in the heart's mitral valve and the equipment used to implant them. The apparatus features a steering mechanism with hand controls and a catheter that is threaded through a major vein, typically from an incision in the groin, to place one or more clips in the heart. Worldwide, more than 200,000 people have been treated with MitraClip, according to an Abbott website. The 2016 MitraClip recall described cases in which "the user was unable to separate the implantable Clip from the delivery system." In a news release at the time, Abbott said it had "received a small number of reports" in which that happened. Those cases "resulted in surgical interventions to remove the delivery system or replace the mitral valve, and it is expected that any future similar incidents would also require surgery to correct the problem," the FDA said in a 2016 notice. "There was one patient death in these cases as a result of severe comorbidities following surgery." Years later, something similar happened. In February 2021, a clip was implanted in an 81-year-old patient but the doctor couldn't separate the clip from the delivery system, according to a report Abbott filed with the FDA. The patient was transferred to surgery, where the delivery system "had to be cut down in order to detach the clip." The patient then underwent an operation to replace the mitral valve, and, hours later, the patient was brought back to surgery to address bleeding, the report said. The patient "coded" the next day and died from an aortic bleed, the report said. In the report to the FDA, the manufacturer blamed "case-specific circumstances." "Cardiac arrest, hemorrhage and death are listed" in the device instructions "as known possible complications associated with mitraclip procedures," the company said. "There is no indication of a product issue with respect to manufacture, design or labeling." The third MitraClip recall, initiated in September 2022, cited an "increase in clip locking malfunctions." Most of the reported malfunctions were not associated with adverse outcomes, the FDA said then. Treatment with MitraClip "remains within the anticipated risk levels," the company told customers. As with the two earlier recalls, the third advised doctors to follow the device's instructions. But the 2022 recall identified a contributing factor: the way the device was made. "Abbott has identified a contributing cause as a change in the material properties of one of the Clip locking components," the company said in a 2022 letter to customers. "Abbott is working on producing new lots with updated manufacturing processing and raw material," the company wrote. In the same letter, Abbott told doctors that, in the meantime, they could use the devices they had in stock. Six days later, a clip opened while locked and a patient died, according to a report the manufacturer submitted to the FDA. "There is no evidence that death was related to the device but it was likely related to the procedure," Abbott wrote. Now, almost two years later, the 2022 recall remains open, according to the FDA website, and "not all products have been corrected or removed." KFF Health News data editor Holly K. Hacker contributed to this report. If you've had an experience with a medical device and would like to tell KFF Health News about it, click here to contact our reporting team. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR). Dr Tedros's declaration came on the advice of an IHR Emergency Committee of independent experts who met earlier in the day to review data presented by experts from WHO and affected countries. The Committee informed the Director-General that it considers the upsurge of mpox to be a PHEIC, with the potential to spread further across African countries and possibly outside the continent. The Director-General will share the report of the Committee's meeting and, based on the Committee's advice, issue temporary recommendations to countries. In declaring the PHEIC, Dr. Tedros said, "The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and reporting cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it's clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives." WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said, "Significant efforts are already underway in close collaboration with communities and governments, with our country teams working on the frontlines to help reinforce measures to curb mpox. With the growing spread of the virus, we're scaling up further through coordinated international action to support countries bring the outbreaks to an end." Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina said, "The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe. Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself." This PHEIC determination is the second in two years relating to mpox. Caused by an Orthopoxvirus, mpox was first detected in humans in 1970 in the DRC. The disease is considered endemic to countries in Central and West Africa. In July 2022, the multi-country outbreak of mpox was declared a PHEIC as it spread rapidly via sexual contact across a range of countries where the virus had not been seen before. That PHEIC was declared over in May 2023 after there had been a sustained decline in global cases. Mpox has been reported in the DRC for more than a decade, and the number of cases reported each year has increased steadily over that period. Last year, reported cases increased significantly, and already, the number of cases reported so far this year has exceeded last year's total, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths. The emergence and rapid spread last year of a new virus strain in DRC, clade 1b, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, and its detection in countries neighboring the DRC are especially concerning and one of the main reasons for the declaration of the PHEIC. In the past month, over 100 laboratory-confirmed cases of clade 1b have been reported in four countries neighboring the DRC that have not reported mpox before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Experts believe the true number of cases is higher as many clinically compatible cases have not been tested. Several outbreaks of different clades of mpox have occurred in different countries, with varying modes of transmission and various levels of risk. The two vaccines currently in use for mpox are recommended by WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization and approved by WHO-listed national regulatory authorities and individual countries, including Nigeria and the DRC. Last week, the Director-General triggered the process for Emergency Use Listing for mpox vaccines. This will accelerate vaccine access for lower-income countries that have not yet issued their own national regulatory approval. Emergency Use Listing also enables partners, including Gavi and UNICEF, to procure vaccines for distribution. WHO is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers on potential vaccine donations and coordinating with partners through the interim Medical Countermeasures Network to facilitate equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other tools. WHO anticipates an immediate funding requirement of an initial US$15 million to support surveillance, preparedness, and response activities. A needs assessment is being undertaken across the organization's three levels. To allow for an immediate scale-up, WHO has released US$1.45 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies and may need to release more in the coming days. The Organization appeals to donors to fund the full extent of the mpox response's needs. But what if a mouthwash-based test to detect biomarkers can help physicians predict disease recurrence in head and neck cancer patients? That futuristic scenario seems closer to reality after a new study by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, UC San Diego Health and collaborating cancer centers. Their findings, published on August 15th, 2024 in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, could improve how physicians predict and detect recurrence with these cancers. Our study suggests biomarker detection in saliva collected from an oral rinse after initial treatment offers potential to readily assess recurrence risk. Elevated levels of either of two biomarkers were associated with disease return." Elizabeth Franzmann, MD, Study Co-Corresponding Author, Professor and Director, Head and Neck Research, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami Men more susceptible Head and neck cancers account for nearly 4% of all cancers in the U.S. and are more commonly diagnosed in people over age 50, according to the National Cancer Institute. Men are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Primary treatment options include surgery and radiation, which can affect speech, swallowing and appearance, severely affecting a patient's quality of life. These effects can be even worse after recurrence. Moreover, recurrence is not always easy to catch. "It can be very difficult to determine if what you're observing is just post-treatment changes or a cancer recurrence," explained Joseph Califano III, MD, director of UC San Diego's Hanna and Mark Gleiberman Head and Neck Cancer Center and the study's co-corresponding author. "Good biomarkers could help remove some of the guesswork." Franzmann, whose research lab is focused on finding an inexpensive, noninvasive screening test for these cancers, emphasized the importance of early recurrence detection. "These patients suffer terribly," she said. "The more we can minimize those effects by catching recurrence early, the better we can mitigate patient morbidity and mortality." Assessing recurrence risk Previously, Franzmann and her team had studied how biomarkers in oral rinses can assess a person's risk for developing oral or oropharyngeal tumors, the most common types of head and neck cancers. They found a link with two key biomarkers CD44, a tumor-initiating molecule, and total protein levels. In this new study, the researchers studied whether those two biomarkers could predict recurrence in already-diagnosed patients. Their clinical trial evaluated the effects of CD44 and total protein levels in 160-plus patients across multiple cancer centers. Patients were provided oral-rinse samples for use up to 18 months after their initial treatment. To measure biomarker presence, the researchers used laboratory tests and experimental lateral-flow tests, technology similar to stick-based pregnancy and COVID-19 tests. "Our laboratory assays showed an association between biomarker levels and later recurrence," Franzmann said. "Compared to patients with normal protein levels three months after treatment, patients with about twice as much total protein had an estimated 65% greater risk of recurrence." She added that patients with CD44 levels that were triple the normal level had an estimated 62% percent greater recurrence risk. Focus on rapid tests The study also generated early data on a rapid, point-of-care test to measure these biomarkers, with the findings expected to help hasten its development. "It would be really useful if we had a test that was inexpensive and could be performed and resulted while the patient was in the office," said Franzmann. "That's the area we are focusing on." She and collaborators noted that although additional research is needed, biomarkers show great promise for refining risk prediction in patients with head and neck cancers. Better risk prediction, in turn, has the potential to save lives by reducing the need for harsh, invasive treatments. Thanks is extended to Vigilant Biosciences for their contribution to this work. Study: Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging. Image Credit: tomertu / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers in Singapore and the United States conducted comprehensive profiling of a longitudinal cohort (n = 108) using next-generation multi-omics techniques to reveal the nonlinear dynamics of human aging. The study cohort comprised individuals residing in California between the ages of 25 and 75, followed up for up to 6.8 years (median = 1.7 years). The study revealed that only 6.6% of molecular markers showed linear age-associated changes, whereas a substantial 81% exhibited nonlinear patterns, highlighting the complexity of the aging process. Molecular markers analyzed during the study revealed that human aging is not a linear process, with chronological ages of around 44 and 60 demonstrating dramatic dysregulation of specific biological pathways, such as alcohol and lipid metabolism during the 40-year transition and carbohydrate metabolism and immune regulation during the 60-year transition. These findings provide unprecedented insights into the pathways (both biological and molecular) associated with human aging and present a significant leap in identifying therapeutic interventions against age-associated chronic diseases. a, The demographics of the 108 participants in the study are presented. b, Sample collection and multi-omics data acquisition of the cohort. Four types of biological samples were collected, and 10 types of omics data were acquired. Background Aging is defined as the time-related deterioration of physiological functions associated with health and survival. Decades of research have identified that these physiological changes strongly correspond with the risk and incidence of chronic diseases, including diabetes, neurodegeneration, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Recent research using next-generation, system-level, high-throughput omics technologies suggests that, unlike previously believed, aging is not a linear process. The study utilized techniques such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiome analysis to uncover the complexity of aging at a molecular level. Specific chronological ages may serve as thresholds corresponding to significant nonlinear metabolism rates and molecular profile alternations. For example, both neurological diseases and CVDs are known to demonstrate substantial spikes in population-level prevalence at ~40 and ~60 years. Unfortunately, despite this relatively novel knowledge, the literature has hitherto mainly investigated the biology of aging with the assumption that aging is a linear process. This approach has potentially masked mechanistic insights essential for developing therapeutic interventions against age-related diseases, hindering the quest for extended human lifespans and healthier old ages. About the study The present study aims to address this gap in the literature by using a battery of deep multi-omics profiling technologies to investigate the specific alternations in biological and molecular pathways associated with different adult age groups. The study was conducted on a cohort of healthy adult volunteers from California, United States (US), between the ages of 25 and 75. Participants were eligible for the study if they lacked a clinical history of chronic diseases, including anemia, CVD, cancer, psychiatric illness, or bariatric surgery. Baseline data collection included a modified insulin suppression test, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test, and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) test to establish participants' insulin sensitivity, diabetes, and average glucose levels, respectively. Furthermore, participants' body mass indices (BMIs) were recorded at study enrolment and follow-up. "5,405 biological samples (including 1,440 blood samples, 926 stool samples, 1,116 skin swab samples, 1,001 oral swab samples and 922 nasal swab samples) were collected. 135,239 biological features (including 10,346 transcripts, 302 proteins, 814 metabolites, 66 cytokines, 51 clinical laboratory tests, 846 lipids, 52,460 gut microbiome taxons, 8,947 skin microbiome taxons, 8,947 oral microbiome taxons and 52,460 nasal microbiome taxons) were acquired, resulting in 246,507,456,400 data points." The battery of multi-omics tests comprised seven distinct evaluations, namely 1. transcriptomics (using RNA extracted from flash-frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs]), 2. proteomics (using liquid chromatography of participants' plasma samples), 3. untargeted metabolomics (using plasma-derived metabolite profiles generated via reverse-phase liquid chromatography [RPLC] and hydrophilic interaction chromatography [HILIC]), 4. cytokine data (derived from Luminex-based multiplex assays of participants' plasma), 5. plasma lipidomics (using differential mobility spectrometry), 6. microbiome analysis (using genomic sequencing of participants' stool, skin, oral, and nasal samples), and 7. standard clinical laboratory tests (metabolic panel, complete blood counts, kidney and liver panels, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP], etc.). Study findings The included study cohort comprised 108 participants (51.9% female) between the ages of 25 and 75 (median 55.7). Participants were sampled for multi-omics data every 3-6 months (median follow-up period = 1.7 years, maximum = 6.8 years). This rigorous longitudinal analysis allowed the researchers to capture both linear and nonlinear molecular changes associated with aging. Mulit-omics findings highlighted the importance of nonlinear approaches in characterizing biological aging by revealing that of the investigated molecules, only 6.6% demonstrated linear age-associated changes, while 81.0% demonstrated nonlinear patterns. a, Pathway enrichment and biological functional module analysis for crests 1 and 2. Dots and lines are color-coded by omics type. b, The overlapping of molecules between two crests and three clusters. Importantly, these molecular patterns were surprisingly consistent across all seven multi-omics investigations, suggesting that these changes have deep biological implications. A trajectory clustering analysis approach employed to group molecules by their temporal similarity revealed the presence of three distinct clusters (clusters 5, 2, and 4). The first comprised a mRNA and autophagy-associated transcriptomics module exhibiting a dramatic increase around 60 years of age. This pathway maintains cellular homeostasis and demonstrates increased aging-related disease risk. The second comprises a phenylalanine metabolism pathway encapsulating serum/plasma glucose and blood urea nitrogen, both of which substantially increase at around age 60, highlighting reduced kidney function and increased CVD risk. The third includes pathways related to caffeine metabolism and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, critical to cardiovascular health. To better elucidate peaks in microbiome and molecule dysregulation across the adult aging process, researchers employed a modified Differential Expression Sliding Window Analysis (DE-SWAN) algorithm. Analysis findings highlight the presence of two prominent peaks (crests) corresponding to ~40 and ~60 years, consistent across the full range of multi-omics profiles (particularly proteomics). Modules in the first peak were found to be strongly correlated with alcohol and lipid metabolism. In contrast, those in the second peak were strongly correlated with immune dysfunction, kidney function, and carbohydrate metabolism. Conclusions The present study highlights the highly nonlinear nature of the biological and molecular processes associated with human aging, as demonstrated by seven distinct multi-omics investigations. The study is noteworthy in that it additionally identifies specific patterns in the aging process that dramatically increase at around 40 and 60 years, corresponding to biologically meaningful dysregulation of alcohol and lipid metabolism (at ~40) and immune dysfunction, kidney performance, and carbohydrate metabolism (at ~60). "These comprehensive multi-omics data and the approach allow for a more nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in the aging process, which we think adds value to the existing body of research. However, further research is needed to validate and expand upon these findings, potentially incorporating larger cohorts to capture the full complexity of aging." Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: EC Cites J&K Security, Festivals, Rains For Not Announcing Maharashtra Polls The Election Commission on Friday said the Maharashtra Assembly elections will be announced later, citing the requirement of additional security forces for the Jammu and Kashmir polls and the packed festival season in the western state. Addressing a press conference here, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said heavy rains in Maharashtra has also led to delays in updation of the voters list in the state, which is considered as a crucial step in the electoral process. Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: EC Cites J&K Security, Festivals, Rains For Not Announcing Maharashtra Polls The Election Commission on Friday said the Maharashtra Assembly elections will be announced later, citing the requirement of additional security forces for the Jammu and Kashmir polls and the packed festival season in the western state. Addressing a press conference here, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said heavy rains in Maharashtra has also led to delays in updation of the voters list in the state, which is considered as a crucial step in the electoral process. Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: Nadda Says BJP Will Get 'Unwavering Trust, Overwhelming Support' From People Of Haryana Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday welcomed the announcement of assembly elections in Haryana, expressing confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will receive the unwavering trust and overwhelming support of the states people. In the last 10 years, the double engine government under the leadership of the respected Prime Minister Mr. @narendramodi ji has established new dimensions of development and public welfare in the state. The people of the state know that the Congress has no development agenda, Nadda said in a post on X. 10 @narendramodi Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) August 16, 2024 Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: Amit Shah Urges J&K Voters To Participate For Peace And Development In a social media post on X, Union Home minister Amit Shah wrote, I welcome the announcement of the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir made by the Election Commission of India today. He further stated, I appeal to the people of J&K to actively participate in the election and vote in large numbers to form a government that will sustain peace and development and ensure a brighter future for the youth. I welcome the announcement of the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir made by the Election Commission of India today. In the last 10 years, the Modi Govt through a series of relentless initiatives, has created a new era of peace, development and strengthening democracy in Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 16, 2024 Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: 'All Parties of J&K Want Statehood,' Says NC's Farooq Abdullah National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said, We want statehood, not only NC but all the parties of J&K want it. It is the Government of Indias promise that there will be complete statehood Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: 'If They Can't Do 4 Assemblies Together, Why Do They Give Hollow Slogans,' Says Cong's Pawan Khera We were expecting that dates for all four Assemblies will be announced because only yesterday we heard the Prime Minister loudly shouting that there should be One Nation, One Election. Now if they cant do four Assemblies together, then why do they give these hollow slogans? The expectation of the Congress is that we will win all four, two we will win in October and the other two, well win in December, said Congress leader Pawan Khera on Election Commission announcing dates for HaryanConga and Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: 'AAP Completely Ready for Assembly Polls in Haryana,' Says Atishi On the announcement of dates for the Assembly polls in J&K and Haryana, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi said, AAP party is completely ready for the Assembly polls in HaryanaWe are continuously holding public rallies and addressing and a large number of people are attending themArvind Kejriwal is the son of Haryana, so the people of Haryana have an emotional attachment to himAAP will strongly contest the elections in Haryana and will win itWhether there will be an alliance or not, will be decided after Arvind Kejriwal comes out of jailwe are planning everything for the polls in the state.We are happy that after 10 years (Assembly) elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: All You Need To Know About Poll Schedule For in Haryana PTI INFOGRAPHIC | All you need to know about the election schedule announced by the election commission for state polls in Haryana.#AssemblyElections2024 #HaryanaElections pic.twitter.com/yC3e61ISMe Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 16, 2024 Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: 'Announcement of Dates For Assembly Polls Worth Welcoming', Says BJP J&K In-charge BJP in-charge of Jammu & Kashmir, Tarun Chugh said, The announcement of dates of the Assembly Elections in J&K and Haryana is worth welcomingUnder the leadership of PM Modi and Union HM Amit Shah, Jammu and Kashmir has become free of Article 370. People have faith in PM Modi and J&K is moving forward. BJP will fight elections in J&K, people have immense faith in PM Modi and BJP will get the blessings of the public. Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE :'Der Aaye Durust Aaye,' Omar Abdullah Speaks On J&K's Poll Date Announcement On the Assembly polls in J&K scheduled to be held on Sept 18, 25 and October 1; Counting of votes on Oct 4, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said, Der aaye durust aaye. The Election Commission has announced the dates of the elections in three phases. The schedule will be over in a short time. After 1987-1988, this is the first time when the elections in J&K are being conducted in such a small number of phases. National Conference was ready for this day. We will begin our election campaign soon. Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: "Dont Want to Fight Elections But Party Wants Me to Fight,' Says Omar Abdullah While addressing the media, Omar Abdullah stated, I dont want to fight elections but party wants me to fight. We will speak and then decide. Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: 'Since 2018 J&K People Did'nt Have Own Govt,' Says Omar Abdullah Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah on Friday said that the ECI has announced assembly polls schedule. People of J&K have been waiting for long. Since 2018, people didnt have their own government and we have suffered, he further said. Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: Poll Body Urges Voters To Be Vigilant The Election Commission has urged voters to be vigilant and report malpractices. A vigilant and aware #Voter ! We have apps designed to facilitate all our stakeholders Report any kind of electoral malpractices #cVigil App. Voters can know about their candidates #KYC App Candidates can avail electoral facilities #Suvidha Portal#ECI pic.twitter.com/n6XS7kuebo Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 16, 2024 Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: List of Haryana Constituencies Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: List of 90 J&K Constituencies Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: Jammu And Kashmir Will Have Over 11,800 Polling Stations The poll body said over 11,800 Polling Stations will attract voters across rural and urban areas in Jammu and Kashmir. Secure, welcoming and peaceful #PollingStations Over 11,800 Polling Stations will attract voters across rural and urban areas in #J&K Average voters per PS is 735#ECI #J&KElections pic.twitter.com/vCeFZrpP8l Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 16, 2024 Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: Poll Body Says Haryana Will Vote In Single Phase From October 1 Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said Haryana will vote in single phase from October 1. Results will be declared on October 4. Schedule for Elections in #Haryana to be held in a single phase . Details in images pic.twitter.com/YerZLCvUTa Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 16, 2024 Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: J&K To Vote In 3 Phases From September 18 As EC Announces Full Schedule Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said Jammu and Kashmir will vote in three phases from September 18. Voting will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1. Results will be declared on October 4. In true spirit of keeping promises, here is a shorter electioneering period and in the best possible conducive weather. Schedule for Elections in J&K to be held in 3 phases : CEC Kumar pic.twitter.com/ck9tFVoFFD Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 16, 2024 Assembly Elections 2024 Dates LIVE: Poll Body Issues Directions To J&K Cops, Urges People to Stay Away From Fake News The poll body has issued clear instructions for police officials and district officials. Specific instructions were given to DEOs/SPs. Ensure level playing field Immediate and decisive action against illegitimate activities Real-time response to fake newsand false narratives pic.twitter.com/qYNxu7G2DN Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 16, 2024 The Election Commission (EC) is all set to announce the schedule for the Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana assembly elections at 3pm on Friday. The term of the legislative assembly of Haryana ends on November 3, while the poll panel plans to hold assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir before September 30 the deadline set by the Supreme Court. The Election Commission had also visited Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana recently to oversee the poll preparedness. Ahead of the announcement of the poll schedule, News18 takes a look at the key events that have transpired in J&K since 2018 when the Presidents Rule was imposed. THE TIMELINE December 20, 2018: Presidents Rule imposed in J&K while exercising powers under Article 356 of the Constitution. This was extended on July 3, 2019. August 5, 2019: Centre abrogates the provisions of Article 370 that bestowed special status on Jammu and Kashmir. It also announces the bifurcation of the state into Union Territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. August 6, 2019: First petition challenging the presidential order scrapping Article 370 filed by advocate ML Sharma, who was later joined by another lawyer from Jammu and Kashmir, Shakir Shabir. August 10, 2019: J&Ks National Conference (NC) files a petition contending that the changes brought in the status of the state had taken away the rights of its citizens without their mandate. August 24, 2019: The Press Council of India moves the Supreme Court, supporting the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir administrations decision to impose restrictions on communications. August 28, 2019: A bench headed by then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi referred the matter to a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court. September 19, 2019: Five-judge Constitution bench set up to hear pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370. March 2, 2020: On a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the Centres decision to abolish provisions of Article 370, the Supreme Court declined to refer the matter to a larger seven-judge bench. July 11, 2023: The apex court observed that it will commence day-to-day hearing from August 2. September 5, 2023: After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court reserved a verdict on 23 petitions in the matter after hearing them for a total of 16 days. December 11, 2023: The Supreme Court upheld the Centres decision to abolish Article 370. Also, it stated that steps should be taken to conduct assembly elections in the Union Territory by September 30, 2024. WHAT CHANGED IN J&K AFTER SCRAPPING OF SPECIAL STATUS? Jammu and Kashmir no longer has a separate flag, Constitution, or anthem. The citizens of J&K do not have dual citizenship and they will be citizens of India alone. The citizens of J&K now have fundamental rights guaranteed under the Indian Constitution, which was not the case earlier. All laws passed by Parliament are applicable in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Right to Information Act and the Right to Education Act. Any Indian citizen from any part of the country can buy property in the state and take a state government job and enjoy government provisions like scholarships and schemes. WHATS THE SITUATION NOW? Active militancy has been on the decline in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370. By 2021, terror incidents had plunged to a mere 26, signalling the governments resolute fight against terror. Stone-pelting incidents, which had once become the hallmark of Kashmir, are no longer associated with the Valley. In 2018, 1,767 incidents were reported which dropped to zero in 2023. Similarly, incidents of organised bandh/hartals dropped from 52 in 2018 to nil in 2023. While 199 terrorists were recruited in 2018, the figure was 12 in 2023. Incidents of cross-border infiltration also dropped from 141 in 2019 to 0 in the current year. The number of martyred security forces personnel has also seen a downward trend the numbers fell from 91 in 2018 to 42 in 2021. In 2018, 58 Hurriyat leaders were taken into custody. The number swelled to 70 in 2019 and then six in 2020. The security provided to Hurriyat leaders at the governments expense has been withdrawn and 82 bank accounts of separatists have been frozen. In June 2023, Home Minister Amit Shah had highlighted the all-round development in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and exhorted the youth of Kashmir to ensure that they carry pens and laptops instead of stones. There was a time when bomb blasts, strikes, and stone pelting were common in Kashmir. Today, Kashmiri youths are holding books and laptops in their hands. Equipped with new thinking, they are also challenging the youths of the world in the start-up space, the minister had said. In April this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the process of development and good governance in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 is to be seen to be believed. He said the people of the Union Territory have a new hope and are reaping the peace dividend. I would encourage you to visit Jammu and Kashmir to witness first-hand the sweeping positive changes happening on [the] ground. Do not go by what I or others tell you. I went to Jammu and Kashmir just last month. For the first time, people have a new hope in their lives. The process of development, good governance and empowerment of the people is to be seen to be believed, he told Newsweek. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced the schedule for legislative assembly elections for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. The voting for the legislative assembly in Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held in three phases, while Haryana will vote in a single phase. As per the announcement, the voters in Jammu and Kashmir will cast their votes on 18 September, 25 September, and third phase would take place on 1 October along with Haryana. The counting of the votes will take place on 4 October for both the states, announced chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar. The election body has directed the enforcement agencies to be impartial and transparent for a smooth and fair polling ensuring a level-playing field, the CEC said. Heres the complete schedule for Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls: Issue of notification: 20 August, 29 August, 5 September Last date of notification: 27 August, 5 September, 12 September Scrutiny of nomination: 28 August, 6 September, 13 September Last date of withdrawal of candidature: 30 August, 9 September, 17 September Date of poll: 18 September, 25 September, 1 October Results: 4 October As per CEC Kumar, Jammu and Kashmir has 87.09 lakh voters, including 42.6 lakh women, across 90 constituencies. Among these 90 assembly constituencies, 74 are general, 7-SC and 9-ST. There will be a total of 87.09 lakh voters, of which 44.46 lakh are males, 42.62 lakh are females, 3.71 lakh are first-time voters and 20.7 lakh are young voters. Assembly elections were last held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014. In 2019, the Modi government bifurcated the erstwhile state into 2 Union Territories Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The special status granted to the erstwhile state under Article 370 was revoked. Since 2019, the Union Territory has been under the rule of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. In December last year, the Supreme Court directed the central government to conclude the election process in the Union territory by September 30, 2024. Heres the complete schedule for Haryana assembly polls: Issue of notification: 5 September Last date of notification: 12 September Scrutiny of nomination: 13 September Last date of withdrawal of candidature: 16 September Date of poll: 1 October Results: 4 October In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP formed the government in alliance with Dushyant Chautalas JJP in the 90-member assembly by winning 40 seats and JJP winning 10 seats. BJPs Manohar Lal Khattar was sworn in as the chief minister with Chautala as his deputy. The Congress won 31 seats and seven seats were secured by Independents. The BJP-JJP alliance broke earlier this year amid differences over seat-sharing for the general election. The term of the Haryana legislative assembly ends on November 3. The creation of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir was announced in August 2019 and officially came into existence in October 2019. The last time the erstwhile state witnessed assembly polls was in November-December 2014. The seats in the J&K assembly have been vacant since 2018. Finally, on Friday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced dates for polls in the UT. J&K will see polling in three phases, starting from September 18, covering 24 constituencies. The second phase, for 26 seats, will be held on September 25, and the third, covering 40 seats, on October 1. The counting of votes will be done on October 4. The elections will be completed before October 6. But why exactly were the elections not held all these years? Heres a timeline of what happened in the erstwhile state that converted into a UT in 2019. 2014 assembly elections The former state saw elections in 2014. It was a split verdict. The magic figure of 44 was not crossed by any party. When the elections were announced, Omar Abdullah was the chief minister. He resigned from the post on December 24, 2014, but continued to be the caretaker CM until January 2015. The then-ruling party, National Conference, won 15 seats and the Peoples Democratic Party emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats. The BJP got 25 seats and Congress just 12 in the House of 87 members. Eventually, Governors Rule was imposed that continued for 49 days until PDP leader late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took charge with the help of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He assumed office on March 1, 2015, but died on January 7, 2016. The state again went under Governors Rule between January 8 and April 4 in 2016 until his daughter Mehbooba Mufti became the chief minister with the help of the BJP. In 2018, the BJP pulled out of the ruling alliance, resulting in the first female CM of the state having to quit in June 2018. Once again, J&K saw Governors Rule and in November 2018 the assembly was dissolved. Then Presidents Rule was imposed from December 2019 for six months. As per the Constitution, Presidents Rule has to be renewed every six months by Parliament, and it can be revoked by the President at any time. In July 2019, Presidents Rule in Jammu and Kashmir was extended for another six months. In August 2019, the Centre brought the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill to restructure the state into two separate union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, where J&K would have an assembly and Ladakh would not. Post-2019 The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was implemented in 2019. Before that, there were 107 assembly seats in the state, including 24 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Delimitation was done in 2022. Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had said that there was no point in holding elections before that. When delimitation was done in 2022, the number of seats in the assembly increased to 114, including 24 in PoK. Earlier there were 37 seats in Jammu which increased to 43 in delimitation, 46 seats in Kashmir increased to 47, and 24 seats have been kept reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The number of nominated members in the assembly increased from two to five. Now, there was dissonance between the Reorganisation Act and delimitation, which had to be resolved first before the poll body could hold elections It was in December 2023 that the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill came that accepted the delimitation numbers. What changed after 2024 Lok Sabha polls The amendment in the bill set the stage for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The same month, the Supreme Court also ordered the ECI to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024. There were talks that the ECI may hold simultaneous polls in J&K for Lok Sabha and assembly between April and June but that also did not happen. In March, after visiting the UT for Lok Sabha preparations, Kumar had said that the ECI was aware of its responsibility and that there should not be any political vacuum. He had raised the issue of security arrangements, saying that, unlike the rest of the country, all the candidates in J&K have to be given protective cover. So the deployment has to be enough. Kumar, while announcing the dates on Friday, said that political parties asked the poll body to ensure due security to candidates and he assured them of that. When the Lok Sabha polls were held in the UT recently, the voter turnout was far above expectations. The five Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir recorded a 58 per cent average voter turnout, the second-best performance in history, after 66 per cent recorded in 1984. Soon after the elections were completed peacefully in the UT, Kumar had said that now was the right time to hold assembly polls in the erstwhile state. Wasting no time, the ECI also started preparations. In June, it began accepting applications from political parties for the use of common symbols for their candidates one of the first steps for elections in the UT. Soon after, the process of updating electoral rolls was also started. However, another major hurdle before the ECI was the annual Amarnath Yatra in the union territory that was scheduled between June 29 and August 19. Due to security reasons, elections could not take place during this period. Announcing the dates on Friday, Kumar said the yatra is ending on August 19 and the final electoral roll will be published on August 20, paving the way for holding the polls. Last week, the CEC and his team completed a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review assembly poll preparedness, assuring that they have the Supreme Court-directed deadline in mind and are ready to hold elections soon. The Haryana Assembly elections 2024 will be held in a single phase on October 1, 2024 and the results would be out on October 4, 2024 as per the poll schedule announced for the northern state by the Election Commission of India. Assembly elections will also be held in J&K along with Haryana, with the counting of votes to be held for both on October 4, the EC announced on Friday. This is the first set of Assembly elections to be held since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won a third straight term in the Lok Sabha elections. The term of the 90-member Haryana Assembly is due to expire on November 3, 2024. The Congress is looking to wrest power from the BJP that has been in government since 2014. The major election issues in Haryana are the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, the farmers protest over legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), and the sexual assault allegations levelled by several wrestlers from the state. The Congress, part of the INDIA bloc, is likely to fight the Haryana Assembly polls on its own. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda recently said no talks have been held with any party for an alliance yet, indicating that the grand old party may not have a tie-up with the AAP in the state. We have an alliance at the national level (with the AAP) but as far as state level is concerned, no talks have been held with any party The Congress is capable (of winning) on its own. No talks have been held yet, the two-time chief minister said. The Congress and the AAP had fought the Lok Sabha polls together in Delhi while they contested separately in Punjab. The Congress had given one seat to the AAP in Haryana in the general elections. The AAP, too, has announced that it will contest all 90 seats in the state. The party has contested several polls in Haryana, but is yet to taste electoral success in the state. The ruling BJP has appointed Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan as the election in-charge for Haryana, setting in motion its preparations for the assembly polls. Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb was made the partys co-election in-charge. In March this year, the BJP replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as the chief minister, bringing in Nayab Singh Saini to the top post. Around the same time, the Jannayak Janata Partys four-and-a-half-year-old post-poll alliance with the BJP also came to an end. The JJP recently said it is ready to help the Congress bring down the BJP government in Haryana. In the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the BJP and Congress won five seats apiece of the 10 seats up for grabs in Haryana. The 90-member Haryana Assembly at present has an effective strength of 89 with Rania Assembly seat being vacant. The BJP has 41 MLAs, the Congress 30 and the JJP 10. INLD and Haryana Lokhit Party have one member each. Six are Independents. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday said the Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir were a triumph of ballot over bullet as he announced the dates for the assembly elections in the erstwhile state. J&K will vote in three phases September 18, September 25 and October 1. Results will be declared on October 4. Addressing the media, Kumar said the long queues at voting centres in J&K during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls were a sign of the strength of Jamhooriyat (democracy). They were not just long queues, they were the expectations of the people. They [queues] signified a new wish to re-write emotions and their future. Everyone wanted to prove a point that we are here in this queue not only to vote but to demonstrate a very strong desire that democracy flourishes. The glimpse of hope and democracy reflected that people want to change their reality. They want to write their destinies on their own. He added: The long queues were proof of the fact that people dont just want change but want to be a part of the change. This was a triumph of ballot over bullet. The three parliamentary constituencies of the Valley saw a voting percentage of 51 per cent. The Valley snubbed violence and decided to come out and vote. The people of J&K chose ballot over bullet and boycott. The Kashmir Valley also reached a new peak in terms of poll participation, seeing a 30-point increase compared to 2019. A five-judge Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, while delivering its verdict on Article 370 in December last year, had directed the Election Commission to hold assembly polls in the UT by September 30. It had also asked the Centre to restore statehood at the earliest. The last assembly elections in J&K were held in December 2014. On August 5, 2019, the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories J&K and Ladakh and its special status under Article 370 was revoked. Since then, it has been administered by the lieutenant governor. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced the schedule for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Haryana. The poll body has kept weekdays, not around the weekends, as the polling dates to not allow voters wiggle room to arrange minibreaks and getaways in its fight against urban apathy. There were several phases in the April-June Lok Sabha polls six out of the seven when polling was done on Fridays, Mondays, or Saturdays. This allowed some urban voters to club weekends with the polling day holiday and skip voting. Compared to 2019, this Lok Sabha election saw a lower voter turnout. Lessons learnt Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar while announcing the schedule on Friday said that this time the poll body has kept this in mind while finalising the polling dates. J&K will have polls in three phases while Haryana will go for single-phase polling. Voting in Jammu and Kashmir will be done on September 18 and 25 (both Wednesdays). The third phase of J&K and the single-phase polling in Haryana will be held on October 1 (Tuesday). The date of the poll will be September 18, and its a Wednesday. We are also keeping in mind that elections are not held on Fridays or Mondays to give a long holiday, Kumar said. The CEC also said that the electoral rolls will be published in August for both Haryana and J&K, but if any voters fail to get registered, they can do it before the nomination process starts. In April and May, after the phases of Lok Sabha elections reported low voter turnout in urban areas, News18 reported the connection between weekend polling dates and urban apathy. In March 2023, while announcing the dates for the Karnataka assembly polls, the commission had said that polling midweek bars the urban working class from clubbing the voting holiday with regular offs and takes away the option of a long weekend. Polling in the state was done on Wednesday. However, the poll body did not follow this rule in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The first two phases were conducted on Fridays and, both times, the voter turnout was lower than in 2019, except for a few seats. The fourth and fifth phases were conducted on Mondays and the last two phases were held on Saturdays. Polling stations in slums, multi-storey housing societies Another step that the ECI has taken this time in its fight against urban apathy is putting up polling stations in slums and multi-storey housing societies in urban areas. In Gurugram, Faridabad, and Sonipat a number of multi-storey housing societies will have polling stations. In slums, rationalisation has been done so that congestion can be checked and voting percentage can be improved, Kumar said, listing out measures to control urban apathy. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the three urban seats saw lower voter turnout than in 2019. The counting of votes for the Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana assembly will be done on October 4. Bangladesh is in a state of turmoil after student protesters ousted the Sheikh Hasina government over the controversial quota for kin of war veterans, leaving behind a trail of bloody violence that killed more than 400. The military-backed government appointed Muhammad Yunus as the chief who recently visited the Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka, assuring Hindu leaders in Bangladesh of unity and justice. Ever since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, her supporters and associates have faced retaliatory attacks by mobs who have been met by little, if any, resistance from authorities. Members of the countrys Hindu minority feel the most vulnerable because they have traditionally backed the Awami League seen as a secular party in the Muslim-majority nation and because of a history of violence against them during previous upheavals. Reports suggest more than 200 attacks in around 50-odd districts have taken place since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, according to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council. How Many Hindus Living in Bangladesh According to Bangladeshs census 2022, Hindus form around 7.95% of the total population, that is, a little over 13 million. Other minorities such as Buddhists and Christians comprise less than 1% of the countrys 165 million people. In four of Bangladeshs 64 districts, every fifth person is a Hindu Gopalganj in Dhaka division (26.94% of the district population), Moulvibazar in Sylhet division (24.44%), Thakurgaon in Rangpur division (22.11%), and Khulna in Khulna division (20.75%). According to the census, the number of Hindus in Bangladesh has decreased by 0.59% in the last decade. Khulna division has the highest decline in Hindu population (1.33%), according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 2011 Population and Housing Census report. The report also cites two main reasons behind the decline in Hindu population. Firstly, there is out-migration of Hindus, that is, they are leaving the country. Historian Gyanesh Kudaisya wrote that 11.4 million Hindus (42% of the Hindu population of undivided Bengal) remained in East Bengal after Partition, as quoted by The Indian Express. The West Pakistani generals had calculated that by forcing millions of East Pakistani Hindus to flee to India they would weaken Bengali nationalism as a political force, Sanjib Baruah wrote for The Indian Express in 2021. Second reason is the relatively low total fertility rate among the Hindu population, that is, couples give birth to relatively fewer children. The total marital fertility rate (a lifetime measure of marital fertility) of Muslims was 7.6 children per woman compared with 5.6 for Hindus, demographers J Stoeckel and M A Choudhury wrote in their 1969 paper Differential Fertility in a Rural Area of East Pakistan, published in the journal The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly. Every census since 1901 has indicated a decline in the Hindu population in Bangladesh to date. This was the steepest between the censuses of 1941 and 1974, that is, when Bangladesh was East Pakistan. However, the population of Muslims rose from about 29.5 million in 1941 to 110.4 million in 2001. The increase in the proportion of Muslims in the population from an estimated 66.1% in 1901 to more than 91% today corresponds to the percentage decline in the Hindu population during this time, as per a report by The Indian Express. Is There Violence Against Hindus in Bangladesh? Reports suggest that five Hindus were killed in the Bangladesh violence, and there have been several cases of sexual assault. Communal sentiments have always been present in Bangladesh. There are people who look for an opportunity to attack minorities, especially Hindus. Even during the Awami League regime, there were attacks on Hindus. Communalism is a hard fact of Bangladeshi society, India Today quotes Anupam Debashis Roy, Bangladeshi author and activist, as saying. In several instances, the prime targets have been Iskcon or Durga temples. In Dinajpur district, a crematorium has been encroached by miscreants. Most of the attacks have been in the form of assault, arson and looting, with encroaching upon properties being one of the primary objectives. Between 1964 and 2013, over 11 million Hindus fled Bangladesh due to religious persecution, according to the Hindu American Foundation. It says 230,000 Hindus continue to leave the country every year. Some experts have noted that it is the Hindus in rural areas of Bangladesh who are victims of violence. Chattogram saw the highest instances of attacks at 16. Khulna, Jessore, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat and Magura are among the districts that saw a large number of attacks against Hindus, according to the India Today report. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance members have pointed to the increase in attacks in recent times and asserted, We too have rights in this country, we were born here. Palash Kanti Dey, the Alliances spokesperson and executive secretary, quoted by PTI, said: The incidents of vandalism, looting, arson, land grabbing, and threats to leave the country have been repeatedly inflicted on the Hindu community due to the shifting political landscape. Political Climate Supporting Communalism According to Shafquat Rabbee, a Bangladeshi-American political analyst, in the India Today report, violence against Hindus or minority communities started under volatile political atmosphere. Hindus are considered to be mostly Awami League voters, though there is a chunk of the community that is also loyal to Khaleda Zias Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Rabbee also analysed political allegiance in Bangladesh, and pointed out that about 40% of Bangladeshis are supporters of the Awami League, 40% stand by the BNP, and the remaining 20% back the Jamaat-E-Islami, Jatiya Party and other Islamic and Communist parties. The Taliban have completed three years of taking over Afghanistan, and the political and economic conditions in the country have gone worse. The regime under supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada has set up policies, with some privileges reserved for southern Pashtun Talibs while more than 90% of Afghans struggle with poverty and food insecurity. The system is Islamic and sharia-based, sharia is being implemented, said Haibatullah Akhundzada, in a speech shared by the administration spokesman late on Wednesday. As long as we are alive, we will uphold and apply Allahs (Gods) faith and sharia upon ourselves and others, he said. The Taliban carried out a military parade a day before the anniversary on Wednesday, including marches by its security forces showcasing tanks and weapons at Bagram, once the largest military base of the US-led coalition. Much of the equipment was once held by the Afghan military and provided by foreign forces, but seized by the Taliban after they took over. Let us understand the state of affairs in Afghanistan through political, social, regional and economic parameters. Taliban Leadership and Human Rights Haibatullah is supported by a praetorian guard of powerful military commanders from Helmand and Kandahar, such as Abdul Qayyum Zakir. The Taliban regime does not integrate with the power structure that Afghan politicians, warlords and individuals associated with the defeated Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It has removed from office or demoted several non-Pashtun Taliban commanders. Although the Taliban have improved on some economic indicators such as exports, but attacks, including those claimed by Islamic State radicals, continue in urban areas. But a huge cut in development funding and restrictions on the banking sector led by Washington have contributed to the countrys massive humanitarian crisis with more than half of the population in need of aid to survive, as per a report by Reuters. Girls above the age of around 12 are barred from formal education, women are not usually allowed to travel long distances without a male guardian and have been banned from visiting gyms and parks. The Taliban say they respect womens rights in accordance with their interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law. Civil servants keep the country running and are more likely to have a formal or technical education. But the Taliban leading civilian institutions have no proper knowledge of how such institutions are run. Economic Viability of Afghanistan The economy has weakened, with foreign aid made up around 30% of the countrys GDP in 2023. The UN has flown in at least $3.8 billion to fund international aid organisations during the past three years. The US remains the largest donor, sending more than $3 billion in assistance since the Taliban takeover. But the US watchdog assigned to follow the money says a lot is taxed or diverted. The Taliban also apply vigorous taxation as they dont have any other means to stimulate the economy. They collected around $2.96 billion in taxes in 2023. Also, the central bank cannot print money. Cash is printed abroad. Interest transactions are banned because interest is forbidden in Islam, and banks dont lend. The Taliban cant borrow money because theyre not recognised as the government, and international banking is cut off. Haibatullahs ban on opium poppy brought cultivation down by over 95%. But it further impoverished Afghans, wiping out 450,000 jobs at the farm level alone. The ban cost the Afghan economy at least $1.3 billion, as per a Brookings report. In 2023, Afghanistan benefited from regional trade, including coal exports to Pakistan and exports of minerals across the region, amounting to $1.9 billion in Afghan exports. But in 2024, exports shrank substantially. How It Is Preventing Terrorism The Taliban has long worked towards preventing attacks out of the country but not the presence of foreign fighters and terrorist groups in Afghanistan. Foreign fighters are heading to Afghanistan, and madrassas are producing radicalized students. Iran is recruiting fighters for its axis of resistance operations from Afghan refugees in Iran, according to the Brookings report. Last year, a UN expert panel on Afghanistan produced an alarming report, predicting the reconstitution of al-Qaidas capability in Afghanistan and a possibility of global terrorist attacks. The US intelligence, however, disagreed. Russia also has not blamed the Taliban for failing to prevent the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) attack on Moscows Crocus City Hall in March 2024, finding the ISKP planned it in Central Asia. In Pakistan, the Taliban has stopped countering the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), who are connected by familial ties to Haqqanis. The TTP attacks in Pakistan have increased casualties and threatened Chinas economic prospects in Islamabad. Though Taliban negotiations brought temporary halt to TTP attacks, Pakistan expelled Afghan refugees from its country. Reaching Out to West Asia According to a report by Observer Research Foundation (ORF), the Taliban has made significant strides into brokering deals with West Asia through diplomacy, economic engagements and infrastructure projects. The conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East have compelled the Central Asian Republics to adopt a conciliatory approach towards the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). Uzbekistan was one of the first countries in Central Asia to establish direct ties with the Taliban. The bilateral trade figures between two countries reached over $461.4 million in the first six months of 2024. In May 2024, both countries underscored their commitment to completing the $ 4.8 billion Trans-Afghanistan Railway project, connecting Uzbekistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan. In April 2024, a Kazakh delegation visited Kabul for the third Kazakhstan-Afghanistan Business Forum to forge closer trade ties. The latest trade figures between the two countries have reached a high of $ 987.9 million. In 2023, Tajikistan supplied 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to Afghanistan. (with inputs from Reuters and AP) The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed that the salary structure of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi be adopted for interns, postgraduate students, super-specialty students and medical college teachers to ensure job satisfaction and fairness in compensation. The NMC task force on mental health stated in its report that standardising pay structure and retirement across institutions would attract high quality faculty and ensure equity. In alignment with UGC pay scales and AICTE pay scales regulations, we propose the AIIMS, New Delhi pay scale for all medicos, the National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-Being of Medical Students of the NMC said in its report, as quoted by The Hindu. What are the NMC Recommendations? The task force has stated that standardised salaries simplify administration processes, enhance transparency and reduce unfair practices such as ghost faculty. It also recommended implementing a rotational headship system for department heads to introduce new ideas and practices, and prevent toxic environments under inefficient leadership. Among its various recommendations, the task force has suggested constituting mentor-mentee programmes to provide guidance and professional development opportunities. These programmes should involve regular meetings, training for mentors, and support for mentees. At the national level, a permanent member of the National Medical Commissions (NMC) Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) should serve as the nodal person to ensure the implementation of these recommendations, the report said, as quoted by The Hindu. At the national level, the permanent member of the National Medical Commissions (NMC) Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) should serve as the nodal person to ensure the implementation of these recommendations, the task force said. Focus on Mental Illness The task force has given special focus on mental illness among students that lead to suicide. The National Task Force on Mental Health and Wellbeing of Medical Students was set up in view of cases of suicide among medical students. The NMC data shows 122 suicides by medical students in the last five years. According to an online survey of 25,590 undergraduate students, 5,337 postgraduate students, and 7,035 faculty members, the committee found prevalence of a high number of mental health issues. Around 27.8% undergraduate students said they have been diagnosed with some mental condition and 16.2% had suicidal ideation. Among post-graduate students, 31.23% reported having suicidal thoughts in their life, 10.5% thought of suicide in the last one year, and 4.4% attempted suicide in the last year. The report highlighted that insufficient stipends that dont match living costs, delays in payments, cause financial stability that could create mental stress among students. The task force recommended measures including providing everyday support through the governments counselling helpline tele-MANAS, proper amenities in college and hostel, and involving family in induction programmes to help them understand the pressures faced by medical students, as per a report by The Indian Express. Long duty hours that lead to both physical and mental fatigue should be restricted to 74 hours a week and include one day off, a 24-hour duty, and five 10-hour shifts, it suggested. The task force also recommended give a 10-day vacation to all undergraduate and post-graduate students. At the medical college level, the mental health and well-being committee needs to have the following structure the dean must serve as the chair, the head of the department (HOD) of Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBG) should be designated as the co-chairs (three co-chairs), and the HOD of Psychiatry to act as the member secretary. Additionally, the HODs of each department should be members of this committee, it said. What is the NMC Task Force? The NMC task force was constituted in February to address the concerns of depression and suicide among medical students. The 15-member task force comprises Dr BM Suresh, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), as chairman. The task force shall study existing literature and data on mental health and suicide of medical students, analyse factors contributing to these challenges and propose evidence-based strategies, as per the terms and conditions. The committee will also visit the colleges where incidents of suicides have been reported. It shall submit a comprehensive report outlining key findings and actionable recommendations for promoting mental health of the medical students by May 31, 2024. The task force will submit the monthly progress report to the anti-ragging cell. It will also hold regular meetings and visit medical colleges where incidents of suicide have been reported. The Mpox outbreak in Africa now seems to have got the worlds attention after a case has been detected in Sweden. The neglected infection, which has long been perceived to be affecting only poor, developing countries, could cause a global health emergency. The World Health Organization has declared mpox (previously called monkeypox) as a public health emergency after several thousand cases were reported in parts of Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. This year already saw over 14,000 reported cases of the virus with 524 deaths, a significant increase in reported cases from 2023, according to the WHO. What Do We Know About Mpox? Mpox was first discovered in 1958 (in captive monkeys), and the first human case was found in 1970. For decades the disease was neglected by the scientific and public health communities, regarded as a common infection in rural areas of tropical Africa. It was only in 2022 that a massive funding was diverted towards the scientific study of the disease after the mpox outbreak hit developed countries. One medical search engine produced more research since April 2022 than what had not been achieved in 60 years. The 2022-23 mpox outbreak happened despite repeated calls from African researchers for increased global investment in diagnostic, therapeutic and infection prevention tools, according to a report by The Conversation. What Happened in 2022 Outbreak? The zoonotic disease, which was endemic in central and west Africa, had abruptly growing outside in 2022 causing 99,000 laboratory-confirmed cases in 116 countries. Nearly 6,000 cases were reported every week during the peak of the infection in August 2022. More than 200 people died and WHO declared mpox global outbreak a public health emergency of global concern. Most mpox cases were reported in men having sex with men who had become infected during recent sexual encounters. The global outbreak in 2022 was caused by clade II of MPXV, which is endemic in west Africa and not as virulent as clade I MPXV, which so far has only been seen in the Congo Basin. Clade II MPXV infections are still occurring globally. What is Happening in Africa Now? The mpox cases are rising dramatically in Africa. The Africa CDC reported that mpox has been detected in at least 13 African countries. Compared with the same period last year, the agency said cases are up 160% and deaths have increased by 19%. Scientists reported earlier this year the emergence of a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10% of people and may spread more easily. Milder symptoms this time is making it harder to spot the disease, say researchers in Congo, as told to the Associated Press. WHO said mpox was recently identified for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of those outbreaks were linked to the epidemic in Congo. In the Ivory Coast and South Africa, health authorities have reported outbreaks of a different and less dangerous version of mpox that spread worldwide in 2022 and infected nearly 100,000 people. Whats the Threat to Other Countries? A first case of mpox outside of Africa was detected in Sweden. The infected person had recently been to Africa, and sought healthcare in Stockholm. Officials said the risk to the general public was considered very low and that they expected sporadic imported cases to continue. Scientists suspect that if new outbreaks linked to Congo were to be identified, transmission could be stopped relatively quickly given the resources in rich countries. In Pakistan, two more cases were detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the health department said on Friday. Now, the total number of mpox cases in the country are three. Whats the New Strain? The ongoing outbreak has its epicentre in South Kivu province, eastern DRC. It has a distinct epidemiological pattern with sustained chains of human-to-human transmission, often via the sexual route. Reports suggest it may have increased transmissibility, and the virus affects mostly adults. The virus which causes mpox is the newly defined clade Ib lineage. It displays mutations that are the hallmark of human-to-human spread that is estimated to have been happening since September 2023. The case fatality rate is higher than it was in the 2022 global outbreak. What are the Symptoms and Prevention? The disease can spread through direct skin-to-skin contact, contact with saliva, upper respiratory secretions (snot, mucus), bodily fluids or lesions around genitals, prolonged face-to-face interactions (such as talking or breathing), contact with objects, fabrics, and surfaces that have not been disinfected after use by someone with Mpox. Pregnant women with Mpox can pass the virus to the fetus during pregnancy or to the newborn during and after birth. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes along with pox-like rashes that last for two to three weeks. In more serious cases, people can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals. Unlike Covid-19 or measles, mpox is not airborne and typically requires close, skin-to-skin contact to spread. Mpox can be prevented through vaccines. As the Mpox virus and smallpox viruses are related (they are both orthopoxviruses), smallpox vaccines offer protection against Mpox. The 2022 outbreak of Mpox in dozens of countries was largely shut down with the use of vaccines and treatments in rich countries, in addition to convincing people to avoid risky behaviour. However, barely any vaccines or treatments have been available in Africa. Just days after a trainee doctor was raped and brutally killed in Kolkata, a 23-year-old man allegedly attempted to molest a female house surgeon at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The incident took place around 8.30 PM on Wednesday when the accused identified as Mayank Galar of Madhya Pradeshs Hoshangabad attempted to molest the surgeon when she was in the two-wheeler parking slot. According to The Hindu report, the accused undressed himself in a bid to molest the doctor but she pushed him down and ran to her hostel while the accused fled the spot. However, the accused was caught and handed over to the police when he visited the casualty around 1 AM. After learning about the incident, house surgeons gathered on campus. They only returned to their hostels once the Resident Medical Officer assured them that legal action would be taken against the accused. According to the police, Galar was roaming at the railway station and reached then hospital campus. He was arrested under Section 74 of BNS (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and Section 4 (penalty for harassment of women) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act. On Thursday, following the Independence Day flag hoisting, house surgeons and postgraduate medical students staged a protest in front of the administrative block to condemn the alleged molestation attempt. During the protest, they presented several demands, including the posting of security guards on campus at night, improved lighting, the installation of surveillance cameras, and regular police patrols during the night. Most of the surveillance cameras are defunct, and many places on the campus are not well-lit at night. Of the 150 house surgeons, 80 are women, and they do not have separate restrooms barring the ones in their hostel and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a house surgeon said, reported The Hindu. CMCH Dean A. Nirmala held talks with the house surgeons and assured them of fulfilling their demands. The Public Works Department has informed that restrooms for women house surgeons would be readied soon. There are nearly 200 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, and the defunct ones would be fixed. More lights would be fixed on the campus, she said, adding that the campus had enough security guards at night. The Centre has issued a fresh directive mandating heads of all government medical facilities to file First Information Reports (FIRs) on violence against on-duty health workers within six hours. Speaking to CNN-News18, a Union Health Ministry official said, It is stated that in the event of any violence against any health care worker while on duty, the head of institution shall be responsible for filing an institutional FIR within a maximum of six hours of the incident. The official added that the notice has been issued in wake of the increasing cases of violence against healthcare workers. Several Health workers suffer physical violence during their duty. Many are threatened or exposed to verbal aggression. Most of this violence is done by either patient or patients attendants, the official said. The Centres directive comes amid widespread and furious protests over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkatas state-run RG Kar Hospital last week. Students Continue Stir, Medical Seivices Hit Meanwhile, doctors across the nation intensified their protests, and operations at major government hospitals remained affected. Junior doctors at Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital and RML Hospital in the national capital staged a protest against the rape and murder of the resident doctor. Doctors raised the slogan of We want justice while protesting against the rape and murder incident. Meanwhile, the Resident Doctors Association, Government Medical College in Amritsar, Punjab has announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including Out Patient Departments, Operating Theaters and wards, beginning on August 16 and continuing until further notice. They also announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services on Friday. Doctors have been staging protests outside Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. The Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association (KMPGA) along with resident doctors associations of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Dental PG Association, House Surgeons Association and Students unions of various medical colleges has called for a 24-hour strike in Kerala. All Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical, dental and paramedical students have been carrying out silent protests inside the Nair Hospital premises demanding safe and secure environments in government medical colleges and hospitals. Outpatient Department services have been shut down. Doctors of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tamil Nadus Trichy have been protesting wearing black badges as a mark of protest. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday clarified why the assembly election schedule in Jammu and Kashmir has extended past the Supreme Courts September 30 deadline while announcing the dates of general assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced three-phased assembly elections in J-K from September 18 which will be held after a decade, setting the stage for the people of the union territory to elect a government after the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019. The Amarnath Yatra will conclude on August 19, and the final voter list will be released on August 20. This demonstrates the commitment to conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar said. There is no way one could have gone exactly on the date i.e August 19. It is being held within the time period and it will be finished on time, Kumar said when asked about the delay. Assembly polls in the Union Territories will be held in three phases, with voting on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 4. It is not the day here that is important. What is important (here) is that we go by the spirit. The amendments made to the J&K Reorganisation Act in terms of providing the reservations came in December 2023. The time period for the Commission started only in December 2023. Thereafter came the parliamentary elections, so we are not delayed at all, he said. Political parties across Jammu and Kashmir on Friday hailed the Election Commissions announcement of three-phase assembly elections as marking a significant step towards restoring democracy in the region after six years of central rule. National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah expressed gratitude to the Election Commission for expediting the poll process. Omar Abdullah, former chief minister of the erstwhile state, remarked on the long wait for the announcement, saying, It is better late than never. He noted that this election cycle might be the first since the 1987-88 elections to be conducted within such a condensed time frame. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary GA Mir expressed appreciation for the ECs decision, noting that it reflected the publics aspirations for a popular government. Itija Mufti, a prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and the daughter of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, also welcomed the ECs announcement. Welcoming the ECs announcement, senior CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami acknowledged the importance of a democratic process that ensured fairness and security for all participants. Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina expressed gratitude to the EC and emphasised his partys preparation for the elections, calling on citizens to actively participate. Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were last held in November 2014, resulting in the PDP and the BJP forming a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. His death in 2016 led to Mehbooba Mufti taking up the mantle of leadership as chief minister of the coalition government. The BJP pulled out of the government in June 2018 and the state was put under governors rule. The state assembly was dissolved in 2018. On August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated and downgraded the erstwhile state into two Union territories Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir. The Bangladesh crisis is making tomato farmers in Kolar see red. Kolar, situated 90 km away from Bengaluru, is known as the second-largest tomato market in Asia and supplies this essential Indian food ingredient to Bangladesh, Indonesia, and various Indian markets. Bangladesh is seeing unrest over the jobs quota, which led to the resignation and fleeing of former PM Sheikh Hasina. While an interim government is in place, the violence continues. Tomato traders in Kolar tell News18 that the prices of export-quality, first-grade tomatoes have plummeted by nearly 60 per cent. A box of these tomatoes, weighing between 15 and 20 kg, typically sells for Rs 1,100 to 1,200. Now, they are being sold in local markets along the route to Bangladesh for Rs 450 to 500 per box. FARMERS WORRIED Around 40 truckloads of tomatoes, each carrying about 900 boxes, are sent daily from Kolar to Bangladesh. This number dropped to 20 trucks when political tensions began, and for the past week, all shipments have been halted. We are now forced to sell the tomatoes in markets along the way. Its a matter of our livelihood, said Saddam Hussein, a farmer from Kolar. Sheikh Saleem, another farmer and trader who exports to Bangladesh, explains that these export-quality tomatoes, which usually fetch around Rs 35 per kg in international markets, are now being sold for just Rs 8 to 10 per kg in markets such as Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal along the route to Bangladesh. Even West Bengal traders have reduced their purchase of Kolar tomatoes by nearly 45 per cent, leading to further losses. When we sell high-grade tomatoes locally, consumers are unwilling to pay the proper price, he adds. Farmers say that cultivating tomatoes on an acre of land requires an investment of Rs 1-2 lakh. If the crop is good, they can expect a yield of approximately 250 boxes per acre. However, when tomato prices drop to Rs 200 per box (around Rs 13 per kg) due to an oversupply because they cannot access markets like Bangladesh the prices drop further. The produce, which breached Rs 100 per kilogram in Indian markets a month ago due to crop damage, is now seeing prices balance out. However, with the Bangladesh crisis, tomato prices have not only crashed but have also led to massive losses for the farmers. WHITEFLY ATTACK The tomato produce in Kolar, which is the second-largest market in Asia after Nashik in Maharashtra, recently faced attacks from the deadly whitefly, which transmits the leaf curl disease, causing widespread damage to the tomato cultivation in the region. This had affected the supply of tomatoes usually transported to markets in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. The medium-sized tomatoes sold in markets like Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur, and Raipur range between Rs 900 and Rs 1,500 per crate. The ones sent to other countries are juicier, and fetch a good price as consumption is very high. Now, we have no option but to dump these in local markets at Rs 500 per crate. How will we survive if this continues, questions Ravi Gowda, another farmer from the region. The Calcutta High Court on Friday came down heavily on the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government over the vandalism of Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital premises which took place on the night of August 14 during a midnight protest against the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor, calling it an absolute failure of state machinery. Follow Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case LIVE Updates We will close down the hospital. We will shift everyone. Close the hospital. How many patients are there? the court asked. Some initial reports suggested that the case has been handed over to CBI, but police sources told News18 in the afternoon that no such thing has happened so far. The high court lambasted the state police and said that it was not able to protect itself, how can these doctors work fearlessly? A bench led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam asked, So they (the police) couldnt protect their own men? A sorry state of affairs. How will doctors there work fearlessly? The court took cognisance of the matter because of emails it received due to the vandalism and mob attack at the hospital, Live Law reported. While responding to the bench headed by chief justice, the government said as quoted by Live Law, there was a mob of around 7,000. The number suddenly swelled I have videos. They broke barricades tear gas was fired and 15 police personnel were injured. Deputy Commissioner was injured. Police vehicles damaged. Emergency room ransacked but place of occurrence the crime scene was protected. Read More: Will Hurt My Daughter: Kolkata Rape-Murder Victims Father Turns Down Compensation, Demands Speedy Justice Reprimanding the state for not handling the situation, the Chief Justice said that 7,000 people cant come walking. In its observations, the court stressed that such incidents have a significant impact on the doctors and medical staff. The court further emphasised that it is the state governments responsibility to create an atmosphere where medical professionals can perform their duties without any fear of violence. Amid the ongoing protests over the horrendous crime, around 40-50 miscreants entered the premises of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during early hours of Thursday and vandalised portions of the medical facility, where the body of the victim was found. The Kolkata Police, meanwhile, arrested 19 people and detained three for the vandalism incident. The doctors and medical staff are protesting across the country over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Read More: What Has Changed For Us? 50 Years On, Kolkata Horror Reminds Nurses & Doctors of Aruna Shanbaug Rape Earlier, the CBI took over the investigation into the case from the Kolkata Police on the direction of the high court. Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Updates: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday led a protest rally from Moulali to Dorina crossing in Kolkata, demanding justice for a woman doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at a state-run hospital last week. TMC activists, who accompanied Banerjee, shouted slogans for capital punishment for the accused, a demand that the chief minister has already made. During the protest while addressing the crowd, Banerjee stated that some people are making fake videos to incite the public. She also stated that not all information on social media is right. Earlier, the Calcutta High Court handed over the RG Kar vandalism case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While handing over the case, the court mentioned that the mobs sole aim was to damage the crime scene. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers on Thursday visited the residence of the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkatas RG Kar Hospital, and spoke to her parents as a part of their investigation. The CBI also interrogated five doctors of the hospital, its former medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal (MSVP), principal, and the head of the Chest Department where the victims body was found, he said. The Kolkata Police, meanwhile, arrested 25 people for the vandalism incident at the hospital during midnight protests by those seeking justice. Unidentified miscreants forcibly entered the premises of the hospital shortly after midnight on Thursday (August 15) and vandalised portions of the medical facility. According to police, a group of at least 40 people posing as protesters entered the hospital premises, hurled stones at cops and vandalised property. They targeted the emergency department, nursing station and medicine store, while also damaging CCTV cameras and ransacking a stage where junior doctors have been demonstrating since August 9, police said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), investigating the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor in Kolkata, on Friday said that they have identified at least 30 people involved in the case, whose names were provided by the victims family. Sources from the CBI told News18 that they are now looking for a larger conspiracy, suggesting that the incident might have been orchestrated to suppress something. Over the past three days, the probe agency has questioned more than 30 individuals and has uncovered some leads, sources added. The Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from Kolkata Police to the CBI on Tuesday. The police had initially been handling the case. Victims Family Believes Colleagues Involved In Crime The parents of the post-graduate trainee doctor, whose semi-nude body was found inside the seminar room of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last week, told the CBI that several interns and physicians from the hospital might be involved in the crime, news agency PTI reported. The parents told us that they suspect the involvement of multiple persons behind the sexual assault and murder of their daughter. They have given names of a few interns and doctors who worked with her at the hospital, the CBI officer said. Meanwhile, the agency is prioritising the questioning of these individuals as well as officers from the Kolkata Police who were part of the initial investigation. On Friday, the CBI summoned a house staff member and two post-graduate trainees who were on duty with the doctor on the night she was murdered. The agency also escorted former hospital principal Sandip Ghosh for questioning. Ghosh, who resigned two days after the body was discovered, had expressed concerns about potential attacks, prompting his lawyer to seek protection from the Calcutta High Court. The court had advised him to approach a single bench for further action. (With inputs from PTI) The post-mortem report of the Kolkata doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered has dismissed claims floating on social media quoting reports of 150 grams of semen, or even 150 mg of semen found on her body. The actual post-mortem report has specified that the 150 grams mentioned refers to the weight of the victims interior or internal genitalia, particularly the uterus, and not the weight of any fluid. Forensic scientists and doctors always document the weight of organs in such reports, and in this case, the 150 grams pertains to anatomical measurements, not fluid quantity, a senior forensic scientist, who has seen the post-mortem report, told News18. In a crucial development in the case of the gruesome death of a young doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, News18 has accessed exclusive details from the post-mortem report and investigation notes, which may cast doubt on the claims circulating on social media and otherwise about the quantity of semen found on the victims body. The post-mortem was conducted by a panel of three doctors, which include at least two women forensic scientists-doctors. The team consisted two doctors of RG Kar Medical College and another from NRS Medical College. The forensic team, arriving at the crime scene almost five hours after the incident, found that the fluids had turned into a smear. They collected samples from the affected areas and surface, but no liquid or fluid was gathered, as it had already congealed. The collected samples, including any residual blood, semen, and vaginal swabs, were submitted to the Central Forensic Laboratory in Kolkata on August 12, three days after the crime was committed. The process of collecting forensic elements, storing it properly and doing the paperwork and submitting it to the central forensic laboratory needs to go through a protocol which takes time, said a senior police officer. The report from the Central Forensic Laboratory is expected by Wednesday and will be forwarded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as authorised by the Kolkata Police. This report will include detailed DNA profiling to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators involved in the crime. Senior forensic scientists and police officers have clarified to News18 that the DNA analysis will be crucial in determining the exact number of individuals responsible for the crime. Case Hangs in Balance on DNA Profiling News18 spoke with senior forensic experts, who have served in central forensic laboratory and other senior IPS officers who have worked in detecting sensitive and complicated cases of rape and murder. According to the senior central forensic scientist, the uterus is the crucial organ that preserves the fluid, swab or semen for a really long time. Once it is collected and put inside the machine for DNA profiling, there cannot be any external influence whatsoever. The profiling takes time, but it delivers almost accurate results, said the senior scientist. The scientist elaborated the critical details related to the preservation and quantification of evidence in the case. In this specific case, the uterus of the victim a key organ in forensic examination, was preserved and its weight was 150 grams, as it was documented. The collected samples, including any residual blood, semen and vaginal swab, were mixed with other bodily fluids and examined by a panel of experts. The DNA samples can come in detail. It will show if the DNA is of one person or if it is mixed, as in case of multiple perpetrators, he added. On August 15, the day after a mob went on the rampage at West Bengals RG Kar Hospital, Kolkata Police stepped into a tumultuous social media battle ground rife with anger over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor, politics over the heinous crime, and unfounded allegations spreading like wildfire via both text and video messages. Kolkata Police did not mince words even as allegations of cover-up swirled. Dont spread unverified news or legal action will be taken against spreading rumours, they said on their X account, reacting to claims that mobs attacked the scene of crime at RG Kar in a brazen act of vandalism during a midnight protest. It turned out the out-patient department and the emergency wing of the hospital faced the wrath of the vandals, and not the seminar hall. The womans semi-nude body was found on the fourth-floor seminar room on August 9. But that did not stem the surge of social media posts on the doctors murder. And the states opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has demanded Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees resignation over the crime, has been quick to latch on to the opportunity amidst massive protests, amplifying some of the voices of dissent. In one such instance, the BJPs information and technology department chief Amit Malviya on Friday accused the Kolkata Police of reaching the home of a student doctor. He said the police threatened her for posting information and videos related to the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, and forced her to issue an apology. This kind of intimidation of citizens, who are seeking justice for the rape and murder victim of RG Kar, is completely uncalled for, he posted on X, asking CM Banerjee not to kill the free enterprise and spirit of inquiry in our Youth. The account Malviya was referring to belongs to a person who identifies herself as an MBBS student. In a series of X posts, she narrated her purported story: how she was asked to delete her post and instructed not to share information without verification. News18 could not independently verify the claim or the nature of the post she had shared. While her X thread made a mention to the state-wide midnight protests branded as Reclaim the Night, there was no reference to RG Kar though she said in one of her posts that she was acting completely out of the sake of justice for a fellow doctor. In subsequent posts, she apologised if she had instigated/angered/mislead anyone with any information I have shared, and said that she was taking a break from X. There was no immediate reaction of the Kolkata Police. In another instance, Malviyas post said: Kolkata Police and their midnight shenanigans dont seem to end. Directing people to delete posts at 1.37 am. Hilarious! This time, his post accompanied a notice shared by the cyber crime department of the police late Thursday night. The notice tagged a person and asked him to take down a certain post for its offensive, malicious and inciting content. Kolkata Police reached home of this student doctor, threatened her for posting information and videos related to the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, and forced her to issue an apology.I looked up her timeline and didnt see anything she said that isnt being talked about in https://t.co/STGepTPrd7 Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 16, 2024 Faced with the BJPs protests, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), too, has taken to social media to turn the tables. As early as Friday, TMC parliamentarian Mahua Moitra released a video on X where she condemned the crime, reiterated the state government had taken prompt action, refuted allegations of cover-up by the state machinery, and took a veiled dig at the BJP. Under pressure, CM Banerjee, too, has blamed Baam and Ram (read the Left and the BJP) for politicising the issue and fomenting trouble The young doctors rape-murder at her workplace has triggered nationwide outrage, brought the functioning of RG Kar Hospital under scrutiny, led to the ouster of its principal, and prompted a court hearing that handed over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The police have arrested one person in connection with the case, even though there have been speculations that more people could have been involved. We have never said that there is only one person [accused]. We have said that we are waiting for scientific evidence and it takes time. Just based on rumours, I cant arrest a young PG student, its against my conscience, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal has said, addressing the chatter of the involvement of multiple people. From Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi to Kolkata, Mumbai and Kerala, Friday saw intense protests across the nation for the safety of doctors in the wake of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. While Kolkata saw high drama, with the detention of some activists earlier in the day, and the police maintaining the protests were illegal, the Delhi Police issued prohibitory orders in the central areas of the national capital amid protest calls by multiple organisations. ALSO READ | Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case LIVE Updates HERE A Delhi Police officer said the city remains on alert due to Independence Day celebrations. Due to the protests announced, traffic at some intersections in central Delhi have been diverted, he said. Deployment of police personnel has been increased and Section 163 (prohibitory orders) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has been imposed near the Parliament and other parts of central Delhi, they said. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at the hospital in Kolkata. The gruesome details shocked the nation leading to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity and citizens, including outside the Kolkata hospital. On the night of August 14, a mob of between 5,000 and 7,000 people invaded RG Kar Hospital, ransacking the premises and attacking the protesting doctors, said police. A nationwide withdrawal of services has been announced by doctors of modern medicine starting from 6 am on Saturday (August 17) to 6 am on Sunday (August 18), per the official statement released by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday. #WATCH | RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape case | 4 PGT doctors of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have been summoned by CBI Special Crime Branch at CGO complex, Salt Lake, Kolkata for questioning regarding what happened the night of the incident. Visuals of their https://t.co/2TP6qd9VTr pic.twitter.com/01Y8kmPVwx ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 According to ANI sources, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday interrogated PGT (PG trainees) regarding what happened the night of the incident. Earlier in the day, accused Sanjoy Roy was brought out of CBI Special Crime Branch in CGO complex, Kolkata and taken for medical examination. #WATCH | RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case | Accused Sanjoy Roy being brought out of CBI Special Crime Branch in CGO complex, Kolkata, West Bengal. He is being taken for medical examination. pic.twitter.com/m1ogdGle2R ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 WEST BENGAL In Kolkata, as protesters gathered, police made announcements that the protests are illegal and they will take action. Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) (SUCI-C) activists were detained during their 12-hour general strike. #WATCH | Hazra, Kolkata, West Bengal: A scuffle broke out between police and Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) SUCI (C) who were protesting and have called for a 12-hour general strike over Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident.The SUCI pic.twitter.com/uWH1VkWqYz ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 The 12-hour general strike in Siliguri by SUCI-C disrupted normal life. A member of SUCI (Communist) Dr Shahriar Alam said, Today this strike has a huge impact. People have spontaneously responded to our call and throughout Siliguri like the Medical College area, people have not taken out their vehicles, and they have not opened the shops. We can say that the impact is very good. We have called this strike to protest against the heinous incident at RG Kar Medical College. #WATCH | Darjeeling, West Bengal: Visuals from Siliguri where the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) SUCI (C) party have called for a 12-hour general strike over Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident. pic.twitter.com/UpjZiUFgZ4 ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 The brutal rape and murder and then two days ago at midnight outsider goons attacked and assaulted the doctors, nurses, protesters and even the patients. They broke everything inside the hospital to clear away the evidence so that the murderers and rapists can be saved. In protest, we have called for a strike. This movement has spread throughout the country and abroad. Doctors, nurses and people have expressed their solidarity, he said. The St Xaviers College Autnomous (Kolkata) will hold a silent march at 5 pm to protest against the incident. The Jadavpur University Teachers Association called for a day-long cease-work on Friday to protest the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. MUMBAI Junior doctors and medical students at Nair Hospital held a protest against the incident. #WATCH | Mumbai: Junior doctors and medical students at Nair Hospital protest against the rape and murder of a woman resident doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. pic.twitter.com/6ledzpp1D5 ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 DELHI In Delhi, junior doctors and medical students at RML Hospital staged a protest against the rape and murder. The doctors are also expected to gather at Nirman Bhavan later in the day to stage a larger protest. Dr Akash from RML Hospital said, I appeal to all doctors and common people to reach Nirman Bhawan in large numbers so that we can peacefully put forward our issues in front of the government and seek justice for our colleague from Bengal who lost her life to this barbaric and gruesome act. We also want to tell our friends protesting in Bengal that they are not alone in this fight, all doctors across the country stand in solidarity with them We demand a Central Protection Act from the government. Our protest will continue till we do not get assurance from the government that concrete steps will be taken. #WATCH | Delhi: Junior doctors and medical students at RML Hospital stage a protest against the rape and murder of a woman resident doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. pic.twitter.com/IMDzgWpbcG ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 BHOPAL One of the protesters in Madhya Pradeshs Bhopal, Dr Samiksha Bedi, from Gandhi Medical College, said, We all are scared after this incident. The situation here is not that bad as the hospital has been renovated. We have duty rooms where we can rest. However, the guards should be there on every floor Earlier, we were unsafe sometimes due to aggressive people. Now, we are scared of such heinous incidents. Night duties cannot be stopped. Due to such incidents, we will not be able to come to workIt should be resolved from the grassroots level #WATCH | Bhopal, MP: Dr Samiksha Bedi from Gandhi Medical College says, We all are scared after this incident. The situation here is not that bad as the hospital has been renovated. We have duty rooms where we can rest. However, the guards should be there on every floor pic.twitter.com/2NtMbhQqCF ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 HYDERABAD One such protest was led by junior doctors and medical students at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad. Dr Priyanka from Gandhi Hospital said, I am from Kolkata I have been speaking to my friends back home about the mob attacks on hostels to destroy evidence because they know the gravity of the situation. They know that we are united all across the country and they are trying their best to scare our colleagues in Bengal. Our friends and colleagues in Bengal are spending sleepless nights because they are scared and even they dont know what going to happen next Our fight will not end soon, it will continue and we will escalate it if needed. #WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: Dr Priyanka from Gandhi Hospital says, I am from Kolkata myself I have been speaking to my friends back home about the mob attacks on hostels with the intention of destroying evidence because they know the gravity of the situation. They know https://t.co/zx1kamXbV1 pic.twitter.com/FSErpz69tA ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 PUNJAB Dr Balwinder Singh, Working President of PCMS Association, said, We are protesting to seek justice for our colleague in Bengal, who was subject to this monstrous and barbaric act We have suspended OPD services along with other services barring emergency services and medico-legal, across Punjab through PCMS Association and IMA body #WATCH | Jalandhar, Punjab: Working President of PCMS Association, Dr Balwinder Singh says, We are protesting to seek justice for our colleague in Bengal, who was subject to this monstrous and barbaric act We have suspended OPD services along with other services barring pic.twitter.com/xrPtpoSoXw ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Doctors from Jalandhar and Punjab, too, staged protests. #WATCH | Jalandhar, Punjab: Junior doctors at Civil Hospital stage a protest against the rape and murder of a woman resident doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. pic.twitter.com/fo1wbPBamv ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 #WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab: Junior doctors and medical students at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital stage a protest against the rape and murder of a woman resident doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. pic.twitter.com/woXTXUgzTK ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 KERALA #WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Resident Doctors Association of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology protest against the rape and murder of a woman resident doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. pic.twitter.com/itlKQuM2ss ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 The Resident Doctors Association of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology protest against the Kolkata incident. ODISHA Healthcare services were affected at the state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on Thursday as students went on cease work, protesting the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital. Students wearing black badges sat on dharna on the campus, affecting OPD, OT and lab services. Emergency services, however, functioned as usual. The protesting students said they would be forced to stop emergency services as well if their demand for a central law for the protection of doctors was not met in 72 hours. A similar agitation was launched by the students of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. ARUNACHAL PRADESH The Indian Medical Associations Arunachal Pradesh Branch (IMA-AP), expressing anguish over the alleged rape and murder in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, has decided to join the nationwide protest by shutting down all routine services across the state for 24 hours on Saturday. The attitude of the government authorities regarding the inquiry is pathetic, IMA-AP president Dr Kesang Wangdi Thongdok alleged on Friday. Inputs from Agencies A vulture, belonging to an endangered species, was spotted near the Konar Dam in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand and has attracted significant attention due to peculiar markings and a message attached to it. The name of Bangladeshs capital Dhaka is written on the ring tied to one of its legs. A tracking device has also been found with it. The vulture, with distinctive white feathers on its neck, was spotted on Monday by local fishermen who promptly notified forest and police officials. Upon examination, authorities found that the bird was wearing a ring with the inscription GPOBOX-2624, Dhaka, B67, and was equipped with a tracking device. Additionally, a note was discovered on the bird, stating, If found, please contact John.Malot@rspb.org.uk. The presence of the tracking device and the message has prompted a through investigation. Vishnugarh Sub-Divisional Police Officer BN Prasad said that the vulture falls under Schedule 1 of endangered species. He speculated that the bird might have been released by John Malot, a researcher affiliated with the British organisation, Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) based in Dhaka. The purpose of the tracking device and solar radio collar appears to be to monitor the birds movements. The forest officials have taken the vulture for treatment and will keep it under observation. The police have ruled out any connection between the vultures presence and recent unrest in Bangladesh. There is no indication of foul play at this time, though the investigation continues, they said. The cops ran away faster than us on seeing the mob" This is how doctors at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, who have been protesting against the brutal rape and murder of their colleague on the premises, described the inefficiency of the police in handling the mob that vandalised the hospital on August 14. The incident occurred during the Reclaim The Night protest by women when unidentified miscreants forcibly entered the premises of the state-run medical college shortly after midnight on Thursday, and carried out vandalism. The mob destroyed the emergency wing of the hospital, damaged the police outpost, and vandalised their cars, injuring 15 police personnel, many of whom are hospitalised. Speaking to News18, Dr Pritam Sardar said: We really dont know what the police did on Thursday. When the miscreants attacked us, they ran faster than us to take cover instead of protecting us." Another student told News18 that when they requested the police to lathicharge the miscreants, they were told that the police did not have orders for the same. Even though the commissioner of police stayed the night at RG Kar, students said they were dissatisfied with the lack of action taken against the mob. So far, police have arrested 19 people for vandalism and also posted photos of the mob on social media sites, seeking help in identifying the miscreants. However, there seems to be a lacuna here too as one of the junior doctors told News18 that he had been wrongly identified as part of the mob. Junior intern Dr Anubhab said: Only police can answer why they circulated my name as I was on the dharna stage which was broken by the mob. They should protect us but instead they are releasing my photo." The doctor fraternity also questioned if there were lapses in police deployment at RG Kar, given the sensitivity of the case as well as the sheer size of the mob. They also pointed fingers at a possible Intel lapse, saying it was difficult to believe that police had no prior information of such a law and order breakdown. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, blamed outsiders" for the violence, saying police followed all protocols. Protesting trainee doctors and medical students of Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital demanded resignations of top officials of the Kolkata police and top members of hospital administration. Resignation of the current Principal of RGKMCH, the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, the Officer in Charge, Tala, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, North Kolkata, for their shameful response to the mob attack on the eve of Independence Day, the doctors listed in their list of demands. The protesting doctors said that they want central forces immediate deployment of central forces to ensure security in light of multiple security lapses (particularly the mob attack on the eve of Independence Day), along with the gross inefficiency and ineffectiveness of on-duty Kolkata Police staff. They also said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who have now taken over the investigation of the rape-murder of the trainee doctor at the hospital, should arrest all culprits with proper evidence and publish a press release confirming the same. The protesting students have also called the ex-principal, the medical superintendent cum vice-principal, the dean of students Affairs, the head of the department of Chest Medicine Department and the assistant superintendent who was on duty on that day to tender their resignation and issue a letter of apology. They have asked officials at Swasthya Bhavan, the building that houses West Bengals health department, to answer why the resignation of the former principal Sandip Ghosh was not accepted in the first instance. Doctors, nursing staff and medical students of RG Kar Memorial College and Hospital have been protesting demanding justice for the rape-murder of the trainee doctor and have said that they will not rejoin duties until the case is resolved. The Kolkata Police has arrested 25 people so far for vandalising the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on Thursday, amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal, condemning the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the hospitals seminar hall on August 9. Police officials told CNN-News18 that they are actively investigating the possibility of this being a pre-planned attack. Whether this was a conspiracy, or if someone sent them or they came up with a plan we will know only after thorough questioning of those arrested. We are not ruling out the conspiracy angle. It is very much a part of our investigation, Additional CP Murlidhar Sharma told CNN-News18. ALSO READ | Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder: Post-Mortem Report Reveals 150 Gram Is Uterus Weight, Not Semen; DNA Analysis Crucial The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalised by the miscreants. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said on Thursday evening that two floors of its emergency ward have been destroyed, medicines looted and infrastructure and equipment severely damaged. #KolkataDoctorCase | Court was justified in according the investigation to CBI. It is obvious from post-mortem report that more than one person was involved. There is a demand for safety, govt has no choice: Dr RV Asokan, President, IMA#PlainSpeak | @poonam_burde pic.twitter.com/7w6LrgW0RH News18 (@CNNnews18) August 16, 2024 REACHED IN SMALLER GROUPS Officials told CNN-News18 that those arrested seem to have reached the hospital in smaller groups of six-10 from localities such as Howrah or Dumdum. Many had walked to the hospital. When we asked them why the indulged in vandalism, they had no straight answer. Most said they had heard about the rape-murder case and felt bad about it, so they reached the hospital. Once there, it seems mob mentality took over and everything was vandalised, a probe official told CNN-News18. ALSO READ | RG Kar Doctors List Demands: Resignation Of New Principal And Kolkata Polices Top Brass, Central Forces On Campus WHO WERE THE VANDALS? DRIVERS TO DELIVERY BOYS, CAME WITH TOOLS While Kolkata Police did not give a direct answer about the political affiliations of the vandals, the officials said the sequence of events suggest that it was a well thought-out plan. The profiles of those arrested range from driver to delivery boy to battery shop worker, officials said. Scrutiny of the video evidence shows that some vandals had carried hammers, rods, etc. Many tore through the justice posters, some broke the barricades. The details have led police to investigate if there was a deliberate conspiracy to hijack the reclaim the night protest. #KolkataDoctorCase | Atrocities against women have to stop. Doctors protest will not cost a single life. We should be behave responsibly: @arkaknag, AnalystThe police should have taken action at initially which the did not do: @Shatorupa, BJP#PlainSpeak | @poonam_burde pic.twitter.com/DmaS7Aqt1R News18 (@CNNnews18) August 16, 2024 COPS WERE OUTNUMBERED, RENDERED USELESS Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal accepted that police was outnumbered and were rendered ineffective. We were clearly outnumbered. As we have a no use of force policy for protesting doctors, it took time to react when the barricades were broken, he said. ALSO READ | Head Of Institution Must File FIR Within 6 Hours: Centre On Protection Of On-Duty Health Workers Additional CP added that reinforcement also took time as the city was congested owing to dharnas and protests at every few meters. We are probing if the protests around RG Kar, blocking of roads were all part of a larger plan. WhatsApp groups were set up for crowd mobilisation. Did any of the groups have an inkling about the violence is being probed, an officer said. The Bhadrakali area of Nashik in Maharashtra witnessed heightened tensions during the Sakal Hindu march on Thursday. The situation deteriorated as two groups clashed, leading to extensive stone-pelting. In response to the escalating violence, police intervened with a lathi charge and deployed tear gas to disperse the crowds. The confrontation between the groups and the subsequent police action significantly heightened tensions in the area. Authorities are working to restore law and order situation in the area. #WATCH | Maharashtra: Violence broke out in Nashik, earlier today, during the protest march over the Bangladesh issue. pic.twitter.com/oFJSu4WOKw ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Several Hindu organisations had called for a bandh in Nashik against the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh. Although the bandh was intended to close businesses, some shops remained open, prompting the organisations to demand their closure. This demand resulted in a heated argument that escalated into a physical altercation and eventually stone-pelting, intensifying the situation in the city. Several individuals injured in the stone pelting have been hospitalised. Additionally, police are investigating the incidents surrounding the clashes and the resultant violence. The police have also deployed a large force in the area. Communal tensions gripped the Madhuban area of Rajasthans Udaipur on Friday after a Class 10 student was stabbed by a fellow student at a government-run school, officials said. As the tension escalated in the evening, markets were shut in Bapu Bazar, Hathipole, Ghanta Ghar, Chetak Circle and nearby areas. Prohibitory orders including Section 144 was imposed in the city. In view of the situation, the district administration issued an order to shut down the internet for the next 24 hours from 10 pm tonight. It was not immediately known what led to the stabbing at the government school located at Bhattiyani Chohatta area. The victim, who is now in a stable condition in a hospital ICU, was falsely rumoured who have lost his life in the incident. Following the rumours, arson and vandalism reportedly erupted across multiple locations in the city, with several vehicles set on fire. In response to the violence, Section 144 was imposed in Udaipur to prevent further disturbances and ensure public safety. The authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. According to District Collector Arvind Poswal, the injured student was currently in a stable condition in the ICU. The accused, along with his father, has been arrested. Poswal urged residents to avoid spreading rumours and reassured the public that the situation was being closely monitored. The incident took place at the Government Higher Secondary School in the Surajpol police station area, where one student repeatedly stabbed another in the thigh with a knife. The injured student was promptly taken to MB Hospital by a school teacher. Following the incident, the District Education Officer and Surajpol police station officials arrived at the scene. The school was gripped by panic as misinformation about the students death spread rapidly. The false rumour of the childs death led to widespread anger among local residents who gathered at the hospital demanding strict action. The unrest also prompted the closure of markets in the city. Authorities are investigating the cause of the dispute between the two students. Soon after the incident, members of several Hindu outfits gathered in the Madhuban area and set fire to at least three cars parked in a garage and indulged in stone pelting. In response to escalating unrest, additional police officials were deployed to the scene, including IPS Rajendra Prasad Goyal, who was working to restore order. The Police Headquarters in Jaipur closely monitored the situation. Director General of Police (DGP) UR Sahu and Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order Vishal Bansal were in contact with Udaipur Range officers, instructing them to contain the situation swiftly. They were directed to take action against those exacerbating the unrest. The DGP urged the public to ignore any messages or rumours that could further disrupt communal harmony. Despite these efforts, tensions remain high in Udaipur. Late on Thursday night, clashes were reported between two groups in the Aiyad area, and instances of stone pelting were also reported. The police responded with force, dispersing the crowds and maintaining a heavy presence to ensure stability. The Union Cabinet approved three metro rail projects worth Rs 30,765 crore on Friday in the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. The Cabinet has approved two corridors of Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase-3 worth Rs 15,611 crore and it will be operational by 2029. The first corridor will run from JP Nagar 4th Phase to Kempapura across 21 station and the second one will run between Hosahalli to Kadabagere across 9 stations. The Phase-3 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project represents a significant advancement in the citys infrastructure development. The Phase-3 acts as a major expansion of the metro rail network in the city, the statement said. Phase-3 will add approximately 44.65 km of new metro lines, connecting the western part of Bengaluru that were previously underserved, it stated. In a statement, the government said the Cabinet has also approved the Swargate-to-Katraj Underground Line Extension of the existing PCMC-Swargate Metro Line of the Pune Metro Phase-I project worth a total cost Rs 12,200 crore. This project will connect prominent areas like Naupada, Wagle Estate, Dongripada, Hiranandani Estate, Kolshet, Saket etc. The network will be operational by 2029 and will cover a total Length of 29 km of the ring corridor (26 km Elevated and 3 km underground) and will also include 22 stations. The statement also said that the Union Cabinet approved the Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail Project Corridor. The 29-km corridor will run along the periphery of the west side of Thane city with 22 stations. The network is encompassed by the Ulhas river on one side and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park on the other, it said. This will provide sustainable and efficient mode of transport, facilitating the city to realise its economic potential and ease traffic congestion. The project is also expected to contribute to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the statement said. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 12,200.10 crore, with equal equity from Government of India and Government of Maharashtra as well as part-funding from bilateral agencies, it said. Funds would also be raised through innovative financing methods such as by selling station naming and access rights for corporate, monetisation of assets, and value capture financing route, the statement said. The approval for the metro projects in Thane and Pune comes a few months ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, the poll dates for which are yet to be announced. On the approval of two corridors of the Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase-3, the government said the total completion cost of the project is Rs 15,611 crore. (with PTI inputs) The heinous rape and murder of a young doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Hospital has brought the spotlight back on conditions of work and inadequate safety for women staff in hospitals where both doctors and nurses are vulnerable. It has also revived memories of a nurse who was brutally assaulted at work many years ago a case that changed the trajectory of the country. It was 1973 when Aruna Shanbaug, a 25-year-old nurse at the KEM hospital, went to her duty room in the basement of the hospital. It was here that a sweeper named Walmiki accosted her and raped her. However, the brutality did not end there. She was strangulated by a dog chain and left to suffer. When the staff of the hospital discovered her, her spinal cord was broken and she had been in a vegetative state for 24 hours. The nurses of the hospital looked after Shanbaug till a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia to give her relief, forever altering the legal and moral discourse of the country. Shanbaugs death and the love and care she received from fellow nurses many of whom joined the hospital several years after her rape raised several questions over the security at work for nurses. I recall visiting the hospital for coverage and many nurses who spoke to me told me they were scared to even go to the basement for fear that the same thing will happen to us. Over years, the KEM hospital has shifted the changing and duty room to a floor above with better security measures. When Shanbaug was assaulted, there was no concept of CCTV cameras. Though the culprit was caught, the nurses who took care of Shanbaug said the process of getting justice was the punishment. We looked after her and would often wonder whether we could be next or how safe were we. Our families asked us to give up work but Arunas state made our resolve to get better facilities stronger. Over 50 years later, the RG Kar case has once again revived the issue of how safe workplaces are for nurses and women doctors, given that this is one job that brings them face-to-face with people. It could also mean that heinous moment when things could go wrong, is how a nurse at the KEM Hospital termed it. Shanbaugs case was also one where she had snubbed the overtures of the sweeper. Walmiki, at that point, had denied rape or sodomy of a menstruating Shanbaug. He was initially let off after a seven-year jail term but then times caught up with him. Nurses on duty told me then that Walmiki often proposed to Shanbaug but she had rejected him. This is what was believed to have angered him and he was keeping track of her daily movements. The 25-year-olds assault, long wait for justice and a judgment which changed the debate on euthanasia has been captured in a book by her petitioner Pinky Virani named Bitter Chocolate. A nurse in the hospital on the condition of anonymity told News18 that the RG Kar case has instilled the same fear in the community once again. Women at work, whether nurses or doctors, work hard as its a noble profession. But when we heard about the state of the victim at RG Kar, I wondered whether things have really changed since the Aruna incident, she said. As protests emerge across the country and the CBI probes the Kolkata case, many are reliving Shanbaugs moments as it brings to mind the nagging question how safe are women at work? The father of the victim trainee doctor who was brutally raped while on duty at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 has refused to accept the compensation offered over the incident saying that it will hurt her daughter and demanded for justice. While speaking to the media, the father of the victim, a second-year PG trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, expressed gratitude towards the entire nations medical fraternity and those protesting against the gruesome incident. Follow Kolkata Doctors Rape-Murder Case LIVE Updates I express gratitude to everyone, regarding the protest that has been happening across the country and world. I consider everyone who is standing with us, as my sons and daughters. I have turned down the compensation. It will hurt my daughter if I accept money as compensation for her death. I want justice, news agency ANI quoted the doctors father as saying. While he did not reveal the details about his questioning with the CBI probe team, he said that the CBI has recorded the familys statement and taken it in writing. He further said that the CBI has assured the family of arresting the accused at the earliest and awarding strictest punishment. It is not lawfully appropriate to give details on our conversation with the CBI. I cant give you details on the questioning that has been done in connection with this case. They have recorded our statement and taken it in writing CBI has assured us that the accused will be arrested at the earliest and awarded strict punishment based on whatever we have told them, he added. CBI officers on Thursday visited the residence of the doctor and spoke to her parents as a part of their investigation, news agency PTI reported citing an official. The investigators took note of the time they received the call from the hospital, informing them about the death of their daughter, he said. Read More: What Has Changed For Us? 50 Years On, Kolkata Horror Reminds Nurses & Doctors of Aruna Shanbaug Rape The officers also asked them about their daughters friends, and whether she complained of any problems at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where she was a postgraduate trainee doctor, he added. It was difficult to speak to a couple who have lost their daughter in such a manner, the officer said. The CBI also interrogated five doctors of the hospital, its former medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal (MSVP), principal and the head of the Chest Department where the victims body was found, he said. The CBI took over the investigation into the case from the Kolkata Police on the direction of the high court. Earlier, the doctors father shared his daughters last diary entry. He said that the victim was studious, and her last diary entry revealed what she aspired to do in her life. According to India Today, citing her father, the 31-year-old victim wanted to top her MD course and achieve a gold medal in it. The victims father described his daughter as a hard-working student, telling the news outlet that she fought a lot to achieve her goal of becoming a doctor and that the family made several sacrifices to raise her. The horrific incident has shaken the country with nationwide protests going on demanding the prompt action in the investigation. Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday declared nationwide withdrawal of non-essential services by doctors from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 am on Sunday, August 18, for 24 hours. Read More: Mahua Moitra Denies Cover-Up By Bengal Govt In Doctor Rape-Murder Case, Slams BJP Over Gungi-Gudiya Remark Amid the ongoing protests, some miscreants entered the premises of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during early hours of Thursday and vandalised portions of the medical facility, where the body of the victim was found. The Kolkata Police, meanwhile, arrested 19 people and detained three for the vandalism incident. (With inputs from agencies) The brutal rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkata has caused shockwaves throughout the country. The horrible crime committed at the esteemed RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has sparked a blaze of outrage and protests. Social media has been swamped with remarks on how women are unsafe in the country and demands for action against the perpetrator. Many celebrities came out to condemn the incident as well. On Independence day, TV actor Abhishek Kumar expressed how, despite the country being free, women living here still have to fight battles everyday. In an emotional post tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Abhishek Kumar stated, Desh to azaad ho gaya, par kya betiyon ko azadi mil paayi hai. Aaj koi bhi ladki kahi bhi surakshit nahi hai, kya yahi ki humne padhai hai. Bas yahi dua hai, jo uske saath hua woh kisi ke saath na ho. Aaj uski halat dekh, pure desh ki aankh bhar aayi hai, Jai hind (Our country is free but has the women residing here gained freedom. No woman is safe anywhere, is this the education we have got? I pray that what happened to her is never repeated on anyone again. Seeing her condition today, the entire country is weeping). Many of Abhishek Kumars followers thanked him for taking a stand and speaking out on the issue. One of them stated, Thank you for sharing these impactful words, abhi. The world truly needs individuals like you. Your courage in speaking out on this matter has earned you even more respect while another person commented of Abhisheks post saying, We celebrate independence day but still our women are not independent. In response to the tragedy, Bollywood actors Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Genelia DSouza, among others took a stand. Ayushmann Khurrana also shared a poem, titled Kaash Main Bhi Ladka Hoti which went viral in no time. Meanwhile, doctors around the country are protesting against the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor, seeking justice for the victim. In the latest, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced that there will be a 24-hour nationwide shutdown of services on August 17 in protest for the incident as well as the mob attack on the hospital on the eve of Independence Day. Anushka Sharma has condemned the horrifying rape and murder of a female trainee doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. She took to her Instagram stories and expressed her outrage. Anushka shared a post referring to the incident. To note, the incident has shocked the nation as other celebrities are also seen condemning the brutal crime. Taking to her Instagram stories, Anushka Sharma shared a post that says whats your excuse this time or is it her fault, because men will be men, right? On Thursday, Alia also shared an Instagram post. Another brutal rape. Another day of realisation that women are not safe, anywhere, she wrote, drawing a direct comparison to the Nirbhaya tragedy that shook India over a decade ago. Despite the nationwide outcry and subsequent legal reforms, Alia emphasised that little has changed in terms of womens safety. Take a look here: The actress supported her statement with alarming statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 report. She pointed out that 30% of Indias doctors and 80% of the nursing staff are women, making them particularly vulnerable in an environment where violence against medical personnel is on the rise. She also highlighted the grim reality that since 2022, there has been a 4% increase in crimes against women, with over 20% of these involving rape and assault. Alias post further noted that nearly 90 rapes were reported daily in India in 2022, underscoring the pervasive nature of this violence. Indo-Canadian Punjabi sensation AP Dhillon has expressed his anger and disappointment over the horrific rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata. Dhillon took to his Instagram stories on Friday morning and wrote, woke up today wanting to let my thoughts out the only way I know how along with a clip with a tribute song with heartbroken emojis. In the song, the Excuses hitmaker asked for justice for the victim and talked about the innate power of women and how society continues to fail. A string of Bollywood personalities, including names such as Twinkle Khanna, Kangana Ranaut, Soni Razdan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Parineeti Chopra, Preity Zinta, Mimi Chakraborty, and Richa Chadha, demanded justice for the victim. On Thursday, the Crew actress took to her Instagram handle and wrote, 12 years later, the same story, the same protest. But we are still waiting for change. In the caption of her post, Kareena used several hashtags including, Justice For Moumita, Kolkata Rape And Murder Case, Violence Against Women, Justice For Women, Women Safety and Freedom For Women. She also dropped a heart-break emoji. Indo-Canadian Punjabi sensation AP Dhillon has expressed his anger and disappointment over the horrific rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata. Dhillon took to his Instagram stories on Friday morning and wrote, woke up today wanting to let my thoughts out the only way I know how along with a clip with a tribute song with heartbroken emojis. In the song, the Excuses hitmaker asked for justice for the victim and talked about the innate power of women and how society continues to fail. In the video, Dhillon is seen singing with the lyrics: She has saved many lives and souls. God, how could her fate end so tragically? She was not safe even in a place where everyone knew her. Today, we all ask you, is it a curse to be born a girl in this world? For the women who have transformed the world, society has refused to change around them, though they have swum oceans worth of progress, society has barely moved an inch. What happened 12 years ago continues to happen today. Why do we still have to march for women to live in peace? A string of Bollywood personalities, including names such as Alia Bhatt, Twinkle Khanna, Kangana Ranaut, Soni Razdan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Parineeti Chopra, Preity Zinta, Mimi Chakraborty, and Richa Chadha, demanded justice for the victim. The news of the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor in Kolkatas R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital angered the nation, leading to strikes and protests across Kolkata. Talking about Dhillon, he recently posted a glimpse of an upcoming track featuring Bollywood star Salman Khan. He wrote a note in the caption, which read: I started out as an artist, hoping to inspire the next generation and leave a legacy that really impacts our culture and community. Streams, awards, sold-out shows, the headlines along the way I learned that all of these things do nothing but inflate your ego and take away from what really matters the music the art. Dhillon added: With Gods blessings, I got two of the biggest icons our world has ever seen to support me in accomplishing this goal. Everything I have been working on is to prove to you that reality can really be greater than your dreams if you focus on what truly matters to you as a human being. I am working as hard as ever and hope you like what is to come. Old Money out this Friday. Dont call it a comeback. Do you wish for all your birthday dreams to come true? How about having a truck filled with your favourite food? Well, if youre as lucky as actress Halle Berry, it might actually happen! The Catwoman actress just celebrated her 58th birthday on Wednesday, August 14 and her The Union co-star, Mark Wahlberg, decided to send her a very special gift. Berry has shared a video on Instagram, showing the surprise. In the video, Wahlbergs food truck, from his company, arrived at Berrys location. The actress had previously mentioned to Wahlberg that she had never tried his burgers, and he made sure to remember. The amusing video starts with two men approaching Berry and asking if she was expecting a food truck. The actress laughs and says she was only joking. But when she actually sees the truck, she cant contain her excitement and lets out a scream of joy. She then calls Wahlberg, who explains that he sent the truck because she hadnt tried the burgers before. Berry is then seen enjoying the margaritas and praises the food. The video ends with Berry expressing her gratitude to Wahlberg for the sweet gesture. In her Instagram caption, she wrote, When your co-star is actually a man of his word! Mark Wahlberg, your Wahlburgers are banging, and the margaritas were a nice touch! Thank you and I love you, man. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Halle Berry (@halleberry) As for the latest release of the duo, The Union is an action-packed spy comedy-thriller film directed by Julian Farino. The cast also includes Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley and J. K. Simmons. The story revolves around a construction worker who gets pulled into the world of espionage by his ex-girlfriend from high school. The film has released today, on August 16, on Netflix. Halle Berry, one of Hollywoods highest-paid actresses at present, began her career as a model and competed in several beauty pageants, including finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and placing sixth in the Miss World 1986 pageant. She gained major recognition in 1992 with her role in Boomerang and went on to star in films such as The Flintstones, The Call, Bulworth, Monsters Ball, X-Men, Die Another Day and Swordfish, among others. The Hema Committee Report is scheduled for release on August 17, with portions that could compromise individual privacy being redacted. This measure is being taken in accordance with the Right to Information Act. Earlier, on Tuesday, the Kerala High Court dismissed a petition that sought to stop the release of the Justice Hema Commission report, citing privacy concerns. Before issuing the stay, the court had asked for responses from both the state government and the RTI Commission. Filmmaker Sajimon Parayil had approached the High Court to prevent the reports release, arguing that it would infringe on the privacy of those involved in the film industry. The petitioner expressed concerns that making the report public could endanger individuals who had shared sensitive information about the industry. The advocate representing the State RTI Commission argued that the petitioner lacked the authority to challenge the court. He explained that significant portions of the report had been redacted to protect personal information and prevent any privacy violations. Before the reports tentative release last month, all 82 pages of the State Information Commissions document were edited, including 115 paragraphs and some lines across various pages. State Information Commissioner Dr A Abdul Hakeem instructed the RTI Officer of the Culture Department to notify the applicants about which sections of the report were to be excluded. Each of the five individuals involved was required to pay Rs 699 to obtain a copy of the report. The committee was formed to study sexual violence and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry, following actor Dileeps involvement in the 2017 actress assault case. Actress Sharada, former IAS officer KB Vatsalakumari were also members of the committee. The report was submitted on December 31, 2019, but the Kerala government has not yet released it as it is suspected to contain critical information. Journalists have approached the Information Commission against this. The government was expected to release the findings of the Justice Hema Commission report, which examines the challenges faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, on July 24. Sections that could infringe on individual privacy and potentially identify people will not be published, following the directive of the State Right to Information Commission. Yashs KGF Chapter 2 has won big at the 70th National Awards 2024. Directed by Prashanth Neel, KGF 2 won in the Best Kannada Film and Best Action Direction (Stunt Choreography) categories in the Feature Films section. Additionally, Anbariv received the Best Action Direction award. Where to Watch Yashs Kannada Film Online: For those who missed the film in theatres or are looking to watch it again, KGF Chapter 2 is available on Amazon Prime Video. KGF Chapter 2 was released on April 14, 2022, in Kannada, with dubbed versions available in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam. It quickly exceeded the expectations set by KGF Chapter 1, released in December 2018. The film garnered positive reviews from fans and critics. The worldwide collection of the film stands at Rs 1250 crore. KGF revolves around the life of Rocky (played by Yash), who, after losing his mother to poverty at a young age, becomes powerful and ultimately takes control of the gold mines in Kolar Gold Fields. In the second part, Rocky (played by Yash) faces greater risks. Despite building a strong empire, he has many enemies, including Adheera (Sanjay Dutt), who want to defeat him and reclaim KGF. However, Rockys name instils fear in his enemies and poses a threat to the government. KGF Chapter 2: Cast The film features Yash as Rocky, Sanjay Dutt as Adheera, Raveena Tandon as Ramika Sen, Srinidhi Shetty as Reena, Achyuth Kumar as Guru Pandian, Prakash Raj as Vijayendra Ingalgi, Rao Ramesh as Kanneganti Raghavan, Malavika Avinash as Deepa Hegde, Easwari Rao as Fathima, and Archana Jois as Shanthamma. Apart from KGF Chapter 2, the Best Feature Film award went to Aattam, while Kantara received the award for Best Popular Film. The Best Telugu Film award was won by Kartikeya 2, and Ponniyin Selvan Part 1 was recognised as the Best Tamil Film. Five individuals, including two doctors, have been charged in connection with the 2023 death of actor Matthew Perry, according to the US Attorneys Office. The charges were announced Thursday morning at a press conference in Los Angeles. The defendants are charged with distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of the actors life, according to a press release from the US Attorneys office. US Attorney Martin Estrada said the defendants took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues. They knew what they were doing was wrong, Estrada said. The beloved actor who starred as Chandler Bing on Friends died in October 2023 at the age of 54. Perry was found floating face down in the pool of his Pacific Palisades home. The actor died as a result of acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiners Office autopsy report. In May, Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Scot Williams told CNN that an investigation into Perrys death was ongoing and criminal in nature. Hypothetically theres a potential for criminal culpability depending on what the investigation undercovers, but at this point, were not there yet, he said at the time. Williams said authorities were looking into how Perry got the drugs and who may have supplied them. The US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Postal Inspection Service were also involved in the investigation. Police investigators walk along the street where Matthew Perrys house was located the night of his death in October 2023. Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images Perry had detailed his decades-long struggles with drug addiction in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. He wrote that he began abusing prescription medication after he was involved in a jet ski accident on the set of the film Fools Rush In in 1997 and was prescribed Vicodin. According to his book, Perry eventually escalated to taking up to 55 pills per day, which resulted in his significant weight loss that was visible during his time working on Friends. He noted that it was difficult to watch the physical transformation he went through during his time on the show. I was, like, brutally thin and being beaten down so badly by the disease, Perry wrote. Ketamine has seen a surge in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. People close to Perry told coroners investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy before his death and he was being treated by at least two doctors, according to The Associated Press. Perrys death was met with shock as he was beloved on Friends between 1994 and 2004, where he starred alongside Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow. They released a joint statement after Perry died, writing We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now were going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss, the statement, released by their individual representatives, added. In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Mattys family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world. This story is developing and will be updated. This years National Film Awards saw Kannada cinema shining brightly. Prashanth Neels KGF: Chapter 2, starring Yash, won two awards: Best Kannada Film and Best Action Direction. Released in 2022, it was a sequel to KGF: Chapter 1 and also starred Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Srinidhi Shetty, and Prakash Raj, among others. It marked Raveenas return to the big screen five years after the Hindi film Shab. This is the second time that a film starring the actor has received a National Award, the first being Ram Gopal Varmas Shool. Speaking exclusively to News18 Showsha, she says, Its great for us! This is the next National Award after Shool. I havent had the chance to speak to anyone from the team yet. Incidentally, my husband (Anil Thadani; distributor) flew there to meet Prashanth, and theyre in Hyderabad right now. For the unversed, back in 2001, she had bagged Best Actress at the 48th National Film Awards for Kalpana Lajmis Daman: A Victim Of Marital Violence. The Padma Shri winner says that despite being an actor for 33 years now, awards, especially a national honor, still fill her with excitement. Of course, awards still excite me. Thats the appreciation you get for films that deserve it, and for KGF: Chapter 2 to get that kind of recognition is a big shot in the arm. Its exhilarating, satisfying, and gratifying. So, Im elated that besides its commercial success and critical acclaim, KGF: Chapter 2 has also won the National Award, remarks Raveena. While many may think that the Yash starrer was her comeback vehicle, Raveena disagrees. I didnt completely leave and then make a comeback with KGF: Chapter 2. I was still doing movies in between. I did Maatr and a couple of Telugu films. So, KGF: Chapter 2 wasnt a comeback. I was just lucky to have this film come to me, she says. The Aranyak and Karmma Calling actor, however, is quick to add that doing a film like KGF: Chapter 2 made a lot of difference to her career. After that, I did Patna Shukla. Im glad that a film of the level of KGF: Chapter 2 was offered to me because it made such a difference. Besides being a commercial success, it was a different kind of cinema. Working with a fresh, new team that included Prashanth and Yash was a refreshing change for me. Im so glad that its winning the recognition it deserves, she elaborates. Speaking of Kannada films at the 70th National Film Awards, Rishabh Shetty won Best Actor for Kantara, which also bagged the award for Best Popular Film. Congratulating him, Yash took to X and wrote, Heartiest congratulations to all the winners of the National Awards. A special shoutout to our very own @shetty_rishab, @VKiragandur, Prashanth Neel, and the entire @hombalefilms team for the well-deserved recognition for Kantara and KGF 2. Heres to many more heights. This is indeed Kannada cinemas shining moment on the national stage! Ajay Devgns much-anticipated sequel, Son of Sardaar 2, has found itself embroiled in controversy even before its release. The film, currently shooting in the UK, recently made headlines for two major reasons: Sanjay Dutts visa rejection and the removal of Vijay Raaz from the cast due to alleged misconduct. Sanjay Dutts Visa Rejection: The first major blow to Son of Sardaar 2 came with the news that Sanjay Dutt, who was a key part of the original film, had been denied a visa to the United Kingdom. This decision stems from Dutts past legal troubles, specifically his 1993 conviction under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Arms Act. Although initially granted a visa, the UK authorities later revoked it, citing his criminal record. Sanjay Dutt expressed his frustration in an interview with Bombay Times, stating, They gave me the Visa (initially). Everything was ready. Then a month later, you are canceling my Visa! I gave you all the papers and everything. Why did you give me the Visa in the first place? With Dutt unable to join the shoot, Ravi Kishan has stepped in to replace him in the film. The sequel, directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, is expected to continue the storyline of the original, though with some notable changes, including the absence of Sonakshi Sinha. Vijay Raazs Removal Over Misconduct: The second controversy involves actor Vijay Raaz, who was reportedly removed from Son of Sardaar 2 due to unprofessional behaviour. According to Kumar Mangat Pathak, the films co-producer, Raaz made several unreasonable demands during the shoot, including larger rooms, a premium vanity van, and exorbitant payments for his spot boy. Mangat revealed that the situation became untenable, leading to Raazs dismissal from the project. The role will now be played by Sanjay Mishra, confirmed Pathak. He further claimed that Raazs spot boy was involved in a separate, more serious incident- allegedly sexually assaulting a hotel staff member while intoxicated. Vijay Raaz, however, has denied the allegations. He clarified that the two incidents were unrelated and distanced himself from the actions of his spot boy. Raaz also suggested that his removal was due to his failure to greet Ajay Devgn on set rather than any misconduct. While the controversies have certainly cast a shadow over Son of Sardaar 2, the films production continues, with the team making adjustments to keep the project on track. Manasi Parekh has won the Best Actress National Award for her 2023 Gujarati movie, Kutch Express. She shared the award with Nithya Menen, who has been recognized for her performance in the Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam. While social media is flooded with netizens wishing the two actresses for this remarkable achievement, lets look at a throwback interview of Manasi with News18 Showsha when she spoke about Kutch Express, regional languages getting recognition and more: Bollywood Stars Realising Importance of Regional Languages In January 2023 i.e. ahead of the release of Kutch Express, Manasi spoke to us and opened up about the expansion of regional cinema in India. She mentioned that even the big Bollywood stars are realising the importance of different languages and are therefore working on films made in other languages too. She also expressed confidence and opined that the term Regional Cinema will soon become Indian Cinema. I dont think the term regional cinema will be used (in the future). In fact, in one of his recent interviews, Hrithik Rohan said I want to work in Indian cinema and he is a mainstream actor. Even mainstream Bollywood stars have realised the importance of different languages. The fact that there is a huge connection when a film is made in a particular dialect or in a particular regional language. Indian cinema is out in its glory and the more films are made with more diversity, and authenticity, the more our industry will have depth, range and layers. The term regional cinema might just become obsolete and it might all become Indian cinema. That is a great trend. Cannot Compare Gujarati Cinema To South Movies Manasi also talked about Gujarati cinema not getting recognition as of now and explained it is because the Gujarati film industry is comparatively very new. She mentioned that one cannot compare Gujarati films to South cinema because the former is hardly a decade-old film industry. The South industry is a very old and established industry. They have been making incredible cinema for years and they have been so popular among their own language people that it is only recently that non-South Indian viewers are discovering their cinema. However, Gujarati cinema is still a very young industry. It is just a decade old. People are now discovering the fact that there are incredible stories that are waiting to be made in Gujarati. I cannot compare Gujarati cinema to South cinema but definitely, the trend is changing and it is for the good and in favour of Gujarati. People Have a Very Stereotypical Notion of What Gujarati Movies Are Manasi was also asked what Gujarati filmmakers should do to get audiences attention from across the country. The actress explained that they should try to break stereotypes and must explore concepts which are left untouched. I think to gain more popularity, Gujarati cinema should explore so many more concepts and so many more stories. There are incredible geographical locations in Gujarat. For example, when we shot Kutch Express in Kutch, we tried to show Kutch as it has never been shown before in any Hindi or Gujarati film. Similarly, people have a very stereotypical notion of what Gujarati movies are or what Gujarati people are like. I think our movies should try to break those stereotypes and should try to bring out those stories to the mainstream for us to reach a wider audience. Congratulations, Manasi Parekh! Months after his death, FRIENDS actor Matthew Perry is back in the news. Five people, including two doctors, have been charged in connection to his death due to a drug overdose. Among these five, a woman named Jasveen Sangha has also been accused of providing the lethal dose of ketamine to the FRIENDS actor which led to his death. But do you know who is this woman and what else she has been accused of? Know it here: Who Is Jasveen Sangha? Sangha, popularly known as the Ketamine Queen is a 41-year-old dual British and American citizen. She has been under the lens of federal authorities for a long time now for her alleged involvement in the distribution of dangerous drugs. Jasveen used to allegedly run a drug operation out of her North Hollywood home. Officials have claimed that she used to store, package and distribute drugs from this address of hers. In the past, the officials even described her residence as a drug-selling emporium and claimed that it was filled with methamphetamine, cocaine, and prescription drugs like Xanax. She became popular in March 2019 when she was busted for selling methamphetamine in a different case. A raid was conducted at her residence during which the authorities seized seized 79 bottles of liquid ketamine and nearly 2,000 meth pills. How Is Jasveen Sangha Related To Matthew Perrys Death? Matthew Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing in the popular show FRIENDS, passed away in October 2023. Perry was 54 when he was found floating face down in the pool of his Pacific Palisades home. It was later reported that the actor died as a result of acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning. Court documents now claim that days ahead of his death, Perry had obtained ketamine through a broker named Eric Fleming. This broken had sourced the drug from Sangha. While Sangha sold drugs to Fleming on October 13, 2023, the latter then provided it to Perry on October 14 and October 24, respectively. It has been alleged that she provided 50 vials of ketamine in two separate deals to Fleming. It has also been alleged that Sangha even included ketamine lollipops as a bonus since she was impressed with the large size of Mr Perrys order. What Netizens Wish to Know About Jasveen Sangha? As news of the arrests spread, interest piqued online about the Indian-origin British and American citizen Jasveen Sangha. Heres a look at the search pattern from India. Heres a look at the search pattern for Sangha worldwide: Worldwide, most searches were made from Canada, followed by US, Norway, United Kingdom and New Zealand. From India, Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana and Telangana contributed the most searches. Related queries for Google searches on Jasveen Sangha included ketamine, jasveen sangha indian, matthew perry, and jasveen sangha instagram. Australian breakdancer Raygun has spoken out against the pretty devastating hatred unleashed online since her widely lampooned Paris Olympics performance. Rachael Raygun Gunn, a 36-year-old Sydney university lecturer, has been ridiculed by some and cheered by others for her unique performance in Paris, where she won none of her three face-offs against other B-Girls. Gunn thanked her supporters and said she was glad to bring them some joy, in a video from a Brussels street posted on her Instagram account on Thursday. I didnt realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating, she said. Well, I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all. Truly. Gunns kangaroo-mimicking moves and Australia-logoed tracksuit have been parodied worldwide, including by late-night US television host Jimmy Fallon. She has faced much stronger criticism and ridicule online. The Australian Olympic Committee has decried a misleading and bullying online petition that described Gunns performance as unethical and questioned how she was chosen for Paris. In regards to the allegations and misinformation floating around, Id like to ask everyone to please refer to the recent statement made by the AOC, Gunn said in her video. The poll on Change.org, which garnered tens of thousands of signatures demanding a public apology from the dancer, was unavailable on the platform on Friday. Gunn said she planned to remain in Europe for a few weeks for some pre-planned downtime. In the meantime, she asked the media to stop harassing her family, friends and the breakdancing community. Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to please respect their privacy, she said, promising to answer more questions on her return to Australia. Gunns Olympic moves won support from many people, including her fellow Australian Olympians. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised her this week for having a go. Breaking will not be on the programme for the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years. A suspected Maoist was recently killed in a gunfight with security forces in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, a region long plagued by insurgent violence. This incident underscores an uncomfortable truth, that while the Maoist threat has been significantly contained over the past few decades, the battle is far from over. The struggle continues in the rugged terrains of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, as well as in the ideological forums where enough intellectuals can be found legitimising the struggle. Therefore, the complexity of the Maoist insurgency in India is not merely a security issue but also a profound ideological and socio-economic challenge. I recently had the opportunity to delve into this issue firsthand as a delegate to the 13th Young Thinkers Meet, organised by the India Foundation in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. The event brought together scholars, policymakers, and security experts to discuss pressing issues facing the country, with a particular focus on the Maoist insurgency. Among the various seminars, panel discussions, and dialogues, one experience stood outthe visit to a CRPF camp situated deep within the Bastar forests. The camps location, nestled in one of Indias most challenging terrains, epitomised the daily reality of the security forces combating this insurgency. The visit offered a sobering glimpse into the multifaceted security challenge posed by the Maoist movement, both to the forces tasked with maintaining order and to the civilian population living under the shadow of violence. The camp visit was also an opportunity to meet the members of the surrender squadformer Maoists who had chosen to abandon the insurgency at great personal risk. These individuals, now serving in the security forces, shared harrowing accounts of their past lives. Once inducted into the Maoist ranks, often through coercion or abduction, they were isolated from their families, indoctrinated into the movements ideology, and compelled to participate in violent acts against the state. Their stories highlighted the brutal realities of the Maoist insurgencyan existence marked by fear, isolation, and the constant threat of death. To understand the contemporary Maoist threat, it is essential to trace the origins of the Naxalite movement, from which it derives. The movement began in 1967 in the village of Naxalbari, West Bengal, as a peasant uprising against landowners, inspired by Mao Zedongs principles of agrarian revolt. What initially appeared to be a localised struggle for land rights and social justice quickly spread across various parts of India, evolving into an armed insurgency aimed at overthrowing the Indian state. The Naxalite movement, grounded in Marxist-Leninist-Maoist ideology, sought to replicate the Chinese revolutionary model in India. However, the movement has always been marked by an ideological vacuum. Despite decades of struggle, its leaders have failed to articulate a coherent blueprint for the society they aim to create post-revolution. This lack of clarity is not a trivial matter. It is precisely this ideological ambiguity that renders the Maoist movement not only a threat to Indias sovereignty but also inherently aimless, impractical, and ultimately destructive for those involved. Throughout history, every armed struggle against a bourgeois state, whether in Russia, China, or elsewhere, has led not to the utopia promised by its leaders, but to chaos, repression, and the rise of dictatorial regimes. Mao Zedongs China is the most prominent example, where the revolution culminated in widespread famine, mass purges, and a totalitarian regime that bore little resemblance to the egalitarian society that was initially promised. The Indian Maoist movement, drawing ideological inspiration from this failed experiment, is unlikely to produce different results. India does not need, nor can it afford, such an experiment. Our democratic institutions, while far from perfect, offer a framework for peaceful change and progress. There are countless ways to address the socio-economic grievances that fuel insurgencies within the existing democratic structure. Resorting to violence, rejecting the state, and seeking to destroy the existing social order are not only unnecessary but also counterproductive. The romanticisation of the Maoist insurgency by certain sections of academia and the media only serves to perpetuate the conflict. These so-called social activists and intellectuals, by expressing solidarity with the Maoists, become complicit in the violence and suffering that the movement inflicts, upon the very communities it claims to represent. The Maoist insurgency is sustained not only by its ideological appeal but also by a complex economic network that includes extortion, the illegal trade of natural resources, and the exploitation of local populations. In the regions under Maoist control, the cultivation of tendupattaa type of leaf used in the production of beedis (traditional Indian cigarettes)is heavily taxed by the insurgents, generating significant revenue for their operations. Intimidation and violence are the primary tools used by the Maoists to extract money from civilians, further impoverishing already marginalised communities. This financial nexus is crucial to the survival of the insurgency, and breaking it is essential to any strategy aimed at defeating the movement. The Maoists also actively oppose development projects in the areas they control, sabotaging infrastructure, schools, and healthcare facilities. Their goal is to keep these regions underdeveloped and the local population dependent on their protection. This resistance to development is a strategic choice, designed to maintain their influence over the population and prevent the state from gaining a foothold in these areas. However, this strategy comes at a great cost to the people living in Maoist-controlled regions, who are deprived of the benefits of economic growth and social development. The fight against the Maoists, therefore, is not just a military struggle but also an ideological and economic one. It requires a comprehensive approach that includes continued military pressure, breaking the financial nexus that sustains the movement, and accelerating development in the affected areas. It also requires countering the ideological narrative that sustains the Maoist movement by promoting the benefits of democracy and the rule of law. Significant progress has been made in curbing the Maoist insurgency over the past few decades. The number of districts affected by Naxalite violence has decreased substantially, and the movements leadership has been weakened. However, the struggle is far from over. As India continues to grapple with the remnants of the Maoist insurgency, it is crucial to recognise the external forces that have historically sought to exploit this internal conflict. China, being the ideological breeding ground of the Maoist thought, has not shied away from sowing discord within the Indian society. By indirectly supporting Maoist elements and nurturing anti-state sentiments, China aims to weaken Indias social fabric and undermine its sovereignty. This is a strategic manoeuvre designed to destabilise a regional competitor and prevent India from achieving its full potential on the global stage. The threat, therefore, is not merely an internal one; it is amplified by the geopolitical ambitions of a neighbouring power that has consistently opposed Indias rise. While Communist parties operating within the democratic framework of India are an accepted part of the political landscape, it is imperative that a clear line is drawn when it comes to national security. Being soft on China, particularly on sensitive issues that impact Indias sovereignty and security, is not just a political misstepit is a betrayal of the nations interests. Indias democracy, with all its complexities, allows for diverse ideologies to coexist and thrive. However, there can be no compromise when it comes to defending the integrity of the nation. The Maoist insurgency, fueled by both internal factors and external interference, must be decisively confronted, not just on the battlefield but in the realm of ideas as well. The writer takes special interest in history, culture and geopolitics. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Badle badle mere sarkar nazar aate hai (Chaudhvin Ka Chand) The body language and style of functioning of Rahul Gandhi have undergone a sea change since the results of the Lok Sabha polls on June 4, 2024. The Leader of the Opposition has become far more assertive and a de facto political face of the Congress party. Just the other day, AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal got a taste of Rahuls transformation when he received a file containing the names of 35 potential party functionaries. Venugopal was surprised because he had been sitting on an all-clear folder that supposedly contained the names of all would-be AICC functionaries approved by AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. For Venugopal, the list of additional names bounced around in his head, first in disbelief, then in shock, and finally, in anger. As General Secretary (O), he should have been in the loop. The anger gave vent to an incoherent sentence that is still being deciphered. The buzz is that Venugopal may either return to his home state of Kerala as state party chief or consolidate his parliamentary role as the head of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a top parliamentary body. In the Congress circles, Ahmed Patel is credited with bringing KC Venugopal closer to Rahul Gandhi. Legend has it that when Venugopal became a Member of Parliament, Patel, then political secretary to UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, got him seated next to Rahul in the Lok Sabha on the premise that a non-descript MP from Kerala would have little influence on the Gandhi scion. The reverse happened. By 2019, Patel used to describe Venugopal as his mistake. Coming back to the goings-on in the present-day Congress, a closer scrutiny revealed that Rahul had met 35 leaders tipped to become AICC secretaries without Venugopals knowledge. Apparently, a trio consisting of Sachin Rao, Meenakshi Natarajan, and Sasikanth Senthil had arranged a meeting between Rahul and the best and brightest new faces. Senthil, a former IAS officer turned Congress Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, is an expert in election management. Rao is a communication expert and a member of the Congress Working Committee, while Natarajan, a former Lok Sabha MP from Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, has worked with Rahul when he was AICC General Secretary back in 2007. At another level, the signalling of Venugopals declining political stature indicates Rahuls growing self-confidence. Since 2007, Rahul has been known to take a shine to senior party leaders first Digvijaya Singh, then Madhusudan Mistry, followed by CP Joshi, Mohan Prakash, and KC Venugopal. In the last 48 hours, Congress circles have been abuzz with rumours and speculations that the trio of Sachin Rao, Meenakshi Natarajan, and Sasikanth Senthil is emerging as Rahuls eyes and ears. The former AICC chief is reportedly giving importance to some other faces such as Manickam Tagore and Praniti Shinde, in addition to seasoned figures like Gaurav Gogoi and Ajay Maken. A big and startling reshuffle in the AICC secretariat is on the cards. These changes will be made, announced, and signed by Mallikarjun Kharge, but in effect, they will have Rahul and Sonias approval. Three AICC General Secretaries Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Deepa Dasmunshi, and Randeep Singh Surjewala are set to be removed. Mir and Surjewala are expected to play active roles in the assembly polls of Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana respectively, while Dasmunshi is set to head the Bengal Congress unit. Rahul has reportedly zeroed in on two former chief ministers Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot to oversee party affairs in Telangana and Karnataka, two Congress-ruled states. If Gehlot manages to bounce back as an AICC functionary, it would signal that 10 Janpath, i.e., both Sonia and Rahul, have forgiven him for his defiance on September 25, 2023, when Gehlot, the then Rajasthan Chief Minister, refused to hold a meeting of the Congress legislature party. Some party insiders view Baghel and Gehlots likely appointment as AICC General Secretaries as ironic. In some ways, both were responsible for events leading to the Congress debacle in the party-ruled states of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan due to their refusal to make peace with arch-rivals T.S. Singh Deo and Sachin Pilot respectively. Yet, within less than a year, they are being rewarded. The counter-argument offered by Team Rahul is that, as former chief ministers, Baghel and Gehlot will be able to manage the current crop of party chief ministers and address various irregularities occurring in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Shimla. The writer is a Visiting Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. A well-known political analyst, he has written several books, including 24 Akbar Road and Sonia: A Biography. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Is there an uncomfortable sense of deja vu among West Bengals residents? Or a conscience-salving amnesia? Do they recall that in 2013 another young college student was gang-raped, mutilated and murdered in the sweetest state, as a tourism catchline deceitfully asserts? She was given the sobriquet Aparajita and her murder caused widespread outrage. The chief minister was heckled as she arrived in Kamduni a whole ten days after the girls body was discovered. Even back then, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already weathered a similar storm the year before (2012) when a woman was raped in the middle of Kolkata, on Park Street. She had then initiated what has now become a standard operating procedure (SOP)doubt the crime itself, shame the victim/survivor, and loudly allege a political conspiracy and social media vendetta. So Kamduni became the second instance of what was to become a distressingly familiar pattern. The CM questioned Aparajitas morals, hinted at a conspiracy, accused the CPM of instigating the villagers etc. When she finally visited Kamduni, she said her government would get the death penalty for the perpetrator(s) within a month. Who was overall in charge of the probe? Special IGP CID Vineet Goel. Familiar? What did he say after his team investigated the rape murder? That evidence showed it was the deed of one man, not gang-rape. All this sound familiar? The doughty women of Kamduni kept up the pressure and agitated for justice. A lower court deemed the men guilty and even handed out a death sentence to one. The High Court acquitted that man, and sentenced others to prison! And the Supreme Court is yet to weigh in on this, 11 years after the 21-year-old Aparajita was raped and murdered. Meanwhile several of the men have been released! Just a week after the Kamduni casethat had shocked the middle class because the victim was a college studentcame the gangrape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, whose body was found in a field in Ranitala and the rape and murder of a middle-aged woman in Kharjula, both villages in Murshidabad district. In the latter case, the police denied rape and insinuated a love affair gone awry after arresting one man, though villagers insisted she was targeted by a local gang. Also in 2013, a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped twice (the second time for lodging a police complaint about the first rape) in Madhyamgram on Kolkatas outskirts and set on fire by the same men two months later to prevent her from testifying. She was pregnant when she died due to burn injuries on 31 December 2013. It was alleged the police first tried to pass it off as self-immolation and the probe proceeded at a glacial pace till the parents appealed to the High Court. What did Banerjee say? What can we do if the family members move to a higher court or roam around going to different courts or to the President? When a court will give judgment, its not in my purview. And when asked about the tardy pace compared to Mumbai, she snapped, Some people are saying Bengal cannot do what Maharashtra can do. I want to say it is wrong. Its a lie. I would have no problems if facts were reported, but what has been reported is misleading. So, in 2012, Park Street. 2013 Kamduni, Murshidabad and Madhyamgram. In 2014? A 15-year-old Scheduled Caste girl was raped and killed after she protested about the humiliation of her father by a salishi sabha (Bengals version of a khap panchayat) presided over by ruling party councillors. The girls naked body was found near the railway tracks at Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district. That same year a 20-year-old tribal girl was also raped in Birbhum. Their cases? Forgotten. Then onto 2015. This time a 71-year-old nun was raped at a convent school in the porous border district of Nadia, at Ranaghat. And what did Banerjee say when angry residents confronted her about the tardy probe? I know political elements are in this crowd. They are the ones who are doing this. Those who are protesting herethey dont want the real culprits to be arrested. A Bangladeshi was convicted in 2017 though the chargesheet had said gang-rape. Familiar? Suffice it to say that by 2022, Banerjee gained plenty of experience on how to handle public opinion on such cases. Accuse. Deflect. Withdraw. Stymie. So when a 14-year-old was raped and murdered in Hanskhali, she said: This story they are showing that a minor has died due to rape, will you call it rape? Was she pregnant or had a love affair? Have they enquired? I have asked the police. They have made arrests. I was told the girl had an affair with the boy. Familiar? And there was an avalanche of rapes in 2022. A 40-year-old woman was abducted and gang-raped by five men in Namkhana village in South 24 Parganas in April. They poured kerosene on her and tried to burn her alive. Also in April that year, a 15-year-old tribal girl was gang-raped in Shantiniketan, while returning from a fair with her boyfriend. Shockingly, again in April 2022, a 21-year-old college student was raped and murdered in Pingla area of Paschim Medinipur district. Deganga, Bansdroni, Englishbazar, a long list of places and rape or rape-murder cases in West Bengal from 2022 onwards. So by the time the accounts of rape and intimidation of women in Sandeshkhali by men with links to the ruling party came to light in 2024, the CM could brazenly assert, This (violence) is not new. There is a branch of RSS in Sandeshkhali. Bringing outsiders is causing unrest. We are taking action; the police are going door to door to provide assistance. Do these cases, these excuses, even the actions and responses sound similar to what the CM, the police commissioner and apologists for the state authorities have been saying about the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar in Kolkata, and the vandalism that followed the news of the case being handed over to the CBI? How many people in Kolkata, the rest of West Bengal, and those watching the events on TV from outside realise there is a pattern in this madness? How many people will now realise what is the real state of Bengal? How many will forget even this latest outrage? After all, many wont recall the cases cited here, even though they made news in their time. So, 11 years after Aparajitas rape-murder at Kamduni, the ruling party and CM remain aparajit (undefeated) in their third term. And a rape-murder has happened againat RG Kar in Kolkata. What does this say about the exceptionalism that Bengal prides itself on? The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that while her government wants the truth to come out, some quarters are spreading lies to mislead people about the alleged rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata last week. We want the truth to come out, but some quarters are spreading lies to mislead people. Attempts are being made to hide the truth by circulating fake news on social media. We condemn these activities. We want the culprits to be punished, she said during a protest rally demanding justice for the trainee doctor. Banerjee led a protest rally from Moulali to Dorina Crossing in Kolkata. TMC activists accompanying her chanted slogans demanding capital punishment for the accused, a stance already endorsed by the Chief Minister. The Bengal Chief Minister also accused the CPM and BJP of orchestrating the vandalism at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on Thursday. #WATCH | Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, I know that CPM and BJP vandalised RG Kar Medical College and HospitalThey went there at 12-1 am in the night, the video shows that CPM took the DYFI flag and BJP took the national flag. They have misused the national pic.twitter.com/WzEPz1Q0CT ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 I know that CPM and BJP vandalised RG Kar Medical College and HospitalThey went there at 12-1 am in the night, the video shows that CPM took the DYFI flag and BJP took the national flag, she stated. A group of approximately 40 people entered the hospital and vandalised the emergency department, nursing unit, and medicine store in the early hours of Thursday. They also damaged CCTV cameras and ransacked a stage where junior doctors were protesting against the alleged rape and murder, demanding better workplace security. Further questioning the BJP and CPM, Banerjee asked how many teams they had sent to Manipur, Hathras, or Unnao when the alleged rape incidents happened. How many teams did BJP and CPM send when the incident happened in Manipur? How many teams were sent to Hathras, Unnao? CPM and BJP should not threaten me, we have not come without contesting elections.., she questioned. ALSO READ: Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case LIVE: Senior Doctors Join FORDA Protest; BJPs Sukanta Majumdar Detained West Bengal Witnessing A Sham: Amit Malviya Reacting to Banerjees protest march, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya posted on X, Home Minister Mamata Banerjee is leading a protest march against Health Minister Mamata Banerjee to pressurise Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to find out the culprits, responsible for rape and murder in RG Kar Medical College & Hospital and punish them. West Bengal is witnessing a sham.Home Minister Mamata Banerjee is leading a protest march against Health Minister Mamata Banerjee to pressurise Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to find out the culprits, responsible for rape and murder in RG Kar Medical College & Hospital and Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 16, 2024 Sukanta Majumdar Detained During Protest West Bengal BJP president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar was detained by Kolkata Police on Friday during a protest against the rape and murder incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Speaking to the media from inside the police van, Majumdar slammed West Bengal CM, claiming that while Mamata Banerjee can hold rallies without needing permission, the BJP faces excessive bureaucratic obstacles. All the rules seem to apply only to the BJP, he said. #WATCH | Kolkata: West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar holds protest against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident. pic.twitter.com/A6RnubQJan ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Majumdar also called for the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal, stating, Such a person cannot remain Kolkata Police Commissioner. He should take responsibility for this incident and resign immediately. Mamata Should Stop Doing Politics: Assam CM Assam Chief Minister Himant Biswa Sarma on Friday lashed out at his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, asking her to stop indulging in politics over the incident. The incident that happened in Kolkata is very sad and the people of West Bengal and the entire country are in a state of shock. Mamata didi should avoid doing politics over the matter. She should focus on finding out who was behind the incident and fixing the accountability, Sarma stated. (With inputs from agencies) It was 2011 when a frail, elderly man from Maharashtra, donning a white cap and surrounded by a few idealistic individuals many of whom would later go on to become successful politicians captured the imagination of India. Anna Hazares Jan Lokpal movement against the UPA government at the Centre brought the young and old alike to Jantar Mantar and later Ramlila Maidan, much like what happened on Wednesday night when people particularly women of Bengal from as young as a toddler to a septuagenarian came out against the gruesome rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor by a suspected civic volunteer the para-police of Bengal. Those who have lived the Delhi of 2011 and Kolkata of 2024 would easily point to the uncanny similarity between the two. Both ignited national response, both were driven by the civic society, not any political outfit, and both felt wronged by the system. In 2011, and later as well, Mai Bhi Anna became the rallying cry where caps with this slogan would be worn by countless Indians, each of whom was considered to be a force multiplier of the social reformist who quickly captured the imagination of a generation that never experienced anything like this before. In 2024, We Want Justice became the rallying slogan from Bengals Alipurduar to Kolkatas Jadavpur and Mumbais Lokhandwala to Delhis AIIMS. While one was against corruption and another against alleged cover-ups in a sensational rape and murder case, angst in both cases was directed against the sitting government. The Congress-ruled UPA had to weather tough times when senior ministers like Pranab Mukherjee were pressed into action to broker peace, albeit unsuccessfully. Now, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself has tried to douse the fire and probably for the first time hinted she was open to a CBI probe before the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to the central agency. In hindsight, one would say the BJP politically exploited the Anna movement to its benefit by amplifying corruption charges brought by India Against Corruption (the body that was steering the Anna movement) against the Congress, every second day. The BJPs 2014 Lok Sabha election tone was set by the Anna movement. From releasing the most corrupt list to doing exposes on a variety of alleged scams, the Anna movement in more ways than one pre-decided Prime Minister Narendra Modis key election promise Achhe Din. But with the Kolkata rape attaining similar stature in public imagination and the Bengal assembly election just two years away, what is the BJP up to? The party has held regular dharnas, involved the Mahila Morcha for a planned march till Banerjees residence, held midnight protests, and conducted multiple press conferences across India by different leaders while staying away from directly joining the doctors stir at the RG Kar Hospital to sustain its apolitical nature and hence its legitimacy. BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar shot off a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asking for a probe on the midnight vandalism and violence at the hospital, while the prime minister speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day mentioned womens security issues without naming any incident. We need to stop atrocities on our women. People are angered by what is happening to women across the country. All of us need to take this issue seriously, both at the state and central level. Action needs to be quick and swift and media must highlight the punishment given to the perpetrators so that it can act as a deterrent, PM Modi said, expressing his pain over the rising crimes against women, less than 12 hours after the Kolkata vandalism. What the BJP intends primarily is to make a dent in the women voters who have been standing rock solid with the Trinamool Congress. The discourse over Sandeshkhali seems not to have impacted the TMC as it won 29 seats. But the BJP is betting big on this as it is convinced the connection Bengals 3.73 crore voters can feel with a young doctor in Kolkatas reputed hospital being raped and killed by a civic volunteer is much higher than a connect they would feel with women in an island whose versions also kept changing. The victim feels like the girl next door a familiarity that made many women and men come out to the streets to reclaim the night in a spontaneous social media-driven call. Maharashtras Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana aimed at benefiting women in the state has come under scrutiny due to the substantial amount of money allocated for its promotion. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has raised concerns, stating that Rs 199.81 crore is set to be spent on publicity for this scheme, while only a limited number of women have received the first instalment of the aid. Responding to this, state women and child development minister Aditi Tatkare told News18, The opposition is in panic mode after this scheme has become popular and received a very positive response from the women of Maharashtra. For every flagship scheme the state government keeps a separate budget to spread awareness so that many people can benefit from them. During the MVA regime also such type of budget was kept for spreading awareness of Covid-related messages and initiatives of government. We had also kept a separate budget for this scheme for advertisement and to spread awareness. Wadettiwar earlier took to social media site X to express his criticism about the amount that the government is spending for the promotion of this scheme, claiming that while the programmes reach has been minimal, the expenses incurred for its publicity are exorbitant. He pointed out that, previously, a Government Resolution (GR) had already allocated Rs 270 crore for the promotion of the wider initiatives announced by the ruling coalition, stating that it is disconcerting to see such vast sums dedicated to advertising rather than actual aid for the beneficiaries. Only a negligible number of sisters have received the first instalment of the scheme, yet the state treasury is burdened with an exorbitant bill of Rs 199.81 crore just for publicity. This raises serious questions about the prioritisation of funds, he stated in the post. , . pic.twitter.com/jRaasoM02y Vijay Wadettiwar (@VijayWadettiwar) August 15, 2024 Wadettiwar further criticised the government for issuing such a GR on August 15, a national holiday, indicating that not only does the timing seem dubious, but it reflects a broader concern about the lack of functionality in government operations on regular working days. Even on working days, public issues remain unresolved in the ministry, yet the ruling coalition hastens to push through decisions that favour their interests, he added. He also touched on the broader implications of this alleged financial mismanagement. According to him, the current government is seemingly unable to provide farmers with necessary compensation, allocate scholarships for students, or create job opportunities for the youth, asserting that its priorities are misplaced. While they complain about a lack of funds for important public services, they prioritise lavish spending on self-promotion. The state seems to be mortgaged for the benefit of those in power, he said, adding that the upcoming assembly elections could see political factions within the ruling coalition willing to sell Maharashtra to secure electoral gains. Wadettiwars remarks underscore the ongoing tension between opposition parties and the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, with calls for transparency and accountability growing louder as the election season approaches. The effectiveness of policies, as opposed to their promotional costs, has become a central theme in the discourse surrounding the states governance and resource allocation. Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP) on Friday criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) for not declaring the poll schedule for Maharashtra along with that of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, and said it seems the ruling Mahayuti wants more time to fool the people of the western state with their fake promises. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said despite the talk of one nation, one election, the ECI cited constraint on security forces as one of the reasons for not holding polls in Maharashtra simultaneously with J&K and Haryana. The former state minister took potshots at the poll panel for skipping announcement of the election schedule of Maharashtra, where the term of the current assembly will last till November-end. What then has changed under the strong leadership of the BJP in J&K? Terrors attacks are on the rise, which is a fact. Another reason they give is the rains in Maharashtra and therefore they havent completed their formalities. Only Maharashtra has monsoons, not other states, as per the election commission. I guess their boss isnt yet giving them permission to hold elections in Maharashtra, Thackeray said in a post on X. NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto argued the BJP-led Mahayuti, the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, is biding time with the help of the poll panel. The ECI has not declared Maharashtra election schedule because the governing Mahayuti (grand alliance) wants more time to fool the people of the state with their fake promises, he maintained. They want to lure the people into voting for them by announcing a monsoon of schemes and freebies that they know they will not be able to implement, said the NCP (SP) spokesperson. Proof of fooling the people was visible when Independent MLA aligned to the Mahayuti, Ravi Rana, said the monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 to be given to eligible women under the state governments Ladki Bahin Yojana will be taken back if they (ruling bloc) do not get the votes of beneficiaries, Crasto said. The Mahayuti, which also includes the Shiv Sena and the NCP, is biding time with the ECIs help because the voters of Maharashtra gave them a drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha Elections, he emphasised. The ruling coalition won 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra as against 30 by the opposition MVA, which consists of the Shiv Sena (UBT), the NCP (SP) and the Congress. But none of these tactics are going to work for them because the people of Maharashtra are wise and they will once again reject the Mahayuti in the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, the NCP (SP) spokesperson claimed. Meanwhile, reacting to Thackerays critical comments, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora said its disappointing, but not unexpected to see the former state minister play a reckless and irresponsible political game. Instead of supporting the democratic process in J&K, Thackeray is deliberately undermining the poll exercise in the Union Territory, Deora maintained. The terms of Haryana and Maharashtra assemblies end on November 3 and November 26, respectively, while the Jharkhand houses tenure concludes on January 5, 2025. The election in J&K is being conducted in full compliance with a Supreme Court directive, he pointed out. While upholding the Centres decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmirs special status, the Supreme Court had directed that assembly elections be held in the erstwhile state by September 30. The Maharashtra assembly still has more than three months term left, giving the ECI ample time to organize elections as per established norms, argued the Shiv Sena leader. The Mahayuti is fully prepared for assembly elections and instead of creating confusion, Thackeray should respect the law, support democracy and think before making baseless statements, Deora asserted, hitting out at the opposition MLA. Earlier in the day, the ECI announced three-phase polls in J&K and single round voting in Haryana in September-and October. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said assembly elections in Maharashtra, which were held along with Haryana in 2019, will be announced later due to security requirements for Jammu and Kashmir. Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra has denied the allegations of any cover-up in the ongoing investigation of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. While posting a video message on X, the TMC MP bashed out the BJP, who dubbed chief minister Mamata Banerjee and elected female representatives as Gungi gudiya (mute dolls) over the horrific incident. While defending the state governments actions, she emphasised that there is no systematic cover-up in the case. We are in total solidarity with the outpouring of real grief and fear on the streets . But it is necessary to separate facts from false propaganda. @MamataOfficial pic.twitter.com/WLI5n908sg Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) August 15, 2024 The story that is going around that the state government and, most of all, the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) and all of us who are elected representatives are indulging in some kind of systematic cover-up is absolutely wrong and incorrect, she said. Acknowledging the fear and insecurity triggered by the horrendous crime, the TMC MP pointed out that there is room for propaganda in the fog of emotion. Read More: IMA Announces 24-hour Nationwide Withdrawal Of Non-Essential Services There is no cover-up. Mamata Banerjee is the only lady chief minister in India and has always stood for womens causes. To somehow put a political leaning to this and say that all of us are gungi gudiya (mute dolls) is some kind of political narrative that we had to face before and that we are going to fight back again, she added. In a four-minute-long message, Moitra expressed deep anguish over the incident and said that her heart bleeds for the victim. The horrific rape and murder of a young doctor on the premises of RG Kar Hospital on the morning of August 9 has shocked us all. It is absolutely insane that a young girl goes to her workplace and after her 36-hour shift, goes to rest in a room and is brutally raped and murdered. My heart bleeds for the victim and we totally understand the outpouring of the genuine grief, outpouring of genuine insecurity, outpouring of solidarity that is on the streets, she said. She further said Banerjee was in Jhargram-Medinipur when the incident took place and that the chief minister spoke to the victims family as soon as she was informed about it. Upon her return to Kolkata, she went and visited them within 12 hours. The police arrested the prime suspect on the basis of CCTV evidence, Moitra said. Her remarks came after West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar had criticised the TMC, saying that none of their woman MP have spoken about the rape and murder of the doctor in Kolkata. In the doctors team, many such topics have come up in their WhatsApp group, some screenshots of this have also reached us like drugs, racket, sex racketOne TMC MPs nephews name keeps coming up repeatedly. I dont know what the truth is, but something seems off because despite so many women MPs from TMC, not a single one has spoken much after such a major incident, he had said. The horrific incident has shaken the country with nationwide protests going on demanding the prompt action in the investigation. Read More: Dark Chapter For Our Profession: Key Doctors Body Resumes Strike Two Days After Calling It Off Majumdar is set to participate in a sit-in protest near the Shambazar Metro station, Gate No 1, from 11:30 am on Friday. Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday declared nationwide withdrawal of non-essential services by doctors from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 am on Sunday, August 18, for 24 hours. The case pertains to rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Amid the ongoing protests, some miscreants entered the premises of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during early hours of Thursday and vandalised portions of the medical facility, where the body of the victim was found. The Kolkata Police, meanwhile, arrested 19 people and detained three for the vandalism incident. The CBI is currently probing the case. Google is bringing a new AI feature that is similar to Microsofts Recall that has been criticised recently. The Pixel Screenshots was announced at the Made by Google event this week, which lets you search for all the screenshots that you have taken on the phone and use specific meta data to make the search easier. Google explained that it uses the Gemini Nano AI model with multimodality to make the screenshot search happen effectively. For instance, if you have an image saved in the gallery with dogs and waterfall, Pixel Screenshots will let you search with those keywords and give you the results within the device. Google says the AI-powered feature helps you find anything youve captured in a screenshot, instantly. From Wi-Fi passwords to must-try restaurants, which is pretty much that people try to screenshot and save on the device. Pixel Screenshots On Pixel 9 Phones How It Works And Is It Safe So, how does the feature work? If you take a screenshot on the Pixel 9 phones, Google creates a specific folder where all the photos are stored. It seems Google will give users the option to enable/disable the feature based on their needs and preference which is a good thing to do and probably a lesson learnt from Microsofts mistakes. The Screenshots app where the photos are stored get the title from Gemini Nano. The new interface borrows its design from the Material You UI which gives it seamless interaction with other tabs on the device. You can search based on the titles generated by the AI model or just type in a random word that is relevant to the image you want to search. Now, the bigger question, can you trust Pixel Screenshots to keep the data on-device and not send it to third-party or Google servers? Google says the feature works via Gemini Nano and all the data resides on the device itself and hopefully encrypted to protect it from getting hacked in the future. In celebration of Indias 78th Independence Day, IndiGo proudly welcomed 72 new female pilots to its Airbus fleet and 5 to its ATR fleet. Among them is Captain Neetu Gupta, who followed her dream of flying despite many obstacles. Before becoming a pilot with one of Indias top airlines, Gupta started her career as a cabin crew. She was inspired to change her path after forming close and genuine friendships with pilots. Determined to transform her life, Gupta used to spend her free time studying for exams while ensuring passengers safety, comfort and requirements. In an interview with NDTV, the Delhi-based captain shared her inspiring journey, revealing that achieving your goals requires hard work and dedication. Before turning her dreams into reality, she faced a tough challenge when her parents, who had traditional views, wanted her to follow a simple path in life and settle down. Going against their expectations, Gupta became a pilot and over time, her family became her biggest supporter, who helped her reach the skies. Captain Neetu Gupta further explained how she balanced working full-time as a cabin crew with studying for her exams. She took advantage of night time and layovers to focus on her studies. She said, I used to carry my books everywhere. Between flights, during layover, and even on the flight deck when time allowed, I immersed myself in studying for the exams. Giving advice to youngsters, Gupta stated, Dont stop yourself. Dont limit yourself. If you want to achieve something and put in your hard work, nobody can stop you. The sky is not the limit. Welcoming Captain Neetu Gupta and 76 others, Captain Ashim Mitra, Senior Vice President of IndiGo, said, At IndiGo, we have always promoted a workplace that thrives on diversity and inclusivity. We acknowledge and celebrate the invaluable contributions made by women at IndiGo, not just for their technical prowess but also as inspirational leaders within our organization. We firmly believe that diversity and inclusion are not just integral to our core values, but they are also key drivers of innovation and growth. We pledge to continue upholding these values in all our endeavours. According to Aviation A2Z, IndiGo now has over 800 female pilots, which means the airline has 14% female workforce, which is higher than the global average of 5-8% women pilots. Gary Rooney, a former senior executive at Twitters Dublin office, has been awarded 550,000 (approximately Rs 5 Crore) in compensation after being wrongly dismissed for not responding to an email from Elon Musk. Musk, who took over Twitter in October 2022 and rebranded it as X, had sent an email to employees a few weeks later demanding hard work or face termination. The email instructed staff to click yes to confirm their support, but those who wished to not follow his order were offered three months severance pay. Rooney, who did not click yes, was mistakenly considered to have resigned. However, Irelands Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) argued that Rooneys failure to respond couldnt be counted as resignation and rejected Twitters claim. Speaking with Bloomberg, Rooneys lawyer Barry Kenny said, It is not OK for Mr Musk, or indeed any large company to treat employees in such a manner in this country or jurisdiction. The record award reflects the seriousness and the gravity of the case. As per the portal, WRC alleged that the emails had been sent at a time of rapid change in Twitter and in the context of inconsistent, contradictory and confusing communications from the Respondent in connection with the takeover of the Company by Mr Musk. RTE reports suggest that Elon Musks organisation failed to provide evidence during the trial. The accuser argued that his job was terminated simply because he didnt click yes in response to Musks email and claimed that after his dismissal, Twitter International Unlimited Company stopped communicating with him or his lawyer. On the other hand, Twitter insisted that Rooney chose not to respond on Musks email, which clearly meant he was resigning from his position. Michael MacNamee, an official at the WRC further stated that Rooney was ready to work but his access was blocked. The officer added that Gary Rooneys termination was unfair because there were no solid reasons to end his termination. MacNamee concluded that giving employees only 24 hours to respond to the email was not enough time to make such decision, even if HR support was available. Despite all the argument, Twitter remained adamant on their stance that Rooney was responsible for his loss because he didnt click yes in response to Musks email. Surprisingly, this wasnt the first case. There have been multiple lawsuits against Elon Musk claiming that many employees did not receive the severance which was initially promised. An Indian woman, who recently secured an O1 work visa for the United States, has shared why relocating from Bengaluru to the United States has been the best decision for her. She cites a few personal and professional development opportunities in her now-viral post to explain why she has decided to move abroad. Viba Mohan, a product designer, outlined four key reasons for making San Francisco her home for the next few years. She emphasised that the cultural environment was her top reason and mentioned the wild, relentless optimism she finds in the US. Ive been bouncing between Bangalore and America, trying to answer this question for myself. After lots of overthinking (and probably too much coffee), I decided America was going to be my new home, Mohan shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter). She starts her post by mentioning two things about the culture in the US that she loves. First, she mentions optimism. Everyones stoked about the possibilities, and if you fail, you just try again! The second is craftsmanship. Its all about perfecting your craft, and that vibe is contagious, she explains. Another significant reason for her move is the sense of safety, both at work and in public spaces. Its a breath of fresh air to work without tiptoeing around a colleague whos obsessed with you and has zero boundaries. And the freedom to go for a walk or a run without always looking over my shoulder? she explained, adding that living in a safer environment not only brings peace of mind but also boosts productivity. Mohan also discussed why she opted not to pursue the highly sought-after H-1B visa, which is popular among Indian tech professionals. The visa game is a nightmare. I knew I wasnt about to tie myself to a H-1B or drop a fortune on a masters degree to move here. Getting the O1 and the freedom that comes with it made this so much easier, she said. Finally, she compared the startup scenes in Bengaluru and San Francisco, mentioning that Bengalurus tech space is heavily focused on fintech and e-commerce. Bangalores got some brilliant minds, no doubt! But the tech scene? Its often about fintech, last mile, e-commerceyou know, the usual suspects. Its changing, which is awesome, but the problems Im most interested in? Theyre still being solved in SF, she added. Check out her post here: Ive been bouncing between Bangalore and America, trying to answer this question for myself. After lots of overthinking (and probably too much coffee), I decided Americas going to be my new home. Here's why: 1/ Culture: There are 2 things about culture here that I love. https://t.co/C1CwVPxNGQ Viba (@vibamohan_) August 15, 2024 She concluded her X post by saying that Bangalore will always be where her heart is. Ive made the best friends and learned the most there. But for what I want to do, Americas the place to be right now, she said. Kim Jong Un has made it to the headlines for the luxurious addition to his fleet. A black Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 was spotted making its way out of his garage despite the United Nations sanctions on the import of luxury goods to the country. Seoul-based Yonhap news agency has released the pictures where the North Korean leader was seen standing near a black Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 on August 9. As per reports, Kim Jong Un had used the special train to visit flood-hit areas of Uiju County in North Phyongan where the latest model of Mercedes-Benz SUV was captured. The supreme North Korean leader was seen addressing the public from the fleet standing next to the Mercedes Maybach GLS 600. Going by sources, the luxury SUV is assumed to be the top-class model launched in South Korea in April. Its price tag starts at $175,500 and can go up to $227,400 ( 1.9 crore approximately). Under UN resolutions, first enacted in 2006 after Pyongyang carried out underground nuclear tests, North Korea is banned from procuring luxury goods, including automobiles. Despite this, the 40-year-old politician has a fleet of luxury cars at his disposal. His collection includes a Rolls Royce Phantom, Mercedes-Maybach S600 Guard, fifth-generation US-made Cadillac Escalade, and a Lexus armoured vehicle, among others. Kim Jong Un, known for his love for Mercedes-Benz, has made several public appearances in different Mercedes-Maybach S-class vehicles, including a limousine over the years. Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin were seen driving around the North Korean capital in a Russian-made Aurus limousine in June when Putin made a rare overseas trip to Pyongyang since the launch of the Ukraine invasion in 2022. Further, Al Jazeera, in its report mentioned that the North Korean leader took his first ride in the luxury car that was gifted to him by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March this year. Moreover, Russia and China, North Koreas oldest ally, have repeatedly blocked attempts to impose new UN sanctions on North Korea over its banned ballistic missile tests. The small town of Centralia in the US has a fascinating and tragic history. Located in Columbia County, Centralia was once a thriving community with a population of around 1,000 people in the early 1960s. However, its fate changed dramatically due to an underground coal fire that began in 1962. The fire caused widespread destruction, spreading through the extensive network of underground mining tunnels, according to IFL Science. Centralia is often labelled as a ghost town due to its strikingly desolate and abandoned state. As the fire spread through the coal mines, conditions became increasingly hazardous, prompting most of the towns original population to relocate to safer areas. With the exodus of its residents, the once-bustling community was left largely empty. Even after 50 years, the fire is still burning. Despite numerous efforts to control or extinguish it, the fire remains active, fueled by the extensive coal deposits beneath the town. History of Centralia: Founded in the mid-19th century as a coal mining town, Centralia grew rapidly due to the coal industrys expansion. It attracted many miners and their families, seeking employment in the regions burgeoning coal mines. This growth was emblematic of the larger industrial boom occurring in Pennsylvania. In the 1860s, the town was home to members of the Molly Maguires, a secret society of Ireland who made their way to American coal mines along with Irish immigrants. In the late 1860s, the Molly Maguires were suspected to have committed a series of violent acts within Centralia. As Pennsylvania historian Deryl B. Johnson notes, the Molly Maguires were implicated in everything from the murder of the towns founder, Alexander Rae, to the death of the areas first priest. They were accused of using violence and intimidation to achieve their goals. Allegations included acts of sabotage, arson, and even murder. This violence was partly a response to the brutal treatment of miners and the harsh working conditions they endured. In the early 1870s, a major crackdown on the Molly Maguires took place. The Pennsylvania state government, along with coal operators, launched investigations that led to numerous arrests. Many members were tried and convicted in highly publicised trials, often criticised for their unfairness and due process. During the Great Depression, while many mine factories were closed, Centralia survived. By the 1890s, the towns population grew to over 2,700, all relying on the mines for livelihood.. However, the 1962 underground coal fire made the towns popularity short-lived. By the late 1960s, it was clear that the fire posed a serious and ongoing threat, as it was nearly impossible to contain due to the extensive network of coal seams. Current Situation: As the years went by, the ground beneath the city became hotter, reaching over 480 degrees Celcius in some locations. Greg Walter wrote for People Magazine in 1981, Graves in the towns two cemeteries are believed to have dropped into the abyss of fire that rages below them. In the 1990s, after spending $7 million trying to put out the fire, the state of Pennsylvania finally gave up. The fire reportedly could burn for another century if left uncontrolled. Much of Centralias infrastructure remains abandoned. Buildings, homes, and roads are in various states of decay, creating an eerie and deserted landscape. The once-bustling town now features empty lots and dilapidated structures. One of the more notable remnants is the Graffiti Highway, a stretch of abandoned road covered in vibrant graffiti. Despite the hazardous conditions, Centralia attracts visitors interested in its unique history and the ghost towns visual impact. It has become a symbol of industrial disaster and environmental neglect. A top lawyer has been arrested in China for stealing donations from Buddhist temples in several provinces by changing the receipts QR codes to his own. The man, whose identity was not disclosed, confessed to police that he had stolen more than 30,000 yuan (Rs 3.5 lakh) from temples in the southwestern provinces of Sichuan and Chongqing and the northwestern province of Shaanxi this year, the Beijing Youth Daily reported. He is believed to have a masters degree in law from one of the countrys most prestigious universities. The case came to light after police in Shaanxi released video footage of him at the city of Baojis Famen Temple this month. A clip from the temples security camera shows the man kneeling in front of a Buddha statue that was next to the donation box, along with other visitors. He then places a piece of paper with his personal QR code on the box over the temples code. The man then bowed three times to Buddha with his hands folded in prayer. Before leaving the temple, he puts a banknote in the box, the value of which is unclear. After police caught him, he confessed that he had used the same technique to steal from other Buddhist institutions in other provinces. All the money he stole was returned, police said. The story has generated a lot of interest online, with 6.1 million views on Douyin alone. A Chinese proverb says that there is a deity above us and therefore we should not do bad things. Now they should change that and say that there is a surveillance camera above us, said one online observer. He is studying law but still breaks the law, said another. Theft of donations from Buddhist temples is not uncommon in China. In July, a man in the southeastern province of Jiangxi was arrested for sneaking into a temple and breaking open the donation box several times. A man in Shanghai was also arrested last year for stealing money from a Buddhist nunnerys donation box. He defended himself by saying he only borrowed the money after receiving permission from Buddha, who signalled with a hand gesture that its OK to do this. Besides, a UK company is warning motorists about a scam involving QR codes placed on parking meters in several car parks across the country. Motor vehicle services company, RAC is reporting a wave of fake QR codes on municipal parking meters known as quishing QR phishing. This scam code takes its victims to a fake website that tricks users into thinking they are paying for parking by phone. In reality, the scammers use this fake website to steal the victims credit card details so they can withdraw money from their bank account. The scam has been discovered in several UK boroughs and most councils say they do not normally use QR codes on their parking signs, reports The Guardian. A 12-year-old girl in Texas died after her parents tried to treat her injuries with smoothies and vitamins on Monday. Miranda Sipps who mysteriously suffered life-threatening injuries was not given proper medical attention by her mother Denise Balbaneda (36) and stepfather Gerald Gonzalez (40). The parents waited four days after the girl was injured before calling emergency services, only doing so when she began struggling to breathe. In a strange turn of events, after making the call, the mother took the girl and left the house in a car, reportedly to avoid having the police inside their home. However, the car was stopped by police near a highway and Miranda was found unconscious but alive inside the vehicle. She was rushed to the hospital but declared dead soon after. Investigation revealed that the parents did not seek medical help for the girl during the four days while she was mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive. According to local media reports, the couple kept the daughter at home for four days after she suffered injuries and allegedly fed her smoothies and vitamins even for recovery. They might have tried to give her oxygen in an attempt to revive her, officials alleged. Basically they thought they could nurse her back to health and we do not think they wanted the attention that this would draw if the little girl was injured, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward told local media. The parents informed authorities that during the four days leading up to their daughters death, she was only able to flutter her eyes and move her hands slightly. The cause of her severe injuries remains unknown, and an autopsy is being conducted to determine the nature of the trauma. Meanwhile, the police have arrested the mother and stepfather and charged them with causing serious bodily injury to a child. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Friday his country expected support from foreign allies in attacking Iran if it strikes Israel, comments deemed inappropriate by Frances visiting top diplomat. Iran and its regional allies have vowed retaliation for high-profile killings late last month blamed on Israel, including an attack in Tehran that killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, which Israel has not claimed responsibility for. If Iran attacks, we expect the coalition to join Israel not only in defence but also in attacking significant targets in Iran, Katz told his counterparts, Frances Stephane Sejourne and Britains David Lammy, according to a statement from the Israeli foreign ministers office. Sejourne, who is on a joint visit to Israel with Lammy, said it would be inappropriate to discuss responding to any attack while diplomacy is in high gear to stop it happening. It would be inappropriate to speak of an Israeli response while we work towards a diplomatic solution We are working to prevent Iranian retaliation, he told reporters in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Israel said US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated that Washington was ready to defend Israel. The United States continues to monitor attack planning from Iran and its proxies and is well-postured across the region to defend Israel and protect US personnel and facilities, Austin said in a phone call with Israels Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, according to an Israeli readout. Lammy and Sejourne were visiting while Israel, the United States and mediators Qatar and Egypt held talks in Doha aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and a hostage release deal. More than 10 months of war in the Gaza Strip have sent regional tensions soaring, drawing in Iran-backed Hamas allies in the Middle East. Violence has also surged in the occupied West Bank, where on Thursday Israeli settlers stormed a Palestinian village, killing a 23-year-old man in an attack that has drawn widespread condemnation. Lammy called the violence abhorrent and condemned it in the strongest of terms. Sejourne said that any action that could jeopardise the negotiation process towards a ceasefire deal is unacceptable. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to de-escalate the situation in West Asia when the latter dialled him to wish him on Indias 78th Independence Day. Appreciate PM @netanyahus phone call and warm wishes on Indias 78th Independence Day. We discussed the current situation in West Asia. Emphasized on the need to de-escalate the situation. Reiterated our call for immediate release of all hostages, ceasefire and need for Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2024 Appreciate PM @netanyahus phone call and warm wishes on Indias 78th Independence Day. We discussed the current situation in West Asia. Emphasized on the need to de-escalate the situation. Reiterated our call for immediate release of all hostages, ceasefire and need for continued humanitarian assistance, PM Modi said in a post on social media site X. PM Modi also reiterated that India demands that all hostages be released, a ceasefire being declared and stressed on the need for continued humanitarian assistance to affected parties. India on several occasions has urged Israel and Palestinian officials to choose a path of diplomacy over war and de-escalate the conflict on several occasions and at international forums like the UN and the UN Security Council. Meanwhile, talks were held in Doha where the US offered a bridging proposal to Israel and Hamas in Doha to seal a deal and the ceasefire talks will resume again next week in Cairo. The United States said that the two days of talks in Doha were serious and constructive and that Washington, represented by CIA Director William Burns, offered ideas to close an agreement toward ending the 10-month conflict. However, Hamas rejected new conditions in the proposed Gaza deal, officials told news agency AFP. Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel triggered the war that resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Militants also seized 251 hostages, 111 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead. Some were freed during a one-week truce in November. On Thursday the toll from Israels retaliatory military campaign in Gaza topped 40,000, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant casualties. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba on Friday called Indian counterpart S Jaishankar to wish him and the Indian people on their 78th Independence Day. I spoke with my Indian counterpart @DrSJaishankar to congratulate India on its 77th anniversary of independence. We discussed the development of bilateral relations and political dialogue between Ukraine and India. Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) August 16, 2024 I spoke with my Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar to congratulate India on its 77th anniversary of independence. We discussed the development of bilateral relations and political dialogue between Ukraine and India, Kuleba said in a post on social media site X. External affairs minister S Jaishankar thanked his Ukrainian counterpart for the Independence Day greetings in a separate post on X. Appreciate the call from FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine today. Thank him for the Independence Day greetings. Discussed our bilateral cooperation. Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 16, 2024 Appreciate the call from FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine today. Thank him for the Independence Day greetings. Discussed our bilateral cooperation, the external affairs minister said. The exchange of greetings between both ministers came amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could visit Kyiv. The external affairs ministry said that it will discuss the matter during a press conference which will be held shortly. Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA spokesperson, said: We will be having a press conference shortly and we will let you know more details about it. The war in Ukraine, which is now inching towards a third year, has entered a new phase with Ukrainian forces launching an incursion into Russias Kursk region. Kyivs troops last week launched a major counter-offensive, sending more than 120,000 people fleeing. It said its incursion into Russian territory was aimed at forcing Russia to negotiate on fair terms, as Moscows troops announced new gains in eastern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskys aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday that Ukraine wanted to negotiate on our own terms. Ukraine has ruled out any talks with Russia if Russian troops do not leave its territory. President Vladimir Putin has said Russia would declare a ceasefire only if Kyiv withdraws from the four regions that Russia claims to have annexed but only partially controls Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Ukraine meanwhile claims to have seized over 1,100 square kilometres of Russian territory, in the biggest attack by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II. India has urged Moscow and Kyiv on several occasions to declare a ceasefire and choose a path of diplomacy over war to restore peace in region. Regional leaders have this Thursday begun arriving for the 44th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government Summit. Four leaders, Lesothos Prime Minister Rt Honourable Samuel Matekane, President Samia Suluhu Hasan of Tanzania, Malawis President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera and President Dr Nangolo Mbumba of Namibia are now in the country ahead of the SADC summit. Speaking with journalists soon after touching down at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Malawis President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera said the time is now for SADC to come together and seek growth. This summit presents an opportunity to deliberate and come together with one voice for regional cohesion and growth, he said. Namibias President Dr Nangolo Mbumba talked of the importance of the SADC Summit. I celebrated the meeting of regional leaders for the growth and development of our member states, he said. Regional leaders led by Zambia will meet this Friday for the SADC TROIKA Summit joined by Namibia and Tanzania. zbc Russian authorities will not initiate a criminal investigation into the death of Alexei Navalny, the opposition leader who died in February in an Arctic penal colony. Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was serving a 19-year extremism sentence. Officials stated he died of natural causes after a walk, though they provided minimal details on the death. Yulia Navalnaya revealed via a social media video that she received a letter from Russian investigators attributing her husband's death to a mixture of "a dozen different diseases," culminating in arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat. Navalnaya refuted these claims, asserting her husband had never shown signs of heart disease. She labeled the letter "a lie" and criticized the authorities for failing to provide him medical attention when he fell ill. Navalnaya alleged that Navalny was taken to a punishment cell instead of a medical unit, where he ultimately died alone. The letter from Russian investigators concluded that no criminal offense was committed, thus no investigation would be conducted. However, Navalnaya vowed to continue seeking the truth, stating, "As long as Putin is in power, there will be no investigation." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) Hong Kong has celebrated the birth of its first locally born giant pandas, announced the Ocean Park theme park where they live on Thursday. Ying Ying set a record as the world's oldest first-time mother of her species, giving birth just one day shy of her 19th birthday. The twins, a male and a female, were delivered early Thursday morning after over five hours of labor. Ocean Park highlighted the challenges of panda reproduction, noting that pregnancies in pandas are notoriously hard to detect. Indeed, though her care team suspected she was showing pregnancy symptoms in late July, Ying Ying's pregnancy wasn't confirmed until Sunday. Both newborns are currently fragile, with the female cub requiring additional care due to lower body temperature and weaker cries. Visitors will have to wait a few months before seeing them. Ocean Park Corp. chairman Paulo Pong lauded the joint efforts of local and mainland Chinese experts in aiding the birth. "The birth is a true rarity," Pong stated, given Ying Ying's age. Hong Kong leader John Lee also thanked Beijing for gifting the pandas, a gesture he said underscores China's support for the city. A third pair of pandas from China is expected to arrive in Hong Kong later this year. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) Thailand's Parliament elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of the divisive former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, as prime minister Friday. Paetongtarn becomes Thailand's third leader from the Shinawatra family, after her father, who was ousted by a coup and returned from exile last year, and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, who lives in exile. Paetongtarn also became Thailand's second female prime minister after her aunt and the country's youngest leader at 37, the AP reports. As the sole nominee, she was confirmed by 319 votes in approval, with 145 lawmakers voting against her and 27 abstaining. Members of Parliament spent about an hour casting their votes in public one by one. Paetongtarn is the leader of the ruling Pheu Thai party but was not an elected lawmaker, which was not required for her to be a candidate for prime minister. She will officially become prime minister with a royal endorsement, though the timing of that step wasn't known. Paetongtarn's nomination followed the removal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday after less than a year in office. The Constitutional Court found him guilty of a serious ethical breach regarding his appointment of a Cabinet member who was jailed in connection with an alleged bribery attempt. It was the second major ruling in a week to shake Thai politics. The same court last week dissolved the progressive Move Forward party, which won last year's general election but was blocked from taking power. The party has already regrouped as the People's Party. (More Thailand stories.) Reports suggesting the Social Security numbers of every American were leaked might be exaggerated, experts say. In April, a hacker using the name "USDoD" claimed to have accessed " the biggest database ever ," allegedly containing 2.9 billion rows of data on the entire populations of the US, Canada, and the UK. The data include authentic names and Social Security numbers but also incorrect information. Troy Hunt of Have I Been Pwned found his email address in the data, but it was paired with the wrong name and two incorrect birthdates, per NBC News . "It's still unclear how much of the data is genuine and whether it all really came from hacking a company, as opposed to scraping publicly available sources," reports the Washington Post . Rumors have swirled online since a class action lawsuit was filed Aug. 1, accusing background check company National Public Data of failing to safeguard personal data, including Social Security numbers. The plaintiff claimed an identity theft protection company informed him in July that his Social Security number was leaked in a National Public Data breach. But many Americans will have received a similar alert at some point, Amy Nofziger, director of victim support at the AARP, tells NBC. "My first piece of advice is don't panic, because most likely your information was already out there." Nofziger recommends putting a fraud alert on your credit report, which "encourages or requires lenders and creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity," making it more difficult for bad actors to open accounts in your name, per NBC. Or you can take the further step of asking the three credit bureausEquifax, Experian, and TransUnionto freeze your credit, blocking new accounts. You'll get a PIN you can use "to thaw the file when someone needs to examine it," the New York Times reports. But "don't lose the PIN or chaos can ensue." Otherwise, experts say to ensure accounts use long, unique passwords incorporating special characters and have two-factor authentication turned on, meaning you must confirm your identity via a text, phone call, email, or app to gain access. (More data breach stories.) Shepard Fairey, the artist-activist behind former President Obama's iconic "Hope" poster, has created a version starring Kamala Harris. The vice president and Democratic presidential nominee is shown smiling in shades of blue and white, with bright red lips, above the word "FORWARD," the title of the portrait. "'We are not going back.' These words from Kamala Harris summarize the moment we are in, and in order not to go back, we must go FORWARD," Fairey said, per the Wrap . The Los Angeles-based artist, founder of Obey clothing, said the goal was to make progress even "in the face of expanding threats and regressive political adversaries." "If we act, we can move forward our desire for a healthy planet, for corporate accountability, toward equality and away from racism, sexism, xenophobia and homophobia, for equitable access to opportunity, for full access to the medical care we want or need, for fair and just immigration policies," continued Fairey. He noted the portrait was created "purely in pursuit of a better future." "I was not paid for it and will not receive any financial benefit from it," he said. "This art is a tool of grassroots activism for all to use non-commercially." "Forward" also appears in another portrait of Harris that went up around New York City last week, per HuffPost. Harris appears against the backdrop of an American flag, though the stripes appear as lightning bolts. "I was imagining the jolt of energy Harris brought to the Democratic Party when she took over," artist Jacob Thomas, who was inspired by Fairey's "Hope" portrait, told HuffPost. "In my mind I was seeing lightning strike the flag and causing the stripes to vibrate with energy." Thomas has also created posters of former President Trump, in which he appears as Josef Stalin, Benito Mussolini, and other dictators from history, under the banner "DICTATOR." (More Kamala Harris 2024 stories.) More evidence has surfaced that Mexican authorities got rid of dissidents' bodies via "death flights" during the 1965-1990 "dirty war." While the "death flights" that Argentina's 1976-1983 military dictatorship carried out have been well established, far less is known about those conducted in Mexico, mainly in the 1970s from a small military airbase near Acapulco. A report released Friday by Mexico's governmental Truth Commission fills in some of the gaps. It contains recollections by witnesses and leaked documents that detailed the unnamed victims' final moments. They were made to sit on a bench at a military airfield near Acapulco, supposedly to have their photo taken, but were instead were shot in the back of the head; their bodies were loaded on a plane and then dumped into the Pacific Ocean. This violent tactic was aimed at eliminating leftist and guerrilla movements. According to Gustavo Tarin, who served in a military police unit, around 1,500 people could have been executed in this manner. He said soldiers used a single pistol so repeatedly that it was dubbed "the sword of justice." Military aviation mechanic Margarito Monroy admitted he participated in 15 such flights. Additionally, log books show around 30 flights from 1975 to 1979, while a two-decade-old statement from a military deserter mentions 25 more flights involving 183 likely victims. These log books are part of a detailed 4,000-page report by Mexico's Truth Commission, outlining nationwide abuses. The commission has urged investigations into some 600 potential perpetrators, despite official denial and destruction of relevant documents. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) Matthew Perry had repeatedly fallen unconscious or otherwise been unable to speak or move after injecting large amounts of ketamine before his last, fatal dose, court documents reveal. The Friends actor was undergoing medically supervised ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety but was also injecting illegal doses up to eight times a day, according to federal prosecutors in California. On Oct. 28, Perry's live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, gave him his first ketamine shot of the day at 8:30am, followed by another four hours later, the documents read, per the New York Times . Just 40 minutes after that, Perry requested more. "Shoot me up with a big one," the actor told Iwamasa, according to the assistant's plea agreement. Iwamasa delivered the shot, prepared Perry's hot tub, then left to run errands. When he returned, Perry was, as the Times describes it, "face down in the water, dead." His blood showed a level of ketamine equivalent to that used for general anesthesia. Only a few weeks earlier, Dr. Salvador Plasencia had delivered an illegal dose that caused Perry to freeze up, but he kept administering the drug, prosecutors allege. The doctor collected at least $55,000 from Perry over the course of a month, according to the documents. A week before the actor's death, he allegedly observed Perry was "spiraling" and "too far gone," per NBC News. Iwamasa allegedly turned to Plasencia for vials of ketamine, or what he called "cans of dr pepper," when a clinic refused to increase Perry's legal doses. Plasencia allegedly acquired the drug from Dr. Mark Chavez, who once ran a ketamine clinic. The doctors charged Perry $2,000 for a bottle that cost them $12, prosecutors say, per Business Insider. Perry also reached out to Erik Fleming, a friend of a friend, who conspired with drug dealer Jasveen Sangha to get more ketamine for the actor at a better price, prosecutors claim. Iwamasa, Chavez, and Fleming pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine earlier this summer and each face at least a decade in prison. Plasencia and Sangha face additional charges, to which they have not entered pleas. They are due to stand trial in October. (More Matthew Perry stories.) While hunters in Florida are trying to kill as many pythons as they can, pythons on an island on the other side of the world are killing people at a highly unusual rate. Authorities in South Sulawesi, one of six provinces on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, say a 74-year-old woman was killed in the province's third fatal python attack since June, CBS News reports. Officials say the woman was found dead with bites on her head and legs after she went to work in a field near her home. A 53-year-old Missouri woman faces federal charges in what the Justice Department described as a scheme to defraud Elvis Presley's family out of millions of dollars and ownership of his Memphis home, Graceland. Lisa Findley of Kimberling City appeared briefly Friday in court in Missouri and is now being held in a Springfield jail, ABC News reports. The court ordered her transferred to Tennessee to face mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. In a criminal complaint, prosecutors gave this account: Posing variously as three people affiliated with a fake private lender, Findley claimed that Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from the lender and used Graceland as collateral. Findley said Lisa Marie Presley, who died in January 2023, had not repaid the debt. Findley then sent an email, signed with one of the aliases, to attorneys for Riley Keough, who is Lisa Marie Presley's daughter and Elvis' granddaughter. The email, sent in July 2023, threatened to foreclose on Graceland. Next, Findley fabricated loan documents, with forged signatures, and used them to seek $2.85 million from the family. She filed a fake creditor's claim in court in Los Angeles and a fake deed of trust in Memphis. Findley ran fraudulent foreclosure notices in the Memphis newspaper, the Commercial Appeal, announcing that her fake lender, Naussany Investments, would auction off Graceland. Keough went to court, and a judge blocked the auction. A lawyer listed in court documents as representing the defendant did not respond to a request for comment, but Findley denied involvement in any such scheme in June, per NBC News. Conviction would bring a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and 20 years in prison for mail fraud, the Department of Justice said. Graceland has been on the American National Register of Historic Places since 1991, per CBS News. Many of the Presleys are buried on the grounds. Elvis Presley died 47 years ago Friday. (More Graceland stories.) Mediators to the Gaza War ceasefire talks said Friday that the two-day talks wrapped up and that they hope to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal a deal to stop the fighting. In a statement Friday, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar sounded an optimistic note, saying they presented both parties with a proposal and hope to continue working on the details of the implementation in the coming days. "We are closer than we've ever been" to an agreement, said President Biden, per the AP . Details of the new plan were not released. The new round of talks began Thursday and were aimed at halting the 10-month war and securing the release of scores of hostages, with a potential deal seen as the best hope of heading off an even larger regional conflict. Both sides had previously agreed in principle to a plan outlined by Biden on May 31, but Hamas has proposed amendments and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank a deal. Despite the optimism from Biden, Arabic-language media outlets quoted Hamas officials on Friday as being critical of the new proposal, notes the Washington Post. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.) A white Florida woman was convicted Friday of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Black neighbor amid an ongoing dispute about children playing loudly outside her home. An all-white jury in Ocala found 60-year-old Susan Lorincz guilty after 2 hours of deliberation, the AP reports. Lorincz faces up to 30 years in prison at sentencing. Lorincz had claimed self-defense when she fired a single shot with a .380-caliber handgun through her front door on June 2, 2023, killing 35-year-old Ajike "AJ" Owens. She told detectives in a videotaped interview that she feared for her life as Owens yelled and pounded on her door. "I thought I was in imminent danger," she said in the interview. The confrontation was the latest in a dispute between Lorincz and Owens over the latter's children playing in a grassy area near both of their houses. Lorincz said in the interview she had been harassed for most of the three years she lived in the neighborhood. The victim's family members broke down in tears after Lorincz left the courtroom with deputies. Lorincz showed no reaction or emotion when the verdict was announced. Circuit Judge Robert W. Hodges did not immediately set a sentencing date but ordered a background report on Lorincz. During closing arguments, prosecutor Rich Buxman had said there was no evidence that Owens posed an imminent physical threat to Lorincz but came to the defendant's house after her children complained Lorincz had thrown roller skates and an umbrella at them amid a long-running annoyance at their boisterous play. "It's not a crime to bang on somebody's door. It's not a crime to yell," Buxman told jurors. A lawyer for Lorincz countered that she was frightened by Owens' aggressive actions and was legally justified in firing her gun under Florida's "stand your ground" law. An autopsy found Owens weighed about 290 pounds; she was much larger as well as younger than Lorincz. "She can defend herself," said Amanda Sizemore, an assistant public defender. (More Ohio stories.) Fairbanks, AK (99701) Today Snow this evening will diminish to a few snow showers late. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 100%.. Tonight Snow this evening will diminish to a few snow showers late. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 100%. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, issued Order (32) of 2024, establishing the King Hamad Award for Peaceful Coexistence. The order states the following: Upon reviewing the constitution, Royal Order (15) of 2018 on the establishment of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence and its amendments, and reflecting the objectives and principles derived from the history and civilisation of the Kingdom of Bahrain through the ages, which embody openness to all civilisations, religions, and cultures, and the promotion of coexistence values, and in line with the Kingdom of Bahrains vision to enhance global peace and communal living, and to encourage pioneering efforts and works in the field of dialogue among civilisations and peaceful coexistence, we order the following: Article I: An award titled the King Hamad Award for Peaceful Coexistence, hereinafter referred to as the Award, shall be established. His Majesty the King shall be the Honorary President of the Award. Article II: The Award shall be of an international scale and shall be awarded biennially to individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to the dialogue of civilisations and peaceful coexistence. Article III: The Award aims to: 1. Encourage individuals and organisations for their pioneering efforts in promoting the dialogue of civilisations and peaceful coexistence, honouring and supporting notable work aimed at fostering values of peaceful coexistence, global solidarity, and human diversity, while rejecting extremism, violence, and hatred, and preserving human achievements by positively impacting the communities they serve. 2. Raise awareness of the importance of the civilisational and cultural convergence and integration to achieve global peace, and promote the common values and principles agreed upon by humanity. Article IV: The Award shall be supervised by the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, which shall be responsible for formulating the general policy of the Award in line with its vision, mission, and objectives. MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 16, 2024 /CNW/ - In the early hours of August 12th, a giant unknown object appeared in Toronto's Trinity Bellwoods Park, following the Perseids meteor shower. This unidentified object crashed into a park bench, tearing up the ground below. Luckily, no one was injured. After three days of online chatter, speculations and real-life investigation the object cracked open, spilling out boxes of Kellogg's Two Scoops Raisin Bran Crunch cereal, much to the surprise and excitement of Torontonians. The object, a giant granola cluster, was activated to announce Kellogg's Two Scoops Raisin Bran Crunch cereal's Canadian launch. Kellogg's launches Two Scoops Raisin Bran Crunch cereal in Canada with a giant Crunchorite Landing in Trinity Bellwoods (CNW Group/WK Kellogg Co) Leveraging the key product features and the mystery of outer space, the Crunchorite design combined the rockiness of a meteorite with the deliciousness of an oat cluster. The physical cluster was created using space-age foam to create a sizeable 5.3ft x 3.8 x 3.8 ft object weighing a whopping 160lbs. Filled with 100 boxes of Kellogg's Two Scoops Raisin Bran Crunch cereal, the cracking open of the Crunchorite was a delight for Torontonians! Available at major retailers across Canada, Canadians can now enjoy Kellogg's Two Scoops Raisin Bran Crunch cereal, a delicious blend of crunchy oat clusters, tasty multi-grain flakes and juicy raisins with the taste of golden honey. "We are so excited to be bringing the beloved Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch to Canadian consumers. This delicious spin of the classic Kellogg's Raisin Bran is sure to delight Canadians with its crunchy and delicious taste," says Jeff Chatterton, Head of Marketing Canada, WK Kellogg Co. "At WK Kellogg Co we continue to expand our offerings to the Canadian market, with Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch being the newest addition." "When we realized the Perseids meteor shower and the Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch launch were happening on the same day, it was like the stars aligned," noted Steve Persico, CCO at Leo Burnett Toronto. "It just made sense to introduce Canadians to one of the crunchiest cereals on Earth with a bang." The launch of Kellogg's Two Scoops Raisin Bran Crunch cereal is supported with strategy and creative led by Leo Burnett Toronto, media buying by Starcom and PR communications by MSL Canada. ABOUT WK KELLOGG CO At WK Kellogg Co, we bring our best to everyone, every day through our trusted foods and brands. Our journey began in 1894, when our founder WK Kellogg reimagined the future of food with the creation of Corn Flakes, changing breakfast forever. Our iconic brand portfolio includes Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies, Froot Loops, Kashi, Special K, Kellogg's Raisin Bran, and Bear Naked. With a presence in the majority of households across North America, our brands play a key role in enhancing the lives of millions of consumers every day, promoting a strong sense of physical, emotional and societal wellbeing. Our beloved brand characters, including Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam, represent our deep connections with the consumers and communities we serve. Through our sustainable business strategy Feeding HappinessTM we aim to build healthier and happier futures for families, kids and communities. We are making a positive impact, while creating foods that bring joy and nourishment to consumers. For more information about WK Kellogg Co and Feeding Happiness, visit www.wkkellogg.com. SOURCE WK Kellogg Co Media Contact: MSL Group, Paulami Mehta, [email protected] YELLOWKNIFE, NT, Aug. 16, 2024 /CNW/ - The North and the Arctic are bearing the brunt of the effects of climate change. Building resiliency in Indigenous and northern communities through climate monitoring will help keep them safe and healthy and help avoid some of the steep and rising costs associated with extreme weather. North Slave Metis community member Darryl Bohnet, alongside North Slave Metis Alliance staff members, Jess Smart and Orna Phelan, collecting water samples at Prelude Lake during the final round of summer sampling in 2023. (CNW Group/Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada) North Slave Metis Alliance staff members, Alan Alex and Jess Smart, with North Slave Metis Alliance member and Vice President, Alan Harman Jr., and Mason Dominico (consultant), set up a weather station at Old Fort Rae, amidst -35C weather, in February 2023. Today, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, announced funding to help communities in the Northwest Territories monitor the effects of climate change. The North Slave Metis Alliance is receiving $186,000 in federal funding over three years for its Guardianship program and community-based climate and wildlife monitoring work. The Guardianship program aims to connect community members to the land while gathering and documenting important information about the overall health of the ecosystem in their Traditional Territory. Weaving together Indigenous Knowledge with science, Guardians monitor and record wildlife observations, road and snow conditions, weather conditions, and harvesting activities with a focus on barren-ground caribou and wood bison. The project also supported youth to participate in a land-based learning program. Quotes "Indigenous and northern communities are on the frontlines of climate change as the effects are having real impacts on their livelihoods, infrastructure, cultures, and way of life. By taking action to adapt to a changing climate, we can build resilient northern communities and economies that are able to thrive for generations to come. The choices and adaptation actions we take today will help decide the future of our communities, our livelihoods, our environment, and our economy." The Honourable Dan Vandal, P.C., M.P. Minister of Northern Affairs "In partnership with Indigenous communities, we're taking necessary action to fight climate change and build a healthy, sustainable future for Indigenous communities across the Northwest Territories. This program helps advance the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples by working toward Indigenous-led solutions to the impacts of climate change in the North and showing what reconciliation looks like in action." Michael V. McLeod Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories "The work done by the Guardianship Program not only empowers our members to safeguard the land but also strengthens the protection of our cultural and ecological values, which are becoming ever more critical in our changing world. The data collected by our Guardians will facilitate and enhance the integration of Traditional Knowledge into decision-making processes and foster deeper cultural engagement and expression for our Metis community." Marc Whitford, President North Slave Metis Alliance Quick facts Through the Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program, the North Slave Metis Alliance is receiving $186,000 over three years to support its Guardianship program. This builds on their previously funded monitoring work ( $106,000 from 20212023). over three years to support its Guardianship program. This builds on their previously funded monitoring work ( from 20212023). The Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program provides funding to support the development and implementation of community-based climate monitoring projects. Using both Indigenous Knowledge and Western science, these projects provide the necessary data to inform community adaptation actions and can be used to help address climate data gaps within Canada . . To date, the Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program has supported a total of 227 projects across Canada with an investment of more than $45 million . with an investment of more than . To help all aspects of society better work together, the Government of Canada developed a National Adaptation Strategy with governments, Indigenous partners, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, adaptation experts, and youth. The National Adaptation Strategy lays out an inclusive vision for Canada in a changing climate and how to get there. developed a National Adaptation Strategy with governments, Indigenous partners, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, adaptation experts, and youth. The National Adaptation Strategy lays out an inclusive vision for in a changing climate and how to get there. Canada recognizes that Indigenous climate leadership must be a cornerstone of our domestic response to climate change. This is why Budget 2022 invested $29.6 million for Canada to work with First Nations, Inuit and Metis to advance an Indigenous Climate Leadership Agenda and distinctions-based strategies that ensure Indigenous Peoples have the resources and authorities necessary to advance self-determined climate action. recognizes that Indigenous climate leadership must be a cornerstone of our domestic response to climate change. This is why Budget 2022 invested for to work with First Nations, Inuit and Metis to advance an Indigenous Climate Leadership Agenda and distinctions-based strategies that ensure Indigenous Peoples have the resources and authorities necessary to advance self-determined climate action. By advancing an Indigenous Climate Leadership Agenda, Canada is implementing Action 46 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan while taking necessary action to fight climate change, create economic prosperity, and build a strong, healthy, sustainable future for Indigenous communities across Canada . Associated link NSMA Guardianship Programs Stay connected Join the conversation about the North: X: GovCan_North Facebook: GovCan North You can subscribe to receive our news releases and speeches via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.cirnac.gc.ca/RSS SOURCE Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada For more information, media may contact: Carson Debert, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, [email protected]; Media Relations, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, 819-934-2302, [email protected] A roundup of the most newsworthy press releases from Cision Distribution this week TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2024 /CNW/ - With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on Cision. To help journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. Cision Canada - The Weekly Round-Up Read more of the latest releases from Cision, see our resources for journalists, and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @cnwnews. About Cision Canada Cision is a comprehensive communications platform enabling more than 100,000 public relations and marketing professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories. As the market leader, Cision enables the next generation of communication professionals to strategically operate in the modern media landscape where company success is directly impacted by public opinion. Cision has offices in 24 countries through the Americas, EMEA and APAC, and offers a suite of best-in-class solutions, including Newswire, Brandwatch, Cision Communications Cloud and Cision Insights. To learn more, visit www.cision.ca and follow @CisionCA on Twitter. SOURCE Cision Canada For questions, contact the team at [email protected]. BMW, Chrysler, Toyota, Ford and Mazda have recalled 599,471 cars in the past week, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Heres what you need to know about the latest automotive recalls for this week. Chrysler Chrysler is recalling 2,852 Dodge Challenger vehicles from 2023. The automaker recalled the cars because the left rear seat may not lock in the upright position, increasing the risk of a crash, according to the NHTSA. Owners will be notified about the recall Aug. 15. Dealers will inspect and repair the seat back latch striker, if necessary. Toyota Gulf States Toyota, a private distributor of Toyota vehicles, is recalling 33,848 vehicles because the load carrying capacity modification label may show inaccurate added weight values. According to the NHTSA, a vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity could cause the vehicle to be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash. Owners should receive a letter notifying them about the recall Sept. 16. The auto distributor says it will mail new labels to those affected to fix the issue. These labels will also be available to pick up at Toyota dealers for free. The following models are subject to the recall: 2023 GR Supra 2024 4Runner 2024 Corolla 2024 Grand Highlander 2024 Grand Highlander Hybrid 2024 Land Cruiser Hybrid 2024 Tacoma 2024 Tacoma Hybrid 2023-2024 BZ4X 2023-2024 Corolla Cross Hybrid 2023-2024 GR Corolla 2023-2024 GR86 2023-2024 Highlander 2023-2024 Highlander Hybrid 2023-2024 Prius 2023-2024 Prius Prime 2023-2024 Sequoia Hybrid 2023-2024 Tundra 2023-2024 Tundra Hybrid 2023-2024 Venza Hybrid 2023-2025 Crown 2025 Camry Hybrid BMW BMW is recalling more than 100,000 vehicles due to an engine defect, which could cause a fire risk. The recall, which was reported to the NHTSA Aug. 1, covers 105,588 vehicles potentially affected by a motor that overheats. The following makes and models are affected by this recall, according to the NHTSA: 2020 340XI 2020-2021 740I 2020-2021 740XI 2020 840I 2020 840XI 2020 M340I 2020 M340XI 2019-2020 X5 2020 X6 2019-2020 X7 People who own the recalled cars should receive a notice in the mail Sept. 23. Dealers will provide a software update to fix the issue for free. Ford Ford is recalling 374,290 models with faulty airbags and is advising owners not to drive these models until they are fixed. The following models are subject to the recall if they have not completed previous recalls for the issue: 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks 2005-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles 2006-2012 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ/Zephyr vehicles 2007-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles 2007-2011 Ford Ranger trucks The parts inside the airbag could explode, spreading around shrapnel or other sharp metal objects. This possibility could increase the risk of serious injury or death among passengers. Although 95% of customers under the previous recalls have completed them, Ford says it is still trying to get in touch with the remaining 5% of customers affected to notify them about the recalls. Mazda The NHTSA issued a Do Not Drive warning for several Mazda models with the same recalled, defective Takata airbags found in the recalled Ford cars. The current recall includes 82,893 Mazda car models from 2003-2015 that the manufacturer previously recalled, including: 2004-2006 B-Series 2007-2009 B-Series 2003-2008 Mazda6 2006-2007 MazdaSpeed6 2004-2011 RX-8 2004-2006 MPV 2009-2013 Mazda6 2007-2012 CX-7 2007-2015 CX-9 Now that some of the cars are over 20 years old, there is an increased risk of the airbag rupturing during a crash. If an explosion occurs, it can severely injure or kill vehicle occupants, the NHTSA says. The NHTSA advises that people who own these vehicles should check if their model falls under the recall and has a recalled airbag. Owners with a recalled model and airbag should not drive the cars and contact their dealership to get a free repair immediately and follow the vehicle manufacturers warnings. The free repair from Ford and Mazda includes free towing, mobile repair and, if necessary, loaner cars. You can find more information about the Takata airbag recall here. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. Shots rang out in the usually quiet township of Weehawken Thursday night and one person was fatally shot, the Hudson County Prosecutors Office said. The prosecutors office said in a social media update that its homicide unit and the Weehawken Police Department are investigating a deadly shooting in the area of Park Avenue and 41st Street, on the Union City border. An overwhelming smell that one person described as rotting flesh emanating from a Jersey City building Thursday evening led authorities to a gut-churning discovery dozens of dogs in a squalid apartment covered in animal feces and urine. The dogs living inside an apartment of a building at Martin Luther King Drive, between Wade Street and Warner Avenue, have been problem for approximately a year, one neighbor, who wanted to remain anonymous, told The Jersey Journal Friday. The problem grew out of control in the past few weeks when the putrid odor that another neighbor described as like something dead got stronger and stronger. When the dogs owner opened his window Thursday, even passers-by in the street were taken aback. Neighbors told the Journal that approximately two dozen dogs were found inside the apartment, some in cages stacked on top of each other, living amid their own excrement. A video shows firefighters investigating, and the dogs owner speaking with them. While the dogs appeared to be in poor physical health, none had died, a source with the city said. City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said the dogs were evaluated and determined to be healthy. Under state law, once it is determined that the animals are not in imminent danger, the owner has seven days to rectify any issues, she said. The tenant, with assistance from the citys Division of Animal Control and Care, cleared the apartment of much of the feces, urine and debris, the source noted. As of Friday afternoon the dogs were still in the apartment while animal control officials worked on a plan to safely remove them. Pam Johnson, an activist and 2025 city council candidate, said she visited the site after getting numerous calls and was nearly overcome by the smell. Johnson, who is the executive director of the Hudson County and Jersey City anti-violence coalitions, said she was told the building owner was aware of the complaints and failed to act on them. It could not be determined if the owner of the dogs or the owner of the building have been charged. Neighbors have previously complained about the noise from the dogs running, barking and crashing into things inside the apartment. One neighbor said the odor isnt the only problem. The apartment with the dogs has drawn a large population of flies. Wallace-Scalcione said the investigation humane law enforcement officers with the citys police department, with assistance from the division of animal control is ongoing. A former Middlesex County summer program employee was arrested and charged Thursday with endangering the welfare of a child after authorities said he had sexual contact with a minor on several occasions. Middlesex County authorities accused Dwany Cruz, 26, of New Brunswick, of having inappropriate sexual contact with a minor several times while employed as a recreational assistant at a summer program in the city. Officials did not say Friday which program Cruz worked for or when the sexual contact occurred. Cruz surrendered to New Brunswick police Thursday and he was charged with third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. An attorney for Cruz was not able to be reached for comment Friday. The investigation by the Special Victims Unit of the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office and detectives from the New Brunswick Police Department remains active and ongoing, officials said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X Good morning New Jersey. Heres your audio update highlighting a one-week free ride on NJ Transit trains and buses, the sad state of an iconic Jersey Shore smiling clown sign and rip currents expected from Hurricane Ernesto. Plus, well tell you about a New Jersey school districts attempt to ban cell phones. Listen by clicking the player above and read more about those stories at the links. This audio presentation is an editorially-curated selection of stories, selected by an editor, and then summarized and read aloud by artificial intelligence. Some variations in pronunciation, tone or diction may result. We want to know what you think! All feedback is valuable. After youve listened, take our 3-question survey here to let us know what you think. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Two women have been sentenced to jail after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges after authorities found more than 170 animals being kept in filthy conditions inside a home, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office announced Friday. Michele Nycz, 60, and Aimee Lonczak, 51, both of Brick, were sentenced to 364 days while appearing before state Superior Court Judge Guy Ryan, according to a news release. In June, both pled guilty to two counts of animal cruelty. Lonczak also pled guilty to child neglect as well. They were arrested in December 2022 after authorities discovered they were keeping 129 dogs and 43 cats in a house in Brick. Lonczaks 16-year-old daughter was also living in the home, it was previously reported. When officers arrived, they spoke with Lonczak and Nycz in the driveway and could immediately smell a strong odor coming from the residence, authorities said. They also heard barking. The officers were permitted to enter the home where they found multiple animal crates stacked up, strong odors and unsanitary conditions that forced them to leave and return with a Hazmat team. Eight of the animals required immediate emergency care, prosecutors said. All of the surviving pets have since been placed in permanent homes. Nycz and Lonczak were ordered to do community service as part of their sentence and received lifetime bans from owning animals. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Deion Johnson may be reached at djohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Instagram at @DeionRJohnson or X @DeionRJohhnson By Rev. Christian Iosso I cannot see President Biden without seeing 40,000 dead Gazans. He rightly stepped aside after his disastrous debate with Donald Trump, but he continues to lose a far more disastrous debate with Israels Prime Minister, weakening the basic principles of US foreign policy. Alongside his humiliating failure to achieve any red lines on civilian casualties, Gaza is having significant, long-term moral impacts on Christianity and Judaism. So far, Democratic Convention organizers -- and nominee Kamala Harris -- have not agreed to any airtime for Gaza. Yet simply saying Trump would be worse to the Uncommitted million primary voters, and the protesters outside, will devalue whatever feel-good effect she may achieve. As a Holocaust survivors son, I was raised to despise antisemitism and support Israel. Over five Middle East visits, however, I learned that Israel is not the beleaguered little guy, but a country enabled by blank-check US support to operate without normal political consequences. Our billions in military aid strengthen the most repressive elements of Israeli society, which denies most Palestinians citizenship. Thus, while criticizing Israels government is not antisemitic, the worldwide rise in antisemitism reacting to Gaza is alarming and unsurprising. To a Presbyterian ethicist, Gaza clearly violates the Just War principles of proportionality, avoidance of civilian casualties, and goal of a just peace. Israels use of enormous bombs is indiscriminate as the Israeli Army authorizes massive casualties in pursuit of combatants -- including 17,000 children, so far. Aryeh Neier, the co-founder of Human Rights Watch, concludes that yoking one-sided onslaught and deliberate starvation constitutes a genocide. Destroying universities, schools, mosques, churches, libraries, and hospitals -- a cultural genocide -- makes just peace less likely. Diplomats resignations underline our complicity and isolation as Israels defender at the United Nations, blocking humanitarian aid and ceasefires. Both Christianity and Judaism -- assumed to influence US and Israeli policy -- are discredited when basic moral intuitions are disregarded. Virtually no one excuses atrocities by some Hamas fighters in the October 7 jailbreak, nor endorses the intolerance in Hamas survival under Israels blockade since its legitimate electoral victory in 2006. But the Islamic fundamentalist label, part of demonizing Hamas, is cheap, as US policy empowers Israeli Settler fundamentalism. Settlements put over 500,000 Israelis on West Bank and East Jerusalem land, preempting any two-state solution. Bidens seeking help from the Saudi government effectively a Taliban with oil money reinforces religious fundamentalism. It contributes to a disastrous US Middle East policy, and also suggests that much religious belief is pitiless tribalism. The prophetic core of Judaism, carried into Christianity, confronts unjust uses of power by whoever wields it. Bidens reflexive condemnation of the university protesters as antisemitic revealed his inability to adjust to Israels far right turn. By contrast, look at the brave Jewish Voice for Peace members who fear that Zionism is becoming idolatrous, distorting Jewish ideals. Similarly, the Israeli veterans organization, Breaking the Silence, persuades me that the long military occupation of Palestine numbs Israelis to Palestinian human rights. For Christians, fear of being called antisemitic is the dominant filter for information on Israel, Arabs, and Islam. This weakens Christianitys universal approach, the understanding that God has made from one ancestor all the nations (Acts 17:26 NRSV) and, from St. Paul, that before God, there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female (Galatians 3:28). Both fundamentalist and mainstream Christians allow the dehumanization of Arabs to poison our perceptions of Muslims, whose hopes for freedom we saw in the Arab Spring and the womens rights protests in Iran. Islamophobia numbs us to the collective punishment of Palestinians, ironically including the abandonment of the Palestinian Christians. The lack of honest interfaith dialogue also hurts Christianity and Judaism. Already in 1971, Christian and Jewish scholars published, The Death of Dialogue and Beyond, to avert tensions over Israel/Palestine. Lessons of the Holocaust were invoked, such as how unaccountable power does inevitable evil, and are reconfirmed in Gaza. Peace -- anywhere, anytime -- requires justice. Will Kamala Harris continue to enable genocide? If so, my faith will require me to say never again with my vote. The Rev. Christian Iosso, PhD, is interim minister of the Connecticut Farms Presbyterian Church in Union. A New Providence native, he served as an ethicist for the Presbyterian Church (USA). "We must continue to plead for justice for the Palestinian people, the Rev. Munther Isaac said. https://t.co/ZIkNgYA6kd NJ_Opinion (@NJ_Opinion) August 18, 2024 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. 40,000 dead in Gaza is a milestone the world must be ashamed of. International diplomacy has failed to protect innocent children, some only days old. Israel needs to stop the bombings. Hamas needs to release the hostages. EU needs to review association agreement. Ceasefire now Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) August 15, 2024 Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Donald Trumps chances of returning to the White House next year are fading now that Kamala Harris is the Democratic Partys nominee since Joe Biden bowed out of the race. Thats according to betting markets, which has Harris as the 54% to 44% odds favorite to win in November, per Polymarket. Its a stark contrast from the day before Biden dropped out of the race, which put Trumps chances at 64% over Bidens 7% odds of winning. Harris appeared to have energized Democrats in the early days of her candidacy, with the surge in warm feelings extending across multiple groups, including some key Democratic constituencies that had been especially tepid about Biden, polls have shown since Biden announced on July 21 he wouldnt seek reelection. About 8 in 10 Democrats said at the time they would be somewhat or very satisfied if Harris became the Democratic nominee for president, according to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in late July, which was conducted after Biden withdrew from the race. In a separate AP-NORC poll, taken before Biden dropped out but after his debate against Trump, only about 4 in 10 Democrats said they were somewhat or very satisfied that he was the Democratic Partys likely nominee for president. The rapidly changing views among Democrats in such a short time span underscore how swiftly the party from rank-and-file voters to elected officials has coalesced behind Harris as its standard-bearer, motivated by the fresh face at the top of the ticket and newfound confidence in the partys prospects against Trump in November. A new Emerson College Poll from this week showed 65% of likely voters under 30 years old back Harris, compared to 56% who Biden when he was still in the race. The poll also shows likely voters over 70 years old also support Harris over Trump, 51% to 48% last month they broke 50% to 48% for Trump. The poll shows Harris leading Trump nationally 50%-46%. Per the poll: Since last month, Trumps support decreased two points among likely voters, from 48% to 46%, while Harris surpassed Bidens 47% by three percentage points, at 50%. When third-party candidates are on the ballot, Trumps support decreased by one point, from 45% to 44% since last month, while Harris outperformed Biden by four points from 44% to 48%. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco. Theres a key reason why Kamala Harris has flipped the script on the 2024 presidential race against Donald Trump since Joe Biden decided not to run for reelection. Women voters. CNNs Harry Enten broke down national polling that shows women voters boosted Harris campaign to be within striking distance of defeating Trump. Before Biden bowed out of the race, polls consistently showed the president losing to Trump by significant margins. Currently, national and swing state state polls show the Harris-Trump race as a statistical tie. Look at Biden versus Trump, women and men. What see is is the gender gap is working in Donald Trumps advantage. He has a nine-point advantage among men against Joe Biden and Joe Biden only held a four-point advantage among women, Enten said. But take a look at now, look at how the race has changed. Instead of having a four-point advantage among women as Biden did, look at Harris advantage. It leaps up to 11 points, he said. Enten added: What is occurred is women voters are flocking to the Democratic ticket. That is the reason Kamala Harris has turned this race around. Women voters are fueling Kamala Harris' surge. She is doing 7 pts better among them than Biden did. Meanwhile, no movement among men voters nationally. This patterns holds in the key swing states too. If those NYT polls are right, we could be looking at a historic gender gap. pic.twitter.com/rnPHkILdYP (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) August 16, 2024 Earlier this week, however, Enten warned enthusiastic Democrats that they shouldnt rush to rip open the champagne bottle. The bottom line is this, if you have any idea, if youre a Kamala Harris fan and you want to rip open the champagne bottle, pop that cork, do not do it. Donald Trump is very much in this race. If we have a polling shift like weve seen in prior years from now until the final results, Donald Trump would actually win, Enten said. Im not saying thats going to happen. But I am saying that he is very much in this ballgame, he said. He also posted to X three caution points for Democrats. 1. Trump wins if the difference between the polls at this point & the result matches what we saw in 2016 or 2020. 2. Trumps more popular now than at this pt in 2016 or 2020. 3. Dems dont say theyre more likely to vote now than in May, Enten wrote. 3 caution points for Democrats... 1. Trump wins if the difference between the polls at this point & the result matches what we saw in 2016 or 2020. 2. Trump's more popular now than at this pt in 2016 or 2020. 3. Dems don't say they're more likely to vote now than in May pic.twitter.com/E0zfPCyKS9 (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) August 13, 2024 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. The Crown Estate is advancing its Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5, aimed at creating new floating wind farms in the Celtic Sea, near South Wales and South West England. The site is situated north of the North Devon coast. These wind farms could produce enough clean energy to power over 4 million homes and generate thousands of jobs. Its important to understand The Crown Estates role in this process. The Crown Estate is responsible for managing the seabed around England and Northern Ireland. They identify and lease out areas of the seabed where wind farms can be built, but they do not design the wind farms themselves. Instead, they lease these sites to companies, known as bidders, who will then plan, build, and operate the wind farms. Currently, bidders are submitting their proposals for how they will develop these floating wind farms. The Crown Estate told the Gazette that they have already done extensive environmental and geological surveys to ensure the sites are suitable. However, the final details of the wind farms will depend on the plans submitted by the bidders. A spokesperson from The Crown Estate explained to the Gazette that their role is to find and lease the right areas for wind farms. They also clarified that The Crown Estate does not control the design of the grid infrastructure that will connect these wind farms to the electricity network. This aspect is managed by the Electricity System Operator (ESO). This week, the ESO published its Celtic Sea network design recommendation, which provides a plan for how the new wind farms will connect to the UK's electricity grid. When the Gazette asked how many companies are currently bidding for these sites, The Crown Estate stated that this information is classified. This leasing round is the first to include a recommended plan for connecting the new wind farms to the grid, in relation to the ESOs recent publication. This will help bidders understand how their projects will be integrated into the national grid. As the process continues, bidders must also show how their projects will benefit local communities, including creating jobs and supporting environmental sustainability. The Crown Estate estimates that these wind farms could generate over 5,000 new jobs and contribute 1.4 billion to the economy. This phase in the Celtic Sea is part of the UKs broader efforts to expand its clean energy infrastructure. A new partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate aims to speed up these projects, supported by new legislation that enhances The Crown Estates role in offshore wind development. Gus Jaspert, Managing Director, Marine, at The Crown Estate, said: The UKs offshore wind industry is a global success story, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and contributing billions to the UK economy. Floating offshore wind presents a new transformative opportunity for the country, the region around the Celtic Sea and the marine environment. We look forward to working with industry, governments and local communities to ensure the potential of this new technology is truly realised. Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, Ed Miliband, said: Floating offshore wind is a world-leading technology that can play a vital role in our efforts to boost energy independence, create good jobs, and tackle the climate crisis. Already, The Crown Estate has formed an exciting new partnership with Great British Energy, and this latest leasing round offers even more opportunities to deliver these projects. With Round 5 expected to lead to more floating wind projects, up to 12 gigawatts of additional capacity is planned for the Celtic Sea. Later this summer, The Crown Estate will outline its vision for the future of the UKs offshore wind industry. West Buckland Schools Sixth Form students are celebrating today after achieving outstanding A-level and BTEC results. With over 40 per cent of exams graded at A* or A and an impressive near-100 per cent pass rate, the majority of students have secured their first-choice university placements. Head of West Buckland School, Phillip Stapleton, expressed his delight at the students' success. "I am thrilled for all the students who have performed so well today. These young people have grown into remarkable individuals, embodying the character values central to our school ethos. As they move on to higher education and the workforce, they are prepared to innovate and tackle challenges with resilience and curiosity." Matt Brimson, Deputy Head Academic and Head of Sixth Form added: It has been a privilege to know the students in this cohort and be part of their journey. We wish them all the very best and their legacy in academic ambition, sporting success, richness of the creative arts, driving environmental change, and desire to serve each other is fondly remembered and ensures that they are fully prepared for whatever the future holds. Among the standout achievers is Zac Johnson, who secured four A* grades in maths, further maths, physics, and chemistry. Zac will be attending St Johns College, Cambridge, to study Natural Sciences. Other notable successes include Jamie Magee, who earned two A*s and an A, securing a place to study Biological Sciences at Sheffield. The sixth form also said: In 2022 we welcomed two Ukrainian students, displaced by war, into the school. Despite their challenging circumstances, away from their family, they have both thrived. Dasha Rizo, one achieved two grades at A* and one at A and will study International Business Management at the University of Bristol, while Vika Matviiuk gained four A grades, including the Extended Project, and a C; she will go on to study Mathematics. Both girls embodied the resilience that is the hallmark of a West Buckland education. West Buckland's international students also shone, with many achieving top grades and securing places at prestigious universities. West Buckland School's next whole school Open Day is scheduled for Saturday, September 21, at 9.30am, with a Sixth Form Open Evening on Wednesday, October 16 at 5.30pm. Further details can be found at www.westbuckland.com A 31-year-old Crown Point man faces numerous drug possession charges after crashing into the center median wall in front of a police officer along a local stretch of Interstate 65 and then fleeing the scene, according to Indiana State Police. Missouri sex offender solicited sex from 11-year-old Porter County girl, officials say The girl reportedly told police she had been receiving the messages for weeks and the male knew her name. The trooper said he was driving northbound on I-65 Wednesday when in the area just south of U.S. 6 he saw a red Dodge pickup truck crash into the median wall and then drive away. The officer stopped the vehicle about a mile north of the crash scene and determined there was probable cause for a search, according to ISP. Police: 2 found dead, shot early Thursday near Region apartment complex Michigan City police said a 911 call came in around 5:36 a.m. Thursday reporting a person had been shot in the 2300 block of Normandy Drive. "As a result of the vehicle search, a large amount of controlled substances were located to include the following: Fentanyl, Marijuana, Xanax, Amphetamine, and Dextroamphetamine," police said. The driver, Alex R. Parks, was arrested and faces possession charges for a narcotic drug, controlled substance, marijuana and paraphernalia, according to ISP. MICHIGAN CITY The man and woman found dead with gunshot wounds early Thursday in a vehicle parked in the area of the Normandy Village Apartments have been identified as local residents, according to LaPorte County Coroner Lynn Swanson. Driver who fled after crashing on I-65 faces drug charges, police say A 31-year-old Crown Point man faces numerous drug possession charges after crashing into the center median wall in front of a police officer a The deceased are Travis Pennington, 35, and Kiara Hootman, 22, both of Michigan City, Swanson said. Michigan City police said a 911 call came in around 5:36 a.m. Thursday reporting a person had been shot in the 2300 block of Normandy Drive. Officers responded to the scene and discovered a woman and man dead in a vehicle in the parking lot, police said. Both had sustained gunshot wounds. Anyone with knowledge of the shootings is encouraged to contact Detective Sgt. Lendell Hood at 219-874-3221, Ext. 1074 or by email at lhood@emichigancity.com. The department can also be reached via Facebook Messenger, through the crime tip hotline at 219-873-1488 or the WeTip Hotline for General Crime 800-78-CRIME. Japan-based manufacturer Daifuku's North American branch plans to invest nearly $40 million in an expansion to its Hobart facility and will receive a 10-year tax abatement from the city. The company, which makes industrial equipment used for moving and storing goods, has operated a 320,000 square foot facility near the intersection of East 61st Avenue and Interstate 65 since 2020. Daifuku plans to nearly double its footprint in the city, building a 300,000 square foot addition on adjacent land that it owns. "They deliver on what they say they're going to do," said Hobart Mayor Josh Huddlestun. "We're pretty excited that it's coming down the pipe." The company plans to complete construction by September 2025 and finish installing new equipment by December of the following year. It anticipates spending just over $27 million on construction and just over $11 million on new equipment, according to a development agreement with the city. The Hobart City Council unanimously approved the agreement, which sets out the terms of Daifuku's tax abatement, during the body's Aug. 7 meeting. As part of the agreement, Daifuku has committed to hiring 141 new full-time workers with just over $8.6 million in total annual pay at its expanded facility, as well as supporting 125 new construction jobs during the project's duration. The agreement also requires that the company prioritize Hobart-based contractors for construction work. Under the terms of the agreement, property tax increases stemming from the new construction will be gradually phased in over a 10-year period. During the first year, the city will forego 100% of the additional tax revenue, with the amount of the abatement decreasing each year. After the 10th year, the company will be paying the full value of its property taxes. The agreement mirrors similar incentives offered to other businesses by Hobart, as well as an earlier abatement offered to Daifuku for the initial construction of its Hobart facility. Daifuku is not the only business in Hobart's Northwind Crossings industrial park that is expanding. In April, Michigan-based Lineage Logistics began work on a $130 million addition to its Hobart facility. Lineage, the world's largest provider of refrigerated warehouse space, plans to add 180,000 square feet of additional cold storage and hire 90 new employees. "Our administration is looking for development where it makes sense, not just chasing development for the sake of development but having good quality companies building good quality products in good quality spots," Huddlestun said. Daifuku did not respond to a request for comment. The authorities have arrested four men in the killing of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor, who was shot dead in May as three men attempted to steal the catalytic converter from his vehicle in downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday announced the arrests of Robert Barceleau, Leonel Gutierrez and Sergio Estrada. All three men are 18 and from Los Angeles County. They will face murder charges. They were arrested Thursday and were being held on $2 million bond, jail records show. A fourth man, Frank Olano, 22, was arrested on an accessory charge for helping at least one of the suspects evade the authorities. Mr. Wactor was gunned down at around 3:25 a.m. on May 25 when he returned to his parked vehicle after finishing a shift at a downtown Los Angeles bar where he worked. The 37-year-old came across three men who were in the middle of stealing his cars catalytic converter. Ukraine claimed to have captured a Russian town President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed yesterday that Ukrainian troops had taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha. If confirmed, it would be Ukraines first capture of a Russian town since the incursion began 10 days ago. Ukrainian state television broadcast a report from Sudzha, showing soldiers tearing down a Russian flag from a building. Ukraine also said it had launched a large-scale drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia, damaging at least two of them. Russias Defense Ministry said that Ukraine had launched 117 drones on multiple Russian regions, including those housing the airfields. Satellite imagery verified by The Times showed two bases in Savasleyka and Borisoglebsk that had sustained damage. It was unclear if any aircraft were hit. Both airfields are over 200 kilometers inside the countrys borders. Analysis: U.S. officials said the incursion shows how Ukraines army has improved its warfare skills. This offensive was developed in secret, devised to divert Russian troops away from the front lines in Ukraine and seize territory to use as a bargaining chip. California lawmakers have amended a bill that would create new restrictions for artificial intelligence, paving the way for first-of-their-kind safety rules that could set new standards for how tech companies develop their systems. The State Assemblys Appropriations Committee voted on Thursday to endorse an amended version of the bill, S.B. 1047, which would require companies to test the safety of powerful A.I. technologies before releasing them to the public. Californias attorney general would be able to sue companies if their technologies caused serious harm, such as mass property damage or human casualties. The bill has sparked fierce debate in the tech industry, with Silicon Valley giants, academics and investors taking sides on whether to regulate a nascent technology that has been hyped for both its benefits and its dangers. Senator Scott Wiener, the author of the bill, made several concessions in an effort to appease tech industry critics like OpenAI, Meta and Google. The changes also reflect some suggestions made by another prominent start-up, Anthropic. For a few minutes on Thursday afternoon, President Biden stood silently onstage in Maryland, his hands folded and his body swaying ever so softly. On one side of him was Vice President Kamala Harris, heaping praise on him; hovering on the other side was Harriss face again, emblazoned on a shirt worn by a member of the crowd. It was the pairs first time onstage together since Biden withdrew from the presidential race. The appearance, three and a half weeks in the making, had great potential for awkwardness: an event for the Biden White House with the vibe of a Harris campaign rally. If it looked like Biden was living in Harriss world now, he kept the focus on Trump. Let me tell you what our Project 2025 is, Biden said, evoking a set of conservative policy plans drawn up by allies of former President Donald Trump, once he stepped to the microphone. Beat the hell out of em. Unburdened by the weight of defending democracy in an embattled presidential campaign, Biden joked repeatedly about his age I served in the Senate for 270 years! referred to former President Trump as Donald Dump, and delivered a line that had bedeviled him at the debate where his candidacy unraveled. A Texas mother and her boyfriend failed to seek medical assistance for their sick daughter and instead fed her smoothies as she battled life-threatening injuries for four days before she died on Monday, according to the Atascosa County Sheriffs Office. The couple, Denise Balbaneda, 36, and her boyfriend, Gerald Gonzales, 40, of Christine, Texas, basically confessed by telling the authorities how Ms. Balbanedas daughter, Miranda Sipps, 12, was injured and that they had failed to act, Sheriff David Soward said at a news conference Wednesday. They were both arrested and charged with causing serious injury to a child by omission, a first-degree felony, the sheriffs office said in a news release. They thought they could nurse her back to health, Sheriff Soward said. We do not think they wanted the attention that this would draw to them if the little girl was injured which is strangely ironic. Miranda experienced a trauma to her neck, Sheriff Soward said in a news release on Friday. Although the authorities have not determined the exact cause of the injuries, Sheriff Soward said earlier that the injuries were so severe that Miranda was unconscious for four days and was able only to flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit. Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians have surged in the West Bank, but a riot on Thursday in the village of Jit stood out for drawing rapid and unusual rebukes from Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose coalition government includes West Bank settlers in top positions. The Israeli military condemned the attack, and said that dozens of Israeli civilians, including some wearing masks, had set fire to vehicles and hurled rocks and firebombs. It said that its forces, along with Israeli Border Police, were dispatched to the scene and dispersed the rioters by firing shots into the air and removing the Israeli civilians from the town. The Palestinian Authority said that one Palestinian had been shot dead during the attack and that another was critically injured. The Israeli military said it was looking into reports of a fatality and that it had opened an investigation with other security agencies. One rioter was arrested and transferred to the police for questioning. The prime ministers office said in a statement that Mr. Netanyahu took the riots seriously and pledged to find and prosecute those responsible for any criminal act. The attack also drew condemnation from the United States and the European Union on Friday. Jack Lew, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, said he was appalled by the violence. These attacks must stop and the criminals be held to account, he said in a post on social media. As the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has stretched into its 11th month, Israel has increased its military activity against what it terms suspected terrorism in the occupied West Bank, and violent settler attacks have surged at the same time. Federal authorities arrested a Missouri woman on Friday and accused her of orchestrating a brazen effort to shake down the Presley family by threatening to fraudulently foreclose on Graceland, Elviss home in Memphis, which is now a popular tourist attraction. The authorities said that they had arrested Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Mo., on charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. The defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presleys daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death, said Nicole M. Argentieri, the principal deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department. The arrest was made on the anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, who was found unresponsive at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977, and pronounced dead soon after at a hospital in Memphis. He was 42. The premise of Love Island is simple put a bunch of attractive people on a remote island in Fiji where they have no communication with the outside world, are filmed 24/7 and endure silly (and often gross) challenges with the ultimate goal of coupling up with another islander. Like many dating shows, Love Island (which now has U.S., U.K. and Australia versions, among many others) doesnt actually yield that many enduring romances. Instead, the friendships that form can often define the show. The bromance playing out between Aaron Evans and Rob Rausch on the current season of Love Island U.S.A. is a prime example. Luis Elizondo made headlines in 2017 when he resigned as a senior intelligence official running a shadowy Pentagon program investigating U.F.O.s and publicly denounced the excessive secrecy, lack of resources and internal opposition that he said were thwarting the effort. Elizondos disclosures at the time created a sensation. They were buttressed by explosive videos and testimony from Navy pilots who had encountered unexplained aerial phenomena, and led to congressional inquiries, legislation and a 2023 House hearing in which a former U.S. intelligence official testified that the federal government has retrieved crashed objects of nonhuman origin. Now Elizondo, 52, has gone further in a new memoir. In the book he asserted that a decades-long U.F.O. crash retrieval program has been operating as a supersecret umbrella group made up of government officials working with defense and aerospace contractors. Over the years, he wrote, technology and biological remains of nonhuman origin have been retrieved from these crashes. Humanity is, in fact, not the only intelligent life in the universe, and not the alpha species, Elizondo wrote. For weeks, the White House said the stars were aligned for a cease-fire agreement that would free the hostages held in Gaza. The framework of a deal first announced by President Biden has been in place since July. Since then, a phalanx of American officials has traveled frequently to the region, pushing Israel and Hamas to sign on. So far, they have failed. The last time I wrote this newsletter about the hostage talks, at the start of May, U.S. officials were describing Hamas as the holdout. (Israel had just made a major concession, dropping a demand to maintain checkpoints inside Gaza.) But by early last month, Hamas had shifted its position, made some concessions and signaled it was ready to move forward. Now, Washington sees Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as the chief obstacle to a deal. In todays newsletter, Ill explain how the script flipped. The stars align Its an ideal time for Hamas to strike a bargain. The group is not destroyed and retains some military strength. But it is broken and severely weakened. Thousands of fighters are dead. Top commanders have been killed. Its leader, Yahya Sinwar, is isolated from other Hamas leaders. By some accounts, Gazan frustration with Hamas is growing. The group has even agreed to give up civilian control of Gaza, a sign it is ready to make concessions. Ukraine claimed to have captured a Russian town President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine claimed yesterday that his countrys troops had taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha. If confirmed, it would be Ukraines first capture of a Russian town since the incursion began 10 days ago. Ukrainian state television broadcast a report from Sudzha, showing soldiers tearing down a Russian flag from a building. Ukraine also said it had launched a large-scale drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia, damaging at least two of them. Russias Defense Ministry said that Ukraine had launched 117 drones at several Russian regions, including those housing the airfields. Satellite imagery verified by The Times showed two bases in Savasleyka and Borisoglebsk that had sustained damage. It was unclear if any aircraft had been hit. Both airfields are over 200 kilometers, or about 125 miles, inside the countrys borders. Analysis: U.S. officials said the incursion showed how Ukraines army had improved its warfare skills. U.S. officials said it was likely to make it harder for Moscow to mount a major renewed offensive in Ukraines east and was the kind of surprise operation that could eventually impose real costs on the Kremlin. Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. On a Tuesday afternoon in June, on a faraway continent, a war was underway. A queen had been abducted. A fickle god had started a plague. And a heavenly hero with a weak heel was heading into battle. The war might have been mythical, but on the 12th floor of The New York Times building in Manhattan, a reading group of Times employees was taking it very seriously. The club had gathered, as it had done many times before, to discuss Emily Wilsons translation of the Iliad, a Greek epic set during the Trojan War and composed around the eighth or seventh century B.C. by one or more poets we call Homer. (Some scholars argue that Homer was a group of people.) Members are reading the work over the course of a year. Ms. Wilson, a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, released her English translation of the Iliad in 2023. (She translated the Odyssey into English in 2017, becoming the first woman to do so.) Although her versions have been lauded for their use of accessible, contemporary language, diving into the Iliad still felt like an odyssey itself. Its so long and complex, said Sydney Stein, who founded The Timess reading group. Growing up, Ms. Stein, a client coordinator at The Times, was awed by the fantastical tales of DAulaires Book of Greek Myths, an illustrated introduction to the classics for children. It wasnt until last fall, however, when a friend told her of Ms. Wilsons new translation, that she sensed the perfect opportunity to finally explore the original works. Senator Robert Menendez, a famously pugnacious Democrat whose five-decade political career came to a crashing halt last month when he was convicted of corruption, has run his final race for re-election. After resisting what felt all-but inevitable to people close to the senator, Mr. Menendez pulled his name from Novembers ballot hours before the Friday deadline. He had planned to run as an independent. I am advising you that I wish to have my name withdrawn from the ballot, Mr. Menendez wrote in a one-sentence email to the New Jersey Division of Elections. Mr. Menendez, 70, was found guilty of taking bribes and acting as an agent of Egypt after a two-month trial in Manhattan, and he had virtually no chance of winning re-election. In June, a group of current and former New York City public school students arrived at a City Council hearing to speak out on the indignities of getting dress-coded. The term had evolved to refer to running afoul of apparatchiks who did not like what you were wearing, although rules about what counted as problematic were not always obvious, and enforcement of them could seem random and riddled with bias. Accompanying the girls was an educator named Alaina Daniels, who introduced herself as a white, queer, neurodivergent, nonbinary trans woman with 12 years of experience teaching everything from robotics to activism. She had also worked as a lunch lady and an adviser to eighth graders. In that capacity, she explained to the Councils Education Committee, she saw marginalized students and teachers being policed by dress codes in ways that privileged communities are not judged. Black, brown, queer and fat students, she said, were often upset because they had been punished for wearing tank tops or cropped tops, while their skinny, white, cis peers were left alone. On too many occasions, children were made to feel as if they had the wrong body. Consequences of being dress-coded could range from a forced change into a grubby, oversize school T-shirt to being pulled out of class to maybe even missing the prom. In a written testimony, one student talked about getting dress-coded so many times that she was left needlessly anxious, adding that the disciplinary response seemed to depend on the enforcing teacher or staff members mood that day. Another student pointed out that she had seen a boy get reprimanded only once: when he took off his shirt in the lunchroom. The group had shown up to support proposed legislation that would both require schools to make their clothing policies clear to students and parents posting the rules on their websites and, more meaningfully, to collect data on dress-code violations and penalties, broken down by month, week, student race and gender. The Council, which passed the law in July, is not empowered to mandate a universal dress code, but it could compel teachers and administrators toward greater self-scrutiny and accountability. To the Editor: Re How to Save Conservatism From Itself, by David French (column, Aug. 12): I commend Mr. French for declaring his intention to vote for Kamala Harris despite his pro-life convictions. And although I do not share his anti-abortion stance, I respect his beliefs. However, in my view Mr. French is mistaken to think that if Donald Trump is defeated in November, there is hope for a conservatism that demonstrates real compassion. Mr. Trump has not become the standard-bearer of the Republican Party against its will; on the contrary, he has articulated (in his most inarticulate way) the fanaticism of todays conservative movement in America. Absolutism in regard to abortion, gun ownership, immigration, tax cuts for the wealthy, the slashing of benefits for the impoverished these are the bedrock beliefs of todays conservative movement, with or without Donald Trump. Who are the compassionate, compromise-seeking Republican leaders waiting in the wings to command a majority of voters once Mr. Trump somehow exits the stage? Something in the Democratic Partys subconscious knows that in times of change it should go to Chicago. Its the city where, in 1896, a 36-year-old William Jennings Bryan sent convention delegates into raptures by railing against Gilded Age plutocrats and urging Democrats to reconnect with their populist roots. Its where Franklin Roosevelt announced the coming of a New Deal in 1932, starting a political revolution that pushed the Republican Party to the verge of extinction. Its where the Roosevelt coalition ripped itself apart in 1968, with protesters and students brawling in the streets and delegates at one anothers throats. Its where Bill Clinton went in 1996 to put the ghost of the 60s to rest and build a bridge to the 21st century. And its where, next week, the party of Bryan, Roosevelt and Clinton will become the party of Kamala Harris. But what is she going to do with it? Although Ms. Harris isnt the kind of politician who dreams about sweeping transformations fancy speeches, she says, arent her thing she has a unique opportunity to set the course for Democrats as they stumble out of the Biden years, to outline the steps for beating Donald Trump this fall and renew the party over the next generation. The easiest option will be to keep heading down the road Democrats have followed since Mr. Trumps takeover of the G.O.P. eight years ago. This means piecing together an anti-MAGA coalition in a campaign defined by opposition to Mr. Trump while tacitly giving up on blue-collar voters who have moved toward the Republican Party. Although the track record of this program has been spotty just ask Hillary Clinton it has by no means been a disaster for Democrats. The Harris campaign chair, Jen OMalley Dillon, summarized the logic in a memo detailing a path to victory shortly after President Biden left the race, arguing that Ms. Harris is poised to match his 2020 levels of support with nonwhite voters, young people and women, while improving on the partys already strong performance with college-educated whites. The most consequential moment from Donald Trumps glitchy interview with Elon Musk on Monday came during a discussion of government cost-cutting. Well, you, youre the greatest cutter, Trump told Musk, before launching, apropos of nothing, into a reverie about how Musk dominates his employees. They go on strike, said Trump. I wont mention the name of the company, but they go on strike and you say, Thats OK. Youre all gone. Youre all gone. So every one of you is gone, and you are the greatest. Trumps sympathy with plutocrats over unions is not a surprise, given both his record in office and his desperate desire for the approval and admiration of other billionaires. Though the ex-president made successful electoral appeals to the working class particularly the white working class his record on labor was that of a standard conservative Republican. He appointed union busters to the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that enforces labor law. His Department of Labor reversed the persuader rule, which had forced transparency on companies waging anti-union propaganda campaigns. His Supreme Court appointees dealt a severe blow to public sector unions in the Janus decision, an outcome Trump celebrated. His signature policy accomplishment was a tax cut that disproportionately benefited the rich. Nevertheless, Trumps jocular delight in a centibillionaires war on labor shocked some of his populist sympathizers. Sean OBrien, who last month was the first Teamsters president to speak at a Republican National Convention, told Politico, Firing workers for organizing, striking and exercising their rights as Americans is economic terrorism. The conservative writer and editor Sohrab Ahmari, one of the rare figures in the new right to take organized labor seriously, wrote, By cheering Musks brutal treatment of his workers, the Trump campaign has sadly vindicated those who saw its pro-worker rhetoric as a mere facade. This year, I visited a sprawling homeless shelter in Delhi, India, where tuberculosis was rampant. I met a boy whose parents were day laborers. Soon after their arrival there, when the boy was 6, he and his older sister became sick. They werent diagnosed with TB until they were critically ill. After two years of treatment, the boy survived, but his sister died, he said. It had been too little, too late for her. Humanity has had the tools to diagnose, treat and prevent TB for decades. Because of that, this airborne bacterial respiratory disease, once the cause of about 25 percent of all deaths in the United States, is no longer a widespread threat to public health in wealthy countries. But thats far from true in lower-income countries. While international public health efforts have cut global TB case rates by a quarter and death rates by half since 2000, it is still the worlds No. 1 infectious-disease killer. TB claims more than one million lives annually. There are new advances in screening, prevention and treatment, however, that now make significant progress possible if we tap them. Success requires everyone pitching in. In countries like India with high TB burdens, the government, the private sector and civil society organizations must commit to financing and delivering the new tools to stop TB which India is now showing can be done. Manufacturers must lower costs. And high-income countries must do their part. The United States leads the world in providing innovation, expertise and support for countries combating the disease both directly to local teams in high-risk settings, such as the shelter I visited, and through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Last year, Congress provided additional support, enabling my team at USAID to forge new agreements with hard-hit countries, including the Philippines and Ethiopia. This is a good step, but stopping the TB scourge will require that Congress sustain these investments and that other industrialized nations do more to fill gaps. This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email transcripts@nytimes.com with any questions. kevin roose Did you see that Mark Zuckerberg made a statue of his wife? [LAUGHS]: I did. I did see that. I didnt know how to feel about it. Because the thing is if my husband did that for me, I would say, thank you, honey. Thats very sweet. On the other hand, it feels weird being essentially asked to evaluate the statue of someone elses spouse. Whatever you hope to get out of this, I hope you got out of it. That was my feeling. casey newton My feeling is we should raise peoples taxes. [COMMENTATORS LAUGH] If youre building statues of your wife, you could be funding schools. kevin roose How much do you think a statue costs? I bet you could do it for under $10,000. casey newton Yeah, with a 3D printer? kevin roose Now, I assume he spent more than that, because I thought the statue was beautiful. It had sort of mixed, there was colors. casey newton And he said he was trying to bring back the Roman tradition of making statues of your wife. kevin roose Which we all remember, of course. Of course. If you were a Roman and you didnt have casey newton The wife guys in Ancient Rome were constantly just chiseling into marble. kevin roose Yeah, today, if youre a wife guy, you post about her on a social network. In Roman times, you build a damn statue. casey newton Its true. kevin roose Something to think about. casey newton If I made a statue of myself and gave it to you, would you put it in your house? kevin roose [LAUGHS]: No. And for this reason, you are not my wife. I dont care, just because weve been doing a podcast for two years. [THEME MUSIC] Im Kevin Roose, a tech columnist at The New York Times. - Im Casey Newton from Platformer. And this is Hard Fork. This week, Elon Musk is using X to try to win the election for Donald Trump. Is it working? Then former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer stops by to discuss his effort to depolarize our politics using government data. And finally, what happened this week in AI? Casey, the big news in tech this week was the budding bromance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. The two men appeared together on a X Spaces conversation on Monday night. This was billed as a friendly conversation between Donald Trump and one of his biggest campaign supporters. Did you listen? casey newton I listened to about four and a half minutes. kevin roose [LAUGHS]: Yeah, I mean, I set up to listen. I cleared my calendar. I canceled my dinner plans. I was all ready. And then there were about 40 minutes where nothing was happening because they couldnt get the damn Space to work. casey newton Yeah, and of course, this is not the first time this has happened. Something very similar happened when Ron DeSantis came on to announce his presidential campaign. The only difference this time was that this time around, Elon blamed the whole thing on a DDoS attack, which, as far as we can determine, did not actually happen. kevin roose And I guess its theoretically possible that there was some DDoS attack. But theres no evidence that we know of for that. The Times has not been able to confirm that there was a DDoS attack. And The Verge actually talked to some X employees who said this was not a DDoS attack at all, but just a normal tech glitch. casey newton I think what they were facing was a distributed denial of competence within the X organization. kevin roose [LAUGHS]: But it did eventually get underway after the delay. And Elon Musk and Donald Trump talked for almost two hours about lots of topics. They started off talking about the assassination attempt, and just retelling that story. They talked about climate, foreign policy, federal spending, immigration. Donald Trump praised Elon Musk for cutting the staff of Twitter when he took over the company. He called him The Greatest Cutter. [COMMENTATORS LAUGH] They talked about closing the Department of Education. Elon Musk said that the nuclear bombs that went off during World War II actually werent that bad because Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, still exist today. casey newton Oh, my. kevin roose Overall, I would say a pretty rousing campaign appearance. casey newton Suffice to say, theyve really honed in on the subjects that are most of interest to swing voters. Yeah. kevin roose Today, I want to talk about the alliance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, less in the context of this one particular glitchy campaign event and more the overall picture of what it means, because we should just keep in mind, this is not normal. Its totally unprecedented for a tech CEO to insert himself into a presidential race in the way that Elon Musk has this year. Obviously, weve had tech CEOs who have donated money to candidates or funded super PACs or endorsed one party or another. But weve never had a tech CEO whos just explicitly makes it his mission to get one specific politician elected and to use the technology product that he controls to do that. casey newton Yeah, and there is weirdly very little discussion about this. And I assume that because at this point, it just doesnt seem that surprising given what we know about Elon Musk. But it is absolutely true that we have just never seen the owner of a major social network before essentially try to turn his entire business into a political project on behalf of one candidate. kevin roose Yeah, and I think there were a lot of questions when Elon Musk took over Twitter. Like, how overtly is he going to try to use this platform as a megaphone for his own political views? And I think we got the answer this week, which is extremely overtly. Hes not just hosting conversations with Republicans on X, he is promoting them. I, frankly, would not be surprised at this point if you log into X on Election Day and there is a big banner at the top that just says, go vote for Donald Trump. casey newton Yeah. kevin roose You wrote this week that you had a newsletter that had the title, X is Just a Political Project Now. And I totally agree with that. I think its obvious that Elon Musk No longer really views X as a financial investment or a business venture. This is a cultural project for him. He wants to get Donald Trump elected. He wants to undermine the legacy mainstream media. He wants to eradicate the woke mind virus. And he wants to use X as his primary means of doing all of that. But instead of just talking about that, because I think thats ground weve covered before, I want to talk about a follow up question, which is, if X is a political project, is it working? Is Elon Musk actually accomplishing what he wants by using his social media platform in this way? And if hes not, if hes not able to steer the election the way he wants, does that tell us anything about the limits of tech power more broadly? casey newton I love this discussion. Lets get into it. kevin roose First of all, what do you think Elon Musk is after? Beyond just electing Donald Trump, what do you think his play is here? Because theres lots of theories about out there. Hes trying to, I dont know, get more government contracts. Hes trying to cozy up to Trump in the hopes of making SpaceX more profitable and getting more defense contracts and things like that. But what do you think his motivation is? casey newton Its very difficult to know what any individuals motivation is. But I think there is almost certainly a lot of truth to what youre saying, that in part, yes, this is this person being a titan of industry, whose companies are deeply enmeshed with the federal government, who is always seeking contracts, and who has been in a feud with the Biden administration basically from the beginning. Musk has felt very slighted by Biden. Biden essentially never mentions Tesla when talking about electric vehicle production in the United States. Tesla hasnt been invited to certain events. And so theres a bit of a grudge there. And yet, Elon Musk needs the government, because it is the government that is going to pay SpaceX to take these payloads into space. Theyre going to give subsidies to Tesla that are going to improve its balance sheet. There actually are some pretty important reasons of rational self-interest for Elon Musk to want to cozy up to the government. Whats interesting, though, is that this thing is true for basically every titan of industry. If youre Mark Zuckerberg, you also need to have a good relationship with the government. If youre Satya Nadella, you need to have a good relationship with the government. And so what it is normal for these titans of industry to do is for them to hedge their bets, and for them to give money to both parties, and to say supportive noises about both candidates, and to support whoever winds up being the winner. The fact that Elon Musk has not done that, Kevin, I think, suggests that this is not just about the money for him. kevin roose What is it about? casey newton What it is about is his increasing turn toward the hard right. And one of the most fascinating aspects of this is that you can watch Musks transformation in public on x.com, on the former Twitter. You can go back to the beginning of his account and see his tweets. You can see the moments when he was posting about LGBT rights and bragging about Teslas record with its LGBT employees. kevin roose Talking about climate change and how important it is to move away from fossil fuels. Things that would have been considered left-wing positions back when he was making them. casey newton Yeah. But bit by bit, he gets a little bit more curious about the right. He decides that The Babylon Bee is hilarious, this right-wing satire site. And he goes through some personal issues. Most prominently, his daughter transitioned. And he took this incredibly hard. And it seemed to have really catalyzed his move toward the hard right. And when he says he wants to eradicate the woke mind virus, what I hear in that is a lot of grief about the fact that he has a trans child. kevin roose Yeah. I think hes long ago abandoned rational self-interest. He is clearly emotionally invested in this. Its not just about making money for his companies. In fact, I think there are many ways in which buying Twitter and turning it into X has been bad for his companies. Its polarized the consumer base, where now people who are liberals dont want to own Teslas because thats giving money to Elon Musk and they dont like his views on other subjects. But I think if you had gone to me a couple of years ago and told me that a hard-right partisan billionaire is going to acquire a major social network and use it to try to influence an American election, I would have said that actually that has a pretty good chance of working, because so much of our political discourse takes place online. The levers that you control as an owner of one of these platforms are vast. And I think I would have said, thats actually like a decent strategy. And yet, if you look at what has happened since Elon Musk took over X, I think there are ways in which it has made him and his views more prominent. But I also think there are ways that it has sort of failed to catalyze support for Donald Trump. You dont see surging poll numbers for Trump after one of these appearances with Elon Musk. It doesnt seem to be making him the front runner in this matchup with Kamala Harris. And so I guess Im just curious if you think the net effect of Elon Musk acquiring Twitter, turning it into this broadcaster for right-wing views, is having the effect he intended? casey newton Im sure he wishes it were going better. But just to play devils advocate here, lets talk through some of the ways in which, if youre Elon Musk, you might think that this is going well. Twitter was miraculous for a long time because it did feel like one of the few online places where the left and the right were talking to each other in public. And not just any members of the left and right. Were talking about the leaders of the party, the elected officials. And even more miraculously, you had the entire press corps hanging out here all day. And so Twitter represented this incredible opportunity to set the narrative every single day. And so if youre Elon Musk and you decide that you want to lean really hard into politics, its hard to imagine a better lever that you could pull than something like that. Even owning a FOX News wouldnt give you that much leverage, because FOX News is already only talking to the converted. Twitter represented a chance to do something differently. Were now almost two years into his reign over what is now called x.com. And in most ways, I think its gone very terribly, except that a shocking number of the political reporters who were there in the Twitter days are still there on the X days. And even folks like myself who wont ever post anything on X, still do feel the need to check in with it most days, just to get a flavor of what the people who are still there are talking about. As he has moved it ever further to the right, as he has driven away so many users and advertisers, it remains true that it is still a potent megaphone to talk to certain audiences. And those are not just hard right audiences. kevin roose Yeah, I agree with that. I think youre right that X is not experiencing this mass exodus. Theres still a lot of reporters, political elites. People still try to get their message out on X. Theres really no other centralized gathering place that has gotten the kind of momentum that it has. And I really do think that has had an influence in national political culture. I think a lot of the antiwoke backlash that weve seen over the past year or two has really been catalyzed and has taken off on X before it has happened other places. I think, for example, that this recent turn that weve talked about among tech billionaires towards supporting Trump, a lot of that comes from the fact that they now have this app that they all spend a lot of time on where they can all sort of see each other. And it kind of creates the permission structure for them to say more incendiary things to align themselves with Trump in a way that they might not have felt comfortable doing in some previous incarnation of Twitter. I do think Elon Musk owning X and veering it sharply to the right has had an effect on political discourse. But lets talk about the other side of this, because I think there is a real chance that Elon Musk owning Twitter and turning it into X, is actually going to backfire for the right. Maybe lets make that argument. casey newton Yeah, and my basic argument is that he took a site that had been really mostly nonpartisan, and really had tried to host as much speech as it could, and it made it more akin to a FOX News. FOX News has a lot of influence. It does really set the agenda for the conservative movement. But the problem, particularly for Elon Musk, is its really only talking to conservatives. And so the ability to influence outside of that sphere is just dramatically reduced. I think the question that it might be worth asking is, if youre Elon Musk, would there be a way to have the same influence over the same set of people without spending $44 billion on Twitter? And I think there probably was. kevin roose Yeah. It makes me wonder if a better strategy for Elon Musk, if he really did want to turn the tide of politics in this country, would have been to just do it in a much more subtle way. Instead of coming out and saying, I endorse Trump. Im going to host this conversation with him. Were going to make X the antiwoke social media platform. If you just kind of turn the dials a little bit behind the scenes, then maybe a few more right-wing views start showing up in peoples feeds. The mainstream media gets a little bit less reach over time. But I think he was just so obvious about it that it just made it clear, even to the people who support him, that this was a political project. And people, I think, discount it because of that. casey newton Yeah. And that just makes me want to share a completely unrelated fact, Kevin, which is that ketamine abuse can lead to a loss of impulse control. Ive just been meaning to tell you that. And so Im glad I was able to get that off my chest. kevin roose One other thing that Im curious about is whether you think that the Elon Musk ownership of X has taken away one of the central claims that Republicans have made over the past few years, which is that social media companies are biased against them, because I actually think this was a core part of the right-wing political message was that we are being suppressed. And we are telling people these dangerous and uncomfortable truths that theyre not hearing, because the liberals in Silicon Valley are artificially suppressing, shadowbanning. How many times have we heard that claim from Republican leaders? And I actually think the siege mentality that came out of that was useful for them, politically. And now with Elon Musk owning X and using it to promote the Trump campaign and make his endorsements, I think that is just a much less potent message. casey newton Absolutely. And you really cant overstate the degree to which had Mark Zuckerberg, in 2020, had a friendly chat with Joe Biden and sent a push notification to every Facebook user saying, tune in now as Mark interviews Joe, Congress would have had an absolute meltdown. They had so many hearings based on these perceived slights of, why doesnt my account rank as high in search? Or why when I click on the search, do you show me a Democrat when Im a Republican? This was the level of discussion that was happening in Congress during the Trump administration. And now because its Elon and because Republicans still control the House, its like, yeah, thats just bringing a little bit of balance into the equation, is I suspect what they would say. But youre right, its absolutely hypocritical. And I never want to hear about bias on social networks ever again. kevin roose Yeah. John Herrman had a good piece in New York Magazine this week about the danger for the American right of becoming too online. Basically this phenomenon that often happens when people spend too much time on social media where they get trapped in this echo chamber, they start thinking in terms of posts. And his point, which I also felt while I was listening to this Twitter Space or this X Space between Elon Musk and Donald Trump was just like, these are people who have lost the ability to communicate outside their network of supporters. They dont really understand how to persuade people anymore. Its just all this self-reinforcing spiral of people agreeing with each other, but not really being able to see how their arguments sound to people who are not already bought in. casey newton I agree with that. And yet, I would also challenge the notion that anyone on this online right is trying to persuade me. I read these posts. I read stuff all the time or I watch media where people are trying to persuade me of something. And it usually starts with trying to meet me where Im at, trying to find a little bit of common ground, and then trying to move me a little bit away from that common ground toward the speakers perspective. I never see any of that on the online right. With Elon, from day one, it was there is a mind virus that is destroying civilization. And if you dont get on board with me, civilization will end. That is Elon Musks stated ideology. That is not persuasive, unless you are the hardest core Elon Musk fan in the world and you decide to accept everything he says at face value. Yes, the right is online. And I do not see any real efforts at persuasion taking place. kevin roose Yeah. We should also just say, Elon Musk is not just hosting X Spaces with Donald Trump. Hes not just endorsing him on social media and making his platform friendlier to the pro-Trump right. Hes also doing some more conventional electioneering. He helped start this thing called the America PAC, which is a pro-Trump super PAC. Hes donating to that. Hes also getting involved in some of their strategy. And The Wall Street Journal actually had some good reporting this week about his influence and attempts to make that super PAC more efficient. He has apparently blocked out an hour every Friday on his calendar for national politics. And hes getting in the weeds of how this super PAC works. And we should maybe talk about that, too. casey newton Yeah, so he is very involved, Kevin. Although, and this was my favorite part of The Journals reporting, less than three months into this effort, Musk signed off on firing most of the vendors. And then the Super PAC decided to rehire one of them. Why is this funny to me? This is exactly what happened after he bought Twitter. He fired most of the employees. Then they went out and rehired some of them. Theres just kind of a lot of chaos in here, but anyways. kevin roose Yeah, look, I think all of this is going to hinge on whether or not Donald Trump actually wins the election. We should say, its still a very close race. And I think if Elon Musks, all of his efforts, whether its the Super PAC, whether its tilting to the right, if that results in a couple 100,000 swing voters in these decisive states going for Donald Trump, that could mean the difference between him getting elected and not. But I think if Donald Trump is not able to win this election, despite Elon Musk putting his thumb on the scale in such an obvious and ham-handed way, I think it should really make us question how much power these platforms really have over our politics. There was this narrative for years after 2016, that Facebook had been responsible and Twitter had been responsible for the way that those elections went. And I think theres some truth to that. Those platforms were decisive in getting Donald Trump elected. But I think a lot has changed since 2016. And part of what has changed is just that these platforms may not have the kind of pull in the political economy that they used to. It may not be possible to tip an election based on making some moves on a social platform. What do you make of that? casey newton It is a very different landscape than it used to be. The dynamics that made Twitter so important dont exist anymore. It has become more of this conservative echo chamber. And then Meta has just de-emphasized news in general. Youre just much less likely to see a news link on Facebook than you would have been in 2016 or even 2020. kevin roose And political news, specifically. They do not want people to be discussing contentious political topics on their platforms. casey newton What theyve said is that if you dont follow someone, theyre not going to inject that into your feed. And so for that reason, theres just a lot less politics to go around. And Im very curious to see what the impact of that will be. kevin roose Yeah. I want to caveat the discussion that weve just had by saying, I actually do think that X is still an important platform for political conversation in the United States and abroad. I think that Elon Musks power and influence have grown as a result of owning this platform. I do not think this has been bad for him, personally. But on this narrow issue of, is Donald Trump more likely to be elected because Elon Musk owns X? Im not sure the answer is yes. casey newton Kevin this is one where I disagree with you strongly. I think just the existence of Twitter has been catastrophic in the life of Elon Musk. And I think that in the alternate reality where Jack Dorseys harebrained SMS-based status update scheme had not accidentally turned into the global town square, Elon Musk would be a beloved character in American history by most partisans of every stripe. [THEME MUSIC] kevin roose Kevin, thats one way that a tech billionaire could try to influence the election. But coming up after the break, were going to talk to another one, Steve Ballmer. And hes got a totally different approach. casey newton Kevin, I would say that today we get to talk to a bit of a legend in the world of tech. kevin roose You get to talk to a legend every week on this podcast. casey newton Oh, boy. Lucky me, because today its two legends, because Steve Ballmer is here. Steve spent 34 years at Microsoft. He replaced Bill Gates as CEO in 2000, before passing the baton to Satya Nadella in 2014. Since then, I think hes probably best known as the owner of the LA Clippers, a professional basketball team. But were talking to him today about something a little lower profile that hes been doing. He started a nonprofit called USAFacts. And the idea is that they are going to take government data, and try to make it understandable to everyone and create a fact-based foundation for public conversation and debate around issues. kevin roose Yeah, and I will say when I heard that Steve Ballmer was involved in this new fact promotion venture, I was a little surprised, because Ive always known Steve Ballmer as a very passionate and outspoken person. Theres this video of him giving a talk at a Microsoft conference years ago thats become famous in tech circles. Its called the Developers, Developers, Developers speech. Hes on stage and hes shouting. I think its fair to say. Hes shouting. casey newton Hes whipping the crowd into a frenzy. kevin roose Yes. And hes pacing around the stage and hes shouting, developers, developers, developers. Its iconic. If you havent seen it, go look it up. Its an amazing speech. But his new venture is very dispassionate, I would say. He is trying to basically just give people facts about the government, and about the economy, and about various other topics, and hope that will educate them, and inform them, and make them better citizens. casey newton Yeah, and so why is that interesting to us? We live in a time where increasingly, and partly because of tech, people are allowed to pick their own realities. You pick a partisan social network to hang out on. You pick a partisan cable news channel to get your news from. You pick other partisan media to shape your reality, partisan influencers. And I think this kind of thing really frustrates Ballmer, because hes a tech guy. He was a CEO. He spent his entire career in meetings where people were showing him numbers. And he used those numbers to decide what is the best path forward. USAFacts is his effort to bring a little bit of that CEO-inspired decision-making into American politics. kevin roose Yeah. I watched one of the Steve Ballmer videos that is coming out of this project, because the project is not new. Hes been doing this since 2015. But he did just start putting out a series of YouTube videos in which Steve Ballmer, himself, appears on screen and basically gives like a little lecture about some part of the government, whether its immigration or the state of the federal debt. Hes just patiently and calmly walking people through all the various information. And I watched one of these last night, because I was like, I wonder what Steve Ballmer sounds in this format. And its very interesting. Its like a 13 and 1/2 minute video that I watched about the federal budget and the deficit. And its just sort of like Wikipedia level summaries of where the money goes in the federal government, how much goes to Medicare, how much goes to Social Security, how much goes to the military. It is about as dry and neutral a presentation of the facts as possible. And its just a very interesting contrast to people like Elon Musk, who have decided that the way that theyre going to use their billions that they made in tech is by throwing their support behind one candidate or another. Steve Ballmer is basically saying, Im just going to give you the facts and let you guys sort it out. casey newton Yeah. And look, Ill say, I think that this project, we might describe it as a bit quixotic. I think even several years into this, this thing hasnt caught fire yet. And Im just so fascinated by the fact that we have this one very rich, very powerful person, who rather than go the full Elon route, said, Im going to do something completely different. And it just really made me want to talk to him. kevin roose Yeah. casey newton So lets go ahead and bring in Steve Ballmer. [THEME MUSIC] Steve Ballmer, welcome to Hard Fork. steve ballmer Thanks. Pleasure to be here. casey newton After being CEO of Microsoft, you could have done just about anything. How did you get interested in the media ecosystem? steve ballmer Its interesting that you call it the media ecosystem. I dont think of it that way. kevin roose Interesting. steve ballmer Given that we write things and produce videos, I guess you could call it the media ecosystem. When I retired from Microsoft, my wife said, its time, you got to help with the family philanthropy. I got it when you were out running Microsoft, but Ive been plugging away. Its time for you to work. And I said, eh. And she was focusing in kids and families where, lets just say from the time of birth, the opportunity to move up economically is not that good. What was my lazy-ass response? It was government does that, government pays for those things. Lets just pay our taxes, and be happy about that, and call it a day. She said, uh-uh. And guess what? It was uh-uh, so I went to work with her on that. But I had one of those little spousal, Im going to see if I can prove Im right. I went online and tried to snoop around, and figure out really what was going on for wealth transfer, what the government was really doing, how to think about that, and it was a mess. It was a mess to do what I like to do, which is put together things holistically. Holistically, who pays taxes? Holistically, what is the money being spent on? And that set me out to try to work on that. I thought we had some interesting stuff. We said, lets publish that. People were kind of interested. And weve been doing that now for, I started in 2015 and were still plugging away. casey newton What Im hearing is you go out, and you get some data, and you share it with folks. And you know that different people are going to receive it. But the hope is maybe if we just share some raw data, we can get some agreement, maybe we can have sharper policy debates, and that sort of thing. Like you said, youve been at this now for almost a decade. Whats happened so far? How do you feel like thats going? steve ballmer I would say I am warmed by our progress. And I am daunted by the progress I want to make. Were doing just over a million a month in terms of visits. Its not bad. But if you really want to educate people, we need to get to more people, and I want longer interactions. Were over 200,000 newsletter subscribers. Not bad. Not bad. Not bad. But when I think about, as I said, millions and I think about the kind of interaction that lets you be thoughtful, which takes a little longer, I am daunted and excited about the potential. kevin roose The thing thats new this year is that youre pivoting to video, is that right? Youre putting up videos on YouTube. Are you doing any other platforms? And I guess, is that born out of a feeling that you can just reach a bigger audience through video than you could through text or what prompted the shift? steve ballmer Pivot sounds like we took a hard left and well only do videos. I would call it additionally, if you will. And Ill tell you, this was really born in 1992. Im looking at you guys and saying, you probably dont remember what Im about to say, but thats OK. kevin roose Casey is very old. He was a teenager, but I was in grade school. casey newton I was in sixth grade. steve ballmer [LAUGHS]: OK. Heres the deal 1992, Ross Perot, who had started a tech company called EDS, decides hes going to run for president as an independent. And Ross starts buying TV time. And he does these little poster boards, almost like from science fair. And hes trying to explain government by these poster boards, by the numbers. This friend of mine whod been around the beginning of USAFacts, Id known him since college. He and I have always admired the Perot poster boards. He comes at me this year and said, come on, man, its an election year, we should take a winger on this. Lets try to do the modern-day equivalent of the poster boards. Lets buy Remnant TV, like Ross would have done, and run 15-minute videos that really are comprehensible. People can watch on TV. Well drive them to YouTube. Im not running for anything, so Im not Ross Perot to the max. But we said, lets go. And so Im heartened. Well see how we do with the next four videos. casey newton And what do you want people to do with the information that they get from these videos? Is it about sharing it with their friends? Is it about talking to their elected officials? Or what do you hope the effect is? steve ballmer Yes. Yes. And voting. Let me just take immigration is an issue that weve already done. At the end of the day, were going to have some immigration. We are. Nobody would say not. In a way, the question becomes, how many immigrants? Not I am against it. I am for it. Thats a silly discussion, in my opinion. Its, lets step back and think how much immigration do we want with people who have what kind of labor skills and what really is accepting people who have pain in their home country. And lets make sure our systems line up with our strategy. Let me check the number. We have basically kevin roose Facts only, please, Steve. steve ballmer Yeah. [chuckles] Thats all. We have about 1.3 million people who were released or paroled into the United States, most of whom are seeking asylum. And I cant remember off the top of my head, but lets say its 50,000 people who were granted asylum last year. And theres many people who have 10 years before theyll even get their asylum court case. This does not compute. If we want to bring in a certain number of people, maybe we want to bring in two million without a path to citizenship, Another 1.3 million with a path to asylum, whatever it is, its just numbers. And some people may think the number of immigrants we should let in is very small. Some people would think its very large. I dont think anybody thinks its zero. Debate to the facts. Debate to the facts. Not just, I dont like it. I do. Build the wall. Dont build the wall. Tear the wall down. And Im a nonpartisan complainer in that. kevin roose The idea that you can change minds with data feels very tech-inspired to me. I can imagine that as a CEO, you were often shown data that changed your mind about what decision to make. Do you feel like this approach is inspired by the way you tried to run Microsoft? steve ballmer Yes, and Look, dudes, I was a math guy. Actually, in second grade, the math teacher told my parents that I was going to struggle in math. And so I studied all summer so that in third grade, I wouldnt be behind. But it turns out I liked these numbers. I went to a math camp one summer. I went to a science camp one summer. I came into college saying, Im going to major in physics or math, and math, math, math. I have a long pre-CEO heritage of being a numbers lover and math lover, and I also think thats very helpful. I dont know how you be a CEO you dont have to be me, a math camper. But I think its very hard to be a CEO unless youre going to dig into to some numbers. kevin roose Steve, I want to interrogate your theory of change here, because I think theres this idea that Casey just alluded to that people change their minds based on the quality and the quantity of data that is available to them. And I know thats a very popular idea among business leaders and people with experience running companies. But I dont feel that out in the culture. And take economic data, for example. That is a domain where we actually do have very good, reliable, high quality government data. Weve got the Bureau of Labor Statistics thats constantly putting out reports, and the Federal Reserve. But when you ask people about the state of the economy, they dont cite that data and, in fact, they often get the data wrong. There was this survey that was done earlier this year by The Guardian, where they basically asked people, do you think the stock market is up or down this year? Are we in a recession or not? And some huge percentage of Americans believe falsely that we are in a recession and also believe that the stock market is going down when its actually going up. I guess my question to you is, what makes you confident that telling people, here are the numbers, look how well the economy is doing, heres the data that proves it, is actually going to change their minds or cause them to behave any differently? steve ballmer Remember, Im not trying to change their minds. We are trying to educate. Its a little different. Do I fundamentally disagree with what youre saying? In a way, no. People will extrapolate from their personal experience. Im also maybe not as aspirational as you guys would have me be. Lets say we could get 5 to 10 million people, we know theres about, what, 150 million, 160 million people who vote. If we can get some people to ground that is bigger than a breadbasket, but smaller than a refrigerator, as my mom used to say, if we can do that, I view that as successful. kevin roose Sometimes journalists try to do these sort of very fact-heavy stories. We think its really important. And maybe its not about a subject that youre super interested in, but we just think that should know that. And we often call that making readers eat their vegetables. It strikes me, your whole enterprise is about making people eat their vegetables. And my guess is youre not able to do a lot of clickbait. I went to your website. There are no headlines thats like, this one government statistic will absolutely shock you. But youve given yourself, I feel like, a tough challenge just by the nature of how rigorously neutral youre trying to be about everything. steve ballmer Yeah, my wife, she says, what do you think we should do? People are interested. To which my response in this context has to be, could we do more? One of my dreams is eventually well figure out how to do a point, counterpoint. We can get people from both sides. Wed kind of referee to anchor the thing in the numbers. You get a little more pizzazz, a little bit more energy, but its not our opinion. Its our holding people honest. But a little point, counterpoint, might make us, what shall I say, more of the amuse-bouche. Its not exactly your dessert, but it wets your whistle. And there are places I think people do a pretty good job of this. Take The Economist. The Economist does a pretty good job, actually, on their charts and numbers, and they feature them. And for that reader, I dont think it feels like vegetables, but as you know, they have a very particular audience. kevin roose Im curious, Steve, theres been a lot of chatter this year about the tech elite shifting toward Donald Trump and becoming more activated on the right. Weve seen a number of influential people in tech come out in support of him. Im curious, what do you make of all the Trump-curious tech CEOs and power players out there? steve ballmer One question Id throw out is, and lets go back pre-Trump, really was the tech industry all Democrats? The answer is no. Its just everything wasnt so out there. Things were not so emotionally charged. I would say on balance, you would hear more from the more D partisan folks than the R partisan folks. But I know at Microsoft, we had people who were happy to welcome Republicans on campus to speak, as well as Democrats to come on campus and speak. I dont think its completely different. Im not saying its not different, but I dont think its completely different from days past. Its just everythings more sensationalized. Thats one thing. The second thing Id say is, tech CEOs are very business-focused. And that means different things to different people. And both parties try to say things to appeal to various constituencies, for sure. And now Ill just be completely nonpartisan. During the Trump administration, corporate income taxes went down. Thats a fact. And not only did you see it in the rates. When people talk about tax rates, thats a little bit of BS. What you should really look at is total taxes paid, because thats the reality. The rates are a tool to get there, but the rates dont always drive, and I can talk more about that, but revenue went down well. If youre a corporate CEO, you might say, thats a good thing for my shareholders. I salute that. I support that. There are issues, concrete issues in which I can understand why a CEO would say one thing or another. Is that why the people who are most vocal are really speaking up, whether its on the D side or the R side? Im not sure thats why people are really speaking up. But we generally, when I was at Microsoft, I avoided doing things that were political. But there were issues that were important to our employees. We had an issue around gay marriage, I think it was. And there was a local pastor in Bellevue, Redmond, Washington, who was stirring that pot. And we stood for our employees on that issue. But it was an issue, it wasnt a partisan issue per se. casey newton This is a tech podcast, but Im sure we have plenty of sports fans who listen to us as well, Kevin. And Steve, you own the Clippers. And you have a new arena opening this week. Were talking to you the week that youre opening the Intuit Dome, this massive project in Inglewood. And so I guess I just wanted to know, are there cool tech things that youre doing in your new arena? steve ballmer I think very much so now. But I want to make a point, I said when we started this thing, which was also nine-plus years ago, by the way, things take time. I said to the guy, you may think Im a tech guy, so we just have to do tech because we have to do tech. And I said, that will never be the mindset of this project, because you see that, Ive got to apply my background because my background is mine and I got to strut my stuff. No. I said, were not going to do that. But as we got into things that we wanted to do, the tech got important. Ill give you two or three examples. First, the simplest example of all, we have an acre of scoreboard. The typical NBA scoreboard, 9,000 square feet. Wow we did it all in 4K. We couldnt go 8K. I wanted 8K. kevin roose I want to see the individual pores on the players faces when Im watching. steve ballmer You should come take a look. But no, theres a question, is the display quality good enough for the long run? And so you get to, how does your eye see it from the distance? Remember, were not as close up as somebody looking at their phone or computer. Then you go to, I really want to reward people who get in their seat early. How do we know whos in the building? How do we reward them? How do we know if theyre sitting down or not? During the game, we want to reward them if theyre standing up and making noise. And so we went through all the things we would do from a tech perspective to do that. We have a system built in place that down to the individual seat level, we can tell how noisy you are. We put proximity sensor into the seat so we can tell, are you there or are you not there? We put power. We wound up running power to every seat so people could charge their devices. But as soon as you have power there, then you say, what else can we do with the power? We put lighting into every seat that we can control. We put a mini controller, a four-button controller in there, so people can interact with the big board, a sense of community. Once we had some of this stuff, huh. We have a huge screen out in our plaza, a different screen. Lets get some digital art done. What does that look like? Actually the artist takes statistical data, including, for example, data on how our team played, and then creates art using some AI techniques and some not to create the art that goes up digitally on the big board. Did we wind up with some things that people would consider technological? I think the answer to that is yes. kevin roose Steve, have you ever considered combining your two passions of owning the Clippers and government data, and maybe having at the Clippers game, instead of the half court shot at half time to win a car, you have to list three figures from the most recent Congressional Budget Office report and win a car? You could really have some synergy here. Thats just a free idea. steve ballmer Ill consider doing that, over 43,000 square feet with four buttons. kevin roose Steve, this has been fascinating. Thank you so much for coming on Hard Fork. steve ballmer I really appreciate it. Its been a lot of fun. You guys are great. Thank you. kevin roose All right, thanks, Steve. steve ballmer Thanks very much. Bye-bye. casey newton When we come back, well tell you what happened that made one software engineer say, the entire night I was hearing the boop, boop, boop. [THEME MUSIC] OK, so you know what? Im sick of talking about politics this week. kevin roose Me too. casey newton I know, its hard to escape because we are in an election year. But there is also a ton happening in the tech world. And so this week, I thought we should bring back a segment that we havent done in a while. Lets do This Week In AI. Play the theme music. (SINGING) This week in AI That was beautiful. kevin roose Thank you. casey newton Yeah. Kevin, whats been happening this week in AI? kevin roose First up, the AI industry calls for a pause in regulating AI. casey newton Yeah, its about time we stopped all of these onerous regulations that have been passed everywhere. Im just kidding, there have not been any of those. kevin roose [LAUGHS]: Yes. But this week, the biggest story in Silicon Valley that people are talking about, that is not the election, is this thing called Senate Bill 1047. This is a bill that has been proposed in California, a state bill, that is technically called the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act. And Casey, people are really upset about this. casey newton Yeah, this is one where rather than the federal government trying to set one standard for AI across the country, California has come in, as it often does, and tried to offer a template. And while I think sometimes those approaches have been very successful with things like auto emissions, this is one where basically every single company that works on AI says, this is terrible, please do not do this. kevin roose Yeah, so this bill passed the California State Senate in May. And this week, its been making its way through the California State Assembly Appropriations Committee. The next step is its now expected to go to the full assembly for a vote. casey newton Whats in this bill? kevin roose Its a long bill. Its got a lot in it. But basically it says that if you are making what they call a frontier AI model, one of the most advanced AI models out there, you have to conduct safety testing on it. That is the biggest central piece of this. You have to tell the government that youre doing this. You have to conduct safety testing before you release it to the public. The bill also empowers the state attorney general to take legal action against AI companies if their AI tools cause what they call critical harms, which they define as things like a massive cyber attack that does a lot of damage, up to and including a mass casualty event. You could then be sued if you are an AI company who makes one of these models. Theres a lot more in there, but thats the thing that got everyone in Silicon Valleys hackles up and made them want to oppose this bill. casey newton Yeah. And basically, its a whos who of AI when it comes to who opposes this bill. Meta, Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic all oppose it or have offered some lengthy proposed amendments. Y Combinator, the big startup accelerator here, released a letter from about 140 startups who oppose this bill. On the other side, some of the godfathers of AI, including Jeff Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, do support it. Kevin, what do we think of a Californias effort to regulate AI here? kevin roose Yeah, I think that theres been a lot of inflated and hyperbolic claims being made on both sides of the debate. But I think this is a really important conversation to have, because I think everyone agrees that AI needs to be regulated. But then as soon as a bill comes along that would regulate AI, its like, not like that. We didnt mean it like that. Im a little skeptical that any of this is going to actually reduce the harm risk from AI. I just dont think the regulators can move fast enough to keep up with this technology. And so I think theyre always going to be coming from behind a little bit. But what do you make of it? casey newton My feeling about this is we had the Biden executive order last year, which attempts to do some of the same things. And so far, it seems like the AI industry has proceeded along without really hurting anyone too badly, except for all the copyright owners, of course. My preference would be, let the national government lead here. I do not want a patchwork of 50 different state laws regulating AI. And I dont see any pressing need for California to pass this bill now, because Im still not sure what specific harm they think that it would address, even within the next few years. kevin roose Yeah. I would love to see more regulation around transparency when it comes to how these models are trained, what data are they using, what is the pretraining process, the posttraining process look like. How are they? What kinds of decisions are these companies making about what their models can and cant do? Thats the kind of thing where I think regulators could actually move the needle in the short term. But I think youre right. These harms, some of them are still very theoretical. I think thats actually not an argument against this bill. I think we should be trying to avoid harms before they happen. casey newton Sure. kevin roose But I think in this country, the way that things usually go when it comes to regulating industries is that something terrible happens and then we pass a bill to prevent it from happening again. I think the risk here that the AI safety folks are worried about is they dont think we will have that luxury. They think these harms will arrive in some catastrophic form in the next few years and we basically get one shot to stop them. And if were late, then were doomed. casey newton I respect the point of view. This is just not how I want to solve this problem right now. kevin roose [LAUGHS]: Yeah. casey newton All right, what else is happening in AI this week, Kevin? kevin roose OK. The second story from AI this week is that Humanes AI Pin is the must-not-have gadget of the summer. [laughs] This was a story, an amazing story in The Verge last week, which reported that Humane, who built this AI Pin that was basically a kind of brooch that youd wear on your shirt or your jacket that would let you talk to AI and project a little laser screen. The Verge reported that while Humane had brought in $9 million in sales of their AI Pin, they had more than a million dollars worth of returns. And that between May and August, according to the internal sales data that The Verge got hold of, more AI pins were returned than purchased. Casey, is that good? casey newton [LAUGHS]: Kevin, Im no mathematician. But that does seem very bad and a validation of what the critics were saying, unfortunately. kevin roose Yeah. casey newton I think a lot of people wanted to try this thing out. There was something cool, and futuristic, and sci-fi about it. And this is the great thing about early adopters. They will hand you $700 just to maybe have an experience of what the future will be like. It seems like Humanes return policy was maybe a little too generous, because there are some things you cant return. If you buy underwear at the department store, you cant actually return it. I wouldnt be surprised if Humane puts out another device, if their return policy isnt much more limited. kevin roose And making things worse, apparently according to The Verge, Humane cant actually do anything with the returned AI Pins, because theres some kind of limitation on the T-Mobile contracts that are associated with these devices. They cant just refurbish them and resell them to other customers. Its just a whole goat rodeo over there. casey newton I truly feel bad for these people. They were trying to do something new, and different, and cool. Its hard to do things that are new, and different, and cool. And they did talk a very big game. And the effect of talking a very big game is they create a lot of people who are rooting against them. And so now that it does seem like everything is falling apart. It just has to be rough days over at Humane. kevin roose All right, our next story from the Week in AI. GPT-4o is dead. Long live GPT-4o. casey newton Oh, my goodness, whats happening? kevin roose Casey, you will remember that several months ago, OpenAI released the new update to their flagship AI model, this was called GPT-4o. And this week, we got the news that they have quietly updated the model behind ChatGPT, which is now called, and I promise Im not kidding about this, ChatGPT-4o-latest-2024-08-06. casey newton Wow, were one step away from OpenAI releasing ChatGPT-4o-final-final-final. kevin roose Final-final-final. Use this one? casey newton Yeah. kevin roose [LAUGHS]: Its so true. They have officially taken over the title of the worst naming conventions for AI models, a title previously held by Google. casey newton Of course. kevin roose But yeah, this is an update that they have made quietly. They did not draw a bunch of attention to this. And I think this was related to a sense that weve actually heard about from some of our listeners who have written in to say, does anyone notice that ChatGPT has just gotten really bad recently? Did you hear this? casey newton Yes. People have written in to us about this. And for me, its always a hard question to gauge because I dont know what youre inputting, I dont know what output youre getting. I dont know what is making you say that it seems dumber. But the fact that these models are just getting swapped in and out and still have basically the same names as they did before, is obviously very confusing. I feel like such like an AI hipster being like, back in my day, these things were called GPT-2 and then GPT-3. And it was really easy for me to keep track of. Nowadays, its like 4o is gone and its being replaced by 4o? You lost me. kevin roose Yeah. [laughs] Yeah. And it also feels like, you know release notes when they update an app? Theyll say bug fixes and improvements, and sometimes theyll have a little list of things they fix. They never do that for these AI models. People just notice, this thing seems smarter than it was or dumber than it was. Were trying to understand this unanswerable thing. casey newton As always, if you know whats going on at OpenAI, please get in touch. Were trying to figure it out. kevin roose Have you been following the strawberry discourse? casey newton Yes, I have. My boyfriend is obsessed with strawberry discourse, so its become a hot topic for us lately. kevin roose OK, Im going to try to explain it to our listeners who are not as terminally online as you and your boyfriend and I are. But correct me if Im getting something wrong here. For I would say more than a year now, theres been this, I dont know, cottage industry of people proclaiming to have inside information from the big AI companies and specifically with OpenAI. There are these accounts on X that purport to be insiders or people with access to unreleased models who will give these vague, mysterious statements about something big is coming, no ones ready for whats about to hit the internet. casey newton And theres this norm on X where if youre an AI person, you can have an anonymous account. And some of those anonymous accounts have actually gotten OpenAIs attention and those people have been hired into the company. And so whereas normally youd see an anonymous account and you would think, this is obviously fake. In this particular case, it actually could be real. kevin roose Totally. And so whats been happening over the past week or two is Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently posted a photo on X of his garden or a garden with some strawberries growing in it. And the caption was, I love summer in the garden. Normal post. casey newton Its a pretty normal post. kevin roose The AI movement went nuts over this. There was a theory that was being advanced by this anonymous account called, @iruletheworld, that this was actually a clue that Sam Altman was dropping, that the companys newest next flagship model, which is codenamed Strawberry, was about to come out. And that this was going to be AGI. And that the world was not ready for this. casey newton And @iruletheworld didnt just do that. They had a sort of very long post on X where they talked about it in somewhat cryptic and, I would say, incomprehensible terms about what exactly was going on. But the gist was, essentially, AGI is very, very close. And I will just say, I have truly no idea what to make of any of this, except to say Sam Altman did respond to this person on Twitter without really confirming anything, but in a way that I think did stoke a little bit of speculation that maybe this person is on to something. kevin roose Totally. And hes also dropped breadcrumbs before. Remember, before the demo of the AI Voice Mode, he posted Her on X. And that was a breadcrumb that they were going to be doing this voice update. He is sort of fueling some of these theories in a way that I think hes mostly just having fun. But there is this weird community of people on Reddit, and X, and other social platforms who are just like trying to decipher all of the clues and everything that Sam Altman says. casey newton Which I do think just speaks to the fact that if you want to get people interested in your company these days, you have to create an alternate reality game where youre putting clues around the internet. And theres stuff for the Reddit posters to discuss, and analyze, and tease apart. Theyve been very effective at that. And I guess well have to see if any of this is real. In the meantime, though, I do think that this works as psychological warfare against Sams enemies, because if youre working at Anthropic or Gemini and youre on X and you think, wait a minute, are they about to do? It just sort of puts that little fear into the back of your head and it messes with you in a way that I think would greatly please Sam Altman. kevin roose We need to start dropping some more Easter eggs. casey newton Let me just drop an Easter egg right now, Kevin. Watermelon. And Ill say no more. I will say no more. But let me just say, those who know, know. kevin roose If you know, you know. casey newton Yeah. kevin roose All right, before we move on to our next item, heres our standard disclaimer that the lawyers want us to make every time we mention OpenAI, which is that The New York Times company has sued OpenAI for copyright infringement. casey newton And Platformer has not. And thats the difference between the two publications. kevin roose Watermelon. casey newton Watermelon. Period. kevin roose [LAUGHS]: OK, next story. This Week in AI, Donald Trump is accusing Kamala Harris of deep fakery. This was a story that went around this week. Donald Trump claimed, falsely, that Kamala Harris has used AI to make the size of the crowds at one of her rallies look larger than it actually was. This was a photo that was posted online last week of a rally in Michigan, where basically there is a plane, Kamala Harriss plane, and there is a massive throng of people celebrating her arrival on the tarmac. And this was posted online. And Donald Trump apparently thought that this was a little suspicious. And he said on Truth Social, has anyone noticed that Kamala cheated at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she AId it and showed a massive crowd of so-called followers, but they didnt exist. Now, this is false. The crowd actually was there. We have well-documented evidence that this was not manipulated to make it look bigger than it was. But this is now apparently a thing that you can just accuse your opponent of in a political campaign is using AI to fake the size of their crowd. casey newton Is this the first instance of a political candidate using AI as a verb? kevin roose I think so. I think thats the first time Ive ever heard anyone use AI as a verb. He AId it. casey newton Everybody knows that Trump is obsessed with the size of his crowds. And he seems to have been getting more obsessed with it as Harriss crowds have grown. My initial instinct was to dismiss all of this as very silly, but it did captivate the online right this week. And there were a lot of people sharing it and trying to analyze the photo in Zapruder film-like detail. And at the end of the day, of course, theres nothing to analyze. This rally happened. There was so much evidence out there, people posting all sorts of photos, videos from every angle indicating that, yes, there were many, many people there, but it didnt matter. And I read a really great post on this week from a guy named Mike Caulfield, who studies misinformation and related topics. And he said, this is actually really important, in part, because the idea that Democrats actually have small crowds is a core belief among the right. And people like Trump promote it because it means that should Harris win, people will have been primed to believe it cant possibly be real, because all along the way theyve been saying, no one is even at her events. You thought there was a big crowd there? There wasnt. It was all just AI. While on the surface, this is an absolutely ridiculous story, we have to remember that these kinds of lies led to the violence of January 6. And we are unfortunately seeing them again in this election. kevin roose All right, last story from The Week in AI. This one is about the hottest new club in San Francisco is the Waymo parking lot. casey newton It is popping off in the Waymo parking lot, Kevin. kevin roose So this is a story that came out earlier this week after people started posting on the internet about a parking lot in San Francisco where a group of Waymo self-driving cars were gathered at night and honking at each other. Did you see this video? casey newton I did see this video and I love this video. kevin roose Its so good. Its called When its 4:00 AM, But the Waymos are Getting Aggressive in the Parking Lot. And if I can just describe it for our listeners, theres a parking lot on the roof of a building. Someone is filming from a nearby apartment building. And it just shows these Waymo self-driving taxis parked in a line, but then also some of them are backing up and trying to get around each other. And theyre just honking and flashing their lights at each other. Theyre having a meeting. casey newton Theyre having a meeting. Can we watch this video together? kevin roose Yeah, lets watch this. So you can see theyre just all [HORNS HONKING] saying hi to each other. archived recording (sophia tung) Its fucking 4:00 AM. Help. [BROADCASTERS LAUGH] kevin roose What a great piece of commentary there. Casey, what did you make of this? casey newton I always think its beautiful to see robots getting together and just talking through their differences. And this was no different. What did Waymo say about this, Kevin? kevin roose They told The Verge that they are aware that in some scenarios our vehicles may briefly honk while navigating our parking lots. They also said that theyve figured out whats causing the behavior and theyre working to fix it. I mean, it does answer a question that I had, which is, where do all the Waymos go? casey newton Thats one of my favorite childrens books. Where do the Waymos go? kevin roose They have to charge, because theyre all electric. Its not constant demand throughout the day. At 4:00 AM when no ones trying to get home from the club anymore, where do they go? And it turns out they go to this one parking lot. The person who posted this video, Sophia Tung, has actually set up a live stream complete with low-fi steady beats, so at any time of day, you can just pop over to the live stream and check out what the Waymos are doing. casey newton Sophia, youre a legend. Thats incredible. Amazing. Amazing work. kevin roose Its true. I love it. casey newton Amazing work. We love it. kevin roose Casey, we should hang out in the parking lot at 4:00 AM. casey newton We really shouldnt. kevin roose Can we go hang out with the Waymos? I actually would like to do that some night. [imitating british accent] Almost do like a sort of David Attenborough style field reporting of like, at night while San Francisco sleeps, a group of cars gathers to share their thoughts. And it sounds like this. kevin roose Yes, I love it. casey newton Thats This Week in AI. kevin roose Thats This Week in AI. A lot going on. [THEME MUSIC] casey newton When the National Association of Realtors signed a landmark $418 million settlement in March, economists and academics predicted that the deal which included an agreement to upend key practices concerning how real estate agents are paid would create the most significant shift to the industry in a century. The real estate industry is resisting the changes that go into effect on Aug. 17. A lot of agents have been sort of lulled into the idea that Aug. 17 isnt really going to happen, said Laura Ellis, a broker in Chicago who serves as chief strategy officer and president of residential sales at the brokerage Baird and Warner. The settlement makes it clear that agents can no longer discuss splitting compensation on the online databases, called the multiple listing service or the M.L.S., that they use to list homes. And Michael Ketchmark, the lead lawyer in the successful lawsuit against N.A.R., cautioned that agents who seek to move the commission conversation to other venues would be opening themselves to potential legal fights. Dr. David Edward-Ooi Poon was living in Toronto and studying to be a public health physician in the spring of 2020 when he had a premonition that something awful was about to happen. Canada had started clamping down on international visitors days after the World Health Organization declared a worldwide Covid pandemic on March 11, 2020. On April 10, Dr. Poons girlfriend, Alexandria Jasmin Aquino, of Bray, Ireland, had boarded a plane to Toronto for a visit both were sure had been cleared by authorities. Thats when the Oh, no moment happened, Dr. Poon said. Ms. Aquino, who goes by AJ, had worked as a frontline nurse in Dublin at the time. She had made it all the way here we had our feet in the same country, Dr. Poon said. But before they could celebrate or even set eyes on each other, a border guard confiscated her passport and rerouted her on the next flight back to Ireland. I was devastated, Dr. Poon said. I was isolated, the world was seemingly collapsing, and the person who gave me so much hope had been treated like a criminal and sent out of the country. Its no secret that the business of local news is struggling. News deserts are growing across the country, and over half of counties in the United States now have just one or no remaining news outlet. But in San Francisco, local news is seeing a resurgence thanks to a willingness to experiment. Half-century-old neighborhood news organizations are becoming nonprofits. Others are banking on the help of deep-pocketed supporters. And as local news driven by advertising revenue declines, news sites are relying on subscriptions to fill in the gaps. A city of roughly 800,000 residents, San Francisco now boasts 27 news organizations, ranging from hyperlocal nonprofits and radio stations to billionaire-backed outlets like The San Francisco Standard vying to become the citys paper of record. Unusual for a major American city, San Francisco has about the same number of media outlets today that it did a decade ago. Quebec City was designed to be imposing. On a steep hill above the St. Lawrence Seaway, behind 17th-century ramparts, the citys streets are narrow and cobbled no place for a road-hogging, 21st-century recreational vehicle. Or so I thought, as I planned an ambitious solo R.V. road trip across eastern Canada from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Montreal that would take me through one of the oldest European cities in North America. Colonial streets werent my only mental roadblock when I set out in May to take advantage of a six-night relocation deal on an R.V. rental for 39 Canadian dollars a night (about $28) from the Canadian company CanaDream; its trips normally start at 136 dollars nightly. When R.V. companies need to move their vehicles to satisfy seasonal demand, they frequently offer relocation or one-way trips at discounted prices. The R.V. rental company Cruise America calls them one way specials, which recently included 75 percent off a trip in July from Las Vegas to Orlando. One-way sales from El Monte RV recently listed departures from 30 to 90 percent off. The part-time role in London was unpaid, temporary and only advisory, but to Nemat Shafik, it offered a way out of her beleaguered presidency at Columbia University. She had arrived in New York only last year for one of academias plum jobs: running an Ivy League university with enormous riches and diversity, extraordinary prestige and a heritage that predated American independence. To the universitys leaders, Dr. Shafik was a peerless pick, a globally minded economist with a remarkable personal story, and the first woman to lead Columbia. These last 10 months, though, since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, had been miserable for Columbia and its president. The university, which Dr. Shafik had championed as a haven for the worlds best minds who could help solve societys intractable problems, disintegrated into factions. And as Dr. Shafiks response proved swerving and uneven, she found herself with few allies and facing a campus where she was perceived as insular and rarely seen. By the time summer break arrived, she had been vilified on campus and in Congress as an ally of antisemites, a turncoat to academic freedom and free speech, and an enfeebled leader who had both allowed pro-Palestinian protests to plunge into lawlessness and been too willing to call in the police. Her home seemed as much a fortress as a residence. And even as summer brought a respite from encampments and protests, university officials so feared the possibility of future trouble that they began weighing police powers for campus security officers. Authorities in North Carolina on Friday captured a man convicted of murder, whose escape from custody three days earlier had prompted an extensive search, according to the states Department of Adult Correction. The man, Ramone Alston, fled from a prison vehicle on Tuesday morning while being transported to a medical appointment at the U.N.C. Hospitals Hillsborough Campus. He was caught at a hotel in the city of Kannapolis just before 2 a.m. local time, in an operation that included local law enforcement officers and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Adult Correction said in a statement on Friday. Nobody was injured during the operation, it added. Mr. Alston, 30, who is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, will face charges of felony escape from prison, the statement said, and will be taken to a high-security unit in the state prison system to serve out that sentence while waiting to face the new charges in court. A woman, Jacobia Crisp, whom the release described as an acquaintance of Mr. Alston, was charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump are expected to meet for the first time in a televised debate on ABC News on Tuesday, a critical test in a fluid campaign that should draw tens of millions of viewers. Weeks after both candidates had committed to the debate, the two began tussling over the rules, with Mr. Trump questioning whether he would participate. But that issue was resolved last week when the Harris campaign agreed to a rule about muting microphones. When is it? The debate is scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern time on Sept. 10, less than a week before early voting begins in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state. It will run for 90 minutes. Where is it? The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia will host the debate. Where can I watch it? The New York Times will stream the debate alongside real-time commentary and analysis from reporters. A chartered campaign plane carrying Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, was forced to make an emergency landing in Milwaukee on Friday shortly after takeoff because of a door malfunction on the aircraft, a campaign spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman, Taylor Van Kirk, said that the aircraft, a Boeing 737-86J that the campaign refers to as Trump Force Two, returned to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, where the problem was quickly resolved before the flight continued to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The pilot advised there was a malfunction with the door seal, Ms. Van Kirk said in a statement. It was the second time in a week that one of the Trump campaigns planes had a mechanical issue. Last Friday, former President Donald J. Trumps Boeing 757 had to divert to Billings, Mont., while he was en route to a rally in Bozeman, Mont., because of an unspecified issue. He completed the journey on a charter aircraft. This week, Mr. Vance went to Wisconsin to deliver remarks to the Milwaukee Police Association, a union of about 1,500 members that endorsed the Republican ticket. President Bidens campaign declared in its earliest days that he had a strong chance of winning North Carolina, even though no Democrat had captured the state since Barack Obamas victory in 2008. That claim began to look implausible as Mr. Biden plummeted in the polls and Democrats grew anxious about reliably blue states like Minnesota and Virginia. Now the party has a brand-new candidate in Vice President Kamala Harris and with her, an energized voting base and reshuffled political map. As she visits North Carolina on Friday to lay out her economic agenda, Democrats there are feeling hopeful again about delivering her a state where success has eluded them for 16 years and where it is unclear if energy will be enough. Apart from Mr. Obamas lone triumph, Republicans have won every presidential contest in North Carolina since 1980. In 2020, Mr. Biden lost there by less than two percentage points, his narrowest defeat. The Biden administration will award up to $1.6 billion in grants to Texas Instruments to help the company build three new manufacturing plants, the latest in a slew of awards intended to ramp up the nations production of semiconductors. The funds will help the Dallas-based company construct two plants in Sherman, Texas, and a facility in Lehi, Utah, Commerce Department officials announced on Friday. The grant is meant to strengthen the domestic supply of semiconductors, the tiny chips that are key components of electronic devices. The investment will advance U.S. economic security and mitigate those same supply chain vulnerabilities that were brought to light during the pandemic, said Laurie E. Locascio, the under secretary of commerce for standards and technology, during a call with reporters on Thursday night. In addition to the grant, the department will award up to $3 billion in loans to Texas Instruments, officials said. The company is also expected to claim federal tax credits that could cover 25 percent of the cost of building and outfitting factories with production equipment. The funds will support the companys investment of more than $18 billion to construct the new facilities, officials said. A meteorologist in Australia was delivering the weather report on live television this week when he started having a panic attack. Nate Byrne, the news presenter, later explained to BBC News that he was heading to the studios weather wall when he realized he was suddenly out of breath. The specific position in front of the wall is a trigger for me, he said. My body starts tingling. I start sweating. Just everything in my body is screaming: Run. Go. Get out. Because he had dealt with on-air panic attacks before, he and his colleagues knew what to do. Mr. Byrne explained what was happening to viewers, then quickly tossed to the anchor of the show while he went off camera to recover. The actors onstage reached for their pockets, each pulling out and then unfurling a Kenyan flag before a hushed crowd that packed the theater. Then, in a solemn and chilling delivery, they began reciting the names of the dozens of people they say were killed by security forces in the monthslong mass protests that have convulsed Kenya. As they waved the flags, several members of the audience wrapped their own flags around themselves, some weeping quietly. The flag is no longer a cloth that flaps overhead and that is detached from the people, Ngatia Kimathi, one of the actors in the play staged in the capital, Nairobi, said in an interview. The flag has become a symbol of unity and a symbol of the peoples power, said Mr. Kimathi, who had been arrested in the protests. In these times of death but also hope, everyone is holding onto it. At the beaches along an idyllic coastal stretch of central Japan, lifeguards scan the water, poised to call swimmers back to shore at the hint of a fin. Sharp teeth shown on posters warn beachgoers to be careful because, for the third year running, there is danger in the water. No, its not sharks. Its dolphins. Possibly just a single lonely, sexually frustrated dolphin. In Wakasa Bay, about 200 miles west of Tokyo, dolphin attacks have injured at least 47 people since 2022. Many of them suffered minor bites on their hands, but a few were rushed to hospitals with broken bones or wounds that needed stitches. In 2022, 21 people reported injuries from dolphin attacks along a stretch of beaches near the town of Echizen, according to the police in Fukui Prefecture. Most were reported in what one Japanese media outlet called the dolphin threat summer. One man told local media that he was swimming close to the shore when a dolphin bit his arm and tried to force itself on top of him, almost pushing him underwater. The next year, the attacks were concentrated on beaches down the coast near the town of Mihama. In 2023, 10 people were injured, a Fukui police spokesman said. In one case, a man was left with broken ribs. For the first time in a decade, Muslim-majority Kashmir in India will hold an election for its regional legislature starting next month, the countrys election commission said on Friday. The announcement is a step toward returning some measure of self-governance to Kashmir after the Hindu-nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped the region of its semiautonomous status in 2019 and suspended democracy there. In December, Indias Supreme Court ruled in a case challenging the revocation of Kashmirs special status. While the court upheld the governments move, it ordered that a process be undertaken to select a democratically elected government and to restore statehood for what is formally known as Jammu and Kashmir. Everyone we met wanted elections, Rajiv Kumar, Indias chief election commissioner, told reporters in New Delhi, referring to a recent visit he made to the region. Ampils most powerful winds and heaviest rain were expected to reach Japan by Friday evening, though the storm was not expected to make landfall, forecasters said. Up to eight inches of rain were forecast in the Tokyo area and the Izu Islands, south of the capital, for the 24-hour period starting Friday morning, the Japan Meterological Agency said. Wind speeds of up to 56 m.p.h. were forecast in the Tokyo area, forecasters warned. The agency on Friday issued flood, heavy rain and high wave warnings for the Izu Islands and areas around Tokyo, including Chiba, Fukushima and Shizuoka prefectures. Some of those warnings were expected to last into Saturday. The city of Mobara, east of Tokyo, issued evacuation orders on Thursday for residents in areas prone to landslides and floods, citing the possibility of damage from the typhoon. The city also suspended its municipal buses on Friday. Ampil has also disrupted Japans delivery system. Japan Post and Yamato Transport suspended operations in several prefectures. Sagawa Express said that delays caused by traffic restrictions and ferry and flight cancellations would affect areas as far as Hokkaido, in northern Japan. The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Sign up to get it by email. This weeks issue is written by Julia Bergin, a reporter who roams widely in Australia. In the center of Australia, the United States has drastically expanded the spy base known as Pine Gap. Joint training exercises near Darwin with American and Australian troops are becoming more complex. At the same time, the AUKUS agreement with its big-ticket item of nuclear-powered submarines continues to advance. What does it all add up to? As James Curran, a historian at the University of Sydney, wrote last year as some of these plans came together: The permanent American military presence on Australian soil is now at a scale unprecedented since the Second World War. A growing number of critics have questioned if Australia is getting enough out of the deal. Supporters (including the major parties in both countries) point to the U.S. investing big in Australian bases, guns, steel, training and personnel. The alliance has also led to some unexpected benefits. In 2005, in what was widely seen as special thank-you for to Australia for its military support, the administration of President George W. Bush created the E-3 visa a renewable two-year visa just for Australians who have a job offer in the U.S. and a university degree. The announcement that a new version of mpox had been discovered in Sweden this week was the first indication that the disease had slipped out of Africa, where it has caused an escalating crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The announcement on Thursday about the disease formerly known as monkeypox came just a day after the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency, and it confirmed fears that a further spread was inevitable. The person with the disease in Sweden had traveled to an area affected by the disease. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said it was highly likely that more imported cases would be confirmed, in large part because of frequent travel between Europe and Africa. The center advised member countries to increase preparedness and to issue travel advisories recommending that people traveling to affected areas see if they are eligible for vaccination. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, the E.C.D.C. director, warned that as long as the outbreak in Africa was not under control, cases would continue to appear in Europe and North America too. The success of Ukraines secret incursion into Russia is clear. Ukrainian forces pushed past two lines of Russian defenses in the southwestern region of Kursk and moved through Russian highways and villages with little resistance. Since the operation began 11 days ago, they have gone beyond Kursk to the neighboring region of Belgorod, putting other communities on edge and rattling Moscow. The ultimate strategy and goals of the invasion, though, are still murky. Western allies, including the United States and Germany, say they are watching and monitoring the situation but letting Ukraine lead the way. Even the Ukrainian leadership seems surprised by the extent of the operations initial success, the first time that Russia, a nuclear power, has been invaded since World War II. So now what? Ukraine has several options. Ukrainian forces could try to keep pushing further into Russia. They could dig into the territory they now hold and try to defend it. Or, battered by continual losses in eastern Ukraine, especially this week near the strategically important city of Pokrovsk, they could decide that they have made the point to the West, and to Moscow, that Russia is not invincible. In that case, they could then pull back. We are playing here a bit on the psychological point that great powers do not lose their territories, said Mykola Bielieskov, a senior analyst from Come Back Alive, a foundation that provides support to members of Ukraines military. If Russia loses, it means that they are not that big. The United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, called on Friday for a weeklong cease-fire in Gaza to allow vaccinations to prevent an outbreak of polio, saying that many children were at risk. He spoke just a few hours before the first case of polio in the enclave in many years was confirmed in a statement from the Gaza health ministry. Preventing and containing the spread of polio will take a massive, coordinated and urgent effort, Mr. Guterres said, adding, It is impossible to conduct a polio vaccination campaign with war raging all over. He also warned that the disease could spread to neighboring countries if it were not quickly contained. Polio is a highly infectious disease that mostly affects young children, attacking the nervous system and potentially leading to spinal and respiratory paralysis, and in some cases death. The virus that causes it was found circulating in wastewater in Gaza in July. Children are estimated to make up about half of Gazas population of some 2.2 million, and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics estimated in May that more than 340,000 were under the age of 5. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a public-private partnership led by the World Health Organization, said that vaccination rates were high until the war began more than 10 months ago. According to the World Health Organization, the disease has existed since prehistoric times, and has been eradicated in much of the world since vaccination campaigns began in the 1950s. Its resurgence in Gaza which the United Nations said had been polio-free for 25 years reflects the destruction of the territorys waste and water systems, which, along with malnourishment bordering on famine, has caused a multitude of grave health threats for Palestinians sealed in the territory. After the virus was found in the enclaves wastewater, the Israeli military said it would begin vaccinating soldiers in Gaza. The W.H.O. and UNICEF, the U.N. agency for children, have also called for a pause in the war to conduct vaccinations in Gaza. The Israeli agency that oversees policy for the Palestinian territories, known as COGAT, said in a weekly update on its activities on Friday that it would be working with the W.H.O. and UNICEF on the vaccination campaign. A day after the assassination of a senior commander of the Lebanese militant faction Hezbollah, the group vowed to retaliate against Israel. More than two weeks later, however, the response has not come as Hezbollah strikes a delicate balance between the vengeance it seeks and the risks of a backlash at home. Lebanon is already deep in turmoil from a yearslong political and economic crisis, and its citizens are tired of strife. The country has careened from one crisis to the next since a 15-year civil war broke out in 1975. And if Hezbollah ends up in another punishing war with Israel now, the nation could well turn against it. The Lebanese state is made up of a multitude of factions and sects and it has been controlled for years by an ineffectual caretaker government. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shiite Muslim group, is both part of that coalition government and considered the real power underpinning Lebanon. As the dominant political and military force in the entire country, Hezbollah has everything to lose and knows it must tread carefully. Iran is expected to delay planned reprisals against Israel for the assassination of a top Hamas leader in Tehran to allow mediators time to make a high-stakes push for a cease-fire to end the war in Gaza, U.S., Iranian and Israeli officials said on Friday. Top American, Israeli, Egyptian, and Qatari officials met in Doha, the Qatari capital, for a second day of talks on Friday in an attempt to resolve remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas. As those talks concluded, a joint statement from the United States, Egypt and Qatar said a bridging proposal had been presented to both parties. Senior officials from those three governments are expected to reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week. It was not immediately clear if this timeline would change Irans assessments. For more than two weeks, the region has anxiously awaited Iranian-led retaliation for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamass political branch, and Fuad Shukr, a top commander in Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group backed by Iran. Iran and Hezbollah have both vowed revenge, raising fears of regional all-out war. After the first day of talks ended on Thursday night, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister, called the acting Iranian foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani. Mr. Al Thani encouraged Iran to refrain from any escalation given the cease-fire talks in Doha, according to two Iranian officials and three other officials familiar with the call, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. By Friday, Israeli intelligence had assessed that Hezbollah and Iran had lowered the level of alertness in their rocket and missile units, according to five Israeli officials. Israel now believes the Iranian-led response already apparently delayed several times will take place at a later date, the officials said. The officials have cautioned that their assessments are rapidly changing given the fluidity of events. Intelligence has been sparse and changes frequently, and Iran and Hezbollah are known to be constantly assessing the situation. Mr. Al Thani spoke with Mr. Bagheri Kani again on Friday after the talks in Doha concluded, the Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement. Both senior officials stressed the need for calm and de-escalation in the region, the ministry said. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi was violently beaten by prison guards last week after leading a protest against the death penalty, and her requests for hospital care and a meeting with her lawyer were denied, her lawyer said on Thursday. The lawyer, Mostafa Nili, told Iranian news media about the violence against Ms. Mohammadi, raising concerns about the state of her health and well-being. He said that her cellmates had communicated her situation. My client says that she was beaten and has bruises on her body, Mr. Nili was quoted as saying in the reformist-leaning Emtedad news outlet. Despite the prison doctors orders, and considering my clients heart condition, he said, she has not been sent to the hospital. Mr. Nili said that for the past nine months, the prison authorities had denied Ms. Mohammadi the right to make phone calls and to have visits with her family and lawyer. Opinion Guest Essay How Harris Has Completely Upended the Presidential Race, in 14 Maps Daniel Zvereff With Kamala Harris now at the top of the ticket, the enthusiasm and confidence within the Democratic Party feel stronger than at any point Ive seen since Barack Obama ran for president in 2008. And its not just vibes: The paths to victory in the Electoral College have been completely reshaped for the Democrats and for Donald Trump since my last analysis of the electoral map on July 12, nine days before Joe Biden exited the race. Not only have Democrats come home to support their partys nominee, they are now also more energized about the election than Republicans. Ms. Harris has quickly picked up support from nonwhite and younger voters. We are now back to the same electoral map that we had before Mr. Bidens summertime polling collapse: Once again, the winner in November will come down to the seven battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The seven swing states that will most likely decide the 2024 presidential election. Wis. Mich. Pa. Nev. N.C. Ariz. Ga. Wis. Mich. Pa. Nev. N.C. Ariz. Ga. Current polling shows the transformed race: While Mr. Biden trailed Mr. Trump in all seven battleground states last month, Ms. Harris is now leading Mr. Trump by four points in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the latest New York Times/Siena College polls. Other polls show Ms. Harris in a statistical dead heat in Georgia and Arizona. Those polls also reveal one of Mr. Trumps biggest obstacles to winning the election: A majority of the country has never supported him, either as president or as a candidate for office. In the Times/Siena surveys, Mr. Trump had polled at only 46 percent in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. And with the race no longer between two unpopular nominees, support for third-party candidates has dropped, making it much more difficult for Mr. Trump to win. And yet: Republicans have a structural advantage in the Electoral College system of voting, giving Mr. Trump at least one advantage against a surging Ms. Harris. The G.O.P. lost the popular vote in seven out of the last eight presidential elections, yet won the White House in three of those elections. In 2016, Mr. Trump eked out Electoral College wins in swing states like Wisconsin even as Hillary Clinton crushed him in the most populous states like California. The Republican edge has only grown stronger with the reallocation of electoral votes based on the most recent census. Given that structural advantage, Georgia, and its 16 Electoral College votes, is increasingly becoming a pivotal state that Mr. Trump cant lose. If Ms. Harris is able to carry Georgia and Mr. Trump seems to be trying to help her by inexplicably attacking the popular incumbent Republican governor and his wife then she would have 242 electoral votes, only 28 short of the 270 needed to win. Mr. Trump may not understand the political consequences of losing Georgia, but his advisers appear to: His campaign and biggest aligned super PAC spent four times as much in advertising in the state in the two weeks since Ms. Harris became the Democratic Party nominee as they did in the rest of 2024 combined. And in this coming week, of the $37 million in ad buys that the Trump campaign has placed nationally, almost $24 million are in Georgia. Pennsylvania looks increasingly to be the other key battleground state, and both parties know it. According to AdImpact, over $211 million in paid media has so far been purchased in Pennsylvania from March 6 until Election Day, which is more than double the amount in any other state. Given its size and support for Democratic candidates in the past, if Ms. Harris loses Pennsylvania, that could be just as damaging to her candidacy as a loss in Georgia would be to Mr. Trumps chances. This is why Georgia and Pennsylvania are the two most important states to watch to see if one candidate is able to establish a decisive path to 270 electoral votes. Ms. Harris starts out with 226 likely electoral votes compared to 219 for Mr. Trump, with 93 votes up for grabs. However, unlike Mr. Biden last month, she has multiple paths to 270 electoral votes. The first path for Ms. Harris is to carry Pennsylvania, which Mr. Biden won by more than 80,000 votes in 2020 and has voted for the Democratic candidate in seven out of the last eight presidential elections. Assuming that Ms. Harris wins Pennsylvania, she will have 245 electoral votes and six paths to 270. Scenario 1 Then all Ms. Harris needs are Michigan and Wisconsin (assuming that she carries the Second Congressional District in Nebraska) Then all Ms. Harris needs areand(assuming that she carries the Second Congressional District in Nebraska) Scenario 2 or Wisconsin and Georgia orand Scenario 3 or Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada orand Scenario 4 or Michigan and Arizona orand Scenario 5 or Michigan and Georgia orand Scenario 6 or Georgia and Arizona. orand The second path for Ms. Harris does not require her winning Pennsylvania. Instead she needs to win Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Scenario 1 Arizona Scenario 2 or Nevada. Based on past elections, Mr. Trump starts out with 219 Electoral College votes, compared to 226 for Ms. Harris, with 93 votes up for grabs. Its difficult to see how Mr. Trump could win the election if he cannot carry North Carolina, which generally favors Republican presidential candidates. That would give Mr. Trump 235 electoral votes and multiple paths to 270. The first path involves carrying Georgia, a state he lost by fewer than 12,000 votes in 2020. Before then, Republicans won Georgia in every election since 1992. If Mr. Trump carried North Carolina and Georgia, he would have a base of 251 electoral votes. Scenario 1 Then all Mr. Trump needs is Pennsylvania Then all Mr. Trump needs is Scenario 2 or Michigan and Nevada orand Scenario 3 or Michigan and Arizona orand Scenario 4 or Arizona and Wisconsin orand The second and more difficult path for Mr. Trump would be if he carried North Carolina but lost Georgia. He would then have only 235 electoral votes and would need to win three of the six remaining battleground states. Scenario 1 Like Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin Likeand Scenario 2 or Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania. orand A Look Ahead to November Ms. Harris clearly has the momentum going into the Democratic National Convention, but she has not really been tested yet. At some point she will need to demonstrate that she can perform under pressure in order to win over undecided voters and less enthusiastic moderates and independents. As unruly as this election year has been, there are still certain rules of politics that apply to the presidential race. History has repeatedly shown that the winning candidates are usually the ones best able to define who they are, whom they are running against and what the election is about. Mr. Trump had made the election a referendum of his presidency compared to Mr. Bidens that he was a strong leader and Mr. Biden was weak. In the past three weeks, Ms. Harris has set the terms of the campaign as a choice between change versus going backward a positive view of the future compared to a dystopian view of the present with a desire to go back to the past. But even though Ms. Harriss favorability has gone up significantly since she announced her candidacy, the increase in support is soft. That is the reason that the Democratic convention is such an important opportunity for her to close the deal with key swing voters. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, is fully defined in the minds of most voters, and has elected to double down on catering to his MAGA base despite alienating the key swing voter blocs that will determine the outcome of the election. During the last hour of his convention speech, and every day since then, Mr. Trump has offered words and actions that remind Americans why they voted him out of office in 2020. Mr. Trump has increasingly looked like a washed-up rock star who can play only his greatest hits for his dwindling group of fans. If he loses in November, he will have been a one-hit wonder who led the Republican Party to four presidential and midterm election-cycle losses in a row. Doug Sosnik was a senior adviser to President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 2000 and has advised over 50 governors and U.S. senators. Two dangerous male criminals imprisoned at a correctional facility in Fortaleza, Brazil attempted a daring escape by disguising themselves as women and simply walking out during visiting hours. Francisco Atila da Silva and Carlos Antonio da Silva Oliveira, suspected members of a criminal faction in Ceara with long criminal records including drug trafficking, robbery, and murder, were caught trying to escape the Itaitinga 3 prison in Fortaleza, Brazil while wearing rudimentary female disguises. The two men wore long black-hair wigs, pink skirts, and white t-shirts, and even had improvised breasts to fool the guards. They tried mingling with real women at the end of conjugal visiting hours to reduce the risk of getting noticed by the guards, but their sloppy getups were quickly spotted, and the two were detained before they set foot outside the prison. Brazils Civil Police is currently investigating how the inmates obtained the female disguises, and whether they were aided in any way by other people. The act of promoting or facilitating the escape of a person who is imprisoned is a crime punishable by 6 months to 2 years behind bars. The two inmates now face an internal disciplinary process for their failed prison escape and could see their current prison sentences extended considerably. Believe it or not, such goofy prison escapes are not that uncommon. A Paraguayan man attempted something similar a couple of years ago but put a little bit more effort into it, and one Venezuelan man had his girlfriend drag him out of prison in a suitcase. And who could forget the Peruvian man who escaped prison by leaving his twin brother to do time in his place? A Russian man who got a vasectomy after fathering four children is preparing to sue the medical clinic that botched the surgery and caused him to father a fifth child. In 2022, after becoming a father for the fourth time, Maxim, a 45-year-old man from the Russian city of Ufa, made the radical decision to get a vasectomy to ensure that he didnt get his wife pregnant again. He visited Promeditsina, a local medical clinic that performed vasectomies, and agreed to pay 30,000 rubles ($330) for the operation. The procedure was successful and Maxim was discharged from the clinic after only a few hours. Everything was well and good until early last year when Maxims wife told him that she was pregnant again, which was quite a shock, considering the circumstances. Despite the mans hopes of a false positive result on the pregnancy test, In November of last year, he became a father for the fifth time. Photo: Aditya Romansa/Unsplash When Maxim contacted the clinic where he had gotten the vasectomy for an explanation, he was asked to undergo a paternity test and a spermogram to confirm that he was still able to father children. Both tests confirmed that the Russian man was indeed still very fertile, but instead of taking responsibility, the clinic called his case a medical miracle and allegedly told him that he should be glad about having a baby. According to the SHOT News Telegram channel, the Ufa clinic offered to settle the dispute by returning the cost of the vasectomy to the client, but Maxim refused the offer. He and his family are reportedly lawyering up to sue the clinic for moral damages and for the upcoming expenses associated with raising a fifth child. In a similar case last year, a Colombian doctor was ordered by a judge to financially support a patients baby until they turned 18 after the patient ended up conceiving the baby despite undergoing a vasectomy. The Nepalese capital city of Kathmandu is home to a peculiar shrine to goddess Vaisha Dev, the patron saint of toothache, where people suffering from dental problems nail rupee coins on an old tree trunk as offerings. Located on a narrow street in Kathmandu, between Thamel and Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Toothache Tree is undoubtedly one of the most unusual tourist attractions in the Nepalese capital. The Vaisha Dev shrine is said to be a stump cut from the mythical tree known as Bangemudha, but its almost impossible to tell that it is a tree at all, as it is completely covered in Nepalese rupee coins nailed onto it. Although it is impossible to know just how old this unique shrine really is, some sources claim that it dates back to the Lichchhavi kingdom that existed in the Kathmandu Valley from approximately 400 to 750 CE. Even though modern dentistry has been practiced in Kathmandu for decades, people still come to the Toothache Tree to nail coins, hoping the goddess will release them of their dental problems. Photo: Bangamudha/Wikimedia Commons Legend has it that there is a tiny gold-carved idol deep inside the main hole of this sacred tree stump, but the nailed coins that line the inside of the orifice make it impossible to see inside it. According to Earth Storiez, the gold idol was stolen long ago, although that did not affect the popularity of the toothache shrine in any way. Over the years, the toothache tree of Kathmandu has attracted both toothache sufferers hoping to be relieved of their pain and dentists looking for business. Prayers are good, but for people looking for a more hands-on approach, there are dozens of dental clinics around the Vaisha Dev Shrine. There are so many of them nowadays that the area around the famous tree stump is now known as the citys dental district. Even though dentistry has come a long way in recent years with the help of technological advancements, people still come to the Toothache Tree to nail on coins whenever they experience dental pain. The University of Massachusetts Boston is looking for an agency to develop a visual identity and messaging strategy that will inspire philanthropic support for an ambitious fundraising campaign. ??La presidenta Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra participo en el Segundo Simulacro Nacional Multipeligro 2024. Luego, la mandataria se dirigio a la Plaza de Armas para liderar las acciones que buscan fortalecer las capacidades de preparacion y respuesta de la poblacion frente a una pic.twitter.com/kg4yJsoO7q I've called the police many times in the last few years. I live in an independent senior complex where some people believe it's a now or never chance to codifying, in law and in customs, the US as a Christian nation for white men to rule. Some seniors consider all nighters, with drink and drugs, their God-given right. They are free! On the other hand, I'm black woman. A "childless cat lady." The neighbors I've had to call the police on are white, conservative, patriotic. "Christian." Progress can't sweep away the old days. Not if the watchful adhere only to the quota. The woman below me, Christian or not, by her own admission, suffers from a mental illness. She's intolerant of "noise." And for her, "noise" constitutes just about anything I do. Such as using this laptop to type this article or later, to watch the news or to listen to music. My walking is a problem too. So is using flushing the toilet after 10 pm. She's called the police for these activities she considers offensive. I'm punished if I violate her rules! It's an apartment complex, and I pay rent, but she believes she is entitled to set the rules by which I must live. To call her a racist is to note that a mice is small. I've already suffered a seizure in January of this year as a result of her pounding below me and the skunk marijuana coming from the tenant in the apartment adjacent to mine. Nonetheless, I have hesitated to call the police. I have called, and I've survived. But as many blacks in the US can tell you, it's isn't a pleasant feeling waiting for the police to arrive and hoping, echoing Sonya Massey's mother, that a "combative" office doesn't arrive ready to rock and roll. A little knowledge about history. Is that too much to ask? A little knowledge of US history would go a long way. Police departments should know something about the foundation of this nation. In all fairness to police departments called in to oversee "civic" concerns, there should be another agency we can call on for "civic" matters. For dealing with mental illness. For whatever isn't an outright crime. Although some nights, I have sat up thinking on the abuse from this woman below and her harassment. I think there is something criminal about her behavior. How do I bring up the subject of "racism" in a town that doesn't want to hear about the history that word conjures? In a town where Kyle Rittenhouse did his thing with little pushback! And yet there is something criminal in the behavior of police officer Sean P. Grayson who arrives at the home of 36-year-old Sonya Massey, near Springfield. Illinois. I recall James Baldwin's "This Morning, This Evening, So Soon" (Going to Meet the Man), in which he envisions a scene that happens all too frequently-- in his time and in ours. He's walking, at night, minding his business, and a police car pulls up behind him. "'Hey, boy. Come on over here.'" And he must oblige this man. It's America, but he's black and still not free. This police officer, supposed to be there to serve and protect all Americans knows he's confronting a black person. A black person. As a black, Baldwin knows the office is really not obligated to serve and protect him! "'So you go on over. He says, 'Boy, I believe you're drunk.'" And if you answer back, "'No, no, sir,' he'll beat you because you're calling him a liar. And if you say anything else, unless it's something to make him laugh, he'll take you in and beat you, just for fun. The trick is to think of some way for them to have their fun without beating you up.'" When the police are at my door, I realize that they are still men in black. They have guns. I have shelves of books. I might be seen as one of those uppity... Then there are my two cats. I'm one of J. D. Vance's "childless cat ladies." So I'm silence in this very lopsided scenario, in which democracy is challenged and usually loses. Sonya Massey, mother of a 17-year-old son and a 15-year-daughter, who lives with their father, frequently experienced episodes of mental crises. No crime here, is there? But here enters Sean P. Grayson. He has experienced trouble staying employed. Staying calm, too. Over 6 feet and at 228 pounds, Grayson is no match for this frail woman we see on Grayson's body cam. suffering from a mental crisis. His training should have provided him with clues. This woman before him is no threat! Unfortunately, Grayson enters Massey's home and, once she greets them, she's the one in "imminent" danger! Massey seems to be following a script, an all-too familiar one for some of us Americans. While Massey seems calm, the police officer seems jittery. Soon, he notices a pot of boiling water on the stove in the kitchen. Massey is given permission to tend to it. We don't want a fire, do we? He seems human. She seems to assume she's perceived as a human being, someone who will, of course, survive this encounter. But then comes Grayson's voice, shouting at her. Shouting for her to put the pot down! Put it down! Guns are drawn and pointed at her! "' I swear to God I'll shoot you right in your f------ face.'" Massey is at some distance from the officers. I see this in the video. They have guns. She has a pot of water and seems too far from Grayson. But Massey apologizes. She says, she is sorry! And she ducks because she knows. She knows history, and she calls out to Grayson, "'I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.'" And Grayson fires three shots, and one, as he threatened, hits Massey in the face. The world see this once again. Once again the world sees what has been happening so often. Too often. Grayson tells his superiors back at the station that he feared this woman. This over 6 foot, 228-pound man fears her ! Massey, Grayson tells his superiors, might have thrown a pot of boiling water at him! "'I was in imminent fear of getting boiling liquid to my face or chest which would have caused great bodily harm or death. I fired my duty weapon in Sonya's direction.'" Grayson's narrative, pointing to "imminent" danger to his life distracts us from seeing the human being lying in a pool of blood in her own kitchen. Please, please, Massey's mother said to the police when she called them on July 6, 2024, please! "'I don't want you guys to hurt her.'" Don't send "'combative officers.'" And yet... The blood is pouring from Massey's body. The second office asks if he could go to the car to retrieve a medical kit, and Grayson, true to his fearfulness of black people, responds with indifference to the life he has just taken. No, she's done. Done! It's a shot to the head. She's done! Grayson is pleading not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm at a Sangamon County courthouse. Because he was in fear of this black woman! According to Sangamon's Sheriff Jack Campbell "Grayson had options available that he should have used. His actions were inexcusable, and do not reflect the values of training of our office." And yet, here, again, I've heard about these values and this training. And here, again, there's another black person dead on her kitchen floor as a result of calling the police for help. Massey, according to a CNN report, called to state that she had seen a "prowler" about her house, and regardless of whether there was or wasn't a "prowler," Massey shouldn't have been the victim of Grayson's fear of black people. He, instead, should have been compassionate and recognized in Massey someone in needed of mental healthcare. When Grayson tells Massey that they didn't need a fire, and sends her to the kitchen to tend to the boiling pot of water that was a poor decision on Grayson's part, Campbell claims. "Allowing someone potentially in a crisis near a dangerous object is a recipe for a negative outcome." That fear that is part of the DNA of Grayson's make up is present when he arrives at a black American's home. Of course, there were non-deadly alternatives but Grayson had issues! Didn't he? Issues that black Americans are tired of confronting again and again. Baldwin address these issues on his watch, and here is America in the 21st century still confronting white fear of black people. Massey, no matter what her mental state, does actually represent a threat for those who believe that white is superior. Certainly, innocent! As Professor Carol Anderson writes in White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide, black Americans represent "a threat to the status quo of inequality." The US, she concludes didn't so much as "face a crime problem that was racialized." America, in fact, "faced a race problem that was criminalized." Massey's race made her a criminal in Grayson's eyes. There is a problem: For Grayson, a crime was in progress! It's Grayson who steps toward Massey and the boiling pot of water. It's Grayson who narrows the gap between the black woman and himself, between the supposed dangerous threat to his life and himself. It's Grayson who comes toward Massey with the same old stance, with gun in hand, and the belief in his superiority and the power to act on defending that belief. And he does. Just as he warned Massey a few seconds before he fires. Will there be accountability? Eric King, co-editor of Rattling the Cages: Oral Histories of North American Political Prisoners, speaking to journalists, warns about police unions and associations that serve and protect the police from just such incidents as the Massey shooting. These lobbyists are determined to make it harder for families like the Massey's and for attorneys like Ben Crump to see justice when it comes to police shootings of innocent citizens. Terrible things, Baldwin told us, happens when "a white man faces a black man" or woman. He recalls the countless basements of police stations in which he was taken and "heard and endured the secrets of desperate white men and women." They know, he adds, that their secrets were safe with him. Because who would believe him-- a black man? Americans wouldn't believe him "because they would know that what I said was true," Baldwin concludes. But with the murder of George Floyd caught on video, the secrets were out for all to see. And endure. There are conscientious citizens, with cellphone camera, and there are the body cams of the police officers. And usually we are still not believed when we say-- look at the hate fear produces! Look at what you refuse to let go of! Some of these Americans will say, No. This isn't us. It's not America! Racism and white supremacy aren't American ideologies! It's yet another rogue cop! How are black Americans less fearful of the police when we are offered that narrative time and time again? Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On July 31, at 2:00 am. local time, Israel assassinated Palestinian leader, and the head of Hamas political office, Ismail Haniya in the Iranian capital of Tehran, hours after he attended the inauguration of the new President of Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, vowed to reply to this Israeli aggression and that Israel would pay a price for crossing a red-line and killing a guest of Iran. The Middle East is going through turmoil and on the edge of a regional war that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thrust the US into unwillingly. Iran is using psychological warfare on the Israeli public, which has paralyzed their daily life. While the threat of a retaliatory attack is real, Iran has done nothing, but this fear has caused Israelis to sleep in shelters, shut their businesses and many have left the country and may not return. Israel and the world are awaiting a reply from Hezbollah and Iran, but are unsure if the reply will be separate or jointly. Especially, after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to respond to the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah military leader Fuad Shukr in Beirut, Lebanon on July 30. The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has sent warships and nuclear submarines to the eastern Mediterranean in anticipation of escalating military conflict in the region. The Biden administration has warned Netanyahu repeatedly to decrease the tensions and to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, but Netanyahu is not listening. Some experts warn that Netanyahu may use the situation to attack Iran with missiles, even perhaps going so far as to target Iran's nuclear facilities. In an effort to better understand the back-story to these headlines, journalist Steven Sahiounie interviewed the Iranian Dr. Hadi Issa Dalloul, International Law and Nuclear Physics Consultant. Dr. Dalloul is a nuclear physicist who studied at the University of Houston, in the US and at Imperial College, in the UK. 1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): On July 31, Israel assassinated Palestinian leader Ismail Haniya in the Iranian capital Tehran. In your opinion, why did Israel choose this timing to kill him? Hadi Issa Dalloul (HAD): The Israeli government is politically weak, and this forced the intelligence department (Mossad) to take action in order to reflect power to the Americans and Europeans, who are kept unaware of the Israeli military failure in Gaza. For this reason, Israel chose to kill Haniya inside Iran in a show of strength to the Israeli public. 2. SS: Benjamin Netanyahu took the decision to take the Middle East and the world to war by assassinating a top Hezbollah leader, and Hamas leader. Do you see the Middle East going to war, and can Benjamin Netanyahu be stopped? HAD: The Israeli government is seeking to begin an open war conflict with Hezbollah and Hamas, but if the US will not become directly involved on behalf of Israel, and the Europeans as well do not get directly involved on the Israeli side, Israel will not be able to face Hezbollah on the ground in Lebanon. Israel is depending on the US and EU to fight the war against Hezbollah and Hamas for them. It is not enough that Israel receives sophisticated weapons and massive financial support from the US, because in the event of a genocide being carried out Israel needs the US and EU military on the ground as well to shield Israel from the ICJ, the court at the Hague. 3. SS: Both Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian leader Ali Khamenei promised to reply to the Israeli aggression on both Beirut and Tehran. In your opinion, will the reply be done separately, or together? HAD: This current situation is different than previous events. In this case, the target was movable, as opposed to a building. The counter attack must be cleverly studied, monitored and located so it will be targeted easily and exactly. Hezbollah has the right o reply, and Iran has the right to a different channel of reply. 4. SS: Benjamin Netanyahu keeps escalating the situation in the Middle East, while the United States and the Western world is unable to stop him. In your opinion, does the US and Europe want a regional war, or has Benjamin Netanyahu ignored their warnings? HAD: Netanyahu is trying to force the US into and open war, but the US will not get involved because they don't want to lose the oil and gas their get from the west coast of the Persian Gulf, as that will be targeted by Yemen. 5. SS: Both Iran and Hezbollah are using psychological warfare against Israel, and it is being successful while causing massive losses in the Israeli economy. In your opinion, can Israel afford these huge losses in their economy, and so many Israelis leaving Israel? Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget. Arundhati Roy, The Cost of Living Over 100 Jewish Colonial Settlers committed yet another pogrom yesterday in the village of Jit near Nablus. They torched many houses and many cars and killed one civilian and critically injured another. All while the Israeli army looked on. And the massacres of civilians continue in te Gaza strip with western government support (thanks to the Zionist lobby). 47% of Israelis even support rape of prisoners. How Israel is founded and its relations to the holocaust in Gaza. My latest blog: Now the numbers killed in the indiscriminate slaughter in Gaza exceeded 40,000 registered deaths (72% of them women and children). But the number of deaths could be many folds more (at least ten thousand under the rubble, many thousands died for lack of food or medical care etc). But globally the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. How do they do it and how do we stop it. First simple facts: ... more Green Planet Monitor Conversation on Conservation with Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh Good article (in the end it quotes me on the decline of US empire) and little changed since then with Biden stepping aside for Kamala (US just approved $20 billion in arms shipments). Stay Human and keep Palestine alive Mazin Qumsiyeh A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine facebook pages Personal Institute French --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018) "A vote for ABBH (Any Body But) Harris, is a vote for Trump" It is getting close to .Times Up,. Trump (Image by IoSonoUnaFotoCamera) Details DMCA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. J. Trump may be one of the shrewdest men in history. After all, I did label him as "History's Greatest Con Man." Given how many great con men there have been, that is not an easy stature to reach. But he is hardly one of the smartest men in history, a state of brains easily confirmed by the "Kamala-is-just-an-awful-person-by-any-measure-(that-I-might-come-up-with-e.g.-female-Black-South-Asian-Democrat)" campaign he is currently running against her. (And of course he is running HIS campaign despite the advice, pleas some say, to switch to "policy" that he is getting from so many campaign officials, FOX"newsers," and etc.) And then, either in the "not smart" or the "why did he say THAT," category comes his Musing-with-Musk about going to Venezuela (of all places --- he obviously looked up the no-extradition treaty list, which Venezuela is on) should he lose the election and then (unmentioned-by-him-at-the-time), fail in the attempt that he and minions are already planning to make, to overturn that result. And so, why would he do that (duh)? Because, as George Conway explains, "Trump [is] in Jail Panic Mode Over Kamala's Candidacy." Along with many others, I found it absolutely astounding, for a variety of reasons, that Trump would make such a public statement (for whatever reason or reasons he had in mind). As it happened, at the end of December, 2022, I published a speculative column entitled simply Trump Flees[SJ1] . In light of his public statement on the matter --- in which he said that he is actually contemplating such a possibility --- with a bit of editing here and there, I am re-publishing that earlier column here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Throughout the course of his life, Donald J. Trump has been known as many things: Papa's Boy, poor student, draft-dodger, Ladies' Man, sexual predator, real estate magnet, casino magnet (then not), racist, Con Man (World's Greatest), Proud Papa (of certain of his children), President (and oh yes, plotter to overthrow U.S. Constitutional Democracy), champion sue-er, consummate liar, squirmer-out-of-situations-that-would-have-brought-just-about-anybody-else-down, and so on and so forth. But now [at the end of 2022] Trump is in really serious legal difficulty. He has faced legal challenges before, most commonly in his various businesses. They have usually been related to mis-representation or other kinds of commercial cheating-not-rising-to-the-level-of-criminality (e.g., the "Trump University" case, in which settlement he admitted no wrong-doing and apparently got a $25 million tax deduction). He has managed to dodge (so far) a variety of potential rape/sexual misconduct cases. He has also managed to dodge a list that even as of Feb. 2022 amounted to 19 separate actions of one sort or another against him. BUT, those came primarily (although not entirely) in the form of suits of various kinds. One criminal action in that set, the one against Mr. Weisselberg, ended in the latter's conviction, with implications of guilty behavior on the part of the Trump organization, but not Trump himself. (Trump's response to the conviction could be characterized as "Weisselberg? Hardly knew him.") The Daily Kos has estimated that [as of the end of 2022] Trump is actually facing fifty-five different criminal cases, including multiple obstruction-of-justice and criminal-solicitation-conspiracy potential actions. And then there is the E. Jean Carroll sexual assault case, which could conceivably bring along with it a criminal charge of rape. (One should also mention the findings of the Mueller Report: about 75 instances of possible Trump-Russia collusion plus 7-8 instances of obstruction of justice. But of course, almost singlehandedly, "Attorney General" Barr [actually Trump's in-house lawyer] made sure that nothing would come of it.) And apparently there is other "stuff" not-yet-public going on that may bring additional criminal charges. But now [again, at the end of 2022] things are beginning to change significantly for Trump, in a direction that he has never had to follow before, with charges of a type that he has never had to deal with before. As is well-known, Trump faces four different kinds of Federal criminal actions arising out of the work of the House of Representatives "Jan. 6 Committee:" 1. Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; 2. Conspiracy to Defraud the United States; 3. Conspiracy to Make a False Statement; 4. Insurrection. Then there are: the "Georgia Case," based to begin with on the clear, recorded, instance of his soliciting fraudulent behavior from the Secretary of State; the "Mar-a-Lago Case," involving the theft of Federal government property by a private citizen, including the theft of highly secret "intelligence-related" documents; and the potential for multiple charges of income tax evasion at both the Federal and New York State levels. (Many folks have guessed as to why Trump did not want his tax records released; as folks begin to go through them, we are beginning to know why he did not release them for sure, beginning with the enormous [claimed] losses in certain years [and for large claimed deductible cash charitable donations with little or no paperwork was provided to back them up] combined with the pitifully small amounts of tax paid.) But right up front and widely discussed are the cases that have been referred to a DOJ Special Prosecutor that by themselves are a load for Trump. The Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith (who is taking time off from auditioning to be cast as the next James Bond) is responsible for the investigations of both "Jan. 6th" and the conspiracy that led to it, and the "Mar-a-Lago" documents theft. The cases related to Jan. 6 are of course politically-loaded, in that, for example, about 140 Republican members of the House have lined up behind the "Election was stolen" movement. But as for the "Mar-a-Lago theft," it is harder to defend against without using the total law-defying fiction that somehow the documents, including top-top-top secret ones belonged to Trump. [[That is, of course, by the luck-of-the-draw, you happen to get a very-late-in-your-term judicial appointee who manages to figure out a technicality (perhaps guided by a little help from her friends) on which she can throw the case out.] Then add income evasion, to be handled by the IRS (to say nothing of "Georgia"). As Congressman Jamie Raskin has said, Trump could end up spending the rest of his days in prison. That is a BIG "Could." But it is a definite possibility. And so, I am projecting here [again at the end of 2022] (and yes, this is purely speculative; I have seen no evidence to support the speculation) that if Trump were to become convinced that none of his Seven Magic Tricks would work this time around, that not being a risk-taker with his own money (although he has taken plenty of risks with other people's money), he would choose to leave the country while he could still get out with a significant chunk of it (although no one knows at this point exactly how big a chunk that would be). The most important point here about what would be going on in his head is that, like any criminal, from common to mob boss, he knows that he is guilty of one or more of the crimes listed above. And being a man of no courage, he would not be sticking around to face the music [emphasis added]. Where, then, would/could he go? The nation would have to have several very important attributes. First, it would have to be one that would accept a criminally-charged-fleeing-ex-President-of-the-United-States. Second, it would have to be one that has no extradition treaty with the U.S. (In Appendix II you will find a short list of them, with pro's and cons for Trump of each.) Third, it would have to be a place that could afford Trump the life-style/surroundings to which he is accustomed (assuming that he would be able to get enough money out of the U.S. to create such a surrounding). Fourth, it might have to be one which, given the first three (which are the most important for him) might allow him to set up a government-in-exile. Is this the stuff of fiction? Well for now, yes. But given Trump, definitely NOT a brave or courageous person, hey you never know. And whaddaya know, here is speculating on the possibility right out in the open. Phew! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix I List of (some of the) countries with no extradition treaties with the U.S. 1.The Maldives (in the Indian Ocean, pleasant climate, but very isolated, and could very well eventually sink into the sea as a result of Trumpist anti-climate-control policies); 2. Bosnia and Herzegovina (part of the former Yugoslavia, not too far from Melania's home country, Slovenia [there probably are good train connections]); 3.Cambodia (not likely for obvious reasons); 4. Morocco (some very luxurious spots, on the Atlantic Ocean); 5. Indonesia (has pro's and con's politically and geographically, does have many beautiful spots for a villa); 6. Nepal (very isolated); 7. Laos (not likely for obvious reasons); 8. Vatican City (besides the obvious reasons, there would be no room for a villa); 9. Bhutan (you want truly isolated, this is where you go, however, it's a country that does not measure gross national product, but rather gross national happiness); 10. Russia (which however, hey-you-never-know, might someday turn around and offer him back in a fugitive-swap); 11. Switzerland (ho, ho ho); 12. Iceland (same); 13. Nicaragua (politically unstable, but it does have some very nice coastlines on both sides); 14. Bolivia (much too high, and NO oceanside anywhere); 15. Ecuador (if you are thinking about Venezuela, why not Ecuador, which also has some very nice ocean frontage), 16. China (no comment); and finally, 17. Qatar, which only 3 years ago settled its dispute with the other Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. Unlikely, however, that they would want to reopen that can of worms. But they do have a lot of rich people living there, so there must be some nice spots to live in. [SJ1] (Article changed on Aug 16, 2024 at 10:10 PM EDT) (Article changed on Aug 16, 2024 at 11:38 PM EDT) (Article changed on Aug 17, 2024 at 7:58 AM EDT) According to the New York Times, U.S. officials say there's no excuse, on the warmakers' own terms, for the genocide they are arming: "Israel has achieved all that it can militarily in Gaza, according to senior American officials, who say continued bombings are only increasing risks to civilians while the possibility of further weakening Hamas has diminished. . . . William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, is due in Qatar on Thursday. Brett McGurk, President Biden's Middle East coordinator, has headed to Egypt and Qatar. Amos Hochstein, a senior White House adviser, landed in Lebanon. One of the messages the officials are expected to deliver is that there is little more Israel can accomplish against Hamas." But there's another message they're delivering: the weapons will never stop flowing from the United States to Israel. According to opinion polls, the majority of U.S. voters want the weapons shipments to stop now and have wanted that for some time. But there's another message many of them are delivering: OMG it's so awesome how Kamala tells peace advocates to shut up, she and Walz bring joy to my life like like like like yeah you know? If Harris were to demand that Biden or Congress or the UN stop the weapons shipments, and were they to stop, I would start campaigning for Harris-Walz to take office in Washington. As long as that doesn't happen, I'll support Biden-Harris taking seats in the dock at The Hague. Unless of course somebody takes a notion to uphold U.S. laws and prosecute them here. Every weapons shipment violates the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, the Foreign Assistance Act, the Arms Export Control Act, the U.S. War Crimes Act, the Genocide Convention Implementation Act, and the Leahy Law. Just ask former Senator Leahy who says the U.S. government is making a mockery of the law that bears his name. Biden is still scheduled to be officially president for about as long as the Gulf War took from start to finish, about twice as long as the Spanish-American war, about three times the Falklands war, several times various U.S. wars in Latin America and around the globe, and several times what it took for the U.S. to overthrow the government of Afghanistan prior to failing to grasp the need to leave that place for decades. Biden's remaining months are also longer than it has taken for polls to show dramatic turns of opinion against wars, commonly labeled "war fatigue" as though noticing the horror of the mass killing requires sleepiness rather than insight. But the "fatigue" has already been awakened. Of course, politicians also hear messages from war-profiting bribers of their campaigns, and from weapons-funded stink-tankers. The war machine has a great deal of inertia even when it has no excuse. Peace making has been bizarrely redefined as "anti-Semitism." Opposition to genocide is now "terrorism." And all the microphones have been gathered up in a big pile and placed in front of corporations peddling that BS. But too many people know better. Too many people grew up believing genocide was evil. We've been here before, and it didn't work out well for the forever-war candidate. His losing worked out horribly for everyone, of course, but his winning would likely have done the same. We need an election in which people insist on not voting for war. We need an election in which people develop too much self-respect to give a flying F-35 what kind of tacos a candidate eats, which candidate you'd like a beer with, which you'd hire as a babysitter, which you'd vote for as prom king or queen. Why does the killing never end? Panem et circenses. The people who caught these giant crustaceans have the receipts to confirm their incredible feats. Guinness World Records' Largest Lobster (44.4 Pounds, 20 kg) Caught off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1977, there's no question about the size of this lobster. It currently holds the Guinness World Record for the largest marine crustacean. Advertisement Claws to tail, the creature boasted 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) of total length and was estimated to be over 100 years old. Guinness claims that the lobster was sold to a New York restaurateur after being caught. Mike (42.7 Pounds, 19.4 kg) and Ike (38 Pounds, 17.2 kg) This beastly pair of American lobsters were said to have been caught somewhere around the Virginia capes in 1934. Since their death, the bodies have been preserved and put on display at the Boston Museum of Science in Massachusetts. Rocky (27 Pounds, 12.2 kg) Holding the official title for Maine's largest lobster, Rocky was found in a shrimping net in 2012, taken in for measurements, weighed and subsequently released. (There are now laws in place preventing fishermen from keeping lobsters above a certain size in order to help sustain the population.) At the time, Rocky was 40 inches (102 cm) long and had claws powerful enough to break a human arm. He may be even bigger today. Louie (22 Pounds, 10 kg) Louie the lobster has the distinction of not being caught, but allowed to grow to a massive size in captivity. For 20 years, Louie was fed and pampered at a New York restaurant called Peter's Clam Bar. A customer reportedly offered the owner $1,000 to take Louie home for dinner, but the owner instead decided to release the giant lobster back to the wild in 2017. At the time, Louie was estimated to be over 130 years old. George (20 Pounds, 9.1 kg) First caught off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, in 2009, big George was estimated to be at least 140 years old. This potentially makes him the oldest lobster specimen ever seen. George eventually made his way to a seafood restaurant in New York, where he lived for about 10 days. Eventually, a restaurant guest spotted George and recognized him for being a rare find. The guest petitioned PETA to negotiate for the elder lobster to be released unharmed, and the restaurant owners subsequently relinquished to representatives of PETA. They took George and found him a spot off the coast of Maine to live out the rest of his life in his retirement. Two gun rights advocacy groups urged a judge Thursday to temporarily block Oregons ghost gun ban from taking effect on Sept. 1. They went back to the nations founding era to make their arguments, saying gun manufacturing was entirely unregulated then and that the federal government has never restricted law-abiding citizens from making guns for personal use. Attorney Stephen Duvernay, on behalf of the Oregon Firearms Federation and the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc., argued that self-made guns without serial numbers are in common use in the United States and that requiring his clients to add serial numbers to their guns or gun parts is impractical. Lawyers for the state defended Oregons new law, countering that the Second Amendment doesnt apply to ghost guns because theyre not typically used for lawful purposes. Federal law has required licensed manufacturers to place serial numbers on guns for 50 years, said Harry B. Wilson, special assistant attorney general. And for the past 35 years, federal law also has prohibited anyone from possessing, making or selling a gun that cant be detected in a metal detector for security purposes, he added. Thats because many guns that lack serial numbers are used in crimes to prevent police from tracking them, and guns made of plastic that cant be picked up by a metal detector pose a threat to homeland security, he said. Ghost guns are untraceable, with their parts typically bought online and assembled at home. They also lack commercial serial numbers. The number of ghost guns recovered at crime scenes increased by more than 1,000% between 2017 and 2021, according to the state. Theres a long tradition in the United States of prohibiting dangerous and unusual firearms, Wilson told U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson in federal court in Portland. House Bill 2005, passed by the Legislature last year and signed by Gov. Tina Kotek last August, prohibits the sale, manufacture and possession of any gun, unfinished gun frame and receiver that lack serial numbers, as well as any undetectable gun, meaning one that cant be picked up by a metal detector or other security measure. The legal challenge comes as the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year agreed to take up a case involving ghost guns. The Supreme Court is likely to hear that case in fall. The gun advocates suit also follows a recent ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia that found guns without serial numbers fall outside of the scope of Second Amendment protection. Other federal judges in Colorado, New Mexico, California, Pennsylvania and Indiana agree, Wilson noted. Duvernay, who is also representing three named gun owners, urged the judge to grant a temporary restraining order barring the new state law from taking effect. The fact is, on Sept. 1, Oregonians who lawfully possess these arms and non-firearm objects (gun frames or receivers) are now subject to criminal penalties for the mere possession, he argued. We think immediate relief is necessary. To put a serial number on a polymer gun thats already built would require embedding a metal plate in the gun frame or receiver and that poses significant practical difficulties, Duvernay said. Under federal law now, a person can create and possess a gun without a serial number but cant sell, import or transfer it. Wilson said anyone in Oregon with an unserialized gun can take it to a federal firearms licensee to have a serial number added to it. House Bill 2005, passed by the Legislature last year, bans ghost guns but still allows Oregonians to make their own serialized and detectable guns, Wilson said. Under the new law, the ban on possessing a gun frame or receiver without a serial number or possessing any undetectable gun or gun without a serial number takes effect Sept. 1. The laws ban on the sale and manufacture of any undetectable gun or a gun without a serial number took effect upon the governors signing of the bill. Possessing, selling or transferring an unserialized gun, gun frame or receiver would be a violation punishable by a fine for a first-time offense. Possession of a gun that cant be detected by a metal detector or other security measure would be a misdemeanor, and a felony if someone made or sold such a gun. The law provides exceptions for antique firearms, guns manufactured before the federal Gun Control Act of 1986 and inoperable guns. It also allows possession and transfer of these guns by federally licensed firearms dealers, manufacturers and importers. Nelson said she would issue a written ruling before Sept. 1. In the fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a challenge to a rule imposed by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that requires sellers of ready to build ghost gun kits to add serial numbers to some parts and conduct background checks on prospective buyers. -- Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, follow her on X @maxoregonian, or on LinkedIn. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. A Portland 18-year-old was arrested Thursday on charges that he raped an 18-year-old woman he met on a dating app, police said. Damani Anderson was being held Friday in Multnomah Countys downtown jail. He was indicted Tuesday on felony charges of rape, sodomy, kidnapping, robbery and unlawful use of a weapon. A Vancouver woman who has spent decades investigating the 1989 execution-style murder of her mother is turning up the heat on Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Tony Golik for not reopening the case. Pooneh Entezari Gray is running an advertisement on Facebook and, starting Monday, the cable-news networks CNN and MSNBC intended to pressure Golik to look at new evidence she has uncovered. In 1990, a Clark County jury convicted Grays late father, Mohammad Mike Entezari, of killing his wife, Effie Entezari. He spent 16 years in prison. This mans murder conviction was a travesty of justice, says the ads narrator, over photographs of Mike Entezari. Watch the advertisement. In 2021, The Oregonian/OregonLive published a four-part series that raised questions about the police investigation of Effie Entezaris murder and delved into Grays theories about the case. Gray wants her father to be officially exonerated and a case brought against the people she believes killed her mother, but she said Golik has refused to meet personally with her, prompting her to launch the ad campaign. This is bigger than just solving this case it is about fairness and doing what is right, Gray said in a statement. Golik did not immediately respond to a phone call to his office from The Oregonian/OregonLive. He was elected as the countys prosecuting attorney in 2011, decades after the Entezari trial. Mike Entezari, who died in 2019, always maintained his innocence, and his daughter has spent years and hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to prove it. Now Gray believes she has, using new ballistics technology to show that Mike Entezaris gun the one put forward as the murder weapon in his 1990 criminal trial couldnt be the one that killed Effie Entezari. She also has DNA evidence that may link another man to the murder. Gray, 56, who recently launched a website about her investigative efforts, hired private detectives to examine every aspect of the countys long-ago murder case against her father and seek out new clues. As a result of this work, she believes a group of people in Effie Entezaris social circle were stealing from her and, when Effie Entezari found out, hired a man to kill her. The Clark County Prosecuting Attorneys Office has, off and on over the years, provided Grays investigative team with evidence from the case for retesting and examination. In 2021, Aaron Bartlett, a deputy prosecutor in the office, told The Oregonian/OregonLive he was impressed with the work Pooneh has done. The amount of work is something to behold. Nevertheless, the prosecutors office has not taken any formal steps to reopen the case. Gray remains determined to change that. The real killer is still out there, the ad now on Facebook states, concluding: Tell prosecuting attorney Tony Golik: reopen the case. A civil suit Gray has brought against the man she believes killed her mother a longtime Vancouver resident named Viktor Pell is working its way toward trial. -- Douglas Perry is a reporter and editor at The Oregonian/OregonLive. You can reach him at dperry@oregonian.com . Much of the advance publicity for Chimp Crazy, a new four-part HBO documentary series, has been playing up its connection to Tiger King, the Netflix docuseries that introduced viewers to the bizarre world of Joe Exotic, the big cat zookeeper who went to prison for trying to have his nemesis, conservationist Carole Baskin, killed, and who was convicted of other crimes related to his treatment of wildlife. The Tiger King comparisons arent surprising, considering Chimp Crazy is directed by Eric Goode, who co-directed Tiger King. Like that 2020 sensation, Chimp Crazy deals with humans who are obsessed with exotic animals, in this case, chimpanzees. The central character in Chimp Crazy is Tonia Haddix, who makes a living as an exotic animal broker and talks at exhausting length about her devotion to chimpanzees. Haddix calls herself the Dolly Parton of the chimpanzee world. Haddix recalls how she came to start what turned out to be a tumultuous journey by volunteering at something called the Missouri Primate Foundation, a fancy name for a facility run by a woman who was breeding and selling chimps, and also keeping some animals, which she made available for commercial work. For example, one of the chimps, named Tonka, appeared in movies such as George of the Jungle (1997), Buddy (1997), and Babe: Pig in the City (1998). Tonka winds up at the center of what came to be an extended legal battle between Haddix, who keeps repeating how much she loves Tonka (who she seems to care more than she does about her own children), and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which alleges Haddixs chimps are suffering from inadequate care, and need to be relocated to an accredited sanctuary. The conflict escalates as Tonka disappears just when PETA is about to take possession of him. Haddix claims Tonka has died, PETAs lawyers think shes lying, and the whole thing even ends up involving actor Alan Cumming (The Traitors), who worked with Tonka in Buddy, and becomes active in trying to find out what happened to Tonka. Tonia Haddix is shown in a scene from the HBO documentary series, "Chimp Crazy."HBO Woven into all this is Goodes ethically dubious decision to hire a proxy director to interview Haddix and make the documentary, since Goode became persona non grata to exotic animal owners after Tiger King generated so much publicity about the exploitation of wild animals. As part of the docuseries examples of how chimpanzees arent some kind of pet or child substitute, Chimp Crazy also includes two long segments about how things can go terribly wrong when the chimpanzees get older, stronger, and may act as the wild animals they are. For example, the third episode, titled Head Shot, goes to Pendleton, where locals are interviewed about Buck, a chimpanzee owned by a woman in the community who took him all over town, to local establishments. He was kind of our local little rock star, a Pendleton woman recalls. Buck was the most extraordinary thing that this town has ever had to offer. He was amazing, and he was beautiful. Eventually, PETA got involved in the Pendleton case, as well, and submitted a complaint to Oregon wildlife authorities regarding Bucks care. The situation turned tragic in 2021, when Buck attacked the daughter of his owner, and the owner called 911. In a virtual press conference Friday, director Goode and executive producer Jeremy McBride said they missed an opportunity to help Buck, and didnt want that to happen again. Chimp Crazy raises questions about the morality of humans owning wild animals, and also about what responsibility documentary filmmakers have to intervene if they have legitimate concerns about what theyre witnessing. In the press conference, Goode said he and McBride had lots of empathy for Haddix, and added that his approach in making the film was to create something entertaining enough to reach a diverse audience. So many films preach to people who already know the issues, Goode said. So, they dont make change. Chimp Crazy premieres at 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, on HBO, and streams on Max. Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has been accused of stealing sand. Thats right, sand you would find on thousands of beaches around the world. But Attanasio isnt accused of stealing sand from some run-of-the-mill beach, hes accused of stealing sand from a beach in Malibu, according to a lawsuit filed by a neighbor. According to the Los Angeles Times, the billionaire owner has been accused of stealing sand from Broad Beach in Malibu and carrying it to his home for a personal construction project. The lawsuit, filed by Attanasios next-door neighbor James Kohlberg, claims Attanasio has been using excavators on a public natural resource, restricting public access to the beach while also exposing local marine to the potentially hazardous byproducts of heavy machinery, causing public and private nuisance as well as violating the California Coastal Act. This case is about a private property owner using a public beach as their own personal sandbox and the disturbing conversion of a public natural resource (i.e., sand from Broad Beach) for a nearby homeowners personal, private use, the lawsuit says. Kohlberg also claims he has suffered personal harm, including having depleted sand next to, and in front of, its own property and has been exposed to gasoline oil on the beach and in the water in front of Plaintiffs property. The plaintiff is asking the court to order the defendant to return all the sand taken from Broad Beach, repair any damages, and pay fines. Attanasios attorney, Kenneth Ehrlich, claims that his client is having a damaged section of his homes seawall fixed and he has acted in compliance with all of its permits from the city of Malibu and Los Angeles County. Attanasio purchased his home in Broad Beach for $23 million in 2007. If Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are elected this fall, not only would a woman of color lead the country for the first time, but a Native woman would govern a state for the first time in U.S. history too. Peggy Flanagan, the lieutenant governor of Minnesota and a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, is poised to serve as the states next governor should Walz step down to accept the role of vice president of the United States. Her rise to power has been watched closely by Indigenous peoples in Minnesota and across the country who see her as a champion of policies that positively affect Native Americans. In recent years, Minnesota has integrated tribal consultation into numerous aspects of the state government, created one of the countrys first state offices for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives and strengthened its laws protecting Native children in the adoption system. Many Indigenous leaders point to Flanagan as the driving force behind these changes, as well as a significant rise in respect for tribal sovereignty and autonomy in state policy. Flanagan has been the highest-ranking Native American statewide official in the U.S. since she was elected as lieutenant governor in 2018. That position is often performed behind the scenes, but Walz and Flanagan have said they chose instead to govern as partners. Their administration has bolstered government-to-government relationships with tribal nations in Minnesota and many in Indian Country see Flanagan as a key figure in a new era of politics with Native women at the forefront. President Joe Biden made a difficult decision to step down and let Harris take his place as the Democratic presidential nominee, Flanagan said. He created space for a woman of color to lead. And to be really honest with you, quite frankly, thats what Tim Walz did for me, she said. Her rise to the governors office would solidify her place among Indigenous female leaders including Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, Congresswoman Shaurice Davids and a growing list of Native women in statehouses. Thirty-six state women lawmakers nationwide who identify as Native American were elected to office in 2023, a record, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. When Flanagan was first elected to the state House in 2015, there were far fewer Native women in seats of power. For my daughter, and for so many other young Native people across the country, their reality right now is totally different than how I grew up, Flanagan said. Representation matters. The number of Native women in the Minnesota Legislature has doubled since she took office, from two to four, and Flanagan said having more people from under-represented populations is the secret sauce to better governing. It allowed us to be able to speak on our own behalf on the floor, and to really be in a place where, frankly, decisions had to be made with us at the table in a way that had just never happened, she said. Flanagan first met Walz when she worked at an organization that did grassroots training for progressive political candidates. She helped prepare Walz, a social studies teacher, for his first congressional race and the two became close friends and political allies. He later chose her as his running mate, supporting her numerous efforts to strengthen the voices of Indigenous peoples in the state government. Walz was the first Minnesota governor to make diplomatic trips to the 11 tribal nations in the state. An executive order he passed in 2019 requires state agencies to consult with tribal governments, take training to improve those relationships and hire liaisons to work directly with tribal partners. Louise Matson, executive director of the Division of Indian Work, a nonprofit that supports Native Americans living in urban areas, attributes those gains to the influence of Flanagan. Flanagan was raised in Minneapolis, an urban hub for Indigenous activism including the American Indian Movement, and those who know her well say she has always focused on creating better outcomes for Native people, particularly children. Matson, also a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, worked with Flanagan more than 20 years ago when, as a new college graduate, she got her first job advocating for Native families in the public education system. Matson recalled she was determined and not afraid to face challenges. I dont know if she always felt that confident, but I loved that she just jumped right into this job having to navigate a system that hasnt always been friendly to our people, Matson said. Just a few years later, Flanagan ran for a position on the Minneapolis Board of Education. Thats where she met Robert Lilligren, another member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and the first Native person elected to the Minneapolis City Council. Lilligren said she reached out to him for campaign advice. I was like: This woman could be governor someday. Hell, she could be president someday. I mean, she was just that impressive, Lilligren said. He said the work Flanagan did on Walzs executive order requiring tribal consultation within state departments underscored her political influence and tenacity. The order has increased Indigenous visibility and respect for tribal sovereignty, he said. That is because Peggys there. Flanagans father, the late White Earth activist Marvin Manypenny, spent many years agitating for Native land rights, including by holding his own tribes government to task. He often said Native people have the inherent right to govern themselves, and she incorporates that into much of the work she does today. He was a troublemaker and rabble rouser, and an expert in our tribal constitution, she said. He taught me to take up space at the table and to tell the truth, even if it makes people uncomfortable. By GRAHAM LEE BREWER, of the Associated Press, is an Oklahoma City-based member of APs Race and Ethnicity team. Organizers of Molalla Pride have canceled the fourth-annual LGBTQ+ celebration after receiving increasingly concerning threats online. Hendy Appleton said she had taken steps to expand the festival this year after three successful years organizing the LGBTQ+ celebration without major pushback in the small town south of Oregon City. She asked LGBTQ+ serving organizations to host carnival games. She invited vendors and a magician, and local businesses stepped up to donate prizes. She also organized a drag queen story hour. The story hour was intended to both showcase drag as part of gay culture and signal to children the importance of accepting difference, diversity and personal expression, Appleton said. But the story hour appeared to be a bridge too far for Molalla, Hendy said. Shortly after she announced details of the Pride event Aug. 6, the festival began to receive threats on social media from locals who expressed outrage and disgust toward the celebration, which had been scheduled to take place Sept. 8 at Molallas Clark Park. Some threatened to disrupt the event, and one person said Ive got my shotgun, Appleton said. Appleton posted a list of business sponsors to thank them, she said, but had to remove it to protect local businesses that were facing boycotts because of their initial support. But Appleton said she initially remained committed to holding the event because she believes Molalla is a community where people take care of each other, even when they disagree. If my neighbors want to come out and protest, theyre welcome, she said. They might get loud, but theyre not going to hurt anyone. However, Appletons concerns escalated when word of the event spread beyond Molalla. A Clackamas County organizer with the Proud Boys said they were going to attend, Appleton said, and she worried about a surge of out-of-town visitors on both sides of the issue overwhelming the festival, which she had only expected to have about 150 people. Last year, police arrested two people after a fight broke out among demonstrators at Oregon Citys first-ever Pride Night festival, a separate event from the annual picnic hosted by Appleton. There are a lot of angry people out there who were just looking for an outlet for their anger on both sides, she said. Youre not going to come into my town just to start a brawl. The Molalla Police Department said Friday it was aware of the threats. It had planned to increase its presence at the event before Appleton made the decision to call it off. Shes hoping to reschedule a celebration later in the fall, on private property, and without the drag event. One of the reasons Appleton started the Pride event in the rural town where shes lived for nearly two decades was to boost queer representation so that local LGBTQ+ children and teens knew that they were not alone or isolated. The pushback to the story hour came from people who were also concerned about the well-being of their children, Appleton said. Appleton said theres common ground between her and those community members. They both want to protect kids, even if they disagree about what dangers children face. Shes been encouraged by outreach from Molalla residents who disagree with her politically, or who dont necessarily support Pride, but dont think that violence in their small town will solve anything. When you find that place to agree, you can start talking to one another, she said. When Anis Zaman logged onto Facebook last Monday, he was greeted with a troubling post: a childhood friend, who lived more than 7,000 miles away in Bangladesh, had been beaten by Bangladeshi police while protesting against the government. It was very heartbreaking, said Zaman, a Portland State doctoral student in public policy who leads the universitys Bangladesh Student Association. The motorist has urged others not to make the same simple mistake now their appeal has been rejected. The driver was fined while waiting for another driver to vacate a parking bay at Hurstville Aquatic Centre in Sydney. Source: Facebook/Supplied A driver is urging others to "be careful" after their appeal for a little-known parking offence was knocked back, following the $320 parking fine received even before they'd found a parking spot. Trying to find a parking bay in a busy car park during the weekend can be annoying at the best of times but the driver has since faced more frustration having been fined while "waiting for someone to pull out of their spot" at Hurstville Aquatic Centre in Sydney on June 15. After receiving the fine the driver appealed it to Revenue NSW, however, it was rejected with the driver calling it an "idiotic" move from authorities. Revenue NSW rejects appeal to drop 'ridiculous' parking fine In response to the appeal, Revenue NSW said it acknowledged the circumstances surrounding the offence but it was simply "unable to cancel the fine" as the driver had double parked, an offence which involves parking a vehicle in a non-designated area alongside one that is already parked. It is not known how long the car was double parked for. "You cannot wait for another car to exit a space as parking must be immediately available," the response from Revenue NSW read online. "Double parking can create blind spots for motorists and pedestrians, as well as cause other drivers to travel on the opposite side of the road." The driver was instructed to pay the fine. After the motorist aired their frustration online, many Aussies were shocked to learn this offence was viable in a car park, given the driver hadn't left their car and had simply stayed stationary until the other driver vacated the parking bay. "Contest it again. That is absolutely ridiculous," one woman wrote, with many others agreeing that there is "not a single person on this planet that hasn't done exactly this on dozens of occasions." "Absolutely ludicrous," another simply wrote. Council increase patrols in car park after trend of 'illegal parking' Georges River Council defended the parking fine that was issued, explaining it recently increased patrols at the Hurstville Aquatic Centre car park due to "vehicles being observed parking illegally'. "Double parking is an issue that the NSW State Government has identified as requiring a strong deterrent across the state due to the safety risk it creates for the community and obstruction to traffic, hence a penalty of over $300 is applied," a council spokesperson told Yahoo News. "This year alone, Georges River Council has received over 2,700 requests to investigate reports of illegal parking from the community, including double parking in both shopping precincts and School Zones. "Within the Aquatic Centre grounds itself, signposted No Parking & Loading Zone areas are available to permit drivers to legally stop temporarily." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The Oregon Labor Bureau has asked Gov. Tina Kotek and lawmakers to increase its budget by roughly $22 million so it can tackle massive backlogs of complaints from workers who say theyve been illegally denied pay or had their civil rights violated. The agency is requesting $81.2 million a steep 36% increase from its current budget for the two-year period that begins next July. Kotek will consider proposals from state agencies as she works to craft a recommended budget for the Legislature to review and finalize next year. The head of Portlands economic development agency will leave next month for a job at the Port of Portland. Kimberly Branam told employees at Prosper Portland, the city agency formerly known as the Portland Development Commission, that she was taking a job as the ports chief trade and economic development officer. Hundreds gathered to pay tribute to the 10-year-old at Emmanuel College on Friday, where she was enrolled in Year 5. Sophie Wang left, and her peers at Emmanuel College paying tribute to the 10-year-old, who was allegedly murdered by her mother on Tuesday. Source: NCA Newswire/The Courier Mail The principal of the school attended by allegedly murdered Gold Coast girl Sophie Wang said "it's natural" the community might be asking themselves if they could've done more to help. Fronting media on Friday he paid tribute to the "very intelligent and bright" 10-year-old who he said was a great friend to many at the school. Emmanuel College Principal Dan Brown reassured parents and peers the school "is a safe place" where there are "lots of people available for help", as family and friends gathered to remember Sophie, who was allegedly killed by her own mother in the home the two shared on Tuesday. Brown said he knew Sophie personally and reflected on her intelligence, remembering the Year 5 student as a "thoughtful girl who loved her academics. Emmanuel College principal Dan Brown remembered Sophie Wang as a 'bright young child' who was 'very intelligent' and loved by all. Source: 7News Principal speaks after 10-year-old's horrific alleged murder "She was a very bright young lady. She loved reading she was a great reader," he told media."She was a great friend. She was known as being compassionate and caring. She loved music. Those memories will live on." Brown said it's "normal" that members of the community, many of whom were seen in tears during the school's memorial on Friday, have asked themselves if they might have been able to do more to prevent the unimaginable tragedy. "Those questions are really normal in these situations," he said. "They want to know, could I have done more? Could we have helped? Thats a natural and normal response. "My feelings are complete devastation. As a principal, theres nothing harder to deal with than the loss of a student, but particularly around the tragic circumstances of this particular loss. Im human, too. It hits me hard." Hundreds turned out to remember Sophie Wang at Emmanuel College. Source: ABC Community band together in wake of unthinkable tragedy Parents, teachers and students alike gathered on Friday morning to honour Sophie's life. In bright textas, pupils left touching messages paying tribute to their friend, "who will never be forgotten". "RIP, we love you, shine bright! You never deserved this. You will not be forgotten," one tribute read, The Courier Mail reported. "Fly high sweet angel. We miss you so much but God will take care of you. You will never be forgotten, you are the strongest! Shine bright, brighter than the stars," a second said. Both parents and children wept as Amazing Grace reverberated throughout the school. Gruesome murder sends shockwaves around Australia Shockwaves were sent across Australia this week after Yingying Xu, 46 was charged with the murder of daughter Sophie, who was allegedly killed in their home in Emerald Lakes on the Gold Coast on Tuesday. It's understood Xu's husband, Griffith University academic Dr Yun Wang, discovered the mutilated body of Sophie just after 6pm. Xu was allegedly found at a nearby residence at 10.25pm later that night, with detectives laying murder charges shortly after. Police were called to a Carrara home at 6pm on Tuesday night where they made the horrific discovery. Source: NewsWire /John Gass First responders attending the scene were reportedly left in tears on finding Sophie with her throat slashed, with neighbours reporting hearing Dr Wang's "haunting" screams after he made the chilling discovery. A spokesperson for Gold Coast Police confirmed to Yahoo on Thursday morning detectives have been looking into Xus "social media accounts as part of their investigation". In at least one video the devil is referenced a number of times in a strange and nonsensical rant. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. A Wisconsin judge is set to decide the fate of a 24-year-old child sex-trafficking victim who shot and killed her abuser. Chrystul Kizer, now 24, was facing a possible life sentence for shooting and killing 34-year-old Randall Volar III when she was 17. Kizer took a guilty plea in May of this year to a reduced count of second-degree reckless homicide with use of a dangerous weapon. Her plea deal means she will avoid a trial and a life sentence. Kizer is now facing up to 30 years in prison or be required to enroll into a counseling program. Prior to her plea deal, a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Kizer could use a law intended to protect trafficking victims. That law does not directly allow Kizer to argue that she is not guilty of homicide. However, it will allow her defense team to present evidence arguing that her actions were a result of sex trafficking. Wisconsin Circuit Court judge David Wilk, who has overseen the case for six years, will hear the final arguments of both sides on Monday, per The Washington Post. Prosecutors and Volar's family are expected to assert that Volar was a victim of a heinous crime. On the other hand, Kizer's witnesses are expected to argue that she, too, was a victim. READ ALSO : Ventura County Man Faces 325-Year Prison Sentence Following Extensive Sexual Abuse of Multiple Children Sex-Trafficking Victim Shoot Her Abuser When Kizer was 16, she signed up on Backpage.com, a website known for its sex trafficking activities. Kizer said that, at the time, she was hoping to find a way to earn money for her snacks and school supplies. Volar responded to Kizer's ad and began giving her cash, gifts, and drugs in exchange for sex acts. Kizer also alleged that Volar would drive her to meet other men and then take their money. In February 2018, four months before Volar's death, a 15-year-old girl called 911 from his house and told police that he had been paying her for sex since she was 14. A subsequent investigation uncovered "hundreds" of videos of child sexual abuse in Volar's home, some of which showed Kizer. Volar was arrested and charged with child sexual assault and child enticement. However, he was released the same day. In June 2018, Kizer was arrested for shooting Volar. While speaking to detectives, Kizer said Volar had been on top of her on the ground when she shot him. She also noted that she was tired of the abuse. Kizer was imprisoned for two years until a bond fund paid for her release in 2020. She was imprisoned again in January of this year after she violated her release conditions. A 16-year-old girl who was visiting a courtroom in Detroit as part of a field trip was placed in handcuffs and made to wear a jail uniform after the judge caught her sleeping. The 16-year-old girl, whose identity was not revealed, was visiting the 36th District Court as part of a field trip among children of a three-week program with the nonprofit The Greening of Detroit. The courtroom visit aimed to give the students an opportunity to learn about the legal system and watch a real trial play out. Before the defense and prosecution were called to enter the court, Judge Kenneth King addressed the students and answered the questions. That was also when he noticed the 16-year-old sleeping. "You fall asleep in my courtroom one more time, I'm gonna put you in back, understood?" King said, according to a video of his remarks obtained by the Associated Press. King later said the teen must be handcuffed, change into a jail uniform, and sit in lock up. He also threatened the teen with time at a juvenile detention facility. READ ALSO : Ventura County Man Faces 325-Year Prison Sentence Following Extensive Sexual Abuse of Multiple Children Detroit Judge Orders To Handcuff 16-Year-Old for Sleeping in Court In an interview with 7 News Detroit, King said his decision came after the teen gave him "attitude" for falling asleep. "It wasn't so much, in fact, that she had fallen asleep because I have attorneys that fall asleep sometimes, so that's not too big of a deal. It was her whole attitude and her whole disposition that disturbed me," King said. "I wanted to get through to her, show how serious this is and how you are to conduct yourself inside of a courtroom." The teen was released after the judge had other students vote if she should be sent to the juvenile detention facility. Speaking to Detroit Free Press, Latoreya Till, the mother of the teenage girl, said her daughter likely lacked sleep because the family did not have a permanent place to stay. She also added that her daughter was "nervous and intimidated" following the incident. King was temporarily taken off his criminal case docket. According to Fox News, King will be receiving "necessary training to address the underlying issues that contributed" to the incident. I will be interacting with an excellent, ecumenical, and thought-provoking article, entitled Interpreting Faith in the Reformation: Catholic and Protestant Interpretations of Habakkuk 2:4b and Its New Testament Quotations (Mario M. C. Melendez, Themelios, Vol. 45, Issue 2, August 2020). Mario M. C. Melendez is Auguie Henry Chair of Bible and assistant professor of Old Testament and biblical studies at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His words will be in blue, Martin Luthers in green, and John Calvins in brown. I use RSV for biblical citations. ***** This study provides a historical survey of Habakkuk 2:4bs use in the reformation. The accomplished research shows that Luther and Calvin pointed to Christs faithfulness as the object of the Habakkuk 2:4b faith. And I will show, I think, that they were mistaken in this belief; that it is flawed exegesis on their part, flowing from their prior theological / soteriological allegiances (i.e., faith alone or sola fide). The Reformers proclaimed a doctrine of justification by faith alone (sola fide) which they based on Habakkuk 2:4 as quoted in Romans 1:17. Lets look at both these passages before proceeding: Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith. Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, He who through faith is righteous shall live. Habbakuk 2:4 is also cited or at least alluded to in these two additional passages: Galatians 3:11 Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for He who through faith is righteous shall live; Hebrews 10:38-39 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. [39] But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls. Right away we see two seemingly or prima facie distinguishable concepts: live by [his] faith (Hab 2:4; Heb 10:38) and through faith is righteous shall live (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11). I consulted other OT versions to see if they render Habakkuk 2:4 as Paul does in his citation of it. It looks like most or all are basically the same. Conversely, most appear to be very similar to the wording of Habakkuk 2:4, and RSV seems to be an exception to the rule. The normative translation of Galatians 3:11 is . . . The just shall live by faith (KJV) or . . . The just man liveth by faith (Douay-Rheims) or . . . The righteous one will live by faith (NASB) or . . . The righteous will live by faith (NIV). Even RSV broadly follows it in Hebrews 10:38. Now the task is to exegete and cross-reference these related passages, to determine precisely what they mean: for Habakkuk, Paul, and the author of the book of Hebrews. In doing so, we get to the heart of 16th-century and ongoing disputes about justification and the Protestant conception of faith alone. Do they support the latter position or not? Predictably, I say no. Alister McGrath noted that the Reformation debate centered upon the interpretation of Scripture. Hes right about that. I would contend that the Protestant movement sadly introduced mistaken and novel biblical interpretation when it dissented from received and carefully developed 1500-year-old theology: especially regarding its two pillars: sola fide and sola Scriptura. The hypothesis of this paper is that Luther and Calvin pointed to Christs faithfulness as the object of the Habakkuk 2:4b faith, while the Roman Catholics pointed to the faithful actions of a believer as the object of the Habakkuk 2:4b faith. I will be arguing that the latter conclusion follows straightforwardly from context and cross-referencing. Its an interesting discussion, and equally learned, sincere, honest, well-meaning believers disagree with each other, but I dare say, with all due respect, that I think we can fairly decisively show that Scripture and specifically, these particular passages, do not support the faith alone position. Throughout Luthers lifetime, he wrote numerous commentaries, reflection letters, lessons, and sermons. In his commentary of the Minor Prophets, Luther wrote this concerning Habakkuk 2:4b: In summary form Habakkuk presents the following thought: The godly people are waiting for the Lord; therefore they live, therefore they are saved, therefore they receive what has been promised. They receive it by faith, because they give glory to the God of truth, because they hold the hand of the Lord. And so the prophet is looking not only to this promise but also to all the other promises about preaching the Gospel or revealing grace. And so this is the thought: I cannot force it into your hearts. You have the clear written record (picture) and Word. If you believe it, you will live, because the righteous live by his faith as long as he waits for the Lord. If you will not believe, you will not live, etc. [Lectures on the Minor Prophets II: Jonah and Habakkuk, ed. Hiilton C. Oswald, Luthers Works 19 (St. Louis: Concordia, 1974), 123.] Luther simply assumes his new (yes, new) faith alone position and improperly reads it into the text when, I submit, it isnt there. How do we know that? Well, by context and cross-referencing, as we apply to any given passage of Scripture. Habakkuk is only three chapters. We can see what related notions he writes about throughout his book. He refers to righteous (1:4, 13; 2:4) and the starkly contrasting wicked (1:4, 13; 3:13), terrible (1:7),not upright (2:4), and arrogant (2:5) people, in the usual straightforward sense. Most of the book describes the nature and evil actions of these bad people; non-believers or heathen. Then he states that the righteous shall live by his faith (2:4). That is, he conducts himself and acts in accordance with his belief and faith in God. Its not talking about Gods faithfulness, because the righteous person is contrasted with the evil person, in the same verse: he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail. But those who are upright will live by (thats good works) their faith. The word faith or similar only appears two times in the book. The other instance is faithless men in 1:13. There is no contextual indication that this is talking about Gods faithfulness. Its simply read into the text, which is improper eisegesis: the literal meaning of that term. In fact, 2:4 records the words of God, and He refers to his faith; i.e., the faith of the righteous person (both in 2:4). If God were referring to His own faithfulness, He would have used the word my rather than his. Its very clear. The author of the article claims that Luther and Calvin applied Habakkuk 2:4 to Christs faithfulness. I dont see how Habakkuk 2:4, however, can possibly mean that, in light of grammar, context, and the meaning of the words. The faithfulness of God is indeed an Old Testament (Gen 32:10; Ex 34:6; Dt 32:4; 2 Sam 2:6; 15:20; Ps 30:9; 36:5; 40:10-11; 54:5; 57:3, 10; many more) and New Testament (Rom 3:3) concept. But I dont see that its referred to in Habakkuk 2:4. If we cross-reference live by we find the same thing: Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (cf. 5:25: If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.) This is very much the same thought as Habakkuk 2:4. Its true that Christ lives in the believer, but when faith appears in Galatians 2:20, it is faith in God, not the faith or faithfulness of God. The faith is exercised by the person, bringing about the life that he lives, just as Melendez noted was the Catholic interpretation of Habakkuk 2:4. I wrote about this passage in my article, Minor Prophets: Their Theology of Salvation (8-2-23): I interpret this passage as saying that living the faith is inseparable from faith in the sense of belief. In the Hebrew mind the two things are the same. To believe a thing is to live it out. Accordingly, James 2:18 states: I by my works will show you my faith. . . . Hebrews 10:38 also cites this verse: my righteous one shall live by faith. And again, context (10:36) mentions works (do) as part and parcel of faith: you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised. Once we do the will of God, then we receive the promise. Heres another similar verse: Ezekiel 33:12 And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness; and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. Whose righteousness? Well, its the righteousness of the righteous (the righteous person), not of God. But that person cant live by his righteousness when he sins. Its clearly talking about his righteousness, which can exist to more or less degrees. We can also look at the surrounding context of Romans 1:17. Do grace-generated human (and meritorious) good works appear there? Absolutely: Romans 2:6-10, 13 For he will render to every man according to his works: [7] to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; [8] but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. [9] There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, [10] but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. . . . [13] For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. Romans 8:17 . . . heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 15:17-18 . . . In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. [18] For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, Im also reminded of Pauls concept of the work of faith by Gods power: 1 Thessalonians 1:3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfil every good resolve and work of faith by his power, (cf. Gal 5:6: faith working through love) Luthers famous struggle with the book of James leads one to further grasp that Luther did not discount holy actions of the believer, but he did discount their efficacy for salvation. This is where he and Protestants are wrong, because works are often directly tied to salvation in the Bible. The very phrase, live by his faith means that one is living and working and doing things, caused by their faith. Thats already works. We saw how Paul put faith and works together and tied to both eternal life and justification, above: Romans 2:6-7, 13 For he will render to every man according to his works: [7] to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; . . . [13] For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. *** Please Hit Subscribe! If you have received benefit from this or any of my other 4,800+ articles, please follow my blog by signing up (with your email address) on the sidebar to the right (you may have to scroll down a bit), above where there is an icon bar, Sign Me Up!: to receive notice when I post a new blog article. This is the equivalent of subscribing to a YouTube channel. My blog was rated #1 for Christian sites by leading AI tool, ChatGPT: endorsed by influential Protestant blogger Adrian Warnock. Please also consider following me on Twitter / X and purchasing one or more of my 55 books. All of this helps me get more exposure, and (however little!) more income for my full-time apologetics work. Thanks so much and happy reading! *** Here are twenty-one more passages that tie works directly to salvation: Psalm 7:10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. Isaiah 59:18 According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, requital to his enemies; . . . Jeremiah 4:4 . . . lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Jeremiah 21:12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD: Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil doings.' Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his commands; seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the wrath of the LORD. Matthew 7:18-21, 24 A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus you will know them by their fruits. [21] Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.. . . [24] Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done. Matthew 19:16-17, 20-21 And behold, one came up to him, saying, Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life? [17] And he said to him, . . . If you would enter life, keep the commandments. . . . [20] The young man said to him, All these I have observed; what do I still lack? [21] Jesus said to him, If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. Matthew 25:34-35, 41-43. 46 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; [35] for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, . . . [41] Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; [42] for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, [43] I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. . . . [46] And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Luke 3:9 (+ Mt 3:10; 7:19) . . . every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. John 5:28-29 . . . all who are in the tombs will hear his voice [29] and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body. 2 Thessalonians 1:8 inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 . . . God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? 1 Peter 1:17 . . . who judges each one impartially according to his deeds . . . 2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; Revelation 2:5 Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Revelation 2:23 . . . I will give to each of you as your works deserve. Revelation 20:12-13 . . . And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. [13] . . . and all were judged by what they had done. Thats an awful lot for Luther to have missed. But somehow he did, and so do millions of Protestants. Catholics tied faith with human works, whereas Luther tied faith with Christs work. The twenty passages above sure seem to tie faith (and also salvation itself and the attainment of eternal life in heaven) in with human works, dont they? These works always flow from and are caused by grace and faith, mind you, but works cannot be removed from the overall equation. That is what Catholicism teaches, following compelling teachings in the Bible (see the above proofs of that). faith is a gift from God, focused upon the works of God, for the purpose of purifying man. Were in full agreement there, but we add that works (as James 2 stresses) are part and parcel of faith, like two sides of a coin, or better yet, like eggs and milk put together in scrambled eggs. Thats how mixed together they are. Faith without works is dead. If faith is dead without works, then it follows that works are an essential and inseparable part of it. Yet Protestants separate works and make them non-essential to salvation by placing them in a nice little non-salvific category and box of sanctification, with a nice bow on top. No one, no matter who he may be, is allowed to be a master and judge of the Scripture, rather all must be its witnesses, disciples, and confessors. This means that no one is in a position to validate Scripture. Scripture validates itself. The churchs witness to Scripture can never be anything more than the obedient recognition of the witness which Scripture bears to itself as Gods word. The churchs decision is never under any circumstances an authority standing above the word of God but only beneath it. [cited in Paul Althaus, The Theology of Martin Luther (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1966), 75.] We fully agree with that. I say that Luther is violating his own principle by eisegeting Scripture and reading into it things that arent there, and ignoring or discounting the abundant scriptural indications that he is wrong (again, see these passages above). In my opinion, Scripture is abundantly clear on this score, and all we need to do is present the relevant biblical data and let folks decide what to do with it. I havent cited any papal bulls or other Catholic documents. My case against faith alone is fully and strongly made by Scripture alone. Luthers interpretation sees faith preceding the law, Christs fulfillment of promises as the focus of faith, and holy actions as a response to the grace of God. Works intrinsically flow from Gods grace, but biblically speaking they are not separate from salvation, and (contrary to the Protestant view) they are meritorious, as we see in the passages above. In the article, John Calvins commentary on Romans 1:17 is cited: The faith of the righteous alone brings everlasting life. What is the source of that life but the faith which leads us to God, and makes our life depend on him? Pauls reference to this passage from Habbakuk would have been irrelevant, unless the prophet meant that we then stand firm only when we rest on God by faith. I just provided twenty-one quite plain Bible passages that prove that salvation and everlasting life does not come by faith alone but by faith as manifested by works, all in Gods grace. That being the case, Romans 1:17 cant contradict it, because that would be an error and the Bible contains no theological error or falsehood. And I believe I have demonstrated how Romans 1:17 doesnt mean that in and of itself anyway. In essence Calvin too believed that faith is a God dependent action, necessary for grace to abound. . . . one should understand Calvin to have believed that faith is a gift from God. Catholics agree (over against Pelagianism, or works-salvation). This is not what the dispute is about. Calvin believes the work needed for salvation, is that of Christs death upon the cross. Thats true, too, but it doesnt exclude our work. Paul wrote that I have reason to be proud of my work for God (Rom 15:17) and referred to what Christ has wrought through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed (Rom 15:18). Its not either/or and yet another of Protestantisms notorious false and unbiblical dichotomies. God works in us, and we work. Hence Paul also wrote, But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me (1 Cor 15:10). He referred to himself and Apollos as Gods fellow workers (1 Cor 3:9) and mentioned good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10) and the fact that God is at work in you, both to will and to work (Phil 2:13). We are workers together with him (2 Cor 6:1, KJV), abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord our labor is not in vain (1 Cor 15:58). And Paul proclaimed, in a most unProtestant way: 2 Timothy 2:15, 21 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, . . . [21] If any one purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work. Calvin believes the work needed for salvation, is that of Christs death upon the cross. . . . What did Calvin say of works? The Institutes eloquently described the actions of the believer. However, when it comes to works related to justification, Calvin pointed to Christ: if we ask how we have been justified, Paul answers, By Christs obedience. [Inst. III, 11:9] Thus, one should understand the works needed for mankinds salvation is Christs death and resurrection, not any human action. If that were correct, how could Paul write, the doers of the law who will be justified (Rom 2:13)? James added, What does it profit . . . if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? (Jas 2:17). The rich young ruler specifically asked Jesus, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life? (Mt 19:16). If Jesus were a good Protestant, or understood and believed in faith alone, first of all, He should have rebuked him, saying, theres no good deed you can do to attain eternal life! But instead, Jesus was a good Catholic, and said that the requirements to enter life were to keep the commandments (19:17) and sell what you possess and give to the poor (19:21). But Calvin would have none of that. So much for Calvin, then, in cases where he expressly contradicts the inspired and inerrant words of Jesus and Paul and James in Gods holy revelation of Scripture. The attribution of salvific works to Christ does not negate the works of response in the believers life. Calvin connect work with faith, but is careful to show that any reliance upon human works negates Christs gift of grace. Calvin and Protestants generally speaking strongly urge the necessity of good works in the Christian life, which is great, but where they go astray (as massively shown above) and become unbiblical is in separating them altogether from the overall equation of attainment of salvation: . . . with Christs righteousness interceding and forgiveness of sins accomplished he is justified. And although regenerated by the Spirit of God, he ponders the everlasting righteousness laid up for him not in the good works to which he inclines but in the sole righteousness of Christ. (Inst. III, 11:16) From this relation it is clear that those who are justified by faith are justified apart from the merit of worksin fact, without the merit of works. For faith receives that righteousness which the gospel bestows. (Inst. III, 11:18) They dare not deny that man is justified by faith because it recurs so often in Scripture. (Inst. III, 11:19) We dont deny it in fact. But as soon as we are justified by faith (what Catholics call initial justification) we are required to do grace-caused good works in order to sustain this justification. But since the word alone is nowhere expressed, they do not allow this addition to be made. (Ibid.) It does appear once in Scripture, in conjunction with faith: James 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. St. James I hasten to add isnt maintaining that salvation is only by works (which would be heresy). He also writes, in context: faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works (Jas 2:22). He contends that both must be present together: James 2:17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. James 2:20 . . . faith apart from works is barren James 2:26 . . . faith apart from works is dead. But what will they reply to these words of Paul where he contends that righteousness cannot be of faith unless it be free [Rom. 4:2 ff.]? How will a free gift agree with works? (Ibid.) I say that Romans 4 hearkens back to Abrahams justification, which is a fascinating topic, because once one examines his case closely, one discovers that Scripture teaches twice that he was justified by works and once that he was justified by faith. With what chicaneries will they elude what he says in another passage, that Gods righteousness is revealed in the gospel [Rom. 1:17]? (Ibid.) My chicaneries can be observed above, where I exegeted Romans 1:17. It simply doesnt fit the Protestant schema. The Protestant conclusion is that man is saved by faith in Christs faithfulness. . . . the Council of Trent concluded with a conviction that both the works of Christ and sacraments are necessary for salvation. Thus, the Catholic interpretation of Habakkuk 2:4b is that man is saved by faith in Christ, and his work, but then is preserved by observing the sacraments. . . . The Roman Catholic church does point to the faithful actions of a believer as the object of faith in Habakkuk 2:4b, but they also to point to the actions of Christ as the beginning of justification. I agree. One of my favorite Windows features, Windows Sandbox, is finally testing some new features that Id characterize as something like an improved airlock. I think of Windows Sandbox in the same vein that I do a VPN: While a VPN encrypts and hides your connection from prying eyes, it does so in a way that creates an encrypted tunnel from your PC to the server. Protecting your data is the paramount goal of a VPN, and its also what underlies Windows Sandbox, too. Today is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days! Our editorial team lists the best tech deals here. ] Windows Sandbox creates a Windows within Windows, a separate, isolated operating system designed to self-contain any files within it. While a virtual machine can be used to run any operating system, Sandbox is optimized for Windows. Think of it as a test bed for sort-of untrusted software and data. If youve ever downloaded any dodgy piece of software or accessed a shady website and wanted to run it without risk to your system, Sandbox is the app for you. (At least its designed to be.) I usually load Sandbox, then install a VPN on top of it. Thats pretty secure. Get Windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Price When Reviewed: 69,99 Euro Best Prices Today: But Sandbox has one inherent flaw: The Sandbox is designed to obliterate any and all data when you shut it down. Thats what its designed to do, after all, and thats a good thing if potential malware is involved if you close Sandbox, everything inside the virtual OS is deleted. If any malware attacks and takes over Sandbox, the idea is that only the Sandbox is affected. Your PC is not. And when you close Sandbox poof! It all disappears. On the other hand, its a little tricky to transfer trusted files from Sandbox to your real OS. If youre convinced that a file youve tested within Sandbox is trusted, your normal course of action is to save it to the version of File Explorer within Sandbox, and then access it with the real File Explorer from your main Windows installation. Windows 11 Build 27686 of the Windows Insider Canary Channel adds a couple more conveniences: runtime clipboard redirection and the ability to share folders with the host at runtime. Though Microsoft doesnt explicitly spell out what these mean, Im assuming that if you copy a file (CTRL+C) from the Sandbox, move your cursor into the trusted Windows environment, and then paste (CTRL+V), Windows will copy the file outside of Sandbox, without the need to go through File Explorer. Likewise, you should be able to share a folder and files between Sandbox and your main, trusted OS. Its certainly more convenient, though possibly less secure. What Microsoft is calling the Windows Sandbox Client Preview will now be updated via the Microsoft Store, freeing it from its dependence on the operating system, too. This will allow Sandbox to be updated on its own independent schedule, which is a good thing. Sandbox is also getting an early version of command-line support as well as its own audio/video input controls. What Microsoft isnt saying, however, is whether youll still need Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro to use this updated version of Sandbox. There arent many reasons to use Windows Pro any more, but Sandbox has, in the past, definitely been one of them. Additional features Microsoft is also testing an increase in the FAT32 file limit from 32GB to 2TB, allowing significantly larger disk partitions using the Windows format command. Virtually all Windows partitions are used in conjunction with NTFS, but FAT32 (the oldest format, with roots going back to Windows 98) is typically used with external storage. This will give newer, larger drives the option to use the older FAT32 formatting option. Microsoft said its also making optimizations to improve battery life for this and future builds, but isnt saying how and how much battery life you should expect. Windows Insider Channels (specifically Dev and Canary) arent guarantees that the new features will be shipped into mainstream PCs. But these new additions begin testing some features which might have some real impact on your PC. Back to school season is in full swing, friends. Whether youre jumping the nest and heading off to college for the first time or youre wrapping up your final year, youre going to need a reliable laptop. Fortunately, Lenovos annual back-to-school sale is on fire right now, with deals that can get you up to 68% off on laptops. From convertibles to powerful gaming rigs, Ive carefully curated the best Lenovo laptop deals I could find. Check em out down below! Today is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days! Our editorial team lists the best tech deals here. ] Best deals on productivity laptops If you need a bigger display with a higher resolution, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 6 is a good option to consider. The 16-inch display is pretty spacious and it has a resolution of 19201200, so it should produce a sharp-looking picture. This laptop also boasts an Intel Core i5-1335U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. Thats all plenty fast for day-to-day tasks like writing papers and watching your favorite shows on Netflix. Best deals on gaming laptops Lenovo LOQ, Intel Core i7-13650HX CPU/Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU/15.6-inch 1080p display, $1,079.99 (18% off) Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9, Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU/Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU/16-inch 1600p display, $1,999.99 (15% off) If you like to blow off steam after a busy day of classes with the latest AAA PC games, you should definitely pick up the Lenovo LOQ. It comes loaded with an Intel Core i7-13650HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. With all that, you can play most modern titles on their higher graphics settings. The 15.6-inch display also has a resolution of 19201080 and a refresh rate of 144Hz, so gameplay should be nice and smooth. Best deals on premium laptops You cant really beat the versatility of a premium 2-in-1 laptop. Just flip the screen all the way around and boom! Youve got a tablet. If youre in the market for a lightweight yet versatile laptop, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 is the one to pick. It weighs just 3.53 pounds, so you can easily toss this baby in your backpack and be on your merry way. Inside youll find an Intel Core 7 150U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. Thats more than enough power for researching topics, exchanging emails, and so on. The 14-inch 1200p display is also touch-enabled, which is great for serial doodlers and note-takers. It comes with the Lenovo Digital Pen, so you dont have to worry about paying extra for a standalone accessory. The Chief Executive Officer of the multinational agribusiness firm, Agri-Impact Limited, Daniel Fahene Acquaye, has called for increased investment in the youth of Ghana to help them realize their potential. According to him, such investments will enable the youth to make a significant impact on the country's development. Mr. Acquaye made this call at an event held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to celebrate International Youth Day on Monday, August 12, 2024. The Agri-Impact Group CEO spoke on the theme: "Revolutionizing agriculture through digital Innovations to create jobs for youth." Let us remember that the power of youth is unparalleled. They are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the change-makers of today, and we must make the necessary investments to fully unearth their potential. Whether through advocacy, innovation or simply by sharing unique perspectives, they are already making a significant impact, he said. While celebrating the youth, Mr. Acquaye urged them to take up opportunities in the agricultural space to improve their prospects, as he believes the greatest resource Ghana currently has is its youth. Investment in their creative minds, innovation, energy, boldness, determination and resilience will undoubtedly lead to economic transformation. To all the young people, this day is for you. It is an opportunity to celebrate your achievements, share your stories, ideas and connect with one another. Be inspired by todays event, pursue your passion, use your talents to build a better world. We will urge you to drive technology and innovation to de-risk agriculture, transform the industry not only to provide food and jobs but to cause continental economic development, Mr. Acquaye added. HAPPY Program The Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited has rolled out a revolutionary initiative to secure dignified jobs for 326,000 youth within Ghana's agricultural sector. This initiative is dubbed Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY). The programme is being implemented by eight partners: NewAge Agric Solutions, National Service Scheme (NSS), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), TechnoServe, Ghana Cares (MiDA), Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), and Jobberman. Started in December 2023, the HAPPY Program has already created 50,000 dignified jobs for the youth and has contributed to the sale of over GHS 100 million worth of food (import substitution). It has also helped to produce and supply 1.2 million broilers to the Ghanaian market including KFC. Launch of Young Agri-Innovators Challenge The International Youth Day was attended by over 700 youth from Senior High Schools, youth groups, farm institutes, and tertiary institutions. At the event, a $20,000 Young Agri-Innovators Challenge was launched, giving young people between the ages of 15 and 25 the opportunity to secure varied start-up funds to launch their business or idea aimed at creating jobs or offering solutions in Ghanas agricultural sector, with the first prize being $10,000. The keynote speaker at the International Youth Day event, Nana Owusu-Achau, Chief Farmer at AgroKings, producers of the popular local rice, Nanas Rice, used the opportunity to stir up the youth's interest in agricultural solutions. Food systems controlled by foreigners We have a real issue at hand. In this country, our food systems are controlled by foreigners, and that is a problem. There's a foreign company that sells 50 tons of tilapia a day. That's almost 2 million cedis worth of sales daily. Another foreign company has a 13,000-acre farm producing banana in Ghana and exporting 40 containers of banana every day to Europe. Where are the Ghanaians? Where are the youth? If any of these foreign companies decide to stop doing business in Ghana, what will happen to the tilapia that we've developed such a taste for? What would happen to the tilapia we cherish? Our food systems need to be controlled by Ghanaians. Even the fufu-pounding machines are made by the Chinese. We could be producing our own fufu-pounding machines. Remarks by Nana Yaw Sarpong Otuo Siriboe The Akyempimhene of the Juaben Traditional Area and 2022 National Best Farmer, Nana Yaw Sarpong Otuo Siriboe I, who served as the chairman of the occasion, also urged the youth to move into the agricultural space to make a sustainable living. The Siriboe Farms CEO recounted the factors that drove him into the sector, saying, I entered agriculture as a means to make a sustainable living. The Gen-Zs these days don't look at sustainability in anything; they only think about living. That's why most of them spend time on betting. Those are transient. If you are making a living that is not sustainable, then you are not making a living. I entered into the agricultural space when I realized that everybody eats. So what is more sustainable than that? We have a lot of opportunities in the agricultural space. I didn't get into farming because of awards. All these awards just came along as a means of trying to have a sustainable living, the Akyempimhene noted. While urging the youth to dream big, he also admonished them to start on a small scale. Everything that I have done, I did it through agriculture. I bought my house through agriculture, and my car too. If you don't think big, you will lose opportunities when they come your way. Everything is possible; you have to think big, but you have to start small. One idea at a time, Nana Otuo Siriboe urged. Remarks by KNUST Vice Chancellor For her part, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, commended Agri-Impact and the Mastercard Foundation for the numerous youth-focused initiatives championed by both firms. While highlighting the worrying unemployment levels in Ghana, especially among the youth, Prof. Akosua Dickson said it is imperative to focus on sectors within the agricultural value chain while adopting innovative ways to help bridge this gap. Unemployment remains a challenge across the globe. It therefore calls for an all-hands-on-deck approach to solving the problem. In addressing this issue, it is crucial to focus on sectors such as agriculture and agribusiness while integrating appropriate digital technologies for the creation of jobs for our youth. Agriculture, as we know, is the backbone of our economy, providing livelihoods for millions. However, it has long been perceived as offering limited opportunities for the youth. This perception stems from a lack of innovation and modernization. Prof. Akosua Dickson said Ghana currently has an excellent opportunity to change this narrative by leveraging digital innovation to revitalize agriculture, making it not only profitable but also attractive to the youth. On this note, let me say that nurturing the school farms in our Senior High Schools must no longer be seen as a form of punishment to inject discipline into students when they go wrong, but must be an opportunity to guide and train students to enjoy and love exploring their creativity to improve productivity on our land, leading to future startups. 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 Telecel Ghanas life-changing More Money Promo continues to transform lives nationwide, as Prilla Kyerewaa, a 22-year-old supervisor and a recent high school graduate, grabs a whopping GHS30,000 in the weekly draw. Prilla, who works at a maternity shop in Accra, is the first female to claim the GHS30,000 weekly prize in the Telecel More Money Promo, breaking a streak of male winners from all over the country. Prillas path to winning GHS 30,000 in the Telecel More Money Promo is one filled with unexpected twists and pure joy. Initially, she didnt think much of the promo when she received the notification on her phone. " I saw the message, and activated it without much thought, she recalls. Like many Telecel users, Prilla regularly recharged her account, bought airtime, and even borrowed credit occasionally, but she never imagined these routine actions could lead to such a significant win. When she received the call informing her of the win, Prilla was in disbelief. "I thought it was a scam," Prilla admits, sharing how she and a colleague tried to call the number back, only to find it unreachable. It wasnt until later, when a friend confirmed that a Telecel number had been calling her, that she began to believe the incredible news. "When Mr. Richmond from Telecel called to officially inform me, I was so happy," she says, her excitement still palpable. "We were already making plans for the money!" For Prilla, the GHS 30,000 couldnt have come at a better time. As a recent graduate with dreams of returning to school, the financial boost was exactly what she needed. "This is a difficult time for me," Prilla explains. "Ive been praying for a way to make ends meet, and this win feels like a miracle. It came right when I needed it most." Prilla plans to invest part of her winnings to generate returns that will help fund her education next year. "I want to be independent. This money will help me start something small while Im in school, and the returns will go towards my school fees," she says confidently. She advises others not to overlook any opportunities. "Usually, I delete messages from Telecel without reading them, but this time I decided to activate the promo," she reflects. "For just a small amount spent on airtime, I won this huge sum. My advice is simple: when you see a message from Telecel, dont ignore it. It could change your life like it did mine." Richmond Sedor, Executive Head for Accra West at Telecel Ghana, expressed his excitement about Prilla's win: "We are thrilled to finally see a young woman win big in the Telecel More Money Promo. Prillas story is a testament to the incredible opportunities this promo offers to all our customers. At Telecel, we are committed to enriching the lives of our users, and this is just one example of how we are delivering on that promise. he stated. Telecel Ghanas More Money Promo is more than just a promotion, it is a celebration of the loyalty and dreams of its customers. With over 9,000 subscribers to be rewarded, including the luckiest winner of the GHS 1 million grand prize, every action from topping up airtime to buying data bundles, brings Telecel users closer to a life-changing win. Dont miss out on your chance to be the next big winner. Simply dial *500# or send WIN to 500 to join the promo today. You could be the next Prilla Kyerewaa, turning a simple recharge into a life-changing moment. The Telecel More Money Promo runs until the end of September, culminating in a grand finale where one lucky Telecel customer will walk away with a life-changing GHS 1 million! With thousands of Ghanaians set to win throughout the promo, there's no better time to join the Telecel family. 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 Minister for Public Enterprises Honourable Joseph Cudjoe has assured the media that government will continue to enhance corporate governance structures to make Specified Entities (SEs) functional and respond to national development. To achieve this, he hinted that government has developed and is implementing the State Ownership Policy (SOP) framework. to strengthen corporate governance within specified entities in Ghana. The Minister made these assertions at the Ministers Press Briefing in Accra today. The laws governing public enterprises, and their performance requires that they do report so that they can be overnighted well, reporting is done to parliament and to SIGA and reporting indirectly to myself for onward presentation to parliament. He stated. Hon. Cudjoe reiterated that the government has implemented various initiatives, including the establishment of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) and the development of a State Ownership Policy (SOP) framework. The State Ownership Policy (SOP) framework was introduced to guide Specified Entities (SEs). Since SIGAs establishment, we have seen the Public Enterprises signing performance contract and that has enabled SIGA to monitor their financial and operating performance, he noted. The Public Enterprises Minister also cited the development of a code of corporate governance and a comprehensive evaluation of 16 SEs under the Public Financial Management (PFM) for the Service Delivery Programme which is being funded by the World Bank & Government of Ghana. Emphasizing the importance of good corporate governance practices, transparency, accountability, and profitability in SEs, he said government was resolved to enhance performance and reporting for public enterprises. The Minister reiterated that Specified Entities would continue to play a significant role in the economy and opportunities exist for them to make real contributions to the development of the nation. 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 discovery of thousands of sharks sleeping together has raised more questions than it answers. Thousands of Port Jackson sharks were discovered in one place at a Bass Strait marine park. Source: NESP-IMAS A mysterious gathering of sharks on the ocean floor off Australias south coast has baffled scientists. Footage taken by an underwater robot shows thousands of sharks "tightly packed" together as they sleep. The Port Jackson sharks were found in exactly the same place within the 3,000-square-kilometre Beagle Marine Park in Bass Strait. But there was a strange detail experts noticed that theyd missed when they surveyed the area six years ago. "One of the really interesting things that we were able to discover this time around is it looks like an aggregation site of mainly females. We didn't see any males. Which poses more questions than answers for us, underwater imagery expert Dr Jacquomo Monk said. Monk is the leader of a team from University of Tasmania Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), which is working with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) to survey central Bass Strait with a remote controlled ocean vehicle. The project is designed to provide information to the park's managers so they can ensure the species that live there are being properly protected. A spectacular scene was relayed to us by a remotely operated vehicle equipped with seven cameras There were thousands of sharks tightly packed like a carpet spread across the seafloor, Monk added. You can see the sharks in the video below. Why are the sharks all in one place? While its known that the sexes live apart except for when theyre mating, whats drawing females to this specific location remains a puzzle. But the team suspects they could be gathering in preparation to mate, or its possible theres a food source nearby thats important to the population as it migrates north for egg-laying. Seeing them again does tell us that the area is important to them, Monk added. Dr Jacquomo Monk (left) and his team were surprised to find thousands of sharks on the ocean floor. Source: NESP-IMAS People living in NSW and Victoria are probably familiar with Port Jackson sharks, but they're normally just seen in smaller groups, of two to five. So seeing so many within just a few hundred metres was something Monk described as "really quite special". If you haven't seen a Port Jackson shark up close, you've probably seen one of their distinctive spiral-shaped eggs. Once the egg is laid, the mother will take it in her mouth and screw it into a crevice between rocks. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Sika Buor Fertilizer Hub has been adjudged Ghana's Most Outstanding Client- Satisfaction in Agro Trade and Technology Award at the just-ended 2024 Ghana Strategic Stakeholder Relationship Conference and Awards held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel on Friday, 9th August, in Accra. The prestigious achievement was in recognition of the company's stunning leadership qualities and exceptional dedication in providing quality Agro inputs such as Fertilizers, Improved Seeds, crop stimulants and crop protection products to farmers and also ensuring timely access to quality services for both the public and private sectors with excellent management skills. For them, the honour authenticates their continuous growth and contribution to the Ghanaian economy. The Ghana Strategic Stakeholder Relationship Conference and Awards scheme was organized by the Business Executive Group which seeks to identify, honour and celebrate a cross-section of the nations most influential and accomplished companies who are verified and constantly committed to building the nation and have used the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately the country. After receiving the prestigious award, Mr. Foster Kwabena Osei, the CEO of Sika Buor Fertilizer Hub, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the media for this remarkable achievement. According to him, the remarkable honour will motivate the team to work hard to continue introducing quality standard products and services for all. "I am really excited for such a great recognition at this stage. We started from a humble beginning but now we are so overwhelmed with this great achievement over the years. I dedicate this to our cherished stakeholders in the Agro sector especially our dear farmers for their unflinching support always. I do recall saying this at the Russian-African club summit held somewhere in August 2022 and I will continue to say it whenever given the platform. Its high time we change the narrative about Agriculture. It should not always be the case that a farmer would have to increase the size of his land to increase their yield and as a company we will continue to come up with innovations to put smiles on the faces of our customers and this, is to God and future generations. Sika Buor Fertilizer Hub has positioned itself as a leader in the agro-industry with credibility and reputation in the market, and it has also set a benchmark for others to follow. ABOUT SIKA BOUR FERTILIZER HUB Sika Bour Fertilizer Hub Limited is a subsidiary of the SIKA BOUR GROUP, a wholly Ghanaian-owned company. The journey began as Sika Bour Farms Enterprise, when they were dedicated to fostering agriculture growth through various initiatives including an out-grower scheme, mixed farming, input distribution, and the sale and rental of agro machinery. As the company evolved, they were excited to announce its desire to process Agro produce, which includes wheat flour, corn flour, maize granules, edible oil and more. To support their expanding operations and clarify their services, Sika Buor Group established Sika Buor Fertilizer Hub Limited, a specialized entity focused on the import and export, and distribution of agricultural inputs, as well as the sale and rental of state-of-the-art agricultural machinery, and the provision of expert advisory services. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A former member of the New Patriotic Party and leading member of the Movement of Change, Hopeson Adoye is caught up in a defamation summons over his amplification of the controversial AGYAPA document in circulation. Hopeson Adoye has been dragged to court by Mr. Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta, a State Secretary of the Ofori-Panin stool for referring to him as the author and Technical Director of the AGYAPADE document which is crafted to annex Ghanas property to members of the Ofori-Atta family and the Akyem people. Management of Media General operators of Onua TV and Onua Fm is also cited as 2nd Defendant in the suit on the grounds that, they are duty bound to ensure that the platform and resources it provides to its employees and panelists are not used to defame and/or infringe the rights and liberties of others. The defamation suit which is seeking a recovery of the sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis in General Damages including Aggravated and/or Exemplary Damages for Defamation by Hopeson Adoye (1st defendant) also seeks for an apology and retraction of the words complained of. The suite further seeks for a declaration of a perpetual injunction refraining the Defendants whether by themselves, their servants, agents or assigns from ripening similar or other defamatory words against the Plainfff. According to the writ of summons, on or about 26/07/2024, 1st Defendant appeared as a panelist on the 2nd Defendant's programme "Onua Maakye" a programme carried on 2nd Defendant's Onua TV among others. It said that, the 1st Defendant was given the unfettered and unrestrained opportunity and indeed was encouraged to run an unjustified commentary on and/or amplification of a document titled "Agyapadee" in relation to the Plaintiff, the entire membership of Ofori Panin Fie and Okyeman. According to the plaintiff, the document is deliberately littered with the images of the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin and Dr. J. B. Danquah, the insignia of Okyeman and scurrilous references made to the Plaintiff, Ken Ofori-Attah, Nana Asante Bediatuo among others all subjects of Ofori Panin Fie clearly to misrepresent it as emanating from Ofori Panin Fie. D. M. Ofori -Atta aver that, in their natural and ordinary meaning, the document and especially the commentary and/or amplifications thereon mean and are understood to mean that the Plaintiff authored the document as a scheme to conspire with others to steal, embezzle and covet national assets for their own use and to corrupt state institutions including the judiciary to amass wealth to themselves. Plaintiff says further that in their natural and ordinary meaning the document and the commentary and/or amplifications thereon also mean and are understood to mean that the Plaintiff, the Ofori Panin Fie and Okyeman are conniving, anti - nationalists, saboteurs, corrupt and abusers of public office, among others. Plaintiff avers emphatically that he has never authored, co - authored, written, co - written, provided a forward or any form of contribution towards the publication of the document, any other document, writing or discussion containing similar content as the said document or anything relating thereto and further states that the document does not emanate from Ofori Panin Fie or its subjects. It says that the document, a propagandist piece which did not pass muster, had been in idle circulation for sometime and largely ignored, has only now been given life by the 1st Defendant on 2nd Defendant's platform and repeated by 1st Defendant and others on other platforms thereafter. Plaintiff says that the matters contained in the document and amplified by the 1st Defendant on 2nd Defendant's platform though grave, are complete fabrications of devious minds and has caused serious harm to the reputation of the Plaintiff, members of the Ofori Pan-in Fie and indeed all subjects of Okyeman. The plaintiff added that the document and 1st Defendant's comments and/or amplifications thereon are not only absolutely false and scandalous but also callous and engineered to bring public resentment to the Plaintiff, the Ofori Pan-in Fie and the entire Okyeman. In consequence of the publication, the Plaintiff particularly, the Ofori Panin Fie and the entire Okyeman have suffered considerable distress and embarrassment. D.M Ofori-Atta aver that, the conduct of Hopeson Adoye, the Defendants has also generated a hate campaign against his person, the Ofori Panin Fie and the entire Okyeman. Read attached the Writ of summons Your browser does not support iframes. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Bernard Allotey Jacobs has taken a swipe at former President John Mahama over his promise to fine-tune Ghana's education sector. In an engagement with the youth during the launch of the Youth Manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama said Akufo-Addo's Free SHS policy has, over the years, is saddled with challenges due to inadequate infrastructure, funding and lack of motivation for teaching and non-teaching staff. Speaking at the auditorium of the University of Professional Studies, Accra, on Monday, August 12, Mr. Mahama proffered his solutions saying we shall decentralize the procurement of food and other supplies to the headmaster's school basis. In order to improve the quality of food and also boost the local economies in the district where the schools are located". He added; "We shall expand access by building more infrastructure in existing secondary schools, and we shall dedicate funding to completing the E blocks in order that more children can have the opportunity to go to school. Reacting to this manifesto during Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' panel discussion programme, the former NDC Central Regional Chairman, Allotey Jacobs doubted Mahama would commit to his promises to cancel the Free SHS double track system, provide free tertiary education and a fluid student loan payment among others if elected President again. To him, all these proposals by John Mahama are nothing but "an afterthought, something that can engineer noise-making". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former NDC Central Regional Chairman, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has advised Ghanaians not to fall for the tricks of politicians. With this year being an electioneering year, some presidential aspirants have set their campaigns in motion. Primarily, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, and John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC), are on campaign tours canvassing Ghanaians to vote for them. In line with this, former President John Mahama on Monday, August 12, launched the Youth Manifesto of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and made promises to Ghanaians. Mr. Mahama stated among others that, if elected President again, he would establish a free tertiary education system and also make student loans more accessible as well as streamline the free SHS policy of the incumbent government by abolishing the double track system. Allotey Jacobs, commenting during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, took Mahama's promises with a pinch of salt. He doubted Mahama's commitment to implement these policies, hence cautioning Ghanaians not to allow themselves to be used by politicians. "Politicians look at us as being gullible to the extent that we have to accept anything and everything even when the thing is unrealistic," he stated. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video It was a day of emotions when Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh bid adieu to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) executives in Manhyia South on Wednesday. Popularly known as Napo, the astute politician faithfully served the people of Manhyia South for four terms before being nominated as the NPP running mate for 2024. Dr. Prempeh, who is a down-to-earth person, officially thanked Manhyia South party executives and members for their unflinching support over the years on Wednesday. In a low tone, he remarked Its extremely difficult to say goodbye to my beloved Manhyia South Constituency after 16 consecutive years of service to my people. According to him, everything that has begun has an end therefore he was leaving Manhyia South to take up a new challenge as the NPP vice presidential candidate. Napo therefore appealed passionately to the Manhyia South residents, especially the NPP executives and members, to continue to support him in his new position. Addressing the NPP executives and members in Manhyia South, Napo said even though his days as Manhyia South MP were over, he would continue to support the area. Lawyer Baffuor Awuah will be succeeding me as your MP so please make me the Abusuapanin to wit head of family in Manhyia South Constituency, henceforth. According to him, his new role as Abuasuapanin would enable him to continue to serve and play crucial roles towards the effective development of the constituency. Napo concluded by advising his constituents to faithfully support Lawyer Baffuor Awuah, his successor, to win the impending election and sustain the development of the area. 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 Nana Efa Apenteng, the Omanhene of the Bompata Tradition Area in the Asante Akyem South Constituency, has lauded the NPP government for bringing unprecedented developments to his area, particularly in terms of road construction and the provision of social amenities such as schools and health facilities. According to him, the government is not trumpeting its achievements loud enough for the Ghanaian people to fully appreciate. And that, in his 43 years of rule, hes not witnessed the kind of developments undertaken by this government. The Omanhene therefore called on the governing party and its communicators to do more in trumpeting these achievements not only in his area but across the country. Nana Appenteng made these remarks at a durbar of chiefs and people of Juaso, the capital of Asante Akyem Constituency in the Ashanti Region. The durbar, which was also attended by members of the clergy, was held in honour of the Vice Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh on Thursday, 15th August 2024, who is on a campaign tour. Dr. Prempeh used the occasion to thank the chiefs and people of the constituency for their unalloyed support and loyalty to the fortunes of the NPP over the years. He pleaded with them to continue to put their trust in the NPP as it is the only party in Ghana that keeps its social contract. He thus asked them to vote massively for his boss, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the partys Parliamentary Candidate, Lawyer Kwaku Asante-Boateng in the December polls. The encourage of the NPP Running Mate includes Hon. Kennedy Agyapong (MP, Assin Central and former Presidential Aspirant; Buttey Smith (National 1st Vice Chairman); Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Ashanti Regional Chairman) and a host of others. 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 Trading activities in major markets in Accra came to a standstill today as thousands of traders and commuters mobbed the running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, during her tour of some markets in the capital. Chanting slogans for change and maameo dendey, the traders waved their cover clothes while some rolled their hands and danced to the NDCs music with excitement, praying for a return of the party to power. The markets that Prof. Opoku-Agyemang visited included the Mallam Atta, Kaneshie and Makola Markets, where she also interacted with the leadership of the traders and commercial drivers' unions. At the Mallam Atta Market, hundreds of traders left their wares to welcome Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, who assured them of better economic environment and livelihoods under the next NDC government. According to the traders, the economic difficulties and the high cost of doing business in the country were collapsing their enterprises. They therefore expressed their desire for a remedy. Addressing the traders at the Mallam Atta Market, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang assured them that the NDC government will implement policies that will be beneficial to ordinary Ghanaians. She explained the partys proposed establishment of a Womens Development Bank which seeks to provide loans with flexible payment terms to female traders, describing it as an innovative initiative to empower women financially and improve the lot of women and households. "This visionary initiative will address the financial challenges facing women whose trading businesses are collapsing, she said. Touching on the deplorable conditions in the markets, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the NDC has a plan for the rehabilitation of markets across the country, indicating that a facelift for the Mallam Atta Market would be considered. "As you all know, the NDC delivers on its promises when in government," she said, citing several market infrastructure projects as proof of the partys track record. To be able to return to power to reset the country and build the Ghana we want together, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang urged them to vote massively for the NDC flagbearer, Mr John Mahama, and the NDC parliamentary candidates in the upcoming December general elections. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video By Rodrigo Torrejon, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) Police identified the 25-year-old man who was riding a bicycle in South Philadelphia on Wednesday night when three gunmen shot at him at least 40 times, killing him in what police say was an execution-style slaying. Shortly after 7 p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting at 15th Street and Snyder Avenue. When officers arrived, they found Kaishef Johnson, 25, of the 2200 block of South 22nd Street, lying on the pavement of Snyder Avenue, still straddling his mountain bike, police said. Johnson had been shot multiple times in the upper body and head, according to police, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said Johnson was riding his bicycle on the 1500 block of Snyder Avenue when three men wearing masks and gloves and dressed all in black jumped out of a burgundy Nissan parked at the intersection of 15th Street and Snyder Avenue and fired dozens of shots at him. The gunmen then got back into the Nissan and fled eastbound on Snyder Avenue toward Broad Street, police said. Officers found the getaway car abandoned at 2000 South Front Street at around 11 p.m. Wednesday. Investigators found at least 40 spent shell casings at the scene of the shooting, some lying just inches from Johnsons body. Police said they believe the shooting was targeted because surveillance footage shows the gunmen standing over Johnson and continuing to fire after he fell to the ground. The motive for the shooting was unclear, authorities said. At Johnsons South Philadelphia home on Thursday, his family declined immediate comment as they grappled with their loss. On Thursday, the sounds of the morning rush of commuters waiting for the bus on Snyder Avenue and grabbing a breakfast pastry from nearby Okie Dokie Donutscould be heard at the scene of the shooting, a block away from Broad Street and about the same distance from the Passyunk Avenue business district. The remnants of the previous nights gunfire were barely visible, with a torn piece of police crime scene tape flapping in the wind and what appeared to be bullet holes in the asphalt of Snyder Avenue visible. Around 7 p.m., Jessica Yang, one of the co-owners of nearby BH Grocery, heard what she first thought might be firecrackers. Soon, she realized she was hearing gunshots, and said Thursday that she heard between 12 and 15 shots. Yang, who has owned the convenience store with her husband for about seven years, said the area is generally safe, and she could recall only one other shooting four years earlier. The owner of a daycare center steps away from where Johnson was killed pointed out what she said were bullet holes in the street, alarmed at how close the shooting was to her business. The owner, who asked to not to be identified for safety reasons, said the daycare center was closed when the shots rang out and that the area, where the daycare center has operated since 2012, was usually safe. Its never happened here, the woman said Thursday morning. Its always been safe. Its gentrified. We do our best to keep everyone safe, she added. The kids safe. Wednesday nights shooting is the third in the last four weeks that police have described as targeted, execution-style attacks. Sixteen-year-old Jamil Wyatt was killed last month while out getting groceries for the family that had taken him in. Surveillance footage obtained by The Inquirer shows at least three gunmen chasing Wyatt down a driveway and shooting him. Police said the gunmen stood over the teen and shot him at close range. Late last month, Raheem Jefferson had just parked in the lot of Al-Aqsa Islamic Society, on the 1500 block of Germantown Avenue, and was walking toward the mosque for a prayer service when a man ran up behind him and fired at least 17 times from a large-caliber semiautomatic handgun, killing him, police said. Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call homicide detectives at 215-686-3334. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling or texting the Philadelphia Police Department tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477). A $20,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction. (c)2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By FARNOUSH AMIRI and ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) The Squad, a group of progressive lawmakers in the House, is set to shrink next year after two members suffered primary defeats this election cycle following an unprecedented deluge of special interest spending. The primary losses for Reps. Cori Bush in Missouri and Jamaal Bowman in New York came over the summer and dealt a blow to the progressive faction, which had amassed considerable clout within the Democratic Party since its initial rise in 2018. The cohort of Black and brown lawmakers including Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of New York and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania became the target of pro-Israel PACs like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, late last year after members criticized Israels response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Eight months later, AIPACs super political action committee, United Democracy Project, helped unseat Bush and Bowman after pouring nearly $25 million combined into those races. Still, there were other factors that contributed to the defeat of Bush and Bowman beyond their position Israel, raising questions as to what extent voters rejected their progressive politics. Another member of the Squad, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, easily won her primary Tuesday against a repeat challenger despite voting similarly to Bush and Bowman over the last two years and being a vocal critic of Israel. Heres how the three Democratic primary races played out: FILE - Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., listens to fellow speakers before President Joe Biden speaks on the debt limit during an event at SUNY Westchester Community College, May 10, 2023, in Valhalla, N.Y. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)AP Bowman New Yorks 16th District Bowman was particularly vulnerable this election cycle because of redistricting. The new map of his the district eliminated most sections of the Bronx and added more of Westchester Countys suburbs, greatly narrowing the number of Black voters who were key to Bowmans reelection effort. Then Bowman drew a strong challenger in well-known county executive George Latimer, a centrist with more than three decades of political experience in the Westchester area. Latimer entered the race with the support of Jewish leaders in the district who were upset with Bowmans critical stance on Israel. He also enjoyed hefty financial backing from AIPACs super PAC, which poured about $15 million in the race to support him. The contest was largely shaped by Bowmans position on Israel. Latimer hammered the incumbent as more focused on Israel than the needs of the district. Latimer also flexed his deep regional knowledge to make the case to voters that he could would be a more effective member of Congress. Bowman, who was seeking a third term, also had to fend off persistent criticism over triggering a fire alarm in a House building while lawmakers were working on a funding bill. He said it was unintentional, but the incident drew waves of embarrassing coverage and he was censured by the House for his actions. Bush Missouris 1st District The focus of campaign ads against Bush in the final weeks before her August primary against St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell was not her scathing criticism of Israel or its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, but instead a vote that she and five of her Squad colleagues took in late 2021. United Democracy Project, which spent more than $8.4 million against Bush, began airing ads in the local media market that highlighted the 48-year-olds vote against a bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law by President Joe Biden and supported by the majority of the Democrats in Congress. This infrastructure bill that Joe Biden passed has been so good for working people in St. Louis, one voter said during the 30-second ad. Cori Bush voted against it. Another added, She voted against our jobs. Bush, Bowman, Omar and other progressives defended their vote against the bill at the time, saying it was a necessary stance as they fought for passage of a separate social and environmental package. But their vote on the bill only became a campaign issue for Bush. Allies of Bush say the campaign to defeat her wouldnt have been possible had Bell not had the support of outside groups like UDP, which spent more than $400,000 to air the half-minute spot, according to data from the media tracking firm AdImpact. If you asked any any voter in any of these districts at the start of this cycle, Do you know how your member of Congress voted on the infrastructure bill? no one would say yes, Usamah Andrabi, a spokesman for the progressive Justice Democrats, told The Associated Press. No one was thinking about a vote that happened three years ago for a bill that passed. Beyond her legislative record, Bush faced a series of public and personal scandals of her own in the last few years, including an ongoing Justice Department investigation into her campaign spending. FILE - Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 25, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)AP Omar Minnesotas 5th District Omar managed to avoid the fate of her two fellow Squad members and had several things going in her favor. First, the African-born congresswoman, who has broken many firsts since being elected to the House in 2018, had the advantage during her primary Tuesday of having previously defeated her challenger. In 2022, former Minneapolis city councilman Don Samuels came just two percentage points short of beating Omar with the help of UDP, which spent six figures in the race. This time around, the third-term lawmaker took the threat posed by Samuels and a potential influx of AIPAC money much more seriously. I think the congresswoman and her team understood that there needed to be a lot of work to remind people in that district about what type of leadership she brought, Andrabi said. And I think she exemplified that. Omar also raised a lot more money for the primary, with her campaign reporting that it raised around $6.2 million. Samuels, on the other hand, raised about $1.4 million. What I was hoping is that a strong ground game and an attention to the details of folks who felt left out would trump an overwhelming superiority in dollars, Samuels said in a recent AP interview. Clearly money matters a little more in politics than I had hoped. Omars substantial fundraising advantage, coupled with the endorsements of Minnesotas Democratic Party and progressive leaders like Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, helped her win by nearly 14 points. And possibly the most important factor in her race was that groups like AIPAC ultimately didnt get involved despite threatening to unseat any candidate they deemed insufficiently pro-Israel. Izaguirre reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in St. Louis and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report. The woman admits it's an 'expensive' lesson after she was caught by a roadside camera. A Sydney woman was fined $410 and three demerit points for wearing her seatbelt incorrectly. Source: TikTok As roadside cameras continue to get more advanced on Aussies roads, one woman is the latest to get caught out and cop a fine for a simple wrongdoing while travelling as a passenger. Dual technology has been introduced to mobile detection cameras across NSW in recent months, meaning mobile phone use is detected as well as incorrect seatbelt wear. The Sydney woman was snapped wearing her seatbelt the wrong way a safety rule that applies to passengers as well as drivers. While travelling past the camera, she wore her seatbelt under her arm, rather than across her shoulder. The small detail will not only set back the driver $410 but also three demerit points, with the woman admitting it's an "expensive lesson learnt". NSW Police are able to fine passengers on the spot as well if they see a passenger 16 years or over not wearing a seatbelt correctly. "I think the fine should be passed onto the passenger, but law say it's [the] drivers responsibility," the woman wrote on social media. More than 11,400 fines issued in six weeks Since the new technology was introduced to NSW roadside cameras on July 1, more than 11,400 fines have been issued to drivers for incorrect seatbelt use in a vehicle. One Aussie dad learnt this lesson the hard way after his daughter wore her seatbelt incorrectly and was caught by a roadside camera twice in two weeks, resulting in fines totalling $2,156. Queensland issues even tougher fines than NSW, with those caught incorrectly wearing a seatbelt fined $1,078 and four demerit points. Those in Victoria are fined $395 and given three demerit points. The crackdown that is happening among state and territory authorities across the country comes as the nation's road death toll hits a 12 year high. About 110 Australians died on roads every month during the past year, in the deadliest period in more than a decade, according to the latest figures. A 10.2 per cent spike in deaths in the year to July 31 meant 1,327 people were killed on Australian roads, a figure that hadn't been achieved since October 2012. The decade-long National Road Safety Strategy that aimed to halve road deaths by 2030 is nowhere near achieving its objective. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The fire that broke out at a popular Sea Isle City restaurant Wednesday night caused the roof to cave in, according to a statement posted on social media by the restaurants owner. Were heartbroken to share that Casa Taco was engulfed in flames, and the roof collapsed in, HiYT Development posted Wednesday night on social media on behalf of the restaurants owner, Victor Loaeza. Images and video from the scene posted on social media showed flames rising from the restaurant Wednesday. The staff at Casa Taco reported a fire at the restaurant at 5:06 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said in press release. Sea Isle City emergency responders arrived at the restaurant on Park Road one minute later to find the restaurant already evacuated, authorities said. Firefighters checked to confirm the entire building was evacuated and Sea Isle City police evacuated adjacent buildings as a precaution, authorities said. Fire departments from Avalon, Marmora, Ocean City, Ocean View and Strathmere responded to the scene as well, and the fire was under control within an hour, according to officials. No injuries were reported, but Casa Taco sustained extensive damage while a connected restaurant, Casino Pizza, was damaged in the fire as well. Both restaurants were the only two businesses in the commercial building at 4210 Park Road, officials said. The fire is currently under investigation by the Sea Isle City Police Department along with the Cape May County and state fire marshals. The most important thing is that everyone is safe, Loaeza said in the post Wednesday. We cant thank our fire departments and emergency personnel enough for their quick response and bravery. Well keep you updated as we move forward. Loaeza did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday. The phone number for Casino Pizza was inoperable Thursday. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X A cottage industry has appeared online after Gillians Wonderland Pier in Ocean City announced they were closing permanently in the fall. Ride tickets, or credits as the park refers to them on their website, are still valid for use at the pier for the next few months and are being sold on social media at steep discounts. Jay Gillian, owner of Gillians Wonderland Pier announced Friday that he was closing the park after 94 years, citing business conditions that made operations untenable. Gillian, whos family has owned and operated the iconic Wonderland Pier at the north end of the Ocean City boardwalk is also the mayor of Ocean City. Advertisements and offers for tickets abound on Facebook. Some have offered up their tickets for half price while others have offered steeper discounts. One person advertised a batch of five cards with $50 worth of tickets, a $250 value for just $100. Another person advertised 429 tickets for half price at $214. Prices fluctuate online from one person to the next, but they appear to be selling quickly. Rides at Wonderland Pier run between four and six tickets per ride with the Giant Wheel, MonoRail and log flume requiring six tickets or credits. The park advertises $1 for each credit with increased savings for higher totals up to 250 credits for $200 dollars. Most of the people selling tickets offered to meet buyers at Guest Services to verify the amount of tickets left on the cards. A manager at Wonderland Pier did not immediately return a request for comment about the secondary market for tickets Thursday. Gillian could not be reached for comment Thursday. Since Gillian announced the closing of Wonderland Pier, questions have been raised about the ultimate fate of the property. A Change.org petition was launched on Aug. 11 to rally support for the future of the pier and has 367 signatures Thursday towards the goal of 500. Eustace Mita, who entered a partnership with Gillian and purchased the boardwalk property for $10 million in 2021 just before it went up for auction at a sheriffs sale, said Friday that he was evaluating next step. As far as the future goes, Wonderland is a landmark site in Ocean City and Cape May County, Mita told NJ Advance Media Friday. We will take till the end of the year to evaluate whats best for the city and whats best for this landmark site. It deserves first class treatment from us and thats how we intend to approach it. One of the more creative declarations of support for saving vestiges of the amusement park targeted the piers Giant Wheel, a landmark in Ocean City. Social media posts have wondered what will happen to the iconic ride. One pair of surfers snapped a picture of themselves holding a sign out on the water that said Save Ferris with the ride in the background. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X Post Malones new country album, F-1 Trillion, is out today, Aug. 16. The album includes his collaborations with a long list of country superstars - Pour Me A Drink with Blake Shelton, I Had Some Help with Morgan Wallen, Guy For That with Luke Combs and Have The Heart with Dolly Parton. On Wednesday of this week, before the release, Malone made his debut at the historic Grand Ole Opry. Fans will get to hear more on Malones F-1 Trillion tour, which kicks off on Sept. 8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. That tour includes a stop you dont want to miss - Friday, Sept. 20, at Hersheypark Stadium. Fans can buy tickets to the Hershey concert here (prices are as of the time of this publication): Malone also will perform on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton. Fans can buy tickets here: Malone also will be a headliner at the Global Citizen Festival on Saturday, Sept. 28, in Central Park, New York City, New York. The festival also features Doja Cat, Rauw Alejandro and Jelly Roll. Fans can buy F-1 Trillion for $22.88 from Walmart. Note: Acosta-Lazardo was located and safe at home. Police in Lebanon County are looking for a 74-year-old man who they said went missing sometime in the last 24 hours. Prospero D. Acosta-Lazardo was last seen near the first block of South 9th Street in Lebanon, but police did not provide a last known clothing description for the man. Acosta-Lazardo has known medical issues and has had sporadic contact with his family since around 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to Lebanon City Police. Police said Acosta-Lazardo might be attempting to return to Lebanon from the Lancaster area. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call Lebanon City Police at 717-272-2054. A proposed ballot question that would ban Pittsburgh from doing business with companies that have financial ties to Israel has fueled charges of antisemitism and drawn Pennsylvanias U.S. senators into the fray. Earlier this month, the Democratic Socialists of Americas Pittsburgh chapter submitted a petition to the city to put the question to voters this November. By Dan Nephin, LNP, Lancaster, Pa. (TNS) A former top prosecutor in the Lancaster County District Attorneys office who unexpectedly resigned in May has been charged with a hit-and-run that occurred in the city earlier that month. Lancaster city police charged Christine Leigh Wilson, 49, of Manheim Township, on Thursday. According to charging documents and the department, Wilson was driving her BMW SUV north on North Water Street shortly after 7 p.m. on May 17 when she failed to stop at a stop sign at West Walnut and struck a 2006 Hyundai Accent that was in the intersection. Wilson then kept going without exchanging information with the other driver as required by law. The other driver remained until police arrived. Lancaster Safety Coalition camera video helped lead police to Wilson. So-called hit-and-runs that do not involve serious injury or death are covered by three different laws in Pennsylvania. Depending on severity, the maximum punishment ranges from a fine for the least serious offense to up to one year in jail, or a $2,500 fine, or both, for more serious situations. Wilson was charged with a more serious offense, referred to in the criminal code as Accidents involving damage to attended vehicle or property. It is graded as a third-degree misdemeanor. Wilson was also charged with a stop sign violation, a summary offense that has a penalty of a fine and three points on a persons drivers license. Wilson referred LNP LancasterOnline to her attorney, Jack McMahon of Philadelphia. McMahon said no one was injured and he said alcohol was not involved as you can see from the docket. He declined to answer questions about what happened, saying he was not going to get into details of the case. He said Wilson, who he got to know as a defense attorney on cases she prosecuted, told him she was privileged to serve the residents of Lancaster County for 20 years. Resignation Wilson unexpectedly resigned from the District Attorneys office on May 24 a week after the hit-and-run. She did not provide two weeks notice. She was paid $103,059 a year. In a statement, Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said, I am grateful for the work that Ms. Wilson did over the course of her career that impacted not only this office, but our community. As prosecutors and administrators of justice we are held to a higher standard and for that reason and given all the circumstances involved, I accepted Ms. Wilsons resignation. The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office is prosecuting the case due to the conflict of interest with the county DAs office, Adams said. Wilson started her career with the county as an intern in the office during the summer of 2003. She told LNP LancasterOnline for a 2020 profile that from an early age, she wanted to be a lawyer, like her father, who was a corporate lawyer. When she was 12, she said, she decided she wanted to be a prosecutor, obtaining justice for victims. Wilson was involved in prosecuting a number of high-profile cases, including Raymond Rowe, David Sinopoli and, most recently, Jere Bagenstose. Rowe was a once-popular local entertainer known as DJ Freez, who pleaded guilty in January 2019 to the 1992 rape and murder of 25-year-old sixth-grade teacher Christy Mirack in her East Lampeter Township apartment. Rowe had never been a suspect in the killing until 2018 when genetic genealogy led detectives to Rowe; crime scene DNA matched DNA that Rowes half-sister uploaded to a public genealogy database. Investigators obtained Rowes DNA from chewing gum he discarded. The case was among the earliest uses in the country of genetic genealogy, which involves comparing DNA collected at a crime scene in this case, Rowes semen to DNA indexed by commercial and government testing labs. The same technology was used to solve the Dec. 5, 1975, stabbing death of 19-year-old Lindy Sue Biechler in her Manor Township apartment. It was the countys oldest cold case. Like Rowe, Beichlers killer, Sinopoli, had never been a suspect. Then, in December 2021, genetic genealogy pointed investigators to him. A DNA sample from a coffee cup investigators saw Sinopoli discard at Philadelphia International Airport matched DNA samples taken from blood on Biechlers pantyhose. Sinopoli was arrested at his East Hempfield Township home in July 2022. He pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and related charges in October 2023. He was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison And until her resignation, Wilson had been prosecuting Bagenstose, who is charged with homicide in the presumed death of his estranged wife, Maryann. Prosecutors contend she is dead because there is no record of any human activity by her since she was seen on June 5, 1984. Bagenstose, of Pequea Township, is scheduled for trial in October. In 2023, Wilson ran as a Republican to fill the Manheim Township district judge seat vacated by the retiring David Miller. She lost to Courtney Monson, a Democrat. (c)2024 LNP (Lancaster, Pa.) Visit LNP (Lancaster, Pa.) at lancasteronline.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. It has been an absolutely brutal couple of years for Vince McMahon as far as the headlines go, and this week brought another one that would not have been good for the former WWE owner. That headline? Well, multiple reports began to circulate online that the 78-year-olds health has been rapidly declining. That is not the case, though, his lawyer, Jessica Rosenberg, told Wrestlenomics Brandon Thurston. Vinces health is fine, she said in a statement to Thurston. We have no idea where the rumor that he has had health issues came from, but it is not true. PWInsider.com reported that the rumors began to take hold after Lee Cole, the brother of former WWE employee Lee Cole, commented on McMahons health on a YouTube Broadcast. My source is somebody that worked for the McMahons for seven years, Cole said, according to SB Nation. That is my source. Its somebody that knows the McMahons. Its someone that Linda speaks to. Linda may not want to hear that, but thats just the way it is. SB Nation said that McMahon, who turns 79 on Aug. 24, was spotted last year using a cane and appeared noticeably thinner and frail after undergoing spinal surgery. McMahon was accused of sex trafficking among other things by former WWE employee Janel Grant in a lawsuit filed in January. She has paused her case, per SB Nation, at the request of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York as a federal investigation takes place. A 54-year-old caretaker was charged with 5 felonies and one misdemeanor after police say he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl over two years inside his Lebanon and Dauphin County homes. Chandra Subedi, of Lebanon County, acted as a caretaker for the family and was listed as an emergency contact for the girl at her school, according to North Londonderry Township police. He used his access to the girl to molest her nearly every day, police said. The investigation into Subedi began in January when North Londonderry Township police received a call from a high school counselor who had been alerted by email to potential sexual abuse of the girl, who was a student there. The school nurse made a referral to ChildLine, as required by law and the counselor shared the email with police. Grace Bentkowski, a creative producer for the NewsNation cable network, was killed last month in an accident at a Chicago train station while crossing ground-level tracks with a group of other commuters. She was 22. Her death just came to public attention this week. In a statement released Wednesday, NewsNation mourned Bentkowski, calling her a rising star at the network. Her passion for journalism and eagerness to learn the ropes was infectious and her willingness to jump in and learn the TV news business was inspiring to her colleagues, the statement read published by Deadline. Grace was one of those rare people who brought light into any room in which she entered. We are heartbroken for her loved ones and family, and she will never be far from our hearts, the network said. Bentkowski was a recent graduate from Indianas Ball State University in May and was hired as an associate creative producer with NewsNation, where she previously worked as an intern covering Indianas local election. The incident took place at Chicagos Hegewisch South Shore station on July 25 as the journalist was commuting home to Dyer, Indiana. It happened due to the stations odd configuration, where, in order to reach a parking lot at the station, riders must walk over the tracks. Bentkowski was walking over the tracks when she was struck by the train. She was transported to the nearby University of Chicago Medical Center with internal injuries. She underwent emergency surgery and was pronounced dead hours later. Her father, Phil Bentkowski, told local news outlet WGN there is a lack of signage or other safety measures at the station, including no safety arm where patrons have to cross the westbound and eastbound tracks. Bentkowskis family said that a large concrete pillar obstructed her view as she followed other commuters across the tracks. Its such a safety issue. This is 2024. I dont know why there are no stop, look, listen safety signs. It doesnt make sense, Phil Bentkowski said.She was thrown 50 feet. Her phone wasnt damaged, she wasnt on it and had her AirPods in her purse, her father said. The only thing in her hand was her car keys. Grace Bentkowskis death is under investigation by railway operator Metra and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, according to WGN. Metra is in touch with NICTD to review the circumstances of this tragic incident, the rail agency said in a statement, per WGN. We extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this young woman. In a statement, the NICTD said it firmly believes the station, as designed in 2006, is safe, but that it is installing warning signage and reaching out to an engineering firm to determine what it will take to add active warning to the pedestrian crossings, WGN reported. Want a say in the news? Email Claudia at todayinpa@pennlive.com to have your thoughts on the stories covered here or on PennLive heard. You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa on any of your favorite apps including Alexa, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit! Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | August 16, 2024 A school district in one city is thinking about closing over a dozen schools. A case in Pennsylvania is among those suing the FTCs move to ban noncompetes. State troopers stop people at similar rates no matter what their race or ethnicity, according to a new report. And a zoo celebrates a new addition with cake. Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa., a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa. is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa. Todays episode refers to the following articles: If you enjoy Today in Pa., consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, wed like to know what you think about the program, too. As sponsored by Renewal by Anderson of Central PA. Despite garnering some negative attention online, the electric car owner's seemingly bold move is not what it seems. Australians were quick to erupt over the Tesla's car park move, before the truth was revealed. Source: Facebook Whether you love them or hate them, it's no secret that Teslas and electric cars are a source of constant controversy around Australia. A photo circulating of a Tesla driver's act in a car park was quick to ignite a strong reaction from fellow EV owners. The image shows a white Tesla parked at a supercharger station in Yandina on Queensland's Sunshine Coast with a massive boat being towed behind it. The boat is seemingly blocking the entire car park. Aussies were quick to brand the driver's move a "poor effort" and "lazy" but the truth is far more surprising. "This charger is designed for EVs with a trailer to drive in forward," Aussie Tesla owner Stephen told Yahoo News Australia. "There is a clear area with no parking spaces where the trailer is, so that it is not blocking anyone's path." It's a welcome sight for Stephen who said previously when he travelled with his boat he would "need to disconnect the trailer to reverse into the charger. This saves a lot of time and effort." Another angle shows the supercharger is at the end of the car park and would not obstruct other drivers. Source: Plugshare Tesla's move proves ScoMo's bold trailer claim wrong The convenient design change is a far cry from the absurd claims from then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison who in 2019 declared that an electric vehicle would never be able to tow a boat or trailer. "[An electric vehicle] won't tow your trailer. It's not going to tow your boat. It's not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family," he told reporters in comments that drew widespread derision at the time. Now in Yandina stands a physical testament to the ridiculousness of his statement as six Superchargers are available to both Tesla and other brands of electric cars, with one space at the end of the car park for cars that are towing boats or caravans. And the availability of charging spaces for those towing is growing across the country. In April, it was reported by the Tesla owners club of Western Australia that four trailer-friendly supercharging stations opened to cater to drive-thru fast charging. Electric car towing and charging remains a challenge for drivers Despite the welcome sight at select car parks across Australia, towing electric cars continue to face challenges. Yahoo previously reported a Tesla that was forced to mount the kerb to power up with a caravan trailer being towed behind. Carola Jonas, CEO and Founder of Everty, a software platform for EV charging stations, previously told Yahoo it's a problem charging station owners and operators must "pay close attention to". One EV towing a trailer which does not fit in an ordinary charging bay. Source: EV Stealth Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. By Maddie Hanna, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) The Souderton school board abruptly ended a meeting Wednesday night, after being interrupted by area residents who wanted to address a board members vulgar comment about Vice President Kamala Harris. For weeks, district parents and other local residents have demanded the resignation of the board member, Bill Formica, who wasnt in attendance Wednesday. Formica had posted on X that Harris blew a lot of dudes, in response to another users post asking to name ONE THING this chick has accomplished, politically? The board member appears to have since deleted his account. Facing the public for the first time since a petition began circulating on July 31 calling for Formica to step down, board member Stephen Nelson told the crowd in the districts administrative building that the boards practice during committee meetings was to limit public comment to items on the agenda. It is abundantly clear that the controversy around Formica does not have a direct nexus to the curriculum agenda, Nelson told the crowd, adding that people could make comments during the boards next meeting on Aug. 29. As people shouted, Nelson said: Were not amending the agenda, directing security personnel to escort a woman out. Heres the deal, Superintendent Frank Gallagher told the room. Neither the board nor the administration has the ability by law to remove Mr. Formica. The crowd continued to call out, and the board ended the meeting. Formica, who was appointed to the board last summer and won election in November as part of a slate of Republican candidates, did not respond to a request for comment. Parents and teachers have criticized Formicas post as sexist and misogynistic, and also say he has a history of making offensive comments, including on LGBTQ issues. In a statement responding to community criticism earlier this month, the district said Formica had used inappropriate language and poor judgment. It asked for time for the board to process this situation. (c)2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Rescue crews in Philadelphia are searching for the driver of a car that went into the Schuylkill River on Friday morning. The vehicle veered off along the 1200 block of Kelly Drive, near the Girard Avenue Bridge, at around 3:45 a.m., according to 6ABC and NBC10. Anthony Manduzio told the news outlets he was fishing near the area when he saw the car go into the water. I saw a car coming on Kelly Drive at high speeds, slam on the brake right before they got to Girard Bridge, throw it into reverse, he said to 6ABC. Manduzio said he called 911, tried to flag down other drivers, and then attempted to get into the water to rescue the driver. So Im going into the water about knee-deep, Im screaming hello and Im throwing rocks at the windshield, got no response. 911 told me to not go into the water, he said. Crews are currently searching for the black sedan. Australian travellers leaving the country are being urged to subscribe to Smartraveller for the latest updates. Source: Supplied Two worrying new viruses are impacting travellers around the globe, sparking warnings from medical experts. Alarmed by the rapid spread of Mpox, the World Health Organization declared a Health Emergency of International Concern on Thursday. But an outbreak of the little-known Oropouche virus has also been confirmed. And its been detected in Europe for the first time, with authorities revealing this week that 19 cases were imported from South America in June and July. Asked about the spread of Oropouche virus, Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it keeps all Smartraveller travel advisories under close review. [This includes] regularly and carefully assessing the risks to Australians overseas and providing the latest information, it said in a statement. Tourists warned to avoid insects when overseas Oropouche (pronounced o-ro-push) is spread through infected midges or mosquitoes, and the infected Europeans had recently returned from holiday in Cuba and Brazil. The UK Health Security Agency warned travellers visiting South America to avoid insect bites, and said pregnant women should be particularly vigilant. The midge that carries Oropouche virus is not currently established in Europe. It is typically found in the Americas. There is no evidence that the virus can spread from person to person, the Agencys Dr Philip Veal said. Related: Aussie airport identified as potential breeding site for exotic disease-carrying insect Travellers to Brazil and Cuba are being urged to avoid insect bites. Source: Getty While Oropouche has been known since 1955, its making headlines now because the virus has been spread to roughly 8,000 people and deaths have been recorded for the first time. Two women in Brazil were confirmed to have died from the virus in 2024 and another suspected case is under investigation. It's speculated the outbreak could have been triggered by heavy rains associated with climate change. Increasingly hot weather is expected to eventually allow tropical diseases to become established in new places, including mainland Australia. What are the symptoms of Oropouche virus? Like Zika virus, it has also now been linked to miscarriage, abortion and deformities of the foetus, as it appears to be transferred from the mother to the child during pregnancy. The virus is rarely fatal, but symptoms often include nausea, fever with headache, vomiting, as well as pains in the muscles and joints. Given the relatively high number of travellers between Europe and affected countries such as Brazil or Cuba, it is likely we will continue to see sporadic cases of Oropouche fever in returning travellers in Europe, Dr Benjamin Brennan from MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research said. Aussies told to be aware of mpox symptoms as cases spike On Friday morning, the NSW Health Department issued a warning, urging the community "to be aware of symptoms of mpox following a recent increase in infections, mostly impacting men who have sex with men". There have been 93 notifications of mpox in NSW since the start of June. Prior to that, there had only been one case detected in 2024. NSW Health Executive Director of Health Protection, Dr Jeremy McAnulty said there have been over 15,000 cases of mpox reported in central Africa this year, many of which are due to a new strain dubbed clade 1b, which has not been detected in Australia. With the recent increase in cases, NSW Health is asking people who may be at risk of mpox to stay on the lookout for symptoms, Dr McAnulty said. Mpox spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact, and often starts with small pimple-like skin lesions particularly in areas that are hard to see such as the genitals, anus or buttock. Some people experience mild fever, headache, fatigue, or swollen lymph nodes and mouth ulcers or rectal pain. Mpox can spread to others until the lesions resolve. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Snake catchers have been inundated with sea snake rescues as the reptiles wash up in 'vulnerable' conditions. Snake catcher Dan Rumsey has been part of a rescue team helping sea snakes washing up at beaches on the Sunshine Coast. Source: Supplied Over the last two days, snake catchers have been inundated with calls as sea snakes continue to wash up on beaches, with one rescue team scrambling to figure out what's going on. Sea snakes are notorious for being highly venomous and, unlike sea kraits, they don't usually come out of the water. However, the Sunshine Coast Snake Catcher team have rescued five within the last 48 hours and alarm bells have been ringing. Snake catcher Dan Rumsey thinks he knows what is causing it. "There was fairly rough coastal conditions," he told Yahoo News. "Some of the snakes were underweight or in poor general health, so the weakened animals, whether injured or sick, are being pushed to shore." Rumsey and his colleagues have rescued five sea snakes in the last 48 hours across the Sunshine Coast, with quite a few washing up at beaches in Noosa Heads. There has been a range of species rescued including yellow-bellied, elegant and olive-headed. Rough coastal conditions are to blame for the sea snakes being washed up on Aussies shores. Source: Supplied Fine line between 'delicate' handling and dodging venom Sea snakes are a "bit different to handle" compared to land snakes, and rescuers need to be "delicate" as sea snake bodies are used to being supported by water, so contact can severely compromise their bone structure. "They're much more fragile... obviously their bodies are used to being supported by the ocean so you have to handle them carefully... but you have to remember that, you know, they have a neurotoxic venom that can make you sick," he said. Many species of sea snakes have small fangs but if bitten, the venom they inject can be lethal. Venom from yellow-belied sea snakes is highly toxic, inflicting symptoms such as muscle pain, vomiting, paralysis and even death. The sea snakes rescued over the last few days have been "vulnerable", meaning they are less likely to bite but still pose a risk. However, many that have been taken to a local vet by the team haven't made it back to the ocean a sad reality of being a rescuer, Rumsey explained. Residents urged to call professionals if sea snake sighted With so many sea snakes washing up on beaches, members of the public, and particularly dog walkers, are being warned to stay away from them. Online, one Noosa local urged others to be careful and not to "attempt to put them back into the sea". "Phone a snake catcher and follow their instructions please," the local wrote. Noosa locals are spotting sea snakes along the coast. Source: Facebook This sentiment was echoed by Rumsey who said if members of the public do see a snake on the beach, trying to push it back into the ocean is not only in the worst interest of the reptile but also poses a severe health risk to the beachgoers. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. WPT Pivotal to Poker Popularity in Cyprus, says Chamada Head of Poker Ali Alpsaran Will Shillibier Managing Editor Copy link The World Poker Tour heads to Cyprus later this month for a WPT Prime festival, featuring a $1,000,000 GTD Main Event at Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino. A relatively new live poker destination, Chamada has been running poker festivals since 2021 but this is the first time they've partnered with a major operator to bring the WPT back to Cyprus for the first time in a decade. PokerNews spoke with Ali Alpsaran, Head of Chamada Poker, about his personal connection to the World Poker Tour and what players can expect from the festival at the end of August. WPT Nostalgia Driving Cypriot Poker Having started out as a roulette dealer in a small casino in Cyprus, Alpsaran worked a floor manager when the World Poker Tour (WPT) first visited Cyprus back in 2009 and eventually joined Chamada in 2020. "In 2009, I got to work with the esteemed tournament director Jack McClelland," said Alpsaran. "And then in 2012 when the WPT returned to Cyprus I had the opportunity to work with the beloved Matt Savage. "The WPT having first come to Cyprus many years ago is a major factor that contributed to the quality and popularity of poker in Cyprus today. There's definitely an element of nostalgia! Our hotel sold out a month before the festival, thanks to hundreds of guest who don't want to miss it. "My poker career began working with the WPT," he said. "And it continues today with the excellent partnership we continue to have!" Get to Know Chamada Poker According to Alpsaran, Chamada Poker has been hosting 7-8 annual poker festivals regularly since 2021, and has grown considerably since then. "Originally they had a guarantee of $100,000," explained Alpsaran. "Our last festival awarded $1,500,000 in guaranteed prizes, and as your readers know, there's a $2,500,000 guarantee in collaboration with the WPT for our upcoming festival. "We believe we have accomplished a lot in a short time." In 2023, the Chamada Prestige Hotel was named as one of the best new hotels in the world in TripAdvisors Travellers Choice Awards 2023. "We are very confident that our guests will experience the highest level of quality travel at one of the most prestigious hotels in Cyprus. The priority for management is to work with professionals and to make long-term plans for the property and our poker offering." said Alpsaran. "Players come from all over the region to play in tournaments and cash games, mostly from Turkey, Lebanon, and Cyprus, with additional players from Iran, Georgia, and Romania." Did You Know the World Poker Tour is Online? The launch of WPT Global means that poker players around the world now have the chance to win their way to WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games such as Poker Flips. As one of the world's largest cash game poker networks, WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories around the world. WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $5 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contribution. Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount. *Photos courtesy of Chamada Poker Share this article Donald Trump fell apart on social media after being challenged by Kamala Harriss economic address. Trump posted on Truth Social: Kamala Harris wants to raise your taxes and make you pay for free healthcare and free housing in luxury hotels for her millions of illegal aliens. Meanwhile, our Veterans are sleeping on the streets and Kamalas running mate, Weirdo Tim Walz , voted against my VA Mission Act that made healthcare more affordable and accessible for our Nations Heroes! Kamala and Walz will put Criminals, Terrorists, and Illegal Aliens FIRST. I will always put law-abiding, hardworking, patriotic AMERICANS First! Kamala Harris is allowing Venezuelas dangerous criminals to freely enter our country through her WIDE OPEN Southern Border, and now she wants to bring Venezuelas dangerous economic policies into our Nation as well. If Kamala is elected and implements her Communist Price Caps, there will be famine, starvation, and poverty, the likes of which we have never seen. America will NEVER recover! If you think things are expensive now, they will get 100 times WORSE if Kamala gets four years as President. Under her plan, Kamala will implement SOVIET Style Price Controls. She will abolish private health care, and make Californias ridiculous tax policies the law of the land, meaning EVERY American will be taxed up to 80% of their income! If you want more CASH and less TAX, VOTE TRUMP !!! There is something almost sad about an older person in such a delusional state that he has to make up a candidate to campaign against that isnt close to the truth. It is almost sad because then you remember that it is convicted felon and rapist Donald Trump doing the talking, and then the thought occurs about what he wants to do to America if he returns to the White House, and there is no sympathy for the mentally declining Trump. Trump never addressed Harriss point that Trumps tariffs will raise taxes on everything you buy. Trump didnt deny the Trump tax increase, but he falsely claimed that Harris would raise taxes more. The Harris plan also does not include price controls. Trump made that up. Harris plans to pursue companies that engage in price gouging and other anti-free market activities. Donald Trump has decided that Kamala Harris is a communist, and he will win the election by calling her a communist. It is Trump and his party who want the government to decide on healthcare for women, which sounds a lot more communist than trying to lower prices through the free market. Trump is failing. Harris stung Trump by exposing his economic plan for the rich , and the ex-president had no reply. Let's start with something about me: I hate Colleen Hoover books. I despise how TikTok convinced the world that her writing was revolutionary, her plot lines intricate, her style original. It's a step above airport romance novels in my opinion...so when one of her hit novels, It Ends With Us, was adapted to a movie starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, I was disappointed but not surprised. And to make matters worse, I was constantly reminded of this fact because it was filmed on my street in Hoboken, New Jersey...but enough about me. It Ends With Us finally hit theaters on August 9, and the press tour has been nothing short of catastrophic. We have the internet up in flames ready to burn Blake Lively at the stake for a multitude of reasons (including, but definitely not limited to) her fashion sense, her "pick me" attitude, or her dismissive commentary on domestic abuse, which is a main focus of the film itself. Not only that, but there's clear tension between Justin Baldoni and the rest of the cast, who stumble over cute press questions like "What was it like working together?" It's all very reminiscent of Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry, Darling, which starred Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, and was riddled with obvious cast member drama from the beginning...yet, it's less hilarious and more annoying. But let's break down the It Ends With Us press tour drama before you get even more confused. What's Going On With The It Ends With Us Cast? Let's put it into perspective. Things have gotten so bad that director and actor, Justin Baldoni, has hired the same PR crisis manager (Melissa Nathan) that both Johnny Depp and Logan Paul have used. As the press tour surged on, fans began to notice Baldoni was absent from group press events as reports swirled about disputes between himself and Lively during post-production. If you see Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni on the same couch together during this press junket, then consider yourself lucky. They've split up their press tour with respective outlets: Baldoni gets Access Hollywood, Today, ET!, and GMA; Lively gets Vogue, Capital FM, and CBS Mornings. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that disagreements arose during the final cut while filming. Lively, a producer on It Ends With Us, had scenes she wanted and even commissioned her own cut of the film. However, Forbes assures this can happen without indicating a feud. Fans have been reading in between the lines during press interviews. Lively has made a few interesting comments furthering the creative control rumors. At one point, she even mentions her husband, Ryan Reynolds, wrote a scene in the film, which some believe was the start of their fight. Then, in another interview, Lively shares she got in a fight with an unnamed person about removing a Lana Del Rey song from the film. However, given the film's references to domestic violence, this Lana Del Rey song could have been considered controversial. "Cherry" details loving a man despite all of the hard times in an extremely toxic and unhealthy relationship. So, if Baldoni was the one Lively had to fight, he may have had a point. In his own interview with Elle , Baldoni admits to tensions on set: There are all these things that happen every day on set, theres always friction that happens when you make a movie like this. Then at the end of the day, its that friction, I believe, that creates the beautiful art, Cast member Jenny Slate adds fuel to the fire by dodging questions about Justin Baldoni. Slate told a reporter that it "must be difficult working two jobs" when asked what it was like working with him. When Baldoni was asked about Lively, he claimed it "seems like she's ready to direct." There's been nothing but shade, and apparently, the movie isn't even that great. What I think everyone can agree on is this press tour needs to end. If you take the early-aughts phenomenon of the Twilight series as evidence, there's nothing hotter than a pale-skinned dreamboat who is obsessed with you to the point that he kind of wants to kill you. While the Twilight series sparked something of a moral panic among concerned parents who didn't like the idea of their daughters and sons experiencing their sexual awakening via glittery succubi, there are similar concerns with the Netflix series You. Though, in this case, the pale, murderous dreamboat in question is not driven by a lust for blood but by plain ol' lust. If you haven't watched the series, in season one we first meet Joe Goldberg as an introverted bookkeeper in New York City who falls in love with (and ultimately becomes toxically obsessed with) a grad student named Beck. Well, things don't end so well for Beck, and Joe has to go on the run from another ex-girlfriend, Candace, who knows too much. Joe's exodus from NYC leads him to Los Angeles, where we meet back up with him in season two. There, he plans to lead a quiet life while things blow over in New York. But he soon gets up to his old antics again when he meets Love Quinn (yes, she really is named that, and no they never explain why), an heiress and chef whom he ultimately stalks and dateswith plenty of time leftover to commit a murder or four. Many fans have already binged watched it in its entirety, resulting in a slew of memes and posts on social media about the hotness of stalker-turned-murderer Joe Goldberg. But not everyone felt this way. Other fans of the show took to social media to scorn anyone who finds Joe attractive despite his terrifying behavior. Even Penn Badgley, who plays Joe, has been outspoken about how dangerous it is for people to romanticize his character. And while, intellectually, many of us may want to reject the idea that a guy like Joe could possibly be attractive, that doesn't change the fact that he is. The show is structured in such a way that it assumes his attractiveness, and it wouldn't work if it didn't. As a viewer, you find yourself rooting for Joe, wanting to believe that he is trying to change, or even that from some skewed moral perspective, his actions are justified. A large part of that is because we are privy to his thoughts via voiceover, which is self-justifying (as every person's innermost thoughts tend to be), and as Bitch Media points out, "...In his mind, all of his behavior can be rationalized by his own traumatic past." He is so convinced of this, in fact, that he inevitably sows empathy into the audience. But it's not a negligible factor that Penn Badgley is classically handsome, with sculpted features, dark curly hair, and broad shoulders. He is, in many ways, the image of the knight in shining armor that his character imagines himself to be. On a purely aesthetic level, of course, we find him attractive. But then there's the factor that is making so many people on Twitter uncomfortable: Part of why we find Joe attractive is because of his obsessive and violent tendencies, not in spite of them. In their book, A Billion Wicked Thoughts: What the World's Largest Experiment Reveals About Human Desire, computational neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam find overwhelming evidence that heterosexual women are attracted to extremely dominant men. One example they refer to over and over again is the genre of romance novel, which, largely aimed at women, almost always tell a story of an aggressive, virile male sexually dominating an initially resistant female. But, you may be thinking, surely that's different than being attracted to someone who is dominant to the point of actually killing people? Yes and no. As Douglas T. Kenrick, Ph.D. outlines for Psychology Today, "The Nobel Prize-winning ethologists Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen demonstrated that an animal's instinctive drives could often be triggered by stimuli that were unnatural amplifications of the normal cues for which their sensory systems were designed to light up." For example, "Birds who normally sit on their own small light blue eggs will preferentially sit on much larger eggs that are painted a brighter shade of blue." This theory applies to human desire, as well, Kendrick goes on to say: "Research in evolutionary psychology has outlined what it is that women naturally find desirable in prospective male mates. Across cultures, women tend to prefer men with resources (e.g. money) and men able to protect them and their potential offspring (e.g. Buss, 1989, Li, et al., 2002). As it turns out, vampires often represent exaggerated versions of the features women find attractive in real life." For example, Edward Cullen, the vampiric love interest of the Twilight series, was extraordinarily wealthy and supernaturally strong, characteristics he shares with other vampiric characters spanning over centuries. Edward Cullen played by Robert Pattinson in "Twilight" But while this explains the allure of violent male figures like vampires well enough, what about Joe in You? He is neither financially stable nor particularly physically strong. But there is one amplified attractive feature he does share with vampires: abnormal devotion/desire to the object of his affection. In the case of vampires, their sexual lust is exacerbated by their lust for blood. In Joe's case, he often proves the absolute depth of his devotion to his beloved by murdering for her sake. Essentially, we're programmed to respond positively to signs of lust and devotion from a potential male mate, and if their lust and devotion is amplified to the point of the obsessive, toxic devotion that we see from Joe, there is a part of us that is going to react more strongly than normal. Summarily, we're going to find murder hot. Look at the scores of women who sent Ted Bundy nude photos of themselves while he awaited trial for his heinous crimes (Bundy, like Joe, claimed his murderous bent was linked to a traumatic past). Look at the endless tropes of the hyper-masculine soldier returning from a bloody war and sweeping the maiden off her feet. Or we can return to vampires for a moment: Between Twilight, Anne Rice's vampire series, and shows like True Blood, it's evident that people find vampires sexy. While this makes sense on a purely animalistic level according to Lorenz and Tinbergena's theory of supernormal stimuli, we all know that human intellect interferes with our baser instincts, and surely women don't actually want an obsessive, violent, and insensitive mate, right? As Dr. Leon F Seltzer writes in a piece for Psychology Today that attempts to analyze the many women who have become obsessed with serial killers, "The fantasy that seems to be operating in such devotees, and that constitutes the plot of virtually all erotic/romantic novels written with women in mind, is that the 'misogyny and jerkdom' they might have to battle within such super-dominant males is only temporary. That it doesn't really represent the man's innermost reality." In other words, we find violent, dominant men attractive, and to justify this attraction, we tell ourselves that really he just needs someone to bring out his more tender qualities, a challenge that is in and of itself attractive to many women. Not only that but once the beast is tamed, so to speak, we still know that there's a part of our kind and sensitive man that could become violent and aggressive again should the need to do so present itself, ultimately fulfilling our biological need to feel protected. There is, of course, more than a little social conditioning at play here, too. Laura Elizabeth Woollett, who tries to understand the psychology of real-life women who were attracted to killers in her book The Love of a Bad Man, put it well when she told Refinery 29, "It's hard to say where the figure of the 'bad man' ends and the 'antihero' begins. There's a huge crossover there and, as a result, bad men are often romanticized tragically flawed, but human; dark and sinister, but exciting. As long as antiheroes are seen as attractive, bad men will be too, on some level." This is more or less another way to describe the phenomenon of believing that a violent, aggressive man is only that way on the outside, that really he is a sensitive man waiting to be "saved" from himself. It's also a feature of the misogyny so ever-present in our culture that women feel an obligation to care for toxic men they feel were "wronged" by society. As Penn Badgley himself said in a recent interview, You is in large part about,"how far are we willing to go to forgive an evil white man." So yes, you find Joe Goldberg attractive because Penn Badgley is classically handsome, but you also find him attractive because of the very reasons you think you find him repulsive: His willingness to kill for his beloved, his unhealthy devotion, and even the dominance he shows in repeatedly besting and killing other people in the name of love. But don't worry, this doesn't mean that you're likely to end up marrying a serial killer in real life. You allow yourself to lust after Joe because a large part of you knows he's not real. It's important to point out the difference between sexual fantasy and genuine sexual attraction, particularly in cases where, on the surface, it would seem women want violence and other unhealthy behaviors from their sexual partners. Paul Joannides, author of The Guide to Getting It On, notes that a vital part of fantasy is the woman's knowledge that she is in control, "because she's the one scripting the scenario." For example, a rape fantasy by no means indicates that a woman wants to be raped; and, in the same way, lusting after a fictional murderer in no way means that a woman would really find murder attractive in real life. So go ahead and calm down, Twitter, just because we keep tweeting that we want Joe to trap us in his glass box doesn't mean we actually want a stalker to murder on our behalf. We know that murderous men are bad; we know that we should desire a healthy, functioning relationship that allows both parties to maintain their autonomy But that isn't going to keep us from dreaming about this creepy, delicious smile. We'll see you in season three, Joe. Warning: This article contains graphic depictions and descriptions of the horrors of chattel slavery in America. Planning a wedding is among the most stressful things you can do. Basically everyone you know will be there, judging your choices of clothing, hair, decor, food, music...napkin rings. Okay, so maybe most wedding guests aren't actually scathing critics looking for your every misstep, but for a day that's supposed to be one of the happiest in your life, there's a hell of a lot of pressure to get things right. Now imagine that you found the perfect venuecharming and rustic, with beautiful views, and plenty of room for all your guests. Does it even matter what that venue is called? What difference does it make if that perfect spot is called Stinkpile Manor, or Festering Wound Estate, or Boone Hall Plantation That's where Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively got married in September of 2012, a choice which Reynolds now calls "a giant ****ing mistake." At the time the Gossip Girl star and the once-and-future Deadpool were praised for Lively's beautiful designer dress and for the decadent dessert spread at the intimate event. At the time, there wasn't much of a cultural conversation on the legacy of chattel slavery in America. Not to say that everyone loved the disturbing practice of memorializing confederate "heroes" with statues and military bases throughout the American south, but there weren't groups of people tearing them down. The Black Lives Matter movement had not even been formed yet. It would be another seven years before Pinterest decided to stop promoting plantation wedding venues (and to ban Lively and Reynolds' wedding photos). Oh, and a chain of restaurants called "Souplantation" was still operating successfully throughout southern California. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's Wedding Photos Have Fans Cancelling Them www.youtube.com So why would Lively and Reynolds have thought twice about holding their wedding at a scenic spot near Charleston, South Carolina. Does that make Ryan Reynolds a hypocrite for praising Black Panther? Hasn't he proven himself to be a good guy? They even made a big donation to the NAACP. Why should such a lovely couple be shamed just for picking a pretty wedding that happens to have "plantation" in its name? Why would they think twice about the "historic slave cabins" that are maintained on the property? Grappling With America's Dark History The answer is that, like a lot of white Americans (technically Reynolds is Canadian), they clearly didn't, but they have since recognized that it's a problem. In his recent interview with Fast Company, Reynolds said that their choice of wedding venue is "something we'll always be deeply and unreservedly sorry for." So what's the big deal? It's a nice old building. What does its ancient history have to do with today? So it operated for centuries as a prison and work camp for upwards of 85 enslaved people who were treated as livestock in a system of dehumanizing oppression that regularly incorporated horrific mutilation and torture and was never fully dismantledliving on in sharecropping, mandated segregation, and (to this day) prison labor. What does that have to do with now? Are you saying that you wouldn't hold your family reunion at, for instance, Auschwitz? Many Americans who were raised to romanticize life in the antebellum south don't seem to realize is that the evil of slavery in America easily matches every horror of the holocaust. That's not the sense you'll get from movies like Gone With the Wind and Song of the South, or even from history textbooks that try to reframe the Confederacy's motivation for seceding as anything other than a devotion to the institution of slaverybut it's the truth. The fact that plantation houses have a pleasant, domestic architecturerather than the cold industry of the Nazi death campsonly speaks to the vast division between those who lived there by choice, in comfort, and those who were kept there as property. If you can look at an old southern plantation and imagine sipping a mint julep on the porch, that's probably because you can't quite imagine being born into a life of inhuman deprivation and servitudelearning from a young age that you can be torn from your family at the whims of those genteel, julep-sipping owners. The Toxic Nostalgia of Plantations In recent years many historic plantations that operate as tourist attractionsincluding Boone Hall and the former estates of Thomas Jefferson and George Washingtonhave made an effort to expose that dual reality to their visitors. And those efforts have been widely met by irritation and resentment of white visitors who wanted to fantasize about an era of simple luxuries without recognizing the industry of misery that funded that lifestyle. The fact is that the labor that funded and maintained Boone Hall's picturesque avenue of oaks was kept there by a system designed to terrorize enslaved Black peopleto make them too scared to run for freedom. And when those people were freed they were given nothing of the wealth they had helped to producethough some plantation owners were paid for the loss of "property." Slave patrols transitioned into police forces. Jim Crow, sundown towns, the KKK, lynching, blackface, red lining, the war on drugs, "superpredators." American racism didn't give up on terrorizing and dehumanizing Black people just because they were no longer enslaved. The Reconstruction Erawhich could have been a time for America to reckon with past evils and begin to recognize Black Americans as worthy of equalitywas sadly overseen by President Andrew Johnson following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson saw to it that gains made by Black Americans were minimal and that Southern states could begin the process of rewriting history with a nostalgic glow. To this day, there are people who will argue that Black Americans were "better off" under slavery, that most enslaved people were actually treated well, and that the Civil War was fought over vague ideals like states' rights (rather than the very concrete economic value of the "right" to own, breed, brand, break, kill, and sell other people as a form of livestock). And the plantation, in all its romantic glow, is the enduring symbol of that nostalgia. It can't function as just a nice place to get married if it's also going to serve as an important reminder of one of history's greatest tragedies. You can't book Auschwitz for that family reunion. Reynolds' Apology Thankfully, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Livelywhether you accept their apology or notseem to understand that problem. As Reynolds put it, "It's impossible to reconcile. What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest. What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy ... A giant ****ing mistake like that can either cause you to shut down or it can reframe things and move you into action. It doesn't mean you won't **** up again. But repatterning and challenging lifelong social conditioning is a job that doesn't end." That lesson is particularly important to keep in mind when that work of repatterning and challenging falls on an entire culture. It's work that we're just starting to do as a nation. We need to face our history before we can move on. That means maintaining historic plantations as memorials to our nation's greatest crimes. That means don't have your wedding at a plantationand if you already did, consider apologizing (to your guests, to social media, to the world) for contributing to that toxic plantation nostalgia. As for Reynolds and Lively, they had a separate wedding ceremony at home after the fact, which hopefully allowed them to form some happy memories of their union without the taint of America's dark history. Aiken, SC (29801) Today A mix of clouds and sun in the morning followed by cloudy skies during the afternoon. High around 75F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 58F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. The family of a Wagener-Salley High School teacher who was killed by a defective utility pole in August 2023 has settled a lawsuit for $30 million. The family of 31-year-old Jeunelle Robinson settled its lawsuit against Dominion Energy and Comporium, according to the familys attorney, Justin Bamberg of Bamberg Legal LLC in a media release. The case was settled in the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Common Pleas in Aiken County on Aug. 15. Robinson, who was a social studies teacher at the high school, was killed after a truck clipped a leaning utility pole while she was walking down Main Street in Wagener on Aug. 23, 2023. The pole that killed Robinson was one of many poles in the town that were over 60 years old. She died due to blunt force trauma. Dominion Energy spokesperson Rhonda Maree OBanion said in an email that Dominion Energy again extends our deepest condolences to the family of Jeunelle Robinson, and we are pleased to help bring resolution to this case. The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit on March 11 seeking $130 million, which includes investments to power utility infrastructure in the towns of Wagener and Salley, a scholarship in Robinsons name for any Aiken County students who want to become a teacher or go into the field of education, and for the familys loss, pain and suffering. Bamberg said the family opted to settle with the companies as the one-year anniversary of their daughters death approached in an effort to honor her memory and finally have closure. Although nothing can bring Jeunelle back to her family, we are pleased to have reached this resolution with the parties involved, said Bamberg. We appreciate the leadership of Dominion and Comporium for working with us to ensure Jeunelles family would not have to relive this tragedy in court unnecessarily. We are focused on protecting rural areas that are often overlooked by utility and power companies around the country, and we hope that this tragic situation will result in greater attention being focused on repairing and maintaining poles in Americas rural areas. A former Aiken funeral home employee could spend up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Thomas Allen Bateman Jr., a former funeral director at George Funeral Home, pleaded guilty Aug. 14 at the Matthew J. Perry Federal Courthouse in Columbia. In exchange for pleading guilty, Bateman received penalties of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, a term of supervised release not to exceed five years and a $100 special assessment. Bateman will be sentenced at a later date. A federal grand jury indicted Bateman on two counts related to bank fraud May 21. Columbia attorney Marion Moses represented Bateman. Scott Matthews and Winston Holliday represented the federal government. A federal grand jury indicted George Funeral Home owner Cody Anderson and Bateman in a superseding indictment July 16. Anderson pleaded not guilty to the charges July 31. The charges stem from Anderson's attempt to probate the estate of Mary Margaret Wenzel Crandall using a will she signed in 2020. Crandall named Anderson her personal representative in the will. A personal representative works to distribute the assets of the dead person in accordance with the person's wishes. Crandall left all of her assets to Bateman. Federal prosecutors alleged Crandall signed the will between May 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2020 in a car in the parking lot of George Funeral Home. Chinas expanding visa-free circle of friends draws more global travelers Global Times) 08:12, August 16, 2024 Tourists take pictures of the Palace Museum from Jingshan Park on a sunny day in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 12, 2024. (Photo: Xinhua) With China's increasing efforts in promoting unilateral visa exemptions and mutual visa-free policies, the expanding visa-free "circle of friends" has been drawing more foreign travelers to China, according to recent official data. Border inspection agencies in Shanghai have inspected over 4.75 million inbound and outbound travelers and more than 30,000 vehicles at the Pudong and Hongqiao international airports as of Thursday since the start of July 1, thepaper.cn reported on Thursday. From January 1 to Wednesday, the border inspection authority in Mohan, Southwest China's Yunnan Province has inspected over 1.66 million travelers from 101 countries and regions, according to media reports. The number of inspected travelers recorded a yearly increase of 81.32 percent, while the figure for their origins reached a year-on-year increase of 50.75 percent. Among the inspected travelers in 2024, foreign visitors totaled 676,000, marking a year-on-year increase of 153.71 percent, with most of them coming from Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia. China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced in July that the country's 144-hour visa-free transit policy has been expanded to three more entry ports, including Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport in Central China's Henan Province, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport and the Mohan railway port in Yunnan, taking the number of Chinese ports covered by the policy to 37. In the first half of 2024, China welcomed 14.64 million foreigners, a year-on-year increase of 152.7 percent. Among them, 8.54 million foreign visitors entered the country through visa exemption, recording an annual growth of 190.1 percent, according to data from the NIA. While actively expanding the visa-free "circle of friends," Chinese authorities have also been implementing corresponding measures to facilitate the travel experience for foreign visitors. The Hongqiao border inspection station has included the "Temporary Entry Card for Foreigners" for transit travelers, making customs clearance easier. Earlier in August, China's State Council, the country's cabinet, issued a guideline to promote high-quality development of consumption in the services sector. China plans to further streamline border entry policies and enhance the consumption environment to expedite an increase in the number of flights, offer a variety of payment services, explore opportunities to expand the number of visa-free countries, and enhance cultural tourism year activities, according to the guideline. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have been implementing measures in recent months to streamline payment processes for overseas travelers through various means. According to a recent survey conducted by Beijing Foreign Studies University, among 714 foreign tourists from 103 countries, 86 percent believe the payment experience has become more convenient. The vast majority of these tourists used mobile payment methods, the Xinhua News Agency reported in July. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Breitmann said its going to be important to respond to food insecurity in the counties they serve. She said one in four children and one in seven neighbors are struggling with food insecurity. This is going to increase our capacity; it already has, she said. About eight days before opening, when Tropical Storm Debby passed through the area, the local American Red Cross chapter was able to store some supplies at the new center. Breitmann said the center was already filling a need even before it was open. This can really be a hub of support and logistics, not just for the Augusta community, but regionally, she said. Emma Sinkfield, who works at the Family Connection of Warren County, said her organization is committed to help people living in rural areas and has partnered with Golden Harvest for over 40 years. She said it takes everyone to fight hunger in the community. She said a lot of seniors depend on food from Golden Harvest. The future for hunger to end depends on all of us, she said. Jennifer Westbrook, who is with Golden Harvest Food Bank from Aiken, said she is excited about the new addition. Now that they have this big facility, I am excited to get in here, and its going to allow Golden Harvest to expand our reach, she said. Westbrook said working as a volunteer, she sees the need to those who have food insecurity and live in food deserts. This will definitely be instrumental in helping people meet their hunger needs, she said. Breitmann said the center will also allow Golden Harvest to sort produce to go out to the various areas they serve, especially the rural communities. Breitmann said since Golden Harvest has two new facilities open they are going to need all the help they can with volunteers and donations. Those interested can go to Golden Harvest's website at goldenharvest.com. A man who said baby powder from Johnson & Johnson, a pharmaceutical drug company worth billions of dollars, caused his terminal cancer was awarded $63 million by a South Carolina jury. Michael Perry, the Charleston man who brought the lawsuit against the company behind a slew of household products from mouthwash to allergy medicine, is one of thousands of people who have sued over the talc-based baby powder. There are more than 57,000 cancer cases pending in federal litigation, according to DrugWatch.com. For decades the company sold the baby powder, which Perry used for nearly 50 years, according to the lawsuit. In late 2019, the company recalled more than 30,000 bottles of the powder after the Food and Drug Administration found evidence of asbestos, a known carcinogen, in one of the bottles. This discovery came years after advocates began to raise concerns over the ingredients in the baby powder and after years of Johnson & Johnson claiming the product was safe for consumer use. The company discontinued the use of talcum powder for North American sales in 2020, instead shifting to cornstarch, and later extended that decision to its products distributed across the world in 2023. Perry was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a type of terminal lung cancer caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos, in July 2023, after using baby powder for years as a substitute for deodorant, the lawsuit claimed. Neither (Perry) nor any other consumer should be put in harm's way, Ben Adams, a partner with Dean Omar Branham Shirley, which represented Perry, said in a statement. Johnson & Johnson continues to refuse to accept accountability for the lives theyve taken." The company held fast to its claim that it's not responsible for the thousands of cancer cases and said in a statement to The Post and Courier that "the verdict is irreconcilable with the decades of independent scientific evaluations confirming talc is safe ... and does not cause cancer." Post and Courier North Augusta/The Star reporter Bianca Moorman is a reporter for the Post and Courier North Augusta/The Star with a focus on community, public safety and more. Follow her on X at @biancarmooman. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers South Carolina Democrats are heading to Chicago to unite behind a presidential ticket they never picked, never voted for in a primary and just weeks ago could hardly have imagined. And, for the first time in a long time, they couldnt be more excited. Its almost like a revival, said S.C. Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain. And we need this joy in order to get our candidates across the finish line. Originally planned as a four-day rally to support President Joe Bidens bid for a second term, the Democratic National Convention is now focused on convincing Americans that Vice President Kamala Harris is the best choice in November. The sudden reset reflects the partys increasing focus on diversity, inclusion and addressing the needs of a changing electorate. As the first woman of color to top a major partys ticket, Harris and her candidacy are more than just a historic milestone, its a bold statement about the partys future direction. This is important to me, said Bryanta Bre Maxwell, a Columbia-based Democratic National Committee member who arrived in Chicago on Aug. 14, some five days ahead of the conventions start. Shes a woman of color, an HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) grad, and a member of the Divine Nine (historically Black Greek-letter organizations). And she is going to carry that torch. For many of the states 65 delegates, the convention will also be their first time seeing the retooled presidential ticket of Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, in person. When the convention wraps, it will be a 75-day sprint to Election Day. Heres what you need to know about Democratic National Convention and the role South Carolina will play. The convention The convention will run Aug. 19-22. It will unfold across two venues in Chicago: The United Center, an arena on the citys West Side, will host the prime-time programming and speeches that unfold in the evening. McCormick Place, which is downtown near Lake Michigan, will host daytime events for official party business, meetings and trainings. COLUMBIA Early in the 2017 legislative session, Murrells Inlet Republican state Rep. Lee Hewitt and then-Goose Creek Republican state Rep. Nancy Mace began receiving phone calls. Several parents had called with concerns about adults prowling their neighborhoods, attempting to coerce their children into vehicles with promises of a new puppy or candy. And all were dismayed there was nothing they could do about it. Under South Carolina law at the time, the mere act of attempting to lure a child a crime in many states was not illegal, and could not be prosecuted until a door of the vehicle or the home the child was taken to had literally closed shut. So they pushed to change the law, filing their first version of a child luring bill that following winter. It never received a hearing. They tried again the following year, only for it to go nowhere once again. The COVID-19 pandemic hit and Mace went to Congress, but Hewitt tried again, only for the 2021 legislative session to end without as much as a subcommittee hearing on the bill. In 2024 and after a 17,000 signature-strong online petition led by Mount Pleasant mother Katie Shields South Carolina finally got its child luring law. But it was not all Hewitt. Entering the 2023 legislative session, Lexington Republican Sen. Katrina Shealy brought her own bill addressing several previously failed reforms to state human trafficking law shed sought to implement in other bills over the years. She proposed closing loopholes in state law that allowed victims of sex trafficking, particularly children, to be charged with crimes like prostitution, and allowing them to expunge those crimes from their record something Attorney General Alan Wilson said was a real issue in the past. PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 03:00:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 612 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2024 / Prepare for a competition where the only buzz is from pure creativity. The inaugural NO FUN Cocktail Competition, launching on Aug. 15, 2024, is inviting bartenders and cocktail creators nationwide to showcase their most entertaining zero-proof cocktails via social media. The finals will be held in person at the Mindful Drinking Fest in Washington, D.C., on Jan.10 , 2025, challenging participants to prove that fun knows no boundaries - even without alcohol.Bartender Bjorn Taylor Creating a Non-Alcoholic Cocktail at Shopify's Zero Proof Lounge Pop-Up Picture from Shopify's non-alcoholic mixologist pop-up event during last month's Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, where we jointly teased the NO FUN Cocktail Competition to 200+ category tastemakers & mixologists.This groundbreaking event, created in partnership with Shopify, Fluere, Roots Divino, and other top-tier brands, celebrates the art of mindful drinking and the limitless potential of zero-proof cocktails. It's not just about making a great drink; it's about capturing the spirit of fun without alcohol."Non-alcoholic drinks have more versatility than cocktails with alcohol. You can bring them along to events and experiences that bring you joy outside of a bar or drinking place," said Derek Brown, competition co-founder and a leading voice in the mindful drinking movement.NO FUN's competition also reflects a shift in drinking habits, with more people opting for no- and low-alcohol drinks. "The shift towards low- and no-alcohol products isn't a passing fad. We've seen strong growth over the past three years from nonalcoholic brands on our platform," said Chris Schmicker, Shopify Brand Marketing Director. "Through our partnership with Derek and the launch of the NO FUN competition, we're excited to spotlight the pioneering brands that define this category today, alongside the talented mixologists who have proven that zero-proof cocktails are every bit as inventive and delicious as their alcoholic counterparts." How to Enter:Create a 30-90 second reel demonstrating your non-alcoholic cocktail designed for a fun, alcohol-free event. The cocktail must include at least one Fluere spirit (Botanical Blend, Raspberry Blend, Spiced Cane, Smoked Agave or Bitter) and one or more of the featured brands (Roots Divino Aperitif Rosso or Bianco, Everleaf Forest, Mountain or Marine, The Pathfinder Hemp & Root, TOST or TOST Rose Sparkling Beverages).Post the reel on Instagram, tagging @Mindfuldrinkingfest, @Shopify, and any brands used in the caption, including the hashtag #NoFunCompetition. Creativity is key - entrants can describe or act out their chosen event while presenting their cocktail and its recipe.The competition runs through Oct. 15, 2024. Four finalists will be announced in late October and invited to compete in a live variety contest at the Mindful Drinking Fest in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10, 2025. Finalists will be provided with travel, lodging, a performance budget, and a producer to help create a show-stopping presentation around their NO FUN cocktail. Whether it's flash mobs, skate ramps or audience participation - anything goes as long as it highlights the NO FUN spirit.The winner will receive a grand prize of $1,000 and an unforgettable trip to the Athens Bar Show in November 2025 with Roots Divino; all four finalists will receive a NutriBullet Ultra, a versatile tool perfect for crafting the best non-alcoholic cocktails, along with additional prizes from our partners."We have not seen a non-alcoholic cocktail competition of this scope before," says Tanya Cohn, Marketing Director, Fluere. "We are excited to be part of it and see bartenders breaking the stigma and proving that great taste and social connection don't require alcohol." Contact InformationDerek BrownCo-Founder, Mindful Drinking Festderek@ drinkcompany.com 2022773473SOURCE: Mindful Drinking FestView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 13:01:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 995 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Aclara Resources Inc. ("Aclara" or "Company") (TSX:ARA) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MoU") with the State of Goias and the Municipality of Nova Roma, recognizing the strategic nature of the Carina Module ("Project"), emphasizing its alignment with the best interests of the State and Nova Roma. This strategic relationship aims to accelerate the analysis and evaluation of the permitting process and supports the execution, implementation, and operation of the Project, reinforcing its relevance to social and economic development of Nova Roma and the State of Goias, and further positioning Brazil as a key player in the sustainable supply of critical minerals.Aclara's CEO, Ramon Barua, commented:"We are excited to announce a strategic relationship with the State of Goias and the Municipality of Nova Roma aimed at accelerating the permitting process and overall development of the Carina Module project. By harnessing our world-class Carina deposit, our unique technology to produce clean rare earths, and our strong focus on socio-economic growth, we are dedicated to supporting Nova Roma and Goias State through significant job creation, local supplier development, employee training, among others. This memorandum of understanding highlights our shared responsibility to fostering the sustainable development of the local communities in the surrounding areas of the Project. We extend our gratitude to the municipal authorities of Nova Roma, state authorities, and the Governor of Goias for their support and commitment. Together, we are shaping a brighter future for Goias and setting a benchmark for regional progress." The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation among all parties to facilitate the implementation of the Project.Key Responsibilities:State of Goias and Municipality of Nova Roma: work to efficiently evaluate the environmental and other permits required for the Project, support critical infrastructure enhancements and partner with Aclara to assist in the development of the local workforce.Aclara: Invest $582.3 million (expected CAPEX outlined on the preliminary economic assessment of the Carina Module previously announced by the Company on January 22, 2024), creating 3,200 direct jobs and prioritizing local work force and suppliers.Picture during the MoU signing ceremony including Andrea Vulcanis (Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development), Francisco Servulo (Secretary of State for Economy), Joel de Santanna (Secretary of State for Industry, Commerce and Services), Daniel Vilela (Vice Governor), Ronaldo Caiado (Governor), Ramon Barua (CEO of Aclara), Jose Augusto Palma (Executive VP of Aclara).The following individuals attended the MoU signing ceremony:Goias GovernmentRONALDO RAMOS CAIADO - GovernorDANIEL CARVALHO VILELA - Vice GovernorANDREA VULCANIS - Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentJOEL DE SANT'ANNA BRAGA -Secretary of State for Industry, Commerce and ServicesFRANCISCO SERVULO FREIRE NOGUEIRA - Secretary of State for EconomyPEDRO HENRIQUE RAMOS SALES - Secretary of State for InfrastructureJOSE FREDERICO LYRA NETTO - Secretary of State for Science, Technology and InnovationCORONEL RENATO BRUM DOS SANTOS - Secretary of State for Public SafetyPEDRO LEONARDO DE PAULA REZENDE - Secretary of State for Agriculture, Livestock and SupplyLEONARDO LOPES SAAD - Deputy Secretary of State of GovernmentANA PAULA BRITO DUTRA - representing the Secretary of State for RecoveryAclaraRAMON BARUA COSTA - Chief Executive OfficerJOSE AUGUSTO PALMA - Executive Vice-PresidentAbout Acara Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX:ARA) is a development-stage company that focuses on heavy rare earth mineral resources hosted in Ion-Adsorption Clay deposits. The Company's rare earth mineral resource development projects include the Penco Module in the Bio-Bio Region of Chile and the Carina Module in the State of Goias, Brazil.Aclara's rare earth extraction process offers several environmentally attractive features. Circular mineral harvesting does not involve blasting, crushing, or milling, and therefore does not generate tailings and eliminates the need for a tailing's storage facility. The extraction process developed by Aclara minimizes water consumption through high levels of water recirculation made possible by the inclusion of a water treatment facility within its patented process design. The ionic clay feedstock is amenable to leaching with a common fertilizer main reagent, ammonium sulfate. In addition to the development of the Penco Module and the Carina Module, the Company will continue to identify and evaluate opportunities to increase future production of heavy rare earths through greenfield exploration programs and the development of additional projects within the Company's current concessions in Brazil, Chile, and Peru.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events, including statements with regard to streamlining the permitting process of the Carina Module, socio-economic improvement in Brazil, enhancement of infrastructure, job creation, the continued support of state and municipal authorities, the Company's expectations as to the partnerships and transactions described herein, and other statements that are not material facts. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to risks related to operating in a foreign jurisdiction, including political and economic problems in Chile and Brazil; risks related to changes to mining laws and regulations and the termination or non-renewal of mining rights by governmental authorities; risks related to failure to comply with the law or obtain necessary permits and licenses or renew them; compliance with environmental regulations can be costly; dependence on relations and agreements with local communities; actual production, capital and operating costs may be different than those anticipated; the Company may be not able to successfully complete the development, construction and start-up of mines and new development projects; risks related to fluctuation in commodity prices; risks related to mining operations; and dependence on the Penco Module and/or the Carina Module. Aclara cautions that the foregoing list of factors is n PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 04:15:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 451 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2024 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have untilSeptember 30, 2024to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. ("ABR" or the "Company") (NYSE:ABR), if they purchased the Company's securities between May 7, 2021 and July 11, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of ABR and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-abr/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court bySeptember 30, 2024 .About the LawsuitArbor Realty and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On March 14, 2023, NINGI Research reported that "ABR has been hiding a toxic real estate portfolio of mobile homes with a complex web of real and fake holdings companies for more than a decade." On this news, the price of ABR shares fell from $12.99 per share on March 13, 2023, to $12.12 per share on March 14, 2023, and then $11.53 per share on March 15, 2023. Then, on July 12, 2024, Bloomberg reported that the Company was the subject of a probe by federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York that were "inquiring about lending practices and the company's claims about the performance of their loan book." On this news, the price of ABR shares fell from $15.53 per share on July 11, 2024, to $12.89 per share on July 12, 2024.The case is Martin v. Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., No. 24-cv-05347.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com CONTACT: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 18:01:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 864 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 3 Birds Offers a Unique Blend of "Chipotle" and "Chick-fil-A" ValuesLOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / The vibrant Beverly Grove neighborhood is about to experience a new culinary delight with the grand opening of 3 Birds, a unique fried chicken shop that offers much more than just crispy delights. Named for its striking simplicity and dedication to three standout menu items - bowls, chicken sandwiches, and good old-fashioned wings and tenders - 3 Birds combines classic comfort food with a fresh perspective and flavor flights. The menu features not only juicy fried chicken but also a variety of options including freshly made salads, flavorful bowls, and hearty musubi. 3 Birds chicken is brined in a blend of herbs and spices for four hours to maintain its moisture which makes our chicken flavorful. Every item is made fresh daily and served with a tantalizing array of sauces to choose from. Our mix & match menu enables our customers to select a meal that fits their taste buds and budget. Two pieces of chicken, rice, and a salad cost just $8.97. In addition, 3 Birds is a no-tipping eatery. With its unbeatable value and delectable offerings, 3 Birds is set to become a top destination for food enthusiasts in LA.3 Birds Interior & Menu Display 3 Birds' cheerful yellow interior and the unpretentious vibe is designed for quick takeout, featuring a transparent kitchen where you can see all our food being prepared fresh.3 Birds Offers a Unique Blend of "Chipotle" and "Chick-fil-A" ValuesThe masterminds behind 3 Birds, Li Chun, Benjamin Ang and Dylan Yang, share their vision on this new venture: "At 3 Birds, we believe that comfort food, such as fried chicken, should deliver consistently satisfying meals that customers can rely on for that familiar, comforting experience. It should be approachable and of high quality." A serial restaurateur with a successful food and beverage empire spanning the USA and China, Li Chun adds, "3 Birds' mission is to create a unique blend of Chipotle's commitment to healthy, whole foods and Chick-fil-A's dedication to fresh, daily-made meals. We want our customers to experience the satisfaction of watching their food being prepared right before their eyes - fresh, transparent, and tailored just for them. Everything just tastes better with that." Unrivaled Flavor and FreshnessAt 3 Birds, the star of the show is the signature fried chicken crafted exclusively from healthy dark meat with no antibiotics or added hormones. Each piece is fried to perfection in oil that's changed every two days, ensuring health of our customers as well as the aroma and crunch taste of each bite. Flavor is elevated by an enticing selection of four sauces: the irresistible Signature Crunch, the fiery OMG Spicy, the tangy Sweet Chili, and the savory Garlic Soy Glaze - a flavor flight sure to delight every palate. 3 Birds also caters to those who seek healthy and wholesome options. The menu features six daily-made salads that embody the essence of whole foods: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, Asian Curry Salad, Southern Corn Salad, Apple Coleslaw, Mac & Cheese Salad, and the Persian.One could not miss our satisfying, portable bite choosing from two hearty musubi varieties: the flavor-bombing Spam or a deliciously layered egg, with rice wrapped in seaweed. Every dish at 3 Birds promises a lip-smacking experience that's both satisfying and healthy with affordable prices. For just $8.97, 3 Birds offers an unbeatable mix-and-match meal that's both generous and delightful.Customize your meal with two pieces of our perfectly crispy chicken, rice, and a fresh salad of your choice. Visit us at our Beverly Grove location at 8504 W 3rd St and treat yourself to our signature fried chicken, fresh salads, and hearty musubi.Our Soft Opening took place on August 15, but don't miss our Grand Opening on August 22! To celebrate, the first 50 customers each day from August 22-25 will receive a free Tasting Bowl. We can't wait to see you at 3 Birds!Link to Media Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/eerjo7yb83gids0fdqzxu/ANMWi6zSOEHV-5dbKh0znlg?rlkey=nxsjjw4jxao25mosqwjc9gkpd&st=q8x27hbr&dl=0 About 3 Birds:Crafted by seasoned restauranteur Li Chun, 3 Birds is a vibrant new fried chicken destination in Beverly Grove, LA, offering a refreshing twist on classic comfort food. This unpretentious eatery combines the best elements of Chipotle's healthy, whole foods concept with Chick-fil-A's commitment to fresh, daily-made meals. Featuring healthy dark meat chicken, fried to a perfect crunch in oil changed every two days, 3 Birds also boasts a diverse menu that includes fresh salads, flavorful bowls, and hearty musubi options. With four tantalizing sauces to choose from and a value-packed mix-and-match meal for just $8.97, 3 Birds delivers both exceptional taste and irresistible value. Named for its focus on three standout items-chicken sandwiches, old-fashioned wings, and bowls-3 Birds offers a unique dining experience that blends fresh, transparent food preparation with satisfying, flavorful comfort.3 Birds details:Address: 8504 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048 (Opposite Beverly Centre)Opening Hours: 11am - 10pm, DailyInstagram: @3birdsusaWebsite: www.3birdsusa.com For Media enquiries, please contact:Ms. Louisa Wong1-747-306-3005info@3 birdsusa.com Contact InformationLouisa WongMarketing Managerinfo@3 birdsusa.com 7473063005SOURCE: 3 BirdsView the original press release on newswire.com Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese battery materials supplier Shenzhen Solid New Material Technology Co., Ltd. ("Solid") recently announced the completion of its Series A funding round, raising several hundred million yuan, according to the company's press release. Photo credit: Solid The round was led by four prominent state-owned institutions, including the Jiangxia Green Fund under Three Gorges Capital Holdings and the technology achievement transformation fund of Hunan Xingxiang Investment Holding Group. Existing investors, including TopoScend Capital and China Capital Management, also participated in the round. The funds will be primarily used for the R&D of high-performance lithium battery materials, production line construction, and working capital supplement. Founded in November 2019, Solid specializes in the R&D, production, and sales of core materials for solid-state batteries. Its main products include innovative lithium battery materials such as silicon-carbon anode materials and solid electrolytes. Solid's silicon-based products encompass a full range of silicon-carbon and silicon-oxygen anode materials, which have already been shipped in bulk. Additionally, the company is actively developing materials compatible with semi-solid and all-solid-state battery systems for market introduction. As demand for high-energy-density batteries continues to rise in the electric vehicle, consumer electronics, and low-altitude economy markets, the silicon-based anode materials industry is experiencing significant growth. Anode materials are crucial for lithium-ion batteries, serving as carriers for lithium ions and electrons during charging, and playing a vital role in energy storage and release. Silicon-based anodes, represented by silicon-carbon and pure silicon, offer better specific capacity, fast-charging capabilities, and low-temperature performance compared to graphite, making them the clear direction for the next generation of lithium battery anode materials. The primary technological approaches for silicon-based anode materials in the market include sand milling composite silicon-carbon, pre-lithiated silicon oxide, and silicon-carbon deposition, with Solid adopting the silicon-carbon deposition route. Although the future for silicon-based anodes is promising, challenges such as cost, volume expansion, conductivity, initial efficiency, and cycle performance still need to be addressed to enable large-scale commercial applications. Solid has said that it has already overcome significant challenges in the application of silicon-carbon anodes, such as the large expansion and poor stability of silicon materials, laying the groundwork for large-scale application. The latest funding will accelerate the commercialization of its porous silicon-carbon technology. Solid has already commenced production of its silicon-carbon anode materials at a capacity of hundreds of tonnes and is planning to scale up to a thousand-tonne production line. The company has also established preliminary collaborations with several leading customers, and its pilot production line for tonne-scale solid electrolytes is currently undergoing supply testing. PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 16:16:02 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 305 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Levi & Korsinsky notifies investors that it has commenced an investigation of The Chemours Company ("The Chemours Company") (NYSE:CC) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.Chemours issued a press release on August 1, 2024, reporting its financial results for the second quarter of 2024. Among other items, Chemours reported non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.38, missing consensus estimates by $0.20. The Company advised that it "anticipates a low to mid-single digit sequential decline in Net Sales for the third quarter," citing "[r]esidual impacts from Q2 unplanned downtime at our Altamira, Mexico manufacturing site" in its Titanium Technologies segment; "[r]efrigerant seasonality paired with weaker Freon Refrigerants pricing in its Thermal & Specialized Solutions segment; and "[a] continued modest recovery in" its Advanced Performance Materials segment.Following this news, Chemours's stock price dropped over 11% on August 2, 2024. To obtain additional information, go to:or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212)363-7500.WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, Levi & Korsinsky LLP has established itself as a nationally-recognized securities litigation firm that has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. The firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212)363-7500 Fax: (212)363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 16:01:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 309 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is investigating potential claims on behalf of purchasers of The Chemours Company ("Chemours" or "the Company") (NYSE:CC). Investors who purchased Chemours securities are encouraged to obtain additional information and assist the investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/CC Investigation DetailsOn August 1, 2024, Chemours reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2024. The Company's earnings missed analyst estimates by a significant margin. The Company explained it "anticipates a low to mid-single digit sequential decline in Net Sales for the third quarter," based on "residual impacts from Q2 unplanned downtime at our Altamira, Mexico manufacturing site." The Company added that "refrigerant seasonality paired with weaker Freon Refrigerants pricing in its Thermal & Specialized Solutions segment also contributed to its forecast. Following this news, Chemours stock dropped 11.88% on the same day.What's Next?If you are aware of any facts relating to this investigation or purchased Chemours securities, you can assist this investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/CC . You can also contact Peretz Bronstein or his client relations manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC: 332-239-2660.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & GrossmanBronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.ContactBronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller 332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 22:30:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 471 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Saint Augustine's University Receives Loan Commitment from Gothic VenturesRALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Gothic Ventures is pleased to announce the closing of a credit agreement under which Saint Augustine's University (SAU) may receive up to $30 million. The initial credit allocation consists of a $7 million term loan funded at closing. Additional allocations may be provided in the future to support working capital requirements, operating expenses, capital expenditures, and real estate development. The credit agreement is secured by a deed of trust on the University's real estate holdings.The University will use the proceeds of the initial $7 million term loan to address important short-term cash flow requirements that will permit the University to conduct classes for the 2024 fall academic semester. Among other things, these funds will be used to pay for work on the University's external audit, pay outstanding salaries due to the University employees, refund outstanding student credit balances, and fund certain operational expenses. The University's external payroll agent will process each outstanding payroll sequentially for logistical reasons.Kip Johnson, founder and managing general partner of Gothic Ventures, stated, "We are excited to partner with Saint Augustine's University during this pivotal time. We are pleased to be able to provide funds to facilitate the continued operations and growth of Saint Augustine's University which has been an important part of North Carolina's higher education ecosystem for more than 150 years." Marcus H. Burgess, president of Saint Augustine's, said, "This loan significantly affirms our commitment to our students and staff. We are grateful for the belief that Gothic Ventures has a place in our vision, allowing us to focus on enhancing the academic experience while showcasing our resilience in the face of adversity." This loan is the first step in the University's multi-year plan to stabilize and grow the University. The University's board of trustees has been developing a strategy to streamline and focus the University's educational offerings while evaluating the most efficient use of its significant real estate portfolio to support the University's historic mission. The University expects to complete and begin implementing that strategy in the next 12 to 24 months.About Gothic Ventures Gothic Ventures, based in Durham, NC, is a multi-class, multi-sector capital provider to small and middle market organizations. Gothic provides debt and equity capital to facilitate growth, construction, reorganizations, private equity, venture and other transactions. Gothic often creates novel investment structures using unique cash flow streams or specialized assets to help its partners achieve their objectives.About Saint Augustine's University Founded in 1867 by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, the mission of Saint Augustine's University is to sustain a learning community in which students can prepare academically, socially and spiritually for leadership in a complex, diverse and rapidly changing world.# # #For more information on Saint Augustine's University, contact:Demarcus Williams, 919-516-4410adwilliams@ st-aug.edu SOURCE: FitzComm PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 22:30:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 597 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Eventeny, an event technology startup, recently announced the launch of its Community Enrichment Initiative, a philanthropic commitment aimed at supporting non-profit organizations in the Southeastern United States.ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Since their founding in 2018, Eventeny has always believed in more than just business. As a startup, they have navigated uncharted waters, but their compass has always pointed towards helping others.Eventeny Co-Founders Aly Hussaini & Nausheen Punjani Eventeny co-founders and husband-and-wife duo, Aly and Nausheen, at GalaxyCon, one of the events that rely on Eventeny for their planning.This spirit of resilience and care is at the forefront of their newly launched initiative, where Eventeny has committed to donating 1% of their gross revenue to support non-profit organizations. The Atlanta based company has already donated over $10,000 to local non-profits since launching the program, making sure their growth translates into real, tangible benefits for the community.Eventeny has grown exponentially in recent years, tripling in size from 2022 to 2024 with over 14,000 events and 150,000 small businesses benefiting from the platform daily, 53% of which are nonprofits. Eventeny's startup spirit has always driven them to be more than just a business. Their agility and innovative mindset have allowed them to quickly adapt and respond to the needs of their clients and communities, even before adopting their 1% initiative.In 2019, thousands of events on Eventeny's platform faced cancellation, and their clients, many of whom are small businesses, were left in a precarious situation. Unlike many corporations that retreated during the pandemic, Eventeny rolled up its sleeves and went to work. Within days, their team developed a virtual vendor marketplace, ensuring that these events could continue and their clients could keep their doors open virtually."It's beyond inspiring seeing our platform now helping so many small businesses, many of them nonprofits." Nausheen Punjani, Eventeny co-founder and former social worker, shares. "Eventeny started from a personal need, created for my sister-in-law, who organizes events in Georgia. We built Eventeny to solve her problems, and what began as a small solution has grown into something far beyond what we ever imagined. This growth means so much to us because it shows how deeply our mission to empower communities resonates with others." Additionally, Eventeny is launching a grant program tailored to its non-profit customers. This program will provide special discounts in the form of grants to 501(c)(3) organizations, ensuring access to Eventeny's robust software solutions without budget constraints. "Nonprofit organizations are the heart of our communities, dedicating their efforts to support, connect, and uplift those they serve. Through events, they create vital opportunities to fundraise, educate, build awareness, and foster a sense of belonging. These events are more than just gatherings-they are lifelines that sustain the mission of nonprofits. My co-founder and I have experienced this firsthand through our personal volunteer work, where we've had the privilege of helping underserved communities. Witnessing the transformative impact of these organizations on the lives of so many is deeply moving and fuels our commitment to support their invaluable work," added Aly Hussaini, Eventeny co-founder and CEO, underscoring Eventeny's commitment to supporting non-profits through practical assistance.As they expand into new territories like Canada, their focus remains rooted in their core values. The Community Enrichment Initiative isn't just a program; it's a reflection of who they are. Through innovation, support, and care, Eventeny aims to build a future where everyone has the tools to thrive.About Eventeny - Eventeny is an all-in-one event planning software solution based out of Atlanta, GA.Contact InformationCat McDevittpress@ eventeny.com SOURCE: EventenyView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 09:00:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 396 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Samarkand will host ITMF Annual Conference and IAF World Fashion Convention 2024 in SeptemberSAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / On September 8-10 2024, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, will host a joint conference of two major international textile federations: the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) Annual Conference and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) World Fashion Convention. The event, titled "Innovation, Cooperation & Regulation - Drivers of the Textile & Apparel Industry," will focus on the key factors shaping the future of the industry, and is the first time the two federations have held their conference jointly.The conference, which will officially open on September 7 with the ITMF board meeting, will gather over 500 high-level representatives from international organizations, textile companies, brands, financial institutions, and retailers to discuss and address issues critical to the continued development and sustainability of the global textile and apparel industry.Participants will hear from the President of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) Stephen Lamar, General Director of the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX) Dirk Vantyghem and representatives of numerous industry leaders, including Cotton Analytics (USA) and Indorama Corporation (Singapore). Participants will discuss topics including artificial intelligence, regulation, digitalization, ESG and supply chains.Additionally, the conference will feature the ITMF Awards Session, where the winners of the ITMF Innovation & Sustainability Award 2024 and the ITMF International Cooperation Award 2024 will be announced.This landmark event, organized in cooperation with Uzbekistan Textile and Garment Industry Association (Uztextileprom), marks a significant milestone for Uzbekistan, the historic center of the Silk Road'. Last year, the country's textile industry exported around $3.5bn to over 75 countries and is seeing significant growth today. By the end of 2026, the plan is to increase the amount of exports to $6.5 bn. This event affirms Uzbekistan's growing role in the global textile supply chain and underscores the importance of international cooperation and dialogue in driving the industry's future.Registration for the event is now open online. To register and find additional information, please visit https://www.itmf-iaf-conference-2024-samarkand.org/ ***About ITMF: The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is a global trade association representing textile manufacturers. ITMF fosters communication and cooperation among textile manufacturers worldwide, promoting industry growth and sustainability.About IAF: The International Apparel Federation (IAF) is a leading global association for the apparel industry. The IAF supports sector development through international dialogue and collaboration, addressing key challenges and opportunities within the industry.Contact:Sabina Sharipovauztextiles@ montfort.london SOURCE: Uztextileprom PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 16:01:59 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 364 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is investigating potential claims on behalf of purchasers of Globus Medical, Inc. ("Globus Medical" or "the Company") (NYSE:GMED). Investors who purchased Globus Medical securities are encouraged to obtain additional information and assist the investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/GMED Investigation DetailsOn August 13, 2024, in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Globus disclosed that "[o]n July 16, 2024, Globus Medical, Inc. received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA') following an inspection of our facilities in Audubon, Pennsylvania. In the warning letter, the FDA cited deficiencies in the response letters sent by the Company to the FDA following the Form 483, List of Investigational Observations, which was delivered to the Company in connection with the inspection that occurred from February 15, 2024 until March 7, 2024. The letter describes observed non-conformities in establishing and maintaining product complaint procedures, including complaint investigations, trending, risk reconciliation, and Medical Device Report (MDR) procedures including timely reporting, pertaining to the ExcelsiusGPS robotic system." Following disclosure of the FDA's warning letter, Globus's stock price fell $5.73 per share, or 7.84%, to close at $67.32 per share on August 13, 2024.What's Next?If you are aware of any facts relating to this investigation or purchased Globus Medical securities, you can assist this investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/GMED . You can also contact Peretz Bronstein or his client relations manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC: 332-239-2660.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & GrossmanBronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.ContactBronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 02:00:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1042 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2024 / Gold Mountain Mining Corp. (" Gold Mountain " or the " Company ") (TSX:GMTN)(OTCQB:GMTNF)(FRA:5XFA) announces that it is raising $6.5 million by way of issuance of a convertible secured debenture (the " Convertible Debenture ") to a choomEEnsh a Nlaka'pamux LP (the " Investor "). The Convertible Debenture will be convertible at the Investor's option into 81,250,000 common shares at a conversion price of $0.08 per share. The Convertible Debenture will mature on the date that is ten (10) years from the date of issuance and will accrue interest at the rate of 10.0% per annum, calculated monthly and payable in cash in arrears on each anniversary date from the date of issuance. The Convertible Debentures may be prepaid in whole or in part, at the option of the Company. The Investor is an affiliate of the Nhwelmen Construction GP Ltd. (" Nhwelmen ") who is an existing insider of the Company. Nhwelmen currently holds a convertible debenture which is secured by a second-priority security interest over all of the assets of the Company including its current and after-acquired property and the security for the Convertible Debenture will be evidenced by the general security agreement dated effective March 10, 2024 between the Company and Nhwelmen. The offering of the Convertible Debenture is subject to customary closing conditions including final Toronto Stock Exchange (" TSX ") approval.The maximum number of securities issuable, assuming the conversion of the Convertible Debenture, will be 81,250,000 common shares representing 10.24% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on a pre-transaction, non-diluted basis. The transaction noted above was negotiated at arm's length and there will be no effect on control.Insider ParticipationNhwelmen currently own 216,666,667 common shares of the Company, representing approximately 27.30% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company and is therefore an "insider" of the Company for purposes of the TSX Company Manual and a "related party" of the Company pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (" MI 61-101 "). As an affiliate of Nhwelmen, the Investor is also considered to be an "insider" of the Company for purposes of the TSX Company Manual and a "related party" of the Company pursuant to MI 61-101. Assuming full conversion of the Convertible Debenture, Nhwelmen and its affiliates, being the Investor, would own 297,916,667 common shares representing 34.05% of the Company's common shares, on a non-diluted basis.The issuance of the Convertible Debenture to the Investor is a "related party transaction" within the meaning of MI 61-101. The Company's Special Committee (as defined below) have determined that the Company meets the financial hardship requirements of Section 5.5(g) and Section 5.7(1)(e) of MI 61-101, respectively, as the Convertible Debenture is designed to improve the financial position of the Company, and the terms of the transaction is reasonable in the circumstances of the Company.Special CommitteeA special committee of the board of directors of the Company (the " Special Committee ") was constituted and considered the fairness of the Convertible Debenture and related matters. The Special Committee is comprised of the independent directors. The Special Committee has determined that the Convertible Debenture is reasonable for the Company in the circumstances and recommends that the Company proceed with the issuance of the Convertible Debenture.Security Holder ApprovalPursuant to Section 604(a)(ii) and Section 607(g)(ii) of the TSX Company Manual, as the Company will be providing consideration to the Investor, which is an affiliate of a current insider of the Company, in aggregate of 10% or greater of the market capitalization of the Company during a six-month period, the TSX requires security holder approval with respect to the issuance of the Convertible Debenture. Instead of seeking security holder approval at a duly called meeting of security holders, the TSX is permitting the Company, pursuant to section 604(d) of the TSX Company Manual, to provide written evidence from more than 50% of the voting securities of the Company held by disinterested shareholders who are familiar with the terms of the transactions. The vote of the disinterested shareholders will exclude the 216,666,667 common shares of the Company currently held by Nhwelmen which represents approximately 27.30% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements thereunder.About Gold MountainGold Mountain is a British Columbia based gold and silver production, exploration and development company focused on the development of the Elk Gold Mine, a producing mine located 57 kilometers from Merritt in South Central British Columbia. Additional information is available atwww.sedar.comor on the Company's new website atwww.gold-mountain.ca For more information, please contact: Gold Mountain Mining Corp.Calvin Cheung, CFOEmail: cc@ gold-mountain.ca Website: www.gold-mountain.caTwitter: Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation regarding the closing of the Convertible Debenture and the timing of the same, the ability of the Company to continue as a going concern, the impact of the issuance of the Convertible Debenture on the Company and the results thereof, including that it will allow the Company to address its significant working capital deficiency and provide operating capital to the Company so that it can go forward as a viable going concern, receipt of the regulatory and TSX approval, and the ability for the Company to continue to restart the mine, thereby significantly improving the Company's financial situation. Forward-looking statements include statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release and are not purely historical including any information relating to statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future and often, but not always, use words or phr PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 16:00:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 818 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Rare Royal Navy Submachine Gun Could Fetch Big DollarsLEBANON, OH / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Summit Gun Auctions, a leading name in online firearm auctions, is currently offering a rare and fully transferable WWII British Lanchester MK1* Submachine Gun. The auction is live now on their website, summitgunauctions.com , with live bidding scheduled for August 29th, 2024 at 11:00am. This historic firearm is expected to attract significant attention from collectors and enthusiasts, with estimates from the Blue Book of Gun Values suggesting it could sell for as much as $30,000.Lanchester MK1* Submachine Lanchester MK1* Submachine Gun Transferable 9mm The History and Design of the Lanchester MK1*The Lanchester MK1* Submachine Gun holds a unique place in military history. Designed in early 1940 by George Lanchester and manufactured by the Sterling Engineering Company in Essex, this weapon was developed for use by the British Navy during World War II. The design of the Lanchester was heavily influenced by the German MP28 II, with several elements copied directly from the German submachine gun, a testament to its reliability and effectiveness.The early models of the Lanchester featured a selector switch located at the front of the trigger guard, allowing for semi-automatic and fully automatic fire. However, as the war progressed, the design was simplified to reduce production time and costs. The selector switch was removed entirely in the later models, including the MK1*, making them fully automatic weapons only. The MK1* was a redesign that incorporated these changes, making it a simpler, more robust weapon for the rigors of naval warfare.One of the most distinctive features of the Lanchester MK1* is its brass magazine housing and the barrel jacket with a permanently attached bayonet lug. The use of brass, a material that resists corrosion, was particularly advantageous in the harsh maritime environment where these weapons were deployed. The Lanchester was designed to be a sturdy and reliable submachine gun, able to withstand the demands of naval combat, and it served the Royal Navy well throughout the war.The Lanchester was also equipped with a hardwood stock with finger grooves for better grip, a fixed front sight, and a two-position adjustable rear sight, calibrated for 100 and 200 meters. These features, combined with the weapon's weight and robust construction, made it a highly controllable and effective submachine gun, particularly in close-quarters combat scenarios.The Auction and ValuationThe Lanchester MK1* being auctioned by Summit Gun Auctions is a superb example of this rare and historic firearm. According to the details provided, this submachine gun is in excellent condition, retaining 90% of its original finish. The weapon includes its original Enfield pattern hardwood stock, seven original 50-round stick magazines in an original khaki brown magazine pouch, and an original tan web sling. Additionally, it comes with a Wilkinson sword bayonet, scabbard, and frog, adding to its historical and collector's value.The top of the magazine housing is marked "LANCHESTER/MK. I *./S. M94/55239/CF 41," indicating its authenticity and production details. This particular model was part of the initial 1941 production contract, which saw 50,000 units produced for the Royal Navy. A final production contract was issued in October 1943, with these weapons seeing service throughout the remainder of the war.Given its condition and historical significance, this Lanchester MK1* is expected to fetch a high price at auction. While the Blue Book of Gun Values estimates a top value of $25,000, previous auctions have shown a strong demand for fully transferable Class III/NFA C&R registered firearms. In recent years, similar WWII-era submachine guns have seen auction results ranging from $20,000 to $30,000, with exceptional examples sometimes exceeding these figures.A Rare Opportunity for CollectorsFor collectors of military firearms, the chance to own a fully transferable Lanchester MK1* Submachine Gun is an extraordinary opportunity. These weapons are not only rare but also represent a significant piece of World War II history. The Lanchester's connection to the British Navy and its role in the war make it a highly sought-after item for those with an interest in military history and firearm collecting.With live bidding set for August 29th, 2024, anticipation is building among collectors and enthusiasts alike. The Lanchester MK1* is more than just a firearm; it is a piece of history, a symbol of the ingenuity and resilience of the British forces during one of the most challenging periods of the 20th century.To participate in the auction or to learn more about this historic firearm, visit summitgunauctions.com . Summit Gun Auctions continues to establish itself as one of the fastest-growing online auction platforms in the country, offering collectors the opportunity to acquire some of the most sought-after firearms in history.Click here to bid on this Lanchester MK1* Submachine Gun Transferable 9mmContact InformationCameron ModarelliDirector of Customer & Client Relationscameron.modarelli@summitgunauctions.com 513-824-8937Jerica MillerDirector of Marketing & Digital Auction Managementjerica.miller@summitgunbroker.com 513-824-8937SOURCE: Summit Gun AuctionsView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 14:00:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 773 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PORT VILA, VANUATU / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / iQuant.fund , an innovative fintech company specializing in AI-driven trading technology, proudly announces the successful completion of its Series A funding round. As the company moves forward, it is entering strategic discussions with leading global funds to exclusively offer its cutting-edge AI trading system to reputable financial institutions, marking a new chapter in the evolution of algorithmic trading.Revolutionizing Institutional Trading with AI iQuant.fundhas rapidly emerged as a leader in the development of AI technologies tailored for financial trading. The company's AI trading product is designed to enhance the decision-making processes of institutional investors, enabling them to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence in their trading strategies. By analyzing complex datasets in real time, iQuant.fund's technology offers unparalleled insights, allowing funds to optimize their trading performance with precision and speed.Adrian Campbell, a key founder ofiQuant.fund , explained, "Our AI trading product is a sophisticated tool that provides financial institutions with the ability to make highly informed trading decisions. We are committed to working with leading global funds to integrate this technology into their operations, ensuring they remain at the forefront of financial innovation." Exclusive Partnership with Global Financial LeadersIn a strategic shift, iQuant.fundhas decided to partner exclusively with leading global funds, offering its AI trading system only to reputable financial institutions. This approach ensures that the technology is utilized by entities with the resources and expertise to fully capitalize on its capabilities. The system will not be made available to the general public, underscoring iQuant.fund's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality and security in its deployments.Hilton Wood, another key founder and President of the Overseas Bankers Association of Australia, stated, "We believe that our AI trading technology is best suited for institutional use, where it can drive significant value for major financial players. By partnering with respected global funds, we can ensure that our technology is applied in a manner that maximizes its potential while maintaining strict control over its deployment." Series A Funding: A Catalyst for Expansion and InnovationThe successful Series A funding round provides iQuant.fund with the capital necessary to accelerate its growth and further enhance its AI trading product. The company plans to use the funds to expand its team of AI specialists and engineers, enhance its technological infrastructure, and strengthen its global presence."This funding is a key milestone for iQuant.fund," said Campbell. "It allows us to scale our operations, refine our technology, and forge partnerships with some of the most influential financial institutions in the world. Our focus is on delivering a product that meets the complex needs of institutional investors and sets a new standard in AI-driven trading." Building a Future of Secure and Transparent TradingSecurity and transparency are core tenets of iQuant.fund's operations. The company has implemented robust security protocols to protect sensitive data and ensure the integrity of its trading system. Furthermore, iQuant.fund is committed to providing its institutional partners with complete transparency regarding the functionality of its AI models, enabling them to make informed decisions with confidence."In today's financial environment, trust is everything," said Wood. "Our partners need to know that they can rely on our technology not just for its performance, but also for its security and transparency. We take this responsibility very seriously and have built our system with these principles in mind." Strategic Vision and Global ImpactLooking ahead, iQuant.fund is poised to expand its influence in the financial world by continuing to develop cutting-edge AI solutions tailored to the needs of institutional investors. The company's strategic partnerships with global funds are expected to drive significant advancements in how AI is used in trading, setting the stage for a new era of innovation in the financial markets."Our vision is to redefine institutional trading through the power of AI," said Campbell. "By focusing on partnerships with leading financial institutions, we can bring our technology to the forefront of the industry and help shape the future of trading." About iQuant.fund iQuant.fund is a Vanuatu-registered fintech company specializing in AI-driven trading technology. Founded by a team including Adrian Campbell and Hilton Wood, President of the Overseas Bankers, iQuant.fund is dedicated to transforming financial trading through the development of advanced AI models. The company focuses on delivering high-performance trading solutions exclusively to reputable financial institutions, ensuring the highest standards of security, transparency, and innovation.Contact Details:Business Name: iQuant FundContact Name: Adrian CampbellContact Email:adrian@ iquant.fundWebsite:www.iquant.fund SOURCE: iQuant PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 22:15:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 365 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 /Lahontan Gold Corp (TSXV:LG)(OTCQB:LGCXF) (the "Company" or "Lahontan") reports that Mr. John McConnell has tendered his resignation as a director and Chair of the Board of Directors of Lahontan.Kimberly Ann, Lahontan Founder, CEO, President, and Director commented: "Lahontan thanks John for his service on the Board of Directors of the Company and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors." On behalf of the Board of DirectorsKimberly AnnFounder, CEO, President, and DirectorFOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Lahontan Gold Corp.Kimberly AnnFounder, Chief Executive Officer, President, Director Phone: 1-530-414-4400Email: Kimberly.ann@lahontangoldcorp.com Website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com SOURCE: Lahontan Gold Corp. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On August 15, the all-new VOYAH DREAM, the first collaborative model between Dongfeng Motor's premium new energy brand VOYAH and Huawei, made its live debut. Pre-sales of the vehicle will begin on August 28. Photo credit: VOYAH As the first MPV equipped with Huawei's Qiankun intelligent driving system and HarmonyOS smart cockpit, the VOYAH DREAM boasts enhancements in range, intelligence, comfort, and safety. The all-new VOYAH DREAM features a torque vectoring intelligent all-wheel-drive system, allowing seamless adjustment of front and rear motor torque from 0-100%. This ensures better traction in low-grip conditions like rain and snow, providing stability in extreme situations. Photo credit: VOYAH Equipped with 27 smart sensing hardware components, the all-new VOYAH DREAM continuously monitors road conditions and detects various obstacles, offering over 20 active safety features. Its end-to-end large model architecture and unique instinctive safety network deliver rapid responses in emergencies. Huawei's Qiankun ADS 3.0 intelligent parking system supports over 160 parking scenarios, tackling tight spaces and unmarked spots effortlessly. VOYAH and Huawei have developed a front-in parking feature for easier luggage access. Additional features include remote parking, valet parking, and more. The system's urban and expressway NOA (navigation on autopilot) capabilities do not rely on high-precision maps, expanding intelligent driving applications. Inside, the all-new VOYAH DREAM is equipped with high-end amenities like a large smart fridge, enhancing passenger comfort. The inclusion of electric sliding rails in the third row increases legroom by 10%, allowing for a more spacious semi-reclining position. The reinforced seatbacks provide extra shoulder support and protection against intrusion. PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 18:15:39 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 415 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Kootenai Health, including its subsidiaries Kootenai Clinic, Kootenai Outpatient Surgery, and Kootenai Outpatient Imaging, recently disclosed a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal information of over 480,000 employees, employees' dependents, and patients. This breach has led to concerns over the security of private information entrusted to the healthcare provider.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On March 2, 2024, Kootenai Health detected unusual activity that disrupted access to certain IT systems. Kootenai Health conducted an investigation which revealed an unauthorized party may have gained access to certain data in its network on or around February 22, 2024. The investigation determined that the following sensitive personal information were compromised in the data breach: full name, Social Security number, driver's license, government-issued ID, medical records number, medical information, health insurance information, and medical diagnoses.On August 12, 2024, Kootenai Health began issuing notice letters to individuals impacted by the data breach. Compensation may be available for Kootenai Health patients, employees, and their dependents who received notice that their personal information had been compromised.WHY AM I ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from Kootenai Health, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected customers are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 16:00:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 504 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / MTM Transit is honored to announce that it has been awarded a new contract with a longstanding client, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) in Austin, Texas. This new contract, which begins January 1, 2025, will see MTM Transit continue to operate the CapMetro paratransit service and the CapMetro Pickup on-demand microtransit program. This contract represents one of the largest programs for the company, with a total contract value of $736 million over the next 10 years.CapMetro and MTM Transit Staff Since 2014, MTM Transit has provided safe, timely, and reliable services to Austin passengers through the CapMetro Access paratransit program, as well as the Pickup program since 2019. The company's team of more than 480 local leaders, vehicle operators, dispatchers, maintenance staff, and other support personnel who are dedicated to its Austin operations continually reflect MTM Transit's dedication to passenger-focused operations."We are incredibly proud of the excellent service our local team has provided to CapMetro and its passengers over the past decade," said MTM Transit's President and CEO Alaina Macia. "This new contract is a testament to our team's hard work. We look forward to continuing our partnership with CapMetro, treating passengers as our top priority, and working together to improve operations and customer satisfaction." Since 2014, MTM Transit has introduced innovative solutions to enhance service quality and efficiency. From implementing new technology and security systems to installing a 6,000-gallon fuel delivery system, the company has sought ways to improve its Austin operations. MTM Transit's partnership with CapMetro has also seen the company expand its fleet and services. Starting with 45 minivans for the North Base, the company has since grown to a fleet of 255 vehicles for the North and South Base. Additionally, MTM Transit and CapMetro recently celebrated the one millionth Pickup passenger, representing a milestone in the program's success.MTM Transit's role in the Austin community extends beyond just transportation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization partnered with CapMetro to deliver over one million meals to Austin residents in need. The team's commitment to community support was further demonstrated during the February 2021 ice storm, where MTM Transit provided essential services, including water delivery and emergency transportation.MTM Transit's efforts to enhance community connectivity included the Mobile Hot Spot Program, which brought internet access to underserved areas during the pandemic. Additionally, contributions to food delivery programs and support for community initiatives have solidified the company's role as a valued partner in the Austin area."As we embark on this new term, MTM Transit is committed to maintaining high standards of quality, safety, and accessibility," said Chief Operating Officer Brian Balogh. "We will continue to work closely with CapMetro, implementing new technologies and training programs to enhance service and operational efficiency. By maintaining high standards of excellence and professionalism, we aim to deliver reliable, safe service that meets the needs and exceeds the expectations of CapMetro and its passengers." Contact InformationAshley WrightSenior Manager, Marketingawright@ mtminc.com SOURCE: MTM, Inc.View the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 08:20:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1026 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 UPPSALA, SWEDEN / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Biovica International (STO:BIOVIC-B)(STO: BIOVIC.B)(FRA:9II) The shareholders of Biovica International AB, reg. no. 556774-6150, (the "Company") are hereby invited to the annual general meeting to be held on Tuesday 17 September 2024, at 10.00 CET in Conference Hubben's premises on Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 38 in Uppsala.Right to attend the general meeting Shareholders wishing to attend the annual general meeting must:on the record date, which is Monday 9 September 2024, be registered in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB; andnotify their participation at the general meeting no later than Wednesday 11 September 2024. Notice of participation at the general meeting shall be sent by regular mail to Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyra, Attn: Elsa Sefastsson, Box 180, 101 23 Stockholm, Sweden (please mark the envelope with "Biovica annual general meeting 2024") or by e-mail to elsa.sefastsson@bakermckenzie.com . Upon notification, the shareholder should state their full name, personal identification number or corporate registration number, address and telephone number, and, where applicable, details of representatives, proxy holders and advisors.Nominee shares Shareholders, whose shares are registered in the name of a bank or other nominee, must temporarily register their shares in their own name with Euroclear Sweden AB in order to be entitled to participate in the general meeting. Such registration, which normally is processed in a few days, must be completed no later than on Monday 9 September 2024 and should therefore be requested from the nominee well before this date. Voting registration requested by a shareholder in such time that the registration has been made by the relevant nominee no later than on Wednesday 11 September 2024 will be considered in preparations of the share register.Proxy etc. A shareholder who wishes to be represented by proxy shall issue a written and dated proxy to the proxy holder. If the proxy is issued by a legal entity, a certified copy of the registration certificate or corresponding document (" Registration Certificate ") shall be enclosed. The proxy must not be more than one year old, however, the proxy may be older if it is stated that it is valid for a longer term, maximum five years. The proxy in original and the Registration Certificate, if any, must be available at the general meeting and a copy should well before the meeting be sent to the Company by regular mail to Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyra, Attn: Elsa Sefastsson, Box 180, 101 23 Stockholm (please mark the envelope with "Biovica annual general meeting 2024"), Sweden or by e-mail to elsa.sefastsson@bakermckenzie.com , and should, in order to facilitate the entrance to the general meeting, be at the Company's disposal no later than on 11 September 2024. A proxy form will be available for downloading on the Company's website www.biovica.com Draft agendaOpening of the meeting.Election of chairman of the meeting.Preparation and approval of the voting list.Election of one or more persons to certify the minutes.Examination of whether the meeting has been properly convened.Approval of the agenda.Presentation of the annual report and the auditors' report and the group annual report and the group auditor's report.Resolution regarding:adoption of income statement and balance sheet and the group income statement and the group balance sheet,the profit or loss of the Company in accordance with the adopted balance sheet and group balance sheet, anddischarge from liability of the board of directors and the managing director.Determination of the number of directors and auditors.Determination of fees to the board of directors and to the auditors.Election of the board of directors and auditors.Resolution regarding authorization for the board to issue shares, warrants and/or convertibles.Closing of the meeting.Proposed resolutionsItem 2: Election of chairman of the meeting The nomination committee proposes that Lars Holmqvist is appointed as chairman of the general meeting.Item 8b: Resolution regarding decision regarding the profit or loss of the Company in accordance with the adopted balance sheet The board of directors proposes that all funds available for the annual general meeting shall be carried forward.Item 9-11: Determination of the number of directors and auditors, determination of fees to the board of directors and to the auditors, and election of the board of directors and auditor The nomination committee proposes that the board shall consist of seven directors. The nomination committee further proposes that the number of auditors shall be one registered accounting firm.The nomination committee proposes that the remuneration is to be SEK 1,675,000 in total (unchanged since previous year), including remuneration for committee work, and shall be paid to the board of directors and the members of the established committees in the following amounts:SEK 200,000 (SEK 200,00) for each of the non-employed directors and SEK 450,000 (SEK 450,000) to the chairman provided that the chairman is not an employee.The nomination committee further proposes that remuneration for committee work shall be paid in the following amounts:SEK 75,000 (SEK 75,000) to the chairman and SEK 37,500 (SEK 37,500) to the other members of the audit committee and the remuneration committee.The nomination committee proposes that the auditor shall be entitled to a fee in accordance with approved invoice.The nomination committee proposes the re-election of the current directors Annika Carlsson Berg, Marie-Louise Fjallskog, Maria Holmlund, Lars Holmqvist, Ulf Jungnelius, Anders Rylander and Jesper Soderqvist. Furthermore, it is proposed to re-elect Lars Holmqvist as chairman of the board.The nomination committee further proposes the re-election of the registered audit firm Grant Thornton Sweden AB as the Company's auditor for a period up until the end of the next annual general meeting. Grant Thornton Sweden AB has announced that the authorized auditor Stephanie Ljungberg continues as main responsible auditor.Independence in accordance with the Swedish Corporate Governance CodeAfter an assessment of the proposed directors' independence the nomination committee has found that their proposal for the composition of the board of directors of the company fulfills the requirements stipulated in the Swedish Corporate Governance Code (the " Code "). With respect to the proposed members of the board, Anders Rylander may be considered dependent in relation to the Company. The other proposed directors are considered independent to the Company, the management o PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 17:11:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 402 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Orlando businesses can now access top-tier tax minimization and profitability services through Accountant Partners' new office.ORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / NB Advisors, a leading firm specializing in small business accounting, tax planning, and financial advisory services, is excited to announce the opening of its new location in Orlando, Florida. This expansion reflects the firm's commitment to supporting Orlando's thriving business community by providing expert guidance on tax minimization and profitability strategies.With decades of experience, NB Advisors has built a reputation for helping small businesses achieve their financial goals. The new Orlando office will allow the firm to extend its personalized services to a broader range of clients, offering comprehensive accounting solutions tailored to each business's unique needs."As an Orlando small business accountant, we understand local businesses' challenges. Our goal is to provide innovative and effective strategies that help our clients save on taxes, grow their profits, and achieve long-term success," said Ryan Niedoba, Managing Partner at NB Advisors. "We're thrilled to bring our expertise to Orlando and look forward to becoming a trusted partner for the city's businesses." NB Advisors offers a full suite of services designed to enhance business performance, including:Tax Minimization: Comprehensive review of tax laws, deductions, and deferrals to identify opportunities for significant savings.Profitability Benchmarking: Evaluating business performance and providing actionable insights to increase profitability.Financial Game Plan: Utilizing cutting-edge software to optimize capital allocation and maximize revenue growth.Annual "Awesome 8" Review: A firm-wide assessment to identify areas for improvement in growth, profitability, cash flow, and asset protection.NB Advisors invites Orlando small business owners to schedule a free consultation to discover how they can save $100K to $1M in taxes annually and boost their bottom line.Please visit https://nbcpa.us/small-business-accountant-orlando or contact 1 (407) 809-7474 to book a consult.About NB Advisors:NB Advisors is a fourth-generation family-owned accounting firm headquartered in Philadelphia, PA dedicated to helping small businesses minimize their tax burden and maximize profitability. With decades of experience, they offer personalized and innovative strategies to save clients $100K to $1M in taxes while ensuring sustainable business growth. Led by Ryan and Kevin Niedoba, NB Advisors takes pride in treating each client's business as their own, offering proactive, world-class service with a commitment to transparency and excellence.Contact InformationJP RichardsDirector of Communicationsreleases@ drakedigital.com (877) 393-7030SOURCE: NB AdvisorsView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 01:33:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 617 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2024 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIR)(OTCQB:PMMCF) is pleased to provide a Project Update for the Piuquenes Cu-Au porphyry project, San Juan, Argentina.Current ActivitiesSince completing a maiden drill program at Piuquenes, the Company has prioritized the integration of recent drilling data with historical information which includes:Surface Geology and Geochemistry (1:2500);Geophysics - gDAS24 3D Pole-Dipole IP/Resistivity & Natural Source Magneto-Tellurics (17.8line-km);Airborne magnetic/radiometric survey; and2,800m of well-preserved historical drill core (refer 17 June 2024 News Release).Aided by 4-acid multi-element geochemical data and reprocessed and interpreted historical geophysical data, the Company is also finalizing 3D geological modelling and grade and lithology interpretation at the Piuquenes Central porphyry Cu-Au depositConcurrently, the Company continues to review the property wide upside potential, with Pampa Metals' mineral tenure extending for over 3km to the north of Piuquenes Central, with minimal exploration conducted over the area to date (refer Figure 1). The underlying geology is almost entirely masked at surface by thin transported cover, with no exploration drilling completed under this cover.The solid progress of these work programs has allowed Initial targeting and planning for the 2024/25 field season to begin. Company management is currently in San Juan finalizing preparations for the next field season, which will include further drill evaluation at Piuquenes Central, the initial drill testing of Piuquenes East, field mapping to advance several other nearby targets, and further geophysics if required.Next StepsThe Company will provide further updates on the key findings from the 3D model development and the geophysical data integration once finalized, as well as the timing and scope of the 2024/25 field season work programs, preparation for which has already begun.Joseph van den Elsen, Pampa Metals President and CEO commented: "We are very pleased with the rapid progress we are making at Piuquenes and are excited by the upcoming field season. The Piuquenes project is a Company making asset and we look forward to more fully delineating the size and grade potential of the first deposit during the 2024/25 field season and concurrently testing a second undrilled, outcropping porphyry at Piuquenes East. Desktop work to-date confirms the potential for a cluster of deposits and we will advance several other targets this field season through surface exploration and possibly geophysics." Figure 1: Piuquenes Project - Property Wide Upside Potential ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD & INVESTOR CONTACT:Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO | Joseph@ pampametals.com ABOUT PAMPA METALSPampa Metals is a copper-gold exploration company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE:PM), Frankfurt (FSE:FIR), and OTC (OTCQB:PMMCF) exchanges.In November 2023, the Company announced it had entered into an Option and Joint Venture Agreement for the acquisition of an 80% interest in the Piuquenes Copper-Gold Porphyry Project in San Juan Province, Argentina.Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTThis news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 21:24:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 550 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation (TSXV:QPM)(FSE:YXEP)(OTCQB:CJCFF) ("QPM" or the "Corporation") announces that an aggregate of 221,165 common shares will be issued in settlement of services of three current directors of the Corporation in an aggregate amount of $19,462.52, as per the shares for services agreements entered with three current directors (the "Shares for Services Arrangement") (see press release dated June 21, 2024). The services are paid in connection with services rendered by three current directors during the second quarter of the financial year ending January 31, 2025.The Board of Directors and Management of QPM believes that the Shares for Services Arrangement is in the best interests of QPM as it will help the Corporation preserve its cash position.The common shares to be issued pursuant to the Shares for Services Arrangement will be issued at a deemed price of $0.088 per share and will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to applicable securities regulations and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV").The Shares for Services Arrangement is considered a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Shares for Services Arrangement will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as QPM's securities are not listed on any stock exchange identified in Section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 and neither the fair market value of the common shares to be issued in the Shares for Services Arrangement nor of the services provided in connection with the debts which are the subject of the Shares for Services Arrangement shall exceed 25% of QPM's market capitalization.Deferred shares unitsThe Company announces the issuance of 107,955 deferred stock units (the "DSUs") to the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to its Deferred Share Unit Plan (the "DSU Plan"). This follows the decision that from May 1, 2022, the CEO's salary compensation will be paid 80% in cash and the other 20% of compensation will be paid in Differed DSUs quarterly. These DSUs represent the portion for the second quarter of 2025. In accordance with the DSU Plan, the DSUs shall vest in accordance with the terms of agreements granting same and one year from the date of such grant, subject to the provisions of TSXV Policy 4.4 and the Company's security based compensation plan, and are payable in common shares of the Company, or in cash at the sole discretion of the Company, upon the holder ceasing to be an employee of the Company.About Quebec Precious Metals CorporationQPM has a large land position in the highly prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. The Corporation focuses on advancing its Sakami gold project and its newly discovered, drill-ready Ninaaskuwin lithium showing on the Elmer East project. In addition, the Corporation holds a 68% interest in the Kipawa rare earths project located near Temiscaming, Quebec.For more information please contact:Normand ChampignyChief Executive OfficerTel.: 514 979-4746 nchampigny@ qpmcorp.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 04:15:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 479 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2024 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until August 30, 2024to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Seritage Growth Properties ("Seritage" or the "Company") (NYSE:SRG), if they purchased the Company's securities between July 7, 2022 and May 10, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Seritage and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-srg/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court byAugust 30, 2024 .About the LawsuitSeritage and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On August 14, 2023, the Company disclosed a "material weakness" in its internal control over financial reporting "due to a deficiency in the design of our control over the identification of impairment indicators for investments in real estate and documentation of evidence of review" related "to the failure to identify potential indicators of impairment related to development projects in a timely manner." On this news, the price of Seritage's shares fell $0.86, or 9.67%, to close at $8.03 per share on August 15, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.Then, on May 10, 2024, the Company released its 1Q2024 financial results, disclosing that it was "adjusting [its] pricing projections for some of [its] assets" resulting in the gross value of the Company's portfolio of assets being reduced by at least $325 million. On this news, the price of Seritage's shares fell $2.54, or 27.3%, to close at $6.78 per share on May 13, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume.The case is He v. Seritage Growth Properties, et al., No. 1:24-cv-05007.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com CONTACT: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 13:31:37 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 289 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / Levi & Korsinsky notifies investors that it has commenced an investigation of Phreesia, Inc. ("Phreesia") (NYSE:PHR) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.Phreesia issued a press release on May 30, 2024, announcing financial results for the first quarter of its fiscal year 2025. Among other items, Phreesia update its "revenue outlook for fiscal year 2025 to a range of $416 million to $426 million from a previous range of $424 million to $434 million." Phreesia advised that "[t]he updated revenue range incorporates the accelerated wind-down of a clearinghouse client relationship" and that "[t]he revenue range provided for fiscal 2025 assumes no additional revenue from potential future acquisitions completed between now and January 31, 2025." Following this news, Phreesia's stock price dropped over 7% on May 31, 2024. To obtain additional information, go to:or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212)363-7500.WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, Levi & Korsinsky LLP has established itself as a nationally-recognized securities litigation firm that has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. The firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212)363-7500 Fax: (212)363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 15:03:33 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 332 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. ("Arbor" or "the Company") (NYSE:ABR) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Arbor is the subject of a report issued by Viceroy Research November 17, 2023, titled, "Arbor Realty Trust - Slumlord Millionaires." According to the report, "Arbor's high-risk multifamily bridge loans, which comprise substantially all of its asset book, are going bad fast The end is near." Viceroy Research then issued a follow up report on December 5, 2023, titled "Arbor - Jacksonville Case Study." In the second report, Viceroy Research claims that the Company's "entire loan book is distressed and underlying collateral is vastly overstated." Based on this news, shares of Arbor fell by more than 5% over the next two trading sessions.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT: The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq. www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 17:04:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 329 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 /The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Axos Financial, Inc. ("Axos" or "the Company") (NYSE:AX) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Axos is the subject of a report issued by Hindenburg Research on June 4, 2024. According to Hindenburg, "Our research, including industry analysis, interviews with 21 former employees, lease agents and industry experts, combined with an examination of Axos' loan book derived through local property records, indicates a company exposed to the riskiest asset classes with lax underwriting standards and a loan book filled with multiple glaring problems." The report also claims, "For as long as banks have been around, there have also been 'too good to be true' outliers that claim to have discovered a magical lending formula. In this case, we are meant to believe that Axos' has selected only the best felons and troubled borrowers and properties to lend to, allowing it to waltz gracefully through the imploding commercial real estate market. We think otherwise." If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT: The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq. www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm Read the full story on Modern Car Collector Ultra-Rare 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 Set to Fetch $1.5 Million An exceptionally rare and pristine 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 is set to be one of the highlights of RM Sothebys annual Monterey Car Week auction. This iconic race car, known for its rarity and impressive performance pedigree, could fetch up to $1.5 million when it crosses the auction block. Image Via RM Sotheby's The 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 was a standout among Porsches 1990s racing machines, designed as a lightweight, high-performance variant of the 964 generation. Built for the track, the RSR 3.8 was a rear-wheel-drive beast powered by a naturally aspirated, air-cooled 3.8-liter inline-six engine. Depending on the regulations of the competition, this engine could produce up to 375 horsepower and 264 lb-ft of torque, making it a formidable contender in Europes GT racing series. Image Via RM Sotheby's What makes this particular RSR 3.8 even more special is its exclusivity and immaculate condition. Porsche produced just 51 examples of the Carrera RSR 3.8, with only two finished in the striking Guards Red. The car up for auction, chassis number 496090, is one of those two. The Guards Red paint covers the entire body, accented only by black trim along the headlamps, windshield, and windows, giving the car a bold and aggressive appearance. The interior, true to its racing roots, is minimalistic, featuring Recaro racing seats, a fire extinguisher, and a stripped-down cabin devoid of any unnecessary comforts. ADVERTISEMENT Remarkably, this Carrera RSR 3.8 has only 25 miles on the odometer, making it a virtually untouched piece of automotive history. After being sold to Walter Scheuermann in Germany in December 1993, the car was later acquired by a prominent Japanese collector, where it remained for two decades. It was imported to the United States in 2013 and has since been meticulously maintained by its current owner. A $40,000 service performed by Retrosport in San Rafael, California, ensured that the car is in top condition and ready for the road. Story continues Image Via RM Sotheby's This rare Porsche will be among more than 200 cars auctioned by RM Sothebys during Monterey Car Week, which runs from August 15 to 17. Given its extraordinary condition, low mileage, and rarity, the auction house anticipates it will sell for between $1.25 million and $1.5 million. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 14:30:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 616 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Permitting and Timeline: The Alberta Energy Regulator has issued drilling permits, with lease construction nearing completion. Drilling is set to begin.Operational and Financial Preparedness: The well's total costs are projected at $2.2 million, with Trans Canada's fully funded share at $412,500. Croverro Energy Ltd. will operate the project under the partnership agreement.VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 /Trans Canada Gold Corp. (TSXV:TTG)(OTCQB:TTGXF) ("Trans Canada" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Alberta Energy Regulator has issued a drilling permit, and Croverro has started building the second multilateral drilling location on the project lands near Lloydminster, Alberta. The company expects drilling to commence shortly. Croverro Energy under the terms of the agreement, will be the Operator.Commented Tim Coupland, "We are excited to be nearing completion of our surface and pad preparations and pre-setting surface casings on the project lands, and are excited to be drilling our second multilateral oil well with a reliable and experienced partner, who has consistently targeted and successfully drilled, completed and started production of several wells targeting different oil reservoirs. Croverro has proven to be a very competent operator providing low operating cost and consistent production days. We believe drilling multilateral horizontal wells with good well control and utilizing new computer modelling and seismic techniques will provide continued success. The partnership is allowing the Company to grow rapidly and prosper as world oil prices continue to remain high." "Our team is fully prepared and excited to advance our second multilateral well near Lloydminster, marking another key step in our strategic growth and production goals," said Director Chris Timmins.The lands for the well are currently controlled by a partnership led by Croverro with the company holding 18.75% interest. This second multi-lateral horizontal well is based on similar wells drilled in the GP oil formation using surrounding well control combined with recently processed seismic lines. The new multilateral well is expected to contact over 8000 m of GP oil reservoir.Drilling completion and equipping costs are expected to be $2.2 million for the well ($412,500 net to Trans Canada). The company is fully funded for these operations. Croverro Energy Ltd., under the terms of the agreement, is the Operator.ABOUT TRANS CANADA GOLD CORP. - OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION/REVENUE PRODUCING WELLSThe Company is a discovery focused Oil & Gas Resource Development and Mineral Exploration Company that is currently focused on developing and drilling its' production of conventional heavy oil exploration properties, increasing production capabilities, and increasing future oil production revenues through responsible exploration. The Company identifies, acquires and finances with its working interest partners, the ongoing development of oil and gas assets primarily situated in Alberta Canada. The Company has qualified Senior exploration management and Geological teams of professionals, seasoned in exploration production, field exploration and drilling. The Company currently works with Croverro Energy Ltd., who has demonstrated proficiency, expected of an experienced oil and gas technical team that has proven oil production, and revenue success with large multi-lateral wells currently under their supervision. The Company has the necessary manpower in place to develop its natural resource properties and manage its production properties. The Company is committed to minimizing risk through selective property acquisitions, and responsible exploration drilling, and maximizing long term petroleum and natural gas resource assets.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Tim Coupland, President and CEOTrans Canada Gold Corp.Tel: (604) 681-3131 astar@ telus.comwww.transcanadagold.com orChristian Timmins, DirectorTrans Canada Gold Corp.Tel: (403) 597-3410Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider, (as the term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Trans Canada Gold Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-16 07:30:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 468 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SALT LAKE CITY, UT / ACCESSWIRE / August 16, 2024 / VUUDL Media Group, a leader in the ecommerce industry, is on a mission to simplify online business for its clients. With a strong commitment to providing tailored solutions, VUUDL Media Group has successfully helped over 300 clients launch their own ecommerce stores since 2019. Under the leadership of CEO Brian Annen, the company continues to set new standards in ecommerce innovation and client success.Brian Annen, a seasoned entrepreneur and ecommerce expert, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to VUUDL Media Group.The journey in ecommerce began with the founding of four private label brands, each of which demonstrated his keen understanding of market dynamics and consumer needs. Annen's expertise further expanded with the creation and operation of a consumer goods manufacturing company in San Diego, where he achieved widespread success. His products were sold in over 50,000 retail locations, including major retailers such as Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Canadian Tire, and Intersport, leading to over $15 million in annual revenue.Annen's accomplishments extend beyond traditional retail. At Amazon, he led advertising sales and strategy for top outdoor brands, including Traeger Grills, Weber, Blackstone, Goal Zero, and Woodstream. In this role, he managed more than $10 million in annual advertising spend across multiple channels, including Sponsored Ads, Amazon DSP, Streaming TV, and audio. His strategic insights and effective management resulted in over $500 million in annual revenue for his clients, solidifying his reputation as a leading expert in ecommerce and digital marketing."At VUUDL Media Group, our goal is to make ecommerce accessible and efficient for our clients. We leverage our deep industry experience to provide solutions that drive real results," said Annen. "Our team is dedicated to helping businesses thrive in the competitive online marketplace, and we're proud of the impact we've had on our clients' success." Supporting Annen's vision is Rickie Saythong, the Chief Operating Officer of VUUDL Media Group. Saythong is responsible for overseeing the company's product portfolio, client management, and warehouse operations. His leadership ensures that VUUDL Media Group's services are not only comprehensive but also streamlined for maximum efficiency. The company owns and operates its own prep center in San Diego, further enhancing its ability to deliver end-to-end ecommerce solutions.In July 2024, VUUDL Media Group took a significant step forward with the acquisition of SupremeCommerce, a move that has expanded its capabilities and client base. Since 2023, the company has successfully launched over 25 private label products for clients, underscoring its commitment to innovation and growth.VUUDL Media Group's track record of success, driven by the expertise of Brian Annen and Rickie Saythong, positions the company as a trusted partner for businesses looking to excel in the ecommerce space.@vuudlmediagroup (Instagram)Media Details:Contact Person:Brian AnnenCEOCompany Name: VUUDL Media Group admin@ vuudl.comwww.vuudl.com SOURCE: VUUDL Media Group By Oladeinde Olawoyin, Ronald Adamolekun, Abdulkareem Mojeed, Ntiedo Ekott This is the second part of our series on post-harvest losses. Read the first part here. Rice Nigeria loses 20 to 40 per cent of its rice at harvest points and market stages. Beyond food wastage, postharvest losses along the rice value chain also come with implications for climate change, accounting for emissions of around 0.65 million tonnes of CO2 eq, into the atmosphere. For Victoria Nwachukwu, a 53-year-old farmer based in Onicha Local Government Area in Ebonyi, one of Nigerias biggest rice-producing states, poor roads and lack of market access are the top factors behind postharvest losses in rice in her community. Many people may come to the state looking for rice, but they cannot enter communities like ours because of bad roads, she told PREMIUM TIMES. If you consider the money you will pay to move these goods out to the market, it may exceed the profits you are to make from the sales. So, bad road infrastructure and access to the market are major challenges in this business for us in this community. Amegu Amanator, where Ms Nwachukwu cultivates the grain, is usually a 45-minute drive from Abakaliki, the state capital. However, because of the poor condition of the roads, travel time is roughly two hours. Early this year, she lost 18 units of 100kg bags of rice worth N1.7 million due to transportation constraints while attempting to convey the produce from the farm to the market. Due to her experience, Mrs Nwachukwu is scaling back her cultivation. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We dont have storage facilities here, but its not a problem for me because I normally dry and also use chemicals to preserve my rice after harvesting, said Victoria Chinyere, who has a farm in Oshiri in the same local government. The demand for rice is high, so I dont experience many losses. Immediately I finish harvesting, buyers will come and pick them all because our place is accessible. Extending grains shelf life by applying chemicals raises health concerns. Lots of grains stored in silos are preserved with heavy, toxic chemicals, which sometimes make them unfit for consumption. Though consumed locally, such grains fall short of international safety standards and are rejected at the point of export after the discovery of chemical residue on them. Owing to the unavailability of storage facilities, which cost him N1.3 million two years ago, smallholder John Nnabo, who plants rice in Oshiri, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, now uses private-owned storage facilities. He pays between N1000 and N2000 monthly for every 100 kg of rice. That will help preserve the produce, pending when he starts milling the grains, while he preserves the rest with chemicals at home. The sit-at-home order is a major cause of postharvest loss in the community. We cannot take rice to the market on Mondays. Because of this, the colour of the harvested rice normally changes, which will reduce the quality and value, he told PREMIUM TIMES, referring to the controversial sit-at-home imposed on states in south-east Nigeria by the secessionist group IPOB. The World Resource Institute observed that: any innovations in managing postharvest losses, such as the use of hermetic bags for grain storage, cold room facilities for perishable foods, etc., have meagre adoption rates in Africa. To help shift these low adoption rates, its important to co-design such innovations with local farmers and entrepreneurs at the centre while investing in local small- and medium-sized enterprises to help scale businesses. These enterprises also need government support, including public investments, tax incentives and policies to scale. Yam According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Nigeria accounts for 69.2 per cent of the worlds yam production, with 61.2 million tonnes of the crop produced in 2022. Yam Improvement for Processing (YIP) Nigeria, a study of the yam value chain in the country executed by Sahel Partners & Advisory between December 2013 and 2014, found postharvest losses in the crop range between 20-30 per cent, depending on the yam variety. We dont have storage equipment. We only preserve our yams based on how we make our storage space conducive for our yams, something like thatched houses where ventilation is much, Japheth Ishenge, secretary of the Association of Yam Shade Owners and Yam Sellers Zaki Biam Market, told PREMIUM TIMES. Located in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, Zaki Biam Market is regarded as the worlds largest yam market. If its in a thatched house, we understand that the ceiling is there (to protect the yams), he said. If its in a zinc house, we understand that the ceiling is there, so we spread sand on the floor before we lay the yams on it instead of putting them directly on concrete. Mr Ishenge noted that farmers and traders in the state record about 40 per cent of post-harvest wastage in yam. He added that the exposure of the tubers to heat and moisture due to the absence of safe storage houses is among the principal factors stoking decay. He stated that excessive application of fertiliser also causes yam spoilage. Some farmers sprinkle chemicals on yams to reduce spoilage and, ultimately, wastage, he said. However, many farmers do not adopt this preservation method because of the adverse health implications for consumers. Traders from Cameroon, Niger and Ghana regularly come to Zaki Biam Market to purchase the yam tubers. The market accounts for about 70 per cent of the yam cultivated in Nigeria, with more than 200 trucks loading two million tubers of yam every week, not to mention buses and smaller vehicles. Until 2020, the vast market needed more basic facilities like stalls that could shield yams from unfavourable weather and simple buildings with roofs and partially open sides for ventilation that could serve as storage spaces for yams. Ventilation prevents moisture condensation on the tuber surface and assists in removing the heat of respiration. Low temperature is necessary to reduce respiration, sprouting and rotting losses, the FAO said. Regular inspection of tubers is important to remove sprouts and rotten tubers and to monitor the presence of rodents and other pests. In general, tubers should be protected from high temperatures and provided with good ventilation during storage, it added. Relief came for the market in 2020 when the Muhammadu Buhari administration built 660 stalls/sheds and a 200,000-yam storage facility to support micro, small and medium enterprises in the country. Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo commissioned the facility and said it targeted reducing yam postharvest loss. Much as the two storage houses have helped moderate yam wastage at the market, Mr Ishenge said they can only store the produce of 20 farmers at a time, meaning many interventions are still needed. He told PREMIUM TIMES that the yam farmers want the government to set up a yam flour industry, which he believes will help curb wastage and boost value addition. Postharvest losses occur at various stages from production, postharvest handling, marketing, distribution and processing. These include losses in quantity and tuber quality, arising from physical damage, rodent attack, fungal and bacterial diseases, and physiological processes such as sprouting, dehydration, and respiration, the FAO said. Weight loss during storage in traditional or improved barns or clamp storage can reach 10-12 per cent in the first three months and 30-60 per cent after six months. Weight losses alone of 33-67 per cent after six months of storage have been reported. In West Africa alone, it is amounted to an annual loss of one million tonnes of tuber, it added. The FAO suggested sealing yam tubers in polyethene film bags, coating them with Epolene E10, and curing them to reduce wastage. During PREMIUM TIMES visit to Bodija Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, traders tie yam tubers to big frames made of stakes inside yam barns to avert spoilage. Ramoni Alapinni, a trader, said the practice is quite important because of the poor means of transporting yams from different parts of the country to the market. Some of the yams came from far places, and we need to quickly put them in the open so they wont spoil, he said. We go as far as Benue and Abuja to buy the yam, and the way some of them are transported, there is barely enough air in the vehicles. So sometimes, they get rotten before we even get here, and you know the state of our roads, he added. Fruits & vegetables The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) estimates that Nigeria records 50 per cent post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables, a view shared by PLAN, which has stated that they mainly occur during harvesting, storage, transportation and processing. Major fruits grown in Nigeria include mango, citrus, watermelon, pineapple, plantain, banana, guava and pawpaw, while vegetables include onion, tomato, pepper, and carrot. The problem is not production but post-harvest losses, Mohammed Kabir, a young farmer residing on the outskirts of Ogbomoso, one of the towns known for producing mangoes on a large scale in the country, told PREMIUM TIMES. From Ogbomoso to Gambari (another town outside Ogbomoso), youd see mangoes everywhere, with farmers placing them on the major roads as you move along. The absence of off-takers makes it difficult for those farmers to make good sales because most of the mangoes become rotten after some weeks of harvest and poor sales, Mr Kabir added. In Osun State, multiple traders at the Odo-Ori market in Iwo told PREMIUM TIMES that the absence of off-takers in major farming areas and villages where fruits and vegetables are grown often compounds postharvest losses. The last time I planted vegetables on a vast expanse of land, I ran into small troubles because I could barely sell them at profitable prices, said Baba Ajadi, who owns a farm on the outskirts of town along Ibadan-Osogbo road. The problem is multi-faceted: we have issues with seeds, storage and off-takers. Many of our people struggle to avoid postharvest losses by selling at discounted prices at Odo-Ori on market days, he said. When PREMIUM TIMES visited some markets in Iwo and Ile-Ogbo, many farmers lamented huge losses from poor storage facilities and other logistic constraints associated with the supply of farm produce. At Oje, one of the biggest fruit markets in Ibadan, a trader, Saheed Babalola, said the wastage people in the fruit and vegetable business record couldnt be quantified. There is no modern storage facility or electricity to help store our fruits. So we put them inside an enclosure to keep them ahead of sales once we return from the farm. Traders watched waste collectors hauling baskets of spoilt oranges, bananas, watermelon, and other produce towards a waiting truck around the median strip of the Oje-Gate motorway. Its a loss for us and a major challenge for many women doing business here. Imagine whats possible if we have good storage facilities to help eradicate or reduce the losses, Mr Babalola said. Fish To cut losses, fishermen in Akwa Ibom State are also deploying self-help methods, including preserving catch with ice blocks. This simple yet effective technique significantly extends the freshness of the catch, reducing spoilage risks. Abraham Etukudo, 48, a fisherman in Ibaka River in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, said he experienced postharvest losses some years back. However, with the new method, losses are not as significant as they used to be. I used to have many losses some years back; most times, before I could return from the sea where I went for fishing, my catch would spoil, and even the ones I caught the previous days, Mr Etukudo said. But now, I go fishing in the sea with an ice block; I put them in an old condemned freezer, put it in the boat and go fishing. That will help preserve all my sea catch. Vivian Egboro, a seafood dealer in the community, also said she uses ice blocks to preserve her fresh seafood because the area lacks a cold room. Even if I want to send this fish to Lagos or the northern part of the country, I use an ice block, not a cool room. The fish will not spoil except if you dont preserve it well or maybe leave it inside the vehicle for three to four days without adding new ice blocks, she said. I dont experience much spoilage of fish in recent days, but we used to have it, and it always comes as a result of bad roads, she added. Another fish dealer, Gbenga Joseph, preserves his fish by smoking them on fire, using firewood. I deal with dry fish, so whenever I receive the fish from the fishermen, I normally put them on fire. It can take about two to three days to dry very well. Then my customers will come and pick them, he said. There is nothing like a cold room here; everyone here preserves their fish by either drying or sunning them, Mr Joseph stated. Additional reporting by Kemi Adelagun. Infographics by George Kaduna. Multimedia by Lere Mohammed. Support for this reporting project was provided by the Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Zhongshan, the Chinese firm that secured a court order to confiscate three Nigerian presidential jets has released one of the aircraft, a spokesperson for the company has told PREMIUM TIMES. Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making, the official told this newspaper Friday afternoon. It (Zhongshan) has now been made aware that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France as a result of a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week. As a gesture of goodwill, Zhongshan has lifted the seizure of that aircraft immediately. This will allow it to be used for the Presidents trip. Zhongshan remains committed to talks with representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria, this time serious and substantive on both sides, with a view to reaching a reasonable compromise settlement rapidly. The company, however, did not say when the two remaining aircraft being detained would be released. Zhongshan officials had on Thursday told this newspaper that they were willing to negotiate with the Nigerian government to resolve the logjam that culminated in the seizure of the three aircraft. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later PREMIUM TIMES had on Wednesday reported how a French court authorised the seizure of three presidential jets linked to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The court order prohibits the jets movement, sale, or purchase until Zhongshan receives the awarded $74.5 million. Bailiffs have served papers for each aircraft. Reacting in a statement on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the French courts order attaching Nigerias presidential jets as a result of the arm-twisting tactic by a Chinese company. Mr Onanuga highlighted various efforts the federal government and the Ogun State government had made to resolve the matter. He said the Zhongshan withheld vital information and misled the French court in Paris into attaching the Nigerian governments presidential jets. He said the jets were on routine maintenance in France when the court order was issued. The use and nature of the Presidential jets as assets of a Sovereign entity whose assets are protected by diplomatic immunity forbid any foreign Court from issuing an order against them, the statement said. Background The Ogun State government and Zhongshan have been locked in a long-drawn battle over the management of an export processing zone in the South-west state. On 29 June 2010, Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group Co Ltd, the parent company of Zhongshan, and the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ) entered into a framework agreement on establishing Fucheng Industrial Park within the zone. The agreement gave Zhuhan the right to develop and run Fucheng Park within the zone. The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority registered Zhongfu International Investment (NIG) FZE, a subsidiary of Zhongshan, as a free trade zone enterprise within the OGFZ in 2011. The Ogun State government later appointed Zhongfu as the interim manager/administrator of the zone. However, in July 2016, Zhongfu alleged that the Ogun State Government had moved to terminate its appointment and appoint another manager for the free trade zone. Zhongfu then launched an investment treaty arbitration against Nigeria, citing the bilateral investment treaty between the Peoples Republic of China and Nigeria. On 26 March 2021, an arbitral tribunal issued a final award of $55,675,000 in addition to an interest of $9.4 million and costs of 2,864,445 payable by Nigeria to Zhongshan. This newspaper also learned that afterwards, the federal government repeatedly pleaded with the Ogun State Government to resolve its dispute with Zhongshan amicably, but no settlement was reached. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, has said Nigeria has tightened its border surveillance in response to growing threats of mpox, a viral disease caused by the Mpox virus, in many parts of Africa. This was contained in a statement issued by the ministers Senior Adviser, Media and External Relations, Tashikalmah Hallah, on Thursday. He said the country has also intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all entry points across the country to prevent internal infection and the spread of the disease. According to the statement, Mr Pate said the deadliness of the situation prompted the WHO to declare it a global health emergency, emphasising urgency and the need for coordinated international action to mitigate the spread. The minister said the Nigeria Ports Health Services began taking steps to fortify Nigerias defences before the declaration of Mpox, a public health emergency by the global health bodies. This Mpox Clade 1 strain has caused fatalities in up to 10 per cent of individuals who have fallen ill in previous outbreaks, he said. He added that the aim is to tackle and mitigate its impact by deploying measures similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Pate explained that the government has implemented a new mandate requiring all travellers to complete an online health declaration form before departing for the country. He said this measure is being introduced alongside the activation of infectious disease centres in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The minister also urged the public to practice good hygiene, frequent hand washing with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, especially after contact with an infected person or animal. Mpox outbreak Mpox killed at least 450 people when it first broke in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, it has now spread to parts of central and east Africa, such as Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Rwanda. As of 4 August, there had been 38,465 cases of mpox and 1,456 deaths in Africa since January 2022. From this, more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths were in the DRC alone this year. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern. WHO Director General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is worrying. A coordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives, he said. There is a new variant of the disease, mpox Clade 1b, which is spreading rapidly and causing a high fatality rate. There are two main types of mpox- Clade 1 and Clade 2. When in 2022, a mpox public health emergency was declared, it was caused by the relatively mild Clade 2. This new outbreak, however, is caused by the deadlier Mpox virus, the Clade 1. Theres also a new variant of Clade 1 which was discovered in September 2023. Experts said mutations led to an offshoot called Clade 1b that has since spread rapidly. This new variant has been labelled the most dangerous yet by scientists. Sweden records first case Meanwhile, Sweden has become the first non-African country to record a confirmed case of mpox clade I. According to the countrys public health agency, the case sought medical attention in Stockholm but had recently visited Africa. The Swedish authorities said: In this case, a person has been infected during a stay in the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of mpox clade I. The person in Sweden who has been confirmed to be infected has received care and rules of conduct. About Mpox Mpox can spread from animals to humans through direct contact with the blood, and bodily fluids of infected animals, such as rodents or primates. It is a highly contagious and deadly disease. Human-to-human transmission is also possible. This occurs through close contact with respiratory secretions, skin lesions, or recently contaminated objects like bedding. The Mpox virus is part of the same family of viruses as the variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Although related, mpox is generally less severe and less contagious than smallpox. The disease causes fever, muscle aches, and large, boil-like skin lesions. However, outbreaks of Mpox can also be prevented and controlled with vaccines. But in most cases, they are only available for people at risk or those in close contact with an infected person. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print At 11 a.m. on a Tuesday in 2023, Amina experienced her first contractions, marking the beginning of her labour for her first child. Her husband, Abu, and neighbour Rufai hurriedly took her to the General Hospital in Okuta, Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, where they live. Unfortunately, the two doctors and other staff members had not reported for duty at the hospital and the delivery room was locked. Some students undergoing their industrial training at the hospital received the patient. However, when Aminas contraction pain increased and there was no sign of help, her husband moved her to a private medical facility in the town. The woman was in pain, but nobody was there to attend to her. The delivery room was locked, and it was after our arrival that the students we met went to call the staff member who held the key. But we had to leave to save the lives of the mother and the child, Mr Rufai recalled to PREMIUM TIMES. It is sad that this is the state of the general hospital, and even thinking that the government just rehabilitated it is worrying, he added. The Kwara State Government awarded Hoak Turnkey Limited a 35,571,881.25 contract to renovate the General Hospital in 2020. It was one of four primary healthcare centres covered by a renovation exercise of the state government that year. This reporters visit to the hospital in May 2024 revealed a transformed facility boasting some modern equipment courtesy of recent renovations. However, despite the upgrades, the hospital remains eerily deserted due to a crippling shortage of medical staff. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later During a three-day observation period (Sunday to Tuesday), no doctors reported for work at the hospital. The hospitals pharmacist attributed the doctors absence to their reluctance to reside in the town. This general hospital was established to serve over 20 communities, including Wondu, Hero, Tewu, Bushikparu, Alafiaru, Gorobani, Temideley, Boriya, Shiya, Tembonu, Tenge, Bankubu, Fonfon, Subayo, Gwanaguru, Donoru, Nikkikperu, Kenu, and Kikparu. However, when this reporter first arrived, the hospital had only two patients despite having more than ten wards and 20 beds. Biliaminu Manne, a community resident, said the hospitals low patient turnout was due to a severe shortage of medical staff and the erratic attendance of the few health workers. He said the needed staff were not always around to attend to patients. I just concluded my undergraduate study and am preparing for my mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, so I need a medical fitness certificate. But every time I visited this hospital for the test, they said the doctors were not available, Mr Manne said. Eventually, he travelled 196 km to Ilorin, the state capital, for the medical fitness test. N117m Spent on Renovation But PHCs Still Below NPHCDA Standard In 2020, the Kwara State Government renovated four primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in different communities at a total cost of more than N117 million. Three firms executed the contracts. Akatech Construction Limited renovated PHC Gwanara Baruten LGA for 33,365,768 and PHC Kosubosu in Baruten LGA for 39,147,622; Dwa Construction Company Nigeria Limited renovated the Isanlu Isin Health Centre in Isin LGA for 11,153,246.62; and Olmash International Ltd renovated PHC Otte Oja in Asa LGA for 34,623,953.55. However, none of the medical facilities meets the minimum standards set by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA). According to the NPHCDA guidelines, PHCs are expected to offer 24-hour services, be fenced, and have staff quarters or accommodation for the workers within the community. They should also have essential drug supplies, a waste disposal system, equipped laboratories, and connections to the national grid. The PHC must also have a minimum of four nurses/midwives, nine community health extension workers (CHEW), a laboratory technician, a pharmacy technician and a medical officer (if available). However, this reporter observed an inadequate number of healthcare workers in the various cadres in the facilities during its visits. None of the four PHCs has a staff doctor. Isanlu Isin PHC and Kosubosu PHC each had only two nurses, while only one nurse was attached to each of Otte PHC and Gwanara PHC. Staff Shortage: Reason for low attendance of patients in Otte PHC According to a community health worker who has worked there for eight years, an average of 200 patients from various communities used to visit Otte Oje PHC daily. However, as the medical facility lost qualified staff members, patient attendance declined and now stands at below 40. Many residents stopped coming after our doctors left, the community health worker said. She continued: When we had three doctors at this PHC, we used to perform surgeries, but now we are unable to do so. She said the PHC now refers maternity patients who need surgery to hospitals in Ilorin, about an hours drive from the town. This is because this is the only government-owned hospital in this community. The other one close by is a psychiatric hospital, she added. No Access To Maternal Healthcare Service In Isanlu Isin PHC Muhammad Pate, Nigerias health minister, says maternal health is a fundamental human right and that every woman, regardless of socioeconomic background or residence, should have access to high-quality healthcare before, during, and after childbirth. It is incumbent upon us, as leaders and advocates, to uphold this basic right and work tirelessly towards its realisation, the minister said. However, maternal healthcare remains a challenge for residents of Isanlu Isin in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State, despite their PHC being one of those the state government recently renovated. Hundreds of women are denied this fundamental right during childbirth due to a staffing shortage at the Isanlu Isin facility on which the Kwara Government spent N11 million renovating in 2020. We cannot take delivery because of a staff shortage. We dont have doctors and midwives professionally trained in that aspect, and this is affecting our service, a nurse told this reporter at the hospital, asking not to be named for fear of victimisation. The nurse said the situation has worsened because the councils general hospital, to which they usually refer patients, currently does not have certified doctors. We are now referring our patients to Omu-Aran General Hospital (in Irepodun Local Government Area). The facilities are there, but without qualified and adequate personnel, the machines and the tools are useless, the nurse said. We borrow doctors On Monday, May 27, Childrens Day, around noon, this reporter visited the PHC in Gwanara, a district in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State. Following its renovation in 2020, the facility and medical equipment still appeared new. However, the first thing the reporter noticed was the quiet environment, which is unusual for Nigerian hospitals, especially on a Monday morning. No patient was in the facility, and while that Monday was its Antimalarial Immunisation Day, only one child was brought there. There were only three workers in the hospital established to provide essential health services to thousands of Gwanara residents and nearby settlements. The three staff members are a nurse who is the officer-in-charge and two community health workers. Speaking to this reporter, the officer-in-charge, Ibrahim Basheer, blamed the low patient turnout on inadequate personnel, lack of electricity and water scarcity. We are facing two major challenges here. We dont have a qualified medical doctor and there is no electricity to pump water, he said. If we have patients who need to see a doctor, we normally borrow from a nearby private hospital to save our peoples lives. This situation is the same at the newly renovated PHV Kosubosu. Despite spending the sum of 39 million to renovate this facility, the Kwara Government appears to have ignored its need for personnel. The PHC has only two nurses and a laboratory technician on its staff. It does not have a medical doctor or a community health worker. People patronise the hospital, but not much because theres no doctor. The aspect where we have enough patronage is the immunisation sector. There are nurses and other sectional staff, but we need a qualified medical doctor and pharmacist, Zainab Habu, a nurse at the hospital, said. Kwara had 900 doctors for 3.5m residents A public health physician, Bosede Rotimi, said in 2021 that Kwara State had 900 doctors on its payroll. In a state of about 3.5 million people, this translates to about one doctor for 4,000 patients. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a doctor-patient ratio of 1:600. Mr Rotimi observed that the doctor-to-patient density, weak human resources, and poor regulation of healthcare practices in the state needed to be addressed. However, three years later, nothing seems to have changed. Kwara govt admits inadequate personnel When contacted for her reaction to our findings, the Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Amina El-lmam, acknowledged that the state is facing significant issues with human resources in the health sector. She said, On the challenges of human resources, this is a national and, indeed, global concern. One of the major issues is the difficulty in retaining health workers we hire. The state has mitigated this by the approval of 100 per cent CONHESS and CONMESS and full hazard payment. This has drastically stopped the local brain drain of state personnel to federal institutions. She also confirmed our findings that the General Hospital in Okuta has only two doctors, but said five nurses, one pharmacist, two pharmacy technicians, four laboratory technicians, and three health attendants are also on the hospitals staff list. In General Hospital Okuta that you cited, we were already working on getting more doctors to deploy to Okuta. The community and Emir have been asked to help in this regard to recruit citizens of Okuta. In many instances, we have a standing offer of employment for willing professionals to improve staff strength. There is continuous capacity building of health workers to enable them to provide quality care to the patients. We are also looking at increasing the intake of students (youth corp members) in our health training institutions. Significantly, we have created a huge specialist training pipeline by the recent assent to the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital KWASUTH law. This will facilitate the training of medical students from KWASU and the specialist training of doctors, she added. The commissioner also pledged to look into our findings about the two doctors and other health workers irregular attendance at the general hospital and to take appropriate action. The story was supported with funding from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Guaranty Trust Bank Plc has confirmed an attempt to compromise its website domain. The banks management disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday in Lagos. The bank said that the hacking attempt occurred on Wednesday, a day after the bank renewed its domain name. This caused a temporary disruption to the website, which left customers unable to access online services. It allayed concerns about customer data being compromised, noting that the bank did not store customer information on its website. The bank said: Our attention has been drawn to reports in the media alleging that hackers have seized the banks website, cloned it, and intercepted customers data. This led to widespread concern and media reports suggesting that the banks website had been cloned, potentially putting customer data at risk. The incident was unsuccessful and its website was not cloned. While there was an isolated incident of an attempt to compromise our website domain, we would like to assure all our customers and stakeholders that the banks website has not been cloned and that we do not store customer information on our website. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later As such, there has been no instance of compromise of customer data. According to the bank, the financial institutions information security experts are currently working round the clock to restore the domain settings shortly. The bank reassured of its unwavering commitment to safeguarding customer data, urging customers to remain calm and confident in the banks robust security measures. We urge all our customers to please disregard the claims in these media reports and assure you of our unwavering commitment to safeguarding customer data, it added. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print An immigration officer, Isah Mohammed, has been killed in an incident the police have linked to a land dispute between two communities in Niger State. Mr Mohammed of the Zhitsu Babi area of Doko was reportedly attacked on his farm by hoodlums suspected to be from the rival community over the land dispute between the Doko and Kupafu communities in Lavun Local Government Area of the state. Community members told PREMIUM TIMES that the dispute had lingered for years without resolution. The states police spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday. On 14/8/2024 at about 1130hrs, it was reported at Doko Div that one Isah Mohammed of Zhitsu Babi area of Doko was attacked in the farm by some suspected irate youths of Kupafu village over the lingering farmland tussle. The victim was attacked and became unconscious. Police operatives from Doko Div rushed to the scene, but the miscreants had fled. The victim was taken to Umaru Sanda Ndayako General Hospital, Bida, where he was confirmed dead. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later However, investigation has commenced into the unfortunate incident to arrest the perpetrators of the act and ensure that justice is served, Mr Abiodun said in the statement. On Friday, a member of one of the affected communities urged the police and the state government to quickly intervene to contain the situation before it escalates. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A gathering of civil society organisations expressed concerns on Thursday over the withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Guinea from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its potential ripple effects. The gathering, held under the auspices of the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS), said this could exacerbate security challenges across the Sahel, which covers 60 per cent of West Africas territory. Military juntas in the three countries withdrew from ECOWAS in January this year after the regional body suspended them in the aftermath of successive coups in the countries Mali, August 2021; Burkina Faso, September 2022; and Niger, July 2023. They formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Earlier this month, President Bola Tinubu, the chairman of ECOWAS, called on the three countries to return to the fold. Mr Tinubus appeal to the countries came about a month after they formed a confederation at the first summit of their AES on 6 July. On Thursday, WADEMOS and the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) co-hosted a community engagement in Abuja, Nigerias capital. At the event, participants worried about the potentially destabilising consequences of the countries exit from ECOWAS. These nations occupy 60 per cent of our regions landmass and contribute at least 10 per cent to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Co-chair of the WADEMOS Steering Committee, Aliou Badere, said. Their withdrawal could undermine our collective security efforts and further destabilise the region. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Badere called on civil society organisations to engage with the governments of Guinea, Mali, and Niger, urging them to return to democratic governance. He noted that WADEMOS is actively exploring strategies to support ECOWAS in mitigating the fallout from these coups, stressing the importance of solutions free from political bias. The Network Coordinator for WADEMOS, Paul Kuffour, said the failure of democratic institutions to deliver tangible benefits to citizens is one factor driving the rise in military coups in West Africa. He said governments inability to address fundamental issues and persistent human rights violations, eroding public trust, is fuelling the democratic reversal. Mr Kuffour pointed to recent constitutional amendments in Togo and Guinea as examples of how leaders manipulate legal frameworks for personal gains, further deepening the disconnect between elected officials and the people. He argued that this disillusionment has compromised the integrity of electoral processes and fostered a widespread distrust in election bodies, which are increasingly seen as lacking transparency. ECOWAS reform Mr Kuffour urged ECOWAS to renegotiate processes aimed at restoring democratic governance. He noted how misinformation and disinformation fuel mistrust of ECOWAS among West African citizens. Despite these challenges, Mr Kuffour reaffirmed WADEMOSsWADEMOSs commitment to advocating for reforms within ECOWAS to achieve lasting stability in the region. We have analysed the potential implications of these countries withdrawal, Mr Kuffour said, warning that It could lead to further instability, disintegration of the subregion, and significant socioeconomic impacts, especially for their citizens residing in ECOWAS member states. Mr Kuffour also stressed the importance of a coordinated response to the rising terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel, noting that such efforts can only be successful if ECOWAS remains a unified bloc where all members collaborate on security strategies. Broader implications for the region The exit of Mali, Niger, and Guinea from ECOWAS has broader implications beyond security. Emmanuel Yeboah, a guest speaker at the WADEMOS event, said the negative consequences of bad governance have led to military takeovers in four out of the fifteen ECOWAS member states. He noted that the sanctions imposed on these states following their exit have compromised regional security and hindered free trade. Meanwhile, the President of IUREM-CEDAOIUREM-CEDAO in Cote dIvoire, Sekur Kaba, urged diaspora associations to unite to reintegrate the Sahel countries into ECOWAS. He warned that enforcing ECOWAS laws against citizens from the Sahel countries could have severe repercussions, particularly considering the current hardships faced under the sanctions. The time to speak with one voice is now, Mr Kaba said. Stronger voice for the people Participants also strongly opposed what they described as overbearing colonial legacies and foreign interference in the regions domestic affairs. They called on the three countries to return to ECOWAS. The forum recommended the establishment of a robust CSOs and diaspora network to mobilise resources for advocacy and the protection of human rights across the region. They emphasised the importance of closing the gap between citizens and their leaders, advocating for a more democratic and responsive ECOWAS. The forum called for innovative approaches to governance advocacy, suggesting using the arts as a medium to promote democracy and good governance in West Africa. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that it is not bound by the Rivers High Court judgment that reinstated its dissolved Emeke Beke-led State Executive Committee, as it was not a party to the suit. The partys Deputy National Secretary, Festus Fuanter, said this while speaking to journalists on Thursday in Abuja, after the National Working Committee (NWC) closed-door meeting. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Rivers High Court had dismissed the APC Tony Okocha-led Caretaker Committee and reinstated the dissolved Beke-led executive. Mr Fuanter explained that Mr Beke, who was reinstated by the court, had previously been removed by another court and had filed an appeal but chose not to await its outcome, instead engaging in an abuse of court processes. We wish to categorically state and inform the public that the APC is not bound by the judgment delivered by the Rivers High Court in Suit No: PHC 3592 CS. 2023, which reinstated the dissolved State Executive Committee. The claimant in the said case sued the national chairman and national secretary, but not the party itself. You cannot sue an agent of a disclosed principal. Furthermore, there is a valid and subsisting court judgment against Chief Emeka Beke and Iheanyichukwu Azubuike, former Rivers APC Chairman and Legal Adviser, respectively, wherein they were removed from office, he explained. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The deputy national secretary added that a court judgment, ruling, or order was not binding on a person or organisation that was not a party to the suit. He emphasised that, in light of this, the party only recognised its Tony Okocha-led Rivers Caretaker Committee, established to oversee its affairs in the state. He confirmed that the partys NWC had scheduled its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for 12 September, subject to the approval of President Bola Tinubu, the partys national leader. According to Mr Fuanter, the NWC discussed the issue and agreed that the partys Caucus will meet on 11 September ahead of its NEC meeting. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print NEW YORKPornhub is welcoming internationally celebrated doula Angel Phoenix to its roster of expert contributors on Pornhubs Sexual Wellness Center , an online, safe-for-work resource that provides readers with information and advice regarding sexuality, sexual health, and relationships. Pornhub is welcoming internationally celebrated doula Angel Phoenix to its roster of expert contributors onan online, safe-for-work resource that provides readers with information and advice regarding sexuality, sexual health, and relationships. Phoenix will publish new and exclusive content showcasing her approach to motherhood and reproductive health, which have garnered worldwide acclaim. As the first Sexual Wellness Center contributor with experience in the birth space, Phoenixs content will support the Centers goal of demystifying sexuality through material that challenges readers notions of motherhood and explores mothers as sexual beings. Im excited to contribute meaningful ideas and conversations around body sovereignty and maternal health care with Pornhubs global audience, said Phoenix. Following the birth of my first child, I experienced the identity death that many mothers silently navigate on their own. My content will help readers walk the tightrope between personal power and parenthood. pornhub.com/sex . Phoenixs launch articles delve into issues surrounding vaginal integrity, sexual well-being, and sexual dysfunction after abortion, and postpartum identity crisis and identity death are available now on Pornhubs Sexual Wellness Center at Angel is a leading voice and activist in the birth space who will strengthen and expand our understanding of how sexual health is intertwined with motherhood and reproductive health. said Dr. Laurie Betito, director of the Pornhub Sexual Wellness Center. She is the perfect addition to the roster of innovative doctors, therapists, and other expert contributors that make up the Sexual Wellness Center braintrust. A seven-storey building on Sanni Adewale Street, in the Lagos Island Local Government Area of Lagos State, was gutted by fire in the early hours of Friday. The fire outbreak, which reportedly affected many offices and shops within the building, prompted a swift response from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service. Director of the Service Margaret Adeseye confirmed the incident in a statement on X, stating that the situation is under control, and no casualties have been reported. The statement read, On 16 August 2024, at 05:17 hours, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service received a distress call regarding a fire outbreak at Sanni Adewale Street, located in the Lagos Island Local Government Area. The fire affected several shops within a 7-storey building. Firefighters from the Ebute Elefun, Sari, and Lekki 1 stations promptly responded, arriving at the scene by 05:33 hours. Thanks to the swift actions of the Lagos State firefighters, the situation is now under control. Ventilation efforts are currently ongoing in ensuring the safety of all in the area, Emergency responders said preliminary investigations suggest that an electrical surge triggered the fire. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later As the situation stabilises, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service is continuing to monitor the area to prevent any rekindling of the flames. Further investigations will be conducted to determine the full extent of the damage and the precise cause of the fire, Mrs Adeseye added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), or Western Sahara, appears to be gradually but steadily losing ground in its long battle for independence from Morocco. In 1991, Rabat accepted a United Nations (UN) peace plan that included a referendum among the people of Western Sahara to decide if they wanted to remain part of Morocco or secede. But in 2007, Morocco began pushing instead for Western Sahara to be granted limited autonomy while remaining under its sovereign authority. This was an alternative to the full independence claimed by SADRs Polisario Front and recognised by the African Union, many African countries, and others beyond the continent. But the SADRs support is slipping in Africa. Around 22 states now recognise it, and several more have withdrawn recognition in recent years or frozen it, pending resolution of the dispute. Morocco meanwhile, also lists 22 African countries that have opened consulates in what it calls its Southern Provinces, implying recognition of its claim. So quite a few nations are sitting on the fence. Internationally, the SADR is also losing ground. But the biggest blow has been the recognition of Rabats autonomy plan by three big players. The first major power to move in this direction was the United States (US) in 2020. Donald Trump, then president, officially recognised Moroccos claim in exchange for Rabat signing onto the Abraham Accords. The US had brokered the accords to help normalise relations between Israel and several Arab states. That provoked Polisario into resuming its armed struggle. Spain backed Moroccos claim in 2022. But the potential game changer, which other nations might follow, was the recent letter from French President Emmanuel Macron to Moroccan King Mohammed VI. In it, Macron backed Rabats autonomy plan as the only basis for resolving the conflict. France intends to act consistently with this position at both national and international level, Foreign Policy magazine reported. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Algeria recalled its ambassador from Paris in protest and also began refusing to accept its citizens deported from France. Algeria and South Africa have been the SADRs staunchest supporters. The issue has poisoned their relations with Morocco for many years, even though Pretoria took a pragmatic decision after Morocco was readmitted to the AU in 2017 to restore diplomatic ties to full ambassadorial level. Nonetheless, even some South African government officials are losing heart. They perceive an erosion of support for the SADR and a steady growth in support for Moroccos claim to sovereignty. One official told ISS Today that the Polisario Front had not mobilised anything like the grassroots international support that the African National Congress (ANC) had done against the apartheid government. This grassroots support, including mass protests in London, had been strong enough to force even conservative anti-ANC Western leaders like US president Ronald Reagan and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher to back down. The official also felt Polisario had not mustered the same global sympathy as the Palestinians in Gaza. Rabat has also been strategic in keeping the issue at the UN, where the SADR is not a member and away from the AU, where countries like South Africa and Algeria have influence and where the SADR is a member. Liesl Louw-Vaudran, AU Senior Adviser at the International Crisis Group, says, It has been noteworthy how Morocco has kept the Western Sahara issue completely off the AU agenda. She says it is never discussed in the AU Assembly, Peace and Security Council (of which Morocco is a member) or the AUs political affairs department. Its as if it does not exist. But Mohamed Beisat, the SADRs ambassador to South Africa, dismisses all speculation that his countrys independence cause is losing ground, calling it Moroccan propaganda. He told ISS Today that the apparent recognition by the US, France and Spain of Moroccos claim were individual decisions of Trump, Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez not official decisions of their governments. And if Morocco is right that more than half of AU members support Moroccos sovereignty over Western Sahara, why are we still members of the AU? And if over 110 countries internationally support their claim, why havent they adopted a resolution at the UN? he said. Mr Beisat acknowledges that his organisation hasnt mobilised the mass international support that the ANC did to end apartheid in South Africa and the Palestinians did for their cause. But he asks, rhetorically, whether the global support for Palestine has changed Israels behaviour at all. He insists that the only opinion that counts is that of the people of Western Sahara. If they started supporting Moroccos claim to Western Sahara, then I would be worried. That brings us full circle to the UNs official position: Western Saharas status should be determined by the territorys people themselves, in a referendum. This is also still the position of the European Union, despite France and Spains departures. The UN stance seems likely to be the conclusion reached when the UN Security Council next discusses the issue in October. Should France and the US seek to have the UN Security Council adopt Moroccos autonomy proposal as the only way forward, they are likely to provoke resistance from China and, more importantly, Russia, writes Jacob Mundy, Associate Professor and Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies at Colgate University. Algeria currently holding a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council makes it even more likely that the council wont back Moroccos plan. This suggests, as Mr Mundy says, Little will actually change on the ground in Western Sahara. Peter Fabricius, Consultant, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Pretoria (This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Aaron Uzodike, the newly inaugurated lawmaker in the Abia State House of Assembly, has spoken on his alleged plans to defect to the ruling Labour Party (LP) in the state. Delayed inauguration PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Uzodike, a member of the PDP, was sworn in on Tuesday after several months during which Mr Emeruwa refused to inaugurate him. This newspaper reported how Mr Uzodike contested in the 2023 general election for Abia North State Constituency, but lost to Destiny Nwangwu of the LP. Mt Uzodike subsequently challenged Mr Nwangwus victory at the Court of Appeal in Lagos State, where the court nullified the LP candidates election and declared him (Uzodike) the winner. But for several months, Mr Emeruwa, a member of the ruling LP in the state, refused to inaugurate Mr Uzodike despite the court judgement which declared him elected. The PDP lawmaker was finally inaugurated on Tuesday following intense pressure from various quarters. His inauguration comes exactly 14 months after the Assembly was inaugurated on 14 June 2023. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later No plan to defect Meanwhile, shortly after his inauguration, there were speculations that Mr Uzodike was forced to sign an agreement with Abia State Government to defect to the LP afterwards. But speaking in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, the lawmaker said he had no such agreement with the state government to switch to the LP. We didnt have such an agreement. Also, I dont have any intention to defect to the Labour Party for now, he said. Continuing, Mr Uzodike said: I dont see any reason why politicians should be defecting to other parties; theyre all going there for their personal interest, which is to get a ticket to run in an election. So, the most important thing for me is to perform well in this one that has been given to me so that if the Labour Party sees me as a performer, they will call me to come and contest an election because people are happy with me. The lawmaker said he was currently focused on performing well at the House to benefit his constituents. So the time for defection hasnt come, he said. My inauguration came as a surprise Mr Uzodike explained that his inauguration came as a surprise because he did not receive any notice that he was going to be inaugurated. I was just informed hours before the inauguration. There was no meeting whatsoever to decide what will happen. At the appropriate time, God entered the Speakers mind and touched him and he invited me. On reaching the assembly, he said youre going to be inaugurated. I was even surprised. I thought it was something else that I was invited for, the lawmaker narrated. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH-ARD) has called for the safe return of Ganiyat Popoola, a resident doctor at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, who was abducted eight months ago. The doctors staged a solidarity walk on Friday from its secretariat to other major departments within the hospital. Mrs Popoola was kidnapped on 27 December 2023 alongside her husband and nephew. While her husband has been released after a ransom was reportedly paid, Mrs Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity. The kidnappers reportedly demanded a N60 million ransom before they released the doctors husband. In his remarks, the President of LASUTH-ARD, Charles Aisudo, raised concern about the safety of health workers due to what he described as the degenerating state of insecurity in the country. Mr Aisudo urged the government and security operatives to help secure the doctors release and her nephews release. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We have appealed, we have asked, we have requested, and we have begged. Now we demand the immediate release of Dr Ganiyat Popoola and her nephew, Mr Aisudo said. We enjoin the government, security personnel and major stakeholders in the country to help secure her unconditional release immediately. NARDs directive On Wednesday, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) threatened a nationwide strike if the victim was not released by 26 August. The President of NARD, Dele Abdullahi, made this declaration at a press briefing in Abuja, decrying the governments inaction over the abduction. The association resolved to organise a national press conference and a nationwide protest march in all tertiary hospitals to demand Mrs Ganiyats release. Concerns of health workers When the incident happened, Mr Abdullahi said the association notified all security agencies, the federal government, and the Kaduna State Government but has seen no significant action. He noted that the association notified the Nigerian Medical Association, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Kaduna State Government. Its appalling that in a country where we want healthcare providers to stay, one of us has been kidnapped for over seven months and 17 days without any form of relief or directive on how the rescue mission will proceed, Mr Abdullahi said. Speaking during the protest march in Lagos, the immediate past president of LASUTH-ARD, Salmon Abeeb, said the incident saddens the association and will continue the protest march until the government takes action towards ensuring the release of Mrs Popoola and her nephew. What we want is the release of our members. She is a colleague, mother, wife and a Nigerian. How do they want us to feel if our colleague is still in captivity for almost eight months? Mr Abeeb said. We are saddened with her absence but for the government work must continue. We are going to continue this demonstration if she is not released. We also appeal to the perpetrators to consider the day they will stand in front of the creator, they should release our member and other Nigerians in captivity. Insecurity affects health workers Nigeria has been grappling with armed conflicts such as terrorism and banditry, among other issues. The Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC) identified 19 incidents of violence against health workers in Nigeria in 2023. It also identified 43 incidents in 2022, compared to 56 in 2021, in which 37 health workers were kidnapped, seven others were killed, and health supplies were looted from pharmacies and health centres. SHCC reported that between 2016 and 2020, there were 4,094 reported attacks and threats against healthcare in conflict areas across the world. During this period, at least 1,524 health workers were injured, 681 were killed, and 401 were kidnapped. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Judicial Council (NJC) says it has set up panels to probe four judges for misconduct and identified 215 underperforming judges nationwide. The council also placed five judges on its pre-sanction Watch List register for poor performance. The watchlisted judges would be recommended to the Council for appropriate sanction if they do not improve on their performance, a statement from the councils Director of Information, Soji Oye, said on Friday. The statement did not provide details about the judges accused of misconduct and underperformance or the specific issues raised against them. However, the statement said NJC took the decisions, among others, during its 106th meeting held on Wednesday and Thursday. PREMIUM TIMES reported on Thursday that, during the meeting, the NJC also recommended 28 candidates for various judicial appointments. One of the candidates, a Supreme Court justice, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, was recommended to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to replace Olukayode Ariwoola, who retires on 22 August. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Misconduct, underperformance On its review of a report of its Performance Evaluation of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of record, the council resolved to issue letters ranging from commendation, appreciation, No submission, and non-performance to 215 Judges all over the federation. The council, at its meeting, which Mr Ariwoola presided over as chair, also reviewed the report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee. The statement said the council reviewed 22 petitions written against 27 judicial officers of the federal and state High Courts and decided to empanel four (4) committees to investigate allegations in the petitions that were found meritorious. The remaining 18 petitions were discounteanced for lacking of merit, abandoned, or being subjudice, the statement said. Judge receives formal advice over letter written to CJN The NJC also wrote to an Oyo State High Court judge, O. M. Olagunju, to advise him over his alleged uncouth language in a letter he sent to the CJN. According to Mr Oye, the council advised him to be circumspect as a Judicial Officer before acting, even in the most challenging situation. The statement said the council invited the judge to appear to defend his uncouth language in a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, challenging Councils decision viz-a-viz its Policy Direction on Appointment of President Court of the Customary Court of Appeal, Oyo State. Read the full statement, including the list of 18 judges freed from probe over petitions written against them. The judges include the President of the Court of Appeal, Monica B. Dongban-Mensem, and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho. NJC Empanels four (4) Committees to investigate Judicial Officers Issues letter of advice to a Judge The National Judicial Council presided over by the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, at its 106th Meeting of 14 & 15 August 2024, resolved to issue a letter of advise to Hon. Justice O. M. Olagunju of Oyo State High Court to be circumspect as a Judicial Officer before acting, even in the most challenging situation. The resolution was made after Council considered the report of the Committee it set up, and mandated it to invite the Hon. Judge to appear before it to defend his uncouch language in a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, challenging Councils decision viz-a-viz its Policy Direction on Appointment of President Court of the Customary Court of Appeal, Oyo State. Council at the Meeting considered the Report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee on 22 petitions written against 27 Judicial Officers of the Federal and State High Courts and decided to empanel four (4) Committees to investigate allegations in the petitions that were found meritorious. ALSO READ: CJN vows sanction against judges involved in issuing conflicting court orders The remaining 18 petitions were discountenanced for lacking of merit, abandoned, or being subjudice. The discountenanced petitions are against Hon. Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem, CFR, President Court of Appeal, Hon. Justices E. O. Williams Dawodu, B. A. Georgewill, Yargata Timpar, S. D. Samchi, Aisha B. Aliyu, A. A. Aderibigbe M. L. Shuaibu, H. A. O. Abiru and Abdulazeez Waziri all of the Court of Appeal. Others are Hon. Justice J. T. Tsoho, OFR, Chief Judge Federal High Court, Hon. Justices Z. B. Abubakar, J. K. Omotosho, Sunday B. Onu all of the Federal High Court and Justice Okon E. Abang when he was serving at the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice Kayode Agunloye of the FCT High Court, Hon. Justice Babagana Karumi of the High Court Borno State, Hon. Justice Maimuna A. Abubakar of the High Court of Niger State, Hon. Justice A. A. Aderibigbe of Osun State High Court and Hon. Justice Aisha B. Aliyu of Nasarawa State High Court. Petitions written against Justices Ayodele Oyeyemi Oyebisi, Amaobi L. Agara, Amina Garba, Bello M. Tukur, Omeka Elekwa and O. A. Adetujoye who served at Asaba and Plateau National and State Assembly Election Tribunal Panels. Council also considered the Report of its Performance Evaluation of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of record and resolved to issue letters ranging from commendation, appreciation, No submission, and non-performance to 215 Judges all over the Federation. It also placed five Judges on its pre-sanction Watch List register for poor performance. They would be recommended to the Council for appropriate sanction if they do not improve on their performance. Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, in the meeting being the last one before his retirement, appreciated the cooperation he received from Members of the Council and the Councils Secretariat and implored them to extend same to his successor. Members of the Council also eulogized the outgoing CJN and Chairman one after the other and wished him good health in retirement. Soji Oye, Esq. Director, Information Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The essence of the bill was in its provisions for fines and prison sentences for those who disobey or disrespect authority, organise unauthorised processions, or supported paramilitary or militia groups. It sought to criminalise activities that undermine national security and peaceful coexistence, with penalties ranging from fines of N3 million to N15 million, and prison terms of up to 20 years. The idea was to criminalise all protests and opposition to government. The bill was clearly designed to end democracy in Nigeria The proof that madness is running wild in the National Assembly is that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen could dare to propose the contentious Counter Subversion Bill 2024. The proposed law sought, among other things, to impose a 10-year prison sentence or a fine of N5 million or both on Nigerians who refuse to recite the National Anthem. The bill was introduced following the May decision by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revert to Nigerias old National Anthem, Nigeria, We Hail Thee, which was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda. This decision itself had already stirred controversy, with many Nigerians questioning the rationale behind the change and expressing concerns about the anthems colonial origins and language, which spoke about tribes. Meanwhile, the old anthem was rediscovered and imposed on Nigerians without consultation or debate. What government is now telling Nigerians is that when it imposes something, Nigerians must obey it or be dealt with. The bill, sponsored by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen himself, with the title, Counter Subversion Bill and Other Related Ones, introduced on 23 July, proposed severe penalties for anyone who refuses to recite the National Anthem, destroys national symbols, or undermines the Federal Government. In addition, it included punishments for defacing places of worship, setting up illegal roadblocks, and receiving foreign financial or political support that could compromise Nigerias security and development. The essence of the bill was in its provisions for fines and prison sentences for those who disobey or disrespect authority, organise unauthorised processions, or supported paramilitary or militia groups. It sought to criminalise activities that undermine national security and peaceful coexistence, with penalties ranging from fines of N3 million to N15 million, and prison terms of up to 20 years. The idea was to criminalise all protests and opposition to government. The bill was clearly designed to end democracy in Nigeria, following the success of the ten-day #EndBadGovernance demonstrations. How did the House of Representatives even think it could pass such a draconian bill in Nigeria? The Speaker had to withdraw it in a hurry to stop the next set of national protests starting earlier than planned. This is a National Assembly that has, for decades, refused to tell Nigerians the true amount its members receive each month as salaries and allowances. There was a breach in its armour of secrecy this week when Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP, Kano), on Wednesday, confirmed that he receives about N21+1 million monthly as his perquisite for representing the people of Kano South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly. Activists, such as Omoyele Sowore and Aisha Yesufu, had strongly condemned the bill, with the former threatening a shutdown of the National Assembly if the bill was not withdrawn, while Yesufu declared she would rather face a 20-year prison sentence than sing the newly re-adopted National Anthem. The idea of equating disagreement with government with state subversion is the essence of fascism, and it is concerning that the leadership of our National Assembly can even think of such an initiative. This is a National Assembly that has, for decades, refused to tell Nigerians the true amount its members receive each month as salaries and allowances. There was a breach in its armour of secrecy this week when Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP, Kano), on Wednesday, confirmed that he receives about N21+1 million monthly as his perquisite for representing the people of Kano South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly. He however said that he does not know how much goes to the Senate President, the Deputy Senate President, as well as each of the eight other principal officers of the upper chamber of the Nigerian parliament. The revelation by Kawu puts the total monthly package of all the 99 non-principal officers of the Senate at N2.079 billion. The 10 principal officers of the 10th Senate are: President, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy President, Jibrin Barau; Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Deputy Majority Leader, Lola Ashiru; Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno; Deputy Chief Whip, Nwebonyi Peter Onyeka; Minority Leader, Abba Moro; Deputy Minority Leader, Akogun Lere Oyewumi; Minority Whip, Osita Ngwu; and Deputy Minority Whip, Rufai Hanga. The management of the National Assembly not only lacks transparency but is activities are also conducted in a very authoritarian manner. When Abdul Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central, alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion, the upper legislative chamber suspended him, rather than investigate the very disturbing allegation. In normal parliamentary systems, the earnings of members are public knowledge as they are available on the website of these branches of government. If our National Assembly has made its earnings a secret, it is because it knows some of the payments its members award themselves are illegal, and they need to hide their criminality while they insist we call them honourable and distinguished Nigerians. We need to withdraw these labels from them. As former President Olusegun Obasanjo said recently, the federal lawmakers are acting immorally for fixing their remunerations themselves. At a time when the majority of Nigerians are suffering from multi-dimensional poverty and severe hunger, it is shocking that legislators believe they can continue to consume a considerable slice of the national budget. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The management of the National Assembly not only lacks transparency but is activities are also conducted in a very authoritarian manner. When Abdul Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central, alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion, the upper legislative chamber suspended him, rather than investigate the very disturbing allegation. It would be recalled that the upper legislative chamber, during the debate leading up to Ningis suspension, descended into chaos when the senator representing Cross River North, Jarigbe Jarigbe, claimed that some senior senators received N500 million in the budget for constituency projects. We have been hearing that the leadership padding range is in the billions. Increasingly, it has become clear that the leadership of the National Assembly is determined to shut up members and deny them the freedom of speech. When the concerned Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, expressed his views on the current hardship being faced by Nigerians and the President being caged by a cabal that is stopping even ministers from accessing him, Ndume was removed from his position as a principal officer. All senators were warned to stop making critical comments about government or they would be dealt with. It is this rising authoritarian culture within the National Assembly that emboldened the Speaker to seek to pass a law that would shut up Nigerians. Na lie. We no go gree. A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In The Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful All praises and thanks be to Allah, and peace and salutations be upon the Messenger of Allah, his noble household, his companions and all those who follow him with excellence till the Day of Judgement. Dear brothers and sisters! Prophets are human beings, who were chosen by Allah to preach the same, universal message: Believing in one Allah. Prophets guided their nations to reform their morals and purify their souls. This growth was achieved through commands and rules that ensured humans acted morally, honouring them in this life and the next, and to protect them from evil doings. Muslims must have faith in all Prophets chosen, as they deliver Allahs message without hiding, concealing, corrupting or altering it. Allah Most High states in the Quran: Verily those who conceal that which We have revealed of clear signs and guidance, after We have made it clear for people in the Book on them shall be Allahs curse, and the curse of those who curse. Except those who repent, make amends, and make manifest [the truth]; to them I relent, for I am Oft-returning, Most Merciful. [Quran, 2:159-60] And He the Almighty says: Indeed, they who conceal the truth that Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price those consume not into their bellies except the Fire. And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And they will have a painful punishment. [Quran, 2: 174] Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later And He the Most High says: And when Allah took a covenant with those who were given the Book: You shall certainly make it known to mankind and shall not hide it. But they cast it behind their backs and took a small price for it how vile is that which they gained thereby. [Quran, 3:187] And He Says: And do not confound truth with falsehood, and do not hide the truth when you know it. [Quran, 2: 42] In addition, there are many Hadiths of our Beloved Messenger (Peace be upon him), that prohibit the concealment of truth. The most well-known Hadith on the matter is: Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, He who is asked about knowledge, or knows any knowledge that will benefit the people (or which is hiding it will harm the people), and conceals it, will be bridled with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection. [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi] Respected brothers and sisters! In a world that values transparency and honesty, the act of hiding the truth carries far-reaching consequences that ripple through personal, interpersonal, and societal realms. Whether driven by fear, shame, or a desire to manipulate outcomes, concealing the truth often leads to a myriad of negative outcomes that can prove more damaging than the truth itself. Dear servants of Allah! One of the most significant consequences of hiding the truth is the erosion of trust. Whether in personal relationships, business interactions, or public institutions, trust is the bedrock upon which healthy interactions and cooperation are built. When governments, individuals or organisations are discovered to be hiding the truth, it breeds suspicion and skepticism, damaging relationships and diminishing the willingness to believe or collaborate. The act of hiding the truth often begets a cycle of deceit. As lies pile upon lies, individuals find themselves entangled in a web of falsehoods that becomes increasingly difficult to unravel. This not only further damages trust but also poses a mental and emotional burden on the person attempting to maintain the deception. In various contexts, such as religion, healthcare, law enforcement, and politics, the consequences of hiding the truth can have dire effects on decision-making. For instance, medical professionals who conceal adverse outcomes of treatments might endanger patients lives by preventing informed choices. Similarly, concealing evidence in legal proceedings can lead to unjust outcomes, undermining the integrity of the justice system. On a personal level, hiding the truth can hinder personal growth and development. Accepting and confronting uncomfortable truths is essential for self-awareness and improvement. When individuals avoid facing their mistakes or weaknesses, they miss out on opportunities to learn, evolve, and become better versions of themselves. Concealing the truth often inflicts emotional tolls on both the deceiver and the deceived. Those who hide the truth may carry guilt, anxiety, and the constant fear of being exposed. Meanwhile, individuals who discover theyve been deceived can experience feelings of betrayal, hurt, and anger, which can strain relationships and lead to emotional distress. Hiding the truth can lead to a lack of accountability for ones actions. When consequences are concealed, individuals or entities may continue harmful behaviours without facing repercussions. This can perpetuate systemic issues, hindering progress and improvement within various spheres of life. Whether for individuals, businesses, or institutions, the revelation of hidden truths can cause irreparable damage to reputation. In todays interconnected world, information spreads quickly through social media and other channels. Once trust is lost and reputation tarnished, rebuilding credibility becomes a challenging endeavour. On a larger scale, the consequences of widespread truth-hiding can lead to societal distrust and instability. When people lose faith in public institutions, media, religious bodies or authorities due to repeated instances of dishonesty, social cohesion can break down, fostering an environment of cynicism and apathy. The act of hiding the truth may seem like a short-term solution, but its consequences can have far-reaching and long-lasting effects. From shattered trust and compounding lies to damaged relationships and societal instability, the impacts are broad and deep. Honesty, transparency, and the willingness to face uncomfortable truths remain essential components of healthy relationships, functional institutions, and a cohesive society. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers. Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumuah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761. This Friday sermon (Jumuah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, 11 Safar, 1446 AH (August 16, 2024). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print the flag-waving campaign by some youths, especially in the North, shows that the countrys leadership should be wary of foreign interference, as witnessed in the crises in some West African countries that led to undemocratic military takeovers. There are even strong speculations that some protesters were deliberately sponsored to raise the Russian flag as a concerted attempt to provoke the military into intervention. The protest in Nigeria has taken a tragic turn with the display of foreign flags by some Northern youths as a demonstration against the government. This action undermines Nigerias sovereignty and raises concerns about the changing dynamics in the world. In his recent article, Yushau Shuaib of PRNigeria discusses the recent #EndBadGovernance protest in Northern Nigeria, which turned violent and was likened to a coup against Arewa leaders. The author expresses shame over the scenes of vandalism, looting, and destruction of public facilities, and notes that this is not the first time such incidents have occurred in the region. According to him, the protests are often fuelled by undesirable elements, including drug addiction, illiteracy, and poverty, and that the Arewa elite and youths have failed to address the root causes of these issues. He also criticises the reliance on Federation Account allocations, which he believes has created a culture of dependency and corruption. The author underscores the pressing need to address the economic disparities between the North and South. He cites the Annual State Viability Index (ASVI), which starkly reveals that Lagos generated more revenue than all 16 Northern states combined in 2022. This data underscores the urgency for Northern leaders to tackle insecurity, harness regional resources, and reduce dependence on oil revenue. Meanwhile, the flag-waving campaign by some youths, especially in the North, shows that the countrys leadership should be wary of foreign interference, as witnessed in the crises in some West African countries that led to undemocratic military takeovers. There are even strong speculations that some protesters were deliberately sponsored to raise the Russian flag as a concerted attempt to provoke the military into intervention. While it is crucial for Nigerians to voice their grievances over economic hardship, its equally important to do so through legitimate and peaceful means. Engaging in violent demonstrations that lead to the loss of lives and destruction of livelihoods is not the solution. It is counterproductive and undermines the very cause that the protesters are fighting for. It is concerning that underage protesters and youths were the ones mostly flaunting the Russian flags, forcing security agents to clamp down on them. The government should be compassionate in dealing with these minors, as they may be ignorant of the implications of their actions. They should be sent to remand centres for civil education and skills training, rather than facing harsh punishments. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The media have reported the loss of lives and an estimated daily loss of N400 billion due to the protests. This raises the question of whether the demonstrations were truly worth the cost. The government should be open to dialogue and engagement with citizens to address their challenges. The security services, too, should be vigilant and professional in handling protesters, especially the young ones. The Nigeria Immigration Service has a crucial role to play in checking the influx of foreigners with ulterior motives into the country, as there have been allegations of illegal immigrants participating in the protests. Religious and community leaders should admonish their followers on the consequences of unbecoming behaviours and appeal to the government to address the citizens concerns. Despite the hardship, Nigerians must remain patriotic and respect the sovereignty of their country. Raising flags of other countries and seeking their intervention in domestic affairs is a treasonable offence. The government should realise that the majority of the citizens are against the protest, not because they are not feeling the pinch of the hardship, but because they believe the issue can be resolved through other peaceful means. The government should, therefore, take appropriate actions to address the citizens concerns. Nigeria will overcome this challenge but change begins with us. Rabi Ummi Umar writes from the Department of Mass Communication, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerians expect Customs to design more articulate policies, activities and programmes that will eliminate the activities of smugglers, shore up national revenue, and facilitate trade. Nigeria stands to gain immensely from these efforts. Here in Nigeria, it is customary for many government organisations and institutions to wait till a year elapses before taking stock of their performance, activities and programmes all-through the year. A few of them present the scorecards of their mid-term performances. While the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is among the agencies who regularly briefs the media and general public on its annual and half-term performance, the NCS is in the class of institutions who also provide quarterly updates on its operations. In June, Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, addressed the media on activities of the Nigeria Customs between June 2023 and June 2024. He spoke to journalists on the occasion of his first year in office. On Monday, 29 July, the agency unveiled the report of its performance in the first half of this year, highlighting its core mandates of revenue collection, trade facilitation, and societal protection. The report underscores the Nigeria Customs commitment to supporting the policy direction of President Bola Tinubus administration, Abdullahi Maiwada, spokesperson for the agency, explained in a statement. He said: It equally aligns with the NCS pledge to deliver a transparent and accessible system under the leadership of CGC Adeniyi and his management team. According to Maiwada, the NCS achieved remarkable success in the first half of 2024. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said: With a half-year revenue target of N2.54 trillion, the Service has collected N2.74 trillion, surpassing the target by 8% and marking a 127% increase over the previous years revenue. N1.395 trillion was collected for the second quarter, exceeding the quarterly target by 10% and representing a 131% increase over Q2 2023. Key initiatives contributing to this success include the e-auction platform, which generated over N1.34 billion, and the 90-day duty payment window for uncustomed vehicles, adding N4.37 billion to the revenue. These measures have significantly enhanced transparency, compliance, and efficiency in customs processes, underscoring the NCSs commitment to excellence. The NCS, Maiwada further disclosed, intensified its anti-smuggling operations in the first half of 2024, resulting in notable achievements. From January to June 2024, the NCS made 2,442 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of NGN 25,520,652,942.87, which is 203% higher than the DPV of seizures in the first half of 2023. In the second quarter of 2024, the NCS made 1,334 seizures with a DPV of NGN 17,564,384,378, representing a 121% increase over the first quarter of 2024. The top items seized include wildlife items, vehicles, arms and ammunition, foreign rice, pharmaceuticals, and narcotics, with 32 suspects in custody, he added. As trade facilitation remains a core priority for the NCS, the Customs spokesperson revealed: In the first half of 2024, the Service processed 620,467 Single Goods Declarations (SGDs), reflecting a reduction of approximately 39% compared to the same period in 2023. Despite this decline, the NCS has implemented several key initiatives to simplify and expedite customs processes. These include reinforcement of NCS automation procedures, capacity-building programs for officers, and public-private partnerships to enhance customs clearance efficiency. These efforts are crucial for enhancing Nigerias trade competitiveness and supporting economic growth. The achievements it recorded notwithstanding, the NCS faced several challenges in the first half of 2024. The challenges are: significant fluctuations in the exchange rate, a lower volume of transactions, low compliance levels among importers and exporters, and periodic downtime. These challenges impacted the consistency of revenue collection and overall operational efficiency, said Maiwada. He added that: To address these challenges and enhance revenue collection, the NCS implemented several strategies, including real-time system auditing, post-clearance audits, verification of documents for the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), ensuring compliance with import guidelines, and the implementation of a pilot test for the Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) scheme. Additionally, the NCS has recently introduced the Advance Ruling System (ARS), a legally binding decision on classification, valuation, and rules of origin before the importation or exportation of goods. Other pragmatic measures implemented to increase revenue, despite a drop in cargo throughput, included establishing a robust framework for dispute resolution, launching Operation Whirlwind, reshuffling strategic-level officers and robust stakeholders engagement. The performance of the NCS, clearly was outstanding in the first part of the year. The agency, under CGC Adeniyi, must not rest on its oars amid the sterling feats recorded. Nigerians expect Customs to design more articulate policies, activities and programmes that will eliminate the activities of smugglers, shore up national revenue, and facilitate trade. Nigeria stands to gain immensely from these efforts. Abdulsalam Mahmud can be reached via babasalam1989@gmail.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As we anticipate the forthcoming Summit of the Future next month, with the hopeful expectation that the reform of the Council is imminent, it is imperative for African countries seeking to become permanent members of the Council to first assert their leadership within the continent. They should commence this by actively contributing to the resolution of conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as by fostering a peaceful settlement to the diplomatic tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia. On the 12th of this month, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined his voice with the calls by officials of several UN member states to reiterate a critical fact: that the composition of the UN Security Council (UNSC) significantly undermines its capacity to deal with the complexity of the contemporary world. While the UN is noted for its attempt to promote inclusivity, ironically the UNSC remains one of the most undemocratic institutions in the world. Dennis Francis, a diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago and the UN General Assembly President, highlights the historical injustice of Africas marginalisation and advocates for the reform of the global institution. In the current geopolitics, the arbitrariness of the five permanent members (P5: China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States) and the displays of their Veto Powers have been the most contentious issues within the operations of the UN. The Council, which held its first session in London on 17 January 1946, remains one of the most critical institutions in the world. Under Article 25 of the UN Charter, all members agree to accept and implement the decisions of the Security Council. Unlike other UN organs, which only make recommendations, the Security Council has the unique authority to make binding decisions that Member States must enforce. Though the UN operates on a one-country-one-vote principle stipulated in Article 27 of the UN Charter, the group of 10 elected non-permanent members (E-10) subordinate to the P5. Indeed, the hegemony of the P5 within the Council is antithetical to its effective performance. The failures of the UNSC to function as the global security agency are manifest in the unrestrained violent confrontations between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Palestine. In Africa, two warring lords are tearing Sudan apart, with more than 15,000 deaths and over 8.2 million displaced. South Sudan, its neighbouring country, was home to the largest UN peacekeeping operation in history, involving the deployment of over 15,000 military personnel. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the conflict between the Congolese government and the March 23 Movement (M23) has led to widespread destruction of lives and property across the country, while 2.8 million people have been displaced in the centre of the conflict North Kivu. The unequivocal demand for the reform of the UN and its institutions has continued reverberating across the Global South. African leaders have consistently argued for the allocation of two permanent seats to African Union member states, but significant challenges remain. The most pressing issues include convincing the resistant P5 to support the expansion of permanent positions within the Council. Out of the 11 current UN peacekeeping operations, five are in Africa. Yet, no African country is a permanent member of the Council. As mentioned, the Council includes 10 elected non-permanent members (E-10), distributed as follows: three for African states; two for Asia-Pacific; Latin America; the Caribbean; Western Europe; other states; and one for Eastern Europe. The African seats are held by Algeria, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone, while the other seven members are Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, and Switzerland. The unequivocal demand for the reform of the UN and its institutions has continued reverberating across the Global South. African leaders have consistently argued for the allocation of two permanent seats to African Union member states, but significant challenges remain. The most pressing issues include convincing the resistant P5 to support the expansion of permanent positions within the Council. What are the most effective options in pushing for the reform of the Council and the UN? Boycott? Some have noted that this would further alienate Africa from the global stage, and others have alluded to a possible crack due to the dwindling influence of P5 members, such as the US, UK and France, in the global power configuration. How long the P5 can cling to the juicy office remains to be seen. the notion that Africa is not united can no longer be used as a manipulative slogan to undermine the calls for reforming the UN and other global governance institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The international community demands a UN Security Council that is dynamic, robust, responsive, and just. It is now imperative to heed this urgent call to action. The second challenge lies in the complex task of selecting the two countries to occupy these seats. While many African stakeholders assume that the AU would make the nominations, this could prove difficult. The situation is further complicated by global powers seeking to exert influence over the continent and employing divisive tactics, especially as Cold War tensions resurface in Africa. However, the continent has demonstrated that the bonds uniting its people are stronger than what divides them. Therefore, the notion that Africa is not united can no longer be used as a manipulative slogan to undermine the calls for reforming the UN and other global governance institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The international community demands a UN Security Council that is dynamic, robust, responsive, and just. It is now imperative to heed this urgent call to action. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later As we anticipate the forthcoming Summit of the Future next month, with the hopeful expectation that the reform of the Council is imminent, it is imperative for African countries seeking to become permanent members of the Council to first assert their leadership within the continent. They should commence this by actively contributing to the resolution of conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as by fostering a peaceful settlement to the diplomatic tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia. Adeoye O. Akinola is Head of Research and Teaching at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC) and Institute for Global African Affairs (IGAA), University of Johannesburg. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print PEARL, Miss.Tami Rose, owner/operator of Jackson, Mississippis adult boutique Romantic Adventures, recently published a new blog post on her RomanticAdventures.com website, titled "Dominance and Submission: The Power Dynamics You Never Knew Were Shaping Your Relationships." In the article, Rose delved into the often-unseen influence of power dynamics in personal and professional relationships, and the intricate dominance and submission, emphasizing how these dynamics manifest in both BDSM contexts and everyday interactions. Said Rose, "At its core, power dynamics involves the distribution and exercise of control between individuals or groups. She highlights the importance of understanding these roles for fostering healthy, consensual relationships, adding, Understanding these dynamics is crucial for promoting emotional well-being for all parties involved." Rose also underscored the critical role of communication within the BDSM community, "Partners must openly discuss their desires, limits, and expectations." She also noted how safe words and the traffic light system ("green" means continue, "yellow" indicates approaching a limit, and "red" signals an immediate stop) ensure comfort and safety. Rose also drew parallels between BDSM and "vanilla" relationships, noting that power imbalances can exist in any context and must be managed through clear, ongoing communication. She added, "Whether in BDSM or mainstream relationships, all parties must be on the same page regarding the distribution of power." Rose's exploration extended to professional settings as well, where she examined how effective leaders balance authority and collaboration, and highlighted the importance of adaptability and knowing when to assert control versus when to empower team members when speaking of the possibility of the United States first female president. Rose continued, "The policy implications of having a woman in the Oval Office could be far-reaching. A female perspective might lead to increased focus on issues that have traditionally been underrepresented in political discourse, such as childcare, reproductive rights, or gender-based violence. This shift in priorities could alter the balance of power between different interest groups and political factions." To read Roses blog post in full, visit RomanticAdventures.com/bdsm-dominance-submission. To learn more about Romantic Adventures, visit RomanticAdventures.com and follow on X @R_Adventures_. His philanthropic endeavours reflect his commitment to leveraging his influence and resources to drive positive change in society. As we celebrate Prince Nduka Obaigbenas 65 years on mother earth, we honour this grey-bearded mans unquantifiable contributions to journalism; his unwavering dedication to the truth; his visionary leadership; and his rare sense of patriotism. His legacy is a testament to the power of the pen in shaping societies and the enduring importance of a free and independent press. He recently marked his 65th birthday. Precisely on 14th July, having been born on the same date in 1959. Prince Nduka Obiagbena has certainly changed the tune. Today, I celebrate my good friend Obiagbena, a visionary man of excellence, a trailblazer in the realm of Nigerian journalism and a true pan-Nigerian patriot. As the founder, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of ThisDay Media Group and ARISE News Channel, Prince Obaigbena has left an indelible mark on the landscape of Nigerian media and beyond. His latest innovation, Arise Television, threatens to pull the rug from the feet of the globally respected CNN. Born into the royal family of Owa Kingdom in Delta State, Obiagbena attended Edo College, Benin City; the University of Benin; the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg; and the Advanced Management Programme at the University of Cape Town. Prince Obaigbenas journey into journalism began with a profound commitment to innovation, and a relentless pursuit of truth and excellence. Not many Nigerians know that Nduka was a fledgling cartoonist in one of the students journals at his then University of Benin, where he used the pseudonym Lekeleke. Not many Nigerians also know that before founding ThisDay, he had founded ThisWeek magazine, which debuted in the 80s and became the flagship magazine in Nigeria. I should know this because I was the legal adviser to the magazine and the Duke himself at their then Ogunlana, Surulere, Lagos location. I should also know this because I had handled many of their top cases, including one defamation case against the late respected Professor Tam David-West, a case that landed me in the DSS gulag in April, 1986 (38 years ago), at the DSS Awolowo road, Ikoyi, Lagos office. Not many Nigerians also know that the Dukes restlessness and incredible ambition had seen him being the Nigerian correspondent of two of the most respected international publications, the NewsWeek and Time magazines, earning good dollars at a time many of his peers were just comfortable with white collar jobs that came with accommodation and a car as soon as they finished from the University. Ndukas creation of ThisDay in 1995 therefore marked the dawn of a new era in Nigerian print journalism, showcasing his remarkable talents. ThisDay quickly distinguished itself with its bold, investigative reporting, comprehensive coverage of national and international events and sheer dedication to high-quality journalism. Under his able leadership, ThisDay has not only continued to entertain and inform; but it has also been shaping public opinion, building national institutions and bridges of understanding, holding leaders accountable and responsible to the Nigerian people, and giving voice to the voiceless. By 2013, Prince Obaigbena, a former president of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) had looked beyond the print media and expanded his media reach and influence with the launch of ARISE News Channel. This 24-hour international news channel has become a beacon of accurate and unbiased reporting, offering a fresh African perspective on global news. ARISE News has bridged gaps between continents, highlighting the stories that matter from Africa to the world, and vice versa. The Duke has shown an uncanny penchant for innovation, breaking new grounds and introducing new formats and platforms into the Nigerian media space, including ThisDay Music Festival. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Beyond the pages of newspapers and television screens, Prince Obaigbenas contributions to journalism are also evident in his commitment to nurturing talents and fostering innovation. He has provided platforms for young journalists to grow and hone their skills. He has consistently pushed for advancement in media technology and practices, ensuring that Nigerian journalism remains competitive on the global stage. The Dukes impact extends to his sustained advocacy for press freedom and a determination to create a more informed and enlightened society. Obiagbena has not only elevated the standard of journalism in Nigeria, but has also inspired a new generation of journalists to pursue their individual craft with passion and integrity. In the field of philanthropy and humanitarianism, Prince Obaigbenas contributions to various causes run into billions of naira. He ensures that his contributions which are usually not advertised focus on his pet areas of the media, education, healthcare and social development. Here are some notable aspects of his philanthropy: Media and Journalism: Through his media enterprises, Nduka has been instrumental in promoting freedom of the press and supporting investigative journalism in Nigeria and beyond. Education: Obaigbena has supported educational initiatives, providing countless scholarships and funding for educational programmes to help underprivileged students gain access to quality education. Healthcare: Nduka has contributed to healthcare projects, supporting medical facilities and initiatives aimed at improving healthcare delivery in derserving communities. Social Development: The Duke has been involved in various social development projects, including those aimed at poverty alleviation, community development and empowerment of marginalised groups. Cultural Promotion: Nduka has also supported cultural initiatives and awareness, promoting African arts, culture and heritage through the sponsorship of various events and media coverage. His philanthropic endeavours reflect his commitment to leveraging his influence and resources to drive positive change in society. As we celebrate Prince Nduka Obaigbenas 65 years on mother earth, we honour this grey-bearded mans unquantifiable contributions to journalism; his unwavering dedication to the truth; his visionary leadership; and his rare sense of patriotism. His legacy is a testament to the power of the pen in shaping societies and the enduring importance of a free and independent press. Happy Birthday, Nduka, the prince of Owa Kingdom and the Duke of journalism. May your journey continue to inspire and illuminate dim paths for all in many years to come. Amen. Mike Ozekhome is a senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Ambassador Oubi Bachir, Representative of the Western Sahara POLISARIO Liberation Movement in Switzerland and to the UN and International Organisations in Geneva, gave the the Keynote Address. He called on the African Union to implement the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights September 2022 ruling that Morocco must end its brutal occupation of Western Sahara. He also demanded that the European Union should abide by the European Union Court of Justices rulings of 2016, 2018 and 2021, by withdrawing all companies plundering the resources of Western Sahara. The International Conference for the Eradication of Colonialism, which held in Abuja, Nigeria from 12-13 August, was full of symbolism. Organised by the African think tank, the Society for International Relations Awareness (SIRA), the theme, The Forgotten Peoples: International Conference to Decolonize the World, was a potent reminder to the rest of humanity that there are not just colonised peoples remaining, but that they seem to have been forgotten. It pointedly reminded those who are free of the fact that there are at least 61 territories still under colonialism. A second potent message was the choice of Lethe, the mythical Greek spirit of forgetfulness, oblivion, or concealment. Lethe is said to possess the power to erase the memory of people and make them forget their troubles and homes. But the conference, which included delegates of colonised and oppressed peoples who flew in from the Caribbean, North America, Latin America and Europe, was a potent reminder that although some have been colonised for hundreds of years, they have not forgotten their roots. African-American internationalist, John Thompson Parker, 64, had already written to register for the conference when, two weeks ago, DNA tests revealed that his forebears were taken from Nigeria. For a widely travelled man, who had undertaken peace and solidarity visits to countries like Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Syria and Gaza, his participation in the conference was initially in solidarity with the colonised peoples of the world and to make suggestions on how this human scourge can be brought to an end. But finding out that he was originally Nigerian, added urgency to his footsteps to be in Abuja. He said: For Black folks in the US, it is a big deal to know where our ancestors came from. However, his enthusiasm was dampened when on 10 August, he was refused boarding in Germany for his connecting flight to Abuja, on the basis that his application for a visa-on-arrival had not been confirmed. As the aircraft that should have taken him to Abuja took off, he lamented: They stole me from Africa and now they told me I cant come back; that I cant even get back to my homeland. He later got the confirmation, so the next day, he flew into Nigeria. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The leader of the Caribbean Delegation, Kandis Alana Natalie Sebro of the Alba Movement, was sent to present the regional case of the Caribbean, where most of the current colonies are situated. She spent two days travelling from her Trinidad and Tobago home, first to New York, then Frankfurt, where she had anxious delays over her visa status. She was relieved making it to Nigeria, where participants applauded her brilliant submission. A retired Federal Permanent Secretary remarked to me: She is so young! Adding that with youths like her, decolonisation is irreversible. The case for Puerto Ricos decolonisation, using the instrumentality of international solidarity and the United Nations, was powerfully made by Esteli Capote Maldonado, who turned 44 a day after the conference. She took the conference through a praxis of decolonising territories. Her presentation, Engaging the UN System to Speedily De-colonise the World, was based on her expertise in constantly engaging the UN in the decolonisation process. Berta Joubert-Ceci, 75, who flew in from the United States, presented the case of the 3.3 million Puerto Rican people. The reception of her presentation indicated that the conference wants the 125-year colonisation of Puerto Rico by the US to be brought to an end. The case for Puerto Ricos decolonisation, using the instrumentality of international solidarity and the United Nations, was powerfully made by Esteli Capote Maldonado, who turned 44 a day after the conference. She took the conference through a praxis of decolonising territories. Her presentation, Engaging the UN System to Speedily De-colonise the World, was based on her expertise in constantly engaging the UN in the decolonisation process. Ambassador Oubi Bachir, Representative of the Western Sahara POLISARIO Liberation Movement in Switzerland and to the UN and International Organisations in Geneva, gave the the Keynote Address. He called on the African Union to implement the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights September 2022 ruling that Morocco must end its brutal occupation of Western Sahara. He also demanded that the European Union should abide by the European Union Court of Justices rulings of 2016, 2018 and 2021, by withdrawing all companies plundering the resources of Western Sahara. The Conference said it stands firmly on the side of Western Sahara and the POLISARIO in their legitimate right to independence. A reminder of the pains of colonisation and what it is for a country to be owned by another, was made by the Mexican Ambassador in Nigeria, His Excellency Alfredo Miranda. He took participants through: The Mexican Experience in Three Hundred Years of Colonisation. It was a conference of the old, like former Nigerian Foreign Minister, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who turns 80 this November, and youths, especially from the University of Abuja, Bingham University, VERITAS University, a sprinkling of students across the country and representatives of educational institutions like the Nile University. Some parents brought their children. With youths making up some 80 per cent of participants, it was like planting seeds for freedom. Coincidentally, the title of Professor Gambaris Opening Remarks as Conference Chairperson, Peace can only germinate in the soil of social justice, aptly captured this. International lawyer and former President of the West Africa Bar Association, Femi Falana, in speaking on, The Legal Implications of Continued Colonialism in the World, submitted that the struggle for the independence of the colonised countries cannot be won without international solidarity and collaboration. He said he was 16 when the UN made the declaration that all colonies must be free, and lamented that 64 years later, there are still, at least, three score colonies around the globe. Declaring his personal commitment to a free world he said: Decolonisation needs an Action Plan and an Implementation Plan. Humanity must not endlessly wait for this human scourge to be eradicated. International lawyer and former President of the West Africa Bar Association, Femi Falana, in speaking on, The Legal Implications of Continued Colonialism in the World, submitted that the struggle for the independence of the colonised countries cannot be won without international solidarity and collaboration. He painted a disturbing scenery of the colonies: Apart from the ruthless exploitation of the occupied territories, the colonial powers have converted some of them to havens for promoting money laundering, tax evasion and for keeping looted wealth. They are used as holiday resorts and casino centres by members of the bourgeoisie from the United States, Europe and neo-colonial countries. Owing to the lack of media coverage, all manners of criminal activities are perpetrated by the colonial officials and their home governments. Participants resolved to hold annual conferences to report on the impact and result of actions taken, and, to update the proposed Action Plan in order to create universal consciousness. They also resolved to develop a common narrative, including calling the colonies by their name and not the UNs preference of Self-Governing Territories. They also want all colonies, including Puerto Rico and Martinique, recognised as such by the UN. The participants called on the UN to admit colonies, such as Western Sahara, as plenipotentiary Members, as India and the Philippines were admitted when they were still colonies. They equally resolved that there can be no peace in the world without social justice. Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Jigawa State Government, in partnership with the United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund UNICEF, has begun mass tree-planting campaigns to mitigate the effect of flooding. UNICEF said it is supporting the Jigawa State government by providing resources to mobilise the youth population across the state and inculcate the habit of tree planting among them. The Programme Specialist, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WASH, UNICEF Field Office Kano, Uba Lawal, stated this during a tree planting event by youths held in Sule-tankarkar local government area of the state to commemorate the 2024 International Youth Day. Mr Lawan said the Jigawa state government is leading the campaign and has provided 1,500 trees to be planted in three local government areas. He explained that 100 youths were involved in the tree-planting campaign exercise. According to him, the tree planting campaign is a key approach to mitigating the effects of climate change, especially in the semi-arid areas of northern Jigawa where deforestation has severely affected the region. Mr Lawal pointed out that the campaign targets the planting of 1,500 trees. He said 500 trees were planted in Babura local government area, and another 500 trees each would be planted in Maigatari and Sule Tankarkar local government areas of the state. Also, the Managing Director of Jigawa State Environmental Protection Agency (JISEPA), Adamu Sabo, said the campaign targeted the states frontline local government areas where deforestation and desertification are noticeable. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Sabo said in each of the local council areas, 100 youths were selected to engage in tree planting. According to him, the idea of engaging youths in the tree planting campaign is part of the present administrations 12-point agenda in the state to mitigate climate change, protect the land against erosion and increase the survival rate of trees for fresh oxygen. He said trees give off oxygen that we need to breathe, reduce erosion and pollution in our waterways, and reduce the effects of flooding, which occurs during the rainy season in the state. Many species of wildlife depend on trees for habitat. Tree planting improves the ability of forests to sequester carbon, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change and improve air quality. Healthy forests store massive amounts of carbon in ecosystem carbon reservoirs. In one year, 100 mature trees can remove 50 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and 430 pounds of pollution from the atmosphere, he added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Omatsola Ogbe on Friday commissioned the 10,000 tons per annum galvanizing plant constructed by Daewoo Engineeering Nigeria Limited, one of the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors of the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) Train 7 project. The ceremony which held at Daewoo Galvanising Plant at Abam-ama, Okrika, Rivers State was attended by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Philip Mshelbila. The galvanizing plant is one of the capacity development interventions for the Train 7 project and the establishment is sequel to NCDMBs requirement that the execution of major EPC projects in the country must include the development of a legacy investment that will close a critical capacity gap in the oil and gas industry. The Executive Secretary lauded NLNG and Daewoo Engineering for responding positively to the Nigerian Content legacy requirement, adding that the commissioning of the hot deep galvanizing plant has increased Nigerias galvanizing capacity to over 180,000 tons/annum, with other facilities established by Dorman-long Engineering, Sparkwest steel industries and African Industries Group. The facility will serve the Nigerian oil and gas industry and linkage sectors, including telecommunications, power and transport sectors that require galvanised materials. The importance of galvanizing, he explained, included corrosion protection, extended service life of steel materials, cost effectiveness and safety assurances. Mr Ogbe indicated that the galvanizing plants and other strategic Nigerian content investments could enjoy patronage from sister African countries courtesy of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement protocols, especially if the firms carry out intensive marketing and remain committed to quality standards and competitiveness. He confirmed that the domiciliation of key industry capacities is contributing towards the attainment of the 70% Nigerian content target by 2027 and underscores the commitment of President Bola Tinubus administration towards implementing pro-local production reforms that will bring about employment and economic prosperity. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later In his remarks, the Managing Director of NLNG, Mr Mshelbila reiterated the companys unwavering commitment to achieving its Nigerian content objectives in its Train 7 Project on Bonny Island. According to Mr Mshelbila, the protection of steel for durability was a significant application in the energy sector, bolstering the resilience of equipment against depletion and enhancing operational efficiency, reducing wastage from replacement costs, and prolonging the lifespan of relevant equipment. The visit to the Daewoo Galvanising Plant is a further show and tell of our compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act and, our sincere vision of being a globally competitive LNG company helping build a better Nigeria. As we commission this facility, we are not only celebrating the expansion of our industrial capabilities but also reaffirming our unwavering commitment to contributing to the local economy and creating sustainable job opportunities for the local business environment, he said. Represented by NLNGs General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh, the Managing Director reported significant progress in the Train 7 Project reflecting the Companys commitment to excellence. We are proud to share the development of the Train 7 project, a groundbreaking initiative that sets new standards in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. Train 7 has achieved several notable milestones including the successful completion of key construction phases and the integration of advanced technologies that enhance our operational capabilities. These accomplishments reflect our commitment to delivering substantial economic and social benefits to Nigeria. Our dedication to Nigerian content is evident in every facet of our operations. From enhancing local capabilities and fostering technological innovation to creating sustainable opportunities for Nigerians, NLNG remains at the forefront of these efforts. We at NLNG are determined to go beyond compliance in line with our vision of helping to build a better Nigeria, he stressed. The industry executives alongside other executives of NLNG, NCDMB, Daewoo Construction and key stakeholders of the oil and gas industry took a tour of the plant. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police have arrested a woman for allegedly burning the lap of her 12-year-old housemaid with a pressing iron. The girl (name withheld because she is a minor) is battling burns after her madam, Perpetual David, allegedly put a hot electric iron on her lap, on Monday, in Jalingo, the state capital. The minor was illegally engaged as a housemaid by Mrs David and her husband in Abuja Phase One, Jalingo. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mrs David allegedly burnt the girls lap for giving her childrens food to a neighbour without her permission. A Good Samaritan in the neighbourhood reported the incident to the police, leading to the arrest of the woman on Tuesday. The acting spokesperson of the police in the state, Gambo Kwache confirmed the arrest of Mrs David to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday. We have arrested and arraigned the suspect and the case is in court, she said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The Editor-in-Chief of Taraba News, Olayinka Gabriel, in a petition to the state Commissioner of Police, David Iloyanomon, demanded justice for the girl. This heinous act of violence against a defenceless child cannot be tolerated. We have petitioned the Commissioner of Police to ensure that Mrs David is brought to justice for her actions. It is imperative that we send a strong message that child abuse and violence against children have no place in Taraba State, Mr Olayinka said. He also called on the wife of the state governor, the Commissioner for Social Justice and Integration, and that of Women Affairs, to intervene and ensure the woman is prosecuted. This is another heartbreaking instance of child abuse in our community, a local activist, Innocent Bala, stated. We must come together to put an end to violence against children and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. There is the need for stronger protective measures for children and more rigorous enforcement of child welfare laws in the North-East geopolitical zone, particularly in Taraba, he said. Last week, a woman was also arrested in the state for burning the lips of her eight-year-old step grandson. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen have abducted a medical doctor in Enugu State, Nigerias South-east. The doctor, Innocent Nwoga, was abducted on Thursday along Egede- Ninth Mile- Nsukka Road. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) spokesperson, Enugu State Chapter, Ebuka Ugwoke, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. Mr Ugwoke, also a medical doctor, said Mr Nwoga is the medical director of Ukehe General Hospital in Enugu State. Ukehe is a community in the states Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area. The NMA spokesperson said the medical doctor was abducted while on an official duty in the area. He said the Chairperson of the NMA in the state, Chibuzo Ndiokwelu, has condemned the abduction of the doctor. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The leadership of our dear association is currently engaging all the relevant agencies and our demand remains just one: Immediate and unconditional release (of the doctor) to reunite with his family, loved ones and his patients, Mr Ugwoke said. We request that the government does the needful to see to it that he is released unharmed immediately. Police speak When contacted on Friday afternoon, the police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, asked for time to confirm the development. Ill have to verify this, he wrote in a WhatsApp message in response to enquiries from a PREMIUM TIMES reporter. Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, was yet to revert as of the time of this report. Abduction for ransom Cases of abduction for ransom have been on the increase across the state and South-east in recent times. READ ALSO: Gunmen kill eight travellers in Taraba The latest development occurred four days after gunmen abducted three persons in Nkpologwu Community, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. The three victims were yet to be freed as of the time of this report. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen have abducted the Anambra State Commissioner for Youth Development, Patrick Agha Mba. They also abducted his wife, Chizoba Mba, and killed one of his aides during the attack, which occurred on Friday. The slain aide has been identified as Ernest Offiah, a lawyer. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the gunmen attacked the victims in Edo State while they were heading to Abuja for the wedding ceremony of Adaora, daughter of Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State. Adaoras traditional marriage was held last week in Isuofia, a community in Aguata Local Government Area of the state. Her church wedding was scheduled for Saturday (tomorrow) in Abuja, Nigerias capital. Christian Aburime, the spokesperson to the governor, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday evening. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Were making efforts to rescue the commissioner and his wife, Mr Aburime said. The spokesperson promised to give details of the attack in a statement that would be issued later. Viral video clip The abducted commissioner and the slain aide hail from Onitsha, a community in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State. Like the duo, Arinze Ibekwe, Adaoras husband, hails from Onitsha. A video clip apparently recorded after the attack has been circulating on various WhatsApp groups. The clip showed a commercial Toyota Sienna which had bullet holes and blood stains. ALSO READ: Gunmen abduct three in Anambra An unidentified person, in the background of the clip, said the vehicle was chartered by the abducted commissioner for the Abuja trip. The clip showed that the Sienna vehicle belongs to GUO, a transport company. This vehicle was attacked this morning. They (the occupants) were heading to Abuja. The person seated at the front died, the unidentified person said, apparently referring to Mr Offiah, the slain aide. They kidnapped other occupants of the vehicle, another unidentified person said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Lagos State Government says traffic will be diverted at the Ikeja Along bus stop, between Ile Zik and Conoil Petrol Station, on the Oshodi-bound lane from Saturday to Sunday. The Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, made this known in a statement in Lagos. Mr Osiyemi said the diversion would be between the hours of 12 midnight and 4.00 a.m. daily. He said the diversion was to enable the demolition of the old pedestrian bridge by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). He said from Ile Zik bus stop to Conoil Petrol filling station on the Oshodi bound side of the road, only one lane would be available to motorists, to ensure safety. Traffic diversion will not affect motorists on the Dopemu/Abule Egba bound side of the road during the course of the demolition. READ ALSO: Lagos Blue Line upscales to 72 trips per day The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority will be on ground to manage vehicular movement and minimise inconveniences, the commissioner said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He called for the cooperation of the motoring public during the period. Mr Osiyemi added that the lanes would be cordoned off with jersey barriers and protective nets to keep motorists and commuters safe during the period. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Abandon Biden movement will hold a historic convention on August 18 and 19, at 1240 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607, to launch the 2024 election campaign. On Monday, August 19th, there will be a press conference at 11 am CT. The press conference will include Jill Stein and Cornel West. The media are welcome to conduct interviews from 8:30 am CT to 12 pm CT. For details, see www.abandonbiden24.com/convention The convention will bring together leaders and people of conscience from across the nation. This pivotal gathering marks a crucial moment for the movement as it prepares to take decisive action, launching an election campaign, against the Biden-Harris administration, in response to its failure to protect innocent Palestinians. The convention is the result of months of relentless activism sparked by President Biden's outright refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza by October 31st, 2023. In the face of ongoing atrocities, Abandon Biden leaders have drawn an unforgiving moral redline, vowing not only to withdraw their support but also to aggressively campaign against anyone who continues to support and endorse genocide. The convention will feature panels on the history and strategy of the Abandon Biden movement, which aims to empower people of conscience to become a powerful voting bloc capable of effecting moral change in the United States and beyond. Press Conference Logistics: Date: Monday, August 19, 2024 Location: Indoors at Alhambra, at 1240 W Randolph St, Chicago, Illinois 60607. Time: 11 am CT The press conference will include speakers such as Jill Stein, Cornel West, Claudia De La Cruz, the founder of Abandon Biden, and Abandon Biden leaders from the swing states. Please note that the convention on August 18th will not be open to the media. However, Abandon Biden will be available for in-person media interviews on Monday, August 19th, from 8:30 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST at the same location, 1240 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607. Interviews will be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis. SOURCE The Civil Rights Alliance for America CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Angeles Investors is thrilled to announce the awardees for the prestigious 2024 Estrellas Awards , a recognition of the top funders and venture capital firms that have made significant investments in Hispanic and Latino startups. These visionary investors are not only fueling innovation but also empowering the fastest-growing entrepreneurial segment in the U.S. economy. The Angeles Investors Estrellas Awards celebrate those who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to supporting Hispanic and Latino founders. These investors have played a crucial role in helping these startups thrive, creating jobs, and driving economic growth in their communities. The Estrellas awardees are more than just investorsthey are believers in the power of Latino entrepreneurship. Post this "The Estrellas Award awardees are more than just investorsthey are catalysts for change, champions of diversity, and true believers in the power of Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurship," said David Olivencia, Co-Founder and CEO at Angeles Investors. "Their commitment to fostering innovation and supporting underrepresented founders is what drives the continued growth and success of our community." Angeles Investors is thrilled to announce that the winners of the 2024 Estrellas Awards will be revealed at a special ceremony during the Q3 Summit and Awards Event on August 16, 2024. Held at the iconic Chicago Wintrust building , this prestigious event will honor the exceptional contributions of the awardees to the startup ecosystem. The gathering will unite influential leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs to celebrate these remarkable achievements and explore new opportunities for collaboration and growth. About Angeles Investors Angeles Investors is a premier network of investors focused on finding, funding, and growing the most promising Hispanic and Latino ventures. Since its inception, Angeles Investors has been one of the fastest-growing angel groups dedicated to creating opportunities that enable startups to scale, innovate, and make a lasting impact on the world. Become an Angeles Member! Unlock unique investment opportunities within the Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurial ecosystem as a member of Angeles Investors. Whether you're an accredited investor eager to discover high-potential startups or a new investor aiming to enhance your skills and network, Angeles Investors is your gateway to success. Membership includes access to our exclusive quarterly Summits, potential board seats, executive roles in emerging companies, and a vibrant community dedicated to growing Hispanic and Latino ventures. View our membership options . Subscribe to Angeles Investors' YouTube channel for the latest updates and insights. Don't miss out - Join our community today! SOURCE Angeles Investors CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America Corporation announced today that it will redeem on August 24, 2024 all 1,500,000,000 principal amount outstanding of its Floating Rate Senior Notes, due August 24, 2025 (ISIN: XS2345784057; Common Code: 234578405) (the "Notes"). The Notes were issued under the Bank of America Corporation U.S.$65,000,000,000 Euro Medium-Term Note Program. The redemption price for the Notes will be equal to the Optional Redemption Amount of 1,000 per 1,000 Calculation Amount (as specified in the applicable Final Terms dated May 20, 2021), plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date of August 24, 2024. Since August 24, 2024 is not a business day, the redemption price for the Notes will be paid on the next succeeding business day, August 27, 2024. Interest on the Notes will cease to accrue on the redemption date. Payment of the redemption price for the Notes will be made in accordance with the applicable procedures of Euroclear Bank SA/NV and Clearstream Banking, S.A. Citibank, N.A., London Branch is the Principal Agent for the Notes and Citibank Europe plc is the Registrar for the Notes. Bank of America Corporation will request the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") to cancel the listing of the Notes on the Official List of the FCA and the London Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") to cancel the admission to trading on the regulated market of the Exchange as soon as practicable after the redemption date. Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,800 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information contained in this news release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions difficult to predict or beyond our control. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and should consider the uncertainties and risks discussed under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in any of our subsequent Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statement was made. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts. www.bankofamerica.com Investors May Contact: Lee McEntire, Bank of America Phone: 1.980.388.6780 [email protected] Jonathan G. Blum, Bank of America (Fixed Income) Phone: 1.212.449.3112 [email protected] Reporters May Contact: Jocelyn Seidenfeld, Bank of America Phone: 1.646.743.3356 [email protected] SOURCE Bank of America Corporation DALLAS, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global expert services and consulting firm Berkeley Research Group (BRG) announced today that Michael Hollerich has joined the firm's Financial Institution Advisory practice as a managing director in Dallas. Hollerich brings over 25 years of leadership experience in financial services risk and consulting. He has deep expertise in regulatory affairs, corporate governance, anti-money laundering, fraud detection, mergers and acquisitions, and banking-as-a-service (BaaS). Hollerich has navigated the financial services industry during periods of intense regulatory scrutiny and challenging economic environments. "Michael's expertise will add significant value to our Financial Institution Advisory practice clients," said Paul Noring, a BRG managing director and leader of the practice. "Having led compliance for publicly traded financial services firms and held executive roles at some of the world's largest banks, Michael has cultivated strong working relationships with government regulators, industry groups and investors. I'm thrilled to welcome him to the team." Before joining BRG, Hollerich served as chief compliance officer for two publicly traded financial services firms and operated a private consulting firm through which he served in advisory and executive roles at large international banking organizations, regional banks, non-depositories and FinTechs. Notably, he led initiatives that resulted in the avoidance of billion-dollar fines and resolved some of the largest regulatory actions taken against the financial services industry. In addition, he was instrumental to the merger of two non-depository mortgage servicers, having established relationships and corporate governance strategies that facilitated approvals from over 30 state and federal banking commissioners. "I'm excited to join BRG and look forward to solving problems for clients alongside the firm's impressive team of experts," said Hollerich. "I'm eager to get started and leverage the firm's global platform and resources to grow existing relationships and bring new clients into the fold." Hollerich holds a B.A. from Knox College and completed an executive management program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a two-term president and chief financial officer and member of the board of directors at Harkness House for Children, a nonprofit daycare and early childhood education center. About BRG Berkeley Research Group, LLC is a global consulting firm that helps leading organizations advance in three key areas: economics, disputes and investigations; corporate finance; and performance improvement and advisory. Headquartered in California with offices around the world, we are an integrated group of experts, industry leaders, academics, data scientists and professionals working across borders and disciplines. We harness our collective expertise to deliver the inspired insights and practical strategies our clients need to stay ahead of what's next. Visit thinkbrg.com to learn more. SOURCE BRG DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bybit , the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, today announced a significant milestone in its expansion strategy in Latin America: its registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) and card operator in Argentina. This achievement positions Bybit as a pioneer in providing comprehensive digital asset services to the Argentinian market. Bybit Becomes a Registered VASP and Card Operator with the FIU in Argentina, Pioneering Digital Asset Services Argentina's recent establishment of the VASP registry signifies a progressive step toward regulating the cryptocurrency industry. Bybit's inclusion in this registry underscores its commitment to adhering to local regulations and providing a secure and compliant platform for its users. "We are excited to become a registered VASP and card issuer in Argentina, and take compliance seriously" said Ben Zhou, Co-founder and CEO of Bybit. "This achievement marks a significant step forward in our mission to provide accessible and secure digital asset services to users worldwide and our commitment against financial crime. Bybit is committed to supporting Argentina's economic growth and empowering its citizens through the payment capabilities and potential of blockchain technology." As a registered VASP and card issuer, Bybit is empowered to offer a wide range of crypto-related services to Argentinian users. This development comes at a pivotal time as Argentina addresses economic challenges. The recent approval of a company using cryptocurrency as registered capital by the Argentine General Inspectorate of Justice (IGJ) signifies a groundbreaking acceptance of digital assets within the country's legal framework. This reflects Argentina's innovative approach to cryptocurrency policy and its growing market adoption. By providing a regulated and secure platform, Bybit is poised to contribute to the country's financial landscape by offering accessible, secure, and efficient digital asset solutions. Bybit prioritizes the security of its users' assets, employing industry-leading measures to safeguard user funds and data. As a registered VASP, Bybit adheres to Argentina's stringent anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) regulations. Leveraging its global infrastructure and liquidity, Bybit offers Argentinian users access to a diverse range of digital assets and cryptocurrency-backed payment cards, meeting the evolving needs of its users. #Bybit / #TheCryptoArk About Bybit Bybit is the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving over 40 million users. Established in 2018, Bybit provides a professional platform where crypto investors and traders can find an ultra-fast matching engine, 24/7 customer service, and multilingual community support. Bybit is a proud partner of Formula One's reigning Constructors' and Drivers' champions: the Oracle Red Bull Racing team. For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press . For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected] For more information, please visit: https://www.bybit.com For updates, please follow: Bybit's Communities and Social Media Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube SOURCE Bybit NETANYA, Israel, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellcom Israel Ltd. (TASE: CEL) (the "Company") announces that the Meeting will convene on Sunday, September 22, 2024, at 15:00 p.m. (Israel time), at the offices of the Company, 10 Ha'gavish Street, Netanya, Israel. An adjourned Meeting, if required, will be held on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at the same time and at the same place. The record date for the Meeting is Thursday, August 22, 2024. The Agenda of the Meeting Approve the compensation of Mr. Eli Adadi, the Company's new CEO. Voting Instructions The summon statement and the voting card published by the Company on August 15, 2024 regarding the convening of the Meeting (the "Meeting's Documents") may be viewed on the Magna distribution website at: www.magna.isa.gov.il and on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange Ltd. website at: www.maya.tase.co.il. Section 3.10 of the summon statement contains voting instructions for shareholders whose shares are not held via a member of the TASE Clearinghouse (for trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange) but instead via a member of the Depositary Trust Company (DTC) or Shareholders who are registered directly with the Company's U.S. transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company. An Unregistered Shareholder is entitled to vote through the Electronic Voting System. Voting through an Electronic voting card shall be possible until six (6) hours before the assembly time of the General Meeting. In addition, an Unregistered Shareholder shall be entitled to deliver the certificate of ownership through the Electronic Voting System A shareholder is also entitled to vote at the General Meeting through a voting card. Voting in writing shall be made by way of the second part of the voting card, which is attached to the Report. The voting card and documents that must be attached thereto as set forth in the voting card, must be delivered to the Company's offices (including by registered mail) including the certificate of ownership (and with respect to a registered shareholder - including a photocopy of an identity card, passport, or certificate of incorporation, as applicable) until four (4) hours before the assembly time of the General Meeting. For this purpose, "time of delivery" is the time on which the voting card and the documents attached thereto arrived at the Company's offices. Company Contact Gadi Attias Chief Financial Officer [email protected] Tel: +972-52-998-4774 Investor Relations Contact Elad Levy Investor Relations Manager [email protected] Tel: +972-52-998-4774 SOURCE Cellcom Israel Ltd. New Law Requires Certification and Registration for Mold Remediators to Protect Public Health CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Change the Air Foundation announces the unanimous, bipartisan passage of SB 1087, The Mold Remediation Registration Act, into law. This legislation aims to protect Illinois residents from the dangers of mold exposure in water-damaged buildings. The Foundation extends gratitude to Senator Jil Tracy (R), Representative Nabeela Syed (D), Representative Kevin Schmidt (R), and Representative Randy Frese (R) for their support and leadership in the passage of SB 1087. "We are asking state government to address the importance of professional mold remediation to safeguard the health and well-being of Illinoisans," Senator Tracy said. "Certified individuals must identify and properly manage indoor conditions that might prompt mold growth, and state building codes must adequately address the issue." The bill's key provisions require all Illinois mold remediators to obtain third-party mold remediation certification and register with the state. This measure ensures that qualified and trained professionals handle mold remediation, enhancing community safety and well-being and emphasizing the importance of proper inspection and remediation to strengthen consumer protection. Additionally, SB 1087 mandates the Department of Public Health to establish a public awareness campaign about the threats posed by mold and water damage, emphasizing the importance of removing it from indoor environments to safeguard health. The Foundation is grateful to its Illinois policy volunteers for their efforts in advocating for this legislation and the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) for its advocacy alliance on this issue. For more information about Illinois SB 1087 and the Foundation's ongoing policy reform efforts, visit https://changetheairfoundation.org or contact Rebecca Reinbold. About Change the Air Foundation: Change the Air Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by a group of passionate indoor air quality advocates and professionals dedicated to creating a world where everyone lives a longer and healthier life by breathing safe indoor air. Rebecca Reinbold Public Relations Change the Air Foundation [email protected] https://changetheairfoundation.org SOURCE Change the Air Foundation NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned travel journalist and luxury blogger Christopher Parr, Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Pursuitist, has been honored as the "Best Luxury Travel Influencer and Blogger" in the world. The Luxury Lifestyle Awardsa global organization dedicated to identifying, recognizing, and celebrating excellence in luxuryhas named Parr, an award-winning travel journalist (contributor to CBS, Conde Nast Traveler, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, and Editor-in-Chief of Pursuitist) as the "Best Luxury Travel Influencer and Blogger" worldwide. Christopher Parr and John Legend Christopher Parr and A-Rod This recognition coincides with the 15th anniversary of Pursuitist, the acclaimed luxury travel and lifestyle guide. For fifteen years, discerning readers have turned to Pursuitist for expertly curated insights into the world of 5-star luxury, crafted by respected experts, insiders, and journalists. The publication offers comprehensive reviews and evaluations, highlighting the finest high-end experiences, products, and destinations. "We are delighted to celebrate 15 years of Pursuitist and are deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Luxury Lifestyle Awards," said Christopher Parr, Founder and Editor-in-Chief. "As a trusted resource for our readers, we remain committed to showcasing, reviewing, and ranking the best in luxury travel, dining, fashion, automobiles, cutting-edge technology, and gadgets." Internationally acknowledged as one of the most influential publications in the luxury lifestyle and travel sector, Pursuitist stands out as the only ad-free and independent authority in the space, attracting over 30 million unique monthly web visitors and amassing a social media following of over 700,000. USA Today has named Parr a "Top 10 Luxury Travel Blogger," while Forbes has called Pursuitist "The Best Luxury Blog," and John Legend has even labeled the guide as "The Louis Vuitton of luxury blogs." "Pursuitist.com shines with its unique 5-Star Gold Award section, showcasing personal experiences and recommendations that resonate deeply with luxury consumers. They not only inspire readers to experience these products or services but also foster trust and awareness, making Pursuitist an invaluable player in the media industry," said Alexander Chetchikov, CEO and Founder of Luxury Lifestyle Awards. Pursuitist has proudly collaborated with top-tier brands, including Chanel, Hermes, Lexus, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, LVMH, BMW, and Walt Disney World. The publication has also featured interviews with esteemed personalities such as Chef Nobu, John Legend, A-Rod, Chris Pratt, Isadore Sharp, and Margot Robbie. "As we mark our 15th anniversary, we are thrilled to be recognized as the Best Luxury Influencer and Blogger in the World by the Luxury Lifestyle Awards. Our mission is to curate the best for our discerning readers, empowering them to make informed choices in their pursuit of happiness," added Parr. Online at https://pursuitist.com/. Contact: Laura Stevens (212) 286-2860 [email protected] SOURCE Pursuitist CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Falfurrias Management Partners (Falfurrias), a private equity firm focused on growth-oriented, middle-market businesses, today announced its investment in Snak King , a leading manufacturer of private label and co-manufactured products including tortilla chips, rolled tortilla chips, potato chips, popcorn, extruded and co-extruded snacks, nut clusters, and more. Founded in 1978, Snak King has become one of the largest producers of co-manufactured and private-label salty snacks in the United States. Snak King CEO Barry Levin joined the company in 1979 as its third employee at the time, Snak King was a small co-manufacturer of pork rinds, operating out of a 1,200-square-foot factory in Los Angeles. Since then, the company has grown substantially, currently employing over 780 team members across state-of-the-art facilities in the greater Los Angeles and Chicago areas. For over four decades, Snak King has remained at the forefront of snack innovation, serving as a valued partner to its customers to help develop and produce unique, differentiated products. In addition to its co-manufactured and private label business, Snak King goes to market through brands including El Sabroso, The Whole Earth, Granny Goose, and Jensen's Orchard. Falfurrias' investment will bring additional food expertise and industry-leading perspectives to Snak King's operation. Joining Snak King CEO Barry Levin on the Board will be Ken Walker and Chip Johnson from Falfurrias Management Partners, Dave Katz, President and COO of Coca-Cola Consolidated, Bill Lovette, CEO of Sauer Brands, and Bill Ladd, former senior executive and Vice President of Supply Chain Transformation at PepsiCo. "Snak King's dedicated team and our steadfast customer-first mentality have enabled us to transform over the past forty-six years from a small-scale pork rind business to an operation that delivers a broad range of innovative snacking options to food brands, retailers, and customers around the country," said Barry Levin. "Falfurrias' experience will be enormously beneficial as we partner to achieve Snak King's next phase of growth." "Falfurrias identified private-label salty snacks as a major category of interest based on our ongoing Industry First research," said Chip Johnson, Partner at Falfurrias. "Snak King's differentiated products and capabilities, industry leadership, and team-oriented culture stood out to us, and we're excited to partner with Barry and the rest of the Snak King team to continue growing their business." "Barry's decades of consistent leadership have primed Snak King to become a dominant industry player," said Falfurrias' Ken Walker. "The team's unwavering commitment to quality and customer service is inspiring. While other snack manufacturers offer limited and traditional product assortments, Snak King's commitment to innovation and ability to meet a wide range of ever-changing consumer preferences have made them trusted partners to some of the nation's leading food companies and retailers. As consumer demand continues to increase, we're eager to work with Barry and the Snak King team to further the company's position as a leader in the snack industry." Equity for this investment comes from Falfurrias Capital Partners IV and Falfurrias Capital Partners V, both operationally focused lower middle market buyout funds, and builds on the firm's experience investing in food-focused manufacturing and technology companies, including Sauer Brands, Local Hive, Carolina Foods, EDGE Industrial, and E Technologies Group. With these investments, Falfurrias has developed growing industry expertise that will enable the team to help Snak King drive growth, expand capacity, and continue delivering high-quality, innovative products to its valued customers. William Blair advised Falfurrias on this investment, and K&L Gates LLP served as legal advisors. Intrepid Investment Bankers and Sheppard Mullin LLP served as Snak King's financial and legal advisors, respectively. About Falfurrias Falfurrias Capital Partners is an operationally focused middle market private equity fund focused on investing in high-growth companies in the food manufacturing, industrial technology, and business services sectors. The team is comprised of investors and proven operators, as well as in-house resources across strategy & market insights, finance & integration, human capital, and technology. The fund is managed by Falfurrias Management Partners, a Charlotte-based private equity firm founded in 2006 by Hugh McColl Jr., former chairman and CEO of Bank of America; Marc Oken, former CFO of Bank of America; and Managing Partner Ed McMahan. The firm has raised $2.2 billion across six funds and invests in growing, middle-market businesses in sectors where the firm's operational resources, relationships, and sector expertise can be employed to complement portfolio company executive teams in support of growth objectives. For more information, visit www.falfurrias.com . About Snak King Founded in 1978, Snak King is one of the largest snack food manufacturers in the United States, known for its commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction. Headquartered in City of Industry, California, Snak King offers a diverse portfolio of snack products for a variety of private label and co-manufacturing customers as well as for in-house brands, including El Sabroso, The Whole Earth, Granny Goose, and Jensen's Orchard. With state-of-the-art facilities and a longstanding focus on excellence, Snak King consistently delivers delicious and high-quality snacks that cater to a wide range of tastes and preferences. Whether it's traditional favorites or new and exciting flavors, Snak King is dedicated to bringing joy to every snack occasion. SOURCE Falfurrias Management Partners SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Humana, a healthcare insurance company that contracts with Medicare to provide Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, agreed to pay $90 million to the federal government to settle a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Phillips & Cohen LLP under the False Claims Act. The lawsuit alleges that Humana submitted fraudulent bids to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for lucrative Medicare Part D prescription drug contracts from 2011-2017, significantly overcharging the government. This is first case of its kind to resolve allegations of fraud in the Part D contracting process. Medicare Part D is the Government's voluntary prescription drug program under which CMS contracts with private insurance companies to cover prescription drug benefits for people enrolled in Medicare. By law, the insurance companies must offer plans that cover a minimum required portion of drug costs, with the government and Medicare beneficiaries covering the rest. CMS requires insurance companies to submit annual bids in which they report the benefits they propose to cover and confirm that those benefits meet Part D's minimum coverage level. The complaint in this case alleged that Humana committed to providing the required level of coverage, but in fact planned to provide less, with the government and beneficiaries unknowingly picking up more than their share. "The Part D program depends on insurance companies paying their minimum share of drug costs. We argued that Humana shirked its responsibility by telling the government that its plan would cover drug costs that Humana did not actually plan to cover. Our complaint detailed how the government and beneficiaries were left with paying tens of millions of dollars more than Congress intended for years, while Humana pocketed the money as 'savings,'" said Claire Sylvia, a whistleblower attorney and Phillips & Cohen partner who filed the case. "We alleged that Humana kept two sets of books one set that its actuaries prepared for bids Humana submitted to the government and a separate internal set that Humana's actuaries prepared with Humana's actual anticipated costs, which Humana used for all its business dealings including its internal budgeting," said Edward Arens, a Phillips & Cohen partner who also represented the whistleblower. "This practice would never have come to light if our brave client, Steven Scott, had not stepped forward to report it." Steven Scott, the whistleblower who filed the lawsuit in 2016, is a former actuary for Humana. The complaint alleges that he discovered that Humana had accurately predicted internally each year the costs for its Part D "Walmart Plan," while basing its bids to the government on different and unsupported assumptions that were used for no other purpose. The complaint alleged that every year Humana's internal assumptions proved accurate and those underlying its bids were wildly off, and always in Humana's favor, benefitting the insurance company by hundreds of millions of dollars. In papers filed with the district court, the Relator alleged that in 2017, shortly after Humana received the Civil Investigative Demand that the government issued when investigating this case, the alleged practice of using separate sets of assumptions abruptly ended, reducing future harm to the government. "I want to thank everyone who helped me with the pursuit of my whistleblower lawsuit over the past 8+ years," said Mr. Scott. "In particular, I want to express my immense gratitude to my wife Lindsay for her incredible sacrifice and support. Additionally, I'm extremely grateful to my team of attorneys from Phillips & Cohen LLP and from Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, PLLC for their time, expertise, and resources in taking a novel, complex case all the way from initial filings to the eve of trial and settlement." "Although Humana asserted in court papers that the predictions underlying its bids were merely estimates about future behavior, they worked in Humana's favor 100% of the time over seven years and for 245 bids," said Edward Arens. "The odds that a big insurer would 'miss' on an important assumption in the same way that many times in a row are too small to measure." He added that "in contrast to the predictions used for its bids, Humana's internal predictions about drug costs were very accurate." DOJ did not intervene in Mr. Scott's case after the district court declined further extensions of time to investigate. The case was litigated by Mr. Scott's counsel, led by Andrew Shen and James Webster of Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, PLLC. After extensive motion practice, the district court denied both parties' motions for summary judgment, notably rejecting Humana's argument that its bids represented opinions that are insufficient to prove falsity. The court observed that the Sixth Circuit has explained that an opinion can be false if the speaker knows facts that would preclude such an opinion and held there was evidence in the record from which a jury could conclude that "Humana made statements and presented records that it knew were false." The case then proceeded to trial, settling in principle just before the start of the trial. George Collins of Phillips & Cohen and Katherine Cooper, Bethan Jones, Caroline Schechinger, and Thomas Schultz of Kellogg Hansen were instrumental in achieving this result. A copy of the complaint. ABOUT PHILLIPS & COHEN LLP Phillips & Cohen is the nation's most successful law firm representing whistleblowers. The firm's cases have helped recover more than $13 billion in civil settlements and criminal fines. Phillips & Cohen represents whistleblowers in qui tam lawsuits as well as whistleblower claims with the reward programs of the SEC, CFTC, and IRS. ABOUT KELLOGG, HANSEN, TODD, FIGEL & FREDERICK, PLLC Kellogg Hansen is a leading trial and appellate litigation firm that represents plaintiffs and defendants in in complex disputes and high-stakes matters. The firm has substantial experience trying cases to verdict at trial, arguing matters before the United States Supreme Court and other appellate courts, and representing businesses and individuals in parallel proceedings before state and federal courts, agencies, and arbitration panels. Kellogg Hansen has won multiple verdicts in excess of $1 billion and successfully defended clients against similarly large damages claims. SOURCE Phillips & Cohen LLP Xem them ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load A Day to Honor and Celebrate the Beauty, History, and Culture of Locs CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Jamaican Mango & Lime, the leading natural hair care brand known for its authentic haircare solutions for consumers with locs, twists, and braids, has worked with National Day Archives to establish the National Loc Day. It will be the day dedicated to celebrating the rich diversity, culture, and heritage that defines the loc lifestyle. This exciting new annual holiday is dedicated to shining a spotlight on the beauty and history of locs, celebrating the vibrant culture they represent, and underscoring the brand's dedication to supporting every step of the loc journey with exceptional, trusted products for the last 31 years. Jamaican Mango & Lime Celebrates the Launch of National Loc Day "Our goal with National Loc Day is to create a platform that celebrates the beauty, history, and culture of locs. We want to support individuals to embrace their loc journey with confidence and pride in their natural hair." Jamaican Mango & Lime's mission is to provide products that assist individuals in starting, maintaining, and styling their locs and braids, ensuring that everyone can celebrate their hair with pride. National Loc Day is an extension of this mission, designed to foster a sense of community and appreciation for locs and the culture they represent. Jamaican Mango & Lime will celebrate National Loc Day on Friday, August 16th with industry tastemakers, influencers, and local officials. In addition, a variety of activations will be held to celebrate the brand-owned holiday, including: The "My Locs Are" social media campaign, where consumers share their loc journey Exclusive interviews with brand executives and celebrity barber Dre The Barber Educational content about loc care and history, as well as advice for maintaining and styling locs Product giveaways A local influencer contest Billboards in New Orleans and Chicago For more information on Jamaican Mango & Lime and National Loc Day, follow @jamaicanmangoandlime on social media. About Jamaican Mango & Lime: Born in 1992, Jamaican Mango & Lime are the curators and innovators of loc & twist care. We started a movement to provide haircare for the natural hair community, 30 + 1 years later we are still committed to it. Whether it's locs, twists, braids, or curls, we nurture, protect, and style. We give you the confidence to embrace your unique style, expression, and individualism. MEDIA CONTACT 5WPR [email protected] 212-999-5585 SOURCE Jamaican Mango & Lime SHANGHAI, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lufax Holding Ltd ("Lufax" or the "Company") (NYSE: LU and HKEX: 6623), a leading financial services enabler for small business owners in China, today announced that it plans to release its second quarter 2024 financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, U.S. Eastern Time. The Company's management will hold an earnings conference call at 9:00 P.M. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 (9:00 A.M. Beijing Time on Thursday, August 22, 2024) to discuss the financial results. For participants who wish to join the call, please complete online registration using the link provided below in advance of the conference call. Upon registering, each participant will receive a set of participant dial-in numbers, the event passcode, and a unique access PIN, which can be used to join the conference call. Registration Link: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10191825/fd49d1bf63 A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.lufaxholding.com. The replay will be accessible through August 28, 2024, by dialing the following numbers: United States: 1-877-344-7529 International: 1-412-317-0088 Conference ID: 8154019 About Lufax Lufax is a leading financial services enabler for small business owners in China. The Company offers financing products designed principally to address the needs of small business owners. In doing so, the Company has established relationships with 85 financial institutions in China as funding partners, many of which have worked with the Company for over three years. Investor Relations Contact Lufax Holding Ltd Email: [email protected] ICR, LLC Robin Yang Tel: +1 (646) 308-0546 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Lufax Holding Ltd CUMMING, Ga., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Metavesco, Inc. (OTC PINK:MVCO), a web3 enterprise and digital asset innovator, today announced the execution of a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire Striped Pig Distillery and Local Choice Spirits of Charleston. Founded as one of South Carolina's oldest distilleries, Striped Pig Distillery has garnered multiple awards for its exceptional craft spirits. Local Choice Spirits has established a reputation for innovation and quality, solidifying its place in the market. The two companies are led by visionary entrepreneur "Pixie" Paula Dezzutti. Pixie is recognized as a top influencer in SC in 2024, listed by Forbes as "Top 50 Over 50" in 2023, and recipient of the International Woman of the Year Award by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in 2022. She has been a prominent figure in the industry, not only for her business acumen but also for her contributions to the broader business community. Listed by INC 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies of the Southeast, and SC Top 50 Fastest Growing Businesses, Local Choice and Striped Pig have plans to unveil an event center for its patrons. Upon closing this transaction, Ms. Dezzutti will be appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Metavesco, Inc. Post acquisition, the businesses will operate as wholly owned subsidiaries of Metavesco, Inc. Highlights of the combined businesses include: Approximately 1000 barrels of aged bourbon, valued at over $18,000,000 retail retail 16 active product skus including vodkas, rums, gins, whiskeys, and tequila Product distribution in 20 states and ecommerce availability in most Distillery capable of producing 300 high quality bourbon barrels annually World class management team with over 100 years combined industry experience At closing, Metavesco will issue a combination of 2-year restricted common stock, preferred stock, and a 2-year convertible note in the amount of $2 million. Additionally, the Company will assume approximately $1.2 million in debt owed collectively by the acquired businesses. Metavesco, Inc. CEO Ryan Schadel stated, "I'd like to say this was a tough decision since it means I'll be stepping down as CEO, but it wasn't a tough decision at all! Ms. Dezzutti's appointment as CEO will be a huge win for shareholders and she is poised to usher in a new era of innovation and growth. With a distinguished career that spans entrepreneurial success, industry recognition, and thought leadership, Pixie has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary ability to drive transformation and excellence. Her accolades, including her role as a featured panelist at the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce's seminar on NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and Blockchain 3.0, along with her Amazon best-selling book, Alphabet Soup, outlining her pioneering NFT Bourbon release, underscore her forward-thinking approach and deep industry insight. She's a force to be reckoned with and I believe Metavesco shareholders will be in good hands with her at the helm." Ms. Dezzutti stated, "Our team at Striped Pig Distillery and Local Choice Spirits has dedicated years to perfecting our craft, building a strong, regional brand of which we're incredibly proud. This acquisition is the perfect opportunity to expand our reach and bring award-winning spirits to a national audience. The multi trillion-dollar beverage business needs pioneers to lead the charge in a quickly paced changing landscape. I am excited to lead Metavesco into this new era of growth and innovation and am confident that together we will achieve extraordinary success." While there is no guarantee that a deal will be finalized, all parties are working aggressively to prepare and execute a definitive purchase agreement with a 30-day closing deadline. About Metavesco Metavesco is a web3 enterprise and digital asset innovator. The Company has bitcoin mining operations at hosted facilities in KY and IA. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the Company operates Boring Brew, a specialty coffee company utilizing owned and licensed NFT IP as unique packaging. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements appear in a number of places in this press release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) financing plans; (ii) trends affecting its financial condition or results of operations; and (iii) growth strategy and operating strategy. The words "may", "would", "will", "expect", "estimate", "can", "believe", "potential", and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. More information about the potential factors that could affect the business and financial results is included in the Company's filings on otcmarkets.com. SOURCE Metavesco, Inc. Award is the Largest Single Death Verdict Ever in Michigan SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a historic wrongful death case, a Wayne County Circuit Court jury awarded $75 million to the estate of Denis Preka on Aug. 8. 2024. The Mike Morse Law Firm successfully secured one of the largest verdicts in the court's history. The case, Estate of Denis Preka vs. Nicholas Remington, centered on the tragic death of 21-year-old Denis Preka, a native of Grosse Pointe Farms and a student at the University of Detroit-Mercy, who died on March 19, 2019. On the night of his death, Preka believed he was taking Adderall to help him concentrate, but the substance he ingested was later determined to be MDMA, commonly known as 'Molly,' a dangerous and illegal drug misrepresented by Defendant Nicholas Remington. After consuming the substance, Preka began suffering severe side effects, rendering him incapacitated and unresponsive. Instead of seeking help, Remington and others recorded the episode and posted it on Snapchat. Preka's cause of death was found to be severe edema and congestion of his brain and lungs due to drug intoxication. The lawsuit, brought by the Mike Morse Law Firm on behalf of Dennis Preka's estate, sought damages for conscious pain and suffering, as well as the loss of society and companionship. The substantial verdict reflects the jury's recognition of the profound impact of this tragic incident on Preka's loved ones. "This verdict sends a powerful message about the importance of truth and accountability," said Mike Morse of Mike Morse Law Firm. "Denis Preka's life was tragically cut short due to the reckless actions of Nicholas Remington, and while no amount of money can bring Denis back, this verdict ensures that justice is served. We hope this case raises awareness about the dangers of drug misrepresentation and brings some measure of peace to his family." With students heading back to school, Preka's mother, Linda Thom, is determined for her son's death not to be in vain. She hopes her son's story will encourage other young adults to develop real friendships with people you can trust. "I hope parents teach their kids to connect with each other. Friendship is not just social media. Friendship is all about connection. These kids should have a cup of coffee and be there for each other through hardships," said Thom. While the civil case is closed, the criminal case is not. It is now under review by the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. Photos of Denis Preka and Mike Morse are available HERE. About Mike Morse Law Firm Mike Morse Law Firm has been protecting the rights of Michigan auto accident and injury victims for more than three decades. They are Michigan's largest personal injury firm, specializing in auto, truck, pedestrian, and motorcycle accidents, as well as Social Security disability claims. The MMLF team are experts in Michigan's No-Fault Act. Since opening its doors, the firm has won more than 1.5 billion dollars for its 40,000-plus clients. Mike Morse Law Firm handles cases statewide, with headquarters located in Southfield, Mich. More information is available at 855MikeWins.com. SOURCE Mike Morse Law Firm MINNETONKA, Minn., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Monoline, a leading provider of innovative standalone personal umbrella insurance solutions, is proud to announce its membership with Big I Texas, a prestigious chapter of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. (IIABA). This significant step marks Monoline's commitment to supporting independent personal lines insurance agents and brokers across Texas and beyond. Monoline is proud to partner with Big I Texas Big I Texas, part of the national IIABA, is dedicated to providing independent insurance agents and brokers with a sustainable competitive advantage in the insurance marketplace. By equipping members with essential tools, resources, advocacy, and support, Big I Texas upholds a standard of excellence in business and customer service that aligns perfectly with Monoline's mission. "Joining Big I Texas is an exciting step for Monoline as we continue to expand our reach and support the independent insurance agent community," said Ben Phillips, CEO and Co-Founder of Monoline. "We are excited to collaborate with Big I Texas and leverage their extensive resources to enhance our service offerings, ultimately empowering agents to build lasting customer relationships and thrive in their markets." Monoline's platform, known for its intuitive, straightforward, and consistent user experience, allows account executives to upload existing policy documents, generate instant personal umbrella quotes, and manage policies seamlessly. By integrating cutting-edge technology with a genuine commitment to addressing real-world challenges, Monoline has become a trusted partner for account executives nationwide. As Monoline operates in 43 states with plans for further expansion, this membership with Big I Texas represents the first step in a broader strategy to join additional IIABA chapters across the country. By doing so, Monoline aims to further its mission of providing efficient and innovative solutions that empower account executives to focus on building lasting customer relationships. "Joining Big I Texas is just the beginning," added Phillips. "We look forward to growing the list of chapters we support and continuing to redefine the personal umbrella insurance landscape for independent agents and brokers." For more information about Monoline and its membership with Big I Texas, please visit www.monoline.com . About Monoline As a company, our philosophy is rooted in empathy and understanding customer needs to deliver a beneficial service. We strive to build intuitive, straightforward, and consistent products. We question the status quo, approaching problems with fresh perspectives. Gratitude underpins everything we do, as we appreciate every detail and value the relationships we build. Our mission is simple: provide efficient and innovative solutions that empower account executives to focus on building lasting customer relationships. Our meticulously designed platform combines cutting-edge technology with a genuine commitment to addressing real-world challenges. While our initial offering is in the personal umbrella space, we're working on a range of innovative products to simplify the lives of account executives further and redefine the personal insurance landscape. About Big I Texas Big I Texas, a chapter of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. (IIABA), strives to provide independent insurance agents and brokers with a sustainable competitive advantage in the insurance marketplace by equipping members with tools, resources, advocacy, and support to maintain excellence in business and customer service. Contact: Nina McVicker, Digital Marketing Manager, Monoline [email protected] www.monoline.com SOURCE Monoline Inc. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MY E.G. Services Berhad (MYEG), MIMOS Berhad (MIMOS), the Worldcoin Foundation, and Tools For Humanity (TFH) have entered into a collaboration which combines the unique capabilities of each organisation to explore the integration of Worldcoin's advanced credential verification technology into Malaysia's Blockchain Infrastructure (MBI). Additionally, the partnership will assess the feasibility of potential local manufacturing of Orbs, TFH's hardware and software tools for human verification. MYEG Announces Strategic Alliance with MIMOS Berhad, Worldcoin Foundation and Tools for Humanity, to Revolutionise Malaysia's Blockchain Infrastructure and Digital Ecosystem In October 2022, MYEG and MIMOS entered into a MOU to collaborate on building and operating the Malaysia Blockchain Infrastructure (MBI). This partnership aims to accelerate blockchain adoption in Malaysia by combining MIMOS' expertise in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) research and development (R&D) with MYEG's cutting-edge Zetrix blockchain technology. The strategic alliance forged between MYEG, MIMOS Berhad, Worldcoin Foundation, and TFH, promises to revolutionise the digital landscape in Malaysia. By combining their expertise and resources, these entities will create a synergy that will significantly enhance the security, efficiency, and scalability of digital ecosystems and blockchain applications within the country. MIMOS Berhad, known for its prowess in R&D, will provide the technical backbone for this collaboration. Its highly skilled engineers and scientists will work tirelessly to develop cutting-edge solutions that address the unique challenges of the digital age. Worldcoin Foundation, with its commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable global economy, will contribute its expertise in blockchain technology. Its efforts will focus on ensuring that the benefits of digital transformation reach all corners of Malaysian society, fostering financial inclusion and empowering individuals and communities. Tools For Humanity, a technology company dedicated to building technology that helps ensure a more just economic system, will bring its wealth of experience in developing digital solutions for marginalised populations. It will work closely with MIMOS Berhad and the Worldcoin Foundation to create innovative tools and platforms that address critical societal issues such as education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. MYEG, the leading provider of digital government services in Malaysia, will contribute its extensive infrastructure and expertise in delivering seamless online experiences. It will work to incorporate the solutions developed by MIMOS Berhad, Worldcoin Foundation, and TFH into existing government service delivery systems, ensuring that citizens can access these services conveniently and securely. This collaboration is set to significantly impact Malaysia's digital economy. It will enhance the security and efficiency of digital transactions, building trust in online platforms and motivating businesses to embrace digital transformation. This, in turn, will drive innovation, create jobs, and fuel economic growth. Furthermore, the collaboration will support the development of a skilled workforce in digital technology. Through training programmes and educational initiatives, the partners in this alliance will equip Malaysians with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the digital age. In summary, the synergy between MYEG, MIMOS, Worldcoin Foundation, and TFH, represents a bold step forward in Malaysia's digital journey, driving innovation, fostering technological advancement, and creating a more inclusive and prosperous digital economy for all Malaysians. About Worldcoin Foundation The Worldcoin Foundation , the steward of the Worldcoin protocol, aims to realize more inclusive, fair and just institutions of governance and of the global digital economy. The Worldcoin protocol is intended to be the world's largest, most inclusive identity and financial public utility and to be accessible by everyone. The Worldcoin protocol is designed to empower individuals and organizations around the world with the tools they need to participate in the digital economy and advance humanity's progress. Find out more about Worldcoin at www.worldcoin.org , on Twitter/X , Discord , YouTube and Telegram . About Tools For Humanity Tools for Humanity (TFH), co-founded in 2019 by Sam Altman (Chairman) Alex Blania and Max Novendstern, is a global technology company established to accelerate the transition towards a more just economic system. TFH took the initial steps toward developing the Worldcoin protocol and supported its multi-year beta testing phase. It then transitioned stewardship of the protocol to the independent Worldcoin Foundation prior to the protocol's launch in late July 2023. Today, TFH continues to provide services to the Worldcoin Foundation and operates World App , the first Worldcoin-compatible wallet. About MY E.G. Services Berhad MYEG is Malaysia's premier digital services company. Having commenced operations in 2000 as the flagship e-government services provider, MYEG continues to play a leading role in driving technological change in the region, bringing a diverse and complete range of innovations spanning the online delivery of major government services to a variety of commercial offerings in the areas of immigration, automotive and financial services, among others. Committed to staying firmly at the forefront of the global digital revolution, MYEG has embraced the potential of blockchain technology to enhance all aspects of life and is actively pioneering its adoption across the region through its Layer 1 platform Zetrix. Besides its home market, MYEG's presence spans other key regional markets such as China, The Philippines and Hong Kong. About MIMOS Berhad MIMOS is a strategic agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and a premier innovation centre in Semiconductors, Microelectronics, and ICT technologies, contributing to Malaysia's socio-economic growth through patentable technology platforms, products, and solutions. Since its inception, MIMOS has filed more than 1,300 patents in various technology domains and across key socio-economic areas driving Malaysia's digital transformation journey into the international arena. As a centre of research excellence, MIMOS R&D activities currently focus on Semiconductor & Thin Film Research, Advanced Electronics & Embedded Systems, as well as Manufacturing and Smart Nation technologies. MIMOS continuously enhance its collaborations with existing strategic partners, explores new opportunities with potential partners, and develops new technology companies and business-oriented technology venture organisations. MIMOS also maintains its R&D of advanced technology, explores the development of global technopreneurship, and cultivates an attitude of trust, innovation and high performance. For more information, please visit www.mimos.my . SOURCE MY E.G. Services Berhad WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Weather Service Employees Organization's (NWSEO) National Council voted to adopt a resolution to endorse Vice-President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, for President and Vice-President of the United States. "Vice President Harris has been a tireless advocate for union workers and their families. We can all benefit from her leadership," said JoAnn Becker, NWSEO National President. Back in 2019 during the federal government shutdown and hardship on federal workers caused by former President Trump, then Senator Harris challenged the president to end the shutdown and pay National Weather Service employees. During her Senate tenure, she advocated on behalf of union workers, fought to keep the government funded to prevent a disastrous shutdown, defended safe staffing levels and collective bargaining rights across federal agencies, and protected the diversity and human rights offices of federal agencies. As Vice-President, Harris chaired the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment that had a guiding principle a commitment to worker rights, including the right to a free and fair choice to join a union and to dignity in the workplace. Contrast her leadership on worker rights against her opponent, former President Trump, who campaigns to create a "Schedule F" to allow the replacement of thousands of career civil servants by political appointees, and "Project 2025" that would eliminate federal employee collective bargaining rights, remove civil service protections of career public servants, commercialize the National Weather Service and terminate its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NWSEO is the federal labor union that represents the collective bargaining rights of meteorologists, hydrologists and technical experts at the National Weather Service as well as, environmental scientists and specialists throughout the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who track and command weather and environmental satellites; who maintain and crew the nation's hurricane hunter aircraft; and the attorneys in the NOAA Office of General Counsel who enforce the nation's fisheries and environmental protection laws. NWSEO proudly represents the most NOAA employees across the entire agency. Contact: Sherri McGraw (202) 951-0991 [email protected] SOURCE National Weather Service Employees Organization OSLO, Norway, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In first half of 2024, Navamedic ASA (OSE: NAVA), a Nordic pharma company and reliable provider of high-quality products to hospitals and pharmacies, delivered revenues of NOK 277.2 million, up 12.8 per cent from the corresponding period last year. Adjusted EBITA amounted to NOK 41.1 million compared to NOK 26.3 million in 2023. The milestone payment of NOK 22.7 million following the agreement with Orion Corporation to market and sell Flexilev and OraFID in Europe is included. During the first six months of 2024, Navamedic has delivered on its strategy across the business. Following the launch of Eroxon at the start of the year, the company renewed its contract with the Norwegian Hospital Procurement Trust, whereby Navamedic will continue to supply Norwegian hospitals with antibiotics until 2027. This agreement is expected to contribute more than 20 per cent revenue growth to the overall antibiotics' portfolio. In June, Navamedic signed a license and supply agreement with Orion Corporation (Orion) to market and sell Flexilev and OraFID in Europe. This agreement represents a major milestone in Navamedic's commercialisation strategy for Flexilev. Orion has paved the way for Parkinson's disease treatment in Europe, making it a strong commercial partner for Navamedic. "Halfway into 2024, Navamedic can look back at an exciting first six months. There has been a lot of activity across the business, which has broadened Navamedic's geographical reach and product portfolio. Having been early to identify treatment areas with significant medical need and consumer demand, such as supplying antibiotics to hospitals and obesity, we have seen good growth across our key business areas: RX, Consumer and Hospital," said Kathrine Gamborg Andreassen, CEO of Navamedic ASA. Operating results (EBIT) for the first six months of 2024 amounted to NOK 33.8 million, compared to NOK 9.9 million in 2023. Operating costs ended at NOK 77.8 million, compared to NOK 74 million last year. Net financial items ended at negative NOK 9.7 million and profit before tax was NOK 24 million. Key figures and category update for the second quarter of 2024 Revenues for the second quarter amounted to NOK 156.3 million, up 26.2 per cent from last year. Adjusted EBITDA amounted to NOK 32.7 million, up from NOK 10.5 million in the second quarter of 2023. Gross margin for the quarter was 46.1 per cent, compared to 40.4 per cent in 2023. During the quarter, the company experienced steady growth across its three segments: Prescription Drugs (RX), Hospital and Consumer Health. As part of the Prescription Drugs (RX) category, sales of Mysimba have remained stable in an increasingly competitive market. Imdur and Forlax have seen double digit growth year-over-year. Within the Hospital category, the antibiotics portfolio has delivered solid growth. The medical nutrition portfolio continues to deliver steady growth, delivering treatments for patients with Inborn Errors of Metabolism, which is considered a lifelong genetic disorder. In the Consumer Health category, Eroxon was launched in Sweden in May, making it the first and only non-prescription treatment for erectile dysfunction in the country. It has also been a strong quarter for several hero products, including Absolut Torr and GeloRevoice, which are up 38 per cent and 35 per cent year-over-year, respectively. ThermaCare and Modifast continue to deliver stable sales. Navamedic plans to explore opportunities to expand both Absolut Torr and MedMade outside the Nordics Outlook Navamedic continues to see strong growth and new expansion opportunities and reiterates its mid-term ambition of building a NOK 1 billion revenue company. "We continue to build on a solid foundation and are exploring further opportunities for market expansion with our own products. A key driver for everyone at Navamedic is to be a proud contributor to public health, which includes identifying treatments and products that can enhance people's quality of life and ensuring that they are accessible, either through hospitals or pharmacies," Andreassen concluded. Presentation Navamedic will present the results for the second quarter and first half of 2024 at 08.30 today. CEO Kathrine Gamborg Andreassen and CFO Lars Hjarrand will host the presentation, which will take place at Haakon VIIs gate 2 in Oslo. It will be webcast at the following link: https://navamedic.com/investors/financial-results/ Note: EBITDA and other alternative performance measures (APMs) are defined and reconciled to the IFRS financial statements as a part of the APM section in the attached presentation. For further information, please contact: Kathrine Gamborg Andreassen, CEO, Navamedic Mobile: +47 951 78 680 E-mail: [email protected] Lars Hjarrand, CFO, Navamedic Mobile: +47 917 62 842 E-mail: [email protected] About Navamedic Navamedic ASA is a full-service provider of high-quality healthcare products to hospitals and pharmacies. Navamedic meets the specific medical needs of patients and consumers by leveraging its highly scalable market access platform, leading category competence and local knowledge. Navamedic is present in all the Nordic countries, the Baltics and Benelux, with sales representation in the UK and Greece. Navamedic is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: NAVA). For more information, please visit Navamedic.com. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/navamedic-asa/r/navamedic-q2-and-h1-2024--stable-growth-continues-and-is-supported-by-a-new-licensing-and-supply-agr,c4025067 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/17619/4025067/2947672.pdf Navamedic ASA 2024 Q2 Presentation https://mb.cision.com/Public/17619/4025067/844a6c0aae0c9327.pdf Navamedic ASA 2024 Q2 H1 report CALGARY, AB, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Parkland Corporation ("Parkland", "we" or "our") (TSX: PKI) announced today the closing of its previously announced private offering (the "offering") of US$500 million aggregate principal amount of 6.625% senior unsecured notes due 2032 (the "notes"). Parkland will use the net proceeds of the offering for the repayment of a portion of the outstanding drawings under its credit facilities. The notes were offered and sold only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and offered and sold outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The notes were offered and sold in Canada on a private placement basis only to "accredited investors" pursuant to certain prospectus exemptions. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of the notes in any state, or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements based on current expectations, including the use of proceeds from the offering. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to important known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Parkland does not undertake any obligation, except as required under applicable law, to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. About Parkland Corporation Parkland is an international fuel distributor, marketer, and convenience retailer with operations in 26 countries across the Americas. We serve over one million customers each day. Our retail network meets the fuel and convenience needs of everyday consumers. Our commercial operations provide businesses with industrial fuels so that they can better serve their customers. In addition to meeting our customers' needs for essential fuels, we provide a range of choices to help them lower their environmental impact. These include renewable fuels sourcing, manufacturing and blending, carbon and renewables trading, solar power, and ultra-fast EV charging. With approximately 4,000 retail and commercial locations across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean region, we have developed supply, distribution and trading capabilities to accelerate growth and business performance. Our strategy is focused on two pillars: our Customer Advantage and our Supply Advantage. Through our Customer Advantage, we aim to be the first choice of our customers, cultivating their loyalty through proprietary brands, differentiated offers, our extensive network, competitive pricing, reliable service, and our compelling loyalty program. Our Supply Advantage is based on achieving the lowest cost to serve among independent fuel marketers and distributors in the hard-to-serve markets in which we operate, through our well-positioned assets, significant scale, and deep supply and logistics capabilities. Our business is underpinned by our people and our values of safety, integrity, community and respect, which are deeply embedded across our organization. SOURCE Parkland Corporation BRISTOL, Pa., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Setting the Standard in Metering Solutions TESCO FTS-2990 Field Meter Test Station can test any meter form with a single piece of equipment in the field with laboratory accuracy. TESCO FTS-2990 Field Test Meter Station carrying case for the ultimate durability in the field. Since its founding in 1904, TESCO The Eastern Specialty Company has been the trusted source of metering solutions to the nation's energy providers. For over a century, TESCO has played a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the meters that keep our power grid stable and dependable. Accurate metering is the backbone of a reliable power grid, ensuring that energy is measured precisely and that customers are billed fairly. Field technicians are at the forefront of maintaining this accuracy. These professionals are responsible for testing meters to ensure they function correctly, often working in challenging environments. Traditionally, meter accuracy testing has been performed in controlled lab settings, where precise instruments can be used to validate performance. However, there are many situations where meters must be tested on-site, such as during installation, maintenance, or when a meter's performance is in question. Until now, field technicians have faced significant challenges when performing these tests, lacking a comprehensive, portable solution that offers the same level of accuracy as a laboratory. The introduction of the TESCO FTS-2990 Field Test Meter Station changes this, providing a much-needed tool for technicians who require lab-quality testing in the field. Building on a Legacy of Precision: The FTS-2990 Field Test Meter Station The TESCO FTS-2990 Field Test Meter Station draws its inspiration from the legendary TESCO DTS-2990 Desktop Meter Station, a trusted tool used by metering labs across the United States. Designed to bring the same level of reliability and accuracy to the field, the TESCO FTS-2990 is a game-changer for field test technicians who demand the highest standards of performance. What sets the TESCO FTS-2990 apart from alternative field-testing methods is the ability to test every conventional ANSI meter form. Additionally, advanced waveform generation capability ensures that technicians can test the full range of meters currently in use with unparalleled precision. The TESCO FTS-2990 eliminates the need for bulky, multiple pieces of equipment, delivering all the tools necessary for accurate field testing in one portable, rugged package. No longer do technicians need to wait for lab results; the TESCO FTS-2990 provides immediate, dependable results, making it the ideal solution for field situations where time and accuracy are critical. A Word from TESCO's Leadership Tom Lawton, President & CEO of TESCO, shared his excitement about the FTS-2990 Field Test Meter Station, emphasizing its transformative impact on field testing: "The TESCO FTS-2990 is a game changer for field technicians. They can test any meter form with a single piece of equipment. The FTS-2990 brings a fully featured lab-quality testing apparatus right to the field, ensuring the highest standards of accuracy wherever it's needed. We've made it easy to transport by designing the unit to fit within a wheeled, rugged Pelican Case, greatly simplifying the work of our technicians. The feature density outclasses all other field-testing solutions on the market, offering unmatched versatility in meter testing and performance in one compact unit. Like all TESCO products, the FTS-2990 is built with the quality and reliability that our customers have come to expect, right here in Bristol, PA." About TESCO - The Eastern Specialty Company TESCO has been the trusted source for meter testing instruments and accessories since 1904. Our company is growing and working to serve YOU! Any meter test technician or engineer knows the TESCO name means reliability and ruggedness. This reputation for durability continues today with our commitment to develop and deliver artificial loads and burdens, test switches, wattmeter test accessories, and a full range of meter testing operational support needed in today's competitive and changing market. Today, these products combined with engineered solutions such as ultrasonic cleaning systems, statistical sampling process development & supporting software, and technical support for preparing proposals and reports for regulating agencies and Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) for both electrical and gas metering operations, help make TESCO the preferred supplier for utilities worldwide. TESCO's services include Meter Shop Layout, Statistical Sampling, Equipment Specifications, Field Services, Facility Relocation, Quality Systems, Project Management, and Custom Equipment. SOURCE TESCO - The Eastern Specialty Company BARUERI, Brazil, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Along with the Governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas, Scala Data Centers, the leading Latin American platform of sustainable data centers in the Hyperscale market, inaugurated Phase 2 of its Tambore Campus, the largest in Latin America, on Wednesday. More than 1,500 professionals, including Scala employees and third parties, attended the event. The Governor of Sao Paulo State, Tarcisio de Freitas; the Vice Mayor of Barueri, Beto Piteri; and Scalas Co-Founder and CEO, Marcos Peigo, unveil the commemorative plaque for Phase 2 of the Tambore Campus. Scalas COO, Jose Eduardo Quintella; Sao Paulos Secretary of Economic Development, Jorge Lima; Governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas; Scalas Co-Founder and CEO, Marcos Peigo; Vice Mayor of Barueri, Beto Piteri; and Scalas Senior VP of Corporate Development, Luciano Fialho; joined by over 1,500 professionals, including Scala employees and third-party workers, at the event. The second phase will have 158 MW of IT capacity, featuring two buildings already in operation, SGRUTB08 and SGRUTB12, which currently serve two Hyperscale clients. Additionally, it will involve a substation and three buildings under constructionSGRUTB09, SGRUTB10, and SGRUTB67with anchor clients already secured and expected to become operational in 2025. The committed investment for this phase is R$ 6.2 billion (US$ 1.13 billion), which exceeds the total planned investment for the construction of the Santos-Guaruja Tunnel (R$ 5.8 billion, US$ 1.06 billion). Combined with the investment already made in Phase 1, Scala's total investment in this campus exceeds R$ 10 billion (US$ 1,82 billion). Located along the margins of the Rodoanel in a hyperconnected area of Greater Sao Paulo, the campus is already the largest in Latin America regarding projected power capacity. With the completion of Phase 2, Scala's Tambore Campus will have six data centers in operation and another four under construction, totaling more than 200 MW. Once fully completed, the campus will feature 17 buildings and three power substations, making it one of the ten largest in the world, with a total capacity of 600 MW, equivalent to the energy consumption of Brasilia. Scala is also developing a project to improve urban mobility, which includes integrating with the surrounding community and expanding fiber and energy routes. This expansion not only reinforces Scala's mission to enable the future of Latin America but also reaffirms its commitment to sharing the economic benefits of this growth with the communities around the campus. Additionally, Scala is implementing various social initiatives within the community, including workforce development and promoting social inclusion by creating twenty thousand direct and indirect jobs. "This is only the beginning of what the country can achieve. The demand for data centers is growing seven to ten times with the rise of artificial intelligence, positioning us not only to serve the local market but also to export data center solutions, helping to solve global challenges, especially in North America. I am very proud to be in Sao Paulo, in Barueri, with this project, reaffirming our commitment to continue investing and enabling progress in our nation and the region," stated Marcos Peigo, CEO and co-founder of Scala, during the event. "If we waste even a little time in this dynamic market, we will fall behind," warned Governor Tarcisio de Freitas. "We are witnessing the future here. The wealth of nations is no longer in metals, gold, or industry; today, it resides in data, in the knowledge economy. Sao Paulo has become a hub for this new economy, a hub of data centers. Scala's Tambore Campus is a clear example of this. We are very happy with the leap we are making," he added. Prepared for the Future The project's strategy aligns with global projections for the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) market, which will attract about US$ 1.85 trillion by 2030. This investment will contribute to the potential GDP growth of Latin America by 5.4%, according to data from The Economist. All the new buildings are designed to support AI/ML and accommodate high-density demands. With a FutureProof design, they allow for densities ranging from 24kW per rack up to 100kW per rack, utilizing liquid cooling technologies for heat dissipation. Efficiency is crucial in this endeavor, with Scala committed to maintaining a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)the energy efficiency indexbelow 1.4, the lowest in Latin America, while achieving a Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) of zero. Adopting 100% renewable energy sources further reinforces the company's unwavering commitment to sustainable practices. About Scala Data Centers Scala Data Centers is the leading sustainable data center platform in the Hyperscale market. Based in Brazil and backed by DigitalBridge, it was developed to meet and exceed the growing demand for digital access in Latin America. Scala has a highly qualified team of over 1,000 professionals and applies a flexible and innovative approach to delivering exceptional colocation services for customers, cloud software, service providers, and large companies. We customize state-of-the-art solutions for each client with high availability, high rate of energy efficiency, and very high density capable of supporting the AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning) workloads. All this is combined with best sustainability practices guided by our ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) program. For more information, visit https://scaladatacenters.com/en/. SOURCE Scala Data Centers Shanghai Electric renewal solutions have extended the plant's lifespan by an additional 30 years NINH BINH, Vietnam, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With the assistance of Shanghai Electric, the Ninh Binh Power Plant, one of Vietnam's first power plants built in Ninh Binh City, has experienced a holistic overhaul after 45 years of service. Boosted by modern technology and advanced equipment supplied by Shanghai Electric, the output of each unit of the four steam turbines has been increased from 25MW to 27MW, with the upgrade project expected to extend its operational lifespan by an additional 30 years. Shanghai Electric Offers Equipment Upgrades to Vietnam's Ninh Binh Power Plant, Boosting its Efficiency, Performance, and Longevity with Extended Lifespan by An Additional 30 Years. Officially entering operation in 1974, the Ninh Binh Power Plant, as one of the primary power generators in northern Vietnam, is essential for sustaining local infrastructure, water management, and economic growth. When operating at full capacity, it is projected to produce around 800 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually for the region. The Ninh Binh Power Plant was constructed with support from China, with Shanghai Electric supplying all the electromechanical systems, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, which continued to perform under high load conditions for nearly four decades despite the lack of maintenance. With construction starting in 1971, the plant's design featured a unique semi-submerged and semi-floating structure, with key operational areas situated 11 meters below ground. "To provide premium services and technical solutions to our users, Shanghai Electric has worked closely with Ninh Binh Power Plant and our partners in Vietnam, setting up a dedicated service team to facilitate communications," said Ni Yuanpeng, Director of Service Department of Industrial Turbine Division of Shanghai Electric Power Generation Equipment Co., Ltd. Turbine Plant. "We have provided numerous technical enhancements and transformation solutions, including extending the lifespan of equipment, upgrading control systems, implementing environmental improvements, and enhancing boiler co-firing capabilities, which have played a crucial role in delivering a comprehensive upgrade to the Ninh Binh Power Plant." Before the recent upgrade, the turbines had greatly surpassed their intended design life, leading to highly complex wear and aging of internal components and making it challenging to precisely evaluate the remaining lifespan and performance of each part. Compounding the issue was a significant lack of technical documentation and operational data, which required Shanghai Electric to conduct detailed technical planning and on-site inspection prior to the project. The upgrade boosted each turbine's capacity, with its efficiency restored to the optimal level, maximizing power output and improving local grid stability. The restoration of the Ninh Binh Power Plant, a critical component of northern Vietnam's power infrastructure, is crucial to the country's energy security and eco-social development. As an exemplary project in the history of Vietnam's power industry, the plant has been instrumental in training a large number of professionals who have gone on to contribute to the construction of a host of power plants throughout Vietnam, including the Vinh Tan and Quang Ninh Power Plants, two other major projects by Shanghai Electric in the country. Looking forward, the plant seeks to embrace opportunities for transformation, with its future projects set to explore energy-saving renovations, additional upgrades, and boiler co-firing to boost its performance. For more information about thermal power equipment and case studies from Shanghai Electric, please visit https://www.shanghai-electric.com/group_en/. SOURCE Shanghai Electric "We have partnered with SONGMICS HOME for a Lovely Adoption Saturday event, " said Sara Trafecanty, Manager of Priceless Pets Rescue-Chino Hills Adoption Center. "Saving an animal one by one is such a great thing you can do. " SONGMICS HOME's Brand Director, Sean Wang echoes Trafecanty's sentiments, stating, "Beyond crafting dream homes for people, we are dedicated to enhancing every life, ensuring a secure, protected, and sustainable home for all. We hope to encourage more people to give these small animals a new journey and a warm home by donating a batch of practical and cozy pet products." The "Lovely Adoption Saturday" event, held every Saturday from August 3rd to September 27th at Priceless Pets in Chino Hills (2587 Chino Hills Pkwy Unit C, Chino Hills, CA 91709), offers a wonderful opportunity to adopt a new family member. As a special bonus, each adopter will receive a gift from SONGMICS HOME to help welcome their new pet. The gifts include cat trees, washable pee pads, and other products from SONGMICS HOME. This is not the first time that SONGMICS HOME has joined hands with Priceless Pets Rescue to show support for animals. Striving to provide a better living environment for stray animals, SONGMICS HOME donated pet supplies to one shelter in May 2022. In November 2023, SONGMICS HOME partnered with La Societe Protectrice des Animaux, one of the world's oldest and highly esteemed animal protection organizations in France, to support the shelter's stray cats, showcasing the brand's dedication to animal welfare. Beyond its commitment to animal welfare, SONGMICS HOME also actively engages in social responsibility through various initiatives. The brand partners with the global environmental NGO One Tree Planted to support reforestation efforts around the world. After participating in Paris Design Week in September 2023, SONGMICS HOME donated all 90 pieces of exhibited furniture and financial aid to the "Banque solidaire d'equipement" project of Emmaus Defi, a French organization committed to the social integration of the homeless. To spread love and foster dreams, SONGMICS HOME partnered with the Rise Above Foundation's "Start Above" project to support Massachusetts children transitioning out of foster care by donating furniture and home storage products, creating a welcoming and stylish home environment for the students. "We are dedicated to making a positive impact in the world, whether it be through our products or our partnerships," said Wang. "We are excited about this event with Priceless Pets Rescue, and we hope to continue making a difference together." About SONGMICS HOME SONGMICS HOME was officially established in 2010, owning three major product brands including SONGMICS for home furnishings, VASAGLE for stylish furniture, and Feandrea for pet supplies. With the mission of "Complete Your Dream Home", SONGMICS HOME strives to provide global consumers with stylish and valuable furnishing products. Together with an efficient experience, SONGMICS HOME is enabling everyone to effortlessly create their dream homes. To date, its products have successfully entered more than 70 countries and regions, including Europe, North and Central America, and Asia, serving over 20 million families worldwide. For more information, please visit: Website: www.songmicshome.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SONGMICSHOME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/songmicshome/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SONGMICS_HOME Media Contact [email protected] SOURCE SONGMICS HOME WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED JERSEY CITY, N.J., Aug. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Antony Jackson Arumairaj, MD is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Physician for his contributions as a Distinguished Internal Medicine Specialist. Dr. Arumairaj, a highly accomplished and respected specialist in Internal Medicine, has been making significant contributions to the field through his work with NYC Health+ Hospitals, the nation's largest municipal health system. Since 2018, Dr. Arumairaj has been affiliated with NYC Health+ Hospitals, where he serves as an attending physician and also holds the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College since 2021. In this capacity, he not only provides exceptional patient care but also plays a pivotal role in teaching and mentoring medical students. Dr. Arumairaj's specialization in Internal Medicine encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including patient evaluations, accurate diagnoses, the development of comprehensive treatment plans, ongoing patient monitoring, follow-up care, and patient education. His dedication to the well-being of his patients and commitment to medical education make him a valuable asset to the healthcare community. Educated and trained on multiple continents, Dr. Arumairaj's career journey is marked by his passion for medicine and relentless pursuit of excellence. He graduated from the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in India with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2005. Subsequently, he completed his residency in Anesthesiology at Stanley Medical College in India in 2009. Dr. Arumairaj's career path led him to engage in research projects in India, Australia, and the United States during his medical education. His dedication to Critical Care Medicine was evident during his Internship in India, where he received recognition for his excellence in Anesthesiology. He further honed his skills by training in Internal Medicine with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians from 2010 to 2014 and in Emergency Medicine with the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine from 2014 to 2018 in Australia. After relocating to the United States, his ambition is to establish a career in Pulmonary Critical Care and clinical research. Looking ahead, Dr. Arumairaj has ambitious plans for his future in the medical field. He aims to complete his Pulmonary Critical Care fellowship and become an Attending Physician at a university hospital. His vision includes active engagement in research activities, with the goal of publishing his work in the United States and globally. In addition to his clinical and academic pursuits, Dr. Arumairaj maintains memberships in several prestigious professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Thoracic Society, and the American College of Chest Physicians. His commitment to the medical field extends to his volunteer work, which has included contributions to a blood donation group in India and the Australian Red Cross, particularly following the 2004 tsunami in India. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle Legislation is Critical to Protecting Worker Free Speech, Keeping Calif. Streets Safe SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Three Teamsters-supported bills that would ensure greater freedom of speech and safety for Californians have cleared procedural votes in the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees - as well as their chambers of origin - and now head to floor votes. The bills include autonomous vehicle safety legislation in both Assembly Bill 3061 (AB 3061) and Assembly Bill 2286 (AB 2286), which will head to a vote on the Senate floor, and Senate Bill 399 (SB 399), which contains captive audience protections and will be voted on in the Assembly. "Working people are the backbone of California, and its past time they have equal rights as these greedy corporations try to silence them. Whether its Big Tech companies trying to push 80,000 pound autonomous trucks onto our roads without a trained driver behind the wheel or union-busting employers attempting to scare workers out of organizing through captive audience meetings, the Teamsters will continue to fight for California workers," said Lindsay Dougherty, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Director of the Teamsters Motion Picture and Theatrical Trade Division. "We applaud the Appropriations Committee for passing AB 3061, AB 2286, and SB 399 and call on all of California's elected leaders to ensure this legislation becomes law." AB 3061, introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-17), would require AV companies to publicly report any vehicle collisions, traffic violations, disengagements, assaults, or harassment involving their vehicles to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The bill is critical to ensuring public transparency and accountability, especially as AV companies fail to publicly report major incidents on California roads. The California DMV has not tracked at-fault data for collisions involving AVs for several years. AB 2286, introduced by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-4), would require a trained human operator behind the wheel of self-driving trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds and force companies in California to publicly report any vehicle collisions, traffic violations, disengagements, assaults, or harassment involving their vehicles to the DMV. The third bill, SB 399, would protect California workers from facing adverse action if they choose not to participate in an employer's captive audience meetings, a tactic often used by companies to union bust and dissuade workers from organizing a union. The bill does not prevent the employer from holding these meetings, but instead bars them from requiring employees to attend the meetings as a condition of their employment. Connecticut, Oregon, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Washington, Hawaii, and New York have already adopted similar legislation. "Each year companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars on scare tactics like captive audience meetings, trying to dissuade workers from joining a union. SB 399 is critical to fixing this backwards system and protecting workers in their fight for a voice on the job," said Chris Griswold, Teamsters International Vice President At-Large and President of Teamsters Joint Council 42. "Gavin Newsom needs to follow the lead of governors who have already signed similar legislation. Stand up to big business, stand with working people, sign the bill." The Teamsters-supported autonomous vehicle safety legislation continues to secure growing support amid a backdrop of widespread AV safety incidents, including robotaxis nearly hitting school crossing guards in San Francisco, and no significant safety measures implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the DMV. In spite of the lack of safety protocols, Waymo will begin testing driverless robotaxis on San Francisco freeways this week. "While the CPUC and DMV continue to prioritize Big Tech over the California public by greenlighting the expansion of AVs on our roads, our elected leaders have made one thing clear: we need more safety regulations for AVs. The Teamsters applaud the Assembly for passing AB 3061 and AB 2286 and prioritizing public safety over dangerous technology," said Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and President of Teamsters Joint Council 7. "This is common sense legislation that the Teamsters will continue to fight for until workers and their families are protected, and our streets are safe." Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org to learn more. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Zoe PiSierra, (603) 339-0042 [email protected] Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters SINGAPORE, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TravelThru, a rapidly expanding global passenger transportation company, has introduced its new "Alba Loyalty" program, aiming to reward frequent customers and cement its position in the competitive travel market. The launch comes as TravelThru celebrates two years of impressive growth since its founding. TravelThru Expresses Gratitude with the Launch of "Alba Loyalty" Program Success is deeply connected to customer satisfaction The Alba Loyalty program offers members the opportunity to earn points on transactions, which can be exchanged for a variety of perks including discounts, service upgrades, and complimentary add-ons. In a novel approach, TravelThru is also offering new customers the option to purchase membership cards, granting immediate access to these benefits. TravelThru CEO Tan Mai highlighted the company's customer-centric philosophy: "Our success is intrinsically linked to customer satisfaction. The Alba Loyalty program is our way of expressing gratitude to our loyal clientele." Industry experts view this move as a strategic expansion beyond TravelThru's core transportation services. By incorporating benefits such as eSIM services, travel insurance, and fast-track airport access, the company is positioning itself as a comprehensive travel solutions provider. Since its inception, TravelThru has experienced remarkable expansion, now serving millions of customers annually across hundreds of global destinations. The company credits this rapid growth to its commitment to innovation and service excellence. Looking ahead, TravelThru plans to enhance the Alba Loyalty program further, with new benefits and expanded membership tiers on the horizon. This initiative is seen as a key component of the company's strategy to maintain its market leadership in an evolving travel landscape. As the industry continues to adapt to changing consumer preferences, TravelThru's latest offering demonstrates its agility and commitment to meeting customer needs. With its holistic approach to travel services, the company appears well-positioned for continued growth in the global transportation sector. For more details on the Alba Loyalty program, interested customers can visit https://travelthru.com/alba-loyalty. TRAVELTHRU Address: 8 Boon Lay Way, #11-08, 8@Tradehub 21, Singapore Hotline: +1 (415) 855-3868 Website:https://travelthru.com Media Contact: TravelThru Media +1(415)8553868 [email protected] SOURCE TravelThru Next phase of USAF contract will explore additional configurations for deployment on a wider range of aircraft platforms, including unmanned aerial systems PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SandboxAQ today announced it was awarded a SBIR Phase 2B Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to further develop its dual-use AQNav magnetic navigation (MagNav) system. The funding increase will enable SandboxAQ and collaboration partner AFWERX to explore additional configurations of the core AQNav architecture, including a pod-based attachment, for deployment on a wider range of aircraft platforms, including unmanned aerial systems. AQNav is a breakthrough navigation technology that leverages proprietary AI Large Quantitative Models (LQMs), powerful quantum sensors, and the Earth's crustal magnetic field to provide an unjammable, un-spoofable, all-weather, day/night, terrain-agnostic, passive, real-time navigation solution for military and commercial applications, with zero reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). This is a key example of the application of quantitative AI - AI models that are trained on quantitative data and not language. SandboxAQ is a leader in Large Quantitative Models (LQMs), in this case to pull the signal from the background magnetic noise for navigation. This funding increase extends a prior Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR contract awarded to SandboxAQ in January 2023. To date, SandboxAQ's AQNav technology has logged more than 200 flight hours and more than 40 sorties across multiple regions on four different aircraft types, ranging in size from single-engine planes to large military transport aircraft. In this process, AQNav was successfully tested in two USAF exercises Exercise Golden Phoenix and Exercise Mobility Guardian Air Mobility Command's largest exercise ever at the time. "The new TACFI contract exemplifies the strong collaborative relationship we have with the USAF and the continued confidence they have in our MagNav platform," said Luca Ferrara, General Manager of Navigation at SandboxAQ. "We are incredibly excited to expand AQNav's capabilities and further demonstrate its ability to provide accurate navigation when GPS is unavailable or unreliable." "In an era of rapidly evolving technology and increasingly sophisticated adversaries, it is critical that the USAF maintain tactical air dominance in highly contested environments when adversaries employ robust GPS spoofing and targeted jamming," said Jen Sovada, President, Global Public Sector, at SandboxAQ. "AQNav offers a highly precise and secure position and navigation solution that can withstand adversarial disruptions, making it suitable for the most demanding military applications." "AFWERX is expanding the MagNav capability through SandboxAQ to rapidly enable critical operations in denied environments," said Lt Col Josh Fehd, AFWERX Autonomy Prime Branch Chief. "The rapid development and deployment of MagNav technology is imperative for the USAF to ensure a strategic advantage over our peer adversaries, enable mission continuity, and improve the safety of our warfighters and infrastructure when facing the denial or degradation of critical GPS systems." How AQNav Works AQNav uses a powerful quantum magnetometer system to acquire data from Earth's crustal magnetic field, which exhibits geographically unique patterns similar to a human fingerprint. AQNav uses proprietary LQMs to compare this data against known magnetic maps, enabling the system to quickly and accurately find its position. Due to the high sensitivity of foundational quantum sensors, AI algorithms are applied to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, removing any mechanical, electrical, or other interference that would impact the system's ability to acquire its location. Importantly, AQNav offers worldwide availability and the approach can be applied in all domains, including air, land, and sea. The system doesn't rely on visual ground features or satellite transmissions to function and is not affected by weather conditions. Additionally, AQNav's passive technology emits no electronic signals, which reduces the aircraft's detectability. It operates at room temperature, requires no shielding, and has a small form factor that can be integrated into a wide variety of platforms, from multi-engine airliners to unmanned aerial vehicles. Because the need for resilience to GPS vulnerabilities extends societally and economically, SandboxAQ is developing AQNav as a dual-use solution. In addition to the USAF, SandboxAQ is engaged with several aerospace leaders to test and develop AQNav, including other allied governments as well as Boeing and Acubed the Silicon Valley research and innovation center of Airbus. For more information about AQNav, please visit https://www.sandboxaq.com/aqnav About SandboxAQ SandboxAQ is a B2B company delivering AI solutions that address some of the world's greatest challenges. The company's Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) deliver critical advances in life sciences, financial services, navigation, cyber and other sectors. The company emerged from Alphabet Inc. as an independent, growth capital-backed company in 2022, funded by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Eric Schmidt, Breyer Capital, Guggenheim Partners, Marc Benioff, Thomas Tull, Paladin Capital Group, and others. For more information, visit http://www.sandboxaq.com . About AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com. About AFWERX As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,100 new contracts worth more than $4 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com. SOURCE SandboxAQ WESTERLY, R.I., Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Trust ("the Bank") recently partnered with the Episcopal Conference Center of RI ("ECC") to bring its City Camp program to approximately 150 youth aged 6- 12 in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence. ECC has been offering its week-long City Camp program, which provides daily field trips, activities, and lunch, free of charge since 1982. This year, three week-long sessions were provided to approximately 150 campers at Joslin Park & Playground in Providence. Washington Trust recently partnered with the Episcopal Conference Center of RI to support their City Camp program, which provides free week-long summer camp programs for 150 youth, aged 6-12, from Olneyville. Pictured are City Camp staff and participants joined by Washington Trust's Rolando Lora, Executive Vice President of Retail Lending and Community Lending Officer, Edward O. "Ned" Handy III, Chairman & CEO, and Steven Borowick, Vice President, Appraisal Review & Environmental Risk Manager. In addition to financial support, Washington Trust provided reusable water bottles and insulated lunch bags at the beginning of the sessions to all City Camp campers. Washington Trust volunteers, including Chairman & CEO, Edward O. "Ned" Handy III, and Executive Vice President of Retail Lending and Community Lending Officer, Rolando Lora, joined the campers to kick off a City Camp day with a game of "silent ball." "Washington Trust is committed to supporting organizations that help meet the needs of individuals and families in the communities we serve," said Handy. "City Camp provides an incredible experience for the youth of Olneyville, while removing the cost-burden of a traditional summer camp for their families. We are thrilled to support such a wonderful offering from ECC!" "Our City Camp program provides a safe, creative, and inclusive experience to children who may not otherwise have access to a summer camp program," said Sara Clarke, Executive Director of ECC. "The resources Washington Trust provides to support City Camp helps us deliver a top-tier summer camp experience to our campers from the Olneyville neighborhood, and we are grateful for their support." Washington Trust will open a new branch in Olneyville at 1917 Westminster Street on August 19th. For more information, visit https://www.washtrust.com/olneyville. ABOUT WASHINGTON TRUST Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is recognized as the oldest community bank in the nation, the largest state-chartered bank headquartered in Rhode Island and one of the Northeast's premier financial services companies. Washington Trust values its role as a community bank and is committed to helping the people, businesses, and organizations of New England improve their financial lives. The Bank offers a wide range of commercial banking, mortgage banking, personal banking and wealth management services through its offices in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts and a full suite of convenient digital tools. Washington Trust is a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. Washington Trust is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a publicly-owned holding company which trades onNASDAQ: WASH. For more information, visit the Bank's website at www.washtrust.com or the Corporation's website at ir.washtrust.com. SOURCE The Washington Trust Company If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) across Delhi will hold a joint protest march on Friday from 2 p.m. from the Nirman Bhavan in the national capital against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last week, said RDA in a press statement. "A comprehensive joint meeting was conducted by the representatives of Resident Doctors' Associations, including AIIMS Delhi, SJH, MAMC... After extensive discussions, it was unanimously decided that all RDAs across Delhi will conduct a joint protest march on August 16, 2024, from 2 p.m. at Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi," said the statement released on Thursday from Resident Doctor's Associations, AIIMS. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) also held an emergency meeting to discuss the rape and murder incident on Thursday and the association has decided to hold a candle march at India Gate at 5 p.m. on Friday. Speaking on the issue, DMA President Alok Bhandari, said, "Today we had an emergency meeting... Everyone was angry and very pained by what happened to one of our sisters and daughters in Kolkata. The Delhi Medical Association has called for a nationwide strike against this incident. If the government still does not wake up and does not find a permanent solution to these problems, then people associated with the medical profession will have to come on the streets. With this demand, we have called for a strike for 24 hours from Saturday to Sunday... After all, this is a public issue... There cannot be a more shameful thing for this country than this." On Thursday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine starting from 6 a.m. on Saturday, August 17 to 6 a.m. on Sunday, August 18. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. Dhaka, Aug 16 : As cases rise against her, including murder accusations, Bangladesh will decide whether to ask India to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled to New Delhi last week, the country's Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain said. Hossain, in an interview, said on Thursday that he did not want to speculate, but noted that Hasina was facing "so many cases", The Daily Star reported. If the country's Home and Law Ministries decide, "we have to ask for her... return to Bangladesh," he added. "That creates an embarrassing situation for the Indian government," he said, adding India "knows this and I am sure they will take care of it". He did not elaborate. India's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. Hasina fled the country for India on August 5 after a violent uprising against her led to nearly 300 people getting killed, including many students. She has been named in two murder cases already, along with senior members of her Cabinet, The Daily Star reported. In his first interview to international media since taking over, Hossain said Yunus is "very unhappy about the way the statements are coming from India, from the former Prime Minister" and he conveyed this to the Indian envoy in a meeting on Wednesday. He added that Dhaka wants good ties with everyone, including India, China and the US. Ataur Rahman, deputy director of the investigation cell of International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic court, said it had launched a third case -- an investigation against 10 people, including Hasina, for murder, torture and genocide during the period of the protests. At least three of Hasina's former Ministers and Advisers have already been arrested in Bangladesh. In her only statement since her ouster, Hasina has demanded a probe into the killings and vandalism during the protests. She has not commented on the charges against her. Hossain, a retired diplomat, is the adviser on foreign affairs in the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which was sworn in last week after Hasina's ouster. The council of advisers includes other retired officials, lawyers, student leaders of the protests and some opposition leaders. Discussing possible elections in Bangladesh, the adviser said that there will be more clarity on the timeline by September. "Because everyone, all my colleagues in the council of advisers, they are extremely busy with bringing back normalcy" which should be restored by early September, he said. He said the interim's government priority is to bring "irreversible" reforms, "because our system has been thoroughly corrupted and the institutions have been destroyed and they have to be restored." Once elections are announced, he said, "we fade away", referring to senior members of the interim government. "None of us have any political ambitions." Ankara, Aug 16 : Without the international recognition of a unified Palestine, there won't be peace, solidarity and prosperity in the region, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday during his visit to Turkey's Ankara. After meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, the Palestinian President made a speech in the Turkish Parliament for the first time since the Gaza conflict erupted in October last year, Xinhua news agency reported. During the speech, he noted that the international society should not remain silent over the conflict in Gaza. He pointed out that the US had used its veto power three times in the UN Security Council to block resolutions concerning Gaza, and that the resolutions passed regarding the Palestinian issue had not been implemented. The Palestinian President said the recognition of the state of Palestine is the key to the peace, solidarity and prosperity of the region. Unless the Palestinian people achieve national unity, it could be difficult to gain the final victory, he added. Currently, the Palestinian state is recognised by 145 UN member states but it is still an observer of the UN, instead of a member. During his speech, the Palestinian President announced that he would go to Gaza, saying his life is no more valuable than the children there. Abbas's visit to Ankara came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza from the ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed 40,000. There is also a growing concern over a potential regional escalation following the assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. The Iranian government has repeatedly vowed that it would retaliate Israel which it accused of carrying out the assassination. Chandigarh, Aug 16 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to announce the schedule for elections to Haryana's 90-seat Assembly on Friday. The Election Commission will announce the dates in the afternoon, an official statement said. Official sources told IANS that Haryana is likely to go to the polls in a single phase. The main contest is likely between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress. However, the Aam Aadmi Party will contest all 90 seats, senior party leader Sanjay Singh has already announced. The Election Commission toured Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana this month to oversee the poll preparedness but is yet to visit Maharashtra. In Haryana, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S.S. Sandhu held a comprehensive review of the poll preparedness for Haryana polls in Chandigarh. The term of state Assembly in Haryana is due to expire on November 3 and elections are scheduled for the 90 Assembly Constituencies -- 73 general and 17 reserved for SC -- in the state. During the two-day review visit of the Commission, representatives of national and state political parties namely the Aam Aadmi Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the CPI(M), the Indian National Congress, the Indian National Lok Dal and the Jannayak Janta Party met the Commission. The main issues raised by political parties included the conduct of free and fair elections with strict action against the misuse of government machinery and the deployment of adequate Central forces in sensitive polling stations. Some parties also highlighted the requirement of updating the electoral roll with the removal of dead and shifted voters in Panchkula. According to the Chief Electoral Officer, 2.01 crore electors are registered in the state with approximately 1.06 crore men and 95 lakh woman electors. Over 4.52 lakh first-time voters (18-19 years), 2.55 lakh 85 plus senior citizens and 1.5 lakh Persons with Disabilities (PwD) voters are registered in the state. Over 10,000 voters are more than 100 years old. When Manohar Lal Khattar became the Chief Minister on October 26, 2014, he was a political greenhorn. However, his party failed to cross the halfway mark in the 90-member Assembly in 2019. Khattar is now a Union minister. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the main Opposition led by two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress won five seats, while the BJP won an equal number of seats. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won all 10 constituencies. Seoul, Aug 16 : Hospitals in South Korea are set to wrap up the hiring of more junior doctors on Friday, but few more applicants are expected as many trainee doctors have defied the government's medical reform for nearly seven months, the officials said. Hospitals issued new recruitment notices for trainee doctors last week after the medical community was lukewarm to the initial round that ended last month. Some medical professors have even warned of a potential boycott of training new applicants, Yonhap news agency reported. During the previous round, the total number of applicants was just 104, filling only 1.4 per cent of the 7,645 available positions. The health ministry reported that the number of applicants for the new round continued to remain low as of Wednesday, adding that it will review additional measures after hospitals close applications. "There are not many applicants so far," a health ministry official said. Last month, hospitals processed the resignations of nearly 7,700 trainee doctors who have been protesting the medical school quota hike since February, allowing departing doctors to seek new jobs and enabling hospitals to recruit fresh trainees. "Trainee doctors resigned in clear protest against the increase in medical school quotas and the medical reforms. Unless the government changes its stance, it is unlikely that those who chose not to apply last month will reconsider," a resigned trainee doctor said. Amid concerns that some resigned doctors are hesitant to reapply due to potential backlash from colleagues, the government has asked the police to investigate the origin of lists circulating online that name junior doctors who have decided to return to work. In a separate effort, the government is also working to reform policies to expand the roles of physician assistants in order to fill the vacuum left by junior doctors. Srinagar, Aug 16 : As the Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to announce the schedule for the J&K Assembly elections on Friday, the uncertainty finally may be over regarding the restoration of the democratic process in the union territory. All regional and national political parties in J&K have welcomed the decision to hold the Assembly elections in line with the directions of the Supreme Court. The poll process is likely to be completed by the end of October and an elected government will take office before the year's end. Regional National Conference headed by former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah has ruled out any pre-poll alliance with any political party asserting that the NC would form the next government on its own in the UT. Peoples Democratic Party headed by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has decided to fight the Assembly elections without any pre-poll alliance after the PDP opposed the NC in the Lok Sabha elections. These two regional political parties are likely to face each other during the Assembly polls as well. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not field any candidate for the Lok Sabha elections in Kashmir. The party is expected to field its candidates for the Assembly elections in both the Valley and the Jammu divisions. Congress has already announced its decision to field candidates in both the divisions of the UT although the party has kept its options open for both pre-poll and post-poll alliance in J&K. Smaller political players like the Apni Party headed by Syed Altaf Bukhari, the Peoples Conference (PC) headed by Sajad Gani Lone and the Panthers Party are expected to field candidates in constituencies of influence. There are 90 Assembly seats in J&K out of which 74 are general constituencies, nine are reserved for ST candidates and seven for SC candidates. The overwhelming participation of voters in the Lok Sabha polls has already set the stage for a large participation of people in the Assembly elections in J&K. The Lt Governor-headed administration is faced with the challenges of providing security to all the contestants and also ensuring a level playing field by securing venues for election rallies and campaigns. J&K came under the Lt. Governoras rule after 2018 when the BJP pulled out of the PDP-BJP ruling coalition headed by Mehbooba Mufti. On August 5, 2019, Article 370 was abrogated and the state was bifurcated into two UTs of J&K and Ladakh. Centre has promised restoration of statehood after the Assembly elections and the elected government would be in office to attend to issues of development and progress before statehood is restored in J&K. Irrespective of who wins or loses the Assembly polls in J&K, the very holding of these elections would politically empower the common man as another big celebration of democracy is to be announced by the ECI in the day. Baghdad, Aug 16 : Iraq has delayed the announcement of an end date for the US-led coalition's mission in the country, citing recent regional developments. The Iraqi foreign ministry on Thursday said there are no US combat forces in Iraq, only advisors operating under the coalition umbrella. These advisors are subject to the Joint Higher Military Commission, which was jointly created by Iraq and the US to supervise the coalition mission in Iraq, Xinhua news agency reported. The ministry said that the two sides were nearing an agreement on a withdrawal timeline, but "recent events" had pushed back the announcement. The US has confirmed discussions with Iraq about the future of the coalition but denied plans to withdraw troops. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US President Joe Biden announced last April that they will work together to ensure the withdrawal of a US-led coalition in Iraq. The two leaders had affirmed they would review various factors to determine when and how the mission of the coalition in Iraq would end, and transition in an orderly manner to enduring bilateral security partnerships, in accordance with Iraq's Constitution and the US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement. Ramallah, Aug 16 : The ceasefire talks held in Qatar will be a significant step towards ending the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian official said. "What is happening today in Qatar represents a real starting point for ending the suffering of the Palestinian people, and declaring a ceasefire is a precursor to ending the occupation and aggression," Jibril Rajoub, Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), said during a press conference in al-Bireh, the central West Bank on Thursday. This could be "the first step in addressing the imminent danger to regional stability and global peace due to the ongoing Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian lands, and the continued disregard by Israel for international legitimacy," he was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying. He stressed that the Palestinian people's choice is to remain steadfast, whether in Gaza or the West Bank, despite "the crimes, martyrs, prisoners, and missing persons." Any solution lies in recognising the Palestinian people's right to exist on their land according to the decisions of international legitimacy, alongside the state of Israel, with security and peace, and abandoning the policy of "Israeli expansion and denial of our rights," he said. A new round of ceasefire negotiations began on Thursday in Doha, Qatar, with US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators present. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorised an Israeli delegation to attend, but Hamas has declared it will not participate. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The investment plans by Hon Hai Technology Group (known as Foxconn) will help India become a global manufacturing hub, Union Minister for Railways, Electronics and IT and I&B, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said on Friday. The Minister met Young Liu, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Foxconn, in the national capital. In a post on social media platform X, Minister Vaishnaw said: "As we strive to make Bharat a global manufacturing hub, thanks to Foxconn's Chairman Young Liu for his continued investment plans." Liu earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed several opportunities in "futuristic sectors" like artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, local electronics manufacturing and more. In his Independence Day address to the nation, PM Modi said that the country has the potential to fulfil the dream of developing a 'Made in India' chip for every piece of equipment. The Prime Minister emphasised that there was a time when we used to import mobile phones but today, we have created a manufacturing ecosystem in the country and India has emerged as a big manufacturing hub. Semiconductors, modern technologies and artificial intelligence are "inextricably linked to our future and we have started working on the Indian Semiconductor Mission," said PM Modi. A key Apple supplier, Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn leads the total iPhone exports from the country, at about 65 per cent, from its factory in the country. Liu was conferred the Padma Bhushan in January this year, and said that he was "deeply honoured" to receive the award from the Indian government. Foxconn, which manufactures around 70 per cent of iPhones globally, is investing heavily towards local manufacturing in the country. The Taiwanese contract manufacturer plans to invest $1.54 billion in the country to help it fulfil "operational needs." The company will invest an additional Rs 3,300 crore in its manufacturing facility in Telangana. This will take the total investment of the company in the state to more than Rs 4,550 crore. Chandigarh, Aug 16 : Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday released the first instalment of a bonus of Rs 525 crore for 5,20,000 farmers in the state. The bonus of Rs 2,000 per acre is for all Kharif crops owing to a deficit in the southwest monsoon this year. The Chief Minister said the amount would reach the farmers' accounts in one to two days. "Our government will transfer Rs 2,000 per acre to the accounts of all farmers who register on the (government) portal." He also announced here to open veterinary polyclinics in the remaining eight districts. They are Panchkula, Kaithal, Karnal, Hisar, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Faridabad and Yamunanagar. Also, he announced to include all milk-producing farmers whose annual income is less than Rs 3 lakh under an insurance cover. On the crop loss, the CM said the state has received significantly less rainfall this year compared to the previous year, which has adversely affected overall crop production. "To mitigate these challenges, the government has decided to grant a bonus of Rs 2,000 per acre to the farmers for all crops during the current Kharif season," he said. Earlier this month, the Cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister approved a bonus of Rs 2,000 per acre for farmers to compensate for the crop loss owing to the deficit monsoon. The bonus will apply to all types of crops, including fruits, flowers, and vegetables. This initiative is designed to support even the small farmers owning land measuring one acre or less. Also, the Cabinet has given approved the proposal of buying 10 more crops at the minimum support price (MSP). They include 'ragi', soybean, 'jowar' and 'moong'. The state government is already buying 14 crops at the MSP. The objective of increasing the scope of MSP for these crops is to stabilise market prices, ensure constant income for farmers, and promote the cultivation of diverse crops, he said. Besides, he had also announced waiving outstanding canal water irrigation charges. In his Independence Day speech in Kurukshetra, CM Saini said his government will soon fill 36,000 vacancies, besides already providing 1.44 lakh jobs to the youth on merit. He said the government is committed to the economic and educational development of women and providing them with a safe environment. Haryana is set to go for Assembly elections by November. Mumbai, Aug 16 : Indo-Canadian Punjabi sensation AP Dhillon has expressed his anger and disappointment over the horrific rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata. Dhillon took to his Instagram stories on Friday morning and wrote, "woke up today wanting to let my thoughts out the only way I know how" along with a clip with a tribute song with heartbroken emojis. In the song, the "Excuses" hitmaker asked for justice for the victim and talked about the innate power of women and how society continues to fail. In the video, Dhillon is seen singing with the lyrics: "She has saved many lives and souls. God, how could her fate end so tragically? She was not safe even in a place where everyone knew her. Today, we all ask you, is it a curse to be born a girl in this world?" "For the women who have transformed the world, society has refused to change around them, though they have swum oceans worth of progress, society has barely moved an inch. What happened 12 years ago continues to happen today. Why do we still have to march for women to live in peace?" A string of Bollywood personalities, including names such as Alia Bhatt, Twinkle Khanna, Kangana Ranaut, Soni Razdan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Parineeti Chopra, Preity Zinta, Mimi Chakraborty, and Richa Chadha, demanded justice for the victim. The news of the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor in Kolkata's R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital angered the nation, leading to strikes and protests across Kolkata. Talking about Dhillon, he recently posted a glimpse of an upcoming track featuring Bollywood star Salman Khan. He wrote a note in the caption, which read: "I started out as an artist, hoping to inspire the next generation and leave a legacy that really impacts our culture and community. Streams, awards, sold-out shows, the headlines... along the way I learned that all of these things do nothing but inflate your ego and take away from what really matters... the music... the art." Dhillon added: "With God's blessings, I got two of the biggest icons our world has ever seen to support me in accomplishing this goal." "Everything I have been working on is to prove to you that reality can really be greater than your dreams if you focus on what truly matters to you as a human being. I am working as hard as ever and hope you like what is to come. 'Old Money' out this Friday. Don't call it a comeback." Patna, Aug 16 : Resident doctors of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Bihar went on an indefinite strike on Friday, against the sexual assault and murder of a trainee doctor and the subsequent vandalism at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. In solidarity with the junior doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) of Bihar also suspended Outpatient Department (OPD) services. The demonstration at PMCH and NMCH initially disrupted only OPD services but now the doctors have extended their strike to include emergency services as well. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6 A.M. on Saturday to protest against the heinous crime in Kolkata. The medical body in a statement said that essential services will be maintained and casualty wards will remain operational. The IMA said that OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The protesting doctors are calling for immediate and severe action against the perpetrators of the rape and murder and the subsequent vandalism at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, demanding that those responsible be brought to justice without delay. Bringing up the issue of the safety of doctors and other medical staff while at work, Dr Kumar Shashi Kant, Assistant Professor, PMCH said, "It is not a matter of one day, it requires everyone's contribution. People need to be sensitive, if something wrong is happening to someone then everyone should support them." The doctors are demanding enhanced safety and security measures for medical students and staff. Dr. Animesh Kumar, a postgraduate student at PMCH said, "We demand the establishment of police posts at all four medical colleges in Kolkata to ensure the safety of medical professionals. "We demand the implementation of comprehensive protection measures across all medical colleges and universities in the country, as well as capital punishment for culprits involved in such heinous crimes," Dr Kumar said. Dr. Rajkumar Sharma, a fourth-year MBBS student at PMCH, clarified that the suspension of emergency services was meant to send a strong message to the authorities, to take immediate action to ensure the safety of medical students and staff. "We are not against the patients, but our safety is also necessary. We are not here to fight against anyone," Dr Sharma stated. Patients affected by the suspension of services in Patna's hospitals have expressed frustration, arguing that the incident in Kolkata is a matter of law and order that should be addressed through the judicial system, not by withholding medical care. Many believe that denying treatment to patients as a form of protest is unfair and unethical. One concerned relative, who traveled from Motihari for his brother's treatment for back injuries, shared his experience, "The medical staff are present at the registration counter, but they are not giving registration slips. We are waiting for the doctors to return to duty." Bangkok, Aug 16 : Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 37-year-old youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has been elected as Thailand's next prime minister. Paetongtarn will succeed Srettha Thavisin, who was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday due to ethical violations related to the appointment of a cabinet member with a criminal record. She will be the youngest and second woman to hold the office. Paetongtarn, a mother of two, is now the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to ascend to the role of prime minister, following her father Thaksin, her uncle Somchai Wongsawat (Thaksin's brother-in-law), and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra. In addition to her new role, Paetongtarn holds several key positions within the Pheu Thai Party. She serves as the Chief Director of Innovation and Inclusiveness, Deputy Chairperson of the Soft Power Strategic Committee, Deputy Chairperson of the National Health System Development Committee, and is the current Leader of the Pheu Thai Party. Paetongtarn's aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, was Thailand's first female prime minister and the country's youngest in over 60 years. Yingluck was removed from office on May 7, 2014, by a Constitutional Court decision. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The online gaming industry on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push for the sector, and noted that it will boost young minds to make a career in the field. In his Independence Day speech from Red Fort on Thursday, PM Modi termed gaming as a huge market in the country. He said India has gaming talent that can create world-class products in the growing sector, thus creating new jobs. "Game development is on the rise in India which has about 500 million gamers. PM Modi's Independence Day push for the industry has come at the right time. It is a big motivation for young people who want to build their career in gaming," Vishal Parekh, Chief Operating Officer, CyberPowerPC India, told IANS The global gaming ecosystem is a $200 billion industry and India currently represents 17-20 per cent of the world's gamers. PM Modi had recently interacted with young gamers, highlighting the growing ecosystem for gaming in the country. Much like other sports, the government is recognising gaming also as a special talent. "PM Modi has provided a major boost to the Indian gaming industry by inviting developers and AI experts to lead gaming products, encouraging us to become an economy of not just consumers but also producers," Roby John, Co-founder and CEO of SuperGaming, told IANS. "We are grateful to the Prime Minister for consistently championing the online gaming sector and for once again emphasising the importance and potential of the online gaming industry in India," added Roland Landers, CEO, All India Gaming Federation. Landers said that "online gaming will be one of the cornerstones of the $1 trillion digital economy". According to a recent report released by the Foundation for Economic Growth and Welfare (EGROW Foundation) the online gaming industry in India is growing to become one of the key employment-generating industries in the next few years. The sector's contribution to the audio-video, gaming, and comics industry is projected to rise from 41 per cent in 2019 to a staggering 68 per cent by 2026. "Tapping into the rapidly growing online gaming sector, India can drive significant economic growth, attract foreign investment, and solidify its position as a major player in the global tech industry," Landers said. An important discussion about the future of North Dakotas K-12 education system appears to be happening in private. The discussion is so private, in fact, that even some Education Committee lawmakers seem to be in the dark. The Legislatures interim Education Committee was directed through legislation approved in 2023 to study school choice models that have been implemented nationally, such as charter schools and voucher systems where the state helps pay for a students private education. The committee is supposed to report its findings and bring potential draft legislation to the next legislative assembly. But a separate group -- a school choice task force -- seems to be doing the heavy lifting through meetings that have not been publicized, according to discussion during Wednesdays Education Committee meeting. The lack of transparency seems to in part be driven by confusion over whos in charge -- and the fact that a private consultant is facilitating the meetings. Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler told the North Dakota Monitor on Thursday that the Legislature has jurisdiction over the task force and she is merely a member. Baesler said Sen. Michelle Axtman, R-Bismarck, who chairs the Education Committee, chose the members of the group after getting recommendations from her office and the governors office. Both Axtman and Baesler made the distinction that members were not appointed but were invited. The group has met three times, twice in person at the Capitol and once virtually. I really dont want this to be mistaken for a study that was directed to the Department of Public Instruction or that we were leading whatsoever, because we werent, Baesler said. Legislative Council Director John Bjornson, meanwhile, said the task force is not driven by the legislative branch and that Axtman did not have the authority to appoint a subcommittee or task force. Bjornson said it was his impression that the Department of Public Instruction was leading the group. Lawmakers have not been paid to participate in the meetings, as they are for legislative meetings. It had little to nothing to do with the legislative branch, other than Sen. Axtman and a couple others were asked to attend meetings, Bjornson said. It would be up to DPI and their attorney to decide whether any meetings they held would fall under the requirements of being a public meeting. Confusion over the task force was apparent during Wednesdays Education Committee meeting. At the meeting, Axman briefed the rest of the committee on the task forces progress. The group is discussing a three-tiered education model that would provide opportunities for students enrolled in public and private schools and homeschooled students, she said. We are inching closer to really cementing what possible legislation would look like, Axtman told lawmakers. Rep. LaurieBeth Hager, D-Fargo, noted during the meeting she had only recently become aware of the task force. She asked if the meetings had been open to the public and inquired about the groups members and meeting minutes. Axtman said that Legislative Council, the Legislatures research arm, doesnt post materials related to the meetings because it is not a legislative-driven task force. Hager further pressed for an explanation about why the task force would not be required to meet open meeting requirements. It applies to school boards. It applies to most entities in the state, but not this particular task force that would restructure the entire education of the state of North Dakota? Hager asked. Baesler said the task force was following the advice of Legislative Council. Legislative Council attorney Liz Fordahl then chimed in, indicating that the task force is not subject to open meetings laws. As this was not a group that was authorized by any legislative body, its not a public meeting, and its not subject to those requirements. It was formed outside of a government body, Fordahl said. Bjornson, who talked to Fordahl after the meeting, clarified in an interview that Fordahl thought the effort was facilitated by Baeslers office and not a governing body. The meetings have been led and facilitated by the Hunt Institute, which has a contract with the Department of Public Instruction, Axtman said. Baesler said the Hunt Institute contract is tied to a separate study the Department of Instruction is conducting. The Hunt Institute piggybacked on that contract for the work related to school choice, Baesler said. While they were in town, they helped Sen. Axtman secure experts for this study as well, Baesler said. The Hunt Institute also led a lawmaker retreat on education issues in July. Axtman, who is in her first term, said in an interview that she raised questions about open meeting requirements during a meeting with Bjornson and Baesler and followed their advice. If they would have told me they need to be open meetings, I absolutely would have gone and ensured that they were open to the public, Axtman said. Baesler said she also questioned why the meetings werent open but was told by Legislative Council that lawmakers are able to form working groups. The studies and the task force that I run and direct, I always post my meetings, she said. Baesler also serves on the Teacher Retention and Recruitment Task Force, which has publicized its meetings, including through the Secretary of States Office meeting notice page. Gov. Doug Burgum appointed members to the group focused on teacher retention but had no role in appointing members to the school choice task force, said spokesman Mike Nowatzki. The governors education policy adviser is participating in the school choice task force because that was in the directive of the Legislature through Senate Bill 2284 when it directed the study, Nowatzki said. The Governors Office did not determine the structure of the study or any group(s) designed to develop recommendations to the interim committee for the purposes of the study, Nowatzki said in an email. Baesler said she hopes the procedural questions dont take away from the groups good work. Were working really hard to help improve education for all students in North Dakota, Axtman said. Kolkata, Aug 16 : The Calcutta High Court on Friday raised questions on the role of Kolkata Police in relation to the ransacking of the emergency department of state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. The Division Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya made this observation while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed on the vandalism incident. "What is happening? The police keep a close watch on the situation even if there is a gathering of 100 people. Now in this case how is it possible that the detectives did have any information about a gathering of around 7,000 individuals? This is simply unbelievable," the Chief Justice observed. The Chief Justice also questioned the counsel of the state government on whether the administration considered the necessity for imposing Section 144 in the area. "There was such a major event where the representatives of the medical fraternity were protesting. What is the state government doing? The police could not protect their men. This is a total failure of the state administration," the Chief Justice observed. During the hearing there was a demand for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) within the RG Kar premises considering that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a court-monitored probe in the ghastly rape and murder of a woman doctor in the hospital premises last week. On Friday, the controversial former RG Kar principal Dr Sandip Ghosh approached the Calcutta High Court seeking police protection. Directing the counsel of Dr Ghosh to file a proper petition in the matter, the court advised him to stay at home. "You need not worry. You stay peacefully at home. Otherwise the court will direct deployment of CAPF there," the Chief Justice observed. Incidentally, the same Division Bench earlier this week has barred the appointment of Dr Ghosh as the principal of any medical college in the state till further orders. On Friday, the Division Bench gave full authority to the CBI to visit RG Kar and conduct a detailed inspection there. The CBI will submit a progress report on the investigation in the matter to the court on the day of the hearing to be held next week. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Mpox vaccine procurement for at-risk populations across Africa is crucial to contain the deadly outbreak and save lives, according to a report on Friday. The report by GlobalData, a data and analytics company, noted that while Mpox vaccines played an important role in containing the 2022 mpox outbreak in high-income nations, "none are currently widely available in Africa". Bavarian Nordic's MVA-BN vaccine (Jynneos/Imvanex) -- approved in the US, Europe, and Canada -- is the leading mpox vaccine worldwide. In addition, KM Biologics' LC16 vaccine is available in Japan and Emergent BioSolutions' ACAM2000 is also under regulatory review for mpox in the US. Fiona Chisholm, Associate Director of Infectious Diseases at GlobalData, called for a coordinated international response to put "pressure on countries with stockpiles to donate their mpox vaccines." To manage the outbreak, "the Africa CDC has estimated that it will need around 10 million vaccine doses," she said. "As an immediate response, the European Commission announced that it will donate 175,420 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine to the Africa CDC, while Bavarian Nordic will donate 40,000 doses. Bavarian Nordic has also confirmed that it has the capabilities to produce 10 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2025 and is waiting to receive orders". The World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa CDC declared a global health emergency on mpox, after 13 countries in Africa reported an outbreak. Mpox is a viral infection that causes symptoms such as pus-filled lesions and fever. It can be transmitted by contact with an infected person, animal, or contaminated materials. While most people recover within a few weeks, mpox can lead to serious complications such as sepsis, pneumonia, and severe dehydration, and can be fatal. This is particularly the case for immunocompromised individuals, such as those with HIV. Importantly, the current outbreak is majorly being driven by a novel strain of the virus known as clade Ib. "Clade Ib appears to be more virulent than clade II, the strain that was responsible for the 2022 mpox outbreak, and children appear to be particularly susceptible to this strain," Chisholm said. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Google on Friday informed about an ongoing problem with Search rankings that is impacting a large number of search results, as the company was working on a fix to resolve the issue. The company said in an update that they are actively working on the fix. The tech giant has identified the root cause of this issue and confirmed that it is unrelated to the ongoing August core update. In an update on X social media platform, the company said that "there an ongoing issue with ranking in Google Search that's affecting a large number of search results". "We've identified the root cause. This issue is unrelated to the ongoing core update rollout announced yesterday. We're working on a fix," Google informed. The issue, said the company, is unrelated to the 'August 2024 core' update rollout and the "next update will be within 12 hours". The 'August 2024 core' update will take about a month to fully roll out for users. The update takes into account the feedback and aims to promote useful content from small and independent publishers. "We launched our August 2024 core update to Google Search. This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search," according to the company. The latest update takes into account the feedback it has heard from some creators and others over the past few months. As always, "we aim to connect people with a range of high-quality sites, including 'small' or 'independent' sites that are creating useful, original content on relevant searches. This is an area we'll continue to address in future updates." Said the tech giant. After the update was rolled out, a tremendous amount of Google search ranking volatility was observed. Caracas, Aug 16 : Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) has completed its technical oversight of all the electoral material from the July 28 presidential elections, a senior official of the judiciary said. The material was registered by the National Electoral Council as well as political groups and former candidates who participated in the elections, TSJ's president Caryslia Beatriz Rodriguez was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying. The audit is being conducted by electoral experts with the highest technical and scientific, national and international standards, and once the audit is completed, a final ruling on this contentious election appeal will be issued, based on these objective, verified, and certified facts, said Rodriguez. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was declared the winner of the elections, appealed to the court to carry out an audit after the opposition contested the results. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Pakistan has detected two more cases of Mpox disease, taking the tally to three, according to reports on Friday. The report comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa CDC declared the outbreak a global health emergency. Pakistan reported the first suspected case of Mpox in a 34-year-old man who recently returned from Saudi Arabia. As per the provincial health department, two more patients from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region have been confirmed to have mpox. Since April 2023, Pakistan has reported 11 cases of Mpox and one death. The three new patients have been quarantined and it is immediately not clear whether the patients are linked to the new and more deadly strain of Mpox -- clade 1b -- that is currently responsible for the outbreak in Africa, where the virus has spread to about 13 countries. On Thursday, global health officials confirmed an infection with clade 1b in Sweden -- a first outside Africa. The WHO warned that this may spur more cases of the deadly variant in Europe. During the previous wave of infection in 2022, Sweden reported around 300 Mpox Clade IIb cases. Since the current outbreak began in January 2023, there have been 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, in the DRC. In 2024, the disease has killed 548 people so far in the African country. It has also spread to 4 new countries - Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda - - in the continent. The deadly virus causes an infection that leads to pus-filled lesions, fever, and muscular aches, which can last from 2 to 4 weeks. It can be transmitted by contact with an infected person, animal, or contaminated materials. According to the WHO, the current outbreak is driven by a novel strain of the virus known as clade Ib. It is more virulent than clade II -- the strain responsible for the 2022 Mpox outbreak. Children are reportedly more "susceptible to this strain", as it spreads primarily through household contacts. It is also estimated to cause more severe conditions and higher mortality. Seoul, Aug 16 : Victims of a massive South Korean apartment complex fire that began from a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle (EV) earlier this month have expressed discontent over the German automaker's initial relief support pledge, claiming the promised amount is "absurdly insufficient" when compared with the actual total damage. Last week, Mercedes-Benz Korea offered to donate 4.5 billion won ($3.3 million) as part of relief support for victims of the apartment complex in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, where a fire that started from a Mercedes-Benz EV destroyed over 100 cars. Mathias Vaitl, CEO and president of Mercedes-Benz Korea, met with residents of the affected apartment in Incheon. At the meeting, Vaitl said the company will consider offering additional support if the residents deem the amount as being insufficient. According to sources, residents in general expressed frustration over Vaitl's belated appearance in front of the residents. The CEO was in Germany for over 10 days after the accident and showed up in Incheon 13 days after the EV fire incident. "The residents collectively expressed that the 4.5 billion-won offer was insufficient," a participant at the meeting told Yonhap News Agency over the phone. The resident said Vaitl advised the residents to "use the funds urgently to address the most immediate recovery needs." The person recollected Vaitl as starting the meeting by saying "Hello" in Korean. Soon after, residents criticized the CEO, saying that he should have started by saying "I'm sorry," the person said. According to another person at the meeting, residents pointed out "in anger how a single vehicle ended up damaging the livelihoods of 1,581 households." "One of the attendants raised concerns about secondary effects from the dust caused by the fire, noting that children are experiencing sore throats and local residents are suffering from headaches," the person said. Another person raised the issue regarding how different owners of over 100 vehicles have different car insurance plans. The person said that while people with full insurance coverage may receive full reimbursement, those with weaker insurance products may end up having to accept their losses. Another resident pointed out how 4.5 billion won, which may seem large, is actually "absurdly insufficient" when considering the totality of the situation at hand. "We have 1,581 household units in our apartment complex. If you do the calculation, each household on average is subject to about 3 million won each from the relief support by Mercedes-Benz," a resident said. Rep. Lee Yong-woo of the main opposition Democratic Party, who also attended the meeting, argued Mercedes-Benz Korea must recognise its responsibility for the accident unless it can prove otherwise. "The company should prepare comprehensive and timely measures without any limitations," Lee said. Lee also said the 4.5 billion-won relief support offered by Mercedes-Benz Korea is grossly inadequate considering the overall level of damage. A Mercedes-Benz Korea media representative said the company internally wasn't considering increasing its donation offer at the moment. "At the time of the meeting, the CEO carefully listened to the concerns of the residents and mentioned that additional support would be considered if necessary," the company official added. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has petitioned the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Union Home Ministry to cancel the Indian citizenship of Rahul Gandhi when the Congress leader has "declared himself as a British citizen". New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has petitioned the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Union Home Ministry to cancel the Indian citizenship of Rahul Gandhi when the Congress leader has "declared himself as a British citizen". In a post on X on Friday, Swamy said that he has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) on the failure of the Centre to prosecute Rahul Gandhi and show cause him why he should not be stripped of his Indian citizenship. The plea seeks direction to furnish a status report on the complaint/representation filed by Swamy against Gandhi and decide it at the earliest. The BJP leader, in 2019, wrote a letter to the Union Home Ministry on violations made by Rahul Gandhi in voluntarily disclosing to the UK government that he is a citizen of British nationality, holding a British passport. Swamy said that with this declaration, the Congress leader ceases to be an Indian Citizen in terms of Article 9 of the Constitution read with the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955. "A Company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in the year 2003, with address 51 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9EH, where Gandhi was one of the Directors and Secretary of the said Company. In the Company's Annual Returns filed on 10/10/2005 and 31/10/2006, your (Gandhi) date of birth has been given as 19/06/1970 and you had declared your nationality as British. Further, in the Dissolution application dated 17/02/2009 of the above referred company, your nationality has been mentioned as British," said the Union Home Ministry in correspondence to Rahul Gandhi on Swamy's complaint. In his petition, Swamy said that he sent many representations to the Home Ministry asking for an update and the status of his complaint, but no action has been taken or intimated to him about the same. "Hence, this petition for direction to Respondent No. 1 (Home Ministry) to furnish a status report on the complaint/representation filed by the petitioner against Respondent No.2 (Rahul Gandhi) and to decide the complaint/representation filed by the petitioner at the earliest and to furnish the conclusion / final order of the complaint/representation filed," the petition said. Mumbai, Aug 16 : Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Maharashtra's Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituency, Shishupal Patle on Friday joined Congress ahead of the state Assembly election. This is said to be a setback for the BJP, especially after it lost the seat to Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Congress' state unit chief Nana Patole welcomed Patle into the party and said that due to his joining, the organisation will be strengthened in East Vidarbha. Patole said that there was great anger among the people against the malpractices of the Central and state governments. "Farmers, labourers, women, students, youth, traders, and the middle class are not satisfied during the tenure of the MahaYuti government. The corrupt grand coalition (MahaYuti) government has made Maharashtra bankrupt. Nearly 40-50 per cent commission is being charged on each job. 'Give commission and take tender' is the only work going on in the state," he alleged. "The MahaYuti government has left the common people, including the farmers, and the unemployed, in the lurch. Therefore, there is a lot of anger among the people against this government," he said, adding that the leaders of the constituent parties of the MahaYuti government are also not happy with the work of this government, so many people joined the Congress party in the last few days. "Many big leaders are going to join the Congress party in the coming days as well," Patole claimed. Patle said that he worked in the BJP for many years but now was no longer in the party. "BJP has now become a party of traders and contractors and it has nothing to do with farmers and common people. Activists like us do not like the desire to gain power by misusing institutions like ED and CBI and breaking the opposition party," he added. Patle said that he joined the Congress party as "it can do the job of giving justice to the people of this country and the state, and also take Maharashtra forward". Meanwhile, Congress has launched a campaign on social media against the MahaYuti government for awarding tenders of various projects allegedly by taking commission. The party has appealed to the people to scan the QR code and register their voices against the MahaYuti government. Canberra, Aug 16 : Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has described calls for the government to deny visas for all Palestinians fleeing war-torn Gaza as a "disgrace". Canberra, Aug 16 (IANS) Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has described calls for the government to deny visas for all Palestinians fleeing war-torn Gaza as a "disgrace". Deputy Prime Minister Marles, who is also minister for defence, said on Friday that opposition leader Peter Dutton's push for a Gaza visa ban could increase tensions in Australia, Xinhua news agency reported. Dutton on Wednesday called for the government to reject visas for all Palestinians fleeing Gaza, warning of a threat to national security. His comments have been condemned as "divisive and discriminatory" by the governing Labor Party, the Greens, and Islamic groups and as racist by independent Member of Parliament (MP) Zali Steggall. Marles said that Dutton's comments could have real-world consequences and that security checks for all migrants coming to Australia from Gaza remain the same as when Dutton was responsible for immigration as the minister for home affairs between 2017 and 2021. "To be frank, I think what we've seen in the Parliament over the last 48 hours has been a disgrace from the leader of the opposition," Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio. "Those of us who are engaged in public discourse, the words that we use, the language that we engage in, does have a real-world effect." Earlier in August, Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Mike Burgess warned politicians to be careful not to inflame tensions after the official terror alert level was raised from "possible" to "probable." At the same time, Burgess said that Palestinians who have expressed rhetorical support for Hamas, a listed terror organisation in Australia, would not necessarily be blocked from entering the country. Data released by the Department of Home Affairs on Wednesday revealed that the government has granted 2,922 visas to Palestinians since the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel and rejected 7,111 applications. In the same period, 8,746 visas have been granted to Israeli citizens and 235 applications rejected. Chandigarh, Aug 16 : The Punjab Police have arrested four members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang after a hot chase on the Jalandhar-Batala Highway and recovered a cache of arms and vehicles, exposing an international network supplying illegal weapons, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said here on Friday. The accused have been identified as Asrat Kanth, Kamalpreet Singh, Pardeep Kumar and Gurmeet Raj. Police teams have recovered four weapons, comprising one China-made 7.65 mm Glock, two .30 bore pistols and one revolver, besides four cartridges and three magazines. DGP Yadav said that the gang leader, Asrat Kanth, "confessed" that the seized weapons were supplied by Aman alias Anda, a key figure in the Bhagwanpuria gang currently based in Germany. The arms were funnelled through Sanju, who is currently incarcerated, he added. The DGP said the accused are linked to multiple criminal cases, including attempted murder, illegal arms possession, and gang-related violence across various districts in Punjab. Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jalandhar Rural Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said police have received input that suspects were travelling in two vehicles, a Mahindra XUV and a Maruti Brezza. Acting swiftly, a police team laid a checkpoint near Lahdra village, he said, adding that the cops managed to stop Brezza, resulting in the immediate arrest of Sabi and Komal Bajwa. However, the persons in XUV managed to break through the blockade, leading to a chase that ended near Jinda Road in Maqsuda, where Gora and Juneja were apprehended, he added. A fifth suspect, Sajandeep alias Loda, managed to escape. The SSP said that the gang had previously been involved in a deadly shootout at Batala's Gandhi Camp on July 23, where a rival gang member, Yudveer, was killed and another, Rahul Datar, critically injured. Khakh lauded the efforts of the police teams led by SP Special Branch Jalandhar (D) Manpreet Singh Dhillon and DSP Adampur Sub-Division Sumit Sood. "This operation is a significant success in our ongoing efforts to curb gang activity in the region," he said. Meanwhile, the accused will be produced before a local court, where the police will seek further remand to deepen the investigation into the gang's operations and international connections. Colombo, Aug 16 : A four-day 'Bharat Sri Lanka Maitri Utsav' is being held at Colombo's iconic Independence Square to deepen cultural ties and celebrate the rich heritage shared by the two civilisational twins as part of the 'Bharat-Sri Lanka Maitri Week' as part of the week-long celebrations commemorating the 78th Independence Day of India. The 'carnival of India-Lanka friendship' was jointly inaugurated by High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Sri Lanka's Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayaka late Thursday evening as the High Commission of India and its cultural arm Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre commemorated the Independence Day of India. The 'Maitri Utsav' will feature a traditional handicrafts exhibition showcasing works by artisans from India and Sri Lanka, cultural performances featuring diverse troupes from both countries, and an open mic evening providing a platform for university and school students to showcase their talents. "Additionally, a food festival is also being organised which offers a delightful array of Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine and other culinary delights, complemented by book stalls and various engaging activities and exhibitions," stated the High Commission of India in Colombo on Friday. At the handicraft fair, Indian artisans from Uttar Pradesh are showcasing the rich heritage of stone craft, durrie and gulabi meenakari while artisans from Andhra Pradesh are displaying the Narsapur crochet lace and pen kalamkari. On Friday, students representing different schools of Colombo participated in a quiz competition on shared cultural heritage and India-Sri Lanka relations at the Independence Square. Art and singing competitions will also be held at the same venue over the weekend. Earlier, highlighting the vibrant cultural, literary and artistic exchanges between India and Sri Lanka, a repository of Indic-knowledge 'Bharat Kosh' was inaugurated by the Indian High Commissioner at the historic Colombo Public Library. It showcases a curated selection of books on India and written by the Indian authors, comprising artifacts, and cultural treasures that celebrate India's diverse heritage and reflects the deep historical and cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka. Gurugram, Aug 16 : A man allegedly burnt to death after his house in the Maruti Kunj area of Haryana's Gurugram district caught fire, said officials here on Friday. The incident happened late at night on Thursday and the Gurugram Police have initiated an inquiry. The deceased, Sanjay, was alone in the house at the time of the incident, the officials said. Fire officers also reached the spot to ascertain the situation, said the district's fire safety officials, adding that it was the other residents who noticed the smoke and raised the alarm. Gulshan Kalra, deputy director (technical) of Haryana Fire and Emergency Services, said the man was found dead inside the house. The other family members were not at home at the time of the fire. The neighbours said that before the fire tenders arrived, they doused the flame with the help of a submersible fire fighting pump installed in the house. Mahesh Kumar, one of the residents, said they all assumed that Sanjay must have rushed out but fire officials later informed us that he was charred to death. Kalra said they received information during night hours and fire tenders were rushed to the spot. "But the man could not be saved," he said. Prima facie, according to police, the fire was triggered by a short circuit. "After extinguishing the fire, when people went inside, they found a burnt body of a person. The body is said to be that of Sanjay, who lived in the house. The body was completely charred," Kalra said. "Neighbours and fire personnel made many efforts to extinguish the fire, but the man could not be saved. Sanjay was alone in the house at the time of the fire incident. At present, the cause of the fire is not yet known. The police have sent the body to the hospital. The matter is being investigated," Kalra said. This was not the first incident. Last year a 46-year-old man allegedly burnt to death after his rented flat on the fifth floor of Tata Raisina Residency in Sector 59 caught fire. Kolkata, Aug 16 : There was tension in the busy Shyambazar five-point crossing in North Kolkata on Friday following a scuffle between the police and BJP supporters over a protest regarding the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last week. BJP supporters were supposed to assemble at the Shyambazar crossing close to RG Kar on Friday evening and organise a protest there. The state unit of the BJP had raised a temporary dais there for that purpose. State BJP leaders alleged that the previous dais raised by them was demolished by Kolkata Police on Thursday night. The BJP leaders starting raising a new dais at the same place under the supervision of the party's Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, party legislators Agnimitra Paul and Ashoke Kirtaniya among others. As the city police tried to stop them, a scuffle broke out between the BJP supporters and the security personnel. This threw the traffic totally out of gear at that crucial crossing in North Kolkata during the busy afternoon hours. The policemen forcefully removed the BJP workers from the road before pushing them into police vans. BJP leaders alleged that the police resorted to an unprovoked attack on the peaceful demonstration. "When there was total hooliganism and vandalism within RG Kar premises, the police remained mute spectators and some of them hid. Now, when we are organising a peaceful rally, they have become so active," Paul said. She also alleged that since a close relative of an influential political person was involved in the rape-murder case, the police were hiding the fact. On Friday evening the BJP's Mahila Morcha will bring out a silent candle march to condemn the crime at RG Kar. Tokyo, Aug 16 : Powerful typhoon Ampil on Friday is approaching Japan's Kanto region, eastern part of the country, with alerts for heavy rain and gale issued for Tokyo and other regions. As of 4:45 p.m. local time, the seventh typhoon of the year was moving northeast at 15 km per hour, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). With an atmospheric pressure of 950 hectopascals at its centre, Ampil is packing winds reaching up to 216 kilometres per hour, said the JMA, which marked its intensity as "very strong." Bands of heavy rain clouds could form over Kanto, the Izu Islands and Yamanashi prefecture sometime on Friday, sharply raising the risk of disasters, said the weather agency, urging people to take precautionary measures. As many parts of the Kanto region, including the greater Tokyo area, braced for downpours and gusts, the powerful typhoon has severely disrupted public transportation. Over 600 domestic and international flights on Friday have been cancelled or grounded by All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines at Haneda and Narita airports. Disruptions to Shinkansen bullet train lines and other railway services also brought headaches to travellers in Japan during the Bon holiday travel rush. The Central Japan Railway Company has cancelled all services on the Tokaido Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Nagoya for Friday, with reduced services between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka, expecting potential service suspensions and delays on Saturday. The East Japan Railway Company has decided to cancel some services on the Tohoku, Joetsu and Yamagata Shinkansen lines from around 11 a.m. local time, adding that services on the Hokuriku and Akita Shinkansen lines may also be disrupted by the storm. Kathmandu, Aug 16 : US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard R. Verma arrived in Kathmandu on Friday to advance Washington's shared priorities in climate action, economic growth, and security to promote regional prosperity. "Kicking off this trip in Nepal with an amazing glimpse of the majestic Himalayas! Looking forward to engaging with Government of Nepal officials and others to strengthen US-Nepal partnership in support of a more democratic, prosperous, inclusive, and resilient Nepal," Verma posted on X after landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport. According to the US State Department, in Nepal, the US delegation will meet with senior government officials, development professionals, and business leaders to discuss shared priorities in economic development, womenas empowerment, energy, and people-to-people ties. On Saturday, Verma will arrive in New Delhi on a five-day visit where he is expected to advance and support a prosperous, secure, and resilient future for both countries. "Deputy Secretary Verma will travel to New Delhi, India to meet with senior government officials, climate leaders, and aerospace academics and industry representatives to advance the US-Indian partnership on a full range of issues, including economic development, clean energy and climate action, and STEM education," stated the US State Department. He will be joined in India by Senior Advisor to the US President for International Climate Policy John Podesta and Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Energy David Turk. Verma has previously served as the 25th United States Ambassador to India and has also been a former Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs in the Obama Administration. He had visited India in February this year, holding meetings with senior Indian officials in New Delhi to advance the US-Indian global strategic partnership. During his visit from February 19 to 21, Verma met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, then Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, and former Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri to explore opportunities to strengthen US-India cooperation and people-to-people ties to ensure a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. He had also met with Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal to discuss further expanding trade and economic ties between the United States and India. --IANS as/ Canberra, Aug 16 : The leaders of Australia and New Zealand on Friday announced joint economic and energy commitments to support the clean energy transition in the region. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon at the Parliament House in Canberra for the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting, Xinhua news agency reported. Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, the pair announced that New Zealand would join Australia in the Climate Club, an initiative established in 2022 focused on industrial decarbonization and pursuing net zero emissions. Albanese and Luxon said they endorsed a July agreement between the two nations' Treasurers and Climate Ministers to further deepen collaboration to deliver climate outcomes under the Paris Agreement and capitalize on the opportunities of the global clean energy transition. "I'm pleased that New Zealand has joined Australia in the Climate Club, which will support decarbonization across the Tasman," Albanese said. Ahead of the meeting, Luxon said he intended to directly raise with Albanese concerns about Australia's practice of deporting New Zealand citizens who commit violent crimes in Australia, which has long been a point of tension between the countries. The Australian government in June scrapped a ministerial direction that was intended to reduce the number of New Zealand citizens being deported despite having stronger connections to Australia. Following the meeting on Friday, Albanese said that the leaders had agreed to disagree on the issue. "What we have is an understanding that while we have common purpose, we do not have uniform positions," he said. He said that authorities would not ignore a person's connections to Australia when considering deportations but that community safety was the top priority for Australian officials. Mumbai, Aug 16 : NCP SP Chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said that the crisis is not over as democracy is still under threat due to the incumbent NDA government. "The crisis is not over in the country. There was a threat to dilute the Constitution before the Lok Sabha election and that is still not over under the NDA government. They (those in power) have a problem with the Constitution because of their ideology," said Sharad Pawar while addressing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) joint rally. He said that in the recently held Parliament session, the Prime Minister did not come to the House even for a single day. "At the flag hoisting ceremony on Thursday, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi was made to sit in the second row. When I was LoP, my seating arrangement was with the Cabinet ministers. If they think that Rahul Gandhi's reputation is lost then they are wrong because the position of LoP is dignified. When Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, the LoP Sushma Swaraj was given a seat in the front row with the Cabinet ministers. The Leader of the Opposition is an institution and its dignity should be maintained," the senior Pawar said. He added that if people want to see a changed Maharashtra then they have no option but to change the government in the state. "The MVA thwarted the MahaYuti's attempt to pass the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill 2024 wherein an imprisonment of five to seven years was proposed for protests on the streets but the MVA did not make it happen," he said. Pawar said that the MVA partners and supporting parties will be accommodated with respect and people will witness a good government. "We will fight this battle united," Pawar said. NCP SP MP Supriya Sule also lashed out at the MahaYuti government saying that it has mixed up love and transactions, adding that their relationship was only related to votes. "Our brothers did not know about the sister's relationship. When money comes into love, it is not a relationship. My brothers made mistakes in love and business. Rs 1500 cannot buy a sister's relationship. MahaYuti government's relationship to sisters is only related to votes," Sule said while commenting on MahaYuti's flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. She said that the MahaYuti government is implementing many schemes but no one remembered their sisters during the Lok Sabha elections but these schemes were launched after the dismal performance in Lok Sabha. "Love does not have business and money and business does not have love. If money comes into love, it cannot be called a relationship. So it is unfortunate for the Maharashtra government that they did not understand the difference between business and love," Sule said. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday came down heavily on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Opposition over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week. Speaking to IANS, the Union Minister said that Mamata Banerjee, in her pursuit of power, has forgotten about the promises she made to the people of her state. The horrific crime committed against a woman by goons connected to her party reminded people of the 2012 Nirbhaya case in Delhi, Singh claimed. He also slammed the Trinamool Congress supremo for 'allowing' her 'goons' to attack a doctor at night, claiming that not even a leaf moves in Bengal without Mamata Banerjee' s order. "Without her command, no one in Bengal can even breathe," he claimed. Singh also accused Banerjee of instigating goons to destroy evidence at the crime scene and then pretend to mourn by taking out a peace march, whereas she could have caught the culprits within an hour had she intended to. Slamming the Opposition's 'silence' on the matter, Singh criticised Rahul Gandhi for issuing a late statement in the matter and that too a weak one, blaming the local workers instead of condemning the criminals. Singh claimed when the Hathras gang-rape case was reported in 2020, Rahul Gandhi gave a quick reaction while he is 'silent' on the Bengal matter because he can't speak against Mamata Banerjee, as it would ruin his political ambitions. "This shows the reality of Rahul Gandhi," Singh told IANS. The Union Minister also spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance on a 'secular civil code', saying after Independence, Hindus accepted a common marriage act but practices like Sharia and triple talaq continued. "It was PM Modi who removed these practices," Singh said, adding that there can be one law for the entire country only if we adopt a common civil code. Talking about the three-phase Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, dates for which were announced by the Election Commission on Friday, Singh said stone pelters are no longer seen on the streets of Kashmir. "People like Farooq Abdullah, who used to complain earlier, are quiet now. The Tricolour is flying high in J&K, job opportunities are increasing, hotels are reopening, and village elections are taking place as promised," Singh said. Mumbai, Aug 16 : Acclaimed star Manoj Bajpayee says he feels proud that his film "Gulmohar" has been chosen for three honours including Best Film, Best Screenplay awards and the actor getting a Special Mention at the 70th National Film Awards. "All I can say is that I am too happy for my director and feel very proud that Gulmohar is chosen for 3 awards ! A film which holds a very special place in my heart," Manoj told IANS. "Gulmohar", which also stars Sharmila Tagore, released in March 2023. It told the story of a family drama revolving around the multi-generation family who is all set to move out of their 34-year-old family home. It also marked the return of Tagore on the screens after 13 years as she was last seen in "Break Ke Baad" starring Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone. Manoj is a recipient of numerous honours including three National Film Awards and two Asia Pacific Screen Awards. He was feted with India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, for his contributions to art in 2019. In 2003, he won the Special Jury National Award for "Pinjar". He was named for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2016 for his work in filmmaker Hansal Mehta's "Aligarh" The actor was last seen in the action thriller film "Bhaiyaa Ji" directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, with whom he had previously worked in the film "Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai". The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting revealed the winners in the National Capital. On October 2024, the winners, including the recipient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, will be honoured by President Droupadi Murmu in a ceremony. The awards were announced by the chairperson of the Feature Film Jury, Rahul Rawail; Nila Madhab Panda, chairperson of the Non-Feature Film Jury; and Gangadhar Mudalair, chairperson of the Best Writing on Cinema Jury. Rishabh Shetty was named the Best Actor for his performance in the Kannada film "Kantara," while Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh shared the Best Actress award for their work in "Thiruchitrambalam" and "Kutch Express" respectively. Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 16 : The entire team of 'Aattam', the Malayalam film which won the Best Film Award at the 70th National Film Awards announced in New Delhi on Friday, is flying high and is on cloud nine. Aattam (The Play) is a suspense chamber drama film written and directed by Anand Ekarshi and won three awards which includes Best Film, Best Editing and Best Screenplay. The film is directed by Anand Ekarshi who also wrote the script and the editing was done by B. Mahesh. The film is loosely based on Twelve Angry Men, an American courtroom drama. It tells the tale of a sexual harassment accusation made by the only actress in a theatre group against a popular movie star who joined their team recently. When a meeting is convened, the team members initially support the actress until it is informed by the unknowing actor about a potential offer to perform in Europe and its related remuneration. The members who initially sided with the actress now shift sides and stories are unravelled, suspicions erupt and accusations are exchanged. The actress finally leaves the team. Ekarshi, the award winner said that he just has no words to describe his emotions and feelings. "What we heard is still unbelievable news. This film happened because of the producer of this film, Dr Ajith Joy, who was strongly behind us all the time, motivating us. We as a team gelled well and this is another reason why we all are happy," said Ekarshi. Mahesh said that he is hearing news which is yet to settle down as "never did I think, I would win an award." "We had a feeling the film might get some award and not only did that happen, I also won an award. I have no words to say at the moment," said Mahesh as he was busy editing in the edit suite. This film won the 2023 Grand Jury Award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, and besides, was also chosen as the opening feature film at the 54th International Film Festival of India held in Goa. New Delhi, Aug 16 : Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government in Bangladesh, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in what was the first interaction between the two leaders following the resignation of former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on August 5. "Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh," PM Modi posted on X after the call on Friday afternoon. The continuing acts of violence against the minority communities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus, comes as a massive challenge for the interim government which was sworn in on August 8 under the leadership of Yunus. "The two leaders also discussed ways to take the bilateral relationship forward in line with the respective national priorities," mentioned a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Prime Minister Modi has extended his best wishes to the 84-year-old Nobel laureate and microfinance pioneer on the same day, expressing that the new regime would restore peace and ensure the protection of Hindus and other minorities in the neighbouring country. "My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development," Prime Minister Modi said in a post on X on August 8. While Yunus, after taking oath, said that he would "uphold, support and protect the constitution and will perform duties sincerely", there was a massive outbreak of violence in the country after Hasina left Dhaka with goons creating huge unrest and targetting Hindus, their homes and places of worship. Horrendous acts of violence have been reported against the Hindu community in Bangladesh since August 5. On Tuesday, the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajot (BJHM), a grand national alliance of 23 religious organisations in the country, said that Hindu families have faced violence and vandalism at as many as 278 locations across 48 districts of the nation since August 5. The alliance leaders said that Hindus of Bangladesh are living in fear and are even being threatened to leave the country. They urged Yunus to "act fast" during these times of uncertainty. "Whenever there is a change in government, Hindus are the first to be attacked. Although there were fewer incidents in the past, they have increased recently. We want to live in this country with security. We were born here, and we have rights in this country," said BJHM President Prabhas Chandra Roy. On the same day, Yunus visited a historic Hindu temple in Dhaka and assured Hindu community leaders that establishing human rights and freedom of speech remains one of his prime goals. "Everyone has equal rights in the country. There is no discrimination between us. Please help, be patient and judge us later on what we did and what we didn't. If we fail, then criticise," Yunus was quoted as saying by the local media during his visit to the Dhakeshwari National Temple - one of the most significant places of worship for the Hindu community in the region for over 800 years. Asif Nazrul and A.F.M. Khalid Hossain, the legal and religious affairs advisors to the interim government, also accompanied Yunus to the temple. However, as there was no end in sight to violence, PM Modi, during his address to the nation on Independence Day on Thursday, once again expressed deep concern over the current situation in Bangladesh. "Whatever is happening in our neighbouring nation (Bangladesh) is very concerning for us. I hope that conditions normalise there... All 140 crore Indians are worried about the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. India always wishes for its neighbouring nations to walk on the path of peace and progress. We are committed to maintaining peace," said PM Modi. The Prime Minister also reiterated India's support for Bangladesh's stability and development: "In the coming days, we will always wish well for Bangladesh's 'Vikas Yatra' (journey of development) because we are the well-wishers of humankind." In an exclusive interview with IANS late Thursday, Abul Fayez Muhammad Khalid Hossain, the Advisor for Religious Affairs in the interim government, labelled India as Bangladesh's "best neighbour" which had helped the country "immensely" in gaining independence, and assured that "work has begun" to take strict action against criminals involved in several incidents of violence and vandalism against the minority communities, especially Hindus. "India is our neighbouring country and we want to maintain peace and tranquility in our country with the goodwill of India," Hossain told IANS in an exclusive interview as the interim government continued to receive a massive flak from all corners for failing to provide security to the Hindus in the country. "India is our best neighbour which had helped us immensely during our liberation. We want to grow relations between the two countries," he added. Sriharikota : , Aug 16 (IANS) The first test flight of India's human rated rocket for its human space mission 'Gaganyaan' is expected to take place in December 2024, said a top official of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Speaking to the media after the successful orbiting of India's earth observation satellite-08 (EOS-08) Dr.S. Somanath, Chairman, ISRO said: "The Gaganyaan rocket's three stages have come to Satish Dhawan Space Centre (located here). The integration of the crew module is happening at VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram)." According to Somanath, all the systems for the Gaganyaan rocket code named G1 will reach Satish Dhawan Space Centre here in November this year and the target for the rocket flight is December. On Friday morning ISRO's new rocket Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) successfully put into orbit two satellites EOS-08 and SR-0 belonging to a space start-up Space Rickshaw in copy book style. It was the third and final development flight of SSLV. Somanath said the third development flight of SSLV has been successfully accomplished. "We can declare the process of SSLV development has been completed. We are in the process of transferring the SSLV technology to the industries," he said. Somanath said the SSLV design has been kept simple for the industry to make it. The SSLV designed and developed by ISRO has a payload capacity of 500 kg and is powered by solid fuel. The space agency will not only transfer the SSLV technology to Industry for commercial production but also teach the process of building the rocket. "We will transfer the knowledge and not just the drawings. The industry people will come to ISRO to learn how to build rockets," he added. Last year the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the regulator for private players in the Indian space sector, had announced ISRO's decision to transfer the SSLV technology to private companies. The process of selecting the industry or the consortium of industries is on. Somanath said it will take about two years for the selected party to learn and roll out two SSLVs. In the interim, public sector NewSpace India Ltd will fund the making of the SSLV. As regards the status of the second launch pad at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu, Somanath said construction work has begun and it would take two years for the facility to be commissioned. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in) New Delhi, Aug 16 : Amid reports of Mpox cases in Sweden, and Pakistan, an infectious disease expert on Friday urged health authorities to begin screening for the deadly infectious disease at key airports in India to help curb the spread. Mpox (formerly Monkeypox) has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa CDC this week, after the latest outbreak spread to 13 countries in Africa, including four new countries. The latest outbreak due to the more virulent and deadly strain -- Clade 1b has also spread to Sweden. The WHO has warned of more cases in Europe. Pakistan has reported 3 cases, but the strain causing the disease is yet to be known. "Mpox is being taken seriously as an international and not purely regional concern. It would be wise at this point for India to screen at airport entry for symptoms and to isolate those who might be infected. We should especially screen travellers from countries which have reported cases of Mpox in the recent outbreak," Dr Gautam Menon, Dean of Research and Professor of Physics and Biology, at Ashoka University, told IANS. Keeping track of infected travellers who may report infections later is also important so that their contact can be informed and tested. "Indian medical agencies should ensure that they are at the forefront of what is known about the epidemiology of Mpox, whether one can carry it asymptomatically, what are the modes of transmission, etc," Menon added. Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been conducting a serosurvey since last year to understand the risk of Mpox among people, especially those at high risk like HIV patients, in the country. Tamil Nadu's Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine on Friday directed Airport Health Officers and Port Health Officers to be on high alert, particularly concerning passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African countries. Other countries have also ramped up efforts to track and curb the spread. China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) has announced tighter surveillance measures at ports of entry to prevent the import of the Mpox virus to the country. The Czech Ministry of Health and the State Health Institute (SZU) issued a statement, recommending people vaccinate and take preventive measures against Mpox if travelling to areas where Mpox is currently reported. A total of 11 cases have been reported in the country this year, according to the data from the SZU. Health authorities in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) Health asked the community to be aware of symptoms of mpox. There have been 93 notifications of mpox in NSW since the start of June. "As of now, our understanding is that transmission between people requires intimate contact, so it would be harder to have a situation where the numbers of infected can grow explosively and exponentially," the expert added. "Children seem to be a harder hit in this outbreak, especially those in crowded, unsanitary conditions such as in refugee camps," he added. Menon noted the infectious disease so far "seems harder to be transmitted between people as compared to Covid-19 or influenza," he told IANS, adding "This implies that we may need to be concerned about localised outbreaks, but perhaps not a true epidemic situation". "But our understanding is still evolving and it is crucial that we report transparently and collaborate with international partners to stay at the forefront of what is known," he advised. Srinagar, Aug 16 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Conference (NC) on Friday welcomed the announcement on Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by the Election Commission of India (ECI). As per the ECI, the Assembly elections in J&K -- pending since 2014 with the former state under Governor's Rule since 2018 -- will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. Also, Haryana will go to the polls on October 1, and both results will be announced on October 4, the poll panel said. BJP national General Secretary and in-charge for J&K, Tarun Chugh, told mediapersons that the party welcomes the announcement of election schedules for J&K and Haryana. "The Election Commission is a highly-respected independent organisation. Its impartiality and efficiency is recognised throughout the world. We welcome the ECI decision and will contest the elections in J&K. We have removed the barriers of Articles 370 and 35A. We have liberated J&K from the shackles of 'Do Nisan, Do Pradhan, and Do Vidhan'," Chugh said. He also said that with people's blessings and under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he is confident that the people of J&K will vote for the BJP in large numbers. "The focus has shifted to tourism from terrorism, and J&K is becoming an industrial hub. There have been many positive developments under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi," the BJP leader said. While the National Conference also welcomed the ECI decision, it urged the poll panel to look into the recent transfers and postings made by the UT administration. Talking to the media here, NC Chairperson Omar Abdullah said, "After 1987-88, this is the shortest phased Assembly elections to be held in J&K. While this will be a new experience for the political parties, the NC has been preparing for the polls since long and we will soon launch our campaign." At the same time, the former J&K Chief Minister expressed reservations about the transfers and postings made by the administration headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. "The Lieutenant Governor belongs to the BJP and these transfers have been made to favour the 'A', 'B' or 'C' teams of the ruling party," he said. "The Election Commission has laid emphasis on free and fair polls... It must take a review of these transfers; if they have been made in violation of the guidelines, the Election Commission must put a stop on them. We are also writing a detailed letter in this respect to the poll panel," Omar Abdullah added. Ealrier addressing a press conference in Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said that elections in J&K will be held in three phases -- September 18, September 25, and October 1. Counting will be held on October 4 and the entire poll process will be completed by October 6, the CEC said. J&K has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP pulled out of the PDP-BJP coalition headed by Mehbooba Mufti. On August 5, 2019, Article 370 was abrogated as the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Male, Aug 16 : Moosa Zameer, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, on Thursday reiterated the "firm commitment" of the government led by President Mohamed Muizzu to strengthen and deepen the "robust relationship" between the two countries for the mutual benefit of its people. "Congratulated India for their remarkable journey, one of profound significance and inspiration. India has emerged as the worldas largest and most diverse democracy, that leads by example, inspiring many countries, including the Maldives," remarked Zameer who was the chief guest at a special event hosted by the Indian High Commission in the country on Friday afternoon on the occasion of India's 78th Independence Day. Zameer extended warm greetings and best wishes to President of India Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the "friendly people" of India on behalf of Muizzu, the country's government and the people of Maldives. He also thanked External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar for his "unwavering support" to enhancing bilateral ties. Terming it as a "memorable event", he also reflected on the longstanding India-Maldives partnership which is rooted in its people and strengthened through active bilateral cooperation. On Thursday, Muizzu had hailed the "invaluable partnership" between the two neighbouring countries in his greetings sent to President Murmu and PM Modi on the occasion of India's Independence Day. "India continues to be an invaluable partner in the development of the Maldives. The longstanding partnership, based on mutual respect and trust, has evolved into a close and cooperative friendship that has been instrumental in advancing the development and prosperity of the Maldives," his office said in a statement. The Maldivian President also reaffirmed his administration's "full commitment" to strengthening the "historic and close connections" between the two neighbouring countries. Later, taking to X, Muizzu wrote, "Our enduring friendship, rooted in history, has evolved to foster prosperity and development in the Maldives and the region. As we look to the future, I am confident that our partnership will continue to strengthen, driving mutual prosperity and shared goals." Earlier this week, the Maldivian President had called India as one of the country's "closest allies" and "invaluable partners" and had extended "deep gratitude" to PM Modi, the Indian government, and the friendly people of India for their "generous and continued assistance" to the Maldives. "India has always been one of the closest allies and invaluable partners, facilitating and providing aid whenever Maldives has needed it," Muizzu acknowledged in External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar's presence during a ceremony held at the President's Office to handover the completed water supply and sewerage facilities on 28 islands in the Maldives, funded by the Government of India's Line of Credit (LoC) facility through the Exim Bank of India. In his remarks, Muizzu highlighted that these projects are key milestones in the Maldives' bilateral relations with India and would provide significant economic benefits, boost the local economies, and together contribute to the nation's prosperity. During his meeting with EAM Jaishankar, the Maldives President also recalled his recent visit to India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and expressed appreciation for the invitation and the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister as well as President Droupadi Murmu. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Epic Games on Friday said it has arrived on mobile devices, bringing its popular games like Fortnite, Fall Guys and Rocket League Sideswipe on Android devices worldwide and on iOS in the European Union, thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Fortnite is now available on iPhones in the European Union and worldwide on Google's Android devices after a gap of four years. In August 2020, Apple and Google had removed Fortnite from their app stores for violating their guidelines. The Epic Games Store has arrived on mobile, putting Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League Sideswipe at your fingertips on Android devices worldwide and on iOS in the European Union thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). "For the first time ever, Fall Guys is available on mobile, and is downloadable for free on the Epic Games Store," said the company. The new DMA allowed Epic to launch its own Epic Games Store on iOS and to bring its popular Fortnite back to the platform in Europe, with reduced commissions to Apple. "This is just the beginning. Our goal is to make the Epic Games Store the leading multiplatform game store, open to all app and game developers," it added. Epic has been fighting Apple for years over the company's revenue-sharing requirements in the App Store. Epic Games said it has "an ambitious roadmap" that will bring new features and incredible games to the Epic Games Store at a later date, "all benefiting from our 88 per cent/12 per cent revenue share and established Epic Games Store programmes". The gaming company is now offering exciting new rewards to users. "Players can unlock these in-game rewards after downloading our games from the Epic Games Store on mobile and AltStore PAL on iOS in the European Union,"s aid Epic. "We're working to bring our games to stores that offer great terms for all developers, and these rewards will also be available when our games are downloaded from other mobile stores through November 2. We also plan to bring our games to Aptoide's iOS store in the EU and ONE Store on Android," it informed. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Centre on Friday unveiled the Krishi-Decision Support System (DSS), a digital geospatial platform, to give the country's farmers access to real-time data on weather patterns, soil conditions, crop health and water levels in reservoirs. The platform was launched by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary. Krishi-DSS is a first-of-its-kind geospatial platform specifically designed for Indian agriculture. The platform provides seamless access to comprehensive data including satellite images, weather information, reservoir storage, groundwater levels and soil health information, which can be easily accessed from anywhere at any time, the minister said. "Krishi-DSS includes several advanced modules designed to support comprehensive agricultural management. With crop mapping and monitoring, we will be able to understand cropping patterns by analysing parcel-level crop maps over the different years. This information helps in understanding crop rotation practices and promotes sustainable agriculture by encouraging the cultivation of diverse crops," he added. By integrating various data sources available on the Krishi-DSS, various farmer-centric solutions can be developed. These include individual advisories to farmers, early disaster warnings in cases of pest attacks, heavy rain, hail storms etc, according to an official statement. Drought monitoring will help to stay ahead of the drought, which gives near real-time information on various indicators i.e soil moisture, water storage, crop condition, dry spells etc, while crop weather watch will keep farmers informed about how the weather is impacting the crops, crop harvest status and crop residue burning, the statement said. Field parcel segmentation will enable the understanding of each parcel's unique needs and cropping patterns for targeted interventions. The one-nation-one soil information system provides comprehensive data about soil type, soil pH, soil health etc. This data will help in assessing crop suitability and land capability for implementing soil water conservation measures, it added. The ground truth data library of Krishi-DSS will foster innovation by providing essential resources like ground truth data and spectral libraries for different crops to the researchers and industry. Krishi-DSS is expected to empower the country's farmers with real-time information to make decisions about field practices. Officers from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Department of Space, ISRO centres, various central Agencies (IMD, CWC, NWIC, NIC, ICAR, SLUSI, MNCFC) State Remote sensing Centres, State agriculture department, Institutes/Universities, Agri-Tech industry participated in the launch event. The programme also included various technical sessions showcasing the current status of utilization of Space Technology in the agriculture sector and a demonstration of the various portals of ISRO for accessing satellite-based data products. The panel discussions were also organized to discuss the possible uses cases of the Space technology in the field of agriculture. Bengaluru, Aug 16 : The BJP on Friday attacked the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, saying why both the leaders have remained silent on the rape and murder cases taking place in Karnataka. "Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are not speaking about the rape case of an 11-year-old girl by an accused belonging to the minority community in Kalaburagi and the murder of MCA student Neha Hiremath in Hubballi," said BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, while addressing a press conference at the BJP state office in Bengaluru. He also criticised the Karnataka government terming it as "double trouble government." "In Karnataka. it is a loot and jhoot government. Since the Jeep scam in 1947, various scams have been reported. It is a 'Khatakat loot guarantee scheme" launched by Rahul Gandhi. The Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case involves a Rs 5,000 crore scam," he said. He also called the Karnataka government a "pickpocket government" and claimed that funds meant for public welfare were being misappropriated, adding that a viral video of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar hushes up a woman while discussing the guarantee schemes. "The economic advisors to the Chief Minister have expressed concerns about a potential bankruptcy of the state," said Poonawalla. He also accused the Karnataka government of "imposing unjust" taxes on the people, including increased rates on petrol, diesel, electricity, bus fares, water, and cinema tickets. He claimed that about Rs 25,000 crore reserved for the development of SC communities has been "diverted" and "looted". He noted that 1,200 farmers have committed suicide in Karnataka but Congress members remain silent on this issue. "An official under the Tribal Welfare Board Corporation committed suicide after naming a minister. There has been a Rs 187 crore scam. Rahul Gandhi claims to be concerned about tribal welfare, yet funds meant for tribal people were looted. This money has been used for purchasing luxury items like liquor and Lamborghinis, and for election expenses," he said. He said a Dalit community sub-inspector committed suicide in which a Congress MLA was named. "While Rahul Gandhi speaks about Dalits, in this case, it seems to be just empty talk," he said. Bengaluru, Aug 16 : Bengaluru Police Commissioner, B Dayananda stated on Friday that the fan murder case involving Kannada superstar Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and 15 others, was reaching its final stage. Speaking at a press conference in his office, the Police Commissioner stated that oral, circumstantial, and technical evidence related to the sensational murder had been collected and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Bengaluru, from where about 70 per cent of the reports have been received. Evidence related to gadgets and electronic devices has been sent to the Hyderabad Central Forensic Science Laboratory, and reports from there are expected in a few days, he said. "Once all the reports are received, further clarifications from the witnesses will be sought, and then the final report or charge sheet will be submitted to the court," he added. "Some reports that were sent to the forensic laboratories have already been received, while others are still pending. We do not have the total number of pieces of evidence collected, but among the reports sent to the Bengaluru FSL, 70 per cent have already been received. Reports related to the electric devices (mobile phones) sent to the Hyderabad FSL are still awaited," he further stated. The gruesome murder of Renukaswamy took place on June 8 in Bengaluru. He was kidnapped from his hometown, Chitradurga, brought to Bengaluru, kept in a shed, and tortured to death. After the murder, his body was thrown into a canal. The incident came to light after the security personnel of a private apartment building saw the body being dragged by a pack of dogs. Renukaswamy is survived by aged parents, a pregnant wife and a sister. When the police began the investigation, four of the accused surrendered, claiming responsibility for the murder over a financial matter. After Kamakshipalya Police interrogated them, the involvement of actor Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda, and others came to light. On the morning of June 11, actor Darshan was arrested in Mysuru, while Pavithra Gowda and some associates of Darshan were arrested in Bengaluru. The accused are now in the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail. It was revealed that the accused had brutally hacked Renukaswamy to death for sending obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda. The court extended the judicial custody of Darshan, Pavithra Gowda and 15 others till August 28. Bhopal, Aug 16 : Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar on Friday said that the contribution of Veer Savarkar should be studied, and the history of India's freedom movement should be presented to the people in its proper context. The minister made the remarks during a press conference here. Parmar said that under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, work is being done on the "Bhartiya Gyan Parampara" (Indian knowledge system) and Madhya Pradesh is set to become a leading state in implementing this initiative. He added that the process of integrating Indian knowledge systems into education has been accelerated and a dedicated cell for this has been created in all universities. Parmar said that the government is working to clear people's doubts about the Indian knowledge tradition through seminars. "We are working to remove misconceptions about our religion, (and) the wrong things written in (some) books," the minister added. He asserted that the Indian knowledge tradition is not linked to any political ideology. "Can't a Sangh worker join the army or become a professor or a farmer." Parmar asked. The Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) is an innovative cell under the Ministry of Education at AICTE, New Delhi. It was established to promote interdisciplinary research on all aspects of IKS and preserve and disseminate IKS for further research and societal applications. The cell was set up to actively engage in spreading the rich heritage of India and traditional knowledge in the Arts and literature, Agriculture, Basic Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Architecture, Management, and Economics. The main objective of the cell is to go beyond merely acknowledging the existence of IKS and to rejuvenate and mainstream it by integrating it into the fabric of the education research ecosystem for the contemporary world. It further seeks to bridge the gap between Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems and contemporary knowledge systems. Bids to purchase the former Christ the King Seminary in the Town of Aurora will be due by Oct. 23, with an auction to follow five days later if the Buffalo Diocese receives multiple bids for the property. A federal bankruptcy court judge on Thursday approved the bid procedures, clearing the way for the sale of one of the dioceses most valuable properties, a 117-acre campus of 18 buildings that served for decades as the training ground for men seeking to join the Catholic priesthood. The seminary has been closed since 2020, and the diocese is looking to sell the campus and use the proceeds to help settle 900 sex abuse claims and emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Chief Judge Carl L. Bucki of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York signed off on the dioceses plan to use a stalking horse bid process, with World Mission Society Church of God as the stalking horse bidder. The international religious group, which has a U.S. headquarters in New Jersey, submitted a purchase offer of $3.8 million and a deposit of $380,000 in June. It plans to use the campus as a seminary. Any other potential bidders must submit a bid of at least $3.9 million, along with a 10% deposit, by Oct. 23. If there are multiple qualified bidders, an auction will be held Oct. 28, with bidding increments of at least $100,000. Bucki scheduled a hearing Oct. 29 to approve a final sale. Diocese officials have said they anticipate multiple bidders for the property, which was being marketed by Hanna Commercial Real Estate since last fall with an asking price of $5.3 million. A lawyer for the diocese said during a court hearing on Thursday that the seminary property had become burdensome for the diocese, which has been in Chapter 11 proceedings since 2020. Bucki agreed to the sale procedures, with the caveat that any sales proceeds be held in escrow until the court is assured that there are no restrictions on the use of those proceeds. Some of the title documentation submitted to the court raised questions about whether the seminary campus was property that was being held in trust for a particular purpose, the judge said. Attorneys for the diocese and for the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, which represents sex abuse claimants, both said they did not believe there were any restrictions on the property sale or the use of sale proceeds. Diocese attorney Charles Sullivan also assured Bucki that a 99-year land lease between the diocese and the seminary is no longer valid because the seminary has ceased operations. The diocese will apply to the state Attorney Generals Office for approval of relinquishment of the lease, said Sullivan. Vilnius, Aug 16 : Belarusian citizens holding a Lithuanian visa, a temporary or permanent residence permit in Lithuania, and travelling for personal reasons, will be allowed to enter Lithuania by car, the Lithuanian Customs announced on Friday. The European Union banned cars with Belarusian plates from entering its territory a month ago. However, some exceptions will be introduced from Saturday, such as the one announced by the Lithuanian Customs. The ban will continue to apply to cars owned by business persons or used for commercial purposes, as well as to vehicles intended for sale, Xinhua news agency reported. Cars with Belarusian plates have been banned from entering Lithuania since July 18. Those who arrived before this date were given six months for leaving the country, or re-registering in the EU, the Baltic News Service reported. After that date, they will not be allowed to stay in Lithuania and their owners will face fines and confiscation of the cars. Islamabad, Aug 16 : At least three cases of mpox have been detected in two days in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a health official told Xinhua news agency on Friday. The director of public health at the provincial directorate-general health services, Irshad Roghani, said that one case was detected in a 34-year-old male on Thursday and two others were confirmed on Friday morning, taking the country's overall tally in 2024 to three. The viral infection was detected in the patients on their arrival from the Middle East where they worked, the official said. He added that samples of the fourth suspect had been sent to a laboratory for confirmation after the patient visited a hospital for skin-related issues. According to the director, all three patients were being quarantined and all hospitals and other related facilities had been put on alert after confirmation of the disease in the province. After the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency, Pakistan's National Institute of Health (NIH) issued an advisory on Thursday to ensure preparedness to deal with mpox. The NIH said that border health services have been directed to enhance monitoring at all entry points of the country. Mumbai, Aug 16 : Maha Vikas Aghadi partners NCP-SP and Congress on Friday slammed the MahaYuti government for growing corruption and cuts in the tendering process and announced that their sole objective is to overthrow it in the coming assembly election. State NCP SP chief and former Finance Minister Jayant Patil at the Maha Vikas Aghadi's joint rally accused the MahaYuti government of malpractices in the tender process conducted for various development works in the run-up to the upcoming assembly election. "On August 13, the Maharashtra cabinet took a decision for the construction of 6,000 km of concrete roads instead of originally proposed asphaltic roads with the increased cost of Rs 37,000 crore through a state undertaking Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation. It has no manpower and infrastructure to carry out such a major work. However, the said Corporation is only engaged in giving works only by taking cuts," he alleged. Patil said that the MahaYuti government had issued a tender for the construction of a road connecting Jalna and Nanded costing Rs 11,000 crore. "Instead, the tender is now for Rs 15,000 crore. The construction cost for one kilometre is a whopping Rs 83 crore," he claimed. He said that the MahaYuti government has proposed a 96 km corridor project from Alibag to Virar with an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore against the tender which is put out for Rs 26,000 crore. "The cost of one kilometre will be Rs 273 crores. The cost of Chandrayaan three was quite less compared to this," said Patil which led to a burst of laughter among the MVA workers. Meanwhile, state Congress chief Nana Patole alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has earned money through corruption as two leaders sitting in Delhi are looting Maharashtra by treating it as their personal ATM. "They are trying to bankrupt Maharashtra. We will defeat the BJP alliance in the assembly elections and shut Modi and Shah's ATM permanently, and use Maharashtra's money for the people of Maharashtra," he said. Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thackeray claimed that people have not yet forgotten the "50 khoke, ekdum okay" phrase (relating to the toppling of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government by allegedly paying handsome money). "While exposing the scams of the MahaYuti government, remember to tell the people that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government gave loan waivers to farmers in the very first week. Let the people know about the good work done by Maha Vikas Aghadi," he said. State Working President Naseem Khan said that corruption has increased significantly during the Mahayuti government's tenure and is inflating tender prices and then taking a commission from it. "Now, a 'cooker scam' has started in Mumbai, where cookers worth Rs 600 are being purchased for Rs 2,500, and 40,000 to 50,000 cookers are being distributed in each ward. The BJP has brought up the issue of Waqf Board lands but I warn that whether it is land belonging to Hindu temples or Muslim religious sites, any attempt to seize them will not be tolerated," he added. Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad alleged that prime location plots in Mumbai are being given to a few chosen industry friends. "Once the Maha Vikas Aghadi comes to power, we will issue a white paper on the last two years of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation's administration," she said. Lucknow, Aug 16 : Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the handling of the rape and murder of a second-year postgraduate student at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College. He criticised the 'India' bloc leaders for initially describing the case as a "suicide." Lucknow, Aug 16 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the handling of the rape and murder of a second-year postgraduate student at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College. He criticised the 'India' bloc leaders for initially describing the case as a "suicide." He took a jibe at the West Bengal government and said, " The ruling Trinamool Congress's intentions in West Bengal are evident from the fact that the principal, who was removed, has been appointed at another college. This raises significant concerns and doubts." He said, "Mamata Banerjee said the case would be handed over to the CBI in a few days. Many people feared that the Bengal Police might attempt to manipulate the investigation, and the developments in the case after the High Court's intervention have raised numerous questions. We firmly condemn the actions of those who assaulted doctors under the pretext of a protest." He stated that the investigation has shown the protesters were seeking directions to the seminar hall where the incident occurred with the intent of destroying evidence related to the case. This reveals that the issue at hand is not just an isolated incident but a broader mentality. Such issues have been prevalent in West Bengal, with many similar cases in the past. Doctors across India are protesting against the murder and rape of a post-graduate trainee doctor, demanding justice for the victim. The Indian Medical Association on Friday announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6 a.m. on Saturday. "Subsequent to the brutal crime at the R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day, the Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 a.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday for 24 hours. "All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors," the IMA said in a statement on Thursday evening. Srinagar, Aug 16 : All political parties in J&K on Friday welcomed the ECI Assembly poll announcement scheduled for September in the three-phase. Senior J&K Congress leader and AICC General Secretary G.A. Mir thanked the Election Commission for announcing elections in J&K, adding that the last elections were held here in 2014. "Supreme Court's supremacy has been upheld because of the ECI's announcement," Mir said. The apex court had set September 30 as the deadline for the Assembly elections in the UT. M.Y.Tarigami of the CPI M said that the ECI announcement has come after a long time and it is a welcome step. He said the ECI has assured free and fair polls with a level playing field for every party and sufficient security for the candidates The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) headed by former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has also welcomed the ECI decision saying it is better late than never. BJP has also welcomed the ECI's announcement. "The election commission is an independent and highly respected organisation of the country whose impartiality and efficiency is recognised throughout the world. We welcome the ECI's decision and will fight elections in J&K. We have removed the barriers of Article 370 and 35A. We have liberated J&K from the shackles of 'Do Nisan, Do Pradhan and Do Vidhan'," Tarun Chugh, BJP National General Secretary and Incharge J&K Affairs, told media persons. He said that with the people's blessings and under the guidance of Prime Narendra Modi, he is certain that the people of J&K will vote for BJP. "From terrorism, the focus has shifted to tourism and J&K is becoming the industrial hub of the country. There have been positive developments under the leadership of the Prime Minister in J&K," he said. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also welcomed the announcement. "PDP welcomes this move but we have a few questions. Why were elections not held on time? Why did it take so much time?" PDP president Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti told media persons. She said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir from all sections are suffering. Former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah was the first to welcome the decision while he also questioned the administrative changes in J&K. "After 1987-88, this is the shortest phased assembly election being held in J&K. For the political parties, this is a new experience. But the NC has been preparing for the elections for a long time. We will soon start our election campaign," the former Chief Minister told media persons in Srinagar. The former chief minister expressed reservations about the transfers and postings made by the Lt Governor (L-G) headed administration on Friday. "The L-G belongs to the BJP. These transfers have been made to favour the 'A', 'B' or the 'C' team of the ruling party," Omar Abdullah said. He said that the Election Commissioner has laid emphasis on free and fair polls and the commission must review these transfers and if these transfer orders have made any violation of the guidelines, then the commission must put a stop to this practice. "We will also write a detailed letter to the Election Commission," the former Chief Minister said. Earlier, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said that the J&K elections will be held in three phases: September 18, September 25 and October 1. Counting would be held on October 4 and the entire poll process would be completed by October 6. J&K has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP pulled out of the PDP-BJP coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti. The state was brought under the Governor's rule who later dissolved the Assembly. On August 5, 2019, Article 370 was watered down and the state was bifurcated into two UTs of J&K and Ladakh. Ankara, Aug 16 : The wildfires in Turkey's western Manisa province have persisted since Wednesday, with firefighters trying to contain the flames through aerial and ground operations, the state-run TRT broadcaster reported Friday. Karayakup and Yenikoy neighborhoods in the Gordes district of Manisa were reportedly evacuated as a precaution. Wildfires also broke out in the Eceabat district of northwestern Canakkale province and the Goynuk district of northwestern Bolu province on Thursday, the TRT reported. Yenikoy and Bekirfakilar villages in Bolu were reportedly evacuated. Meanwhile, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters that the fire in the forest area of Canakkale had been contained, noting that it was ignited by a spark from an electric pole, Xinhua news agency reported. Turkey frequently experiences forest fires during the summer months, particularly in its western and southern regions, as a result of high temperatures and low humidity levels. Suva, Aug 16 : Fiji's Ministry of Health has recorded 552 new HIV infections in the first six months of this year, 33 per cent more than the total number recorded in 2023. The Ministry said in its statement on Friday that 73 percent of the new cases are individuals less than 39 years of age. It said while sexual transmission is the primary means of the spread of HIV in the Pacific island nation, 15 per cent or 85 of the 552 new cases were recorded in individuals who identified themselves as injectable drug users. The ministry is strongly encouraging the public and especially young people to refrain from engaging in high risk activities that would increase their chances of acquiring the HIV, including injectable drug use, sharing of needles, and unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple partners. It reiterated that with appropriate treatment, people living with HIV can continue to engage freely in normal activities, Xinhua news agency reported. The ministry encourages the public and in particular those exposed to high risk activities to get tested and be aware of their HIV status. Kyiv, Aug 16 : Ukraine has exported 64.4 million tonnes of goods via the Black Sea since establishing a temporary maritime corridor in August 2023, the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development said on Friday. In the past year, about 43.5 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs were transported through the Black Sea route, the ministry said in a statement. Over the period, 2,379 vessels loaded with goods left the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny for 46 countries, Xinhua news agency reported. On August 10, 2023, Ukraine announced the establishment of a "humanitarian corridor" for cargo ships in the Black Sea as an alternative to the Black Sea Grain Initiative that collapsed in July. On August 16, 2023, the first vessel left Ukraine via the new maritime route. Kyiv, Aug 16 : Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Friday that Ukraine's operation in western Russia's Kursk region is linked to possible peace talks between the two countries. "In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade the Russian Federation to enter a fair negotiation process," Podolyak said on social media X, formerly Twitter. Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories, he said. Ukraine's military actions in the Kursk region may influence public opinion in Russia regarding the conflict, Podolyak said. "Negative changes in the psychological state of the Russian population will be another argument for the start of negotiations," he added, Xinhua news agency reported. Ukraine started a military operation in the Kursk region on Aug. 6. Ukraine's attacks on Russia's border will receive a "worthy response," with the Russian military's primary task being to remove the Ukrainian forces from Russian territories, President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week. On Aug. 15, Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that Ukraine had taken control of 82 settlements in the conflict-hit region. Doha, Aug 16 : The Gaza ceasefire talks were held here in a positive atmosphere and showed "constructive" progress, said Qatar, the United States and Egypt in a joint statement on Friday. The statement said that a "bridging proposal" has been presented by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt to Hamas and Israel, which is consistent with the principles of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2735, which calls for an "immediate, comprehensive, and thorough" ceasefire in Gaza to end the conflict. The statement added that working groups will continue technical work in the coming days to negotiate the details of implementing the agreement, Xinhua news agency reported. The statement also noted that senior officials from the governments of Qatar, the United States, and Egypt will hold talks in Cairo before the end of next week with the goal of concluding the deal. "There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay," it said. Qatar, the United States, and Egypt have been working to mediate an agreement between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. Multiple rounds of ceasefire discussions in recent months have yielded no results. New Delhi, Aug 16 : The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday demanded a Central Act (Central Protection Act for Doctors) protecting medical professionals from violence at workplaces, saying only a legislation to this effect would end the doctors' strike against the brutal rape and murder of junior doctor at Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last week. "Nothing other than a Central Act will end our strike. An ordinance for the Central Act will be the final answer to violence against doctors. A 2019 draft is also with the Ministry. It didn't go to the Parliament while an amendment to the Epidemic Diseases Act is already in the statute which can be incorporated," IMA National President R.V. Asokan told IANS on Friday. On Thursday evening, the IMA called for a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of medical services starting 6 a.m. on Saturday till 6 a.m. on Sunday in protest against the R.G. Kar incident. Asokan told IANS that it only takes a political will to bring a Central Act against violence against healthcare professionals at hospitals. He also said the shutdown call will affect only the non-essential medical services, including routine OPDs and elective surgeries, while essential services, including emergency departments, will continue to function normally. Calling the R.G. Kar incident a crime against humanity, the IMA chief said, "The act was not carried out by one person. More persons were involved in the crime and the culprits are still around. So the investigation can not be concluded... There are a lot of things which have to be made public in a transparent manner. We are waiting for a proper investigation by the CBI." He also informed that the association members have met Health Minister (J.P. Nadda) who is aware of the situation. "Like airports, hospitals too should have a safety protocol system," Asokan said. "Doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of their profession. It is for the authorities to provide safety to the doctors inside hospitals and campuses. Physical assaults are results of the indifference and insensitivity of the concerned authorities to the needs of the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers," the IMA statement said on Thursday. Chandigarh, Aug 16 : The Faculty Association of PGIMER in Chandigarh has decided to support the strike call of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) along with other associations on August 17 in solidarity with the resident doctors following the recent gruesome incident at Kolkata. Accordingly, all outpatient department services will remain closed in PGIMER on Saturday. However, emergency and critical care services will continue as before, an official spokesperson for PGIMER said. In a media briefing by the PGI Faculty Association to apprise the public about the ongoing resident protest and demands put forth by them, it said the association strongly condemns the heinous act that happened in R G Kar Institute Kolkata. "We demand immediate implementation of CPA and demand justice to the victim and victim's family by awarding strict punishment to all the perpetrators involved in the crime. "We are committed fully to patient safety and running all emergency and ICU services round the clock. The faculty is providing support to the residents by taking care of OPDs and patients in the wards. Faculties will be taking part in the agitation of the residents only after working hours," it said in a statement. As safety and security is the concern of all healthcare staff, all associations came forward to support the ongoing stir of residents. A joint Action Group has been formed to coordinate the activities of the ongoing agitation, it said. "We appreciate the administration for pro-actively taking steps for the security of the residents and healthcare staff within the hospital and PGI campus. "We request the administration for immediate or emergency implementation of the safety and security measure," it added. Mumbai, Aug 16 : Indian actress Priyanka Chopra had once mocked her own accent and said that it "changes like every two days." Mumbai, Aug 16 (IANS) Indian actress Priyanka Chopra had once mocked her own accent and said that it "changes like every two days." A resurfaced video of Priyanka shows the actress discussing that when she gets angry, she starts "thinking in Hindi". "When I get made, whatever it might be at anything. I think in Hindi. Anyway my accent changes like every two days right." She then quipped: "When the flight goes up my accent changes. Air France vous-la-vous So, it doesn't matter. So, my accent keeps changing so often it is hard for me to keep up with it." The actress shared an observation her husband and popstar Nick Jonas made. "So, apparently this is an observation my husband has made. Whenever I get angry when my accent becomes so Indian that he cannot understand. He physically changes my direction and says 'talk to the wall' when you are willing to have a conversation then move like that." On Friday, wished her brother-in-law, Joe Jonas, whom she referred to as the "coolest cat in town," on his 35th birthday. Priyanka posted a picture featuring her, her husband Nick Jonas, and Joe. In the image, Priyanka is seen wrapped around Nick's arm, while Joe smiles at the camera for a pose. For the caption, she wrote: "Happiest birthday to the coolest cat in town." Joe got married to English actress Sophie Turner in 2019. In 2023, the two filed for divorce. They have two daughters. Meanwhile, Priyanka wrapped up shooting for "The Bluff," a swashbuckler film helmed by Frank E. Flowers. The film was being shot in Australia. It also features popular names such as Karl Urban, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Safia Oakley-Green, and Vedanten Naidoo. "The Bluff" will have Priyanka playing an ex-pirate who protects her family when her past catches up with her. Agartala/Guwahati, Aug 16 : Three Rohingyas, including two women, were arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel from Agartala railway station on Friday. An official said that the GRP personnel arrested the Myanmar nationals from Agartala railway station on Friday before boarding a train to go to other Indian states. He said that the Rohingyas, aged between 19 to 27 years old, entered Tripura illegally from Bangladesh. More than one million displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar have been living in Cox's Bazar in southeast Bangladesh since 2017. Officials said that over the last three months, around 250 Bangladeshi nationals and 35 Rohingyas were arrested by the GRP, Border Security Force (BSF), and Tripura Police from the Agartala railway station and various other places in Tripura after they illegally entered India. Meanwhile, the Additional Director General (ADG) of Border Security Force (BSF), Eastern Command, Ravi Gandhi after visiting the Guwahati frontier for four days reviewed the operational preparedness of the force and prevailing security scenario along the frontiers. ADG Gandhi said that the BSF is committed to ensuring the security and safety of the country, particularly in light of the challenges arising from the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh. After visiting bordering areas under the Guwahati frontier, he urged all personnel to remain vigilant and continue their exemplary work in maintaining the integrity of the India-Bangladesh international border. He interacted with field commanders, thoroughly reviewing the border domination plan and assessing the operational preparedness to counter any threats. Gandhi, who is also heading a committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to monitor the current situation on the India-Bangladesh border, in a meeting conducted a comprehensive review of the operational preparedness and prevailing security scenario along the frontiers. Gandhi praised the tireless efforts and unwavering dedication of the BSF personnel in safeguarding the nationas borders. BSFas Guwahati Frontier Inspector General Makrand Deouskar and other senior officials briefed the ADG focusing on the current security challenges posed by unrest in Bangladesh and the necessary measures being taken to combat these issues. The discussions highlighted strategies to prevent any form of infiltration and to control trans-border crimes, ensuring the safety and security of the border areas. Guwahati, Aug 16 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday that the state government will give priority to give land pattas to schools and temples, and the third version of "Mission Basundhara" programme will be launched on October 2. Speaking at a function here, the Chief Minister said, "This initiative will give land rights to the religious and educational institutes giving them stability and security. Under "Mission Basundhara" initiative, land pattas will be given to schools and temples." According to CM Sarma, there are many Namghars across the state which have completed 50-100 years; however, they do not have any land pattas. The new government initiative aims to provide them legal rights over the land, he added. He said that "Mission Basundhara" will end conflicts between owners of the same land due to complexities in maintaining the land boundaries. "The name of the owner of a land will be written on the map after the government converts the data written by circle officers. This will ease in selling and buying land by people and a No Objection Certificate will not be required," CM Sarma added. He also mentioned that the new mission will ensure the land rights of indigenous communities of the state. The Chief Minister said, "Under Mission Basundhara 3.0, revenue villages will be created for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. This will be a unique feature for accomodating people belonging to these communities." Jaipur, Aug 17 : BJP's national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Friday questioned the 'silence' of the INDIA bloc members, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week. Addressing a press conference at the BJP office here, Bhatia also termed Mamata Banerjee a "ruthless" leader, claiming that law and order has collapsed in West Bengal. "Mamata Banerjee, who has failed to ensure women's safety, should resign. The BJP will not tolerate the injustice being meted out to our sisters. Now that the CBI has taken over the probe, the guilty should get the harshest punishment at the earliest. No criminal should be spared, no matter how big a leader is protecting him," the BJP leader said. Stating that the heinous crime has shaken the country to its core, Bhatia said, "Trinamool goons are trying to destroy evidence by attacking those protesting peacefully seeking justice. They also tried to destroy evidence in the crime scene. The 'goonda raj' is at its peak in Bengal where law and order has collapsed completely. Mamata Banerjee is crushing freedom of expression in Bengal," said Bhatia. "Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and other leaders of the INDIA bloc were seen roaming around with a copy of Constitution in their hands. But by remaining silent on the Kolkata issue, they are killing the soul of the same Constitution," the BJP leader said. Bhatia also said that the opposition leaders should rise above vote-bank politics and speak against such heinous crimes. Demanding the resignation of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Bhatia said, "If Mamata Banerjee is unable to handle the state, she should resign. Her cruelty can be gauged from the fact that the victim's family members were not even allowed to see her body for hours. Also, an attempt was made to term the incident as suicide." Moscow, Aug 17 : The Russian military has repelled a group missile attack on the Crimean Bridge and drone attacks over the Black Sea overnight, the Russian Defence Ministry said. "Air defence systems repelled a group attack by 12 US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles on the Crimean Bridge over the night. All missiles were destroyed," the Ministry said on Friday in a statement. Earlier on Friday, the Ministry added that Ukraine had launched drone attacks in the Black Sea on Thursday and that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed five Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea, Xinhua news agency reported. Russian helicopters destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned boats in the Black Sea heading in the direction of Crimea, it said. The Crimean Bridge was illegally constructed following Russia's annexation of Crimea to connect the Russian mainland with Kerch, a city on the far eastern tip of the Crimean peninsula. Russia's claims come hours after Ukraine's Odesa region Military Administration said that there are indications that Ukraine successfully struck a ferry crossing in the city of Kerch in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight. Explosions rang out across multiple cities in occupied Crimea overnight on Friday, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel claimed, citing local residents. A fire was reported near the city of Kerch, in the area of the Kerch ferry crossing. Residents in Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Kerch heard explosions around 3:30 a.m. local time, according to local media reports. Multiple explosions were also reported in the community of Chernomorsk in Russia's neighbouring Krasnodar Krai at around 4:30 a.m. local time. The Crimean Bridge was reportedly closed to traffic around 2 a.m., local residents reported. The bridge reportedly reopened at around 7 a.m. local time. Khartoum, Aug 17 : At least 80 people were killed in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a village in Sinnar state in central Sudan, a volunteer group said. "The RSF launched a bloody attack yesterday (Thursday) on the Jalqni village of (Abu Hujar locality) in Sinnar state, after a five-day siege, killing at least 80 people," the Sinnar Youth Gathering said on Friday in a statement. "The attack came after the RSF tried to kidnap girls from the village, which the residents resisted, leading to this massacre," the statement said. It added that the "RSF militia" responded to the citizens' resistance by opening fire indiscriminately and storming homes, Xinhua news agency reported. The RSF has not yet issued any comment on the incident. Since June, the RSF has controlled large parts of Sinnar state, including the state's capital city of Singa, while the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) controls the eastern Sinnar area. According to the International Organisation for Migration, the fighting in Sinnar state has displaced more than 725,000 people. Sudan has been witnessing a deadly conflict between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023, which has resulted in the loss of at least 16,650 lives. An estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced in Sudan, with nearly 2.2 million others seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, according to recent UN data. Ceasefire talks began on Wednesday in Switzerland, hosted by US, Saudi and Swiss mediators, though the Sudanese army refused to take part. Previous rounds of negotiations in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia have failed to produce an agreement to end the fighting. The RSF, which since April 2023 has been battling Sudan's regular army, captured the Sennar state capital of Sinja in June. The state connects central Sudan to the army-controlled southeast, where hundreds of thousands of people have sought refuge. The RSF controls most of the capital Khartoum, the central state of Al-Jazira, the vast western Darfur region and large swathes of Kordofan in the south. The war pits Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the RSF led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. It has pushed the country of 48 million to the brink of famine, according to the United Nations, and killed tens of thousands of people, with some estimates of up to 150,000, according to US envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello. More than 10 million people are currently displaced across Sudan, most in areas facing worsening humanitarian conditions as fighting spreads. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including deliberately targeting civilians and blocking humanitarian aid. Despite the Sudanese army's no-show at the Switzerland negotiations, Perriello told AFP the talks were having some success, simply by casting international focus on Sudan at a time "when the world was turning its attention away". Burhan's authorities have announced that the western Adre border crossing with Chad was set to reopen for humanitarian deliveries. Opening the crossing "has been an essential demand for months now, to move humanitarian aid into some of the parts of Darfur that have had the most acute starvation and hunger," Perriello said. New Delhi, Aug 17 : India and Japan are set to hold the upcoming third round of the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers' Meeting on August 20 in New Delhi to advance their strategic partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent India, while Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa will attend on behalf of Japan. This meeting follows the previous two rounds held in New Delhi in 2019 and Tokyo in 2022. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday highlighting the significance of the 2+2 dialogue, said, "2+2 dialogue with Japan is very important for us and this is third one that is happening. India-Japan relation is at a very high level. Getting the Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers of both countries on the same platform will give a major boost to all aspects of our relationship." The talks will give a major boost to overall India-Japan ties, Jaiswal added. The '2+2' dialogue with Japan was initiated to further deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries. India has the '2+2' ministerial format of dialogue with very few countries including the US, Australia and Russia. Earlier this month, Extern Affairs Minister Jaishankar acknowledged the strategic alignment between India and Japan, noting the potential for increased business collaboration and the importance of working closely with Tokyo. In addition to the 2+2 meeting, MEA Spokesperson Jaiswal also discussed the upcoming Voice of Global South Summit, which India will host on August 17. This summit, conducted virtually like its predecessors, aims to unite countries from the Global South to discuss shared priorities and perspectives. "All Global South countries have been invited. We have a large number of countries participating. As to the exact number of countries who will be speaking, we will give you an update tomorrow," he said. The event aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of inclusive development and Indiaas philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,' emphasising global unity and cooperation. "I can say with confidence that New England boaters have never seen motor yachts that look like the Fjord line nor perform with such incredible efficiency and fine handling," said Michael Gisch, general manager of Oyster Harbors Marine. Post this "We are pleased to have gained such a strong partner and look forward to working with Oyster Harbors Marine," Neumann said in announcing the deal. Offering motor yachts ranging from 39 to 53 feet in length, the Fjord brand is prized throughout Europe for its stunning Scandinavian-influenced designs combined with exquisite German engineering. Fjord was founded in Norway in the 1950s and was acquired by HanseYachts AG of Germany in 2005. The Fjord line is noted for its head-turning hull designs and colors as well as its advanced marine engineering. "I can say with confidence that New England boaters have never seen motor yachts that look like the Fjord line nor perform with such incredible efficiency and fine handling," said Michael Gisch, general manager of Oyster Harbors Marine. "And all of the boats in the Fjord line allow for almost unlimited customization, from the cabins down below to the sundecks above. Customers ready to design and enjoy the yacht of the future will want to see the Fjord line." From its full-service marina and sales office in Osterville on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Oyster Harbors Marine has since expanded to a network of sales offices in Falmouth, MA, Marion, MA, Danvers, MA, Hingham, MA, Newport, RI, Essex, CT, and South Freeport, ME. Established in 1987, Oyster Harbors Marine has earned a reputation for the highest level of professionalism in yacht sales and service. Other brands available at OHM include Albemarle, Everglades, Legacy, Mag Bay, Princess, Regulator, Valhalla, Viking, and Williams Jet Tender. Media Contact Michael Gisch, Oyster Harbors Marine, 1 508-428-2017, [email protected], https://oysterharborsmarine.com SOURCE Oyster Harbors Marine As Swifties well know, one of the roles that megawatt music artist Taylor Swift loves most is that of cat parent. Her trio of captivating kittiesMeredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Buttonaccompany her on tour, make frequent cameos in her social media posts and music videos, and Benjamin Button famously appeared draped, boa-like, around Swifts neck for her Time magazine Person of the Year cover shot in 2023. On January 7, the fluffy felines will truly take center stage when Ten Speed Press publishes their unauthorized biography Karma Is a Cat, the cover of which is seen here for the first time. The picture book, written by childrens book editor Farrin Jacobs and illustrated by designer and art director Katty Huertas, paws deeper into the furry Swift siblings adoption stories, provides information about their breeds (Ragdoll and Scottish Fold) and offers insights on their personalities. And, as fans have come to expect with any Swift-related project, the book includes lots of hidden messages. The title, of course, features a lyric from Swifts song Karma, a track on her 2022 Grammy-winning album Midnights. Karma Is a Cat was produced with a warp speed turnaround and is the first title from Ginee Seo, who took the helm as Ten Speeds VP and editorial director last November. I can honestly say this is some of the most fun Ive had putting a book together in the many years Ive been an editor, she told PW. As someone who knew next to nothing about Taylor Swift before I got into this project, I learned so much. Shes amazing, the cats are adorable, and I think the book reflects all of that along with goodies that will surprise and delight fans of all ages. I cant wait to see what they think of it! Karma joins the parade of Taylor Swift titles already on the market as the pop icon wraps up the European leg of her record-breaking Eras tour this weekend in London. Jacobs, who has described herself as a proud cat lady, shared her enthusiasm for the project as well. When [agent] Elise [Howard] came to me with Ginees idea to do a book about Taylor Swifts cats, I knew immediately it was brilliant, she said. I loved Taylor Swift and her cats before, but having just spent several weeks doing tons of researchand listening to Taylor on repeat for the right ambienceI am in awe of everything she has accomplished and admire her even more. And Kattys art is the perfect balance of gorgeous and irresistibly adorable. Karma Is a Cat by Farrin Jacobs, illus. by Katty Huertas. Ten Speed, $12.99 Jan. 7, 2025 ISBN 978-0-593-83758-0 Kidlit for Kamala, which calls itself a coalition of people who create, share, read, and value childrens books, held a virtual rally on August 11 for both capital-D Democrats and lowercase-D democracy. Organized by authors Martha Brockenbrough and Carrie Firestone, writer and political strategist Celeste Pewter, and editorial consultant Christy Yaros, Kidlit for Kamala has grown to around 900 members in the four weeks since Kamala Harris became 2024s Democratic presidential candidate. The core group put together a logo and website, planned the strategy session, and established a social media presence, including a Facebook group. This is entirely a pantsed effort because all of us have full lives, Brockenbrough said. We just wanted to get this powerful community informed, organized, and rallied around some concrete actions, like volunteering for campaigns, raising awareness of national as well as state races, and teaching the public how to register and how to get to the polls on election day. Billed as a strategy session on social media, the 11-person virtual panel introduced the organizers and seven outspoken compatriots. Among them was poet Nikki Grimes, author of Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice, illustrated by Laura Freeman; Grimess picture book biography was published in 2020, before Harris had been elected vice president, and Grimes updated the wording to reflect Harriss 2024 presidential aspirations. Rajani LaRocca (Red, White, and Whole) shared pages from her 2021 My Little Golden Book About Kamala Harris, illustrated by Ashley Evans. Four more authors on the callElana K. Arnold, Gayle Forman, Marla Frazee, and Natasha Trippletthave firsthand experience with censorship and stand for democratic values including the freedom to read. Eleni Kavros DeGraw, a state representative in her second term in Connecticuts 17th district, also joined the session; this November, DeGraw faces Republican opponent Manju Gerber, president of Hartford Countys Moms for Liberty chapter. Getting Out the Youth Vote Kidlit for Kamalas motivating principle is if young people show up, we will win, Brockenbrough told PW. Every vote counts, and young voters are going to make all the difference on November 5. Recalling that four important swing states including Arizona and Michigan flipped from red to blue in 2020, in large part due to young voters, she emphasized the importance of engaging people ages 1824. These are the voters who, if they show up, will ensure we have a Harris/Walz presidency, she said. They need to know how to register, and if they need an absentee ballot, they need a reminder to get that ballot in. Although freedom to read campaigns and literary associations often must remain nonpartisan as a condition of their funding, the grassroots Kidlit for Kamala proudly stumps for Democrats. This is directly in our lane as childrens creators, Brockenbrough said. [The Heritage Foundations conservative platform] Project 2025 wants to not only ban books but punish our teacher and librarian allies. We intend to use our skills with words and images to persuade the wider world that freedom and inclusivity are qualities that make Harris and [VP candidate] Tim Walz best suited to lead the nation. Unlike recent Harris benefits like Win with Black Women and White Dudes for Harris, the August 11 virtual event wasnt an election fundraiser. Money is not the focus of our efforts, Brockenbrough said. The focus is information, communication, and solidarity. Kidlit for Kamala members who do want to contribute financially are being steered toward a political action committee, the State Government Citizens Campaign, aimed at supporting the Democratic ticket at the state level. Participating author Forman said during the virtual event that shed helped found SGCC in 2017 and the organization has since raised $5 million for state races. Its often cheaper to flip the balance of power in an entire chamber [in the statehouse] than it is to win a single competitive congressional seat, Forman said, and state legislatures have the power to determine voting districts and shape policies that can swing a national election. In addition to educating voters, Kidlit for Kamala will encourage its creative members to make art, tell stories, and have a good time on the campaign trail. Guard your joy, Forman reminded listeners. I want us all to take a moment to kind of marinate in how great it feels to feel good again, united around Democratic candidates. Connecticut Rep. DeGraw urged audience members to try knocking on doors or phone banking with their community as a way to support candidates. It really is more fun together, DeGraw said. And you know, writing is such a solitary pursuit that if youre looking for a little social interaction, this is not the least fun way to do it. Firestone suggested that voting can be a celebratory occasion, best done with friends. My idea is to make Election Day fun and social, Firestone said. Were starting the hashtag #ComeVoteWithMe as a way to encourage people to have a breakfast with some people and go vote together, or have a play date and vote with your play group. Go out after work with your colleagues and vote together. We can do that virtually with our readers as well; many of them will be voting for the first time. For Pewter, a campaign strategist looking forward to her middle grade nonfiction debut, Infinite Sky (Bloomsbury, 2026), Kidlit for Kamala combined two personal favorites: politics and books for young readers. Ive worked in every level of governmentI like to call it political bingo, Pewter said. I am so glad that we are here today. We know were preaching to the choir, and now we need the choir to sing. America is under attack, and the weapon of choice is disguised as a shopping app on your phone. Temu, the Chinese e-commerce giant, has lured millions of Americans with its promise of unbeatable prices and convenience. But behind the flashy deals lies a dark reality: Temu isnt just selling you cheap trinketsit's stealing your data, violating your privacy, and potentially compromising national security. This isnt the first time weve faced such a threat. From Huawei to TikTok, the pattern is clear. The evidence against Temu is damning, and the time for action is now. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has sounded the alarm, filing a bombshell lawsuit that exposes Temu for what it really is: "dangerous malware" and a "data-theft business." This isn't just another shopping app; it's a sophisticated spying tool that gives itself "unrestricted access" to everything on your phoneyour messages, your photos, even your fingerprints! But it gets worse. Temu is led by former Chinese Communist Party officials, making it a direct pipeline of American data straight to Beijing. Under China's draconian laws, Temu is legally obligated to hand over all that juicy information to the Chinese government. This isn't just about stolen selfies or embarrassing text messagesit's about national security. Imagine if sensitive data from millions of Americans, including military personnel or government employees, were to fall into the hands of a foreign adversary. The implications for our national defense and public safety are staggering. The accusations are staggering: Temu allegedly installs hidden spyware on your device, monitoring your every digital move. The app can reportedly override your privacy settings, access your camera, and even read your private messages. There are serious concerns that Temu products may be made with Uyghur slave labor, violating U.S. laws and contributing to one of the most egregious human rights abuses of our time. The Chinese governments brutal crackdown on the Uyghur population in Xinjiang has led to widespread forced labor, and by purchasing from Temu, Americans may unwittingly be supporting this atrocity. The moral and legal consequences of allowing such a company to operate unchecked on American soil are profound. Temu has already been kicked off app stores once for "nefarious activities." Now it's time to act: Congress must act immediately to ban Temus CCP forward operations in the United States. State governors and attorneys general across the nation should turn pressure into action. Ban Temu from state devices, continue to launch investigations, and use all means at your disposal to protect your citizens' data. Consumers, delete the app now! That $5 gadget isn't worth compromising your familys personal information and aiding a foreign adversary. Temu isn't just a harmless shopping appit's a Trojan horse, designed to infiltrate our phones, our lives, and our nation's security. The Chinese Communist Party is laughing all the way to the data bank while Americans unknowingly hand over their digital lives. Other countries are beginning to recognize and address similar threats, and the United States must take a leadership role in safeguarding its citizens. It's time to shut down Temu before it's too late. Congress, state leaders, it's time to act. Protect Americaban Temu now. Brian J. Cavanaugh served on the National Security Council from 20182021 as the Senior Director for Resilience under Presidents Trump. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Homeland Security and Technology at American Global Strategies, a firm founded by former National Security Advisor Robert OBrien and NSC Chief of Staff Alex Gray. August marks the 42nd anniversary of President Ronald Reagans Third U.S.-China Joint Communique. Reagan accomplished this feat during a period of intense debate over the United States relationship with China to avoid a cross-Strait crisis. While todays debate appears to reject hard-nosed diplomacy, interest-based and clear-eyed diplomacy with China is needed to restore stability to the relationship. A fourth communique would be a bold and beneficial tool to reorient U.S.-China relations to focus on national interests and avoid conflict. Both Washington and Beijing use the Three Communiques as the framework for relations. A new one could establish additional guidance for the conduct and goals of each countrys policy. It should begin with focusing on issues and tension points in the U.S.-China relationship, namely trade, national security, and political affairs. Both countries should acknowledge that trade and investment restrictions including Chinese market access and fair treatment and U.S. technology trade controls and tariffs have created tension and distrust. Recognizing key national security issues, such as Chinese espionage and support for Russias war in Ukraine and U.S. military operations near China, are important to clearing the air. Even mentioning different interpretations of human rights and political systems as a source of distrust in the relationship would signal that despite the existing political chasm, Washington and Beijing are willing to talk. Each countrys redlines should be clearly defined, setting the guardrails of the U.S.-China relationship. Like with the previous Three Communiques creating a flexible Taiwan policy which has preserved regional peace, inclusion of redlines should be specific enough for each country to know when to back down, but vague enough to allow interpretation to meet domestic political needs. Washington should unequivocally affirm its vital interests are safeguarding U.S. sovereignty and territorial integrity (including its overseas territories), economic prosperity, and political system. Likewise, Beijing should restate its core interests of sovereignty (meaning rejecting outside interference in Chinas domestic political affairs), territorial integrity, and economic development. Offering potential pathways to reduce tension points while avoiding the redlines in a mutually beneficial way should form the final third of the communique. Given the complementary but competing nature of their redlines, a realistic roadmap to managing the relationship to avoid conflict should be possible. The core of the trade section should be reciprocity. Both sides should seek to implement reciprocal trade, investment, and regulatory policies. Beijing would largely be responsible for implementing these policies. Upon verified and sustained implementation, Washington could lift non-national and economic security related trade and investment restrictions. This would create a more level economic playing field with global implications, allowing U.S. workers and businesses to better compete for jobs and markets. A national security component should focus on conflict minimization. Washington and Beijing should commit to diplomatic initiatives to resolve key flashpoints, like the South and East China Sea disputes, and respect the outcomes. This means China should consider both bilateral and multilateral engagements to move a South China Sea resolution forward with the United States agnostic on how it is resolved. Agreeing to avoid dangerous military maneuvers to minimize the risk of an accident which could spiral into conflict should be a no brainer. While primarily focusing on the Indo-Pacific region, casting a wider net to Latin America and Eastern Europe, where U.S. security interests are more important or where the United States could be drawn into war, should be considered. China should broadly commit to extricating itself from Latin America, with the U.S. goal of closing the Chinese spy base in Cuba and military-run space station in Argentina, to further reduce tensions. Additionally, both countries could agree to work toward a swift resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war given nuclear escalation risks benefiting no one. Dialogue should also be expanded on the condition that progress is made in other areas. Though not a return to the grandiose U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, talking more and at higher levels would help both sides air grievances and work to address problems before they become crises. Finally, the fourth communiques remarks on political issues should be clear, but brief: respect for political systems with no intention to change them. Beijing should commit to non-interference or influence in U.S. elections at any level, including through social media, donations, or other means. Equally, Washington should pledge to respect Chinas form of government and to not seek or support regime change in China, which would include balkanization. Crafting a new document with China will be difficult especially during or after a U.S. election but one could be used to redefine U.S.-China relations in a more useful direction and avoid conflict. The Reagan administrations courage in 1982 could be the inspiration needed for the President of the United States and Xi Jinping to make it happen. Quinn Marschik is a Contributing Fellow at Defense Priorities. 'There will be 200 ITIs developed as hubs, while 800 will be developed as spoke, connected with five National Skill Training Institutes.' The Skill Ministry will lead government's efforts to upgrade 1,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in a hub and spoke model under a centrally sponsored scheme with an outlay of Rs 60,000 crore (Rs 600 billion). Secretary in the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship Atul Kumar Tiwari explains the idea behind the scheme and the challenges ahead in an interview with Shiva Rajora and Asit Ranjan Mishra/Business Standard. The Budget has turned the spotlight on skill development as a tool for employment generation, with the FM's emphasis on upgrading 1,000 ITIs. Your assessment? The Union Budget has brought back the focus on ITIs, which have been the foundation of the long-term (skill) training in the country. With the changing times, the ITIs need an upgrade. We also have to break the conundrum wherein states are incentivised [to improve the ITIs]. This scheme shows the central government's thrust on skilling and highlights the role industry and states have to play in this regard. What will the modalities of this scheme be? Has the ministry prepared a blueprint for the same? Our ministry is planning to undertake one-on-one consultations with industry associations in key sectors. For example, [with] Tata Projects, L&T, Credai for the construction sector, green energy, textiles and garments, advanced manufacturing, heavy engineering, automobiles, process industry, electronics, and telecom. These consultations will be essential for the synthesis of the scheme to ensure optimum funding, improve state and industry participation, and prepare detailed guidelines. A state government will also be consulted extensively over the coming weeks to seek inputs. There will be 200 ITIs developed as hubs, while 800 will be developed as spoke, connected with five National Skill Training Institutes. Previously, there were attempts to improve ITIs. How is this new programme different? This scheme will adopt a challenging method for selecting ITIs, ensuring state participation, industry collaboration, and an outcome-driven implementation strategy, making it distinct from previous efforts. The financial assistance provided under various schemes in the past was suboptimal to cover the entire upgrade needs of the ITIs to meet growing investment needs for infrastructure upkeep, capacity expansion, and the introduction of capital-intensive new-age trades. For the first time, the role of industry will be measured in quantifiable terms and will help the ITIs. Has the industry agreed to pay Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion) share in the scheme? Will this money come from CSR funds? If not and this is voluntary, then the industry may choose not to participate. The industry has been helping state governments in modernising ITIs. This scheme will provide a kind of framework wherein the three stakeholders (Centre, states and industry) will be roped in. Some sectors, which have enhanced the demand for skilled workers like textiles, construction, telecom, and automobiles, will try to bring industries in these areas in a cluster-based format and develop the course and curriculum in tandem with their demand. The [Rs 10,000 crore] component will come from industry. We are not saying it is CSR or anything, it has to come from the industry, like the Tata group carved out a separate company, which is running two skills schools -- one in Mumbai and the other in Ahmedabad. It doesn't mention CSR, but goes beyond it. The industry has to come in suitable ways to help us. We hope that more entities will come. We have created a framework in which we will have to work and create a win-win situation and incentives for industry to come forward and collaborate and improve the situation in ITIs. When do you expect the guidelines to be finalised? The Budget lays out the broad contours of the scheme. We just have to link them together. We are already having consultations with stakeholders. By the end of September, the guidelines are expected to be finalised. Vacancies in ITIs -- both in terms of students and faculty -- are causes for concern. How will this scheme look to improve upon this aspect? What will be the role of state governments and industry? Filling the posts of instructors is an administrative matter for the respective state governments. Under the scheme, the recruitment of instructors and the provisions in the Budget by state governments would be a necessary condition for the release of grant-in-aid. Support from the industry for course design, trainers, and machinery will be worked out and it also provides for capacity augmentation of the five National Skill Training Institutes, which will support the training of ITI trainers. Further provision for pre-service and in-service training for 50,000 individuals will also be included under the scheme. It is anticipated that redesigning courses to align with industry requirements under the scheme will enhance their appeal and boost enrolment. With the announcement of the internship scheme in the Union Budget, what happens to the apprenticeship programme? Internship is not apprenticeship. Apprenticeship programmes will continue and the data shows positive growth in the uptake of apprentices in the companies. It is regulated and obligatory under the Apprenticeship Act 1961, which puts the onus on the firms to hire apprentices, while internship is voluntary by nature. The Budget also announced the model skill loan scheme. Given that such a scheme was already in place. How is the new scheme different from the previous scheme? Some skilling programmes are expensive and this scheme will help facilitate students to avail easy financing for these programmes. The revised scheme will facilitate loans up to Rs 750,000 compared to Rs 150,000 earlier, and will cover courses other than those aligned to the National Skill Qualifications Framework, provided the courses are available on the Skill India Digital Hub portal. The new credit guarantee scheme has now been extended to non-banking financial companies, microfinance institutions, and small finance banks. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com 'The plan is to assemble most of the new phones in India within three years.' IMAGE: The new Pixel 9 smart phone series is displayed at a Made by Google event in Mountain View, California, August 13, 2024. Google unveiled a new line of Pixel smartphones plus a new smart watch and wireless earbuds at its annual hardware event. Photograph: Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters In a major push for local manufacturing, Google has started assembling the Pixel 8 in India through its vendor, Wowtek Technology India. Wowtek, a subsidiary of Bharat FIH and part of the Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), operates a factory in Tamil Nadu. Senior officials from the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) have indicated that Google plans to shift the majority of its mobile device assembly, including Pixel, to India within three years. At present, Pixel phones are manufactured in Vietnam and China. Google began assembling Pixel phones in China in 2016 and moved part of the production to Vietnam in 2019 due to rising US-China tensions. Google launched the Pixel 9 on Tuesday. A senior Meity official revealed, "Initially, a limited number of phones will be assembled, but as production stabilises, the plan is to assemble most of their new phones in India within three years. "This strategy mirrors Apple's approach, which has shifted a sizeable portion of iPhone assembly to India." Bharat FIH is eligible for the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile devices but has yet to claim the 4 to 6 per cent incentive due to unmet production value and investment targets. One of its largest original equipment manufacturers, Xiaomi, has reduced its partnership with Bharat FIH and opted for other players, including Dixon Technologies (India). In a related development, Foxconn has decided to double its capacity in India to accommodate the increased assembly of iPhones and its new contract with Google. Foxconn has committed to creating 100,000 direct jobs, up from the current 50,000. Foxconn Chairman Young Liu, who is visiting India, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is expected to meet with senior Meity officials to discuss expansion plans. In October 2023, Google announced its intention to assemble Pixel phones in India and began scouting for vendors. While Bharat FIH was selected for assembling non-Apple devices, Google has also finalised a deal with Dixon (which is also eligible for the PLI scheme). Despite being a minor player in the global mobile market -- with a 0.25 per cent share in the first quarter of 2024 compared to Apple's 17 per cent -- Google's entry into Indian assembly could boost its presence. In India, Google's market share was just 0.25 per cent in 2023, though this was double the previous year's figure. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com 'The biggest impact will be on coal and hence on power cost. Then comes iron ore, coking coal, bauxite.' Photograph: Andrew Yates/Reuters Tata Steel and the United Kingdom's (UK's) newly elected Labour government are in discussion on grants to fund the transition to greener steel and are exploring a viable business case beyond what was agreed upon with the Conservative government. In a video interview with Ishita Ayan Dutt/Business Standard, T V Narendran, managing director and chief executive officer, Tata Steel, discusses issues from the UK strategy to the potential impact of the recent Supreme Court ruling on mineral tax. Dutch operations are back to normal, but Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) losses in the UK continue. What is the outlook on Europe? Operations in the Netherlands will continue to stabilise and get better operationally. We were operating almost at a 6.8 million tonne (mt) annual production level in the first quarter. The aim is to take it to 7 mt. Also, a lot of initiatives are going on to take out costs so that we get operations in the Netherlands back to where they belong. Typically, they are at the top of the table in the European steel industry. In the UK, after the losses in Q1 and Q2, we will see a better situation because all the heavy-end assets will have been closed by the end of September. So, H2 should be better than H1 for Tata Steel Europe. Tata Steel had earlier said the transition could potentially impact 2,800 jobs in the UK. With the Labour government aiming to secure "job guarantees", can that number come down? The government is supportive and wants to find a better future. They (the government) are asking if we would like to add other facilities with support from the government. If we can invest in some downstream then that is one way of creating or protecting some more jobs. There is no significant change in our plan but we are in conversation to see if there are any further ideas that can be explored. From our point of view, due to natural attrition, the number (of impacted jobs) may have come down to 2,600. And we have 1,700-1,800 people indicating an interest in the voluntary redundancy scheme. So the gap between how many people need to go and how many people are willing to go has become shorter. We are moving in the right direction and we are also trying to do it in the best manner possible. Does this mean that there is no risk to the Pound 500 million grant from the UK government? We are separating it into two. One is the grant agreement for the electric arc furnace (EAF). If there is something else, that will be a separate discussion. In that sense, there is no risk. If there is no grant-funding agreement, there is no EAF. That is not what anyone wants. Is there a possibility of higher investment in the UK? The Labour government has said there is a Pound 3 billion fund available. In this, Pound 500 million is coming to us. They are saying, if you want more, come back with a proposal and we are happy to support you. But that has to be a viable proposal for us and them. We will evaluate the second phase over the next few months and if there is a business case, we will look at it. When do you think the grant-funding agreement will be executed? The agreement has been finalised or negotiated. During this quarter, we hope we have a "Heads of Terms" agreement. You have indicated Rs 17,347 crore as the impact of the Supreme Court ruling on mineral tax. So this is what you have to pay if the court rules states can retrospectively impose taxes on mineral extraction? Not necessarily. This is what we have been declaring in our annual reports every year as contingent liabilities. It's been growing every year. There was an Act in 2005 which we contested and it was quashed in the Odisha High Court. Before it was quashed, the Odisha government had indicated what was payable. We don't have a demand beyond that. Odisha appealed in the Supreme Court. Since it was pending litigation, we kept adding it to our contingent liabilities. But given the Supreme Court judgment we had to notify it in the interests of transparency. Once we have the full judgment we would need to look at all the aspects and then contest it. Is the ruling cause for concern for Tata Steel, which has mines in Jharkhand and Odisha? It's cause for concern for the mining industry and any downstream business based on it. The biggest impact will be on coal and hence on power cost. Then comes iron ore, coking coal, bauxite. There is concern on what will be the cascading effect of this on everything that is made using iron ore or coal or bauxite. The court has given guiding principles based on the existing law. The government at the Centre also has to take a call on the amendments that it wants to make to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. Skill development was a focus area for the Budget. What is your view on the new internship programme? It's not just about taking interns but making sure they have meaningful work to do. Tata Steel has a process of taking interns. So we are waiting for the details and then we'll see what needs to be done. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Pakistan wanted to be constitutionally communal, India wanted to be secular but is communalising itself. All three nations share a penal code, but they have amended their laws to enable the State to specifically target minorities, points out Aakar Patel. IMAGE: Hindus block the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka, August 10, 2024, to protest violence against their community. Photograph: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters Events in Bangladesh and the overthrow of the government have come with predictable violence especially against the minorities, particularly Hindus. Attacking minorities is for some reason a pillar of nationalism in South Asia's post independence States. All nations here also contend with an unresolved identity crisis. The constitution of Bangladesh opens with the phrase 'Bismillah ir rahman ir rahim'. Article 2A says that 'the State religion of the Republic is Islam, but the State shall ensure equal status and equal right in the practice of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and other religions'. A 2010 order from Bangladesh's supreme court apparently restored secularism. It said that the 'preamble and the relevant provisions of the Constitution in respect of secularism, nationalism and socialism, as existed on 15 August 1975, will revive'. However, it left the text on the State's religion untouched. And so, we have the unusual situation of a nation whose constitution opens with a Quranic verse in the name of Allah, the preamble pledges 'that the high ideals of nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism shall be the fundamental principles of the Constitution' but there is also a State religion, which is Islam. Bangladesh has its weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday and is one of the few nations that works on Sunday. This is a practice that even Pakistan does not follow. At independence, Pakistan integrated religion into law because it felt this would lend a positive impulse to the nation. Explaining this, Pakistan's first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan said material and scientific development had leapt ahead of the development of the human individual. The result was that man was able to produce inventions that could destroy the world and society. This had happened only because man had chosen to ignore his spiritual side and if he had retained more faith in god, this problem would not have come up. It was religion, he said, that tempered the dangers of science and as Muslims, Pakistanis would adhere to Islam's ideals and make a contribution to the world. The State's enabling of Muslims to lead their lives in alignment with Islam did not concern non-Muslims, so obviously they should not have a problem with the reference to that, he said. What happened instead was that the laws concerning Pakistan's Muslims fell away in time. Early Islam existed at a time when there were no jails. Punishment for criminal offences was usually corporal instead of detention. Pakistan introduced amputation of limbs as punishment for theft and trained a set of terrified doctors to carry these out. But Pakistan's judges, trained in common law like India's, were reluctant to pass these sentences and so the laws remained frozen and unused. Pakistan introduced stoning as a punishment for adultery but nobody has been stoned to death. A brief period of enthusiasm for lashing those accused of drinking alcohol ended, and, in 2009, the federal Shariat court read down the punishment for lashing, with the judges saying drinking was a lesser crime. Under president Pervez Musharraf Pakistan changed the punishment for rape -- which was conflated with fornication if the survivor could not produce witnesses to the act -- from Shariah back to the penal code. The law enforcing zakat by debiting 2.5 per cent from the bank accounts of Pakistan's Sunnis failed because people withdrew their money just before it was due to happen. The Shia, who have a hierarchical clergy to whom they give the money directly, had previously objected and were exempted. The law enforcing fasting in Ramzan -- quite needless because most subcontinental Muslims observe the fast anyway -- ran into opposition after Muslim restaurant owners and multiplex owners complained. A Shariat court order demanding a ban on interest in the banking system has been ignored by successive governments. The last major attempt to Islamise Pakistan was over two decades ago under Nawaz Sharif: The so-called 15th amendment, which was defeated in the senate. Pakistan remains insufficiently Islamic and, with no hierarchical clergy like Iran's, can never become theocratic. Unlikely Saudi Arabia it has never had moral police because Pakistanis are culturally South Asians with local practices. While Pakistan has moved towards secularism, India has moved substantially in the other direction. This has been true since the 1950s but especially in recent times. In 2015, BJP states began criminalising the possession of beef, triggering a series of beef lynchings. In 2019, India's Parliament criminalised the utterance of triple talaq in one sitting, punishing Muslim men for a non-event (because the Supreme Court had already invalidated triple talaq earlier). After 2018, seven BJP states criminalised interfaith marriage by disallowing conversions and invalidating such marriages, including those which had children. Conversions to Hinduism -- defined as 'ancestral religion' -- are exempt and not counted as conversions in the BJP states of Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. Many states have been squeezing Christians through anti-conversion laws. Nobody has ever been convicted of forced conversion so this is not required but the intent is to harass. In 2019, Gujarat tightened a law that keeps Muslims ghettoised by denying them access to purchase and lease of properties from Hindus. In effect, foreigners can buy and rent properties in Gujarat that Gujarati Muslims cannot. We need not get into the treatment of Kashmiris here because the collective punishment imposed on them no longer arouses interest in us. Pakistan wanted to be constitutionally communal, India wanted to be secular but is communalising itself. All three nations share a penal code given to them by Macaulay a century-and-a-half ago. But they have amended their laws to enable the State to specifically target minorities. This is today happening in India and is something that Pakistan went through. One hopes that Bangladesh, with its new beginning, moves towards the secularism that is the inevitable destiny of all three nations that comprised Old India. Aakar Patel is a columnist and writer and you can read Aakar's earlier columns here. 'Days ago, India witnessed the horror of the brutal rape and murder of a woman doctor on night duty at the R G Kar hospital in Kolkata.' 'The crime was so outrageous that any self-respecting chief minister should have resigned, bearing moral responsibility.' 'But then the terms 'self-respect' and 'moral responsibility' do not exist in the modern Indian political lexicon,' argues Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd). IMAGE: A candlelight vigil outside the Jadavpur University campus, condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, August 15, 2024. Photograph: Sahiba Chawdhary/Reuters One-Two, buckle my shoe... Seven-Eight, lay them straight... so went the nursery rhyme designed to teach us numbers. Thursday was our Seven-Eighth Independence Day and let me therefore, lay them straight for people who care to read or stir their sleeping consciences. Celebrating Independence is not about the prime minister hoisting the national flag to a 21-gun salute. It is not about 'Har Ghar Tiranga'. It is not about Whatsapp greetings. It is not about yelling 'Jai Hind' at the top of your voice. It is the sentiment behind such symbology, the vision of our collective future as a nation that is of essence. That, unfortunately, has been hijacked by politics, non-performance, corruption, misgovernance and crime. Just five days ago, India witnessed the horror of the brutal rape and murder of a woman doctor on night duty at the R G Kar hospital in Kolkata. The crime was so outrageous that any self-respecting chief minister should have resigned, bearing moral responsibility. Incidentally, the chief minister also holds the health portfolio. But then the terms 'self-respect' and 'moral responsibility' do not exist in the modern Indian political lexicon. Candlelight marches and processions are not enough. Make 'Women's Safety' the reason why you vote next. IMAGE: A candlelight vigil outside the Jadavpur University campus, condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, August 15, 2024. Photograph: Sahiba Chawdhary/Reuters Despite assurances of addressing common peoples' grievances, corruption is the root cause of our lack of progress. Corruption in government, in all areas where there is public interface, is chronic and almost incurable. The people who stand to lose the most in ill-gotten wealth are the same people who have to initiate the change. The public that votes for change, that votes for a better future, is the most neglected once the elections are over. Make corruption the reason why you vote next. India is the most beautiful country on this planet. I have travelled the world and I can say with confidence that the whole world is contained within India. We have messed our country up by dirtying it with every toxic substance one can imagine. There is no environmental policing and other than a few pockets of extraordinary progress, mostly due to the uncommonly committed officials, the Swachh Bharat slogan rings hollow. Urban civic bodies are totally corrupt and inefficient. And they blame us -- the population, for being too large. Make cleanliness the reason why you vote next. IMAGE: Students protest in New Delhi, August 14, 2024, demanding justice following the rape and murder of a trainee medic in Kolkata. Photograph: Priyanshu Singh/Reuters Organised religion, caste dynamics and politics is a heady combination and all political parties have succumbed to the temptation of religious divisiveness, minority appeasement and caste politics to secure vote banks. India, that has had an inclusive culture for centuries, is under a serious threat of internal strife due to religious intolerance and divisive politics. The multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic identity has to be preserved. Make religious and cultural maturity the reason why you vote next. Do you think the police constable on the street is your friend? Are they supposed to instill a sense of security in you ar are intimidated by their presence? Is helping and correcting people their primary job or is it apprehending and collecting money from ordinary citizens? The police to public ratio in India is among the lowest in the world. We have laws that many experts say are adequate but the same experts lament that enforcement mechanisms are not. So how can one expect good policing? Are the police forces politicised? If they are, does that make them do things that may not always be in the public interest? Are you happy with the law and order situation in the country? Answer these questions and make law enforcement the reason why you vote next. IMAGE: Students of the Maulana Azad College in Kolkata protest over the sexual assault and murder of a trainee doctor at the R G Kar medical college and hospital in the city, August 14, 2024. Photograph:ANI Photo Do we have a national vision for the future? I am not talking of party manifestos. I am talking of a national vision to which all leaders, irrespective of political affiliations must agree. Surely, there are enough issues to agree upon like economic progress, poverty alleviation, technological self-sufficiency, educational reforms, better law and order, cleanliness and so on. Can our leaders come up with a national vision that will commit political parties across the spectrum to a 'path' for national good? Make clarity of a national vision the reason why you vote next. Mere symbolism diverts focus away from the more important aspects of safety, security, welfare and reform. The state of our nation should compel our nation to fly the tricolour at half-mast on our 78th anniversary of Independence. Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd) is a former commander-in-chief of the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com 'The terrorists are using better technology to secure their communication.' 'It does appear that excessive reliance on technology led to a weakening of human intelligence.' IMAGE: A soldier on guard during a massive joint search operation at the Pathi Nalla Khaned at Basantgarh in Udhampur, August 7, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Captain Deepak Singh from Uttarakhand was killed in action battling terrorists in Jammu as the nation prepared to celebrate Independence Day. Two days before that, two soldiers lost their lives in an encounter with terrorists. Last month, Captain Brijesh Thapa and three soldiers sacrificed their lives battling terrorists in Doda. Thirteen soldiers have died in action this past month in Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu region that had been cleared of terrorists by the dogged efforts of the security forces has seen a surge of terror activity recently at an extremely high cost to the Indian Army. What is the reason for this and what are the measures needed to deal with the difficult situation? What impact does it have on the security aspect and the impending assembly election in J&K? Lieutenant General Deependra Singh Hooda (retd), the former Northern Army commander who was the senior most officer to plan and execute the surgical strikes across the border in September 2016, provides an informed perspective in an e-mail interview to Rediff.com's Archana Masih. In his four decade-long career in the Indian Army, the general served four tenures in J&K, including the command of the Jammu corps and the Northern Command. A must read interview: As a former Northern Army commander, what are your foremost thoughts when you read reports of the increased terror attacks in J&K that have taken the lives of over 50 lives security personnel since October 2021? As a former officer who served in the Northern Command, I salute the soldiers who have laid down their lives for the security of our nation. Young lives cut short is always distressing, but it also shows the sincerity and dedication with which the army is operating. However, there is also concern about the rise in terror activities in the Jammu region, an area that was essentially militancy-free till about two years ago. What do you see as the reasons for terrorist activity shifting from Kashmir to Jammu? There are several reasons for this shift. The terrorists are finding themselves under tremendous pressure due to the operations of the security forces in the Kashmir Valley. In the Jammu region, there was some thinning out of the troops, and this perhaps provided some space for terrorists to operate. There has also been a deliberate attempt by Pakistan to push in terrorists in the Jammu region across the international border. The terrain south of the Pir Panjal range is highly rugged and forested, and this, too, poses a challenge for the security forces. IMAGE: Soldiers maintain a strict vigil during a search operation for terrorists in Jammu. Photograph: ANI Photo Terrorists are employing hit and run tactics, attacking in small groups and running away into the thick jungles. What measures are needed to deal with this change of tactics/modus operandi adopted by the terrorists? Is there need for some new ideas to be added to the existing Standard Operating Procedures to prevent the high count of casualties on our side? As terrorists change their tactics, there is also a need for the security forces to review their strategy and SOPs. The army has been fighting terrorism for over 35 years and is very experienced. Nothing needs to change in our tactics drastically. I think it would help if SOPs are strictly observed and there is no laxity from our side. There needs to be an adequate presence of security forces, and this is now being done with additional troops being brought in, both to counter infiltration at the border and to operate in the hinterland. The border areas from Pathankot to Akhnoor are well fortified and defended with double fencing, lighting and detection technology. How then are terrorists able to infiltrate from that side? I know this question is often asked, but there are practical difficulties. In the monsoons, flash floods damage parts of the fence, creating gaps. In the winter, the fog is so thick that visibility drops to a few feet. Tunnels under the fence have also been discovered. The fence does have detection technology, but this is old and needs to be upgraded. We have been talking about a smarter fence for many years, and it should now be implemented as a priority. IMAGE: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha pays his respects in Srinagar, August 11, 2024, to the mortal remains of Havaldar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Parveen Sharma who laid down their lives during an anti-terror operation in Anantnag. Photograph: ANI Photo How can the UAV threat from across the border be countered since UAVs are being used for resupply arms, ammunition and cash? The UAV threat is a new challenge for the Border Security Force and the Army. Frankly, there are no easy answers. We are looking at some counter drone technologies to be deployed to tackle this menace. A very comprehensive plan will have to be made to secure our borders and some steps have started. The Punjab governor had stated last month that anti-drone equipment would be installed on the entire stretch of the Pakistan border within one year. The Jammu region has never been hostile to the armed forces, but there have been some arrests of locals for providing support to terrorists. How are the terrorists gaining success in getting local support? There must be serious introspection on this issue. The population of Jammu has always strongly supported the armed forces and helped roll back militancy in the region. If terrorists are now getting some local support, we must make all efforts to expand our outreach to the people, particularly in remote areas, and ensure that they remain on our side. The Village Defence Guards, who are drawn from the local community, must also be strengthened as they provide the first line of defence against terrorists seeking help and shelter in far-flung villages. IMAGE: Soldiers with sniffer dogs during a search operation in Jammu. Photograph: ANI Photo Has reliance on technological intelligence led to the decline of cultivating human intelligence sources? Technology has provided us with valuable intelligence, but terrorists are also now using better technology to secure their communication. It does appear that excessive reliance on technology led to a weakening of human intelligence. As I said earlier, an outreach to the local population will automatically lead to better human intelligence flowing into the security forces. What important role have such human assets played in tackling terrorism in J&K and how urgent is it to revive it? In early 2000, the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities played a pivotal role in assisting the security forces in fighting terrorism in the Jammu region. They actively participated in army operations like Sarp Vinash in 2003 and provided excellent intelligence. They also suffered at the hands of terrorists, but did not give up their fight against militancy. A look at this history should be a guide to how vital the support of local communities is in countering terrorism. IMAGE: Security personnel on high alert ahead of Independence Day in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, August 14, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Are these attacks aimed at postponing the assembly election? What is your assessment of the security situation in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370? Let me answer the second part first. The security situation has undoubtedly improved in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370. Violence levels in Kashmir have dropped significantly, and separatist activity has almost disappeared. However, the recent uptick in terrorism in Jammu should be a cause of concern and be dealt with as quickly as possible. In my view, postponing elections will be counterproductive for two reasons. First, J&K has been without an elected government since 2018, and the people's right to select their representatives cannot be suspended indefinitely. Second, a postponement of the elections on the grounds of security will put a big question mark on the government's claims that normalcy has returned to J&K after the abrogation of Article 370. I do not think terrorism can cause such a disruption that elections cannot be held. IMAGE: Border Security Force personnel patrol the international border along the Pragwal sector on the outskirts of Jammu, August 14, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo What are the differences for security forces operating in the Jammu region as compared to Kashmir? The most significant difference is in the terrain. A large part of the Kashmir Valley is made up of undulating plains that are well-served by roads and have a high population density. In contrast, the terrain in Jammu, where the terrorists are currently operating, is rugged mountains with dense forest cover. There are few roads in the area, and most of the movement by troops is on foot, which makes it difficult for troops to react speedily to incidents. The population density is also sparse; therefore, human intelligence is limited, and where available, it could take considerable time to reach the security forces. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Tension gripped Jalgaon and Nashik cities in north Maharashtra on Friday after group clashes and stone-pelting during protests organised by a Hindu outfit to condemn atrocities on members of the minority community in Bangladesh, leaving half a dozen policemen injured while controlling the situation, officials said. IMAGE: Police try to disperse mob after two groups resort to stone-pelting during protest against Bangladesh violence, in Nashik, Maharashtra, August 16, 2024. Photograph: ANI on X In Nashik, around 200km from Mumbai, two groups clashed during a bandh called by the Sakal Hindu Samaj in protest against atrocities on minority community members in the neighbouring country, leading to tension in the Bhadrakali area, where police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Police immediately intervened and brought the situation under control, an official said. "The situation is tense but under control. Six tear gas shells and one rubber bullet were fired to disperse the crowd. Around six policemen were injured. Police personnel, including State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) jawans, were deployed in the area to maintain peace," said Nashik police commissioner Sandeep Karnik. Police were in the process of identifying and apprehending the miscreants. "Clashes between two groups were reported from the Bhadrakali Police Station area earlier in the day. Our alert teams immediately responded and brought the situation under control. We are in the process of registering cases and arresting the miscreants. Additional forces have been deployed to maintain peace. We appeal to citizens not to believe in rumours. All shall maintain peace and co-operate with the police," according to a communique from the Nashik city police. Trouble started in the afternoon when Sakal Hindu Samaj members took out a protest march along with a motorbike rally. When the morcha came to Bhadrakali, the protests found some shops were open in defiance of the bandh. When the morcha participants appealed for closure of those shops, verbal arguments erupted between two groups which soon turned into clashes during which stones were pelted, causing damage to some vehicles, said police. "When the march was on, some shops were open. It led to a verbal dispute. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. I have spoken to the (Nashik) commissioner of police and district collector, and the situation is under control," Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan said. In Jalgaon, around 400km from Mumbai, stones were hurled at a vehicle showroom when Sakal Hindu Samaj, an umbrella body of several outfits, took out a protest march. "The incident occurred in Jalgaon city this morning during a protest march by the Sakal Hindu Samaj against the anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. Some unidentified persons hurled a few stones at a two-wheeler showroom," an official said. The glass facade of the showroom got damaged, he said. "Hundreds of supporters of the Sakal Hindu Samaj took part in the march, and the protesters later went to the collector's office and handed over a memorandum listing their demands," the police official said. The incident led to tension for some time, but the situation was brought under control following the intervention of the police, he said. Police personnel were deployed in strength in Jalgaon city as a precautionary measure, he said. Bangladesh saw a spike in violence against members of the Hindu community following the fall of the government led by former PM Sheikh Hasina. She resigned and fled to India on August 5 after massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance, a non-political Hindu religious organisation, has claimed that the minority community has faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since August 5. The Election Commission on Friday said the Maharashtra assembly elections will be announced later, citing the requirement of additional security forces for the Jammu and Kashmir polls and the packed festival season in the western state. IMAGE: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar during the press conference on Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Polls, in New Delhi, August 16, 2024. Photograph: Sanjay Sharma/ANI Photo Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said heavy rains in Maharashtra also led to delays in updation of the voters list in the state, which is considered a crucial step in the electoral process. Kumar also hinted that the Maharashtra elections could be held after Diwali. "There was heavy rainfall in Maharashtra, BLOs (booth level officers) have to complete their work. There are several festivals too that have to be factored in. Ganesh Festival, Pitru Paksha, Navratri, Diwali, all that put together this is what we thought we could handle as two elections at a time," the CEC said. Kumar said the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana were held together in 2019, but Jammu and Kashmir was not a factor at that time. He said there are four elections this year -- Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and a fifth election in Delhi early next year. "Depending on the requirement of forces, which is on a higher tone in J&K, we have decided to conduct two elections together at a time," Kumar said, making it clear that the elections to the Maharashtra Assembly cannot be announced in the middle of the election process in Jammu and Kashmir. The CEC said the elections in Maharashtra will be held before the tenure of its assembly ends. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and the Nationist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar on Friday criticised the Election Commission of India for not declaring the poll schedule for Maharashtra along with that of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, and said it seems the ruling Mahayuti wants more time to "fool" the people of the western state with their fake promises. Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray said despite the talk of "one nation, one election", the ECI cited "constraint on security forces" as one of the reasons for not holding polls in Maharashtra simultaneously with J&K and Haryana. The former state minister took potshots at the poll panel for skipping announcement of the election schedule of Maharashtra, where the term of the current assembly will last till November-end. "What then has changed under the "strong leadership of the BJP" in J&K? Terror attacks are on the rise, which is a fact. Another reason they give is the "rains" in Maharashtra and therefore they haven't completed their formalities. Only Maharashtra has monsoons, not other states, as per the election commission. I guess their boss isn't yet giving them permission to hold elections in Maharashtra," Thackeray said in a post on X. NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar national spokesperson Clyde Crasto argued the BJP-led Mahayuti, the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, is biding time with the help of the poll panel. The ECI has not declared the Maharashtra election schedule because the governing Mahayuti (grand alliance) wants more time to "fool" the people of the state with their fake promises, he maintained. "They want to lure the people into voting for them by announcing a monsoon of schemes and freebies that they know they will not be able to implement," said the NCP-SP spokesperson. Proof of fooling the people was visible when Independent MLA aligned to the Mahayuti, Ravi Rana, said the monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 to be given to eligible women under the state government's 'Ladki Bahin Yojana' will be taken back if they (ruling bloc) do not get the votes of beneficiaries, Crasto said. The Mahayuti, which also includes the Shiv Sena and the NCP, is biding time with the ECI's help because the voters of Maharashtra gave them a drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha Elections, he emphasised. The ruling coalition won 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra as against 30 by the opposition MVA, which consists of the Shiv Sena-UBT, the NCP-SP and the Congress. But none of these tactics are going to work for them because the people of Maharashtra are wise and they will once again reject the Mahayuti in the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, the NCP-SP spokesperson claimed. Meanwhile, reacting to Thackeray's critical comments, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora said its disappointing, but not unexpected to see the former state minister play a reckless and irresponsible political game. Instead of supporting the democratic process in J&K, Thackeray is deliberately undermining the poll exercise in the Union Territory, Deora maintained. The Maharashtra assembly still has more than three months' term left, giving the ECI ample time to organize elections as per established norms, argued the Shiv Sena leader. The Mahayuti is fully prepared for assembly elections and instead of creating confusion, Thackeray should respect the law, support democracy and think before making baseless statements, Deora asserted, hitting out at the opposition MLA. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party, has said that helming the NCP away from the shadows of his uncle and founder Sharad Pawar after the split is a huge responsibility. IMAGE: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar. Photograph: ANI Photo In an interview with PTI during his Jan Sanman Yatra, Pawar said on Thursday that the seat-sharing talks among the ruling Mahayuti partners -- the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party -- for the assembly polls are proceeding positively. Ajit Pawar and his loyalist MLAs broke away from NCP in July last year to align with the ruling alliance. He later got the party name and its clock symbol. Party founder Sharad Pawar, who now heads NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar, is a part of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Congress. "This is the biggest responsibility that I have ever received. Till now, (Sharad) Pawar saheb was our leader and our chief. When I joined politics in 1991, there was no NCP by then. "When I was in the Congress, there were several leaders. Therefore, there was no question about it (extra responsibility). When NCP was formed in 1999... I was given responsibilities only after 2004. Now the final responsibility lies with me because I am the NCP chief." Speaking about seat sharing for the upcoming state polls, Pawar said he had spoken to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who leads the Shiv Sena, and Deputy CM and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis two to three times and the talks were positive. Everyone wants to contest from maximum seats and a solution will be found, he said. "However, we need to hold talks with our other alliance partners as well... Let's wait for a few days," said the deputy CM. On being asked if the polls could be held in November, he said there was such a buzz but added the schedule was the prerogative of the Election Commission and 'not in our hands'. Ajit Pawar also batted for an all-party meeting to discuss the demand of the Maratha community for reservation in education and government jobs, saying the opposition parties cannot be neglected since they also represent the people. "Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange wants reservation under the OBC segment. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had called an all-party meeting to discuss the quota issue but the opposition stayed away. I don't know if the boycott was deliberate. It has been decided to seek their (opposition) time again," he said. Hailing the Mukhyamnatri Ladki Bahin Yojana, under which women get a monthly aid of Rs 1,500 if their annual family income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh, Pawar said it would be launched on August 17 at an event in Balewadi in Pune with beneficiaries getting money for July and August. CM Shinde and Deputy CM Fadnavis will attend the event. It is a transparent scheme in which money is transferred to accounts linked to the beneficiary's Aadhaar, leaving no room for any illegality, Pawar added. Slamming the opposition for calling it an election gimmick that would burden the exchequer, Pawar said he had presented 10 budgets and knew about finances. On the issue of raising resources, Pawar said Maharashtra accounts for 16 per cent of the country's GST collections, with 50 per cent coming back to the state. Moreover, the state also has revenue coming in from excise and other taxes, Pawar pointed out. Pawar said his Jan Sanman Yatra was getting a good response from women, adding that schemes meant from them as well as farmers and youth were well received since beneficiaries include the poor and from all castes. Asked whether the mistake he alluded to in connection with the Baramati Lok Sabha fight between Supriya Sule and his wife Sunetra was political or personal, he said, "There is nothing deliberate about speaking about a mistake. I am the master of my mind. I speak my mind. I am a straightforward person." He refused to speak on the split in the Pawar household (due to the NCP's break up) and asserted such matters need not be discussed in an open forum just because he was a public figure. "I am a public figure but I would not like to speak about my family. I will speak about my family within the family," he said. On a question about chances of reuniting with Sharad Pawar, the deputy CM said, "I will only speak about my work and vision for Maharashtra. We will tell people to give us a chance again so that we can bring more funds for the state. The opposition is always negative." Asked to compare bitter rivals CM Shinde and Shiv Sena-UBT leader and former CM Uddhav Thackeray, Pawar said, "Everyone is different in behaviour and temperament. But everyone works for Maharashtra's interests and development. Shinde has worked with Thackeray for several years. What happened between them only Shinde can say." On former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh's claims about moves to get Fadnavis and some other leaders arrested during MVA rule, Pawar said he knew nothing about the matter. "I have never heard anything about this. I do not do any negative work. Everyone knows me. I do what I feel right," the NCP chief asserted. The risk for an upsurge of mpox, once known as monkeypox, infection is very low in India at the moment and there is no need to panic, sources in the health ministry said in the wake of WHO declaring the disease a public health emergency of international concern. IMAGE: Dr Olivier Ngajole, medical advisor to the MEDAIR, talks with the emergency Dr Pascaline Kahindo about the evolution of mpox at the treatment centre in Munigi, in Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo July 19, 2024. Photograph: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters Official sources said the last case of monkeypox in India was reported from Kerala in March this year. According to official data, 30 laboratory confirmed cases of monkeypox since 2022 have been reported in India since 2022. The health ministry might write to points of entry such as airports, seaports to be alert and vigilant and deal with suspected cases of monkeypox as per the guidelines in terms of isolation and treatment, an official source told PTI. "At the moment, the risk of a surge in monkeypox infection is very low in India and there is no need to panic," the official source said. Union Health Minister J P Nadda is likely to hold a meeting with officials from the ministry, NCDC and ICMR on Saturday. On Wednesday, the WHO said the upsurge of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern under the International Health Regulations (2005). This is the second time the viral infection has been designated as PHEIC. According to WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis -- a virus transmitted to humans from animals -- with symptoms similar to smallpox, though clinically less severe. Monkeypox typically manifests itself with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting for two to four weeks. The 'Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease' issued by the Centre in 2022 stated that human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact. It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesions, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linen of an infected person. Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch of infected animals or through bush meat preparation. The incubation period is usually from six to 13 days and the case fatality rate of monkeypox has historically ranged up to 11 percent in the general population and higher among children. In recent times, the case fatality rate has been around three to six percent. The symptoms include lesions which usually begin within one to three days from the onset of fever, lasting for around two to four weeks and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they become itchy. A notable predilection for palm and soles is characteristic of monkeypox, the guidelines stated. In July 2022, the multi-country outbreak of Mpox was declared a PHEIC as it spread rapidly via sexual contact across a range of countries where the virus had not been seen before. That PHEIC was declared over in May 2023 after a sustained decline in global cases. In a major security breach, a man in his early 20s scaled the wall and jumped inside the Parliament Annexe building premises on Friday afternoon, official sources said. Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo A purported video of the incident has also surfaced where the suspect, wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, is seen being held by armed Central Industrial Security Force personnel. Nothing incriminating was found from the man during frisking. He has been handed over to the Delhi police, sources in the CISF said. They said the incident took place towards Imtiaz Khan Marg. The suspect scaled the wall and jumped inside the Parliament Annexe building premises around 2:45 pm. The man has been identified as Manish, a resident of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, the sources said. The CISF personnel, who look after the security of the Parliament complex, made a PCR call after spotting the man inside the premises and informed the local police. A police team rushed to the spot and took the man to a nearby police station, where he was questioned by officials. When contacted, a senior Delhi police officer said, "We are trying to find out how he scaled the wall and went inside the premises." CCTV footage is being checked, the officer added. He said the man appears to be mentally "unsound" as he could not tell his name properly. He was also questioned by central security agency officials, though nothing suspicious has come to light so far, an official source said. In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, two men jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery on December 13 last year and opened canisters that emitted a yellow-coloured smoke, triggering panic among the MPs. After this incident, the Delhi Police and the Central Reserve Police force were removed from the internal security of the Parliament complex but the police still has the responsibility to ensure safety from outside. The internal security of the complex, which houses the old and new Parliament buildings and their associated structures including the annexe, is managed by the CISF. Tension prevailed in part of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city in Maharashtra on Friday after a group of Muslims gathered in front of a police station and demanded action against a Hindu religious leader for his alleged objectionable remark against Prophet Mohammad, officials said. Photograph: Sahil Salvi/ Rediff.com/File image Image used for representational purpose only. A large group of Muslim community members gathered outside the City Chowk police station to demand action against Ramgiri Maharaj, alleging that he made objectionable comments against Prophet Mohammad and Islam, they said. The police tried to pacify the group. Inspector Nirmala Pardeshi of the City Chowk police station appealed to them to maintain peace. She assured that the police would take note of their demand and also take strict action. Meanwhile, speaking to Marathi news channel ABP Majha on the controversy surrounding his statement, Ramgiri Maharaj said, "Hindus should remain alert. I have spoken what I wanted to. I am firm on it and I am ready to face its consequences." Former MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen state unit president, Imtiaz Jaleel wrote a letter to the city police commissioner to seek action against Ramgiri Maharaj. In his letter, Jaleel said Ramgiri Maharaj made the controversial statements in Panchale village in Sinnar tehsil of Nashik. The statements were made deliberately to malign the image of the Muslim community, he added. Jaleel claimed that such statements were aimed at creating a rift among the Hindu-Muslim communities. "This is done deliberately to foment communal riots. So strict action should be taken against him," he said. Talking to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar later, Jaleel said, "The statement made by Ramgiri Maharaj has been scripted by someone else. He is working on someone else's order. Permissions are given to Sakal Hindu Samaj to hold protests on the day of community prayers of Muslims. It is a political conspiracy..." Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday insisted that the Maha Vikas Aghadi decide its chief ministerial face first rather than going by the logic of which party wins most seats, asserting that he would back any candidate announced by the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar. IMAGE: Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and others during the 'Flag hoisting ceremony' on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, at Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai on Thursday. Photograph: ANI Photo His MVA allies Sharad Pawar, who heads the NCP-SP, and the Congress pitched for focussing on unseating the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti coalition in the state. Pawar told the MVA cadres the three partners will take along the Left outfits, Peasants and Workers Party of India and Samajwadi Party by giving them due respect, and present a united face before the people of the state. The Congress too pitched for focussing on unseating the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti coalition, with the party's state unit chief Nana Patole saying the leaders of INDIA bloc will decide on who will be the chief minister. Addressing party workers of the opposition bloc MVA in Mumbai, Thackeray said if the Lok Sabha polls were to protect democracy and the Constitution, then the assembly polls are a fight to preserve Maharashtra's self-respect. The meeting virtually kickstarted the poll campaign of the MVA. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are likely to be held in October or November. The Sena-UBT chief insisted the chief ministerial candidate must be decided first, rather than by the logic of the party that wins the most seats in the elections. Thackeray said the experience he had during his alliance with the BJP was that whoever had the numbers would get the CM's post. But this policy was detrimental as it would lead to one party trying to defeat the other's candidate to maintain an upper hand in the alliance, he said. "First, decide (the CM's face) and then go ahead but do not go by this policy (those having the most seats will get the CM's post). Uddhav Thackeray will back any candidate announced by Congress and NCP-SP as the CM face of MVA. I don't have the feeling that I am fighting for myself but it is for the rights of Maharashtra," he said. Thackeray also asked the MVA cadres to rise above self-interest and fight for the sake of protecting Maharashtra's pride and interest and urged them to be the ambassadors of the opposition alliance in the state. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pitch for a secular civil code in the country, Thackeray wondered if he had given up Hindutva. During his Independence Day speech, Modi had said, "I would say, it is the need of the hour that India should have a secular civil code. We have lived 75 years with a communal civil code. Now, we have to move towards a secular civil code. Only then would religion-based discrimination end. It would also end the disconnect the common people feel." The PM noted that the Supreme Court has given various directions in this regard. The spirit of the Constitution also encourages such a code, he said, referring to Article 44 under the Directive Principles of State Policy. Thackeray slammed the PM and asked, "Have you abandoned Hindutva? You aligned with Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar who do not believe in Hindutva." He also targeted the PM over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and asked why it was not passed when the BJP was in absolute majority. "Why did you bring the Waqf Bill to drive a wedge between us? And if you had to bring it, why did you not do it when you had the majority? My MPs were not there because they were with me. If it was going to be discussed, our MPs would have taken part in it," Thackeray said. Thackeray's party came under criticism for not putting its view on the bill when it came for discussion in Lok Sabha last week. The bill was later sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny. "If you are going to steal Waqf Board land and give it to your industrialist friends, just like you are taking away land from our Hindu temples and giving it to your contractor friends, we will not allow any wrongdoing," he said while demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into land deals in Ayodhya. Thackeray also dared the Election Commission to announce the schedule for Maharashtra polls. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader and state industries minister Uday Samant said there was no consensus in the speeches of leaders of the three parties that form the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. On its part, the Maharashtra BJP said the truth was finally out as Thackeray has finally admitted it was decided between the Sena and the BJP that whoever had more MLAs will get the chief minister's post. This formula was decided in 2019. Thackeray's remarks also prove that he betrayed Hindutva and the Sena-BJP alliance for the post of chief minister, the state BJP said in a post on X. At the MVA meeting, NCP-SP leader and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule hit out at the Mahayuti government over its flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana and said the ruling alliance had committed the sin of fixing a price for sisters' love. She jibed that leaders in the ruling dispensation remembered their sisters only after the Lok Sabha elections. The ruling bloc, which consists of the BJP (9), the Shiv Sena (7) and the NCP (1), bagged just 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while MVA won 30 seats. A nurse of a private hospital in Rudrapur has been allegedly raped and killed with her face crushed with a stone by the accused who dumped her body in a vacant plot in a Uttar Pradesh village near the Uttarakhand border, police said on Friday. IMAGE: Students of Maulana Azad College stage a protest over the alleged sexual assault and murder of a female postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and hospital, in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo Missing since July 30 while returning home from work, the nurse's body was recovered from Dibdiba village on August 8 with her face mutilated beyond recognition, Superintendent of Police of Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar Manjunath T C said. According to police, the accused, after committing the crime, looted all the money from her purse, her mobile phone and other valuables and fled. The spot from where the nurse's body was recovered is not far from her residence in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district which is on the border of Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district. Police began an investigation into the case after the victim's sister lodged a missing complaint on July 31, a day after the incident. SSP Manjunath said the victim was traced with the help of CCTV footage and by tracking the location of her mobile phone. The accused, Dharmendra, who worked as a labourer in Uttarakhand's Gadarpur, was arrested from Rajasthan on August 13, the police officer said, adding the accused hails from Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. During interrogation, Dharmendra revealed that he followed the nurse while she was returning home from work with the intention to loot her as he was in need of money, SSP Manjunath said. When she reached a deserted area, he forcibly took her to the bushes and throttled her unconscious with a scarf when she tried to raise an alarm. The accused then raped her and crushed her face with a stone, the police officer said. The incident comes amid widespread protest over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata. She was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty. In his first direct contact with New Delhi over a week after becoming the head of Bangladesh's interim government, Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus on Friday conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone conversation that Dhaka would prioritise the protection and safety of Hindus and all other minority groups. IMAGE: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus salutes to the attendees upon arrival at the Bangabhaban to take oath as the head of the interim government, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 8, 2024. Photograph: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters In the talks initiated by Yunus, Modi reaffirmed India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh and underlined the importance of ensuring the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in the violence-hit country. The assurance by Yunus came a day after Modi, in his Independence Day speech, said 140 crore Indians are concerned over the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighbouring country. "Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh," Modi said in a post on X. "He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh," he said. In a series of posts, Yunus's office said he conveyed to Modi that the situation in Bangladesh has been brought under control and life is becoming normal across the country. It said, "Yunus said that the reports of attacks on the minorities have been exaggerated and he is inviting Indian journalists to visit Bangladesh and report from the ground on the issues of the minority protection." "The Chief Adviser has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his government is committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country including the minorities when the Indian Prime Minister raised the issue of the protection of the minorities," Yunus's office said. It further added: "The Chief Adviser said his government is committed to making all state apparatus fully functional and effective and ensuring human rights for every citizen of the country." "He said his Interim Government has taken over as a result of the student movement. This is a Second Revolution of Bangladesh and his government will fulfill the desire of the democratic aspirations of the students and people," his office said. It said Modi invited Yunus to join the third Voice of Global South Summit to be hosted virtually by New Delhi on August 17. "The chief adviser has agreed to join the summit virtually from Dhaka," it said. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two leaders also discussed ways to take the bilateral relationship forward in line with the "respective national priorities". "During the call, the prime minister reaffirmed India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He emphasised India's commitment to supporting the people of Bangladesh through various development initiatives," it said. "The prime minister also underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh," it said. "Prof. Yunus, in turn, assured that the Interim Government would prioritise protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh," the MEA said. There have been mounting concerns in New Delhi over widespread incidents of attacks on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 following weeks of violent unrest. Days after Hasina fled to India, the interim government, headed by Nobel-laureate Yunus, was sworn in on August 8, along with 16 advisers. At a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is looking forward to working with Bangladesh's interim government to "fulfil the shared aspirations" of the people of the two countries for peace, security and development. On the reports of attacks on Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh, he said India is monitoring the situation. "Our high commissioner met the foreign affairs advisor of the interim government. In the meeting, there were discussions on safety of Hindus and minorities. We hope the situation returns to normal as soon as possible," Jaiswal said. To a question on how long former prime minister Sheikh Hasina will stay in India," he said: "The approval for former PM Sheikh Hasina to come to India was granted at short notice. The situation is still evolving at this stage, we have nothing new to share about her plans." The MEA spokesperson also said that normal trade between India and Bangladesh has begun. On Tuesday, Yunus reached out to Hindus in Bangladesh as he visited the Dhakeshwari temple in Dhaka and said his government would punish those who attacked the minority community members. Hasina (76), who ruled Bangladesh with an iron hand for 15 years, resigned as the prime minister following massive protests that initially began as an agitation against a job-quota scheme but weeks later, morphed into a mass movement demanding her ouster from power. The controversial quota system provided for 30 percent reservation in civil services jobs for the families of veterans who fought the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. According to reports from Dhaka, nearly 500 people were killed in weeks of violent clashes before Hasina's resignation. In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort in the national capital, Modi said on Thursday that India is committed to peace and that it will remain a well-wisher of Bangladesh in its development journey. "As a neighbouring country, I can understand the concern regarding whatever has happened in Bangladesh. I hope that the situation there will become normal soon," Modi said. "In particular, the concerns of 140 crore countrymen is that the safety and security of Hindus and minorities there is ensured. India always wants the neighbouring country to march on the path of peace and prosperity," he said. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Generally sunny despite a few afternoon clouds. High 61F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 42F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. BRATTLEBORO If you're coming by the Royal Diner on a Friday evening for ice cream or a smash burger and fries, you might find yourself walki News / Local by Staff reporter Kadoma mayor, Councillor Nigel Ruzario stands accused of ruining the marriage of a couple from the Mashonaland West town.Nancy Mhundwa's husband, Pastor Marvin Mhundwa took social media by storm by accusing the mayor for wrecking their marriage. All hell broke loose when Nancy's husband, posted the information on social media.Now, Nancy claims that the mayor used that and dumped her.She admitted that she had an intimate relationship with Cllr Ruzario, whom she claims had used her and dumped her after wrecking her home.Contacted to give his side of the story, Cllr Ruzario has not been forthcoming for a week.Meanwhile, there is an affidavit allegedly signed by the mayor promising to compensate Pastor Mhundwa for sleeping with his wife.Some signed documents suggest that the mayor had paid US$450 to Pastor Mhundwa in the presence of representatives from both parties."I was a witness on the meeting we had with the mayor, his pastor, and representatives from Mhundwa's church and Mayor left US$450 to compensate Mhundwa for sleeping with his wife," said a source.Nancy opened up to H-Metro, that "Ruza" (as she called him) was very fond of her and had promised her heaven on earth."Ruza and I share a shop in Rimuka where my husband and I run a beverage business and we started dating just after my husband left the country."We have been seeing each other ever since and I have accompanied him to quite a number of meetings where he introduced me as his wife to other councillors."Ruza and I were in an intimate relationship and I could tell that he cared so much for me because we never really used any form of protection," she said."He would assist me with exam fees and even help take my children to school every time we had problems with our car," she added.Nancy says Ruzario had however, just changed and blocked her from contacting him."When my husband found out, Ruza gave me money and asked me to leave Kadoma until he came to pick me up but he never followed me."Ever since my husband found out he dumped me, blocked my numbers and even asked me to vacate the shop."He ruined my marriage and now he wants nothing to do with me, my children stopped going to school and I have no one to turn to yet he just moved on with his life."I regret everything, I feel sorry for my husband, he is a good man but I failed him," she said.Pastor Mhundwa said Cllr Ruzario had agreed to compensate all the money he used on private investigations."I had engaged private investigators using my personal money and all the money amounted to US$3000 in expenses."Ruzario accepted to compensate me and so far, he met with my people and paid US$450 but still promised to pay $500 every month," he said.In a video that pastor Mhundwa posted, he indicated that he was no longer going back to Kadoma."Ndiri kutaura kuno ndiri kuEurope, I am the one who is married to Nancy who was snatched by Kadoma Mayor."Kadoma ndiri kubatikana, handichagona kuuya kuKadoma, ndakaudzwa kuti tichakutorera hupenyu hwako."I am a pastor and I was forced to resign, I can no longer minister the Word of God. I can no longer do my business."I am the owner of Bafana Beverages, I can't make drinks, ndini ndinotengesa madrinks, ndinotengesa magaka nekombi yeblue."I can no longer farm, ndine 10 square metres stand which I invested, ndine danga rehuku randanga ndichivaka, zvese izvozvo zvaparadzwa namayor weKadoma, justice has to be served, ndiri kubatikana," he said, in the video. News / Local by Staff reporter A family in Bulawayo is searching for a relative who has been missing for 30 years.Mr. Michael Mabhena, originally from Nkulumane in Bulawayo, disappeared in 1994 at the age of 32. This year, he would be 62 years old.In a statement on X, Bulawayo Police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube requested assistance in locating him. Mr. Mabhena is about 1.67 meters tall, with a medium build and dark complexion. He was last seen wearing a black and white T-shirt, black jeans, and white farmer shoes.Inspector Ncube urged anyone with information on Mr. Mabhena's whereabouts to contact ZRP Nkulumane at (0292) 481145 or to escort him to the nearest police station. Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here. I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead. The Key Issue An Afghan press-freedom watchdog says media freedom continues to decline as the Taliban marks three years in power. In a new report on August 13, the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC) said the Taliban's brutal treatment of the media was on the rise. Its government issued "new guidelines" to reign in the once vibrant Afghan press, which was already reeling from pressure to implement 14 detailed instructions the group had issued during the previous two years. The report said that during the past year of Taliban rule, it decreed what kind of language and terminologies the Afghan print and electronic media should use. As part of its growing restrictions, the group has banned photography and filming of all meetings in the southern province of Kandahar, where Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada lives. Hamid Obidi, the head of the AFJC, said the Taliban's three years in power had proved it doesn't believe "in a free press and the citizen's right to access free information." The AFJC documented 181 cases of threats, detentions, and convictions of journalists from August 2023 to the present. Exiled Afghan journalists in the West say the Taliban has detained more than 300 journalists during the past three years. Why It's Important: The Taliban has attempted to systematically dismantle the freedoms previously enjoyed by the Afghan press because it sees it as a legacy of the fallen Afghan republic and its Western allies. The Islamist group has not honored any of its early promises to allow freedom of the press. Instead, it wants Afghan journalists to reorient their thinking, according to the AFJC, whose report cites statements by senior Taliban officials. Taliban actions speak much louder than its promises. Intimidation by its officials has forced hundreds of journalists into exile. Taliban restrictions or the loss of Western funding has forced scores of Afghan media outlets to shut down. In order to deny Afghans access to the free flow of information, it has banned international broadcasters whose content in Pashto and Dari is widely popular. The Taliban has also denied visas to independent foreign correspondents. What's Next: The Taliban has been quite successful in shaping a media environment inside Afghanistan that serves its government. Its restrictions even prompt independent media outlets inside Afghanistan to self-censor and avoid critical reporting. Waning international interest in Afghanistan and the lack of access to the country make in-depth reporting from the government very difficult. All this has paved the way for the Taliban to replace journalism with propaganda. What To Keep An Eye On Ten major international nongovernmental aid groups have called for more Western donor engagement with the Taliban's unrecognized government. CARE, the Danish Refugee Council, Save the Children International, and other groups have called on Western capitals to rethink their approach to the Taliban. "Diplomatic engagement is crucial to creating an enabling environment in Afghanistan that will support upscaling international aid efforts to include development projects alongside emergency assistance," the NGOs said in a joint statement on August 13. International donors have suspended most of their funding for Afghanistan over the Taliban's ban on most education and employment for women and its reportedly extensive human rights abuses. The statement said the current "isolationist approach" of donor countries does not help alleviate the suffering of Afghans as they face one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. More than half of Afghanistan's 40 million population needs humanitarian assistance, but funding for the crises is declining, with only 25 percent of the funds pledged for the current UN humanitarian appeal of more than $3 billion. Why It's Important: The statement is part of a new trend that favors engagement over pressure to change the Taliban's behavior. It is, however, not clear whether the Taliban will commit to reversing its extremist policies if its government is recognized and receives international assistance. That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org Until next time, Abubakar Siddique If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday. SOFIA -- Ivan doesn't normally follow parliamentary debates, especially during his vacation. But on August 7, he was glued to his phone to see how events in the National Assembly, Bulgaria's unicameral parliament, would unfold, as the pro-Russian, far-right Revival party introduced an amendment to ban what it called "LGBT propaganda" in schools. Ivan, 34, was particularly interested because he's a schoolteacher. But also, because he's gay. Ivan, who asked RFE/RL to use only his first name, watched with bated breath as the parliament debated and ultimately approved both the amendment and a supplementary one that clarifies what constitutes a "nontraditional sexual orientation." On August 15, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev signed both amendments into law. Listening to the applause ring around parliament, Ivan says he couldn't believe what had happened. "I was in total shock that this thing was accepted," he told RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service. "And I'm still in complete shock." In a socially conservative society, many LGBT people in Bulgaria face great stigma and keep their sexual identity hidden from their relatives, friends, and employers. Bulgaria is one of the few countries in the European Union that does not give equal civil rights to homosexual and heterosexual people. Last year, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg obliged Bulgaria to create a legal framework to recognize same-sex relationships, an obligation with which Sofia has not yet complied. 'I Always Tell Them That I Have A Husband' Ivan, however, is an exception in that he has been open about his sexual orientation for years, including to his colleagues at the junior-high and high schools where he has taught. He has a husband, whom he married in Denmark, and together they have a child. While he understands that stigma, discrimination, and prejudice exists toward gay people in Bulgaria, Ivan says that for the 11 years he has been teaching math, he has had only one negative incident related to his sexual orientation. It helps, he says, that his appearance does not align with popular Bulgarian stereotypes of what a gay man looks like. His calm demeanor, openness, and willingness to answer questions about being gay, he says, have also made it easier. As he wears a ring, he says colleagues and students at the Sofia private school where he works often ask him about his "wife." "I always tell them I have a husband. It's not something I hide," he said. "The reaction is usually surprise, but nothing more." But Ivan is worried the tolerance and acceptance he has experienced could change with the amendments to the education law. "What will happen from now on when they ask me [about my private life]? Do I have the right to tell the truth that I have a husband? Or do I have to lie?" he asked. Or, he wonders, "If a child says in school that he has two mothers or two fathers, is that a violation of the law? If a principal wants to hire a teacher who is openly gay, is that a violation?" After the initial shock of the parliamentary vote, Ivan is now preoccupied by such questions. That is partly, he says, due to the ambiguous wording of the law, which has been criticized by lawyers and experts. "[The amendment] is so general that everything can fall into the category of 'propaganda,'" Ivan says. Even before the legal amendments went to a vote, Bulgaria's Education Ministry said such vague texts will cause problems because they do not clarify what is permissible and what is not. And on August 8, the National Network for Children (NMD) said in a statement that the vagueness of the amendments means they can be applied in a contradictory and arbitrary way. Harassment Fears Ivan also fears LGBT students will face greater harassment as a result of the new law. In a 2024 study by the Vienna-based European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 72 percent of surveyed LGBT people from Bulgaria indicated they had been bullied at school based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. This, Ivan says, is only likely to get worse. "The people who harass [LGBT people] will feel even more empowered and protected. By passing [the amendment], it's like saying to them: Keep doing what you're doing," he said. "Nothing prevents [the new law] from being used as a means of pressure against any person and civil [society] organization," the NMD said in its statement. "Thus, from the new school year, any student, parent, or teacher will be able to be persecuted and humiliated because of a 'different sexual orientation.'" That could, the children's organization warned, "lead to an increase in cases of violence, suicide, and self-harm." Ivan also says he is worried that the amendment is a sign that Bulgaria is moving in an antidemocratic direction, following the lead of countries such as Russia and Hungary. Both countries have already passed similar laws, which have been criticized by rights groups for violating freedom of expression and promoting discrimination and abuse against LGBT people. "What worries me is that I don't know what to expect.... If more things start to happen, more restrictions, it's possible I will start thinking about emigrating," he said. "I've thought about it before, but this affects me very personally." Ivan is also worried how the legal amendments will affect education in general in Bulgaria. "School is a place where children must learn to think and think critically, " he said. "Therefore, there should be no taboo topics but [instead] multiple points of view." ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A diplomat before he became a politician, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has mastered the art of getting a timely message across while leaving his audience pondering what the message means. His call last week for closer defense cooperation among Central Asian countries is a case in point. The proposal didn't go unnoticed by the pro-Kremlin commentariat in Russia, which sees Central Asian security as well within its sphere of privileged interests, despite the war in Ukraine. And it won a ringing endorsement from a pro-government media outlet in Azerbaijan, a country that last month participated in rare Russia-free military drills with Central Asian countries in western Kazakhstan. But were Toqaev's words anything more than posturing? "Since the war in Ukraine began, Central Asia has had a chance to reinvent itself in a comfortable geopolitical space," said Luca Anceschi, a lecturer at the University of Glasgow. "They are trying to say that they are not on Russia's side in Ukraine, like Belarus is, but they are not with Ukraine either. They have ties with the West but are not pro-Western," Anceschi told RFE/RL. "But as the war goes on, as the discussion around secondary sanctions grows, perhaps the region's governments see that this space is shrinking somewhat." All the more reason then, to emphasize regional integration on Central Asian terms, which is precisely what Toqaev did in an op-ed prefacing the sixth consultative meeting of the presidents of Central Asia in Astana on August 9. At the same time, "initiatives for integration inside Central Asia are often very vague on details and sometimes amount to no more than empty rhetoric," Anceschi argued. 'Regional Security Architecture' Without Russia? The main impetus towards closer cooperation in Central Asia has come from Uzbekistan, the region's most populous country and the only one to share a border with every country in the region. If under first President Islam Karimov Tashkent viewed much of the neighborhood as an annoyance to be kept at arm's length, successor Shavkat Mirziyoev saw fresh opportunities for trade and diplomatic unity when he came to power in 2016. In an August 14 article on this topic, former Uzbek Foreign Minister and special presidential aide on foreign policy Abdulaziz Komilov wrote that Uzbekistan "had assumed a special responsibility for the future of Central Asia" by "completely abandoning outdated approaches to establishing relations with neighbors." That is about as far as any Uzbek official will go in criticizing the late Karimov. But it is fair to say that Uzbekistan's ties with all of its Central Asian neighbors have improved under Mirziyoev, with the now annual five-country summits appearing for the first time in 2018. At the same time, the region's countries have traditionally had stronger economic and political relationships with China and Russia than within the region. So Toqaev's op-ed on stronger regional ties, published by the state-run Kazakhstanskaya pravda -- Central Asian Renaissance: Towards Sustainable Development And Prosperity -- was bound to raise eyebrows. Because beyond stressing Central Asia's unique history and economic potential, Toqaev also called for "cooperation in defense and security" and even the "creation of a regional security architecture" that would include a "catalogue of security risks" for Central Asia. These were naturally the parts of the op-ed noticed by commentators in Russia, whose war in Ukraine was referred to obliquely by the author in terms of instability on the region's perimeter. For pro-Kremlin nationalist television and radio personality Sergei Mardan, Toqaev's words indicated that Kazakhstan had lost faith in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-dominated military bloc that includes the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Mardan argued that the CSTO had saved Toqaev and his administration from "the revolution of the Mambets" -- code for Kazakhstan's deadly January 2022 unrest, which left more than 230 dead and prompted an intervention by a Russian-led CSTO peacekeeping force. A NATO-led troop deployment ended the devastating war in Kosovo in 1999, but in the 25 years since then, attacks on Christian heritage have altered the cultural landscape of the region. Photos taken in August show that several damaged churches and monasteries have been restored while others have disappeared completely. This church was one of scores of Serbian cultural sites that have been vandalized or destroyed since the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) arrived in June 1999 to end fighting between ethnic Serbs and Kosovar Albanians. Much of the destruction of Kosovo's Orthodox churches was viewed as revenge for the Serbian targeting of mosques and other Islamic buildings used by Kosovars in the months of fighting before KFOR's arrival. In recent years, KFOR has been credited with stamping out the destruction of churches that peaked in a wave of anti-Serb violence in 2004. Since the 2004 unrest, the European Union, the United Nations Development Program, and other organizations have worked to restore many Serbian Orthodox churches inside Kosovo. A representative of the peacekeeping operation told RFE/RL that as of summer 2024, "KFOR has gradually handed over the responsibility for the security of religious sites in Kosovo to the Kosovo Police." The KFOR spokesperson noted the peacekeeping group still maintains a 24/7 guard of the Serbian Orthodox monastery in Decan, which has been described as one of Europe's most endangered heritage sites. In the immediate aftermath of the 1999 KFOR intervention, some peacekeepers were accused of standing by as churches were targeted. British writer Tim Judah witnessed French KFOR troops looking on as crowds looted a Serbian priest's home in Vushtrri in June 1999. The commander told Judah that his orders were "to let them pillage," while admitting to the journalist that such a command was "crazy." Judah, who reported from the ground throughout much of the 1998-99 Kosovo War and its aftermath, says the attacks on Kosovo's churches are often misconstrued as an Islamic attack on Christianity. "Religion does not come into this dispute, as some would like to claim. It is an issue pitting Albanians against Serbs -- it is not a religious issue at all," Judah told RFE/RL. "When Orthodox churches have been attacked and vandalized it is because they are seen as symbols of Serbdom not of Christianity," the writer said. "When Serbs attacked mosques in Kosovo, it was because they were Albanian not because they were Muslim," Judah added. In recent years, however, some attacks on churches within Kosovo have been explicitly Islamist in nature. Israel has claimed that the successor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has likely been "eliminated," while U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called Tehran the greatest adversary of the United States. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 8 said that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, was an "organization without a head." "Nasrallah was eliminated -- his replacement was probably also eliminated," Gallant told officers at the military's northern command center without providing details. "There's no one to make decisions, no one to act," he added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later echoed those comments, saying, "We've degraded Hezbollah's capabilities." "We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah's replacement, and the replacement of the replacement," Netanyahu said. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollahs political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and a cousin of Nasrallah, was widely expected to be named to the group's top position, but his whereabouts and condition are a mystery since an Israeli strike hit a suspected Hezbollah leadership meeting on October 2. Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine's fate, although unidentified members have told various media that the group had lost contact with him since the attack. Safieddine has been declared a global terrorist by the United States. Meanwhile, Harris told CBS TV's 60 Minutes program in an interview that she considered Iran to be the greatest adversary of the United States. "Iran has American blood on their hands," she said. "And what we saw in terms of just this attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles, what we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power -- that is one of my highest priorities." Harris -- the Democratic presidential nominee who will face Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 election -- declined to speculate on whether the United States would take military action itself should proof be uncovered that Iran is building a nuclear weapon. Tehran has denied it is building such weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. The comments came as the battered and bloodied leadership of Hezbollah suggested it might be ready to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel Deputy leader Naim Qassem, in a televised speech, for the first time did not suggest that ending the war in Gaza was a precondition to reaching a truce with Israel in Lebanon. Qassem said the group backed an effort by Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, to reach a deal to halt the fighting. Late on October 8, the Syrian government said that seven civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus. A war monitor said the strike targeted a building used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah. Israel did not immediately comment and the reports could not be verified. The Israeli military said earlier on October 8 that it had killed another senior Hezbollah commander, a day after marking the somber anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people. Suhail Husseini, who was responsible for overseeing the logistics, budget, and management of Hezbollah, was killed in a targeted attack on October 7, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. "Husseini played a crucial role in weapon transfers between Iran and Hezbollah," the statement said, adding that he was also in charge of distributing advanced weapons to the group's members and for its "most sensitive projects" that included operations against Israel. The IDF said Husseini was also a member of the Jihad Council, the supreme military body of Hezbollah. There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah. The Israeli announcement came after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets on October 7 into Israel, where President Isaac Herzog led a national moment of silence to mark the start of last year's Hamas attack, which started at Kibbutz Reim in the south of the country. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union. In Washington on October 7, President Joe Biden condemned Hamas on the anniversary, while also stating again the U.S. administration's commitment to reaching cease-fire agreements to end fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon. "On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7 attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day," Biden said in a statement. In Jerusalem, relatives of the some 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity, out of a total of 250, gathered outside Netanyahu's residence and stood in silence as a siren wailed in a gesture of protest against what relatives say is the failure of the government to secure their loved ones' release. The conflict in Gaza is still raging while Israel is now fighting on a second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah. Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas. Some 90 percent of the population of Gaza has been displaced and large areas have been destroyed by Israeli bombardments. The Israeli military said on October 7 that over the past year it has bombed more than 40,000 targets in Gaza, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites. Israel in recent weeks has been carrying out air strikes across Lebanon, including Beirut, and has staged a ground invasion into south Lebanon in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership. In the attacks, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and dozens of other leaders of the group. On October 6, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of the IRGC -- had also not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon. Tel Avivs campaign against Hezbollah prompted Iran to respond by attacking Israel with a large wave of rockets that were largely shot down by Israeli air defenses without causing substantial damage, but the attack renewed fears of a larger regional conflict. Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel. With reporting by CBS and AP News / National by Staff reporter The President of Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, will participate at the 44th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of States and Government, on 17 August 2024.The 44th SADC Summit will be hosted by the Republic of Zimbabwe as the Incoming SADC Chair, under the theme, "Promoting Innovation to Unblock Opportunities for Sustained Economic Growth and Development towards an Industrialised SADC."The Summit will, among others, review progress on the implementation of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030, as well as receive updates on key issues, such as the regional's peace and security agenda. The 44th SADC Summit will see the handover of the SADC Chairship from His Excellency Mr. Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, President of Angola, to His Excellency Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe.A series of Meetings will precede the Summit, including the SADC Council of Ministers, which will be held on 13th-14th August 2024, and the SADC Organ Troika Summit, will take place on 16th August 2024.On the margins of the 44th SADC Summit, the SADC Heads of State and government will participate in High-level Events which will include visits to the Geo Pomona Waste Management Facility, and the Museum of Africa Liberation which showcases African culture and liberation history.President Masisi will be accompanied by Honourable Dr. Lemogang Kwape, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Senior Government Officials. President Masisi and his delegation will return to Gaborone on 18th August 2024. Gardai are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 15-year-old Kelsey Kenny who is reported missing from her home in Castlepollard, County Westmeath, since Wednesday evening, August 14th. Kelsey was last seen in Mullingar, County Westmeath, at approximately 5 p.m.. Kelsey is described as being approximately 5 foot 4 inches in height with a medium build, brown hair and green eyes. It is believed that Kelsey may have travelled to the Dublin area. Gardai are concerned for Kelsey's welfare. Anyone with any information on Kelsey's whereabouts is asked to contact Mullingar Garda Station on 044 938 4000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. News / National by Staff reporter The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is organizing a diaspora conference aimed at attracting Zimbabweans living abroad to contribute to the development of the countrys second-largest city.Kholisani Moyo, BCC's economic development officer, explained that the primary goal of the conference is to promote Bulawayo as a prime destination for development and investment. The event is planned for September this year, ahead of the Sanganai/Hlangani Tourism Expo, and discussions are ongoing with the Minister of Provincial and Devolution Affairs.Moyo emphasized that hosting the conference in Bulawayo will allow the city to showcase its potential to investors. He noted that insights gained from the Matabeleland South Diaspora Conference highlighted the city's ability to process raw materials abundant in the province, which could attract further investment.The conference will also serve as a platform to engage with stakeholders interested in investing in Bulawayo. Moyo described the Matabeleland South event as a valuable learning experience that will help in preparing for their own conference, aimed at unveiling development opportunities for the diaspora to invest in the city. After Kolkata Horror, Uttarakhand Nurse Raped and Murdered On August 8, the police found her body at an empty plot in Uttar Pradeshs Bilaspur. Uttarakhand Nurse Rape and Murder Case Latest news: Amidst the intense rage following the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, another crime has been reported from Uttarakhand where a nurse was raped and killed by a drug addict. The accused left her body in an empty plot in Uttar Pradesh. In the meanwhile, the investigation started in the Uttarakhand nurse rape and murder case on July 31 soon after her sister filed a missing report at Rudrapur Kotwali as she did not return home the previous day. Advertisement Uttarakhand rape and murder case: As per the reports, the nurse who was a mother of an 11-year-old girl did not return home on July 30 after her duty. She was working at a private hospital in Rudrapur. The CCTV footage from the Indra Chowk in Rudrapur showed the nurse getting on to an e-rickshaw to return to home on July 30. Likewise, a suspicious man was seen following her in the CCTV footage. Advertisement Later on August 8, the police found her body at an empty plot in Uttar Pradeshs Bilaspur. IMA's Nationwide Strike Over Kolkata Doctor's Rape and Murder, OPDs will not function For 24 hrs IMA requires the nation's sympathy with the just cause of its doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) stated. IMA Nationwide Strike Over Kolkata Doctor Rape and Murder News: Following the brutal crime in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day 2024, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday i.e August 17 to 6 am Sunday, August 18, for 24 hours. In the meantime, all essential services will be maintained while the casualties will be manned. However, the routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all sectors, where modern medicine doctors provide services. IMA requires the nation's sympathy with the just cause of its doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) stated. Advertisement In a press release issued, IMIA stated, "A young postgraduate of chest medicine was brutally raped and killed on duty in R G Kar Medica College, Kolkata in the early hours of 9th August 2024. This has shocked the medical fraternity and the nation alike. Ever since the Resident doctors have been on strike. Protests as well as candle marches have been held across the country by IMA as well." "The college authorities handled the crime situation shabbily and the police investigations stalled after the first day," it added. "On 13th August 2024, the Calcutta High Court asked the state police to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while expressing discontent with the investigation so far. They also flagged the possibility of destruction of evidence if the state police continued with their investigation. On 15th August 2024, the hospital was vandalized by a large crowd which destroyed various sections of the hospital including the area where the victim was found. The medical students who were on the protest were attacked as well," the letter release stated. Advertisement "Doctors especially women are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession. It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses. Both physical assaults and crimes are a result of indifference and insensitivity of the concerned authorities to the needs of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers," the IMA said. "Subsequent to the brutal crime in R G Kar Medical College Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of the Independence Day, Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday 17.08.2024 to 6 am Sunday 18.08.2024 for 24 hours. All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all sectors, where modern medicine doctors provide services. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors," the IMA concluded. (For more news apart from IMA Nationwide Strike Over Kolkata Doctor Rape and Murder News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Punjab Doctors On Strike Following IMD's Call For Nationwide Strike Over Kolkata Horror OPD services in Punjab have also been suspended as the doctors have gone on strike. IMA Nationwide Strike Over Kolkata Doctor Rape and Murder News: In line with the Indian Medical Association (IMA)'s call for a nationwide strike, Punjab doctors have gone on strike as well, expressing solidarity against the Kolkata horror wherein a young postgraduate of chest medicine was brutally raped and killed while on duty in R G Kar Medica College. Notably, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) declared nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday i.e August 17 to 6 am Sunday, August 18, for 24 hours. Advertisement Likewise, the OPD services in Punjab have also been suspended as the doctors have gone on strike against the atrocities against the doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata. In a press release issued, IMIA stated, "A young postgraduate of chest medicine was brutally raped and killed on duty in R G Kar Medica College, Kolkata in the early hours of 9th August 2024. This has shocked the medical fraternity and the nation alike. Ever since the Resident doctors have been on strike. Protests as well as candle marches have been held across the country by IMA as well." "On 13th August 2024, the Calcutta High Court asked the state police to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while expressing discontent with the investigation so far. They also flagged the possibility of destruction of evidence if the state police continued with their investigation. On 15th August 2024, the hospital was vandalized by a large crowd which destroyed various sections of the hospital including the area where the victim was found. The medical students who were on the protest were attacked as well," the letter release stated. August 16, 2024 UPDATE Click here for the latest news from RRI Newsflash Newsroom, 16.08.2024, 20:00 Gas Romania currently has 2.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas stored in underground storages, which accounts for over 88% of the total storage capacity, given that, according to the European directives, the storages must be 85% full on September 1, the Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, announced on Friday. According to an Energy Ministry press release daily, Romania produces approximately 25 million cubic meters of natural gas, consumes about half, and another 10 11 million cubic meters are stored. Sebastian Burduja has also announced that Romania will continue to store natural gas until it reaches 100% of its storage capacity. According to him, the storage of natural gas for the winter season is all the more important since the neighboring Ukraine has announced that it will no longer extend the transit contract of Russian gas on its territory. Pensions 4.6 million Romanian pensioners are to receive higher pensions by the end of the month. According to the Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, over 80% of the pensioners are to benefit from recalculated pensions. Roughly two million are to get their pensions higher by 100 Euros. For more than one million the rises will range between 500 and 1,000 lei but 7,700 of them will see more than 3 thousand lei added to their initial pensions. Significant raises will see the people who worked over 40 years and didnt benefit from the correction index of the past years. According to Minister Bucura-Oprescu, no pension cuts will be operated, and people will receive their recalculated pensions in September. Gymnastics The Romanian gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu on Friday came into the possession of the bronze medal won in the floor final at the Olympic Games in Paris. The event took place in a ceremony organized on Friday on the esplanade of the Olympic House in Bucharest, following the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We remind you that, on August 5, in the floor final, Ana Maria Barbosu was awarded the bronze medal for a few tens of seconds, but the American Jordan Chiles filed an appeal and her score was increased, so she finished in third position. Later, Romania also filed an appeal, which was finally approved. I am happy to be in the possession of this medal and I hope to continue representing Romania at the highest level and to bring it as many medals as possible, said the athlete. Migrants 32 migrants were discovered, on Friday, hidden in a truck driven by a Romanian at the border point at Nadlac II, in Arad county in western Romania. They come, according to the border police, from Iraq, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan and intended to fraudulently cross the border with Hungary in order to reach Western Europe. The truck driver is being investigated for migrant trafficking, and the citizens discovered are being investigated for attempting to cross the border fraudulently. According to the waybill, the driver was transporting furniture on the Romania-Italy route. Navy Day Romania has been acknowledged and appreciated by its allies as a solid pillar of regional security and a major contributor to the process of strengthening NATOs deterrence and defense posture on its eastern flank the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in Constanta, on the Romanian Black Sea Coast, where he participated in the events dedicated to Navy Day celebrated on Thursday. According to Iohannis, although we are living in times marked by multiple security challenges, in the context of the war Russia is waging on Ukraine, Romania is today a safe and stable country and its citizens are defended and protected against any potential threat. Thousands of tourists and citizens of Constanta gathered to watch the biggest naval show of the year, which involved the participation of over two thousand sailors and servicemen from Romania and the armed forces deployed here. The event was also attended by 15 military vessels, coast guard patrol boats, F-16 fighters, surveillance aircraft belonging to the USA and France, Puma Naval helicopters and paratroopers. (LS) Navy Day On August 15, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Romanian Navy Day was also celebrated Ziua Marinei (sursa foto: presidency.ro) Corina Cristea, 16.08.2024, 14:00 The celebration, on August 15, of Saint Mary, the protector of Romanian sailors, also occasioned a series of events dedicated to the Romanian Navy Day, in towns on the Black Sea Coast, by the Danube (Constanta, Mangalia, Braila, Galati and Tulcea), and also in Bucharest. Coming from all corners of the country, Romanians admired the show organized in Constanta and photographed and filmed the sea and air demonstrations, in which more than 2000 sailors, Romanian soldiers and from the allied forces deployed in Romania, 15 maritime military ships and riverboats, Coast Guard vessels, F-16 fighter jets, Puma Naval helicopters and paratroopers participated. The joint naval exercise Romanian Naval Forces 2024, held on the seafront in front of the Fleet Command in Constanta, was also attended by the Head of State, Klaus Iohannis, the Senate Speaker Nicolae Ciuca, and the Ministers of Defense and Interior, Angel Tilvar and Catalin Predoiu. Romania is today a safe and stable country, irreversibly engaged on the path of democratic development, together with partners and allies from the EU and NATO, even if we live in times marked by multiple security challenges, said President Iohannis, also stressing: Here, on the shores of the Black Sea, in the vicinity of Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, we see more clearly than ever the results of Romanias political, diplomatic and military efforts in recent years President Iohannis: Today, our country benefits from the most solid security guarantees, and Romanian citizens are defended and protected against any potential threats. On Navy Day, President Klaus Iohannis told the sailors that the devotion, tenacity and spirit of sacrifice that define them are an example of excellence, and the Romanian Naval Forces a symbol of national strength and resilience. For his part, the Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, stressed that the role of the Romanian Naval Forces is essential in the national security architecture Angel Tilvar: The transformation of the Black Sea from an area of cooperation into an area of conflict, as a result of the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, required rethinking and adapting our naval security posture. On August 15, on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu did not participate in the festivities in Constanta, but he atteded the Holy Liturgy at the Varatec Monastery in Moldavia (eastern Romania), where from he conveyed a message of gratitude and respect for the daily effort of all Romanian sailors, military or civilian. In the Mangalia tourist port, several games and seamanship competitions took place, as well as an exhibition of military equipment and interactive workshops, and in the capital, the Romanian Navy Day was marked by a military and religious ceremony organized at the Monument to the Seamens Heroes in the King Michael I Park. The Navy Day celebrations ended throughout the country with torch carrying ceremonies. (MI) Oil prices fell sharply on Friday after the on-and-off truce talks reconvened in Qatar's capital on Thursday without Hamas. Also weighing on prices, data showed China's oil refinery output declined for the fourth consecutive month in July, reflecting a slowdown in fuel demand. Benchmark Brent crude futures fell 1.2 percent to $80.11 a barrel, while WTI crude futures were down 1.4 percent at $77.09. Negotiators seeking a Gaza ceasefire are meeting for a second day in Qatar today, even as Israeli troops continued their assault on the Palestinian enclave. The latest talks are aimed at averting a wider conflict in the Middle East following recent assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran, and Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah military commander, in a Beirut suburb. Hamas officials are not participating directly in the talks but have signaled a willingness to consider new proposals from the Israelis. Meanwhile, Chinese refineries sharply lowered crude processing rates last month on tepid fuel demand. Crude oil refineries in China produced 6.1 percent less fuel in July this year than a year earlier, logging the fourth consecutive monthly decline in output, Reuters reported, citing data from the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics. Earlier this week, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2024, citing softer expectations for China. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Thailand's parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of Paetongtarn Shinawatra to be the new Prime minister. The Pheu Thai Party leader received 319 votes for and 145 votes against her in the House of Representatives on Friday. She replaces Srettha Thavisin, who was removed from office by Thailand's Constitutional Court Wednesday. The daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, 37 year old Paetongtarn is the country's youngest and second woman to be elected to the top post. Addressing a news conference at the Pheu Thai party headquarters in capital Bangkok, Paetongtarn promised to do her best in this new position. "We've gathered here today to show the people that we are determined, driven and ready to push the country forward," she told reporters A political newcomer, Paetongtarn faces a major challenge of reviving Thailand's stalled , in addition to the risk of military coups and court interventions that have overthrown previous Pheu Thai governments from power. A master graduate in International Hotel Management from England, Paetongtarn is the prime shareholder of SC Asset Corporation and a director of the Thaicom Foundation. The businesswoman-turned politician holds ownership in 21 companies. Her father Shinawatra, a prominent figure in Thai , was ousted in a military coup in 2006. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The Pentagon has announced the launch of a new supercomputing system dedicated to biological defense capabilities. Pentagon Spokesperson Robert L. Ditchey said the Department of Defense is working with the National Nuclear Security Administration to significantly increase the computing capability available to U.S. national biodefense programs. The collaboration has enabled expanding systems of the same system architecture as LLNL's upcoming exascale supercomputer, El Capitan, which is projected to be the world's most powerful supercomputer when it becomes operational later this year. The biodefense-focused system will provide unique capabilities for large-scale simulation and AI-based modeling for a variety of defensive activities, including bio surveillance, threat characterization, advanced materials development, and accelerated medical countermeasures. Ditchey said the Defense Department and NNSA plans to allow the U.S. Government inter-agency, International Allies and partners, and academia and industry to access the supercomputing capability. At the inaugural ceremony of the new supercomputing system at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, speakers highlighted the critical role of high-performance computing and interagency collaboration to develop new biodefense capabilities for national security purposes. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense, Ian Watson said the new supercomputing system and other technical enablers will help DoD build enduring advantages and deliver cutting-edge defensive capabilities that will ensure the Total Force can deter or prevail against advanced chemical and biological threats against the United States. The new supercomputing system, which was funded by DoD's Chemical and Biological Defense Program, advances a 2023 agreement between the Pentagon and NNSA to work together on the nation's toughest biodefense challenges. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News YXT.com Group Holding Ltd. (YXT) on Friday announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 2.273 million American depositary shares or ADSs, at $11 per ADS, for around $25 million. Each ADS represents three Class A share of the company. The ADSs are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq on August 16, under the ticker symbol 'YXT.' The offering is expected to be closed on August 19. In addition, the company has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to 340,950 additional ADSs. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News News / National by Staff reporter The Zimbabwean government has missed the deadline for completing the 18 state-of-the-art presidential villas in Mt Hampden, which were intended to host heads of state during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit scheduled for tomorrow.Despite hiring a Swiss construction company, Mabetex Group, and importing materials from the UAE, the villas remain unfinished. The company deployed 500 workers and invested significant funds, but construction continued up to just two days before the summit.With the villas incomplete, government officials are scrambling to arrange alternative accommodations for the visiting leaders. It is expected that they will be housed at three hotels in Harare: Hyatt Regency (formerly Meikles Hotel), Rainbow Towers, and Monomotapa Hotel.Deputy Chief Secretary Amos Marawa, overseeing the project, did not respond to inquiries. Previously, Marawa had anticipated the villas would be completed by mid-July, but this timeline was not met.Information Minister Jenfan Muswere reported other completed infrastructural projects, including roads and a VVIP lounge at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, but did not provide an update on the presidential villas. He highlighted the completion of critical access routes, a new water reservoir, power supply upgrades, and high-speed internet services for the summit.The SADC summit, where Zimbabwe will assume the rotational chairmanship from Angola, is now faced with logistical adjustments due to the delay in villa construction. Shares of Bayer AG were climbing around 11 percent in German trading after the pharmaceutical and life sciences major announced a favorable ruling in the United States in the lawsuit over cancer claims against its Roundup weed killer. In a statement, the company noted that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued its favorable ruling in Schaffner v. Monsanto, unanimously holding that the state-based failure-to-warn claims in this case are expressly preempted by the FIFRA statute. Plaintiff David Schaffner, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, in his lawsuit alleged that Roundup producer Monsanto corp., Bayer's subsidiary, violated state law by failing to add a cancer warning to the Roundup label. Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, said the latest decision creates a circuit split with prior decisions of the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits on the central legal issues in the Roundup litigation. Bayer further said it is considering the impact of this ruling on other pending litigation and looks forward to presenting its arguments, as fully embraced by the Third Circuit, to the U.S. Supreme Court. Roundup, based on the ingredient glyphosate, was introduced by Monsanto, and the product has been subject to many lawsuits over the years that accused glyphosate of causing cancer. The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer earlier had found that glyphosate is "probably carcinogenic to humans." However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or EPA in a study showed there are no risks of concern to human when using glyphosate in accordance with its given label and that glyphosate was unlikely to be a human carcinogen. The European Commission as well as Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency had also approved its usage saying there is no evidence that linked glyphosate to being carcinogenic. In 2018, Bayer became the owner of Roundup and the ongoing litigation when it acquired Monsanto. The company, which has been in the midst of several related lawsuits, in 2021 had set aside an amount of $4.5 billion to settle the claims. The company had earlier charged nearly $10 billion for earlier rounds of litigation. Bayer, in 2021, also reached up to $2 billion agreement with plaintiffs' attorneys to settle related future lawsuits. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court in 2022 had rejected an appeal by Bayer to shut down several lawsuits related to Roundup. In a recent setback, a Philadelphia court's jury in January this year ordered Bayer to pay $2.25 billion in damages to a Pennsylvania man, who claimed to have developed cancer after allegedly using Roundup. Bayer then had stated that the jury's verdict conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and worldwide regulatory and scientific assessments on Roundup. While responding to the latest verdict, Bayer said, "The Company is pleased with the unanimous decision from the Third Circuit holding that plaintiff's state-based warning claims are expressly preempted by FIFRA. The Court concluded that 'the alleged state-law duty to include the Cancer Warning on Roundup's label (the "Pa. Duty to Warn") imposes requirements that are different from those imposed under FIFRA, and that it is therefore preempted by FIFRA." According to the company, this decision on federal preemption, a cross-cutting issue in this litigation, creates a circuit split among the federal appellate courts and necessitates a review by the U.S. Supreme Court to settle this important issue of law. Bayer maintained its support to Roundup products, noting that the weight of scientific evidence and the conclusions of expert regulators worldwide continue to support the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic. On Germany's XETRA, Bayer shares were trading at 29.09 euros, up 10.7 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on several companies, individuals, and vessels for their involvement in the shipment of Iranian commodities, including oil and liquefied petroleum gas, to Yemen and the United Arab Emirates on behalf of the network of Houthi financier Said al-Jamal. Since the Houthis began their attacks on Red Sea shipping last year, the United States has sanctioned dozens of companies, individuals, and ships associated with the network of al-Jamal. The revenue from this network finances the Houthis' reckless attacks in vital waterways and strikes on civilian infrastructure. "Today's action underscores our continued commitment to disrupting Iran's primary source of funding to its regional terrorist proxies like Lebanese Hizbollah and the Houthis," said U.S. Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. "Our message is clear: those who seek to finance these groups' destabilizing activities will be held to account." In addition, the U.S. Treasury is also designating Hong Kong-based Kai Heng Long Global Energy Limited for its role in shipping Iranian LPG worth tens of millions of dollars for Lebanese Hezbollah. it has also identified four vessels the company owns and manages as blocked property. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Pakistan has recently reported its first confirmed case of the mpox virus, which emerged just one day after Sweden identified an infection involving a more transmissible and lethal variant linked to a recent outbreak in Africa. A spokesperson for the ministry verified the initial case of mpox in Pakistan on August 13th, while also stating that it is still uncertain if the patient is infected with the new highly contagious strain currently spreading in Africa. Sajid Shah, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry, mentioned that there has been no confirmation of the new variant as of yet, but the sequencing of the confirmed patient's sample is currently in progress. Authorities mentioned that the infected individual was diagnosed with mpox after returning from Saudi Arabia. Officials from the Pakistani Federal Health Ministry disclosed that the man is originally from Dir and currently lives in Mardan, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which borders Afghanistan. A health officer in Mardan has indicated that the confirmed mpox patient's exact location is currently unknown, complicating efforts to contain the virus. Dr. Javed Iqbal informed Reuters that the individual was tested and treated in Peshawar before returning to Mardan and subsequently traveling to another district. However, attempts to locate the patient in Dir have not been successful, which poses a challenge for health authorities trying to manage the outbreak. The national health ministry is also monitoring individuals who had close contact with him, such as fellow passengers on the flight he took from Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, Sweden confirmed its first case of the more virulent mpox variant in Europe, contracted during a visit to Africa. On Friday, China announced it would screen individuals and goods for mpox over the next six months, as around 15 African nations face severe outbreaks. This is the second time in two years that mpox has been declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Initially identified in monkeys in 1958, mpox was first seen in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease, caused by the monkeypox virus, presents with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and while usually mild, it can be fatal for vulnerable populations. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Oil prices fell sharply on Friday, with traders assessing the situation in the Middle East and the outlook for oil demand from China in the wake of recent weak data from the world's second largest . Data showed China's oil refinery output declined for the fourth consecutive month in July, reflecting a slowdown in fuel demand. Chinese refineries sharply lowered crude processing rates last month on tepid fuel demand. Crude oil refineries in China produced 6.1% less fuel in July this year than a year earlier, logging the fourth consecutive monthly decline in output, Reuters reported, citing data from the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics. OPEC and the International Energy Agency's downward revisions in global oil forecasts also weighed on oil prices. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for September ended down by $1.51 or about 1.9% at $76.65 a barrel. Brent crude futures dropped to $79.68 a barrel, down $1.36 or nearly 1.7% from the previous close. Traders closely followed the developments on the geopolitical front. According to reports, Qatar's Prime Minister has told Iran's leader to refrain from attacking Israel while Gaza cease-fire talks are ongoing in Doha. The latest talks are aimed at averting a wider conflict in the Middle East following recent assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran, and Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah military commander, in a Beirut suburb. Hamas officials are not participating directly in the talks but have signaled a willingness to consider new proposals from the Israelis. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis The rivals for Hyundai Venue include Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV3XO, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger Competing in the cut-throat sub 4m SUV segment, Hyundai Venue has been navigating with smart strategies to capture a decent market share. Now, Hyundai is coming up with new strategies to boost sales and market share. In that regard, Hyundai Venue S Plus variant was launched. Lets take a look at what is what. Hyundai Venue S Plus Variant Launched Within the sub 4m SUV space, Hyundai Venue has been one of the oldest and popular contenders. Sales prospect of Hyundai Venue is among the top 10. In July 2024, Hyundai Venue sold close to 9K units with a market share of 8.65% within the sub 4m space. To boost sales further, Hyundai Venue S Plus variant was just launched. The main highlight of this new variant is that it comes equipped with an electrically operated single-pane sunroof. Priced at Rs 9,35,800 (Ex-sh), the just launched S Plus is now the most affordable sunroof-equipped variant in Venues lineup. Hyundai is offering Venue S Plus trim level only in one engine and gearbox combination. The tried and tested 1.2L 4-cylinder Kappa NA Petrol motor and a 5-speed manual gearbox combination. Depending on the demand, there may be other powertrain combinations in the future. In Hyundai Venues variant lineup, S Plus is positioned above Venue S and below Venue S (O). There is a variant above S (O) called S (O) Plus and it was launched earlier this month at Rs 10 lakh (Ex-sh). When launched, S (O) Plus was the most affordable sunroof variant in Venue. With the just launched Venue S Plus variant, Hyundai is offering an electrically operated sunroof feature from an even lower price point of Rs 9.36 lakh (Ex-sh). Currently, sunroof is a trending feature in India and offering it with lower variants will yield good results in sales charts. What else does it get? Where features are concerned, Hyundai seems to be offering a well kitted package with Venue S Plus. Some of the notable features are electric sunroof, a digital cluster with TFT multi info display (MID), an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay among others. Basic features have been taken care of by Hyundai too. Some of them are rear AC vents, roof rails, 6 airbags, TPMS, automatic headlights, electronic stability control (ESC), hill-start assist and more. The powertrain continues to make 82 bhp of peak power and 114 Nm of peak torque. News / National by Staff reporter King Munhumutapa, Timothy Chiminya, has filed a notice with the High Court to prevent Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe from interfering with his kingship. Chiminya argues that Garwe's dismissal of him as a "fraudulent impostor" and the governments lack of recognition are unjustified.Chiminya's action is based on a 2022 High Court order which recognized him as King Munhumutapa. Despite Garwe's dismissal and claims that Chiminyas kingship is not recognized, Chiminya asserts that the court's order remains valid. He cites the ruling of the rescission case HCH 6672/22 as the only one setting aside previous judgments.Chiminya also claims recognition by Zanu-PF and the Office of the President, noting that he has been invited to national functions and has conducted national rituals.A recent Zanu-PF letter confirmed his role and requested assistance for him to carry out traditional rituals at Matopos and Great Zimbabwe monuments. News / National by Staff reporter The late Zimbabwean ambassador Johannes Tomana lost his Supreme Court appeal against Tian Ze Tobacco Company over a debt of US$114,749.80 for farming inputs. Tomana had contested a High Court judgment that upheld an arbitral award in favor of Tian Ze.Tomana, who was a commercial tobacco farmer, had entered into contracts with Tian Ze between 2008 and 2012. Due to his failure to produce the agreed amount of tobacco and clear previous debts, he owed Tian Ze US$114,749.80 by June 2015. The debt led to arbitration, where Tian Ze was awarded the amount owed.Tomana appealed to the Supreme Court after the High Court dismissed his attempt to set aside the arbitral award. He argued that the High Court erred by partially setting aside the award and claimed that the award was not severable and that Tian Zes claim had prescribed.The Supreme Court found that Reuben Tomana, Johanness brother and farm manager, should not have been included as a principal in the arbitration since he acted solely as Johanness agent. The court agreed with the High Courts decision to remove Reuben from the award as a co-debtor.The judges also noted that the acknowledgment of debt by Reuben interrupted the prescription period, thus validating Tian Zes claim. The appeal was deemed without merit and dismissed, upholding the original arbitral award against Johannes Tomana. News / National by Staff reporter Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga appeared to respond to Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa during the Defence Forces Day commemorations at Rufaro Stadium on Tuesday by refusing to shake hands with Mutsvangwa.The incident, which saw Chiwenga walk past Mutsvangwa and greet his wife, Monica, who is the Women's Affairs minister, fueled speculation about tension between the two.Mutsvangwa, who had previously made critical remarks about Chiwenga, directed inquiries about the incident to the party's director for information, Farai Marapira. Marapira dismissed the claims of discord, attributing them to social media fabrications.Political analyst Tendai Ruben Mbofana suggested that these tensions are indicative of deeper factional struggles within Zanu-PF, which may escalate soon. Mutsvangwa has publicly criticized Chiwenga, notably questioning the legitimacy of claims for leadership anointment and suggesting that Zanu-PF's leadership should be determined by grassroots votes rather than endorsements.Mutsvangwa's criticisms have included remarks against Chiwenga's alleged ambitions and the process of leadership succession. He has also accused Chiwenga of being involved in the arrest of his son, Neville, on charges of illegal foreign currency trading, claiming it was an attempt to drive a wedge between him and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.President Mnangagwa has stated that he does not intend to extend his presidency beyond the two terms permitted by the Constitution. Despite this, there have been calls from various party factions and the youth league for an extension of his rule, which Mnangagwa has publicly rebuked. News / National by Staff reporter A Zimbabwean man, Arnold Nyoni (23), has appeared before the Francistown Magistrates Court in Botswana, charged with smuggling four children from Zimbabwe to South Africa via Botswana.Nyoni was arrested last Friday after successfully crossing the border but was caught while refueling his car at a petrol station in Matsiloje.Nyoni had valid travel documents, but the children - three boys and a girl aged between nine and 15 - lacked the necessary paperwork. The children, who are not related, are currently being cared for at a police shelter in Ghetto.Nyoni faces charges of child smuggling and remains in custody while authorities work to locate the children's parents. There is a noted increase in child smuggling during school holidays in Zimbabwe, as parents working in South Africa often transport their children without proper documentation. Zimbabwean schools closed on August 8. More people may see cost savings when buying and selling homes in South Carolina because of new rules from a major lawsuit settlement set to begin Saturday. The $418 million settlement, announced earlier this year by the National Association of Realtors, calls for the organization to end decades-old rules on commissions making it easier for buyers to negotiate fees with their agents or forego using them at all. Home sellers will less likely be pressured to list through the MLS and or with a licensed agent, lowering their costs. Yet at the same time, the rule changes may let some sellers shift a percentage of their costs onto buyers, some real estate experts say. NAR lawsuit NAR has historically required home sale listing brokers to detail an offer of compensation upfront to a buyers listing agent. That typically ends up as a 6% split between a sellers broker and a buyers agent. Some critics however have compared this setup to that of a cartel. The new settlement rules will negate the standard 6% commission. Sellers will no longer be required to propose compensation to potential buyers and their agents, which, in theory, could encourage more negotiation and competition in some markets. Another rule change from the settlement requires homebuyers to sign a deal with a broker before they start working with one. Doing so is to make sure homebuyers know what their agent will charge for services at the start. Impact on SC buyers The deal requirement with a realtor could give buyers more freedom to pay for the services they want and do some services themselves to avoid paying at all. It should be noted though, that South Carolina has had a similar rule in place for years. Given South Carolinas prior adoption of buyer representation requirements, the transition here may be smoother than in other states, but it remains vital that buyers thoroughly review and understand these agreements, said Karen Yip, broker and owner of Yip Premier Real Estate in Columbia. Story continues Yip added that all fees and commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable, but worries that some buyers will choose to forego representation to save some money a decision that, in my opinion, could be quite costly and risky given that purchasing a home is likely the one of the largest investments one will make in their lifetime Jill Moylan, broker and owner of Home Advantage Realty in Columbia, has said shes concerned the change may put more minorities and young, first-time homebuyers at a disadvantage. Its going to be really hard for a first-time homebuyer to come up with the funds for a small down payment of 3-5% and money to pay a buyer agent, Moylan said. Whats going to happen, Im afraid, is theyre going to go without representation and theyre not going to have the education they need about the process. Impact on SC sellers According to NAR, under the new rules, an agent must disclose to a seller and obtain their approval for any payment or offer of payment that a listing broker will make to another broker acting for buyers. This disclosure must be made to the seller in writing in advance of any payment or agreement of payment and must specify the amount. Also, sellers can still make an offer of compensation, but the agent cannot include that on an MLS. The idea behind all this is to make things more transparent and help lower service costs for sellers. Some researchers have analyzed comparable countries with sellers commissions that are typically below 2% to predict what such rates could mean for the U.S. housing market. Commissions that low would generate billions in additional annual revenue for U.S. households that engage in real estate transactions, the research shows. Yip said however that with the decoupling of listing agent and buyer agent fees, sellers may choose to forgo covering the buyer agents commission as part of the listing price. This shift could result in buyers shouldering these costs out of pocket at closing, which would directly diminish their purchasing power, Yip said. As our market continues to grow and prices rise, sellers must carefully consider how their approach to buyer agent compensation could influence their propertys competitiveness. Yip noted that the settlements rule against listing buyer compensation in the MLS introduces a new layer of complexity. This shift could slow down the offer process and create inefficiencies, as buyer agents now need to independently verify compensation details she said. In a market as active as ours, where timing can be everything, this change could lead to missed opportunities for both buyers and sellers. Analysts at Berenberg hiked their target price on real estate investment trust Shaftesbury Capital from 160.0p to 174.0p on Friday, citing a broad-based recovery. Berenberg said Shaftesbury Capitals interim results on 31 July suggested early signs of growth across most of its sub-sectors and locations within its portfolio, with only residential reporting a decline in values of 1%. The German bank stated this reflected Shaftesbury's "unique Central London offering", as well as increasing demand for not only its retail and hospitality space but also for its office product. "Shaftesbury Capital was one of our top-picks for the start of the year, and while the shares are up 6% year-to-date, outperforming the wider UK REIT sector, they still trade at a relatively wide 24% to the reported net tangible assets," said Berenberg, which reiterated its 'buy' rating on the stock. "We have revised our forecasts, edging back our earnings per share estimates to 4.0p (was 4.2p) for FY24E, 4.5p (was 4.7p) for FY25E and 4.7p (was 4.9p) for FY26E. This has a knock-on impact on our dividend estimates given that we broadly assume a 90% payout ratio. Our NTA estimates are, however, unchanged." Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com The FTSE 100 is expected to open two points higher on Friday, having closed up 0.8% on Thursday at 8,347.35. Stocks to watch UK pharma giant GSK has welcomed a ruling by the Florida State Court excluding expert testimony in the long-running Zantac lawsuit where the plaintiffs allege the heartburn drug caused cancer. GSK said it would now seek dismissal of the upcoming Wilson case in Florida - whereby the plaintiffs alleged a causal link between ranitidine and prostate cancer. AstraZeneca announced on Friday that Imfinzi, or durvalumab, has been approved by the US FDA for treating resectable early-stage non-small cell lung cancer in adults without certain genetic mutations. The approval was based on a phase three trial that demonstrated that an Imfinzi-based regimen before and after surgery significantly reduced the risk of cancer recurrence, progression, or death by 32% compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone. It also showed an increase in the pathologic complete response rate with the Imfinzi regimen. Newspaper round-up Angela Rayner has been warned that the government could risk missing its housing targets by placing too much emphasis on creating new towns across England. The deputy prime minister announced plans last month for the largest house building programme since the postwar period, kickstarted by the construction of a generation of new towns. Guardian A debt-ridden English council has alleged in a high court lawsuit that a Dubai-based businessman misused 150m of its investments for personal gain, including buying a luxury yacht and private jet. Thurrock council in Essex, which formally declared effective bankruptcy in 2022 having run up debts of more than 1bn after a series of disastrous investments, is suing Liam Kavanagh and his firm Rockfire Capital in Londons high court. Guardian A flagship green fuel factory has been scrapped by the renewable energy giant rsted amid a lack of demand from customers. Work has halted on the FlagshipONE project, a proposed e-methanol plant in the Swedish town of Ornskoldsvik, meant to supply container ships as part of the battle to reach net zero. Telegraph Ministers must work closely with business to avoid spooking employers as they carry the biggest overhaul of workers rights in decades, a leading recruitment trade body has said. Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), said: The government is right to make economic growth its focus. Only growth can turn employers sentiment to hire and invest, into action. The Times To many people, it is the place where you buy a book or magazine or to pick up some stationery. However, after 232 years in business, WH Smith has decided to open its first cafe. The first Smiths Kitchen officially opened on Thursday in Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton. The 26-seat, 495 sq ft cafe, featuring both takeaway and dine-in options, is set to be rolled out to other hospitals. It comes shortly after WH Smith launched an own-brand food range of 30 products, including sandwiches. The Times US close Stocks on Wall Street closed in positive territory on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 1.39% at 40,563.06. The S&P 500 added 1.61% to 5,543.22, and the Nasdaq Composite was ahead 2.34% at 17,594.50. The Bank of England announced on Friday that it has appointed Professor Alan Taylor as member of the Monetary Policy Committee, replacing Jonathan Haskel. Taylor, who will begin his three-year term on 2 September, is an economist and currently Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, New York. He has served as a senior advisor to Morgan Stanley and Pimco, is a visiting scholar at the Bank of England and has published papers in the fields of macroeconomics, international economics, finance and economic history. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said: "I'm really pleased Alan Taylor will be joining the Monetary Policy Committee this autumn, bringing with him his extensive knowledge and experience from his career in academia. This is an important time for the Committee and we will no doubt benefit from Alan's contributions to our debates. "I would like to also thank Jonathan Haskel for his service on the Committee over the past six years. He will be missed." AstraZeneca announced on Friday that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its drug durvalumab, branded Imfinzi, for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients eligible for surgery. The FTSE 100 pharmaceuticals giant said the approval was based on results from the phase thee AEGEAN trial, which showed that Imfinzi combined with chemotherapy before surgery and as a standalone treatment after surgery significantly reduced the risk of cancer recurrence, progression or death by 32% compared to chemotherapy alone. It said the trial findings, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in October 2023, provided pivotal data that led to the FDA's decision. The trial showed that patients receiving the Imfinzi-based regimen had a 32% reduction in event-free survival (EFS) risk, with a hazard ratio of 0.68, indicating a statistically significant improvement. It also showed a pathologic complete response (pCR) rate of 17.2% in the Imfinzi group, compared to 4.3% in the chemotherapy-alone group. AstraZeneca described lung cancer as a major global health issue, with 2.4 million new cases expected annually. In the US alone, around 235,000 people are expected to be diagnosed in 2024. Early-stage NSCLC, which affects 25% to 30% of those patients, often led to recurrence after surgery, underscoring the need for more effective treatments like Imfinzi. The company said the safety profile of Imfinzi in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings was consistent with previous studies, and no new safety concerns were identified. Imfinzi is already approved in the UK, Switzerland, and Taiwan for the same indication, with regulatory reviews underway in the European Union, China, and other countries. The drug is also the global standard of care for unresectable stage three NSCLC following chemoradiotherapy, based on earlier findings from the PACIFIC trial. Today's approval of Imfinzi in resectable early-stage lung cancer builds on its strong foundation of changing clinical practice in unresectable stage three disease, said Dave Fredrickson, executive vice-president of AstraZenecas oncology business unit. We remain committed to bringing novel approaches like AEGEAN to early lung cancer settings where cure is the goal of treatment. At 0819 BST, shares in AstraZeneca were down 0.03% at 13,162p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. Shares in German chemicals maker Bayer surged on Friday after a US appeals court said it was protected under federal law which would limit liability from claims that its Roundup weed killer causes cancer. The case was brought by David Schaffner, a Pennsylvania landscaper diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2006, who claimed the Bayer had failed to provide a cancer warning on the label of Roundup. However, the US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act required nationwide uniformity in pesticide labels, and stopped Pennsylvania from adding a cancer warning. Bayer settled a large portion of the Roundup litigation for $11bn in 2020, but still faces around 58,000 unresolved claims. Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com UK pharma giant GSK has welcomed a US court ruling excluding expert testimony in the long-running Zantac lawsuit where the plaintiffs allege the heartburn drug caused cancer and said it would now ask for the case to be dismissed. GSK said it would now seek dismissal of the upcoming Wilson case in the Florida State Court where the plaintiffs alleged a causal link between ranitidine and prostate cancer. In 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked drugmakers to pull Zantac, also known as ranitidine, off the market over concerns it could turn into a cancer-causing chemical when exposed to heat. The company this week won a case, breaking a run of settlement with claimants. GSK and other firms who have distributed the drug, Pfizer and Sanofi, face lawsuits from thousands of people with cancer related claims. Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com Alex Temblador (photo: Shelbie Monkres) Alex Temblador is the award-winning author of the novels Half Outlaw and Secrets of the Casa Rosada. She is a journalist and DEI expert whose latest book, Writing an Identity Not Your Own (St. Martin's Essentials; reviewed in this issue), is a practical guide to help authors authentically write and edit a character whose identity is different than their own. You come to this book both as a writer and a teacher; how might a book like this one have changed your own outlook when you were starting to write? I didn't approach characterization in this way at all. I was just kind of flailing about and thought, well, I'm just writing characters who are like me or like people I know. But that doesn't mean that they don't have different identities than me. I don't want to say I wouldn't have tried things I did try and have regretted since. But maybe I would have been more mindful about how I tried them. I would have gut feelings why it wasn't working; I wish I would have been able to name the stuff that was going wrong, name my biases, recognize how I could build characters in different ways, and think about their identities in relation to every part of the story. What I have found in writing the book is that I think it would be helpful if we rethink how we build characters. I think a lot of us just go at it with gut feeling and intuition. And I'm all for that, but we actually don't always teach how to build characters and how to think about all their identities. Why do you think it's important for writers of any level or ability to think about these big questions of bias and representation across their work? I think beginner writers are looking for guidance. If we can get writers to start thinking about this at the beginning of their writing journey, I'm hoping over time it builds up and it becomes a practice. In terms of writers who are already established, we've not been challenged to reflect on the way that we have presented identity. I think yes, there has been a little bit of pushback with social media in terms of people questioning, "Why did you write that identity?" Like, "Did you do it well?" Or, "Just saying, we don't think you did it well." But authors and writers haven't actually spent a lot of time asking, "What am I not doing well?" So, I'm hoping that people who are already established are going to be able to look at this and reconsider how they've built characters before, how they've talked about other communities. How do you keep yourself from being overwhelmed with the continual learning process? I say this in the book: you're going to make mistakes. I made mistakes writing this book, and I know that because I'm recording the audiobook right now, and I'm like, oh, that's a little change I want to make. If I'm going to be a writer and I'm going to ask people to accept the fact that they make mistakes, that I also have to accept that fact. I also know that I am 34 years old, so there's no way that I have unpacked all of my biases. That's a lifetime commitment. So I have to expect that it's going to be in my writing practice, too. I have to be diligent. I have to be mindful. I have to continue my self-education. And I hope when readers get this book, they realize that if you're going to take this on, that's something you're going to have to do as well. Do you have a favorite writing exercise? The one in chapter four, where it's basically building the character out. I don't even use half this stuff in the work that I write, but if I know that they lived in an apartment and now they live in a mansion, that's going to impact my character's perception of the world. I tend to find that when I'm writing, fiction especially, I can't get to the end unless I know what drives my character, and usually what drives them are their fears and their joys. To build them out, I need to know their quirks, their hobbies, their relationships. So that exercise is my favorite. Sometimes I'll write half a book, and then I'm like, okay, I should have done this at the beginning. Let me go back and do this because it's going to help me to push the book forward and showcase who they are. Do you think that writing this book has had an impact on your own writing process? Since writing this book, I needed a lot of time off. I needed some space to think about what I wanted to write and how I wanted to continue in my career as a fiction writer. I am going a little slower, which is nice. I'm being more mindful, and I can see my mind working as I'm writing. I would probably say that if people pick this up, and they've never thought about this before, they're going to do better in the editing phase. It might take a little time for you to recognize what you're doing while you're writing because you get so much in the zone. So, I do like that it makes me slow down. Since writing this book, I have told myself I want to see if I can create something very magical, and joyful, and happy, and focus on those aspects of writing my own identity and some different identities as well. I'm being more intentional now than intuitive. I think that's going to be good, or at least I'm going to learn something from doing it this way. If you could have your readers take two things from your book, what would they be? I'm thinking about something I said at the end of the book: it is okay to write other identities. It's okay to experiment, it is okay to write something and put all your heart in it. It is also okay to let something die. It's also okay to admit that this isn't ready, or it should never be published. Or never be shared. Because it's okay not to share things with the world, if it's just not ready. That's probably one of the big things, because I don't think we need to continue to do harm to historically marginalized identities. The other thing I would say, and maybe this goes a little bit against what I said earlier, but editing is where it's at. It's great if you recognize your mistakes or your biases while you're writing. But you can actually do a ton of work in the editing process. It's my favorite part--the writing is hard to get through; the editing is the best because you get to shape your story, but you also get to catch everything that you missed. It's where other people are able to help you catch things you missed. And I hope that people take advantage of other people's perspectives. Ask for feedback, ask for that community help. I don't think we're going to get through this change in the industry or in creative writing without all of us working together as a community to give each other checks and balances. If you make a mistake, admit you made a mistake. Be very open and honest about it and do everything you can to fix it. That's definitely a big thing I would have people take away from it. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag Jeannine A. Cook, owner of Harriett's Bookshop, has purchased the four-story building at 258 E. Girard Avenue in Philadelphia from landlord Sang Casenta for $700,000, "ensuring the future of the world-renowned bookshop," the Inquirer reported. "I'm still in shock," Cook said. "I'm so excited that people are excited. I hope it ignites a faith for people to go forward with their dreams. It's really about putting one foot in front of the other." Cook began renting the storefront in 2019, with plans to use it as office space for her then-consulting business before deciding to sell books as a second income stream. In 2020, she opened Harriett's Bookshop, which "has since become one of the Philadelphia area's most influential bookshops, a community meeting space, and a center for advocacy against anti-Blackness and for self-care," the Inquirer noted. She has also opened other bookshops, including Ida's in Collingswood, N.J., and Josephine's in Paris, France. "Everything that Jeannine does is wonderful and impacts not just the Philadelphia community, but people around the world," said Marc Collazzo, executive director of the Fishtown Business Improvement District. "She's the only one who does what she does and she chose Fishtown to bring that vision to life." The idea to purchase the building first occurred to Cook two years ago when she saw so many Black-owned business closing because owners couldn't keep up with rising rents. "I couldn't get this idea that I felt like a sharecropper out of my head," Cook said. "I had a vision for something different, but I had no idea about how I was going to pull that off." Cook launched a GoFundMe campaign in 2021 that ultimately raised the $200,000 she would use to secure a down payment. Last year, she approached Casenta about the possibility of buying the building, but the landlord wasn't ready to sell yet. As Cook looked at other buildings in Fishtown and neighboring Kensington, she "stayed positive, continuing to work closely with Casenta to solve plumbing issues, including a major flood during Black Friday weekend," the Inquirer wrote. Negotiations to sell the building finally began this past spring. "If anyone was going to buy this building from me, I wanted it to be her," Casenta said. "There is always a lot of excitement in her shop." In addition to Harriett's 500-square-foot first floor, the 250-square-foot basement, and garden in the back, the building has three apartments that Cook will maintain as rentals. She is renovating Harriett's, plans to open a cafe, and hopes to unveil the initial stages of her progress during the Philadelphia Book Crawl on September 24. "Up until now, Harriett's has been a gallery space," Cook said. "In this next iteration, she will feel more like a home." The second in-person New Voices, New Rooms conference, held again in Arlington, Va., August 8-11, 2024, drew roughly 500 attendees, including 250 booksellers, 87 authors, and 137 exhibitors. The regional organizations hosting the event, the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association and the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, have both seen an increase in membership since last year. NAIBA currently has 257 bookstore members (up 22 since 2023) and 145 publisher members (up 23 since last year). SIBA's membership is up by 20% and they've set a goal of reaching 250 bookstore members by the year's end. (from l.) Janice Killian and her husband, Jim (Reading Tree bookmobile); Jennifer Sauter-Price (READ book bus), Eileen Dengler, NAIBA executive director; Patty Exstein (Three Wishes Bookshop and bookmobile). (photo: Ryan Grover) Several education sessions focused on alternative models for bookselling. Those who arrived for opening day on Thursday were greeted by a collection of bookmobiles, with their brightly colored outsides and sleekly organized interiors: the READ (Read Early and Daily) book bus, Reading Tree Books, and Three Wishes Bookshop, all based in Virginia. The panel "New Bookstore Models Redefine Success," a lively discussion moderated by Candice Huber of Tubby & Coo's Traveling Book Shop, New Orleans, La., explored some novel models of bookselling. Daniel Rowe described Book + Bottle, St. Petersburg, Fla., as "a bookstore that sells wine, and a bar that sells books." Rowe said the staff's goal was to "leave pretentiousness at the door, whether that's wine or books." He said that 50% of their customers convert to regulars, "known by name and coffee order." As a woman-owned store, Book + Bottle also works with other women-owned businesses. The store carries wines from all over the world, all from women-owned wineries. "We choose values over money," Rowe said, explaining they spend more to serve natural wines, and use sustainable paper products. Innovative booksellers: (l.-r.) Daniel Rowe (Book + Bottle, St. Petersburg, Fla.); Latanya DeVaughn (Bronx Bound Books, Bronx, N.Y.); Candice Huber (Tubby & Coo's Traveling Book Shop, New Orleans, La.). Huber also said they place values over money. "I'm an anti-capitalist working in a capitalist system," they said, admitting that they need to make enough to keep going, but "it's less around sales than 'how entrenched in the community am I?' " Huber is the only dedicated queer bookseller in New Orleans, and as someone who embeds their 200-square-foot "pocket bookstores" within other retail spaces, says it's essential that their partners be queer-friendly. Huber will turn down potential partners if they don't adhere to the values listed on Tubby & Coo's website. Huber is also part of a co-op of seven other businesses--a vegan cafe, a food pantry, and a space that offers clothing for trans people, among them. Tubby and Coo's is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a bookstore, and Huber just hired their first two employees. "I wanted to make books accessible and affordable," said Latanya DeVaughn of Bronx Bound Books, Bronx, N.Y. Her blue book bus "makes bookstores available where books often are not." She has partnered with hospitals, clinics, schools, and has recently spoken with community gardeners who want to host a "book garden." DeVaughn frequently works with publishers, who contact her to do offsite events. She has also found a way to generate revenue by renting out the bus: corporations pay for bus time and books onsite, and if they don't sell all the books, the books are donated to Bronx Bound Books; she makes sure the corporation gets credit for the donation with her patrons. Some of her clients begin as customers, such as people who saw the book bus at a farmer's market, then rented it for an event. DeVaughn got a boost when Bronx Bound Books was featured on The Today Show with Jenna Bush. "Make sure your Google information is up to date!" she noted. DeVaughn tells students who come aboard her book bus to choose three kinds of books: 1) a book you love, 2) a book you're curious about, and 3) a book by an author or from a genre you've never read before. Great advice for readers of any age! --Jennifer M. Brown The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has initiated the countdown for the third and final developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) mission. Set to launch on Friday at 9:19 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, this mission represents the completion of the SSLV's developmental phase. The launch was initially scheduled for August 15. The 34-meter rocket will carry a 175.5-kilogram Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-8) equipped with three payloads: an electro-optical infrared payload, a global navigation satellite system reflectometry payload, and a silicon carbide ultraviolet dosimeter. The primary goals of the EOS-8 mission include developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies for future satellites, according to the space agency based in Bengaluru. The satellite is equipped to capture images both day and night for various applications, including surveillance, disaster monitoring, and environmental assessments. The primary payload, EOIR, is specifically designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR) and Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) bands, enabling round-the-clock imaging. It is intended for use in satellite-based surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental evaluations, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and monitoring industrial and power plant disasters. The second payload, GNSS-R, demonstrates the capability of GNSS-R-based remote sensing for a range of applications such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and the monitoring of inland water bodies. The third payload, a SiC UV Dosimeter, monitors UV irradiance at the viewport of the Crew Module in the Gaganyaan Mission and acts as a high-dose alarm sensor for gamma radiation. The domestic stock market indices, BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty50, are expected to open positively on Friday, August 16, 2024. This optimistic outlook is influenced by strong performances in global markets. The Nikkei in Japan rose by 2.18 percent, the Asia Dow by 1.73 percent, and South Korea's Kospi by 1.83 percent. The Shanghai Composite also saw a 0.94 percent increase, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng experienced a minor 0.02 percent decline on Friday morning. At 07:50 AM, GIFT Nifty futures indicated levels around 24,347, suggesting a potential 176-point opening gap for the NSE Nifty 50 index today. Hindustan Zinc, Vedanta: The company is planning to distribute a second interim dividend for FY25. The board meeting is scheduled for August 20, 2024, and the record date for determining shareholder eligibility is August 28. HZL aims to distribute a special dividend payout of Rs 8,000 crore. In addition, the company's promoter, Vedanta, will be selling a 3.17% stake in Hindustan Zinc through an offer-for-sale (OFS) from August 16 to 19. The OFS will have a base size of 1.22% with an option to sell an additional 1.95% stake in case of oversubscription. The floor price has been fixed at Rs 486 per share. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals: The company recorded a net profit of Rs 340.27 crore for Q1FY25, more than doubling from Rs 149.9 crore in the same period last year. The companys total revenue from operations increased by 7% to Rs 3,244.2 crore. Operating income rose by 34% to Rs 588 crore, with an EBITDA margin of 18.1%. SpiceJet: The company reported a net profit of Rs 158.6 crore for Q1FY25, marking a 19.7% decrease from the previous year. Revenue also fell by 14.7% to Rs 1,708.24 crore as the airline reduced its operations. Despite leading the industry with a 91% domestic load factor, the airline faced financial challenges, including unpaid leases and delayed salaries. Additionally, the company's promoter Ajay Singh plans to dilute his stake to raise Rs 3,000 crore. The Delhi High Court also ordered SpiceJet to ground three leased engines due to unpaid rentals. Ola Electric Mobility: The company's net loss for Q1FY25 widened to Rs 347 crore from Rs 267 crore last year. This increase was attributed to higher finance costs and total expenses. However, the revenue saw a significant rise of 32.3% year over year, reaching Rs 1,644 crore. The EBITDA loss slightly improved to Rs 205 crore from Rs 218 crore the previous year. Additionally, Ola Electric introduced its first electric motorcycle on August 15 at the Sankalp 2024 event. Borosil: In the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, the company's net profit increased by 86% to Rs 9.3 crore. Revenue from operations also rose by 23.1% to Rs 216.8 crore. The EBITDA increased by 47.2% to Rs 29 crore, and the EBITDA margin was 13.4%. Sales in the glassware segment went up by 42.2% to Rs 55.7 crore, while non-glassware sales grew by 20.3% to Rs 85.1 crore. Opalware sales also rose by 15.0% to Rs 76.1 crore. Tata Steel: The company has acquired 115.92 crore shares valued at $182 million (Rs 1,528.24 crore) of its Singapore-based subsidiary, T Steel Holdings Pte, in a strategic move to enhance its international presence and operational efficiency. Hinduja Global: The company's net profit increased significantly to Rs 165.6 crore from Rs 14.9 crore year-over-year. Revenue saw a modest growth of 3.7% to Rs 1,091.9 crore, compared to Rs 1,133.5 crore in the previous period. EBITDA experienced a substantial surge of 78.3% to Rs 16.7 crore, in contrast to Rs 76.8 crore year-over-year. However, the margin decreased from 6.8% to 1.5%. Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries: The company has announced an agreement to acquire over a 5% stake in Delaware-based Pharmazz Inc. for up to $15 million. The investment will be made in two tranches: the first $7.5 million will be made this month, and the remaining amount will be invested by February 2025. Additionally, Sun Pharma will receive exclusive rights to license Sovateltide for marketing in certain Emerging Market countries. Pharmazz, an Illinois-based biopharmaceutical company, develops drugs for acute cerebral ischemic stroke and hypovolemic shock, with both products approved in India. EID Parry (India): The company's net profit declined by 15.5% year-over-year to Rs 91.3 crore for Q1FY25, down from Rs 108 crore in the corresponding period last year. Revenue from operations decreased by 4% to Rs 6,747.6 crore. EBITDA fell by 27.7% to Rs 483 crore, with margins at 7.2%, down from 9.5% last year. Standalone revenue increased to Rs 751 crore, but the standalone loss after tax was Rs 79 crore, compared to a profit of Rs 46 crore last year. NBCC (India): The company's subsidiary HSCC (India) has secured a Rs 528.21 crore order from the Directorate of Medical Education and Research in Haryana. The order involves procuring biomedical equipment and hospital furniture for Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhayaya University of Health Sciences in Karnal. NBCC also reported a 38.5% year-on-year increase in net profit to Rs 107.2 crore and an 11.3% rise in revenue to Rs 2,144.2 crore for Q1FY25. Additionally, the company recently won orders worth nearly Rs 720 crore and a Rs 15,000 crore order from the Srinagar Development Authority. Hindustan Aeronautics: The company announced a 76% year-over-year increase in net profit to Rs 1,435 crore for Q1FY25. This growth was supported by an 80% rise in other income to Rs 737 crore. EBITDA also saw a 13% increase to Rs 993.7 crore, resulting in expanded margins to 22.8%. However, there are concerns about meeting delivery timelines for the Tejas Light Combat aircraft and reduced engine deliveries from General Electric. Motisons Jewellers: The company plans to raise Rs 170 crore through a preferential issue of shares in order to support long-term business growth. The Jaipur-based company will issue up to one crore fully convertible warrants at Rs 170 each, which will be convertible into equity shares within 18 months. The board also approved increasing the authorized share capital to Rs 125 crore. MTNL: The company's revenue declined by 7.8% year-on-year to Rs 183.9 crore in Q1, while the net loss narrowed to Rs 773.5 crore. The PSU telecom company reported an unchanged EBITDA loss of Rs 150 crore. MTNL announced the sale of its stake in Mahanagar Telephone (Mauritius) and its joint venture with STPI. The company also approved a service agreement with BSNL for 10 years. The government is considering handing over MTNLs operations to BSNL due to MTNLs high debt. PSP Projects: The company has announced that it has secured multiple projects worth Rs 654.67 crore. The largest order, valued at Rs 484.02 crore, is for civil and structural work at Sanand, Gujarat, and is expected to be completed in 14 months. Another project worth Rs 102 crore is for construction in Ahmedabad, and is to be completed in 10 months. In addition, the company has also won smaller orders totaling Rs 67.65 crore. This brings the total order inflow to Rs 889.98 crore for this fiscal year. PTC India: The company's board will decide on the appointment of a full-time Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) following the removal of Rajib Kumar Mishra. Interim CMD Manoj Jhawar stated that the board is addressing the matter. SEBI had restrained Mishra from holding any board or key managerial position due to corporate governance lapses. Despite an increase in net profit, PTC India's trading volumes remained stagnant in Q1FY25. The company is exploring opportunities to increase volumes while maintaining healthy margins. Shriram Properties: The company's consolidated net profit increased by 5% to Rs 17.46 crore for Q1FY25 due to higher income. Total income increased to Rs 210.90 crore from Rs 157.17 crore in the previous year. Ravindra Kumar Pandey was appointed as CFO, and Rajesh Yashwant Shirwatkar was promoted to Deputy CFO. Shriram Properties reported sales volumes of 0.70 million square feet and sales values of Rs 376 crore. Adani Power: The company reaffirmed its commitment to supplying electricity to Bangladesh, stating that a recent amendment to power export rules does not affect its existing contract. The amendment allows connectivity to the Indian grid but does not obligate India to buy electricity. Adani Powers 1,600 MW Godda plant in Jharkhand is contracted to export 100% of its power to Bangladesh. The amendment enables Adani to supply electricity to the domestic market, mitigating political risks in Bangladesh. Panacea Biotec: The company has created Indias first indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine, DengiAll. The phase three clinical trial began with the first participant being vaccinated at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak. The trial will involve over 10,335 healthy adult participants across 19 sites in 18 states and union territories. Developed in collaboration with ICMR, the vaccine aims to address the complex challenge of achieving efficacy for all four dengue serotypes. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders: The Navratna PSU defense company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 696 crore for Q1FY25, which marked a 121% increase from Rs 314 crore in the same period last year. Total income rose by nearly 10% to Rs 2,628 crore, with revenue from operations at Rs 2,357 crore. Mazagon Dock is in advanced talks to acquire additional Kalvari-class submarines for the Navy, potentially sealing a Rs 35,000-crore deal. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Camera crews will roll at Lees Tavern later this month. Production company managers gave Dongan Hills neighbors a heads up with utility poll postings. Streets will be closed along Hancock Street and just round the corner at Garretson Avenue. The shoot day is Wednesday, Aug. 21 starting at 8 a.m. Vehicles must be removed from the area by 10 p.m. the night before. And Lees Tavern will be closed for one day only Wednesday, the day of the shooting. Parts of Hancock Street and Cromwell Avenue will be closed to traffic on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)silvestri Whats filming at Lees? Diego Palemine was told his familys historic pizzeria and bar will host a scene from an upcoming AMC mini-series, The Devil in Silver. As per AMC, the network green-lit a third installment of its popular and critically acclaimed horror anthology series, The Terror. This new season, The Terror: Devil in Silver, will premiere on AMC and AMC+ with six episodes in 2025, notes a February blog post on AMCs website. Inspiration for the show comes from Victor LaValles best-selling novel Devil in Silver. LaValle will be co-writing executive producer with Chris Cantwell (Halt and Catch Fire.) AMCs lineup notes, The stellar producing team includes David Zucker (Scott Free), Alexandra Milchan (Emjag), Guymon Casady (Management 360) and Scott Lambert (Anjulia Productions). Emmy-nominated director Karyn Kusama (Jennifers Body, Destroyer, Yellowjackets) is also on board as an executive producer and will direct the first two episodes. Long story short, Devil in Silver follows Pepper, an ordinary guy who is wrongfully committed to a psychiatric ward. As expressed by AMC, Previous seasons of The Terror have focused on a British naval expedition stuck in the ice while searching for the Northwest Passage and events in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Season one is available now on AMC+. Season two returns to AMC+ this spring. Busy summer of S.I. film shoots This isnt the only film shoot to happen this summer on Staten Island. In May, Lees also served as the stage for a Blue Bloods episode. Further in featured in flicks: In July, the former structure to house ShopRite of New Dorp (now located in new digs at The Boulevard shopping complex) was the set for Peacocks Poker Face. And earlier this week production peeps returned for Poker Face, this time behind Hook & Reel, also in New Dorp. Pamela Silvestri is Advance/Silive.com food editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Skai Jackson, best known for playing Zuri Ross in the Disney Channel sitcom Jessie and its spin-off series, Bunkd, was arrested at Universal CityWalk in Universal City, Calif. after an alleged domestic violence incident with her boyfriend, authorities confirmed with ABC News. Deputies determined that the former child star, now 22, pushed him more than one and that she was the aggressor and arrested her for misdemeanor spousal battery. Jackson was arrested for misdemeanor spousal battery and later released. Deputies reviewed video footage and confirmed the controversy, despite the fact that both Jackson and her boyfriend denied the incident ever took place. The couple, according to a report on TMZ, confirmed the fact that that are happily engaged and expecting a baby. The case is now under review by the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office to determine if charges are warranted. Not much has been revealed about Jacksons boyfriend, inasmuch as shes chosen to keep him under wraps and off social media. Further details about the incident were not available. Jackson appeared on Times list of the Most Influential Teens in 2016, and was nominated for Best Influencer at the Shorty Awards in 2017. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- With summers end near, Historic Richmond Town is inviting everyone for three days of outdoor fun and festivities upon the return of the Richmond County Fair. The annual community celebration will feature a mixture of music, food, rides, living history demonstrations, shopping, contests and more. Marking the festivals 43rd year in Richmond County Town, fair-goers can find the event on the historical grounds from Saturday, Aug. 31 to Monday, Sept. 2, from noon to 8 p.m. Those who wish to secure a spot at the favored festival can get tickets now on Historic Richmond Towns official website. The event is also still accepting vendor registration and entries for the Locally Grown Contest. Carnival rides and games, bouncy houses, pony rides, aerialists, stilt walkers, wiffle ball, and bingo are some of the many attractions and contests that will be offered to guests. While activities may already seem endless, Staten Islanders will be provided with an array of new additions, including a whiskey and cocktail experience for guests 21 and over in Historic Richmond Towns 1820s Tavern sponsored by War Cannon Spirits. Ticket holders can also take a walk through history and visit an American Revolutionary War encampment. This will feature costumed interpreters, musket demonstrations, and activities for young visitors, as our borough, state, and nation prepare to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. The location boosts the fair as its biggest fundraiser. Proceeds from the Richmond County Fair, such as ticket purchase, act as a contribution to the preservation and restoration of the site. This years fair is sponsored by ProSho Sound Services, War Cannon Spirits, AARP New York, Robert DeFalco Realty, Richmond University Medical Center, Marks Bake Shoppe, Clarks House of Flowers, Applebees, and the Richmond County Orchestra. Information on the family-friendly event can be found on Historic Richmond Towns official website and will continue to be updated as the event nears its opening day. PHOTOS FROM LAST YEARS FAIR: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Borough Hall isnt messing around. In what remains an ongoing effort, a member of Borough President Vito Fossellas clean team was credited last week with removing more than 300 signs illegally tacked to telephone poles across Staten Island. Our own Pete Trivelas removed signs from our major thoroughfares: Hylan Boulevard, Forest Avenue, Richmond Avenue, Richmond Road and even a few side streets, read an Aug. 7 post on the borough presidents Facebook page. Take a look at his haul thanks Pete. In what remains an ongoing effort, a member of Borough President Vito Fossellas clean team was credited last week with removing more than 300 signs illegally tacked to telephone poles across Staten Island. (Courtesy of the Office of the Staten Island Borough President)Facebook Frustratingly, the post continued, several signs taken down one week would be replaced just a few weeks later. Trivelas responded to the borough presidents shout out in the comments section. Glad to be part of the TEAM that wants to make Staten Island a better place .Nothing is too high or too low for ALL of us! In what remains an ongoing effort, a member of Borough President Vito Fossellas clean team was credited last week with removing more than 300 signs illegally tacked to telephone poles across Staten Island. (Courtesy of the Office of the Staten Island Borough President)Facebook Residents also responded. Thank you for doing this, wrote one Facebook user. So many people also leave block party no parking signs up, which eventually have to be removed by others. When asked this week about the haul, Fossella noted in a written statement that his clean team heads out about once a week to clean corridors across the borough. As for the signs, he said, they are unsightly and unwelcome. His clean team is not alone in their efforts. High school students interning with the Richmond County District Attorneys Office have spent the summer helping to tackle quality of life concerns across several Staten Island neighborhoods. In their first week with the RCDA Community Partnership Unit, the group painted over graffiti and helped beautify commercial corridors, storefronts and neighborhoods in Rosebank, Stapleton, Westerleigh, Elm Park, Port Richmond, Mariners Harbor and Arlington, the Advance/SILive.com previously reported. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The Common Sense Caucus of the New York City Council is rebuffing a statewide plan to lessen the distance between competing weed shops. In an August 12 letter, the caucus described a deep concern regarding the Cannabis Control Boards [CCB] recent consideration of decreasing the buffer zone between legal cannabis dispensaries in New York. A Zimbabwean refugee living in Langley who fled abduction during Robert Mugabes dictatorship is urging people to consider the role of religion in helping resolve crises. Reverend Cliff Shanganya, 54, says he escaped an attempted kidnapping and was wanted by pro-government forces during unrest in east Africa around the turn of the century. He sought asylum in the United Kingdom in 2007 and now a British citizen works full-time as a Methodist church minister in Slough. He said: I was fighting for everybody to say no, people should be supported equally regardless of their political affiliation. But that did not go well with the ruling party. Zimbabwe formerly known as Rhodesia gained independence from Great Britain more than 40 years ago. But it has suffered significant unrest since. Mugabe was president from 1987 to 2017, for a period characterised by violent suppression and human rights abuses. Rev Shanganya was a church minister during the late 90s where he witnessed the struggle and the suffering of Zimbabweans. He said the government in the midst of shutting down a growing political opposition had begun to withhold food and aid from people who it believed were against it. Speaking out on the problem, he added, made him a target for pro-Mugabe forces. He described how one night, his wife saw men outside his house looking for him to take me away. There was now a plan to ensure that they silence me, whether they wanted to take me that night and torture me thats what was happening to so many people, he said. There were lots of people [being abducted], some of them we still dont know where they are. Rev Shanganya was saved by circumstance, having been stuck at a school in a neighbouring village that night due to a broken car. The church transferred him to Botswana shortly after. Unrest in Zimbabwe had, however, spilled over into the wider African region. More and more refugees were crossing borders. This, Rev Shanganya said, led to Botswana pushing back against immigrants which he spoke out against. When I was condemning that I was saying Botswana should not be harsh on Zimbabweans, he said. They should be hard on Mugabe, not the people who are suffering because its not their fault. That message was seen, and I was in trouble again and wanted in Botswana. Rev Shanganya took the courage to return to Zimbabwe after more than a decade away following Mugabes death in 2019 to urge its new leaders to take more action to help people in need. His new book, Liberated to Liberate Others, is an investigation of how religion can challenge people to help others. A Minister of a church is supposed to be a voice for the voiceless, said Rev Shanganya. Thats why Ive kept engaging with the government of Zimbabwe to remind them they should be doing more to help people who are struggling. Liberated to Liberate Others is officially launched next month and is available to buy from Amazon. SP Manufacturing to Highlight Its Decades of Medical Manufacturing Experience at MMA 2024 Published: 16 August 2024 by Tyler Hanes by Tyler Hanes SINGAPORE SP Manufacturing Pte Ltd., a leader in comprehensive electronic manufacturing services, is proud to announce its participation at Medical Manufacturing Asia (MMA) 2024. The event will be held Sept. 11-13, 2024 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Attendees are invited to visit SP Manufacturing at Booth 2V11 to learn more about the company's comprehensive services and solutions for the healthcare and medical technology sectors. SP Manufacturing understands the mission-critical nature of medical equipment and devices. The company supports healthcare technology customers throughout the entire product lifecycle with end-to-end traceability and high availability. By partnering globally with healthcare customers, both onshore in the USA and Europe and through a robust manufacturing network in Southeast Asia, China and Europe, SP Manufacturing ensures seamless support and service delivery. Why SP Manufacturing? Global leaders trust SP Manufacturing for mission-critical medical applications due to its proven capabilities: Experience: With decades of experience working with some of the most innovative healthcare and medical product companies worldwide, SP Manufacturing brings unmatched expertise to every project. Certifications: SP Manufacturing complies with global standards for healthcare and medical products, including ISO 13485, ISO 9001, FDA, ISO 14001, and RoHS certifications. Service Depth: The company offers comprehensive services to support complex lifecycle transitions, from design to NPI to production, and from onshore to offshore mass production and supply chain services. Strategic Global Footprint: SP Manufacturing's strategic locations in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, USA, Germany, and Poland position it to support the future of the global supply chain. SP Manufacturing partners closely with customers to support the future of healthcare products and the supply chain, addressing today's needs and anticipating tomorrow's challenges. The company appreciates the complex frontiers of innovation, globalization, and market uncertainty its customers face, and works diligently to deliver future-ready manufacturing services. For more information about SP Manufacturing and its participation at Medical Manufacturing Asia 2024, please visit Booth 2V11 at the event or visit www.sp-manufacturing.com Auric Mining has again rung the till with another $6.3 million worth of sales for August in its money-making mission at the Jeffreys Find gold mine near Norseman in Western Australia with more still to come by years end. The company, which collected $4.7 million in free cash from the first year of the two-year operation, is now predicting a more-then-expected total of $25 million in gross gold sales from its second 150,000-tonne milling campaign for this year. The latest sales add to the $4.5 million Auric generated from a 30,000-tonne milling campaign in April at the Greenfields Mill as part of the profit-making joint venture (JV) operation it shares with Kalgoorlie-based BML Ventures. Auric Mining managing director Mark English, company secretary and finance manager Catherine Yeo and technical director John Utley with a gold dore bar at the Greenfields Mill on August 6. The three parcels of gold were sold at an average price of $3697 per ounce, just 2 per cent off the all-time highs for gold, bringing the total gross revenue from the 2024 milling program to $10.8 million. Industrial property giant Goodman Group aims to cash in on the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and robots to help generate its projected double-digit growth through the development of ultra-high-tech, mega-sized data centres. Aiming to have 5 gigawatts of power in its bank, the global giant is undergoing a step change into an infrastructure-driven behemoth, with data centres located in gateway cities around the world. Speaking at the groups annual financial results on Thursday, co-founder and chief executive Greg Goodman said it was a new era for the $65 billion company, which first listed on the ASX in 1995 with just eight properties in Sydney and a market value of $37 million. Artists impression of a data centre planned for Sydney. The firm now boasts 436 properties in 14 countries across the world, worth a combined $78.7 billion. Advertisement Review Eating outWest Melbourne Keep warm and curry on at this cosy Japanese cafe, Melbourne Japanese curry is one of the worlds great culinary remixes, and Kare is on a mission to showcase the comfort food. Dani Valent August 16, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share As featured in the September 2024 hit list. See all stories . 1 / 7 The cute cafe showcases Japanese curry. Chris Hopkins 2 / 7 Pork katsu curry. Chris Hopkins 3 / 7 Assorted curry pans (curry-filled bread puffs). Chris Hopkins 4 / 7 Bruleed miso eggplant. Chris Hopkins 5 / 7 Kare shop meets kissaten (Japanese coffee house) at Kare in West Melbourne. Chris Hopkins 6 / 7 Japanese custard pudding. Chris Hopkins 7 / 7 Tuna yukke salad. Chris Hopkins Previous Slide Next Slide Japanese$$$$ Can you imagine missing a food so much you open a restaurant that serves it? Thats what Akiko Asano did with Kare, which she launched a year ago. She pined for the Japanese curry she remembered from Tokyo and enjoyed in specialist curry shops, which she fell in love with during her primary school years, when it was a weekly fixture for lunch. Kare isnt just about solving a private anguish. Its mission is to showcase another style of food in Melbourne, which too often stuffs Japanese cuisine into a sushi, sashimi, gyoza framework. Pork katsu curry. Chris Hopkins Advertisement But what is Japanese curry, and how Japanese is it anyway? Its one of the worlds great culinary remixes, based on Indian curry spices, translated for the British navy, and then taken to Japan in the late 1800s. It was then adopted, absorbed and adapted, most notably as a sweet, mild, thickened sauce poured over katsu (crumbed meat cutlets). The concept has been re-exported to the UK, where you can get katsu-flavoured anything: chips, two-minute noodles, even tinned fish. In Japanese homes and restaurants, curry is usually made from cubes: its a utilitarian mid-market staple. The versions here are more finessed, with nine different sauces made from scratch, each of them rested for three days to deepen the flavours. Caramelised onions are the base but other key ingredients are mushroom, tomato, wagyu fat and curry spices such as turmeric, coriander and pepper. Assorted curry pans (curry-filled bread puffs). Chris Hopkins Advertisement The finished curries are spooned over cutlets (including vegan versions), stirred through mince, mayo and soup and tumbled with meat thats stuffed into orb-like bread puffs called pan. The gentle delights of curry are augmented by fun and fresh dishes, including a tuna salad with okra and avocado, and a thrilling spin on miso eggplant with a bruleed crust. Breakfast might mean a scrambled egg croissando with curried pork mince. The shop motto is made with warm and there is something very cosseted and cosy about the place. Drinks are a huge focus: try anything matcha, or the sweet potato latte with soy caramel drizzle. Advertisement Kare means curry in Japanese but the fact the word is so close to care in English doesnt feel accidental. The motto of the shop is made with warm and there is something very cosseted and cosy about the place, which is especially impressive as its on a windy corner opposite Queen Victoria Market. Why West Melbourne has become one of the citys most exciting brunch spots Asano is an interior designer by trade, crafting restaurants including Tamura Sake Bar in Fitzroy. She sees parallels between design and dinner: both are about transforming materials to create satisfaction. Kare is doing its job very well. Akiko Asano has her soul food, and the city has a new type of Japanese cafe, one that combines elements of a kare shop with a kissaten (Japanese coffee house), and is a part of Melbournes mish-mash food culture, too. Karen Martini's rich Japanese-style vegetable curry Advertisement Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Advertisement Review Eating outMoss Vale Our reviewer visited this food co-op four times to try the chefs tongue-wowing cooking Let Eilish Maloney and her team at Moss Vale cafe The Studio by The What If Society do all the hard work for you by dreaming up local, seasonal dishes that will bring you back again and again. Lenny Ann Low August 16, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share 1 / 16 The Studio in Moss Vales owner Eilish Maloney. Rhett Wyman 2 / 16 Egg and bacon roll. Rhett Wyman 3 / 16 Small But Mighty beef kofta. Rhett Wyman 4 / 16 Whole Lotta Love chickpea pancake. Rhett Wyman 5 / 16 Rhett Wyman 6 / 16 Fried carrot tortilla with fermented spicy carrot kimchi. Rhett Wyman 7 / 16 No-waste cake made from dehydrated cake crumbs and frangipane and citrus jam. Rhett Wyman 8 / 16 Rhett Wyman 9 / 16 Chocolate oat and sea salt cookie. Rhett Wyman 10 / 16 Rhett Wyman 11 / 16 Hand-rolled puff pastries. Rhett Wyman 12 / 16 Rhett Wyman 13 / 16 Rhett Wyman 14 / 16 Honeycomb and pumpkin gluten-free cupcake. Rhett Wyman 15 / 16 Rhett Wyman 16 / 16 Rhett Wyman Previous Slide Next Slide Cafe$$$$ Eilish Maloney, founder and owner of a zero-waste food co-operative called the What If Society, is sweeping the floor five minutes before closing at her Moss Vale cafe, the Studio. Well timed, she says, smiling. Weve got a few things left. She walks to a wedge of cake, eight dark cocoa balls and a section of herringbone-patterned bread-and-butter pudding loaf. Seven hours earlier, the Studio, a small olive building on a residential street, was filled with food and people. Small But Mighty beef kofta. Rhett Wyman Advertisement Counters, the kitchen, a fridge and food cabinets offered croissants, glazed twists, vanilla doughnuts, triple-choc brownies and curry beef pies. There were sesame-and-brown butter biscuits, artichoke-and-hazelnut muffins, beer can chicken sandwiches, sticky fig glazed pastry pockets and a spinach-and-cream cheese sponge. There was also the Trust the Chef table menu, which offers five dishes, cryptically titled and defined by size: The One that Everyone Talks About ($16); Small But Mighty ($17); Meet Me in the Middle ($24); Whole Lotta Love ($27); and Just Feed Me ($40). Each is what Maloney and her team, which includes Kathryn Macfie and Sofia Wilson, create depending on season, imagination and what food producers connected to the What If Society bring. Trust the chef. Egg and bacon roll. Rhett Wyman In the past few months (I have visited four times), these plates have included organic turmeric and beef sausages with curry sauce and house sourdough; crumbed frittata with fermented leek, burnt tomato and anchovy; and chicken schnitzel with mustard mushrooms and fermented chilli and tomato. Advertisement All are tongue-wowingly brilliant. All are eaten by enraptured customers, of every age, at mismatched wooden tables (one from Maloneys family), from breakfast to lunch. And now, all of them from the table menu offerings to the counter goods are gone. No waste here. The What If Societys second home, The Exchange in Burrawang, which is a shopfront cafe with bigger kitchens behind it, is where everything is baked, fermented, bottled, preserved and prepped before being brought to The Studios counter and kitchen. It is also where Maloney applies her butchering skills, breaking down whole carcasses for use across the menu. Would you like me to warm up the bread-and-butter pudding? she asks, while spooning fluffy cream into a cup. Spread this on it afterwards. Beautiful. No-waste cake made from dehydrated cake crumbs and frangipane and citrus jam. Rhett Wyman Advertisement Maloneys passion for food came in year 9 at Chevalier College in Burradoo. I thought, Oh this makes sense, she says. It felt, not easy but like I was destined to do this within my life. After year 10, Maloney got her apprenticeship, began working with chef and mentor Jacqui Challinor at Nomad in Sydney, then travelled, aged 20, to London. In 2015, she worked at a Michelin-starred London restaurant called the Ledbury with Brett Graham, then she went on to stints in Sweden, South Africa and the United States. She returned to Australia in 2017 and became head chef at Saint Peter with Josh Niland, in Paddington. In 2022, she founded The What If Society in the Southern Highlands. Advertisement Hand-rolled puff pastries. Rhett Wyman Ive always lived by the quote, Be the change you want to see in the world, Maloney says. And food has the power to change your life. It can take you back to a moment in time, a memory or an emotion. When we need it to be our fuel to feel and think and for all our motor skills why wouldnt we create a really beautiful circle around that. Maloney works with local producers, including Carrington Meats, Rockaway Farm, Robertson Potatoes, Red Leaf Farm, Moonacres Farm, Musset Holdings and Little Big Dairy Co. She runs special food events, cooking classes (for adults and children), supper clubs and bread and vegetable box subscriptions. At the Studio, shelves hold house-made sourdough loaves, bottles of mead and banana vinegar, jars of fermented onion and garlic, ham glaze, pickled rhubarb, chilli and carrots, onion jam, sauerkraut and dried lemon and orange slices. Pats of paper-wrapped honeycomb butter in the fridge are magnificent. Moving fast, talking deeply with customers, cooking and preparing brilliant food with a gusto that makes her magnetic, Maloney is a star. I can never say I know everything about food, she says. Advertisement Which means I can never get bored. I will be forever on a journey of evolution and discovery. And I love learning. The low-down Vibe: Tongue-wowing food at a zero-waste food co-operative in a country town Go-to dish: A trust the Chef Meet Me in the Middle and a chocolate and sea salt biscuit Cost: $60, for two Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Downtime is a necessary part of life. Science shows it helps us to be healthier, more focused, more productive and more creative. Yet, somehow, we often lose sight of this. Downtime is important for our health and our body, but also for our minds, says Elissa Epel, a professor in the psychiatry department at the School of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco. Even moments of brief rest have benefits for brain health. Credit: Getty Images Epel and others acknowledge that many of us feel as though were wasting time if we arent getting things done, but research points to the costs of always being on and the importance of giving our brains a break. Our brains arent built to handle constant activity. Even the briefest moments of idle time, or pauses, are important, says Robert Poynton, author of Do Pause: You Are Not a To-Do list. The nations top judges must decide whether the benefits of wide judicial immunity outweigh potential harm to individuals left unable to seek damages, a lawyer for a man who successfully sued a judge says. Perry Herzfeld SC, representing the man known by the pseudonym Mr Stradford, made submissions on Thursdays second and final day of a High Court appeal hearing in Adelaide. Judge Salvatore Vasta. The hearing follows a Federal Court ruling that Mr Stradford was entitled to $309,000 in compensation after being wrongly imprisoned for contempt during divorce proceedings in Brisbane, and Federal Circuit Court judge Salvatore Vasta was personally liable to pay part. The judge, and the federal and Queensland governments are each appealing against the decision and the state of South Australia has sought to intervene, saying if the Vasta decision is upheld, SA police and prison authorities may be exposed to liability for executing unlawful orders made by inferior courts. A property developer who burnt down a $24 million mansion on Sydneys lower north shore has been jailed for at least 16 months by a judge who said the suburban blaze presented a very real danger to lives and other homes. Steve Nassif, 70, pleaded guilty earlier this year to damaging a property belonging to another person by fire, after the heritage-listed home at 62 Cliff Road in Northwood went up in flames. Steve Nassif outside Central District Court on Friday ahead of sentencing. Credit: Kate Geraghty The property, which boasted a tennis court and water frontage, was bought 10 months earlier for $24.1 million by neighbour and fund manager Owen Ouyang Chen and his sister Sandy Chen Yi Fei through a family trust. For 60 years, it was the home of the late travel industry doyenne Mary Rossi until it was sold to the Chens, who already owned 60 Cliff Road next door. Private schools will be given new rules governing how they can spend public funding to limit costly legal challenges that have already resulted in $47 million of misspent money being returned to the state government. The NSW government on Friday released its review into section 83c of the Education Act which states taxpayer funds cannot be provided to private schools that operate for profit. The Kings School was ordered to stop the planned construction of a plunge pool after a government investigation found it would be an improper use of the schools money. Credit: Rhett Wyman Under new guidelines, independent and Catholic schools will be given more clarity on how they can spend public funding, while also shifting regulatory powers and oversight to the NSW Education Standards Authority and away from the Department of Education. Tom Alegounarias, the former chair of NESA and one-time president of the Board of Studies who led the review, said the state government and schools were ending up in too many legal disputes arising from a lack of clarity with the legislation. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Theres more to Matt Tervo than meets the eye which in the most immediate sense is the thick mullet cascading down his back, resting just below his shoulder blades. Its the best haircut. It lowers everybodys expectations of you, says Tervo, laughing. I havent been smiled at by a cop in the last five years. The scrutiny couldnt be more at odds with who the high school teacher and local street artist really is. Its funny. Ill make fun of the kids at schools haircuts, and theyre like, But sir, you have a mullet, and I say, Yeah, and a masters. You can criticise me when youve gone through this much higher education. The man behind the audacious haircut is a mentor and passionate advocate for the citys street art community. Credit: Markus Ravik Its a Wednesday afternoon and Tervo is striding across the grounds of Kelvin Grove State College to teach his last class of the day: a street art group he established when he started at the school two years ago. When I started here, the toilets were getting thrashed with [graffiti], he says. An email went out about keeping an eye out for certain tags [the pseudonyms graffiti artists write] ... I replied and said, Youre never going to win that war, but Im more than happy to chat about some alternatives. Advertisement The colleges senior school principal, Matt McCarthy, was receptive. He proposed a sacrificial wall for kids to practise art and spray-painting, and Tervo negotiated a class to put structure around it. Were not a completely naughty boys club, which was really important to me. For a while, we just turned into a girl gang, drawing dragons and anime. The uniting thing is you genuinely enjoy art. Loading The kids in todays class are mostly students in year 8 or 9, an even split of boys and girls. Some work on tags and sketch faces, while others draw on iPads and create short anime clips. Two non-verbal students with autism spectrum disorder are learning colour theory and refining their fine motor skills. Tervo says the class provides an opportunity for kids, especially those struggling to fit the typical academic mould, to see themselves being good at something. There no such thing as a bad kid. There are just kids that are really good at being bad at school. Tervo grew up in Ransome near Tingalpa Creek in outer Brisbane, and went to school at Villanova College in Coorparoo. His approach to teaching is informed by that experience. Advertisement My home life was great [but] I had a pretty rough time growing up, he says. I have complex post-traumatic stress disorder. I had awesome teachers who helped me with that. I only started teaching [when I was] 30, so coming to it later, I saw it a little bit differently. Ive seen a bit more of the world, and I was like, Oh, you just need an adult. Principal Matt McCarthys sacrificial wall. This is not easy to do, Tervo says. The boys that submitted these designs were super proud to deliver this. Credit: Courtney Kruk A mulleted 32-year-old isnt the mentor every kid needs, but theres no denying the rapport he has with the students. I dont think every teacher should be like me thats a horrible idea, the future could not handle it. But my thing is, kids should be able to see themselves in at least one teacher or mentor figure in their life. Thats all you need. Its not just the students of Kelvin Grove State College benefiting from Tervos influence. Advertisement In 2023, he and Canberra street artist James Smalls Small pioneered the citys first successful legal street art wall in Ekibin Park East in Greenslopes. In January, he helped launch a second legal wall at the Tingalpa Spillway, a site immortalised by the founding fathers of Brisbanes graffiti scene in 1993. Three months later, he stood beside the lord mayor to unveil a third site at the Paddington skate park. Loading People have been trying to make this happen since the 80s, he explains. Government-supported legal walls have been a dream for over 40 years. Im not the first one to knock on the door. It just opened when I knocked. History paints a hostile relationship between the citys street artists and authority. At one stage, Brisbane City Council, Queensland Police and Queensland Rail each had a task force dedicated to eradicating graffiti and punishing vandals. It pushed Brisbane artists to other cities that were embracing the culture. [Artists] were leaving to go to Melbourne, Sydney, Europe and America to chase opportunities. We were getting nothing. Advertisement That began to change after a chance meeting with Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner in 2022. Tervo and Smalls had been commissioned to paint for a corporate event, but it was rained out, so the organisers invited them in paint-splattered T-shirts, shorts and Vans sneakers to join the function. We literally got the most disgusted looks from people, Tervo says, laughing. Tervo with former students at the launch of Brisbanes third legal street art wall in Paddington. Credit: Markus Ravik [I ended up sitting] two seats away from Adrian and I figured, at the end of the day, hes kind of a public servant, he works for me. Why should I feel embarrassed to talk to him? So I reached over and introduced myself, shook his hand and told him what I did. The mayor asked what it was like to be a street artist in Brisbane. I told him, Its shithouse, thanks to your Liberal government. I said, In 10 years time, youre going to have the Olympic Games and the artists of Brisbane will be gone. Advertisement In the Supreme Court, the exchange of top-secret medical reports has fuelled doubts about whether the woman who served as Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds chief of staff at the time Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds office will take the stand in the pairs defamation row. Former chief of staff Fiona Brown had been due to give sworn testimony in the West Australian Supreme Court on what unfolded in the days after Higgins alleged rape by Bruce Lehrmann in the former defence ministers office after a night out on March 23, 2019. Fiona Brown leaving court on December 19 last year. Credit: Steven Siewert But on Friday, Browns barrister Dominique Hogan-Doran, SC, handed over two top-secret medical certificates and a report to a handful of lawyers and Justice Paul Tottle. The substance of the documents is protected by strict confidentiality orders, but the parties have already alluded to using testimony Brown gave in a separate court matter. Higgins went public with her rape allegation and claimed it had been the subject of a political cover-up on February 15, 2021 in interviews with journalist Samantha Maiden and The Project. Lehrmann denies the claim and his 2022 criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct. He is appealing a Federal Court judgment that found the rape allegation to be true on the balance of probabilities. Both Reynolds and Brown found themselves in the firing line over their handling of the allegation, being grilled about what they knew and when as the political furore grew. On Thursday, the court was told about how Reynolds and Brown were at odds over whether to take the security breach, in which Higgins was found in a state of undress, to police, with Brown adamant they shouldnt without Higgins permission. Reynolds has been pursuing Higgins for more than a year over a series of social media posts she claims accused her of mishandling the rape allegation and attempting to silence victims of sexual assault. The 29-year-old is defending the claim on the basis the substance of the posts is true, and that Reynolds is using the media to harass her. The suggestion by newly independent West Australian Senator Fatima Payman that she may have to abstain on complex legislation rather than vote on something she does not fully understand raises questions about how well she grasps her role as a member of parliament. Surely she must understand that the main part of her job is to vote on legislation that governs Australia as a modern society. I take my job seriously. Im not here to just have a cruisy ride for the next four years, Fatima Payman says. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Payman told the Herald Im not here to be an obstructionist, adding that she wanted to be a voice of reason and integrity, squarely focused on what would be best for the people of Western Australia. But Paymans quixotic belief that voting is not compulsory can be construed as a self-serving gambit to gain more parliamentary staff. She wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after quitting Labor on July 4, and again this week, seeking staff in line with her fellow crossbench independent senators, Pauline Hanson, Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock. Shadi Kord and her business partner Natalie Khoei founded their online rag trading business while they were studying architecture at the University of New South Wales, chipping in $200 each to start a business that listed accessories for sale on Instagram. In the decade since that business has grown somewhat. Meshki, as its called, reported an annual turnover of $69 million in last years financial report, and a net profit of $11.7 million, almost double the $5.9 million profit of the year prior. The Bellevue Hill home of Investors Mutual chief Damon Hambly and homewares businesswoman Philippa Haydon sold for $22.75 million. Credit: Domain And while Meshki is a familiar name among its three million followers on Instagram, Australia only accounts for about a third of its revenue, with the bulk of it coming from overseas markets. Given that, it is perhaps little surprise to see Kord and her husband, Bayan Fanaeyan, of Le Baus mens fashion label, lodge their names on title records this week to a designer Bellevue Hill residence for $22.75 million. ~Work teams battled rough seas for Link 1 Inshore Cable Restoration at Playa Isla Verde, San Juan, Puerto Rico~ San Juan, Puerto Rico:--- The TelEm Group of Companies is pleased to announce the successful restoration of its SMPR-1 undersea cable at Playa Isla Verde, San Juan, Puerto Rico. A crucial operation has been ongoing for the past three weeks, conducted by the specialized cable-laying vessel, CS Wave Sentinel, working within the narrowest window of inclement weather conditions, including the approach of Tropical Storm Ernesto, which at one stage threatened to abandon the repair works for another year. A string of events over close to eight years prevented the historic moment on Saturday, August 10, 2024, when the SMPR-1 cable was finally returned, spliced, and intact on the sea floor with added shielded protection. The moment was witnessed by TelEm Group Network Engineer and SMPR-1 Project Manager, Mr. Jed Carty, who was in close contact with the CS Wave Sentinel throughout the offshore repair and was on board the Blue Manta monitoring the ongoing repair inshore operation and reporting back to the executive directors daily. TelEm Group Interim CTO Mr. Shairon Offerman was first to congratulate Mr. Carty and the team for completing the complex task under very difficult conditions. Mr. Carty described the choppy seas and back and forth of the Blue Manta as the team battled to complete the final part of the operation before bad weather made any further work impossible. TelEm Group CEO, Mr. Kendall Dupersoy sent personal messages of thanks and congratulations to the team, as did CFO, Mr. Randell F. Hato, after hearing of the return of the spliced and repaired cable to the sea floor. Both say a series of testing of the cable will have to take place before it can once again be put fully intol operation. Both also acknowledge the great advantage the repaired cable will give to TelEm Group in its ongoing transformation to become an Integrated Digital Service Provider (IDSP) for St. Maarten. The initial tests have already started and will continue so that we can have SMPR-1 up and running again as soon as possible, said Mr. Dupersoy. He said this is great news for TelEm Group but even greater news for St. Maarten, noting that the Shareholders and the supervisory board of directors have been apprised of this major development and the incredible milestone that has been accomplished by a dedicated and focused team. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport Lyndon Lewis announced on Thursday that students of the Prince Willem Alexander School (PWAS) and Martin Luther King School (MLK) will attend school at the Alma Fleming Care Center in Belvedere as of Tuesday, August 20. And, hopefully if all goes as planned, the MLK students (three classes) could even probably could at MLK campus. The delay allows relevant authorities, school management, and security providers to develop enhanced security arrangements following the recent break-ins at the schools. School operations for Thursday, August 15th, were suspended, and the school will remain closed on August 16th to allow for new security measures and emergency upgrades to be implemented. The Minister also announced that a motivation session for the staff will be held on Friday, August 16th, from 8:30 am to 10:00 am at the Belvedere Community Center. "While we are tackling an unfortunate situation which is causing a delay in the start of the academic year, it is also important that we lift each other up and stand together as we prepare to enrich young minds. Our teachers and other staff are human beings. Sometimes, we all need a little reassurance that we will overcome. I assure you that I am working diligently to address all of these issues and restore normalcy," Lewis said. Additionally, the Minister said preparations for the classrooms at Dr. MLK Jr. School are progressing well. The Division of Education Inspection will visit the campus on Friday to assess its readiness. "If all goes as planned, the classrooms could be ready by Monday, August 19, 2024, to welcome the three classes on Tuesday, August 20, 2024," he concluded. PHILIPSBURG:--- In a significant move toward securing the rights of children born on Sint Maarten to non-Dutch parents, MP Sjamira Roseburg's proposed amendment to the immigration law has advanced to the critical review phase by the Council of Advice. This initiative, which seeks to establish a more inclusive and equitable legal framework, has gained momentum in the current legislative period. MP Roseburg was the first to tackle this matter by introducing the amendment, addressing key issues within the immigration system such as the continuous stay requirement, the impact of temporary absences on residency eligibility, and lowering the age for obtaining permanent residency. These proposed changes are designed to better reflect the diverse and dynamic nature of Sint Maartens community, ensuring that the legal framework aligns with the best interests of all residents. MP Roseburg is encouraged to see that the importance of these issues has resonated widely, with similar amendments being introduced by her colleagues. This shared focus underscores a collective recognition of the need for reform in this area. The Council of Advices review will be crucial in refining these proposals to ensure they are both effective and comprehensive. Following their feedback, the revised amendment will return to Parliament for further debate and consideration. If enacted, this amendment will mark a significant step toward a more just and inclusive future for Sint Maarten. MP Roseburg remains committed to seeing this process through and values the support of the community in these efforts. Re-electing MP Roseburg will allow her to continue championing the rights of all residents and working toward meaningful change in our immigration laws. MP Roseburg will continue to keep the public informed throughout this legislative process, recognizing the importance of community involvement at every stage. Your vote is essential in supporting MP Roseburgs ongoing efforts to create a fairer, more inclusive future for Sint Maarten. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Library is honored to announce the addition of a rare and historically significant book to its collection. The first American edition of Flowers in Color was originally published in 1948 and edited by J.F. CH. Dix Walter Roozen, with revisions by W.E. Shewell-Cooper, has been graciously donated by Wally and Chris Belinsky. This treasured book, discovered in the collection of their father, Timofei Belinsky, an artist, carries a special dedication By Gracious Permission to H.M. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. The Belinsky family, long-time visitors to Sint Maarten for over forty years, is currently enjoying a two-week stay on the island. Their generous contribution underscores their deep connection to the community and their desire to enrich the cultural heritage of Sint Maarten. Shirley Richardson, Head of Acquisitions at the Sint Maarten Library, formally received the book and expressed her gratitude, noting that it will soon be available for public viewing. The inclusion of Flowers in Color in the librarys non-fiction collection not only honors the legacy of the former queen but also brings a significant and unique enrichment to the librarys offerings. The Sint Maarten Library invites the community to explore this remarkable piece of history, which will be accessible to the public in the near future. In May, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed new legislation that will expand insurance coverage in Virginia for colorectal cancer screening. Why was passage important in Virginia? Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. But too many Virginians get a surprise bill from their insurance or simply cannot afford to pay to complete the screening. The new law requires that insurance companies cover all colorectal cancer screening tests approved by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. There are several options for colorectal cancer screening, and many Virginians are choosing at-home tests such as a fecal immunochemical test, or FIT, or Cologuard. These tests are effective, noninvasive and more convenient. But if the test is positive, screening is not complete until you get a colonoscopy. Heres where the surprise bill comes in. Insurance companies would pay for the FIT or Cologuard test but would charge you for at least part of the colonoscopy. The new law goes into effect Jan. 1 and requires health insurers to cover the cost of a follow-up colonoscopy. Why do I need a colonoscopy if my at-home, stool-based test is positive? Vital Signs This column, which promotes community health, is sponsored by Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, Region Ten Community Services Board, Blue Ridge Health District and the University of Virginia Health System. At-home colorectal cancer screening tests look for blood or DNA in the stool. If the test is positive, a colonoscopy should be performed soon preferably within six months. The follow-up colonoscopy may find colorectal cancer, but more often it detects precancerous polyps, which can be removed to reduce your future risk for cancer. What doesnt this legislation cover? Unfortunately, it wont cover the cost of colonoscopy if youve had precancerous polyps in the past. Insurance companies consider these kinds of colonoscopies diagnostic and still require patients to pay for a portion of their colonoscopy in this case. Additional legislation would be needed to cover the full cost of screening for patients with a history of precancerous polyps. Why get screened for colorectal cancer? Colon cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer in men younger than 50. Black Americans are more likely to get colorectal cancer and are more likely to die from the disease. Most people who get colon cancer do not have a family history of the disease. Many Virginians dont realize they are at risk for colorectal cancer or may not know that regular screenings can reduce the risk of getting colorectal cancer. On-time screening starts at age 45 and may start earlier if you have a family history of colon cancer. Talk to your doctor about which screening test is right for you, or visit UVas colorectal cancer screening webpage: uvahealth.com/services/colon-health/colon-cancer-screening. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Wastewater Management Project is officially ready to kick off following the recent signing of the Grant Agreement. This marks a significant step forward in the island's efforts to upgrade its wastewater infrastructure and management. This initiative, with a total budget of USD 25 million, represents a proactive movement towards strengthening the island's wastewater infrastructure, positively impacting public health and the environment. The project is funded by a USD 10 million grant from the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, supplemented by USD 15 million from the national capital investment budget. The project is designed with two core components. The first focuses on the wastewater infrastructure. This will involve expanding and rehabilitating the existing sewer system in the Cul-de-Sac district, which will increase the number of homes connected to the national sewer system from around 10% to 25%. Additionally, the wastewater treatment plant on A. Th. Illidge Road will be optimized to accommodate this increased capacity. These upgrades will enhance the treatment processes, improve monitoring systems, and lay the groundwork for future expansion to cover the entire island eventually. Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina emphasized the project's far-reaching impact: " The Sint Maarten Wastewater Management Project embodies our unwavering dedication to sustainable development and resilience. By investing in critical infrastructure, we are tackling the environmental challenges we face today and laying the foundation for a brighter, healthier future for every citizen of Sint Maarten." For about 90% of households in Sint Maarten, wastewater is collected in underground septic tanks, soak-aways, and cesspits. However, a large portion still finds its way directly into the environment. When these tanks aren't emptied regularly, they can overflow, causing sewage to spill into streets and public spaces and eventually end up in our beaches and ponds. This untreated wastewater carries damaging pollutants, chemicals, and diseases, posing serious risks to human health and our fragile ecosystem. Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs underscored the project's importance: "Improving our wastewater management system is not just an infrastructure project; it's a commitment to safeguarding our environment and the health of our residents. This initiative will have a lasting impact on the well-being of our community." Component two of the project provides the institutional strengthening needed to ensure sustainable and resilient wastewater management in Sint Maarten. This involves strengthening the Ministry of VROMI's capacity through training and IT support, enhancing legal and regulatory frameworks, and developing a financially viable wastewater management model. The project will also create a national sanitation strategy, improve fecal sludge management, and establish systems to monitor water quality in coastal areas and inland ponds, ensuring the long-term sustainability and environmental protection of the island's wastewater services. Claret Connor, Director of the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), highlighted the impact of the Trust Fund in enabling project designs such as the one used for the Wastewater Management Project, stating, This project differs slightly from some of the other projects funded, as it combines the USD 10 million Trust Fund grant with counterpart financing through a contribution of USD 15 million from the Government of Sint Maarten. These new and creative collaborations maximize opportunities and partnerships for continued infrastructural development of Sint Maarten. The National Recovery Program Bureau is responsible for implementing projects under the Sint Maarten Trust Fund on behalf of the Government of St Maarten. The Trust Fund is managed by the World Bank and funded by the Government of the Netherlands. The NRPBs mission is to facilitate Sint Maartens recovery and long-term resilience through the effective execution of development projects. In collaboration with its partners, the NRPB is committed to delivering the Sint Maarten Wastewater Management Project successfully, ensuring that the local population can enjoy the long-term benefits of this crucial infrastructure improvement. A close-knit family who lost women in two generations a mother and daughter in a year-ago, pre-dawn car crash in southern Albemarle County was hoping for some measure of justice. While they may not have been entirely satisfied with the outcome of the trial of the man whose truck struck and killed their relations, an Albemarle judge delivered a tongue-lashing Tuesday along with a 10-month jail sentence for 31-year-old, Amherst-based pickup truck driver Cody Viro Holliday. The lack of self-awareness is absolutely shocking, said Judge Matthew Quatrara. The judge was taking note of the fact that Holliday was cited for eluding police just five days before the fatal crash and then ticketed for reckless driving for speeding 89 mph in a 60 mph zone just one day before the two women lost their lives on Aug. 23, 2023. Both prior citations resulted in convictions. Its just stunning that neither of those two things in any way caused him to pause, said Quatrara. The reckless driving verdict was delivered 15 days after the trial in the same court. The judge wanted to give both the prosecution and the defense time to submit supplemental authority, that is legal precedents that might affect the case. As he did at the July 29 trial, defense attorney Graven Craig attacked the black box, the data recorder inside the truck that Holliday was driving for Thurston Wheeler Logging, an Amherst-based timber company. Its kind of hearsay, Craig said when objecting to the introduction of the data. I cant cross-examine it. The judge overruled that objection and allowed Albemarle County police officer Paul Quillon to testify that the truck was going 75 mph just before the brakes were applied. Another officer testified that the speed limit was 60 mph with a yellow sign and flashing yellow lights announcing the maximum safe speed of 45 mph on the turn where the wreck occurred. Both sides noted that Virginia has codified stopping distances. For instance, a truck driver going 60 mph needs 361 feet to perceive a problem and stop; if the driver is going 75mph, then an additional 161 feet would be needed. Prosecutor Ray Szwabowski argued that staying under the speed limit would have saved two lives that day. By his own estimate in post-crash statements captured on body-worn cameras whose footage was played in court, Holliday said he was going 65 when the logging equipment-loaded Chevrolet Silverado 3500 carrying two co-workers slammed into the smaller Kia Sportage carrying the women. I came across the bridge and noticed two or three cars, Holliday said in one officers footage. Once Id seen them edging out, I said, Oh, shit. I stood on the brake pedal. It wasnt enough. Officer David Huffman testified to getting called at home that morning and arriving to the scene at the intersection of Monacan Trail and Red Hill Road to find the two deceased victims still in the back seat of the Sportage. They were 49-year-old Trena Renae Davis Miller and her 74-year-old mother Janie Lee Davis. They had been heading back home to Long Island, a small Pittsylvania community, after Davis visited the University of Virginia hospital for a treatment. The driver and her daughter, in the cars front seat, were injured but survived. They, along with several other family members, including Tina Stephens, came to court for the trial and the verdict. Nothing that we do to him and no time that he gets can bring our loved ones back, Stephens told The Daily Progress. Ten months, come on, thats a disgrace to my mom and my sisters life. The judge said he hoped the two suspended months, out of a full sentence of 12 months on the reckless driving conviction, would keep something hanging over Holliday. Quatrara also suspended Hollidays drivers license for six months and demanded a year of post-release good behavior. It appears they didnt have enough evidence for manslaughter, which is reckless disregard for human life, Charlottesville legal analyst David Heilberg told The Daily Progress. That requires something more than pure or bare recklessness. The verdict and sentence came almost a year after the crash, but it almost got delayed again Tuesday when Holliday failed to show up on time. The judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest, so when he did appear 55 minutes after the hearing was slated to start, bailiffs were instructed to handcuff him. This is disrespectful to the court on a whole different level, said the judge. Dressed in a plaid work shirt and jeans, Holliday had sent a message to his lawyer that he would be late because of the delayed removal of stitches from a finger injury suffered at work. Im sorry for everything Ive done, Holliday told the court. And I do have regrets for all the speeding cases I was found guilty in. One thing the trial reinforced is that a yellow sign at a highway curves is merely advisory. But the judge noted that just because the sign cant trigger a speeding ticket, the sign did influence his verdict. The sign with its flashing lights is not there for nothing, said Quatrara. Its to make people aware of a hazardous situation and adjust their speed accordingly. Other factors Quatrara cited were the weight of the truck, the darkness, the existence of nearby traffic and Hollidays decision to change lanes the instant before impact. The court cant help notice, said Quatrara, that if he hadnt made his lane change, even at his excessive speed, he would have missed. And then there were the lives lost. The court cannot and will not ignore the result, said Quatrara. And in the result in this case is that two people died. Family members, including Chyna Davis, said that losing the mother and grandmother, very God-fearing women, was devastating. We could always count on them for anything, Davis told the Progress. Thats what devastated us the most, that theyre no longer able to be with us when we need them. Hollidays lawyer said they are considering an appeal. US approves $5 bn Patriot missile sale to Germany Washington, Aug 15 (AFP) Aug 15, 2024 The United States on Thursday announced its approval of a $5 billion sale of up to 600 Patriot missiles and related equipment to Germany, which has donated several of the advanced air defense systems to Ukraine. The proposed sale of the PAC-3 MSE missiles "will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement. It "will improve Germany's capability to meet current and future threats and increase the defensive capabilities of its military. It will support Germany's goal of improving national and territorial defense as well as interoperability with US and NATO forces," the statement added. The State Department approved the possible sale of the missiles to Germany, and the DSCA on Thursday provided the required notification to Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction. Germany has donated several Patriot systems to Ukraine, which has faced repeated Russian missile barrages and drone attacks targeting its infrastructure, leaving it in desperate need of additional air defenses. After the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022, Berlin dropped a traditionally pacifist stance and has become Kyiv's second-biggest supplier of military aid, after Washington. Renewed fears of water supply sabotage in Germany Frankfurt, Germany, Aug 16 (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 Authorities in western Germany have warned some 10,000 residents not to drink the tap water after a hole was found in a fence around a water tank that also supplies a nearby military base, in the second such incident this week. Local authorities in the town of Mechernich said the cut fence was discovered Thursday afternoon and that tests were currently being carried out to determine if the water had been contaminated. Germany -- a key ally of Kyiv -- has been on high alert for sabotage and attacks on military facilities in the country in the wake of Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "Due to unauthorised access" to Mechernich's drinking water system, "there may have been a health-endangering contamination of the drinking water," said a statement on the town's website late Thursday. Residents of Mechernich and surrounding towns, some 10,000 people overall, were told to avoid using the water for drinking, showering, cooking or washing clothes. Mechernich's water system site also supplies a nearby Bundeswehr military base, and the hole in the fence was spotted after patrols were increased this week following a suspected act of sabotage at a base near Cologne airport, local official Thomas Hambach told German media. The Cologne-Wahn base was temporarily sealed off Wednesday after a hole was discovered in a fence near drinking water storage facilities. Tests later showed "unusual values" in the water, the military said. The defence ministry said authorities were investigating a possible act of sabotage. Around the same time, NATO announced there had been an attempted trespassing incident late Tuesday at its base in the western German town of Geilenkirchen, which houses AWACS reconnaissance aircraft. No link was established with the Cologne incident, and NATO said there were no concerns about the water supply at Geilenkirchen. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday said the security scares "show we must remain vigilant". In April, investigators arrested two German-Russian men on suspicion of spying for Russia and planning attacks in Germany -- including on US army facilities -- to undermine military support for Ukraine. German town tells locals to boil water in fresh sabotage scare Frankfurt, Germany, Aug 16 (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 Authorities in a German town on Friday lifted restrictions imposed after fears of a possible sabotage of water supplies, but told residents to boil water as a precaution for the time being. Officials in the western town of Mechernich said a hole was discovered Thursday afternoon in a fence on the grounds of a water storage site that supplies Mechernich, several surrounding towns and a nearby military base. The incident sparked concern the water may have been tampered with, just two days after a similar scare at the Cologne-Wahn military base in the same state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Initial analysis of water samples however showed that contamination with biological or chemical substances "can be ruled out", Mechernich authorities said on the town's website. "This has significantly eased the situation," the statement said. Further tests were still being carried out, the results of which are expected after the weekend. An earlier ban on consuming tap water was lifted for some 10,000 residents in and around Mechernich, but they were nevertheless advised to boil the water before using it for drinking, cooking or teeth brushing. A spokesman for the Bundeswehr military confirmed the incident when contacted by AFP. The cut fence at the water site in Mechernich, located near a Bundeswehr base, was spotted after patrols were increased this week following possible sabotage at the Cologne-Wahn base. The base near Cologne-Bonn airport was temporarily sealed off Wednesday after a hole was discovered in a fence near drinking water storage facilities. Tests later showed "unusual values" in the water, the military said. Around the same time, NATO announced there had been an attempted trespassing incident late Tuesday at its base in the western German town of Geilenkirchen, which houses AWACS reconnaissance aircraft. No link was established with the Cologne incident, and NATO said there were no concerns about the water supply at Geilenkirchen. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday said the security scares "show we must remain vigilant". Germany -- a key ally of Ukraine -- has been on high alert for sabotage and attacks on critical infrastructure in the country in the wake of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In April, investigators arrested two German-Russian men on suspicion of spying for Russia and planning attacks in Germany -- including on US army facilities -- to undermine military support for Ukraine. Second retired general to join interim Bangladesh cabinet Dhaka, Aug 16 (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 A second retired military general was sworn into Bangladesh's interim government on Friday, one of four new additions to the caretaker administration formed after last week's ouster of autocratic ex-premier Sheikh Hasina. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, 71, and three others joined the "council of advisers", the de facto cabinet now running Bangladesh under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Hasina, 76, fled to neighbouring India by helicopter last week as demonstrators flooded Dhaka's streets in a dramatic end to her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. More than 450 people were killed in the weeks of protests leading up to her August 5 ouster, most by police fire. Chowdhury was a three-star general and second-in-command of the army but retired in 2010 -- the year after Hasina took office. The pair had butted heads in the aftermath of a savage mutiny by troops against senior military officers that raised fears of a power struggle between the armed forces and the government. The 2009 mutiny killed 74 people over two days, including 57 senior officers, some of whom were hacked to death or burned alive before their bodies were dumped in sewers or shallow graves. More than 150 soldiers were sentenced to death in 2013 for participating in the uprising, which began partly in anger that their pleas for better pay and treatment had been ignored. Their trials were criticised for procedural irregularities and claims that the defendants were tortured while in custody, which Hasina's government denied. Chowdhury was tasked with leading a "neutral" army probe into the mutiny soon after it occurred, competing with a rival investigation already set up by Hasina's administration. Also sworn in Friday were former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, Cambridge-educated economist Wahiduddin Mahmud, and professor and infrastructure expert Fouzul Kabir Khan. - 'Peaceful and progressive' - Sworn in last week were rights activists, an Islamic cleric, a former central bank chief and two student leaders of the protests that toppled Hasina. Retired one-star army general Sakhawat Hossain was also tapped to run the home ministry. Several of the cabinet's members are associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the main opposition to Hasina's Awami League. Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Yunus, 84, returned from Europe on August 8 to head a temporary administration that faces the monumental challenge of steering democratic reforms. On Thursday, his government said it had invited a United Nations' fact-finding team to probe "atrocities" committed during the final weeks of Hasina's rule. The UN human rights offices said Friday there were "strong indications" that the Bangladeshi security forces used unnecessary force in tackling the student-led uprising. The "alleged violations included extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention", it added. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a key ally of Hasina before she was ousted who is currently hosting her in his country, also spoke to Yunus on Friday. Modi offered New Delhi's "support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive" Bangladesh, the foreign ministry said in a statement. burs-gle-pjm/smw Israel FM says expects allies to attack Iran if it strikes Jerusalem, Aug 16 (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Friday his country expected support from foreign allies "in attacking" Iran if it strikes Israel, comments deemed "inappropriate" by France's visiting top diplomat. Iran and its regional allies have vowed retaliation for high-profile killings late last month blamed on Israel, including an attack in Tehran that killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, which Israel has not claimed responsibility for. "If Iran attacks, we expect the coalition to join Israel not only in defence but also in attacking significant targets in Iran," Katz told his counterparts, France's Stephane Sejourne and Britain's David Lammy, according to a statement from the Israeli foreign minister's office. Sejourne, who is on a joint visit to Israel with Lammy, said it would be "inappropriate" to discuss responding to any attack while diplomacy is in high gear to stop it happening. "It would be inappropriate to speak of an Israeli response while we work towards a diplomatic solution... We are working to prevent Iranian retaliation," he told reporters in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Israel said US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated that Washington was ready to "defend Israel". The United States "continues to monitor attack planning from Iran and its proxies and is well-postured across the region to defend Israel and protect US personnel and facilities", Austin said in a phone call with Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, according to an Israeli readout. Lammy and Sejourne were visiting while Israel, the United States and mediators Qatar and Egypt held talks in Doha aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and a hostage release deal. More than 10 months of war in the Gaza Strip have sent regional tensions soaring, drawing in Iran-backed Hamas allies in the Middle East. Violence has also surged in the occupied West Bank, where on Thursday Israeli settlers stormed a Palestinian village, killing a 23-year-old man in an attack that has drawn widespread condemnation. Lammy called the violence "abhorrent" and condemned it "in the strongest of terms". Sejourne said that "any action that could jeopardise the negotiation process towards a ceasefire deal is unacceptable." Trump takes fire for comment on top military medal Washington, Aug 16 (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 Donald Trump was criticized Friday after he said the top civilian award he gave to a donor was better than the highest US military medal because his supporter remains "healthy and beautiful" while soldiers tend to be dead or shot before being honored. At a campaign event with Jewish supporters late Thursday in New Jersey, Trump turned to Miriam Adelson and noted that during his time in the White House he'd given her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He said that Adelson -- a major campaign donor and widow of the late Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson -- had received an award "better" than the more famous Medal of Honor, which is only given to members of the military for acts of extreme bravery. The civilian version is "the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor," Trump said, although the military award is not called "congressional." "It's actually much better because everyone who gets the Congressional Medal, they're soldiers," he continued. "They're either in very bad shape, because they've been hit so many times by bullets, or they're dead." Adelson, by contrast, "she gets it and she's a healthy beautiful woman." A spokesperson for Democrat Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump in the November election, said the Republican "knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself." Democratic congressman Dean Phillips posted on X that his father had died in combat and called Trump a "repulsive, ignorant, megalomaniac." And VoteVets, which backs Democratic veterans running for office, said Trump "doesn't respect veterans and their sacrifice." Florent Groberg, a former soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2015 for saving members of his patrol in Afghanistan from suicide bombers, posted that he had "tremendous" respect for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. However, the presidential award is "not quite comparable to the Medal of Honor, as they are two very different awards with different criteria and significance," he wrote on X. Trump frequently touts his support for the military on the campaign trail and also did while he served as president. However, he has a history of making unusually disparaging comments about soldiers killed, wounded or captured. The Atlantic reported in 2020 that Trump declined to visit a US military cemetery while on a presidential trip to France because it was "filled with losers." And his former chief of staff, John Kelly, said last year that as president Trump had said he didn't want to be seen near military amputees "because 'it doesn't look good for me.'" While running for president in 2015, he insulted the then Republican senator John McCain, who was tortured and imprisoned for nearly six years during the Vietnam war, joking he preferred "people that weren't captured." Trump's vice presidential pick J.D. Vance addressed the controversy, saying at a campaign stop that "this is a guy that loves our veterans." Trump was not "denigrating" veterans but "saying some nice things about a person he liked." * FIRST NAME * LAST NAME * EMAIL Your email address * PASSWORD Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Show * YEAR OF BIRTH You must be at least 18 years old to create an account 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 * Required fields I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice CREATE ACCOUNT I'LL TRY LATER Already have an account? SIGN IN By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. In response to an inquiry from PA, the Ministry of Justice said it was unable to confirm the name of the prison or the date of the incident, due to security reasons. However, it did confirm that the prisoners involved were not linked to the disorder sparked in several cities by the fatal stabbings of three children in Southport on July 29. It is also a possibility that the scheme moving forward could see more victims come forward. Those who have already registered could start to see payments made soon. What could happen next? Recently, ministers announced that interim payments would be available to a wider group of people as officials confirmed payouts would also be made to the estates of the deceased infected people who were registered with existing or former support schemes. Last year, Sir Brian said these interim payments left many unrecognised including parents who lost children and children orphaned when their parents died. So far, about 400 million has been paid out through interim payments of 100,000 to infected people or bereaved partners. Have interim payments not been made before? Friends and family members of those infected would also be eligible for compensation, it was revealed. Compensation would be paid to the estates of those who had died, the government said at the time, and anyone already registered with one of the existing support schemes would automatically be considered eligible for compensation. This included anyone who had been directly or indirectly infected by NHS blood, blood products or tissue contaminated with HIV or hepatitis C, and those who had developed a chronic infection from blood contaminated with hepatitis B. Then-minister John Glen said time is of the essence as he made a string of announcements in May, which created the compensation body led by Sir Robert and set out who would be eligible for compensation. Before the election, the previous Conservative government led by former prime minister Rishi Sunak pledged to pay comprehensive compensation to people affected by the scandal. What has happened since then? He said he could not in conscience add to the decades-long delays victims had already faced and that no time must be wasted in delivering redress. Yes. Last year, Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the Infected Blood Inquiry, made separate recommendations on compensation, saying that people affected by the scandal should face no more delays. Did the inquiry not make compensation recommendations last year? Some 3,000 people across the UK are estimated to have registered interest in the compensation scheme. Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds said a total estimate would be laid out in the Budget red book as work was still ongoing and more people may still come forward to make a claim. The Government has not put a figure on how much the scheme might cost overall, though awards for those at the top end are likely to exceed 2.5 million. How much will the entire scheme cost? Five recommendations have not been accepted, including a suggestion to uprate support payments beyond the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation. It comes after senior barrister and interim chairman of the compensation authority Sir Robert Francis KC made 74 proposals for the rollout of the scheme, of which the Government accepted the vast majority. The accepted recommendations also include provisions for victims to receive independent legal advice to help them navigate the claims process. Ministers are expected to introduce regulations for infected victims setting up the new scheme by August 24, followed by a second set of regulations for affected people in the coming months. Infected people will start receiving payments through the new framework by the end of this year, while for others affected by the scandal, payments will begin in 2025. When will the payments begin? But the reaction to news of the payment has not all been positive, with Richard Warwick, a victim who attended Treloars School, describing the amount as derisory and insulting. They have been offered a one-off 15,000 payment on top of the ongoing support, with a 10,000 award available for others in similar, less notorious cases. Pupils undergoing treatment for the disorder were experimented on without their knowledge by NHS clinicians who knew the dangers it posed. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Lord Mayors Treloars College in Hampshire offered specialist care for children with haemophilia. What is this extra payment? Meanwhile, those who were subjected to unethical research will get up to 15,000 extra in a one-off payment. Victims of the infected blood scandal can receive financial support for life, it has been confirmed. Sir Keir Starmers Government has for the first time spoken about how it will pick up the baton from the Tories and progress the scheme. What has the Government said that is new? Some 3,000 are dead as a result and survivors are living with life-long health implications. They contracted a number of viruses including hepatitis C and HIV. More than 30,000 people who received NHS treatment between the 1970s and early 1990s were infected with contaminated blood. Why are people getting compensation? People have watched their loved ones die and in one of the most chilling aspects that the inquiry brought to light, children were used as objects of research. He said: The infected blood scandal is an injustice that has spanned across decades on an unprecedented scale. Thousands of people have died, and continue sadly to die every week. Lives have been shattered and the voices of victims ignored for decades. In a statement to the Commons, Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds reiterated the Governments deep and heartfelt apology to the victims of the infected blood scandal. The new Labour Government has for the first time signalled how it plans to roll out compensation for the victims. Victims of the infected blood scandal will be given life-long support payments , the Government has announced in its latest updates on the compensation scheme. I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice . Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy . Already have an account? SIGN IN I'LL TRY LATER You must be at least 18 years old to create an account Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app. Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism. Thank you for registering Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Police in Northern Virginia said Wednesday they were looking for a homeless man they suspect broke into an office of Donald Trumps presidential campaign. The Loudoun County Sheriffs Office said it has issued an arrest warrant for Toby Shane Kessler, a 39-year-old with no fixed address, on a burglary charge in connection with the break-in. The sheriffs office says Kessler was captured on surveillance video last Sunday night forcing his way through a back door into the office building in Ashburn. The office is being leased by the Trump campaign and serves as headquarters for the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee. The suspects face was captured clearly on the surveillance video. According to the sheriffs office, Kessler spent a brief time in the office and its unclear whether he took anything. They do not believe he left anything behind. Thomas Julia, a spokesman for the sheriffs office, said Wednesday that its too early to say whether there was any political motivation to the break-in and that authorities will know more once Kessler is arrested. The sheriffs office said Kessler has a history of criminal behavior and appears to have been in the Washington metropolitan area since at least 2018. He has a California drivers license. Last month, Kessler was charged in neighboring Fairfax County with entering property with intent to damage, a misdemeanor, according to court records. The attorney representing him in the Fairfax case did not immediately return a call Wednesday evening seeking comment. Kesslers name does not appear as a defendant in Loudoun County court records. Meanwhile the comedian, who has been a regular on TV appearing in Have I Got News for You and 8 out of 10 Cats among other shows, said it was an unfortunate incident and expressed regret for any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members. Cigarette smuggling witnesses a seasonal decline, with Romania's tobacco black market dipping this July to 8.4 percent of total consumption, shows a Novel Research survey released on Friday. "In July, tobacco smuggling idles down in most regions of the country, following the usual seasonal trend at this time of the year. The most substantial decline was in the country Northeast - at 9.1 percentage points, although this remains the region most affected by illegal cigarette trade, which stands at 17.4 percent. The country south also recorded a significant decrease of 4.9 percent to 6.4 percent of consumption. By the source of black market products, duty free outlets hold the highest share - 39.4 percent (up 3.1 percent), followed by the Republic of Moldova with 22.4 percent, and Bulgaria, which dropped 3.3 percentage points to 18.9 percent," said Novel Research managing partner Marian Marcu, as cited in a release. According to BAT Legal and External Affairs Director for South-East Europe Ileana Dumitru, in the first part of 2024 the Romanian authorities captured over 40 million contraband cigarettes - more than 75 percent of which were in the southern part of the country, which is indicative for the dynamics of the illicit market and for the shift in the sources of these types of products. Citing the stopcontrabanda.ro platform, the BAT representative said that "the black market value of these products is around RON 40 million - a significant loss for the state budget and an enormous gain for the smuggling networks, to the detriment of economic development and community safety." Gilda Lazar, JTI Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications - Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria, cautions that there are high chances that the black market returns to growth this fall, as excise revenues continue to decrease. "We hope that the tobacco industry will not have to bear again the burden of the excessive deficit, and we express our conviction that the authorities will transparently and constructively approach a sector of strategic importance for the country's budget revenues and economy, especially in the current international geopolitical context of uncertainties never seen in 50 years. Let us keep in mind that after the alteration of the calendar, early this year, the excise duty on cigarettes in Romania reached 135.5 euros [per 1,000 cigarettes], while in Bulgaria it is 99 euros, in Poland and Croatia it is 125 euros, with significant differences compared to neighboring non-EU countries: 90 euros in Serbia, 69 euros in Moldova, and 60 euros in Ukraine," stated Gilda Lazar. Enrico Ziino, Head of Corporate & Legal Affairs South East Europe, Imperial Brands, pointed out that criminal groups were dismantled and large amounts of smuggled products were confiscated during this period, stressing that for this setback in crime activities to not be just temporary, the authorities' efforts need to be backed by fiscal policy predictability and legislative stability. Ziino believes that taxation is the factor with the highest influence on the black market, having a quick and visible impact. "What is gained in one month through higher excise taxes is lost the following month. Moreover, this fuels organized crime, and border and citizen safety is affected," Enrico Ziino also specified. Marcel Simion Mutescu, president of the Romanian Customs Authority, believes that the decrease in illegal tobacco trade to a single-digit percentage is the effect of both the installation of modern X-ray scanners in customs offices, and of the concerted operative actions of the customs authority in partnership with other law-enforcement institutions. "The efforts and sustained activity of the border police resulted in the confiscation, in the first seven months of the year, of approximately 1.4 million packs of cigarettes worth over RON 31.3 million. Also, 6,327 kilos of loose tobacco and 616 kilos of hookah tobacco were seized in the reporting period," said Border Police general inspector, quaestor Cornel-Laurian Stoica. For its part, between January - July 2024, the Romanian Police seized 15,963,169 cigarettes and 6,757 kilos of tobacco, and handed down 595 sanctions in amount of RON 4,635,600, said director of the Economic Crime Investigation Directorate of the Romanian Police Inspectorate General, police chief Aurel Dobre. Major taxpaying tobacco companies funneled in 2023 more than RON 22 billion to the state budget in excise duties, VAT and other taxes and contributions. Save Romania Union (USR) Chair Elena Lasconi is calling on President Klaus Iohannis to immediately request, in his capacity as head of Romania's foreign policy, the recall from the post of consul to Pakistan of commissioner Constantin Gluga, who was at the helm of the Constanta Police County Inspectorate (IPJ) when the 2 Mai double casualty drug-driving accident occurred last year. Also, Lasconi requests the Foreign Affairs Ministry to publicly explain how it made this appointment decision, which she terms as "mind-boggling". "During Iohannis's term, Romania seems to be turning with each day, ever more, in the country of a 'Doing what I please!' discretionary attitude and 'Innocent-only accountability'. I find it absolutely revolting what Free Europe journalists have dug up: commissioner Gluga, who was in charge of IPJ Constanta when the 2 Mai tragedy happened, was appointed consul of Romania to Pakistan. Seconded to the Foreign Ministry and made consul, everything in utmost secrecy. I demand Klaus Iohannis, in his capacity as the head of Romania's foreign policy, to urgently request the recall of commissioner Gluga. The Foreign Affairs Ministry should provide public explanations about how it made this mind-boggling decision," Lasconi wrote on Facebook on Friday. She added that this is "a slap in the face to the parents who had to bury their children (...), a slap in the face of a country where it seems that justice is only for special status people!" On August 28, 2023, Constantin Gluga announced that he was resigning as chief inspector of the Constanta County Police following the investigation into the 2 Mai accident. The history of southwestern Illinois fascinates John J. Dunphy, who lives in Godfrey and owns a used bookstore, the Second Reading Book Shop, in Alton. He has sometimes come across rare books and has written about them for the Post-Dispatch. Dunphy has also published several of his own books with History Press, including the latest, Union Soldiers of Southwestern Illinois. Of course, Illinois was part of the Union, but its border touched the slave-owning states of Missouri and Kentucky. The stories of southwestern Illinois soldiers deserve to be better known, Dunphy writes. His slim paperback includes photos and is divided into four chapters: Union Colleges, Union Towns, Southwestern Illinois Men Who Merit Recognition and Prisoners of War. Dunphy answered questions about his book by email. Q: What drew you to write about Union activity in southwestern Illinois? A: Many abolitionists joined the Union Army during the Civil War because they saw the conflict as an opportunity to destroy the institution of slavery. I take great pride in the fact that I possess an abolitionist heritage. Q: What percentage of people were pro-Union? Is that known? A: I cant give you an exact or even an approximate percentage, however, to quote from the books introduction: Few regions of the United States were stronger in their support of the Union during the Civil War. For example, the entire 1864 graduating class of Shurtleff College, which was located in Upper Alton, enlisted in the Union Army. Nonetheless, our region also had its share of Confederate partisans. The Knights of the Golden Circle, an organization of northern men who supported the Confederacy, maintained a strong presence in Jersey County. Q: Who were two of the most important people in the war? A: John M. Palmer, who worked his way through Shurtleff College by erecting a coopers shop on the campus itself, rose to the rank of major general. Lincoln appointed Palmer commander of the Department of Kentucky. A staunch foe of slavery, Palmer played a pivotal role in ending the peculiar institution in that border state. Risdon Moore served as a professor at McKendree College in Lebanon. He was commissioned a colonel and given command of the 117th Illinois Infantry, which became known as the McKendree Regiment or McKendree Brigade because it contained so many men from that college. One more Union man. Wilberforce Lovejoy Hurlbut was the son of abolitionist Thaddeus Hurlbut, who was a staunch ally of Elijah Lovejoy. He grew up in a home that served as an Underground Railroad station and was steeped in abolitionism. He dropped out of Shurtleff College to enlist in the Union army. He went missing in action during the Battle of the Wilderness. My book includes a heartrending letter sent by Hurlbuts mother to Clara Barton seeking information regarding her sons burial place and the cavalry saber he carried into battle. Q: Who is someone who deserves to be better known? A: Lewis Martin escaped slavery and made his way to Upper Alton. He could have remained there in relative safety, but he longed to help liberate other slaves. Martin enlisted in the 29th Regiment Infantry, U.S. Colored Troops, Company E. He incurred wounds at the Battle of the Crater that required the amputation of his left foot and right arm. After the war, Martin became an alcoholic. He died in 1892 and was buried in a paupers grave in Springfield. Q: Its a fairly small area. What was the overall impact? A: The Civil War served to shape and define the area men who served in the Union army. While veterans such as Lewis Martin bore visible scars, other men carried psychological scars for the rest of their lives. Andrew Rodgers, John T. King, Joseph Weeks and George C. Uzzell were taken prisoner and sent to Confederate prisons, including the living hell known as Andersonville. From Suzanne Simard to Ed Yong, science journalists and researchers have probed the myriad ways plants and animals communicate: chemical signals amid old-growth redwoods, interplay between insects and their gut bacteria. But intra-species speech remains a discipline still unsure of itself. Are dolphin whistles a form of verbal exchange? Do hyrax notes constitute a vocabulary? Arik Kershenbaum, a zoologist at Girton College, University of Cambridge, poses these issues in his breezy, provocative Why Animals Talk, lending sonic analysis and a musicians ear to the study of animal communication. In his opening, Kershenbaum asserts that animals make a lot of noise, and that means they invest an awful lot of time and energy into being noisy. Evolution is economical a behavior that wastes energy is something that should put you at a disadvantage in the long term. Those screeches, hisses and yelps must confer Darwinian benefits, Kershenbaum argues. He focuses on six mammalian species wolves, dolphins, hyraxes, gibbons, chimpanzees and homo sapiens and one bird, parrots. A wolf packs howls; intricate parrot squawks; chimpanzee dictionaries each chapter is chock-full of tantalizing data. He applies Zipfs law, a mathematical algorithm that captures the ratio of complexity and simplicity across all languages, to gibbons, with surprising results. He sorts through textured songs of hyraxes, which may comprise a rudimentary grammar. And he scrutinizes the century-long history of alleged human communication with chimps, our nearest primate relatives, with wry wit: Early experiments were cute, if ethically questionable. Kershenbaums infectious zeal for the wonders of the biosphere set him apart as a 21st century Dr. Dolittle. We meet Alex, an African grey parrot who resided in a lab during the 1990s and 2000s. As Kershenbaum observes, Alex not only learned to speak human words, but he also appeared to develop a subtle and language-like understanding of how words are used, how they are combined, and what the different combinations mean ... the one individual animal that came closest to holding a direct conversation with a human was not a chimpanzee or a dolphin but a bird. Why Animals Talk fleshes out the authors arguments with charts and graphs; fortunately, they dont divert the books flow. Kershenbaums single misstep is his tone: he eschews an academic voice for a more conversational one, yielding the academic lectern for a kind of grade-school circle time. Hes targeting a popular audience but unwittingly patronizing readers: What pieces of a puzzle needed to be fitted together to make humans so special? And yet his concluding chapter on homo sapiens our outsized self-importance, our languages a mere evolutionary adaptation, similar to a butterflys colors rings with the clarity of a bell. He draws on figures such as Noam Chomsky as he drills down into why speech is a recent, possibly fleeting, phenomenon. Despite our vaunted intelligence, we may be just another blip on this third rock from the sun. Kershenbaum seeks profundity among simple questions; and more often than not hes able to find connection to a cosmos far beyond the scope of our brains. His books a trove of riches for animal lovers who sift through it with a proper grace and humility. PENSACOLA, Fla. The Republican primary for Floridas 1st Congressional District is like a rematch between Rep. Matt Gaetz and the man he toppled, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. No, McCarthy isnt on the ballot. But a political committee he controls has spent about $3 million attacking Gaetz with claims he paid a minor for sex and used illicit drugs, while also promoting Gaetz opponent, former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock. It might not be money well spent this election cycle Gaetz has easily fought off primary opponents since his election to Congress from one of Floridas most conservative districts. But Gaetz, ahead of Tuesdays primary, is getting a taste of what hell face if he runs for governor in two years when Gov. Ron DeSantis has to leave office after two terms. Kevin McCarthy explicitly said that the reason hes spending millions to trash me here was to impair some future run for governor. Ive said many times, Im not making any plans to run for governor. I like the job I have, Gaetz said recently after a campaign stop in Pensacola. The race has become particularly brutal, with McCarthys PAC running ads saying that witnesses say he had sex with a 17-year-old escort during a trip to the Bahamas with a donor and other supporters. Our daughters are never safe with the real Matt Gaetz, an announcer says as the ad closes. Gaetz led a group of eight far-right members of Congress to oust McCarthy last year, plunging the House into weeks of chaos as it sought to replace the fallen speaker. Gaetz isnt the only one of the eight targeted by McCarthy, who gave up his California seat after losing the speakers chair. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace also survived a primary against a McCarthy-backed opponent. The House Ethics Committee has a long-running investigation into Gaetzs behavior. The Department of Justice also looked into allegations about the Bahamas trip. No criminal charges have been filed and Gaetz steadfastly maintains his innocence. McCarthy has said Gaetz led to effort to oust him because McCarthy refused to squash the ethics investigation. Matt Gaetz wanted to leverage me to stop an ethics complaint that started four years prior. Illegal. Im not going to do it, McCarthy recently said on Real Time with Bill Maher. Gaetz and his supporters paint Dimmock as a McCarthy-picked carpetbagger who moved from Missouri just to challenge Gaetz. But Dimmock says hes never met McCarthy and never spoken to him about the race. And while he did recently move from Missouri and still works remotely as a state employee, he said he simply returned to an area where he first had ties 28 years ago when he attended Navy flight school. My mom, my brother both live here. My aunt and uncle live here. Three of our four children were born here, Dimmock said. The reason he decided to challenge Gaetz, he said, is because no other Republican stepped forward and he knew the primary was the only chance to defeat the congressman. The winner will face Democrat Gay Valimont in November, but the conservative district tends to vote overwhelmingly Republican in general elections. I thought a person of character and integrity needed to enter the race. No local or state current office holder was willing to do that, Dimmock said. Theres no way in the world this human being that has demonstrated repeated behaviors over time was going to get a free pass. While Gaetz has his loyal followers, Dimmock says other Republicans are embarrassed by his behavior and the ethics allegations. Gaetz has made a national name for himself by inflaming liberals with partisan rhetoric and for unwavering support for former President Donald Trump. Dimmock acknowledges defeating Gaetz will be a challenge in a district where his family is politically powerful. Gaetz father is former Senate President Don Gaetz and they younger Gaetz was an influential state representative previously. But, he said, voters appreciate his presence in the race. They say, Thank you so very much for running and giving us an alternative. Hes been an embarrassment so much that we absolutely need someone else in there. How can we help your campaign, Dimmock said. Now how many? Who knows. But well see. Gaetz doesnt seemed worried. Ive faced an unprecedented barrage of negative advertising funded by Kevin McCarthy, Gaetz said. Ill be outspent more than three-to-one, but Im going to win it better than two-to-one because the folks in Washington and California and Missouri dont quite understand the connection I have with the people of northwest Florida, Gaetz said. Much like Trump, the congressmans loyal followers dont care about the allegations made against him. Dimmock is funded by McCarthy and its just dirty politics. Gaetz is just talking about the issues, said Jill Torkelson, 61, sporting a Make America Great Again hat at his Pensacola campaign event. Theres definitely a blood feud there. I just dont trust McCarthy as far as I can throw him." Two Army senior enlisted leaders in the Washington, D.C., area have been fired in the last week, service officials confirmed Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. ((U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Lucibello)) WASHINGTON A second Army top enlisted leader in the past week has been fired from a position in the Washington, D.C., area, the service said Friday. Command Sgt. Maj. Harold Ed Jarrell, the top enlisted leader for the Armys 1st Information Operations Command, was relieved Tuesday due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to effectively lead, said Maj. Lindsay Roman, a spokeswoman for U.S. Army Cyber Command. The decision came after the completion of a 15-6 investigation. () A 15-6 investigation is typically a commander-driven probe that can lead to administrative punishment or a court-martial following a recommendation from an investigating officer. Roman did not know who would replace Jarrell. The 1st Information Operations Command, based in Fort Belvoir, Va., is the services only active-duty information operations unit, according to the units website. Jarrell was born in Washington, D.C., and enlisted in the Army National Guard in December 1999, according to his military record. He later transitioned to active duty and spent time with the 10th Mountain Division, which is based at Fort Drum, N.Y. In 2009, Jarrell reclassified his military occupational specialty from infantryman to counterintelligence. His awards include five Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Jarrells firing comes shortly after another senior enlisted leader in the area was fired. Command Sgt. Maj. Veronica Knapp, the top enlisted leader for the Armys Military District of Washington, was fired Aug. 8. Knapp made news in 2021 as the first woman named command sergeant major of the 101st Airborne Division, which is based at Fort Campbell, Ky. She was in a similar role for the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region/United States Army Military District of Washington. () Knapp was also fired due to a loss of trust and confidence and as the result of a 15-6 investigation, said Bernhard Lashleyleidner, a task force spokesman. Under federal privacy law, military officials are not required to disclose the reasons for removing or reassigning personnel. Military officials often cite a loss of confidence when commanders are removed from their posts without providing any specifics that led to the decision. The firings in the nations capital region come after a senior enlisted leader for the Armys 173rd Airborne Brigade, Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Carlson, was relieved of his duties last month due to alcohol-related incidents. Soldiers and family members of 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) compete in a 500m swim in American Lake at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., in 2017. (Brandon Welsh/U.S. Army) A monthlong ban on recreational swimming in lakes, rivers and bays at Joint Base Lewis-McChord will be lifted Saturday at noon, officials at the Washington base said. The swimming ban was imposed July 19 after Army Chief Warrant Officer Hao Y. Li, 41, died July 15 just off Shoreline Beach Park at American Lake on the base. Base officials said Thursday that while the cause of Lis death remains under investigation, it would institute new safety procedures at waterways and lift the ban. As part of our commitment to caring for service members and their families, a review was conducted which focused on re-evaluating the current safety measures in place at American Lake, said Lt. Col. Jennifer Bocanegra, a base spokeswoman. This review led to the implementation of additional safety measures. The reopening of the waterways was posted Thursday to Lewis-McChord social media. Bocanegra said the new measures include: Implementing specific swimming lanes at American Lake. Depth markers to indicate shallower and deeper portions of the lake, which is 10 feet along most of the shoreline, but can quickly drop to as deep as 90 feet. Ring buoys and other lifesaving devices have been added on the shorelines. Increased military police patrols of the waterfront areas. A GoFundMe webpage for Lis family said the soldier drowned attempting to save his son Bo, who was struggling in the water at American Lake. Efforts to resuscitate Li and Bo were made, according to the page. Lis son is recovering at an unspecified hospital. The page has raised $30,170 from 388 donations as of Friday morning beyond the $30,000 goal to assist Lis family with expenses related to his death. Army Chief Warrant Officer Hao Y. Li, far right, with his wife Stephanie and son Bo in an undated photo. (GoFundMe webpage for Li family) Hao was known for his selflessness and deep love for his family, the webpage reads. His wife Stephanie, mother Kelly Li, and son Bo were the center of his universe. Hao was a brilliant Army warrant officer technician, an expert in his craft, selflessly dedicated to his soldiers, and a generously loyal friend. His legacy will live on in perpetuity through the memory and lives of all those he cared so deeply for. Base officials declined Friday to comment on the webpage and its version of Lis death at American Lake, citing the ongoing investigation. The Army and Air Force base is home to about 45,000 active-duty service members, along with their families and a large local population of military retirees. At the time of the ban, base officials said swimming pools on the base were staffed with lifeguards, but American Lake and other natural waterways on the sprawling base were not. The announcement by Lewis-McChord officials did not include the addition of new official lifeguards at American Lake or other areas. American Lake spans 1.7 square miles on the west side of the base, near Puget Sound. Its a popular day trip for military members and their families, with the Army, Air Force and National Guard each hosting facilities to be used by service members. Besides swimming, the lake is popular for fishing, boating and water sports. The Army also uses it for Special Forces and parachute training. The ban only affected the use of the lake on Lewis-McChord land by personnel under the base leaders jurisdiction. A portion of the lake, which includes two state park beaches and the Thornewood Castle luxury resort, is outside the base and remained open to the public. Army officials had said Li was from Virginia and had served 19 years in the Army, including two deployments to Iraq. He was a logistics specialist and had been awarded a commendation for recruiting efforts. The SS Antares, left, and SS Denebola are fast military sealift ships stationed at Pier 8 in Locust Point. The pair are among several large ships stuck in the port following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. (Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun/TNS) BALTIMORE (Tribune News Service) The massive ships that regularly sail into Maryland carry cars, cargo, commerce and a degree of potential calamity. That minute, but real, risk that each vessel presents became horribly apparent March 26, when the 100,000-plus-ton Dali cargo ship decimated the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six men, after losing power at the most inopportune moment. It was an unprecedented disaster, but a huge ship losing propulsion had happened before, many times, in fact. And in the months since the tragedy, there have been other instances of ships experiencing trouble in Maryland waters. No ship has had a complete loss of power since the Dali did, but in Maryland waters since March 26 there have been at least seven instances of ships experiencing a loss or reduction of power or steering, according to the Coast Guard. In one case, it was a cargo ship that briefly lost engine power as it departed the Seagirt Marine Terminal while it was tied to tugboats, which safely guided it back into a berth. In others, the issue happened far from any infrastructure. Another instance, though, occurred Aug. 1 in the direct vicinity of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge bringing to mind a possible disaster even more catastrophic than the Key Bridge collapse. In that case, a 946-foot, old naval vessel named the Denebola, on its way to Texas to be recycled, experienced a steering issue near the bridge. Maryland Transportation Authority Police were notified of a ship in distress and stopped vehicle traffic on the bridge for about 15 minutes. The vessel ultimately regained steering and passed through safely, receiving a Coast Guard inspection near Annapolis before continuing its journey. The responsibility of ensuring that the gargantuan vessels that regularly call on Baltimore are operating safely falls on the ships country of registry whichever flag it has as well as its classification society, which certifies a ships seaworthiness. Once in U.S. waters, the onus is on the Coast Guard to screen each ship and decide which ones to inspect. An inspection typically lasts two to four hours, but can take much longer if the Coast Guard notices issues with the vessel, said Cmdr. Brian Hall, the Coast Guards chief of Port State Control. The Coast Guard tries to use our resources as efficiently as possible and is often updating its protocols, Hall said. But still, just as there lies a risk of a car accident when even the most heedful driver gets behind the wheel, there is always a chance something goes awry in the water. I would say there is certainly an inherent risk to having these huge vessels operating in U.S. waters, Hall said, and we do everything that we can to eliminate or mitigate that risk. In the minutes before the Key Bridge collapsed, transportation authority police shut down vehicle traffic on the span, likely saving the lives of many drivers. That marked the first time in recent memory, and perhaps ever, that the 47-year-old bridge was shut down due to the emergency threat of a ship strike. There had not been other similarly close calls before; the transportation authority, which owns the bridge, has said it is not aware of any prior closings due to the threat presented by a vessel. When the Bay Bridges traffic was temporarily halted earlier this month, that, too, likely marked the first time, according to transportation authority records, that it had been closed due to the potential of a vessel collision. Similarly, a bridge in Charleston, South Carolina, was closed in June when a cargo ship lost engine control and sped through the harbor. That was also the first time the span, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, had been closed because of an emergency presented by a ship. The Key Bridge collapse was an anomaly, but it has spurred a renewed focus on infrastructure protection, including a Coast Guard probe analyzing the security of 11 ports across the country. And although ports and bridges can seek to protect themselves by installing pier protection, requiring tugboats or other measures the behemoths continue to bring with them a chance of peril. A tiny inconsistency can spell mammoth consequences. As the National Transportation Safety Board investigates the Dali and Key Bridge incident, it is focused on one of the ships electrical components, about the diameter of a soda can. It falls on the Coast Guard to screen and inspect foreign vessels. Last year, 10,959 different foreign vessels came to the U.S. and the Coast Guard conducted 8,278 exams (inspecting some ships more than once, and others none), detaining 101 ships. Older ships and ones that have had problems before, or that havent been inspected in a while, are more likely to be examined. Newer ones and those without issues are less likely. Inspectors meet with the master of the vessel, the chief mate and chief engineer, go over paperwork and then check the overall condition of the ship, its fire safety equipment, its ability to operate, and so on, Hall said. For three straight years, fire safety deficiencies have been the leading cause of detaining a vessel, according to the Port State Controls 2023 annual report. Inspections are unable to prevent 100% of ship troubles, though, as evidenced by the dozens of ships that have experienced issues in Maryland waters alone in recent years. Just three weeks after the Dali plowed into the Key Bridge, a 590-foot vessel experienced a loss of propulsion 5 miles south of the Bay Bridge and then, in June, a 623-foot bulk carrier had problems two separate times. As long as ships sail, they will present a threat. And vessels are not only getting larger, given the economic demands of international trade and the supply chains reliance on the seas, they are becoming more plentiful, too. The number of registered ships increased from 78,300 in 1990 to 106,700 in 2023, according to Jean-Paul Rodrigue, a Texas A&M-Galveston University professor whose research focuses on transportation and logistics. Sal Mercogliano, a former merchant mariner who hosts the YouTube show What is Going on With Shipping? hypothesizes that during the coronavirus pandemic, many mariners left the industry. That could result in more issues at sea, he said, as could economic pressures to deliver goods as quickly as possible. In regard to ship inspections, he said that not enough resources are allocated to the Coast Guard for them to most effectively inspect ships. Listing several instances of ships having trouble near other vessels or infrastructure such as when a cargo ship lost propulsion as it sailed close to New Yorks Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in April Mercogliano said ship issues are something the industry has not yet solved. I think its really appropriate to put some light on this right now, he said, because, again, what were seeing is more and more ships [that sail] a lot faster, volatility. Were sailing much longer now, because theyre getting older [and] were not replacing ships as quickly. Recently revealed reports into the Key Bridge from the early 2000s explored vulnerabilities in the span and, reached Saturday about the reports, former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening pondered the prevention of a potential future calamity. I believe that one of two things has to be done: either much more of an international effort to limit the sheer size of these ships, because of their danger, or a much more concerted national effort for us to retrofit in a major way, a lot of our existing infrastructure, he said. It seems unlikely that there will be a reversal in the size of ships, which continue to grow wider, taller and heavier. And Maryland is preparing for that ongoing trend, as the replacement Key Bridge is expected to be taller to make way for the eventuality of larger vessels. So, the big ships will continue to come. But preventing the next shipping disaster, in Maryland or elsewhere, will likely require a multipronged approach mitigating the risks presented by ships, as well as boosting infrastructure. Of the thousands of ships that call on the East Coast each year, rarely are there problems. But as the Key Bridge calamity illustrated, one small issue can create a disaster that, up until that moment, lacked precedent. Instances of deep-draft vessels experiencing trouble in Maryland waters since March 26 April 11, Kotor, loss of propulsion, roughly 5 miles south of the Bay Bridge May 31, Sheng Ping Ha, issue and location not provided by Coast Guard June 6, Baltic K, issue and location not provided by Coast Guard June 14, Baltic K, reduced propulsion, in Patapsco River July 1, Bellavia, loss of propulsion, in Patapsco River near Seagirt Marine Terminal July 10, Algoma Victory, loss of propulsion, in Patapsco River off Fort Howard August 1, Denebola, steering issue, near Bay Bridge 2024 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Oscar Austin refuels in the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 11, 2024. The ship is set to deploy to Spain this fall as part of the Navy's expansion of allied sea power in Europe. (Darren Cordoviz/U.S. Navy) The first of two additional U.S. Navy destroyers the Pentagon plans to deploy to Europe to expand NATO sea power will pull in to Spain sometime in the fall, according to the service. No specific time frame was given for the arrival of USS Oscar Austin in the Navys official announcement this week, but preparations have been underway for at least eight months. The ship is currently homeported in Norfolk, Va. In December, officials at Naval Station Rota in Spain said they were sending command staff and other personnel to assist sailors and their families attached to Oscar Austin with the homeport transition. Four other destroyers USS Paul Ignatius, USS Bulkeley, USS Arleigh Burke and USS Roosevelt already are deployed to Rota as part of Destroyer Squadron 60. A sixth unannounced destroyer also is planned to deploy to Rota in 2026. The addition of Oscar Austin comes after Spain greenlighted a plan in 2023 to increase the number of U.S. destroyers based at Rota to six. The pact came amid Russias ongoing war on Ukraine and increasing concerns about Russian submarine presence from the north Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. U.S. commanders have long championed the increase in firepower. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers work in conjunction with land-based Aegis ballistic missile defense sites to protect Europe. The U.S. started keeping destroyers in Spain in 2014, beginning with USS Ross and USS Cook. The forward torpedo room of an I.58 submarine is seen on Jan. 28, 1946 while awaiting scuttling at Sasebo, Japan. This submarine torpedoed and sank USS Indianapolis (CA-35) on July 30, 1945. (U.S. Marine Corps ) MASAKI, Ehime - For almost 20 years, former submariner Kunshiro Kiyozumi had made an annual trip each spring to commemorate his comrades who died near the end of the Pacific War, in suicide attacks using Kaiten human torpedoes. The young soldiers boarded the suicide vessels ready to die, with no one to bid them farewell. Kiyozumi, now 96, residing in Masaki, Ehime Prefecture, had planned to quietly mourn the war dead at his home on this years 79th anniversary of the end of World War II. In January 1945, Kiyozumi graduated from a diving school of the former Japanese navy and became a crew member of the I-58 submarine. At just 16 years old, he was the youngest of about 100 men. His various duties included taking care of the officers personal needs. The I-58 was ordered to sail to waters off the Philippines in July that year. It departed from a port in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, and stopped at a base in Hirao, Yamaguchi Prefecture, with six Kaiten and six men to operate them. Japan had already lost control of the sea. On the Pacific side of the Bungo Channel, Japanese warships were ambushed by U.S. submarines. The Kaiten was a one-man suicide attack weapon measuring 14.75 meters in length and one meter in diameter. Developed based on a torpedo, its name referred to the hope that it would turn the heavens around and reverse the tide of the war. These human torpedoes were carried on the deck of a submarine and launched when a target, such as an enemy tanker, was located. The crew member inside maneuvered the torpedo to hit the target. A total of 106 Kaiten crew died in the war or in accidents during training. Before leaving Japan, the submarine surfaced at night. Kiyozumi witnessed a superior officer showing the Kaiten crew the land of Kyushu. He brought them sake at the superiors instruction, after which the officer and the crew poured each other drinks, saying: This will be our farewell cup. Five of the Kaiten crew on the I-58 departed on missions before the war ended. He later heard that when they were ordered to go out, almost all of them said, Thank you for everything. When the time came for the launch, each crew member climbed the ladder and closed the hatch, with no one to see him off. I wonder how they felt as they climbed aboard and closed the hatch with their own hands. I still feel sorry for them, Kiyozumi said. At the end of July , the I-58 sank the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis . It was later learned that the vessel was on its way back from carrying parts of an atomic bomb. However, none of us could rejoice from the bottom of our hearts, Kiyozumi said, as two Kaiten crew members had lost their lives just the day before. He heard about the end of the war while on the submarine. The I-58 returned to the port in Kure in late August, with Kiyozumi on board. One day, when Kiyozumi was working at a power distribution equipment company, he received a phone call from a fellow crewmember on the I-58. They were close in age and were good friends, but they had not seen each other since they parted at the Kure port. The crewmember said he made a memorial visit during cherry blossom season each year to Otsu Island in the city of Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where a Kaiten training base was located. Kiyozumi decided to join his friend, saying to himself, Im alive thanks to those who went out in the Kaiten. Nearly 20 years have passed since then. This spring, Kiyozumi visited the island again to pray for the Kaiten crew members. The friend passed away several years ago. Kiyozumi is probably the only surviving I-58 crew member now. He still regrets the loss of young lives. As long as Im alive, Ill make trips to console the spirits of the dead, he said. A monument dedicated to North Korean defectors stands at the Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju, South Korea, on Aug. 14, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes) PAJU, South Korea Oh Eun Jeong, a poet who fled North Korea in 2009, left behind a younger sister for whom she still longs. Oh, profiled by The Washington Post in 2018 as one of many young North Korean defectors thriving with new lives in the South, said that longing motivated her to write poetry. I think about my sister every day, she told Stars and Stripes by phone Aug. 8. Knowing shes still there while Im here makes my heart heavy. Oh and other former North Koreans now have a place to bring those sentiments. On Aug. 1, the South Korean Ministry for Unification unveiled a monument to those who escaped the North or lost their lives in the attempt. This monument gives me a place to express that longing, even if I cant be with her, Oh said. A remembrance plaque dedicated to North Korean defectors accompanies a memorial at the Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju, South Korea, on Aug. 14, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes) More than 33,000 North Koreans have successfully reached the South since 1998, according to an Associated Press report in October. The number of those who perished in the attempt is hard to calculate. The monument is in Paju and overlooks the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two countries, with a view beyond the DMZ into North Korea. The sculpture installed at the Odusan Unification Observatory symbolizes the longing and courage of North Korean defectors in their pursuit of freedom as well as their hope for the future, along with the memory of those who sacrificed their lives during the escape process, Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho said during the unveiling ceremony, according to an Aug. 1 statement from the ministry. Han Bonghee, a doctor of oriental medicine in Goyang City, defected from North Korea in 1998. This is more than just stone, she told Stars and Stripes by phone Aug. 6, speaking of the new monument. Its a place where defectors like me can finally honor those we lost. Han has written a memoir that recounts her fathers forced repatriation and death in a North Korean prison. I see this as a sacred space where I can pay respects to my parents and others who couldnt make it, she said. A view of North Korea from Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju, South Korea, on Aug. 14, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes) North Hamgyong province Gov. Ji Seongho, a former member of the National Assembly, proposed the monuments location. I think this monument could be the space that can be a source of strength for defectors, Ji told Stars and Stripes by phone Aug. 8. It could be a site where they can look at their hometown and get themselves sorted when times are tough and difficult. The monument stands where North Korea is visible, a poignant detail for those who left loved ones behind, he said. Ji said he hopes the monument conveys the preciousness of freedom to South Koreans and reminds defectors to leave fully honoring those who couldnt make it. The number of North Korean defectors peaked at 2,914 in 2009, according to the Visual Capitalist website. That number slumped to fewer than 150 for all of 2021 and 2022. Last year, 99 people were recorded having escaped the North. Oh said she cant help but think of those she left behind, or whose bid for freedom failed. Whenever I hear about North Koreans who died trying to escape, I think how nice it would have been if they could have set foot on this land, she said. A rocket carrying a new satellite group blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north Chinas Shanxi Province on Aug. 6, 2024. (Zheng Bin/Xinhua ) Iran is pursuing partnerships with two Chinese satellite companies, Western security officials say, as it seeks to expand its capability for remote surveillance and intelligence gathering, potentially including high-resolution images of military targets in Israel and across the Middle East. The outreach has included multiple exchanges of delegations in recent months between Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Chinese companies, both of which manufacture and operate remote-sensing satellites with sophisticated cameras, according to U.S., European and Middle Eastern officials privy to intelligence reports describing the meetings. Irans courtship of the two companies is being watched closely amid concerns that any deal that emerges could allow Iran to dramatically improve its ability to spy on U.S. and Israeli military installations as well as those of Arab rivals in the Persian Gulf, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence. The two companies offer a line of satellites with optical equipment that is at least twice as sensitive as the most advanced satellites operated by Iran. The visits are occurring against a backdrop of closer ties between Beijing and Tehran in the wake of a 25-year political and economic cooperation pact signed by the foreign ministers of both countries three years ago. Iran has previously sought help from Russia in developing a network of Iranian-controlled surveillance satellites, assistance that has expanded as Russia has grown reliant on Iran as a supplier of attack drones used in its war against Ukraine. A confidential assessment seen by The Washington Post warns that a deal with China could supply Iran with enhanced targeting capability for its arsenal of ballistic missiles as well as early warning systems to detect impending attacks. Iran might then be in a position to supply satellite-derived intelligence to allies such as Yemens Houthi rebels, who have launched missile attacks on commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf, or to Syrian and Iraqi militias responsible for drone and rocket attacks on U.S. military bases in the region. Iran has previously provided such groups with satellite imagery purchased from China, the document said. While there were no reports of a formal agreement yet, the assessment described a flourishing relationship between Tehran and one of the companies, Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., with several exchanges of delegations and long stays by IRGC operatives and officials in China. Chang Guang, based in Changchun in Chinas northeastern Jilin province, makes small, low-cost cubesat satellites with optical equipment still capable of producing images with a resolution as fine as 30 centimeters, a capability comparable with that of the most sophisticated U.S. and European commercial satellite companies. Irans Khayyam satellite produces images with a resolution of about 1 meter. Iranian officials also were seeking a business arrangement with the Beijing-based MinoSpace Technology Co., which makes the Taijing-series remote sensing satellites, and participated in an exchange of delegations with it, the assessment said. Neither of the Chinese companies is under U.S. or international economic sanctions. The IRGCs Quds Force, an elite unit that conducts overseas operations, faces multiple U.S. sanctions for alleged support of terrorist operations. Chang Guang and MinoSpace did not respond to emails requesting comment. Irans mission to the United Nations in New York did not reply to a request for information about the reported contacts with the Chinese firms. Chang Guang was embroiled in controversy last year after reports that it supplied satellite services and imagery to Russias Wagner mercenary group. The reports linked the company to a $30 million agreement signed by Wagner officials in November 2022, nine months after the start of Russias full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. China, one of Irans most important military partners historically, suspended most of its weapons sales to Tehran around 2005, as Western countries were tightening sanctions over Irans rapidly expanding nuclear program. Relations with Beijing gradually improved over the last decade, starting with a 2015 Chinese agreement to supply Iran with satellite-based navigation technology that allowed Tehran to improve the accuracy of its missiles and drones. Many electronic components for Iranian aircraft originate in China. Under the 2o21 agreement, the two countries have committed to training exercises and future joint development of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. China is now Irans biggest customer for petroleum products, and trade between the two countries has flourished, climbing to $32 billion last year. But that figure is dwarfed by Chinas trade with Irans biggest gulf rivals: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. While Beijing has moved to upgrade its alliance with Tehran, Chinese officials have remained cautious about providing the kind of military aid that might inflame tensions with Irans neighbors or trigger international sanctions against Chinese companies. China also has appeared wary of contributing to an escalation in the Middle East that could shut down vital gulf waterways for oil tankers. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, China has repeatedly criticized the United States for its role in the region while calling on all sides to end the violence. It has not publicly condemned Hamas, a group heavily supported by Iran. Analysts said China may believe it has a legitimate civilian cover for assisting Irans space program, since surveillance satellites have many nonmilitary uses, such as environmental monitoring and disaster response. It is certainly plausible that Chinese companies would be working with Iran on surveillance technology, since its not the same as providing weapons, from the Chinese viewpoint, said Gary Samore, a former top adviser on arms control to the Clinton and Obama administrations who serves as director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University. The Chinese try to stay out of politics. The Middle East is a source of oil and gas, and they dont want to compromise their relationships with the Saudis and the Emiratis. Moscow, meanwhile, remains the biggest booster of Irans burgeoning space program. Russia has launched at least two Iranian surveillance satellites into orbit since 2022, including the Pars-1 remote sensing satellite, which was dispatched into space in February aboard a Russian Soyuz-2 rocket. Iran claimed to have successfully launched four satellites in January using its own rockets. Three were communications satellites, and the fourth was a remote-sensing orbiter operated by the IRGC. An informal memorial to a secrity guard struck and killed by a truck at Awa pier in Nago, Okinawa, Japan, as seen June 28, 2024 (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes) CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa The Okinawa branch of Japans Defense Ministry has asked the Okinawa government to install guard rails at an island port where a security guard was killed and a protestor injured in June. Shinya Ito, director of the Okinawa Defense Bureau, in a letter to Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki asked for guardrails at the entrance to Awa pier in Nago city. Bureau procurement director Daisuke Misawa filed the request with the prefecture Thursday. Being responsible for the roads and ports, we want the prefecture to take measures as soon as possible, Ito wrote in the letter. Concretely speaking, we want guardrails to be installed at the entrance of Awa pier to create an environment where private companies can enter and exit smoothly and safely. Security guard Yoshikazu Usami, 47, and an unidentified 72-year-old woman for some reason stepped into the path of a truck turning left from Awa port on June 28, according to Okinawa Prefectural Police that day. Usami suffered severe head injuries and was declared dead at a local hospital, a police spokesman said. The entrance to Awa pier in Nago, Okinawa, Japan, on June 28, 2024 (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes) Landfill material was being quarried on Okinawa, trucked to Awa and Motobu ports and moved by ships to the U.S. Marine Corps airfield under construction at Camp Schwab up until July, when the work stopped because of the accident. The landfill material is used to reclaim a portion of Oura Bay for the new airfield. Protesters opposed to the U.S. military presence on the island are a regular presence outside both ports. Ito in the letter also requested that the prefecture clarify that it is prohibited to enter the facilities of the port at Motobu. The police are conducting investigations about the accident, but we think that these obstructions [by protestors] conducted on a daily basis are in the background of this accident, Ito wrote. Work at the site was set to resume fully in August after more than four years delay while Tamaki fought the project in Japanese courts. The airfield is planned as a replacement for Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in urban Ginowan. Misawa did not say when landfill material shipments to the new airfield would restart when asked by NHK Okinawa on Thursday. Adm. Samuel Paparo speaks at the Indo-Pacific Irregular Warfare Symposium in Honolulu on Aug. 15, 2024. (Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes) WAIKIKI BEACH, Hawaii Preventing a forceful takeover of Taiwan by China is strategically important to America because the knock-on effects of such a conflict would foment global chaos and misery, the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Thursday. The interconnectedness of the world economy and its knock-on effects is a matter of importance to all of us, Adm. Samuel Paparo said during a symposium hosted by the Global Special Operations Forces Foundation at Waikiki Beach. And this is why the matter of the Taiwan question and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is important to all of us, Paparo told an audience on the final day of the Indo-Pacific Irregular Warfare Symposium. China regards the democratically governed island as a renegade province that must, at some point, accede to Beijings control. Chinas military in recent years has increasingly encroached on Taiwans air defense identification zone, the area just beyond its airspace. In May, China simulated bomber attacks and ship-boardings during two days of military exercises around Taiwan. U.S. Pacific Fleet, which Paparo commanded until May when he took the reins at INDOPACOM, routinely sends warships through the Taiwan Strait to demonstrate U.S. support for Taiwan and for freedom of navigation. At the symposium, attended by personnel from special operations units from more than two dozen nations, Paparo offered up brief opening comments before fielding a range of questions that began with, Why should we care about Taiwan? The question reflected the debate over American involvement in Ukraine, which is defending itself against an invasion by Russia, as well as other global hotspots. An isolationist wing of the Republican Party opposes providing further shipments of arms to Ukraine. Former president and this years Republican nominee Donald Trump has long questioned American involvement with NATO. Trumps vice-presidential running mate, JD Vance, said shortly after the Russian invasion in 2022 that he didnt really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another. Some observers have expressed concern that the U.S. abandoning Ukraine would only embolden Beijing to take Taiwan by force. The Taiwan Relations Act, passed by Congress in 1979, however, instituted a policy of maintaining the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan. Paparo also cited events in Ukraine in arguing that Taiwans security is of strategic consequence. It is important to all nations that matters not be settled by force, Paparo said. This is the matter at hand in Ukraine. This is the matter at hand in the Middle East. The knock-on effects of unsettling the so-called international rules-based order results in tremendous disorder and tremendous misery, he said. These principles of sovereignty, the principles of freedom of movement of goods and services, of ideas and of people have lifted 60% of the world out of poverty since the end of the second World War, he said. This is what these principles have brought the world. The future of Taiwan must be settled under the principles of self-determination, peacefully, through negotiation, he said. A French color guard salutes at the end of a ceremony, Aug. 16, 2024, at the Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France. The event was held in honor of the 80th anniversary of World War II's Operation Dragoon, which liberated southern France from the Nazis. More than 1,000 Americans are buried or memorialized at the cemetery, most of whom died in the August 1944 campaign. (Mike Shipman) U.S. troops who fought and died during the Allied landings in southern France during World War II received an 80th anniversary tribute at a ceremony Friday in the town of Draguignan. Several hundred attendees braved a morning of heavy rain to pay tribute to the roughly 900 Americans buried at the Rhone American Cemetery and the approximately 300 others memorialized on its Wall of the Missing. Most of those Americans were lost during the fighting of Operation Dragoon, often referred to as Frances other D-Day. U.S. soldiers play Taps during an anniversary memorial at the Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France, on Aug. 16, 2024. Most of the over 1,000 Americans buried or memorialized at the cemetery died in World War II during the liberation of southern France in August 1944. (Mike Shipman) The operation to liberate southern France in August 1944 was key to defeating the Nazis in Europe but is often overshadowed by the Normandy landings, which occurred two months earlier. The liberation of southern France is not as well-known as other operations, but it is no less important, and the sacrifices were no less, Johnny Matherne, the Rhone American Cemetery superintendent, said in a statement Friday from the American Battle Monuments Commission, which maintains the site. Dignitaries who spoke at the ceremony included U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mike Wallace, deputy commanding general for the 36th Infantry Division, and Denise Campbell Bauer, the U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco. World War II aircraft fly over a ceremony Aug. 16, 2024, at the Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Operation Dragoon. More than 1,000 Americans are buried or memorialized at the cemetery, most of whom died in World War II during the liberation of southern France in August 1944. (Mike Shipman) At the conclusion of the remarks, representatives of the families of the fallen American soldiers placed wreaths, as did officials from the ABMC and four countries. Operation Dragoon, which involved assaults by land, sea and air, began on Aug. 15, 1944, with the aim of recapturing the ports of Marseille and Toulon from German forces and trapping the German 19th Army. After about a month, the Allies liberated most of southern France and linked up with troops from the Normandy landings in the northwest. Denise Campbell Bauer, the U.S. ambassador to France, places a wreath at the Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France, Aug. 16, 2024. The event marked the 80th anniversary of Operation Dragoon, the Allied effort to liberate southern France from the Nazis in August 1944. (Mike Shipman) In stenographic records published after the war, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler called the day Operation Dragoon began the worst day of his life. The main ground force for the operation was the U.S. 7th Army. U.S. 12th and 15th Air Forces, plus British and French air units, rendered vital airlift and tactical air support throughout the operation. On Wednesday, a statue of Maj. Gen. Robert Tryon Frederick, the American commander of airborne troops in Operation Dragoon, was unveiled in nearby La Motte, the first Provence village liberated. Frederick, who led a unit dubbed the Devils Brigade, was the subject of a 2006 biography titled The Last Fighting General. The Amazon description of the book says he pioneered racial integration on army training bases, devised training regimens used throughout North America, and left a record that would seem mythical if not documented. Rhone American Cemetery is located along the route where the U.S. 7th Army drove up the Rhone River valley. Soldiers drink coffee between tasks in a petrol station near Sumy. (Ed Ram for The Washington Post) SUMY REGION, Ukraine - Ukraines offensive into Russia has expanded to the region of Belgorod, with fierce fighting underway there as Kyivs forces in the neighboring region of Kursk showed signs of solidifying control Thursday. The new details about the fighting in Belgorod, described by Ukrainian soldiers wounded there and evacuated across the border to Ukraines Sumy region, came as Ukraine on Thursday appointed a military commander to manage the parts of Kursk it has taken. Ukraines intelligence service also announced Thursday the detention of more than 100 Russian troops, in what it said amounted to the largest mass capture of enemy soldiers at one time. The celebratory mood over the surprise advance into Russian territory persisted among many troops returning from Kursk to Sumy on Thursday to refuel their armored vehicles and buy espressos and hot dogs in Ukraine before returning to their posts across the border in Russia. In a village close to the border crossing Ukrainian forces overran last week, the director of Ukraines national war museum beamed Thursday evening as he sorted through items collected by Ukrainian soldiers in Russia. He piled Russian movie posters, military uniforms and even a communist flag into the back of his silver van, saying he plans to display them in Kyiv. But in contrast to the jubilance of some who fought in Kursk, the fighting in Belgorod has been fierce. Three wounded Ukrainian soldiers, including one commander, described how after months of being deployed along the border, they were sent into Russia four days ago. They crossed in a fleet of armored vehicles in broad daylight, said Hacker, 24, speaking on the condition that he be identified only by his call sign, in keeping with Ukrainian military rules. As they prepared to cross the border at Kolotilovka, in the same location where prisoners of war have previously been exchanged, Hacker recalled thinking to himself that this was a crazy move. The Russian troops in Belgorod appeared prepared for their arrival, the soldiers said, in contrast to the quick advances Ukrainian units made through Kursk. Although some had retreated, the area was fortified with dragons teeth antitank obstacles and heavily mined. Ukrainians came under intense attack by artillery, drones and aerial bombs almost immediately. The Ukrainians pushed forward about six miles, the soldiers said, seizing abandoned Russian troop positions. But the fighting remained intense. All our group was injured the day we arrived, Hacker said. Many Ukrainian troops were concussed or heavily wounded, while others were killed and had to be left behind, he said. Shelling remained so intense that survivors had to take cover in Russian trenches for days, until an armored vehicle arrived to evacuate them for medical treatment early Thursday. Some were injured more than once as they waited for help. Hacker said he feared he might be killed in Russia because we didnt know their territory. We were working blind, he added. Russia has not acknowledged ground fighting in Belgorod, but the governor there declared a state of emergency earlier in the week. Serhii, 48, a Ukrainian unit commander who was wounded by an FPV drone while fighting in the Belgorod region of Russia, lies in a hospital ward with other injured soldiers in a hospital in northeastern Ukraine. (Ed Ram for The Washington Post) Among the six who were evacuated was Hackers commander Serhii, 48, whose right leg was badly wounded in a drone attack a day earlier. He underwent surgery immediately upon arrival in Ukraine on Thursday. We were shelled by everything, he said. A nurse came to adjust his bloody leg as other injured troops recuperated around him. Ones face was bloodied and swollen. Two others had injuries to their arms. Russian forces in Belgorod may have been put on high alert after the operation into neighboring Kursk, and that could have contributed to the stiffer resistance, said Brady Africk, an open source analyst and senior media associate at the American Enterprise Institute. That posture was probably buttressed by defensive line construction since last summer, Africk said, a buildup after cross-border raids led by Russian militias aligned with Kyiv. There is a pattern of Russia being attacked in a way that they didnt expect, losing territory either temporarily or permanently, and responding by dramatically increasing the construction of defenses, Africk said. It is an open question whether Ukrainian forces who fought in Belgorod were aided by the same level of planning and support that aided their counterparts in Kursk, Africk said. Despite some losses, Ukrainian officials have seized on the momentum in Kursk, with military chief Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky announcing Thursday the appointment of a military commander for the region to maintain law and order and ensure the basic needs of the population. The announcement echoes Russias own moves to administer the parts of Ukraine it occupies. Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to press toward the eastern city of Pokrovsk, with regional authorities on Thursday announcing mandatory civilian evacuation from the key rail hub. Ukrainian soldier Kniaz, 32, who stopped in Sumy to refuel his vehicle Thursday, said he has interacted with older Russian civilians across the border, including some who spoke Ukrainian and thanked the troops for their mission. They want peace and quiet, he said. When asked whether he believed Ukraine would try to hold onto the territory indefinitely, Kniaz, whose call sign is an ancient Slavic royal title, replied: I dont know I just have to do my job. Military vehicles drive down a road near a sign indicating that the border to Russia is approaching north of Sumy, Ukraine, on Thursday. (Ed Ram for The Washington Post) Soldiers buy coffee and hot dogs at a petrol station near Sumy. (Ed Ram for The Washington Post) The detention of more than 100 Russian troops amounted to the largest mass capture of enemy soldiers at one time, Ukraines intelligence service said, amid talks that they will be exchanged for Ukrainian captives. Speaking about the operation, which took place the previous day, a Ukrainian intelligence officer said that special forces from Ukraines state security service, or SBU, captured and cleared a sprawling and well-fortified stronghold of a company, taking 102 Russian service members prisoner. The captured soldiers were from Russias 488th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment and the Akhmat unit, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. A video provided by the official showed dozens of soldiers lying in a line, face down in an open field. Their faces and battle insignia were not visible. The Washington Post could not independently verify the footage. A Ukrainian official said Russia has been in contact about a prisoner swap - something it had promised to discontinue after the incursion into the southern Kursk region began. There was an initiative from the Russian counterpart regarding this issue. I really hope that, despite the public statements by Russian media that allegedly the Russians have decided to halt exchanges, we are still exchanging information at this time, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliaments human rights commissioner, told local media late Wednesday. In a video address Tuesday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that hundreds of Russian soldiers have already surrendered. Ukrainian officials have said that a main reason for the surprise incursion into Russias Kursk region was to halt cross-border missile attacks and shelling into Ukraines neighboring Sumy region. Ukraine was creating a security zone in Kursk, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a Telegram post Wednesday. There are Russian civilians within the specified zone, Vereshchuk wrote. They are under the protection of international humanitarian law, with which Ukraine fully complies. Geese walk on a road in front of a church in Yunakivka near the Russian border. (Ed Ram for The Washington Post) Yuriy Savchuk, director of Ukraines war museum, (left) packs items taken by Ukrainian soldiers from inside Russia into a van in Yunakivka on Friday. (Ed Ram for The Washington Post) Items include Russian newspapers. (Ed Ram for The Washington Post) Russias efforts to take back ground in Kursk, meanwhile, have been hampered by infighting between different military and security units, according to nationalist military bloggers who are blaming various military commanders and calling for their dismissal. After the initial swift advance, Ukraines progress in the Kursk region has slowed as it has faced tougher resistance. Maxar satellite images show Russian forces digging trenches in an effort to halt any possible advance toward Lgov, west of the city of Kursk. On Thursday, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, a civilian economist appointed in May for his capacity to ramp up military production and enhance efficiency, announced plans at a meeting of regional governors to increase supplies of military hardware and manpower to the Kursk region. The meeting appeared to be tacit admission of inadequate manpower, hardware and poor coordination in the 10 days since the attack began. Belousov said the military had prepared a plan to enhance the efficiency of troop control in coordination with other security agencies in the region. On Thursday, an additional district in the Kursk region, Glushkovo, with a population of 18,000, was evacuated, taking the total number ordered to evacuate to about 180,000. Stern reported from Kyiv and Dixon from Riga, Latvia. Serhiy Morgunov in the Sumy region, Kostiantyn Khudov in Kyiv and Alex Horton in Washington contributed to this report. Displaced Palestinians flee following evacuation orders from the Israeli army to leave the Hamad district of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Aug. 11, 2024. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg) International mediators are holding a second day of negotiations with Israel to pause the war with Hamas in Gaza, a development that could help defuse tensions with Iran. An Israeli delegation led by the Mossad spy service chief David Barnea began meetings in Qatar on Thursday with its Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, the intermediaries between the warring sides. CIA director William Burns is there representing the US. Subscribe to the Heres Why podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen. Representatives of Hamas, which is fighting against Israel in the more than 10-month conflict, arent taking part in the discussions, but mediators are briefing them on the outcome of the gatherings. Qatars foreign ministry said talks are continuing on Friday, while the White House said it expected the latest round of negotiations in Doha to take days. The various parties are working on a three-stage proposal presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of May, which aims to suspend hostilities, free more than 100 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and transfer more aid to the ravaged Gaza Strip. Some progress was made on the first day of negotiations, according to an official briefed on the talks, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive information. The person didnt elaborate on where headway has been made. Mediators have struggled in previous rounds to resolve a key rift between Israel and Hamas. Israel insists that it will eventually fight on until Hamas is totally destroyed, while the Islamist group is demanding that any cease-fire be permanent and all Israeli troops withdraw. Iran and Lebanon-based Hezbollah are threatening a retaliatory attack against Israel, which they blame for the back-to-back assassinations of top militants in Beirut and Tehran more than two weeks ago. In the event of such an offensive, Israel expects the US, UK and France to help fend it off while also attacking significant targets in Iran in a counter-strike, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Friday. The possibility of an Iranian-orchestrated reprisal has deepened the impasse, though a Gaza truce could help ease tensions. One of the likely complications during the talks is conferring with Hamass key commander Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to be in hiding in Gaza. He replaced political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in the Iranian capital on July 31. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied a role in Haniyehs death. Sticking points in past truce talks have included a clause that provides for further negotiations after the first phase of a cease-fire comes into effect. Another is what concessions the two sides would agree to during a second phase. Under Bidens proposal, negotiations could continue if they run past the six-week initial truce, and the pause in fighting could be extended as needed. Israel has opposed this, worrying that Hamas could draw out the talks indefinitely. Hamas, for its part, has balked at certain elements of the proposed second-phase discussions including the groups demilitarization, officials say. Read this next: Gaza Reduced to 42 Million Tonnes of Rubble. What Will It Take to Rebuild? Other points of contention include the number of hostages Hamas should or could free in the first phase of the truce, and a lack of clarity over how to enforce Bidens call for civilians, and not fighters, to be allowed back into northern Gaza. The war in the Palestinian enclave erupted after Hamas fighters swarmed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people. Israel responded with an air and ground assault and more than 40,000 people have died, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza. Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US. With assistance from Galit Altstein. A Patriot missile assigned to the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade fires at McGregor Range, N.M., May 11, 2024. U.S. officials have approved a $5 billion sale of up to 600 Patriot missiles to Germany. (David Rincon/U.S. Army) BERLIN The U.S. has approved the sale of hundreds of interceptor missiles for Germanys Patriot batteries after the country sent several of the powerful air defense systems to Ukraine. The $5 billion sale includes up to 600 missiles made by Lockheed Martin as well as supporting equipment and training, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Congress still needs to sign off on the deal. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe, the agency said in a statement Thursday. Germany has so far transferred three of its Patriot systems a quarter of its stockpile to Ukraine, which faces relentless bombardment from Russian forces. Berlin is also at the forefront of calling on other nations to contribute to Ukraines air defense, as some European countries show reluctance to part with their Patriots in the face of an aggressive Russia. If Germany can provide three and this still means a quarter of all systems of this type that we have, then others will certainly be able to give another one, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the German press agency DPA in June. The NATO alliance announced last month that it would send at least four Patriot systems to Ukraine but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country still needs more. A Patriot missile launcher is displayed Aug. 1, 2024, during a change of command ceremony for the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Sembach, Germany. U.S. officials have approved the $5 billion sale of the advanced interceptor missiles and support equipment to Germany. (Alexander Watkins/U.S. Army) The Patriot, one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world, contains a radar system and launchers that fire missiles at incoming projectiles or aircraft. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Germany will easily absorb the latest generation missiles into its armed forces and the pending sale will not alter the basic military balance in the region. It also wont have an adverse impact on U.S. readiness or require assignment of additional American personnel to Germany, the agency said. The U.S. has sent two Patriot systems to Ukraine. The latest came from Poland, where it was guarding a rotational force of American troops headed home. A modified route schedule for a Chicago Transit Authority bus line. (Al Drago/Bloomberg) Security is always tight at Chicagos Accenture Tower, a skyscraper that connects to a downtown transportation hub and houses the Israeli consulate. Next week it will resemble a fortress. Located less than two miles from where Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at the Democratic National Convention, the tower is bracing for protests. Pro-Palestinian groups are planning a mass demonstration outside the building, urging followers to Shut Down the DNC for Gaza! and decrying Harris over her support for Israel in its war against Hamas. The protests will now become a major test for Harris, who has been on a swift ascent since President Joe Biden stepped aside from the race amid concerns about his age and mental acuity. The tension between her bid for party unity and the activists goal of upsetting the festivities also puts the spotlight on Chicagos security plans - and concerns from police and Democratic leaders over the risk of disruptions and the images they would present to the world. The worries are exacerbated by memories of two events that rocked Chicago: The Vietnam War protests that erupted into police brutality when the city hosted the 1968 Democratic convention and the riots that spread across town in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. We will not allow people to come here and destroy the city, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters this week. The moment that starts, were going to intervene. Im not going to wait until it gets out of control. The planned demonstration outside the Israeli consulate is just part of a broader protest effort that activists say will bring thousands of people from across the country. While most pro-Palestinian protests across the US this year have been peaceful, there have been high-profile incidents of antisemitism and thousands of arrests, including at Chicago universities. Organizers of a march next week said the event would be inclusive and peaceful. Our protest is made up of the broadest, most diverse audience, including children and seniors, people of all physical abilities, people of all immigration statuses, said Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the US Palestinian Community Network and a spokesman for the March on the DNC. Harris has tried to adopt a more sympathetic tone toward the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, but her continued support of Israel has angered the activists. Kamala, Kamala you cant hide! We wont vote for genocide, a group of them yelled at a campaign rally in Detroit earlier this month. The visibly annoyed vice president responded: You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, Im speaking. There are about 50,000 people coming to Chicago during convention week, with expectations they will fill its hotels, bars and restaurants. The plans include private events such as a party headlined by John Legend and a panel hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who starred as Selina Meyer in HBOs political satire Veep. There will also be speeches from Biden, Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, her running mate, drawing contrasts with their Republican opponents: former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance. While police prepare for protests, Democratic officials planning the convention have been reaching out to uncommitted delegates representing voters who opposed Biden in the primaries, the New York Times reported. Most withheld support from the president over what they viewed as his staunch support for Israel amid the rising death toll in Gaza. Ensuring the event goes smoothly will also be key for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who is often cited as having future presidential aspirations. Hes using the convention to showcase the best of Chicago, even as the third-largest US city - famous for its architecture, vibrant music scene and deep-dish pizza - grapples with high crime and retail vacancies in its ritzy Magnificent Mile. Police Presence In preparation for the Democratic gathering, police studied the failures of 2020 and implemented enhanced training for about 2,500 officers. Chicago is also bringing in as many as 500 police from outside the city, who will be placed around the convention. Some will come from Milwaukee, where Chicago sent officers last month to help with the Republican National Convention. In Chicago, the clashes of 1968 werent limited to the streets, said Craig Sautter, who 56 years ago witnessed violence between demonstrators and police officers during the Democratic gathering that has long scarred the city. There was discord inside the convention as well, said Sautter, co-author of the book Inside the Wigwam: Chicago Presidential Conventions 1860-1996. Thats unlikely to happen this year given that disagreement over the Vietnam War was pervasive and next weeks convention is about party unity around Harris, he said. Inside the convention will be calm, said Sautter, who teaches a class on 1968 at Chicagos DePaul University. Outside there could be some chaos. The protesters say they are being driven to action by civilian deaths in Gaza as a result of Israels military assault in the seaside enclave. The conflict erupted after Hamas fighters attacked the Jewish state on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people. Israels retaliatory response has killed about 40,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, which doesnt distinguish between combatants and civilians. Protest planners have been wrangling with the city over the details of their events. At Accenture Tower, Behind Enemy Lines, Palestine Action US and Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network have called for a protest outside the Israeli consulate for 7 p.m. on Aug. 20. Accenture itself is temporarily closing its Chicago office. The consulting company did the same at its Milwaukee office during the Republican convention last month, which was held just a few days after Trump was injured in an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. California-based KBS, which owns the Chicago building, has increased security coverage there. It has modified systems to restrict access to the office tower portion of the building, upgraded security cameras and limited dock access, said Luke Hamagiwa, asset manager of the building and a senior vice president at KBS. Even food deliveries are being redirected. The Israeli consulate said its been working diligently to promote the Midwest-Israel relationship after the Oct. 7 attacks. A spokeswoman declined to provide hours and operations during the Democratic convention. Corporate Precautions Chicago has plenty of experience with big crowds. Its held more presidential conventions than any other US city. Just this month, the city hosted the Lollapalooza music festival, plus a massive air and water show that drew about 1 million people to the shore of Lake Michigan. Taylor Swifts Eras Tour came last year for three nights of shows. You can control for like 90-95% of the security issues you might have, and theres always going to be 5% that is very hard to control for, said Anne Caprara, Pritzkers chief of staff. That being said, we have for years hosted very large events with very large security concerns and weve always done it successfully. Companies in Chicago are taking precautions, not just out of safety concerns but also because road closures are expected to snarl traffic in a city already plagued by construction on a key highway. Kimberly-Clark Corp., Deere & Co., Conagra Brands Inc. and Kraft Heinz Co. are allowing or advising staff to work from home. The Chicago Public Schools system is pushing back the start of the school year by about a week because of the convention. The Shedd Aquarium, a prized cultural attraction, will be open during the DNC but plans on beefing up security. The central business district known as the Loop will add volunteer patrols. CME Group Inc., the largest US derivatives exchange, and options powerhouse Cboe Global Markets Inc. plan to keep their downtown trading floors open, but they can shift to electronic trading if necessary. Economic Impact Despite the potential disruptions from protests, Chicago is angling for a boost for local businesses. The citys tourism arm is estimating an economic impact of $150 million to $200 million. So far, restaurants are underwhelmed. Bookings during the week are only about 14% higher than a year earlier, Tock data showed. Lettuce Entertain You, which has 50 restaurants in Chicago, is predicting little impact on its business since the increase in out-of-town visitors is likely to be offset by the decline in locals who stay home to work. This is not going to be the Lollapalooza of politics for local bars and restaurants, said Pat Doerr, director of the Hospitality Business Association of Chicago. But the outlook for hotels is better. As of Aug. 5, occupancy on the books for the four nights of the convention was as high as 70%, according to CoStar, a provider of real estate data. At the same time last year, those four nights were trending at around 40%. Demand has been improving because of enthusiasm around a convention dominated by Harris, as opposed to a repeat coronation of Biden, said Michael Jacobson, chief executive officer of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association. Weve heard from multiple hotels that their phones have been ringing off the hook since Harris assumed the ticket, he said. With assistance from Deena Shanker, Fiona Rutherford, Jaewon Kang, Tarso Veloso and Leslie Patton. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., walks into the Senate chamber on April 16, 2024. (Haiyun Jiang for The Washington Post) Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has ended his independent campaign for reelection as he prepares to resign after his conviction on federal bribery and corruption charges. Menendez filed to run as an independent in June while his trial was underway, looking to keep his options open pending the outcome. He was convicted six weeks later and announced he would resign effective Tuesday. Still, his continued candidacy as an independent raised the possibility that he could complicate the race between the major-party nominees, Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw. Friday was the deadline for Menendez to withdraw as an independent candidate. The New Jersey Division of Elections received an email Friday afternoon from Menendez asking to be removed from the ballot. By means of this email please be advised that as an Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in Novembers election I am advising you that I wish to have my name withdrawn from the ballot, Menendez wrote to the divisions acting director. Menendezs email came the same day that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) appointed his former chief of staff, George Helmy, to temporarily fill the Senate seat after Menendez steps down next week. Helmy will not run for the full term that starts in January, allowing Kim and Bashaw to face off in the November election. Democrats are expected to retain the Senate seat in solidly blue New Jersey. Menendez was convicted in July of taking bribes from three businessmen who provided gifts to him and his wife, including a luxury car and gold bars. A jury in Manhattan federal court found him of all 16 felony counts he was facing. Bob Menendezs corruption has been a distraction in New Jersey government and politics for years, Bashaw said in a statement Friday. Its time to move on with this election and make it a clean, straightforward race focusing on the issues facing our state. Oisin Legaspi, 40, appeared at Dublin District Court following his this morning after being charged with an offence under the Theft & Fraud Act. Oisin Legaspi, with an address in Dublin 18 pictured at the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin for a court appearance. pic: IrishPhotodesk.ie A BUSINESSMAN has been granted bail after gardai charged him with possessing a stolen 4 X 4 car. Oisin Legaspi, 40, appeared at Dublin District Court this morning after being charged with an offence under the Theft & Fraud Act. The car dealer is accused of possessing a stolen Land Rover Defender with a UK registration on September 23, 2023. Detective Garda Stephen Morley, Dundrum station, told Judge John Brennan that the accused made no reply to the charge, and he was handed a true copy. Judge Brennan noted the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed trial on indictment, meaning the case would be heard in the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers. There was no objection to bail. The judge granted an eight-week adjournment to allow the State to prepare the book of evidence. Mr Legaspi was ordered to appear again in October at Dun Laoghaire District Court to be returned for trial. He is yet to indicate a plea. He did not have legal representation in court but clarified that he did have a solicitor but not with him for todays hearing. Mr Legaspi consented to the court extending time to complete a book of evidence. Murphy, with an address at Wyattville Park, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin, was a member of the band from 2003 but left in 2019 THIS is the former member of a chart-topping indie band jailed for rape who previously warned young musicians of predatory sharks in the industry. Colin 'Ollie' Murphy (50) was convicted before the Central Criminal Court earlier this month of raping a woman in her Dublin home on a date in September 2020 and sentenced to five years behind bars this week. Murphy was previously the drummer for indie band Ham Sandwich from Kells Co Meath, who hit the top of the Irish charts with their 2015 album Stories from the Surface. The band have had three other albums in the chart and have played the likes of Glastonbury, Slane and Electric Picnic. Murphy, with an address at Wyattville Park, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin, was a member of the band from 2003 but left in 2019 the year before he followed his victim into a room uninvited while she was sleeping and raped her. As well as being a musician, Murphy also previously ran a music school in Kells. In 2018 he announced that he was mentoring up-and-coming musicians saying he wanted to give something back. There are a lot of sharks out there so its about keeping them away from that, he said in an interview at the time. Colin 'Ollie' Murphy at the 2008 meteor awards. pic: IrishPhotodesk.ie He said he wanted to be a mentor to bands for a long time and added: I know a lot of people who have been f****d over or looked before they leaped and found themselves in a bad situation through naivety. I want to try and stop that happening wherever I can. The divorced father-of-one was working in retail at the time of the rape and more recently was working as a delivery driver. At his trial, the victim told how she had a party at her home and went to bed alone. However, she later woke up in the middle of the night to Murphy raping her. Murphy had denied carrying out the rape and claimed to gardai he had a consensual sexual encounter with the woman. As a result the victim had to go through the ordeal of a trial. However, after he was found guilty by a jury, his defence counsel said Murphy now acknowledged his guilt and he wished to apologise to his victim. The court heard the woman wished to retain her anonymity but did not object to Murphy being identified. Reading her victim impact statement at an earlier hearing, the woman said parts of her life froze during the agonising three-and-a-half year wait for the trial. She described experiencing feelings of anxiety, guilt and dark thoughts. She said she grieves harshly for the relationships and family that she might have had. She said Murphy followed her to her bedroom, a place he had never been and had not been invited, where he raped her. She said her sense of personal safety in the happy house she shared with friends was destroyed and her last weeks there became tainted. She said her performance at work suffered and by Christmas 2020 she was out of work and completely lost. She described the trial as the most harrowing part of her life, as she had to present her most intimate life to a room of silent judging strangers before waiting days to see if she was believed. She said she didn't want a trial, to see people hurt or for them to see their son or brother like that. She said she couldn't imagine seeing her own brother in the dock and that she didn't want anyone to go to prison, but it was the only justified outcome from the moment it had happened. She said she carried misplaced guilt on her shoulders about the outcome of the trial. I did nothing wrong but I still have to carry this every day, she said. Mr Justice David Keane said the victim impact statement was powerfully effective and described the wide range of damaging effects on the woman. He noted that the woman had displayed remarkable empathy for Murphy's family in her statement, which he said is the hallmark of a remarkable person and wished her well for the future. Mr Justice Keane set a headline sentence of eight years, which he reduced to seven years taking into account the mitigation and Murphy's personal circumstances. The judge noted that Murphy accepted the jury's verdict and had apologised, but said his acknowledgement of guilt was offered very late in the process. He cited a probation report which said Murphy initially deflected responsibility onto the victim, but since his conviction has expressed remorse and apologised. Mr Justice Keane noted that the report said Murphy acknowledged that his drug use had escalated and that he was part of a peer group where the use of drugs and alcohol was normalised, but was now drug-free. The judge said Murphy had no previous convictions and had been assessed at low risk of re-offending. He was sentenced to seven years with two years suspended. Gavin Porter began dating mum-of-three Tash Kramer in March last year. An Irishman who stalked and threatened his ex-girlfriend will be deported from Australia after serving two years in jail. Gavin Porter began dating mum-of-three Tash Kramer in March last year and started showing signs of threatening behaviour three months into the relationship when he became jealous and possessive. "He would get drunk and just start calling me names - Calling me fat, calling me ugly, telling me to kill myself and then have no recollection the next day, Kramer told Ally Langdon on Australian news programme A Current Affair this week. She said he would then beg for forgiveness and the cycle would repeat itself. Porter would drive past Kramer's house in Benalla, north-east of Melbourne, and persistently call her. He also sent her messages threatening to cut your throat and make your life hell. Kramer told the programme that her ex-partner's controlling behaviour eventually turned violent, detailing how he punched her in the hip and choked her on the ground after she grabbed her phone on one occasion. I would always do what he asked me to do, go where he wanted me to go, just to keep the peace, she said. I tried many times to end the relationship, but he wouldn't have it, I was a possession to him. Porter also threatened Kramer over an intimate video he recorded without her consent, which she said he then posted on his Snapchat story. He told her: I really am going to forward that video if you don't talk to me. I advise you strongly to contact me in the next 10 minutes, before your father and everyone sees (the) videos. Porter was later arrested and interrogated by Detective Senior Constable Kim Sneddon in a recorded police interview. When I compiled the brief of evidence and had a look there were over 3,000 text messages alone, Sneddon said. Police put an interim family violence intervention order in place seven months after they began their relationship. The temporary restraining order protects applicants from violence, threats or abuse from a family member (or former family member). Kramer said Porter feared the court order would result in him losing his visa and, after trying to end their relationship, she received a birthday card from him reading: Can't wait until we are back together again... PS - How's your windpipe?. We were in the back of the car and choked me with his fingers It was a bit of a running joke with him. "He said something along the lines of if he can't have me, nobody else will". Kramer agreed to have the family violence intervention order put in place for a year. Within a minute of me agreeing to the order, my phone started ringing and Gavin was making threats to come to my work, she explained. I just felt like I couldn't protect my kids anymore and thought I'd be better if I wasn't around, so I drove to the train tracks. Senior Constable Zach Clark said he spent probably an hour looking for Kramer until police found her in bushes beside the train line. We took her back to the police station and tried to calm her down and get a story from her. But Porter did not leave Kramer alone and instead arrived at her house, waking her up by tapping on her window as her children slept. Kramer said she grabbed a knife from her kitchen and locked the children inside the house before running outside to keep him away from her kids. Thankfully, I live pretty close to the police station and they got there pretty quickly, but unfortunately couldn't catch him," she told A Current Affair. Porter was arrested at a hotel in Melbournes central business district last November after flying from Western Australia back to Victoria. He was sentenced to two years in prison and will be deported after serving his sentence. A magistrate described the case as one of the worst family violence cases they've ever heard in a courtroom. Meanwhile, Kramer has moved out of Benalla and is urging people who find themselves in similar situations to go to the police. I resisted for such a long time and made things much harder for myself, they're there to help, she said. The agreement, under which lenders accepted repayment of just 40pc of what they were owed, led to Dublin-based Josef Edenstrasser being discharged from bankruptcy by the High Court last month. LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 23: A badge is pictured on a Lamborghini Aventador LP760-4 Oakley Design AlRashed Carbon Edition on July 23, 2015 in London, England. London has become known in recent years for a proliferation of foreign cars worth hundreds of thousands of pounds with tourists and car spotters stopping to admire the vehicles. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) A businessman who faced questions from his bankruptcy trustee after failing to disclose the sale of Lamborghini, Mercedes and Porsche cars has cut a deal with creditors to clear his debts. The agreement, under which lenders accepted repayment of just 40pc of what they were owed, led to Dublin-based Josef Edenstrasser being discharged from bankruptcy by the High Court last month. It also ended inquiries by the official assignee in bankruptcy, Michael Ian Larkin, who had secured an interim extension of the retired vintage car dealers bankruptcy last year in order to raise queries. Mr Larkins concerns largely centred on the sale by Mr Edenstrasser of three high-end cars in the five years before he petitioned for bankruptcy, transactions that were not included in a statement of personal information filed by him. Read more Michelin chef Dylan McGrath closes two Dublin restaurants with immediate effect Mr Edenstrasser lived and worked in Austria until 2021, when he moved to Cabra on Dublins northside. He was adjudicated bankrupt on his own petition in July 2022, citing the detrimental impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on his business and losses on the stock market. His debts exceeded his assets by 125,000. He had been due to be discharged in July last year, but Mr Larkin successfully applied for the interim extension of the bankruptcy. However, Mr Edenstrasser ended up being discharged last month after reaching a composition with creditors. This is an agreement under which a creditor accepts less than they are owed in full satisfaction of their claim. The court was informed of the deal by Mr Edenstrassers barrister Keith Farry, who appeared instructed by Anthony Joyce & Co Solicitors. He later ended up selling the cars, one in parts, at a loss of almost 44,000 According to a legal filing, Mr Edenstrasser had 72,600 in debt written off by his two main creditors, to which he owed a combined 121,000. Volksbank Tirol accepted 32,400 in full and final settlement of an 81,000 debt, while Raiffeisen Bezirksbank accepted 16,000 in respect of a 40,000 debt. In an affidavit, Mr Larkin, who was represented by barrister Una Nesdale and Reddy Charlton Solicitors, said Mr Edenstrasser was entitled to be discharged. In a separate affidavit, Mr Larkin told the court last year that the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI) had, in December 2022, sought information about Mr Edenstrassers interest in an Austrian property and whether he was still in possession of a vintage car. In response, Mr Edenstrassers solicitors said he bought a Mercedes and a Lamborghini for a combined sum of 66,000, using part of the 2017 Volksbank Tirol loan of 81,000. They stated he later ended up selling the cars, one in parts, at a loss of almost 44,000. Solicitors acting for Volksbank Tirol told the ISI that Mr Edenstrasser had advised it in February 2021 that he was still in possession of the cars and had assigned a value of between 115,000 and 167,000 to the Lamborghini and 64,000 to the Mercedes. The banks solicitors also stated Mr Edenstrasser had said he sold a Porsche in August 2020 for 51,000. Mr Edenstrassers solicitors later confirmed the Porsche was sold via bank transfer for that sum. They said the other two cars were also sold for a bank transfer of 14,500 and 22,230 in cash. The solicitors also stated their client had completed the transfer of his interest in an Austrian property to his son in 2017, at a time he was solvent, and that this had not been disclosed as it occurred more than five years before his bankruptcy adjudication. The animosity was mostly from priests, not people. None of them have ever apologised to me, and there are still some who dont acknowledge me but thats their problem. Fr Patrick McCafferty suffered abuse while training for the priesthood in the 1980s at the hands of Fr James Donaghy Outspoken cleric Fr Paddy McCafferty has revealed hes still shunned by some of his fellow clergy for speaking out against a paedophile priest. He got an apology last week from the Catholic Church for the handling of his complaint against ex-priest James Donaghy, jailed for a series of sex offences in 2012. Following a review, Bishop Alan McGuckian said recently the west Belfast cleric had shown courage and leadership in coming forward. But the priests who ostracised him have never said sorry. Hes also criticised the conduct of Bishop Patrick Walsh, who knew there were allegations against Donaghy in the late nineties, was told by Fr McCafferty that Donaghy was a danger to young men in 2001, and continued to defend the paedophile two years later. James Donaghy Even when Donaghy was convicted in 2012, Bishop Walsh said he and Fr McCafferty were of equal standing because he was 19 when the assaults started. Bishop Walsh died in December 2023. It was like a sledgehammer when I read that. If someone said to a 19-year-old girl who was raped by a man in his thirties well you were both adults, its very similar, says Fr McCafferty. I was no match physically, emotionally and psychologically for Donaghy. I hadnt a chance. Donaghy, who served five years of a ten-year sentence, was a close associate of the late bishop and was put in charge of the Churchs holy year Jubilee celebrations in 2000. In 2001 Fr McCafferty disclosed to Bishop Walsh he had been raped and abused by the priest after he saw him with a young boy. He later learned Donaghy was already abusing the child. He was Walshs right-hand man. Bishop Walsh has to answer for what he did. I dont wish him any harm in the next world but he will have to answer, he says. In the late nineties when I began to speak out it was deeply resented and I was branded a troublemaker and a nuisance. I was speaking out to deal with my own pain. Bishop Patrick Walsh For me it got to the point where I couldnt go to clerical gatherings or conferences. I was shunned. I had hostile letters and phone calls from other priests. The animosity was mostly from priests, not people. None of them have ever apologised to me, and there are still some who dont acknowledge me but thats their problem. Ive had enough support from brother priests and the support and love from people in the parishes of Poleglass, Turf Lodge, Oldpark, Ballymurphy. Thats what kept me strong and kept me going. It wasnt until 2004 that Donaghy, by then in a parish in Bangor, was removed from ministry. He was later convicted of 23 sex offences against three victims, including Fr McCafferty, and when a fourth victim came forward, he pleaded guilty and was given a two-year concurrent sentence in 2013. He was released from prison in 2017 and has been defrocked as a priest. He now lives in Lisburn. Fr Paddy McCafferty in Lourdes Eighteen months ago the Down and Connor diocese started a review of Bishop Walshs handling of the case and treatment of Fr McCafferty. On August 1 Bishop McGuckian released a statement saying: Father McCafferty came forward out of concern for others who could be at risk. He showed courage and leadership in the face of incredulity, disbelief and animosity on the part of many, including clergy of the diocese. It added: Courageous victims have led the way in uncovering abuse. Fr Paddys speaking out has encouraged others to come forward. I welcome this and in turn I encourage anyone who has suffered abuse to come forward. We, as a diocese, will ensure that our response is victim-centred, professional and just. Fr McCafferty (61) says the apology was like a weight being lifted off him. He developed complex PTSD, bulimia and anorexia, and suffered serious physical health issues as a result of Donaghys assaults. I feel as if the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders, he says. I was left as the walking wounded 41 years ago and I have always had this hanging over me. Now I dont know myself. Im focused on helping other survivors and thats what I have been doing for years Two and a half years ago I started facing my pain and this is the end of that process. Im hoping this will give other people the courage to come forward. Despite his experience Fr McCafferty says hes never regretted joined the priesthood. This has proved to be my calling and Im so happy Im a priest in spite of the burden I was carrying, he says. Peter Kimmet (51) and John Greig (64) told police they knew nothing about the haul discovered in the boot of their vehicle on Monday. Two men were arrested over a 300,000 cocaine seizure at Belfast Port. Stock photo. Two men from Glasgow arrested over a 300,000 cocaine seizure at Belfast Port were unwitting dupes on a car-selling trip, a court heard today. Peter Kimmet (51) and John Greig (64) told police they knew nothing about the haul discovered in the boot of their vehicle on Monday. Belfast Magistrates Court heard security staff at the ferry terminal searched the Citroen car due to the nervous demeanour of one of the accused as they attempted to return to Scotland. A bag found wrapped in a pair of jeans contained three brick-sized packages of white powder. Belfast Harbour Police were notified and arrested the two men at the scene. An investigating officer said tests on the haul confirmed the presence of cocaine with an estimated street value of 300,000. Kimmet, of Ravel Row, and Greig, from Slatefield Street, are jointly charged with possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply. During interviews both defendants insisted they were unaware of the contents of the bag. They told police that they had travelled over to Northern Ireland and on to Dublin to sell the car they were in, the court was told. But it was claimed that the man the trade had been arranged with failed to turn up. Instead, someone portraying himself as his brother met and gave them a bag to take to Scotland. Questioned about Kimmets demeanour during interviews, the officer agreed that he had shown signs of alcohol withdrawal A defence solicitor argued that the accused had provided as much information as possible to police, including the names of the two men in Dublin. They had no knowledge of what was in this bag, it was thrown into the back of the car by a third party, she insisted. These gentlemen gave as much information as they could to the police, in my view they have been duped by a third party. But refusing bail, District Judge George Conner cited concerns that the defendants may not turn up for trial. He remanded both of them in continuing custody until September 13. It comes just weeks after it emerged that the acting star married Scottish native Lowden on the weekend of July 20 in Edinburgh. Saoirse's wedding rings were visible as she stepped out at the premiere Saoirse Ronan attends the opening gala world premiere of 'The Outrun' during the Edinburgh International Festival on August 15, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Euan Cherry/Getty Images) Newly married Saoirse Ronan was glowing as she stepped for one of her first public appearances since her secret wedding to actor Jack Lowden was revealed. The Carlow beauty showed off her gorgeous rings - an impressive diamond ring and simple gold band when she attended the the opening gala of new movie The Outrun during the Edinburgh International Festival. As well as her leading role, Saoirse was one of the producers on the movie, alongside her new husband. It comes just weeks after it emerged that the acting star married Scottish native Lowden on the weekend of July 20 in Edinburgh. Appearing on the red carpet this week, Saoirse looked stunning in a silver-sequined min-dress and black open-toe sandals. Saoirse's wedding rings were visible as she stepped out at the premiere The 30-year-old was all smiles as she pointed at the camera while posing with Amy Liprot and Nora Fingscheidt at the movies world premiere. The four-time Academy Award nominee and the Lowden (34), met in 2018 when they costarred in Mary Queen Of Scots. She played the title role in the film while her new husband played Lord Darnley, the monarch's husband. They started dating in December 2018. While the couple have kept their relationship under wraps over the years, the register of Scottish civil marriages recorded that Saoirse Una Ronan married Jack Andrew Lowden at the Edinburgh Central Registrars Office last month. Only a handful of the couples closest friends were present and all the guests were sworn to secrecy. Meanwhile, Lowden has described talented Ronan as utterly phenomenal. Saoirse and Jack "I read The Outrun in lockdown and just turned to Sersh and said: Youve got to play this part. We were both producers, as well as Sersh being in it. It was the most amazing experience in particular, to watch her in that role, he told The Guardian. He added that Ronan, who he calls Sersh, was utterly phenomenal in her role in the movie, which is due to be released on September 27 later this year. Ronan and Lowden share a 2.8m home in Islington, north London, with their terrier, Fran. In 2020, Ronan was reported to have purchased a two-bedroom waterfront cottage in Ballydehob, west Cork. When asked whether it is difficult to be married to another actor, Lowden said no, being with an actor is wonderful, because we understand each other. "Were quite odd people, actors. Were strange animals. So it just makes complete sense, and I understand why there are loads of other actors with actors And its really useful for running lines, rather than with, like, your mum. Is it hard to maintain privacy? I dont know, he told The Guardian. From cadetship to career opportunities, three young wahine have recently secured roles at Tauranga City Council after graduating from the Piki Ake cadetship programme. Sierra Laurent, Jessy Gurnick, and Jazzmine Mcdonald graduated from the programme in June after 12 months working in teams across Council. Piki Ake was established in 2022 to provide unemployed young people with the opportunity to gain valuable experience in entry level roles at Council on a fixed-term basis. The programme has been a huge success, with six graduates landing continued employment opportunities and a further six cadets currently in the programme. Sierras growth is testament to this success. She cites the programme as life-changing. Id recently moved to Tauranga with my young son. As a single, unemployed mother with no family support, it was daunting, says Sierra. When I saw the opportunity to apply for the cadetship, I went for it. Sierra was based in the libraries during her cadetship and is now employed as a Library and Community Hub Assistant on a casual contract. My life is completely different now. I have so much more confidence in myself, and Ive learned how to juggle being a parent while working, despite having no family nearby for support. The Council has become that support and Im so grateful for that. Its a sentiment Jessy shares. She applied for the cadetship while working a part-time retail job and receiving a benefit. With a desire to grow as an individual and expand her knowledge in a different work environment, she spent time working in Councils Community Development team. I came into the cadetship lacking confidence and struggling with public speaking, but I was given opportunities to overcome these barriers," says Jessy. "Im so much more comfortable now, both in myself and in speaking. Im now an advisor in the Contact Centre and Im really enjoying it. Its challenging at times, but the variety of phone calls we receive means no two days are the same. Jazzmine joined the Geographic Info Systems (GIS) team during her cadetship and recently secured a three-month fixed-term contract to further develop her administration skills and provide support to Councils growing City Operations team. I learnt so much during my time in the GIS team, including how to use various software and map out building outlines across the city, says Jazzmine. It was great to feel like part of the team and be out in the community assisting with field work. Through this experience Ive gained confidence in communicating with people and asking for help when I need it. Now Im working in the City Operations team. I like that its a down-to-earth team with practical work and processes, and Im really enjoying being part of that. I hope to be able to apply the skills Ive learnt from both teams to secure a permanent position in the future. The next intake for the Piki Ake cadetship programme will commence in March 2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). To learn more about the Piki Ake cadetship programme, visit www.tauranga.govt.nz/pikiake. A public meeting to discuss creating a mataitai reserve that will ban commercial fishing surrounding Moutohora-Whale Island and the Rurima island group will be held next week at Te Whare o Toroa (Wairaka) Marae. A mataitai reserve is an identified traditional fishing ground of tangata whenua with which they have a special relationship. It allows customary and recreational fishing but usually does not allow commercial fishing. A mataitai reserve also allows appointed kaitiaki (guardians) of the area to recommend bylaws that restrict or ban the taking of particular species or sizes of fish from the reserve to preserve fisheries resources. Any recommendations will be consulted on with the public and stakeholders, and must be approved by the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries. The current application is for New Zealand Fisheries waters extending approximately 500 metres around the islands. Te Runanga o Ngati Awa applied for mataitai reserve status of one nautical mile off the coasts of Moutohora and Rurima, Moutoki and Tokata in the Rurima island group, along with half a nautical mile off the Whakatane coast in 2011. That application for an area of 63.8 square kilometres had been much reduced from an application three years earlier for 238 square kilometres. Fisheries New Zealand consulted on the application three times between 2012 and 2016. In 2018, the then Minister for Oceans and Fisheries deferred a decision on the application because of its potential impact on commercial fishers. Reserve area: Te Runanga o Ngati Awa and Fisheries New Zealand are asking for people to have their say on a mataitai reserve in the areas around Moutohora and the Rurima Island group - highlighted in pink - which will prevent commercial fishing in those waters. Image Ministry of Primary Industries. Te Rae o Kohi mataitai reserve was formed that same year, which covers the area 200 metres offshore from the high-tide mark, from Wahieroa, near the Rangitaiki River mouth, to Maraetotara stream in Ohope. This was a much smaller area than originally applied for. This year, Ngati Awa and Fisheries New Zealand agreed to proceed with the application for mataitai reserve around the islands, with a reduced boundary area. There will be two rounds of consultation. The first of these is for the general public to share their views on the application and closes on September 16. A second consultation will be held after this date with written submissions invited from people with a fishing interest in the stock or stocks in the proposed area. The public meeting on Wednesday, September 21, at 5.30pm is being held by Ngati Awa and Fisheries New Zealand to discuss the application and invite submissions. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. New Zealand Food Safety continues to support the Police in their investigation of methamphetamine disguised as branded lollies, says New Zealand Food Safety Deputy Director-General Vincent Arbuckle. People with Rinda-branded pineapple lollies should not consume them and report any of the lollies to the Police, says Vincent Arbuckle. Based on a check of import data and review of retailers there is no evidence that Rinda-branded pineapple lollies, or other products from the brand, are sold by New Zealand retailers. There is no indication of a wider food safety issue, but as always we would take quick action should an issue arise. An example of the wrapper. This is an ongoing criminal investigation, and any inquiries should be directed to the Police. What to do: Tauranga 16-year-old Daniel Patterson is supposed to be travelling to Italy for a lifesaving bone marrow transplant, instead he is facing challenge after challenge. In a previous article with The Weekend Sun reporter Georgia Minkhorst, Daniels dad, Neil Patterson, explained that Daniel was born with Wiskott-Aldrich-Syndrome (WAS) a rare genetic immunodeficiency that prevents his immune system from functioning properly. This means its difficult for Daniels bone marrow to produce platelets, making him susceptible to internal bleeding. [Doctors] were going to do a bone marrow transplant when he was a baby, but there wasnt a suitable match, says Neil. He explains that the risk of the transplant at that stage was also too high. After experiencing severe stomach problems, ulcerative colitis and intense leg pains and exhausting all options in NZ, Neil and Daniels mum, Apple, decided to take him to Thailand. In Thailand, doctors diagnosed his leg problems as lupus vasculitis. Neil says Daniel now requires a stem cell transplant before the lupus vasculitis attacks his organs and causes irreparable damage. Initially, the plan was for Daniel to get a bone marrow transplant in Italy, where they would then be based for six months to a year. In a video call with Italian specialists in April, they were told Daniel would either have a stem cell transplant using bone marrow from Neil, a suitable donor or by gene therapy using his own bone marrow the latter still being under trial. The cost of the transplant will be more than 300,000, plus outpatient medication about $541,000. This huge financial undertaking meant that Apple and Neil re-mortgaged their house. Well sell one of our cars, and Apples borrowed money from the family, then well use some of our saving but thats just some of the costs. A GiveaLittle page has been running since April 4 and will end on October 4, 2024. The fundraising goal is set for $250,000 and they have raised $8560 so far. Daniel with his dad, Neil. Gene Therapy Recently, the family has learnt more about the treatment called Gene Therapy. The standard bone marrow transplants mean using a donor and the only suitable one is me, which is not a compete match; it is HAPLO, says Neil. This type of transplant is risky for his age and not having a compete match. Gene Therapy uses his own bone marrow which means no graft v host disease and lower dose of chemotherapy. Neil says Gene Therapy may not completely fix all his problems, but results have been good so far and the specialists from Germany and Italy recommend this as a very good option. If it doesnt work, he can still do the normal transplant, but if he did the normal transplant first and it doesnt work, nothing else can be done. Funding declined We asked the immunologist at Starship to apply to the High-Cost Pool for funding. It is incredibly expensive, but we have to try. For the past six weeks, doctors in Italy and New Zealand have been in communication. Neil says Starship submitted the application a couple of weeks ago and it was declined a few days later. We are incredibly disappointed. In an email by Daniels specialists in Italy, Dr Alessandro Aiuti and Dr Francesca Ferrua, they say that they have been made aware of the funding being declined are disappointed. We really hope to find an alternative way for gene therapy, says one of the specialists. We are still going to do the transplant in Italy whether it be Gene Therapy or a normal transplant, says Neil. All doctors agree that it should happen this year. Daniel Patterson and his mum Apple Patterson in hospital in Tauranga. Photo / Supplied. Another roadblock However, there is still one barrier preventing Daniel from getting this life-saving treatment, his wisdom teeth. We just found out a while ago that Daniel has impacted wisdom teeth, so they must be removed to prevent any infection during transplant. Daniel has to have his wisdom teeth removed plus the molars next to them so eight teeth. Neil explains that the Italian specialist contacted Daniels haematologist with a plan on how best to do this because he will need a platelets transfusion too many transfusions are not good before a transplant and other methods to prevent bleeding. Yet another roadblock Daniel has low platelets so bleeding a serious problem. The haematologist referred it to a dental surgeon in Tauranga who we met on July 11 and said to put it through as urgent and it would be done by mid-August. We were contacted a few days later by the Tauranga hospital for pre-admission. Two weeks later we had heard no more so I made many inquiries about what was happening, but no one knew anything. Eventually I saw a letter that was sent to our GP dated July 11 saying the haematologist had changed her mind and now wants it done in Waikato. Neil says Daniel is back on the waiting list with no idea of when it may happen. The most annoying thing is, as of last Friday Waikato still hadnt received the referral yet. It is so incredibly frustrating; the communication is hopeless. I even got an email from Dr Ferrua asking if there was anyone she could contact to speed it up. We have had nothing but problems trying deal with NZ Healthcare. Response from NZ Healthcare We acknowledge how challenging it can be for patients and whanau to negotiate different parts of the healthcare system and we do our best to help them through this where we can, says Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, National Clinical Director Primary & Community Care, Commissioning Sarah Clarke. A rare disorder by definition affects very few people. Because of their rarity, these disorders are often not easy to diagnose or to treat, especially where they are complex in nature, or associated with other related conditions. Its important to improve the health systems ability to provide appropriate care for these patients and their whanau. In total, there may be as many as 300,000 New Zealanders living with a rare disorder. In recognition of the challenges posed by rare disorders, the Ministry of Health recently published New Zealands first ever Aotearoa New Zealand Rare Disorders Strategy. This strategy sets out the direction for the health system to better support people and their whanau living with rare disorders. It provides a framework and long-term priorities that will guide health entities in improving health and wellbeing outcomes for people and their whanau with rare disorders over the decade 2024 to 2034. Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora looks forward to contributing to the strategys implementation over time, within available resources. To help support Daniel so that he can get life-saving treatment visit: givealittle.co.nz/cause/stem-cell-transplant-needed Jesus Megias Cadiz Friday, 16 August 2024, 14:31 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads The latest report from the Andalusian regional ministry of Health has warned of "high levels" of potentially virus-carrying mosquitoes in the Cadiz province municipality of Barbate. However, according to the town hall, no cases of the disease have been confirmed so far. Fumigation started earlier this year in Benalup, Medina, Vejer and Tarifa due to the late rains in spring. Since 2020, special emphasis has been placed on these areas due to the increase in West Nile virus cases, caused by the bite of the common mosquito. Cortlandville, N.Y. Deputies are asking for help locating a missing girl who was last seen in Cortland County. Brookelyn Anderson, 14, was reported missing from her home in High Point, North Carolina, Cortland County deputies said. On Monday she was spotted at the Pit Stop gas station at 3742 U.S. Route 11, deputies said. Brookelyn left the gas station and went towards McGraw on Route 11, deputies said. She is five feet tall, weighs 120 pounds and has black hair and blue eyes. She was last seen on video footage wearing a white sweatshirt with New York on it, and dark pants, deputies said. She had a silver suit case with her. Deputies ask anyone with information about Brookelyns whereabouts to call them at (607)753-3311. Would you like to own a costume worn by a famous actor on screen? American High is raising money for its film school, The Academy at American High in Liverpool, N.Y., by selling clothing from its movies shot around the Syracuse area. The production company recently wrapped its 20th film, Summer of 69, and has amassed a huge collection over the past six years. A 15-year-old hiker from Penn. broke his leg on Aug. 5 at the junction of Wright and Algonquin peaks, in the Adirondack High Peaks region. The Wright Peak Steward alerted Ray Brook Dispatch and within two hours New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers reached the injured boy. 11 rangers carry out a 15-year-old hiker who broke his leg on Aug. 5 at the junction of Wright and Algonquin peaks, in the Adirondack High Peaks region.NYSDEC Rangers splinted the boys leg and packaged him into a litter using a backpack system for the carry-out. The carry out was difficult, requiring 11 rangers picking their way carefully over two miles of steep, rocky terrain. Just after nightfall, the group reached the Adirondak Loj where the boys father took him for further medical attention. The following reports are excerpted from DEC: Rangers rope down to rescue a 23-year-old from Brooklyn stranded on Fawns Leap after heavy rainfall and highwater deluged the area on Aug. 10.NYSDEC A 23-year-old from Brooklyn got stranded on Fawns Leap after heavy rainfall and highwater deluged the area on Aug. 10. Five rangers set up a rope system to rescue the stranded hiker, then waded across Kaaterskill Creek to safety. On Aug. 6, a 45-year-old woman from Watertown hurt her knee near the Slide Brook lean-to. Five rangers helped her back to the trailhead. On the night of Aug. 6, a group of hikers used a satellite phone to call for help, reporting a 20-year-old member of their group had injured her knee on the Wolf Jaw Mountain trail. The Johns Brook caretaker and two rangers taped the hikers injured knee and she continued hiking to her campsite. Rangers prepare to cross Stoney Creek Pond to put out a small wildfire on Aug. 7.NYSDEC On Aug. 7, a neglected campfire burned one-quarter of an acre on a section of Stoney Creek Pond accessible only by boat. Three rangers and the Saranac Lake Fire Department got the fire under control; it was declared out by the next morning. A hiker with an unstable ankle injury had to be airlifted off the summit of Mount Marcy, the states highest peak, on the afternoon of Aug. 8. A state police helicopter ferried a ranger to the scene as another ranger on the summit harnessed the injured hiker, who was then flown to the hospital. A 67-year-old Plattsburgh man got lost while hiking with a group in the central Adirondacks on the evening of Aug. 8. A ranger found him on the Lake Arnold trail and hiked with him to the Lake Colden outpost. The Lake Colden Caretaker prepared a meal for the man and rangers gave him dry clothing. The next morning, they guided him to the Adirondak Loj to be reunited with his group. Ranger dresses the wounds of a 19-year-old from New Jersey who took a spill from his electric skateboard in the Peekamoose Riparian Corridor on Aug. 5.NYSDEC A 19-year-old from New Jersey fell off his electric skateboard on a road in the Peekamoose Riparian Corridor on Aug. 5. Rangers cleaned the young mans cuts and wrapped a deep wound above his knee before helping him back to his campsite where he decided to seek further medical attention on his own. A group of four hikers stopped at the Marcy Dam on the night of Aug. 8 because it was too dark and none of them had headlamps. The Marcy Dam Caretaker assisted the group to the Marcy Dam outpost where rangers met them and determined one of the hikers was suffering from low blood sugar. Rangers helped the group back to their vehicle at the Adirondak Loj. A 73-year-old hiker from Scotia injured their leg on the Auger Falls trail, not far from the trailhead. Rangers splinted the hikers leg and carried them out with assistance from Speculator Fire Department and Wells EMS. Sign up for the CNY Outdoors Newsletter Enter your email address to get weekly updates on CNY outdoors news delivered to your inbox: READ MORE Big Manlius dog with injured paw rescued from ADK mountain - newyorkupstate.com Ohio man ticketed for threatening hikers on popular Adirondack trail - newyorkupstate.com Two injured hikers rescued one day apart on popular ADK mountain - newyorkupstate.com Rangers organized search for Upstate NY plane crash that killed five - newyorkupstate.com Rangers aid two hikers injured at same time, place in ADK high peaks - newyorkupstate.com Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors. New York States largest and potentially most dangerous native snake seems to enjoy hanging out in the yard of a man from the Southern Tier town of Hancock, in Delaware County. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation police officers (ECOs) have made five separate trips to the mans house over the past several weeks to remove timber rattlesnakes coiled up in the landscaping. The first call came on July 22, when the Hancock man reported a timber rattlesnake near his front door. An ECO and a member of DECs Division of Law Enforcement Wildlife Response Team safely removed the snake. The ECO returned to the same house on a weekly basis after that, removing four more rattlesnakes, including a possible mating pair. He also removed a five-foot-long timber rattler from the deck of a home in the town of Deposit, not far from Hancock. All the snakes were relocated back into the wild. Timber rattlesnakes typically mate from late summer into the fall. They are venomous pit vipers and a threatened species protected by state law. They seldom display aggression unless defending themselves. DEC reminds the public to leave snakes alone, observe them from a safe distance, and call ECOs or DECs Division of Fish and Wildlife for assistance with removal. The following reports are excerpted from DEC: An ECO rescued a sick bald eagle on July 25 that was sitting 50 feet up a tree in the hamlet of Derby.NYSDEC An ECO rescued a sick bald eagle on July 25 that was sitting 50 feet up a tree at Frank Lloyd Wrights Graycliff in the hamlet of Derby. The eagle could barely lift its head, and its wings drooped over branches. Using a ladder truck from a local fire department, the ECO safely retrieved the eagle and handed it over to a wildlife rehabilitator from Messenger Woods. ECOs working with the New York City Police Department on July 27 charged a shop owner in Lower Manhattan with a criminal misdemeanor for unlawful sale of crocodile meat without a state permit required for selling alligator, crocodile, and caiman products. Officers seized the crocodile meat, and the shop owner faces a fine of up to $5,000. ECOs rescued this fawn that got stuck in the water-filled foundation of an abandoned building in the village of Monticello.NYSDEC A fawn got stuck in the foundation of an abandoned building on July 11 in the village of Monticello. The foundation was partially filled with water, making the fawns escape more difficult. ECOs retrieved the fawn, determined it was in good health, and released it into the woods where it quickly reunited with an adult deer waiting nearby. An Orange County resident was ticketed for killing a blue heron in May after a neighbor heard gunshots and called police. ECOs found the dead heron near a pond with gunshot injuries, and in clear line of sight to the shooters house. The shooter admitted to shooting the bird, a protected species. Ducklings that were stuck in a storm drain at an apartment complex in Ronkonkoma were rescued and released on July 12.NYSDEC A bunch of ducklings got stuck in a storm drain at an apartment complex in Ronkonkoma on July 12. An ECO saw a hen mallard with one duckling wandering around the parking lot near the storm drain and could hear the other ducklings chirping inside the drain. The ECO and two volunteers removed the drain cover and retrieved the ducklings using a net, reuniting them with the hen mallard waiting at a nearby pond. A peregrine falcon was injured on June 29 on Manhattans East Side. An ECO went to the 50th floor rooftop area of the building and found the bird unable to fly. He safely captured the falcon and transported it to the Wild Bird Fund in New York City for further examination. ECOs removed this large boa constrictor from a vacant house in Erie County on Aug. 2 and sent it to a reptile rescue group.NYSDEC At midnight on Aug. 2, a person reported a large boa constrictor in a vacant house in Erie County. An ECO helped local police capture the snake and take it to an animal hospital for evaluation. A reptile rescue group will find the boa constrictor a new home. Sign up for the CNY Outdoors Newsletter Enter your email address to get weekly updates on CNY outdoors news delivered to your inbox: READ MORE Catskills man ticketed after killing rattlesnake with BB gun, skinning and eating it - newyorkupstate.com Bear euthanized after trashing kitchen in Upstate NY home - newyorkupstate.com Conservation cops rescue raccoon, ticket Upstate NY man for killing blue heron - newyorkupstate.com Cazenovia man ticketed for shooting bear eating from birdfeeder in his yard - newyorkupstate.com Hunter kills bear in this Central NY town for first time in at least 50 years - newyorkupstate.com Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoor Geddes, N.Y. Parking lots and gates at the 2024 New York State Fair will be cashless again this year (card payment only). So how do you get tickets? Its best to do it in advance and avoid lines, bad cell service or other issues. General adult tickets to the fair cost $8 (up from $6 in 2023) and are available online at etix.com. A parking pass costs $12. The fair is also offering a frequent fairgoer ticket for $25 that grants admission all 13 days of the fair. Parking passes and general admission tickets are available online or by calling 1-800-514-3849 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. You can buy admission tickets by card at the gate, but youll have to use one of the electronic kiosks or a QR code on your phone. As for parking, its best to buy a pass ahead of time, then show the lot attendant the pass on your phone or print a copy to show. (EZPass Plus is no longer an option for parking.) Apple Pay and Google Pay are not accepted for admission or parking. However, many of the Fair vendors and food stands accept cash, so it cant hurt to bring a few bucks for food and drinks. A Ferris wheel towers over the Midway at the New York State Fair. Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com) Passes are also on sale online for the midway rides. A mega pass wristband gives the user unlimited rides every day of the fair. Its $95 and is available until noon on Wednesday, Aug. 21 (opening day). A ride all day wristband is $29.95 in advance and is good for unlimited rides for a single day. Those are available at that price until noon on Aug. 21. After that, the price jumps to $37 on weekdays and $47 on weekends. The midway is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the fair except Monday, Sept. 2, when it closes at 9 p.m. The fair runs from Aug. 21 to Sept. 2. Unused 2023 admission tickets will not be accepted at the 2024 State Fair. More 2024 NYS Fair coverage: You Butter Believe It: 800 pounds of creamy goodness rolls in for NYS Fair sculpture New York State Fair raises ticket price again, but its still less than previous high NYS Fair reveals 2024 special entertainment lineup: New acts and returning favorites NYS Fair Love Stories: These two were big winners at the I Got It game in 1996 NYS Fair Love Stories: Their eyes met in 1986 across the crowd; theyve been together ever since The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Blueeyedboy Newbie Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: Bangalore Posts: 7 Thanked: 76 Times Why I chose the Honda Elevate in a crowded market I have been a vociferous reader of team-bhp for a very long time but no proper posts till now. In that sense this is my first attempt at contributing something. Beyond a doubt this community has been instrumental in helping me arrive at a decision. This is my humble attempt to give back to the community to help all those who are in a similar predicament as I was. Budget: 25 lakhs Tested cars: 25. Only highlighting the ones from the same segment in this review; to keep things manageable and minimise confusion. Upgrading from a 2018 Baleno Delta Manual Non-negotiable features 1) Safety - This is the driving factor behind wanting to buy a new car. The Baleno in all aspects was a perfect car for us in terms of space, ride comfort, brilliant engine (I like to drive on the higher end of the rev curve), smooth gearbox and low maintenance. However, a couple of highway scares led us on this upgrade journey. 6 airbags were a must, followed by NCAP ratings with a minimum threshold of 4 stars but including looking at the actual reports that NCAP publishes and looking beyond the stars (pun intended ) 2) Automatic transmission - While I LOVE driving manuals, I wanted to relax in the Bangalore traffic and not be as busy. My past experience of driving automatics quickly led to the belief that the best of both the worlds (manual and automatic) can only be achieved through good PADDLE SHIFTERS thereby minimising pick up lag which is common in many automatics and somewhat mask or contain the rubber band effect 3) Sun-roof - Unfortunately for me, this comes along from my wife for whom this is absolutely a must have. The bigger the better. This would mean an inclination towards panoramic sunroof Cars considered 1) Kia Seltos (NA and Turbo) 2) Maruti Grand Vitara (Strong and mild) 3) Hyundai creta (NA) 4) Volkswagen Taigun (both engines) 5) Skoda Kushaq (both engines) 6) Volkswagen Virtus 7) MG Aster (NA and Turbo) 8) Honda Elevate Kia Seltos Initially I found the variant combinations mind-numbingly difficult to understand solely because of the myriad of differentiation in features within the variants and the features being constantly changed with introduction and withdrawal of variants all the time. The Sales person we were talking to (Sahana from JSP Kia) was extremely helpful and super knowledgable and helped address this knowledge barrier. We tested the Naturally aspirated engines and the Turbo and quickly realized that both the engines are a hoot to drive being perfectly mated to DCT or ATs that offer a smooth acceleration. Turbo lag was very well contained; but I quickly realized that, I, as a driver prefer a stronger constant acceleration over a non-linear one (no matter how much a "push back in your seats" feel it offers). The Naturally aspirated engine in Seltos is extremely well refined and because of the ability to change driving modes which brings with it the benefit of a variable stiffness of the steering wheel; the overall driving package is very good. The panoramic sunroof and the premium interiors were just too good to ignore and so were the touches of ambient lighting and infotainment systems software aspects. While looking at this segment, and comparing with other cars people start talking about Bose speakers and Ventilated seats and ADAS, while completely ignoring the fact that these higher end features are not even available on the NA engine and the pricing inches upwards of 24 lakhs for these good-to-haves. I found this a main challenge in being able to trust Youtube reviews. Even when the Seltos is compared to other cars in the segment, most reviewers fail to address the huge price differences involved. Now the elephant in the room, is obviously safety. From a logical point of view it can be argued that after the GNCAP rating of 3 star, KIA made structural improvements that they advertised pretty well too; which may lead to a score inching towards a 4; but in absence of an actual rating and KIA's obvious unwillingness to send the car for an assessment, speaks volumes of their confidence. If KIA themselves are not confident about this aspect, no reason for me to trust them on their assumed 4 star claims (this claim was common across the total 3 KIA dealerships I connected with). Overall a great package though for people who are ok to compromise on safety TLDR: Many desirable features not on offer with the NA engine. The Turbo, while great will lead to shockingly poor Mileages (I have friends who are consistently getting 5-6 kmpl in city) and the non-liner acceleration is not to my personal liking. Overall the package that might be desirable needs 25lakhs of budget, which is something I was OK with; but the safety was too difficult to ignore. Maruti Grand Vitara Lets get one thing straight. I LOVE Maruti. I have bought a total of 5 of them and know their workings in and out and would refer them to many in many circumstances in a heartbeat. The Grand Vitara just falls short in two very critical areas for two very different reasons. The mild hybrid - This is of course the famous 1.5 that underpins many of its cousins, like the Brezza; but the engine is shockingly underpowered. I know a day will come when I would want to be a sedate driver only; but today is not that day. I test drove it 4 times; because otherwise that's how compelling that package is! I am confident of this getting a 4 star in at least BNCAP; given the usage of the Breeza platform. The panoramic sub-roof was very much to wife's liking (and yes a huge amount of heat, filters in from the roof due to the flimsy cloth material used, which Maruti claims is from a Mercedes but the super powerful AC can counter this very well). The door handles and window switches were just reused parts from my existing Baleno and the rest of the cabin is just a Breeza (try to compare their cabins side by side and you would be shocked at the extent of part and design re-use). But the biggest gripe was the engine and the transmission; to the point that the paddle shifters were pretty much useless. The engine does not have enough grunt. PERIOD. With me pretty much standing on the acceleration with 3rd gear at 80 kmph the car cannot accelerate at all while climbing a normal bridge. I tried this over and over again. While there are many compelling reasons to get the Grand Vitara; this variant and this engine is not one of them. Also, this variant, again, does not have MANY features because its not offered in the top trim at all. How disappointing! A 10 lakh Baleno gets HUD but not the 21 lakh Grand Vitara; but sure, lets get the switches from Baleno Strong hybrid - The dicky space was a complete disaster and the lack of paddle shifters ended this saga pretty quickly. Hyundai Creta The safety comments can pretty much be copy-pasted from Seltos. I liked the interiors and steering handling better in Seltos which is a personal choice perhaps. The feature spread was definitely better in the NA engine; since the missing desirables of Seltos were at least present in a variant that Creta offered in the naturally aspirated engine. The overall package was coming out to 22 lakhs; but we decided to not look beyond safety. Volkswagen Taigun Let me break the monotony and give a summary first! SAFE, Small car, small sunroof, poor low end performance, thrilling turbo, outstanding build quality (no-one comes close) and most shocking discounts. Let me start with the main issue. The car feels cramped and small compared to everything else in the segment. There is no denying this. On the plus side, safety is of course a big fillip and you can feel that everywhere in the car. The door "thuds" like nothing else on offer and while you cant compare this with even the Virtus (even better build quality) or the older VAGs; this is still market leading. The low-end performance and shocking turbo lag were major negatives but not something that I couldn't look beyond. Yes, it was a dampener but not a deal-breaker. The deal-breaker were the discounts on offer!! HUGE discounts! The discounts were so large; that it really gave me creeps about Volkswagen's play in the Indian market and their future plans; at the end we rejected the car primarily because of their desires to find an Indian partner; and the uncertainty of the future if they fail to find one. I dont want to invest 20+ lakhs in a car, to see even half of that money not coming back to me after 5 years when I decide to sell it. Also, yes, the suspension is hard; may not be comfortable at all for back-seat elders. All-in-all a sporty car, best driven on highways. For those looking to buy, the Turbo lag is much less pronounced in the 1.0 compared to the 1.5 which makes it infinitely driveable in the city; but the overall car is just a "dead cat" that you are poking with your stick "accelerator"; before the turbo kicks in a; and then you realize that its actually a leopard that was just playing dead all along (when the turbo does kick in). This is not a positive Skoda Kushaq We liked the cabin design more than the Taigun and the suspension just tweaked better. Rejected for the same reasons as above. Also, the AC is not for India in the 1.0 turbo, at least in the test drives that we did. MG Astor My god what a car! Why doesnt this car sell !!! Just because its MG??! Super premium interiors; amazing sunroof, great safety and did I mention "PREMIUM INTERIORS". Everything in the cabin (except the laggy ICE ) is super-premium to touch, hold, feel and look-at. The engine is a major bummer though! The NA is super under-powered and the lack of paddle shifters meant major lags. I wish the car does better in the Indian market. Yes, the under-thigh support in the backseats is a major challenge but the engine is good enough for sedate drivers and I certainly love how it looks. If anything came close to the VAGs build quality it is certainly the Aster. But, its also true that the Chinese influence is unmistakable. Be it the poor ICE or the unimaginably tacky robot in the center console. The Turbo is a different story though. Super peppy and responsive; so engine issues eliminated. Overall package 23, sweetened with discounts to 21. But the AC in the Turbo unit that we tested was a major issue. This seems to be a consistent complaint and also MG is not manufacturing the Turbo's anymore; its just old stock. This was confirmed by 2 dealers. Due to the low mileage (5-6) it seems there are no takers for this with respect to the MG brand. I was afraid that this car might stop production. Also, the feature upgraded that MG Astor got in the 2024 version hasnt come to the Turbo since they are not manufacturing it; otherwise we would have considered it very seriously even overlooking the Chinese aspect. BTW, everyone I turned to for advice, had a poor impression of MG just because of the "China company" tag. It does not do justice to the product. Honda Elevate First impression - What a boring car! Why are the interiors so bland? Why is the sunroof so small? Why isnt Honda launching more cars? The test drive of the CVT was impressive with no major issues, quick acceleration and a very useful lane watch camera. The car responded very well to the paddle shifters and overall visibility and driveability was to the point. Safety-wise; since its on the Honda city platform, I am extremely confident of the 4 stars; and perhaps a 5 too; because of the inherent advantages of the SUV design; notwithstanding the odd "point deduction" rules of the recent tweaks in the GNCAP rating system". However, as a package it didnt stand out. But after having tested everything in the same segment, a segment below and a segment above (remember that our budget was 25 lakhs which meant that a compelling variant of the XUV700 was in scope too); we came back to the Honda showroom on Hosur road. This time I asked for a longer drive on NICE road; and that was the best decision till now. (note: All cars that I considered seriously, were also driven at length on NICE road). Here is my two pence of the Honda elevate: Could not stop smiling end to end while on the highway; I didnt have this feeling on anything I looked at till now. Take the car beyond 4000 rpm; or drop a couple of gears on the CVT Paddle shifters and the car becomes a bullet on wheels! How does a car go all the way to 7000 RPM and be completely driveable at that!! The engine is such a gem to drive and the smooth linear acceleration was very much to my liking. For the thrill seekers; since the car does such high-revs comfortably, a brisk overtake is as simple as a couple of clicks of the shifter. In every other car in which you do this; you would feel a jerk; because of the sudden rev-shifts; but precisely because this car goes to such high-revs and because its a CVT; it does that smoothly with a noticeable grunt in the engine but devoid of a jerk making the ride smooth. The Elevate offered the smoothest ride and the more balanced suspension among everything we drove. All in all, this is a great engine for a sedate driver; and this is a great engine for those looking for more performance. Of course, its not as thrilling as a Turbo; but the Turbo spooling effect was very unnerving to me. The lane watch camera is extremely useful and that fact that it triggers on the ICE along with carplay when you indicate a left turn on your stalk is very very useful. For wide cars this means you always keep a lookout in the left without having to turn your eye away from the front. Butch exterior looks which renders a clear SUV-isque character. Looks wise, both me and wife like this the most. The adaptive cruise I feel is usable precisely because it reacts early enough. This means that you are aware, well enough in advance, whether the adaptive braking is going to engage or not instead of playing a guessing game till the last moment. Also, I dont see the following mentioned prominently anywhere; but I hope its common knowledge that the sensitivity of the ADAS engagements can be changed from the system settings. The audio is outstanding in my humble opinion; specially the low frequency bass response. I saw many contradicting opinions on team-bhp about this and I respect all those; but I felt it being better than the premium branded speakers offered by many others. Coming to the downsides. The NVH levels are high, yes, but not high enough that you hear them over the music system and I cant recollect when was the last time that I drove without having music on. Having said that, I plan to do door and engine bay damping after I get delivery of the car. The total negotiated cost of this with double sheets is 15k. Will report back on the results after doing this. And lets talk about media and Youtube's favourite line with the Elevate: Missing features. Primarily in my comparisons these are: TPMS, Ventilated seats, Electrically adjustable seats, 360 camera. I didnt find a need for TPMS till now. I am buying the ventilated seats accessory from Honda which I felt had better effect than the poor airflow offered on some other cars. For a single driver car, electrically adjustable seats mostly are used to move the seat forwards or backwards; which is faster done manually. Grapes are sour? Maybe. But honestly, most of these features are offered by competing cars at a much more premium value and are certainly not must-haves in my humble opinion. What "IS" must have though; is reliability, safety and a great engine that is fun to drive for 6-7 years (My Baleno was fun to drive upto the very day I sold it; never got bored with it). I do not feel the need for a 360 camera at all; and for many drivers out there this is true. Is it common for those who own cars with 360 degree camera to use them a lot after the initial "getting used to" period? I didnt feel a need for them personally. Yes, the sun-roof is small and interiors super boring; but the fundamentals are strong and I am not compromising on any major aspect like I will have to with any of the other options. TLDR: Seltos: Has Bells and whistles but will mean compulsory turbo resulting in a big price hike and poor mileage; has a great engine and a good interior design but safety concern in a 25 lakhs is not justifiable to me Creta: Has all the features that one can think of; will buy the car the day it can show a 4/5 star BNCAP/GNCAP rating Grand vitara - Great car with the backing of Maruti's super reliable service network and after-sales but the engine is a major let -down. Volkswagen taigun /Skoda kushaq - Uncertain india plans, turbo lag very pronounced, cramped cars MG astor - Questionable resale value, safe, feature packed car, thrilling CVT Turbo but poor Naturally aspirated engine. Market perception of "China company" among everyone I asked for an opinion in my network. I don't agree with this personally. Honda Elevate - Safe, big car. Great driving fundamentals. No super-desirable features amiss. Drab interior and small sun-roof. Overall no major compromises and clearly a "Man maximum, machine minimum" approach even with ADAS Will be taking delivery of my car next week. Honda Elevate ZX-CVT R-edition. Could have taken a non-R but a factor fresh car is better than an older stock; for a little bit more money. I think Honda Elevate's market positioning is: Sometimes doing everything well is more important than excelling in one and failing in others. While this is not ideal; this is where we are with the exit of Ford (and yes, I blame Ford for this ) To end - "The force is strong in this one" Hi everyone,I have been a vociferous reader of team-bhp for a very long time but no proper posts till now. In that sense this is my first attempt at contributing something. Beyond a doubt this community has been instrumental in helping me arrive at a decision. This is my humble attempt to give back to the community to help all those who are in a similar predicament as I was.Budget: 25 lakhsTested cars: 25. Only highlighting the ones from the same segment in this review; to keep things manageable and minimise confusion. Upgrading from a 2018 Baleno Delta Manual1) Safety - This is the driving factor behind wanting to buy a new car. The Baleno in all aspects was a perfect car for us in terms of space, ride comfort, brilliant engine (I like to drive on the higher end of the rev curve), smooth gearbox and low maintenance. However, a couple of highway scares led us on this upgrade journey. 6 airbags were a must, followed by NCAP ratings with a minimum threshold of 4 stars but including looking at the actual reports that NCAP publishes and looking beyond the stars (pun intended2) Automatic transmission - While I LOVE driving manuals, I wanted to relax in the Bangalore traffic and not be as busy. My past experience of driving automatics quickly led to the belief that the best of both the worlds (manual and automatic) can only be achieved through good PADDLE SHIFTERS thereby minimising pick up lag which is common in many automatics and somewhat mask or contain the rubber band effect3) Sun-roof - Unfortunately for me, this comes along from my wife for whom this is absolutely a must have. The bigger the better. This would mean an inclination towards panoramic sunroof1) Kia Seltos (NA and Turbo)2) Maruti Grand Vitara (Strong and mild)3) Hyundai creta (NA)4) Volkswagen Taigun (both engines)5) Skoda Kushaq (both engines)6) Volkswagen Virtus7) MG Aster (NA and Turbo)8) Honda ElevateInitially I found the variant combinations mind-numbingly difficult to understand solely because of the myriad of differentiation in features within the variants and the features being constantly changed with introduction and withdrawal of variants all the time. The Sales person we were talking to (Sahana from JSP Kia) was extremely helpful and super knowledgable and helped address this knowledge barrier. We tested the Naturally aspirated engines and the Turbo and quickly realized that both the engines are a hoot to drive being perfectly mated to DCT or ATs that offer a smooth acceleration. Turbo lag was very well contained; but I quickly realized that, I, as a driver prefer a stronger constant acceleration over a non-linear one (no matter how much a "push back in your seats" feel it offers). The Naturally aspirated engine in Seltos is extremely well refined and because of the ability to change driving modes which brings with it the benefit of a variable stiffness of the steering wheel; the overall driving package is very good. The panoramic sunroof and the premium interiors were just too good to ignore and so were the touches of ambient lighting and infotainment systems software aspects. While looking at this segment, and comparing with other cars people start talking about Bose speakers and Ventilated seats and ADAS, while completely ignoring the fact that these higher end features are not even available on the NA engine and the pricing inches upwards of 24 lakhs for these good-to-haves. I found this a main challenge in being able to trust Youtube reviews. Even when the Seltos is compared to other cars in the segment, most reviewers fail to address the huge price differences involved. Now the elephant in the room, is obviously safety. From a logical point of view it can be argued that after the GNCAP rating of 3 star, KIA made structural improvements that they advertised pretty well too; which may lead to a score inching towards a 4; but in absence of an actual rating and KIA's obvious unwillingness to send the car for an assessment, speaks volumes of their confidence. If KIA themselves are not confident about this aspect, no reason for me to trust them on their assumed 4 star claims (this claim was common across the total 3 KIA dealerships I connected with). Overall a great package though for people who are ok to compromise on safetyTLDR: Many desirable features not on offer with the NA engine. The Turbo, while great will lead to shockingly poor Mileages (I have friends who are consistently getting 5-6 kmpl in city) and the non-liner acceleration is not to my personal liking. Overall the package that might be desirable needs 25lakhs of budget, which is something I was OK with; but the safety was too difficult to ignore.Lets get one thing straight. I LOVE Maruti. I have bought a total of 5 of them and know their workings in and out and would refer them to many in many circumstances in a heartbeat. The Grand Vitara just falls short in two very critical areas for two very different reasons.The mild hybrid - This is of course the famous 1.5 that underpins many of its cousins, like the Brezza; but the engine is shockingly underpowered. I know a day will come when I would want to be a sedate driver only; but today is not that day. I test drove it 4 times; because otherwise that's how compelling that package is! I am confident of this getting a 4 star in at least BNCAP; given the usage of the Breeza platform. The panoramic sub-roof was very much to wife's liking (and yes a huge amount of heat, filters in from the roof due to the flimsy cloth material used, which Maruti claims is from a Mercedes but the super powerful AC can counter this very well). The door handles and window switches were just reused parts from my existing Baleno and the rest of the cabin is just a Breeza (try to compare their cabins side by side and you would be shocked at the extent of part and design re-use).But the biggest gripe was the engine and the transmission; to the point that the paddle shifters were pretty much useless. The engine does not have enough grunt. PERIOD. With me pretty much standing on the acceleration with 3rd gear at 80 kmph the car cannot accelerate at all while climbing a normal bridge. I tried this over and over again. While there are many compelling reasons to get the Grand Vitara; this variant and this engine is not one of them. Also, this variant, again, does not have MANY features because its not offered in the top trim at all. How disappointing! A 10 lakh Baleno gets HUD but not the 21 lakh Grand Vitara; but sure, lets get the switches from BalenoStrong hybrid - The dicky space was a complete disaster and the lack of paddle shifters ended this saga pretty quickly.The safety comments can pretty much be copy-pasted from Seltos. I liked the interiors and steering handling better in Seltos which is a personal choice perhaps. The feature spread was definitely better in the NA engine; since the missing desirables of Seltos were at least present in a variant that Creta offered in the naturally aspirated engine. The overall package was coming out to 22 lakhs; but we decided to not look beyond safety.Let me break the monotony and give a summary first!SAFE, Small car, small sunroof, poor low end performance, thrilling turbo, outstanding build quality (no-one comes close) and most shocking discounts.Let me start with the main issue. The car feels cramped and small compared to everything else in the segment. There is no denying this.On the plus side, safety is of course a big fillip and you can feel that everywhere in the car. The door "thuds" like nothing else on offer and while you cant compare this with even the Virtus (even better build quality) or the older VAGs; this is still market leading.The low-end performance and shocking turbo lag were major negatives but not something that I couldn't look beyond. Yes, it was a dampener but not a deal-breaker. The deal-breaker were the discounts on offer!! HUGE discounts! The discounts were so large; that it really gave me creeps about Volkswagen's play in the Indian market and their future plans; at the end we rejected the car primarily because of their desires to find an Indian partner; and the uncertainty of the future if they fail to find one. I dont want to invest 20+ lakhs in a car, to see even half of that money not coming back to me after 5 years when I decide to sell it. Also, yes, the suspension is hard; may not be comfortable at all for back-seat elders. All-in-all a sporty car, best driven on highways.For those looking to buy, the Turbo lag is much less pronounced in the 1.0 compared to the 1.5 which makes it infinitely driveable in the city; but the overall car is just a "dead cat" that you are poking with your stick "accelerator"; before the turbo kicks in a; and then you realize that its actually a leopard that was just playing dead all along (when the turbo does kick in). This is not a positiveWe liked the cabin design more than the Taigun and the suspension just tweaked better. Rejected for the same reasons as above. Also, the AC is not for India in the 1.0 turbo, at least in the test drives that we did.Why doesnt this car sell !!! Just because its MG??! Super premium interiors; amazing sunroof, great safety and did I mention "PREMIUM INTERIORS". Everything in the cabin (except the laggy ICE ) is super-premium to touch, hold, feel and look-at.The engine is a major bummer though! The NA is super under-powered and the lack of paddle shifters meant major lags. I wish the car does better in the Indian market. Yes, the under-thigh support in the backseats is a major challenge but the engine is good enough for sedate drivers and I certainly love how it looks. If anything came close to the VAGs build quality it is certainly the Aster. But, its also true that the Chinese influence is unmistakable. Be it the poor ICE or the unimaginably tacky robot in the center console.The Turbo is a different story though. Super peppy and responsive; so engine issues eliminated. Overall package 23, sweetened with discounts to 21. But the AC in the Turbo unit that we tested was a major issue. This seems to be a consistent complaint and also MG is not manufacturing the Turbo's anymore; its just old stock. This was confirmed by 2 dealers. Due to the low mileage (5-6) it seems there are no takers for this with respect to the MG brand. I was afraid that this car might stop production. Also, the feature upgraded that MG Astor got in the 2024 version hasnt come to the Turbo since they are not manufacturing it; otherwise we would have considered it very seriously even overlooking the Chinese aspect. BTW, everyone I turned to for advice, had a poor impression of MG just because of the "China company" tag. It does not do justice to the product.First impression - What a boring car! Why are the interiors so bland? Why is the sunroof so small? Why isnt Honda launching more cars?The test drive of the CVT was impressive with no major issues, quick acceleration and a very useful lane watch camera. The car responded very well to the paddle shifters and overall visibility and driveability was to the point. Safety-wise; since its on the Honda city platform, I am extremely confident of the 4 stars; and perhaps a 5 too; because of the inherent advantages of the SUV design; notwithstanding the odd "point deduction" rules of the recent tweaks in the GNCAP rating system".However, as a package it didnt stand out.But after having tested everything in the same segment, a segment below and a segment above (remember that our budget was 25 lakhs which meant that a compelling variant of the XUV700 was in scope too); we came back to the Honda showroom on Hosur road.This time I asked for a longer drive on NICE road; and that was the best decision till now. (note: All cars that I considered seriously, were also driven at length on NICE road). Here is my two pence of the Honda elevate:Coming to the downsides.The NVH levels are high, yes, but not high enough that you hear them over the music system and I cant recollect when was the last time that I drove without having music on. Having said that, I plan to do door and engine bay damping after I get delivery of the car. The total negotiated cost of this with double sheets is 15k. Will report back on the results after doing this.And lets talk about media and Youtube's favourite line with the Elevate: Missing features.Primarily in my comparisons these are: TPMS, Ventilated seats, Electrically adjustable seats, 360 camera.I didnt find a need for TPMS till now. I am buying the ventilated seats accessory from Honda which I felt had better effect than the poor airflow offered on some other cars.For a single driver car, electrically adjustable seats mostly are used to move the seat forwards or backwards; which is faster done manually.Grapes are sour? Maybe. But honestly, most of these features are offered by competing cars at a much more premium value and are certainly not must-haves in my humble opinion. What "IS"though; is reliability, safety and a great engine that is fun to drive for 6-7 years (My Baleno was fun to drive upto the very day I sold it; never got bored with it). I do not feel the need for a 360 camera at all; and for many drivers out there this is true. Is it common for those who own cars with 360 degree camera to use them a lot after the initial "getting used to" period? I didnt feel a need for them personally.Yes, the sun-roof is small and interiors super boring; but the fundamentals are strong and I am not compromising on any major aspect like I will have to with any of the other options.: Has Bells and whistles but will mean compulsory turbo resulting in a big price hike and poor mileage; has a great engine and a good interior design but safety concern in a 25 lakhs is not justifiable to me: Has all the features that one can think of; will buy the car the day it can show a 4/5 star BNCAP/GNCAP rating- Great car with the backing of Maruti's super reliable service network and after-sales but the engine is a major let -down.- Uncertain india plans, turbo lag very pronounced, cramped cars- Questionable resale value, safe, feature packed car, thrilling CVT Turbo but poor Naturally aspirated engine. Market perception of "China company" among everyone I asked for an opinion in my network. I don't agree with this personally.- Safe, big car. Great driving fundamentals. No super-desirable features amiss. Drab interior and small sun-roof. Overall no major compromises and clearly a "Man maximum, machine minimum" approach even with ADASWill be taking delivery of my car next week. Honda Elevate ZX-CVT R-edition. Could have taken a non-R but a factor fresh car is better than an older stock; for a little bit more money.I think Honda Elevate's market positioning is: Sometimes doing everything well is more important than excelling in one and failing in others. While this is not ideal; this is where we are with the exit of Ford (and yes, I blame Ford for this )To end - "The force is strong in this one" Last edited by Omkar : 16th August 2024 at 23:28 . Reason: Small edit :) A new approach to personalized computer instruction could help mitigate the impact of teacher shortages, understaffed classrooms, and lackluster self-learning, issues that have worsened since the pandemic. The EdYOU solution is built around an AI-powered learning tool that uses a visionary approach to enhance learning experiences for students and career-changing adults. According to data from Education Week, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 270,000 teachers and staff quit or retire across the country every year. The pandemic worsened the teacher shortage situation. Over the last few years, 41 states and the District of Columbia faced shortages in at least one subject area or grade level. Most states now have more vacant positions and underqualified teachers in classrooms than in previous years. Last year ended with over 55,000 teacher vacancies nationwide for grades K-12. The U.S. Department of Education defines three types of teacher shortages: unfilled positions, positions filled by underqualified teachers, and positions filled by teachers in a different subject than their certification. Enrollment for teacher certification programs is declining or stagnating. Most states have seen a sharp increase in teachers exiting their classrooms in the last two years compared to the previous decade. Even worse, surveys revealed that a growing percentage of remaining teachers (12%) were dissatisfied with their jobs. More than four in 10 teachers shared they were likely to leave their jobs within two years. To help solve the teacher shortage, Michael Everest, founder and CEO of edYOU, pioneered a creative method to overcome the challenges traditional teaching methods pose. By offering personalized tutoring and learning tools, edYOU empowers students and educators alike, bridging gaps left by staffing shortages and ensuring students receive the attention they deserve. I started edYOU with a passion for improving the downward trend in education outcomes. EdYOU is the first AI company that is not a chatbot but utilizes human-like meta-humans [animations] to teach conversationally in real time, not using recorded videos, he told TechNewsWorld. Adaptive AI Avatars for Academic Support This approach is rooted in adaptability. Everest developed the three avatars available on the platform, which are safe AI entities. Each offers personalized and continuous support, fostering interactive communication and delivering a distinctive learning experience, he explained. EdYOU has APIs that allow easy integration with common education software for classrooms, learning management systems, and enterprise tools. Users of all ages can log onto the website and use a web browser or mobile app to select the type of academic support and subject matter they need. As students study, they can request their AI avatar companion to help tutor them or explain concepts so they can learn at their own pace. During the preparation of multiple-choice questions, for instance, Hannah, Nova, or Eddie (shown above) can assist by guiding the choice of correct answers. Students can select subject areas and easily engage with their study buddy avatars, as shown in this screenshot from the companys YouTube video demonstrating the on-screen learning system. If the student makes an error, the digital didactic tutor provides a comprehensive explanation of what went wrong and why. This approach facilitates a deeper understanding and learning from mistakes. Expanding Knowledge Without Digital Distress The edYOU platform leverages AI to ensure a safe and effective educational experience in any environment, whether at home or school. In essence, the life-like avatar becomes a personal study buddy. Students bypass having to type questions in on-screen terminal windows and having to read detailed replies. Instead, natural-sounding conversations, initiated by clicking the microphone icon, allow free-flowing exchanges. All conversations are encrypted. Student data is anonymized and aggregated before in-house technicians monitor voice tracks. Parents can view transcripts and recordings of their childs sessions, providing transparency into lessons. EdYOU support agents are available 24/7 via in-app chat, email, and phone contact. Students and parents can always reach a real person. The teaching team consists of Ph.D. scientists, former teachers, child development experts, data ethics experts, and experienced AI researchers and engineers. Adaptability Makes All the Difference This type of guided approach differs from other computer-assisted and guidebook-style learning solutions, offered Everest. Students can ask their avatars questions to get correct answers or help with test prep. The platform uses natural language processing (NLP) to tailor personalized conversations to each learners interests and knowledge. It does not simply regurgitate internet information. The unique conversational AI beings build mentor-like relationships with students to provide next-level customized education. According to Everest, EdYOUs push for adaptability is also a big factor in its success ratings. Many existing solutions aim for a program that does it all. He contends that you must teach AI programs to change tactics and present non-robotic personalities to each user. That philosophy drives edYOU, making it universal but still personal, he said. Traditional education operates under a one-size-fits-all model, with very little diversification in how students can learn. It is well-documented that attention spans are low in school, Everest continued. Not so with avatar-based presentations. If students do not understand something, they can actively seek out the information. Unlike in traditional classroom settings, students do not need to feel anxious or hesitant about asking for help in front of their peers for fear of looking dumb. Many factors need to be considered, such as certain questions being hard to find directly answered online, and even then, it may only be the answer without context, Everest explained about why other solutions may not meet every students needs. Why the Platform Works for Students, Teachers Curriculum updates in schools and other programmed learning software are scarce. Students use textbooks printed as far back as 10 years alongside outdated teaching methods. It is challenging to cater to success for all when students are lumped together, and some teachers have up to 100 students. The current system works, but it is not designed to promote higher success rates, as these numbers continue to fall each year, observed Everest. The AI technology creates personalized tutoring based on participant interaction and data insights gained from them. It is similar to one-on-one virtual tutoring, supported by the vast knowledge of AI and expert-collected information. The teaching tool encourages the safe use of AI in education. According to Everest, responsible AI enables teachers to enhance their effectiveness while prioritizing their well-being. This type of AI platform can serve as a valuable assistant to teachers and educators, providing support and enhancing the learning experience. It should be properly filtered to ensure factual accuracy and alignment with the approved curriculum, he said. This support level can be incredibly empowering for individuals who may otherwise feel discouraged and overwhelmed, he noted. Advancing the Future of Education Everest insists this controlled use of instructional AI is the future of modern education. He wanted people not to feel like they were only interacting with tech, which is how the idea of an avatar came about. Developing the AI platform was not an easy endeavor. It was a lengthy process that ended up looking very different from the initial vision. It took years of researching different developers and going through many trial attempts to get it as meta-human as I had imagined, said Everest of his developmental journey. Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust Bottom line: Ransomware remains a persistent threat, proving resilient against even the most determined law enforcement efforts. Much like cockroaches, these groups demonstrate an uncanny ability to adapt and endure in the face of adversity. That's why it is essential for organizations to protect themselves by implementing proactive security measures and developing comprehensive response plans. Ransomware attacks continue to plague global industries, with Unit 42's recent analysis revealing a troubling rise in activity. During the first six months of 2024, Unit 42, the threat intelligence team of Palo Alto Networks, monitored 53 ransomware groups' leak sites, observing 1,762 posts a 4.3% increase from the same period the previous year. This increase underscores the persistent threat posed by these cybercriminals, despite ongoing law enforcement efforts to dismantle their operations. Despite facing a law enforcement takedown in February, LockBit 3.0 remains the most prolific ransomware group in early 2024. Known as Flighty Scorpius in Unit 42's tracking system, LockBit 3.0 claimed 325 victims in the first half of the year. This is significant, even though it represents a decrease from the 928 victims in all of 2023. Unit 42's method of categorizing ransomware groups involves pairing a modifier with a constellation, aiding in the precise identification and monitoring of these threat actors. For instance, LockBit 3.0 is dubbed "Flighty Scorpius," while BlackCat is referred to as "Ambitious Scorpius." The top six ransomware groups were responsible for over half of the infections observed. Following LockBit 3.0, the Play group, known as Fiddling Scorpius, reported 155 victims. The 8base group, also known as Squalid Scorpius, and Akira, referred to as Howling Scorpius, each accounted for 119 victims. BlackBasta, identified as Dark Scorpius, was responsible for 114 attacks, while Medusa, or Transforming Scorpius, affected 103 victims. Play advanced from fourth place in 2023 to second in 2024's first half, while 8base, a relative newcomer believed to be a rebrand of Phobos, rose to third place. Interestingly, two prominent ransomware groups from 2023 did not make the top six list in the first half of 2024. ALPHV/BlackCat, previously ranked second with 388 victims, and CLOP, third with 364 victims, were notably absent from the top ranks. Unit 42's data also highlights the industries most affected by ransomware attacks. Manufacturing emerged as the most impacted sector, accounting for 16.4% of observed posts on ransomware leak sites. Healthcare followed with 9.6%, a sector particularly vulnerable due to its sensitivity to disruptions and downtime. The construction industry accounted for 9.4% of the ransomware posts, making it the third most impacted sector. Geographically, the United States was the hardest hit, with 917 compromises, representing 52% of total attacks. Other heavily impacted nations included Canada, the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Brazil, Australia, and Belgium. Why it matters: For internet users who value their online privacy, getting access to a reliable VPN can sometimes be a challenge, especially in regions with strict censorship laws. But a major player in the VPN space has just made it slightly easier for everyone to browse securely. Proton VPN, one of the most popular virtual private network services around, has released a new free browser extension after previously reserving it as a paid perk. It works across all Chromium-based browsers, including Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, as well as Mozilla Firefox. "The Proton VPN browser extension will make it easier than ever before for anyone to enjoy a secure and private internet and to bypass censorship no matter where they are, for free," said David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN. The extension helps circumvent a common tactic used by authoritarian regimes looking to limit internet freedom. Countries such as China, Russia, and Iran have been known to ban VPN apps from official app stores, making it difficult for citizens to download and use these tools. However, with a browser extension that works across all major browsers, Proton VPN now provides an alternative distribution method, allowing users an easy way to bypass internet censors and banned websites and services. There is one big limitation on the free tier compared to the paid version, though. Free users can't manually select server locations, instead being automatically connected to the closest available region. This makes the free extension less than ideal for tasks like streaming region-locked content. But then again, a location selection feature would be asking for too much from a free service. Still, there's a major perk to compensate for this omission: Proton VPN doesn't seem to enforce any data caps on free users, so you can set it to automatically secure your browser traffic on launch without worrying about hitting a limit. Proton also recently introduced a new discounted 'Duo' option with all the benefits of Proton Unlimited that could appeal to couples or households with two users. It includes full access to all of Proton's goodies like Proton Mail, Drive, Calendar, Pass, and more for $120 per year a $60 annual savings. For more details and the download links for the extension, head over to the blog post. Alternatively, you can also check out their desktop app for a more integrated experience. In brief: A massive impact is the most commonly accepted theory on what caused the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Scientists continue to uncover more evidence supporting the hypothesis despite the emergence of other theories. Recent findings have led researchers to speculate on the impactor's composition and origins. A recently published study has shed more light on the cataclysm that ended the dinosaur era. Data from the research can also help scientists learn more about other objects that collide with the Earth and where they come from. Measurements of ruthenium isotopes in sediment from the time of the extinction suggest that the planet was hit by an asteroid mostly made of carbon. Furthermore, the asteroid likely formed beyond Jupiter's orbit, in the solar system's outer regions. These findings likely debunk an alternative theory that emerged three years ago speculating that a shard of a comet, primarily composed of ice, was behind the impact. The accompanying paper proposed that Jupiter's gravity tugged a comet out of the Oort cloud a sparse region of small objects at the solar system's outer edge which the sun ripped to pieces, hurling one toward Earth. The new study reasserts the asteroid theory, but the researchers didn't stop there. They also analyzed material from several other impacts occurring at various points in the Earth's geologic history, some from the earliest parts over three billion years ago. Readings from the oldest asteroids, which landed when the Earth was still forming, indicate a similar composition and origin to the dinosaur-killing rock. However, the younger asteroids are silicaceous, and probably formed in the inner solar system, closer to the Earth and the sun. Scientists Walter and Luis Alvarez proposed the impact theory in the early 1980s, eventually linking it to a 112-mile-wide crater near Chicxulub in southern Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Soil layers from across the earth exhibiting abrupt appearances of exotic elements also indicate a record of a sudden cataclysmic event marking the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene eras. Researchers believe the asteroid was around six miles wide and sparked global dust storms that blocked the sun for months or years, killing green plants worldwide. The impact caused the extinction of over 70 percent of life on Earth, including all dinosaurs except the ones that evolved into modern birds. Facepalm: Millions of Android phones, mainly Pixels, have been shipped with a hidden app that could allow hackers to take remote control or spy on users. Owners of Pixel phones from 2017 and later should watch for an upcoming security update from Google. Cybersecurity researchers at iVerify discovered a secret app called "Showcase.apk" that has a vulnerability that could give hackers a backdoor into the phone. Ironically, they found the faulty app after the company's endpoint detection and response scanner flagged an Android phone at Palantir Technologies, a data analysis firm providing services to intelligence agencies. Palantir was so alarmed that leadership decided to stop issuing Android phones to employees until Google sorted out the issue. Showcase.apk is not an app typical users would know about. It lies buried in the firmware of some Android instances, including Pixel builds going back to September 2017. Smith Micro, a company that provides remote access tools and parental controls, created the app to help sales representatives demonstrate phone features at stores like Verizon. While Smith Micro designed the app with good intentions, it happens to contain a vulnerability that can be remotely activated and exploited. The root cause of the problem is that the app tries to connect over an insecure HTTP connection rather than HTTPS, opening the door for man-in-the-middle attacks where hackers can intercept the traffic. Worse yet, users can't uninstall the app because it's a part of the firmware image. "Why Google installs a third-party application on every Pixel device when only a very small number of devices would need the Showcase.apk is unknown," notes iVerify. The security company says it notified Google about this vulnerability in May, but the tech giant was dragging its feet on delivering a fix. On Wednesday, Google finally told The Washington Post that they'll remove the sketchy app from Pixel phones with a software update. They also say they'll notify partners who bundle it on other Android devices. While Google told The Verge that there's no evidence that hackers ever abused the vulnerability in the wild, the implications are still pretty scary. However, since Google is issuing a patch soon, users should keep their phones updated. It isn't clear if the freshly launched Pixel 9 series still ships with this app, but considering Google is aware of the problem, it may have addressed the situation before release. In a move to enhance user experience and data portability, Apple and Google have collaborated to create a streamlined process for transferring photos from Google Photos to iCloud Photos. This new tool simplifies the migration of your cherished memories between these popular cloud storage platforms. The Evolution of Photo Transfers Between Google and Apple Previously, Google had launched a tool in 2021 that allowed users to transfer their Google Photos to iCloud. However, the latest tools from Google represent a deeper collaboration between the two tech giants, aiming to simplify the transfer process. Not only can users transfer photos, but they can also move videos across these platforms. Restrictions to Keep in Mind While this new tool offers significant convenience, there are some limitations to consider, according to Apple Insider. The transfer process does not work for managed Apple Accounts or if Advanced Data Protection is enabled on your iCloud account. Additionally, ensure that your iCloud Drive has sufficient storage space to accommodate the transferred photos. Preparing for the Transfer: Requirements and Setup To successfully transfer photos from Google Photos to iCloud, follow these steps: Enable iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive: Before initiating the transfer, ensure that both iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive are activated on your Apple device. This can be done in the Settings app. Check iCloud Storage: Confirm that your iCloud Drive has enough available space to store the incoming photos and videos. Insufficient storage could disrupt the transfer process. Expect a Delay: Depending on the file sizes and the number of photos being transferred, the process can take anywhere from a few hours to several days. Patience is essential during this period. Step-by-Step Guide to Transfer Photos Here's how to start the photo transfer from Google Photos to iCloud: Access Google Photos Takeout: Begin by going to the Google Photos Takeout transfer page. Initiate the Transfer: Click on "Continue" and follow the on-screen instructions. Select iCloud as the Destination: Choose "Apple - iCloud Photos" as the transfer destination. Sign In to Your Apple Account: If you haven't already, sign in to your Apple Account to authorize the transfer. Authorize Sharing: Click or tap "Allow" to grant the necessary permissions. Once these steps are completed, the transfer will begin automatically in the background. There's no need to download the photos manually before transferring them to iCloud. Additional Resources for Smooth Transfers Both Apple and Google have provided detailed instructions to guide users through the transfer process. Apple's support document, HT213483, offers comprehensive instructions, including how to transfer photos in the reverse direction-from iCloud to another service. The Future of Cloud Interoperability The Data Transfer Initiative (DTI) represents a significant step toward improving the interoperability of Big Tech cloud services. The ability to transfer photos between Google Photos and iCloud is a major convenience, making it easier for users to manage their digital memories across platforms. We can expect even more seamless and automated sharing between major cloud services as DTI evolves. In the long run, it will address a longstanding challenge for users who rely on multiple platforms to store and manage their data. In healthcare finance, one leader stands out for his advanced strategy of using technology to drive efficiency and cost savings. Sanket Soni, a skilled ETL developer at the District of Columbia Healthcare Finance, is transforming how healthcare systems manage their financial operations. "The healthcare industry is at a turning point," says Soni. "Healthcare providers are under a lot of pressure to manage their finances more effectively, and insurance companies are trying hard to cut costs. Our AI-powered solutions are making it easier for providers and payers to work together and speed up the move to value-based care." Centralized Data Warehouse: A Game-Changer One of Soni's most notable achievements is the development of a centralized data warehouse that consolidates all claims information into a single, accessible platform. This technology has significantly improved the speed and accuracy of reporting, enabling quicker decision-making and more efficient resource allocation. "By centralizing data, we got rid of the separate data pockets that often cause issues in healthcare finance," explains Soni. "Now, with all the data in one place, it's much easier to access and analyze information quickly and accurately." The impact of this centralized data warehouse has been substantial, improving reporting speed by an impressive 82%. This enhancement has streamlined financial operations and provided a strong framework for data-driven decision-making. Automation Drives Efficiency and Cost Savings Soni's implementation of automation tools, such as Power BI and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), has been another game-changer in healthcare finance. Soni has drastically reduced the time and resources required to manage claims by automating claims processing, leading to significant cost savings. The automation of claims processing has decreased processing time by 77%, improving efficiency and reducing labor costs. This has allowed the department to handle a higher volume of claims without proportional increases in staffing costs. Industry Trends: Technology Adoption and Rising Costs In 2024, technology remains a top priority for healthcare providers, with nearly 90% of health system executives reporting that digital and AI transformation is a high or top priority for their organizations. Most providers project their digital and IT budgets to grow, with nearly half citing moderate to significant increases. Key areas of investment include cybersecurity infrastructure, electronic health record modernization, digital care, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. However, the industry continues to face significant challenges, particularly in terms of rising costs. Healthcare costs are expected to climb by 7% in 2024, driven by factors such as renegotiated payer and provider contracts and the soaring price of pharmaceutical drugs. Labor expenses also remain a concern, with workforce challenges dampening hospital financial performance. In this context, advancements like those led by Soni are more important than ever. Healthcare organizations can navigate these challenges and position themselves for long-term success by leveraging technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the patient experience. Transforming Healthcare: The Roadblocks Ahead While Soni's advancements have garnered widespread praise, some critics argue that implementing such technologies can be challenging. "Adopting new technologies is not a simple process," says a healthcare finance expert. "It requires significant investment, staff training, and a willingness to change established processes. Not all healthcare organizations are ready for such a transformation." Despite these challenges, Soni remains optimistic about the future of healthcare finance. "We are at a pivotal moment in the industry," he reflects. "By embracing technology and innovation, we can reduce costs and improve patient outcomes. It's a challenging journey, but necessary for the long-term sustainability of healthcare." Paving the Way: The Future of Healthcare Finance As the healthcare finance industry confronts rising costs and technological advancements, leaders like Soni lead the charge toward a more efficient and sustainable future. Through his work in data centralization and automation, Soni has demonstrated the power of technology in reducing costs and improving financial operations. While challenges remain, the industry's increasing focus on technology adoption and the success of leaders like Soni provides a glimmer of hope for a more financially stable and patient-centric healthcare system. As Soni himself notes, "The path forward is clear. It's up to us to embrace the change and shape a better future for healthcare finance." A few months ago, President Joe Biden signed a significant bill that puts TikTok, the widely popular social media platform, in the crosshairs of U.S. national security concerns. The bill mandates that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, must sell the platform to a U.S.-based entity by January 2025 or face a potential ban in the United States. This controversy is not only the problem that the video-sharing platform is facing right now. It's even accused as a spy, suggesting that it has ties with China. TikTok Challenges U.S. Government's Claims Recently, TikTok escalated the situation by contesting the bill in a federal appeals court. The social media giant argues that the U.S. Department of Justice has misrepresented its connections to China, leading to what TikTok believes are unfounded concerns about national security. According to Reuters, the company has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the law, asserting that the Justice Department's claims are based on factual inaccuracies. The Justice Department has previously stated that TikTok poses a national security threat, alleging that the app enables the Chinese government to collect data on American users and potentially influence their content consumption. However, TikTok counters this by clarifying that its user data for U.S. users is stored on Oracle-operated cloud servers within the United States, and content moderation decisions are made domestically, without interference from China. The Legal Battle Over TikTok's Future in the U.S. While TikTok's arguments may seem compelling to some, the ultimate decision lies with the courts. The law signed by Biden on April 24 is clear in its intention: to remove Chinese ownership of TikTok due to perceived national security risks. However, it's important to note that the White House's goal is not to ban TikTok entirely but to ensure it is no longer controlled by a Chinese-based entity. The legal challenge is set to be heard on September 16, with the matter gaining even more attention as it approaches the November 5 presidential election. This has turned TikTok into a political hot potato, with differing opinions across the political spectrum. Former President Donald Trump, who is running as a Republican candidate, has publicly opposed a TikTok ban, while Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris has actively engaged with the platform as part of her campaign. Free Speech and Constitutional Rights TikTok's lawsuit also raises important questions about free speech. The company argues that the law infringes on its First Amendment rights by claiming that its content curation is considered "the speech of a foreigner" and, therefore, not protected under the U.S. Constitution. TikTok likens this argument to suggesting that a U.S. newspaper republishing foreign content would lose its constitutional protection-a point the company strongly disputes, according to Phone Arena. Implications for App Stores and Internet Hosting The law also places restrictions on major app stores like Apple and Google, prohibiting them from offering TikTok if it remains under ByteDance's ownership. Furthermore, internet hosting services are restricted from supporting the app under the same conditions. These legislative measures come in response to growing concerns among U.S. lawmakers about potential data access and espionage risks associated with TikTok. The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain as the ban nears. Whether ByteDance will sell the platform or face a ban by 2025 will depend on the outcomes of both the legal challenge and the political climate leading up to the elections. Battle royal video game Fortnite is making a highly anticipated return to iPhones, but this time exclusively for users in the European Union, after a four-year hiatus. This revival comes as part of the broader launch of the Epic Games Store for iPhone, which has officially gone live in the EU. The Impact of the EU's Digital Markets Act on Fortnite's Return Fortnite's reappearance on iOS is a direct result of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a new regulation that has compelled Apple to allow third-party app marketplaces on its platform. Thanks to this legislation, users in the EU can now download the Epic Games Store directly from Epic's website on their iPhones, marking a significant shift in the mobile app ecosystem. The availability of Fortnite is undoubtedly the most important aspect of the Epic Games Store's launch. The popular battle royale game was originally removed from the App Store in 2020 due to a high-profile legal dispute between Epic Games and Apple over in-app purchase systems. Before its removal, Fortnite on iOS had generated over $700 million in revenue over two years, with Apple taking a substantial share of more than $100 million through its 30% commission on in-app purchases. Limited Game Catalog at Launch with Plans for Expansion While Fortnite headlines the launch, the current game catalog in the iOS version of the Epic Games Store is relatively limited. At present, it features only a few of Epic's own titles, including Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe, according to MacRumors. However, Epic Games has expressed its intentions to expand the library significantly over time and is already in discussions with third-party mobile developers to bring more content to the platform. Navigating Apple's New Fee Structure As Epic moves forward with the relaunch of Fortnite and its other titles on iOS, it faces the challenge of navigating Apple's newly implemented fee structure. This includes a "Core Technology Fee" of 0.50 per install per year after the first million installs, which applies to both the Epic Games Store and the individual games within it. For popular titles like Fortnite, this could effectively double the cost, raising questions about the long-term financial impact on developers and the viability of the store under these conditions. The European Commission is currently investigating whether Apple's new fee structure aligns with the Digital Markets Act's requirements. Availability and Future Expansion Plans As of now, the Epic Games Store is only accessible on iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later. iPad users, however, will need to wait until the release of iPadOS 18 to gain access to the store on their devices. Epic has ambitious plans to expand the availability of its store to other regions where regulations permit, with Japan targeted for a 2025 launch. The company aims to achieve 100 million mobile downloads of its store by the end of the year, driven by combined game installs across both iOS and Android platforms. The return of Fortnite to iPhones in the EU marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle between Epic Games and Apple. Enabled by the EU's Digital Markets Act, this comeback not only reintroduces one of the world's most popular games to iOS users but also challenges the status quo of app distribution on Apple devices. Before this, Apple rejected Epic Games' request to launch the third-party app store in Europe for iOS twice. Later on, the iPhone maker approved this operation. 6.1-magnitude earthquake shakes Taiwan Taipei, Aug 16 (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Taiwan's east coast Friday morning, the United States Geological Survey said, with the island's government confirming there were no reports of major damage. The tremor, which could be felt in the capital Taipei, hit at 7:35 am (2335 GMT) at a depth of 15 kilometres (about nine miles) near Hualien, epicentre of a major quake in April, according to the USGS. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration, which initially reported a 6.3-magnitude quake, issued a mobile phone alert warning people to "keep calm and seek cover nearby". In Hualien, two people trapped in elevators during the quake were rescued, according to the local fire bureau. But the National Fire Agency said there was no major damage and that the island's high-speed trains, rail and metro systems were all operating normally. Still, the government urged vigilance in the wake of a 5.4-magnitude quake that triggered an alert on Thursday. "In response to the continuous earthquakes, the Ministry of the Interior called on the public to remain vigilant, pay attention to the occurrence of aftershocks, and be prepared for earthquakes," it said in a statement. Taiwan experiences frequent earthquakes due to its location between two tectonic plates. The last major one occurred in early April when the island was hit by a deadly 7.4-magnitude tremor that officials said was the strongest in 25 years. At least 17 people were killed in that quake, which triggered landslides and severely damaged buildings around Hualien. April's earthquake was the most serious in Taiwan since it was struck by a 7.6-magnitude tremor in 1999. Some 2,400 people died in that quake, making it the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history. Seoul residents sweating with record 'tropical nights' weather Seoul, Aug 16 (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 Residents of South Korea's capital are resorting to novel ways to beat the heat as a century-old weather record fell Friday following a 26th "tropical night" in a row -- when the temperature stays above 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit). "I take a cold shower before bed and tie freezer packs around my electric fan to cool the air," Lee Ji-soo told AFP Friday. Overnight temperatures in Seoul have sizzled above 25 degrees Celsius for 26 days in a row, officials said Friday, marking the longest streak since modern weather observation began in 1907. Such evenings are widely known as "tropical nights" in South Korea. Much of the world is enduring a summer of sweltering weather, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning last month of an "extreme heat epidemic", and calling for action to limit the impact of climate change. The intense heat in Seoul is expected to continue, according to the met office, setting a record every day until next week. "The cold air is not coming down from the north," Youn Ki-han, director at Seoul's Meteorology Forecast Division, told AFP. "Usually around this time the temperature drops in the morning and evening... but currently we aren't seeing any signs of that yet," said Youn. As temperatures soar, residents struggle to find ways to cope with the sweltering nights. "I think I turn on my air conditioner 23 hours a day," said Kim Young-sook, who lives in Gangnam district, an affluent neighbourhood in Seoul. "I'm worried my dogs will become too hot -- even during at night." That isn't an option for Lee Ji-soo, who straps icepacks to her fan. "I do have an air conditioner but I just can't afford the electricity bill," she said. "The air is suffocating sometimes. I don't know how long I can live like this." - Power hungry - Data from Korea Power Exchange showed South Korea's electricity demand hit an all-time high on Monday as people battled the heatwave with air conditioners and fans. Some 102.3 gigawatts were used, passing the previous record of 100.6 gigawatts set last August, the agency said. According to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the number of days with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius in the world's largest capital cities has surged by 52 percent over the past 30 years. In 2018 alone, Seoul experienced 21 days with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius -- more than the previous 10 years combined. "In just one generation, there's been an alarming increase," said Dr Tucker Landesman, a senior researcher at IIED. Climate activists in South Korea are calling for more government action. "There's no chance that this will get better and it's bound to get worse," Youn Se-jong, an environmental lawyer, told AFP. "Strengthening the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be the priority," he added. South Korea currently has the lowest proportion of renewable energy in its power mix among all OECD countries and is the G20's second-highest carbon emitter from coal per capita, according to energy think tank Ember. North Korea is also sweltering under a heatwave and issued a warning earlier this week, with central areas including Pyongyang affected. "Severe heat of 33 to 37 (degrees Celsius) is foreseen in some areas," said Kim Kwang Hyok, an official at the State Hydro-Meteorological Administration. Uganda garbage landslide death toll rises to 34 Kampala, Aug 16 (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 Four more bodies have been recovered from the site of a massive garbage landslide in the Ugandan capital Kampala, bringing the death toll to 34, police said Friday. The collapse at the landfill in the northern district of Kiteezi at the weekend buried people, homes and livestock in mountains of fetid waste. An MP for the area has warned that the number of those missing could still rise. "With the recovery of four bodies on Thursday, the death toll has reached 34," Kampala Metropolitan police spokesman Patrick Onyango told AFP. The recovery of victims was continuing, he said, despite part of the landfill site flooding, preventing the use of excavators. He added that one of the bodies discovered on Thursday was a man who had been missing since 2022 called Abdul Nasir. With the discovery of the bodies, the total number of those missing has decreased to 35, from an earlier official toll of 39. However, shadow foreign affairs minister Muwada Nkunyingi, who is also the area's representative in parliament, said: "There are more people missing compared to what police are reporting." "From what the community members are saying, the dead could reach even 100 because since the tragedy we see people turning up looking for their loved ones, family members," he told AFP. Excavators have been churning through the huge rubbish mounds, often during torrential downpours. Kampala city mayor Erias Lukwago described the incident as a "national disaster". He had previously warned about the risks of overflowing waste from the site, which was established in 1996 and takes in almost all garbage collected across Kampala. Several areas in Uganda and other parts of East Africa have been battered by heavy rains recently. Nepal flood waters smash through village Kathmandu, Aug 16 (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 A devastating flood of freezing water smashed through a village Friday in Nepal's Everest region, local government and army officials said, with experts suspecting a glacial lake outburst. No deaths were reported but the scale of the brown and muddy flood waters surging through the village of Thame were shocking, videos posted on social media by the local authorities showed. Thame, a Sherpa village at an altitude of around 3,800 meters (12,470 feet), was home to Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the first person to climb the world's highest mountain Everest along with New Zealander Edmund Hillary. The small village has since been home to record-making mountaineers, including Kami Rita Sherpa, who climbed Everest for a record 30th time this year. "No death has been reported but about 15 houses have been swept away," Nepal army spokesman Gaurav Kumar KC told AFP. Rescue teams were at the site helping people to safety, he added. Scientists warn that as climate change causes Himalayan glaciers to melt at an alarming rate, communities can be further exposed to unpredictable and costly disasters. "There are indications that this incident is a glacial lake outburst flood, but we are investigating to confirm," Arun Bhakta Shrestha, climate change specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said. Hundreds of glacial lakes formed from glacial melt have appeared out of nowhere in the Himalayas in recent decades and 2,070 were documented in Nepal in a 2020 study by the ICIMOD. Local government official Jagat Prasad Bhusal said that people in villages downstream had been alerted to move to a safe area. "We have not received news of any deaths so far," Bhusal said. "There were not many people in Thame as it is not a tourist season. Unlike normal lakes, glacier lakes are unstable because they are often dammed by ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris. When accumulating water bursts through these accidental barriers, known as glacial lake outbursts flood, massive flooding can occur downstream. In October 2023, more than 70 people were killed in India's northeast after a high-altitude glacial lake suddenly burst. Torrential storms lashing South Asia meanwhile have killed hundreds of people since June, with over 170 people dead in Nepal due to flooding, landslides and lightning. Attempts across Africa to manage the proliferation of SIM cards are continuing. This time its Tunisias turn. The Tunisian Ministry of Communication Technologies and the countrys National Telecommunications Authority (INT) have asked telecom operators to deactivate unidentified SIM cards or those with incomplete identification. The service will be activated only after the line is associated with a valid ID. Other measures planned include updating the registers by correcting errors and completing missing data, and requiring operators to identify the subscriber and verify the correspondence with an official identity document. There are also plans to prohibit the anarchic sale of SIM cards in the streets and public markets. An additional aim is for each user to be allowed to verify the numbers associated with their identity with all telephone operators. As with a lot of similar initiatives in recent years, the context is the growth of cybercrime and financial fraud driven, in turn, by the rapid growth of mobile and internet services, as well as the increased use of digital services. According to the Ecofin news agency, Tunisia has an estimated 16 million mobile phone subscribers a penetration rate well in excess of the actual population recently estimated at roughly 12.3 million. The number of mobile Internet users is 10 million. Not surprisingly, it is felt that these figures may have been inflated by ownership of different SIM cards and regular changing of mobile phone numbers. It is not clear what the deadline is for operators to complete this work. Of course other (albeit more populous) countries like Nigeria that have tried SIM registration have found it a much more laborious process than expected. Early last week, the National Association of Black Journalists announced it would host former president Donald Trump for a question-and-answer session at its national convention at the Hilton Chicago. Within seconds, a firestorm of negative comments and emotions erupted, continuing into the night, the next day and long after the midweek visit had ended. Developer-publisher Morry Schwartz has made his move back into the property market, striking a $16 million bargain for a B-grade office building in Melbournes CBD. The12-storey building 99 Queen Street fetched $30 million in 2023 amid some fanfare about the improving CBD property market but the deal collapsed. Records show Chinese investor Ming Jiang has removed the caveat on the former Bank of Singapore House, but legal action in understood to be brewing over the aborted purchase. Schwartz told Capital Gain 12 months ago he was keen to get back into property, but the prices were still too high. Well, theyre not any more. Not because Higgins and Chambers are not intrinsically worthy: for it already is clear that not only are they major figures right now, but by the end of their careers they will have amassed awards, laudatory reviews, endless memories and the kind of widespread public affection that money cant buy. On Thursday, they announced that Missy Higgins will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, 20 years after the release of her first album. And thats ridiculous. Just as it was when they inducted Kasey Chambers (19 years into her career) in 2018 and Jet (20 years in) last year. It was shameful when you couldnt be arsed organising new entrants into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame for a couple of years, but youre developing a habit of comical misjudgment now. No, it is ridiculous because they are maybe midway through that career, still building those legacies. In the scheme of things, 20 years is a start. A solid start, better than most will ever get, but not anywhere near completed. Higgins, who is 40, has herself said: I feel very much at the beginning of my career. ARIAs argument is that rather than wait to the end or near the end of someones career/life, why not celebrate them as they are making the music. Which is sweet, but ridiculous, and suggests the people over at the music association dont understand how this whole awards thing works. Loading Want to celebrate an artist as they are making the music? Thats what your regular ARIA award is for. You can recognise their current work as it happens, in real time, on a big night, with cameras. I know, right, what a concept! They make a great album, give them album of the year; theyre the best example of hard rock or hip hop or pop, heres an ARIA trophy; they use an Australian song in an ad, give them wait. No, best use of an Australian recording in an advertisement is a stupid award, you know it and we know it. Stop it, youre embarrassing yourselves. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Cant afford to splurge on an expensive bottle? Buy a glass instead at this CBD newcomer run by a former Ten Minutes by Tractor sommelier who wants to make the wonders of the wine world more accessible. As featured in the September 2024 hit list. See all stories . Punch Lane newcomer Circl, which opens on Friday after a lengthy delay, is a place for curious wine-drinkers to broaden their horizons. The wine list, with 150 by-the-glass options, is novel-thick, and theres a gorgeous glass-wrapped cellar with 4000-plus bottles, says head sommelier and manager Xavier Vigier, formerly of Mornington Peninsula winery Ten Minutes by Tractor. Circls head sommelier and manager Xavier Vigier. Arianna Harry With people drinking less, but better, Vigier says, Circl is out to help democratise wine. Glasses range from $17 to $220, all poured via Coravin. Patrons can opt for reduced pours of rarer wines (such as the Wittmann Brunnenhauschen riesling), and on Tuesdays, a bottle of something almost impossible to get will be opened after its announced on Instagram. Traversing the worlds heavy-hitting wine regions, the list takes an ultra-deep dive into champagne and its emerging growers, says Vigier. Thirty pages are dedicated to burgundy. Former soapie star Orpheus Pledger has been sentenced to seven months in jail after a magistrate found he showed little remorse for violently attacking a woman. But the former Home and Away actor was granted bail and released on Friday afternoon to appeal his sentence. Orpheus Pledger in a car after leaving court on bail last month. Credit: Eddie Jim Pledger stomped on a womans head in a spate of violent attacks earlier this year in Melbournes northern suburbs and absconded from a hospital, leading police on a three-day manhunt. Best known for his role as Mason Morgan in the TV soap Home and Away, the 31-year-old argued he had turned to drugs after his life spiralled out of control when he was dropped from a US television series. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the August 17 edition of Good Weekend. See all 11 stories . From Irish lit to insights on AI, politics and media: some of the best new books around. FICTION In Irish writer Colm Toibins Long Island a sequel to his bestselling Brooklyn the main character, Irish-born Eilis Lacey, flees her Long Island home upon learning that her American husband has impregnated another woman. Returning after 20 years to her hometown in Ireland with her teenage children, she reconnects with those she left behind. A haunting, beautifully written novel about regret and longing, love and betrayal and whether it is possible to recapture the past. The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry, also Irish, set in a mining town in Montana in 1891, is the story of an illfated love affair between two damaged people heavy-drinking Irishman Tom, a poet, and Polly, married to the local mine captain. The two take off on horseback and have an idyllic time until Pollys husband sends bounty hunters to catch them. Barrys writing is compelling short, sharp sentences punctuated by poetic descriptions of the landscape, and the dialogue between Tom and Polly is laced with humour and deep feeling. A suspense-filled cross between a western and a love story. Loading American writer Percival Everetts James is a subversive rewrite of Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn, this time told through the eyes of Jim, the slave, and set in 1861 on the eve of the Civil War. As in the original, Jim and Huck head down the Mississippi River on a raft after Jim has run away to avoid being sold and Huck has faked his own death to escape his brutal father. In this version, Jim is an intelligent, educated man who speaks perfect English other than in the presence of white people, when he puts on the voice of a slave. A searing commentary on the cruelty and absurdity of slavery, told with bitter humour and irony. Advertisement Australian crime writer Michael Robothams latest thriller, Storm Child, is the fourth in his series on forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven and his friend, former refugee Evie Cormac. In this one, a ship of migrants on their way to England has gone down at sea, leaving a sole survivor, an Albanian teenager. Haven is investigating allegations that the ship was deliberately rammed by another boat. Told from the alternating perspectives of Haven and Cormac, both psychologically complex characters with dark backstories, this is a fast-paced thriller that lifts the lid on the murky world of people-smuggling. NON-FICTION In The Forever War, former BBC foreign correspondent (and regular Good Weekend contributor) Nick Bryant explodes the popular myth that Donald Trump is an aberration in US politics. Drawing on his deep knowledge of American history (he has a doctorate in it), Bryant argues persuasively that, on the contrary, the emergence of Trump was historically inescapable. Going back to the Declaration of Independence, Bryant illustrates how America is anything but democratic, giving examples of political violence to rival the January 6 attacks on the Capitol and of previous demagogic and authoritarian leaders. Not a comfort read, but an engrossing one that will leave you better informed about Americas political history. In his memoir Running with Pirates, Icelandic-born Queenslander Kari Gislason tells the story of how, at age 18, he found himself in a small town in Corfu working for a man called the Pirate, who owned the local taverna. In 2022, Gislason returned with his wife and teenage sons. As they retrace his earlier journey he reflects on fatherhood, including his sense of impending loss as his sons prepare to leave home and his joy at the adventures that lie ahead for them. A powerful meditation on reconnecting with our younger selves and a fathers love for his sons. AI Needs You, by British AI expert Verity Harding, contends that, far from being something to be feared, AI could be a force for good as long as humans actively guide its development. Drawing on three historical analogies the 1960s space race, IVF and the internet Harding argues that despite the risks, given strong political leadership, global collaboration and a willingness to listen to and address public concerns, AI has many potential benefits, including the capacity to help combat climate change. Fascinating and uplifting. Advertisement Blue NAP Americas, which provides businesses with data centre services, and Zella DC, an Australian company that manufactures micro data centres, have entered into a strategic partnership that initiates a reseller programme, enabling Blue NAP Americas to offer Zella DC's hybrid data centre solutions throughout the Caribbean. Zella DC describes itself as a global leader in edge-ready and containerised micro data centres. The company offers state-of-the-art indoor, outdoor, and containerised solutions engineered to overcome the unique challenges of storing and using ICT equipment at the edge. Blue NAP Americas says it is the pan-Caribbean region's most advanced multi-tenant Tier-IV certified data centre. In addition to serving this region as a key network access point (NAP), the company offers a comprehensive portfolio of data centre solutions, including colocation, private cloud services, business continuity, and managed services. As part of the strategic partnership, Blue NAP Americas says it will integrate Zella DC's custom-built micro and containerised data centres into its portfolio, providing a comprehensive range of data centre services. Blue NAP says it can now extend its capabilities to every country in the region, regardless of their size or specific needs. The partnership aims to leverage shared resources, financial and professional expertise, and extensive industry knowledge, positioning both companies to offer a competitive advantage with a one-stop solution for data centres. Giovanni King, CEO at Blue NAP Americas, explains: "We recognise a growing need for advanced data centre solutions in the Caribbean. Zella DC's innovative micro and containerised data centres provide the flexibility and efficiency that many businesses in the region require so that we can meet this demand. A Sydney high school teacher has been rearrested and charged with having sex with a second teenage student under her care. Tayla Lee Brailey appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Friday after being arrested on new charges of having sexual intercourse with a person under 17 in her care, sexually touching a person under special care, and inciting a person under her care to sexually touch her. She was arrested at a Mangerton home just after 7am Friday. Sydney high school teacher Tayla Lee Brailey is facing new child abuse charges. Credit: Nikki Short / Supplied The 30-year-old has also been charged with using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material, using a carriage service to access child abuse material and possessing or controlling child abuse material. In court documents, police allege Brailey sent the teen explicit videos of herself and performed a sex act on him in a classroom before propositioning him for sex. Splinters fly in all directions as steel hits wood and eight axemen launch into a frenetic burst of chopping. About 30 seconds later its all over. That wasnt a great chop, 19-year-old Jack Stratton tells Brisbane Times as he walks off, axe in hand and dripping with sweat. Jack Stratton says competitive woodchoppers try to stay fit, despite how some of us look. Credit: William Davis Its just fun theres not many sports where you can just bash something as hard as you possibly can. It is not difficult to see why Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece has cut contracts with hire e-scooters in the city. The safety concerns are undeniable. Intoxicated or risk-taking riders have driven a surge of hospital emergency admissions, with Royal Melbourne reporting that 250 injured e-scooter riders were hospitalised in 2022, costing the hospital $1.9 million in that year. Facial fractures, along with upper limb and brain injuries, were among the most common cases. Up to a third of riders involved were not wearing a helmet. Drunkenness and speeding were other major risk factors. One e-scooter rider who was not wearing a helmet died in Victoria in late 2022. The risks posed to pedestrians are obvious, with many e-scooter riders careening on footpaths at unsafe speeds, posing serious risks to those who are elderly or have a disability, especially people who are vision impaired. Response to THE CASE FOR CLIMATE ACTION A Plan from a "select committee of Senate Democrats" - Isn't that an oxymoron? By Marc J. Rauch Author of THE ETHANOL PAPERS Exec. Vice President/Co-Publisher THE AUTO CHANNEL On August 25, 2020, a group calling itself Senate Democrats' Special Committee on Climate Crisis issued a report titled "THE CASE FOR CLIMATE ACTION - Building A Way To A Clean Economy For The American People." The plan is a subterfuge to keep the status quo while attempting to make it look as if the Democrats (or any single political party) has a legitimate understanding of the issues as well as a solution to real and imagined problems. This fantasy proposal relies on assumptions that are either untrue, will never become true, or that don't take into account the detrimental impact that such a plan will have on the economy. Firstly, the plan supposes that catastrophic man-made climate change is real. In actuality, there is no proof that the climate is changing in any un-natural existential manner. There is no proof that any daily, weekly, monthly, or annual shifts are catastrophic beyond the level of catastrophe caused by any extreme commonplace storm or condition that Earth hasn't already experienced countless times over millions of years. The information that is touted by climate alarmists today is no different than the baseless predictions made by alarmists numerous times over the past century, and indeed over all recorded history. There is merely conjecture based upon the presumption (or misguided hope by nihilist misanthropes) that human development must result in deadly consequences. Moreover, there is no proof (regardless of if and why the climate is changing) that humans can stop the change and mitigate any effects caused by such change. Again, there is merely conjecture (and maybe some misguided hope) that increased use of solar cells, wind turbines and electric vehicles can bring about desired mitigation. While I like and believe that solar power and wind turbines can play a part in providing energy, they can only do so as supplemental energy sources and not primary ones. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a natural, life giving gas. Making CO2 into a villain is an absurdity. Without it life on Earth would not be possible, just as life without oxygen (O) would be impossible. One of the largest contributors to the production of CO2 is from the normal breathing process of all living creatures. Humans will never be able to eliminate breathing, nor will we be able to eliminate wild fires, volcanic activity, and animal flatulence - creating 'natural' pollutants that will always present challenges. The production of electric vehicles and the production of the electricity needed to operate them brings about an entire set of conditions that exacerbate, not alleviate, the problems caused by abiotic fuels (petroleum oil and coal fuels). On top of this, the actual state of technology is such that reliance upon electric vehicles is much too premature. It is likely that total conversion to electric vehicles will take the better part of a century, if not more, to complete. Until that time the poisoning caused by petroleum oil fuels will continue. When the time finally comes that it can be claimed that 50% or more of all new vehicles sold are electric, it will still not be a time to celebrate because it means that a significant portions of new vehicles sold globally (tens of millions) will still be powered by internal combustion engines. And during this time, much of the existing vehicles in operation will still be powered by internal combustion engines using deadly gasoline and diesel fuel. The realities of pollution from the use of petroleum oil fuels are horrendous, without the fictional specter of Anthropogenic (human-originating) Global Warming. And the horrendous realities of this pollution should have already been enough to bring about the total elimination of these fuels. If, on the other hand, catastrophic man-made climate change is real, then immediate all-encompassing action must be taken to stop the continuation of abiotic fuel poisoning. Waiting 25 years or 50 years or 100 years is not an option. If the authors and supporters of the plan offered by "Senate Democrats' Special Committee on Climate Crisis" are serious (or seriously believe their own BS) then they must opt for an immediate solution to mitigate the affects. The only solution is to mandate world wide use of safe alcohol-based fuels. All internal combustion engines can and should be powered by such fuels, and the fuel shouldn't be a blend of gasoline and alcohol, it should be nearly-pure alcohol with a small amount of a cold-start additive. This can be accomplished virtually overnight with little or no cost. All new internal combustion engines should be built to optimize the use of alcohol fuels. This can be done with little or no increase to the cost to build engines. But the plan that's proposed by the "Select Committee" doesn't do this. Their plan relies on daydreams. Their plan doesn't even sincerely acknowledge the potential of ethanol/alcohol fuels, which is how I know that the authors and sponsors aren't serious and they don't know what they're talking about. Their plan ignorantly incorporates the current circumstances brought about by the Covid-19 virus and they've co-opted some of the terminology to make the plan seem oh-so-cool and timely. The Covid-19 virus is an irrelevant consideration: Respiratory illnesses and other health risks related to petroleum oil fuels, tetraethyl lead, and coal didn't suddenly appear with the invention of this virus; and the risks won't be removed when and if Covid-19 is eradicated. People living in crowded urban environments didn't suddenly become susceptible to dirty air, water, and ubiquitous germ-infested decomposing matter - it's a millennia old problem. Therefore, it's a waste of time and money to incorporate Covid-19 into this discussion, except if the "Select Committee" wants to obfuscate contemporary life in Democrat controlled large cities. Likewise, the plan's heightened concern for native and tribal communities is just a grandstanding pretentious extraneous consideration. It shows the short-sightedness of the plan's authors and sponsors, and it reveals the ridiculous lengths they will go to sell it. Either ALL PEOPLES' LIVES MATTER, or no lives matter. It's as if this plan originated with a strange pre-teen little girl from Scandinavia...and in many respects it probably did The Democrats and the Republicans, and any members of other political parties, should have stopped gasoline and petroleum diesel more than 100 years ago. The poison unleashed by the use of tetraethyl lead starting in the 1920's did not end with the banning of much of its use. The lead remains on the ground, in the air, and it gets into the bodies of every new person from the moment they are conceived. The specific effects of lead poisoning are damage to the respiratory system and to brain functions. What's more, leaded gasoline is still in use around the world. Even if the "Select Committee's" plan for "A Clean Economy For The American People" had some bite and beneficial effects, the U.S. is just one of almost 200 countries in the world. Some ethanol spokespeople have cheered the publication of this report as if it hails some breakthrough in the acceptance of ethanol fuel. It doesn't; it's a giant step backwards, subordinating ethanol to energy concepts that are (as I've stated above) third or fourth rate solutions. The entire narrative text of the "Select Committee" plan runs about 200 pages. By my count, the word "ethanol" is used only 6 times (if I missed one or two or five occasions I apologize on behalf of the word-find feature in my MS Word program). If the average page in this report contained only 300 words, that means there are 60,000 words in the report. So the word "ethanol" occupies only one hundredth of one percent (.001%) of the words in the report. By comparison, the word "electric" ("electricity") is used dozens and dozens of times (I stopped counting after 100). To paraphrase and update an old adage, this plan is thousands of days late and billions of dollars short in supporting the one viable solution (ethanol) to lowering pollution, health risks, energy dependency, and AGW climate change - if it truly exists. The only thing this plan will do to ethanol fuel is to keep putting it on the back burner. In the relative blink of an eye, we will be decades down the road from where we are now, still talking about the promise of electric cars and the elimination of petroleum oil fuels (and all their poison) while still allowing ignorant politicians and media talking heads to misrepresent the qualities and benefits of ethanol. The first step is to educate the public while banning the use of all petroleum oil fuels. All engine fuels should be produced from true non-crude oil/coal renewable sources. Solar and wind power will be part of the overall energy equation, as supplemental sources of energy. If future technology turns solar cells and wind turbines into super energy producers, great, we'll put them to greater use when that day comes. The following editorials and essays elaborate on the information and points I've presented in the above paragraphs: Debunking the Myth of Man-Made Global Warming What Coronavirus Teaches Us About Climate Change Climate Change Alarmism is No Friend to Ethanol Tough Times Require Tough Resolute Action PLANET OF THE HUMANS - A Film Review Ethanol is the SAVIOR of the Oil Industry, Convenience Store Industry, Automotive Supply Chain Industry and Much More! Electric Vehicles Solution or Diversion? This article has been changed to show that in 2012, the Idaho Supreme Court found that Idahos public defense system was problematic after years of litigation. Public defense in Idaho is going to operate differently for attorneys who represent individuals who cant afford their own counselor. Starting Oct. 1, public defense will be paid for and coordinated through the State Public Defender. In the current system, counties collect property taxes to fund public defenders within their borders; in the new system, the money for public defense comes from the general and dedicated funds from the state. The prosecutors offices will remain funded by the counties. The State Public Defender has $49 million for fiscal year 2025 that starts Oct. 1. If the State Public Defender runs out of money, it can ask the Idaho Legislature for supplemental funds. Even though this will be the first year of the State Public Defender, the office looked at the cost of public defense at the county level to determine what it will cost the state. The process has been ongoing for several years, said Patrick Orr, director of communications for the State Public Defender. Were going to learn a lot this year, Orr said. We used all that historical information to get that budget. Currently, the Nez Perce County Commission handles the contracts for attorneys in the county at a base rate. When the switch occurs, the state office will pay public defenders at an hourly rate of $100, or $150 for capital cases, like murder. If attorneys dont sign the new contracts they wont be able to represent indigent clients. Contracts will also be split from criminal and civil cases so attorneys can choose to represent one or both. Civil cases include child protection, guardianship, termination of parental rights and post-conviction relief, according to Joanna McFarland, public defender, who was hired to be the 2nd District Regional Public Defender. Contracts will also be with individual attorneys, not firms, according to the State Public Defender website. Instead of cases being assigned by a judge, the State Public Defender Office will assign attorneys. If there is a conflict of interest, the Alternate Counsel Division will assign attorneys to those cases, according to the State Public Defender website. Exactly how that will work is still being determined, Orr said. The goal is to have equal distribution of cases to public defenders and to create vertical representation where the same attorney represents the case from the day its assigned to the end. This way works better for that concept, Orr said. The change to the public defense system came out of a lawsuit, Tucker v. State of Idaho, which showed representation of indigent individuals, who are people who cant afford an attorney, was inadequate and the public defender system was overburdened and under-resourced. The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that all criminal defendants have a right to an attorney if they cant afford one. In 2012, the Idaho Supreme Court found that Idahos public defense system was problematic after years of litigation. Out of that, the state created the Public Defense Commission, which supervised contract attorneys and offices, made sure they were in compliance with licensing, monitoring caseloads and provided opportunities for training, skill development and continuing education that is required. Then the Idaho Legislature passed a bill to create the new State Public Defender office, which would ensure qualified defense attorneys, investigative staff and other resources were dedicated to public defense. From that bill, the Public Defense Commission was discontinued July 1 and the State Public Defender took over, although many of the employees of the commission now work for the state office, according to McFarland. This year a bill was passed in the legislature to include public defenders in child protection cases, which was omitted from the original bill in 2023. Idaho Gov. Brad Little appointed Eric Fredericksen as the State Public Defender to lead the new office. Fredericksen served as the State Appellate Public Defender in 2016 after being appointed by Gov. Butch Otter. A Missoula, Mont., man who went missing Sunday while riding his motorcycle in the Kooskia area remained unaccounted for Thursday, the Idaho County Sheriffs Office announced on Facebook. Zachary DeMoss, 24, got separated from his fellow riders while they traveled Sunday afternoon on U.S. Highway 12. He hasnt been seen since. Idaho County deputies started looking for DeMoss on Monday, and were helped by the Idaho County Sheriffs Posse and DeMoss family and friends, according to the sheriffs office. The search expanded Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Idaho State Police, Idaho County Sheriffs Office drone team, Idaho Fish and Game, Missoula Life Flight, family, friends and co-workers of DeMoss helping to scour the U.S. Highway 12 river corridor from milepost 75 through milepost 174 at Lolo Pass. Social media is going WILD with rumours that Tommy Fury got another gal pregnant, and loads of fans think it's the reason behind his split with Molly-Mae Hague. ICYMI - Yesterday, Molly-Mae revealed that she and Tommy had split, admitting she "never imagined [their] story would end, especially not this way." That comment immediately raised fans' suspicions, with many assuming that the two Love Island UK stars had split on bad terms and almost the whole internet questioning whether Tommy had been unfaithful. After doing some digging, like all good hard-core-fans-turned-FBI-rookies, people suspected influencer and Fury family friend Lissie Rhodes had become pregnant with Tommy's baby after his Dubai trip NINE MONTHS AGO! Remember Tommy's trip to Abu Dhabi, where he was seen partying with Chris Brown and a bunch of mystery girls? It turns out Lissie was spotted in the background of videos that went viral at the time. And she's just given birth!!! People caught wind of the news and rushed to the new mum's TikTok account to accuse her of carrying the boxer's child. Her comment section is flooded with comments including: "I hope Tommy isn't the dad. You'll never live that down." Now, she's defending herselfand rightly sosimply clarifying: "Tommy Fury is not my baby's dad." SOURCE: @lissierhodes on TikTok She also took to her Insta story to reshare a family photo that her father, Ryan, had posted, showing Lissie and her partner, Barry Awad, celebrating the birth of their baby boy, Shakur. Lissie's mum has also stepped in to defend her daughter, calling the social media detectives "crazy" and telling them to "move on to the next suspect." SOURCE: @lissierhodes on TikTok I guess, there's our answer! And while we're desperate to know what's going down, mayyyybe we lay off the heavy accusations until we hear from Molly-Mae or Tommy themselves?! Asst Dir (IB), 4 others get PresidentsPolice Medals Balwant Khandekar Staff Reporter : ASSISTANT Director (Intelligence Bureau) Balwant Khandekar, and four police officers -- Police Inspector (PI) Amit Kumar Pande, Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Akshaywarnath Jokhuram Shukla, PSI Gajanan Tandulkar, and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Rajesh Tukaramji Paidalwar of the City Police, have been honoured with the Presidents Police Medal for Meritorious Service on the eve of Independence Day. Balwant Khandekar, Assistant Director (IB) has had a 24-year-long career in the IB. Educated at SFS High School and Hislop College in Nagpur, Khandekar has served in multiple states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Currently posted in Gujarat as Assistant Director, he is known for his expertise in counter-intelligence and counter-espionage. Khandekar's career highlights include successful anti-Naxal operations in Maharashtra, which contributed to the surrender of Naxalites in Gadchiroli. His work involves monitoring political developments and activities across the state. PI Amit Kumar Pande: Thwarting nefarious designs of the Maoists, PI Amit Kumar Pande, another awardee, played a key role in anti-Naxal operations. By establishing a strong network of informants, he was able to preempt Maoist activities. PI Pandes distinguished career has earned him several honors, including the Antrik Suraksha Seva Padak, Special Service Medal, DGPs Insignia, and 255 commendations for his exceptional contributions. PSI Akshaywarnath Shukla: From Constable to Sub-Inspector PSI Akshaywarnath Shukla began his police career as a constable in 1989 and rose through the ranks to become a Sub-Inspector. Currently posted at Lakadganj Police Station, he is credited with apprehending multiple criminals and confiscating illegal firearms and sharp weapons from them. Throughout his service, PSI Shukla has been honoured with 105 rewards for his outstanding performance. PSI Gajanan Tandulkar: Criminal detention specialist while posted at the MPDA Cell, PSI Gajanan Tandulkar successfully prepared proposals to detain 119 criminals under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act (MPDA).His meticulous efforts have contributed significantly to crime prevention. ASI Rajesh Tukaramji Paidalwar: Crime Branch VeteranASI Rajesh Paidalwar, attached to the Crime Branch since 1991, has made significant contributions by preparing over 600 proposals to detain criminals under the MPDA, one proposal under the PITNDPS, and 73 proposals under MCOCA. His work has also led to the externment of 62 criminals. Recognised with the DGPs Insignia and 700 rewards for his service, ASI Paidalwar remains a key asset to the Crime Branch. This recognition highlights the dedication and outstanding service of these officers in maintaining law and order, contributing significantly to the security and safety of their regions. TROY-A Troy man convicted of second-degree burglary remains in Pike County Jail awaiting sentencing in October. Quinten Marquez Woods, 35, was found guilty by a Pike County jury Tuesday in 12th Judicial Circuit Court in Troy, with Circuit Judge Sonny Reagan presiding. The state was represented by 12th Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorneys Greg Locklier and Brandon Coots. Testimony and evidence presented at trial showed that on March 15, 2023, Woods made forcible entry into a home in the Oak Park Neighborhood area off of the Elba Highway in Troy, according to 12th Judicial Circuit District Attorney James Tarbox. Woods broke a window and entered the home in the kitchen. Upon hearing the window being broken, the victim made her way into the kitchen and found Woods there, Tarbox said. The victim and a friend who was at home with the victim were able to hold Woods at gunpoint and call for law enforcement. Law enforcement arrived a short time later and Woods was arrested. I appreciate the work of Assistant District Attorneys Locklier and Coots on this case, Tarbox said. Due to their work and the jurys conviction, justice will be served in this case. Tarbox said that his office appreciates every juror in the case for listening attentively throughout the proceedings while fulfilling their civic duty. Lastly, and most importantly, I appreciate our victim in this matter. She has lived through an experience that as ADA Locklier said in his closing argument, she will never forget, he said. Her bravery on the night of March 15, 2023, and her continued desire to see defendant Woods brought to justice have helped lead to this guilty verdict outcome. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 17 at the Pike County Judicial Complex. Woods is a multi-time convicted felon, with prior violent felonies on his record, Tarbox said. The state intends to ask the court to sentence Defendant Woods to a substantial prison sentence. Tarbox said the District Attorneys office thanks the Troy Police Department, Lt. Tyler Oakes, and Sgt Terry Miles for their diligence in working on this case. SteelPeak Wealth LLC decreased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 10.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 139,088 shares of the companys stock after selling 15,875 shares during the quarter. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF comprises about 3.5% of SteelPeak Wealth LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. SteelPeak Wealth LLCs holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $76,113,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. MV Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 135,739 shares of the companys stock valued at $64,833,000 after purchasing an additional 2,315 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $103,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,586,000. Altus Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Altus Wealth Group LLC now owns 16,396 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,831,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Moneywise Inc. grew its stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 12.3% in the 4th quarter. Moneywise Inc. now owns 3,779 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,805,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares during the period. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Trading Up 1.7 % IVV traded up $9.24 on Thursday, hitting $556.05. 3,943,056 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,107,070. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a fifty-two week low of $411.02 and a fifty-two week high of $568.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $547.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $526.13. The stock has a market cap of $479.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.99. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Company Profile iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC raised its position in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (BATS:IFRA Free Report) by 6.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 49,688 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,832 shares during the period. SteelPeak Wealth LLC owned about 0.09% of iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF worth $2,093,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its position in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF by 2.9% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 992,639 shares of the companys stock valued at $41,810,000 after buying an additional 28,235 shares in the last quarter. Tsfg LLC lifted its stake in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF by 4.6% during the second quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 25,147 shares of the companys stock worth $1,059,000 after purchasing an additional 1,108 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Maia Wealth LLC acquired a new position in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,677,000. Finally, Fifth Third Securities Inc. acquired a new position in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,292,000. Get iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF alerts: iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF Price Performance Shares of BATS:IFRA traded up $0.56 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $44.34. The stock had a trading volume of 151,504 shares. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.71 and a beta of 0.89. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $43.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $42.47. iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF Profile The iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the NYSE FactSet U.S. Infrastructure index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed infrastructure companies that derive a significant portion of their revenue from within the US. IFRA was launched on Apr 3, 2018 and is managed by BlackRock. See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 17,946 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $1,979,000. A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 3,594 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $371,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in PulteGroup by 2.0% during the first quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. now owns 5,092 shares of the construction companys stock worth $614,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in PulteGroup by 4.9% in the first quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the construction companys stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. grew its position in PulteGroup by 2.4% during the first quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 4,774 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $575,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the period. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 9.9% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 1,381 shares of the construction companys stock worth $152,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.90% of the companys stock. Get PulteGroup alerts: PulteGroup Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of PHM stock traded up $0.67 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $122.54. 1,644,033 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,853,365. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $117.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.44. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 12-month low of $68.80 and a 12-month high of $135.62. The stock has a market cap of $25.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.81, a PEG ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.61. Insider Activity PulteGroup ( NYSE:PHM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The construction company reported $3.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.27 by $0.56. PulteGroup had a net margin of 16.75% and a return on equity of 25.67%. The company had revenue of $4.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.49 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.00 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 12.9 EPS for the current year. In other news, CFO Robert Oshaughnessy sold 28,993 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.29, for a total value of $3,748,504.97. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 160,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,729,065.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.83% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on PHM shares. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $129.00 to $117.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on PulteGroup from $126.00 to $131.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $135.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. BTIG Research increased their target price on PulteGroup from $133.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $133.14. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on PHM PulteGroup Company Profile (Free Report) PulteGroup, Inc, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the homebuilding business in the United States. It acquires and develops land primarily for residential purposes; and constructs housing on such land. The company also offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes under the Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, and American West brand names. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PHM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for PulteGroup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PulteGroup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MONTGOMERY A former Daleville Police Department sergeant, Ryan Phillips, pleaded guilty yesterday to depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law. When police officers violate the law and abuse their power, it erodes the communitys trust in the ability of law enforcement to keep them safe and to preserve their rights, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. This defendant abused his power by entering the cell of an arrestee to violently strike him in the face and upper body without cause or reason. The Justice Department is steadfast in its determination to protect the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, including people who are incarcerated, and to hold accountable law enforcement officials who use excessive force. Although police officers are granted authority to maintain law and order, that authority has its limits, said U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross for the Middle District of Alabama. The defendant lost his composure and beat an arrestee inside his cell. This type of excessive force cannot be tolerated. By holding accountable those who disparage the profession by breaking the law, we will protect the reputations of the countless officers who serve honorably. Ryan Phillips clearly violated his position of public trust, said Acting Assistant Director Jodi Cohen of the FBIs Criminal Investigative Division. Law enforcement officers take an oath to protect and serve all people and Phillips betrayed that trust. The law enforcement community relies on each other to uphold that sacred oath, and the FBI remains committed to holding those accountable should that oath be violated. According to documents submitted and statements made in court, Phillips willfully used unreasonable force against an arrestee identified as D.M. Specifically, while D.M. was inside a jail cell, he and Phillips had a verbal altercation. Phillips removed his badge and firearm, entered D.M.s cell and hit D.M. in the upper body and face multiple times resulting in bodily injury to D.M., including lacerations and bruising. With the plea agreement, Phillips admitted that he had no legitimate law enforcement purpose for engaging in this conduct, that he acted willfully and that D.M. suffered bodily injury. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Phillips faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney MarLa Duncan of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama are prosecuting the case. AlphaMark Advisors LLC raised its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG Free Report) by 1.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,399 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLCs holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. were worth $881,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AJG. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 7.0% during the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 11,050,941 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,763,177,000 after purchasing an additional 727,325 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,308,316,000. Capital World Investors grew its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 9.0% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,832,060 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,208,208,000 after buying an additional 398,350 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 2,624,447 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $656,217,000 after acquiring an additional 14,366 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners lifted its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 2.5% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,611,299 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $402,206,000 after acquiring an additional 38,886 shares in the last quarter. 85.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms recently issued reports on AJG. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $252.00 to $254.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $272.00 to $286.00 in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Bank Of America (Bofa) upped their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $275.38. Insider Activity In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, General Counsel Walter D. Bay sold 8,717 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total value of $2,240,269.00. Following the sale, the general counsel now owns 44,691 shares in the company, valued at $11,485,587. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, President Thomas Joseph Gallagher sold 15,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $282.96, for a total transaction of $4,244,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 329,099 shares in the company, valued at approximately $93,121,853.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Walter D. Bay sold 8,717 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total transaction of $2,240,269.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 44,691 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,485,587. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 63,815 shares of company stock worth $17,319,039. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Trading Down 0.1 % Shares of NYSE:AJG traded down $0.30 on Thursday, hitting $284.40. The company had a trading volume of 418,586 shares, compared to its average volume of 844,480. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $269.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $253.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $62.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 57.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 1 year low of $215.37 and a 1 year high of $290.31. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.02. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 10.41% and a return on equity of 19.25%. The business had revenue of $2.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.77 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.90 earnings per share. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s quarterly revenue was up 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 10.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.58%. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile (Free Report) Arthur J. Gallagher & Co, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and reinsurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party property/casualty claims settlement and administration services to entities and individuals worldwide. It operates in Brokerage and Risk Management segments. The Brokerage segment offers retail and wholesale insurance and reinsurance brokerage services; assists retail brokers and other non-affiliated brokers in the placement of specialized and hard-to-place insurance; and acts as a brokerage wholesaler, managing general agent, and managing general underwriter for distributing specialized insurance coverages to underwriting enterprises. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC grew its stake in Boyd Gaming Co. (NYSE:BYD Free Report) by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,063 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLCs holdings in Boyd Gaming were worth $444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in Boyd Gaming by 36.6% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 4,514 shares of the companys stock worth $249,000 after purchasing an additional 1,209 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Boyd Gaming in the second quarter worth approximately $730,000. CX Institutional grew its holdings in shares of Boyd Gaming by 22.9% during the second quarter. CX Institutional now owns 14,607 shares of the companys stock valued at $805,000 after buying an additional 2,721 shares during the last quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Boyd Gaming by 2.5% during the second quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,144 shares of the companys stock valued at $945,000 after acquiring an additional 414 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Boyd Gaming by 13.4% in the 2nd quarter. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 20,556 shares of the companys stock worth $1,133,000 after acquiring an additional 2,435 shares during the last quarter. 76.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Boyd Gaming alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have commented on BYD shares. Macquarie cut their target price on Boyd Gaming from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Mizuho decreased their target price on Boyd Gaming from $80.00 to $78.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Boyd Gaming from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their price target for the company from $78.00 to $71.00 in a report on Friday, April 26th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Boyd Gaming from $80.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Boyd Gaming from $68.00 to $66.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $90.08. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Christine J. Spadafor sold 1,874 shares of Boyd Gaming stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.38, for a total transaction of $100,034.12. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,338 shares in the company, valued at approximately $124,802.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 27.94% of the companys stock. Boyd Gaming Stock Performance Boyd Gaming stock traded up $1.33 during trading on Thursday, reaching $57.63. The company had a trading volume of 930,361 shares, compared to its average volume of 962,523. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $55.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.17. Boyd Gaming Co. has a 52 week low of $49.34 and a 52 week high of $68.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.51 and a beta of 1.58. Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.09. Boyd Gaming had a return on equity of 34.08% and a net margin of 13.32%. The firm had revenue of $967.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $909.49 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.58 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Boyd Gaming Co. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Boyd Gaming declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Monday, May 13th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 9.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued. About Boyd Gaming (Free Report) Boyd Gaming Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a multi-jurisdictional gaming company in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The company operates through Las Vegas Locals, Downtown Las Vegas, Midwest & South, and Online segments. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BYD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Boyd Gaming Co. (NYSE:BYD Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Boyd Gaming Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boyd Gaming and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU Free Report) had its target price boosted by Scotiabank from $26.00 to $27.00 in a research note released on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a sector perform rating on the mining companys stock. A number of other analysts have also recently commented on AU. HSBC cut AngloGold Ashanti from a hold rating to a reduce rating in a research report on Friday, April 19th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $28.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $27.75. Get AngloGold Ashanti alerts: Read Our Latest Report on AU AngloGold Ashanti Price Performance AU opened at $30.41 on Monday. The companys 50 day moving average is $26.69 and its 200 day moving average is $23.49. AngloGold Ashanti has a 12-month low of $14.91 and a 12-month high of $31.35. AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The mining company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.17 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that AngloGold Ashanti will post 2.29 earnings per share for the current year. AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from AngloGold Ashantis previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. Institutional Trading of AngloGold Ashanti Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AU. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 4th quarter valued at $16,260,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 201,558 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $3,767,000 after acquiring an additional 1,644 shares during the last quarter. Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 29.6% in the 4th quarter. Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC now owns 74,974 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $1,402,000 after acquiring an additional 17,127 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 4th quarter valued at $1,443,000. Finally, Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 16.7% in the 4th quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. now owns 178,500 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $3,336,000 after acquiring an additional 25,500 shares during the last quarter. 36.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. AngloGold Ashanti Company Profile (Get Free Report) AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for AngloGold Ashanti Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AngloGold Ashanti and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the six brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $27.75. A number of equities analysts have recently commented on AU shares. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on AngloGold Ashanti from $28.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. HSBC downgraded AngloGold Ashanti from a hold rating to a reduce rating in a research report on Friday, April 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on AngloGold Ashanti from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded AngloGold Ashanti from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Get AngloGold Ashanti alerts: View Our Latest Report on AU AngloGold Ashanti Stock Down 1.6 % NYSE AU opened at $30.41 on Friday. AngloGold Ashanti has a 12 month low of $14.91 and a 12 month high of $31.35. The company has a 50-day moving average of $26.69 and a 200-day moving average of $23.49. AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The mining company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.23 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.17 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AngloGold Ashanti will post 2.29 EPS for the current year. AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from AngloGold Ashantis previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Hedge Funds Weigh In On AngloGold Ashanti A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CWM LLC increased its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 36.1% in the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,890 shares of the mining companys stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 501 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 108.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,505 shares of the mining companys stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 32.4% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,215 shares of the mining companys stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 1,032 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 338.3% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,471 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $87,000 after purchasing an additional 2,679 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 1st quarter valued at about $118,000. Institutional investors own 36.09% of the companys stock. About AngloGold Ashanti (Get Free Report AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for AngloGold Ashanti Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AngloGold Ashanti and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of Ireland Group plc (OTCMKTS:BKRIY Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 21,000 shares, an increase of 51.1% from the July 15th total of 13,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 33,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.6 days. Bank of Ireland Group Trading Up 5.0 % Shares of Bank of Ireland Group stock traded up $0.53 during trading on Friday, hitting $11.04. The stock had a trading volume of 23,167 shares, compared to its average volume of 38,801. The business has a fifty day moving average of $10.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.38. Bank of Ireland Group has a fifty-two week low of $8.38 and a fifty-two week high of $11.73. Get Bank of Ireland Group alerts: Bank of Ireland Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Further Reading Bank of Ireland Group plc provides various banking and financial products and services. It provides current and savings accounts, and business deposits and accounts; personal, car, home improvement, graduate, motor finance, and student loans, as well as overdrafts; and business and farming loans, green business, insurance premium finance, invoice finance, hire purchase, and leasing services. Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Ireland Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Ireland Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Berenberg Bank restated their hold rating on shares of Kenmare Resources (LON:KMR Free Report) in a report published on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Berenberg Bank currently has a GBX 420 ($5.36) target price on the stock. Kenmare Resources Trading Up 3.3 % Shares of KMR opened at GBX 349 ($4.46) on Tuesday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is GBX 327.89 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 326.42. The stock has a market capitalization of 311.41 million, a P/E ratio of 323.15, a P/E/G ratio of 0.03 and a beta of 0.52. Kenmare Resources has a 1-year low of GBX 291 ($3.72) and a 1-year high of GBX 445.50 ($5.69). The company has a current ratio of 4.04, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.32. Get Kenmare Resources alerts: Kenmare Resources Cuts Dividend The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 19th. This represents a yield of 3.57%. Kenmare Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4,166.67%. About Kenmare Resources Kenmare Resources plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and sale of mineral sand products in China, the rest of Asia, Europe, the United States, and internationally. It operates the Moma Titanium Minerals Mine located on the northeast coast of Mozambique. The company's products include ilmenite, rutile, and zircon; monazite; and concentrates, including secondary zircon and mineral sand concentrates. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Kenmare Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kenmare Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE:AHT Get Free Report) and Bimini Capital Management (OTCMKTS:BMNM Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability, valuation and risk. Risk & Volatility Ashford Hospitality Trust has a beta of 2.33, suggesting that its share price is 133% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Bimini Capital Management has a beta of 0.96, suggesting that its share price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500. Get Ashford Hospitality Trust alerts: Institutional and Insider Ownership 41.0% of Ashford Hospitality Trust shares are held by institutional investors. 1.2% of Ashford Hospitality Trust shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 42.7% of Bimini Capital Management shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Dividends Earnings and Valuation Ashford Hospitality Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 25.7%. Bimini Capital Management pays an annual dividend of $0.13 per share and has a dividend yield of 13.8%. Ashford Hospitality Trust pays out -7.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Bimini Capital Management pays out -27.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. This table compares Ashford Hospitality Trust and Bimini Capital Managements gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Ashford Hospitality Trust $1.28 billion 0.03 -$178.49 million ($3.17) -0.29 Bimini Capital Management $13.60 million 0.70 -$3.98 million ($0.47) -2.00 Bimini Capital Management has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Ashford Hospitality Trust. Bimini Capital Management is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ashford Hospitality Trust, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Ashford Hospitality Trust and Bimini Capital Managements net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Ashford Hospitality Trust 2.25% -9.74% 0.81% Bimini Capital Management -45.47% -54.34% -4.32% Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Ashford Hospitality Trust and Bimini Capital Management, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Ashford Hospitality Trust 0 1 0 0 2.00 Bimini Capital Management 0 0 0 0 N/A Ashford Hospitality Trust currently has a consensus price target of $2.50, indicating a potential upside of 167.95%. Given Ashford Hospitality Trusts higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Ashford Hospitality Trust is more favorable than Bimini Capital Management. Summary Ashford Hospitality Trust beats Bimini Capital Management on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Ashford Hospitality Trust (Get Free Report) Ashford Hospitality Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing predominantly in upper upscale, full-service hotels. About Bimini Capital Management (Get Free Report) Bimini Capital Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty finance company in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Asset Management and Investment Portfolio. The Asset Management segment includes investment advisory services by Bimini Advisors to Orchid Island Capital, Inc. and Royal Palm Capital, LLC. The Investment Portfolio segment engages in investment activities conducted by Royal Palm Capital, LLC. It invests in residential mortgage-backed securities. The company was formerly known as Opteum Inc. and changed its name to Bimini Capital Management, Inc. in September 2007. Bimini Capital Management, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is based in Vero Beach, Florida. Receive News & Ratings for Ashford Hospitality Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ashford Hospitality Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Equities research analysts at StockNews.com began coverage on shares of China Green Agriculture (NYSE:CGA Get Free Report) in a research report issued on Wednesday. The brokerage set a sell rating on the basic materials companys stock. China Green Agriculture Trading Down 5.1 % CGA opened at $1.79 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $26.48 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.89 and a beta of 0.49. China Green Agriculture has a 12 month low of $1.61 and a 12 month high of $4.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $2.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $2.60. Get China Green Agriculture alerts: China Green Agriculture (NYSE:CGA Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 16th. The basic materials company reported ($0.79) EPS for the quarter. China Green Agriculture had a negative return on equity of 22.74% and a negative net margin of 27.43%. The firm had revenue of $32.94 million during the quarter. About China Green Agriculture China Green Agriculture, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, production, and sale of various fertilizers, agricultural products, and bitcoin in the People's Republic of China and the United States. The company operates through four segments: Jinong (Fertilizer Production); Gufeng (Fertilizer Production); Yuxing (Agricultural Products Production); and Antaeus (Bitcoin). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for China Green Agriculture Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Green Agriculture and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cigna Investments Inc. New grew its stake in Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM Free Report) (TSE:AEM) by 2.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,512 shares of the mining companys stock after purchasing an additional 236 shares during the quarter. Cigna Investments Inc. News holdings in Agnico Eagle Mines were worth $622,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Stephens Consulting LLC bought a new position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 406.4% in the first quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 709 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co lifted its holdings in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 92.1% in the second quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 730 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC bought a new stake in Agnico Eagle Mines during the second quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Western Pacific Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in Agnico Eagle Mines during the first quarter worth $50,000. Institutional investors own 68.34% of the companys stock. Get Agnico Eagle Mines alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth AEM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Agnico Eagle Mines from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, June 27th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Agnico Eagle Mines from $79.00 to $77.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Agnico Eagle Mines from $59.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. TD Securities lifted their price target on Agnico Eagle Mines from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Agnico Eagle Mines from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $78.50. Agnico Eagle Mines Stock Performance Shares of AEM traded up $0.42 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $78.06. The stock had a trading volume of 1,985,140 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,799,163. The firm has a market cap of $39.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 82.17, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.06. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited has a 52 week low of $43.22 and a 52 week high of $78.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.51 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $70.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $62.92. Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE:AEM Get Free Report) (TSE:AEM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The mining company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $2.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.03 billion. Agnico Eagle Mines had a return on equity of 7.16% and a net margin of 8.44%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 20.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.65 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Agnico Eagle Mines Limited will post 3.52 EPS for the current year. About Agnico Eagle Mines (Free Report) Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, a gold mining company, exploration, development, and production of precious metals. It explores for gold. The company's mines are located in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico, with exploration and development activities in Canada, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Agnico Eagle Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Agnico Eagle Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Comstock Inc. (NYSE:LODE Free Report) Analysts at Noble Financial decreased their FY2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Comstock in a research report issued on Monday, August 12th. Noble Financial analyst M. Reichman now forecasts that the company will earn ($0.17) per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of ($0.16). Noble Financial has a Outperform rating and a $2.60 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Comstocks current full-year earnings is ($0.16) per share. Noble Financial also issued estimates for Comstocks Q1 2025 earnings at ($0.03) EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at ($0.03) EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at ($0.03) EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at ($0.03) EPS and FY2025 earnings at ($0.11) EPS. Get Comstock alerts: Comstock (NYSE:LODE Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $0.43 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $0.57 million. Comstock had a net margin of 474.79% and a negative return on equity of 5.56%. Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Comstock in a research report on Monday. They set a sell rating for the company. View Our Latest Report on Comstock Comstock Trading Up 4.3 % Shares of LODE stock opened at $0.15 on Wednesday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $0.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. Comstock has a 1-year low of $0.13 and a 1-year high of $0.63. The firm has a market cap of $20.54 million, a P/E ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.92. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Leo M. Drozdoff acquired 200,000 shares of Comstock stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were bought at an average price of $0.15 per share, for a total transaction of $30,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 600,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $90,000. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders bought 250,000 shares of company stock worth $43,500 over the last three months. 8.50% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Comstock Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LODE. Mission Wealth Management LP purchased a new position in Comstock in the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Comstock by 137.9% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,868,334 shares of the companys stock valued at $470,000 after purchasing an additional 1,662,524 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in Comstock by 19.3% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,356,958 shares of the companys stock valued at $223,000 after purchasing an additional 219,622 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 7.96% of the companys stock. Comstock Company Profile (Get Free Report) Comstock Inc engages in the systemic decarbonization business in Nevada and internationally. It operates through Renewable Energy, Mining, and Strategic and Other Investments segments. It will develop technology for the deploying of extraction and refining facilities that convert wasted and unused biomass and other natural resources; and a demonstration system to extract black mass containing lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, aluminum, and other metals from up to lithium-ion batteries. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Comstock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Comstock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A local Midland City student, Emily Pologruto, was recently selected to receive a $5,000 scholarship from H&R Blocks Children of Associates Premier Scholarship Program. Pologruto is one of only 20 recipients and one of two from Alabama. She was selected based on community involvement, outstanding academics, and leadership. Shes a third-year student at Auburn University, majoring in speech, language, and hearing sciences. I am truly grateful to have been recognized by H&R Block to receive this scholarship, as they have made great effort to support their employees and community, said Pologruto. This scholarship emphasizes the importance of service, so I am honored to have their support for the work I have done with the University Program Council and the Honors Colleges Peer Mentor program on Auburns campus. Pologruto shared that this scholarship will aid in funding her education at Auburn University. She plans to obtain her Masters degree and become a bilingual speech therapist, in hopes of helping more people in her community. Since 2012, H&R Block has awarded more than $1.3 million in scholarships to relatives of H&R Block associates, franchisees, and franchise employees through the Children of Associates Premier Scholarship (CAPS) Program. This years cohort of twenty students is each receiving $5,000, totaling $100,000, to be used toward their continued education. These students support their communities, demonstrate a deep commitment to their academics, and display leadership throughout their extracurricular activities. We are thrilled to support these impressive students who show unmatched dedication to their education and community, said Tiffany Monroe, Chief People and Culture Officer at H&R Block. Constellation Software Inc. (TSE:CSU Free Report) National Bank Financial issued their Q3 2024 earnings estimates for Constellation Software in a report released on Sunday, August 11th. National Bank Financial analyst R. Tse expects that the company will earn $27.65 per share for the quarter. The consensus estimate for Constellation Softwares current full-year earnings is $111.50 per share. National Bank Financial also issued estimates for Constellation Softwares FY2024 earnings at $110.61 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $134.30 EPS. Get Constellation Software alerts: Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on CSU. TD Securities lifted their price target on Constellation Software from C$4,050.00 to C$4,150.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of Constellation Software from C$3,800.00 to C$4,250.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Monday. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Constellation Software from C$4,150.00 to C$4,300.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, May 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Constellation Software from C$4,300.00 to C$4,700.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$4,150.00. Constellation Software Price Performance CSU stock opened at C$4,241.12 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 155.36, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.92. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of C$4,046.76 and a 200-day moving average price of C$3,827.89. Constellation Software has a 52-week low of C$2,585.25 and a 52-week high of C$4,476.50. The firm has a market capitalization of C$89.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 112.20, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.80. Constellation Software Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 20th will be issued a $1.381 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 20th. This is an increase from Constellation Softwares previous quarterly dividend of $1.38. This represents a $5.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.13%. Constellation Softwares dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.47%. Insider Activity In related news, Senior Officer John Edward Billowits sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, June 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of C$3,768.39, for a total transaction of C$3,768,390.00. Company insiders own 5.70% of the companys stock. Constellation Software Company Profile (Get Free Report) Constellation Software Inc, together with its subsidiaries, acquires, builds, and manages vertical market software businesses in Canada, the United States, Europe, and internationally. It provides mission critical software solutions for public and private sector markets. The company is also involved in the software licensing; and sale of third-party hardware. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Constellation Software Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Constellation Software and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Credit Suisse Group (NYSE:CS Free Report) in a report released on Monday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the financial services providers stock. Credit Suisse Group Stock Performance Credit Suisse Group stock opened at $0.89 on Monday. Credit Suisse Group has a 12-month low of $0.82 and a 12-month high of $6.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.79, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.77 billion, a PE ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $0.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $0.89. Get Credit Suisse Group alerts: About Credit Suisse Group (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Credit Suisse Group AG is a holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following four divisions: Wealth Management, Investment Bank, Swiss Bank and Asset Management and four geographic regions: Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific, and Americas. Receive News & Ratings for Credit Suisse Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Credit Suisse Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE:NUS Free Report) had its price target reduced by DA Davidson from $12.50 to $11.00 in a research note released on Monday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the stock. DA Davidson also issued estimates for Nu Skin Enterprises Q3 2024 earnings at $0.19 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $0.75 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $0.90 EPS. Separately, Citigroup reduced their target price on Nu Skin Enterprises from $14.00 to $11.50 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $16.50. Get Nu Skin Enterprises alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on NUS Nu Skin Enterprises Price Performance Shares of NYSE NUS opened at $9.87 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $490.21 million, a PE ratio of -164.50 and a beta of 1.13. Nu Skin Enterprises has a fifty-two week low of $8.80 and a fifty-two week high of $24.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 2.09. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $10.96 and a 200-day moving average of $12.68. Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE:NUS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $439.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $431.87 million. Nu Skin Enterprises had a positive return on equity of 9.28% and a negative net margin of 0.17%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.54 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Nu Skin Enterprises will post 1.1 earnings per share for the current year. Nu Skin Enterprises Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.43%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Nu Skin Enterprisess payout ratio is currently -400.00%. Insider Transactions at Nu Skin Enterprises In other news, Director Andrew D. Lipman sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.33, for a total value of $26,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 23,225 shares in the company, valued at approximately $309,589.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nu Skin Enterprises Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Nu Skin Enterprises in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its stake in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 72.6% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,797 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,597 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 38.4% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,286 shares of the companys stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 911 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 30.5% in the 1st quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 3,926 shares of the companys stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 918 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.84% of the companys stock. Nu Skin Enterprises Company Profile (Get Free Report) Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development and distribution of various beauty and wellness products worldwide. It offers skin care devices, cosmetics, and other personal care products, including ageLOC LumiSpa and ageLOC LumiSpa iO; and nutricentials skin care products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eldorado Gold Co. (TSE:ELD Get Free Report) (NYSE:EGO)s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as C$23.95 and last traded at C$23.88, with a volume of 214210 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$23.55. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Eldorado Gold from C$21.00 to C$23.00 in a research note on Friday, April 26th. National Bankshares boosted their target price on Eldorado Gold from C$26.00 to C$27.00 in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on shares of Eldorado Gold from C$23.00 to C$26.50 in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Eldorado Gold from C$17.25 to C$19.50 in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Eldorado Gold from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and upped their target price for the company from C$14.00 to C$20.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eldorado Gold currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$22.54. Get Eldorado Gold alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on ELD Eldorado Gold Price Performance Insiders Place Their Bets The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.85, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a current ratio of 3.62. The companys fifty day moving average is C$21.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$19.75. The firm has a market cap of C$4.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 56.20 and a beta of 1.21. In related news, Senior Officer Joseph Dennis Dick sold 47,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$16.00, for a total transaction of C$751,971.80. In related news, Senior Officer Christos Balaskas sold 6,518 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Sunday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$20.60, for a total value of C$134,270.80. Also, Senior Officer Joseph Dennis Dick sold 47,000 shares of Eldorado Gold stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$16.00, for a total value of C$751,971.80. Insiders have sold 76,944 shares of company stock valued at $1,378,442 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.57% of the companys stock. Eldorado Gold Company Profile (Get Free Report) Eldorado Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mining, exploration, development, and sale of mineral products primarily in Turkey, Canada, Greece, and Romania. The company primarily produces gold, as well as silver, lead, and zinc. It holds a 100% interest in the Kisladag and Efemcukuru mines located in Turkey; Lamaque complex located in Canada; and Olympias, Stratoni, Skouries, Perama Hill, and Sapes gold mines located in Greece, as well as the 80.5% interest in Certej development projects located in Romania. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Eldorado Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eldorado Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by equities researchers at Evercore ISI from $5.00 to $5.50 in a note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an in-line rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Evercore ISIs target price suggests a potential upside of 9.78% from the companys current price. Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Brandywine Realty Trust from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $5.75. Get Brandywine Realty Trust alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on BDN Brandywine Realty Trust Trading Down 0.8 % Shares of BDN traded down $0.04 on Friday, hitting $5.01. 163,786 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,819,403. Brandywine Realty Trust has a 1 year low of $3.62 and a 1 year high of $5.67. The stocks 50 day moving average is $4.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $863.08 million, a P/E ratio of -4.13 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.22 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $125.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $119.47 million. Brandywine Realty Trust had a negative return on equity of 12.16% and a negative net margin of 32.27%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.29 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Brandywine Realty Trust will post 0.93 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth about $6,610,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust by 2.4% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 28,280,532 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $135,747,000 after acquiring an additional 651,299 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,213,563 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $28,153,000 after acquiring an additional 540,658 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust by 228.2% during the 4th quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 657,829 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $3,552,000 after acquiring an additional 457,424 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LDR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Brandywine Realty Trust by 86.1% during the 1st quarter. LDR Capital Management LLC now owns 540,027 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,592,000 after purchasing an additional 249,862 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.27% of the companys stock. Brandywine Realty Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN) is one of the largest, publicly traded, full-service, integrated real estate companies in the United States with a core focus in the Philadelphia and Austin markets. Organized as a real estate investment trust (REIT), we own, develop, lease and manage an urban, town center and transit-oriented portfolio comprising 160 properties and 22.6 million square feet as of September 30, 2023 which excludes assets held for sale. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Brandywine Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brandywine Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Interfor Co. (TSE:IFP Free Report) Equities research analysts at Scotiabank cut their FY2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Interfor in a report released on Monday, August 12th. Scotiabank analyst B. Isaacson now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $1.53 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $1.70. Scotiabank has a Outperform rating and a $24.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Interfors current full-year earnings is $2.86 per share. Get Interfor alerts: Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Interfor from C$26.00 to C$30.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Interfor from C$27.00 to C$24.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. TD Securities decreased their target price on Interfor from C$24.00 to C$20.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Interfor from C$27.00 to C$24.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, CIBC boosted their price target on Interfor from C$18.00 to C$19.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$23.50. Interfor Stock Down 1.0 % IFP stock opened at C$17.10 on Wednesday. Interfor has a 1-year low of C$15.35 and a 1-year high of C$26.00. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is C$16.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$18.48. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 62.31. The firm has a market capitalization of C$879.80 million, a PE ratio of -2.44 and a beta of 2.51. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Ian Fillinger bought 3,100 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 26th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$16.30 per share, for a total transaction of C$50,530.00. 0.94% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. About Interfor (Get Free Report) Interfor Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells wood products in Canada, the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan, and internationally. It offers decking, fascia and board, framing, v-joint paneling, fineline paneling, and siding products, as well as appearance, structural, studs, timbers, and machine stress related products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Interfor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Interfor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Galiano Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:GAU Free Report) Stock analysts at HC Wainwright raised their FY2025 EPS estimates for shares of Galiano Gold in a report issued on Monday, August 12th. HC Wainwright analyst H. Ihle now forecasts that the company will earn $0.69 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $0.58. HC Wainwright currently has a Buy rating and a $4.20 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Galiano Golds current full-year earnings is $0.25 per share. Get Galiano Gold alerts: Galiano Gold (NYSEAMERICAN:GAU Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.07 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $63.00 million during the quarter. Galiano Gold Price Performance Institutional Trading of Galiano Gold Shares of Galiano Gold stock opened at $1.44 on Wednesday. Galiano Gold has a 1 year low of $0.52 and a 1 year high of $2.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $368.04 million, a P/E ratio of 28.80 and a beta of 1.10. Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Galiano Gold by 141.7% during the 2nd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 54,163 shares of the companys stock valued at $93,000 after acquiring an additional 31,757 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in Galiano Gold by 208.8% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,498,359 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,577,000 after purchasing an additional 1,013,141 shares during the last quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. grew its stake in Galiano Gold by 5.6% in the second quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 17,919,638 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,822,000 after purchasing an additional 947,328 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in Galiano Gold by 186.2% in the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 944,190 shares of the companys stock worth $1,613,000 after purchasing an additional 614,316 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI purchased a new stake in shares of Galiano Gold during the 2nd quarter worth about $59,000. 66.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Galiano Gold (Get Free Report) Galiano Gold Inc engages in the exploration and evaluation of gold properties in Canada. Its flagship asset is the Asanko Gold Mine that covers an area of approximately 21,000 hectares located in Ghana, West Africa. The company was formerly known as Asanko Gold Inc and changed its name to Galiano Gold Inc in May 2020. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Galiano Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Galiano Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Green Dot Co. (NYSE:GDOT Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of Hold by the four research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $10.75. A number of analysts have recently commented on GDOT shares. StockNews.com upgraded Green Dot from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a market perform rating and issued a $11.00 target price on shares of Green Dot in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Get Green Dot alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on GDOT Green Dot Stock Performance Shares of GDOT opened at $10.94 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $9.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $9.17. Green Dot has a 52-week low of $7.30 and a 52-week high of $15.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $582.12 million, a PE ratio of -23.28 and a beta of 0.96. Green Dot (NYSE:GDOT Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.02. Green Dot had a negative net margin of 1.60% and a positive return on equity of 4.48%. The firm had revenue of $407.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $381.87 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.20 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Green Dot will post 1.03 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Kent Lake Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Green Dot in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $7,464,000. SG Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Green Dot during the first quarter worth $4,254,000. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Green Dot by 79.0% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 322,692 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,049,000 after acquiring an additional 142,377 shares in the last quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC lifted its stake in Green Dot by 24.9% in the second quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 525,377 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,965,000 after acquiring an additional 104,829 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of Green Dot by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 923,176 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $8,613,000 after acquiring an additional 97,040 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.56% of the companys stock. Green Dot Company Profile (Get Free Report Green Dot Corporation, a financial technology and registered bank holding company, provides various financial services to consumers and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Consumer Services, Business to Business Services, and Money Movement Services. The company provides deposit account programs, including consumer and small business checking account products, network-branded reloadable prepaid debit cards and gift cards, and secured credit programs. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Green Dot Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Green Dot and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. lessened its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Free Report) by 55.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,764 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 2,155 shares during the quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC.s holdings in Hewlett Packard Enterprise were worth $37,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rise Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 253.9% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 1,051 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. American National Bank increased its stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 89.4% during the 1st quarter. American National Bank now owns 1,949 shares of the technology companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 920 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 224.5% in the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the technology companys stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,282 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Founders Financial Alliance LLC boosted its position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 52.8% in the 4th quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC now owns 2,463 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 851 shares during the last quarter. 80.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Hewlett Packard Enterprise alerts: Insider Activity at Hewlett Packard Enterprise In other Hewlett Packard Enterprise news, SVP Kirt P. Karros sold 30,686 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.49, for a total value of $628,756.14. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Gerri Gold sold 22,784 shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.67, for a total value of $493,729.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 57,081 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,236,945.27. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Kirt P. Karros sold 30,686 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.49, for a total transaction of $628,756.14. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 140,141 shares of company stock worth $2,850,108 over the last quarter. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have recently weighed in on HPE. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $14.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. StockNews.com raised Hewlett Packard Enterprise from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, June 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an equal weight rating and set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Hewlett Packard Enterprise has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $21.08. Read Our Latest Analysis on Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Performance HPE remained flat at $18.76 during trading hours on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 2,972,542 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,256,622. The businesss fifty day moving average is $20.12 and its 200-day moving average is $18.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.69, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.20. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a 12-month low of $14.47 and a 12-month high of $22.82. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 4th. The technology company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $7.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.82 billion. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a return on equity of 8.49% and a net margin of 6.38%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.32 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 19th were issued a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 18th. Hewlett Packard Enterprises dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.96%. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Profile (Free Report) Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. It operates in six segments: Compute, HPC & AI, Storage, Intelligent Edge, Financial Services, and Corporate Investments and Other. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HPE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hewlett Packard Enterprise and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. H&R Block (NYSE:HRB Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by The Goldman Sachs Group from $39.00 to $44.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a sell rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Groups target price suggests a potential downside of 32.78% from the stocks current price. A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com upgraded H&R Block from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Barrington Research reissued an outperform rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of H&R Block in a report on Wednesday. Get H&R Block alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on HRB H&R Block Price Performance H&R Block stock traded up $7.97 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $65.46. 5,395,593 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,097,632. The firms 50 day moving average price is $54.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $50.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.97, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.68. H&R Block has a 1 year low of $38.40 and a 1 year high of $68.45. H&R Block (NYSE:HRB Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.15. H&R Block had a negative return on equity of 224.81% and a net margin of 17.87%. The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.05 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that H&R Block will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CEO Jeffrey J. Jones II sold 44,975 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.55, for a total transaction of $2,453,386.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 712,386 shares in the company, valued at $38,860,656.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of H&R Block Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of H&R Block during the second quarter worth about $85,000. Invst LLC increased its position in shares of H&R Block by 5.9% during the second quarter. Invst LLC now owns 18,015 shares of the companys stock worth $986,000 after purchasing an additional 998 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of H&R Block by 156.3% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 29,220 shares of the companys stock worth $1,585,000 after purchasing an additional 17,818 shares in the last quarter. Algert Global LLC acquired a new stake in shares of H&R Block during the second quarter worth about $762,000. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of H&R Block during the second quarter worth about $1,204,000. 90.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. H&R Block Company Profile (Get Free Report) H&R Block, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides assisted income tax return preparation and do-it-yourself (DIY) tax return preparation services and products to the general public primarily in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It offers assisted income tax return preparation and related services through a system of retail offices operated directly by the company or its franchisees. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for H&R Block Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for H&R Block and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Seventy-nine years ago, with the Second World War barely in the rear-view mirror, the newly formed Security Council of the United Nations met for the first time. Its chief mandate was to ensure international peace and security. Consisting of five permanent member and ten non-permanent, rotating seats, it reflected post-war power structures: the overwhelming majority represented the northern hemisphere, with four out of the permanent seats held by Western powers, with China holding the fifth seat. In September, the United Nations will hold the Summit of the Future, where world leaders will meet to forge the Pact for the Future, a roadmap for the next generation of international cooperation. And that includes ensuring that people across Africa are effectively represented, said U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. This is long overdue. Already home to over 1.2 billion people, half of whom are under the age of 19, Africa has the fastest growing population of any continent. By 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African. Indeed, when the Security Council first met in 1945, most of today's African countries were just shaking off colonial rule and had no voice in international affairs. Today, 54 African countries with a combined population of over 1.2 billion people account for 28 percent of the membership of the United Nations, yet they have no permanent representative in the Security Council. Thats despite the fact that half of all country-specific or regional conflicts on the Council's agenda concern Africa. When we talk about reforming this Council, strengthening this Council, we do so not just for the good of African nations, but to further international peace and security for us all. Because we all benefit when African leaders are at the table, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. And so, as President Biden announced during the UN General Assembly two years ago, and reaffirmed last year, the United States supports permanent representation on the Council for countries from Africa, as well as Latin America, and the Caribbean. Permanent representation. Today, fifteen of us sit around this table and it is my hope that the number grows to include permanent seats for Africa, Latin America, and others, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. And that, in so doing, we are better equipped to live up to the mandate, our mandate, to prevent the scourge of war and advance peace and security for future generations. Human Investing LLC lowered its holdings in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM Free Report) by 22.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,963 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 557 shares during the period. Human Investing LLCs holdings in International Business Machines were worth $340,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Mcdonald Partners LLC boosted its stake in International Business Machines by 0.6% during the second quarter. Mcdonald Partners LLC now owns 18,182 shares of the technology companys stock worth $3,145,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. BlueSky Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 22.7% in the second quarter. BlueSky Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,186 shares of the technology companys stock worth $551,000 after buying an additional 590 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 11.0% in the second quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 819 shares of the technology companys stock worth $147,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 2.2% in the second quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management now owns 75,498 shares of the technology companys stock worth $13,057,000 after buying an additional 1,643 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. lifted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 11.1% in the second quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 3,001 shares of the technology companys stock worth $519,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the companys stock. Get International Business Machines alerts: International Business Machines Price Performance Shares of NYSE IBM traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $193.78. The stock had a trading volume of 2,357,937 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,343,301. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $180.66 and a 200-day moving average of $181.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.12. The company has a market capitalization of $178.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.71. International Business Machines Co. has a 12-month low of $135.87 and a 12-month high of $199.18. International Business Machines Dividend Announcement International Business Machines ( NYSE:IBM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The technology company reported $2.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.27. International Business Machines had a net margin of 13.52% and a return on equity of 40.59%. The firm had revenue of $15.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.18 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.06 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.45%. International Business Machiness dividend payout ratio is 75.65%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued a buy rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. They set an underperform rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of International Business Machines to a moderate sell rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $200.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $184.93. Read Our Latest Research Report on IBM International Business Machines Company Profile (Free Report) International Business Machines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing segments. The Software segment offers a hybrid cloud and AI platforms that allows clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IBM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for International Business Machines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Business Machines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Coupang, Inc. (NYSE:CPNG Get Free Report) Director Greenoaks Capital Partners Llc acquired 100,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $22.39 per share, with a total value of $2,239,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 50,376,224 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,127,923,655.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Greenoaks Capital Partners Llc also recently made the following trade(s): Get Coupang alerts: On Tuesday, August 13th, Greenoaks Capital Partners Llc acquired 251,300 shares of Coupang stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $22.58 per share, with a total value of $5,674,354.00. On Friday, August 9th, Greenoaks Capital Partners Llc acquired 150,000 shares of Coupang stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $22.64 per share, with a total value of $3,396,000.00. Coupang Stock Up 1.2 % CPNG traded up $0.26 during trading on Thursday, reaching $22.41. 6,792,658 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,833,614. The stock has a market cap of $40.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2,041.58 and a beta of 1.09. Coupang, Inc. has a twelve month low of $13.51 and a twelve month high of $23.77. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $21.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.15. Analysts Set New Price Targets Coupang ( NYSE:CPNG Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.01) by $0.08. Coupang had a net margin of 4.96% and a return on equity of 13.59%. The company had revenue of $7.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.08 earnings per share. Coupangs quarterly revenue was up 25.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Coupang, Inc. will post 0.01 EPS for the current year. A number of brokerages have weighed in on CPNG. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Coupang from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Coupang from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. UBS Group raised shares of Coupang from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price target for the company from $18.50 to $26.00 in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Coupang in a report on Friday, May 3rd. They issued a buy rating and a $30.00 price target for the company. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of Coupang from $25.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, May 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Coupang has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $26.71. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Coupang Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CPNG. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Coupang by 135.8% in the 1st quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,436 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Coupang by 308.2% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,947 shares of the companys stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 1,470 shares during the period. Register Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Coupang during the 1st quarter worth $50,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Coupang in the 2nd quarter valued at about $74,000. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its stake in Coupang by 360.6% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 4,118 shares of the companys stock valued at $86,000 after acquiring an additional 3,224 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.72% of the companys stock. About Coupang (Get Free Report) Coupang, Inc, together with its subsidiaries owns and operates retail business through its mobile applications and Internet websites primarily in South Korea. The company operates through Product Commerce and Developing Offerings segments. It sells various products and services in the categories of home goods and decor products, apparel, beauty products, fresh food and groceries, sporting goods, electronics, and everyday consumables, as well as travel, and restaurant order and delivery services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Coupang Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coupang and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA lessened its holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP Free Report) by 0.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 252,400 shares of the railroad operators stock after selling 976 shares during the quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MAs holdings in Union Pacific were worth $61,348,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UNP. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,000 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $737,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. Twin Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,394 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 7,037 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $1,731,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 7,838 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $1,925,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Berkeley Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Union Pacific by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,100 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $1,007,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the companys stock. Get Union Pacific alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of Union Pacific stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms recently weighed in on UNP. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $259.00 to $255.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Raymond James restated a strong-buy rating and set a $280.00 target price (up from $275.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Friday, April 26th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Benchmark restated a buy rating and issued a $266.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $258.79. Get Our Latest Research Report on Union Pacific Union Pacific Stock Performance NYSE:UNP traded up $0.82 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $244.53. The stock had a trading volume of 1,951,384 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,282,628. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $199.33 and a 1-year high of $258.66. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $232.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $239.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $148.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.37, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.06. Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 42.62%. Union Pacifics revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.57 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.12 EPS for the current fiscal year. Union Pacific Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.19%. This is a positive change from Union Pacifics previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Union Pacifics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.62%. Union Pacific Profile (Free Report) Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, renewable biofuel producers, and other agricultural users; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Union Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Union Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Berenberg Bank reiterated their buy rating on shares of Marshalls (LON:MSLH Free Report) in a research report report published on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a GBX 420 ($5.36) price target on the stock. Marshalls Price Performance Shares of LON MSLH opened at GBX 338.50 ($4.32) on Monday. Marshalls has a fifty-two week low of GBX 195.30 ($2.49) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 364.50 ($4.65). The company has a market cap of 855.96 million, a PE ratio of 4,835.71, a P/E/G ratio of 0.17 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 39.31, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.87. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 324.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 302. Get Marshalls alerts: Marshalls Cuts Dividend The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 24th will be given a dividend of GBX 2.60 ($0.03) per share. This represents a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 24th. Marshallss dividend payout ratio is presently 11,428.57%. About Marshalls Marshalls plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells landscape, building, and roofing products in the United Kingdom and internationally. It offers paving products, such as flag paving, natural stone paving, block paving, permeable paving, tactile paving, accessories, steps, rail products, marker blocks, setts and cobbles, and pedestals; kerbs; and combined kerb and drainage systems, linear drainage systems, below ground drainage, offsite solutions, civils and drainage water management, specialist precast, and precast solutions. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Marshalls Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Marshalls and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Montecito Bank & Trust lessened its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO Free Report) by 7.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,837 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after selling 307 shares during the quarter. Montecito Bank & Trusts holdings in Valero Energy were worth $601,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $570,428,000. Putnam Investments LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 3,445,821 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $447,957,000 after acquiring an additional 122,207 shares during the last quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 18.7% during the 4th quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. now owns 2,389,654 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $310,655,000 after purchasing an additional 376,449 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,063,923 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $352,292,000 after buying an additional 65,632 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 37.6% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,558,750 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $266,040,000 after acquiring an additional 426,093 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Valero Energy alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages recently commented on VLO. Wolfe Research began coverage on Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an outperform rating and a $177.00 price objective for the company. Argus cut shares of Valero Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, May 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $178.00 to $172.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Mizuho raised Valero Energy from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and raised their price target for the company from $165.00 to $175.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $174.00. Valero Energy Stock Performance Shares of VLO stock traded up $1.00 on Friday, hitting $150.30. The company had a trading volume of 612,103 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,005,255. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $151.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $155.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $48.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $119.88 and a twelve month high of $184.79. Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $34.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $32.97 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 4.25% and a return on equity of 21.01%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $5.40 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 13.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Valero Energy Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 1st will be issued a $1.07 dividend. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.85%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 1st. Valero Energys payout ratio is currently 21.20%. Valero Energy Profile (Free Report) Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, Mexico, Peru, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Valero Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valero Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC increased its position in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 133,624 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 6,000 shares during the quarter. Pfizer makes up about 1.6% of Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLCs holdings in Pfizer were worth $3,739,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Pfizer during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Pfizer by 100.0% in the 1st quarter. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors own 68.36% of the companys stock. Get Pfizer alerts: Pfizer Stock Down 1.4 % Shares of PFE traded down $0.41 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $28.30. The company had a trading volume of 48,658,691 shares, compared to its average volume of 39,558,684. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $28.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $160.36 billion, a P/E ratio of -471.25, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.69. Pfizer Inc. has a 1 year low of $25.20 and a 1 year high of $37.19. Pfizer Announces Dividend Pfizer ( NYSE:PFE Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $13.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.96 billion. Pfizer had a positive return on equity of 8.42% and a negative net margin of 4.66%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.67 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.68 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 26th. Pfizers payout ratio is -2,799.53%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages recently issued reports on PFE. StockNews.com upgraded Pfizer from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded Pfizer from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $28.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Pfizer from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. UBS Group raised their target price on Pfizer from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Pfizer from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $34.54. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on PFE About Pfizer (Free Report) Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, Zavzpret, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Abrysvo, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS Free Report) DA Davidson issued their Q3 2024 earnings per share estimates for Nu Skin Enterprises in a report released on Monday, August 12th. DA Davidson analyst L. Weiser expects that the company will post earnings of $0.19 per share for the quarter. DA Davidson currently has a Neutral rating and a $11.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Nu Skin Enterprises current full-year earnings is $1.10 per share. DA Davidson also issued estimates for Nu Skin Enterprises FY2024 earnings at $0.75 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $0.90 EPS. Get Nu Skin Enterprises alerts: Separately, Citigroup lowered their price objective on Nu Skin Enterprises from $14.00 to $11.50 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $16.50. Nu Skin Enterprises Stock Performance NYSE NUS opened at $9.87 on Wednesday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $10.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $490.21 million, a P/E ratio of -164.50 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 2.09. Nu Skin Enterprises has a fifty-two week low of $8.80 and a fifty-two week high of $24.88. Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE:NUS Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $439.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $431.87 million. Nu Skin Enterprises had a positive return on equity of 9.28% and a negative net margin of 0.17%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.54 earnings per share. Nu Skin Enterprises Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. Nu Skin Enterprisess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -400.00%. Insider Activity In other news, Director Andrew D. Lipman sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.33, for a total value of $26,660.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 23,225 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $309,589.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nu Skin Enterprises Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NUS. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Nu Skin Enterprises during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,230,000. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its stake in Nu Skin Enterprises by 111.8% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,323,542 shares of the companys stock worth $13,950,000 after acquiring an additional 698,722 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Nu Skin Enterprises during the 4th quarter worth about $8,930,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Nu Skin Enterprises by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,489,580 shares of the companys stock worth $89,751,000 after acquiring an additional 274,309 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Nu Skin Enterprises by 100.5% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 534,579 shares of the companys stock worth $5,634,000 after acquiring an additional 267,965 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.84% of the companys stock. About Nu Skin Enterprises (Get Free Report) Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development and distribution of various beauty and wellness products worldwide. It offers skin care devices, cosmetics, and other personal care products, including ageLOC LumiSpa and ageLOC LumiSpa iO; and nutricentials skin care products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Orla Mining Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:ORLA Free Report) Stock analysts at Desjardins lifted their FY2024 EPS estimates for Orla Mining in a research note issued to investors on Monday, August 12th. Desjardins analyst J. Sclodnick now forecasts that the company will earn $0.24 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $0.17. The consensus estimate for Orla Minings current full-year earnings is $0.19 per share. Desjardins also issued estimates for Orla Minings FY2026 earnings at $0.27 EPS. Get Orla Mining alerts: Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Scotiabank downgraded Orla Mining from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Orla Mining from $6.00 to $6.25 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 15th. Orla Mining Trading Up 3.4 % Shares of Orla Mining stock opened at $3.98 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $1.27 billion, a PE ratio of -49.74 and a beta of 0.82. Orla Mining has a twelve month low of $2.60 and a twelve month high of $4.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 4.70 and a current ratio of 5.68. Orla Mining (NYSEAMERICAN:ORLA Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 14th. The company reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.04 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $67.28 million for the quarter. Orla Mining had a negative net margin of 9.11% and a positive return on equity of 12.32%. Institutional Trading of Orla Mining Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ORLA. Rathbones Group PLC raised its stake in Orla Mining by 37.4% during the 4th quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 20,950 shares of the companys stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 5,700 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Orla Mining during the second quarter valued at $102,000. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its position in Orla Mining by 536.1% during the second quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 27,563 shares of the companys stock valued at $106,000 after buying an additional 23,230 shares during the period. Aigen Investment Management LP lifted its stake in Orla Mining by 133.5% in the 4th quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP now owns 35,525 shares of the companys stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 20,309 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its position in Orla Mining by 50.0% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 55,089 shares of the companys stock worth $180,000 after acquiring an additional 18,375 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 43.04% of the companys stock. Orla Mining Company Profile (Get Free Report) Orla Mining Ltd. acquires, explores, develops, and exploits mineral properties. The company explores for gold, silver, zinc, lead, and copper deposits. It owns 100% interests in the Camino Rojo project that consists of seven concessions covering an area of 138,636 hectares located in Zacatecas, Mexico; Cerro Quema project totaling an area of 15,000 hectares located in the Azuero Peninsula, Panama; and the South Railroad project consisting of an area of 21,000 hectares located in Elko, Nevada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Orla Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Orla Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (NYSE:TLK Get Free Report)s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $18.40, but opened at $18.77. Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk shares last traded at $18.88, with a volume of 455,968 shares trading hands. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com cut Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday. Get Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on TLK Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk Trading Up 2.2 % Institutional Trading of Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.43, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.75. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $18.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $20.86. Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk by 12.1% in the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 4,567,419 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $85,411,000 after acquiring an additional 492,128 shares during the period. Northcape Capital Pty Ltd increased its holdings in Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk by 75.1% during the first quarter. Northcape Capital Pty Ltd now owns 572,516 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $12,744,000 after buying an additional 245,573 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk by 268.1% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 316,621 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $5,921,000 after buying an additional 230,613 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,301,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk in the 2nd quarter worth $2,163,000. About Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (Get Free Report) Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk provides information and communications technology, and telecommunications network services worldwide. The company operates through mobile, consumer, enterprise, Wholesale and International Business, and Other segments. The Mobile segment offers mobile voice, SMS, value added services, and mobile broadband services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Prosperity Bancshares (NYSE:PB Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday. A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on PB. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $73.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Stephens raised shares of Prosperity Bancshares from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Prosperity Bancshares from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $75.00 to $86.00 in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Compass Point upped their target price on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $73.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $78.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $74.81. Get Prosperity Bancshares alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on PB Prosperity Bancshares Price Performance NYSE PB traded up $0.40 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $71.15. The stock had a trading volume of 87,033 shares, compared to its average volume of 583,971. Prosperity Bancshares has a 1 year low of $49.60 and a 1 year high of $74.05. The stock has a market cap of $6.78 billion, a PE ratio of 16.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $64.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.37. Prosperity Bancshares (NYSE:PB Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The bank reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $458.95 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $290.06 million. Prosperity Bancshares had a net margin of 25.10% and a return on equity of 6.32%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.21 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Prosperity Bancshares will post 5.06 earnings per share for the current year. Prosperity Bancshares Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Prosperity Bancsharess dividend payout ratio is 51.61%. Institutional Trading of Prosperity Bancshares Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Prosperity Bancshares by 59.6% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 474 shares of the banks stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the period. Quarry LP raised its position in Prosperity Bancshares by 533.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 494 shares of the banks stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 416 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC raised its position in Prosperity Bancshares by 3,147.1% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 552 shares of the banks stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in Prosperity Bancshares by 835.9% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 730 shares of the banks stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 652 shares during the period. Finally, Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Prosperity Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth about $50,000. 80.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Prosperity Bancshares Company Profile (Get Free Report) Prosperity Bancshares, Inc operates as bank holding company for the Prosperity Bank that provides financial products and services to businesses and consumers. It accepts various deposit products, such as demand, savings, money market, and time accounts, as well as and certificates of deposit. The company also offers 1-4 family residential mortgage, commercial real estate and multifamily residential, commercial and industrial, agricultural, and non-real estate agricultural loans, as well as construction, land development, and other land loans; consumer loans, including automobile, recreational vehicle, boat, home improvement, personal, and deposit account collateralized loans; term loans and lines of credit; and consumer durables and home equity loans, as well as loans for working capital, business expansion, and purchase of equipment and machinery. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Prosperity Bancshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Prosperity Bancshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TO ACCESS THIS CONTENT YOU MUST OPEN A SESSION OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT MEMBER LOGIN CREATE YOUR USER ACCOUNT The Louisiana Public Service Commission approved two settlements Wednesday that will benefit Entergy Louisiana customers, support the company's op. . . Raymond James (NYSE:RJF Get Free Report) CEO Tashtego S. Elwyn sold 31,277 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $3,429,210.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 35,380 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,879,063.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Raymond James Price Performance Shares of Raymond James stock opened at $115.30 on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $116.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $119.95. Raymond James has a 12-month low of $91.67 and a 12-month high of $131.19. The firm has a market cap of $23.74 billion, a PE ratio of 13.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Get Raymond James alerts: Raymond James (NYSE:RJF Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $2.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $3.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.24 billion. Raymond James had a return on equity of 18.44% and a net margin of 13.16%. Raymond Jamess quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.85 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Raymond James will post 9.56 EPS for the current year. Raymond James Dividend Announcement Institutional Trading of Raymond James The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 1st were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 1st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.56%. Raymond Jamess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.77%. A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Driehaus Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Raymond James during the 2nd quarter valued at $244,000. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Raymond James by 187.9% during the second quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 44,760 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,533,000 after buying an additional 29,212 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its stake in Raymond James by 20.3% in the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 23,581 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,915,000 after buying an additional 3,983 shares in the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC purchased a new stake in Raymond James in the second quarter worth about $1,804,000. Finally, Earnest Partners LLC boosted its position in Raymond James by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 2,505,369 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $309,689,000 after acquiring an additional 37,173 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.83% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts have recently commented on RJF shares. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Raymond James from $122.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 8th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Raymond James from $138.00 to $135.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on shares of Raymond James from $132.00 to $131.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Wolfe Research reiterated a peer perform rating on shares of Raymond James in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Raymond James from $130.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Raymond James presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $129.89. View Our Latest Analysis on Raymond James About Raymond James (Get Free Report) Raymond James Financial, Inc, a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Raymond James Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Raymond James and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Minera Alamos Inc. (CVE:MAI Get Free Report) Director Robert Bruce Durham sold 250,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$0.27, for a total value of C$67,500.00. Minera Alamos Stock Performance MAI opened at C$0.29 on Friday. Minera Alamos Inc. has a 12-month low of C$0.26 and a 12-month high of C$0.44. The company has a market cap of C$131.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -28.50 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a current ratio of 4.56, a quick ratio of 3.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.73. The companys 50 day moving average is C$0.30 and its 200 day moving average is C$0.31. Get Minera Alamos alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, National Bankshares lowered their price target on Minera Alamos from C$0.70 to C$0.60 in a report on Friday, April 19th. About Minera Alamos (Get Free Report) Minera Alamos Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of mineral properties in Mexico. The company explores for gold, silver, molybdenum, and copper deposits. It holds 100% interests in the Santana project consists of 9 mining claims covering an area of approximately 3,100 hectares located in the east-southeast of Hermosillo, Sonora; the Cerro de Oro project that includes an area of 6,500 hectares situated in Zacatecas, Mexico; and the La Fortuna project covering an area of approximately 6,100 hectares located in Durango State, Mexico, as well as the Los Verdes property located in the State of Sonora, Mexico. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Minera Alamos Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Minera Alamos and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Rollins (NYSE:ROL Free Report) in a report published on Monday morning, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage issued an overweight rating and a $54.00 price objective on the business services providers stock. A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on ROL. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rollins from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $52.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a report on Thursday, July 25th. UBS Group restated a neutral rating and issued a $49.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a report on Monday, April 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Rollins from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $47.83. Get Rollins alerts: Get Our Latest Report on Rollins Rollins Price Performance Rollins stock opened at $49.05 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.78. The company has a market capitalization of $23.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 0.70. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $48.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $46.22. Rollins has a 1 year low of $32.19 and a 1 year high of $50.87. Rollins (NYSE:ROL Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.27. The firm had revenue of $891.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $895.02 million. Rollins had a net margin of 14.23% and a return on equity of 40.10%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.23 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Rollins will post 1 earnings per share for the current year. Rollins Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. Rollinss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.42%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,686 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.82, for a total value of $224,084.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 95,023 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,543,999.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, CEO Jerry Jr. Gahlhoff sold 12,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.20, for a total value of $566,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 288,671 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,625,271.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,686 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.82, for a total transaction of $224,084.52. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 95,023 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,543,999.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 20,017 shares of company stock worth $948,707 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 4.69% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Rollins Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Rollins by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 32,438,440 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,500,927,000 after purchasing an additional 206,873 shares during the last quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC raised its position in Rollins by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 10,023,281 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $489,036,000 after purchasing an additional 148,316 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Rollins in the 4th quarter valued at $256,862,000. TD Asset Management Inc raised its position in Rollins by 14.5% in the 1st quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 2,826,135 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $130,765,000 after purchasing an additional 357,535 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in Rollins by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,825,569 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $137,860,000 after purchasing an additional 133,100 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 51.79% of the companys stock. Rollins Company Profile (Get Free Report) Rollins, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides pest and wildlife control services to residential and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. The company offers pest control services to residential properties protecting from common pests, including rodents, insects, and wildlife. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Rollins Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rollins and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Singapore Telecommunications Limited (OTCMKTS:SGAPY Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $23.45 and last traded at $22.86, with a volume of 23003 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $22.12. Singapore Telecommunications Price Performance The firm has a 50-day moving average of $21.08 and a 200 day moving average of $18.97. Get Singapore Telecommunications alerts: Singapore Telecommunications Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 27th. Investors of record on Friday, August 2nd will be given a $0.5649 dividend. This is a boost from Singapore Telecommunicationss previous dividend of $0.36. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 2nd. About Singapore Telecommunications Singapore Telecommunications Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunication services to consumers and small businesses in Singapore, Australia, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Optus, Singapore Consumer, Group Enterprise, NCS, Trustwave, and Amobee segments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Singapore Telecommunications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Singapore Telecommunications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Smith Douglas Homes Corp. (NYSE:SDHC Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $35.62 and last traded at $35.62, with a volume of 7027 shares. The stock had previously closed at $32.56. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $220.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $208.02 million. The firms quarterly revenue was up 21.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Get Smith Douglas Homes alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on SDHC shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Smith Douglas Homes from $25.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $26.00 price target on shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a research report on Thursday. Bank of America increased their price target on Smith Douglas Homes from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wedbush restated a neutral rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a research report on Wednesday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $29.70. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Smith Douglas Homes A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SDHC. Norden Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter worth about $2,331,000. Sei Investments Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter worth about $1,015,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter worth about $1,625,000. Lisanti Capital Growth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter worth about $3,973,000. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky bought a new position in shares of Smith Douglas Homes in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $565,000. Smith Douglas Homes Stock Down 1.7 % The stock has a 50 day moving average of $26.74 and a two-hundred day moving average of $27.74. Smith Douglas Homes Company Profile (Get Free Report) Smith Douglas Homes Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family homes in the southeastern United States. It also provides closing, escrow, and title insurance services. The company sells its products to entry-level and empty-nest homebuyers. Smith Douglas Homes Corp. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Smith Douglas Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Smith Douglas Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of InnSuites Hospitality Trust (NYSE:IHT Free Report) in a report published on Monday. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. InnSuites Hospitality Trust Price Performance Shares of NYSE:IHT opened at $1.57 on Monday. InnSuites Hospitality Trust has a twelve month low of $0.95 and a twelve month high of $2.33. The companys 50 day moving average is $1.68 and its 200 day moving average is $1.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.49. The company has a market cap of $14.17 million, a PE ratio of -78.50 and a beta of 0.11. Get InnSuites Hospitality Trust alerts: InnSuites Hospitality Trust Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 19th were paid a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 19th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.2%. InnSuites Hospitality Trusts payout ratio is -100.00%. Insider Transactions at InnSuites Hospitality Trust About InnSuites Hospitality Trust In other InnSuites Hospitality Trust news, CEO James F. Wirth bought 200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $264.04 per share, for a total transaction of $52,808.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 6,252,196 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,650,829,831.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . In other news, CEO James F. Wirth acquired 200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $264.04 per share, for a total transaction of $52,808.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 6,252,196 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,650,829,831.84. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Also, CEO James F. Wirth acquired 300 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 29th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $388.50 per share, for a total transaction of $116,550.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 6,252,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,429,094,696. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Corporate insiders own 73.93% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) InnSuites Hospitality Trust (NYSE American symbol: IHT) first listed on the NYSE in 1971 is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona is an unincorporated Ohio Business. Trust that owns and manages hotels under the InnSuites Hotels name. IHT qualifies as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) for tax treatment currently taxed as a corporation with the IRS. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for InnSuites Hospitality Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for InnSuites Hospitality Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. System1, Inc. (NYSE:SST Get Free Report) major shareholder Cee Holdings Trust bought 14,142 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $1.08 per share, for a total transaction of $15,273.36. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now owns 8,644,587 shares in the company, valued at $9,336,153.96. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a companys shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC. Cee Holdings Trust also recently made the following trade(s): Get System1 alerts: On Tuesday, August 13th, Cee Holdings Trust acquired 965 shares of System1 stock. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $1.10 per share, for a total transaction of $1,061.50. On Thursday, July 11th, Cee Holdings Trust purchased 6,749 shares of System1 stock. The shares were bought at an average price of $1.45 per share, with a total value of $9,786.05. On Tuesday, July 9th, Cee Holdings Trust purchased 45,616 shares of System1 stock. The stock was acquired at an average price of $1.45 per share, with a total value of $66,143.20. On Friday, July 5th, Cee Holdings Trust purchased 2,355 shares of System1 stock. The stock was acquired at an average price of $1.45 per share, for a total transaction of $3,414.75. On Wednesday, July 3rd, Cee Holdings Trust bought 248 shares of System1 stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of $1.45 per share, with a total value of $359.60. On Monday, July 1st, Cee Holdings Trust bought 66,290 shares of System1 stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $1.44 per share, for a total transaction of $95,457.60. On Friday, June 28th, Cee Holdings Trust bought 23,136 shares of System1 stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $1.45 per share, for a total transaction of $33,547.20. On Wednesday, June 26th, Cee Holdings Trust bought 43,307 shares of System1 stock. The stock was acquired at an average price of $1.45 per share, with a total value of $62,795.15. On Monday, June 24th, Cee Holdings Trust bought 1,200 shares of System1 stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $1.45 per share, with a total value of $1,740.00. On Thursday, June 20th, Cee Holdings Trust bought 2,382 shares of System1 stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of $1.45 per share, for a total transaction of $3,453.90. System1 Price Performance Shares of System1 stock traded down $0.03 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $1.05. 119,374 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 299,699. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $1.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04. System1, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $1.04 and a fifty-two week high of $3.02. The company has a market cap of $94.61 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.46 and a beta of 1.35. Institutional Inflows and Outflows System1 Company Profile An institutional investor recently raised its position in System1 stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in System1, Inc. ( NYSE:SST Free Report ) by 126.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 57,900 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 32,300 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned 0.06% of System1 worth $88,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. 87.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. (Get Free Report) System1, Inc provides omnichannel customer acquisition platform services through its proprietary responsive acquisition marketing platform in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, and internationally. It operates through two segments: Owned and Operated Advertising, and Partner Network. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for System1 Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for System1 and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Terreno Realty (NYSE:TRNO Free Report) had its target price boosted by The Goldman Sachs Group from $60.00 to $68.00 in a report released on Monday, Benzinga reports. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has a neutral rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on TRNO. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Terreno Realty from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 24th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Terreno Realty in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. They issued an outperform rating and a $68.00 price target for the company. JMP Securities reissued a market outperform rating and issued a $65.00 price target on shares of Terreno Realty in a research report on Monday, May 13th. Wedbush reissued a neutral rating and issued a $57.00 price target (down previously from $67.00) on shares of Terreno Realty in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Terreno Realty from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Terreno Realty has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $66.44. Get Terreno Realty alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on TRNO Terreno Realty Stock Performance Terreno Realty Increases Dividend NYSE:TRNO opened at $67.75 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a current ratio of 2.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.29, a PEG ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $63.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $61.19. Terreno Realty has a fifty-two week low of $50.42 and a fifty-two week high of $69.74. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is a boost from Terreno Realtys previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.89%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. Terreno Realtys payout ratio is 102.08%. Insider Transactions at Terreno Realty In related news, President Michael A. Coke sold 7,500 shares of Terreno Realty stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.53, for a total transaction of $513,975.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 402,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,560,298.92. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, President Michael A. Coke sold 7,500 shares of Terreno Realty stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.53, for a total transaction of $513,975.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 402,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,560,298.92. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jaime Jackson Cannon sold 4,998 shares of Terreno Realty stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.39, for a total transaction of $341,813.22. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 101,927 shares in the company, valued at $6,970,787.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 18,643 shares of company stock valued at $1,277,581. Insiders own 2.40% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Terreno Realty Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its stake in Terreno Realty by 14.3% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 66,584 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $3,940,000 after purchasing an additional 8,336 shares during the period. DigitalBridge Group Inc. increased its stake in Terreno Realty by 30.1% in the second quarter. DigitalBridge Group Inc. now owns 175,288 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $10,374,000 after purchasing an additional 40,600 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Terreno Realty by 48.4% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 44,114 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,611,000 after purchasing an additional 14,386 shares during the period. Xponance Inc. increased its stake in Terreno Realty by 15.9% in the second quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 6,085 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $360,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares during the period. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Terreno Realty by 238.3% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,327,932 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $78,587,000 after purchasing an additional 935,418 shares during the period. About Terreno Realty (Get Free Report) Terreno Realty Corporation (Terreno, and together with its subsidiaries, the Company) acquires, owns and operates industrial real estate in six major coastal U.S. markets: Los Angeles, Northern New Jersey/New York City, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Miami, and Washington, DC All square feet, acres, occupancy and number of properties disclosed in these notes to the consolidated financial statements are unaudited. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Terreno Realty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Terreno Realty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Toho Gas Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:THOGF Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 105,500 shares, a decrease of 27.3% from the July 15th total of 145,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently days. Toho Gas Stock Performance Shares of THOGF remained flat at C$18.75 during trading hours on Thursday. The stock had a trading volume of 800 shares, compared to its average volume of 150. Toho Gas has a 12 month low of C$18.75 and a 12 month high of C$18.75. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is C$18.75 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$18.75. Get Toho Gas alerts: About Toho Gas (Get Free Report) Further Reading Toho Gas Co, Ltd. engages in the gas, LPG/other energy, electric power, and other businesses in Japan and internationally. It is also involved in the development, purchase, and sale of natural gas and other energy resources; production, transportation, and sale of high-pressure gases, including LNG, LPG, and liquefied carbon dioxide; sale of coke, tar, and crude oil products; and production and sale of chemical industrial products, such as methanol and plasticizers. Receive News & Ratings for Toho Gas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toho Gas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ariston Services Group lessened its position in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ Free Report) by 1.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 76,529 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 894 shares during the period. Vanguard Real Estate ETF makes up about 6.2% of Ariston Services Groups holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Ariston Services Groups holdings in Vanguard Real Estate ETF were worth $6,410,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of VNQ. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 87.5% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 9,746,686 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $861,217,000 after purchasing an additional 4,547,415 shares during the last quarter. Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University bought a new stake in Vanguard Real Estate ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $150,204,000. Beacon Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 223.8% during the 1st quarter. Beacon Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,857,598 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $157,952,000 after purchasing an additional 1,283,964 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its stake in Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 376.1% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 1,367,653 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $118,275,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,371 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 199.2% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,242,219 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $107,427,000 after acquiring an additional 826,971 shares during the period. Get Vanguard Real Estate ETF alerts: Vanguard Real Estate ETF Stock Performance Shares of VNQ stock traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $91.37. The company had a trading volume of 4,054,354 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,302,122. Vanguard Real Estate ETF has a one year low of $70.61 and a one year high of $92.13. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $86.82 and a 200-day moving average price of $84.72. The firm has a market cap of $35.96 billion, a PE ratio of 22.09 and a beta of 1.03. Vanguard Real Estate ETF Profile Vanguard REIT ETF (the Fund) is an open-end investment company. The Fund invests in stocks issued by real estate investment trusts (REITs), companies that purchase office buildings, hotels, and other real property. It tracks the return of the MSCI US RIT Index, a gauge of real estate stocks. The Vanguard Group, Inc provides investment advisory services to the Fund. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VNQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard Real Estate ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard Real Estate ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. I was 28 years old when the U.S. Air Force sent me to Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, to complete Chaplain Basic Training. For three weeks, I sat elbow-to-elbow with other young chaplain wannabes. On my left side sat the first of many chaplain priests Id befriend. Yet, almost from the beginning, Father Frank found me deeply disturbing on two levels. First, he couldnt believe I didnt drink. For the second problem, he suggested that A good drink could fix your akathisia. Whats that? I asked. Akathisia describes a complete inability to sit still. Fortunately, within a few days, I was able to win Frank over without alcohol. We shared a lot of laughs, giggling during lectures, passing notes and kicking each other under the table to keep quiet. I began to feel Catholic priests would likely go to heaven and he learned that even Baptist teetotalers could be fun. However, my classmate to my right wasnt as sociable. Bobby kept to himself, looking straight ahead, volunteering little more than his name and religious denomination. Finally, a few days from the course completion during a lecture on grief, Bobby dropped a bomb. I know you probably think Ive seemed detached these past several days. An acapella chorus of No-duh rippled through our student body. My mother died the day after we arrived. Suddenly, it became quiet enough to hear a chaplain cuss, but I just said, Ah, shoot. Our class stopped to say a prayer for Bobby. The course director offered him emergency leave, but Bobby refused, holding tight his military bearing. After class, a few of us invited Bobby to a nearby bar. He declined, so we went without him. Inside the bar, we commiserated on Bobbys behalf, noting how tragic it was to lose a family member while so far away from home. After a few drinks, Frank slammed his hand on the table. Bobby didnt trust us, he said. We sat shoulder-to-shoulder with him all month and he was locked up too tight to share with his clergy brothers. Perhaps we could have helped him, said one chaplain. How could we? asked Frank. He didnt trust us to help him. We could have carried his class assignments, suggested one lieutenant. I would have given him my phone card to call his family, I said. To each idea, Frank pushed back, If only he had trusted us. The bar debate eventually found some resolve to reach out to Bobby again the next day. Try again. Frank said. A few years later, I saw Frank at a chaplains conference, just outside a Denver hotel. How you doing, Baptist? he asked. The word fine came to mind, but thinking of Bobby, I didnt lie. I trusted Frank more than that. Not good. I said as my tears splatted the conference-room carpet. Many readers know the story I told Frank next. A few months prior, Id rushed to give solace at a mass shooting scene at Cleveland Elementary school in Stockton, California. I was the chaplain who told six parents that their child had been killed. I fell into the arms Frank extended. He held me and wouldnt let go. That night, he invited me to join him and two other priests at a local bar the same opportunity hed offered Bobby. As we talked in that dark, private space, I sipped at my Pepsi, feeling a restoration budding in my soul. During the next few hours, my priestly friends also told their stories of grief. They taught me that grief cant stay in the dark. It must come out or it will never heal. Why did I choose this week to tell you this story? Because my 90-year-old mother died a few weeks ago and I wont keep that a secret. She was the most wonderful mother who taught me faith, laughter and love. I want you to know that I feel grief and so should you. By the way, I finally did take Franks advice by accepting his offer of a Colorado Bulldog. (Its a White Russian cocktail, with added Pepsi.) It was so delicious that I ordered two more that evening. About midnight, when we stood to leave, the ceiling seemed a bit active. Dont worry. We got you, Baptist. Frank promised. And they did. They all walked me back to my room, arm in arm, like the brothers theyd become. Shares of Voestalpine AG (OTCMKTS:VLPNY Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $4.55 and last traded at $4.55, with a volume of 12 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.55. Voestalpine Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 1.41. The companys 50 day moving average is $5.29 and its 200 day moving average is $5.43. Get Voestalpine alerts: Voestalpine Cuts Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 12th were given a dividend of $0.0955 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 12th. Voestalpine Company Profile Voestalpine AG processes, develops, manufactures, and sells steel products in Austria, European Union, and internationally. The company operates through five segments: Steel, High Performance Metals, Metal Engineering, Metal Forming, and Other. The Steel division produces hot and cold-rolled steel strips, as well as electrogalvanized, hot-dip galvanized, and organically coated steel strips; and heavy plates for the energy sector, as well as turbine casings for automotive, white goods/consumer goods, building/construction, energy, mechanical engineering, and others. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Voestalpine Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Voestalpine and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC grew its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG Free Report) by 10.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 430,770 shares of the insurance providers stock after buying an additional 40,975 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC owned 0.15% of The Hartford Financial Services Group worth $43,310,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $278,704,000. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 26.2% in the 4th quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 6,119,863 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $491,915,000 after purchasing an additional 1,272,290 shares during the last quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 72.0% in the 1st quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 1,335,594 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $137,633,000 after purchasing an additional 559,019 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $53,980,000. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 85.5% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,074,470 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $86,366,000 after purchasing an additional 495,192 shares during the last quarter. 93.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get The Hartford Financial Services Group alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have recently weighed in on HIG. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $112.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Argus upgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Citigroup cut The Hartford Financial Services Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price target for the company from $116.00 to $114.00 in a research report on Friday, June 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $104.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $105.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $110.88. Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group In other The Hartford Financial Services Group news, EVP Michael R. Fisher sold 4,088 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.47, for a total value of $414,809.36. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,818 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,503,582.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. The Hartford Financial Services Group Trading Up 0.5 % Shares of HIG stock traded up $0.52 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $110.13. 935,264 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,655,073. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The stock has a market cap of $32.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.46, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $103.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $99.67. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $68.82 and a fifty-two week high of $112.65. The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The insurance provider reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $6.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.02 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 21.20% and a net margin of 11.44%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.88 EPS. Equities analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.07 EPS for the current fiscal year. The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. The Hartford Financial Services Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.36%. The Hartford Financial Services Group declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, July 25th that permits the company to repurchase $3.30 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the insurance provider to repurchase up to 10.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued. The Hartford Financial Services Group Profile (Free Report) The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, accident, health, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for The Hartford Financial Services Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Hartford Financial Services Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC lowered its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA Free Report) by 10.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 132,515 shares of the companys stock after selling 15,773 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $42,574,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Robbins Farley grew its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Robbins Farley now owns 5,440 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,748,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter worth $1,893,000. Seed Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 9.0% in the 2nd quarter. Seed Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,155 shares of the companys stock worth $371,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. PGGM Investments boosted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. PGGM Investments now owns 40,093 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,881,000 after purchasing an additional 518 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 284.0% during the 2nd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 96 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the companys stock. Get HCA Healthcare alerts: HCA Healthcare Stock Performance Shares of HCA Healthcare stock traded up $0.31 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $371.89. The company had a trading volume of 724,637 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,151,112. The stock has a market cap of $97.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.49, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.11. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $339.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $327.76. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 12-month low of $215.96 and a 12-month high of $375.64. HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement HCA Healthcare ( NYSE:HCA Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $5.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.97 by $0.53. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.40% and a return on equity of 553.13%. The firm had revenue of $17.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $17.05 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.29 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 22.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. HCA Healthcares dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.16%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $376.00 to $396.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $371.00 to $360.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $315.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Baird R W upgraded shares of HCA Healthcare to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $375.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $349.28. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on HCA Insiders Place Their Bets In other HCA Healthcare news, SVP Christopher F. Wyatt sold 4,000 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.20, for a total transaction of $1,440,800.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 40,449 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,569,729.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other HCA Healthcare news, SVP Christopher F. Wyatt sold 4,000 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.20, for a total transaction of $1,440,800.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 40,449 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,569,729.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Kathryn A. Torres sold 1,857 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.05, for a total value of $659,327.85. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 17,755 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,303,912.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 8,844 shares of company stock valued at $3,185,932 in the last 90 days. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders. About HCA Healthcare (Free Report) HCA Healthcare, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates hospitals and related healthcare entities in the United States. It operates general and acute care hospitals that offers medical and surgical services, including inpatient care, intensive care, cardiac care, diagnostic, and emergency services; and outpatient services, such as outpatient surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, cardiology, and physical therapy. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HCA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for HCA Healthcare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HCA Healthcare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC boosted its position in Unum Group (NYSE:UNM Free Report) by 8.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 872,808 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 64,661 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC owned 0.46% of Unum Group worth $44,609,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNM. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Unum Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $590,489,000. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in Unum Group by 51.7% during the 1st quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,961,539 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $158,590,000 after buying an additional 1,008,776 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Unum Group by 6,498.1% during the 1st quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 636,320 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $34,145,000 after buying an additional 626,676 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in Unum Group by 85.0% during the 1st quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 778,129 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $41,754,000 after buying an additional 357,475 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Unum Group by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,590,655 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $931,109,000 after buying an additional 300,840 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.57% of the companys stock. Get Unum Group alerts: Unum Group Price Performance NYSE:UNM traded up $0.20 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $54.40. The stock had a trading volume of 1,023,426 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,255,594. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.28. Unum Group has a one year low of $41.75 and a one year high of $58.17. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $52.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $51.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.12, a P/E/G ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.81. Unum Group Increases Dividend Unum Group ( NYSE:UNM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.02 by $0.14. Unum Group had a return on equity of 15.55% and a net margin of 10.40%. The firm had revenue of $3.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.23 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.06 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Unum Group will post 8.53 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th will be given a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 26th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.09%. This is an increase from Unum Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Unum Groups payout ratio is presently 24.96%. Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, July 30th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to buy up to 10% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have weighed in on UNM. Citigroup lifted their target price on Unum Group from $62.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Unum Group from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on Unum Group from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Unum Group from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Unum Group from $62.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $61.78. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Unum Group About Unum Group (Free Report) Unum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial protection benefit solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and internationally. It operates through Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, and Closed Block segment. The company offers group long-term and short-term disability, group life, and accidental death and dismemberment products; supplemental and voluntary products, such as individual disability, voluntary benefits, and dental and vision products; and accident, sickness, disability, life, and cancer and critical illness products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Unum Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Unum Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC lessened its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG Free Report) by 17.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 54,542 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 11,727 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC owned 0.15% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $6,842,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $65,000. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $91,000. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 64.5% in the 1st quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 747 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $102,000 after acquiring an additional 293 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.61% of the companys stock. Get The Hanover Insurance Group alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets THG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JMP Securities increased their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a market outperform rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $147.00 to $162.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $161.00 to $158.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $142.00 to $144.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $152.50. The Hanover Insurance Group Trading Up 0.1 % Shares of NYSE THG traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $134.39. The company had a trading volume of 1,780 shares, compared to its average volume of 171,865. The stock has a market cap of $4.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.15 and a beta of 0.68. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $103.82 and a 52 week high of $139.25. The businesss 50-day moving average is $128.57 and its 200-day moving average is $130.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.88. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a net margin of 4.44% and a return on equity of 12.42%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($1.91) EPS. Equities analysts expect that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 10.53 earnings per share for the current year. The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 14th were issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 13th. The Hanover Insurance Groups dividend payout ratio is 76.23%. Insider Activity at The Hanover Insurance Group In other news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,119 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction on Friday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.25, for a total value of $147,987.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. The Hanover Insurance Group Company Profile (Free Report) The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various property and casualty insurance products and services in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Core Commercial, Specialty, Personal Lines, and Other. The Commercial Lines segment offers commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, workers' compensation, and other commercial lines coverage. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding THG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The Hanover Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Hanover Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC trimmed its position in McKesson Co. (NYSE:MCK Free Report) by 21.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 59,259 shares of the companys stock after selling 15,769 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NCs holdings in McKesson were worth $34,610,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MCK. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of McKesson by 14.2% in the second quarter. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 508 shares of the companys stock worth $297,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. TruWealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in McKesson by 113.1% in the 2nd quarter. TruWealth Advisors LLC now owns 908 shares of the companys stock worth $530,000 after buying an additional 482 shares in the last quarter. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. bought a new position in shares of McKesson in the 2nd quarter worth $217,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in McKesson by 36.9% during the second quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 371 shares of the companys stock valued at $218,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, QV Investors Inc. lifted its stake in McKesson by 0.6% during the second quarter. QV Investors Inc. now owns 3,479 shares of the companys stock worth $2,032,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. 85.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get McKesson alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MCK. UBS Group raised their price objective on McKesson from $620.00 to $630.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of McKesson from $590.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on shares of McKesson from $547.00 to $545.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 9th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of McKesson from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Argus lifted their price objective on McKesson from $570.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, McKesson presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $609.79. Insider Activity In other McKesson news, CFO Britt J. Vitalone sold 12,752 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $558.09, for a total transaction of $7,116,763.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,028 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,828,886.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other McKesson news, CEO Brian S. Tyler sold 3,753 shares of McKesson stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $626.03, for a total value of $2,349,490.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 82,339 shares of the companys stock, valued at $51,546,684.17. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Britt J. Vitalone sold 12,752 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $558.09, for a total transaction of $7,116,763.68. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 14,028 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,828,886.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 32,713 shares of company stock worth $18,702,605. Corporate insiders own 0.11% of the companys stock. McKesson Stock Performance Shares of McKesson stock traded down $7.42 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $545.41. 1,382,740 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 744,650. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $589.21 and a 200-day moving average of $551.92. The company has a market cap of $70.87 billion, a PE ratio of 24.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.45. McKesson Co. has a 12 month low of $404.72 and a 12 month high of $637.51. McKesson (NYSE:MCK Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $7.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.21 by $0.67. McKesson had a negative return on equity of 245.88% and a net margin of 0.97%. The business had revenue of $79.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $82.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.27 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that McKesson Co. will post 31.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. McKesson Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.71 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.52%. This is a positive change from McKessons previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. McKessons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.69%. McKesson Profile (Free Report) McKesson Corporation provides healthcare services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Pharmaceutical, Prescription Technology Solutions (RxTS), Medical-Surgical Solutions, and International. The U.S. Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded, generic, specialty, biosimilar and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, and other healthcare-related products. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MCK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McKesson Co. (NYSE:MCK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for McKesson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McKesson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. In efforts to improve the health and social well-being of Nigerians and drive economic development, President Bola Tinubu has launched the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA)-Healthcare Expansion Programme and the retraining of 120,000 frontline health workers. It was learnt that as his first initiative, Healthcare Expansion Programme would be a major milestone in the health sector as ten world-class healthcare facilities specializing in oncology and diagnostics will be established across the nation's six geopolitical zones. According to a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser on media and publicity to the President, the expansion builds upon the success of the NSIAs previous projects, including the NSIA-Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Cancer Centre, the NSIA-Kano Diagnostic Centre, and the NSIA-Umuahia Diagnostic Centre. Speaking at the launch of the initiatives on Friday in Bauchi State, President Tinubu, who was represented by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the new projects will complement the ongoing expansion of cancer infrastructure and equipment in six federal teaching hospitals. The President stated that beyond providing essential healthcare to Nigerians, these facilities will reverse the trend of outbound medical tourism. The President also said upon completion of the first phase, the NSIA, through its subsidiary, Medserve, will operate the largest chain of oncology and diagnostic centres in West Africa, with the capacity to train up to 500 clinicians over three years, in addition to enhancing clinical trial and research capabilities. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, and the NSIA for their vision, innovation, and dedication to making this programme a reality. Through inter-sectoral partnerships like these, we can achieve significant healthcare and economic outcomes. This programme will serve as a blueprint for future healthcare infrastructure projects, propelling us towards our national healthcare goals: saving lives, reducing suffering, and ensuring health for all Nigerians. The second initiative, the launch of the retraining of 120,000 frontline health workers, is a personal performance indicator for me as the African Union (AU) Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership. We all know that health workers and other professionals are the backbone of our healthcare system. By equipping them with the latest skills and knowledge, we ensure they are well-prepared to meet the evolving healthcare needs of our population, President Tinubu was quoted as saying. Underscoring the viability of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), the President affirmed that the nations productivity and wealth depend on the vitality of its people, and that basic healthcare is a fundamental human right, as well as a matter of long-term national security. "The NHSRII has provided strategic direction for our health investments, focusing on critical areas such as maternal and child health, disease prevention, and health system strengthening. The Compact with State Governors and Development Partners, being deployed as the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), has been crucial in advancing our health sector. These frameworks have fostered collaboration, alignment, and accountability, ensuring our collective efforts are harmonized towards achieving our health goals. "I am proud of the remarkable progress we are making, particularly in unlocking healthcare value chains, restructuring the Basic Health Care Provision Fund to expand access to primary health care by all Nigerians, expanding health insurance, and enhancing health human resources. By making universal health coverage a priority at all levels, this administration aims to foster a vibrant workforce and drive greater economic and social development for the Nigerian people," President Tinubu stated. The President emphasized that his administration will continue to prioritize healthcare, enhance preventive measures, and invest in health education while fostering health equity and justice. During a brief ceremony, where the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare was turbaned as the 'Mainasara of Bauchi Emirate', the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, thanked the President for his landmark investments in the health sector. We thank Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the giant strides he is making in the health sector. Even those of us in the opposition party, we are federalists and appreciate the work and collaboration with Mr. Presidents team here, with both the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Health, to kick off this impactful project for all Nigerians, the Governor said. West Bengal Governor, CV Ananda Bose, on Thursday afternoon, reached the premises of state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital to take stock of the situation in the backdrop of reports of vandalism at the emergency unit a few minutes after midnight on Wednesday. Governor Bose interacted with the junior doctors and medical students protesting there against the heinous rape and murder of a junior doctor within the hospital premises last week. Besides assuring the protesters of full cooperation and support in their movement for justice, Governor Bose also surveyed the condition of the ransacked emergency unit. Advertisement Let me first survey the situation. I assure you that whatever steps in the matter will be taken in future will be done only after discussing with you all, the Governor was heard telling the protesting medical staff. Later, speaking to the media, Governor Bose said that whatever had happened at RG Kar in the last few days was a blot on humanity. I will not tolerate such things at any cost. The demands of the protesting doctor are just that the real culprits should be nabbed and punished. Students are the future of the country. They should be given a proper hearing. the Governor said. He also questioned the role of the police while the midnight ransacking at the hospital premises was going on. Were there not adequate security arrangements at the hospital then? he questioned. On Wednesday evening only the Governor had issued a video message where he stated that the state government will have to take responsibility for the law and order situation in West Bengal. Campus violence should stop immediately. The state government will have to take the responsibility. Everyone will have to unite for the sake of safety of women, the Governor said. Major companies in South Korea saw their second-quarter operating income more than double from a year earlier, driven by strong performances in the semiconductor sector, a corporate tracker said on Thursday. The combined net profits of the 334 companies out of South Koreas top 500 companies by sales reached 59.4 trillion won ($43.6 billion) for the April-June period, up 107.1 per cent from 28.7 trillion won a year ago, according to CEO Score. Their total sales increased 7 per cent on-year to 779.5 trillion won from 728.6 trillion won over the cited period, reports Yonhap news agency. The corporations cover those that have disclosed their quarterly financial statements for the first quarter as of Wednesday. Advertisement The countrys two leading chipmakers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix led the overall increase for the second quarter on rising demand for AI semiconductors, such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) from U.S. tech giants like Nvidia Corp. Samsung Electronics, the worlds largest memory chipmaker, posted 10.4 trillion won in operating profit for the three-month period ending June, soaring from 668.5 billion won a year earlier. This solidified its position as the company with the highest quarterly operating profit in South Korea. SK hynixs operating profit amounted to 5.5 trillion won for the second quarter, turning from an operating loss of 2.9 trillion won a year earlier. As a result, SK hynix moved into second place in terms of operating profit, surpassing automotive giants Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., which reported operating profits of 4.3 trillion won and 3.6 trillion won, respectively. On the other hand, SK On, a battery manufacturing unit under SK Group, marked the biggest operating loss of 460.2 billion won during the period amid declining global demand for electric vehicles. The chemical sector also faced difficulties, with Lotte Chemical Co. and Hanwha Solutions Corp. recording operating losses of 111.2 billion won and 107.8 billion won, respectively. Breaking glass ceilings describes the current landscape and the pursuit of top leadership roles by women. For me, it encapsulates my decades-long career as an executive in the hospitality capital of the world and, most notably, my tenure as the first female mayor of Las Vegas. To combat the biased boundaries women face in high-powered roles, which I know all too well, Ive partnered with Blackfire Innovation to create the WomenUp Leadership Development Program. This initiative is pivotal as the Nevada Mining Association named Amanda Hilton its new president in 2024. We share a similar journey. As president, Hilton leads the association in legislative matters, community engagement, public education and workforce development a position Im sure many men doubted at first although shes supremely qualified. Countless women in business strive to break through the glass ceiling while dealing with biased boundaries and double standards. This parallel between political and corporate arenas highlights the need for supportive initiatives that empower women to overcome these obstacles and thrive in leadership roles. The WomenUp Leadership Development Program was created by the countrys most powerful female thought leaders to serve as a tangible resource for womens leadership development. Launching this September, this transformative six-month program aims to provide rising female executives with comprehensive tools, skill development, real-time feedback and direct mentorship to excel in senior-level leadership roles across all industries. Its a professional development program designed to combat the underestimation women face in their hard-earned roles. One of the many barriers women face is the complex double-bind expectations created by outdated corporate cultures. Women are expected to demonstrate both masculine and feminine traits to be considered top performers softening their delivery, being passive yet assertive and taking initiative without dominating the boardroom. Theres no room for error or emotional reactions, yet women are quickly labeled insensitive if passionately focused on business results. For many, the only solution is to walk in lockstep with unreasonable doubt. With women occupying only 25% of senior leadership roles in companies, my experience of ascending the ranks is not unique. A 2018 Pew Research Study showed 52% of women believed they were held to a higher standard than men. A 2022 study by Yale and MIT professors revealed women are 14% less likely to be promoted despite receiving higher performance ratings than men. Women are often the minority, and in the quest for gender equality in the workforce, we are driving change ourselves. There is also a focus on non-performance-related criteria to judge a womans potential, as research shows women are much more likely to get feedback on their personality versus their performance. Thats why WomenUp is a neutral platform that allows participants to engage in modules covering strategic leadership, communication, influencing skills and personal branding. The WomenUp Leadership Development Program targets current female leaders from diverse industries and backgrounds. We encourage companies to sponsor their rising female executives who are dedicated to driving change, promoting inclusivity, and shaping the future of leadership. More information on the program can be found at www.womenupleadership.com. Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav on Friday said his party would protect the interest of SCs/STs and Backward classes from the alleged attacks of the BJP through its Samvidhan Rakshak campaign,which will be carried out in all the 70 Assembly constituencies in the national capital. Speaking at the launch of the Samvidhan Rakshak Campaign along with senior party leaders including Ajay Maken at the Constitution Club here, he said, For the past 10 years, the SCs, STs and the Backward communities are being subjected to attacks and subjugation by the BJP in Delhi and all across the country to deprive them of the rights and privileges given to them in the Constitution, and weaken these communities in every possible manner. He said the Congress party, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, had mounted an aggressive Save Constitution campaign for protecting the rights and previleges ensured them in the Constitution. Advertisement He alleged due to the authoritarian ways of the BJP, the atmosphere in the country has been vitiated and polluted, and the Constitution was under threat. Speaking on the occasion, Congress treasurer Maken said, Party president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gandhi have been waging a relentless battle to save the Constitution from BJPs attacks and its concerted attempts to undermine the Constitution. He further said, Rahul Gandhi has been raising issues concerning the people from streets to Parliament, which had its echo all across the country, creating great awareness among the people for the need to Save the Constitution, as the BJP has been snatching away the rights of the poor people. It is necessary to save the Constitution to save democracy as the BJP was making every attempt to undermine both. It is necessary to increase the number of Samvidhan Rakshaks and Delhi should take the lead, Maken said. Chairman of the Congress SC Department Rajesh Lilothia said, A national programme with Samvidhan Rakshaks from across the country will be held at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi on 26th November, 2024 to save the Constitution of India. Senior AAP leader and former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, who was recently released on bail, began a padyatra (foot march) on Friday from the Greater Kailash assembly constituency meeting people and party workers. Speaking to reporters, he said entire Delhi is my family, and it felt like he was meeting his brothers and children. The senior AAP leader said everyone is asking him how he was and how is his health, and added that the people are fond of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. They are looking forward to his release from jail. Advertisement Today, I am back among my family. The people of Delhi were worried about me and I was worried about my people. I have come to know about the well-being of the people. The people of Delhi are very worried about their chief minister, Sisodia said. He claimed that the people are expressing their support to the AAP and the entire city is like a family, he added. The senior AAP leader said the people have expressed their happiness over the work of Delhi government, and say that things will become even better when the CM is also out of jail. AAP leaders, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Jarnail Singh and Reena Gupta, accompnaied Sisodia during his foot march which he started on Friday from the Greater Kailash constituency area. Meanwhile, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann met Sisodia after meeting with Delhi CMs wife Sunita Kejriwal and greeted her on the his birthday. Mann expressed the hope that like Sanjay Singh and Sisodia, Kejriwal will also come out of jail soon . The Punjab CM said, Manish Sisodia has been a victim of dictatorship and has come out after spending 17 months in jail. Nothing was found against him, and justice was delivered by the court and truth finally prevailed. That is why I came to meet him today. I pray for his good health so that he can again start working to improve the future of the children of Delhi. We are not people who celebrate much. We have to fix the system and the day the system of the whole country is fixed; we will celebrate that day. Iconic Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, affectionately known as Big B, recently took a much-needed breather from his demanding schedule. On Indias Independence Day, the renowned actor chose to step away from the limelight, dedicating a day to rejuvenation and family time. In a reflective blog post penned on Thursday, Amitabh Bachchan described his day as quiet, focused on physical well-being and bonding with his loved ones. A quiet day .. spent at working on the body .. and with family, he mused. Bachchan acknowledged the demands of his professional life had kept him away from his personal space. That odd off day when there is a need to catch up with all pending work, he elaborated, noting the intensity of his recent commitments at the studio left little room for leisure or writing. Despite the brief interlude, the actor remains driven by the unwavering support and expectations of his fans. The inspiration for us all in the business has ever been the audience and their love and affection, or their remarks that ask for greater attention, Bachchan shared, emphasizing his ongoing commitment to meeting the audiences aspirations. He expressed gratitude and reiterated, You make us what we make for you. Advertisement Bachchans recent projects reflect his enduring appeal and versatility. He has taken on the mantle of host for the 16th season of the popular quiz show, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), continuing a long-standing tradition that has endeared him to viewers across the nation. The actors cinematic journey also includes his role in the futuristic film, Kalki 2898 AD. Directed by Nag Ashwin, this post-apocalyptic epic draws from Hindu mythology and is set in a distant future. The film features an ensemble cast, including Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, and Disha Patani, with notable cameos from Vijay Deverakonda, Dulquer Salmaan, and Mrunal Thakur. Kalki 2898 AD has been a significant talking point since its release, with fans and industry peers lauding the performances and the creative vision behind the film. Its blend of mythological themes and science fiction elements has captivated audiences, showcasing Bachchans adaptability in diverse genres. In addition to his role in Kalki 2898 AD, Bachchan is busy with the filming of Vettaiyan, where he shares the screen with another industry titan, Rajinikanth. The collaboration between these two powerhouses is eagerly anticipated by fans, adding another chapter to Bachchans illustrious career. As Amitabh Bachchan balances his professional commitments with personal reflections, his dedication to both his craft and his audience remains undiminished. His recent day off serves as a reminder of the importance of balancing work with personal time, even for someone of his stature and success. Last year when the worlds beloved star Matthew Perry, known for playing Chandler Bing in the sitcom FRIENDS passed away in October after the actor drowned in a hot tub. While it was initially perceived as an accident, new details have revealed a heart-breaking conspiracy- Perry was injected with a fatal dose of ketamine that consequently led to his demise. Following a year-long investigation, US Attorney Martin Estrada, as per Page Six, revealed that Matthew Perry had suffered a setback in his battle with substance abuse and a group of five individuals took advantage of his situation for their benefit. The uncovering of an underground drug network and an elaborate web of cover-ups have led to five arrests including medical doctors, Perrys assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, and an alleged dealer locally known as the Ketamine Queen. Uncovering drug overdose: investigation and arrests The 17 Again star had been treating his depression with ketamine infusion therapy. Initially, no evidence was found suggesting drug paraphernalia or any foul play, however, a medical examiner found an alarmingly high level of ketamine in his blood, in the range generally used for general anaesthesia during surgery. It was noted that the drug should not have been in his system till the time since Perrys last therapy appointment more than a week before the incident. This triggered an intensive investigation, culminating in the arrest of the five individuals. Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Matthew Perry (@mattyperry4) Perrys live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute the ketamine causing the actors death. Two other individuals, Eric Fleming and Dr Mark Chavez also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs unlawfully. Dr Salvador Plasencia, accused of supplying the ketamine to Perry, has been charged with falsifying records. Finally, alleged dealer Jasveen Sangha, known as ketamine queen faces nine charges- including conspiracy of distributing ketamine and the distribution of ketamine which resulted in the death. Both individuals pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday. Drug injection in lethal quantities: 27 shots of ketamine As per a press release on Thursday, the Department of Justice disclosed that Perrys assistant, Iwamasa admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training. Moreover, as per POST, he admitted to injecting the actor with multiple injections on the day of his death. The assistant allegedly administered 27 ketamine injections in the final five days of Perrys life. Going by the updated criminal complaint, Iwamasa conspired with Sangha, Fleming, and Plasencia to break the law by securing ketamine and then administering it to Perry. Doctors and dealers exploitation of Matthew Perrys addiction While Perry was trying to battle his addiction, he was pulled deeper into it and started wanting more and more ketamine. Martin Astrada revealed that the individuals charged in the case took advantage of Perry as they sought monetary gains. As per BBC, the authorities revealed Dr Plascencia writing in one of the texts I wonder how much this moron will pay? In another, he said he wanted to be Perrys go-to for drugs. It has been alleged that Perry paid them nearly $2,000 for the vials that actually cost about only $12 apiece. They claimed that Perry purchased 20 vials of ketamine from Dr Plasencia for a whopping total of $55,000 between September and October 2023. Moreover, as per investigators, Dr Plasencia allegedly taught the assistant how to administer the drug even after he discovered that Perrys ketamine addiction was spiralling out of control. Further, the authorities revealed the doctor provided more ketamine to Iwamasa even though he witnessed the star freeze up while he injected the drug on one occasion. Jasveen Sangha: The Ketamine Queen Sanghas name has repeatedly popped up during the investigation. The British-American citizen, dubbed the Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles, has been charged with supplying the fatal dosage of ketamine that killed Perry. Sangha allegedly ran a drug empire from her Hollywood home where she stored, packaged, and distributed methamphetamines, cocaine and prescription drugs. When her abode was raided, 79 bottles of liquid ketamine and nearly 2,000 meth pills were discovered. In the case of Matthew Perry, Sangha allegedly provided his assistant with 50 vials of the ketamine on two different occasions in October 2023 which he subsequently administered to Perry. After the celebrated stars death was reported, Sangha instructed his assistant to delete all messages between them that allegedly revealed her asking for payments and providing details about the strength of the drug dosage. Moreover, the authorities revealed that Sangha was allegedly linked to another overdose death in 2019. The court documents also state that she was well aware of the fatal dangers of ketamine after one of her customers passed away following a drug overdose. Matthew Perry was always vocal about his addiction and his struggles of battling his addiction as he took several measures to remain sober. The actor had also disclosed that he took ketamine therapy to treat his depression. As the heart-breaking details emerge, further information on the case is awaited. Malavika Mohanan is brimming with excitement as her latest film, Thangalaan, hits theaters in Tamil. Known for her compelling performances, Mohanan shines brightly in this new project, portraying the character Aarathi with both depth and grace. The film, which has already garnered considerable praise from critics and audiences alike, is set to make its Hindi debut on August 30th. In a recent statement, Malavika Mohanan shared her enthusiasm about the films release and her experience working on it. Today is incredibly special for me, she said. The Tamil version of Thangalaan is finally out, and Im eagerly looking forward to its release in Hindi. Working alongside Vikram and the entire team has been an unforgettable adventure. Its been an honor to work with Vikram, whom I have always admired greatly. She continued, Playing Aarathi in such a distinctive and powerful narrative has been a remarkable opportunity. The dedication and passion from everyone involved in this project have been immense, and I am excited for audiences to witness the results of our hard work. Advertisement The films release in Tamil has already sparked significant buzz, and expectations are high for its Hindi release. Mohanans role in Thangalaan not only showcases her versatility as an actress but also adds to the films rich storytelling and emotional depth. As the anticipation builds for the Hindi release, fans and critics alike are eager to see how Thangalaan resonates with a broader audience. Mohanans performance and the films unique storyline promise to make it a standout entry in Indian cinema this year. In a sweeping moment of triumph for Kannada cinema, megastar Yash has shared his exuberant congratulations as his film KGF and Rishab Shettys Kantara snagged top honors at the National Awards. Yashs blockbuster KGF clinched the award for Best Kannada Film, reinforcing its status as a landmark in Indian cinema. The excitement surrounding these wins highlights a vibrant period for the Kannada film industry. Yash, whose role as Rocky Bhai in KGF captivated audiences nationwide, took to social media to express his pride and joy. His post read, Heartiest congratulations to all the winners of the National Awards. A special shoutout to Rishab Shetty, Vijay Kiragandur, Prashanth Neel, and the entire Hombale Films team for the well-deserved recognition for Kantara and KGF 2. Heres to reaching even greater heights. This is indeed Kannada cinemas shining moment on the national stage! Heartiest congratulations to all the winners of the National Awards. Advertisement A special shoutout to our very own @shetty_rishab , @VKiragandur , Prashanth Neel and the entire @hombalefilms team for the well-deserved recognition for Kantara and KGF 2. Heres to many more heights. This is Yash (@TheNameIsYash) August 16, 2024 Yashs celebratory message reflects not just personal pride but also a deep sense of solidarity with fellow filmmakers. His acknowledgment of Kantaras success alongside KGF 2 underscores a broader celebration of Kannada cinemas growing influence. The recognition of these films signifies a notable shift in the national cinematic landscape, showcasing the dynamic talent and storytelling prowess emerging from Karnataka. The National Award for Best Kannada Film is a significant milestone for KGF, a film that has achieved massive acclaim for its gripping storyline, explosive action sequences, and Yashs powerful performance. Since its release, KGF has captured the imagination of audiences across India, establishing Yash as a cultural icon. His portrayal of the enigmatic Rocky Bhai has become emblematic of the films success, resonating deeply with fans and critics alike. The win for Kantara further highlights the diversity and richness of Kannada cinema. Directed by Rishab Shetty, who also starred in the film, Kantara has been lauded for its compelling narrative and unique portrayal of folklore and culture. The recognition for Kantara alongside KGF 2 accentuates the impressive range and depth of Kannada films, placing them firmly on the national radar. Yashs congratulatory post and the National Award wins for both films mark a celebratory moment for the Kannada film industry. It not only acknowledges the hard work and creative brilliance of those involved but also sets the stage for continued success and recognition in the future. As Kannada cinema continues to garner national acclaim, the achievements of KGF and Kantara serve as a testament to its vibrant and evolving landscape. In ancient Bengal, Phulia in Nadia district became famous for Krittibas Ojha, who wrote the Ramayana in Bengali. Now, Phulia has hit the headlines because of Biren Kumar Basak, the man behind the weavers movement in Nadia. The Padma awardee Basak has organised 6,000 weavers (3,000 women and 3,000 men) and brought about a revolution in hand-woven sarees, particularly Tangail and Jamdani. The life of Mr Basak is more thrilling than any movie. In 1962, he came to Phulia with his father and brothers from East Pakistan. They were original residents of Tangail, the place famous for the production of Tangail sarees. Advertisement As a young adult, he used to accompany his brother and come to Kolkata to sell Tangail sarees. They visited different shops and sold sarees. During one such venture, the owner of a shop in Burrabazar refused to buy the sarees for their price. Three women who were present at the shop liked the designs and bought the sarees. They gave them their visiting cards and asked them to see them at their residence on Ballygunge Circular Road. These women got them introduced to their friends, who started wearing hand-made Tangail and Jamdani sarees. In the early 1970s, during a visit to the refugee handicraft shop on Gariahat Road, they met two sophisticated women who liked the Tangail sarees and asked them to see her at her residence on Beltola Road. We did not know who she was, and on reaching the house, we found that she was Maya Roy, wife of Siddhartha Shankar Ray, the then chief minister of West Bengal. Maya Di got us introduced to her friends, relatives and acquaintances. This changed our luck, and from them we did not have to look behind. We started from Phulia early in the morning and returned back home by the last train from Sealdah station, Mr Basak said, adding, We became close to Satyajit Ray and Hemanta Mukherjee, and the women members of their families had enjoyed wearing Tangail sarees. The other lady whom we met at the refugee rehabilitation store was Sabita Ghosh, who was the wife of the then finance minister Shankar Ghosh. The sarees made by Mr Basak are priced anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 10 lakh. The weavers take six to eight months to make one saree. We have five designers who gave them the designs, but I selected the colour. There are more than one thousand colour combinations, and the colours are very important. We have clients across the country who buy premium quality sarees, and both the design and colour add value to the saree, he maintained. Mr Basak said Jamdani sarees have a history. When food was served to the Mughal nawabs and aristocrats, the plates were covered with a piece of cloth with fine designs. This was called Jambuni. With the passage of time, the designs were tried on sarees and called Jamdani. Jamdani is the design. There are Muga sarees with Jamdani designs. Mr Basak also makes wall hangings, and the starting price is Rs 55,000. The designs are very fine, and the weaver takes not less than six months to make a wall hanging. If you want quality, then you must have patience and give freedom to the weavers, he said. Mr Basak said that to woo young women and men, Jamdani-printed salwar kurtas and shirts are available. Both men and women are liking our design, and salwar kurtas and shirts are in high demand, he said. Most of the weavers belong to the SC and ST categories, and they earn Rs 700 per day. The women have formed self-help groups, and a supervisor looks after a group of 25 women. We give them the designs, and they use the loom to make sarees, wall hangings and dress materials, Mr Basak remarked. Mr Basak has attended the international fair in Australia, where the visitors liked the sarees he made. I have one regret in life. I wished to set up a museum on Tangail, Jamdani and Tussar sarees. The money that would be collected from the museum would be spent on the students who come from economically challenged backgrounds. So far, I have failed to start the work, and I really do not know whether, at 75 years of age, I will be able to set up a museum, Mr Basak observed, adding, I remember those days when we did not get a square meal, and now God has given me everythingname, fame and prestige. My only son has also joined the business. I only want to see that the weavers become well established in life and their hard work gets global recognition. Amid the outrage over the rape and murder of a junior doctor in West Bengal, a report has cropped up about a nurse who met similar fate in Uttarakhand while on her way home near the Uttar Pradesh border in Kashipur. She was raped and murdered on July 30. According to the Udhamsingh Nagar police, the victim left the hospital where she worked on July 30 in the evening for her rented accommodation at Bilaspur near Kashipur Road of the Rampur Block of Uttar Pradesh. As she did not reach home her sister lodged a missing complaint at the Kasipur police station on July 31. Advertisement During investigation, the police recovered CCTV footage from Indira Crossing in Rudrapur which revealed that the nurse was last seen taking an e-rickshaw for her home but could not reach her home where her mother was waiting for her. Meanwhile, as the Rudrapur Police in Uttarakhand investigated the matter nine days later, on August 8, the Uttar Pradesh Police found a womans dead body at Dibdiba village in Rampur at a vacant plot about 1.5 km from her home. Later, the body was identified as that of the nurse from Rudrapur hospital. The body was sent for the post-mortem following which her rape was confirmed by the police and a hunt was launched to find the accused. The Rudrapur Police were able to find the location of the accused Dharmendra, a daily wage worker from Bareilly, in Rajasthan with help the victims stolen mobile phone. A team of Uttarakhand police went to Rajasthan and arrested the accused on August 14. According to the information shared by police Dharmendra, who was drunk, seeing the victim alone followed her as she was hoofing towards her home. The accused chased and attacked the nurse when she was close to her apartment. Udham Singh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police Manjunath TC said the accused dragged the women into nearby bushes and raped her. Later, he strangled her using her scarf. The SSP said that the accused had stolen the nurses mobile phone and Rs 3,000 from her purse. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced that Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) will be held in three phases with first phase voting on 18 September, second phase on 25th September and third phase on 1st October, while in Haryana in a single phase on 1st October. The counting of votes in J&K and Haryana will take place on 4th October. Notably, in December last, the Supreme Court had ordered the Commission to hold Assembly polls in J&K by 30th September, 2024, while pronouncing the judgement in the cases concerning the abrogation of Article 370. Advertisement This is the first Assembly elections in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar while announcing the schedule for the Assembly polls in J&K said, Elections in J&K will be held in three phases. This is a much shorter period than the parliamentary election (Lok Sabha polls) which were held in five phases. Informing that there are 90 Assembly seats in the Union Territory , he said out of these, nine are reserved for the STs and seven for SCs. He said the total number of electors in J&K are 87.09 lakh. The first time voters are 3.71 lakh. The total number of polling stations are 11,838. The CEC said in the first phase, polling will be held in 24 Assembly constituencies on 18th September. The notification will be issued on 20th August and the last date of filing nomination is 27th August. He said the scrutiny of nomination will take place on 28th August and 30th August is the last date of withdrawal of candidature. Mentioning about the second phase, Kumar said polling will take place on 25th September and added that on 29th August the notification will be issued. The last date for filing nomination is 5th September and next day the scrutiny will be held. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is 9th September. The CEC said voting for the third phase will be held on 1st October. On 5th September the notification will be issued and the last date for nomination will be 12th September, scrutiny 13th September and withdrawal of candidature 17th September. On security arrangements, Kumar said, Sufficient forces will remain to deal with any eventuality whatever comes on the way. Security threats to the candidates would thoroughly under the establishment and will be taken care of. Security cover would be provided to the candidates. We will be absolutely clear in our resolve to ensure that the district officials behave absolutely impartial, he said. Referring to the participation of people of J&K in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the CEC said, This was a triumph of ballot over bullet. J&K people chose ballot over bullet and boycott. We want the layers of democracy are strengthened in J&K. Percentage of vote increase is one aspect of strengthening the democracy. We expect that there would be more votes this time again, he said. Announcing the schedule for the Haryana Assembly polls, the CEC said elections to 90 seats will take place on 1st October and the notification will be issued on 5th September. Kumar said the last date of filing nomination is 12th September and the scrutiny will take place the next day, while the last date of withdrawal for candidature is 16th September. He said of these 90 Assembly seats, 17 are reserved for SCs. The CEC said the total number of electors in Haryana 2.01 crore. Out of these 40.95 are young voters and 2.55 lakh are 85+ age. The total number of polling stations are 20,629. The term of Haryana Assembly is due to expire on 3rd November. Kumar said all the polling stations in J&K and Haryana will have minimum assured facilities including 100 per cent drinking water facilities, ramp and wheelchair. All the polling stations will have CCTV. We are committed to conduct inclusive and accessible elections in J&K and Haryana. Very strict instructions have been given to DEOs and SPs to ensure level playing field, he said. The CEC also appealed to the voters of J&K and Haryana to participate in the festival of democracy at large numbers. We appeal to the voters of J&K and Haryana to participate in largest numbers in the festival of democracy, said Kumar. The Union Cabinet on Friday met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and approved two airports and three Metro transport projects involving investment of nearly Rs 34,000 crore. Briefing newspersons on the five projects, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said two defence airports in Bagdogra in West Bengal and Bihta near Patna in Bihar will be developed for greater civil aviation use. The Metro projects will be in Thane, Pune and Bengaluru. He said the prime minister had said the government in its third consecutive term would take big decisions. So far, projects worth Rs 1,54,000 crore have been approved and with Fridays approvals, the total cost of the approved projects reaches near Rs 2 lakh crore. Advertisement The projects would generate economic growth, creating a large number of employment opportunities. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the development of a New Civil Enclave at Bagdgora Airport, Siliguri, West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 1549 crore. The proposed Terminal Building spans 70,390 sqm and is designed to accommodate 3000 Peak Hour Passengers (PHP), with an annual capacity to handle 10 million passengers. For Bihar, the CCEA approved the development of a New Civil Enclave at Bihta, Patna, at an estimated cost of Rs.1413 crore. This will meet the growing air travel demand of the Patna capital region. The proposed New Integrated Terminal Building at Bihta Airport spans 66,000 sqm and is designed to handle 3000 Peak Hour Passengers (PHP) and annually cater to 50 lakh passengers. At present the country has Metro services in 21 cities. For Bengaluru, the Cabinet approved Phase-3 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project with two elevated corridors for a length of 44.65 Km with 31 stations. Corridor-1 will be from JP Nagar 4thPhase to Kempapura (along Outer Ring Road West) for a length of 32.15 Km with 22 stations and Corridor-2 will be from Hosahalli to Kadabagere (along Magadi Road) for a length of 12.50 Km with 9 stations. On operationalization of Phase-3, Bengaluru city will have 220.20 Km of active Metro Rail Network. The total completion cost of the project is Rs 15,611 crore. For Pune, the growing hub of industrial and educational activity, the Cabinet approved the Swargate to Katraj Underground Line Extension of the existing PCMC-Swargate Metro Line of Pune Metro Phase-I project. The new extension is known as the Line-l B extension and will span 5.46 km and will include three underground stations, connecting key areas such as Market Yard, Bibwewadi, Balaji Nagar, and the Katraj suburbs. The project, aimed at providing seamless connectivity in Pune, is set to be completed by February, 2029. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2954.53 crore, which will be shared by a joint venture of the Mahrashtra government and the Centre. The Cabinet also approved Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail Project corridor, Maharashtra. The 29-km corridor will run along the periphery of west side of Thane city with 22 Stations. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 12,200.10 crore, with equal equity from the Central and State governments. Funds would also be raised through innovative financing methods such as by selling Station naming and access rights for corporate, monetization of assets, Value Capture Financing route. The Project is likely to be completed by 2029. Expressing deep outrage over the rape and murder of a young PG medical student at the state-run R G Kar medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose term the heinous crime most shocking which shattered the conscience of every human being. Speaking to a Malayalam news channel on Thursday night, he said there was an attempt to dub this heinous crime as suicide. There were also attempts to persuade the parents of the victim to issue statements that they have no complaint over the death of the doctor, he said. Highlighting the violence that took place in West Bengal, the governor said the situation in the state is disturbing, shocking and shattering. The law and order in the state has been completely broken down and as the Governor of the state he would take stringent measures that the Constitution of India empowers him to tackle such kind of situation Advertisement He said the goondas, who attacked the R G Kar Hospital on 14th August night, threatened the nurses there that they would also face the same fate as that of the victim doctor. Stating that West Bengal has now steeped in violence, lawlessness and corruption, Bose said, This cannot be allowed to continue .West Bengal should not become a banana republic. With the powers bestowed upon the governor by the Constitution, stringent actions will be taken to end this lawlessness. The goonda raj needs to be ended in West Bengal. It should be stopped with the support of the people, he added. Professor M Kodandaram of Telangana Jana Samithi and veteran journalist Amer Ali Khan were finally administered oath as Members of Legislative Council (MLC) under governors quota, bringing the curtains down to a year-long political drama. The Telangana High Court had quashed the appointment of the two MLCs following a petition filed by two BRS leaders but the Supreme Court recently issued a stay on the order of the lower court. There has been a prolonged battle involving the governors office, the BRS and the Congress over these two MLC seats under the governors quota which had begun when Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan was at the Raj Bhavan. It was during the BRS regime that the state government had recommended two of its leaders, Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana under the governors quota in the Legislative Council. However, Dr Soundararajan rejected both names in September last year and had sent a stern letter to the chief minister arguing that the duo did not fit the eligibility for governors quota. Advertisement Meanwhile, the Congress government came to power and recommended Prof Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan for the same post and this time the governor cleared both names. However, the BRS duo filed a petition in the High Court against Dr Soundararajans decision leading to deferment of the swearing in ceremony of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan. In March, the High Court ruled against the governors decision to reject the nominations of the BRS duo and also quashed the gazette notification announcing the appointment of Professor Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan. However, the Congress government stuck to its guns and once again the state Cabinet recommended the same set of candidates. With the Supreme Courts stay order in place the chairman of the Legislative Council Gutta Sukhender Reddy administered oath to Prof, Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as MLCs today in the presence of ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy. The protest by doctors in Delhi over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata entered its fifth day on Friday, with all elective services remaining suspended. The strike has severely impacted major hospitals in the city, including AIIMS, Safdarjung, and RML, causing significant inconvenience to patients. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of services by all modern medicine doctors, regardless of their sector or workplace. The strike will begin at 6 am on Saturday, August 17, and end at 6 am on Sunday, August 18. During this period, emergency and casualty services will remain operational, but outpatient services (OPDs) and elective surgeries will be suspended. Advertisement The medical organisation has further demanded a central law to declare hospitals as safe zones, with mandatory security measures. Doctors and medical students at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi had demanded a Central Protection Act for healthcare workers. The doctors, who had been demonstrating inside their respective hospitals, united for a massive protest outside Nirman Bhawan as part of their indefinite strike. Nirman Bhawan houses the Ministry of Health among other departments. During the protest, doctors held posters and banners and chanted slogans such as We want justice, No safety, no duty, and Awaz do, hum ek hain to express their anger and concerns about their safety. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Delhi Medical Associations (DMA), various healthcare organisations, and private doctors carried out a candlelight march at India Gate on Friday evening. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police issued prohibitory orders in central areas of the national capital amid protest calls by multiple organisations against the Kolkata rape-murder case on Friday, officials stated. The deployment of police personnel has been increased, and Section 163 (prohibitory orders) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has been imposed near Parliament and other parts of central Delhi, they said. Foxconn Chairman Young Liu called on Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi here on Friday. During their meeting, they discussed the future of technological innovation in India and the world. Apprising about the meeting, the LoP said in a post on X, It was a pleasure to meet Mr Young Liu, Chairman of Foxconn, earlier today.We had an engaging conversation on the future of technological innovation in India and the world. Advertisement Gandhi said with the right support, Indias tech industry can be positioned for a significant leap forward. Earlier, the Foxconn Chairman called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Highlighting the wonderful opportunities that India offers in futuristic sectors, the PM discussed Foxconns investment plans in India. In a post on X, Modi wrote, Wonderful to meet Mr. Young Liu, the Chairman of Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn). I highlighted the wonderful opportunities India offers in futuristic sectors. We also had excellent discussions on their investment plans in India in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, he added. The Union Health Ministry on Friday said Head of the Institution shall be responsible for filing an FIR in any violence against healthcare worker within six hours of the incident. In a office memorandum, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Atul Goel said, Recently it has been observed that violence has become common against Doctors and other healthcare staff in Government hospitals. A number of health workers suffer physical violence during the course of their duty. Many are threatened or exposed to verbal aggression. Most of this violence is done by either patient or patients attendants. In view of above, It is stated that in the event of any violence against any health care worker while on duty, the Head of Institution shall be responsible for filing an Institutional FIR within a maximum of six hours of the incident, Goel said. The office memorandum was addressed to Director/Medical Superintendent of Central government Hospital/Institutes, Director All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, all other AIIMS and Directors/Principals of all Medical colleges. The office memorandum of the Ministry comes amid the ongoing nationwide protest by doctors demanding justice for the woman postgraduate trainee (PGT) doctor who was brutally raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College Hospital in West Bengals Kolkata last week. The protesting doctors are also demanding suspension of former Principal of RG Kar Medical College and immediate constitution of a committee to draft a Central Protection Act (CPA) for health care professionals. Earlier, the Ministry issued an advisory to the Central government hospitals in Delhi on safe work environment. In its advisory issued to Centre run hospitals including RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital, the Ministry said, Recently it has been observed that violence has become very common against Medical Staff in the government hospitals. Many Health Workers suffer from physical violence at some point in their career. Many more are threatened or exposed to verbal aggression. It is important that proactive measures be taken to prevent violence against healthcare professionals/staff, read the advisory. The Central government hospitals are advised to maintain a registry of all such incidents, it said. Any such incident must be immediately brought to the notice of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through the Directorate General of Health Services, it added. Describing the recent Hindenburg Research report against Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch as a mere tip of the iceberg, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reiterated the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the matter. Last week, Hindenburg, in its report, alleged that Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch had stakes in obscure offshore entities used in the Adani money siphoning scandal even though the couple dismissed the report of the US-based short seller. Ramesh, who is the Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications wrote in a post on X, The demand for a JPC investigation into the Adani Mega Scam goes far beyond the revelations made by Hindenburg Researchs reports. Irregularities and wrongdoings relating to the Adani Group span every dimension of the political economy, as documented in our 100 question series HAHK (Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun). Advertisement Highlighting some of the alleged wrongdoings, he said, Misuse of Indias investigative agencies to secure Adani monopolies in ports, airports, cement and other critical sectors. The extraordinary favouritism shown by government banks, particularly the SBI, in providing credit to key projects, including the Adani copper plant at Mundra, the airport in Navi Mumbai, and the UP Expressway Project. Subordination of Indias foreign policy interests to the needs of Adani Enterprises at the cost of Indias standing in the neighbourhood. Handing over of Indias strategic relationship with Israel to a single company, Adani, coal and power equipment over-invoicing which has not only facilitated money-laundering and abnormal profits, but also raised the common citizens electricity bills, Ramesh said. He alleged unregulated extension of leases over publicly-owned assets to Adani Group at throwaway prices. The Hindenburg allegations do not refer to any of the above. Its allegations are limited to those that deal with the capital markets stock manipulation, accounting fraud, and conflict of interest in regulatory agencies. Hindenburg is only the tip of the iceberg. Only a JPC can investigate and unravel the true and full extent of this Modani mega-scam, said Ramesh. Notably, the Congress on Tuesday announced to hold a countrywide protest on 22nd August demanding resignation of SEBI Chairperson Buch and a JPC over the matter. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in presence of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with the partys General Secretaries, in-charges and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents at the party headquarters here. The MahaYuti government in Maharashtra has deposited Rs 999 crore through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode to the bank accounts of 1.13 crore eligible women beneficiaries of the ambitious Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, an official said on Thursday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on the occasion of Independence Day interacted with some of the beneficiaries, reiterating the governments commitment to implement the Ladki Bahin Scheme for their welfare and empowerment. The beneficiaries thanked the Chief Minister for the state governments initiative. Advertisement The state government has said that the rest of the women beneficiaries will get financial assistance by August 17 on the auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan. The registration of 1.62 crore women was done by August 14. Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare said that the DBT of the Ladki Bahin scheme started on August 14. The Women and Child Development department is working 24 hours a day to ensure that this process goes smoothly. I am personally keeping an eye on this process. We are working on a war footing to transfer the benefits to all eligible women before Raksha Bandhan, she added. Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar has said that he has already allocated Rs 35,000 crore in the budget for the implementation of Ladki Bahin scheme, adding that funds would not be an issue. The MahaYuti government, which has launched the Ladki Bahin scheme on the lines of Madhya Pradesh government with an eye on the upcoming Assembly election, hopes to disburse benefits to over 2.50 crore individuals who would be registered by August 31. The scheme aims to provide financial independence for women, improve their health and nutrition and ultimately make them self-reliant by strengthening their pivotal role in the family. Aditi Tatkare has requested all district guardian ministers to run a campaign to link Aadhaar numbers with the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries of Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. Besides, she suggested the district guardian ministers to organise special functions for the distribution benefits under the Ladki Bahin scheme on August 17. Tatkare said that the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is important for the women of the state. A state-level programme for distribution of benefits of the scheme will be held in Pune on August 17. At the same time, programmes should be held in every district under the chairmanship of the Guardian Minister. A district-level programme of benefit distribution should be held in the presence of MPs/MLAs in the district where the Guardian Minister is not available. Live telecast of the state-level event should be shown at the venue, she added. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, on Friday, predicted that the BRS would soon merge with the BJP and party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao will be appointed a governor, his son and former industry minister KT Rama Rao will be inducted in the Union Cabinet. The Telangana Congress has been making this claim ever since the BRS failed to get a single seat in the Lok Sabha elections though BRS working president KT Rama Rao scotched the speculation about the merger. Reddy was in New Delhi to meet Foxconn chairman Young Liu. He also met his party high command to discuss the next PCC chief in the state. He continues to hold the post of PCC president even after becoming the chief minister of the state. Advertisement He told the media that BRS MLC K Kavitha, who is currently under detention in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case, may soon secure bail. BRS members in the Rajya Sabha too would merge with the BJP facilitating the entry of KCRs daughter K Kavitha into the Rajya Sabha, he said. He added that KCRs nephew and senior BRS leader T Harish Rao might become the leader of the Opposition in the Telangana Assembly. He said the merger of the BRS with the BJP was certain and will happen at any cost despite several denials from the BRS leaders. Recently, KT Rama Rao denied the claims of merger saying in that case his sister would not be in jail for 150 days. The chief minister also criticised political parties for dragging his brothers into a controversy during his visit to the US. He said, I have seven brothers. Just because I became chief minister does that mean they are going to sit at home? Dismissing the criticism of the BRS for his governments waiver of all farm loans, Reddy said those who have not received the waiver can lodge complaints at the collectorate. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has congratulated the entire team behind ISROs successful SSLV-D3/EOS-08 mission and expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support in this achievement. The CM also highlighted the accomplishments of ISROs scientists and praised their success through his social media accounts. He wrote on X on Friday: Many congratulations to ISRO and our dedicated scientists on the successful completion of the SSLV-D3/EOS-08 mission! This milestone marks a significant leap forward in Indias space endeavors, ushering in a new era of innovation and achievement. Heartfelt gratitude to Honble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji for his visionary leadership, which continues to propel Indias space program to new heights. Best wishes to Team ISRO for continued success and more groundbreaking accomplishments in the future!. Advertisement The entire country remembered and paid homage to the stalwart politician and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary on Friday. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to the veteran BJP leader at his memorial Sadaiv Atal here. A prayer meeting was also held at the Samadhi of Vajpayee near Raj Ghat in New Delhi. Advertisement Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi wrote, Tributes to Atal Ji on his Punya Tithi. He is remembered by countless people for his unparalleled contribution to nation building. He devoted his entire life towards ensuring that our fellow citizens lead a better quality of life. We will keep working to fulfill his vision for India. Paid homage to him at Sadaiv Atal this morning, along with other distinguished dignitaries. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla among other prominent leaders also paid their tributes to Vajpayee on the occasion. Paid tributes to Shri Atalji on his Punatiyhi. The nation will remain indebted to his contributions, the Defence Minister wrote on platform X. A popular leader, Vajpayee was also a poet, and was a three time PM, while he was also one of the co- founders of the largest political party, the BJP. He was also associated with the RSS, and was also a Member of Parliament for five decades. The veteran politician had retired from active politics back in 2009. Popular also for his poetry, Vajpayees works used to leave a lasting impact on his readers, and was highly appreciated for his creations that were quite inspiring. It was during his tenure as PM in the year 1998, the nation carried out the nuclear tests at Pokhran, Rajasthan. He was known for his strong outlook and fearlessness in decision making, and also the way he used to speak, where he would clearly send his message across without hesitation. Vajpayee was one of those politicians who was also respected by political opponents and he was always open for dialogue keeping aside differences, for the ultimate benefit of the nation and its people. He was born on December 25, 1924, in Madhya Pradesh, and during his early life worked as an activist, and was also fond of poetry and writing. He was a very impressive orator, and people say that he used to leave the audience spellbound while delivering a speech, with the way he used to speak. Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam will pay a state visit to China from August 18 20 at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping. Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said the visit reflects the importance and priority of the top level of both sides in consolidating and advancing their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, building the Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Both sides are very eagerly looking forward to the visit and expect to achieve outcomes in several areas as follows: Firstly, based on the relationship nurtured by leaders of both countries, including late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other Vietnamese leaders, continuing and further enhancing the fine and favorable development trend of the Viet Nam-China relations achieved through the historical mutual visits of the top leaders of both Parties and countries in the recent past; maintaining high-level strategic exchanges, consolidating the foundation of political confidence, and promoting the orientation for the development of the bilateral relations in the new phase. Secondly, reaching consensus on major orientations and measures for effectively building the Viet Nam-China community with a shared future holding strategic significance in the direction of the six major goals agreed upon by both sides; with a focus on realizing high-level common perceptions and signed agreements; making substantive cooperation to achieve new progress, particularly in the areas of mutual interest such as railway connection, agricultural trade, high-quality investment, financial and monetary affairs, culture and tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. Thirdly, through discussions in a frank, sincere, and substantive spirit on border and territorial issues, together appropriately addressing existing issues, better managing and solving differences on the sea issue, thus contributing to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. Hallmarks in bilateral ties The bilateral relations have witnessed rapid progress and been increasingly profound and comprehensive across all domains since their normalization more than 30 years ago, especially more than 15 years after the establishment of the framework of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in 2008, said the Foreign Minister. Following the historical official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2022 and the third state visit to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in December 2023, the two countries agreed to continue further deepening and elevating their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, as well as building a Viet Nam China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance in accordance with the six major goals, opening up a new chapter for the bilateral relations. So far this year, the bilateral relations have maintained robust growth momentum, with the cooperation spirit having spread strongly to all levels, sectors, and people from all walks of life. Both sides assess that bilateral relationship has been at the deepest, most comprehensive and substantive level ever. Firstly, exchanges and contacts at the high level, and from central to local levels have been regularly maintained with various flexible forms, contributing to strengthening political trust and creating a new impulse for all levels and sectors of both sides. Secondly, the bilateral economic-trade-investment cooperation continues growth momentum. The two-way trade turnover increased by 24.1 percent year-on-year to US$94.5 billion. In the first half, the number of FDI projects were 447 worth US$1.3 billion. Viet Nam welcomed 2.1 million Chinese tourists during the January-July period, higher than that of the whole 2023. People-to-people exchanges have been enhanced, the number of the Vietnamese students in China rising to more than 23,000, doubling the figure recorded before the COVID-19 broke out in 2019. Thirdly, the land border situation has been generally stable. The East Sea situation basically well controlled; and exchange and negotiation mechanisms between the two sides on the sea issues regularly maintained. The two sides are looking forward the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Viet Nam-China Land Border Treaty and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the three legal documents on the Viet Nam-China land border./. https://vnexpress.net/ky-vong-tu-chuyen-tham-trung-quoc-cua-tong-bi-thu-chu-tich-nuoc-to-lam-4781927.html Fifty items from the French luxury fashion brand Balmains new collection were stolen days before its Paris Fashion Week show. The companys creative director Olivier Rousteing informed that his driver told him about the theft. The Paris Fashion Week will be held between September 25 and October 3. Balmains show is scheduled in the French capital on September 27. Olivier Rousteing took to his Instagram handle and posted about the mishap on Saturday, This morning I woke up with the smile , starting the fittings for my next show at 9 am and this is what happened50 Balmain pieces stolen. Our delivery was hijacked. The camion got stolen . Thank god , the driver is safe. So many people worked so hard to make this collection happened. We are redoing everything but this is so so disrespectful. So many workers , suppliers , my team and I . Please be safe , this is the world we are living in. Love you my Balmain team and we wont give up. Love you OR. He mentioned, Today (Saturday) I went to the office at 9 am waiting for the last pieces for our show, our Balmain show in September. I was starting to create some looks with my team and our driver called us and said that he was hijacked by a group of people. More than 50 Balmain pieces stolen. He was driving from the airport to the Balmain headquarter. This is so unfair. My team and I have worked very hard. We will work even harder, day and night, just like our suppliers, but this is so disrespectful. I wanted to share this with you to remind you, dont take anything for guaranteed and please be safe. This is the world we are living in, added Rousteing, who has been the creative director of Balmain since 2011. Italian fashion designer and businesswoman, Donatella Versace commented on Rousteings post, Sending you all my love. I know that you and your creativity will be able to overcome this! Advertisement Olivier Rousteing is a French fashion designer. He has worked with several well-known celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Bjork, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, and Chris Brown and helped the French luxury fashion house to achieve new heights. Balmain is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1945 by Pierre Balmain (1914-1982). It has 16 monobrand stores in New York City, London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, and Milans Via Montenapoleone. Photo taken on Aug. 10, 2024 shows people visiting an exhibition titled with "Lawrence Weiner: A PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ASAP" at UCCA in the 798 Art District, Beijing, China's capital city. This exhibition features approximately fifty works in language drawn from the almost 1200 that the artist created over more than half a century. Like any material, some language moves more easily across borders, while other words may not. As such, the varied and sometimes irreconcilable nature of meaning in translation evokes the pleasures and challenges involved in seeking to understand each other. Deeply attuned to both popular and technical language, the artist embraced familiar sayings while also employing terminology from chemistry, physics and other natural soiencesdrawing out a deep poetry from the world and its inhabitants. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Aug. 10, 2024 shows people visiting an exhibition titled with "Lawrence Weiner: A PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ASAP" at UCCA in the 798 Art District, Beijing, China's capital city. This exhibition features approximately fifty works in language drawn from the almost 1200 that the artist created over more than half a century. Like any material, some language moves more easily across borders, while other words may not. As such, the varied and sometimes irreconcilable nature of meaning in translation evokes the pleasures and challenges involved in seeking to understand each other. Deeply attuned to both popular and technical language, the artist embraced familiar sayings while also employing terminology from chemistry, physics and other natural soiencesdrawing out a deep poetry from the world and its inhabitants. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Aug. 10, 2024 shows people visiting an exhibition titled with "Lawrence Weiner: A PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ASAP" at UCCA in the 798 Art District, Beijing, China's capital city. This exhibition features approximately fifty works in language drawn from the almost 1200 that the artist created over more than half a century. Like any material, some language moves more easily across borders, while other words may not. As such, the varied and sometimes irreconcilable nature of meaning in translation evokes the pleasures and challenges involved in seeking to understand each other. Deeply attuned to both popular and technical language, the artist embraced familiar sayings while also employing terminology from chemistry, physics and other natural soiencesdrawing out a deep poetry from the world and its inhabitants. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Aug. 10, 2024 shows people visiting an exhibition titled with "Lawrence Weiner: A PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ASAP" at UCCA in the 798 Art District, Beijing, China's capital city. This exhibition features approximately fifty works in language drawn from the almost 1200 that the artist created over more than half a century. Like any material, some language moves more easily across borders, while other words may not. As such, the varied and sometimes irreconcilable nature of meaning in translation evokes the pleasures and challenges involved in seeking to understand each other. Deeply attuned to both popular and technical language, the artist embraced familiar sayings while also employing terminology from chemistry, physics and other natural soiencesdrawing out a deep poetry from the world and its inhabitants. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Aug. 10, 2024 shows people visiting an exhibition titled with "Lawrence Weiner: A PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ASAP" at UCCA in the 798 Art District, Beijing, China's capital city. This exhibition features approximately fifty works in language drawn from the almost 1200 that the artist created over more than half a century. Like any material, some language moves more easily across borders, while other words may not. As such, the varied and sometimes irreconcilable nature of meaning in translation evokes the pleasures and challenges involved in seeking to understand each other. Deeply attuned to both popular and technical language, the artist embraced familiar sayings while also employing terminology from chemistry, physics and other natural soiencesdrawing out a deep poetry from the world and its inhabitants. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Aug. 10, 2024 shows people visiting an exhibition titled with "Lawrence Weiner: A PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ASAP" at UCCA in the 798 Art District, Beijing, China's capital city. This exhibition features approximately fifty works in language drawn from the almost 1200 that the artist created over more than half a century. Like any material, some language moves more easily across borders, while other words may not. As such, the varied and sometimes irreconcilable nature of meaning in translation evokes the pleasures and challenges involved in seeking to understand each other. Deeply attuned to both popular and technical language, the artist embraced familiar sayings while also employing terminology from chemistry, physics and other natural soiencesdrawing out a deep poetry from the world and its inhabitants. (Wang Xinyuan/Guangming Picture) Editor: WXY My personal style is Classic and minimal on a daily basis (usually a dress or a kurta set), but I love dramatic and avant-garde creations for major events. My personal style icon: I dont have one style icon per se; I like to draw style inspiration from many different sources, from art and architecture to old movies, natural beauty, and of course fashion weeks. Personal style keeps evolving and the people/places we draw inspiration from also keep changing as a result. An item in my wardrobe that means a lot to me: My wedding lehenga, which Manish Malhotra designed for me. I absolutely love everything about it; it made me feel like a princess on the most special day of my life. Wedding lehenga designed by Manish Malhotra My favourite souvenir from my travels is: a Buddhist bracelet I was given by my Shifu at the Shaolin Temple in China, where I recently went to learn kungfu. It serves as a daily reminder of the importance of simplicity, discipline and gratitude that I learned there. Buddhist bracelet gifted by Parekh's Shifu at the Shaolin Temple in China The best gift I have received: Truffle, my Shih Tzu was gifted to me on my birthday 5 years ago by my husband Saharsh. He was just 20 days old at the time and fit on my palm he is my first baby and a constant source of joy. Pet dog Truffle The best gift I have given: The best gift I hope I am giving my children is respect, acceptance, and unconditional love for who they truly are I would hope this inculcates a sense of self-confidence, self-worth, and freedom to move in the direction of their dreams. The last thing I bought: A book at the airport I absolutely love physical books and am constantly buying (and reading) them. My last purchase was Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. The last book I read: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant. Its full of thoughtful leadership and life insights from an entrepreneur and investor. Last read book The last film I loved: A Gentleman in Moscow its actually a TV mini-series, adapted from one of my favourite books, but just beautifully made and very heart-warming. Last watched film My Spotify list would include these songs: My Spotify is full of podcasts! I love The Mindvalley Show with Vishen, where he interviews different thought leaders in each episode. My beauty/ wellness routine is: I go for a walk as soon as I wake up, followed by meditation. I practice yoga regularly. I believe beauty comes from the inside out and try to maintain a natural, healthy routine where I eat everything in balance. My 92 year old nani is my role model for natural beauty! My favourite holiday destination: Paris. Its such a beautiful city, full of history, breathtaking art, great fashion and yummy food! I just roam the streets and museums endlessly and find that I learn something new every time. I love to collect: cards made by my children, friends and family. I love handwritten notes and have a drawer where I keep all the cute cards and notes Im blessed to have received. My fridge always has: green chillies. I dont have a sweet tooth at all, but I can eat green chillies with everything! Minimalism or maximalism: Both; it just depends on the occasion! I usually gravitate towards minimal when it comes to most things, but I love larger-than-life couture with dramatic structural elements or gigantic sleeves/ruffles etc. My home looks like: Im obsessed with white and everything neutral. My go-to aesthetic for home decor is modern Parisian. I love Indian artists (just as I love Indian designers!) My favourite mix of traditional and contemporary is: Indian fashion! Traditional craftsmanship and techniques used in contemporary cuts and innovative designs make for the most interesting pieces. Our Indian designers do this so well. My best ideas come when: Im alone early in the morning writing down ideas and thoughts brainstorming or reading. I love thinking and working in complete silence, while everyone else is asleep. Also on flights, where there is no network and one is completely cut off. The best way to spend Rs 20,000 is: on a shared experience, building memories with family (or close friends). Everything in life can be replaced except time, and the only regret well have is not spending enough of it with the people we love. My idea of happiness is: sitting on the floor of the playroom, laughing with my kids, husband, and dog Truffle! It is very loud, usually a big mess, and lots of fun. Have you ever gotten that feeling that travel websites show an increase in air fares if you search multiple times? You are not alone, and you are not imagining anything. As many as 7 in 10 consumers said they have experienced it. Thats not all. From drip pricing, false urgency, basket sneaking and forced actions, airline apps and travel websites are trying all types of dark pattern tricks on Indian travellers this even as air fares have surged up by as much as 40 per cent in certain key routes due to more and more Indian travelling, even as capacity constraints have risen. The survey by LocalCircles between May and August this year received more than half lakh responses from across 322 districts in the country and saw some startling trends more than 80 pc of consumers said they have felt that airline apps and travel websites create a false sense of urgency to get them to book faster. This includes notifying that only one or two seats are available at this price, often pushing consumers to make hasty decisions which they may end up regretting later, if travel plans change and they are confirmed seats that cannot be refunded or rescheduled/cancelled. While 62 pc respondents said they had experienced it very frequently, 19 pc stated experiencing it sometimes. Another major issue is hidden charges. 62 pc consumers said they had frequently experienced hidden charges compared to the price with which they were lured to do the booking may be different and what they finally pay may be much higher, as there are hidden charges (not taxes) which are not presented upfront, but only later, when you are making the payment. Many consumers want airlines to display the total airfare to be charged upfront when they are searching for air fares and flights instead of at the last step of payment, said a statement issued by LocalCircles on Friday morning. Basket sneaking is another irritant, where websites sneak unwanted offers or a service (like insurance, meal, seat selection or fast lane at airports) is added and unwary customers end up paying for it. 40 pc air travellers said they have experienced it very frequently while 27 pc said they had experienced it sometimes. LocalCircles found all the national airlines are equally guilty of indulging in one form of dark pattern or the other. This range from drip pricing, basket sneaking and false urgency, taking air travellers for a ride not just literally but figuratively as well. This even as the government has repeatedly branded dark pattern tactics by online e-commerce and travel sites as illegal and a cybercrime. The Central Consumer Protection Authority in November last year banned 13 dark patterns like false urgency, interface interference, bait and switch etc. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had warned airline and booking portal representatives to find ways to counter such practices and protect consumer interests in a meeting recently. The Department of Consumer Affairs had recently considered integrating the Air Sewa portal with the National Consumer helpline after over 10,000 complaints were received over such deceptive online dark pattern practices. The tragic demise of Matthew Perry, popular for his role as Chandler Bing in the hugely popular sitcom, Friends, had shocked fans across the world. The actor was found face down in his hot tub on October 28, and the autopsy found a large amount of ketamine in his blood. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic widely used in short surgical procedures. Five people, including the live-in personal assistant of Matthew Perry, and two doctors have been charged in connection with his death. The prosecutors highlighted the existence of a broad underground criminal network that ensured that the actor was getting the powerful surgical anesthetic that ultimately killed him. At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression, the autopsy report of the actor had said. READ MORE: Friends star Matthew Perrys assistant, 2 doctors held for his death Announcing charges, US Attorney Martin Estrada pointed out that the doctors provided him with copious amounts of the drug despite knowing about his addiction. "They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr Perry. But they did it anyway," Estrada said. This network included a live-in assistant, various go-betweens, two medical doctors and a major source of drug supply known as the Ketamine Queen. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr Perry, but they did it anyways," Estrada said. According to an indictment unsealed Thursday, one doctor said, "One doctor even wrote in a text message, I wonder how much this moron will pay and Lets find out." NOW: Police announce Matthew Perrys personal assistant, two doctors and others have been indicted and charged with providing the ketamine that caused the death of the Friends star. Watch: https://t.co/YTdLWyvXh6 pic.twitter.com/lEW0fTZOM4 NewsNation (@NewsNation) August 15, 2024 Matthew Perry had been getting regular ketamine infusion treatments for depression. However, the amount that he was receiving from his regular doctors was not enough to kill him. They are also not among those who have been charged for his murder. These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr Perry than caring for his well-being, Estrada said. Who is the 'Ketamine Queen' Jasveen Sangha aka the Ketamine Queen is a drug trafficker accused of selling 50 vials of ketamine to the actor for $11,000. According to the prosecutors, she knew that the drug she distributed could be deadly. According to the indictment, Jasveen Sangha only dealt with "high end (clients) and celebs." She pleaded not guilty and was denied bond. Sangha had first been arrested in the case, charged with possession of ketamine with intent to distribute, and released on bond in March. However, the authorities had then kept quiet about Perry's involvement in the case. She ran her drug empire from her North Hollywood home, with the moniker called 'Sangha Stash House.' California police have arrested five persons including Matthew Perrys personal assistant and two doctors in connection with the probe into Friends star's death. The actor died from ketamine overdose last year. US Attorney Martin Estrada on Thursday said five persons have been charged so far in connection with the actors death and the doctors supplied the actor with large amounts of ketamine. In a text, the doctors even wondered how much Perry was willing to pay for the ketamine, Estrada said. These defendants took advantage of Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong," AP quoted Estrada as saying. Perry was found unresponsive at his home in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades area on October 28 after his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who stays with him, saw him face down in the jacuzzi. His autopsy was performed the next day. The autopsy report released in October revealed Perry died from the acute effects of the anaesthetic ketamine, which has hallucinogenic properties. The Friends star had years of struggles with addiction, dating back to his time on the hit show. The attorney said the accused exchanged messages soon after Perrys death referring to ketamine as the cause. The defendants tried to cover up their involvement in supplying the actor with ketamine, Estrada said. Estrada said, Two of the people, including one of the doctors charged, have been arrested. Two of the defendants, including Iwamasa, have pleaded guilty to charges already, and a third person has agreed to plead guilty, AP reported. In the autopsy report, ketamine was listed as the primary cause of death and no foul play was suspected. The coroner said drowning and other medical issues were contributing factors. An aerial drone photo taken on June 4, 2024 shows a view in Sun Island scenic spot in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Song) An aerial drone photo taken on July 2, 2024 shows greenery along Yitong River in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan) An aerial drone photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows sunset scenery in Chen Barag Banner of Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Bei He) An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows a wetland park in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) An aerial drone photo taken on July 24, 2024 shows herons in a forest in Heihe City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) An aerial drone photo taken on July 6, 2024 shows people visiting Xiushui national wetland park in Zhalantun City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Bei He) An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 3, 2024 shows greenery in Horqin Left Wing Rear Banner of Tongliao City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen) An aerial drone photo taken on July 18, 2024 shows horses grazing at the Wulanmaodu pasture, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Bei He) An aerial drone photo taken on July 26, 2024 shows forest scenery in Suihua City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) An aerial drone photo taken on May 30, 2024 shows the Zhanggutai base of the sand control and utilization research institute of the Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Zhangwu County, northeast China's Liaoning Province. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong) An aerial drone photo taken on July 18, 2024 shows sunset scenery at the Wulanmaodu pasture, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. As the eastern part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, northeast China has seen continuous improvement of ecological environment. China proposed in June 2023 to turn the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable "green Great Wall" and ecological security barrier in northern China. Launched in 1978, the TSFP aims to rehabilitate and green desert-prone lands and desertified areas in northwest, north and northeast China. (Xinhua/Bei He) Editor: WXY With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring Mpoxa viral illness caused by the monkeypox virusas a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), several countries, including India, have increased surveillance measures. The African region, especially central Africa, has been witnessing a surge in Mpox cases. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement after a meeting of the UN health agency's emergency committee. Today the first extraordinary meeting of the Standing Committee on Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response was convened, following my declaration yesterday of a public health emergency of international concern over the upsurge of #mpox in Africa. The Emergency pic.twitter.com/5kcRQE05Nr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 15, 2024 Since January 2023, more than 27,000 Mpox cases and around 1,100 deaths have been recorded in Congo alone. What is Mpox? Mpox is a viral illness caused by the Monkeypox virus (MPXV), a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. It is closely related to the smallpox virus. According to The Conversation, the virus was first identified by scientists in 1958 following the outbreak of a pox-like disease in captive monkeys. The first human case was reported in 1970. Symptoms of Mpox Mpox symptoms, which usually start within 21 days of exposure, include fever, headache, fatigue, muscle ache, swelling of lymph nodes and rashes on hands, feet, face, chest, mouth or near the genitals. The rashes then form pustules and scabs, before healing. A man infected with mpox at the Goma General Hospital, Democratic Republic of the Congo | AP According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the incubation period for Mpox is 3-17 days. During this time, a person may not have symptoms. The symptoms typically last 24 weeks but, for people with weakened immune systems, it can take longer. How is Mpox transmitted? Mpox virus is spread through direct contact with infected wild animals, through skin-to-skin contact intimate or sexual with an infected person, and through contact with contaminated objects. There are two types of Mpox: clade I and clade II. According to The Conversation, the current clade I (formerly called Congo Basin strain) and its offshoot clade Ib is more virulent than the clade II (west African) strain, resulting in a higher fatality rate. The global outbreak in 2022 was caused by clade II. How to prevent Mpox? A patient being checked by medical team in Democratic Republic of the Congo | Reuters Mpox can be prevented by avoiding direct contact intimate or sexual with infected persons and animals, or with contaminated materials. The most effective method to stop the spread is vaccination. According to the CDC, JYNNEOS is a two-dose vaccine developed to protect against Mpox and smallpox. The second dose should be given four weeks after the first dose. Vaccinated persons, however, should continue to avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with infected persons. Does India need to worry? The virus has, recently, spread to Rwanda and Burundi from Congo, and also to Kenya and Uganda. Less dangerous strains have been reported in the Ivory Coast and South Africa. The first case of the clade I infection outside Africa was reported from Sweden on Thursday. Pakistan, too, has reported three cases. The infection was noted upon their arrival from the United Arab Emirates, though the strain that caused it is yet to be confirmed. India has reported more than 20 cases of monkeypox since the disease was first detected in mid-2022. However, the risk of new strains and imported cases remain. Tamil Nadu has already put airport health officers and port health officers on high alert, with special focus on passengers arriving from the Congo and central African countries. Amid the alleged attacks against the minorities in Bangladesh, the head of the interim government Muhammad Yunus called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and assured the safety and security of Hindus. Modi said that Yunus assured the safety, protection and security of Hindus in Bangladesh over the telephone. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh," Modi added. The conversation also explored avenues to further strengthen the deep-rooted ties between the two neighbours. Both leaders agreed to work collaboratively towards advancing the bilateral relationship while aligning with the national interests of their respective countries' shared vision for a peaceful and prosperous South Asia. Bangladesh saw a spike in violence against the Hindu community after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government. The former Bangladesh PM fled to India on August 5 following massive protests, which initially began as the quota reform movement. Later violent protest erupted in the country demading Hasina's resignation. According to the Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance, a non-political Hindu religious organisation, the minority community has faced threats and attacks in at least 278 locations across 48 districts since Hasina fled the country. The organisation has pointed out that this was an assault on the Hindu religion. Amid the increasing attacks against Hindus in Dhaka, hundreds, including BJP leaders, women and professors took part in a protest march held in Delhi on Friday. On August 14, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma met Bangladeshs Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohammed Touhid Hossain at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka. "We are interested in advancing our relationship with Bangladesh," Verma told the media after the meeting. This was Vermas first meeting with Hossain, after the formation of the interim government. Verma had also attended the oath-taking ceremony where Yunus took over as head of the interim government. Despite the strong anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh, Vermas meeting with Hossain and other undisclosed diplomatic outreaches could have resulted in Yunuss phone call to Modi. Another case filed against Hasina In the latest addition to the charges filed against her, Hasina was charged with the murder of a teacher, Selim Hossain (35). Along with Hasina, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and 99 others faced multiple charges over the death of Hossain. Reportedly, Hossain, a resident of Shibganj Upazila, was killed on August 4 during the clashes between protesters and Awami League party activists. According to the complaint, the party leaders attacked the protesters and hacked Hossain to death with sharp weapons. Earlier, a murder case was lodged against her over the death of a grocery shop owner on August 13. On August 14, another case of enforced disappearance was filed against Hasina on the charge of kidnapping a lawyer in 2015. Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday started an investigation against Hasina on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity that took place from July 15 during the students' mass movement against her government. A team of UN experts will be visiting Bangladesh next week to investigate the killings of the protesters. The Haryana Assembly elections 2024 will be held in a single phase on October 1, 2024, and the counting of votes will be held on October 4, together with Jammu and Kashmir. While there were a lot of speculations on elections in J&K, which will go to polls after 10 years and for the first time as a union territory, the political strategising in Haryana did not take a break and the agrarian state has been brimming with high-stakes manoeuvring effectively since the results of the Lok Sabha elections came out in June. The political parties in Haryana had begun preparations for the polls way before the dates were announced. Haryana, with 90 assembly segments, is known for its dynamic political environment and has been a stronghold for several major parties over the years. The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in power since 2014. It is now being led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini who took over in March 2024, just a couple of months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP, after recording an average performance in the Lok Sabha elections, is now banking on welfare schemes such as Mukhya Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana, Mukhyamantri Kisan Evam Khetihar Mazdoor Jeevan Suraksha Yojana, Happy Cards for free bus travel etc... to woo the voters. The CM went into an overdrive last month to implement various social welfare schemes reiterating the partys policy Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. It is noteworthy that the saffron party could only secure five seats, with the Congress winning the remaining five in the general elections. The BJPs vote share also decreased to 46.11 per cent from 58.21 per cent in 2019, whereas the Congresss share went up to 43.67 per cent from 28.51 per cent in 2024. Despite the loss, the BJP has decided to go solo in the elections under Sainis leadership. #WATCH | Haryana to vote on October 1; counting of votes on Oct 4 Congress MP Deepender Hooda says, "Finally the day has come which every Haryana resident was eagerly waiting for. Just like a farmer waits for the rain. The people of Haryana were waiting for the press conference pic.twitter.com/o8THbd7VhI ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 The main opposition parties in Haryana include the Indian National Congress (INC), led by Congress veteran Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which has traditionally been influential in the state, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), a breakaway faction of INLD and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Congress, well established in the Jat and Dalit belts across Haryana, is considered to be the main opposition party. The grand old party kicked off its campaign to reach out to the people and build on the momentum gained in the parliamentary elections. Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son, Deepender Singh Hooda launched the partys campaign Haryana Mange Hisab in July from Karnal, BJPs stronghold and the Lok Sabha seat of former BJP CM, Manohar Lal Khattar, now a union minister. #WATCH | Haryana to vote on October 1; counting of votes on Oct 4 Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini says, "...We are fully prepared. Our government has been working under the mission mode for the last 10 years and will continue to do so. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, we pic.twitter.com/KbrwUeVJvR ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 The founder of the JJP, a breakaway faction of the INLD, Dushyant Chautala who was part of the BJP government in the state till March 2024, has now ruled out the possibility of allying with the BJP for the assembly polls. In fact, Chautala recently asked the Congress to take the lead in fielding a common candidate for the Rajya Sabha election in Haryana to which the JJP will extend support. The opposition parties are planning to corner the incumbent BJP over issues such as a rise in crime, unemployment and farmers distress among others. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which rose to power in neighbouring Punjab in 2022, has also decided to field candidates on all 90 seats in the agrarian state. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said that the party will contest strongly under the slogan Badlenge Haryana ka Haal, Ab Layenge Kejriwal. AAP Rajya Sabha member from Punjab, Sandeep Pathak had said recently that 45 public meetings have already been held in Haryana and as many will be conducted in days to come. This time meetings will be bigger than before. We have already held a small public meeting in every village of Haryana once. The next phase of these meetings will start soon. Manish Sisodia will also go to Haryana to campaign. We hope that the way the circumstances are developing, CM Arvind Kejriwal will also be out of jail soon. This will give more strength to the party and there will be vigorous election campaigns, Pathak had said. As political parties in Haryana finalise their strategies, the focus will remain on the impact of the Agniveer scheme and farmers' ire against the ruling BJP. With the stakes high, these elections are likely to reshape Haryanas political landscape. As the medical fraternity across the country is on war path protesting the rape and murder of their colleague in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College, the father of the victim said all youngsters on the streets seeking justice to his late daughter are his children. He extended his solidarity to the ongoing protests by the medical professionals. "All the people who are protesting on the streets are like my sons and daughters. My daughter has passed away but crores of children are standing with me now... All those who are protesting, we are with them," he told the press in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas on Friday. ALSO READ | Kolkata doctor rape and murder: Roy's mobile paired to headset found at crime scene Resident doctors in several cities, including those in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat held protest marches condemning the incident. The 31-year-old PG student was allegedly raped and murdered by a Kolkata Police civil volunteer attached to the RG Kar Medical College outpost. He was asleep at a seminar hall after watching Neeraj Chopra's Olympic javelin event when she was attacked by the accused Sanjay Roy, 33. CCTV footage confirmed his presence in the building where the crime took place and a piece of his headphone was recovered from the scene. He reportedly confessed to having killed the doctor after sexually assaulting her. #WATCH | North 24 Parganas, West Bengal: Father of deceased doctor in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-death case says, "My daughter left for duty at around 8:10 am on that day. She was on OPD and last spoke to her mother at around 11:15 PM. In the morning when my pic.twitter.com/nWbFCzuoKr ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Confirming that he spoke with the CBI officials probing the case, the father of the late doctor also levelled allegations against RG Kar Medical College Hospital. "I spoke to the officials of CBI yesterday but I cannot say anything else since the matter is subjudice... She had to face some problems in college, the entire department was a suspect," he said. Recollecting his late daughter's final conversation with the family, he said, "My daughter left for duty at around 8:10 am on that day. She was on OPD and last spoke to her mother at around 11:15 PM. In the morning when my wife was calling her, her phone was ringing but no one picked up, by that time my daughter died. The matter of concern is that from 3 AM to 10 AM, nobody needed her, despite she was an on-duty doctor," he said. ALSO READ | Absolute failure of state machinery; will shut down hospital: Calcutta HC on RG Kar Hospital vandalism Amidst the ongoing protests in front of Kolkata's state-run hospital, a group of people entered the hospital and vandalised the emergency department, nursing unit and medicine store in the early hours of Thursday. The mob also damaged CCTV cameras at the state-run health facility and ransacked a stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating against the alleged rape and murder of the doctor there and demanding security at their workplace. The Kolkata police said it arrested 19 people so far in connection with the massive vandalism at state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital where a trainee doctor was raped and murdered. Of the 19 arrested so far, five were identified via social media. The Kolkata police shared the picture of the suspects involved in the vandalism on Thursday. "19 arrests so far in RG Kar Hospital vandalism. Five of them were identified by social media feedback. If you recognise any of the suspects from our earlier posts, kindly inform us. Thank you for your support & trust," a post by the Kolkata police on Friday read. The police had also rubbished rumours that the crime scene was vandalised. They added that the mob hadn't touched the seminar hall, where the crime happened, and legal action would be taken against anyone who spread false rumours. 19 arrests so far in RG Kar hospital vandalism. Five of them were identified by social media feedback. If you recognise any of the suspects from our earlier posts, kindly inform us. Thank you for your support & trust. pic.twitter.com/zyY4sOgjBi Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 16, 2024 Meanwhile, a senior health official revealed the extent of the damage inflicted on the hospital by the mob and how it would take weeks for restoration. While the miscreants damaged the emergency, staffers' room, changing room for nurses and medicine store, they also damaged all CCTV cameras. They also ransacked a stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating since August 9 protesting the alleged rape and murder. Though the police claim that the scene of the crime wasn't touched, the health official said a portion of the seminar hall was vandalised and the doors were damaged. "Massive destruction was carried out by these people. What were they looking for? The degree of devastation is yet to be evaluated," the official told PTI. "Refrigerators with medicines worth several lakhs of rupees stored inside them were also damaged. Tables, chairs, computers, X-ray machines and other devices were also entirely damaged," he added. Hooligans and Goons now being chased away by Kolkata Police after they have indulged in absolute vandalism & arson. Ransacked the Emergency Room and other areas of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, destroyed public property. Why did Kolkata Police fail to stop this hooliganism? pic.twitter.com/jU9TCHskKh Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) August 14, 2024 However, the Kolkata Police claimed that they managed to control the mob despite being heavily outnumbered. "Our colleagues deployed at the spot, including the DC (North), tried to fight back using limited resources, putting their own lives at risk until reinforcements arrived to bring the situation under control. Several of our men were injured in the attack, some of them seriously," the police added. The uproar over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata continues on Friday with the Indian Medical Association announcing a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6 am on Saturday. Various political parties have joined the protest with BJP's women's wing planning to take out a candlelight rally to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's residence demanding her resignation. The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) has also called for a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal on Friday. The IMA has announced that essential services will be maintained and casualty wards operational, the Out-patient departments (OPD) will not function. The doctors will not conduct elective surgeries. A statement by the body said the decision is to protest against the brutal crime at the R G Kar Medical College and subsequent hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day. "The Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday 17.08.2024 to 6 am Sunday 18.08.2024 for 24 hours," the statement said. The doctors' body also called on authorities to provide safety for doctors inside hospitals and campuses since doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession. "Both physical assaults and crimes are a result of indifference and insensitivity of the authorities concerned to the needs of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers," it said. #WATCH | RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident | Actors from the Bengali film and television industry join the doctors protesting at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. pic.twitter.com/HYPVjwYmXS ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2024 CBI digs accused's mobile records The CBI team probing the murder on Thursday visited the residence of the victim's home as part of the investigation. An official told PTI that they probed the family about the time they received the call from the hospital which informed them about the death of their daughter. The officials have also asked the family about the victim's friends and on whether she faced any issues at the hospital where she was a postgraduate trainee doctor. "The CBI also interrogated five doctors of the hospital, its former medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal (MSVP), principal and the head of the Chest Department where the victim's body was found," the official added. The probe has also covered the intern doctors, nurses and others who were with the victim on the fateful night. Meanwhile, the officials are investigating the details of the accused's phone details, including call detail record and mobile tower location. The civic volunteer was arrested after the victim's body was found on Friday. "We are also looking into data consumed by his mobile to ascertain whether he made any video or internet voice calls," the officer said. Amid an ongoing probe over the rape and murder of a woman doctor RG Kar hospital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged BJP activists involvement in orchestrating vandalism at the healthcare facility. She also accused BJP of spreading fake news on social media on the rape and murder incident. While addressing a rally, West Bengal CM pointed out that the truth should come out and some quarters are spreading fake news to mislead people. "Attempts are made to hide the truth by circulating fake news...we want the culprits to be punished," she said. Banerjee condemned the attack and demanded justice for the woman doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last week. "The nexus between the Left and BJP should be exposed. The CPI(M) and the BJP are behind the vandalism of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital," she said. #WATCH | Kolkata: West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar holds protest against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident. pic.twitter.com/A6RnubQJan ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday lashed out at the West Bengal CM and asked her to "stop indulging in politics" over the rape-murder incident. A group of people entered the hospital and vandalised the emergency department, nursing unit and medical store in the early hours of Thursday. So far, the police arrested 19 people in connection with the vandalism incident. The mob also damaged CCTV cameras at the state-run health facility. Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) alleged that the site underwent sudden renovations, potentially leading to tampering with evidence. While the Kolkata Police rubbished rumours that the seminar hall, where the crime happened, was vandalised. #WATCH | #WATCH | Tamil Nadu: KMC Medical College students held a candlelight protest to show solidarity with the victim of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident pic.twitter.com/6XzcfboVtg ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024 Amid raging protests against the initial lackadaisical approach of the police and vandalism. Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal acknowledged that there was failure of assessment. Goyal said that the entire protest was supposed to be very peaceful and there was no intelligence of any massive vandalism. We deploy our resources and try and see that law and order is maintained...There is adequate security and we are committed to it, he said. As Jammu and Kashmir prepares for their first elections since 2018, National Conference vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said he is facing pressure from his party to contest the polls. After the abrogation of Article 370 and downgrading Jammu and Kashmir to a Union territory, (UT) Omar vowed not to contest polls unless statehood is restored. Although I don't want to fight the elections, there is pressure on me from my party, and in the next two days, I will take a decision on contesting the polls, he said. He said due to his father, Farooq Abdullah's old age, there is added pressure on him to contest. The problem is that my father is aging, so if I dont fight, he will be under pressure to do so. Abdullah said the discussions with the Congress on forming a political alliance have not progressed. We were part of the INDIA alliance, and a few days back, a delegation from the Congress met me regarding holding an election together. Unfortunately, they came without instructions from the Congress high command, so we didnt take that dialogue forward. However, he said they are open to further talks. If Congress has a concrete suggestion, then we are ready to talk to them. He highlighted the difficulties in reconciling with parties that have been adversarial in the past, a reference to the PDP with whom the party failed to agree on a seat-sharing agreement during Lok Sabha polls. It will be difficult for us to consider an alliance with parties that recently fought against us and spoke ill of us, he said, adding, The onus was on them to mend fences, but instead, they made the relationship worse. On the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcement of three-phase election schedule for the Union t erritory, he said it was much anticipated by the public. People were eagerly waiting for this announcement. Since 2018, there has been no government, and we suffered because of that, he said. Abdullah stressed the importance of free and fair elections and urged the ECI to ensure security to all candidates. Abdullah expressed his suspicions regarding the massive administrative reshuffle in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the ECIs announcement of poll dates. We suspect that these transfers have been made to benefit the BJP and their B and C teams. The ECI should see that transfers outside their guidelines are stopped. He said there is a need to reinstate security for parties opposing the BJP, which had been withdrawn in the last two years. On alliance with other pirates, he said the NC had kept the door for an alliance open, but it was shut to some extent by them (PDP). On the election manifesto, he said NC is prepared to release its manifesto and has no dearth of chief ministerial candidates. We have no shortage of CM faces, Abdullah said, and hoped for greater public participation in the assembly than in the Lok Sabha polls. Four persons have been arrested in connection with a Rs 400 crore "fraud" online betting and gaming app allegedly linked to some Chinese nationals, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday. Arun Sahu, Alok Sahu, Chetan Prakash and Joseph Stalin were taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case related to the app named 'Fiewin', the federal probe agency said in a statement. The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed at the Cossipore police station in Kolkata against some unknown persons for "cheating" and "conspiracy" with a number of online gamers through the app. "An amount of Rs 400 crore was generated from the Fiewin app fraud and thereafter was credited into eight Binance (global crypto exchange) wallets in the name of Chinese nationals. These wallets were operated from the Chinese mainland as revealed by the access IP logs. The Chinese nationals communicated with and instructed the four accused persons through digital communication especially groups on Telegram (social communication app)," the ED said. Since these four persons played an "active role" in the Fiewin app-based scam and were found to be involved in the offence of money laundering, they were arrested, the agency said. The ED did not say when these persons were arrested but added that a special PMLA court in Kolkata sent them to 14 days of ED custody. Probe found, the ED said, that Chinese nationals were operating the app with the help and support of Indian nationals. The funds mobilised from "gullible" online gamers through the Fiewin app were deposited into the bank accounts of some personscalled recharge personswho had allowed the use of their accounts by the app owners in lieu of certain commissions, as per the investigation conducted by the ED. The agency found that Arun Sahu and Alok Sahu, based in Odisha's Rourkela, acted as "recharge persons" and the funds received in their bank accounts from the app were converted into cryptocurrency. The duo deposited and "laundered" the cryptocurrency earned from Fiewin app and credited into the wallets of Chinese nationals on Binance, a foreign crypto exchange, it said. Chetan Prakash, a Patna-based engineer, played a key role in the money laundering activities by helping the recharge persons in the conversion of Indian rupee into cryptocurrency, the ED said. Joseph Stalin, a software engineer based in Chennai, helped a Chinese national named Pie Pengyun from Gansu province to become co-director of Studio 21 Pvt Ltd, a company owned by him. The ED said Pengyun used the account of Studio 21 Pvt Ltd for bulk payout services related to the app which helped them gain the confidence of gamers in the beginning and provoked larger bets from the app users. "The funds used for payout services were received by Joseph Stalin as cryptocurrency in his Binance account from the wallets controlled by the Chinese handlers. He in turn converted cryptocurrency into INR (Indian Rupee) by selling the crypto through P2P mode on Binance," the agency claimed. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government in Andhra Pradesh has issued an unconventional memo to 16 IPS officers awaiting official postings, with instructions on how to report for duty in the future. The list of IPS officers includes two DGP-rank and one Additional DGP-rank official. According to the internal memo issued by state DGP Dwaraka Tirumala Rao on August 12, the IPS officers have been officially instructed to report at the DGP office in Mangalagiri "at 10 am and sign in the attendance register available in the officers waiting room." The officers have also been directed to record their sign-out time before leaving the office "after office hours without fail." The memo further states, "They are also instructed to be readily available to attend to any urgent work assigned" It is widely believed that the action against the IPS officers is based on allegations from the TDP camp that they were aligned with the then-ruling YSRCP while discharging their duties. Some of the IPS officers who have now been sidelined held key positions in the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government. Among them is DGP-rank officer PSR Anjaneyulu, who was the intelligence chief in the last term, and another DGP-rank IPS officer, PV Sunil Kumar, who was the Crime Investigation Department (CID) chief probing the alleged Amaravati capital land scam. Previously, based on a complaint by TDP MLA Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju, cases were filed against both IPS officers after TDP came to power. Another officer, Additional DGP N Sanjay headed CID during the period when the current CM N Chandrababu Naidu was arrested in the alleged skill development scam. IGP-rank officer Kanthi Rana Tata served as the Vijayawada commissioner for a couple of years. Similarly, other junior IPS officers held the posts of SP in various districts. During the election period, the TDP leadership had alleged that false cases were being filed against their cadres by police officials at the behest of their political rivals, YSRCP. Apart from 16 IPS officers, half a dozen others have either been reassigned to loop line postings or are awaiting postings since N Chandrababu Naidu took over as CM in the second week of June. More than half a dozen IAS officers, some of whom are perceived by the TDP to be close to the previous government, have also not been given any postings. IAS officer Praveen Prakash, known as the blue-eyed boy of former CM YS Jagan, had opted for voluntary retirement. The government has accepted his application and will relieve him in September, but it hasnt given him a posting. A section of the bureaucracy has criticised the TDP government's move, which results in the loss of perks like official drivers or cars for the officers. Former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar, who contested on a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) ticket in the previous Lok Sabha elections, expressed his discontent. "Vendetta and nonsense of the highest order!!!" he tweeted on this issue. "What do these sixteen officers do while they wait in a room? Wait for the call to attend to any urgent work? Or gossip? Or meditate?? Or cry on each others shoulders??? Or become guinea pigs in a Stanford-style experiment in psychology?" He added, "Is it not a sheer waste of public money to keep senior police officers waiting in a room when they are supposed to be capable and willing to work for the people?" The YSRCP has also reacted to the issue. Former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy called the treatment of the 16 IPS officers the "peak of unethical governance." Some of the lower-rung police officials have also not been given postings or have been transferred based on similar allegations. The Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana have been decoupled for the first time in 15 years. According to the Election Commission, while there are many factors that influenced the decision to stagger the polls, it has been done primarily because of the security requirements that would have to be met to hold Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The Election Commission on Friday announced the polling schedule for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, keeping the announcement of polls in Maharashtra for a little later. In the last three state elections, the polls were announced for Haryana and Maharashtra together. According to the schedule, polling will be held in Jammu and Kashmir in three phases September 18 and 25, and October 1. Haryana will all go to polls on October 1 while the counting of votes will be held for both the states on October 4. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, in response to a media query at the press conference to announce the election schedule, said it is true that the polls in Maharashtra and Haryana have been announced together earlier, but the new addition to the mix, the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, have necessitated a staggering of polls. Kumar pointed out that the upcoming election season comprises five elections, starting with Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir and ending with Delhi in early 2025. He said Maharashtra could not be announced with Haryana this time because of the requirement of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Get ready for the #AssemblyElections Check out the schedule for the General Election to the Legislative Assembly 2024 in #Haryana.#ECI #Elections2024 pic.twitter.com/SMES8vWalP Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 16, 2024 Last time, Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections were held together. At that time, J&K was not a factor, but this time, there are four elections this year and the fifth election immediately after this, which is to start with J&K, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. Depending on the requirement of forces, we have decided to conduct two elections together, he said. The Commission, Kumar said, also took into account various other factors such as the torrential rains this monsoon season in Maharashtra due to which the preliminary work at the booth level has not taken place. The festival season which includes Ganeshotsav, Pitripaksh, Navratra and Diwali has also been considered as a factor. He pointed out that the term of the Haryana Assembly ends on November 3, while that of Maharastra gets over on November 26, and hence there is time in hand to hold polls in the western state. Meanwhile, the CEC said in response to another question that bye-elections to 47 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat, Wayanad, are due and would soon be announced. He said the Commission was waiting for the weather conditions to settle down before the dates of the by-polls are declared. He pointed out that Wayanad in particular has been devastated by intense rains that resulted in landslides. With Russian troops advancing towards the Ukranian town of Pokrovsk, authorities on Friday urged the civilians to speed up their evacuations. Russia's fierce advancement comes after Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin had said that Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region is an attempt by Kyiv to stop Moscow's offensive in the Donbas region. Donbas is predominantly Russian-speaking and after Russia seized Crimea in 2014, its proxy forces captured over a third of Ukraine's east. The Russian proxies created people's republics that nobody recognised and Russia now aims to capture the rest of the East. 1. Russia has been making advances into Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine regions. On Friday Moscow claimed to have captured Serhiivka, about 15 km from Pokrovsk. Pokrovsk is located 70 km north-west of Russian-held Donetsk city. Donetsk city is a key logistics hub for Ukraine. 2. Russia is inching closer to the city of Pokrovsk by taking over tiny villages towards the city. Lysychne and Ivanivka, both north of Serhiivka and close to Pokrovsk were claimed by Russia as well. 3. Pokrovsk officials in a Telegram post said that the Russian troops are advancing at a fast pace. With every passing day there is less and less time to collect personal belongings and leave for safer regions, said officials. 4. Meanwhile, over the last few days Ukraine's advance into Russia has slowed. According to experts, there will be logical challenges including the supply of ammunition, food and fuel if Ukraine advances. 5. After Ukraine's Kursk incursion, the Russian forces have now been redeployed along the border and they are building "additional defensive positions in an effort to prevent Ukrainian advances". Russia had launched a counter-terrorism attack against Kyivs incursion into Kursk. The intelligence had confirmed that Ukrainian troops have advanced to a depth ranging between 10-25 km over a frontage of approximately 40km. Kolkata, Aug 16 (PTI) The Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) has expressed serious concerns about deteriorating condition of the country's jute industry. In a recent letter to the Union Textile Ministry, the association cited increased imports, fluctuating government sector demand, and rising operational costs as significant challenges. The association has requested a probe into the countervailing subsidies (CVD) provided by the Bangladeshi government and a review of the anti-dumping duty (ADD) on jute products from Bangladesh and Nepal. Despite the existing anti-dumping duties, Bangladesh and Nepal still hold a substantial 55 per cent share of the non-government jute goods market, which is valued at Rs 3,500 crore. This situation has further exacerbated the industry's difficulties, according to the letter. The letter stated that the association has filed an application for an interim review of the ADD and also urged the ministry to initiate anti-subsidy investigations. IJMA's letter pointed out that contrary to reports, the Bangladeshi government has increased subsidies on diversified jute products, allowing producers in the neighbouring country to claim higher export subsidies. "These subsidies are in direct violation of Annex VII of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM), which mandates that Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Bangladesh phase out export subsidies for products that have achieved export competitiveness. Bangladesh has maintained export competitiveness in jute products for over two years, warranting a phased removal of these subsidies," IJMA said in its complaint. The association warned that these subsidies not only increase the financial burden on the Bangladeshi government but also severely damage the Indian jute industry. IJMA emphasised that invoking anti-subsidy measures would benefit both countries by creating a level playing field for the Indian industry while alleviating the subsidy burden on the Bangladeshi government, especially as the neighbouring country prepares to graduate from the LDC list. New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) Delhi-NCR's real estate market has attracted highest private equity investment of USD 633.3 million during January-June period of this year as investors look to encash high demand for prime office space and luxury housing, according to Cushman & Wakefield. In its latest capital market report, real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield mentioned that Delhi-NCR attracted USD 633.3 million of inflows during the first six months of this calendar year. Out of the total investment in Delhi-NCR, office assets received USD 483.6 million, while residential USD 149.6 million. The consultant noted that the surge in investments in Delhi-NCR has been primarily driven by the office segment, with major equity buy-outs by prominent fund houses. Residential sector in the city has also seen continued interest specially in the high-end and luxury segment. Across six major cities, the total investment in real estate stood at USD 3.9 billion during January-June 2024. Multi-city deals dominated fund inflow at nearly USD 1.9 billion. Bengaluru attracted USD 509.5 million, Hyderabad USD 319.9 million, Chennai USD 234.7 million, Pune USD 151.7 million and Mumbai USD 147 million. Somy Thomas, Managing Director, Valuation & Advisory and Capital Markets, Cushman & Wakefield, said, "USD 3.9 billion of private equity inflows during the first half of 2024, already surpassing 70 per cent of last year's total, highlights the remarkable growth and investor confidence in India's real estate market." This surge is primarily driven by infrastructure-related sectors like logistics and industrial, fuelled by significant public investments in multi-modal economic corridors, Thomas said. "Additionally, strong demand for office and residential spaces further solidifies the market's appeal. With continued positive momentum, we anticipate a buoyant year for private equity investments in the commercial real estate sector, potentially exceeding initial expectations," Thomas added. Commenting on the investment trend, Delh-NCR based listed realty firm TARC Ltd MD & CEO Amar Sarin said this validates our conviction in the region's potential and underscores the growing demand for luxury living in Delhi and Gurugram. "The region's strategic location, robust infrastructure and cosmopolitan culture make it an attractive hub for businesses, professionals and families alike. The government's initiatives to enhance connectivity have further boosted investor confidence," Sarin added. Shiwang Suraj, Founder & Director of Gurugram-based consulting firm InfraMantra, said, "Delhi-NCR boasts one of the best infrastructures and connectivity in the country. Coupled with the presence of numerous MNCs in Gurugram and Noida, this creates an ideal ecosystem for real estate investments. The region's real estate sector is poised to attract even more investments in the coming years." Gurugram-based realty firm 4S Developers MD Sanjoo Bhadana noted that Delhi-NCR has always been the favourite destination for real estate investment. "Its strategic location, burgeoning economy, and growing population make it an irresistible proposition for developers and investors alike. With a robust demand for both residential and commercial spaces, the region offers lucrative opportunities for capital appreciation and rental yields," he added. SOLAN, India, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Founded in 2009, Shoolini University has swiftly ascended the ranks of Indian higher education, earning the title of India's No.1 Young University in the Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings 2024. Focused on institutions under 50 years old, this ranking highlights Shoolini's rapid rise as a global educational leader. With a worldwide ranking of 121 and 5th overall in India, Shoolini stands out for its dedication to educational excellence and innovation. In just 14 years, Shoolini University has established itself as a significant force in Indian academia, research, and innovation, setting new benchmarks in a competitive landscape. This rise reflects its unique approach and lasting influence on the country's education sector. The Vision Behind Shoolini University Founded by visionary Prof PK Khosla, Shoolini University was conceived with a clear mission: to deliver world-class education and promote a culture of research and innovation in a student-centric environment. Named after the local deity Shoolini Mata, the university aimed to fill educational gaps in the region while offering a high-quality alternative within India. "We started with a dream to build a Top 200 Global University, focusing on research, student outcomes, and international outlook," says the Chancellor, Prof Khosla. "Our goal was to establish a world-class institution that nurtures talent, drives innovation, and prepares students for the global stage." Academic Excellence and Innovative Curriculum Shoolini University has emerged as a leader in various disciplines, particularly biosciences, engineering, management, liberal arts, and research. The university is ranked the No.1 Private University in India by both QS and Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. Moreover, it has secured the top spot among private institutions for engineering in THE Subject Rankings 2024. Further cementing its reputation, Shoolini achieved the 70th position in the recently announced NIRF Rankings, showcasing its excellence. The university's educational approach combines traditional academic rigour with innovative teaching methods, ensuring students not only acquire knowledge but also apply it effectively. Vice Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla notes, "We believe in the concept of learn, do, and lead. Our curriculum ensures that students are academically proficient and equipped to tackle real-world challenges." The university offers a diverse range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs tailored to meet modern demands. Cutting-Edge Infrastructure Shoolini University's state-of-the-art facilities and campus are designed to support its ambitious research and educational goals. The modern infrastructure reflects the university's dynamic and forward-thinking ethos. With over 104 advanced laboratories, students and faculty have the resources to conduct high-quality research and contribute to global knowledge. The university is also home to 11 Centres of Excellence, which focus on research in fields such as nanotechnology, OMICS and biodiversity, automobile engineering, yoga, disaster management, data analytics, postgraduate legal studies, and energy science and technology. Research and Innovation: Core Pillars At the heart of Shoolini University lies its dedication to research and innovation. According to THE World University Rankings, Shoolini ranks No.1 in India for Research Quality and International Outlook. The university is also a top patent filer in the country, with over 1,500 patents filed by its faculty and students. Shoolini researchers have developed groundbreaking technologies, including a dual-algorithm system for early breast cancer screening and a state-of-the-art mechanism for detecting drunk drivers. Other notable inventions include an electricity-generating water-pumping system, a Controlled Laser Heating System (CLHS), and a Portable Water Heating Solar Collector. With an h-index exceeding 115, Shoolini's research impact is significant. Thirteen of its researchers are listed among the top 2% of scientists globally, according to Stanford University. Additionally, Shoolini ranks No.1 in India and No.5 in Asia for Citations per Paper in the QS World University Asia Rankings 2024. "Our research philosophy is rooted in addressing real-world challenges," says Dean of Research, Prof Saurabh Kulshreshtha. "We encourage our students and faculty to think beyond conventional boundaries and contribute to society through innovation." Global Collaborations and International Reach Shoolini University maintains over 250 global partnerships with esteemed institutions, including The University of Melbourne, Royal Holloway University, IBM, AWS, Ikigai Lab, IIT Kanpur, and the London Institute of Banking & Finance. These collaborations facilitate student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, and global internships, offering Shoolini students invaluable exposure and opportunities. "Our international collaborations are essential in providing our students with a global outlook and preparing them for careers worldwide," says Director of International Affairs, Prof RP Dwivedi. A Vibrant Campus Life Shoolini's picturesque campus is a vibrant community that encourages academic pursuits alongside personal growth. The campus offers a variety of clubs, societies, and events that cater to diverse interests, from entrepreneurship and robotics to music and the arts. The annual cultural festival Moksh is a campus highlight, drawing participants from across the country. Other significant events include LitFest, Tech Fest, Media Marvel Fest, and Tansen Ki Khoj, all of which contribute to developing well-rounded personalities among students. Commitment to Sustainability In addition to academic and research excellence, Shoolini University is dedicated to sustainable development. The campus, designed with eco-friendly practices, actively promotes sustainability initiatives. According to the QS Sustainability Rankings, Shoolini is ranked No.4 among private universities in India. Shoolini's sustainability efforts extend beyond the campus through community outreach programs that encourage ecological awareness and responsible practices. At Shoolini, the belief that a sustainable future begins with education and community engagement creates a joyful and inspiring environment for learning and growth. Shoolini University is not just reshaping the landscape of young institutions in India; it is setting new benchmarks for the future of education. With its focus on academic excellence, pioneering research, and sustainability, Shoolini is leading the way in shaping the future of education in India and beyond. "At Shoolini, we are not just educating students; we are empowering future leaders to make a meaningful impact on the world," says Founder-Chancellor, Prof PK Khosla. About Shoolini University Set up in 2009, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences is a research-driven private university with full recognition from the UGC. As the No.1 Private University in India (QS and Times Higher Education), it is acclaimed for its focus on innovation, quality placements, and world-class faculty. Nestled in the lower Himalayas, the university is NAAC accredited and ranked Top 100 by NIRF. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/792680/4538720/ShooliniUniversityLogo.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) The Union Cabinet on Friday approved five infrastructure projects to boost connectivity within cities through metro rail in Karnataka and assembly poll-bound Maharashtra and improving air connectivity to Bihar and north West Bengal. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government has approved infrastructure projects worth nearly Rs 2 lakh crore since assuming office in June, making it clear that its priority was to generate jobs and boost connectivity to further economic growth. The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, approved metro rail projects in Bengaluru in Karnataka, and Thane and Pune in Maharashtra, where assembly elections are due later this year. "It is our constant endeavour to ensure Maharashtra gets modern infrastructure," Modi said in a post on X, sharing details of the Cabinet decisions taken on Friday. The Phase-3 of the Bangalore Metro, comprising two corridors JP Nagar to Kempapura and Hoshahalli to Kadabagere will be completed at a cost of Rs 15,611 crore. The Thane Integral Ring Metro, to be built at a cost of Rs 12,200 crore, will provide connectivity to the residential and industrial areas of the city with interchanges provided for the Mumbai Metro rail lines 4 and 5. The Pune Metro, which will be extended from Swargate to Katraj at a cost of Rs 2,954.5 crore, will provide underground connectivity to Market Yard, commercial and residential areas at Padmavati and Katraj, which has residential areas, a university campus and a zoological park. The Cabinet also approved airport projects at Bagdogra in West Bengal and Bihta in Bihar at an estimated total cost of Rs 2,962 crore. Vaishnaw said a new civil enclave at Bagdogra airport has been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 1,549 crore. The project includes the construction of an apron capable of accommodating 10 parking bays suitable for A-321-type aircraft. A new civil enclave at Bihta in Bihar will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,413 crore. The project includes the construction of an apron capable of accommodating 10 parking bays suitable for A-321/B-737-800/A-320 type aircraft. Earlier, the Union Cabinet had approved development of the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi at a cost of Rs 2,869 crore, eight new railway line projects at a cost of Rs 24,657 crore, eight national high-speed road corridor projects worth Rs 50,655 crore and an all weather major port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 76,200 crores. Bengaluru, Aug 16 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday assured Taiwanese electronics major Foxconn of his government's complete support and commitment to ensure it gets all the assistance required and requested the company to further invest in the state. The chief minister held discussions with Young Liu, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) and his team, during the dinner meeting organised at a private hotel here. "... we work together to deepen and strengthen the collaborative relationship between Foxconn and our state. This partnership is of immense importance, and I am honoured to be part of an initiative that holds such significant potential for mutual growth and success," Siddaramaiah said. During his address at the dinner meeting, he said, Karnataka has established itself as a powerhouse in the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector. "With several leading ESDM players operating within the state, we are proud to be among the top contributors to India's electronics manufacturing output and exports." Noting that to support and facilitate competitive electronics manufacturing, Karnataka offers a comprehensive range of advantages, the CM said, from efficient logistics and reliable power supply to a skilled workforce and a resilient vendor base, the state is well-equipped to meet the needs of this dynamic industry. "It gives me immense pleasure to note that your project will create substantial employment opportunities within the state. This not only boosts the local economy but also empowers our workforce and enhances the overall prosperity of the region," he said. "We (govt) assure you of our complete support and commitment to ensure Foxconn gets all the assistance required in this process. Our government is always ready to support you and I request you to further invest in Karnataka. Karnataka is a beautiful state and it has got the potential for investment," he added. Foxconn is setting up an iPhone assembly plant (Project Elephant) in Karnataka. The company has acquired 300 acres of land in the ITIR Industrial Area, located in Doddaballapura and Devanahalli Taluk of Bengaluru Rural District. The project, with an investment size of Rs 22,000 crore, is expected to generate employment for 50,000 plus people. "Currently, the work is progressing well in this project with construction in progress. The C&I (Commerce & Industries) Department, in collaboration with other relevant departments, is actively working on securing all necessary license approvals for the project. Additionally, power and water supply specific to the project are being planned and implemented," the government said. Additionally, Foxconn is setting up a manufacturing and assembly facility for mechanical components in EV applications (Project Cheetah). The company has leased private land in Bengaluru District for this project. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Minister for Large and Medium Industries M B Patil, Minister for Information Technology Priyank Kharge, and senior officials were present at the meeting. Earlier in the day, after receiving Young Liu at the airport, along with Kharge and officials, Minister Patil in a post on 'X' said, "Foxconn's forthcoming investments in the state are poised to significantly contribute to Karnataka's growth trajectory. I look forward to productive discussions." Los Angeles, Aug 15 (AP) Authorities have arrested at least one person in connection with Matthew Perry's death from an accidental ketamine overdose last year, a law enforcement official tells The Associated Press. The official was not authorised to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Authorities have scheduled a news conference in Los Angeles to announce details in the case later Thursday morning. Los Angeles police said in May that they were working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Postal Inspection Service with a probe into why the 54-year-old had so much of the surgical anesthetic in his system. An assistant found Perry face down in his hot tub on October 28, and paramedics who were called immediately declared him dead. His autopsy, released in December, found that the amount of ketamine in his blood was in the range used for general anaesthesia during surgery. The decades-old drug has seen a huge surge in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. People close to Perry told coroner's investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy. But the medical examiner said Perry's last treatment 1 1/2 weeks earlier wouldn't explain the levels of ketamine in his blood. The drug is typically metabolised in a matter of hours. At least two doctors were treating Perry, a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist who served as his primary care physician, the medical examiner's report said. No illicit drugs or paraphernalia were found at his house. Ketamine was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected, the report said. Drowning and other medical issues were contributing factors, the coroner said. Perry had years of struggles with addiction dating back to his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest television stars of his generation as Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's megahit sitcom. (AP) PY PY Ahmedabad, Aug 16 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday congratulated the producers, directors and actors of the Gujarati movie "Kutch Express", which won three categories at the 70th National Film Awards. The movie, directed by Viral Shah and produced by Parthiv Gohil and Manasi Parekh, has won three prizes in the National Film Awards announced on Friday. As per a release, "Kutch Express" won the award for best feature film promoting national and social values, designer Niki Joshi won the trophy for best costume design, and Manasi Parekh clinched the best actress prize. "Kutch Express" is based on the plot of promoting local handicrafts produced by organisations run by rural women, and this was a reason why it was chosen for the award of best feature film promoting national and social values, the release said. The chief minister said winning three National Awards is truly a remarkable event in the history of Gujarati films. He wished that more Gujarati films with thought-provoking plots and excellent casts would continue to be produced. Regional cinema dominated the National Film Awards announced on Friday, with the best feature film prize going to the Malayalam movie "Aattam: The Play", and Rishabh Shetty bagging the award for best actor for the Kannada hit "Kantara". The best actress prize was shared by Nithya Menen for the Tamil film "Thiruchitrambalam", and Parekh for "Kutch Express". Peshawar, Aug 16 (PTI) At least six persons of a family were killed, and nine injured when a van plunged into a deep ravine in northwest Pakistan, authorities said on Friday. The tragic incident occurred on Thursday in the Chupriyal area of the scenic Swat Valley of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The vehicle was carrying 14 members of a family who were returning home from a wedding ceremony. The vehicle went out of control while taking a sharp turn in the mountainous areas. At least six persons of the family were killed, and nine injured when the van plunged into a deep ravine, authorities said on Friday. The rescue and the medical team reached the spot and provided first aid to the injured. Lahore, Aug 16 (PTI) More arrests will be made in connection with the court martial of former ISI chief General (Retd) Faiz Hameed in a housing scam, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday, a day after three more retired military officers were arrested in the case. Hameed, who served as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021, was arrested following action in the complaint of a private property developer over alleged misuse of official authority. Investigations are underway in the Faiz case. More arrests are likely in the army and elsewhere, Dawn News quoted the minister as saying here. It seems the ambit will not just remain limited to the military but whoever is involved and whoever has compromised the countrys security all those will come in its grasp, Tarar said. The ministers remarks came hours after the ISPR, the militarys public affairs division, in a statement on Thursday said: In connection with the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) proceedings of Lt Gen (Retd) Faiz Hameed, three retired officers are also in military custody for their actions prejudicial to military discipline. The ISPR said more retired officers and their associates were being probed for allegedly inciting instability in collaboration with and on behalf of a political entity with vested interests. The ISPR did not release the names or ranks of the officers arrested and did not indicate when the arrests had been made, but media reports claimed they were identified as Brigadier (Retd) Ghaffar, a former deputy director general for projects at ISI; Brig (Retd) Naeem Fakhar, a former officer commanding; and Colonel (Retd) Asim. Welcoming the fresh arrests in connection with the court martial proceedings against Gen Faiz for his alleged involvement in the case, Tarar said the institution of the army had prioritised self-accountability. We think this act of self-accountability is positive and that it is a step that needs to be lauded, moving towards accountability and discord in the country being stopped. Tarar said when a no-confidence motion was tabled against ex-prime minister Imran Khan, Gen Faiz was in contact with him. [Even] after going to jail Imran Khan remained in touch with Gen Faiz, he alleged. Taking note of the ISPR statement, Tarar regretted that discord and instability were being spread. Attempts were being made to impose an uncertain situation in the country and there were security attacks. I think it is a very good and timely decision of the military to arrest Gen Hameed and the subsequent three officers, he said, adding that jailed former premier Khan was trying to dissociate himself from Gen Faiz Hameed but "won't be able to save his neck". The ISPR announcement follows speculation that numerous retired officers had been detained about Gen Hameeds trial for his post-retirement actions that violated the Army Act and on the complaint of the owner of a housing society in Islamabad, which had been referred to the Defence Ministry by the Supreme Court. Hameed was arrested on August 8 after being summoned to Rawalpindi by a senior army officer, with his detention only being publicly confirmed on the following Monday. His trial is being described as one of the most high-profile court martials in the history of the Pakistan Army. The unprecedented arrest of the top-ranking officer, who led the premier intelligence agency, broke the myth in the country that such powerful officers were beyond the reach of law. Lt Gen (retd.) Hameed was considered extremely powerful when he headed the spy agency from 2019 to 2021. He was appointed to the coveted post when then ISI chief and current Army chief Lt Gen Asim Munir was prematurely removed from the post. It was reported then that Khan was not happy with Munir. Later, the army decided to replace Hameed, a move vehemently opposed by Khan. It is believed that it was the beginning of the souring of his ties with the powerful military. Hameed took premature retirement in November 2022, four months before his retirement date after the current army chief took over. He was considered close to then Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa. The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Pakistan Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 76-plus years of existence and has wielded considerable power in security and foreign policy matters. Islamabad, Aug 16 (PTI) Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has welcomed the process of 'internal accountability' initiated by the military against former spymaster Lt Gen (Retd) Faiz Hameed. Hameed, who served as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021, was arrested following action in the complaint of a private property developer over alleged misuse of official authority. He was arrested on August 12 in the Top City Case. Khan made these remarks on Thursday while talking informally to journalists in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi after the hearing of a case against him. Commenting on a statement by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif alluding to the alleged involvement of retired Lt Gen Hameed in the May 9 protests following his arrest the former prime minister said that if Faiz Hameed was involved, it should be investigated. Hameed was head of the ISI during Khans term in office. Having distanced himself from the former spy chief after news of his court martial became public, Khan on Thursday welcomed the process of 'internal accountability' initiated by the military and called for across-the-board action, Dawn newspaper reported. Lt Gen (retd.) Hameed was considered extremely powerful when he headed the spy agency from 2019 to 2021. He was appointed to the coveted post when then ISI chief and current Army chief Lt Gen Asim Munir was prematurely removed from the post. It was reported then that then prime minister Imran Khan was not happy with Munir. Later, the army decided to replace Hameed, a move vehemently opposed by Imran Khan and it is believed that it was the beginning of souring of his ties with the powerful military. The Top City case made headlines when on November 8, 2023, Moeez Ahmed Khan, the owner of Top City, filed a petition in the Supreme Court in which he accused Hameed of misusing his authority. He stated in the petition that on May 12, 2017, at the behest of Gen Hameed, ISI officials raided the top city office and his house and seized valuables, including gold, diamonds and money. He also stated that Sardar Najaf, the brother of Hameed, also contacted him to resolve the issue later. The petition also claimed that Gen Hameed later personally met him to resolve the issue. He alleged that the ISI officials extorted Rs 4 crore cash from him. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which included Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, Justice Attar Minullah and Justice Aminuddin, heard the case and decided to send it to the Ministry of Defence for probing the allegation. The army announced in April this year that it constituted a high-level inquiry committee headed by a major general to look into the allegations. Hameed took premature retirement in November 2022, four months before his retirement date after the current army chief took over. He was considered close to then Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa. The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Pakistan Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 76-plus years of existence and has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy. Dhaka, Aug 16 (PTI) A murder case was filed against Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday over the death of a teacher, the latest in the string of cases filed against her after her ouster. The case was filed against Hasina and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader in Bogura. Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5 after she was forced to resign following a massive protest by students against a quota system in government jobs. Ninety-nine other local leaders and activists of her party were also sued in the case filed with Bogura Sadar Police Station over the murder of 35-year-old Selim Hossain, a resident of Palikanda village of Shibganj upazila, on August 4. On August 4, the day before Hasina resigned and fled the country in the face of a student-led mass uprising, Hossain joined students' protest in Bogura's Satmatha area. According to the complaint, Awami League (AL) leaders and activists attacked the protesters and hacked Hossain to death with sharp weapons. Hossain's brother alleged that AL men killed his brother after getting orders from Hasina and Quader. This is the latest in a string of cases filed against Hasina following her ouster on August 5. A case of enforced disappearance was filed on August 14 against Hasina and several others, including former ministers of her cabinet, on the charge of kidnapping a lawyer in 2015. On August 13, a murder case was lodged against Hasina and six others over the death of a grocery shop owner during last month's violent clashes that led to the fall of her government. Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government, taking the death toll to 560 since the anti-quota protests first started in mid-July. Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday started an investigation against the former premier and nine others on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity that took place from July 15 to August 5 during students' mass movement against her government. A complaint was filed on Wednesday with the investigation agency of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal against Hasina, Awami League general secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and several other prominent figures within the party. A team of UN experts will visit Bangladesh next week to investigate the killings of the protesters ahead of and in the aftermath of Sheikh Hasinas resignation as the prime minister last week, it was announced on Thursday. An interim government was formed after the fall of the Hasina-led regime, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed as its Chief Adviser. Geneva/Dhaka, Aug 16 (PTI) The UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk has underlined the need for accountability for all those responsible for human rights violations and violence, including against religious minorities, in Bangladesh as his office on Friday issued a preliminary report on the protests and unrest there in recent weeks. Calling for a comprehensive, impartial and transparent investigation into all human rights violations, Turk also said the transition in the South Asian nation is a historic opportunity to ensure governance is anchored in human rights, inclusivity and the rule of law. Turks comments came a day after it was announced that a team from his office is slated to visit Bangladesh next week to investigate the killings of the protesters ahead of and in the aftermath of Sheikh Hasinas resignation as the prime minister last week. The transition ahead presents a historic opportunity to reform and revitalise the countrys institutions, to restore fundamental freedoms and civic space, and to give all in Bangladesh a part in building the future, the High Commissioner said. The transition that he referred to was the change in government in Bangladesh after four-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and secretly left for India on August 5 in the face of a massive mass upsurge originating from a students movement over the quota system for government jobs. Bangladesh descended into chaos after Hasinas departure. Before that, the anti-government protests had killed more than 500 people since mid-July. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on August 8 as the Chief Adviser of the interim government after he was chosen by President Mohammed Shahabuddin after dissolving Parliament, a decision prompted by a demand by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. On Thursday, a post on X by the Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh announced the visit next week of the UN experts team, the first time the UN has sent a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh since its independence in 1971 to investigate widespread human rights abuses in the country. A statement from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday quoted Turk as saying: Accountability for violations and justice for the victims is the key for the way forward, and will need to be accompanied by a national healing process. A comprehensive, impartial and transparent investigation into all human rights violations and abuses that have occurred will be a critical first step, he said. Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed including at least 32 children and thousands injured in the widespread violence, the statement said. There are strong indications, warranting further independent investigation, that the security forces used unnecessary and disproportionate force in their response to the situation. Additional, alleged violations, that also warrant thorough, impartial and transparent investigations, included extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, and severe restrictions on the exercise of freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, it added. Following Hasinas resignation, there were also reports of looting, arson and attacks on members of religious minorities, as well as reprisals against and revenge killings of members of the former ruling party and police, the statement said. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said that the minority community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 and termed it as an "assault on the Hindu religion." Several Hindu temples, homes and businesses of the minority community in Bangladesh were destroyed this month amidst the unrest. Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus who is heading the interim government on Tuesday reached out to the distressed Hindu community and urged them to "exercise patience" and assured them that his government would punish those who attacked the minority members. The statement also gave specific examples of violence and human rights abuse post-August 5, including how journalists were threatened and underscored the importance of restoring law and order. The High Commissioner also welcomed the initiative by various student organisations, faith leaders and other people forming groups to protect minorities and religious sites belonging to minority communities, the statement said and acknowledged that the Interim Government has also strongly condemned these acts. Turk welcomed the release of thousands of detainees and longer-term political prisoners including some victims of enforced disappearance and urged the release of all those arbitrarily detained. As I assured the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, Professor Muhammad Yunus in our phone call this week, we stand in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh at this time and are committed to supporting the Interim Government for a successful transition that is inclusive and advances the rights of all the people in Bangladesh, said Turk. The 10-page report has detailed the situation with background and gives specific recommendations to all the political actors, the interim government and the international community in order to address the present situation in the country that has resulted from the demonstrations and events detailed in the report and said, However, long-term comprehensive legal and institutional reforms will be needed. Jit (West Bank), Aug 16 (AP) Israeli leaders on Friday roundly condemned a deadly settler rampage in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a rare Israeli denunciation of the settler violence growing more common since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The settler riot in the village of Jit, near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, killed one Palestinian and badly injured others late Thursday, Palestinian health officials said. Residents interviewed by The Associated Press said at least a hundred masked settlers entered the village, shot live ammunition at Palestinians, burned homes and cars and damaged water tankers. Video showed flames engulfing the small village, which residents said was left to defend itself without military help for two hours. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he took the riots seriously and that Israelis who carried out criminal acts would be prosecuted. He issued what appeared to be a call for settlers to stand down. Those who fight terrorism are the IDF and the security forces, and no one else, he said, using an acronym for the Israeli military. President Isaac Herzog also condemned the attack, as did Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who said the settlers had attacked innocent people. He added they did not represent the values" of settler communities. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, as the heartland of a future state, a position with wide international backing. Rights groups say that arrests for settler violence are rare, and prosecutions even rarer. Israel's left-leaning Haaretz newspaper reported in 2022 that based on statistics from the Israeli police, charges were pressed in only 3.8 per cent of cases of settler violence, with most cases being opened and closed without any action being taken. It was unclear why the Jit attack yielded such a strong rebuke from Israeli leaders. A similar settler riot in the village of Al-Mughayyir in April went without comparable mention from the authorities. The Jit attack comes as Israel is under heightened international scrutiny over its role in cease-fire talks with American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha, yet another attempt to broker an end to the 10-month-old war. The French foreign minister and the British foreign secretary were also in Israel on Friday for meetings with diplomatic officials, and both condemned the attack. The US has broadly condemned settler violence and the expansion of Israel's West Bank settlements. US Ambassador Jack Lew wrote on the social media platform X on Friday that he was appalled by the attack, and the White House National Security Council called violent settler attacks unacceptable. Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence, and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account," it said in a statement. Other Israeli officials distinguished between the settler attack on Jit and the larger Israeli settlement project, which the international community views as illegal under international law. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich an ultranationalist settler who has turbocharged settlement expansion, railed against US sanctions on violent settlers and previously defended violent settlers as heroes labeled the rioters criminals who were in no way related to the settlement and the settlers. We are building and developing settlements in a legal and official manner, Smotrich wrote on X, adding that he reject(s) any expression of anarchist criminal violence that has nothing to do with love for the land and the desire to settle in it. Ultra-orthodox Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel called on Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency to investigate those involved and said the riot ran against Jewish values and harmed the settlement enterprise. Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, violence has flared in the occupied territory. Palestinian health officials say 633 Palestinians, including 147 children and teenagers, have been killed by Israeli fire and over 5,400 injured. Many have been killed during Israeli military raids into Palestinian cities and towns, but settlers have killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, and injured 234 people, according to AIDA, a coalition of nonprofit and other groups working in the territory. The UN documented over 1,000 settler attacks in the West Bank since the start of the war, averaging four a day. That's double the average during the same period last year, AIDA says. Sufian Jit, a resident of the village, said a group of 100 settlers streamed in before sundown Thursday, burning cars, puncturing water tankers and destroying homes. He called the army and firefighters, pleading for help. Firefighters never came, so villagers ran between burning cars to put out the fires, he said. After two hours, he said soldiers arrived. It was more than 100 settlers against us. At the beginning, there were just a few people trying to stop them, and then later the whole town came and stopped them, he said. The Israeli military said late Thursday it had arrested one Israeli civilian in connection with the violence and opened an investigation. Police did not say whether the civilian was still in custody on Friday, but said they were working with the Shin Bet and military to investigate and bring the relevant perpetrators to justice. Mourners prepared Friday for the funeral of young 23-year-old Rasheed Mahmoud abed Al Khadier Sadah. His relative, Ibrahim Sadah, said many residents wanted to help defend the village but had to take shelter once settlers started firing live ammunition. (AP) NPK NPK Jerusalem, Aug 16 (AP) Mediators trying to end the Israel-Hamas war expressed hope for an imminent deal Friday, saying two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and they aimed to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting. Israel did not immediately respond and a statement from Hamas did not sound enthusiastic about the latest proposed deal to end the 10-month-old devastating war in Gaza and free Israeli hostages held in the territory. A cease-fire is seen as the best hope for heading off an even larger regional conflict. Both sides had agreed in principle to the plan President Joe Biden announced on May 31. But Hamas has proposed amendments and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank a deal. Hamas has rejected Israel's demands, which include a lasting military presence along the border with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza where it would search Palestinians returning to their homes to root out militants. The statement from the mediators Qatar, the United States and Egypt said US officials had presented a proposal that would bridge the gaps remaining between both sides' positions. Teams will continue working in the coming days on how to implement the specifics of the proposal, they said. Senior officials from our governments will reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week with the aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward today, the statement said. Hamas quickly cast doubt on whether an agreement was within reach. In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal diverged significantly from the previous iteration they had agreed to in principle, implying they were not disposed to accept it. The new push for an end to the Israel-Hamas war came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities, and fears remained high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. International mediators believe the best hope for calming tensions would be a deal between Israel and Hamas to halt the fighting and secure the release of Israeli hostages. International diplomacy to prevent the war from spreading intensified Friday, with the British and French foreign ministers making a joint trip to Israel. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne appeared hopeful after meeting Friday with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Lammy said Israeli officials told them they were hoping they were on the verge of sealing a deal. As we head now to 315 days of war, the time for a deal for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in, in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza, and for the fighting to stop is now, Lammy said. Speaking alongside him, Sejourne called any action to destabilize negotiations unacceptable. He and Lammy had sent very clear messages to all parties that this was a key moment because it could lead to peace or war," he said. Katz said in a statement that he told his British and French counterparts that if Iran attacks Israel, Israel expects its allies not just to help it defend itself, but to join in attacking Iran back. He also warned Iran which backs Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels in Yemen, all of whom have attacked Israel since the Gaza war started to stop the attacks. Iran is the head of the axis of evil, and the free world must stop it now before it's too late, Katz said on X. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the heavily guarded border on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third of them are dead. Israel's devastating retaliatory offensive has killed 40,005 Palestinians, Gaza's Health Ministry said Thursday, without saying how many were militants. Israel's military spokesperson, Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, said Thursday that Israel had killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants in Gaza in the war, without providing evidence. Diplomats hoped a cease-fire deal would persuade Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and of Hamas' top political leader in an explosion in Tehran that was widely blamed on Israel. The mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a lasting cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Egypt's foreign minister said Friday that a cease-fire deal was key to tamping down temperatures across the region. We will exert all efforts in order to reach an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip as this is the basis to stop the escalation, Badr Abdelaty said during a trip to Lebanon. In a clear message to Israel, Hezbollah released a video Friday, with Hebrew and English subtitles, showing underground tunnels where trucks were transporting long-range missiles. A Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was speaking about military affairs, said the missiles in the video have a range of about 140 kilometers (86 miles), capable of reaching deep inside Israel. Hezbollah has tens of thousands of rockets, missiles and drones that the group says give it the ability to hit anywhere in Israel. Hezbollah started attacking Israel on October 8 and says it will only stop when the Gaza war ends. (AP) NPK NPK Male, Aug 16 (PTI) The foreign minister of the Maldives Moosa Zameer on Friday said India has emerged as the worlds largest and most diverse democracy that leads by example inspiring many countries, including his country. Reflecting on the long-standing partnership between Maldives and India, which, he said, is rooted in its people and strengthened through our active bilateral cooperation, Zameer reiterated the firm commitment of President Dr Mohammad Muizzu's government to strengthen and deepen the robust relationship between our two countries for the mutual benefit of our people. Zameer was speaking as a chief guest at a function on the 78th Independence Day of India here. The bilateral relations had recently seen a reset after the three-day visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, months of acrimony since pro-China Muizzu took oath last November. Jaishankar visited the archipelagic nations earlier this month and met the country's top leadership, including President Muizzu. Before that, Muizzu visited New Delhi for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modis new government in June. Earlier, within hours of his oath-taking, Muizzu had demanded India repatriate its military personnel from his country. After mutual negotiations, India withdrew its personnel by the agreed deadline of May 10 and replaced them with civilians. On Friday, terming it as an honour to be the chief guest at the event, Zameer extended on behalf of President Muizzu, the Government and the People of Maldives, warm greetings and best wishes to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Modi and to the friendly people of India. (I) Congratulated India for their remarkable journey, one of profound significance and inspiration. India has emerged as the worlds largest and most diverse democracy that leads by example inspiring many countries, including the Maldives, Zameer posted on X after the event. I reflected on the long-standing partnership between Maldives and India a partnership rooted in its people and strengthened through our active bilateral cooperation, he said. He reiterated the firm commitment of President Dr Muizzu's Government to strengthen and deepen the robust relationship between our two countries for the mutual benefit of our people. Zameer, in his longish post, said he also thanked External Affairs Minister Jaishankar for his unwavering support to enhancing our bilateral ties. He thanked Indias ambassador to the Maldives Munu Mahawar for hosting the event. Mahawar, replying to his post, thanked Zameer for gracing this celebration of our lasting friendship and said: We are confident that under the leadership of PM @narendramodi and President @MMuizzu, our relationship will scale new heights and the bonds of friendship will become even stronger. Earlier, the Indian mission said in a post on X: The iconic Olympus Hall witnessed an enthralling symphony of Indian and Maldivian vocal and dance performances at Connecting Cultures. The well-attended programme held at the iconic Olympus Hall witnessed an enthralling symphony of Indian and Maldivian vocal and dance performances, including a medley of Indian and Maldivian songs and special dance performances by artists from India and Maldives. Islamabad, Aug 16 (PTI) Confusion prevailed in Pakistan on Friday over the number of confirmed mpox cases in the county, as a federal government official confirmed only one patient with the disease, contradicting the three cases reported by provincial officials. Health Ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah said the sole confirmed patient, found to have the mpox virus, belonged to the Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. However, Shah said, it was not clear so far which variant of mpox the patient had until the testing process was complete. Earlier, officials stated that three patients having mpox were detected and they all belong to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the north-west, a militancy-hit region bordering Afghanistan. Salim Khan, the director general of health services for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said two patients were detected upon arrival from the United Arab Emirates, while a third patient's samples had been sent to the National Health Institute in Islamabad for confirmation It remains unclear which strain of mpox the patient contracted or whether it is the same variant first confirmed outside Africa in Sweden. Pakistan's Ministry of Health issued an advisory on the disease on Thursday, stating that "the screening system at airports and entry points is being further strengthened". Prime Minister's Coordinator for Health Dr Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath said that federal hospitals had been instructed to take precautionary measures and the Ministry of Health and Border Health Services are "alert to deal with any kind of situation". The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of mpox in parts of Africa as a cause of international concern and a threat to public health. The highly contagious disease, formerly known as 'monkeypox', has killed at least 450 people in Congo. It is caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same group of viruses as smallpox but is less harmful. The virus was originally transmitted from animals to humans, but is now also transmitted from humans to humans. Pune, Aug 16 (PTI) The Union government on Friday approved the Swargate to Katraj underground extension of the existing PCMC-Swargate metro line in Pune. The Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the corridor, a PIB release said. This new extension, known as the Line-l B extension, will span 5.46 km and will include three underground stations, connecting key areas such as Market Yard, Bibwewadi, Balaji Nagar, and Katraj suburbs, it said. "The project, aimed at providing seamless connectivity in Pune, is set to be completed by February, 2029. The estimated cost of the project is Rs.2954.53 crore, with funding to be equally shared by the Union and state governments along with contributions from bilateral agencies," it said. This extension will integrate with Swargate Multimodal Hub, which includes the metro station, the MSRTC bus stand and the PMPML bus stand, and provide seamless connectivity for commuters within and outside Pune city, the statement said. This extension will enhance connectivity between various parts of the city through the District Court interchange station and will significantly alleviate road traffic congestion. "The new corridor will link various bus stops, railway stations, recreational centres like the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Taljai hillock (tekdi), malls, etc., various residential areas, educational institutions, colleges, and major business hubs. The projected daily ridership on the Swargate-Katraj Line for 2027, 2037, 2047 and 2057 is estimated to be 95,000, 1.58 lakh, 1.87 lakh and 1.97 lakh passengers, respectively," it added. The line will be executed by Maha-Metro. Jaipur, Aug 16 (PTI) BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Friday called INDIA bloc leaders "political vultures" who speak out on crimes against women as per their political convenience. Speaking at a press conference at the BJP state office, Bhatia targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the rape and murder of a junior doctor in a hospital in Kolkata. Bhatia termed Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Manish Sisodia, Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders of INDIA bloc "political vultures" and said they should rise above their vote bank politics and "break their silence" on such heinous crimes. "This silence will cost the INDI alliance dearly. These people are not politicians or public leaders, they are political vultures who speak out on crimes against sisters and daughters after seeing which state government is there," he said. Bhatia alleged law and order has collapsed in West Bengal. "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has failed to ensure women's safety, should resign," he said, and added, "the BJP will not tolerate the injustice being done to women." Bhatia further said, "Now the case has come to the CBI. Soon all the guilty will be given the harshest punishment, no accused will be spared, no matter how big a leader is protecting them. "The incident in West Bengal shook the country to its core. On one hand, the country is angry and agitated after this incident, on the other hand, TMC goons are trying to destroy evidence by attacking people who are peacefully protesting for justice." Bhatia said Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav "roam around" with a copy of the Constitution in their hands, but by not speaking out on such crimes in the country, they are "killing the soul" of the same Constitution. New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) Four persons have been arrested in connection with a Rs 400 crore "fraud" online betting and gaming app allegedly linked to some Chinese nationals, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday. Arun Sahu, Alok Sahu, Chetan Prakash and Joseph Stalin were taken into custody under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case related to the app named 'Fiewin', the federal probe agency said in a statement. The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed at the Cossipore police station in Kolkata against some unknown persons for "cheating" and "conspiracy" with a number of online gamers through the app. "An amount of Rs 400 crore was generated from the Fiewin app fraud and thereafter was credited into eight Binance (global crypto exchange) wallets in the name of Chinese nationals. These wallets were operated from the Chinese mainland as revealed by the access IP logs. "The Chinese nationals communicated with and instructed the four accused persons through digital communication especially groups on Telegram (social communication app)," the ED said. Since these four persons played an "active role" in the Fiewin app-based scam and they are found to be involved in the offence of money laundering, they were arrested, the agency said. The ED did not say when these persons were arrested but added that a special PMLA court in Kolkata sent them to 14 days of ED custody. Probe found, the ED said, that Chinese nationals were operating the app with the help and support from Indian nationals. The funds mobilised from "gullible" online gamers through the Fiewin app were deposited into the bank accounts of some persons -- called recharge persons -- who had allowed the use of their accounts by the app owners in lieu of certain commissions, as per the investigation conducted by the ED. The agency found that Arun Sahu and Alok Sahu, based in Odisha's Rourkela, acted as "recharge persons" and the funds received in their bank accounts from the app were converted into cryptocurrency. The duo deposited and "laundered" the cryptocurrency earned from Fiewin app and credited into the wallets of Chinese nationals on Binance, a foreign crypto exchange, it said. Chetan Prakash, a Patna-based engineer, played a "key role" in the money laundering activities by helping the "recharge persons" in conversion of Indian rupee into cryptocurrency, the ED said. Joseph Stalin, a software engineer based in Chennai, helped a Chinese national named Pie Pengyun from Gansu province to become co-director of Studio 21 Pvt Ltd, a company owned by him. The ED said Pengyun used the account of Studio 21 Pvt Ltd for bulk payout services related to the app which helped them gain the confidence of gamers in the beginning and provoked larger bets from the app users. "The funds used for payout services were received by Joseph Stalin as cryptocurrency in his Binance account from the wallets controlled by the Chinese handlers. He in turn converted cryptocurrency into INR (Indian Rupee) by selling the crypto through P2P mode on Binance," the agency claimed. New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) The Congress on Friday claimed the counterfeit notes have become rife once again and termed as an "eyewash" the government's assertion that the overall number of counterfeit notes detected has fallen. The opposition party also claimed that counterfeiting has just moved rapidly to higher-value notes. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh asked what has the 2016 demonetisation achieved if neither black money nor counterfeiting has been curbed. "Eight years after the non-biological PM ground the economy to a halt through demonetisation, it appears that counterfeit notes have become rife once again - The number of counterfeit Rs 500 notes of the new series that have been detected has nearly quadrupled between 2018-19 and 2023-24. The number of fake Rs 2,000 notes has tripled since 2020-21, he claimed. "While the Government can claim that the overall number of counterfeit notes detected has fallen, this is an eyewash. Counterfeiting has just moved rapidly to higher-value notes, including those that were introduced specifically in the aftermath of demonetisation," Ramesh said in a post on X. "This admission of increased counterfeiting comes shortly after the non-biological PM himself made a stunning admission of the widespread prevalence of black money during the election campaign, accusing his favourites A1 and A2 of bearing tempos and sacks full of black money," he said. If neither black money nor counterfeiting has been curbed, what has demonetisation achieved, Ramesh asked. The Congress leader posted a screenshot of a Rajya Sabha question reply by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary which stated that measures have resulted in a decrease in the number of pieces of denomination-wise counterfeit notes detected/reported in the banking system from 3,17,384 in the year 2018-19 to 2,22,639 in the year 2023-24. Ramesh also posted a media report, which cited data submitted to Parliament by the government to point out that the new series of the Rs 500 note and the Rs 2,000 note - both introduced after demonetisation in 2016 - together account for just over 50 per cent of the number of counterfeit currency notes that have been detected. On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced on national television his government's decision to ban all currency notes of higher denomination of 500 and 1,000 from midnight on the same day. New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stressed the need for deescalation of the situation in West Asia during a telephonic conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated their call for immediate release of all hostages and continued humanitarian assistance. In a post on X, Modi said Netanyahu extended his warm wishes on India's 78th Independence Day. "We discussed the current situation in West Asia. Emphasized on the need to de-escalate the situation. Reiterated our call for immediate release of all hostages, ceasefire and need for continued humanitarian assistance," he said. Following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, tensions have gripped West Asia amid calls for a ceasefire. Jammu, Aug 16 (PTI) A 45-year-old man was injured in a mine blast in the forward area of Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir''s Poonch on Friday, officials said. Mohammad Safeer stepped on a mine in the forward area of LoC in Dehri village of Mendhar tehsil resulting in a blast, they said. He was injured and hospitalised in a military hospital in Rajouri, they said. His foot was blown up, they said. Chandigarh, Aug 16 (PTI) In a major reshuffle, the Haryana government on Friday issued transfer orders for 21 IAS, 12 IPS and 68 state civil and police services officers with immediate effect. The orders came on a day the Election Commission (EC) announced the date for the Haryana assembly elections. With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct came into effect in the state. While official sources said the transfer orders were issued before the election schedule was announced, opposition parties, targeted the BJP government in the state, alleging that it has openly flouted the poll code. The assembly polls in Haryana would be held in a single phase on October 1 and the results would be declared on October 4. Reacting to the transfer orders, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Haryana unit senior vice-president Anurag Dhanda alleged, "The BJP government in Haryana is openly flouting the election code of conduct." "How did the government transfer 86 officers even after the announcement of elections?" Dhanda asked in a post on X in Hindi. "Should @ECISVEEP remain a mute spectator...By starting the elections in a dishonest manner, BJP has shown that it has lost public support..," Dhanda alleged. He said the time on the joining email of all these officers should be checked. Any joining after the announcement of elections is not valid, the AAP leader claimed. According to a state government order, among the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers transferred is Vivek Bharti, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Citizen Resources Information Officer, Sirsa. He has been posted as Deputy Commissioner (DC), Kaithal, in place of Prashant Panwar. Jainder Singh Chhilar, Additional DC-cum-District Citizen Resources Information Officer, Charkhi Dadri, and District Municipal Commissioner, Charkhi Dadri, has been posted as District Municipal Commissioner, Panipat. Among the Indian Police Service (IPS) officers transferred is Lokender Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP-Security), CID (Headquarters), Panchkula. He will be the new SP of Panipat replacing Ajit Singh Shekhawat. Shekhawat has been transferred as SP (Security), CID (Headquarters), Panchkula. Rakesh Kumar Arya, Commissioner of Police, Faridabad, has been transferred as Inspector General of Police (IGP) (Law and Order), Haryana, according to the order. Narendra Bijarniya, SP, Special Task Force-II (headquarters) and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Gurugram, has been transferred as SP, Bhiwani, in place of Varun Singla. Singla has been transferred as SP, Kurukshetra, relieving Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, who is on central deputation to CBI. The government also issued transfer and posting orders of 65 Haryana Civil Services officers and three Haryana Police Service officers. New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered an inquiry into the early departure of a mosquito terminator train on Friday, which she was scheduled to flag off during an event at the New Delhi railway station. Oberoi has directed MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to look into the matter and submit a report to her at the earliest. According to an official, Mayor Oberoi, Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammed Iqbal and the Leader of the House Mukesh Goyel were slated to flag off the mosquito terminator train during the MCD's annual event at 11 am at VIP platform number one. The train, however, departed early before the MCD officials arrived, for the first time in history. "This has happened for the first time in history that due to the lack of proper coordination with the Northern Railways, the scheduled train left the platform before the fixed time. It is the responsibility of Public Health Department to coordinate with the Northern Railways and make this event successful," the order letter written by Oberoi read. "Kindly look into the matter and find the reason for the same and which concerned officers are responsible for it and send me the report at the earliest," it added. As part of its anti-larval measures during monsoon, the MCD flags off a mosquito terminator train every year for prevention and control of mosquito breeding along railway tracks and surrounding areas. This is an annual exercise jointly undertaken by the Indian Railways and the MCD. New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) A court here has acquitted a man, his father and two brothers from the charges of cruelty and causing dowry death, saying there were "material inconsistencies" in the testimonies of prosecution witnesses. Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Pahuja was hearing the case against Gaurav, his father Sewak Ram and brothers -- Sugar Shri and Saurav -- who were accused of harassing the deceased, Neetu, for dowry, because of which she committed suicide by hanging in February 2018. According to the prosecution, the couple got married in 2016, following which Gaurav and his family members used to demand dowry and beat Neetu. Two months after she gave birth to a girl, the harassment increased to such an extent that she took the extreme step. In a recent order, the court noted that the prosecution had relied on the testimonies of the deceased's mother and minor brother but discrepancies, contradictions and vague allegations marred their depositions. So they did not support the prosecution's case, nor did they inspire confidence, the court said. It, however, noted some transcripts of the phone calls and chats of Neetu with her husband and mother, two days before she committed suicide. "Bare perusal of the transcripts reflects that everything sounds normal between the deceased and the accused (husband) and the chat ended by 'bye' from both sides, the court said. It said the transcript about the calls between Neetu and her mother on the same date showed normal things being discussed, and there was not a whisper about harassment or demand of dowry, the court said. It said that this contradictory evidence dented the prosecutions version. "A cumulative consideration of the overall evidence on the facet of dowry leaves this court unconvinced about the truthfulness of the charge qua the accused persons. The prosecution has failed to prove this indispensable component of the two offences (dowry death and cruelty) beyond a reasonable doubt," the court said. "In view of the material inconsistencies in the testimony of the prosecution witnesses, this court is of the view that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt Therefore, the accused persons are hereby acquitted," it added. New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) A Delhi court is likely to pass on August 30 an order on whether to frame the charges against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a case related to the killing of three people at Pul Bangash during the 1984-anti Sikh riots. Special CBI judge Rakesh Siyal on Friday reserved the order after getting some clarifications from the parties. "There are no further clarifications required. I am reserving the order for August 30," the judge said. In its charge sheet filed in May 2023, the CBI had accused Tytler, a former union minister, of inciting, instigating and provoking the mob which had assembled near the Pul Bangash gurdwara on November 1, 1984. Citing a witness, it claimed, Tytler alighted from a white ambassador car in front of the gurudwara and instigated the mob, shouting "Kill the Sikhs, they have killed our mother!" Three people were then done to death by the mob that was enraged over the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards a day before. A sessions court had in August last year granted anticipatory bail to Tytler in the case on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and surety of the like amount. The central probe agency has invoked charges under Sections 147 (rioting), 109 (abetment) read with 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), among others, against Tytler. Bijnor (UP), Aug 16 (PTI) Eleven 'kanwariyas' were injured after their vehicle rammed into a divider here on Friday morning, police said. The accident happened when the driver of the van carrying 31 'kanwariyas' from Rampur to Haridwar, allegedly fell asleep and rammed the vehicle into the divider in Seohara area, they said. 'Kanwariyas' are devotees who travel from various places with 'kanwars' carrying holy water from the Ganga to perform 'jalabhishek' of 'shivlings' during the Hindu calendar month of 'Shravan'. The 11 kanwariyas were rushed to Seohara Community Health Center, out of which five were referred to Moradabad for better treatment, Dhampur Circle Officer Sarvam Singh said. All the injured kanwariyas are out of danger, Singh added. IDF: Changes in the Home Front Command Defensive Guidelines Following a situational assessment, it was determined that as of today (Tuesday) at 6:00PM, changes will be made to the Home Front Commands defensive guidelines. As part of the changes, it was decided that in the area of the Haifa Bay (HaMifratz), specifically the communities of Kiryat Ata, Kiryat Bialik, Kiryat Yam, and Kiryat Motzkin, the activity scale will be changed from Partial Activity to Limited Activity, meaning educational activities are prohibited. The rest of the countrys guidelines remain unchanged. The instructions published on the official Home Front Command channels must be followed. The full instructions are updated on the National Emergency Portal and the Home Front Command app. WATCH: IDFs 98th Division Conducts Targeted Raids Against Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon The IDFs 98th Division, including the Paratroopers Brigade, Commando Brigade, 7th Brigade, and Yahalom Unit, has carried out a series of targeted operations against Hezbollah strongholds near Israels border with southern Lebanon. During these limited raids, the division has eliminated hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists, dismantled several underground tunnel routes, and destroyed dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites and combat compounds. Hezbollah had embedded hundreds of weapons along the border, which were located and destroyed by the IDF. The ongoing operations aim to neutralize Hezbollahs capabilities in the region. https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/08103301/WhatsApp-Video-2024-10-08-at-10.30.15-AM.mp4 https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/08103309/WhatsApp-Video-2024-10-08-at-10.30.00-AM.mp4 https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/08103318/WhatsApp-Video-2024-10-08-at-10.29.49-AM.mp4 Hezbollah Fires Rockets Into Central Israel Interceptions seen over Central Israel after Hezbollah fired rockets. No reports of injuries. https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/07162808/WhatsApp-Video-2024-10-07-at-4.26.19-PM.mp4 Air France Extends Flight Suspensions to Tel Aviv and Beirut Due to Regional Security Concerns Air France announced on Monday that it will continue suspending flights between Paris and Tel Aviv until October 15, and between Paris and Beirut until October 26, citing ongoing security concerns in the area, according to a company spokesperson. Netanyahus Address at the State Ceremony to Mark One Year since the October 7 Massacre Following is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus address at the state ceremony to mark one year since the October 7 massacre [translated from Hebrew]: Citizens of Israel, A year ago, on October 7th, we were all hurled into a critical battle. That day, a Saturday, the Sabbath and the holiday of Simchat Torah, will be etched in the history of our nation as a day of grief and loss, of unimaginable agony. On that day, the Hamas monsters attacked our communities, our brothers and sisters, who are so dear to our hearts. They murdered and kidnapped babies and children, adults and old people. They tortured, maimed, raped, burned and destroyed. The memory of our citizens who were killed in the terrorist attack, and the memory of all the fallen heroes from the IDF and security forces, will be cherished forever. On October 7th, we were all hurled into a critical battle, but we were not defeated. On the contrary, it is we who are acting to defeat and deter our enemies. And, as we have often experienced in our history, it is in dark moments such as these that we exude our great inner power. We rallied together to defend our country, our homeland. We mustered immense mental strength. We outlined the goals of the war and we are achieving them: toppling the rule of Hamas; bringing all the hostages home, the living and the deceased alikethis is a sacred mission and we will not stop until we complete it; eliminating any future threat from Gaza to Israel; and returning the residents of the south and the north safely to their homes. We are doing this with solidarity unlike anything among the nations. When put to the test we proved, once again, that we are the Eternal People. A people that fights to bring light to this world, that aspires to spread good and eradicate evil. A people that rises like a lion, leaps up like a lion. Every time my wife and I meet with our soldiers, our wounded, with bereaved families, we hear the same message over and over again: we mustnt stop the war prematurely. As long as the enemy threatens our existence and the peace of our country, we will continue to fight. As long as our hostages are still in Gaza, we will continue to fight. We will not forsake any of them. I will not give up. As long as our citizens have not returned to their homes safely, we will continue to fight. We will continue to fight, and unitedwe will win. And when we win, not only for our sake but for the sake of future generations and for all humanity, we will rebuild the Tekuma region even bigger. When we hold onto the roots, the tree of life will grow back . Laly Derai, the mother of Saadia, who fell in battle said: Shadow is not darkness. Shadow is a sign that there is light from behind. Even if a mountain of grief obscures the light, we must all, as a nation, climb the mountain, because the light exists. We must always aim up, towards the light. Citizens of Israel, my dear brothers and sisters, Victory is the light. Victory guarantees eternity. October 7th will symbolize for generations the cost of our revival, and for generations it will demonstrate how determined we are and how strong our spirit is. Together we will continue to fight. And together, with Gods help we will win. Am Yisrael Chai! NOW: Hamas Protests At Brooklyn College Pro-Hamas protestors are at Brooklyn College, as thousands are expected to protest at multiple locations around NYC on Monday. https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/07142419/WhatsApp-Video-2024-10-07-at-2.23.01-PM.mp4 Home Front Command Eases Restrictions in Parts of Northern Israel, Allows Limited Educational Activities Following a situational assessment, it was determined that as of today (Monday) at 7:00PM, changes will be made to the Home Front Commands defensive guidelines. As part of the changes, it was decided that in the areas of the Lower Galilee, Southern Golan (in communities in the Emek HaYarden Regional Council) and Central Galilee (in some of the communities in the Lower Galilee Regional Council) the activity scale will be changed from Limited Activity to Partial Activity, meaning educational activities can be held in a place from which a standard protected space can be reached within the time available to reach shelter. The rest of the countrys guidelines remain unchanged. FLASHBACK FEARS: Paragliders in Northern Israel Cause Brief Panic on October 7th Anniversary Thousands of Israelis in the north were briefly alarmed Monday afternoon when they spotted three paragliders flying around, triggering memories of the Hamas attacks exactly a year ago on October 7th. However, authorities confirmed the paragliders were civilians, and there was no connection to any terrorist activity. https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/07113116/WhatsApp-Video-2024-10-07-at-11.29.00-AM.mp4 Two months after her son Eli Moshe was killed in Gaza, Sara Zimbalist shared a moving video calling on the public to embody her sons positive traits and dedicate themselves to enriching both their own lives and those of others. Eli Moshe Zimbalist, just 21 years old at the time of his passing, was one of eight soldiers killed on June 15 when their armored vehicle was hit by an anti-tank missile in Gaza. Described by his mother as having a heart of gold, Eli Mo was known for his ability to connect with people, make them feel appreciated, and spread love wherever he went. He would greet everyone with a smile, Zimbalist said. Eli Moshe was a doer. He would see something that needed to be done, and he would go out and just do it or fix it. Zimbalist encouraged people to emulate Eli Moshes admirable qualities. Every day, try to be a little bit more like Eli Moshe, she said. Share a smile, help someone in need, appreciate people, and together we can try to make our lives and other peoples lives more meaningful. Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, Eli Moshe immigrated to Israel in 2005 with his parents, Sara and Simmy Zimbalist, at the age of two, settling in Beit Shemesh. The video was published on the social media channels of United Hatzalah, where Zimbalist serves as a volunteer medic as part of the organizations Sandberg Womens Initiative. President Joe Biden is set to sign a proclamation Friday to designate a national monument at the Springfield, Illinois, site of the 1908 race riot, which later fueled the formation of the NAACP. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing with reporters on Wednesday that the ceremony will be held Friday in the Oval Office and will feature civil rights leaders and community leaders from Springfield, President Abraham Lincolns hometown. The ceremony comes just 5 1/2 weeks after the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, by a white sheriffs deputy in her Springfield home after she called 911 for help. Masseys family members and supporters gathered Wednesday for a news conference in a continuing quest to see that justice is done in prosecuting the deputy, Sean Grayson, who is charged with first-degree murder in her death. People are starting to take notice because it is an untold story, Teresa Haley, former president of the Springfield NAACP, said of the riot. Its a deep, dark, dirty secret that Springfield is scared of.. Its tragic. Its unfortunate that it comes on the heels of Sonya Massey, but lets say her name Sonya Massey and if it takes the president, the vice president and everyone else to recognize that and make this happen, its about time, continued Haley, who founded of Visions 1908, a civil rights, social and economic justice and educational advocacy group The designation by Biden doesnt create a marker, although a memorial for the centennial stands in downtowns Union Square Park. But Haley has been pushing a large, reflective, walk-through memorial on the site of the foundations of five of the original homes burned in the riots that were unearthed during railroad work in 2014. That project awaits funding. In August 1908, mobs of white residents tore through Illinois capital city under the pretext of meting out judgment against two Black men one jailed on a sexual assault charge involving a white woman, and the other jailed in the separate murder of a white man. After authorities secretly moved the prisoners from the jail and sent them to another lockup miles away, the mob took out their anger on the citys Black population. Over the next few days, two innocent Black men were hanged, dozens of homes and businesses in Springfields majority-Black neighborhoods were burned to the ground, and families were forced to flee. The National Guard was called in to restore order. White rioters were charged, but later acquitted for their roles in the lynching and destruction. At least eight white people were killed in the violence and more than 100 were injured, mostly by members of the states militia or each other, according to news articles from that period. Its not known how many Black people were injured and killed. Fed-up civil rights leaders met in New York and chose the centennial of Lincolns birthday, Feb. 12, 1909, to form the NAACP, whose original board included scholar W.E.B. DuBois. Sontae Massey, who was very close to his cousin Sonya Massey, said the family is descended from William Donegan, an 84-year-old cobbler, married to a white woman, who was lynched the first night of the riot. Now, the current generation is dealing with the tragic loss of another family member. Its ironic that we are now at the very foundation of what this family has stood for for hundreds of years. We will continue to make change across America. This is just the beginning, Massey said. Its appropriate. We have been the catalysts of change since 1908. Were continuing the tradition. The Springfield attack came more than a decade before at least 25 documented attacks by white people against Black people during the summer of 1919, later called Red Summer for the bloodshed. Two years later, a white mob looted and burned Tulsas Greenwood district, killing as many as 300 Black residents. Biden traveled to Tulsa in 2021 to mark the 100th anniversary of the massacre. Jean-Pierre called the Springfield riot a horrific attack by a white mob on a Black community and said that civil rights leaders have worked to highlight what occurred to spark national action on civil rights. She promised that the White House would provide further details ahead of the official announcement on Friday. In 2020, the site of the riot near downtown Springfield was added to the National Park Services African American Civil Rights Network, a collection of places and programs that outline the history of the Civil Rights Movement. Federal grants are available for the sites. While the 1908 Springfield race riot demonstrates our nations deep history of racial violence, it also sparked the creation of the NAACP reflecting the strength and resilience of Black Americans in the tireless fight for civil rights, said U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, whose office said she urged Biden to designate the monument. Todays announcement is a critical step forward to honor those who were killed in the 1908 attack and acknowledge the impact this tragedy had. (AP) U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Khavana was convicted Thursday of treason in a Russian court and sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges stemming from a $51 donation to a charity aiding Ukraine. Khavana, identified by Russian authorities by her maiden name of Ksenia Karelina, was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg in February and pleaded guilty in a closed trial last week, news reports said. Khavana, a 33-year-old former ballet dancer, reportedly obtained U.S. citizenship after marrying an American and moving to Los Angeles. She had returned to Russia to visit her family. Russias Federal Security Service said she proactively collected money in the interests of one of the Ukrainian organizations, which was subsequently used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons, and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces. The rights group The First Department said the charges stem from a $51 donation to a U.S. charity. The trial took place in Yekaterinburg, about 880 miles (1,416 kilometers) east of Moscow. Her attorney, Mikhail Mushailov, said he planned to appeal the verdict. She admitted guilt in part in transferring the funds, but did not admit her intent to transfer the funds to the organizations where they were most likely received, he said. She did not assume that the funds she transferred would be used for anti-Russian actions, he said, according to the Interfax news agency. Since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has sharply cracked down on dissent and has passed laws that criminalize criticism of the operation in Ukraine and remarks considered to discredit the Russian military. Concern has risen since then that Russia is targeting U.S. nationals for arrest. On Aug. 1, Russia and the West held the largest prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War. Included in the swap was Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and American corporate security executive Paul Whelan, both of whom were convicted of espionage charges that they vehemently denied, and U.S.-Russian dual national Alsu Kurmasheva, a Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe journalist sentenced to 6 1/2 years for spreading false information about the Russian military. Russia also released several prominent opposition figures who were imprisoned for criticizing the military operation in Ukraine. (AP) Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Thursday rejected a proposal from Brazils president that Venezuela hold a new presidential election following the contested results of last months vote. Her comments came shortly after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that he still doesnt recognize Nicolas Maduro as the winner of last months presidential election in Venezuela, and that his counterpart could call for a new vote if he has good sense. He also said that Maduro still owes an explanation to Brazilians and the rest of the world. Machado said during a virtual press conference with Argentine media that redoing the election would be an insult to the people, and she asked if a second election were held and Maduro still didnt accept the results, do we go for a third one? Brazil is by far South Americas largest nation and shares one of Venezuelas longest land borders. Unlike many other nations that have either recognized Maduro or Gonzalez as the winner, the governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico have taken a more neutral stance by neither rejecting nor accepting it when Venezuelas electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner at the ballot box. Maduro still has six months left in his term. He is the president regardless of the election. If he has good sense, he could call upon the people of Venezuela, perhaps even call for new elections, create an electoral committee and allow observers from around the world to monitor, Lula said in an interview with Radio T, based in the southern state of Parana. In a joint statement, the three countries called on Venezuelas electoral body to release tens of thousands of vote tally sheets, considered the ultimate proof of results. Under Lula, the country has been an important mediator, including with the Barbados Agreement reached in October, when Maduros administration and political opposition reached an accord on a new election that triggered relief from U.S. sanctions. Celso Amorim, Lulas closest international adviser and a former foreign relations minister, went to Caracas in July to monitor the election. Addressing a Senate committee Thursday morning, Amorim said Maduro had assured him on the day after the vote that the tally sheets would soon be released. However, that still hasnt happened. President Lula said several times that the tally sheets must be released by the National Electoral Council, Amorim said. New elections would require solid, robust verification, he added. But that would imply lifting sanctions. Maduro uninvited observers from the European Union after it refused to lift sanctions on key members of his administration, including the vice president. Venezuelan law allows for another vote whenever the National Electoral Council or judicial authorities annul an election found to be fraudulent or whose outcome was impossible to determine. The new election would have to take place within six to 12 months under the same conditions as the annulled vote and the same candidates must appear on the ballot. Logistics, laws and costs aside, a new election would be a risky gamble for Maduro and his allies as Julys vote and subsequent protests showed they have lost support across the country and can no longer bank on a cadre of die-hard supporters, known as Chavistas, as well as public employees and others whose businesses or employment depend on the state to comfortably beat opponents. Although electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner of the highly anticipated election, they have yet to produce detailed voting tallies to back up their claim. The opposition, however, revealed that it collected tally sheets from more than 80% of the 30,000 electronic voting machines nationwide, showing that Maduro lost by a more than 2-to-1 margin. An AP review of the tally sheets released indicates that Gonzalez won significantly more votes than the government has claimed. The analysis casts serious doubt on the official declaration that Maduro won. The AP processed almost 24,000 images representing the results from 79% of voting machines, resulting in tabulations of 10.26 million votes. The processed tally sheets also showed Gonzalez receiving more votes on 20,476 receipts compared to only 3,157 for Maduro. (AP) Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance have agreed to debate each other on Oct. 1, setting up a matchup of potential vice presidents as early voting in some states gets underway for the general election. CBS News on Wednesday posted on its X feed that the network had invited both Vance and Walz to debate in New York City, presenting four possible dates Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 as options. Walz reposted that message from his own campaign account, See you on October 1, JD. The Harris-Walz campaign followed up with a message of its own, saying Walz looks forward to debating JD Vance if he shows up. Vance posted on X that he would accept the Oct. 1 invitation. He also challenged Walz to meet on Sept. 18. Officials with the Kamala Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Vances acceptance of the earlier debate that he said would be on CNN or whether Walz would participate in that one as well. Representatives for CNN confirmed that Vance had accepted the networks debate invitation. CBS Evening News anchor Norah ODonnell and Margaret Brennan of Face the Nation will moderate the Oct. 1 debate, according to the network. Whether or not Walz and Vance would debate before the Nov. 5 general election had been in question. In just the past several weeks, President Joe Biden left the campaign and Democrats selected Harris to lead their ticket. Vance has largely kept his focus trained on Harris, whom he would have been set to debate before Bidens departure from the race. Vance has lobbed critiques against Walz, including questioning the retired Army National Guardsmans service record. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, has said he wanted Vance to debate Walz on CBS, which had been discussing potential dates for that meeting. The debate is expected weeks after the Sept. 10 top-of-the-ticket debate recently solidified between Trump and Harris on ABC News. Trump has said he negotiated several other debate dates, on three different networks. Fox News has also proposed a debate between Harris and Trump to take place on Sept. 4, and NBC News is angling to air one on Sept. 25. During an appearance in Michigan, Harris said she was happy to have that conversation about an additional debate. (AP) Approximately 50 masked Israelis stormed the Palestinian village of Jit in the northern West Bank, setting fire to at least four homes and six vehicles, leaving one Palestinian dead and drawing widespread condemnation from Israeli leaders. The IDF reported that troops arrived at the scene shortly after the attack began, dispersing the rioters with riot control measures and live fire into the air. One Israeli civilian involved in the attack was detained and handed over to police. Images of the destruction circulated online, prompting Labor Party chairman Yair Golan to describe the incident as Messianic Jewish terrorism in a tweet. Golan warned that such actions are provoking further instability in the region, saying, These extremists seek to ignite a larger conflict and force Israel into an unnecessary regional campaign. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog both issued strong rebukes following the violence. In a statement, Netanyahus office expressed grave concern over the incident but reframed the violence as a misguided attempt to combat terrorism rather than an act of terrorism itself. Only the IDF and security forces are responsible for fighting terrornot anyone else, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) stated, vowing that those responsible would be brought to justice. President Herzog also denounced the rioters actions, noting the damage done to both Israels reputation. This is an extreme minority that harms the law-abiding community and undermines the settlement movement as a whole, Herzog said. It also tarnishes Israels global image during an already sensitive period. He called for law enforcement to act swiftly against the perpetrators, saying, This behavior is not in line with Torah or Judaism. Those responsible must be held accountable. The IDF announced a joint investigation with police and the Shin Bet security agency into the death of the Palestinian killed during the riot. The IDF condemns actions of this nature, which disrupt security and order, and divert the military from its main mission of combating terrorism and protecting the residents, the IDF said in a statement. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) By Rabbi Yair Hoffman Just to name a few who discuss it, its Rav Yisroel Salanter ztl (Ohr Yisroel Letter #7), the Chazon Ish ztl (OC Siman 9) and Rav Chatzkel Levenstein ztl (Ohr Yechezkel Elul p.79) and lehavdil bain chaim lchaim Rav Yitzchok Yoseph Shlita in his haskama to the sefer entitled, Imrei Yechezkel. What do they all say? IYUN THE ESSENCE OF IT ALL They all say that the essence of learning Torah is Iyun the delving into the nitty-gritty of it all. Unfolding the latent processes of reasoning and understanding the internal workings, the lomdus behind the issues is the key to Torah study. Sadly, after completing years in Yeshiva doing just that, the vast majority of Yeshiva graduates no longer engage in Iyun. Many do the Daf Yomi, but if the aforementioned Gedolei Torah are to be listened to it is a band-aid to a gaping problem. One of the Roshei Chaburah in Lakewoods BMG, Rav Moshe Chaim Katz shlita, however, is working hard to provide a solution to this problem and it is a true game-changer. Predicated on the Daf Yomi, it is a website entitled 7minuteIyun.com. THE IYUN OF THAT DAYS DAF At this site is a daily shiur on that days daf Yomi in Iyun. Now, like never before, you can plumb the depths of the Daf in a short shiur that will enhance your Torah learning. In the shiur on Bava Basra 51, for example, Rabbi Katz explores a fascinating Machlokes Rishonim between the Rashba and the Rosh that explores the parameters of Kinyan Shtar and so much more. Here we have a source to the idea of property transfer merely by admission. (Think the position of the Ktzos HaChoshen during Mechiras Chometz). Or do we? This, explains Rav Katz, may be the dispute between the Rashba and the Rosh. Also, what happens when the language of the document refers to the future and is written blashon asid? Does it work? What makes a Shtar work in general? What is the motor? On the same Daf, he explores Rav Elchonon Wassermans classical difference between the Chatzer of a woman and the Yad of a woman. The shiurim are available in both audio and video. The advantage of the video is that each of the topics discussed in the shiur are highlighted in the upper right corner of the video, and the one dealt with at that point in the video is highlighted in bold. BORROWING WITHOUT A PAYBACK PLAN Rabbi Katzs shiur on Bava Basra 46 is a particular favorite of mine. Are you allowed to borrow money from someone when you do not see a way of paying it back in other words, can you borrow without a viable plan? When the Gemorah says that Hashem is telling us, Borrow on my account and I (Hashem) will pay back is that only for Shabbos expenses or for all Mitzvos? Rabbi Katz quotes Rav Yitzchok Zilbersteins shiur about the topic with a fascinating story one being a Pidyon Shvuyim story with the Sfas Emes, the Gerrer Rebbe. The Av Beis Din of Lodz could save people only if he borrowed 30,000 rubles. The Sfas Emes felt that he shouldnt have borrowed money without a plan to pay back. The Av Beis Din, on the other hand, held that the principle applied to other Mitzvos as well. PSAK FROM RAV SHMUEL KAMENETSKY SHLITA In that same shiur, Rav Katz throws in yet another remarkable story or Psak. Is a Yeshiva allowed to ask parents to borrow money to pay for tuition in a situation where the parent does not have a feasible plan in which to pay it back? Rav Kemenetsky shlita paskened that it is forbidden to do so, and a Yeshiva that does it is highly likely to be in violation of Gezel. This is kind of an earth-shattering Psak, and this author is glad to have heard it on Rav Katzs 7minuteIyun.com site. ON TORAH ANYTIME Rav Katzs remarkable shiurim in Iyun are becoming more and more popular and are available on Torah Anytime as well. In fact, the search mechanism for Rav Katzs shiurim on Torah Anytime is a rather powerful one as well. NOT JUST THE DAF True, there is no question that Ravi Katzs efforts enhance the Daf Yomi experience significantly. But the website covers past Mesechtos as well. Chagigah is a mesechta that people like to complete for a siyum. Hearing a shiur of sheer Iyun on each blatt transforms the Mesechta to a different experience altogether. Rav Katz begins the Mesechta with the Rambams espousal of the three Mitzvos involved in the Korban Chagigah. The whole experience succeeds in upping the tone of learning the entire Mesechta. It is clear that any Chevrusashaft that is studying a Mesechta would gain immensely from these Iyun shiurim. The author can be reached at [email protected] The IDFs Home Front Command is concerned that over the Bein HaZemanim period, tens of thousands of Chareidim are expected to go on trips to forests, hiking sites, and open areas and will not be able to receive safety alerts on their kosher cell phones. Bein HaZemanim began on Wednesday during an especially tense security period, particularly the possibility of Hezbollah expanding its fire beyond the northern border area. As of now, there is no technological solution that enables kosher phones to receive Home Front Command alerts. Instead, the Home Front Command launched an extensive information campaign to raise awareness among the Chareidi public of possible dangers during the Bein HaZemanin period. The Home Front command published a document conveying safety messages, including: Trips in open areas are life-threatening without a mobile device equipped with the Home Front Command application. If there is no urgent need, it is recommended not to go to areas that frequently receive multiple sirens, especially in the northern region. A warning against approaching shrapnel on the ground, which exists en masse in open areas at which dozens and hundreds of rockets were fired during the war. Major (res.) Danny Cohen, head of the Dati-Chareidi division of the Home Front Command explains: In open areas, its not possible to hear the sirens of the Home Front Command. The only way to receive alerts in such a place is through the application. If you dont have such an option, dont go to potentially dangerous places. Its sakanot nefashot! (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) As students return to colleges across the United States, administrators are bracing for a resurgence in activism against the war in Gaza, and some schools are adopting rules to limit the kind of protests that swept campuses last spring. While the summer break provided a respite in student demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war, it also gave both student protesters and higher education officials a chance to regroup and strategize for the fall semester. The stakes remain high. At Columbia University in New York, where the wave of pro-Palestinian tent encampments began, President Minouche Shafik resigned Wednesday after coming under heavy scrutiny for her handling of the demonstrations. Her resignation came just days after the school confirmed that three deans had resigned after officials said they exchanged disparaging texts during a campus discussion about Jewish life and antisemitism. Some of the new rules imposed by universities include banning encampments, limiting the duration of demonstrations, allowing protests only in designated spaces and restricting campus access to those with university identification. Critics say some of the measures will curtail free speech. At Harvard University, a draft document obtained by the student newspaper over the summer showed the college was considering prohibitions on overnight camping, chalk messages and unapproved signage. Many student protesters in the U.S. vow to continue their activism. Tensions have run high on college campuses since Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists assaulted southern Israel and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took about 250 hostages. Mahmoud Khalil, a lead negotiator working on behalf of Columbia student protesters, said he fully expected protests, including possible encampments, to resume in the fall. As long as Columbia continues to invest and to benefit from the Israeli apartheid, the students will continue their activism on campus in so many different ways, he said. He said about 50 students still face discipline over last springs demonstrations after a mediation process that began earlier in the summer stalled. He blamed the impasse on Columbia administrators. The university loves to appear that theyre in dialogue with the students. But these are all fake steps meant to assure the donor community and their political class, said Khalil, a graduate student at Columbias School of International and Public Affairs. The Ivy League school in upper Manhattan was roiled earlier this year by student demonstrations, culminating in scenes of police officers with zip ties and riot shields storming a building occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters. Similar protests swept college campuses nationwide, with many leading to violent clashes with police and more than 3,000 arrests. Many of the students who were arrested during police crackdowns have had their charges dismissed, but some are still waiting to learn what prosecutors decide. Many have faced fallout in their academic careers, including suspensions, withheld diplomas and other forms of discipline. Shafik was among the university leaders who were called for questioning before Congress earlier this year. She was heavily criticized by Republicans who accused her of not doing enough to combat concerns about antisemitism on the Columbia campus. She announced her resignation in an emailed letter to the university community just weeks before the start of classes on Sept. 3. The university on Monday began restricting campus access to people with Columbia IDs and registered guests, saying it wanted to curb potential disruptions as the new semester draws near. This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in the community, Shafik wrote in her letter. Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead. Columbias Board of Trustees announced that Katrina Armstrong, the CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will serve as interim president. Pro-Palestinian protesters first set up tent encampments on Columbias campus during Shafiks congressional testimony in mid-April, when she denounced antisemitism but faced criticism for how she responded to faculty and students accused of bias. The school sent in police to clear the tents the following day, only for the students to return and inspire a wave of similar protests at campuses across the country as students called for schools to cut financial ties with Israel and companies supporting the war. Even after the protests were cleared, Columbia decided to cancel its university-wide commencement ceremony, instead opting for a series of smaller, school-based ceremonies. The campus was mostly quiet this summer, but a conservative news outlet in June published images of what it said were text messages exchanged by administrators while attending a May 31 panel discussion titled Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future. The officials were removed from their posts, with Shafik saying in a July 8 letter to the school community that the messages were unprofessional and disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes. Shafiks critics were quick to cheer the end of her tenure, one of the shortest in school history. Other prominent Ivy League leaders have stepped down in recent months, in large part due to their response to the volatile protests on campus. University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned in December after less than two years on the job. She faced pressure from donors and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the schools conduct policy. And in January, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned amid plagiarism accusations and similar criticism over her testimony before Congress. (AP) Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Haskel, one of the leading protesters against the government, published a long post on his Facebook account on Thursday under the title A Surprising Meeting, in which he described how he was hosted at the home of Shas MK Yinon Azoulay. We started the protest two weeks ago by standing in front of the Presidents Residence in Jerusalem, in front of the home of Knesset member Aryeh Deri, and in front of the home of Minister Moshe Arbel. This evening, it was in front of the home of Shas MK Yinon Azoulay in Ashdod in order to request from him and the members of his party to take another significant step to advance a plan to release the hostages. While I was still talking on the megaphone, MK Azoulay approached me and invited us for a conversation in his home. We went up to the fourth floor, to a modest apartment in a regular apartment building. MK Yinon has six sons. As soon as we came in, Yinon asked one of his kids to prepare drinks for us and served us homemade cookies that his wife made. We introduced ourselves and explained why we came late at night to disturb his rest. I must point out that MK Yinon was attentive and told about what he and the other Shas members have done for the hostages. MK MK promised to convey our words to Deri. At the end, we took a picture and said goodbye. He ended: Until today, weve received police intervention during our protest. Today we were treated to listening and friendly hospitality. He signed the post with the words: There will still be good days. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) In a security cabinet meeting yesterday, senior security officials warned Israeli ministers of a potential assassination plot by Iran and Hezbollah. According to a report by Ynet, the officials cautioned that the groups may target high-ranking Israeli figures, including ministers, lawmakers, IDF officers, and senior officials in the Shin Bet and Mossad. The warning comes in the wake of the recent assassinations of Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, with intelligence officials saying that instead of launching traditional attacks with missiles and drones, Iran and Hezbollah may opt for targeted assassinations as a form of retaliation. The security officials emphasized the need for heightened vigilance and caution among Israeli officials, citing the potential threat to their safety and security. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a bid to avoid disrupting ongoing negotiations for a potential hostage deal in Qatar, Hezbollah may postpone its expected retaliatory attack on Israel, a source close to the group told The Washington Post. Hezbollah had previously vowed to avenge the killing of its high-ranking military leader, Fuad Shukr, while Iran has pledged retaliation for the Israeli assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. Despite this, negotiations in Qatar, which began on Thursday, have led Hezbollah to believe that immediate retaliation is not necessary. Hezbollah will not launch its retaliation during the Qatar talks because the party does not want to be held accountable for disrupting the talks or a potential deal, the source said. There are rising concerns that Hezbollah and Iran might coordinate a joint response to the Israeli actions. However, Western and regional countries are urging restraint, hoping to avoid further escalation that could trigger a wider Middle Eastern conflict. The potential hostage deal is seen as crucial to avoiding such an outcome, with many linking a delay in Hezbollahs response to progress in the negotiations. Hezbollah has insisted, however, that its retaliation for Shukrs assassination would not be tied to any ceasefire agreement related to the Gaza conflict. The hostage negotiations have drawn the involvement of high-level officials, including CIA Director William J. Burns and White House Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk on the U.S. side, and Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar and Mossad Director David Barnea from Israel. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel are also playing significant roles in the talks. White House Spokesperson John Kirby said the talks are making progress, with only a few remaining hurdles left to clear. The gaps can be closed, Kirby said on Thursday. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Revolut has been valued at 35billion higher than established High Street banks Barclays and NatWest in a share sale which cements its position as Europe's most valuable start-up. The long-anticipated deal allows employees to cash in on some of their holdings by selling stock to new and existing investors. A few weeks ago, the fintech firm was finally granted a UK banking licence after a three-year wait paving the way for a stock market flotation. Yesterday, it also emerged that Labour's new City minister Tulip Siddiq will meet Revolut executives later this year to try to persuade them to list in London rather than New York with its founders previously expressing a preference for the US. The latest share sale steps up Revolut's valuation from a previous funding round in 2021, which put it at 26billion. Banking big league: Revolut co-founder Nikolay Storonsky It means the company, founded in 2015, is worth more than Barclays, which is worth 33.5billion, Natwest (30billion) and Standard Chartered (19.5billion). The firm is almost on a par with 36bn Lloyds Banking Group although it is dwarfed by globetrotting HSBC, Europe's biggest lender, which is valued at 121billion. The fintech business's share sale will see an undisclosed number of the company's 10,000 global employees who all receive equity as part of their pay packages sell just under 400m worth of shares amounting to around 11 per cent of its stock. Chief executive and co-founder Nikolay Storonsky said: 'We're delighted to provide the opportunity to our employees to realise the benefits of the company's collective success. 'It's their hard work, innovation, and dedication that has driven us to become the most valuable private technology company in Europe.' The fundraising was led by existing investor Tiger Global and new investors Coatue and D1 Capital Partners. Revolut said it reflected the company's 'strong financial performance' and progress towards meeting its strategic goals adding that it remains on course to surpass 50m global customers by the end of this year. Earlier this year, the company reported pre-tax profits of 438m for 2023, up from a loss of 25m a year earlier as revenues nearly doubled. Revolut said revenues in the first half of this year were up by more than 80 per cent and it was seeing improved profitability. The share sale marks another positive step for the company after its prolonged attempts to obtain a UK banking licence left investors impatient. That process ran into trouble when auditors said last year that they could not verify the fintech company's delayed 2021 accounts. The delays prompted Russian-born Storonsky, 40, to slam regulators for the 'long and tiring' saga and attack the UK as a place to do business. But Revolut was able to draw a line under the saga when last month it secured a banking licence 'with restrictions' from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), the Bank of England's regulatory arm. The licence will ultimately mean Revolut can hold customer deposits and offer new products such as credit cards, personal loans or mortgages. This will allow it to compete with more established banks. However, nothing has changed for UK customers yet, as the company must complete its 'mobilisation' stage which could take up to a year. The firm offers payment services and the ability to trade stocks and cryptocurrencies. It holds a banking licence in Europe after being approved by authorities in Lithuania. The fintech group has 9m UK customers and more than 45m around the world. PWC has been fined 15m for failing to warn of suspected fraud at London Capital & Finance (LCF). The auditor has become the first accountancy firm to be penalised by the City regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority's investigation found that during PWC's work on the minibond company's 2016 accounts, its audit team found several 'red flags' but failed to alert the regulator. The warning signs included a senior individual at LCF who 'acted aggressively' towards the auditors and the firm providing PwC with inaccurate and misleading information. The accountancy giant also found the audit 'very complex', claiming it took much longer than expected to complete. Hit hard: PWC has become the first accountancy firm to be penalised by the City regulator Following this, PwC suspected fraud within LCF but did not report it to the watchdog and signed off the accounts. A spokesman for the watchdog said: 'PwC was duty bound to report those suspicions to the FCA as soon as possible, but they failed to do so.' Therese Chambers, director of enforcement at the City regulator, added: 'They should have acted on them immediately. Their failure to do so deprived the FCA of potentially vital information.' LCF collapsed into administration in 2019, owing around 237m to more than 11,600 investors who had bought its toxic minibonds. The collapse was to become one of Britain's biggest investment scandals as many of the investors were elderly and had put their life savings into the company. Much of the money went into speculative property developments, a helicopter bought for a firm controlled by LCF and equestrian events. Administrators' attempts to recover the funds are ongoing, while more than 170m was paid out to bondholders through government compensation schemes. A spokesman for PwC said: 'We have reached a settlement with the FCA to resolve an unintentional reporting breach.' In May, the Financial Reporting Council fined PwC and EY for failing to identify and adequately understand LCF's business and its internal controls. The audit watchdog handed out penalties of 4.9m and 4.4m respectively. Meanwhile, the Serious Fraud Office has an open criminal investigation into the failure of LCF, whose former boss Michael 'Andy' Thomson was jailed for 10 months in 2023 after breaching a restraint order imposed on his bank account. At 5.25pm on Monday this week, Thierry Breton, the European Commission's top digital enforcer, posted his extraordinary letter to Elon Musk on X ahead of his Spaces conversation with Donald Trump, warning him that it must not include any 'harmful content'. Breton said that Musk must inform Brussels about what he was doing to ensure that no harmful speech would reach his European audience. He added that if Musk were to allow the spread of any 'negative effect of illegal content on X' alluding to his posts about the UK's riots he would be in violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and that he would be punished with the 'full use of our toolbox'. That's code for fines. The DSA has the power to fine up to 6 per cent of turnover. As you might expect, the letter, sent to Musk and his chief executive, Linda Yaccarino, went viral with 93.5m views. At loggerheads: Elon Musk and his big tech peers are celebrating the quarrel with Thierry Breton Musk was his usual provocative self, posting an extremely rude meme to his 200m X followers, basically putting two fingers up to Breton. It didn't take long before Breton's threat provoked the most astonishing backlash from freedom-of-speech crusaders around the world, who argued that the EU had no business interfering in America's presidential elections. Yet perhaps the most brutal backlash came from Breton's boss, European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, who threw him under a Brussels bus. She made it plain the EU had not approved the Musk letter and that it did not want to interfere in US domestic affairs. In short, Breton was told to get back in his box. Musk is not the only big tech tycoon chuckling over how Breton's misguided attempt to curtail free speech on a US platform between two American citizens, which attracted around 91m listens, has backfired so spectacularly. If Breton's threat were to have had legs, he would have needed to show that X, which has around 45m users in the EU, was spreading disinformation about topics such as France's recent elections, or indeed, their regular riots. In other words, content would have to be deemed 'harmful' to European citizens. As one tech regulator told me privately, what Breton did was supremely arrogant and very Gallic. More worryingly, the tech community reckon the unelected Breton has made a fool of himself, putting the EU's reputation as the world's digital policeman at stake. And maybe his own too. He was due to be appointed for another five-year term, but that's now in doubt. Musk and his big tech peers are celebrating the quarrel because until now the EU, through the 2022 Digital Services Act, has been the leading regulator globally in attempting to control the power of tech giants such as X, Google and Meta and, indeed, has emergency powers to close down online sites. They suggest that Breton's overreach proved the fallibility of the DSA as the enforcer was able to subjectively spin the law rather than take an objective view. Why does this US-Gallic spat matter to us? We are not in the EU, and we have the Online Safety Act 2023 which, while different to the DSA, in some ways has more teeth. Yet we face the same highly sensitive issues. First, is allowing maximum free speech and protecting citizens from dangerous disinformation. Then, at the same time, there is the challenge of curbing excessive public power by blocs such as the EU over business and media. And third, is preventing media and business power from stretching too far into realms of politics and policy-making. It is a tricky one. What's interesting too is that Musk and Breton have history. They have met often. The Frenchman has visited Tesla's HQ in Texas. But that didn't stop him from launching an investigation into X in July for failing to uphold the bloc's social media laws, the first such probe under the DSA. They are looking at X's policy of selling 'blue checks' or ticks as well as how groups buy online advertising. They could also challenge Musk on getting rid of moderators or allowing content that is harmful to children on the site, for example. If Breton had really wanted to clip Musk's wings, there were cleverer ways of doing so without causing such a palaver. Maybe he just wanted more X followers. New appointment: Rachel Reeves confirmed that economics professor Alan Taylor will join the nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee The Bank of England has appointed a new member to its rate-setting committee. Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed yesterday that economics professor Alan Taylor will join the nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on a three-year term. He will take over from external committee member Jonathan Haskel, who is stepping down after six years. Taylor, who was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, New York. He has served as a senior adviser to major financial institutions including Morgan Stanley and Pimco, and is a visiting scholar at the Bank of England. Reeves said Taylor's 'substantial experience in both the financial sector and academia will bring valuable expertise to the MPC'. She also thanked Haskel 'for all his work since he joined' the committee. Bank governor Andrew Bailey said: 'I'm really pleased Alan Taylor will be joining the MPC this autumn, bringing with him his extensive knowledge and experience. 'I would like to also thank Jonathan Haskel. He will be missed.' There have been calls to overhaul the Governments housing policy to help keep children out of homelessness. Erene Williamson, head of Homeless Services for Ireland with the Salvation Army, said the root cause of family homelessness is due to a rise in the cost of living along with lack of social and affordable housing. Ms William was speaking at an event to officially open Houben House in south Dublin, a facility run by The Salvation Army which accommodates 350 people. Houben House, which first opened its doors in June 2020, started with four units which had grown to 62 units by the end of last year. Ms Williamson said that families living at the hub are from all different types of backgrounds with diverse needs. She added: I think we need a real systemic approach, a real overhaul to housing policy in Dublin, because ultimately, what we need is for Government to be providing more affordable and really appropriate homes for people to live in. Generally, were finding the root cause of family homelessness is due to the increased cost of living, the lack of social and affordable housing, and thats why theyre having to stay in this emergency accommodation in the interim. They come to us from all different backgrounds and with very diverse needs as well. We do face a little bit of a blockage in the system. That said, we do have families that move on from here, perhaps not at the rate that you would expect it to be, or want it to be, but there is still a move on. Our staff work very hard with local housing agencies, landlords, local councils to try and support families to move on in an area that is suitable for them, because we obviously want them to remain within their network of support, particularly with children in schools. We dont want to have that traumatic change of having to move to a different community. There is a bit of a blockage in this service, we cater for large families, and that is generally where the main blockage is, is trying to find appropriate and large enough homes for families that are beyond three or four people. Speaking at the opening of Houben House, Family Hub "As Ombudsman for Children I regularly see a mixture of great ideas and poorly thought out ones making it into various plans. However, what is frustrating is the failure to put children at the centre of these decisions." pic.twitter.com/cagLXH5sYu Ombudsman for Children (@OCO_ireland) August 16, 2024 Andra Calauz, her husband and their seven children have been living at the facility for four years. The 27-year-old had been living in a house in Finglas but had to move out of the property. Ms Calauz, who is from Romania, said she feels like her familys life is on hold and that she cannot plan for their future. She has lived in Ireland for around 10 years. She said: When I first got here, I felt upset as I had to move out of our home and move into one room. Now, we are happy here and my children are happy here. But for me, its a little bit hard because we have to share a kitchen and keep all my things separate so cooking is hard. Its hard to live in one room because I have a new baby and if she cries, my children wake up in all the hours. The staff here are lovely and very nice and it has helped me. I like here, but I want a home to live in. I cant stay here much longer. We are on a waiting list for a house, but Im told that its hard to get a house as I have more children. Im told Ive to keep waiting. I want to stay here (in Ireland) and want to have a good life. My girls have friends here and are settled and happy. Dr Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children, said the Government has broken its promises on delivering social housing, which has had a huge impact on children and families becoming homeless. He said: Over the last 10 years, we have had promises from the various different governments. Back in 2016, there was a promise at that stage that by 2021 we would 47,000 social housing units in place. We are nowhere near that. We were also promised at that stage that there would be much more mixed and integrated developments so that social housing would be part of every community. That hasnt happened either. We are really looking at a situation where children are facing a traumatic experience of homelessness through the failures of successive governments to reach their own targets, targets that they said they could make and fund and targets they said they could plan for. They are consistently failing and that leaves children with real traumatic experience in their life. In 2018, Leo Varadkar said that the first five years of a childs life is crucial for their development and theres children in this family hub who have been here for four years and it really interferes with how they develop, how they grow, how they experience themselves and their developmental milestones, their physical health, their education. Everything is interfered with. Its difficult to come back from that, its not impossible, but what we are seeing is the traumatic breach of their rights which is leading to long-term implications. Lots of items to consider tonight as we roundup a few EXCELLENT crime reports along with notes on police action and community outreach. Check TKC news gathering . . . Independence man charged with fatal shooting at Midtown apartment Eryn D. Holt is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of 22-year-old Adrian Terry 2 KCK firefighters charged in separate criminal cases, prosecutors announce The Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office announced charges against two Kansas City, Kansas firefighters in separate criminal cases. Kansas City police identify Brookside porch pirate Kansas City police say they've identified a suspect caught on video stealing clothes and a package from a Brookside porch. Murder trial of WyCo DA Mark Dupree's nephew should not be held in his courthouse | Opinion No matter how the case is handled, why put a cloud of doubt over the proceedings in such a serious matter? From Melinda Henneberger: KC man charged after rape of family friend's 6-year-old daughter A Kansas City man is behind bars and has been charged after he allegedly raped the 6-year-old daughter of a family friend. Ricky Kidd then, now: Marking the 5-year anniversary of his release Thursday marks 1,827 days since Ricky Kidd was released from the Western Missouri Correctional Center. Judge refuses to release bodycam video of KCK police fatally shooting a homeless man. Why? The Wyandotte County judge said he didn't find the footage to be in the public interest. The family of the man who was killed says they are considering an appeal. Crime Panel Discussion addresses increase in property crimes in the Waldo, Brookside and Red Bridge areas "We're doing better now, but it's going to take years to catch up." Clifton Park in KCK vandalized, thousands in equipment stolen 25,000 worth of chemical equipment, including a controller and tanks, were among the park maintenance items taken. Raytown mom of 2 fatally shot during argument was a ride-or-die friend, loved ones say A 28-year-old Kansas City man was arrested and charged for firing the fatal shot a week after the shooting. Former KCPD officer now working to help others transition into life after the badge A former Kansas City Police Department officer is working to make life after law enforcement better for other former officers. Developing . . . Attention across the globe for this Kansas free speech debate . . . Credit TKC Readers for noticing this one. Here are the basics and links for further edification . . . School board member for @GardnerEdgerton scolded a mom for exposing p**nogr*phic books available to students. He accused her of "getting pleasure" from reading the explicit material. The mother's mic was then muted and the board president interrupted her saying her speech was a "performance and warns that the content is inappropriate for kids listening at home. They admit its inappropriate yet most of the books are still in schools Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Southern Poverty Law Center adds Libs of TikTok creator to extremist hate watchlist Chaya Raichik's inclusion on hate watchlist comes after her posts have been linked to bomb threats and other threats of violence. From the conservative persepctive . . . Chinese business leaders have praised Dubais role as a vital hub for opportunities and an ideal platform for business expansion in both regional and global markets. This is due to the emirates strong competitive advantages and attractive investment environment. Senior officials from three prominent Chinese companies, each of which has benefited from the support of Dubai International Chamber in growing their businesses in the emirate and the wider Middle East and Africa region, stated that Dubai is home to exciting opportunities and enjoys the confidence of the Chinese business community thanks to its pivotal position on the global business map. As part of its drive to strengthen economic relations and build partnerships between the business communities in Dubai and China, Dubai Chambers is organising the Dubai Business Forum China from August 21 to 22. The event is aimed at showcasing the diverse investment opportunities available in the emirate and attracting multinational companies, unicorns, and fast-growing startups from China to Dubai, as well as supporting Chinese investors and businesses to establish partnerships with their counterparts in Dubai and promoting trade and intra-regional investments. Exhibition capital Gavil Fang, CEO of Meorient, the first exhibition company to be listed on Chinas stock exchange and the host of the annual China Homelife Dubai Exhibition in the emirate, commented: For us, Dubai is undoubtedly the exhibition capital of the Middle East and key markets in Asia and Africa. We believe that it is the best choice of trade hub for Chinese companies looking to expanding their business to the wider Mena region. Its strategic location offers Chinese businesses unparalleled access to global markets, and our partnership with Dubai Chambers has been essential in helping us understand market trends and shifting trade dynamics. Alex Yang, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Tuya Smart, a global cloud platform service provider that expanded into Dubai last year, stated: Over the past few decades, Dubai has cultivated an inclusive and synergistic industry ecosystem that fosters innovation and collaboration. The Smart Living and ESG principles highlighted in the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) align well with Tuyas values, cementing our confidence in collaborating with Dubai. We believe Dubai has the potential to nurture the development of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector, establish industry benchmarks, and shape best practices across the globe, and we appreciate the support of Dubai Chambers as we embark on this journey. Dr Jusong Xia, President of International Business at United Imaging Healthcare, commented: Dubai offers efficient registration processes for the healthcare industry. Supportive policies and a favorable business environment are also among the key factors in attracting Chinese enterprises to Dubai. These elements played a significant role in our decision to choose Dubai as our regional headquarters in Mena. Network of relationships Dr Xia added: The network of relationships we have established in Dubai has been instrumental in our expansion efforts and serves as the foundation for our future plans for further investment in research and development as we advance the healthcare innovation industry. We look forward to leveraging the resources and opportunities Dubai Chambers provides to enhance our presence and operations in the region and beyond. Held under the theme China, Dubai and Beyond: Igniting Global Trade and Investment, the Dubai Business Forum China will bring together public and private sector partners from Dubai and China to explore ways to strengthen cooperation, enhance bilateral relations, and explore the promising opportunities created by the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). The sessions held during the event will highlight emerging opportunities in key sectors including green technology, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, healthcare, and renewable energy. As part of its growing global network of 31 international representative offices, Dubai International Chamber currently operates three offices in China in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. These offices play a key role in boosting trade and investments between China to Dubai, as well as supporting the expansion of Dubai-based companies into the Chinese market.--TradeArabia News Service SENATE GRATEFUL FOR 'VERY GOOD' RATING OF ITS PERFORMANCE The Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Francis "Chiz" G. Escudero, expressed gratitude for the continued public satisfaction with its performance, as reflected in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey for the second quarter of 2024. "The Senate is grateful for the trust that the Filipino people have placed in the institution. This 'very good' rating clearly validates the commitment of each and every senator to serve with integrity and dedication," said Senate spokesperson Arnel Banas. The SWS survey, conducted from June 23 to July 1, 2024, showed that 66 percent of respondents were satisfied with the Senate's performance, while 16 percent were dissatisfied. This resulted in a net satisfaction rating of +50 points, classified as "very good." Banas, the Senate Deputy Secretary for Administrative and Financial Services, acknowledged the slight decline from the first quarter's +55 rating, noting it as a reminder that there is always room for improvement. "This slight drop in the ratings is a reminder that the Senate must continue working tirelessly to meet the people's expectations," Banas said. "It's a challenge for the senators to be even more responsive to the nation's needs and to ensure that their legislative work has a meaningful impact." Atty. Arnel Jose S. Banas Spokesperson 16 August 2024 In this episode of Morning Edition, We discuss the issue of bullying following the suicide o Columbia University Irving Medical Center CEO Katrina Armstrong has been tapped to lead the school following the sudden resignation of President Minouche Shafik. Shafik stepped down on Wednesday after a tenure marked by intense criticism, particularly over her response to the pro-Palestinian protests that began in April. In a statement after her appointment was announced, Armstrong expressed gratitude to her predecessors and recognized the challenges facing the campus community as she assumes leadership. "Challenging times present both the opportunity and the responsibility for serious leadership to emerge from every group and individual within a community. This is such a time at Columbia," she said. "As I step into this role, I am acutely aware of the trials the University has faced over the past year. We should neither understate their significance, nor allow them to define who we are and what we will become." The Board of Trustees backed Armstrong as well, calling her "the right leader for this moment." Here's everything we know about Columbia's new president: - Armstrong is well-known to the Columbia community. She currently serves as CEO of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a title she will retain during her stint as interim president. She also serves as executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences, and dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. - She earned her bachelor's degree from Yale University and a medical degree from Johns Hopkins University. - Prior to joining Columbia, Armstrong served as physician in chief at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2013 to 2022, and was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania for 16 years. - According to the Board of Trustees, Armstrong has completed extensive research in cancer, mental health, the roles that segregation and discrimination play in health care, as well as health disparities in rural areas, particularly among Native American tribes. - Regarding the conflict between Israel and Gaza, Armstrong and her colleagues issued a letter in October 2023, urging the community to "come together and to embrace each other with compassion and empathy" for those affected in the region. - During a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Summit in November, Armstrong referred to Hamas as a terrorist organization and condemned its October attack on Israel. "Equally clear, and of great importance in this discussion, is that the Palestinian people are not Hamas and are not terrorists," she added. "... We must describe Hamas as it describes itself - as an entity openly committed to the destruction of Israel and to attacking the Jewish people - to provide our Jewish colleagues the comfort that comes with knowing that others understand what occurred on October 7 and the terrible psychological impact of that terrorist attack." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for an investigation into former U.S. senator and University of Florida President Ben Sasse's spending following reports that he funneled millions of dollars to his GOP allies. During his 17-month tenure as UF president, Sasse allegedly increased his office's spending to $17.3 million in his first year - more than triple the $5.6 million spent in the final year of his predecessor, Kent Fuchs, according to the Independent Florida Alligator, the university's student newspaper. The spending spike was largely attributed to secretive consulting contracts and high-paying positions for Sasse's GOP allies and former U.S. Senate staff. "We take the stewardship of state funds very seriously and have already been in discussions with leadership at the university and with the Board of Governors to look into the matter," Bryan Griffin, a communications director for DeSantis, told The Hill on Thursday. Jimmy Patronis, Florida's chief financial officer and state fire marshal, wrote on X that reports of the "exorbitant spending" by Sasse were concerning and that his agency would assist with the investigation. Here's a list of Sasse's questionable hires and spending during his time as UF president: - Raymond Sass, former Senate chief of staff, hired as UF's vice president for innovation and partnerships. Salary: $396,000 - James Wegmann, former Senate communications director, hired as UF's remote vice president of communications. Salary: $432,000 - Taylor Silva, former Senate press secretary, hired as assistant vice president of presidential communications and public affairs. Salary: $232,000 - Raven Shirley, Kari Ridder and Kelicia Rice, served as presidential advisors. Salaries: Unknown - Penny Schwinn, former Republican Tennessee commissioner of education, hired as UF's vice president of PK-12 and pre-bachelors programs. Salary: $367,500. - Alice James Burns, former scheduler for U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham, hired as director of presidential relations and major events. Salary: $205,000 - Travel expenses: $633,000, 20 times higher than Fuchs' annual average of $28,000. - University consultants: $7.2 million, 40 times higher than Fuchs' total expenses during his eight years. A majority of the money went to McKinsey & Company, where Sasse once worked as an adviser. - Three former McKinsey consultants. Salaries: Between $150,000 and $200,000 Sasse resigned from his leadership position last month to focus on his family following his wife's epilepsy diagnosis. The former U.S. senator from Nebraska served as president for less than two years, and had said he plans to transition to a teaching and advisory role at the school. Former U.S. senator and University of Florida President Ben Sasse issued a lengthy response on Friday, addressing accusations that he channeled millions of university dollars to his GOP allies while serving in the leadership role. In his 1,700-word response on X posted Friday, Sasse denied any inappropriate spending during his brief tenure as president. "Many have asked whether it's true if UF over the last couple years had inappropriate spending. No, it's not true - but it is a duty to transparently address folks' concerns, both because fiscal stewardship is a fundamental obligation of public institutions," he wrote. Sasse highlighted several projects initiated under his leadership, including the development of new institutions and campuses, the hiring of additional faculty, the creation of a data analytics unit to enhance student services and course scheduling, and the reform of the core curriculum. "With each new initiative comes new staff - and new investment expenditures," Sasse said, while acknowledging that not all newly hired staff relocated to Florida. "I persuaded almost a dozen folks who had worked with me in one or more of my last three jobs, both in and out of politics, to join in this important work - as basically all arriving CEOs do." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for an investigation Thursday into Sasse's spending following reports from the Independent Florida Alligator, the university's student newspaper, that he hired his GOP allies into prominent positions and paid them unusually high salaries. During his 17-month tenure as UF president, Sasse allegedly increased his office's spending to $17.3 million in his first year - more than triple the $5.6 million spent in the final year of his predecessor, Kent Fuchs. New hires included Raymond Sass, a former Senate chief of staff, who was appointed UF's vice president for innovation and partnerships with a salary of $396,000; James Wegmann, a former Senate communications director, who took on the role of vice president of communications with a salary of $432,000; and Taylor Silva, a former Senate press secretary, who was named assistant vice president of presidential communications and public affairs with a salary of $232,000. While he didn't address specific hires, Sasse noted, "Some of our new hires took pay cuts because they wanted to join this cause; others of them got pay raises because they are super-talented folks who had competing opportunities and offers." Sasse ultimately welcomed an audit of the expenses but insisted his budget underwent the "appropriate approval process." Sasse resigned from his leadership position last month to focus on his family following his wife's epilepsy diagnosis. The former Nebraska senator served as president for less than two years, and had said he plans to transition to a teaching and advisory role at the school. (@ChaudhryMAli88) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) Chairman CDA, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, on Friday, presided over a meeting to discuss the ongoing plantation campaign and beautification plan for Islamabad. The meeting outlined the steps taken so far and the future plans to make Islamabad a more eco-friendly and beautiful city. As part of the plantation drive, free saplings are being distributed to citizens through stalls set up in various centers, markets, and parks. Additionally, door-to-door distribution of free plants is also underway. The Chairman emphasized the importance of involving the business community and civil society to make the drive more successful. To ensure effective implementation, the city will be divided into four zones, with concerned officers and staff responsible for landscaping and beautification work in each zone. The corporate sector is also expected to play a significant role in making Islamabad eco-friendly and beautiful.Renowned architects and landscaping experts will be consulted for the beautification and upliftment of Islamabad. The plan includes beautifying interchanges, flyovers, loops, and highways, as well as planting fruit trees on medians and green belts along roads. Inspiration will be drawn from other cities' horticulture, and adequate lighting arrangements will be made along flyovers and bridges. With this comprehensive plan, Islamabad is set to become a model city for beauty and sustainability. (@FahadShabbir) Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Friday said that arrangements for water drainage have been completed on all major roads and streets under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, and constant coordination with relevant town administrations and other agencies is being maintained for rain arrangements KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Friday said that arrangements for water drainage have been completed on all major roads and streets under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, and constant coordination with relevant town administrations and other agencies is being maintained for rain arrangements. He said that special instructions have been issued to the relevant departments to keep the drainage machinery in ready condition and to keep the staff on alert for rainwater drainage work, in light of the Meteorological Department's forecast of a new spell of rain starting on Saturday. He said that three large dewatering pumps, excavators, dumpers, and small dewatering pumps have been delivered at the KMC head office here. One of the three large dewatering pumps will be stationed at the KMC head office, another at the M.A Jinnah Road near the Merewether Tower, and the third at the Governor House, as these areas experience significant water accumulation during rains, he said. He said that preparations for drainage have been completed in advance of the rains. He requested citizens to be patient during heavy rains as the drainage process may be slow temporarily, but as soon as the rain stops, water drainage will begin quickly. The citizens should be assured that the municipal administration is fully aware of its responsibilities and has taken all necessary measures. Barrister Murtaza Wahab also mentioned that the flow of water in all major storm water drains in the city is normal, and there are no obstacles to drainage as choking points have already been cleared and drain cleaning is ongoing. He added that during the rains, KMC's city wardens will also be present on roads and highways to maintain traffic flow and provide guidance to citizens. The Mayor Karachi said that he will personally visit various areas of the city during the rains to assess the situation and issue instructions to relevant officials and agencies to ensure that citizens are protected from any unpleasant situations during the rains. (@Abdulla99267510) Pakistan strongly condemns killing of our Kashmiri youth by Indian occupation forces in Doha district ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 16th, 2024) Foreign Office on Friday said no talks are currently taking place with India for resumption of bilateral trade. At her weekly news briefing in Islamabad today, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch recalled that following India's illegal and unilateral steps in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, several measures were taken by Pakistan including the suspension of bilateral trade. This situation remains intact. Strongly condemning the killing of four Kashmiri youth by Indian occupation forces in Doda district, the spokesperson said this brutal act is yet another example of India's illegal and oppressive steps against the Kashmiri people. She urged the international community to take immediate and decisive action to hold India accountable for its egregious human rights violations in IIOJK and take steps to protect the rights and freedoms of Kashmiri people. The Spokesperson strongly rejected allegations about Pakistan's role in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina Wajid saying there is absolutely no truth in them. She said Pakistan believes that the people of Bangladesh have the capacity to settle their affairs and determine their future. When asked about the recent Afghan firing on Torkham border, the spokesperson regretted the incident saying Pakistani forces responded appropriately in self-defense. She urged the Afghan authorities to exercise restraint and avoid unprovoked acts on Pakistan-Afghanistan border. She said the Afghan authorities must understand that Pakistani forces would always defend its territory. She said we remain ready to resolve any misunderstanding through diplomatic channels. The spokesperson said Pakistan has consistently raised its concerns about the presence of terrorist hideouts and sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. She said Pakistan expects the Afghan authorities to take effective and robust action against the terrorist groups. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch strongly denounced the storming of Al-Aqsa mosque by hundreds of extremist settlers led by office bearers of Israeli occupation authorities. She said desecration of one of islam's holiest sites and obstruction to the rights of worshippers have deeply hurt the sentiments of Muslims worldwide. This act is a violation of Geneva Convention and blatant disregard of multiple UNSC resolutions. The spokesperson called upon the international community especially the UN Security Council to take immediate action to end the serious and repeated transgressions against the sanctity of holy sites in Jerusalem, protect the Islamic character of Al-Aqsa and ensure the freedom of worship of the Palestinian people. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar on Friday said that harassment of women was not acceptable in any form or under any circumstances. In statement, he strongly condemned the incident of assaulting a woman during the meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy. The minister said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should take action against its MNA Iqbal Afridi. "Already in our society women face difficulties," he said adding it was a manifestation of PTI fascism that was coming to fore. He said Iqbal Afridi's party membership should be suspended in order to ensure justice . RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) Kotli Sattian police arrested three accused of stealing costly wood, said a police spokesman here on Friday. He informed that the three accused namely Warasat Hussain, Shakeel and Mohsin were rounded up and recovered the costly stolen wood from their possession besides impounding a vehicle being used for transportation of stolen wood. The accused would be challenged with solid evidence, said SP Saddar Nabeel Khokhar. Strict action under the law would continue against the accused involved in wood theft cases, SP Saddar added. (@Abdulla99267510) Inter-Service Public Relations says operation was conducted on reported presence of Khawarij RAWALPINDI: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 16th, 2024) Security forces killed three Khawarij of Fitna al Khawarij while one Kharji got injured during an intelligence based operation in Razmak, North Waziristan District today. According to ISPR, the operation was conducted on reported presence of Khawarij. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from killed Khawarij, who remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces as well as target killing of innocent civilians. Sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area as security forces are determined to wipe-out the menace of Khawarij and terrorism from the country. (@FahadShabbir) As part of its continuous internationalisation efforts, the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) has reached an understanding with Jiangsu Shengxianglin Stock Holding Co, China, to establish Zheng He Development Centre at NUST ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) As part of its continuous internationalisation efforts, the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) has reached an understanding with Jiangsu Shengxianglin Stock Holding Co, China, to establish Zheng He Development Centre at NUST. The centre will conduct technical trainings in the cutting-edge fields and facilitate placement of Pakistani students in leading Chinese companies across the globe. Representatives from industry giants like Huawei and ZTE attended the agreement signing ceremony and pledged to play a pivotal role in developing skill-focused expertise of trainees. On the occasion, Dr. Osman Hasan, NUST Pro-Rector Academics, remarked that these trainings would facilitate qualified individuals' access to international career opportunities. The project, he maintained, is a manifestation of deep educational and cultural ties between Pakistan and China, and is aimed at further strengthening cooperation between NUST and Chinese companies working in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2024) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel this weekend to push forward a Gaza ceasefire deal as the United States tries to bridge the gaps in talks in the region, the State Department said. Blinken will leave Saturday and seek to "conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees through the bridging proposal" presented Friday during talks in Doha by the United States, a State Department statement said. President Joe Biden earlier Friday said that "we are closer than we have ever been" to a ceasefire in the 10-month-old Gaza war after two days of talks in the Qatari capital Doha. "We're not there yet. It's much, much closer than it was three days ago. So keep your fingers crossed," Biden said. Biden spoke by telephone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss the "significant progress" in the talks, National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said. Biden and the two key Arab leaders had publicly urged Hamas and Israel to join the talks. The White House said diplomats will keep working on details with a hope to conclude the accord later next week in Cairo. "This is kind of the final stage -- the end game of the process," a senior US official told reporters on customary condition of anonymity. The diplomats are setting up an "implementation cell" so that an agreement will "be implemented rapidly once deal is included," he said. The State Department statement said the proposal "would achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, secure the release of all hostages, ensure humanitarian assistance is distributed throughout Gaza and create the conditions for broader regional stability." "Secretary Blinken will underscore the critical need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation or any other actions that could undermine the ability to finalize an agreement," it said. It will be the ninth trip by Blinken to the middle East since Hamas on October 7 carried out the deadliest-ever attack on Israel, which has responded with a relentless military campaign in Gaza. The State Department did not immediately announce any stops after Israel. Blinken has met with key Arab allies on previous trips. aue-sct/acb Burundi on Friday freed journalist Floriane Irangabiye, who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly "undermining the integrity of the national territory", according to AFP journalists Bubanza, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) Burundi on Friday freed journalist Floriane Irangabiye, who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly "undermining the integrity of the national territory", according to AFP journalists. Irangabiye, 36, was arrested in August 2022 while visiting her family in the East African nation and sentenced in January 2023, provoking international criticism. "I am very happy because I have just reunited with my family," Irangabiye told reporters outside the Muyinga prison after she was released. President Evariste Ndayishimiye published a decree on the X social media on Thursday granting a "presidential pardon measure in favour of Mrs Floriane Irangabiye". It went on to state that she benefited from "a total remission of sentences". The human rights group ACAT Burundi hailed the decision, saying that Irangabiye's imprisonment was "illegal and unjustified". In a post on X it urged Ndayishimiye "to continue on this path by releasing all other people unjustly imprisoned". Global media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders said it was "relieved" with the release, but adding that Irangabiye "should never have been arrested or spent so much time behind bars". "We reiterate our call on the Burundian authorities to protect press freedom in the country and ensure that Burundian journalists can freely carry out their work without fear of reprisals," it said. Irangabiye's case provoked international condemnation, with the United Nations voicing concern last year over her imprisonment "simply for doing her job". Her trial in January centred on her work at Radio Igicaniro and in particular her participation in a show alongside two critics of the Burundian leadership, according to court minutes and her lawyer. She had been living in neighbouring Rwanda for a decade prior to her arrest, according to Amnesty International, which warned last year the journalist's "health has deteriorated while in detention". Burundi ranks 108th out of 180 countries for press freedom, according to RSF. Earlier this year Sandra Muhoza, a reporter with online outlet La Nova Burundi, was detained and later charged with "endangering internal security". Ndayishimiye, who took power in 2020, has been praised for slowly ending years of Burundi's isolationism under former leader Pierre Nkurunziza's chaotic and bloody rule. But he has not improved its record on human rights and the African Great Lakes nation of 12 million people remains one of the world's poorest. str-rbu/ju The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said Friday he would propose sanctions against Israeli government "enablers" of Jewish settler violence, following a deadly attack on a village in the occupied West Bank Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said Friday he would propose sanctions against Israeli government "enablers" of Jewish settler violence, following a deadly attack on a village in the occupied West Bank. "Day after day, in an almost total impunity, Israeli settlers fuel violence in the occupied West Bank, contributing to endanger any chance of peace," Borrell posted on X. "The Israeli government must stop these unacceptable actions immediately," he wrote, vowing to "table a proposal for EU sanctions against violent settlers' enablers, including some Israeli government's members". Any such sanctions would require unanimous approval from the EU's 27 member states, who are divided over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The White House has condemned as "unacceptable" Thursday's attack on Jit, near Nablus, in which the Palestinian Authority said one Palestinian was killed and another wounded. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called it a "pogrom". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office meanwhile said he "takes seriously the riots" and pledged to catch and prosecute the perpetrators. Violence in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 and separated from the Gaza Strip by Israeli territory, has surged since the Gaza war started on October 7. Since then, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by the Israeli army or settlers, according to an AFP count based on official Palestinian data. Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank -- considered illegal under international law -- has also hit new records. Netanyahu, head of the conservative Likud party, has governed Israel since December 2022 with the support of far-right formations advocating more Israeli settlements in the West Bank or even outright annexation. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Doha, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) International mediators made a new bid Thursday to push Israel and Hamas toward a ceasefire in their war that the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said has now killed more than 40,000 people. Talks opened in Qatar's capital amid a wider international diplomatic bid to ease tensions that have spiked since the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. An Israeli delegation attended the Doha talks, which also involved US Central Intelligence Agency director William Burns. But the Palestinian militants took no direct part. Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the group would join indirect negotiations if Israel made new commitments. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington that "today is a promising start" but acknowledged: "There remains a lot of work to do. " The Palestinian group has demanded the implementation of a ceasefire plan and prisoner-hostage swap as laid out on May 31 by US President Joe Biden. A ceasefire deal must lead to the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the devastated territory, Hamas official Hossam Badran said in a statement released after the first day of talks. "Any agreement must achieve a comprehensive ceasefire, a complete (Israeli) withdrawal from Gaza, (and) the return of the displaced," Badran said. Hamdan told AFP that "so far there's nothing new" from Israel. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli forces must keep control of Gaza's frontier with Egypt to thwart arms movements into the territory. (@FahadShabbir) Irish police said Friday detectives were probing a possible terrorism link after a teenager allegedly stabbed an army chaplain outside a barracks in the western city of Galway, before being restrained by soldiers Dublin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) Irish police said Friday detectives were probing a possible terrorism link after a teenager allegedly stabbed an army chaplain outside a barracks in the western city of Galway, before being restrained by soldiers. "A man in his 50s received a number of stab wounds during the incident," which happened late Thursday, a police statement said. He was taken to a hospital in Galway "for treatment of injuries that are serious but not life-threatening," it added. A male youth was restrained by members of the Defence Forces and arrested at the scene outside Renmore Barracks, and is being held in custody, said police. The Special Detective Unit within Ireland's police force -- which is responsible for responding to terrorist threats -- is leading the investigation. "One line of inquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation," the statement said. The police "wishes to reassure the public that at this time it is not believed this incident is part of a wider conspiracy". According to the Irish Times newspaper, police sources said it was believed the suspected attacker, a 16-year-old Irish national from the Galway area, had been radicalised online in recent months. The suspect had a grievance about the presence of Irish Defence Forces in the middle East, and his social media postings will form a central part of the investigation, the newspaper said. The Irish Defence Forces are involved in various global peacekeeping missions -- including United Nations operations covering Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel -- involving around 100 personnel, according to its website. The victim of Thursday night's stabbing, Paul Murphy, thanked the public for their prayers in a post on Facebook Friday, adding that he was awaiting surgery. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Azerbaijan on Sunday for a two-day trip focused on building ties and discussing international and regional affairs, the Kremlin said Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2024) Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Azerbaijan on Sunday for a two-day trip focused on building ties and discussing international and regional affairs, the Kremlin said. The visit would be Putin's first to the Caucasus country since 2018, and comes as Russia seeks to re-assert itself as a peacemaker between Azerbaijan and arch-foe Armenia. "The further development of Russian-Azerbaijani relations... as well as topical international and regional problems will be discussed," the Kremlin said in a statement Friday. "Following the visit, it is planned to adopt a Joint Statement of the Heads of State, and sign intergovernmental and other documents," it said. Russia's influence in the Caucasus has waned in recent years, with Armenia seeking closer ties with the West and Azerbaijan becoming a key player in the European energy market. European countries turning away from Russian gas have increasingly looked to oil and gas-rich Azerbaijan as a substitute since Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine in 2022. (UroToday.com) On Thursday, August 15, 2024, during the WCET 2024, a plenary panel session was dedicated to discussing robotic radical prostatectomy and strategies to achieve better continence outcomes for patients undergoing the procedure. The session, moderated by Dr. Atsushi Takenaka, MD, PhD, opened with an emphasis on the critical importance of continence outcomes and their profound impact on patients' quality of life. Dr. Takenaka presented data highlighting significant differences in physical functioning, role physical, body pain, social functioning, role emotional, and mental health between patients who achieved urinary continence and those who did not. These findings underscored the essential role that continence plays in both the physical and mental well-being of patients. Dr. Takenaka then introduced the various factors that can predict continence outcomes, which he categorized into three main areas: preservation, reconstruction, and reinforcement. He explained that these elements work together to influence the surgical outcomes for patients. Preservation involves maintaining critical structures during surgery, such as the bladder neck, neurovascular bundle (NVB), puboprostatic ligament, pubo-vesical complex, and urethral length. Reconstruction focuses on techniques like posterior and anterior reconstruction and the management of the endopelvic fascia. Reinforcement includes methods like bladder neck plication and sling suspension to further support continence. For the purpose of the plenary, the discussion then shifted towards preservation surgical approaches, particularly those that aim to maintain anatomical structures to improve continence outcomes. Dr. Cheol Kyu Oh, MD, PhD, was the first panelist invited to speak, and he focused on the Retzius-Sparing Approach. Dr. Oh emphasized that achieving better continence outcomes requires a combination of preservation, reconstruction, and reinforcement, with the Retzius-Sparing Approach being a preferred method due to its emphasis on preservation. The Retzius-Sparing Approach, as Dr. Oh explained, is a fully posterior technique that avoids bladder dropping, focusing entirely on preserving structures with minimal need for additional reconstruction or reinforcement. During Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RARP), this approach allows for the preservation of the bladder neck, Neurovascular Bundle (NVB), sphincter complex, and urethral length, which are all critical for optimal continence outcomes. Dr. Oh demonstrated the surgical technique through a step-by-step video of a robotic case, emphasizing key steps designed to enhance continence outcomes. The surgery began with a non-bladder-dropping approach and was followed by the preservation of seminal vesicle vessels, a crucial step that Dr. Oh identified as vital for maintaining continence. He also discussed the preservation of posterolateral structures, which can be achieved depending on the disease stage and preoperative assessments, including biopsy and MRI results. He showed how the NVB and lateral structures could be preserved, and how nearly all surrounding structures of the prostate, including the bladder neck and anterior/apical structures, can be carefully dissected and preserved. Moving on to the functional outcomes, Dr. Oh discussed the preservation of bladder function following the Retzius-Sparing Approach. He pointed out that after radical prostatectomy, common bladder dysfunctions, such as detrusor overactivity (DO), impaired contractility, and sphincter dysfunction, as well as urethral length shortening, can occur. However, there is a prevailing belief that continence outcomes are superior with the Retzius-Sparing Approach because bladder dysfunctions such as DO are either absent or minimal. Dr. Oh stressed the need for further studies to compare the Retzius-Sparing Approach with standard surgical techniques, especially with pre-and post-operative urodynamic assessments. To support his presentation, Dr. Oh referenced a significant blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) published in 2017, which demonstrated that early recovery of continence was markedly better in patients who underwent the Retzius-Sparing Approach compared to those who received standard surgical care. In conclusion, Dr. Oh affirmed that the Retzius-Sparing Approach is a highly effective technique for achieving superior continence outcomes through comprehensive preservation of anatomical structures, making it a valuable option for surgeons aiming to improve post-operative quality of life for their patients. Following Dr. Ohs comprehensive talk, the podium was passed to Dr. Jihad Kaouk, MD, FACS, FRCS, who discussed the Single-Port Robotic Radical Prostatectomy with a focus on the Transvesical Approach. Dr. Kaouk began by highlighting some of the remarkable features of the Single-Port (SP) Robotic Platform, which has been in use since 2018. This platform is purpose-built, featuring a narrow profile cannula with a diameter of just 2.5 cm, double articulating instruments, a floating docking technique, and improved maneuverability in limited surgical working spaces. Dr. Kaouk emphasized that the SP platform is not about simply having one incision or replacing the multi-port robot; rather, it is about regionalizing surgery to the relevant anatomy, allowing for more precise and effective procedures. Dr. Kaouk then introduced his initial publication on the Single-Port Transvesical Approach from 2019. This approach involves direct percutaneous access into the bladder, and to date, Dr. Kaouk and his team have performed over 400 cases, including both radical and simple prostatectomies. The continence outcomes from these procedures were notably better than initially expected. Atsushi Takenaka, MD, PhD, Chairman, Professor of Clinical Urology, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan Cheol Kyu Oh, MD, PhD Jihad Kaouk, MD, FACS, FRCS, Professor & Zegarac-Pollock Endowed Chair in Robotic Surgery - Director, Center for Robotic and Image-Guided Surgery - Vice Chair of Research and Innovations Sung Gu Kang, MD, PhD - Director, Robotic Urologic Section of KSER - Professor, Department of Urology, Korea University School of Medicine - Director, Department of Urology, Korea University Anam Hospital - Director, Robotic Surgery Center, Korea University Anam Hospital What makes the Single-Port Transvesical Access procedure is that it is performed with the patient in a supine position, as this approach does not require entry into the peritoneal space. A 4 cm midline suprapubic incision is made, similar to the procedure for suprapubic tube insertion, followed by bladder identification confirmed by urine aspirate. Once suprapubic access is established, the single-port robotic access kit is attached, as shown in the accompanying figures.Dr. Kaouk also mentioned that the simplicity of the single-port system allows for the use of less experienced bedside assistants, ranging from medical students to fellows. The final step in the procedure is the vesicourethral anastomosis.Following the procedural video, Dr. Kaouk's presentation focused on functional outcomes, particularly comparing single-port versus multi-port robotic prostatectomy with respect to the return to continence. A key finding was that 40% of patients experienced immediate urinary continence postoperatively, with only four days of Foley catheterization required.In conclusion, Dr. Kaouk summarized the key advantages of the Single-Port Transvesical Approach, noting the benefits of supine positioning, which enhances ventilation and facilitates surgery in patients with a hostile abdomen. He highlighted the reduction in postoperative pain, with 92% of patients being opioid-free, the potential for outpatient surgery with just a four-hour hospital stay, and the shorter duration of Foley catheterization. Additionally, the approach led to an earlier return of urinary continence, with 40% of patients being pad-free immediately, and allowed for a return to full activity within two weeks, reducing the risk of incisional hernia.The final panelist of this plenary session was Dr. Sung Gu Kang, MD, PhD, Director of the Robotic Urologic Section at KSER and Professor in the Department of Urology at Korea University School of Medicine, who gave a thorough presentation on Minimal Apical Dissection (MAD) during robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Dr. Kang addressed the ongoing challenge of achieving better continence outcomes following RARP, noting that while the Retzius-sparing technique is recognized for its superior continence results, it is less commonly used and carries concerns about positive surgical margins, particularly in high-stage and high-risk cases.Dr. Kang then introduced the concept of Modified Apical Dissection (MAD), an anterior approach that preserves anterior structures while minimizing the extent of apical dissection. This approach, sometimes referred to as the "Hood Technique," aims to balance the preservation of key anatomical structures with the need for effective cancer control, especially in high-stage disease.Citing various studies, Dr. Kang presented data showing that the immediate continence rates following Retzius-sparing RARP ranged from 38% to 91% in non-comparative studies. Comparative studies showed that Retzius-sparing RARP offered better continence outcomes than standard RARP (S-RARP) at various follow-up points, including 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively. This advantage was most pronounced in the early months following surgery.Dr. Kang emphasized that careful apical dissection is critical for preserving quality of life (QOL) outcomes, particularly in terms of continence and erectile function. He pointed out that the cavernous erectile nerves swing anteriorly near the prostate apex, making this area particularly vulnerable to injury during surgery. Additionally, the pudendal nerve branches to the striated sphincter can be as close as 3-5 mm to the apex, further underscoring the need for precision during apical dissection.The MAD technique involves minimal dissection at the apex while preserving the lateral prostatic fascia and other critical structures. Dr. Kang presented data from his research, showing that among 2168 patients who underwent RALP between 2017 and 2019, those who received MAD had significantly better continence recovery within the first six months compared to those who underwent conventional RALP techniques. Propensity score matching was used to ensure comparability between the groups.A meta-analysis of eight studies further supported these findings, revealing that patients treated with MAD were four times more likely to regain continence at initial follow-up compared to those treated with conventional techniques. This trend continued with marked improvements at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively.In conclusion, Dr. Kang asserted that the MAD technique offers a familiar and intuitive approach for surgeons, with similar early continence outcomes to the Retzius-sparing technique. Moreover, the MAD technique is applicable even in high-stage disease, including cases with anterior tumors, making it a versatile option for surgeons aiming to balance cancer control with functional preservation.Presented by:Written by: Seyedamirvala Saadat, Research Specialist at Department of Urology, University of California Irvine, @Val_Saadat on X during the 2024 World Congress of Endourology and Uro-Technology: August 12 -16, 2024, Seoul, South Korea References: The U.S. is engaging the warring parties in Sudan to bring them to the negotiation table and end the 16-month-old civil war, national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Thursday at the White House. The warring parties the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), controlled by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti had promised a smooth transition of power to civilians after a military coup ousted the long-serving president, Omar al-Bashir, in April 2019. Five years later, the SAF and RSF failed to fulfill that promise, and their inability to find a compromise on how to rule the country led to the war erupting on April 15, 2023. We're still very focused on getting both sides in Sudan back to the table and to come to meaningful agreements about laying their arms down and doing the right thing for the people of Sudan, Kirby said. The United Nations warned on Wednesday that Sudan, a country of 46 million, is at a catastrophic breaking point with thousands of people killed, 10 million fleeing their homes and over 10 million more deaths than expected from preventable diseases. That same day, the delegates from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the African Union and the United Nations met for the U.S.-mediated peace talks in Geneva. The Sudanese Armed Forces delegation did not show up at the negotiating table. On social media platform X, Mohanad Elbalal, co-founder of Khartoum Kitchen Aid, a nonprofit organization that feeds displaced people in Sudan, blamed the U.S. for the absence of the SAF at the Geneva peace talks: The US set a number of impossible conditions for the Sudanese authorities, foremost of these they refused to invite the Sudanese Government to the talks extending the invitation only to the Sudanese Army while ironically inviting the UAE Government that sponsors the RSF militia, to the talks! That is false. First, Elbalals claim that the U.S. failed to invite the Sudanese government has no merit. According to the United Nations, Sudan does not have a fully functional and legitimate government. The RSF sent a delegation to the Geneva talks, but U.S. special envoy Tom Perriello, who is leading the talks, says direct mediation would be impossible without the SAF presence. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Sudans de-facto ruler General Abdel-Fattah Burhan of SAF in a telephone conversation to join the peace talks, the State Department said Wednesday. There is no evidence the U.S. government demanded anything from the Sudanese army besides calling for a cease-fire in the war-torn country. Yet there is ample evidence that the SAF has set several conditions and has a history of prematurely withdrawing from cease-fire talks. On July 30, the Sudanese army demanded the implementation of the previous Jeddah agreement, which the U.S. and Saudi Arabia co-facilitated in May last year, leading to a seven-day cease-fire. Any negotiations before the implementation of the Jeddah Declaration, which stipulates a comprehensive withdrawal and cessation of expansion, will not be acceptable to the Sudanese people, SAF said. However, according to the mediators, neither party complied with the Jeddah agreement. On July 9, the Sudanese army pulled out of the Cairo talks, blaming the Tagadum faction, which represented the Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces, for sympathizing with the RSF. Previously, in January, the army withdrew from peace mediation after the talks organizer, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African regional bloc of 8 countries, invited the RSF leader to a summit in Kampala, Uganda. SAF also withdrew its membership from IGAD. Also in January, the army recalled its ambassador to Kenya, cutting all diplomatic ties with the East African country after President William Ruto met with the RSF leader in a bid to organize a face-to-face meeting with the SAF leader. The army later refused to participate in negotiations arranged by Ruto. Also, on May 31 of last year, SAF pulled out of cease-fire talks, claiming that the RSF had never implemented a single agreement set by the U.S.-Saudi initiative that brought a short-lived respite to the country. Elbalal also failed to mention that Egypt an SAF ally accused of supplying the SAF with warplanes and drones is present at the Geneva talks, and that the UAE has represented RSF at various peace talks in the past. The U.S. also accuses the UAE of sponsoring the RSF but maintains that both the UAE and Egypt wield influence in the Sudan conflict and their participation in any cease-fire talks is necessary to ensure success. As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un struggles to cope with devastating floods in his country, his recent brash words have exposed his fear of South Korean influence over his people, analysts in Seoul said. During a visit to a flood-stricken area last week, Kim slammed South Korean news reports about the flooding, claiming media outlets were producing fake news stories about the damage and death toll. Kim accused the South Korean media of spreading false rumors, calling news reports "conspiracy propaganda" and "blasphemy" from "the country of waste." The South's media had reported that an estimated 1,500 people were dead or missing after the flooding, citing unnamed South Korean government officials. While Kim often engages in bellicose rhetoric, his direct criticism of South Korean media stood out as rare. His sister, Kim Yo Jong, has often taken the role of verbally attacking the country's southern neighbor. Anxiety over outside influence Some analysts said Kim's denunciation of the South Korean media was spurred by his anxiety over North Koreans' greater access to outside information. Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, told VOA Korean on Tuesday that thanks to modern technology, North Korean people receive information from the outside world more easily today. According to Cho, there are around 34,000 North Korean defectors in South Korea these days. This is a 23.6% increase from the end of 2014, when there were 27,500, data from South Korea's Unification Ministry show. "Many of them manage to talk frequently with their families in North Korea over the phone," Cho said. "The information from South Korea tends to spread faster through the intranet within North Korea, even though the internet connected to the outside world is blocked." North Korean authorities are having more difficulty controlling the flow of information now than they did in the past, Cho added. Nam Sung-wook, professor of North Korean studies at Korea University in Seoul, said the reopening of the North's border with China in the post-COVID-19 era has allowed more information to enter what is often called the "Hermit Kingdom." "Those who live near the Chinese border area should be able to get hold of the foreign news," Nam told VOA Korean in a phone call Tuesday. "They must be upset to find out the regime's incapability in dealing with the disaster, and the regime, on the other hand, is trying to contain such dissatisfaction." South Korea has always been an easy target for the North Korean regime to frame as a source of fake news, Nam said. North Korea would be hesitant to blame China, its longtime benefactor, he said, although it is likely that some North Koreans have heard from the Chinese side across the border along the Yalu River about the flooding, which has affected both countries. Cha Doo-hyun, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, said Kim might fear that his incompetence would be highlighted if he accepted support from South Korea, which made an offer earlier this month that Kim rejected. "For Kim, the news reports of the offers from other countries only underscore that the Kim regime doesn't have enough capacity to handle the situation," Cha told VOA Korean on the phone Tuesday. "And that is what makes Kim Jong Un respond to the South Korean media even more defiantly." Refusal of aid In his speech last week, Kim also stressed that North Korea would "pioneer its own path with its own strength and effort," while admitting that several countries and international institutions had offered to help the North. Kim's remarks suggested that the regime would refuse to accept any support from outside. Lim Eul-chul, associate professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University in Changwon, South Korea, told VOA Korean on the phone Tuesday that Kim is trying to discredit the South Korean media. "Kim Jong Un has already defined a new relationship with South Korea and is seeking an internal unity while escalating animosity toward the South," Lim said. "He cannot receive the humanitarian aid proposed by South Korea in this situation, so I think Kim is using this South Korean media report as an excuse to lower expectations about the humanitarian aid that South Korea was willing to provide." Lim added that Kim is exploiting the natural disaster to more broadly limit South Korean influence among North Korean people. The South Korean government interpreted Kim's remarks about its nation's news media as his attempt to "minimize public sentiment turning against the regime" by pointing fingers outward. North Korea is "shifting the subject of criticism to the outside," Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson at South Korea's Unification Ministry, told a press briefing earlier this month. International mediators have held a new round of talks aimed at halting the Israel-Hamas war and securing the release of scores of hostages, with a potential deal seen as the best hope of heading off an even larger regional conflict. We talk with Boaz Atzili, a professor at the Department of Foreign Policy and Global Security, School of International Service, American University. More than two and a half years into Russia's war in Ukraine, Germany is considering slashing military assistance to Kyiv by 50 percent. And if you want to go down the rabbit hole with Alice to Wonderland well tell you how you can. Bangladesh's caretaker government told Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi on Friday that reports of attacks on Hindus and other minorities in the Muslim-majority country are "exaggerated" and assured him it is committed to protecting everyone. A schoolteacher was killed and at least 45 people injured as homes, businesses, and temples of Hindus were targeted last week after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina quit and fled the country amid violent protests seeking her ouster. Hindu-majority India has strong cultural and business ties with its neighbor and Modi's government has expressed concern over the spate of attacks on Hindus. Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, head of the caretaker government that took over after Hasina left, called Modi and assured him of the "protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh", Modi said in a post on X. "Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh," Modi added. Yunus said "reports of attacks on minorities have been exaggerated", according to a statement from his office. The caretaker government is committed to "ensuring human rights for every citizen of the country", he added. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council estimates at least 52 of the country's 64 districts have been affected by incidents of sectarian violence since Aug. 5, the day Hasina fled to India. Hundreds of Hindus have been trying to flee to India to escape the violence, local residents told Reuters last week. Hindus make up about 8% of Bangladesh's 170 million people and have historically supported Hasina's long-ruling Awami League party, which identifies as largely secular, rather than the opposition bloc which includes a hardline Islamist party. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva does not recognize Nicolas Maduro as the winner of last month's contested Venezuelan presidential election and has called on Venezuela to publish voting tallies that the country has so far failed to release. "Maduro still has six months left in his term. He is the president regardless of the election. If he has good sense, he could call upon the people of Venezuela, perhaps even call for new elections, create an electoral committee and allow observers from around the world to monitor," Lula said Thursday in an interview with Radio T. Marian Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader, said she was against a new presidential election. "The election already happened," she said in video call with journalists from Argentina and Chile, Reuters reported. "Maduro must be made to know that the cost of his staying grows with each day that passes." While several Western nations regard the results of the Venezuelan election as vote fraud, none has taken any action against the oil-rich South American country. "It is abundantly clear to the majority of the Venezuelan people, the United States and a growing number of countries that the CNE [Venezuela's electoral council] has not provided full, detailed, tallied votes because they would show that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the vote," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this week. Venezuela's electoral authority said incumbent Maduro won 51% of the presidential election vote, while the opposition reported its tallies revealed its candidate, Gonzalez, was the victor. "Maduro knows he owes Brazil and the world an explanation," Lula said. Meanwhile, Celso Amorim, Lula's top foreign policy adviser, told a Brazilian Senate committee on Thursday that Brazil has not formally proposed that Venezuela stage a new election. "Let's find a solution that is democratic, electoral and peaceful in Venezuela," he told the committee. The Associated Press reported that it had reviewed Venezuela's released tally sheets, and results from 79% of the voting machines indicated that Gonzalez "won significantly more votes that the government has claimed." Brazil's Lula spoke by phone with Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday about their neighbor's political troubles, but the presidents have not shared any details about the content of their conversation. Both presidents, whose countries share a border with Venezuela, have urged Maduro to find a solution to Venezuela's political crisis. Earlier this week, the United Nations expressed concern about Venezuela's tense political climate following the presidential election. The U.N. reported that, according to official statements, more than 2,000 people have been arrested in Venezuela since the election. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said that the number of arbitrary detentions was continuing to rise, along with a "disproportionate use of force by law enforcement officials." Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. China urged neighboring countries to help war-torn Myanmar advance its peace and reconciliation process as its foreign minister met counterparts from Laos, Myanmar and Thailand on Friday. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi called the situation in Myanmar "worrying," and he suggested neighboring countries should promote cooperation with Myanmar to help it create economic and social conditions that prevent conflict. Earlier, Wang told a news conference in Thailand that China supports a democratic transition in Myanmar and backs a regional plan to find a way out of the ongoing crisis in the Southeast Asian country. Wang said neighboring countries "sitting in the same boat, and drinking water from the same river" have a better understanding of Myanmar's situation than others. Myanmar has been in turmoil since February 2021 when the military ousted an elected civilian government in a coup, abruptly ending the impoverished country's tentative steps toward becoming a full-fledged democracy. "No one wants Myanmar to restore stability and development more than its neighbors," Wang said. China has increased high-level diplomatic engagement with Myanmars military government over the past week as rebel groups continue to make gains in the northern part of the country, where Beijing has huge economic and geostrategic interests. Some analysts say recent trips by top Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chinas special envoy to Myanmar, Deng Xijun, reflect Beijings attempt to stabilize the situation in Myanmar. The Chinese are trying to use these high-level visits to entice the Myanmar military to come back to the negotiation table, said Jason Tower, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) country director for Myanmar. However, he thinks the Chinese government is struggling to facilitate new rounds of cease-fire talks between the military government and rebel groups, which have been gaining control over key facilities along the China-Myanmar border in recent months. Its not clear how the Chinese would be able to facilitate a sustainable agreement between the rebel groups and the military government [since] both sides seem to be fundamentally at odds with each other, Tower told VOA in a phone interview. Following his meeting with the Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday, Wang said Beijing opposes chaos and conflicts in Myanmar and hopes the country will increase efforts to stabilize the situation along the China-Myanmar border. Wang Yi expressed his hope that Myanmar will earnestly safeguard the safety of Chinese personnel and projects in Myanmar, maintain peace and stability along the China-Myanmar border, step up joint efforts to crack down on cross-border crimes, and create a safe environment for bilateral exchanges and cooperation, the Chinese government said in its official readout. For its part, Myanmars military government said China supports its endeavors in implementing the five-point roadmap for ensuring peace and stability of the state and development and making preparations to hold a free and fair multiparty democratic general election. While Myanmars state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper claimed that Beijing vowed to support a promised election, which the military government has said will be held in 2025, the Chinese readout didnt include such details. Some analysts say this difference reflects how Myanmars military government and the Chinese government view the supposed election plan. For the Myanmar military and its leader Min Aung Hlaing in particular, the elections are existential, but China probably remains very skeptical about the likelihood of an election being held since the military government controls less than half of Myanmars territory at the moment, Hunter Marston, an adjunct research fellow at La Trobe University in Australia, told VOA by phone. An alliance formed by several armed resistance groups called the Three Brotherhood Alliance gained control in recent months over key facilities and infrastructure in the northern part of the country, including a regional military base in the northern Shan State and the strategic city of Lashio, which sits on a highway between China and the major city of Mandalay. USIPs Tower said as the Myanmar military loses more of its monopoly over the ability to provide security to Chinese state-run enterprises projects in northern Myanmar, Beijing may increase cooperation with rebel groups to safeguard its economic interests in the region. As more and more of these projects fall under the control of different resistance actors, we may see China work with these groups to try to facilitate its business operation in Myanmar, he told VOA. While Beijing may increase cooperation with rebel groups, Marston said, China will continue to manage its relationship with Myanmar by engaging all political players in the country. China is continuing its long-term strategy of hedging its bets, which means that it will engage with a number of stakeholders and try to retain influence over as many factions in Myanmar as possible, he told VOA. In addition to meeting leaders of Myanmars military government, Wang also met with the former chairman of Myanmars State Peace and Development Council, Than Shwe, who urged Beijing to help Myanmar prevent external interference and maintain domestic stability. While some analysts say Myanmars military government has been stalling the cease-fire negotiations as many competing political forces refuse to negotiate with them, they think China will not support the complete ousting of the military from Burmese politics. Since Myanmar became independent in 1948, there has not been a single day when the Burmese military was not a part of the center of the Burmese politics, Yun Sun, China Program director at the Stimson Center in Washington, told VOA by phone. She said Beijing will likely support a peace process based on negotiation and reconciliation. The peace process has to be based on some sort of concessions made by both sides, said Sun. But since there is no sign that the fighting between rebel groups and Myanmars military will stop any time soon, Marston said Beijing can only try to urge different resistance groups to respect its interests while gradually cultivating an environment for potential cease-fire negotiations. Beijing will continue to incrementally work around the margins by pushing cease-fire negotiations in northern Myanmar while trying to ensure that all players are on Chinas side, he told VOA. John Lansing, who served as chief executive of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, died Wednesday at his lakeside home in Wisconsin at the age of 67. His cause of death was not immediately announced. Lansing became the chief of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, known as USAGM, in 2015. The USAGM is the parent organization that oversees outlets including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia. In a written statement, USAGM CEO Amanda Bennett called Lansing "a relentless advocate for press freedom, journalist safety, and connecting people around the world in support of freedom and democracy." While CEO of USAGM, Lansing created a committee made up of the heads of each of the agency's networks "so we could regularly talk through the state of the world together," Bennett said. "John did a lot to modernize this agency," said Bennett. "From adopting a digital-first content strategy, to enhancing internet freedom initiatives, to renaming the agency USAGM from BBG his vision was transformative." While leading USAGM, Lansing stood up for press freedom. "Despite some very dark moments, we have not been silenced," he said on World Press Freedom Day in 2019. "We will continue to report the truth. We will continue to find new ways to get independent reporting and programming to global audiences who rely on it." Under Lansings leadership, USAGM networks increased their global weekly audience by more than 100 million. He also expanded the agencys use of platforms ranging from encrypted live broadcasting to shortwave radio in order to push content into countries that jam or ban American programming. While Lansing led USAGM, the agency in 2017 launched Current Time TV, a Russian-language TV and digital network led by RFE/RL in partnership with VOA. Left 'indelible positive impact' at NPR Lansing stepped down from his role at USAGM in 2019. After leaving USAGM, he joined National Public Radio, where he served as chief executive until stepping down early this year. In a statement, Lansings successor at NPR, CEO Katherine Maher, lauded how he understood the importance of NPRs role in supporting American democracy. "John had a tremendous impact on NPRs workplace culture and led the organization through some of its most difficult times," Maher said in the statement. "His commitment to improving NPRs audience and staff diversity has left an indelible positive impact." Maher said Lansing "inspired those around him with his integrity and compassion, and his loss will be felt deeply by our staff and across the public radio system. Lansing led NPR throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which began just months into his start at the news outlet. During his tenure at NPR, the outlet won more than 90 awards for its reporting, including its first Pulitzer in 2021. Career included leading Scripps Lansing started in journalism when he was 17 years old at a local television station in Kentucky. Later in his career, he served for nine years as president of the Scripps Networks, which oversees stations such as the Food Network and the Travel Channel. He also served as CEO of Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, a marketing association comprised of 90 of the top U.S. and Canadian cable companies and television programmers. Lansing is survived by his wife Jean, and their four children, Alex, Jackson, Nicholas and Jennifer. International mediators working on a cease-fire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas announced Friday they have presented both parties with a bridging proposal that builds on previous areas of agreement and closes remaining gaps to allow for swift implementation of the plan. After wrapping up a two-day meeting in Doha, meditators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar issued a joint statement, saying their talks had been intensive, serious, constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphere. They said working teams would meet again next week to iron out details of implementing the proposal, including arrangements for the release of all hostages and detainees and humanitarian provisions. The statement said senior officials from the mediators governments would reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week to conclude the deal under the terms put forward Friday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will leave for Israel on Saturday to "continue intensive diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said. A senior Biden administration official said the latest negotiations in Doha were the most productive in months. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said mediators were preparing for the implementation of a possible deal but did not give further details. "It was consensus of all of the participants here over the past 48 hours that there's really a new spirit here to drive it to a conclusion," the official said. President Joe Biden also expressed optimism, telling reporters in Washington "we may have something" but adding that "we're not there yet." He later issued a statement saying he had received an update from his negotiating team in Doha and directed them to put forward the comprehensive bridging proposal. "I spoke separately with Amir Sheikh Tamim [of Qatar] and President [Abdel Fattah el-] Sissi [of Egypt] to review the significant progress made in Doha over the past two days of talks, and they expressed the strong support of Qatar and Egypt for the U.S. proposal as co-mediators in this process," Biden said in the statement. He said the negotiating teams would remain in Doha and continue to work. He ended by saying Blinken would "reaffirm my ironclad support for Israel's security, continue our intensive efforts to conclude this agreement and to underscore that with the comprehensive cease-fire and hostage release deal now in sight, no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process." Gerald Feierstein, director of the Arabian Peninsula program at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, told VOA that whether a deal goes through will depend on what both sides believe they will get out of it. "The key is whether the Israelis and Hamas believe that they will get more from reaching a cease-fire agreement than they will from continuing the conflict. And up until now, what we've seen is that both sides have seen that their interests rest in continuing the fighting." Hamas cast doubt Friday that it would agree to the latest proposal, saying it diverged significantly from the previous version it had agreed to. The militant group was not directly involved in the latest round of talks but was kept briefed on the developments. Shortly after the conclusion of the meeting in Doha, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office issued a statement saying Israel appreciates the efforts of the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to agree to a deal for the release of the hostages. The statement went on to say, Israel's core principles are well known to the mediators and to the United States, and Israel hopes that their pressure will lead Hamas to accept the May 27 principles, in order for the details of the agreement to be implemented. Regional instability Also on Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on the situation in Gaza as well the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon. In a U.S. Defense Department readout on the meeting, the department said the two discussed regional instability and the growing risk of escalation from Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran-backed terrorist groups across the Middle East. Austin told Galant the United States is continuing to monitor attack planning from Iran and its proxies and is well-postured across the region to defend Israel and protect U.S. personnel and facilities. The two also discussed progress on the cease-fire talks. That meeting came as the Israeli army on Friday ordered people in south and central Gaza to evacuate areas previously designated humanitarian safe zones, saying Hamas had used the areas to fire mortars and rockets at Israel. In a statement posted to social media, Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, said, "Due to significant acts of terrorism, the exploitation of the Humanitarian Area for terrorist activities, and the firing of rockets and mortars toward the State of Israel in the north of Khan Yunis, remaining in this area has become dangerous. Therefore, at this time the Humanitarian Area will be adjusted. The IDF said the residents of those areas were notified of the evacuations through flyers, email and text messages, recorded phone messages and Arabic broadcasts. Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and captured about 250 hostages in their October 7 terror attack on Israel that sparked the war. Israel says it believes Hamas is still holding 116 hostages, including 42 that the military says are dead. Israel has since responded with an air and land assault on Hamas-governed Gaza, which both sides agree has killed more than 39,400 people. Israel says the majority of the dead are combatants. The Hamas-run Health Ministry says 40,000 have died, the majority of them women and children, but it does not estimate how many of the dead were combatants. Nearly three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million population is displaced, and nearly the entire population is at risk of famine, according to the United Nations. Kim Lewis and Celia Mendoza contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press and Reuters. Gaza cease-fire talks wrap up Friday in Doha, Qatar on a positive note. The high-stakes gamble Ukraine is making by taking the war into Russia. Pakistans health ministry says it has identified a case of mpox days the World Health Organization declared the virus a global health emergency. Paris is preparing to host the Paralympics later this month after just wrapping up the 2024 Summer games. At least 11 inmates were killed in the tumult of a prison break on Friday in Haiti's coastal city of Saint-Marc, officials said. "The situation is under control, but the results are catastrophic," State prosecutor Venson Francois told Reuters. "All the cops' dormitories have burned down. The archives have burned down. They've set everything on fire except their cells." A local government official said the turmoil was a spontaneous protest reflecting inmates' frustration with the prison's living conditions that he said include a lack of food and appalling health conditions. The Miami Herald reported that businesses in Saint-Marc about 88 kilometers (55 miles) northwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince have been asking for police reinforcements for several days, citing a growing gang violence problem. Le Nouvelliste, the local newspaper, reported that prison officials were on strike to demand better working conditions at the time of the prison break. The newspaper account said government commissioner Vension Francois feared the prisons guards might have mutinied, but no details were provided. Police in Saint-Marc issued a notice informing the public of the prison break. The notice also requested that the public report to police any suspicious people who could possibly be escaped prisoners. Unverified videos of the prison break posted on social media showed people scaling walls amid fire, smoke and a loud explosion. Gunfire was also heard near the prison. It was not immediately clear how many prisoners escaped. It was also not known whether the breakout was the result of a gang raid, a lapse in internal security or another reason, officials said. Haiti is in the grip of gang violence in its cities, despite the deployment of at least 400 Kenyan police officers who have been designated to lead a multinational security mission to combat the gangs. Armed gangs have not been deterred in their lawlessness by the Kenyans and have continued their upheaval. Human rights advocate Marie Yolene Gilles, who closely monitors Haiti's prisoners, told the Herald that she was not surprised by the breakout. Once one prison falls, others fall; its like a domino effect, she said. The prison held about 500 inmates, she said, as of July. Fridays prison break was the third in recent months. In March, gangs raided two of the countrys largest prisons the National Penitentiary and the Croix-des-Bouquets. More than 4,000 prisoners escaped in the raids, including inmates indicted in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. Israeli leaders on Friday roundly condemned a deadly settler rampage in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a rare Israeli denunciation of the settler violence growing more common since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The settler riot in the village of Jit, near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, killed one Palestinian and badly injured others late Thursday, Palestinian health officials said. Residents interviewed by The Associated Press said at least a hundred masked settlers entered the village, shot live ammunition at Palestinians, burned homes and cars and damaged water tankers. Video showed flames engulfing the small village, which residents said was left to defend itself without military help for two hours. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he took the riots "seriously" and that Israelis who carried out criminal acts would be prosecuted. He issued what appeared to be a call for settlers to stand down. "Those who fight terrorism are the IDF and the security forces, and no one else," he said, using an acronym for the Israeli military. President Isaac Herzog also condemned the attack, as did Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who said the settlers had "attacked innocent people." He added they did not "represent the values" of settler communities. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, as the heartland of a future state, a position with wide international backing. Rights groups say that arrests for settler violence are rare, and prosecutions even rarer. Israel's left-leaning Haaretz newspaper reported in 2022 that based on statistics from the Israeli police, charges were pressed in only 3.8% of cases of settler violence, with most cases being opened and closed without any action being taken. It was unclear why the Jit attack yielded such a strong rebuke from Israeli leaders. A similar settler riot in the village of Al-Mughayyir in April went without comparable mention from the authorities. The Jit attack comes as Israel is under heightened international scrutiny over its role in cease-fire talks with American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha, yet another attempt to broker an end to the 10-month-old war. The French foreign minister and the British foreign secretary were also in Israel on Friday for meetings with diplomatic officials, and both condemned the attack. The U.S. has broadly condemned settler violence and the expansion of Israel's West Bank settlements. U.S. Ambassador Jack Lew wrote on the social media platform X on Friday that he was "appalled" by the attack, and the White House National Security Council called violent settler attacks "unacceptable." "Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence, and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account," it said in a statement. Other Israeli officials distinguished between the settler attack on Jit and the larger Israeli settlement project, which the international community views as illegal under international law. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich an ultranationalist settler who has turbocharged settlement expansion, railed against U.S. sanctions on violent settlers and previously defended violent settlers as heroes labeled the rioters "criminals" who were "in no way related to the settlement and the settlers." "We are building and developing settlements in a legal and official manner," Smotrich wrote on X, adding that he "reject(s) any expression of anarchist criminal violence that has nothing to do with love for the land and the desire to settle in it." Ultra-orthodox Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel called on Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency to investigate those involved and said the riot ran against Jewish values and harmed the "settlement enterprise." Since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, violence has flared in the occupied territory. Palestinian health officials say 633 Palestinians, including 147 children and teenagers, have been killed by Israeli fire and over 5,400 injured. Many have been killed during Israeli military raids into Palestinian cities and towns, but settlers have killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, and injured 234 people, according to AIDA, a coalition of nonprofit and other groups working in the territory. The U.N. documented over 1,000 settler attacks in the West Bank since the start of the war, averaging four a day. That's double the average during the same period last year, AIDA says. Sufian Jit, a resident of the village, said a group of 100 settlers streamed in before sundown Thursday, burning cars, puncturing water tankers and destroying homes. He called the army and firefighters, pleading for help. Firefighters never came, so villagers ran between burning cars to put out the fires, he said. After two hours, he said soldiers arrived. "It was more than 100 settlers against us. At the beginning, there were just a few people trying to stop them, and then later the whole town came and stopped them," he said. The Israeli military said late Thursday it had arrested one Israeli civilian in connection with the violence and opened an investigation. Police did not say whether the civilian was still in custody on Friday, but said they were working with the Shin Bet and military to investigate and "bring the relevant perpetrators to justice." Mourners prepared Friday for the funeral of young 23-year-old Rasheed Mahmoud abed Al Khadier Sadah. His relative, Ibrahim Sadah, said many residents wanted to help defend the village but had to take shelter once settlers started firing live ammunition. As Indonesia gears up to participate in U.S.-led joint military exercises this month, it agreed at a meeting this week to hold military training with China, a move analysts say points to Indonesia's nonalignment stance regarding the U.S.-China rivalry. The Indonesian military is preparing to host Super Garuda Shield exercises led by the U.S. with participation by dozens of countries, including Japan, Australia, South Korea, Germany, Singapore and Malaysia. The annual drills will be held in the Indonesian provinces of East Java, West Java and South Sumatra from August 26 to September 5. In the meantime, senior Indonesian and Chinese officials agreed to hold joint military training and reaffirmed their commitment to boost regional security, among other things, at a meeting Tuesday in Jakarta, according to a statement by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry. It was the first senior officials' meeting of a joint foreign-defense ministerial dialogue that will be elevated to a ministerial-level meeting during a new Indonesian administration next year. President-elect Prabowo Subianto will begin his term in October. The two countries agreed to launch a new dialogue when outgoing President Joko Widodo met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October in Beijing. "If it takes place next year, the bilateral exercises with the Chinese will reflect Indonesia's pursuit of showcasing its neutrality" based on "bebas and aktif," or "free and active" foreign policy aimed at making it "difficult for any major power to pull Indonesia into its sphere of influence," said Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow in the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. However, if the exercises with China focus on combat operations and interoperability rather than nontraditional security areas such as piracy and counterterrorism and are conducted in the contested South China Sea, it "will raise red flags for the U.S. and its allies," Yaacob said. "Indonesia under Prabowo will have to balance many factors when planning exercises with the Chinese, as potential repercussions could be high." The U.S. and its allies, including South Korea, France and Japan, could reconsider a decision to supply the Indonesians with advanced weapons systems, he added. Indonesia, like other Southeast Asian countries, has been conducting joint drills with both the U.S. and China. Last year, China sent a naval destroyer and frigate to participate at the invitation of Jakarta in a multilateral naval exercise aimed at fostering cooperation on humanitarian operations and disaster management. The U.S. Navy, which also participated, described the drills as allowing "exchanges that support multilateral cooperation." Indonesia's defense cooperation with China is considered underdeveloped, mainly focusing on low-level exercises. But recently, Jakarta expressed its desire to hold more military exercises with China, in addition to ASEAN member states and the U.S. In an interview with Nikkei Asia in July, Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak said the Indonesian army is preparing to conduct joint drills with China that could start next year. "Indonesia, like most of its neighbors, both seeks pragmatic cooperation with and wants to hedge against the hegemonic ambitions of China," said Gregory Poling, senior fellow and director of the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "That also explains why Jakarta would be open to low-level military exercises with China even as it prioritizes its much more robust military relationship with traditional partners like the United States, Japan and Australia. The U.S. Navy SEALs and the Indonesian navy's Frogman Forces Command held a joint training exercise in July. The drills have been taking place annually since their bilateral defense talks in 2022. Andreyka Natalegawa, an associate fellow for the Southeast Asia Program at CSIS, said, "Despite the apparent and nascent deepening of Indonesia-China defense ties, the United States remains the primary partner of choice in defense cooperation with Indonesia." He continued, "The depth, frequency and institutionalization of U.S. bilateral and multilateral exercises with Indonesia remains second to none, and it is highly unlikely that China will supplant the United States' role as Indonesia's primary defense partner of choice in the immediate future." At their first U.S.-Indonesian senior officials' foreign policy and defense dialogue in October 2023 in Washington, the U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to support Indonesia's defense forces as the country's "largest military engagement partner." The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Under international law, Ukraine has the right to extend its operations into Russian territory, strike Russian military targets and defend itself against Moscows aggression. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. An Uzbek-Azerbaijani business forum and the Made in Azerbaijan exhibition will take place in Tashkent on August 22-23, Trend reports via the Ministry of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan. This forum will contribute to strengthening economic ties between the two countries, developing cooperation, attracting investments, and implementing joint projects. Moreover, the event will serve as a platform for discussing ways to increase trade volumes, exchange experiences, and establish new partnerships among business representatives. Alongside this business forum, an exhibition of products from Azerbaijan is planned. A group has been set up for Uzbek and Azerbaijani entrepreneurs who aim to strengthen business connections, exchange cutting-edge ideas, and organize meetings for fruitful cooperation. Registration for the forum will take place on August 22 from 9:00 to 10:00 (GMT +4). Meanwhile, trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan from January through May 2024 amounted to more than $68.8 million, making up 0.9 percent of Azerbaijan's total foreign trade turnover. Furthermore, during this period, Uzbekistan imported $10.6 million worth of products from Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan's exports to Azerbaijan amounted to $58.2 million. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Pakistan announced Friday that it had increased the monitoring of travelers arriving from other countries after detecting the first case of the contagious variant of the mpox virus currently spreading in central and eastern Africa. The South Asian nation, with a population of about 245 million, reported the infection following the World Health Organization's declaration of the disease as a global public health emergency on Wednesday. The first case of mpox has been confirmed in Pakistan, said an announcement Friday by the health ministry in the national capital of Islamabad. It stated that the victim had recently arrived from a Gulf country but did not share further details. Contact tracing efforts for the infected individual have already commenced, with additional samples being collected from potential contacts, the statement quoted Sajid Hussain Shah, the ministry spokesperson. It identified the male patient as a resident of Mardan district in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan. The Pakistani federal health ministry has instructed authorities to enhance monitoring at all border crossing points and airports. They are also required to collect samples for testing from passengers returning from abroad with suspected mpox symptoms, the statement said. It was not immediately known which Gulf country the affected Pakistani citizen had visited, and no cases of the new mpox variant have yet been reported in that region. However, the WHO has documented 16 confirmed cases of mpox in the United Arab Emirates since 2022. Transnational outbreaks affect the UAE because of its role as a hub connecting the East and West, facilitated by its long-haul carriers, Emirates and Etihad. Sweden also reported a contagious form of mpox on Thursday. The Pakistani and the Swedish cases mark the first known strain infections outside of Africa. Wednesdays WHO declaration stemmed from an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that spread to at least 12 other countries in central and eastern Africa with cases up 160% over last year and deaths up by 19%. The WHO has declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years. The United Nations agency made the same declaration in 2022 when the disease was still called monkeypox. Back then, the global outbreak of what was identified as clade 2 affected nearly 100,000 people around the world, especially gay and bisexual men. The WHO has reported more than 14,000 mpox cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year. Health experts have identified the virus as clade 1b, an offshoot of clade 2. It can cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, and a rash with painful lesions. Experts say symptoms last about two to four weeks and often disappear independently. Unlike COVID-19, mpox is not airborne and tends to require close contact like contact with the skin or fluids of an infected person to spread. Some information in the story was provided by The Associated Press. As the trial into the murder of a Las Vegas investigative journalist got underway this week, defense attorney Robert Draskovich argued in court that killing a journalist does not kill a story. The statement came on the opening day of the trial against Robert Telles. The 47-year-old former Clark County public administrator is accused of murder with a deadly weapon against a victim aged 60 or older. The victim is Jeff German, a 69-year-old reporter at The Las Vegas Review-Journal, who was found stabbed to death outside his suburban Las Vegas, Nevada, home on September 3, 2022. Telles has pleaded not guilty. German had reported on alleged mismanagement in Telles office. When Telles later lost a reelection bid in 2022, he posted a letter online in which he attacked the Review-Journal for its coverage. In court on Wednesday, prosecutors outlined what they have previously said is overwhelming evidence against Telles, including that the former public administrator had downloaded images of Germans house onto his work computer and had done research on Germans car. Prosecutors have also previously said that DNA matching that of Telles was found beneath Germans fingernails and on his hands. In the end, this case isnt about politics. Its not about alleged inappropriate relationships. Its not about whos a good boss or whos a good supervisor or favoritism at work, Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly said. Its just about murder. As part of the defenses argument, Telles attorney said that his client did not have a motive to kill German because killing a journalist does not kill a story. Multiple press freedom experts told VOA that line of reasoning stood out to them as shocking including because its factually incorrect, they said. Thats absurd. Its a little preposterous, Kirstin McCudden, vice president of editorial for Freedom of the Press Foundation, told VOA. Killing a journalist kills stories. It kills stories every day, all over the world, and it certainly has a chilling effect on any journalist who wants to hold powerful people to account. Other press freedom experts agreed. It makes no sense. Very often the death of a journalist is the death of a story. No one knows what additional reporting Jeff German could have done if he were still alive, Clayton Weimers, the head of the U.S. bureau of Reporters Without Borders, told VOA in an email. In the first week of the trial, three of Germans neighbors testified, including the man who first found Germans body. Other witnesses included detectives, a medical examiner and former associates of the defendant. Based on surveillance footage, former Metropolitan Police Department homicide detective Cliff Mogg testified that he believed Telles vehicle, a maroon Yukon Denali, was the one used in the commission of Jeffrey Germans murder. After Germans killing, police publicized images of the suspect walking on a sidewalk near the reporters home and the Denali car driving away. Real estate agent Zackary Schilling, who helped sell homes through the public administrators office and first met Telles in 2020, testified that he recognized the suspects walk, his shoes and the vehicle. Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Hamner asked, Who was the person you were thinking of? I was thinking of Mr. Telles, Schilling said. When asked about the suspects shoes, Schilling said, Theyre the cheap Nikes he always wore. Schilling also testified that he knew about the stories German had written about Telles and that he saw images published in the media of the suspects vehicle. It just came down my spine, Schilling said. I was like holy crap. I didnt want to believe it, but the facts are the facts. That was Rob Telles car. The case is the first in U.S. history in which an elected official is accused of murdering an American journalist. Understanding that this is believed to be a crime about the work that he was doing is incredibly chilling and scary for journalists, said McCudden, who is based in New York. Journalist killings are rare in the United States. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, in New York, 17 journalists and media workers have been killed in the U.S. since the watchdog started keeping records in 1992. Of those, the CPJ has said it believes 15 cases including German's were in relation to the journalist's work. And while impunity is high globally journalist murders go unpunished in nearly 80% of cases around the world, according to the CPJ pending a verdict in the German case, no journalist murder in the United States that has gone entirely unpunished since the group started keeping track. Accountability in these cases is especially important because it sends the message that targeting journalists is unacceptable, according to Katherine Jacobsen, the U.S. and Canada program coordinator at the CPJ. Attacks against journalists can also have a chilling effect on other reporters, she said. Because of that public face that many journalists have, killing them does have a ripple effect throughout the community, she told VOA. Nigerian authorities on Thursday placed key entry points into the country on high alert following the outbreak of the mpox virus in Africa. Authorities have also put nine Nigerian states, including the commercial hub, Lagos, and the capital, Abuja, under serious surveillance. The Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Prevention told journalists that the action is in response to surging cases of the mpox virus in Africa and to intensify coordination to limit importation and spread of the virus. This week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had recorded 2,863 confirmed cases of mpox, with 517 deaths, across 13 countries this year. It said there are about 17,000 suspected cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, in total. So far this year, Nigeria has recorded 39 cases of mpox, with no deaths. Jide Idris, head of the Nigerian CDC, said it's best to be prepared. "We're intensifying surveillance activities by tracking cases across Nigeria to swiftly detect and respond to any new cases, he said. Along this line, five designated international airports, some key seaports ... land and foot crossing borders have been placed in high alert. Declaration forms have been distributed to airlines where there's an ongoing outbreak of mpox in the last 90 days." The Nigerian CDC said authorities are distributing diagnostic tools to states. They also have issued a public advisory on ways to prevent the spread of the mpox virus, including limiting contact with animals such as rodents and monkeys. "We're also considering vaccination efforts for high-risk groups, as Nigeria expects to receive about 10,000 doses of the new vaccines that have just recently been approved for emergency use, Idris said. We're also meeting with collaborative agencies like Ministry of Environment and Agriculture for support and coordination efforts." Authorities say a new strain of the virus, which is more deadly and more easily transmitted, is responsible for the recent spread. The strain was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and later reported in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, all previously unaffected nations. On Tuesday, the Africa CDC declared mpox a public health emergency of international-continental concern. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa CDC, said, "This declaration is not merely a formality. It's a clarion call to action. It's a recognition that we can no longer afford to be reactive; we must be proactive and aggressive in our effort to contain and eliminate this threat." Mpox is a viral disease that causes pus-filled lesions resembling rashes to appear on the skin. In 2022, the World Health Organization declared it an international health emergency after cases were found in more than 70 countries. Health analysts say the new strain is worrisome and will need a coordinated international response to control it and save lives. Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard accused of leaking classified U.S. national security documents online, was arraigned Friday on charges brought by the U.S. Air Force that he violated military laws. During a brief appearance before a military judge at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, 22-year-old Teixeira deferred entering a plea to charges that he obstructed justice and failed to obey a lawful order until closer to when his court-martial trial is scheduled to begin on March 10. The Air Force announced in May it was pursuing charges that he violated military laws after Teixeira had already pleaded guilty in March to separate charges in federal court brought by the U.S. Justice Department. Air Force prosecutors say Teixeira ignored an order to cease accessing classified information unrelated to his duties and obstructed justice by disposing of an iPad, computer hard drive and iPhone after the leaks were uncovered and instructing someone to delete online messages Teixeira had sent. Military Judge Colonel Vicki Marcus at Friday's hearing said she would hold hearings in November and January where she would address any pre-trial motions from defense lawyers. They have argued the charges were brought in violation of Teixeira's constitutional right to not be prosecuted twice for the same offense. Teixeira was arrested in April 2013 after authorities said he carried out one of the most serious U.S. national security breaches in years while working as a cyber defense operations journeyman, or information technology support specialist. Despite being a low-level airman, Teixeira held a top-secret security clearance, and starting in January 2022 began accessing hundreds of classified documents related to topics including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to prosecutors. Teixeira shared classified information on the messaging app Discord in private servers a kind of chat room while bragging that he had access to "stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China," according to prosecutors. The U.S. Justice Department plans to seek a sentence of more than 16 years when Teixeira is sentenced on November 12. Russia reported 12 civilians killed and 121 injured, including nine children, during the first six days of Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region. Local authorities said an estimated 121,000 people fled the war zone. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on August 12 that Kyivs Kursk operation aimed at strengthening their negotiating position but rejected the possibility of peace talks, citing unfounded allegations of Ukraines indiscriminate targeting of Russian civilians. [W]hat kind of negotiations can we have with those who indiscriminately attack civilians and civilian infrastructure, or pose threats to nuclear power facilities? he said. The claim is unsubstantiated. Any war causes unintended civilian casualties. However, intentionally targeting and harming civilians is a war crime under international law. Reuters reported that restricted access of independent journalists to the area makes Russian accusations against Ukraine impossible to verify. Neither Putin nor other Russian officials or news media provided evidence to back the accusations that Ukrainian troops intentionally harm civilians in Kursk. Largely, the Russian media and officials propagate three incidents as evidence of Ukrainian troops criminal activities as they progress into the Kursk region. VOA looked into all three and found no credibility to the claims that these incidents prove Ukraines targeting of civilians. Below are the details of each incident. On August 7 and 8, Russian news media reported that Ukrainian soldiers shot for no reason at a car with a Russian family fleeing the combat zone in the Sudzha district, allegedly killing a pregnant woman and injuring her infant son. KP.ru headlined its report: VSU soldiers savagely dealt with a pregnant woman as her baby watched, using the Russian abbreviation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The first reports about the incident cited Kursk acting governor Alexei Smirnov, who posted in his Telegram channel that unfortunately a woman resident of Sudzha was killed. Smirnov provided no details about the circumstances of the womans death. The most cited piece of evidence provided by the Russian news media is a two-minute interview with the woman's husband filmed by Izvestia newspaper correspondent Emil Timashev. In the video, Artem Kuznetsov, the widower, does not say anything about Ukrainian troops shooting at his wifes car. Moreover, he tells Izavestia that the doctors who treated his infant son at the hospital in Kursk determined the babys wounds were caused by shrapnel. Thus, none of the cited evidence provides direct or even circumstantial proof of Ukrainian troops deliberately shooting at a civilian car and killing a woman. Kursks acting governor Smirnov was the original source of another report an alleged deliberate drone strike the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) delivered on an ambulance near the city of Sudzha. "The driver and paramedic were killed, the doctor was injured," Smirnov wrote on his Telegram channel on August 8. The Russian news agency Regnum, among others, reported on the incident, citing Irina Konova, the sister of one of the victims, as their source. Konova told journalists a drone hit the ambulance causing four explosions. She said nothing about whose drone it was and did not blame Ukraine. Lenta.ru, a Russian news site, published two photos of what was claimed to be the exterior and interior of the ambulance allegedly attacked by Ukrainian drones. The exterior photo shows an ambulance with a cracked windshield and no other visible damage. The interior photo shows no traces of blood or significant damage. Those photographs are inconsistent with the damage that would have been caused by four explosions that killed two people and wounded a third. There is no evidence of Ukraine intentionally striking an ambulance. The third case is based on testimony of a Ukrainian POV who, the Russian state media said, confessed that AFU command instructed troops to shoot civilians who resisted them in the Kursk region. The news reports showed a video clip provided by the Russian Federal Security Service, FSB. In the video, the Ukrainian POW says the commanders ordered them to shoot the men in the legs and imprison them in cellars. The heavily edited video does not specify whether the Ukrainian POV spoke about the Russian military men or civilians. Ukraine has yet to confirm the soldier's identity. It is impossible to verify whether the prisoner revealed true information or made a false statement under duress. In a fourth case, also widely reported by the Russian media, Moscow admitted there is no proof of Ukraine deliberately striking a residential building or targeting civilians. On August 10, Russian air defense intercepted Ukrainian missile in Kursk. The debris hit a multi-story building injuring 13 people. Reports indicate that Ukraine most likely targeted a nearby railway station, a critical military asset. On August 9, the United Nations expressed concern about reported civilian casualties in the Kursk region and later requested that Russia grant access to investigate alleged human rights violations by Ukrainian troops in Kursk. On August 14, Ukraine announced opening humanitarian corridors in Kursk to evacuate civilians to Russia and Ukraine and invited international organizations to aid and monitor. Myanmars Rohingya ethnic minority, victims of a brutal campaign of mass slaughter and persecution by the nations military in 2016, is again being subjected to a wave of deadly ethnic cleansing, according to survivors and human rights groups. This time, though, the perpetrators are said to be the Arakan Army, one of several ethnic groups fighting the nations ruling junta, as well as by their former military persecutors. Ethnic Rohingya and Rakhine civilians are bearing the brunt of the atrocities that the Myanmar military and opposition Arakan Army are committing, Elaine Pearson, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a report this week that accused both the AA and junta forces of extrajudicial killings and widespread arson against Rohingya and other civilians. Both sides are using hate speech, attacks on civilians, and massive arson to drive people from their homes and villages, raising the specter of ethnic cleansing, she said. In one of the most recent incidents, disputed by the Arakan Army, scores of Muslim Rohingya, including many young children, were reported to have been killed in an AA drone and artillery strike while attempting to flee Myanmar on August 5, according to Rohingya rights activists who have spoken to some of the survivors. Aiming to escape violence in Rakhine states Maungdaw township, the Rohingya families were on the bank of the Naf River waiting for a chance to cross over to Bangladesh when they were targeted by the Arakan Army, according to the activists. On the same day, a boat carrying some Rohingya across the river to Bangladesh reportedly faced an AA drone attack. Two other overloaded boats carrying scores of fleeing Rohingya are said to have capsized, leaving most of the passengers to drown. Altogether more than 200 Rohingya died as a consequence of the AA attacks, according to witness accounts related to VOA by Rohingya rights activists. Social media images, apparently shot soon after the incident, showed bodies of men, women and children strewn along the bank of the river that marks the border between the two countries. VOA has not independently verified the images but Bangladeshi government officials said August 8 that they had found at least 34 bodies floating in the Naf River near its Shahpori Island. They were believed to be some of those who had died in the alleged AA attack three days earlier. The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army denied the incident in an August 7 statement. In its English translation of the statement, the Arakan group expressed regret that many Muslims fleeing Maungdaw had reportedly died from artillery or small arms fire, bombings, drownings, airstrikes, or massive explosions near the coast of Maungdaw, causing great distress. We respectfully announce that these deaths did not occur in areas under our control and are not related to our organization, the statement said, adding, We are investigating the details of these incidents and will promptly release information as soon as we have verified the facts. Rohingya activist Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, told VOA Thursday that the AA has been violently targeting Rohingya villages since April, torching thousands of homes and making hundreds of thousands of people homeless. In June, the AA began violently targeting Rohingya in Maungdaw township. Over the past weeks, they dropped drone bombs and fired artilleries on the Rohingya villages. When the attacks began increasing, Rohingya decided to flee to Bangladesh. Now, the AA is targeting the Rohingyas who are fleeing for life, too said Lwin, who said he had spoken to many witnesses from Maungdaw. In Maungdaw, the AA killed at least 400 Rohingya, including children and women, in the past weeks. On the afternoon of August 5, the AA dropped dozens of bombs on the bank of Naf and a boat, massacring over 200 Rohingya, Lwin said. For more than 50 years, minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring countries, including Bangladesh, to escape persecution and discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Myanmar has been engulfed in a bloody civil war that has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians since 2021, when the country's military seized power through a coup. In recent months, a coalition of ethnic rebel forces, including the AA, has escalated their offensive to oust the junta, which has been ejected from vast areas in Shan, Chin and Rakhine states. While launching their offensive against the junta forces, the AA leadership expressed a commitment to respect Rohingya human rights, activist Lwin said. The Rohingya community then believed that, unlike the Myanmar military, the AA would not attack them. But in recent months, while taking control of vast areas of Rakhine, the rebel group began violently targeting the Rohingya, Lwin said. In Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, where most Rohingya are concentrated, the AA rebels burnt villages, looted houses and carried out massacres. In April May, the rebels killed around 2,100 Rohingya in Buthidaung. In a horrific massacre, on May 2, the AA killed 600 Rohingya, including women and children, in Htan Shauk Khan village of Buthidaung. According to the Free Rohingya Coalition, over 250,000 Rohingya have been made homeless in Buthidaung and Maungdaw since April. Fortify Rights, an international human rights group based in Southeast Asia, says it has documented killings and arson by the AA in Rohingya villages in Rakhine. In Buthidaung and Maungdaw, Rohingya are left to survive in fields and rural areas without adequate shelter, food, health care, and hygiene facilities, after their homes were destroyed by junta attacks and razed by the AA, said Ejaz Min Khant, a human rights associate at Fortify Rights. Khant told VOA on Thursday that humanitarian NGOs and U.N. agencies are barely functioning in Rakhine, leaving the Rohingya in a desperate situation. Many have fled to Bangladesh seeking safety, he said. The Arakan Army has positioned itself near Rohingya villages, drawing junta attacks, and has been involved in indiscriminate attacks on civilians, forced labor, forced recruitment, and movement restrictions against Rohingya. Fortify Rights Director John Quinley said his group has seen an increase in human rights violations against the Rohingya since November. Although the AA has taken control of large parts of Rakhine state from the Myanmar junta, they are acting like a perpetrator of violence, not a revolutionary armed group trying to uphold human rights and democracy, he told VOA. Noor Hossain, a Rohingya teacher in the sprawling refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, said that the AA is trying to erase the Rohingyas long-standing identity, land, and homes, to subjugate the community as slaves. Rakhine has become a graveyard for Rohingyas. The AA is targeting us violently the way the Myanmar military has done for many years. It will be extremely difficult for us to live there in the future, as there is no guarantee of safety for any Rohingya under the control of Rakhine people or the AA, Hossain told VOA. Unless the international community intervenes and reins in the AA immediately, no Rohingya will be able to live in Myanmar in the near future. Ingyin Naing of VOA Burmese contributed reporting to this story from Bangkok. U.N. aid agencies welcome the opening of the Adre border crossing with Chad, which, they say will allow desperately needed humanitarian assistance to flow to millions of people who have been trapped in Sudans conflict hot spots for months with limited access to food, medicine and other essential relief. The decision by Sudans military to reopen this crucial border crossing comes as aid agencies say they are racing against time to save the lives of millions of people at risk of starvation and deadly disease outbreaks. The World Food Program calls Sudan the worlds largest hunger crisis, noting that 25.6 million people are in acute hunger. That is 54% of the population. So, that basically means that one in two Sudanese is not able to put a basic meal on their plate every day, are struggling every day just to eat, Leni Kinzli, WFP Sudan spokesperson, told journalists Friday in Geneva. Speaking from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, she said that about 755,000 people are in the highest stage of food insecurity, catastrophic hunger, which basically means they have run out of all options and are surviving in whatever way that they can eating leaves off trees, eating grass. In fact, we have received reports of people dying of hunger, she said noting, Famine was confirmed just two weeks ago in Zamzam IDP [internally displaced people] camp, which is around 12 kilometers away from El Fasher, North Darfurs capital, where fighting continues to intensify week by week with more people fleeing. Kinzli added that the opening of the critical humanitarian corridor through Adre will enable the delivery of aid into Sudans conflict-rattled Darfur region. She said WFP was immediately assembling vital food and nutrition supplies to be transported across the Adre corridor over the coming weeks. We need to see trucks moving across this border every single day to get a consistent flow of aid into the region, she said, noting that enough food for half a million people was being loaded, and was ready to go to famine areas in the North, Central and West Darfur states as soon as official government communication and clearances are received. Besides the Zamzam IDP camp, the U.N. Famine Review Committee recently reported that 13 other areas are on the brink of famine, largely in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, and Gezira. Aid agencies warn heavy rainfall and floods are worsening the already devastating food security situation in Sudan. They say floods are forcing more people from their homes; that broken bridges, and muddy roads are cutting communities off from vital assistance. This natural disaster follows months of insecurity, which have limited humanitarian aid from reaching beleaguered communities. The World Health Organization reports access to health care has been constrained because of insecurity in the region. This has caused a shortage of medicines, medical supplies and health workers with those remaining not being paid. And we are seeing many, many attacks on health care, said Dr. Margaret Harris, WHO spokesperson. In the conflict hot spots, 70% to 80% of the hospitals are non-functional. So, people are dying simply from a lack of access to basic and essential health care and medication. The nonprofit group Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, warns that the last hospital in El Fasher risks closure. It says the last MSF-supported Saudi hospital the last remaining public hospital in the city with the capacity to treat the wounded and perform surgery has been attacked, causing extensive damage and leaving the facility only partially functioning. If the hospital is hit again and becomes non-functional, MSF warns there will be nowhere left for the injured to seek care and the death toll will soar. While WHO also welcomes the Adre crossing's opening, spokesperson Harris observed that nothing can be done to help people in dire need unless they can be reached. She said people who are malnourished or starving are at risk of very grave health consequences. Anything that is a mild infection in somebody with good nutrition, a good immune system, becomes a catastrophic illness in somebody who is malnourished, particularly a child, she said. And they can die very, very quickly from what would be a minor infection if they are malnourished. WHO says thousands of cases of cholera, measles, dengue, meningitis and other diseases, including hundreds of deaths, have been reported in numerous states, as well as 1.7 million malaria cases, including 173 deaths from malaria. Confirmation of all these cases is very challenging because we do not have functional public health laboratories. So, again, those numbers are highly likely to be an underestimate, Harris said. The decision by the Sudanese government to open the Adre crossing followed the start of U.S.-sponsored peace talks Thursday in Geneva. Aid agencies see these talks as offering an opportunity for the international community to address the widespread obstruction of aid delivery by the warring parties. It is critical that warring parties leave the battlefield and show up at the negotiating table, so we can get food moving quickly to hunger-struck communities across the country in time before it is too late, Kinzli said. A delegation from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, is present in Geneva. However, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, so far has not sent a delegation. Turkish journalist Erdal Emre shared his impressions about a recent media tour of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. "Our #Xinjiang trip with journalist friends from 8 media outlets has concluded. It was a trip where we learned a lot. We will be writing about our impressions. We extend our sincere thanks to our Chinese colleagues for their hospitality," Emre wrote on the social media platform X on Wednesday. Emre was part of a group of 11 Turkish journalists who participated in the "Media Trip in Xinjiang: Always More to Discover," a nine-day event co-sponsored by Guangming Online and the Xinjiang Cyberspace Affairs Commission. The tour covered Urumqi, Ili, Aksu and Kashgar, cities in the north and south of Xinjiang, with the journalists closely monitored by Chinese authorities. Guangming Online, the digital arm of the state-controlled Guangming Daily, operates under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party. The Xinjiang Cyberspace Affairs Commission, a regional government department, is responsible for overseeing internet censorship and online content management in Xinjiang. Image campaign Guangming Daily reported that the initiative aimed to "vividly showcase a beautiful Xinjiang" marked by "unity, harmony, prosperity, progress, security and ecological well-being. Zhang Jun, director of the Xinjiang Cyberspace Affairs Commission, said in the news report that the goal was to counter criticism and promote a positive image of the region. "We hope that everyone will come to understand Xinjiang through seeing it with their own eyes, tell the story of Xinjiang in different languages, and share a true Xinjiang with the world," Zhang said in the report. China's efforts to host international journalists in Xinjiang are part of its response to allegations of human rights abuses. These allegations include mass detentions, which the U.S. has labeled as genocide and the U.N. as crimes against humanity. Reports indicate that Uyghurs and Turkic Muslims face forced indoctrination, abuse, labor and sterilization in these facilities. This strategy aligns with Chinese President Xi Jinping's directive from July 2022 to enhance external propaganda efforts. Xi stressed the importance of using various platforms to "tell the story of Xinjiang" and present the region in a favorable light, advocating a multifaceted approach to bolster China's global influence and shape perceptions of Xinjiang. According to Abdurresit Celil Karluk, professor of international relations at Ankara Hac Bayram Veli University and visiting fellow at the University of Sheffield's School of East Asian Studies, China strategically spends money to try to influence Turkish public opinion through media channels. The campaigns target a country that hosts one of the largest and most politically active Uyghur diasporas in the world. Rights groups estimate there are 50,000 to 75,000 Uyghurs living in Turkey. "Media giants such as CRI Turk and CGNT Turk, which are directly linked to China, broadcast in Turkish 24 hours a day," Karluk said. CRI Turk is owned by China Radio International, which is a state-owned broadcaster controlled by the Chinese government. Diverging narratives In a video posted Tuesday by the Chinese Embassy in Turkey, Tunc Akkoc, founder of digital media organization Harici, expressed surprise at what he perceived as a stark contrast between his experience in Xinjiang and the reports from Western media. "It is totally a different impression and a different reality from what we hear, especially from some Western media," Akkoc said. Mustafa Birol Guger of the Cumhuriyet daily newspaper remarked that the smiling faces he observed at an Urumqi bazaar suggested to him that the populace was content. "If you want to check the level of stress in a country, you should go to public places and look at the face of the people," Guger said. "In Urumqi, in the grand bazaar today, everyone was smiling, so that means they are happy, and if they are happy, we are happy, too. What I see is completely different from what is being told in the media." Asli Atasoy, host of the CGTN Turkish channel's program "Chasing the Dragon," on Monday shared a blog post on Turkish news site T24 detailing her visit and an interview with Muhterem Sherif, the imam of the Noghay mosque in Urumqi. CGTN, or China Global Television Network, is a Chinese state-owned media outlet. Sherif is quoted as saying that Uyghurs "are very satisfied" with the Chinese government's religious policies. Opinion shaping Karluk, the international relations professor, said that with sponsored trips like this, China aims to persuade nationalist and conservative groups in Turkey, traditionally supportive of Uyghur rights, to change their stance. "China is also attempting to influence more nationalist conservative groups in line with its own discourses by taking them to China as part of packaged programs, particularly given the growing anti-Westernism, especially anti-Americanism, in Turkiye most since 2016, he said in an email. Economic compromise Yalkun Uluyol, a Uyghur rights advocate, views the Chinese sponsorship of Turkish journalists as part of China's strategy to present a favorable narrative and obscure human rights abuses. "Similar to previous efforts, China tries to whitewash ongoing abuses and gain international legitimacy," Uluyol said. Uluyol argues that Turkey's concerns for Uyghurs are being overshadowed by economic interests, citing a $1 billion deal with China's electric carmaker BYD and the resumption of direct flights between Istanbul and Urumqi after an eight-year hiatus as emerging evidence of Turkey's shift from criticism to accommodation of China's Uyghur policy. Ukraine shot down all five Russia-launched drones during an overnight attack, the country's air force said Friday. Russian forces also used three ballistic Iskander-M missiles during the attack, according to the air force's statement on the Telegram messaging app. Russia used three Shahed-type drones and two drones of an unidentified type for the attack, it said. Reuters previously reported that Russia turned to using cheaply made drones in some of its attacks on Ukraine to try to identify air defenses and act as decoys. The governors of Kyiv and Kirovohrad regions reported no damage or casualties following the attack. Air defense worked in the capital Kyiv overnight with no damage reported by the city's authorities. On Thursday, the military turned on the air alerts four times to notify the city's residents about possible attacks. The air alert has come on over 1,200 times in Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion, authorities said on Friday. Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Friday that Kyiv's forces were advancing between one and three kilometers in some areas in the Kursk region, 11 days since beginning an incursion into Russia. Kyiv has claimed to have taken control of 82 settlements over an area of 1,150 square kilometers in the region since August 6. Ukraine's foreign ministry said the figure exceeded Russia's advancement in Ukraine this year. Briefing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via video link, Syrskyi reported fighting in the area of Malaya Loknya, about 11.5 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. He said he hoped the fighting there would allow the Kyiv military to capture "many prisoners." "The Kursk region operation - we are strengthening our positions and replenishing 'exchange fund' for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said on X after Syrskyi's report. Kyiv officials said that at least hundreds of Russian troops had been taken prisoner, expressing hope it would speed up the swapping of Ukrainian fighters held in Russian captivity. Russia has called the incursion a "major provocation" and vowed to retaliate with a "worthy response," more than 2 years since it launched a full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbor. Russia's defense ministry said Friday that its troops had repelled Ukrainian attacks in several areas, including near the villages of Gordeevka, Russkoe Porechnoe and others. Zelenskyy hailed Russia's losses in the Kursk region as "very helpful" for Ukraine's defense. "It concerns the destruction of the Russian army logistics and the draining of their reserves," he said in an evening address. Kyiv air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram that aviation was an active part of the operation, targeting the enemy's supply routes and logistics centers. He posted a video of a strike on a bridge. Kursk regional governor Alexei Smirnov said Ukraine had destroyed a road bridge over the Seym River in the region's Glushkovsky district. Objective in the east The heaviest fighting, though, was continuing in Ukraine's east, where Russian troops for months have been inching toward the strategic hub of Pokrovsk. Analysts said that distracting Russian forces from the east was one of the aims of Ukraine's Kursk operation. But so far there was no indication of letup in the east. Russian forces were 10 kilometers from the outskirts of Pokrovsk and about 6 kilometers from nearby Myrnohrad, according to local officials. "If the objective was to divert the Russian effort from the Donbas, it's failed so far," said Yohann Michel, a French military expert and research fellow at the IESD Institute in Lyon, France. He said Kyiv was aiming to maximize the effect of the Kursk offensive while Russia was trying to do the same in Ukraine's east. "It's probably the first one who will blink who will have to stop his own offensive," he said. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was "not for a second" forgetting about the east and promised fresh weapons deliveries over what was planned to strengthen the positions. JABRAYIL, Azerbaijan, August 16. The regular field meeting of the Working Group on clearing mines and unexploded ordnance operating under the Interdepartmental Center of the Coordination Headquarters, established in connection with the centralized solution of issues in the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, was held in Lachin district, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports. According to the information, authorized representatives of the Azerbaijan Republic Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) and relevant state structures represented in the Working Group took part in the visit. Addressing the meeting, Chairman of the Board of ANAMA, Head of the Working Group Vugar Suleymanov, noted that following the development plan of the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, the Agency and other involved structures, as well as local companies, have carried out large-scale humanitarian demining activities in them. Furthermore, it was noted that demining projects in Karabakh and East Zangezur are mainly carried out in the fields of residential infrastructure, transportation, energy, agriculture, industrial parks, and other priority areas. He also underlined that a total of 155,447 hectares have been cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation from November 10, 2020, to date. Emphasizing the importance of ANAMA's regularly conducted educational training to ensure the safety of the population returning to the territories liberated from occupation, as well as people working in these territories, Vugar Suleymanov noted that trainings are also conducted in this direction for the population of Lachin city, Sus and Zabukh villages Subsequently, other members of the Working Group spoke about the work of the structures they represented in this area and discussed the reports submitted. During the visit, members of the Working Group familiarized themselves with mine clearance operations carried out by ANAMA in the Jabrayil district in the village of Jojug Marjanli, as well as by a local company in the village of Sarijalli, and observed the process of clearing mines and unexploded ordnance by explosion. A reputed Peruvian gang leader suspected in 23 killings in his home country was arrested Wednesday in New York by U.S. immigration authorities. Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, the leader of "Los Killers" who is wanted for the killings in Peru, was arrested in Endicott, New York, about 233 kilometers (144.7 miles) northwest of New York City, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday. He is being held at a federal detention facility near Buffalo pending an immigration hearing. Torres-Navarro, 38, entered the U.S. illegally at the Texas-Mexico border on May 16. He was arrested the same day and given a notice to appear for immigration proceedings, according to ICE. U.S. authorities moved to arrest Torres-Navarro after receiving information on July 8 that he was wanted in Peru. "Gianfranco Torres-Navarro poses a significant threat to our communities, and we won't allow New York to be a safe haven for dangerous noncitizens," said Thomas Brophy, the director of enforcement removal operations for ICE's Buffalo field office. Immigration agents also arrested Torres-Navarro's girlfriend, Mishelle Sol Ivanna Ortiz Ubillus, described by Peruvian authorities as his right hand. She is being held at a processing center in Pennsylvania, according to ICE's Online Detainee Locator System. Online immigration detention records for Torres-Navarro and Ortiz Ubillus did not include information on lawyers who could comment on their behalf. Peru's justice system confirmed to The Associated Press that it ordered the location and international capture of Torres-Navarro and his partner Ortiz-Ubilluz on July 3. Colonel Franco Moreno, head of Peru's High Complexity Crime Investigations Division, told the AP Thursday that they tracked phone calls, geolocations and messages from Torres-Navarro and his gang of at least 10 members. "He is a highly dangerous criminal who believed he was untouchable and responsible for 23 murders, including other gang leaders who ended up dead along with their families, all in order to increase his criminal leadership," Moreno said. According to Peruvian authorities, Torres-Navarro is the leader of a criminal organization known as "Los Killers de Ventanilla y Callao" that has used violence to thwart rivals seeking to cut into its core business of extorting construction companies. Torres-Navarro allegedly fled Peru after the killing of retired police officer Cesar Quegua Herrera and the shooting of a municipal employee at a restaurant in San Miguel in March, Peruvian media reported. Six reputed members of "Los Killers," formed in 2022 in an area along the Pacific coast where Peru's main port is located, were arrested in a series of raids in June and accused of homicide, contract killing, and extortion, the National Police of Peru said. Torres-Navarro was previously a member of the Los Malditos de Angamos criminal organization, Peru's Public Prosecutor's Office said. He is also known as "Gianfranco 23," a reference to the number of people he is alleged to have killed. Torres-Navarro eluded previous attempts to hold him accountable for his alleged crimes. Gianfranco's girlfriend, Ortiz Ubillus, has a prominent role in "Los Killers," Peruvian authorities said. The Public Prosecutor's Office described her as Torres Navarro's romantic partner, lieutenant and cashier. She also has a sizable following on the social media platform TikTok where she showed off their lavish lifestyle, including designer clothes, resort vacations and shooting targets at a gun range. As students return to colleges across the United States, administrators are bracing for a resurgence in activism against the war in Gaza, and some schools are adopting rules to limit the kind of protests that swept campuses last spring. While the summer break provided a respite in student demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war, it also gave both student protesters and higher education officials a chance to regroup and strategize for the fall semester. The stakes remain high. At Columbia University, President Minouche Shafik resigned Wednesday after coming under heavy scrutiny for her handling of the demonstrations at the campus in New York City, where the wave of pro-Palestinian tent encampments began last spring. Some of the new rules imposed by universities include banning encampments, limiting the duration of demonstrations, allowing protests only in designated spaces and restricting campus access to those with university identification. Critics say some of the measures will curtail free speech. The American Association of University Professors issued a statement Wednesday condemning overly restrictive policies that could discourage free expression. Many of the new policies require protesters to register well in advance and strictly limit the locations where gatherings can be held, as well as setting new limits on the use of amplified sound and signage. Our colleges and universities should encourage, not suppress, open and vigorous dialogue and debate even on the most deeply held beliefs, said the statement, adding that many policies were imposed without faculty input. The University of Pennsylvania has outlined new temporary guidelines for student protests that include bans on encampments, overnight demonstrations, and the use of bullhorns and speakers until after 5 p.m. on class days. Penn also requires that posters and banners be removed within two weeks of going up. The university says it remains committed to freedom of speech and lawful assembly. At Indiana University, protests after 11 p.m. are forbidden under a new expressive activities policy that took effect August 1. The policy says camping and erecting any type of shelter are prohibited on campus, and signs cannot be displayed on university property without prior approval. The University of South Florida now requires approval for tents, canopies, banners, signs and amplifiers. The schools speech, expression and assembly rules stipulate that no activity, including protests or demonstrations, is allowed after 5 p.m. on weekdays or during weekends and not allowed at all during the last two weeks of a semester. A draft document obtained over the summer by the student newspaper at Harvard University showed the college was considering prohibitions on overnight camping, chalk messages and unapproved signs. I think right now we are seeing a resurgence of repression on campuses that we havent seen since the late 1960s, said Risa Lieberwitz, a Cornell University professor of labor and employment law who serves as general counsel for the AAUP. Universities say they encourage free speech as long as it doesnt interfere with learning, and they insist they are simply updating existing rules for demonstrations to protect campus safety. Tensions have run high on college campuses since the October 7 Hamas terror attack in southern Israel killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took about 250 hostages. Many student protesters in the U.S. vow to continue their activism, which has been fueled by Gazas rising death toll, which surpassed 40,000 on Thursday, according to the territorys Health Ministry. About 50 Columbia students still face discipline over last springs demonstrations after a mediation process that began earlier in the summer stalled, according to Mahmoud Khalil, a lead negotiator working on behalf of Columbia student protesters. He blamed the impasse on Columbia administrators. The university loves to appear that theyre in dialogue with the students. But these are all fake steps meant to assure the donor community and their political class, said Khalil, a graduate student at Columbias School of International and Public Affairs. The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The Ivy League school in upper Manhattan was roiled earlier this year by student demonstrations, culminating in scenes of police officers with zip ties and riot shields storming a building occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters. Similar protests swept college campuses nationwide, with many leading to violent clashes with police and more than 3,000 arrests. Many of the students who were arrested during police crackdowns have had their charges dismissed, but some are still waiting to learn what prosecutors decide. Many have faced fallout in their academic careers, including suspensions, withheld diplomas and other forms of discipline. Shafik was among the university leaders who were called for questioning before Congress. She was heavily criticized by Republicans who accused her of not doing enough to combat concerns about antisemitism on the Columbia campus. She announced her resignation in an emailed letter to the university community just weeks before the start of classes on September 3. The university on Monday began restricting campus access to people with Columbia IDs and registered guests, saying it wanted to curb potential disruptions as the new semester draws near. This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in the community, Shafik wrote in her letter. Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead. Pro-Palestinian protesters first set up tent encampments on Columbias campus during Shafiks congressional testimony in mid-April, when she denounced antisemitism but faced criticism for how she responded to faculty and students accused of bias. The school sent in police to clear the tents the following day, only for the students to return and inspire a wave of similar protests at campuses across the country as students called for schools to cut financial ties with Israel and companies supporting the war. The campus was mostly quiet this summer, but a conservative news outlet in June published images of what it said were text messages exchanged by administrators while attending a May 31 panel discussion titled Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future. The officials were removed from their posts, with Shafik saying in a July 8 letter to the school community that the messages were unprofessional and disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes. Other prominent Ivy League leaders have stepped down in recent months, largely because of their response to the volatile protests on campus. University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned in December after less than two years on the job. She faced pressure from donors and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the schools conduct policy. And in January, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned amid plagiarism accusations and similar criticism over her testimony before Congress. A panel of experts from the United Nations bolstered allegations that Venezuelas July 28 presidential election result was deeply flawed. The government-aligned National Electoral Council, or CNE, of Venezuela certified the vote for incumbent President Nicolas Maduro on July 29 without releasing tabulated precinct-level official results, sparking nationwide protests. The four-member U.N. team, which spent a month on the ground in the run-up to the poll, said the CNE fell short of the basic transparency and integrity measures that are essential to holding credible elections. Maduro routinely calls the opposition fascist as he and his allies continue efforts to undermine their opponents and observers critical of the announced election result. On August 14, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil accused the U.N. experts of deliberately concealing a plot by far-right leaders to undermine the election results and incite violence. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically rejects the publication of the so-called Preliminary Report by the Electoral Expert Panel of the United Nations, which disseminates a series of lies, Gil said in a statement. He said that the opinion expressed in their irresponsible report is nothing more than propaganda serving the coup-mongering interests of the Venezuelan far right, with whom they interacted constantly before, during and after the elections. That is false. While Venezuelan authorities have withheld the official vote tally, a set of transparency safeguards baked into the election process allowed the opposition Unitary Platform to compile verifiable evidence that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won the election. Anticipating the government might try to steal the election, the opposition prepared for months to guarantee it would secure as many vote records as possible, employing thousands of volunteers to help. The electronic voting machines at polling stations produce a paper receipt, which voters place in ballot boxes, confirming their choice for president. After the polling stations close, the voting machines produce a record showing how many votes each candidate got. Those vote tally sheets contain readable QR codes, which contain the voting results. The electoral authorities receive a copy of each tally sheet, and they are supposed to give such copies to representatives of each party as well. The U.N. team said it had received several reports that agents of opposition parties had been prevented from obtaining such a copy. The U.K.s Guardian newspaper documented a case in which a soldier refused to give an opposition-accredited observer access to a tally sheet, dragged him into a bathroom and locked him inside until the polling station closed. An electoral official secretly handed that observer a copy of the tally sheet after the soldier released them. The observer then photographed the QR code obtaining the voting results. Altogether, the opposition acquired 83.5% of the precinct-level vote tally sheets as of August 15. They showed Gonzalez received 67% of votes to Maduros 30%. Even if Maduro received all of the remaining 16.5% of votes, he could not overcome the vote deficit. On August 14, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred to the interim U.N. report, saying Maduro has yet to come clean about the July 28 presidential election results. It is abundantly clear to the majority of the Venezuelan people, the United States and a growing number of countries that the CNE has not provided full, detailed, tallied votes because they would show that [Edmundo Gonzalez] won the most votes, Jean-Pierre said. Maduro has responded to criticism by violently cracking down on demonstrations against his contested reelection. His security forces have arrested more than 2,000 people. On August 12, U.N. human rights investigators said 23 people had been killed, the vast majority caused by gunfire, between 28 July and 8 August in the context of the protests. The U.N. called on the Venezuelan government to immediately end the post-election escalating repression and investigate the spate of grave human rights violations that are currently occurring. Meanwhile, the U.N. experts noted other issues in the run-up to the election, including press freedom issues. They said state-owned media outlets provided limited access for opposition candidates. The Committee to Protect Journalists said that government control of the media and self-censorship has distorted election coverage in Venezuela and deprived voters of vital information about the presidential candidates. Five people who allegedly supplied ketamine to "Friends" star Matthew Perry in a bid to exploit his drug addiction for profit have been charged in relation to his overdose death, US officials said Thursday. The actor died at his luxury Los Angeles home last year, sparking an outpouring of grief from fans around the world. "These defendants took advantage of Mr Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr Perry, but they did it anyway," said federal prosecutor Martin Estrada. "These defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr Perry than caring for his well-being," said Estrada, the US attorney for the central district of California. Charges were levied against two doctors, Perry's live-in assistant, a broker and a North Hollywood dealer known as "the Ketamine Queen," who has been linked to the overdose death of another man. Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom from 1994 to 2004, was found unresponsive in his swimming pool in October. He was 54. An autopsy found the cause of his death was "the acute effects of ketamine," a controlled drug the recovering addict was taking as part of supervised therapy. - 'Drug-selling emporium' - Estrada said Perry had fallen back into addiction in the autumn of 2023, when he began to be supplied by Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, both doctors. Over two months, they sold him 20 vials of the drug for $55,000. Each one cost them as little as $12, said Estrada. In one text message, Plasencia, 42, wrote: "I wonder how much this moron will pay... Lets [sic] find out." Plasencia, who reportedly works in the tony Calabasas neighborhood outside Los Angeles, knew Perry was spiralling out of control, but carried on. "On one occasion, he injected Mr. Perry with ketamine, and he saw Mr. Perry freeze up and his blood pressure spike," Estrada said. "Despite that, he left additional vials of ketamine for (Perry's assistant Kenneth) Iwamasa to administer." Perry also obtained the drug from Jasveen Sangha, a woman nicknamed "the Ketamine Queen," through broker Eric Fleming, including the batch that would ultimately kill him. Her home was "a drug-selling emporium" containing methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription drugs like Xanax, officials said. Plasencia, whose ankles were chained when he appeared in court, denied one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, as well as a raft of other charges. He was released on $100,000 bail and ordered to inform his patients of the charges he faces. He was ordered to stand trial on October 8 and could be imprisoned for up to 120 years. Sangha, a dual British- and American citizen, wore a green "Nirvana" sweater when she entered not guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, and other charges. She was denied bail after the judge heard of a jet-set lifestyle that included a trip to Tokyo just two weeks after Perry's death. She was ordered to stand trial on October 15, and could face life behind bars. The other defendants have either pleaded guilty or agreed to do so in relation to their charges. They face between 10 and 25 years in prison. - 'Exploitation' - Doctors and veterinarians use ketamine as an anesthetic, and researchers have explored its use as a treatment for depression. Underground users take it for its hallucinogenic effects, though it can be addictive and dangerous for people with underlying health problems. "Friends" (1994-2004), which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive global following and made megastars of previously unknown actors. Perry's role as the sarcastic man-child Chandler brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a dark struggle with addiction to painkillers and alcohol. In 2018, he suffered a drug-related burst colon, and underwent multiple surgeries. In his 2022 memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," Perry described going through detox dozens of times. "I have mostly been sober since 2001," he wrote, "save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps." Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram told reporters Perry's re-entry into destructive drug use began with "unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, and it ended with street dealers who sold him ketamine in unmarked vials." "The desperation that led Perry to these individuals was not met with help... but instead it was met with exploitation." bur-hg/sst Kristen isnt wrong when she comments that the gangs last case as assessors for the church is an anticlimactic one. Its not that I dont enjoy seeing Evil use Kristen as a way to point out how rampant misogyny is in the Catholic Church while looking into a renowned theoretical physicist, Professor Toppin, who the Vatican is interested in having join its Council, it turns out the guy is both a genius and an absolute creep, but it doesnt really care about the latter (not even David or Ben!). Its not that Christian Borle, who plays Toppins personal secretary, Neil, doesnt make an excellent about-face when Sister Andrea discovers him to be a demon. Its just that aside from that curious scene with Ben when Toppin tells him that he, too, could get a brain implant and upload it to the cloud so he can technically live forever, and Ben looks interested, maybe (?), theres not much to this whole thing. We are barreling toward the series finale here, people, we shouldnt be dealing with filler! Perhaps Ill regret complaining next week when this case plays a major part in Evils conclusion. But until then, Ill just focus on the best parts of this episode, including some great David-Leland scenes and the gift of another Sister Andrea and Father Ignatius one-on-one. Poor Father Acosta. The guy is trying to mentally grapple with the closing of St. Josephs he says his final Mass and residents are being moved out with haste and then he also has to deal with the Entity really riding his ass. But this is not the Entity by way of Victor LeConte or Father Dominic we get the big guns, Father Giovanni, a member of Vatican security who once arrested the popes butler. Each new handler Davids saddled with gets more and more vague as to what theyre up to and thats really saying something. The whole situation around the Entity is only getting weirder and Davids clearly fed up. Hes informed that LeConte recently died of a heart attack and Father Dominic is unavailable (but Giovanni says unavailable in a way that definitely means that man is never coming back). When David threatens to stop doing the Entitys bidding, hes basically told that theyll kill him if he doesnt. Giovanni cant say that, of course We hunt killers, we are not killers but everybody, including David, knows exactly what that guy means when he says that if David tries to leave, he will be gone. He also puts David through a trippy lie-detector test to see if his recent anger with the Church has turned him into some sort of traitor. The lie detector consists of the blind monk from the crucifix room at the Vatican and a cup of seltzer water. I will provide no further context; you have to watch it yourself. Giovannis questions range from David meeting with Leland to the codex and finally landing on a whopper: Would David ever lie to the Vatican on behalf of Kristen Bouchard? He answers yes to that last one, and Im sorry, but hes never been hotter. That is until he lies in wait at Lelands apartment and sucker punches him as he walks in the door. You know that if Kristen saw that, she would be flinging off that priests collar and jumping his bones in record time. There are a lot of layers going on in these scenes when David visits Leland. We eventually learn that Giovanni has tasked David with cloning Lelands phone to gain some intel about the upcoming meeting of the 60 and getting him to trust David in general. But I dont know, team, those conversations David has with Leland about why he decided to leave the Entity and join Team Demon seem pretty genuine to me. Is this a sort of double cross going on here? I dont think David will ever go to the dark side, but he could easily fight back against the Entity. Leland explains that once he learned to remote view, he noticed how the terrible people he was jumping into were basically just as bad as the Church. And then he came to a few conclusions: There is no evil, David. There is free will. He believes free will, the ability to make your own choices to do what tickles you, as it were is the only real gift God has ever given people. So, why not stir up strife, discontent, misery? he asks. Its a good speech, but most of his moves throughout the series sure feel like more than Leland just exercising free will and wreaking havoc because it feels good, doesnt it? It has always felt like more of a vendetta against David, against Kristen, against the Church, against God. David brushes a lot of what Leland says aside, but there are a few things that stick. First of all, Leland knows exactly how the Entity works handlers disappearing, the monk lie-detector test. He tells David that if those things happen, the Entity doesnt trust you youre marked. When David later questions Giovanni about trust, his new handler insists that the Vatican trusts David, but its obvious by this point that the feeling isnt mutual. Theres also Lelands little observation about him and David leaving pieces of themselves in the other since remote viewing; Leland has a small piece of Davids virtue and David has Lelands wickedness. For Leland, it seems, at least at the moment, that this virtue is manifesting itself by being emotionally stirred by adorable dog videos. For David, who might just believe what hes been told, things are a little more serious. When he confesses to Sister Andrea that hes worried about pieces of Leland being fractured inside of him, she does, in fact, find some evidence that something is amiss with her favorite priest. David has a little sin leech on his back. She removes it with aplomb, but warns him that the leech gets larger with each offense and she wont be around to help him remove it much longer. She believes that most of Davids sins actually have to do with the Entity. Dont let them pervert your talents, she tells her friend. She is very much on Gods side, not the Vaticans and yes, for her, they are two very different things. There is also that interaction with Leland in which David makes it clear that hes not worried about protection from the Entity, hes more worried about protecting Kristen. Leland promises to leave Kristen alone if David leaves the priesthood. David is smart enough not to make a deal with the devil, and again, a lot of this conversation is merely a ruse for that phone cloning but it feels like a real plea. He might turn down the bargain now, but there is certainly a world in which it ends up back on the table in the finale. The end of St. Josephs doesnt just bring about anxiety and uncertainty for David this week, Sister Andrea and Father Ignatius spend a little more time together while their lives are changing in big ways. We already know Father Ignatius is retiring, but it turns out Sister Andrea has pissed off enough higher-ups that shes being forced to retire too. And in a fun little twist, shes being sent to a silent monastery upstate yep, that silent monastery. Davids not wrong when he informs her that she might not like it all that much. What I would give for a six-episode miniseries about Sister Andreas adventures there. Before she gets shipped off, however, she has a little adventure with Father Ignatius. The two are trying to hunt down the missing relic from St. Josephs church supposedly St. Josephs thigh bone and Sister Andrea is sure a demon has it. Sure, its always fun to see Sister Andrea battle it out with a demon. This time, the demon in question turns out to be the same demon that she found in the Bouchard basement hole. Apparently, the guy was vacationing there the antichrist lived there! And he says things like suck my balls and weve got holes everywhere, lady, just like you for a while until Sister Andrea guts him like a fish and pulls the thigh bone out of his stomach. But the most meaningful part of this story line is once again a conversation between a nun and priest over a bowl of marshmallows. This isnt the first time Father Ignatius has admitted that hes not sure what he believes when it comes to his faith, but it is interesting to see just how in awe he is of Sister Andreas own unwavering belief system. He doesnt quite get the whole she sees demons thing and finds it especially confusing that she sees demons but not God. Is there a chance there is only evil, that there is no good? he asks. But she assures him God is real. He tells her that his parents wanted one of their children to become a priest, and so he did. He doesnt know what he actually believes, but he is certainly alarmed by the fact that in a lot of recent polling he loves polling not only is church attendance way down but the largest religious affiliation is Nones. Well, the Nones werent the ones molesting children, Sister Andrea retorts. Father Ignatius feels like whenever he speaks to someone about God these days, they look at him like hes dim. If no one believes in God anymore, then what has he dedicated his life to? Im reaching the end of my life feeling like a fool, he says. But Sister Andrea has a response for that too: Enter by the narrow gate for wide is the gate that leads to destruction. They might be in the minority, but that doesnt mean theyre wrong. Her big argument for staying the course in her beliefs has to do with what comes after we die. She doesnt buy that people are comforted by the idea of dying and becoming part of the universe just a scattering of atoms God loves people for who they are as individuals, she reminds him. The reminder does, in fact, bring comfort to Father Ignatius. Ive said it before, but Ill say it again: What a show. Admittedly, I was mostly drawn to Evil in the beginning because it was a smart, biting send-up of the Catholic Church, an organization that deserves to get a smart, biting send-up. But how incredible that a series so unafraid to take religion to task also takes time to let two characters have a sincere conversation about their faith (and I say that as someone who leans closer to Nones than anything else). Like so many of the episodes and cases throughout the series run, Evil offers up no easy answers and leaves room for ambiguity. Next week is the end of the conversation what kind of answers do you think well be getting then? Church Bulletin Someone help Ben! When Professor Toppin calls him up, seemingly possessed by a demon, Bens jinn returns and latches onto his head Ben screams out in pain. I literally have zero guesses as to where this Ben story line is headed in the finale. Okay, actually, someone help all three of our assessors! They are all still looking up their doubles to live vicariously through them. Its honestly bumming me out. Will anyone on this show walk away feeling at least a little satisfied or, dare I speak the word, happy? David gets his reassignment: Hes being forced to join Vatican security in Rome. Kristen is devastated. David asks Sister Andrea to sit in on their meeting with the professor to detect any demons that might be afoot eventually, she does realize Neil is a demon, but she doesnt inform David? She just lets him recommend Toppin to the Vatican? Im sorry: Neil the Demon staples his face back together after Sister Andrea slices it! It has become a thing I cannot unsee. Denis OHare joins Evil as Father Giovanni. Its about time! You knew a show with an abundance of top-notch character actors wasnt going to wrap things up without OHare. It feels good. It feels right. David gets a peek at Lelands apocalypse painting, and it is certainly hellish! Especially unsettling: the Medusa head in the middle whose eyes open when David looks at it. Will my man turn to stone next week? Are you being kooky again? Photo: Faces Distribution New York subscribers got exclusive early access to this story in our newsletter, The Critics. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. This week, the actress Gena Rowlands died at the age of 94. To watch her onscreen is to be marked by her: In a moment, Rowlands could swing a character from combativeness to terrifying vulnerability. Flicking her glamour on and off like a light, she made you believe her women were fighting for their lives. Many of her best roles were in films directed by her first husband, John Cassavetes. But his 1989 death was far from the end of her career; she worked relentlessly until about a decade ago, as evidenced by the hilarious choice some obituary editors made this week when they wrote headlines that identified her as the actress from, of all things, The Notebook. (The movie was directed by her son, but still.) Despite the torment of her most famous parts, Rowlands discussed her work in terms of high pleasure. She was a woman who loved, loved, loved acting. So I reached out to someone who loves, loves, loves actors. When I asked critic Angelica Jade Bastien if she was a fan of Rowlands, she said, A fan? She is one of the best actors to ever be put to screen. Shes up there with Bette Davis for me. And then she told me why. I want to start from the very beginning of your relationship with Gena Rowlands as a performer. Do you remember the first time you saw her in something? The first time I was like, Oh, who is that? was when I was in high school and I saw Jim Jarmuschs Night on Earth from 1991. In one of the segments Winona Ryder plays a cab driver and Rowlands plays her passenger, and I just liked her ease. Rowlands had such a grounded sense of herself as a performer and a quality where she didnt have to push things. She never sucked up all the oxygen in the room. If someone was curious about her, what would you tell them to watch? Okay, Im going to direct them to two very different movies. The first is maybe a little bit of an obvious pick, but Im a huge fan of Opening Night, the film she made with her also incredibly talented partner, John Cassavetes, in 1977. Her character is an actress doing a stage play. Sometimes when actors play actors they get a little too obsessed with themselves. It turns inward and becomes a conversation only for other actors and film people, rather than using the role to get at bigger, more intriguing ideas. But Rowlands truly tried to have a conversation with her fellow performers, the scene, and the audience themselves. She knew how to thread the needle. The other one is a TV movie that probably five people, including myself, have seen. Its called Strangers: The Story of a Mother and a Daughter, from 1979. Rowlands played the daughter, and Bette Davis was the mother. I discovered it on YouTube, of all places, and that was a really big deal for me, because I love them both. Bette won an Emmy for it. The movie concerns them attempting to repair their estrangement after like two decades. One of them has been diagnosed with cancer, and that puts this clock on their reintegration into each others lives. Im a sucker for a tense, fucked-up mother-daughter dynamic. We need more of those. You know, the reputation is that Bette Daviss heir apparent is Meryl Streep. Even Bette said that. I love Bette, but Ive disagreed with her ever since I watched Strangers. Its seeing these two women in communication with each other that made me realize Gena Rowlands is more Bettes heir than Meryl. Gena took up the mantle of portraying female madness both anger and mental illness and the uncomfortable, prickly dynamics of being a woman in the world in a way that Bette Davis was very interested in. The movie acts as a passing of the torch. Rowlands was so good at moving between registers. In Opening Night, her first lines are whispered through the cigarette gripped in her teeth. Then all of a sudden shes performing onstage. One great strength of Rowlands as a performer is that she could show the full breadth of a woman in very brief scenes. Shes playing women who are uncomfortable sometimes, prickly and self involved and kind of fucked up and up their own ass as well as hurt and very human. In Opening Night, its also fun watching her act against someone like Joan Blondell, an actress from the end of the studio system; you can see these different forms and eras of womens acting come into the arena with one another. It was really interesting how Blondell was able to adjust to being in a Cassavetes film after at first being like, What the fuck am I getting into? Theres this raw current in all of Genas performances shes wearing her nerves outside of her skin, in a way, but shes also someone who you cant easily fuck with. She makes you wonder: What else does this woman have to show me? Yes, like in the Opening Night scene where her colleague-slash-lover (played by Cassavetes himself) goes up to her and starts giving this speech, like, I dont even see you as a woman anymore. I see you as a professional You dont care about anything. Hes trying to provoke her. And her response is just, Okay. I mean, what do you say to a man like that, to be honest? Thats such an interesting moment because it speaks to how you get to the top of your game and men look at you very differently. Part of the allure of Rowlands and Cassavetes is we dont get to see many heterosexual couples in the filmmaking scene who collaborate consistently and seem to have a very healthy well, at least, a very passionate but committed relationship. How did these two people work together? How did they create such amazing films that are so charged with the nature of heterosexual dynamics and marriage? I dont know. Its really rare to see a man like Cassavetes recognize that the woman hes with is so incredibly talented that he should just create altars to her talent. Thats what a film like Opening Night is. Or A Woman Under the Influence, from 1974. She later told an interviewer that Cassavetes originally wrote that as a play for her to star in, and she refused, saying, John, I couldnt do this every night and twice on Wednesday and Saturday. I wouldnt be able to last two weeks. Id die. So he rewrote it as a film. But she was always working, way beyond the stuff she did with him. That would be unusual now for an actor of her caliber. Yeah, they dont do that now. It speaks to a very, very different atmosphere, to someone who sees pleasure in the work. Think of all the television Rowlands did from the 50s until 2010. I have a soft spot for her appearance in Columbo. She was really more of a working-class actor as in, an actor who really worked. She was coming after the classic Hollywood actors who worked so much in part because they didnt have a choice; the studio system ran all of them ragged. When I think of modern big-name actors, Im like, Oh, God, these people are so spoiled. Its insane to me that theyre making millions and millions of dollars but only doing one movie a year, two tops. The actors who came before them and who were, in my opinion, more skilled worked their fingers to the bone, doing sometimes five-plus movies a year and dying with not much money. I imagine that would make you approach the work very differently. Its demystified. You dont obsess over the glamour of it. You obsess over what you need to do, how you need to hit your mark, versus how important it is to your brand. Or whether it will project a sense of exclusivity. Cate Blanchett is not going to be in any old project. Shes not like Gena, taking a little part on NCIS just to do it. Thats right one of her last TV appearances. Im going to use Genas passing to get into stuff I havent seen that she was in, or stuff I havent seen in a while. This is kind of a weird one, but I want to rewatch this 2002 TV movie directed by Mira Nair called Hysterical Blindness with Uma Thurman, Juliette Lewis, and Ben Gazzara. I havent watched Cassavetess Gloria, so Ill put that one in the mix. Even in movies that arent great, Gena Rowlands is always bringing it. The fact that everyone keeps talking about The Notebook I find fucking insulting. Im not saying this lightly: Gena Rowlands is probably one of the top-five best actors who have ever appeared on screen and crafted a longstanding career. What she did reveals the complexity, the vulnerability, the harshness, the beauty, and the complication of what it means to be a woman, what it means to be alive, what it means to hunger and want to create art and want to be your own person. Bar for bar, most people cannot come for her. Brando, kiss my ass. Gena Rowlands every day. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. The parliamentary election will go down as an important milestone in Azerbaijan's history, Azerbaijani analyst Elshad Hasanov told the Azerbaijani Central Election Commission's (CEC) Election-2024 Independent Media Center, Trend reports. "Parliamentary elections will be held throughout Azerbaijan for the first time since independence, making it an important milestone in the country's history," he explained. Hasanov brought out the fact that even after Azerbaijan gained independence, some of its territory remained under Armenian control, rendering voting in those regions impossible. "However, after the Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan liberated its lands. Elections will be held in these territories, where people will vote on their native land for the first time. If our main task before was the liberation of occupied lands, now, with the complete restoration of territorial integrity, we face new challengesfurther developing the country, strengthening it as a powerful state, enhancing social protection for citizens, and facilitating the return of former internally displaced persons to their homelands. In this context, the formation of a new parliament and its pursuit of new goals are critically important," he added. To note, on June 28, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree dissolving the sixth convocation of the Azerbaijani Parliament and scheduling a snap election for September 1. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. The role of regional cooperation formats has significantly increased in today's rapidly changing geopolitical environment, with Azerbaijan standing out as a rare example of exceptional success, Trend reports. Thanks to the foreign policy led by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his priority on strengthening interactions with neighboring countries, the country plays a key role in ensuring stability and development in the South Caucasus. By striving for harmonious relations with neighboring states, Azerbaijan emphasizes mutually beneficial cooperation based on equality and mutual respect. Georgia, Turkiye, Russia, and Iran are countries with which Azerbaijan maintains close ties, strengthening economic, political, and cultural interactions.One example of such cooperation is the relationship between Baku and Tbilisi. Georgia and Azerbaijan have historically had strong economic and energy ties, symbolized by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipelines. Azerbaijan has become a critical component of Europe's energy security because of these transport arteries, which facilitate the export of enormous volumes of energy resources. The Southern Gas Corridor project, through which gas is transported from Azerbaijan to Europe via Georgia and Turkiye, embodies the success of President Ilham Aliyev's foreign policy priority: sustainable cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye has become one of the fundamental conditions for the project's success, which is now critical for all of Europe. Regarding Turkiye, there is no other example in the world where the relationship between two countries is characterized by the phrase 'One nation two states'. These words, spoken by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, underscore the depth of Azerbaijan's historical, cultural, and political ties. Economic cooperation between Baku and Ankara spans a wide range of sectors: from energy to defense, from trade to finance, and many other areas. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), for instance, plays a key role in Turkiye's energy sector, owning major assets including the Petkim petrochemical complex and the STAR refinery, which was completed in 2018. These projects ensure Turkiye's energy security and contribute to the economic growth of both countries. A logical outcome of strengthening Azerbaijani-Turkish relations was the Shusha Declaration, signed by President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This document not only summarized decades of bilateral cooperation, but it also set priorities for the Azerbaijani-Turkish alliance for many years to come. Russia is also a traditionally important partner for Azerbaijan. In 2022, Ilham Aliyev and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin signed a Declaration on Allied Interaction a crucial document that has laid the foundation for the current rapid development of Azerbaijani-Russian cooperation. In recent years, the countries have strengthened cooperation in energy and transport. For example, Russian companies are actively involved in the development of Azerbaijani oil and gas fields, as well as in modernizing energy transport infrastructure. Joint projects include gas infrastructure modernization and energy facility construction. Russia is also a major gas supplier for Azerbaijan's winter needs, ensuring the reliability and stability of the energy supply. Trade between Azerbaijan and Russia last year amounted to about $4.4 billion, increasing by 17.5 percent over the year. This impressive growth reflects the significant role of trade with Russia in Azerbaijan's overall foreign trade turnover, which was 8.52 percent last year. Azerbaijan exports agricultural products to Russia, including fruits, vegetables, and cotton. Meanwhile, Russia supplies Azerbaijan with industrial goods, machinery, equipment, and food products. Cooperation between Baku and Moscow covers a wide range of areas. The development of transport infrastructure, including rail and road transport, is a key direction. The countries also collaborate in the agro-industrial complex, which promotes agriculture and food industry development. Russia was also instrumental in 2020 in bringing an end to the Second Karabakh War. The country's efforts, including the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region following the signing of the trilateral statement in November 2020, contributed to stabilizing the situation, as emphasized by President Ilham Aliyev. One of the main promising directions for Azerbaijani-Russian cooperation today is the North-South Transport Corridor, which reduces delivery times for goods between India and Europe through Azerbaijan, Russia, and Iran. As regards relations with Iran, mutual ties between Azerbaijan and Iran are also being reinforced. Despite some challenges, Baku and Tehran overcame crises and launched a new dynamic stage in their relations. The two countries cooperate in electricity exchange, transit transport, water resources, and many other areas. Azerbaijan consistently advocates for regional issues to be resolved by the region's countries without third-party interference. This approach helps avoid additional conflicts and tension, contributing to the strengthening of peace and stability. Cooperation, primarily with neighbors, is one of the key directions of President Ilham Aliyev's foreign policy, serving as a foundation for development for all countries in the region ready to cooperate. Baku sees this as laying the groundwork for paving the way to success for the entire South Caucasus and all its partners. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel By Cillian Sherlock, PA Population growth is having big consequences on new spending measures in the Budget, the Minister for Public Expenditure said. Budget 2025 is to include a 6.9 billion spending package. Of this, 5.1 billion will cover the costs of meeting existing levels of service requirements in 2025 and decisions have already been taken around public pay and funding the National Development Plan. It leaves 1.8 billion for new current expenditure measures, with minister Paschal Donohoe identifying the growing population as the big pressure on finalising the budget. Asked where pinch points across departments in the next Budget would be, Mr Donohoe said: We have a population which continues to grow which is a really good and a really, really important thing but it does mean that the cost of maintaining the same quality of public services is going up year after year. The clearest example of where we are experiencing that at the moment is with regard to our health services, where while the outcomes that they are delivering are, I believe, improving for for many but still need to improve for more we are simply seeing more and more people turning up in our emergency departments in our big hospitals in bigger numbers than we have seen before. Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Thursday, he said: That is an example of the demographic change, that we have always thought about happening in the medium term, is now happening. That has big consequences for our budgets and for the money that is available for new measures. An Garda Siochana continue to investigate all the circumstances into the stabbing of well-known Waterford army chaplain, Fr Paul Murphy at Renmore Army Barracks, Galway last evening. The Special Detective Unit of An Garda Siochana are heading the investigation with one line of enquiry to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation. The suspect, believed to be in his late teens/early twenties, remains in detention and is being questioned in a Garda station in the North Western region. Their period of detection has recently been extended. An Garda Siochana wishes to reassure the public that at this time it is not believed this incident is part of a wider conspiracy. A thorough investigation is underway and all relevant Bureaux have been engaged and are active in progressing this investigation. The Garda Commissioner has spoken to the Defence Forces Chief of Staff and wishes the injured Defence Forces member a full and speedy recovery. In a message on X, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: "I have been briefed on the shocking incident outside Renmore Barracks last night and my thoughts are with the member of the Defence Forces in hospital. I want to thank Defence Forces personnel and Gardai for their action and response." Additionally, Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin said: "I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night. "I commend the members of the Defence Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical. Our thoughts are with the Defence Forces member injured in the attack." More to follow... A new dragon took to the river Suir in Waterford City recently when a local boat club launched their new boat. The Dragon Boat Club took great delight in launching 'The Chantelle' at the Marina Hotel at 11am on August 10. The Chairperson of the club, Deirdre Cahill, welcomed everyone to the event including Minister Mary Butler and Mayor of Waterford City & County, Cllr Jason Murphy. Ms Cahill also gave a particular welcome to the Macnamara family, partners and colleagues from the Keogh Practice, in Ballybricken. pictured at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans The club was originally known as Waterford Dragon Warriors and was set up 10 years ago. She told those present that the club was composed of male and female paddlers, all over the age of 18, with members ranging in age from 30 to 80. The club was originally set up to support breast cancer survivors, their friends and supporters, as a means of social interaction and strengthening exercise to help their recovery. WDBC committee members and members of the Mcnamara family, pictured at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans In April, this year, the boat launched 'The Elva D', which was purchased following significant fundraising and a grant from the local authority. In May this year the club members competed against 900 other individuals from 14 countries in the Dragon Boat Festival in Barcelona and came home with a silver medal for the club, county and country. A guard of honour for guests at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans However, Ms Cahill said launching the new boat, 'The Chantelle', was a very special occasion. "This boat was generously gifted to our club by the family of the late Dr Chantelle Macnamara," she said. "Dr Chantelle will be remembered every time we go out to paddle on the river," said Ms Cahill. pictured at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans She said the new boat would enable the growth of the club and with two boats on the river, she it would mean more members would be facilitated per session. "The Chantelle will enable our club to grow and allow us to welcome new members to enjoy our beautiful river and surrounds," she said. pictured at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans She also thanked everyone who helped bring the day to fruition and in particular acknowledged the support of the management and staff at the Marina Hotel who have supported the club over the years by allowing it to use their premises free of charge, for storing equipment. The hotel also sponsored the club jerseys and helped with fundraising. Fr. Luke Macnamara (nephew) who blessed the boat. "Without the support of the Marina Hotel, our club could not exist," said Ms Cahill. She then recited a short poem, titled 'Why I Paddle', which highlighted the reasons why people take to the water and how it makes people connect. pictured at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans In launching the boat a ceremony took place that had a distinct Eastern flavour before the members took both boats for a short trip on the river. pictured at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans A guard of honour for Dr. Fergus Macnamara, at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans Pictured at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans Denis, James, Harry, Andrew and Ferg, pictured at the launch of the Waterford Dragon Boat Club new boat "The Chantelle" which was kindly gifted to the club by the family of the late Dr. Chantelle Macnamara. Photo: Joe Evans Gardai are investigating an assault at an army barracks in Galway, where a Waterford Chaplain was seriously injured. At Renmore Army Barracks, Galway, on Thursday, August 15, Gardai, including members of the Garda Armed Support Unit, responded to the incident at approximately 10.45pm. Fr Paul F. Murphy of Waterford was stabbed a number of times during the incident. The chaplain, who is in his 50s, was taken to University Hospital Galway for treatment of injuries that are serious but not life-threatening. Fr Murphy has recently shared his gratitude for those who wished him well on social media: "Friends, thanks for your prayers, love and concern. Sorry that I can't reply to all messages and take all the calls coming my way." "I'm doing ok, just awaiting surgery," added Fr Murphy. "All will be well," he concluded. A teenage male youth was restrained by members of the Defence Forces and arrested by Gardai at the scene. The male youth is currently detained at a Garda Station in the north western region. The scene is currently preserved and a technical examination will be carried out today by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit. Garda investigations are ongoing. Workers on the North Quays project have been let go after bringing awareness to multiple issues onsite. On Tuesday, August 6, workers Ben McElwee and Eric Crowley, came to work at the North Quays project site. Upon arriving at 7am, they were told that their services were no longer required at the site. The men said that they have faced backlash from the sites contractors over the last number of months. They have accused contractor BAM of breaching employment law by contracting the work out to DPPS Contracts, who in turn contracted the work to Enagh Building Contractors Ltd. Enagh registered the men as "self-employed" contractors to Revenue. The men claimed that they were put into a position of either signing the contracts or losing out on work. 'Bogus Self-Employment' Eric, from Tramore, and Ben, living in Kilkenny, have over 30 years experience in working on construction sites. Eddie, Eric's brother, also worked on the site as a labourer. They came across the job offering for the North Quays project through a DPPS Contracts social media page. The 170 million project is one of the largest investments ever made into Waterford. The page, still online on Meta, offered a "30 month contract in Co. Waterford, Ireland", Excellent rates and bonus for suitable candidates with weekly pay and targets." It stated further: We are an established sub-contractor, not an agency. The men began work on the site in September 2023 and soon realised that they were expected to register "as self employed", despite the work itself falling out of the remit of "self-employed". The contracts prevented the workers from receiving PRSI, pension, sickness and death-in-service benefits. Correspondence revealed that DPPS has not contributed to the Construction Workers Pension Scheme (CWPS) since 2021. The men were not given their own materials to work with, and were slowly "frozen out" by management onsite after calling attention to various issues. They said: "We were out of the way of people completely. No one came near us at all." Ben, having worked on the Rosie Hackett bridge in Dublin, also criticised standards on the site. He said: "I find a lot of the engineers are inexperienced. The equipment that had been set up [...]had been set up incorrectly. The junior engineers coming onsite had difficulty in giving us proper data in setting out basis for walls, for example. We found that they were incorrect." Ben continued: "We challenged that and once we challenged that, the person who was instrumental in getting us offsite was the person who had set it up." SIPTU The men filed a complaint with SIPTU, and sector organiser for Transport, Energy, Aviation & Construction Division David Lane quickly swung into action on their behalf. Exploitation of foreign workers is another issue onsite, according to the men, with most migrant workers afraid to voice their concerns over health and safety and pay discrepancies for fear of losing their visas. Ben said: The migrant workers need to be trained up properly. You see these lads, if theyre going to use them onsite, it shouldnt be used to increase their profit. Cllr Conor McGuinness described the testimony as "very concerning" and called on Waterford City and County Council to ensure proper protection for workers, saying that they have an "obligation, both legally and ethically, to ensure adherence with workers rights and fair employment practices on all its projects. Waterford City and County Council (WCCC) stated that a recent audit showed that BAM fell afoul of the Sectorial Employment Order (SEO) for the Construction Industry. A WCCC spokesperson said: "A compliance audit was initiated by BAM, on foot of a request from WCCC, on conditions of employment on site and BAM advised in July the audit indicated that a small number of people working on the project were not in receipt of terms and conditions of employment in compliance with the SEO, and that some individuals were registered as self-employed." A spokesperson for BAM refused to comment on Ben, Eric and Eddie's circumstances, as they "were not employed" by the company. They stated: "Earlier this year, BAM was made aware of a potential issue on the Waterford North Quays project whereby subcontractors may have incorrectly registered some workers as self-employed. BAM promptly engaged an independent auditor, Contractors Administration Service (CAS), to review subcontractor compliance with the SEO on the project. It continued: CASs audit indicated a small percentage of people working on the project were not in receipt of terms and conditions of employment in compliance with the SEO and that some individuals were registered as self-employed. BAM then immediately instructed our subcontractors to provide as a matter of urgency terms and conditions of employment in compliance with the SEO to all workers involved in the project. DPPS Contracts did not respond to requests for comment. According to the Irish Mail on Sunday, Enagh denied the workers claims, and said: "We are no longer contracted on the project in question and accordingly have no contractors working there [North Quays]." Songs of Ireland with Pat Shortt & Mike Hanrahan, August 24, Garter Lane Arts Centre Pat Shortt and Mike Hanrahans popular TV series Songs of Ireland , sees the pair take a musical road trip around the island of Ireland. Now Pat and Mike have decided to take a live show throughout a limited number of venues in Ireland. The show will feature the two musicians taking a musical tour through the nations most beloved songs. Discussing the series, Pat Shortt said: Songs of Ireland is more than just about the melodies; its about the stories behind them, the places they originate from, and the people who keep them alive. Embarking on this series with my old friend Mike has been an incredible experience, and were excited to share our journey with audiences across the country. Tickets available at Garterlane.ie The Life & Times of Dr Mary Strangman, September 5, Faithlegg National School The Minaun Community Theatre Group presents a ninety minute play on the extraordinary life of Mary Somerville Parker Strangman. Born in Carriganore, Waterford, Mary was one of the first female doctors in Ireland and the UK and became Waterfords first female councillor in 1912. She pioneered work in alcoholism and addiction, championed social reform, womens rights, and public health, particularly combating tuberculosis. Even after retiring from public office in 1920, she continued to serve as a physician. This in-person event will be held at Faithlegg National School. Tickets available at Eventbrite.ie The Muddy River Band Live, September 19, Theatre Royal. Performed by the Muddy River Band, this show is a tribute to the songs of three of the greatest music icons of our time, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Van Morrison. Hear the songs that have echoed through the lives of generations of music lovers from the 1960s right through to today. Early booking is advised at theatreroyal.ie. Wellness by the Sea Workshop, September 21, Tramore Coastguard Cultural Centre. Katie Duggan is hosting a two hour workshop on September 21 in the Cultural Coastguard Centre Tramore as part of the Vitamin Sea Festival. This event is for all levels, including complete beginners. The group will be moving through some very gentle and nurturing practices to help you relax the body and mind. Guests will get to experience breathwork, yoga, guided meditation, soothing sounds, and much more.Please bring your own mat, and blanket and wear comfortable clothing. Tickets available at Eventbrite.ie Loading Federal Health Minister Mark Butler met health ministers to co-ordinate a response to Australias declining supplies of IV fluids, including sharing data on usage and supply and helping local manufacturers keep up with demand. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has said the shortages are due to global supply limitations, unexpected increases in demand, and manufacturing issues. The states health services have been told to convene teams to monitor and manage intravenous fluids due to the increasing criticality of the shortage, according to the Victorian Department of Health document, which was labelled sensitive. It said where clinically appropriate, healthcare workers should consider alternatives such as fluid replacement via the mouth or tubes through the nose and into the stomach. Medication can also be administered via the mouth, beneath the skin or into muscles where appropriate. Other conservation strategies detailed in the document include limiting routine administration of IV fluids to patients undergoing day surgery and minimising excessive fasting before surgery to reduce the need for fluid replacement. A senior clinician at a Melbourne hospital, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said IV fluids had been used too liberally by hospitals over many decades. I would say half the patients on the surgical ward dont need it, he said. He said healthcare workers at his hospital had been rationing IV fluids in the past month by encouraging patients to drink cups of water or other fluids. The Royal Melbourne Hospital recently sent a message to staff about significant interruptions to our supply of intravenous fluid bags. It said all health services were required to reduce the amount of IV fluids they used by 20 per cent to enable supply to meet demand. We ask that all staff use IV fluids judiciously and where clinically appropriate, the notice read. The hospital did not respond to questions from this masthead, referring the matter to the state Health Department. An Allan government spokesman said Victoria had not been affected at this stage and there had been no disruptions to patient care. The department is actively supporting health services to conserve and monitor available stock, amid ongoing discussions with the main suppliers, he said. There is only one factory in Australia that is manufacturing IV fluids onshore Baxter Healthcares Toongabbie factory in Sydneys west. A Baxter spokesman said the factory was operating at historical volumes and full capacity to help meet the rising demand. Professor Nial Wheate, a medicines scientist from Macquarie University, said the shortage of IV fluid demonstrated that Australia was overly reliant on overseas manufacturers. There should definitely be more of a domestic and government-backed industry in Australia for saline and, I would argue, any types of medicines, Wheate said. We are too reliant and when we cannot get medicines it is putting Australian lives at risk. Doctors at Northern Health, one of Victorias largest health services, were last month told to review prescribed IV infusions and switch to an alternative as soon as clinically possible. We are experiencing national stock shortages with sodium chloride 0.9% 500mL intravenous bags with disruption to supply anticipated to continue for the remainder of 2024, staff were told in an email on July 17. A spokesman for Northern Health said it was confident of its supply for the coming weeks, and it had not had to reduce any procedures. Loading The shortage has been more of a problem in NSW, where there have been reports of patients having to stay in hospital for longer following surgery because little or no IV fluid was administered to them, leading to dehydration and hypotension. The AMAs national president, Professor Steve Robson, said NSW which has the biggest healthcare system in Australia was facing larger logistical challenges than other states. We are getting no sense whatsoever of any particular problems in Victoria and Queensland and there seem to be plenty of fluids in Tasmania, he said. I think a big part of it is caution at the moment. Because of uncertainty about supply, people are doing everything they can to preserve IV fluids at the moment and thats a very reasonable precaution in the circumstances. Theyre probably stockpiling as well we saw the same thing with toilet paper during the pandemic. Robson said he commended the Commonwealth and state health ministers for establishing a taskforce to deal with the issue. Press Release August 16, 2024 After PBBM approves Angara's education cluster ZUBIRI PUSHES FOR CABINET CLUSTER TO FOCUS ON PH TOURISM 'CROWN JEWELS' 16 August 2024 Former Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri is pushing for the creation of a Cabinet cluster with the sole aim of addressing the multi-faceted problems of the tourism industry, especially the country's "crown jewels" such as Siargao, Palawan and other tourist destinations. During the budget hearing with the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) yesterday, Zubiri floated the idea of creating a Cabinet tourism cluster after President Bongbong Marcos Jr. approved Education Sec. Sonny Angara's proposal to establish an education cluster. Zubiri has been passionate about addressing the problems faced by the country's tourism crown jewels such as Siargao, which he said has been having energy woes since the last time he visited the island weeks ago. "Why can't we just do the same cluster that Sec. Angara has done for education? He came up with an educational cluster. Can we return the tourism cluster wherein we have the DOT, the DOTr, the DPWH, and the DOE working together to support what, Palawan, El Nido, Coron, (and) Siargao," Zubiri expressed. Upon the query of Zubiri, Socioeconomic Planning Sec. Arsenio M. Balisacan said the tourism industry's contribution to the country's economy amounted to P2.09 trillion in 2023, which accounts for 8.6% of the country's GDP. "8.6%, we can increase it to over 20% because our neighbors are getting tourists left and right. We just need a straight flight from Europe to the Philippines. This is the problem now ... It (tourism) contributes so much to the economy and the GDP, but yet we do not focus on it," Zubiri said. Earlier, Zubiri lamented the sad state of Siargao with its challenges in electricity supply that he witnessed first-hand with his family during a visit a few weeks ago. The island was literally experiencing power outages that last for hours. He also pushed for a tourism masterplan to address not only the power woes of Siargao, but also those of the country's tourism crown jewels. With the education cluster as precedent, Zubiri asked the President's economic team to suggest the creation of a Cabinet tourism cluster to President Marcos Jr. "I'm letting the finance team know that because it's a whole-of-government approach, and I think we all have to help (the) DOT through this convergence. Maybe you can ask the President to do that," he added, referring to the Cabinet tourism cluster. Finance Sec. Ralph Recto agreed with Zubiri, saying the tourism industry is a "low-hanging fruit" that can easily double its contribution to the GDP if the government pours resources into it. LACHIN, Azerbaijan, August 16. The regular field meeting of the Working Group on clearing mines and unexploded ordnance operating under the Interdepartmental Center of the Coordination Headquarters, established in connection with the centralized solution of issues in the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, was held in Lachin district, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports. According to the information, authorized representatives of the Azerbaijan Republic Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) and relevant state structures represented in the Working Group took part in the visit. Addressing the meeting, Chairman of the Board of ANAMA, Head of the Working Group Vugar Suleymanov noted that following the development plan of the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, the Agency and other involved structures, as well as local companies have carried out large-scale humanitarian demining activities in them. Furthermore, it was noted that demining projects in Karabakh and East Zangezur are mainly carried out in the fields of residential infrastructure, transportation, energy, agriculture, industrial parks, and other priority areas. He also underlined that a total of 155,447 hectares have been cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation from November 10, 2020, to date. Emphasizing the importance of ANAMA's regularly conducted educational training to ensure the safety of the population returning to the territories liberated from occupation, as well as people working in these territories, Vugar Suleymanov noted that trainings are also conducted in this direction for the population of Lachin city, Sus and Zabukh villages Subsequently, other members of the Working Group spoke about the work of the structures they represented in this area and discussed the reports submitted. During the visit, members of the Working Group familiarized themselves with mine clearance operations carried out by ANAMA in the Jabrayil district in the village of Jojug Marjanli, as well as by a local company in the village of Sarijalli, and observed the process of clearing mines and unexploded ordnance by explosion. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The exchange of top-secret medical reports has fuelled doubts about whether the woman who served as Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds chief of staff at the time Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds office will take the stand in the pairs defamation row. Former chief of staff Fiona Brown had been due to give sworn testimony in the West Australian Supreme Court on what unfolded in the days after Higgins alleged rape by Bruce Lehrmann in the former defence ministers office after a night out on March 23, 2019. Fiona Brown leaving court on December 19 last year. Credit: Steven Siewert But on Friday, Browns barrister Dominique Hogan-Doran, SC, handed over two top-secret medical certificates and a report to a handful of lawyers and Justice Paul Tottle. The substance of the documents is protected by strict confidentiality orders, but the parties have already alluded to using testimony Brown gave in a separate court matter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. A Cambodian participant in the fifth summer camp for diaspora youth Fazy Heath has prepared a presentation about Azerbaijan after returning to his country, Trend reports, referring to the State Committee for Diaspora Affairs. According to the information, the presentation provided detailed information about Azerbaijan and the camp. Fazy Heath shared his impressions about Lachin, Khankendi, Shusha, Khojaly, and Asgaran being liberated from occupation. The event was attended by 16 students studying at various universities in Cambodia. In conclusion, Fazy Heath presented them with souvenirs from Azerbaijan. To note, the fifth summer camp of diaspora youth Youth for Green World organized by the State Committee for Diaspora Affairs in cooperation with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation was held in the ancient Azerbaijani land of Lachin from August 1 through 7, 2024. It was attended by 115 young people living in different countries of the world, including Azerbaijanis, as well as representatives of other nations with friendly attitudes towards Azerbaijan. The World Customs Organization (WCO), with financial support from the Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF) of China, successfully held a workshop on the WCO Data Model in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 5 to 9 August 2024. The event was designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of Customs officials, the VUCEA (Single Window of Argentina) Implementing Unit, and partner government agencies in adopting and implementing the WCO Data Model (WCO DM). The workshop focused on enabling the administration to develop a harmonized national data catalogue that fully aligns with the WCO DM as an international standard. The event commenced with opening remarks from representatives of the General Directorate of Customs of Argentina and WCO experts, who welcomed participants and outlined the workshop's objectives. The Argentine Customs authorities highlighted the importance of the workshop for deepening the technical knowledge of the technical experts of the different agencies within the framework of the Single Window development. Key sessions during the workshop included presentations on the strategic advantages of digitalization and standardization, an overview of the WCO Data Model and its building blocks, and guidance on implementing the WCO DM in various technological environments. The technical aspects of the WCO DM were covered, including its libraries, information packages, and main class levels. Participants also learned how to use the WCO Data Model App to facilitate the implementation process. The workshop included practical exercises focused on Single Window data harmonization and business process management, particularly for processes related to Licences, Permits, Certificates and Others (LPCO). Specialized sessions included case studies on the VUCEA, cross-border e-commerce, CITES, and e-Phyto. Concluding with a summary of key points and closing remarks, the workshop reiterated the importance of the WCO Data Model in streamlining and harmonizing Customs processes in Argentina. This event reflects the WCO's ongoing efforts to support its Members in modernizing their Customs operations through standardized data models, ultimately facilitating smoother and more efficient international trade. The General Director of Argentina Customs, Eduardo Mallea, thanked the WCO experts for this crucial mission in Argentina and expressed his commitment to guarantee the implementation of the work plan agreed upon at the end of a week of intense work. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. Azerbaijani rhythmic gymnasts have claimed success at the international Alma Cup tournament, held in Almaty on August 13-16, Trend reports. Azerbaijan was represented at the tournament by several athletes. Azerbaijan was represented by Zahra Jafarova (senior category), Fidan Gurbanli, Sofia Mammadova, Ayan Sadygova (pre-juniors), Nur Sadigova, and Alina Kolesnikova (juniors). Gurbanli won a gold medal in the all-around competition (49.500 points). She scored 25.650 points in the clubs routine, and her ribbon routine was rated 23.850 points by the judges. The gymnast also received the Miss Grace award. Besides, Sadigova also won a gold medal and the Miss Grace award. She took first place in the all-around competition (51.950 points), performing with the hoop (25.450 points) and the ball (26.500 points). Among the juniors, Alina Kolesnikova also stood out, reaching the top of the podium. She won the all-around competition (44.150 points), performing with clubs (25.250 points) and ribbon (18.900 points). Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. Applications of organizations intending to conduct exit-poll at the parliamentary election in Azerbaijan scheduled for September 1 have been considered, Trend reports. According to the presentation of Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan Rovzat Gasimov at today's CEC meeting, the Sociological Research Center, which appealed to the CEC, intends to conduct an exit poll at the parliamentary election. This organization plans to conduct an exit poll at 750 polling stations in 75 constituencies. No discrepancies or irregularities were found in their application and documents, and it was considered legal to create conditions for the exit poll, he added. The decision was put to vote and adopted. On June 28, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree dissolving the sixth convocation of the Azerbaijani Parliament and calling for an extraordinary election. The snap parliamentary election in Azerbaijan is scheduled for September 1, 2024. An Garda Siochana continue to investigate all the circumstances of an assault which occurred at Renmore Army Barracks in Galway on Thursday night. A male chaplain (50s) received a number of stab wounds during the incident. He was taken to University Hospital Galway for treatment of injuries that were serious but not life-threatening. A male youth (teens) was restrained by members of the Defence Forces and arrested by Gardai at the scene. The Special Detective Unit of An Garda Siochana is involved in this investigation. One line of enquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation. The suspect remains in detention and is being questioned in a Garda station in the North Western region. Their period of detection has recently been extended. An Garda Siochana wishes to reassure the public that at this time it is not believed this incident is part of a wider conspiracy. A thorough investigation is underway and all relevant Bureaux have been engaged and are active in progressing this investigation. The Garda Commissioner has spoken to the Defence Forces Chief of Staff and wishes the injured Defence Forces member a full and speedy recovery. Michael Bolton Passengers are facing increased prices on flights this Christmas, according to Ryanair. The Dublin-based carrier also warned that airlines will cut the number of seats at Dublin Airport by 1 million next summer, if there is no change to the airport's passenger cap. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary claimed tourism and jobs were being damaged by the 32 million passenger cap, introduced in Dublin in 2007. He said it was also driving ticket prices up for consumers. "We are looking at 500 one-way fares this Christmas," he told Newstalk radio. "Normally at Christmas, we operate over the 10 days at Christmas at about 500,000 seats in and out of Dublin. "Normally we increase that by about 50 per cent, we run about 750,000 seats." He said Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan must get involved with the situation. "There were concerns in 2007 that if Dublin Airport got past two million passengers, road traffic access to Dublin Airport would collapse. "Dublin Airport is fine. All we need now is a confident public transport minister to intervene and say this condition no longer applies, I am instructing the IAA to ignore this cap while the DAA are applying to Fingal County Council to lift the cap." Michael Bolton Gardai have arrested a teenager after a man was assaulted outside an Army barracks in Galway city. The man received a number of stab wounds during the incident which occurred at approximately 10.45pm on Thursday night. He was taken to University Hospital Galway for treatment of injuries that are serious but not life-threatening. The teenage boy was restrained by members of the Defence Forces and arrested by gardai at the scene. He is currently detained at a Garda Station in the North Western Region. The scene is currently preserved, and a technical examination will be carried out today by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit. One line of enquiry is to establish if this attack had a terrorism motivation. A spokesman for the Defence Forces said that shots were fired by on-duty personnel after the chaplain was attacked. Taoiseach Simon Harris has said his thoughts are with the member of the Defence Forces in hospital. I have been briefed on the shocking incident outside Renmore Barracks last night and my thoughts are with the member of the Defence Forces in hospital. I want to thank Defence Forces personnel and Gardai for their action and response, he posted on the social network X. Tanaiste, and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin condemned the attack. I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night, he posted on X. I commend the members of the Defence Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical. Our thoughts are with the Defence Forces member injured in the attack. In a statement, a spokesman for the Defence Forces said: The Defence Forces can confirm that an incident occurred at Dun Ui Mhaoliosa, Renmore, Co Galway yesterday evening where shots were fired by on duty Defence Forces personnel. This action was taken in strict accordance with force protection protocols after a Defence Forces member was assaulted by a male civilian. The soldiers on duty responded to the immediate threat with appropriate force to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the area. The assailant was quickly detained and handed over to An Garda Siochana, who are now conducting a full investigation into the incident. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. A total of 321 international observers have been registered for the snap parliamentary election in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said at today's meeting of CEC in Baku, Trend reports. According to Panahov, 93,964 local observers were registered for the election. The international observers represent 39 organizations and 46 countries, he added. On June 28, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree dissolving the sixth convocation of the Azerbaijani Parliament and scheduling a snap election for September 1. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. Baku Metro CJSC and Metro Istanbul have signed a memorandum of understanding on resolving organizational issues of the first international conference of the world's metropoles, which will be held in Baku in 2025, Trend reports. According to the information, the document was signed by the chairman of Baku Metro CJSC Zaur Huseynov, and general director of Metro Istanbul Ozgur Soy. After the ink dried on the contract, Chairman of Baku Metro CJSC Zaur Huseynov pointed out that in the past few years, the bond between Azerbaijan and Turkiye has gone up a notch. The Baku Metro and Istanbul Metro have been in cahoots since 2015, working together. The main directions have been the exchange of experience in the field of human resources, new technologies, maintenance, care, and repair. The successes achieved could then be transferred to a new plane involving other megacities in the world. He emphasized that work would be done on joint plans to make this conference the most successful platform for all metros in the future. The head of Metro Istanbul, Ozgur Soy, made it clear that he's all in on the future success of the event. He stated that, united, the metros of the two brotherly countries can pave the way for a groundbreaking platform for metros worldwide. Ozgur Soy emphasized that jointly developing projects between Azerbaijani and Turkish enterprises will be stimulated by the extensive knowledge of Baku Metro in quality maintenance, organizational challenges, and technological advancements implemented in Istanbul Metro. Simultaneously, he expressed confidence that this project will serve as a bridge between manufacturers and the metro. Afterward, a presentation of the event was made to the media. It was noted that an exchange of views and experiences around the proposed idea and discussions on organizational issues were initiated between Baku Metro and Istanbul Metro in early 2024. It was decided to name the event MetroConnect. It was agreed to hold the first event in Baku. Following the first event, the location and date of the next conference will be discussed. Furthermore, the research also showed that solving the most pressing problems facing metros, discussing new ideas, and coming up with creative solutions are all essential in this industry. The special attention of the conference agenda will be given to the issues of construction, assembly, and repairs of cars, the latest achievements in the field of metro devices, equipment, and systems, innovative technologies, the role of artificial intelligence, the main problems in repair and maintenance, including standards and safety, the exchange of experience in the field of passenger satisfaction, achievements in the field of scientific research, and others. Taking into account the interest of the conference not only for metros but also for manufacturers, as well as research and educational institutions, it is planned to organize an exhibition and excursions on innovations applied in Baku Metro and other issues of importance for metros. The conference will also feature manufacturers and specialists in the fields of science, education, and research. Baku will provide conditions for discussions, bilateral meetings, and open platforms for various organizations for the benefit of all participants. The event will last two days and consist of several discussion panels dedicated to topical issues. To note, the visit of "Metro Istanbul" representatives to Baku lasted for two days. During this time, the main points of the agreement, the work done, upcoming plans, and tasks were discussed. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Affordable new AI device to monitor air pollution hotspots in real-time A team of particle physicists have rolled out the first inexpensive South African air quality monitoring system using AI to predict areas of high pollution. Air quality has become one of the most important public health issues in Africa. Poor air quality kills more people globally every year than HIV, TB and malaria combined. And thats just the tip of the iceberg. Air pollution makes people less productive because they get headaches and feel tired. India, for example, has poor air quality. The impact of Indias poor air quality on its gross domestic product is about US$100 billion every year. The health risks of poor air quality are known. But its always been costly to set up monitoring stations to measure it regularly. I am a particle physicist, and the director of the Institute for Collider Particle Physics at the University of the Witwatersrand and the iThemba Laboratories for Accelerator Based Sciences, a unit of South Africas National Research Foundation. As part of our technology transfer activities, we launched the South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring, a multidisciplinary team of scientists with strong connections with policy makers and who are interested in improving air quality in South Africa. We decided to create, for the first time in South Africa, a cost effective air quality monitoring system based on sensors, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. We have named this system Ai_r. Our team of 25 people includes more than 20 years of experience as particle physicists in working with sensors, communications and artificial intelligence. In particle physics, we create complex systems with different technologies and different disciplines. Particle physics includes electrical and information engineering, data science and artificial intelligence, among others. There are only 130 big air quality measuring stations in South Africa. They only measure the air quality in the vicinity of the station. This is why we need cost-effective, dense networks made up of Ai_r systems set up all around these stations, to measure air quality in a much wider area. Our vision is to place tens of thousands of these devices all over South Africa. Using artificial intelligence Ai_r is made up of a collection of small boxes that cost about US$100 to make. The boxes can be mounted on a window sill of any building, where they take air samples and feed this data back to a cloud in real time. Modelling and forecasts are made with artificial intelligence coupled to the cloud. Artificial intelligence does not do magic. It is a bunch of mathematical tools that scientists control to perform a task. It integrates sets of data, learns from the data and creates automatic models. That saves a tremendous amount of resources. In air quality monitoring, artificial intelligence will learn from the vast wealth of data that these sensors will produce and then make predictions. For example, Ai_r will be able to tell us the impact of weather changes on air quality so that we know which areas will have more polluted air. Without artificial intelligence, it would be very difficult to come up with a cost-effective system that could monitor air quality and give us predictions. Measuring air quality in Johannesburg When measuring air quality, the goal is to identify the hotspots (where air quality is worst), not just the average air quality in the city. A hotspot of very polluted air can be situated quite close to a cold spot where the air quality is better. For public health reasons, we need to know and be able to forecast where the air quality will be bad on any given day. This is the only way we will be able to convince the authorities to set up ways to curb air pollution in badly affected areas. We have already rolled out about 20 of the new devices in Soweto and Braamfontein in Johannesburg, and 120 more are coming in the next months. Both parts of the city have tens of thousands of vehicles driving through every day, putting them at high risk of air pollution. We have also placed air quality sensors at the University of the Witwatersrand and iThemba LABS. We have an agreement with the Gauteng Department of Education to deploy these at schools in the Soweto area. Hospitals in the private Netcare group have also agreed to host the air quality devices. There is a public dashboard on our website where you can see all the data we gather. The project was launched in June 2024. The government has reacted very positively to this and we are now integrating the system into the official South African system of air quality scores, SAAQIS. We also encounter strong support by the City of Johannesburg to deploy further. The Ai_r system measures particulate matter 2.5. These are extremely tiny particles of polluting matter such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke. The problem with these particulates is that people inhale them. They get into peoples bloodstreams and can cause heart attacks, cancer and other diseases. This is why the amount of particulate matter 2.5 is typically used as a benchmark for air quality globally. How it works The air quality device is housed in a box. It has a small laser that shoots light onto air. Depending on how that light scatters and reflects, you can measure the concentration of particulates. Then the measurements are sent to the tiny computer inside the box which communicates through an antenna every five minutes, through Internet of Things technologies, to a cloud based system where the data is stored. So nobody has to be there collecting air quality samples anymore. We have also optimised the devices so that they use very little electricity. In cases of electricity power cuts, the devices have cost effective batteries that last for days. They are very easy to maintain. They are affordable to roll out across South Africa. The existing network will keep growing to become, towards the end of 2024, the largest cost-effective, automated air quality measurement system in Africa. We really need to measure pollution and find out just how bad it is so that mitigating strategies can be designed that target problem areas very efficiently. The goal is to improve air quality for people who are most affected by air pollution. (The author would like to thank South Africas Department of Science and Innovation, the National Research Foundation, the Canadian International Development Research Centre and the Clean Air Fund for their support.) Bruce Mellado, Professor of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Wits Innovation Foundation for Democracy opens its doors for business The Foundation looks to reshape discussions about democracy in Africa. The Wits Innovation Foundation for Democracy has opened its new offices in the Es kia Mphahlele building. Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, Professor Lynn Morris opened the office space on the 5th floor of the building in a ceremony attended by the Ambassador of France to South Africa, David Martinon. The Innovation Foundation for Democracy is the brainchild of Distinguished Professor Achille Mbembe, who in 2021 mentioned the possibility of establishing a Pan-African forum for democracy in a presentation at the Africa-France summit in Montpellier. In October 2023, Mbembes wish was realised when the Wits Innovation Foundation for Democracy was formed. A lot has happened since then, said Morris at the opening of the new offices. The Foundation has set up key sub-regional laboratories in Central-, West- and Mediterranean Africa, and by the end of this year, there will be three new sub-regional labs. The Foundation already has a footprint in 27 African countries. The Foundation, which is neither a research centre nor an institute in the traditional sense, but a Pan-African non-profit organisation, works mainly in three areas, namely research and scholarship, education, and advocacy. Its aim is to advance research and education policy to sustain and enhance democracy in Africa. The Foundation draws from the theoretical and practical knowledge, which scholars, practitioners and experts from lots of different disciplines contribute to understand the unique challenges that face democracy on the continent, said Morris. It also provides financial support to several flagship projects throughout the continent annually, is engaged in collaborative projects with various institutions in South Africa and the rest of Africa and provides funding for doctoral and postdoctoral research. Martinon said he was very impressed by the Foundations progress made in 18 months, especially in creating the sub-regions. He said that since 2017, France, under the leadership of President Macron, has set to transform the nature of its relations with Africa, which has led to meaningful actions such as the restitution of African artefacts, among other, all aiming at redefining the relationship of uniting France and Africa. The opening of these premises are laying a groundwork for a brighter future, said Martinon. These premises are more than just offices. They symbolise the growth, the aspirations and the potential of the Foundation. They are a space where ideas will flourish, and where collaboration will thrive. Mbembe said that the Foundation was launched at a time where, throughout the world, democracy was in crisis. The reasons for the crisis are numerous. But part of the crisis stems probably from the fact that democracy has lost its own meaning and is in need of a refitting in contemporary conditions, which are characterised on the one had by technological escalation, and on the other hand, by an impending ecological disaster all of which force us to rethink the role of human agency, and the need to invent new institutions that can help to maintain our planet habitable. The Foundation hopes to create a space for deep thinking from the continent of what the future of democracy in Africa could and should look like. New bursary aims to inspire new generations of literary talent Applications are now open for the Achmat Dangor Literary Prize 2024 for young writers across genres who are completing or have completed their Honours degree. In honour of the South African writer and activist Achmat Dangor, the Achmat Dangor Literary Prize is set to support a young, previously disadvantaged writer in financial need. This prestigious award will enable the recipient to pursue an MA in Creative Writing at Wits University, ensuring Dangors enduring legacy inspires new generations of literary talent. The Achmat Dangor Literary Prize is open to young writers working in all genres poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Click here for application criteria and eligibility. Applications close on 15 September 2024. The recipient will be announced in October 2024, Dangors birthday month, during a ceremony featuring readings of his work and an exhibition of archival materials. The prize will be awarded every two years and will support at least four students over the next eight years. Achmat Dangor South African, author, activist Achmat Dangors career began in Johannesburg and extended through his studies at Rhodes University. His poetry collections, such as Bulldozer (1983) and Private Voices (1992), highlighted the brutal realities of racial segregation and societal marginalisation. His novels, including Waiting for Leila (1981), The Z Town Trilogy (1990), and the internationally acclaimed Kafka's Curse (1997), delved into themes of alienation and identity. Bitter Fruit (2003), a finalist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Man Booker Prize, explored the scars of post-apartheid South Africa. In addition to his literary contributions, Dangor was a formidable activist. He was banned from 1973 to 1978 for his anti-apartheid activities and was a crucial figure in organisations such as Black Thoughts, the Writers Forum, and the Congress of South African Writers (COSAW). His leadership extended to NGO roles, including the Kagiso Trust, the Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund, and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, where he served as CEO from 2007 to 2013. He also represented the Ford Foundation in Southern Africa and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the South African Literary Awards (SALA) in 2015. Ivan Vladislavic, Distinguished Professor in the Creative Writing Department at Wits University and acclaimed author says, "Achmat Dangor made an inestimable contribution to South African literary culture. Both deeply political and resolutely independent, he brought a wide-ranging, cosmopolitan flair to local questions and wrote some of the most provocative, challenging works in our literature, fictions that present a rich sense of life and a complex moral universe. He adds, The Achmat Dangor Literary Prize, which will give a young writer the opportunity to study and write, is a fitting tribute to Dangor, and the Creative Writing Department is delighted to provide a home for the recipient. Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, a Lecturer in the Creative Writing Department at Wits University and a celebrated poet, says, "Achmat Dangor was a literary pioneer who fearlessly engaged the dysfunction, violence, and alienation of society through believable characters and authentic settings, harnessing his imagination to tell stories that felt true. Dangor, like Mathews and Mattera, his cherished contemporaries, brought Black experience into literature at a historical juncture when it was literally against the law for writers to write. It is an honour for our department to promote his legacy, for the world still needs that particular poetic: a combination of compassion and courage, a scholar of literature, and a great imagination." The Achmat Dangor Literary Prize is a vital component of the Achmat Dangor Legacy Project (ADLP), which seeks to preserve and celebrate Dangor's life and work. The Prize is hosted by the Creative Writing Department in the School of Literature, Language and Media in collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities at Wits University. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. LEDLINE LLC, a resident of the Aghdam Industrial Park in Azerbaijan, will build an enterprise for the production of LED lights on one hectare of the industrial park, the country's Economic Zones Development Agency told Trend. The project, with a price tag of 4.5 million manat ($2.6 million), aims to give 44 people a job for life. Production at the business will center on satisfying customers in the home market. To note, Aghdam Industrial Park was established by Decree No. 1347 dated May 28, 2021, of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The park is sitting pretty on a whopping 190 hectares, with a hefty investment volume of $115 million, and a cool 1,700 workplaces to boot. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 16. Director of the TAPI pipeline project for Turkmenistan Mohammad Murad Amanov and Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Afghanistan Hoja Ovezov have met with Afghanistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss the TAPI pipeline project, Trend reports via the Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan. During the meeting, the TAPI director provided an update on the project's current status and plans for its launch in Afghanistan, requesting further cooperation from the Afghan government. Afghan FM expressed appreciation for the efforts and assured full support from Afghanistan, emphasizing that extending the TAPI pipeline within the country is a top priority. He noted that Afghan departments have completed their preparations and expressed optimism about the imminent start of practical work. Additionally, Amanov confirmed that Turkmenistan has already extended the pipeline to its border with Afghanistan and that preparations for its extension into Afghan territory are nearly complete. The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline is a major project designed to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India. Expected to deliver 33 billion cubic meters annually, construction on the project began in Turkmenistan on December 13, 2015. Turkmenistan is the primary gas supplier and plays a key role in the pipeline's development, aiming to diversify its energy export routes and enhance regional economic ties. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. The resident of Sumgayit Industrial Park, Az-Tex-Import LLC, plans to export trucks to Russia, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Georgia, Trend reports. According to the Economic Zone Development Agency (IZIA) under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan, an enterprise for the production of light, medium, and heavy trucks of the IVECO brand will start operating at the industrial park this year. Furthermore, it is noted that the construction of the IVECO plant, managed by 'Az-Tex-Import' LLC, is close to completion, and installation of the equipment will begin in the upcoming months. The cost of the project is 19.2 million manat ($11.2 million), of which over six million have already been invested. The plant will provide permanent employment for 90 people. Moreover, it is expected that 100 cars will be produced annually, which will be sold both in the domestic market and exported to Russia, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Iran. To note, the company was granted the status of a resident of Sumgayit Industrial Park in May 2022. To date, the resident status of the Sumgayit Industrial Park has been assigned to 40 business entities with a total investment of 6.2 billion manat ($3.6 billion). A total of 24 enterprises are currently operating in the park, and this year it is planned to open two new enterprises, which will attract investments of about 40 million manat ($23.5 million) and create more than 300 new jobs. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Survey finds 418 Chinese 'comfort women' survived torment, WWII 08:26, August 16, 2024 By Wang Xin ( China Daily People visit the site of a former "comfort women" station at Liji Lane on Wednesday to mark the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. The exhibition reveals the extent of atrocities committed on the victims of sexual slavery by Japanese military personnel between 1932 and 1945. (YANG BO/CHINA NEWS SERVICE) A total of 418 Chinese victims survived Japan's "comfort women" system during World War II, according to a survey conducted over three decades by the Research Center for Chinese Comfort Women at Shanghai Normal University. According to the survey's results unveiled on Tuesday, among these 418 "comfort women", 359 were from the Chinese mainland and 59 were from China's Taiwan region. South China's Hainan province accounted for 168 such women, the highest number, followed by North China's Shanxi province with 120. As of now, seven "comfort women" are still alive on the mainland, with six living in Hunan province and one in Shanxi, according to the research center. "Comfort women" was the Japanese imperial government's euphemism for those women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery at Japanese military brothels between 1932 and 1945, until the end of WWII. They were repeatedly raped and subjected to other forms of abuse and torture by Japanese soldiers. It is estimated that at least 400,000 women and girls were kidnapped, coerced, or duped into sexual servitude by Japanese invaders around the world, with the number of Chinese victims exceeding 200,000. Su Zhiliang, a professor and director of the research center, said he and his wife, Chen Lifei, started the survey in 1993 and they were joined by many researchers across China over the years. Su said it was not easy to confirm who among the thousands of these women survived the torment and the war, as it required concrete proof of every incident, such as recorded narration in first person and material evidence, as well as witness accounts. Gathering such evidence meant forcing survivors or their kin to recall the traumatic past, and many of these people needed years to finally reveal their stories, he added. "We found many of the survivors as early as 2000, but they were living in poor conditions, mostly in rural areas. Therefore, alongside the survey, we had to develop a system to care for these women and help improve their lives," Su said. He emphasized that the survey was primarily meant to reveal historical truths that Japan has been trying to bury. "When the war ended, Japan destroyed vast archives (of evidence). We knew nothing about this part of history until the first victim broke her silence in 1991," he said. On Aug 14, 1991, Kim Hak-sun, from the Republic of Korea, was the first "comfort woman" to testify against Japan's wartime crimes. To commemorate her courage, the international community designated Aug 14 as the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women in 2013. Su noted that the horrifying stories of "comfort women" have been drawing more and more public attention in and outside China. The Chinese documentary Twenty Two, named after the number of "comfort women" alive at the time of its filming in 2014, was one positive move toward raising public awareness about this group. Part of the documentary's box-office revenue was donated to aid the survivors. Although the number of these women still alive is fast dwindling, dozens of statues and monuments have been set up across the world, including in China, the United States, Canada, Germany, and Italy, to honor their courage, Su said. "We hope more people can focus on this group in the future, think about the history, and cherish the peace." (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Bloomberg: When Italys Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Beijing, she and President Xi Jinping discussed issues about Ukraine. Could Foreign Ministry elaborate on what they spoke about? Did Meloni attempt to persuade the Chinese side to change its stance on Russia? Lin Jian: During President Xi Jinpings meeting with visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, they had in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest. On the Ukraine crisis, China is committed to promoting talks for peace, and welcomes and supports all effort conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis. China stands ready to maintain communication with relevant parties, including Italy, to promote continued effort in the international community to create conditions for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis through dialogue and negotiation. RIA Novosti: This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties. Will Chinese leader visit Russia in the near future? Lin Jian: This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties and the first year of the China-Russia Years of Culture. China stands ready to work with Russia to follow the fundamental guidance of the common understandings between the two presidents, further enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation, carry forward our friendship, and elevate bilateral relations to a new level. On the question you mentioned, I have no information to share for the moment. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. The price of Azerbaijani Azeri Light crude oil increased by $1.43 to $85.54 per barrel based on CIF in the Italian port of Augusta on August 15, compared to the previous reading, Trend reports, referring to the source from the country's oil and gas market. The price of Azeri LT FOB Ceyhan also grew by $1.43 (to $84.46 per barrel). The price of URALS equaled $69.99 per barrel, which is $1.03 more than the previous price. Overall, the price of a barrel of Dated Brent oil produced in the North Sea went up by $1.27 on August 15, compared to the previous indication, to $84.17. The official exchange rate for August 16 stands at 1.7 AZN/1 USD. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Short animation film Renai Dance tells a story of a young girl passionate about ballet and her grandfather specializing in lion dancing. [China Daily] Film focusing on family love and traditional culture wins acclaim both at home and overseas, Cheng Yuezhu reports. A grandfather skilled at lion dancing, a granddaughter with a passion for ballet drawing on the universal dilemma of the generation gap animation artist Yang Zhike and her team have brought a short fantasy animation film to life that weaves a spell of family love and cultural heritage. Renai Dance unfolds with heartwarming moments between the grandfather and his granddaughter Bella, with the grandfather performing spectacular lion dance movements so that Bella eats her vegetables. As she grows up and leaves home to pursue ballet, she returns only to find that her grandfather has passed away. Overwhelmed by grief, she nearly falls down a stairway, but a miracle occurs. Her grandfather's spirit comes to her rescue, and the two embark on a reunion. With Yang as creative director, Wu Wenjie as technical director and Chang Han-chen as creative producer, the 3D animation won the 2024 Golden A'Design Award in Movie, Video and Animation Design. On July 18, Yang attended the international design award's gala ceremony in Como, Italy. Short animation film Renai Dance tells a story of a young girl passionate about ballet and her grandfather specializing in lion dancing. [China Daily] "The title is derived from 'Renaissance'," Yang says. "It represents two layers of meaning, not only that the little girl carries on her grandfather's spirit, but also the rejuvenation of traditional culture, injecting it with new vitality, and passing it down for future generations." Born in 1995 in Changsha, Hunan province, Yang earned a bachelor's degree in visual design from Jiangnan University, but she has always been fascinated by animation. She sees it as a useful medium for visualizing futuristic or imaginative concepts that transcend the boundaries of reality and give people a glimpse into the future. After graduating, she spent two years working in post-production at an animation company, but the experience did not fulfill her creative aspirations. "There are stories I'd like to tell, emotions I'd like to share with others, and cultural elements I'd like to highlight. Post-production alone would not allow me to achieve these goals, so I thought that I should find opportunities to lead projects myself," Yang says. "I wanted to create work that embodies shared emotions and resonates with the audience, while also incorporating elements unique to Chinese culture, that might leave an impression or spark an interest in viewers who aren't familiar with it." In 2018, she enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts in Computer Arts program at the School of Visual Arts in New York, specializing in 3D animation. There, she met the other two members of her core creative team, and in 2019, the trio embarked on the project. Short animation film Renai Dance tells a story of a young girl passionate about ballet and her grandfather specializing in lion dancing. [China Daily] The setting for the story is inspired by childhood experiences common to many young Chinese, like visiting grandparents in the countryside during summer or winter vacations. Yang says that during her own visits, she was often able to see folk customs or traditional cultural elements that have become rare sights in cities. "I feel that they are still vibrant. Since videos can be watched repeatedly, I think it's a great way to record fading cultural traditions, or represent them in a new light," she says. The team chose to blend lion dance and ballet. Both are a means of physical expression, despite their different cultural contexts. While the two performing genres represent different aesthetics, Yang finds commonalities. For example, both involve collaboration with other dancers. In lion dancing, a lion is typically played by two performers, who manipulate the head and tail respectively, while the pas de deux in ballet also requires two dancers to work closely together. "These movements in both genres, such as when one dancer lifts up the other, rely heavily on trust and coordination between the partners," she says. The short film's creative director Yang Zhike receives the 2024 Golden A' Design Award in Movie, Video and Animation Design at a gala ceremony in Como, Italy, in July. [China Daily] In the short film, when the dead grandfather reappears with his old lion head prop, he picks up his granddaughter and the two of them leap in sync with each other, but using different leg postures. Due to time restraints, the animation only explores the echo between the two genres briefly in this one scene. Yang says that if the production could have been extended, the scene would be a perfect way to demonstrate the harmony between different dances and different cultures. The three-minute animation took the team a year and a half to make. Since it was uploaded in 2021 onto video-streaming site Bilibili, it has received overwhelming acclaim from the viewers. "I really welled up at the end. The grandfather reappears to save his granddaughter, but that leap at the end also represents the inheritance of culture," according to one of the top comments. Many comments also commended the team's efforts to present authentic Chinese culture. Yang says that she has had an innate fascination for traditional culture from a young age, and this passion drove her to deepen her understanding. Yang is an animation artist with a passion for traditional culture. [China Daily] "With young people maturing and bringing their own strengths to the table, it is natural that so many individuals from diverse backgrounds who are interested in traditional culture consider using their skills to promote China's cultural treasures," she says. Over the past few years, the short film has been screened in countries, including the United Kingdom and France, and has been nominated for many international awards. Yang says that it is essential to identify common themes and shared values, such as love, family and friendship, to create an animated film that is able to resonate internationally. Revolving around shared values, unique cultural elements can be incorporated to enhance its visual and emotional appeal. "The sheer brilliance and depth in Renai Dance is a testament to the power of animation in bridging generational and cultural divides," Giulia Esposito, an Italian journalist based in Milan, writes on the A' Design Award's official site. "This film not only celebrates the legacy of past generations but also inspires the pursuit of dreams with courage and support. The commitment of the team, under the guidance and creative vision of Yang and Wu, to bring this emotionally charged and culturally rich narrative to life, despite the constraints of time and budget, is indeed worthy of recognition and admiration." (Source: China Daily) Editor: Wang Shasha A tourist scans the payment QR code to pay for the figs he bought from vendor Yimamamat Saipar onboard the train No. 7557, Aug. 1, 2024. As a regular on the train, Yimamamat Saipar, hailing from Artux in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, finds the journey to Hotan, over 500 km from home, conveniently affordable at a ticket price of only 57 yuan (about 8 U.S. dollars). By selling his homegrown fruits, he can pocket more than 1,000 yuan per trip. [Xinhua/Jin Bowen] URUMQI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) "Take it for free if it's not sweet," is what Yimamamat Saipar announced to passengers aboard the leisurely green train No. 7557 as he hawked his figs. This train, connecting Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to Hotan in the region's south, makes nearly every station along its 1,960-km route a stop. This special slow train not only facilitates travel for residents and farmers heading to bazaars but also delivers a taste of fresh delights to all on board. As a regular on the train, Yimamamat Saipar, hailing from Artux in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, finds the journey to Hotan, over 500 km from home, conveniently affordable at a ticket price of only 57 yuan (about 8 U.S. dollars). By selling his homegrown fruits, he can pocket more than 1,000 yuan per trip. "Thanks to this train, our fruits have found their market," the 54-year-old vendor said. "We can vend our produce at the 'mobile bazaar' on the train or take them to nearby county bazaars." In 2021, to support local farmers, the train crew initiated the "mobile bazaar," showcasing a variety of seasonal produce all year round. From succulent fruits and crisp vegetables to dried goods and vibrant flowers, the train is a cornucopia of almost everything one could imagine. "Farmers get cash while passengers enjoy the freshness. It's a win-win," Polatkhan, chief conductor of the train, remarked. As Yimamamat Saipar wheeled his fruit-laden cart down the aisle, the sounds of mobile payment notifications chimed frequently. "Mobile payments are new to them, but they've caught on swiftly," said Polatkhan. Smartphones are transforming the lifestyles of Xinjiang's locals, with 54,000 5G base stations now built across the region. Every prefecture-level city, county and township in Xinjiang enjoys 5G coverage, with over 20 base stations for every 10,000 residents. After scanning the payment QR code, Hou Zongmeng, a tourist from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, eagerly tasted the locally dubbed "sugar bun" figs, describing their taste as "so sweet!" Hou added that the train journey offers not only delectable fruits like figs and plums, but also captivating scenery such as deserts and oases. Polatkhan, chief conductor of the train for seven years and the "mobile bazaar" operator for three years, has seen many novelties become the norm over the years. "More locals are communicating in Mandarin, and more tourists are sharing their experiences on social media, attracting others to our train," he said. Delighted to witness the locals' horizons expanding through increased interaction with tourists from both other provincial-level regions and abroad, Polatkhan said, "I cordially invite everyone to visit southern Xinjiang and experience our unique cultures and customs." Vendor Yimamamat Saipar sells figs onboard the train No. 7557, Aug. 1, 2024. As a regular on the train, Yimamamat Saipar, hailing from Artux in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, finds the journey to Hotan, over 500 km from home, conveniently affordable at a ticket price of only 57 yuan (about 8 U.S. dollars). By selling his homegrown fruits, he can pocket more than 1,000 yuan per trip. [Xinhua/Jin Bowen] (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Wang Shasha Grant scheme helps regenerate businesses in Wrexham A Wrexham businesses is one of more than 40 in north Wales to undergo improvement works thanks to the Property Development Grants (PDGs). 966,000 was awarded to local authorities across the region by the Welsh Government to help improve commercial units and empty buildings in their towns and city centres. The PDGs were delivered as part of the Welsh Governments Transforming Towns Programme to support regeneration and enhance town centre properties. Grant awards have been used to support property owners and occupiers to make improvements to their premises and bring vacant, commercial floor space back into beneficial business use. The total investment for the Property Development Grants in the region is 1.536m. Across 10 towns a total of 45 properties were improved, with 12 of those properties returning to active use. In Wrexham Henrys Barbers, on Charles Street, used the grant to help refresh the property making the business more inviting and attractive to new and returning customers. In addition to the exterior improvements, the internal updates have reduced running costs and safeguarded existing jobs. Across north Wales other projects that benefitted from the grant include the external refurbishment of a former Woolworths building in Denbighshire. The building is a prominent fixture of Rhyl High Street and thanks to the grant funding has seen extensive external improvements to the windows, shutters, tiles as well as a full re-paint of the building. In Flintshire, the internal and external refurbishment of a vacant commercial unit in Shotton has provided additional shop floor space and a storage area. Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning, Jayne Bryant, said: Through our Transforming Towns programme we are providing invaluable support to towns and city centres to create employment opportunities for local people and bringing vibrancy to our high streets. Its wonderful to see the huge impacts these small grants are already having across North Wales and I hope by improving our town centre offers in Wales we can help safeguard and develop Welsh based businesses and encourage economic growth. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. The Organizing Committee of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held its sixth meeting on August 16, Trend reports. Samir Nuriyev, Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the Organizing Committee, noted that the preparation for COP 29 is progressing extensively under the supervision of President Ilham Aliyev. The Chairman of the Organizing Committee highlighted President Ilham Aliyevs remarks at the Shusha Global Media Forum held on July 20, as the head of states vision lies in building bridges between developed and developing countries. Samir Nuriyev underlined that full inclusivity had been ensured with respect to invitations sent to the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to attend the World Leaders Climate Action Summit to take place on November 1213. The Chairman of the Organizing Committee stated that Azerbaijan is making sincere efforts to bridge the differences between developed and developing countries regarding the new financial target. He highlighted that on July 2627 in Shamakhy, an innovative format of informal consultations was organized at the level of heads of delegations from various countries. Samir Nuriyev noted that the final text of the Host Country Agreement to be signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) had been fully agreed upon. The Chairman also noted that Azerbaijans COP29-related initiatives have been widely communicated to the public, with particular international attention given to the proposals for a ceasefire during the COP and the creation of a Climate Finance Action Fund. Samir Nuriyev announced that at the end of August, Azerbaijan is set to sign Memorandums of Understanding with the Commonwealth regarding the establishment of a Technical Assistance Fund for Small Island Developing States, and the implementation of projects on climate change by "Azercosmos" in these states. Highlighting the meetings of the COP29 International Advisory Committee and the COP29 Scientific Council, Samir Nuriyev stressed the importance of using the full potential of both institutions. Then, Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, President-Designate of COP29, provided an update on the overall state of affairs concerning COP29, the informal consultations held at the end of July in Shamakhi at the level of heads of delegations from various countries, and the upcoming international visits of the COP29 team. Arif Samadov, Chief of the Protocol Service of the Azerbaijani President, touched upon the preparations for the World Leaders Climate Action Summit during COP29. Vilayat Eyvazov, Azerbaijans Minister of Internal Affairs shed light on measures undertaken to ensure public security during COP29. Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijans Minister of Digital Development and Transport discussed transportation arrangements during COP29, including the capacity of airports to handle the expected traffic. Nigar Arpadarai, the Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29, provided an update on her activities in this role. Elchin Guliyev, Chief of the State Border Service, reported on the operation of border checkpoints in preparation for COP29. Narmin Jarchalova, the Chief Operating Officer for COP29 Azerbaijan, discussed organizational and logistical preparations, including work at the Baku Olympic Stadium, the "Blue" and "Green" zones, and the organization of events and pavilions. Maryam Majidova, Chairwoman of the Youth Gender Equality Center "Gender Hub," informed the meeting about the activities of NGOs related to COP29. The meeting concluded with directives for the implementation of the COP29 Action Plan and other related tasks. Ken Skates MS hails bright future for Wales rail service Ministers in Wales and Westminster have agreed to work in partnership to reform the railway, improve infrastructure, and deliver better services for passengers. It comes after a key inter-ministerial meeting in London, which was attended by Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, and UK Government Rail Minister, Lord Hendy. The meeting saw representatives discuss the Welsh Governments priorities for UK rail reform. These include developing a locally driven and empowered business unit for Great British Railways in Wales, delivering on commitments to create a Welsh enhancements programme and giving Wales a greater say on the specification of cross-border services. Commenting following the meeting, Transport Secretary, Ken Skates said: Im excited about the UK Governments plans for rail reform. Weve committed to working in partnership, alongside industry, to shape a bright future for rail in Wales. The decision which finally calls time on the broken rail franchising system was an important step. It means the Wales and Borders rail service will remain in public hands making it easier to integrate rail with bus and deliver on our vision of One Network, One Timetable, One Ticket. Were also working closely with the UK Government to develop a jointly agreed programme of future rail infrastructure enhancements in Wales. Rail Minister, Lord Hendy added: We are determined to reform our railways to deliver better services for passengers across all of Great Britain and create a new long-term strategy for a modern, integrated network with passengers at its heart. I look forward to working closely with the Welsh Government on its transport priorities and our shared ambitions for rail, delivering infrastructure improvements across the country to boost opportunities and economic growth. New rescue plug used to help isolate Electric Mini after collision Wrexham Green Watch have shared the above image of a new piece of kit that was called into action yesterday. The local fire crew said, Last week, we were issued a new piece of equipment for one of our appliances: a hybrid electric emergency isolation plug. This device is used to isolate both hybrid and fully electric vehicles. Noting a call out to an incident yesterday morning they explained how they used it for the first time, We were mobilised to a road traffic collision persons trapped this involved three vehicles, one of which was fully electric. We mobilised two rescue pumps from Wrexham, along with Wrexhams Environmental Protection Unit and Deesides rescue pump. Upon arrival, we conducted a thorough 360-degree risk assessment. Firefighter Sam Wright was then assigned to secure the electric vehicle using the new rescue plug, while the hybrid vehicle was fully stabilised. To gain better access to the casualty, we decided to relocate the second vehicle. With a North Wales Police officer already attending to the casualty inside the vehicle, we carefully executed the relocation with the casualty still inside. Once the vehicle was repositioned, we fully stabilised it and Firefighter Jordan Davies was sent in to provide casualty care and treatment. Following Jordans assessment and handover, we initiated the exit project, guiding the casualty to self-extricate with the support of both fire and ambulance personnel. They added, We remained on the scene to oversee the handover to the recovery company. Occupant was conveyed to hospital for treatment and check up. The Welsh Ambulance service have previously said, While we appreciate some incidents may be of interest to the public, this is not the same as in the public interest. We therefore no longer respond to enquiries about routine incidents, including minor RTCs, unless there is significant disruption or other extenuating circumstances. Most RTCs on the thousands of miles of road we serve are minor and do not involve serious injury or major disruption. Give Green Watch a follow on insta by tapping here! Rats, flies and seagulls among pests found in Wrexham Maelor Hospital Rats, flies and seagulls are among the pests which have been discovered in Wrexham Maelor Hospital over the last few years. Data obtained by Wrexham.com following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has highlighted the number of pest control call outs to hospitals run by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. According to the figures, pest control teams were called to the Maelor 314 times between January 2021 and the end of May this year. The most frequent causes were in relation to rats, ants, wasps, seagulls, flies and pigeons. However, the overall information shows there has been a gradual reduction in call outs over the last few years from 149 in 2021 to 45 last year. The highest amount of call outs out of the three main hospital sites in North Wales for the overall time period were to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, where pest control teams visit on 359 occasions. In addition to the list of pests detected at the Maelor, fleas and mice were also found at Glan Clwyd. Ysbyty Gwynedd accounted for the fewest with just 127 call outs in the same timeframe. Data has also been included for smaller local health facilities, with 30 calls to Chirk Community Hospital regarding rats and ants. There were also nine cases of wasps and ants at the Coed Celyn mental health unit on Grove Road in Wrexham. Meanwhile, there was just one call out to Penley Community Hospital in relation to wasps. A total of eight contracted pest control visits are carried out at hospitals and other facilities run by the health board every year. The figures detailed above relate to call outs in addition to that amount. The sharing of this data comes in the same week that a report has been published shows how old hospital buildings in Wales possibly contributed to the spread of Covid-19. More than 18,000 cases of suspected hospital-acquired Covid infections were investigated in the report sharing learnings from the pandemic, which also highlighted staffing issues. In relation to hospital buildings, it states: Ageing estates across health boards and trusts in Wales present a number of challenges in relation to both infection prevention and control (IP&C) and patient experience. Since many of the hospitals and other healthcare settings across Wales were designed and built, IP&C and patient experience best practice have developed considerably. Many healthcare settings have limited access to single rooms which means there is less opportunity to isolate patients. Bed-spacing and ventilation were also a challenge in some areas which limited the ability to manage the risk of infection. The CEO of national rail operator Deutsche Bahn has announced that a further 30,000 jobs will be cut. The plan is supported by the GDL and EVG unions. Rail workers in the administrative departments have told the rank-and-file Rail Action Committee that they are already suffering from staff shortages and work-related stress. Protest banner by railway workers against job cuts, DB Cargo Mainz, February 2024. The banner reads Your sh*t performance costs us our jobs! In Berlin, Stuttgart, Duisburg and Frankfurt am Main, members of the action committee have spoken to workers in the administration of Deutsche Bahn (DB). This is the area where the axe is to strike first. A total of 30,000 full-time jobs are to be cut at Deutsche Bahn in five years, as CEO Richard Lutz announced at the July 25 press conference. The massive cuts have the support of the EVG and GDL rail unions. The train drivers union GDL has expressly agreed to the job cuts if they take place in administration and not in the direct [rail] area. The EVG, the in-house company union, is more reserved in its comments, but writes that it fundamentally supports DBs efforts to scrutinise and question processes and structures within the company, as long as the personnel adjustments ... are planned and implemented in a socially responsible manner. In other words, the EVG will actively participate in the destruction of jobs at Deutsche Bahn. Both the EVG and GDL have their top representatives on the DB supervisory and are of course familiar with the corresponding strategy paper containing the detailed cuts plans. However, they are keeping it carefully secret from the workforce, trying to keep quiet so as not to cause unrest. In all four cities where we spoke to rail workers, many reported that union representatives and works council reps were playing down the issue and keeping quiet. They dont tell us whats going on, said a travel information worker in Frankfurt. And a technician said, EVG and GDL dont want the workforce to discuss it. In the statement calling on workers to defend jobs and working conditions against the government, Deutsche Bahn, the GDL and EVG apparatus, which was distributed widely, the Rail Action Committee describes the plans for job cuts as a frontal attack on all Deutsche Bahn workers, calls on those working in administration to join its fight to defend jobs, and states: We will not be divided. Practically all rail workers took a flyer, and many said it was important someone was taking the initiative against job cuts. However, the brief conversations also made it clear that no official bodyneither management, works council or trade unionis informing the workforce about the plans in concrete terms. Some of them were still unaware of the sword of Damocles hanging over them. Time and again, they reported on the staff shortages that already prevail in various departments: We need to hire more people! or We are desperately looking for people, said many. Vacancies have not been filled for a long time, said an IT technician in Frankfurt am Main. This leads to staff having to work longer hours and overtime, and it has consequences. Near Frankfurts main railway station, there are numerous DB offices, including DB-Vehicle Maintenance, DB-Systel (IT) and DB-InfraGo (infrastructure), as well as administrative and training facilities. One worker said: We are the people who create the timetables. We really need to hire people urgently. If one person is on holiday and another is sick, then chaos is inevitable. A maintenance worker confirmed that the staff cuts have direct consequences: If we cant keep up, then the wagons are not operational: then trains are cancelled. In Duisburg, too, staff working at the DB Netz operations centre reported a significant shortage of personnel. This is where the rail service providers control and plan all freight and passenger traffic in North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond. Almost all departments and areas are understaffed, as the workers reported. They often have to work overtime and even sacrifice their days off. At the same time, several reported that a general recruitment freeze was already in place, and others pointed to preparations for job cuts. In Stuttgart, an administrative worker reported anger and uncertainty in his company. There was a tense atmosphere; he said: Everyone is wondering who is on the list now. In Berlin, a young engineer at the S-Bahn Nordbahnhof local rail depot reported that her contract as a Deutsche Bahn trainee expired at the end of August. This was after she had worked for the company for two years for 1,000 a month. The contract will not be extended, she said, adding that she would not be hired permanently either. She pointed out angrily that the same board of directors that is now imposing a hiring freeze is itself cashing in bonuses worth millions. In fact, at the end of 2023, the DB board of directors had received almost 5 million in bonuses, with CEO Lutz alone receiving more than 1.2 million. Numerous workers pointed out to us that jobs would be destroyed by the use of AI. Many of our colleagues are already afraid of this, said the worker, who creates timetables in Frankfurt. An administrative worker in Berlin also reported attempts to carry out planning processes increasingly using AI. She said, But the previous attempts dont work at all. In the support services sector, jobs are already being cut. A cleaner in Stuttgart said she and one other person have to do all the cleaning, coffee-making, etc., on four floors, which previously employed three people. The third colleague had been taken off her team. In Frankfurt, an older worker who had been with the railways for 43 years and had worked in railway operations for 25 years told us, 80 percent of the in-house service jobs are being outsourced to subcontractors, as was reported at a works meeting. We already have temporary workers, and that is really exploitation. They get less pay, no holiday pay, no Christmas bonus, no travel discount. Thats not right! The same worker confirmed that a recruitment freeze was already in place: Young people who apply to DB are being turned away. They are putting pressure on older workers to retire early. Some EVG members and works council reps also criticised the plans to cut jobs and expressed dissatisfaction with the union. In Stuttgart, a works council member said that she did not agree with the fact that the management, with the consent of the union representatives on the supervisory board, was cashing in millions. In Berlin, a female rail worker said that, unlike the EVG, the GDL was much more militant. However, she was not aware of how the GDL was agitating against the dead wood supposedly in the administration, and that GDL leader Weselsky had founded a temporary employment agency for train drivers. The job cuts in the administration are just the beginning. The planned 30,000 job cuts also target workers on the tracks and in the stations. The planned massive staff cuts have also already begun at DB Cargo, where up to 1,800 job cuts are currently planned. And at Duisburg Central Station, the train manager of an ICE (Inter City Express) reported how she was responsible for an entire ICE with only one other train attendant. If Deutsche Bahn had its way, this would become the norm, she said. In a fully occupied ICE with 900 passengers, just two train attendants would have to manage the entire operation. Many railway workers welcome the initiative of the Rail Action Committee to overcome the divisions that have been artificially created between the productive area and the administration. In Frankfurt, the travel information centre worker told us, I think its bad when you say that one part of the company is stealing jobs from the other. A technician working on future railway projects told us, Its right that you want to overcome the divisions. Every job, no matter where, must be defended because everyone is important in their place. The railways are a large complex. On Facebook, one worker wrote, Back then, railway workers, no matter what department, were a unit. Today it seems to me as if we were opponents. In Frankfurt, a young man who is training to become an operations manager said it was an outrage to systematically cut jobs in times of a shortage of skilled workers. It was well known that DB had been making savings in the wrong places for decades: Even during [German] reunification and then in 1994, when DB was privatised, that was wrong. Critical infrastructure belongs in state hands, he said. The government is standing tall and saying: We want to turn transport around and have fewer autos to protect the climateand now the railways are being cut back once again. He promised to study the positions of the Action Committee on the World Socialist Web Site. The Rail Action Committee is committed to defending every job on principle. It is demanding: Instead of cutting jobs, 30,000 new workers must be hired. To achieve this, employees at all railway companies, whether on the tracks, in freight, in technology or administration, must unite to be able to act independently of the EVG and GDL. The rights and needs of workers, including passengers, are more important than the profit interests of the government and investors, shareholders and speculators. Stop all military transport by rail! No weapons and ammunition for the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, or for the genocide in Gaza. International unity of all railway workers. Stop the privatisation of state railways and any critical infrastructure. Get in touch with us to help build the Action Committee and contact us via WhatsApp at +49-163-337 8340 or register using the form below! In northern Chile, workers at Escondida, the largest copper mine in the world, went on strike Tuesday after contract negotiations broke down with majority owner BHP, an Australian-based conglomerate. Miners at the Escondida Mine, Chile [Photo by Duratray / CC BY-SA 4.0 Escondida produces 5.4 percent of global copper output and represents 2.5 percent of the Chilean economy. The miners voted 99.7 percent to strike, opposing threats to extend the workday, speedups, and loss of medical and meal benefits. Their demands include increased rest time, an effective access to breastfeeding rooms, adjustments to variable bonuses, and a US$36,000 signing bonus. They have rejected the offer of a 2 percent real wage increase above base pay, which varies today from $1,000-$2,250 per month. Another key concern raised by miners are the growing layoffs from automation and outsourcing. This issue reveals the role being played by the union, which has forsaken any opposition to the right of the company to lay off workers as it pleases. Instead, it is merely demanding the palliative that all years worked be counted for severance pay, not just the 11-year maximum stipulated by Chilean law. Strikes at the mine in 2006, 2007, and 2011, and a hunger strike in 2015 have failed to resolve the issues of constant layoffs, unsafe conditions, understaffing and overwork. The union, which was described by an Escondida worker in 2018 to the WSWS as an unelected paper union, has repeatedly used such limited strikes as a safety valve to suppress opposition and impose sellout contracts. Chiles main union confederation, the CUT, has made an empty statement of solidarity without mobilizing its forces, making clear that neither the Escondida union nor the CUT are willing to wage a real struggle to guarantee the interests of miners. Such a fight would risk their comfortable seat at the table with the corporations and further expose their political allies in the government of President Gabriel Boric. Labor Minister Jeannette Jara made clear the Boric governments hostility to the strike, telling reporters: We had in 2017 in the country an experience of a strike that had an impact on production, growth and tax revenues, and we hope that with a good disposition the parties can reach an agreement. In 2017, a 44-day strike at the mine tipped the economy into a recession and raised global copper prices. Street barricades were cleared violently by Carabineros police with tear gas and other anti-riot gear. Boric already showed his willingness to deploy police against striking copper miners in June 2022. Then, the Federation of Copper Workers (FTC) shut down the strike, which involved 52,000 workers who opposed the closing of a foundry. This betrayal allowed the state-owned Codelco and the contractors to close the foundry and fire most of the 350 workers. On Tuesday, BHP activated a contingency plan employing non-union workers to maintain basic operations at Escondida and managed to use contractors to ship copper concentrate. While the union has denounced that the company is illegally replacing workers with scabs, it has not tried to rally the non-unionized contract workers, set up picket lines or appeal to broader sections of workers in Chile or internationally. In other words, the union is isolating the strike and preparing a defeat. In general, the strike is highlighting how the official left and the union bureaucracy have become the willing enforcers of the reactionary labor regulations inherited from the fascist-military dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet and the democratic transition governments, including the 11-year severance limit, the contingency plans that legalized strikebreaking, the sanctions against picket lines, and the division of workers by allowing multiple unions and contracts in one workplace. Far from the narrative that miners are privileged and ungrateful, the unions demands dont make a dent in the extreme levels of exploitation and provide no guarantees for protecting jobs. If workers took the $8.847 billion in profits reported at the mine just for fiscal year 2023, each would get $3.72 millionand the contract being signed covers three years. In other words, millions are taken from each worker and handed to shareholders every year. Such ill-gotten profits would also more than suffice to cover the basic needs of Chiles 1.3 million poor. Miners must oppose all conceptions of seeing the strike as merely a means of getting a few more crumbs for the next three-year contract. The tradition must be recovered in which the struggle of miners serves as a powerful spearhead in the fight for social equality and ending the centuries of colonialist looting, imperialist oppression and the rule of the subservient Chilean oligarchy. The demand to expropriate and place all mines under the democratic control of workers, including Codelco, is directly posed and would win overwhelming support from all sectors of the working class across Chile, Latin America and internationally. The 2017 strike at Escondida was an important factor in animating strikes at other mines, by teachers and healthcare workers, as well as at Walmart in 2018, and the 2019 social explosion and general strikes involving millions against social inequality. The jobs and conditions for miners and workers in Chile cannot be secured through subordination to the Boric administration and its allies in the unions. There is nothing to appeal to, negotiate or mediate with Boric or his pseudo-left coalition. The support by Boric to the US-NATO war in Ukraine against Russia and his central role in the ongoing coup attempt in Venezuela to install a fascistic regime of CIA puppets make clear which class interests his administration represents. Its left pretensions notwithstanding, Boric and his government are merely tools of imperialism and the transnational corporations. Instead, miners at Escondida must turn to their class brothers and sisters across Chile and globally, which is necessary to face massive transnational corporations like BHP and the financial groups and imperialist governments behind them. This includes supporting the autoworkers at Stellantis in Michigan who are also facing mass layoffs as a result of automation and a transition to electric vehicles, which depend on the copper and lithium deposits in South America. To succeed, workers must not only draw the lessons of the betrayals of the 2019 struggles, which were channeled by the unions and pseudo-left behind the election of Boric. Most importantly, workers must study the experience of the government of Popular Unity under Salvador Allende and the Stalinist Communist Party. While the nationalization of copper was completed under Allende with the support of the far-right, his governments defense of capitalism not only disarmed workers politically but involved the deployment of troops to crush the strike at El Teniente and every struggle that broke out of the control of his government. Popular Unity opened the door for the 1973 US-backed coup and the installation of the Pinochet dictatorship, which reprivatized the mines after detaining, torturing and massacring the most militant workers. As the World Socialist Web Site wrote last year in commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Chilean coup: The fundamental lesson of the Chilean defeat was that the working class was willing and able to take political power, but it lacked the decisive element of a revolutionary leadership, a party based upon Trotskyism and the assimilation of the bitter lessons of the 20th century. Railroaders: What are conditions like now, nearly two years after strike ban? Fill out the form below. All submissions will be kept anonymous. Locomotives are stacked up with freight cars in the Union Pacific Railroad's Bailey Yard, in North Platte, Nebraska. [AP Photo/David Zalubowski] Union Pacific (UP) railroad is attempting to modify a crew scheduling agreement which guaranteed additional days off, citing alleged labor shortages. The move comes only months before the national rail contract is due to be renegotiated at the start of next year. Under the policy, known as 11/4, locomotive engineers work 11 days on duty, followed by four guaranteed off days. This is in contrast to the historical extra board system where train crews were subject to being on call for most of their careers, until they acquired sufficient seniority to hold a regularly scheduled position. While still requiring engineers to be available to work over a week and a half with no breaks, 11/4 is still an improvement over the federally mandated 24 hours off after 11 days. The policy was not part of the contract which was imposed by the White House and Congress through a strike ban in late 2022. Instead, the railroad agreed to it following talks with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) in May of 2023. Now, Union Pacific is attempting to unilaterally modify the agreement so engineers coming off their rest days are placed at the top of the call list, fouling up the schedules of engineers who are still on their days of scheduled work. Union Pacific claims this is necessary because it has had to hire more people than anticipated. But the truth is that these shortages are created by the railroads themselves. They have used intolerable working conditions to drive tens of thousands out of the workforce, squeezing as much profit as possible out of those remaining. The decision to change 11/4 exposes the managerial dictatorship in the railroad industry. There are effectively no contracts as such because workers are legally barred from engaging in strikes and other forms of self-help to enforce them. UP and the railroads receive the backing of the government, which uses the anti-strike Railway Labor Act (RLA), strike bans by Congress, pro-capitalist courts and government mediators to effectively ban strikes. Infamously, after workers voted down a government-mediated contract in late 2022, and finally exhausted all anti-strike provisions under the RLA, Biden and Congress banned a strike and imposed the deal. This state-sanctioned attack on railroaders is international. This month, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City announced plans to lock out 9,300 workers in Canada. The companies are banking on Canadas Liberal government to intervene, as it and previous governments have, to impose massive concessions. In June, BLET filed a lawsuit in federal court against the change in schedules by Union Pacific, asking a judge to rule this a major dispute, which legally allows a strike to occur. The change has no legitimate business rationale, but is instead being implemented to purposely make engineers lives more difficult so as to force the Labor Unions to ask to renegotiate other aspects of the 11/4 Agreement, the suit reads. But the BLET knows very well that the judge will rule in favor of the railroad, and has only filed suit to create the impression that it is doing something. In early 2022, a federal judge ruled against BNSF workers when that railroad unilaterally imposed the hated Hi Viz attendance policy. In his ruling, Judge Mark Pittman cited national interest as a major factor in his decisionin plain language, the interests of corporate America, not American workers. They also want to keep the railroads operating to move military equipment to US proxy forces in Ukraine and Gaza. The union bureaucrats share responsibility for this state of affairs. They deliberately blocked a strike in 2022 and helped the White House impose a contract through endless unexplained delays, designed to drag things out until after the midterm elections. Railroaders, furious, responded with a rebellion organized through the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee. After the deal was imposed, the railroads voluntarily gave up a series of fig leaf concessions to allay workers anger, including modest provisions for sick days and the 11/4 schedule itself. But what is given is easily taken away. At the same time, they moved forward with long-planned new attacks on workers. Only days after the anti-strike bill was signed into law, Union Pacific announced a pilot program for one-man crews, while BNSF began assigning locomotive maintenance to nonunion contractors. Conditions on the railroads have continued to decline, creating unsafe conditions for workers and the public. This was tragically shown in the East Palestine, Ohio disaster, where the government and both parties provided Norfolk Southern with cover after it poisoned the entire town with a controlled release from derailed chemical tankers. At the end of the year, the contracts for UP and the five other Class I railroads are up for renegotiation. None of the issues that drove workers in 2022 have been resolved, and workers have unfinished business with the railroads, their lackeys in the bureaucracy and the capitalist state. Railroaders must build upon the experiences of 2022. They should prepare now to develop rank-and-file structures that give them real control and prepare for a three-front war. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. The final text of the Host Country Agreement to be signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has been fully agreed upon, Head of the Azerbaijani Administration Samir Nuriyev said, Trend reports. He made the announcement at the sixth meeting of the Organizing Committee in connection with the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), held on August 16. Samir Nuriyev noted that full inclusiveness has been ensured in connection with invitations to the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to the upcoming Leaders' Summit on November 1213. Join the fight to save Warren Truck and auto jobs everywhere! Fill out the form below to join the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committees Network. Warren Truck autoworkers enter the UAW Local 140 hall, August 15, 2024 Autoworkers were furious at a local union meeting Thursday afternoon near Detroit, called to discuss mass layoffs at Stellantiss Warren Truck Assembly Plant. Last week, the company announced nearly 2,500 layoffs to take effect October 8. The United Auto Workers lied to us, saying were all going to have jobs for life, one worker said before the meeting. First, they fired the supplemental workers they promised to roll over. Now its everybody who hired in after June 2018. They want to get rid of the second shift and whole departments. The worker continued: Weve got to fight this. Theres nothing to be scared of because theyll take away everything if we dont stop them. They may shuffle some workers to Jefferson or Toledo, but theres not enough room for 2,500 workers. We were supposed to get the electric truck, but they sent it to Mexico for cheaper wages. The workers in Mexico are fighting too because they cant feed their families. We all have to come together because we have to feed our families regardless of what country were in. United Auto Workers Local 140 called the meeting at 3:00 p.m. during the week, ostensibly to discuss the layoffs, although workers complained that they received no meaningful information from the bureaucrats. The scheduling in the middle of a work week was designed to depress attendance, as it made it difficult for first shift workers to attend. Nevertheless, hundreds of autoworkers attended the meeting. They [the UAW Local 140 officials] didnt want anyone to know about the meeting, basically, one worker said. They should have held the meeting on a Sunday like they normally do when everyone could have showed up. I have to be at work on second shift, so I had to leave the meeting early to get to work to be on time. Opposition from workers inside the hall forced the union to postpone to 3:30. Autoworkers arrive at the UAW Local 140 hall for a meeting on mass layoffs at Warren Truck, August 15, 2024. Workers placed blame for the cuts squarely on the UAW bureaucracy. Following a limited strike last year which did not seriously impact production, it rammed through a sellout contract, which it falsely claimed was a historic victory. Since then, more than 8,000 autoworkers in the US have lost their jobs. It has since been revealed that the UAW knew these cuts were coming before the contract but said nothing about it. This is part of an offensive in the global auto industry, which is using electric vehicles and other new technologies as a weapon against jobs. Outside, campaigners for the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network distributed copies of its statement, Fight the layoffs at Stellantis Warren Truck! Organize a rank-and-file counteroffensive! They also distributed copies of a statement by Will Lehman, a socialist autoworker who ran against union president Shawn Fain, proposing a three-point program in defense of jobs. Joseph Kishore, the Socialist Equality Partys candidate for US president, also spoke to workers as they entered the meeting. Kishore issued a statement following the meeting calling for a rank-and-file movement of all workers in the UAW and beyond to defend the jobs of the Warren Truck workers. The union, meanwhile, offered workers no plan for how to fight the layoffs, instead handing out material from Stellantis and the government about how to file for unemployment and other technical issues. One worker said, after the meeting: They gave us a bunch of hoo-ha, but no real information. People asked a lot of questions in the meeting, but they didnt have a lot of answers. It was just, Well get back with you on this, and well get back with you on that. They did the same thing when we ratified the contract. There was a bunch of this, that and the other. But none of it happened. That is what this was, too. She said UAW officials claimed that there are 200 openings at [Sterling Heights Assembly Plant], 150 at Toledo. Belvidere [in Illinois] is going to open back up. Just a bunch of things they think people want to hear. But those jobs arent even going to happen. SHAP was laying people off just recently. Handout distributed by the UAW at the Local 140 meeting. Note it still refers to "FCA" (Fiat Chrysler Automobilies), which ceased to exist in January 2021 following the merger to form Stellantis. [Photo: Stellantis/UAW] She continued: We still do not have the new contract book. They printed out pages they wanted us to read from online, but it is not the full contract book. It is all just blowing smoke. They just want to give you what you want to hear and what they can get away with saying. Someone got up and raised the point about a shorter workweek [which UAW President Shawn Fain claimed to be fighting for last year]. We are putting the money in the billionaires pockets. But Shawn Fain is doing no fighting, except along with the politicians he is with, like Kamala Harris. That is where his concern is right now. A Warren Truck worker, who was not present at the meeting, spoke separately to the WSWS about conditions in the plant: Theyve been switching us from nights to days and having workers on one week and off one week. You try to collect unemployment, but it doesnt cut it. Its rough. I always heard about the auto industry closing plants and cutting thousands of jobs, but this is the first time Ive seen it come to fruition. Lots of people want something to happen, to stand up and stop this, but the union is going along with it and not fighting. A lot of us are still processing this and trying to figure out what were going to do. At the same time, they are ramping up production to get every last drop of production from us. Were building $100,000 trucks that nobody can afford to buy. Stellantis has made billions off of us and theyre throwing us into the streets. The union knew this was going to happen and they are just letting it happen. It would take a lot of people to get on the same page to get US, Mexican and European workers together to fight, but we have to do it. A former WTAP worker also spoke to the WSWS: The union and the company lied when they said they were rolling over the supplementals [to full-time status]. Instead, they fired them. Now, the full timers are worried whether or not they will be transferred to other plants. But there are too many being laid off to get transferred. People put their faith in Fain and the rank-and-file committees warned them not to. But now they have nothing to lose. They have to stand up for their jobs so they can feed their families. They cant stand there with their tails between their legs. The ones in charge of the union or the presidents and the politicians from both parties cant be in charge of you. The UAW leaders act like theyre your friends and have your backs, but theyre not standing up for you. We dont mean anything to these companies. You get rolled over and you think this is my plant. You adjust your shifts and lifestyle to this plant, and then they take it all away. I knew something was wrong when they said they were rolling the TPTs overit was all lies. Another worker told the WSWS outside the meeting: I think Stellantis is bad news altogether. Its the UAW too. We are paying them, and they are not sticking up for us. If the union president did so good, where is he now? He is nowhere around. He is long gone; taking his vacations and whatever. He got paid off, thats my opinion. They said at the time, Oh, yeah. We made it so they cant close the plant. What do you think is going to happen in four years? The plant is going to be gone. They will be out of Michigan. They are building the new Dodge electric truck in Brazil. He concluded: The only way this is going to stop is if everyone in the plant walks out. Everyone needs to get together at one time and strike, because we dont appreciate what this company is doing. The UAW didnt do anything for us, they knew this was coming along. The bombing that destroyed the Nord Stream gas pipeline at the bottom of the Baltic Sea on September 26, 2022, was carried out by Ukrainians with the support of the highest levels of the state and military. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on August 14, citing several unnamed sources in the Ukrainian military apparatus. U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, Friday, June 7, 2024. [AP Photo/Evan Vucci] According to the WSJ report, President Volodymyr Zelensky personally approved the attack. At the urging of the American CIA, however, he made a retreat and ordered the termination of the operation. The now deposed commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Valery Zaluzhny, ignored the order and carried the attack through to its completion. The WSJ report came a day after German newspapers reported that German chief state prosecutor Jens Rommel had already obtained an arrest warrant for a suspect in June. Ukrainian diving instructor Volodymyr Z., who is trained as a deep-sea diver, is said to have been a member of the six-person crew that rented the sailing yacht Andromeda in September 2022 and, according to investigators, installed the explosive charges and detonated them. Although the European arrest warrant was sent to the authorities in Poland in June, where Volodymyr Z. now officially resides, they did nothing and let him leave for Ukraine. He was apparently warned in advance. With the arrest warrant against a Ukrainian suspect, however, it was clear that after almost two years of investigations, the Ukrainian state and party leadership was now also among the suspects. The investigations were until now delayed and dragged out by all sides. Sweden and Denmark, on whose territory the attack took place, did virtually nothing and halted the investigation after a year and a half. Poland sabotaged the investigations and Ukraine refused to cooperate. In both countries, the attack is celebrated as a heroic deed. But the United States and Germany, the country hit the hardest apart from Russia, also put the brakes on the investigation. The US had an obvious interest in destroying the pipeline that made Germany dependent on Russian gas supplies. President Joe Biden even openly threatened an attack two weeks before the start of the Ukraine war. If Russia invades, he said at a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, then Nord Stream 2 will no longer exist. We will put an end to it. For its part, Germany feared that the identification of the real perpetrators would affect its war offensive against Russia, which it is advancing with billions of euros in arms supplies and the largest rearmament since Hitler. The findings could upend relations between Kiev and Berlin, which has provided much of the financing and military equipment to Ukraine, second only to the U.S., wrote the WSJ, quoting a German official familiar with the matter, An attack of this scale is a sufficient reason to trigger the collective defense clause of NATO, but our critical infrastructure was blown up by a country that we support with massive weapons shipments and billions in cash. The article, which also covers joint research by the German public broadcaster ARD, the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung and the news magazine Die Zeit, paints a devastating picture of Ukrainian responsibility for the attack. Although it is said to have been financed by private businessmen and carried out by a mixed team of soldiers and civilians, the leadership clearly lay with the Ukrainian military: A serving general with experience in special operations would oversee the mission, which one participant described as a public-private partnership. He would report directly to the head of Ukraines armed forces, the four-star Gen. Zaluzhniy. Furthermore, the WSJ reported: The general tasked with commanding the operation enlisted some of Ukraines top special-operations officers with experience in orchestrating high-risk clandestine missions against Russia to help coordinate the attack. One of them was Roman Chervinsky, a decorated colonel who previously served in Ukraines main security and intelligence service, the SBU. Not only the CIA, but also the German foreign intelligence service BND knew about the plans before the attack but did nothing. They were warned by the Dutch secret service, which is extremely active in Ukraine after the downing of flight MH-17 that killed numerous Dutch citizens. A few days after the attack, the BND received another detailed report on the incident from Dutch military intelligence, which the investigating police authorities were not allowed to read. These findings were completely hidden from the public. Instead, the media and politicians spread the absurd claim that Russia itself destroyed the pipeline, with which it earned billions annually and half of which belongs to the state-affiliated Russian company Gazprom. The WSJs article, despite its revelations, is an attempt at damage limitation. It admits what is already known, reveals what can no longer be hidden for long, and at the same time strives to pull the main people responsible out of the line of fire. The article declares Zaluzhny, who now sits in London as the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, to be primarily responsible, in order to protect Zelensky. The claim that the CIA dissuaded Zelensky from the attack plan and that Zaluzhny opposed this is absurd. Like Zelensky, Zaluzhny could not take a single step without the consent of the US. Zaluzhny was actually an especially close confidant of the US. When Zelensky fell out with him and wanted to remove him, Washington resisted for a long period. The Ukrainian army was rebuilt, trained and armed by the US after the Maidan coup. Zaluzhny was in regular telephone contact with the top US general, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley. I talk to him every week, sometimes twice, sometimes three times a week, Milley told CBS News. The WSJs story that the plans were spontaneously concocted by a handful of officers and businessmen during a drinking binge four months before the attack is also absurd. Such plans have been in place for a long time. The US put pressure on Germany for years to shut down Nord Stream 1 and not put Nord Stream 2 into operation. Bidens previously quoted threat was just one of many. The real role of the American and German governments in the Nord Stream attack remains in the dark. But one thing is now undeniable: the attack, which caused billions in damage and drove energy prices to dizzying heights, did not come from an external source, from Russia, but from within Ukraine and NATO itself. The bombing lays bare for all to see the predatory nature of the war that NATO is waging against Russia in Ukraine. The methods of the war correspond to its aims. It is not about freedom and democracy for Ukraine, which is being bled white and destroyed by the war, but about the conquest and division of Russias vast resources. That is why the NATO partners also fight among themselves using methods akin to mafia clans. Wildfires have again taken hold this summer in Greece, Italy, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria and other south-eastern European countries. Nearly 10,000 hectares (approx. 40 square miles) of mostly forest land was burnt in northeastern Attica in a fire that erupted on August 11 in the village of Varnavas, 30km north-east of the Greek capital Athens. Flames burn a vehicle at a business during a fire in northern Athens, August 12, 2024 [AP Photo/Aggelos Barai] Aided by gale force winds and high temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius, a wall of flames over 25 metres high and covering a 30km radius spread south and reached Athens northern suburbs of Nea Penteli, Patima Halandriou and Vrilissiajust 14km away from the centre of Athens. This is the first time since 1981 that a fire has reached an urban area in the outskirts of the capital. The sky of Attica was covered with black smoke with the Hellenic Thoracic Society advising those suffering with lung and heart problems to avoid going outside. The blaze was the second largest the Attica region has experienced since 2009, when just over 13,000 hectares of forest land were burnt. Last year Greece saw the biggest fire in the European Union since 2000 when around 90,000 hectares were burnt in the Evros region of northern Greece near the land border with Turkey, resulting in the death of 18 refugees. Due to this weeks fires, thousands were evacuated including patients and staff from a children hospital and a military hospital, both near Mount Penteli. The body of a 65-year-old worker was discovered in the bathroom of a burnt out factory in Patima Halandriou, where she was seeking shelter. She had been employed at the factory for 20 years. The blaze raged for more than 40 hours with firefighters still putting out remnants of the fire three days later. It led to extensive power cuts, after at least 120 power poles were damaged. The increasing frequency of fires in Greece are the result of climate change, which has led to record high temperatures, with June and July this year the hottest since records began. Temperatures approaching and even above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) are becoming the norm during the summer in large parts of Europe. This is part of a wider trend across the continent, which is sweltering under a heatwave with fires also breaking out in Italys Latina Province and in the north of Portugal. Record temperatures in Spain prompted the government to declare a drought emergency with water restrictions imposed on the island of Tenerife. The Mediterranean is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which according to the United Nations Environment Programme is heating up 20 percent faster than the global average. In July, wildfires ripped through Albania, beginning in the south of the country and travelling north. Further fires broke out in recent weeks in Albania, Bulgaria and Sardinia. At the end of July, an elderly man in North Macedonia was killed in a forest fire burning since early July. Research by the Barcelona-based Institute for Global Health found there were more than 47,000 heat related deaths across Europe because of high temperatures last year, the warmest year on record globally and the second warmest in Europe. Greece had the worst heat related mortality rate in Europe, with 393 deaths per million compared with the European average of 88. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: We constantly have to become better. And from any mistakes and any fire that gets out of control we always we always have to see what we can learn and what we can do better. The reality is that the conservative New Democracy (ND) government has learned nothing since it came to power in 2019. In the last eight years 13 major fires have burnt more than 45,000 hectares of forest land within Attica, 37 percent of the regions total. Scientists have raised concerns about the long-term effects on the health of Atticas inhabitantsnearly 40 percent of Greeces total population. With only 0.96 sq. metres of green space per inhabitant, Athens already has one of the worst ratios of green spaces per capita in the worldwell below the minimum of 9 square metres per capita recommended by the World Health Organisation. In April, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced a 2.1 billion programme to combat natural disasters caused by climate change with a view to upgrade its crumbling fire service fleet of planes, helicopters and fires engines. None of this will be available in the next two years. Between 2020 and 2010, 1.1 billion was cut from forest protection and forest fire service due to successive austerity packages imposed at the behest of the European Union and International Monetary Fund. The trend has continued. The national park in Mount Parnitha north of Athens only has seven rangers to cover an area of 35,000 hectares of forest land. Speaking to Documento in April Forestry and Environmental Scientist Eleftherios Stamatopoulos said: If we invested in the management of forests with the 145 million euros that [fire fighting] Air Tractors cost we could have covered the needs of forests for twenty years. Greeces fire service is understaffed by 4,000, while fire-fighters have an average age of 47 and most fire engines are more than 20 years old. Fire-fighters are routinely shipped all over the country to fight blazes. Speaking to Documento last month the president of the Panhellenic Union of Temporary Firefighters recounted his recent experience of being shipped from Thessaloniki in Northern Greece to fight a fire in Keratea in Southern Attica: They sent personnel from Thessaloniki with five vehicles and 20 of us crammed in a small space. We got to Keratea and I was dropped off in an area where I knew none of the roads. We arrived at 4pm after an eight-hour road-trip in a 25-year-old vehicle with no air conditioning. Greeces population is often left to their own devices to fight fires that break out. On the Mega Channel, Dimitris Megagiannis, a livestock farmer in Penteli, said following the recent fire in Attica: Nothings left of my farm. There have been many fires here since 1995 and we have put all of them out with a fire engine that was always here. Today we are at the mercy of God: Not one firefighting plane or fire engine. It was just me with my son and two buckets of water the whole time. Until I couldnt take any more at some point and I passed out and dont know what happened afterwards. When I came to after 10-15 minutes I heard my animals bleating and dying. Financial support offered to those affected by fires is risible. Owners of burnt homes are offered between 5,000-10,000 and small businesses between 2,000-4,000. In a tweet with the hashtag #EUSolidarity, Janez Lenarcic, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, boasted of the EUs in fact minimal assistance to Greece which consisted of 2 planes from the rescEU fleet from Italy, one rescEU helicopter from France and ground firefighting teams from Romania and Czechia. Cuts to the fire service are an EU-wide phenomenon, despite the increase of wildfires across the continent due to climate change. According to Eurostat, 10 countries cut firefighting jobs between 2021 and 2022, with the largest drops recorded in France, Romania, Portugal, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Belgium. France cut its firefighters by 5,400, while Romania and Portugal slashed their firefighters by 4,250 and 2,907 respectively. The pseudo-left Syriza, now Greeces official opposition, has tried to make political capital of the Attica fires. In a statement the party denounced the audacity and irresponsibility of Mr Mitsotakis, which is unprecedented. But having governed the country between 2015 and 2019 Syriza bears as much responsibility as ND for the devastations wrought by forest fires in Greece over the last years. After betraying its massive popular mandate to end austerity in the summer of 2015, the Syriza government signed a third austerity package from the EU, IMF and European Central Bank. This imposed even deeper spending cuts, decimating the living standards of millions. Syriza, which presented itself as a fervent defender of the environment, presided over the forest fire in the summer of 2018 at Mati, a small coastal town outside Athens, in which over 100 lost their lives. Sky News reported Thursday that British Challenger 2 main battle tanks have been deployed inside Russia as part of the NATO-Ukrainian offensive against Russias Kursk region. Challenger 2 main battle tanks flying the Ukrainian flag The United States, Britain and Germany have given Ukraine hundreds of Abrams, Challenger 2 and Leopard 2 main battle tanks. But the report by Sky News is the first confirmation that these vehicles have been used inside the Russian border by Ukrainian troops. On August 6, thousands of Ukrainian troops began pouring over the Russian border region of Kursk, forcing the evacuation of 120,000 people from the province and surrounding regions. In recent days, Ukrainian troops carried out attacks on the region of Belgorod, where evacuations have also taken place. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Ukrainian forces have taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha, home to critical pipeline infrastructure for providing Russian natural gas to Europe. The town, which is six miles inside the border, is one of 80 settlements Ukraine claims to have seized in its 10-day offensive. Zelensky also claimed that Ukrainian troops had captured more than 100 Russian prisoners of war. On Wednesday, Oleksandr Syrskyi, head of the Ukrainian armed forces, said that Ukraine now controls 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory. CNN reported Thursday that Russia has diverted thousands of troops from the Donbas region in an attempt to stop the Ukrainian offensive. In the most extensive comment by a NATO official to date, General Christopher Cavoli, NATOs top military commander, said Thursday, Suffice it to say that it appears to be going quite well. ... They found an area of weakness in the Russians position, and they exploited it quickly and have exploited it very skillfully. US Republican war hawk Senator Lindsey Graham likewise praised the offensive, declaring it bold, brilliant and beautiful. Keep it up, adding, Putin started this. Kick his ass. While US and NATO officials and their media propagandists initially claimed that NATO was not informed of Ukraines plans to attack Russia, this claim is becoming more difficult to sustain. In an article published Thursday, the New York Times wrote, American intelligence agencies, as disclosures last year showed, have known about Ukraines ambition to attack across the border for more than a year. It continued, And indeed, recent policy shifts by the Biden administration made the operation possible. Under pressure from his advisers and key allies, Mr. Biden in late May authorized Ukraine to conduct limited strikes inside Russia with American-made weapons, opening what was expected to be a new chapter in the war for Ukraine. The Times added, Mr. Bidens decision appeared to be the first time that an American president had allowed limited military responses on artillery, missile bases, and command centers inside the borders of a nuclear-armed adversary. As the Times article hints, Ukraines attack on Kursk follows a significant shift in direct US-NATO involvement in the war with the provision of long-range missiles to Ukraine and the authorization to use NATO-provided military hardware to attack directly inside Russia. The attack also follows one month after the NATO summit in Washington, which organized the logistical provision and training of Ukrainian troops under the control of the military alliance. Now, NATO is further expanding its direct involvement in the war with the arrival this month of F-16 fighters on the front line. On Thursday, Politico reported that the White House is making far-advanced plans to send JASSM long-range air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine, which would give F-16 fighters flying over Ukraine the ability to strike hundreds of miles behind Russian lines. In response, major US and European publications are demanding further direct NATO escalation. In an editorial, The Economist demanded that remaining restraints be removed from the use of NATO weapons in Ukraine, declaring, ... the risk of escalation should not be exaggerated. It is perverse that Ukraine is not allowed to strike Russian air bases from which jets deliver glide bombs to devastate Ukrainian cities and kill its soldiers. Russian forces that blatantly and criminally violate Ukraines borders should expect no shelter behind their own. Meanwhile, the Washington Post, in an editorial published Thursday, demanded, The United States and Europe should give Ukraine all possible means to end the war in a position of strength and as a functioning, prosperous democracy aligned with the West. In endorsing the use of NATO-provided tanks inside Russian territory, the essentially predatory war aims of Ukraines imperialist backers are being revealed. The NATO powers provoked the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine with the goal of militarily defeating Russia, overthrowing its government and breaking up the country. Now, the claims by NATO to be waging a defensive war are falling by the wayside, and NATO weapons are being used directly to wage an offensive war inside of Russia. The anti-immigrant riots that erupted in Britain July 30, culminating in fascist gangs setting fire to asylum-seeker hotels on August 4, have shocked and angered millions. It is necessary to understand the fundamental causes of the far-right violence and to review the response of counter-protests organised by Stand Up to Racism (SUTR), led politically by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). Such a balance sheet shows there can be no effective strategy to combat and defeat the far right outside of the independent political mobilisation of the working class against capitalism. Fascists set fire to a hotel in Rotherham, England housing asylum seekers during an anti-immigrant pogrom, August 4, 2024. [Photo by REUTERS/Hollie Adams] This fightfundamentally international in characterentails not only the necessary defence of immigrants and Muslims from violence instigated by fascist thugs such as Tommy Robinson and egged on by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Above all, it means a fight against the Starmer Labour government and its allies in the trade union bureaucracy, who are working to block the necessary socialist offensive by the working class. It is no coincidence that anti-immigrant riots broke out less than a month after Labour came to power in the July 4 general election. While the pretext for the riots was the killing of three children, falsely blamed by Robinson and Farage on Muslims and asylum-seekers, the toxic atmosphere that produced vigilante attacks against immigrants was created over decades by successive Labour and Conservative governments. As the SEP wrote in its August 4 statement: The growth of fascist and far-right tendencies is a concentrated expression of imperialist politics and capitalist decay. The ruling elites are promoting extreme nationalism and xenophobia to divert explosive social tensions in a right-wing, anti-immigrant direction, to further Britains predatory imperialist wars and to prosecute war against the democratic and social rights of the working class. Labours election campaign promoted virulent nationalism, militarism and anti-immigrant rhetoric. Sir Keir Starmer pledged billions to NATOs war against Russia in Ukraine, alongside total support for Israels genocidal assault in Gaza. He demanded tougher border controls against immigrants, attacked the Tories for failing to stop the boats, and declared that austerity would continue in accordance with Labours fiscal rules. Labours first act in government was to dispatch Foreign Secretary David Lammy to Israel to pledge support for war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. Starmer then attended the Washington, D.C. NATO summit laying the groundwork for military escalation against nuclear-armed Russia. On July 21, Home Secretary Yvette Copper announced a summer blitz of police raids on immigrants and an end to hotel accommodation for asylum-seekersa dog-whistle to the far right. On July 23, after seven Labour MPs voted for an amendment opposing the two-child cap on benefits, Starmer sacked them. On July 29, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced plans for 23 billion in spending cuts, including axing the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million elderly people. Riots erupted just one day later. Mass working class opposition to Labours right-wing programme has been blocked by the trade union bureaucracy, which moved post-election to close down any remaining industrial action based on paltry pay awards, making Britain a strike-free zone. The pseudo-left SWP and Stop the War Coalition, representing affluent sections of the middle class, have closed ranks with the Starmer government, claiming it is being pushed to the left! Their efforts to block widespread opposition to Labours agenda of imperialist war and capitalist austerity is epitomised in their response to the riots. Stand Up to Racism calls for unity Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) issued a statement, Stop the far right: Unite against racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism. Its signatories included leading trade union bureaucrats and a small minority of around 20 current and former Labour MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn leading five newly elected Independents. SUTRs statement makes no reference to Labours role in stoking anti-immigrant poison, which is why it was backed by the left Labour MPs. Hand in hand with its political amnesty for Labour, the unity statement promotes illusions that fascism can be defeated through protest politics. SUTR is silent on the social and class basis of fascism, rooted in decaying capitalism. This omission is deliberate, facilitating their building a multi-class bloc led by Corbyn aimed at suppressing the independent struggle of the working class. Their statement declares: The far right are a threat to all decent people. Starmer responded to the riots with a law-and-order crackdown. While far-right forces are their initial target, he made clear Labours new measures will be used against all those who pose a threat to public order. Labour has announced a new national police force of 6,000 targeting political and social discontent. More than 1,000 arrests have followed, using facial recognition technology and assembly-line courts based on those pioneered by Starmer during the London riots in 2011, threatening sentences of up to 10 years. Corbyn: Labours shadow Corbyn plays a politically despicable role, defending Labour and preventing a break by workers and youth from this right-wing party. On August 5, he published a letter to Home Secretary Cooper requesting an urgent meeting in light of the far-right riots. He wrote: we expect our government to call out the bigotry and Islamophobia and the bigotry behind them and stand shoulder to shoulder with its victims. This was akin to asking Heinrich Himmler to condemn the SS. Cooper, described as Labours Iron Lady, embodies the country first, party second authoritarianism at the core of Starmers government. Her targeting of immigrants and boosting of police powers are the expression domestically of Labours commitment to imperialist militarism and war, which strengthens, and ultimately rests upon, the mobilisation of the far right against the working class. Corbyns letter, signed by all five Independents, brings to mind Leon Trotskys description of the reformist leaders of the 1920s and 30s, who responded to the fascist threat in Italy and Germany with impotent appeals to King Victor Emmanuel III and President Paul von Hindenburg: Fearful of the revolutionary mobilization of the workers, the Italian reformists banked all their hopes on the state. Their slogan was, Help! Victor Emmanuel, exert pressure! The German social democracy lacks such a democratic bulwark as a monarch loyal to the constitution. So they must be content with a presidentHelp! Hindenburg, exert pressure! By blocking working class opposition to the Labour government, Corbyn strengthens authoritarianism, driving sections of the middle class and workers toward Reform UK, and lumpen elements into the arms of fascists such as Robinson. While most of Farages support comes from former Tory voters, he announced on election night, We are coming for Labour. The political disenfranchisement of the working class produces a highly distorted image of class relations. A YouGov poll found 82 percent of the population is opposed to the far-right riots. In Britain and throughout the world there is overwhelming popular opposition to imperialism, fascism, genocide and social inequality. But single-issue protest cannot stop the rise of the far right. This requires the political and industrial mobilisation of the working class, the overwhelming majority of the population, for socialism. A counteroffensive of strikes and protests must be prepared, mobilising workers and youth on demands that express the masses objectively revolutionary opposition to capitalism. For this purpose, the Socialist Equality Party proposes the following demands: No to the Gaza genocide! Stop war with Russia, dismantle NATO! Workers must block the production and delivery of arms to Israel, and demand Britains immediate withdrawal from NATO. End the war against Russia in Ukraine, which threatens nuclear war. Dismantle Britains Armed Forces. Billions for the National Health Service (NHS), not bombs! Stop the persecution of refugees and immigrants! For the international unity of the working class! Repeal all anti-immigrant laws and abolish the Prevent programme and other anti- Muslim measures. End the barbaric detention of asylum-seekers! For open borders and full democratic and legal rights for immigrant and foreign workers. End austerity, billions for healthcare, housing and decent pay! Workers must reject Starmers lie that there is no money for vital social programmes and wages. Impound the hundreds of billions seized by the financial aristocracy through bank bailouts that helped turn London into a playground for the super-rich. For the United Socialist States of Europe! Workers and youth have powerful allies among the millions of workers across Europe and worldwide opposed to war, fascism, genocide and austerity. Build rank-and-file organizations to break the grip of the pro-company trade union bureaucrats. Forge a political movement to transfer power to the working class and replace capitalist Britain and the European Union with the United Socialist States of Europe. Victory in this fight means the building of a new revolutionary leadership. We appeal to workers and youth to join the Socialist Equality Party, British section of the International Committee of the Fourth International. On Wednesday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as a result of the surging mpox outbreak of the deadlier clade Ib viral strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and across Africa. A colorized transmission electron micrograph of mpox particles (red) found within an infected cell (blue), cultured in the laboratory [AP Photo/NIAID] The declaration by WHO follows a similar one issued by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) the previous day, which marked the virus spread as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. It is the first time the spread of a disease has been categorized as such since the agency was established in 2017. As part of the WHO announcement, Tedros commented, The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, its clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives. This year alone, there have been 17,451 cases of mpox in 13 African Union member states, of which 2,822 are confirmed and 14,719 are suspected, which have resulted in 517 deaths, a case fatality rate of 2.95 percent. The total number of cases exceeds the totals for both 2022 and 2023, when mpox previously threatened to spread across the world. In addition to the high number of cases, the location of new cases spurred on the decision to declare a PHEIC. According to the WHO press release: In the past month, over 100 laboratory-confirmed cases of clade 1b have been reported in four countries neighbouring the DRC that have not reported mpox before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Experts believe the true number of cases to be higher as a large proportion of clinically compatible cases have not been tested. In addition to the outbreaks in Africa, one case involving the mpox clade I strain was reported in Sweden on Thursday. A statement from the Public Health Agency of Sweden notes, A person who sought care at Region Stockholm has been diagnosed with mpox caused by the clade I variant. The statement then attempted to downplay the dangers involved, claiming that, the fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population, a risk which it asserts is very low. In fact, no such claims can be made. Unlike the mpox clade IIb strain which was largely responsible for cases of mpox in 2022 and 2023 and which spreads primarily through sexual contact, the current strain spreads merely through being in close quarters. While mpox is not generally contagious while a given infected person is not symptomatic, it is still critical to know precisely when they developed the infection to know how many others might have been exposed. Arguably the most critical piece of information, currently unknown to the public, is how the patient traveled from Africa to Sweden. Did they travel via land, air, sea? In what cities did they lay over? How packed were the cars, buses, trains, ships or planes on which they traveled? Given the immense danger the current strain poses to the health of everyone who catches the disease, not performing mass contact tracing and testing for the pathogen is criminally irresponsible at best. As part of the PHEIC declaration, the WHO also announced that it has allocated $1.45 million for surveillance, preparedness and response activities regarding the multi-continent epidemic. It is also asking for an additional $15 million in donations from its members to fully fund the initial stages of its response to the virus. Among the most important immediate needs, according to the WHO, is for mpox vaccines to be sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the vast majority of current cases have been detected. Both vaccines currently in use for the virus are approved by the agency, and last week Tedros initiated an Emergency Use Listing in order to bypass any problems distributing the vaccines if a given nation has not yet had its national regulatory bodies approve them. The unserious response by the Swedish government to the outbreak will, however, likely be mirrored by every other major world power. One of the most devastating consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the worlds population is the complete dismantling of public healthcare infrastructure in essentially every country, especially testing and contact tracing to find and isolate infected individuals, cutting vectors of transmission for diseases. Mpox has also been detected in wastewater in San Fransisco. Wastewater has been among the most consistent methods for detecting the presence of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, and the detection of mpox is extraordinarily alarming. It indicates the real possibility that the virus, possibly the more lethal clade I or IB strains, has crossed the Atlantic. Rather than stop the spread of deadly viruses, the worlds governments have no interest in addressing the threat of COVID-19 or mpox because it cuts across the financial interests of the corporate and financial interests which these figures represent. The work of the WHO itself suffers from this pressure. When it ended the PHEIC regarding COVID-19 last year, it was not because the pandemic was over or contained, or that a mass and effective vaccination campaign had succeeded, but due to the diktats of, above all, American capitalism to keep workers on the job to further enrich the financial oligarchs. That world governments no longer care about public health was further exposed this week when the US provided $20 billion to Israel to continue its genocidal campaign against the population of Gaza. While Tedros must beg for $15 million to save lives, Israel is given essentially a blank check for tanks, planes, bullets and bombs to continue its slaughter of a defenseless population. And the less said the better about figures such as the fascistic owner of Twitter/X, Elon Musk, who received a $45 billion pay package from Tesla in June. The genocide has also made Gazans especially susceptible to diseases that had largely been suppressed or eliminated in the enclave. Since the start of the genocide 10 months ago, the population has had to deal with polio, measles, cholera, scabies, chickenpox, lice, impetigo and various skin diseases because of the squalid conditions. An mpox outbreak among the population would be catastrophic. Socialist Equality Party (SEP) presidential candidate Joseph Kishore commented on the WHO declaration, writing: No confidence can be placed in the worlds imperialist powers to act decisively to end this outbreak. The ruling class response to the COVID-19 pandemic, now in its fifth year, has led to the deaths of over 1.4 million Americans and 27 million people worldwide. Hundreds of millions have suffered the consequences of Long COVID. ... Moreover, as the repeated outbreaks of global infections demonstrate, there can be no national solution. The necessary measures to stop diseases and save lives requires an internationally coordinated response, which is not possible within the framework of the capitalist national-state system. It requires the fight of the international working class for socialism on a world scale. That is the program which the election campaign of the Socialist Equality Party is fighting for. In July, a long-running Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care released its shocking finding that between 1950 and 2019 up to 256,000 people in facilities including boarding schools, youth justice centres, foster care and psychiatric hospitals, were the victims of abuse and neglect. This is more than one in three of the estimated 655,000 people who were institutionalised during this period. People arrive at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, for the tabling of a wide-ranging independent inquiry into the abuse of children and vulnerable adults in care over the span of five decades wrote in a blistering final report. [AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay] The inquiry was launched by the previous Labour Party-led government in late 2018 following many years of demands and petitions for justice from survivors of abuse. Its final report, based on testimony from nearly 3,000 survivors, and more than a million documents, reveals criminal actions carried out on a vast scale by state agencies and churches, with devastating consequences. The number of victims equates to more than 5 percent of New Zealands current population of 5 million people. The royal commissionersJudge Carol Shaw, Dr Andrew Erueti and Paul Gibsondescribe their findings as a national disgrace. They note: These gross violations occurred at the same time as Aotearoa New Zealand was promoting itself, internationally and domestically, as a bastion of human rights and as a safe, fair country in which to grow up as a child in a loving family. In fact, the widespread, routine and prolonged abuse, in many cases amounting to torture, is an unanswerable indictment of capitalism. The brutal conditions documented by the royal commission are inseparable from the decades-long assault on workers wages and living standards and the gutting of social services, in order to transfer more wealth to big business and the rich. This has been accompanied by racist scapegoating of Maori and other minorities, and the promotion of militarism and tough on crime policies by successive Labour and National Party governments. Hundreds of thousands of children from impoverished families, and people suffering mental and physical disabilities, were deemed unproductive and a burden on society, and effectively thrown on the scrap-heap. The 3,000-page report details the appalling suffering endured by generations of young people, including: The willful neglect of babies left in cots with no hugs, physical interaction or other expressions of care. Racist abuse towards Maori and Pacific Island people, who experienced harsher treatment across many settings. The use of seclusion rooms where vulnerable and young people could be held for weeks or even months, and where they were at risk of being sexually and physically abused by staff. Physical abuse was prevalent across all settings. In some cases, staff went to extremes to inflict as much pain as possible using weapons and electric shocks. In addition, Staff often pitched children and young people against each other, encouraging peer-on-peer abuse. This involved vicious attacks and humiliating rituals, which staff ignored. Sexual abuse, including rape, is described as commonplace in both state and religious facilities. It was used to punish and intimidate, and in some cases abusers organised the sexual abuse of survivors by trafficking them to members of the public. Severe neglect of deaf and blind people, who were denied the ability to learn sign language and braille. Over-medicalisation, lobotomies, sterilisation, invasive genital examinations and experimental psychiatric treatments without informed consent. Hundreds of psychiatric patients and young people who died in care are believed to be buried in unmarked graves across the country. Lifelong trauma was inflicted upon survivors, many of whom turned to drug abuse and some committed suicide. More than 30 percent of children and young people held in social welfare institutions went on to serve prison sentences later in life. Many survivors faced ongoing difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships, inability to find a job, periods of homelessness, and increased likelihood of joining a criminal gang. In 1999, researcher Moana Jackson estimated that 85 percent of Mongrel Mob members and 88 percent of Black Power members (the countrys two biggest gangs) had been wards of the state. Maori, who are one of the poorest sections of the working class, are over-represented among the victims. During the 1970s, several of the facilities looked at by the royal commission were 70 or 80 percent Maori, even though Maori were only about 12 percent of the population. As in Australia and Canada, the New Zealand state has disproportionately separated indigenous children from their families and housed them in punitive institutions. Scores of institutions were named by the royal commission. The highest levels of physical abuse were reported at Wesleydale Boys Home and Owairaka Boys Home, two orphanages in Auckland, which no longer operate. The highest levels of sexual abuse were reported at Dilworth School in Auckland (Anglican), Marylands School in Christchurch (Catholic) and at Catholic institutions in general. Lake Alice psychiatric facility, which closed in 1999, features prominently in the commissions report. Its child and adolescent unit was notorious for abuse that occurred during the 1970s, including sexual abuse and electro-shock therapy as a form of punishment. The state has so far reached settlements with 202 Lake Alice survivors, averaging $70,000 each. Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital building (2003) [Photo: Pawful] No staff at Lake Alice were ever held accountable, however. Dr Selwyn Leeks, who was in charge of the child and adolescent unit, moved to Australia and continued working there until 2006; he died at the age of 92 in 2022. One former nurse, John Corkran, was charged but the High Court last year ordered a permanent stay on the prosecution due to the 91-year-olds poor health. For decades, the rampant abuse in such facilities was covered up. The commissioners summary says: The State and leaders of faith-based institutions knew, or should have known, about the abuse and neglect that was happening. They failed not only in their duty to keep people in their care safe from harm, but they also failed to hold abusers to account. Within church-based organisations, Religious beliefs were often used to justify the abuse and neglect, and to silence survivors. Hierarchical and opaque decision-making processes impeded scrutiny and making complaints. When abusers were identified they were often shielded and relocated and went on to continue abusing people in care elsewhere. The National Party-led government, the opposition Labour Party and the rest of the political establishment are now engaged in a cynical damage control exercise. In response to the royal commissions report, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon declared: I say to the survivors, the burden is no longer yours to carry alone. The state is now standing here beside you, accountable and ready to take action. The government has issued apologies and is promising redress for survivors, in line with the commissioners recommendations, although what form this will take remains unclear. The aim is to make a show of learning the lessons and deflect public attention from the appalling conditions that still exist for many oppressed youth. While the royal commissions report calls for police investigations and prosecutions for past crimes, it is clear that the political and religious leaders responsible for the systematic cruelty inflicted on generations of young people will not be held to account. The abuse uncovered by the inquiry is not confined to the distant past. Approximately 56,000 cases of abuse and neglect occurred in the period from 19992019. The commissioners note that most of the factors that led or contributed to abuse and neglect during the Inquiry period continue to persist. Last year, more than 20 staff members of Oranga Tamariki, the states child welfare agency, were stood down after videos emerged of brutal fight clubs among teenage inmates at the Korowai Manaaki youth justice facility. Staff had encouraged boys to fight each other. Police also launched an investigation into sexual misconduct by some of the staff members. Significantly, the royal commissions report devotes more than 100 pages to a boot camp called Te Whakapakari, which operated on Great Barrier Island with state funding from 1988 until 2004, under successive Labour and National Party governments. The program emphasised military style discipline, subservience, selfsufficiency and hard physical labour. Allegations of abuse were first made about the program in 1989, and more were made during the 1990s, prompting internal investigations. Despite this, state agencies continued to refer young people to the program, most of them aged 14 to 17 and from families affected by violence, drug and alcohol problems. Victims told the royal commission horrifying details of repeated beatings and rape committed by Whakapakari staff, who sometimes carried out these crimes at gunpoint. The Ministry of Social Development received 176 allegations of abuse from 40 different claimants regarding the boot camp. According to the commissions report, police failed to properly investigate allegations of rape made against the programs founder John da Silva, who died in 2021 aged 86. The current National Party-led government is reintroducing military-style boot camps for teenage offenders: a pilot program began last month, around the same time that the royal commission released its report. During the 2023 election campaign, Prime Minister Luxon glorified military personnel as our best leaders and mentors and asserted that the new boot camps would turn young peoples lives around. In fact, as the royal commission report warns, people with military backgrounds who worked with children brought with them a culture of command and control, punishment, physical violence and verbal abuse. Luxon and his ministers have dismissed such concerns. As the countrys economic and social crisis deepenswith one in five children already living in poverty and one in 10 households relying on charity to survivethe government intends to deal with the fallout by significantly expanding the prison system and introducing harsher punishments for violent youth offenders. The Labour Party has denounced the boot camps policy as cruel, despite having supported such programs in the past. Labour sought to compete with National on law and order in the 2023 election, promising to build two new juvenile prisons. The promotion of boot camps also dovetails with the bipartisan policy to funnel working class youth into the armed forces as they prepare for war. The government is supporting the US imperialist-led militarisation of the Indo-Pacific region against China, and has deployed troops to Britain to train Ukrainian conscripts to fight against Russia. Wellington also backs the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza and has provided troops to assist with the US-led bombing of Yemen. The militarisation of society, which is taking place in every country, is inevitably leading to the brutalisation of a new generation of young people. The abuse uncovered by the royal commission cannot be explained as simply the fault of bad individuals or inadequate oversight and regulation. Its findings reveal a system that is corrupt and rotten to its core, presided over by a ruling class and a political and religious establishment that are utterly indifferent to the conditions facing the most impoverished and vulnerable people in society. The only way to end abuse, poverty and degradation is by abolishing the capitalist system that is responsible for these conditions and replacing it with socialism, in which societys wealth and resources are used to meet human needs, instead of accumulating profits for the super-rich. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 16. Prospects for the development of the Middle Corridor have been examined by the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or the Middle Corridor International Association) and the United Nations Development Program, Trend reports. Discussions took place at the headquarters of the TITR Association with the participation of Katarzyna Wawiernia, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan, and Aymgul Nurgalieva, Programme Analyst of the Effective Governance Department. The meeting participants went over the importance of the Middle Corridor for the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus. The parties stressed the TITR Association's role in Central Asian infrastructure development and regional collaboration throughout the meeting. Environmental sustainability and inclusivity are fundamental to the TITR Association's improvement of transport infrastructure, economic sustainability, and social well-being. They also stressed the need to keep a lid on the environmental impact and make sure natural resources are used in a sustainable manner, including the use of renewable energy and cutting-edge digital technologies. The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that links Asia and Europe, cutting across multiple countries in the region. It is a different ballgame compared to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor. The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, cutting corners and avoiding the long way around the sea. 10 retired Kings Island rides we miss the most: Son of Beast, Vortex, King Cobra, more Amusement parks play an endless game of one-upmanship, always searching for the tallest and fastest new thrills. However, for every Orion, the giga coaster that opened in 2020, Kings Island and similar places lose an old favorite ride like Vortex to make room. Some of those retired rides are still fondly remembered years, even decades after they get dismantled. In honor of National Roller Coaster Day, Aug. 16, here are 10 popular Kings Island attractions that are sorely missed. 10 retired Kings Island rides we miss most Screamin Demon Opened: 1977. Closed: 1987. Location: Wild Animal Safari (now Action Zone). Whats there now: Congo Falls. Riders on the Screamin Demon went forward and backward through the 360-degree loop at 45 mph. Also known as just The Demon, this was Kings Islands first looping roller coaster, a then-new feature in tubular-rail coasters. Riders took a 50-foot drop into a loop, went up a 50-foot incline, came to a dead stop, then returned on the track backward. As the parks first scary coaster, it led the way to more thrill rides in the years to come. After 10 years, the ride relocated to Camden Park in West Virginia, where it was called Thunderbolt Express, and closed in 1999. More than 50 years: Kings Island still has 11 original rides, attractions The Bat suspended roller coaster closed after only three seasons because it never operated as expected and would be too costly to fix. The Bat Opened: 1981. Closed: 1983. Location: Coney Mall. Whats there now: Nothing. There have been two rides at Kings Island called The Bat. The original, built by Arrow Development, was the first suspended roller coaster in the world in nearly a century. The cars hung from the track and swung with each curve. It had an extremely short lifespan just three seasons because mechanical difficulties attributed to design flaws led to frequent closures, and an overhaul was too expensive. The Vortex ultimately replaced The Bat. Another suspended coaster, Top Gun, debuted in 1993. It was renamed Flight Deck and finally, in 2014, The Bat to honor its predecessor. King Cobra, a stand-up coaster, was the first of its kind with a 360-degree loop. It was dismantled after the 2001 season. King Cobra Opened: 1984. Closed: 2001. Location: Adventure Village/Action Zone. Whats there now: Delirium. King Cobra was Americas first stand-up roller coaster (there were two in Japan that had been converted from standard coasters). After climbing a 95-foot hill, the stand-up trains dropped and immediately went into a loop, then a double-helix coil like its namesake that made riders stand nearly sideways. King Cobra closed in 2001 after the manufacturer, Togo, a Japanese company, went out of business and parts were difficult to locate. 5 fun facts about Kings Island: From 'Brady Bunch' avoiding harm to Coney Island roots Son of Beast Opened: 2000. Closed: 2009. Location: Action Zone. Whats there now: Banshee. Touted as an offspring to the parks world-famous coaster The Beast, Son of Beast had a difficult delivery. The tallest, fastest wooden roller coaster in the world, and the only one with a loop, opened late in 2000 and was beset by maintenance and fine-tuning issues its first season, resulting in Kings Island suing the ride designer. It was an extremely popular, but rough ride. In 2006, a support beam cracked, causing the track to drop, which sent 27 people to the hospital. Cedar Fair, which purchased the park that year, spent millions of dollars to remove the celebrated 118-foot loop. But then another rider complained of a brain injury in 2009, and Kings Island settled with a rider from the 2006 incident after losing a court judgment. The ride closed, then was torn down in 2012. Firehawk at Kings Island opened in 2007 and closed in 2018. Firehawk Opened: 2007. Closed: 2018. Location: Coney Mall. Whats there now: Orion. Cedar Fair brought Firehawk over from Worlds of Adventure in Aurora, Ohio, where the coaster began as X-Flight in 2001. Located near Flight of Fear, this was the first flying coaster at the park. The seats tilted back into a lying position, and after going up a 115-foot lift, the train flipped so the riders were under the track, facing the ground, where they could experience the feeling of flight. After 12 years, Firehawk closed to make way for Orion. The popular Vortex roller coaster closed after the 2019 season. Vortex Opened: 1987. Closed: 2019. Location: Coney Mall. Whats there now: Nothing. Vortex closed after 33 seasons due to it simply reaching the end of its service life, according to park officials. The record-setting steel coaster arrived in 1987 as the tallest coaster (148 feet) with the most inversions at the time turning upside down six times in 2 minutes. After a 138-foot drop, the track had a dizzying combo of two vertical loops, a 200-foot corkscrew, a boomerang turn (something like a bow-tie shape) and a 360-degree helix, churning the stomachs of 46 million riders. Helping with the wedding vows during a ceremony with the Little People is Young Gulliver. The animated figure, which sat about 8 feet high, was the largest single character in Kings Island's $1.5 million dark ride attraction, Enchanted Voyage. Enchanted Voyage Opened: 1972. Closed: 1991. Location: Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera. Whats there now: Boo Blasters on Boo Hill. Taft Broadcasting Co. built Kings Island in part to promote its Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters, such as Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear and Fred Flintstone, who were plastered all over the original kids' area, the Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera. Enchanted Voyage was the signature ride of the land. Much like Disneylands Its a Small World, this was a gentle boat ride where guests of all ages floated into a gigantic television to meet a gaggle of animatronic Hanna-Barbera characters those happy friends who live in my TV, as the catchy song said such as, um, Gulliver and Squiddly Diddly. At least the building was air-conditioned. In 1984, the diminutive blue Smurfs took over as Smurfs Enchanted Voyage. The boats were scrapped in 1991, and the building was refigured as the haunted Phantom Theater. Paramounts Days of Thunder movie came alive with moving seats synchronized to the film footage. Days of Thunder (Action FX Theater) Opened: 1994. Closed: 2013. Location: Coney Mall. Whats there now: Nothing. Action FX Theater, located at the far end of The Racer, opened with Days of Thunder, a motion-simulation ride based on the 1990 Tom Cruise NASCAR racing film. It put riders in the drivers seat of a 180-mph race car without actually going anywhere. The theaters (there were two) had enormous 26-by-59-foot screens that showed a frenetic Daytona 500 race up close. Each seat sat atop a motion base fitted with hydraulic cylinders that shook and pitched the seat to match the computer-synchronized video and audio. Days of Thunder ran only until 1997 and was replaced by James Bond, SpongeBob and other shows until the theater closed in 2013. Kings Island unveiled a 42-foot-by-28-foot display in July 2001 for the Tomb Raider attraction based on the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Tomb Raider: The Ride Opened: 2002. Closed: 2011. Location: Rivertown. Whats there now: Madame Fatales Cavern of Terror. The Tomb Raider ride was inspired by the movie based on the video games of Lara Croft, the adventurous archaeologist. It replaced Kentons Cove Keelboat Canal, a flume ride. Tomb Raider was more heavily themed than most Kings Island rides. Visitors walked through a Cambodian tomb with details and effects worthy of a Disney attraction, then passed into a massive chamber where, after storing loose belongings in a locker, they boarded a top-spin ride where rows of seats were lifted by two arms that would spin and swing them to a set program. Riders were shot 80 feet in the air to face the angry god Shiva, then swung close to stalactites and dangled upside-down over lava pits for what seemed an eternity. After Paramount sold the park to Cedar Fair in 2006, the movie theming disappeared, and the ride was renamed The Crypt with most of its impressive details stripped away. The ride closed in 2011, but the building is still used for a seasonal Halloween Haunt maze attraction. Riders sailing aloft in the Kings Island Skyride in 1977 got more thrills than they bargained for as a mechanical failure stranded 19 gondola cars as high as 95 feet above the amusement park for several hours. Skyride Opened: 1972. Closed: 1979. Location: From Oktoberfest to Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera. Whats there now: Adventure Express. Built in 1965 for old Coney Island, Skyride was brought over to Kings Island when the park opened. The cable car gondola ferried passengers across the park and over the International Street fountain, providing spectacular photo opportunities. On April 24, 1977, Skyride malfunctioned when a sudden gust of wind pulled a cable off a guide wheel, stranding 45 people 95 feet above the park. It took nearly eight hours for fire department crews on aerial ladders to rescue all the passengers. Skyride was quietly dismantled in 1979, but one of the stations remains as a gift shop in Planet Snoopy. Sources: Enquirer files, visitkingsisland.com, Wikipedia. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 10 retired Kings Island rides we miss: Vortex, King Cobra, more "Burnin' Love" took on a new, literal meaning Thursday as thousands of adoring Elvis Presley fans from around the world shrugged off heat index readings of 111 degrees to participate in the annual Candlelight Vigil at Graceland, the ritual memorial that celebrates the life and legacy of the King of Rock 'n' Roll in recognition of the anniversary of his Aug. 16, 1977, death at 42. Fortunately, tattoos are indelible and thus impervious to even Memphis humidity. "I got seven of 'em," announced Von Lyons, 69, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, who was among the "honor guard" of fan club members who, armed with battery-powered candles, lined the long Graceland driveway like sentinels to guide the other fans as they processed, one after another, by the hundreds, through the distinctive musical-note gates, past the mansion, and to the "Meditation Garden," to pay their respects at the gravesites of Elvis, his parents, his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, and other family members. Lyons' arms are, essentially, murals of Elvis iconography and song lyrics. A pink Cadillac rumbles along her right forearm; "If I Can Dream" her most recent tattoo, added last Christmas is scripted across her left. Her first tattoo, a realistic portrait of a smiling Elvis on her left shoulder, was paid for by her (now deceased) husband, 18 years ago. "He asked me if I wanted a portrait of Elvis or a curio cabinet for Christmas, and I said, 'I'll take the portrait,' and he said, 'Let's go.'" Anyway, she said, she already had six curio cabinets filled with Presley bric-a-brac, so the house didn't really have room for another. Although a resident of Indiana, Lyons is a member of the Blue Moon of Kentucky Elvis fan club, headed by Betty Jean Scoggins, 68, who has expanded the Presley vigil tradition beyond Graceland: She now organizes an annual vigil at the grave of Elvis' grandfather, Jesse D. Presley (1896-1973), a sometime Louisville resident ("he worked for Pepsi-Cola here," Scoggins said) who is buried in Louisville Memorial Gardens West. Why a vigil? "Without Jesse D. Presley there would not have been Vernon Elvis Presley, and without Vernon Elvis Presley there wouldn't have been the bloodline that continued to the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Aaron Presley," Scoggins explained. Fans make their way up the lawn of Graceland to the Meditation Garden with their candles to pay respects to the Presley family members buried there during the annual Candlelight Vigil to honor Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, August 15, 2024. Elvis' paternal grandfather may be a somewhat overlooked figure, but not by Scoggins. In fact, Scoggins plans to spend eternity, so to speak, as Jesse D. Presley's neighbor. She and her late husband, Michael Brent Hardesty, who died in 2020, purchased the plot next to Jesse D. Presley. Hardesty was cremated, and his ashes are in an urn stored inside a "cremation bench" that has been installed on the plot. "It holds four urns, but we're only putting two, me and him," said Scoggins (who now uses her maiden name). ELVIS WEEK: Concert mixes Elvis' Memphis recordings, memories of the King: 'He was my favorite artist' Louisville was far from the minds of most participants in the Graceland Candlelight Vigil, however. For them, Memphis is a sort of mecca, however long or expensive the travel. Among those who lit a wax candle at the Graceland gate their candles lit from a torch carrying fire from the "eternal flame" at Elvis' grave were hundreds of visitors from Japan, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries. Cara Marie holds her hand in the air as she sings along to If I Can Dream on Elvis Presley Boulevard in front of the gates of Graceland during the annual Candlelight Vigil to honor Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, August 15, 2024. Marie, from Branson, Missouri, said she saw Presley perform How Great Thou Art when she was 13. I have an everlasting gratefulness to him, she said. It changed my life. Cristian Parra, 43, led a contingent of Graceland visitors representing the Rey del Rock (King of Rock) Elvis fan club of Santiago, Chile. Some of the fans did not speak English, so they weren't entirely certain of the precise meaning of the lyrics of such hit songs as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel" and "Burnin' Love," Parra said. Nevertheless, "Elvis is our hero, in music," he said. "Elvis is very popular in my country, in Chile." If the crowd was enthusiastic, it also was relatively sparse at least by the standard of the Candlelight Vigil (which begins each year on Aug. 15 and continues into the wee hours of Aug. 16, the actual calendar date of Elvis' death). A couple sings Cant Help Falling in Love to each other on Elvis Presley Boulevard in front of the gates of Graceland during the annual Candlelight Vigil to honor Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, August 15, 2024. The Shelby County Sheriff's Department estimated attendance at 10,000 (last year's estimate was 15,000), but that count may have been high. Veteran vigil attendees agreed the turnout the crowd was noticeably sparser than in most years perhaps because "47th anniversary" is not a particularly marketable milestone, and perhaps because some fans already are planning to be in Memphis in 2027, for the 50th anniversary of Elvis' death. ln brief remarks at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, just prior to the official start of the vigil, Elvis Presley Enterprises managing partner Joel Weinshanker teased plans for a series of "Road to 50" events that will mark "the best three years in Graceland and Elvis history." ELVIS AT OVERTON PARK: Inside the historic 1954 concert that launched the King's career Meanwhile, Graceland staff passed out cups of water to the Elvis faithful, sweating in what the National Weather Service had characterized as "dangerously hot conditions." The fans didn't seem to mind. Many perhaps most had been to Memphis in August before. Donna Galloway lights a candle for an Elvis Presley shrine she created on Elvis Presley Boulevard in front of the gates of Graceland prior to the annual Candlelight Vigil to honor Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, August 15, 2024. For example: Dennis Miller, 65, of Boston who saw Elvis in his Cadillac (in 1976, as the car exited the Graceland gates) and in his coffin (when Elvis lay in state at Graceland on Aug. 17, 1977) has toured Graceland 406 times since the mansion opened to the public in the summer of 1982, he said. (That total includes the daily tours he made from 1999 to 2001, when he worked as a Graceland guide.) Asked to define Elvis' appeal, Miller said: "Everything. His music, his humanitarianism, his kindness. Today, he still brings people together." He said Elvis could be witty, too. When he met Elvis briefly, on April 19, 1976, he said, he was among a small group of fans waiting outside the Graceland gates. When Elvis' Cadillac rolled out for the night, the car stopped, and the window rolled down, where Miller was standing. "Elvis introduced himself. He said, 'I'm Elvis Presley.' And I said, 'Mr. Presley, with all due respect, I know who you are.'" This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Elvis Week 2024: Fans honor the King at Candlelight Vigil at Graceland FILE - Eugene Levy, left, and Dan Levy appear at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) NEW YORK (AP) Eugene Levy and Dan Levy will make history at the Emmy Awards next month as the first ever father and son co-hosts. We are thrilled to welcome two generations of comedy genius to the Emmy's stage as hosts, said Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego in a statement Friday. The Levys cleaned up at the 2020 Emmys the year the winners appeared remotely due to the pandemic thanks to their hit series Schitts Creek. Eugene Levy won for outstanding comedy actor and Dan Levy won for best supporting comedy actor. Dan Levy also picked up wins for writing and directing, while both won the outstanding comedy series trophy as executive producers. For two Canadians who won our Emmys in a literal quarantine tent, the idea of being asked to host this year in an actual theater was incentive enough, the Levys said in a statement. Were thrilled to be able to raise a glass to this extraordinary season of television. The Levys will be the first-ever father-son hosts at the Emmys and the first duo to do it since 2018 with Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che. The 76th Emmys air live in Los Angeles on Sept. 15 on ABC, and streams the next day on Hulu. Eugene Levy isn't just a co-host this year he also nominated for his Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy, the unlikely wedding of a droll and cautious host with some of the most beautiful places on Earth. Jack Kennedy Schlossberg, 31, is the grandson of John F. Kennedy and the son of Caroline Kennedy. He has endorsed Kamala Harris for president and mocked his cousin, third-party candidate RFK Jr. The Yale and Harvard grad has shown he has a sense of humor and is an avid paddleboarder. There's a new Kennedy in town. Jack Kennedy Schlossberg is the 31-year-old grandson of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Caroline Kennedy. He was recently the subject of internet rumors claiming he dated pop singer Selena Gomez, 31, between 2020 and 2021, and in July, he was named Vogue's first-ever political correspondent. Despite being known as a member of one of America's most iconic political families, Schlossberg has asserted he has no plans to enter a race of his own. However, he's already making a name for himself with online videos that have garnered him hundreds of thousands of followers and a passion for his family's political history. He's also taken a more active role in the Democratic party by endorsing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president ... rather than voicing support for his cousin, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whom he's openly mocked on social media. Here's what you need to know about Jack Schlossberg. John "Jack" Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg is the 31-year-old grandson of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Caroline Kennedy. Jack Schlossberg is a member of one of America's most iconic political families. Paul Marotta/Getty Images He was named for his maternal grandfather, John F. Kennedy, and his maternal great-grandfather, John Vernou Bouvier III. He is the youngest child of Caroline Kennedy and designer Edwin Schlossberg, who have been married since 1986. Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg married in 1986. PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty Images Kennedy came from an Irish-Catholic background, while Edwin Schlossberg was raised Jewish. Jack Schlossberg was born in New York City on January 19, 1993. Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg with her son Jack and a school friend in 1999. Lawrence Schwartzwald/Sygma/Getty Images He later attended The Collegiate School, an all-boys private school in Manhattan, the New York Post reported. He later attended Yale University as an undergrad. He'd go on to graduate from Harvard in 2022. Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg share two other children besides Jack: Tatiana Schlossberg, 34, and Rose Schlossberg, 36. Caroline Kennedy, Rose Schlossberg, Tatiana Schlossberg, and Jack Schlossberg on stage during rehearsals at the 2008 Democratic Convention. Ron Antonelli/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images Schlossberg is the lone grandson of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy and the eldest surviving male descendant of the former president's immediate family. Rose and Tatiana Schlossberg are both married, but Jack appears to be single. When appearing on the "Today" show in 2022, Schlossberg shared that his sister Tatiana had recently welcomed a son named Edwin, after their father. Schlossberg also said he'd moved back to his "childhood bedroom" to be closer to his family after graduating from Harvard. He bears a striking resemblance to his maternal uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr., who died in a plane crash in 1999. John F. Kennedy Jr. was piloting a plane when it crashed in 1999. /Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images John F. Kennedy Jr. died after an aircraft he was piloting crashed off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on July 16, 1999. His wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, also died in the accident. The couple did not have any children together, so there were no surviving Kennedy heirs through Kennedy Jr. Schlossberg is on track to follow the family tradition of becoming a lawyer. Barack Obama shook hands with Jack Schlossberg during a dinner in honor of the Medal of Freedom awardees in 2013. Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images After Schlossberg graduated from Yale University in 2015 with a history degree, he entered Harvard Law School in the fall of 2017 and Harvard Business School in the fall of 2018. "I'm inspired by my family's legacy of public service," Schlossberg said in his first live interview on "Today" in 2017. "It's something that I'm very proud of." He graduated from the university in 2022, and in April 2023, Schlossberg announced in an interview with People magazine that he had passed the New York State Bar exam. His mother, Caroline, passed the same bar exam in 1989. His uncle John F. Kennedy Jr. famously failed the New York bar exam twice before ultimately passing on his third try in 1990. "I went to law school super liberal, and I came out of the program with the same thinking just realizing that I was still right but that I had not known what I was talking about before," he told Vogue in July. He appears to share his family's interest in politics and civic justice, and he's been outspoken about his cousin Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s bid for the White House. Prince William, Jack Schlossberg, Tatiana Schlossberg, and Caroline Kennedy at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images "I'm still trying to make my own way, figure things out, so stay tuned. I don't know what I'm going to do," he told "Today" in 2017. He again told Savannah Guthrie in 2022 that he had "no plans" to enter politics at the moment. While he hasn't committed to a career in politics just yet, Schlossberg has taken an increasingly public role with the family's Profile in Courage Awards, which honors world leaders, and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. According to People, Schlossberg has also worked as a Senate page and intern for former Secretary of State John Kerry. He spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention as a representative of his family and has appeared with his mother at many public events. He has publicly endorsed Kamala Harris as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate. He appeared in a video with second gentleman Doug Emhoff on Instagram, saying, "I can't wait to vote for Kamala Harris." In May, he ridiculed his cousin, independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in a series of social media videos that The New York Times called "uncharacteristically un-Kennedyesque." In the videos, which he posted to Instagram to mixed responses, he adopted different accents to present caricatures of voters. As one character, Jimmy, he says RFK Jr. is "lying to you" by suggesting he's a third-party candidate. "Him and Trump go way freaking back," he said. "Don't be fooled by that. Don't throw away your vote." As another character, Anthony, he adds, "You don't got my vote." Schlossberg has become the face of a new generation of Kennedys. Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg attend the 2017 Met Gala. Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images Schlossberg has over 300,000 followers on Instagram, where he often shares photos and videos related to his paddleboarding hobby as well as political content. He also has over 350,000 followers on TikTok and has received nearly 4 million likes. He's also shown that he has a sense of humor. In July 2023, a series of lighthearted videos Schlossberg posted to Instagram about the downsides of eating at restaurants went viral. "We have to wait there to eat something that we don't get to choose, really, what it is," Schlossberg said to the camera in one video. "We only get a few choices and you don't know what any of them are gonna taste like or what's good and we're gonna sit there and wait for some guy to ask us a question. And we're gonna have to talk to some guy about what we wanna eat." He also frequently lip syncs to songs and has even shown off his Australian accent impression. Secretary of State John Kerry once said of him, "A sense of humor is not genetic, but apparently in the Kennedy family, it can be inherited. In President Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, this quality seems to abide." "I'm a silly goose a silly goose who's trying, just trying, to get the truth out there," Schlossberg told Vogue. Read the original article on Business Insider In the latest episode of Red Bull's 'Skate Tales', Madars Apse takes Milton Martinez back to where it all beganthe streets of Argentina. Milton's story is super inspiring, pretty wild and definitely worth the watch! Settle in and press play. I think all skaters would agree that this beloved little hobby of ours can certainly be described as a passion, but for Milton, it's a straight up family legacy! In case you didn't know, Milton was basically born on a board, growing up inside his parents' skate shop in Mar del Plata. His dad (Tatu) is unarguably Argentinian skateboarding royalty, and the apple obviously didn't fall far from the tree. But as we learn in the episode, the small town Milton grew up in was unfortunately no place to establish a proper career in skateboarding. So he made the move to the US (despite hardly knowing any English) and never looked back! Related: Is This the Ultimate Pump Track? Skatelite Shares a Glimpse of Red Bull's Insane North American HQ Safe to say, that decision changed everything for Milton (and his family) in all the best ways. Since he arrived, Milton's career has absolutely exploded and he's undeniably one of the heaviest hitters out there these days. He's done tricks and skated spots most skateboarders wouldn't even dare to imagine and continues to blow minds with every video part (shoot, and even random IG clips) he drops. Most importantly, it's just so rad hearing his mom and dad tell their stories and share their experiences. Full speed ahead! If you still haven't pressed play, what are you waiting for? Good luck keeping up with this maniac. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more quality skate content. And he could have the chance to do it later this year. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Prince William may be thinking about bringing his children to a place that is near and dear to his mother's heart. Last night, at the Footprint of Life Gala, which worked to raise funds for the Tusk Trust, sources close to the royal family explained that the Prince of Wales wants to introduce his children to Africa, a place that Princess Diana frequented before her death. William has been a patron of the Tusk Trust since 2005, making it one of the very first organizations that he worked with when he began taking on more duties as a working royal. "He is very knowledgeable and passionate about conservation and the environment, Tusk Trust CEO Charlie Mayhew told People. He has a particular love for Africa. He has been incredibly supportive as our patron and proactive in supporting us. We find ourselves incredibly lucky. I think it wont be long before, you know, he will want to introduce them to Africa, Mayhew added. Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images William could have the chance to do just that very soon. He's set to visit South Africa in November for the fourth annual Earthshot Prize Awards. It could be an opportunity for Princess Charlotte and Princes Louis and George to tag along, though the royals haven't shared any information about who is attending this year's ceremony just yet. The prince explained to CNN that Africa first got under his skin when he was 17 and becoming a father has only made conservation more of a priority for him. "Suddenly you start thinking of, like, wow, there is stuff you want to safeguard for the future, he said. Ive always believed it, but to actually feel it as well, its coming through powerfully now as well. Africa has played a huge role for William, who proposed to Kate in Kenya. Princess Diana often visited the continent, spending her honeymoon on a cruise that included stops in Egypt and then visiting Hurghada in 1986 during a tour of the Middle East. She also had royal tours that included Lagos, Nigeria, and Bamenda, Cameroon. Of course, she may be most known for her trip to Zimbabwe, where she touched patients with leprosy to show the world that the disease was not transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. It has always been my concern to touch people with leprosy, trying to show in a simple action that they are not reviled, nor are we repulsed, she said of the disease. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Later, in 1997, she walked through a field of landmines in Angola to bring more awareness to the landmines that littered the country. Id read the statistics that Angola has the highest percentage of amputees anywhere in the world, she said at the time. That one person in every 333 had lost a limb, most of them through landmine explosions. But that hadnt prepared me for reality. Diana also met with Nelson Mandela in Cape Town, where he commended her for her work with AIDS patients. She was the official patron for the National AIDS Trust. I came here to discuss the situation of AIDS in the country with the president and that's what we've been discussing. I said if I can help in any way, I'm available to do it," she told Mandela. For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on InStyle. Shortly after Scott Peterson was told that badly decomposed remains found in the San Francisco Bay had been identified as his wife and unborn son, he was ready to eat a hearty meal at In-N-Out Burger, a detective revealed in a new Netflix docuseries. Retired Modesto police Detective Jon Buehler said in American Murder: Laci Peterson, which was released on Wednesday, that he was shocked at Petersons appetite during a pit stop on the drive from San Diego, where Peterson had been taken into custody in April 2003, to Modesto, where he was facing murder charges. Peterson was convicted in November 2004 in the death of his wife, Laci Peterson, who was 8 months pregnant when she disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002. Though Scott Peterson was already considered a suspect in his wifes death, DNA evidence had not yet confirmed that the remains that washed up on the shore of the San Francisco Bay on April 13 and 14, 2003, were those of Laci and the unborn child, whom shed planned to name Conner. Detectives were in the car with Peterson when the call came in, retired Modesto police Detective Al Brocchini said in American Murder. Scott Peterson (right) arrives at a county jail in Modesto, California, after being taken into custody in San Diego on April 19, 2003, in connection with the death of his wife, Laci Peterson, who was 8 months pregnant when she went missing the previous Christmas Eve. With him in the back seat is Detective Craig Grogan. Paul Sakuma/Associated Press Ill have a Double-Double with cheese, fries, small vanilla shake would be great, Buehler said Peterson told him when the detective said they were probably going to stop at the fast-food chain. Buehler suggested that only Laci Petersons killer would have had so little reaction to the news of the remains identification. To me, that was an enormous red flag on the fact that the notification didnt surprise him, that he already knew the results of this from four months earlier and that he really didnt care. He was ready to eat, Buehler said. Peterson has always said he was innocent. He told detectives that he had been away testing out his new fishing boat in the San Francisco Bay, not far from where the bodies later washed up, when his 27-year-old wife went missing from their Modesto home on Christmas Eve in 2002. The case drew worldwide attention from the start and was extensively covered by the media. A crowd was waiting at the Stanislaus County Jail in Modesto and surrounded the detectives car when they arrived with Peterson in the back seat just hours after he had hisIn-N-Out meal. The publics fascination with the case hasnt diminished over the years, but it has been amplified recently by documentaries and podcasts considering alternative theories and questioning his guilt. American Murder: Laci Peterson is one of two docuseries set to appear on streaming services this month; Face to Face With Scott Peterson premieres on Peacock on Aug. 20. Peterson, currently serving a life sentence in a California state prison, returned to the courtroom this year after the Los Angeles Innocence Project took on his case and claimed in court documents that newly discovered evidence should exonerate him. A judge has allowed new DNA testing of one piece of evidence, but the majority of the LA Innocence Projects claims have previously been discredited and rejected by the courts. Related... India Dawn Jones tells PEOPLE she believed there was 'no way' her brother would make it home from Iraq in time for the wedding Weddings Perfectly Captured India Dawn Jones and her brother Christian. India Dawn Jones was completely surprised when her brother, Christian, returned from his deployment in Iraq to make a surprise appearance at her rehearsal dinner Jones and her loved ones burst into tears when the soldier appeared at the event, and the bride shared footage of the moment in a now-viral TikTok video She tells PEOPLE that they incorporated Christian into the ceremony the following day and they shared a special sibling dance Despite her highest hopes, India Dawn Jones had accepted the fact that her brother, Christian, wouldn't be able to attend her wedding in June. After eight months of service in Iraq, he had to miss the occasion, just as he had missed their other sister's wedding last October or so he claimed. Jones teared up as she watched a special video message Christian recorded for her rehearsal dinner, a moment the bride later shared on TikTok. Then Christian explained why he wasn't wearing his full military kit on camera, and Jones' jaw dropped open in disbelief. "I am leaving in a couple of hours to go to Kuwait, and from there I'll leave to come home in time for the wedding," Christian said in his recording, prompting his older sister to burst into tears as her similarly surprised loved ones reacted in kind. Related: Couple Shocks Engagement Party Guests with Surprise Wedding: 'Give Me 20 Minutes to Change My Dress' (Exclusive) The room filled with cries of joy when Jones caught sight of her brother, who finished his deployment a month early, entering the rehearsal dinner room, completely surprising the entire wedding party. "I thought I was dreaming," she tells PEOPLE, recalling the unexpected family reunion just before her wedding day. "I couldnt believe I could hug and touch him." She uploaded the emotional footage of her rehearsal on TikTok, where it has garnered over 173,000 likes. Christian's reveal happens around 30 seconds into the video, but Jones included over a minute's worth of her family's reactions, which varied from weeping and gasping to cheering and embracing. India Dawn Jones India Dawn Jones surprised by her brother at rehearsal dinner. Related: Man Vows to Plant 1,000 Peonies in Marriage Proposal. Five Years Later, He Shows Off Impressive Promise (Exclusive) Jones says only a few people knew about the surprise beforehand: their parents, Christian's wife and her family. Everyone else at the rehearsal dinner was as shocked as the bride-to-be, as shown by the reactions of her sister by her side at the dinner table, and later in the video, by her grandparents' heartfelt sobs. At one point in the clip, Jones' mom can be heard joking about the high emotions off-camera. "I got paramedics on standby, don't worry," she quipped. The following day, the family relished in Christian's return even more, welcoming him into the wedding festivities. He brightened up Jones' already sunny mood wearing a pair of funky pink sunglasses and during the ceremony, he walked their mom down the aisle. India Dawn Jones India Dawn Jones at her rehearsal dinner with her family, including brother Christian. Related: Groom Goes Viral After Realizing His Zipper Was Down During Entire Wedding Ceremony (Exclusive) "He surprised me with a special dance with him, and halfway through my older sister came in and finished the dance with us," Jones tells PEOPLE of the unforgettable celebration. She also got to hand deliver a meaningful note addressed "To my brother on my wedding day." Thanks in part to Christian's appearance, the supportive sister says her nuptials were "such a dream." After she'd accepted that there was "no way he was going to be able to make it" to the wedding, Jones was overwhelmingly grateful to be proven wrong. "We have always been close because I have always wanted to protect him," she adds. "It was the hardest to think that [my] little brother was over there serving his country, and I could not be more proud of him." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Where Is Amber Frey Now? A Look at Scott Peterson's Former Mistress' Life Decades After Laci Peterson's Murder Scott Petersons mistress Amber Frey testified against him in his trial for the murder of his wife Laci Peterson and unborn son Conner Al Golub-Pool/Getty; Lou Dematteis-Pool/Getty Scott Peterson appears at a hearing in Stanislaus County Superior Court September 2, 2003 in Modesto, California ; Amber Frey leaves the San Mateo County Courthouse after her second day of testimony in the Scott Peterson double murder trial on August 11, 2004 in San Mateo, California Scott Petersons secret affair with Amber Frey came to light shortly after his wife, Laci Peterson, disappeared on Christmas Eve in 2002. About a week after Laci went missing, Frey, who was 27 at the time, recognized Peterson in the media coverage and came forward to the police with the news that she and Peterson were having an affair though she claimed he had told her he was a widower when they first met the previous month. Frey went on to play a pivotal role in Petersons trial, testifying for several days against him and sharing details of their affair. Working with the police, unbeknownst to Peterson, Frey recorded their phone conversations in which he lied to Frey about his location and what he was doing. Over 20 years later, Peterson is speaking out for the first time in a filmed video interview for Peacocks Face to Face with Scott Peterson, which begins streaming on Aug. 20. In the documentary, Peterson addressed his affair for the first time, admitting he was an ahole to be having sex outside our marriage, but denying he murdered his wife. Al Golub-Pool/Getty; Lou Dematteis-Pool/Getty Related: Where Is Scott Peterson Now? Inside His Life in Prison 20 Years After His Murder Conviction That is so offensive and so disgusting, he said in the documentary of the prosecutions allegations that he killed his wife because he wasnt ready to be a father and wanted to get out of his marriage without paying spousal or child support. He continued, I certainly regret cheating on Laci, absolutely. It was about a childish lack of self-esteem, selfish me traveling somewhere, lonely that night because I wasnt at home. Someone makes you feel good because they want have sex with you. So where is Amber Frey now? Heres everything to know about the California massage therapist and her life today. Who is Amber Frey? Michael Tran/FilmMagi Amber Frey during 16th Annual Night of 100 Stars Gala Frey gained notoriety in late 2002 after she came forward as Petersons mistress. At the time, she was a single mom working as a massage therapist. She soon became pivotal to the Peterson trial and continued to stay closely tied to the case in the two decades since it came to light. Now, Frey is appearing in the August 2024 Netflix documentary American Murder: Laci Peterson that reexamines the events that surrounded the 2002 disappearance. When I first met Scott Peterson, I was living in Madera, Rolling Hills. I had just graduated from massage school and my really good friend at the time told me about this guy that she had met, Frey recalled in the documentary. She said he was funny, easy to talk to, he was nice looking and he was looking to meet the one. As a single mom, that was something I was open to and wanting in my life. How did Frey meet Peterson? Bart Ah You-Pool/Getty; POOL/AFP/Getty Frey detailed how she and Peterson were first set up by Freys best friend, Shawn Sibley, in her 2005 book, Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson. In the first chapter of the memoir, Frey said she met Peterson on Nov. 20, 2002, at the Elephant Bar in Fresno, Calif., a few weeks after Sibley met him at a convention in Anaheim, Calif. The massage therapist recalled how as a single mother of one daughter, she was looking to settle down and was under the impression that Peterson wanted the same thing after he told Sibley he was looking for a committed relationship. When they met at the bar, they originally planned to head to dinner after but Peterson asked Frey if they could head to his hotel room so he could change. She agreed, and was impressed by how confident he seemed. I was a little nervous about meeting you, Scott said en route, but he didnt look nervous to me. He was smiling, and he seemed somehow relieved, she wrote in her book. What did Frey do when she found out Petersons wife was missing? Paul Sakuma-Pool/Getty Attorney Gloria Allred leaves the courtroom with her client Amber Frey after Frey was questioned by attorney Mark Geragos during the Scott Peterson trial August 24, 2004 in Redwood City, California On Dec. 9, 2002, Peterson called Frey and told her there was something urgent he wanted to tell her. He admitted that he had lied about being married, having previously told her that he never had been wed and that he had actually lost his wife and this would be the first holidays without her, Frey said in the Netflix documentary. With all his emotions, I thought I dont want to pry, he will share what he feels comfortable with, she said. He was sorry he had lied to me and hoped that it hadnt changed anything. Frey chalked the moment up to a white lie and continued with the relationship. However, a few weeks later, a friend sent Frey a newspaper clipping of Petersons missing pregnant wife, leaving the massage therapist shocked. On Dec. 30, Frey went to the police and gave them all the evidence that she had of their affair, including photos of a holiday party they attended on Dec. 14, while Laci was at a separate party the same day. Immediately after, the police had Frey record phone calls with Peterson without his knowledge, in the hopes of catching him in a lie. They were successful Peterson was caught lying the following day, telling Frey he was in Paris traveling while a candlelight vigil was being held for his wife. The following week, during a Jan. 6 call, Frey confronted Peterson about his missing wife, asking him what exactly he meant by his wife was lost, referring to what he told her the previous month. However, Peterson said he couldnt give her an explanation. She shes alive, he admitted. Later in the call, he acknowledged the lie he told Frey, saying, I said that I lost my wife. I did, yes. There are different kinds of loss, Amber. When Frey expressed her concern, he responded, Sweetie, you think I had something to do with her disappearance? I am not evil like that. The following week, on Jan. 15, 2003, the police informed Lacis family of the affair, and on Jan. 23, Frey spoke at a press conference. Scott told me he was not married, she said. We did have a romantic relationship. After the press conference, a media frenzy surrounded Frey. She also connected with Lacis parents, Sharon and Dennis Rocha, explaining that Sharon was surprisingly welcoming to her. Sharon asked if I would be open to meeting with her. I said I would. She had a calendar and she wanted to fill in that calendar, Frey shared in the documentary. She needed that validation of was he really working or was he with you? Scott isnt who he even led them to believe he was. What did Frey testify in Petersons murder trial? Lou Dematteis-Pool/Getty Amber Frey leaves the San Mateo County Courthouse flanked by her lawyer Gloria Allred after Frey's second day of testimony in the Scott Peterson double murder trial on August 11, 2004 in San Mateo, California In the summer of 2003, Frey took the stand as the key witness in the prosecutions case. Twelve hours of recorded conversation between her and Peterson were played for the jury, with lawyers later reflecting that was the most convincing evidence submitted. As one legal expert described it at the time, We were in the seventh inning and the score was 5-0 for the defense. Now, its 5-5 and the bases are loaded. Amber came across as one of the most credible people you could ever hear testify, Freys then-attorney, Gloria Allred, said in A&Es 2017 docuseries The Murder of Laci Peterson. And Scott Peterson on those recordings came across as one of the biggest liars one could ever hear. In November 2004, Peterson was found guilty of the murder of his wife and unborn son and was sentenced to death row. However, in 2021, he was resentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. What has Frey said about Petersons guilty verdict? ZUMA Press/ZUMAPRESS.com Laci Peterson and Scott Peterson shown in this undated picture. Frey has maintained Petersons guilt since his conviction, despite the convicted murderer seeking a new trial based on the claim that one of the jurors was unjustly picked. In December 2022, a judge denied Peterson the trial. The following day, Frey told Fox News Digital in a statement that she was relieved Peterson wouldnt be retried, but she would have been ready to testify again were it to come to that. "I would have been willing to testify again, she said. However, I am relieved that my testimony will not be necessary. If I were called to testify, I would give truthful testimony again, for the truth doesn't change over time. In January 2024, the L.A. Innocence Project took up Petersons case, claiming there was new evidence that supports his claims of innocence. Where is Frey now? Carvalho/FilmMagic Amber Frey signing copies of her book "Witness for the Prosecution of Scott Peterson" at Barnes And Noble in New York City Frey has continued to live in Fresno, Calif., with her daughter Ayiana and son Justin. In 2005, Frey released her book, Witness, in which she detailed her experience as a key part of Petersons trial. She has also continued her work as a massage therapist and is an ambassador for Bucked Up, a pre-workout drink. In September 2015, Frey joined TODAY where she reflected on her life since testifying at Petersons trial and her children, who were 14 and 11 years old at the time. Im still very recognizable, its not really ever gone away in that sense, a recognition, Frey said. Very proud mother of my two children, doing great. Its been a road. Its been a journey. She added that Peterson didnt make any attempt to contact her from prison since his sentencing, and that shed found closure outside of the case with no regrets of speaking out. "It changed my life. My childrens, as far as normal, I guess you would say, she said on TODAY. I dont regret anything. As crazy as it sounds I would do it all over again. It wasnt about me. Theres a missing woman carrying a child. If I had something to say that would help yeah, without question. In August 2024, Frey spoke out once again in the Netflix documentary, sharing more details about what was going through her head at that time. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. "I would say that my interior design style takes inspiration from my mixed heritage. Im half Indonesian and half Thai, so the design elements (I.e. materials, textures, and forms) that you see in my home are influenced by that," begins Adriano Tawin , who shares this 735-square-foot apartment in Clementi, Singapore with his wife, Angelin Chua. Credit: Adriano Tawin The AJ Standing Lamp and the Panthella Portable Lamp are both Louis Poulsen, while the Akari 24N Lamp is Noguchi. The Eames LTR Side Table is from Herman Miller. The Gnome Stool is from Kartell. Credit: The living, dining, and bedroom walls and ceiling are painted in "Sandy Mandy" by Gush Paint. The Ternslev Jute Rug is from IKEA. The three-seater Togo Sofa and Togo fireside chaire are both from Ligne Roset. The Gueridon Bas Coffee Table and Antony chair are both Vitra.The AJ Standing Lamp and the Panthella Portable Lamp are both Louis Poulsen, while the Akari 24N Lamp is Noguchi. The Eames LTR Side Table is from Herman Miller. The Gnome Stool is from Kartell. Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin Tawin says the natural light is his favorite element. "We are blessed with big windows that face the east lining the length of the apartment, and the morning light would illuminate the rooms in a golden light, especially beautiful during the golden hour. Even when the bamboo blinds are down, the gorgeous play of light coming in through between the slats would cast a different light that really elevates the ambience of the space." Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin Tawin advises that when you're decorating your space, you should consider height. "When we first moved in, a lot of our home items are quite low set, and even though that helps with the cozy ambience we really wanted to add some height and dimension to the house. Thats when we decided to add in a tall shelf on one side on the wall and a gallery wall above the sofa. Small additions like these do wonders to the balance of the home." Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin "The total renovation budget was $30,000 SGD," Tawin explains. ". . . We were also blessed with a great layout, so we could convert one of the bedrooms to become part of the living room, extending the common area. But essentially, being a 735-square-foot home it is a relatively small space to work with, we had to think about the furniture that would fit in different spaces of the house that would make it cozy yet not cluttered and still has space for creativity." Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin "We opted for furniture that are compact and can be moved easily, which allows for versatility of layout. Take for example our TV, we selected the smallest size of display for the model that we wanted and have it mounted on a stand instead of the wall so that it comes together in the space without overpowering the house like a huge TV monitor on a console would." Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: In the dining room, the Jarpen Wire Lounge Chair, Valby Ruta Rug, Varmblixt Lamp, Step Stool, Vasteron Stool, Besta Cabinet, PS2017 Floor Lamp, and Boaxel shelf are all from IKEA.Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: The 2.0m Jati Dining Table is from Golden Teak. The Mazha stool is from Tachen Studio, the Series 7 Chair is from Fritz Hansen, and the 209 Chair is Thonet. The Componibili 3 Tier Storage is Kartell. The Akari 1N is by Noguchi.Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin "Never underestimate the power of textures," Tawin advises. "Every little thing would come together in how your house would look and work, even textures." Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin "For example, we had searched high and low for the exact bamboo blinds that we wanted because of the specific way that it looks and the finishing which is matte and looks organic and raw. Inadvertently, that adds to the feel of the space even without the viewer intentionally noticing it. If you have concrete flooring like us, adding softer textures would also balance things out. We use a lot of textiles and fabric in the house, from carpets to throws, and that can easily create another dimension to the space." Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin Tawin explains that the most major work completed in the home's renovation was removing the walls to extend the living room, and also "the carpentry work done in the kitchen. The previous layout of the kitchen was a bit inefficient and we felt like replacing it entirely would have been the easiest way for us to achieve the look that we wanted." The coffee machine is DeLonghi, the hood, stove, and oven are all Ariston. The fridge and the front-load washer are both Samsung. Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin "Ambience lighting is something that I cannot emphasise enough. The running joke in the house is 'never to use the big lights!'" Tawin admits. "We have lamps placed around different spots in the house that we use to create a lighter and softer ambience at night, and the kind of effervescent light that is such a mood especially on rainy days is just one of the reasons why we love our lamps." Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Tawin and his wife really made efficient use of the space by getting rid of the wall that used to separate the primary bedroom from the living room so that they could "save that few inches of space, and also the false wall facing the living room is actually the back of the full-height wardrobe in the bedroom. The initial [primary] bedroom was small so gaining that couple of inches made a difference for us."Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin "As Ive mentioned earlier, we also got rid of the second bedroom in the house to extend the common area because we see that as a space that we would use more often, and getting rid of that wall would also achieve the effect of opening up the house a bit more, with the full length of window letting the incredible light into the house." Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin The bed frame and bedside table are both from Golden Teak. The Kvintol Table Lamp, the Allanit Table Lamp, and the Jarpen Wire Lounge Chair are all from IKEA. Credit: Adriano Tawin Credit: Adriano Tawin ABOUT THIS TOUR HOME TYPE: Apartment LOCATION: Clementi Town, Singapore STYLE: Mid-Century Modern, Rustic, Vintage BEDROOMS: 1 SQUARE FEET: 753 Two years ago, what first fascinated Adriano Tawin and his wife, Angelin Chua, about their 735-square-foot apartment in Clementi, Singapore, were the huge windows and spanning views (which, according to Tawin, are a design rarity in the area). We are blessed with big windows that face the east, lining the length of the apartment, and the morning light would illuminate the rooms in a golden light, especially beautiful during the golden hour, Tawin, founder of Stacked Store, writes. It wasnt only the natural light that caught their attention. The apartment was also near a shopping mall that doubles as a major public transportation station, which takes them to central Singapore in only 30 minutes. But the space had a lot of potential, too. Initially, the apartment had two bedrooms, but the couple removed the second bedroom and used that space to enlarge their living area. Tawin says that the smaller size made them intentional about the furniture they brought into their home. We opted for furniture that is compact and can be moved easily, which allows for versatility of layout, Tawin shares. Making these clever home choices is something that Tawin is skilled at, as Stacked Store seeks to help Singapore renters, buyers, and sellers make smarter choices. And speaking of furniture, Tawin guesses that around 95 percent of the items in the apartment are secondhand, and 100 percent of the items are a beautiful blend of both of their styles. Hes half Indonesian and half Thai, so mixing influences from his heritage brings him joy. Chua looks at objects practicality and appreciates earthy tones and wood and ceramic textures. In a way, our styles complement each other, and knowing what each other likes helps us curate the look of the home, Tawin says. Resources PAINT & COLORS Living, dining, and bedroom walls & ceiling Sandy Mandy by Gush Paint LIVING ROOM Ternslev Jute Rug IKEA 3-seater Togo Sofa Ligne Roset Togo Fireside Chair Ligne Roset Gueridon Bas Coffee Table Vitra Antony Chair Vitra AJ Standing Lamp Louis Poulsen Panthella Portable Lamp Louis Poulsen Akari 24N Lamp Noguchi Eames LTR Side Table Herman Miller Gnome Stool Kartell Componibili 2 Tier Storage Kartell Magazine Rack Kartell Jati Bench Golden Teak 43 Frame TV Samsung Table Fan Houm DINING ROOM Jarpen Wire Lounge Chair IEKA Mazha stool Tachen Studio Valby Ruta Rug IKEA 2.0m Jati Dining Table Golden Teak Series 7 Chair Fritz Hansen 209 Chair Thonet Componibili 3 Tier Storage Kartell Varmblixt Lamp IKEA Step Stool IKEA Vasteron Stool IKEA Besta Cabinet IKEA Boaxel shelf IKEA Akari 1N Noguchi PS2017 Floor Lamp IKEA TN-180BT Turntable Teac KITCHEN Coffee Machine EC680 DeLonghi Hood Ariston 2 Burner Gas Hob Ariston Combi Oven Ariston 325L 2-Door Refrigerator Samsung QuickDrive 8.5kg front load Washer Samsung BEDROOM Bedframe Golden Teak Bedside Table Golden Teak Kvintol Table Lamp IKEA Allanit Table Lamp IKEA Jarpen Wire Lounge Chair IKEA Thanks, Adriano! This tours responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity. Share your style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form Further Reading We Asked 5 Contractors Which Kitchen Reno Trend Homeowners Regret Most, and They Basically All Agreed See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Heres What They Said Sign up for Apartment Therapy's Daily email newsletter to receive our favorite posts, tours, products, and shopping guides in your inbox. Gordon Ramsay is known for his refined takes on French and British cuisine: He's spent a lot of time in France and he has two Michelin-starred restaurants there. But when it comes to traveling, this doesn't mean France is his favorite destination. In a 2023 interview with Korean food YouTuber Seungyon Cho, Ramsay named an arguably unexpected Asian country as his favorite place to eat: Laos. Wedged between Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, Laos has a cuisine that's herby, spicy, and uses plenty of tangy fermented products from noodles to meats. In countries like America, Lao cuisine has often been overshadowed by its Thai neighbors (although there's definitely some overlap between their culinary approaches), but in recent years, has become a lot easier to find, at least in areas like Los Angeles. Ramsay describes Lao food as "off the charts," especially when he went outside of touristy areas into the countryside. He filmed an episode of his National Geographic TV series "Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted" there, learning the importance of fish from the Mekong River to the cuisine, for dishes like mok pa, herby, spiced steamed fish in banana leaves. He learned to love padek, a fermented fish product that adds some kick to soups and stews, and even "toe-biters," a water bug that he describes as tasting like a mix of lobster and crab meat. That said, he didn't end up a fan of betel nut, a stimulant that can cause dizziness. Read more: How Restaurant Steak Tricks Your Tastebuds Ramsay's Next Favorite: Vietnam A bowl of bun rieu crab noodle soup. - jwonghl/Shutterstock In his interview with Seungyon Cho, the second country Ramsay named as his favorite food destination is right next door to Laos: Vietnam. He describes the country of 100 million people as an "extraordinary melting pot of good food," adding that "there's just such a humble approach to eating good food." Ramsay has also filmed in Vietnam, for his 2010 series "Gordon's Great Escape," focusing on various Southeast Asian countries. Despite sharing a long border with Laos, Vietnamese food isn't the same: For example, curry will crop up a lot more in Lao cuisine than Vietnamese, with Vietnamese food being somewhat less spicy; Laos also tends to use sticky rice rather than the Jasmine rice of Vietnamese food. Some of Ramsay's Vietnamese highlights include hu tieu, a deeply-flavored pork and seafood soup, which he learned to prepare on a rickety boat in the Mekong Delta, combining the broth with banana blossoms, water spinach, and bean sprouts for crunch, and vermicelli noodles. He's also a fan of bun rieu, a sweet-spicy-sour crab noodle soup. Beyond soup, he also fell in love with barbecued duck, learning how to prepare it from scratch and marinating it in a sweet-spicy sauce. A final one of his favorites is a classic, even outside Vietnam: Goi cuon, or summer rolls. Ramsay likes them with a herby prawn filling and a spicy, garlicky dipping sauce with plenty of fish sauce. Ramsay's Final Favorite: Madrid, Spain Bowl of cocido madrileno on a wooden table. - etorres/Shutterstock Speaking with Seungyon Cho, Ramsay named Spain's capital city as his final favorite food destination, declaring that "there's so many exciting things going on in Madrid," and suggesting that it's a great place for him to challenge his palate. Ramsay is a bit more coy about his love for Madrid's food scene, having not filmed there for his various TV series although he has declared Spanish cuisine as arguably better than Italian. A likely draw is the fact that all sorts of Spanish regional specialties can be found there, from Galician-style octopus to rabo de toro, an oxtail stew from Cordoba in the south. That said, some argue that these kinds of regional specialties are best if you go directly to the source for example, only ordering paella in Valencia, and not somewhere like Madrid. Fortunately, Madrid has its own specialties, too: cocido madrileno is an iconic chickpea stew, stacked with plenty of meat and vegetables for a warming winter dish. Churros fried dough sticks sometimes dipped in chocolate are also another Madrid staple, although the origins of this sweet treat can be traced to both Mexico and China. Read the original article on Chowhound. When Grooms Were Denied Wedding Services for Being Gay, This 90-Year-Old Grandma Had the Perfect Response (Exclusive) When Grooms Were Denied Wedding Services for Being Gay, This 90-Year-Old Grandma Had the Perfect Response (Exclusive) Fiances Daniel Sheehan and Matt Price tell PEOPLE about the alarming pattern of discrimination in the United States, and how people like Grandma Ginny can be the antidote A 90-year-old grandma served as a refreshing source of hope after her grandson and his soon-to-be husband were turned away by a Christian wedding vendor in North Carolina. When fiances Daniel Sheehan and Matt Price were denied wedding services in July because they were a gay couple, they were nervous about how Sheehan's grandma Ginny Parasiliti would react. "It was exactly what she was afraid we would experience when I came out," Sheehan tells PEOPLE. "I knew she'd be hurt to know what happened." The New York Citybased couple, both 31, told a loved one about their disheartening experience, and word began to travel within the family. Before long, the news reached Parasiliti, prompting her to rattle off an impassioned text message of support filled with exclamation points, emojis and a Tuscan chicken recipe. "Hi guys, I am just beside myself with FURY!!!!! But, I'm not going to let these bigots ruin my excitement about your wedding," Parasiliti's text read. "Christianity is loving each of us & the path we have chosen!!!! Love is who we choose as our partner, & the one who makes our lives complete!!!! Raise your heads up high, & be PROUD of who you are!!! Amazing humans!!!!! Love you guys with all my heart. " In a quick follow-up text, she added: "I have a new recipe for you. Tuscan chicken. I'll send it to you. " Daniel Sheehan Grandma Ginny Parasiliti's text message for grandson Daniel Sheehan and his fiance, Matt Price Sheehan and Price say that it's perfectly on brand for Parasiliti a Catholic, first-generation Italian American to swoop in and restore morale. But they're still "taken aback" every time she goes out of her way to defend their love. "She is a light of my life," Sheehan says, explaining that she and his grandpa helped raise him when his mother became ill with multiple sclerosis. "Shes so outspoken in her support, becoming another grandparent for friends of mine, including many who had less-than-desirable coming out experiences." "She is an incredible balance of sweet and fiery that I dont think you always find in someone, but its something that I think she really embodies," Price adds. "She's just been fantastic to myself, to both of us, and helped support our relationship." Related: Dolly Parton Says She Loves and Does 'Not Judge' the LGBTQ+ Community: 'How We Are Is Who We Are' Courtesy of Daniel Sheehan and Matt Price Daniel Sheehan and Matt Price stand with Sheehan's grandparents, Ginny and Papa The discriminatory incident that Sheehan and Price faced came as they were aiming to do an act of kindness for their grandparents and other wedding guests. Their mountainous wedding venue in western North Carolina will be difficult to reach for attendees with accessibility issues and those who don't drive, so they were trying to rent some sort of ground transportation that could get people around with ease. "We were just trying to get our grandparents and guests from point A to point B," Sheehan says. "It shouldn't have been the most complicated part of our planning process." Related: Elton John Launches 'Speak Up Sing Out' Campaign to End LGBTQ+ Discrimination (Exclusive) A basic inquiry that they sent to a trolley rental company in the area sparked an unexpected email response: the two were asked if they were having a "groom plus groom" wedding. After they confirmed that they were a same-sex couple, a woman at the company declined to help them, saying that "marriage is sacred" according to her understanding of the Bible and adding, "How can God be God, if we don't allow him to be God?" An email Daniel and Matt received after confirming that they were gay Sheehan and Price decided not to engage with the woman's message, and instead posted a Google review of the company to warn other LGBTQ+ people about their experience. But within minutes of the review going live, the woman emailed them again in a more hostile tone than before, seemingly lashing out in response to their post. Her follow-up message included a politicized rant about how gay people "didn't know when to quit pushing," and she accused the LGBTQ+ community of putting Donald Trump in power by scaring Christians into supporting him. A follow-up email that Daniel and Matt received after posting a negative review on Google "When we first received the response back, I was shocked," Price tells PEOPLE. "This is from a person and a company that operates maybe 10 miles away from where I grew up ... and it never really crossed my mind as we were going through this planning process that this experience we're having was even one that was really possible to have today." "I had a similar level of disbelief," Sheehan adds, noting that the message brought "a lot of emotions to the surface" and had his heart racing. Related: North Carolinas GOP Candidate for Governor Says Some Folks Need Killing in Church Rant About Political Enemies Their shock quickly turned to disappointment, they say, that this sort of baseline discrimination still happens and that some members of the LGBTQ+ community have it worse. Years ago the Supreme Court enabled marriage equality, which was a massive win for queer people, and I think that there has been this misconception that the battle is won, that this is everything that needs to happen," Price says. "And the truth is exhibited also by our experience here thats not true. There is so much more work that needs to be done. Related: Jim Obergefell, Whose Landmark Case Legalized Gay Marriage, Says 'I Have to Keep Fighting' as 'Roe' Is Overturned Cindy Price Daniel Sheehan and Matt Price at the beach Currently there are more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills swirling through state legislatures. At the federal level, existing protections for gay and transgender people are also under threat. In 2023 the Supreme Court dealt a major blow to LGBTQ+ rights, ruling in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis that businesses can refuse services to gay and transgender people in some instances. The landmark decision was one of many in recent years to roll back hard-won freedoms by opening the door for broad discrimination against a protected class. "It leaves us with a question of, Where does this end, and where do we draw the line? " Price says. "At the end of the day, it's a reminder to us and a call to action that the fight for equality is very far from over." Related: Sonia Sotomayor Pens Stunning Rebuke of Supreme Court's Discrimination Ruling: 'Today, the Court Shrinks' One ongoing point of concern for Sheehan and Price is Project 2025, a powerful conservative group's blueprint for a second Trump presidency, which was created by some of the former president's closest allies. The policy proposal takes direct aim at the queer community, calling on the next Republican president to strip LGBTQ+ people of their protected status by "refocusing" enforcement of sex discrimination laws so that they only apply to the "biological binary" of sex. "For LGBTQ+ folks, this isn't just politics it's deeply personal. We're facing attacks on our right to marry, to work without discrimination, to access healthcare and, for some, to even exist openly," Sheehan says. "Our identities as queer people are often politicized, and our human rights are treated as negotiable. Related: What Is Project 2025? Inside the Far-Right Plan Threatening Everything from the Word 'Gender' to Public Education Courtesy of Daniel Sheehan and Matt Price Fiances Daniel Sheehan and Matt Price Sheehan and Price tell PEOPLE that everyone has a role to play in shifting the culture toward embracing kindness and rejecting hate "in all its forms." "By sharing our story, we hope to provide another way for people to discuss not just the challenges we face, but the inclusive future we can create together," Sheehan says. "We shape our culture and communities with these courageous conversations and actions." Looking to 90-year-old Grandma Ginny as an example, he adds, Inclusivity, acceptance, LGBTQ+ progress isnt specific or unique to any younger generation. Its every generations responsibility to move the needle, to be a part of this progress, and to build the communities that we all can and want to be a part of." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. Price says that they still haven't found a company to provide ground transportation at their wedding next fall but they aren't letting one sour experience dampen their enthusiasm. "We know it's going to be a beautiful event." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Low pay and high expectations: My life as a teacher left me frustrated. And thankful. It's no wonder that teachers are leaving education for jobs at Costco. The average annual salary for a starting teacher is less than $45,000. And the national average pay for all teachers is less than $70,000 a year. That's not much compensation when compared with the responsibilities, expectations and even dangers we ask our children's educators to accept. Teachers have tremendous demands and pressures placed on them by government policies, school districts, school leadership, parents and students. They have to teach a jam-packed curriculum, protect students from harm, support a classroom often with little financial assistance outside of basic materials, and address parents' concerns and expectations for their students. When I walked into class on my first day as a teacher, my classroom was empty. Well, not completely empty; there were tables and chairs. But as an elementary school teacher, my expectations of having pencils, a pencil sharpener, crayons, glue and scissors were met with a void. I was overwhelmed, underpaid and lacking essential resources to effectively teach. If that wasnt enough, I had to endure death by PowerPoint. The never-ending training, procedures and policies left my head spinning. But the angst really came when we started safety training. Active shooter training videos left my heart pounding A trainer conducts an active shooter threat exercise at a school in Gulf Breeze, Fla., in 2019. My heart pounded and my palms turned sweaty the first time I watched an active shooter procedure video in a teacher training. I asked myself in disbelief: How did we get here? When did teachers go from being role models, leaders and instructors to human shields and pseudo law enforcement officers? Don't get me wrong I loved all my students and would do anything to keep them safe. But when did taking on the very real potential for harm become a requirement for teaching? As students head back to school, should parents worry about shootings? The math says no. I was 16 when the shooting at Columbine High School took place in 1999, claiming the lives of 12 students and one teacher. I lived in Colorado at the time. I remember the fear that consumed my peers and me as we watched the horror unfold. It was an uncommon tragedy then. Today, school shootings are so common that educators and children are routinely taught how to save themselves in a firefight. Time for actual teaching is rushed The average annual salary for a starting teacher is less than $45,000. And the national average pay for all teachers is less than $70,000 a year. But even if an educator can push past the threat of violence, the massive amount of curriculum that must be taught in a school day is unreal. Teachers must cram lessons into rapid-fire sessions and expect students to comprehend and retain the information. There just isnt enough time in a day. Recess is too short or even nonexistent, and teachers have little or no time to regroup during the day. I often found myself rushing my students to lunch late and eating at the table with them. Its exhausting, and when the day is done, the work isn't finished. How to help military families: Military spouses are forced to rebuild every move. Student loan forgiveness would help us. After the school day is over, planning and parent communications can take teachers well into the night hours, leaving little time for family or self. As a parent, I want my children to have the best education from the most delightful teachers. But I know that teachers are often overworked, underpaid and unsupported. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. When you see a teacher at their wit's end, remember that they are investing their talent and time and often their own money to help your child learn lessons that will last a lifetime. Tell them thank you. And the next time you see a teacher's Amazon wish list, a teacher's favorite-things list or an opportunity to volunteer at your child's school, do it, buy it, give it. Marla Bautista is a military fellow columnist at USA TODAY Opinion. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Going back to school? Be sure to thank your teachers This South American Country Was Just Named One of the Best Places to Retire for Weather, Cost of Living, and Safety Uruguay is a popular expat hub. ElOjoTorpe/GETTY IMAGES With its picture-perfect Atlantic coastline, bustling art scene, quaint seaside towns, and 16 national parks, Uruguay is the quintessential vacation destination, receiving over 3.8 million visitors annually. However, the country is also becoming a popular full-time home for expats and American retirees seeking a slower and more affordable pace of life. Recently, the country was named one of the best places to retire by Global Citizen Solutions, an investment migration consultancy firm. Its capital, Montevideo, was also on U.S. News's list of the most welcoming, LGBTQ+-friendly cities to retire overseas. Global Citizen Solutions highlights Uruguay's "favorable climate for retirees with four distinct seasons." Because of its location nestled between Brazil and Argentina and low-lying topography, the country lacks any major mountain ranges. This keeps the climate fairly uniform throughout, with summer temperatures peaking in the low 80s and winters not much colder than the low 40s. But what makes Uruguay, the second-smallest South American country, an excellent retirement destination is the level of safety and stable lifestyle it offers both residents and expats. "The health care system in Uruguay combines public and private sectors, ensuring comprehensive coverage," Global Citizen Solutions's report states, adding that the "private sector offers faster and higher-quality services at a cost." One of the most popular ways expats receive health care in Uruguay is through a mutualista, an affordable and high-quality hospital-based private plan, charging anywhere between $70 and $200 per month, not including co-payments. Safety is another primary concern of many seniors. This year, Uruguay ranked 52nd as the most peaceful nation in the world, and together with Argentina, which was 47th, the two countries were the only South American states in the top 60. According to the BTI Index, Uruguay's party system is one of the most stable in the world, with all institutions" performing their functions effectively and in accordance with the constitution and laws." As of 2021, Uruguay, sometimes called "the Switzerland of South America," had the lowest poverty rate in the region. However, unlike its European counterpart, which is known for its high cost of living, residents of Uruguay need under $2,000 to cover their monthly expenses. This number is higher in Montevideo, which has the highest cost of living in South America, but it is still much more affordable than many of the largest U.S. metro areas. "Consumer prices in Montevideo are 79.6 percent lower than in New York, and rent prices are 578.1 percent lower. This affordability makes Uruguay an attractive option for retirees looking for a comfortable yet economical lifestyle," Global Citizen Solutions states. And lastly, LGBTQ+ retirees wishing to spend their golden years in South America should seriously consider making Uruguay their permanent home as it is the fourth most LGBTQ+-friendly country in the world, only behind Iceland, Norway, and Spain. (The U.S., for reference, is 26th.) You can read the full report of the best places to retire in the world on globalcitizensolutions.com. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. What's cooking at Biscuit City? Hike this nature preserve known for birding and mill ruins SOUTH KINGSTOWN Rhode Island is dotted with mill towns, villages and hamlets with colorful and intriguing names. Biscuit City is one of my favorites. One legend about the name recounts that a peddler in the 1800s complained to a Kingston tavern keeper that he had knocked on every door in a nearby village, but nobody answered and he sold no wares. Every housewife was busy in the kitchen baking biscuits, he moaned. The yarn made the rounds. Biscuit City was coined, and the nickname stuck. Nobody knows if that tale is true, but when I hiked there recently, I found plenty of evidence to support other fascinating chapters of the areas history. Theres a natural spring once tapped by Colonial settlers and used as Kingstons water supply, stone foundations from one of Rhode Islands earliest cotton mills and a tiny pond that memorializes a local tragedy. All of that is packed into a small 11-acre public preserve that is owned and managed by the South Kingstown Land Trust. Protecting native plants from invasive species On a warm July morning, I set out from the trailhead, stopping by a kiosk with a trail map and a description of the work volunteers had done to clear out invasive species, such as winged euonymus, garlic mustard, Asian bittersweet and Japanese knotweed, so that native plants such as American holly, pepperbush and woodland aster could thrive. Pictures of each of the plants help visitors identify them along the trail. I started out by turning left at the trailhead and walked on a wide path of compacted stone dust and gravel that was lined with stone walls on the left. Several houses were visible through the trees. On the right were the banks of a small pond and wetlands spotted with skunk cabbage. A stream tumbles downhill by the side of a structure built above a natural spring in the Biscuit City Preserve in South Kingstown. I came to a junction and walked straight ahead on a trail that rose slightly to Biscuit City Road. Across the road was a sign for the Potter Wood Trail. I returned to the junction and turned left on a path that descended for a few steps through underbrush. At an opening in the foliage, I spotted a small structure that houses a natural source of water that European settlers called Great Spring or Boiling Spring, according to research by Katherine Long, a historian, Biscuit City resident and South Kingstown Land Trust volunteer and former board member. The area lies within the traditional homeland of the Narragansetts, who were undoubtedly aware of the spring. The tribe used the area for hunting, gathering and possibly toolmaking, but there is no evidence they ever established a permanent residence by the site of the spring. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the springs waters were reputed to be particularly healthful, and people would travel there to picnic and drink the water. I followed the path along a 30-foot-long stone wall on the left, stepped on flat stones over a damp area and then crossed a wooden bridge over a gurgling stream that tumbled toward the pond I had passed earlier. Spring was once the main water supply for Kingston I inspected the boarded-up and locked structure that seemed to be built on a stone ledge. The building had a foundation of stones reinforced with concrete and small openings in the brown-shingled walls that were boarded up. There also was a No Trespassing sign. According to Longs research, the Bernon LeMoine Water Company leased the site from Mary LeMoine Potter in 1923 and purchased it in 1932. The company installed pumps and pressure tanks and built the pumphouse over the spring to supply water to the town of Kingston. It was the primary water source for Kingston until 1966, when a new well was drilled at Route 138 and Plains Road. Water flows from a tiny pond past the remnants of a grist mill and a cotton spinning plant at Biscuit City Preserve. The water company transferred the site to the Kingston Fire District in 1955, and the Kingston Improvement Association took ownership in 1972 before transferring the site to South Kingstown Land Trust in 2001. Continuing on, the trail climbed slightly under oak, ash and hickory trees with water breaks across the path to prevent runoff from eroding the trail. I took a short side path on the left that led uphill to Biscuit City Road. A hotspot for birds and other wildlife. What might you see there? I returned to the main trail that skirted the southern bank of the pond and noted a wood duck nesting box in the shallow, stagnant end of the pond clouded with green algae. Other ducks that use the pond in the winter include mallards, black ducks and hooded mergansers. In the spring and summer, great egrets and great blue herons dine on trout. Hikers report the site is a birding hotspot. Red-winged blackbirds, catbirds, Baltimore orioles and many other species nest there. The pond also attracts muskrats, painted turtles, snapping turtles, spring peepers, green frogs and bullfrogs. At the east end of the pond, I walked across an earthen berm, reinforced with rocks, that was built to hold back the water in the pond. I crossed two bridges over two, stone-lined channels that carried outflow from the pond downhill. After the second bridge, I took a left on a path and found two cellar holes on the right, probably built in the late 1700s. The larger one once supported the house of the overseer of a downstream mill. The other, smaller foundation may have been a root cellar. A cellar hole remains from the millers house built near a stream that once powered a grist mill. After examining the remains. I returned to the path and followed a long stone wall that paralleled a stream that ran from the pond. I spotted a rectangular, stone foundation, which was about 30 feet by 40 feet on the left. It was filled with leaves, brush and small trees, and I estimated the walls to be about 8 feet high. On the side of the foundation adjacent to the stream was what looked to be the housing for a water wheel. Several channels seemed to be sluiceways to direct water to the old mill. An informational sign erected by the land trust told me the surrounding property was acquired by settlers as part of the 1657 Pettaquamscutt Purchase, when three Narragansett sachems sold the land to a local partnership. Part of the land became South Kingstown. The settlers farmed the land and operated an eighth-century grist mill on the stream. In 1807, the newly formed Narragansett Cotton Manufactory purchased the site and built a cotton-spinning mill downstream from the gristmill. Stone walls once formed the foundation of one of the earliest cotton spinning mills in Rhode Island. The cotton spinning operation ceased in 1819 and the mill was sold to Rouse C. Clarke Jr., who ran a carriage and wagon manufacturing mill there. In 1830, Solomon Harley acquired the property and operated several mills, including a grist mill. The area became known as Harleys Village. Judge E.R. Potter Jr. bought the property in 1886, leasing the mill to small cottage industries, including basket weaving and furniture making from box laurel, which grows nearby. By the late 1880s, the surrounding village had become known as Biscuit City. A flood in 1885 rendered the buildings uninhabitable, and a fire in the 1890s destroyed what was left of the structures. Downstream from the remains, I followed a path that crossed the stream, which had split into several branches, with wooden bridges over each one. The stream, and the upstream spring, are tributaries of White Horn Brook, which runs from south of Flagg Road, flows through the University of Rhode Island and crosses Route 138. From there, it runs parallel to Route 110 to the west end of the Great Swamp, through Genesee Swamp, and ends in the wetlands east of Worden Pond. I continued on the path that passed through a thick, dark, tunnel of rhododendrons before curling east and along a hillside. Because the small preserve is contiguous to adjacent open space, including Potter Wood to the east and URI land to the south, the area is a haven for wildlife, including coyotes, deer, bobcats, raccoons, fisher cats, red and gray foxes, red and gray squirrels, flying squirrels, skunks, chipmunks, field mice, moles and bats. Memorial to a 1974 tragedy I followed the trail back to the first bridge I had passed on the west side of the pond, walked left along the lip of the pond and turned right onto a path lined with cedar and pine trees. I stopped at an overturned rowboat below a sign for the Scott Evans Memorial Fishing Area, which is dedicated to the memory of a child who was struck and killed by a car in 1974 while fishing from a nearby bridge. Community members contributed to having the pond dredged, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management stocks the pond with trout. Fishing is restricted to anglers age 14 and under, who report catching rainbow, brown and brook trout. A sitting bench overlooks the west end of the Scott Evans Memorial Fishing Area, named for a boy who was killed while fishing from a nearby bridge in 1974. On the opening day of trout fishing every year (first Saturday in April), the South Kingstown Land Trust hosts an all-day family event at the pond. I returned to where I'd started after walking about three-quarters of a mile for an hour. Biscuit City's two musical connections Later, when I researched Biscuit City, I found out the name was used by a local country and rock band and is included in the lyrics in a song by Gordon Lightfoot, who explained that the name to him represented a state of mind. I also learned that the peddlers story about the names origin has been repeated over and over again, and perhaps the earliest documented evidence of the term Biscuit City being used is in a short article in the 1882 Narragansett Historical Register. To me, the name adds another interesting element to an easy summer walk that already gives you plenty to think about. The hike showcases the work volunteers do for land stewardship, tells the story of a tiny mill pond with a tragic past and explains how early Rhode Islanders once lived and worked. And then theres the spring that bubbles up with a history all its own. If you go ... Access: From Route 138, drive south on Biscuit City Road and turn right on Ledgewood Road. Turn left on Springdale Road to the trailhead on the right. Parking: Available at a turnout at the junction of Springdale Road and Crestwood Drive. Dogs: Allowed, but must be leashed. Difficulty: Easy, with some small hills. GPS coordinates: 41.49987, -71.54431 Lectures and signings for 'Walking Rhode Island' book John Kostrzewas book, Walking Rhode Island: 40 Hikes for Nature and History Lovers with Pictures, GPS Coordinates and Trail Maps, is available at local booksellers and at Amazon.com. Hell sell and sign books after the following presentations: Saturday, Sept. 14: Scituate Land Trust, Westconnaug Meadows trailhead, Scituate. 10 a.m. hike, 11 a.m. presentation. Monday, Sept. 16: Lifelong Learning Collaborative, Virtual Presentation, 4 to 5 p.m. Registration required at tinyurl.com/mschwykr. Wednesday, Sept. 18: Best Fall Hikes in R.I. and N.E. Where to go and what youll learn. With Jeff Romano, author of several hiking books. William Hall Library, Cranston. 6 to 7:45 p.m. Register at tinyurl.com/2kb2h4km. Wednesday, Sept. 25: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at URI, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Registration required at web.uri.edu/olli. Saturday, Sept. 28: Pawtuxet Valley Preservation and Historical Society, 1679 Main St., West Warwick. 2 p.m. The Walking Rhode Island column runs every other week in the Providence Sunday Journal. John Kostrzewa, a former assistant managing editor/business at The Journal, welcomes email at johnekostrzewa@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Biscuit City hike offers mill ruins, great birding in South Kingstown If you've ever visited a Starbucks Reserve location (there are nine worldwide, six of which are roasteries), then you know that you won't find many of the company's best-known beverages on the menu. There's no "venti PSL" at a Roastery but there is a Hot Honey Affogato and Toffeenut Bianco Latte. Starbucks' Reserve Roasteries are playgrounds for the coffee giant to test and sell quality-crafted espresso and coffee bean creations, and they're home to a myriad of different inventions. At the three New York City locations, Starbucks carries such complex coffee beans as Sun-Dried Brazil Fazenda Recanto with rose and lavender, and Rwanda Sholi Kundwa with chamomile and ginger. Among this spread is Starbucks Reserve Knob Creek Bourbon Barrel-Aged Guatemala coffee with chocolate and fruit notes and there's more to this particular roast than meets the eye (or, perhaps, the taste buds). Starbucks Reserve crafted its barrel-aged Guatemalan coffee in collaboration with whiskey giant Knob Creek. According to the Starbucks Reserve website, the batch comes from "an extraordinary lot of Guatemalan beans, tended carefully throughout the aging process in Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey barrels." Longstanding coffee tradition meets the expertise of the longstanding Kentucky distillery for, as Starbucks describes it, a coffee with "mellow sweetness, notes of chocolate, hints of stone fruit and an aura of rich oak." For maximum preservation of those nuanced, crafted flavor notes, this barrel-aged coffee should be prepared in a pour-over or French press, or even turned into a luxurious batch of cold brew. Read more: 26 Coffee Hacks You Need To Know For A Better Cup Knob Creek Joins Starbucks For A Master-Crafted Roast Starbucks Whiskey Barrel-Aged Guatemalan coffee - Starbucks Reserve Barrel-aging is an artisanal way to impart flavor into a coffee without using viscous sugary syrups or artificial flavorings, totally alcohol-free. It's a trend that's been taking the coffee industry by storm in recent years, inspiring the emergence of brands like Regent Coffee and Bourbon Coffee Co. Good Folks Coffee in Louisville, Kentucky even makes a custom Pappy & Company coffee blend aged in luxury Pappy Van Winkle bourbon casks. In the barrel-aging process, green, unroasted coffee beans are placed into a barrel that had previously used to age liquor (in this case, Knob Creek bourbon whiskey), then left to absorb the aromas and flavors. After a non-specified length of time, those bourbon-note-logged beans are roasted and brewed to make a knockout cup of joe. Expert manipulation of the aging time controls the aroma strength. Judging by Knob Creek's proprietary Kentucky Straight offering, those coffee beans are likely earthy, nutty, oaky, vanilla-forward, spiced, and slightly sweet. Multiple fans took to the internet to share their thoughts on the brew, and mentioned that Starbucks Reserve Roasteries and stores serve the Knob Creek barrel-aged coffee sweetened with vanilla syrup. This addition, as one fan on Reddit proposed, helps to temper the bittersweet tartness of the dark cherry notes, adding a mellow balance. If you're feeling like a loose cannon, you could even add a splash of Knob Creek bourbon into a cup of black drip coffee brewed with the Starbucks Guatemala specialty beans. Read the original article on Tasting Table. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 16. Foreign Ministers of Turkmenistan and Turkiye, Rashid Meredov and Hakan Fidan held political consultations in Ankara, focusing on the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, Trend reports via the Turkmen MFA. The sides agreed on the strong and evolving interstate relations, facilitated by the efforts of heads of states. They emphasized the importance of high-level contacts and regular consultations in advancing bilateral relations and discussed planned visits and meetings for the year. The discussions highlighted the need for coordinated economic activities and the roles of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Turkish Commission on Economic Cooperation and the Turkiye-Turkmenistan Business Council. Topics included energy and transportation partnerships, as well as expanding cultural dialogue and cooperation in science, education, sports, and healthcare. The ministers addressed a range of topics, including enhancing political and diplomatic ties, expanding inter-parliamentary cooperation, and strengthening the legal framework. The sides reaffirmed the significance of bilateral collaboration in trade, economics, humanitarian issues, and cooperation within international and regional structures. Additional consular talks were held a day early, tackling visa issues, and the improvement of the legal framework. The meeting addressed information security, focusing on cybersecurity and countering threats related to virtual technologies. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Everyone makes mistakes with Buffalo wings, like prepping them incorrectly or using too much sauce, but this story takes things to an entirely different level. Vera Liddell, the former food service director for Harvey School District 152 in south suburban Chicago, has pleaded guilty to a crime that's as audacious as it is bizarre. Over the course of 19 months, Liddell stole $1.5 million worth of chicken wings. As a result, she's been sentenced to nine years in prison. Liddell, who served the district for over a decade, decided to use her position to hatch a plan for what can only be described as an epic poultry heist. Between July 2020 and February 2022, she ordered truckloads of wings from Gordon Food Services, billing the school but stashing the goods for herself. So, how did no one notice nearly two years' worth of rogue wing shipments? The answer, it seems, lay in timing. According to prosecutors, Liddell launched her operation at the height of the pandemic, when students were learning remotely. With the district still providing meals for pick-up, Liddell saw an opportunity to sneak the wings past the goalpost. However, there was a major hitch in her plan: Chicken wings aren't on the school cafeteria menu because they contain bones, a choking hazard for children. Read more: US Foods You Surprisingly Can't Find In Canada From The Cafeteria To The Cell Block chicken wings - Joecicak/Getty Images It wasn't until the district's food service department blew past its annual budget by $300,000 halfway through the school year that something didn't smell right. A business manager found invoices for the missing wings, marking the end of Vera Liddell's wing-hoarding spree. Liddell was charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise in January 2023. On Friday, August 9, 2024, she pleaded guilty and received a nine-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections. But just when you thought this tale couldn't get more bizarre, in steps Chris Jones, defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs and apparent wing philanthropist. After all, chicken wings are more nutritious than you thought, as they contain plenty of protein and vitamins. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Jones offered to cover the cost of the stolen wings in a bizarre bid to free Liddell from prison. "I'll pay for the wings that she stole to get her free," Jones declared on August 13, apparently hoping his gesture could cut Liddell's sentence short. Whether or not Jones will successfully wing it remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure, the saga of Vera Liddell is a reminder that crime doesn't pay. Rest assured, embezzlement isn't among our life-changing chicken wing hacks, but cooking with cola and double-frying definitely are. Read the original article on Mashed. 10 days of Ukraine's Kursk incursion from first shot to dozens of settlements captured On the morning of Aug. 6, the first groups of Ukrainian soldiers armed with heavy equipment crossed the Ukrainian-Russian border and entered Kursk Oblast, marking the largest attack on Russian territory since World War II. This unprecedented operation took the world by surprise as Kyiv's troops cut through the border and allegedly seized over 1,000 square kilometers and dozens of settlements. Though the strategic calculus remains a matter of debate, namely due to Russia's ongoing push in Ukraine's east, the tactical success is undeniable. As the incursion hit its 10-day mark on Aug. 15, we bring you a summary of what is known about the operation, from the moment the first Ukrainian troops crossed the border to Kyiv declaring a full capture of the town of Sudzha and creation of a military administration in Russia. Day 1 - Ukrainian troops enter Russia Russian pro-war Telegram channels are the first to report on Ukrainian "sabotage and reconnaissance groups" crossing the border around 8 a.m. on Aug. 6. The information is later confirmed by Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of Kursk Oblast, who said Kyiv attempted a breakthrough in two border districts, Sudzha and Korenevo. 0:00 / 1 The Russian Defense Ministry says that up to 300 soldiers from Ukraines 22nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, as well as 11 tanks and 20 armored vehicles, were attacking near Nikolaevo-Darino and Oleshnya, two villages right at the border with Ukraines Sumy Oblast and some 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Kursk. In a statement issued at 6:20 p.m., the ministry initially claims the incursion has been repelled with heavy losses for Ukraine, but later corrects the statement to indicate the fighting is ongoing. Kyiv remains tight-lipped about the reports, but it is becoming increasingly clear something is afoot. Russian strikes against Sumy Oblast, which Ukrainian troops use as a launching pad for their incursion, spike considerably over the day. Day 2 - Russia raises alarm as advance picks up pace While still shrouded in the fog of war, the Ukrainian advance is picking up pace on Aug. 7. The Russian pro-war channel Two Majors claimed that Kyivs forces have penetrated as far as 15 kilometers (9 miles) and established a presence in 11 settlements. Russian pro-war military bloggers now allege that fighting is ongoing at the outskirts of Sudzha and Korenevo, two district centers located 10 and 20 kilometers (6 and 12 miles) from Ukraines border, respectively. Sudzhas Mayor Vitaliy Slashchov admits "tense" situation in the town, while Ukrainian troops reportedly reach the gas metering station that transits Russian gas to Europe. The Kursk Oblast governor declares a state of emergency in the region. A map of fighting reported during Ukraine's August incursion into Kursk Oblast in Russia, as of Aug. 7, 2024. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent) The situation forces the Kremlin to react. Russian President Vladimir Putin calls a high-level meeting with Russian Army Chief Valery Gerasimov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, and other top officials, during which he brushes off the incursion as a "large-scale provocation." Kyiv remains evasive, though the state-run project "Khochu nayti" ("I want to find") says Ukraine captured at least 40 Russian soldiers including conscripts in Kursk Oblast. EU and U.S. officials comment on the incursion for the first time, affirming Kyivs right to fight back against Russia. Day 3 - Combat zone in Kursk Oblast grows As Russia says that at least 1,000 Ukrainian troops are operating in Kursk Oblast as of Aug. 8, the combat zone only grows. The independent Russian outlet Agentstvo now estimates that the hostilities are covering an area of 430 square kilometers. Russian pro-war channels claim that Sudzha is almost completely in Ukrainian hands and "basically lost," though skirmishes continue. They also claim that Ukraine is pushing towards Lgov, a town roughly 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the border. Signs of poor preparation on Russia's side mount. Apart from fresh conscripts, the border was also protected by Chechen fighters of the Akhmat unit, who did not put up much of a fight against experienced Ukrainian troops. Their commander, Apti Alaudinov, claims that Kyivs forces simply bypassed their defenses, while Russian pro-war military bloggers accuse the Chechens of breaking ranks and fleeing. Alaudinov is also the first Russian officer to admit Russian losses and Ukraines advance. In another cryptic statement, President Volodymyr Zelensky says that "Russia brought war to our land, and it should feel what it has done," without directly mentioning Kursk. Day 4 - Federal emergency declared Russia finally admits Ukraine had reached the "outskirts" of Sudzha and declares a federal emergency in the region on Aug. 9. The same day, soldiers of Ukraines 61st Mechanized Brigade publish a video in a location presented as Sudzha, although the units commanders do not officially comment at the time. As various estimates put Ukraine's growing incursion force to several thousand, Russia starts pulling in reinforcements to push Ukrainian troops back. The moving columns are widely recorded and published on television and social media, allowing at least some of them to be identified as experienced units previously deployed in Ukraines Kharkiv Oblast. One such video also leads to the destruction of a Russian column in the village of Oktyabrskoe on a highway between the towns of Rylsk and Lgov. Russian Telegram channels allege that Ukraine used a HIMARS missile in the attack, but the claim cannot be verified. Read also: Opinion: 6 ways Ukraines Kursk incursion is changing the tide of war Day 5 - Incursion spills over to more Russian regions A unit of the Ukrainian 252nd Battalion appears to have entered the village of Poroz in Russias Belgorod Oblast as of Aug. 10, signaling the incursion's spillover into other Russian border regions. The same day, Russia declares a "counter-terrorism operation" in Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk oblasts, introducing restrictions on the movement and communication of civilians. Some 76,000 Russian citizens are said to have been evacuated from Kursk Oblast as the zone of hostilities reportedly grows to 650 square kilometers. At the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, in the city of Kurchatov some 75 kilometers from the border, entrances are closed and construction workers are evacuated. Zelensky makes his most direct public statement on the incursion to date, saying that Ukrainian forces have begun "to push the war out into the aggressor's territory" in an evening address. Again, he makes no direct mention of Kursk Oblast. In a likely attempt to divert the narrative of Russian setbacks, the Russian Defense Ministry recycles old videos of strikes on Ukrainian positions and claims that they are from Kursk Oblast, The Insider reports. Day 6 - Nuclear power plant fears According to some claims, Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups enter the Belovsky district of Kursk Oblast overnight on Aug. 11. The Belovsky district is located some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Sudzha and less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Ukraine. The BBC reports that Russian forces began constructing defensive lines by the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi calls on both Russia and Ukraine to "exercise maximum restraint" to prevent a nuclear accident. Kyiv continues its tight-lipped posture around the incursion, but Russias Defense Ministry concedes that Ukrainian forces reach the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, located around 25 and 30 kilometers (15 miles and 18 miles) from the border, respectively. Zelensky again makes vague, couched references to the situation in Kursk Oblast, saying that missile strikes against Ukraine launched from Russian border regions necessitate a reaction. "We are recording all the places from which the Russian army strikes, including Belgorod Oblast, Kursk Oblast, and other areas. We record every missile strike. And each of these strikes deserves a fair response." Day 7 - Ukraine finally acknowledges incursion Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov says on Aug. 12 there is Ukrainian military activity by the Krasnoyaruzhsky border district and announces the evacuation of the area. One week into the incursion, acting governor Smirnov says Ukraine is in control of 28 settlements in Kursk Oblast. Ukraine's 225th Separate Assault Battalion publishes a video of a Russian flag being removed from a building in the village of Darino, located some 4 kilometers (2 miles) from the border. The location cannot be independently verified. After seven days of coded messages and effective radio silence, Ukraines leadership finally acknowledges the presence of its troops on Russian territory. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi briefs Zelensky on the situation in Kursk Oblast, claiming that Ukrainian forces control about 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) in the area. Putin promises that the "enemy will receive a worthy riposte" as Russia reportedly begins redeploying some of its troops from southern Ukraine to Kursk Oblast. Later in the day, Zelensky says that "our operations are solely a security issue for Ukraine: liberating the border from the Russian military" and calls the incursion another "catastrophe" for Putin. After clearly being taken by surprise, some of Ukraines international allies begin praising the operation. Day 8 - Hundreds of Russian POWs Zelensky says on Aug. 13 that Ukraine currently controls 74 settlements in Kursk Oblast and that "hundreds" of Russian soldiers have surrendered since the operation began. Ukrainian officials begin clarifying the intent of the incursion, saying the aim is not to seize Russian territory but to "protect the lives of our people" by preventing cross-border strikes and diverting Russian reinforcements from Ukraine. Evacuations in both Kursk and Belgorod oblasts continue. Belgorod Oblast Governor Gladkov says that some 11,000 residents of the Krasnoyaruzhsky district near the Ukrainian border have been evacuated. Smirnov claims that some refugees will be resettled in Russian-occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Evacuations are also underway on the Ukrainian side of the border, with some 20,000 civilians reportedly under evacuation orders in Sumy Oblast. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces announces restrictions on civilian movement in the region within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the border with Kursk Oblast. Despite the incursion's tactical success, its strategic impacts have yet to materialize, as soldiers in the Toretsk sector say the operation does not yet influence the fighting there. Yet, there are increasing signs that the fighting is beginning to have larger implications. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who has long refrained from directly becoming involved in Russias full-scale war, orders the transfer of some of Minsks military equipment to Russia to help shore up what appear to be heavy losses in Kursk Oblast. Read also: How Ukraines Kursk incursion threw Russias top propagandists into crisis Day 9 - Belgorod declares emergency Ukrainian TV reports from Sudzha for the first time on Aug. 14 and shows the Russian flag being removed from an administrative building. The news appears to contradict Russian forces' claims that the town is still not under total Ukrainian control. Evacuations in Russia widen. Belgorod Oblast Governor Gladkov declares a state of emergency in the area, citing an "extremely difficult" and tense situation due to ongoing attacks from Ukrainian forces. In his first public comments since the beginning of the operation, U.S. President Joe Biden says the situation in Kursk Oblast creates "a real dilemma" for Putin. Syrskyi says that over 100 Russian POWs have been taken in less than 24 hours. Meanwhile, there are growing discussions about how Ukraine will manage the territory it now controls, as well as how to deal with the humanitarian impact facing Russian citizens. Zelensky says that the prospect of creating civil administration bodies in Kursk Oblast, including military command posts, should not be ruled out. Day 10 - Sudzha captured Zelensky confirms on Aug. 15 Ukraine has fully captured Sudzha, arguably the most significant milestone of the incursion to date. To better manage the held territory, Kyiv announces a plan to set up a military administration in Kursk Oblast led by Major General Eduard Moskailov. Ukraine's advance appears to have slowed down but not stopped. Syrskyi claims that as of Aug. 15, Ukrainian forces control 1,150 square kilometers (444 square miles) and 82 settlements. Over the past day, Ukraine's troops advanced between 500 meters and 1.5 kilometers in the Russian region, the commander-in-chief reported. A federal emergency is declared also in Belgorod Oblast. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. 10 injured in training incident at Fallon Naval Air Station, near Reno Ten U.S. service members were injured in a training incident involving two helicopters at Naval Air Station Fallon Thursday night, police in Reno, Nevada, said. Fallon is about 60 miles east of Reno. The 10 were taken to Reno for treatment. They were flown there in two helicopters that landed in Reno's Pickett Park at 9:15 p.m., police said. Navy officials told CBS News there were no serious injuries reported. Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno told CBS Reno affiliate KTVN-TV that the 10 service members were being treated there, but didn't provide details on their injuries. A Naval Air Forces spokesperson said Friday that all 10 have now been released. A Navy official tells CBS News the training incident involved two MH-60 Sierra helicopters and happened about 40 miles east of Naval Air Station Fallon. There was no further word on how the incident occurred or the state of the two helicopters. Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that the incident happened Thursday night, not Wednesday. New rules to buy, sell homes in the U.S. Sudan peace talks in Switzerland over civil war White Florida woman guilty of killing Black neighbor during dispute 10-Month-Old Girl Dies in Hot Car After Mom Allegedly Says She Got Called into Work and Forgot About Child: Police The childs mother claimed to investigators that her daughter had been in the car for about an hour and a half, police say Jennings Police Department/Facebook Police in Louisiana are investigating the hot car death of a baby whose mother claimed she forgot about the child after being called into work. On Tuesday, Aug. 13, at around 4 pm., officers with the Jennings Police Department received a call from Ochsner Hospital regarding a 10-month-old girl who was left in a hot car, police said in a press release. The childs mother claimed to investigators that her daughter had been in the car for about an hour and a half, according to police. The mother said that she inadvertently left her daughter in the car after being called into work, police alleged. Police said at the time that the child was in critical condition. However, KPLC reports, citing police, that the girl was pronounced dead at about 11 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14. The mother has not been charged with a crime. Related: What to Know About Hot Car Deaths and How to Avoid Them According to Accuweather, temperatures got as high as 95 degrees in Jennings on Tuesday. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Well have to do some type of reenactment if possible to try and determine what the temperature in the car was, but our initial estimates were in excess of 120 degrees, Jennings Police Chief Danny Semmes told KPLC. Related: Prevent Hot-Car Deaths: A Checklist for Parents "It's a tragic situation, my heart goes out to the baby and the family," Semmes said, per KATC. Police said in the release that the investigation remains ongoing. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) Morgantown is preparing to get inked again as the 10th annual West Virginia Tattoo Expo nears. This year the event will once again take place at the Marriott Waterfront Place Hotel/Morgantown Event Center from Aug. 23 through the 25. Event organizer and producer Rocco Cunningham is looking forward to seeing artists show off their skills. This event brings together top-notch tattoo artists from across the country, showcasing their skills in Morgantown, Cunningham said in a press release. With over 200 artists in attendance, attendees can expect nothing short of exceptional quality and professionalism. A Bar Songs Shaboozey set to perform at WVU Fallfest 2024 The event will include on-site tattooing and piercing, vendors, daily tattoo contests and the Miss Tattooed WV Pageant. Each artists work station will also be inspected by the Mon County Health Department to ensure health and safety. Admission is $20 per day or $50 for the entire weekend. A $5 discount will be given to those with a student or military ID, and kids aged 12 and under can attend for free with an adult. More information about the event can be found on its website. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. 12 and 18 year old killed in Georgetown County crash with logging truck GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) Two people ages 12 and 18 were killed early Friday morning in a crash that involved a logging truck and passenger vehicle. The crash happened on U.S. Highway 521 near Ten Acre Road, approximately two miles south of Andrews, just after 9 a.m. Lance Cpl. Lena Butler with the South Carolina Highway Patrol said the crash involved a 2017 Kia Sedona and a tractor-trailer. The northbound Kia and westbound truck collided. Georgetown County Coroner Chase Ridgeway told News 2 that the driver of the Kia pulled out in front of the log truck, and the logging truck t-boned the vehicle. Trooper Butler said the driver of that Kia was taken to a local hospital where they later died. The passenger died at the scene. The driver of the logging truck was injured and taken to a hospital for treatment. Coroner Ridgeway identified the two victims as 12-year-old Kisa Wilson and 18-year-old Hailey Patterson. The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2. 12 arrested in East Bay Target theft operation (KRON) Numerous grocery items including two dozen ice cream pints plus clothing and more were found in a Target retail abatement operation, according to the Berkeley Police Department. The theft occurred on July 27 at the Target in the 1400 block of University Avenue. Berkeley PD said they arrested 12 people in the operation. Image provided by the Berkeley Police Department Image provided by the Berkeley Police Department Image provided by the Berkeley Police Department In the pictures provided by Berkeley PD, suspected thieves stole several grocery items including boxes of Dr. Pepper, bacon, multiple cereals, bags of Reeses candy, boxes of Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches, ice cream pints and milk. Suspected thieves even attempted to steal a microwave. Suspects arrested after $9K worth of items stolen from stores in Bay Point area The suspects also stole multiple outfits. According to the pictures, a suspect stole a hooded sweatshirt, a University of California, Berkeley shirt and socks, and sweatpants. Another suspect stole three shirts, a bra and jeans. According to the department, the operation resulted in the arrest of individuals with outstanding warrants. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is asking the community to keep an eye out for a 13-year-old boy who was last seen at an ice cream shop on the citys southeast side on Thursday, Aug. 15. According to CSPD, 13-year-old Keshawn Whitt Tarik Washington was last seen on Thursday at the Ice Cream Snack Shack in the 1700 block of South Circle Drive, just north of Monterey Road. Keshawn is described as black, stands 54 tall and weighs 145 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans, and black, blue, and white Jordan sneakers. Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department If you have seen Keshawn or know where he is, you are asked to contact CSPD at (719) 444-7000. To remain anonymous, you can contact Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers at (719) 634-STOP (7867). Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. 'TIME' Kid of the Year Heman Bekele received a chemistry set for Christmas when he was 7 years old Photograph by Dina Litovsky for TIME Heman Bekele TIME is honoring a 15-year-old for his contributions to potentially helping treat and cure skin cancer! Heman Bekele has been seeing the effects of the sun on people's skin since he was a young boy growing up in Ethiopia. He noticed many people working in the sun without protecting their skin, TIME reported in a story celebrating the teenager being named its "Kid of the Year." Years later, after his family immigrated to the U.S., 7-year-old Bekele got a chemistry set for Christmas that came with sodium hydroxide. It was then that he began learning the power of chemical reactions. Around that time, he also started thinking more critically about the potential damage that prolonged sun exposure can have on the human body. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "When I was younger, I didnt think much of it, but when I came to America, I realized what a big problem the sun and ultraviolet radiation is when youre exposed to it for a long time, Bekele told TIME. He became interested in the research surrounding skin cancer and its treatment. Im really passionate about skin cancer research, he told the magazine. Whether its my own research or whats happening in the field." Photograph by Dina Litovsky for TIME Heman Bekele He eventually learned about imiquimod, a drug that was already approved to treat some forms of skin cancer. When used in a cream form, it can also help destroy tumors. But Bekele thought back to his early years in Ethiopia and wondered if there was a way to use imiquimod to treat earlier stages of skin cancer and make it more accessible to people of different socio-economic classes. Related: Celebs Who Have Had Skin Cancer and What They Do Now to Prevent Recurrence "Almost everyone uses soap and water for cleaning. So soap would probably be the best option," Bekele said about why he decided to develop a soap. The bar of soap would cost people significantly less than the current $40,000 price of the cream. In a video that accompanied the TIME article and explained how the soap works, Bekele explained that it contained nanoparticles "loaded" with imiquimod, which helps ensure that the drug stays on the skin at a "very molecular level" even when the soap is washed off. His idea has potential according to scientists in skin cancer research and treatment, as well as the judges of 3M company and Discovery Education's 2023 Young Scientist Challenge, who named Bekele its winner and awarded him $25,000. Photograph by Dina Litovsky for TIME Heman Bekele There are still many stages to go before the soap is approved to be used as treatment, but when Bekele isn't in school at Woodson High School in Fairfax County, Va., he does research at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Molecular biologist Vito Rebecca invited Bekele to use the lab at any time, and the teenager has since accepted the offer. Rebecca, who is also a professor at Johns Hopkins, now acts as Bekele's sponsor. The duo has been using mice at the lab to run basic tests for the soap. According to TIME, Bekele potentially has about a decade to go before the soap is approved as a cancer treatment. In the meantime, he's promoting it in presentations; that is when he's not playing in the marching band and enjoying a game of chess. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Two teens hospitalized following shooting in Waianae HONOLULU (KHON2) According to sources, a male has been hospitalized with a gunshot wound in Waianae on Thursday, August 15. This comes just one day after an officer-involved shooting in Waianae Wednesday, August 14. Police said multiple victims were injured. A 19-year-old male made his was to an Emergency Medical Services unit. EMS said they treated the boy for gunshot wounds but that he was not injured the the units location. He was admitted to the hospital. Honolulu EMS responded to a patient who suffered an apparent gun shot wound to his upper and lower body and he was also admitted to the hospital. Police believe the shooting took place somewhere near the Waianae Boat Harbor. No suspect is in custody at this time. The investigation is ongoing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 16. The presentation of credentials for the newly appointed Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Slovenia Esen Aydogdiev has taken place at the presidential palace in Ljubljana, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. During the ceremony, the ambassador extended greetings and best wishes from President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow to President of Slovenia Natasa Pirc Musar. The Slovenian president also conveyed her gratitude and warm regards to Turkmenistan's leadership. The meeting highlighted mutual interest in enhancing political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties between the two nations. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) The Frankfort Police Department (FPD) has asked the community to keep an eye out for a missing teen. Matthew A. Puryear, 16, was last seen on Thursday in the Meadowview Drive area, per FPD. He was last seen wearing a BOSS hat, white shirt, ball shorts, and red slides. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Authorities describe Matthew as being 5 feet 10 inches tall, a white male, weighing 170 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information regarding Matthews whereabouts is asked to call Frankfort/Franklin County 911 at (502) 875-8582. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. TYLER, Texas (KETK) A 17-year-old is dead and another teenager is in custody after a shooting from over the weekend in Tyler. Nearly 100 pounds of marijuana seized in Marshall According to authorities, around 11:40 p.m. on Aug. 10, officers responded to a shooting in the 400 block of Lorance Street where a 17-year-old was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injures. Police said a 16-year-old was identified in the investigation, and was charged with manslaughter and manufacture of a controlled substance. On Thursday, the 16-year-old was booked into the Smith County Juvenile Detention Center. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. 2 California men arrested in Virginia in connection to thefts at high-end stores across 7 states FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) Detectives said they arrested two men in Tysons who are part of a high-end retail theft ring operating in states across the country. In a news conference on Aug. 15, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) said the group, known as the Airpod Crew, is responsible for hitting boutiques in seven states including Texas, California, New York and Virginia. Police said members of the group use Airpods to communicate and disguise what they are doing. On July 19, just after 5:30 p.m., detectives were notified of a vehicle, known to be driven by members of the group, in the Tysons area. A short time later, police located and arrested two men from California, 24-year-old Javier Velasco Puebla and 19-year-old Kevin Brian Espinoza. Alexandria man arrested for grand larceny, causing high school lockdown, police say According to detectives, the theft group is linked to about $170,000 in total losses from high-end retailers. That includes about $35,000 of losses in Fairfax County. Map of the states, the retail theft crew allegedly hit high-end boutique retailers. (Photo Courtesy: Fairfax County Police Department) Puebla was charged with three counts of Grand Larceny, three counts of Conspiring to Commit Larceny, two counts of Stolen Property with Intent to Sell, and Possession of Burglarious Tools. Espinoza was charged with two counts of Grand Larceny, Conspiring to Commit Larceny, two counts of Stolen Property with Intent to Sell, and Possession of Burglarious Tools. Closing arguments delivered in trial of DC government employee for 2023 murder of 13-year-old Police took the men to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. Each was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond. Detectives with FCPDs Criminal Investigation Division said they still were searching for other members of the group and released pictures of them. Police encouraged anyoine who could identify the people to call 703-246-7800 and select Option 5. Tips about this case can be entered online or through the P3 mobile app. Anonymous tips are eligible for cash rewards. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. CHICAGO Two Chicago police officers and a former prosecutor with the Cook County States Attorneys Office each face felony charges in connection with their alleged roles in an overtime benefits scheme. On Thursday, the States Attorney Generals office announced the arraignment of Jason Arroyo, 40, and Edis Skrgic, 35, both of Chicago and former Cook County Assistant States Attorney Ashley Moore, 46, of McCall, Idaho. Prosecutors allege all three fraudulently collected more than $100,000 in overtime benefits. Moore also faces additional felony counts of misconduct and obstruction of justice. Former Ald. Munoz sent back to prison after May DUI arrest The Attorney Generals office notes that on more than 100 occasions, Moore notified Arroyo and Skrgic to appear at the States Attorneys Office, allegedly to listen to prisoner phone calls on cases that Moore was prosecuting. Prosecutors allege that in most cases where Moore notified Arroyo and Skrgic to appear, neither officer was involved. They added that both officers never authored reports on the prisoners calls and recordings, as is CPD policy. No one is above the law, said Attorney General Kwame Raoul. I will continue to hold individuals accountable who use their positions of authority for their own financial benefit. A Class 3 felony is punishable by up to five years in prison and a Class 4 felony count of obstructing justice is punishable by up to three years. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines All three are due back in court on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Two of three men charged for a contracted murder plot in 2022 have been convicted of murder for the conspiracy. According to Metro Nashville police, Clesi Hodges, Brandon Sharp and Jaime Cooper were all involved in a murder-for-hire plot against Nelson Soto. JULY 2022: 3 men charged in Nashville targeted shooting In May of 2022, police say Hodges contracted Sharp to murder Soto and an unnamed female victim due to an ongoing feud between Hodges and Soto. Cooper was alleged to have lured Soto and the woman to an apartment complex along Woodland Pointe Drive in order for Sharp to murder them. According to investigators, once Cooper got Soto to the apartment complex, Sharp opened fire on Sotos vehicle, killing him and wounding the female passenger. The woman sustained critical but non-life-threatening injuries, police said, and she was taken to the hospital for treatment. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Thursday afternoon, Hodges and Cooper were both found guilty of first-degree murder. Sharp reportedly died by suicide shortly after the murder plot. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Brookhaven Police have arrested two people for stealing construction equipment. In June, the Brookhaven Police Department opened an investigation into the theft of construction equipment in the 2700 block of Buford Hwy. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Brookhaven Criminal Investigations Unit conducted an extensive investigation over the past several months that spanned across multiple jurisdictions throughout Georgia. During the investigation, they were able to identify two of the involved offenders. TRENDING STORIES: On Wednesday, detectives took the two men into custody and they face the following charges: Margarito Amaya-Zalasar of Atlanta, Georgia Theft by Taking (Felony) Retail Theft Fencing (Felony) Juan Torres-Tello of Atlanta, Georgia Theft by Taking (Felony) Retail Theft Fencing (Felony) The investigation is ongoing. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) A 34-year-old Springfield father suspected of shooting his two-year-old daughter has been released from custody, police said. On Aug. 8 around 11:15 a.m., a two-year-old girl was brought to HSHS St. Johns Hospital by her father, 34-year-old Averill F. McDonald. The child was shot in the leg and had a graze wound on her head. I believe it was divine intervention: Springfield man rescues neighbor from burning home after possible gas explosion The Springfield Police Department responded to both the hospital and the scene of the incident in a residence near East Enos Avenue and North Dirksen Parkway. At the home, officers located two 9mm firearms and ammunition in the bathroom, as well as a bullet hole in the bathroom wall. That wall separated the bathroom from a bedroom, where blood was found on a bed. Police determined that the two-year-old was laying on the bed when she was struck by a bullet. They believe McDonald fired the weapon. McDonald was arrested for unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, unlawful possession of ammunition, reckless discharge of a firearm, endangering the life or health of a child, and defacing identification marks on a firearm. Suspected gas explosion, fire leaves two hurt in Springfield He was taken to the Sangamon County Jail. Several days later, the Sangamon County States Attorneys Office was denied their petition to keep McDonald in custody. He was released. Anyone with further information regarding this incident is asked to call the Springfield Police Department at 217-788-8311 or call the Sangamon/Menard County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 217-788-8427. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. 2 people who allegedly intended to distribute fentanyl and meth arrested in Fairmont FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) Two people were arrested after troopers found drugs, including a ball of fentanyl, while searching a home in Fairmont. Jessica Eagle On Aug. 15, troopers with the Marion County detachment of the West Virginia State Police executed a search warrant at a residence on Hawthorne Street in Fairmont, according to a criminal complaint. Jessica Eagle, 34, and Damion McGinley, 49, both of Fairmont, were at the residence, the complaint said. A cellphone seized during the search showed Eagle had contacted McGinley and ordered a ball of fentanyl, troopers said, which troopers found in Eagles possession. Damion McGinley Also in the search, troopers located a loaded .380 caliber pistol, as well as methamphetamine on McGinleys person, and packages of fentanyl and meth were recovered from both suspects, according to the complaint. Man charged after allegedly crushing dogs head during altercation in Philippi Troopers said that evidence from the scene showed that Eagle did intend to deliver the fentanyl/meth with her friends/associates. Eagle was previously been charged in 2022 when deputies with the Marion County Sheriffs Office found meth and other paraphernalia in a vehicle. This week, she was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. McGinley was charged with delivery of a controlled substance and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. They are both being held in North Central Regional Jail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. 2 Toddlers Survive After Being Ejected During Highway Crash: 'Im Still Shocked That Theyre Alive' The young children, ages 1 and 4, were seen running along the Texas highway after the crash in eyewitness footage Getty Stock image of a child in a car Two toddlers survived what could have been a deadly accident after they were ejected during a car crash on a major Houston highway. On Sunday, Aug. 11, around 7 p.m. local time, officers from the Harris County Sheriffs Office responded to the scene where two children, ages 1 and 4, survived a rollover crash on the I-10 East Freeway after being ejected from a Jeep driven by their father, 25, according to local ABC affiliate KTRK-TV. Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland of the Harris County Sheriff's office said in a statement to PEOPLE, "Upon arrival, deputies determined there was a two-vehicle accident where one of the vehicles flipped over several times causing ejection." Footage of the incident shared online shows the young children running along the highway while only wearing diapers. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: My Toddler Survived Airborne Car Crash but I Almost Died: How I Fought for My Life Through 30 Surgeries (Exclusive) Eyewitness Victor Cordova told KTRK-TV that although he was relieved to see that the children survived, he initially thought the crash had taken a fatal turn. "I thought they actually passed away. I thought they were dead," he said. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez spoke with local NBC affiliate KPRC-TV and said it was a sheer miracle that the two children survived. They sustained very minor injuries and are expected to survive Im still shocked that theyre alive, he said. Gilliland alleged in a statement to PEOPLE that neither child was in a car seat or wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, which goes against Texas state law. Related: 2-Year-Old Sole Survivor After 9 Die in Wisconsin Highway Crash: Tearing This Community Apart "The investigation is still open and active, with charges to be determined," he added. Both children sustained injuries, and were transported to a local hospital where they are in stable condition. No injuries of the people in the second vehicle were reported. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. 20-year-old woman killed in freak accident on GA highway when brake part flies through windshield A 20-year-old woman was killed in a freak accident in Georgia when a brake caliper flew off a truck and smashed through the windshield of her boyfriends car, according to WJCL. Autumn McClure, of Tennessee, was riding through Ringgold when the accident happened on August 14. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Her sister, Simone Matherly, wrote that McClure and her boyfriend were taking her little brother to daycare when the brake caliper crashed through the window and hit McClure, killing her almost instantly. McClures brother, Collin Le, said the brake part hit her chest and neck. Le issued a warning to truck drivers, writing: TRENDING STORIES: For the ones that drive a truck with stuff thrown in the bed, please take a minute to evaluate the potential risk of those items flying out, causing injury to others. McClure was a student at Chattanooga State Community College and was studying graphic design. She had a twin sister. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] I dont have many words just that I love you and will miss you for the rest of my life. You will always be my other half. My sweet sweet sister, Ivy McClure wrote on social media. McClure would have turned 21 next month, according to Matherly. Ringgold is in Northwest Georgia. Its unclear if the truck driver is facing any charges. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 16. Uzbekistan Railways and Chinese CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive signed a contract on the modernization and renewal of the locomotive fleet of Uzbekistan, Trend reports. According to Uzbekistan Railways, the Chinese company will modernize 12 electric locomotives of Uzbekistan series used on the railroads of Uzbekistan, as well as supply 38 freight and passenger electric locomotives, diesel locomotives, and shunting locomotives on installment terms until 2034. This agreement will significantly improve the condition and efficiency of the locomotive fleet of Uzbekistan Railways, which, in turn, will contribute to the development of the country's railway industry and improve the quality of transportation. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's Minister of Transport Ilhom Mahkamov met with representatives of the delegation headed by the President of Chinese CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Company Wang Qiaolin. The sides discussed the purchase and delivery of freight and passenger trains and spare parts to Uzbekistan. Earlier, Uzbekistan Railways and a delegation of representatives from China's CRRC Corporation Limited (CRRC) discussed the modernization of electric locomotives and localization of production, which reflect the aim to improve efficiency and competitiveness in this area. In 2024, Phoenix shattered over a dozen all-time heat records. Here's what they are. Phoenix's heat continues to break records. As of Thursday, the city has endured an 81-day streak of temperatures reaching 100 degrees or higher, surpassing the previous record of 76 days set in August 1993. This summer, the city has seen numerous record-breaking temperatures, surpassing previous highs by up to 3 degreesboth during the day and at midnight. Many of these records are not coming from high temperatures but from record-breaking warm low temperatures. This summer recorded 33 days with low temperatures at or above 90 degreesa level that was virtually unheard of before the 1980s, according to the National Weather Service. 90-degree nights: Why is Phoenix experiencing so many record-breaking warm low temperatures? Warm Nights These warm nights in the Valley have become increasingly common in southern regions of the U.S. The weather service has cited high moisture in the atmosphere as a contributor to these temperatures, as well as urbanization. Paved surfaces, concrete asphalt, and buildings retain heat from the daytime, making it harder for areas in metro Phoenix to cool down overnight. These factors contributed to another milestone: thehottest June ever recorded in Phoenix, with an average temperature of 97 degrees. The previous record, set in 2021, had an average temperature of 95.3 degrees. What other records have been broken this summer? Here's what to know. Summer nights: 90-degree lows, once rare, are now common in Phoenix. Are 100-degree lows next? Record-breaking high temperatures 2024 set four records for hottest days in the Valley: The high for June 6 was 113 degrees, breaking the previous record in 2016 at 111 degrees. On July 5, temperatures soared to 118 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 116 degrees set in 1983. The 118-degree temperature on July 8 broke the previous record of 115 degrees set in 1985. On August 3, temperatures reached a high of 116 degrees, surpassing the 2020 record by 2 degrees. June's record-breaking warmest low temps This summer shattered the record for the most warm nights with lows above 90 degrees between June 1 and July 11, more than doubling the previous mark. In 2024, Phoenix experienced 16 nights with lows above 90 degrees, compared to the previous record of seven nights in 2021. Late June saw a record-breaking three-night streak of the warmest low temperatures from June 21-23: On June 21, the low temperature hit 92 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 90 degrees set in 2017. June 22 also recorded a low of 92 degrees, edging out the 2017 record by 1 degree. On June 23, the low reached 91 degrees, breaking the 2016 record of 89 degrees. This year, June 27 set a new record for the all-time warmest night in June with a low of 95 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 93 degrees set in 1990. On July 25, 2024, a windy, stormy summer evening where temperatures dropped below triple digits, dozens of Phoenix Run Club participants take off for the weekly Thursday night run around the Tempe Town Lake area. Record-breaking warm lows in July and August Nighttime temperatures usually sat in the high 80s, with some nights breaking through the 90-degree barrier. Here are some of the hottest: On July 2, the low temperature of 92 degrees broke the previous record of 90 degrees set in 2010. July 3 saw a low of 93 degrees, surpassing the record set in 2001. On July 5, the low of 93 degrees exceeded the 91-degree record from 1996. July 7 recorded a low of 92 degrees, breaking the 2018 record. July 10 also had a low of 92 degrees, surpassing the previous years record by 1 degree. August 4 experienced a low of 93 degrees, the warmest since 2018. August 10 recorded a warm low of 93 degrees, surpassing the 92-degree record set in 1995. What does this mean for people living in Phoenix? High temperatures, both during the day and at night, can make individuals susceptible to heat-related illnesses, which can be life-threatening. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health warns that people aged 50 and older, those experiencing homelessness, or individuals with a history of physical or mental health issues are particularly at risk for heat-related illness or death. To stay safe in extreme heat, the Arizona Department of Health recommends limiting outdoor activities, wearing loose clothing, and drinking two to four cups of water every hour while working outside. On days of extreme heat, the weather service advises residents to check on their neighbors, take necessary heat precautions, stay hydrated, and seek out shade and air-conditioned spaces. In 2024, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health confirmed 96 heat-related deaths, with an additional 462 cases under investigation. Metro Phoenix has over 100 cooling centers available. For information, contact the Arizona Department of Health Services at 602-364-3118 or visit an air-conditioned cooling center in your area. To locate one, go to maricopa.gov. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix heat breaks over a dozen all-time records. What are they? The News Donald Trump is weighing whether to endorse an expanded $5,000 child tax credit that would go to parents at all income levels, an official at his campaign told Semafor. The former presidents interest in possibly boosting the credit comes after Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a multi-trillion-dollar economic platform on Friday that includes a $6,000 child tax credit for parents raising newborns in their first year. Trumps vice presidential nominee, Ohio GOP Sen. JD Vance, proposed a $5,000 child tax credit that would apply to all American families in a recent CBS News interview. President Trump will consider a significant expansion of the child tax credit that applies to American families, a Trump campaign official told Semafor. President Trump respects and listens to his running mate Senator Vance. Senate Republicans recently blocked a bipartisan tax package that would have modestly expanded the child tax credit and restored some expired business tax breaks, a vote that Vance skipped to campaign near the southern border. They also didnt seek to extend a much larger child tax credit implemented in 2021 that President Biden had hoped to keep and that served as a model for the current Harris plan. Despite that, and Trumps still-uncertain endorsement of Vances idea, their campaign attacked Harris plussed-up child tax credit as an attempt to parrot the GOP ticket. No one should be fooled by the fake campaign copying President Trumps vision, Vance wrote on X, noting that Harris proposed eliminating taxes on tips after Trump called for a similar move. Know More Harris economic platform also includes traditional Democratic priorities, such as restoring the enhanced child tax credit that briefly provided a monthly cash benefit to families regardless of income in 2021. The vice president also endorsed an extension of the Affordable Care Acts insurance subsidies that made it cheaper for people to buy health care coverage in the laws marketplaces. As president, I will be laser focused on creating opportunities for the middle class that advance their economic security, stability and dignity, she said during a Friday appearance in North Carolina. The Harris agenda offered an early look at her priorities, but so far her campaign has offered few details on how shed propose to pay for her plans. An expansion of the Biden-era child tax credit alone costs $1.1 trillion over 10 years, and extending the ACA subsidies carries a price tag of $400 billion over 10 years, per the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Nor has Trumps campaign filled in the gaps about how it would pay for a Vance-style expanded child tax credit if the former president gets on board with the idea, which could be especially challenging given that Trump has called for further reducing corporate tax rates along with a permanent extension of his prior tax cuts. These tensions played out during the 2017 tax debates, when Republicans struggled to pay for a more modest child tax credit bump without compromising on business-oriented cuts. Vance himself alluded to challenges making good on his pitch, even as he offered it. You, of course, have to work with Congress to see how possible and viable that is, Vance told CBS of his $5,000 child tax credit idea. Harris economic plan also waded into more politically popular but economically risky territory by featuring a proposed ban on grocery price gouging. That idea met with particularly hard brickbats from the GOP and skepticism about its viability from Jason Furman, a past economic advisor to former President Barack Obama. More than any other piece of the vice presidents economic platform, her child tax credit pitch underscores the battle to come on Capitol Hill next year over the expiring provisions of the Trump-era tax law that Republicans pushed through in 2017. I think this helps set the stage by showing that the Vice Presidents priority as President will be continuing tax relief to low to middle income families, David Kamin, an ex-economic aide to President Biden, told Semafor. Thats a really different set of priorities than has so far been articulated by Donald Trump. Josephs view Trump and Harris seem to be engaged in what Kyle Pomerleau of the American Enterprise Institute called a CTC arms race. Its a remarkable back-and-forth over a long-running federal program that usually makes few headlines but could provide a sizable financial cushion to cash-strapped households and dent child poverty if implemented. And if Trumps campaign pursues the Vance pitch for a $5,000 credit, that could spark uncomfortable questions for the Ohioans fellow Senate Republicans about their votes against the bipartisan tax bill that cleared the House. It wouldnt be the first time Trump tried to nudge his partys lawmakers toward embracing government giveaways that raised their ideological hackles; GOP senators balked at large stimulus payments that Trump pushed in late 2020. Theres little reason to believe that Hill Republicans appetite for new benefits has grown since then. Notable Economist Josh Barro isnt keen on Harris proposed price gouging crackdown, but acknowledges that to win elections, you run on popular ideas. CBS News has the full transcript of the Vance interview that addresses his expanded child tax credit idea. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, revealed several economic priorities on Friday, including a proposal for $25,000 down-payment assistance for all first-time home buyers. Harris campaign announced the policies aimed to bring down costs for American families ahead of her speech in Raleigh on Friday afternoon. In her first trip to the state since her name has topped the Democratic ticket, Harris discussed the down-payment subsidy and other housing proposals, in addition to plans meant to end medical debt for millions of Americans, reduce the cost of groceries and cap the cost of prescription drugs. While we work on the housing shortage, my administration will provide first-time home buyers with $25,000 ... to help more Americans experience the pride of home ownership and the financial security that it represents and brings, Harris said at Wake Tech community college in Raleigh. The proposed economic plan comes as first-time buyers face high mortgage rates, often feeling priced-out of starter homes, across the nation and North Carolina. Dont have money for a down payment on a house in NC? Here are your options. The Harris-Walz campaign promised to provide families who paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 for a down payment. The plan expands President Joe Bidens previously proposed policy of providing that dollar amount only to first-generation homebuyers. In March, Biden called on Congress to provide the funds. This new proposal simplifies that, according to Harris campaign. The campaign estimated that more than 4 million first time-buyers over four years will gain significant down payment assistance through the program. As part of Harris four-year plan to address the high cost and low supply of housing, the campaign proposed 3 million new housing units, a first-of-its-kind tax incentive for home builders who build starter homes for first-time home buyers, expansion of the existing tax incentive for business that build affordable rental housing and a $40 billion fund focused on local housing that doubles the $20 billion fund proposed by the Biden-Harris administration. This fund will support the expansion of innovative local efforts, like those in Wake County, North Carolina where they are using American Rescue Plan funds to build or preserve 2,400 affordable housing units including a 100-unit development coming online at Kings Ridge and a 176-unit affordable housing development at [Tryon] Station, the campaign said in the announcement. Harris also promised to stop Wall Street investors from acquiring single-family rental homes in bulk and landlords from using price-setting tools to jack up rents, calling on Congress to pass new legislation. Sam Bohmer, a 21-year-old college student and communications director for the UNC-Chapel Hill Young Democrats who attended Harris event at Wake Tech, said he thought Harris focus on home ownership would be an energizing issue for young voters. I worry that Im not going to be able to afford a home, he said. Doing stuff to incentivize the building of supply, to drive down costs and some of the incentives for home ownership is really important. I think its meeting young people where they are. Under the Dome Get the latest news about North Carolina politics from The News & Observer's award-winning team. Get the free digest sent to your inbox by signing up here. A Johnson County judge sentenced a 26-year-old Kansas City man to life in prison for a 2022 fatal shooting at an Overland Park gas station, the district attorneys office announced Friday. Judge Michael P. Joyce sentenced Zarrell Semaj Finley to the Kansas Hard 50, which means he will have to serve 50 years before becoming eligible for parole. Joyce also sentenced Finley to 11 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The two sentences are to run concurrently, the Johnson County District Attorneys office said in a news release. Last month, a jury found Finley guilty of first-degree murder and illegally possessing a firearm in the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Shaquille J. Jackson in July 2022 outside a BP Gas Station at Antioch Road and College Boulevard. Jackson was injured in the shooting and later died at the hospital. During the sentencing hearing, Joyce denied the defenses motions for acquittal and a new trial. Finleys attorney had sought to have the conviction overturned, saying prosecutors failed to provide evidence that the killing was premeditated. The attorney also filed a motion for a new trial. In response, prosecutors argued that the evidence, which included surveillance video, was sufficient to support the verdict. The footage showed Finley and Jackson were laughing and getting along before the shooting. At one point, Jackson put his arm around Finleys shoulder in a friendly way, according to court documents. At one point in the video, Finley lunged at Jackson and grabbed a backpack, which contained the murder weapon, an assault-style rifle. Once Finley had control of the backpack, he walked away. The video showed Finley stop at his car, pull the rifle out and walk toward Jackson, according to court documents. The video then allegedly showed Finley point the rifle at Jacksons head, lower the weapon and then lift it again and shoot at Jackson, according to court documents. Finley then returned to his car, grabbed the backpack and started to drive away. According to court documents, he stopped to pick up a witness before leaving the gas station. $2B sent to Black farmers discriminated against by USDA WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) The Biden administration has sent out more than $2 billion in direct payments for Black and other minority farmers discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA says it wants to make things right with disadvantaged farmers. The same government thats supposed to lend a hand up for Black farmers was the same government that was taking our farms, through illegal proceedings, President of the National Black Farmers Association John Boyd said. More than 23,000 farmers were approved for payments ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. Some of these farmers are facing foreclosure, Boyd said. Boyd calls it long overdue. Its just a huge, huge victory for the National Black Farmers Association and in this case, our Black Americans, Boyd said. The White House hopes the payments will lead to generational wealth for Black farmers. The culmination of this program is an important marker in our effort to rebuild trust and to make USDA an equitable and accessible department, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. Vilsack said the aid is not compensation for anyones loss or the pain endured, but it is an acknowledgment by the department. The presidents hope is that this financial assistance will help many farmers stay on the farm, contribute to our nations food supply and continue to do what they love, Vilsack said. A majority of the payments will go to farmers in Mississippi and Alabama. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Three men have been indicted on murder charges after prosecutors say they contributed to the overdose death of a Pinellas County Jail inmate in February. Zachary DeCarlo, 30, Wayne Wilson, 41, and Jason Canady, 43, each face a first-degree murder charge related to the unlawful distribution of fentanyl that officials say resulted in the death of 37-year-old Jesse Stout. According to the indictment, DeCarlo brought the drugs into the jail and sold them to Canady, who, along with Wilson, distributed them to several other inmates, including Stout. All three men said they had no knowledge of the drugs or the events that took place leading to the overdoses, the indictment states. Police previously said Stout was found unresponsive in Pod 6 of the jail about 1:45 a.m. on Feb. 11 and was pronounced dead at a hospital a few hours later. Stouts overdose came a day after jail staff responded to suspected fentanyl exposure cases in Pod 5 of the jails C Barracks. Jail personnel responded about 6:45 p.m. Feb. 10 after four inmates showed exposure symptoms. All four were taken to the hospital. One said that hed snorted fentanyl, according to the sheriffs office. Three others, including Stout, were found hours later in Pod 6. The indictment chronicled the events leading to the overdoses from several witness descriptions and surveillance video. On Feb. 2, DeCarlo was arrested on one charge of possession of fentanyl. On the day of his arrest, DeCarlo swallowed fentanyl before entering the Pinellas County Jail and overdosed while in booking. He was taken to a local hospital but was returned to the jail a few days later. On Feb. 10, deputies heard loud banging coming from one area of the jail, according to the indictment. Accounts from officers inside the jail describe finding multiple inmates in varying levels of distress. Among the descriptions: One man had turned blue and was not breathing. Another inmate required resuscitation. Another inmates eyes had rolled back in his head, and he was given Narcan twice. Surveillance video from that day showed DeCarlo entering his cell and setting up a blanket to block the toilet area. DeCarlo then took down the blanket and was later seen talking to his cellmate near the toilet. According to the indictment, DeCarlo had a bowel movement and passed the fentanyl hed previously consumed. DeCarlos cellmate told investigators that DeCarlo came to him in a panic. DeCarlo showed the witness two or three white chunks and said they were fentanyl. Surveillance video later shows DeCarlo and his cellmate approach Canady. DeCarlo is then seen leaving Canadys cell with a large bag filled with unknown items and bringing it to his cell. The indictment states that DeCarlo negotiated a deal with Canady, selling the fentanyl to him in exchange for commissary and $50 via Cash App, according to another witness. Canadys cellmate told investigators that Canady showed him about 4 grams of fentanyl and asked him what he should do with it. The witness said he saw Canady break off a piece of the fentanyl, put it into a glove, write a note, wrap it in plastic and pass it off to a trustee an inmate with work duties that allow them to move more freely inside the jail. The indictment describes Wilson as a trustee. The witness saw Canady go to where the gates were and talk to trustee Wayne and when Canady came back, he no longer had the package, the indictment states. That afternoon, Canady is seen on video communicating through an open slot of a pod with Stout and another inmate. Video later shows Canady speaking with other inmates, including Wilson, throughout the day. The indictment states video shows Wilson in the laundry room of the jail with a black glove that he rips apart and appears to tie back together. According to the indictment, Wilson was the one who ultimately gave the drugs to Stout. After several people were treated for overdoses, deputies searched portions of the jail, where they found multiple objects containing powdery substances. Further testing found several of the items contained fentanyl. According to the affidavit, a piece of glove was found in the laundry room that contained a substance later determined to be fentanyl. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri described the incident as an anomaly. Contraband in the jail is something we always fight, Gualtieri said in a phone call with the Tampa Bay Times on Friday. But theres nothing here that warrants any systematic changes or process changes or policy changes, because of the nature of what happened. Incoming inmates pass through a machine that X-rays their bodies. The machine can typically detect drugs hidden in a persons body cavities, Gualtieri said. However, because DeCarlo had swallowed the fentanyl, the machine was not able to detect the drugs. We looked at it obviously concerned about it but we held them accountable and charged them, Gualtieri said of the three men indicted in the case. DeCarlo and Wilson remain in custody, according to Pinellas County Jail records. The indictment states they are being held without bond. Florida Department of Corrections records show Canady is in prison on several unrelated Pinellas County charges, including racketeering, burglary and grand theft of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to a maximum of eight years shortly after the overdoses, on Feb. 29. Times staff writer Tony Marrero contributed to this report. Here Are The 32 Women Who Have Run For US President, Or Vice President The DNC just made it officialVice President Kamala Harris is now the second woman to be nominated by a major political party for presidents in the US. She already made history by becoming the first female Vice President of the United States. We'll find out in November if she'll become the first female President of the United States. But before her came 31 other women who paved the way for her. The New York Times / Via nytimes.com Here are the 31 women who have run for President or Vice President in the US: 1.Victoria Woodhull ran in 1872 as a candidate of the Equal Rights Party against Ulysses S. Grant (R) and Horace Greeley (D). In addition to being the first female presidential candidate, she also ran the first women-run financial firm on Wall Street with her sister. National Women's History Museum / Via womenshistory.org 2.Belva Anne Lockwood ran twice (first in 1884 and again in 1888) as a presidential candidate of the Equal Rights Party. After intensively lobbying Congress to admit women to the Supreme Court bar, she became the first female attorney to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court. National Archives / Via archives.gov 3.Marietta Stowe ran as vice president to Belva Ann Lockwood in 1884, making her the first woman to run for the role. She founded and edited "Women's Herald of Industry" and was a vocal advocate for women's suffrage. Collections of the Oakland Museum of California / Via en.wikipedia.org 4.Lena Springs became the first woman to be nominated for the VP position by the Democratic party in 1924. Campbell Studios / Via en.wikipedia.org 5.Charlotta Spears Bass was the first Black woman to run for VP in 1952. She was the editor and publisher of the California Eagle, one of the oldest and most influential Black newspapers in the US. 6.Margaret Chase Smith was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1964, becoming the first woman to be placed in nomination for the presidency at a major party's convention. Although she didn't get the nomination, she did succeed in becoming the first woman to serve both the House of Representatives and the Senate. She held public office for 34 years. US Senate Historical Office 7.Shirley Anita Chisholm ran her campaign for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1972. She became the first African American woman to serve in Congress in 1969 and continued to do so for 14 years. Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture 8.Frances Tarlton Sissy Farenthold was nominated as VP by Gloria Steinem and Fannie Lou Hamer at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. Leonard Mccombe / The LIFE Picture Collection / Via nytimes.com 9.Patsy Takemoto Mink's1972 presidential run focused on her opposition to the Vietnam War. Serving 36 years in Congress, she championed the rights of women and people of color. Most notably, she co-authored the Title IX Amendment, which continues to prohibit gender discrimination in federally funded education. After her death, Congress renamed it as the "Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act." Library of Congress / Via loc.gov 10.Ellen McCormack's presidential campaigns in 1976 and 1980 primarily focused on overturning Roe v. Wade. She was notable for becoming the first woman to qualify for federal campaign matching funds and to receive Secret Service protection during her campaign. Barton Silverman/The New York Times / Via nytimes.com 11.LaDonna Brave Bull Allard used her platform as the 1980 vice presidential nominee of the Citizens Party ticket to discuss environmental issues. Jens Schwarz / Via nytimes.com 12.Sonia Johnson ran for president for the Citizens Party in 1984. She is best known for co-founding Mormons for ERA to rally support for the Equal Rights Amendment. Her criticism of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) led to her excommunication. The Salt Lake Tribune / Via sltrib.com 13.Emma Wong Mar ran as the running mate of Sonia Johnson in 1964. She never held public office and instead worked as an activist for decades as well as the co-chair of the Alameda County Peace and Freedom Party. KALW 91.7 FM / Via kalwfolk.org 14.Toni Nathan was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate for the newly formed Libertarian Party in 1972. She was a founding member and former president of the Association of Libertarian Feminists as well as the vice chair of the Libertarian Party. 15.Geraldine Anne Ferraro was the first woman to be nominated for the vice-presidential spot by a major political party in the U.S. when she became the running mate of Walter Mondale during the 1984 election. Before her nomination, she worked as the assistant district attorney for the Queens Investigation Bureau, as a head of the Special Victims Bureau, a U.S. Representative of New York, and chair of the 1984 Democratic platform committee. Rebecca Roth / Library of Congress / Via loc.gov 16.Lenora Branch Fulani became the first woman and the first African American to appear on the presidential ballot in all fifty states in 1988. Her campaign emphasized issues such as racial equality, economic justice, and the empowerment of marginalized communities. Wikimedia Commons / Via commons.wikimedia.org 17.Jo Jorgensen ran as VP to the Libertarian presidential nominee in 1996 and as the party's presidential nominee in 2020. Before becoming a psychology professor at Clemson University, she founded several software and technology businesses, including Digitech, Inc. Gage Skidmore / Via commons.wikimedia.org 18.Elizabeth Hanford Dole sought the Republican nomination for president in 1999. Throughout her career in the federal government, she served as Secretary of Transportation under President Reagan, Secretary of Labor under President George H.W. Bush, and Senator of North Carolina. Duke University / Via 100.duke.edu 19.Winona LaDuke joined Ralph Nader as his vice-presidential running mate on the Green Party's presidential ticket in 1996 and 2000. She founded the White Earth Land Recovery Project (WELRP) to buy back Native reservation land and promote sustainable development. LaDuke continues her advocacy work in environmental and Native issues, notably leading efforts during the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests. 20.Carol Moseley Braun ran for president in 2004. She was the first African American woman to serve in the Senate, where she sponsored progressive education bills and campaigned for gun control. She also worked as the US ambassador to New Zealand for two years. US Senate Historical Office / Via senate.gov 21.Sarah Palin ran as Senator John McCain's VP in the 2008 presidential election. She spent three years as the governor of Alaska, founded a political action committee, wrote several books, functioned as an unofficial spokesperson for the Tea Party movement, and worked as a political commentator. 22.Cynthia Ann McKinney ran for president under the Green Party in 2008 and for vice president in 2020 under the Green Party of Alaska. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives for a total of 12 years, representing Georgia. Black Past / Via blackpast.org 23.Michele Marie Bachmann, who founded the House Tea Party Caucus, sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Before her presidential bid, she served as a Minnesota State Senator from 2001 to 2007 and as a U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 6th congressional district from 2007 to 2015. 24.Carly Fiorina ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. She has never held public office but has done fundraising for the Republican National Committee and served as a business advisor on Senator John McCain's presidential campaign. Fiorina is most notable for her tenure as CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005, where she was the first woman to lead a Fortune 20 company. Britannica Money / Via britannica.com 25.Hillary Rodham Clinton was the Democratic nominee for the 2016 presidential election. Previously, she served as the US Secretary of State, a US Senator from New York, and the First Lady of the United States. Gage Skidmore / Via commons.wikimedia.org 26.Kirsten Gillibrand ran for president in 2019 but ended her campaign within five months. She has been a US Senator for the past 15 years. Kirsten Gillibrand's official website / Via gillibrand.senate.gov 27.Tulsi Gabbard was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. In 2004, while serving in the Hawaii State Legislature, she became the first state official to voluntarily leave office to serve in the Army in a war zone. She later served as the U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021, focusing on issues such as veterans' affairs, foreign policy, and civil liberties. Gage Skidmore / Via en.wikipedia.org 28.Elizabeth Warren ran as a Democratic candidate in the 2020 presidential election. She came to prominence on the national stage because of her advocacy for consumer protection and her role in establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Before her political career, she was a professor of law specializing in bankruptcy and commercial law, teaching at several prestigious institutions including Harvard Law School. Cropped Approved CFF Elizabeth Warren's official website / Via warren.senate.gov 29.Marianne Williamson ran for president in 2020 and 2024. She is an activist, lecturer, and author of books on spirituality and self-help. Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg / Via bloomberg.com 30.Amy Klobuchar ran for president in 2020 with a platform focused on healthcare reform, infrastructure improvement, and bipartisanship. She has been the U.S. Senator from Minnesota since 2007 and has served on several key committees, including the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Rules Committee, which she currently chairs. Wikimedia Commons / Via commons.wikimedia.org 31.Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa Haley became the first woman of color to be a major GOP presidential candidate in 2024. She has served as the US ambassador to the United Nations, the governor of South Carolina, and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite / Via foxnews.com 32.Kamala Harris is the current Vice President of the United States and the Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election. Before being elected Vice President, she served as the District Attorney of San Francisco, the Attorney General of California, and a U.S. Senator from California. Throughout her career, Harris has focused on issues such as criminal justice reform, consumer protection, and equal rights. The White House / Via whitehouse.gov Warning: The images included in this story may be disturbing for some viewers. DICKSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) A man has been charged after half a dozen neglected animals were seized and a dog was found dead in Dickson County Thursday. According to an initial incident report from the Dickson County Sheriffs Office, a deputy with Animal Control responded to the 1400 block of Twin Creek Road in Charlotte on Thursday, Aug. 15, with another deputy, two members of the Humane Society of Dickson County, and a veterinarian. WATCH | Newsmaker: Humane Society of Dickson County The deputy from Animal Control said he received a call early that morning about a dog hanging from a tree. When authorities arrived, there wasnt a dog hanging from a tree, but there were reportedly two goats and four dogsincluding two severely malnourished dogsin need of help. Officials said they spoke with 57-year-old Scott Ray Carter, who gave them permission to walk around the property, which led to the discovery of a dog carcass with a bag around its head. Per the incident report, the veterinarian said the dogs and goats were not receiving proper care, adding they were starving and dehydrated. (Courtesy: Humane Society of Dickson County) (Courtesy: Humane Society of Dickson County) (Courtesy: Humane Society of Dickson County) (Courtesy: Humane Society of Dickson County) (Courtesy: Humane Society of Dickson County) (Courtesy: Humane Society of Dickson County) (Courtesy: Humane Society of Dickson County) Perhaps the most gut-wrenching sight was one of the goats, who had part of her hind legs missing. It was clear that these animals had been suffering for quite some time, and immediate action needed to be taken to ensure their safety and well-being, the humane society wrote on Facebook. The Animal Control deputy said he wrote Carter a citation for animal crueltyalthough the incident report lists the charge against Carter as aggravated animal crueltyand seized all six animals. They were taken to the shelter, where they will remain until court proceedings are finalized. The humane society posted on Friday, Aug. 16, the dogs and goats were being examined by a veterinarian to assess their medical needs and determine the best path for recovery. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com We are seeking any assistance possible in caring for these animals during this crucial time, as every little bit helps in providing them with the love and support they need to heal. Your support would be greatly appreciated in helping these innocent creatures on their journey to a better life, the shelter said in the post, which included a link to make donations. As of this writing, more than $1,000 has been donated to help with the animals care. No additional details have been released about the circumstances surrounding the animal cruelty case. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Pets and people in multiple S.C. counties including Saluda were exposed to rabies, the South Carolina Department of Public Health wrote in a press release. A raccoon in Chester, S.C., tested positive for rabies, while one dog was exposed and will be quarantined. A bat in Charleston, S.C., tested positive for rabies, which led to four people being exposed. A cat was also exposed. A skunk in Saluda, S.C., tested positive and one dog and two cats were exposed. Rabies is usually transmitted through a bite or scratch that allows saliva from an infected animal to be introduced into the body of a person or another animal, said Terri McCollister, rabies program director in the press release. However, infected saliva or neural tissue contact with open wounds or areas such as the eyes, nose, or mouth could also potentially transmit rabies. The press release said to reduce the risk of rabies, give wild animals their space and avoid touching animals in need. Instead, call local animal control or a wildlife control officer. Public Health also said to not keep wild animals as pets, and to always report all animal bites, scratches and exposures to potentially rabid animals to the department. In South Carolina, rabies is most commonly found in raccoons, which play a significant role in the transmission of rabies, the press release said. There is no time frame for monitoring wildlife to rule out the possibility of rabies. The press release said if you believe anyone or pet has come in contact with either the Charleston County bat, Chester County raccoon, Saluda County skunk, or another animal that potentially has rabies, to please call the appropriate Public Health office. On 15 August, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone held its third session of Face to Face with China Event in 2024. More than 50 representatives of major media groups and friendship organizations attended the event. Ambassador Wang Qing said the session sent a strong message to the world about Chinas steadfast commitment to reform and opening up in the new era, which will further promote the high-quality development of China's economy and bring more new opportunities for China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries. China is willing to take the 2024 FOCAC Summit as an opportunity to work with the Sierra Leonean side to promote more practical cooperation in all fields, and join hands to build a high-level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future. China will continue to work together to implement outcomes of President Bio's state visit to China in February to bring more benefits to our two peoples. Ambassador Wang and other diplomats also introduced the China's economic development achievements, the latest progress of China-Sierra Leone relations, and the situation of Chinese-funded projects that are of concern to the Sierra Leonean people in response to their inquiries. A promotional video on China-Sierra Leone cooperation produced by the Sierra Leonean media was shown at the reception. Participants highly evaluated the significance of the plenary session and the great achievements of Chinese modernization, and expressed their full expectation for the FOCAC summit. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 16. Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov has held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Trend reports. According to the information, the sides talked about the nitty-gritty of Russia-Uzbekistan interaction, including at regional and international levels, as well as the agenda of upcoming bilateral events. Furthermore, the parties went over the ins and outs of the foreign ministries' main duties in light of the agreements made after Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to Uzbekistan in May of this year. The sides also reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination of diplomatic efforts to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance between Moscow and Tashkent, including joint work at the UN and various multilateral integration platforms. The Los Angeles Police Department booked three 18-year-olds and a 22-year-old on arrest warrants for murder on Aug. 15 Albert L. Ortega/Getty Johnny Wactor Nearly three months after General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor was shot dead at age 37, the Los Angeles Police Department has detained multiple suspects tied to his killing. The LAPD, in a statement shared with PEOPLE, confirmed they arrested four people and recovered evidence on Thursday, Aug. 15, for their ongoing investigation about the May 25 shooting death of Wactor, who was killed after coming upon armed car thieves. They were attempting to steal the catalytic converter from Wactor's vehicle. Early this morning, the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Bureau Homicide conducted search warrants relating to the John Wactor case at several locations throughout Los Angeles. the statement said. That led to four men being booked on arrest warrants for murder: Robert Barceleau, 18, of Huntington Park; Frank Olano, 22, of Inglewood; as well as Leonel Gutierrez, 18, and Sergio Estrada, 18, both of L.A. County. Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty People call for justice in the death of Johnny Wactor in June 2024 Related: Johnny Wactor's Ex-Fiancee Tearfully Honors 'Phenomenal Actor' Following His Tragic Death: 'Such a Bright Soul' PEOPLE reached out to Wactors manager for comment on the arrests. The Aug. 15 arrests come just 11 days after the LAPD released still images, taken from video footage, of the suspects and the stolen black Infiniti Q50 sedan that police say the suspects were driving on the day Wactor died. Wactors brother, Grant Wactor, previously told PEOPLE that Johnny who was working as a bartender and a female colleague were walking to their vehicles after their bar shift in downtown L.A. around 3:25 a.m. at the time of the shooting. Grant said Johnny put his body in front of his colleague and had put his hands up when he was shot. He did not confront them, Grant explained. He did not try to stop them. He was just trying to diffuse the situation by stepping back. A medical examiner determined that Wactor died from a gunshot wound to the chest, and his manner of death was listed as a homicide. Related: Johnny Wactors Co-Worker Says Actor Died in My Arms After Shielding Her: He Fought to Stay' Since his death, a GoFundMe page set up to help his family with expenses has raised more than $144,000 in donations as of Aug. 15. Wactors agent, David Shaul, who confirmed his death to PEOPLE on May 25, remembered his late client as being a spectacular human being. Not just a talented actor who was committed to his craft but a real moral example to everyone who knew him, Shaul said in May. Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never give up attitude. In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back, Shaul added. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever. Wactor, who was best known for his General Hospital role as Brando Corbin, also appeared in Army Wives, NCIS, The OA, Westworld, The Passenger, Station 19, Barbee Rehab, Siberia, Agent X, Vantastic, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Girl, Training Day, Criminal Minds and more. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Four people were arrested on Thursday, Aug. 15, in connection with the fatal shooting of actor Johnny Wactor in Los Angeles, Calif. The Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) Central Bureau Homicide executed search warrants at various locations around Los Angeles County, according to a Thursday afternoon press release. Authorities said they made the four arrests and gathered evidence as a result of those search warrants. The LAPD identified the suspects as Robert Barceleau, 28, Leonel Gutierrez, 28, Sergio Estrada, 28, and Frank Olano, 22. Barceleau, Gutierrez and Estrada were each booked on an arrest warrant for murder, the news release said. Earlier on Thursday, The Los Angeles Times reported that authorities were believed to be focusing on serving search warrants to suspects with ties to the Florencia 13 gang. Before the LAPD issued its news release confirming the arrests, Wactor's mother, Scarlett, told the Los Angeles-based television news station KTLA that authorities informed her as of midday Thursday that at least one person had been arrested. Related: Johnny Wactors Coworker Breaks Silence After 'General Hospital' Actor Died in My Arms The General Hospital star was walking to his car with a co-worker after a bartending shift in the early hours on Saturday, May 25, when he noticed three individuals who appeared to be fiddling with his vehicle. His family members later told KTLA that authorities believed he had interrupted an attempted catalytic converter theft. Wactor was fatally shot before the three individuals fled the scene. Over the last three months, the LAPD has sought help from the public in identifying the three people who were gathered near Wactors vehicle at the time of the shooting. The department released surveillance images of all three people and their getaway car in an Aug. 4 community alert. With what would have been Wactors 38th birthday fast approaching at the end of this month, his mother made her own plea for the publics help at a news conference earlier this week. Im asking that anybody that knows anything please come forward, Scarlett said while standing outside Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 13, according to The Associated Press. It will help me and his brothers in our healing to know that theyve been captured and convicted. Next: Remembering the Stars and Legends We've Lost In 2024 A 42-year-old man died at the hospital after being shot Thursday night in Edgerton Park in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a spokesman for the Wyandotte County Sheriffs Office. The victim was identified as Howard Nichols, said Capt. Michael Kroening with the sheriffs office, which enforces laws in the countys parks. Nichols was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, where he later was pronounced dead. Deputies responded to reports of a shooting shortly after 9 p.m. at the park at North Third Street and Edgerton Drive in Kansas City, Kansas. There, they found Nichols suffering from gunshot wounds. The investigation into the killing is ongoing, and there was no additional information available to be released, Kroening said. No suspect information was available. The killing is the second homicide investigated by the sheriffs office in the county parks this year. In late July, 18-year-old Branden Jamal Baskin of Kansas City, Kansas., was killed in a shooting in Klamm Park at 2515 N. 27th Street in Kansas City, Kansas. LaRon Jaka Belcher III, 21, was charged with first-degree murder in the teens death. The sheriffs office encourages anyone who saw or knows anything about the killing to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) FEMA has already provided aid to 5,000 households in northwest Iowa affected by flooding. In total, FEMA has approved more than $55 million of individual assistance to survivors of the June floods. According to FEMA representative John Mills, Iowans are already putting those funds toward home repairs and rent at temporary living quarters. However, Mills said Iowans should keep FEMA updated on their needs. First awards for disaster-impacted Iowa homeowners announced We want to continue to hear from people about what there needs are, so people can still visit disaster recovery centers, Mills said. They can call us directly and update us about what their familys situation is now. And we may be able to provide additional assistance to them. FEMA will work with Iowans as well as state and local governments as the recovery process continues. To apply for FEMA Individual Assistance, click here. For more information on state disaster programs, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. Who are the 5 people charged in Matthew Perrys death? (NewsNation) Authorities announced on Thursday that charges have been filed against five people in connection with the death of Friends star Matthew Perry. The defendants are Jasveen Sangha, 41; Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 42; Dr. Mark Chavez, 54; Eric Fleming, 54; and Kenneth Iwamasa, 59. Courteney Cox reveals belief about Friends co-star Matthew Perry Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his California home in October 2023. An autopsy report concluded his death was due to the acute effects of ketamine. While Perry had previously undergone ketamine treatment for depression, the medical examiner concluded that the drugs in his system were from recreational use based on the timing of his last treatment session. Heres what we know about those charged in Perrys death: Dr. Salvador Plasencia A physician, Plasencia had previously applied for a license from the Drug Enforcement Administration to dispense and prescribe controlled substances for legitimate medical purposes. But court documents allege that Plasencia, 42, acted outside the scope of professional practice to distribute ketamine and also taught Perrys personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, how to inject the drug. Plasencia is accused of facilitating the transfer of drugs from himself and other defendants to Iwamasa. According to the indictment, Plasencia exchanged text messages with others involved in the drug sales, sending ones that said: I wonder how much this moron will pay and Lets find out. Plasencia is facing one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation. If convicted, he faces 10 years for each ketamine-related charge and 20 for each falsification charge. He pleaded not guilty Thursday. What is ketamine? Kenneth Iwamasa Iwamasa, 59, was the live-in personal assistant for Perry and the person who found Perry in the hot tub. Iwamasa had no medical training. Investigators said Iwamasa was the one who injected Perry with ketamine on multiple occasions despite his lack of training. Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death and admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry including multiple injections on the day Perry died. If convicted, Iwamasa faces up to 15 years in prison. Jasveen Sangha Sangha, also known as the Ketamine Queen, operated a stash house and distributed ketamine and other illegal drugs, prosecutors said. Her home is believed to be the distribution point for the dose that ultimately killed Perry. Sangha, 41, was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. Sangha pleaded not guilty on Thursday. If convicted, she faces a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California said Sangha had also sold ketamine to a man named Cody McLaury in 2019, who died of an overdose only hours later. Dr. Mark Chavez Chavez, like Plasencia, had applied for a DEA license to prescribe controlled substances for medical use. And, like Sangha, he is accused of obtaining ketamine distributed by other defendants. He also had former connections to a legitimate ketamine clinic, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Matthew Perry called this movie his best. Have you seen it? Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. In his plea agreement, he admitted to diverting the drug from his former clinic, making false representations to a wholesale ketamine dealer, and submitting a fraudulent prescription in the name of a former patient. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. Eric Fleming Fleming was described by investigators as an acquaintance of Perrys. He allegedly helped obtain ketamine and distributed it to Perry, including giving Iwamasa 50 vials of ketamine, half of which were delivered four days before Perrys death. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. If convicted, Fleming faces 25 years in prison. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Officials have identified all five people killed in a fiery wreck in Central Texas this week that caused a Leander teenager to lose his entire family, a Department of Public Safety trooper said Friday. The people killed included Arvind Mani, 45, his 40-year-old wife, Pradeepa Arvind, and their 17-year-old daughter Andril Arvind, who all were from Leander, according to a DPS report. Their only surviving immediate family member, Adiryan, 14, was not in the vehicle with them. A GoFundMe page for the 14-year-old boy has raised more than $700,000. More: Austin police identify woman killed in Tarrytown auto-pedestrian crash as Allison Baker The other people killed in the wreck at 5:45 a.m. on Wednesday on U.S. 281 in Lampasas County were Jacinto Gudino Duran, 31, and 23-year-old Yosilu Gasman Martinez, both of Copperas Cove, the report said. Duran was driving south on U.S. 281 in a 2004 Cadillac CTS with Martinez as a passenger when his right rear tire blew out and he lost control of the car, according to the report. It said the Cadillac skidded sideways into the northbound lanes of U.S. 281, hitting the 2024 Kia Telluride that Mani was driving north with his wife and daughter. Officials have not yet determined where Duran was going to when the crash happened, Washko said. He said Duran and Martinez lived together. The Kia hit the passenger side of the Cadillac, tearing it in half, said DPS Trooper Bryan Washko. The Telluride caught fire, he said, and everyone died at the scene. "There was no chance of survival," the trooper said. He said the collision happened about 6 miles north of Lampasas. More: 4 Texas family members killed after suspected street race ended in fiery crash Duran could have been driving at 100 mph based on a witness driving 80 mph who said the Cadillac had passed her earlier, Washko said. The Kia was traveling at about 65 to 70 mph, Washko said. Adding both speeds of the vehicles together meant the crash was "like driving into a concrete wall at 170 mph," he said. "It is one of the worst crashes I have seen in 26 years because of the magnitude of the damage and amount of people lost," Washko said. Investigators later determined that the Cadillac had old tires that needed to be replaced, he said. Officials have not yet discovered whether alcohol was a factor in the collision, he said. Mani and his wife were driving their daughter to college in North Texas and had left their son behind because he started school that day, Washko said. Andril Arvand, 17, graduated from Rouse High School and was going to attend the University of Dallas, where she planned to study computer science, according to the GoFundMe set up for her brother. "The Rouse High School family is deeply saddened to share the loss of one of our very own Raiders from the Class of 2024, Andril Arvind," said a letter sent to parents from the school's principal. "Andril and her parents were involved in an automobile accident this morning, and we are sad to share there were no survivors. This news has brought great sorrow to our campus and has impacted many in our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andrils family and friends." Her parents were "an integral part of our Austin Indian community," according to the GoFundMe site. It said Adiryan Arvand is now living with his uncle's family. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: All 5 victims identified in crash that killed Leander teen's family Photo: the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 75 combat clashes have occurred in the combat zone since the beginning of the day on 16 August, one third of which took place on the Pokrovsk front in Donetsk Oblast. Source: a report by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the operative information as of 16:00 Details: The Russians carried out attacks on the Kharkiv, Lyman, Kupiansk, Toretsk and Kurakhove fronts up to 10 times. The situation on the Pokrovsk front remains the most complicated. Quote: "Most combat clashes have occurred on the Pokrovsk front. Since the beginning of the day the occupiers have made 23 attempts to push our defenders back from their positions near the settlements of Vozdvyzhenka, Vodiane, Novohrodivka, Hrodivka, Zhelanne, Kalynivka and Ptyche and carried out attacks in the direction of the settlement of Zelene Pole. Ukraines defence forces deter the assault, having repelled 17 attacks of the enemy. Six fights are still ongoing. Three airstrikes were launched on the settlement of Oleksandropil with non-guided aerial missiles." Support UP or become our patron! 10 successful CEOs, politicians, and more who worked at McDonald's, from Kamala Harris to Jeff Bezos Billionaire Jeff Bezos and Vice President Kamala Harris counted McDonald's among their first jobs. They're among a group of successful people who have worked at the chain. Many said they gained valuable life skills from this experience. Even the most successful people have started their careers in somewhat unglamorous positions, and many of them were flipping burgers and serving fries at McDonald's. Many recall their time at the fast-food giant fondly, saying it taught them valuable skills that they retained throughout their careers. Kamala Harris, for example, worked both the fry station and as a cashier in college and has talked about what her go-to order is today. Here are 10 successful people who started out at the fast food chain: 1. Jeff Bezos Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images The Amazon founder and former CEO is one of the most renowned business leaders in the world and has amassed a fortune worth around $200 billion, currently making him the second richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The billionaire has often reflected on his first job at McDonald's as a 16-year-old where he worked the grill and flipped burgers. "You can learn responsibility in any job if you take it seriously," Bezos told Wired in an interview. "You learn a lot as a teenager working at McDonald's. It's different from what you learn in school. Don't underestimate the value of that!" 2. Jay Leno TV host Jay Leno. Jim Spellman/WireImage The American television presenter and the former host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" worked at a McDonald's on Main Street in Andover, Massachusetts, in the 1960s. 3. Pano Christou Pret a Manger CEO Pano Christou (left) and Prince William speaking during a visit to Pret A Manger on September 7 in Bournemouth, England. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Pano Christou, the current CEO of Pret a Manger who was paid close to $5 million for the year ending December 2021, said he started his career at McDonald's earning just $3 an hour. Christou said in a recent interview that he "fell in love with hospitality" while working the shop floor at McDonald's when he was 16 years old. 4. Sheryl Palmer Sheryl Palmer, chairman and CEO of Taylor Morrison. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid The chief executive of homebuilding company Taylor Morrison first worked at McDonald's at the age of 15 and rose up the ranks to become the fast food giant's marketing manager in San Diego at the age of 20, she told The New York Times. "Every 16-year-old should have to work at McDonald's, because you really do learn how to work," she said. "You have to pull back the equipment and sweep behind. There are no shortcuts. You had to do it right because it was such a part of their brand. There were a lot of life lessons in that job." 5. Paul Ryan Former House Speaker Paul Ryan. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster The American politician and former speaker of the US House of Representatives has often touted his experience working at McDonald's in his youth. "When I was flippin' burgers at McDonald's, when I was standing in front of that big Hobart machine washing dishes or waiting tables, I never thought of myself as stuck in some station in life." he said in a speech in 2012. He added: "I thought to myself, I'm the American dream on a path and journey so that I can find happiness however I can find it myself." 6. Andrew Card Andrew Card, former White House Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images Andrew Card, former White House Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush said he worked as a manager at McDonald's when he was in college, per Forbes. 7. Carl Lewis Carl Lewis, former track and field athlete. Gettyimages Carl Lewis has won nine Olympic gold medals during his time as a track and field athlete. He later appeared in an ad for the chain that highlighted its successful former employees. 8. Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda created the broadway sensation "Hamilton." Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival The American songwriter, actor, filmmaker, and playwright created hit Broadway musicals including Hamilton and In the Heights. Miranda started out working at McDonald's when he was 14 years old, earning around $4.25 an hour. He worked the cash register and did deliveries for the chain, and this experience later went on to inspire a song he wrote. 9. Kamala Harris Vice President Kamala Harris could potentially boost her fellow California Democrats on the ballot should she become the party's presidential nominee. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images An ad for Harris' presidential campaign this month declares, "She grew up in a middle-class home. She was the daughter of a working mom. And she worked at McDonald's while she got her degree." At a recent rally, Harris also mentioned the gig, saying, "I had a summer job at McDonald's." In a post on social media in May, Harris said "My McDonald's order hasn't changed much from when I did the fries." "I would probably do quarter-pounder with cheese and fries," she told an interviewer, mentioning that she also worked as a cashier in addition to working the fry station. 10. Doug Emhoff Doug Emhoff is the husband of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. David Zalubowski/AP Emhoff worked a McDonald's in high school, he said in a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday. "I still have the framed picture" from being employee of the month, Emhoff said at the DNC. "I waited tables and parked cars, working full-time so I could go to college part-time," he wrote in a Tuesday post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The now-second gentleman went on to attend law school and become a lawyer. This legal career led to an encounter with another big fast-food chain when he represented Taco Bell's former advertising agency in a lawsuit over the brand's Spanish-speaking chihuahua mascot. Read the original article on Business Insider The Louisiana NAACP State President is touring Shreveport, Bossier City to inform community members that the organizations 82nd statewide conference is coming in September. President Michael McClanahan said they are spreading the word through local churches. We want people to come out and get the benefit of being the part of something special, McClanahan shared. Advocacy work and civil rights is something special. Its Gods work, and we want people to know its the work they can all be a part of. The conference will be held next month from Thursday, September 26th, through Saturday, September 28th, Hotel and Casino in Bossier City. Register or learn more at naacplastateconference.org. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. ABC News Donald Trump-Kamala Harris Debate Will Take Place In Philadelphia At National Constitution Center ABC News announced a venue for the September 10 presidential debate: the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have agreed to participate, with David Muir and Linsey Davis as moderators. More from Deadline The debate will start at 9 p.m. ET, with an 8 p.m. pre-debate show, Race for the White House, with Martha Raddatz, Jonathan Karl, Mary Bruce and Rachel Scott. The network has not yet said whether there will be an audience for the event. The CNN debate in June, in which Trump faced off with President Joe Biden, had no audience and was live from the networks Atlanta studios. Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz will take part in a CBS News-sponsored debate on October 1, to take place in New York and to be moderated by Norah ODonnell and Margaret Brennan. The Harris campaign said Thursday that they have agreed to another presidential debate, to be held some time in October. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. BAKU. Azerbaijan. August 16. Former US leader and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has promised to improve relations with China if he wins the election in November, Trend reports. "I think we're going to have a great relationship with China. But it's also going to have to be a fair relationship. China has taken advantage of our country for years, just like any other country," he said at a news conference in Bedminster, New Jersey, broadcast by conservative media outlet RSBN. Trump added that Washington needs to gain Beijing's respect to improve US-Chinese relations. "But they don't respect Kamala Harris or Joe Biden," the former head of the White House believes. The presidential election in the country will be held on November 5. Biden was expected to represent the Democratic Party, but after his disastrous performance in the June debates with Trump, calls for the head of the White House to abandon the fight became increasingly loud among Democrats. On July 21, he decided to leave the race and supported Harris's nomination for the highest state office. Trump will be nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. The presidential debate hosted next month by ABC will take place in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center, the network announced Friday. The debate is set for Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. EDT and will be hosted by ABC Newss David Muir and Linsey Davis. Vice President Harriss campaign has said it will participate in two debates this cycle, including ABCs on Sept. 10, and one vice presidential debate. Former President Trump said last week he agreed to three debates on three networks after he previously said he would not take part in the ABC event. The ABC debate was initially set between Trump and President Biden before the president dropped out of the race last month and endorsed Harris. Both campaigns have been laser-focused on winning the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, which Trump won in 2016 and Biden won in 2020. Trump will hold a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on Saturday, and Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), held their first rally together in Philadelphia last week. The Hill/Decision Desk HQs polling index shows Harris narrowly ahead of Trump in the Keystone State with 47.6 percent support compared to the former presidents 47 percent. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. It is well documented how strict abortion bans are negatively impacting standard prenatal care in red states. In Idaho, labor and delivery centers are closing, forcing pregnant women to travel longer distances to access care. At the same time, the state is facing challenges recruiting new OB-GYNs to care for pregnant patients. In Louisiana, standard pregnancy care has been disrupted in dramatic ways. For example, some pregnant patients are only being given the option of a cesarean section in emergencies so doctors can avoid the optics of performing an abortion. But the effects of abortion bans post-Dobbs arent insulated to abortion ban states. Theyve caused a ripple effect and are affecting standard prenatal care in blue states. As experts watching the reproductive landscape change across America have told Salon before: Any time there is a shift in access, it impacts the whole ecosystem. In some states where access to abortion remains, the restrictive landscape in other states has made them rethink doubling down on protecting access. Recently, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a handful of bills expanding reproductive rights to maintain a high standard of care for pregnant people. In one bill, House Bill 581, the Illinois Department of Public Health now has the codified right to investigate hospitals for violating the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), which permits doctors to provide abortion care during medical emergencies. Another added protections to the states interstate shield law which protects people traveling to the state for reproductive services. Shield laws, which say that courts and agencies won't cooperate if a state with an abortion ban tries to prosecute people traveling, have become an important tool for blue states. At least 12 states have laws shielding protecting medical providers. Data from the Society of Family Planning #WeCount found that after Dobbs, Illinois saw the biggest increase in out-of-state abortions, followed by Florida and California respectively. Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes. Dr. Arianna Cassidy, a maternal-fetal medicine physician at the University of California-San Francisco, told Salon as someone who works in the prenatal diagnosis space, there have been some changes in screening over the last couple of years. I think there's even more of an emphasis on early genetic screening, at least to detect pregnancies that might be abnormal, Cassidy told Salon, adding that there is a consensus among physicians in California of gratitude that they can offer proper care in difficult situations for example, if a fetus is nonviable. According to KFFs policy tracker, out of the 21 states that have abortion bans or early gestational limits,13 dont have an exception for fatal fetal anomalies. It would be incredibly challenging to make diagnoses and then not be able to provide the standard of care, Cassidy said about her colleagues in these states. As far as a surge in people traveling to California from out of state, Cassidy she has noticed more out-of-state patients post-Dobbs, noting that even though California is a state where abortion rights are protected, they see a lot of patients coming to San Francisco from other parts of the state where there is no abortion care. Women with complex health issues for whom pregnancy might be dangerous, or who just need extra care, Cassidy said. But also people who might have a fetal diagnosis, who just can't get care locally. Notably, data continues to find that abortion bans arent decreasing the actual number of abortions. According to a Monthly Abortion Provision Study, researchers found that the number of abortion in the U.S. increased by 10 percent in 2023 compared to 2020. In fact, abortion numbers were at their highest in 2023 in over a decade. Guttmacher Institute attributed the access to telehealth and increase in financial support to the rise despite abortion bans. In April, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an estimated 90,050 clinician-provided abortions took place in states without total bans. But in blue states, perhaps the most significant difference in care is the obvious: theres still a choice for pregnant women to terminate their pregnancies in their home state. The bottom line is that a pregnant person or a person with reproductive ability should have options, in states that do not restrict abortion access, these individuals have more options that enable them to make health decisions that may align better with their family and current life circumstances, Dr. Melissa Simon, an OB-GYN at Northwestern Medicine, told Salon. Whereas people who live in states where abortion is limited or fully restricted have fewer options that then limit their ability to make health decisions that may not align with their best health and family and life circumstances. Organizers for a ballot initiative that would amend the Arizona Constitution to protect abortion rights set up outside the Arizona Capitol on April 9, 2024, shortly after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that an 1864 near-total abortion ban is enforceable. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror The arguments of the anti-abortion group that is attempting to stop an abortion rights initiative from being put to voters this fall are nonsense, according to the campaign supporting the Arizona Abortion Access Act. If voters approve Proposition 139 in November, it would enshrine in the state constitution the right to an abortion up to the point of fetal viability, generally accepted to be around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Exceptions to that limit would be allowed if a health care provider determined it was necessary to preserve a patients life, physical or mental health. The Arizona Secretary of States Office confirmed Monday that the Abortion Access Act had collected approximately 578,000 valid signatures, significantly more than the nearly 384,000 it needed to qualify for the ballot. The campaign turned in more than 800,000 signatures in support of the initiative, the most in state history, according to the Secretary of States Office. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Attorneys for Arizona Right to Life claim that the 200-word summary shown to Arizonans who signed petition sheets to help the act qualify for the ballot was so unlawfully misleading that it puts all of the signatures into question. But a trial court judge didnt agree, and dismissed the case. Arizona Right to Life immediately appealed that decision to the states high court. In a Wednesday court filing in response to the Arizona Right to Lifes appeal arguments, Arizona for Abortion Access argued that the state Supreme Court was not the place for the organization to express its disdainful opinion of the initiative. On appeal, Plaintiff barely mentions the trial courts analysis, much less provides any good reason to second-guess it, Andy Gaona, an attorney for the reproductive rights campaign, wrote. Rather, Plaintiff yet again misrepresents the Initiatives provisions, quibbles about minor omissions that no reasonable person would think render the description misleading, and complains that the description doesnt describe what Plaintiff speculates will be the Initiatives anticipated effects. All these arguments are baseless. Arizona Right to Life claims that the summary shown to those who signed the petition was misleading because it contained the phrase health care provider while the full text of the act refers to the treating health care provider when describing who has the authority to determine that an abortion is necessary beyond fetal viability. The anti-abortion group argued that the omission of the word treating in the summary led petition signers to believe that someone other than an abortion provider would be making that decision. Trial court Judge Melissa Iyer Julian found that argument lacking. Reasonable people understand that medical diagnoses and treatment plans are typically determined by the medical provider who is actively treating a patient whose health is at issue, Julian wrote. For pregnant patients, this could include the patients primary care, obstetrical, or other medical providers, including one who provides abortions. Gaona argued that the summary informed petition signers of all the major provisions of the initiative, as required by state law, and that leaving out single words from the full text of the ballot measure did not render it misleading. He also clapped back at Arizona Right to Lifes claim that the summary should have included the potential impacts of the proposed constitutional amendment on existing state-level abortion regulations. At present, Arizona is under a 15-week gestational ban that will likely be nullified if the act is passed. State law regarding initiative summaries for petitions does not require them to include information about the possible impacts the measures would have on existing law, Gaona wrote, adding that those impacts are purely speculative anyway. The voters have not yet voted on the Initiative, he wrote. If the Initiative passes, then courts not the Committee may need to decide whether certain existing regulations meet the standards in the Initiative. The Committee cannot know how courts would resolve those challenges now. Any potential effects in the 200-word description would thus be no more than guesswork. Gaona asked the Arizona Supreme Court to affirm the decision of the trial court and allow the Abortion Access Act to be placed on the ballot. Jill Norgaard, a spokeswoman for Arizona Right to Life, told the Arizona Mirror on Thursday that she had not seen the Arizona for Abortion Access Wednesday filing in response to her organizations appeal. Arizona Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick has recused himself from participating in an appeal, and will be replaced on the bench by Retired former Arizona Supreme Court Justice John Pelander. Justice Bolicks wife, then-state Rep. Shawnna Bolick, a Phoenix Republican, was one of the sponsors of a 2022 bill that banned abortion in Arizona after 15 weeks of pregnancy. She has also been a vocal opponent of abortion rights throughout her career as a political activist and elected official. The high court is expected to make a ruling in the case by Aug. 22, the deadline to print ballots. (COLORADO SPRINGS) Academy District 20 (D20) is kicking off the new school year with some major plans on the horizon. The district is preparing to present a ballot measure this fall, seeking voter approval for a significant investment in their schools. The proposed measure would ask for up to $70 million from voters to support the rebuilding of Air Academy High School (AAHS) and other key projects, in collaboration with federal funding. The Public Schools on Military Installations Program will cover 80% of the rebuilds nearly $240 million cost. The district will need to cover the remaining 20% of the total cost, approximately $49 million. AAHS is 65 years old, said Becky Allan, D20 Deputy Superintendent/Chief Financial Officer. As you would in your own house, projects and maintenance build up. We call it deferred maintenance, its repairs that need to be made and if we were to look at the list for AAHS, its $73 million long. This is where the bond measure comes into play. The total amount of the bond measure is $69.14 million. The dollars are allocated as follows: $49 million for a 20% match to receive an approximate $191 million federal grant to rebuild 65-year-old Air Academy High School, including a Center for Excellence, with new career education accessible to students across District 20; $9 million to update District-wide non-charter facilities to improve health, safety, and security and to comply with the mandatory LED lighting requirements contained in Colorado HB23-1161 $9.48 million for capital improvement projects at The Classical Academy $1.66 million for capital improvement projects at New Summit Charter Academy. It is not a tax increase for our community, Allan said. Our payment is decreasing next year by about $9 million and that will fall and allow enough room for us to go ahead and put this bond measure in place and not have a tax increase for our community. In the coming days, D20 will have a household tax calculator on their website that will allow homeowners to determine how much their taxes will fall if it passes and how much their taxes would fall if it fails. The proposed ballot measure comes as state lawmakers and Democratic Governor Jared Polis recently celebrated the fact that Colorado schools are fully funded for the first time in decades. Some voters might be wondering with this historic level of funding in place, why are some school districts still seeking additional money from voters? It surprises people when I tell them that Academy School District 20 is funded dead last in the state, Allen said. District officials tell FOX21 News that around 2010, the state implemented a budget stabilization factor. It structured the amount of money that a school district can or should receive, but officials claim the state did not have enough money to make good on those payments. If you look each year, the money that D20 did not receive because of the budget stabilization factor, its over $260 million, Allen explained. Isnt it funny when you look at that dollar amount, how similar that is to the amount of money it would take to rebuild AAHS? The District 20 Board of Education will meet later this month to finalize the language for the ballot measure. In the meantime, they are planning to host community forums so voters can make an educated decision come November. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) An accused meth and cocaine trafficker in Rowan County was busted Friday following a months-long investigation, the Rowan County Sheriffs Office said. Detectives launched an investigation in April regarding drug trafficking activity involving 47-year-old Michael Smith. Undercover agents were able to successfully make multiple purchases of meth and cocaine. Smith was arrested on Friday and faces multiple charges including trafficking meth and cocaine. He is being held on a $1,500,000 secured bond at the Rowan County Detention Center. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. VALLETTA (Reuters) - Peace activists from several countries are setting out on a converted trawler to defy an Israeli blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. "The purpose of this mission is to send a message that civil society is not OK with what's happening in Gaza," said Fellipe Lopes, the Portuguese media coordinator of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition on board the ship Handala during a stopover in Malta. It will be a trip fraught with danger. Another coalition ship on a similar mission to Gaza in 2010 was stopped and boarded by Israeli troops, and nine activists died. Other ships were similarly stopped and boarded, without loss of life. "We expect to encounter resistance throughout our mission," said Australian activist Michael Coleman. "Ours is not an illegal activity in any shape or form. The International Court of Justice has asked them to grant unfettered access to aid into Gaza and I implore them to let us and other aids through immediately," he said. The Handala was visited in Malta by 78-year-old retired U.S. Army Colonel and diplomat Ann Wright, who was on board another coalition ship boarded by Israeli troops in 2010, in the incident in which nine activists died. "These people are very brave, because we don't know what's going to happen. If the Israelis stop them, we know it'll be brutal," Wright said. The brightly coloured Handala carries activists from Italy, France, Norway, Australia, the Netherlands, Syria and a number of Palestinians. It has made several port calls around Scandinavia and the Mediterranean to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza. Its hull carries slogans reading: "Free Palestine," "Gaza you are not alone" and "Stop the Genocide," while its humanitarian aid cargo consists mostly of medicines. The trip along the Eastern Mediterranean to Gaza will take a week but organisers said they might stop over in another harbour on the way. (Reporting by Christopher Scicluna; editing by Jonathan Oatis) SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) During the 2023-24 Iowa legislative session, lawmakers passed major changes to the states Area Education Agencies (AEA) system. The change was a top priority for Gov. Kim Reynolds. A new law changes how funding is handled for the organization, and that has caused several issues for the AEAs of Iowa. Iowa abortion providers dismiss legal challenge against states strict law now that its in effect AEAs provides school districts with special education teachers, as well as educational and media services. In the past, state and federal funding for special education would directly go towards the organization. However, now AEAs get to keep 40 percent of that money while schools get 60 percent of the funding to spend on the organization or their school district for educational and media services. The bill passed in late March and is only phase one of the bill. On the special education side, there are no changes this year to the funding, Dr. Dan Cox with Northwest AEA said. But next year schools have 10 percent that they get to keep and decide what theyd like to spend that on in special education, 90 percent coming to us, my job. For the 2025-26 school year, the AEAs media and educational services will receive none of the funding. Instead, schools will use that funding to contract teachers. First awards for disaster-impacted Iowa homeowners announced If schools just dont have to let us know until the last minute, then we cant staff, Dr. Cox said. We cant retain people in an effective way, so we need to have some guardrails for that and it would be helpful for the legislature to put some parameters in place for that. Dr. Cox said that over the next several months, people are going to feel pain points from this new law, but promised that AEAs will continue to provide top-notch services. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Attorney General Ashley Mood and 20 other attorneys general are asking for answers from Temu, an online retailer after concerns with the companys business practices. AG Moody and the other attorneys general are asking for answers regarding the companys alleged ties with the Chinese Communist Party, data collection and sharing, and possible violation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), according to the office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. The Attorneys general office sent a letter to the president of Temu, and the CEO of PPD Holdings LLC, The parent company of Temu, outlining the concerns after reports that the company may not be following federal law or the states consumer protection law. A congressional investigation uncovered that Temu may be illegally selling products made with forced labor in an area of China in which the Chinese Communist Party is committing genocide, AG Moody said. According to Moodys office, the United States House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party revealed information about the companys failure to comply with American laws that prevent the use of forced labor by Uyghurs last year. Temu did admit that it does not have a policy in place to prohibit the sale of goods from Xinjiang, the location of the CCPs ongoing genocide against the Uyghurs. These reports are alarming, not only on a consumer protection front but in regards to national security as well. I along with my fellow attorneys general are urging the companys owners to respond to these allegation. AG Moody said. The attorneys general requested Temu to answer questions, and giving them 30 days to respond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Aging Nisqually Suspension Bridge in Longmire forced to reduce vehicle weight limits for crossings Due to its condition, vehicles weighing over 3 tons or 6,000 pounds are no longer permitted to cross the Nisqually Suspension Bridge in Longmire. The decision comes after a recent inspection found that the weight limit must be reduced due to the bridges age and current condition. One of the oldest suspension bridges in the National Park System, the Nisqually Suspension Bridge is a historic landmark at the Mount Rainier National Park. Originally built in 1911 as a pedestrian bridge, it was rebuilt in 1924 to make way for automobile traffic and rebuilt in 1952 and 2005. A historic photo of the Nisqually Suspension Bridge. A pedestrian bridge had existed since 1911(faintly visible under the suspension bridge) but was replaced by a larger single-span suspension bridge in 1924 to connect Longmire to an area across the river that was developed as a campground. The bridge connects visitors to the Eagle Peak Trailhead, the Longmire Community Building viewpoint, the Valor Memorial and the Longmire Stewardship Campground near the south bank of the Nisqually River. According to the National Park Service (NPS), this is the only remaining timber-frame vehicle suspension bridge designed by the NPS. The Nisqually Suspension Bridge, still in use today, can support a single vehicle at a time. Here are some examples of what is over 3 tons: Recreational vehicles (campers, trailers, or motorhomes) Heavy maintenance trucks, box trucks, fuel trucks or snowplows Medium-duty pick-up trucks (Example: Ford F350, Chevy/GMC/Ram 3500) or SUVs with Campers or 5th Wheel Trailers Large trucks/SUVs that exceed the weight limit even without trailers (Example SUVs: Ford Expeditions/Explorers, Chevy Tahoe, Toyota Sequoia/4Runner, GMC Yukon/Acadia, Dodge Durango, etc. Example trucks: Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 Lightening, Ford F-150 XL, GMC Hummer EV, GMC Sierra 1500, etc.) With no weigh stations in the area, visitors could search the internet for vehicle weights. Visitors with vehicles over the limit will need to park at the Longmire parking area near the National Park Inn and cross the bridge on foot, wrote Mount Rainier National Park in a Facebook post. Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Eastern Shore) moderated a panel Wednesday on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence at the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference. Aug. 15, 2024. Photo by Danielle J. Brown. As state and local governments grapple with a shifting digital and computer landscape in the form of artificial intelligence, counties have an obligation to learn how to incorporate artificial intelligence into cybersecurity efforts, officials said. This is so important for our local governments, because local governments have to figure out how, not only do we best utilize artificial intelligence, but how do we also protect our constituents and protect information. How do you strike that balance?asked Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Eastern Shore). She was moderating a panel Wednesday at the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference called Sentinels of the Digital Realm: AIs Role in Fortifying Cybersecurity. It was one of several sessions and conversations taking place this week about the many ways government agencies can use AI, such as in economic development, public benefit enrollments and communications. Among other uses, AI is becoming a bigger player in cybersecurity systems. Stephen Pereira, director of technology services for Calvert County, who was on the panel, believes that cybersecurity is now an arms race: Using AI to counter cyberattacks from bad actors using AI to hack into systems. If youre not using AI within cybersecurity, then youre not going to have real-time information on ransomware attacks and youre not going to be able to act with the same kind of speed and real-time information, he said. Hackers are using AI. The only way to fight AI is with AI. The only way to fight AI is with AI Stephen Pereira But Pereira urged county and state officials to consider the cons of using AI as well. He noted that AI requires a lot of energy to operate. There are other things we have to consider, the environment threat of these systems. They use a tremendous amount of power and data. They are incredibly expensive to run, Pereira said. Using AI brings its own risks of cybersecurity concerns regarding the distribution and use of data. He also noted that as AI performs tasks that people are typically paid to do, there could be mass job displacements, and other economic threats. He even touched on the existential threat of AI, as some people who are not as educated on the uses, capabilities and limitations may not trust AI programs. Whether or not you think Ai is going to make us completely obsolete and destroy the human race? I dont know. I think its unlikely Im not ruling it out, he joked. Timothy Gilday speaks at a panel on cybersecurity and AI on Wednesday. Photo by Danielle J. Brown Timothy Gilday, emerging technology senior director of General Dynamics Information Technology, agreed that there are general trust issues when it comes to AI. Trust is the thing that inhibits adoption at a large scale, whether its an app, and ATM, a new car model. All new technology ends up going against resistance if its something were not used to, Gilday said. How long does it take us to adopt it because we have trust issues with it? he said during Wednesdays panel. With AI, I would say that the bar is much higher. But Gilday argues that education around AI will help bridge that trust concern. Education and awareness is what Ive been finding the biggest inhibitor in adopting AI its more of a matter of helping people understand, he said. This isnt just some unwieldy monster that were dealing with. Its code. Carozza believes that the panel discussions should help all of us in state and local government on how we can do the best we can in AI and cybersecurity. And as a member of the Senate Education, Energy and Environment Committee, she said she is interested in learning more about AI issues. Our chair has tasked all of us to come more up to speed, she said, referring to Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery). BAKU. Azerbaijan. August 16. Nissan and Honda may accept Mitsubishi into their alliance, Trend reports. The union between the Japanese companies will help them reduce their costs of developing cars and fight back against the growing Chinese auto industry, Nikkei Asia writes, citing insiders. Together, Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi produce more than eight million cars per year. Mitsubishi Motors, 34 percent of whose shares belong to Nissan, will discuss the details of a strategic partnership with Honda and Nissan, Motoru.ru writes. The three Japanese auto giants intend to start with the standardization of on-board software, insiders say. However, they may go further: the issue of joint development of the cars themselves is also on the agenda. Honda and Nissan announced a comprehensive cooperation in March of this year. This happened against the backdrop of Nissan systematically losing market share in the US and China - its most important regions, which account for about half of its global sales. In June, Nissan even had to close a plant in Changzhou, China, which had not even been in operation for four years. Honda is also experiencing difficulties in China. Last week, it was reported that it would shut down several lines, reducing local production by about a third. The reasons are tough competition in China from local brands, as well as Tesla, which produces electric cars at a gigafactory in Shanghai. The Japanese, experts say, have not had time to adapt to the turn towards "green" mobility in China, which has led to a sharp drop in demand for internal combustion engine cars in the world's largest auto market. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology has made it easier to create believable but totally fake videos and images and spread misinformation about elections, experts say. (Photo by Tero Vesalainen/Getty Images) In June, amid a bitterly contested Republican gubernatorial primary race, a short video began circulating on social media showing Utah Gov. Spencer Cox purportedly admitting to fraudulent collection of ballot signatures. The governor, however, never said any such thing and courts have upheld his election victory. The false video was part of a growing wave of election-related content created by artificial intelligence. At least some of that content, experts say, is false, misleading or simply designed to provoke viewers. AI-created likenesses, often called deepfakes, have increasingly become a point of concern for those battling misinformation during election seasons. Creating deepfakes used to take a team of skilled technologists with time and money, but recent advances and accessibility in AI technology have meant that nearly anyone can create convincing fake content. Now we can supercharge the speed and the frequency and the persuasiveness of existing misinformation and disinformation narratives, Tim Harper, senior policy analyst for democracy and elections at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said. AI has advanced remarkably since just the last presidential election in 2020, Harper said, noting that OpenAIs release of ChatGPT in November 2022 brought accessible AI to the masses. About half of the worlds population lives in countries that are holding elections this year. And the question isnt really if AI will play a role in misinformation, Harper said, but rather how much of a role it will play. How can AI be used to spread misinformation? Though it is often intentional, misinformation caused by artificial intelligence can sometimes be accidental, due to flaws or blindspots baked into a tools algorithm. AI chatbots search for information in the databases they have access to, so if that information is wrong, or outdated, it can easily produce wrong answers. OpenAI said in May that it would be working to provide more transparency about its AI tools during this election year, and the company endorsed the bipartisan Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, which is pending in Congress. We want to make sure that our AI systems are built, deployed, and used safely, the company said in the May announcement. Like any new technology, these tools come with benefits and challenges. They are also unprecedented, and we will keep evolving our approach as we learn more about how our tools are used. Poorly regulated AI systems can lead to misinformation. Elon Musk was recently called upon by several secretaries of state after his AI search assistant Grok, built for social media platform X, falsely told users Vice President Kamala Harris was ineligible to appear on the presidential ballot in nine states because the ballot deadline had passed. The information stayed on the platform, and was seen by millions, for more than a week before it was corrected. As tens of millions of voters in the U.S. seek basic information about voting in this major election year, X has the responsibility to ensure all voters using your platform have access to guidance that reflects true and accurate information about their constitutional right to vote, reads the letter signed by the secretaries of state of Washington, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Mexico. Generative AI impersonations also pose a new risk to the spread of misinformation. In addition to the fake video of Cox in Utah, a deepfake video of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis falsely showed him dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. Some misinformation campaigns happen on huge scales like these, but many others are more localized, targeted campaigns. For instance, bad actors may imitate the online presence of a neighborhood political organizer, or send AI-generated text messages to listservs in certain cities. Language minority communities have been harder to reach in the past, Harper said, but generative AI has made it easier to translate messages or target specific groups. While most adults are aware that AI will play a role in the election, some hyperlocal, personalized campaigns may fly under the radar, Harper says. For example, someone could use data about local polling places and public phone numbers to create messages specific to you. They may send a text the night before election day saying that your polling location has changed from one spot to another, and because they have your original polling place correct, it doesnt seem like a red flag. If that message comes to you on WhatsApp or on your phone, it could be much more persuasive than if that message was in a political ad on a social media platform, Harper said. People are less familiar with the idea of getting targeted disinformation directly sent to them. Verifying digital identities The deepfake video of Cox helped spur a partnership between a public university and a new tech platform with the goal of combating deepfakes in Utah elections. From July 2024, through Inauguration Day in January 2025, students and researchers at the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy and the Center for National Security Studies at Utah Valley University will work with SureMark Digital. Together, theyll verify digital identities of politicians to study the impact AI-generated content has on elections. Through the pilot program, candidates seeking one of Utahs four congressional seats and the open senate seat will be able to authenticate their digital identities at no cost through SureMarks platform, with the goal of increasing trust in Utahs elections. Brandon Amacher, director of the Emerging Tech Policy Lab at UVU, said he sees AI playing a similar role in this election as the emergence of social media did in the 2008 election influential but not yet overwhelming. I think what were seeing right now is the beginning of a trend which could get significantly more impactful in future elections, Amacher said. In the first month of the pilot, Amacher said, the group has already seen how effective these simulated video messages can be, especially in short-form media like TikTok and Instagram Reels. A shorter video is easier to fake, and if someone is scrolling these platforms for an hour, a short clip of misinformation likely wont get very much scrutiny, but it could still influence your opinion about a topic or a person. SureMark Chairman Scott Stornetta explained that the verification platform, which rolled out in the last month, allows a user to acquire a credential. Once thats approved, the platform goes through an authorization process of all of your published content using cryptographic techniques that bind the identity of a person to the content that features them. A browser extension then identifies to users if content was published by you or an unauthorized actor. The platform was created with public figures in mind, especially politicians and journalists who are vulnerable to having their images replicated. Anyone can download the SureMark browser extension to see accredited content across different media platforms, not just those that get accredited. Stornetta likened the technology to an X-ray. If someone sees a video or an image or listens to a podcast on a regular browser, they wont know the difference between a real and a fake, he said. But if someone that has this X-ray vision sees the same documents in their browser, they can click on a button and basically find out whether its a green check or red X. The pilot program is currently working to credential the states politicians, so it will be a few months before they start to glean results, but Justin Jones, the executive director of the Herbert Institute, said that every campaign theyve connected with has been enthusiastic to try the technology. All of them have said were concerned about this and we want to know more, Jones said. Whats the motivation behind misinformation? Lots of different groups with varying motivations can be behind misinformation campaigns, Michael Kaiser, CEO of Defending Digital Campaigns, told States Newsroom. There is sometimes misinformation directed at specific candidates, like in the case of Governors Cox and DeSantis deepfake videos. Campaigns around geopolitical events, like wars, are also common to sway public opinion. Russias influence on the 2016 and 2020 elections is well-documented, and efforts will likely continue in 2024, with a goal of undermining U,S, support of Ukraine, a Microsoft study recently reported. Theres sometimes a monetary motivation to misinformation, Amacher said, as provocative, viral content can turn into payouts on platforms that pay users for views. Kaiser, whose work focuses on providing cybersecurity tools to campaigns, said that while interference in elections is sometimes the goal, more commonly, these people are trying to cause a general sense of chaos and apathy toward the elections process. Theyre trying to divide us at another level, he said. For some bad actors, the misinformation and disinformation is not about how you vote. Its just that were divided. Its why much of the AI-generated content is inflammatory or plays on your emotions, Kaiser said. Theyre trying to make you apathetic, trying to make you angry, so maybe youre like, I cant believe this, Im going to share it with my friends, he said. So you become the platform for misinformation and disinformation. Strategies for stopping the spread of misinformation Understanding that emotional response and eagerness to share or engage with the content is a key tool to slowing the spread of misinformation. If youre in that moment, theres a few things you can do, the experts said. First, try to find out if an image or sound bite youre viewing has been reported elsewhere. You can use reverse image search on Google to see if that image is found on reputable sites, or if its only being shared by social media accounts that appear to be bots. Websites that fact check manufactured or altered images may point you to where the information originated, Kaiser said. If youre receiving messages about election day or voting, double check the information online through your states voting resources, he added. Adding two-factor authentication on social media profiles and email accounts can help ward off phishing attacks and hacking, which can be used to spread misinformation, Harper said. If you get a phone call you suspect may be AI-generated, or is using someones voice likeness, its good to confirm that persons identity by asking about the last time you spoke. Harper also said that theres a few giveaways to look out for with AI-generated images, like an extra finger or distorted ear or hairline. AI has a hard time rendering some of those finer details, Harper said. Another visual clue, Amacher said, is that deepfake videos often feature a blank background, because busy surroundings are harder to simulate. And finally, the closer we are to the election, the likelier you are to see misinformation, Kaiser said. Bad actors use proximity to the election to their advantage the closer you are to election day, the less time your misinformation has to be debunked. Technologists themselves can take some of the onus of misinformation in the way they build AI, Harper said. He recently published a summary of recommendations for AI developers with suggestions for best practices. The recommendations included refraining from releasing text-to-speech tools that allow users to replicate the voices of real people, refraining from the generation of realistic images and videos of political figures and prohibiting the use of generative AI tools for political ads. Harper suggests that AI tools disclose how often a chatbots training data is updated relating to election information, develop machine-readable watermarks for content and promote authoritative sources of election information. Some tech companies already voluntarily follow many of these transparency best practices, but much of the country is following a patchwork of laws that havent developed at the speed of the technology itself. A bill prohibiting the use of deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media of a federal candidate was introduced in congress last year, but it has not been enacted. Laws focusing on AI in elections have been passed on a state level in the last two years, though, and primarily either ban messaging and images created by AI or at least require specific disclaimers about the use of AI in campaign materials. But for now, these young tech companies that want to do their part in stopping or slowing the spread of misinformation can seek some direction from the CDT report or pilot programs like UVUs. We wanted to take a stab at creating a kind of a comprehensive election integrity program for these companies, Harper said. understanding that unlike the kind of legacy social media companies, theyre very new and quite young and have no time or kind of the regulatory scrutiny required to have created strong election integrity policies in a more systematic way. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Deep fake, AI and face swap in video edit. Deepfake and machine learning. Facial tracking, detection and recognition technology. Digital identity interchange. Computer software mockup. Fraud picture. In June, amid a bitterly contested Republican gubernatorial primary race, a short video began circulating on social media showing Utah Gov. Spencer Cox purportedly admitting to fraudulent collection of ballot signatures. The governor, however, never said any such thing and courts have upheld his election victory. The false video was part of a growing wave of election-related content created by artificial intelligence. At least some of that content, experts say, is false, misleading or simply designed to provoke viewers. AI-created likenesses, often called deepfakes, have increasingly become a point of concern for those battling misinformation during election seasons. Creating deepfakes used to take a team of skilled technologists with time and money, but recent advances and accessibility in AI technology have meant that nearly anyone can create convincing fake content. Now we can supercharge the speed and the frequency and the persuasiveness of existing misinformation and disinformation narratives, Tim Harper, senior policy analyst for democracy and elections at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said. AI has advanced remarkably since just the last presidential election in 2020, Harper said, noting that OpenAIs release of ChatGPT in November 2022 brought accessible AI to the masses. About half of the worlds population lives in countries that are holding elections this year. And the question isnt really if AI will play a role in misinformation, Harper said, but rather how much of a role it will play. How can AI be used to spread misinformation? Though it is often intentional, misinformation caused by artificial intelligence can sometimes be accidental, due to flaws or blindspots baked into a tools algorithm. AI chatbots search for information in the databases they have access to, so if that information is wrong, or outdated, it can easily produce wrong answers. OpenAI said in May that it would be working to provide more transparency about its AI tools during this election year, and the company endorsed the bipartisan Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, which is pending in Congress. We want to make sure that our AI systems are built, deployed, and used safely, the company said in the May announcement. Like any new technology, these tools come with benefits and challenges. They are also unprecedented, and we will keep evolving our approach as we learn more about how our tools are used. Poorly regulated AI systems can lead to misinformation. Elon Musk was recently called upon by several secretaries of state after his AI search assistant Grok, built for social media platform X, falsely told users Vice President Kamala Harris was ineligible to appear on the presidential ballot in nine states because the ballot deadline had passed. The information stayed on the platform, and was seen by millions, for more than a week before it was corrected. As tens of millions of voters in the U.S. seek basic information about voting in this major election year, X has the responsibility to ensure all voters using your platform have access to guidance that reflects true and accurate information about their constitutional right to vote, reads the letter signed by the secretaries of state of Washington, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Mexico. Generative AI impersonations also pose a new risk to the spread of misinformation. In addition to the fake video of Cox in Utah, a deepfake video of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis falsely showed him dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. Some misinformation campaigns happen on huge scales like these, but many others are more localized, targeted campaigns. For instance, bad actors may imitate the online presence of a neighborhood political organizer, or send AI-generated text messages to listservs in certain cities. Language minority communities have been harder to reach in the past, Harper said, but generative AI has made it easier to translate messages or target specific groups. While most adults are aware that AI will play a role in the election, some hyperlocal, personalized campaigns may fly under the radar, Harper says. For example, someone could use data about local polling places and public phone numbers to create messages specific to you. They may send a text the night before election day saying that your polling location has changed from one spot to another, and because they have your original polling place correct, it doesnt seem like a red flag. If that message comes to you on WhatsApp or on your phone, it could be much more persuasive than if that message was in a political ad on a social media platform, Harper said. People are less familiar with the idea of getting targeted disinformation directly sent to them. Verifying digital identities The deepfake video of Cox helped spur a partnership between a public university and a new tech platform with the goal of combating deepfakes in Utah elections. From July 2024, through Inauguration Day in January 2025, students and researchers at the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy and the Center for National Security Studies at Utah Valley University will work with SureMark Digital. Together, theyll verify digital identities of politicians to study the impact AI-generated content has on elections. Through the pilot program, candidates seeking one of Utahs four congressional seats and the open senate seat will be able to authenticate their digital identities at no cost through SureMarks platform, with the goal of increasing trust in Utahs elections. Brandon Amacher, director of the Emerging Tech Policy Lab at UVU, said he sees AI playing a similar role in this election as the emergence of social media did in the 2008 election influential but not yet overwhelming. I think what were seeing right now is the beginning of a trend which could get significantly more impactful in future elections, Amacher said. In the first month of the pilot, Amacher said, the group has already seen how effective these simulated video messages can be, especially in short-form media like TikTok and Instagram Reels. A shorter video is easier to fake, and if someone is scrolling these platforms for an hour, a short clip of misinformation likely wont get very much scrutiny, but it could still influence your opinion about a topic or a person. SureMark Chairman Scott Stornetta explained that the verification platform, which rolled out in the last month, allows a user to acquire a credential. Once thats approved, the platform goes through an authorization process of all of your published content using cryptographic techniques that bind the identity of a person to the content that features them. A browser extension then identifies to users if content was published by you or an unauthorized actor. The platform was created with public figures in mind, especially politicians and journalists who are vulnerable to having their images replicated. Anyone can download the SureMark browser extension to see accredited content across different media platforms, not just those that get accredited. Stornetta likened the technology to an X-ray. If someone sees a video or an image or listens to a podcast on a regular browser, they wont know the difference between a real and a fake, he said. But if someone that has this X-ray vision sees the same documents in their browser, they can click on a button and basically find out whether its a green check or red X. The pilot program is currently working to credential the states politicians, so it will be a few months before they start to glean results, but Justin Jones, the executive director of the Herbert Institute, said that every campaign theyve connected with has been enthusiastic to try the technology. All of them have said were concerned about this and we want to know more, Jones said. Whats the motivation behind misinformation? Lots of different groups with varying motivations can be behind misinformation campaigns, Michael Kaiser, CEO of Defending Digital Campaigns, told States Newsroom. There is sometimes misinformation directed at specific candidates, like in the case of Governors Cox and DeSantis deepfake videos. Campaigns around geopolitical events, like wars, are also common to sway public opinion. Russias influence on the 2016 and 2020 elections is well-documented, and efforts will likely continue in 2024, with a goal of undermining U,S, support of Ukraine, a Microsoft study recently reported. Theres sometimes a monetary motivation to misinformation, Amacher said, as provocative, viral content can turn into payouts on platforms that pay users for views. Kaiser, whose work focuses on providing cybersecurity tools to campaigns, said that while interference in elections is sometimes the goal, more commonly, these people are trying to cause a general sense of chaos and apathy toward the elections process. Theyre trying to divide us at another level, he said. For some bad actors, the misinformation and disinformation is not about how you vote. Its just that were divided. Its why much of the AI-generated content is inflammatory or plays on your emotions, Kaiser said. Theyre trying to make you apathetic, trying to make you angry, so maybe youre like, I cant believe this, Im going to share it with my friends, he said. So you become the platform for misinformation and disinformation. Strategies for stopping the spread of misinformation Understanding that emotional response and eagerness to share or engage with the content is a key tool to slowing the spread of misinformation. If youre in that moment, theres a few things you can do, the experts said. First, try to find out if an image or sound bite youre viewing has been reported elsewhere. You can use reverse image search on Google to see if that image is found on reputable sites, or if its only being shared by social media accounts that appear to be bots. Websites that fact check manufactured or altered images may point you to where the information originated, Kaiser said. If youre receiving messages about election day or voting, double check the information online through your states voting resources, he added. Adding two-factor authentication on social media profiles and email accounts can help ward off phishing attacks and hacking, which can be used to spread misinformation, Harper said. If you get a phone call you suspect may be AI-generated, or is using someones voice likeness, its good to confirm that persons identity by asking about the last time you spoke. Harper also said that theres a few giveaways to look out for with AI-generated images, like an extra finger or distorted ear or hairline. AI has a hard time rendering some of those finer details, Harper said. Another visual clue, Amacher said, is that deepfake videos often feature a blank background, because busy surroundings are harder to simulate. And finally, the closer we are to the election, the likelier you are to see misinformation, Kaiser said. Bad actors use proximity to the election to their advantage the closer you are to election day, the less time your misinformation has to be debunked. Technologists themselves can take some of the onus of misinformation in the way they build AI, Harper said. He recently published a summary of recommendations for AI developers with suggestions for best practices. The recommendations included refraining from releasing text-to-speech tools that allow users to replicate the voices of real people, refraining from the generation of realistic images and videos of political figures and prohibiting the use of generative AI tools for political ads. Harper suggests that AI tools disclose how often a chatbots training data is updated relating to election information, develop machine-readable watermarks for content and promote authoritative sources of election information. Some tech companies already voluntarily follow many of these transparency best practices, but much of the country is following a patchwork of laws that havent developed at the speed of the technology itself. A bill prohibiting the use of deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media of a federal candidate was introduced in congress last year, but it has not been enacted. Laws focusing on AI in elections have been passed on a state level in the last two years, though, and primarily either ban messaging and images created by AI or at least require specific disclaimers about the use of AI in campaign materials. But for now, these young tech companies that want to do their part in stopping or slowing the spread of misinformation can seek some direction from the CDT report or pilot programs like UVUs. We wanted to take a stab at creating a kind of a comprehensive election integrity program for these companies, Harper said. understanding that unlike the kind of legacy social media companies, theyre very new and quite young and have no time or kind of the regulatory scrutiny required to have created strong election integrity policies in a more systematic way. John Wahl, the chair of the Alabama Republican Party, speaks from behind a lectern, wearing a dark blue suit and red tie. A teleprompter is in front of him; the flags of the United States and Alabama stand behind him. John Wahl, the chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, speaks before a fundraiser for the party on Aug. 4, 2023. (Stew Milne for Alabama Reflector) The Alabama Republican Party has mailed out voter registration forms attached to political mailers, a practice the Alabama Secretary of State, a Republican, said he disagrees with. The political mailers contain conservative messaging asking residents to stand against the woke agenda destroying America, with examples underneath such as Liberal Indoctrination of Our Children and Out-of-Control Border Crisis. Under the list and next to the voter registration form, the mailer says, Your Vote Matters, Register Today. The Reflector reviewed a mailer sent in the Mobile area. Secretary of State Wes Allen said in a statement that its common for various groups to put the office as the addressee on voter registration mailers, but that he does not agree with the practice. I want to assure Alabamians, as I have in the past, the best place to register to vote is your local Boards of Registrar office or at the official website of the Secretary of State, he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX John Wahl, chair of the Alabama Republican Party, said in a statement on Thursday voter participation is incredibly important to the Alabama Republican Party and that the party wants to ensure that all eligible voters are registered. Elections have consequences and we want to make sure every Alabamian has their voice heard on November 5th, he said in a statement. The mailer also included an envelope indicating the addressee, the Alabama Secretary of States office, will pay for the postage, but Wahl said in a text message the party is paying for the postage. Laney Rawls, a spokesperson for the office, said the language indicating addressee will pay for postage is language from the United States Postal Service. Our voter registration forms do not have that language on them, nor are they pre-paid, Rawls said. Matthew Barnidge, a University of Alabama journalism and creative media professor with a focus on political communication, said that could be a form of voter suppression if mailers are targeting and mobilizing voters of one political leaning through misinformation. Groups that use suppression tactics, he said, are taking advantage of false narratives, such as the belief in the myth of voter fraud in the 2020 election, to mobilize one subset of voters through misinformation, and selective voter mobilization, combined with other tactics, can substantially affect the outcomes of down-ballot races across the state. He pointed to an announcement from the Secretary of States office in which Allen warned voters of a group sending targeted, partisan tactics of sending misleading, unsolicited mailers targeting Alabama mailboxes. Tactics that selectively encourage one group of people to register and not another group of people could be viewed as a form of voter suppression along the same lines, he said. Randy Kelley, chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, said that while sending voter registration forms with political mailers doesnt seem wrong, they prefer to talk to voters. We have canvassed folks. Weve called them. Visited the sick and shut in and went door to door and tried to get people to register, he said. When asked if it could be viewed as voter suppression, like Barnidge indicated, he said that it probably is, accusing Republicans of being crooked. They have never been fair and just when it comes down to dealing with voting. Period. They fought harder than any other state in the nation to keep Black people from voting, he said. But Wahl said he feels that voters will identify with the message included in the mailers, saying that the Democratic Party have failed the people of Alabama and America. Republicans have been in charge of state government since 2009. We believe new registered voters will agree with the Republican Partys principles of securing our borders, rebuilding our economy, and protecting our children from woke indoctrination, he said. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Updated at 9:35 a.m. with photos of the mailer. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) Statistics provided by the Alabama Secretary of States Office claimed that there are 3,251 non-citizens in the State of Alabama who have somehow registered to vote. Nearly 400 gallons of high-expansion foam fills Coast Guard hangar in Mobile Secretary of State Wes Allens findings showed that the WKRG News 5 viewing area accounts for 17% of those non-citizens: Mobile County 143 Baldwin County 143 Escambia County 17 Monroe County 9 Conecuh County 8 Clarke County 8 Washington County 1 Allen said that while non-citizens are in the United States legally, they are not classified as citizens, and therefore are not allowed to vote. Registering to vote as a non-citizen is illegal, according to Allen. Allen could not offer an explanation on how the non-citizens managed to register to vote. Well, were still digging into the information that we have, Allen said. Number one, how did it happen and how long have they been registered to vote? Number two, did they vote as well? Allen said the legal non-citizens were given a non-citizen identification or alien identification from the Department of Homeland Security. Election integrity is a top priority, and only United States Citizens should be voting in our elections, Allen said. It is illegal for non-citizens, whether they be legal non-citizens or illegal immigrants to even try to attempt to register to vote. UPDATE: I-65 near Brewton reopens after major Thursday morning crash Although the federal government handed out the IDs, Allen said getting answers from them was not easy. Its been an ongoing process with the federal government, Allen said. A lot of red tape and a lot of bureaucracy. Allen turned to State agencies to get the numbers. We cross-checked it against the centralized data file here that we keep in-house at the Secretary of States Office, Allen said. And then we showed that 3,251 non-citizens as being registered to vote. The process of fixing the issue has already started, according to Allen, who asked the Board of Registrars in all affected counties to inactivate the voter files pertaining to the non-citizens. Its like daily hygiene. We always brush our teeth. We always take showers and wash our hair. Thats the same kind of concept with our voter files, Allen said. We want to make sure our voter files are the most up-to-date, the cleanest, and the most accurate. Allen sent his findings to the State Attorney Generals Office. Meanwhile, Allens office is investigating whether any of these non-citizens have actually voted in the past. Allenss request to purge voter files came less than three months before the November General Election. Allen said 3.8 million Alabamians are registered to vote, which is about 94% of the states voting-age population. There are currently more than 316,000 registered voters in Mobile County, and close to 200,000 in Baldwin County. While voter registration is high, turnout has been significantly lower with only 7.5% of registered voters casting their ballot in Aprils Primary Runoff Election. Jordan Davis to perform in Orange Beach Saturday what this show means to him Oct. 21 is the deadline to register to vote in Alabama. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. WAYNESBORO, Pa. (WHTM) A new ALDI grocery store will soon open the doors of its first-ever Waynesboro, Franklin County location. According to ALDI, the company will soon open a new store at 1517 East Main Street in Waynesboro on Thursday, August 29, starting at 9 a.m. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Local Business Beat To celebrate the new store opening, the first 100 customers at the new ALDI will receive a gift bag filled with a sampling of ALDI Fan Favorites products and a gift card as part of the ALDI Golden Ticket gift card giveaway program. Shoppers will also be able to enter a sweepstakes during the grand opening weekend, from August 29 to September 1, for a chance to win a $500 ALDI gift card. Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier, Jeff Baehr, Frederick vice president for ALDI said. Were excited to open our first ALDI store in Waynesboro and introduce local customers to a new, more affordable way of shopping. Once the new store opens, its hours of operation will be: Mondays Sundays // 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. As part of the grand opening, ALDI will also be donating $1,000 to Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. The donation is part of the companys commitment to donating $150,000 to Feeding America and its network of affiliates through 2024 to help alleviate hunger in local communities. abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Joachim Stamp, Special Representative of the Federal Government for Migration Agreements, gives a press conference in the Ministry of the Interior after a refugee summit with representatives of the Conference of Interior Ministers and the municipal umbrella organizations. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Germany's special representative for migration agreements, Joachim Stamp, has warned refugees living in Germany against taking trips back to their homelands as these might jeopardize their legal status as refugees. "Germany must remain open to the world, but not stupid," Stamp told the German tabloid Bild. "The authorities must ensure that people who have applied for protection here but then go on holiday to their home country immediately lose their protected status and can no longer stay in Germany. Full stop." Hamburg's Interior Senator Andy Grote told dpa that refugees travelling back to the country in which they claim to have been the victim of persecution would of course also call into question their protection status. The officials were responding to reports by German commercial broadcaster RTL claiming that travel agencies in the northern German port city of Hamburg are organizing trips back to the Hindu Kush for people from Afghanistan. "If there are easily accessible travel routes to Afghanistan, there is also the possibility of repatriation," Grote warned. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) noted that trips to a refugee's country of origin may be permitted in individual cases - for example due to a serious illness or the death of close family members. In response to enquiries, the federal office said it examines each individual case to determine whether the protection granted should be revoked after it has become known that a person has travelled home. However, the authority says it does not have precise data on how often protection has been revoked and does not does publish general statistics on such reviews. TOPEKA (KSNT) A woman accused of causing a deadly crash which claimed the lives of three Topeka girl scouts in 2022 has been found guilty Thursday. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay told 27 News on Aug. 15 that Amber Peery was found guilty during a jury trial of all counts. The trial lasted a total of four days with sentencing scheduled for 10 p.m. on Oct. 3. Her charges include: Three counts of reckless involuntary manslaughter. Two counts of aggravated battery. Improper crossover on a divided highway. Fail to check for safe passage before passing from single lane. Peery was accused of causing a deadly crash in October 2022 that claimed the lives of Laila El Azari, 9, Kylie Lunn, 9, and Brooklyn Peery, 8, all of Topeka. The Kansas Highway Patrol initially reported to the crash site, finding a van, driven by Peery, had tried to turn through a barrier wall on the turnpike when it was hit from behind by a semi-truck. 100 mph speeding issue rising at alarming rates in Kansas Two other children were inside the car at the time of the crash with one being taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Peery was also hospitalized in the aftermath of the crash. She was eventually charged in June 2023. Dr. Scott McWilliams, superintendent of the Auburn-Washburn school district, issued a statement following the deaths of the three girls. He said the students attended Jay Shideler Elementary and Farley Elementary. KSNT 27 News spoke with family and friends of Azari and Lunn during a memorial service at a west Topeka apartment complex a year after the crash. The group paid their respects by nailing two butterfly plaques to a tree at the apartment complex where the two girls used to play together. Straight-line wind microburst of 70-90 mph hits Oakland, north Topeka during thunderstorm For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) Prospective transfer students gathered at American International College Thursday. The admissions team was able to provide extra help to those working on current applications or students interested in transferring. Even if its not today to help students kind of finish up those final stages in their enrollment pipeline so they can get their academic career either jump started or back on track, says Sara Vincent, Assistant Vice President of Admissions at American International College. The Admissions office says students are seeking help a bit later because of FAFSA delays. They are still accepting transfers before the fall semester starts on August 26. Latest Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Residents in Dona Ana County can now request an absentee ballot for the 2024 General Election. Dr. Amanda Lopez Askin, the Dona Ana County Clerk, announced the absentee ballot application on Thursday, Aug. 15, according to the news release by Dona Ana County Clerks Office. Registered residents can apply for the ballot online at NmVote.org through the NM Voter Info Portal or in-person at the County Clerks Office located at 845 N. Motel Blvd. in Las Cruces. According to the County Clerks Office, the absentee ballots will be mailed to registered voters with a complete absentee application, starting on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Completed ballots can be sent the following ways: Mailed or dropped off at the County Clerks Office. If the ballot is mailed back, voters should allow seven to 10 days for the ballot to be delivered to the County Clerks Office. Dropped off at a designed secured container. To find a secured container location, visit the Dona Ana County Elections website here. Dropped off in person at a polling site during either early voting or election day voting. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is on Tuesday, Oct. 22, according to the County Clerks Office. Ballots must be turned in by Election Day at 7 p.m. The County Clerks Office is also making residents aware that they can voluntarily opt-in for permanent absentee voting when requesting their absentee ballot. If a voter selects the permanent absentee ballot option, they will automatically be mailed a ballot for every subsequent election, according to the County Clerks Office. Voters are not eligible for permanent absentee list if they want their ballot delivered out of state. General Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. For more information on absentee voting or the 2024 General Election, visit DacElections.com or call their office at (575) 647-7428. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. BAKU. Azerbaijan. August 16. This fight will continue until the threat of terrorism is completely removed from Turkey's agenda. Our country has truly achieved historic success in the fight against PKK terrorists, Trend reports. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made these remarks during his speech to young officers who graduated from the Turkish Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy in the Beytepe district of Ankara. The head of state recalled that the day before, Turkish security forces neutralized a dangerous PKK terrorist who was wanted internationally. "We make terrorists answer for every drop of blood they spill. Ankara will not back down from this position," Erdogan said. The President noted that eradicating crime is the main task of the security forces of each country. "No one has the right to be above the law. Mafia groups, gangs, criminal networks - you are obliged to fight every manifestation of this lawlessness," the head of state added. According to Erdogan, Turkish citizens should feel the support of the state in any situation. The mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, promised reform after a 16-year-old girl was shot and killed by police on Tuesday night, marking the city's sixth officer-involved shooting this year and the fourth fatal one. "We cannot and we will not accept this as a new normal in Anchorage," Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said in a statement. "We lost a young person in our community who should have been starting her first day of school today." LaFrance apologized directly to the teen's family in a news conference on Wednesday. As a mom of a 16-year-old, I am heartbroken that we have lost such a young life in our community, LaFrance said. To the family of Easter Leafa, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. This young woman deserved to be safe in our community, and you deserved so much more time with her. According to a police statement, officers responded to a call reporting that someone was threatening others with a knife inside an apartment. When officers arrived and the girl did not drop the knife, two officers opened fire. The girl was then taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. But in an interview with KTUU, 16-year-old Easter Leafa's family told a more detailed and disturbing account of the incident. Rosalie Tialavea, Leafa's oldest sister, recounted how the police entered the apartment with their guns drawn, without asking any questions about Leafa's age or who lived there, despite the presence of Leafa's mother and several minors, including infants, in the home. "They told us to get in the room and get out of their way," Tialavea recalled. "I asked them if I could talk to my youngest because we all know how she is, and how she is not a social person. I asked them and they said no." Tialavea described Leafa as an "overthinker" who sometimes had emotional breakdowns. On the night of the incident, she was sitting on the balcony with a blanket over her head. The family believed they could talk her out of holding the knife and tried to intervene, but the police insisted they stay out of the way. According to the family, Leafa's English was not very strong, and when the police ordered her to drop the knife she was holding downward by her side, they said it didn't take much for the officers to shoot. "She made one movement, a little tiny movement," Tialavea said. "They shot her three times. ... They saw her go down on the second shot and they had to fire another one." The Anchorage Police Department on Saturday identified the officer who shot Leafa as Alexander Roman, who was hired in December 2017. The department did not provide any other information and it was not clear if Roman has been charged with any crime. It was also not immediately clear if Roman has retained an attorney. Easter Leafa. Leafa's family revealed that she and her mother had recently moved to Anchorage from American Samoa in search of a better education. Leafa was set to begin her junior year of high school at Bettye Davis East High School this week. "She doesn't know that much. She just moved here. It's very different here than it is back home," Tialavea said. "So with them coming at her like that, and shot her like that, it's very heartbreaking." Leafas family remembered her as someone who loved to sing and cared for her nieces and nephews as if they were her own children. "Out of all the options you had, the only option you had was a gun?" Leafa's other sister Faialofa Dixon asked, directing her question at the police. "At this point we want justice because that was not right," Dixon continued. "They should've asked questions when they came in. Instead they came in ready, looking like they were ready to shoot her down." "They took our girl's life," Leafa's mother, also named Easter, said through tears. She added that she felt sorry for her grandchildren who also had to witness the shooting. Hours before LaFrance's apology to the family, raw body camera footage of the fatal police shooting of Kristopher Handy in May was released by KTUU. Although police initially told reporters that Handy had raised a long gun toward officers before they shot him, security video suggested that Handy did not raise his weapon. At least 10 shots could be heard in the videos before Handy collapsed and died on the scene. Last month, KTUU reported that the state had determined the four Anchorage police officers who fired their guns were legally justified in shooting and killing Handy. Handy's family, meanwhile, had expressed their anger to KTUU, criticizing the police department for its lack of communication with them. In June, 21-year-old Tyler May died following a police shooting surrounded by conflicting accounts. That same month, 58-year-old Lisa Fordyce-Blair was shot by a police officer during a standoff and later died. On Wednesday, LaFrance and Anchorage Chief of Police Sean Case announced a series of actions in response to Leafa's death and the five previous officer-involved shootings. These include an independent investigation into Leafa's killing and the Anchorage Police Department's policies and practices, the formation of a community advisory committee, and departmental changes within the police force. A public report summarizing findings from the past 15 years of officer-involved shootings will also be released. In a statement released Friday, the Anchorage Police Department Employees Association acknowledged the "tragic" loss of life and the "immeasurable weight this incident has placed on our officers." The statement, signed by association president Darrell Evans, accused city leaders of coming to conclusions about the case before the investigation has played out and of being "content with calling for action without knowing the facts." "The investigation has only just begun, and the mayor is apologizing for the actions of an officer that has yet to describe and explain those actions," Evans said. Evans also said the six recent officer-involved shootings have been "oversimplified," and that that oversimplification "does nothing to acknowledge the weight of each of those incidents." "It is unfortunate that our officers have been faced with six critical incidents in a short period of time, but dont let that unfortunate fact diminish your trust in your police department," Evans continued. Anchorage is Alaska's most populous city, with the 2020 census reporting a population of over 291,000. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) Visitors to the Ector County Library might see a display on the first floor. It highlights Odessa Deserves Better, an initiative put on by the Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS). While the BFAS is a national organization, it is focusing its efforts on saving animals in the Permian Basin. The idea that I can lose a pet, or I could not be able to adopt an animal and bring it into my home is really not, its just really hard to hear, Sophia Proler, the BFASs South Central Regional Director said. Proler added the project started because of alarming statistics from the Odessa Animal Shelter. Odessas animal shelter is the fourth-highest killing shelter in Texas, she said. We believe strongly that Odessa as a city can do better and we know the community wants better for their cats and dogs. The BFAS Director cited a March 2024 study revealing more than 7 in 10 Odessans support a no-kill policy, which requires 90 percent of dogs and cats to be taken in. RELATED: National group aims at reducing Odessa Animal Shelters 62% kill rate Part of the Odessa Deserves Better initiative includes promoting safer ways to handle stray animals, such as spaying or neutering them before returning them to their homes. Ector County Library Director Howard Marks said the display will stay until the end of September but says anyone can get involved with the initiative. We all need to be part of the solution, he said. This is not a lost cause it starts with one person at a time. In a statement, the Odessa Animal Shelter said, Its critical for our citizens to take responsibility for their animals. This includes containing / restraining, vaccinating, altering and microchipping your pets. It takes all of us working together to improve the save rate in our shelter! Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. Ed Swales has spent three years arguing his case that hunters should be protected by law - Chris Watt Under the 2010 Equality Act, discrimination on the basis of characteristics including age, sex, gender reassignment, disability, sexual orientation and religion or belief including pacifism and ethical veganism is illegal. Ed Swales, a robust, 55-year-old former Army captain from rural Northumberland, does not appear to qualify on any of the above but now the culture wars have reached the countryside, he might. Swales has mounted a legal campaign to make fox hunting a protected characteristic. Swales has spent three years gathering evidence to argue that people who are pro-hunting are actually a minority group who should be protected by law. He has also suggested that hunters could be given intangible cultural heritage status by UNESCO based on recognition of the communitys spoken word and oral tradition. Were actually as much, if not more, animal people than the animal rights activists, he says. We live it, eat it, breathe it and sleep it its our life. Its not just some sort of weird hobby. This is red meat to anti-hunting protesters who argue fox hunting is cruel, violent and unnecessary. BBC presenter Chris Packham was among the first to comment, taking to X, formerly known as Twitter to ask his followers: What shall we call them Ill go first: barbaric savages. In a subsequent post, Packham vowed to fight against it and called it an outright insult. You couldn't make it up . . . and you don't have to . Yep , a bunch of fox hunters think they warrant designation as an ethnic minority group under the Equality Act 2010 . Absolutely desperate barrel scraping as their end nears . . . @HuntSabs @ProtectTheWild_ @LeagueACS pic.twitter.com/HRB8rNzDK4 Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) August 15, 2024 Former Labour minister Mike Foster tweeted that the hunting lobby has lost the plot. But however far-fetched it may seem, an unnamed human rights barrister has said that Swales case stands up. Those who hunt have most of the characteristics of a protected philosophical belief or an ethnic minority, Swales says, including a long and shared history or culture that is distinct from wider society, distinct customs, a common geographical origin, common ancestors and common language or literature. My Kings Counsel reviewed that and said based on the evidence provided, you absolutely qualify in all aspects. Becoming a protected group, like Roma travellers or the LGBTQ+ community, would make it illegal for employers or venues providing services to discriminate against someone for having a pro-hunting stance. Swales campaign group, Hunting Kind, is now looking for test cases to take to court. I would like to see these cases come forward and establish a legal precedent that its our protected belief, and were a protectable minority group, he says. The Hunting Kind website asks: Have you been de-banked, de-partyd, victimised or abused in any way for your hunting stance? Where Swales lives in north Northumberland is rural and remote, so he says he has never directly encountered the type of discrimination he hears others face in more populated areas. However, he cites examples of balls being cancelled due to pressure from animal rights campaigners, hunts being sabotaged, and hunters facing issues with employment. Labour's pledge to ban trail hunting has put this rural activity under more pressure than ever before - Charlotte Graham They have horrendous problems, he says, Vehicles have been smashed up and had the windows smashed, the tyres slashed, weve had hounds kidnapped stolen, never to be seen again. Some animal rights groups qualify as extremists, without a doubt, he says. They should be on the watch list of MI5. Swales insists he is not trying to be facetious, or, as he so delicately puts it, were not trying to out-woke the wokes by being more woke than they are. It is not just a hobby, but a cornerstone of the countryside, Swales argues, so there is something far bigger at stake here: the centuries-old traditions of rural life. My whole community is based around it, he says. All the people I know, all the people I socialise with are through hunting, pretty much exclusively. There is a lack of understanding among urbanites and animal rights campaigners of the realities of how food gets from farm to table, he says. Anybody that eats at McDonalds has effectively put a cow through [the food system], he argues. People dont know where food comes from, and thats affecting farming and agricultural practices, and peoples choices and preferences. They think its more humane and more climate-friendly to get an avocado from South America, which it clearly isnt. Ed Swales says fox hunting is more than a hobby people 'live it, eat it, breathe it and sleep it' - Chris Watt Hunting Kind has drawn up a philosophical belief system, which states that humanity has a responsibility of stewardship towards the countryside and for sustainable wildlife management. Additionally, they believe that natural and traditional hunting with animals for pest control and wildlife management is sustainable, ecologically sensitive, naturally selective and humane. Labours pledge to ban trail hunting, where an animal scent is laid down for a dog to chase, means the lifestyle is under greater threat than ever before. Swales has described Tony Blairs Hunting Act of 2004, which made fox hunting illegal in England and Wales (drag hunting, where animals follow an artificial scent, and trail hunting are currently exempt), as the single most devastating law ever to have affected the countryside, or at least the hunting element of it. He adds: [We] effectively had a law slapped down on us without any evidence or background, just due to political spite and discrimination and prejudice against a perceived class of people, which is massively wrong The passing of an Act in parliament to ban what is effectively our way of life didnt go down well with anyone. If you are in any doubt as to what that perceived class of people is, one citizen journalist who posted a riposte to Hunting Kinds campaign described Swales as a man who appears to believe that an overabundance of red trousers [qualifies] him and his merry band of killers as cultural pioneers. Are these hunters red-trousered or not a minority group? That is for a judge to decide. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. ANKENY, Iowa An Ankeny bar owner has been accused of sexually assaulting a female patron in May. According to court documents, on May 21 the victim was at the establishment Grubbs Pub owned by Jason Allen Grubb in Ankeny. The victim reportedly told police that she was sitting at the bar while Grubb provided her with water in an attempt to sober up after the establishment had closed for the night, court documents state. The victim also stated that she and Grubb were the only ones inside the bar at the time. The victim told investigators that she became scared of Grubb and tried to flee from the bar, court documents state. When she reached her vehicle in the parking lot she discovered she didnt have her keys, and being too scared to go back inside the bar, instead fled the area on foot. Ankeny officers later located the victim, naked from the waist down and in a panicked state, running down a nearby street, court documents state. The victim was transported to a hospital for treatment. Waukee teen charged with second-degree murder in stabbing investigation A search warrant details that the victim suffered from knee pain and had scratches, bruises, and abrasions all over her body. According to a criminal complaint, shortly after the victim fled the bar Grubb was seen on surveillance video placing the victims clothes and keys inside her vehicle and then walking back inside the bar. Grubb was arrested on Wednesday and charged with assault with intent to commit sexual abuse bodily injury. He is currently being held at the Polk County Jail on a $10,000 cash/surety bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for August 26. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. The Georgia Department of National Resources recorded above average nesting success rates for bald eagles in most checked areas, according to a recent article in the Georgia Recorder. Annual surveys across the state are collected to monitor the bald eagle population. Two years ago, the species took a severe hit because of a highly pathogenic avian influenza, per the Recorder. After the outbreak, the number of successful nests on the coast dropped about 30%, and less than half of the nests that were surveyed produced one eaglet. This year, however, the survey had great news: 145 nest territories were recorded, and 116 were successful, producing a total of 178 eagles. "It's always exciting when you see a bird that's bouncing back and increasing its numbers, because, as has been sort of widely reported in recent years, most bird populations are in steep decline, so it's great news about the eagles," Melanie Furr, director of education at Birds Georgia, told the Recorder. When one species suffers, it creates a domino effect that disrupts the entire local ecosystem. Bald eagles, for example, play a key role in the balance of nature. Since they not only eat live prey but also scavenge for food, bald eagles help dispose of dead animals. While the bald eagle's recovering population is the start of a successful conservation story, there are still factors threatening their survival rates. "Poisoning is still a concern," Furr told the Recorder. Because eagles hunt prey other than fish, such as rodents, there is also the risk they will consume toxic poisons from rodenticides. Furr, too, cited habitat loss and rising global temperatures as threats impacting the bald eagle population along with other birds of prey, including hawks and owls. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Lake Mead is currently at 37% capacity. Federal water managers have warned that if water levels continue to fall there is a high probability that Lake Mead would no longer be able to deliver water downstream, or produce hydropower. (Bureau of Reclamation photo) Despite some improvements in water conservation, Nevada is facing a fourth consecutive year of mandatory water cuts, as drought and climate change continue to threaten Lake Mead, federal officials announced Thursday. Federal water managers announced that Tier 1 water cuts the least severe shortage condition would be necessary next year to preserve water levels at Lake Mead. Water in Lake Mead is projected to fall below 1,075 feet in 2025, an elevation that would trigger a water shortage, according to a 24-month study by the Bureau of Reclamation. Lake Mead is currently at 37% capacity, according to the agency. Federal water managers have warned that if water levels continue to fall there is a high probability that Lake Mead would no longer be able to deliver water downstream, or produce hydropower. Under the cuts, Nevada will lose about 7% of its allocation, or 21,000 acre-feet of water. However, the cuts are not expected to affect Nevada water users. Southern Nevada is allowed 300,000 acre-feet from the Colorado River, but has not used its full allocation in years thanks to conservation efforts. Last year, Nevada only used about 188,000 acre-feet of water. We are well below our total allocation, and the water that were cleaning, the water that were not using, is water that were able to store for the future in reserve, said Mack Bronson, the spokesperson for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Arizona, California, and Mexico also face cuts starting next year. Arizona will lose 18% of its total Colorado River allocation, Mexico will lose 5%, and California will face a 7% reduction. The cuts announced Thursday are in the same Tier 1 category declared in 2021 and in 2022, when the first federal cutbacks on the Colorado River took effect. A Tier 2 water shortage for 2023 resulted in even steeper cuts. The Colorado River Basin supplies drinking water to 40 million people across the lower basin Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico and the upper basin: Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. States in both the lower and upper Colorado River basin are each allocated 7.5 million acre-feet of water, for a total of 15 million acre-feet. But officials acknowledge only 12.4 million acre-feet flows from the river each year, and flows continue to shrink due to climate change. Hydraulic studies by the federal government show that flow will likely decrease by another 3 million acre-feet of water in the next decade. Based on Reclamations most recent hydraulic models, Lake Mead water level could drop to 1,050 feet, or a Tier 2 shortage, by the end of 2025, making continued conservation efforts critical and triggering deeper cuts in allocations. The future in the Colorado River Basin is going to be warmer and its going to be drier, and we are going to have years where our allocation will be reduced, Bronson said. In recent years, Nevada has passed a series of laws to reduce water consumption in anticipation of steeper water cuts. That includes legislation in 2021 to ban ornamental grass from most public spaces, a Clark County resolution in 2022 to limit the size of pools, and a 2023 bill to phase out the use of water-intensive septic tanks. The actions that weve taken already to reduce our water use have us on a good path to be able to absorb any of those future reductions, Bronson said. The Southern Nevada Water Authority managed to reduce individual water use to 89 gallons per person per day last year, the lowest since the early 1990s. But hotter, drier conditions this summer means water use per person is likely to increase this year. Last year was a really good year, but we also had a lot of help from Mother Nature, Bronson said. Juxtapose that with the summer were experiencing today, where we just had a record setting July, our warmest summer ever on record. So certainly we are seeing water use trending a little bit higher this year than we did last year, but were still below the average over the past three years. Federal officials also expressed optimism about recent water conservation efforts in the region this week, ahead of the release of the 24-month study. On Wednesday during the second annual Southern Nevada Water Summit, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton praised Colorado River basin states voluntary efforts to reduce water use, highlighting an agreement by the Imperial Irrigation District in California this week to leave up to 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2026. These conservation programs are working. Yes, its painful, but its working, and its preserving a very critical and vital water source for this entire area, said Reclamation hydrologist Shana Tighi during the Summit Wednesday. An Anti-Violence Advocate Allegedly Pulled up to a Pool Party and Shot a Man in the Head. Police Think They Know Why Photo: Facebook A Colorado MMA fighter who spent his career advocating against violence is accused of committing an egregious act of violence himself. Police suspect the reason behind it goes deeper than a random fit of rage. Commerce City Police say 46-year-old Lumumba Sayers pulled up to a pool party last weekend held by Malcolm Watson for his 5-year-old sons birthday. Witnesses told police Sayers walked right up to Watson and shot him in the head at close range, in front of the party guests. Watsons sister, who was not named, tells 9News she believed the shooting was in retaliation for the death of Sayers son one year ago. On August 19, 2023, police said 23-year-old Lumumba Sayers Jr. was shot and killed between 28th and Welton Street in the Denver neighborhood of Five Points. He left behind a two-month-old son. Police arrested Tyrell Braxton in connection to the shooting but believed Watson had a connection to him. The affidavit detailing Watsons killing referred to the Braxton as his friend. Though, Watsons sister denied her brother had anything to do with the killing. How is it a revenge killing if my brother isnt the one who had anything to do with it? Watsons sister said to 9News. Ironically, before the killing Sayers was known to the local communities within Aurora as an activist working toward creating a safer space for children. He founded the Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts gym allotting a space for kids to spend their energy elsewhere and not in an environment where they can become subject to violence. Additionally, his mentees founded a deescalation program called Gloves Up, Guns Down, Get Your Heads Up In The Hood, helping kids solve their conflicts with one another without pulling triggers. We have just got to get these kids who are out here making bad decisions to make better decisions and do different stuff with their life, Sayers Sr. said to 9News in 2021. Now, its alleged that he took matters of justice into his own hands, against all he was fighting for. Sayers is facing charges of first-degree murder and felony menacing. Hes currently being held in Adams County Detention Facility with a $1 million bond, court records show. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. An Arcadia man is facing federal charges for allegedly purchasing military aircraft components in the U.S. and trying to send them to Iran. Jeffrey Chance Nader, 68, was arrested Tuesday for the illicit export of U.S.-manufactured aircraft components, including components used on military aircraft, to Iran in violation of U.S. economic sanctions and other federal laws, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. The indictment was first reported by Seamus Hughes Court Watch. Federal officials identified Nader as a California resident, but the Pasadena Star-News listed his city of residence as Arcadia and added that he has since been freed on bond. The Star-News added that Nader faces a dozen counts: One count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Four counts of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act Three counts of smuggling Three counts of false or missing export information Conspiracy to commit money laundering Beginning last year, Nader and associates purchased nearly three dozen aircraft components and attempted to export them to Iran via the United Arab Emirates, prosecutors said. Some of these components are for use on military aircraft operated by Irans armed forces, including the F-4 fighter jet, the DOJ added. Nader, whom prosecutors describe as a U.S.-Iranian national, was operating based on purchase orders received from customers in Iran, though multiple times, he falsely identified himself and his company, California-based Pro Aero Capital, to the U.S.-based suppliers as the end user of the items. Those Iranian customers never received the components, however, as a special agent with the U.S. Department of Commerce detained them and kept them in American custody. Attacks by Iran and its proxies on U.S. allies in the Middle East and its ongoing supply of Russia with drones and other technology to be used in its illegal war against Ukraine demonstrate why we must do all that we can to stop Iran from acquiring U.S. parts, services, and technology, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves said in the release. The charges announced today represent the latest step in our ongoing effort to hold accountable those who illegally funnel goods and services to Iran and to deter others from doing the same. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Is Arizona an emerging problem for Donald Trump? He could return to the state soon PHOENIX - Arizona used to be a near-foregone conclusion for Donald Trump. Now its an emerging problem," according to one longtime political observer. Vice President Kamala Harris is rising in battleground state polls and drew thousands to a political rally in Glendale, Ariz., last week, establishing herself as a more formidable Trump opponent than President Joe Biden was. Now, Republicans wonder whether Trump has been present in Arizona enough and say he is losing ground to Democrats. They're on their back foot, said Chuck Coughlin, a longtime GOP strategist who left the party during the Trump era. Arizona clearly is an emerging problem for him. Trump could address some of those criticisms in person as soon as next week. The former president is weighing a trip to Arizonas southern border in Cochise County, where the U.S.-Mexico border runs for 84 miles. The region is home to two ports of entry: Douglas and Naco. Sierra Vista Mayor Clea McCaa and Sierra Vista police Chief Chris Hiser will be present for Trumps visit, a city spokesperson said on Wednesday. It is not clear what day Trump might visit the county, and the former presidents campaign declined to answer questions about his travel plans. Arizona is a top campaign destination for presidential candidates because it is among a handful of states that could decide the outcome of the 2024 election. Trump lost here by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2020, the smallest margin of any state on the electoral map. It was the first time a Democratic presidential candidate had won in Arizona since 1996 and only the second time since 1948. Former President Donald Trump makes an appearance at a town hall meeting hosted by the conservative group Turning Point Action at Dream City Church in Phoenix on June 6, 2024. Democrats had all but given up on Arizonas presidential prospects at the beginning of the summer, but the well-choreographed swap at the top of the ticket has injected new enthusiasm in the party. Harris held smaller Arizona events during her tenure as vice president but drew a crowd of 15,000 to Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale last week for her first Arizona appearance as the Democratic nominee. Trump addressed some 4,000 people at a rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix in June. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report just changed its Arizona presidential election forecast from lean Republican to toss-up, and a survey from Coughlins polling firm HighGround found Harris narrowly leading Trump in Arizona 44% to 42% among likely voters. (The HighGround survey was conducted July 30-Aug. 5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.38 percentage points). I didn't think Democrats thought they could win out here, Coughlin said. Now they're like, oh ... we might be able to win this thing. The Trump campaign has put more resources into Arizona lately, dispatching vice presidential nominee JD Vance for a rally and border tour in Cochise County, the same region Trump is considering visiting. Trump and his allies are also pouring millions into TV ad buys to attack Harris on immigration and the economy. MAGA Inc. just announced a $100 million TV ad buy across the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, POLITICO reported. It's hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes, just how bad the policies of the Kamala Harris administration have been when it comes to the southern border, Vance said during his trip to the border wall, making sure to attack Harris on one of her most vulnerable issues. Trump has veered off track with his messaging, though, according to one of his Arizona backers. Trump never stops speaking and should stick to a campaign message that can broaden his coalition, said Arizona Republican Alberto Gutier, who served as a Trump elector in 2016. Trump can still win it, but hes gonna have to solidify what's left of the party, Gutier said, pointing to struggles Arizona Republicans have faced in recent years. The GOP lost three Senate races, the Governors Office, the Secretary of States Office and the Attorney Generals Office during the Trump era. For its part, the Trump campaign said his momentum is growing and attacked Harris on the economy and the border. Everything from rent, groceries to gas is far more expensive under Kamala Harris. Under her failed leadership, Arizona families have experienced record high prices and an unruly border crisis; our communities have been less safe, and deadly drugs are killing our youth. President Trump offers Arizona voters hope through his agenda to make Arizona safe and affordable again," Trump campaign spokesperson Halee Dobbins said in a written statement. "The momentum is only growing for Trump ahead of November as voters grow sick and tired of Harris lies and unlivable policies; Arizona wont buy her gaslighting this fall."But Gutier said hes worried that Harris appeals to a noteworthy voting group that could help sway the election result. Here in Arizona, young people, a lot of people who have not been involved in politics, see her as a savior, Gutier said. Good luck, America. Still, Trump just got a boost from a top Arizona Republican whom he butted heads with in the past. Former GOP Gov. Doug Ducey endorsed Trump on Tuesday, putting his differences aside to back the former president who once said Ducey was betraying Arizona by certifying the 2020 election results. Differences aside, there is too much on the line and only a Republican in the White House and a majority in the House and US Senate can ensure it, Ducey said, throwing his support behind Trump and GOP Senate nominee Kari Lake. No charges: Why Arizona Attorney General Mayes didn't want to indict Trump in fake elector case He also received praise from the Arizona Republican Party chair for taking questions from billionaire Trump booster Elon Musk during a lengthy livestream on Musks social media site. Harris has taken few questions from reporters since she became her partys nominee. The conversation between President Trump and Elon Musk on X Spaces again demonstrated President Trump's commitment to transparency and direct engagement with the American people, Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda said in a written statement. In stark contrast, Kamala Harris has been noticeably absent from the media for over three weeks. When it comes to campaigning offline, Trump has a lighter footprint than the Harris operation in Arizona. The Trump campaign has eight offices here, compared with Harris 12, though it says it has plans to open more ahead of the election. Trump offices are in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Casa Grande, Sun City, Chandler, Mesa, Tucson and Kingman. The campaign also holds Super Saturday training sessions for volunteers around the state. The Harris-Walz campaign has seen a surge of momentum as voters are responding to Vice President Harris fight to bring down costs, secure the border, and make sure Arizona families dont just get by but get ahead, Harris spokesperson Jacques Petit said in a written statement. Meanwhile Donald Trump and JD Vance have almost no presence in the state and are running on a toxic Project 2025 agenda to ban abortion in Arizona and slash Medicare and Social Security, which is why Republicans, Democrats and Independents are coming together to defeat them and deliver the White House for Vice President Harris and Governor Walz. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is Arizona an emerging problem for Donald Trump? What to know BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. Israeli Air Force has launched series of strikes on the southern regions of Lebanon, the army press service says, Trend reports. According to the information, the target of the raid was military facilities used by armed groups of the Hezbollah movement. The strikes targeted the outskirts of the settlements of Ait al-Shaab and Maroun al-Ras in southern Lebanon, the press service reported. Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will lose same amount of Colorado River water next year as in 2024 FILE - The Colorado River in the upper River Basin is seen, May 29, 2021, in Lees Ferry, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File) WASHINGTON (AP) Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will continue to live with less water next year from the Colorado River after the U.S. government on Thursday announced water cuts that preserve the status quo. Long-term challenges remain for the 40 million people reliant on the imperiled river. The 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) river is a lifeline for the U.S. West and supplies water to cities and farms in northern Mexico, too. It supports seven Western states, more than two dozen Native American tribes and irrigates millions of acres of farmland in the American West. It also produces hydropower used across the region. Years of overuse combined with rising temperatures and drought have meant less water flows in the Colorado today than in decades past. The Interior Department announces water availability for the coming year months in advance so that cities, farmers and others can plan. Officials do so based on water levels at Lake Mead, one of the river's two main reservoirs that act as barometers of its health. Based on those levels, Arizona will again lose 18% of its total Colorado River allocation, while Mexico's goes down 5%. The reduction for Nevada which receives far less water than Arizona, California or Mexico will stay at 7%. The cuts announced Thursday are in the same Tier 1 category that were in effect this year and in 2022, when the first federal cutbacks on the Colorado River took effect and magnified the crisis on the river. Even deeper cuts followed in 2023. Farmers in Arizona were hit hardest by those cuts. Heavier rains and other water-saving efforts by Arizona, California and Nevada somewhat improved the short-term outlook for Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which is upstream of Mead on the Utah-Arizona border. Officials on Thursday said the two reservoirs were at 37% capacity. They lauded the ongoing efforts by Arizona, California and Nevada to save more water, which are in effect until 2026. The federal government is paying water users in those states for much of that conservation. Meanwhile, states, tribes and others are negotiating how they will share water from the river after 2026, when many current guidelines governing the river expire. Tom Buschatzke, director of Arizonas Department of Water Resources and the state's lead negotiator in those talks, said Thursday that Arizonans had committed to incredible conservation ... to protect the Colorado River system. Future conditions, he added, "are likely to continue to force hard decisions. ___ Associated Press reporter Amy Taxin contributed from Santa Ana, Calif. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Grant applications opened Friday for non-profit organizations seeking American Rescue Plan Act funding in Monroe County. The $6 million ARPA grant fund was approved by the Monroe County Legislature Tuesday. To be eligible for a portion of the funding, applicants must: Be a non-profit corporation authorized to do business in New York Be registered with the New York Charities Bureau Operate a physical location in a Qualified Census Tract in Monroe County from at least 2019 to the present Have at least 51 percent of operations take place in Qualified Census Tracts in Monroe County from at least 2019 to the present Have filed a Form 990 in 2022 and 2023. Click here for more information about how to apply. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. COLLEGE STATION, Texas (FOX 44) UPDATE: The final suspect in a lengthy College Station narcotics investigation surrendered himself to police at 6 a.m. Monday. The department says Cooper Reed Currie is now in the Brazos County Jail. His bond is set at $115,000. The narcotics investigation also led to several other arrests and seized items. Cooper Reed Currie. (Courtesy: College Station Police Department) Cooper Reed Currie. (Courtesy: College Station Police Department) The College Station Police Departments Special Investigations Unit started the investigation in September 2023, which was related to the sale of cocaine and fraudulently pressed Adderall pills. A search warrant was executed at a residence located on Tanglewood Drive in Bryan on April 23, 2024, in relation to the investigation. Police say evidence gathered at the Tanglewood location assisted in identifying another supplier of cocaine, and a follow-up investigation was conducted. During that investigation, a residence in the 100 block of Deacon Dr W was identified. A search warrant was executed at this location on August 2, 2024. A third location was identified in the investigation. This location was in the 1500 block of Copperfield Parkway. A search warrant was executed at that location on August 6, 2024. The following narcotics were seized during to these investigations: 12.4 pounds of marijuana, 9.7 ounces of cocaine, approximately 1.5 ounces of MDMA in multiple forms, approximately 900 fraudulently pressed Adderall pills, approximately 600 fraudulently pressed Xanax pills, one ounce of psilocybin mushrooms, 70 THC vape cartridges and a small amount of ketamine. (Courtesy: College Station Police Department) (Courtesy: College Station Police Department) The following people were arrested during these investigations, along with their charges: Daegin Hamilton- Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1 4-200g, Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1 200-400g, Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG2 4-400g, and Possession of Marijuana 4oz-5lbs, Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity Kate-Lynn Lindeman- Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity Alexander Welch- Possession of Marijuana 4oz-5lbs Zakary Webb- Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1 4-200g, Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG3 28-200g, and Possession of Marijuana 4oz-5lbs Cayden Carroll- Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1 4-200g and Possession of Marijuana 4oz-5lbs Carroll was taken into custody again on August 6 on outstanding Motion to Revoke probation warrants which were issued by the Brazos County District Attorneys Office. He was further charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance PG1 1-4g, and Possession of a Controlled Substance PG2 less than one gram. Daegin Hamilton. (Courtesy: Brazos County Jail) Kate-Lynn Lindeman. (Courtesy: Brazos County Jail) Alexander Welch. (Courtesy: Brazos County Jail) Zakary Webb. (Courtesy: Brazos County Jail) Cayden Carroll. (Courtesy: Brazos County Jail) Arrest warrants were issued for Currie in relation to this case. He is charged with Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1 4-200g, Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1 200-400g, Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG2 4-400g, and Possession of Marijuana 4oz-5lbs and Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity. The College Station Police Departments Special Investigations Unit was assisted by the departments Community Enhancement Unit, the departments SWAT Team, the departments Hostage Negotiations Team, the departments Bomb Squad, the departments K9 Unit, the Brazos County Sheriffs Offices SWAT Team, the Texas DPS Criminal Investigations Division-Bryan, and DPSs Highway Patrol Division. If you have any additional information related to this case or other criminal activity, you can contact the College Station Police Department at 979-764-3600 or Brazos County Crime Stoppers at 979-775-TIPS (8477). Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44. A senior chief cryptologic technician pipes during the Navy Reserve Center change of command ceremony at U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, Colorado Springs, Aug. 13, 2022. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gilbert Bolibol) During the last century, the U.S. military resorted to asbestos when the World War II war effort demanded accessible materials to mass-produce equipment. Manufacturers wanted to profit from the fibrous mineral, hiding evidence of the health risk emerging from mixing asbestos in products for military properties such as aircraft, vehicles, ships and barracks. Out of all branches, the Navy exploited asbestos the most, putting naval personnel serving on ships built before the 1980s at a high risk of asbestos exposure. However, this fact doesnt exclude other military bases from being a potential source of asbestos exposure. The growing number of toxic exposure cases among veterans today reflects the many health risks they faced during service, including asbestos exposure. The consequences of inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers may threaten many veterans health now, especially those who served in the Second World War and the Korean and Vietnam wars. In addition to the hazard of being around various toxic materials, working near asbestos products may have been an added risk to Colorado veterans deteriorating health, as diseases caused by toxic exposure are on the rise today. The issue regards Colorados veteran population and Denvers veteran community. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Colorado is home to six major military installations, including the Air Force Academy, with its 1958 residence in the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver. The Academys first cadet wing consisted of 1,145 students, future airmen of the United States. Another important installation with wartime history is Peterson Space Force Base, set up in 1942 as a response to the hostilities in Europe and to increase its power with multiple military bases all over the country. Asbestos exposure has a devastating effect on veterans health Due to their microscopic size and fibrous structure, airborne asbestos particles can float in the air for hours when disturbed. Its the white dust many veterans remember. The sharp-edged mineral threads are easily inhaled or ingested, making asbestos dust one of the most toxic substances humans have encountered. Once inside the body, these tiny fibers permanently injure major organs, leading to severe diseases. Asbestos-related illnesses have decades-long latency periods until the first symptoms appear. Even if veterans may have had no health problems during their service, some of them experience the effects of asbestos exposure only over time when they are diagnosed with illnesses stemming from it, like mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or other respiratory conditions. Veterans fight for health after asbestos exposure Although decades have passed since asbestos was used in the military, veterans who were in contact with it during service now have to fight for their health. Many must accept that their asbestos diseases will shorten their lives, as no existing treatment can reverse the damage done by asbestos. Todays medical procedures can only slow the progression, relieve symptoms, and prevent complications. With Colorado ranking 31st in the U.S. for asbestos-related deaths, veterans should see their doctor regularly. Timely detection is essential in asbestos-related diseases, because it considerably improves treatment results and prolongs life expectancy. That is why vets should proactively protect their health through check-ups, learn their legal rights, and promote awareness. Going to check-ups periodically and, while there, being upfront with the doctor about military service and potential asbestos exposure are crucial steps. Inhaled asbestos fibers damage the lungs first, so veterans should schedule chest X-rays or CT scans and pulmonary function (breathing) tests. These noninvasive investigations are also reliable in diagnosing benign and malignant asbestos conditions. Veterans who know theyve worked in a contaminated environment or those who suspect theyve been exposed to asbestos during service should know their rights and options. Compensation programs and legal avenues are available through asbestos trust funds and Veterans Affairs to help those harmed by asbestos exposure, and veterans need to be informed about these resources. Former service members can be crucial in raising awareness by sharing their knowledge about asbestos exposure risks with their fellow servicemen and women. Opening up about their experiences can facilitate passing vital information to others who fought for our country. Additional help for Colorado veterans and their families through the PACT Act In 2022, the 17th U.S. Congress enacted the PACT Act, a new law to improve health care and compensation for veterans exposed to toxins. The Act extends eligibility for VA health care for retired military members exposed to harmful substances during active duty and provides veterans with the care and benefits they deserve. Because of this new law, approximately 3.5 million veterans exposed to various toxins will be eligible for extended VA benefits, and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado supported it. Since the passage of the PACT Act, over four million veterans have been screened for toxic exposure, and nearly 350,000 U.S. citizens have been approved for expanded benefits. Approximately 16,000 veterans have filed PACT Act claims in Colorado, and over 8,000 veterans received expanded benefits. Colorado veterans can consult information on the Colorado Department of Revenue website. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Asteroids safely fly by Earth all the time. Heres why scientists are watching Apophis. Among astronomers both professional and amateur, perhaps no asteroid is more notorious than Apophis. If you've heard of Apophis, then you're likely aware of the reputation it gained upon its discovery two decades ago as a potentially very dangerous space rock hurtling too close for comfort toward Earth. It was initially believed that the asteroid could one day pose a serious threat to our planet. And one day, it just might. But that day won't come for at least 100 years, astronomers say. No, not even in 2029, when Apophis makes the closest approach to Earth that any asteroid of its size ever has at least, one that scientists have known about in advance. Additional observations of Apophis have allowed astronomers to long rule out the risk of an impact in 2029 when Apophis is predicted to come within a distance of Earth 10 times closer than the moon, according to NASA. The asteroid also won't hit our planet when it makes another close approach in 2036. While we and our children are safe from Apophis' wrath, scientists still see a valuable opportunity to study the asteroid as it whizzes by Earth to learn what they can of other space rocks that actually could hit our planet. Here's what to know about Apophis and how space agencies hope to protect Earth from other asteroids like it. Apophis to make 2029 flyby to Earth Apophis is projected to pass within 20,000 miles of our planets surface on April 13, 2029. For the superstitious lot, yes, that's a Friday, no less. On that day, Apophis will come closer than telecommunications satellites in geostationary orbit, the ESA says. The close encounter with Earth will make the asteroid visible in the Eastern hemisphere, including in Europe, Africa, and western Asia. It should look somewhat like a bright star streaking across the sky. Earth's gravity will significantly influence Apophis squeezing and distorting the asteroid as one side is pulled toward our planet more than the other. While no affects will be felt on Earth, Apophis may experience some quakes and even landslides, the ESA said. Will Apophis hit earth? In short, no. Not during our lifetimes, anyway. While Apophis is classified as a near-Earth asteroid because its orbit bring it within 30 million miles of Earth, you have nothing to fear from it. Apophis was initially identified as one of the most hazardous asteroids that could impact Earth after its 2004 discovery, but that assessment has since changed as astronomers tracked it and learned more about its orbit. While the risk of it impacting Earth during its 2029 flyby rose as high as 2.7%, Apophis has since been removed from NASAs Sentry Impact Risk Table. That's thanks to a radar observation campaign in March 2021 during a distant flyby that combined with precise orbit analysis allowed astronomers to determine that the asteroid poses no risk of crashing into Earth for at least a century. How big is the Apophis asteroid? Apophis measures nearly a quarter of a mile long about the size of a cruise ship making it large enough to be visible to the naked eye when it shoots past Earth. The Planetary Society compares its size to the equivalent of about five football fields and taller than the Empire State Building in New York City. It's hard to know just exactly what Apophis looks like, as scientists do not yet have images of it. But radar observations have suggested that Apophis is shaped roughly like a peanut a relatively common shape among near-Earth asteroids larger than 660 feet in diameter, according to NASA. Apophis is believed to be stony, made up of silicate (or rocky) materials and a mixture of metallic nickel and iron. What would happen if Apophis hit Earth? Though not as big or catastrophic as the asteroid theorized to have wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, Apophis would cause widespread destruction up to several hundred kilometers from its impact site. The energy released would be equal more than 1,000 megatons of TNT, or tens to hundreds of nuclear weapons, according to the Planetary Society, a nonprofit organization promoting space exploration. What does 'Apophis' mean? Apophis is no different from other asteroids in that it is a remnant from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. It originated in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and spent millions of years being altered by the gravitational influence of large planets such as Jupiter, NASA said. Now, Apophis's orbit around the sun brings it startlingly close to Earth. It's partly due to its proximity, as well as the sheer devastation its impact with Earth would bring, that astronomers named the asteroid after an ancient Egyptian god of disorder. Specifically, Apophis is named for the demon serpent who personified evil and chaos. ESA, NASA hope to study Apophis The NASA spacecraft OSIRIS-APEX hovers over the surface of the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, using its thrusters to disturb the asteroid's surface to reveal what lies beneath, as shown in an undated NASA artist's video rendering, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video. Space agencies and scientific institutes around the world are planning to use the rare flyby to explore Apophis from the ground with telescopes and even spacecraft. NASA's OSIRIS-REx, which gathered and returned a sample of asteroid Bennu in September, has been renamed OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer (OSIRIS-APEX) and sent on a trajectory that would allow it to cross paths with the asteroid in 2029. When it has its rendezvous with Apophis in June that year, OSIRIS-APEX will spend 18 months mapping the asteroids surface and analyzing its chemical makeup, according to NASA. Earth-based telescopes will observe Apophis as well, but they won't be able to detect as much as the spacecraft will when the asteroid gets near the sun, NASA said. But unlike with the Bennu mission, OSIRIS-APEX will not collect a sample from Apophis. The European Space Agency, NASA's counterpart across the pond, plans to launch a spacecraft of its own called Ramses. An art visualization shows how the European Space Agency's "Ramses" mission will approach the massive asteroid Apophis. The Ramses spacecraft, which must be ready to launch a year ahead of time, will meet Apophis before it passes by Earth and accompany it on its way out of our orbit. During that time, the mission will observe how the surface of the asteroid changes from being in such close proximity to Earth, the European Space Agency said in July. NASA takes on dangerous asteroids The expedition is all part of the steps NASA and other space agencies have taken in recent years to protect humanity from threats posed by asteroids and other inbound space rocks, such as comets. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft prior to impact at the Didymos binary asteroid system shown in this undated illustration handout. In September 2022, NASA intentionally slammed a spacecraft into the small asteroid Dimorphos at roughly 14,000 mph. Though Dimorphos posed no threat to Earth, the mission served as the first demonstration of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART. If an incoming asteroid is ever on a collision course with our planet, the space agency has said that the DART method could prove crucial for deflecting and changing the object's orbital path. A placard hangs on the wall during the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Technology Media Workshop Telecon Briefing and tour at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, on September 12, 2022, ahead of the September 26 project test mission. The DART mission shifted an asteroid's orbit through kinetic impact specifically, by smashing a spacecraft into the smaller member of the binary asteroid system Didymos. And to gauge whether authorities are prepared to defend Earth from space objects, NASA has hosted a series of exercises, the fifth and most recent of which occurred in April, with findings announced in June. It was the first such exercise to include about 100 international government representatives who gathered to work through a hypothetical scenario about an inbound asteroid. The exercise was organized by the U.S. space agency's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which was established in 2016 to catalog near-Earth objects that could crash into the planet. NASA is also working on an asteroid-hunting telescope known as the NEO Surveyor to find near-Earth objects capable of causing significant damage. Set to launch no earlier than June 2028, the telescope is designed to discover 90% of asteroids and comets that are 460 feet in size or larger and come within 30 million miles of Earths orbit. Contributing: Claire Thornton, USA TODAY Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Asteroid Apophis to pass near Earth in 2029: What to know From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch Happy Friday! Please extend a hearty TMD welcome to the newest member of the Morning Dispatch crew, James Sutton! He was one of the Dispatchs first internsjoining us in the fall of 2020and were very excited to have him back aboard! Quick Hits: Todays Top Stories NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, wearing Boeing spacesuits, depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center for Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to board the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for the Crew Flight Test launch, on June 5, 2024. (Photo by MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images) Houston, we have another problem. Its been 72 days since two American astronauts, Barry Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission. The pair successfully docked at the ISS the following day, but only after experiencing problems with some of Starliners thrusters. More than two months later, NASA is still trying to get to the bottom of the problem with the Boeing craft, and the delayed return is just the latest in a series of bad news cycles for the beleaguered aerospace giant. Now the question becomes whether to wait to bring Wilmore and Williams home with a return ticket on the Starliner or have them hitch a ride on a SpaceX craft that is bound for the ISS as part of a separate manned mission and set to return to Earth many months from now. How did Wimore and Williams end up with such an extended stay 250 miles above sea level? Their June launch and flight went smoothly, but when it came time to dock at the ISS, several of the Starliners 28 thrusters failed to operate. The thrusters are part of the crafts Reaction Control System (RCS) that enables it to maneuver in orbit. The system generally fires frequently in short bursts to steer the craft, and five of the thrusters malfunctioned when approaching the ISS, prompting a delay in dockingwith some adjustments, the crew was ultimately able to dock without further incident. Back on Earth, NASA now has to determine the underlying problem on a spacecraft floating in Earths orbit. Teams have been working on the ground at a NASA facility in White Sands, New Mexico, testing the same types of thrusters which produced similar failures. Engineers believe the issue could be caused by a valve seal expanding at higher temperatures and restricting propellant flow in the thruster, but they dont know exactly why its happening. Having a few RCS thrusters go out isnt necessarily a catastrophic failure. The Starliners four main engines, which have been in working order so far, would provide the power to get the aircraft home, but NASA requires confidence that enough of the thrusters are working sufficiently to keep Starliner on the right trajectory for reentry and landing. Since docking, Boeing and NASA engineers have tested the thrusters, firing them up individually, and four out of the failed five are back in working order. It seems possible the problem could be the result of faulty system design and not necessarily a single point of failure. Its not like [the thrusters] break permanently, Jonathan McDowella researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysicstold TMD. When you fire them too close together too often and they overheat, then they get into a bad mode. But you can clear that mode over time. It seems like it could be a generic problem with this thruster design, he added, because docking and undocking can require the thrusters to pulse repeatedly, potentially resulting in overheating. Ken Bowersox, NASAs space operations mission chief, said during a media briefing on Wednesday that the agency has consulted outside engineers about the problem. Weve gotten feedback on what were seeing, and a lot of it is confirming what we thought was causing the signatures that we were observing on orbit, he said but acknowledged that its really tough when you dont have the actual hardware to look at, when its up in space. All of the uncertainty makes it difficult to make a quantifiable judgment about the risk associated with sending Wilmore and Williams home on the Starliner. We dont have enough insight and data to make some sort of simple black-and-white calculation, that says this is what you should do or not do, said NASA safety chief Russ DeLoach. NASA has spent weeks analyzing data from the in-orbit and on-the-ground tests, but has yet to come to a consensus on how to move forward. Its a fairly major discussion to decide about whether or not were going to have crew onboard Starliner for return, Bowersox said. The agency is completing a final round of data analysis before a Flight Readiness Review decides how to proceed, likely by the end of next week. If the agency determines its ultimately too perilous to bring the astronauts home on the Starliner, the alternate plan would likely be to return the Starliner unmanned, controlled remotely. Wilmore and Williams would then come home aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The Crew-9 mission on the Dragon was originally scheduled to launch on August 18, but NASA delayed it until at least September 24 as it evaluates Starliner. Crew-9 was planned as a four-person expedition, but could take off with two empty seats that Wilmore and Williams could fill upon Dragons return to Earth in February 2025, following a six-month rotation at the ISS. In other words, if Wilmore and Williams catch a ride on the Dragon, their eight-day mission will extend to eight months. The astronauts seem to be taking their extra time in space in stride. We are having a great time up here on ISS, Williams said in a July press conference broadcast from the ISS. Butch and I have been here before, and it feels like coming back home. The ISS is bigger than a 6-bedroom house and is regularly resupplied by unmanned spacecraft, the most recent of which lifted off on Wednesdayso Butch and Sunita wont need to grow their own food. Even as NASA seems circumspect about Starliners chances, Boeing has maintained confidence in Starliners ability to return the astronauts safely. In fairness, the mission was a test flight designed to iron out any issues with the spacecraft. We were expecting to find some things, Wilmore said last month. This is a tough business that were in, he said. Human spaceflight is not easy in any regime, and there have been multiple issues with any spacecraft thats ever been designed, and thats the nature of what we do. NASA has also maintained thatdespite not knowing how exactly theyll return to Earththe astronauts are not actually stranded since the Starliner remains the Safe Haven in which the astronauts can shelter in the event of an emergency on the ISS that would require undocking from the station. But there does seem to be some daylight between Boeings expressed confidence and the level of risk NASA is comfortable withno Boeing representatives were present for Wednesdays media briefing. You have this unquantified and unknown risk of bringing the astronauts home on Starliner versus a better-understood set of risks, McDowell told TMD. Its not like Dragon is 100 percent safe, but they have high confidence in it. In 2020, SpaceXowned by Elon Muskbecame the first commercial spacecraft system certified by NASA to ferry people to the ISS. Boeing, historically a leader in the spacecraft industry, has spent more than a decade trying to catch up with Starliner and has lost $1.6 billion in the process. Starliners manned launch was originally planned for May but was delayed three times over separate mechanical and computer issues. Its unclear how much the thruster issues will set back Boeing in its quest to see Starliner certified as an ISS ferry. If you can get to a point where you understand the issue, and you can convince NASA that youve now fixed the issue for the next flight, then you can be certified, McDowell said. I dont think it matters for [certification] whether Starliner comes home with a crew or without. It does matter that it comes home intact. NASA has continued to stand by the program publicly, but the devil will be in the details. Weve got two very good companies, and we want to develop two strong and capable spacecraft, Bowersox said Wednesday. We still think we have a very good chance of doing that. But the answer is always in the data. Worth Your Time Will anything change at Columbia University following Minouche Shafiks resignation as president? Probably not, Seth Mandel argued in Commentary, because we live in the age of the interchangeable technocrat, the permanent managers who come and go through a revolving door filled with people who think like them, act like them, and fail like them. Minouche is part-and-parcel of that class, Mandel wrote. You dont have to worry about Minouche Shafik; she always lands on someones feet. Her life peerage in the House of Lords is nothing compared to her life peerage in the House of Technocrats. Truth is, Shafiks stacked resume should have been a warning signnot that she was overqualified for Columbia, but that she is part of a global class of bureaucrats who live and work on autopilot. She has reached that heralded point in her career at which her jobs are interchangeable. Once you are admitted to this class, there is little you can do to earn expulsion. Ilya Yashina Russian opposition politician and prisoner in Vladimir Putins Russia beginning in 2022 until his release this month in a prisoner swapwanted to be excluded from a prisoner swap. Why? Russia is my home, Yashin told the New Yorkers Joshua Yaffa. The mere thought that someone would kick me out of my home is outrageous. Why does Putin get to decide if I live here or not? Its just as much my country as his. Yashin, now residing in Berlin, explained the difficult adjustment to society after spending 18 months in a Russian prison. The other night, he went for a walk around Berlin and ended up on a wide, multilane thoroughfare, Yaffa wrote. His head started to spin. It was as if I were intoxicated, he told me. I hadnt been in such a wide-open space in two years. He caught himself a few times stepping outside his hotel room and, unconsciously, putting his hands behind his backa reenactment of the orders that guards gave every time they escorted him from his cell. Presented Without Comment CNN: Tim Walzs 2006 Campaign Falsely Described Details About His Arrest For Drunk Driving in 1995 According to court and police records connected to the incident, Walz admitted in court that he had been drinking when he was pulled over for driving 96 mph in a 55 mph zone in Nebraska. Walz was then transported by a state trooper to a local hospital for a blood test, showing he had a blood alcohol level of .128, well above the states legal limit of 0.1 at the time. But in 2006, his campaign repeatedly told the press that he had not been drinking that night, claiming that his failed field sobriety test was due to a misunderstanding related to hearing loss from his time in the National Guard. The campaign also claimed that Walz was allowed to drive himself to jail that night. None of that was true. Also Presented Without Comment New York Times: At News Conference, Donald Trump Says Hes Entitled to Personal Attacks Against Kamala Harris I dont have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think shell be a terrible president, he said, adding, She certainly attacks me personally. Also Also Presented Without Comment Business Insider: A Ukrainian Soldier Said Russian Troops in Kursk Were Sitting in the Forest and Drinking Coffee, Unaware They Were Being Invaded In the Zeitgeist We were sad to learn that two-time Oscar-nominated actress Gena Rowlands passed away on Wednesday at the age of 94 after being diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. Rowlands is best known for her critically acclaimed portrayals of intense, dramatic characters in films directed by her husband, fellow actor John Cassavetes. But we will mainly remember her in her role as an elderly Allie Calhoun in this mid-2000s tearjerker: Toeing the Company Line In the newsletters: Will argued we should be optimistic about geoengineering as a potential solution to climate change, and Nick waded into () the Jonah v. David showdown. On the podcasts: Sarah was joined on The Dispatch Podcast roundtable by Jonah and Megan McArdle to discuss David Frenchs controversial op-ed endorsing Kamala Harris and the meaning of voting. And Dispatch members should keep an eye on their Skiff () feeds later todayDavid and Jonah are going to hash things out mano a mano. On the site: Drucker dives into the vice presidential vetting process and why it typically takes longer than the two weeks Kamala Harris had, Scott Howard explains Donald Trumps appeal to young men, and Kevin zeroes in on the three reasons Trump is falling behind in the race: He is lazy, he is stupid, and he is childish. Let Us Know If you were the astronauts, would you wait to go home on the SpaceX ship or take your chances with the Boeing Starliner? Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. Asylum seekers in Germany risk deportation for secretly holidaying in their home country Afghanistan is considered so dangerous by Germany that it does not deport criminals back there - ALEX GRIMM/GETTY IMAGES Afghan asylum seekers in Germany are going on secret holidays back to the war-torn country despite claiming they fled persecution. Rogue travel agents are offering package holidays to Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, even though the country is deemed unsafe, the German broadcaster RTL reported. Germany has taken in around 300,000 refugees from Afghanistan, which has been under the rule of the Taliban since the United Statess chaotic withdrawal from the country in 2021. If asylum seekers in Germany are caught travelling back to the country from which they fled, they risk being stripped of their protected status. Afghanistan is considered so dangerous by Germany that it does not deport criminals back there, for fear their human rights will be abused. But according to RTLs documentary, there is a strong appetite among some Afghans who have claimed asylum in Germany to go back for discreet short trips, breaching German asylum laws. The Afghans are able to make the trips without alerting German authorities by using a double-entry visa, a card folded inside the passport that can be discarded upon returning to Germany. According to RTLs report, travel agents based in Hamburg, including some with links to Iran, help the Afghans to carry out the trips, where they can check in on friends and family they left behind. Germany has taken in around 300,000 refugees from Afghanistan, which has been under the rule of the Taliban since 2021 - SEAN GALLUP/GETTY IMAGES The report has angered Joachim Stamp, the German federal government commissioner for migration. Im furious: We are working tirelessly to bring more order to migration. The lack of consistency here is ruining a lot of things. Germany must remain cosmopolitan, but not stupid, he said. He added: The authorities must ensure that people who have applied for protection with us but are on holiday in their home country immediately lose their protection status and can no longer stay in Germany. Period. A spokesman for the interior ministry in Hamburg told the Bild newspaper: Travel to the alleged country of persecution naturally also calls into question the protection status. If there are easily accessible travel routes to Afghanistan, there is also the possibility of repatriation. The disclosure comes amid a tense debate in Germany about how to speed up the process of deporting foreigners who commit severe crimes in the country. An Afghan asylum seeker fatally stabbed a police officer in Mannheim in May as he attempted to murder a far-Right activist - BUERGERBEWEGUNG PAX EUROPA/REUTERS In May, an Afghan asylum seeker fatally stabbed a police officer in Mannheim as he attempted to murder a far-Right activist who was giving a speech in the area. Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, responded by vowing to reform and speed up German legal procedures for deporting Afghan and Syrian criminals. As part of those reforms, the German government has opened discreet negotiations with the Taliban and the Assad regime. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Athens apartment fire now under control after damaging multiple units ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) An Athens apartment fire is under control after it caused damage to multiple units on Thursday, Athens Fire & Rescue says. AFR said its crews were responding to a pallet plant fire in Tanner alongside other agencies when it received a call at 4:33 p.m. about a fire at Athens Park Apartment on West Elm Street. Multiple agencies respond to pallet plant fire in Tanner The fire at the apartment is now under control, officials said. According to Athens Fire, one unit at the apartment building has heavy damage, and others have smoke and/or water damage. Owens Volunteer Fire was also headed to the pallet plant fire when it rerouted to West Elm to assist AFR with the apartment fire. Today is an example of working together, AFR said in its Facebook post about the response. Thank you Owens! Athens crews are continuing to assist with the plant fire in Tanner. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) The Athens Police Department (APD) says the growing number of e-commerce transactions caused it to establish a zone in its parking lot for safe exchanges. The zone is located at the APD facility on Hobbs Street. Athens City Council, Mayor Marks comment on community concern about increase in Haitian migrants The department said the Exchange Zone includes two marked areas for people who need to exchange custody of children or exchange property, including Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace sales. It also has two surveillance cameras for recording. This is a safer option for those who have custody exchanges of children and for those who have concerns about buying or selling property online and meeting with a stranger to make the exchange, Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell said. Chief Pressnell also thanked the citys Public Works and its Street Department for assisting with the setup of the area. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. Moscow's Basmanny Court has extended the arrest of four participants in the attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow, Trend reports. According to the information, the court satisfied the petition for the investigation and extended the detention period of Dalerjon Mirzoev, Saidakram Rachabalizode, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Faizov until November 22. The records show that the court meeting was adjourned. All four are the direct perpetrators of the terrorist attack. The term of their arrest was to expire on August 22. To note, the terrorist attack took place on March 22. The assailants opened fire on spectators with automatic weapons and set fire to the auditorium. A total of 145 people were killed during the terror attack. On charges of committing the terrorist attack, 12 people were arrested. Portraits of the Indiana Supreme Court's justices hang in their chamber. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) The bipartisan commission charged with assuaging the states attorney shortage recommended funding legal practice startups and a regulatory sandbox agency among other budgetary and legislative suggestions in an interim report released Thursday. It comes ahead of the Legislatures brainstorm-filled interim committee meetings and its January budget-writing session. More than half the states 92 counties are considered legal deserts, defined as under one lawyer per 1,000 residents, according to the American Bar Association. This puts at risk access to justice for Hoosiers everywhere, Appeals Court Judge Nancy Vaidik and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Administrative Officer Justin Forkner wrote of the shortage. The duo, which chaired the Commission on Indianas Legal Future, called the crisis a challenge entirely of our professions own making. Therefore, (it is) one we are fully capable of correcting so long as we rise to the occasion together, they wrote. Stemming the tide will require bold and thoughtful innovation. The Indiana Supreme Court created the commission in April and gave it an August deadline for suggestions involving financial asks or legal changes. Thats because lawmakers are preparing to enter the biennial budget session. Budgeting for the legal field The group put forth five priority funding recommendations. At the top of its list was a stipend for legal practice startups, for use on expenses like rent, utilities, insurance, legal research services, databases, case management software and billing software. Those costs are most burdensome in the startup phase because the attorney is still building clientele, per the commission. It also noted that new, small firms cant benefit from economies of scale. A modest stipend to those lawyers, particularly newer lawyers, would alleviate some of those overhead stressors and incentivize lawyers to practice in areas of high legal need, the commission wrote. It next suggested funding scholarships for incoming law students whove committed to practicing as public prosecutors or defenders, similar to an existing program for Hoosier teachers. The county-funded gigs typically pay poorly, so the scholarships could help law students lower their post-graduation debt loads and keep them in public interest work, the commission wrote. It included a draft proposal for the scholarships. This (attorney shortage) puts at risk access to justice for Hoosiers everywhere. Appeals Court Judge Nancy Vaidik and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Administrative Officer Justin Forkner, commission co-chairs Third, the commission proposed a regulatory sandbox program allowing innovative legal offerings in a controlled manner outside the bounds of the typical rules governing the legal profession. It would authorize and evaluate non-traditional legal services pilots, as inspired by a 2020 Utah agency. Fourth, the commission recommended startup funding for law firms using a nonprofit model, and included a slide deck on the idea in its report. It cast the models sliding scale fee structure as a solution to the middle-class affordability gap, in which the rich can pay full price and the poor qualify for legal aid, with middle-class Hoosiers in the lurch. Finally, the commission encouraged the Indiana Supreme Court, the states bar association and law schools to establish a statewide legal incubator for attorneys who want to start private practices in legal deserts. Among several non-priority budget asks to address the attorney shortage were suggestions for student loan help, legal aid service supplementary funding and court technology boosts. Story continues below. lfc-interim-report Legislative, rule changes proposed The commission asked lawmakers for four amendments to Indiana code, beginning with a sandbox-friendly tweak complete with suggested legislative language. It would allow those participating in Indiana Supreme Court-approved initiatives to act as attorneys without committing a misdemeanor. Another change would let cities expand their hiring searches for law department leaders to those who live in contiguous counties, instead of the current single-county limit. A third proposal would loosen attorney requirements in small claims cases. Businesses could choose whether to hire counsel in actions worth up to $25,000 instead of being forced to find representation in claims worth more than $6,000. A fourth would encourage counties to allow public internet access in their courthouses by protecting them from civil liability in the event of a data breach. The commission also suggested nearly a dozen changes to court rules, like finalizing remote proceeding policies and cement(ing) them as part of the norm as opposed to an exception. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Other court rule recommendations included looser restrictions on attorneys licensed in other states, allowing artificial intelligence in court interpretation services, eliminating local bans on bringing electronic devices into courthouses, protecting judicial officers filmed without their knowledge, and offering attorneys working pro bono some discipline and liability protections. Indiana Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathryn Dolan said the court is reviewing the report and thanks the commission for its tremendous work. The court is seeking feedback via an online form, she said. An interim committee dedicated to courts and the judiciary exists, but wasnt specifically charged with studying the report, per a legislative council resolution. Theres still more to come. The commission must submit a final report on the attorney shortage to the high court by July 1, 2025. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) Augusta University obtained approval from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to offer a new PhD program focused on Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy. In an announcement on Aug. 14, the first day of the fall semester, AU explained that the new degree in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy will provide students a broad-based understanding of security studies. The program will be the first PhD offered by AUs Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. ALSO ON WJBF: Augusta University students head back to the classroom It makes sense to extend what we are doing with the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies program by adding a first-of-its-kind PhD in national defense, said Kim Davies, dean of Pamplin College. Dr. Craig Albert and the faculty involved in building this new PhD have done a tremendous job creating a rigorous, state-of-the-art program that will provide students with a strong, broad-based understanding of security studies, especially as it pertains to the United States national security and its stature in the international arena. Craig Albert, the graduate director of AUs Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies (MAISS) program, will be the director of the new PhD in national defense. Georgia and specifically Augusta are already firmly established at the center of the United States intelligence and cybersecurity mission, and it is our vision for Augusta University to become the academic hub for intelligence studies worldwide, said Albert. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. Austin police have issued an arrest warrant for a man in connection to a 44-year-old cold case wherein a University of Texas student was kidnapped, raped and killed. Using DNA evidence, Austin police believe 78-year-old Deck Brewer Jr., who is currently a prisoner in Massachusetts for an unrelated crime, played a part in the killing of 25-year-old Susan Leigh Wolfe, a nursing student at UT. A warrant was issued for Brewer's arrest on Wednesday, charging him with the murder of Wolfe. At about 10 p.m. on Jan. 9, 1980, police say Wolfe was abducted as she was walking to a friend's house after having her home sprayed for bugs. After 44 years, detectives with the Austin Police Department's Cold Case Unit filed murder charges against a man in connection to Susan Leigh Wolfe's death. A witness to the kidnapping said a driver of a 1970 Dodge Polara got out, grabbed Wolfe in a "bear hug," placed a coat over her head and forced her in the car. Police say that same witness also saw the passenger door open, but it's not certain what role the passenger played in the abduction. Police found Wolfe's body the next morning in an alley at 2000 E. 17th St. Police said she had been strangled and shot in the head. The autopsy also found that one person had sexually assaulted her. That evidence has been kept since then by the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory. More than 40 people were identified by police as persons of interest in the first year of the investigation, with police interviewing at least six people, some as far away as New York state. Detectives with the Austin Police Department's Cold Case Unit sent the DNA found in relation to the sexual assault to the Texas DPS Crime Laboratory on April 27, 2023. Austin police received the test results, which created a profile of the DNA. With that profile, police were able to eliminate the six people originally considered as suspects. Austin police issued a warrant for Deck Brewer Jr. on Aug. 14, charging him with the 1980 murder of Susan Leigh Wolfe. DPS then entered the DNA into a national database, where Brewer was identified as the possible suspect in March. Detectives with the Austin Police Department then obtained a warrant to get a direct DNA sample from Brewer in Massachusetts, which they obtained on July 13. While getting Brewer's DNA, police did a quick interview, in which Brewer told them he had been in Austin and San Antonio at about the time of the killing. When detectives told him his DNA had been found at the scene of a homicide, he asked for a lawyer. The DPS results of the direct comparison of Brewer's DNA to that found at the crime scene said that he "cannot be excluded" as the likely person whose DNA was found at the crime scene and that the probability of selecting an unrelated person is 1 in 550.5 quintillion. A quintillion is followed by 18 zeros. Police said this is still an active investigation, as detectives are still working to identify the passenger in the car. If you have any information about Wolfe's killing, you can contact the Cold Case Unit at 512-974-5250. You can also submit a tip anonymously ataustincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin police charge man in 1980 killing of UT student AUSTIN (KXAN) The Austin Police Department identified a suspect in a 1980 Austin cold case homicide and said an arrest warrant was issued for him. APD said in a release Friday morning an arrest warrant was issued for Deck Brewer Jr., 78, in connection with the death of Susan Leigh Wolfe. Brewer Jr. is currently in a Massachusetts prison, according to APDs release and Travis County court documents. DNA match possibly linked to 1980 Austin cold case, search warrant says On Jan. 9, 1980, Wolfe, who was 25 at the time and a student at the University of Texas, was kidnapped around 10 p.m. while walking to a friends house, according to APD. A witness to the kidnapping saw a car stop and the driver exited, grabbed Wolfe and placed a coat over her head, then forced her into the car, per the APD release. APD also noted in the release the witness said the passenger door of the car opened, but the witness didnt see what the passenger did. Wolfes body was found the next morning in an alley near 2000 East 17th Street. APD said the pathologist found evidence of ligature strangulation, determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death as homicide. During the autopsy, the pathologist found evidence of sexual assault left by one of the suspects. That evidence was retained by APD and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Crime Laboratory throughout the duration of the investigation. APD requests prison phone records for man possibly linked to 1980 Austin cold case APD said during the first year of the investigation, investigators tirelessly followed up on dozens of leads, investigated and tracked down numerous cars fitting the witnesss description, produced over 40 persons of interest, and interviewed at least six suspects, some as far away as New York state. In April 2023, detectives from the APD Cold Case Unit submitted evidence related to the sexual assault of Wolfe to the Texas DPS Crime Laboratory. The Austin Forensic Science Department and DPS Crime Laboratory evaluated the evidence and concluded it was suitable for testing. APD received those test results in February 2024, which produced a male Short Tandem Repeat (STR profile). The profile eliminated six known suspects as contributors to the evidence. DPS then entered it into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which is a computer software program that operates local, state, and national databases of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence, and missing persons. In March, APD received a notification from TX DPS that a possible match in CODIS was located in Massachusetts. A Massachusetts State Police Forensic Services Division report identified 78-year-old Deck Brewer Jr. as the possible contributor to the STR profile developed by TX DPS. According to APD, current arrest records show Brewer Jr. is currently incarcerated at the Massachusetts Department of Corrections on unrelated charges. On June 10, the Travis County District Court found probable cause to issue a DNA search warrant to seize a DNA sample from Brewer Jr. for direct comparison to the evidence found during Wolfes autopsy. On July 13, 2024, APD detectives executed the DNA search warrant in Massachusetts by obtaining the DNA sample from Brewer Jr. and interviewing him. APDs release said during that conversation, Brewer said he had been in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, around the time of the murder. APD said Brewer invoked his right to counsel after he was told his DNA was found at the scene of a homicide. On July 23, 2024, APD received the results of the direct comparison of Brewers DNA to the DNA found during the autopsy. The following is an excerpt from the DPS report: Deck Brewer Jr. cannot be excluded as the contributor of the partial major component in this DNA profile. The probability of selecting an unrelated person at random who could be the contributor of the partial major component in this DNA profile is approximately 1 in 550.5 quintillion. One quintillion is followed by 18 zeros. On August 14, the Austin Municipal Court found probable cause to issue an arrest warrant charging Deck Brewer Jr. with the murder of Susan Leigh Wolfe. APD said the investigation is ongoing and the department is following leads to try to identify the passenger that was in the car at the time of Wolfes abduction. Anyone with information related to this case should call the APD Cold Case unit at 512-974-5250. You may submit a tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. KXAN is working to obtain the arrest warrant. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. By Renju Jose SYDNEY (Reuters) - The leaders of Australia and New Zealand said on Friday the AUKUS trilateral defence pact would boost regional security and stability, as both countries warned they were facing the most challenging strategic environment since World War Two. New Zealand is not a party to the defence pact between the United States, Australia and Britain but has been looking to explore a potential collaboration on "pillar two" of the agreement that focuses on shared military technology. The "pillar two" of the AUKUS pact is separate from the first pillar designed to deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. "We share very much common values and we share common objectives, and it is not surprising we will look at any opportunity for including New Zealand in pillar two," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a media briefing with his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon. The U.S. has said the door was open for New Zealand to engage on AUKUS. The comments came after the U.S. State Department on Thursday said Australia, Britain and the U.S. now have comparable export-control regimes, a significant step needed to facilitate technology sharing on AUKUS. Security ties with Australia, New Zealand's only formal defence ally, would remain close, Luxon said. "Our intention is to say we want to be fully interoperable with Australia's defence forces," Luxon said. Both nations signed a deal last year to help improve the capability and readiness of military personnel. A joint statement released after a meeting between Albanese and Luxon in Canberra said they had committed to "working in lockstep like never before to ensure our nations' security and prosperity". The prime ministers said they had "grave concern about dangerous, destabilising and provocative behaviour in the South China Sea" and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Both leaders highlighted threats from cyber intrusions and said they would consider hacks as an armed attack if that threatened the territorial integrity, political independence or security of either nation. (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Sonali Paul) Australia, US look to joint production of hypersonic missile, US lawmaker says Republicans work towards electing a new Speaker of the House on Capitol Hill, in Washington By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) - Joint production of hypersonic missiles by Australia and the United States could reduce strain on the U.S. defence industrial base and boost deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul said in Sydney on Friday. In an interview, the chair of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee said the Australian manufacture of the cutting-edge weapons provided an example of how streamlined licensing of sensitive U.S. defence technology, and licence exemptions on 70% of defence exports to Australia from Sept. 1, would help the U.S. compete with China in developing advanced weapons. Hypersonic missiles, which travel in the upper atmosphere more than five times faster than sound, were tested by China in 2021, prompting a technology race with the United States. Their recent use by Russia in the Ukraine war, sparked concern among members of NATO. A Chinese hypersonic weapon "could hit Australia in a matter of minutes and Australia cannot stop that right now. So we need to catch up to that," McCaul said. "I was at a hypersonic company just yesterday and we want to move towards co-production," he added. "It is already starting and that is the exciting thing and it will help relieve the stress that we see on the defence industrial base," he added. Australia is testing a Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) with the United States, which it will consider as its first such weapon for fighter jets, the defence and foreign ministers of the two countries said after talks last week. McCaul said his visit focused on the AUKUS partnership with the United States and Britain to transfer nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, as well as develop other advanced defence technologies. The AUKUS alliance was an example of a U.S. ally spending more on its own defence, he said, when asked if a re-elected Donald Trump would continue to back a growing U.S. defence posture in Australia, and the sale of U.S. nuclear submarines next decade. AUKUS talks had started under the Republican Trump presidency, he added. "I think there will be strong support for it," he said. Rotations of U.S. nuclear submarines through Australia under AUKUS are a deterrent factor in the region, where the Philippines is under pressure from China in the South China Sea, he said, after visiting the Philippines. "Chairman Xi, I think, fears this alliance more than anything else because he knows what it means - it means that nuclear submarines will be rotating, but also these innovative technologies that we have," he added, in a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping. In Beijing this week, the Chinese foreign ministry said AUKUS "harms efforts" to keep the region peaceful and secure and exacerbates the arms race. (Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Australian breaker Rachael Gunn says ridicule of her Olympic performance has been devastating SYDNEY (AP) Australian breaker Rachael Gunn said the backlash to her much-ridiculed Olympic performance has been devastating, adding Thursday that she took the competition seriously and gave her best effort. The 36-year-old b-girl known as Raygun said in a video posted to social media that she wasnt prepared for the level of negative attention she has received since judges awarded her zero points in her Olympic debut. Meanwhile, the Australian Olympic Committee criticized an anonymous online petition attacking the Paris Games competitor, saying it was vexatious, misleading and bullying. Australias Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, competes during the Round Robin Battle at the breaking competition at La Concorde Urban Park at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) I didnt realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has, frankly, been pretty devastating, Gunn said. But I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly. The sport of breaking made its Olympic debut in Paris, and one of the lasting images was the performance of Gunn, a 36-year-old university professor from Sydney who did a kangaroo dance among other questionable moves during her routine and did not receive a single point from any of the nine judges in either round. Gunn was subsequently mocked for her efforts, including a parody on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in the United States. In the video, she said she was subjected to abuse that went beyond criticism of her dance moves. Id really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader street dance community, she said. Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this. So I ask you to please respect their privacy. Gunn, who has not yet returned to Australia, received strong support from Australian Olympic team leader Anna Meares while in Paris. On Thursday, the AOC went a step further, taking aim at what it called erroneous material published online. Chief executive officer Matt Carroll said the the AOC had written to Change.org, which had published a petition criticizing Gunn and the AOC, demanding that it be withdrawn. More than 40,000 people had signed the petition claiming Gunn had manipulated Olympic qualification processes. Change.org said in a statement Thursday that it removed the petition after flagging it for misinformation. Change.org maintains strict guidelines against content that constitutes harassment, bullying, or spreading false information, the statement said. We take such matters seriously and remove any content that violates these standards to protect our users and uphold the integrity of our community. Carroll said the petition contained numerous falsehoods designed to engender hatred against an athlete who was selected in the Australian Olympic team through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process. It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way, Carroll said. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory. We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way. Breaking at the Olympics might have been one-and-done in Paris. The sport is not on the competition list for Los Angeles in 2028, and also is unlikely to appear in 2032 at Brisbane, Australia. Online criticism of Gunn this past week has included suggestions that the Oceania qualifying event held in Sydney last October was set up to favor her, and questioned the judging that allowed Gunn to qualify. The AOC said Thursday the Oceania qualifying event was conducted under the Olympic qualification system determined by the international governing body, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), and approved by International Olympic Committee. It said the judging panel for the event was selected by the WDSF and consisted of nine independent international judges. Unattributed social media comments also suggested Gunn and her husband, fellow breaker Samuel Free, had held positions within Australian breaking organizations. Rachael Gunn holds no position with AUSBreaking or DanceSport Australia in any capacity, the AOC said Thursday. She is simply an athlete who competed in the qualifying event which she won. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. MEMPHIS, Tenn. An infant left in a hot car in Collegedale, Tennessee died of cardiac arrest on Monday, police say. Timothy Blackdeer, the father of the infant, is now being charged with Reckless Homicide and Aggravated Child Abuse or Neglect. Police say they were working in the active school zone at Collegedale Academy when Blackdeer asked officers for help because his child was unresponsive. According to police, the baby was in the parked car, which was not running for most of the day while the father worked at a nearby construction site. AR mom sentenced to 40 years after sons body found under floor Reports say the infant was pronounced dead at TC Thompson Childrens Hospital. The temperature inside a car can increase by 20 degrees just in ten minutes, Manager for Injury Prevention and Safe Kids Mid-South, Jennifer Lopez. It can get extremely hot and it does not have to be an extremely hot day. Authorities have not released why the child was left inside the car. The advocacy group ChildCare Aware founded in 2022 reported families in the U.S. spend an average of $11,000 on child care each year, which amounts to a nearly 250% increase since 1991. In recent months the rise in prices has accelerated Its not great to leave a child in a car at all not even for a minute. I understand childcare can be costly but we want all our children to be safe, said Lopez. Lopez says even if you have the a/c running, the windows down, and will only be gone for one minute, your child should go with you. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. She says a childs body can overheat three to five times faster than an adults body. According to the Department of Transportation, 40 children die each year from heatstroke because of being left in the car or becoming trapped inside. Lopez says if you see a child left in a car, its important to act fast. Make sure to have someone call 911 immediately because they can probably get there really quickly, said Lopez. If you are able to get the child out of the car, make sure they are in a cool place. She says to have a cold towel on them, air conditioning, or put them in the shade. If you feel like the child is not responding, CPR would be great to perform if no one is there. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Baby found unresponsive in Lexington may have been left in car for extended period, DA says Baby found unresponsive in Lexington may have been left in car for extended period, DA says A baby boy who was found unresponsive in a parking lot outside of a daycare in Lexington earlier this week may have been left in a hot car for an extended period, investigators said Thursday. Officers responding to a report of an unresponsive infant inside his mothers vehicle in the parking lot of Sol-Solecito on Massachusetts Avenue around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday rushed the baby to an area hospital, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Lexington Police Chief Michael McLean. This embedded content is not available in your region. The baby, who would have celebrated his first birthday at the end of August, was ultimately pronounced dead. In a statement released Thursday, Ryan and McLean said, The preliminary investigation suggests that the child had never entered the daycare on the day of his death and that he may have been in the car for an extended period of time. Boston 25 News learned that the child attended Sol-Solecito Daycare. The founder of the business, Nelly Mayorga, said in a statement that the infant wasnt present when staff took attendance around 9 a.m. When the mom in question later showed up to pick up her son at 5:20 p.m., staff told her he wasnt there and she became agitated. A staffer then asked a key question, according to Mayorga: If your son was never here today where would he be? Mayorga said the mom ran out to her car and found the baby unresponsive. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is now working to determine the babys cause and manner of death. State police detectives assigned to Ryans office are assisting Lexington police with an investigation. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW GMT Watch Safari (day 1). Embark on a journey through Audemars Piguet's centuries-old history at its Musee Atelier, where technical and aesthetic expertise come together. That's the programme for the afternoon of Day 1 of the first GMT Watch Safari, a week of total immersion at the heart of Switzerland's finest watchmakers from 27 October to 1 November 2024. Join us on the Watch Safari! To celebrate its 24th anniversary, GMT Magazine is organizing a week-long adventure for 24 watch enthusiasts, spanning from Geneva to Schaffhausen, with stops in Neuchatel and the Vallee de Joux. The itinerary includes exclusive visits of the workshops and manufactures where exceptional timepieces are born. Here's a sneak preview of the programme for Day 1, which begins with a visit to the Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in the morning, followed by an afternoon tour of the Musee Atelier Audemars Piguet. A journey through time Nestled in the heart of the Vallee de Joux, in the village of Le Brassus, the Musee Atelier combines innovative museography with contemporary architecture designed by the BIG group, illustrating the visionary and traditional expertise of Haute Horlogerie. The museum combines the Maison des Fondateurs, where the original workshop was founded in 1875, with a cutting-edge glass spiral structure. A crossroads of eras, this architectural marvel houses some 300 timepieces, illustrating over two centuries of watchmaking history. The visit features sculptures, automata, kinetic installations, intricate mechanical models and educational exhibits. Visitors can explore ancestral techniques such as satin-finishing and circular-graining at work-benches and admire a number of precision masterpieces, such as the Universelle, a highly complicated pocket watch from 1899. After the museum tour, GMT Watch Safari participants will enjoy an exhibition at the Piaget VIP lounge in Geneva over cocktails, before returning to their hotel, the Fraser Suites Geneva. Join them by registering here. Baby K to spend at least 25 years in prison for attempted murder PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) A teenager known as Baby K was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison on Friday for attempting to murder someone on a school bus in May of 2023. In March, the now-17-year-old Kaden Holland pleaded guilty to the attack. In court, the judge called the attack willful, premeditated and deliberate, handing down a 69-year prison sentence with all but 25 years suspended. Baby K accepts plea deal in trial for attempted murder on Prince Georges County school bus According to the Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD), Holland and two other teenagers ran onto a school bus on May 1, 2023, and started attacking a student. PGPD said that Holland tried to fire at the teenagers head at least three times, but the gun jammed. At Hollands sentencing, the victims mother said she moved her son across the country to get a sense of normalcy back for them. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. CLEVELAND (WJW) Cleveland Metropolitan School District recently announced a new policy that will require students to lock up their cell phones while at school. Beginning this academic school year, all CMSD schools will create cell-phone-free environments to improve student learning and academic performance. Each school will have a system in place for storing phones during school hours. Some schools will use the Yondr program, which provides secure pouches for phones. These pouches will stay with students throughout the school day, ensuring their phones are safely stored while minimizing distractions. the policy reads. Back to school: New laws in effect this school year The new policy is similar to that of Akron Public Schools where the district requires students to lock their phones in YONDR bags, which are locking pouches, at the start of a school day. When they leave the building for the day, the pouches can be magnetically unlocked and opened. Its quieter than it used to be; we dont have the number of fights that we used to, said Don Zesiger, Akron Public Schools former Director of Security after the policy was instituted there beginning last fall. Earlier this year, Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine signed House Bill 250 into law, which requires all public schools in the state to create its own cell phone policy. There is a broad consensus today that cell phones in schools are not good, said Dewine when signing the bill in May. If children are using their cell phones for monitoring medical conditions such as insulin and so forth, those things are going to be allowed and will be allowed to continue, said Sen. Edward Brenner, the head of the Ohio Senate Education Committee following the signing of HB 250. I think first and most immediately, its a distraction. I mean, you really do get addicted to that immediate gratification of picking up and, you know, seeing how many likes you got on Instagram or how many views you got on TikTok. I mean, students really get fixated on that, said Dr. Charles Smialek, Superintendent of Parma Schools, where cell phones are currently banned in classrooms. Parents have been supportive. They understand these are not good in terms of being of learning tools in classrooms, he added. The most astonishing recommendation comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics. So the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that there be zero screen time per day. The problem with that is its nearly impossible, said Dr. Elizabeth Harris, a psychologist with University Hospitals in Cleveland. So there is, of course, a wide spectrum of the needs for technology in different kids. But for sure, we will see kids that have or display symptoms of an addiction to technology, said Harris, who favors schools leaving their policies flexible. There are kids that probably do not need screens at all, but there are other kids who require it. Schools like Riverside High School in Painesville have adopted a flexible policy. Some teachers will make you put them in phone pockets where others say keep it in your pocket until you are done, said Camden Herrmann, a Riverside Junior. A panel of Riverside students assembled by Fox 8 News overwhelmingly did not mind being separated from their phones during a school day, but preferred having them where they could use them during their downtime. I feel like a decent amount of kids usually try to sneak them, play games when they should be doing their work, said Cohen Gielink, a Riverside sophmore. Its more just a way for me to keep in touch with people just in case something goes wrong, or I dont know its just a big safety thing for me, said Liam Forehlich, a Riverside Senior House Bill 250 does not require schools to eliminate cell phones in schools, although for those in some of the states highest elected offices that is the preferred policy. The testimony of the school leaders is clear smartphones in schools are problematic and when we eliminate them we have better test scores better academic results and a better culture in our school, said Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. The psychology of getting back to routine as kids return to school Eliminating smart phones in schools leads to improved academic performance, reduces bullying and lessens disciplinary issues all things that we would like to see more of change as soon as you enact this policy, said Husted. The state saying that school districts need to address the issue and do it in a way that focuses attention on learning and engagement and do so in a way that really prioritizes student safety and the safety of adults who work at the school, I think is a good idea, said Scott DiMauro, President of the Ohio Education Association. The new law does not require public school districts in Ohio to immediately draft their policy, but gives them until July 2025, the start of the 2025-26 school year, to have a policy in place. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. The initiative has been handed to the Cabinet Office, led by Pat McFadden, the former Labour election campaign chief - Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph Labour ministers are considering reversing a ban on hiring civil service roles dedicated to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) following pressure from unions. A crackdown was launched under the Conservatives last autumn amid concerns taxpayer cash was being wasted on promoting woke hobby horse issues. It affected some 400 roles that ex-ministers claimed were now dedicated full-time to EDI. But on Friday, the Cabinet Office suggested the initiative was under review after a spokesman refused to confirm whether it would continue under Labour. It is understood that no final decision has been taken. Civil service unions have been highly critical of the crackdown on EDI, with the rank-and-file Public and Commercial Services Union and the managers-focused FDA both accusing Tory ministers of playing politics and waging a culture war on staff. Under the Tory initiative, Esther McVey announced some civil service roles would effectively be scrapped - Anadolu In May, Esther McVey, the former common sense minister, announced that EDI-dedicated civil service roles would effectively be scrapped, with staff instead merged into human resources departments and given other tasks. Only work on equality matters that were mandated by law would continue, she said. Civil servants were also told that symbolic rainbow-coloured lanyards would be banned, with all government employees instead given identical lanyards to wear. Writing for the Telegraph at the time, Ms McVey said: We need to stop the back door politicisation of the civil service, which diverts time and resources away from that focus on the public. We have too often seen them distracted by fashionable hobby horses, especially when it comes to issues like equality and diversity. However, unions have been lobbying against the changes and on Friday said they were now urging Labour to drop the proposals. The initiative, though initially started by Mr Hunt in the Treasury, now appears to have been handed to the Cabinet Office, led by former Labour election campaign chief Pat McFadden who is seen as one of Sir Keir Starmers top enforcers. Review was ill-defined Lauren Crowley, assistant general secretary at the FDA union, which represents middle-managers and senior members of the civil service, told the Telegraph: The previous governments review was ill-defined, and their findings were never published. Jeremy Hunts claims about the money spent on EDI were disputable at best. However, as the review was never published, we were never given an opportunity to engage with the evidence. We ask the Cabinet Office for a considered, evidence-driven and transparent long-term strategy which will deliver inclusive and diverse workplaces. The politically driven and opaque project undertaken by the previous government was designed to stoke culture wars and division and should be scrapped. Asked whether the EDI changes instigated under the Tories would continue, a Cabinet Office spokesman said: Our entire focus is delivering the change working people expect. Its important we support civil servants with the tools necessary to deliver. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Activists protest against Bangladeshi former PM Hasina at University of Dhaka's TSC, in Dhaka By Ruma Paul, Krishn Kaushik, Devjyot Ghoshal and Krishna N. Das DHAKA (Reuters) -Student demonstrators who ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have rejected calls from Bangladesh's two main political parties for quick elections and are considering creating their own party to sustain their movement, according to interviews with four protest leaders. Their hope: to avoid a repeat of the last 15 years, in which Hasina ruled the country of some 170 million people with an iron fist. In June, a handful of student leaders most in their early-to-mid 20s - began organising demonstrations against a law reserving coveted government jobs for certain segments of the population. Within two months, Hasina's government was swept away by an upswell of popular anger at the brutality of its crackdown on anti-quota protesters. At least 300 people were killed in the single largest bout of violence since Bangladesh's war of independence from Pakistan in 1971. The movement was hailed as a Gen Z revolution, spurred by young Bangladeshis' anger at years of jobless growth, allegations of kleptocracy, and shrinking civil liberties. An interim government headed by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus - which includes two student leaders in senior positions - now runs the country. For most of the past three decades, Bangladesh has been governed either by Hasina's Awami League or the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of her rival Khaleda Zia, both of whom are in their 70s. Student leaders have discussed forming a political party to end the duopoly, said Mahfuj Alam, who chairs a committee tasked with liaising between the government and social groups such as teachers and activists. A decision would be made in about a month, the 26-year-old law student told Reuters, adding that protest leaders wanted to consult widely with citizens before deciding on a platform. Details of the students' plans for their movement's political future have not previously been reported. "People are really tired of the two political parties. They have trust in us," he said, at the gates of Dhaka University's Arts Faculty. After the story was published, Alam said on Facebook his statement to Reuters "had come out wrong" and that the students' main focus was to maintain the spirit of the mass uprising and to consolidate the government. "We are not thinking about political organizations right now," he said in the Facebook post, adding that the priority was broad reform of the political system. "Everyone will know what the political structure will be at the appropriate time." Tahmid Chowdhury, another student coordinator who helped bring down Hasina, said there was a "high chance" they would form a political party. They were still working out their program, though he said it would be rooted in secularism and free speech. "We don't have any other plan that could break the binary without forming a party," said the 24-year-old graduate student in world religion. The student leaders in interim government have not specified what policies they intend to pursue, beyond sweeping institutional changes - such as reforming the electoral commission handpicked by Hasina - to avoid another spell of authoritarian rule. "The spirit of the movement was to create a new Bangladesh, one where no fascist or autocrat can return," said Nahid Islam, 26, a key protest organiser who sits in Yunus' cabinet. "To ensure that, we need structural reforms, which will definitely take some time." The government is not considering calls from the Awami League and BNP to hold fresh polls as early as fall, said Islam, who holds the telecommunications portfolio. The regime change has forced out the chief justice, the central bank governor and the police chief who oversaw the crackdown on the students, among other officials. A spokesperson for Yunus, who has said he is not keen on holding elected office, did not return a request for comment. Touhid Hossain, a career diplomat serving as Yunus' de facto foreign minister, told Reuters the students had not discussed their political plans with the technocrats. But he added: "the political scenario is going to change because we have basically excluded the young generation from politics." Yunus, an 84-year-old economist whose microcredit programs helped lift millions globally out of poverty, wields moral authority but there are doubts over what his administration can achieve. "We are totally in uncharted waters, both legally and politically," said Shahdeen Malik, a constitutional expert. "The powers of this interim government are not defined because there is no constitutional provision." Reuters interviewed more than 30 people, including key student leaders, Hasina's son and adviser Sajeeb Wazed, opposition politicians and army officers to assess the divisions left in the wake of the protests and the prospects for the new government. Hasina, whose son said she hopes to return to Bangladesh, couldn't be reached for comment. "The political parties are not going anywhere. You cannot wipe us out," Wazed told Reuters from the United States, where he lives. "Sooner or later, either the Awami League or the BNP will be back in power. Without our help, without our supporters, you are not going to be able to bring stability to Bangladesh." COLLABORATORS On July 19, as Hasina's supporters and police battled student demonstrators, authorities detained three of the movement's most important leaders: Islam, Asif Mahmud and Abu Baker Mojumder. Mojumder told Reuters that he was sedated and beaten by law enforcement. The treatment, he said, solidified his view that Hasina had to go. The new police chief Mainul Islam did not respond to Reuters' questions for this story. Previous protests had fizzled when leaders were detained but this time demonstrations raged on. Expecting to be arrested, the core of about two dozen coordinators had formed a structure in which they were supported by layers of other student-activists, said Islam, a veteran of previous protests. Missteps by Hasina, meanwhile, fuelled public anger against her. While the students had protested for more than a month, they were largely limited to public university campuses. Then, on July 14, Hasina held a news conference. Half an hour in, she half-smilingly referred to the demonstrators as "razakars". The pejorative describes people who collaborated with Pakistan during the 1971 war, which she contrasted with descendants of freedom fighters for whom many government jobs would be reserved. The comment ignited furious mass protests. At Dhaka University, male demonstrators were joined by female students who broke out of their five halls of residences, whose gates are locked in the evenings, said Umama Fatema, 25, a female student coordinator. The next day, the Awami League's student wing moved to suppress demonstrations and clashes erupted, with sticks, iron rods and stones for weapons. 'STOP THE VIOLENCE' The escalation in violence that week expanded the demonstrations from public campuses to private institutions, said Nayeem Abedin, a 22-year-old coordinator at the private East-West University. "We had a responsibility to come out to the street for our brothers," he said. Students at such institutions typically come from Bangladesh's middle class that expanded rapidly during the robust economic growth that Hasina oversaw over much of her term. "It felt like a turning point," said Islam. "Private university students joined in, and unexpectedly, so did many parents." At least 114 people were killed by the end of that week, with hundreds more hurt. The scale of the crackdown shocked even some in the Awami League elite. "I also told my mother: 'no, we need to immediately tell Chhatra League not to attack, stop the violence,'" said Wazed, without providing further details. "We suspended the police officers that shot at students." At least two officers were suspended in early August after a video depicting the killing of a student went viral online. The student leaders plan to prosecute police and paramilitary accused of abuse. On July 21, Bangladesh's Supreme Court, whose judges were effectively appointed by Hasina, ruled that 93% of state jobs should be open to competition, meeting a key demand of the students. The demonstrations continued to grow. Hasina declared an indefinite curfew on Aug. 4, a day after at least 91 people were killed. The army told the prime minister that evening it would not enforce the lockdown. "The army chief didn't want more bloodshed," said one serving officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to talk to media. "People from all walks of life were joining." The next day, as crowds marched to her official residence, Hasina fled to India. (Additional reporting by Maksud Un Nabi, Sam Jahan and Charlotte Greenfield; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Krishna N. Das; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Katerina Ang) In a sign of how deeply issues involving Israel and antisemitism have permeated local and state government, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area is launching an affiliated political advocacy arm to support politicians who have stood with the Jewish community and fight back, politically, against those who have not, Jewish Insider has learned exclusively. With Bay Area Jewish Action, or BAJA, the Bay Area JCRC will be the first Jewish community relations council in the United States with an adjacent political organization. It is being launched in a progressive hotspot that has seen some of the most serious examples of antisemitism and anti-Israel activity in the country since the Hamas terror attacks of Oct. 7. This is our way of saying we want to be there for those candidates and elected officials that have had our back, and we want those that have betrayed us to know that there are consequences for mistreating the Jewish community and allowing the spread of antisemitism, Tyler Gregory, CEO of the JCRC, told Jewish Insider on Thursday. He will also serve as executive director of BAJA. BAJA does not intend to make endorsements. Instead, according to Gregory, it will empower smaller, grassroots networks in the nine-county Bay Area to get involved in political organizing and to educate friends and candidates about the issues that matter to the Jewish community. We need Jews to get more involved with politics and campaigns and local Democratic parties and labor unions, and were not allowed to do that work as a tax deductible 501(c)(3), he said of the rationale behind BAJA. Instead, as a 501(c)(4) organization, BAJA can engage in advocacy and political activities that ordinary nonprofits are legally not permitted to do. We need to train people to work on campaigns and to fundraise for elected officials that are aligned with their values, Gregory said. Only in the past couple of years have pro-Israel political activists begun to focus their attention on local races. In New York, a similar group called New York Solidarity Network engages in political advocacy on the local level; Gregory said he took a page out of their playbook. But NYSN is not affiliated with any other Jewish nonprofits. The need for local advocacy on Jewish communal issues has become particularly acute after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks, as hundreds of city councils around the country considered resolutions on the war in Gaza that were often one-sided and, at worst, antisemitic, and antisemitic lesson plans made their way into K-12 schools. Were focusing on lifting up our champions, those that have been vocal in their condemnation of antisemitism, those that have blocked antisemitic resolutions from coming to city halls and that really deserve our kavod, our thanks, said Gregory. Well also be looking at a handful of races where there are candidates that have betrayed us or made conditions worse for Jews in their jurisdictions, and if they have a credible challenger that is supportive of our community and our values, thats also a place where were going to get involved. San Francisco has been a locus of political activity related to the war in Gaza. This week, San Franciscos district attorney issued criminal charges for 26 anti-Israel protesters who shut down the Golden Gate Bridge for hours in April. In November, an Oakland City Council meeting where a cease-fire resolution was considered went viral when some of the local residents who offered testimony espoused conspiracy theories about the attack and publicly proclaimed support for Hamas. Anti-Jewish hate crimes in San Francisco quadrupled in 2023. The JCRC already has relationships with local elected officials through education programs, coalition-building and trips it organizes to Israel for public officials. (Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Israel with JCRC in 2004, when she was San Francisco district attorney.) But right now, the JCRC cant publicly support or oppose any of them, or encourage community members to do the same. Gregory said he is confident the interest will be there, pointing to Jewish activists long-standing involvement in national elections. Only recently have the stakes of local races become so clear. Federal politics has been seen as sexier all along, right? We care a lot about Congress. It conducts foreign policy. It has a direct impact on our lives. And theres been strong national Jewish organizations doing that work, Gregory said. People have woken up to the importance of local and state government in their lives, both as Jews and as citizens. BAJA will consider four areas when it looks at candidates: combating antisemitism; Jewish inclusion, which Gregory said is especially relevant for school boards when it comes to ethnic studies and how Jewish Americans are presented; support for the U.S.-Israel relationship; and Jewish values. That fourth item means BAJA wont support anyone who doesnt align with the JCRC on key social issues, particularly its support for the LGBTQ community and for abortion access. The main purpose of BAJA, Gregory said, is to make sure local politicians know one thing: Actions have consequences, positive and negative, he explained. Were not going to let actions that undermine our safety in this community go unnoticed anymore. View comments PANAMA CITY A Bay District Schools student has been arrested and accused of posting a threat against a school staff member on social media. Bay District Schools released a statement regarding this matter on Thursday. We know how terrifying these threats are for everyone involved students, parents/guardians, teachers, and our entire community, the statement says. We want to emphasize that we are committed to keeping our schools safe. The district did not provide the student's age or school, nor any specifics about the threat. The district did make one thing clear: Any student who makes a threat, whether verbally or digitally, will face law enforcement consequences and possible criminal charges. Bay District Schools is encouraging parents to talk to their children about how serious this matter is. More school news: Bay District Schools welcomes students on Monday for start of 2024-2025 school year Please, take the time to talk to your children about the gravity of these situations, the district statements says. Encourage them to speak with a trusted adult at school if they feel angry, upset, or overwhelmed. We are all in this together, and keeping our schools safe is a responsibility we all share, the statement added. Let's work together to ensure that no more students are arrested or charged this year. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay District Schools announces arrest of student accused of online threat Kim Jong-un has been pictured surrounded by crying children reaching for food in a dining hall in Pyongyang. More than 15,000 North Koreans have flocked to the capital after devastating flooding struck the country. Kim has rejected offers for help, including those from Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying that his government has already taken measures to conduct recovery work. North Korea has denied that there were any casualties. Kim travelled to flood-hit areas earlier this week in his bulletproof train, with his large armoured car on board. Other photographs taken in Pyongyang on Thursday showed Kim being greeted by waving crowds as he visited lodging areas for those who had escaped the floods. Kim greets the thousands of victims who have travelled to Pyongyang from flood-hit areas - STR/AFP Kim and his entourage travel via dinghy in the North Pyongan province - STR/AFP VIA GETTY North Koreas state news agency said thousands of victims travelled to Pyongyang from flood-hit areas in the North Pyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces. Severe flooding struck North Korea earlier this month, with reports from South Korea that the number of dead or missing people could be as high as 1,500. It is thought that more than 4,000 homes in north-western areas have been affected. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. FILE - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko holds a candle while visiting the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam monastery with Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Valaam Island in Ladoga Lake in Russia on July 25, 2024. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) TALLINN, Estonia (AP) Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 30 prisoners convicted for taking part in protests, the presidential office said Friday. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader-in-exile, welcomed the move but vowed to keep fighting until each of nearly 1,400 political prisoners in the country is set free. Lukashenko's office said that he has pardoned 14 women and 16 men, including some elderly people and those who had grave illnesses. It didn't give their names. The 2020 presidential election, widely seen as a sham both at home and abroad, gave Lukashenko his sixth term in office and touched off the biggest protests and crackdown on dissent in Belarus in its post-Soviet history. Lukashenkos government responded to the protests with a brutal crackdown, in which over 35,000 people were arrested and thousands were beaten. Many opposition figures were convicted and given long prison terms, while others fled abroad. Lukashenko, who this year marked three decades in power, has survived the protests thanks to staunch support from Moscow. He allowed Russian troops to use Belarus territory to invade Ukraine in 2022 and let Moscow deploy some tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. The Viasna human rights group estimates that Belarus now has about 1,400 political prisoners, including the groups founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. Viasna said earlier this month that 65,000 people have faced arrests since the start of the protests. In July, Belarusian authorities released 18 political prisoners who were gravely ill, including opposition leader Ryhor Kastusiou, suffering from cancer. Tsikhanouskaya, who was forced to leave Belarus under pressure from authorities after challenging Lukashenko in the 2020 vote, said Friday that the pardoning of 30 more political prisoners was a small but important step forward. But my heart aches knowing that every day, more people are being detained, and so many remain behind bars," Tsikhanouskaya said. "We wont stop fighting until every one of them is free. By Mark Trevelyan (Reuters) -Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 30 people who were convicted of taking part in protests, state media reported on Friday. The country's exiled opposition said it welcomed the move, which it said would mean the release of some prisoners who were seriously ill, but that none of Lukashenko's most prominent critics were on the list of those to be freed. "These are people who either have a health condition or cancer or very complicated family situations, with children. Half of them are women, from what we know, but no big names there," Franak Viacorka, an aide to exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, told Reuters. Tsikhanouskaya said in a statement: "This is great news, regardless of the reasons, and we hope to see more. But let's not forget: arrests continue every day, and many still remain imprisoned. We will keep fighting for the freedom of every single one." Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been in power for three decades. In 2020 he used his police and security forces to crush mass protests after an election that the opposition and the West accused him of rigging to cheat Tsikhanouskaya of victory. State news agency Belta said 14 women and 16 men had been pardoned, including pensioners and people with serious illnesses. It did not give any of their names. "They all admitted guilt, sincerely repented of their actions and committed to leading a law-abiding lifestyle. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will ensure control over the fulfillment of such obligations on behalf of the head of state," Belta said. Viacorka said the pardons formalised a process in which 19 people had already left prison last month, and others had been freed in the past few days or were in the process of being released. Human rights groups say some 1,400 political prisoners are being held in Belarus. Among the best known are Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, 2020 protest leader Maria Kalesnikava and Syarhey Tsikhanouski, husband of Sviatlana. In recent months, dozens of other Nobel Prize winners have joined calls on Lukashenko to free all the detainees. Viacorka said those freed were on a list that the opposition and human rights groups had handed to Belarusian authorities through diplomats and international organisations. "Frankly speaking we are happy that some lives may be saved," he said in a telephone interview, adding that their names were not being made public at this point. "People are released from small prisons to a big prison, which is Belarus. And before they are abroad, they are not safe," he said. (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Angus MacSwan) Minsk summons EU, Ukrainian diplomats, and addresses UN, OSCE over alleged drone incursion from Ukraine. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko pushes a bill to criminalize violence and threats against incumbent or former presidents of Belarus, unauthorized reports on movements of the Belarusian military. The U.S., and allies impose new sanctions against Lukashenko and his regime on the fourth anniversary of protests against the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections in Belarus. A 63-year-old Belarusian woman is sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for giving financial aid to political prisoners. A new study reports a record-high number of politically motivated cases in Belarus over the last four years, and predicts increasing pressure on dissent ahead of the 2025 presidential elections. Subscribe to the Newsletter Belarus Weekly Join us Minsk summons EU and Ukrainian diplomats, says its strengthening border defenses amid allegations that Ukrainian drones violated countrys airspace The Belarusian Foreign Ministry summoned EU and Ukrainian diplomats after claiming Ukrainian drones entered Belarus on Aug. 9 and were allegedly downed by the Belarusian military. The ministry summoned Charge dAffaires of the European Union to Belarus Steen Noerlov, on Aug. 12. The diplomat was warned of the potential for a radical escalation and was called on to influence Ukrainian leadership not to make provocations. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry also claimed that a number of parts of the downed drones bore markings of EU manufacturers. Earlier, on Aug. 10, Ukraines Charge dAffaires to Belarus Olha Tymush was given a strong warning that Ukraine should not commit provocations. If the diplomatic mission of Ukraine in Belarus is unable to influence the prevention of such provocations, the Belarusian side will question the necessity of its continued diplomatic presence in Minsk, the Belarusian state-owned news agency Belta reported, quoting the ministry. Belarus also sent appeals to the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council (currently Sierra Leone) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe concerning the alleged incident, according to an official statement published by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry on Aug. 13. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Heorhiy Tykhiy said there was no special expediency for Ukraine to respond to these statements, as the Belarusian side is known for making many statements that are not worth responding to. Read also: Monitoring group denies Lukashenkos claim of Ukrainian drones in Belarus The creation of imaginary threats from Ukraine, however intense, does not make these threats more real, Tykhiy said. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said on Aug. 10 that Belarusian forces had downed several aerial targets from Ukraine the previous night and called the incident a Ukrainian provocation. The drones were reportedly detected at least 85 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border. However, Belarusian Hajun, an open-source intelligence project, Lukashenkos statement was nonsense. According to the monitoring group Belarusian Hajun, on Aug. 9, 2024, during flights of the Belarusian Armed Forces, no drones (UAVs) were detected, the group reported on Telegram. Lukashenko proposes to criminalize threats against president, unauthorized dissemination of information about the military Lukashenko has proposed to criminalize threatening or subjecting to violence any incumbent or former Belarusian president, as well as the unauthorized release of information about military units, according to a bill published on Aug. 12. The bill suggests sentences up to eight years in prison for subjecting to violence or threatening current or former presidents. The punishment already on the books of up to seven years in prison for defaming or insulting the president is to be extended to include committing such offenses against former presidents as well. The bill comes against the backdrop of Lukashenkos own conflicting statements about his plans to run for president in 2025. During a working trip to Belarus eastern Mahiliou region, Lukashenko discussed his future plans while speaking to local residents. You should get used to the fact () that there will be a different president, Lukashenko told a woman who asked him to run for yet another term. However, he added that his departure from the post wont happen tomorrow or the day after. Lukashenko first expressed his intention to run for president again on Feb. 25. However, he soon backtracked, saying on March 5 that he had been misunderstood. The Belarusian dictator is known for contradicting himself when it comes to talking about staying in power. Prior to the contested presidential elections in 2020, he insisted that he would not hold onto power with blue fingers. However, as protests spread across the country in August 2020, Lukashenko famously said, Until you kill me, there will be no other elections. Among other measures, the bill also criminalizes the unauthorized dissemination of information regarding the dislocation and movement of Belarusian military units. Unless such movements are reported by the official channels, spreading such information during a counter-terrorist operation, state of emergency, or martial law would be punishable by up to three years in prison, the bill reads. The same actions committed by a group of people would be punished by a six-year prison term. As of Feb. 23, at least 37 people have been convicted for sharing photos and videos of the Russian military in Belarus with the media, according to the Viasna Human Rights Group. Read also: Belarus Weekly: Russian drones again cross into Belarusian airspace US, Canada, UK, EU hit Belarus with new sanctions on anniversary of 2020 protests Marking the fourth anniversary of the contested presidential elections that sparked an enduring political crisis in Belarus, Western states, including the United States, Canada, and the U.K., on Aug. 9 introduced new sanctions against the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko and Belarusian military-related companies. The U.S. sanctioned 19 individuals and 14 companies involved in supporting Russias war efforts against Ukraine, evading sanctions, and generating revenue for Lukashenko and his inner circle. U.S. Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith said in a statement that the sanctions were a response to Lukashenkos blatantly corrupt, destabilizing, and anti-democratic acts along with its continued support for Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine. The new restrictions target Lukashenkos presidential plane a Boeing 767-32K(ER) with the registration EW-001PB. It joins two other aircraft sanctioned in 2023, and which are now barred from undergoing maintenance by official Boeing service providers. The sanctions also target dual-purpose goods supplier LLC Laboratory of Additive Technologies (LAT), engineering company Ruchservomotor, and five other entities that have been determined to be a sanction evasion network for optoelectronic producer Peleng JSC (Peleng) a major supplier for the Russian war machine. Two Belarusian cargo airline companies, Aviakompania Rada and UE RubiStar, Washington said, would be sanctioned for transporting Russian Wagner Group mercenaries to and from Africa. Also, the UK slapped sanctions on the heads of four Belarusian penal colonies that hold political opponents of the Lukashenko regime. The UK also imposed sanctions on machine tool manufacturers StankoGomel OJSC and Ruchservomotor for supplying the Russian military-industrial sector, along with JSC NIIEVM, a subsidiary of the Belarusian government, which operates in the countrys defense sector. Together, these actions signal the international communitys continuing solidarity with the Belarusian people in their struggle for a free, democratic, and sovereign Belarus, reads a U.S. Treasury Department. Read also: Belarus to transfer military equipment to Russia amid Ukraines operation in Kursk Oblast, media says 63-year-old woman sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for helping political prisoners Brest Regional Court has handed down a three-and-a-half year prison term to Natallia Malets, a retired woman who sent money transfers to Belarusian political prisoners, the Dissident Human Rights Initiative reported on Aug. 12. Malets was convicted of aiding extremist activities on Aug. 8. The investigators stated that she had made at least 125 money transfers to 114 Belarusians totaling 1,500 Belarusian rubles (roughly $470). According to law enforcers, Malets has also been involved in a closed Facebook group called Letters of Solidarity Belarus 2020, which authorities have declared to be an extremist formation. In January 2023, Malets was convicted of insulting a government official and placed under home confinement for a year-and-a-half. In September of the same year, she was arrested again in a new criminal case. The Viasna Human Rights Center called her a political prisoner in October 2023. Letters and money transfers are one of the few ways to support the nearly 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus. The funds are placed in special prisoners accounts, and can be used to purchase hygiene products and food in prison shops. Transfers to political opponents of the regime who have been declared to be terrorists are prohibited, as this entails committing the crime of financing terrorism. Currently, the notorious Belarusian security agency the KGB lists 459 Belarusian citizens as terrorists. Sociologist: Number of politically motivated criminal cases hits record high in Belarus in second quarter of 2024 The second quarter of 2024 saw 452 politically motivated criminal cases launched in Belarus a record high in the four years since the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections, a study called Barometer of repression in Belarus indicates. The studys author, Hennadz Korshunau, the former director of Belarus National Academy of Sciences Institute of Sociology and senior researcher of the Center for New Ideas (CNI) think tank, said that repressions in Belarus will likely continue at least until the end of the 2025 election campaign. According to Korshunau, the criminal prosecution of Belarusians comes in waves, with the current uptick beginning in early 2024. The first wave was observed in the third quarter of 2021, with at least 356 cases. The second wave peaked in the third quarter of 2023, with 446 cases, the researcher stated. According to data included in the report from the Viasna Human Rights Center, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Initiative, Lawtrend, Human Constanta, and Dissident, the number of newly recognized political prisoners was 80% greater than that of the previous quarter, jumping from 99 to 178. The previous record came at the end of 2021, when over 100 were recognized as being added to the list of political prisoners within a month. In the second quarter of 2024, the Belarusian courts branded a record number of independent media and other content providers as extremist, with over 350 trials being held, as opposed to the average of 170 per quarter. The Belarusian Republican List of Extremist Materials currently has over 4,300 entries, featuring content from independent media, social media pages, books, and Telegram chats. On the anniversary of the fraudulent presidential elections in 2020, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported that during the four years of the authorities crackdown on dissent, the country has seen the detention of over 65,000 Belarusian citizens. At least 6,971 of them became defendants in criminal cases. The number of recognized political prisoners has risen from 25 in early August 2020 to the current number of 1,385. Moreover, human rights activists claim that the real number is significantly higher. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. In the course of the investigation into the death of former Friends star Matthew Perry by the California authorities, new interesting details have emerged. According to the police, the actor's close associates, including doctors and a personal assistant, were involved in his death. According to law enforcement officials, five people took advantage of the celebrity's drug addiction to enrich themselves. ADVERTISIMENT On Thursday, August 15, the suspects were formally charged, People reports. Some of the defendants in the case admit their involvement in the distribution of a strong anesthetic, ketamine, to the artist. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said the five people knew of Matthew Perry's struggle with substance abuse, but knowingly and voluntarily supplied and injected him with a drug used as an alternative treatment for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. After the fatal day, a group of people tried to "hide" their involvement in the death. "These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction problems to enrich themselves," explained a judicial official. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, Martin Estrada noted that police representatives found personal correspondence between the two defendants in the case, in which they discussed the profits they would receive as a result of the planned fraud. "I wonder how much this asshole will pay. Let's find out," the messages read. According to the information provided by US law enforcement agencies, two suspects were arrested, who were the first to admit their involvement in the case. The celebrity's assistant confessed that he had repeatedly injected Matthew Perry with ketamine, including on the day of his death, without having any special medical training. The assistant and another pair of defendants will also be brought to justice later. ADVERTISIMENT It should be noted that, according to the autopsy, at the time of his death, the Friends star was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy. His death was caused by an acute effect of the substance on the body, so the incident was initially labeled as an accident. However, the US authorities later resumed the investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy, as a result of which new details began to emerge. Earlier, OBOZ.UA reported that new resonant details surfaced in the case of the death of star Matthew Perry. The police arrested the person involved in this story for the first time to find out the source of ketamine that caused the death. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Belleville man charged with murder in metro-east shooting death A 61-year-old Belleville man was charged Thursday in the shooting death of a man in Washington Park. Vincent E. Brown of the 300 block of North 49th Street, was charged by St. Clair County States Attorney James Gomrics office with murder/intent to kill/injure in the death of Leon Richardson. Richardson, 67, was found shot to death Sunday in a housing pod for homeless people in Washington Park. Richardson was pronounced dead at 2:14 p.m. in the 5000 block of North Park Drive , St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. said. The charging document says Brown shot Richardson with a firearm, causing his death. Brown is being held by police, the arrest warrant said. Witnesses at the scene of the shooting told police they heard three gunshots around 11:57 a.m. behind Good Samaritan Ministries of the Metro East, Washington Park police said. Washington Park handed the police investigation over to Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation. Police have not released a motive. Burlington, VT. A 42-year-old Vermont man was arrested on Wednesday after he admitted to robbing multiple banks and buying cocaine with the stolen cash. Stephen Loewe of Bellows Falls robbed a Springfield store early in the morning on August 13. Afterwards, he robbed Springfield M&T Bank and the local Claremont Savings Bank, where he demanded $500. Loewe then stole a car from a Springfield gas station. On August 14, he entered the M&T Bank in Putney and demanded cash, this time $1500. He was caught later that day, and admitted to robbing the banks plus using the stolen money to purchase cocaine base. Loewe had his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon. A hearing will be held on August 22 to decide whether he will remain in custody. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC22 & FOX44. Article first published: Friday, July 05, 2024, 5 a.m. ET Article last updated: Saturday, July 06, 2024, 2 a.m. ET As per the National Hurricane Center's 2 am Saturday update, there were many developments today: first, system started out as a Category 2 hurricane and a Category 1 hurricane but ended up as a tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour. Beryl after it first crossed the Caribbean Sea and left Mexico and headed to the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Beryl is 580 miles southeast of Corpus Christi Texas, with maximum sustained wind of 60 mph. Its moving 13 mph to the west-northwest. Tropical Storm Beryl is forecast to strengthen. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Hurricane Watch is in effect for: - The Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to San Luis Pass - The northeastern coast from mainland Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for: - The Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to High Island A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life- threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours. For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov. Interests elsewhere in northeastern Mexico and the Texas coast should closely monitor the progress of Beryl. Additional watches and warnings will likely be issued for portions of this area later today. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND: WIND: Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch area along the Gulf coast of northeastern Mexico and Texas by early Monday, with tropical storm conditions beginning Sunday night. STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide... Baffin Bay, TX to San Luis Pass, TX...3-5 ft Corpus Christi Bay...3-5 ft Matagorda Bay...3-5 ft Mouth of the Rio Grande, TX to Baffin Bay, TX...2-4 ft San Luis Pass, TX to High Island, TX...2-4 ft Galveston Bay...2-4 ft The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the right of the center, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml? PeakSurge. RAINFALL: Heavy rainfall of 5 to 10 inches with localized amounts of 15 inches is expected across portions of the Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas beginning late Sunday through midweek. This rainfall is likely to produce areas of flash and urban flooding. Through this morning, Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches, with localized amounts of 10 inches, across the Yucatan Peninsula, with scattered instances of flash flooding anticipated. For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall and flash flooding associated with Tropical Storm Beryl, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml? Rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml? Ero SURF: Large swells generated by Beryl are currently impacting portions of the coast the Yucatan Peninsula. The swells are expected to reach eastern Mexico and much of the Gulf Coast of the U.S. by this morning. These swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Source: National Hurricane Center This article was generated by the South Carolina Bot, artificial intelligence software that analyzes information from the National Hurricane Center and applies it to templates created by journalists in the newsroom. We are experimenting with this and other new ways of providing more useful content to our readers and subscribers. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com. Article first published: Friday, July 05, 2024, 5 a.m. ET Article last updated: Saturday, July 06, 2024, 2 a.m. ET On Saturday at 2 am, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that there were many developments today: first, system started out as a Category 2 hurricane and a Category 1 hurricane but ended up as a tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour. Beryl first crossed the Caribbean Sea, left Mexico and headed to the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Beryl is 580 miles southeast of Corpus Christi Texas, with maximum sustained wind of 60 mph. Its moving 13 mph to the west-northwest. Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to strengthen. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Hurricane Watch is in effect for: - The Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to San Luis Pass - The northeastern coast from mainland Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for: - The Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to High Island A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life- threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours. For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov. Interests elsewhere in northeastern Mexico and the Texas coast should closely monitor the progress of Beryl. Additional watches and warnings will likely be issued for portions of this area later today. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND: WIND: Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch area along the Gulf coast of northeastern Mexico and Texas by early Monday, with tropical storm conditions beginning Sunday night. STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide... Baffin Bay, TX to San Luis Pass, TX...3-5 ft Corpus Christi Bay...3-5 ft Matagorda Bay...3-5 ft Mouth of the Rio Grande, TX to Baffin Bay, TX...2-4 ft San Luis Pass, TX to High Island, TX...2-4 ft Galveston Bay...2-4 ft The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the right of the center, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml? PeakSurge. RAINFALL: Heavy rainfall of 5 to 10 inches with localized amounts of 15 inches is expected across portions of the Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas beginning late Sunday through midweek. This rainfall is likely to produce areas of flash and urban flooding. Through this morning, Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches, with localized amounts of 10 inches, across the Yucatan Peninsula, with scattered instances of flash flooding anticipated. For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall and flash flooding associated with Tropical Storm Beryl, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml? Rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml? Ero SURF: Large swells generated by Beryl are currently impacting portions of the coast the Yucatan Peninsula. The swells are expected to reach eastern Mexico and much of the Gulf Coast of the U.S. by this morning. These swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Source: National Hurricane Center This article was generated by the Sun Herald Bot, artificial intelligence software that analyzes information from the National Hurricane Center and applies it to templates created by journalists in the newsroom. We are experimenting with this and other new ways of providing more useful content to our readers and subscribers. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com. Full hurricane coverage at sunherald.com/news/weather-news/ The best sandwich shop in every state, according to Yelp Frank's New York Style Deli Italian sandwich. Kyle B./Yelp From roadside stops to quaint coffee shops, these restaurants are known for their sandwiches. Yelp identified the best sandwich shops in each state based on customer reviews. Among the best sandwiches are gourmet grilled cheeses and a tri-tip sandwich topped with Fritos. From classic Italian subs to Cuban sandwiches and tuna melts, these sandwich shops are serving up the best sandwiches in the US. Sandwiches are a big seller across the country and a huge area of opportunity for restaurant owners looking to attract a lunchtime crowd. In fact, back in 2015, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reported that nearly half of all American adults ate at least one sandwich every day. To find the best sandwich shop in every state, Yelp identified businesses in its "sandwiches" category and ranked them using various factors, including the volume of reviews and their ratings. All the restaurants on this list had a passing health score and were marked open as of August 13, 2024. Here's the best sandwich shop in every state and what to order. Cuban sandwich from Kool Korner Sandwiches. Owen C./Yelp ALASKA: Mike's Alaskan Eatery in Homer The Mariner sandwich from Mike's Alaskan Eatery. Allie N./Yelp What to order: The Mariner What customers say: "Oh my goodness this sandwich (The Mariner) was good!!! It was the perfect way to start the day being a tourist in Homer. The chicken was so tasty, and the texture was perfect for the sandwich. The sauce tied all the veggies, chicken, and bacon together. I think my ONLY complaint was that it was really small and a little confusing that we had to sit in the next-door Boba place," wrote Yelp user Allie N. Learn more about Mike's Alaskan Eatery here. ARIZONA: Frank's New York Style Deli in Phoenix Frank's New York Style Deli Italian sandwich. Kyle B./Yelp What to order: The Tony What customers say: "Great sandwiches, nice to find good Italian meats in the desert. Had the Tony, tasted just like out east," wrote Yelp user Nathan P. Learn more about Frank's New York Style Deli here. ARKANSAS: American Artisans Eatery & Gallery in Mena Spicy chicken wrap and the bisque soup from American Artisans Eatery & Gallery. Anita T./Yelp What to order: Funky Chicken What customers say: "Very cute local restaurant! We stopped here while doing a scenic fall drive in the area. I had the Big Cheese with bacon and my husband had the Funky Chicken. The service is good, the prices are average and everyone that was working was nice to us. Both of us enjoyed lunch and the ambiance," wrote Yelp user Monica E. Learn more about American Artisans Eatery & Gallery here. CALIFORNIA: Prunedale Market in Prunedale Tri-Tip Sandwich from Prunedale Market. Megan M./Yelp What to order: Tri-tip sandwich What customers say: "Tri-tip sandwich was delicious, meat cooked to perfection and well seasoned. Owner offered the best customer service super nice and kind! The little sitting area had a map where you can pin where are you from too! For sure will come back," wrote Yelp user Pia M. Learn more about Prunedale Market here. COLORADO: European Market & Bistro in Lakewood Prosciutto basil sandwich from European Market & Bistro. Matt C./Yelp What to order: Prosciutto basil sandwich What customers say: "Ordered the small prosciutto basil sandwich and I would order it again and again. Reasonable prices too," wrote Yelp user Emma S. Learn more about European Market & Bistro here. CONNECTICUT: The Dilly Duck Shop in Norwalk Roast beef sandwich from The Dilly Duck Shop. Haleigh K./Yelp What to order: Roast beef sandwich What customers say: "The roast beef sandwich was the best one my wife ever had. That is saying a lot as she gets roast beef everywhere. I had the tuna sandwich with arugula and Swiss it was also fantastic," wrote Yelp user Sergio P. Learn more about The Dilly Duck Shop here. DELAWARE: Gaudiello's Italian Hoagies in Wilmington Gaudiello's Italian Hoagies cheesesteak sandwich. Kimberly A./Yelp What to order: Philly cheesesteak sandwich What customers say: "Absolutely the best, fresh sliced to order for the best cheesesteak you'll ever have, and I grew up in Philly and AC eating nothing but cheesesteaks. So give it a try," wrote a Yelp user. Learn more about Gaudiello's Italian Hoagies here. FLORIDA: Franky's Deli Warehouse in Hialeah Franky's Deli Warehouse Italian sandwich on wheat bread. Franky's Deli Warehouse/Yelp What to order: Italian sandwich What customers say: "The sandwiches at Frankie's are nothing short of exceptional. Whether you opt for a classic Italian sub bursting with flavors or a creative vegetarian option, each bite is a testament to their commitment to quality ingredients and skilled craftsmanship," wrote Yelp user Beatriz A. Learn more about Franky's Deli Warehouse here. GEORGIA: Java Saga in Doraville ABC sandwich from Java Saga. Mary Y./Yelp What to order: ABC (The "American Born Chinese") What customers say: "I ordered their famous ABC sandwich. It was a huge portion and the flavor was very unexpected. It was sweet, smoky, and crunchy! This particular sandwich came with a slaw and sweet pickles on it. It was an interesting flavor combination, unlike anything else that I've ever tried," wrote Yelp user Nisha B. Learn more about Java Saga here. HAWAII: No Name BBQ Sandwich in Honolulu Vietnamese sandwich from No Name BBQ Sandwich. Corina Q./Yelp What to order: Vietnamese sandwich What customers say: "My go-to all the time is the Vietnamese sandwich. The bread hit the spot! Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Packed with pork, Vietnamese sausages, and lots of veggies. It's super juicy and don't forget to add the spicy sauce to add that kick of spiciness," wrote Yelp user Pamela P. Learn more about No Name BBQ Sandwich here. IDAHO: Midtown Deli in Post Falls Reuben sandwich from Midtown Deli. Mora C./Yelp What to order: Reuben sandwich What customers say: "Wow, wow, wow! Tried this place for the first time today and was not disappointed. The Reuben sandwich is amazing. A half is plenty large enough for one person. Not to mention the gals that work here are the sweetest! Home-made soups and desserts as well. I'll be back to try all the things," wrote Yelp user Becca P. Learn more about Midtown Deli here. ILLINOIS: Firenze Italian Street Food in Chicago Spicy soppressata sandwich from Firenze Italian Street Food. Rostam Z./Yelp What to order: Spicy soppressata sandwich What customers say: "I ordered the spicy soppressata sandwich for lunch. The ingredients were fresh and I loved the bite of spiciness followed by the creaminess of the ricotta spread. The flavors really melded well," wrote Yelp user Samuel A. Learn more about Firenze Italian Street Food here. INDIANA: Subito in Indianapolis Brisket French dip from Subito. Erik T./Yelp What to order: The Dip What customers say: "Our company ordered in Subito for lunch and the brisket French dip was delicious! Tender and thinly sliced it was not chewy at all. The provolone and mayo made for almost a cheesy sauce, and the ciabatta was hearty enough not to fall apart when devouring this mighty sandwich! Even the Caesar side salad was tasty and well crafted," wrote Yelp user Erik T. Learn more about Subito here. IOWA: Charlotte's Kitchen in Johnston Charlotte's Kitchen crab rangoon chicken sandwich with fries. C C./Yelp What to order: Crab rangoon chicken sandwich What customers say: "I got the crab rangoon sandwich, let's start with the chicken itself. The breading is tasty, the chicken is juicy. It's good all on its own. Then you add the extras. A lovely cream cheese spread, a wonderful sweet chili sauce with wonton strips and lettuce. It's a surprise from the first bite and a wonderful one. One of the best chicken sandwiches in town," wrote Yelp user Eric C. Learn more about Charlotte's Kitchen here. KANSAS: Tanya's Soup Kitchen in Wichita Tomato bisque and club sandwich from Tanya's Soup Kitchen. Elaine M./Yelp What to order: Chef's Club What customers say: "We ordered the Chef's Club sandwich, Cindy the Boy sandwich, chicken curry soup, and the tomato curry, they were amazing," wrote Yelp user Jill K. Learn more about Tanya's Soup Kitchen here. KENTUCKY: Heavens To Betsy! Bakery in Lawrenceburg Grilled cheese and tomato soup from Heavens To Betsy! Bakery. Michelle K./Yelp What to order: Italian sandwich What customers say: "My husband and I split the spicy Italian sandwich, he had a side of potato salad. It was delicious! Piping hot upon delivery, if you are splitting a sandwich, let them know, and they will cut them in half for you," wrote Yelp user Veronica B. Learn more about Heavens To Betsy! Bakery here. LOUISIANA: The Milk Bar in New Orleans Roast beef sandwich from The Milk Bar. Tim C./Yelp What to order: Occidental Oriental What customers say: "Milk Bar has hearty sandwiches with flavorful combinations from simple to unusual made with love by a lovely local couple who love and know their community. Offerings have vegetarian options and great salads, too," wrote Yelp user Cynthia C. Learn more about The Milk Bar here. MAINE: CERA in Portland Nashville Samurai sandwich from CERA. CERA/Yelp What to order: Nashville Samurai What customers say: "My husband loved his Italian sando, and we also split the Nashville Samurai, which was made with Japanese karaage and local honey it was perfectly sweet and spicy," wrote Yelp user Naomi S. Learn more about CERA here. MARYLAND: Full On Craft Eats & Drinks in Annapolis Crab cake sandwich from Full On Craft Eats & Drinks. Shanel S./Yelp What to order: Crab cake sandwich What customers say: "The crab cake sandwich has some big lumps of crab throughout, which is nice to see because a lot of restaurants will spread the lumps down. The cobb salad is also another one of my favorites," wrote Yelp user Lia H. Learn more about Full On Craft Eats & Drinks here. MASSACHUSETTS: Mae's Sandwich Shop in Marshfield Roast beef sandwich from Mae's Sandwich Shop. Daniel L./Yelp What to order: Lazy Susan What customers say: "One of the better sandwiches I've ever had. Was staying in Plymouth for a weekend with some local friends and they couldn't have recommended a better spot just up the road. Fresh bread and fresh ingredients made the sandwich a knockout. Highly recommend the orzo salad too," wrote Yelp user Ian M. Learn more about Mae's Sandwich Shop here. MICHIGAN: Ernie's Market in Oak Park Monster sandwich from Ernie's Market. Daniel H./Yelp What to order: The Monster What customers say: "I had the Monster sandwich and it was pure heaven on an onion roll! So much flavor! Certainly worth the drive from the Eastside," wrote Yelp user Adrian G. Learn more about Ernie's Market here. MINNESOTA: Zuppa Cucina in Shakopee Ciabatta tuna and vegetable minestrone soup from Zuppa Cucina. Lexi L./Yelp What to order: Tuna Ciabatta What customers say: "Everything always goes well consistent for the many years I've been enjoying their menu. The food is fresh and of higher-than-average quality. Service is as good and professional. Ambiance clean and overhead menu. Daily specials. Don't miss this place," wrote Yelp user Rickie G. Learn more about Zuppa Cucina here. MISSISSIPPI: The Grind Coffee and Nosh in Biloxi Kathys Kickin' Reuben sandwich and chips from The Grind Coffee and Nosh. Orlando L./Yelp What to order: Kathy's Kickin' Reuben What customers say: "Great vibes, friendly staff, and quick service! The Reuben is great, and the potato salad was delicious. Will definitely be back," wrote a Yelp user Ashton D. Learn more about The Grind Coffee and Nosh here. MISSOURI: Blues City Deli in St. Louis Roast beef sandwich from Blues City Deli. Bill S./Yelp What to order: Original roast beef sandwich What customers say: "My boyfriend goes back and forth between the roast beef and turkey. Got the beef this time. Long lines often but it goes quickly. Never any complaints other than we wish they were open later," wrote Yelp user Deyna J. Learn more about Blues City Deli here. MONTANA: Tagliare Delicatessen in Missoula The megadeath sandwich from Tagliare Delicatessen. Tagliare Delicatessen/Yelp What to order: Megadeath What customers say: "New Jerseyans recommended Tagliare, and that was good enough for us. They were spot on and led us to a delicious lunch. All the sandwiches are named for Bands, which was an added kick. We ordered a Zeppelin (turkey, dry salami, pastrami, provolone, greens, balsamic marinated onions, and oil & vinegar) and Pretenders (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and marinated onions). My Pretenders was scrumptious, a caprese that had gone to college," wrote a Yelp user named Laura S. Learn more about Tagliare Delicatessen here. NEBRASKA: Banhwich Cafe in Lincoln The spicy Thai chicken sandwich from Banhwich Cafe. Banhwich Cafe/Yelp What to order: Spicy Thai chicken sandwich What customers say: "A MUST TRY in Lincoln! There are so many options and combinations to try to fit your cravings. My spouse loves spicy and always gets #2 with extra meat and I always get the Korean BBQ, love me some kimchi and spicy mayo. Don't forget your sweet tooth! You have to get a boba tea and try the green waffle," wrote Yelp user Annie S. Learn more about Banhwich Cafe here. NEVADA: Panino in Las Vegas The Muffaletta sandwich from Panino Jeff. B/ Yelp What to order: Italian sandwich What customers say: "I found this place driving home from work one day. This should be an extremely busy lunch spot and should be crawling with people. It's definitely a hole in the wall, but one of the best mom 'n pop sandwich places I've been to," wrote Yelp user Randy L. Learn more about Panino here. NEW HAMPSHIRE: Jon's Roast Beef & Deli in Laconia A small boardwalk sandwich featuring Southwest chicken, lettuce, tomato, and ranch dressing with melted cheddar from Jon's Roast Beef & Deli in Laconia. Jon's Roast Beef & Deli in Laconia/ Yelp What to order: The Pilgrim sandwich What customers say: "Walking into John's you immediately get the feeling you're entering an old fashioned sandwich shop, not a fast food joint. I got two roast beef sandwiches and they were both delicious. Great service and food. I'll definitely be a repeat customer. Highly recommended!" wrote Yelp user Peter T. Learn more about Jon's Roast Beef & Deli here. NEW JERSEY: Saigon Subs & Cafe in Morristown The Saigon special sandwich. Kat J./Yelp What to order: Braised pork belly banh mi What customers say: "Saigon Subs and Cafe has been on so many top food lists in New Jersey that I had to try it! [...] I would definitely come again for this chicken sandwich. This is one of the top places to eat in Morristown," wrote Yelp user Todd C. Learn more about Saigon Subs & Cafe here. NEW MEXICO: Coda Bakery in Albuquerque Fried Tofu sandwich from Coda bakery. Aram K./Yelp What to order: Fried tofu banh mi What customers say: "I love everything about this Vietnamese bakery delicious food and great value! The grilled pork is delicious on anything (spring rolls, banh mi, vermicelli bowls, you name it!) and their pastries are so buttery and rich. The tofu is also great, nicely fried and super soft inside. Grilled chicken is also great and flavorful! Portion size is great, and even the salads are delicious," wrote Yelp user Su Yee-L. Learn more about Coda Bakery here. NEW YORK: Tony's Beechhurst Deli in Whitestone Tony's special sandwich with fresh mozzarella. Emily C./Yelp What to order: Chicken cutlet sandwich What customers say: "Food, service, ambiance, EVERYTHING about this place screams Italy! The ingredients are so fresh & delicious. I recommend getting a simple panini press. The bread is to die for!!!! Definitely top 2 delis and it ain't 2. (I got ham & muenster cheese with sweet and hot peppers in a panini press) I will be dreaming about it until further notice," wrote Yelp user Nikol P. Learn more about Tony's Beechhurst Deli here. NORTH CAROLINA: Waveriders Coffee, Deli & Market in Nags Head Turkey and feta cheese on wheat bread. Lena M./Yelp What to order: Eddie V sandwich What customers say: "Waveriders is a must for breakfast when we're in OBX. The combinations they have are great, and the ability to make modifications is easy. I ordered online for ASAP pickup at 7:45am and the food was ready at 7:56am. This is included 4 sandwiches and two ice coffees. Highly recommend!" wrote Yelp user Tina M. Learn more about Waveriders Coffee, Deli & Market here. NORTH DAKOTA: Magic City Hoagies in Minot The farmer sandwich topped with crispy jalapenos from Magic City Hoagies. Magic City Hoagies/Yelp What to order: Chicago Italian beef What customers say: "I travel for work a lot. When I know I'm passing by Minot I will plan my day to ensure I'm here for lunch. Friendly and courteous staff, clean establishment and a great location downtown. The owner knows her sandwiches and her passion and attention to every detail comes through in the finished product. [...] I would provide a photo of the beautiful monthly special I just picked up, however I inhaled it faster than than my cameras shutter speed could capture... should have gotten the 12"er!" wrote Yelp user Nathan A. Learn more about Magic City Hoagies here. OHIO: Newfangled Kitchen in Bexley The Chatty Kathy sandwich from Newfangled Kitchen. Taylor B./Yelp What to order: Bella Donna What customers say: "When I say that their Shipyard Tuna Melt is the best tuna melt I've ever had, I'm not lying. Maybe even the best sandwich or best lunch I've ever eaten," wrote Yelp user Jane G. Learn more about Newfangled Kitchen here. OKLAHOMA: The Mule in Oklahoma City The macaroni pony sandwich from The Mule. Talara T./Yelp What to order: Macaroni Pony What customers say: "The mule is an excellent choice for lunch or casual dining. The restaurant is fun with a good vibe. Good food, varied menu, good service, and moderate prices. My favorites are the Macaroni Pony and the Philly Cheese Steak, but all their sandwiches are hearty and delectable. Their soups are good. Their half sandwich and cup of soup is a good lunch offering. Their fried cheese curds are excellent," wrote Yelp user William Y. Learn more about The Mule here. OREGON: Josie K's Deli and Kitchen in Sunriver Club sandwich on wheat from Josie K's Deli and Kitchen. Erik T./Yelp What to order: Hot Pastrami What customers say: "Fantastic sandwich, ordered the Dagwood and it is a sandwich that Dagwood himself would have been proud of!" wrote Yelp user Benjamin H. Learn more about Josie K's Deli and Kitchen here. PENNSYLVANIA: Tredici Italian Market in Wayne The grilled chicken and roasted pepper sandwich from Tredici Italian Market. Angie K./Yelp What to order: Pesto turkey sandwich What customers say: "Superb sandwiches. Quality ingredients, reasonable prices, truly enjoyed our food, and hope to be back for more soon," wrote Yelp user Maria R. Learn more about Tredici Italian Market here. RHODE ISLAND: Shayna's Place in Wickford The morning glory sandwich from Shayna's Place. Amanda R./Yelp What to order: Avocado Toast sandwich What customers say: "I saw this on a local bloggers page and I was in the area thought to stop by. It's adorable. Friendly staff ! The sandwiches along with a latte were really delicious. I had the turkey gobbler and my husband enjoyed the Vinny / Italian. Everything was so fresh," wrote Yelp user Margie S. Learn more about Shayna's Place here. SOUTH CAROLINA: Cold Shoulder Gourmet in Charleston The spicy 2.0 sandwich from Cold Shoulder Gourmet. Kalyn M./Yelp What to order: The B-fast What customers say: "There's nothing to not love about this small spot. It may be small in size, but it's big and bold in flavor! Only recommendation is to get there EARLY as they will sell out any time between 11-1 (at the latest) on the day(s) they are open. Chat with the owner - service and conversation was excellent! Cool spot, good vibes, leaves you wanting more after every visit!" wrote Yelp user Kalyn M. Learn more about Cold Shoulder Gourmet here. SOUTH DAKOTA: Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen in Sioux Falls The Vietnamese fried chicken sandwich from Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen. Jina R./Yelp What to order: Vietnamese Fried Chicken What customers say: "Stopped by while on a road trip. Great service and loved everything we ordered; curried cauliflower sandwich, Cuban sandwich, beet and asparagus salads. What a pleasant surprise," wrote Yelp user Fred M. Learn more about Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen here. TENNESSEE: Tennessee Jed's in Gatlinburg Turkey bacon ranch sandwich from Tennessee Jed's. Erik S./Yelp What to order: Turkey bacon ranch sandwich What customers say: "First off I dived in to this sandwich before I remembered to take a picture! Jump off the main drag of downtown Gatlinburg and treat yourself to the delicious food here. Everything is prepared fresh daily and the service is amazing. $3 dollar beers after 3:00pm and top off your meal with butter cake or peanut butter pie!" wrote Yelp user Sharon N. Learn more about Tennessee Jed's here. TEXAS: Tony's Italian Delicatessen in Montgomery Southern fried chicken sandwich from Tony's Italian Delicatessen. Tony's Italian Delicatessen/Yelp What to order: Sophia Loren What customers say: "We've been going to Tony's for many years... ever since Hottie and Mary owned it. It has always kept its food quality and friendliness. These are definitely the best sandwiches in the greater Houston area...and always in a family friendly atmosphere," wrote Yelp user Tito E. Learn more about Tony's Italian Delicatessen here. UTAH: Vito's in Bountiful The roasted garlic Philly from Vito's. Brittney M./Yelp What to order: Deluxe Philly cheesesteak What customers say: "I drove up from Salt Lake on a day off, and was very impressed with so many things about this business. The quality of my meal was fantastic and watching g someone make it in front of you really sets this apart. [] Fantastic sandwich, great experience, and the only thing slowing me down from visiting again are the limited hours," wrote Yelp user Rafael J. Learn more about Vito's here. VERMONT: Sandwich Shoppe in Rutland Roasted beef and cheddar sandwich from Sandwich Shoppe. Chris P./Yelp What to order: Roast beef sandwich What customers say: "Immediately after walking into the sandwich shop I was met with the most Italian 'Hey how you doing' I've ever heard. After recommendations from the owners I decided to get the Italian Stallion sub and it was the greatest Italian sub I've ever had. For only $9.50 this super was loaded with meats and veggies that ended up being two meals for me. If I lived in Rutland, Vermont I know I would become a regular at this joint," wrote Yelp user Lina P. Learn more about Sandwich Shoppe here. VIRGINIA: Guajiros Miami Eatery in Charlottesville The pan con pollo sandwich from Guajiros Miami Eatery. Yi T./Yelp What to order: El Cubano sandwich What customers say: "Very swanky place with absolutely delicious food! The coffee is also strong, just the way I like it, and service was great as well. Would definitely return, a great place to catch breakfast/brunch for sure. Some highlights: there is a small parking lot as a heads up, and this restaurant only takes reservations for dinner. Breakfast and lunch you can walk in!" wrote Yelp user Chiamaka N. Learn more about Guajiros Miami Eatery here. WASHINGTON: Konvene Coffee in Seattle The ham egg sandwich from Konvene Coffee. Elaine W./Yelp What to order: Mama Lils peppers breakfast sandwich What customers say: "Located upstairs inside the QFC Market, you'll find Konvene Coffee. There's bar style seating, a couple high tables, a couple low tables, and a couch to relax and enjoy your food. There's a variety of hot & cold caffeinated beverages to choose from and freshly made hot foods. Tried the ham, egg, & cheese breakfast sandwich and it was soooooo good. There's some kind of garlic aioli in there that tastes homemade and is truly chefs kiss. The place is operated by one person who does it all - he's the chef and the barista, very friendly guy. Would definitely come back here the next time I'm in Seattle," wrote Yelp user Helen L. Learn more about Konvene Coffee here. WEST VIRGINIA: Battle Grounds Bakery & Coffee in Harpers Ferry Mountain top sandwich from Battle Grounds Bakery & Coffee. Zack B./Yelp What to order: Breakfast sandwiches What customers say: "Visited Battle Grounds Bakery recently. Walking by, the smells were amazing. On our way back from our walk through Harpers Ferry, we stopped in and looked at the menu. My wife and mom drink coffee, so I requested two large coffees to go. I also requested a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant. It was busy, but the coffee was served quickly. [] Next time we're in HF, we'll visit again. Great food. Great service," wrote Yelp user Rodney W. Learn more about Battle Grounds Bakery & Coffee here. WISCONSIN: Casetta Kitchen and Counter in Madison The Paradigm sandwich from Casetta Kitchen and Counter. Courtney T./Yelp What to order: Paradigm What customers say: "I got a make your own turkey sandwich on foccacia and this was phenomenal. Each of the ingredients tasted fresh and contributed to the overall deliciousness of the sandwich. Despite the large portion size, I finished eating it and immediately wanted more. All the staff were so friendly as well! Missed out on trying the chocolate chip cookie and chicken cutlet but looking forward to those next time!" wrote Yelp user Akshita P. Learn more about Casetta Kitchen and Counter here. WYOMING: Bread Basket Bakery in Cheyenne Triple meat on honey whole-wheat bread from the Bread Basket Bakery. Christine B./Yelp What to order: Cabbage burger What customers say: "Was pleasantly surprised how good my sandwich was. A little pricey for 2 small sized slices of bread and meat, but the bread here was great, and the ingredients were fresh. Bakery items here looked delicious as well! Definitely stop by to avoid a fast food joint!" wrote Yelp user Jack S. Learn more about Bread Basket Bakery here. Read the original article on Business Insider A co-founder of Beximco Group, a Bangladesh-headquartered multinational conglomerate that operates one of South Asias largest vertically integrated textile businesses, was arrested in Dhaka earlier this week after allegedly trying to flee the country by river in disguise. Salman Fazlur Rahman, the companys vice chairman and a former industry adviser to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was apprehended alongside former law minister Anisul Huq at Dhaka River Port in Sadarghat on Tuesday evening following a police tip-off about their purported escape, local media reported. They were both placed on a 10-day remand for interrogation over the death of 24-year-old hawker Md. Shahjahan during the student demonstrations over job quotas in July. Eggs were thrown at the police van that escorted them to court that night, according to the Financial Express. It added that the hearing itself lasted all of three minutes, with neither man allowed to defend himself. More from Sourcing Journal Beximco did not respond to requests for comment. Nor did brands and retailers such as Amazon, Bestseller, Target, Tommy Hilfiger parent PVH Corp., Marks & Spencer and Zara owner Inditex, which are listed on its website as key clients of its apparel and textiles division. C&A, one of its buyers, said that its closely monitoring and assessing the situation internally. Walmart, whose logo is also displayed, said it hasnt conducted business with the company in years. On Friday, the Bangladesh Bank revealed that four Beximco subsidiaries have yet to repay the $25.4 million in foreign currency loans that they borrowed from its Export Development Fund three years ago. The central bank said that Springful Apparels still owed $12.3 million, Pink Maker Garments $8.5 million, Autumn Loop Apparels $4.4 million and Platinum Garments $280,000. Bangladesh Bank has suspended EDF financing from Janata Bank due to the loans non-recovery, it added. Beximcos sprawling textile and apparel division, much of it located in Beximco Industrial Park in the central Bangladeshi city of Gazipur, can pump out 100,000 yards of finished fabric every day and more than 9 million knit and woven garmentsfrom dress shirts to fleece pullovers to denim jeansper month, according to its website. It employs some 40,000 people and has an annual turnover of $500 million. Last August, Beximco inaugurated a 600-acre, 520,000-panel solar power plantBangladeshs largest to datein Gaibandha through its Teesta Solar subsidiary. While it remains to be seen whether the controversies will materially affect Beximcos bottom line, its not the only business that could see its international buyers beat a hasty retreat in light of Bangladeshs woes. The ongoing unrest has precipitated a litany of production, logistical, banking and communications disruptions, which have made brands and retailers jittery. Despite the establishment of a caretaker government led by Nobel Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus, the nations long-term stability remains uncertain, said Jena Santoro, senior manager of intelligence solutions at Everstream.ai, a supply chain risk analytics firm. It is unclear if Bangladeshs future government will be able to address the economic and social concerns that made Sheikh Hasinas government increasingly unpopular in the first place, Santoro said. So far only H&M Group and Puma have publicly stated that they do not plan to reallocate their sourcing from Bangladesh, though they both continue to assess the situation daily. Meanwhile, Bangladeshs Purchasing Managers Index fell by 27 points in Julyits first contraction since the benchmark manifested in Januarya sign of significant declines in new orders, exports and supplier deliveries, according to the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka and Policy Exchange Bangladesh. Garment exports from the country to the United States, its top destination, also dropped to $3.4 billion in the first half of 2024, or 11 percent lower than the same period the year before, the U.S. Department of Commerces Office of Textiles and Apparel said. In a joint letter to the 200 signatories of the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, which succeeded the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh in 2021, UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union called for continued commitment to Bangladesh amid the volatility. The garment sector is the backbone of the Bangladeshi economy. Your commitment to improving health and safety for garment workers through the International Accord has allowed millions of garment workers to be lifted out of poverty, without risking their lives to do so, UNI deputy general secretary Alke Boessige and IndustriALL general secretary Atle Hie wrote on Thursday. Boessige and Hie said that the peoples toppling of a discredited government provides hope for a better future despite the immediate-term social and economic upheaval that the new leadership is working to address. As the country strives to restore order and build a new democracy, economic stability is essential, they added. The garment industry has a major role to play in stabilizing the country and ensuring a regular income for workers. Beyond 'childless cat ladies,' JD Vance has long been on a quest to encourage more births MIAMI (AP) Five summers ago, Donald Trumps running mate JD Vance then a 34-year-old memoirist and father of a 2-year-old boy took the stage at a conservative conference and tackled an issue that would become a core part of his political brand: the United States' declining fertility rate. Our people arent having enough children to replace themselves. That should bother us, Vance told the gathering in Washington. He outlined the obvious concern that Social Security depends on younger workers contributions and then said, We want babies not just because they are economically useful. We want more babies because children are good. And we believe children are good, because we are not sociopaths. Vance repeatedly expressed alarm about declining birth rates as he launched his political career in 2021 with a bid for the U.S. Senate in Ohio. His criticism then of Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee, and other high-profile Democrats as childless cat ladies who didnt have a direct stake in the country have drawn particular attention since Trump picked him as his running mate. The rhetoric could threaten the Republican tickets standing with women who could help decide the November election. But its delighted those in the pro-natalist movement that has, until now, been limited largely to policy wonks, tech executives and venture capitalists. Theres no question the discussion around family life, childbearing and pronatalism has gotten a lot more popular and gotten media attention because of JD Vance, said Brad Wilcox, the director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and author of Get Married. Vance once referred to Wilcox as one of my favorite researchers. Vance's spokespeople did not respond to messages seeking comment. An aspiring politician's war against anti-child ideology Vance, who wrote a bestseller about his working-class upbringing, has been clear about making family formation a policy priority. He has suggested ideas such as allowing parents to vote on behalf of their children or following the example of Hungarys Viktor Orban of giving low-interest loans to married couples with children and tax exemptions to women who have four children or more. In a May 2021 interview with The Federalists podcast in which he said he was exploring a Senate run, Vance described a society without babies and kids as pretty icky and pretty gross. We owe something to our country. We owe something to our future. The best way to invest in it is to ensure the next generation actually exists, he said. I think we have to go to war against the anti-child ideology that exists in our country. Vance has suggested people without children should pay higher taxes than people who have children. Thats the spirit of the existing child tax credit at $2,000 per qualifying child, which Vance has said he'd love to see raised to $5,000. He has also mentioned in interviews he wants to ban pornography for minors, citing it as one of the causes for why people are marrying less and having fewer children. His anti-abortion views, he has said, are separate from his concerns on birth rates, arguing the procedure is not really driving the decline in fertility. In several interviews, he's argued policymakers should make it easier for two-parent households to be able to live on a single wage so that one of the parents can stay home with their children. The ruling class is obsessed with their jobs. Even though they hate a lot of their jobs, they are obsessed with their credentials and they want strangers to raise their kids, he told then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson in 2021. But middle-class Americans, whatever their station in life, they want more time with their children. Vance had a chaotic childhood raised mainly by his grandparents in southwestern Ohio and a mother who battled substance abuse, and her revolving door of father figures as he described in his book. He is now married to a trial lawyer he met at Yale Law School. The couple has three young children, who he has said attend preschool. Usha Vance left the law firm where she worked shortly after her husband was chosen as Trumps running mate. Declining births in an aging America The U.S. was one of only a few developed countries with a fertility rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself about 2.1 kids per woman. But the number has been sliding since 2008 and in 2023 dropped to about 1.6, the lowest rate on record. Earlier this year, Vance cited fertility rates in arguing against American support for Ukraine. Not a single country even the U.S. within the NATO alliance has birth rates at replacement level. We dont have enough families and children to continue as a nation, and yet were talking about problems 6,000 miles away, he said. Vance as well as researchers and experts on the pro-natalist movement also argue that immigrants cant provide a long-term fix to the decline in birth rates. He has separately blamed immigrants for crime and creating inter-ethnic conflict. Demographers and other experts for years had predicted declining fertility rates would pose challenges for the Social Security system as fewer workers are supporting a growing aging population. Tech executives such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, who donated millions for Vances primary race, have also been vocal about the decline in birth rates. We as a nation, as a society, policymakers cant be neutral on the question of family, said Oren Cass, who founded a conservative think tank, American Compass, that is closely aligned with the senator. Cass, a former policy adviser for U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, said he has known Vance for a decade and partnered on several events but said he was not speaking on behalf of the vice presidential nominee. He criticized how progressives have celebrated what he described as a culture of you do you and all choices are equally valid, when he considered the work of forming a family and raising children an indispensable foundation for the country. Thats not to say, obviously, that you mandate or criminalize the alternative, but it is to say that we shouldnt be neutral about it," he said. Vance on the defense Vance's views on birth rates have contributed to his rocky rollout as Trump's running mate. Democrats went from labeling Trump and his Republican allies as a collective threat to democracy to calling both men weird, a strategy that coincided with Vances comments coming to light. Other unlikely critics have also piled on. Trump-backing influencer Dave Portnoy said Vance sounds like a moron. Former Republican congressman Trey Gowdy tried unsuccessfully to force an apology out of Vance for his denigrating of childless women on his Fox News show, introducing him with a story about a pair of Catholic nuns he met at an airport. Actress Jennifer Aniston, who has been open about her fertility issues, weighed in by saying she hopes Vances daughter does not face the same problems and she truly cant believe that this is coming from a potential VP of the United States. Vance responded by calling her Instagram reaction disgusting. Trump has come to his defense, accusing Democrats of spinning things and expressing empathy for people who don't get married or have children and are every bit as good. He likes family. I think a lot of people like family. And sometimes it doesnt work out, Trump said in one interview. But youre just as good, in many cases a lot better than a person thats in a family situation. Vances wife has also tried to do some damage control, saying Vance was not referring to those who struggle with fertility or cant get pregnant for medical reasons, though the ideas he proposes dont make that distinction. The reality is he made a quip in service of making a point he wanted to make that was substantive, Usha Vance told an interviewer on Fox and Friends. Can Vance advance this? Wilcox, the author of Get Married, said JD Vance now needs to focus on convincing a broader audience that his ideas are worth pursuing. The challenge for JD Vance is taking that attention and translating it into more of a concrete policy agenda that would be compelling to ordinary Americans and articulating a clear and positive agenda around making family formation both more affordable and more appealing, Wilcox said. Supporters at a recent Trump rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, shrugged off Vances assertion that parents should have more of a vote than childless adults and expressed complicated feelings about his views. Kenneth Nemo Niemann, 70, said Vance might be speaking figuratively about giving parents more votes. His wife, Carol, 65, disagreed, saying Vance has been crystal clear that that is exactly what he means. The Niemanns had children later in life their twins are 16 and they spent far more of their adult lives as childless adults. And while they talked about how adults with children can have more to say when it comes to policies affecting children or they can have a different worldview about the future than childless adults, they still disagreed with Vance. My sister never had children, but I cant imagine my vote means more than hers, Carol Niemann said. ___ Associated Press writers Michelle R. Smith in Providence, Rhode Island, Mike Schneider in Orlando and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as well as Associated Press researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York, contributed to this report. Beyond traumatic, says man who took police beating in Southern California Beyond traumatic, says man who took police beating in Southern California Warning: video contains graphic violence A man detained by three officers with the San Bernardino Police Department, one of whom was captured on a cellphone camera striking him with a baton more than a dozen times, a tactic his attorneys call excessive force, is speaking out about the ordeal. The beating Billy Hill took unfolded on June 6 near the Kwik Stop Dairy, located at 133 East 40th Street. The video, captured by a bystander, has been circulating on social media, racking up thousands of views. Its more pain than I could deal with. Beyond traumatic, traumatic for anybody, Hill, who was wearing a foot brace due to injuries suffered during the incident, said of the experience. I got four fractures in one leg, four fractures in this leg. I could barely walk. Even though he wasnt on the clock at the time, Hill said he was at the Kwik Stop in San Bernardino where he periodically works. Motorcyclist arrested after crazy high-speed pursuit in Southern California Officers arrived there just before 11 p.m. after a 911 caller reported suspicious activity and a possibly stolen motorcycle, a call which can be heard in an SBPD Incident Debrief released by the department. He was driving erratically, the 911 caller says. He ended up losing control and fell on the bike, and hes trying to hide the bike because I heard him say, Its not even my bike, go hide it in the back. Images from cellphone video capturing a violent arrest in San Bernardino on June 6, 2024. (Attorneys for Billy Hill) Images from cellphone video capturing a violent arrest in San Bernardino on June 6, 2024. (Attorneys for Billy Hill) Images from cellphone video capturing a violent arrest in San Bernardino on June 6, 2024. (Attorneys for Billy Hill) Images from cellphone video capturing a violent arrest in San Bernardino on June 6, 2024. (Attorneys for Billy Hill) Images from cellphone video capturing a violent arrest in San Bernardino on June 6, 2024. (Attorneys for Billy Hill) Images from cellphone video capturing a violent arrest in San Bernardino on June 6, 2024. (Attorneys for Billy Hill) Images from cellphone video capturing a violent arrest in San Bernardino on June 6, 2024. (Attorneys for Billy Hill) Images from cellphone video capturing a violent arrest in San Bernardino on June 6, 2024. (Attorneys for Billy Hill) Images from cellphone video capturing a violent arrest in San Bernardino on June 6, 2024. (Attorneys for Billy Hill) According to Hill, an officer approached him, but when he told the officer he worked at the Kwik Stop, he was left alone. However, he says two other officers approached him after that and the situation quickly deteriorated from there. In footage of the incident released by police, they say Hill matched the description given by the 911 caller, adding that he was acting erratically. Moments later, they tell him hes being detained, and the situation escalates quickly. As officers move in to detain him, they gave him multiple commands, all of which he failed to comply with, SBPD Sgt. Chris Gray says in the Incident Debrief. One of the officers used a stun gun on Hill, which was not effective. He then pulled out a baton and repeatedly struck Hill on his legs. Attorneys for Hill say the move was an unjustified and excessive use of force. Its clear that the officer that was using the baton had lost his temper. I think thats our assumption, Attorney Shannon Brunner said. The viewing of this video is disgusting. It physically makes me sick. VIDEO: Gunfire erupts after exchange of words on Southern California street In a statement released around 9 p.m. Sunday evening, SBPD Chief Darren L. Goodman said in part: I want to assure the public that we take incidents involving the use of force with the utmost seriousness. The actions depicted in the video are under thorough investigation to ensure a complete understanding of the situation. As for Hill and his lawyers, they plan to file a lawsuit against the department. What happened to Mr. Hill should never happen to any human being and will be the subject of a civil rights lawsuit which will be filed on behalf of our client, Hills attorneys said in a press release. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Bibb County seemed set to welcome charter school to district. Why the approval was halted The Bibb County Board of Education denied an attempt for a local charter school to join the district Thursday. The Infinity Academy previously had support from Superintendent Dan Sims and other board members, who recommended approving the school in July. But now the board has questioned the accuracy of crucial content in the charter schools proposed petition. There are concerns regarding The Infinity Academys lack of federal 501(c)(3) non-profit status, Deputy Superintendent Katika Lovett said at the board meeting. Charter schools in Georgia are required to organize and operate as non-profit organizations. The Infinity Academy is not officially registered as a nonprofit entity with the IRS, according to school officials. Christopher Holmes, head of the K-5 charter school, said the academys nonprofit registration process began in January but is being delayed due to the submission of the wrong forms. Board President James Freeman, who also initially expressed excitement for the prospective school, said a deep investigation into the schools petition led to some disturbing things. We saw information in the application that was not accurate, Freeman said, including people listed in the documents who were previously affiliated with the academys governing board. At least two of the names that I recognized that lent credence to this application were people I later found out had resigned from the board. One of those was Pamela Burkhalter, a former BCSD employee, The Macon Newsroom reported. Burkhalter also told The Macon Newsroom she resigned because she thought someone else might be a better fit for the role. Holmes told The Telegraph that Burkhalter resigned because she felt overwhelmed by additional responsibilities outside of the board. Freeman said he followed up with Burkhalter and verified the allegations in the article. Freeman also revealed that Burkhalters signature had been forged on documents without her knowledge, including a notarized signature. As an attorney, I have a big problem with that. Thats illegal, he added. That starts us off at a very bad foot as far as confidence in this application (and) confidence in everything going forward. Holmes said that Burkhalter gave him permission twice to sign her name on a document that acknowledged the charter schools petition and all of its information to be accurate. He said he included the single document in the nearly 200-page petition without letting Burkhalter view it first. I apologize to her because I communicated to her, but I did not give her full clarity on what that document actually was, he said. Burkhalter could not be immediately reached on Friday. Holmes said documents in The Infinity Academys application were already submitted to the Bibb County board prior to Burkhalters resignation, and they could not be changed. Sherry Olivier, the charter schools treasurer, was the only requester to comment publicly during the meeting. She said the school was diligently working to secure nonprofit status. Its pending 501(c)(3) application is being reviewed by the IRS. I also want to clarify that since the design process (of the school), this board and Dr. Holmes have operated with integrity and transparency, Olivier added. If there was any miscommunication, it was not intentional. I also want to say that we offer an apology if there was any confusion at all. Oliviers statement contradicts the schools website, which lists it as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides a free and appropriate education. The website was created in 2023. The Infinity Academys curriculum features a STEAM-led model that would expose more BCSD students to the learning approach, which will enhance student confidence, academic success and character building, Olivier added. The school still anticipates opening in downtown Macon in the fall of 2025. In July, Bibb County board members discussed whether the district would prefer to collaborate or compete with the prospective school. Voting plans were halted after three board members raised concerns about not having enough time to review the charter schools petition. But after Thursdays decision, voting plans are unnecessary. The Bibb County Board of Education will no longer have any actions related to the academy, district spokesperson Stephanie Hartley said in an email Friday morning. Now, The Infinity Academys future rests with the State Charter Schools Commission, as it seeks approval to operate as a state-authorized school rather than a locally-approved charter. The school would have no ties to the Bibb County School District if approved by the state, Hartley added. Freeman said he was disappointed with how the situation unfolded. I regret that the people in charge of this have put this opportunity in this position, he said. Holmes said he and charter schools governing board are still excited for the possibility to create a learning opportunity for elementary students in Macon. NEW ORLEANS In one of President Joe Bidens first public appearances since ending his reelection campaign, he spoke on something very personal to him cancer. But Louisianas Black activists say he still missed the point. Over the past decade, Biden has not shied from explaining how the life of his son, Beau Biden, who died from brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46, has guided many of his political priorities. Biden began his appearance at Tulane University earlier this week by invoking his sons memory. The most devastating words anyone can hear and its not a hyperbole is Its cancer, he said. He was there, addressing a crowd of lawmakers, health researchers, and community advocates, to announce $150 million in federal grants for eight cancer teams across the country. The funding comes from the White Houses Cancer Moonshot initiative, which has two main goals: to prevent 4 million cancer deaths by 2047 and to improve the experience of people affected by cancer. It is one of his administrations quieter kept programs, but one that the White House says aligns with its goal to uplift disadvantaged communities. President Joe Biden speaks at his Cancer Moonshot event Tuesday at Tulane University in New Orleans. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) The $150 million, which will be used to develop technologies to improve tumor removal surgeries, adds to the $9 million recently announced to improve access to cancer screenings and follow-up treatments across the countrys marginalized communities. But outside the room, nearly 50 people gathered in protest of his administration, some wearing Back the Blue shirts, most often connected to Republicans. Still, the vast majority were there to call attention to Israels current bombardment of Palestine and to explain what they deemed shortsighted about the White Houses Cancer Moonshot program. One protester that addressed the crowd soberly went down his family line, exclaiming that one of his great-grandfathers had died of cancer, followed by one of his grandfathers, and that his uncle was recently diagnosed with cancer. Regardless of this funding, Ill probably die of cancer someday, he said, because we live in Cancer Alley. Top: Cancer rates among all races. Bottom: Cancer rates for Black residents. (Courtesy of the National Cancer Institute) Louisiana has the fourth-highest cancer rate in the country. And New Orleans, one of the largest majority-Black cities in the country, sits at the tail end of what is known as Cancer Alley. Across the 85-mile stretch from the Big Easy to Louisianas capital, Baton Rouge, people die from cancer at rates that are as much as 50 times the national average. The region, which has a share of Black residents that is three times higher than the national average, is home to roughly 200 petrochemical plants and according to some metrics, the most pollution and chemical contamination nationwide. Its partially why the Biden administration decided to announce the funding in the city, and to the White Houses credit, they made sure to invite several environmental activists to the launch. One study funded by Cancer Moonshot is researching cancer detection blood tests as a less invasive tool for early detection of cancer, and another is working to increase community engagement in order to address disparities in cancer treatment. Still, for some, it felt like a slight. Dr. Stefan Grant, director of the Tulane Cancer Center, who is receiving nearly $23 million from the funding pool, said many of the cancers plaguing Louisianas Black communities are caused by preventable factors like smoking, obesity, and inactivity. But in Jo Banners community in Cancer Alley, the leading statistical cause of cancer is actually air pollution. It is expected that 1 out of every 250 residents in the area will develop cancer due to industrial air pollution, which is 40 times higher than what the Environmental Protection Agency deems an acceptable risk. At the same time, the federal government has done little to fully remediate the issue of air pollution in her community, said Banner, an environmental justice activist who was invited by the White House to the event. Biden, however, has put forth some of the most expansive pollution controls in history and briefly mentioned Cancer Alley in his speech. Still, Black people remain exposed to the most pollution nationwide. You want to acknowledge all of the wonderful work that theyre doing for our community, right, but at the same time, its hard when youre sitting next to people and governments that have allowed it to happen, explained Banner. Last week, a massive industrial project that would have intensified health struggles in Cancer Alley was halted after years of activism by Banner and her twin sister, Joy. This came despite government support and permitting for the project. Like trying to solve lung disease while still smoking Nationwide, cancer is the second-leading cause of death, with approximately 600,000 deaths annually, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Across the globe, cancer cases are expected to rise by 77% by 2050, driven in part by an increase in air and water contamination, according to the World Health Organization. Black Americans have higher death rates than all other racial and ethnic groups for most cancer types due to several factors, including a lack of access to preventative health care and care after diagnosis. Read More: Chemical Plants Destroyed These Black Towns. The EPA Hopes New Regulations Will Help. A recent report by the American Lung Association found that 131 million people, or nearly 40% of the U.S., are living in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, an increase of nearly 12 million since last year. As oil and gas production has skyrocketed over the past two years, in various regions the country is backsliding on the progress it made to clean up air pollution. We will never cure cancer if we continue to permit cancer-causing industries. Thats like trying to solve lung disease while still smoking, said Shaq Cosse, who is a program manager with Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental group. Outside of Cancer Alley, industrial pollution has been linked to a rise in cancer as billboards like this one have popped up in hotspots. (Adam Mahoney/Capital B) At the event, Biden explained his own history with cranial aneurysms, which he nearly died of in the 1980s. He recalled a conversation with his doctor, who Biden said was trying to explain to him if his brain ailment was naturally occurring or the product of his environment. Biden said he responded with, I dont care. Just get it done. While the work of cancer care and aftercare cannot be understated, the environmental advocates claim that this mindset misses the point and more could be done to prevent them in the first place. Particularly as the initiative faces a rocky future. Funding for the program, which first started under the Obama-Biden administration in 2016, has steadily decreased, and in the most recent congressional spending bill, funding was cut for next year. Former President Donald Trumps campaign has signaled that it wouldnt increase funding for the program, either. I want it to be prevented, because even with the best surgery and the best new methods, its still going to mean someone has to hear what he called the most devastating words anyone can hear, Banner said. The post Bidens $150M Cancer Pledge Clashes with Reality in Louisianas Cancer Alley appeared first on Capital B News. New high-profile details have emerged in the case of the death of Friends star Matthew Perry. Police have arrested a person involved in the story for the first time, and several unnamed suspects have been formally charged. ADVERTISIMENT At least that's what law enforcement sources told NBC News. According to the sources, at least one person was arrested in Southern California on Thursday morning, August 15. Federal prosecutors are expected to release a report soon detailing the charges against the arrested person and others. Despite the fact that the actor's death was ruled an accident, the police still have questions about how the dead man got a lethal amount of ketamine in his body. In May, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that it was working with federal authorities to find out the source of the drug. It is used as an alternative treatment for depression. ADVERTISIMENT Perry was undergoing a course of supervised ketamine therapy. The last documented treatment took place more than a week before the fateful day. However, the medical examiner determined that the amount of ketamine in Perry's system at the time of his death was the amount typically used for anesthesia during surgery. This led to the theory that someone brought the drug to the celebrity's house and then left. At least two famous women who knew Perry have come forward in this case. The star's friend, whose phone and laptop were seized, was the ex-wife of the scandalous actor Charlie Sheen, Brooke Mueller. She is cooperating with the investigation but denies that she was in any way involved in the death of the Friends actor. As a reminder, he passed away on October 28, 2023, in his home while swimming in a jacuzzi. The body was found by his assistant, who called the emergency services. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) President Joe Biden signed a proclamation Friday to designate a national monument at the site of the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois. Administration officials and members of Congress, along with civil rights and community leaders from across the country, joined the president in the Oval Office for the historic ceremony. Its important, important, important, President Biden said, banging on his desk for emphasis. More than a hundred years ago this week, a mob of white rioters stormed the capital city not far from former President Abraham Lincolns home. Over the next few days, the mob lynched two innocent Black men, burned down dozens of homes and businesses, and forced many families to flee. People forgot it as if, you know, it didnt happen, President Biden said. President Biden said the new designation will force people to remember. So our children, our grandchildren, everybody understands what happened and what can still happen, he said. The president alluded to the recent murder of Sonya Massey in Springfield. Matter of fact, something happened here similar recently, he said. A white sheriffs deputy gunned down the 36-year-old Black woman in her home. One of Masseys cousins said they are actually descendants of one of the men who was lynched during the riot. Obviously, with the murder of Sonya Massey, we can still see in the community of Springfield we have work to do, said U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, (D-Ill.), who represents the Springfield area. Budzinski said the riot inspired civil rights leaders to form the NAACP. The president of Springfields chapter, Austin Randolph, said Fridays designation serves as a unifier. To come together, to work together, to love each other and to be positive, Randolph said. This is good history. The NAACP and others are working on a walk-through memorial for the site, which still needs funding. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. President Biden on Friday designated a new national monument at the site of the 1908 Springfield, Ill., race riot, a deadly incident that paved the way for the creation of the NAACP. In remarks from the Oval Office, Biden said the riot shocked the conscience of the nation. The president signed the proclamation flanked by Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin (D) and Tammy Duckworth (D) and Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D), who co-sponsored the bicameral legislation to create the monument that stalled in Congress. Also present were Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, NAACP President Derrick Johnson and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. Another sponsor of the bill, Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), was not present. The riot began Aug. 14, 1908, after a mob of white men learned that two Black men awaiting trial, one on charges of raping a white woman and the other on charges of murdering a white man, had been transferred out of the local jail. Over the next two days, the mob rioted in Springfields Black neighborhoods, killing a total of eight Black men. An infant who died of exposure after their family was displaced is often included in the riots death toll as well. The riot was a high-profile incident of racist mob violence in a Northern city during a period when such episodes were associated with the Jim Crow South. Biden took aim at state laws that seek to exclude incidents like the riot from history curricula in his remarks, saying, I never thought Id see people try to erase history its so important for our children and grandchildren to understand what happened. The monument is the sixth designated under the Biden administration. The president has also expanded the acreage of two California monuments, the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. The Hill confirmed the White House was set to designate the Springfield monument Wednesday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SPRINGFIELD President Joe Biden on Friday signed a proclamation designating the site of the 1908 Springfield race riot, one of the most egregious outbreaks of race-related violence in American history, as a national monument. The riot has long been a calamitous symbol of the racism and intimidation that many Black Americans have endured in America. In recent years, both of Illinois Democratic U.S. senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, pushed for the legislation to prioritize the site of the riot as a national monument, and advocates have urged Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906, a federal law that protects cultural and natural resources of historic or scientific interest, to make that a reality. That came to fruition on Friday, two days after the 116th anniversary of a riot that erupted just blocks from where President Abraham Lincoln once lived. That literally shocked the conscience of the nation, Biden said at the Oval Office, flanked by Durbin, Duckworth, Democratic U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Springfield and others. We have no safe harbor unless we continue to remind people what happened. According to the White House, the monument will serve as a reminder of the hateful violence targeted against Black Americans, and the power of dedicated individuals to come together across racial lines to transform shock and grief into hope and action. The monument will protect 1.57 acres of federal land in Springfield and will be managed by the U.S. Department of the Interiors National Park Service. In the coming years, the park service will work with community groups to plan for interpretation, commemoration, and visitor experiences associated with the new park site, the White House said, including the charred foundations of five homes that were never rebuilt. Those homes were among dozens burned to the ground by an angry white crowd that ran amok after two Black men accused of rape and murder were spirited out of town by authorities. The riot spurred the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which was founded on Feb. 12, 1909, Lincolns 100th birthday, after Black leaders including Ida B. Wells-Barnett and W.E.B. DuBois called for the creation of a national organization to fight for equality and rail against racist policies. Bidens announcement comes as the Springfield area has faced another reckoning in recent weeks with the police killing of 36-year-old Sonya Massey, whose death led to protests across the U.S. Masseys family has said she was a descendent of William Donnegan, a shoemaker who was involved in the Underground Railroad and was lynched during the 1908 riot. Walter Katz, the deputy chief of staff of public safety to former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, specializing in police reform and accountability, also has a connection to Donnegan. Katz said in a Tribune op-ed last year that Donnegan was his great-great-great-granduncle, something he learned through an investigation of his ancestry, and tied that to his chosen career path as a public defender and social justice advocate. So many Black Americans can point to someone in their family, in their extended family, whod either been a victim of racial violence or a victim of police overreach, of being an illegal stop or an illegal search or a use of force or a false arrest, Katz said in an interview on Friday. Teresa Haley, immediate past president for the Springfield branch of the NAACP, said the city remains racially segregated more than a century after the riot. Haley said she pushed for the national monument status for the riot site along with elected officials and that Bidens announcement meant a lot to her because its important that people understand the adverse impact the riot had on Black residents. What were hoping now and what I want to see is when people come to Springfield and they come over where the memorial and the monument is being placed, that its an opportunity to reflect, Haley said. Its an opportunity to think and put yourself, imagine yourself living during that era, experiencing that race riot. And Black people and white people lost their lives. The chain of events leading to the riot began on Aug. 14, 1908, when two Black men, Joe James and George Richardson, were held in jail. Richardson was accused of raping a white woman and James was accused of killing a white man. A large mob of white people gathered outside the jail demanding the two men be released so the group could lynch them. To prevent that, the county sheriff and a white business owner secretly moved the two men out of the jail and put them on a train, which took them to another jail about 60 miles away in Bloomington. When the mob learned of this, it grew violent, burning Black-owned homes and businesses in Springfield and attacking residents and business owners. Within a couple of days, about three dozen businesses in one neighborhood half of them Black-owned and many of the others Jewish-owned - were looted and vandalized. Several dozen homes of Black residents in the city were also destroyed. Illinois Gov. Charles Deneen called in the Illinois National Guard to bring the rioting under control. Ultimately, James was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by an all-white jury. Richardson was freed after the woman who accused him of rape recanted her story. In a statement issued earlier this week, Durbin, who has a home in Springfield, said the race riot was a violent and hateful tragedy that we cannot turn a blind eye to. Together, we can honor the lives lost during the deadly riot and reaffirm our commitment to fighting prejudice in Illinois and across the country, he said. During the Democrats annual political rally at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield on Wednesday, Budzinski stressed the importance of the monuments creation to educate future generations of residents and visitors to the capital city about the riot and to ensure its not forgotten. Were coming out of the murder of Sonya Massey, being able to recognize our history in Springfield and telling the honest truth and history of our city and our community, and how we can be looking forward, how much more progress we still have to make, Budzinski said. Katz called the proclamation an important and overdue move, calling the riot an undertold story, which still has reverberations today. We still have these vestiges, which we see in, for example, the vestiges of redlining, where people of color, Black people, were not allowed to live in a lot of places in northern cities, he said. So today, the commemoration is recognizing the importance of history and the importance of the Black experience within the American fabric and especially since we have seen such a push over the last couple of years, this backlash of the teaching of history. As President Joe Biden's time in office comes to an end, there are several things he's hoping to wrap-up before he hands the keys over one of them being securing a cease-fire agreement in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has led to a Palestinian death toll surpassing 40,000 during the 10-month-old war, according to AP News. On Friday, mediators from the U.S., Israel, Qatar, Egypt and Hamas concluded two days of talks in Doha, Qatar, with a joint statement from Washington, Doha and Cairo describing the efforts towards an end to the bloody conflict as serious, constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphere, per reporting from The Hill. Commenting on the work put in towards nailing down the cease-fire agreement, Biden spoke from the Oval Office saying, I dont want to jinx anything were not there yet. But were much, much closer than we were three days ago." If all goes well, the Biden Administration hopes to tie a bow on the agreement before the end of next week, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Israel on Sunday with hopes to finalize it. It has been negotiated for months, and we do believe very strongly, and theres momentum here in this process, to work to bring this to its conclusion, a senior administration official said on Friday. US President Joe Biden speaks at Prince George's Community College during an event on Medicare drug price negotiations. Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa US President Joe Biden has expressed optimism regarding the conclusion of an agreement in the negotiations over a ceasefire in the Gaza war. "We are closer than we've ever been," Biden told journalists on the sidelines of an event at the White House on Friday. "I don't want to jinx anything ... We may have something, but we're not there yet." "It's much, much closer than it was three days ago," Biden said. Earlier Friday, the negotiations had been postponed until next week. The mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States, along with Israel and the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, did not achieve a breakthrough, according to a joint statement, but they said the two-day talks in the Qatari capital Doha were constructive. Another high-level meeting is to be held in Cairo before the end of next week. According to the three mediators, there is a proposal aimed at narrowing "the remaining gaps." This aligns with the principles of the peace plan that Biden presented at the end of May. President Joe Biden on Friday signed a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot Monument, located on the site of a deadly attack on a Black community by a white mob 116 years ago. By establishing the monument, the White House said in a statement, the president is "recognizing the significance of these events and the broader history of Black community resilience in the face of violent oppression." Biden was joined by civil rights leaders, community members and elected officials in the Oval Office. What Im excited about, beyond the specifics of this, were rewriting history, Biden said. So our children, our grandchildren everybody understands what happened, and what can still happen. Just before signing the proclamation, he explained how a mob not far from Lincoln's home unleashed a race riot in Springfield. PHOTO: President Joe Biden signs a proclamation to designate the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, Aug. 16, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin elaborated on what he called the "national significance" of the attack's ties to Abraham Lincoln. "It was the connection with Lincoln that really drove home the point that racism has to end in America," he said at the signing ceremony. "And we're still fighting that battle now." MORE: Biden, Harris greeted by chants of 'Thank you, Joe' at 1st joint event since he exited race The monument will protect 1.57 acres of federal land in Springfield, Illinois, and will include the foundations of five houses that were destroyed in the violence. "I know this may not seem significant to you, to most Americans, but it's important. It's important, important, important," Biden said. The White House added that this incident was representative of the "racism, intimidation, and violence that Black Americans experienced across the country." Biden emphasized the need for generations of Americans to understand such history. "As a matter of fact something happened here similar, recently," he said. MORE: Death of Black man seen on video pinned by hotel workers prompts calls for arrests He also noted how the horrific attack "sparked the creation of the NAACP," which he views as "one of the most important organizations" in America. "I'm so proud that Springfield, Illinois, is home to the beginning of the NAACP," Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth added. "Good things can come out of bad things, as long as you don't forget what happened." PHOTO: Sculptures representing charred chimneys rising from the smoldering rubble of burned-out buildings make up the Centennial memorial of the 1908 Race Riot entitled, 'Acts of Intolerance' by Preston Jackson, in Springfield, IL, March 22, 2023. (John O'Connor/AP/FILE) Lawmakers have been calling on Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate the site as a national monument. Although legislation had been introduced seeking to advance this goal, Duckworth explained how "it's been stuck in the House." As a result, they believed executive action was the "best chance to protect this area and mark this part of our history." This effort marks the eighth addition to the national park system during the Biden-Harris administration. Biden signs proclamation establishing Springfield 1908 Race Riot Monument originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Alice Walton, the sole heiress to the fortune of the American retail corporation Walmart, has been recognized as the richest woman in the world. As of August 15, 2024, she is on the 19th line of the Bloomberg list. ADVERTISIMENT The three Walmart heirs, Rob Walton, Jim Walton, and Alice Walton, have a combined fortune of more than $250 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The entrepreneur has even overtaken Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the heiress of L'Oreal, Business Insider reports. Despite Walton's high status, their personal life remains mostly private. Read on to find out what is known about the multibillionaire and how she spends her money. Alice Walton, the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is the richest woman in the world ADVERTISIMENT Walton and L'Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers are regularly ranked first. Unlike her brothers Rob and Jim, Alice Walton has never been actively involved in the management of Walmart but instead has become a patron of the arts. According to the New Yorker profile, the businesswoman fell in love with art at a young age. At the age of 10, she bought her first piece of art: a $2 reproduction of a Picasso painting, she told the publication. After graduating from Trinity University in 1971, Walton briefly joined the family business, working at Walmart as a children's clothing buyer. ADVERTISIMENT But her career really began in finance, which led her to found the investment bank Llama Company in 1988. The billionaire has been married and divorced twice and has no children. She has a huge private collection of works of art "Collecting has been such a joy and such an important part of my life in terms of seeing art and loving it," she told The New Yorker. In 2011, she opened the $50 million Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, where she housed her private collection worth $500 million. ADVERTISIMENT In 2014, the Walmart heiress paid $44.4 million for a work by Georgia O'Keeffe. It was the most expensive work by a female artist in history. Later, Walton exhibited it in her museum. Walton has donated millions to the arts In January 2016, Walton donated 3.7 million of her own shares in Walmart, which were worth about $225 million at the time, to a family nonprofit organization, the Walton Family Foundation. The following year, the charity donated $120 million to the University of Arkansas to establish the School of the Arts. She also has her own charitable organization, the Alice L. Walton Foundation, which, according to its website, donates to the arts, education, and healthcare. Walton has also invested some of her money in politics. ADVERTISIMENT Walton used to raise horses in Texas "I've been involved in a lot of areas, and I want to focus," Walton said in 2017. "I have a house in Fort Worth, so I'm moving to the city. In 2017, she sold her ranch in Texas for an undisclosed amount. The initial asking price for Rocking W Ranch was $19.75 million but was later reduced to $16.5 million. The ranch had more than 250 acres of pastures and outbuildings for cattle and horses. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available in the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The big moment arrives for Harris: Democratic convention kicks off Monday in Chicago Signs marking states seating sections are installed and adjusted ahead of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 15, 2024 in Chicago. The convention will be held Aug. 19-22. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) WASHINGTON Just a little over a month after she became a candidate for president in the biggest shakeup in generations of presidential politics, Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday will deliver a widely anticipated speech accepting the Democratic nomination at the partys convention in Chicago. Harris ascent to the top of the ticket after President Joe Biden changed course and said he would not seek reelection has breathed new life into the Democratic bid, with polls showing Harris who is already the partys official nominee after a virtual roll call earlier this month faring much better than Biden was against Republican rival Donald Trump. Over the course of four days, Democrats will look to capitalize on their bases newfound enthusiasm for the campaign, with leading speakers aiming to rally the faithful around the partys positions on reproductive rights, gun safety and voting rights, while making a strong pitch to young voters. Harris will also be expected to further lay out her policy positions. Harris nomination is historic. The daughter of immigrants, Harris is the first Black and South Asian woman selected to lead a major party ticket. She would be the first woman of any race to guide the nation as chief executive. The party has not released an official detailed schedule of speakers, but a convention official confirmed that current and past presidents are expected to participate in convention programming. Biden and two former presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as former nominee Hillary Clinton, will all speak, according to the New York Times. Vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is expected to address the convention Wednesday evening, with Harris acceptance speech closing out the convention Thursday, the convention official said. The evening programming block will run from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. the rest of the week. In addition to the usual television broadcasts, the convention will livestream on several social media platforms, including YouTube, X, Instagram and TikTok. The official live stream will be available on DemConvention.com. Scores of Democratic caucus and council meetings, as well as state delegation breakfasts and gatherings, are also scheduled throughout the weeks daytime hours. Media organizations and outside groups are also holding daytime events that will feature Democratic officeholders and candidates. Protests are also expected over the Biden administrations handling of the Israel-Hamas war, with the backdrop of a delegation of uncommitted voters who oppose the war. As many as 25,000 protestors are expected over the course of the convention, according to DemList, a newsletter for Democratic officials and allies. A contest transformed Harris entry into the race, nearly immediately after Biden announced on July 21 he would no longer seek reelection, energized Democrats distressed over Bidens poor showings in polls against Trump, whose reelection bid Biden turned back in 2020. A Monmouth University poll published Aug. 14 showed a huge jump in enthusiasm for Democrats. The survey found 85% of Democratic respondents were excited about the Harris-Trump race. By comparison, only 46% of Democratic respondents said in June they were excited about a Biden-Trump race. Harris is also seeing better polling numbers in matchups against Trump, with battleground-state and national surveys consistently shifting toward the Democratic ticket since Biden left the race. Polls of seven battleground states published by The Cook Political Report With Amy Walter on Aug. 14 showed Harris narrowly leading in five states Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and tied in Georgia and trailing in Nevada. All were improvements from Bidens standing in the same poll in May. An Aug. 14 survey from Quinnipiac University showed Harris with a 48%-45% edge in Pennsylvania. The 3-point advantage for Harris was within the polls margin of error. Democrats hope to carry the momentum through the convention. Polls typically favor a party during and immediately after its national party gathering. Despite the recent polling, Harris and Walz continue to describe themselves as underdogs in the race. Campaign themes In her short time on the campaign trail, Harris has emphasized a few core messages. Shes made reproductive rights a central focus, including the slogan We are not going back in her stump speech after describing Republicans position on abortion. Additionally, a Texas woman who had to leave the state for an emergency abortion will speak at the DNC, according to Reuters. Harris has also played up her background as a prosecutor, drawing a contrast with Trumps legal troubles. Walz has highlighted his working-class background and military service, while attacking Republican positions to restrict reproductive rights and ban certain books in schools. Walzs first solo campaign stop since Harris selected him as her running mate was at a union convention, where he emphasized his union background as a high school teacher. Walz was not initially considered the favorite to be Harris running mate, but his appeal as a Midwesterner with a record of winning tough elections and enacting progressive policies led to his selection Aug. 6. Harris has faced criticism for not sitting down for a formal media interview or holding a press conference since she became a candidate. Platform in flux Democrats have not finalized their platform for 2024. Adopting a party platform is generally among the official items at a convention. The party set a draft platform in July just eight days before Biden dropped his reelection bid. The document centered on the theme of finishing the job and mentioned Biden, then the presumptive nominee, 50 times and Harris 12. Party spokespeople did not respond to an inquiry this week about plans for an update to the platform. Reproductive rights will likely be a focus point of any policy wishlist. Harris, during her time as vice president, has led the administrations messaging on reproductive rights after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in the summer of 2022. In her campaign speeches, she has often stressed the need to trust women and that the government should not be deciding reproductive health. Harris has often promised that if she is elected, she will restore those reproductive rights, but unless Democrats control a majority in the U.S. House and 60 Senate votes, its unlikely she would be able to achieve that promise. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in that Supreme Court decision, Democrats have campaigned on reproductive rights that expand beyond abortion and include protections for in vitro fertilization. The 2020 party platform focused on recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, the economy, quality health care, investing in education, protecting democracy and combating climate change. Democrats are likely to continue to criticize the Project 2025 playbook a blueprint by the Heritage Foundation, a think tank, to implement conservative policies across the federal government should Trump win in November. Trump has disavowed the document, but has not detailed his own policy plans. Chicago conventions The Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago, a city with a long history of hosting the event. Democrats have held their convention in Chicago 11 times, first in 1864 and most recently in 1996. This years will be the first in-person Democratic National Convention since 2016. It was upended due to the coronavirus pandemic and held virtually in 2020. Throughout the four-day convention, there will be speeches and side events hosted by state Democratic party leaders. The ceremonial roll call vote with delegates on the convention floor will take place Tuesday. The vice presidential nomination speech by Walz will be Wednesday night and on Thursday night, Harris will give her nomination acceptance speech. The city is also preparing for massive protests from several groups on reproductive rights, LGBTQ protections, housing and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, according to WBEZ News. The City Council of Chicago in January approved a ceasefire resolution, with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson the tiebreaker, making it the largest city to call for an end to the Israel-Hamas war, in which more than 40,000 Palestinians have died. The war followed an Oct. 7 attack from Hamas, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed in Israel and hundreds taken hostage. Road to nomination Harris acceptance speech will cap a five-year journey to her partys nomination. In 2019, the California senator announced a bid for president in the next years election, but dropped out before the first primary or caucus votes were cast after she failed to catch on with Democratic voters. Biden later picked her as a running mate, and the two defeated Trump and then-Vice President Mike Pence in the 2020 election. Biden launched a reelection campaign for 2024, but stepped aside after a disastrous debate performance in June spurred questions about his ability to campaign and serve for another four-year term. After Biden bowed out, Harris quickly secured 99% of delegates to become the partys likely nominee. The virtual five-day vote secured her official nomination. With less than three months until Election Day, Harris and Walz already have sprinted through battleground states including Arizona, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Their campaign has also pulled in more than $300 million, according to the campaign. Official Federal Election Commission records will be released in mid-October. Harris and Trump have agreed to a Sept. 10 debate hosted by ABC News in Philadelphia. Trump proposed two more debates, and Harris has said she would be open to another one between the first debate and Election Day. Walz and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio have agreed to an Oct. 1 debate on CBS News, in New York City. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX VESTAL, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) Over the next three days, 7,000 students will move their stuff into their dorms, as classes get started next week. Friday was the first move-in day at BU, welcoming around 1,900 students today and another 2,500 are scheduled to come tomorrow. Theres over 150 volunteers around campus, helping new students unload their belongings intro carts, that are brought to their new dorm rooms. The students are given a designated time slot to arrive, to avoid congestion around campus. BUs president, Harvey Stengers advice to new students, is dont be a stranger. He says one in three people that you see on campus are brand new. I think so many people feel like, when they here, theyre the only ones whos new and everybody else has been here for a while, but thats not true. New freshman, new transfer students, new graduate students, new faculty members, new staff members. A lot of newness on campus and I think thats the exciting part, said Stenger. The university says that roughly 32% of new students are from Upstate New York, 22% are from Long Island, and 27% are coming from New York City. Binghamtons classes officially begin on Tuesday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34. Edmond, Okla (KFOR) Americas longest-serving wrongfully incarcerated inmate, Glynn Simmons, spoke at a graduation ceremony Thursday afternoon. Simmons was the keynote speaker at a small celebration for incarcerated Oklahomans preparing for a fresh start. Donation given to Glynn Simmons whos now a free man Eighteen participants graduated from the Regional Food Bank Culinary Arts program. They completed an eight-week safety training course which will make them more employable once they are released from prison. Simmons encouraged the graduates to find joy in their circumstances, as he did during the 48 years five months 18 days he spent behind bars for a murder he did not commit. It has been an eventful week for Simmons. Monday, the Edmond City Council approved a $7.15 milion dollar settlement to compensate Simmons for his wrongful imprisonment. Its a win, Simmons said. It gives me enough money to stay in the fight with Oklahoma City because they walked away from the table, offering nothing. So, its a bittersweet thing and the fight goes on. Glynn Simmons, Americas longest serving exoneree, sues cities and detectives involved in wrongful conviction Simmons was hopeful both municipalities would agree to a settlement on par with other wrongful conviction judgements acorss the country, which can reach as high as $1 million per year of wrongful incarceration. While Simmons claim against Edmond has been resolved, his lawsuit is ongoing against Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma City Police Department and the lead OCPD detective for their role in his wongful conviction. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. An observant fellow officer helped spark the investigation that led to Thursdays indictment of two Bluffton police employees, including one sworn sergeant, on accusations of stealing a gun from the department. Former civilian quartermaster Thomas Rauchfuss, 42, was charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly taking a firearm that should have been submitted into the departments evidence division, according to a release from the Bluffton Police Department. Sgt. Bonifacio Perez, 39, was charged with misconduct in office for allegedly aiding Rauchfuss in stealing the weapon. Both offenses are misdemeanors punishable by up to 10 years in prison, according to Jeff Kidd, a spokesperson for the 14th Circuit Solicitors Office. He would not specify the number of weapons the men were accused of stealing, a detail also left ambiguous in their indictment documents. The unnamed officer notified Chief of Police Joseph Babkiewicz on May 8 after seeing Rauchfuss failing to document a firearm that was surrendered by a resident, the department says. That informant was following the police forces Duty to Intervene policy, which requires officers who observe their colleagues violating laws or department policies to report the actions to a higher-up. Babkiewicz said he was deeply saddened and disappointed by the incident but noted that the departments policies are in place for this exact reason. A Beaufort County grand jury indicted both men on Thursday. Following a direct indictment, defendants are usually summoned to General Sessions Court for a bond hearing. Those proceedings had not yet been scheduled. Sgt. Bonifacio Perez (left) of the Bluffton Police Department and former quartermaster Thomas Rauchfuss were indicted Thursday on accusations of stealing one or more firearms from the department. Town officials say the investigation began after a fellow officer observed Rauchfuss failing to document a gun that was surrendered to the police force. Rauchfuss and Perez were placed on paid administrative leave May 9, along with two other sworn officers: Sgt. Matthew Ferrelli and Capt. Scott Chandler, both of whom were not part of Thursdays indictment. Chandler served as the Bluffton Police Departments interim chief for brief periods in 2018 and 2020, filling the positions vacancies for about nine months total. In response to the misconduct allegations, two agencies launched related investigations in the following days: The Beaufort County Sheriffs Office conducted a short internal probe based on a policy violation, while agents at the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division led the still-active criminal investigation that eventually resulted in Thursdays indictments. Bluffton police announced in mid-July that Rauchfuss had been terminated due to the internal affairs investigation, which the sheriffs office finished in late July. Perez remained on paid administrative leave as of Friday afternoon. Chief Babkiewicz would determine his employment status after reviewing the sheriffs final internal repairs report, which will not be released until SLED completes its criminal probe. Chandler and Ferrelli also remained on paid leave pending the release of the internal affairs report, according to the release. Who are the 2 indicted employees? Perez became a sworn officer with the Bluffton Police Department in 2010, receiving positive performance reviews and a number of promotions over the years. He became a sergeant in 2017 and was responsible for overseeing officers and training new recruits. In 2019, he took on the role of a school resource officer supervisor, managing five of the officers posted in Bluffton-area schools and taking charge of police operations in other schools that did not have assigned SROs. For several years, Perez also acted as the public information officer for the department, handling media requests and the departments public relations. In September 2023, a memo distributed in a command staff meeting by Babkiewicz described an exclusive clique of four to five officers who would eat lunch together in the same car and respond to incidents in a single vehicle. Perez and Chandler were part of that group, according to reporting from The Post and Courier. The issue was remedied following the meeting, Babkiewicz said. The front entrance of the Bluffton Police Department headquarters, located in Buckwalter Place, as seen on Oct. 12, 2020 in Bluffton. Rauchfuss was hired in January 2022 as the towns quartermaster and fleet manager, a civilian position with responsibilities of maintaining and documenting the departments equipment and vehicles. Before his time at the Bluffton Police Department, he served for 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed in Iraq, Jordan and other countries. A disciplinary action form for Rauchfuss says the quartermaster was reprimanded by the department in September 2022 for lack of consideration for a fellow human being, with highlights made to the forms guidelines on violent and profane language as well as threatening or coercing other employees. The document, obtained by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette through a Freedom of Information Act request, does not include specifics of the alleged misconduct. Rauchfuss was required to take part in a verbal counseling program as a result of the disciplinary process, the form says. CONNECTICUT (WTNH) As college students head back to school this month, a group of Senate Democrats, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), is investigating what they call alarming reports of mishandled student loan transfers from loan servicers. Were finding that loan servicers who have received millions of student loan accounts have been adding to the burden of student debt, Blumenthal said during a news conference on Thursday in Hartford. Student loans: Why millions can skip their July payment In letters sent to the Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri known as MOHELA, Nelnet Inc. and credit reporting agency Experian on Aug. 8, the senators asked questions pertaining to botched student loan transfers. The video below aired on Aug. 15. One letter reads, Over the past few years, tens of millions of student loan borrowers accounts have been transferred to new private loan servicers. The resulting chaos has been well-documented: borrowers experienced loan servicing errors ranging from very high and incorrect payment amounts to problems accessing loan cancellation programs, to the incomplete transfer of more than five million accounts. The letters were signed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Jefferey Merkley, Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Sen. Chris Murphy suggests forgiving student loans for farmers These student loan services have entrapped borrowers in a morass of chaos and incompetence, Blumenthal said. Lawmakers say at least 1.4 million duplicate student loan records have appeared on borrowers credit scores because of a glitch. They say its leading to excessive billing and lower credit scores, impacting borrowers ability to buy a car, home, or further their education. We absolutely demand that these errors be rectified and that the double balances on credit reporting accounts be eliminated right away, Blumenthal said. The exact number of students/grads affected is unknown, but borrowers are being urged to check their credit reports. News 8 reached out to Experian, Nelnet Inc. and MOHELA for comment on the senate investigation. MOHELAs media relations team released the following statement: MOHELA reported accurately and operated according to the standards provided by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). As a federal contractor for FSA, MOHELAs highest priority is providing high quality service to the borrowers we serve. We share borrowers concern and remain committed to assisting borrowers and FSA with credit reporting. Nalnet said that it shares borrowers frustration. Nelnet accurately followed the Department of Educations direction and processes in transferring these borrowers, the statement reads. In March 2023, Nelnet first alerted FSA that some transferred borrowers were reporting credit discrepancies and has continued to raise the issue in an effort to ensure credit reporting agencies process all transfer files correctly. In fact, a Washington Post article reported that the Department of Education acknowledged the credit reporting errors were not the fault of servicers. Experian has not responded to a request for comment. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. In Northern Michigan, the Glen Lake Association recently hired bowfishers to remove invasive koi fish from the lake and not a moment too soon, as it turned out. Three of the four koi removed from the lake were pregnant, which means that the move to hire the bowfishers prevented a major proliferation of invasive species, MLive reported. The Japanese koi fish were possibly former pets that had been released by irresponsible owners. They were easy to spot, as they were bright orange, unlike any of the native species that call Michigan's lakes home, according to the news outlet. "I knew that getting more calls meant there are more fish in our lake and we had to start waging war," Rob Karner, watershed biologist for the association, told MLive. "So, we did." The largest of the four koi caught by the bowfishers a team from Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club was 32 inches and 24.5 pounds, which MLive reported as a new world record for a Japanese koi harvested with a bow. Unfortunately, this is far from the first instance of former pet koi fish ending up in a lake where they were able to wreak havoc on the ecosystem. The reason that Japanese koi are considered invasive (as the City of Savage Minnesota website explains) is that they are essentially too good at being fish. Koi are hardy, able to survive harsh winters, live a long time, grow to huge sizes, and eat a ton of food. As a result, they are able to outcompete native species for resources, according to ZME Science, upsetting the balance of the ecosystem into which they are released. They are also known to dig into lake beds, uprooting plants. People's life circumstances often change, sometimes suddenly, but it is still vital to never release a pet into the wild if you find that you can no longer care for it. If you ever find yourself with a koi fish that you can no longer take care of, you should make every effort to rehome the koi by either selling it, giving it away, or contacting a local koi rescue organization. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Brasher Falls man accused of stealing about $16,000 of merchandise in store burglary MASSENA, N.Y. (WWTI) A 42-year-old Brasher Falls man is accused of stealing around $16,000 worth of electronic equipment from a Massena store. Massena Village Police charged Trevor Barber with third-degree burglary, third-degree grand larceny, and fourth-degree criminal mischief after he allegedly broke into the AT&T store at Harte Haven Shopping Center in January. St. Lawrence County man sentenced for child sexual exploitation Barber is alleged to have taken around $16,000 worth of merchandise from the store. He was arraigned in the Town of Massena Court and remanded to the St. Lawrence County Jail without bail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWTI - InformNNY.com. Bronx neighbors describe their efforts to save infant who drowned in bathtub, as police investigate As police investigated the bathtub drowning death of an infant, Bronx building neighbors on Friday described the horrific scene outside the apartment where they tried to help save the child. Jezeli Mirabal, 11 months old, was found Wednesday evening around 7:40 p.m. by her mother, Victoria, said police and neighbors in the Crotona Park East building. One bystander described being alerted to the situation by hearing screaming in the fifth-floor hallway of the building on West Farms Road near Boone Ave. and came out to see EMTs working on Jezeli, with the babys mother lying on the floor, crying. While the EMTs worked on the child, Jezelis eldest daughter wept in a neighbors arms. She was in shock of what was happening to her little sister, the woman said in Spanish. While that whole episode was happening, we sat her down, said the womans son. She just wanted comfort she was just scared. Medics rushed the baby to Lincoln Hospital, where she was declared dead. Jezelis mother told police her daughter drowned in the bathtub, law enforcement sources told the Daily News. But on Wednesday a building resident told the Daily News he spoke to a neighbor who said he was helping Jezelis mother bring groceries into her apartment just moments before she found the baby unconscious. He was telling me when she opened the door, she was putting the food away. He left the cart there and she was grabbing the groceries and was going to give the cart back, said Frank DeJesus, 28. Then all the screaming happened. Its just confusing me, DeJesus added. How do you leave the baby in the tub? It dont make sense at all. Police are investigating whether the mother left Jezeli alone in the apartment to run errands, a law enforcement source told the Daily News. Victoria was a loving parent, according to her friend, who described Jezelis mom the day after the babys death as a loving caretaker who made a horrible mistake. She is a good mother. We all make mistakes. She never abused her kids. She was not that type of mother. Jezelis mother now fears law enforcement will hold her responsible for the childs tragic death, her friend said. I spoke to her briefly. Shes scared shes gonna go to jail, said her friend. Shes very scared and she doesnt want to go to jail. Some of us are losing sleep over the situation, the woman who hugged Jezelis sister said Friday, adding that it had taken an especially hard toll on her sons father. He was one of the first people there and he saw the baby when it was purple and unresponsive, she said sadly. A large bronze statue of the late civil rights leader and politician Congressman John Lewis is installed where a monument to the Confederacy was brought down in 2020, in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, in Decatur, Ga. (AP Photo/Ron Harris) DECATUR, Ga. (AP) A large bronze statue of the late civil rights icon leader and Georgia congressman John Lewis was installed Friday, at the very spot where a contentious monument to the confederacy stood for more than 110 years in the town square before it was dismantled in 2020. Work crews gently rested the 12-foot-tall (3.7-meter-tall) statue into place as the internationally acclaimed sculptor, Basil Watson, looked on carefully. Its exciting to see it going up and exciting for the city because of what he represents and what its replacing, Watson said, as he assisted with the install process. Lewis was known for his role at the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement and urged others to get in good trouble for a cause he saw as vital and necessary. In DeKalb County where the Confederate monument stood for more than a century, protesters have invoked good trouble in calling for the swift removal of the obelisk. Back in 2020, the stone obelisk was lifted from its base with straps amid jeers and chants of Just drop it! from onlookers in Decatur, Georgia, who were kept at a safe distance by sheriffs deputies. The obelisk was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1908. Groups like the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights and Hate Free Decatur had been pushing for the monument to be removed since the deadly 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The monument was among those around the country that became flashpoints for protests over police brutality and racial injustice, following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. The city of Decatur then asked a Georgia judge to order the removal of the monument, which was often vandalized and marked by graffiti, saying it had become a threat to public safety. The statue of Lewis will be officially unveiled on Aug. 24. Nazrin Abdul A memorandum of understanding has been signed between "Baku Metropoliteni" CJSC and "Metro Istanbul" to address the organizational aspects of the inaugural international conference for metro systems, set to take place in Baku in April 2025. The agreement was formalized by Zaur Huseynov, Chairman of "Baku Metropoliteni" CJSC, and Ozgur Soy, General Director of "Metro Istanbul", Azernews reports. Following the signing ceremony, Zaur Huseynov emphasized the strengthened bonds between Azerbaijan and Turkiye, noting that the relationship has evolved significantly in recent years. Since 2015, Baku Metro and Istanbul Metro have been actively collaborating, focusing on knowledge exchange in human resources, new technologies, technical service, and maintenance. Huseynov expressed optimism that these achievements could be further enhanced with the involvement of other global metropolitan areas. He stressed that the upcoming conference aims to become a premier platform for metro systems worldwide. Ozgur Soy, General Director of "Metro Istanbul," expressed confidence in the events success. He highlighted the potential for the metro systems of Azerbaijan and Turkiye to offer a new, impactful platform for global metro systems. Soy underscored the benefits of combining Baku Metros extensive experience with Istanbul Metros technological innovations and the growing production capabilities of both countries. He believes this initiative will serve as a bridge connecting manufacturers and metro systems globally. The media presentation for the event revealed that early 2024 saw the initiation of idea exchanges and organizational discussions between Baku and Istanbul metros. The conference has been named "Metroconnect," with Baku hosting the inaugural event. Future venues and dates for subsequent conferences will be determined later. Research indicates a need to address crucial issues and challenges faced by metro systems, explore new perspectives, and discuss innovative proposals. The conference agenda will cover recent advancements in construction, train assembly and repair, subway equipment, innovative technologies, artificial intelligence, repair and service standards, safety, and passenger satisfaction. Additionally, there will be a special focus on scientific research achievements. To cater to the interests of metro systems, manufacturers, and research institutions, the conference will feature an exhibition showcasing innovations from Baku Metro, alongside other key topics. The event will also involve discussions and meetings with producers, experts in science, education, and research, creating open platforms for various organizations. The conference will span two days and include multiple discussion panels on pressing issues. The visit by "Metro Istanbul" representatives to Baku lasted two days, during which they discussed the main points of the agreement, reviewed progress, and outlined future plans and tasks. In the Kursk region of Russia, where the Ukrainian offensive continues, another large convoy of Russian Armed Forces equipment was hit. The Russians again suffered significant losses on their territory. ADVERTISIMENT This information was leaked online by a Russian propagandist. He accused the "idiot commanders" of repeating the story that happened a few days ago near Rylsk. According to the "military commissar" who reported the losses, this time the Russian convoy was defeated near the village of Koreneve. The village is located between Rylsk and Sudzha. "The same thing happened near Koreneve as near Rylsk. There is no worse disaster in war than an idiot in command. The enemy does not forgive mistakes," the propagandist wrote. Currently, the exact data on the losses suffered by Putin's troops in the Kursk region are unknown. ADVERTISIMENT To recap: On August 9, a column of armored vehicles of the Russian Armed Forces was destroyed on the march near the village of Oktyabrske, Rylsk district. A fire broke out at the site of the attack and detonation sounds were heard. It was stated that the column was allegedly hit by Ukrainian drones. The next day, the network showed footage of the aftermath of this "cotton" marked 18+. The photos and videos clearly show burnt enemy military equipment, as well as tented trucks with liquidated Russian soldiers inside. "A bunch of 'good Russians' repeated the story near Rylsk that happened the day before (remember the pile of burnt scrap metal with a bunch of dead Russians?) "Good morning, Kursk!" commented Petro Andriushchenko, an advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, on another destruction of the Russian convoy. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Brooklyn affordable housing lottery offering apartments for as cheap as $544 Brooklyn affordable housing lottery offering apartments for as cheap as $544 BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) An affordable housing lottery in Brooklyn is offering apartment rents for just hundreds of dollars a month including some studios as low as $544. The affordable housing lottery is for Throop Corners, located at 88 Throop Ave. in South Williamsburg. More Local News The building offers 125 units, including studios, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. Some of the buildings amenities include a shared laundry room, community center, a package room, and a rooftop terrace. The property is listed on the NYC Housing Connect website, an online portal where people can find and apply for affordable housing opportunities in New York City. Applications for Throop Corners remain open until Tuesday, Aug. 20. The eligible income range is $21,566 to $173,920. Several NYC affordable housing lotteries closing soon: Last chance to apply Rent ranges from as low as $544 a month for a studio for a single person who makes up to $32,610 a year to $3,275 a month for a four-bedroom apartment for a family of nine making up to $173,920 a year. To learn more about Throop Corners and how to apply, click here. Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. NEW YORK Brooklyn families are reeling over the sudden removal of a beloved elementary school principal, after she told them she was ousted for daring to speak out against injustice. More than 100 parents in Crown Heights have signed a petition calling for the reinstatement of Principal Valerie Macey at P.S. 705 Brooklyn Arts and Science Elementary School, which made headlines last school year over lessons on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that were seen as being critical of Israel. The school in June also hosted its fourth annual Pride parade. The reason for her dismissal, however, was not clear. Maceys public comments were vague, and education officials say they cant discuss it. My time as your principal is coming to an abrupt end. This isnt a farewell; its a battle cry, Macey, a veteran employee of the Education Department for more than 25 years, wrote in a since-deleted post this month. I have crossed paths with those who value conformity over courage, and silence over truth. I have been pushed out for daring to speak out against injustice, for calling out oppressive behaviors that have no place in our school. Families who signed the petition said they were shocked to learn of the sudden and unexpected dismissal of their principal, with little explanation from the school district. Were 100% behind Ms. Macey, said Chio Valerio-Gonzalez, a parent of two P.S. 705 students, one starting kindergarten; the other third grade. I dont understand what could she have possibly done. We were told no criminal activity, no children put in harm, so its just hard for me to understand what this reason is that Im not allowed to know but should trust for removing somebody. When one of Valerio-Gonzalezs children was facing a health scare, trying to navigate this weird thing for a child figuring out what their own mortality means, Macey started a cheerleading team. She credited the squad with restoring her daughters self-esteem. I havent been able to tell my little girl Ms. Macey isnt going to be there anymore, she said. I think shes going to be absolutely devastated. Macey was hired as principal just months before the pandemic, when she became a national media darling for her communication with families and enthusiasm for the job. During the 2021-22 school year, when students returned to classrooms, most for the first time since lockdown, Macey rolled out a 30-foot red carpet from Amazon a reopening so extravagant that it was featured in Curbed. Under her leadership, P.S. 705 moved from a school designated as in need of comprehensive support and improvement to good standing, state education records show. She revamped a popular dual-language program with Spanish and launched 3-K in the building. This academic year, the school was pushed back into the spotlight when a pro-Israel group posted a lesson plan on Palestine by a pair of third-grade teachers. One of the staffers on social media thanked an education company called Woke Kindergarten for the resources, which included a remix of the childrens ditty Wheels on the Bus to refer to the wheels on an Israeli tank. No evidence was found if the P.S. 705 teachers taught the tune, but the New York Post picked up the story in January touching off a tense period for the school as digital billboard trucks targeted the two teachers named in the article. In June, the school hosted a LGBTQ+ pride parade around the block, according to social media posts, with a fashion show, lip sync contest and a drag performance to follow. Children decorated colorful signs, proclaiming: love is love, I am who I am and thats who Ill be, and we are all equal. Meanwhile, P.S. 705, and the school district in which its situated, faces headwinds. Enrollment in School District 17, a gentrifying area spanning Prospect Heights, East Flatbush and Crown Heights, has decreased by 16% over the last five years, district data show a sign of more families with children are leaving the increasingly unaffordable neighborhoods. Of New York Citys 32 geographic school districts, the Central Brooklyn district has the largest number of low-enrolled schools, putting it in a uniquely tenuous position. While small schools can foster a strong sense of community, they may be expensive to operate with redundant overhead costs and have to restrict programming with limited per-pupil funding. On a list of low-enrolled schools is Brooklyn Arts and Science Elementary School, where the student body has shrunk by 41% over the last five years, according to the district. Spokespeople for the Education Department would not comment on personnel matters, but added the employee has been treated fairly. Any claim to the contrary is unfounded, press secretary Nathaniel Styer said. The principals union did not return multiple requests for comment. Macey, still an Education Department employee, said she needed to seek legal counsel to speak on the record. She did not return subsequent requests for comment but is listed on her LinkedIn profile as open to work. Donald Trump, pictured moments after the attempt on his life last month, is said to be keen to return to holding outdoor rallies - Gene J. Puskar/AP Click here to view this content. Donald Trump will be shielded by bulletproof glass as part of arrangements to allow him to hold outdoor rallies again following the attempt on his life. The Republican candidates security will also be bolstered by extra Secret Service agents taken from Joe Bidens team, sources said. The temporary reassignment of security personnel is unusual, a Secret Service official told The New York Times. However, the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in July had made it necessary, they added. At the same time, Mr Bidens security team can be reduced because he is travelling less since exiting the presidential race. Since the July 13 shooting, Trump has held almost a dozen campaign events, all of them indoors. However, the former president is said to have privately expressed a desire to return to the large outdoor events he relishes, once his security can be assured. Part of these assurances will involve the Secret Service surrounding Trumps podium with ballistic glass, designed to repel bullets and provide enhanced protection, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Although the measure is usually reserved for sitting presidents, the Secret Service is making an exception because of the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, which left Trump with a grazed ear and one audience member dead. In an interview with Elon Musk earlier this week, Trump said he wanted to return to the site of the assassination attempt for a rally in October. The ballistic glass, which is heavy and difficult to move, is typically flown by military planes. In Trumps case, sources said that multiple sets will be stored across the US to be ready when needed. It is not yet clear when Trump will hold his first outdoor rally with the new security arrangements. The plan was set in motion by Kimberly Cheatle, the former Secret Service director who resigned in July after describing the attempt on Trumps life as its most significant operational failure in decades. Ms Cheatle bolstered the protective details for Trump, Kamala Harris and both their running mates, as well as second gentleman Doug Emhoff, in the wake of the Butler shooting, sources said. Click here to view this content. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. EDITORS NOTE: This story contains details from court documents regarding sex acts that involve a child victim that some readers may find disturbing. Due to the content of this story, discretion is advised before reading. If you know or suspect that any child under the age of 18 is being abused physically or sexually, please call the Texas Child Abuse Hotline at 1 (800) 252-5400. WICHITA COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) A woman faces a third-degree felony charge after police said she allowed a child to be exposed to nude photographs of an online sexual contact. Tiffany Nicole Back, 32, of Burkburnett, is free from jail after posting a $25,000 bond on child indecency charges. LOCAL NEWS: Parents voice concern with traffic at new WFISD high schools According to the arrest warrant, in June 2024, Child Protective Services contacted Burkburnett Police concerning a report regarding the child victims mother and sexual comments made by a male subject about the 10-year-old female victim. According to the report, the named male subject asked Back to show the victim a picture that he sent her of his exposed genitals and asked her to record the victims reaction when she saw it. The report also stated the male subject was given pairs of the victims undergarments. Back admitted she met the man on Tinder and said they were in a sexual relationship. She denied giving him nude videos or photos of the child but said she did send him videos of the victim. When police asked Back if she ever showed the victim the photo of the male subject exposing himself, she said she did receive the picture on Snapchat from the subject, and the victim saw the photo accidentally while they were parked at a nail salon in Wichita Falls. A search of Backs phone found dozens of sexual photos of her and unidentified male subjects. There were numerous photos of the victim on the phone as well. LOCAL NEWS: Fire engulfs Wichita Falls home, cause under investigation A detective with the Wichita Falls Police Department was also conducting an investigation because the male subject lives in Wichita Falls. The detective said he saw several corroborating screenshots of messages between the reporting person and the male subject. The WFPD detective said the male subject admitted to Back that he was sexually attracted to children before giving him the victims underwear along with sexual photos of herself with the child victim in the background. During an interview at the CPS office, Back admitted the child victim could have been in the background of some sexual pictures she had sent him of herself. The detective said he found pictures and videos of Back and the child victim on the male subjects phone. During the interview with police, Back admitted to meeting the male subject on Tinder and sending naked photos of the child victim to the male subject. LOCAL NEWS: Contractor found dead inside Wise County Courthouse The affidavit said Back also admitted to downloading a messaging app at the male subjects request and downloading and viewing four or five child porn videos that were sent to her by the male subject. As of the publication of this story, the male subject has not been arrested or charged in connection to the allegations against Back. It is unclear at this time if more charges against Back are forthcoming. This is a developing story. Stick with Texomas Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com. (Reuters) - At least six Burkina Faso magistrates have been conscripted to serve in the military this month for taking action against pro-junta activists and other individuals, three unions of magistrates said in a joint statement. The West African country's ruling military junta, which seized power in a 2022 coup, is accused of suppressing dissent by kidnapping and conscripting critics, and urging citizens to report suspicious neighbours in the name of national security. "The magistrates' unions have determined that these magistrates have in the recent past dealt with the cases of citizens claiming to be staunch supporters of the current government," they said in the statement on Thursday. The statement was circulated by members of the magistrates' unions among journalists on Friday. Among those targeted are a prosecutor who had instructed police to investigate claims by local residents of forced disappearances, and a judge handling the case of a pro-junta figure who had caused a landslide that killed some 60 people, the statement added. The military rulers have consistently declined to comment on such allegations by critics that include Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Burkina Faso's army is fighting a jihadist insurgency that has spread across the Sahel region south of the Sahara since it first took root 12 years ago. The worsening violence in the region has led to two coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso and one in neighbouring Niger since 2020. (Writing by Jessica Donati; Editing by Richard Chang) Lt. Gov. Flanagan, center, along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, left, and other lawmakers broke ground to celebrate the start of construction on a section of I-94 in Monticello on Aug. 16, 2024. Photo by Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer. MONTICELLO Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan on Friday attended a celebration in Monticello to mark the start of construction on I-94 from Albertville to Monticello, and Gov. Tim Walzs absence was palpable. I want to be very clear the governor is still the governor, Flanagan said with a laugh to the crowd of lawmakers and city government officials. Since Walz was announced as Kamala Harris vice presidential pick earlier this month, Flanagan said little has changed. Flanagan will now be attending more mundane groundbreakings and funding announcements duties typical of a Minnesota governor in Walzs stead, though shes done plenty of that already during her time in office. Weve been governing together for almost six years, so a lot of the day to day remains the same, Flanagan said. Ive picked up a meeting or two on behalf of the governor, but mostly its kind of business as usual and so I think thats what Minnesotas can expect. Fridays event, facilitated by the I-94 West Corridor Coalition, marked the start of construction on the interstate expansion to six lanes, three in each direction. In 2023, the Department of Transportation allocated $78 million to the project through the states Corridors of Commerce program. It also received a $3 million federal appropriation last year. The goal is to reduce traffic and eliminate the constant bottlenecks common on that stretch of the interstate. The event started about 30 minutes late because Flanagan and Sen. Amy Klobuchar were stuck in I-94 West traffic. If Walz is elected vice president in November, Flanagan would become Americas first Indigenous governor and Minnesotas first woman governor. Flanagan said shes not thinking about the historic nature of her potential governorship, but shes excited Minnesota is receiving national attention. Ensuring Harris gets elected and that Democrats maintain control of the Minnesota Legislature are her top priorities from now until November, Flanagan said. When asked what her first action would be if she becomes governor, she shut the conversation down. Its way too premature to talk about any of that, Flanagan said. But I will tell you this: No one should be surprised that our top priority has been making Minnesota the best place in the country to raise a family. That certainly wouldnt change. Pieces of marinated, lightly charred chicken submerged in a buttery, creamy tomato sauce; butter chicken can be found on Indian restaurant menus across the globe. Photograph by Jamie Orlando Smith This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Pieces of chicken, tossed in a simple spice marinade, lightly charred and then submerged in an unctuous, light, buttery, creamy tomato sauce. Butter chicken or murgh makhani is a dish so beloved, its now ubiquitous on Indian restaurant menus the world over. Yet, it started life as a way of repurposing leftovers. Traditionally, the dish would begin with tandoori chicken: bone-in meat coated in cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli and garam masala, partially cooked in a tandoor (a hot clay oven) before later being flash-cooked in the tandoor a second time. Meat has been cooked in tandoor-style ovens in northwest India since around 2600-1900 BCE, according to archaeological finds, but butter chicken only evolved in the first half of the 20th century. The dish came about in response to discerning restaurant customers who wouldnt countenance eating day-old tandoori chicken that was past its succulent best. As a solution, leftover pieces were dunked in the simplest of curries, whipped up quickly to disguise their dryness. The sauce was originally made with crushed fresh tomatoes and minimal spicing, including garam masala a warming blend that would likely have included coriander, cumin and bay leaves and a touch of chilli. Freshly churned butter was added to finish. One of the challenges of the dish is creating perfect harmony between the tart tomatoes, creamy butter and bitter aromatics while maintaining a certain lightness there should be neither excessive chilli heat nor heavy-handed sweetness. Meanwhile, the simplicity of the dish has led to many variations. Some add onion, ginger and garlic to the sauce. Others use honey for sweetness. Tinned tomato, passata and tomato puree have all featured instead of fresh tomatoes to provide uniform taste, tang and smoothness. Some recipes call for whole spices, some for ground spices, some for a mix of both. Creative chefs might incorporate melon seeds, cashews, almonds or smoked butter. Butter chicken evolved in northwest India during the early 20th century. Photograph by Jamie Orlando Smith Butter chicken evolved in northwest India during the early 20th century. Photograph by Jamie Orlando Smith The specifics of butter chickens origins are hotly contested, but the story is said to start at a restaurant called Moti Mahal, established in 1920 in Peshawar, in modern-day Pakistan. Two men, Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi, worked here together before moving to Delhi following Partition in 1947. There, along with a businessman called Thakur Dass Mago, they opened a new restaurant, also named Moti Mahal, in Old Delhis Daryaganj neighbourhood. This is where the tale becomes a little hazier. According to the Jaggi family, Moti Mahal in Daryaganj is where butter chicken was invented late one night after a large group of diners arrived unexpectedly, demanding something curried to eat. However, according to Kundan Lal Gujrals grandson, Monish Gujral, his grandfather invented not just butter chicken but its predecessor, tandoori chicken, when he began using a tandoor which had been reserved for making breads to cook other savoury dishes, and the dish evolved from there. My granddad invented butter chicken, or murgh makhani, out of necessity in the 1930s/40s, says Monish Gujral. The kebabs were drying up and becoming inedible. He didnt want them to go to waste. Whatever the truth of the matter, a host of dignitaries and VIPs were captivated by the dish, including Jawaharlal Nehru (the Indian prime minister from 1947 to 1964), his daughter Indira Gandhi (who herself became prime minister in 1966) and her high-profile sons. Butter chicken was propelled to stardom. Eventually, however, as the Indian capitals commercial centre shifted from Old Delhi to newer neighbourhoods, Moti Mahal in Daryaganj was sold and, in 2003, Monish Gujral set up a franchise operation, Moti Mahal Delux. Kundan Lal Gujral had been the public figurehead of the original Moti Mahal brand, and Monish picked up his grandfathers mantle, authoring several books, including On the Butter Chicken Trail, badged as being from the home of butter chicken. Following the death of Kundan Lal Jaggi in 2018, his grandson, Raghav Jaggi, decided to reclaim the familys stake in the legacy. In 2019 he teamed up with restaurateur and childhood friend Amit Bagga to open Daryaganj, a restaurant in Delhis Aerocity neighbourhood complete with the tagline, By the inventors of butter chicken and dal makhani the latter, a slow-cooked buttery black dal, being another dish the Gujrals claim to have invented in the original Moti Mahal in Peshawar. The menu comes with an explanation of the nuances of the original butter chicken recipe. There are three differences between the original butter chicken and what you get now, says Bagga. It was bone-in chicken. There were no mixers or grinders, so the curry had texture. And there was no ready cream, so freshly churned cream and butter were used. Boneless butter chicken evolved as the younger generations preferred their meat off the bone, and along the way, fenugreek made its way into the recipe. Cubes of marinated thigh or breast meat have now become common, and the rise of the food processor has contributed to the popularity of a smooth sauce. The Gujral and Jaggi families each maintain their respective relative was the true inventor of butter chicken and in January 2024, Monish Gujral began legal proceedings in the Delhi High Court against the owners of Daryaganj restaurant for falsely claiming to have invented butter chicken and dal makhani, seeking $240,000 (188,970) in damages. Daryaganjs owners have rejected this, issuing a statement describing the lawsuit as misconceived, baseless and lacking cause of action. At the time of writing, the case rumbles on. The result of the lawsuit may, however, be irrelevant the invention stories have been met with doubt by many, including academic and food historian Pushpesh Pant. Meat has been cooked in a tandoor since Vedic and Indus Valley times [1500-500 BCE and 2600-1900 BCE, respectively], he says. Butter chicken existed in many forms in other places in India. This isnt even a Punjabi claim, let alone a restaurant claim. Another story commonly touted is that of Indias first education minister, Abul Kalam Azad, telling the shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi: If you visit Delhi and dont taste the butter chicken of Moti Mahal, its like visiting Agra and missing the Taj Mahal. According to Pant, its highly unlikely this was said, as two Muslims wouldnt be extolling the virtues of a non-halal dish in this manner. Regardless, in the decades that followed, new entrepreneurs commercialised butter chicken, and it became commonplace on North Indian restaurant menus in Delhi. Yet, butter chickens true origins remain difficult to prove. Both the Kundan Lals have passed away and the Indian courts are notoriously snail-paced. More importantly, though, does anyone care? The fact the original Delhi dish has spawned hundreds of different variations, as well as pizzas, pies, samosas and more, suggests not. Entrepreneurs like Saransh Goila, whose company, Goila Butter Chicken, was the first butter chicken brand not associated with Moti Mahal, adds the untraditional ingredients of smoked tomatoes and cashews to make his version extra rich, creamy and smoky. In Manchester, Mel Kumar and her husband use makhani sauce in multiple ways at their restaurant, Original Third Eye, including with tandoori chicken either on or off the bone, and with tandoori lamb chops. We also serve on demand makhan vegetables, makhan paneer, makhan aloo We can add anything to the sauce, Kumar says. When restaurateur Iqbal Wahhab put butter chicken on the menu at his London restaurant, Cinnamon Club, 23 years ago, having tasted the Moti Mahal version with his then-chef Vivek Singh, it was so popular that one in three diners were ordering it. Singh has now taken over Cinnamon Club and the wider Cinnamon Collection group, and says the dish is still in regular rotation on his menus. Butter chicken is important at a deeper level. It combines salt, fat, acid, heat with smoke and herbaceous fenugreek with a hug, bite and kick rolled into one, he says. No wonder everyone loves it. Passata is key to Mallika's butter chicken, adding a strong tomato flavour and colour to the dish. Photograph by Jamie Orlando Smith Mallika Basus butter chicken recipe This recipe from my home keeps as true to the taste of the original Delhi butter chicken as possible, while incorporating hacks for home cooking. The passata adds strong tomato flavour and colour, while the oven mimics the tandoor. Pick a high-quality garam masala, or powder the seeds of two cardamom pods to give it oomph. You can make the chicken in advance and prepare the sauce before serving. Serves: 4-6 Takes: 40 mins plus straining and marinating Ingredients 250g Greek-style yoghurt 750g boneless chicken thigh fillets, quartered 3 tbsp neutral oil For the marinade 2.5cm piece ginger, peeled and grated 6 garlic cloves, peeled and grated 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp paprika or smoked paprika 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin tsp garam masala 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp salt For the sauce 500g passata tsp chilli powder 75ml single cream, room temperature 50g salted butter, chilled tsp dried fenugreek leaves tsp caster sugar tsp garam masala ground seeds of two green cardamom pods (optional) hot buttered naan, to serve Method 1. Put the yoghurt on a muslin, then bring the corners together and tie to the kitchen tap for up to 2 hrs, letting the whey drip into a bowl underneath; this will give you strained yoghurt. 2. Place the quartered chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl with the hung curd and all the marinade ingredients. Mix well, then cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge. Discard the whey. 3. When youre ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Line a baking tray with foil. 4. Heat oven to 240C, 220C fan, gas 9. Massage the oil into the marinated chicken pieces, then thread them onto metal skewers use three large skewers or five small ones (wearing rubber gloves will help with grip and prevent hands from staining). 5. Put the skewers on a rack on the lined baking tray or suspend them between the edges of the tray (depending on the length of the skewers and the size of the tray), then place the whole thing on the top shelf of the oven. Cook for 25 mins, carefully turning every 8 mins or so until the chicken is nearly cooked and some charred bits are visible. 6. Remove from the oven and put the chicken skewers on a plate. Reserve any juices in the pan, loosening them up with a wooden spoon as best you can. 7. For the sauce, tip the passata and chilli powder into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or kadai (Indian cooking bowl) and bring to a bubble on a high heat. Half-fill the passata jar or carton with warm water and pour it into the saucepan, then mix and lower the heat to medium. Use a sieve to strain any reserved juices from the baking tray into the sauce. 8. Slide the chicken off the skewers into the curry sauce. Mix in well to coat. Lower the heat to a simmer, then add in the single cream. Once incorporated, add the chilled butter. Crush the fenugreek leaves with your hand while the butter melts, then stir them through with the sugar. Taste and add salt, if needed. Mix in the garam masala and cardamom powder (if using) and serve with hot buttered naan. Published in Issue 24 (summer 2024) of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only). CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Captain Freddie Martin has been a firefighter at Caddo Parish District #4 for more than 25 years. According to fire chief Chad Falls, hes one of the most passionate caring guys that he knows. On Tuesday, August 13th, Captain Freddie Martin was on a tractor, clearing property in Blanchard on his off day. He ran over an object, and a piece of metal flew through his temple area and part of his brain to the other side. Martin was transported to the nearest hospital and received emergency surgery. When the Chief visited Captain Martin on the night of the accident, Chief Falls says the room was filled with loved ones, speaking to the testament of Martins character. Captain Joel Mcvay with the Fire District says they all call Martin, Captain Uncle Freddie. WATCH: Caddo firefighters rescue man from mud hole You know, when we found out hes still his same grit self, you know hes thinking hes going to come back to work tomorrow. But thats typical. Freddie is what it is, and its just its family. So thats not just a nickname- we gave him because it is family around here and we love him, said Captain Mcvay. The Fire District says there is no other brotherhood, sisterhood, or family like the fire service. Caddo Fire District 4 has been special to me, and a lot of it is because of people like, like Freddie and all my guys just some great people got good heart. Were brothers, were sisters, you know we fuss and argue, just like brothers and sisters but we love each other at the end of the day as well, said Chief Falls. A GoFundMe has been set up in support of CPT Martin by the Springridge Firefighters Association. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS) The Caddo Grand Jury returned two murder indictments and two sex crimes true bills in its session ending Wednesday. According to a press release from the Caddo Parish District Attorneys Office, Amanvir Singh and Jacorreyon Graham each are charged with second-degree murder in connection with local slayings, while Calvin Lewis is charged with aggravated rape and indecent behavior with juveniles and Tresdan Griffin is charged with first-degree rape. Union Pacific train derailment closes roads in Caddo Parish Singh, 34, from Flowood, Miss., is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the April 23, 2024 slaying of Gurpreet Singh Judge. He was booked into Caddo Correctional Center on May 2, 2024, with his bond set at $1.2 million. Graham, 34, from Shreveport, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the April 1, 2024, slaying of Phuoc Dinh Le, also known as Danny Lee. He was booked into Caddo Correctional Center on June 7, 2024, with a bond set at $750,000. Lewis, 60, from Keithville, was booked into Caddo Correctional Center on May 6, 2024, with a combined bond of $900,000. Shreveport man arrested after alleged altercation, resisting officer Griffin, 21, from Shreveport, was booked into Caddo Correctional Center on June 8, 2024, with bond set at $500,000. Due to the nature of the crimes they are charged with, the indictments against Lewis and Griffin were issued under seal, with no further information available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. Ukraine plans to open humanitarian corridors in Kursk region for the evacuation of civilians, both towards the Russian Federation and towards its own territory. Possibly, Russians will be taken to Sumy. ADVERTISIMENT This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. In addition, the defense forces are creating a security zone on the territory of Russia, adjacent to the Ukrainian borders. "Together with the military we are working out a possible route of a humanitarian corridor for civilians from Kursk region to Sumy. Regarding the humanitarian corridor towards the Russian Federation, there is such a possibility, but on condition of a corresponding official request from the Russian side. So far, such a request has not been received yet," she said. Vereshchuk said that in order to protect the border regions of Ukraine (primarily Sumy), the Defense Forces are creating a security zone on the territory of Russia adjacent to the Ukrainian borders. "There are civilian Russians within the said zone. They are under the protection of international humanitarian law, which Ukraine fully respects," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized. ADVERTISIMENT Therefore, she continued, it is planned to carry out humanitarian operations to support civilians within the specified zone. Ukrainian troops will allow international humanitarian organizations to enter the specified security zone for the purpose of humanitarian response, as well as monitoring of the humanitarian situation. Vereshchuk added that appropriate preparations and consultations are being carried out. We will remind you that on August 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he instructed to prepare a humanitarian plan for the territory of the Kursk region operation. As reported, dictator Putin told Russians that the Russian army is trying to "knock the enemy out" of Kursk region, and boasted that despite these events, the pace of its offensive on the Ukrainian front "increased by 1.5 times." At the same time, the war criminal demanded from his officials to provide reliable potection of the border with Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT We will remind you that earlier, the Ukrainian military told WSJ about the details of the breakthrough in the Kursk region. According to the defenders, they "expected tougher resistance" from the so-called second army of the world. It was also reported that on August 12, Kyiv officially recognized the operation in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation for the first time, and the Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that as of that day, the AFU controlled about 1,000 square kilometers in the Kursk region. Meanwhile, the ISW stated that despite Russian claims, the AFU continues to advance in Kursk region. Meanwhile, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is trying to shift the responsibility for the situation in this region to Russian military and officials and has already publicly announced his refusal to negotiate with Kyiv. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, the SSU warned that the enemy could stage crimes against civilians in Kursk region. Only verified information from us on Telegram-channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! Davina Corbin was attacked by dogs in the early morning hours of Aug. 8 Justin Corbin/GoFundMe Davina Corbin A California mom was mauled to death by dogs on Aug. 8. Not far from where the incident occurred, 25 Great Danes were found running loose. Davina Corbin, 56, was found dead on Blackhawk Trail in Feather Falls, Calif., around 1:58 a.m. according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office. It is believed she was walking in the area when she was attacked, authorities say. During her autopsy, "numerous bite marks and injuries" were found on Corbin's body, leading the forensic pathologist to believe that her cause of death involved a dog attack. Detectives obtained a search warrant for a home on Blackhawk Trail, and found 25 Great Dane dogs who were "running loose in the area." The deputies and detectives "spent the entire day capturing the dogs". As of Aug. 10, 23 of the dogs had been captured and placed under the custody of animal control. Upon further investigation, the DNA found on Corbin's clothing was consistent with domestic dog DNA. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. PEOPLE reached out to the Butte County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 16 and did not receive an immediate response. Local news outlet KCRA reported on Aug. 15 that seven of the dogs all adult Great Danes believed to have been involved with Corbin's death are being euthanized. Per Butte County Public Health, the 18 Great Dane puppies will be put up for adoption. No criminal charges have been filed involving Corbin's death. Max Hecker, who lives in Feather Falls, told KCRA about the Great Danes, revealing that he and his neighbors have complained about the dogs in the past. "Nothing's been done about it until now," he said. "Wait until somebody gets killed by those dogs. That's a tragedy that should have never, ever have happened, ever." The Corbin family set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs. Our mother, Davina Corbin, 56, of Feather Falls, California, was tragically taken from us after being attacked by dogs on August 8, 2024," it states. "Were struggling to come to terms with this loss and need help saying goodbye." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. California Journalism Preservation Act survives key vote. But it wont go to Senate floor yet California Assembly Bill 886 dubbed the California Journalism Preservation Act cleared a big hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, but its fate remains uncertain. The bill made it out of the Senate Appropriations Committees suspense file, where bills with a significant fiscal impact are held for consideration. Bills usually are passed to the Senate for a floor vote, but AB 886 was sent to the Senate Rules Committee instead. This suggests that the bill, which is heavily opposed by the tech industry, has a way yet to go before it makes it for a floor vote, if it gets one at all. Asked about the decision, Appropriations Committee Chair Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, said, Its above my pay grade. But as Caballero chairs the most powerful committee in the Senate, that was likely a reference to Senate President pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg. In a statement to The Bee, McGuire, who serves as chair of the Senate Rules Committee, said his office is working closely with Assembly leadership, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks and Sen. Steve Glazer. Wicks, D-Oakland, is the author of AB 886; Glazer, D-Orinda, wrote a similar bill, Senate Bill 1327. McGuire said the two bills are needed in order to ensure that newsrooms are being compensated fairly for their content. Tech platforms are getting clicks and profiting mightily off the hard work of journalists these bills would work in tandem to help level the playing field, McGuire said. AB 886 would require tech companies such as Meta and Google to pay a percentage of their advertising revenue for news stories that are shared on their platforms. Similar laws have been enacted in other countries, including Canada and Australia. SB 1327 would implement a data extraction mitigation fee, paid by companies like Google and Meta, that would go toward funding a tax credit meant to pay for more journalists. Both bills have faced intense resistance from the tech industry. AB 886 was introduced in 2023, but then was held as a two-year bill due to tech industry pushback. It was reintroduced this summer. In response to the bill, Google has begun experimenting with removing California news links from its search platform. Meta has warned that it may block California news on its Facebook and Instagram platforms, much as it has done in Canada. AB 886 already made it through the suspense process in the Assembly, and passed on the Assembly floor 55-6 with bipartisan support. Wicks told The Bee in a statement Thursday that she is pleased to have cleared another hurdle in the legislative process, as we continue critical conversations with all stakeholders. Im hopeful that well soon reach an agreement to strengthen our newsrooms and better support journalism in California, Wicks said. The bill is sponsored by the California News Publishers Association, of which McClatchy and its California newspapers The Sacramento Bee, The Fresno Bee, The San Luis Obispo Tribune and The Merced Sun-Star are members. The CNPA promptly released a statement after the committee vote, praising the decision to pass the bill. However, the statement did not mention the decision to send the bill to the Senate Rules Committee. Reached for comment, CNPA spokesman Nick Mirman, told The Bee in an email that it is critical that AB 886 pass this year, given the rapid decline in local news. We are thankful for the Senate Appropriations Committees support, and remain very optimistic that the full Legislature will be seeing (AB 886) before the end of session, Mirman wrote. Brittney Barsotti, who serves as general counsel for the CNPA, told The Bee that the bills move to the Senate Rules Committee will buy it more time for the ongoing negotiations. Asked whether she was concerned about time running out for the legislative session, she said, Its certainly going to be a sprint to the finish here. As for SB 1327, that bill sits in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee, having passed out of the Senate, 27-7. It is unclear whether that committee will meet again before the Legislature adjourns at the end of August. Neither Meta nor Google responded to The Bees request for comment by deadline. The Bees Nicole Nixon and Stephen Hobbs contributed to this story. This month, the California State Assembly is set to vote on Senate Bill 1047, legislation that could significantly disrupt AI research. If history is any guide, California could once again drag the entire country towards unpopular tech regulation. Yet the bill's sponsors have been caught off guard by the backlash from academics and the AI industry. "I did not appreciate how toxic the division is," admitted state Sen. Scott Wiener (DSan Francisco), who introduced the bill. Academics, open-source developers, and companies of all sizes are waking up to the threat this bill poses to their future. S.B. 1047, known as the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act, mandates extensive safety protocols and imposes harsh liabilities on developers for the potential misuse of their AI models. Fei-Fei Li, often hailed as the "Godmother of AI," warned that "S.B.-1047 will cripple public sector and academic AI research. Open-source development is important in the private sector, but vital to academia, which cannot advance without collaboration and access to model data." Echoing her concerns, Ion Stoica, director of the University of California, Berkeley's Sky Computing Lab, argued that the bill "will hurt innovation in California, and it will result in a more dangerous, less safe world." Tech entrepreneur Andrew Ng pointed out that "this proposed law makes a fundamental mistake of regulating AI technology instead of AI applications, and thus would fail to make AI meaningfully safer." The backlash isn't limited to academics and large institutions. Hundreds of "little tech" startups are also voicing their concerns. Leading the resistance, startup incubator Y Combinator and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz have each gathered letters of opposition, signed by over a hundred startups. Even lawmakers, including Rep. Ro Khanna (DCalif.), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (DCalif.), and former San Francisco interim mayor Mark Farrell have publicly opposed Wiener's bill. With such widespread pushback, it raises the question: How was Wiener caught so off guard? Within six months of Wiener introducing S.B. 1047, a wave of legislators and regulators changed their minds as they caught up to the available evidence. Lawmakers of different parties, factions, and countries began to adopt a more optimistic tone. The new Republican platform urged the party to "support AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing." Demonstrating the real-world benefits of AI, Rep. Jennifer Wexton (DVa.) used technology from Eleven Labs to restore her voice after losing it to a neurological condition. Even the Federal Trade Commission voiced support for open-source AI. This shift in sentiment was a loud rebuttal to the AI Safety movement, which has been heavily backed by billionaires like Sam Bankman-Fried and Dustin Moskovitz, as well as multimillionaire Jaan Tallinn. With hundreds of millions of dollars behind it, the movement has pushed to pause AI research, driven by the doomsday prediction that sufficiently advanced AI could lead to human extinction. While mainstream experts focused on their work, lawmakers were swayed by one-sided narratives from the Open Philanthropy-funded Center for AI Safety (CAIS), which claims that "mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority." Until recently, policymakers remained largely unaware of just how disconnected these narratives were from the broader AI community. As federal legislators develop a more grounded understanding of AI, they are gravitating toward evidence-based regulation. This shift led economist Tyler Cowen to declare that "AI safety is dead" in a Bloomberg editorial following Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's unveiling of a bipartisan Senate roadmap that aims to invest in AI while addressing AI misuse. "Schumer's project suggests that the federal government is more interested in accelerating AI than hindering it," Cowen wrote. The AI Safety movement initially gained traction by exploiting a political vacuum. Mainstream academics and industry had little reason to engage in legislative outreach before the introduction of S.B. 1047. Many were shocked that lawmakers would seriously consider the claims made by CAIS and Wiener. "I'm surprised to see [S.B. 1047] being seriously discussed in the California legislature," remarked Ethan Fast from VCreate, a company using machine learning to treat diseases. AI researcher Kenneth O. Stanley offered a sharper critique: "It almost seems like science fiction to see an actual bill like this. A more useful bill would be narrower in scope and focus on addressing specific near-term harms." Legislators across the country are now turning to an evidence-based framework for AI regulation, focusing on targeting malicious actors who misuse AI rather than researchers themselves. As Ng points out, S.B. 1047 "ignores the reality that the number of beneficial uses of AI models is, like electric motors, vastly greater than the number of harmful ones." Even as most of the country moved beyond the AI Safety narrative, the possibility that California radicals could dictate the nation's future remains a haunting prospect. The post California Lawmakers Face Backlash Over Doomsday-Driven AI Bill appeared first on Reason.com. Barnett Elementary kindergarten teacher Jill Dillon leads her class in shaping the letter "s" for snake out of clay. (Julie Gallant) A bill that would have required all California families to enroll their children in kindergarten was rejected by the state Legislature on Thursday, the latest of several failed attempts over the years to make the grade compulsory. The legislation, AB 2226, aimed to mandate the state's youngest students attend kindergarten before being admitted to the first grade. According to the California Department of Education, 95% of students already attend kindergarten, though it is not required. Instead, students are required to attend school when they turn 6 years old and it's up to families if they start in kindergarten or go straight to first grade. More than 14,000 California students skipped kindergarten in the 2022-23 school year, the Department of Education estimates. Proponents of the bill, including the Los Angeles Unified School District and the California Teachers Assn., pointed to research that shows early education is crucial to a student's long-term education, noting that kindergarten is mandatory in 19 states and D.C. Read more: California lawmakers approve bill to make kindergarten mandatory, again Data from the Los Angeles Unified School District show that children who attend kindergarten do better on assessments later in elementary school. The bill had no official opposition but was killed without debate in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday during a fast-paced fiscal hearing where hundreds of bills were approved or rejected based on their price tag. According to a legislative analysis of the bill, it could result in "significant" costs of hundreds of millions of dollars. "The lens we were looking through was the cost. Anything that we pass and the governor signs means it's probably something that has to come out of the budget next year," Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), who chairs the appropriations committee and voted for AB 2226 earlier this year, said following Thursday's hearing in Sacramento. California faces a $46.8-billion budget deficit, and Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers have already made billions in cuts to blunt the problem. Despite its lack of organized opposition, efforts to force kindergarten have failed before. Newsom an early education advocate vetoed a similar bill in 2022, calling the effort laudable but saying the costs were not accounted for in the states budget. Former Gov. Jerry Brown before him also vetoed the proposal, arguing that the comparatively small amount of families who forgo kindergarten should have the freedom to choose what's best for them. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Rolling Hills Estates) authored AB 2226 and said that kindergarten is "an essential component" of education that "builds the foundation" for skills such as literacy and socialization. He cited data from the California Research Bureau that show that Latino children are the least likely to enroll in kindergarten, raising questions about equity. "I was disappointed but not surprised," Muratsuchi said following Thursday's hearing. "I think more than anything its a reflection of our current budget deficit, but the data is clear and we need to make sure we close the kindergarten gap. We're definitely not giving up." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. ALIQUIPPA A resident of Oxford, California, has been sentenced to five years in prison after he was connected to a drug trafficking operation in Beaver County in 2022. According to federal judges, 24-year-old Christopher Andrew Salgado received the sentence on Friday after he was found guilty of trafficking over 500 grams of cocaine. As a part of this process, Salgado would mail parcels of cocaine to a residence in Aliquippa, according to the affidavit. Investigators said between March and September of 2022, police began their investigation into a drug trafficking ring in western Pennsylvania. They discovered drugs were being mailed to an address in Aliquippa, and after they intercepted one of these packages, they found it contained two kilograms of cocaine. After this, the packages began to go to Salgado in West Virginia. Surveillance revealed that Salgado would take the parcels to Pittsburgh International Airport, where he would pick up his co-defendant Jose Sanchez, who arrived from California. Salgado would drive Sanchez and the packages to Aliquippa, where they met with Romaro Foster Sr., another co-defendant in the case. After supplying Foster, Salgado would take Romaro back to the airport and dispose of the materials. Police recovered a box that Slagado disposed of on one of these occasions from a fast food restaurant's trash can. They reported finding the shipping label for Salgado's West Virginia home and drug packaging materials. A field test of the box also revealed the presence of cocaine. In August 2022, police intercepted another package headed for Salgado's West Virginia residence, which also contained two kilograms of cocaine. A search was done of Salgado's home after obtaining a search warrant, which revealed additional cocaine inside of his home. This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: California man sentenced for drug trafficking operations in Aliquippa area California projected to see 26% less registered nurses by 2036: report SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Four years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care industry continues grappling with the effects, which include staffing shortages, employee burnout and rising medical costs. Nationwide, labor unions representing health care workers have been pushing for change, and those in San Diego County are no exception. In recent weeks, workers at Sharp HealthCare and Rady Childrens picketed outside their respective employers to voice their needs and concerns. Was your data leaked in massive breach? How to know, and what to do now In the most recent development, Rady Childrens Hospital and nurses with UNOCH/Teamsters Local 1699 agreed on a new three-year contract Thursday, avoiding a second strike. The news came after the nurses union demanded higher wages and lower medical premiums. They rejected the hospitals offer three other times in the past two months. A recent report by the Health Resources and Services Administrations Health Workforce showed there are nursing shortages projected nationwide until the year 2036. The demand for RNs and licensed practical nurses is estimated to exceed the supply in 2026 and 2031 specifically, projecting a 10% shortage in those career fields. California is among the states with the largest project shortages of RNs at 26%, according to the report, flanked by Georgia (29%) and Washington (26%). These San Diego startups are among fastest growing in America, according to Inc. The demand and supply estimates are based on full-time hours, defined as working 40 hours per week. Although it lands second on the list of states with the highest project nursing shortages, California ranks as the top state in the U.S. with the highest number of nurses needed with a projected net deficit of more than 106,000 RNs, according to the report. Even as the challenges facing the health care sector are projected to get worse before they get any better, there is a positive employment outlook for new grads or those moving to California from another state. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows California had the highest number of employed nurses in the country. According to the most recent data in May 2023, there were more than 330,000 employed RNs in California. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. The sudden resignation of Columbia Universitys president is quickly resurfacing tensions over the Israel-Hamas war that roiled college campuses this spring a movement primed to escalate as students return to class. Continued unrest in the Middle East and uncertainty over the new Democratic tickets stance on the war, an issue that already splits the party, has the potential to further accelerate campus protests. Organizers at a string of campuses have started planning demonstrations. And some schools are responding with changes to free speech rules that concern academic freedom advocates. The friction sets up a fraught return to school in a matter of days. "Students are planning on hitting the ground running," Layla Saliba, a Columbia University student involved in the protests, said in an interview. "Students are going to be more intentional. And I also think now we have greater opposition." It's unclear whether protests will rival the size of massive demonstrations that shocked the country earlier this year. But student organizers say they have no plans to slow down. We are committed to continuing our activism because we understand that it is not just one individual but the entire institution that is complicit in the ongoing genocide, said Cam Jones, a lead organizer of the protests at Columbia, in a statement to POLITICO. We will not rest until Columbia divests and Palestine is free. Jones said he didn't consider Vice President Kamala Harris' sudden candidacy a win for the student protest movement. "We see Harris' ascension to the ticket as not much of a change as she is from the same administration that has been supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people," he said. University of Louisville students are planning to protest on their first day back to class. We continue to pressure the university administration on their shameful response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the Louisville Students for Justice in Palestine leaders wrote on the social media platform X. We are still here, and we will not rest until UofL divests! Rice University Students for Justice in Palestine, in Houston, already started hosting protests over the summer, one of which took place in August when Harris was in town. We need to show her & all genocidal politicians that they were not welcome, the group wrote on X. Protests in May and June wreaked havoc on campuses. Stanford University students walked out of their commencement ceremony in protest and barricaded themselves in the presidents office. At the University of Michigan, activists placed fake corpses wrapped in bloodied sheets on one regents lawn. Princeton University students hijacked the colleges reunion weekend that drew 25,000 alumni and guests, with protesters holding up red-dyed hands during President Christopher Ludwig Eisgruber's address. While far from the top issue for most Americans, the war in Gaza has stoked outrage that could influence swing states like Michigan with a sizeable Arab population more than 100,000 people voted uncommitted in the Democratic primary and dampen turnout among young voters that are a crucial part of the partys base. Katrina Armstrong, Columbias interim president who replaced Minouche Shafik, acknowledged the continued tension. The familiar excitement and promise of a new academic year are informed this year by the presence of change and continuing concerns, but also by the immense opportunity to look forward, to join together for the laudable mission we are here to serve, and to become our best selves individually and institutionally, Armstrong said in a statement. Schools are adjusting how they will regulate protests, prompting some concerns from First Amendment and academic freedom groups. That includes Indiana University, which instituted a new campus demonstration policy this month after clashes between protesters and police on the universitys flagship Bloomington campus last semester prompted lawsuits and a 77-page outside investigation. Restrictions on the use of light projections, signs, amplified sound and sidewalk chalk are now in place and protests are only allowed to occur between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. In order for free speech for all to flourish, we needed to clarify our policies so people clearly understand the allowable time, manner and place for free expression, W. Quinn Buckner, chair of the universitys board of trustees, said in a statement last month. We cant let one person or groups expression infringe on the rights of others, disrupt learning experiences for our students or interrupt regular university business. The American Association of University Professors this week condemned what it described as overly restrictive policies dealing with the rights to assemble and protest on campus. Shafiks departure is also prompting renewed interest in the coming school year from congressional Republicans who have grilled college leaders in adversarial hearings about antisemitism on college campuses. The Columbia president clearly mishandled the protests and the threats to Jewish students, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the ranking member of the Senates education committee, said in a statement. Jewish students coming back to campus this fall need assurance that their schools and the Department of Education will protect them from attacks and discrimination. Yale University students held Zoom meetings and kept in touch on group chats as they planned their campus activism this fall. The mood at both Yale and Columbia and colleges around the country is that what happened at the end of last semester isnt really over, said Craig Morton, an organizer with Yalies4Palestine who is facing three charges, including two misdemeanors for trespassing and a charge of disorderly conduct. People are aware of the threat, he said in an interview. But people are still pretty intent on getting out there in the fall and continuing to protest." Irie Sentner and Madina Toure contributed to this report. Canada says Ukraine can use donated tanks in Russia Ukraine's armed forces are now authorized to use donated Canadian military equipment like the Leopard tank (German version pictured) inside Russian territory, Canadas Department of National Defence confirmed.File Photo by Filip Singer/EPA-EFE Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Ukraine's armed forces are now authorized to use donated Canadian military equipment inside Russian territory, Canada's Department of National Defence confirmed. Canadian officials made the comments Thursday, joining several other countries that have already given Ukraine the green light to use donated weapons inside Russia's territorial border. Canada donated eight Leopard 2A4 tanks, several dozen armored combat support vehicles, hundreds of armored patrol vehicles and 4,200 M72A5-C1 rocket launchers. It has also provided ammunition and air defense systems. "Ukrainians know best how to defend their homeland, and we're committed to supporting their capacity," Canadian Department of National Defense spokesperson Andree-Anne Poulin told POLITICO Friday. "Canada steadfastly supports Ukraine's right to defend itself against Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war -- and that is why we have committed over $4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine." On Thursday, Canada (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pictured) became the latest Western nation to allow Ukraine to use donated military equipment inside Russian territory. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Overall, Canada has provided around $4.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since 2022. The Canadian government has pledged to continue military support until at least 2029. British officials on Thursday gave Ukraine permission to use its donated weapons in Russian territory as long as international laws are respected. Prime Minister Kier Starmer on Thursday gave British approval to Ukraine to use donated weapons in Russian territory. Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI The news came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Britain's Cabinet in July, calling for a reduction of weapon use restrictions on arms supplied by Western countries for use in Ukraine's war with Russia. Germany has also previously said Ukraine has permission to use donated Western weapons inside Russian territory. Zelensky on Thursday said his troops have now captured the town of Sudzha as they continue their incursion into Russian territory. A ground invasion into Russia's western Kursk Oblast has been progressing for a week. The region shares a border with Ukraine and is where Russian officials have declared a state of emergency and evacuated thousands of residents in response. It wasn't immediately clear if any of the Western donated military hardware was being used in the offensive. EAST PEORIA, Ill (WMBD) A Canton man was arrested Thursday night for his involvement in a rollover crash, slamming into an East Peoria fast-food chain and seriously injuring himself. According to an incident report from the East Peoria Police Department Friday morning, shortly after 9:30 Thursday night, officers with the department responded to Town Centre II, where a Hardees is located in the 100 block of North Main Street, regarding a crash. When officers arrived at the restaurant, they found a car that slammed into the building. Officers looked inside the car and found the driver, a 22-year-old man from Canton, behind the wheel. He had serious injuries and paramedics with the East Peoria Fire Department took him to a local hospital. As of Friday, there were no details regarding his medical condition. Sweet Basil Cafe of Peoria closes after crash into building early Wednesday There were no other reported injuries. Police did not say whether any customers were inside the 24-hour restaurant location at the time of the crash. According to the probable cause statement from police, the man was driving under the influence when he crashed into the restaurant. Following an investigation, police announced charges against him for DUI, reckless driving, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and illegal transportation of alcohol. Each charge is a felony. The incident remains under investigation. There were no further details to provide at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. No matter how tired we are of the summer heat, gloomy gray autumn usually does not add bright emotions and good mood. Mid-autumn is about rain, cold, first frosts, colds and depression. However, in some regions, October is the most colorful and comfortable time of the year. ADVERTISIMENT Experts in the field of tourism have chosen the best destinations for fall vacations. In October, there are usually no crowds of tourists, so you can enjoy a perfect trip. Vienna, Austria One of the most beloved events on the Viennese cultural calendar falls on the first Saturday in Octoberwhen the Austrian capital's museums are open until morning during the Long Night of the Museums (Lange Nacht der Museen). Vienna is a city of history. October Vienna is the perfect vacation destination for those looking for comfort, new experiences and new knowledge. For maximum efficiency, experts advise staying on the museum-rich west side of Ringstrae. ADVERTISIMENT Inari, Finland One of the many myths regarding the northern lights is that the weather has to be as cold as possible for it to shine brightly. In reality, all it takes is darkness and clear skies, as well as a little luck. The aurora borealis is pretty unpredictable. Thus, if you don't like spending hours outside in temperatures around -15 C, visit Finland in October when temperatures in Finnish Lapland stay just above freezing. Early snowfalls are possible, but the lakes are not yet frozen and if lights appear, they will create dazzling highlights on the surface of the water. Wilderness Inari overlooks a lake-dotted island with wooden houses and glass roofs, where you can watch the aurora borealis from your bed. ADVERTISIMENT Dalmatian Coast, Croatia In summer, Croatia's ancient walled towns often resemble battle scenes from the TV series Game of Thrones, and many of them were filmed here. With average temperatures remaining fairly high until October in southern Croatia, it's well worth enjoying the excellent velvet season on the coast. You can start traveling along the Adriatic coast from Dubrovnik to the historic magnet Split. Bruges, Belgium In the fall, there is a lull in the medieval streets of Bruges. The summer transit travelers have already dispersed and the Christmas fair crowds have yet to arrive. This reflective time of year will be unforgettable if you spend at least one weekend in Bruges. You can enjoy a canal boat trip and seek inspiration from the city's history while sitting in a gorgeous cafe with a cup of hot chocolate. If it's raining, you can still peruse the wealth of art in galleries such as the Groeningemuseum. ADVERTISIMENT Canary Islands, Spain The Canaries are perfect in October. The heat has passed and the tourists have almost dispersed, but the water on the coast is at its most comfortable temperature at this time. Gran Canaria is the central main island with its own range of microclimates: from high pine forests to the sand dunes of Maspalomas. Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels on Telegram and Viber to be aware of the latest events. TOPEKA (KSNT) Topeka police are warning locals to be on the lookout for credit card skimmers appearing in the community. The Topeka Police Department (TPD) posted to social media Friday, Aug. 16 warning people about the increasing threat of credit card skimmers in the area. These devices pose a danger to peoples wallets as they can allow thieves to steal your credit card information while remaining unnoticed. Rosie Nichols with the City of Topeka told 27 News police were called around 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 2 to the Dillons at 2815 SW 29th Street in response to a fraud call. An employee told police a card skimmer was found on a card reader. Police found the device and collected it as part of an investigation. Nichols said this is the only skimmer the TPD has found in the last two months. Card skimmers are devices that look identical to card readers, are typically placed over the actual card reader, and steal your card information when you swipe or insert it and type your PIN. Theyre often placed on card readers at ATMs, gas pumps and self-checkouts, or any card reader that may be unattended for a period of time. Topeka Police Department social media statement excerpt New Oakland pool will open for one weekend The TPD also included a series of photos showing how a skimmer can be applied to a card-reading device. People are encouraged to keep an eye out for signs of a credit card skimmer on any card-reading devices they use. (Photo Courtesy/TPD) (Photo Courtesy/TPD) (Photo Courtesy/TPD) Police also gave some advice on things to look for when dealing with a potential card skimmer. These include the following: Inspect card readers before inserting your credit or debit card. Does the card reader look tampered with? Is the alignment between the card reader and the panel beneath it off? Is the card reader loose, off-centered? Compare your card reader with others nearby. Look inside the reader for a thin plastic circuit board if the circuit board is visible, this is a skimmer. If available, use a register with a staff member. Use tap to pay or contactless pay whenever possible. Teen sentenced in accidental shooting death of Topeka 501 student Police reported finding a card skimmer earlier this year in May on a Topeka 24-hour ATM. At the time, this was the only device police found in Topeka in 2024. You can make reports of card skimmers by contacting the TPD at 785-368-9551. For more information on card skimmers, check out the Kansas Department of Agricultures website. For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. ASBURY PARK - The Westside Community Center was previously a hub that helped produce everything this city needed, from musicians, workers, nurses and doctors to pastors, athletes and actors. Now, the site might soon become a hub that produces carpenters, union labor and opportunities. Felicia Simmons, a lifelong resident who serves as president of the Westside Community Center Renovation Association, has been renovating the historic building and is currently in talks to bring in the carpenters' union to help finish renovations and set up a local labor hub to provide more opportunity. "Let's have a community presence in terms of like a recruitment center, an educational center," said Anthony Abrantes, who serves as the assistant executive secretary-treasurer for the Eastern Atlantic State Regional Council of Carpenters. "If there is an appetite from folks in the community, young folks coming out of high school or going through middle school to get an understanding of what construction is or what union membership looks like, we want to be there to have those conversations," The council represents approximately 43,000 union carpenters across New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia and West Virginia. The Westside Community Center in Asbury Park on August 15, 2024. Asbury Park dining: Plaza Tapatia grew with the rebirth of this town; now a new generation leads restaurant "I am thinking, in the long term, (of) actually building out something in the community center where we can start preparing those folks for the construction industry through pre-apprenticeship," Abrantes said. "We have an apprenticeship program already, whether it is Edison or Hammonton, so we don't need to reinvent the wheel there." Last year, the Asbury Park School District started working with the city, local unions and the Asbury Park Housing Authority to implement a trades curriculum for high school students, and any city projects that cost $5 million or more will use union labor and/or hire mostly local residents at a union rate after the city council approved a pre-labor agreement. "Making sure whatever barriers might be precluding (the Westside Community Center) from construction, between the carpenter's union and Felicia (Simmons) we overcome that first, that seems to be the biggest challenge and collectively we can hopefully overcome those challenges," Abrantes said. The Westside Community Center had long been a gathering place and trusted space for Asbury Park and Neptune residents. The house component of the center was owned by the first Black practicing doctor in Asbury Park, William J. Parks, who donated his house to the community in 1942, and the gym component was built later. The Westside Community Center in Asbury Park on August 15, 2024. Asbury Park dining: At Hadaka, omakase is a new way to dine Over the next several decades, the Westside Community Center offered job training, as well as drum and bugle corps, marching drill teams, Boy and Girl Scout troops, Bible study, afterschool programming, tutorials, daycare, dance, community talent shows and eventually computer literacy courses. Simmons became president of the Westside Community Center in the summer of 2022 while she ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Asbury Park. Simmons said she was told the first phase of restoring the building would cost an estimated $300,000, including a new roof and floors. "Phase one is literally let's make that main building/administrative building accessible to the public, where people feel comfortable coming in and doing all the volunteer work necessary through the local unions to bring that up to code and up to speed," Abrantes said. All the work needed to the complete the renovations will be volunteer. Admittedly, depending on unpaid volunteers slows down the timeline of when to expect the community center to reopen and start producing new skilled carpenters. Asbury Park: Bruce Springsteen Archives Outpost is the new must-see spot for Boss fans Finding someone to pay for materials remains a challenge. "I think (if) we start laying the groundwork and building this out, the first floor will get done pretty quickly," Abrantes said. "The gym itself obviously needs to be brought up to code and waterproofed because it doesn't have a roof on it now." Once the gym gets a roof, they can use the open floor concept for educational purposes. "I think that is when you are going to start seeing some of the soft skills, nonpower tools training, where people can come in and start learning the business through a pre-apprenticeship program," Abrantes said. "I think once that happens you'll start seeing a pipeline of folks coming directly out of Asbury Park." He added he hopes they will join the carpenters union following the program, but "if they want to go into another trade, more power to them, but at least the opportunity was there." Simmons said there is always a need for people that can build "and that is historically what our community does." "Our community needs access," she said. "Between the historic African-American community, the Black/brown community and the union we are in a great space right now to building something that is permanent and impactful." Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Asbury Park Westside Community Center could get carpenter union help With a new case in Sweden, what is the new mpox outbreak and should you be concerned? The World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency on Wednesday because of a new outbreak of mpox , raising concerns worldwide about the spread of this disease, particularly a more severe version known as Clade I. The declaration has prompted governments and public health agencies, including the United States, to respond to the potential threat. But what exactly is this new mpox outbreak, and should you be concerned? What is the new mpox outbreak? Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral infection related to smallpox but generally less severe. Historically, it has been confined to parts of Central and West Africa, where it occasionally jumps from animals to humans. However, in 2022, the world witnessed a global outbreak of Clade II mpox, spreading to over 115 non-endemic countries and resulting in more than 99,500 cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Related: World Health Organization again declares mpox a global health emergency amid rising case threat The new concern stems from Clade I mpox, a more virulent strain currently spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and several neighboring African countries. According to health officials, this strain has a higher case fatality rate and tends to cause more severe infections than Clade II. The WHOs declaration highlights the potential for Clade I mpox to spread beyond Africa. Why is Clade I more concerning? Clade I mpox is concerning because of its higher mortality rate and the severity of the disease it causes. According to the CDC, Clade I historically results in more severe outcomes, including a greater proportion of fatalities, especially in areas with limited access to healthcare. Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology at the CDC, explained in an interview with The Advocate on Wednesday that this strain has been responsible for a significant outbreak in the DRC, spreading to neighboring regions. The Clade I variant has caused severe disease in a higher number of patients than we have seen in the past with Clade II, McQuiston said. While the strain is more dangerous, she added that it is not yet circulating in Europe, nor are the U.S. health agencies monitoring it. However, on Thursday afternoon, Reuters reported that a case had been discovered in Sweden. What is it like to have mpox? Experiencing mpox can be both physically painful and emotionally distressing. In July 2022, The Advocate interviewed men who contracted mpox during the Clade II outbreak, offering insight into the challenging symptoms and the social stigma associated with the disease. Wesley Wallace, a tech professional and adult content creator from Houston, described his experience, which began with irritation on his face after attending a social event. The irritation quickly developed into painful sores, severe body aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Wallace shared that these symptoms, along with the visible sores on his face, led to significant emotional distress, exacerbated by the stigma attached to his condition. Similarly, Kyle Planck, a Ph.D. student in New York , recounted the excruciating pain from mpox lesions, particularly those in the genital area, which kept him up at night. Despite receiving the antiviral TPOXX, Planck emphasized the emotional toll of the disease, noting the frustration of navigating the complex process to access treatment. Since 2022, access to treatment and preventative vaccines has improved significantly. Is there a vaccine against mpox? The Jynneos vaccine, developed by drug maker Bavarian Nordic, has been deemed effective at preventing the spread of mpox or significantly reducing the severity of infection, especially among high-risk groups. In April, the vaccine became widely accessible in the U.S., marking a significant step forward in public health efforts, particularly as the country approached Pride Month. The vaccine is administered in two subcutaneous doses, meaning its a small shot under the skin. North American medical director for Bavarian Nordic Peter Costa told The Advocate that the vaccines effectiveness ranges from 66 percent to 80 percent after two doses. The manufacturer says the vaccine has been studied for over 20 years, with a strong safety profile compared to older smallpox vaccines. While the vaccine is a key component of mpox prevention, McQuiston explained that behavioral changes within the LGBTQ+ community also played a significant role in curbing the 2022 Clade II outbreak. She emphasized the importance of vaccination and informed decision-making to protect against the virus. We saw during the Clade II outbreak that behavioral change in the LGBTQ communities contributed more to the outbreak stopping than the vaccine did, at least initially, McQuiston said. She explained that while lesions might initially appear in the genital region, particularly if the infection is acquired through sexual contact, the rash can spread to any part of the body. With both clades, the rash could appear on any part of the body or spread to multiple parts of the body, she said. She also emphasized that skin-to-skin contact with someone with mpox risks spreading the virus, meaning wherever the skin touches, theres a risk of the rash spreading there. Should Americans be worried? For the general public in the United States, the risk from Clade I mpox remains very low, according to the CDC. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has emphasized that there are currently no known cases of Clade I mpox in the country, and the U.S. is well-prepared to detect and manage any potential cases. The risk to the general public in the United States from Clade I mpox circulating in the DRC is very low, HHS said in a statement. The department also highlighted the countrys robust surveillance system, including clinical testing and wastewater analysis, to identify and contain potential outbreaks quickly. Related: Health officials say risk of more fatal mpox outbreak remains very low despite public health emergency The CDC continues to recommend vaccination for those at higher risk, including gay, bisexual , and other men who have sex with men, as well as transgender or nonbinary people. These groups were disproportionately affected by the Clade II outbreak in 2022, and the CDC urges them to complete the two-dose Jynneos vaccine regimen. For those who have traveled to or are planning to travel to the DRC or neighboring countries, the CDC has issued a Travel Health Notice recommending enhanced precautions. Travelers should be aware of the symptoms of mpox, which include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, and seek medical attention if they develop any signs of the disease. Whats being done to prevent the spread? The U.S. government and international partners are taking proactive steps to prevent the spread of Clade I mpox. According to HHS, the U.S. has provided $17 million in additional funding to support preparedness and response efforts in Central and Eastern Africa, including enhancing surveillance and vaccine distribution. As part of this effort, the U.S. is donating 50,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to the DRC. The Biden administration says that in the U.S., HHS and CDC are working to ensure that the U.S. remains ready to manage any possible cases. The United States is well-prepared to rapidly detect, contain, and manage Clade I cases should they be identified domestically, HHS wrote. Correction: A previous version of this article gave the wrong range of effectiveness after the mpox vaccine. CBS Mornings to Expand: Third Hour of Show in the Works A third hour of CBS Mornings is in the works, in a significant expansion of the morning news program. The third hour is slated to launch in late September on some CBS-owned stations, and will also simulcast on the networks streaming platform CBS News 24/7, though many details remain TBD. More from The Hollywood Reporter CBS Mornings executive producer Shawna Thomas revealed the news in a note to staff Friday. Thomas said that the talent featured on the broadcast and the name of the hour will be slightly different than the main program, which is anchored by Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson. It will also have a slightly different look and feel, but it will still be the smart and engaging content everyone expects from the CBS Mornings family, Thomas wrote. The third hour still has a lot of developmental work to do, Thomas told staff, though it is ramping up in the next few weeks, with a number of jobs opening connected to the new hour (existing CBS Mornings staff will also work on it). CBS Mornings had been the only broadcast morning show that had not expanded beyond its original timeslot, with NBCs Today show now controlling four hours on that network (the fourth hour launched in 2007), and ABCs Good Morning America launching a third hour called GMA3 that now airs in the early afternoon. The CBS Mornings expansion is notable in that it will primarily be accessible via streaming, and will only be on broadcast in a handful of markets at least to start. The expansion of CBS Mornings shows a commitment to the brand and the idea that there is a possibility of some growth at a challenging time, Thomas wrote. So, lets do this together and make another hour of tv/digital video/content we can be proud of. While the program still trails NBCs Today and ABCs GMA, it has made significant ratings strides over the past couple of years, particularly in the adults 25-54 demographic that remains the core news demo. Best of The Hollywood Reporter ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) An Elizabethton couple who allegedly locked a 7-year-old, non-verbal autistic child into a storage trunk has been charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect and with child endangerment. Hawkins County child death suspects arrested in Greeneville According to a Carter County Sheriffs Office (CCSO) news release, authorities were searching the home of Mikki and Sean Moody on an unrelated case when they learned of the alleged abuse and endangerment against the child. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) visited the 311 Blevins Hollow Road home Thursday, assisted by CCSO personnel. TBI executed a search warrant based on a separate case, before serving a warrant charging Sean Moody with abuse of a vulnerable adult. Fridays release states that investigators made contact with both Moodys and the 7-year-old when they arrived Thursday. CCSO Investigator Preston White reported that a search of the residence revealed unsanitary living conditions, with exposed wiring at multiple wall outlets and animal and human feces on the floor. That initial investigation also led officers to a brown storage trunk in the living room. The trunk contained urine-soaked blankets, a pillow, half-eaten pizza and clothing that contained a substance consistent with blood, White said in the news release. The release said investigators learned the child would be locked in the storage trunk with food. After notifying the Department of Childrens Services about their findings, officers obtained warrants charging both Moodys with the abuse, neglect and endangerment counts. Both were booked into the Carter County Detention Center Thursday. Mikki Moody was released after posting a $75,000 bond. The investigation continues. Carter County Circuit Court Clerk Johnny Blankenship said the couple should be arraigned Monday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has launched a new statewide campaign to raise awareness about Alzheimers disease and other dementias. The Talk About Dementia campaign encourages Coloradans experiencing signs of any form of dementia to talk about it with loved ones and healthcare providers as soon as possible; officials say the earlier dementia is detected, the more likely the individual will be able to participate in planning their own care. Open discussion about these issues is the first step, said CDPHE Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan. It can lead to better outcomes and more collaboration to support and honor those who are aging in our community. CDPHE officials say Coloradans will see advertising on social media for the departments Talk About Dementia page where they can learn about dementia and the importance of early intervention. CDPHE recommends Coloradans be aware of the 10 warning signs of dementia, which include but are not limited to challenges in planning or solving problems; confusion with time and place; and difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work or during free time. According to the release, the campaign is part of a five-year state plan to address and reduce the impact of Alzheimers disease and related dementias on Coloradans, and in particular on those disproportionately affected by the disease, including the American Indian and Alaska Natives, Black and Hispanic populations. The state plan aims to address the needs of Coloradans living with or caring for someone with dementia by focusing on risk reduction, early detection and diagnosis and providing education and support. CDPHE also encourages Coloradans to promote brain health, suggesting steps such as quitting tobacco and limiting alcohol consumption, getting enough sleep and staying engaged socially among others. The things we can do to reduce our risk of Alzheimers disease and other types of dementia are straightforward. In fact, many overlap with steps we can take to support our overall health and wellness, said Joanna Espinoza Robbins, CDPHEs Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias program manager. The bottom line is that we have more control than we might think when it comes to preventing and addressing dementia. Visit CDPHEs Talk About Dementia page for more information on dementia and the importance of early detection and frequent discussion. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. A Cessna Model 208B Grand Caravan converted into a cargo drone was among the participants in a recently concluded U.S. Air Force-led large force air combat exercise focused on preparing for a potential future conflict with China. A Cessna Model 208B Grand Caravan converted into a cargo drone was among the participants in a recently concluded U.S. Air Force-led large force air combat exercise focused on preparing for a potential future conflict with China. Uncrewed cargo aircraft could be key during a high-end fight in the Pacific, where friendly forces are expected to be widely dispersed to help reduce their vulnerability to enemy attacks. Its also an area where the U.S. military is increasingly lagging behind its Chinese counterparts. California-based autonomous aviation startup Xwing crafted the uncrewed Grand Caravan that was employed at Bamboo Eagle 24-3, which ran between August 2 and August 10, as you can read more about in our past reporting on the exercise. This was the latest iteration of Bamboo Eagle and involved aircraft flying from multiple locations in California. The first of these exercises, which reflects the U.S. military-wide shift in focus toward the Pacific and a possible major conflict there with China, occurred back in January. You can learn more about Bamboo Eagle in this past War Zone feature. Details about the contributions of Xwings converted Cessna 208 to the exercise are limited, but the semi-autonomous plane has been flying since 2020. As of January, the aircraft, which carries the U.S. civil registration number N101XW, had flown more than 500 autonomous flight hours across 250 flights and data collected from those test flights show it can fly roughly 1,150 miles with 1,200 pounds of cargo, according to the Air Force. Cessna, now part of Textron, says on its website that a standard crewed Grand Caravan has a useful load of 3,305 pounds, but range data on the companys official website shows the aircrafts range drops to below 300 nautical miles with a full load. US Air Force personnel load cargo onto N101XW at Edwards Air Force Base in California during Bamboo Eagle 24-3. USAF Staff Sgt. Frederick Brown The person that is in the ground floor [control] station is not flying the airplane, that person is choosing the destination and is talking to air traffic control, Maxime Gariel, Xwing founder and CTO, said of N101XWs semi-autonomous capabilities earlier this year, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. So there are no flying skills. The operator does need to be somebody who knows about aeronautical decision-making, so if I send this airplane, am I sending this airplane into a very dangerous environment or not? Gariel added. Am I good to let the airplane enter the runway, for instance? Its really low training. The uncrewed Cessna Model 208B Grand Caravan at Edwards Air Force Base in California during Bamboo Eagle 24-3. USAF Xwing has been under contract with the Air Force since last year specifically to conduct autonomous flight trials and demonstrate the capability in an operationally relevant environment as part of a project called Autonomy Prime. The Air Force Research Laboratorys AFWERX technology incubator is leading the Autonomy Prime effort. In June of this year, Joby Aviation, a company that has been primarily focused on the development of electrically-powered vertical takeoff and landing capable aircraft, acquired Xwings autonomy division. Xwings N101XW, as well as another Cessna 208 converted for uncrewed operation by a different company, Reliable Robotics, both participated at Exercise Agile Flag 24-1, which ran from January 26 to February 1 of this year. Demonstrating expeditionary and distributed concepts of operations the Air Force refers to collectively as Agile Combat Employment (ACE) was a key focus of both Agile Flag 24-1 and Bamboo Eagle 24-3. At its core, ACE is centered on irregular and unpredictable deployments to disparate operating locations, including far-flung sites with limited infrastructure, to disrupt an enemys targeting cycle and reduce vulnerability. ACE is part of a broader U.S. military-wide trend toward more distributed operations, which is increasingly seen as essential for succeeding in any future high-end fight, especially in the Pacific against China. The U.S. Marine Corps has been notably overhauling its entire force structure around its new expeditionary and distributed concepts of operations. Though small compared to the Air Forces current fleets of cargo aircraft, something like an uncrewed Cessna 208 could still be a useful component of the future distributed logistical ecosystem that will be needed for concepts like ACE work. Even relatively small cargo deliveries can be essential to sustaining forward-deployed forces. There were thousands, maybe, of C-47s, and they were all over the Pacific [during World War II, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, then head of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), the Air Forces top command in the region, noted during a talk back in 2022. They werent fast, but they can carry a lot, and they tackled the logistics problem of the Pacific by having a lot of tails to move equipment. it got there at 120, maybe 150 knots [but] it worked. We could have something like that for ACE, where you dont have to have it going 500 knots, but the logistics effort also wouldnt eat a lot of tail numbers to be able to get the small bits of equipment and pieces to the various spots that we intend to deploy from, Wilsbach, who is now head of Air Combat Command, noted at that time. He also pointed out that these future airlifters could be uncrewed. Can I get cargo forward into a high-threat environment? but also: Can I get cargo forward to a maneuvering unit that doesnt have a runway from which I can operate? now-retired Gen. Mike Minihan, then head of Air Mobility Command (AMC), also asked rhetorically in an interview with Aviation Week last year. Does it have to be manned? Can it be unmanned? Does it have to be 10,000 pounds or 5,000 pounds [payload capacity-wise]? Can I do vertical lift? Can I do it on an airship [or] a slow-moving low-altitude blimp? Theres a lot of opportunity when it comes to how you approach that. This technology has huge applications in the near-term for dispersed logistics and supports our ACE concept, Air Force Maj. Thomas Davis, PACAFs Future Capabilities branch chief, also said after an Agility Prime demonstration in January. Autonomous technologies would also help alleviate some of the Air Forces manpower shortages. At the same time, the U.S. military isnt the only party looking at how a future high-end fight in the Pacific might unfold through this kind of logistical lens. Chinas Peoples Liberation Army is already presented with the challenges of supporting a large number of remote facilities, including a constellation of island outposts in the hotly contested South China Sea. On top of that, the surge in the development of uncrewed cargo aircraft within Chinas aviation industry unlike anything that has been seen yet in the United States. Just this week, Chinese drone maker Tengden announced the maiden flight of a new design with a stated payload capacity of around 4,410 pounds (2,000 kilograms), which is greater than the Cessna 208s stated useful load. Tengden had previously unveiled a smaller design with a 3,000-pound payload capacity. In June, Chinas state-run Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) also disclosed the first flight of another new cargo-carrying drone, the HH-100, which it said had a payload capacity of up to 1,540 pounds (700 kilograms). A key factor here is current U.S. domestic airspace regulations that impose significant restrictions on where and when uncrewed aircraft can operate. The War Zone just recently highlighted this reality after the first example of Scaled Composites Model 437 aircraft emerged with a cockpit. The Northrop Grumman subsidiary and its parent company had previously described the design as being completely uncrewed. In contrast, Chinese aviation authorities have been actively loosening restrictions to promote uncrewed cargo aircraft developments ostensibly focused on the commercial sector, but which have clear military potential. N101XWs participation in Bamboo Eagle 24-3 underscores the U.S. militarys interest in uncrewed cargo aircraft, especially to support future expeditionary and distributed operations in the Pacific. At the same time, it highlights how limited work in this field remains in the United States compared to its chief global competitor China. Contact the author: joe@twz.com URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) A Champaign man has been sentenced to over five decades in prison for a 2022 shooting that left a 12-year-old boy permanently disabled. On Wednesday, Judge Roger Webber sentenced 30-year-old Jamonte Hill to 56 years in prison, following his conviction in December by a Champaign County jury. The jury found prosecutors had adequately proved that on October 19, 2022, Hill fired 17 shots at a car with three people inside. Lamondre Davis, sitting in the backseat, was hit in the neck by a bullet. READ MORE: Its senseless: 12-year-old boy shot in the neck The then-16-year-old driver of the car testified during the trial that as she was driving with Davis and one other person, she realized they were being followed by a white Toyota. After getting behind the Toyota, she started following to figure out who had been pursuing them. When the two cars reached the intersection of Dogwood and Kimberly Drives, thats when police said Hill got out of his car and opened fire. The victims fled the scene of the shooting in their car and called 911 once they felt it was safe to do so and waited for first responders on Sangamon Drive. 2-year-old hurt in Springfield shooting, father released from custody After the victims described Hills car to police, their investigation found the car had been spotted by an automated license plate reader unit in the area. The car was registered to Hills girlfriend, who testified that Hill was the one using it the day of the shooting. Hill was arrested three months after the shooting and was charged with attempted murder. Investigators found gunshot residue and Hills fingerprint inside the Toyota; while the exact gun used in the shooting was never recovered, a gun of the same caliber was found in Hills home with his DNA on it. At sentencing, prosecutors recommended life in prison. They cited Hills prior criminal record, which included four gun and drug convictions, and the danger he posed to the community. The shooting, they said, showed he was willing to fire at someone for simply being suspicious of them. Its good to see when he smiles: recovering victims mother opens up after shooting suspects arrest in Champaign Hill, representing himself, admitted that he had done things he shouldnt have, but requested a sentence of eight years in prison. He also argued that his Class X felony conviction should be downgraded to Class 1. Judge Weber found that while there was some provocation in Hill being followed by the car Davis was in, there was no evidence showing that Hills life was being threatened that night. He ultimately sentenced Hill to 56 years in prison, close to the maximum that a different judge said in January was applicable in the case. Hill must serve at least 85% of his sentence. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. AUSTIN (KXAN) Williamson County prosecutors dropped the charge against Austin Independent School Districts Chief Financial Officer Eduardo Ramos, according to the Austin Independent School District. Austin ISD officials said Superintendent Matias Segura approved Ramoss return from administrative leave on Thursday. Ramos, 51, was arrested by the Austin Independent School District Police Department on July 31 on an insurance fraud charge unrelated to his work at the district. The Round Rock Police Department issued the arrest warrant, but has not yet released the record showing the details leading up to his arrest. Austin ISD talks position cuts as they face budget deficit Austin ISD officials said on Thursday they received a letter from the Williamson County District Attorneys Office declining to prosecute the insurance fraud charge. The Williamson County District Attorney has not responded to multiple requests for comment. From the beginning, I released a statement that said, We have a judicial process. I ask that everyone let the process run its course before rushing to judgement. I trusted the process, and as a result, Im now reinstated, Ramos said in a statement to KXAN Thursday. District officials say Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura placed Ramos on leave the same day as his arrest. They also said the felony charge was unrelated to his work with the district. According to an announcement on the districts website, Ramos previously submitted his resignation on July 23, with his last day scheduled for Aug. 16. Austin ISD approves 2024-2025 budget According to the district, Ramos still plans to leave the district in good standing in mid-August. According to the districts website, Ramos oversaw Austin ISD finances, including the budget, purchasing, state and federal grants, and the Historically Utilized Business program. His district biography stated he worked in school finance for 27 years, including as chief of finance and operations in Pflugerville ISD and deputy superintendent of finance and operations in Hutto ISD. The district said that during his tenure, Ramos balanced Austin ISDs operating budget for the first time in six years in 2021-22 and 2022-23. The district is facing a budget deficit going into the new school year, similar to several other school districts across Texas. This story is developing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) Charges were upgraded Friday for a man accused in a deadly hit-and-run crash that happened earlier this month. Officers with the North Charleston Police Department were dispatched to the crash on Dorchester Road near Leeds Avenue during the early morning hours of August 2. The victim, Silas Williams, Jr., was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina for treatment. He died about a week later. Mario Williams, 27, was initially charged with hit and run involving great bodily injury; however, those charges were increased to hit and run accident with death after the victim died. Williams turned himself into the North Charleston Police Department on Friday morning. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2. The food industry in the USSR was very backward, and those who lived through the collapse of the Union remember it well. Back then, unprecedented foods and sweets began to appear on store shelves very quickly. ADVERTISIMENT However, some products familiar to Westerners still occasionally made their way behind the Iron Curtain. Sailors brought back sweet chewing gum from their voyages, and in the seventies, Pepsi managed to break through the blockade, which caused a real boom in the Union. OBOZ.UA tells how it happened. Entering the Soviet market was the dream of Pepsi CEO Donald Kendall. For him, it was to be a huge victory over his main competitor, the Coca-Cola brand. The competition between the brands had been going on for decades, and such a success could really give one of them a huge advantage. So, when an American exhibition was organized in Moscow in 1959, he came with his drink and served it to the new general secretary of the country, Nikita Khrushchev. At that time, a photo of the head of state with a glass of fizz made the rounds in all the newspapers of the world. ADVERTISIMENT Pepsi and Coca-Cola appeared in the United States almost simultaneously at the end of the nineteenth century and fought tirelessly for the market. The brands created an atmosphere of mystery around the recipe for their drinks and came up with unusual advertising campaigns and marketing ploys. But the real advantage could only come from entering other markets. Donald Kendall, head of Pepsi's marketing division, did just that. However, it was the USSR that was a real fix for him. To get into one of the most closed countries in the world, which was not even a market economy, required a lot of effort. To achieve his goal, Kendall even made connections in the White House, becoming close to future President Richard Nixon. When Nikita Khrushchev came to power in the USSR, he decided to focus on achieving great international success. In particular, he invested enormous effort and money to overtake the United States. He was the first to launch a satellite into space, and later he was the first to send a man into Earth's orbit. ADVERTISIMENT To exchange experience with the United States, Khrushchev agreed with American President Dwight Eisenhower to hold mutual economic and industrial exhibitions. The Soviet side wanted to see what else could be copied from the Americans. The American exhibition in Moscow began in the summer of 1959. Vice President Nixon flew in for its opening. However, many brands did not dare to participate in the event. Including Coca-Cola. And Donald Kendall took it as his personal chance. He not only presented Pepsi products at the exhibition but also personally visited Moscow. The businessman's goal was to hand the drink to Khrushchev and show it to the whole world. Nixon promised his friend to help him with this. ADVERTISIMENT To pull this off, Nixon came up with a clever trick. As he led Khrushchev between the stands, the secretary general constantly criticized American products and praised their Soviet counterparts. At some point, the politicians ended up at the Pepsi booth. At this point, the US vice president played a trick. He suggested that the Soviet Secretary General decide for himself which soda was better American or produced in the Soviet Union. At that time, Pepsi had no line in the USSR, so Khrushchev simply drank a few glasses of the American drink. He was allowed to proclaim the "Moscow" version to be the best, while photographers simply took a picture of him with the branded cup in his hands. The photo became a sensation. The photo was spread across the world's newspapers. Journalists played on the American brand's advertising slogan "Be friendly, Pepsi will help!" Khrushchev's intention to be more open to the world was attributed to the drink. And the drink received huge publicity. And almost for free. ADVERTISIMENT However, already in 1960, relations between the USSR and the United States deteriorated sharply, as the Vietnam War broke out, with both countries supporting different sides of the conflict. This was followed by the Cuban Missile Crisis and other points of confrontation. But Kendall did not give up hope of entering the Soviet market. It happened in the days of Leonid Brezhnev in the early 1970s. By that time, the businessman had already headed Pepsi and began the process of promoting the brand in the socialist countries. In 1970, he arrived in Moscow again for talks with the head of the Council of Ministers, Kosygin. To impress his counterpart, Kendall smuggled a radio in the shape of a Pepsi can past the guards and presented it to the head of the Soviet government. He liked the gift so much that he gave permission to start negotiations on the American company's entry into the USSR market. ADVERTISIMENT But the drink had to be sold at a profit, and the official ruble-dollar exchange rate did not reflect reality. That's why the former American ambassador to the USSR, Lewellin Thompson, advised Kendall to exchange the gas for vodka. It took two years to negotiate this barter. However, on November 16, 1972, Pepsi announced that it would soon start selling its product in the Soviet Union. In return, it received the rights to the Stolichnaya vodka brand in the United States. Pepsi opened its first bottling plant in the Union in the spring of 1974 in Novorossiysk. Subsequently, similar facilities were opened in Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv, Tashkent, Tallinn, Yevpatoria, and other cities. The deal was not very profitable for the Americans, but Kendall managed to significantly reduce the gap in sales with Coca-Cola. ADVERTISIMENT The term of Pepsi's agreement with the Soviet government expired in 1989. By this time, it was clear that the company was not satisfied with the exchange for vodka. And then Kendall went for the trick again. He took advantage of the catastrophic economic situation of the Soviet Union, which was on the verge of collapse, and concluded an agreement under which he received 20 old warships in exchange for the supply of raw materials and equipment: 17 submarines, a destroyer, a cruiser, and a torpedo battleship. The businessman sold all of them for scrap metal at a profit. Under the terms of the deal, Pepsi also bought new oil tankers for a pittance and began leasing them out. Some of them were sold. "We're disarming the Soviet Union faster than you are," Kendall joked in a conversation with then-President George H.W. Bush's security adviser. ADVERTISIMENT Already in 1990, Pepsi signed a contract with the Soviet Union based on the formula "vodka in exchange for Pepsi" for a fantastic amount of $3 billion. It was even called the "deal of the century". As a result, the Americans even managed to launch another of their brands in the USSR, Pizza Hut. But the deal did not last long. Within a year, the Soviet empire collapsed and Pepsi had to establish business relations with the independent states that emerged instead. Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events. MONROE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A Charlotte man is behind bars after Monroe Police say he led law enforcement on a chase from Charlotte to Monroe Thursday. Around 1:30 p.m. on August 15, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department officers spotted a vehicle driven by Mitchell Clydero Patterson, who was a suspect in a shooting earlier in the day and wanted for violating his probation. Man accused of leading chase from Salisbury to Charlotte could be linked to weekend murder: Police According to authorities, the vehicle was driving into Union County on the Monroe Bypass. Monroe officers tried to stop Patterson on the bypass near Morgan Mill Road, but Patterson refused to stop leading officers on a brief chase to Austin Chaney Road. While trying to exit the expressway, Patterson lost control of his vehicle and wrecked. Officials say he threw a gun out of the car during the chase. The firearm was later found by CMPD detectives. Patterson was arrested and charged with the following: Two counts of spreading to elude arrest Possession of a stolen firearm Trafficking in opium or heroin PWISMD of cocaine Possession of a firearm by a felon Probation violation PWISD of marijuana Speeding Reckless Driving, disregard Fictitious/ expired registration plate Driving with license revoked, impaired, revocation He is being held without bond at the Union County Detention Center. Queen City News has reached out to CMPD for more details on the shooting Patterson may be connected with. This chase happened just a day after a man allegedly eluded arrest in Salisbury, leading to a three-county chase ending with his arrest in Charlotte. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. New charter school in Columbus? Why superintendent wants Muscogee County board to vote no A proposal to start a new charter school in Columbus has been submitted to the Muscogee County School District, and superintendent David Lewis wants the board to reject it. The MCSD board is scheduled to vote on the recommendation during its Monday meeting. The application came from two officials representing the proposed charter school, named Dominion Purpose Academy: executive director and lead founder LaTasha Jones Adams and chairwoman Shae Anderson. Thats according to the agenda for the boards Aug. 12 work session, but the application isnt attached to the agenda, and MCSD didnt fulfill the Ledger-Enquirers request for a copy before publication. The only information available about the proposal is a summary on the agenda. It says Dominion Purpose Academy wants to start with grades 6 and 7 for its first year and expand to grades 4-8 by the end of its fifth year. It also says Dominion Purpose Academy is working with consulting company Level Field Partners, headquartered in Washington, D.C., to plan the charter school. Level Field Partners has helped finance and develop more than 120 charter school projects in 29 states, according to the agenda. Despite the proposal being on the agenda, MCSD administrators and board members didnt publicly discuss it at the work session. The only comments about it then were voiced by Adams and her daughter, who addressed the board during the public agenda portion of the work session. Adams praised MCSD for creating alternative schools targeting certain populations of students, such as Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts for grades 6-12 and Brewer Acceleration Academy for grades K-2. But she contends thats not enough. When I look at the kids here, when I look at the experiences that theyre having, and I look at the scores, I want to help to be a solution, she said. There are great things happening in Muscogee County schools. I think that families need more options. The new option Dominion Purpose Academy proposes, Adams said, is a charter school with a curriculum based on Design Thinking. What is Design Thinking? The Harvard Graduate School of Education describes design thinking as a mindset and approach to learning, collaboration, and problem solving. In practice, the design process is a structured framework for identifying challenges, gathering information, generating potential solutions, refining ideas, and testing solutions. Design Thinking can be flexibly implemented; serving equally well as a framework for a course design or a roadmap for an activity or group project. Adams said Dominion Purpose Academy would collaborate with companies with Design Thinking. Ive traveled literally around the nation, studying the schools and working in businesses with Design Thinking, Adams said. Id love the opportunity to partner with Muscogee County schools with this charter school. The Ledger-Enquirer didnt reach Adams or Anderson to learn more about their proposal. None of the board members replied to the Ledger-Enquirers attempt to find out how they will vote on this proposal and why. In an email, Lewis explained his rationale for recommending the board reject it. The recommendation is based on a review by and the professional opinions of staff members with expertise in each operational area, as well as two subsequent follow-up inquiries with the petitioner, Lewis wrote. Their review determined that the proposal lacked specificity, required an over-reliance on district support and resources that could not be assured and was fiscally unsustainable long-term to be recommended as a district-sponsored charter school. Per process, a more detailed explanation will be provided to the petitioner in writing within 60 days if the board votes to reject the proposal. However, the proposal may also be approved at the state level which, if approved, would allow it to operate under state oversight. What is a charter school? The Georgia Department of Education defines a charter school as a public school of choice that operates under the terms of a charter, or contract, with an authorizer, such as the state and local boards of education in accordance with the Charter Schools Act. Charter schools receive flexibility from certain state and local rules in exchange for a higher degree of accountability for raising student achievement. Charter schools are held accountable by their authorizer(s) for upholding the terms of their charter. Georgias initial charter school law was enacted in 1993. It allowed existing public schools to convert to charter schools. The states first three conversion charter schools were approved in 1995. The charter school law was expanded in 1998 to allow for organizations outside of a school district to petition the school district or the state to create a start-up charter school. Out of nearly 2,200 public schools in Georgia, 97 are charters, according to the National Association of Public Charter Schools. Dominion Purpose Academys application is the first startup charter school proposal submitted to MCSD during Lewis 11-year tenure as superintendent. Two years before the board hired Lewis, it voted 6-3 in 2001 to reject a start-up charter school petition from John McEachern. The board unanimously approved the conversion charter petitions from Clubview (2005), Wynnton (2008) and Reese Road (2009) elementary schools, as well as Clubviews five-year renewal (2011). But none of them are charter schools now. Since then, they voluntarily surrendered their charters, Lewis told the Ledger-Enquirer Now, MCSD doesnt have any charter schools. In September 2008, Fort Middle School submitted to MCSD a letter of intent to implement a planning grant to convert to a charter school. But the school withdrew its petition Feb. 11, 2011 due to the current uncertainties surrounding the regulations for achieving charter status, according to the withdrawal statement. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) The Chatham County Health Department leadership staff held a press conference on Friday both to inform the public and address concerns regarding floodwater safety. Chatham County Commission Chairman and Board of Health member Chester A. Ellis was joined by Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) Director Dennis Jones, Chatham County Mosquito Control Director Ture Carlson, Chatham County Health Department Administrator Dr. Chris Rustin and Coastal Health District Health Director Dr. Bonzo Reddick. The press conference came nearly two weeks after Tropical Storm Debbys initial landfall. Ellis opened with thanks to each of the members of the department as well as the resilience of Chatham Countys citizens. He also acknowledged and commended Compassion Christian Church for their resource center. Jones assured that water levels are receding in the county but there are still areas impacted by the heavy rainfall. Highway 17 over the Ogeechee River is still closed pending a bridge inspection by the Department of Transportation. On Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), and Small Business Administration (SBA) performed damage assessments based on individual assistance. At this time, there is no FEMA individual assistance declaration, which for the county would reach a financial threshold of $1.3 Million in assistance. For the state of Georgia, that threshold begins at $20 Million. Reddick then addressed floodwater health risks, including the temptation for children to play in the water. Floodwater may contain human and animal waste or may conceal sharp objects beneath the surface. Another issue of concern is mosquitos, which are drawn to standing water. For those who experience cuts, the Department of Health will collaborate with Compassion Christian Church to issue tetanus vaccinations on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Rustin spoke about property damage, advising the public to dump any container of water around their home. Mold and mildew are likely if there is water inside the home. These contain toxins that should not be breathed in, so personal protective equipment (such as masks and gloves) is encouraged. Do not mix bleach with ammonia when cleaning your home. Water wells should be flushed and disinfected. Aerial spraying is underway daily for mosquitos in the county, with West Nile Season serving as a backdrop for Debby. Vector, Nuisance, and Southern Home Mosquitos are all perpetrators of health hazards. Ellis closed the conference with a reminder of Chatham Countys sense of community. Be compassionate[]Dont go off, Ellis said. There is still one Chatham County. Coastal Health District offers safety tips following flooding and power outages Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. Preparations continued on Friday at the United Center, which will be the location of the evening activities at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Officials in Chicago are bracing for several different protests after the Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday. Demonstrations pushing multiple different causes are expected to blanket the Windy City. The groups include pro-Palestinian supporters calling on the Democratic Party to help end the ongoing conflict in Gaza. WATCH LIVE: Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the Chicago Police Department Helicopter Press Conference. https://t.co/i32gOaU9LX City of Chicago (@chicago) August 16, 2024 Preparations continued on Friday at the United Center, which will be the location of the evening activities at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI The Chicago area is home to the largest Palestinian population in the United States. "We're going to march regardless, but we're fighting for the best route possible," March on the DNC coalition spokesperson Fayani Aboma Mijana said on the group's website. Preparations continued on Friday at the United Center, which will be the location of the evening activities at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI "We've got our park permit, but the city has refused to allow us to use [portable restrooms], a stage and a sound system." Earlier in the week, a federal judge ruled that a planned protest expected to draw thousands of participants during the DNC will have to use the current route provided by City of Chicago officials. U.S. Northern Illinois District Judge Andrea Wood ruled the current route near the convention's site at the United Center enables protesters to "speak near their intended audience" and does not violate their First Amendment rights. "Biden and Harris have the power to stop it, and they haven't," Arab American Action Network Executive Director Hatem Abudayyeh told reporters Thursday. "The Democrats must end all U.S. aid to Israel immediately. It's illegal for the city attorneys to stop us from saying this." On Friday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and other city officials officially unveiled a new police helicopter. The $11 million Bell 429 twin-engine helicopter is expected to be busy during the coming days. "We ensure that this helicopter would be here for the upcoming Democratic National Convention to assist with securing our city from the air, the areas around the convention, as well as keeping eyes on activities city-wide," Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters during a Friday news conference. "I cannot stress enough the importance of this helicopter of our public safety efforts during the DNC and for years to come." It is the epitome of injustice as well as dangerous for a judge to have given a sentence of 10 weekends in jail to a former upstate New York police officer who pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl before his forced resignation, according to a prominent advocate for child sexual abuse survivors. This sentence is the epitome of injustice and a dangerous nod to child sexual predators letting them know, No worries, we wont go too hard on you, Kathryn Robb, the national director of the Childrens Justice Campaign at the Enough Abuse organization, said on Thursday. This little girl will be imprisoned by her memories for life, while [the rapist] loses a mere 20 days of his liberty. Robb, an attorney, has helped state legislatures across the US reform laws addressing child sexual abuse. She added that rape of a child is one of the most horrendous crimes with lifelong effects on the victim. And she maintained that the case centering on ex-Rochester, New York, police officer Shawn Jordan was unconscionable for anyone who believed in the ongoing need for stiffer criminal punishments and more substantial civil damages in instances of child molestation. Jordan, 40, pleaded guilty to second-degree rape and forcible touching in March in connection with allegations that he had molested a girl who was age 13 in 2022 in South Bristol, a community in Ontario county, New York. It was one of two separate criminal cases filed against Jordan that involved an underage victim. In the other matter, which remained unresolved as of Thursday, authorities in Monroe county, New York, charged him in the spring of 2023 with exposing himself to a 16-year-old girl over a video call. Under a plea agreement struck in the Ontario county case, state judge Kristina Karle sentenced him on Wednesday to spend 10 weekends in jail as well as 10 years on probation. Karle also ordered Jordan to register as a sex offender and pay fines. The mother of Jordans acknowledged victim implored Karle to send him to prison, saying he had ruined her daughters life and doesnt deserve to be out on the street, the New York ABC affiliate WHAM reported. According to Rochester news outlet WROC, Karle approved Jordans plea deal after telling him: I hope you feel shame, I hope you feel remorse, and I hope you never ever hurt another child. While the judge reportedly said Jordans admitted actions left her with no words, she approved his plea agreement. The president and founder of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (Rainn), Scott Berkowitz, joined Robb in expressing disappointment in the outcome of Jordans case in Karles courtroom. A sentence of 10 years in prison, or more, would make a lot more sense than one of 10 weekends, Berkowitz said. Hell be out in a few months, while she will be dealing with the consequences of his crime for many years to come. That is not justice. The local assistant district attorney Kelly Wolford told WHAM, the New York NBC affiliate WHEC and other outlets that she was not entirely satisfied with the sentence given to Jordan. But, despite the brief corresponding punishment for him, Wolford said her office proceeded with Jordans plea agreement after considering the impact of actually having to testify on the victim of this crime. Shes a child, and she was going to have to face her accuser in the courtroom, Wolford said. She added: When I was given the opportunity to consider whether or not wed take a guilty plea absolutely, all day, in a circumstance like this. Jordan rushed to his car without answering any questions after his sentencing, according to WHEC. A spokesperson for prosecutors in Monroe county which includes Rochester told WHEC that Jordan did not have a court date for his pending case there. That case was the one that triggered a suspension and his subsequent resignation from the Rochester police department. Children in Gaza are being badly disfigured by painful but easily treatable skin conditions because of a near-total lack of basic sanitation, aid workers have warned. Severe shortages of medicines, hygiene products and clean water in the ravaged coastal enclave are all fuelling a surge in infections of skin ulcers and scabies, they told The Telegraph. More than 150,000 people in Gaza have contracted skin diseases since the start of Israels military offensive in October, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Scabies has been the most prevalent, with at least 100,000 cases recorded. The symptoms include intense itching, which worsens at night or with the intense heat that Gaza has been experiencing. The WHO has also recorded 11,000 cases of lice, 65,000 cases of chickenpox and 65,000 cases of skin rashes. On Friday night, Palestinian health officials also recorded the first case of polio in an unvaccinated 10-month-old child in Deir al-Balah. This rise in skin conditions is particularly concerning given the dire living conditions faced by the majority of Gazas population, said Julie Faucon, Medical Coordinator at Doctors Without Borders (MSF), based in Jerusalem. Implementing effective hygiene measures under these circumstances is exceedingly difficult, she told The Telegraph. A child with a skin disease at a tent camp in Deir Al Balah - Abdel Kareem Hana/AP MSF has recorded a nearly 50 per cent surge in skin disease in recent weeks. Efforts to try and treat those afflicted have been complicated by persistent Israeli strikes and relocation orders, which mean many Gazans have had even more difficulty accessing healthcare facilities, Ms Faucon added. Ghada Alhaddad, from Oxfam, currently in Deir al Balah, in central Gaza, said that most of the patients being seen by dermatologists she visited are children. One six-year-old girl had red rashes on her hands from the poor quality soap and water she uses to do the laundry for her family after her mother was killed. Usually the doctors would prescribe medicines for skin diseases, but most of the pharmacies in Gaza have run out of medicines, she told The Telegraph. A five-year-old girl with impetigo in Deir Al Balah - Medical Aid for Palestinians Asma, the mother of a seven-year-old boy who has been treated by MAP, said that they have resorted to using sea water for cooking, washing and laundry, due to the lack of clean water. My son cant sleep through the night because he cant stop scratching his body. We sleep on the ground, and he plays on sand where worms come out underneath us, she told Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), from a United Nations school in Deir al Balah where she is sheltering. We cannot bathe our children as beforetheres nothing. The sea is all sewage. Since July, MAP have recorded more than 4,100 preventable skin infections, including scabies, chicken pox, bullous impetigo and nonbullous impetigo. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said that the collapse of the waste management system in Gaza had created a dangerous recipe for diseases to spread. Piles of trash are accumulating in the scorching summer heat. Sewage discharges on the streets while people queue for hours just to go to the toilets, he said. The collapse of Gaza's sanitation system has created the ideal conditions for outbreaks of skin disease - Mahmoud Issa/REUTERS Continued Israeli shelling has badly damaged Gazas water system. All of Gazas desalination plants, 88 per cent of its water wells, and 70 per cent of all sewage, as well as the main water quality testing laboratories have all been damaged during the conflict, according to a report published by Oxfam last month. Owing to the destruction of water facilities, the obstruction of aid and the severing of external water supplies, Gazans have around 4.7 litres of water per person per day for all purposes including drinking, cooking and bathing, it found. This is less than a third of the recommended minimum for emergencies of at least 15 litres per day, according to the United Nations. Last month, Israels Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat), the Israeli body responsible for facilitating aid in Gaza, said that it had established a team to address sanitation issues. The team is also exploring additional measures to improve sanitation in Gaza, including repairing wells, upgrading desalination plants, and extending water lines, it said. Aid groups have attempted to repair the infrastructure, install septic tanks and distribute clean water and chlorine tablets, but working in the Gaza Strip remains extremely difficult. The humanitarian aid weve been able to deliver so far, including water bottles, medical supplies, and hygiene kits, has been nowhere near enough to meet the scale of this crisis, said Alison Griffin, Head of Conflict and Humanitarian Campaigns at Save the Children UK. A three-year-old girl reported to a medical facility with blisters and rashes all over her body - Medical Aid for Palestinians MAPs Deputy Director of Programmes in Gaza, Mohammed Al Khatib, who is based in Khan Younis, said that it is the complex interaction of high temperatures, the ruptured sewage system and solid waste everywhere that has fuelled the surge in emerging infectious diseases. Earlier this month, the United Nations reported a major outbreak of Hepatitis A, an inflammation of the liver caused by the virus of the same name, among children in the crowded enclave. Almost everyone I know has somebody in his or her family who has been contacted with hepatitis A, including our staff, said Ms Alhaddad. Usually, doctors ask people to quarantine for hepatitis A, but this is something quite impossible.People are encamped in small areas, sometimes multiple families live in one tent, she said. When people describe the scenes [in Gaza] as tragic, I feel that the word now does injustice, words cannot describe the tragedies that we are seeing on the ground. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. (Bloomberg) -- Chinas proposed measures to ease marriage registration while making divorces harder to get have provoked a wave of public backlash, a reflection of the challenges facing the worlds No. 2 economy in arresting a sharp drop in births. Most Read from Bloomberg Chinese authorities will no longer require couples filing for marriage to provide their hukou, or household registration, as part of draft changes to existing regulations. The proposed amendment also added a 30-day cooling-off period for those seeking a divorce, a rule already enacted in 2021 that made it more difficult to exit a marriage. Chinese media outlets have touted the changes as an effort to promote marital freedom, since they could potentially reduce intervention by the family members while also making divorce decisions more rational. But the contrast has sparked public outcry on social media, with netizens questioning the intention of the authorities and expressing concerns about bigamy or identity cheating in marriages. Does the cooling-off period for divorce count as marital freedom? said one comment on X-like Weibo.com, which had over 22,000 likes. The discussions briefly topped Weibos trending list on Friday morning, with more than 100 million views. Where is my right to get divorced? another user asked, garnering over 21,000 likes. Chinas leadership has been struggling to arrest a steady drop in new births despite measures to scrap birth-control policies and boost fertility rates, as the younger generation rethinks life priorities. While the push to make it more difficult for couples to break up has helped to reduce the divorce rate, far fewer people are now entering marriage. Only 3.43 million couples got hitched in the first half of this year, official statistics show, the lowest since 1980, according to Shanghai-based news site The Paper. The Ministry of Civil Affairs began to seek public comments on the proposed revisions to marriage and divorce procedures this week until Sept. 11. Original copies of household registration have for decades been a mandatory document and used as a way to prevent bigamy, with couples required to file for marriage where their hukous have been issued. The proposed changes would allow people to get married anywhere in the country by providing just their identity cards and declarations confirming theyre eligible to marry. The Paper said the hukou exemption could hand young people autonomy over marriage decisions. It also holds out the potential of solving the practice of hefty bride prices, a tradition that requires the groom-to-be to present betrothal gifts to his fiancees family, which authorities have identified as an obstacle to boosting the birth rate. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. China got 'very dramatic' after the US military flew a new missile system out to the Western Pacific, ally says China had a "very dramatic" reaction to the US deploying a new missile system in the Western Pacific, the Philippines' top diplomat said. The weapon in question is the Mid-Range Capability, or Typhon, missile system, a new US military asset that was deployed in April during a joint US-Philippines training. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Friday that his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, expressed concern over the missile system during their talks on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Laos last month, per The Associated Press. Manalo said that while he and Yi discussed the situation, "they made it very dramatic" but that he reassured Yi he shouldn't be worried. A Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Robert S. Price/Released Manalo said that China's foremost concern was that the system could be destabilizing to security and relations in the region, which he disagreed with. He added that the deployment to the Philippines was only temporary. The system was first brought to the Philippines in April during joint US-Philippine exercises for a "landmark deployment" marking "a significant milestone for the new capability while enhancing interoperability, readiness, and defense capabilities in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines," US Army Pacific said in a statement at the time. The Mid-Range Capability system is ground-based and versatile, capable of firing both the Standard Missile 6 and Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. It wasn't fired during the trainings and is still deployed there now, though it may be relocated as soon as next month. This capability, which was once banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the US and Russia that is no longer in effect, has the potential to bolster America's force posture in the Pacific. The USS Savannah fires a Standard Missile 6 from a containerized launching system during a test in the eastern Pacific Ocean. US Navy/Lt. Zachary Anderson China's concerns align with its long-standing opposition to US deployment of military assets in the region and efforts to strengthen and secure its position there. The country has also accused US allies like the Philippines of serving American interests to the detriment of their own. "The Philippines are inviting wolves into the house and willingly acting as their pawns," a Chinese defense-ministry spokesperson said on social media, per Reuters. The US and its allies, on the other hand, have accused China of increasingly hostile actions in the area. In the South China Sea, especially, China has recently engaged in more-aggressive actions in its territorial disputes, as well as a variety of dangerous flight maneuvers and intercepts with the US, the Philippines, and others. Read the original article on Business Insider China will limit exports of antimony, a mineral used in products from batteries to weapons The Chinese flag is seen on a tower at a antimony mining company in Lengshuijiang in south China's Hunan province on Oct. 8, 2009. (Chinatopix via AP, File) BEIJING (AP) China's Commerce Ministry announced Thursday that it will restrict exports of a mineral used in a wide range of products from batteries to weapons. Export controls will be placed on antimony starting Sept. 15 to safeguard China's security and interests and fulfill its international non-proliferation obligations, the ministry said. Anyone wishing to export the mineral in various forms will have to apply for a license. It wasn't immediately clear to what extent exports would be blocked, though the non-proliferation wording suggested it could include weapons-related uses. A brief explanation issued by the Commerce Ministry said exports that comply with regulations would be permitted, but that the government opposes any country using items from China to engage in activities that undermine Chinas national sovereignty, security, and development interests. It did not say what those activities might be. The controls also cover smelting and separation technology and machinery and other items related to what the notice called super-hard materials. China imposed export curbs last year on gallium and germanium, two metals used in computer chips and solar cells, to "safeguard national security." The United States has restricted China's access to advanced semiconductors and other technology on security grounds. China is a major producer of antimony, and some U.S. policymakers have worried about being overly dependent on China as a source. The mineral's uses include flame retardants, batteries, night-vision goggles and nuclear weapon production, according to a 2021 U.S. International Trade Commission report. British actor Kit Harington, who played Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, has suggested why the finale of the cult series disappointed some viewers. He believes that the story turned out to be too long, and the actors were tired by the end of the series. ADVERTISIMENT The Briton also suggested that some plot mistakes were made. He spoke about this in a new interview with GQ magazine. "I think that if there was any mistake at the end of Thrones, it was that we were all so tired that we couldn't go on any longer. So I understand that some people think it was rushed, and I can agree with them. But I'm not sure we had an alternative," the actor reflected. He admitted that in the photos from that time, you can see how tired he was. The final season was filmed at the limit of the series team's strength, so it could have turned out worse than the previous ones. "Everyone has the right to their own opinion. I think there were some plot mistakes, maybe towards the end. I think some interesting decisions didn't quite work," the Briton concluded. ADVERTISIMENT We would like to remind you that many fans of the saga were dissatisfied with the way the story ended. They believe that the scriptwriters did not do a good job and "spat in their faces". Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! CHIANG MAI, Thailand (Reuters) - China will support a democratic transition in Myanmar and backs a regional plan to find a way out of the ongoing crisis in the Southeast Asian country, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday during a visit to Thailand. Wang's comments at a media conference came after he met with Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing during a visit to the war-torn country this week. "China continues its commitment to restore peace and stability in Myanmar," he said in translated remarks. China has promised technical support and aid for conducting a census, followed by an election that is currently planned to be held next year, junta-run media said on Thursday. Myanmar has been in turmoil since February 2021 when the military ousted an elected civilian government in a coup, abruptly ending the impoverished country's tentative steps towards becoming a full-fledged democracy. In Thailand to attend a regional meeting, Wang said that China also supports a peace plan agreed to by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), known as its five-point "consensus", to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. (Reporting by Reuters staff, Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by John Mair) BYD's Dolphin being launched last month. Chinese carmakers offloaded a record number of EVs to Europe this summer - Valeria Mongelli/Bloomberg Chinese electric cars will be funnelled towards Britain as manufacturers seek to avoid punishing European Union tariffs, analysis predicts. Car makers including MG owner SAIC and BYD offloaded a record number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe this summer, as part of efforts to escape incoming taxes imposed by Brussels. But in a bid to maintain sales, they are now expected to turn their sights on non-EU countries such as the UK, Norway and Switzerland, according to analysis by Schmidt Automotive Research. Initially, this will see more left-hand drive cars diverted to Norway and Switzerland from other parts of Europe. However, the analysis said Chinese brands see Britain as a particularly attractive market for right-hand drive cars because of tough policies such as the zero emission vehicle mandate, which compels car makers to sell rising proportions of EVs. Britain is currently Europes second-biggest market for EVs, behind Germany. Matthias Schmidt, the firms founder, said: If the EU tariffs stick, we would expect the Chinese to prioritise the UK. The UK is implementing strict regulatory measures such as the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, so the Chinese brands stand to benefit from that because of their high mix of EV sales. The analysis also found signs that Chinese brands had flogged large numbers of cut-price cars in June, ahead of EU tariffs that came into force in July. Following an investigation that accused Beijing of massively subsidising Chinas electric car industry at every level, Brussels has imposed extra duties of 17.4pc on cars made by BYD, 20pc on those made by Volvo-owner Geely and 38pc for SAIC. The measures on top of existing 10pc tariffs are designed to offer protection for European carmakers, who have complained they are being unfairly undercut. In an attempt to dodge some of the pain, Chinese carmakers sold a record 25,107 EVs across western Europe in June, roughly 10,000 more than during any other month this year, according to Schmidt Automotive. Overall, they sold around 95,000 in western Europe during the first half of 2024, compared to 73,000 over the same period a year earlier. Mr Schmidt said some brands appeared to have adopted unusual tactics to sell so many cars ahead of the tariffs deadline. For example, he said German dealers had effectively been offering buy one get one free deals for SAIC-made MG4 cars, by offering 9,000 (7,670) for each purchase enough to put down a deposit for a second one. There have been some breathtaking offers, Mr Schmidt added. Its like a supermarket deal. While posing a threat to western car makers, the arrival of large numbers of Chinese EVs could prove to be a boon for British consumers. BYD, SAIC and others sell their cars for far less at home in China, with many of the brands still yet to launch their cheapest models in Europe. For example, BYDs Seagull model, a small, five-door hatchback, sells for 69,800 yuan in China roughly 7,600. It has a standard range of 190 miles, with a more expensive version able to run for 252 miles. Meanwhile, Geely-owned Zeekr claimed this week to have developed the worlds fastest-charging electric car battery capable of going from 10pc to 80pc charge in just 10 minutes. The 007 Sedan that the new battery will be used in currently starts at 209,900 yuan (22,700) in China. Click here to view this content. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A Chinese woman was escorted off a flight after she refused to stow her designer handbag under the seat in front of her, causing an hour-long delay. A fellow passenger, who chose to stay anonymous, posted a video on social media platform Douyin, showing the entire incident which involved multiple conversations between the woman and the flight crew, the South China Morning Post reported. The passenger said in her video that the woman refused to keep her Louis Vuitton handbag under the seat in front for takeoff and insisted on placing it next to her on the seat. The incident occurred on 10 August on a flight from Chongqing municipality in southwestern China. The flight had to return to the boarding gate, causing a delay of an hour as the woman was taken off. The delay also disrupted other flights. Air passengers are always requested to keep their bags in overhead storage compartments or under the seats in front of them since anything that could become a projectile or block an escape route in case of turbulence or an evacuation is a safety hazard. The flight attendant could have offered her a bag to put her handbag in. Is it really necessary to waste an hour and kick her off the plane? one Douyin user asked. The flight attendant did not insist on the rule for nothing. The woman should value her safety and that of other passengers rather than the bag, said another. The video shows the other passengers applauding as the woman is escorted out of the plane. Last year, passengers on a flight from New Jersey to Atlanta took a vote on whether to have a woman removed after she started a fight with another traveller. CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) The Chula Vista City Council voted on Tuesday to back a package of reparations bills currently making its way through the state legislature in an effort to atone for and mitigate the continued impacts of discrimination against Black Californians. The set of measures were officially announced back in January by the California Legislative Black Caucus, following the release of a 1,100-page, state-requested report detailing Californias role in perpetuating harm against descendants of slavery and recommendations for remedies. Known as the 2024 Reparations Priority Bill Package, the reforms target several areas where disparities caused by generations of systemic racism persist, such as education, civil rights, criminal justice, health and business. South Bay residents fight proposed landfill Among the proposals included in the package the first in a series of measures aimed at implementing the reports recommendations are initiatives for the state to formally apologize for its role in continuing systemic racism against Black residents, create a grant program to decrease community violence, and prohibit involuntary servitude for incarcerated individuals. The measures do not feature widespread direct payments to Californians who can trace heritage back to enslaved individuals, although it would allow the state to form a new agency aimed at compensating families whose property was unjustly seized through eminent domain. In a statement, Chula Vista City Councilmember Jose Preciado, who spearheaded the local resolution to back the bills, described the proposals as part of the nature of the work for state lawmakers. I think the nature of the work in Sacramento is to try to support and bring remedies to a community that has experienced a lot of pain, he said. Its not the only community that has experienced pain, but it is the one that we have before us today as part of the conversation. However, he noted that the city councils step was meant to be a symbolic gesture it does not obligate the city of Chula Vista to enact any specific policies or actions. California has moved further along in its consideration of reparations proposals for Black residents compared to other states who have also made strides to remedy the lasting harm left by slavery, like Illinois and New York. CDC agrees to investigate health impacts of border sewage Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom allotted $12 million for reparations legislation in the states $297.9 billion budget, as reported by the Associated Press. Although it did not specify what programs it could be put towards in the upcoming fiscal year. As far as the bill package goes, a handful of the measures, like one creating a new state grant aimed to increasing Black students participation in STEM-related career technical education programs, have already been signed into law by Newsom. Lawmakers are still trying to push others in the bundle through the state legislature before the final day of the session on Aug. 31 the deadline for bills to be passed and sent to the governors desk. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. A volunteer from Un Kilo de Ayuda works with a young girl to promote early childhood development and improve nutrition at an event between Un Kilo de Ayuda and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Felipe del Progreso, Mexico, on Monday, August 5, 2024. More than 43,000 people, including 23,000 children and 20,000 mothers and caregivers, will benefit from the donation | Intellectual Reserve, Inc. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the nonprofit Un Kilo de Ayuda are working together on a project to combat child malnutrition in rural Mexican communities. Un Kilo de Ayuda will deliver nutritional packages focused at providing children under the age of five because of a donation from the Church of Jesus Christ, according to a release. More than 43,000 people, including 23,000 children and 20,000 mothers or caregivers, will benefit from the donation. The packages are geared toward optimal nutrition and neurodevelopment. Primary caregivers will receive education materials that have information on nutrition for young children, iron intake and play activities. The donation to Un Kilo de Ayuda also includes equipment that can be used to detect anemia. The release said, According to National Institute of Statistics and Geography data, 33.7% of children in Chiapas, Oaxaca and Mexico suffer from malnutrition and anemia. This is another instance of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christs initiative to combat child malnutrition and improve access to nutrition and educational materials for both women and children around the world. Every time we do something to bring relief to others whether its temporary or spiritual we are bringing them closer to Jesus Christ, and we will be blessed as we find our relief in Him, said Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson. We are grateful for the daily opportunities God gives us to love our neighbors. Mothers and children receive nutritional food packages from Un Kilo de Ayuda because of a donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Felipe del Progreso, Mexico, on Monday, August 5, 2024. More than 43,000 people, including 23,000 children and 20,000 mothers and caregivers, will benefit from the donation | Intellectual Reserve, Inc. (NewsNation) Citizen scientists say they have discovered a fast-moving object on a trajectory to escape the Milky Way and shoot into intergalactic space. The citizen scientists used data from NASAs WISE telescope to discover the object, which is moving at about 1 millions miles per hour. Thats fast enough that it will be able to escape the galaxys gravity. Its the first such object discovered to have the mass of a small star. What did John F. Kennedy know and not know about UFOs? Martin Kabatnik, Thomas P. Bickle and Dan Caselden are credited with finding the faint object, known as CWISE J124909.08+362116.0 (well call it CWISE for short) in the WISE images. They followed up using several ground-based telescopes to confirm the discovery and co-authored a paper in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. I cant describe the level of excitement, said Kabatnik in a NASA article. When I first saw how fast it was moving, I was convinced it must have been reported already. Scientists are still working to determine exactly what the object is. It could possibly be a low-mass star or a brown dwarf, which is somewhere between a gas giant planet and a star, NASA explains. Rare blue supermoon to rise soon: What to know Data from the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii seems to indicate CWISE has less iron and metals than other objects like it, making it even more mysterious. Its makeup suggests it could be not only fast but also very old, NASA says. Its also not entirely clear why CWISE is moving so fast. Scientists are hoping that taking a closer look at CWISEs elemental composition will help narrow down the answer. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) A lawsuit filed in May by Illinois State University students protesting the ongoing conflict in Gaza has been moved to federal court. And within a day, the seven students involved have asked, through their attorney, for a judge to bar the school from taking further action against them while the suit is pending. The move from McLean County Circuit Court to U.S. District Court in Peoria was done by the defendants who are the representatives of the university. Such a move is not uncommon when one side thinks the issues at hand are better addressed by a federal judge. The students Steve Lazaroff, 40, Jomareun Richardson, 21, Kevin Dion, 20, Joseph Bloom-Boedefeld, 21 and Rebekah Mangels, 23, Aiden Marcikic, 20, and Daniel Kimball, 20 were arrested on May 3 following a meeting with ISU president Aondover Tarhule at Hovey Hall over the war in Gaza in which the defendants would not leave the premises after the building closed. People protesting Gaza war comply with ISUs order to take down their tents They were charged with misdemeanor trespassing. Those cases are still pending in McLean County Circuit Court. If found guilty, they could face up to 1 year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine. But the students also sued the school, Tarhule, the board of trustees and other officials in midMay. The suit, which is the one that has been moved to federal court, alleges violations of the students 1st Amendment rights among other things. Hovey Hall has a long history of being the site of protests and First Amendment activity, they claim in court records. The suit seeks to have the students suspensions removed as well as the trespassing cases. They also seek at least $50,000 in damages, which is a statutory amount. In their petition for a temporary restraining order, the students are asking the judge to stop the university form having them write an essay on how to conduct a protest within the confines of the universitys policies. Defendants will suffer no prejudice whatsoever from Plaintiffs not writing an essay. They will suffer no hardship from providing the service for which Plaintiffs have paid handsomely in tuition. No damage will be done to Defendants at all from preserving the status quo until this litigation is complete. On the other hand, the Plaintiffs will suffer greatly from the loss of their constitutional rights, according to the petition. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The biological mother of a 3-year-old boy who authorities say was killed by his foster mother has filed a wrongful death claim against the county. The claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, says Alejandro Perez Jr. was removed from the care of his mother and placed with Margaret Eichhorst, where he was subjected to approximately nine months of neglect and physical abuse. Golden Empire Most Wanted: August 15, 2024 The child died Feb. 9. From March 14, 2023, through Feb. 9, 2024, Alejandro was in the care, supervision and control of county with the duty to keep the child safe above all, the claim says. Eichhorst has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and assault on a child under 8 resulting in death. She has a hearing scheduled next week. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage Deputies were called Feb. 9 to the 500 block of El Tejon Avenue and met Eichhorst, the reporting party, who said Alejandro wasnt breathing when she checked on him just before calling 911, according to court filings. The boy had bruises and cuts to his face and body, the filings say, and hexagonal-patterned discolorations on his back. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined Alejandro died from blunt force trauma to his head, the filings say. Internal injuries included bleeding in his chest caused by a small tear to his heart as well as bleeding near his bladder and to his brain, according to the documents. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. Classic New Jersey diner to reopen under new ownership PATERSON, N.J. (PIX11) A classic diner in New Jersey will reopen under new ownership this weekend. Mr. Gs Diner is set to reopen at 455 East 18th St. in Paterson on Friday. More Local News Mayor Andre Sayegh will join the diners new owners, Vaughn and Marnie McKoy, to celebrate the grand reopening. The restaurant first opened in 1940 as Pickerings Grill. In 2008, it was purchased by civil rights activist Russell G Graddy, who ran the diner until his death in 2021. The diner will retain the same name and location. The new owners are introducing some modern upgrades such as a new kitchen and appliances, LED signage, and an outdoor seating area. They note that Mr. Gs is more than just a diner. It has been a focal point for the community for more than eight decades, and they look forward to carrying on that tradition, a press release from the City of Paterson stated. Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Lithuania has announced new military assistance to Ukraine to protect it from a full-scale invasion by the aggressor country Russia. The Defense Forces will receive 14 M113 armored personnel carriers, and short-range air defense systems with missiles, rifles, ammunition, and other weapons. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported on Thursday, August 15, on the website of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense. It was noted that loaders, trailers, and folding beds for the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already arrived in Ukraine. In August, the Defense Forces will receive: 14 M113 armored personnel carriers; short-range air defense launchers with missiles; anti-drone systems; individual anti-drone silencers; all-terrain vehicles with spare parts; rifles; ammunition; smoke charges. "In response to Ukraine's requests, this year Lithuania has already supplied 155-mm ammunition, M577 armored vehicles, M113 armored personnel carriers, anti-tank systems, equipment and warm clothing sets necessary for the winter season, ammunition for the Karl Gustav anti-tank grenade launcher, RISE-1 remote detonation systems, generators, parts of the dismantled L-39ZA Albatross light attack aircraft, and other supplies," the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said. ADVERTISIMENT They also emphasized that since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Vilnius has provided Kyiv with military assistance worth more than 641 million euros. And the total support for Ukraine from Lithuania has exceeded 1 billion euros. On August 13, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced the transfer of a batch of drones of his production to Ukraine. As part of the International Drone Coalition, Latvia has handed over about 500 UAVs to support the Ukrainian military. It should be noted that Germany has also announced a new aid package for the Ukrainian army. The weapons will be delivered to Ukraine by the end of 2024. It includes Leopard tanks, IRIS-T short and medium-range tanks, Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery systems, MRAP armored vehicles, logistics vehicles, UAVs, and anti-drone systems. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) 21 firefighters returned to New York State after fighting wildfires out in Montana and Oregon for two weeks. Three of those firefighters are from Central New York. Micheal Putnam with Fish and Wildlife is from Syracuse, Chester Lunt, a Forest Ranger, is from Fabius, and Michael Burkholder a Facilities Unit Leader and Forest Ranger, is from Norwich. Most of the crews were in Montana to help battle the Grouse Fire, which burned more than 3,000 acres. According to a spokesperson with the DEC, crews spent most of their time digging a line around the fire. Thats what containing a fire is. When you hear about a fire being 50% contained, that means theres a line halfway around the fire. They create a line by digging all the way down to the dirt so theres nothing left to burn. Wildfires may be rare in New York, but one firefighter added it was still a valuable learning experience. Theres always a level of satisfaction. I think the more you do it, the more youre just used to it. This is my sixth trip. So I like going. I like the grind. Its a long trip. We go out clean-shaven and come back looking like this, explained Chet Lunt, a Forest Ranger from Fabius. Lunt also said getting to work with other firefighters helped him gain experience that be used when fighting fires in New York. Latest local news Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR. CHICAGO A coalition of demonstrators with planned rallies at Union Park and Park 578 during the Democratic National Convention have reached an agreement with the city that will allow them to use sound equipment, set up staging, and bring in at least seven portable toilets. DNC 2024 security zones and protest plans: What we know The city, in a Wednesday response to the coalitions months-old applications, permitted the rallies but said they could not include the items, in addition to tents and canopies, citing safety concerns. Those restrictions were deemed outrageous by the coalition, prompting the demonstrators to file an injunction in federal court. That injunction was removed Friday, and an afternoon hearing before US District Judge Andrea Wood was canceled. They knew it wouldnt hold up in court, but they also knew that we have been organizing day and night to line up important supporters in Chicago who helped advocate for us too, said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network. Abudayyeh said the coalition continues to fight for a longer demonstration route near the United Center, additional portable toilets and the ability the erect tents in the parks to house medics and media. At a morning press event showing off the Chicago Police Departments new helicopter, Mayor Brandon Johnson rejected the concerns of demonstrators that their First Amendment rights werent being respected. Its fundamental to our democracy, he said of the right to free speech and assembly. I want to make sure that these individuals have everything that they need to make sure that their voices are heard and their voices are already being heard. Their voices are being heard. And Chicagos leading the way, he said. Democrats will host their nominating convention in Chicago August 19-22. Chicago has hosted Democrats 12 times, the last being nearly 30 years ago when President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term. Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the federal judge handling the case. It is US District Judge Andrea Wood. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Coast Guard seizes more than $18M of cocaine in Florida after boat capsizes Coast Guard seizes more than $18M of cocaine in Florida after boat capsizes TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded over 1,380 pounds of cocaine, with a street value of roughly $18.1 million, in Florida. On Wednesday, officials in Miami Beach interdicted the drugs in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. They had no fear: Group tracked Tampa Bay business owners, broke into their homes, stole $1.7M, Judd says USCG said the go-fast boat capsized during the interdiction, forcing them to rescue the three suspected smugglers on board before recovering the contraband that had been discarded into the sea. The three suspects will face prosecution in federal courts, according to officials. Suspected drug smugglers standing on top of a sinking vessel approximately 90 miles south of Haiti on July 24, 2024. The USS St. Louis launched a small boat crew to rescue the suspected smugglers after their vessel capsized. (Courtesy photo) A suspected drug smuggling vessel sinking in the Caribbean sea on July 24, 2024. The alleged smugglers were rescued by small boat crews from the USS St. Louis after their vessel began taking on water. (Courtesy asset) Bales of cocaine stacked on a pier at Base Miami Beach on August 14, 2024. This offload was the result of drug interdiction efforts by Coast Guard and Navy crews in the international waters of Caribbean. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg) A suspected drug smuggling vessel sinking in the Caribbean Sea on July 24, 2024. The alleged smugglers were rescued by small boat crews from the USS St. Louis after their vessel began taking on water. (Courtesy asset) The Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered moors alongside the Coast Guard Cutter Bernard C. Webber at Base Miami Beach on August 14, 2024. The crew of the Yered proceeded to offload approximately 1,380 pounds of cocaine for destruction. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg) A crew member of the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered carries a bale of cocaine to shore for destruction at Base Miami Beach on August 14, 2024. Once ashore custody of interdicted narcotics are transferred to partner agencies. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg) A crew member of the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered carries a bale of cocaine to shore for destruction at Base Miami Beach on August 14, 2024. Once ashore custody of interdicted narcotics are transferred to partner agencies. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg) A crew member of the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered carries a bale of cocaine to shore for destruction at Base Miami Beach on August 14, 2024. Once ashore custody of interdicted narcotics are transferred to partner agencies. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg) I am incredibly proud of the skill and tenacity displayed by our entire team during this interdiction, Cmdr. T.J. Orth, commanding officer of USS St. Louis said. This operation was a testament to the capability of our Navy-Coast Guard and interagency teams. The sailors of St. Louis and HSM-50, and Coast Guardsmen of LEDET 105 utilized every resource and capability at their disposal to track and intercept the vessel and then respond to safeguard the lives of the three suspected smugglers. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. A U.S. Senate committee hearing on Aug. 15, 2024, at Grand Farm near Casselton, North Dakota, included, from left, Tina Smith of Minnesota, John Boozman of Arkansas, John Hoeven of North Dakota, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) CASSELTON, N.D. While hosting a congressional field hearing, Greg Tehven, one of the founders of North Dakotas Grand Farm, called on the federal government to honor its financial commitments in a timely manner. It was very uncomfortable sitting in this room and telling my board of directors that we needed a loan to make payroll, Tehven testified before the Senate panel on Thursday. And when you have a $1.4 million of accounts receivable, its really challenging. Tehven said Grand Farm had earned that $1.4 million through federal contracts. I would encourage all of you to work with the federal agencies to increase the efficiency and ensure that we are paid in a timely way, Tehven said. Tehven was part of a panel that provided testimony to four members of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee at Grand Farms Innovation Campus west of Casselton. The field hearing was organized by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and included Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Minnesotas Democratic senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. A theme of the hearing was a need to invest in more agricultural research and the importance of public-private partnerships, such as Grand Farm. Tehven said when the North Dakota Legislature committed $10 million to help launch Grand Farm, legislators were expecting private investors. He said what they didnt anticipate was the out-of-state investment from Farm Credit Services of America out of Nebraska, Colorado-based CoBank and equipment manufacturer AGCO. It sent the signal that this collaboration works, Tehven told the panel. There also was discussion of the need for government to be more efficient. Boozman said U.S. Department of Agriculture loan and grant applications are seen as too complicated and the process takes too long. He said a small community cant afford to hire a grant writer. USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small said loan applications for farmers have been cut from 29 pages to 13. We have to work to be a better partner to farmers and everyone who relies on USDA, Torres Small said. She said it was recently announced farmers can apply for loans online and be guided to what loan product will best fit their needs. Its also the first year they can make loan payments online. To not have to drive into an FSA (Farm Service Agency) office though you can if you want to is huge, she said. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, the USDAs under secretary for research, education, and economics, spoke of the need to fund technology to support ag research. We have to have broadband, we have to have high-powered networking systems to move that data to and fro, to analyze, to share the high-performance computing, she said. North Dakota State University Vice President for Agricultural Affairs Greg Lardy advocated for a national database of ag research. Its critical that we develop a more robust database and a way to analyze that, he said. Josh Gackle farms near Kulm in southeast North Dakota and is president of the American Soybean Association. He noted that farmers contribute to ag research, trade expansion and transportation infrastructure through checkoffs collecting a small percentage from each sale of soybeans. It is concerning to us that U.S. federal ag research funding has declined while other countries have maintained or increased their funding levels, he said. North Dakota Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. North Dakota Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Amy Dalrymple for questions: info@northdakotamonitor.com. Follow North Dakota Monitor on Facebook and X. What Coloradans need to know about the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19-22 With the U.S. presidential election less than three months away, Democrats across the country will gather at the Democratic National Convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the partys nomination. After President Joe Bidens decision to end his reelection bid, Democrats rallied behind Harris, who became the official nominee in early August. Harris later chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Here's what to know about the Democratic National Convention: More: What has Kamala Harris accomplished as vice president? Here's a quick look. More: Harris' VP pick Tim Walz outspoken about supporting small towns What is the DNC? Democratic leaders and delegates from across the nation attend the convention every four years to show their support for the presidential and vice-presidential nominees. When and where is the DNC? The Democratic National Convention is Monday, Aug. 19 to Thursday, Aug. 22 in Chicago. How many Colorado delegates will attend the DNC? Colorado has 72 Democratic delegates. How can Coloradans watch the DNC? The official live stream of the DNC will be available at DemConvention.com, but there are plenty of other ways to watch. That includes social media platforms and live-streaming services such as YouTube, X, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitch, according to the DNC. Viewers can also tune into the DNC through Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Roku TV and Fire TV. The DNC will also be broadcast on major networks. Who are the speakers at the DNC? While the DNC has yet to release a speaker schedule, several top party leaders are confirmed to speak at the convention including former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, NBC reported. NBC also reported that former President Jimmy Carters grandson, Jason Carter, will speak as a representative for his grandfather at the convention. Axios also reported that President Joe Biden will deliver a speech Monday that will amount to a changing of the guard ceremony for Democrats." More: Colorado voting FAQ When is the presidential election? The U.S. presidential election is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Colorado has multiple ways to register to vote. To register online, go to govotecolorado.gov and click on "Yes, register online" under the Register to Vote header. Or on the same website, you can download a form to fill out and send to your county clerk's office. You can also register to vote anytime of the year when you obtain your Colorado driver's license at a DMV or on the same day as the election at a polling center nearest to you. USA TODAY reporter Paris Barraza contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, Aug. 19 Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks during a news conference about a bipartisan property tax reduction bill on May 6, 2024, at the Colorado Capitol. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday called the Colorado Legislature back to work for a special session to address rising property taxes, making it the second time in less than a year that lawmakers will meet outside their regular term to work on the issue. The special session will begin Aug. 26 and last at least three days, the minimum time necessary to pass a bill. The cost of inaction is too high. We refuse to gamble with our schools, our economy, our future. Proposed ballot measures threaten to gut funding for K-12 and higher education, and Coloradans are counting on us to find a path forward that saves people money on property taxes while preserving these critical institutions, Polis said in a statement. In exchange for additional legislation to further cut tax rates and put limits on growth, conservative groups said they will withdraw two ballot measures from the November ballot that state and local officials fear would be catastrophic to their budgets and ability to provide services. Initiative 50 would put a cap on annual statewide property tax growth. Initiative 108, which is still undergoing signature verification, would lower the assessment rate used for property taxes and would result in $2.4 billion less collected in 2026, according to state economists. Polis said he will not sign any legislation passed during the special session until those two initiatives are pulled from the ballot. Proponents of the initiatives have until Sept. 6 to do so. A proposed deal for the session, which was crafted behind closed doors, would cut taxes by an additional $255 million for taxes owed in 2026. It builds upon Senate Bill 24-233, which lawmakers approved in the final days of this years regular session and amounts to over $1 billion in tax cuts. The deal would further cut residential tax rates for school districts and local governments and keep commercial and agricultural rates under the SB-233 framework as well as further reduce the industrial property tax rate. It would also impose two-year growth caps for school districts and local governments. This is the third special session Polis has called as governor. This article first appeared in the Colorado Newsline, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network. Last fall, the death of Friends star Matthew Perry was met with a collective howl of grief. Now, with the arrest of five people charged with involvement in the ketamine overdose that killed him, that howl should turn to one of anger. According to U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, two doctors, Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, allegedly worked with Jasveen Sangha, a drug dealer known as the Ketamine Queen, to supply Perry with the drug, which Perrys assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, injected into the actor several times on the day of his death. Ketamine, once known as the party drug Special K, is a sedative that many doctors now use to alleviate depression and treat substance abuse. Law enforcement officials said Perry, who began supervised ketamine treatments for depression and anxiety at a local clinic and became addicted to the drug, subsequently sought outside sources for it; the amount of the drug found in his system at the time of his death was far greater than prescribed amounts, so high that it acted as general anesthesia would. The defendants, Estrada said during a news conference Thursday, systematically provided Perry with dangerous amounts of the drug: They took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction to enrich themselves and were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring about his well being. At 54, Perry was a beloved figure. Long known for his ability to land a one-liner with a style that was both comedically ruthless and deeply human, he was also admired for acknowledging his own failings and vulnerability. For months before his death, he had been promoting his best-selling memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, which chronicled, in excruciating but often darkly humorous detail, his years-long and physically catastrophic battle with addiction and his subsequent journey toward sobriety. After so many years of self-destructive behavior, Perry seemed to be doing so well, eager to help others struggling with addiction. How, many wanted to know, could such a terrible reversal occur? For recovering addicts and those who love them, the immediate answer seemed painfully clear: Although it can be successfully treated, addiction is a disease of the mind and body that is never cured. No amount of rehab or pharmaceutical counter-agents can prevent a relapse; achieving and maintaining sobriety requires daily effort. And sometimes addiction wins. Read more: Appreciation: Matthew Perry was easy to love. And it went deeper than his acting But Perry clearly wanted to be, was actively trying to be, sober. He said he had been clean for more than a year and there were no other drugs in his system when he died. I will leave it to medical experts to debate the efficacy of treating an addict with ketamine, which studies have indicated provides necessary relief for major depression. But one hallmark of addiction is the belief that, if one is good, three (or five, or 19) will be better. Especially if there are people more than willing to exploit that impulse for profit. Including those with medical degrees. Texts between Plasencia and Chavez make their motives nauseatingly clear. According to court records, Plasencia texted Chavez: I wonder how much this moron will pay and Lets find out. The doctors distributed 20 vials of ketamine to Perry, charging him $2,000 for a vial that cost Chavez $12, authorities said. Too often, our view of overdose begins and ends with the victim and, perhaps, the person who supplied the drugs. Two dealers were convicted in the death of rapper Mac Miller, who died after taking oxycodone pills that had been laced with fentanyl. Likewise, Cathy Smith was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after she injected the mixture of heroin and cocaine that ended John Belushis life. As was Dr. Conrad Murray, who gave Michael Jackson a fatal dose of propofol. But all of those deaths, and convictions, were just the visible end of a very long process involving very many people. Which is true, in some way, for every single drug that ends, or ruins, a life. It would seem that Perry knew he was taking ketamine, if not recreationally then at least recklessly. He was paying way above market value and having it administered unsupervised. But ketamine, as my colleagues Salvador Hernandez and Richard Winton reported earlier this year, has become hot stuff among the rich and famous. It is even available in various direct-to-consumer forms online. Unlike, say, heroin or OxyContin. As the arrests in Perrys case make clear, addiction, and bad choices made by an addict, are not the only answer to How did this happen? Neither addiction nor overdose have any regard for tax bracket, but when a beloved celebrity dies the attention can provide an opportunity. And not just for an examination of how the ability to get anything you want if you are willing to pay for it is a double-edged sword, though the money and fame that allowed Perry to access quality, discreet, medical care and rehabilitation services also made him vulnerable to players in a black market that exploits those with a lot of ready cash. These arrests make it clear that tragic deaths like Perry's are not just the result of one person making a questionable choice and another person enabling it. Many people made many choices that brought us to this point. The dealers who initially sold the ketamine, the doctors who bought and resold it, the intimates who procured and injected it. Just as Perrys book, and then his death, forced us to re-engage in conversation about the life-threatening complexities of addiction, Thursday's arrests should provoke a closer look at the ease with which a potentially life-threatening drug can be obtained and abused, often under the eye of non-users who are willing to endanger people's lives and in Perry's case end it to make a quick buck. This time we should not be content with mourning the victim and punishing the nearest perpetrator. This time, we should condemn every link in the damn chain. Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Oleksandra "Mike" Mulkevych, a combat medic from the Hospitallers Medical Battalion, was killed in action in Kharkiv Oblast on 14 August. She was killed by a Russian drone when she and her colleagues were working on the last day of their rotation. They were supposed to return home the next day. Source: Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia Details: At Oleksandra's request, her friends posted on her Facebook page the last message she left in case something happened to her. The combat medic wrote in her last will that a warriors joy is to die on the battlefield. "We are all warriors in a way, some on the battlefield, some fighting corruption, some restoring justice in the courts. Our people fight incurable diseases, and scientists fight gravity. We are such a fighting nation. And very passionate about freedom. Ukrainians are free people, and this cannot be taken away from us. We are free in our thoughts, views and actions. And we have no limits. There are no limits in anything neither in technology nor in discoveries. We can do anything we want," the statement says. Oleksandra wrote that she was lucky to be born in the best country in the world, Ukraine, and "it is a country for which it is an honour to die". "And it's even better to live for it. To live, for many of us, for several lifetimes. To educate young Ukrainians in love for the world, strength, and indomitability. To show them all the beauty of Karadag, the salt mines of Donbas, spoil tips, protected spits, estuaries, the largest caves and hervona ruta [a plant widely known as monarda, or Rhododendron myrtifolium ed.]. Each of us carries a light inside us; don't be afraid to shine it. We will see each other again. Ukraine will prevail!" the combat medic said in her posthumous letter. One of Oleksandra's close friends, Yehor Shumikhin, shared his memories of her with Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia. Quote from Yehor Shumikhin: "It was a friendship where there was no need to prove anything to each other. I just knew that she was in my life and always would be. Sasha was not a simple person, I should not hide it. But she was real, she kept a tight circle of friends. Her motto was: Dream big, do good, and that's how she lived: she was a blood donor, and we jokingly competed with her to see who could beat the other to be rewarded as the Honorary Donor; she was constantly looking after some crows and pigeons with broken wings on her balcony; she was an activist for a foundation that helps the elderly; she took a dog with three legs from the street; she sorted rubbish It may sound a bit pretentious, but she lived by helping others, she always cared," Oleksandras friend posted. Her going to war was a natural turn of her civilian life that was full of empathy, Shumikhin believes. Quote from Yehor Shumikhin: "It was not an infantile and romantic decision. She had been preparing for a long time and in good faith to bring maximum benefit where possible and necessary. That place was the Hospitallers [a volunteer organisation of paramedics fighting in the war since 2014 ed.]. I didn't talk to her about the war a lot, I was worried about her, but I think Sasha was happy there. She found exactly the right place where her desire to help could be fully implemented." The Starenki Charitable Foundation published a post in memory of Oleksandra ["starenki", in Ukrainian, is a diminutive that stands for "the elderly people" ed.]. Quote from the Starenki Foundation: "We, our team, do not remember ourselves without Sasha. It seems that she has always been a part of the Starenki." They said that Oleksandra joined them when almost the entire foundation team was still volunteering, and "everyone had to do everything". Quote from the Starenki Foundation: "Organising the transhipment of a lorryload of nappies into two small cars in a couple of hours? Easy. Quickly implementing a creative project from scratch? Sasha could handle it because she was definitely all about creativity. Misunderstandings with partners? Sasha could solve everything. Telling foreign journalists about the foundation? Sasha was ready to do it. Is someone upset or needs support? Sasha would be there with her jokes and stories, and everyone would feel better." Oleksandra's funeral will take place on 17 August in Kyiv at Baikove Cemetery. Background: Yuliia "Tysha" (Silence) Boianovska was killed in action on 12 August. She served in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Azov regiment. The girl would have turned 20 on 2 September. Support UP or become our patron! Canada has allowed Ukraine to use the armored vehicles it provided against the Russian Federation. A Canadian-made Senator multi-purpose vehicle has already been spotted on the territory of Russia. ADVERTISIMENT The relevant permission was announced by the Canadian Ministry of National Defence on August 15. It was added that Ukraine is free to use the provided tanks and other armored vehicles on the territory of the Russian Federation, reports CBC. "Ukrainians know best how to defend their homeland, and we're committed to supporting their capacity. Canada places no geographic restrictions on the use of military equipment that we donate to Ukraine," defense ministry spokesperson Andree-Anne Poulin said in a press release. Canada is known to have given Ukraine eight Leopard 2A4 tanks, several dozen armored combat support vehicles and hundreds of armored patrol vehicles, as well as several M-777 howitzers . ADVERTISIMENT CNN news footage from Thursday, August 15, shows a Canadian-made Senator vehicle crossing the border Ukraine-Russia border, the CBC noted. It is also said that the Canadian Defense Ministry's statement came amid growing speculation among military experts about how long Ukraine could continue its offensive in Russia's Kursk region, as well as the long-term impact of a surprise incursion on the protracted war. The News Protest organizers in Chicago expect between 30,000 and 40,000 people to join Mondays march on the Democratic National Convention, and are asking the city for a permit that would get them closer to the event itself. Were going to march regardless, but were fighting for the best route possible, said Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesperson for the March on the DNC coalition. Weve got our park permit, but the City has refused to allow us to use port-a-potties, a stage, and a sound system. The coalition, composed of more than 150 pro-Palestinian, anti-war, and left-wing organizations, has been planning its direct actions for months. It organized a smaller protest outside last months Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, with fewer than 1,000 people rallying in a park and marching outside the events perimeter a fraction of the number of police who came from out of state to protect the convention, delegates, and guests. Protesters focus had always been on Chicago, pressuring the Biden administration for a ceasefire and end to military aid to Israel. They wanted what Mijana called a route within sight and sound of the convention at the United Center, on main streets; the permit they obtained lets them use Union Park, half a mile from the arena, and keeps them away from the main convention district. This, theyve argued, is denying their First Amendment right to protest the Democrats, in what theyve consistently called a family friendly plan to speak out peacefully. Biden and Harris have the power to stop it, and they havent, Hatem Abudayyeh, the executive director of the Arab American Action Network, told reporters on Thursday. The Democrats must end all U.S. aid to Israel immediately. Its illegal for the city attorneys to stop us from saying this. Other protest groups have described their plans a little differently. In the run-up to the DNC, the Behind Enemy Lines coalition has held Shut Down the DNC for Gaza trainings, teach-ins, and film screenings; in May, it showed up at a DNC training to shame the upcoming Death and Nakba Coronation. And its promotional material has told participants to prepare for clashes with law enforcement: Make bruises from Chicago police batons the 2024 back to school Fall fashion! Davids view Democrats have been sweating the potential protests for the better part of a year. They dont expect serious disruptions of the convention itself; protesters will be outside of a well-guarded perimeter, and security is far more intense than it was in 1968, the go-to memory of a Chicago convention gone wrong. The federal government has designated it as a National Special Security Event, which allows law enforcement resources to pour into the city. What Democrats worry about are the optics, which even a small number of protesters can change dramatically. Both the marchers and the Uncommitted delegates to the convention want a ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel; Harris has ruled out the embargo, so their demand wont be met. In November, anti-war groups briefly blockaded all entrances to the DNC; police made a single arrest and reported half a dozen injuries in the struggle to remove protesters. They wanted the image of Democrats unreasonably silencing the peace movement, but the violent clash got the coverage, and Democrats inside the DNC said they were afraid to leave. A version of this played out in New York yesterday. Local Democratic leaders rallied for Harris; anti-war protesters gathered outside, made enough noise to rattle them, then stuck around and crashed an afterparty as cameras rolled. Theyre not going to get away with a drama-free convention, Megyn Kelly told her podcasts viewers today, rolling the images of a small group of masked protesters shouting at party-goers and resisting arrest. The problem for Democrats and the benefit for Kelly and other commentators is that protests make for good footage. Protests that devolve into clashes make for even better footage. The RNC protest drew just a fifth as many people as organizers had predicted, but there were more than 200 reporters there, at least a few wearing protective vests, ready for a career-making drama that never happened. The DNC protests organizers are aware of all this. Mijana told me that people were trained to start de-escalating if there are agitators. It just doesnt take many people to create chaotic footage. I actually witnessed the moment in 2017 when dozens of photographers swarmed a trash can that had been kicked over, with a small fire burning inside. Nearly 2000 people were arrested at protests of the 2004 RNC in New York, but that was the dark age, before every event was captured from infinite angles by camera phones. My point: Next weeks protests could fall a mile short of the baton-swinging nightmare Democrats are worried about, or that Behind Enemy Lines describe in their literature. It doesnt need to be that bad to create problems, though: A few protesters finding a delegate hang-out could do it. You could count the number of protesters at last weeks Harris-Walz Michigan rally on two hands, and they drove days of coverage. The View From the Chicago police Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters that officer training is rooted in the First Amendment and the Fourth Amendment, per WBEZ, but that the city was not going to allow you to riot. Protesting and rioting are two different things, he said. When people become comfortable committing acts of violence and vandalism, thats when it turns into a riot. Notable In the New York Times, Jonathan Weisman looks at how Democrats are speaking to the small group of uncommitted delegates elected by Gaza-focused protest voters. They will have unfettered access to make their voices heard, as the party tries to keep anti-war voters inside the tent. In the Chicago Tribune, Jason Mason has the latest on the battle for permits. One organizer said protesters at this DNC will be better off because, unlike in 1968, we do not have a shoot-to-kill mayor. I am Democratic candidate for president, says Kamala Harris on the startling video, because Joe Biden finally exposed his senility at the debate. This is amazing, Elon Musk wrote on his X platform as he relayed the video to his hundreds of millions of followers. Yes, it is amazing. It is an amazing deepfake, with erroneous editing of Harris voice. It personifies misinformation inundating the political system and surely influencing some serious news consumers and low-information voters alike. For Democrats streaming into Chicago for their convention, and Republicans back home from theirs in Milwaukee, be warned: You need not be a presidential candidate to be a target. You can be running for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Albany County coroner in New York or Arizona state mine inspector. Fake postings can just as easily harm your image, especially among those not inclined to check their validity. NewsGuard, which assesses the credibility of news sites, podcasts and TV news shows, found 19 prominent social media accounts on X that suggest President Joe Biden, who recently had COVID-19, is dead or close to death. Many millions have seen the posts. And even when a healthy Biden resurfaced, posts were unrelenting, suggesting he was terminally ill or using a body double. In fact, conversation about Biden on X that featured the word dead or died received nearly half a million mentions and more than 4 million interactions over a one-week period last month, according to NewsGuard. Two of the most popular posts advancing the conspiracy theory received more than 85 million views combined. Deepfakes are bipartisan. Running in a GOP primary earlier this year, former North Carolina U.S. Rep. Mark Walker was the victim of two videos cloning his voice and suggesting he was declaring himself unqualified. His spokesperson denounced them as an egregious use of AI technology (that) sets an example of what not to do in a campaign, with Walker later exiting a runoff. Americans dont monopolize the cynically outlandish. NewsGuards Jack Brewster and colleagues disclosed in a recent report how in the fantastical realm of Russian propaganda, the asset portfolio of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his family bursts with Bugattis, yachts, an English countryside estate, and now, an $81 million Tuscan winery. Heres one big problem: There are about 260 million Americans age 18 and older, said Larry Sabato, who teaches politics and policy at the University of Virginia and runs a Center for Politics. About 6% hold firm to the belief that the moon landing was staged. Just 6%, he said. Except that is over 15 million people. A sizable slice of our population is embarrassing uneducated, unwilling to be educated and believing in absurd propositions reinforced by the nuttiness of social media and, soon, loads of deepfakes. Frankly, Im surprised the republic has survived 248 years. Its a big and probably insoluble problem, he continued. Im an educator, but you cant shove the truth down peoples throats. I wish we could, although theyd just regurgitate it. The partial solutions citizens can debate are obvious. In the far-gone social media past of 2017, the Brookings Institution detailed them in a report on misinformation: Promote high-quality journalism and news literacy in schools; correct disinformation without legitimizing it; prod technology companies to identify fake news; and educate kids to follow an array of news sources and be reflexively skeptical of what they see and hear far more so than most are now (trust me, I have college- and high school-age sons). Some find such urgings folderol. John Feehery, a Republican strategist and former spokesperson for former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, says: You can make the case that the media itself is the biggest perpetrator of media hoaxes. Political campaigns are not won or lost by deepfakes. They are won or lost by actual people, policies and personalities. For sure, the spread of misinformation about candidates is not new, noted Jeffrey Seglin, an emeritus senior lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School and former New York Times ethics columnist. Should better efforts be made by social media platforms to police their sites for the spread of false information? Yes. Should public schools consider offering required courses in media literacy and civics? Certainly. For those doubting this is a problem, check with Mike Flannery, who recently retired after a career at the Sun-Times, CBS affiliate WBBM-Ch. 2 and Fox affiliate WFLD-Ch. 32. His is a street-level view, far from aloof academe or podcast punditry. Most galling of all is when viewers/readers come up to me and confide, with a knowing look, I understand why you cant report it (the latest false viral rumor). They will get you! Simply making claims contrary to fact can bring millions of views and tens of thousands of new followers. Deepfake videos could turbocharge the info chaos, Flannery said, adding a final bit of ground-level insight So many who revel in dishing out the fake news epithet fail to be honest when called to account for their own untruths. _____ Jim Warren, a former managing editor of the Tribune, is executive editor of NewsGuard. _____ HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) Some of Lucy Nashs family returned from Indianapolis. They arrived at Tomblinson Funeral Home at 1:30 p.m. Lucy collapsed during the first day of school at recess at Cairo Elementary. She was declared brain dead a short time after arriving at Indy. While the community and the Nash family mourns Lucys passing, were told that some of her organs were able to be donated. Her father, Ryan Nash, tells us that both of Lucys kidneys and her liver found a match. A partial autopsy on Lucys heart was also done, but results are not expected to be back for about a month. Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). Drug Runner Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is under major fire from Congress after a recent report found that the company had been profiting from ads for illegal drugs. In a letter to Meta, a bipartisan group of House members cited a recent report from the Wall Street Journal, which found that Meta's public marketplaces were inundated with ads for illegal drugs including cocaine and DMT. At the beginning of this year, Zuckerberg put on a tearful apologetic performance in front of Congress and families whose kids had been affected or even died because of harmful content found on Meta's social networks. Despite insistence that the company would do something about it, however, it appears that as of last month, the Meta Ad Library, which houses advertisements for Instagram and Facebook, was still profiting from the sale of drugs. In the most recent cache of ads, dealers circumvented algorithmic censors by spelling out whichever substance they were selling in the photograph associated with the ad. In one such instance discovered by the Tech Transparency Project earlier this summer, the letters "DMT," a popular psychedelic drug, are seen spelled out in what appears to be a powdered version of the substance itself. These obvious exploitations of loopholes and unenforced oversights are bad enough but as members of Congress have repeatedly noted, including in this most recent letter, the results have been severe for young people who died or became addicted to drugs after allegedly accessing them on Meta's social networks. Self-Rule Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal revealed that US prosecutors were investigating the company over the claims that beyond being illegal and unethical, the drug ads also go against the company's own policies. "What is particularly egregious about this instance is that this was not user-generated content on the dark web or on private social media pages," the latest bipartisan letter reads, "but rather they were advertisements approved and monetized by Meta." "Many of these ads contained blatant references to illegal drugs in their titles, descriptions, photos, and advertiser account names," it continued, "which were easily found... [and] appear to have passed undetected or been ignored by Metas own internal processes." A Meta spokesperson told Engadget that the company plans to respond to the House members' letter soon but in the meantime, those ads are still, as Tech Transparency Project noted, just a few clicks away. More on Meta: Man Puzzled When Meta's AI Keeps Giving Out His Phone Number to Strangers OCEAN CITY Congress is inching closer to fully funding the replacement of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin told Maryland Association of Counties summer conference attendees Friday. Were on our way to get that legislation passed, said Cardin, a Democrat, during a town hall at the Ocean City conference. Were on our way to get the funding necessary. The Key Bridge was struck by the cargo ship Dali and collapsed in the early morning hours of March 26, killing six construction workers. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, visited Baltimore days later, promising that his administration would fully fund the construction of a replacement bridge. To date, legislation to approve that funding has not passed in Congress. Cardin reaffirmed Thursday that the Biden administration is committed to covering the full cost through the federal highway fund and that Maryland is ready to move forward with contracts to begin replacing the bridge and avoid further financial damage. According to Cardin, the Senate cleared the hurdle in getting committees to sign off on providing 100% federal funding before Congress recessed for August. Maryland has already incurred tremendous losses from the point of view of delays getting trucks to their destinations because of detours they have to take, he said. The loss of revenues going through the toll facilities in our state has had a major impact on our state revenues. Cardin reiterated that the bill still needs to be passed, and that work must be done to appropriate funding for the project over the next four to five years about the same amount of time he said it should take to rebuild the bridge. He said the state is looking at one consolidated contract rather than multiple smaller contracts to complete the project, which should streamline the rebuilding process. Well get the bridge done we hope better than four years, which would be a pretty good record to get it completed within that time frame, said Cardin. Since Key Bridge collapse, several ships have experienced trouble in Maryland waters Cardin is Marylands senior senator and the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Because he has opted not to seek re-election, Friday marked the last of his annual summer conference addresses as an elected official. The moment was not lost on conference attendees. Pointing to the work he did to replenish Ocean Citys beaches, Mayor Rick Meehan gave Cardin a key to the city, noting that his efforts have allowed residents and business owners to opt out of purchasing flood insurance for oceanside properties. Thats just one example of the many things the senator has done for us, said Meehan, a Republican. Related Articles U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen said in an interview that he looks forward to continuing Cardins leadership style of bringing people together when he becomes the senior senator at the start of the new term. Let me just say what a joy its been to work with Senator Cardin, said Van Hollen. Weve been great partners. Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat, is running against former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican to replace Cardin. But Cardins work isnt through. First of all, I am still alive for those of you that are wondering, he said, and we still have about four-and-a-half months left of this term of Congress, so we still have a lot of things weve got to get done. A Republican congressman appointed to the House bipartisan task force investigating the assassination attempt on Donald Trump has slammed the FBIs handling of the crime scene following the shooting. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) says he is especially troubled by the FBIs decision to release the body of 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to his family for cremation with so many questions remaining about his motive for the attack. He also criticized the feds for releasing the crime scene so early three days after Crooks opened fire at the former president from a nearby rooftop, hitting him in the ear. This pattern of investigative scorched earth by the FBI is quite troubling, Higgins wrote in a preliminary report sent to task force chairman Mike Kelly. This preliminary investigative report is reflective of my determination to deliver full truth to the American people.https://t.co/0dqew07iZk Rep. Clay Higgins (@RepClayHiggins) August 15, 2024 The former police officer traveled to Butler, Pennsylvania, where the July 13 shooting took place, and tried to view the gunmans body on August 5. He said his visit caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact the FBI released the body for cremation 10 days after the attack. On July 23, he wrote, Crooks was gone. Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc, he continued. Yes, Butler County Coroner technically had legal authority over the body, but I spoke with the Coroner, and he would have never released Crooks body to the family for cremation or burial without specific permission from the FBI. The problem with me not being able to examine the actual body is that I wont know 100% if the coroners report and the autopsy report are accurate. We will actually never know. Higgins also claimed the first responders at the scene of the Trump assassination attempt were surprised to be allowed to leave by the FBI on the night of the shooting. I interviewed several First Responders who expressed everything from surprise to dismay to suspicion regarding the fact that the FBI released the crime scene so early, he wrote. GOP Rep Insists FBI Operatives on Ghost Buses Incited Jan. 6 Riot The congressman, a member of the House Freedom Caucus who supported Donald Trumps claims that he was the victim of voter fraud in the 2020 election, said that on the day Crooks was cremated both the Homeland Security Committee and the Oversight Committee had begun House Committee jurisdictional investigation into the shooting. Again, similar to releasing the crime scene and scrubbing crime scene biological evidence... this action by the FBI can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any following investigative effort, he claimed in the report. Higgins praised the local law enforcement effort and said he could find no evidence there was a second shooter despite videos on the internet showing a dark figure or a shadow on the water tower near the Trump rally. I do not believe it was possible for a 2nd shooter sniper to be on top of that water tower on J13, nor have I seen any evidence that supports the theory of a 2nd shooter, he says in his report. Im not saying conclusively that there was no other shooter somewhere or that no other conspirators were involved in J13, but Im saying that based on my investigation thus far, there were 10 shots fired on J13, and all shots are accounted for, and all shots align with their source. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) The states top Republicans sent an open letter to Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday, urging him to use the states surplus to help calm soaring electric rates. Connecticut residents outraged over insane electricity bills The letter is signed by Rep. Vincent Candelora (District 86) , the House Republican leader, and Sen. Stephen Harding (District 30), the Senate Republican leader. The two are renewing their call for a special session to address the rising energy costs. In the beginning of July, electric customers saw a drastic increase in the public benefits portion of their electric bills, and the additional increase approved by PURA yesterday makes it unconscionable for us to sit idle while thousands have signed petitions and called their elected officials demanding action, the two Republicans wrote. At the very least a joint meeting facilitated by your office should be convened to address this situation immediately. They point to the states predicted $329 million surplus for the 2024 fiscal year as a solution to cover the cost of the new electric vehicle charging program, which is partly to blame for the increases imposed by Eversource and United Illuminating. You may also be aware of the long-term proposals that Senate and House Republicans have offered since February that would address the high electricity costs that residents are experiencing, Candelora and Harding wrote. These effects are the direct result of the public policies implemented by the Democrat-led legislature and the state. While it may be politically convenient for some to ask PURA to delay or amortize such costs to reduce the price shock, the obligation to discuss all options should be a priority of your office. We believe that policy decisions are the purview of the legislature and until we as a body act to address those public policies, deferring to PURA to do so does little to address the high long-term costs we face today and in the outyears, when additional policies will begin to be implemented. A petition on change.org demanding Lamont to take action on the prices has gained more than 45,500 signatures, as of Friday afternoon. The petition leads with a picture of a users $942.59 bill, with $200.95 of the cost coming from the public benefits portion. Public benefits cover the cost of to buy power from the Millstone nuclear power plant, and to cover unpaid bills from the pandemic. A spokesperson for Lamont told News 8 earlier this week that hes open to considering practical solutions to lowering costs. This is not a partisan issue as we all agree that we need a solution to lower energy costs, the spokesperson said. Eversource and UI bills are anticipated to rise again after PURA voted Wednesday to approve the new rates. The energy companies have said that the increase will help pay for the electric vehicle charging grid. Its estimated the change will cost the average home $3 a month from Sept. 1 to April 30, 2025 for Eversource customers. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. Construction to begin on quiet zone in downtown Sioux City SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) An improvements project will begin construction at a quiet zone downtown starting Monday, Aug. 19. According to the City of Sioux City Engineering Division, the project involves the building of raised medians north and south of the BNSF railroad crossings on Court Street and Virginia Street. Its expected to be finished within 20 working days. Sioux Gateway Airport receiving combined $500K for FY 2025 improvements Traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction during construction. Additionally, Court Street may sometimes be restricted to one lane of alternating traffic with a flagger. The project was awarded to Mark Albenesius, Inc. on July 8 and was given a budget of $65,955. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, a quiet zone is a stretch of railroad where train horns are not allowed to be routinely sounded. Courtesy: City of Sioux City Engineering Division Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. Consumers in 6 oblasts and substation in Kharkiv Oblast without power after Russian attacks Russian attacks in Chernihiv Oblast have left 1,500 consumers without power in 12 settlements. Source: press service of the Ministry of Energy Details: It is reported that the power supply was restored under the backup scheme. A substation and household consumers were left without power because of combat actions in Kharkiv Oblast. In addition, Russian attacks cut off the power supply to more than 16,000 consumers in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts. The ministry also noted that power companies restored power to more than 16,000 consumers who were cut off as a result of combat actions. As of the morning of 16 August, 486 settlements were without power supply due to hostilities and technical failures. Background: This week, Russia attacked the energy system of Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) in Ukraines north. The attack damaged the company's substations and temporarily cut off power to some sections of the railway tracks. Support UP or become our patron! Los Angeles city leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to mark the official opening of 2.1 miles of protected bike lanes in Hollywood a project that is already polarizing. One lane of vehicle travel in each direction of Hollywood Boulevard between Gower Street and Hillhurst Avenue has been eliminated for the new lanes. The $500,000 project, part of the citys Access to Hollywood revitalization, is designed to make the street safer and give residents more options to get around. Hollywood Boulevard has seen some of the worst traffic violence in this entire city, said L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman. The high speeds, beyond their effect on human health and safety, they negatively impact businesses. They negatively impact the community. It made for an unpleasant experience. Bicyclists enjoy a new protected bike lane on Hollywood Boulevard on Aug. 15, 2024. (KTLA) An aerial view of the protected bike lanes on Hollywood Boulevard on Aug. 15, 2024. (KTLA) By prioritizing safety along this iconic corridor, were building Hollywood around people and giving Hollywood Boulevard the remake it deserves, said Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who championed the project. Critics, however, include Hollywood commuters and local residents who complain that removing vehicle lanes has caused major backups on and off Hollywood Boulevard. Its bumper to bumper to bumper on weekends and during rush hour on weekdays, forcing traffic into these small residential side streets, Scott Meyers, who lives in Beachwood Canyon, told KTLA 5 News. Bike lane battle brewing on Hollywood Boulevard Drivers also point out that the new lanes, which are blocked by white plastic posts, enable homeless encampments to spill from sidewalks onto the street where they now enjoy some protection from cars. hollywood bike lane mess Not coincidentally, L.A. Mayor Karen Basss office announced Thursday that more than 35 homeless people who once lived along Hollywood Boulevard were moved into temporary shelters this week as part of the mayors Inside Safe program. This was the largest single encampment in Hollywood, and now the people who were living there are able to sleep safely and are on the pathway to permanent housing, said Soto-Martinez. Our collaboration with Mayor Bass and the community is proving that we can turn around the homelessness crisis and transform Hollywood. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Convicted war criminal and former head of the "DPR" Igor Girkin (Strelkov), who is currently serving a sentence in a colony in the Kirov region, decided to give his interpretation of the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region. The terrorist believes that this is a maneuver to divert attention and that the main blow will allegedly fall on the Ukrainian Crimea captured by Russia. ADVERTISIMENT Girkin's words were reported from a Russian prison by his wife. In her Telegram channel, she quoted a fragment of a letter from her husband. In particular, according to the terrorist, Ukraine allegedly intends to use Western F-16 fighters for targets in the occupied Ukrainian Crimea. "As for the situation at the front: I am following closely. I believe that the strike in the Kursk region is a distraction. We should expect the second the main one, in which they will involve their other reserves and aviation (F-16). Most likely, in the Crimean direction," Girkin said. A bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is causing an uproar in the tech industry. (Josh Edelson / For The Times) A controversial bill that seeks to protect Californians from artificial intelligence-driven catastrophes has caused uproar in the tech industry. This week, the legislation passed a key committee but with amendments to make it more palatable to Silicon Valley. SB 1047, from state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), is set to go to the state Assembly floor later this month. If it passes the Legislature, Gov. Gavin Newsom will have to decide whether to sign or veto the groundbreaking legislation. The bill's backers say it will create guardrails to prevent rapidly advancing AI models from causing disastrous incidents, such as shutting down the power grid without warning. They worry that the technology is developing faster than its human creators can control. Lawmakers aim to incentive developers to handle the technology responsibly and empower the state's attorney general to impose penalties in the event of imminent threat or harm. The legislation also requires developers to be able to turn off the AI models they control directly if things go awry. But some tech companies, such as Facebook owner Meta Platforms, and politicians including influential U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), say the bill would stifle innovation. Some critics say it focuses on apocalyptic, far-off scenarios, rather than the more immediate concerns such as privacy and misinformation, though there are other bills that address these matters. SB 1047 is one of roughly 50 AI-related bills that have been brought up in the state Legislature, as worries have grown about the technology's effects on jobs, disinformation and public safety. As politicians work to create new laws to put guardrails on the fast-growing industry, some companies and talent are suing AI companies in hopes that courts can set ground rules. Wiener, who represents San Francisco the home of AI startups OpenAI and Anthropic has been in the middle of the debate. On Thursday, he made significant changes to his bill that some believe weaken the legislation while making it more likely for the Assembly to pass. The amendments removed a perjury penalty from the bill and changed the legal standard for developers regarding the safety of their advanced AI models. Additionally, a plan to create a new government entity, which would have been called the Frontier Model Division, is no longer in the works. Under the original text, the bill would have required developers to submit their safety measures to the newly created division. In the new version, developers would submit those safety measures to the attorney general. "I do think some of those changes might make it more likely to pass," said Christian Grose, a USC political science and public policy professor. Some tech players support the bill, including the Center for AI Safety and Geoffrey Hinton, who is considered a "godfather of AI." Others, though, worry that it could damage a booming California industry. Eight California House members Khanna, Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), Anna G. Eshoo (D-Menlo Park), Scott Peters (D-San Diego), Tony Cardenas (D-Pacoima), Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove), Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-San Pedro) and Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) wrote a letter to Newsom on Thursday encouraging him to veto the bill if it passes the state Assembly. "[Wiener] really is cross pressured in San Francisco between people who are experts in this area, who have been telling him and others in California that AI can be dangerous if we don't regulate it and then those whose paychecks, their cutting edge research, is from AI," Grose said. "This could be a real flash point for him, both pro and con, for his career." Read more: California lawmakers are trying to regulate AI before it's too late. Here's how Some tech giants say they are open to regulation but disagree with Wiener's approach. "We are aligned with the way (Wiener) describes the bill and the goals that he has, but we remain concerned about the impact of the bill on AI innovation, particularly in California, and particularly on open source innovation," Kevin McKinley, Meta's state policy manager, said in a meeting with L.A. Times editorial board members last week. Meta is one of the companies with open source AI models called Llama, which allows developers to build on top of it for their own products. Meta released Llama 3 in April and there have already been 20 million downloads, the tech giant said. Meta declined to discuss the new amendments. Last week, McKinley said SB 1047 is "actually a really hard bill to red line and fix." A spokesperson for Newsom said his office does not typically comment on pending legislation. "The Governor will evaluate this bill on its merits should it reach his desk," spokesperson Izzy Gardon wrote in an email. Read more: AI companies are courting Hollywood. Do they come in peace? San Francisco AI startup Anthropic, which is known for its AI assistant Claude, signaled it could support the bill if it was amended. In a July 23 letter to Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), Anthropic's state and local policy lead Hank Dempsey proposed changes including shifting the bill to focus on holding companies responsible for causing catastrophes rather than pre-harm enforcement. Read more: Scarlett Johansson also thinks OpenAI's new voice sounds like her. She's not happy about it Wiener said the amendments took Anthropic's concerns into account. We can advance both innovation and safety," Wiener said in a statement. "The two are not mutually exclusive." It is unclear whether the amendments will change Anthropic's position on the bill. On Thursday, Anthropic said in a statement that it would review the new "bill language as it becomes available." Russell Wald, deputy director at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, which aims to advance AI research and policy, said he still opposes the bill. "Recent amendments appear to be more about optics than substance," Wald said in a statement. "It looks less controversial to appease a couple of leading AI companies but does little to address real concerns from academic institutions and open-source communities." It is a fine balance for lawmakers that are trying to weigh concerns about AI while also supporting the state's tech sector. What a lot of us are trying to do is figure out a regulatory environment that allows for some of those guardrails to exist while not stifling innovation and the economic growth that comes with AI," Wicks said after Thursday's committee meeting. Times staff writer Anabel Sosa contributed to this report. Read more: Washed Out's new music video was created with AI. Is it a watershed moment for Sora? Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. NATO and U.S. flags wave in the wind outside NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday, Oct. 21, 2011. | Virginia Mayo Sen. Mike Lee said he thinks the U.S. should reconsider its relationship with European allies because of the way the European Union has used its regulatory authority against American businesses. Lee is upset over a letter sent by EU Commissioner Thierry Breton to Elon Musk ahead of Musks interview with former President Donald Trump, but Lee said that is not the only reason he is reconsidering the relationship, including NATO. To be clear, my position is we should at least consider changing our relationship, said Lee during a phone interview with the Deseret News, adding there are a lot of considerations to weigh before making that decision. It makes sense to me that we should at least have a conversation about our involvement in NATO and about whether we ought to be funding it to the degree that we are, said Lee. Or whether we should consider withdrawing if they are agreeable to those terms. Lee also said it would be worth having a conversation about the U.S.s trade relationship with the EU. He said the objective should be free trade, but the U.S. should examine whether or not it gets fair terms. Why reconsider the relationship After Breton released letter, it received criticism, including from X CEO Linda Yaccarino who called it an unprecedented attempt to stretch a law intended to apply in Europe to political activities in the US. Four separate EU officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Bretons warning to Musk had surprised many within the Commission, reported Mark Scott for Politico. The blocs enforcers were still investigating the platform for potential wrongdoing and the EU did not want to be seen as potentially interfering in the U.S. presidential election. The EUs investigation into X was opened in 2023. The letter from the EU commissioner is not the first time when the EU has flexed its regulatory muscle against American businesses operating in Europe, said Lee. Sometimes they have done so in circumstances involving constitutionally protected activity, but other times it is through their competition laws. Compared to the United States antitrust laws, Lee said the EUs competition laws focus on protecting European competitors more than protecting competition itself. He said this could impact American interests. Lee said the EU commissioners letter did not include an acknowledgement of free speech rights it did not consider if European citizens wanted to to receive the information, or the right of companies operating in Europe to host speech, or how Americans rights could be impacted. Not every country has the First Amendment and freedom of speech, said Lee. It would be a mistake to say its completely unique to us. There are a whole lot of countries that dont have it, including a whole lot of countries that we think we have a lot in common with. Speech laws are generally more restrictive in Europe than in America, Reason reported. Under EU law, private platforms have enforceable duties to purge hate speech and disinformation. In addition to expressing concerns about freedom of speech, Lee also said he believes the letter was a bold-faced effort to interfere in and influence the outcome of a live campaign. There was no acknowledgment in that letter whatsoever, recognizing that this would have far more of a burden on the United States, far more of an impact on the United States than it would on Europe, said Lee. He said the letter was an attempt to interfere with a constitutionally protected activity and an attempt to influence a U.S. presidential election. The problem is theyre using government authority to impact the conduct and speech of Americans based on an incidental connection to an incidental impact on European citizens, said Lee. That is why Lee thinks, on top of other already existing concerns, the U.S. should reconsider the relationship as a whole. Weve been footing a disproportionate share of Europes security bills for decades, said Lee, adding because the U.S. contributes so much to Europes security needs, additional resources are freed up. Lee said these resources are used against American interests. Weve been funding through the back door all sorts of things that they do, including their regulatory efforts, which they sought to abuse through the EU, and also, including a lot of social welfare programs, he said. When asked about whether or not his colleagues in Congress would be open to the conversation, Lee said he thinks there will be an openness to the conversation with a spectrum of responses. Some of his colleagues will not want to change the relationship at all and others may be opening to reframing the NATO Article 5 obligation, Lee said. This obligation states that whenever a NATO member country comes under attack, the U.S. has an obligation to defend that country. I think any time we undertake a mutual defense treaty with any country or a whole bunch of countries in the case of NATO, weve always got to be looking at the cost-benefit ratio and what this means, said Lee. And the extent to which our interests are so thoroughly aligned that we should be willing, at the drop of a hat, to expend U.S. blood and treasure in defending somebody else. But other Republican lawmakers, while critical of countries that do not spend the required 2% of their federal budgets on defense, are supportive of the NATO alliance. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said in February he was a big fan of NATO, and Idaho Sen. Jim Risch said last year nothing gives the U.S. better security than the NATO organization. In 2022, around 70% of the House GOP voted to reaffirm support for NATO. The Senate overwhelmingly voted to ratify membership for Sweden and Finland into NATO Lee voted for it. Only Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley voted against the resolution and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul voted present. Trump has criticized NATO Trump, who has been critical of NATO, spoke with Nigel Farage on British TV channel GB News this spring. He said if member countries play fair, the United States would remain a member of NATO. NATO has to treat the U.S. fairly, because if its not for the United States, NATO literally doesnt even exist, said Trump. He said if he was elected, the United States would come to the aid of NATOs members if they were attacked, but reiterated everybody should pay their fair share. Trumps running mate Vance said he thinks Europe needs to wake up on the issue of security. I dont think that we should pull out of NATO, and no, I dont think that we should abandon Europe, said Vance at the Munich Security Conference. But yes, I think that we should pivot. The United States has to focus more on East Asia. That is going to be the future of American foreign policy for the next 40 years, and Europe has to wake up to that fact. When surveying U.S. adults on April 1 to 7, Pew Research asked them about their views on NATO. 75% of Democrats said they had a favorable view of the alliance and 43% of Republicans said they did. The war in Ukraine has brought the issue of NATO to the forefront. Ukraine is not a NATO member, though the country has expressed interest in joining the alliance. President Joe Biden has said Ukraine was not ready for membership in NATO. Since the spring of 2022, Lee has voted against additional aid for Ukraine, saying there has not been enough accountability for funds sent. Lee said he understands why people may be concerned about the United States national security if the U.S. were to change its relationship with NATO. NATO was an important thing that we did throughout the Cold War, and we formed it for Cold War purposes to defeat a Cold War adversary, said Lee. He said the freedom and safety of the U.S. now is not necessarily because the country is still part of the NATO alliance. One could argue that when were putting more into NATO than many of our European allies are, both in dollar amounts and as a percentage of our GDP, to the extent that were not getting some sort of synergies out of that, one could argue that were making ourselves less safe, dollar per dollar, he said. Lee emphasized he believes it is time to have this conversation because he thinks it has been a long time in coming. If I believed this were truly a one-off thing, that he were a one-off commissioner stating a position that nobody else in Europe shared, or if I believed that this was a one-off situation that they had done this, learned their lesson, and it wouldnt happen again, I might feel differently about this, he said. HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) A convicted child molester has received the maximum allowable sentence in Vanderburgh County Superior Court. Prosecutor Diana Moers said in a release that Oscar Rax Xi was sentenced to 50 years by Judge Les Shively plus an additional concurrent 11 years. Moers said in July 2023, Hollys House conducted a forensic interview and uncovered the sexual abuse of an 8-year-old girl. Moers also said interviewers were able to determine that Xi regularly sexually abused the victim and used tape to keep the child from screaming. Rax Xi also reportedly made comments about fleeing back to Guatemala throughout the investigation. According to the release, Judge Shively heard details that the abuse spanned the childs lifetime and included continuous sexual and physical abuse while the child was kept inside the house and away from society. Moers said the child has remaining mental and physical scars. I personally handled this sentencing hearing and requested the maximum possible sentence allowable by law (noting that consecutive sentencing was not permissible in this case based on the facts and caselaw) to ensure that the community knows child molestation and abuse cases are a top priority, Moers said. In my office all child abuse and molestation cases are considered high-profile matters and given the utmost consideration and resources. This case has touched all who have worked on it. At the sentencing hearing the victims new loving foster parents wrote a very impactful statement of the damage this defendant did to this small child throughout their life; they have suffered mentally and physically at the hands of the Defendant for years. The dedicated CASA worker also gave testimony, and I presented case law and factual arguments to justify the maximum allowable sentence in this matter. The victim herself also bravely testified to tell the court what they would like to see happen. I thank Judge Les Shively for his dedication to children and his amazing handling of this case. The court can be a scary place, but we have all worked together to ensure this very young victim had a voice. Because of the care taken by the Judge, this young child felt comfortable taking the stand at the sentencing. Now, this child never has to worry about being hurt by this monster again: the sentence handed down coupled with his sexually violent predator designation will hopefully ensure he never has access to another child. The victim in this case is a survivor and has inspired us all with their remarkable resilience and bravery that even most adults would not be capable of given the same circumstances. We will never forget this innocent child and want them to know they will remain in our hearts. The release also says Rax Xi will be a credit-restricted felon and have a lifetime designation as a sexually violent predator. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). Coral reefs in bit of a pickle; experts push for continued effort to save them AUSTIN (KXAN) Coral reefs around the world are facing some tough times. Between disease, warming oceans and human involvement, many reefs are dying off. This month, scientists reported that the ocean surrounding the great barrier reef was the hottest it has been in 400 years over the past decade, jeopardizing the species that live there. Fish use coral reefs for shelter and food, unfortunately the species is saying off. Experts say it can be saved. (Credit: Todd Bailey/KXAN) Now is the time to redouble the efforts to save coral reefs, according to Peter Edmunds, a professor of Biology at California State University Northridge. In an article published on August 9th in the science journal Bioscience, Edmunds argues for further focus on the undersea creature. If were going to have a chance to really save them, we need to know in what condition theyre currently occurring and how theyre likely to change. In the paper, Edmunds argues for more research, restoration efforts and changes to environmental policy around the world. Coral reefs in a crisis Damage to the coral reefs is something felt locally by Matthey Degutis, owner of Austin Aqua Farms. The company collects coral from the ocean near Indonesia and Australia, while also growing coral at their facility in Austin. Scientists say coral reefs around the world are experiencing mass bleaching in warming oceans Weve run into some issues before where weve had some coral bleaching on some of the reefs, like the Great Barrier Reef, for instance, Degutis said. Degutis said when bleaching occurs, it takes several months before they can gather coral from the area, which would then be brought to the farm. Austin Aqua Farms grows and sells undersea coral for aquariums in the Austin-area. (Credit: Todd Bailey/KXAN) Bleaching, where coral lose all their color and turn bone white, is just one of the issues affecting coral. Disease, warm waters and storms brought about by extreme weather are also to blame for the devastation. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, coral and coral reefs are big business. Half a billion people depend on coral reefs for food, income and protection from storms. It is estimated that coral reefs are worth tens of billions of dollars each year. Coral reefs provide the same for wildlife. Many fish use them as homes and hunting grounds. Most coral reef areas experienced bleaching in past year Coral reefs are in a bit of a pickle right now. Theres been hot water, theres been coral disease, theres been death of all kinds, and theyve really drastically changed, Edmunds said. He began researching the reefs forty years ago. Edmunds said that not giving up hope is essential. People tend to think, well, its a done deal. The future is written. They will all die off and theyll be gone. And that is not true. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. GREENVILLE, S.C. More than a year after Richard "Alex" Murdaugh's historic double murder trial captivated the country's attention, the disbarred lawyer serving two life sentences for slaying his wife and son has a chance at getting a new trial. Last year Murdaugh, who wrecked a South Carolina legal dynasty, was convicted of the killings and pleaded guilty to state and federal charges related to a sweeping decade-plus, multimillion-dollar financial fraud crime spree that engulfed a range of victims in multiple South Carolina counties. Murdaugh continues to deny he killed his family. His request for a new trial, accusing a court official of jury tampering, was initially denied. Then on Tuesday, the South Carolina Supreme Court granted Murdaugh's request, saying they'd hear his appeal, which means he can skip the lengthy appeals court process. At the heart of the appeal and review is not Murdaugh's guilt or innocence, but whether he was fairly denied a new murder trial by former South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal earlier this year. The Supreme Court could reverse or overturn that ruling and could order the court to give him a new trial. It's not impossible that Murdaugh would get a new case, according to Christopher Adams, a Charleston attorney and former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "The findings of fact by former Chief Justice Toal at the evidentiary hearing were significant, significant findings of misconduct by the clerk of court as it relates to her interactions with the jury," Adams said. "So it's going to be very interesting to see how this plays out. This is not this is definitely not a frivolous appeal. This has a lot of substance with it." Alex Murdaugh speaks with his attorneys during his trial for murder at the Colleton County Courthouse on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool How did Murdaugh's case get to the Supreme Court's ears? Days after Murdaugh was handed double life sentences for the murders of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and son Paul Murdaugh, 22, his attorneys pledged to appeal. They later accused Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill, who read the verdict and later published a tell-all book about the historic murder case, of jury tampering and sought a new trial. In January, Toal held a hearing on the allegations. A woman identified as juror Z said that Hill told jurors to watch Murdaugh "closely" and "made it seem like he was already guilty." When asked if this influenced her vote to find Murdaugh guilty, the juror said Yes, maam. Hill has resigned from her position, admitted to plagiarizing her book and faces multiple ethics complaints. Toal said Hill's behavior was inappropriate and she was not a credible witness but denied Murdaugh a new trial. Toal's ruling was based on South Carolina legal precedent, which required the defendant to prove that not only did Hill act improperly but that her actions prejudiced the jurors and influenced their verdict. Murdaugh then appealed that ruling to the South Carolina Court of Appeals, where it has yet to be heard, arguing that his case should be considered using a different, less stringent legal standard typically used by federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. The federal standard presumes a jury has been prejudiced if the defendant can prove there was any improper communication whatsoever, according to John Mobley, a longtime South Carolina personal injury attorney and former prosecutor. Alex Murdaugh speaks with defense attorney Dick Harpootlian during Murdaughs double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, SC, on Monday, February 6, 2023. Jeff Blake/The State/Pool In July, Murdaugh's attorneys filed a motion asking the state Supreme Court to review the case before the appeals court hears it. This can happen if a case meets certain legal standards, such as "significant public interest or a legal principle of major importance." Murdaugh's attorneys argued his case fits both criteria. Murdaugh's motion demands that the court review Toal's ruling, calling Hill, a "wart" on the South Carolina legal system. The motion describes Hill as an "elected state official in charge of managing juries engaging in deliberate jury tampering in a murder trial to secure a guilty verdict so she can make money selling books about it." Could Alex Murdaugh get a new murder trial? Mobley, the former South Carolina prosecutor, said he's not surprised the state Supreme Court decided to take up Murdaugh's case given that it was likely headed there eventually. Mobley, who has worked with one of Murdaugh's attorneys, said the defense clearly met its burden to prove a juror's decision had been influenced by Hill. He said it is "more than likely" the Supreme Court will reverse Toal's decision. "The trial was tainted and the jury panel was poisoned," he said. "So I didn't understand why ... from a legal standpoint ... that wasn't enough for the judge." Mobley said the court probably wouldn't agree that Murdaugh's case should be judged by the federal standard, but that's not necessary for them to grant him a new trial. If they do, he said, a retrial could ultimately benefit the defense. In other words, getting a second bite at the apple could help Murdaugh attain a better outcome at trial. "I think there is a higher chance, a greater chance, of a better outcome ... Once you try the case, you see what was not effective, not just based on what you did as a defense attorney, but you see what was effective and with the state presentation," he said. Judge Jean Toal, former Supreme Court Justice, presides over an evidentiary hearting at the Richland County Courthouse on Tuesday Jan.16, 2024. Tracy Glantz The State, Pool Larry Cunningham, dean of the Charleston School of Law, said he doesn't have an opinion on whether Toal was justified in denying Murdaugh a new trial. But Cunningham, a former state prosecutor in Virginia and New York who has handled similar matters, also said that the defense faces an "uphill battle" to get the court to apply the federal standard, and the burden on the defense to prove that improper conduct impacted the outcome of the trial is intentionally set very high. Cunningham acknowledged that prosecutors probably don't want to retry the case, but disagreed that a retrial would favor the defense. He also said the courts must balance the defendant's right to a fair trial with the potential for retraumatizing the victim's families, the possibility that witnesses may not be available or that their memories may fade as well as the cost and time of holding another trial. "These motions are very rarely granted because one of the things the legal system values is finality," he said. "If we have to redo a trial every time there's a mistake, we would be constantly redoing trials." Could Alex Murdaugh be released? If Murdaugh were granted a new trial and acquitted it's unlikely he would be released immediately. He is not only serving the pair of life sentences for the murders of his wife and son but also 27 years on state fraud charges concurrent with a 40-year federal sentence for financial crimes. Murdaugh is also appealing his federal sentencing, arguing the punishment is "grossly disproportionate to the crimes committed." In that appeal, Murdaugh's attorneys claim that Judge Richard Gergel and federal prosecutors sought such a lengthy sentence to provide a backstop and ensure that, regardless of any successful state appeals or alternative verdicts during potential state retrials, Murdaugh would spend the rest of his life behind bars. Murdaugh's legal team has less than 30 days to file their initial brief and legal arguments with the Supreme Court in the jury tampering appeal. The Supreme Court order did not set a date for the review hearing. For the time being, those tracking the case and Murdaugh himself will have to wait and see. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Murdaugh wants new trial; S.C. Supreme Court to hear appeal TOPEKA (KSNT) Working for you, 27 News reached out to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to see if Topeka could experience another flood at 1951 levels. The Northeast Kansas Flood of 1951, a day some call Black Friday, killed 24 people and caused thousands of people to abandon their homes, schools and businesses. The damage costs were $760 million in 1951 dollars. The cost in 2024 dollars wouldve been over $5 billion. Water from the flood crested all of the official gaging stations on July 13. According to the National Weather Service of Topeka, the flood went four to six feet above all previously recorded crests including the Great Flood of 1844. The Marais Des Cygnes, Neosho and Verdigris Rivers all exceeded their previous records by as much as nine feet. In Topeka, the Kansas River reached 40.8 feet. Photo courtesy of the Kansas Historical Society. The Northeast Kansas Flood of 1951 prompted the construction of several flood control reservoirs and levees across Eastern Kansas. The newly constructed flood infrastructure was put to the test in 1993. It [the Manhattan Levee] was used in 1993 and that is the flood of record since the levee had been built, and it was very critical protection for the city, Manhattan Stormwater Compliance Engineer Bill Heatherman said. Manhattan Levee project costs exceed estimates by $21.4m How does the city prevent flooding today? The City of Topekas flood risk mitigation is handled by federally constructed and locally maintained levees, floodwalls and channels. The infrastructure construction was started in the 1930s under the New Deal program and later expanded after Black Friday. The initial authorized plan provided for the construction of flood risk management works for South Topeka, North Topeka and the municipal waterworks, USACE Public Affairs Specialist Christine Paul said. Over the years, additional studies were undertaken and the final construction and modification of all project units and appurtenant features was completed in 1973. The completed projects along the Kansas River, Soldier and Shunganunga Creeks focused on protecting Topekas waterworks and the areas of Auburndale, south Topeka, Oakland, north Topeka and Soldier Creek. In the early 2000s, a study was done to re-evaluate five units along the Kansas River. Improvements were suggested for four areas; no improvements were recommended for Auburndale. Construction of the new recommendations was completed in 2022. Kansas gov., attorney general raise alarm on invasive fish species What is the flood risk today? Photo of levee-protected areas provided courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The USACE told 27 News the levees along the Kansas River in Topeka are designed to reduce the risk of flooding, but they dont eliminate it. There is always the risk of floods exceeding the design levels of a levee, resulting in flooding in the leveed area (the areas located behind the levee), Paul said. The USACE said the levees in Topeka are designed to account for floods up to a one in 500 chance of happening. The USACE said the levees along Soldier Creek are designed for floods in the one in 200 chance per year range. Amber Peery found guilty on all counts in deaths of Topeka girl scouts The leveed areas protect 21,000 people, 7,300 buildings and $2.9 billion dollars in infrastructure in the northern part of the city. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Couple saves natural property from developers: 'You could just see it happening' The generosity and swift decision-making from a couple in North Carolina helped rescue a parcel of land flush with native species from likely destruction. When Ann and Peter Weigl, both retired biology professors and outdoor enthusiasts, learned that their neighbor's 127 acres of real estate near Pfafftown were up for sale in December 2023, they knew they had to act quickly. The property borders a future portion of the state's Northern Beltway, and there's little doubt that new developments will eventually supplant Forsyth County's green spaces once the highway is completed. "Once you get faster access to downtown, it makes it easier for people to start pushing out this way," Piedmont Land Conservancy's executive director Kevin Redding told the Winston-Salem Journal. The Weigls, who have lived in the area since 1976, bought the land once it hit the market and donated it to the conservancy to ensure its safekeeping. "There wasn't any other way it was going to be preserved," Peter, a former professor at Wake Forest University, told the organization. " ... We were afraid it was going to be developed, but it's just too beautiful a place. And there are fewer and fewer places like that now in the county." "We did a lot of soul searching about it," Ann, who taught at Winston-Salem State University, added. "It was a huge decision, and it had to be done very quickly because [the sellers] had offers." The timing couldn't have been better, as Redding noted that at least two developers were interested in converting the land into residential subdivisions. "You could just see it happening," he said. The Bashavia Creek Preserve, named after the tributary of the Yadkin River running through the property, is now under the management of the conservancy. It includes a farmhouse built in 1853, some outbuildings, hayfields, and wooded hillsides. It's also a thriving ecosystem with native species like deer-tongue grass and blue heron and has good soil, according to Ken Bridle, the land conservancy's conservation advisor. Redding said there are plans to hand-build at least 3 miles of trails and add a parking lot, though it's unclear if the rest of the land will be used for farming or converted into a wildlife and pollinator habitat. The Piedmont Land Conservancy, which has the goal of acquiring a public nature preserve in all nine counties it serves, expects to open the Bashavia Creek Preserve to the public sometime in 2025 or 2026. "This may be the first time we've gotten a call from someone who said, 'The land behind my house is going up for sale, and I want to buy it and donate it to you,'" he said. " ... It's awesome to have this chance to save the land while it's still whole." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Is COVID on the rise again in SLO County? 5 new outbreaks reported at care facilities Five new COVID outbreaks at long-term care facilities have been reported in the last week, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department. The level of virus has remained elevated, public information specialist Tara Kennon told The Tribune on Tuesday. Kennon said the Health Department received reports of five new outbreaks at long-term care facilities in the last week. She said in comparison, two months ago the number of outbreaks was zero. Kennon did not disclose the name of the facilities facing outbreaks. Coinciding with this, Kennon said the Health Department has seen a resurgence in awareness and questions about COVID. Weve seen an increase in demand in recent weeks for the free at-home antigen tests we distribute at our clinics, Kennon said. She also said there has been an increase in calls and questions about COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccines. The county lab has also received an increase in COVID-19 specimens for testing, she said. In July, the county saw an increase in COVID-19 levels from June, according to wastewater surveillance data, though Public Health officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said a summertime uptick in COVID is not unusual. Paso Robles care facility faces small COVID outbreak Operating officer of long-term care facility provider Monarch Care Group Garrett Haner-Tomasko confirmed Thursday that one of the companys Paso Robles-based facility is on the tail-end of a small outbreak that started at the beginning of this month. Haner-Tomasko did not name the specific facility, citing stigma and misconceptions around how the virus is spread, but said hes been so proud of staff and visitors who have continued to take precautionary measures in keeping elderly residents safe. The 19-bed facility is one of three Paso Robles-based facilities under Monarch Care. Haner-Tomasko added that one of Monarch Cares other facilities, Adas Lodges, did not have a COVID outbreak until 2023, in part because of staff and visitors diligence staying aware of their COVID status and continuously testing. SLO County Urgent Care seeing increase in COVID cases Brian Roberts, the owner of Med Stop Urgent Care Center in San Luis Obispos Madonna Plaza, told The Tribune on Tuesday that his Med Stop facility was definitely seeing an increase in the number of patients with COVID-19. Roberts clarified that most patients with COVID, however, had not been seriously ill. Roberts said he did not believe his facility had sent any COVID cases to the hospital so far. The start of school will likely keep that rising pattern going for a while, Roberts said. In general, COVID, like most novel viruses, becomes more contagious and less deadly over time. Meanwhile, Dignity Health marketing and communications manager Lori Parker told The Tribune that French Hospital Medical Center reported a slight bump in COVID admissions but no ICU admissions and no change in bed availability or surgeries. On Wednesday, marketing manager for Adventist Health Central Coast Whitney Gordon said neither Adventist Health Twin Cities nor Sierra Vista hospitals had any changes in number of beds available or COVID admissions. The cases coming in are mild and have not required admissions to the hospital, Gordon said. What to do if you think you have COVID Kennon said people can pick up free COVID-19 tests (two per person in a household) during business hours at county health clinics in Grover Beach, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. Call 805-781-5500 for more information about availability of tests. People with treatment needs can reach out to Pfizers Paxcess program for support at paxlovid.com/paxcess. Russians have sent a large number of combat aircraft to the Kursk airfield. The airfield is located a few kilometers from the eponymous center of the Russian region. ADVERTISIMENT Sky News writes about this. The publication analyzed satellite images before the beginning of the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region and ones made on August 14. Thus, the satellite photo of the airfield from July 22 shows that until recently there was no accumulation of Russian combat aircraft. This image shows only two helicopters and five fighter jets. And photos taken on August 14 already show a radically different picture. This time you can clearly see 14 helicopters parked along the airport. Four fighter jets, which are in the same locations as in July, are also visible. ADVERTISIMENT "There has been a huge increase in the number of helicopters, from two Mi-24/35 Hind or Mi-8/17 Hip helicopters in July to fourteen in August, including possible three Ka-52 Alligator helicopters," said Justin Bronk, a specialist at the Royal United Services Institute. While the satellite photos are not detailed enough to determine the exact models of the helicopters, they demonstrate that significant resources have recently been allocated for the airfield. The publication suggests that the accumulation of combat aircraft is part of the Russian response to the operation of Ukrainian defenders in the Kursk region. As reported, Russia is transferring its troops from some parts of the front to the Kursk region. Because of the Ukrainian operation in the Russian region, Putin is facing a dilemma. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us on Telegram-channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The son of the former Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug Clifford faces a murder charge after his girlfriends remains were found near a Nevada highway on Thursday. Brent Clifford is also a person of interest in another killing that took place 26 miles away. Clifford, 55, was booked into South Placer County Jail in the early hours of Thursday and was deemed ineligible for bail. The Placer County Sheriff's Office said officers recovered what they believe to be the remains of 48-year-old Patricia Portella-Wright on an embankment off Mount Rose Highway. Her remains were first spotted by a drone. A final determination from a coroner is pending. Brent Clifford has been charged with homicide. - It is with heavy hearts that we share today, (August 15th, 2024) we have found the body of a female believed to be Patricia Portella-Wright. The body was found off Mt pic.twitter.com/EzOcahR1x7 Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) August 15, 2024 Police said Portella-Wright was last seen with Clifford on Aug. 4 and was reported missing five days later. There is apparent foul play involved, Placer County Lt. Dave Smith said at a Thursday press conference. A day earlier, Reno police named Clifford as a person of interest in the killing of 68-year-old William Andrews, who was found with a gunshot wound to the head in a residential neighborhood on Sunday. Police said Clifford left the area driving Andrews red 2004 Chevrolet Blazer. When a team of officers from the Reno Police Department, Placer County, and Plumas County Sheriffs Office arrested Clifford in Portola, California, they found the same red SUV. Cliffords father Doug co-founded Creedence Clearwater Revival with brothers John and Tom Fogerty, and Stu Cook, releasing a string of commercially and critically successful heartland rock albums filled with social commentary about America during the Vietnam War era. In 2013, the Library of Congress added their 1969 hit Fortunate Son to the National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important. The group played together from 1959 to 1972, with a handful of limited one-off reunions in the 1980s before animosities and legal feuds drove them apart. When they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, John Fogerty refused to play with Clifford or Cook. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) Knoxville Fire crews are expected to remain on the scene Friday morning extinguishing hots spots at a North Knoxville waste facility that caught fire late Thursday night. KFD spokesperson Mark Wilbanks stated in a Friday morning news release that crews responded at around 10:28 p.m. Thursday to a reported fire on the dead-end of Hancock Street. Crews arrived to find a 10,500 square foot building at the Fort Loudon Waste and Recycling facility was heavily involved in fire. This is the site of a commercial fire that broke out in May 2019, after a forklift reportedly backfired. That fire led to evacuations of nearby neighbors and a massive response of crews. RELATED | Knoxville neighborhood says remains of recycling facility have impacted homes, businesses (Photo: Knoxville Fire) (Photo: Knoxville Fire) (Photo: Knoxville Fire) (Photo: Knoxville Fire) KFD crews quickly set up defensive operations on the building, Wilbanks said. Eventually, KFD set up three master streams to flow water into the building. The incident commander special-called two additional companies to assist the crews already on the scene. Due to the extended length of the operation, KFD also specially called on the KFD rehab bus to help with crew rehab on the scene. Wilbanks also said the KFD incident commander also specially called a hazardous materials company to the scene as a precaution to perform air monitoring; however, KFD did not initially find any hazardous substances in the air around the property. The bulk of the fire has been knocked down. However, crews will remain on scene working hot sport throughout early Friday morning, Wilbanks said. No Injuries have been reported and Knoxville Fire Department Investigators are on the scene working to determine a cause. If anyone has any information about the fire, they can call the KFD Arson Hotline at 865-637-1386 or the State Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017. All tips are confidential. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. Crooked Media Union Unanimously Ratifies First 3-Year Deal More Than A Year After Organizing Under WGAE The content creators of Crooked Media officially have themselves a deal after the 61-member bargaining unit unanimously agreed to ratify their first collective bargaining agreement since unionizing under the Writers Guild of America East. The new three-year agreement includes an 15% increase to base salary and a minimum starting salary of $80,000 effective immediately upon ratification, as well as protections against artificial intelligence and improvement to health insurance and other benefits. More from Deadline Today, members of the Crooked Media Workers Union ratified its first contract with a unanimous yes and 100 percent participation. Its one thing to talk about the power of unions; its another to actually do the work. Were pleased to have secured a fair, progressive contract, and for those wins to set a new standard for the industry at large. If we inspire workers at one other company to stand up together, fight for each other, and insist on what they deserve, this has all been worth it, the bargaining unit said in a joint statement on Thursday. Here are more details on the deal, according to the WGAE: A minimum starting salary of $80,000, effective upon ratification, rising to $84,000 in 2027 An immediate 15% increase to base salary and a pro-rated bonus retroactive from Jan 1, 2024, to take the place of what had previously been an annual companywide bonus Additional 6% increase on first 77k of salary; 3.5% increase on 77,001-100k of salary Annual minimum salary increases of 1.75% in the first year of the contract, 4% in the second and 3.75% in the third year of the contract Crooked will give at least 30 days notice before using AI in any way that materially impacts bargaining unit employees. By March 31, 2025, Crooked will develop a public-facing AI policy Successorship language that requires any new employer to assume the union contract in most instances A PTO policy with a minimum 49 guaranteed days off, in addition to 20 weeks parental leave Crooked will cover $955/month toward member health insurance, increasing by 10% each year Crooked will offer at least one health care plan that meets the World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards A minimum of 13 weeks severance A good faith process for layoffs, including seniority, recall rights, retraining, and two weeks notice or additional severance All members are guaranteed 12 hours minimum rest time between end of work and next days start; Cell phone stipend, commuting reimbursement and working late in-office/on location meal & taxi reimbursements Eliminated non-competes, at-will provisions, and mandatory arbitration provisions from individual employment agreements Just cause Union security Crooked must include an acknowledgment that the staff is unionized with the Writers Guild of America East at the end of all podcasts The deal comes after more than a year of bargaining. Last week, the Crooked Media content creators staged a one-day walkout with more than 95% of members signing a walkout pledge. They reached a deal with the employers four days later, also withdrawing an Unfair Labor Practice charge the union had levied against the company. Our members at Crooked Media won a contract that will set a benchmark for all workers in the podcast industry. Were proud to see our members secure a hard-fought collective bargaining agreement that will support them in the essential work they do especially in the middle of a presidential election cycle, WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement. Founded in 2017 by former President Barack Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor, Crooked Media produces podcasts including Pod Save America, What a Day, Hall of Shame and Lovett It or Leave It. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said an investigation into a Colorado Springs gang led to the arrest of a member who was allegedly in possession of an aftermarket device that makes a handgun capable of automatic fire. CSPD said in January 2024, detectives with the Strategic Investigations Unit began an investigation into a Colorado Springs gang that CSPD said was responsible for a number of crimes including; weapon possession, robberies, assaults, shootings, and drive-by shootings. During the investigation, it was determined that one of the members, identified as 18-year-old Josiah Olivas, had a handgun with a Switch device attached to it. CSPD said a Switch is an aftermarket device attached to the rear slide of a handgun making it capable of automatic fire at the press of a button. The addition of a Switch classifies the handgun as a Dangerous or Illegal Weapon per Colorado law. Mugshot of Josiah Olivas Detectives were able to obtain a search warrant for Olivas home near East Fountain Boulevard and Chelton Road and executed it on Aug. 15. Olivas was detained, and two handguns with Switches were found, along with other firearms. CSPD said detectives also found six extended handgun magazines and a 100-drum-style magazine designed for an AR-15 rifle. Olivas was booked into the CJC and is facing charges of Possessing a Dangerous or Illegal Weapon and Large Capacity Magazines Prohibited. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. Prosecutors on Friday formally dismissed criminal charges against Smiley Martin, who died in jail in June as one of three men accused of murder in a 2022 suspected gang-related shootout in downtown Sacramento that killed six people and wounded 12 others. Deputies found Martin, 29, dead in his cell about 2:15 a.m. June 8 before at the Sacramento County Jail. Authorities have not determined how Martin died. On Friday, Sacramento County Coroner Rosa Vega said the cause and manner of Martins death were still pending. At the time, Sacramento County Public Defender Amanda Benson, whose office was representing Martin in the murder case, said they contacted the sheriffs command staff at the jail. Benson said that sheriffs officials will likely not provide any details about the death investigation until its completed, a process that can typically take a year or more. Martin had been in custody, held without bail, since his arrest in April 2022. At the time of his death, he was scheduled to return to Sacramento Superior Court this week to resume a preliminary hearing in his case. Defendant Dandrae Martin, right, and his attorney Linda Parisi look toward the gallery as people cry when the murder charges are dismissed against Smiley Martin, who died in jail in June, during a preliminary hearing in Sacramento Superior Court on Friday. Mtula Payton, who is also charged in the 2022 gang-related gun fight on K Street, sits at left. Martin, his younger brother Dandrae Martin and Mtula Payton were charged for their alleged roles in the brazen shootout April 3, 2022, at 10th and K streets. Police believe members of two rival groups of gang members fired guns at each other, with 100 to 200 people in the crossfire as they exited nearby downtown nightclubs. The Sacramento County District Attorneys Office charged the Martin brothers and Payton each with three counts of murder stemming from the downtown shooting deaths of three women killed in the crossfire. Authorities have said Yamile Martinez, 21; Johntaya Alexander, 21; and Melinda Davis, 57, were innocent bystanders struck by stray bullets fired by two groups of shooters. No charges were filed in the deaths of three men shot that April night. Court documents indicate Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32, DeVazia Turner, 29, and Sergio Harris, 38, were involved in the gunfight or appeared to be armed. In court Friday morning, Deputy District Attorney Brad Ng told the judge that prosecutors were dismissing the charges against Smiley Martin in the interest of justice. It was first time the attorneys and the remaining defendants in the murder case had been in court since Smiley Martins death. The preliminary hearing, in which evidence and testimony is presented to determine whether the defendants should stand trial, began in January and has continued with hiatuses as the court works around scheduling conflicts for those involved in the case. More testimony in murder case Testimony resumed Friday with Ike Harris, a cousin of Sergio Harris, who was at the scene when gunshots rang out that night. Ike Harris began his testimony in early April, when he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against testifying in court until Judge Maryanne Gilliard ordered he be granted immunity to testify and instructed him to answer questions while on the witness stand. The focus of his testimony Friday was on what he did in the first moments after shots were fired. Prosecutors showed video captured on a security camera as Ike Harris crouched behind garbage cans, each only a few feet tall, as he ducked for cover. Ng pointed to a small black object highlighted in the video image. Ike Harris testified that object, his phone, had fallen out of one of his pockets. He said on the witness stand that the object, that he momentarily left behind and went back to retrieve, was not a gun. Linda Parisi, Dandrae Martins defense attorney, asked Ike Harris whether there anyone who could corroborate that the object he dropped wasnt a gun. The witness answered, I dont know. Defense attorney Linda Parisi speaks with defendant Dandrae Martin during a preliminary hearing in Sacramento Superior Court on Friday. Martin is facing murder changes stemming from the 2022 gang-related shootout on K Street that killed six people. His older brother Smiley died in custody in June, and the charges against him were dropped on Friday. He also testified that he didnt see anyone with a gun that night, including his cousin, but he couldnt recall why he told investigators someone else had the murder weapon that night. Ike Harris went on to testify that he received that information from an anonymous person who sent him a message on Instagram. Parisi asked Ike Harris whether he was offering up answers to divert blame away from his cousin as the instigator in the deadly shooting. I dont care about anything that has to do with this case. It doesnt matter to me, Ike Harris told the defense attorney. I dont recall a gun you keep referring to. He testified he left the shooting scene, leaving behind his wounded cousin lying on the ground, after police arrived and started telling people there to get back. Once I seen my cousin wasnt breathing anymore, I left, Ike Harris said in court. They were clearing the area, telling everyone to move. Testimony in the preliminary hearing is scheduled to resume Aug. 23 and will likely continue Aug. 30. Dandrae Martin and Mtula Payton remained in custody at the jail. Mtula Payton attends his preliminary hearing in Sacramento Superior Court on Friday. He is charged with the murders of three women killed in a 2022 K Street shootout that killed six and injured 12 others. FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) The man who was accused of killing his sons in-laws has been sentenced on Thursday, the Fresno County District Attorneys Office said. The DAs office says 71-year-old Darshan Dhanjan was sentenced to 77 years to life in state prison for the murder of Rajbir Kaur, 62, and Ravinder Singh, 59, as well as making criminal threats against a third victim. Man accused of murdering his sons in-laws identified, new details leading up to incident On Sept. 9, 2018, at around 11:30 a.m., officers with the Fresno Police Department were dispatched to a home regarding a possible shooting. Upon arrival, police say they found two people unresponsive, suffering from gunshot wounds. They learned that Dhanjan shot and killed two members of his extended family as they sat watching television in their shared home. Dhanjan then threatened to kill their daughter when she discovered their bodies before leaving the home. The DAs office says law enforcement found Dhanjan later that day and he was taken into custody and booked into the Fresno County Jail. This case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Kelly Smith, the DA says. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Canandaigua, N.Y. (WROC) 10 weekends in jail followed by 10 years probation. Thats the punishment for former Rochester Police Officer Shawn Jordan, who admitted to raping a 13-year-old girl. Many out there expressed outrage over this punishment when it was announced Wednesday rightly pointing out some guilty of similar crimes get years in prison. But Thursday, Ontario County District Attorney Jim Ritts told News 8 why it was the best they thought they could get. Ritts says he understands why people are upset Jordan will spend fewer than a dozen weekends in jail calling it a generous sentencing. Im disappointed, truly, that Shawn Jordan did not get the sentence that he deserved, Ritts said. But Ritts says both his prosecutor on the case, Kelly Wolford, and the judge, Kristina Karle, did what they could, adding the judge gave him the max under the plea agreement. Karle could have rejected the agreement, he says, but she knew Jordan would never accept another that included prison time. Child sex offenders in prison and police officers in prison would compound those things and he knew exactly what he was facing if prison was in the works, Ritts said. Ritts says they were forced to negotiate because the case largely relied on the story of a child and that story did not come out until well after the crime. When you have a delayed disclosure that impacts on the ability to obtain forensic evidence, for there to be medical evidence, for any of those things that happened and so they dont exist and we know that they dont exist because time passes and bodies heal and so what were ending up with is a case that relies on a child going into court to talk about a sensitive subject in front of their accuser and the re-victimization of a child is always one of things we have to consider, Ritts said. Ritts says the girl and her family were part of the conversation the entire time. He also says Jordan will have to register as a sex offender and agreed to 10 years of probation, which comes with much more scrutiny than parole. Watch Part II Jordan is also accused of sexting with a minor in Monroe County and that case will likely resume now that the Ontario case is over, though Ritts does not expect that to produce a particularly large punishment. Jordan was initially suspended from RPD and later resigned. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Friday on the Daily 8, were looking at a fire at a Kentwood senior living community, video of a dramatic rescue in Douglas, the discovery of a treasure trove and more. You can watch the full Daily 8 for Aug. 16, 2024, in the video player above or check out any of the stories mentioned below: Each weekday, the Daily 8 brings you the top eight stories we are keeping an eye on in and around West Michigan. Join us again Monday for the Daily 8. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. The Defense Forces' offensive in the Kursk region proved that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is not ready for escalation, so it is likely that Western partners may reconsider the ban on long-range strikes against Russia. For a long time it was believed that the West was afraid of Putin's use of nuclear weapons, so Ukraine was banned from using long-range missiles to strike deep into the Russian Federation. ADVERTISIMENT This opinion was expressed by political expert and executive director of the Penta applied political research center Oleksandr Leonov in an interview with OBOZ.UA. However, the advance of the AFU in Kursk region proved that the Kremlin dictator is not ready for escalation, he noted. "When the events took place there, Putin convened the Security Council and had three options to raise the stakes. These were to declare a general mobilization, impose martial law or, for example, seek help from the CSTO countries. Understandably, he did not appeal to the CSTO because this case would have been the last day of that organization's existence, as hardly anyone would have responded. However, raising the stakes through general mobilization and the introduction of martial law could well have been made. But even this did not happen, because, obviously, Putin is not ready for escalation," the expert believes. ADVERTISIMENT Moreover, Leonov is sure that Moscow's allies, such as Iran, China and the DPRK, are not ready for escalation either. "Therefore, this could be a sign for our allies that any steps will no longer lead to more intense actions. Putin has used everything he can in Ukraine, the entire arsenal, except nuclear weapons," he added. The expert noted that later the West may still give Ukraine permission to strike with its long-range weapons deep into Russian territory. Earlier, Washington said that it allowed the use of US weapons on Russian territory, but confirmed that it did not give permission for long-range weapons. Germany also said Ukraine could use German weapons on Russian territory. "Most likely, this indicates that the allies have been informed that their weapons can be used, including on the territory of Russia. Now the official recognition is taking place. Perhaps something will change subsequently, because for a long time it was believed that everyone was afraid of escalation. And Putin threatened with nuclear weapons," he noted. ADVERTISIMENT If the US, Germany, and Britain allowed strikes deep into Russian Federation with their long-range weapons, Ukraine could hit Russian airfields and refineries more effectively. "Ukraine could destroy airfields and oil refineries in one strike, and deal more serious blows to Russia's logistics, economy and military capability. So far, this is more of an emotional breakthrough, these are capabilities, but they do not carry the advantages that would not carry if it was allowed to hit with all the weapons that Ukraine has," the expert said. Earlier, Politico, citing sources, reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden is "open" to sending long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine. It would be a move that would give the transferred F-16s more combat power as Ukraine seeks to gain further momentum in its fight against Russia. ADVERTISIMENT As reported, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said Putin is concerned about the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region. He is moving his troops from some parts of the front to Kursk region, but so far there is no talk of using nuclear weapons. Only verified information from us on Telegram-channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A study to find more water for communities in eastern South Dakota is officially underway. Vicious dog attack leaves dog dead and owner injured On Friday, Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System announced a partnership with HDR, Banner & Associates, Bartlett & West, DGR Engineering and WCS Engineering to put together an appraisal study to identify opportunities to develop water resources in eastern South Dakota. The work is being funded by members of Dakota Mainstem, water development districts and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Dakota Mainstem held its first committee with 28 different cities and rural water systems in March 2023. According to a news release, the goal of Dakota Mainstem is to tackle the pressing challenges of water scarcity and quality in the central and southern regions of eastern South Dakota. Dakota Mainstem: South Dakotas next big water project? In 2023, Lewis and Clark Regional Water System Executive Director Troy Larson told KELOLAND News South Dakota is only using about 5.5% of Missouri River water promised to the state in the Pick-Sloan Flood Control Control Act of 1944. Under state law, all surface and groundwater is the property of the people living in the state. The Pick-Sloan Flood Control Act of 1944 created the six dams and reservoirs along the Missouri River. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. PINEVILLE, Mo. A McDonald County jury finds a southwest Missouri woman guilty of shooting and killing her husband. The jury of seven men and five women convicted Dawn Wynn, 50, after about five hours of deliberation. Wynn showed no emotion as the verdict was read, nor did she acknowledge family members as she was escorted out of the courtroom. The trial lasted three days with a total of 16 witnesses 12 for the prosecution and four for the defense. Wynn is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7. DEVELOPING Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Days Before Matthew Perry's Death, Ketamine Shot Caused Him to 'Freeze Up' So He Couldn't Talk or Move: Feds Five people, including Matthew Perry's assistant, have been arrested on drug-related charges in connection with his death Mike Pont/WireImage Matthew Perry In the days leading up to his death in October 2023, Matthew Perry was allegedly being administered high doses of ketamine up to six to eight times a day including on one occasion when he froze and couldnt move, per prosecutors. The Friends star died last Oct. 28 at 54 from the acute effects" of ketamine in his Los Angeles, Calif., home, authorities previously said. On Thursday, Aug. 15, the United States Attorneys Office in California arrested five people, including Perrys assistant, in connection with his death. Jasveen Sangha who authorities allege was known as the "The Ketamine Queen" Dr. Salvador Plasencia, Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez were arrested on several drug-related and conspiracy charges, per the DOJ. Iwamasa, Fleming and Chavez have pleaded guilty to their respective charges, per authorities. Related: Inside Matthew Perry's Last Day, When Assistant Left After Giving Ketamine Shot and Returned to Find Actor Dead In Iwamasas plea agreement, authorities allege that Plasencia allegedly gave Perry a large dose of ketamine on Oct. 12, causing an adverse medical reaction. The high dosage caused Perry to freeze up and he was unable to speak or move, per the plea agreement, which was reviewed by PEOPLE. Earlier that day, prior to the dosage administered by Plasencia, Perry had just received ketamine infusion therapy from a medical doctor, which Iwamasa knew, per the agreement. However, Iwamasa still requested Plasencia to come to Perrys home and give him more ketamine, the plea agreement says. Authorities have alleged that all five detained individuals were aware that Perry had become severely addicted to ketamine again after previously overcoming his addiction, yet they continued to give him the drug. "In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well being," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said when announcing the charges on Thursday. The defendants were allegedly aware that they were administering the ketamine in ways that were not proper and that their doses were negatively affecting Perrys well-being, Estrada claimed. According to Iwamasa's plea agreement, after Perry experienced the adverse reaction on Oct. 12, Plasencia allegedly messaged Iwamasa something along the lines of, "Let's not do that again." Dave Benett/Getty Matthew Perry Related: Biggest Revelations in Matthew Perry's Death Investigation from Arrests of Doctors to Alleged 'Cover Ups,' Per Prosecutors But according to Sanghas indictment, despite knowing about Perry's reaction, Plasencia allegedly left additional vials of ketamine with Iwamasa that day. Plasencia was allegedly paid an estimated $21,500 in cash for that day alone by Iwamasa, according to Sanghas indictment. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. Chavez will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, while Fleming pleaded to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, the DOJ announced. Sangha is facing a slew of charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine, per the DOJ. Plasencia is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. It wasn't clear if Sangha or Plasencia have entered pleas. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) A woman from Montgomery County was arrested in Texas for Medicaid fraud. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the arrest of Janay Corbitt, a 36-year-old woman from Dayton. Corbitt was indicted earlier this year for allegedly stealing $1.5 million from Ohio Medicaid. Man found dead in West Chester parking lot Yosts Health Care Fraud Unit investigated and found Corbitt reportedly stole the identities of multiple people so she could own and operate two sham behavioral health counseling agencies in Dayton. It is also believed that Corbitt stole the identities of several licensed counselors to use their credentials, billing Medicaid for services that were never provided. The Franklin County grand jury indicted Corbitt on eight felony charges in May. Included in those charges were first-degree felony charges of aggravated theft of $1.5 million or more and identify fraud against a person in a protected class. After months on the lam, Corbitt was arrested at a bus station in Dallas. Ohios Medicaid Fraud Control Unit coordinated with Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Dallas police and the U.S. Marshals Service to apprehend Corbitt. Ohio now seeks her extradition back to the state to answer for her charges here. Corbitt was convicted of theft in 2019 in a separate Medicaid scheme. She was ordered to pay over $200,000 to the Medicaid program but has paid only $6,255 so far. The conviction banned her from the Medicaid program. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. DC police looking for 2 people who burglarized building in Northwest WASHINGTON (DC News Now) Police were looking for two suspects accused of burglarizing a building in Northwest. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said that around 3 a.m. on Thursday, suspects forced their way into an empty building in the 1300 block of Wisconsin Ave. NW. Once they got in, the suspects stole items before leaving. 1 child dead, 2 injured after AMBER Alert, police chase ends in crash on Capital Beltway in Prince Georges County (Images courtesy of the Metropolitan Police Department) Officials released the above surveillance images of the suspects and the car used in the crime. Anyone with any information is asked to call MPD at (202) 727-9099 or text 50411. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. UPDATE: Lanes have reopened following a crash along 215 between Aliante Parkway and Decatur Boulevard, according to NSP. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) One person is dead after a crash shut down the 215 near the north valley in Las Vegas, according to police. It happened on Thursday shortly before 4 p.m. along I-215 westbound between Aliante Parkway and Decatur Boulevard. All 215 travel lanes westbound from Aliante Parkway to Decatur Boulevard will be closed for several hours due to the investigation, according to Nevada State Police. The crash involved 2 vehicles, a motorcycle and a pickup truck. A man was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the pickup truck stayed at the scene, police said. Motorists are advised to avoid the area for the next few hours. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Its been 12 days since Tropical Storm Debby brought historic, torrential downpours to the Georgia-South Carolina border, causing catastrophic floods up to 60 miles inland. Lakes and ponds reached capacity or overflowed and dams breached, causing a cascade of floods in the coastal plains. State of Emergency Declarations by Gov. Brian Kemp have been extended twice and many communities are still in disrepair, despite 300 National Guard and dozens of Georgia Emergency Management responders being deployed. The latest declaration extended the Aug. 15 deadline to Aug. 20. Karen Clark & Company, a Boston-based company that uses high-resolution models to estimate damage from storms, said the cost of the storm for the whole affected area will be close to $1.4 billion. Of that, KC&C said, $440 million makes up flood damage, and $130 million makes up storm surge. The numbers were released in a publication Thursday, Statesboro, Georgia, got nearly a foot of rain in less than 48 hours between Aug. 5 and Aug. 7, according to the National Weather Service and a community rain gauge network. The already saturated ground from rains in July compounded with the drenching from Debby caused half a dozen dams to breach. Creeks and streams overflowed, turning nearby streets into rivers and neighborhoods into swamps. Seventy-five rescues were made on Aug. 6, according to Dal Cannady, Bulloch County Emergency Management Services spokesperson. Rainfall over southeast Georgia and adjacent areas over a 96-hour period associated with Hurricane Debby. The dams overflowed as early as 7 a.m. Aug. 6, cascading like dominoes through Bulloch county, snaking around the northern and western perimeter of Statesboro. This embedded content is not available in your region. Oglesby Pond busted fairly early, said John Pope, director of development of Bulloch County. Then those waters went downstream to Lotts Creek, then Lake Collins was the second dam that went. Those two cascading down Lotts Creek hit Cypress Lake hard. All of the dams are privately owned and range in size and age. Some are over 100 years old, such as Oglesby Pond built in 1920, or near 70 years old such as Lake Collins, according to the Army Corps of Engineers National Inventory of Dam. The Ledger-Enquirer has reached out for comment about dam ownership and liability to Bulloch County, but has not received a response. Bulloch County is calm now, but in a state of disrepair, Cannady said Wednesday. Were in the process now of trying to assess, repair, and repave to re-open streets at a passable level, he said. The county has 700 miles of dirt roads the most anywhere in the state and 550 paved roads, according to Calbart. On Aug. 7, at least 100 roads were reportedly inaccessible because they were washed out or flooded. Officials are assessing and constantly updating which roads are and are not accessible, Cannady, who has lived in the area for 40 years, told the Ledger-Enquirer. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Weve had tornadoes and debris damage, but never a straight water situation or flooding from a hurricane like this. On Aug. 7, Bulloch County Public Works made an emergency request of $5 million to improve the roads. Flood insurance in an era of climate change State and county emergency management groups are still counting the homes damaged or destroyed from flooding. GEMA has assessed 81 homes in Georgia. One was completely destroyed, and 52 were considered majorly damaged from Tropical Storm Debby. As of Tuesday, Pope said Bulloch County EMS counted 68 homes with major impacts or destruction from flooding. Some of these homes were not in the flood zone, he said. Counting and reporting the type of damages from GEMA and Bulloch County EMS are a critical part of the flood insurance process to see if homeowners meet thresholds set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the National Flood Insurance Program. If the cost to repair is 50% or more of the market value, the structure is considered Substantially Damaged and must be brought into compliance with current local floodplain management standards, according to FEMAs website. Most of Georgia does not have flood insurance. Less than 2% of homes statewide have flood insurance, Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications for the Insurance Information Institute, said in an email. That number rises up to 8% along the coast, he said. If a homeowner lives in a flood plain flood insurance must be purchased separately from property insurance through a private flood insurer or federally backed National Flood Insurance Program, he said. The $1.4 billion dollar total cost of Debby by Karen Clark & Company does not include damages from National Flood Insurance Program losses. Accuweather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said early estimates from Hurricane Beryl and Debby will have a total economic impact of $60 billion. If you are putting off flood insurance, you better buy flood insurance, said Claudia Benitez-Nelson, professor and researcher at South Carolina University and member of Science Moms. This is not just about hurricane Debby now. Climate change is changing the intensity of all the hurricanes coming in. That was just a tropical storm. Hurricane Debbys path on August 5th, 2024. Human-caused climate change made the warm waters that fueled Hurricane Debby, adding more moisture and humidity to the storm. Climate Shift Index: Ocean revealed temperatures for Debbys path were made up to 500 times more likely by human-caused climate change. This week Climate Central, the nonprofit dedicated to making the science more understandable, launched an interactive tool called Climate Shift Index Ocean. The tool shows how likely ocean temperature increase is due to human-induced climate change. Debby gained strength and speed from ocean temperatures of 86 degrees off the Florida coast. Those temperatures were made 500 times more likely because of human-induced climate change, according to the CSI Ocean tool. Hurricane Beryl was 400 times more likely. Oceans are ground zero for climate change Andrew Pershing, lead author of CSI Ocean and climate scientist at Climate Central, said. Its hard to imagine getting these temperatures were getting without climate change. Higher humidity is what allows these storms in warmer tropical cyclones to hold so much rain. They are going to continue to dump lots of water on aging infrastructure not intended to handle the amount of rainfall were having, Benitez-Nelson said. This is is not a one-off. Our climate is changing and these are the impacts of climate change. We as a population need to live with the reality. We need to update infrastructure and think about how we build and plan for a system where we know were going to have a lot of rain. A search for housing + GA agriculture hurt by storm Most of the flood waters have receded in parts of Bulloch County. K-12 students are returning to school after missing the entire week last week, Cannady said. Still, hundreds of renters are searching for housing after flood waters and broken air conditioning have created moldy messes. Many have turned to Facebook groups pleading and searching for help and housing. Many apartment managers are waiving application fees, especially in areas such as Richmond Hill. Pope said peanut harvest season starts soon and worries that the effects to Cypress Lake will greatly impact the areas peanut crop. In Kemps updated response to Debby, he said the Georgia Department of Agriculture is working with the state to promote safety and monitor Cypress Lake. Additional agriculture losses from the storm include: Peanut crops lost in Screven County (which received 14 inches of rain) Pecan crops lost in Lownes County Thomas County lost citrus Tattnall County lost pecan and poultry 54,000 chickens were lost from drowning in Irwin County Bulloch, Bryan, Effingham, and Chatham, Charlton, and Brantley counties remained under a flood warning Friday. While the worst of Debby has passed, this remains an active situation, Kemp said on Wednesday. DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) The Decatur Family YMCA and the Decatur Police Department are celebrating their long-standing partnership and the success of two community events. Officials said 2,000 backpacks filled with school supplies were distributed for this years Backpack Attack event. These backpacks were given to kindergarten through sixth grade students across Macon County. Meanwhile, the Shop With a Cop program gave 75 area children the opportunity to shop at Kohls with local law enforcement. Kids are referred by local schools and organizations to shop for clothes, shoes, and other necessities. The goal of the program is not only to get important items to families who need them, but to foster connections between police officers and the next generation. Car accidentally runs into Decatur Aldi two times Every child deserves a positive start to the school year, said Danielle Diskey, Director of Development & Marketing for Decatur Family YMCA. Our partnership with the Decatur Police Department through Backpack Attack and Shop With a Cop allows us to extend our reach and impact more students across the community. We are committed to supporting our local youth and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Detective Jason Danner, President of Decatur PB&PA Unit 39, enjoys directly affecting families in a positive way. The Shop With a Cop program is about making sure these children are afforded the opportunity to start the school year off on the right foot. We are grateful for the YMCAs continued support and the opportunity to work together in making a difference in these kids lives. To learn more about the Backpack Attack or Shop With a Cop, reach out to ymca@decaturymca.org or pbpaunit39@gmail.com over email. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. By Leyla Tarverdiyeva, Day.Az Recently, one of the Armenian Telegram channels published the results of a closed survey conducted among Armenian military personnel. The results of the survey shocked many. To clarify, the Armenian couch patriots, who have never smelled gunpowder, were shocked. And so, only 15 percent of Armenian servicemen are ready to participate in real combat operations. Only about 20 of them know how to use weapons. Two thirds of the respondents believe that the army is poorly prepared to repel external aggression. Only 25 percent of military personnel consider the authority of commanders to be high, even less confident in the competence of the General Staff, and very few - only 18 percent call the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces competent. How can we not recall the completely opposite results of a survey conducted by the Gallup international research center at the beginning of the year. As a result, it turned out that Armenia has the highest fighting spirit in the world - as many as 95.7 percent of the surveyed citizens of this country said they were ready to fight for Armenia if there was a war. Interestingly, this indicator has always been high in Armenia. A few years before the Second Karabakh War, Gallup conducted a similar survey and found 72 percent of Armenians ready to fight. However, it is unclear where this valor and belligerence went later, when the Armenian servicemen fled from the front in droves. In a country showing such high results, this should not be the case. For example, in Azerbaijan, the result in the same survey was 85 percent, and it was fully justified on the battlefield - there was not a single deserter among the Azerbaijani servicemen. In Armenia, after the war, more than 10,000 criminal cases were opened on the facts of desertion. For such a small country and such a small army, this is simply a disaster. I remember a year ago, the wife of Prime Minister Pashinyan, Anna Hakobyan, started talking about 10 thousand deserters in the Armenian army, and after that the anger of the couch patriots, the opposition, the "Karabakh clan" and other scum of society descended on her. Before the Second Karabakh War, the myth of the "invincibility" of the Armenian "warrior of light", the highest level of fighting spirit and patriotism in the army and so on was maintained in Armenia and pro-Armenian foreign circles. The 44-day war broke these illusions. Anna Hakobyan was accused of immoral attempts to humiliate the Armenian people and defame the Armenian army. Meanwhile, Hakobyan only announced official data, and so many deserters were counted not in Baku, but in Armenia itself. The "Warriors of Light" began to desert almost from the first days of the war. Probably, those "patriots" who were included in 72 percent of Gallup's respondents were not among them. They may object, they say, that the respondents of the opinion poll pledged to fight for Armenia, not for Karabakh. It would have been a logical objection, but for some reason none of the neighbors dared to utter it. After all, this would be a recognition that the Armenian Armed Forces fought on foreign soil, on the territories of another state annexed by their country. A WORD TO THE EXPERT Military expert, former corps commander, holder of the Order of the Azerbaijani Banner, Colonel of the reserve Shair Ramaldanov: "Finally, our neighbors began to produce indicators that meet the realities. The answers reflect the situation that actually takes place. Those 15 percent of military personnel who want to fight... By the way, we still need to figure out who they are. Most likely, these are those who have never participated in hostilities and have not seen what the Armenian army faced during the 44-day war. It is also not surprising that only 20 percent of the military surveyed know how to use weapons. I think this indicator will continue to decrease. Armenia is now rapidly concluding contracts for the purchase of modern weapons. But buying weapons is one thing, and being able to use them is quite another. In order to master the purchased weapons, it is necessary to conduct training, shooting, exercises, and improve professionalism, as is done in the Azerbaijani army. American instructors at the Ministry of Defense will not help Armenia solve this problem. As for "repelling aggression", I do not even know who is threatening Armenia. I think she's threatening herself. Azerbaijan has made it quite clear that it recognizes the territorial integrity of this country, has offered it peace and is not going to attack it. Our country will reconsider this position only if Armenia forces us to do so by its behavior. I do not see anything surprising in the low authority of the command staff and in the distrust of the General Staff. With the unhealthy moral and psychological atmosphere in the Armenian army, with the level of irregular relations and corruption that take place, there can be no question of the authority of the commanding staff. Officers should be an example for soldiers. And what kind of example can such commanders set? Let's move on. The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces is a special position for any country. I don't think even the military in Armenia perceives Nikol Pashinyan in this capacity. The policy pursued by the Supreme Commander of the Armenian Armed Forces provides for militarization without the development of the armed forces themselves. To stuff an army with weapons does not mean to make it stronger. In addition, he constantly baffles both intra-Armenian and regional processes. This politician does not have any definite position and tries to balance according to the old tradition of Yerevan. While still a member of the CSTO, Armenia conducts exercises with NATO. Pashinyan is doing everything so that Russia does not trust Yerevan, but he also fails to earn the full trust of the West. All these games have led to the fact that Armenia's Western guardians have become unwanted players in the region, which does not strengthen Pashinyan's position in any way. His foreign policy can be called treacherous towards his neighbors in the region. And even worse, it creates conditions for a clash of interests of external actors in the South Caucasus. Non-regional players are trying to enter the region through Armenia in order to control the logistics corridors, but this does not meet the interests of the regional states themselves. "Thanks to" Pashinyan, who put his country at risk of "Syrization," the security of the South Caucasus as a whole is now in question. Pashinyan pursues a policy based on the notes of his new patrons, leading the region to escalation. By arming Armenia under the pretext of protecting its security, they inspire the former occupier to provocations, which, of course, will not go unanswered. Western patrons need destabilization to expand their presence. And hardly anyone here is thinking about the future of the Armenian people. So the attitude towards Pashinyan as the supreme commander of the armed forces is completely natural. 18 percent is even, I think, a lot in the current situation. To sum up, I will say: what kind of commander-in-chief is the General Staff, what kind of General Staff is the army." Students from eighth grade classrooms A and C wait in line to board small motorboats, clutching their English notes in one hand. The 20 minutes it takes them to get from the island of Carti Sugdub to the mainland gives them time to study for their exam. Before she gets on the boat, 13-year-old Blanca slaps her forehead and takes off running. I forgot my backpack at the house, she yells as she runs down the alleyways of the over-populated Panamanian Caribbean island at risk of disappearing due to climate change. Come quick or the boat is leaving without you, warns her professor. On the vessels, her classmates wait for her with their backpacks perched on their knees, their faces betraying nerves that cant be entirely put down to their impending test. That morning at the beginning of June, they are practicing the trip to their new school on the mainland, where they were moved due to flood risk. They were scheduled to start using the new site quickly none of them imagined that they wouldnt set foot in it for three months. Its facilities remain closed, ironically, due to lack of water. A student waits for her classmates on a boat to take them to school on the island of Gardi Sugdub. CHELO CAMACHO A group of students line up to be transferred to the new educational institution in Isberyala, in the Guna Yala region. CHELO CAMACHO A group from the Gardi Sugdub island school, embarks on one of the boats. CHELO CAMACHO Gardi Sugdub Island, in the Guna Yala region (Panama). CHELO CAMACHO A group of people are working late to organize the transfer of families the next day in Guna Yala. CHELO CAMACHO A woman waits to be served at a government office on Gardi Sugdub Island in June 2024. CHELO CAMACHO A family's belongings ready to be relocated to their new home in Isberyala, Panama. CHELO CAMACHO A family leaves Gardi Sugdub with all their belongings and sails to Isberyala. CHELO CAMACHO More than 10 years ago, Panama became the first Latin American country to relocate an entire community because of climate change. The education of its 600 children was an afterthought. The islands classrooms have deteriorated and are susceptible to flooding, humidity and strong winds. Its quite common for the chairs to get wet and for there to be leaks, says teacher Bernadeth Navarro, a special education instructor. We are very eager to move to a new school. Its an urgent matter, but a school that big cant open if it doesnt have water. The facility, whose construction was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, was planned to include 120 bedrooms for students from other islands throughout the archipelago who are unable to commute back home every day. I come and go to bring my daughter. Crossing is a challenge because of the tide. Often were wet when we arrive. We also have to wake up early its not easy, says Navarro. Teachers worry that, given such difficulties, drop-out rates will increase. In 2022, more than 100,000 Panamanian children and teenagers left school before graduating. Those youngsters are concentrated in the capital and areas where the population is mainly Indigenous. Difficult commutes to class are a major factor in these numbers. Aleida Gonzales observes her familys move while she waits with her things for her turn to be relocated from Isberyala. CHELO CAMACHO The students practice run coincides with a bittersweet day for the islands inhabitants. That same June 3, the Carti Sugdup community was relocated to a neighborhood built especially for them on the mainland, and they left behind the lives they once knew. Rising sea levels due to global warming are leaving many of the islands in the paradisiacal Guna Yala archipelago inhabitable. And so, Laurentino Cortizos government put together a project that had been under discussion in the past two presidential administrations: the relocation of the residents of at least 63 of Panamas 365 islands. According to studies overseen by Ligia Castro de Doens, director of climate change at Panamas Ministry of Environment, none of them will be inhabitable by 2050. The inhabitants of Blancas island were the first to be moved. In addition to relocating the population, the government committed to building a multilingual and multiethnic school a little over a half-mile away from Isber Yala, the neighborhood to which a large part of Carti's 300 families have moved. The majority, say some locals, come and go from the island, but sleep on the mainland. Placido Tejeda and Dad Naggue Dubits family relax on the porch of their new home in Isberyala on June 3, 2024. CHELO CAMACHO The change in presidential administrations last July, with the election of Jose Raul Mulino, left the community waiting for its school. On her visit to the island, a dozen mothers implored the former minister of education, Maruja Villalobos, to pass along the message to her successor. Dont forget about our children, asked a mother, gripping the former ministers arm. In this government, we want to take this seriously, says Gregorio Green, head of the National Directorate of Intercultural Bilingual Education. We hope to open at the end of August. Possibly by September they will be attending classes at a model school with a multiethnic curriculum, he says. Some islanders like Atilio Martinez, a Guna historian and community leader, are less optimistic and believe there will be no classes until next year. Having been in his position for less than a month, Green says via telephone that they are carrying out a pilot plan to supply material in Guna, Bri Bri and Bugle, among others languages, to the rural areas in which the countrys eight Indigenous communities live. In the city, no such pluralistic agenda is planned. When we bring the texts and carry out the teacher trainings, I know that for many of them this is nothing new, because theyre already doing it. But now we want to support them. And do it well, he says. The plan comes with a $65,000 budget, and its facilitators are determined that Law 88 will be more than words on a page. The regulation, which was approved in 2010, recognizes the historic worth and heritage of cultural diversity and urges educational institutions to develop plans that take into account the mother tongue and traditional spirituality of Panamas Indigenous peoples. For us, its better not to lose our traditions, explains the teacher. We cant say that to the children who come from other places, we have to love what our ancestors left us. We also have something that the capital doesnt, and that is the way we love nature. We have to teach that as well in schools. Altagracia holds up one of her traditional mola textiles in front of her home on the island of Gardi Sugdub. CHELO CAMACHO Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition WHO Declares Mpox a Global Health Emergency. What to Know About the New Strain Fact checked by Nick BlackmerFact checked by Nick Blackmer Key Takeaways The World Health Organization declared mpox to be a global health threat for the second time in three years. A surge of mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of African countries raised concern about the potential for a larger outbreak. A new, deadlier viral strain is responsible for many of those cases. So far, there are no known cases of that viral strain in the U.S. On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, as a "public health emergency of international concern." A day after the WHO's announcement, Sweden detected one case of the new mpox strain, the first known infection of the strain outside of Africa. The WHO made a similar declaration in 2022. Since then, nearly 100,000 people worldwidemostly men who have sex with men (MSM)have had confirmed mpox and more than 200 people have died of the disease. A deadlier strain of the mpox virus has since emerged. So far this year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported more than 15,600 mpox cases and 537 deaths. The disease has spread through 13 countries in Africa, including a few that had never reported mpox cases before. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak has the potential to spread to more countries in Africa and possibly beyond the continent. "The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying, Tedros said in a statement. Its clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives. In the current outbreak, women and children under the age of 15 are also at high risk for infection. No cases of the new strain have been detected in the United States. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the risk to the U.S. general public from the strain is very low. Nevertheless, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told clinicians and the public to be on alert for signs of mpox. Although mpox is a global threat in terms of its ability to spread and cause a significant global outbreak like we saw in 2022, it had fallen out of the news headlines, said Boghuma Titanji, MD, MSc, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University. Im hoping that this declaration would certainly focus the global attention on the importance of containing the outbreak while its still geographically limited, so that we dont see further extension to other parts of the world. Related: Mpox vs. Chickenpox: What Are the Differences? What Is Mpox? Mpox was first discovered in monkeys, which led to its original name, monkeypox. Scientists now think the virus originated in rodents. In 2022, WHO renamed the disease due to complaints that the former name stigmatizes patients and perpetuates racist tropes. Mpox is a viral infection that is caused by an orthopoxvirus, the same family that causes smallpox. It can spread from infected animals and between humans through close contact, such as touching, kissing, and sex. You can also get mpox by touching contaminated materials like sheets, clothing, and needles. Theres increasing evidence that the virus could be airborne, though the CDC doesnt currently recognize that as a transmission route. An mpox infection may first feel like getting the flu. People often experience fever, headaches, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue. After a few days, a rash or lesions appear. Those lesions tend to progress from flat, colorless lesions to fluid-filled lesions to scabs that fall off during the healing process. Mpox was detected in humans in 1970 in the DRC. Its now considered endemic to countries in central and west Africa. In the summer of 2022, mpox spread rapidly through countries that hadnt seen it before, including the U.S. In that outbreak, the disease was transmitted mostly through sexual contact. The WHO ended the global health emergency in May 2023, and there was a decline in cases worldwide after that. Related: How Mpox Is Diagnosed A Potentially More Dangerous Viral Strain The new mpox strain is called clade 1. Historically, the mortality rate for people infected with clade 1 is between 5% and 10%. Thats deadlier than the 1% to 3% mortality rate for clade 2, which caused most infections in the 2022 outbreak. However, death rates tend to be lower in the U.S., where health care is more accessible than in the rural parts of African countries where mpox is most common. During the 2022 outbreak, for instance, the death rate was 0.01% in the U.S. Titanji said that if clade 1 made its way to the U.S., it would cause fewer deaths than it does in the DRC and its neighboring countries. Like clade 2, clade 1 appears to spread through close contact and especially through sexual transmission. Some reports show that many people who got sick with the new strain in the DRC are sex workers and women. The CDC says theres no confirmed evidence of widespread transmission of clade 1 between heterosexual people in the DRC and that the risk to that group in the U.S. is low. Still, genetic sequencing shows signs that after years of moving from person to person, the virus is evolving to better infect humans. Is it something about the virus changing that has made it more easily transmissible through sexual means, or is it just a consequence of a virus exploiting social factors to more efficiently transmit? If we dont have a good understanding of these questions, then it makes it harder to have a robust strategy to respond to it, Titanji said. The purpose of the WHOs public health emergency declaration is to increase resources to distribute vaccines and monitor cases for a better understanding of how the virus is spreading. More than 100 lab-confirmed cases of clade 1 have been reported in four countries neighboring DRC that have not previously reported pox. The WHO says the number of cases is probably higher because many of them havent been tested. Related: What Does an Mpox Rash Look Like? How to Prevent and Treat Mpox The mpox vaccine available in the U.S. is called Jynneos. Its a two-dose series, with the second shot given four weeks after the first. The CDC recommends the vaccine to men who have sex with other men, transgender, non-binary, or gender-diver people. You should also get the shot if you have, or may have, been exposed to someone with mpox or if youve had sex at a commercial venue like a sex club or bathhouse. About one in four people who are eligible for an mpox vaccine have received their full dose, according to the CDCs last update in January 2023. Two shots are required to be protected from the disease. These vaccines confer cross-immunity to other poxviruses and are anticipated to be effective even against the clade 1 virus, so it will be important for people who meet criteria to go and get vaccinated, Titanji said. Theres no treatment approved for treating mpox, specifically. For most people, the symptoms will go away on their own after a few weeks. People who have severe infections or who are at high risk for complications of the disease may get an off-label prescription for Tpoxx (tecovirimat), a smallpox antiviral that may be helpful for treating mpox. Read Next: How Long Does Mpox Last? What This Means For You The CDC recommends getting vaccinated if you're at high risk for being exposed to mpox. Talk to a health provider if you recently traveled to the DRC, if you have symptoms of mpox, or if youve been exposed to someone with the disease. Read the original article on Verywell Health. FILE - Containers of Zyn, a Phillip Morris smokeless nicotine pouch, are displayed for sale among other nicotine and tobacco products at a newsstand Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in New York. The product has been making big headlines, sparking debate about whether new nicotine-based alternatives intended for adults may be catching on with underage teens and adolescents. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File) Two years ago, Hunter Ratchford had never heard of Zyn. Today, he is a full-time Zynfluencer. As a college sophomore at Auburn University in Alabama, Ratchford was struggling. I got very anxious and very all over the place. I said, I need something to try to calm me down, to try to help me focus. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. He bummed a Zyn nicotine pouch from his roommate in his frat house. It was the first time he had tried nicotine in any form. After that first one, I was like, Thats good, I need another, he said. Ive been there ever since. One of the first TikToks that Ratchford ever uploaded was him trying different flavors of Zyn that he had ordered online from Sweden. The video quickly reached 400,000 views. Another video of him shoving Zyn pouches into his mouth during a concert hit 7,000,000. I was like, Maybe this is what I should continue doing, he said. So I have. Last week, the 22-year-old quit his job at a restaurant. Now, his income comes from TikTok views and partnerships with other nicotine companies. Zyn and its parent company, Philip Morris International, have said they do not partner with online influencers in the United States. I was kind of upset about that, because Ive made them a lot of money, Ratchford said. And theyve made me a lot of money, too. Perhaps some background information is in order - a Zyntroduction, if you will - about what Zyn is and how it became a new signifier in culture (and culture wars). In January, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) held a news conference calling for the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Zyn, which prompted backlash from Republican lawmakers. Come and take it, Chuck, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) wrote on X. This calls for a Zynsurrection! wrote Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Tucker Carlson has effectively been an unpaid Zyn spokesman. He has touted its benefits as a stimulant - calling it a powerful work enhancer - and spouted unproven theories that nicotine can enhance virility and help with erections. In December, fratty content creators the Nelk Boys (who recently featured in JD Vances first TikTok video) gifted Carlson a gigantic tin of Zyn delivered via helicopter. The volume of nicotine in here could save the world, Carlson said to the camera, holding his own palm-size tin of Zyn up for scale. The sentiment that nicotine is a boon to the nervous system and brain function is echoed in corners of the internet devoted to biohacking and personal optimization. Conservatives in particular have been trumpeting nicotines productivity-enhancing properties and blasting liberals for nanny state policies that would ban Zyn. As Greg Price, the communications director at the State Freedom Caucus Network, told Semafor this year: A man with nicotine, protein, caffeine, and creatine coursing through his veins is an unstoppable force. Though Zyn is a relatively new product, its usage has grown rapidly. And its not popular only in red states. In July, Emily Sundberg, who lives in Brooklyn and writes about business trends in her newsletter, Feed Me, told the hosts of the menswear podcast Throwing Fits that she and her friends are Zyn fans. I think people are really into uppers right now, she said. The Celsius, the nicotine, she added, referring to a brand of energy drink. Last month, Philip Morris International beat estimates, and CEO Jacek Olczak credited it to the excellent momentum of our smoke-free business, including its most popular U.S. smokeless product, Zyn. The company also announced that annual sales of Zyn would reach around 580 million cans, reflecting roughly 50 percent growth over last year. Meanwhile, on TikTok, creators have been showing off their lip pillows (i.e., pouches tucked into their gums), tossing tins to their favorite musicians onstage and leaning hard into words and phrases such as Zynfluencer, Zynful moments and Zynbabwe. The hype has led to a nationwide Zyn shortage, with some convenience stores hanging signs outside telling their customers whether they have any in stock. In response, Philip Morris announced plans to build a new $600 million factory in Colorado to help meet demand. In June, during this low-Zynventory summer, the comedian Shane Gillis gave Joe Rogan his first Zyn pouch while recording an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. Then, a young woman named Haliey Welch skyrocketed to internet fame in a video advocating for [spitting] on that thang during sex, earning her the nickname the Hawk Tuah Girl. The writer Max Read coined the term the Zynternet to describe the online communities who embraced Welch. It joined terms such as Mascuzynity and the Zynpocalypse in the cultural lexicon. - - - How did we arrive in this strange new world? It all started in Sweden (not Zynbabwe), where smokeless tobacco called snus - sold as both loose tobacco and portioned pouches - has been used for centuries. In 2008, a Swedish company called Niconovum released the first pouches to contain synthetic nicotine. R.J. Reynolds, the first American tobacco company to get into the smoking-cessation business, scooped up the company for $44 million a year later. Philip Morris International followed, acquiring Swedish Match - the manufacturer of Zyn nicotine pouches - for $16 billion in 2022. These acquisitions were part of a long-term strategy for tobacco companies to move from the combustible to the smokeless. Marketing materials for Zyn, made with nicotine salts and artificial flavors, tout the fact that its tobacco free. While such products are generally viewed as being less-harmful alternatives to cigarettes and cigars, health experts are concerned that theyre hooking young people, with Zyn available in flavors such as wintergreen, citrus and cinnamon. Theres a lot of fear and concern over whether this is going to be the next Juul, said Ollie Ganz, an assistant professor who works at the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine & Tobacco Studies. Ganz was referring to the e-cigarette company that introduced a younger generation to vaping. Philip Morris International didnt respond to The Washington Posts request for comment. There has already been some regulatory pushback against Zyn. The attorney general of Washington, D.C., sent a subpoena to Swedish Match North America to investigate whether the company was complying with a 2022 law that banned flavored nicotine products in the District. In response, Swedish Match halted online sales of Zyn in June. Page Dobbs, an associate professor of public health at the University of Arkansas, is also concerned that the company could be using Zyn Rewards to reach new users, particularly women, a demographic that was historically underrepresented among smokeless tobacco consumers. Her research brought her to TikTok, where she found a community of women promoting Zyn Rewards, a continuity program in which Zyn users can scan a QR code to amass points for products such as coffee machines, headphones and outdoor grills. If they are attracting new users, then this is evidence that could be taken back to court, Dobbs said. - - - This past Friday, Donald Trump Jr. wrote, Kamalas VP Wannabe Tim Walz Levied WHOPPING 95% Tax on Zyn in a post on X, referring to a change in Minnesota law that allowed Zyn to be regulated as a moist snuff tobacco product, and therefore is subject to a tax rate of 95% of the wholesale sales price or $3.04, whichever is greater. It caused a ripple of outrage on right-leaning news platforms. Conservative politicians have been making hay of Zyn regulations by stoking outrage. But a lot of Zynfluencers are just in it for the laughs. Ashley Henderson, 25, is a TikTok creator from Queen Creek, Ariz., who has made several humorous TikTok videos about her husbands Zyn use, including one about scanning QR codes for Zyn Rewards points from several towers of empty tins. One of her husbands friends managed to nab an expensive Traeger-brand smoker using Zyn Rewards. Its kind of a nice perk, I guess, she said of the program. Henderson doesnt use nicotine herself but is glad that her husband, who works as a recruiter in the Navy, switched from chewing tobacco to Zyn before a deployment a few years ago. In high-risk jobs like the military, you get hooked on that stuff, and you have it for the rest of your life, she said. Even for blue-collar workers and construction guys, thats something that they need, honestly. Henderson says that when she sends her husband Zyn memes, shes not thinking about some larger culture war. I just think theyre funny, she said. Ratchford also thinks the us-vs.-them narrative around Zyn might be overblown. I have plenty of friends in blue states, in big cities like Boston and New York and Chicago, that use it just as much as me, he said. So that makes me think its not just a red-state thing. For Chris Plummer, an operations manager in Oakdale, Minn., the rise in Zyns popularity helped him stop using nicotine pouches. Watching videos with the likes of Carlson, Rogan and the Nelk Boys bro-ing down over Zyn was a turnoff. Lately, as Ive seen all these famous people doing it, its made me want to do it less, said Plummer, 38. Luckily, two months ago, Plummer found another online community: a subreddit dedicated to people who want to quit Zyn. As of this writing, he hadnt popped a pouch in 19 days. Related Content Some Jewish voters are glad Josh Shapiro wasnt picked for VP Kamala. Hillary. Nancy. But not Joe, Donald or Barack. Why? The worlds priciest drug may save lives. Can kids get it in time? Decorated New Bedford firefighter dies while on duty NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) The New Bedford Fire Department is mourning the loss of a firefighter who died Wednesday night, Chief Scott Kruger told 12 News. Matthew E. Forand (Courtesy: New Bedford Fire Department) Matthew E. Forand, 45, passed away after suffering a medical emergency while on duty at Fire Station 9, according to preliminary information. On behalf of the New Bedford Fire Department and all our members, I want to express our most heartfelt condolences to Matts family and loved ones, especially his two children, Kruger said. Forand completed the New Bedford Firefighting Academy in 2006 and was most recently assigned to Engine Co. 9. He was consistently recognized for his commitment to the New Bedford community, according to Kruger. In 2014, Forand received the Medal of Valor for rescuing an unconscious victim from the second floor of a burning building. Kruger said he also received a Unit Citation as a member of Engine Co. 6 for his efforts battling a deadly fire at Royal Crown Lodging in March 2023. I also want to pledge the Departments support for them in a time of sadness, the chief added. This is an unspeakable loss for them, for his brother and sister firefighters, and our community. Matt Forand was an exemplary firefighter, thoroughly committed to serve the residents of the city he loved, Mayor Jon Mitchell said. His untimely death is deeply saddening to all who loved and served with him. I offer my heartfelt condolences to Matts family and his fellow firefighters. Information regarding the services has not been released at this time. The department asks that people respect the familys privacy. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. This article was originally published in Spotlight Delaware. As Delawares families and students prepare for the start of the new school year later this month, many districts are still struggling to fill open positions before the summer ends. More than 700 job openings remain unfilled at schools statewide, with an average of 41 openings per district, according to the Delaware Schools Consortium, which tracks openings across the state at all but four districts the Appoquinimink, Cape Henlopen, Colonial, and Seaford school districts choose to do their own marketing. The shortages experienced in Delaware schools are a continuation of a post-COVID trend, and it has led some districts to make more drastic changes. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Last year, the Capital School District serving the greater Dover area employed remote teachers to videoconference into some classrooms while a support professional managed students due to workforce shortages. In May, Capital district families were given less than two days notice that schools would shift to an entirely remote learning due to a shortage in teaching and transportation staff. The Capital School District still has 124 job openings, and its same-school retention rates for teachers dropped by roughly 13 percentage points between the 2022-23 academic year. Capital School District did not respond to Spotlight Delawares request for comment on its current needs. It is not alone in the need to bolster workforce levels though. Brandywine sees the same amount of job openings as previous year As of Tuesday, the Brandywine School District has 73 total job openings, according to the districts Consortium page. District spokesman William Bill OHanlon noted that the number of job openings has been slightly higher than normal since the COVID-19 pandemic and that its 17 vacancies for elementary schools and 15 for its secondary schools are similar to where the district was at this time last year. Its almost like a domino effect. BILL OHANLON, BRANDYWINE SCHOOL DISTRICT PIO Filling in the hiring gaps in the final weeks of summer is crucial because its important to ensure that buildings are well-functioning for its students, OHanlon added. When you have a school that does not have enough staff members to function adequately for student learning, I think thats a concern for anybody, he said. At the end of the day, we want to make sure that theres enough staff members in the building who are able to teach students. Staff at Brandywine usually speak with the administration before the end of the school year about whether theyll be returning for the coming school year, which OHanlon feels gives the district a leg up on the hiring process. The district typically begins planning what its staff will look like for a future school year starting in the spring based on what students needs will look like for the following year. OHanlon also noted the importance of looking at other areas besides educators, like cafeteria aids or custodial workers, who arent necessarily included when people think of shortages in education. If you dont have enough cafeteria workers, that might mean longer lunch lines, he said. Longer breakfast lines might mean students who are going to be in the cafeteria longer and not in the classroom. If you dont have enough custodians, again, its almost like a domino effect. Lake Forest experiences better recruitment year Lake Forest had 16 job openings as of Tuesday, which is better than normal, especially in the last five years, according to Human Resources Director Travis Moorman. The district also had a same-school retention rate of 54.8% in 2022 and 52.7% in 2023, according to the states educator mobility data. The Lake Forest School District also uses the Delaware Schools Consortium as its main resource, but Moorman noted although the consortium system is automated, it requires each district to have its own person to manage it. One of the challenges Lake Forest experiences with the consortium site is that their collective bargaining agreement calls for a job to be posted for a specific amount of time. After a job is posted, Lake Forest primarily relies on word of mouth to recruit and employ many people from the community as it is a smaller district. Like Brandywine, the district also begins planning for future school years starting in the spring. In some cases, Lake Forest is able to start hiring as early as April for the following school year. In the past, Moorman has utilized regional job fairs as a way to recruit those who may be early in their careers but has seen an increase in recent graduates wanting to return to their home communities to teach. I have found, especially since the pandemic, that a lot of kids in college are more interested in staying home, he said. Ill go to Pittsburgh to a regional job fair there. Ive gone to Kutztown, gone to Millersville University, of course, we go down here to Salisbury and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, they usually do a combined job fair. But a lot of the kids, even down there at Salisbury, a lot of them are coming from the other side of the Chesapeake Bay, and a lot of them had plans to go back home. Given the difficulties in hiring through job fairs, Lake Forest has worked hard to recruit its staff through word of mouth or different connections. Our principals here in the district work really hard on recruiting people through connections and past work experiences, Moorman said. Its really kind of a group effort. And this year, for the first time since the pandemic started, its really paid off. Woodbridges recruiters are its staff Like Lake Forest, the Woodbridge School District, a small district serving the greater Bridgeville area, focuses on staff connections to help bring in new recruits. I would say our staff currently help us tremendously by just discussing their work environment and how they enjoy it, said Kelley Kirkland, the assistant superintendent at Woodbridge. Obviously that piques the interest of other people that may not feel the same from wherever they are currently working. Woodbridge has maintained a steady same-school retention rate for its teachers in recent years, with a rate of 56.6% in 2022 and 55.7% in 2023. The district currently has 13 total openings, with two being at the elementary school level and one at the high school level. Kirkland said the district is in pretty good standing with its amount of job openings, especially with teachers returning on Aug. 19. She credits the districts standing with having a really good hiring season this past spring and summer compared to years past. Although Woodbridge is seeing a good recruiting year, Kirkland has experienced the stress from trying to fill jobs in the remaining weeks of summer as she previously served as the principal of the high school. At the end of the day, teaching positions are tied to student performance and students that are reporting to our building, so when we have several teacher openings, its extremely stressful to think about how were going to welcome students back in several weeks, knowing that we dont have all the positions filled, Kirkland said. Why the shortages? During COVID, Delaware schools saw an uptick in teachers retiring that exacerbated workforce needs. The state also has long faced staff competition for new teachers in the region, where traveling out of state to districts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Maryland is easy. As of the 2022-23 school year, Delaware ranked 16th overall in average annual educator pay at nearly $69,000, according to the latest national survey by the National Education Association. However, neighboring states ranked seventh (N.J.), ninth (Md.) and 11th (Pa.) in average pay, offering $5,000 to $7,000 more than Delaware. Those averages are particularly impacted by first-year teacher salaries where Delaware has lagged behind by even more. In response, Gov. John Carney has prioritized teacher salary increases, starting a proposed four-year investment this year to push starting teacher salaries in Delaware to a minimum of $60,0000. Finally, teacher shortages come at a time when state educators are expressing frustrations within schools too. The Delaware State Education Association (DSEA), the union that represents state public school teachers, recently conducted a survey with its members to determine the main issues of the teacher shortage. It found that seven out of 10 teachers are dissatisfied with their teaching conditions. One of the concerns that does come up from members frequently is concern about student behavior in classrooms, and what we can do to address that, said Jon Neubauer, the director of education policy at DSEA. I think, mostly from the perspective of our members, we want every child in our schools to be successful, so we know that if there are behavioral issues that need to be addressed, addressing them only improves academic outcomes for the students. In response, the state recently established a Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force that is examining the state of Delaware schools and what can improve from a behavioral aspect. New programs aim to help DSEA has been working at the state level to identify programs, supports and resources to encourage professionals to stay in Delawares school. Select school districts in the state including Appoquinimink, Brandywine, Caesar Rodney, Cape Henlopen, Capital, Colonial, Indian River, Milford, Seaford and Smyrna, as well as Academia Antonia Alonso Charter School, the Las Americas Aspira Academy and Campus Community Charter School also have access to the students enrolled in Delaware Technical Community Colleges Bachelor of Science in education program. Students enrolled in the program participate in a year-long residency program, where they gain professional development with a teacher starting at the beginning of the school year. Its a co-teaching experience through the end of the school year, so they see the ins and outs of a school year, and thats including report cards, parent conferences, field trips, decorating a classroom in the beginning of the school year, to parties, you name it, said Jill Austin, the programs director. All of the ins and outs of the school year are much more beneficial to a student because and you build that rapport, you get to see the growth, the academic growth and the social, emotional growth of your students from the beginning of the school year to the end. Del Tech has been working with external stakeholders and with school districts to establish a good rapport, and the stakeholders have told the college which schools need the programs residents, Austin said. She also has districts reaching out and asking for more residents as well. The college is also implementing a grow your own program, which allows them to bring in vetted paraeducators for a three-year obligation to complete their degree in three years and become a teacher of record by 202, Austin added. This story was originally published on Spotlight Delaware Democratic Party will try in court to knock RFK Jr. off Washington ballots Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign rally at Legends Event Center on Dec. 20, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images) State and national Democratic Party leaders are teaming up to force presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off ballots in Washington. The Washington state Democratic Party planned to file an appeal Friday of the secretary of states determination that Kennedy qualified for the November ballot. He is one of nine minor party candidates approved for the ballot by state election officials Tuesday. We believe that the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign did not follow the rules. We do not believe they can prove that they did, said Stephen Reed, communications director for the state party. Party chair Shasti Conrad is the lead plaintiff in the legal challenge being filed in Thurston County Superior Court. The Democratic National Committee is covering the costs, Reed said. Kennedy campaign officials did not respond to an email request for comment. On Friday, the campaign issued a press release updating its efforts to get Kennedy on ballots in all 50 states. Washington state law says minor party presidential candidates can qualify by collecting signatures of at least 1,000 registered voters at one or more conventions. Those conventions must be held between the first Saturday in May and the fourth Saturday in July and a single convention can be a meeting of as few as 100 registered voters. On Aug. 9, attorneys for the state Democratic Party urged the secretary of state to not certify Kennedys nomination, contending the 4,181 signatures submitted in June on his behalf were not collected at a legitimate party convention. State law says an appeal of a secretary of states decision must be filed within five days and that any challenge shall be heard and finally disposed of by the court within five days of the filing. Democratic staffer files complaint against Green Party being on Wisconsin ballot, saying they can't qualify A Democratic Party staffer has filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission saying that the Green Party, which had achieved ballot access in the key battleground state this past year, should not be on the ballot. In the complaint, Democratic National Committee Deputy Operations Director in Wisconsin David Strange alleges that the Green Party does not have anyone who would be allowed by state law to be a nominator for the Green Party's presidential electors -- meaning they cannot give a valid list of presidential electors, voiding their eligibility on the ticket. It could make a difference if the Green Party can't appear on the ballot in Wisconsin, a crucial battleground state that both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will look to win in November. Jill Stein is expected to become the party's formal nominee at its virtual convention, which began Thursday, and will be announcing her running mate on Friday. MORE: Election 2024 updates: ABC News Harris-Trump debate to be held in Philadelphia In the complaint, Strange writes that Wisconsin law requires the people nominating electors to be the political party's state legislative candidates or legislators of the party. There are no Green Party legislators in Wisconsin. "The August 13, 2024 primary was the last opportunity for [Wisconsin Green Party] to nominate a candidate for Wisconsin Senate or Assembly before the 2024 general election. But, WGP failed to nominate any candidates for Wisconsin Senate or Assembly, and a sufficient number of electors did not nominate a candidate by writing in any WGP candidate for Wisconsin Senate or Assembly," Strange wrote in the complaint. PHOTO: The skyline of Milwaukee is seen on July 11, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The complaint was first reported by the Associated Press and was provided to ABC News by the DNC. It has also since been posted on the Wisconsin Elections Commission website, which logs every complaint filed with that body. "We take the nomination process for President and Vice President very seriously and believe every candidate should follow the rules," senior adviser to the DNC Adrienne Watson said in a statement to ABC News. "Because the Wisconsin Green Party hasn't fielded candidates for legislative or statewide office and doesn't have any current incumbent legislative or statewide office holders, it cannot nominate candidates and should not be on the ballot in November." ABC News reached out to the Wisconsin Elections Commission for more details about its timeline for making a decision about the complaint, but didn't hear back by the time this story was published. Jason Call, campaign manager for Stein's campaign, told ABC News by email, "This is a fishing expedition conjured up by the DNC, and is in line with their statements back in March that they will hire an army of lawyers and infiltrators to find any angle of attack to prevent Green Party ballot access." PHOTO: Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein speaks at a Pro-Palestinian protest in front of the White House, on June 8, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Mattie Neretin/Getty Images) MORE: RFK Jr. says he has 'no plans to endorse' Harris after he recently tried to set up meeting with her Call said that the campaign "absolutely will be hiring counsel to defend our ballot line in Wisconsin." The national Green Party, when contacted for comment, deferred to Stein's campaign. The Green Party has ballot access in at least 20 states, according to ABC News's current reporting, and both the party and Stein herself have been filing to get on the ballot in others. PHOTO: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during the Libertarian National Convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, May 24, 2024. (Jose Luis Magana/AP) The DNC, state Democratic parties and Democratic-aligned groups have separately filed various challenges or complaints across the country challenging ballot access petitions from some independent or third-party candidates such as Stein, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Cornel West. The challenges allege either missteps, fraudulent actions or legal reasons that should disqualify those candidates from getting on the ballot. The campaigns have denied allegations of misconduct and have said they should legally qualify for the ballot. MORE: More Americans approve of Walz as VP pick compared to Vance: POLL The Nevada Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in June to the Green Party's ballot access filing in Nevada, which a judge has since dismissed, the Nevada Independent reported on Monday. Stein, a physician and environmentalist, has campaigned on climate issues, a "Green New Deal," and housing and workers' rights; she has also been sharply critical of President Joe Biden on the Israel-Hamas war. She has pushed back in the past against claims that her campaign could be seen as a "spoiler" for either major party candidate -- allegations she also faced in 2016 during a previous presidential run. In an interview in June, Stein told ABC News, "Just because the two major parties have thrown workers under the bus; have really made a mess out of our climate; and embroiled us in endless wars that are endangering the whole world ... Just because those two parties have basically overseen that process of screwing the American electorate. I don't think that entitles them to your vote." Democratic staffer files complaint against Green Party being on Wisconsin ballot, saying they can't qualify originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Democrats know theyre winning the presidential race right now. But they also know how quickly that could change. There could be a global crisis, an escalation in the already violent Middle East, a widespread hacking or a domestic event that could turn the political tides to turn and alter yet again the trajectory of the race. Every presidential campaign in modern history has had to go through an unanticipated scandal, crisis or world event, and at some point, that political law is going to happen to Kamala Harriss campaign, said Fernand Amandi, a veteran strategist who helped former President Obama win Florida in the 2008 and 2012 elections. And until she passes that stress test and Im confident she will this election is still wide open. Anyone who is measuring the drapes at the White House needs a serious reality check, Amandi added. One month ago, Democrats were showing signs of despair as they trailed former President Trump. Polls in key states showed Trump ahead of President Biden. Democrats were having an existential crisis over whether Biden should withdraw from the race and hand the reins to Vice President Harris, and they didnt even know if Harris would be a viable candidate against Trump. But after Biden removed himself from the race, momentum shifted significantly in Harriss direction. The vice president is packing arenas with thousands of supporters, and shes not only winning in national polls but in key states including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. One survey this week even showed that for the first time this cycle, voters say they trust Harris over Trump on the economy the most pivotal issue in the campaign. But Democrats are worried the race could easily swing back in the other direction especially as Harris begins to face tough questions on her policy proposals. The vice president has yet to face reporters in a sit-down interview or news conference where she will have to answer tough questions on news of the day including the escalation in the Middle East or her shifting viewpoints on various issues since she last ran for president in 2019. While Trump has taken part in a number of media opportunities, including a press conference Thursday and a highly publicized interview with Tesla founder Elon Musk on Monday, even his allies say he hasnt moved the needle with voters he needs. Hes making this race about everything other than the three big issues, one former Trump aide said. Hes not doing himself any favors, and I dont think hes getting anyone other than his base to vote for him. Id say, at this point, hes turning people off. The former aide predicted Trump would try to shake up his campaign before the fall in an effort to jump-start it. Trumps flailing bid, however, doesnt give Democrats any hope that this race is locked. Democrats point to the last two election cycles as proof that its going to come down to just tens of thousands of votes in the key states. Democrats are rightfully elated with the trajectory of the Harris-Walz campaign, Democratic strategist Tim Hogan said. But anyone politically conscious over the last decade especially Democrats knows that terrain can shift and events beyond our control can quickly change the nature of elections. This is going to be a nail-biter, Hogan added. No one should convince themselves that this is going to be anything other than extremely close, and we cannot give an inch in the closing 12 weeks. Jim Messina, who served as Obamas campaign manager in 2012, said Thursday that the race is going to be incredibly close. When you look at who the undecided voters are in this election, were down to like 5 percent, Messina told Dana Perino on Fox News. And the question is, are some of those voters going to get out and actually vote. Democratic strategist Christy Setzer said while Trump hasnt won an election in eight years, Democrats are still haunted by his win in 2016, and the efforts to overturn Bidens victory in 2020, which she said very nearly succeeded [but] for the grace of Vice President Mike Pence. So we come into this with a ton of well-earned anxiety that all the polls in the world cant entirely dissipate, Setzer said. It all looks good, but trust us when when say we take nothing for granted. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. House Democrats already energized by the surging presidential ticket topped by Vice President Harris are increasingly optimistic that a growing number of abortion referendums across the country this cycle will help them win the House and the presidency come November. The secretaries of state in Arizona and Missouri greenlighted two pro-abortion rights ballot initiatives this week, bringing the total number of referendums regarding the issue to eight this cycle, according to KFF. A handful of other efforts are pending across the country. Womens reproductive rights played a crucial role in the 2022 midterm elections, when anger over the Supreme Court decision striking down Roe v. Wade drove Democrats to ballot boxes in large numbers, producing better-than-expected results for the party. The Democratic enthusiasm blunted a widely anticipated GOP red wave, leaving Republicans with just a slim majority in the House. With less than three months to go until Election Day, House Democrats are hopeful the rising number of abortion initiatives on the ballot coupled with Harriss place as the presidential nominee will help motivate voters and generate victories for the party, both at the top of the ticket and downballot. When abortion rights are on the ballot, people turn out to defend their rights, and Democrats win, Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), told The Hill in an interview. This has been true throughout this cycle in special election after special election, we have seen increased turnout when abortion has been on the ballot. We want to put laws passed in place to protect reproductive freedom. Thats a top priority for us, she later added, and were gonna be very clear to voters across the country about that, and so will Vice President Harris. Rep. Dina Titus (D) of Nevada, which has an abortion measure on the ballot this cycle, said womens reproductive rights are emerging as an even more important issue this cycle than the last one, because former President Trump is back on the ballot. Republicans across the country have gone after abortion rights, and Trump, during a press conference last week, suggested he was open to banning a widely used abortion pill, mifepristone, a stance his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), walked back days later. I thought maybe it was just an issue for the last election and it wouldnt be so important now, but I think its even more important now, because you have seen this Supreme Court at work, you have heard bizarre comments from the vice presidential candidate, and Trump continues to brag about the people he put on the Supreme Court and overturned Roe v. Wade, Titus said. So its even more acute now than it was then. Democrats are leaning into abortion rights as Harris the administrations lead voice on the issue has pumped new energy into the 2024 cycle, putting the issue of womens reproductive rights front and center with a messenger more effective than President Biden, who stepped aside from the top of the ticket last month. In July, as a six-week abortion ban took effect in Iowa, the Harris campaign launched a Fight for Reproduction Freedom Week of Action, which featured events in battleground states focused on all thats at stake for reproductive rights in this election. During a rally that month, Harris declared we are not playing around on restoring abortion rights on the federal level. The DCCC, similarly, has made womens reproductive rights a central theme this cycle. Last month, after Biden dropped out and threw his support behind Harris, the campaign arm referenced GOP efforts to curtail abortion in its memo detailing Democrats path back to the majority. Before that, in April, the group issued a memorandum zeroing in on vulnerable Republicans running in states where womens reproductive rights is on the ballot in November. The number of states with abortion-related ballot initiatives has increased since then. Voters in Arizona, Missouri, Nevada, Colorado, South Dakota, New York, Maryland and Florida will weigh in on measures to protect abortion rights in their states in November, while some other key states including Montana and Nebraska are in the process of getting their petitions for referendum approved. The growing number of ballot initiatives is fueling hope among House Democrats that voter turnout will be turbocharged this cycle. The referendums, they say, could further energize Democrats who are already excited by Harriss candidacy, and propel voters who are unenthused by the slate of candidates before them but dedicated to protecting womens reproductive rights. Once those individuals arrive at the ballot boxes to support abortion rights, the House Democrats predicted, they will also cast votes in support of candidates dedicated to the cause. I absolutely think that there are voters that perhaps wouldnt be so motivated by a candidate or a slate of candidates as far as their decision to even vote at all, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said. But when it comes to the government interfering with their personal health care choices, that is a motivator that propels some voters to the polls and causes them, once theyre in the ballot box as weve seen with election victories that were unexpected across the country that theyre not just casting a vote for reproductive freedom in the question thats on the ballot, but theyre voting for candidates who support that position as well. That elevated turnout, if it comes to fruition, could be key for Democrats in Arizona and Nevada, two states that will play a large role in determining not only the winner of the presidential race, but also which party controls the House and Senate. In Arizona, voters will weigh in on amending the state constitution to ensure the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and in Nevada, there will be the question of recognizing a fundamental right to abortion. Arizona and Nevada which carry a combined 17 electoral college votes are both toss-ups this cycle, according to Cook Political Report. But with abortion on the ballot, Democrats who hail from those states say Democratic enthusiasm over womens reproductive rights could put Harris over the edge. Its an important boost to the vice president, who is doing very, very well in Arizona, Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) said. I think youre gonna see Vice President Harris do well in Arizona. Titus, similarly, said the issue of abortion will help Democrats at the top of the ticket and downballot. I do believe it will make a difference, she said of the impact abortion politics will have on Harriss chances at the White House, adding, I certainly think it helps some Democratic candidates here in Nevada, because people are [reminded] of a Republican House having said that they would do a national abortion ban. The optimism, to be sure, is not unfounded. Five states had abortion initiatives on the ballot in November 2022 some supportive of the procedure, others opposed to it including in Michigan, where voters easily passed a proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the states constitution. Of the 25 districts that saw the highest voter turnout that year, six were in Michigan, with five of them in the top 10, according to Sabatos Crystal Ball. It was also a significant cycle for in-state Democrats: The party secured a trifecta for the first time since 1985. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), a member of the Pro Choice Caucus, said the initiative absolutely drove turnout in the Wolverine State that year, and predicted the same dynamic will emerge in states that have the issue on the ballot this cycle. I think it turns out voters, and voters vote on that issue, Dingell said. I think thats the issue that drives people to the polls, and then they vote for candidates that support keeping the government out of a womans health care decisions. Despite the increasingly hopefulness, some Democrats are urging their party to tread carefully as the calendar inches closer to Election Day. Were optimistic. Lets not ever be overly confident we know we got to fight till the last day for the last vote, Titus said. But this will certainly be another arrow in our quiver. This story was first posted at 5:30 a.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. When he was about 12 years old, in the early 1990s, Fede Alvarez pressed play on the VHS of Aliens, expecting to see a new Star Wars film. They were rerunning the saga for the imminent release of its third movie, and Alvarez wanted to see more spaceships. Halfway through the film, I realized that it was much more violent and bloody, he tells EL PAIS via video conference. That moment changed everything. The Uruguayan director was captivated by the Alien saga and dreamed of one day being able to control the xenomorph alien species that terrorizes spaceships. Directing an Alien movie is something Ive wanted to do for years, he says. When I finished Dont Breathe [2016] I started with the plan of presenting my idea to Ridley Scott. The director of the first Alien movie welcomed Alvarezs idea, acting as his mentor and producing his film. On the first day of filming, he gave him a note: Good luck. Good health. Good hunting. Dont fuck up. Very best. This is how Alien: Romulus was born. It is the first Alien movie under the Disney umbrella and the seventh in the saga (or ninth, if you count the two Alien vs. Predator films). In the movie which is out now in cinemas Alvarez returns to the roots of horror, but with a larger plan: to give coherence to the franchise and bring together the entire story: My co-writer, Rodo Sayagues, and I wanted it to be like Tolkiens rings, a film that brings them all together and binds them. Thats why they all live in his head to a degree. Even the video game Alien: Isolation has influenced him. This is his review of the saga. Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979) Sigourney Weaver, in a promotional image for 'Alien.' What works is the simplicity, the terror and the effectiveness of discovering the life cycle of the aliens transformations. What keeps you intrigued when you watch it is finding out what is happening, what this creature is, what it is looking for, what is going to happen to the person whose face it grabbed, what are they going to become, he says. But the characters are very light. People love to talk about how incredible they are, but you dont know anything about them, or where they are from, or what they want from life It works because you dont see the whole monster until the end. Then you discover its humanoid form, with those legs. I remember seeing it on television for the first time and that image leaving me in shock, adds Alvarez, who has rewatched the movie numerous times and has special edition Blu-rays of it at home. Alvarez wanted Romulus to recapture the terror of that first movie and the monsters power of transformation. This was the idea that convinced Scott, who was very present during the filming. At the premiere in Los Angeles, Scott joked about the clashes he had with the director. Alvarez laughs: He knows that when a director is given a lot of notes, the reaction is always to get angry. But the best comes out of that friction between director and producer. If you watch The Godfather or any masterpiece, the director never got 100% of what they wanted; there was a studio pushing. In that friction lies the truth. In recent years, we have seen what happens when streaming platforms let directors do exactly what they want: they dont do their best work. So I appreciate Ridleys strong point of view. Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott at the premiere of 'Alien: Romulus' on August 12 at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Alberto E. Rodriguez (Getty Images for 20th Century Studios ) Aliens (James Cameron, 1986) Sigourney Weaver, in an image from 'Aliens.' 20th Century Fox Cameron pushed the story towards action and being a thriller, so they said it wasnt horror, but as a kid it scared the shit out of me, recalls Alvarez. Alien: Romulus takes place exactly 20 years after Alien and 37 before Aliens. The director was obsessed with respecting the canon and not stepping on other directors work. The interplay between the two is what makes my film work. Its the rebellious child of the two. It looks like both, but it wants to rebel and not be them. In the final minutes of the film, it fights for its own existence. That is also written in the dialogues of the protagonist, Rain [played by Cailee Spaney], says the director of the film, where motherhood and childbirth are once again central themes. This sequel sparked the idea that Alvarez presented to Scott: I wanted the cast to be young. I wondered what it would be like if teenagers like Newt, the girl from Aliens, had grown up in this colony. I thought they would want to have escaped from there. My other argument was that I wanted to tell the story of the friendship between a human and an android, which Ridley has always been fascinated with because of Blade Runner. The android played by David Jonsson is the emotional and discursive center of the movie. David Jonsson, in an image from 'Alien: Romulus'. 20th Century Studios Alvarez also showed Romulus to Cameron, from whom he took ideas such as anti-capitalism or doubts about machines, and turned them into a reflection on how artificial intelligence is used by corporations: Cameron was very precise with the technology, geography and science fiction. He pushed me into making it clear where they enter and where they are located in the ship, orientation that help you. Image from the movie 'Alien 3,' released in 1992. The third installment of the Alien saga is set in a penal colony. The movie was heavily criticized, but Alvarez defends it: I still like it. What many people dont understand today is that each movie is a child of its time. The first one is against corporations, when the U.S. begins to wake up and understand that companies are not interested in the individual. Camerons movie is released in an era of pop and optimism, but also after the Vietnam War, he continues. Fincher comes in, when we are all starting to set fire to our Guns N Roses and Poison CDs, and Nirvana and grunge is making us understand that nihilism was more enjoyable than the high of the 1980s. Its exactly the film that people needed. Thats why it starts and kills off all the characters we know. I loved the idea of suddenly seeing something raw and realistic. I was in the front row, in my first as a fan, and at that moment all the talk was about the fact theyd cut off Ripleys [Sigourney Weaver] hair. Her shaved head would have broken the internet today; It was quite unique for a female protagonist, all cold and nihilistic. But to me, it showed the filmmakers amazing bravery. He had balls. Alien: Resurrection (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1997) Sigourney Weaver, in an image from 'Alien: Resurrection'. For the fourth film, a strange choice was made, both in terms of plot and of director. Jeunet a creative and visual French filmmaker sets the action 200 years into the future, while the script by Joss Whedon fuses the heroine with the alien. I loved it, says Alvarez. At that time, if you asked me who my favorite director was, I would say Jean-Pierre Jeunet. We were coming off Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children. It was the best news, and I really enjoyed seeing all the actors, Pinon and the rest. But today what I find difficult is that Ripley wasnt there, shes dead, and her character is not her. Shes absent, in transit and hypnotized by the alien. Thats what makes her not as effective. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant (Ridley Scott, 2012 and 2017) Still from the film 'Prometheus,' directed by Ridley Scott in 2012. Alamy Stock Photo Before Ridley Scott returned to the franchise, Hollywood released two Alien vs. Predator movies, which narrates the conflict and origin of the creatures, but no one was a fan of them. There is no parallel, I dont think they are part of the same line [of movies], Alvarez answers elegantly. When Scott directed the next Alien movies decades later, he also wiped the slate clean. Throwing in a mix of philosophy and gods, the director decided to look back at the creation of the xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus curiously owes a lot to the reinvention of Prometheus and draws from it some of its most groundbreaking ideas. Indeed, the first time he proposed his idea, Scott was filming Covenant. I was shooting Evil Dead, my first film, when Prometheus came out, and the crew went to the cinema. The next day on set, we talked about nothing else, we debated and philosophized about what the film meant, what it talked about, its responses The commotion it generated is a huge achievement. And there is a new generation that sees these two films as the best, because it hit closer to home, says Alvarez. The director totally embraced the movie, and the ideas it sparked helped him develop his own vision, one that could possibly make a return. Hopefully, says Alvarez, who first learned in the distant Uruguayan city of Montevideo that in space, no one can hear you scream. Now Im delighted to show them to my nine-year-old son. The Alien saga continues to rouse interest, and in 2025, there will be a new movie: Alien: Earth, directed by Noah Hawley, who imagines what would happen if the monster reached Earth. The xenomorph, in an image from 'Alien: Romulus.' 20th Century Studios Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition One week before Vice President Kamala Harris is set to accept her partys presidential nomination, Democratic National Convention officials and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson took to the United Center floor Thursday to unveil the stage where Harris will deliver her history-making address. Weve been working for over a year to build the figurative and now literal stage for our party and our nominees, Alex Hornbrook, executive director of the Democratic National Convention Committee, told reporters during the unveiling. Its been a long journey, but were so glad that the stage is finally here. Its built, and its ready for showtime. While Harris isnt expect to take the stage till the conventions final day, the program kicks off Monday, when Johnson is expected to speak. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is set to take the stage Tuesday night. Evoking Thomas Edisons incandescent light bulbs at the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition, Johnson said, A week from now, the city will be electrified again as Harris accepts the nomination. Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, who is Harris running mate, is expected to be the main speaker on Wednesday. The convention runs through Thursday. It is the first political convention in Chicago since the Democratic convention in 1996, which was also held at the United Center. When you think of the attributes of U.S. Navy Seals, what comes to mind? Honor? Toughness? Resiliency? You probably don't think of them as the type to cry wolf. However, that's exactly what former seal and Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden did when he cried "assault. During the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month, Van Orden accused an anti-war protestor of assault which prompted a police investigation and the activist's arrest. He even made a statement about how it [appeared] to be an incident of political violence" on the social media platform X, ending with: "Nothing will change until these people are held accountable." Given that his claim turned out to be bunk, I think it's only fair he is held accountable for his bogus assault claims. Van Orden, a Republican, will face Democrat Rebecca Cooke in November for his reelection bid in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. Police bodycam footage shows Van Orden was crying wolf Lucky for everyone involved, there was bodycam footage that is now public thanks to WISN 12 News Investigates. The videos show Van Orden in line outside of the Pfister hotel. Standing in front of him was a group of CODEPINK anti-war activists, including the woman Van Orden accused of assault, Nour Jaghama. One officer's body camera shows the congressman and protester talking but the audio cannot be deciphered since they were out of range of the camera's microphone. Jaghama then returns to her group ahead of Van Orden in line. Once the line begins to move, Van Order gets side-by-side with Jaghama. The video shows that she notices this and abruptly steps in front of him. And thats it. She abruptly steps in front of him. Its not clear from the video if she brushed against him while she did that, but, definitely, Van Orden does not miss a beat in his stride after she makes her move. Body cam footage from a different angle captured the verbal exchange that occurred immediately after Jahama stepped in front of the congressman. Van Orden responds first with, "Ma'am, you better watch it. After a police officer also warns Jaghama, Dont do that, Van Orden adds, You just assaulted a member of Congress. Since Van Orden told officers he wanted to press charges, there is an additional video of the conversation he had with a police officer. In it, the officer alerts the congressman about a question investigators will ask, Did you feel pain? Van Orden replies: I have really bad hips. The rest of the story includes Van Orden tweeting about the incident and Jaghama spending 15 hours in jail while the case was investigated as battery until the District Attorney's office reviewed the footage and found no violation of Wisconsin criminal law. Van Orden is author of book bemoaning the lost art of manhood For starters, this case shows why bodycam footage is so important. Second, isnt Derrick Van Orden the same guy who wrote, Book of Man, A Navy SEAL's Guide to the Lost Art of Manhood? I would never claim to be an expert on chivalry, but, at the very least, I know it includes men letting women go first. Or does Van Ordens definition of manhood not include chivalry? If you just read his book blurb, you know his definition includes, Fist fighting, fishing, and driving fast cars. If you read the book, or any of the headlines about the book, you might also assume that his definition includes sexual harassment, since he wrote about a time when he exposed a lieutenant's genitals to female officers with no one on either side of that equations consent. Legacy in question: Harley-Davidson kicks American workers in the teeth by moving some production to Thailand While he didnt explicitly write a book about it, it could be safe to assume that Van Orden also considers yelling at teenagers to be part of the Art of Manhood given his well-publicized episodes. In one, he yelled at a 17-year-old library aide over a gay pride book display in 2021. In another, he made national news when he cursed out Senate pages in the U.S. Capitol. These are just some of the examples we have of his behavior since entering public life as a candidate in 2020. My take is that, if you write as an expert on the lost art of manhood, then your behavior must exemplify what you think it is to be a big tough man. Its news to me that being an alpha male includes being a whiny fragile prima donna with bad hips. Kristin Brey is the "My Take" columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Derrick Van Ordens bogus claims dont make him an alpha male Desmonds Army offering $5K reward for info on dog abandoned in Wallingford WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTNH) Desmonds Army announced Thursday theyre offering a $5,000 reward for information on a senior dog abandoned at the Wallingford dog park on Tuesday. The animal law advocates say the information must lead to the arrest and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for the condition and abandonment of the shepherd. Skin and bones: Shepherd left tied to side of Route 8 in Beacon Falls Wallingford Animal Control said the older adult male German Shepherd was found at the dog park Tuesday afternoon without an owner. Anyone was knows anything about the dog or witnessed anything at the dog park is asked to call animal control at 203-294-2180. They said the dog is not available for adoption. Available dogs can be found on the adoption website PetFinder. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. DETROIT (AP) A Detroit judge who ordered a teenager into jail clothes and handcuffs on a field trip to his courtroom will be off the bench while undergoing necessary training, the courts chief judge said Thursday. Meanwhile, the girls mother said Judge Kenneth King was a big bully. My daughter is hurt. She is feeling scared, Latoreya Till told the Detroit Free Press. She identified her daughter as Eva Goodman. The 15-year-old fell asleep in Kings court Tuesday while on a visit organized by a Detroit nonprofit. King didnt like it. But he said it was her attitude that led to the jail clothes, handcuffs and stern words. I wanted this to look and feel very real to her, even though theres probably no real chance of me putting her in jail, he explained to WXYZ-TV. King has been temporarily removed from his criminal case docket and will undergo necessary training to address the underlying issues that contributed to this incident, said William McConico, the chief judge at 36th District Court. FILE Judge Kenneth King listens during a probable-cause hearing, April 2, 2015, in Detroit. . (Todd McInturf /Detroit News via AP) The court remains deeply committed to providing access to justice in an environment free from intimidation or disrespect. The actions of Judge King on August 13th do not reflect this commitment, McConico said. He said the State Court Administrative Office approved the step. King will continue to be paid. Details about the training, and how long it would last, were not disclosed. King, who has been a judge since 2006, didnt immediately return a phone message seeking comment. At the close of his Thursday hearings, accessible on YouTube, he made a heart shape with his hands. The judges work includes determining whether theres enough evidence to send felony cases to trial at Wayne County Circuit Court. Olympic boxers cyberbullying lawsuit names Elon Musk, JK Rowling Till said her daughter was sleepy during the Tuesday court visit because the family doesnt have a permanent residence. And so, that particular night, we got in kind of late, she told the Free Press, referring to Monday night. And usually, when she goes to work, shes up and planting trees or being active. The teen was seeing Kings court as part of a visit organized by The Greening of Detroit, an environmental group. Although the judge was trying to teach a lesson of respect, his methods were unacceptable, said Marissa Ebersole Wood, the groups chairperson. The group of students should have been simply asked to leave the courtroom if he thought they were disrespectful. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) Members of the racing world have expressed their condolences and shared memories honoring racing legend Scott Bloomquist. Award-winning dirt track race car driver and hall of famer Bloomquist died during a plane crash on Friday in Mooresburg, Tennessee. Retired NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, who owns the renowned Eldora Speedway dirt track in Ohio, said Bloomquist was one of a kind and probably the smartest guy Ive ever been around when it comes to dirt racing. What he could do behind the wheel of a racecar was matched by the ingenuity he put into building his racecars, Stewart said in a statement. He was a force on the track and off, with a personality as big as his list of accomplishments. He made dirt racing better with a presence that will be greatly missed. Dirt Late Model and stock car racing driver Bobby Pierce said Bloomquist was one of his heroes. Race car driver Scott Bloomquist dead after plane crash in Hawkins County RIP Scott, a post from Pierce reads. Arguably the greatest Dirt Late Model driver ever and one of my heroes. Scott was also very good friends with the Family. He will be truly missed. There will never be another like him. Thoughts and prayers to all his loved ones. Fly high. Bristol Motor Speedway President and General Manager Jerry Caldwell called Bloomquist a friend of the speedway. This is really a sad day for the world of motorsports as we mourn the passing of Scott Bloomquist, arguably the greatest dirt late model racer in the sports history, Caldwell said in a statement. Scott was truly a champion, legend and hall of fame member in his craft and was a wonderful friend of Bristol Motor Speedway. He won one of the late model dirt races held here in 2001 and was always willing to help us promote our dirt races. We send our sincere condolences to his family and friends, as well as his legion of fans across the nation. ROSSBURG, OH JULY 23: Scott Bloomquist, driver of the #51 ToyotaCare Toyota, prepares to drive during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series inaugural CarCash Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway on July 23, 2013 in Rossburg, Ohio. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images) The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame said losing Bloomquist is a blow to the community. We are devastated to report that one of the most charismatic and immensely talented to ever drive a Dirt Late Model tragically lost his life today in a small airplane crash at the family property in Mooresburg, TN, the museum said in a post. Scott Bloomquist was 60. Our deepest condolences to Scotts family Ron, Georgie and Ariel; his loyal friends and all of his adoring fans. This is a tough one for all of us. God Speed. Dirt Late Model driver Reid Millard offered his condolences to Bloomquists family during this time. Scott Bloomquist was a great friend of mine along with a lot of people in the Dirt Late Model Model and racing community, the post reads. Gods speed Scott. May you fly high on an Eagles wing forever. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a single-engine Piper J3 crashed into a barn near Mooresburg around 7:50 a.m. Bloomquist was the only occupant of the plane. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. A Chicago-area real estate developer was sentenced Friday to 32 months in federal prison for bribing then-Ald. Edward Burke to help him secure a pole sign permit for a Northwest Side liquor store, marking the end of a corruption case that rocked City Hall and became a watershed in the downfall of the old political machine. In sentencing Charles Cui, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia Kendall said Cui violated the trust the public put in him as a lawyer through his corruption, and exacerbated it by later lying to federal agents and failing to turn over crucial emails to a grand jury in an attempt to cover it up. Kendall also said a message had to be sent to other developers here in the city, especially those who are trying to make money on real estate and development of properties. (They) need to recognize that you cant go around the governments processes, you have to go through them legally, Kendall said. Dressed in a blue suit and yellow tie, Cui sat at the defense table for most of the hearing, eyes downcast and one foot occasionally tapping quickly under the table. Before the sentence was announced, Cui stood at the lectern and read a tearful apology to the court and his family. Your honor, today marks the lowest point in my life, Cui said in a deep, soft voice, reading from a sheet of paper with his hands in his pockets. I am truly ashamed. Cuis sentencing was likely the final court hearing stemming from the bombshell corruption investigation into Burke, the citys longest-serving alderman and longtime head of the powerful Finance Committee. Burke was convicted along with Cui and sentenced in June to two years in federal prison. A third defendant, Burkes longtime ward aide Pete Andrews, was acquitted of all charges. In giving Cui a slightly longer sentence than Burke, Kendall said she must treat each defendant individually and that Buke had several mitigating factors in his favor, including his advanced age that would make prison more difficult as well as the dozens of letters she received extolling Burkes good works. Burke also served in the military and as a police officer, the judge noted, adding, He did not obstruct justice. He did not lie to the FBI. Cui was convicted by the jury in December of hiring Burkes firm, Klafter & Burke, to do property tax appeals in exchange for Burkes intervention in a permit dispute for a standalone pole sign for Binnys Beverage Depot. The jury found him guilty on five counts: corruptly offering or agreeing to give things of value; using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity; and knowingly making a false statement to the FBI. During the two-month trial, jurors heard meticulously detailed evidence about the pole sign permit, which was for a development far from Burkes 14th Ward. Cui stood to lose significant money if the sign couldnt be used, and reached out to Burke, hoping his clout would grease the wheels with the city. In asking for a term of at least 51 months behind bars, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Chapman told the judge that public corruption was such a scourge on the city that it even has a well-worn name: The Chicago Way. Its a term that no one in this courtroom should know what it means. but the sad reality is that everyone in this courtroom knows exactly what it is, Chapman said. Chapman said the long history of corruption and bribery and graft that plagues the city of Chicago renders us more like a punchline for late-night comedy. A significant prison sentence was necessary, Chapman said, to send a message to others to other real estate developers out there, people who need zoning changes, permits, licensing or other help with their business. There are people in the world who need stuff from government, and they may try to bribe their way into getting that advantage, Chapman said, adding that this case could prompt them to think twice. They could say, Im not gonna be the next Charles Cui,' Chapman said. Im not going down that road.' Still, a nearly five-year prison term for Cui seemed like a tall order considering that Kendall only handed down 24 months to Burke, an elected official who, unlike Cui, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy for a series of schemes where he sought to use his official position for personal gain. Cuis lawyers argued their client is a hardworking immigrant from China whose brief dalliance with Chicagos most powerful alderman was a blip in an otherwise law-abiding life. Attorneys Susan Pavlow and Adam Sheppard wrote in their sentencing filing that Cui was significantly less culpable than Burke given hes not a public official, was not charged with racketeering, and was only involved in one of the four criminal episodes contained in Burkes sweeping indictment. While every defendant is viewed individually, and Burkes age and good deeds played a role in (Burkes) sentence, he was convicted of more offenses, and more serious offenses, than Mr. Cui, the defense memo stated. In court Friday, Pavlow described Cui as a very good and decent man who has lost everything because of his decision to seek Burkes help, including his credibility with lenders and his ability to practice law. Charles lost his project, he lost his investment, hes being sued for millions of dollars as a result of this, Pavlow said. The evidence at trial focused on a series of emails Cui sent in 2017 as he was desperately trying to get the city to reverse its denial of the Binnys pole sign permit. In perhaps the most damning communication, jurors were shown a 2017 email from Cui to his lawyer, asking to switch attorneys. Can I have Edward Burke handle 4901 W Irving Park property tax appeal for me, at least for this year? Cui wrote. I need his favor for my TIF money. In addition I need his help for my zoning etc for my project. He is a powerful broker in City Hall, and I need him now. Ill transfer the case back to you after this year. Burke tried to smooth the way for the permit sign, jurors heard, calling the city zoning administrator and reaching out to the buildings commissioner. The permit, however, was still not approved, and ultimately the sign was torn down. Cui also emailed Burke asking him for representation from Klafter & Burke, records show. On Aug, 25, 2017, Burke responded to Cuis email saying someone from his firm will reach out. Over the next week, Burke was caught on wiretaps telling his assistant to call then-Buildings Commissioner Judy Frydland about the pole sign, according to court records. After Frydland talked about it with Cui, he had his zoning attorney submit a photoshopped image of the sign to the Buildings Department purporting to show the sign had been in recent use. On Sept. 5, less than two weeks after his first outreach to Burke, Cui signed contingent-fee paperwork hiring Klafter & Burke for the Portage Park development, according to records. By that time, however, Cuis photoshopped image was red-flagged by a Buildings Department design specialist, who brought it to Frydlands attention, according to court records. Cui tried to claim the image came from a real estate broker who could vouch for the images accuracy, and, after learning about the issue, Burke allegedly had his assistant contact a zoning administrator to help resolve it, according to court records. Both efforts failed, and City Halls denial of the sign permit became final on Nov. 6. Over the next several weeks, however, Burke voted in favor of several other measures involving Cuis property that came before the City Council, including a permit for a different sign board and an ordinance granting a privilege in the public way, according to prosecutors. When Cui was confronted by FBI agents in 2019, he lied about his interactions with Burke, saying hed only hired Burkes firm because hed heard they were good tax attorneys, according to trial testimony. Prosecutors on Friday also alleged Cui obstructed justice by failing to turn over several of the most incriminating emails after receiving a federal grand jury subpoena for any records pertaining to his interactions with Burke. In his argument, Chapman said that as a sophisticated businessman and licensed attorney, he knew what he was doing in reaching out to Burke. This wasnt a bribe paid to some pole sign inspector, he said. he sought out the most powerful alderman in the City Council, and maybe the most powerful alderman in the citys history. As for the motive, Chapman said it was what most bribery cases come down to: greed. He knows its a crime to pay a bribe to an alderman. He knows its a crime to lie to the FBI. He knows right from wrong, Chapman said. But when money was on the line, he chose wrong. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com How did this pilot fly a 4-seat Cessna alone from Merced to Honolulu for 17 hours? How did this pilot fly a 4-seat Cessna alone from Merced to Honolulu for 17 hours? MODESTO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) When getting planes delivered across the ocean, pilot Tom Lopes says there are two ways: putting it on a boat or flying the plane there. He prefers the second option. When it gets over there it hasnt been disassembled, hasnt been put in a crate, its got no dents or dings in it, Lopes said. Its exactly how it came out of the factory, its essentially a new airplane. Loud thumping noise heard before Southwest planes emergency landing in Fresno Tom Lopes rose to viral fame in aviation circles last week when he piloted a Cessna 172 from Merced to Honolulu. The Cessna 172 has a standard range of around 700 miles, but the distance Tom Lopes flew it from Merced to Honolulu is around 2,400 miles. The feat was done by packing as much available space inside the aircraft with fuel tanks to complete the 17-hour journey. Lopes says hes been flying since before he had a drivers license, starting with crop dusting planes. I got into aviation when I was like 14 years old, Lopes said. We lived across the street from an airport and I would sit on the fence and watch airplanes come and go. Lopes says his fascination with flying led him to start working as a crop duster in his early 20s and eventually he got into delivering planes by flying them to their owners. Lopes most recent delivery flight from Merced to Hawaii was in a plane similar to those he first learned to fly in, a Cessna 172. According to Lopes, his recent delivery to Honalulu was taking the Cessna to Georges Aviation Services in Hawaii for it to be used on private charter tours, flight school instruction, and aircraft rentals. But Lopes says the journey starts way before he enters the cockpit. That 172 flight takes quite a bit of advanced planning, Lopes said. Its actually coordinated months in advance and theres a lot of paperwork, permits, approvals, and insurance companies. Everything is aboveboard. Lopes says he also has to take into consideration what he refers to as the biological aspects to flying. Youre not going to eat big, heavy dinners the day before, Lopes said. The rest of the 18-hour trip is easy according to Lopes, he says hes trained many years to focus diligently on checking into air traffic control, doing field transfers, and flight planning. He says even if he wanted to, he couldnt afford to lose focus. Ive just come to be very alert in that cockpit, Lopes said. I do a lot of canned coffee along the way and so you got that which kind of keeps you awake, but it doesnt matter because youve got plenty youre doing. Lopes does say he will have some tunes playing lightly in the background but doesnt let himself relax too much until the last two hours of the flight. When everything is just kind of done and you know youre just cruising. Thats kind of when youre going to get tired. Luckily, Lopes says he is allowed to take a long rest after his work is done. He was treated to some Hawaiian hospitality once he landed in the form of a great feast from Georges Aviation, and flew back home from Hawaii as a passenger on a commercial plane. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Sixty-six million years ago, the story of life on Earth took a dramatic turn when an asteroid collided with whats now the Yucatan Peninsula in Chicxulub, Mexico. The aftereffects of the collision resulted in the extinction of an estimated 75% of animal species, including most dinosaurs except for birds. But practically nothing of the asteroid itself remains. In a new study published Thursday in the journal Science, researchers pieced together the chemical identity of the asteroid that fueled the planets fifth mass extinction event. The dino killer was a rare clay-rich mudball containing materials from the dawn of the solar system, the findings suggest. While the Chicxulub asteroid landed tens of millions of years ago, learning about this ancient space rock is important because its part of a bigger picture of understanding the dynamic nature of our Solar System, said study coauthor Dr. Steven Goderis, a research professor of chemistry at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Laying out a theory for nonavian dinosaur extinction Scientists hypothesized in 1980 that a collision with a giant space rock led to the death of the dinosaurs. Back then, the researchers didnt find the asteroid itself; instead, they found a thin layer of the metal iridium in rocks around the world from 66 million years ago. Iridium is rare within the Earths crust but abundant in some asteroids and meteorites. Some members of the wider scientific community were skeptical of the hypothesis. However, in 1991, scientists found that the Chicxulub crater was the right age to have been formed by a massive asteroid strike coinciding with the demise of the dinosaurs. Over the years, researchers have gathered more and more evidence that the asteroid strike was indeed the impetus for the cataclysmic extinction event. The asteroid was huge likely between 6 and 9 miles (9.7 and 14.5 kilometers) in diameter. But its colossal size is why it largely disappeared. The rock, roughly the size of Mount Everest, hurtled toward Earth, traveling 15.5 miles per second (25 kilometers per second), according to NASA. The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary layer is seen in Stevns Klint, Denmark. The study authors investigated the red clay layer with the highest ruthenium concentrations, which indicated the arrival of vaporized carbonaceous asteroid material dispersed from the Chicxulub impact area. - Philippe Claeys Basically, all this kinetic energy is converted into heat, Goderis said. When the thing hits the target, it will more than explode; it will be vaporized. The impact created a cloud of dust composed of the asteroid itself and the rock it landed on. The dust spread worldwide, blotting out sunlight and lowering temperatures for years, resulting in mass extinction. As for the asteroid, theres nothing left except for this chemical trace that is deposited all around the globe, Goderis said. This forms this tiny clay layer you can recognize everywhere in the world, and its basically the same instant in time, 66 million years ago. Dinosaur-killer asteroid chemical makeup revealed Asteroids (and the smaller meteoroids that break off of them) come in three major varieties, each with their own chemical and mineral makeup: metallic, stony and chondritic. In the new study, Goderis and his colleagues, including the studys lead author, Dr. Mario Fischer-Godde of the University of Cologne in Germany, examined the chemical composition of the thin clay layer to unlock the asteroids secrets. The researchers sampled 66 million-year-old rocks from Denmark, Italy and Spain and isolated the parts containing the metal ruthenium. (Like iridium, ruthenium is more abundant in space rocks than in Earths crust.) The team also analyzed ruthenium from other asteroid impact sites and meteorites. The chemical makeup of the ruthenium from 66 million years ago matched the chemical makeup of the ruthenium present in a certain kind of chondritic meteorite, the scientists found. We noticed that theres a perfect overlap with carbonaceous chondrite signatures, Goderis said. Therefore, the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs was probably a carbonaceous chondrite, an ancient space rock that often contains water, clay and organic (carbon-bearing) compounds. While carbonaceous chondrites make up the majority of rocks in space, only about 5% of the meteorites that fall to Earth belong to this category. There is quite some diversity in carbonaceous chondrites, and some of them can smell, Goderis said. But in the inferno, when the Chicxulub impactor landed, Goderis said, you probably wouldnt have had the time for a good sniff. What the findings mean for the future Impacts of the scale of Chicxulub happen only every 100 million to 500 million years. But because there is still an outside chance of Earth crossing paths with another asteroid or giant meteorite, Goderis said that its good to know the physical and chemical properties of these objects, to think about how to protect ourselves from a collision with a large space rock. Carbonaceous chondrites often contain water, clay and carbon-bearing compounds and make up the majority of rocks in space, but only about 5% of the meteorites that fall to Earth belong to this category. - Dona Jalufka Goderis cited the 2022 DART mission, or the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, in which NASA sent a spacecraft to intentionally knock an asteroid off its course. Knowing how different types of asteroids interact with the physical forces around them would be critical for an effective planetary defense operation. The carbonaceous chondrite will react completely differently from an ordinary chondrite its much more porous, its much more light and it will absorb much more of an impact if you send an object towards it. So, we need to learn about this to have a corresponding response, Goderis said. Dr. Ed Young, a professor of cosmochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved with the study, agreed with the findings. He said the discovery adds richness to our understanding of what happened when the dinosaurs went extinct. Young noted that the researchers assessment that the asteroid was a carbonaceous chondrite is a robust conclusion. Kate Golembiewski is a freelance science writer based in Chicago who geeks out about zoology, thermodynamics and death. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Famed dirt-track racing legend Scott Bloomquist died Friday in a single-plane crash near Mooresburg in Hawkins County. He was 60. The Hawkins County Sheriff's Office said a small plane crashed Friday morning into a barn on Brooks Road, near the Bloomquist family farm and the Scott Bloomquist Racing team shop in Mooresburg. The lone person on board was Bloomquist, according to the sheriff's office. The FAA investigation into the crash is ongoing. The World of Outlaws Late Models series released a statement on Bloomquist's death, saying the "legendary" driver's "passion for the sport and innovative mind will be deeply missed by all." RIP Scott Bloomquist pic.twitter.com/0lP9XAAz4y World of Outlaws Late Models (@WoOLateModels) August 16, 2024 The county's rescue squad first reported news of a crash via Facebook at 7:47 a.m. Friday. Bloomquist was known as one of the premier dirt super late model drivers from the late 1980s through the 2010s, winning 33 World of Outlaws Late Model races, 94 Lucas Oil Late Model races among a long list of accomplishments on dirt. He last won the Lucas Oil Late Model series season title in 2016. Tributes have been posted across social media throughout Friday morning by Bloomquist's friends and competitors. "Scott Bloomquist was one of a kind, and hes probably the smartest guy Ive ever been around when it comes to dirt racing. What he could do behind the wheel of a racecar was matched by the ingenuity he put into building his racecars. He was a force on the track and off, with a personality as big as his list of accomplishments. He made dirt racing better with a presence that will be greatly missed," former NASCAR champion Tony Stewart wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. RIP Scott Bloomquist Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) August 16, 2024 Don't ever take anything for granted. It all can be gone so fast. Its a sad day in the racing community. Scott Bloomquist was an icon. He did what he wanted, said what he wanted, and won races. I'll forever cherish this moment with Mr. Black Sunshine. Rest easy, Outlaw. pic.twitter.com/NwIs2yIB6C RICO (@Rico_Abreu) August 16, 2024 Coffee with Kenny Its a very sad day. Scott Bloomquist has been killed in a plane crash. pic.twitter.com/WBVxciLvig Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) August 16, 2024 Sad to hear of the passing of Scott Bloomquist. The stories are endless! You simply couldnt fit his life into just one movie, Itll take a series! RIP #blacksunshine #noweaklinks #18 pic.twitter.com/XcFgAP83gz Clint Bowyer (@ClintBowyer) August 16, 2024 Rest in peace Scott Bloomquist...you live on in our record books, memories and the hearts of all that saw you race at The Action Track. There may be others that write history here but there was only one Scott Bloomquist and he was amazing to watch and be around.. pic.twitter.com/3tfYW7Jjji Lernerville Speedway (@Lernerville) August 16, 2024 I hated to hear that Scott Bloomquist - @Bloomquist_0 - lost his life this morning. It's guys like him that helped to build the sport and the @WoOLateModels Series into what they've become today. Keeping his family, friends and fans in our prayers. RIP, Scott - DS https://t.co/DIbNgLEdwY Donny Schatz (@DonnySchatz) August 16, 2024 This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dirt-racing legend Scott Bloomquist dies in plane crash in Hawkins County People these days will go to extreme lengths to get likes on social media, but one disturbing TikTok trend is causing devastation to bird populations and it's illegal. What's happening? One of the world's busiest bird migratory routes passes through the valley below Mount Terbol in northern Lebanon, and it is there that millions of birds are shot every year in the name of fun. The birds' flight path is low in this part of the migratory route, making them easy targets for poachers from nearby mountain communities. Birdlife international estimates that every year 2.6 million birds are illegally shot and killed in this area; worryingly, many of the poachers post pictures of their kills online. Videos of poachers shooting storks using modern weaponry have also appeared on TikTok, suggesting social media is driving some of these illegal hunting activities. "They massacre birds for likes," Michel Sawan, director of the Lebanese Association for Migratory Birds, told The Guardian. Why is stopping illegal hunting important? Birds play an essential role in our ecosystems and are important for human health and food production. They actively control pests and also help with plant growth by pollinating and dispersing seeds, which is important for crop production as well as ensuring healthy green spaces that promote biodiversity. Birds, such as vultures, also stop the spread of diseases by cleaning up any animal remains, preventing rabies and tuberculosis, for example, from developing and spreading. They are so efficient at this that a single vulture is estimated to provide waste disposal services that are worth around $11,600. Research has also shown that observing and hearing birds enriches people's lives and makes them happier. Hunting these birds, and in such numbers, leads to population declines, which can have a negative impact on humans and the environment. What's being done about protecting birds? In Lebanon, the Lebanese Association for Migratory Birds is working with Lebanon's Internal Security Forces to catch and arrest poachers, but there is not a lot of funding to do this. The group is also working to raise awareness and rescue and rehabilitate injured birds. Elsewhere, birds are also in decline, but there are many ways people can help protect populations. Planting a native lawn is a great way to provide suitable habitats for birds, and turning off the lights at night can help prevent them from flying into windows. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Kateryna, Denys and Oleksander cant hide their grins upon first seeing the majesty of the Amurjo swimming pool in Orcera, in the Spanish province of Jaen. Coming from an orphanage in Dolbysh, a Ukrainian town with a little over 6,000 inhabitants located just 31 miles from the Russian border, which is subject to nearly daily bombings, the three adolescents, along with another 42 peers, have been given the opportunity to escape the hostile environment for three weeks. During that time, theyll be on the receiving end of love and solidarity from the Spanish community. Seeing happy faces on these children and getting a hug from them is priceless, says Antonio Funes, the resident who designed the A Breath of Hope program in the hope that the youngsters will, at least for a few days, get back the smiles theyve lost after three years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Many of the children have lost their parents in the war and are either coming from a Dolbysh orphanage that specializes in mental disabilities or are Kulikowka high schoolers from low-income families. They are children who are suffering from the powerful emotional and psychological stress of living amid falling bombs, but who will now be able to leave their cell phones and put the daily notifications about the armed conflict on hold for a little while, explains Funes, a civil guard from Jaen who is using his vacation days to accompany the children during their stay in Andalusia. Previously, at the start of the armed conflict, he traveled the nearly 3,100 miles that separate Jaen and Ukraine to bring back various Ukrainian families to provide them with temporary shelter. One of them, Andrey and Jana and their daughter Karyna, already had roots in Jaen. A Breath of Hope is a pioneering initiative in Spain, similar to a program for Saharawi children called Vacations in Peace. Though in the case of the former, participating children do not stay with host families, but rather form small groups who are accompanied by chaperones from their country of origin and volunteers from Jaen. Their stay is paid for through a crowdfunding campaign that has received contributions from all over the country as well as France, Germany and Italy. Before arriving in Orcera (population 1,700), where they will be staying in a rural shelter that carries the name of famed local resident David Broncano, the kids take a dip at Malagas Rincon de la Victoria beach. In Ukraine, its not possible to go swimming due to landmines and bombs, says Funes. They also discover the Sierra de Andujar natural park, are received by the Jaen local government, and swim in a pool in the Renaissance town of Ubeda. Its moving to see these kids smile again in our country because war is humanitys great terror. I hope that their stay will be an injection of optimism for them that helps them to believe that the turmoil that they are living through will soon be resolved, says Manuel Carlos Vallejo, the deputy mayor of Jaen, during a reception for the children at Jaen City Hall. Weve done what we had to do as an administration for a citizens request of this kind, lending a hand however possible, says Juan Francisco Fernandez, mayor of Orcera, where the children will be housed until August 22. The local government has prepared a packed vacation schedule with the aim of not only sharing with them the solidarity and affection of Orcera residents, but also the people of other towns in the Sierra de Segura, which the children will visit during their stay. But it hasnt been easy to fulfill the strict requirements involved with removing children from conflict zones. Sergio Rodriguez is an Orcera council member who, along with Ramon Alba and Alex Gonzalez, had to work hard to complete a dossier of 700-plus pages that needed to be sent to both provincial and federal governments in order to receive proper authorization. It has been a very complex procedure, its important to note that the regulation for leaving Ukraine involves a series of rigorous formal processes that include civil liability, accident, death and repatriation insurance, Rodriguez says. In addition to making city housing available to the youngsters, the Orcera City Council had to sign a letter expressing its awareness that the childrens trip is not for the purposes of adoption or permanent foster care. They had to prove their commitment to returning the kids to their place of origin, as well as showing proof of proper insurance for the childrens legal and health care fees if necessary. I dont have the words to thank the army of good hearts who have moved Earth and sky to make this dream possible, that of the children smiling again and seeing the kids like they were before the war, says an emotional Funes. The program organizer is already thinking about his next solidarity challenge: finding the necessary funds to buy a van for the Dolbysh orphanage. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Doctors are warning parents about a candy-making trend currently going viral on TikTok that is sending some people to the hospital. The trend centers around the creation of candy grapes. The treats are made by coating grapes with melted-down Jolly Ranchers, resulting in hard candy-coated pieces of fruit. Though the project sounds delicious, it can be dangerous, as the candies need to get extremely hot in order to melt. According to medical professionals in Pennsylvania who have recently treated some burn victims in connection to the trend, hard candies like Jolly Ranchers need to heat up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit in order to become molten. In comparison, water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Christina Blackstone, the mother of a 9-year-old who accidentally spilled melted Jolly Ranchers on his hand during a supervised attempt to make candy grapes, told CBS News that she had thought of the candy project as a fun afternoon activity on a day when the weather left the two of them stuck inside. After the candy began to harden on her childs hand, Blackstone said her instinct was to pull it off, a decision that doctors later told her likely prevented her sons burns from being even more severe than they already were. As it was, her child suffered second-degree burns and still had difficulty using his hand as of Wednesday, Aug. 14, about three weeks after the incident occurred, she told the news outlet. Dr. Ariel Aballay, who serves as the director of the burn unit at West Penn Hospital, told CBS News that his team has treated two adults and two children in connection with the viral trend in the last three weeks. Aballay and other medical professionals at Shriners Children's Hospital in Boston, Mass., are warning parents to practice safety when handling extremely hot substances, according to The Independent. Blisters indicate second-degree burns and third-degree burns can lead to nerve damage. In the event of a burn, it is better to place the affected area in lukewarm water rather than cover it with ice, he advised. Next: Viral KitKat Trend Involving Unlikely Condiment May Have Just Inspired a New Flavor Doctors Without Borders alarmed at spread of mpox in Africa World Health Organization (WHO) logo is displayed on a smartphone in front of visual representation of test tubes labeled 'mpox'. WHO on 14 August 'has determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).' Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is concerned about the speed at which a new variant of mpox - formerly known as monkeypox - is spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "In addition to the latest mutation, we are also concerned about the fact that the disease has occurred in the refugee camps around Goma, where people live in very confined spaces and the disease could spread rapidly," said MSF global health expert Jasmin Behrends. MSF has recently intensified operations in eastern Congo, where large numbers of internally displaced people fleeing armed conflicts live in difficult conditions. "Without improved access to vaccines, thousands of people will not be able to protect themselves from infection, including children under the age of 15," said Justin Eyong, an MSF coordinator in the region. Children are particularly vulnerable to mpox, accounting for 56% of cases and 79% of deaths this year. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared a public health emergency in response to the new outbreaks in Africa. RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WSAV) As the river levels continue to recede, many people are returning to their damaged homes. Insurance experts say now is the time to start documenting everything if you plan to make a flood insurance claim. According to Hannah Valentine and Lyndsey George with Beach Insurance Group, taking pictures and making a list of damage is crucial. It is important to list out how much each item costs by room. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) is assessing the damage in the Southeast, and homeowners are anxiously waiting to see if the area will meet guidelines for federal disaster funding. Federal dollars are important because basic homeowners insurance doesnt cover flood damage. MORE: How to report storm damage after Debby Flood insurance is required when you live in certain flood zones. Valentine and George say though, that anyone can get flood insurance. This is definitely a wake-up call for a lot of people, George said. Weve tried to stress that even if youre not in a required flood zone, you can still flood. Anybody, any property can flood. Laquan Martin, a resident of White Oak Villages in Richmond Hill, is one of those homeowners who does not live in a flood zone. That didnt stop Tropical Storm Debby from causing significant damage to her home. Its probably about 6 inches to 12 inches in some areas in my home, Martin said. Martin says she hopes this never happens again, but she hopes they receive the right help from the government. She listed some of the sentimental items that she was able to save. I was able to get in and get my camera gear, Martin said, which is very important to me moving forward with my schooling. I was able to get a handkerchief that was my grandmothers I got my brothers shirt that passed away. If you need cleanup, call the Coastal Empire Disaster Recovery Committee at 844-965-1386. You can contact GEMA to report damage at 404-635-7200. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. HONOLULU (KHON2) Bus operators would be ready. Thats what top school officials said the Department of Education was told before school started. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You If we knew two weeks ago what we know now, we wouldve probably, maybe three or four weeks before school started, sat down with the contractor and say you think youre gonna do it but it doesnt look like it,' said Randy Moore, DOE interim deputy superintendent. The House Education Committee called a special hearing Thursday afternoon trying to get to the bottom of the issue. Just days before school started, the DOE announced the suspension of nearly 150 bus routes on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island due to driver shortages. This school bus crisis happened last year, said Rep. Trish La Chica (D), Education Committee Vice Chair. Happened the year prior to that. So the issue is not new. Yet we are really struggling to understand why it happened yet again this year. Lawmakers seek answers on school bus service shortages Its unacceptable that our communities received notice with only two or three days before school starts, said Rep. Justin Woodson, (D) Education Committee Chair. Families were scrambling. All the House members were hearing from community members trying to figure out how theyre gonna get their kids to school. Moore pointed out several other facts on the school bus system. By law, the state is required to provide bus service to special education students, and the number of those students has increased 15% from last year. Which means more buses and more drivers diverted there. Also, he said school bus driver isnt the most desired job for those with commercial drivers licenses. Some school bus drivers think its the best job in the world but thats not true for every bus driver, said Moore. I wanna assure you we are definitely committed to do all we can to rectify this situation in working together with our bus contractors, said Keith Hayashi, DOE superintendent. About 3,700 students were initially affected. Last week, the DOE announced a new contract that resumes service for about 1,200 students. Bottom line is we want to understand better what the challenges are and we want to make sure this doesnt happen again in the future, said Woodson. Moore told lawmakers in hindsight, the DOE wouldve handled the situation differently. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Right now, theyre focused on getting all the routes up and running again. And they will work on an action plan to prevent this from happening again. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. What Does The Way You Laugh Say About You? Kamala Harris' laugh has been the subject of attacks from her presidential election rival. Illustration:Jianan Liu/HuffPost; Photo: Getty Images Since Kamala Harris entered the presidential race last month, Donald Trump has tested out a variety of attacks on the vice president and Democratic nominee, including questioning her identity as a Black woman and repeatedly misspelling and mispronouncing her first name. But one of his most often-repeated attacks focuses on her laugh. You ever watch her laugh? Shes crazy, Trump said at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan,on July 20. You know, you can tell a lot by a laugh. No, shes crazy, shes nuts. Thats the laugh of a crazy person, I will tell you, if you havent noticed, he echoed in Asheville, North Carolina, on Aug. 14. Shes crazy ... Thats the laugh of a person with some big problems. Harris has spoken about her booming laugh and her refusal to be confined to others expectations for a woman in her position. I have my mothers laugh, she said during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in April. And I grew up around a bunch of women, in particular, who laughed from the belly. They laughed. They would sit around the kitchen, drinking their coffee, telling big stories with big laughs. As Harris guffaws continue to be the subject of political headlines, many have pointed to the underlying misogyny and racism of these critiques. But theyve also described how the vice presidents uninhibited laughter exemplifies something else: the power of joy in the face of adversity and opposition. Can something as seemingly simple as a laugh carry such meaning? We asked experts to explain what different kinds of laughter mean and the cultural perceptions that inform our understanding. What does our laughter mean? People laugh for social reasons, and they laugh when theyre with the right people and in the right mood, said Sophie Scott, the director of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, where much of her research has focused on the science of laughter. Someones laughter is telling you about how theyre feeling, the context that theyre in, the fact that they feel comfortable enough to laugh, the fact that they like the people that theyre with or theyre hoping to give the impression that they like the people that theyre with and that theyre feeling maybe comfortable and relaxed and theyre not feeling stressed. She pointed to research showing that humans are 30 times more likely to laugh when they are with others than when they are alone. Not only do we laugh more when were with company, but we also laugh more if we like or love those people. Laughter is a form of nonverbal communication, noted body language expert Patti Wood. It combines the different body language associated with laughter, such as smiles, open mouths, teeth showing, head back, body bent back, and paralanguage that includes the vocalizations of laughter. Research shows that the more confident and uninhibited you are, the more spontaneous and powerful your laugh is. In addition to conveying personality traits like confidence or affability, your laugh might also indicate your social status. Social and personality psychologist Christopher Oveis, who was the lead author of a study on this phenomenon, believes the vice president is a strong example. Harris frequently engages in laughs that have all the hallmarks of high-status, dominant laughs, Oveis said. Her laughs are loud, voiced, long in duration, and variable in pitch. She does not look at others while she is laughing for cues about when to start and stop laughing. Instead, she usually starts and stops laughing according to her internal states, which is a hallmark of laughter when people feel relatively powerful and at ease. Being ridiculed and mocked by laughter is not an experience inside Trumps comfort zone. His attacks on Kamalas laughter could actually be based on subliminal fear.body language expert Judi James Oveis noted that people can audibly show dominance with this sort of louder, longer laughter, just as they do visually with their bodies by assuming more expansive, space-consuming postures. Harris does not appear reluctant to take up space with her laughter, Oveis said. In the context of the high-status people that Ive studied, Harris laughs are incredibly normal. Most high-status laughs go all over the place acoustically and with the body at the same time. Conservative attempts to denigrate Harris on the basis of her laughter reflect another cultural perception many still hold, however. We are laughter snobs in business and politics, which is why people will often refrain from anything other than a polite social chortle, and often, that kind of laughter is performed almost silently, said body language expert Judi James. Deeper laughter that is not too frequent is often associated with perceptions of power. Anything less restrained or more childlike is often seen as suggesting an immature loss of control. Laughter that is too frequent will also be seen as defining a lightweight or superficial character. Its easy to paint laughter as a silly behavior that diminishes the perception of someones seriousness. Those who laugh at the end of every utterance might appear to lack authority, for instance, as theres a sense of apologizing for everything they say. A higher-pitched giggle may have a similar effect. James emphasized that these perceptions are based on bias and prejudice, not reality. The worst type of laughter in terms of social behavior is the fake laugh, she added. Polite social laughter is OK when it is restrained, but when someone looks performative, putting on an exaggerated laugh, they can be seen as untrustworthy and fake. How is laughter perceived differently for men and women? Cultural bias and prejudice certainly play into the perception of laughter from women. Indeed, women tend to be more harshly judged than men when it comes to the way they display emotion. Hillary Clinton also faced criticism forherlaugh. I think if you want to dislike somebody, attacking their laughter is quite an easy thing to do because you can just sort of place your own interpretation on it, Scott said. Because humans do use laughter in a complex way, you can simply choose to interpret their laughter as meaning something else. So I think thats one of the things thats going on with Donald Trumps attacks on the way that Kamala Harris laughs. Historically, womens laughter has been more restricted by cultural norms compared to men.positive psychology lecturer Ros Ben-Moshe Although you could perceive the way the Democratic nominee laughs frequently, loudly and playfully as a sign of confidence and comfort, you could also take this out of context and adopt a different view. You could say, as Donald Trump seems to be doing, that somehow shes fundamentally unserious, Scott explained. Look at her laughing. Whats going on there? Theres no reason to laugh. Uninhibited laughter runs counter to traditional expectations for women to be more submissive and quiet, as well. Historically, womens laughter has been more restricted by cultural norms compared to men. It was often viewed as inappropriate or even vulgar to laugh out loud, even as a sign of sexual promiscuity, said Ros Ben-Moshe, a positive psychology lecturer and author of The Laughter Effect How to Build Joy, Resilience and Positivity in Your Life. This has led to a perception that women should be more restrained in their expressions of joy, whereas mens laughter is often seen as a sign of confidence and charisma, she added. In many Eastern cultures, women traditionally cover their mouths when laughing, a practice that to a lesser extent can still be seen today. Trumps suggestion that the vice presidents laughter indicates shes crazy also plays into societys long history of sexist critiques of women as hysterical not to mention the stigma against mental health issues. But Harris penchant for laughing might actually be a strength for the presidential candidate. By attacking her laughter, Trump attempts to belittle and diminish her, suggesting a lack of seriousness or intelligence, Ben-Moshe explained. However, Kamala Harriss laughter, especially in public, is a genuine display of her human side a trait that should be celebrated, not undermined. She added that laughing can unnerve people, which is perhaps why some political commentators have suggested that Harris laughter might even be a secret weapon. Chuckling in the face of an adversary tends to take away their power. Being ridiculed and mocked by laughter is not an experience inside Trumps comfort zone, James said. His attacks on Kamalas laughter could actually be based on subliminal fear. His problem is if Kamalas cackling laughter becomes a contagious rallying cry to the public. If he cant isolate it and ridicule it, it could end up ridiculing him. Whats happening in the body when we laugh? Laughter is more like a different way of breathing than it is a different way of speaking. It happens when you get these big contractions of the intercostal muscles, and its a social behavior, Scott said. She noted that laughter seems to have roots in an older mammal play behavior. Its a vocalization indicating playful intentions, Scott explained. We laugh to show that we are being playful, that our intentions [are] playful. And we also laugh for lots of different kinds of social and communicative reasons. Well laugh to show that we are affiliated with somebody, but well also laugh to show that we like them and we will laugh to show that we agree with them and we understand them. Research shows that the more confident and uninhibited you are, the more spontaneous and powerful your laugh is.body language expert Patti Wood Humans use laughter in many different ways, including as a nervous response or as a way to deal with stress. The act of laughing can strengthen social bonds as well. What happens in the body when we laugh is that you do get some physiological changes, Scott said. Theres a reduction in adrenaline. You are less stressed, so youre more relaxed. When people laugh, they can experience a reduction in cortisol and burst of endorphins, making them feel extra good inside. Laughter has also been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce muscle tension, which makes it a powerful anti-stress agent, and even just a moment of laughter in a tense situation can allow us to think more clearly and creatively, said clinical psychologist Natalie Dattilo-Ryan. Because it can strengthen a sense of social cohesion, it can help put others at ease or feel closer to us. Perhaps most importantly from a psychological perspective, in groups, laughter signals safety and trust and can help us co-regulate intense emotions like stress, anxiety, and anger. What does it mean when someone doesnt seem to laugh? As Maya Angelou famously said, I dont trust anyone who doesnt laugh, Ben-Moshe noted. The ability to laugh is typically innate and can be seen in infants as young as five weeks old. Laughter is a fundamental way of connecting with others and fostering attachment. When someone rarely laughs, it might indicate a deficit in early emotional attachment or a reluctance to engage with others on an emotional level. Over the years, many have observed that Trumpisrarelyseenlaughing. There are a couple of cases of him laughing because someone was being rude about someone he didnt like, but its true he often makes people laugh without himself ever laughing, Scott said. I think theres a power or control element hes going for. He often pulls quite the opposite of a smile but a kind of really downturned face looking quite like Mussolini. The notion that infrequent laughter can be associated with control and power might also explain why men tend to laugh less than women do. But a totally laughter-free existence is not a healthy one, argued Sarah Routman, an instructor in the practice of laughter yoga. Theres an Irish proverb that says a good laugh and a long sleep are the two best things you can do for yourself, and I totally believe that, she said. When you have a good laugh, you feel so refreshed and on top of the world. People who dont laugh are likely dealing with a lot of stress and holding it in all the time. They probably dont know how to have fun. And that chronic stress can cause a lot of problems. Routman also highlighted the role of laughter in fostering a sense of trust between people. Theres some science that suggests if you make eye contact and share laughter with another person, you are much more likely to share honest things about yourself whether you are laughing with a stranger or a friend, Routman said. That means that laughter builds trust, which is important for everybody. We know that relationships are healthier when we have laughter and trust. And its interesting thinking of how that relates to politics and whether we trust our political leaders. Whether the perceived meaning of laughter has the power to swing the presidential election has yet to be seen, but in the meantime, the Republican nominees Laughing Kamala attacks continue to mount. Trumps running mate JD Vance has notably derided Democrats who dont have biological children as childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives. But its hard to reconcile that notion of misery with images of Harris joyful guffaws. You might even say the very idea is laughable. Related... HONOLULU (KHON2) The Hawaii Department of Health has published the results of a study they performed between 2017 and 2019. The study examines the challenges and disparities faced by Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) youth in Hawaii and highlights important data on issues like health, bullying, mental health, substance use and academic achievement, with not-so surprising revelations regarding Hawaiis Native Hawaiian youth. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Understanding SGM youth in Hawaii Aohe hana nui ke alu ia, means No task is too big when done together by all. This saying emphasizes the collective effort needed to address the issues faced by SGM youth in Hawaii. The term SGM includes a wide range of identities, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and mahu (a Native Hawaiian term for those who embody both male and female spirit). The minority stress framework This idea of the Minority Stress framework explains that people in minority groups, like SGM youth, often experience higher levels of stress due to stigma and discrimination. This stress can lead to various health and social challenges that persist into adulthood. Disparities in health and housing The data collected from 2017 to 2019 revealed significant disparities in the health and well-being of SGM youth in Hawaii. For instance, only 60% of transgender or unsure gender youth usually sleep at their parents or guardians home, compared to 93% of cisgender youth. This statistic suggests that many SGM youth face unstable housing, which can significantly impact their mental and physical health. Native Hawaiian youth make up a significant portion of SGM youth in Hawaii. For example, 24% of transgender youth and 26% of youth unsure about their gender identify as Native Hawaiian. This is particularly important because it highlights how Native Hawaiian SGM youth are affected by these disparities at higher rates. Bullying and violence Bullying and violence are major issues for SGM youth. The data shows that 26% of LGB (lesbian, gay, or bisexual) youth were bullied on school property in the past year, compared to 17% of heterosexual youth. Additionally, 33% of transgender or unsure gender youth reported being bullied either at school or online. This bullying often intersects with other forms of discrimination, including race and culture, which can be especially challenging for Native Hawaiian youth. Moreover, SGM youth are more likely to experience dating violence. For example, LGB youth are 2 to 3 times more likely to experience dating violence compared to their heterosexual peers. This kind of violence can have severe long-term effects on mental health and well-being. Mental health challenges The mental health of SGM youth in Hawaii is a significant concern. The study reveals that LGB youth are almost 3 times as likely as their heterosexual peers to attempt suicide. For transgender or unsure gender youth, the risk is even higher, with these youth being almost 6 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to cisgender youth. Additionally, about 50% of transgender or unsure gender youth reported feeling sad or hopeless in the past year. These statistics underline the urgent need for mental health support for SGM youth, particularly for Native Hawaiian youth, who are disproportionately represented in these groups. Substance use and health risks Substance use is another area where SGM youth face disparities. The data shows that LGB youth are 2.5 times more likely to smoke cigarettes and nearly 4 times more likely to have injected illegal drugs compared to heterosexual youth. Transgender or unsure gender youth face even greater risks, being 6 times more likely to smoke cigarettes and 14 times more likely to have injected illegal drugs compared to their cisgender peers. These higher rates of substance use are often a way for SGM youth to cope with the stress and challenges they face, including bullying, family conflict and rejection. Academic achievement The academic achievement of SGM youth is also affected by the hostile environments they often encounter. The data notes that transgender and unsure gender youth are less likely to feel they will complete a post-high school program compared to their cisgender peers. Only 45% of transgender youth and 57% of unsure gender youth felt confident about completing such a program, compared to 73% of cisgender youth. Protective factors and support Despite these challenges, there are ways to support SGM youth and help them overcome these obstacles. The study highlights the importance of family support, positive peer influences and involvement in school activities. Programs like Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) in schools can provide safe spaces for SGM youth to receive support and build community. One of the promising practices mentioned is the work of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, which encourages teachers and staff to support SGM students through interactive resources and anti-bullying policies. The data from 2017 to 2019 paints a concerning picture of the challenges faced by SGM youth in Hawaii, especially Native Hawaiian youth. High rates of bullying, mental health struggles, substance use and academic difficulties highlight the need for comprehensive support systems. You can click here to find out more from the DOH study. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHONs morning podcast, every morning at 8 By working togethermuch like the olelo noeau suggestscommunities can make a significant difference in the lives of these young people, ensuring they have the opportunities and support they need to thrive. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. The United States Department of Justice announced the arrest of a Jordanian citizen living in Orlando Thursday, accused of threatening to use explosives and causing hundreds of dollars in damage to an energy facility in protest of what he perceived to be support for Israel. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Action News Jaxs sister station WFTV reports that 43-year-old Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen was charged with 4 counts of threatening to use explosives and 1 count of destruction of an energy facility for targeted attacks on businesses in the Orlando area that began back in June. According to the Department of Justice, Hnaihen wore a mask and operated under the cover of darkness as he smashed storefronts and left behind multiple warning letters addressed to the United States Government, making political demands and threatening to destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support what he called the racist state of Israel. Hnaihen is accused of breaking into a solar power facility in Wedgefield in late June and spending hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays, cutting wires, and targeting critical electronic equipment, causing more than $700,000 in damage. CLICK HERE to read the full story by WFTV. Read: Usher reschedules all Atlanta shows after suffering from neck injury [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. A Missouri woman was arrested Friday morning and charged in connection to the attempted foreclosure scheme of Graceland, former home to music great Elvis Presley, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release Friday. Friday is also the anniversary of Presley's death. Lisa Jeanine Findley who the DOJ said has gone by aliases such as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins and Carolyn Willaims was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The 30-page criminal complaint charges Findley with aggravated identity theft and mail fraud. "As alleged in the complaint, the defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presleys daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, in a statement. "As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account." U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Kevin Ritz, who has spent most of his life in Memphis and has been nominated by President Joe Biden for a federal judgeship, called the scheme "brazen" and said the DOJ "will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits financial crimes or identity theft." Three foreclosure notices were published by Naussany Investments beginning on May 6, citing a public auction for the historic Memphis estate. On May 22, the foreclosure sale was halted by Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins after a Shelby County Chancery Court hearing. According to an affidavit in the charging documents, Findley created Naussany Investments and "used, without lawful authority, [Lisa Marie Presleys] name and signature, as well as the names, signatures and notary seals of other real persons to create fake loan documents purporting to memorialize [Lisa Marie Presleys] 2018 agreement to borrow $3.8 million from Naussany Investments and pledge Graceland as collateral for the loan, including a fake promissory note and deed of trust." Investigators looked at records provided to them by Microsoft that showed the email for Naussany Investments was created on July 14, 2023. A fan holds a phone with an Elvis Presley case in front of the gates of Graceland during the annual Candlelight Vigil to honor Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, August 15, 2024. Findley, who was arrested in Kimberling, Missouri, began threatening to foreclose Graceland for not repaying the purported $3.8 million loan soon after creating the email, according to the affidavit. On July 28, 2023, officials say a "creditors claim" package was sent from Kimberling to Lisa Marie Presleys business manager in Woodland Hills, California. The claim was captioned to be filed in the California Superior Court. Officials tracked down Findley through a PO Box that she rented in the name of one of her aliases, Lisa Holden. A phone number attached to the creditors claim was also linked to Findley, officials say. A number of other packages were sent under numerous aliases from the same post office in Kimberling, according to officials. Some of those packages included sworn affidavits that officials allege were fraudulent. The charging complaint, according to documents, was originally filed under seal Thursday, citing concerns that the defendant may flee, conceal evidence or seek to influence persons cooperating with the investigation if they learn of the investigations existence and that the investigation was ongoing. Prior to the foreclosure sale happening, Riley Keough an actress and daughter of Lisa Marie Presley filed a lawsuit in court to halt the sale. Following a hearing on May 24, Memphis-based law firm Morton & Germany filed the court-ordered injunction bond. Morton & Germany is representing Riley Keough and The Promenade Trust, which controls ownership of the Graceland estate. Morton & Germany filed the countersuit regarding the sale and said the foreclosure claims were fraudulent. Elvis Week: Fans from around world defy heat to honor the King at Candlelight Vigil More: New Elvis documentary from Baz Luhrmann, recording studio at Graceland teased during Elvis Week Numerous emails, riddled with grammatical errors, were sent to attorneys and media outlets, including The Commercial Appeal. On May 25, The CA received a second email from someone purporting to be Kurt Naussany one of the aliases officials say Findley used. That second email was written in Spanish and claimed the alleged Naussany Investments firm was the "Yahoo Ring Leader of Nigeria." The New York Times and The Daily Memphian also reported receiving similar emails from Kurt Naussany. The emails to other media outlets were written in different languages and contained slightly differing details, however, still claimed responsibility for predatory and fraudulent behavior. According to the DOJ, all names associated with Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC were actually Findley, and "after the scheme attracted global media attention, Findley allegedly wrote to representatives of Elvis Presleys family, the Tennessee state court, and the media to claim falsely that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria." "Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person's celebrity status," Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group said in the statement. "In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain." This is a developing story and will be updated. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Missouri woman charged with Graceland auction, foreclosure scheme In an out-of-court settlement, Dominion Energy and Comporium telecom company have agreed to pay $30 million to the estate of a 31-year-old Aiken County school teacher killed by the collapse of a rotting utility pole on a public street in downtown Wagener last year. The settlement in the wrongful death case was announced Thursday afternoon by state Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, who represented the family of Jeunelle Robinson, a teacher at Wagener-Salley High School at the time of her death last Aug. 23. She taught history and life lessons to 9th- and 10th-grade students. She was killed on her lunch break while walking downtown when a passing truck snagged a low-slung line on a utility pole that was hanging dangerously low over Main Street, according to a complaint in the case filed in Aiken County state court. The utility pole that struck Ms. Robinson was at least 70 years old and collided with her head with bone shattering force as she attempted to avoid it, the complaint said. She died of blunt force trauma. Robinsons death was completely avoidable if the defendants had exercised slight care instead of being motivated to make such large profits, the complaint said. Both companies benefited financially from not keeping the utility poles in downtown Wagener in a safe condition, the complaint said. Dominion, asked for comment about the case and whether it was fixing old unsafe equipment, emailed this response, Dominion Energy again extends our deepest condolences to the family of Jeunelle Robinson, and we are pleased to help bring resolution to this case. In an email, Comporiums executive vice president and chief operating officer, Matthew Dosch, said, Our prayers have been with the family of Ms. Robinson and the many lives she touched since this accident occurred. We at Comporium are glad to be able to resolve this matter with the family at this time. Comporium officials did not reply to a question from The State about whether it was fixing old unsafe equipment. The company, based in Rock Hill, provides digital video, internet, phone and home security monitoring services to customers in South Carolina and North Carolina. It is the 22nd largest broadband provider in America, as well as the 13th largest telecom provider and 22nd largest cable television provider in the country, the lawsuit said. About a month before Robinsons death, the town clerk of Wagener, a town of some 650 people, had emailed Dominion asking about the low wires and poles. The poles are leaning and the wires are hanging some.... Please have someone check it out, the clerk wrote on July 10, 2023.. Dominion replied that the wires and poles were the responsibility of either telephone or cable TV companies, according to the lawsuit, which alleged that Dominion did, in fact, have responsibility for the poles. Both Dominion and Comporium owned, operated, were responsible for maintaining, inspecting, and replacing, or otherwise utilized rotted utility poles owned by one of them or both of them jointly in Wagener for the mutual and joint benefit of both Dominion and Comporiums business ventures, the complaint said. This includes the rotted pole that killed Ms. Robinson. Judge keeps legal fees secret Although court proceedings in South Carolina are supposed to be public, State Judge Clyburn Pope sealed a petition to approve the settlement and a related order, according to a filing Thursday in Aiken County state court. In a two-page order, the judge wrote that although she was mindful of our states public policy favoring the transparency of court proceedings, she was keeping secret various settlement documents, which include disbursement figures, because Robinsons heirs may be prejudiced or harassed. The secrecy also extends to the money that Robinsons family lawyers Bamberg and Adam Ness will get paid out of the settlement, according to a court record. Plaintiffs lawyers typically can get one-third to 40% or more in fees in big settlements in wrongful death cases. Veteran media lawyer Jay Bender of Columbia said Friday that while there may be justification to keep secret individual payouts to Robinsons heirs, he could find no legal basis for a judge to keep secret lawyers fees in this case, especially in a matter of such high public interest. Theres no justification for concealing the fees lawyers got, Bender said. Disclosure of that information is in the public interest because it discloses how much it costs to bring such an action, and it assures the public that the clients are being treated fairly, Bender said, citing the recent high profile case of Alex Murdaugh, a former South Carolina lawyer who used the secrecy surrounding his fees to steal millions from clients and his law firm. Pope did sign an order revealing the total settlement to be $30 million, according to a document filed Thursday in Aiken County state court. That order said if the case had gone to trial, the outcome would have been uncertain. According to Bamberg, the Robinson family chose to settle with the companies as the one-year anniversary of their daughters death approached in an effort to honor her memory and finally have closure. Although nothing can bring Jeunelle back to her family, we are pleased to have reached this resolution with the parties involved, said Bamberg. We appreciate the leadership of Dominion and Comporium for working with us to ensure Jeunelles family would not have to relive this tragedy in court unnecessarily. We are focused on protecting rural areas that are often overlooked by utility and power companies around the country, and we hope that this tragic situation will result in greater attention being focused on repairing and maintaining poles in Americas rural areas, Bamberg said. Dominion, one of the states largest energy providers, has approximately 782,000 electric customers in South Carolina and sells natural gas to approximately 435,000 customers in the state, the lawsuit said. Restaurant owner Irina Vilarino is a qualified candidate for the Doral City Council, a judge determined Thursday after a hearing about her residency that followed a complaint from the CEO of the citys chamber of commerce. Vilarino is one of three registered candidates for the open Seat 3 on Dorals City Council. Doral Chamber of Commerce CEO Emmanuel Manny Sarmiento had filed a complaint questioning her residency, providing records that showed she recently lived in Pinecrest. On Thursday, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Peter Lopez determined that she had provided enough proof of residency in Doral to be considered a valid candidate for the city election this November. Judge Peter R. Lopez reschedules Irina Vilarinos hearing on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in downtown Miami. Per Dorals charter, candidates for City Council must have lived in the city for at least two years prior to qualifying for office. Sarmiento claimed that Vilarino did not live in Doral as of July 2022, a claim that Vilarino denied on the stand. Vilarino said she purchased a home in Doral in June 2022 and began moving in shortly after the purchase. One of the main pillars of Sarmientos argument was Vilarinos filing for a homestead exemption on a house in Pinecrest. Prior to purchasing her home in Doral, Vilarino lived in Pinecrest in a home she still owns. Property filings show that she filed and received a homestead exemption for that property beginning in 2021. According to property appraisal records, Vilarino sold that house in June of this year. Vilarino said she was not fully aware of the intricacies of homestead exemptions and that she didnt know she had to change it after moving to Doral. Sarmientos legal team argued that filing for a homestead exemption in another city showed Vilarinos intent to remain a resident in that city and not as a part of the community in Doral. Vilarino also voted in Pinecrest in November 2022, although she argued that, since it was not a local election, her vote counted the same as voting anywhere else in Miami-Dade County. Pictured are the reflections of Emmanuel Manny Sarmientos attorneys as they wait for the arrival of Judge Peter R. Lopez prior to the hearing being rescheduled on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in downtown Miami. In the ruling, Lopez decided that, while intent is subjective, homestead filings do not have enough weight in the case to disqualify Vilarino from running for office. The Doral city charter does not specify that a candidate must have a primary residence in Doral, just a continuous one, which Vilarino proved through her documentation, the judge said. Sarmiento disagreed with the end decision but accepted the outcome. If you claim homestead, you cant claim ignorance for not knowing what homestead means, especially when you have tons of years of experience in business, Sarmiento told the Herald after the decision. I think I did the right thing. Someone has to advocate for the community, and thats what I tried to do here. Doral City Attorney Lorenzo Cobiella talks with Connie Diaz, Dorals city clerk, after the Irina Vilarinos hearing was rescheduled on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in downtown Miami. Vilarino has an administrative role in the operation of her family-owned business, Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine. The restaurant has two locations in Doral, one of which has been open for 15 years. She said that their restaurant is part of the Doral community and that the move has made the commute easier. I think its lamentable that theres election interference ... instead of letting voters decide who they want to represent them, Vilarino told the Herald. Vilarino is running against Nicole Reinoso, 38, and Juan Carlos Esquivel, 58, who is making his third bid for a seat on the Doral council. Western countries are no longer safe, says Jean Kaseya, director general of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the continents highest health authority. Thirteen African countries have so far confirmed cases of mpox, and two more (South Sudan and Chad) are pending confirmation. And experts fear it will spread to more places, faster. From Africa, the warning is clear: This is no longer a problem for us, but for the world, Kaseya stressed in a telephone interview. Wednesdays declaration of an international health emergency for mpox (as monkeypox was renamed to avoid stigma among sufferers) augurs echoes in Africa of the coronavirus pandemic, during which wealthy nations hoarded resources and vaccines. Even in 2022 [when the WHO declared another emergency for an outbreak affecting a third of patients] the North kept doses and diagnostics to themselves, Kaseya notes. We need Western solidarity to save lives around the world, insists the CDC director-general, who warns that his experts are already studying in addition to animal-to-human and human-to-human transmission of the virus the possibility of human-to-animal transmission, something that could lead to a dangerous mutation. Epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim also describes the mood at Mondays CDC meeting a day before Africas top health authority declared a state of emergency as one of great concern. A respected expert who leads the group of 20 scientists advising the CDC on the matter and who also works as an expert for the WHO and has been on the front line of public health problems such as HIV or coronavirus for 40 years, Karim notes that mpox has been resurfacing from time to time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for years, but that this combination of factors has never happened previously: firstly, the incredibly high number of cases detected (15,000 infections and 479 deaths so far this year, mostly in the DRC, although the actual numbers are likely to be much higher). These are, he stresses, more than three times as many as in 2022 when the WHO declared a first global health emergency for monkeypox. The second factor, adds Karim, is the increase in mpox cases in a few weeks, especially driven by the DRC, and its spread to countries that had not reported recent cases such as Kenya and Uganda. The third, he concludes, is the mortality rate, which is much higher than anticipated at around 3%. This figure takes into account the number of deaths and the number of registered cases, but there is probably a large under-diagnosis, so many experts put it on hold. The most worrying clade (variant) of mpox in Africa is 1b, the one that has recently emerged in the DRC and which appears to be more transmissible between people, more virulent, and more lethal, especially among children 70% of the positives are in children under 15 years of age and 39% in children under five years of age, who account for 62% of deaths. According to the WHO, more than 100 laboratory-confirmed cases of Clade 1b have been confirmed in the last month in four countries bordering the DRC that had not previously reported any outbreaks: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Clade 2, responsible for the global outbreak in 2022, which was transmitted mainly through sexual intercourse, continues to circulate, albeit with less virulence, in countries such as South Africa and Egypt. Transmission of the new variant can occur from person to person through close contact with someone infected: face-to-face, talking or breathing in close proximity (from droplets excreted), skin-to-skin contact, mouth-to-mouth, or mouth-to-skin contact. Karim comments that variant 1b appears to be transmitting in heterosexual relationships, as a large number of CRD diagnoses are occurring among people working in prostitution. We are concerned that this could mean widespread spread, especially if a good number of patients have mild or no symptoms. DRC humanitarian crisis An added problem for Africa in fighting the epidemic, experts agree, is the reporting of cases: the DRC is immersed in a humanitarian crisis and a conflict that has been ongoing since the late 1990s, further aggravated from 2022. In this context it faces constant public health problems, such as measles (300,000 cases last year resulting in 6,000 deaths, according to Doctors Without Borders) and extremely precarious public health systems. To make matters worse, the area that is the focus of the current mpox outbreak, South Kivu, is one of the most impoverished in the country, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people live in overcrowded camps. [In these areas of DRC] there are no adequate staff or resources for contact tracing, nor is there capacity for sufficient laboratory testing, says Isidro Carrion, a Doctors Without Borders epidemiologist who has worked in DRC on several occasions in recent years. Greg Ramm, director of the NGO Save the Children in DRC, describes overcrowded health centers around Goma (the capital of North Kivu province), where there is insufficient space for patients to isolate themselves and insufficient protective equipment for doctors and nurses dealing with possible contagions. There is also a lack of resources to communicate to communities how the disease is transmitted, what the symptoms are, and how to prevent it. The virus is walking at a steady pace Luis Flores, a research associate at the Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles in Lwiro, saw firsthand how monkeypox transmission began last October in Kamituga, an isolated mining town in the DRC. We saw that the transmission was not only sexual, as happened in Europe; sick children started to appear. The effects on infected people are terrible; it is not only in the genital areas as happened especially in the 2022 outbreak in Western countries, it is all over the body, like the old smallpox, he explains. Flores, who was part of the team that sequenced Clade 1, states that nothing is being done in the affected regions: There is a lot of chaos, the virus is spreading through the community, there is practically no diagnostic capacity. We have been seeing it for months and no measures have been taken; there has been no ring vaccination in the area, not even for the health workers who treat sick people. The researcher describes Kamituga as a very densely populated area that is very difficult to access it takes more than two days to reach with a lot of prostitution and ideal conditions for a virus of these characteristics to spread. The Spaniard, who is setting up a laboratory at the center where he works in the small town of Lwiro, has watched the advance of the virus with concern: It walks, and it does so at a steady pace. Im surprised we havent learned from covid. It has spread outside DRC and in a few months, if nothing is done, it will jump to other countries. Lack of vaccines We have been warning of the shortcomings in the response to this epidemic and the catastrophic consequences it can have in such vulnerable communities and, therefore, in neighboring countries with very fragile health systems, says Carrion. In Europe, there is a lot of talk again about the virus, about the need for vaccines... but we must not forget that [in Africa] there are already thousands of people suffering from the disease without adequate treatment. Kaseya, the director-general of the CDC, assured in his press conference Tuesday that the continent needs more than 10 million doses of vaccine against mpox, but that it has barely 200,000. WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is currently campaigning among vaccine manufacturers to speed up production. The WHOs declaration of an international emergency is expected to facilitate some procedures, but international collaboration will be needed to get the doses to countries such as DRC. The challenge in sourcing the necessary vaccines, however, will be in supply. A spokesperson for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) explains: There are still a few weeks to go before the WHO approves any vaccine for emergency use and, even then, it will take time for manufacturers to be able to supply doses in large quantities. In the short term, acknowledges the large public-private partnership, the best way to get vaccines to the countries that need them will be through donations. Karim qualifies that vaccines will not, in any case, be the main element in Africa to control the virus, which has for years been present and under control in countries such as DRC. Public health measures are needed: well-informed health professionals, information campaigns, capacity to identify and isolate cases, and a lot of contact tracing. It is vital to stop the spread of mpox forcefully, he warns, before it becomes a global problem. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Down the Hatch: Loved ones raise a glass in honor of Gaston County WWII heroes Down the Hatch: Loved ones raise a glass in honor of Gaston County WWII heroes GASTONIA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Henry Arrowood was the man of the hour in Gastonia, at a time when the number of World War II veterans who are still with us is declining at a heartbreaking rate. Youve got people here to see you, celebrate you, his grandson Brandon Padgett told Arrowood at the Brookdale Robinwood assisted living facility. Mr. Arrowood served in the Army, with the 76th Infantry Division. At 101, hes the only living member of the World War II Last Man Club of Gaston County. You take for granted that theyve been here for so long and that so many of our values and strengths come from that generation, Padgett told Queen City News. You make me proud, former Gastonia mayor Jennie Stultz told Arrowood. PREVIOUS | 101-year-old WWII vet the last man standing in Gaston County heroes club This is an important gathering because it really honors the Last Man Club for Gaston County, said Stultz, recognizing Arrowood for his bittersweet distinction as the last man standing. Sunday, August 11 was an appropriate time to honor those Last Man members. The Spirit of 45 Day commemorates the end of World War 2. The WWII Last Man Club was established in 1994, with nearly 250 veterans at its peak. They reserved a prize for the final survivor, a bottle of whiskey. Its called Defiant, Stultz says, showing it to the group. That is a most appropriate name. The second to the Last Man, the late Ray Stewart, was the steward of that bottle. His son Mike presented it to Arrowood, but there were more significant steps required. Henry Arrowood honored at a gathering at Brookdale Robinwood. (Queen City News) (Queen City News) (Queen City News) (Queen City News) Henry Arrowood is the lone surviving member of the WWII Last Man Club of Gaston County, which once included 250 vets. (Queen City News) (Queen City News) Years ago, the club intended for the last man to pay respects to the five Last Man Club veterans who most recently passed away. Since Arrowood was unable to, his grandson did the honors. First, they stood at the grave of Marine veteran Joseph Tedder, Senior, who survived 31 days on Iwo Jima. In salute, Mike Stewart poured the whiskey on Tedders grave and took a shot. The liquor kept flowing as they remembered LaFon Spencer, an Army veteran who also served with the Gaston County Honor Guard. Thank you for your service, Padgett said, lightly pouring the booze at Spencers grave site. Another drink ensued. Then they showed love to Frank Crisp. With the Marines, he fought in the Pacific Theater; later, he joined the Navy. Shirley, his wife of 72 years, says he had dementia before he died at 100. He wanted to know where I was every single minute, he didnt want me out of his sight, and I sure do miss him, Shirley says. The late Bob Cloninger grew up in Stanley and joined the Navy in 1944 at 17. Son Rusty says his father loved to restore cars. He would drive his 1953 Studebaker in a lot of veterans day parades, Rusty says. Thank you for your service Dad and your love and dedication, he said, pouring more out of that bottle of Defiant onto his daddys grave site. Again, Ray Stewart was the second to the last man left in the club, when he died in April at 100. During the Second World War, he served with the 2nd Armored Division as a tank driver. Daughter Donna Dellinger says her daddy was proud to talk about his service, especially to students. As we remember my hero and all of our local men of the Greatest Generation, she said. Then, Mike Stewart raised a glass. This is for you Daddy. You werent the last man, but the next to the last man. But in my eyes, you were the best man, he said with emotion, as he soaked the ground with whiskey for his father. Click here for more heartwarming news across the Carolinas Everyone in the Last Man Club is worthy of reverence. Because of them, we count our blessings as a nation. Heres to you, Pop, Mike Stewart said, sipping from his glass. After the group made the rounds, Henry Arrowoods grandson kept the remainder of the bottle, to pass down to future generations as a memento of the greatest one. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Driver accused of hitting employee in Greenville parking garage GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) A woman has been charged with attempted murder after an employee was hit by a vehicle leaving a downtown Greenville parking garage. The South Carolina Highway Patrol said Ashleigh Elizabeth Mann was arrested Thursday and booked into the Greenville County Detention Center. Troopers said on May 23, Mann was leaving the Church Street Garage adjacent to Bon Secours Wellness Arena when she allegedly struck a parking attendant. The parking attendant was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Mann is currently in custody where she awaits a bond hearing Friday according to troopers. The crash remains under investigation by the SCHP. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. State patrol releases name of driver killed when his truck hits house in Montgomery County A 39-year-old Englewood man was identified as the person killed Thursday night when the truck he was driving hit a house in the 5100 block of Old Salem Road in Montgomery County after colliding with another vehicle, the Ohio State Highway Patrol - Dayton Post said. >> Dozens without water because of issues with a well As we reported on News Center at 11:00, Issac Grubbs was westbound on Old Salem when he hit a Nissan Pathfinder driven by 35-year-old Nathan Netti, of Shaker Heights. Netti was northbound on Union Road. Grubbs was driving a Ford F-150 that left the road, rolled and hit the house, breaking its exterior wall. The truck ended up in the yard. We do have reports of the vehicle driving at a high rate of speed prior to the crash, said Sgt. Jeff Patenaude, of the Dayton Post. . . . Did they just lose control? It sounds like after he made contact with the SUV he lost control. Netti reported no injuries in the accident that occurred just after 7 p.m. in the city of Clayton. Two people in the house were not injured, according to the patrol. A woman in a neighboring house was evacuated for her safety because of a gas leak in the house that was hit. She was not injured, he said. Damage to the house is significant, the sergeant said, noting that all the brick on the east side was taken down and the truck punctured the structure. >> New details released about viral video of mother attacking child Old Salem and Union Road (north and south) were closed to traffic for a time because of the investigation. The investigation into what led to the vehicle collision is continuing. PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) A man convicted by a jury on Valentines Day last year for illegally selling parts of federally protected golden eagles to an undercover informant on three occasions wont have to pay the $70,000 restitution that a South Dakota federal judge had ordered. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Viken had based the original $70,000 amount on 14 eagles valued at $5,000 apiece. Women who drowned on Lake Henry identified But a three-judge appellate panel this week ruled that Harvey Allen Hugs must make restitution for only the $1,600 that the informant paid him in total for the three purchases. Hugs attorney appealed the sentence handed down from Judge Viken, who is now retired. The appellate court agreed that the amount of restitution in the sentence was too high. U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Steven Colloton cited a 2019 decision known as Tree Top where the defendant was required to make restitution for only the $130 he was paid for selling eagle feathers rather than the $5,000 value set on the bird. Chief Judge Colloton wrote, As in Tree Top, the district court plainly erred in its calculation of restitution. Hugs was convicted only of selling eagle parts, so the actual loss caused by his conviction is limited to the money that the government spent to buy the eagle parts. Hugs was not convicted of killing birds, so the higher restitution amount based on the value of fourteen eagles is not justified. Hugs was prejudiced by this error because the amount of the restitution was $68,400 greater than authorized by law, and failure to correct the error would seriously affect the fairness of the proceedings. The appellate panel remanded the case with direction that Hugs be required to pay $1,600 restitution. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. EastEnders spoilers follow. EastEnders will introduce George Knight's brothers in a new story. The BBC has confirmed that Dayo Koleosho (Casualty) and Jonathan Nyati (Ted Lasso) will be appearing in EastEnders as George continues to explore his identity. The Vic barman recently learned that his adoptive father, Eddie Knight, prevented him from reuniting with his biological parents by killing his biological father. As George looked into his past, he was devastated to learn from his parents' friend Angela that his biological mother recently died. Angela is set to return to Walford in upcoming scenes this time bringing George's brothers Kobina (Dayo Koleosho) and Kojo Asare (Jonathan Nyati) from Ghana. Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron - BBC Related: Best streaming services 2024 including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV+ George will ultimately agree to take care of his brother Kojo in Walford when Kobina is overwhelmed and returns to Ghana. The character Kojo is autistic and will be played by neurodivergent actor Koleosho. Producer Chris Clenshaw has teased that the three brothers will have "a lot of complex emotions to come to terms with" after being "torn apart by tragedy". "It's been absolutely amazing I'm loving every minute of working with the cast and crew. It's an incredible storyline for Kojo and his family," Koleosho said. "It is a dream that has become reality. There are many surprises and I'm taking every opportunity to work creatively with other talented actors. His new co-star Nyati said: "I am really honoured to appear in EastEnders, a British soap that I grew up watching religiously. It's exciting to be part of George Knight's storyline and his on-screen family. I can't wait for viewers to be introduced to Kobina and his little brother Kojo as they arrive in Albert Square for the first time." Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron - BBC Related: EastEnders gift guide all the best books and merchandise for fans of the soap Koleosho will be appearing in EastEnders on a full-time basis going forward, while Nyati is set to have a short stint on the soap. EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast. Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage You Might Also Like LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Eaton County Clerk Diana Bosworth has asked a court to determine if Will Pitylak can appear on the November ballot as the Democratic nominee for Eaton County Drain Commissioner. Bosworth is asking a judge from Eaton County Circuit Court to determine if Pitylak filed a false Affidavit of Identity, when he filed to run April. That document, signed under penalty of perjury, requires a candidate to attest and affirm they are in full compliance with the Michigan Campaign Finance Act. Compliance includes having filed all required reports and paid any fines or fees. While Pitylak signed the affidavit, he had not filed required campaign finance reports from previous elections. His Republican opponent, Richard Wagner, called Bosworth and complained in July when it was too late to remove Pitylak from the August primary ballot. He went on to win the Democratic nomination. 6 News first reported on the controversy Aug. 14. Bosworth announced the lawsuit in a state sent to news media Friday afternoon. Today, County Clerk Diana Bosworth has filed a Complaint for Declaratory Relief on an election matter involving Drain Commissioner Candidate Will Pitylak. On or about April 12, 2024, Pitylak filed his Affidavit of Identity (AOI) with the $100 filing fee to run for the office of Drain Commissioner for Eaton County in the August 2024 primary election and November 2024 general election. On June 7, 2024, the Call to Election by the Michigan State Bureau of Election was given to Eaton County for the August 2024 primary elections, which included Pitylak as a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for Drain Commissioner. On June 10, 2024, the ballots were sent to the printers for the August 2024 primary election. On or about Friday, July 26, 2024, incumbent Drain Commissioner Richard Wagner informed Clerk Bosworth that Pitylaks AOI was false because he had not filed any campaign finance reports since 2021 or 2022. It was too late to remove Pitylak from the August 2024 primary election ballots by the time this issue was raised. Pitylak won the Democratic Party nomination at the August 2024 primary, and the county results of that election were certified by the Eaton County Board of Canvassers on or about August 13, 2024. Due to the aforementioned information and timeline, Clerk Bosworth is asking the Court for Declaratory Relief in this matter to determine whether Pitylak may be included on the November 2024 general election ballot. Both Wagner and Pitylak are aware of the suit and have been served but have not yet had an opportunity to formally respond. There is no further information or comment at this time, and no hearing dates have been scheduled by the Court. Statement on 2024 general election matter involving candidate / nominee for Drain Commissioner, issued by Eaton County Clerk Diana Bosworth Pitylak declined to comment when reached by phone Friday afternoon. No court dates have been set for the lawsuit. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Ector County ISD leaders and students headed back to school this week amid soaring summer temperatures, prompting complaints from some students and parents about a lack of air conditioning on some campuses. ECISD said it is aware that some units are not working properly and are working to get those units repaired a quickly as possible. ECISD employees four HVAC technicians and contracts with local air conditioning companies to help address issues right away. There are 2,500 units districtwide, and with the high temperatures and the need for the units to run continuously all day, this is, unfortunately, the time of the year when we run into the most issues. Our schools do a good job of adjusting, moving students to the library or other areas that are cool. The district prioritizes work orders for the youngest students and those with special needs. We are very appreciative of the patience and understanding of our staff, our students and our families, an ECISD spokesperson said in a statement. We want to remind the community and say thank you one more time the successful bond proposal from last November included more than $117 million for Priority 1 & Priority 2 repairs and maintenance, and those projects include HVAC system work for nearly 40 schools across the district. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. (KRON) Ed Hardys infamous tattoo parlor, Tattoo City, will permanently close this year. The announcement, made on the stores Instagram page on Thursday, said it will close at the end of 2024. Tattoo City said they will be closing due to Ed Hardys ongoing health issues. The store said Hardy has been dealing with Alzheimers and that his partner, Francesca Passalaqua, has been helping take care of him. Tattoo City has also been managed by Eds son, Doug Hardy. SEPTEMBER 13: A general view of atmosphere at the Ed Hardy: Tattoo The World Reception at I-20 Gallery on September 13, 2011. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images) We have decided that the time has come for this part of San Francisco tattoo history to come to an end, the store said in a statement, encouraging people to visit before the end of the year. We would really like to make the last few months of Tattoo City a celebration. Tattoo City says despite its closure, its legacy will live on. While so many memories and legends are attached to the phsyiocal incarnation of Tattoo City, its legacy wil always live in the hearts and minds of those who cherish it. Ed Hardys ties to San Francisco date back to the 1960s. He was trained in Japan to learn the traditional tattoo art style, also known as Irezumi, and is mainly known for introducing the Americana tattoo style to the United States. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. When word leaked in mid-July that Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez had rebuffed Mayor Brandon Johnsons demand that CPS add $300 million in high-cost debt to appease the mayors friends at the teachers union, we thought it pretty self-evident that Martinez wouldnt be in his job much longer. Sure enough, via a story that could be a trial balloon floating out of City Hall, Johnson now reportedly is seeking to push out Martinez and install a more agreeable CPS head. Tellingly, the mayors office hasnt commented on the report. With students set to return in a little over a week, one would think the mayor would want to firmly quash such speculation quickly if he wasnt happy with its existence. Once the mayor decides a schools boss must go, the exit typically comes quickly. But its not safe to make such assumptions given the chaos of the Johnson regime, which appears to be at work once again. Whats truly remarkable about the CPS standoff is that Martinez and Johnsons hand-picked Board of Education together are at loggerheads with the mayor over CPS miserable financial situation. Johnson cant fire Martinez directly; the board has to do it. And, if the board isnt willing to do the dirty work, which apparently is the case, Johnson likely will have to remove the board members and install replacements who will do the job. All the while, CPS is in fraught contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union, talks that are going poorly despite the presence of former CTU lobbyist Johnson on the fifth floor. CTUs outlandish demands, including 9% average annual raises, would create a budget deficit of $2.9 billion a year from now and about $4 billion by 2028, CPS contract negotiators declared Tuesday in a public bargaining session. That shaming of CTU, that laying bare the absurdity of the unions positions, took place in public because the union unwisely insisted earlier this year on holding open bargaining talks. In detailing the financial catastrophe that would ensue if CTU got its way, CPS did nothing more than to lay out the plain facts, but the union was infuriated all the same. CTU President Stacy Davis Gates castigated Martinez as insubordinate and wondered aloud why Johnson wouldnt deal with his difficult CPS boss accordingly. That Johnson is trying now to cashier Martinez simply reinforces what this Editorial Board and voters generally have believed from the start, which is that this mayor is bought and paid for by his former union employer. We have opined more than once that the mayor ought to recuse himself from the contract negotiations, given that CTU was so instrumental in his election; this embarrassing confrontation between CPS officials and the mayor over the unions demands shows why that should have happened. Unfortunately for Johnson, hes not holding a strong poker hand. Terms for this school board will expire in January. Chicago is holding its first-ever school board elections in November under a state law backed enthusiastically by Johnson and CTU. Voters will elect 10 new board members, and Johnson will appoint another 11, giving him nominal control until 2026, when voters will choose the remaining 11 and the board will become fully independent of the mayors office at least in theory. Meanwhile, Martinezs employment contract entitles him to six months notice if he isnt fired for cause this political dispute certainly doesnt rise to that level and a severance of nearly $139,000. With the current board backing Martinez, Johnson may choose to wait until 2025 to install a new CPS boss after the new Board of Education is in place. And, if CTU thinks a leadership change will get them a better contract, the union may wait until next year to finalize a deal even though the current pact is already expired. Or? If CTU insists Johnson move more quickly than that Davis Gates comments would suggest thats the case things could get even more ugly and embarrassing for the mayor. And what is all this sturm und drang about? A 2024-2025 budget that at $9.9 billion is a 5% increase over the previous year despite enrollment that is stagnant following several years of precipitous declines. The Board of Education responsibly closed a $500 million budget gap through cuts to central office personnel, debt restructuring and, yes, the (likely temporary) layoff of some 300 CTU members. CTU and Johnson have spent the last several years wishing reality were different. Thats not how to budget, whether you are a business, a government or a household. For now, Martinez improbably has become taxpayers most important ally when it comes to schools, which account for more than half of Chicagoans property tax bills. Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, framed the situation well: There has to be someone in the room thats making sure that taxpayers are being heard and their issues are being considered. It just doesnt make sense that in the middle of negotiations you want to replace the CEO because hes providing information that you dont like, he told Chalkbeat. The tragedy and, lets be frank, the outrage is that the mayor of Chicago isnt the one representing taxpayers in a battle with an unreasonable union. Instead, an unelected administrator has taken it upon himself to do the job the mayor should be doing. And Martinezs reward for doing his job is disdain from City Hall and the sharpening of knives. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. The Mexico Attorney Generals Office (FGR) has broken its silence after three weeks of suspicions and inconsistencies surrounding the arrest of Ismael El Mayo Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez in the United States, and the murder of Hector Melesio Cuen Ojeda in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa. The ministerial authorities said Thursday in a statement that their U.S. counterparts have not shared key elements to clarify how El Mayo and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the one of the sons of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, were detained on U.S. soil, such as information on the aircraft that transported them, the pilot who flew it, and the official procedures that allowed them to land at a rural airport in New Mexico. The FGR also exposed errors and omissions in the investigation carried out by the Sinaloa Prosecutors Office to clarify the murder of Cuen, regarding the autopsy, the investigations at the crime scene, the preservation of the body, and the video that has been released of the alleged attack on the politician, one of the main pieces of evidence presented by the state authorities. This is the most complete statement published by the Attorney Generals Office since both events took place on July 25. The Federal Public Prosecutors Office explained that its investigation seeks to clear up the unknowns surrounding the arrest of Zambada and Guzman Lopez, two of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, particularly what took place on Mexican territory in the hours before the arrests were made public by the United States. Mexican authorities are not convinced by the explanations offered by Washington, which claims it was taken by surprise after the kingpins appeared at the Dona Ana airport outside the border city of El Paso. [The fundamental evidence] is directly linked to an illegal flight; to a plane with cloned registration plates; and to the absolutely irregular conduct of the person piloting the plane, who concealed all the information about his flight in Mexican territory until he arrived at the border, where he only gave notice of his approach and landing in U.S. territory, where they were already waiting for him, the communique states. The evidence is still in the hands of the United States, according to the Attorney Generals Office. The Mexican agency stated that it carried out ministerial and police investigations at the Dona Ana airport, as U.S. ambassador Ken Salazar had already confirmed, but admitted that the necessary data were not obtained to establish the aforementioned responsibilities. The FGR said that other efforts, led by its intelligence agencies, have managed to determine the location of the runway near the city of Culiacan; the clandestine and unreported take-off and flight within the national territory; as well as the approval that said aircraft obtained to land in U.S. territory. This is the first precise information that the governments of the United States and Mexico have provided about the departure point of the aircraft. The U.S. Embassy said last Friday that it was of the understanding that the flight began in Sinaloa. The FGR promised to give the exact location as the investigations progress. The Attorney Generals Office requires the United States to provide 11 relevant pieces of evidence. Five of them are related to the procedures that the aircraft undertook to reach New Mexico: the U.S. Border Patrols authorization for El Mayo and Guzman Lopezs arrival flight; the passenger registry that must be submitted before take-off to the immigration authorities; the report from the U.S. radar security system; the immigration documents of the pilots and passengers, such as their visas and passports, as well as the customs record on the people who were on the plane and their belongings. It also requests from the U.S. Department of Justice the identification data of the pilot and the plane, such as its registration, serial number, flight history and the legal documents that support that its registration is in order before the U.S. authorities and international agencies. The FGR also requests a formal explanation of the registration irregularities that Washington provided in the hours following the arrest of both kingpins: If the serial number that appears on the door of the aircraft, as well as the registration number N287KA, are legal; and if historically they correspond to that aircraft today, or if there is any irregularity in this regard. It is the most detailed public account ever made of what the FGR is demanding from the White House to determine whether crimes such as illegal flight and kidnapping were committed in Mexico. The Prosecutors Office also explained why the crime of treason is included in the investigation file, a point that was also controversial and implied that Guzman Lopez is accused of that offense, and not Zambada. Mexico defines one of the definitions that can be applied to a case of treason as when a person is illegally deprived of his or her liberty in the national territory, to deliver him or her to the authorities of another country, or to transfer him or her out of Mexico for such purpose. El Mayo claims that Guzman Lopez, his godson, betrayed him and kidnapped him. If it is proven that El Chapos son delivered his former partner to U.S. authorities, he can be formally charged in Mexico. The sentences range from five to 40 years in prison. That is the main reason for the investigation that the Federal Public Prosecutors Office initiated regarding the case, it said. The murder of Hector Cuen At least two versions have emerged following the murder of Cuen, a former mayor of Culiacan and one of the most controversial figures in Sinaloa state politics. The Sinaloa Attorney Generals Office maintains that the 68-year-old politician died during an attempted robbery to steal his pickup truck. El Mayo said in a letter that Cuen was killed after being summoned to a meeting with him and Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha. State authorities say two men shot Cuen at a gas station in La Presita, 12 kilometers from Huertos del Pedregal, the place where Zambada says they met. The capo claims the murder took place at 11:00 a.m., but prosecutors said the time of death was 12 hours later, according to their medical records. Rocha, a political adversary of Cuen, denies being involved in both cases, and having attended the meeting or having any links to drug trafficking. The FGR has detected errors and inconsistencies in the state prosecutors proceedings. The autopsy does not correctly establish the immediate cadaveric signs, temperature, thanatological signs, lividity, nor the correct description and evolution of the body, it says. Federal authorities say that the protocols and measures to preserve Cuens body were not followed, and that his body should not have been allowed to be cremated before the crime was solved. Regarding the body, the FGR said that there were four shots in the legs, as the Sinaloa Prosecutors Office had already announced, but also a strong hematoma on the head. State authorities support the robbery theory based on the testimony of a former collaborator of Cuen, who said that he was driving his vehicle and had been an eyewitness to the shooting. On Monday, they released a video that supports this theory, captured by the security cameras of the La Presita gas station. But the images raised doubts in public opinion because they are not conclusive in showing the alleged robbery, nor the shots that were supposedly fired, or who was inside the truck or if it was, in fact, the victims vehicle. The video from the gas station has sound and only one shot is heard, reveals the FGR, which took over the murder investigation this week. The three employees of the gas station do not report hearing gunshots, it adds. Another finding of the federal authorities is that there were blood stains in the bed of the pickup and that, despite this, there are no expert reports or determinations in this regard. The scene of the crime was not processed, nor was the vehicle, reports the Prosecutors Office. Nor was a mechanics of the events presented, a criminalistic study detailing step-by-step how the crime took place. Three weeks after the events of July 25, state authorities have not been able to give a convincing explanation as to who killed Cuen and why, and they have blamed the media impact of El Mayos letter, which links the murder with his own arrest and has caused federal and Sinaloa authorities to work around the clock. The FGRs position has lent official status to the unanswered questions that have marked both cases and represents a blow to the credibility of the Sinaloa Prosecutors Office. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Men's Central Jail, shown in 2019. Los Angeles County leaders agreed that the jail should be demolished but have not determined how else to care for or supervise thousands of people after their arrests or convictions. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) There is no disagreement over the proper fate of Mens Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles. The decrepit facility must be torn down with all deliberate speed just as soon as county leaders make alternative arrangements for the thousands of people housed there at any given time. And theres the rub. What do we do with everybody, especially the enormous percentage of people who landed in jail in part because of psychiatric or drug problems? For years, the Board of Supervisors clung to the most rote and self-destructive answer: Build another jail, with a new name to imply a new mindset. It was going to be called the Consolidated Correctional Treatment Facility, then the Mental Health Treatment Center. The name being bandied about now is the Care First Treatment Campus. Read more: Editorial: L.A.'s cruel and deadly jail is still full on shutdown date Yet all those fancy labels are just euphemisms for jail. They all describe a single large, secure building, located on the footprint of Mens Central Jail, surrounded by other jails, and staffed by sheriffs deputies. The board hears regular reports to monitor progress on closing the jail but does little to meet the various deadlines it sets, and then misses. During last month's report, Sheriff Robert Luna said that although deputies would be needed at a treatment campus, perhaps their role could be limited. The board was noncommittal, although some supervisors' comments could be interpreted as showing a renewed openness to a bad idea a replacement jail. Read more: Editorial: Jailed Angelenos die, deputies shrug. Will this daily routine never end? Weve been here before. One of those adjacent jails is Twin Towers, which sounds like it ought to be an upscale condo development but is in fact a jail that has been cited and sued almost as often as Mens Central next door. It became the countys 1990s version of a treatment-oriented facility. As the supervisors finally recognized in 2019, an even newer jail is not the answer, because the problem is not merely a failing old building. The problem is that sheriff's deputies are trained in policing, which is the wrong skill set and wrong approach for rehabilitating people struggling with mental illness and addiction, whether or not those people have been accused of crimes. Mental health professionals have testified repeatedly that law enforcement techniques such as violent cell extractions commonly worsen the patients condition and undermine treatment. Recent Los Angeles County history is littered with the evidence that law enforcement is the wrong approach for psychiatric patients. For the first decade and a half of this century, jailers routinely beat and abused inmates whose conditions they could not understand. The Sheriffs Department failed so thoroughly at providing mental and medical care that it had to hand over the responsibility to county health officials yet deputies still run the facilities and supervise the inmates, and overall care remains abysmal. Read more: Editorial: Start the demolition countdown at Men's Central Jail Just in the last year, jailers were caught watching porn on the job instead of monitoring the people they are charged with supervising and assisting. Twenty-one people have died in L.A. County jails this year, 66 since the beginning of last year. Legal settlements that were supposed to improve conditions include one that is nearly half a century old and another that was signed this year, and many others in between. To be sure, security for many mental patients is needed, particularly in the early stages of treatment. Its in no ones interest to allow the sick to wander off on their own. But locks do not by themselves turn treatment into jail as long as medical standards and practices prevail. Best practices for psychiatric treatment include step-down beds, with higher acuity patients subject to the most security, proceeding over time to increasing levels of liberty as treatment and the patients improvement allow. To enable step-down care, patients should be treated close to their home communities, where most will eventually return. That means treatment should be provided at small facilities distributed around the county, not a single massive building in a jail complex. Read more: Editorial: Men's Central Jail should be demolished. But what should replace it? These principles a network of small locked and unlocked step-down facilities, operated by medical professionals rather than law enforcement, with contract security as needed have been part of the countys care-first plan for years now. That plan is stuck in limbo in part because the population of Mens Central Jail remains too high by about 4,000 people to close the facility. But the population reduction that supervisors said was necessary to close Men's Central was always meant to come from the entire jail system. The county has already advanced toward that milestone with the help of successful county diversion programs that direct people away from or out of all county jails. Read more: Editorial: Unconscionable abuse and shameful inaction at L.A. County jails The Office of Diversion and Reentry, for example, provides community housing and treatment for people deemed incompetent to stand trial who might otherwise sit in Twin Towers in the near-futile hope that their conditions will improve there. Thats costly and foolish. To expand their success, programs such as ODR need more beds in more communities. Thats politically challenging for the Board of Supervisors because of the typical resistance from residents to these types of facilities. But the supervisors have moved forward with housing and treatment for homeless people whose profiles are often the same as many ill people currently in jail, except that they have managed to avoid arrest. They need to keep at it if they are to fulfill their promise to close the dungeon that is Mens Central Jail and finally break the countys cycle of jailing and failing instead of treating and healing. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris agree: No tax on tips! Does this rare concurrence between the two political adversaries mean they have landed on a smart policy? Dont be ridiculous. It means they both know how to pander, in this case to restaurant wait-staff and other front-line service workers who rely on tips for a large portion of their income. Las Vegas is brimming with such workers and is by far the largest city in Nevada, a key swing state in the Nov. 5 presidential election. Read more: Harris pledges to work to end taxes on tips for service industry employees, echoing Trump vow It was an easy position to take, in large part because it has very little chance of ever becoming law. Its a great applause line. And its lousy policy. Why should Dollar A be subject to taxation but not Dollar B? Income is income in any fair and simple system of taxation. Of course, U.S. and state tax laws are neither simple nor universally fair, and are always in flux as lawmakers try to appeal to their various constituencies. Tips are lodged in a mid-20th century mindset as a kind of off-the-books cash transaction directly between an appreciative customer who leaves some coins or bills on the table, and a low-wage worker who went the extra mile (or extra coffee refill). Read more: Column: Trump says Harris stole his idea for exempting tips from tax, but her version beats his Theoretically, good service results in good tips and mediocre service gets you 10% to 15%, or maybe nothing. And theoretically it is none of the boss business. Or the tax collectors. But lets be real. Thats not really what tips are. Tips are a way of dividing up the bill so that it appears lower than it actually is, while allowing the business to underpay the worker. Some businesses ask customers to tip cashiers because why not? A famous extended dialogue in the 1992 film Reservoir Dogs questions why we tip a server at a sit-down restaurant but not a fast-food worker, who may well work harder and be paid far less. Read more: IRS Begins Plan on Restaurant Workers' Tips : Taxes: Participants are promised relief from gratuity income audits. But O.C. group says it pressures employers. There are plenty of other questions about tipping theory. Do you tip the hotel worker you never see, but who cleaned your room? Some do, some dont. Do you tip the hairdresser who is an employee, but not the one who is self-employed? Who knows? Will the employee actually get the tip if you pay with a credit card? Will the business split the tips among all the staff? Will the business owner swipe a portion, because, who will know? Taxing wages but not tips simply extends the fiction that tips are an extra token of appreciation instead of what they really are an essential part of compensation. If hourly workers are paid too little, the smarter policy is to raise their pay, not invent an off-the-books transaction with a special tax-free category. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. 'I have not ruled out any options,' Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Angelica Infante-Green says of the potential return of the Providence Public School Department to local control. 'Im letting the process play out.' (Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) By the time Providence public school students go back to class on Sept. 3, Rhode Islands education commissioner may have chosen whether to end, continue, or reconfigure the state takeover of their schools five years ago. A new progress report from consulting firm SchoolWorks on the 2019 action that handed control of the capital citys underperforming schools over to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) could help guide Commissioner of Education Angelica Infante-Green in making her decision. I have not ruled out any options, Infante-Green said Friday morning. Im letting the process play out. Infante-Green shared and summarized the findings in a letter to the Providence Public Schools District (PPSD) community before taking questions from reporters at RIDEs main offices in downtown Providence. This is about 30, 35, years of struggle for this district, and its not going to be fixed overnight, Infante-Green told reporters. We talk about it as a big ship with a little rudder in a hurricane. Thats how it was happening during the pandemic. Math and English test scores from the 2022-2023 school year show just how far the district has to go to achieve the academic goals prescribed in its turnaround action plan. For example, among eighth-graders, only 6% were at grade level in math, and 15% were proficient in English Language Arts (ELA). Compared to the 2018, pre-takeover baseline, eighth-graders math proficiency dropped one percentage point. The turnaround action plan called for 50% proficiency in math and 63% in ELA for eighth-graders by the 2026 school year. Victor Morente, a RIDE spokesperson, told reporters the commissioned report with its $120,600 sticker price is a statutory requirement of the takeover process. The Crowley Act, codified in state law in 1997, allowed state education officials to exercise administrative powers over Providences underperforming schools. There has been progress in the hurricane, in the pandemic, Infante-Green said. SchoolWorks interviewed students, families, teachers and leadership across schools, the district, Mayor Brett Smileys office and Providence City Councilors about how well the plan has fared. The research team also visited schools and reviewed documents from some of the many stakeholders involved: RIDE, Providence Public Schools Department, the city and its school board. This is about 30, 35, years of struggle for this district, and its not going to be fixed overnight. We talk about it as a big ship with a little rudder in a hurricane. Thats how it was happening during the pandemic. Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Angelica Infante-Green City Council members, School Committee members, and community members reported a need for improved collaboration, communication, and transparency between municipal entities including RIDE, the School Committee, and PPSD, the report reads. Absent from that list is the states Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, to whom Infante-Green could supply her decision at their next meeting on Aug. 29. The commissioner is also set to attend the Providence school boards meeting on Aug. 21. Another report released Friday from Harvard Graduate School for Educations Center for Education Policy Research didnt cost the state anything, but is part of a series of assessments being done for various school districts on the impacts of pandemic learning loss. The report compares the states recent school reforms to similar districts in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Although the results suggest Providence is moving in the right direction, especially in ELA [English Language Arts], it is too early to draw conclusions about the efficacy of the Providence reform efforts, the Harvard report noted. The pandemic disrupted schooling in the Spring of 2020, just months after the state take-over. We only have two years of reliable student assessments post-pandemic (and a single year change in annual scores) by which to judge. A lot of material The plight of Providence schools has been on peoples minds, with a recent legislative study commission led by Sen. Sam Zurier, a Providence Democrat, attempting to suss out what can be done about the at-times awkward coupling of municipal and state-level leadership. Asked to comment on the pair of reports Friday afternoon, Zurier told Rhode Island Current that they contain a lot of material, and hed be reviewing them over the weekend. Zuriers reticence to comment too quickly is understandable: At a combined 89 letter-sized pages, the two reports are not light reading. Even the authors of the Harvard University report concluded that they were working with data perhaps that lacks definite shape. Erlin Rogel, president of the Providence School Board, didnt need as much time to assess the new report. RIDE commissioning a progress report is like a student filling in their own report card, Rogel wrote in an emailed statement sent to news outlets, claiming the agency has roundly rejected the school boards attempts to be included in the decision-making process. Rogel also argued that the reports assertion that the school board does not act cohesively, and even lacks a shared vision for governance, echoes RIDEs belief that the Board exists to silently rubber stamp their agenda. I am no longer surprised by RIDEs rejection of attempts to hold the agency accountable to the people, but I am deeply concerned by their lack of self awareness, wrote Rogel, who did not immediately reply Friday afternoon to a request to answer follow-up questions. But the SchoolWorks report does voice some of the boards concerns: School committee members also stated that they are not consistently engaged by the Superintendent or senior leaders from PPSD regarding programmatic changes, nor are they engaged in an advisory capacity regarding analysis of student outcomes. The report does not evaluate individual job performances or personnel like that of Infante-Green, or of Providence Superintendent Javier Montanez, who recently signed a three-year contract extension with the district. A copy of the contract was not immediately available Friday afternoon. The report is evaluating the system, Infante-Green told reporters, pointing to the reports drill down into metrics and standards as markers of the superintendents work. According to the SchoolWorks website, the firm has worked with education officials in Colorado, Chicago, Louisiana and Massachusetts. Kim Perron, president of Schoolworks, said in an email that the company would not be providing any comments, and directed questions to RIDE. Highlights from the SchoolWorks report on the Providence School Department: Skill issues across grade levels: Rhode Islands Comprehensive Assessment Score, or RICAS, measures third- and eighth-grade students learning in crucial areas like ELA (English language arts) and math. The report assessed that none of the RICAS scores, except third grade math, were on track with the turnaround plan. Meanwhile, in high schools, ninth-graders are meeting turnaround plan targets for being on track postsecondary success. But the number of students who graduate high school with AP or college credit, or have progressed in a career or technical education track, are at 35%, which is 5% under the target. No SAT categories met turnaround numbers either. Municipal struggles: The City of Providence is shortchanging its schools and has not upped its investments for the district in ways consistent with the Crowley Act, even with higher funds thanks to a 2019 Collaboration Agreement. (The City Council has successfully earmarked an additional $2.5 million for 2025). Money issues aside, the report still concluded the city is beginning to provide value-added leadership in its commitments to the schools. The City has received the SchoolWorks report and has begun an in-depth review while we await the upcoming recommendation from the Rhode Island department of Education. The Mayor will be briefed this afternoon on the findings by the Department of Education, Josh Estrella, a spokesperson for the city, said in an email Friday. As Rogels comments might imply, there is also discord within and between the various stakeholders: School Committee members shared examples of how mistrust among their members and across entities (superintendent, RIDE, PPSD leadership, mayor, City Council) is a barrier to collaboration. Parental advisory: Parents had mixed feelings when surveyed. They said they receive regular updates on their students progress, but high teacher turnover has led to reduced confidence in the takeover process in general. Overall, families with a favorable perception of the district dropped to 53% in the 2022 school year. That was a 7% drop from the previous year, and 12% below target. Asked about parental perceptions, Infante-Green said thats a primary challenge the superintendent faces: The difficult part about that is that when youre making change, there are people that are going to be unhappy, right? And it goes back and forth, she said. But the goal is that when we have a strong district, that parents are feeling like their kids are getting educated. Some good news: Students are feeling an increased sense of belonging, 17 percentage points higher in the 2022-2023 school year than in 2020-2021. School leaders are also feeling more secure in making decisions thanks to regular review of data at least 90% of the surveyed leaders use district software to review student data at least once a week. Also improved: The conditions of the school buildings themselves. Lamentable facilities were prominently mentioned in the 2019 Johns Hopkins University report that preceded the takeover. But every stakeholder group interviewed by SchoolWorks noted better working and learning conditions in their school environments. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Education is Key to the North Carolina Economic Innovation, New Report Says This article was originally published in EducationNC. The Tracking Innovation report was released on July 29 by the North Carolina Department of Commerces Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation. As a whole, according to the report, the state is considered to be improving innovation capacity compared to the rest of the country. Machelle Baker Sanders, North Carolinas commerce secretary, said in a press release that the report shows that we must continue to improve the level of prosperity throughout the state. Faced with a dynamic and competitive economy, the best approach is to shape it rather than be shaped by it. We must continue to innovate to create and adopt new products, services, and business models that add value and improve economic well-being, Sanders said. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The report tracks North Carolinas performance across 42 innovation measures. Those statistics are then weighed against those of the United States overall and six key comparison states (California, Massachusetts, Georgia, Virginia, Colorado, and Washington). These measures provide insights into the links between innovation, resources, and economic results in the state. According to the researchers findings, North Carolina matches or outperforms the United States as a whole in about half of the measured categories. The report said that North Carolinas statewide innovation ecosystem is healthy, and the state has improved since the early 2000s at a rate comparable to the country as a whole. However, the states poverty rate is above the national average, and income and wages of residents are also behind, despite having one of the fastest growing populations. Janet Cowell, chair of the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology & Innovation, said that technology and innovation are key to a growing economy. As this report shows, North Carolina has achieved a leading role in the basic and early-stage applied research that forms the foundation for breakthrough innovations, Cowell said in a press release. But it also shows that we have room for improvement in scaling and converting those innovations to commercial uses and in ensuring that more sectors and regions of our state participate in and benefit from that activity. More on the reports findings According to the report, both academic and business research and development have grown faster than the national average since 2000, providing a strong foundation for economic growth. North Carolinas research and development performs well above the national average, and the states academic institutions generate a significant amount of intellectual property. North Carolina ranks 16th nationwide for the percentage of people who have jobs related to science and engineering. Researchers considered the following as science and engineering jobs: engineers, and computer, mathematical, life, physical, and social scientists. STEM teachers are not included. Between 2003 and 2020, the states science and engineering workforce increased by 50%. This is 25 percentage points higher than the national average. But the report also found that the state graduates a lower proportion of science and engineering students compared to other states. North Carolina ranks 28th in the nation when analyzing the ratio of science and engineering bachelors degrees to the population aged 1824 years, which represents the extent to which a state prepares young people to enter technology-intensive occupations that are fundamental to a knowledge-based, technology-driven economy, the report says. The states results are below the nationwide average, which means there is room for improvement. People with degrees in computer and mathematical sciences; the biological, agricultural, or environmental life sciences; physical sciences; social sciences; psychology; engineering; and health fields are included in this measure. People who have doctorates from foreign institutions and/or are over the age of 75 are excluded. The report said the relatively low percentage of trained engineers in North Carolinas workforce is a cause for concern because regions with a high concentration of engineers have a greater capacity for innovation and often lead in key industries. An educated, skilled workforce is viewed as a key to success in an innovative economy, the report said. North Carolina ranks 21st in the nation for educational attainment, based on a composite score that uses data for residents over the age of 25. About 10% of North Carolinians over the age of 25 have not completed high school. A quarter of them completed their education with a high school degree, and 19.3% completed have a high school degree with some college experience. One in 10 have completed with an associate degree, 22.8% completed with a bachelors degree, and 13.2% completed with a graduate or professional degree. Across North Carolina, the majority of counties have relatively low educational attainment levels, researchers found. Out of 100 counties, 83 have an educational composite score below the United States average composite score. The counties that have an above average score are either in urban areas, adjacent to universities or urban areas, or have a large number of retirees or military personnel. North Carolina has a statewide attainment goal of reaching 2 million North Carolinians aged 25-44 with a degree or credential by 2030. The 2011 State of the North Carolina Workforce report found that people without a high school diploma were more likely to be unemployed. It also was found that more than half of new jobs in the state required at least some postsecondary education, particularly in STEM areas. These facts, combined with the educational attainment findings presented above, make it clear that North Carolina must improve the educational attainment levels of its citizens in order to generate innovative ideas, to support the expansion of a knowledge-based economy, and to increase the economic well-being and quality of life of its citizens, the Tracking Innovation report said. Public investment in education is a part of environmental and infrastructure measures in the report. Based on data gathered between 2001 and 2022, the report found that North Carolina has decreased state funding for higher education. It has also spent less on elementary and secondary education. Between 2002 and 2021, the entire countrys average elementary and secondary public school current expenditures as a percentage of state gross domestic product decreased by 5.3%. North Carolinas percentage decreased by 12.9%. For each measure, a higher value indicates that a state has made financial support of the respective education level more of a priority. Investments in public pre-kindergarten through grade 12 are important for preparing a broadly educated and innovation-capable workforce, the report said. Investments in public postsecondary education are critical to increase the ability of public academic institutions to prepare students for skilled and well-paying employment. This article first appeared on EducationNC and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. Relatives of the Palestinian children who lost their lives as a result of an Israeli attack, mourn as the bodies are brought to the morgue of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atty said on Friday that a ceasefire is urgently needed in the Gaza Strip to stop an escalation in the Middle East and to avoid dragging it into a regional war "It is possible, as you know, to stop this escalation and work as much as possible and as quickly as possible to reach an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip ... ," the Egyptian minister said after meeting Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA). Abdel-Attys comments in Beirut came shortly before a joint statement from the mediating countries Qatar, Egypt and the United States after talks on a Gaza ceasefire in the Qatari capital Doha, which stressed that they "were serious and constructive and were conducted in positive atmosphere." Berri said "the success of the efforts being made in the Qatari capital Doha to achieve a ceasefire is the main gateway to the return to stability" in the region. El Paso mayor slams criticism of city manager selection process; Says it has been transparent El Paso mayor slams criticism of city manager selection process; Says it has been transparent EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser held a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 15 at City Hall to discuss the city manager selection process and set the record straight. Im tired of hearing that it was rushed. Im really tired of hearing that were in a lame-duck session, because [ts] none of the above. What we are, is in a very transparent process, Leeser declared. Leeser was intense throughout the conference, arguing that the El Paso City Council has been committed to a thorough and transparent hiring process in search for the new city manager. He provided handouts with a timeline of the city manager search dating back to March 28, 2023, when City Council voted to prepare a request for proposal (RFP) to select an Executive Recruiting Firm. You can read the complete timeline below: CM-Selection-Process-TimelineDownload There are currently four finalists out of a pool of over 80 candidates that the search firm Baker Tilly looked at, all of which currently serve in different roles for the City of El Paso. The finalists selected by the City Council were announced on July 12, and they are Chief Financial Officer Robert Cortinas; Deputy City Manager Mario DAgostino; Climate and Sustainability Officer Nicole Alderete-Ferrini; and Deputy City Manager Dionne Mack. KTSM was the first to bring you the concerns of City Council member Josh Acevedo last month when the finalists were announced. Acevedo had criticized the process for falling short on being transparent, and said the City Council never received a report from Baker Tilly on candidate rankings. But at Thursdays conference, Leeser double downed that all City Council members received a report after Baker Tilly narrowed down the pool of candidates down to 14. Every City Council member got to look at the final 14. They had to look at their email to be able to do this. They looked at the application, they had a video on there, and then you got to pick your top 5. It was full involvement by council, you couldnt have done it if you didnt open your email, Leeser said. Leeser also addressed criticisms that there were no real efforts to conduct a national search for a candidate. Back in February I said We ought to look in our backyard. We ought to look at our local talent first. And then if we dont find anybody, if we dont feel we have anybody qualified, then lets go out and spend the money to hire a search firm, Leeser said. To spend the $40,000-$50,000 we spent to determine that the top four were sitting in our own backyard. Leeser noted that the City has already looked out of town twice before, and that its time we stay local. City Council is set to interview all four candidates in executive session on Monday, August 19, which Leeser said will be conducted with the utmost care and diligence. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Officials say a couple from Laguna Woods was found dead Thursday at the Marriott Irvine Spectrum on Irvine Center Drive. (Google Maps) Two elderly people were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide at a Marriott hotel in Irvine on Thursday, police said. Authorities offered scant details about the incident, other than to say that the couple, whose names were not released, was from Laguna Woods. A spokesperson for the department said that police believe it is an isolated incident. Officers were sent to the Marriott Irvine Spectrum on Irvine Center Drive at 2:30 p.m. to provide medical aid, the Irvine Police Department said in an X post. A hotel employee found the two victims inside the room, Sgt. Karie Davies said. There will be a police presence in the area while authorities investigate, the post said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) An elderly man is in the hospital with severe head trauma after an electric scooter crash in Ogden Thursday afternoon, according to Ogden Police. At around 1:15 p.m. on Aug. 15, a man, 76, was riding his personal electric scooter north on the 2200 block of Washington Blvd. in Ogden. At the same time, a woman, 33, was driving a silver SUV northbound at the same location. The woman merged over to make a right turn onto East 22nd St., but she failed to see the individual on the scooter, a press release from Ogden Police states. The merge caused the man to maneuver to avoid the SUV, but the man crashed. Utah Treasure Hunt organizers break down 2024 riddle The male was transported to the hospital with severe head trauma and is not expected to survive, the release states. Please be aware that traffic will be reduced to one lane in the 2200 block of northbound traffic on Washington Blvd. If you are traveling through this area, please expect delays while the accident is being investigated. Thank you for your patience. This incident is currently under investigation. The identity of the victim has not yet been released. No further information is available at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. This November, residents of three south San Luis Obispo County cities will have the opportunity to select their next mayor, featuring several familiar faces and plenty of new ones. Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Pismo Beach voters also will select a pair of City Council members each. Several ballot measures will be up for consideration as well, as two cities seek funding for infrastructure projects and voters will decide whether to revert Grover Beach water rates. Grover Beach will also hold the regions only recall election, with residents deciding the future of current City Councilmember Dan Rushings seat. Here are the candidates South County residents will see on the November ballot. Arroyo Grande City Hall. Arroyo Grande City Council In Arroyo Grande, three seats on the City Council will be up for grabs this November. Voters will select their choice for mayor for a two-year term, while four-year terms for City Council Districts 2 and 3 will be filled by two of three candidates seeking election. Mayor Caren Ray Russom, incumbent mayor Gaea Powell, business owner and consultant City Council District 2 City Council District 3 Marlea Harmon Jamie Maraviglia, Planning Commission member Ballot Measure E-24 Arroyo Grande voters will decide whether or not to approve a ballot measure that would establish a one-cent sales tax for the next 10 years to fund infrastructure projects including fixing potholes; maintaining city streets, sidewalks, parks, aging infrastructure and community facilities; providing local fire protection, police and 911 emergency services; and addressing homelessness. The measure would raise around $6 million each year over the next 10 years. The Pismo Beach City Council hears a staff presentation at its Aug. 6, 2024 meeting. Pismo Beach City Council Pismo Beachs election will feature three races, including the mayor and two City Council seats. Pismo Beach mayors serve two-year terms, while City Council members serve four-year terms. Mayor Ed Waage, incumbent mayor Kevin Kreowski City Council, 2 seats Ballot Measure F-24 Pismo Beach voters will decide whether or not to approve a half-cent sales tax that would provide around $4 million a year to carry out infrastructure projects such as repairs to potholes, streets, sidewalks, infrastructure and parks. The measure would continue the half-cent tax approved by the voters in 2014 and add an additional half-cent, for a total of one cent local sales tax. The funds would also provide police and fire protection, and would help cover the costs of addressing homelessness and other general government uses. The Grover Beach City Council listens to public comment at the Dec. 11, 2023 City Council meeting. Grover Beach City Council In Grover Beach, multiple candidates are campaigning for mayor, while all but one City Council seat will be on the ballot. Current District 2 City Councilmember Dan Rushing will also look to defend his seat from a citizens recall effort launched earlier this year. Grover Beach mayors serve two-year terms, while City Council members serve four-year terms. Mayor Robert Robert, incumbent councilmember Kassi Dee, Nans Books & Crystals owner Debbie Peterson, former Grover Beach mayor and author City Council District 3 Marsha Bolyanatz, grant writer Kathy McCorry, operations director at Restorative Partners City Council District 4 Clint Weirick, incumbent councilmember Ballot Measure G-24 At its May 13 meeting, the City Council lowered water rates to the previous rate structure adopted in 2021, leaving sewer rates at the elevated rate adopted in December. A yes vote on Measure G-24, created by citizens group GroverH2O, would repeal the December resolution entirely, setting the water and sewer rates at their 2021 levels. Grover Beach residents protest a proposed 91.7% water rate increase over the next five years, before the Grover Beach City Council meeting on Nov. 13, 2023. Some residents said they have started knocking on doors, encouraging their neighbors to write letters of protest against the project. Oceano Community Services District A pair of seats on the Oceano Community Services District will be contested this November. Directors of the Oceano CSD serve four-year terms, with elections held every two years. Director, Division 1 Linda Austin, incumbent Oceano CSD director Angela Smith, real estate broker Director, District 5 Charles Varni, incumbent Oceano CSD director Shirley Gibson, incumbent Oceano CSD director Nipomo Community Services District Voters living within the Nipomo Community Services District will select two directors from a pool of three candidates at large to represent the district. Directors of the Nipomo CSD serve four-year terms, with elections held every two years. Phil Henry, incumbent Nipomo CSD Director John Joyce, retired utility engineer James Wejrowski, retired PG&E mechanical planner Lucia Mar Unified School District Voters in the Lucia Mar Unified School District will select three members for the districts seven-member board of education. Members serve four-year terms, which are staggered between elections. Governing Board, Trustee Area 1 Don Stewart, incumbent trustee Paul Bischoff, home builder Governing Board, Trustee Area 2 Dee Santos, incumbent trustee Paul Hively, contractor Governing Board, Trustee Area 4 Vicki Meagher, incumbent trustee Mike Fuller, financial adviser Port San Luis Harbor District Voters living in the Port San Luis Harbor District will select one new commissioner to represent Division 2, which operates on staggered four-year terms. Commissioner, Division 2 Richard Scangarello, retired commercial fisherman Katie Lichtig, retired city executive More election information You can learn more about county-wide elections on the SLO County Clerk Recorders website. Want to ask your candidates a question? Fill out the form below to send your questions to The Tribune and we may include their responses in our upcoming election coverage. November is just around the corner, and ballots will soon land in mailboxes around San Luis Obispo County. On the North Coast, numerous candidates are running unopposed including the Morro Bay mayor and quite a few community services district directors. In Los Osos, no one even applied to fill the two open seats on the towns CSD board. Still, voters will have the chance to weigh in on school board races and ballot measures. Here is a list of candidates who will appear on North Coast ballots for the November election. Morro Bay City Council Morro Bay residents will not see a City Council race on their ballots this November. Mayor Carla Wixom is running unopposed, and she will be appointed to keep her seat. Meanwhile, Councilmembers Laurel Barton and Jen Ford did not file paperwork to run for re-election. Businessman Jeff Eckles and sales associate Bill Luffee will be appointed to fill those two open seats. Morro Bay voters will get their share of election excitement, though. Ballots in the city will include the hotly contested Measure A-24, which would freeze the land use on the Morro Bay Power Plant property in an attempt to block the battery plant proposed for the site. Los Osos Community Services District The Los Osos Community Services District Board of Directors will eventually appoint two people to fill two open seats on the board. Director Troy Gatchell, who holds the District 3 seat, and Director Marshall Ochylski, who holds the District 5 seat, will not run for re-election this fall. No one filed paperwork to run for either seat, so the board will appoint its two new members, according to CSD general manager Ron Munds. The CSD is working with the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorders Office to outline the timeline for the appointment process, he said. The board will likely discuss the process at its next meeting on Sept. 5, Munds said. Cambria Community Services District Three incumbents signed up to continue serving on the Cambria Community Services District, and all three will be appointed to their seats without appearing on the ballot. They are Harry Farmer, Karen A. Dean and Tom Gray. Cambria Community Healthcare District In Cambria, three people will be appointed to fill three open seats on the Community Healthcare District board. They are health care consultant Cecilia Montalvo in Division 1 and Bruce Mumper in Division 5, along with Igor Fedoroff for a partial term in Division 3. Cambria residents also will have the chance to vote on Measure C-24, which if passed would raise money to replace the ambulance station. The measure aims to raise funds to replace the 67-year-old ambulance station and healthcare facility to meet current county codes and standards and improve safety and security for residents, emergency responders and visitors, the measure text said. If passed, the measure would allow the Cambria Community Healthcare District to secure $5,900,000 of bonds at legal rates, which would generate $423,300 per year at rates of $7.90 per $100,000 assessed value, the measure said. San Simeon Community Services District In San Simeon, Hoa Holly Le is running unopposed for the open seat on the Community Services District board and will be appointed to the seat. Cayucos Elementary School District Cayucos residents will have the opportunity to chose between two candidates for an open seat on the Cayucos Elementary School District board. Governing Board member TA5 Dan W. Puett, teacher and parent Susan Brownell, current trustee and parent Cayucos Sanitary District Cayucos residents will also get to vote on one contested race for the Cayucos Sanitary District board, while unchallenged incumbents Hannah Miller and Robert B. Enns will keep their seats. Division 2 director Justin T. Smith, water treatment operator Michael Shopshear, did not list a profession Coast Unified School District Three uncontested candidates will be appointed to three open seats on the Coast Unified School District board. They are educator Christine Amato Quinn, businessperson and parent volunteer Lisa Weseman and parent and entrepreneur Nic Johnson. San Luis Coastal Unified School District The San Luis Coastal Unified School District features one contested race, while current board member Chris Ungar and parent and local businessman Brian Clausen will be appointed to two other open seats. District 6 Eve Hinton, incumbent trustee Erica Flores Baltodano, college dean More election information You can learn more about county-wide elections on the SLO County Clerk Recorders website. Want to ask your candidates a question? Fill out the form below to send your questions to The Tribune and we may include their responses in our upcoming election coverage. The political crisis in Venezuela has been intensifying since the countrys presidential elections on July 28 when the National Electoral Council (CNE) proclaimed Nicolas Maduro the winner. Almost three weeks later, Chavismo has still failed to provide evidence to back the claim. The opposition, which has made public more than 80% of the voting records in its possession, has slammed the result, calling it electoral fraud. Meanwhile, the international community has been more focused on pointing out the lack of transparency than on insisting on who has won. Close to home, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico are seeking a negotiated solution, promoted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Columbias Gustavo Petro, involving either new elections or a transitional coalition government which might lead to free elections with guarantees. The proposals, which Mexicos Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has not fully embraced, have been dismissed by both Maduros government and the countrys opposition. Lula and Petros proposals come after nearly 20 days of insisting on the publication of the results by the CNE. Now the presidents of Venezuelas two neighbors are seeking to pile pressure on Maduro, whose electoral triumph they have personally questioned. The Brazilian president said in an interview on August 15: If [Maduro] has any common sense, he could put it to the people, perhaps calling new elections with a non-partisan electoral committee. Maduro knows he owes the world an explanation. There appears to be a consensus in the international community that a transition of power in Venezuela is needed and should be engineered via negotiations, potentially preventing a third Maduro term, which would give him more years in power than the founder of Chavismo, the left-wing populist movement, Hugo Chavez himself. The repetition of elections is, however, a controversial proposal and has been rejected by both Maduros team and the opposition, which has produced proof that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, beat Maduro. Elections will not be repeated because Nicolas Maduro won, said Diosdado Cabello, political chief of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). To date, Maduro has not shown any willingness to seek a solution to the post-electoral conflict and has turned to the government-controlled Supreme Court to try to validate his victory. Whatever the outcome, Maduro remains president until the potential inauguration of a new leader in January 2025. Maduros inertia Meanwhile, the oppositions response to fresh elections has been largely negative, though it has expressed a willingness to negotiate, insisting that any dialogue should be based on the July 28 results. Leading opposition figure Maria Corina Machado stated: If we go to a second election and Maduro does not like the result, what do we do? Do we go to a third, and then to a fourth or a fifth? We went into an election and we won. An election managed by any neutral entity also looks unlikely as the government has strongly condemned the reports coming out of the Carter Center and the United Nations. The July 28 elections supposedly had guarantees as laid out in the Barbados agreement mediated by Norway. Meanwhile, the possibility of a coalition government, such as the Colombian National Front, was also dismissed by Machado, due to the very different Venezuelan context. Several more ideas could emerge before any government takes the reins in January, despite Maduros reluctance to seek a solution. If there is no willingness from within the Maduro government to start a serious negotiation to find a political solution, in the medium and long term it is very possible that Venezuela will find itself in a blind alley and we do not know how long that will last, says Mariano de Alba, a specialist in international relations and diplomacy. Chavismo has already survived periods of diplomatic isolation and that may well happen again a scenario which, according to De Alba, would not be worse than has already been the case since 2019. In this instance, we are looking at a semi-isolated government at a very high cost to the people, in which the possibilities of economic recovery or a maintenance of last years small rebound are negligible. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Victoria Ferrer, a county judge working with the Miami-Dade County Canvassing Board, uses a magnifying glass to inspect a vote-by-mail ballot for a valid signature at the Miami-Dade County Elections Department on Nov. 3, 2020, in Doral. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes says that when it comes to verifying a voters signature on their vote-by-mail ballot, her philosophy has always been to err on the side of the voter. But no more. We used to err on the side of the voter, but with the scrutiny that we are under these days, those days are over, Oakes told the Phoenix Friday. We can no longer do that. Oakes explained that recent election laws passed in Florida governing verification of voter signatures on mail-in ballots with versions on file with her office is probably a factor in why her office has so far rejected 6.9% of those ballots (cast as of Thursday morning) because of concerns about mismatches much higher than the statewide average of 0.63% (the Phoenix was able to review a list of all statewide vote-by-mail rejections). The vote-by-mail ballots are being cast for next Tuesdays primary elections. Oakes objects to any suggestion those ballots have been rejected, because her office is in the process of contacting those voters so they can come back to cure their ballots. Supervisors are required to reach out to voters whose signatures have been questioned and ask them to sign a signature cure affidavit with the required identification no later than 5 p.m. next Thursday, two days after the primary election. Theyre not rejected, theyre referred, Oakes said. Because we want our voters to update their signatures and have current signatures on file with our office, so this doesnt happen again in the November election. Strained financially But some voting rights advocates are concerned that it wont necessarily be easy for some of those voters to return to their local elections offices to cure their ballots. Folks who are already strained financially, they dont have the resources to follow up and appear in person to cure a ballot, said Genesis Robinson, executive director of Equal Ground, a Black-led voting rights organization. Thats part of the reason why they chose to vote by mail in the first place. Brad Ashwell, Florida state director with All Voting is Local Florida, said that most supervisors will allow voters to email signed forms but that often requires printing out the form and then signing it and making a photocopy or scanning it, and not everybody has access to that capability. Oakes, a Republican, joined the St Johns County Elections Office in 1988 as assistant supervisor of elections. In 2011, she was appointed supervisor by then-Gov. Rick Scott and won election to the office for the first time in 2012. She was reelected in 2016 and 2020 and has already won re-election this year because no opponent challenged her. Following the 2020 election, when Donald Trump defeated Joe Biden in Florida by more than three percentage points and state officials labeled the election a success, the GOP-controlled Legislature came back in 2021, 2022, and 2023 with election reform packages that in two of those years included tighter restrictions when it comes to the verification of signatures on vote-by-mail ballots. Legislative Republicans cited concerns about election integrity generated by Donald Trumps false claims the presidential election had been stolen from him in swing states. In the 2021 session, lawmakers passed SB 90, which allows a political candidate, a political party official, or a political committee official or designee to be granted reasonable access to review or inspect ballot materials before canvassing or tabulating vote-by-mail envelopes, cure affidavits, and comparison signatures. Oakes said that her office had a number of signatures challenged by the parties and candidates in the 2022 election cycle. This year, she says, none of those signatures were challenged in advance. In the 2023 session, lawmakers passed SB 750, which requires the Florida secretary of state to provide mandatory formal signature matching training to supervisors of elections and county canvassing board members and anyone whose duties require verifying of signatures. My take on [that law] and the direction to my staff is if a signature does not match and is questionable, that voter gets a referral, which gives them the opportunity the referral allows them to cure their vote-by-mail-ballot, by providing an affidavit and required identification, and that cure affidavit allows them to update their signature with our office, Oakes said. Really hard place Ashwell concedes that supervisors have been put in an exceedingly tough spot post-2020. They are on the frontlines of defending democracy, to make sure that voters can vote, but at the same time theyre getting this increased pressure in the public and now officials, and theres also the looming threat with the Office of Election Crimes and Security that could be directed at them if theyre perceived as doing something wrong, so theyre in a really hard place now, he said, referring to the state agency created by Gov. Ron DeSantis and included in 2022s SB 524 to investigate election law violations. We need to be sounding the alarm because obviously 7% is an outlier and signals that this SOE is obviously erring on the side of caution, but at the expense of having people having their votes cast, and thats not something that we can take lightly, said Robinson. Democracy relies on people being able to cast their vote and have it counted. In times past we would err on the side of the voter, Oakes said. We can no longer due that with the new state laws. FILE - Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein waits to speak at a board of elections meeting at City Hall, in Philadelphia, Oct. 2, 2019. Wisconsin elections officials dismissed a Democratic National Committee employee's demands Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, to keep the Green Party's presidential candidate off the ballot in the key swing state. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin elections officials dismissed a Democratic National Committee employee's demands Friday to remove the Green Party's presidential candidate from the ballot in the key swing state. DNC employee David Strange filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Wednesday asking the commission to remove Jill Stein from the presidential ballot. The election commissions attorney, Angela OBrien Sharpe, wrote to Strange on Friday saying she had dismissed the complaint because it names commissioners as respondents and they cant ethically decide a matter brought against them. DNC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said late Friday afternoon that the committee plans to file a lawsuit seeking a court ruling that Stein's name can't appear on the ballot. The Stein campaign didn't immediately respond to a message sent to their media email inbox. The bipartisan elections commission unanimously approved ballot access for Stein in February because the Green Party won more than 1% of the vote in a statewide race in 2022. Sheryl McFarland got nearly 1.6% of the vote while finishing last in a four-way race for secretary of state. Strange argued in his complaint that the Green Party can't nominate presidential electors in Wisconsin because no one in the party is a state officer, defined as legislators, judges and others. Without any presidential electors, the party can't have a presidential candidate on the ballot, Strange contended. Stein's appearance on the ballot could make a difference in battleground Wisconsin, where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by between 5,700 votes and about 23,000 votes. Stein last appeared on the Wisconsin ballot 2016, when she won just over 31,000 votes more than Donald Trump's winning margin in the state. Some Democrats have blamed her for helping Trump win the state and the presidency that year. The Wisconsin Supreme Court kept Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins off the ballot in 2020 after the elections commission deadlocked on whether he filed proper nominating signatures. The latest Marquette University Law School poll conducted July 24 through Aug. 1 showed the presidential contest in Wisconsin between Democrat Kamala Harris and Trump to be about even among likely voters. Democrats fear third-party candidates could siphon votes from Harris and tilt the race toward Trump. The elections commission plans to meet Aug. 27 to determine whether four independent presidential candidates, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, have met the prerequisites to appear on the ballot. Strange filed a separate complaint last week with the commission seeking to keep West off the ballot, alleging his declaration of candidacy wasn't properly notarized. Cornel's campaign manager countered in a written response any notarization shortcomings shouldn't be enough to keep him off the ballot. That complaint is still pending. Michigan election officials tossed West off that state's ballot Friday over similar notary issues. CARLSBAD, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) A juvenile riding an electric motorcycle was seriously injured Thursday after colliding with a vehicle in Carlsbad, authorities said. According to the Carlsbad Police Department, officers responded to calls reporting a traffic collision in the intersection of Batiquitos Drive and Daisy Avenue shortly after 8 p.m. South Bay crash leaves one dead: CHP Responding officers found the juvenile injured in the intersection. They were treated at the scene by Carlsbad Fire Department personnel and then transported to a local hospital with major injuries. The driver of the vehicle involved, a 39-year-old Carlsbad man, remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, police said. The department said drugs or alcohol are not considered as factors in this collision. An investigation into the crash remains ongoing. Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident is encouraged to contact traffic investigator Corporal Matt Bowen by phone at 442-339-5559 or via email at matt.bowen@carlsbadca.gov. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. The enrollment decline is alarming but theres a place for technical education in SC | Opinion The 25% decline in South Carolinas technical college enrollment over the past decade is alarming. Without intervention, our state risks a severe skills gap in critical-needs industries, which will impact our communities, particularly rural areas that rely on the economic stimulus and job creation brought by new businesses and industries. As the superintendent of the South Carolina Public Charter School District, I see firsthand the importance of our states technical colleges. Last year, we began advocating for the establishment of innovative public charter high schools, similar to Greenville Technical Charter High School, called Workforce Centers of Excellence, across our states 16 technical colleges. This year, we will continue our advocacy efforts with Gov. Henry McMaster and the General Assembly on behalf of South Carolinas families to ensure their students graduate workforce-ready from day one. These public charter high schools are designed to bridge the gap between education and employment, providing students access to advanced training, cutting-edge technology and direct pathways to high-demand careers. By situating these centers on technical college campuses, we can be a force multiplier in providing specialized workforce programs tailored to local industry needs. The Workforce Centers of Excellence initiative not only addresses enrollment declines at our technical colleges but also ensures our students are prepared for the evolving job market. These schools provide students with the skills necessary for high-paying, fulfilling careers, creating a sustainable workforce pipeline and greater prosperity for our citizens. Our focus is on providing high school students with educational and experiential opportunities on our technical college campuses to inspire them in their workforce journey. By integrating Workforce Centers of Excellence, we can ensure students earn the necessary certifications, dual enrollment credits and diplomas before they reach the age for full-time employment. For example, South Carolina has student welders who will earn a high school diploma and workforce credentials in a career field of their choice, all funded through the states State Aid to Classrooms funding formula. This eliminates the need for student debt and reduces lost earning potential in full-time post-secondary education, thereby creating a more equitable education system. It also creates another pipeline of students who wish to continue their education, benefiting South Carolinas economy. State-of-the-art equipment, facilities, industry-aligned curricula, apprenticeships and expert instructors will guarantee our students receive top-tier education and training before the age of 18. This requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including state legislators, education policymakers, industry leaders and the community at large. By working together, we can create an educational environment that is both innovative and practical, equipping students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the modern workforce. Our districts proposal for Workforce Centers of Excellence presents a wonderful partnership opportunity for South Carolinas technical colleges by including more high school students on their campuses. By adopting the Public Charter School Districts approach, we can amplify technical education and provide our students with the relevant skills they need to thrive in the workforce. Several charter schools are ready, willing and able to participate in this game-changing endeavor. The flexibility and nimbleness of our charter schools make them uniquely suited to implement innovative programs like the Workforce Centers of Excellence. Charter schools were intentionally designed with autonomy to swiftly adapt to industry needs and develop specialized curricula that prepare students for high-demand careers. We remain hopeful that more technical colleges, high schools and education policymakers in the state will embrace Workforce Centers of Excellence, supporting South Carolinas future workforce. By investing in Workforce Centers of Excellence, we are investing in the future of our state, ensuring our students are prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Let us seize this opportunity to create a brighter future for all. Neeley is the superintendent of the South Carolina Public Charter School District. Erie, PA (WJET/WFXP) A local woman is getting ready to represent Pennsylvania on the national stage. Christine Vasui is currently Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania. Shes leaving Sunday for Grand Rapids, Michigan where she will be competing for Miss Wheelchair America. Officials focussing on traffic, safety as final Celebrate Erie preps finish up Its a week-long competition. Vasuis platform highlights the importance of personal care attendants. She said thanks to the help of personal care attendants, people with disabilities can do the same things as everyone else. Vasui said shes honored to represent Pennsylvania and excited to meet the other contestants. Both presidential candidates want no tax on tips, what do Erie servers think? I just want to be able to make a difference, win or lose, the experience has given me opportunities that I would never have expected, she said. Vasui was the 2024 winner of the JET 24 and FOX 66 Remarkable Woman contest. For more information on how to vote for Vasui for Miss Wheelchair America, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. An inmate who escaped custody in Orange County was captured in Kannapolis early Friday morning. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety released a statement saying Ramone Alston was found at the Microtel Inn on Cloverleaf Parkway around 2 a.m. Shortly after, Jacobia Crisp was arrested in Alamance County and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety released a statement saying Ramone Alston was found at the Microtel Inn on Cloverleaf Parkway around 2 a.m. Shortly after, Jacobia Crisp was arrested in Alamance County and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive. Alston escaped a transport van Tuesday as it arrived at the UNC Gastroenterology Hospital in Hillsborough, N.C. Alston will be charged with felony escape from prison and is being taken to a high-security state prison to continue his murder sentence. Alston has been serving a life sentence at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor since his conviction in the murder of 1-year-old Maleah Williams, who was shot on Christmas Day in 2015 from a passing car while she was playing outside her familys apartment in Chapel Hill. She died three days later. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Convicted murderer escapes while receiving medical care at hospital Channel 9 spoke with a Microtel Inn employee who said Aston was with a woman when he was caught. He had checked into the hotel on Thursday and was staying under a different name, according to the employee. Yes, it was under the females name, and another person had checked her in, and yeah, there were no red flags or anything like that. I checked him in, and there were no problems or anything like that. So I had seen him a few times and everything like that, employee Audrey Richardson said. She said law enforcement broke a window to the room Alston was staying in before throwing some sort of gas bomb. The smoke from this gas bomb caused the alarms of the hotel to go off. Alston was then taken into custody. Im just glad that, you know, somebody got taken off the street that can, you know, not harm anybody, and we can feel a little bit safer, and it just, yeah, makes you really realize and be thankful that nothing did happen here, Richardson said. ALSO READ: No concrete leads in search for escaped convicted murderer, NC sheriff says The transport officers involved are being interviewed to gather more details on Alstons escape. Investigators said they are also looking into if he committed any other crimes while on the run. Alston will await a court appearance for escape charges. I am grateful to our DAC staff and thankful for the support and effort from hundreds of local, state, and federal public safety officers who helped in the search and investigation that returned Alston safely to custody, North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections Secretary Todd Ishee said. This was an incredible collaborative effort of many people and agencies. This is a developing story. Stay with Channel 9 for updates. VIDEO: Convicted murderer escapes while receiving medical care at hospital KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A convicted murderer who escaped from a hospital during a checkup has been captured in Kannapolis after an overnight raid on a hotel that ended a three-day manhunt for the fugitive who had been on the lam. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, the FBI, and Kannapolis Police conducted the operation around 2 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, at the Microtel Inn & Suites on Cloverleaf Parkway, according to the Orange County Sheriffs Office, whose jurisdiction is part of the area where the man, Ramone Alston, 31, escaped. New video obtained by Queen City News shows the moment Alston was taken into custody. Alston was serving a life sentence for the 2015 Christmas Day murder of a one-year-old child in Chapel Hill and is now facing additional charges for escaping. The Orange County Sheriffs Office said a female acquaintance of Alstons, Jacobia Crisp, was also arrested in Alamance County and faces charges that include aiding and abetting a fugitive. Hundreds of officers and numerous agencies assisted in the three-day statewide manhunt. MORE FROM QUEEN CITY NEWS Local News NC Governor Roy Cooper had previously announced a $50,000 reward for Alstons capture. The US Marshals Office, FBI Charlotte, and officials from the Department of Corrections held a news conference Friday afternoon where they praised the swift, joint, around-the-clock effort by law enforcement agents to capture Alston. Corrections officials said that Alston was successfully able to remove leg restraints and are investigating exactly how he was able to do that. Some corrections officials have been reassigned, not suspended, while the investigation takes place, officials confirmed. Officials said they are continuing to investigate the relationship between Crisp and Alston. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) An escaped prisoner has been taken back into custody after three days on the run and a Burlington woman has been charged in connection, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Ramone Alston, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of a 1-year-old child, escaped from custody on Tuesday morning when he was taken to a hospital in Hillsborough for a medical appointment. After escaping, Alston remained undetected for three days. By Thursday afternoon, the reward for information leading to Alstons capture was up to $50,000 At around 2 a.m. on Friday, Alston was captured at a hotel on Cloverleaf Parkway in Kannapolis by FBI Charlotte SWAT agents, Kannapolis Police Department officers and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers. Alston was taken into custody without anyone being injured. Multiple agencies work to find missing Gibsonville woman as search enters 1 week At a press conference on Friday, officials said that Alston has been transferred to maximum security prison in Granville, North Carolina. Hundreds of officers across numerous agencies assisted in the search and recapture of Alston, and the Department of Public Corrections thanked the Orange County sheriff in particular. I have never seen an effort like this work with such synchronicity as I have over the past few days, FBI Agent Bob Dewitt said at the Friday press conference. The folks that were on the ground doing the work that needed to be done worked shoulder to shoulder from beginning to end. Jacobia Shina Crisp Shortly after Alstons arrest, investigators arrested Jacobia Shina Crisp, 32, of Burlington, at her home in Burlington and charged her with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive as well as felony escape-harboring or aiding. According to Sheriff Charles Blackwood, the relationship between Alston and Crisp began a few months ago, while Alston was incarcerated, over the phone. Investigators say that Crisp was served a warrant out of Orange County at around 2 a.m. and was booked into the detention in Alamance County at around 8 a.m. Her bond was set at $30,000 secured, and she posted bond on Friday afternoon, but she will have a court appearance in Orange County. Investigators have not shared the details of how they believe Crisp helped Alston. That really tends to be part of both the criminal investigation and our internal Thats something that we will be looking at as we move our efforts forward, NC Department of Adult Correction Secretary Todd Ishee said. Alston Alston is being charged with felony escape from prison and is being taken to a high-security unit in the state prison system where he will resume his life sentence and await court appearances for the escape charges. Investigators are continuing to track Alstons movements from the time of his escape until his capture on Friday morning to determine if there were any other accomplices or if he committed any other crimes. Officials are working to learn about how Alston removed the restraints he was in when he escaped. The employees on duty when Alston escaped have been taken off of transportation duties pending an internal investigation. I am grateful to our DAC staff and thankful for the support and effort from hundreds of local, state and federal public safety officers who helped in the search and investigation that returned Alston safely to custody, Ishee said. This was an incredible collaborative effort of many people and agencies. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP. EU condemns Russia's sentencing of woman over US$51 donation to help Ukraine Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for the European External Action Service, has condemned a Russian court giving a 12-year prison sentence to Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina for donating US$51 to support Ukraine. Source: Massrali on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: The EU representative said Karelina's 12-year sentence for donating to a Ukrainian non-governmental organisation is "shocking". "The EU calls on Russia to release all prisoners of conscience and stop repression against anti-war protesters," Massrali added. Background: Earlier, a Russian court sentenced Ksenia Karelina to 12 years in prison for high treason after she donated US$51 to a charity supporting Ukraine. Karelina, who lives in Los Angeles and became a US citizen in 2021, was arrested in January 2023 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg, Russia. She pleaded guilty last week after a closed-door hearing. Karelina went on trial in June in the same Russian court that tried Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was jailed for espionage but released in early August as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States and other Western countries. Support UP or become our patron! Kyiv is continuing to press its surprise offensive in the Russian province of Kursk with a large number of troops, armored vehicles, and weapons deployed. Meanwhile, 350 kilometers (217 miles) further south, in the Ukrainian region of Donbas, alarms have been raised by the rapid Russian advance on the city of Pokrovsk, a key base for the Ukrainian defense in Donetsk province. The authorities of the municipality on Thursday called on the population to start evacuating in view of the approach of the invading forces. Ukrainian military resources invested in the operation to seize Russian territory are exceptional, with companies from at least 12 mechanized and assault brigades, dozens of NATO armored vehicles, and thousands of troops. The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to advance, albeit more slowly than at the start of the offensive on August 6, and are now moving across enemy territory at a rate of about two kilometers (1.2 miles) per day, according to Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Ukrainian army commander in chief. The Ukrainian military leadership claims to be in control of more than 80 localities, mostly small villages, in a territory of more than 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles). Syrskyi announced Thursday that a military administration has been set up for the occupied Russian territories, to maintain law and order, and ensure the needs of the population. General Eduard Moskalyov will head this command. Ukrainian servicemen pose for a picture near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, August 11, 2024. Foto: Viacheslav Ratynskyi (REUTERS) Kyiv digs in The efforts invested in the Kursk incursion and the fact that defensive lines are already being erected indicate that Kyiv has no intention of leaving Russian soil in the short term. Most Ukrainian and foreign analysts agree that the operation can serve as a resource for future negotiations with Moscow to end the conflict. Another objective is the possibility of creating political destabilization and popular discontent against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another goal of the Kursk operation is to draw Russian reinforcements away from the eastern front in Donetsk and the southern front in Zaporizhzhia province. Military personnel of the 80th Assault Brigade who are fighting in the Kursk region consulted by EL PAIS confirm that this has not happened yet, and that the enemy contingent they are facing are still recruits with little experience. Vitali Vitsak, spokesman for the 77th Separate Airborne Brigade, explained on Thursday to Ukrainian Channel 24 television that the transfer of Russian units from the fronts in the south and east has been much less pronounced than expected. Time will tell whether the gamble to invade Russias Kursk region, a maneuver promoted by President Volodymir Zelenskiy, will turn the tide of the war in Kyivs favor. The move may also backfire if Moscow maintains its rapid advance on Donetsk. Russian regiments have progressed 13 kilometers (eight miles) in the last two months in the direction of Pokrovsk. They are now only 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the strategic town. The advance has also been significant toward Toretsk, with invading forces already in the vicinity of the town, but Pokrovsk is the main target. Despite the optimism that the military success in Kursk has generated in recent days among the Ukrainian public and media, as of Friday there have been reports about the deteriorating situation in Pokrovsk. Since the offensive in Kursk began, Ivan Sekach, spokesman for the Ukrainian 110th Mechanized Brigade, told Politico: I would say things have become worse in our part of the front [Pokrovsk]; We have been getting even less ammo than before and Russians are pushing. Prisoner exchange The Ukrainian campaign in Kursk has left Kyiv with hundreds of Russian prisoners of war in its custody. The Center for Defense Strategies, a Ukrainian military analysis institute, puts the number of captured soldiers at over 2,000. Zelenskiys office has already made initiating talks with Russia over the exchange of Ukrainian prisoners a priority. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Defense Ministrys intelligence services, explained on Thursday that the priority was to secure the return of civilians incarcerated in Russian prisons and combatants imprisoned since the Donbas conflict in 2014. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022 there have been 54 prisoner exchanges. Kyiv reports that more than 3,400 Ukrainian citizens have been released. Prisoner exchanges are the only operation in which representatives of the two countries have at some point had direct communication, Ukrainian government sources explained to this newspaper in June, mainly to coordinate the date and physical location of the exchange. Negotiations on the persons benefiting from the exchanges are usually carried out with the mediation of third-party countries, with the United Arab Emirates playing a leading role so far in 2024. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition EU countries call on the EU over concerns about Hungary's decision to ease entry for Russians Representatives of the Baltic and Northern European countries wrote a letter to the European Commission expressing concern about Hungary's decision to ease visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens. Source: European Pravda, citing the text of a letter addressed to Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, published by Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna on Twitter (X) Details: The ministers called Hungary's decision unjustified, as Russia is waging war against Ukraine and intensifying its hybrid actions against the EU. Quote from the letter: "Regardless of whether it falls under national or Union competence, we are worried that this decision may constitute a serious security risk to all Member States. Hungary's reply, your analysis and the next steps will be of the utmost importance in ensuring our national security." The letter was signed by the foreign ministers as well as the interior or justice ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. Background: On 1 August, the EU demanded that Hungary respond to concerns that Budapest's decision to ease visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian nationals increases the risk of espionage in the bloc. The largest group in the European Parliament, the European People's Party, had previously complained that loosening the regulations could create "serious loopholes for espionage activities". Support UP or become our patron! The Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp apps can be seen on the display of a smartphone, in front of the logo of Meta. Jens Buttner/dpa The European Commission on Friday demanded more information from US social media provider Meta about its discontinued analytics tool CrowdTangle. "The commission seeks information on Meta's compliance with obligations to give researchers access to data publicly accessible on the online interface of Facebook and Instagram," the commission said. The commission also seeks detail about Meta's "plans to update its election and civic discourse monitoring functionalities." Meta introduced new features in CrowdTangle, specifically public visual real-time dashboards for EU member states for third parties to monitor real-time discourse and election observations. Meta has since discontinued the features. On Wednesday, Meta permanently shut down CrowdTangle, which was used for monitoring social media posts and disinformation. Meta said other tools are to replace CrowdTangle, but critics say these have fewer details and functions. Meta must deliver the requested information by September 6, the European Commission said, adding this would be the basis for further steps. Meta can be fined for providing false, incomplete or misleading information, or refusing to answer the questions. Meta's activities are governed under the Digital Services Act (DSA) that seeks to ensure that platforms remove illegal content from their pages more quickly than in the past. The DSA also makes it easier for users to report such content. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference after the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels. Francois Lenoir/EU Council/dpa EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Friday criticized an attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. "We condemn settlers attacks in Jit, aimed at terrorizing Palestinian civilians," Borrell wrote in a post on X. "Day after day, in an almost total impunity, Israeli settlers fuel violence in the occupied West Bank, contributing to endanger any chance of peace," he asserted. "The Israeli government must stop these unacceptable actions immediately," Borrell added. "I confirm my intention to table a proposal for EU sanctions against violent settlers enablers, including some Israeli governments members," the top EU diplomat said. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, a 22-year-old Palestinian was killed by gunfire on Thursday when dozens of masked settlers stormed the Palestinian village of Jit, 10 kilometres west of Nablus. The German Foreign Office described the violence as unacceptable. "The attacks must stop immediately," it said on X. "There must be no impunity for such acts of violence." France also condemned the attack and called for the protection of the Palestinian population. The Foreign Ministry in Paris stated that the violent and recurring nature of the offences was evidence of the climate of impunity in which violent settlers carried out these attacks. By Bhanvi Satija and Jennifer Rigby (Reuters) -The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Friday raised its risk level for mpox, a day after global health officials confirmed the first infection with a new strain of the virus outside Africa, in Sweden. The EU public health body's head said there will be more imported cases of the new mpox strain in Europe in the coming weeks, though the risk of sustained transmission remains low. The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency, its highest form of alert, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that had spread to neighbouring countries. The global health body is due to host an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss ways to ensure fair global access to tests, treatments and vaccines for the virus, a leading official said. Mpox, a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms, is usually mild but can kill. Two strains are now spreading in Congo - the endemic form of the virus, clade I, and a new offshoot called clade Ib. The ECDC on Friday raised its risk level assessment for mpox to "moderate" from "low" for sporadic cases appearing in the EU, and asked countries to maintain high levels of awareness among travellers visiting from affected areas. The agency said the overall risk to the population had gone up from "very low" to "low". "Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases," its director Pamela Rendi Wagner said. Pakistan also confirmed on Friday a case of the mpox virus in a patient who had returned from a Gulf country, though it was not clear whether it was of the new variant or of the clade that has been spreading globally since 2022. Mpox transmits through close physical contact, including sexual contact, but unlike previous global pandemics such as COVID-19 there is no evidence it spreads easily through the air. WHO official Margaret Harris said on a media call on Friday that she expects more cases outside Africa to emerge soon, also as a result of heightened monitoring. However, the WHO has advised against any travel restrictions to stop the spread of the virus. China said earlier on Friday it plans to monitor people and goods entering the country for mpox for the next six months. DIAGNOSTICS Far more diagnostic kits, treatments and vaccines need to be shipped to Africa to respond adequately to the outbreak of the new strain of the mpox virus there, an official of the Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian network said on Friday. The head of global vaccine group Gavi told Reuters it has up to $500 million to spend on getting shots to countries affected by the escalating outbreak in Africa. Shares in companies making and developing products against mpox surged on Friday. Shares of vaccine makers Bavarian Nordic and Emergent BioSolutions jumped 20% each, while those of Siga Technologies, which makes an antiviral mpox drug, rose 7%. Denmark's Bavarian Nordic said it had submitted data to the EU's drug regulator for approval to extend the use of its mpox and smallpox vaccine to adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Shares in New Jersey-based Tonix Pharmaceuticals also leapt after the company said it will advance development of its mpox vaccine candidate. "We are motivated to advance development for our mpox vaccine with urgency given the global public health emergency," its CEO Seth Lederman said. (Reporting by Jennifer Rigby in London, Bhanvi Satija, Puyaan Singh, Mariam Sunny and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru, Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt, Miranda Murray in Berlin, Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar, Charlotte Greenfield in Islamabad, Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen, Lucy Raitano in London; Writing by Jan Harvey; Editing by Catherine Evans and Mark Potter) More imported cases of new mpox strain in Europe expected, public health agency says By Jennifer Rigby and Bhanvi Satija (Reuters) -More imported cases of a new mpox strain will appear in Europe in the coming weeks but the risk of sustained transmission remains low, the head of Europe's disease prevention agency said on Friday. The agency raised its risk assessment for sporadic cases of mpox clade I in Europe to moderate on Friday. The risk was high for travellers to affected areas in Africa in close contact with people there, and moderate for their contacts. The risk for the general population has gone up from very low to low, the agency said. "There will be more cases in the coming weeks. That's the expectation... But regarding the risk [for the] general European population, we have to say that our assessment is that the risk is very low at the moment," European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said in an interview. She called for European countries to step up preparedness and raise awareness to prevent further spread. An outbreak of mpox in Democratic Republic of Congo caused by two different forms of mpox, an endemic form and a new offshoot called clade Ib, has caused global concern after it spread to more countries in Africa. On Thursday, Sweden became the first country outside Africa to confirm a case of clade Ib. The WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Wednesday. The European CDC recommended that public health authorities plan and prepare for quick detection of any clade I cases that may reach Europe. It predicts the impact from this strain of the virus will be low in Europe if proper surveillance and control measures are implemented, using the expertise garnered when another strain of mpox, clade II, spread globally in 2022. During that emergency, the virus spread mainly among men who had sex with men, and behaviour change as well as vaccines helped bring it under control in Europe. Mpox is a viral infection that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and while usually mild, it can be fatal in rare cases. It spreads through close contact, including sexual contact, and clade Ib appears to spread more easily among people than other forms of the virus, although there are many open questions about its severity and transmissibility, Randi-Wagner said. Anyone with symptoms and travel history or a contact with travel to affected areas in Africa should immediately contact a doctor, she added. "Test, test, test, in order to find the suspect cases in Europe as soon as possible and avoid further spreading," she said in recommendations to European public health authorities. (Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Angus MacSwan) HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) The Evansville Retired Teachers Association (ERTA) says it will once again contribute to the community with a large group of volunteers who will work at the annual Frog Follies. ERTA explains its members work at the registration table to welcome the participants and distribute the registration materials and information. It will also have teams of volunteers who work the t-shirt area to distribute shirts and giveaways to the participants. This year, the organization will have more than 80 retired teachers working in three-hour shifts to cover two days of the Frog Follies. Evansville couple accused of neglecting disabled elder causing death ERTA says it has volunteered at Frog Follies for more than 40 years. Since 2005, Jim Sharp, retired principal, has served as the chairman for the Frog Follies volunteers. ERTA receives a stipend from Explore Evansville for its work at the Frog Follies. The stipend benefits ERTAs organization, and a major portion is donated each year to a community program that serves young people, such as the YMCA, the United Methodist Youth Home, and Youth Resources. The West Side Nut Club: 50 days from the half-pot A spokesperson for the organization says, Our members enjoy greeting the Frog Follies participants while providing a great service to our community. This project provides a great opportunity for retired teachers to share our skills of working with the public. The event will be during August 23 and 24, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). FILE - U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., listens during a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Spending by recently resigned University of Florida President Ben Sasse is coming under scrutiny after the student-run newspaper found that he awarded secretive consulting contracts and gave high-paying jobs to former members of his U.S. Senate staff and Republican allies actions that he defended Friday. Both Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida's chief financial officer are calling on the state university system's Board of Governors to investigate after The Independent Florida Alligator reported this week that as school president, Sasse gave six former staffers and two former Republican officials jobs with salaries that outstripped comparable positions. Most did not move to Gainesville, but work remotely from hundreds of miles away. The former Nebraska senator became the school's president in February 2023. Overall, Sasse's office spent $17.3 million during his first year compared to the $5.6 million spent by his predecessor Ken Fuchs in his final year. The university has an overall budget of $9 billion. DeSantis' office issued a statement saying that the governor take(s) the stewardship of state funds very seriously and (has) already been in discussions with leadership at the university and with the Board of Governors to look into the matter. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis wrote on the social media platform X that the Alligator's report is concerning and that the Board of Governors should investigate this issue to ensure tuition and tax dollars are being properly used. Sasse resigned July 31, citing his wife's recent diagnosis with epilepsy after years of other health issues. His hiring by the Board of Governors to head Florida's flagship university had been controversial as his only previous experience was five years as president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, which has just over 1,600 students. UF has 60,000 students and 6,600 faculty members and is one of the nation's top research universities. In a lengthy statement posted to X on Friday, Sasse defended the hirings and consulting contracts, saying they were needed as UF launches new satellite campuses and K-12 charter schools around the state, increases its work with artificial intelligence and looks to improve in the fields of medicine, science and technology. Yes, I persuaded almost a dozen folks who had worked with me in one or more of my last three jobs, both in and out of politics, to join in this important work as basically all arriving CEOs do, Sasse wrote. Some got raises because they are super-talented folks who had competing opportunities and offers." He said all the hirings were approved in the normal budget process and he welcomes an audit. "I am confident that the expenditures under discussion were proper and appropriate," he said. According to documents obtained by the Alligator, Sasse hired Raymond Sass, his former Senate chief of staff, to be the university's vice president for innovation and partnerships, a new position. His pay is $396,000, more than double the $181,677 he made in Sasse's Senate office. Sass still lives in the Washington, D.C., area. He did not immediately respond Friday to a phone message and email seeking comment. James Wegmann, Sasse's former Senate communications director, became UF's vice president of communications, earning $432,000 annually. His predecessor had earned $270,000. He still lives in Washington. He did not immediately respond Friday to an email seeking comment. Taylor Silva, Sasse's former Senate press secretary, was given the new position of assistant vice president of presidential communications and public affairs. The job has an annual salary of $232,000. Silva did move to Gainesville. No contact information for Silva could be located. Silva is not listed in the university directory. Three of Sasse's other former Senate staffers also got jobs with UF. Besides his former staffers, Sasse hired two others with strong Republican Party ties. He hired former Tennessee Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn as UFs inaugural vice president of pre-kindergarten to grade 12 and pre-bachelor's programs at a salary of $367,500. She still lives in Tennessee. She did not immediately respond to an email Friday seeking comment. He also hired Alice James Burns, former scheduler for South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, as director of presidential relations and major events at a salary of $205,000. She also did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Because most of these appointees still live outside Florida, travel expenses for Sasse's office ballooned to $633,000, more than 20 times the amount spent annually under Fuchs. Sasse also hired McKinsey & Company, where he once worked as an adviser, to a $4.7 million contract. The secretive firm is one of the nation's most prominent management consulting firms. The university has declined to say what its work includes. The firm declined comment. He also awarded about $2.5 million in other consulting contracts, the Alligator reported. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Spending by recently resigned University of Florida President Ben Sasse is coming under scrutiny after the student-run newspaper found that he awarded secretive consulting contracts and gave high-paying jobs to former members of his U.S. Senate staff and Republican allies actions that he defended Friday. Both Gov. Ron DeSantis and Floridas chief financial officer are calling on the state university systems Board of Governors to investigate after The Independent Florida Alligator reported this week that as school president, Sasse gave six former staffers and two former Republican officials jobs with salaries that outstripped comparable positions. Most did not move to Gainesville, but work remotely from hundreds of miles away. The former Nebraska senator became the schools president in February 2023. Overall, Sasses office spent $17.3 million during his first year compared to the $5.6 million spent by his predecessor Ken Fuchs in his final year. The university has an overall budget of $9 billion. DeSantis office issued a statement saying that the governor take(s) the stewardship of state funds very seriously and (has) already been in discussions with leadership at the university and with the Board of Governors to look into the matter. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis wrote on the social media platform X that the Alligators report is concerning and that the Board of Governors should investigate this issue to ensure tuition and tax dollars are being properly used. Sasse resigned July 31, citing his wifes recent diagnosis with epilepsy after years of other health issues. His hiring by the Board of Governors to head Floridas flagship university had been controversial as his only previous experience was five years as president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, which has just over 1,600 students. UF has 60,000 students and 6,600 faculty members and is one of the nations top research universities. In a lengthy statement posted to X on Friday, Sasse defended the hirings and consulting contracts, saying they were needed as UF launches new satellite campuses and K-12 charter schools around the state, increases its work with artificial intelligence and looks to improve in the fields of medicine, science and technology. Yes, I persuaded almost a dozen folks who had worked with me in one or more of my last three jobs, both in and out of politics, to join in this important work as basically all arriving CEOs do, Sasse wrote. Some got raises because they are super-talented folks who had competing opportunities and offers. He said all the hirings were approved in the normal budget process and he welcomes an audit. I am confident that the expenditures under discussion were proper and appropriate, he said. According to documents obtained by the Alligator, Sasse hired Raymond Sass, his former Senate chief of staff, to be the universitys vice president for innovation and partnerships, a new position. His pay is $396,000, more than double the $181,677 he made in Sasses Senate office. Sass still lives in the Washington, D.C., area. He did not immediately respond Friday to a phone message and email seeking comment. James Wegmann, Sasses former Senate communications director, became UFs vice president of communications, earning $432,000 annually. His predecessor had earned $270,000. He still lives in Washington. He did not immediately respond Friday to an email seeking comment. Taylor Silva, Sasses former Senate press secretary, was given the new position of assistant vice president of presidential communications and public affairs. The job has an annual salary of $232,000. Silva did move to Gainesville. No contact information for Silva could be located. Silva is not listed in the university directory. Three of Sasses other former Senate staffers also got jobs with UF. Besides his former staffers, Sasse hired two others with strong Republican Party ties. He hired former Tennessee Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn as UFs inaugural vice president of pre-kindergarten to grade 12 and pre-bachelors programs at a salary of $367,500. She still lives in Tennessee. She did not immediately respond to an email Friday seeking comment. He also hired Alice James Burns, former scheduler for South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, as director of presidential relations and major events at a salary of $205,000. She also did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Because most of these appointees still live outside Florida, travel expenses for Sasses office ballooned to $633,000, more than 20 times the amount spent annually under Fuchs. Sasse also hired McKinsey & Company, where he once worked as an adviser, to a $4.7 million contract. The secretive firm is one of the nations most prominent management consulting firms. The university has declined to say what its work includes. The firm declined comment. He also awarded about $2.5 million in other consulting contracts, the Alligator reported. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Several Republican states have stepped up their campaigns against immigrants who lack legal documents to reside in the United States and are threatening their most basic needs. Until now, migrants in the U.S. did not have to declare their immigration status in order to access medical care in hospitals or for their children to attend school. In the past week, however, two proposals from two Republican-run states have come to light that would end that right to anonymity. Under the proposals, in Texas hospitals will be obliged to report the immigration status of the patients they treat while in Oklahoma a way to assess the cost of undocumented migrants to the education system is being considered, with the state government expected to force students to reveal whether or not they have legal residency. Although the measures are being justified with other arguments, this latest offensive against migrants follows in the wake of the Republican discourse to put an end to irregular immigration and carrying out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history, one of the banner electoral promises of presidential candidate Donald Trump. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an executive order that will force hospitals to ask patients whether or not they are U.S. citizens, and whether or not they have a residency permit. In addition, healthcare facilities will have to inform the authorities of the costs involved in the hospitalization of these patients and the medical treatments received. This is the latest attack by the Republican governor against migrants. On August 13, Abbott announced the installation of more barbed wire fences in the Eagle Pass border area. Increased expenditures for Texas hospitals providing medical care to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States imposes burdens on the Texas healthcare system, Abbott stated in the order, signed on August 8. The expense that migrants represent to the public coffers has been a recurring argument among conservatives, despite statistics that show the benefit they bring to the economy is greater, among other reasons because of the jobs they fill and the taxes they pay. Studies have revealed that undocumented migrants pay more into the Social Security system through their taxes than they use, because they visit the doctor less frequently than Americans. Once hospitals report, on an annual basis, the cost of hospital and emergency care for undocumented migrants, Texas will seek reimbursement from the federal government. Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the consequences of their open border policies, and we will fight to ensure that they pay back Texas for their costly and dangerous policies, the governor said. In a country where private healthcare incurs exorbitant costs, health insurance, if not provided through an employer, is a luxury that few can afford. This is the case for many of the migrants who are in an irregular situation in the U.S. and whose only recourse when they fall ill is hospital emergency rooms. By law, these centers cannot deny medical care to anyone, regardless of whether or not they have papers. Marisa Ponce looks at a photograph of her newborn babies during the Covid-19 pandemic at a hospital in McAllen, Texas, in July 2020. Lynsey Addario (Getty Images) Its a new requirement and were reviewing it as quickly as possible. Right now, hospitals dont ask about patient immigration status as a condition of treatment. Hospitals are required by law to provide life-saving treatment to anyone, regardless of ability to pay or status, the Texas Hospital Association said in a statement through spokeswoman Carrie Williams upon learning of Abbotts decree. The most immediate consequence when the rule goes into effect on November 1 is that sick people will not seek the medical care they need for fear of revealing their undocumented status. In theory, hospitals will have to inform them that their data will not be used for any other purpose, but that is hardly credible in a state where the so-called Operation Lone Star against immigration has led to the detention of hundreds of thousands of people. Abbott himself boasted Wednesday on social media that in two years, Texas has detained 517,400 migrants and sent 119,400 to sanctuary cities, largely Democratic strongholds where policies against undocumented immigrants are less repressive. They say the information is not going to be used against them but that creates fear in the community, because you cant trust that the Texas government is not going to use that information against them, says Adriel Orozco, senior counsel for the American Immigration Council, an organization dedicated to migrant advocacy. People are not going to get the medical care they need. In Florida, they already passed a law and many have not gone to the hospital. In Texas, the same thing is going to happen. Floridas Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, passed legislation in 2023 that requires hospitals to ask patients for their immigration status. In theory, the rule only applies to hospitals that provide Medicaid, but the reality is that it has been extended to more centers and many patients have not sought medical assistance for fear of being detained and deported. An English teacher checks assignments in a classroom at International High School in San Francisco, California, in this file photo. Jeff Chiu (AP) Identification to attend school In the same anti-immigrant spirit, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters wants to impose similar restrictions in his state. At the monthly meeting of the State Board of Education, Walters announced last week that he plans to ask school administrators to help his office calculate the cost and burden of illegal immigration in their districts. The federal government has failed to secure our borders, our schools are suffering over this and where the federal government has failed to act, Oklahoma will step up, he said. Walters, who has also tabled a highly controversial proposal to impose Bible study in public schools, did not detail what the measures will be, but everything points to the fact that schools will have to ask about the immigration status of their students. This is despite the fact that the right to primary and secondary education is protected by law in the United States, without discriminating between citizens or non-citizens, and regardless of their papers. The U.S. Department of Education recalls on its website that A State may not deny access to public education to any child residing in the State, including children who are not citizens and do not have immigration documentation. The Supreme Court made this clear nearly forty years ago in a case called Plyler v. Doe. Additionally, in no case can they be asked to disclose whether or not they are legal residents. School districts may not bar students from enrolling in public elementary and secondary schools based on the citizenship or immigration status of the student or their parent or guardian, it clarifies. However, as is the case in Texas, having to define oneself as a migrant without a legal residency permit already points to discrimination within the student community. The most recent data from the Migration Policy Institute estimates that in 2022 there were around 90,000 undocumented migrants in Oklahoma. Of these, 6,000 are under the age of 17 and 89% of them are enrolled in schools. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) Despite the rainy weather, Thursday was still an exciting start to the school year for Unit 5 students and teachers, especially students who now have the title teacher. Hannah Hathaway, Ireland Feit, and Kelsie Norris are first-year teachers starting their careers at Glenn Elementary School. They went through student teaching together while attending Illinois State University. Reading garden honors Unit 5 elementary teacher Were able to lean on each other. Its just an awesome experience that were all here together. Especially going through student teaching, said Hathaway. We did the full long student-teaching process at Illinois State University. So, we spent the whole year together. So, its just really nice having them in the building. With Normal being the hometown for one of the budding educators, this first day of school is extremely special. My mom was a teacher in this district and it really inspired me to be in this district. I had a lot of great educators. So, Im hoping I can be just like them, said Feit. The three are just as eager for the new school year as the students. Im just excited to see what we do together as new teachers excited and passionate, ready to jump in the classroom. So, Im really excited for that, said Norris. Hathaway is teaching 5th grade while Feit and Norris are teaching 3rd grade. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. Experts warn "don't be fooled" by Trump's Project 2025 denials: His "fingerprints are all over it" Former President Donald Trump has tried repeatedly to distance himself from Project 2025, claiming he has no idea who is behind the 922-page policy manifesto, while his campaign managers have said they "greatly welcomed" the news that its Trump-allied director has left his role. But Trump has extensive ties to Project 2025, which offers policy proposals to bring swaths of his campaign platform to life. Regardless, political experts and observers told Salon that Project 2025 is just one part of a wide-ranging effort by Trump-allied conservative nonprofits to ensure the president hits the ground running in a potential second administration. Those well-funded groups include the Heritage Foundation, the five-decade-old conservative think tank that fueled Ronald Reagans vision and staffing, and the Conservative Partnership Institute, a conservative umbrella organization founded in 2017 whose leadership includes former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump administration officials Wesley Denton and Ed Corrigan. University of Illinois Chicago political science professor E.J. Fagan said it's likely that a second Trump administration would turn to such groups for help staffing its administration. "I don't think it is plausible that that group of people, those organizations, and the people who work for them, would not be the bulk of highly salient policy positions in the Trump administration," Fagan told Salon. Over the past several decades, presidential transition teams have come to rely on both conservative and liberal think tanks for a handful of increasingly key functions: most notably, providing gainful employment for political appointees awaiting their party's next win. "Think tanks often serve as a shadow government where former appointees serve until a friendly administration is back in power," John Jay College of Criminal Justice public policy professor Heath Brown told Salon. Fagan said the liberal Center for American Progress, founded in 2003, plays a similar role allowing appointees to focus on policy while awaiting their party's next administration. "You don't want your next deputy under secretary of the Treasury to go work for a lobbyist for four years,' Fagan said. "You want them to be doing policy planning. You want them to not develop conflicts of interest." Brown said it's notable that the Conservative Partnership Institute has funded and helped launch a network of new rightwing groups founded by former Trump appointees and White House staffers since Trump left office. "This is a novel role in Washington, providing organizing expertise and assistance to strengthen the conservative think tank infrastructure," he said. Accountable.US executive director Tony Carrk said CPI's network which includes the American Accountability Foundation, Personnel Policy Operations and Election Integrity Network overlaps with the mission and leaders of other associated groups, including the Heritage Foundation. Former Trump aides have launched political nonprofits including America First Legal, the Center for Renewing America and America First Policy Institute. "They have their allies and partners that they're working with, but they're all going in the same direction," Carrk told Salon, later adding: "There can be some overlap with personnel and where people are working in one group or another, or both." Carrk said the rise of the Conservative Partnership Institute and its focus on building a "permanent" conservative infrastructure ready to place MAGA loyalists in key positions signals the rise of a powerful, organized Trump-fueled network that's come to dominate the GOP. "What this speaks to is this movement of MAGA conservatives to consolidate power," Carrk said. "Basically, the agenda is the same, that they're working to pursue an agenda that gives more power to them, for them to have more control over our lives and to take away our freedoms." He added: "They want to give more power to big corporate interests that can raise prices on middle class families as they see fit, more power to insurance companies to deny care, more power to drug companies to gouge seniors or everyone with prescription drugs." THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION'S RISE Fagan author of "The Thinkers: The Rise of Partisan Think Tanks and the Polarization of American Politics" said his research finds the influence of think tanks is strongly correlated with polarization of members of Congress. "Heritage shows up in 1973 at kind of a low point of polarization," Fagan said. "Their goal is to make Republicans more conservative. " The Heritage Foundation rose to the forefront of the modern conservative movement by helping provide Reagan's administration with a 3,000-page policy manuscript and staff. In 1981, the Heritage Foundation expressed "disappointment" with Reagan's first term and how it handled political appointments, according to The New York Times at the time. Reagan had turned down Heritage Foundation suggestions as appointees, partly for their lack of government experience a lingering reflection of conservative "disdain" for careers in government, The New York Times Magazine reported. Still, the Heritage Foundation also touted that Reagan acted on 60 percent of its 1,270 recommendations. The Heritage Foundation's executive branch liaison Louis Cordia told The New York Times Magazine he "helped place about 250 conservatives in administration jobs" in 1985 alone. Cordia acknowledged that many of those conservatives were leaving for the private sector, largely as lobbyists. During the nineties, Fagan said the think tank grew to work more closely with House Republicans, offering harsh criticism of former President George W. Bush's immigration plan. "They were often the harshest critics of George W. Bush," Fagan said. "They were very, very much kind of an influential outsider reorganization, until Trump comes along."' By 2014, when former Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., a Tea Party leader took over as president, Heritage took a far-right turn. Fagan said DeMint's leadership "radically transformed" Heritage a process that's continued under Trump. "Trump has changed the Republican Party and Heritage has changed along with it," Fagan said. Fagan said that his research shows the quality and quantity of the Heritage Foundation's policy analysis has eroded over the years. "It was much less evangelical and much less Trumpist," Fagan said. "The best way to describe it is Heritage used to be Reaganist and how it's Trumpist." Pomona College professor Amanda Hollis-Brusky told Salon that unlike previous Republican presidencies that recruited from a mix of libertarian and conservative think tanks, "the Trump administration just went full board with Heritage." THE RISE OF A CONSERVATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE The Heritage Foundation played a key role in the 2016 Trump transition in part because Trump fired his transition planner, Chris Christie, the day after the election. "That meant a lot of the planning was essentially torn up, Brown, the John Jay professor, told Salon. "The result of that was that Heritage had an outsized role to play." Brown said though think tanks typically release big books of policy recommendations, those books may be dismissed as either repetitive of a candidate's agenda or impractical. Still, the Heritage Foundation has touted that the Trump administration "embraced 64 percent of its policy solutions" offered in their 2016 policy proposal. Politico reported in 2016 that the Heritage Foundation was "soliciting, stockpiling and vetting resumes for months" to help staff Trump's administration. By 2018, the group said "hundreds" of people on its database of 3,000 conservatives had landed jobs in the Trump administration, according to The New York Times. The nonprofit said at least 66 of its own employees and alumni had joined Trump's administration. The executive director of Trump's 2016 transition team, Rick Dearborn, returned to the Heritage Foundation to write Project 2025's chapter on the White House Office. After Trump left office in 2021, former aides including immigration advisor Stephen Miller and domestic policy chief Brooke Rollins and Larry Kudlow launched their own right-wing political nonprofits with goals ranging from promoting and defending Trump policies to fighting right-wing legal battles. Meadows joined the Conservative Partnership Institute to help lead its efforts to "train, equip and unite the conservative movement." CPI is working to create what one supporter described to The New York as an "infrastructure" for an anti-establishment conservative movement. The idea of such an infrastructure hearkens back to the Heritage Foundation's ambition to launch a "conservative infrastructure" from the Reagan administration. "For five years now, weve been forming the networks and the strategies and building the permanent infrastructure that the conservative movement has needed for far too long," reads the CPI 2022 annual report. This year, advocacy watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed an IRS complaint alleging that CPI "indirectly engaged in political campaign activity through a for-profit subsidiary that provides services to" Trump's campaign. The IRS prohibits 501(c)(3) nonprofits from directly or indirectly participating in political campaigns on behalf of any candidate. According to IRS filings, the Heritage Foundation reported $106 million in revenue in 2022, compared with $36 million reported by CPI. That contrasts with $40 million in 2022 revenue reported by the liberal Center for American Progress. TRUMP TIES TO PROJECT 2025 The Heritage Foundation prepared policy manifestos for the Bush, Clinton and Trump Administrations, and began working on the latest Project 2025 in 2022. Fagan said Project 2025 illustrates how far right Heritage has moved. "The group of people they put together for Project 2025 was larger than in previous efforts, and importantly, it was entirely composed of the far-right portion of the Republican Party: the MAGA party," Fagan said. "So, we're not talking about the Chamber of Commerce. We weren't talking about the American Enterprise Institute, which was more influential during the Bush years." In April 2023, Heritage published the manifesto, which is formally titled: "Mandate for Leadership 2025: The Conservative Promise." Trump's campaign has repeatedly denied any link between Trump and Project 2025 this summer. Dartmouth sociology professor John Campbell called that "hard to believe." In July, Trump claimed on social media that he has "no idea who is behind" Project 2025. But, dozens of Trump's former administration employees now work at the conservative groups that advised Project 2025, according to CNN. And the Washington Post reported he took a private flight with Heritage's president in April 2022 on the way to the foundation's annual conference. Trump's spokesperson denied the Post's report that the nonprofit briefed Trump himself on Project 2025. Trump spoke at the nonprofit's dinner, saying: "This is a great group, and theyre going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do and what your movement will do when the American people give us a colossal mandate to save America. In September 2023, Trump's spokesperson acknowledged similarities between Project 2025 and Trump's own platform. Everyone knows his America First agenda actually works, which is why many are copying him," his spokesperson Liz Harrington told Politico. And this week, the nonprofit Centre for Climate Reporting released an undercover video recorded July 24 in which Project 2025 author and former Trump administration official Russell Vought said the former president was "very supportive of what" Project 2025 does. "He is running against the brand," Vought said of Trump's denials of any connection to Project 2025. "He is not running against any people. He's not running against any institutions. It's interesting he's in fact not even opposing himself to a particular policy. He's been at our organization, he's raised money for our organization, he's blessed it." University of Cincinnati College of Law dean emeritus Joseph Tomain said regardless the similarities between the manifesto and Trump's platform are undeniable. "Let's assume he knows nothing about it," Tomain said. "The fact of the matter is his political agenda, and the political agenda of the project, run parallel to each other." Scores of ideas floated by Trump over the years appear in fleshed-out form in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, which is backed by over a hundred conservative groups and whose contributors include over 100 former Trump administration officials. For example, Project 2025 offers plans to expand presidential power, make it easier for Trump to fire civil servants and replace them with political appointees, shutter the Department of Education and make it easier to mass deport migrants. Trump has promised an executive order to cease federal programs that "promote sex and gender transition at any age" page 474 of Project 2025 has a plan to have the federal government "acknowledge there is insufficient scientific evidence to support" coverage for gender-affirming surgeries in state plans. In the Centre for Climate Reporting's video, Center for Renewing America research director Micah Meadowcroft, said Vought is supervising the second phase of Project 2025. "The second phase after the book came out was to break down like actual sort of policy packets and executive orders and agenda items and things like that," Meadowcroft said. Sarah Matthews, who served as deputy press secretary to Trump, said Trump has only tried to distance himself from Project 2025 because of its lack of popularity with voters. Project 2025 includes a proposal to break up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and privatize its weather forecasting essentially ending its popular free weather reports, which Project 2025 claims are less "reliable" than private forecasts. A 2020 Inspector General report found Trump's White House exerted political pressure on NOAA to issue a statement sharing his false claim that 2019 Hurricane Dorian would slam Alabama and calling a National Weather Service tweet "inconsistent." "The thing is, Donald Trump's fingerprints are all over it," Matthews said at a July panel at New York University. "The people who drafted it are people that worked in his first administration who are still Trump loyalists and will go on to probably be in senior roles in a second Trump administration. So don't be fooled when he says: 'Oh, I don't know anything about this.' Clearly his campaign aides got to him." She added: "We know that he his people are behind it, and that this is what a second Trump term would look like." Brown said though Trump has unsuccessfully tried to distance himself from Project 2025, he believes the Heritage Foundation "will remain influential in Trump circles." "Too many of his key advisers are associated with Trump and will remain so until the election, and after should he win," Brown said. "Distancing himself from Project 2025 and the hundreds of radical policy recommendations wont change that. The real influence has always been through people, not policy documents." Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. DATABASES OF LOYALISTS To fill his administrations ranks, Trump could lean on the help of the Heritage Foundation and CPI. Despite Project 2025 former director Paul Dans stepping down from that role, the Heritage Foundation is continuing to work on its plan to assemble a database of people interested in serving in Trump's potential second term. Academic experts said loyalty to Trump is top of mind for allies coming up with lists of job candidates for a potential second term. "Obviously Trump is trying to run away from Project 2025, and the Heritage Foundation efforts, but I know that those think tanks and allies are pulling together almost telephone directories worth of possible appointees," Rudalevige said. "There's definitely an organized effort to try to make sure that they have identified loyalists who would serve in a new administration." Dans told Brisbane-based ABC Investigations that the Heritage Foundations database of potential recruits exceeds 10,000 people "from all walks of life." Its making sure that we have the right people who are going to be steeped in the battle plan," Dans said. "We want the person who keeps getting knocked down and is indefatigable. We have a database with over 10,000 people from all walks of life entering into this, aspiring to serve, said Dans, who served as chief of staff in the Office of Personnel Management under Trump. We want people whove been canceled, whove figuratively given blood for the movement. These are mums whove challenged school boards. These are people whove stood up in their companies and said, Enough with [diversity, equity and inclusion] and the woke agenda. And The New Yorker recently revealed that the CPI's American Accountability Foundation is investigating the personal profiles and social-media posts of federal employees to determine who might lack fealty to Trump. A few weeks after Trumps February 2020 acquittal in his first impeachment trial, CPIs vice president of programs Rachel Bovard told a network of conservative activists that vetting was a priority, according to The New Yorkers description of footage obtained by watchdog group Documented. We work very closely . . . with the Office of Presidential Personnel at the White House. Because we see what happens when we dont vet these people. Thats how we got Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, O.K.? Thats how we got Marie Yovanovitch. All these people that led the impeachment against President Trump shouldnt have been there in the first place," Bovard said, referring to administration officials who blew testified against Trump at the impeachment trial. Trumps allies are also drawing up lists of loyalist lawyers a potential contrast with the Trump administration's reliance on Federalist Society recommendations during his first term, according to The New York Times. Brown said presidential transition teams themselves usually vet candidates with Congressional funding, and that it's unclear how useful the Heritage Foundation's database of resumes will prove. "The so-called Conservative LinkedIn, however, has yet to be described or demonstrated in any detail, raising some questions about how effective thats actually been so far," Brown said. "Im dubious about how much vetting is even possible by an outside group in anything more than a cursory way." Still, with 4,000 positions to fill for a Trump administration and potentially tens of thousands of more if Trump follows through on his plan to replace more administration officials through what's known as Schedule F Fagan said that Trump will likely turn to his rightwing groups and allies for help. "4,000 people," Fagan said. "Who are you going to find if, for example, you didn't draw a lot of these far-right people from the Project 2025 group?" He said Project 2025 or the Heritage Foundation doesn't have to formally chair Trump's transition to play a "very important role." "I think even if Trump were to get on stage and say, 'I hate Project 2025, they're all losers,' I don't think there's a plausible path to staffing his administration without that group of people," Fagan said. The claim that Walz "abandoned" his National Guard unit right before he would have been deployed to Iraq is a subjective allegation leveled by a small number of former National Guardsmen and Minnesota political activists. Having served in the Guard for 24 years, Walz was free to retire when he did. Walz has never claimed to have served in a combat role in war. Such allegations are based on a single misstatement and are undercut by his consistent transparency about not seeing combat in other interviews. Walz served as a command sergeant major, but did not retire at that grade because he did not complete the required training. The Guard has said, on numerous occasions, that it is accurate for Walz to state that he has served at that rank. In the weeks since his selection as the Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's political opponents reopened a series of old attacks about his service in the National Guard. Largely, these attacks have placed renewed focus on three allegations that have previously been leveled against Walz: He "abandoned" his National Guard unit right before he would have been deployed to Iraq. He has lied about serving "in war." He has lied about the rank at which he retired. Walz has faced these allegations from the same small group of local politicians and former Minnesota National Guardsmen in virtually every election he has participated in since his first campaign for Congress in 2006. In 2018, when he was running for governor of Minnesota, two former members of Walz's unit wrote an open letter that went viral then, and which resurfaced in 2024: When the nation called, he quit. He failed to complete the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy. He failed to serve for two years following completion of the academy, which he dropped out of. He failed to serve two years after the conditional promotion to Command Sergeant Major. He failed to fulfill the full six years of the enlistment he signed on September 18th, 2001. He failed his country. He failed his state. He failed the Minnesota Army National Guard, the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, and his fellow Soldiers. And he failed to lead by example. Shameful. Here, Snopes dissects each allegation: Background Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years, joining the Nebraska Guard at age 17. He underwent basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, that year, in 1981. He returned for his senior year of high school while drilling with his unit. Service in the National Guard involves an initial period of training, then a commitment of one weekend a month and two weeks a year of exercises and training. Walz became an artillery specialist and helped train soldiers on the use of field artillery weapons. He met his wife and moved with her to Minnesota in 1996, continuing his teaching and military careers in parallel. With that move, he transferred to a National Guard outfit based near his new job 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Unit, or the 1-125th FA. He rose through the ranks, as he described in a 2009 Library of Congress interview: I taught sixth-grade history for a while teaching in Nebraska. That's where I met my wife, and she moved me back to Minnesota . I said as far as guard units, you're able to transfer to ones. And they found me one near my hometown in Mankato, Minnesota, where I was moving with my wife that was a field artillery unit in St. James, Minnesota. So I joined the 1st [Battalion] of the 125th Field Artillery, which was part of the 34th Division, the Red Bulls, and became part of that division artillery and then moved through the ranks, everything from gunnery sergeant, chief of the firing battery, a first sergeant and then eventually being the sergeant major for the battalion. Domestically, the battalion was involved in several natural-disaster responses: tornado cleanups, flooding disasters, and Yellowstone wildfires. Though Walz's initial commitment to the Guard ended in 2001, he re-enlisted following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. After Sept. 11, the 1-125th participated in overseas deployments, though not in combat roles. Walz and his unit provided "force protection" at Air Force bases in Italy, demobilizing in early 2004. Upon his return from that deployment, Walz was promoted to command sergeant major, making him the most senior enlisted member of the 1-125th. In early 2005, Walz announced his run for U.S. Congress. When he began his campaign, he was enlisted and considered the possibility of campaigning while on active duty or facing deployment, but later decided to retire to focus on the run. At the time, he was 41 and had a 4-year-old daughter. Walz 'Abandoned' His Unit? The allegation that Walz "abandoned" his unit originated, in large part, from the National Guardsman who went on to take Walz's place as command sergeant major in the 1-125th and who co-wrote the aforementioned open letter. Centrally, this line of attack alleges that Walz's congressional run allowed him to avoid combat. Walz announced his run for Congress in February 2005, before the March 17, 2005, announcement that the 1-125th would potentially be deployed to Iraq. While Walz did announce his intention to run before that announcement, it is certainly possible he knew his unit was likely to see action in Iraq based on increased mobilization of National Guard troops for the War on Terror and due to his senior rank. At the time of the mobilization announcement, Walz said he was still considering remaining enlisted during his campaign. Ultimately, he decided to retire. Though it is unclear when he filed his decision to retire, May 17, 2005, was his last day with the Guard. His unit deployed in March 2006. The suggestion that a possible future combat deployment played a role in his decision to retire is speculative, and pushed in large part by that small but vocal group of former members of the 1-125th. Others who served with Walz disagree, saying he had every right to retire when he did. As the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported, for example: Joseph Eustice, a 32-year veteran of the guard who led the same battalion as Walz, said the governor fulfilled his duty. "He was a great soldier," Eustice said. "When he chose to leave, he had every right to leave." Eustice said claims to the contrary are ill-informed and possibly sour grapes by a soldier who was passed over for the promotion to command sergeant major that went to Walz. Like Walz, Eustice said that he also left in the middle of a six-year re-enrollment because members are free to leave at any time after their initial six-year stint. "If you choose to re-up, you can walk in any day and be done," Eustice said. Other former members of the unit who remember Walz have also spoken highly of him, as reported by Minnesota Public Radio in 2022: Jeff Bertrang outranked Walz in the unit and retired as a brigadier general. Now the New Ulm schools superintendent, Bertrang has a fond recollection of Sgt. Walz. "His willingness to learn and to inspire others, he had a go-get-em' attitude," Bertrang said. "It wasn't sit back and wait to see what happens." They spent time stationed together in the far reaches of Norway, where Guard troops trained with NATO allies, doing drills in the snow in 30-below-zero temperatures. Bertrang said Walz was good at putting his colleagues at ease and demonstrated an appreciation for varying viewpoints and differing backgrounds, all of which could transfer to politics. The Minnesota National Guard, which could have blocked his retirement, had no objections to his leaving at the time he did, an official with the Guard told The Washington Post in August 2024. Walz Lied About Serving 'in War'? In describing his time in the military, Walz has never claimed to have served in any combat role. He makes this point explicit in nearly all published interviews on the subject. Speaking during his 2009 Library of Congress interview about his unit's deployment in a support role during Operation Enduring Freedom, for example, Walz described some of his men's disappointment at their noncombat assignment: We were under the assumption we could fire artillery [during Operation Enduring Freedom]. That's what we had trained for. All of us, first and foremost, were infantry and all of us did need to provide whatever was required of us. So we ended up providing part of the base security for Air Force bases. And I think in the beginning, many of my troops were disappointed. Some conservative outlets, such as the Washington Free Beacon, have argued that Walz's statements about his deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom misleadingly suggest he claimed to have served in Afghanistan. Walz has never made such a claim, though, and he has always described his 2003 deployment as one that supported security operations at U.S. Air Force bases in Europe. The closest thing to a statement made by Walz suggesting he is a combat veteran comes from a 2018 statement he made as governor of Minnesota when he advocated for tighter gun-control legislation: "We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, are only carried in war." The Harris campaign recently shared the statement on X and other social media platforms. Gov. @Tim_Walz: I spent 25 years in the Army and I hunt. Ive been voting for common sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can research the impacts of gun violence. We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, pic.twitter.com/3IVaXi2RP2 Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 6, 2024 Walz's phrasing here is inaccurate, as he did not carry weapons "in war." Though he was exposed to enough percussive power from the artillery he trained on, and taught others how to use, to require ear surgery later in life, he did not handle those weapons of war in an actual war. On Aug. 9, 2024, a Harriz-Walz campaign spokesperson told The Washington Post that Walz "misspoke," explaining: In making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke. He did handle weapons of war and believes strongly that only military members trained to carry those deadly weapons should have access to them, unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance who prioritize the gun lobby over our children. His language in this instance was imprecise and potentially misleading, but it requires a literal reading of a rhetorical point about gun violence to cast this statement as his claiming the status as combat veteran in light of his transparency on the topic elsewhere. Walz Lied About His Rank? The dispute about Walz's rank is, at its core, a semantic one. When Walz was promoted to command sergeant major on Sept. 17, 2004, his promotion was conditional on his completing certain training. It is not uncommon for such promotions to precede the required training. He began, but did not complete, training for this role at that time, as described by the military-focused media outlet Task and Purpose: The course Walz failed to complete was a 750-hour course in the Army's Sergeants Major Academy, which would have included 86 hours in residence at Ft. Bliss, Texas. Completing the course is mandatory for E-9s, though completing the training after being promoted is not uncommon. Regardless, Walz served for seven months as command sergeant major. When he decided to retire, he left without completing that training. As a result, his official retirement rank is a step lower. The demotion occurred after he left, and it was administrative, not punitive. The change primarily affects Walz's military-retirement package. The Minnesota National Guard has regularly stated that it is appropriate for Walz to say he "served as" command sergeant major. Capt. Holly Rockow, a public affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard, told Minnesota Public Radio in 2018 that it "is legitimate for Walz to say he served as a command sergeant major." Walz's opponents take umbrage with Walz saying he is a retired command sergeant major due to this demotion. On Aug. 8, 2024, the Harris campaign, which had originally described Walz as a "retired command sergeant major" on its website, changed the language to more accurately state that he served at the rank of command sergeant major. The Bottom Line A minority of veterans from the 1-125th, as well as political activists, begrudge Walz for retiring in 2005 before a long deployment in Iraq, and for using the phrase "retired as" a command sergeant major. The National Guard accepted his retirement without issue at the time and has stated that he did "serve as" a command sergeant major. Despite characterizations to the contrary, Walz has never explicitly claimed to have served in combat. Walz served honorably in the National Guard for 24 years, and served (but did not retire) at the highest rank possible for an enlisted man. As a soldier he participated in disaster-relief deployments domestically and provided security assistance at European U.S. Air Force bases during Operation Enduring Freedom. Sources: "Army National Guard." Goarmy.Com, http://www.goarmy.com/content/goarmy/en/explore-the-army/army-structure/national-guard.html. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024. Assessing Claims about Tim Walz's Military Service - The Washington Post. 9 Aug. 2024, https://web.archive.org/web/20240809132937/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/09/assessing-claims-about-walz-service/. Britzky, Jeremy Herb, Haley. "Vance Reopens Line of Attack into Walz's Military Record as Two Veterans Now Vie to Be Vice President | CNN Politics." CNN, 7 Aug. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/07/politics/tim-walz-military-record-vance-attack/index.html. "'Citizen Soldier' Walz Honed Leadership in Uniform." MPR News, 3 Oct. 2018, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/10/03/tim-walz-national-guard-career-minnesota-governor-race. Coolican, J. Patrick. Tim Walz's Campaign for Minnesota Governor Aims to Bridge the Great Divide. 14 Oct. 2018, https://www.startribune.com/tim-walz-s-campaign-for-minnesota-governor-aims-to-bridge-the-great-divide/495297961. History of the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery. https://minnesotanationalguard.ng.mil/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1st-battalion-125th-field-artillery-history.pdf. Nieberg, Matt White, Patty. "The 'Swift Boating' of Tim Walz Has Begun. What Is the Truth?" Task & Purpose, 7 Aug. 2024, https://taskandpurpose.com/news/swift-boat-walz/. "Paid Letter: The Truth About Tim Walz." West Central Tribune, 2 Nov. 2018, https://www.wctrib.com/community/letters/the-truth-about-tim-walz. Ross, Chuck. Tim Walz Falsely Claimed He Served in Afghanistan. When a Local Vet Called Him Out, His Office Did Nothing. 7 Aug. 2024, https://freebeacon.com/elections/tim-walz-falsely-claimed-he-served-in-afghanistan-when-a-local-vet-called-him-out-his-office-did-nothing/. Senator JD Vance Campaigns in Shelby Township, Michigan | C-SPAN.Org. https://www.c-span.org/video/?537607-1/senator-jd-vance-campaigns-shelby-township-michigan. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024. Tim Walz Congressional Biography. https://www.congress.gov/115/meeting/house/105558/witnesses/HHRG-115-HA00-Bio-WalzT-20170215.pdf. "Timothy James Walz Collection." Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.69125/. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024. In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, JD Vance claimed that Minnesota Governor and Harris VP running mate Tim Walz signed a bill allowing the state to kidnap a transgender child if their parents did not approve of their transition. However, the bill Vance referenced actually provides refuge for transgender youth and their parents fleeing unsafe states where their care is criminalized. The legislation contains no provision allowing the state to kidnap children when their parents do not support their gender transition. These claims arise from an intentional misinterpretation of a provision that specifically applies to custody disputes between parents in different states. In the interview, Vance sat down with "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl, who pushed back against the claims: Karl: [Trump] said that Tim Walz signed a letter letting the state kidnap children to change their gender, allowing pedophiles to be exempt from crimes this is not true, this is not remotely true. Vance: What President Trump said, Jon, is that Tim Walz has supported taking children from their parents if the parents don't consent to gender reassignment, that is crazyTim Walz gets on his high horse about mind your own damn business. One way of minding your own damn business, Jon, is to not try to take my children away from me. Karl: He has not signed a law allowing the state to kidnap children to change their sexual identity. Vance: What I just explained to you I would describe as kidnapping. Karl: Thats crazy, come on.The claim that HF 146, also known as the Trans Refuge Law, would allow the state to kidnap children stems from a deliberately misleading interpretation of the bill. Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project and director of millions of dollars in anti-transgender ads targeting Democrats, pointed to a section of the bill stating that the state can take jurisdiction if a child is present in the state and has been unable to obtain gender-affirming healthcare. Deliberate misinterpretations of this clause is the primary source of false claims about the Minnesota law. You can see Schillings claim and the context here: False claim that the state can trans your kids from American Principles Project Terry SchillingYou can see Schillings claim and the context here:What Vance, Schilling, and others fail to mention is that the provision in question applies to Section 518D of Minnesota law, known as the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. This act, adopted by most states in the U.S., addresses disputes between divorced parents when one parent lives in or moves to a different state, or when multiple states have competing claims to jurisdiction over custody cases. The specific provision highlighted by Schilling and referred to by Trump and Vance states that the state can take temporary emergency jurisdiction. This does not equate to taking custody of the child; rather, it allows a judge to hear a case in a custody dispute where one parent resides in a state that criminalizes trans care and the other in a state where such care is legal. Notably, it does not even tell the judge who should be awarded custody, it merely allows a court in Minnesota to hear such a custody dispute. Importantly, this change, which has been passed by more than 17 other states, comes in response to 24 states enacting bans on gender-affirming care. It also responds to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who threatened to use state powers to kidnap transgender children from parents supporting their transition by targeting them with child abuse investigations. These investigations have since been blocked in court. More importantly, many states amended their versions of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act in response to a law in Florida, first proposed in April 2023, that would have allowed the state to kidnap transgender youth from supportive families. Though that portion was amended out, the final version of that law, signed by Governor DeSantis, instead modified the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, giving Florida emergency jurisdiction when a transgender youth has been subjected to or is threatened with being subjected to sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures. Essentially, Florida signaled to other states that it would not honor custody agreements when one parent supported their transgender child, prompting many states to pass their own laws amending their custody jurisdictions in response. See the Florida provision here, which has very similar wording to the Minnesota provision, but instead results in Florida ignoring custody agreements from states where a custodial parent supports their transgender child: Florida SB254 Most importantly, the claim that Walz supports the state kidnapping children from their parents to trans them is absolutely false. Walz signed a bill making the state a refuge for transgender people fleeing states that criminalize their care. The bill not only responds to states like Texas and Florida, which have indeed threatened to remove transgender kids from supportive parents, but also to cases where attorneys general attempted to subpoena medical records across state lines, such as when Attorney General Ken Paxton sought medical records from Seattle Childrens Hospital; a similar law protected transgender youth who received care there. Similar protections have also since been extended to abortion patients and providers, who face nearly identical issues. When Trump and Vance make false claims about a transgender kidnapping bill, they are deliberately distorting the truth about what these bills actually do and why they are necessary. As transgender youth face increasing threats in nearly half of the states across the U.S., these refuge laws are seen as crucial for protecting vulnerable children and their families from hostile states that target their care from across state lines. Fact Check: Yes, Trump Said About Rising Sea Levels: 'You'll Have More Oceanfront Property, Right?' Claim: In comments about the threat of rising sea levels due to global warming, former U.S. President Donald Trump said, "You'll have more oceanfront property, right?" Rating: Rating: Correct Attribution On Aug. 12, 2024, social media users claimed former U.S. President Donald Trump said during an interview on X with its owner Elon Musk that "rising sea levels from climate change is a good thing because it'll create more beachfront property." Trump just now claimed that rising sea levels from the climate crisis is a good thing because it will create more beachfront property. He has no comprehension of reality. Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 13, 2024 Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich told his X followers Trump "has no comprehension of reality," while the X account of Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign posted audio of the interview, with the caption: "Trump, slurring, says he's okay with climate change and rising sea levels because he thinks he'll 'have more oceanfront property'." Trump, slurring, says hes okay with climate change and rising sea levels because he thinks hell have more oceanfront property pic.twitter.com/AmdrdXCn0v Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 13, 2024 Similar posts also appeared on Facebook and Instagram a day later. One X user added: "If you're on the fence about Donald Trump, consider this: he has said numerous times he likes global warming because it will give him more beachfront property." What Did Trump Actually Say About Sea Levels Rising? Trump's Aug. 12 interview with Musk was posted on Trump's official YouTube channel. During their chat (at 44:32 of the above video), the former president told the Tesla CEO that Russia, China, Iran and North Korea were known as the "modern day axis of evil." Trump said they are "powerful countries" with "very heavy nuclear" capabilities, "which is the biggest threat." He then added (emphasis in bold ours): You know, the biggest threat is not global warming, where the ocean's gonna rise one eighth of an inch over the next 400 years, the big, and you'll have more oceanfront property, right? The biggest threat is not that. The biggest threat is nuclear warming because we have five countries now that have significant nuclear power and we have to not allow anything to happen with stupid people like Biden. At no point did Trump overtly say he "likes global warming" or that it would be a "good thing" if sea levels rise due to climate change because it would create more oceanfront property, but given Trump's tone, context, and previous similar remarks, listeners could have reasonably inferred that the former president was suggesting more oceanfront property would be a positive outcome of sea levels rising. How Did People React to Trump's Comments? On Aug. 13, 2024, The Washington Post published an article titled, "Does Donald Trump understand how the ocean works?" which unpacked Trump's claim about rising sea levels leading to "more oceanfront property." The article said: "If you have a defined area of land that's surrounded by water, an increase in the height of the water means that it covers more land. The result is less land touching the ocean, not more." It also included a graphic illustrating that, in fact, less land touches the ocean when sea levels rise: (The Washington Post ) "The illustration above is exaggerated, obviously, but we can do some simple math to prove the point," the article continued, explaining in layman's terms how rising sea levels would affect the shoreline in the United States: There are 95,471 miles of shoreline in the United States, including outlining American territories. Imagine, for the sake of simplicity, that's a big circle, as above. The 95,471 miles would be its circumference, the distance around its outside edge. Its diameter its width across the middle would be about 504,086,880 feet. Now slice off two feet at each end, marking the anticipated sea-level rise by 2100. (A rise of two feet in sea level doesn't necessarily mean that it eats into the shore two feet, but this is just an example.) Now the circumference (the diameter times pi) is 504,086,867 feet. About 13 fewer feet of shoreline! The article concluded: "On the scale of the United States, this is not a big shift, but it highlights the point. A big spike in sea levels would almost certainly reduce the amount of oceanfront property though it would add new oceanfront property... The issue isn't that sea levels will rise and old beachfront property will magically be replaced with new beachfront property. It's that flooding will become more common and increasingly problematic and make the effects of big storms far worse. It is not a 'Hey, more beach clubs for the Trump Organization!' situation." Additionally, the BBC debunked the former president's claim that the "ocean's gonna rise one eighth of an inch over the next 400 years." Its article said Trump was vastly underestimating the rise in sea levels: In the decade 2014-2023, global average sea levels rose by an average of nearly 4.8mm per year (0.19in), according to the World Meteorological Organization. That increase is already greater than the one eighth of an inch (0.13in) that Mr Trump predicts will happen over the next 400 years. The magnitude of future rises is difficult to predict, because it is uncertain how quickly ice-sheets will melt, and future warming will depend on greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has estimated a likely range of 0.28 to 1.01m of global sea-level rise by 2100 - although higher rises can't be ruled out. A sea-level rise of one metre would put hundreds of millions of people at risk of more regular coastal flooding, as well as submerging parts of low-lying countries such as the Maldives. Similarly, fact-checking outlet Logically reported that "Trump's estimation of the velocity of the sea-level rise is inaccurate": According to NASA, the global average sea level has risen by four inches in the last thirty years (since 1993). Moreover, the average sea level rose by 0.3 inches only from 2022 to 2023. The rate has surged in the past 30 years; the global sea level rose on average 0.07 inches per year in 1993, but the current rate is 0.17. This acceleration is due to global warming and the development of the El Nino phenomenon. Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in coastal areas where the sea level affects the frequency of flooding, shoreline erosion, and storm hazards. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average sea level has risen eight to nine inches since 1880. Global warming is causing the average sea level to rise in two ways. Firstly, by melting glaciers and ice sheets, which add water to the ocean, and second, by expanding the volume of the sea as the water gets warmer. It was not the first time Trump made similar comments about climate change, rising sea levels, "nuclear warming," and joked about having "more beachfront property." Journalist Aaron Rupar captioned one video of Trump in July 2022: "Trump, speaking in Alaska, dismisses climate change and rising sea levels: 'We have bigger problems than that. We'll have a little more beachfront property. That's not the worst thing in the world." Trump, speaking in Alaska, dismisses climate change and rising sea levels: "We have bigger problems than that. We'll have a little more beachfront property. That's not the worst thing in the world." pic.twitter.com/gXpjaE5pFn Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 10, 2022 Trump on Fox & Friends dismisses climate change: "You're gonna have a little more beachfront property, okay? pic.twitter.com/9o6vOEmBCT Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 2, 2024 Snopes has also addressed other rumors regarding Musk and Trump. In July 2024, we debunked a screenshot allegedly showing an X post by Musk reading, "'Weird' is a slur being used against Trump supporters, and it will not be tolerated on this platform. Trump supporters should not have to face ridicule for their beliefs. Any harassment of Trump supporters using the term 'Weird' will be punished." Likewise, in August 2024, we investigated a claim Musk once said: "Trump would be 82 at end of term, which is too old to be chief executive of anything, let alone the United States of America." Sources: - YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzWjFzRMQNA. Accessed 14 Aug. 2024. Donald Trump's Chat with Elon Musk on X Fact-Checked. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jpn2q76n1o. Accessed 14 Aug. 2024. Fact-Checking the Trump-Musk Interview on X. https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/article/fact-checking-the-trump-musk-interview-on-x. Accessed 14 Aug. 2024. Ibrahim, Nur. "Elon Musk Said X Users Who Use 'Weird' to Describe Trump Supporters 'Will Be Punished'?" Snopes, 31 July 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/elon-musk-x-weird-trump-punished/. Milman, Oliver. "'The Dumbest Climate Conversation of All Time': Experts on the Musk-Trump Interview." The Guardian, 13 Aug. 2024. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/13/trump-musk-x-climate. Rascouet-Paz, Anna. "Musk Once Said Trump Would Be 'Too Old' at End of 2nd Term To Be President?" Snopes, 13 Aug. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/trump-musk-old-president/. ---. "Musk Once Said Trump Would Be 'Too Old' at End of 2nd Term To Be President?" Snopes, 13 Aug. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/trump-musk-old-president/. Reporter, Anezka Pichrtova Live News. "Trump: Climate Change Means 'More Oceanfront Property.'" Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2024, https://www.newsweek.com/trump-climate-change-not-biggest-threat-oceanfront-properties-1938397. Updates: Aug. 16, 2024: A previous version of this article incorrectly described Musk as Tesla's founder. He is the CEO of the company but did not found it. HONOLULU (KHON2) Fall semester is starting and students are moving into dorms, apartments and more. Add emergency and scheduled road work onto that and some motorists are sure to find themselves in some traffic jams. Heres what you need to know so you dont get caught in the traffic crawl. Hawaiian Electric Emergency Road Work HECO will be performing emergency repairs to equipment on a utility pole. The work is said to improve system reliability. When: Monday, Aug. 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Where: The work will partially close the shoulder and right eastbound lane of Kalanianaole Hwy. between Keahole Street and Portlock Road UH Manoa student move-in Heavier than normal traffic is said to be expected with the mass number of students, parents and friends helping UH Manoa fall cohort move into dorms. When: Monday, August 19; Tuesday, August 20; Wednesday, August 21; and Friday, August 23 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Dole Street, University Avenue, Metcalf Street and the H-1 Freeway University Avenue east and west bound off-ramps Upcoming Sewer Work The Department of Environmental Services will be performing sewer work during the following days from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug 22 225 Queen Street Downtown Main Rehabilitation Aug 19-20 105 Oneawa Street Kailua Main Rehabilitation Aug 21 30 Kihapai Street Kailua Main Rehabilitation Aug 19-20 417 Kaneohe Bay Drive Kailua Main Rehabilitation Aug 19-23 590 Paleka Road Kailua Main Rehabilitation Aug 21-23 124-165 Kaimi Street Kailua Main Rehabilitation Aug 22-23 126/146 Palapu Street Kailua Main Rehabilitation Aug 19-23 2020 Auiki Street Kalihi-Palama Main Rehabilitation Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. Families praying for miracle after woman shot in head, teen shot in back during weekend event Family members of five people shot at an annual community event in a metro Atlanta park are now calling for justice. The shooting happened Saturday on Mechanicsville Day at Rosa Burney Park, an event that thousands attend. After a peaceful community celebration, gunfire suddenly erupted. Hundreds of people ducked for cover. Two women and three teenagers were wounded. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Channel 2s Audrey Washington was at Grady Memorial Hospital Friday, where she got an update on two of the victims, whose families are praying for a miracle. Tabitha Colzie said her 29-year-old daughter was shot in the head. Im torn, Im hurt, Im angry and Im upset, Colzie said, fighting tears. Lenny Black said his 17-year-old granddaughter was shot in the back. TRENDING STORIES: Ive been fighting out here for more than 20 years for other families, and now its my turn to fight for mine, Black said. Washington reached out to Atlanta police, who said the investigation is still active, but so far, there have been no arrests. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Attorneys for the victims families said that is not enough. Your job is to serve in protect right now that community is left unprotected because the people who left these children laying in the hospital right now are still out there, Robert Boazman said. Activists and community members said they will return to Mechanicsville and hold a demonstration next Saturday. Atlanta police issued a statement, reading: We share the frustrations and concerns of the victims, their family members and their friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this event. We have some of the best investigators in the business assigned to this case to ensure those responsible are held accountable. Because of the large event, APD officers were working inside the park and in the areas surrounding the park. After the event, officers heard multiple shots fired from a parking lot near their location. Officers requested assistance and immediately responded toward the gunfire. These brazen acts of violence are particularly concerning. This is far from the first incident where police were visible near the shooting as it occurred. Our officers did what they were trained to do and did not hesitate to respond toward the gunfire. We will continue to do everything we can to stop violence in our communities. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Family members are looking for community support after a loved one was taken from them in a tragic domestic violence incident. On Aug. 7, the family of Crystal Acevedo grieved after learning their loved one had been pronounced dead after suffering from a domestic violence incident that occurred on Aug. 3. Crystal, 36, was found unconscious in an apartment and was rushed to Kern Medical where she died four days later. This is an active homicide investigation, so limited details are available. Crystal GoFundMe Family members say Crystal was an amazing daughter, sister and friend. The family asks anyone who can to donate to assist with unexpected funeral expenses and to support domestic violence victims. Organizers say once expenses have been met, the remaining proceeds will be donated towards the National Domestic Violence Crisis Center. You can find a link to the GoFundMe here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. By Mei Kodama, KYODO NEWS - Aug 16, 2024 - 08:42 | Feature, All, Japan An internship was launched at a museum in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, dedicated to telling the story of the Utoro district, where ethnic Koreans have historically faced discrimination, to promote the history of the community internationally through foreign students living in Japan. Foreign students at Ritsumeikan University have been enlisted for support at the Utoro Peace Memorial Museum to relay the stories of the district, where Korean laborers and their descendants were recruited to build an airfield during World War II. Many survived despite discrimination and faced prejudice after the war. The museum staff welcomed the students, saying, "This is a great opportunity for Utoro residents to interact with people of many different nationalities." On June 23, a day when the Utoro Cafe inside the museum was open, residents mixed with foreign and Japanese students while they tucked into Korean food and other dishes. "I had a tough life. Now I am happy to see so many people coming to the museum," Han Gum Bong, an 85-year-old woman who immigrated to the district with her family, said with a smile. The museum opened in April 2022 to commemorate the history of Japan and the Korean Peninsula, and pays homage to the so-called zainichi Koreans who have long resided in Japan's Utoro district. Nearly a dozen foreign students from Vietnam, South Korea, the United States and other countries are participating in the internship program. Their activities include acting as museum tour guides, translating exhibition panels from Japanese into English and interviewing residents of the district. They also visited Osaka's Tsuruhashi district, known as one of the largest Koreatowns in the country, to learn the history of zainichi Koreans in Japan and post comments about their activities in English on social media. Carlos Marquez, 21, the leader of the intern group, immigrated to the United States from Mexico City with his family when he was a high school student. Reflecting on those days, he said, "I couldn't get a part-time job even though I was legally living in the U.S. (With my visa at the time) it was like being in a gray zone." He focused volunteering efforts on trying to combat prejudice against Latin Americans and the disparities they face in the United States. Carlos learned about the history of Utoro, where those who moved there built their own community, and noted it overlapped with the experiences he and many Latin Americans faced. Han Sea On, 24, who hails from Seoul, first learned about Utoro through a Korean TV program, prompting her to participate in the internship. She was impressed by the warm reception of the residents. "I think each one of them can be a bridge for Japan-Korea relations. It is also important to appeal to the international community by using English," Han said. Kim Su Fan, 48, the museum's deputy director, said, "Residents who have had a hard time getting along with Japanese people are now interacting with people from many different countries." He added, "We can tell people (in English) around the world who are struggling in their own lives that there are people in Japan who are managing to get through by doing their best." According to the museum, zainichi Koreans were subjected to "backbreaking" airport construction work during the war. When Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II in 1945, many across Japan either could not afford the trip back to their homeland or were reluctant to return to a newly divided Korean Peninsula, remaining in the district as illegal occupants. Despite poor conditions throughout the years, Koreans from across Japan moved to the village, seeing it as somewhere they could support each other, raise families and build a close-knit community. Even so, conditions were bad there until recent years when significant improvements were made through negotiations with the local government for newly built housing complexes and improved infrastructure. A real estate company sold a portion of its land, approximately 3,800 square meters, to the residents for 180 million yen ($1.2 million) in 2011. The residents acquired a total of around 6,550 sq meters, including the area purchased, making them legal occupants for the first time. Incidents driven by anti-Korean sentiment in Utoro are still often viewed within the broader context of systemic discrimination in Japan, including a 2021 arson incident that was deemed a hate crime. Related coverage: FEATURE: California sisters' nonprofit carrying on legacy of A-Bomb survivors FEATURE: Nagasaki anti-nuke sit-ins take on new gravity as threat grows FEATURE: Japanese mystery crime novels sleuthing way into Britain (KRON) A fatal shooting Friday afternoon in Berkeley is being investigated as a homicide, according to law enforcement officials. The Berkeley Police Department told KRON4.com it received reports of gunshots on the 3200 block of Adeline Street at around 12:44 p.m. Officers responded to the scene and discovered a shooting victim. Responding officers undertook lifesaving measures before being relieved by Berkeley Fire Department personnel. The victim succumbed to their injuries at the scene. Arrests made in fatal daylight shooting of Oakland mom Berkeley PD officers remain on the scene investigating what officials are calling a tragic act of violence. The incident marks Berkeleys third homicide of 2024 and the second by firearm. Berkeley PD is advising people to avoid the area due to road closures at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Woolsey Street and at Adeline Street and Harmon Street. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) The Peoria County Coroners Office has ruled the death of a 9-month-old infant who ingested fentanyl pills a homicide. Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said in a Facebook post that the infant suffered fentanyl intoxication, and the manner of death has been ruled a homicide. The infants mother, Zenai Wolford, has previously been charged with endangering the life and health of a child, a felony with a potential decade-long sentence. Peoria mother ordered held after her baby dies of overdose from pills left in crib On July 26, Peoria police were called to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center on Friday for a 9-month-old baby who had died. The boy was driven there by his mother. During the hearing Friday, a prosecutor said that when officers went to Zenais home, they looked in the crib and found a small plastic bag that had been nibbled on. Inside the bag were one to two pills that appeared to be MDMA, more commonly known, as ecstasy. The Peoria County States Attorneys Office did not say whether the mother would face additional charges. The infants death was the citys 11th homicide of the year, following the coroners latest determination. This story will be updated. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Diego Damian will never be able to answer the question, Why? Hes pondered it for seven weeks at the hospital bedside of his teenage daughter. Its hard enough as it is when you lose one person, right? But to lose three people at once, and another thats been hospitalized for the past month and a half, its been hard to process, Diego said inside a private family room inside UMC Thursday morning. The father lost his former mother-in-law (59-year-old Damiana Moreno), ex-wife (40-year-old Amy Damian) and son (20-year-old Christopher Damian) on July 24 in an act of domestic violence unrelated to his family. He almost lost his daughter (13-year-old Olivia Moreno) too. 59-year-old Damiana Moreno, 20-year-old Christopher Damian and 40-year-old Amy Damian featured before the mass shooting on July 24. (Melissa Munoz) They were four of six victims of a mass shooting at the Craig Ranch Villas, a North Las Vegas apartment complex, by who police claimed was a disgruntled ex-boyfriend. Police said 47-year-old Eric Adams arrived at the unit below the Damians, where his former girlfriend lived, before a domestic-related argument. After the argument, police alleged Adams shot his ex-girlfriends daughter (24-year-old Kayla Harris) and the daughters girlfriend (22-year-old Jennette Faria-Webster) inside the first-floor unit. Christopher, who lived just above them, was killed when he arrived downstairs to help. Police said Adams then proceeded upstairs where he is accused of killing Christophers grandmother and mother before taking his ex-girlfriend hostage. He remained at large overnight until police found him the next morning. Adams then committed suicide. The Damian family, featuring 13-year-old Olivia and 20-year-old Christopher Damian. (Diego Damian) Diego is battling the gratefulness of his daughters life and the misery of his sons passing. The North Las Vegas Police Department awarded Christopher with a citizen service award on Wednesday for his efforts on July 24. I would tell him that I love him, Diego said with a tear streaming down his face when asked what he would tell his son one last time. Sometimes I feel like I can just pick up the phone and give him a call, or hes going to call me, but it is hard for me to wrap my head around it. The citizens service award was presented to the family of 20-year-old Christopher Damian by the North Las Vegas Police Department on Wednesday. (KLAS) Olivia, who was shot in the head, has remained at the hospital ever since, most of which in an induced coma to not arouse stress levels. Since recently awaking, Diego said shes made strides in relearning to eat and talk again. She uttered her first words over the weekend. At first, she said the mmm sound, the M sound. Then she was able to say, Mom, Diego said, referencing the woman no longer alive. She knows what she wants to say, shes just working on how to say what she needs to. Conversations about the night of July 24 involve a tiptoe as Diego does not want to cause more stress and potential harm to the progress Olivias made thus far. Hes unclear if his daughter remembers the events of that night. Doctors remain optimistic but unclear if she will ever make a full recovery. The small glimpses of her personality returning and the recent upgrade out of the ICU into the pediatric unit maintain her fathers hope. Though the brother and sister were living with their mother at the time of the shooting, Christophers remains and his new medal now sit on a memorial Diego made for the lost family members inside his home. They both share another biological brother, who was not present at the time of the shooting, and a sister, who locked herself inside a room during the shooting, Diego said. We lost so much at once and its kind of hard to process, Diego said. I dont think Ive fully been able to sit down and process what I need to, and right now the focus is Olivia and her recovery. Diego Damian (right) speaking with 8 News Now Reporter Ryan Matthey (left) inside UMC Thursday morning. (KLAS) Part of Olivias recovery involves physical and speech therapy which Diego says insurance does not cover and is not fully available at UMC. The Damian family has established a GoFundMe in hopes of moving her to a different facility that can provide it, acknowledging they do not have the financial means to do so. The leasing office of the Craig Ranch Villas confirmed Thursday that both units involved in the shooting have sat vacant since July 24. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Teacher with students, in a classroom. Credit: Getty Images. Nearly 10,000 public school teacher and staff positions are vacant as the 2024-2025 school year opens, according to Florida Education Association data. Of the 9,842 vacancies, 5,007 are instructional positions and 4,835 are support staff. The number of vacancies is down from 11,992 in August 2023. It should not be lost on anyone that, right now, nearly 5,000 classrooms do not have a professionally trained teacher, impacting potentially over 100,000 students, said Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar in a news release. Additionally, we continue to hear from teachers around the state that classrooms are overflowing with students and teachers are scrambling to find more desks and chairs. Spar said politicians have not made significant strides to address the shortage. The issue remains Florida is one of the wealthiest states in the nation and yet anti-public education politicians have made the choice to keep Florida teachers ranked at the bottom of the nation in average pay, have not made significant strides in fixing the critical teacher shortage, and have worked hard to disparage teachers along the way. Voters are watching and they dont like what they see, Spar said. The data from the FEA represent a compilation of advertised vacancies listed on school district websites. Support staff includes positions like bus drivers, groundskeepers, custodians, non-specialized teacher aides, and health-related workers. Districts facing the largest instructional vacancies include Hillsborough at 742, Broward at 606, Palm Beach at 490, Polk at 321, and Lee at 272, Miami-Dade had 389 instructional vacancies in August 2023. As of now, that number is 194. Hillsborough, however, has more than 100 additional instructional vacancies posted than in 2023 742 compared to 625 last year. Palm Beach had more than 300 support staff vacancies posted when the union gathered the 2024 numbers. The district had 579 posted in 2023 and 884 in 2024. Volusia had 216 instructional vacancies posted in 2023 and 53 in 2024. The Florida Department of Education has not yet reported its count of teacher vacancies for the start of the school year. It did report vacancies last year along with a statement saying the FEA falsely reported vacancies to be 2,000 higher than the department found. Data from the Florida Department of Education indicate 466,233 certifications were held in the state during the 2022-2023 school year. The department says the greatest need is in classrooms serving students with disabilities teachers with Exceptional Student Education certificates. English, science, math, and English for speakers of other languages are the next most in-demand certifications. In 2022-2023, the most common certification held by Florida teachers was elementary education, followed by English for speakers of other languages, reading, special education, and pre-K. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Why the vacancies? According to Florida TaxWatch, the shortages persist as fewer people enter the profession. Pew Research says 21% of bachelors degree graduates in the United States in 1970-1971 were in education. That number in 2019-2020 was 4%. TaxWatch offers as explanations for vacancies stress, low pay, Floridas high cost of living, and the political climate. Education is becoming more weaponized as policymakers wrest more control over curriculum from the teachers and allow parents a greater toehold in shaping their childrens education, the TaxWatch report says. Recent policies limiting which books can and cannot be read, which subjects can and cannot be taught, how issues regarding identity and culture are addressed, among others, are creating a much more politically charged learning environment. TaxWatch also points to government initiatives to increase teacher pay, the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program providing down payment and closing cost assistance to veterans, nurses, teachers, and law enforcement officers and alternative pathways to teacher licenses for veterans, classical schoolteachers (emphasizing the Western canon), and offering apprenticeships, as ways to lure more teachers. Florida ranks second lowest in teacher pay nationwide, according to the National Education Association (NEA). The average starting salary for teachers in Florida is $48,286, according to the governors office. The national average starting teacher salary is $44,530, according to the NEA. The average teacher salary in Florida, according to the union, is $53,098, more than $16,000 below the national average of $69,544. David Finkle, a high school English teacher at DeLand High School in Volusia County, said teachers in the district have upwards of 200 students. For most of my career, 150 students seemed like a lot, Finkle said in a news release. Now I have over 180. In a school of over 3,000 students, we have less than four English teachers for seniors. It is not the schools fault. We simply arent being funded well enough we are being set up to fail. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Damages remain visible in the McCook Lake community on July 3, 2024, after a massive flood hit the area on June 23. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) Damages remain visible in the McCook Lake community on July 3, 2024, after a massive flood hit the area on June 23. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) Federal aid is on the way to help people recover from damages caused by late Junes historic flooding in southeastern South Dakota. Governor Kristi Noem announced Thursday night that President Joe Biden approved her disaster declaration request, which she submitted on July 26. The declaration comes after what the Governors Office calls a 1,000-year flooding event that impacted 25 counties. Federal funding will be available to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and repair and replacement of damaged infrastructure. The cost share is 75% federal, 15% state and 10% local. Residents and business owners in Davison, Lincoln, Turner and Union counties qualified for individual assistance and are advised to contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency to apply. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Noem said in a statement she is proud of South Dakotas resilience. This event was unprecedented, but our response was exactly what South Dakota always does, Noem said. We work together to get our neighbors back on their feet. Some residents, particularly in McCook Lake, have struggled in the aftermath. It has been about eight weeks since a June 23 flood severely damaged or destroyed about 40 homes there. Morgan Speichingers McCook Lake home was destroyed. Her family is looking forward to working with FEMA to get questions answered. Its still a long road ahead of us, but this was a major step forward, she said. Especially since we have been stagnant for so long. Many affected McCook Lake residents have relied on temporary accommodations, such as staying in hotels or with friends and relatives, while awaiting assistance. How to seek help Impacted individuals in Davison, Lincoln, Turner and Union counties may go online to disasterassistance.gov, call 800-621-3362 or use the FEMA mobile app to apply for assistance. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A federal appeals panel has paused a preliminary injunction until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in. (Getty Images) A federal appeals court on Friday stayed an injunction blocking enforcement of an Indiana law requiring pornography websites to verify user ages. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit called the Hoosier measure functionally identical to one adopted by Texas. That law has been in effect since April, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to issue a preliminary injunction. Indianas Senate Enrolled Act 17 has never gone live, despite an effectiveness date of July 1. Days before that happened, a U.S. District Court Judge Richard Young, of Indianas Southern District, issued a preliminary injunction preventing enforcement. He said the requirements were likely unconstitutional. But now that injunction is on hold. We do not see any adequate reason why Texass law may be enforced pending the decision on the merits , while Indianas may not be enforced, Judges Frank H. Easterbrook and Amy J. St. Eve wrote. Functionally identical statutes should be treated the same while the Supreme Court considers the matter, they added. They granted Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokitas request for a stay on the preliminary injunction until the nations top court decides the Texan case. This is a huge win for Hoosier families, ensuring our children cant easily access explicit material, he said on X, formerly Twitter. We will continue upholding our constitutional duty to defend our laws in court. Judge Ilana Diamond Rovner, however, partially dissented. She agreed with the appeals panels decision to freeze proceedings while waiting for the Supreme Courts opinion. But she disagreed with her colleagues choice to grant the stay. Rovner noted that when the Supreme Court declined to block Texas law, it was already in effect and the plaintiffs were already subjected to its burdens. The courts decision, she wrote, merely left the case as it found it, leaving the parties no worse off than they had been. In contrast, she continued, plaintiffs in Indianas case havent had to comply with the laws burdensome requirements. The judge argued a stay should only be issued after considering the merits. Otherwise, she added, the court impose(s) a cost on those that must comply with the law, and curtails their First Amendment rights, based solely on an unreasoned stay denial. To reach (this conclusion) for parity alone, when the cases are presented in opposite postures, accords too much weight to a one-sentence denial of a stay, the judge wrote. Pornography video-sharing website Pornhub had promised to pull out of Indiana before the stay was issued. It is unclear if it will now do so. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A king salmon. (Photo by Ryan Hagerty/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) A three-judge panel at 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower-court decision that could have temporarily halted troll fishing for salmon in Southeast Alaska. The appellate court decision, announced Friday, clears the way for the regions troll fishery to continue. It had been threatened by a lawsuit from the Washington-based Wild Fish Conservancy, an environmental group. The group filed suit in 2020, arguing that National Marine Fisheries Service rules applied to the fishery were inadequate when it came to protecting endangered killer whales that live in Puget Sound. A U.S. District Court judge in Washington state agreed with the group, ruling in May 2023 that the biological opinion a document that underpins fishing rules was inadequate. Southeast Alaskas troll fishery would be shut down as a consequence. The ruling shocked Alaskans. Troll fishing in Southeast Alaska happens on a small scale, with individual fishermen and small groups working by hook and line. The state, tribal groups, local fishermen and even Alaska environmental groups who have praised the troll fisherys low impact on the environment all filed documents urging the 9th Circuit to pause the District Court ruling. During oral arguments in July, comments from the three-judge panel hearing the issue made it seem as if they were inclined to rule in favor of Alaskans. On Friday, that confirmed that inclination, ruling that the District Court had abused its discretion and erred by overlooking the severe disruptive consequences of its action. SalmonState, an Alaska-based conservation group, was among the groups opposing the lawsuit. Tim Bristol, the groups executive director, said in an emailed statement that the ruling shows the Wild Fish Conservancys attempt to shut down all Chinook fishing by Alaska hook and line trollers was the wrong diagnosis and the wrong prescription for the endangered Southern Resident Orcas future survival. The National Marine Fisheries Service is already at work on a new biological opinion, which is scheduled to be released before Dec. 1. A new round of lawsuits is possible after that. Emma Helverson, director of the Wild Fish Conservancy, said this weeks ruling is disappointing, to say the least. We will continue to take every action necessary to ensure the management of this fishery will not continue to harm salmon recovery, ecosystems, coastal communities coastwide, she said by email. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX As testament to the momentum of the clean energy movement, the U.S. Department of the Interior recently approved New Jersey's Atlantic Shores South offshore wind energy project, as Renewable Energy Magazine reports. With this project finally given the go, the country has now approved more than 13 gigawatts total of offshore wind capacity. "The Biden-Harris administration is building momentum every day for our clean energy future, and today's milestone is yet another step toward our ambitious goal," DOI Secretary Deb Haaland said, in a statement quoted by the news outlet. New Jersey has joined its New York neighbors in developing a clear path toward a more sustainable future through this particular type of renewable energy generation. The former's plan will include the two new facilities: Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1 and 2, which are expected to provide a total of 2,800 megawatts to state residents once completed. Officials also gathered feedback from discussions with the public, Tribes, agencies, and ocean users, to name a few. As the article shared, this will help "avoid, minimize or mitigate the potential impacts of the project, including visual impacts and potential impacts to marine life and to existing ocean uses such as fishing." This project is great news for the planet, as these cleaner power sources will help reduce our reliance on dirty fuels, which contribute to global heating, and studies have shown that the more renewable energy projects we install, the lower power costs will be. In addition to the milestone in New Jersey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has already held five lease sales for offshore wind energy development since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, with additional leases planned through 2028, per a recent DOI news release. Taxpayers benefit financially from these leases, since they're all publicly owned, and green projects are much more lucrative than dirtier ones. As the Center for American Progress shared, the average offshore oil and gas lease per acre is $47 compared to $5,906 from offshore wind. Overall, we're headed in the right direction, with the International Energy Agency noting that clean tech investments were growing rapidly in 2023 and noting that spending on clean energy tech and infrastructure globally this year is forecast to nearly double the investment expected for dirty energy sources. Research and development for speeding our green energy transition through wind power specifically has government funding. "Our clean energy future is now a reality thanks to President Biden's Investing in America agenda, we are addressing climate change, fostering job growth, and promoting equitable economic opportunities for all communities," Haaland said, per Renewable Energy Magazine. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. KYODO NEWS - Aug 16, 2024 - 17:34 | World, All, Japan Taiwan appointed Friday Lee Yi-yang, a former vice president of the Examination Yuan, which is in charge of personnel affairs of civil servants, as the island's new de facto ambassador to Japan, according to the presidential office. Lee, 69, will succeed Frank Hsieh, who left the top representative post in Japan last week after eight years of service. The new envoy is expected to take up his position in Tokyo in September, Taiwanese media said. Hsieh has been appointed as an adviser to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. In the absence of official diplomatic ties, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office serves as the island's de facto embassy in Japan. Lee worked as a news reporter and a Taipei City Council member before becoming secretary general of the ruling, independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party under then President Chen Shui-bian. He also headed the Interior Ministry under Chen's administration and served as vice president of the Examination Yuan from 2017 to 2020 in the government of Lai's predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen. Related coverage: Taiwan's Lai seeks unity in talks with veteran Japan lawmaker Ishiba Japan, China top diplomats agree to deepen dialogue to solve disputes China's Wang complains about Japan lawmakers' visits to Taiwan Federal tax cut on tips: How the campaign promise could work ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Both presidential candidates have made the same promise on the campaign trail: ending federal taxation on tips for hospitality and food service workers. The idea behind this tax break is to help restaurants and hospitality businesses bring in workers. (Its) maybe less money coming, but in the end you make more money because if people come to work, you make more money through income taxes, said Bob Duffy, president of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. The government will get their money no matter what. This tax break would promise more tip money in workers pockets, and help the restaurant and service industries. It has suffered drastically since COVID, and some of our favorite restaurants are closed Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, some are open three or four days a week., Duffy said. Its very hard getting people back to work, so even when theyre open, getting staff is a big challenge. Jim Schnell is a tax partner with MMB + CO. He says that on a practical level, the next administrations proposed budget could cut payroll or federal income tax. If its the latter, Schnell says many service workers who rely on tips dont pay federal income tax nationwide. So if the federal govt goes in the other direction: That would have to be fixed in theory but another revenue offset, aka you tax somebody elses wages a little higher, which is very possible, Schnell said Wednesday. He added if this were passed at the federal level, it could trickle down to the state budget discussions. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Two people will spend time in prison for participating in a fraud scheme that preyed upon senior citizens and netted more than $11 million, including nearly $400,000 from one West Michigan victim, authorities say. Jayesh Panchal, 55, of Hicksville, New York, was sentenced to 6.5 years in federal prison and ordered to pay about $7.9 million in restitution, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Michigan announced Friday in a release. Co-conspirator Vijaya Shetty, 53, of Flushing, New York, was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $600,000 in restitution, the release says. Feds: 2 get prison for international fraud targeting elderly Authorities say both previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme, which has been described as an international fraud conspiracy. According to the attorneys office, there were different versions of the scam: one telling victims their bank accounts had been compromised, another warning them of a virus that had infected their devices and a third telling them they had been identified in a criminal investigation. In each case, the office says, scammers convinced the victims to turn over money sometimes in person to a scammer posing as a federal agent, other times by mail, wire transfer or gift cards. Panchal made six separate trips to meet a victim in Michigans Lake County, ultimately collecting $398,000 from her, the release says. The victim believed her bank accounts had been compromised and thought she was giving her money to federal agents who would keep it safe. Both Panchal and Shetty traveled across the country, collecting cash from victims and depositing it into various bank accounts, according to the attorneys office. Feds: Florida man caused 22 victims to lose $1.5M According to the release, U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering said the scheme preyed upon some of our most vulnerable citizens, the elderly. She said many victims were left with little or nothing to live on. The attorneys office says three other people have also been sentenced for playing a part in the scheme, and one more has pleaded guilty and is expected to be sentenced in the fall. The Federal Bureau of Investigation encourages senior citizens to never send any personally identifiable information or money to unverified people or businesses, resist the pressure to act quickly and update all computer anti-virus software. For more tips and information, visit the FBI Elder Fraud website. If you or someone you know has experienced financial fraud, call the Elder Fraud Hotline at 1.833.FRAUD.11 (1.833.372.8311) or the Federal Trade Commission at 877.FTC.HELP. (877.382.4357) Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) A judge granted Sean Williams request for a fifth court-appointed attorney ahead of his federal child porn trial, but warned Williams that if he cant get along with his new attorney, he will have to represent himself again. In an order filed Thursday, Greeneville U.S. District Court Judge Ronnie Greer appointed Mark E. Brown of Knoxville as Williams new attorney and also granted Williams request to push the trial back, which is now scheduled to start Oct. 22. The judge also relieved Ilya Berenshteyn as Williams elbow counsel. About Sean Williams alleged crimes and related civil cases Greers decision to appoint a new attorney comes after he determined ahead of Williams escape trial last month that Williams had waived his Sixth-Amendment right to court-appointed counsel by set[ting] out on an intentional path to stymie these criminal proceedings through his lack of cooperation with and his unreasonable demands of his court-appointed attorneys.' In Thursdays order, Greer outlined his concerns about Williams representing himself in his upcoming trial on three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. While the Court does not question its ruling that Mr. Williams in the face of the Courts repeated warnings about the high-stakes need for him to work with his attorneys and hazards and disadvantages of acting pro se has waived his right to counsel through his conduct, the Court has developed concerns about how his pro-se status could affect the administration of justice in his impending trial, Greers order states. Each count of sexual exploitation of a minor carries a potential prison sentence of up to 30 years. The stakes for Mr. Williams are high, Greer wrote. Greer said the potential lengthy prison sentence combined with the nature of trials for such charges, which often involve reams of digital forensic evidence and expert-witness testimony, is daunting for any defendant, but even more so for a defendant without counsel. Court filing claims JCs Ball lied about details surrounding effort to buy Sean Williams condo Williams represented himself during his escape trial last month and often clashed with Greer and violated courtroom procedures. In Thursdays order, Greer said Williams lack of legal knowledge and courtroom procedure, were painfully obvious and should compel Williams to think long and hard about the courts prior warnings about the potential downfalls of representing himself. Last months escape trial ended with a jury convicting Williams of one count of escape related to his Oct. 18, 2023 escape from a prison transport van. The jury also found him not guilty of one count of alleged escape related to a separate incident at the Washington County Detention Center on July 23, 2023. Greer said the split verdict was not the result of Williams legal prowess, but rather the prosecutions failure to meet its high burden of proof. Mr. Williamss clumsy and near-calamitous approach to trying his prior case, the potential life sentence that awaits him if convicted of the child-exploitation charges in his pending case, the surplus of digital and forensic discovery that confronts him, and the fact that he has not yet retained an expert for his defense all lead the Court to conclude that the efficient and effective administration of criminal justice necessitates the appointment of counsel at this time, Greers order states. 67 possible Sean Williams sexual assault victims now The granting of Williams requests for a new attorney and a later trial date also came with a fifth and final warning. If Williams cant work harmoniously with his new attorney, he will once again have to represent himself and will be on his own. Greer also warned that he will not push back the trial date, which has already been delayed more than once, if Williams has a falling out with his new attorney. In short, Mr. Williams must be ready for trial on the newly set date, whether by way of his new attorneys representation or his own. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. CARROLLTON, Ala. (WIAT) Residents in Pickens County filled the seats for a townhall meeting Thursday night to discuss the future of the Pickens County Medical Center. A presentation given by Hospital Authority Board Chairman Shawn McDaniel was the main focus at the meeting. McDaniel said the boards goal is to be transparent to all residents in attendance. 1 dead, over a dozen displaced following Center Point apartment fire The ER has got to be reopened because ever since its closed its been chaos here, said Carrollton Mayor Mickey Walker. Mayor Walker said the process to reopen PCMC has been a year long effort not only by the hospital board but by the city of Carrollton and state representatives. The loss of the hospital has been detrimental as residents have to drive 40 minutes just to receive emergency medical care. When you sit here and watch them die at the front door of city hall, if you aint got no passion out of that you dont have no heart. Weve got to fix this, said Mayor Walker. According to Chairman McDaniel, PCMC closed its doors due to financial issues in March 2020 and a lack of customers utilizing the facility. McDaniel said at the time the hospital closed, the hospital was $5.3 million in debt. McDaniel said they have since reduced that debt to $1.7 million. McDaniel said as a result of the debt, and because the facility is no longer up to code, it has been denied funding and assistance from loans or grants and from larger hospitals. Now, the hospital board and city and state leaders are depending on the Alabama legislature and the Rural Hospital Emergency Designation Improvement Act, also known as the Jerry Moran Bill. There are a lot of different avenues that we are pursuing right now. Were working with Senator Britts office and Tuberville has signed on also to try to get some amendments to the rural emergency hospital program, said District 61 Alabama House Representative Ron Bolton. Rep. Bolton, who oversees the area, said its now just a waiting game and residents like Annie Jackson said although they appreciate the transparency from Thursdays town hall meeting, time is ticking as they are afraid more lives could be at risk. 4 arrested in killing of former General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor Some of the thoughts were answered, but they were answered four years too late, said Jackson. Weve been fighting this for a long time. We need help. Chairman McDaniel says the board is now planning to make renovations to the now vacant PCMC facility in order to bring it back up to code in hopes of getting the assistance they need to reopen. In the meantime, they ask the community to join together as they continue to fight for the hospitals reopen. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. Final 2 men sentenced in federal court for roles in bringing drugs from Puerto Rico to Youngstown YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Two men who pleaded guilty earlier this year for their roles in bringing cocaine from Puerto Rico to Youngstown were sentenced Thursday in federal court. Read next: Woman wanted in $1.8M Ohio Medicaid scam caught in Dallas Jonathan Llarena-Rodriguez, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Judge David Ruiz in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio to 46 months in federal prison while Mario Roman-Rivera was sentenced to 47 months in federal prison by Judge Ruiz. Both men pleaded guilty on April 23 to a single count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On July 24, Roman-Riveras brother, Lisandro Roman-Rivera, 49, was sentenced to 97 months in prison by Judge Ruiz after he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The three were indicted in April 2023. Sentencing memorandums by attorneys for the three men along with the government said that the elder Roman-Rivera moved to Youngstown in 2015 and began receiving cocaine from his brother for distribution in Youngstown. An investigation began in February 2021 by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Service after parcels of cocaine were detected in the mail going to the elder Roman-Rivera in Youngstown. Agents served a search warrant in February 2022 at the elder Roman-Riveras home and found $5,100 cash and a Glock semiautomatic handgun. He was ultimately deemed responsible for having five kilograms of cocaine. The indictment in the case said the cocaine was being sold between June 2021 and April 2022. Llarena-Rodriguez helped monitor shipments and pickups, according to an indictment in the case. A home on West Warren Avenue on the South Side was used to store the drugs, the indictment said. The elder Roman-Rivera had a previous drug conviction in New Jersey which prohibits him from having a gun, the indictment said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) The last of three people involved in a fight at a Boardman band concert in May has pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Jordan Smith pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to a minor misdemeanor of disorderly conduct after facing a level 4 misdemeanor. He was ordered to pay a $100 fine in addition to court fees. Tracie Calvin and Kevin Selley both took similar pleas earlier in the summer. Police reports state the trio was charged after taking part in a fight at a May 5th and 6th grade band concert. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Modesto mourns beloved family business destroyed by fire. How you can help with tragic loss Susan McGrath Aguirre remembers playing hide-and-seek in the dark warehouse of her grandfathers moving and storage company as a child, squeezing through the small spaces between large crates for the best hiding spot. She remembers riding in a forklift with her siblings over the railroad tracks to a convenience store on the corner of Ninth Street and Sonora Avenue in Modesto to buy a soda and candy before heading back to McGrath Moving & Storage Inc. During the summer days when theyd hang out with their dad, Terry McGrath, at the warehouse, the siblings also would place coins on the railroad tracks and wait for trains to come. It probably was more fun for the kids than it was for Terry, McGrath Aguirre recalled. We just did a lot of goofy things, she said. We had a lot of fun there. Those memories are held a little closer to the heart now, since McGrath Moving & Storage Inc. was destroyed in a commercial fire that ignited at a pallet yard on Janopaul Lane on Friday night. The fire resulted in $1.2 million in damages and injured a firefighter, according to the Modesto Fire Department. A fire consumed 200,000 pallets on the 600 block of Janopaul Avenue in Modesto Calif., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Photographed Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. The damage to the moving company at 645 Janopaul Lane resulted in a total loss of the business now owned by McGrath Aguirres brother, Mike McGrath. As far as McGrath Aguirre knows, the company always has been at the site that was consumed by the fire. Modestans took to social media to express their sorrow for the family-owned business, which was a staple in the community for 75 years. So sad. Sorry for this huge loss to your family and Modesto, one member of a Stanislaus community Facebook group commented on a shared post made by McGrath Aguirre. This business has been there for all of us when we needed help, another said. Chris Murphy and his wifes family are good friends of the McGrath family and have used the moving companys services for decades including for the Graffiti USA Museum, of which Murphy is a board member. It was just a tragic loss, Murphy said. When I found out that was McGraths place (destroyed by fire), that hurt. A crew clears the property of McGrath Moving and Storage which was destroyed by fire from an adjacent burning pallet business on Aug. 9. Photographed in Modesto, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. A 2004 article in The Modesto Bee archives says the company donated storage space to community groups including the McHenry Mansion Foundation and Modesto Symphony Orchestra. Murphy said the McGraths also stored all of his familys belongings at the warehouse during their move from Seattle to Morgan Hill until they found a house. Theyve always been a part of this community. They ran a good business, but at the same time, theyd always lend a hand. Three generations of great guy(s) spearheaded family business What started in 1949 as a grocery delivery service manned by J.R. McGrath on a three-wheeled motorcycle quickly became the beginning of a successful moving company after he borrowed a pickup truck to deliver a piano to a customer whod asked. J.R.s son John McGrath told The Bee in 1997 that his father was as cheap as they come and as generous as they come. He would fight like hell to save a dime, and if someone needed $500, he would have it for them, John said during an interview for J.R.s obituary. And J.R. wouldnt let people pay him back, either. He ran the company until around 1987 when he turned it over to his son Terry McGrath and grandson Mike McGrath. J.R. still would show up at the business every day, though, and give everyone hell, John said, until his death in 1997 at age 82. But everyone thought he was the best guy in the world, he said. This 1999 photo shows three generations: owner Terry McGrath, 59, son Mike McGrath, 36, hanging off footstep, and Nicholas McGrath, age 8. McGrath celebrated 50 years of business that year. Terry McGrath joined his fathers company full time after graduating high school. He worked there nearly 30 years before it became his. Terry was a role model for volunteerism and had a servants heart, according to his 2021 obituary in The Bee. Murphy called him a pillar in the community and just a great guy. Recognized as one of Modestos Graffiti USA early Legends of the Cruise, Terrys Road Rebels jacket will be displayed in the Classic Car Museum once completed. He was with McGrath Moving & Storage for 64 years before he died also at age 82. Terry McGraths Road Rebels jacket will be displayed in the Graffiti USA Classic Car Museum of Modesto once completed. Mike McGrath has been the sole owner of the company since 2021, but he started helping around the shop when he was old enough to carry boxes. He eventually got his truck-driving license and started doing long-line drives, something he would jump in the truck and tag along with his dad and grandfather to do as a kid, McGrath Aguirre said. Mike is just a hustler and works hard, Murphy said. As far as whats next for the business, thats up in the air. (Mikes) just trying to keep his head above water right now, McGrath Aguirre said. To help, the family has created a GoFundMe for legal fees and any expenses not covered by insurance. Visit https://gofund.me/96dc0f3f for more information. A crew clears the property of McGrath Moving and Storage which was destroyed by fire from an adjacent burning pallet business (above) on Aug. 9. Photographed in Modesto, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Firearms and deceased body found after welfare check in Panama City PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) On Thursday, Panama City Police Department Street Crimes Unit responded to a welfare check that resulted in officers finding a deceased man inside the residence. The welfare check was at 1449 Jenks Avenue, PCPD said they developed probable cause to obtain a search of the residence. When officers arrived, they found a 32-year-old deceased man inside the home. The subsequent search led to the discovery of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and ten firearms. Officials said they found one rifle, one semi-automatic shotgun, six handguns, and two fully automatic submachine guns. Okaloosa County man charged with 15 counts of possession of child pornography Panama City Police Department arrested Joseph Stansel, a convicted felon, and is charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of fentanyl, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is currently being held in the Bay County Jail on a $42,000 bond. The initial death investigation is ongoing and the cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy, PCPD said. Anyone having information on this case is urged to call the Panama City Police Department, at 850-872-3100, or report their tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 850-785-TIPS. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. DENVER (KDVR) Investigators are looking into the cause of a fire after one person was found dead inside a multi-unit home in Fort Collins. In the early morning on Friday, Poudre Fire responded to a structure fire in the 4200 block of Gemstone Lane. Firefighters said they saw smoke and flames coming from the west and south sides of a two-story, multi-unit manufactured home. This embedded content is not available in your region. Firefighters started battling the flames on the outside, then the Poudre Fire Authority said they went in with full gear to search the home, which is when they found one person dead. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox A tragedy like this is often felt throughout the community. The work to confirm the details of the cause of the fire is underway and we are dedicated to that to help the friends and family of the deceased and our community with closure and understanding. Our thoughts are with all those affected, said Fire Chief Derek Bergsten. Poudre Fire is asking anyone who believes they might have information regarding this incident to call Detective Bryan Vogel at (970) 416-2392. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Firefighters rescued a man trapped atop a tobacco barn in Bart Township on Friday morning. According to a Facebook post from Quarryville Fire Company, they assisted Bart Township Fire Company with a farm rescue shortly before 9 a.m. Friday morning on Georgetown Road in Bart Township. Quarryville Fire Company says the man had a medical issue atop the building, around 30 feet above the ground. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Local Business Beat Firefighters used a ladder truck and cut a hole in the barns end wall to reach and safely secure the man in a stokes basket, said Quarryville Fire Company. Quarryville Fire Company says the man was turned over to EMS. His condition is unknown at this time. Photo from Quarryville Fire Company Photo from Quarryville Fire Company Photo from Quarryville Fire Company Photo from Quarryville Fire Company Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. What was the purpose of the Treaty of Turkmenchay? The Treaty of Turkmenchay is considered one of the most devastating treaties of the 19th century. This is because, under this treaty, historical Azerbaijani lands were divided between Russia and Iran. One of the key conditions of the treaty was the resettlement of Armenians to Azerbaijani lands, specifically Iravan, Garabagh, and Nakhchivan. The main proponent of including this clause was Alexander Griboyedov, the then-Russian ambassador to Iran. This policy of Christianization and division continued until the fall of Tsarist Russia in the early 20th century. It is interesting how these events are portrayed in Armenian history. This is because this document actually reveals the history and creation of Armenia as a state. Another fact confirming this is that after the establishment of Soviet power, Armenia became a centralized state on the territory of Azerbaijan's Iravan Khanate. Armenian History Although Armenians claim that their historical roots trace back to the ancient state of Urartu, it is an undeniable fact that during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, the Armenian population in the South Caucasus was negligible compared to the Azerbaijani Turks. The biased policies of Soviet power, over time, created conditions for Armenians to have their own state, and for this, Azerbaijani lands were considered suitable. In the following years, Russia remained silent on the crimes committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis, such as the Khojaly and Meshali massacres, and even assisted them. What is written in the history books? A portion of the text from the updated history textbook for secondary schools has been published on the official website of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science. This text not only denies the occupation of Azerbaijani lands but also denies the fact that Russian authorities supported Armenians for many years and helped them create a state. In the chapter titled "The Forced Incorporation of Eastern Armenia into Russia," the events of 1826-1828 are deliberately distorted. What Eastern Armenia is being referred to? It is expected that those who dared to draw the map of "Great Armenia" on the former Safavid and Ottoman lands are now again claiming the territories of other countries as their own. Armenian-Russian Conflict Another interesting fact is the "gratitude" currently being shown by Armenia towards Russia. It is clear that Russian officials are also surprised by this situation. After being defended and sheltered by Russia for centuries, and trying to establish a second puppet state in Garabagh under Russia's protection, it is ungrateful for Armenia to now make claims against Russia. Despite the fact that former Russian authorities pursued exploration and occupation policies to seize Azerbaijan's oil fields and Caspian regions from the 1700s, Azerbaijan does not hold a grudge against the current Russian authorities and maintains its relations in a dynamic of development and peace. However, Armenia's distortion of both Azerbaijani and Russian history to portray itself as a victim is unacceptable. Moreover, using schoolchildren as tools for these actions, brainwashing the younger generation with false information to create bias against regional states, could only be expected from Armenia. History repeats itself. Just as Armenians once betrayed the Azerbaijanis who welcomed them, they are now betraying the Russians. It is time to recall the poem by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin: You are a coward, you are a slave, you are Armenian! KYODO NEWS - Aug 16, 2024 - 13:35 | All, Japan A Japanese city is exploring using artificial intelligence to address the challenging issue of school refusal, with student data analyzed to predict who may soon stop attending due to anxiety, bullying or other reasons. The city education board of Toda in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo trialed an AI system in the year through March, hoping to provide teachers with a tool to identify and support struggling students. The number of primary and junior high school students not attending school for 30 days or longer has consistently risen in Japan over the past decade, with the figure for fiscal 2022 reaching a record just shy of 300,000. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology attributed the rise to a growing recognition that students do not necessarily need to attend school. The AI-based prediction system assesses data on students, including attendance, academic achievement and health conditions. It also takes into account records of their visits to school nurses and bullying reports. The system then makes predictions based on past data of students who stopped attending classes and shows how close a student is to the risk of chronic nonattendance. It color-codes the probability figures for each student, ranging from the highest "red" to "pink," "orange" and the lowest "yellow." During the trial run at 18 primary and junior high schools, the program concluded that a total of 1,193 students were at high risk. Based on the outcome, teachers judged that 265 of the total needed to receive priority in receiving assistance, taking into account their behavior and other factors, according to the education board. To deal with privacy concerns, the education board established rules to safeguard personal data and to prevent the AI-produced predictions from being used in any discriminatory treatment of students. It also explained to parents in advance that they could block the use of their children's data by opting out of the project. Those in school management positions such as principals were the only ones who had access to the results. "By using objective data, it is possible that we can prevent students from rejecting school," said Makiko Nakamuro, a Keio University professor who is an expert on education economics. "But we need to carefully consider the need to ensure privacy by clearly explaining the objective and extent of data usage," she added. Related coverage: Tokyo deploys AI to detect fires, collapses for rapid quake response Japanese media say AI search infringes copyright, urge legal reform AI software offers multilingual tutorial videos for foreign workers The Fort Worth Fire Department continues to investigate the large blaze at Texas Industrial Scrap Metal that began Friday afternoon and went on until early Saturday. Fire crews were called to the metal recycling business, located at 3800 N. Commerce St., at 2:15 p.m. Friday in response to the heavy fire. Video from a WFAA-TV helicopter showed massive flames and plumes of black smoke rising from the area, which could be seen from miles away. The fire was completely contained by 4:17 a.m. Saturday, the fire department said in an update on X. The cause of the fire is not yet known. Shortly after 2:15pm on Friday afternoon, the Fort Worth Fire Department was dispatched to a large fire at the Texas Industrial Scrap Metal yard in the 3800 block of North Commerce Street. Responding my crews found heavy, black smoke and flames coming from the large scrap yard. pic.twitter.com/ibybwCDlE3 Fort Worth Fire Department (@FortWorthFire) August 17, 2024 Fire crews were seen working to extinguish the fire from a pile of scrap metal while the companys employees were operating cranes to remove debris to prevent its spread. Firefighters remained on scene Friday night to put out hot spots. The departments investigators were at the scene to conduct a preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire, said fire department spokesperson Craig Trojacek. Two firefighters were injured but are expected to make full recoveries, according to the fire departments update. Medics also responded to the scene to provide IV fluids as needed as firefighters worked in the searing heat, Trojacek said in a media briefing on Friday. Fire crews were also patrolling the city due to two other fires a commercial fire and residential fire in east Fort Worth that occurred earlier Friday, said Trojacek. Heat and triple-digit temperatures are possible factors in the cause of the fires, but cannot yet be confirmed, according to Trojacek. Over 175 firefighters responded to the scene with temperatures close to 106 degrees and an excessive heat warning in place, the update says. The fire crews that responded to the metal recycling company had just returned from assisting River Oaks authorities with a commercial-structure fire, according to the update. The Fire Department urged people nearby to stay inside their homes as crews actively worked the fire. No air quality alerts have currently been issued. More top stories from our newsroom: This street was supposed to be Fort Worths Champs-Elysees. What happened? Driver charged with killing officer tells police she drank 10 shots Lawsuit: 13-year-old sexually assaulted at Gateway Church youth group [Get our breaking news alerts.] This embedded content is not available in your region. First Alert Weather: A few dry days with lower humidity this weekend Action News Jaxs First Alert Weather Team says we should get a few dry days with lower humidity this weekend. First Alert Meteorologist Garrett Bedenbaugh is tracking temperatures in the 70s at the bus stop this morning in Jacksonville. A few inland neighborhoods west of Jacksonville will dip into the upper 60s this morning. Highs later today will be in the mid to upper 80s. Bedenbaugh says a dip of humidity has arrived and should last through Saturday. Its also mainly dry. WATCH THE FORECAST | DOWNLOAD THE APPS Winds will be coming off the Atlantic this afternoon at 10-15 mph with a few higher gusts. There is a high rip current risk and elevated swells at local beaches today through the weekend. The Jags preseason game on Saturday will be dry. Follow Action News Jax Meteorologists on Twitter for updates: Mike Buresh | Garrett Bedenbaugh | Corey Simma | Trevor Gibbs As for the tropics, the First Alert Weather Team continues to track Hurricane Ernesto. The storm is forecast to strengthen some today and will pass near or over Bermuda tomorrow morning. Ernesto will send us rough seas and surf through the weekend, but there will be no local land impacts. Stay tuned with Talking the Tropics with Mike, which is updated daily. Action News Jaxs First Alert Weather Team will continue to monitor the forecast and update you throughout the day. LISTEN: Mike Buresh All the Weather, All the Time Podcast Heres a look at your First Alert 7-Day Forecast: TODAY: Mostly sunny. Breezy. Not as humid. High: 89 TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Low: 68 INTERACTIVE RADAR: Keep track of the rain as it moves through your neighborhood SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Lower humidity. High 92/Low 68 SUNDAY: Partly cloudy with isolated PM shower/storm. High 93/Low 72 MONDAY: Partly sunny with a few showers/storms. High 93/Low 74 TUESDAY: Partly sunny with a few showers/storms. High 94/Low 74 WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny with scattered showers/storms. High 91/Low 75 THURSDAY: Partly sunny with scattered showers/storms. High 88/Low 73 Read: Talking the Tropics With Mike: Hurricane WARNING for Bermuda... Ernesto moving north...Tokyo typhoon SHARE WITH US: Send us photos of the weather youre seeing in your area MANHATTAN (KSNT) The search for a $5,000 cash prize hidden somewhere near the Little Apple is officially on this Friday. Outdoor Bank has release the first clue for its treasure hunt on Aug. 16. Treasure seekers are now encouraged to use the clue to located a hidden prize containing $5,000. The first clue is below: Where hills roll wide and trails wind tight, seek a place with history in sight. Generations ago, travelers bold From eastern lands, their stories told. Find the spot where they did rest, and there youll find your hidden quest. Outdoor Bank Kansas gov., attorney general raise alarm on invasive fish species Outdoor Bank will issue new clues on Fridays until the prize is eventually found. People are encouraged to head outdoors with friends or solo to find the prize and claim the cash. The search area consists of several areas in and around the City of Manhattan. Notable places included within this zone include Pillsbury Crossing, Tuttle Creek Lake, Konza Prairie Biological Station and Pottawatomie County State Lake #2. The treasure is hidden on public ground like a trail, park and other public space. Treasure hunters are also to not damage anything while they are searching for the prize and be respectful of fellow hunters and nature. Other tips Outdoor Bank wants people to follow or know about include: The treasure is not hidden in a cemetery. It can be found on public property. Follow all posted signs. No digging or climbing is required. What are the Kansas big game hunting season dates for 2024-2025? To keep up with the clues as they are released, you can follow Outdoor Bank on Facebook, X (Twitter) or Instagram. You can find more information about the hunt on Outdoor Banks website by clicking here. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photos: Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images; Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) The first debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, ABC News announced Friday. The event will be held at the National Constitution Center at 9 p.m., with ABC News journalists David Muir and Linsey Davis serving as moderators. The debate over debates has been ongoing for several weeks. Trump and President Joe Biden, who ended his reelection campaign July 21, had agreed to two debates: one on June 27 on CNN, and another on Sept. 10, that was to be broadcast on ABC News. Trump had said he would debate Biden anytime, anywhere, anyplace. Biden had a shaky performance during the June 27 debate, eventually leading to him bowing out of the campaign and endorsing Harris. But during a July 23 call with reporters when Trump said he would be willing to do more than one debate with Harris, he said he was not sure he wanted to take part in the Sept. 10 debate because he agreed to a debate with Joe Biden, and not Harris. Trump initially claimed that the Sept. 10 debate had been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant. He later agreed to the Sept. 10 debate with Harris, saying at a Mar-a-Lago press conference on Aug. 8 that he thought it was very important to have debates. Vice presidential nominees U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have agreed to an Oct. 1 debate to be hosted by CBS News. The qualifications for the presidential debate require candidates to appear on enough state ballots by Sept. 3 to achieve a majority of electoral college votes, and reach at least 15% support in four separate national polls. Details about the format, such as whether there will be a live audience, were not immediately available Friday. Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kim Lyons for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and X. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.(Photos: Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images; Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) The first debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, ABC News announced Friday. The event will be held at the National Constitution Center at 9 p.m. Eastern, with ABC News journalists David Muir and Linsey Davis serving as moderators. The debate over debates has been ongoing for several weeks. Trump and President Joe Biden, who ended his reelection campaign July 21, had agreed to two debates: one on June 27 on CNN, and another on Sept. 10, that was to be broadcast on ABC News. Trump had said he would debate Biden anytime, anywhere, anyplace. Biden had a shaky performance during the June 27 debate, eventually leading to him bowing out of the campaign and endorsing Harris. But during a July 23 call with reporters when Trump said he would be willing to do more than one debate with Harris, he said he was not sure he wanted to take part in the Sept. 10 debate because he agreed to a debate with Joe Biden, and not Harris. Trump initially claimed that the Sept. 10 debate had been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant. He later agreed to the Sept. 10 debate with Harris, saying at a Mar-a-Lago press conference on Aug. 8 that he thought it was very important to have debates. Vice presidential nominees U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have agreed to an Oct. 1 debate to be hosted by CBS News. The qualifications for the presidential debate require candidates to appear on enough state ballots by Sept. 3 to achieve a majority of electoral college votes, and reach at least 15% support in four separate national polls. Details about the format, such as whether there will be a live audience, were not immediately available Friday. Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kim Lyons for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and X. JASPER, N.Y. (WETM) 18 News got a look inside the Jasper-Troupsburg High School after it got hit by flooding for the second time in three years. In 2021, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred devastated the property as mud and debris rushed into the first floor. The school has been closed since. About 200 students were relocated to the Canisteo-Greenwood School District. Jasper-Troupsburg High School. August 15th, 2024. Last week, the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby delivered a second blow, as the school district was still working with FEMA on a flood mitigation and reconstruction plan. There was more flood water in the building this time with Debby than there was with Fred, said Jasper-Troupsburg School Superintendent LeeAnne Jordan. The highest point was around 36 inches. You can see where last time SERVPRO demoed everything and cut it out to above that flood height. But because all of that already taken out, it allowed for more water to come in this time around, Jordan added. Jasper-Troupsburg High School. August 15th, 2024. Jordan says the clean-up is expected to take 5 weeks. Industrial-size fans are still drying the school out as nearly 40 workers continue to clear out mud. Crews are also still pumping out water. Were continuing to pump out the crawlspace and the tunnels and the basement where the original boiler room was, said Justin Sepe, from Team Sepe SERVPRO. Whats to come of the Jasper-Troupsburg High School after flooding damage Before last weeks flood, the school was still working with FEMA on a flood mitigation and reconstruction plan after being hit by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred in 2021. Jordan told us before getting flooded again, the school was at least a couple of years out from being able to reopen. Jasper-Troupsburg High School. August 15th, 2024. The plan we had in place two days before the flood was to demo this building, actually from here all the way to the right that that we just walked through, all of that because it wont withstand the hydrostatic pressure of the other flood proofing measures that well have in place, Jordan said. So, it would be to restore all of this part of the building, the newer parts demo, and then rebuild all of the older parts, the 1930s, 40s and 50s parts. The planned mitigation efforts included a new flood retention area behind the school were the track used to be, and so-called passive flood gates at the doors that automatically go up when water rushes in. The concern is, the data we have is from Fred, and now all of the creek banks Im sure youve seen have changed with Debby. So, now we dont know that plan would withstand because it was based on the creeks for Fred. Jasper-Troupsburg High School. August 9th, 2024. Jasper-Troupsburg High School. August 9th, 2024. Jordan says FEMA will now have to do a new flood mitigation study. That could take between 6 to 8 months. The school has already been closed since the flood of 2021. About 200 students were moved to the Canisteo-Greenwood School District. Right now, it is unclear if the Wildcats will ever roam these halls again. I think its very important to understand the importance of having a building like this, even in a rural area, said Lou Zver, Director of Facilities of the Jasper-Troupsburg School District. So thats why we fight so hard, to make sure were back. The community needs this school, and this school thrives on the community, Jordan added. Its a great place and we want to make sure its still around, wherever the building might be, its important to us. You can watch the full walk-through of the Jasper-Troupsburg High School below: Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. First-time presidential voters met to discuss politics and democracy. Heres what they had to say Amid an unusually hectic summer for national politics, a group of teenage voters met in Washington, DC, over a July weekend to discuss politics. As part of their America in One Room: The Youth Vote event from July 19-22, a collection of civic groups convened more than 400 17- and 18-year-olds who will be voting in a presidential election for the first time. Generation Lab one of the events hosts recruited these voters from high schools around the country, finding teenagers of different backgrounds, regions and political leanings to represent the demographics of Americas newest voting bloc. Participants filled out surveys before and after the discussions, tracking how their political outlook changed after engaging with future voters with different beliefs. Coming into the event, nearly 7 in 10 participants (69%) said they were dissatisfied with the way democracy was working in the US. Only about a third (31%) said that public officials care a lot about what people like me think. Other polls have similarly shown a sense of powerlessness in the political system among young people a 2023 Pew survey found that only 14% of Americans aged 18-29 said voting by people like them could affect the future of the country a lot, with another 38% saying it could affect the countrys future some. But after discussing political issues with their peers, the first-time presidential voters largely left the DC event feeling more hopeful about the countrys future and their ability to create change. In the post-survey, 58% of participants said they were satisfied with the way democracy is working in the US and more than half (51%) said that public officials cared what they think. They also felt more respect, across party lines, for those with whom they strongly disagreed. The young voters ended the weekend in broad agreement about making voting more accessible and increasing access to mental, abortion and health care. After discussions, they also moderated their support for some progressive economic policies, such as a blanket minimum wage increase and free public college. CNN spoke with three of the first-time presidential voters at the event, which was a collaboration between the Close Up Foundation, the Deliberative Democracy Lab at Stanford University, the Generation Lab, Helena and the Neely Center at the University of Southern California. Ysabella Olsen Age: 18 Home state: Missouri Partisan affiliation: Democrat Olsen said she believes voting in national elections is important, even as a Democrat in a red-leaning state: My state will, in this current time, always go red. But I think that if we stopped voting altogether, that would be problematic. The impact of voting in local elections is not lost on Olsen. I think on the local level, my vote really does matter, she said. In the first election I ever voted in, our park tax won by 52 votes. And I think thats really big. It shows that my vote does matter. And even though its not like a huge tax, if that didnt pass, we wouldnt be able to beautify our park, keep our riverfront safe, build a veterans memorial. Moving forward, Olsen said she hopes the Democratic Party focuses on future-looking policies, such as combatting climate change and advancing racial equity, She cited Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a politician who understands the need to prioritize policies of the future that young people want. As she heads to her first year of college in another state, Olsen plans to vote absentee in Missouri this November. Andrew Langmuir Age: 18 Home state: New Jersey Political affiliation: Democrat While a Democrat, Langmuir said he is not a fan of the two-party system at all and wished voters had more choices beyond the two major parties. Coming from a town that bleeds blue, Langmuir felt that his vote didnt matter on a state and national level. In New Jersey, my electoral votes dont count, and, like, my popular vote didnt count, and my primary vote doesnt count, he said. But thats not a reason to abstain from voting, Langmuir cautioned: If people keep on saying, My vote doesnt matter, and then they stop voting, theres a potential that it wont always stay that way. In November, he will vote for Kamala Harris and encourages other young Americans to turn out and vote. Elijah Butcher Age: 18 Home state: South Carolina Political affiliation: independent, with libertarian views Over the course of the July weekend, Butcher said he appreciated hearing from people his age with different perspectives from his own the participants were 42% Democrat, 28% Republican and 20% independent. I think I was in the minority as a more conservative-leaning person in my discussion group, but that gave me a really good opportunity to hear a lot of the perspectives from the other side, while also sharing a little bit of my own, Butcher said. And there was more just opportunity to listen for some of the whys behind their arguments, which was really helpful to me and definitely gave me hope that there can be productive conversation reaching across the aisle. Butcher also expressed dissatisfaction with the two-party system and encouraged others with similar views to consider voting for third-party candidates come November. It may seem a little naive, but I think my vote does matter, even if I vote for a third-party candidate and a third-party candidate barely gets any votes and loses by a lot, he said. Thats still a vote thats not going to the two major parties and still a vote thats towards a cause that I believe in more than the two major parties, and Im proud of that fact. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com MOORESBURG, Tenn. (WFRV) Five-time USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway winner Scott Bloomquist died on Friday after a plane crash in Tennessee. Officials with the Hawkins County Sheriffs Office confirmed to Nexstars WJHL that the 60-year-old dirt racing legend was the pilot and only occupant of the plane. Wisconsin man airlifted to hospital after plane crash near municipal airport The aircraft Bloomquist was piloting, a single-engine Piper J3, crashed into a barn near Mooresburg, Tennessee, at around 7:50 a.m. on Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Bloomquist was dominant at the Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin. He won his first USA Nationals in 1999, earning himself a nice $40,000 payday. From 2003 to 2010, he won four of the eight races, all with a $40,000 first-place purse. Born in Iowa, Bloomquist was a nationally touring Dirt Super Late Model race car driver. He sits eighth on the all-time wins list with the World of Outlaws Late Models and was inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2002. Impaired Wisconsin driver hospitalized after collision with light pole, processed for OWI His last start was at the rain-shortened 2024 USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway, where he took 23rd. We are devastated to report that one of the most charismatic and immensely talented to ever drive a Dirt Late Model tragically lost his life today in a small airplane crash at the family property in Mooresburg, Tennessee, posted the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame on its social media page. Our deepest condolences to Scotts family, Ron, Georgie, Ariel, his loyal friends, and all his adoring fans. This is a tough one for all of us. God Speed. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) The jury trial for a lawsuit filed by a Northwest Arkansas couple against HGTV stars Dave and Jenny Marrs has been pushed back to 2025, according to court documents. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for January 14, 2025, and the trial is set to begin on January 27, 2025. Matthew and Sarah McGrath sued Jupiter Rentals and Marrs Construction in February 2023, companies owned by Dave Marrs, who co-stars in HGTVs Rock the Block and Fixer to Fabulous with his wife Jenny. The couples lawsuit claims the Marrs companies worked on a house for them, only to realize later it had multiple problems, including a critical safety issue with the homes deck. The Marrs claimed the couple would not allow the companies to repair the home, but made an effort to do so. Fixer to Fabulous lawsuit could face delay after Northwest Arkansas tornadoes A settlement in the lawsuit was not reached after multiple failed attempts at court-ordered mediation. A filing in October 2023 by the plaintiffs said one attempt failed utterly. In June, it was revealed in court documents that the lawsuit could face delays after the McGraths claimed in a filing that due to the tornadoes that ripped through Benton County on Memorial Day weekend, which left numerous businesses and homes affected, contractors will be unusually busy for the next few weeks to come. A motion for extension was filed on June 4 by the plaintiffs asking that the discovery deadline set for June 24 be pushed back. The judge granted that extension and the deadline was moved to July 8. After the extension was granted, the plaintiffs asked for the trial to be pushed back. Despite disagreement from the defendants, the trial was pushed back from the original September 23 start date. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Vice President Kamala Harris enter the stage during an event where they highlighted the administration's efforts to lower prescription drug costs in Prince George's County, Maryland, the United States, Aug. 15, 2024. The Biden administration said on Thursday that drug price negotiations will knock hundreds of dollars, in some cases thousands, off the list prices of 10 of Medicare's most popular and costliest drugs. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) NEW YORK, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Biden administration said on Thursday that drug price negotiations will knock hundreds of dollars, in some cases thousands, off the list prices of 10 of Medicare's most popular and costliest drugs. According to a statement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the discounts, agreed to after months of negotiations with drug manufacturers, range between 38 and 79 percent on the medication's list price. "If the new prices had been in effect last year, Medicare would have saved an estimated 6 billion U.S. dollars, or approximately 22 percent, across the 10 selected drugs," said the statement. "People with Medicare prescription drug coverage are expected to see aggregated estimated savings of 1.5 billion dollars in their personal out-of-pocket costs in 2026." The newly negotiated prices will affect the price of drugs used by millions of older Americans to help manage diabetes, blood cancers and prevent heart failure or blood clots. The drugs include the blood thinners Xarelto and Eliquis and diabetes drugs Jardiance and Januvia. "It's a landmark deal for the Medicare program, which provides healthcare coverage for more than 67 million older and disabled Americans. For decades, the federal government had been barred from bartering with pharmaceutical companies over the price of their drugs, even though it's a routine process for private insurers," said The Los Angeles Times in its report about the move. "For years, millions of Americans were forced to choose between paying for medications or putting food on the table, while Big Pharma blocked Medicare from being able to negotiate prices on behalf of seniors and people with disabilities," President Joe Biden said in the HHS statement. "But we fought back -- and won." U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Vice President Kamala Harris attend an event where they highlighted the administration's efforts to lower prescription drug costs in Prince George's County, Maryland, the United States, Aug. 15, 2024. The Biden administration said on Thursday that drug price negotiations will knock hundreds of dollars, in some cases thousands, off the list prices of 10 of Medicare's most popular and costliest drugs. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Vice President Kamala Harris walk off the stage during an event where they highlighted the administration's efforts to lower prescription drug costs in Prince George's County, Maryland, the United States, Aug. 15, 2024. The Biden administration said on Thursday that drug price negotiations will knock hundreds of dollars, in some cases thousands, off the list prices of 10 of Medicare's most popular and costliest drugs. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to make a diversion after one of its pilots made a shocking admission to passengers and crew, according to multiple witnesses who spoke with Cowboy State Daily and a Reddit post from a user claiming to be present on the ill-fated flight. Alaska Airlines and SkyWest Flight 3491 left San Francisco ahead of schedule and was making its way to the Jackson Hole International Airport (JAC) in Jackson Hole, WY. The twin-jet Embraer ERJ 175 aircraft approached JAC, but for some reason never landed. The Reddit user claimed one of the pilots gave an unbelievable reason for the diversion. Hey, Im really sorry folks, the pilot allegedly said over the P.A. system, but due to me not having the proper qualification to land in Jackson Hole, we need to divert to Salt Lake City Utah. Well keep you posted on the next steps. The jet proceeded to do a full circle around the airport before flying the almost 300 miles to Salt Lake City, where it safely landed. Once the plane was docked, the unqualified pilot did a walk of shame past all of the passengers to retrieve his bag from the back of the aircraft. Though the passengers figured that would be the end of their troubles, they were astonished to find it would be another 90 minutes before a qualified pilot was found to fly them back to their intended destination. The plane eventually arrived back in Jackson Hole just before 3 p.m., about three hours after it was due to land. In what the outlet described as a somewhat convoluted explanation, SkyWest told Cowboy State Daily that the incident aboard Flight 3491 was due to a paperwork error. [The aircraft] landed for a short time in Salt Lake City to correct a paperwork error related to the flight crew, the airline reported. The flight continued to Jackson Hole after a delay while a new pilot was secured to operate the flight. All pilots involved were qualified to fly and land the aircraft; the flight diverted from Jackson Hole due to an internal administrative error and out of abundance of caution. As it turns out, JAC is a particularly difficult airport at which to land. In 1990, the airport earned a Special PIC (Pilot In Command) qualification which requires that a more experienced line check airman be sitting copilot. Each individual airline has its own parameters in regards to how much flight time qualifies a pilot to make a Special PIC landing. Even highly experienced pilots with thousands of hours of flying may not be able to meet the minimum requirement of some airlines. None of the passengers on Flight 3491 have reported receiving any compensation for the delay. A man with an umbrella struggles against strong wind brought by Typhoon Ampil, while walking on a street, in Tokyo, Japan, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) TOKYO (AP) Thousands of people in northern Japan were ordered to evacuate Friday because of the risk of flooding and mudslides from a powerful typhoon approaching in the Pacific Ocean. Flights and trains in the Tokyo area were canceled as warnings were issued for strong winds and heavy rainfall from Typhoon Ampil, expected to reach waters near Tokyo in the evening and then continue north, bringing stormy conditions to the northern Kanto and Tohoku regions on Saturday. It had sustained winds of 162 kph (101 mph) with higher gusts Friday morning and was moving north at 15 kph (9.3 mph), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Ampil was not expected to make landfall and could weaken to a tropical storm by Sunday. Power was out in more than 5,000 households, mostly in coastal Chiba and Ibaraki Prefectures, east of Tokyo, but also in Saitama to the north. An evacuation order was sent to the more than 320,000 residents of the city of Iwaki in Fukushima prefecture. More than 30 places were offered as safe locations to stay, including school gymnasiums and community centers. Evacuation warnings were also sent to at-risk areas in the cities of Asahi and Mobarashi in Chiba. Ampil was expected to reach the waters off Chiba by Friday evening. Tokyos Disneyland, usually open until 9 p.m., closed at 3 p.m. because of the typhoon. Yamato Transport, which makes Amazon and other deliveries in Japan, said no deliveries would be made in Tokyo and nearby affected areas on Friday and Saturday. Shinkansen bullet trains running between Tokyo and Nagoya were halted for the entire day, a common response to typhoons. Bullet trains serving northeastern Japan and some local Tokyo trains were halted or switched to a slower schedule. A decision will be made early Saturday on whether trains will start running again as usual, the railway company said. Dozens of departing and arriving flights were canceled at Tokyos two airports, Haneda and Narita, as well as at Kansai, Osaka and Chubu airports. The flight cancellations affected about 90,000 people, according to Japanese media reports. Airports and train stations had been packed Thursday with people seeking to avoid travel disruptions from the typhoon. Friday was drizzly and windy in Tokyo. Traffic and crowds on the streets were sparse, mostly because of the Obon summer holiday period, not just the weather. Stores remained open. Officials warned people to stay away from rivers and beaches and be wary of powerful winds. We foresee extremely fierce winds and extremely fierce seas, said Shuichi Tachihara, the meteorological agency's chief forecaster. Japanese TV broadcasts showed residents of the island of Hachijojima boarding up windows. Ampil moved past the Hachijo group of islands south of Tokyo by midday as it headed northward. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://x.com/yurikageyama Florida Democrats heading to Chicago for their partys national convention are hoping to convince top Democratic donors and officials that the Sunshine State is still in play in this years presidential election despite serious doubts among some national operatives. They say they have a case to make. In the less-than four weeks since Kamala Harris established herself as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, some polling suggests that the vice president is closing the gap with former President Donald Trump in Florida. Her campaign has also enlisted the help of tens of thousands of new volunteers more than any other state who have begun making phone calls and knocking on doors across the state. Whether the momentum can be sustained and whether its enough to reestablish Florida as a true battleground state in November remains to be seen. There are now a million more active registered Republican voters in the state than Democrats, and neither Harris campaign nor aligned national groups are investing the kind of ad dollars in Florida that they are in swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Still, top Florida Democrats say its a mistake to overlook the Sunshine State. I think when we get there its really going to solidify the case that weve been trying to make, said Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones, the chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. The meetings that Im going to have sitting down with donors and sitting down with party leaders are to let them know that not only is Florida in play but cant be ignored and should not be ignored. Jones acknowledged that Florida is still likely to be an uphill battle for Democrats in November. Many national donors, he said, have been skittish when it comes to spending political dollars in Florida, and Republicans still control the levers of power in the state. Jones said that the goal should be to develop a long-term strategy. The Republicans didnt get here overnight, and its going to take us time to get there, he said. We cant neglect the resources that are needed in order to build that bench, in order to build that infrastructure. In the short term, however, Florida has largely been overlooked in the 2024 race. So far, little more than $300,000 has been spent on TV and radio ads in the presidential race, most of it by outside groups like the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, according to Christopher Brimer, a partner at the Atlanta-based agency Canal Partners Media. President Joe Bidens campaign which was largely turned over to Harris after Biden bowed out of the race last month dropped $11,400 on an ad buy in the Jacksonville media market earlier this year, according to Brimer. Trumps campaign hasnt spent anything on TV or radio in the state. Trumps team has expressed little concern about his standing in Florida. A survey conducted by one of Trumps pollsters, McLaughlin & Associates, released this week found the former president leading Harris by 8 percentage points in Florida. In a statement, a spokesperson for Trumps campaign deemed the Sunshine State as Trump country. In November, Florida voters will send a clear and resounding message: President Donald J. Trump is the only leader with a proven track record of making our nation prosperous and affordable, said Rachel Reisner, the Trump campaigns regional communications director. The movement to Make America Great Again is alive and growing, and it starts here in Florida. Democrats, however, say that Trump and Republicans are taking Florida for granted. In an interview with the Miami Herald, Nikki Fried, the chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, said that the GOP is sleeping on Florida at their own peril. She said she plans to make the case to national Democrats in Chicago next week that its time to start investing in Florida, arguing that the recent momentum for Harris has come in spite of the lack of national spending. There is a tremendous case to be made. And all of this is done without a true investment. This is all organic, Fried told the Herald in an interview. This is because of the hard work that FDP has been doing for the last year and half. The shift in momentum is because of the work thats been done on the ground and done organically. I do think this is an opportunity for us to make this pitch. Fueling the sense of optimism among Democrats is a series of recent polling that shows a tightening contest between Trump and Harris. One survey from USA Today and Suffolk University released this week found Harris trailing Trump by 5 percentage points a narrower margin than in many previous polls. Another poll from Florida Atlantic Universitys Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab showed an even closer race, with Trump leading Harris by just 3 percentage points. Brett Loyd, a Republican pollster who previously worked for Trumps campaign, said its too early to know how the presidential race will play out, but argued that Harris candidacy could make things more competitive, even in a state like Florida, which has swung to the right in recent years. He noted that before Biden dropped out of the race last month, voters were largely unenthusiastic about a rematch between Biden and Trump. Having Harris name at the top of the ticket changes that, Loyd said. Theres so much opportunity I think for this Harris honeymoon people saying they didnt want the same matchup as 2020, Loyd said. So I would think that Florida absolutely should be on peoples radar. Democrats say that its not just polling alone that strengthens their case that Florida is in play. Harris campaign has added almost 22,000 new volunteers to its operation in Florida over the past month, according to data reviewed by the Miami Herald. While most of the new sign-ups are registered Democrats, roughly one in ten are independents, while 5% are registered Republican voters. While its not the kind of ultra-expensive campaign that Florida has seen in the past, Harris team is hoping to take advantage of the surge in interest. The campaign is set to hold watch parties for Harris Democratic National Convention speech next week in Miami-Dade, Broward, Leon and Orange counties. In the days leading up to the convention, which begins on Monday, Harris Florida team has already scheduled close to 40 events, a campaign spokesperson said. The campaign is also organizing phone-banking events at cat cafes that its dubbing cat-lady phone banks a dig at Republican Vice Presidential nominee JD Vances public digs at so-called childless cat ladies. Adelys Ferro, a co-chair of Venezolanos con Kamala, said that shes received an influx of calls and messages in recent weeks from eager voters asking to volunteer for Harris campaign. She conceded that Florida has proved elusive for Democrats over the past several years, but said that she believes Harris candidacy is a gamechanger. I know what the situation is in Florida, Ferro said. But I can also tell you this: something changed with Kamala Harris and I hope that change stays. A state court jury on Friday found Susan Lorincz, a 60-year-old White woman from Ocala, Fla., guilty of manslaughter for the shooting death of her Black neighbor, Ajike Owens, following a dispute over Owens' children. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A Florida jury on Friday found a 60-year-old White woman guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of her Black neighbor through a closed and locked door in 2023. After deliberating less than three hours, a state court jury in Ocala, Fla., pronounced Susan Lorincz guilty of manslaughter with a firearm for the June 2, 2023, shooting death of Ajike Owens, 35. Lorincz had pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter, battery, crimes against a person and two counts of simple assault in Ocala, located 80 miles north of Orlando. She is now facing possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors said Lorincz shot Owens through a closed door in the presence of the victim's now 10-year-old son after the mother went to speak with Lorincz about a dispute over Owens' children playing near her home. During an interview with detectives, Lorincz said she was acting in self-defense when she shot Owens, claiming that Owens had threatened to kill her. Investigators, however, reported no other witnesses had confirmed the alleged death threat. "From the beginning, this case has always been about getting justice for the victim and her children," Fifth Judicial Circuit Florida State Attorney Bill Gladson said in a statement to the Ocala Star Banner. "Cases involving self defense are often difficult because the jurors are asked to decide whether or not a particular person's response to a situation is reasonable under the law. "The jury in this case was able to evaluate the evidence, the credibility of the witnesses, and ultimately render a verdict of guilty. "We are pleased with their decision and believe that, while nothing can bring AJ Owens back, this verdict holds her killer accountable. We hope that this verdict brings some measure of closure to her family, who has had to endure the unimaginable loss of a loved one," Gladson said. "This has been a long journey to get to this day, to get to this verdict," Owens' mother, Pamela Dias, told reporters outside the Marion County Judicial Center. "I am very pleased with the jury, the prosecution, the verdict of guilty. I find some peace with that verdict," "The jury did its job today, now it's up to [Circuit Judge Robert Hodges] to do his job in handing down the best sentence he can, which is the maximum penalty," added Owens family attorney Anthony Thomas. A Florida school board paused a plan for a chaplain program after receiving First Amendment concerns and interest from The Satanic Temple. In a move that school officials present said was rare, the Osceola County School Board pulled the plan from consideration during its Tuesday meeting. It highlights the complexities and complications school districts face in implementing a new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis this year that allows volunteer chaplains to provide support services for public K-12 students. And it's especially notable since DeSantis signed that measure at a high school in Osceola County, during a press conference where the superintendent himself spoke in support. And it's especially notable since DeSantis signed that measure at a high school in Osceola County, during a press conference where the superintendent himself spoke in support. "It's an honor that you have chosen our community for today's signing ceremony," Superintendent Mark Shanoff said at the April event. "Thank you for your leadership to ensure our students receive the supports they need to be successful, and for recognizing the role that spiritual guidance can have in enhancing the experience of our students." Fast-forward nearly four months, and the school board voted 3-2 to take the policy out of a bundle it was voting on for the new academic year. The school board members in the majority said concerns brought to them shortly before the meeting warranted more discussion. "I need more time to make a decision," said Heather Kahoun, the board chair. "I haven't had an opportunity to think about these things, to think about the implications regarding the First Amendment, regarding federal litigation that we could receive if we were to approve this as it is today." In anticipation of the Osceola County School Board's vote on a school chaplain policy this evening, The Satanic Temple has sent a letter outlining what this could mean for the community. Stay tuned for more! pic.twitter.com/LnD0uS6tTl The Satanic Temple (@satanic_temple_) August 13, 2024 The Satanic Temple, for example, sent the board an email on Tuesday saying they were "enthusiastic about the opportunity this policy presents for our Ministers of Satan." Jon Arguello, a conservative member, bashed what he called the "last minute" concerns his colleagues brought forward at Tuesday's meeting. Osceola School Board member Jon Arguello "I think it was the intention of the board members all along to vote this down," he said. "This, to me, is a very blatant and obvious sinking of a program that the governor came and started here." Concerns about 'untrained chaplains' While the start of the school year is already underway, the Osceola County School Board is the first in the state that has acted on a chaplain program, according to the Council of Florida Churches Inc. The council, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, has been watching out for it. Both organizations have expressed opposition to the measure since it made its way through the 2024 legislative session. "We were opposed to it from the get-go because we don't think the public school system is the place for this," said the Rev. Joe Parramore, legislative director of the council. "We think the spirituality and the spiritual growth of any family is left up to the family." The bill authorizes school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy for chaplains to provide support, services, and programs to students. It requires parental consent before a student meets with a chaplain, who must undergo a background check. It also mandates that districts publish a list of the chaplains on its website and for school principals to inform parents about them. Other than that, the rollout is left to local school officials, if they choose to have a program. But Parramore's team plans to send a letter to superintendents and school board chairs statewide next week, warning that they should think twice. "Untrained chaplains lack the necessary qualifications and expertise to address the diverse spiritual and religious needs of students in a sensitive and inclusive manner," the letter reads. "By using individuals without proper training, we risk marginalizing students from non-dominant faith backgrounds or those who identify as non-religious." The letter also warned of potential First Amendment issues: "The use of untrained chaplains may inadvertently blur the lines between church and state, raising constitutional concerns and legal challenges," it said. A woman in costume attends SatanCon in Boston last year. SatanCon is an annual convention of the Satanic Temple, which plans to send chaplains into Florida schools, if requested. The IRS recognizes the temple as a tax-exempt church. The Satanic Temple's take and that of Gov. DeSantis The Satanic Temple also has been commenting on the school chaplain measure since the USA TODAY Network-Florida asked the IRS-recognized religious group about it in late February. "We look forward to working with you to introduce the nation's first Satanic School Chaplaincy in Osceola County," it wrote in its latest letter, directed at the school board. The group doesn't actually worship Satan and is well-known for its advocacy for the First Amendment and religious freedom. Such topics have dominated conversations about the legislation, especially after DeSantis signed it. Satanism "is not a religion," DeSantis said in comments that, if tested, would likely result in a First Amendment court fight. "That is not qualifying to be able to participate in this. ... But to exclude religious groups from campus, that is discrimination." The governor's office did not respond to a request for comment. But various supporters of the bill said it's a win for school children, addressing concerns about youth mental health and the need for more school counselors. "There's some students who need some soulcraft, and that can make all the difference in the world," DeSantis said. The Satanic Temple wasn't the only one messaging board members before the vote. In an email sent to the school board shortly before the Tuesday meeting, the ACLU of Florida attached four different letters of opposition to public school chaplaincy programs, including one signed by a few hundred chaplains. Kara Gross "Freedom of religion means that parents and faith communities not government officials have the right to direct their childrens religious education and development," said Kara Gross, the group's legislative director and senior policy counsel, in a statement. "Allowing chaplains in public schools would cross these well-established boundaries." David Williamson, co-founder of the Central Florida Freethought Community, warned the board before the vote that its policy would result in "significant legal liability." "We had one person from Oviedo come and speak out against it," Board member Arguello said, referring to Williamson, who lives outside the county. "Our community, in terms of all the people I've spoken about, has been in support of the program. "I think this is an incredibly valuable opportunity for us to expand where our society is clearly needing help," he added at another point in the meeting. Julius Melendez, another school board member, told Fox 35 Orlando that a committee made up of community members would review and recommend a final policy. There have been no announcements on when that might occur. This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida school board pauses chaplain plan after Satanic Temple support Is your food safe? How produce inspections are handled (WKBN) We are still in the summer months, which means produce continues to be distributed nationwide. Last month, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of produce sold in Walmart and ALDI stores in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. With recalls like these, how can you ensure the safety of your produce? Matt Fout, produce safety manager, and Jason Holleran, program administrator, with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said the reasons for these recalls vary by situation. The agency helps educate farms and manufacturers on the minimum standards for the growing, harvesting, packing and holding of the produce. They said a recall would be due to the breakdown in food safety systems. The recalls are not all exactly the same. It oftentimes involves multiple different aspects, Holleran said. The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) said they have requested recalls from six firms so far in 2024. ODA said food recalls have increased overall because food safety technology has improved leading to a safer food system. ODA credits investigation methods and the industry itself as to why recalls are being detected. The department regularly conducts inspections and collects samples of the products and the products environments. Our testing methods are evolving and getting better on the regulatory side of things, along with our investigative methods, so were finding throughout both of those, Fout said. Even though testing methods continue to evolve, Fout said raw produce will always be vulnerable and subject to recalls. For produce providers and businesses, Fout and Holleran stressed the importance of handwashing and the washing of individual equipment. They also said food is vulnerable and often exposed to potential hazards. Fout and Holleran explained that this is one of the most basic ways that businesses and consumers can care for their produce. Handwashing plays a big role in reducing the risk of spread from our hands to whatever were touching, whether it be produce or a food contact surface. That would be an example of a practice that could be incorporated to help reduce the risk, Fout said. Fout said the agency is always learning about the best procedures to implement. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in 2011. The goal of the law is to protect public health by shifting U.S. food supply safety efforts from a response to a prevention approach. The most impactful part of FSMA is the Produce Safety Rule. The seven parts include the following protocols: Training : Establishes training requirements for farm supervisors and personnel who handle produce. Health and Hygiene : Growers and their employees must abide by certain hygienic practices, such as regular hand washing, to reduce the spread of contamination. Agricultural Water : Under the rule, growers must take steps, such as routine water testing, to ensure agricultural water is safe for its intended use. Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin : The rule addresses the classification, treatment, and application of certain soil amendments, such as raw and composted manure. Domesticated and Wild Animals : Requirements include taking measures to reduce risks associated with animals in and around produce fields. Equipment, tools, and buildings : The rule sets standards for the maintenance of equipment, tools and other food contact surfaces that come into contact with produce. Sprouts: The rule establishes a separate set of standards for sprout producers. For more information, visit the Sprout Safety Alliance website. The Ohio Department of Agriculture said there are three important steps that consumers should take when they purchase produce: Select produce that is free from mold or bruises. Fruit should be fresh and pre-cut fruit should be kept in refrigerated cases. Separate produce from other items in your cart or basket, especially ready-to-eat items. This will help to prevent cross-contamination from bacteria that may be on the produce. Wash produce properly after arriving back after the store. The Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture Brian Baldridge released a statement: Our responsibilities at the Ohio Department of Agriculture stretch beyond whats happening on our farms. We are also tasked with protecting Ohioans from contaminated foods and ensuring products are safe for consumption and use, said ODA Director Brian Baldridge. Our staff works diligently to provide those assurances, a critical effort in keeping our states top industry of food and agriculture strong and secure. Would you like to know how to grow and care for your produce more efficiently? The Ohio Department of Agriculture has more than 70 Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training courses regionally throughout the state. You can learn more about the training by contacting Matt Fout at (614) 600-4272 or by email at mfout@agri.ohio.gov. WKBN First News reached out to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for comment. As of this writing, we have not heard back. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Foodlink is preparing for its largest fundraising event of the year, as it gears up for the return of its 19th annual Festival of Food. The event takes an all-you-can-eat form, featuring a number of iconic Rochester food and drink vendors, including local farms, bakeries, and breweries. There will also be live music by Something Else. The event each year raises money to benefit Foodlink. The food bank is home to programs and initiatives that directly support the community by combating food hunger. Officials told News 8 Thursday that the need is greater than ever before as more folks turn to food pantries for help. Since last year weve actually seen a 35% increase of people visiting food pantries, said Allysha Serenati, the events and community engagement manager at Foodlink. Obviously the goal every year is to raise more money to benefit our various programs, so were going to try and do that to support all the food pantries that are seeing the increase in need. The festival kicks off on Sept. 16 at the Rochester Public Market. Tickets are $75 for general admission, $110 for the VIP ticket, which includes a tote bag, tasting plate and wine glass. VIP users can also enter the event an hour early. You can click here to learn more, buy your tickets or donate to Foodlink. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has launched its first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) logistics delivery route in the Badaling section of the Great Wall, which enables tourists to receive summer relief items and emergency supplies within minutes, said the Badaling scenic area on Friday. The south ninth watchtower on the extended line of the Badaling Great Wall serves as the delivery point for the new route. The area, which opened to the public at the end of 2023, mainly hosts activities such as outdoor hiking, adventure crossings, Great Wall studies and travel photography. The lack of commercial facilities at the area makes it difficult for visitors to replenish supplies such as drinking water. To address the delivery of supplies, the Badaling Great Wall scenic area partnered with a delivery platform to launch the UAV delivery route. Once at the delivery spot, tourists may scan a QR code with their mobile phones to place orders on a food delivery platform, and the supplies will be delivered by drones within five minutes. A single trip to the spot usually takes 50 minutes on foot. On the return trip, the drone may also transport the waste generated, significantly reducing the labor costs for the Great Wall's maintenance staff, according to the delivery platform participating in the UAV service. Among the most popular sections of the Great Wall, the Badaling scenic area was first opened to tourists in 1958, and has since received more than 200 million visitors from home and abroad. The Great Wall has a total length of over 20,000 km and consists of many interconnected walls, spanning 15 provincial-level regions including Beijing, Hebei and Inner Mongolia in the north, and Gansu and Xinjiang in the northwest. In recent years, Beijing has been continuously expanding new scenarios for the application of the low-altitude economy. In addition to such drone delivery services, tourists can also take a trial class in pilot training, or enjoy the majestic view of the Great Wall from a helicopter or a fixed-wing aircraft. Ford is set to recall roughly 85,000 Explorer SUVs fitted with the Police Interceptor Utility Package over concerns of engine fire risk, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Friday. The recall specifically affects the 2020-22 models that have 3.3-liter gas or hybrid engines, per the agency. In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire, the safety agency said. As of July 9 in North America, there were 13 reports of under-hood fires resulting from engine block breaches on these Explorer SUVs that were manufactured before June 2, 2022, according to NHTSA. No fires from engine block breaches occurred on non-police SUVs. Regular and repeated wide open throttle accelerations to maximum engine RPM are far more frequent in police applications which could potentially affect engine durability, the NHTSA said in the report. The Michigan-based automaker will notify the vehicle owners about the ongoing investigation. Ford is cautioning owners to immediately park and turn off their vehicles engines if they hear unexpected engine noises. The agencys report said Ford is not aware of any reports of injury or accident connected to the engines condition. Software and parts to remedy the issues are expected to be available in the second quarter of 2025. Ford spokesperson told The Hill the automaker approved a customer satisfaction program that provides extended warranty coverage for a one-time replacement of the engine long-block if a connecting rod bearing fails. The extension should assist customers if they experience the issue before the remedy is available, the spokesperson added. The incident marks at least the fourth major recall of Ford vehicles this year. The company recalled almost 2 million SUVs in January over tire trim issues, 450,000 SUVs in April over drive power loss and around 552,000 pickup trucks in June over transmission concerns. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former Daleville officer pleads guilty to beating man in cell after arrest, attorneys say DALEVILLE, AL (WDHN) A former Sergeant with the Daleville Police Department will soon be sentenced to time in federal prison after entering a plea, saying he beat a man in a jail cell over two years ago. Ryan Philip was accused and charged with using unreasonable force against a male arrestee identified in court documents as D.M. in 2022. Philips pled guilty to the charge on Thursday, August 15. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, when D.M. was inside a jail cell after his arrest, he and Philips began arguing before Philips removed his pistol and badge, walked into the cell, and hit D.M. several times in the upper body and face. With the plea agreement, Phillips admitted that he had no legitimate law enforcement purpose for engaging in this conduct, that he acted willfully, and that D.M. suffered bodily injury, U.S. Attorneys wrote in a release to WDHN. When police officers violate the law and abuse their power, it erodes the communitys trust in the ability of law enforcement to keep them safe and to preserve their rights, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. This defendant abused his power by entering the cell of an arrestee to violently strike him in the face and upper body without cause or reason. The Justice Department is steadfast in its determination to protect the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, including people who are incarcerated, and to hold accountable law enforcement officials who use excessive force. A sentencing hearing will be held later, and Philips faces a maximum of ten years in prison. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) criticized former President Trumps attacks on Vice President Harris, suggesting they follow the same format as in 2020 and would likely lead to the same result. Hes following the same format that he did in 2020 if he keeps it up. Because if this gets to be a battle between personality, his personality versus hers, hes going to lose that, Kasich said Friday in an interview on MSNBC. If its a battle on ideology and records, hes got a shot to win that. Kasich, who ran against Trump in the 2016 Republican primary, has long opposed the former president and broke with his party to endorse President Biden in 2020 and even spoke on his behalf at the Democratic National Convention. In the recent interview, the former Ohio governor credited Harris for her pivot to economic issues. Shes starting to realize something that I think Biden should have done some time ago, which is, people are not happy with the economy, he said. So, I think shes starting to say that you have to recognize that to her credit. The vice president unveiled her economic plan during a rally in North Carolina Friday, which includes a federal ban on price gouging and a plan to expand the Child Tax Credit. Kasich added, however, that Democrats could struggle to make the economic case because they have held the White House for the last three years. I think thats kind of a vulnerability the Democrats have. But Trump is not taking advantage of any of it, he told MSNBCs Ryan Nobles. He gets bored with things that are critical here, so thats why he gets off script. Hes so interested in all the cheers and everything from his people, Kasich continued. But I just have never thought that you win elections by just going to your base and not being able to reach out to other people. He added, This is what he did in 2020, and he lost. His comments come as even members of Trumps own party have urged the former president to focus less on personal insults and more on policy. The GOP nominee has largely brushed off the criticism from his allies, claiming he is entitled to his attacks on Harris. As far as the personal attacks, Im very angry at her because of what shes done to the country, Trump said Thursday. I think Im entitled to personal attacks. I dont have a lot of respect for her. I dont have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think shell be a terrible president. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. HOMEWOOD, Ala. (WIAT) The former finance director for the city of Homewood could spend decades in prison after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $1 million from the city over the course of a year. On Friday, Robert Burgett pleaded guilty to three federal counts of wire fraud following his arrest earlier this spring on aggravated theft by deception charges. The case was initially being handled in circuit court, but he made his plea in federal court. According to his plea deal, Burgett embezzled over $947,000 from city accounts between May 2023 and at least March 2024. He admitted to hiding his scheme by moving the money into a bank account he had called Burgett Builders Contemporary Enterprise, which was not an authorized vendor for Homewood and did not do any services for the city. Once the money had been transferred, he would take it out of that account and move it into his personal account. 2nd Walker County correctional officer agrees to plead guilty in death of Tony Mitchell Prosecutors claim that Burgett made 20 electronic transfers to his account, 15 of which were successful, totaling approximately $947,059.46. On multiple occasions, BURGETT chose to transfer to his Burgett Builders account an amount identical to a legitimate Homewood account deposit the same month. Burgett then used whiteout correction fluid on the paper Homewood bank account statement to remove both the legitimate deposit and the corresponding EFT withdrawal, leaving an accurate beginning and ending statement balance, the plea agreement stated. After altering the physical statement, Burgett scanned it electronically and forwarded it for use in Homewoods bank reconciliation process. Homewood police first began its investigation of Burgett on April 3 after receiving a report of irregularities in movement of city funds. According to the Homewood Star, Burgett had retired from the city days before on March 31 after 13 years as finance director. After being released from jail on a $500,000 bond, Burgett was placed under a GPS monitoring system. On Aug. 7, a judge allowed Burgett to travel anywhere in Alabama for work, although he was not allowed to be in Homewood. Burgett, 64, is facing up to 20 years in prison and fines less than $250,000. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) The City of York has released traffic information as former President Donald Trump is returning to Central Pennsylvania today, August 19. According to the City of York, traffic will be greatly impacted, as both Route 30 and Interstate 83 will be heavily congested due to the highways being shut down sometime between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. and then again between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The City says until about 5 p.m., York will be closing Hartley Street between Gas Avenue and Linden Avenue as well as Manchester Street from Company Street to Park Street. Following the Harris-Walz bus tour that kicked off in Western Pennsylvania yesterday, the 45th President will speak about the economy at Precision Custom Components, located at 500 Lincoln Street in York, on Monday, Aug. 19. The former President is scheduled to give remarks at this press event at 3 p.m. at the industrial military and nuclear manufacturer in York. Ex-ADA facing charges in Lancaster County Over the weekend, the former President held a rally in Luzerne County, where he commented on his June debate with President Biden and the race against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris shortly after she released her plans for the economy. How would you like to be Biden? Hes working. Hes spending money. Hes trying. They wanted to have a debate. Thats the thing that started it all. You know, if I didnt debate him, hed still be running right now. But I believe she (Kamala Harris) will be easier to beat than him because shes a truly radical left lunatic, he said. Onotse Omoyeni, the Pennsylvania Rapid Response Director for Harris for President, released the following statement in response to Trumps plans to speak in York: Pennsylvanians are clear eyed: We fired Donald Trump in 2020 for destroying 275,000 jobs and undermining unions, trying to rip away our health care, and selling us out to his rich friends. Every time he returns, Pennsylvania voters are reminded why they kicked him out in the first place and why we are determined to ensure he never sees the inside of the Oval Office ever again. Onotse Omoyeni Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Morning Weather Former President Trump is scheduled to have his first debate with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on Sept. 10. This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A former Shawnee middle school teacher has pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted unlawful sexual relations on August 14, 2024. Keil Hileman, a former teacher at Monticello Trails Middle School in Shawnee was charged in Johnson County in October of 2022 on six counts of attempted unlawful sexual relations. Shawnee woman files lawsuit after dog attack, wants city to make changes According to court documents, the State of Kansas will dismiss the remaining four charges. Court documents also claim that parties agree to recommend the mid-box sentence, which would be 12 months for each count. Additionally, part of the plea deal claims that Hileman would serve his sentence, and no requests for probation could be made, Hileman would register per statute and complete sex offender treatment. Hileman was the 2004 Kansas Teacher of the Year and was one of four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year award. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Today, we lost an extraordinary stateswoman and one of our dearest friends. Sen. Karen Mayne was a trailblazer and exceptional leader who showed us how working together, despite political differences, can strengthen our state. We will forever be grateful for the years we were lucky enough to spend working alongside Sen. Mayne. During this time, we witnessed her unwavering dedication, compassion and grace in serving the people of Utah. Not only was she a confidant of ours but also a source of inspiration, both personally and professionally. Throughout her 15 years as a senator, she has passionately and successfully advocated for impactful improvements for our state. She was one of the most effective legislators and consistently passed the most bills during sessions. We mourn with and pray for her family during this time of grieving. Her memory and legacy will remain forever in our hearts as we strive to follow her example of living and serving with love. The Fort Worth Police Department has opened an investigation into claims of animal cruelty and neglect at SeaQuest aquarium. The investigation comes in response to whistleblower accounts of the deaths of dozens of marine animals, including sharks that starved to death and dozens of other animals that likely suffocated in plastic bags during transport from another SeaQuest aquarium. Citing the three former aquarium employees accounts, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells requesting his office conduct an investigation. A District Attorneys Office spokesperson referred the Star-Telegram to the police department, which could not provide any details on the investigation. The former employees told PETA that two sharks starved to death after they stopped eating due to the stress of being housed in an overcrowded tank. Dozens of other marine animals also likely died of suffocation in plastic bags in a U-Haul truck. PETA shared links to a video of a shark convulsing on the day it allegedly died and another of SeaQuest employees allegedly finding the suffocated fish in plastic bags. PETA said it notified Fort Worth Animal Control in June of the allegations, but that the department had denied responsibility in the matter, saying that the aquariums animals are owned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Animal Control did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Contrary to Animal Controls unfounded claim, the FDA is not running a roadside zoo in a shopping mall in Fort Worth Texas, PETA said in its letter to Sorrells. There is no legal basis for Animal Control to turn a blind eye to the animal suffering at SeaQuest Fort Worth. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) On Thursday the city of Springfield gathered to have a conversation about opioid use. Springfield police arrest two additional suspects in June shooting incident Officials say that this forum is an important next step in the citys efforts to address this epidemic that plagues our neighborhoods. The Massachusetts Attorney Generals office successfully litigated opioid companies for their role in driving the opioid crisis. They created a program to help manage seven million dollars to go towards treatment, recovery and education. What weve already done, Springfield, is that my police, fire department in 2019 have been carrying Narcan, since then theyve saved nearly 600 lives, said Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. I also have behavioral health network officials that go out with my police department to deal with mental health calls. Mayor Sarno told 22News that the city has its own lawsuit towards these pharmaceutical companies to bring forth more funds into the city. Their aim is to allocate resources strategically and equitably, guided by the voices and needs of the community. Latest Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Johnny Wactor was shot dead in Los Angeles in May - GC IMAGES Four people have been arrested over the fatal shooting of actor Johnny Wactor in Los Angeles. The suspects were on Thursday detained by LA police over the killing of the General Hospital star, who was gunned down as he left work in May. Robert Barceleau, Leonel Gutierrez, and Sergio Estrada, all 18 years old, were arrested on suspicion of murder. Frank Olano, 22, was arrested for being an alleged accessory to the crime. Wactor was shot and killed when he interrupted thieves who were stealing the catalytic converter from his car at about 3.30am on Saturday, May 25. The 37-year-old had left work at a rooftop bar with a co-worker when he saw three men who had hoisted his car. Police said one of the men then fired at Wactor without provocation and killed him. The men fled in a car before Wactor was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to his chest. The suspects, who reside in Huntington Park, Inglewood and cities in LA County, are being held in lieu of $2 million bail. Police carried out search warrants that led to the arrests on Thursday morning and recovered evidence from properties in LA. I cant ask him if hes coming home for Christmas Earlier this month police had asked for the publics help in identifying the suspects and released surveillance images of them and their getaway car. Friends of Wactor pictured earlier this week calling on LA's mayor to do more to find the suspects - AP Wactor, a South Carolina native, portrayed Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera from 2020 to 2022. He also appeared in a variety of films and TV series, including Station 19, NCIS, Westworld and the video game Call of Duty: Vanguard. His agent, David Shaul, said just after Wactors death that he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be. At a news conference earlier in this week, his mother described the feeling of losing him. Grief is my constant companion, Scarlett Wactor said. I cant wish him happy birthday on August 31 he would have been 38. I cant ask if hes coming home for Christmas. I cant ask how his day went. Marco Cuadros, the actors manager, in May described him as a kind soul, a talented actor and an inspiration to those around him Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products on Friday said that by imposing anti-subsidy duties on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), the European Union (EU) could lose Chinese investment in Europe. Chinese enterprises expressed grave concerns over reports that the EU's identification of Chinese EVs as "subsidized" could become an excuse to launch future foreign-subsidy investigations into Chinese companies investing in Europe, the chamber said. It noted that many Chinese auto companies had started or planned to invest or operate in Europe before the EU launched its anti-subsidy probe into Chinese EVs. But since the EU's decision to impose provisional countervailing duties, many Chinese EV enterprises have expressed concerns over the probe and the possible risks of investing in Europe. Chinese EV companies are paying close attention to the progress of the EU anti-subsidy investigations, and will assess the risks of investing in Europe and make investment decisions accordingly, according to the chamber. The China-EU automobile industrial chain is interdependent and has broad cooperation prospects, the chamber said, expressing hope that the EU will proceed with an open and cooperative attitude, cease the investigations as soon as possible, and support comprehensive cooperation in the China-EU auto industry. Volunteers from the Freedom of Russia Legion, who are fighting on the side of Ukraine, are calling on the Russian soldiers to surrender with the possibility of joining the Ukrainian army. Source: Legion Freedom of Russia Quote: "Your political advisers, while sitting it out behind the front lines, strongly recommend that you should not surrender, but rather blow yourself up with your own grenade. But hundreds of Russian soldiers who ignore the criminal order, choosing to live rather than die for a new medal or another mansion for [Valery] Gerasimov [Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defence ed.]. This decision is a healthy alternative to mindless death. We call on all members of the Russian Armed Forces to voluntarily surrender to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as your colleagues did. And for those who have a desire to continue fighting for a proper future for Russia, there is still an option to join the Legion." Details: The volunteers said they were ready to talk to anyone who wished to turn their weapons against the Kremlin. Support UP or become our patron! The Freedom of Russia Legion on Aug. 16 appealed to Russian troops to surrender or switch sides and join the fight "for the normal future of Russia." The statement came amid an ongoing Ukrainian incursion in Russia's Kursk Oblast, with the estimates of Russian captives ranging from several hundred to 2,000. There is no indication that the legion, a unit of Russians fighting on Kyiv's side, was involved in the operation despite carrying out limited cross-border raids earlier this year and in 2023. The unit's statement did not directly mention the Kursk incursion. "Your political officers, sitting in the warm rear, tell you not to surrender but to blow yourself up with your own grenade," the legion's statement on Telegram read. "But hundreds of Russian soldiers ignore this criminal order, choosing to live rather than to die for a medal for some colonel or a new mansion for (Chief of Staff Valery) Gerasimov." The legion called upon Russian soldiers to "surrender to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as (their) comrades did." Those who "want to continue fighting for the normal future of Russia" were invited to join the unit. A source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent that Ukrainian forces captured over 100 Russian and Chechen troops in Kursk Oblast in a single day on Aug. 14, adding it was the single largest number of enemy soldiers captured at once. Ukraine declined to provide a full number of Russian captives taken during the Kursk incursion following the Kyiv Independent's request. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "hundreds" of Russian soldiers had been captured as of Aug. 13, while an undisclosed Ukrainian colonel told The Independent news outlet that the number may be as high as 2,000. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Fugitive killer of one-year-old girl who escaped during hospital trip is recaptured in North Carolina hotel Ramone Alston, 30, has been recaptured at a North Carolina hotel after escaping from custody this week (Orange County Sheriffs Office) A North Carolina murderer who escaped from prison this week has been recaptured, authorities announced during a news conference on Friday. Ramone Alston, 30, escaped from custody while being transported to a medical appointment at UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus around 7am on Tuesday. He managed to break free from his leg restraints, and, while in handcuffs, jumped out of the vehicle he was being transported in and ran into adjacent woods. Police advised the public to stay away from him, saying he was considered dangerous. People make rash decisions at a time like this; hes already made one very large rash decision this morning, Keith Acree, a spokesperson for the Department of Adult Correction, told reporters. Around 2am on Friday, authorities recaptured Alston about 100 miles away at a hotel in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He was taken into custody without incident, police said. The hotel where Alston was captured on Friday (AP) Jacobia Crisp, a woman believed to have helped Alston escape, was taken into custody in Alamance County and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive. Shes since posted bond, officials said. During the news conference, police said they believe a relationship between the two started several months ago. The relationship developed by phone and after Alston was imprisoned. Its not clear what the nature of the relationship was between Alston and Crisp or how they met. Investigators said theyre looking into whether anyone else helped him escape, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said. Alston will be charged with felony escape from prison. Hes been transported to Granville Correctional Center, the most secure unit in the states prison system. There, he will resume his term while waiting for court appearances on the escape charges. He was serving a life sentence for first degree murder in the death of Maleah Williams, who was playing outside with her toys on Christmas Day when she was hit by gunfire. Alston was convicted of the girls murder in 2015. Officials said theyll be reviewing the incident to determine what changes need to be made to the states prison system, if any. Were conducting an internal investigation and an after action review that will identify areas for improvement based on lessons we learned during this incident, said Secretary Todd Ishee of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Authorities offered a $50,000 reward to anyone with knowledge about Alstons whereabouts. Ishee said the department will be conducting an assessment into whether any person should benefit from the funds. Hundreds of law enforcement officials helped search for Alston, using helicopters, canine resources and ground searchers. Ongoing search: According to police, Camron Lee's gray 2023 Honda Passport, last seen entering Mexico on July 10, was found unoccupied in Ensenada on July 19. Authorities believe Athena and Mateo may have been dropped off in Southern California, possibly in areas like Fresno, Los Angeles or San Diego, but there have been no updates on their whereabouts. There are no updates at this time. We are still actively working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to locate the children, a SPD spokesperson reportedly said on Tuesday. The funeral: At the funeral, loved ones paid tribute to Bravo with messages describing her as bold, loving and fearless. Its just been a nightmare. This month has been like a nightmare that I cant wake up from, Bravos mother, Dawn Bodea, told KCRA 3. Her 18-year-old brother, Gilbert, keeps a photo of her around his neck and has a tattoo of her on his leg as he copes with her loss. This is by far the hardest thing Ive ever been through in my life, he said. I really want her to be remembered as the great person that she was and the kind-hearted soul that she is, and that she loved everybo The further we get from the Civil War, the clearer the need to honor Harriet Tubman | Opinion Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery when she was about 27 years old. No one would have blamed her for fading into the background. Instead, she devoted herself to freeing slaves. Even after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, Tubman went south, straight into the red zone, to free slaves. Thats the way author Tiya Miles describes the Underground Railroad heros courage in her new book, Night Flyer, Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People. Miles writes: Against all odds and in the face of recapture, resale, torture, and death, she rescued approximately seventy individuals, multiplied by the number of children they would birth and raise in freedom. Thats a good argument for putting Harriet Tubmans image on the $20 bill. Reading Night Flyer got me to thinking about the so-called Civil War heroes celebrated in the Landmark Books series from publisher Random House that I read during the centennial commemoration of the war. Sixty years later, those young reader books are woefully out of date. The cover of Stonewall Jackson features a dashing Jackson riding into battle. And theres more of the same in the book. The author concludes that Jackson pressed on into the most precious legends of a South which never lost the love of its heroes. He marched, too, into the heritage of a reunited nation which recalls greatness now regardless of whether it then wore gray or blue. Robert E. Lee and the Road of Honor offers a similar point of view. Heres how its author assesses Lees legacy: And most of all, Robert E. Lee represents for all Americans the virtues we so greatly cherish and so greatly need. They are old ones but in our times they seem new. A sense of honor and duty Love of family Pride in homeland Devotion to God. Thats bad history. In Myths & Misunderstandings: Lee as a Slaveholder, a 2017 article posted on the American Civil War Museum website, Sean Kane tells a very different story. He makes clear that Lee had his slaves whipped and, in at least one instance, watched the whipping. Its clear that its Tubman who represents the virtues we so greatly cherish and so greatly need. Tubman exhibited considerable bravery during the Civil War. In July 1863, she provided intelligence and participated in what became known as the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina. Union troops surprised and defeated Confederate forces during that offensive. More than 700 slaves were freed. Miles reports that one newspaper described Tubman as a Black she Moses. Tubman would have rejected that, saying that she was simply doing what God wanted her to do. Years later, Tubman told a visiting friend she had prayed all night because the meal chest was empty. She prayed, Lord send me thy blessing. The next morning, Tubman said she met that blessing a-comin in when a poor blind woman bad off with consumption and her six children came to her yard seeking help. Tubman collected food and clothing for the family from neighbors. Maybe youre thinking that the authors of the two Landmark Books must have been far-right hate-mongers. Jonathan Daniels, the author of Stonewall Jackson, served as press secretary to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And the author of the Robert E. Lee book, Hodding Carter, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and friend and supporter of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. The truth is that the passage of time gives us perspective and the opportunity to be a better nation. The last 60 years have taught us that Jackson, Lee, the Confederates and their miserable cause should be relegated to the dustbin of history. And we should celebrate Harriet Tubman for the great American hero she was. Placing her face on the $20 bill would be a great way to start. Fred Logan is a lawyer in Prairie Village. U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, speaking during a February 2021 news conference. A former employee has accused Nehls of creating a hostile workplace. Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune WASHINGTON A gay former staffer for U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, sued the congressmans office Friday, saying he was effectively forced from his job after a history of homophobic behavior by the lawmaker and his chief of staff. Alex Chadwell, who served as a legislative correspondent and field representative for Nehls from 2021 to 2023, alleged he was subjected to homophobic comments and lost responsibilities after Nehls confirmed Chadwell was gay. The Representative, his Chief of Staff and his Special Advisor all regularly made offensive comments about gay people, directed toward Plaintiff, Chadwells lawsuit said. Considered as a whole, the hostile environment was sufficiently severe and/or pervasive to change the terms and conditions of Plaintiffs employment and it resulted in a constructive termination. Nehls office denied the allegations. "Congressman Nehlss office did not, and does not discriminate based on any unlawful factor," Nehls spokesperson Emily Matthews said in a statement. "There is no merit whatsoever to Mr. Chadwell's claim and the allegations of sexual orientation harassment are totally false. The office intends to mount a vigorous defense in this matter and is confident that it will be exonerated once all the facts are known." Chadwells family was friends with Nehls and Chadwell worked in Nehls Washington office, according to the lawsuit. During that time, he said Nehls chief of staff, Robert Schroeder, often made derisive comments about gay people, including gays go to hell and that men who were not manly or masculine were more likely to be gay. Schroeder also told Chadwell not to engage with gay constituents, according to the lawsuit. Schroeder once said of gay men having sexual relations: I dont mess with that at all I dont like that lifestyle, according to the lawsuit. He also said that the office would not support pro-LGBTQ legislation and also made disparaging remarks about Muslims and Indian Americans. Nehls also made homophobic remarks, according to the lawsuit, which was first reported by Politico, including that the Office did not support gay people. Chadwell transferred to Nehls district office, citing the environment in the Washington office. Chadwell said he would have otherwise remained in the Washington office. The lawsuit said Schroeder encouraged Chadwell to leave the office because he was gay. Mr. Schroeder soon began telling Plaintiff he had no future or growth potential with the Office and should explore other opportunities, the lawsuit said. Schroeder did this because Plaintiff is gay, and Schroeder did not want him working for Rep. Nehls. Schroeder told Chadwell on his last day of employment that his lifestyle made him incompatible with the office, according to the lawsuit. Mr. Chadwell was deeply offended and disturbed that, up until his last day in the Office, the Office continued to isolate, ostracize and harass him because of his sexual orientation, the lawsuit said. Nehls, first elected in 2021 and who represents the Houston suburb of Richmond, is a boisterous character on Capitol Hill. He is an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, often wearing Trump-branded sneakers around campus. He wore a T-shirt with Trumps face to the State of the Union address and went as far as proposing Trump for House speaker during last years vacancy. Disclosure: Politico has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. The full program is now LIVE for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations on topics covering education, the economy, Texas and national politics, criminal justice, the border, the 2024 elections and so much more. See the full program. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to three shootings involving law enforcement officers in a matter of hours late Thursday night and early Friday morning. The first of those shootings happened in Laurens County in central Georgia just before 10:30 p.m. Laurens County deputies say they were called to a home on Sudie Pearl Jones Road, but the suspect, 31-year-old Curtis CJ Purvis Jr., had left. While deputies were talking to the victim, Purvis drove up and hit another car and the victims father. Before he made contact with the father, the deputy shot the car. Purvis then got out of the car, went into the home and stabbed the victim. When he came back out with the knife, the officer shot him. Purvis was pronounced dead at the scene. The stabbing victim and his father were taken to the hospital. Their current conditions are unclear. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Less than an hour later in Brookhaven, police responded to reports of a burglary. By the time they arrived, the suspects and a friend of the homeowner had opened fire on one another, but no one was hurt. The four suspects then led police on a chase before crashing the car. One of them, 19-year-old Albert Eugene Burns, was shot twice by a Brookhaven officer. Two of them, 22-year-old Davion Harper and 18-year-old Tyson Kirksey, were arrested. The fourth suspect managed to get away from the police. Burns is currently in critical condition. TRENDING STORIES: Just after midnight, deputies in Gordon County were also involved in a shooting. They responded to a domestic dispute and when they got there, found a woman with a gun. While they talked to her, she pointed the gun at deputies several times. After one of those instances, a deputy shot her. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." With the 2024 presidential election approaching, the youth vote is under the microscope. This demographicdefined as voters aged 18 to 29has historically been a force of change, and the current group of voters under 30 is no different. Younger voters list climate change, reproductive rights, and the conflict between Israel and Palestine as driving issues for them. This past year has seen a groundswell of young progressive people becoming politically active on their campuses and in their communities. While many of these young progressives are engaged in traditional get-out-the-vote efforts, in recent years, a growing number have begun to question the utility of voting as a means of political engagement and have lost confidence in traditional institutions. In a de facto two-party system in which tangible change seems elusive, many progressive voters under 30 have begun to view the voting process through a lens of skepticism. As the election looms, young progressive voters are concerned with holding Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party accountable for the issues important to them. Ultimately, while young voters on the left are interested in the same goalsequity and progressas older Democratic voters, they are taking different avenues to reach them. While some young people on the left no longer see voting as imperative and are opting out of the traditional political process, others see it as a one facet of a multipronged strategy for change. Whether young progressives are cynical about the traditional voting process or not, its crucial that Democrats take their concerns seriously. Gen Z and millennial voters will soon comprise the majority of the electorate, significantly shaping the political landscape and influencing the outcome of future elections. The demographic under 30 trends to the left, as do its older millennial counterparts. FREDERIC J. BROWN - Getty Images The 2020 election saw about 50 percent of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 29 cast their ballotsan increase from 2016, but still relatively less than other age groups. Young voters cite a myriad of reasons for their disillusionment with voting, including a general distrust of the political system and frustration with the two-party system. A recent poll by Axios found that 60 percent of voters ages 18 to 29 preferred Harris in this years election, versus 40 percent who said they would vote for Trump. While those numbers indicate good news for the Democratic Party, young voters support should not be taken for granted. Nasirah Fair, 23, a youth educator and organizer, says she plans to vote this year, but only for socialist candidates. I do not believe in a two-party system, and am not registered in the Democratic nor Republican party. I plan to vote socialist this year. I dont really believe that a socialist candidate will win this yearbut I would like to help build the strength of the party by using my vote. Fair isnt alone in her skepticism about the usefulness of voting. The main reason my friends and I wont be voting in any federal elections is because I do not believe that any elected officials have earned my vote, says K.T. Merrick, a disability justice advocate, and until I can trust that they will support our ethicstrans rights, gay rights, universal healthcare, affordable housing, universal basic income, police abolishment, disability rights, [and the return of land to Indigenous populations]then I cannot in good faith vote for anybody. Despite this growing skepticism about voting, there are still compelling arguments for voting as a crucial tool for effecting change. Historically in the United States, significant progress has been achieved through electoral means, and voting provides a mechanism for holding leaders accountable and pushing for policy changes. To that end, there are young leftists who understand voting to be one important method, along with organizing and advocacy, to make sure they get the policy changes they want. I see political parties as vehicles for getting agendas done, for getting laws passed and policies made. Voting is one tool in our toolbox for steering the wheel of that vehicle, and helps us set the foundation for what we need to be organizing on, says Anthony Vidal Torres, 29, a communications director for Get Free, a youth-led political movement. Destiny Gossett, 23, a recent graduate in Atlanta, feels similarly. I believe voting is imperative to change being made on all levels of the government. Ive voted in every presidential and primary election since Ive turned 18 regardless of my personal feelings, because voting creates change for more than the individual, says Gossett. Many young voters see this election as a choice about the direction of the nation. I am planning to vote this November because we are at a crossroads. We can either allow the MAGA faction to cement supremacy, hierarchy, and inequality, or we can unite together and elect someone who we can realistically organize under and pressure to repair the harm to make freedom and equality actually real for all, says JJ Briscoe, 23, a student living in New York City. Vice President Harriss last-minute entry into the race, after President Joe Biden dropped out in July, has rejuvenated young peoples interest in the 2024 election. I think no matter who is at the top of the ticket, what will most affect young peoples excitement or disappointment with politics right now, specifically in reference to the Democratic Party, would be whether the party is willing to make crystal-clear to young voters that Democrats are serious about creating real equality and standing up to MAGA attacks on our freedoms, says Briscoe. While there has been a decided vibe shift, it would be unwise to take young voters support for granted. I think people are excited to see a woman of color in leadership, especially one who has openly spoken about restoring reproductive rights, which is one of those key issues on our minds. They are excited to see a leader who is engaged in politics and strategy and willing to do the work needed to fulfill her duty as president. On the other hand, I think people are tired of representational politics and want to know that this is exciting for more than just what it represents, says Toni Moore, 24. Choosing Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate has also helped Harris grab the interest of the progressive youth voting block. With Walzs progressive bona fides on reproductive issues, education policy, and keeping trans kids safe, he has further energized an already excited base of young voters. Of course, the Lefts concern about the usefulness of voting is not new. In his essay Notes on the House of Bondage, written during the 1980 election, James Baldwin said: But, if were to change our childrens lives and help them to liberate themselves from the jails and hovelsthe mortal dangerin which our countrymen have placed us, the vote does not appear to be the answer, either. Countless progressive activists, writers, and thinkersboth young and oldhave spilled ink questioning the utility of voting in a de facto two-party system that offers few options and often results in slow-moving progress, if not outright backtracking on fundamental rights. Todays young progressive voter is equally concerned about both the tangible outcomes of a vote and the moral merits of the act of voting. Ultimately, Black people fought long and hard for voting rightshowever, our most prominent Civil Rights leaders opposed war and genocide, says Fair. My question becomes: Why would I vote for someone who I fundamentally disagree with? Is that authentic to my values as an organizer? And am I willing to compromise my values in order to vote for someone whose actions I find morally reprehensible? The youth vote will shape the future of American politics. We, as voters, and as young people, are the protagonists of this election. Pundits want to make this about whoevers at the top of the ticket, but actually, we are the ones who are going to decide what happens in 2024whether we allow this MAGA faction to bring us back to the 1800s and lock in inequality; or we give ourselves the opportunity to put in place leaders and to push Democrats to be serious about making equality real, says Torres. While the trend of divesting from voting among young leftists represents a significant challenge, it also presents an opportunity to address their concerns and reimagine what it means to be politically engaged. Ultimately, it is up to young people to make their own decisions about voting and participation in the political system. It would be wise for elected officials to meet young voters where they are. You Might Also Like ISLAMABAD, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan strongly condemns the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by extremist settlers led by Israeli ministers, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Friday. This act is a violation of Geneva Conventions and blatant disregard of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding the historical city of Jerusalem, the ministry's spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at a weekly media briefing. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound holds sacred significance for both Muslims and Jews and has long been a flashpoint for deadly violence between the two sides. Police in Brooklyn Center fire tear gas into a crowd of people protesting the police shooting of 20-year-old Daute Wright on April 11, 2021. (Photo by Chad Davis for the Minnesota Reformer) Public safety has proven to be the most difficult governing and political challenge of Gov. Tim Walzs tenure. The pandemic fueled a spike in violent crime, while Minnesotans marched against police brutality after the murder of George Floyd. While most protested peacefully, others looted stores and set buildings on fire, including the Minneapolis Police Departments Third Precinct. That in turn set off a mass departure of MPD officers; crime continued to rise in 2020 and 2021. Vice President Kamala Harris was slammed by Republicans for encouraging people to bail out protesters after Floyds police killing. After she tapped Walz to be her running mate, the Republican National Committee immediately called the duo weak on crime, defund the police liberals who let rioters burn the Twin Cities while Kamala stepped in to fundraise for their bail. To the restive progressive base in his party, however, Walz and state lawmakers havent done enough to reform the criminal justice system. For several years, public safety had Walz stuck in a political vice grip, and events had a way of acting as a tightening turn. Like many Democrats before Floyds murder sparked a national racial reckoning, Walz was if anything pro-police. But after Floyds killing rocked the world, Walz was vocal about wanting to see the four police officers that were involved charged and convicted; nine police groups told him to back off and let the justice system do its work. Amid the rioting and arson, Walz blamed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for the slow response, calling the citys response an abject failure; Frey blamed Walz for failing to take his requests to bring in the National Guard seriously. Former Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka recently told Fox News that The mayor of Minneapolis said to the governor, I need your help. I need the (National) Guard. And thats when the governor just sat on his hands. He froze. He didnt do anything. A 2020 report by the Republican-controlled state Senate blamed both Walz and Frey of failing to act swiftly enough due to an ill-conceived philosophical belief that such an action would exacerbate the rioting. A Minneapolis after-action review by independent auditors concluded city officials didnt follow the necessary protocols to request assistance because the process was unfamiliar to those making the requests. Trump, at a recent rally in St. Cloud, falsely said he saved Minneapolis by calling in the National Guard, even though it was Walz who sent in the troops. And ABC News recently obtained a recording of a phone call in which Trump praised Walz for his actions at the time. Even as Walz has faced criticism for his response to the riots, he was pilloried for law enforcement targeting demonstrators and journalists. Walz took responsibility and apologized to CNN reporter Omar Jimenez after he and his crew were arrested while doing a live television report on the Floyd protest. A spokesman for the Department of Public Safety declined to comment on whether any state troopers were disciplined for their actions during the protests unless the Reformer could provide the names of the troopers involved. Days after Floyd was killed, Walz arranged to have Attorney General Keith Ellison take over the prosecution of the officers; civil rights activists applauded the move. Breaking the wheel of police violence Justin Terrell, who at the time advised the governor and lawmakers as executive director of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, said because the state took over the prosecution, Ellison was able to break the wheel of police violence and convict the officers. At the time, Terrell didnt expect the divided Legislature to do much on police reform, despite heavy pressure from civil rights and anti-police brutality activists. Two months after Floyds death, however, Walz signed a sweeping package of police reforms called the Minnesota Police Accountability Act. The law imposed stricter standards for when deadly force is justified, emphasizing the sanctity of life; banned certain chokeholds; barred warrior-style police training; changed police arbitration rules; required more de-escalation training and reporting on use-of-force; and required that officers intervene if a colleague uses excessive force. Walz called it a critical step toward justice. But for progressives, it didnt go far enough. Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said activists pushed legislation to address police misconduct, but the governors office wasnt interested in real changes. They basically passed some very milquetoast bill that wouldnt do anything to change anything, Gross said. A little-noticed development in 2021 may eventually usher in the most far-reaching changes to Minnesota policing: Walz filled seven vacancies on the Police Officer Standards and Training Board, or POST board, an obscure but important police licensing panel with rule-making authority. He also appointed two more members under legislation hed signed months earlier. Now the POST board can take cops off the street for misconduct even if they havent been convicted of a crime or disciplined by their police department. It remains to be seen if the board will use its authority to prevent the next Derek Chauvin from taking an innocent life. Walz goes hard to protect police station During a 2021 traffic stop, this time in Brooklyn Center, Daunte Wright was killed by a police officer, sparking more protests, this time at the Brooklyn Center police station. Hundreds of protesters lobbed water bottles and fireworks at police. Walz redeployed Operation Safety Net a coalition of law enforcement agencies formed to prevent rioting and looting during Chauvins trial to Brooklyn Center, where they used chemical irritants, less-lethal munitions and flash bangs, injuring protesters, bystanders and journalists. An Asian-American CNN producer was arrested and asked if she spoke English, and a Black New York Times photographer was repeatedly hit by officers, nearly breaking his camera. Walz seemed intent on preventing another conflagration and didnt apologize for the states show of force, bringing condemnation from his left flank again. Civil rights leaders and over 40 progressive political groups called for Operation Safety Net to be disbanded, saying it escalated hostility and retraumatized people already reeling from the police killings of Floyd, Wright and others. Wrights killing came at a tense time in Minnesota history, as the state was wrapping up its case against Chauvin in the Floyd killing. Ellison won a conviction against Chauvin on all three charges in April 2021, relieving pressure on the streets of Minneapolis. That fall, Walz opposed a Minneapolis ballot initiative that wouldve replaced the police department with a new department of public safety, splitting with the attorney general and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and siding with Frey. Voters rejected the proposals and re-elected Frey. Walz pivots, pushes for police funding The metro area was seething with tension in 2021 as carjackers hit nearly every Minneapolis neighborhood; a string of children were killed by stray bullets; and out-of-control street racing left three young people dead. In the spring of 2022, Walz directed state government to help Minneapolis tackle violent crime. Over 10% of state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents were pulled off their cases and redeployed to Minneapolis and the surrounding area. Around the same time, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger began helping target violent crime, carjackings, illegal guns and gangs. Violent crime began dropping as it did in many U.S. cities. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX During his 2022 reelection campaign, Walz pushed for a $300 million infusion of state cash for local police departments. The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association declined to comment for this story, and after remaining neutral in Walzs first gubernatorial race, in 2022 the group endorsed his Republican opponent, Scott Jensen, in front of the burned-out remains of the MPDs Third Precinct. The MPPOA, which represents over 10,000 police officers, wanted more money to help with recruitment and retention as officers fled departments, especially in Minneapolis. Since Floyds killing, the group has gravitated toward Republicans. In 2023, Walz pushed for and got that $300 million for cities, counties and tribal governments to spend on policing. The trifecta passes sweeping reforms Despite fears that the crime epidemic could take down Democrats statewide, Walz was re-elected and Democrats took control of state government in 2022. Newly emboldened, they passed a slew of reforms in 2023, including an overhaul of the states prison system, making it more rehabilitative and less punitive. Prisoners can get out earlier and shorten their community supervision if they participate in rehabilitation programs. Walz signed legislation that legalized marijuana and the possession of drug paraphernalia; limited probation to five years for most felonies (except for homicides and sex crimes); made phone calls free for prisoners; made it easier for people to expunge non-violent crimes from their records; made it easier to get clemency; and invested $70 million in community violence prevention grants. In both 2023 and 2024, Walz signed major gun control legislation, including a so-called red flag law, mandated background checks on private sales, and a stiffer penalty for straw purchases. Still, Walz again disappointed more progressive Democrats when he yanked a murder case from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, a progressive former public defender. She won by an overwhelming majority, Gross said. We want the kind of reforms that shes putting into place, and the governor and attorney generals office are torpedoing those by their constant threats to take away cases that involve law enforcement misconduct So the playing of politics with police accountability has been very frustrating for us. Its just insane what hes been able to get done While Republicans have sought to paint a picture of Minnesota and the Twin Cities in particular as no-go war zones, violent crime in Minnesota remains well below the U.S. average and has fallen sharply since peaking in 2021. Terrell, now executive director of the Minnesota Justice Research Center, said Walz has signed transformative legislation. In a divided Legislature, we got 20 bills passed that made changes to police reform, he said. Terrell is most proud of restoring felons voting rights, overhauling the prison system, and restructuring the state police licensure board. As Terrell points out, the Walz administration was the first state in the nation to enter into a consent decree with a city over discriminatory policing; the federal government typically plays that role, though in the case of Minneapolis, therell be both state and federal monitoring. Its just insane what hes been able to get done in a post-George Floyd political landscape, Terrell said. Obviously, we like to press the governor on some of his leadership, but frankly, at the end of the day, the biggest demonstration of his leadership is the ability to work with the Legislature and the people to get those bills to his desk so that he can sign into law things that make a huge difference. Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Minnesota Reformer maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor J. Patrick Coolican for questions: info@minnesotareformer.com. Follow Minnesota Reformer on Facebook and X. The State Election Board wants counties to post signs outside polling places this November stating U.S. CITIZENS ONLY, a move voting rights groups panned as unnecessary and possibly intimidating to legitimate voters. Republican board member Janice Johnston unveiled a sample sign Wednesday at a meeting of the board. This is the sign, and I think its an easy visual for people to understand anything to help noncitizens from unwittingly violating election law, she said. The board voted 3-1 to email the sign to all 159 counties, encouraging election officials to post the sign at polling locations and election offices. Secretary of State Brad Raffenspergers office had already proposed a similar sign prior to the boards vote, a spokesperson said. The three board members voting in favor of the sign are closely aligned with former President Donald Trump, who thanked them each by name during his rally last weekend in Atlanta. Board Chairman John Fervier, an appointee of Gov. Brian Kemp, did not vote, saying he didnt care either way. Fervier said the board has heard no cases involving noncitizen voters since Kemp appointed him. Im not sure how big of a problem it is at this point, Fervier said. I always worry about people creating solutions in search of a problem. The lone Democratic board member, Tindall Ghazall, voted against the idea. Supporters said the sign is a proactive measure and encourages election officials to uphold the law. It is much more valuable to our entire electoral process to prevent noncitizens from registering to vote or voting than trying to find, investigate and prosecute cases of noncitizen voting, Johnston said. Georgia checks the citizenship status of residents when they register to vote, and voters are required to provide ID before voting in each election. But these safeguards have not stopped noncitizen voting from being a recurring concern among Republicans in the state and among party leaders nationally. In 2021, Raffensperger pushed for an amendment to the state constitution prohibiting noncitizens from voting, even though it already was illegal to do so under state law. And last month, Raffensperger announced plans to conduct an audit to ensure all registered Georgia voters are U.S. citizens, following a 2022 audit showing zero noncitizen voters. Caitlin ODea, spokesperson for the right-leaning voter registration group Greater Georgia, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the signs are a commonsense effort to discourage noncitizen voters. Yet, the Democrat member of our State Election Board voted against it, she said. As the left moves further to the extremes on immigration, it underscores exactly why additional protections are needed to ensure that American elections are decided by American citizens. Since the 2020 general election, when a record number of absentee ballots were cast, Republican state lawmakers have passed several bills intended to secure state elections, including new voter ID laws for mail-in voting. The Republican effort changed the mail-in ballot process, requiring voters to verify their drivers license number when requesting and before sending out their absentee ballots. Voters who lack a drivers license are required to submit additional documentation. Ghazal said shes concerned the signs could perpetuate a myth that noncitizens are voting. The disincentive to vote as a noncitizen is so enormous, because if you vote as a noncitizen, you risk immediate deportation, Ghazal said. Voting rights groups say theyre concerned the sign could discourage immigrants who have become citizens from registering to vote in a state that already has stringent voting laws. These signs arent just unnecessary they also contribute to the harmful rhetoric that has a chilling effect on legal voting among immigrants and can lead to violence. It is becoming clearer every day that the anti-democratic election denial movements goal is to foment chaos this November, including by harnessing racist and xenophobic anti-immigrant sentiment to undermine faith in our elections, the left-leaning watchdog group American Oversight wrote in a statement to the AJC. Georgia man says friends scammed out of thousands of dollars after his Facebook is hacked A Cobb County man says at least 3 of his Facebook friends have given money to an imposter controlling his Facebook page. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< These are good friends of mine, and they trust me, Kerry Jackson told Justin Gray with Action News Jaxs sister station WSB-TV. Jackson reported his page being hacked more than 2 weeks ago to Facebook, but it still has not been resolved. Read: They are failing to deliver: St. Johns County neighbors furious over trash troubles On his Facebook page, Kerry Jackson appears to be helping an uncle sell some high-priced items. Cars, trucks, a water slide, hot tub, things like that, he said. CLICK HERE to read the full story by WSB-TV. Read: Homeowners race to refinance as mortgage rates retreat from 23-year highs [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Georgia officials will give election workers panic buttons to keep them safe amid rising threats People line up to vote in Atlanta, Georgia in 2020. The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved funding to buy panic buttons for election workers amid rising threats against them (AFP via Getty Images) A key swing county in Georgia has approved nearly $50,000 in funding toward panic buttons for election workers this November. The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved the funding on Tuesday as part of a $2.43 million package for the upcoming election presented by the director of the countys Board of Elections and Registration. Now, the Board of Elections has the funding to purchase some 200 devices for workers. The devices are small rectangles that fit in pockets and can be worn on a lanyard, NBC News reports. They can be programmed to send alerts to local law enforcement and can pair with cellphones to transmit the users location. Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid told The Independent they approved the funding to help the Board of Elections keep workers safe. There has been a trust with respect to this elemental aspect of government to ensure that people have the opportunity to vote, Cupid told The Independent. The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved funding for panic devices for election workers amid rising threats against them (Cobb County) Those that are responsible for that process feel a level of concern and possibly even threats that they have not felt in the past, she continued. It is pretty unfortunate. Cobb County isnt the first to use these devices. More than half of Georgias counties use them, NBC News reports. Threats against election officials are on the rise across the country in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, during which Donald Trump and other major GOP players falsely claimed the vote was fraudulent and President Joe Biden did not win the election. At least four secretaries of state have revealed they have received death threats since the 2020 election. Meanwhile, one in six election workers reported being threatened because of their job, according to a 2022 survey from the Brennan Center for Justice. Cobb County borders Fulton County, where Trump is being charged alongside his former attorney Rudy Giuliani and several others over election interference charges. It was there that Trump had his infamous booking photo taken, which has proven to be a massive fundraising machine for his campaign. Donald Trump seen in his infamous booking photo after he was criminally charged in Fulton County (via REUTERS) Giuliani now owes $148 million after he was found guilty of defaming two election workers in Georgia: Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Shaye Moss. Moss has previously said that she has received countless threats and that she is scared for her life. Im most scared of my son finding me and my mom hanging in front of our house, or having to get news at school that I was killed, she testified. Thats what Im most afraid of. Georgia officials rescue dogs from revoked kennel, owner charged with 26 counts of cruelty Authorities arrested a Hart County woman after an investigation revealed numerous dogs being kept in poor conditions at a local kennel. On August 15, 2024, the Hart County Sheriffs Office and Hart County Animal Control, with the assistance of a local veterinarians office and other individuals, began removing a significant number of dogs from the property located at 1158 Knox Bridge Crossing Road. The property, operated under the name Southeast Welfare Animal Service by 67-year-old Deborah Delores Singletary, had its license recently revoked by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. TRENDING STORIES: Singletary has been arrested on twenty-six counts of cruelty to animals and booked into the Hart County Jail. Channel 2 Action News confirmed that while all the dogs from the kennel have been removed, Singletary is allowed to keep three personal animals. The investigation into the conditions and management of the kennel is ongoing. IN OTHER NEWS: Georgia Power electricity bills are high, heres what officials say is happening Georgia Power electricity bills are high, heres what officials say is happening COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) The current increase to the electricity bills comes after a late 2022 approval of Georgia Powers Integrated Resource Plan. This plan was approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission and allows for rates to be increased until 2025. Below is an official statement from Georgia Power about their increased rates. At Georgia Power, we understand that energy costs are an important part of the budget for every family and business. Thats why we work every day to run our business efficiently and keep rates as affordable as possible. We proactively take measures to protect customers from rising costs, including deploying the most cost-effective generation resources, sharing energy-saving advice, increasing both the amount and eligibility of our Income-Qualified Discount, and more. John Kraft, Georgia Power According to Georgia Power, the 2022 Integrated Resource Plan or IRP outlines a transition to more economical and cleaner resources. News 3 spoke with the Tim Echols, Vice Chair of the Georgia Public Service Commission, about the plan they passed in 2022. We asked the power company to take a hit, to take a cut, but its not cheap to run this grid and keep it reliable, especially when were transitioning to clean energy. Echols said. As we transition from dirty coal to cleaner things like nuclear and solar and batteries, its just more expensive. Georgia Power customers are also seeing higher bills as Summer 2024 has had record highs. Echols say once summer rates end, customers can see a drop in their bills. Increases to electricity bills stem from the price of natural gas increasing for the United States. Echols says relief is around the corner. June 1st to September 30th, youve got summer rates with Georgia Power, Echols said. If youre a Georgia Power customer, youre going to see that drop back down after September 30th. Georgia Power and Vice Chair Echols recommend looking into other Georgia Power programs to help with the cost of electricity. For tips to save, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)Recent reports from the University System of Georgia (USG) highlight that Georgia Southern University has made a significant economic impact both on its surrounding region and on the graduates it produces. The USG recorded a $21.89 billion total economic impact from July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2023, while Georgia Southerns annual economic impact has gone beyond $1.145 billion for FY 2023, a 3.4% increase over the previous year and a new recorded impact total, Southern said in a press release. Conducted on behalf of USG by Jeffrey M. Humphreys, Ph.D., who is the director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgias Terry College of Business, the study showed USG over the same period generated 163,332 full and part-time jobs across Georgia, Southern said. According to Southerns press release, there are 3,265 jobs on Georgia Southerns campuses in Statesboro, Savannah and Hinesville. Because of institution-related spending, 6,550 jobs exist off-campus, meaning that a total of 9,815 jobs exist due to institution-related spending in fiscal year 2022, they said. The report also noted that Georgia Southern students spent $417,549,495 in the region in fiscal year 2023. Georgia Southerns record economic impact throughout the region is a direct reflection of the remarkable work being done by our dedicated faculty and staff on all three campuses, stated Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero. As we move into the fall semester with increased enrollment, we remain committed to meeting the needs of Southeast Georgia by developing talent and supporting the Universitys robust public impact research initiative. In a companion study, Southern said that Humphreys found that USG bachelors graduates from the Class of 2023 will earn $1.4 million more during their lifetimes than they would have without their college degree. Based on work-life earnings estimates for Georgia, the report showed that the 72,037 USG graduates from the Class of 2023 can expect combined total lifetime earnings of $220 billion, which is $70 billion more than they could expect to earn had they not graduated college or graduate school. The study shows graduates with at least a bachelors degree will earn $1.4 million more throughout their lives and high school graduates who obtain a bachelors degree will boost their work-life earnings in Georgia by 82%, exceeding the 80% increase estimated for the nation, Southern said in their press release. The average increase in lifetime earnings does fluctuate year-to-year for each graduating class depending on how many bachelors degrees are awarded. If factoring in less-than-four-year degrees for the Class of 2023, the average amount of extra earnings is $911,459. The full reports are available online: USG Lifetime Earnings 2022 and USG Economic Impact 2023 Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers approximately 155 different degree programs serving more than 26,100 students through 10 colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. For the second year, it looks likely that Georgia wont participate in a federal program that helps feed hungry families during the summertime. Summer EBT, also called Sun Bucks, provides qualifying families with $120 for each eligible child in their household. Congress approved the program in 2022 to help feed children who receive free and reduced-price lunches at school during summer break, when schools are closed or have limited hours. But Aug. 15 was the first deadline for states to notify the U.S. Department of Agriculture if they plan to participate next year in Summer EBT, and the governors office has not provided clarity on Georgias decision. On Thursday, it did not immediately respond for comment on whether Georgia submitted a plan. Two communities that could be greatly impacted by Georgias decision about Summer EBT are Black and rural residents in need of food assistance. There have been significant increases in food insecurity really across all demographic groups over the past couple of years, but Black families are significantly more likely to experience food insecurity than white families for sure, and more likely to experience food insecurity than any other large demographic group in our state, said Kyle Waide, president and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Earlier in the week, Garrison Douglas, a spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp, said in an email to Capital B that the state still had concerns around the lack of nutrition standards and fiscal sustainability of the program. Instead, the state will continue to promote its two summer feeding programs. In a separate email, Douglas said that the states Department of Human Services would confirm the states decision on Summer EBT when the time comes. In my mind that means that there are all these children during the summer who have nothing to eat, and, as a mom, I find that unconscionable, said U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath in an interview with Capital B last month after she sent a letter in July to Kemp urging him to opt into the program. McBath, who represents Georgias 7th Congressional District, sent another letter to the governor in August with several Democratic state lawmakers, apparently to no avail. Summer EBT does require that states split half of the administrative costs for the program with the federal government. According to Kemps office, Georgia would need to contribute $4.5 million. In July, the USDA announced grant funding to help states cover those costs, but this doesnt seem to have changed the governors mind. Georgia is one of at least 12 states that opted out of Summer EBT in its first year, according to the USDAs website. By leaving federal dollars on the table, an estimated 1.2 million eligible children across the state will miss out on money next summer that might have assisted in paying for groceries in their homes. It happens as the cost of groceries has climbed by roughly 25% since February 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and as nonprofit organizations are seeing an increase in demand for food assistance. Interviews with food bank workers, farmers, and state officials ahead of the federal deadline outlined the current challenges that families in need face with finding food assistance in the summer. They include transportation challenges, inconvenient mealtimes at feeding sites, or lack of availability of feeding sites altogether. Summer feeding program issues While Georgia did not participate in Summer EBT this year, the state pointed Georgians toward the states existing summer feeding programs. Georgia offers Happy Helpings, run by the Department of Early Care and Learning, and Seamless Summer Option, run by Georgias Department of Education. Both have designated sites where meals are served to school-age children in the summer, and both are funded through the USDA. Seamless Summer Option provided more than 2.5 million breakfasts and 3.2 million lunches, and Happy Helpings served 2.8 million meals in 2023, according to Kemps office. But those who work closely with families looking for food assistance say these programs are not serving as many children as they need to due to accessibility challenges. Danah Craft, the executive director of Feeding Georgia, which is a statewide network of food banks, said that only around 13% of the students that qualify for free and reduced lunch are being served in the summer by these programs. Craft said that many families struggle getting to the summer feeding sites because of transportation challenges during the summer and because some sites have short windows of time for eating or picking up meals. If children have parents who are working or if they dont have transportation to be able to drive to where the location is, theyre not going to have access and the meal times are very prescribed, said Craft. You have to pick up the food, or you have to eat the meals, like between 11 a.m and 1 p.m. So theres a lot of wonderful things about that program its just not reaching enough people. Accessibility issues with the feeding programs are exacerbated by the fact that some counties dont have meal sites available in their communities, and some sites end operation before the summer break is over. Of Georgias 159 counties, 100 had feeding sites under the Happy Helpings program this year, up from 85 two years ago, said Cindy Kicklighter, an official with the Department of Early Care and Learning. She added that some counties missed by that program could still be served by Seamless Summer. According to Feeding Georgia, of the meal sites that dont require registration, 585 shut down in July. Many of those sites were with the Seamless Summer Option. Linette Dodson, the Georgia state school nutrition director with the states Department of Education, said that while the parameters in Georgia for the Seamless Summer Option require that sites operate when school is not in session, the timeline for that operation depends on what resources are available locally with schools. She said that several districts operated for the full summer. Each district determines what they have the capacity to really support because typically this is done by the staff that works throughout the school year, and theres always a lot of work that has to be done in preparation for the start of school when the buildings open back up, said Dodson. Increasing need With access already a challenge, advocates say residents across the state are in need of extra food assistance this year. Ashley Keyes, executive chef for the Center Helping Obesity In Children End Successfully, said nonprofits like her organization, which does pop-up food pantry events throughout the year, have been stretched thin for food resources due to the rise in need for food assistance. Her organization is facing dual pressures. On one hand, more families are looking for assistance. On the other, theres less food to distribute. What weve seen from that is a decrease in the number of families we serve. On average, we served 600 to 800 families twice monthly, Keyes said. Now we serve about 300 families a month. Waide, of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, said hes seen lines lengthen at food pantries across metro Atlanta and in north Georgia because financial assistance programs that were previously available during the pandemic are now gone. So you have fewer resources that are being provided to people at the same time that their cost of living has gone up tremendously, and thats causing more and more people to need help, which means were serving more people than we ever have, he said. The food thats available for us through donated sources and through federal commodities, its just not growing fast enough to keep up with the level of need. Black and rural disparities That level of need has only grown among the ranks of Georgians who are food insecure and also either Black or live in rural areas. Those residents face higher barriers when accessing food for their families, including food deserts and inadequate infrastructure. Black residents are two times more likely to experience food insecurity compared to white residents, Waide said, based on the data gathered by his organization across 29 counties. State Rep. Imani Barnes, a DeKalb County Democrat, said Black residents in some parts of her district often have less access to healthy foods compared to wealthier, whiter areas. That forces many to turn to less nutritious options like fast food or even buying groceries at gas stations, dollar stores, or convenience stores. If thats whats in walking distance, then thats what were most likely to eat. And so what youll notice is hypertension and high obesity is prevalent more in the Black community, said Barnes. Keyes said that limited access to fresh produce due to food deserts, coupled with a history of illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, result in Black communities suffering greatly from food insecurity. It affects our population the most, I say, because of the lack of resources available to our communities, she said. If I go to a grocery store in downtown Atlanta or Buckhead, it looks totally different than if I go to East Point or College Park, just because of what is sold in those stores. Beverly Robinson runs a goat farm in rural Treutlen County, about 150 miles southeast of Atlanta. Its one of the 59 Georgia counties that did not have a Happy Helpings meal site in 2023. The majority of those counties were rural. Robinson said its common in rural areas for there to be only one grocery store, and for that store to be many miles from residential areas. Additionally, lots of people dont have access to transportation, which can lead to inflated grocery prices, she said. When youre in a community where you only have one of something, then price gouging happens because those merchants take advantage of the fact that the people cant go anywhere else, which is a big issue in rural America, she said. Not too late? While the Aug. 15 deadline is set forward by the USDA as a marker for states to help ensure that their Summer EBT program will be able to run effectively, its not the final say. States are required to submit a Notice of Intent to participate in next years program no later than Jan. 1 to the USDA, and it wouldnt be unprecedented for a state to join the Summer EBT program even after these deadlines. Several states, including Louisiana, Vermont, and Nebraska, missed these deadlines in 2024 and had Summer EBT this past summer. Those pushing for the program have not yet lost hope for a possibility of Summer EBT in Georgia. Craft said that her organization is going to continue to work with state officials and present to them their data around accessibility issues to summer meal sites in the hopes of making a convincing argument for why Summer EBT should exist in the future in the state. McBath said that although she doesnt understand the governors reasoning for not participating in Summer EBT, shes determined to make sure that families in the state are being fed. We may never have an answer on why hes chosen to make these various decisions. My goal is just to stay focused on making sure that I am equipping our children and our families to be successful going forward, she said. The post Georgia Is Turning Away Federal Funds That Would Feed Kids Next Summer appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta. HART COUNTY, Ga (WSPA) A Georgia woman is facing more than two dozen charges related to animal cruelty in Hart County. The Hart County Sheriffs Office said they have been investigating Southeast Welfare Animal Service on Knox Bridge Crossing Road. Investigators said the location was licensed through the Georgia Department of Agriculture but that license was recently revoked. Deputies said 67-year-old Debra Delores Singletary was arrested and charged with 26 counts of cruelty to animals. The sheriffs office said they along with animal control removed a large number dogs with the help of a local veterinarians office and others. Hart County Sheriffs Office said their investigation into the kennel is still ongoing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Ambassador of Germany to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff speaks during the debate on the national security strategy in the German Bundestag. Carsten Koall/dpa Russia is currently not ready to negotiate for peace with Ukraine, the German ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, told the daily Bonner General-Anzeiger in remarks published on Friday. "At the moment, the Russian side is not showing any willingness to negotiate but is insisting on exaggerated preconditions," Lambsdorff explained. When Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he is only prepared to talk to Ukraine if it first withdraws completely from all areas that he believes Russia has already annexed - including those parts that Russia does not control militarily, "then it is clear that there is no seriousness behind it," added Lambsdorff, who has been ambassador in Moscow for about a year. The work of the German embassy in Moscow is geared towards being present in order to be able to take action should Moscow's attitude change, he added. "Because one day Russia must also realize that it is achieving far less with this war than it set out to do at the beginning, that it is causing itself serious damage internationally and that it is in a war economy that is completely overheated and will not be sustainable," the ambassador asserted. He added that Ukraine's current advance into the Russian region of Kursk with ground troops has made Russia nervous. For the border guard troops, the secret service, the military, the civil defence force and also the population, it was a nasty surprise that the Ukrainian troops could succeed in such an action. YANGON, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar police have seized over 60,000 kilograms of controlled chemicals in the central Mandalay region, according to the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Friday. Acting on a tip-off, the country's anti-narcotics police raided a house in Kyaukse township of Mandalay on Aug. 13 and confiscated 60,000 kg of caustic soda and 4,500 kg of citric acid monohydrate, and arrested a suspect. Following an investigation, another suspect connected to the chemicals was apprehended on Aug. 14 in Pyin Oo Lwin town of Mandalay. The seized drugs had a street value of 293.4 million kyats (about 0.13 million U.S. dollars), the CCDAC said. The two suspects have been charged under the law, and further investigations were underway. Ambassador of Germany to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff speaks during the debate on the national security strategy in the German Bundestag. Carsten Koall/dpa Russia is currently not ready to negotiate for peace with Ukraine, the German ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, told the daily Bonner General-Anzeiger in remarks published on Friday. "At the moment, the Russian side is not showing any willingness to negotiate but is insisting on exaggerated preconditions," Lambsdorff explained. When Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he is only prepared to talk to Ukraine if it first withdraws completely from all areas that he believes Russia has already annexed - including those parts that Russia does not control militarily, "then it is clear that there is no seriousness behind it," added Lambsdorff, who has been ambassador in Moscow for about a year. The work of the German embassy in Moscow is geared towards being present in order to be able to take action should Moscow's attitude change, he added. "Because one day Russia must also realize that it is achieving far less with this war than it set out to do at the beginning, that it is causing itself serious damage internationally and that it is in a war economy that is completely overheated and will not be sustainable," the ambassador asserted. He added that Ukraine's current advance into the Russian region of Kursk with ground troops has made Russia nervous. For the border guard troops, the secret service, the military, the civil defence force and also the population, it was a nasty surprise that the Ukrainian troops could succeed in such an action. When asked whether the major prisoner exchange between Russia and the West at the beginning of August was a signal of movement from Russia, Lambsdorff told the newspaper that Putin was only concerned with the convcited assassin released from a German prison. "His reception in Moscow made that very clear once again," Lambsdorff said. Putin greeted convicted murderer Vadim Krasikov, who was imprisoned in Germany, with a hug in Moscow. According to Lambsdorff, the exchange was therefore not a sign of a fundamental improvement in communication with Moscow. In December 2021, Krasikov was convicted of the August 2019 killing of an ethnic Chechen born in Georgia in a central Berlin park in broad daylight. A German court found that Russia ordered the murder. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Friday there is currently no cause for concern after the first European case of a new variant of mpox - formerly known as monkeypox - was reported in Sweden. "Mpox currently poses no great danger to our population," the minister said in Berlin, two days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency following the emergence of the new strain, or clade. The Swedish case does not change this risk assessment for Germany and Europe, he argued, as the new strain has so far only been endemic in parts of central Africa. According to the German Centre for Infection Research definition, diseases are considered endemic if they occur in a specific region or population on a permanent basis. The Swedish patient with mpox recently returned from Africa. "Germany successfully contained the first outbreak of the first mpox variant in 2022. Nevertheless, we are continuing to monitor the situation closely and are prepared in case the situation changes," said Lauterbach. Some German states still have mpox vaccines from 2022 in stock, the Health Ministry said, while the German government has around 117,000 doses. Further centralized procurement is not currently planned. FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A German infection expert on Friday called for existing mpox vaccine supplies to be shipped to Africa, where they would have the greatest potential to tackle the disease, even after a case of a new, worrying form of the virus was diagnosed in Europe. "The vaccines that are available globally are urgently needed in Africa, urgently needed in regions where the virus is currently spreading ... so that the people at risk there can build immunity," Leif Erik Sander, a professor and head of infectious disease at Charite, Germanys largest university hospital, told Reuters. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on Friday raised its risk level for mpox, a day after global health officials confirmed the first infection with a new strain of the virus outside Africa, in Sweden. Sander said that further global spread was "bound to happen" because of the connected world we live in, but in developed regions like Europe, the risk of harm was relatively low for now. "With the experience from the past outbreak in 2022, many communities have a high level of awareness. They know the disease, ... we also had vaccination campaigns in Germany and other countries so there might be some pre-existing immunity," the professor said. He said it was paramount to test people with symptoms everywhere and do everything to curb an outbreak in Germany and Europe, but available vaccine doses should be put to best use in Africa, where many regions have poorly developed healthcare systems.The head of global vaccine group Gavi told Reuters on Thursday it has up to $500 million to spend on getting shots to countries affected by the escalating outbreak in Africa. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Mark Potter) (Bloomberg) -- Germany is demanding higher repayments from nationalized energy company Uniper SE for a bailout in 2022, as the state tries to plug a hole in its budget. Most Read from Bloomberg Uniper will have to pay 2.9 billion ($3.2 billion) to the government, thats 300 million more than initially planned, according to a release from the Federal Press Office. Uniper said it had set aside 2.3 billion earlier this year to pay to the government and further increased its provisions in June. The increase is solely the result of better expectations for Unipers results in 2024, a company spokesman said, adding that the payment will be due at the end of March 2025. The exact amount will depend on full-year earnings. Germany stepped in to rescue Uniper after Moscow invaded Ukraine and curtailed gas shipments to the continent. The rescue package was one of the largest in German corporate history, but the company is required to pay back the money as part of a claw-back mechanism set up by the European Union. Earlier this month, the utility said it was able to offset roughly 540 million for canceled payment obligations to Russias Gazprom PJSC against damages it is owed for gas that hasnt been delivered. (Adds company statement in third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) The Gibbs pedestrian bridge dedicated to the late Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss has been delayed. Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs shared that work on the bridge was supposed to start several months ago, but the project has been delayed. We had initially hoped construction would begin around this time this year, but due to some funding issues with the state and challenges with utility alignment and permitting, thats been pushed back about a year, Jacobs said. Obviously, this is a disappointment. Our Engineering folks have been pushing to move forward, but unfortunately, the processes we must follow arent always the most streamlined. Well keep everyone updated as things proceed. VIDEO: Pride of the Southland Band practices march ahead of first Vol Walk The bridge was announced in November 2021. On Nov. 8, 2021, an unveiling and groundbreaking was held for the bridge. Jacobs and County Commissioner Richie Beeler said the bridge would give staff, students and the general public a safe way to cross Tazewell Pike between Gibbs High, Gibbs Elementary and Gibbs Middle schools. Knauss, a Knoxville native who graduated from Gibbs High School in 2016, was one of the 13 soldiers killed during the attack at the Kabul airport. At the groundbreaking, his mother said through the bridge, her son would be able to continue making history by keeping the generations after him safe for years to come. Corryton community remembers fallen soldier two years after Kabul bombing In October 2022, Knox County shared that they received a $1.9 million grant as a part of the states 2022 Transportation Alternatives Program for the bridge. At the time, the bridge was expected to cost around $2.4 million overall. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. GILBERT, Iowa A juvenile was arrested on Friday for allegedly attacking a female with a knife after knocking on her bedroom window in June. During the early morning hours of June 8 the Story County Sheriffs Office responded to a report of an assault in the 100 block of Thompson Avenue in Gilbert. According to the sheriffs office, the victim told authorities that someone had been knocking on her bedroom window for several minutes and she went outside to confront them. When she went outside the alleged suspect attacked her with a knife. The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Pleasant Hill police release more details about body found in Des Moines River On Friday the sheriffs office announced that an arrest has been made in the case. A juvenile male has been charged with the following: Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon Assault Causing Bodily Injury First-Degree Harassment Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Graham Shields Hundreds of millions of years ago, Earth plunged into a deep-freeze that turned the planet into a giant ball of ice. Now, scientists have discovered rocks marking this moment on a remote archipelago in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The rocks, dating to between 720 million and 662 million years ago, provide a rare complete record of the transition between a warm tropical environment and a " snowball Earth ," where glaciers encased the globe. If confirmed, the Garvellachs rocks could be declared a "golden spike" a marker showing a transition to a new geological age. Specifically, these rocks would show the point when Earth moved from the Tonian period (1 billion to 720 million years ago) to the Cryogenian period (720 million to 635 million years ago). "Most areas of the world are missing this remarkable transition because the ancient glaciers scraped and eroded away the rocks underneath, but in Scotland by some miracle the transition can be seen," study first author Elias Rugen , a researcher at University College London's Earth Sciences department, said in a statement . Scientists believe there were two snowball Earth events during the Cryogenian the Sturtian glaciation and the Marinoan glaciation. The former event was earlier and more severe, lasting for around 57 million years, while the latter, more poorly constrained event, lasted between 15 and 20 million years. In a new study, published Thursday (Aug. 15) in the Journal of the Geological Society of London , researchers analyzed layers of rock 0.7 miles (1.1 kilometers) thick, along with another 230-foot-thick (70 meters) layer sitting beneath. A digital illustration of the Earth as an icy, blue and white planet The researchers collected rock samples from two formations on the Garvellachs and analyzed tiny crystals called zircons. Zircons contain uranium, a radioactive element that slowly and steadily decays into lead, so the team was able to determine exactly when the rocks were formed. The researchers found that the lower section of rock formed in tropical waters, when Earth was much warmer. "These layers record a tropical marine environment with flourishing cyanobacterial life that gradually became cooler, marking the end of a billion years or so of a temperate climate on Earth," Rugen said. RELATED STORIES Scientists drill longest-ever piece of Earth's mantle from underwater mountain near 'Lost City' Plate tectonics fired up at least 3 billion years ago, study of ancient rocks in Australia indicates World's largest iron ore deposits formed over 1 billion years ago in supercontinent breakup The zircon dating showed the rocks were deposited between 720 million and 662 million years ago a period that encompassed the transition between the geological periods, from the temperate Tonian and into the Sturtian glaciation and Cryogenian period. In July, representatives from the International Commission on Stratigraphy, which is part of the International Union of Geological Sciences, went to the Garvellachs to assess whether the site is a geological marker. If it is ratified, the site will be marked with a golden spike. "The layers of rock exposed on the Garvellachs are globally unique," Rugen said. Google's planet-heating pollution output is skyrocketing thanks to a push for bigger and better AI, a trend that is affecting tech giants across the industry despite ambitious climate targets. What's happening? NPR broke the news on a sustainability report released by Google, which revealed the company's heat-trapping gas pollution rose in 2023 by 48% in comparison to 2019. This surge was attributed to data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions. Jesse Dodge, senior research analyst at the Allen Institute for AI, told NPR that Google's real goal is to build the "best AI systems that they can." This comes with an environmental price tag, as these centers rely on "bigger data centers all the way up to supercomputers, which incurs a tremendous amount of electricity consumption and therefore CO2 emissions." Meanwhile, the publication reported, Microsoft's carbon pollution has grown by 29% since 2020 due to the construction of more data centers to support AI. Why is this trend concerning? As the world looks to reduce its dependence on dirty energy, which is driving the overheating of our planet, most data centers in the U.S. are still relying on electricity from coal and gas, according to NPR. Meanwhile, these centers are only expected to suck more and more energy from the grid in the coming years Goldman Sachs researched the expected growth of data centers in the U.S., and estimates they will be using 8% of the country's power by 2030. "There [are] a lot of people out there that talk about existential risk around AI, about a rogue thing that somehow gets control of nuclear weapons or whatever," Alex Hanna, the director of research for Distributed AI Research Institute, told NPR. "That's not the real existential risk. We have an existential crisis right now. It's called climate change, and AI is palpably making it worse." Already, we are feeling the impacts of rising global temperatures, including more extreme and dangerous weather across the planet, as NASA reports. For instance, experts are warning that the 2024 hurricane season could see unusually intense storms. Destructive wildfires have also raged across the globe in 2024, from the Amazon to New Mexico in the United States. What's being done about rising global temperatures? Google and Microsoft still hope to slash their share of planet-heating pollution by 2030 Google has plans to meet net zero by that time, while Microsoft aims for negative emissions, NPR reported. In 2022, Microsoft was the fifth-biggest corporate solar user in the United States, while Google came in at 15th, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Still, it is unclear how they will reduce the impacts associated with greater data needs. A number of governments across the world are also striving to reduce their impact. For instance, Tokyo is requiring most new buildings to have solar panels, and a New York law will require all Lyfts and Ubers to be EVs by the year 2030. You can take action by voting for pro-environment candidates who prioritize climate issues. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for banning nuclear testing "for good" in an observance message for the International Day against Nuclear Tests, observed annually on Aug. 29. In the message, Guterres said that across nearly eight decades, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted at more than 60 sites around the world, leaving "a legacy of destruction, rendering lands uninhabitable and creating long-term health problems for people." The UN chief warned that recent calls for the resumption of nuclear testing demonstrate that the terrible lessons of the past "are being forgotten, or ignored." "On the International Day against Nuclear Tests, the world must speak with one voice to end this practice once and for all," he stressed. Noting that the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is the only prohibition on all nuclear testing, and an essential, verifiable security tool, Guterres lamented: "But it is not yet in force." "In the name of the victims of nuclear tests and future generations, I call on all countries whose ratifications are needed for the Treaty to enter into force to do so -- immediately and without conditions," Guterres said. "Let's pass the test for humanity -- and ban nuclear testing for good." Joe Teirab spoke to Republican voters at a debate in Prior Lake's Twin Oakes Middle School on Jan. 18, 2024. Photo by Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer. Republican U.S. House candidate Joe Teirabs anti-abortion views run so deep that he attributes his very existence to anti-abortion advocates. Teirabs mother almost got an abortion when she found out she was pregnant with him. She went to New Life Family Services a Minnesota crisis pregnancy center and by the grace of God they encouraged her to have me, Teirab said during a GOP candidate debate in January. And so now, here I am. And Im on the board of that crisis pregnancy center, and Im honored to do it. I am pro-life, because all life is precious and all life is created in the image of God, Teirab said. Crisis pregnancy centers are medical clinics that seek to deter women from getting an abortion. Teirab, a son of a Sudanese immigrant, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and was both a county and federal prosecutor before running for Congress. Teirab won Tuesdays Republican primary, and he now faces U.S. Rep. Angie Craig in Minnesotas most competitive district. In May, the Cook Political Report moved the 2nd District from likely Democrat to merely leaning that way indicating the race will likely be close again. Democrats immediately broadcast Teirabs previous anti-abortion statements and his New Life Family Services board seat. Abortion remains a winning issue for Democrats, and the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party has painted him as an anti-abortion zealot, even though he has never held public office. Teirab now says if elected to represent Minnesotas 2nd Congressional District, hed oppose a federal abortion ban. In a statement to the Reformer, Teirab said abortion is a state issue. Let me be perfectly clear on this: This is a state issue, not a federal issue, and I would vote against any federal ban or restrictions on abortion, Teirab said. I am personally pro-life with the exceptions of rape, incest, and life of the mother, but that doesnt change the fact that this isnt a federal issue. Anybody who tries to paint my position as the contrary is being deliberately dishonest. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX His opposition to a federal abortion ban, however, would seem to contradict his responses earlier this year to a candidate questionnaire of a prominent Minnesota anti-abortion group. Teirabs answers to a candidate survey from Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life indicate he favors giving the federal government a role in abortion policy. Teirab answered yes in response to a question about whether he recognized a federal role in protecting unborn children and whether he would vote for chemical abortion legislation related to restricting its use, supporting the collecting and reporting of data on complications, or increasing safeguards for women. Chemical abortion is how anti-abortion advocates refer to the common two-drug process for ending a pregnancy. (Medical authorities call it medication abortion.) This method was used in more than 60% of all abortions nationwide in 2023, according to Guttmacher. One of the drugs mifepristone is under legal assault by abortion foes, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that opponents lacked sufficient standing to get the drug off the market. New Life Family Services where Teirab serves on the board operates First Care Pregnancy Centers, which have locations throughout the Twin Cities and in Rochester. First Care on its website promotes abortion pill reversal a practice that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls unproved and unethical. Teirab in the questionnaire also said he would vote against bills that would weaken any pro-life law or policy. Teirab has been an anti-abortion advocate since his college years, when he was the executive director of the Cornell University Republicans. In a 2009 Cornell Daily Sun article, a reporter quoted Teirab about a campus anti-abortion lecture. Teirab told the reporter that I can see where the pro-choice people are coming from, but the unborn have a right to life too, regardless of the conception The government should support women more comprehensively and give women resources collectively. In his statement to the Reformer, Teirab advocated for crisis pregnancy centers and said they should be better supported. Im only here today because of the love and support a pregnancy resource center showed my mom when she was pregnant with me and Im honored to now serve on the board of that same pregnancy resource center, Teirab said. We should be looking for ways to expand health care access for expectant mothers, and one way we can do that is by supporting pregnancy resource centers. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), the chair of the House GOP campaign arm, encouraged members to ramp up fundraising efforts and investment Thursday during a private conference call, as Vice President Harriss nascent White House bid intensifies Democratic enthusiasm. The plea from Hudson, the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), came after the House Democratic campaign arm outraised its GOP counterpart in quarter two of this year, $44 million to $37 million. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) had its best online fundraising day of the cycle nearly $1 million in the 24 hours after Harris replaced President Biden at the top of the ticket. Hudson referenced the GOPs lagging fundraising during the call, sources told The Hill, and asked members to provide more financial support because of the Democrats monetary advantage. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) addresses reporters following the House Republican Leadership Election for the 118th session of Congress on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. I need you to want it, Hudson said at one point during the conversation while discussing the GOPs lower fundraising numbers and the groups hope of growing its majority, according to a source on the call. A second source said the tone of the call was not sounding the alarm, but outlining a clear-eyed pathway to picking up seats in this new reality as control of the chamber remains up for grabs. Hudson gave a broad political update about [the] state of the race for the majority with Harris as the Democratic nominee, the source said. We have a great shot to pick up seats, but laying out the path to how, the source added. House GOP leaders did, meanwhile, pledge more financial support for the NRCC. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who called in from Colorado, a stop on his 20-state swing in the month of August announced he was transferring $4 million to the group, which brings his total contributions to more than $20 million since becoming Speaker, according to a source familiar with the matter. House GOP Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) announced $2 million between her New York battleground fund effort, the NRCC and candidates, putting her at $11 million spent this cycle on expanding the conferences majority, according to a second source familiar. The call for cash comes as Republicans continue to grapple with the sustained momentum among Democrats, which began when Biden dropped out of the race and threw his support behind Harris, surged after she selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as her running mate, and is expected to continue as the party convenes in Chicago next week for its convention. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Republican Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Friday he is launching an investigation into what he says is Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's "extensive engagement with China." The probe into Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate is a sign of what the House Republican majority will focus its attention on regarding the new Democratic presidential ticket in the months leading up to Election Day. Walz was a former public school teacher and served in the Army National Guard before being elected to Congress in 2005 and later becoming Minnesota's governor. Comer, in his announcement on Friday, cited recent articles from the New York Post and Newsweek examining ties between Walz and China -- including comments he made about visiting the nation 30 times, some of which were teaching trips, and a 2016 interview where he said he didn't "fall into the category that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship." PHOTO: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer speaks during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 20, 2024. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/Reuters, FILE) "The CCP has sought to destroy the United States through coordinated influence and infiltration campaigns that target every aspect of American life, including our own elected officials," Comer wrote. "Walz's connections to China raise questions about possible CCP [Chinese Communist Party] influence in his decision-making as governor -- and should he be elected, as vice president," he said. A Walz spokesman shot back. "Throughout his career, Governor Walz has stood up to the CCP, fought for human rights rights and democracy, and always put American jobs and manufacturing first. Republicans are twisting basic facts and desperately lying to distract from the Trump-Vance agenda: praising dictators, and sending American jobs to China. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will ensure we win the competition with China, and will always stand up for our values and interests in the face of China's threats," said Teddy Tschann, a spokesperson for Walz. Comer sent a letter to FBI director Christopher Wray requesting documents and information no later than Aug. 30. A spokeswoman for Democrats on the Oversight committee also criticized Comer, calling his action "nothing more than a political stunt." For the umpteenth time, Chairman Comer shows the American people that his only real priority in Congress is doing Donald Trumps bidding. Rather than tackling issues that matter to Americanslike protecting our children from the epidemic of gun violence, holding the perpetrators of the climate crisis accountable, or even investigating Donald Trump for his own record of selling out the White House to foreign autocrats and turning the presidency into a corrupt money-making enterprise -- Chairman Comer is doing his part to ensure that the 118th Congress will go down as the least productive in history," the spokesperson said. Previously, Comer took the reins of House Republicans' impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The probe stalled as lawmakers failed to substantiate their allegations that Biden used his office to participate in and profit from his family's foreign business dealings -- which Biden adamantly denied. As a congressman, Walz served on Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which was responsible for monitoring whether acts of the People's Republic of China violated human rights. Walz, in the 2016 interview that's been a focus of recent news coverage, said the commission came to be after the U.S. normalized trade relations with China to "try to keep a focus that we'll trade with China but they have to play by the rules both from an environmental, fair trade but also human rights perspective." The FBI did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment on Comer's request. GOP's Comer launches investigation into Walz's 'engagement' with China originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Gov. Sanders calls special convention to fill vacant Republican nominee for Justice of the Peace, District 5 in Johnson County JOHNSON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has called for a convention in Johnson County to fill the vacant Republican nominee for Justice of the Peace for District 5. According to a press release from Sanders, this comes after former nominee, Jeremy Hatchet, formally withdrew from the General Election as a result of unavoidable illness. This creates a vacancy in the Republican nomination for the Justice of the Peace, District 5 position. According to the release, Hatchet was confirmed as the nominee after results from the March 5, 2024, primary election were certified. Now, Sanders is calling for a special convention of delegates of the Johnson County Republican Committee to fill the vacant nomination no later than Tuesday, August 20. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved a ban on the use of software and websites from Russia and other sanctioned countries, the government announced on Aug. 16. Kyiv had already begun blocking Russian services years before Russia's full-scale invasion. Since 2017, platforms like VKontakte, Mail.ru, Yandex, and many websites with the .ru domain have been banned in Ukraine. The new draft law aims to introduce additional types of sanctions into Ukraine's legislation. "Ukrainian companies will not be able to use programs created in Russia or by companies affiliated with Russia. Websites and services that threaten national security will also be blocked," Digital Transformations Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said. The ban will extend to software developed by individuals or companies from sanctioned states, as well as companies with partial ownership by sanctioned countries or those controlled by foreign entities involved in "terrorist activities" or under sanctions, regardless of their country of origin. The draft law also proposes banning access to websites owned by sanctioned individuals or organizations. The bill still requires approval by Ukraine's parliament. "(We) are strengthening digital security and protecting Ukraine from cyberattacks," Fedorov added. Russia has reportedly launched thousands of cyberattacks against Ukrainian organizations since the start of its full-scale invasion. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is gathering evidence on Russian intelligence hackers who were behind last December's attack on Kyivstar, the country's leading telecommunications provider, and will pass the materials to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Read also: Russian phishing campaign targets Kremlins enemies at home and abroad Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) A new law looks to change how forever chemicals are used in firefighting gear. At a signing ceremony on Beacon Hill on Thursday Governor Maura Healey signed a bill into law meant to protect firefighters from harmful PFAS in their equipment which have been linked to higher rates of cancer. Forum in Springfield addresses opioid use in the city This crucial law requires firefighting equipment manufacturers to provide written notice to local, state government, and other buyers if their equipment contains forever chemicals. Currently only gear containing PFAS is considered up to code because of the chemicals thermal stability and water resistant properties. But, national and state firefighter organizations warn that their gear has caused high rates of cancer diagnosis and death among their colleagues. As firefighters, were used to working together, expressed the President of Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, Richard Mackinnon Jr. realizing the importance and the scourge that we face every day with occupational cancer. Massachusetts looks to be a leader on PFAS legislation with firefighter organizations saying this is the strongest legislation in the country. Today, Massachusetts is putting health and safety, and the wellbeing of our firefighters, first by phasing out the use of these dangerous chemicals that cause so much harm to our communities and to our heroes, said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. This issue is particularly prevalent in Westfield where the average PFAS blood level is 3.4 times the national average due to the firefighter foam used at a local national guard base. By 2027 firefighter equipment manufacturers will be blocked from selling or distributing any equipment that contains PFAS in Massachusetts. Olivia Ray is a State House reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since April 2024. Follow Olivia on X @OliviaRayMedia and view her bio to see more of her work. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday he will appoint his former chief of staff George Helmy to take over Sen. Bob Menendez's seat when the indicted senator steps down, as he's expected to do later this month. (Photo courtesy of New Jersey Governor's Office) Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday that he will appoint George Helmy, his former chief of staff, to Sen. Bob Menendezs seat in the upper chamber after the convicted senator steps down later this month. Helmy, who was the top staffer in Murphys administration for five years before departing in September to become chief external affairs and policy officer at RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group, is expected to ascend to the seat after Menendez resigns, as the three-term Democrat is expected to do on Aug. 20. He has devoted years of his life to untangling the red tape of government to help New Jerseyans access the benefits and resources they deserve. From helping veterans to get the health care they need to assisting senior citizens who depend on Social Security and everything in between, George knows how to navigate the complexities of government and make life easier for our families, Murphy said at the announcement in Newark. State law allows Helmy, a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, to serve until the Board of State Canvassers certifies a general election victor on Nov. 20. Murphy said Friday that he intends to appoint the elections victor to the seat after one is certified, giving them a weeks-long advantage in Senate seniority over their newly elected peers. I have never, nor will I ever, seek elected office. As a matter of fact as the governor alluded to, the idea of being called senator bothers me deeply, Helmy said. But our residents deserve a functioning Senate office upon which they can call for help. Our nonprofits and local governments deserve an office that will fight for them for their grants and support them in navigating the arcane maze of federal agencies. Menendez last month announced he would resign after he was found guilty in July of bribery and other corruption charges following a lengthy trial that saw him accused of trading official favors for gold bars, cash, furniture, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible, among other things. The governors decision aligns with Republican calls for him to appoint a caretaker to the seat rather than a candidate. George Helmy is not only a trusted and well-respected leader, hes also a proven public servant who I consider a good friend and an even better man, said state Sen. Tony Bucco (R-Morris). I applaud the Governors decision to follow the tradition of appointing a placeholder and letting the voters have their say this November. Rep. Andy Kim (D-03) and hotelier Curtis Bashaw will vie for the Senate seat in November, and Kim is heavily favored to win that race. Republicans have not won a U.S. Senate race in New Jersey since the state reelected Sen. Clifford Case in 1972. The New Jersey Globe first reported Murphys intent to appoint Helmy to the Senate. Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat who will become the states senior senator when Menendez retires, praised the pick in advance of Fridays announcement. Helmy was previously Bookers state director and an aide to late Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Hes going to be able to hit the ground running and be an impact player in the United States Senate. So Im thrilled with the choice, Booker said at an unrelated event Thursday. By passing over Kim, who faced a bitter primary against first lady Tammy Murphy before she suspended her campaign ahead of Junes primary, Murphy will avert the need for a second special House election this year. Having led Senator Bookers state operations for a number of years, George Helmy knows how to navigate the Senate and can step in immediately to keep delivering services for our state, Kim said in a statement Friday. Thats incredibly important experience with so many challenging issues facing our state and our nation. I look forward to working with him in the Capitol. Tammy Murphy in July said she would not accept an appointment to the Senate seat. Voters in New Jerseys 10th congressional district will choose a successor to late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark) on Sept. 18. Kim would have been required to cede his House seat to ascend to the upper chamber, though that departure would not necessarily have triggered a special election. State law only mandates the governor call a special election for a House vacancy if more than six months are left in the lawmakers unexpired term. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A foreclosure notice published in a Tennessee newspaper in May announcing that an unknown investment firm planned to auction Graceland to the highest bidder later that month sent shock waves through Elvis Presleys family and the Memphis community where the landmark is located. It also sparked a criminal investigation into a well-known fraudster, who claimed that Lisa Marie Presley pledged Graceland as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death last year. On Friday, federal prosecutors detailed what they had found: a scheme to extort millions of dollars from the Presley family by orchestrating a fraudulent sale of 14-acre estate. More from The Hollywood Reporter Prosecutors allege Lisa Findley posed as various individuals affiliated with Naussany Investments, representing to Riley Keough that her mother in 2018 had borrowed $3.8 million and defaulted on payments. She allegedly threatened to foreclose on the property within 10 days. According to the criminal complaint, Findley proposed a settlement of $2.85 million to resolve the loan. The alleged plot collapsed when a lawsuit was filed accusing the investment firm of fraud. A court subsequently blocked a foreclosure sale of Graceland and an investigation was kick-started. I know that Graceland is a national treasure, said Kevin G. Ritz, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, in a statement. This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark. Findley, whos also been known to go by other last names, including Howell, Holden and Sullins, was arrested Friday morning on charges of aggravated identity theft and mail fraud. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years. A 30-page criminal complaint, filed in federal court in Tennessee, details the alleged fraud spanning multiple states and false identities. Findley fabricated loan documents on which she forged the signatures of Lisa Marie Presley and a notary, the complaint says. She then allegedly filed creditors claims in Los Angeles Superior Court and published a foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing an auction of Graceland, among other fraudulently prepared documents. We are now prepared to Foreclose on secured property Graceland and hold Public Auction in 20 (twenty) days, Findley, representing herself as Naussany Investments owner Kurt Naussany, wrote in an email to Keoughs lawyers in April. We have tried relentlessly reaching out and no cooperation. A month later, Findley, this time representing herself as lawyer Carolyn Williams, sent another message stating that it was prepared to hold the auction if the settlement offer wasnt accepted. Bidding takes place May 23, 2024 from 10 am to 12 pm to highest bidder, the complaint says she stated in an email. And when the fake investment firm was sued in Tennessee state court to stop the sale of the estate, Findley wrote to representatives for Presleys family and the media denying involvement in the alleged scheme while blaming Naussany, her other fake identity, prosecutors allege. I myself did not do the loan, although I have known [Lisa Marie Presley] for many years, she wrote, representing herself as Williams. I believe Greg Naussany did the loan process. Greg and I are no longer partnered together. I have ventured out, [s]o whoever is filing paperwork may need to look at documents again. Prosecutors say Naussany then represented that the person responsible for the scheme was an identity thief in Nigeria. Findley is slated to make her first court appearance on Friday to enter a plea. Best of The Hollywood Reporter DES MOINES, Iowa Des Moines Public Schools are 11 days away from welcoming students back through their doors. But even with the start of the school year around the corner, summer construction season is still in full swing, especially around Central Campus. The construction project that is working to turn Grand Avenue into a two-way road, along with 18th and 19th street, started at the beginning of the summer, knowing they were on a hard deadline with school starting in August. Boone accepted into Main Street Iowa program after 2022 rejection Currently, the majority of Grand Avenue is wrapping up, but construction remains on 18th street, where students often park for school. Additionally, neighboring streets downtown have been closed off and on for repaving, which can make it difficult to navigate downtown for parents and students going to and from school. But city engineers working on the project say other than needing to do small finishing touches, they are right on schedule for the school year. From what we believe right now, we think that we should be able to get everything done, said Tom Valch, Deputy City Engineer for the City of Des Moines. There will be some construction in the area. But we believe to get school to function as normally as possible, we think were going to be there. Valch said its also important for students and parents to give themselves extra time to navigate the changes that have been made, saying it takes people about two weeks to get used to a change in traffic flow after a project has been done. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Friday criticized Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for distorting the mainland's punitive measures against separatists. The DPP authorities deliberately confuse the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots with a very small number of diehard separatists seeking "Taiwan independence," and blur the line between espionage activities and normal people-to-people exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, in response to a media query about recent statements from the DPP authorities. Not only do they intend to deceive and intimidate people of Taiwan, but also seek to conceal their intentions of seeking "Taiwan independence" and undermining cross-Strait relations, Zhu said. "We firmly support normal and healthy exchanges between the two sides of the Strait and will protect the legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots in accordance with the law," she said, calling for a safe and healthy environment that enables people from both sides to communicate and interact with each other. Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi addresses a Big Pine Key audience in January 2018. Gastesi was indicted by a Florida Keys grand jury in August 2024, charged with one count of official misconduct. A grand jury indicted Monroe Countys former top unelected official Thursday in connection with an ongoing investigation into stolen drugs from the Florida Keys air ambulance service. Roman Gastesi Jr. is charged with one count of official misconduct, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison, the Monroe County State Attorneys Office said in a statement Friday. The charge stems from alleged actions that took place between August 11 and November 17, 2022, during which Mr. Gastesi is accused of knowingly and intentionally obstructing, delaying, or preventing the communication of information relating to the commission of a felony that directly affected the government entity he served, said Steven Torrence, the State Attorneys Office spokesman. Gastesi, 61, who has worked for the county for 16 years, could not immediately be reached for comment. He technically retired as county administrator in February, but it was really an eight-month leave of absence, and he was expected to return to the job in September, according to the Key West Citizen. The retirement was done so he could receive full compensation from the Florida Deferred Retirement Option Program, the Citizen reported. Monroe County said in a statement Friday that Gastesi has been volunteering his services since February, but the relationship was terminated as a result of the indictment. County operations will continue as they have for the past six months. These are serious criminal charges, and we are taking these allegations very seriously, acting County Administrator Kevin Wilson said in a statement. We will follow due process while we await formal court proceedings. Our first priority is to ensure that the Countys services continue for our residents and visitors without interruptions. The charge comes a week after the grand jury charged the countys Fire Rescue captain, Andrea Thompson, who heads the Trauma Star helicopter program and the countys medical director, Dr. Sandra Schwemmer. They are accused of covering up the theft of medications from Trauma Star by the chopper programs former chief flight nurse, 58-year-old Lynda Rusinowski, in the summer of 2022. Thompson, 45, was charged with two counts of official misconduct, one count of providing false information to law enforcement, two counts of evidence tampering, three counts of witness tampering and one count of altering patient records. Schwemmer, 72, is charged with one count of official misconduct, one count of providing false information to law enforcement and one count of altering patient records. Both women have been released on bond $250,000 and $100,000 respectively. Judge Mark Willson issued a warrant for Gastesis arrest and set bond at $25,000, Torrence said. This case, like the recent indictments of Dr. Schwemmer and Andrea Thompson, demonstrates our offices unwavering commitment to holding public servants accountable for their actions, Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward said in a prepared statement. Mr. Gastesis alleged actions reflect a pattern of misconduct that affects our communitys trust in government, and we are fully committed to ensuring justice is served. Schwemmers attorney, Kader Scull, released a statement Friday saying his client is innocent and cooperating with the investigation. The allegations against Dr. Schwemmer are totally inconsistent with someone who has dedicated most of her career to improving life-saving medical services in Monroe County and throughout South Florida, Scull said. She has fully cooperated with investigating missing medications from the air rescue hangar and will continue to do so. She steadfastly maintains that she has not done any wrongdoing in this matter and looks forward to clearing her name in court. I would encourage people not to rush to judgment on these allegations and allow the justice system to run its course. The county fired Schwemmer and Thompson last week in the wake of their indictments. Schwemmers annual salary was $124,842, and Thompsons was $151,121, said county spokeswoman Kristen Livengood. Schwemmers replacement is Dr. Antonio Gandia, a Lower Keys emergency room physician, Livengood said. Information about Thompsons legal representation was not immediately available, and no attorney is listed on any court filings in her case. She could not be reached for comment. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. Two newcomers to local political office will face off in the Republican primary for the District 3 seat on the Manatee County Commission in the Aug. 20 primary election. Tal Siddique and April Culbreath are asking voters for the chance to represent District 3, which includes Anna Maria Island, part of Longboat Key, part of Bradenton and the areas of Cortez, Palma Sola, Rubonia and Terra Ceia. The seat is currently held by Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge. Van Ostenbridge is running for reelection but switched races with Culbreath earlier this year to run against Commissioner George Kruse for the District 7 at-large commission seat. Both Culbreath and Siddique promise to bring their own brand of conservative values to the countys top governing body. Culbreath, 50, says she brings more life experience than her younger opponent and would focus on cutting taxes and improving public safety. Siddique, 30, says he would be a voice for residents, not special interests, and would focus on infrastructure improvements and economic growth. But the District 3 race has had a considerable amount of political drama to distract from policy debate. Culbreaths history of reprimands during her law enforcement career has drawn scrutiny from local media and would-be voters. And Siddique says that political attack ads sent on Culbreaths behalf went too far, prompting him to take legal action. False attack ads prompt legal pushback Culbreath has engaged Anthony Pedicinis Tampa-based consulting firm, Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) in her election effort. The consulting firm is controversial for its use of so-called dark money to fund campaign efforts and sensational attack ads. All sitting county commissioners have used or are using the consulting firm. In the District 3 race, a political committee with Pedicini registered as chair, The Committee to Expose Fake Republicans, sent out attack mailers with false claims about Siddique. Siddique said he expected political attacks during his campaign. But he said these attack ads included disinformation about his wife, Kristen Truong, who is not running for office. To involve my wife, who has been a card-carrying and very active Republican in our community, is just disgusting to me, Siddique told the Bradenton Herald. My opponent and her consultant are part of a network that runs negative ads and stoops to new lows to attack their opponents to win elections. Especially when they have no message of their own. The ads prompted Truong and Siddique to send cease and desist letters to Pedicinis attorney. An attack ad sent via text message claimed that Siddique and his wife were Democrats with ties directly to the Clintons, and a mailer labeled them Bradentons most liberal couple and claimed that they had just moved to the area. Refuting each of the claims, the letter stated that Truong was born and raised in Manatee County, is a lifelong Republican and has never met, spoken with or been affiliated with the Clintons. The letter further stated all of the claims were false and defamatory and demanded corrections, apologies and/or retractions. A review of public records by the Bradenton Herald found all verifiable claims made by the attack ads to be false. Another cease and desist letter was sent on Siddiques behalf on Aug. 10 in response to a new wave of attack ads from The Committee to Expose Fake Republicans. The letter says that mailers, texts and a TV ad accuse Siddique of stolen valor a federal crime for allegedly falsely claiming to have served in the U.S. Air Force. However, Siddiques campaign materials and interviews have not claimed that he served in the military or holds veteran status. In reality, his campaign has highlighted his work for the U.S. Air Force as a civilian leading software teams. Culbreath discusses record at sheriffs office Culbreaths election campaign characterizes her as The Conservative Cop, highlighting her career of 26 years as a law enforcement officer with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office. Her work history includes time as a patrol deputy and as a detective in property crimes and the Crimes Against Children Unit. But personnel records from her time with the agency show that Culbreath was the subject of numerous complaints and disciplinary actions. Records reviewed by the Bradenton Herald showed that Culbreath was suspended six times without pay for a total of over 880 hours between 2005 and 2012: An 86-hour suspension in April 2005 after an investigation found Culbreath refused to obey an order from a supervisor when she did not show up to conduct an investigation as instructed; A 387-hour suspension in March 2006 after Culbreath was observed dancing in a suggestive manner while in uniform at a wedding reception; A 129-hour suspension in February 2006 after an investigation found that Culbreath likely had multiple sexual encounters with a sheriffs office colleague while on and off duty; A 17.2-hour suspension in August 2009 after an investigation found Culbreath had cursed at a supervisor after being called in to take an assignment while working in the Child Protective Investigative Division; An 8.6-hour suspension in March 2010 after an investigation found Culbreath failed to respond to a call for a missing child and was instead visiting another detective; A 258-hour suspension in February 2012 for conduct unbecoming a deputy. A complaint alleged that Culbreath, while off duty, visited a cosmetic surgery center in Tampa where she had a procedure that she was unhappy with. The complaint alleged that she attempted to take her medical records from the facility without paying, and when an employee tried to stop her she struck him in the face multiple times. Culbreaths record includes a number of other complaints that the sheriffs office investigated and sustained but did not result in suspensions. They include going to a call without being dispatched, failing to preserve evidence, driving a sheriffs office vehicle to her home in another county without permission, failing to properly secure her handgun and misuse of the Driver And Vehicle Information Database (DAVID). Culbreaths most recent reprimand in records provided to the Bradenton Herald came in 2015. Several additional complaints were investigated and deemed unfounded between then and October 2023, when Culbreath retired from the sheriffs office to pursue politics. Culbreath has avoided speaking with local media about her record at the sheriffs office, but she addressed it in an interview with the Bradenton Herald this week. A lot of the things that have been reported are not even true. Anything that I have done thats wrong, Ive paid severely for it and regret, Culbreath said. Culbreath attributed her missteps to being a young deputy but also appeared to suggest that the sheriffs offices Internal Affairs investigators had a bias against women. Her longest suspension came when she was a nine-year veteran at the law enforcement agency. I was 23 years old when I started at the sheriffs office. I was the only female on my rotation. It was a different time in 1997 for women in law enforcement. That definitely played a role in the disciplinary process. Ive learned a lot along the way and Im a different person now, Culbreath said. Who is April Culbreath? Background: Culbreath is a career law enforcement officer, Chair of the Manatee County Republican Executive Committee and the founder of Manatee Countys Trump Train a group that holds large parades and rallies in support of former President Donald Trump. Culbreath was born and raised in Tampa, and her husband Duane Culbreath is a fourth-generation Manatee County resident, she said. They have three teenage children. Goals for first term: Culbreath told the Bradenton Herald that her top priorities include cutting taxes, ensuring the countys public safety needs are met and preserving Manatee Countys small town quality of life. I want to try to get taxes cut as low as we can get them, Culbreath said. And I want to improve traffic and protect our small town quality of life. Public safety is very important to me, Culbreath said. Our county is growing. Getting better flow of traffic is a big priority, but we also have our public safety infrastructure of fire, EMS and law enforcement that we need to expand as well. Culbreath said she would also like to bring beautification projects and better pedestrian and bicycle access to her district. Environment and development: In District 3, weve pretty much developed everything we can develop out here. I would like to make it easier for homeowners who want to add on to their homes with a mother-in-law suite or a room for their child thats coming home from college. Ive heard a lot of folks saying that they have to wait many months to years to get permitting and everything they need to get it done. I think we need to make that more reasonable and make it easier for folks to build where they want to on their own private property. My children will be fifth-generation Manatee County residents, Culbreath said. We are definitely concerned about the environment. Message to voters: Culbreath said she would bring the perspective of a law enforcement officer, a woman and a parent to the county commission. With a career in law enforcement, you learn how to navigate the world in a mature and professional manner. I have more life experience under my belt than my opponent. And most folks with children would agree that being a parent makes you see the world differently. Ive been inside thousands of homes in Manatee County helping people out in their darkest hours. I think that I can bring maturity and transparency and hopefully boost the public perception of our board. Campaign funds and backers: Culbreath has raised over $79,000 in campaign funds, according to election records. Contributions include numerous maximum $1,000 donations from the real estate, development, accounting and agriculture sectors and political action committees as well as many small donations from individuals. Culbreath has announced an endorsement from the Manatee County Fraternal Order of Police. Who is Tal Siddique? Background: Siddique is a software engineer who has worked for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, according to his campaign bio. Siddique has lived in Bradenton for three and a half years, where his wife Kristen Truong was born and raised. Her family helped found Bradenton Christian Reformed Church and the Bradenton Christian School, Siddique said. Siddique volunteers with local groups including the Salvation Army, Bradenton Kiwanis Club and Take Stock in Children. Goals for first term: Siddique told the Bradenton Herald that one of his top priorities is setting a strong ethics standard for the county commission, which he has found lacking in the current board. Its about how they conduct business and about how they conduct themselves in the community, Siddique said. There has been a lot of reporting on decisions that are been potentially outside of the Florida Sunshine Law with key votes such as development projects, the wetlands vote and a number of other votes. Residents have told me they feel like these things have been coordinated behind the scenes. Siddique also critiqued what he says is a level of disrespect never seen before from commissioners towards residents. We have political attacks on residents simply for speaking their minds, Siddique said. Siddique said other top priorities include promoting economic growth and funding infrastructure. Were going through one of the most pivotal moments in county government right now with the review of our Comprehensive Plan. Its essentially the blueprint of how our government will operate in the coming years. We need to work to attract higher-paying jobs and more affordable options for housing so people can continue to work and live in the community, Siddique said. Siddique said hed seek a reduction in the county millage to reduce property taxes and strategically invest in capital improvement projects, including safety upgrades for his district. There are a lot of people running on being conservatives, but oftentimes if you look at their records, they are asking for a massive increase in spending, and theyre not focused on local issues, Siddique said. In the past four years, we have increased our debt and budget. But Ive asked people in District 3, and many of them dont feel the improvements there. Environment and development: Its disappointing seeing the amount of pollution in our water, Siddique said. The entire coastline is in my district, so improving water quality is very important to me. You see the effects of spills like Piney Point and City of Bradentons failing wastewater plant. We need a comprehensive water quality management or improvement plan. You have areas of the county that are on septic and the county refuses to put them on sewer. I would also like to see new development help prevent runoff into the water. I would like to see development that captures and reuses more water. We cant control the discharges from Lake Okeechobee, but we can control the impact of development here. Message to voters: Siddique has labeled himself the grassroots conservative with a promise to voters that he will not accept special interest money to fund his campaign. In Florida, land development firms are donating millions to sway elections at a time when we are undergoing significant development. The money is influencing decision-making and oftentimes hurting residents, because were approving development too fast and we dont have a plan for it, Siddique said. After years of negativity and these consultants trying to fool voters into voting against their own interests, I hope that this is the year that voters can finally see the difference between special interests and everyday residents. I will always look out for the interests of everyday people over special interests, Siddique said. Campaign funds and backers: Siddique has raised over $61,000 in campaign funds, according to election records. Siddique has announced endorsements from former Bradenton City Councilman Gene Gallo, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, Holmes Beach Chief of Police William Tokajer and the Manatee County Republican Liberty Caucus. What happens next? The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker and a write-in candidate in the Nov. 5 general election. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Three days after a raid that the Greene County property owner said was unjustified, the county sheriff has responded. On Tuesday at 3 p.m., Chris Thompson felt his entire home shake. When he stepped outside, he found a Greene County Sheriffs Office helicopter hovering above his property. Greene County Sheriff Scott Anger said the helicopter had been looking for illegal marijuana growing. Dave Chappelle adds 2 Yellow Springs show dates What we did Tuesday was not new, said Greene County Sheriff Scott Anger. The only thing that was new is the law. Anger said that Thompson was not in compliance with Ohios recreational marijuana law, which allows up to 12 plants on a property either stored and covered in a greenhouse or properly secured. A lot of this was about education, said Anger. It was about letting the public know that we do care about these issues. We do care about the quality of life. We do care about the access of marijuana to kids. Were not trying to infringe on anybodys right to do what theyre doing. But we do care about the quality of life, and we do care about keeping control over the issue and making sure that our all of our property owners and citizens are protected. What Ohioans should know for buying recreational marijuana on Tuesday Thompson said that after the search did not find his plants to be out of violation of the law, the officers left with no explanation for the overwhelming police presence. He said more than two dozen officers showed up at his property. Anger said thats standard protocol. When we go into those, we dont know what were going to find, said Anger. Sometimes its a group of people that go from one area to another. So the amount of people there is just for safety. Thompson said the incident was traumatic, and he wants law enforcement and people to advance. Ohio needs to do better. We need to do better, said Thompson. We cant enforce restrictions on things that have already been deemed legal. Making criminals out of law-abiding citizens is not something that Ohio should or should do or condone. What is delta-8? What to know about the alternative THC products and their use by teens Anger attributes the raid to an incompatibility between what Thompson was doing and what is allowed by law. The sheriff said the helicopter scanning for illegal marijuana plants was a yearly effort between his office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, using federal Drug Enforcement Agency funding. The manager of the Village of Yellow Springs said that he has called for a meeting with the sheriffs office to discuss the incident. Anger said that if you have any additional questions, reach out to your local police department or sheriffs office. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) An 18 year old case in Greenville is closed after a jury found the suspect guilty. The Greenville Police Department was called to a home in July of 2006 that had reported burglary, sexual assault and armed robbery. Despite their best efforts, no suspect was identified until 2022 due to advances in DNA technology according to the Greenville Police Department. The cold case ended up resulting in charges for first degree rape, first degree sexual offense, robbery with a dangerous weapon and other charges against Kevin Earl Parker in 2022. This week, a jury found Parker guilty of the charges in the 2006 case investigated by Major Tara Stanton of the Greenville Police Department. The defendant was sentenced to over 54 years minimum to 67 years in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections. Current and former Greenville officers testified with four State Crime Laboratory DNA analysts, as well as the sexual assault nurse from 2006 and the victim. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT. GREENVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) A man with dementia who had been missing was found, Greenville police say. Robert Naylor, 77, had last been seen around 10 a.m. Thursday, after he did not come back to an assisted living facility, according to a release from the Greenville Department of Public Safety. Around 10:45 p.m., Greenville police said Naylor had been found in a wooded area on the north side of Greenville. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, police said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Grill out and connect at Family Missions resource fair WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) The Warren Family Mission is hosting a resource fair and cookout on Friday to grill, chill and connect. Those who attend will explore resources such as employment services, mental health counseling, addiction treatment, free hygiene items, health services and more from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be fun activities for kids, including a bike raffle, dunk tank, bouncy house, cribs for kids, games and prizes. Food will be served from noon to 2 p.m. The event is free and takes place at the Warren Family Mission at 155 Tod Avenue. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. GRPS students get backpacks, haircuts before new term GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A Grand Rapids nonprofit is working to help students have a successful and safe school year. Plenty of community members showed up at Alger Middle School Friday for a back-to-school bash. Eula Logins, who has several kids who attend GRPS, said she knows how tough this time of the year can be for some parents. With school starting so early in the year now, its hard. Especially in the middle of the month, its kind of hard to come together and get everything together, Logins said. LIST: Back-to-school events in West Michigan At Fridays event, kids got a backpack, supplies like notebooks, and even a haircut or hairstyle for free. A backpack giveaway at a back-to-school bash at Alger Middle School in Grand Rapids on Aug. 16, 2024. Free hairstyling at a back-to-school bash at Alger Middle School in Grand Rapids on Aug. 16, 2024. The event was put on by Save A Life A Day Outreach Ministries, or SALAD, a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit that engages young people to keep them on the right track. We always have several different backpack giveaways where I feel like everybody needs to come together as one, SALAD CEO William McFadden said. When we bring people together I feel like its a unity thing. There was also a safety component involved. In May, a 13-year-old student was shot by another just outside of Alger Middle School, a shocking moment for parents. Its very scary, Terria McKinney, a GRPS parent, recalled. Reports show boys movements before shooting outside Alger Middle SALAD partnered with GRPS staff to give out free gun locks to help prevent any similar situations. A gun lock giveaway at a back-to-school event at Alger Middle School on Aug. 16, 2024. We just have to be adults and put locks on our firearms to keep the guns out of kids hands, McFadden said. Thats the thing. We want to change the narrative to let people know that Grand Rapids Public Schools is safe, and if we come together as a unit, we can be here. McKinney said she was glad to see efforts to protect children. Its not a good thing for us to let it keep happening to us, McKinney said. GRPS students go back to class Monday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. FILE PHOTO: A bottle of Zantac heartburn drug is seen in this picture illustration (Reuters) - British drugmaker GSK said on Friday it would seek a dismissal of an upcoming Zantac case in Florida, where plaintiffs alleged that its discontinued heart burn drug had caused prostate cancer. The move followed a Florida court ruling on Thursday in favour of GSK and other defendants. The ruling excluded testimony from experts that ranitidine, the active ingredient in Zantac and generic versions of the drug, was a significant risk factor for prostate cancer in the Wilson case. Other defendants include Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer and Sanofi, which sold the drug at different times. GSK said the Florida court decision echoed a December 2022 federal court ruling which rejected all expert evidence by the plaintiffs and dismissed all multidistrict litigation cases alleging bladder, esophageal, gastric, liver, or pancreatic cancer. In June, a Delaware court's ruling permitted more than 70,000 lawsuits to go forward and allowed plaintiffs to present expert testimony that Zantac causes cancer. GSK is appealing that decision. The majority of the more than 74,000 Zantac cases are in Delaware, and four are in Florida. About five years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked manufacturers to pull the drug off the market over concerns that ranitidine could degrade into a chemical called NDMA over time or when exposed to heat. GSK shares have fallen nearly 10% since the Delaware decision in June. Analysts had estimated total settlement costs for the company of around $5 billion. (Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath) A man was shot and killed at a Glendale strip mall and the gunman was still at large late Thursday night, according to police. The shooting occurred in a shopping plaza in the 800 block of North Pacific Avenue. Officers responded at 8:45 a.m. Thursday to reports of gunfire and a man down, the Glendale Police Department said in a release. The victim, who was not identified by police, died at the scene. No one else was injured. Investigators have not identified a motive, Sgt. Vahe Abramyan told The Times. The victim, in his 50s, was Armenian, a father of two young children and a well-known local music promoter, KTLA reported. Read more: 4 people arrested in the killing of 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor The news station said witnesses believed the attack might have been planned. The shooter, a man on a motorcycle, was waiting for the victim when he arrived and got out of a white pickup truck, one witness told the news station. Police said a suspect had not been identified and asked for anyone with information about the shooting to contact the department at (818) 548-4911. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. FILE - The shadow of presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, founder of the ruling party, Morena, is cast on a screen as he gives his first victory speech at his campaign headquarters at the Hilton hotel in Mexico City, late July 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File) MEXICO CITY (AP) It was strange and surprising when Mexicos most-wanted drug lord landed at an airfield near El Paso, Texas in July, but the story of how he got there is now growing into a scandal that threatens top figures in Mexicos ruling party. At issue is whether Ruben Rocha the governor of the cartel-dominated state of Sinaloa and a close ally of the president may have held meetings with top leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, the main producer of deadly fentanyl that kills 70,000 Americans per year. The saga involves skullduggery worthy of a 1940s film noir, but it threatens to undermine President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors central assertion that, while he refuses to confront Mexicos drug cartels, he also makes no deals with them. On Thursday, federal prosecutors said Sinaloa state officials mishandled evidence in an apparent attempt to cover up the July 25 murder of Hector Cuen, a politician who allegedly helped lure drug lord Ismael El Mayo Zambada to a meeting where he expected to find Gov. Rocha. Instead, Zambada was abducted by another drug lord and flown to the United States, where he was arrested. Zambada said in a letter released by his lawyer that Cuen was murdered at the house where the abduction took place. Gov. Rocha has maintained Cuen was killed by gunmen in a botched robbery at a gasoline station later that day, and he even provided security camera footage of the alleged attack. But federal prosecutors quickly noted something was wrong: post-mortem records showed Cuen's body had four gunshot wounds, while only one gunshot can be heard on the security camera footage, and gas station employees said they didn't hear any. And the feds said Sinaloa officials violated all murder investigation rules by allowing Cuen's body to be cremated. Gov. Rocha denies planning any meeting with Zambada, but in the rest of the dispute over the events of that day, the drug lord's version now appears more credible. The Sinaloa state chief prosecutor resigned on Friday. It appears that what they did in Sinaloa was, as they do frequently, to cover up the crime, said Mexican security analyst David Saucedo. Lopez Obrador acknowledged Friday that there have been contradictions in the case from the very start, and promised to get to the bottom of it. Federal prosecutors have taken over the case and the president said the Attorney General's Office is showing that there are things that don't add up. Gov. Rocha has been a sort of point-man for Lopez Obradors hugs not bullets policy of not confronting drug cartels; his state is home to Mexico's most powerful gang. The governor has accompanied the president on his most controversial trips: the half-dozen visits the president has made to Badiraguato, Sinaloa, the hometown of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. At one point, Lopez Obrador even stopped to chat with Guzman's now-deceased mother. Badiraguato is also where Gov. Rocha was born. The Mexican president's drug policy is based on a series of unwieldy propositions: it's no use arresting drug lords, because new ones will pop up. Lopez Obrador claims high-profile cartel arrests were a policy forced on Mexico by the United States; refusing to continue them is a victory for national sovereignty. The president claims Mexican cartels don't manufacture fentanyl (they do, and top officials in Mexico have admitted as much), and that American social problems, not Mexican cartels, are responsible for the fentanyl crisis. Lopez Obrador says drug cartels are essentially respectful people who respect the citizenry and mostly just kill each other. The only solution to Mexico's dizzyingly high murder rate, he says, is to use job-training programs to drain the pool of potential drug cartel recruits. All those assertions rest on one central proposition that now appears in doubt: that while the government doesn't attack cartels, it also doesn't make deals with them. While nobody has presented any credible evidence that the president has met with drug lords, analysts say Gov. Rocha, a member of the presidents Morena party, did. It isn't a suspicion any more, it's a certainty, said Saucedo. What has become clear is that what the government has is intermediaries who negotiate with the Sinaloa cartel. Rocha has denied meeting or dealing with drug lords. Saucedo notes it would not be the first time that Mexican governors or their relatives have met with drug lords one was caught on video tape doing so in 2014. Zambada's arrest in late July, along with El Chapo's son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, was embarrassing for Mexico from the start, because the Mexican government wasn't even aware of it. But it was Zambada's later account of how he was duped by the younger Guzman who always intended to turn himself in to U.S. authorities and apparently took along Zambada, who had a $15 million bounty on his head, as a prize that has set Mexico's political establishment trembling. Zambada has said that Guzman, who he trusted, had invited him to the meeting to help iron out the fierce political rivalry between Cuen and Gov. Rocha. Zambada was known for eluding capture for decades because of his incredibly tight, loyal and sophisticated personal security apparatus. The fact that he would knowingly leave that all behind to meet with Gov. Rocha means that Zambada viewed such a meeting as credible and feasible. Ditto the idea that Zambada, as the leader of the oldest wing of the Sinaloa cartel, could act as an arbiter in the state's political disputes. Gov. Rocha has denied he knew of or attended the meeting where Zambada was abducted. In an odd piece of political theater, Rocha published the flight plan of a plane that he said took him out of the state that day on a family vacation, and even published a video that day carefully explaining that I am not in the state. But in the central dispute about what happened that day, Zambada's version appears to be more credible. It appears to me that El Mayo Zambada's version is totally more credible, said Saucedo. It all adds up. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Located 20 kilometers southeast of downtown Beijing, Immunotech Biopharm Co., Ltd. is operating at full capacity, producing the company's core product, expanded activated lymphocytes (EAL), a drug used to treat tumors. The drug, as the first cellular immunotherapy product in China approved for the second phase clinical trials for treating solid tumors, is currently undergoing trials at 15 top-tier hospitals nationwide, involving 430 participants of different ages. Founded in 2006, Immunotech is the first domestic pharmaceutical company to develop cellular immunotherapy products. It went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2020. The company's facility is the largest of its kind producing cellular immunotherapy drugs in China, covering an area of nearly 30,000 square meters. Apart from EAL, three more of the company's products that treat blood cancer have also entered the clinical trial stage. Cellular immunotherapy uses the cells of people's immune system to fight cancer. The whole process involves drawing blood from the patient, activating the collected cells to enhance their tumor-killing capabilities, and then reintroducing these activated cells into the patient, said Wang Yu, founder and CEO of Immunotech Biopharm, in an interview with Xinhua. As a supplementary approach for post-surgery treatment, the therapy can be used alone or in combination with other treatments, such as targeted therapy and chemotherapy, according to Wang. Regarding the company's distinctive features, Wang drew attention to Immunotech's individualized products. "The drugs that each patient uses are distinctive, as one person's cells can be rejected by another person's body," she said. Wang highlighted the unique challenges associated with blood sampling, cell production, storage and transportation. To address these challenges, her company has invested significantly in intelligent production, automated equipment and information management to increase efficiency and ensure safety in the entire life cycle. Enterprises have always been the backbone of China's tech innovation, propelling the evolution of new quality productive forces. Marked by innovation and with high quality as the key, new quality productive forces are, in essence, advanced productivity. The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China specifically highlighted the development of strategic emerging industries and cultivation of new growth engines such as next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology. Today, Immunotech Biopharm, which holds nearly 80 core technology patents in key steps such as cell preparation, is constructing a cutting-edge 120,000-square-meter industrialization base in Beijing to boost production capacity. The biopharmaceutical industry is one of the most dynamic and influential sectors of the 21st century. While China entered the field later than others, its growth has been rapid and impressive. According to data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in October 2023, China's pharmaceutical industry had seen its main business revenues grow at an annual average of 9.3 percent since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The broader context of China's industrial and technological advancements further underscores the significance of Immunotech's contributions. The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, where the company is located, has experienced substantial growth, with over 4,800 biopharmaceutical enterprises now operating within its boundaries. "As a disruptive and frontier technology, synthetic biology is becoming a new engine for the creation of new quality productive forces," according to Liu Li, deputy director of the area's management committee. Nationally, China has also made notable progress in the sector. Bi Jingquan, deputy director of the economic committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body, noted that since 2015, China's drug regulatory agency has approved 147 new anti-tumor drugs, with 65 of these manufactured domestically, when attending the Global Health Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia in July. This achievement highlights China's growing influence in global biopharmaceutical advancements and underscores the country's leadership in addressing major health challenges. Peter Guenter, CEO of Healthcare at Merck Group, Germany's leading science and technology company, forecast that many of the next generation's innovative drugs for treating patients in the decades to come would originate in Chinese research labs. Immunotech Biopharm's story is a testament to the broader trends shaping China's industrial landscape. Driven by the country's unwavering focus on innovation, the added value of the large-scale, high-tech manufacturing industry clocked up a robust annual growth rate of 10.3 percent from 2013 to 2023. Accordingly, its global ranking in innovation has increased markedly, while strategic emerging industries have taken a larger share in the national economic output. Looking toward the future, Wang noted that as long as there is continuous R&D innovation, along with sustained and stable investment, the scale of China's biopharmaceutical industry and cell therapy industry will continue to grow and become a significant component of the global market. The United States Department of Justice said a Georgia trucker has been sentenced to federal prison for a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The DOJ also said Roderick Billingslea is being sentenced for operating illegal trucking businesses. U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said Billingslea submitted false documents to get a PPP loan and operated illegal businesses. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In June 2020, Billingslea applied for and received a PPP loan for $564,363 on behalf of Billingslea, Inc. He lied on his application, claiming that he was not barred from operating a trucking business. Billingslea also inflated the number of employees and monthly wages for the business. In April 2022, he obtained forgiveness of the loan by submitting false tax documents with the forgiveness application. Billingslea falsified documents in order to receive PPP funds to operate illegal and unsafe businesses that he was ordered to stop operating, said Buchanan. He has now been held accountable for his crimes. But our offices work continues in collaborating with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who defraud the United States Government, including by stealing funds from PPP and other important programs. According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court included an incident in January 2020, where the Department of Transportation (DOT) ordered Billingsleas trucking business, Billingsleas Inc., to cease all operations due to multiple safety violations. Billingslea was also prohibited from creating any successor trucking businesses. Despite this order, the DOJ said Billingslea filed multiple registrations with DOT for new trucking businesses that listed false owners and fake addresses. TRENDING STORIES: According to the DOJ, Billingslea controlled and operated these illegal businesses by stealing the corporate identities of legitimate trucking businesses. He then employed unsuspecting truck drivers who were unaware that they were hired by an illegitimate business. Billingslea used the drivers until they incurred DOT violations, then he hired new drivers and moved on to another illegal business. Billingslea was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $591,668.89 in restitution and the cost of his incarceration, or $49,770 annually. Billingslea was convicted on these charges on April 11, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records. Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Southern Region, Joseph Harris, said Tuesdays sentence should send a message he encourages people to report suspected loan fraud. Todays sentence should send a clear message that, along with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will tirelessly pursue individuals who compromise trucking safety by intentionally ignoring or circumventing federal orders and regulations, said Harris. We encourage the public to contact OIGs Hotline to report suspected PPP loan fraud or other illegal activities that affect the integrity of DOT programs or operations. Billingslea chose to commit fraud and steal limited pandemic relief funds designated to help businesses struggling to survive, said Frederick D. Houston, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. This case signifies our commitment to protect citizens and businesses from fraud and identity theft. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to prosecute those who abuse these programs. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanitys ReStore in BayTowne Plaza is celebrating its first anniversary with a special sale Friday and Saturday. The nonprofit home improvement and donation center is offering a sale of 50 to 75 percent off donated items. At ReStore, people can donate furniture, lightly used construction materials, clothing, and more. Habitat for Humanity recycles and up-cycles items, and directs the proceeds to help support its mission of bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. President and CEO Matt Flanigan told News 8 what shoppers can find when visiting the BayTowne Plaza location. Its the kind of place you want to come when you have a little time to explore, he said. If youre in a hurry, youll still probably do okay and recognize what were selling is donated products, so its going to change again and again. Come back next week, come back next month, its going to look different then when you were here last. In addition to the sale, all ReStore shoppers are invited to a free cookout from 12:00 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. Hackers might have stolen millions of Americans social security numbers: What you need to know (WWLP) A hacking group claims to have stolen personal information of nearly 3 billion people. It could be the worst data breach in history. 22News has the latest on how you can safeguard your personal data. Millions of Americans privacy and security might be in jeopardy. You can lose everything that is the scary part, I dont know how much recourse there is if someone steals your identity, said Senior Vice President of Investments for Teed Capital Management of Raymond James, Mark Teed. According to a federal class-action lawsuit, an enormous data breach is alleged to have possibly exposed almost every Americans social security number, along with their names and addresses. So once they get your identifying information they can get your credit card numbers, they have machines that will jjust print up the credit cards and just emboss them and just start using them, said Fraud Analyst at Freedom Credit Union, Lisa Pandolphi. She adds they can also create new forms of driver licenses as well. The alleged breach occurred when a background check company doing business as National Public Data, owned by Jerico Pictures Inc. failed to properly safeguard information it scraped in April. A hacker group called USDoD appears to have stolen about 3 billion of its records. I think the governement needs to come forward and say if it is true or not. If it is true I think some action needs to be taken at the national level. Its reported the group offered to sell the data from the US, Canada, and UK on a dark web forum for $3.5 million. They can just start racking up bills against people so just be very vigilant, expressed Pandolphi. You almost need someone who can go into the dark web and make sure that your name is not being passed around for money, added Teed. Pandolphi says the following are the first signs of identity theft: Unexplainable charges on your credit card or debit card statements New cards that you did not apply for Incorrect items on your credit report Medical bills for doctors visits that you did not have Collection notices for accounts that you did not open The best way to protect your personal records is to put a security freeze on your credit reports, which will limit access to your records. What that means is new credit, when your freezing credit, alot of people say you know i dont want to do that because i want to use my credit card but it is going to allow you to use the credit cards you do have now but its going to freeze any future credit unless you want to open it up, explained Pandolphi. If someone tries to use your credit while it is frozen you will be notified by the credit bureau. Pandolphi also says to keep an eye on your credit reports and bank accounts regularly. You are entitled by law to recieve one free credit report at each of the three credit beareaus each year. You can visit annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. According to Pandolphi these are other ways to protect yourself: Monitor your bank accounts regularly Review your online banking is safe Look for any deposits, withdrawls, or charges that you did not make Review your credit reports Review credit card bill statements Do not leave your purse or wallet in your car INever give out your personal information. SS#, account #s or Pins Never give out your online banking username or password to anyone Do not carry your social security card on you Protect your Medicare number like your Social Security number Never give out any personal information if you did not make the call, email or text. Personally know who you are talking to. If you find a disrepancy, report them immediately to your financial intitution, advisor or credit card company. You can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission. This warning comes at a time when the 2025 social seecurity cost of living adjustment is projected at about 2 and a half percent. This is the lowest increase since 2021. Latest Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. About half of SCs 3rd to 8th graders can read on grade level. Math scores are worse. Tests are graded with an A+ and an F. (Photo by Getty Images) COLUMBIA Fewer than half of South Carolina third- through eighth-grade students can do math as expected for their grade level, according to test scores released Friday. State education officials hope to improve scores with a new $10 million program to hire math tutors, improve training and pay for resources. A similar program has helped improve reading scores in recent years, though across the board, test scores are still not where we need to be, period, said Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association. On average, the percentage of students who ended last school year reading on grade level was barely over half, according to the state Department of Education. Students scores on the math portion of the required annual SC READY test remain behind where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, 45% of third- through eighth-graders statewide could perform grade-level math, compared to 2024, when 42% of students met expectations. The scores also worsen the older students get. In third grade, about 54% of students were ready to advance to the next grade level, while only 30% of eighth graders met that benchmark. That leaves high school teachers trying to catch students up to speed, since math skills build each year, said East, a high school science teacher in Rock Hill. Meanwhile, reading scores have surpassed their pre-pandemic levels, though they remain low. This year, 53% of students met expectations in reading, compared with 45% before the pandemic. State education officials have set a goal that 75% of students test on grade level in both subject areas, though theres no longer a year for meeting that goal. Statewide improvement in reading may have come from the Palmetto Literacy Project, East said. Starting in 2019, a clause in the state budget directed the department to set aside up to $14 million each year to hire reading specialists, train teachers and provide more resources to schools with particularly low scores. The department hopes to boost math scores using a similar program. With $10 million in this years budget, education officials plan to hire math-specific tutors, buy better textbooks and resources, and improve training for teachers at schools where at least one-third of students fall in the lowest category of scores. South Carolinas mathematics scores have consistently lagged and remain stubbornly below even anemic pre-pandemic levels, the department wrote as the reason for the program when requesting the money. Whether or not that program proves effective will depend on how the department spends the money and how long it continues, said Patrick Kelly, a lobbyist for the Palmetto State Teachers Association. Math scores are not likely to improve immediately as schools work to implement the program and students learn the skills, he said. Turning around math scores isnt as easy as turning on a light switch, Kelly said. While virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic likely played a role in students low test scores, its not the whole story, East said. In math, which remains below pre-pandemic numbers, part of the dip could come from residual effects of students not learning fundamentals online. But most students should have had the time to recover, East said. Weve been back at school for two years now, East said. I dont know that we should still see scores where they are. Another likely culprit is an ongoing shortage in teachers, she said. The state had more than 1,300 open positions for teachers, counselors, librarians and other education professionals in February, according to a report from the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement. That was down from a record high of more than 1,600 vacant positions when the school year started. As teachers take on bigger classes, students are more likely to miss out on one-on-one instruction, said Kelly, whos also a high school teacher in Richland Two. Other classrooms may rely on a long-term substitute who doesnt always know the subject material or how to teach it, he said. You have large pockets of students in this state that are either in overcrowded math classes or in classrooms without a certified teacher at all, Kelly said. Poorer districts are more likely to feel those effects. Fewer resources often means fewer certified teachers, fewer options for struggling students and larger class sizes, leading to lower test scores, East said. Some districts react to low test scores by requiring more tests, but that should not be the case, Kelly said. Testing often takes away time during which students could actually be learning skills, and the scores are not always an accurate reflection of how well a student is performing. Instead, schools should focus on proven ways to best teach the material, he said. The goal is not to reach an abstract number, Kelly said. The goal is to help each student reach their potential. Students in Fort Mill (York 4) posted the best scores in the state. Across fourth through eighth grades, at least 75% of the districts students could read on grade level, and 76% of third-graders met math expectations. The fast-growing school district just south of Charlotte also posts the states lowest poverty rate, with 21% of students living in poverty compared to a statewide average of 62%, according to state agency data. Some districts improving Between 2019 and 2024, four school districts significantly improved their scores in both math and reading, according to the Department of Education. English: Anderson 2 fifth graders improved 35 percentage points, to 69% proficient Greenwood 52 sixth graders improved 35 percentage points, to 74% proficient Greenwood 50 fifth graders improved 32 percentage points, to 62% proficient Dillon 3 fifth graders improved 24 percentage points, to 51% proficient Math: Anderson 2 fifth graders improved 22 percentage points, to 64% proficient Greenwood 52 sixth graders improved 35 percentage points, to 74% proficient Greenwood 50 fourth graders improved 28 percentage points, to 61% proficient Dillon 3 fourth graders improved 23 percentage points, to 72% proficient Source: S.C. Department of Education Palestinians inspect the damage to the house of Jamil Mazhar, deputy secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which was targeted in an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa A representative of the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Friday expressed reservations about the outcome of the latest round of peace talks in the Gaza war, after the negotiations concluded in Qatar. The Hamas leadership has received updates on the two-day negotiations in Doha, senior official Mahmoud Mardawi told dpa, arguing that the proposals differ from those made by US President Joe Biden earlier this summer. The Islamist movement, which did not attend the talks directly, previously said it would not accept any deviations from Biden's peace plan. Hamas believes the negotiations should focus on ending the war, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the coastal territory, the return of displaced people to their homes, reconstruction and the end of the Israeli blockade. There has been no official statement from Israel on the latest round of talks. A further round of negotiations is planned in Cairo next week, according to mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States. Many of the soldiers buried in the war cemeteries died fighting the Ottomans for control of the Gaza Strip in 1917 Hamas plotted to dig up the remains of British and Commonwealth troops buried in Gaza and blackmail the Government over their return, according to documents uncovered in the war-torn enclave. For more than a century The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), chaired by the UK Defence Secretary and supported by the Crown, has maintained a cemetery in central Gaza containing the remains of more than 3,000 Commonwealth troops from the First and Second World Wars. Many of the soldiers buried there died fighting the Ottomans for control of the Strip in 1917, a bloody conflict that paved the way for the British administration of Palestine. The plot to exhume the remains of the soldiers and hold them prisoner is detailed in a seven-page document, shared with The Telegraph by Israeli officials. They say it was uncovered by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Jan 31 at a compound in Khan Younis linked to Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. The Israelis believe it was written on or around Oct 5 2022, by an unknown official, apparently in response to comments made by the then-prime minister Liz Truss on her desire to move the British Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Demands were to have included at least one of the following: a retraction of the Jerusalem statement, evacuation of the soldiers remains to cemeteries outside Gaza or the retrospective payment of land lease fees for the cemeteries dating back to 1917. If the British government does not meet the aforementioned demands, the Gaza municipality will act to remove all the corpses from the cemeteries and collect them in a special location by judicial order, declaring that the corpses are considered captive until a solution or deal is found, says the document. The British government will find itself in an embarrassing position in front of the British people, its political elite and its military if any country desecrates the corpses of its soldiers. Although the document pre-dates the war in Gaza, the land holding the Commonwealth cemeteries remains under Hamas control and Israeli officials say the extortion threat remains real. The tactic depicted in this document is intended to quite literally terrorise the people of the UK as a whole in order to influence political decisions, an Israeli official told The Telegraph. There is no way to rule out that Hamas will use this strategy or other similar ones to influence external affairs or anything within their agenda in the future. Israeli officials say the document was found in a plastic sleeve among a cache related to the groups dealings with Hezbollah and other international terrorist organisations. It was marked MRaed. [This] is possibly referring to Raed Salim Khalek, head of the Information and OSINT (open source intelligence) department in the Hamas military intelligence directorate, the Israeli intelligence commentary on the document adds. David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, visited Israel on Friday as part of frantic diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza that could prevent the region spiralling into all-out war. Mr Lammy said he was hopeful that Israel and Hamas were on the cusp of a deal as talks in Doha wrapped up on Friday. Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow at the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the document was no obvious forgery but there also no clear indication it was an official Hamas document. I would usually expect a Quranic/Islamic header such as In the name of God the Merciful, he said. The tone used was also flowery and deferential not in itself a red flag, but not what I would expect from a working document. Click here to view this content. The Commonwealth Cemeteries have been immaculately maintained for most of the time since their establishment in 1917 by local staff. However, the team that looked after it was evacuated to Egypt after Oct 7 and it is known the cemeteries suffered some damage in the recent fighting. The CWGC, a non-political organisation that carries out a commemorative role on behalf of the peoples of many nations, said it was shocked and saddened by the revelations. Our sites are places of peace; global reminders of the human cost of war, and we are shocked by the suggestion that either they, or our war dead, should ever be used for political ends, said a spokesman. They added: The CWGC will work with the international community to safeguard our interests in Gaza. We are continually monitoring the situation in Gaza and Israel. We are saddened by the recent damage to the Gaza War Cemetery and Deir El Belah War Cemetery, and when it is safe to do so, we will assess what future repairs will be needed and act accordingly. Its crossing a taboo and a red line By Paul Nuki, Melanie Swan in Tel Aviv and Fiona Parker in London By 1917, the Great War was in its fourth year, but the worst of the fighting in Gaza was yet to come. British troops had been defending the Suez Canal against attack by Turkey, then allied with Germany. But the decision was made in the War Office for several battalions to make a thrust from Egypt towards Jerusalem. The result was carnage. In two major battles in Gaza in March and April, around 6,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers lost their lives in heavy fighting against Turkish Ottoman troops. It would take another nine months for Britain to reach Jerusalem and topple the 400-year-old Ottoman Empire. A British officer wrote of the cost of the Gaza battles in his diary: Lieutenants Allison and Foley with two troops charged a trench and bayoneted 32 Turks, half of whom had put up their hands while the other half continued to shoot. He died as he would have wished, in the midst of battle with his rifle in his hand, recalls another diary of a Commonwealth trooper who was loved by all who knew him. The 2nd Battalion, the Black Watch, behind sandbag defences on the coast near Arsuf, June 1918 It is the graves of these men and thousands of others like them that the terrorist group Hamas appears to have considered targeting in a cynical attempt to extort the British state. By digging up the remains of Britains heroes and holding their bones prisoner, they hoped to influence both the specifics and broad trajectory of British policy in the region, according to documents unearthed in Gaza by Israeli forces in January. By collecting the corpses and not handing them over to Britain until Britain intervenes with the Zionist entity, Hamas would gain influence, the documents say. The Gaza War Cemetery and a second site, the Deir El Belah War Cemetery, also in Gaza, have been immaculately tended by local Palestinians working for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) for more than 100 years. The main site, located just 1.5km north-east of Gaza City, was once approached through a peaceful avenue of trees. Ottoman Machine Gun Corps in the Second Battle of Gaza at Tell el Sheria on the Gaza Line It contains 3,217 Commonwealth burials from the First World War and 210 from the Second. Of the British soldiers who rest there, the great majority belong to the 52nd (Lowland), the 53rd (Welsh), the 54th (East Anglian) and the 74th (Yeomanry) Divisions. Martin Glen, the author of Gaza 1917: First Battle 26 March and Second Battle 19 April, told The Telegraph on Friday he was sickened by the idea that the remains of soldiers of any nationality could be treated in such a fashion. What youre describing, maybe using the bodies of the soldiers as bargaining chips, just cuts me to the core, he said. To actually hear that they considered digging up some of the bodies is so disrespectful, it shouldnt even ever be contemplated. Its crossing a taboo and a red line. The cemetery in 1917 Mark Urban, the former Newsnight diplomatic and defence editor, is among many Britons alive today who have relatives buried in Gaza. His great uncle, Lance Sergeant Walter Holmes, was killed in the Second Battle of Gaza on April 19, 1917, when he was 18 years old. His battalion, the Isle of Wight Rifles, launched its attack with over 800 men from which only 92 returned. They were among 6,000 Allied casualties in a slaughter that rivalled some of the worst scenes on the Western Front, Mr Urban wrote after visiting his uncles grave there in 2009. Paul Whatley, 70, whose great uncle Edward Whatley is buried in the Deir El Belah War Cemetery in Gaza, described the plan discussed in the document as disgusting. Mr Whatley said he took great pride in his great-uncle, who was shot and died from his injuries aged 19 in 1917. He had served as a rifleman in the Hampshire Regiment and Mr Whatleys father, Edward, was named after him. Im disgusted that theyd consider using the bodies of soldiers as bargaining chips. Nothing could ever justify doing something like that, Im horrified, said the retired maintenance worker and father-of-five. Leslie Lloyd Roberts, the nephew of Lance Corporal Robert Edward Roberts, a bugler in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers who was killed in the First Battle of Gaza in 1917, also called for greater respect to be shown to the dead. The retired printworker, 85, told The Telegraph: Im very proud of my uncle. I have sympathy for the Palestinian people and I think they are probably having a very raw deal under Hamas. But this is terrorism, it isnt democracy. At the very least, Hamas should have respect for the dead especially fallen soldiers. The land holding the Commonwealth cemeteries remains under Hamas control. Pictured: Graves in 2014 - Craig Stennett According to the document, Hamas had been spurred into action by the then prime minister Liz Trusss October 2022 statement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York that Britain was considering moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem just as Donald Trump had done with the US embassy five years earlier. If the British government does not meet the aforementioned demands, the Gaza municipality will act to remove all the corpses from the cemeteries and collect them in a special location by judicial order, declaring that the corpses are considered captive until a solution or deal is found, says the document. Looking in from Gaza, Hamas may have perceived the CWGC to be a political institution. His Majesty the King is its Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is President, and the Secretary of State for Defence is the Chairman. The British government will find itself in an embarrassing position in front of the British people, its political elite and its military if any country desecrates the corpses of its soldiers, says the document. In the eyes of the United Kingdom, the cemeteries belong to the United Kingdom and are under the auspices of the British embassies, therefore the evacuation of the cemeteries will not only be an injury to the sanctity of the dead but also to the honour of the British Army. This will lead to the arrival of [British] mediators. Israeli intelligence officials say the extortion threat remains real as the cemeteries are within the terrorist organisations control or could be if a ceasefire is declared and Israeli forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip, as the US-brokered deal being negotiated in Doha and Cairo envisages. There is no way to rule out that Hamas will use this strategy or other similar ones to influence external affairs or anything within their agenda in the future, one Israeli official said on Thursday. The Telegraph has not been able to verify the document, which was shared by an Israeli official, but has checked its translation, which three experts confirmed was accurate. Soldiers stand next to a wrecked British Mark I tank called 'War Baby', in Gaza, 1918 - National Army Museum The timing of the release of the document may or may not also be relevant. It has been released by the Israeli authorities amid a major diplomatic push for a ceasefire and hostage exchange in Gaza, potentially involving the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the renewed spectre of Hamas control. Mr Lovatt of the European Council on Foreign Relations, added: This document should be contrasted with how well Gazans have respected and taken care of Commonwealth war graves including under Hamas control. Were this [plot] to have been implemented, it would have been met with revulsion by many Palestinians, including I suspect within Hamas itself. Israeli intelligences interpretation of the document is that it represents a sophisticated attempt to influence UK policy and give Hamas leverage on several levels. First, it would undermine and embarrass the Palestinian Authority by showing Hamas was taking advantage of every opportunity to support Jerusalem and keep it Arab, Muslim and Palestinian, the document argues. Second, it would force Britain to engage with Hamas, opening opportunities for manoeuvring and bargaining, damaging Liz Truss and putting the small, distant and besieged Gaza on the international agenda. Third, the move will tie Jerusalem to Gaza and position Gaza as the defender of Jerusalem. And fourth, it would open another front with the Zionist enemy through turning British support for Israel into pressure on it. The CWGC spokesperson added: Our sites in Gaza have always been widely respected and have been maintained by a dedicated staff drawn from the local community - indeed one family has more than a century of collective service to our war dead. Although those colleagues have been evacuated for their safety, prior to the current conflict the CWGCs cemeteries in Gaza were a focal point for local people and hugely respected for both their beauty and their historical importance. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Two injured in crash that left logging truck hanging over wall of New Hampshire highway Two injured in crash that left logging truck hanging over wall of New Hampshire highway Two people were injured in a crash that left a logging truck flipped over and its trailer hanging over a wall on a highway in New Hampshire on Friday morning. The southbound side of Interstate 293 near Exit 6 in Manchester was closed to traffic just before 7 a.m. due to the wreck, according to New Hampshire State Police. The truck driver and the driver of a sedan also involved in the crash were taken to Elliot Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Video from the scene showed the trucks cab flipped over and blocking traffic on the highway, while the dangling trailer partially blocked a road below. An investigation revealed that the Toyota Yaris driver, Abel San Agustin Tolentino, 33, of Manchester made an unsafe lane change, colliding with the tractor-trailer driver, Tyler Warner, 24, of Canaan, New Hampshire State Police say. After the two vehicles collided, the Yaris spun out of control. Warner swerved to avoid colliding with the car again and lost control, toppling over the overpass. State police urged drivers to seek an alternate route and traffic was detoured off Exit 6 for hours. It is estimated that it will take several hours to remove the tractor-trailer, state police wrote in a post on X shortly before 8 a.m. The highway was reopened around 1 p.m. Captain Stephen Sloper provides an #update from the scene of the tractor-trailer crash on I-293 SB. #NHSP https://t.co/eHTXdH5Qkj pic.twitter.com/kJW1zE0oMa New Hampshire State Police (@NH_StatePolice) August 16, 2024 #UPDATE: The driver of the tractor-trailer, as well as the driver of a sedan also involved in the crash, have been transported to Elliot Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. https://t.co/KAFPESXeRo pic.twitter.com/P11HVwJxKS New Hampshire State Police (@NH_StatePolice) August 16, 2024 #UPDATE: Traffic is being detoured off Exit 6 on I-293 SB due to this tractor-trailer rollover. It is estimated that it will take several hours to remove the tractor-trailer and cleanup the scene. Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area. https://t.co/lbFN9atOfC pic.twitter.com/wOovmrHlYy New Hampshire State Police (@NH_StatePolice) August 16, 2024 This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW OAKTIE, S.C. (WSAV) Four public officials, two from Hampton and two from Bluffton, have been indicted following investigations by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). The State of South Carolina Fourteenth Judicial Circuit announced the indictments. The Hampton defendants are former Administrator Rose Dobson-Elliott and former Hampton County Deputy Sheriff Justin Edwards. Rose Dobson-Elliott Dobson-Elliott is charged with embezzlement of public funds in an amount less than $10,000. Edwards is charged with misconduct in office and embezzlement of public funds greater than $10,000. The charges stem from his alleged personal use of county funds between April 2019 and December 2022. The Bluffton defendants are Thomas Rauchfuss, a former civilian employee of the Beaufort County Police Department, and Bluffton police officer Bonificio Perez. Thomas Rauchfuss Rauchfuss is charged with obstruction of justice, stemming from his alleged theft of firearm(s) from the department in April 2024. Bonificio Perez Perez is charged with misconduct in office, stemming from alleged assistance he gave to Rauchfuss in the theft of firearm(s). This incident exemplifies the departments commitment to holding officers accountable, the Bluffton Police Department said in a statement. The situation underscores the importance of the Bluffton Police Departments Duty to Intervene policy, which mandates that officers act when they witness another officer violating laws or department policies. Chief Joe Babkiewicz has consistently encouraged all officers to correct improper behavior by holding each other accountable or reporting it. No court date has been set for these defendants. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday slammed Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities that may once again request to purchase weapons from the United States, calling it "nothing more than pandering to the United States and seeking self-consolation." Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query concerning the DPP's plan to purchase E-2D airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft from the United States. The DPP authorities are buying weapons with hard-earned money of the Taiwan people, Zhang said, adding that it is an act of complete betrayal detrimental to the interests of the people in Taiwan. "We firmly oppose any official U.S. interaction and military contact with China's Taiwan region," Zhang said. He urged the U.S. side to truly abide by the one-China principle and three China-U.S. joint communiques, honor its commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence," stop arming Taiwan, and work with the Chinese side to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) As students head back to school, drivers need to be extra aware to keep kids and their bank accounts safe in school zones. According to Ohio law, speed limits drop to just 20 mph in school zones. As school zone speeding laws are in effect to protect children who might be near a road, reduced speed times will vary from school to school, so it is important to be diligent. School zones should be marked clearly with signs indicating the start and end of school zones. If you do not see signage but can clearly see a school, stay on the safe side and slow down. What are school zones? Ohio law defines school zones as the portion of a street or highway passing a school that sits along that roadway, and school zones typically follow school property lines. Some school zones may emphasize their boundaries with lights or flashes, but Ohio law does not require districts to have any special notice indicating when school zones are in effect. School zones can also expand past property lines if there is a crosswalk within 1,320 feet of the school that children use frequently. In these cases, school zones can extend up to 300 feet in both directions of the crosswalk to ensure student safety. Rose Hill Elementary in Reynoldsburg and Annehurst Elementary in Westerville are just two examples of extended school zones, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. According to ODT data, many cities and townships in Franklin and Delaware counties do not have extended school zones; however, drivers should always check for extended school zone boundaries. List: 2024 back-to-school dates What happens if you speed in a school zone? If Ohioans speed in a school zone, they will most likely receive a minor misdemeanor and a citation. Typically, a first or second violation in Ohio is accompanied by a fine of up to $150. If a driver goes over 35 mph in a school zone and it is their first or second speeding violation in a year, they can be fined up to $250. Consequences increase further if a driver has had other speeding violations in the past year, per typical Ohio law. However, school zone speeding violations have a doubled maximum fine, meaning things can get pretty expensive. Generally a third speeding violation within a year in Ohio is considered a fourth degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and fines of up to $250. If a third violation happens in a school zone, fines can reach up to $500. If an Ohioan has four or more speeding violations within one year, they usually face a third degree misdemeanor and punishments that can include up to 60 days in jail and up to $500 fines. In a school zone, a fourth or further violation can cost drivers up to $1,000. Central Ohio native shares how Shawshank Redemption changed his life When are school zone limits in effect? Generally, Ohio law states school zone speed limits are in effect during recess, and when children are leaving or arriving. These times can vary from school to school, and drivers should be on alert whenever they pass a school during the typical school day. Some school zones may indicate specifically when reduced speed limits are in effect, like signs that list hours and days when drivers are expected to slow down. Other speed limit signs may use vague verbiage like when children are present, indicating reduced speed anytime children may be on the sidewalk or trying to cross the street. School zone violations can bring also citations even if drivers do not see immediate consequences. According to Ohio law, officers do not have to be present at the time of the speeding violation to issue a citation. Many school zones have traffic cameras, and Ohio law states tickets can be issued based on traffic footage if the offense is severe enough. Typically, this is any speeding violation of 10 mph or higher above the limit caught by a camera. In a school zone, the limit is just 6 mph over the 20 mph limit, or anyone going 26 mph and above through the regulated zone. Opening date set for food hall and market in Columbus Generally, it is a good idea to slow down when nearing a school, especially during hours that school is reasonably in session. Even if a driver does not see signage, if they can see students they should slow down and stay safe. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Its hard for some to hear, but reality doesnt care if we deny its existence Were adults, and Donald Trump "wins votes by encouraging us to act like children." (Scott Olson | Getty Images) Have you seen The Purple Rose of Cairo? Its an old Woody Allen movie about another movie in which the characters realize theyre no longer bound by the script. Then I dont have to be a waiter, shouts a waiter. I can be a tap dancer, whereupon he gleefully tosses a loaded tray of food aside and breaks into a spectacular dance routine. Hes free, unimpeded by reality. Its the best moment in the movie, because who wouldnt want that freedom? But is freedom, in current Republican terms, any more than the right to declare yourself a tap dancer? Too many of us view reality as malleable. This is the appeal and the danger of Trumpism. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene admits theres no evidence that President Joe Biden stole the 2020 election from Donald Trump but says she still believes it. So do many Republicans, including far smarter ones. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis admits his state may drown if we dont do something about climate change, but hes proposed and signed bills eliminating any mention of it from state law. And Nikki Haley declared during her presidential run that America had never been a racist country, despite slavery, Jim Crow, and the high popularity, no more than 60 years ago, of lynchings. Why does it work? Because reality is a pain. It urges us to act responsibly, which takes effort and thought. If we have never been racist, we have no responsibility to end racism. If there is no climate change, we have no duty to save the planet. Are scientific findings scary? Dont worry, well condemn scientists as leftist conspirators! If we can dismiss refugees from horrible places as criminals and unproductive people, as Trump does, why care about them even though it isnt true? When reputable newspapers print news we dont want to hear, declare it fake and move on. And we didnt need to protect ourselves from COVID since it didnt really kill a million Americans despite what that evil Dr. Anthony Fauci says. But reality doesnt care if we deny its existence. The climate will get more deadly. Future pandemics will be unimpeded. The world will grow more awful and vastly more refugees will flee to our shores. And refusal, without evidence, to accept election results will destroy democracy. You can understand reality denial if youve ever watched kids play ball: You cheated! yell the losers. This is understandable for 8-year-olds. But were adults, and Trump, our child-in-chief, wins votes by encouraging us to act like children. Id like to be tall. Im not, and I cant tap dance. I dont like it but I know I cant change it. This is part of being a grown-up. Lets be grown-ups, folks. Embrace reality. The Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, visits a campaign office on Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (Andrew Harnik | Getty Images) WASHINGTON Democratic and left-leaning youth organizing groups have seized on a new opportunity to rally younger voters now that Vice President Kamala Harris is their partys presidential nominee. Young adult voters including millions of Gen Zers could be pivotal in determining the outcome of the race in which the 59-year-old Democrat vies for the Oval Office against former President Donald Trump, 78, the GOP presidential nominee. Members of Gen Z eligible to vote are 18 to 27 years old this year. These groups say young voters are excited to possibly elect someone who more closely represents their demographics, as Harris would be the first woman to serve as president, the second Black president and the first president of South Asian descent. About 45% of the Gen Z generation eligible to vote are young people of color, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University. Democrats nominated Harris after President Joe Biden, 81, gave up his reelection bid following a disastrous performance in a June 27 debate and intense pressure on him to drop out. The organizing groups are also highlighting Harris connection with young people on issues that have historically been important to this demographic, such as protecting reproductive rights and climate action. Battleground states With less than three months to go until Election Day, these groups are in full swing as they target battleground states in which the presidential contest has historically been particularly close and utilize their state and local chapters for youth voter outreach. Kati Durkin, western vice president of Young Democrats of America, said they have a pretty targeted campaign plan that narrows in on traditional swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to reach out to YDA members in those states and help members contact their peers. Were really looking at: How do we mobilize the young vote using our network of chartered units across the country? So how do we get in there and go tell folks on a college campus in Nevada, Hey, heres how you register to vote, heres why voting is so important and heres why were really excited about Vice President Harris? YDA, directly affiliated with the Democratic Party, is the largest youth-led, partisan political organization in the country and has over 20,000 members across all 50 states. Durkin said the group makes sure that as our folks on the ground are doing the work, we are bringing in the people from the Washingtons and the New Yorks of the country and getting them to help make calls in a state like Nevada, but also making sure that, as the DNC does youth-targeted outreach, were bringing our members to that, were helping with that infrastructure. Similarly, College Democrats of America the official collegiate arm of the Democratic National Committee communicates with its local chapters that are working on the ground in their respective areas to get out the vote. Weve seen a lot of local organizations really do a lot of heavy lifting, especially in districts that might be historically red, to get the youth vote out, make sure that people on their campuses or in their states are actively registered to vote (and) are excited about voting, Gia Iyer, deputy communications director for CDA, told States Newsroom. CDA is also collaborating with other youth organizations to get their messaging spread beyond the confines of who their individual accounts follow on social media. Its a lot of just outreach and making sure that we can get as many young people to be excited about this election, Iyer said. Youth and advocacy groups unite behind Harris Shortly after Harris announced her intent to win the Democratic nomination, a coalition of youth organizing groups, including YDA and CDA, endorsed Harris. As a champion of reproductive freedom, climate action, economic justice, and gun violence prevention, Vice President Harris is uniquely equipped to build a coalition of young voters who will lead her to victory, 17 youth and advocacy groups said in a late July statement. The organizations highlighted Harris historic presidency if elected, as she would be the first woman, first Asian American, and second Black president. As members of the most diverse generation in our nations history, a Kamala Harris presidency would be one in which we see ourselves, the coalition said. Volunteer sign-ups Voters of Tomorrow one of those 17 organizing groups backing Harris had more people apply to join its chapter network and more volunteer sign-ups in the three days after Harris announcement than it did in the two months prior. The left-leaning organization aims to increase youth voter turnout and has a chapter network across more than 20 states. Part of the groups key efforts, according to deputy press secretary Jessica Siles, include running an organizing boot camp to train young people and having weekly text banks and phone banks. Siles said the groups chapter network will also be organizing on different college campuses, whether thats voter registration drives or town halls with local candidates, just trying to meet young people where theyre at, whether thats on a campus or online, and trying to get them the resources they need to protect our future. Recent polling shows Harris holding a lead over Trump, particularly among young voters. In a Morning Consult poll conducted Aug. 9-11, 48% of voters ages 18-34 say they would choose Harris, compared to 41% who would pick Trump. Durkin of YDA said not only is [Harris] the right candidate for the job, but she has generated so much excitement. I have not seen it in years, I mean just this morning, my friend was texting me: Is this what hope feels like? Harris is somebody that has put her effort, historically, into backing up her values, which are our values, and showing up for young people, and I think that is a lot of whats generating this excitement, Durkin added. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, whom Harris tapped to be her running mate, has also generated enthusiasm from young voters. Iyer of CDA said Harris is really catering to a younger, more progressive audience, which is great, adding that Walz, himself, is an incredible governor whos done great things for people across his state, and its just a really great combination to see someone who actually is advocating for issues that matter to young Democrats, like the members of CDA. Uncommitted voters Though Harris is gaining momentum among young voters, pro-Palestinian organizers are putting pressure on both the Biden administration and Harris, as she campaigns for the presidency, to enact an arms embargo on Israel. Its not yet clear how much of an effect opposition to the Israel-Hamas war may have on turnout among young Democrats. The Not Another Bomb national campaign is the latest initiative from the Uncommitted National Movement, where a wide swath of organizers, including young and progressive voters, have protested Bidens policies regarding the Israel-Hamas war. Organizers are urging Harris to shift away from President Bidens disastrous policy on Gaza, saying a call for a ceasefire and arms embargo is a moral and human imperative. Activists are also holding a Not Another Bomb Day of Action, with rallies across the country during the weekend leading up to the Democratic National Convention. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Harris campaign knocks Trump for saying civilian honor is better than Medal of Honor Harris campaign knocks Trump for saying civilian honor is better than Medal of Honor Vice President Harriss campaign knocked former President Trump for his assertion that a civilian honor was better than the highest military honor, arguing that he knows nothing about service. Trump, at his Thursday press conference in New Jersey, said the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a civilian award, is the equivalent of the congressional Medal of Honor, adding that the civilian version is actually much better. Everyone [who] gets the congressional Medal of Honor, theyre soldiers. Theyre either in very bad shape because theyve been hit so many times by bullets or theyre dead, the former president added. Harris spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement that voters owe it to our service members to not elect Trump in November. Donald Trump knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself. For him to insult Medal of Honor recipients, just as he has previously attacked Gold Star families, mocked prisoners of war, and referred to those who lost their lives in service to our country as suckers and losers, should remind all Americans that we owe it to our service members, our country, and our future to make sure Donald Trump is never our nations commander in chief again, she said. The Biden campaign, and now Harris campaign, hit Trump previously for his rhetoric on veterans, highlighting that Trump in 2018 reportedly referred to American veterans buried in France as losers and suckers. Trump has denied making the suckers remark, though it was later confirmed by his former chief of staff John Kelly. Military service has become more of a hot button topic in the presidential campaign, after Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) attacked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) over his military record. Walz, who served in the Army National Guard, this week said no ones record should be denigrated after Vance, a Marine veteran, suggested that Walz has been insincere about his military background. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Vice President Harris is in the middle of a fight between major Democratic donors and progressive activists who want to rein in Big Tech companies whose business practices have become a political lightning rod. Big donors are pressuring Harris to replace Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan, who has led the Biden administrations antitrust agenda. But progressives warn that Harris will face a furious response from the partys left wing if she pushes Khan out from the FTC or pulls support from the agencys aggressive efforts to block what it views as anticompetitive mergers. Tech figures as well as general Wall Street mergers and acquisitions people are definitely applying as much pressure as they can on Harris, said Jeff Hauser, the founder and executive director of the Revolving Door Project, a group that scrutinizes executive branch appointees to counteract the influence of corporate America on the rulemaking process. Reining in the people like Lina Khan and [Assistant Attorney General] Jonathan Kanter who have a strong reputation taking on corporate price gouging would be extremely off-message for Harris, he said. Hauser warned Harris would face a strong backlash from the left if she lets big donors push Khan and other officials leading efforts to crack down on Big Tech out of power. It would be furious. Khan is considered to be one of the best decisions that Joe Biden has made as president. She has turned around an agency that had been dormant for almost half a century, he said. They are beginning to get some wins in court. Theyre also deterring a bunch of mergers that would have otherwise been initiated but for the FTC being on the beat. A spokesperson for the Harris campaign declined to comment on possible personnel decisions if she is elected. In a letter to a GOP lawmaker last year, Khan noted that under her watch, the FTC has taken action against 38 mergers since June 2021, and that companies have abandoned 14 mergers during FTC investigations. The Justice Department and the FTC won a major victory earlier this month when D.C. District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled Google violated the Sherman Act, an antitrust law, by having a de facto monopoly over Internet search services and advertising. The FTC filed a friend-of-the-court brief in another case involving Google, urging the court to use its power to restore competition in the marketplace and suggesting the search giant should be broken up. Googles parent company, Alphabet Inc., ranked as one of the top contributors to the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020, with employees giving more than $5 million to help Biden win election to the White House, according to OpenSecrets.org, a website that tracks campaign fundraising. Some progressives are leery of Harriss tech ties as a former senator from California, the home of Silicon Valley. Harris raised more than $12 million at a recent fundraising event at San Franciscos Fairmont hotel, where tech billionaires, CEOs and venture capitalists shelled out between $3,300 and $500,000 for tickets. She hasnt been an independent politician in about four years. As the party has gotten more and more angry and more and more broken up with Big Tech, she has been Joe Bidens loyal vice president. Is she still the California Democrat that she was, or has she changed, is an open and contested question, Hauser said. Its a problem that parts of the Democratic Party remain dependent on Silicon Valley, but I like to believe that Harris understands herself to have interests independent from California and the parochial California interests she maybe used to represent, he added. Harriss campaigns have taken money from tech industry moguls such as LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, former Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, Melinda French Gates, and Barry Diller, the chair and senior executive of IAC and Expedia Group. Hoffman and Diller have led the calls for Harris to replace Khan as FTC chair. Hoffman, who sits on Microsoft Corp.s board, accused Khan of waging war on American business and said he wants Harris to replace her as head of the FTC if elected. He has donated $7 million to help the Biden-Harris campaign and has organized a fundraising effort for Harris in Silicon Valley. Microsoft, OpenAI and Nvidia are facing antitrust investigations by the FTC and Department of Justice related to their dominance in the emerging artificial intelligence market. The FTC is also suing Microsoft over its acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., a gaming company. Diller, who has pledged to donate the maximum to Harris, said he would also urge her to replace Khan if elected president. In California, youre always close to tech, because its the home state of Silicon Valley, said Gil Duran, a journalist who has written critically about the tech industry and who served as Harriss communications director when she was Californias attorney general. Duran said its not surprising that Harris has close relationships in the tech industry but said the vice president, as a politician who came up through San Francisco and California state government, understands the need to balance your relationships with your responsibilities. Not every idea out of Silicon Valley is bad. Theres a lot of ways in which tech has transformed our lives for the positive and created jobs and important innovation, but weve also seen that as these people get richer and richer, their egos inflate to a massive size and they can go way too far, he said. I think Vice President Harris has the wisdom to know better than to allow a handful of donors to pay her to fire someone whos doing a great job of holding Silicon Valley accountable. It would be a disastrous move to fire someone who is a regulator doing a great job of regulating, he added. It shows the ego of these guys that they think they can sign a check and publicly demand someones head at the same time. Ashley Woolheater, a Democratic strategist who previously worked for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), pointed out there was a lot of backlash to Hoffmans comments, and he later walked back the suggestion that he would have influence over the Harris administrations policymaking. And Woolheater noted Harris will unveil her agenda Friday for cracking down on high costs and junk fees, which she called pieces that are part of the anti-monopoly, fair-competition agenda that Lina Khan has been one of the leaders of. But she acknowledged its definitely concerning when youve got a major donor out there trying to presumably [influence] an important appointment. Id be surprised if [Harris] were to reverse course on the FTCs crackdown on tech monopolies, she added. Harris has stayed mum about Khans future, as well as other key personnel decisions that will have a major influence on her administrations policies if she beats former President Trump in November. Harris is scheduled to deliver remarks in North Carolina on Friday calling for a federal ban on corporate price gouging in the grocery and food industries and pledging to direct the FTC to impose penalties on companies that exploit consumers to boost profits. She is also expected to lay out an agenda to bring down the high costs of prescription drugs and housing. But Democratic lawmakers and progressive activists are wondering if Khan will still have the same latitude to take on the tech industry, a major source of Democratic donations, in a Harris administration, especially given mounting pressure from tech titans. One senior Senate Democratic aide said Harris has to show that the industrial policies that are the hallmark of Biden are going to continue, because thats the backbone of building out the care economy. Lets see how the teams change, the source said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Harris expected to focus on economic policy during Raleigh campaign stop WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver an economic speech in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday afternoon. Shes expected to address the cost of housing and food, but before that she sat down for a conversation with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. In a video shared by the Harris campaign, Harris and Walz addressed their biographies. Two different lived experiences but all coming to that same goal of everybody getting a fair shot, Walz said. On Thursday, Former President Donald Trump spoke at an antisemitism event in New Jersey. I will give Israel the support that it needs to win, but I do want them to win fast, Trump said. The former president also held a press conference where he blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris for rising food prices. Bacon is through the roof. Theyre all through the roof, the milk, everything is bad, Trump said. President Biden and Vice President Harris tried to highlight their efforts to lower prescription drug prices. No senior should have to choose between either filling their prescription or paying their rent, Harris said. On Friday, Harris is expected to announce a proposal to promote the construction of three million new housing units across the country and it will include a $25,000 down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Kamala Harris campaign is bolstering its communications team, bringing on two seasoned operatives from the White House for the final three-month sprint. Ian Sams, the White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, will join Harris campaign in a senior spokesperson role, according to two sources familiar with the moves granted anonymity to discuss personnel matters. And principal deputy White House communications director Kristen Orthman is moving to the campaign to serve as senior adviser for strategic planning. Herbie Ziskend will move into Orthmans role at the White House for the final months of President Joe Bidens term, the sources confirmed. Sams, known as an assertive and punchy flack, worked on Harris 2020 presidential campaign. When Biden took office in 2021, he first worked at the Department of Health and Human Services on messaging related to the administrations pandemic response. He moved to the White House in 2023, after Republicans reclaimed a majority in the House, and was tasked with responding to GOP and Special Counsel investigations. Orthmans resume includes stints working for former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Elizabeth Warrens 2020 bid and the Democratic National Committee before she joined the administration in 2023. The moves reflect the broader shift in focus and diversion of White House resources toward the campaign since Harris replaced Biden atop the ticket last month. Sams and Orthman will join an already deep communications team in Wilmington that has had to mesh in recent weeks with the vice presidents own top press aides, Brian Fallon and Kirsten Allen. With the departure of senior adviser Anita Dunn earlier this month, White House communications director Ben LaBolt and Ziskend who both cut their teeth working for Barack Obama are expected to lead the West Wings communications shop through the end of Bidens term. Both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have extensive records when it comes to criminal justice policy records that are sometimes completely opposed to one another, and at other times are aligned. As Trump who has a criminal record of his own, having been convicted on 34 felony counts prepares to face off in the general election against Harris, who is a former prosecutor, district attorney and attorney general, their past actions on criminal justice have come into the spotlight. Here's a look at some of the candidates' policy records on crime, the death penalty, policing, and prison reform: Recidivism In 2005, as the district attorney for San Francisco, Harris launched "Back on Track," a reentry initiative aimed at reducing recidivism among young, low-level, first-time felony drug-trafficking defendants. Candidates between the ages of 18 and 30 who first complete six weeks of community service and then plead guilty to their charges are eligible to participate in the program, during which their sentencing is deferred until they complete a 12 to 18-month supervised "individualized personal responsibility plan" that includes "concrete achievements in employment, education, parenting, and child support," among other mandates. The program reported that fewer than 10% of the program graduates reoffended after being released, compared to a 53% recidivism rate for California drug offenders within two years of release from incarceration. PHOTO: This combination of photos shows Vice President Kamala Harris, left, on Aug. 7, 2024 and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on July 31, 2024. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP) MORE: Biden and Harris to hold 1st joint event since he dropped out, touting lower drug costs The Biden-Harris administration also implemented a new Small Business Administration rule that removed loan eligibility restrictions based on a person's criminal record. "Making this available, reducing and eliminating that restriction is going to mean a lot in terms of second chances and the opportunity for people to excel," Harris said of the program earlier this year. In 2018, Trump signed a bipartisan bill into law similarly aimed at supporting recidivism reduction programs a bill Harris voted for as a senator. The First Step Act (FSA) called for the development of risk and needs assessment programs to reduce recidivism, and required the Bureau of Prisons to help incarcerated people access federal and state benefits, obtain identification, and more. Under the act, incarcerated people could earn time credit for participating in recidivism reduction programming and other activities, which could be applied toward early release. According to the Council on Criminal Justice, recidivism is estimated to be 37% lower among FSA releases when compared to "similarly situated pre-FSA releases." Death penalty Trump has consistently been pro-death penalty. Federal executions began under the Trump administration in 2020 for the first time in roughly 17 years, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC). In 2020, the federal government completed 13 federal executions in the final months of the Trump presidency, according to the DPIC. In 1989, prior to his time in office, Trump called for the return of the death penalty in a series of ads amid the case of five Black and brown boys then known as the "Central Park Five" who were convicted of assaulting and raping a woman in New York City. Trump took out full-page ads in local newspapers within two weeks after the April 19, 1989 attack, calling to "Bring back the death penalty. Bring back our police!" However, the ads never explicitly mentioned the five boys, who were incarcerated for years before they were exonerated after another man confessed to the crime. PHOTO: Angela Cuffie meets reporters at Manhattan Supreme Court where a judge overturned the conviction of her brother, Kevin Richardson, and four other men who had been jailed in the Central Park jogger case, Dec. 19, 2002. (Mike Albans/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images, FILE) Harris has been consistent in her stance against the death penalty: "My entire career I have been opposed personally opposed to the death penalty," Harris said in an August 2019 debate. "And that has never changed." MORE: How will crime impact the 2024 election? However, some have criticized Harris for decisions regarding several death penalty-related cases. For example, Harris declined to take up the case of convicted murderer Kevin Cooper, who was sentenced to death for a quadruple homicide in California in 1983 and is currently awaiting execution. His team had asked the state for additional DNA testing that they maintained could have exonerated him. Harris has since changed her views on Cooper's request, later telling The New York Times "I feel awful about this." Additionally, U.S. District Court Judge Cormac J. Carney overturned the death sentence of Ernest Dewayne Jones in 2014, ruling that the nearly 20 years he spent waiting for execution on death row was a form of cruel and unusual punishment, and so the death penalty was unconstitutional. As the state's attorney general, Harris appealed the ruling, arguing that the court's decision "is not supported by the law, and it undermines important protections that our courts provide to defendants." Carney's ruling was overturned on appeal the following year. Prison policy Under the Trump administration, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2017 rescinded an Obama-era initiative to phase out private prisons. Sessions then began distributing contracts for new privately-run detention centers. In January 2021, the Biden-Harris administration ordered the Department of Justice not to renew contracts for privately-operated criminal detention centers. In December 2022, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) ended all contracts with privately owned prisons and transferred federal inmates who had been incarcerated in them to BOP-operated prisons. PHOTO: Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris delivers the keynote speech at the Future of Privacy+Innovation conference in San Francisco, April 10, 2013. (Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images, FILE) Pardons and commutations The Trump administration commuted the sentences of more than 90 individuals and granted pardons to more than 140 people, according to the DOJ. The Biden-Harris administration has so far commuted the sentences of more than 120 individuals and granted pardons to 25 people, according to the DOJ. The plan ahead Though the Harris campaign hasn't yet released the vice president's official 2024 platform, she previously has supported legalizing marijuana at the federal level, ending solitary confinement, embracing cash bail reform, ending federal mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders, and furthering rehabilitative services for the incarcerated. She has also supported the Justice in Policing Act, which would limit "unnecessary" use of force and no-knock warrants, limit qualified immunity for police officers, and increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct. The Trump administration's plan, according to his official campaign website, states that he plans to increase funding to hire and retrain police officers, strengthen qualified immunity and other "protections" for police officers, increase penalties for assaults on law enforcement, and "surge federal prosecutors and the National Guard into high-crime communities." ABC News' Allison Pecorin contributed to this report. How do Harris and Trump's records on criminal justice compare? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com By News Centre Parliament adopted unanimously and without debate the Bulgarian News Agency's (BTA) annual report for 2023. Azernews reports, citing BTA that a total of 127 MPs voted in favour. Of these, 48 MPs are from GERB-UDF, 22 from Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria, 35 from Vazrazhdane, two from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, four from BSP for Bulgaria, 14 from There Is Such a People and two independent MPs. On 1 August, the Parliamentary Culture and Media Committee adopted the BTA report, which was presented by BTA Director General Kiril Valchev. The reports on the Agency's activities were submitted as required by Article 16 of the Bulgarian News Agency Act. They contain information about the Agency's activities, the role of the media market, international contacts, the financial situation, the functioning of the National Press Club and the network of BTA regional press clubs, notes the Parliamentary Culture and Media Committee's report. By law, BTA is the only official source of information from Bulgaria and the world for state institutions. The Agency provides them with a package of information services free of charge, the Parliamentary Committee noted. During the reporting period, the use of information from BTA has increased tremendously, the Culture and Media Committee report states. The media outlet also saw a threefold increase in social media followers. In order to ensure freedom from dependencies, BTA does not publish paid announcements and has no advertising on its website or in national press clubs, allowing advertising and sponsorship only in print publications and at events it organizes. BTA accepts additional funding only from organizations of which Bulgaria is a member, such as the European Union, NATO, the UN, UNESCO, etc. In 2023. BTA has created eight new ad hoc thematic columns, which the Agency is continuously updating. BTA's goal is to be a bridge between all Bulgarians around the world. The Agency continues to participate in various formats, including the National Assembly, in the search for ways to support Bulgarian media abroad through its expertise. "In 2021, when the National Assembly elected me in January, I presented a programme that I developed into a strategic plan called 'The Future of BTA' within the first year of my term in office, aiming at five strategic goals. Therefore, in the plan itself, the programme, and the annual reports, I present the specific steps taken to pursue these five goals," Valchev said last week while presenting BTA's report in front of the Parliamentary Culture and Media Committee. SUVA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Ministry of Health has recorded 552 new HIV infections in the first six months of this year, 33 percent more than the total number recorded in 2023. The Ministry said in its statement on Friday that 73 percent of the new cases are individuals less than 39 years of age. It said while sexual transmission is the primary means of the spread of HIV in the Pacific island nation, 15 percent or 85 of the 552 new cases were recorded in individuals who identified themselves as injectable drug users. The ministry is strongly encouraging the public and especially young people to refrain from engaging in high risk activities that would increase their chances of acquiring the HIV, including injectable drug use, sharing of needles, and unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple partners. It reiterated that with appropriate treatment, people living with HIV can continue to engage freely in normal activities. The ministry encourages the public and in particular those exposed to high risk activities to get tested and be aware of their HIV status. Vice President Harris outlined her economic plan at a campaign rally in North Carolina on Friday, calling her agenda a way to create an opportunity economy. Together, we will build what I call an opportunity economy, Harris said at the rally in Raleigh. An economy where everyone can compete and have a real chance to succeed. Everyone, regardless of who they are, where they start, has an opportunity to build wealth for themselves and their children. The event was held to promote the economic proposals her campaign unveiled this week, which it says would be a priority for her first 100 days in office. The proposals include a federal ban on price gouging that would push the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to investigate how corporations exploit consumers by raising prices for profit, a plan to end the housing shortage through the construction of new units and to provide down-payment support to first-time homebuyers, and a plan to expand the child tax credit. Trumps campaign bashed the agenda Friday, equating it to socialist policies implemented in countries such as Cuba and Venezuela and arguing it would not effectively reduce costs for consumers. It was particularly critical of the ban on price gouging, equating it to government-imposed price controls. I will focus on cutting needless bureaucracy and unnecessary regulatory red tape while protecting consumers and creating a stable business environment with consistent and transparent rules of the road, Harris said. The key to creating this opportunity economy is building up our middle class. It is essential, she added. The economy had been a tough issue for President Biden when he was the presumptive Democratic nominee. Harris, with her proposals, is seeking to go on offense on the issue as her campaign has built momentum since Biden withdrew and she entered the race. The Trump campaign has sought to tie Harris to the Biden administrations policies, noting she served as vice president for the entirety of Bidens White House term. The plan on price gouging has immediately sparked some debate, with a Washington Post opinion piece stating, when your opponent calls you communist, maybe dont propose price controls? Harris defended the plan, arguing her proposal would support smaller food businesses that are trying to play by the rules and would help the food industry become more competitive. Prices are still too high, Harris said Friday. While many grocery chains pass along these savings, others still arent. Look, I know most businesses are creating jobs, contributing to our economy and playing by the rules, but some are not, and that just is not right. And we need to take action when that is the case. She hit Trump over his economic plan, saying his plan would in effect impose a national sales tax on necessities imported from abroad. That will devastate Americans. It will mean higher prices on just about every one of your daily needs. A Trump tax on gas, Trump tax on food, a Trump tax on clothing, a Trump tax on over-the-counter medication, she argued. Trump levied tariffs against China during his first administration and has vowed to enact a 60-percent tariff on all Chinese products, a 100-percent tariff on cars made outside the U.S. and a 10-percent tariff on all foreign products across the board. Harris also criticized Trump for wanting to give billionaires and corporations tax cuts. Trump has floated further cuts to the corporate tax rate after his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowered the corporate tax rate to 21 percent. He has said he wants to make all Trump tax cuts permanent and bring the corporate tax rate down to 20 percent. I think if you want to know who someone cares about, look who they fight for, Harris said at the rally. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the American Federation of Teachers 88th National Convention on July 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas. The American Federation of Teachers was the first labor union to endorse Harris for president since announcing her campaign. (Photo by Montinique Monroe/Getty Images) The Harris-Walz campaign is kicking off a series of events in North Carolina this weekend following Vice President Kamala Harris appearance in Raleigh on Friday and ahead of the Democratic National Convention. There will be 323 events engaging more than 2,500 people across the state, including Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) watch parties, canvass launches, phone banks, and volunteer trainings, according to the campaign. Currently, there are 20 offices for the campaign across North Carolina. Six more will open next week in key rural counties, such as Wayne, Wilson, Burke, Henderson, and Lenoir counties. In addition to Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, these offices are dedicated to electing Democrats down the ballot as well. This marks a historic investment in rural North Carolina communities, according to the campaign. Wayne, Wilson, Henderson, and Lenoir counties have seen a shift towards Democrats since 2004. Other offices will serve rural communities like Alamance and Johnston counties. Nearly 12,000 new volunteers have signed up since Harris entered the presidential race. Here are some of the planned events: Saturday, Aug. 17: Wilson County office opening with Lt. Gov. candidate Rachel Hunt and State Senate candidate Raymond Smith. Jr. Saturday, Aug. 17: Wayne County office opening with Lt. Gov. candidate Rachel Hunt and State Senate candidate Raymond Smith, Jr. Sunday, Aug. 18: Spring Lake Supply the Vote: Back to School Drive, where the Harris-Walz campaign and the Democratic Party of North Carolina collect school supplies for local families and energize volunteers. Sunday, Aug. 18: Road to the Convention Women for Harris Virtual Call with North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs, State Auditor Jessica Holmes, and Matty Lazo Chadderton. According to the campaign, there will be canvass launches, phone banks, and message and story trainings for volunteers so volunteers are equipped to talk with other voters about the threat posed by a second Trump presidency. HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) A back-to-school community cookout in Hartford raised money for those displaced in last Saturdays fire. Middletown holds 2nd annual back-to-school fair Neighbors came together on Action Street for food, live music, a bounce house, haircuts and more to get kids and families ready to head back to school. The event also offered backpack giveaways and health screenings. This is the fifth year that Hartford has hosted this event. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. HONOLULU (KHON2) A 25-year-old McKinley High School graduate died in Seattle and prosecutors said her boyfriend, also a McKinley grad, killed her. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You According to charging documents, Zoey He was allegedly killed by Andy Chu sometime between Aug. 9 and 10. Prosecutors said Chu choked He, twisted her neck and held her under water in a bathtub. The autopsy also noted that He had sustained blunt force trauma to her face, head, neck, chest, arms and legs. Zoey was found after neighbors of Chus called the fire department about water flooding his condo. Couple followed to Florida home, shot after winning jackpot at Hard Rock casino Chu fled the scene and was later taken to a hospital after his friends said he was acting erratically. Chu later told police that he had taken a hallucinogen and marijuana. While in the hospital, Chu allegedly groped a nurse. After police arrested Chu, he told them he had been dating He since January and that she had just arrived from Hawaii. The House Communications Office said He worked at the Hawaii State Capitol during the 2022 legislative session. Chu has been charged with murder in the first degree and first degree assault for assaulting the nurse. He remains in custody on $5 million bail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. The average cost of private school tuition among the 121 schools participating in the second year of Arkansas' voucher program is $8,600, an Arkansas Advocate analysis shows. The per student amount of state Education Freedom Account vouchers in the 2024-25 school year will be up to $6,856. (Getty Images) As Arkansas students head back to the classroom this month, around 12,000 will be attending one of more than 120 private schools that have been approved for the second year of the states school voucher program. Created by the LEARNS Act, a 2023 law that overhauled Arkansas education system, the Educational Freedom Account Program allows state funds to be used for allowable education expenses such as private school tuition. The programs being phased in with expanding eligibility criteria each year until its available to all Arkansas students in the 2025-2026 academic year. According to EFA program applications provided by the Arkansas Department of Education on Aug. 9 through a public records request, 121 schools (93 renewing schools and 28 new applicants) have been approved for the 2024-2025 school year. Five more schools, one returning school and four first-year participants, are pending further review. About 100 schools received approval to participate in the programs inaugural year. Participation will be capped at around 14,000 students for the 2024-2025 academic year during which up to $6,856 per student can be used for educational expenses, an increase from about $6,600 last year. Thats slightly less than the average cost of tuition of about $8,600 at currently approved schools. While some schools include fees in their tuition, the majority have additional fees. North Little Rocks Calvary Academy, for example, charges $1,450 in tuition for first through 12th graders, the least expensive of all approved EFA schools. But additional fees range from roughly $650 to $1,000. Meanwhile, Thaden School, an independent Bentonville school and first-time EFA participant, reported the highest tuition at $28,500 for high school students. Head of School Michael Malloy told the Advocate this summer that Thaden offers a robust financial aid program that includes indexed tuition, meaning families pay according to their income. Many EFA schools offer scholarships and discounts for being a church member or enrolling additional children. As funding for EFA participants has increased for the programs second year, so too has tuition. An analysis of state data found that approved EFA schools increased tuition by $530 on average. Seventeen schools kept all of their tuition levels flat year-over-year, while Heber Christian Schools students will see a $5,500 increase, the largest of approved EFA schools. Kara Witzke, head of school for Joshua Academy, said her Crawford County schools tuition is based on what it costs to educate a child. Oftentimes, she said Christian schools like hers set tuition based on what they think people are willing to pay, which isnt the best business decision. Once tuition is priced on what it actually costs to deliver a high-quality education, Witzke said, they can help families afford the tuition through things like the EFA program or scholarships. Part of a high-quality education is talented teachers, and Witzke said shes committed to paying educators well. She said its been challenging to keep pace with public schools, which increased starting pay to $50,000 following passage of the LEARNS Act, but the goal is to eventually exceed that minimum. Joshua Academy teachers will be paid $45,000 to $49,000 this year, she said. Pricing tuition appropriately is so important because teachers should not be our biggest donors theyre incredibly talented individuals that deserve to be paid what they are worth, Witzke said. Implementation issues Many inaugural year EFA participants praised the initiative for making private school more affordable for families looking for smaller classrooms or educational institutions that more closely align with their values, but the programs rollout wasnt without its challenges. EFA payments are made quarterly to schools, but the timing of those payments can leave smaller schools or those just getting started like Joshua Academy scrambling a little bit to make payroll, Witzke said, especially at the start of the year as they await their first payment. Witzke said she hopes the education departments transition to a new payment system thats intended to make the invoice process easier will mean getting paid more quickly. When youre small, youre living paycheck to paycheck, youre living month to month, theres not a lot of reserve and certainly as a startup there was no reserve, Witzke said. In fact we were fundraising throughout the year for those unexpected expenses. We have generous donors, so that was a blessing. Courtnei Jackson, principal and lead teacher at Shiloh Excel Christian School in Little Rock, said the new payment system has created a smoother process by generating invoices instead of schools having to create their own and send them to parents. When youre talking about lower-income families, who this is really supposed to serve, access to technology is sometimes an issue for those families. Digital knowledge is another issue, so knowing how to navigate some of those systems, just the language of the programming, they just find some of that hard. Jessica FitzPatrick, head of school at Clear Spring School Additionally, parents have access to more school supply vendors than last year, Jackson said. During the programs inaugural year, parents ran into issues trying to use their funds because they were expecting more vendors. That was a little challenging because there were not very many vendors to choose from, she said. And it took a while for them to get everything set up, which is normal when youre doing something new. The Arkansas Department of Education hired Flordia-based ClassWallet to handle the financial side of the EFA program last year and switched to Indiana-based Student First Technologies for the upcoming year. The change resulted in a temporary closure of an online application portal this summer, which has delayed final approval notices for some students. Shiloh Excel Christian School has 13 students and all but two qualify for the EFA program, Jackson said. Six have received final approval, but five are still pending review. School started Monday, leaving some parents anxious about the uncertainty, but Jackson said theyll work with families to identify scholarships or payment plans if the voucher program falls through. The challenge for us is not knowing exactly if the parent has received the voucher yet, and school has already started for us she said. hopefully next year, as they get a little bit more acclimated with the new system, well know and parents will know in advance if theyve received the voucher or not. Jessica FitzPatrick, head of school at Eureka Springs Clear Spring School, said theyre in the same boat as a handful of their families also wait to receive final approval for the EFA program. While that parts been a little tricky, she anticipates as many as 28 of her 73 students could qualify this year. Arkansans eligible for the programs inaugural year included students with disabilities or those experiencing homelessness, foster children, first-time kindergarteners, children of active duty military members and students in an F-rated school or school in need of Level 5 support. This year eligibility expands to include children of veterans, military reservists or first responders and students in D-rated schools. Socioeconomic uplift has long been a goal of the independent school, FitzPatrick said, and to that end, Clear Springs provides scholarships. Unfortunately, the school doesnt always have the money to do that, so the EFA program provides a service to the school and its families, she said. And while the new program is available to thousands of families, its not necessarily accessible, FitzPatrick said. When youre talking about lower-income families, who this is really supposed to serve, access to technology is sometimes an issue for those families, she said. Digital knowledge is another issue, so knowing how to navigate some of those systems, just the language of the programming, they just find some of that hard. As a smaller school, FitzPatrick said theyve been able to walk families through the process one-on-one, but said thats likely more difficult at larger schools. Although the governor has said the program is meant to last beyond its three-year rollout, FitzPatrick said she is concerned about what would happen if the program ended after schools and families have come to rely on it. No school wants to become dependent on this, or family, and then all of a sudden have it be not available, she said. We are looking at other ways to meet our budget beyond this so that this isnt something that we depend on. Potential growth The EFA program will be open to all Arkansas students for the 2025-2026 academic year, which is affecting the way some private schools think about growth. While enrollment has remained steady at Clear Spring School, other institutions have seen an increase. Shiloh Excel Christian School ended last year with nine students and is starting the fall semester with 13. Joshua Academy has more than doubled its enrollment. After ending last year with 47 students, Witzke said the school is expected to enroll around 115. Theyve also expanded to include two more grades and hired five more teachers. Head of School Darrow Anderson credits West Memphis Christian Schools recent growth to multiple factors, including expanding extracurricular activities and joining the EFA program. The school anticipates welcoming more than 300 students this fall, he said. Anderson said he had no complaints about his first year in the EFA program, which he called a real pleasant experience. ADE personnel have been nothing but extremely helpful and made sure the school had what it needed to be successful, he said. Jackson said Shiloh Excel Christian School wants to remain smaller to be impactful, but they have discussed growing, something that could happen sooner rather than later because they can rely on EFA funds instead of just funding from individuals. I am grateful for the program because it indeed has helped with our enrollment, she said. Many of the families that have come to our school were concerned about tuition and so having the voucher has put them at ease she said. Were looking forward to what will be possible next year since itll be opened up for everyone and were just very excited. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Hundreds of books, including scores about LGBTQ+ issues, race and activism, were left in a dumpster and parking lot of a public Florida university on Thursday, angering members of the academic community. Photos and videos show hundreds of books in dumpsters. The university claimed it was part of routine maintenance, but in the past students had the chance to purchase books being taken out of circulation. The titlesin the trash included When I Knew, a collection of stories from LGBTQ+ people, and Finding the Movement, about second-wave feminism, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported. The scene comes as Florida Governor Ron DeSantiss continues his campaign to change New College of Florida, a state college with a reputation for being progressive. DeSantis has also signed legisation that targets certain books in school libraries. New College of Florida students, activists and alumni pick through discarded books from the schools Gender and Diversity Center in Sarasota, Florida (via REUTERS) Amy Reid, a faculty chair and representative to the board of trustees, told the paper she was blindsided by the mass disposal of books, and compared it to throwing away democracy. She said she wanted a period of mourning for the lost materials. I want to do that for books, because books are what matter, she said. The books were disposed of about a week before most students arrive on campus for move-in day and the start of the fall semester. A spokesperson for New College wrote in a statement that the books came from two separate processes: part of the regular maintenance of its collections and from the disposal of specific titles connected to a shuttered gender studies program that previously went unclaimed. The school stated the books in the latter category were later claimed by individuals planning to donate the books locally, and disputed media reports framing the situation as a mass erasure of LGBTQ+ books. Last August, following the appointment of scores of conservative trustees to the colleges board, New College abolished its gender studies program, thanks to a motion from board member Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist who turned issues like purported critical race theory and groomers into central concerns of the GOP. The college has also dismantled its office of diversity and equity, and must comply with a recently signed state law forbidding state-funded schools that promote or engage in political or social activism and offer courses based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States. It felt very much like New College was a little bubble in Florida, environmental studies major Willem Aspinall, 19, told The Associated Press earlier this year. Now it feels like that has kind of been burst. As governor, DeSantis backed laws ostensibly seeking to remove books from school libraries that contained pornography and prohibited materials harmful to minors, policies that often had the effect of targeting books on LGBTQ+ people, race, and other themes conservatives deemed objectionable or inappropriate for children. Here's What You Should Know About Ketamine As A Treatment For Depression A photo shows actor Matthew Perry, who died after overdosing on ketamine. When taken in a medical setting and under medical supervision, ketamine can be an effective treatment for certain kinds of depression. Slaven Vlasic via Getty Images Its been nearly a year since actor Matthew Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on the show Friends, died from a ketamine overdose and drowning in his hot tub. News broke Thursday that five people had been charged in connection to his death, including two doctors, Perrys assistant and a woman accused of being a drug dealer. The actor had used ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety, but seemed to become increasingly reliant on the drug toward the end of his life, according to law enforcement officials. Though ketamine has long been known as Special K, a party drug, it has also been established as an effective treatment for depression, with proper dosing. Below, experts share what to know about ketamine therapy and when it can become unsafe. Ketamine therapy is effective for treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine is prescribed to people who have treatment-resistant symptoms of depression, according to Dr. John Krystal, the chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine in Connecticut. In other words, theyve tried more than one antidepressant and theyre still not really getting the clinical response they need, said Krystal, who is one of the original researchers on ketamine treatment for depression. Two of the more common kinds of depression medication are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or SNRIs. Medications like Lexapro, Zoloft and Prozac fall in the SSRI category, while Cymbalta and Pristiq are in the SNRI category. These medications all work through the same general mechanisms of targeting systems in the brain, like norepinephrine and serotonin, said Krystal. Serotonin and norepinephrine are neurotransmitters that are known for their links to mood, memory and the sleep-wake cycle. It can take about six to eight weeks for for these medications to build up in a persons system before the patient starts feeling better. Ketamine targets a different chemical system in the brain, called the glutamate system, which provides the information highway for the networks in the brain involved in the regulation of mood and cognition, Krystal said. Since ketamine works differently, it can produce faster results than SSRIs and SNRIs in some people. Its most commonly given intravenously or through a nasal spray. There are different ways that ketamine can be administered, but its only approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a depression treatment in its nasal spray form, with a treatment known as esketamine. Specifically, its approved for treatment resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation and behavior, said Dr. Paul Kim, the director of the Johns Hopkins Treatment Resistant Esketamine Antidepressant Targeted (TREAT) Depression Clinic in Baltimore. Esketamine ... is highly regulated. Its a Schedule III drug, controlled substance, and both the patient and the clinic have to be enrolled in this program called the REMS program. REMS stands for risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, explained Kim. Certain drugs that have the potential for abuse or serious adverse effects need to be in an REMS program, Kim added. Esketamine is taken under supervision at a clinic. Ketamine can also be administered intravenously, but IV ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthesia drug, Kim explained. Its also used as an off-label medication for treatment-resistant depression. Since IV ketamine is not FDA-approved as a mental health treatment, it does not have the same level of regulations for this use. Thats not to say that medical clinics dont properly and safely administer the medication, however; you can get intravenous ketamine treatment at many major medical clinics across the country. Both IV ketamine and esketamine are effective treatments for depression, Kim said. Unlike medications such as Zoloft and Prozac, ketamine and esketamine are not administered daily. Instead, theyre generally administered a few times a week at first, and then less frequently as a person progresses in their treatment. Moreover, ketamine therapy is often prescribed in addition to a daily antidepressant pill. It can be dangerous when not given in a medical setting under proper supervision. Ketamine can also be compounded into a pill thats taken orally, according to Kim, and some online companies currently offer this treatment. But both Krystal and Kim stressed that its important for patients to be monitored in a clinic as they receive any form of ketamine therapy. One thing that becomes clear is that oral ketamine is not necessarily more or less safe or effective than IV ketamine or intranasal esketamine when delivered in the clinic. However, if the level of monitoring of blood levels and dose adjustment are not employed, then the variable blood levels could create safety or effectiveness issues, Krystal said. Concerns about safety issues would be increased if patients took the oral ketamine at home without adequate clinical supervision. The amount of ketamine in Perrys system was equivalent to whats given for general anesthesia not the amount doctors use for depression treatment, which is much less. And he was at home when given the drug, not in a medical setting. There are companies that are trying to find ways to make ketamine safer for administration at home, but the Matthew Perry story highlights something extremely important, which is that when patients have more ketamine than they need at home, theres going to be a risk of misuse, said Krystal. And, in fact, a study of home ketamine use found that a high percentage of patients misuse their ketamine. Ketamine is safe when administered properly. When taken under proper supervision in a medical setting, esketamine and IV ketamine are safe, Krystal and Kim said. Ketamine and esketamine are also lifesaving medications that have been shown to reduce the risk of suicide in many people, according to Krystal. People have been using ketamine as an anesthetic for a long time, and they know that its safe but again, in a hospital setting, Kim said. If its being misused, then theres always a potential that it can become deadly. When ketamine is used appropriately, treatment sessions become spaced further and further apart, said Krystal. But Krystal said that people who misuse ketamine take ketamine more and more and more over time. When used very infrequently, as we do in treatment, ketamine stimulates regrowth of synaptic connections between nerve cells in those brain circuits involved in emotion. When it is used recreationally and outside of clinical settings, it can lead to addiction, while also being toxic to those brain connections and it can even produce symptoms of depression, Krystal said. Talk to professionals before signing up for ketamine treatment. Ketamine and esketamine can be life-changing medications for many people who feel like theyll never be able to manage their depression. I cant speak to all the clinics that are out there, but I guess my recommendation to readers would be that, really, they should talk to their psychiatrist about ketamine treatment, and hopefully they have some experience referring patients to certain clinics, said Kim. A lot of times those clinics should be run by a psychiatrist, or somehow they have a psychiatrist on staff. Its also worth researching the major health systems in your area to see if they offer ketamine therapy. Be wary of places that are a pop-up type of clinic where its operated by a non-mental health professional. Because ... anesthesiologists can administer it, and theres whole sorts of doctors that can give IV ketamine, Kim said. Since its not FDA-approved, IV ketamine may need to be paid for out of pocket, which can become costly. Kim said FDA-approved esketamine has essentially the same efficacy for mental health treatment. At the end of the treatment, theres really no difference on the effectiveness of IV ketamine over esketamine, Kim added. And you should remember that this type of treatment is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Esketamine and also IV ketamine, its not a cure, right? Its not like you go and get one treatment, or multiple sets of treatments, and theyre cured from depression, said Kim. It just improves the symptoms, and its the oral antidepressant [like] Prozac and Zoloft those are the ones that hopefully sustain or maintain the beneficial effects. Its also important to continue seeing a psychiatrist who can monitor your symptoms, treatments and overall mental health to ensure youre on the best path forward. Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Related... This photo taken on Aug. 16, 2024 shows buildings in Ankara, Turkiye. Nearly 6 million independent building units in Turkiye are at risk of earthquake destruction, and 2 million of them require immediate renovation, Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said Friday. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) ANKARA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 6 million independent building units in Turkiye are at risk of earthquake destruction, and 2 million of them require immediate renovation, Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said Friday. There are a total of 36 million independent units and 31 million houses in Turkiye, the semi-official Anadolu Agency quoted the minister as saying. According to Kurum, the Turkish government has constructed 3.4 million modern earthquake-resistant homes and is currently building 250,000 transformation houses and social housing units "in the most robust, safe and healthy way." A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake jolted southern Turkiye and Syria at midnight on Feb. 6, 2023, followed by a 7.7-magnitude one the next afternoon. In Turkiye, the quakes devastated 11 provinces, killing more than 53,000 people and displacing millions. In 1999, an earthquake measuring 7.6 struck Kocaeli province in northwestern Turkiye, 90 km southeast of the country's biggest populated city, Istanbul, killing more than 17,000 people. Since then, experts have been warning of a massive earthquake in the vicinity of Istanbul. "A possible Istanbul earthquake will affect not only our city but also the whole Marmara region and even the whole of Turkiye," Kurum said. "We have completed our risk analyses in 39 districts of Istanbul, and we have seen that one-fifth of the total number of houses in this city, that is, approximately 1.5 million houses, are in unhealthy condition," said the minister. The government has transformed some of the 1.5 million risky buildings in Istanbul and increased the earthquake resistance of public buildings, including education and health structures, he added. Hezbollah has released a video providing the best look so far inside its extensive network of huge underground tunnel systems, including concealed heavy multiple rocket launch systems, part of an extensive arsenal of weapons that could be employed against Israel. The release of the footage comes as tensions in the Middle East remain high, with fears of an all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah as well as a potential broader conflict involving Iran and other Iran-aligned militias. Hezbollah has released a video providing a rare look inside its extensive network of tunnel systems, including concealed heavy multiple rocket launch systems that can be fired from underground. This is all part of an extensive arsenal of weapons that could be employed against Israel, something that you can read about in more depth here. The release of the footage comes as tensions in the Middle East remain high, with fears of an all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah as well as a potential broader conflict involving Iran and other Iran-aligned militias. The video in question was published by Hezbollah today, initially on the official Telegram account of the Lebanon-based pro-Iranian Al Mayadeen news channel. Imad 4: Hezbollah reveals its underground capabilities. Huge tunnels inside mountaintops, dozens of rocket launchers. pic.twitter.com/NKP0Ydl57E Clash Report (@clashreport) August 16, 2024 Immediately obvious is the scale of the tunnels themselves, with those that are shown being wide enough to easily accommodate truck-based multiple rocket launch systems. Various motorcycles can also be seen speeding through the underground passages. Accessed behind heavy blast doors, the tunnels are equipped with lighting and communications systems, while the walls are adorned with propaganda posters. A Hezbollah motorcycle follows a multiple rocket launcher down the tunnel. Al Mayadeen screencap Perhaps most interesting are the apertures cut into the roof in certain parts of the tunnel, which allow rockets to be fired without the launch vehicles having to leave the tunnels. Similar to the Iranian tunnel networks for ballistic missiles, this means the rockets can be moved around the tunnels, making them even harder to target, even with bunker-busting weapons. In fact, the possibility that the video was actually shot in Iranian tunnels as a propaganda strategy should not be discounted, although there is no proof that is the case at this time. Hezbollah revealed for the first time an underground rocket depot, with side tunnels leading to launch platforms. It looks like heavy missiles, not missiles and not precision weapons. Note the numbers on the TELs probably a number that directs each truck to its firing position. pic.twitter.com/6nTXoOl8qe Tal Inbar (@inbarspace) August 16, 2024 The size of the tunnels would allow plenty of reloads, so huge barrages could potentially be launched from relative safety. At the same time, the design of these tunnels is usually such that even if one of the apertures is struck by a missile or bomb, the rest of the tunnel network survives intact, meaning that a hazardous ground assault might be needed to fully clear the underground network. A multiple rocket launcher raised into the firing position, below an aperture in the roof of the tunnel. Al Mayadeen screencap The truck-mounted multiple rocket launch systems seen in the video appear to be examples of the Khaibar-1 (also referred to as the M-302), a Syrian-made 302mm caliber weapon. These unguided rockets are fired from rail-type launchers, normally carried in box launchers with a capacity of four or six rounds. Fitted with characteristic fixed tailfins, the Khaibar-1 can be launched from fixed positions or mounted on trucks and semi-trailers. The rocket has a reported range in the region of 62 miles, carries a 331-pound warhead, and has a launch weight of around 1,653 pounds. An apparent Khaibar-1 rocket seized by Israeli security forces aboard an Iranian-registered ship in the Red Sea, about 930 miles from the Israeli coast, in March 2014. Photo by Pool/Israel Defence Forces/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Use of the Khaibar-1 by Hezbollah dates back at least as far as the conflict with Israel in 2006 and, as we have discussed in the past, it is judged to be one of the more capable designs in the Hezbollah rocket arsenal, with better accuracy and generally easier to handle than comparable weapons used by the group. The video includes a warning to Israel, stating that the country will face a destiny and reality it didnt expect any day. War with us [Hezbollah] extends across all of Palestine from the Lebanese border to the Jordanian border. To the Red Sea, to Kiryat Shmona [in the northern of Israel, near the Lebanese border], to Eilat. These targets are in our possession, and these missiles are placed, deployed, and focused on targets in perfect security, the video adds. Hezbollahs underground tunnel network is far more sophisticated than that used by Hamas in Gaza and, according to Israeli reports, it starts in the south of Lebanon before snaking up to the border with Israel and even into Israeli territory. In all the tunnel network is thought to extend over hundreds of kilometers, at least according to Israeli accounts, although the vast majority of this network comprises far more modest and narrow tunnels than those seen in the video. As well as accommodating rockets, and perhaps also missiles and even drones, as well as other weapons caches, the tunnels provide a means for Hezbollah to bring fighters closer to Israel and even into Israel itself. Tunnels like these can be used to launch surprise attacks. The IDF is acutely aware of the threat posed by Hezbollah in the border area and has, in recent months, taken a variety of measures to try and flush out militants. A rear view of a multiple rocket launcher, apparently carrying Khaibar-1 rockets, as it makes its way down the tunnel. Al Mayadeen screencap The Times of Israel cites research from Tal Beeri, a former member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and now a director at the Alma Research and Education Center, which focuses on Israels northern border, who has gathered details on the Hezbollah tunnels using open-source intelligence. Beeri describes a map of polygons, which outlines the locations of apparent tunnels in the south of Lebanon, with their footprints extending to 36 different regions, towns, and villages. In our assessment, these polygons mark Hezbollahs staging centers as part of the defense plan against an Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Beeri says. Each local staging center (defense) possesses a network of local underground tunnels. Between all these centers, an infrastructure of regional tunnels was built, interconnected [with] them. Beeri outlines different types of tunnels, including attack tunnels that are designed to launch offensive military operations against Israel and which are large enough to accommodate pickup trucks as well as medium-sized trucks. Some if not all of these are assumed to surface within Israeli territory. The Alma Research and Education Center also believes that Hezbollah has built several so-called proximate tunnels, similar to attack tunnels but not crossing the border. Tactical tunnels, by contrast, are smaller and can accommodate movements by people and, in some cases, motorcycles. These are typically used to provide cover for militants, who can also fire from tunnel shafts, before going back underground to rearm and rest. A picture taken on a June 2019 guided tour with the IDF shows the interior of a Hezbollah tunnel on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon in northern Israel. Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP JACK GUEZ Finally, there is the category of explosive tunnels, which are intended only to accommodate explosives. These would then be detonated when the IDF advances on the ground inside Lebanon. While Hezbollah is primarily backed by Iran, Israeli assessments suggest that North Korea played a significant role in Hezbollahs tunnel project, dating back as far as the 1980s. This would make sense given North Koreas long experience in digging tunnels in mountainous and rocky areas, although Iran, too, likely also provided direct assistance. Notably, there are some clear parallels between Hezbollahs underground tunnel systems with their concealed multiple rocket launchers and the underground Iranian bases containing rockets and missiles. Potentially more worrying than the multiple rocket launch systems seen in the video released today are accounts from Israel that Hezbollah may also use its tunnels to accommodate more capable ballistic missiles, namely the Iranian-made Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missile (SRBM). Capable of hitting targets at a distance of 155-186 miles, the Fateh-110 is a road-mobile system and one of the longest-ranged weapons in the Hezbollah arsenal. The SRBM carries an high-explosive (HE) warhead weighing around 1,000 pounds and reportedly has a circular error probable (CEP) of 1,640 feet. However, the Fateh-110 has become increasingly accurate in later variants and derivatives, with GPS-assisted guidance added. A military truck parades the Fateh-110 SRBM during a military parade in the Iranian capital Tehran on September 22, 2010. ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images Its worth noting that the latest Iranian-operated Fateh-110 derivatives, which were used to target a U.S. military base at Erbil, in Iraq, in March 2022, as well as on other targets in Syria, appear to be much more accurate than earlier versions, offering true precision strike capabilities. While its unclear if Hezbollah uses the latest versions, the weapon already poses a significant threat to Israel. As we have discussed in the past, a major shortcoming of the Fateh-110 is its bulky transporter-erector-launcher (TEL), which makes is it hard to conceal. Placing these weapons in tunnels, and firing them from there, get around this problem, while still offering the advantage of being able to hit targets deep in Israel when fired from the north of Lebanon. Even if the Fateh-110 TEL had to leave the tunnel before firing its missile, the ability to pop-up to launch before disappearing back underground would provide Israel with only a limited window of opportunity to hit the system while it was out in the open. A truck carrying a multiple rocket launcher system drives through the tunnel. Al Mayadeen screencap Overall, the Hezbollah tunnel network presents a significant threat to Israel and one that appears to be growing in size and sophistication. While the group was known to have extensive tunnel networks for many years, the positioning of heavy rocket artillery underground, combined with aperture-firing capabilities, albeit with shorter-range weapons compared with Iran, seems to be new. Its hardly a surprise that Hezbollah is taking the opportunity to showcase these capabilities now, with tensions with Israel and in the wider region at a high. Since the assassination by Israel of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, on July 30, the group has threatened some kind of retaliation against Israel. This could involve a joint effort with Hamas, whose political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran a day after the killing of Shukr. At the same time, there is the continued specter of a massive attack on Israel by Iran, which would also very likely involve these and perhaps other proxies, something that we have discussed at length in the recent past. In the meantime, action between Israel and Hezbollah has been limited to cross-border fighting, which has recently intensified, and has also seen the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians. Should an all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupt, it seems very likely that the groups tunnel network will play a role. At the very least, its existence provides a challenge to Israel, which is already facing a group identified as the worlds most heavily armed non-state actor. Having rockets and soldiers protected deep below ground makes it that much harder to locate these threats, let alone eliminate them, a message that todays video very deliberately conveys. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com Editors Note: A version of this story appears in CNNs Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the regions biggest stories. Sign up here. Mediators in talks for a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel made a last-ditch effort this week to revive stalled negotiations, with high-stakes discussions wrapping up Friday against a backdrop of tension and desperation in the region. The meeting in Doha started on Thursday and has now ended, a diplomat familiar with the discussions told CNN. A breakthrough wasnt expected but efforts will continue. Technical teams will meet again in the coming days, starting Saturday, until the main figures meet again in Cairo next week, the diplomat said. It took place as the Middle East braces for a possible Iranian attack on Israel, and after the death toll since October in Gaza reached 40,000 people, a bleak figure that underscores 10 months of suffering, malnutrition and despair in the enclave. The fear of an Iranian attack poses a serious threat to any hopes of a ceasefire that have already appeared tenuous in recent weeks, after Israeli strikes took out Hamas former political leader and senior figures in Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. But the talks went ahead, despite some initial fears they would be scrapped. Participants on Thursday included CIA director Bill Burns, Mossad chief David Barnea, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence head Abbas Kamel, a diplomatic source close to negotiations told CNN. In the meeting, Qatar, Egypt and the United States were expected to present a plan to implement a deal that could bring about a ceasefire in the war in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The deal was proposed by US President Joe Biden in May but unresolved differences have left the path forward unclear. Heres what we know about the status of the talks. People protest in Tel Aviv ahead of the latest round of talks, calling for a deal that would secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. - Florion Goga/Reuters What happened in the talks? Mediators presented a bridging proposal to Israel and Hamas to close the remaining gaps of disagreement between both sides, a joint statement between the US, Qatar and Egypt said on Friday after talks wrapped up for the week. The statement, published by the Egyptian presidency and Qatari foreign ministry, said the proposal presented to both sides builds on the areas of agreement over the past week, and bridges remaining gaps in a manner that allows for a swift implementation of the deal. The talks were serious and constructive, the statement said. But the statement did not elaborate on what points of agreement were achieved over the past week. Hamas had said it would not participate in talks but engaged separately with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, a source told CNN, adding that the mediators are still working to bridge the gap on the remaining key differences. Our position was clear we will not go for new negotiation rounds. We will only go to implement what has been agreed on, Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, told CNN on Tuesday. On Thursday, the militant group reiterated that there will be no hostage deal or ceasefire agreement without a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. What is Bidens proposal? In May, Biden laid out a three-phase proposal the administration said was submitted by Israel that would pair a release of hostages from Gaza with a full and complete ceasefire and a release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. The first phase would last six weeks and include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly, the wounded in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and the implementation of a temporary truce. Phase 2 would allow for the exchange for the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers and a permanent end to the fighting. In Phase 3, a major reconstruction plan for Gaza would commence and any final remains of hostages whove been killed will be returned to their families, the US president said. Israel launched its war against Hamas after the groups cross-border October 7 attacks, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. More than 100 of those hostages remain in Gaza, their families back home pleading for a breakthrough to secure their safe return. It is unclear how many of the original hostages set for release are still alive. Hamas and Israel have been engaged in tedious negotiations for months. Officials from Qatar and Egypt act as intermediaries, delivering messages to Israeli and Hamas representatives in shuttle-style diplomacy since representatives from the warring parties are not present at the same location. Technical teams have flown in and out of Doha and Cairo to iron out details for a potential agreement. What are the key remaining sticking points? Despite an initial positive reaction from Hamas and Israel, both sides failed to agree on the implementation of the finer details of the proposal including the sequencing of the hostage-prisoner exchange, the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released and how far back Israeli forces should withdraw in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of undermining the deal as far-right members of his ruling coalition threaten to collapse the government despite pressure from the US and families of hostages. Throughout the war, the prime minister has been caught between two potent political forces: the far-right members of his governing coalition who have been opposed to any suggestion that Israeli troops should leave Gaza, and the relatives of hostages held by Hamas, who have formed a powerful pressure group and have implored Netanyahu to reach a deal. US President Joe Biden presents a ceasefire proposal at the White House on May 31. - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Last month, the prime minister reversed on a key Israeli concession in ceasefire negotiations, demanding that armed men be barred from returning to northern Gaza during an eventual ceasefire, an Israeli source familiar with the talks told CNN. Israel had previously agreed to allow Palestinians unrestricted access to northern Gaza. Netanyahus office on Tuesday rejected claims that the prime minister had changed positions, saying his most recent stance does not introduce extra conditions and certainly does not contradict or undermine the May proposal. Netanyahus office instead accused Hamas of adding unrealistic demands to its position. A regional diplomat familiar with the negotiations told CNN that the remaining sticking points for Hamas are Israels restrictions on the movement of people from southern Gaza to the north, its demand for a veto over which Palestinian prisoners would be released, as well as its continued presence at the Philadelphi corridor and the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. What is Hamas position? US officials had said that talks had reached an advanced stage until Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in Tehran in late July in an assassination Iran blamed on Israel. Israel hasnt confirmed or denied responsibility, but Iran has vowed vengeance. There were concerns that the assassination would throw a wrench in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The militant group replaced Haniyeh with Yahya Sinwar, the hardline Hamas leader in Gaza who is one of Israels most wanted men. While Haniyeh, a relative moderate, lived in Qatar and was susceptible to pressure from his host country, Sinwar is believed to be deep underground in a tunnel in Gaza and is hard to reach. Hamas on Thursday denied it was having difficulty communicating with its leader Sinwar, after one of its top officials Osama Hamdan reportedly acknowledged in an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday that there are some difficulties and delays in communicating with him. Hamas hasnt ruled out an agreement with Israel, but said that it wont engage in further negotiations. It instead asked mediators for a plan to implement a ceasefire proposal put forward by Biden. A Hamas source told CNN on Wednesday that the group has adopted a position of intentional ambiguity over whether it will attend ceasefire talks, adding that its position on a potential ceasefire is firm whether not it attends the talks. Asked why Hamas has been unclear about whether it will attend the ceasefire talks, the source said: This ambiguity is the movements position, which was announced in its latest statement, is intentional and did not come by chance. It comes as a result of Netanyahus behavior. Why is this round of talks so important? This latest round of ceasefire talks were the result of a major diplomatic effort by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the US to push for a last-ditch effort to end the war and free the hostages as Iran prepares to attack Israel. The urgency of the talks was highlighted by the three mediators, who issued a rare joint statement last week calling on the warring parties to return to negotiations and offered what they called a final bridge proposal to overcome the remaining sticking points. The details of that proposal have not been made public. A young Palestinian woman checks the damage inside a classroom at the al-Zahra school used as a refuge by displaced Palestinians, after it was hit by an Israeli strike in the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza City on August 8. - Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images In parallel, US and Middle East diplomats have been mobilizing to dissuade Iran from launching an attack on Israel that could lead to a wider regional war. Both Iran and the US have said that that lines of communication between them are open through intermediaries. There have been some indications that Iran may abandon plans to attack Israel if a ceasefire deal is reached. But the countrys mission to the United Nations said on Saturday that Tehrans retaliation is totally unrelated to the Gaza ceasefire. As of Tuesday afternoon, US officials didnt believe that Iran has decided on a course of retaliatory action against Israel, according to two US administration officials. Furious diplomatic backchannel efforts are ongoing to try to deter a wide-scale attack and de-escalate the volatile situation, one of those officials said. The second official added that the Biden administration does believe that the USs public warnings in recent days have affected Irans calculus. The conversation between Al Thani and Kani was positive, a diplomat familiar with the call said. Biden acknowledged the challenges facing a ceasefire deal Tuesday, telling reporters traveling with him to New Orleans hes concerned about negotiations between the two parties amid the looming threat of an attack on Israel from Iran. The president rebuffed questions on what hes doing to pressure Israel and Hamas to come to the bargaining table for proposed ceasefire deal talks Thursday, telling reporters, If I told you what pressure tha t Im putting on it, it wouldnt be very much pressure would it? The regional diplomat who spoke to CNN said there is concern that Iran may not hold back on striking Israel, as the diplomat believes the Biden administration is not applying enough pressure on Netanyahu to reach an agreement. The lack of clarity on whether the Israeli prime minister will adhere to Bidens May proposal, the source added, suggests time is running out to strike a deal before an Iranian attack. Qatar and Egypt, the source said, may not have enough influence to push Hamas to compromise. This story has been updated. CNNs Abbas Al Lawati, DJ Judd, Abeer Salman and Betsy Klein contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (ALAMOSA COUNTY, Colo.) Fremont Search and Rescue said it assisted in a rescue in Alamosa County on Monday, Aug. 12 to look for a hiker that was separated from their partner. According to Fremont SAR, on Monday at around 10 p.m., it received a request for additional resources for a search in Alamosa County after crews had been searching since 3 p.m. that day for the hiker. At 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, two K9 teams and additional resources were deployed and the hiker was found at around 11 a.m. The hiker apparently encountered a bear while returning to the trailhead, which forced her into the backcountry, where she became disoriented. Courtesy: Fremont Search and Rescue Inc. Courtesy: Fremont Search and Rescue Inc. Courtesy: Fremont Search and Rescue Inc. Courtesy: Fremont Search and Rescue Inc. Fremont SAR said the hiker was able to build a shelter to survive the night. SAR thanked Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, the Colorado Search and Rescue Association, and other interagencies that responded to help. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. South Carolina's employment agency expects companies in the state to employ more than 100,000 people in positions that include home health aides, nursing assistants, physical therapy aides and dental assistants by 2023. These are expected to be the fastest growing jobs in the state, according to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. (File/Getty Images) COLUMBIA South Carolinians considering their career options should look into computer and math-focused jobs and health care support. Those are the fields the state employment agency predicts will dominate the next decade. The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce expects employment in these fields to see the greatest rate of increase in employment nearly 24% in the state by 2032. Thats more than 31,600 new workers, according to a biennial analysis of federal labor data recently published by the agency. National trends reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the health care sector and industries such as child care and social work are projected to grow the most rapidly of any in the nation, accounting for just shy of half of all job gains in the country. In the Palmetto State, the state employment agency expects more than 100,000 people will be working in health care positions that include home health aides, nursing assistants, physical therapy aides and dental assistants. The average wage for these jobs in South Carolina is just shy of $17 per hour, according to the agencys latest data. Education requirements range from a high school diploma to an associates degree. But as demand for these jobs grow, says Joey Von Nessen, an economist with the University of South Carolina, people should watch for those wages to rise, much like wages paid to restaurant and hospitality workers have gone up since the COVID-19 pandemic. The bottom line is that certain employers are going to have the financial resources to raise, pay and attract and retain workers that way, Von Nessen said. For those employers that cant afford wage hikes, it might require non-financial benefits, such as more flexible schedules. There will also be higher demand for nurse practitioners and health services managers, who serve in a more administrative role, just not as high as other health care fields, according to state and national data. Nurse practitioners require a masters degree and earn $56 per hour on average in South Carolina. Health service managers need a bachelors degree and earn nearly $61 per hour on average. When it comes to computer and math-related jobs, data scientists, statisticians and information security analysts are expected to be in the greatest demand, state and national reports show. The average wages for these jobs range from $37-$57 per hour. State employment agency analysts expect computer and math-related companies to employ upwards of 63,000 people in the state by 2023. Tapped by legislators to spearhead South Carolinas workforce strategy, the state Department of Employment and Workforce recently launched a new career exploration website in hopes of increasing awareness among students, parents, educators and job seekers about job opportunities. On the website, the agency shares the story of Calvin Gough, a 52-year-old information security analyst. Its my job to protect our companys computer systems and data from hackers and other cyber threats, Goughs story goes. Its almost the perfect combination of being a detective and playing a video game all day. Its challenging because there are constantly new threats, and no one wants to be on the front page of the paper with a data breach. Where South Carolina faces issues is in keeping college graduates in these fields in the state, Von Nessen said. Only about half of these students are staying after graduation, he said. Data on the number of students receiving diplomas from colleges in the state each year was not immediately available. Von Nessen said one strategy South Carolina colleges and employers might try is opening up more internships earlier in students college career. The more that we can connect students with internships that can lead to job opportunities sooner in their education, the more likely were going to be able to keep them, he said. The employers that can provide opportunities for students. Thats going to be a win because were still experiencing a labor shortage Many employers still are looking for workers and cant find a sufficient number of them. South Carolinas job market, like the national market, has cooled somewhat, Von Nessen said. The unemployment rate has gone from 3% at the beginning of 2024 to 3.9% in July, according to data published Friday. But thats not because people are losing their jobs due to layoffs, Von Nessen said. More people are coming to South Carolina looking for work. Its just taking them longer to nail down a job. In fact, South Carolina companies are employing more people than ever before 2.4 million people were working in the state as of July. Meanwhile, the state still has 167,000 job openings reported. That includes some 15,000 retail jobs, 9,500 food service jobs and more than 8,000 advertised openings for registered nurses among the industries in need of the largest number of workers. What homebuyers and sellers need to know about new rules for Realtors A new state law and a settlement in a lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors will mean big changes for Hoosiers who are buying or selling homes, including the potential for significantly lower home sales commission costs. Whether you're thinking of buying or selling, here's what to expect. What these changes require The main change affecting buyers, which became law in Indiana July 1 after state legislators passed House Enrolled Act 1068, is that they must sign a written contract with a real estate agent before touring any home. The agreement must include an end date, the law states. Similarly, a settlement requires more than 21,000 Realtors in the group's Indiana chapter to start routinely signing such agreements by Aug. 17. Previously, agents might tour properties with potential clients so both parties could feel out the working relationship. Now, buyers should expect to sign an agreement outlining what services agents will provide before they start house-hunting. These agreements must also detail how the agent will be paid, typically upon the purchase of a house. Agents stressed in interviews with the IndyStar that a buyer who signs an agreement is by no means obligated to buy a home or to stay with that Realtor forever. Contracts could expire or end with the consent of both parties. The other new rule established by the NAR settlement will affect how Realtors a distinction meaning an agent is a member of NAR, the trade association comprising more than 1.5 million Realtors who work with homebuyers are paid. It's been common practice for a seller and their agent to include an offer to pay the buyer's agent. Homebuyers are shelling out a lot of money as is, the thinking goes, and sellers may have better standing in the transaction. What's unlikely to change is that, once a deal is done, both agents will earn a commission that's a percentage of a home's selling price. But Realtors working as buyer-agents must now negotiate fees with sellers and their agents separately from a home's listing in industry databases, often referred to as Multiple Listing Services. Lawsuit: As spring homebuying season kicks off, a NAR legal settlement could shrink realtor commissions What these changes mean for sellers, buyers, Realtors Sellers stand to benefit most from the new rules, industry experts told IndyStar. They should no longer take for granted that they must pay their listing agent and the buyer's agent a standard commission fee. In class action lawsuits against NAR, attorneys representing homeowners argued that the commonly used commission rate of 5-6% 2.5-3% for each agent, paid by the seller was unfairly inflated by the Realtors. The Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, estimates the settlement will save sellers and buyers tens of billions of dollars over time as commission rates fall. These changes are also meant to formalize the relationship between buyers and real estate agents, which can be an amorphous mix of late-night conversations and spontaneous home tours that might end without a purchase, agents said. Annie Caruso, a real estate broker and president of the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors, said the new law codifies what has long been best practice: Put agreements into writing. Buyers should know they're dealing with licensed professionals who bring rigor to the home-buying process, not just touring homes on a lark, she said. Realtors and sellers should know that potential buyers have a legitimate interest in purchasing a home. Often, "buyers out there are just like, 'Oh, I just want to see that house,' and will call their friend who's a Realtor to open the door," Caruso said. "That's not necessarily fair to the sellers who are putting their house on the market." Buyer contracts must include a specific amount or rate of compensation for the services an agent provides not an open-ended clause saying the buyer-agent will earn as much as a seller is willing to pay. Contracts must also include a "conspicuous" reminder that fees and commissions are fully negotiable, not set by law, NAR reports in a fact sheet. "It gives the Realtor the chance to articulate the value in what they bring," Bernice Helman, NAR's regional vice president for Indiana, said in an interview, "and it gives the buyer the opportunity to negotiate and clearly set out the terms of that agreement and what theyre willing to compensate that agent." Mark Fisher, CEO of the Indiana Association of Realtors, said 90% of more than 21,000 Realtors across the state had implemented both changes weeks ahead of the Aug. 17 deadline. How Realtors are responding to new Indiana law NAR says that, although it's not required, the vast majority of people choose to work with Realtors when buying or selling a home. Licensed real estate agents in general can support buyers facing a small inventory of homes in their price range and help sellers to fetch a good offer. Several agents told IndyStar that the new rules heighten the stakes of initial buyer consultations. They must prove their expertise and value from the get-go, while buyers should scrutinize the fine print before signing any agreement. Alex Montagano, an agent of more than 12 years who works with Lockstep Realty, said he and his team have met with multiple customers who weren't comfortable signing a contract since the law took effect July 1. But for the most part, he said, agents have found that explaining the new law and the terms of payment provides an early opportunity to show their chops. "Now there's transparency in terms of how much money everyone is making and how theyre paid," he said. Gaby Pitts, president of the local chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, worried at first that changes in how buyer-agents got paid could overburden her Latino clients, many of whom are first-time homebuyers. Echoing concerns from NAHREP CEO Gary Acosta, Pitts said that asking would-be buyers from cash-strapped households to pay their agent's commission on top of a new mortgage could put homeownership out of reach. But Pitts has so far been able to negotiate fair commission rates for herself with sellers and their agents, she said. Although sellers can't include commission fees for a buyer's agent in their official home listing, they can pitch them offline to make a deal more attractive. "If you show your value, then youll be fine," Pitts said of agents. "The strong ones will survive." The Consumer Federation of America recently published detailed criteria for evaluating both buyer and seller contract forms. For more information, view the buyer's sheet and the seller's sheet on the organization's website. Email IndyStar reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09 This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What National Association of Realtors settlement means in Indiana Homeless woman says Wichita fatal stabbing was in self-defense. Shell go to prison A 37-year-old woman will spend at least the next few years in prison for a fatal 2021 stabbing in the alley behind an east Wichita business. Latoya Annette McCurn was sentenced Friday to 84 months in prison, with 77 months of that for voluntary manslaughter and seven months for criminal threat. She has been in custody since the Aug. 17, 2021 stabbing of 49-year-old Van Hung Nguyen and will get credit for that time served. A passerby found Nguyen by a trash dumpster in an alley in the 7800 block of East Harry, near Rock Road. McCurn was later arrested in that block. She was homeless at the time. When asked if she wanted to say anything during the sentencing, McCurn said: I have nothing. McCurn, who originally faced a first-degree murder charge, entered into a plea agreement on June 28. Her attorney, Mark Sevart, asked for Judge Eric Williams to depart from the agreement and consider probation since, he said, this was self-defense. Sevart said Nguyen approached McCurn and offered her a beer. He became then somewhat sexually aggressive, Sevart said, adding his client told Nguyen no twice before he grabbed her leg near her genitals. She grabbed a table knife she had in her purse and stabbed him one time, he said. She only stabbed him one time which could be an indication she was only trying to defend herself, he said. Its just really a blurred line to where self-defense is acceptable to where self defense is excessive. Williams denied the attorneys request. One person spoke on her behalf, saying she has remorse for what happened: She is a human being who was in the wrong place at the wrong time but she feels sorry for what she did, he said. One family member of the victim also spoke, saying: I want justice for my cousin. McCurn also has cases for probation violation for second-degree arson in Texas and battery on an officer in Cowley County, Kansas, Williams said. Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Sid Daoud stands up after getting a shoutout from former President Donald Trump at a rally on Aug. 9, 2024, in Bozeman. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan) Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Sid Daoud stands up after getting a shoutout from former President Donald Trump at a rally on Aug. 9, 2024, in Bozeman. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan) The recent extreme pressure exerted on Sid Daoud, the Libertarian candidate for Senate, by the national and state Republican party highlights both his courage and a troubling increase in what can only be called fake candidates as both major parties continue to exert their stranglehold on American politics. As reported this week: Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Sid Daoud told the Montana State News Bureau that top Republicans from the Montana GOP chairman to Donald Trump encouraged him to drop out of the contest. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the GOP honchos, including Sen. Steve Daines, claim they werent actually asking Daoud to drop out of the campaign. But get this, the Sheehy campaign, his actual opponent in the Senate race, sent a private plane to fly him from the Flathead to Bozeman for the Trump rally and face-to-face meetings. Even worse, he was told Trump would bring him up on stage at the rally if he would announce he was dropping out of the race and endorse Sheehy. And sure enough, Trump did his best to point out Daoud in the crowd and announce hes going to be giving you a very nice surprise soon. But guess what? Apparently Trump and his fellow GOP moguls simply expected Daoud to be like most of the specious people they deal with and that hed kiss the ring, step aside and accept the seat at the table both Daines and the state GOP chairman promised him. Trump even blatantly asked him: So we have a deal? Much to their surprise and Daouds credit as an honest Montanan and honorable, real candidate, he refused to drop out of the race and his name will be on the ballot along with Testers and Sheehys for the Senate seat. As he put it: Montana Libertarians have heard this before and I dont think you can go back in time to any Libertarian that dropped out of the race and is still around. Its a tactic that they use that might sound good but it never pans out. Yet, while Daoud deserves kudos for his true commitment running as a candidate for his Libertarian Party, the same cant be said for any number of other fake candidates in this election cycle. Montanas Attorney General Austin Knudsen recruited a friend to run against him in the primary who then admitted he never intended to campaign against Knudsen. The same thing happened on the Democrat side when two Helenans filed to supposedly challenge Ryan Busse in the primary but didnt bother campaigning. In a move paralleling the GOPs move to get Daoud off the ballot, the Green Party candidate for the Senate race dropped out on the last day to do so. Sources say it was due to pressure from the Democrats so he wouldnt siphon votes from Tester. Given Testers poor record on the environment, its certainly likely those prioritizing greater environmental protection might vote for a Green Party candidate. Only they cant now and its pretty hard to deduce anything other than that the candidate never had any real intention of challenging either Tester or Sheehy. In our heated political atmosphere we hear time and again that Democracy is on the line. Thats true, but fake candidates are already undermining our democracy. Theyre dishonest about their intentions, they betray the people who actually think theyre serious, and they rig the races to get around the campaign financing restrictions so the real candidates can haul in both primary and general election donations. If we want real democracy, its time to let the dishonorable and duplicitous fake candidates know were on to their shameful schemes and we do not approve. New hope for patients: Intermountain Health Transplant Program first in Utah to use new state-of-the-art organ-saving technology New hope for patients: Intermountain Health Transplant Program first in Utah to use new state-of-the-art organ-saving technology MURRAY, Utah (ABC4 Utah) Intermountain Healths Transplant Program is the first in Utah to use a new state-of-the-art organ-saving device that helps to maintain donated livers in a near-physiological state outside the body to enhance successful transplantation. This new organ-saving technology being used by Intermountain, called the OrganOx, has helped Intermountain Healths liver transplant program save precious organs and the lives of patients desperately awaiting donor organs to survive. The OrganOx is an innovative liver pump that provides continuous perfusion of oxygenated blood, medications, and nutrients at normal body temperature and near physiological pressures and flows, mimicking the conditions inside the body. This technology allows the donor liver to remain viable for longer periods of time, extending the time from organ removal to transplant from just hours to more than one day, and potentially travel longer distances between donor and recipient sites, said Jean Botha, MD, medical director of Intermountain Healths abdominal transplant program and Intermountain Primary Childrens Hospitals pediatric transplant program. The device also enables real-time assessment of liver function and quality, which may help to increase the pool of suitable organs for transplantation, Dr. Botha added. By embracing new cutting-edge technology, such as OrganOx, the Intermountain Transplant Program which has seen a 367% growth from 2018 to 2023, makes it the third-fastest growing liver program in the nation with better than national outcomes and the shortest wait times for a liver transplant. Sophie Hansen, 22, from Bountiful, Utah, is one of three dozen patients whose life has been saved by this innovative technology at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. When Hansen was just 3-years old, doctors diagnosed her with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic, incurable disease that slowly damages the livers bile ducts causing scarring. Because her disease was caught early, her health was stabilized, but when she was 11-years old, her health deteriorated and was put on the liver transplant waiting list. She had to wait four years to finally receive a transplant. Then her PSC returned last year, and she was listed for a second transplant in January 2024. This time she did not have to wait long. Hansen, who is now a transplant research coordinator at Intermountain Primary Childrens Hospital, received a call just a month later letting her know a liver was available, but it was a donation after circulatory death (DCD) liver. It was scary to accept anything but a perfect organ, but I was super excited knowing about the technology that was being used, said Hansen. We also had complete trust in the team. On February 13, 2024, she got her new liver and a new lease on life. Just two weeks later, she was traveling to Colorado to present her latest research paper for school. Hansen is back hiking and doing the normal things a 22-year-old should be doing like finishing college. Her lifelong journey with liver disease has inspired her to pursue a career in liver disease research in hopes of helping more kids like herself. About 10,000 liver transplants are performed each year in the United States, but there is a waiting list of another 10,000 patients who need the lifesaving gift of a new liver. This is potentially life-changing for the thousands of patients on the national waiting list for a liver transplant, and the more than a thousand patients a year who die waiting for a liver to become available, said Richard Gilroy, MD, transplant hepatologist and Intermountain Healths liver transplant medical director. Because of this technology we are able to use livers from donors that would previously not even have been considered for donation. Since 1986, when Intermountain Healths adult liver transplant program started, more than 1,000 liver transplants have been performed, including living-related, deceased donor, and split liver transplantation. Experts say every 10 minutes, someone is added to the waiting list, and every day, 17 people die waiting for a transplant. At the same time, more than 2,000 livers are discarded every year because they do not survive the typical cold preservation or are damaged by oxygen deprivation. The OrganOx device kept the donor organ perfused and oxygenated outside the body, until Hansen and the transplant team at Intermountain Medical Center were ready for surgery. The technology includes a pump that functions as the heart, an oxygenator that mimics the lungs, and other systems that continuously provide nutrients to the organ, making it functional throughout the preservation and transport. Since the first use of the OrganOx on Dec. 15, 2023, Intermountain Healths Transplant Program has used the device 35 times for liver transplantation. Right now, the OrganOx is housed at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. In the future, Dr. Botha said its designed to be portable to take to a donors operating room and go to different transplant centers. OrganOx is also developing a kidney perfusion device that is currently in clinical trials. Intermountain Health continues to strive to offer this lifesaving treatment to as many people as possible across the country, and in so doing, is helping them live their healthiest lives possible, said Dr. Botha. To learn more about organ donation or register to become an organ donor, go to intermountainhealthcare.org/donatelife. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now ABC4 Daily News Sponsored by Intermountain Health. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows an arboretum in Urla District, Izmir Province, Turkiye. When Can Ortabas acquired a piece of land in the tiny town of Urla in western Turkiye 28 years ago, it was a blank canvas with no roads, electricity, nor water. Today, Urla, located on the Aegean coast of Izmir province, has become a sought-after destination for upscale travelers to experience immersive wine tasting tours in expansive vineyards, diverse agricultural practices, and exceptional farm-to-table dining. (Xinhua/Liu Lei) URLA, Turkiye, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- When Can Ortabas acquired a piece of land in the tiny town of Urla in western Turkiye 28 years ago, it was a blank canvas with no roads, electricity, nor water. "We faced the challenge of installing all the infrastructure without a clear plan for the type of business we would eventually establish," Ortabas recalled. Driven by his passion for nature, Ortabas began cultivating plants, and since 1996, he has transformed the barren space into a sprawling arboretum, continuously expanding it into a vibrant sanctuary. Today, Urla, located on the Aegean coast of Izmir province, has become a sought-after destination for upscale travelers to experience immersive wine tasting tours in expansive vineyards, diverse agricultural practices, and exceptional farm-to-table dining. The transformation would not have become possible without numerous Turkish entrepreneurs relocating to the area to develop unique, organic and high-end ventures. Among the town's attractions, Ortabas's 2,000-acre arboretum stands out with over 250,000 palm trees from 52 species, as well as a rich variety of Mediterranean, tropical and subtropical plants. "It has become a living museum of plants, featuring monumental specimens from around the world, some thousands of years old and others several centuries old," Ortabas told Xinhua. "Our 5,000-square-meter greenhouse further enhances the experience with endemic Turkish species and a curated selection of rare plants from around the world," he said, adding that the facility is projected to welcome nearly 150,000 visitors this year. According to Ortabas, the influx of visitors has significantly boosted local businesses, including shops, hotels and restaurants, transforming the town into a niche tourism hub and greatly diminishing the off-season. In 2018, Turkish chef Osman Sezener fulfilled his "long-held dream" by opening a Michelin-starred restaurant that champions both "farm-to-table" and "zero waste" philosophies. "Our restaurant's concept is centered on using locally sourced ingredients," Sezener told Xinhua. "Everything we serve is sourced locally, offering an authentic regional dining experience." Sezener also manages a large farm where he grows ingredients, produces olive oil, and raises 200-250 sheep and goats, as well as 15 cows for cheese and milk. "Foreign visitors to Turkiye seek authentic, local cuisine," the chef said. "We have guests who travel specifically to dine at our restaurant and then return home." Urla's sprawling vineyards and distinctive grape varieties are making waves in the wine world, with its wine tasting tours now a hit, particularly during the peak harvest season in August and September. Alihan Haydaroglu, who moved from Istanbul to Urla a decade ago, started a small boutique winery that has since grown into a prominent wine production facility. Since the beginning of production in 2022, the winery has gained quick recognition, with 2024 marking its third harvest. "With sales having just started in May, the winery is rapidly becoming a top destination for wine enthusiasts and travelers seeking an authentic wine experience," Haydaroglu told Xinhua. Photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows a wine cellar in Urla District, Izmir Province, Turkiye. When Can Ortabas acquired a piece of land in the tiny town of Urla in western Turkiye 28 years ago, it was a blank canvas with no roads, electricity, nor water. Today, Urla, located on the Aegean coast of Izmir province, has become a sought-after destination for upscale travelers to experience immersive wine tasting tours in expansive vineyards, diverse agricultural practices, and exceptional farm-to-table dining. (Xinhua/Liu Lei) Photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows a Michelin-starred restaurant in Urla District, Izmir Province, Turkiye. When Can Ortabas acquired a piece of land in the tiny town of Urla in western Turkiye 28 years ago, it was a blank canvas with no roads, electricity, nor water. Today, Urla, located on the Aegean coast of Izmir province, has become a sought-after destination for upscale travelers to experience immersive wine tasting tours in expansive vineyards, diverse agricultural practices, and exceptional farm-to-table dining. (Xinhua/Liu Lei) Photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows an arboretum in Urla District, Izmir Province, Turkiye. When Can Ortabas acquired a piece of land in the tiny town of Urla in western Turkiye 28 years ago, it was a blank canvas with no roads, electricity, nor water. Today, Urla, located on the Aegean coast of Izmir province, has become a sought-after destination for upscale travelers to experience immersive wine tasting tours in expansive vineyards, diverse agricultural practices, and exceptional farm-to-table dining. (Xinhua/Liu Lei) Photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows a vineyard in Urla District, Izmir Province, Turkiye. When Can Ortabas acquired a piece of land in the tiny town of Urla in western Turkiye 28 years ago, it was a blank canvas with no roads, electricity, nor water. Today, Urla, located on the Aegean coast of Izmir province, has become a sought-after destination for upscale travelers to experience immersive wine tasting tours in expansive vineyards, diverse agricultural practices, and exceptional farm-to-table dining. (Xinhua/Liu Lei) Photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows an arboretum in Urla District, Izmir Province, Turkiye. When Can Ortabas acquired a piece of land in the tiny town of Urla in western Turkiye 28 years ago, it was a blank canvas with no roads, electricity, nor water. Today, Urla, located on the Aegean coast of Izmir province, has become a sought-after destination for upscale travelers to experience immersive wine tasting tours in expansive vineyards, diverse agricultural practices, and exceptional farm-to-table dining. (Xinhua/Liu Lei) (U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.) The new Hotel Polaris at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) will host a job fair to fill over 100 available full-time positions. We are looking for more than 100 team members to help us make the vision of Hotel Polaris a reality, said Curtis Bova, General Manager of the new hotel, which is scheduled to open in November. Its exciting to be a part of the opening team for a hotel. We are looking for individuals who are passionate about providing exceptional service and people who want to grow with us as we make history with the opening of this new hotel. Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Cora Mitchell Hotel Polaris said it is looking to fill full-time positions in a variety of departments, including front office, food and beverage, housekeeping, maintenance and security, banquets, and spa, with full-time benefits including: Group medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. Participation in a pre-tax flexible benefit plan for healthcare and dependent care reimbursement. An employee assistance program. Paid time off/sick time. Participation in a 401(k) plan with a company match. Complimentary team member meals. Complimentary room nights at CoralTree Hospitality managed properties. For more information about the event and to apply online, click here. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in on-the-spot interviews, with many positions being filled during the event. Eligible positions will be posted online a week before the event. Prospective candidates are highly encouraged to review the job listings and apply online before attending the fair to expedite the interview process. The job fair will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Boot Barn Hall at Bourbon Brothers, located at 13071 Bass Pro Dr. in Colorado Springs. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. House Republicans are seizing on Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walzs role leading field trips to China as the basis for a new probe. House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday seeking information on Chinese entities and individuals with whom the Minnesota governor may have engaged, as well as any documents and communications between Walzs office and the FBI pertaining to warnings or guidance about government officials engaging with Chinese government representatives or proxies. Its unclear whether the FBI has had any such communications. The new probe follows a pattern of House Republicans opening inquiries into their top political rivals and shows how they are shifting investigatory firepower onto the Harris-Walz ticket as they wrap up an impeachment inquiry report concerning President Biden and his familys foreign business dealings. Walz spent one year teaching high school in China, moving to the country in 1989. Then, as high school teachers in Nebraska and Minnesota, Walz and his wife led field trips to the country. According to The New York Times, Walz has visited the country at least 30 times, Walz was also a fellow at Chinas Macao Polytechnic University in 2007. The letter asks the FBI to acknowledge whether it has ever offered any defensive briefings to Walz, a practice by which the agency informs politicians and other figures whether they may be a target of Chinese intelligence or influence efforts. Walz has also been a critic of China, meeting with the Dalai Lama and a Hong Kong democracy activist, and cosponsoring the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in the House. Comer also aims to flag Walzs contacts with Chinese officials and connected entities as governor, such as a meeting with the Consul General Zhao Jian in March of this year. The letter also asserts Walz attended a U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association event in 2019, citing a promotional document for the event that notes Walz was invited to speak. It is not clear, however, that Walz attended the event; the Chinese Embassys recap of the event made no mention of him. Comer asks the FBI to turn over information on more than a dozen Chinese entities, including some its unclear Walz had any contact with. The CCP [Chinese Communist Party] has sought to destroy the United States through coordinated influence and infiltration campaigns that target every aspect of American life, including our own elected officials. Americans should be deeply concerned that Governor Walz, Kamala Harriss vice-presidential running mate, has a longstanding and cozy relationship with China, Comer said in a statement. Walz campaign spokesperson Teddy Tschann defended the governors record on the CCP and took a swipe at the Trump campaign. Throughout his career, Governor Walz has stood up to the CCP, fought for human rights rights and democracy, and always put American jobs and manufacturing first, Tschann said in a statement. Republicans are twisting basic facts and desperately lying to distract from the Trump-Vance agenda: praising dictators, and sending American jobs to China. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will ensure we win the competition with China, and will always stand up for our values and interests in the face of Chinas threats. A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee Democrats said that Comers new probe into Walz is nothing more than a political stunt to aid the former president. For the umpteenth time, Chairman Comer shows the American people that his only real priority in Congress is doing Donald Trumps bidding, the Democratic spokesperson said, adding that Comer is doing his part to ensure that the 118th Congress will go down as the least productive in history. Walzs gubernatorial office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is running for Senate, has also publicly raised concern about Walzs trips to China, writing to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week questioning whether Walz complied foreign travel reporting requirements for his security clearance as he traveled to China while serving in the National Guard. Updated at 5:24 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. HONOLULU (KHON2) The chief of HPD said Wednesdays shooting in Waianae that left three people in serious condition began during a domestic disturbance. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You HPD responded to the incident on Puhinalo Place just after 6 p.m. When officers arrived, they reported that they heard screaming from within a house and they entered to find the armed suspect standing inside a shattered glass door. Chief Logan said the suspect was told by an officer to put the gun down but instead of doing so, he racked a round. The officer fired twice at the suspect, who then fell to the ground. Help me, please, then boom, boom, boom, Waianae shooting witness recalls The suspect and his girlfriend were reportedly involved in an argument in the street, which prompted the call to HPD. The girlfriends relative took the woman to his home, which was across the street and was the scene of the shooting. A neighbor said the suspect pointed a rifle directly at her and attempted to fire, but the gun malfunctioned and bullets fell out of the weapon and onto the ground police said the rifle was homemade. The neighbor said the suspect went and grabbed the handgun from his home then fired at his girlfriends relatives house. Three adults were found with gunshot wounds in the home and another adult was found to have assault-type wounds. One male dead in officer-involved shooting in Waianae The involved officer has four years of service and is assigned to district 8. They never want to be forced to use their service weapons, but in situations like this, they have no choice if they want to try and protect the lives of the innocent. We pray for a full recovery for the victims of this suspect and hope they can heal physically and emotionally from this horrible incident, SHOPO President Robert Cavaco said. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene and HPD said the handgun that he used to injure the three adults was found to be stolen. The suspect had 14 convictions, including 11 felony convictions. HPD said they had been called to the suspects residence on two previous occasionsone for terroristic threatening in 2023 and another for a domestic argument in 2022for the same individuals, according to the chief. Security footage from a doorbell camera along Puhinalo Place captured the moments that the suspect started shooting the stolen handgun and wounded three people inside of a neighbors home. Area residents said the suspect has caused trouble before. Man dead after being shot multiple times at Waianae Boat Harbor I pressed charges because he threatened my kids and me that he was going to kill us. Went to the police station downtown to put a TRO, and they denied it, Pua Irvine said. Puas moms home was struck by a single bullet on Wednesday night. Police said it is not known whether the suspects home was searched for guns during the 2023 terroristic threatening case. Im not sure if there was or was not a weapon. I assume there was a weapon used to make it a TT first, but I dont know exactly why. I didnt read the reports. All I know is there was a previous case, HPD chief Joe Logan said. Rep. Cedric Gates said there was a flag football scrimmage going on at Kapuni Neighborhood Park during the shooting and the Department of Education is now offering trauma-informed support to every school on the West side. So the Nanakuli-Waianae complex have all access to this service, and I just want to stress that its available because I can just imagine what these kids are reeling from, Rep. Gates said. This is the third shooting in about a month and a half on Oahus West side, residents hope that the summer wraps up more peaceful than it began and not just for their own sake. When they heard the gunshot, all the kids in the back of the park ran, Irvine said. Because this gun things is getting out of control, really bad. Police are reviewing body camera footage of when officers shot the suspect and said on Thursday that the investigation was ongoing. Stolen jewels, boa constrictors killing owners, check out Weird News here A gun violence awareness sign-waving event is planned for Saturday, Aug. 17 at Nanakuli Beach park from 9 to 10 a.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. A key missing piece in U.S. and Latin American pressures to get Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to allow a transition to democracy is the International Criminal Courts failure to issue a warrant for his arrest. Many human rights groups are publicly asking: Is the ICC protecting Maduro? The Netherlands-based ICC, which looks into crimes against humanity and war crimes, has been investigating Maduros human rights abuses for several years. It opened a preliminary probe into Maduros crimes against humanity in 2018, at the request of six countries, and turned it into an official investigation in 2021. By comparison, it took the ICC only one year to investigate and issue an arrest warrant last year against Russias dictator Vladimir Putin for crimes committed in his 2022 invasion of Ukraine. And it took the ICC prosecutor only a seven-month investigation to announce on May 20 that he will seek arrest warrants against Yahya Sinwar, the head of the Hamas terrorist group, and Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for crimes committed in the Israel-Hamas war that unfolded after Oct. 7, 2023. The ICC has not yet formally issued its arrest warrants against Sinwar and Netanyahu. In Venezuelas case, the ICC prosecutors office has not even announced its intention to ask for Maduros arrest, despite United Nations and independent reports showing that thousands of people have been killed by his death squads since he took office in 2013. Prosecutor Karim Khans silence in the face of the crisis in Venezuela is alarming, said Erika Guevara-Rosas, advocacy director with the Amnesty International human rights group, in a statement. The present increase in the scale and gravity of acts being committed against Venezuelans demands immediate action from the Prosecutor. Separately, a group of more than a dozen former heads of Latin American regional human rights institutions issued a statement Aug. 12 calling on the ICC to take immediate actions against Maduro. Santiago Canton, the Geneva-based secretary general of the International Commission of Jurists and former head of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, who is one of the letters signatories, told me that theres an excess of patience, or naivete, on the part of the ICC prosecutors office. Canton added, Its time for the prosecutor to act: there are deaths and disappearances in Venezuela. There are times when you cant look the other way. ICCs chief prosecutor Khan said Monday that his office is actively monitoring the situation in Venezuela. His office did not respond to my email asking for further elaboration, but sources close to it tell me that Khan believes that, under ICC rules, he must first allow Venezuelan courts to take the first crack at prosecuting crimes against humanity. Its hard to understand why the ICC prosecutor is still giving Maduros government-controlled courts the benefit of the doubt. Maduros human rights violations rank among the worlds worst. In 2019, the United Nationa High Commissioner for Human Rights office reported that Maduro regime death squads were responsible for more than 7,000 extrajudicial deaths of street protesters in the previous 18 months. Since the July 28 elections, at least 23 people, including a 15-year-old, have been killed by government gunmen for participating in protests, according to the Victims Monitor rights group. The Venezuelan regime has said that more than 2,200 have been arrested since the elections. Former ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo says that Khans latest statement that he is actively monitoring whats happening in Venezuela is a sign that the prosecutor may soon issue an arrest warrant against Maduro. Khan issued similar warnings against Putin and Netanyahu shortly before ordering their arrests, and theres a high chance that the prosecutor will do the same with Maduro, Moreno Ocampo told CNN en Espanol. However, ICC critics say the ICCs decisions are often biased and erratic. The ICCs prosecutors recent announcement of his pending arrests warrants against Netanyahu and Hamas Sinwar was described by President Biden as outrageous. There is no equivalence between Israel and the terrorist group that attacked it on Oct. 7 last year, Biden said. The ICC, created in 2002, has 124 member countries, including Venezuela. The United States, Russia, China and Israel have not joined it. If Khan issues an international arrest warrant against Maduro in coming days or weeks, as his predecessor Moreno Ocampo believes, it will be a formidable tool to help press the Venezuelan dictator to accept a negotiated transition to democracy, perhaps in exchange for some form of amnesty. But if Khan continues sitting on the case, it will be a scandalous omission and a new stain on the ICCs image. Dont miss the Oppenheimer Presenta TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Espanol. Blog: andresoppenheimer.com Before a class of captivated high school seniors, Rep. Robert Garcia recounted the trajectory of his life: as a boy from humble beginnings in Peru, as a gay man raised in a conservative Catholic family, as an undocumented immigrant worried about his future and, now, as a member of Congress. The students in an advanced placement government class at Ernest S. McBride Sr. High School in Long Beach peppered him with sharp questions, notably whether his roots and his background ever made him feel like a fraud among his peers. Rep. Robert Garcia speaks to students at Ernest S. McBride Sr. High School in Long Beach in May. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) I've had impostor syndrome my whole life. I always have impostor syndrome," Garcia told the students, many of them Latino. "And you guys are gonna have impostor syndrome, too. I have never, in any position I've had, felt like I was either ready walking into it, or I was as prepared as I should be. His parents, hoping to escape domestic terrorism and economic uncertainty in Peru, brought him to the United States when he was 5 and overstayed their visa. He learned English, in part, by reading comic books, and Superman would later become something of a role model. Growing up, he saw his mother clean houses and work at a thrift store before she started working at health clinics. Garcia obtained his citizenship when he was a college student and struggled to tell his religious family that he was gay. The 46-year-old freshman congressman representing a district centered on Long Beach has risen quickly through the Democratic ranks. Garcia served as the mayor of Long Beach a city with roughly the same population as Miami and an LGBTQ+ stronghold from 2014 to 2022, after serving on the City Council for five years. He was the citys youngest, first openly gay and first Latino mayor. Then he was elected to Congress in 2022, and selected to be the president of the freshman Democratic class. When Garcia recently visited Cal State Long Beach, his alma mater, he recalled his anxiety as an undergraduate. I was low income, first generation obviously, no one in my family had gone to college, Garcia said as he marveled at a pantry stocked with pasta, fruit and cereal for students experiencing food insecurity. I spent most of college barely, barely eating. When I was a student here, we didn't have anything like this. Robert Garcia, on a visit to his alma mater, Cal State Long Beach, in May shows current student government President Nikki Majidi where he and other former presidents signed the bottom of a desk. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) Garcia then jogged upstairs to the student union, where he once had an office as student body president. After greeting the incoming leader, Nikki Majidi of Mission Viejo, he crawled under a desk to reveal a Cal State Long Beach tradition among student body presidents. We all signed the bottom of the desk, Garcia said. He was an undergraduate during a tumultuous period of his life the dichotomy of being an ambitious student while also fearing about his future because of his undocumented status. Most of my life, I just wanted to be an American, and a citizen, Garcia told the high school students in May. And, you know, when you're an immigrant, I think what you're really thinking about is, Am I going to get a job? Am I going to have support? I remember being in college, in classrooms thinking, Oh, my God, I don't have a green card. I don't have my citizenship. How am I going to actually get a job in the future or have the same access as all my other classmates? Garcia said he and his family ultimately received citizenship because of the amnesty law signed by President Reagan, one of the reasons they all registered as Republicans, a point frequently raised by his critics. He was a California youth coordinator for George W. Bushs 2000 presidential campaign and founded the Long Beach Young Republicans in 2005. He then registered as a decline-to-state voter before changing his party affiliation to Democratic in 2007, two years before he won a City Council seat, according to the Los Angeles County voter registration database. Robert Garcia finds his picture, right, among those of past student body presidents on a wall at Cal State Long Beach. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) His changing views, he said, reflect his political evolution. His background shapes his ideology, which is particularly salient at a moment in the nations history when the communities he belongs to Latino, immigrant, LGBTQ+ feel increasingly threatened. Our community is under direct attack right now, Garcia said at a fundraiser at a drag brunch at Hamburger Marys in Long Beach last year. And I want everyone, as we're enjoying and celebrating this incredible day, to not forget that we have not been in this position that we're in in probably decades. Garcia pointed to Republican efforts to limit the content in public school libraries, to stop LGBTQ+ couples from adopting children, to enact new abortion restrictions and to weaken labor unions. This is a moment for our community to remember our roots to remember that we're in positions to use our voice to help those that are marginalized and need our support, he concluded. Garcia recalled that when he ran for mayor, he questioned if voters would support him because of his youth, sexuality, ethnicity and working-class background. The first day I got to City Hall, I was like, Oh, my God, what am I doing here? You know, I'm mayor of this huge city, Garcia told the high school students. And that sticks with you because of the environments that we grew up in. The truth is that I could do the job. And I did the job to the best of my ability. I'm very proud of the work that we did. Garcia has assumed an unusual amount of power and public attention for a freshman member of Congress in the minority party. His chief of staff used to hold that position for House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). He sits on the Homeland Security and the Oversight and Accountability committees, as well as a subcommittee about the pandemic. His mother and stepfather died of COVID complications in the early days of the pandemic. Rep. Robert Garcia, left, and his chief of staff, Robert Edmonson, walk briskly to a congressional hearing in Washington in June. (John Boal / For The Times) At the nations Capitol, Garcia walks remarkably fast. His communications director, Sara Guerrero, said she has broken three pairs of heels attempting to keep up with him. His role as the Democrats freshman class president has granted him access to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Cabinet secretaries and other top leaders. It has also helped him develop amicable relationships with freshmen Republicans, including South Carolina Rep. Russell Fry, New York Rep. Mike Lawler and, from Rocklin in Northern California, Rep. Kevin Kiley (I think his politics are horrific, he clarified about Kiley). Asked if these relationships could lead to bipartisan legislation, Garcia demurred. Well see. Right now is not this bipartisan kumbaya moment in the country, he said in an interview in his congressional office. Weve got to defeat Donald Trump and ensure that these kinds of extremists dont destroy our country. So Im not thinking about, right now, how Im going to work with Mike Lawler Im thinking about how Im going to beat Mike Lawler. And I tell Mike that. Its vastly different from his days as a nonpartisan mayor in an overwhelmingly Democratic city. On Capitol Hill, Garcia quickly shifted to taking on what I consider, like, the villains of D.C. His mode of operation is to call out every single lie, push back on every single insane conspiracy theory. Robert Garcia criticizes former President Trump during a congressional hearing in Washington in 2023. (John Boal / For The Times) In committee hearings and in the news, he has taken on Republicans, notably Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, whom he calls a national embarrassment. I make it my job to try to make their lives miserable because they deserve it, Garcia said. He upbraided Greene after she attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci for his work in the COVID-19 pandemic. Garcia called Fauci a hero for his efforts against the disease and, decades ago, AIDS. "I also feel it's my personal responsibility to call her out and I do," he said of Greene, "and she hates me. Robert Garcia at Ernest S. McBride Sr. High School, where he shared his life story and rise to Congress. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) And he called out Peru when the nation declared transgender people mentally ill and pulled out of an event at the nations embassy. He has faced criticism. In the 2022 congressional primary, his Democratic rival raised his Republican past and alleged he was overly cozy with powerful interests, such as real estate developers. These days, the greatest vitriol he faces is often on social media. During a recent lunch at Hofs Hut with Long Beachs elected female leaders, Garcia pulled up his X profile on his phone. Nearly every post, regardless of subject, was met with a slew of homophobic and racist reactions. "It really doesn't bother me, he said. I feel like if we're pissing off these horrible people, we're doing something right because we're fighting for what we believe in, you know?" But he also uses social media and pop culture with humor and to drive home his message. This year, when Politico put him on a list of the thirstiest members of Congress the most shamelessly media-seeking members Garcia responded by posting a GIF of RuPauls Drag Race star Adore Delano sipping a drink and wrote, Im parched. We stan a messy queen, and having one on Capitol Hill is the best thing thats happened in Congress in ages, his office said in a press release. He has spoken on the House floor about RuPaul and Beyonce, and quoted a monologue from the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City during a Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing about Hunter Biden. Rep. Robert Garcia, a self-described "comic-book nerd," collects Superman memorabilia and books. As a Peruvian immigrant, he learned English, in part, by reading comics books. (John Boal / For The Times) Garcia was among the least experienced members of President Bidens national advisory board for his reelection bid before he withdrew from the race and Harris became the nominee. Garcia has a longtime relationship with Harris, who swore him in when he was elected mayor in 2014 and whom he initially backed in the 2020 presidential campaign. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) reviews notes en route from the Capitol to an interview with National Public Radio in June. For a freshman congressman, Garcia has an unusually high media profile. (John Boal / For The Times) Garcias congressional seat is so Democratic that he could hold it for decades if he wants. But in political circles, many assume he will one day run for statewide office a possibility he did not dismiss. I have no idea if I would run for anything else. So I don't ever rule anything out, he said over dinner at a Peruvian sushi restaurant in Long Beach. Nor does he appear to forget the roots he shared with the high school students. Garcias campaign logo has a superhero vibe, a nod to the comic books that helped him learn English and taught him social justice values. He identifies most with Superman because of his quests for truth and good, his love of country and his tagline as a strange visitor from another planet, a metaphor for the immigrant experience. When Garcia was sworn in to Congress, he set his hand on a copy of the Constitution placed atop his citizenship certificate, a picture of his late mother and stepfather and, borrowed from the Library of Congress, an original print of the first Superman comic book from 1939. Mehta reported from Long Beach and Castillo from Washington, D.C. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox three times per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Ukrainian forces captured over 100 Russian troops in the largest single surrender since the start of the war two and a half years ago, according to multiple reports. The latest victory is part of a surprise incursion launched by Ukraine into Russian territory earlier this month. The surrender will not please Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was already visibly rattled during a testy televised meeting with officials earlier this week. The Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda posted a video on X Thursday, which it said came from a source at the countrys Security Service, showing dozens of Russian soldiers lying with their hands at their heads after surrender. : 102 14 pic.twitter.com/J3VDwATBgs (@ukrpravda_news) August 15, 2024 The Telegram channel for I Want to Live, a hotline for Russian soldiers who want to surrender run by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, which also posted the video, added multiple pictures of the largest one-time catch since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Officials confirmed to the Ukrainian newspaper and Bloomberg News that the men, 102 total, were captured at a large underground facility in Kursk Oblast, the Russian region where Ukraine launched its surprise incursion on August 6. They were said to be heavily stocked with ammunition and supplies, while the bunker was outfitted with a dining hall, armory, and bathhouse. Putin Forced to Pull Troops From Ukraine After Getting Caught Out Ukraine's incursion has set Russia on edge and rattled its tyrannical leader. In a heated, televised meeting with top officials on Monday, Putin angrily blamed the Westfighting with the hands of Ukrainiansover the loss of Russian territory and, in a tacit admission that it has failed to do so, insisted his countrys military must ensure the reliable protection of the state border. The Commander-in-Chief of Ukraines Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday that Ukraine has taken control of around square miles of Russian territory and over 82 combined villages and towns. He delivered the news in a video briefing, excerpts of which were posted on Zelenskyys Telegram channel. In a video address, also published to his Telegram channel on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine set up a military command post in the Kursk town of Sudzha, home to an important Russian natural gas measuring station that connects to Europe. On top of capturing hundreds of soldiers and seizing territory, Ukraines surprise incursion has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and represents the most significant attack on Russia since World War II. Analysts generally agree that Ukraines incursion is designed to pull Russian troops away from the front lines in eastern Ukraine, where the country has slowly lost ground in recent weeks, and to capture troops and territory that can act as bargaining chips in potential negotiations. The acting regional governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, said on Telegram that civilians were being evacuated from the Glushkovo region, about 30 miles northwest of Sudzha, suggesting fears of further territorial losses. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. ISLAMABAD, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least three cases of mpox have been detected in two days in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a health official told Xinhua on Friday. The director of public health at the provincial directorate-general health services, Irshad Roghani, said that one case was detected in a 34-year-old male on Thursday and two others were confirmed on Friday morning, taking the country's overall tally in 2024 to three. The viral infection was detected in the patients on their arrival from the Middle East where they worked, the official said. He added that samples of the fourth suspect had been sent to a laboratory for confirmation after the patient visited a hospital for skin-related issues. According to the director, all three patients were being quarantined and all hospitals and other related facilities had been put on alert after confirmation of the disease in the province. After the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency, Pakistan's National Institute of Health (NIH) issued an advisory on Thursday to ensure preparedness to deal with mpox. The NIH said that border health services have been directed to enhance monitoring at all entry points of the country. (Bloomberg) -- Hungarys government said it adopted a new anti-corruption strategy as part of efforts to unlock crucial European Union funds, without immediately disclosing details. Most Read from Bloomberg The cabinet approved anti-fraud and anti-graft steps related to the blocs funding, according to a decision signed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban and published in the official gazette late Thursday. The measures will be published on a dedicated website, the government said, though it didnt set a specific deadline. The EU is withholding about 20 billion ($22 billion) of funding earmarked for Hungary due to graft and rule of law concerns under Orbans rule. Hungary ranks as the most corrupt nation in the EU in graft-watchdog Transparency Internationals latest annual survey. Earlier this year, the head of Hungarys Integrity Authority a state institution set up at the EUs request to identify the misuse of the blocs funds asked for additional powers to fight high-level corruption. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Hurricane Ernestos impact on Puerto Rico and how those here in western Massachusetts can help Mass. (WWLP) Hurricane Ernesto is making its way towards Bermuda after its strong winds knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people and dumped torrential rain on Puerto Rico. 22News spoke to local officials who have family and loved ones in Puerto Rico about the impact this storm has had on the ground. No deaths related to the storm have been reported in Puerto Rico, but there were over 730,000 people left without electricity on Wednesday, with some also losing water service, many still without power Thursday night. Rep. Carlos Gonzalez of the 10th Hampden district told 22News, The rivers have gone over, the road have been shut down. Highways are depending on what area the bridges are have been closed. Tropical Storm Ernesto brought heavy rains and high winds that tore down trees blocking roads and highways, leaving islanders without power. Many here in western Massachusetts trying to get in contact with their loved ones who reside on the island of enchantment. Senator Adam Gomez said, The west side of the island where my family is from didnt experience that until now recently, we know these reports have been troubling coming out of Puerto Rico specifically when it comes to Luma, and I know that theres a lot of grassroots organizations trying to figure out how we can sustain the light. As of 11 a.m. Thursday, there are over 428 thousand customers without power, according to Luma, the private company in charge of power distribution in Puerto Rico. A little more than 10 inches of rain fell in the region of Barranquitas in Puerto Rico, the National Weather Service in San Juan says that much of the island was still under flood watches as of late Wednesday. As part of their emergency response, FEMA is ready to provide generators and make available warehouses with emergency supplies during the immediate aftermath of the storm. Here in Massachusetts Senator Adam Gomez and State Representative Carlos Gonzalez are hoping to provide support to those back home once they are able to get a full assessment of the damage. The National Hurricane Center and Bermuda Weather Service issued a hurricane warning early Thursday for Bermuda, meaning sustained winds of 74 mph, are expected in the islands marine area within the next 24 hours. Latest Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Melissa Torres is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2021. Follow Melissa on X @melissatorrestv and view her bio to see more of her work. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Hurricane Ernesto strengthens to Category 2 with 100 mph winds as it threatens Bermuda Hurricane Ernesto strengthens to Category 2 with 100 mph winds as it threatens Bermuda Hurricane Ernesto has strengthened into a Category 2 storm with 100 mph winds as it heads for Bermuda. The storm is set to hit Bermuda on Saturday morning, the National Weather Service said. In addition to hurricane-force winds, Ernesto will bring up to nine inches of rain and flash flooding to the islands. The storm could also spark life-threatening rip currents along the US east coast as it moves north over the weekend. Bermuda is set to endure at least 36 hours of hurricane and tropical storm force winds, Michael Weeks, Bermudas minister of national security, said on Friday. He called the storm a considerable risk to life and property. Be under no illusion, this storm is the real deal, Weeks said. The storm may weaken after blowing through Bermuda but is expected to re-intensify, the NWS said. Ernesto will then move north and has the potential to pass by the eastern coast of Newfoundland late Monday. A man boards up his house in Warwick, Bermuda ahead of Hurricane Ernesto, which has strengthened into a Category 2 storm (REUTERS) Officials have since shut down government offices, public transport and the airport in preparation. Residents have also rushed to stores to stock up on supplies. Bermuda resident Trina Graham told USA Today her family has barricaded their door with heavy plastic and secured the gas canisters that fuel their stove in preparation for the storm. We have everything locked up, she told the outlet. Its very cloudy but theres not any serious wind yet. Its the calm before the storm. Hurricane Ernestos projected path as of Friday night. The Category 2 storm is set to hit Bermuda on Saturday (National Weather Service) Daisy Dohanos, an American on vacation in Bermuda, also told USA Today shes had a fast education on hurricane preparedness. She plans to stay with her friend, who has three rescue dogs. Were just gonna hunker down, Dohanos told the outlet. Im just hoping they dont get frightened. Im told that theyre not scared of storms, so they might be the ones calming me down. Meanwhile, nearly 300,000 energy customers in Puerto Rico are without power after Ernesto battered the territory on Tuesday. Amid these outages, the NWS has issued an excessive heat warning for the region. Its not easy, Andres Cabrer, a 60-year-old Puerto Rico resident without water and power, told the Associated Press. A man stands in floodwaters while unclogging a drain in Fajardo, Puerto Rico on Wednesday. Nearly 300,000 residents are still without power (REUTERS) Ernesto is the fifth named storm this year, during what is predicted to be an extremely active Atlantic season. This spike is being driven by record-high ocean temperatures linked to the climate crisis. Last year was the hottest on record, and 2024 is expected to once again beat that record. Idaho has the highest potential for geothermal power. Why arent we using it? For geothermal scientists, steaming hot springs scattered throughout Idaho are more than just a popular relaxation destination. Theyre an indicator of the states potential in clean energy. Despite having prime land for geothermal energy, Idaho only uses it to provide a sliver of the states electricity. And as extreme weather temperatures strain energy grids nationwide, more utility companies have sought alternative, renewable energy sources. Idaho researchers are working on ways to make it easier for companies to develop geothermal power and make use of the natural heat constantly being generated under the Earths surface. But company officials told the Idaho Statesman that without more incentives from the state, efforts to expand the renewable energy source will continue to have major challenges. Developing new geothermal plants and verifying that a location would work through exploratory wells are costly endeavors that have dissuaded developers from building new plants in the state. Only 1% of Idahos electricity is powered through geothermal sources, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. California uses geothermal energy to power around 4% of its electricity, while Nevada uses it to power 10%. Idaho has the highest potential and the least development of any place that I can think of when it comes to geothermal power, Travis McLing, a research scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory, told the Idaho Statesman. Theres a lot of companies seeing Idahos potential, but theyre not drilling wells yet. Companies reel at renewable energy costs Idatherm LLC, a geothermal power company based in Idaho, felt the brunt of how much it costs to pursue geothermal energy. In 2007, the company had big plans for the states geothermal resources, with two leases at potential hot spots. But by 2010, after failing to get funding for exploratory drilling, the company closed up shop, Mike Watts, the former owner of Idathem LLC, told the Statesman in an email. We needed about $4 million and did not have the connections with the Department of Energy that we needed, Watts said. Raft River Geothermal, Idahos only commercial geothermal power plant, got its start with federal funding from the Department of Energy in the 1980s. But the plant lost funding and only operated for six months. In 2008, energy company U.S. Geothermal, later bought by Ormat, revived the plant to provide around 10 megawatts of energy, according to the Idaho Governors Office of Energy Resources. Only one new project that could bring more geothermal generated power to Idaho is known to be in the works. Mountain Home Air Force Base last year signed agreements in partnership with Zanskar Geothermal & Minerals Inc., a geothermal power company, to develop a geothermal project that would produce electricity for the base. Theyre still verifying resources and development hasnt begun, said John Horsley, the energy manager for Mountain Home Air Force Base. Ormats Raft River project near Malta pumps up hot water from below ground to drive turbines and generate electricity. It is Idahos only commercial geothermal energy plant. McLing has been working on new technologies to reduce the cost of geothermal development and hopes his research will help boost the states use of clean energy. The tool he developed at Idaho National Laboratory provides a more accurate reading of underground temperatures before drilling, a key indicator of whether the area is a prime spot to harness geothermal power. The geothermometer combines a range of chemical measurements in geothermal water with mathematical modeling to accurately predict underground temperatures. Its an improvement on older methods, which only examine one or two chemicals. Geothermal companies are not oil and gas companies. Theyre small and dont have that kind of revenue and kind of capital, McLing said. But if we had a way of helping them reduce the risk of drilling a well to prove out a resource, geothermal would go through another resurgence. Travis McLing, a researcher for the Idaho National Laboratory, and researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory collected fluid samples from a hot well in Oreana, Idaho, in May 2019 to study Idahos geothermal resources. In an effort to expand where geothermal energy can be produced, McLing is also working with the U.S. Department of Energy to improve enhanced geothermal systems and make them cheaper. Enhanced geothermal systems pump high-pressure water into dry, hot rock to crack it open, making locations without a natural water reservoir suitable for geothermal use. In addition to providing more tools, McLing wants to develop ways to increase profits out of geothermal projects. One way would be to combine geothermal with other energy sources; solar energy, for example, can be used to heat geothermal water to higher temperatures, which generates more power, he said. Geothermal water can also be a source for rare elements such as Lithium, a mineral used in batteries. The ability to extract those minerals would provide another revenue stream for geothermal projects, McLing said. While Idaho is not a top producer of geothermal energy, the state does have the largest number of geothermal direct-use applications in the U.S., using geothermal water to heat everything from buildings to fish farms, according to the U. S. Department of Energy. Jon Gunnerson, a Boise geothermal coordinator, stands in front of pipes that are part of the citys district heating system in October 2022. The system is used to heat buildings across downtown. Boise is home to the largest municipally operated geothermal heating system. Although the ground under the city isnt hot enough to generate power, the heat used in downtown buildings reduces the CO2 equivalent of about 1,500 cars annually, said Tina Riley, city of Boises geothermal coordinator. It is a very effective, reliable, affordable form of energy with a low footprint that certainly in Boise helps us to meet our climate goals and is a great source of pride for the locals, Riley told the Statesman. Idaho Power plans for more geothermal use Last month, as record-breaking heat hit Boise Idaho Power shut off electricity for 8,500 customers to reduce wildfire risk from power lines falling in high winds, according to prior Statesman reporting. July 22 also broke Idaho Powers record for the most energy use the company has seen in a day. Energy outages in extreme temperatures across the country have been dangerous. Over 200 people died in 2021 when a winter storm in Texas shut down power plants, causing mass outages in freezing temperatures. The same year, in the Pacific Northwest, over 100 people died from heat-related illnesses in a heat wave that led to rolling blackouts. More companies have looked to expand their renewable energy sources. Idaho Power, which covers eastern and Southern Idaho, has the goal of generating 100% clean energy by 2045. Geothermal energy, for one, can always be on, Idaho Power spokesperson Brad Bowlin said. Its predictable, Bowlin told the Statesman. The price of resources like coal, overall, those costs keep going up, whereas you know the costs for some renewable resources are trending down. U.S. Geothermal, one of Idahos few publicly traded companies, built a 22-megawatt power plant near Vale, Ore. in 2013, sending electricity produced from Neal Hot Springs into Idaho Powers grid. Idaho Power hopes to expand its use of geothermal power in the coming years. For Nevada-based company Ormat, renewable energy requirements, tax incentives and policies that favor quick geothermal development determine the best places to invest, said Paul Thompson, Ormats vice president of business development though he credited Idaho with having one of the fastest and easiest permitting regimes, with a permitting process that is less complicated than Californias. Its kind of a courting exercise from the states, Thompson told the Statesman. Its not by coincidence that we tend to own and operate a lot of projects in states that have favorable renewable policies. Tax abatements can provide major incentives for development. Nevada has up to a 55% reduction in property and sales tax for renewable energy projects, according to the Nevada Governors Office of Energy. Idaho offers a replacement for property taxes if a 3% tax on gross geothermal energy earnings is paid, according to state law. Unlike Nevada and California, Idaho also lacks a renewable portfolio standard, which is a policy that mandates a certain amount of electricity from a renewable energy source and requires clean energy developments over initially cheaper options. That renewable portfolio standard would have to be approved by the Idaho Legislature. I dont think its even on our radar, state Rep. Rod Furniss, who is the vice chair of the House energy committee, told the Statesman by text. We have other fish to fry, like water and schools. Ormat has made attempts in Idaho to expand beyond Raft River Geothermal. In 2017, the U.S. Forest Service denied Ormats proposed lease to develop a geothermal power plant by the Salmon River and Panther Creek near Salmon. The environmental impact statement noted a potential impact on the recreational and indigenous use of surrounding hot springs, according to the U.S. Forest Service. But Ormat continues to explore potential developments in Idaho and consider leasing locations for power generation, Thompson said. Seven years ago, I was banging on peoples door, being like, Please let me in and tell you a little story about geothermal. Now Ive got people wanting to procure geothermal into 2035, Thompson said. There are more people looking at how to use geothermal in Idaho right now than ever before. Demonstrators protesting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation dropped 48,000 handmade hearts meant to represent LGBTQ+ Idahoans down the rotunda of the Idaho State Capitol Building in Boise on April 2, 2024. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) The Trans Youth Emergency Project is expanding into Idaho, offering families of transgender Idaho youth financial and logistical assistance to access transition-related care for minors. Add the Words Idaho is partnering the Campaign for Southern Equality on the project, which they say has grown to 25 states and is the only project of its scale and scope supporting families of transgender youth affected by gender-affirming care bans. The Trans Youth Emergency Project provides personalized patient navigation services, and emergency grants to families of $500 that are renewable every six months to assist with travel for care out of state, the groups said in a news release. Transgender youth, like all people, deserve the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies. Idaho politicians tried to take that away when they banned gender-affirming care for youth in 2023 but we know our people are stronger than politics, Nikson Mathews, policy and community advocate for Add the Words Idaho, said in a news release. We are proud to be a part of the Trans Youth Emergency Project, which will work to ensure trans youth in Idaho are still able to get the health care they need to thrive safely and legally. How to find more about the program? Families of trans youth in states with gender-affirming care bans can contact the Trans Youth Emergency Project online. Donations are also accepted online. Since the project launched in March 2023, the Campaign for Southern Equality says it has given $500,000 in emergency grants to 1,000 families and individuals partnering with state organizations. The aid program is needed to support families of Idaho trans and nonbinary use who access or hope to access necessary, proven gender-affirming care thats now banned in the state, Mathews told the Sun in an interview. Idaho in 2023 banned gender-affirming care for minors through House Bill 71. The law was temporarily blocked under a federal court order. In April, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect for everyone besides two suing minors. The groups behind the Idaho aid program say 26 states have passed bills to restrict or ban transgender youth access to gender-affirming care. Before 2020, no state advanced a similar law, the groups say. About 1,000 Idaho youth are transgender, according to estimates by the University of California-Los Angeles. More than a third 38% of transgender youth in the U.S. live in states with bans, the Campaign for Southern Equality estimates. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Hoping to counter Vice President Kamala Harris' newfound momentum and challenge Democrats up and down the ballot this fall, Illinois Republicans rallied at the state fairgrounds on Thursday. This year's Republican Day came four days before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and, like the dark clouds encircling Springfield for most of the morning, intended to place a damper on what Democratic leadership has brought to the state. More: Pritzker calls Trump a 'loser' as Dems champion Harris, Walz during Governor's Day Leadership, however, within the Illinois GOP recently underwent change by bringing in former U.S. Senate candidate Kathy Salvi to serve as the party chair. It was intra-party tensions that led to former chair Don Tracy to step down in June, but now she said the party is unified. Illinois Republican Party Chairwoman Kathy Salvi speaks during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. "If we can look at what joins us, not what divides us, there's no stopping us," she said during the Republican Day rally at the state fairgrounds. That unity Republicans say they have largely extends to their support of former President Donald Trump in his quest to return to the Oval Office. A renewed excitement exists for Trump, Salvi said, whether that be for long-standing backers, former Democrats or first-time voters. Sharing in that enthusiasm is former acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who alongside others in the party projects excitement surrounding Harris will die down soon. "The left is so excited that they have a candidate with a pulse, that's a fairly low bar," he said, serving during the Trump administration. "I mean, we have a president in Donald Trump that not only has a pulse, he has a fire inside of him to save this country." However cooperative fellow Illinois Republicans are can't deny their current status in Springfield and Washington as Democrats have super-majorities in the Illinois General Assembly and 14 of Illinois' 17 congressional districts. No Republicans serve in statewide office either. The party is hoping to flip the script by heavily encouraging voters to vote early, some during Thursday morning's Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee and County Chair's Association joint meeting expressing support for embracing October as "Voting Month" instead of such a focus on Election Day on Nov. 5. It's a reversal of sorts from when Trump previously lambasted vote-by-mail in 2020. He and Republicans nationwide are now backing the party's "Swamp the Vote USA" campaign. Shifting a safe blue state red also won't be made any easier due to a lack of major campaign funders with former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin leaving Illinois for Florida. And while Republicans aren't expecting such a donor to enter the playing field before November, they still feel confident they can challenge Democrats down ballot. House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, D-Hillside, said Wednesday he is confident House Democrats can add to their super-majority. Not so fast, says House Minority Leader Tony McCombie. House Minority Leader Tony McCombie speaks during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. The Savanna Republican is aiming to add five seats this fall and says the party platform of taking on crime and lowering taxes is appealing to the average Illinois voter, but more work needs to be done on getting the party's message out she said. But with Trump on the ballot again this year, some wonder whether a candidate that has lost the state by more than 15 points in 2016 and 2020 will or has hindered the party in congressional and state legislature races. McCombie seem to believe that won't be the case. "I would argue Trump is not the reason for 78," McCombie, referring to the number of Democrats in the Illinois House, told reporters outside the Inn at 835 Thursday morning. "I would argue that it is because of Speaker Welch's mismanagement of the crafting of the maps." Contact Patrick M. Keck: pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois Republicans rally behind Trump, push for early voting Two Illinois state lawmakers from the area are pushing legislation to make medicine more affordable. The bill, HB3493, would establish a prescription drug affordability board. Rep. Gregg Johnson and Sen. Mike Halpin went over the bill during a town hall meeting at the UAW Hall in East Moline. The board would work with the pharmaceutical companies to set maximum prices for drugs. Supporters say people are often forced to choose between the drugs and other basic necessities like food. The bill passed the Illinois house in April and is now in the hands of an Illinois Senate Committee. For more information, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) An Illinois police official faces charges of bankruptcy fraud after authorities say he allegedly engaged in a scheme to conceal assets and income. Deputy Chief Lewis Lacey of the Dolton Police Department is charged with bankruptcy fraud, making false statements and declarations in a bankruptcy case, and perjury. According to an indictment, 61-year-old Lacey, since the 1980s, has filed numerous personal bankruptcy cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, including petitions in 2019 and 2020. Laceys recent bankruptcy petitions automatically stayed enforcement of a settlement agreement Lacey had reached in 2017 with a person who was suing him. The indictment alleges that Lacey filed the 2019 bankruptcy petition shortly after the plaintiff moved to enforce a settlement agreement, accusing Lacey of still owing $43,000 of a $55,000 settlement. The indictment alleges that Lacey made several materially false and fraudulent representations in oral statements in his bankruptcy cases, including underreporting his monthly income and concealing bank accounts that he controlled. Authors also allege estate Lacey falsely represented that he was separated from his spouse and that she did not reside with him or contribute to his monthly income and mortgage. That representation allowed Lacey to fraudulently calculate his monthly income for purposes of repayment of his creditors as substantially less than it should have been if his spouses contributions were included, the indictment states. An arraignment date has not been set. Lacey was fired from the Dolton Police Department earlier this month. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. I'm an American who visited Dubai for the first time. Here are 11 things I wish I knew before I went. When I visited Dubai for the first time, there were some things I wish I had known beforehand. The weather during my stay was amazing, so I think the winter season is the best time to visit. The city is bigger than I expected so I'd recommend hiring a guide to see as much as possible. I visited Dubai for the first time and loved my time there. However, there were a few things I wish I had known before I went on the trip. Here are a few things I would've wanted to know before I went to Dubai. Summer in Dubai is supposedly brutal so visiting during the winter season is the move. Rachel Dube undefinedundefined There are so many activities that you likely won't be able to do them all. The Ain Dubai is the highest observation wheel in the world. Rachel Dube I didn't realize just how big Dubai was until I visited. There is an endless amount of activities, so I would suggest trying to identify your priorities before landing in the city. Based on my experience, I recommend visiting the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world), going on the Ain Dubai, wandering the souks, and strolling along the Jumeirah Beach Residence Walk. At night, it's worth snagging tickets to see the La Perle show and walking around the Dubai Mall to see the fountain show and lights around the Burj Khalifa. Dubai is filled with record-breaking attractions but also tons of history and culture. A building in Al Seef is reminiscent of what the city used to look like. Rachel Dube Though the world's tallest building and highest observation wheel were worth seeing, don't skip the historical part of the city. Visiting Al Seef, the souks, and taking an abra (a boat) across the river were definitely highlights of the trip. Parts of the city are extremely innovative and new, but older areas showcase its history and culture. Seeing both allowed me to appreciate how the city has evolved over time. Abu Dhabi is definitely worth a day trip and is only about an hour and a half away. I also visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Rachel Dube Though I originally planned on visiting only one of the seven emirates, the emirate of Dubai, my friends told me I had to incorporate a day trip to Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is located in the eponymous emirate. We hired a tour guide to take us on the hour-and-a-half drive to Abu Dhabi and around the main sites. Dubai isn't the only city with gorgeous sites and history there are incredible places to visit nearby. Driving to Abu Dhabi's breathtaking sites was truly worth it. Rachel Dube In Abu Dhabi, we visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Qasr Al Watan (a working Presidential palace), and Heritage Village. I loved the emirate so much that I'd love to go back just to see more of it. In addition to offering traditional Middle-Eastern food, Dubai seemed to have every other cuisine imaginable. The breakfast at my hotel was one of my favorite meals on the trip. Rachel Dube I'm allergic to sesame, so I was worried about what I'd eat on this trip since Middle-Eastern food and Emirati cuisine often use this ingredient. However, Dubai had every cuisine I could imagine. Everything from Italian food to Chinese options was available, so my choices were not limited. Though everything we tried was delicious, the food could be pricey. Palm Jumeirah and Dubai International Financial Centre are closer to the main attractions than some other popular areas where visitors stay. My hotel in the Dubai International Financial Centre was beautifully decorated. Rachel Dube Since Dubai is such a large city, I think it's best to stay close to its attractions. I selected the Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre because it was only a two-minute drive (or a 20-minute walk) to the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall and close to restaurants and shops. Since it was in the center of the city, grabbing taxis and finding transportation was easy. Many visitors also opt to stay in Palm Jumeirah, which has waterfront hotels with larger properties and private beaches. It's still close to the city but has some privacy. Hiring a tour guide ended up being the best decision I made on my trip and it was quite affordable. The view from the Dubai Marina Walk was stunning. Rachel Dube I hired tour guides to maximize my time in Dubai, which was one of the best decisions I made. We hired guides to take us around the city on our first day, as well as on our day trip to Abu Dhabi, the desert, and a nightlife tour. We made the most of our time in the city and we saw a ton. We booked most of the guides through the hotel or by recommendations from friends and family who had visited. Each guide was relatively affordable and was accompanied by a driver. You must bring appropriate attire for mosques and other holy sites. I wore an abaya at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Rachel Dube The holy sites we visited had a dress code. Men should wear a shirt with sleeves that are at least elbow length with long trousers. In mosques, women need to wear an abaya and shayla, which covers their body and hair. You can purchase an abaya and shayla at many tourist sites or borrow them ahead of entry. I didn't realize the mosques had a dress code, but I would have planned my outfit beforehand if I had. Don't let your worries about sand and heat cause you to pass up a trip to the desert. I'm glad I got to see the desert. Rachel Dube I typically stay away from deserts, but dune bashing driving at varying speeds over sand dunes in Dubai was one of my favorite activities on the trip. It was almost like riding a roller coaster on the sand and we got to see a beautiful sunset before heading back to the city. Don't miss dune bashing if you take a trip to the emirate. Souks are some of the best places to buy souvenirs or spices. You can buy things like souvenirs and spices at the souks in Dubai. Rachel Dube You can grab souvenirs from just about any attraction in Dubai, but I think you'll get the best prices and selection at the souks, or marketplaces. Dubai has a multitude of open-air souks, ranging from one for gold to a market for spices, and they each sell a wide variety of items. I purchased spices, jewelry, and souvenirs from different souks and strongly believe they're worth checking out. This story was originally published on September 12, 2022, and most recently updated on August 16, 2024. Read the original article on Business Insider A Palestinian woman inspects a house burned during Israeli settlers' attack the day before in the town of Jit in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. A Palestinian was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) RAMALLAH, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. The ministry said that the body of the deceased and the critically injured person, who was shot in the chest, were transported from the town of Jit in Qalqilya to a government hospital in Nablus. Local sources identified the deceased as Rashid Abdul Qader Sada, 23. They also reported that settlers attacked the western part of Jit, setting fire to several homes and vehicles. Sources told Xinhua that Israeli army forces closed the town's entrances and barred civil defense teams from extinguishing the fires. An Israeli military spokesperson told Israeli Public Radio that over 100 settlers had stormed Jit, burning homes and vehicles. Hossam Abu Hamda, the governor of Qalqilya, condemned what he called a "barbaric attack by settlers" on Jit, alleging that the army protected the settlers and obstructed emergency services until after the settlers had left. Abu Hamda said that three homes and four vehicles were burned. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 630 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire across the West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7, 2023. Palestinians inspect a car burned during Israeli settlers' attack the day before in the town of Jit in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. A Palestinian was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) A Palestinian man walks past cars burned during Israeli settlers' attack the day before in the town of Jit in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. A Palestinian was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) A Palestinian man inspects a car burned during Israeli settlers' attack the day before in the town of Jit in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. A Palestinian was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Palestinians inspect a house burned during Israeli settlers' attack the day before in the town of Jit in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. A Palestinian was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) A Palestinian man inspects a car burned during Israeli settlers' attack the day before in the town of Jit in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. A Palestinian was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) People mourn during the funeral of Palestinian Rashid Abdul Qader Sada in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. Sada was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) People mourn during the funeral of Palestinian Rashid Abdul Qader Sada in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. Sada was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) People mourn during the funeral of Palestinian Rashid Abdul Qader Sada in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. Sada was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Mourners carry the body of Palestinian Rashid Abdul Qader Sada during his funeral in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. Sada was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Mourners carry the body of Palestinian Rashid Abdul Qader Sada during his funeral in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. Sada was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Mourners carry the body of Palestinian Rashid Abdul Qader Sada during his funeral in Qalqilya, northern West Bank, on Aug. 16, 2024. Sada was killed and another critically injured by gunfire from Israeli settlers in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Mass. (WWLP) Hurricane Ernesto has made its way to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. With winds reaching over 80 miles an hour. The 22news Storm Team has a look at where Ernesto will go and if we could see any local impacts. Hurricane Ernesto continues to move north and is expected to strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph by Friday. Ernesto will then impact the island of Bermuda this weekend before moving into the north Atlantic and staying offshore. While Hurricane Ernesto will stay out to sea, there could be some minor impacts along the East Coast such as high waves and strong rip currents and maybe some breezy conditions on Cape Cod. Besides that, we look to have no impacts here in western Massachusetts. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. What impact will pro-Palestine protests have on the DNC? Tens of thousands expected in Chicagos streets What impact will pro-Palestine protests have on the DNC? Tens of thousands expected in Chicagos streets When the Democratic National Convention gets underway in Chicago on Monday, it is expected to be accompanied by the largest pro-Palestine protests in the citys history, according to advocacy groups. Pro-Palestine demonstrators arent new to Chicago. They have been marching on the citys streets every weekend since last October, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 250 people hostage. An estimated 40,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza and 85 per cent of people displaced from their homes there since the wars onset. The DNC, where Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are expected to accept their nominations, faces significant disruption from protests, with Chicago home to the largest community of Palestinians in the country. Tens of thousands are anticipated to mobilize. Itll be the largest protest in the history of Chicago for Palestinian rights, specifically, Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair for the US Palestinian Community Network, told Block Club Chicago. Heres everything we know about the pro-Palestine protests. When and where will the protests take place? The protests are expected to take place on the first and last days of the convention, August 19 and 22. Demonstrators are expected to gather in Park 578 and Union Park both a stones throw from the United Center, one of the two DNC venues. There has been a months-long court battle over the protest route. Advocacy groups requested parade permits to march near the United Center but were repeatedly denied by city officials. The city, in turn, offered the groups an alternative route, a requirement that prompted them to sue the city and Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation, alleging First Amendment violations. The alternative march route proposed by Chicago officials for pro-Palestine protesters who want to march closer to the DNC at the citys United Center (Northern District of Illinois US district court) The groups then asked a federal judge to extend their route by a mile, and move the route closer to the United Center. The judge denied that request on August 12, partly due to the route interfering with the Secret Service perimeter, court filings show. Organizers said they plan to appeal the decision, according to ABC7. Its unclear whether the groups will stick to those restrictions or will march without a permit. Were going to march regardless, but were fighting for the best route possible, Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesperson for the March on the DNC coalition, told Semafor. Weve got our park permit, but the City has refused to allow us to use port-a-potties, a stage, and a sound system. How many people are expected to take part in the protests? The exact number is unknown but estimates say Chicago could see anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 demonstrators. The demonstrations come after nearly a year of war in the Middle East and ensuing unrest that has erupted in the US over the Biden-Harris administrations response to it. One group, the March on the DNC coalition, said it intends to bring the peoples agenda to within sight and sound of the Democratic Party leadership. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris addressing Pro-Palestine protesters that interrupted her Michigan rally on August 7 (AFP via Getty Images) The coalition added: Genocide Joe Biden has stepped down from running for President as the Democratic Party nominee. His decision doesnt change the policies of Democratic Party leadership, specifically their support of the genocide in Palestine, so our movement must continue to apply pressure. Harris recently confronted Pro-Palestine protesters at a rally in Michigan last week. Protesters seemed to be shouting: We wont vote for genocide! Harris cut in: You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, Im speaking. She also said: Im here because we believe in democracy. Everyones voice matters. But I am speaking now. What kind of security measures are in place? City officials said on August 13 that planning and police training have been ongoing for a year. Police superintendent Larry Snelling said there will be resources in every single neighborhood not just at DNC venues. So its not forgotten that we have a city to protect, he added. When asked how Chicago police plans to handle arrests of protesters, Snelling replied: If everyone is doing exactly what is expected of them and they are exercising their first amendment rights, this isnt an arrest situationBut we will not guarantee someone that were not going to make arrests if they start to act violently or commit crimes. But ahead of the convention, civil rights groups have raised serious concerns about mass arrest policies and polices ability to handle the crowds, a fear likely stemming from the recent moves by the city. Demonstrators protest against the participation Donald Trump in the National Association of Black Journalists convention, outside the venue in Chicago while holding Palestinian flag on July 31 (REUTERS) Court officials announced the temporary reopening of a defunct courtroom at a police station to potentially process and release dozens of people, The Independent previously reported. The Chicago Police Department has also shelled out millions of taxpayer dollars to defend and settle lawsuits related to misconduct during 2020 protests. There are also the indelible images of violence that emerged from the 1968 DNC in Chicago of cops beating anti-Vietnam War protesters. More than 600 demonstrators were arrested while 190 officers and 100 protesters were injured, according to a report at the time. Snelling addressed this point, and tried to quell concerns. Oftentimes, it is forgotten that there was a Democratic convention between 1968 and now. It was a success, he said, referring to the 1996 convention where former president Bill Clinton accepted the nomination. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told NBC News that his agency feels prepared for the major political event. What people really need to understand is this is a national security event. Every resource of the federal, state, county and local government will be used, Guglielmi said. Its the highest security designation that the United States can give to anything. ... We feel very confident in the security plan in the Chicago Police Department. Were going to work hand in glove to make sure that the DNC is safe and that Chicago is safe. The DNC arrives as the Secret Service has been heavily scrutinized for its handling of Donald Trumps rally in Pennsylvania last month where he survived an assassination attempt. A federal watchdog report Monday laid blame on the Mississippi State Department of Health, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, for prolonging Jacksons well-documented water woes, saying their failed oversight contributed to the capital citys infrastructure issues lasting as long as they have. The MSDHs inaction prolonged Jacksons noncompliance, the EPA Office of Inspector Generals report reads. The EPA OIG is an independent office within the EPA that conducts investigations and audits on behalf of the agency. The report goes on to say that the state not documenting or raising attention to critical issues within the water system obscured the long-standing challenges of the system, allowed issues to compound over time, and contributed to the systems failure. As of Tuesday afternoon, MSDH hadnt released a statement on the report, only telling Mississippi Today that it was still reviewing the document. Among the many faults the report identified, the EPA OIG found that MSDH hasnt had a proper enforcement procedure for drinking water systems since the EPA granted the state primacy or the authority to regulate those systems in 1977. The report criticizes both MSDH for not having enforcement procedures, as well as the EPA for not requiring MSDH to do so. The investigation claims that MSDH didnt call enough attention to significant issues with Jacksons water system, and that by not doing so it left the EPA in the dark. Because the MSDH did not consistently identify significant deficiencies in Jacksons sanitary surveys, there were no subsequent violations of which the EPA would have been made aware, the EPA OIG wrote. Specifically, the document says: System staffing was a common concern noted throughout multiple sanitary surveys but only rose to the level of a significant deficiency in the February 2020 sanitary survey. In addition, membrane trains, which provide filtration, failed integrity testing in multiple sanitary surveys from 2015 through 2017 but were not deemed a significant deficiency until the February 2020 sanitary survey. Notably, only half of the membrane trains at the O.B. Curtis water treatment plant were running when a 2021 winter storm shut down Jacksons water distribution. The EPA OIG also listed several instances when MSDH failed to timely communicate with Jackson over its system deficiencies, including when the city failed a lead test in July 2015. MSDH didnt notify the city of the test results until January 2016, and, due to the delay, for approximately six months, Jackson residents were unaware that lead may have been in their drinking water, the report says. For the majority of the sanitary surveys and inspections from 2016 through 2020, the MSDH had inconsistent communication with Jackson, the report adds. Either the MSDH sent written notification of significant deficiencies several months after conducting a sanitary survey or inspection, or it did not notify Jackson. Federal law requires states to conduct sanitary surveys at least once every three years to make sure public water systems are up to code. Not only did MSDH delay telling Jackson about the citys deficiencies, the report says, the agency also didnt adequately reflect the severity of the citys issues in its inspections. In an interview, an EPA Region IV employee told the EPA OIG that a 2020 diagnosis of Jacksons water system found issues dating back to 2014 that MSDH hadnt listed as significant discrepancies. According to a (Region IV enforcement) employee, the MSDH may have been aware of more problems than what was documented in the sanitary surveys, the EPA OIG adds. That employee speculated that there was a lack of political will in the MSDH to address problems identified. Noting the citys above-average number of line breaks which were over three times the industry average from 2017 to 2021 the report says that while line breaks are usually not reported to the EPA, the state could report the issue to the EPA if they find an exorbitant number of boil water notices. From 2014 to 2022, Jackson issued approximately 1,570 boil water notices. The report emphasizes the issue with a photo of a coffee mug captioned Welcome to Boil Water Alert Mississippi. The report is the third this year that the EPA and EPA Office of Inspector General, an independent watchdog agency, released about Jacksons water system. All three stem from the near-collapse of the system in 2022, which happened after the concurrence of flooding on the Pearl River and the failure of pumps at the citys main treatment plant. Since then, the Department of Justice, EPA and city officials came to an agreement to allow a court-appointed third-party manager to temporarily takeover the water system. The first report, which the EPA Office of External Civil Rights Compliance released in May, found that MSDH and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality didnt racially discriminate against Jackson in funding the citys water system. About a week later, though, the EPA OIG released a report that found that MSDH failed to provide Jackson with flexible loan options that are available for economically disadvantaged cities. That report also described failures on the city level, including poor management of its treatment plants as well as gaps in communication between operators and higher-ups. Mondays report lists several recommended actions to prevent the agencies short-comings in the future, including assessing MSDHs sanitary survey program and how it helps water systems overcome deficiencies. Another action it lists is to make sure that MSDH has a procedure for enforcing federal and state drinking water laws. If (MSDH) is not implementing enforcement procedures as required by Safe Drinking Water Act section 1413, consider whether procedures for rescinding state primacy for water systems should be initiated, the recommended action states. In an e-mailed statement from EPA Press Officer Terry Johnson, the agency said that it has previously identified many of the same concerns raised by the (EPA OIG) and has already begun implementing actions to address their recommendations. This includes working with (MSDH) to ensure strong drinking water regulatory oversight at the state and federal levels. The City of Jackson did not respond to a request for comment by this storys publication. The incoming European Parliament is lacking diversity, data collected by Euronews shows. Some 37 of the newly elected 720 MEPs have a diverse background, this is about the same figure as in 2019, when the previous EU election was held. We looked at lawmakers who were born in a country outside the EU - or for whom one parent was - or those that represent a minority such as ethnic Hungarians in Romania. In the 2019 - 2024 mandate, the UK (which left the European Union in 2020) elected the most ethnic minority MEPs (seven out of 73 seats), followed by France (six out of 79 seats). During the June 2024 EU election, France picked the most diverse MEPs (ten out of 81), followed by Sweden (five out of 21). Germany and Romania each voted in three lawmakers with a different background. A spokesperson for the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) told Euronews that the lack of meaningful representation in the Parliament "reinforces our findings that this institution does not reflect the diversity of the European population. This trend highlights the urgent need for greater inclusion and representation within EU political structures." Already in 2019, ENAR said that while racial and ethnic minorities make up at least 10% of the European Union population, they made up about 36 (5%) the total number of 751 elected MEPs. This number dipped to 4% after the UK left the bloc. Brussels home to the EU Parliament is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in the world with some 184 different nationalities represented. Parties responsible for better representation Among the French lawmakers is Arash Saeidi (GUE/NGL), who was born in Iran. Saeidi, elected on behalf of the leftwing party La France Insoumise, told Euronews that he is not surprised about the numbers because the EU election is conducted nationally, where the picture is similar. France is not among the worst countries, but its the responsibility of the national parties to make sure there's a better representation, he said. France also has three lawmakers among its MEPs from Reunion and Guadeloupe, its overseas departments. Countries like the Netherlands, which also has such territories, do not have any lawmakers from the Caribbean part of its Kingdom in the delegation. Lawmaker Rima Hassan (GUE/NGL), who is French and Palestinian, was elected in June and previously worked as a lawyer and human rights activist. She told Euronews that the "political underrepresentation of racialized European citizens should concern us, as it reflects the consequencesamong many othersof systemic racism that we have been denouncing for years, but which many policymakers still struggle to address." "The fight against racial discrimination must include a greater proportion of candidates from minority backgrounds, who are best positioned to bring the issue of anti-racism to all levels of political representation, thereby enhancing democratic legitimacy," she added. Belgium is one of the eight countries that just has one MEP with a non-EU background: Assita Kanko (ECR), who was born in Burkina Faso. She entered the EU Parliament in 2019 and was re-elected in June. Ten member states, including Portugal, Malta and Ireland, did not elect any lawmaker with a different ethnicity. European Parliament diversity efforts In 2021, the Parliaments Bureau which includes its President, Vice-Presidents and Quaestors agreed to make the administration itself more diverse. To reach this target by 2024, the Bureau approved a two-year roadmap of ambitious milestones on disability, LGBTIQ+ matters and racial and ethnic diversity. One of the objectives on anti-racism is to foster ethnic diversity among parliamentary staff. A spokesperson for the Parliament told Euronews that all members of staff now joining the institutions are "receiving extensive information on diversity and inclusion via info sessions." However, the diversity problem is wider than the Parliament alone, ENAR said in its analysis of the lawmakers elected in the 2019-2024 mandate. The European Commission has a staff of over 33,000 and has real power in European policy making, and yet it publishes no data on racial/ethnic diversity, nor does it implement positive action to improve representation. In a letter sent to the incoming Commission, more than 130 civil society organisations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called for equality and non-discrimination to beincluded as central priorities in its work for the next five years. The new Parliament also saw the biggest percentage drop in female representation since the first direct elections in 1979. Women will make up 38.5% of MEPs - 277 out of 720 - 2.1% fewer than in the previous legislature, when they held 46% of seats. According to the spokesperson's service the Parliament's High-Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity will resume its work in the next term, "continuing the implementation of gender mainstreaming within Parliaments activities, structures and bodies, and to renew its commitment to promote the values of equality and non-discrimination in Parliaments administration." A 43-year-old former Indianapolis police officer killed his wife, 41, and shot his two daughters in what investigators say was a murder-suicide Facebook Ashley Nolan. A former police officer shot his teenaged daughters, killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide, police in Indianapolis say. On Monday, Aug. 12, Indianapolis Metropolitan police officers responded to a call about a domestic violence incident with a weapon at around 9 p.m., after one of 43-year-old Thomas Joseph Nolan's daughters dialed 911 to report a situation at their home on the city's south side, local outlets FOX59 and the Indy Star reported. "Upon officers arrival, they heard at least one gunshot from the dispatched location," the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) told PEOPLE in a statement. "Officers made their way into the residence in attempt to stop the threat and any potential loss of life." Police then located two teenaged girls the daughters of Nolan and his wife, who was identified by FOX59, the Star and WTHR as 51-year-old Ashley Nolan who had each sustained a gunshot wound. According to police, one of the girls was in stable condition and the other sustained critical injuries. As police continued to make their way through the home, they entered the property's backyard, where they found both Nolan and his wife dead. A gun was found at the scene. The Star reported that the couple were married for 18 years. Police added that emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene, and the two girls were quickly transported to the hospital. A GoFundMe created by Ashley's uncle on behalf of the girls states that they were taken to Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "Detectives believe this to be a domestic related murder-suicide," IMPD added. USA Today and FOX59 reported that Nolan was a former reserve officer with the IMPD who began working with the agency in 2004 and worked there for more than 20 years. Prior to his work with IMPD, Nolan worked with the Marion County Sheriffs Office as a reserve deputy, and also previously worked as a resource officer for the Perry Schools Police Department. In May this year, Nolan resigned from his role with the IMPD but the department has not provided further details. Noe Padilla / IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK Plywood covers the door of the Nolan home. Speaking with the Star, many of the family's neighbors and relatives remembered Ashley as a kind person who worked as a medical administrator and was passionate about her faith. Ashley's uncle, Jim Bowman, told the outlet that she "just wanted to make her family happy." "And that's what she did. She made us happy for 41 years," Bowman told the outlet. "If God wanted to call somebody home early in heaven, it would be her. She was kind to a fault." The mom-of-two is survived by her daughters Delaney and Jillian. The family's GoFundMe, which is being organized by Bowman to raise money for the girls, has since raised over $90,000 of its $200,000 goal. "Please pray and donate to the girls," Bowman writes in the fundraiser's description. "Ashley was a faithful believer and made sure she took her girls to church weekly." "Within seconds the girls lost both parents," he added. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact Detective Brian Lambert with the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or Brian.Lambert2@indy.gov. If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. India to hold first assembly elections in disputed Kashmir in 10 years SRINAGAR, India (AP) India on Friday announced three-phased assembly elections in disputed Kashmir, the first in a decade and in a new political environment after Prime Minister Narendra Modis government in 2019 stripped the Muslim-majority region of its semi-autonomy and downgraded it to a federally controlled territory. Since those changes the region has remained on edge, governed by a New Delhi appointed administrator and run by bureaucrats with no democratic credentials. The new polls will be held between Sept.18 and Oct. 1, India's Election Commission said at a news conference in the capital, New Delhi. The vote will take place in a staggered process that allows the government to deploy tens of thousands of troops to prevent any outbreak of violence. Votes will be counted on Oct. 4. The multi-stage voting will elect a local government a chief minister who will serve as the region's top official with a council of ministers from pro-India parties participating in the elections. However, contrary to the past, the local assembly will barely have any legislative powers with only nominal control over education and culture. Legislating laws for the region will continue to be with Indias parliament while policy decisions will be made in the capital. Local politicians have demanded the earliest restoration of statehood so that full legislative powers could be returned to the local assembly. Public reaction to the announcement was mixed. We are happy that we will finally have our election, said Haya Javaid, a resident of Srinagar, the regions main city. It would have been great if they (authorities) had also announced the restoration of statehood for the region, said another resident Malik Zahoor. Mohit Bhan, a spokesman for Kashmir's Peoples Democratic Party, said the announcement was like too little, too late. He wrote on social platform X that the region "has been reduced to a municipality that was once a powerful state with special status. This isnt democracy, its a mockery. Restoring full statehood should be the first step, he added. The 2024 elections will be held for 90 constituencies, excluding Ladakh. In 2022, the Indian government redrew assembly constituencies and added four seats to the Hindu-dominated Jammu and three to the overwhelmingly Muslim-majority Kashmir valley. The former state assembly had 87 members including four from Ladakh. The last assembly election was held in 2014 after which Modis Bharatiya Janata Party for the first time ruled the region in a coalition with the Peoples Democratic Party. In 2018, the BJP withdrew its support to the government following which the assembly was dissolved. A year later, New Delhi divided the region into Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir while scrapping its statehood amid a massive security and communications lockdown for months. Kashmir is divided between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan. Each administers part of the territory, but both claim the entire territory. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhis rule since 1989. India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and most Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict. Authorities say violence in the region has reduced significantly since 2019 but in recent months, there has been a sharp rise in militant attacks on government forces in parts of the Hindu-dominated Jammu area. Kashmiri Muslim separatist leaders who challenge Indias sovereignty over the disputed region have in the past called for a boycott of the vote calling it an illegitimate exercise under military occupation. CANBERRA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Australia's deputy prime minister has described calls for the government to deny visas for all Palestinians fleeing war-torn Gaza as a disgrace. Richard Marles, deputy prime minister and minister for defence, said on Friday that opposition leader Peter Dutton's push for a Gaza visa ban could increase tensions in Australia. Dutton on Wednesday called for the government to reject visas for all Palestinians fleeing Gaza, warning of a threat to national security. His comments have been condemned as divisive and discriminatory by the governing Labor Party, the Greens, and Islamic groups and as racist by independent Member of Parliament (MP) Zali Steggall. Marles said on Friday that Dutton's comments could have real-world consequences and that security checks for all migrants coming to Australia from Gaza remain the same as when Dutton was responsible for immigration as the minister for home affairs between 2017 and 2021. "To be frank, I think what we've seen in the Parliament over the last 48 hours has been a disgrace from the leader of the opposition," Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio. "Those of us who are engaged in public discourse, the words that we use, the language that we engage in, does have a real-world effect." Earlier in August, Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Mike Burgess warned politicians to be careful not to inflame tensions after the official terror alert level was raised from "possible" to "probable." At the same time, Burgess said that Palestinians who have expressed rhetorical support for Hamas, a listed terror organization in Australia, would not necessarily be blocked from entering the country. Data released by the Department of Home Affairs on Wednesday revealed that the government has granted 2,922 visas to Palestinians since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel and rejected 7,111 applications. In the same period, 8,746 visas have been granted to Israeli citizens and 235 applications rejected. (Bloomberg) -- Indian doctors will embark on a nationwide strike on Saturday to protest the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata thats shocked the nation and sparked anger at the police. Most Read from Bloomberg The Indian Medical Association called for a 24-hour strike to highlight the polices alleged mishandling of the investigation and push for safer working conditions for women doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. Essential services will be maintained during the strike, but routine and elective procedures wont take place, the association said in a statement. Junior doctors and medical students in Kolkata have held nightly vigils this week following the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old graduate trainee on Aug. 9 on the premises of a government hospital in the city. A suspect was arrested a day later, although the case was handled shabbily by authorities and later stalled, according to the IMA. The Calcutta High Court ordered the case to be handed to the federal Central Bureau of Investigation, expressing discontent with the state polices handling of the matter. The incident drew condemnation from politicians, celebrities and activists in a country where cases of sexual violence against women are high and often go unreported. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 31,516 cases of rape were registered in 2022. In his Independence Day speech Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for stronger punishment of those who commit sexual crimes, without directly referring to the Kolkata case. The need of the hour is that there should be a wide discussion about the criminals who get punished so that even those who commit such sins fear the consequences including hanging to death, he said. I feel that it is very important to create this fear. The case has drawn parallels with the gang-rape and death of a student in Delhi in 2012, which drew global attention to Indias high levels of sexual violence. The incident led to a wave of protests across the country and prompted the formation of fast-track courts for rape cases along with tighter laws. It also resulted in a higher reporting of rape cases. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Indonesia Festival to close DC roads later this month WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Indonesia Festival will take place from Saturday, Aug. 24, through Monday, Aug. 26, causing many roads in Northwest D.C. to close off to traffic. The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking from Aug. 24 at 4:30 a.m. through Aug. 26 at 5 a.m.: Pennsylvania Avenue from 3rd Street to 9th Street, NW 4th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Madison Drive, NW 6th Street from Constitution Avenue to C Street, NW 7th Street from Indiana Avenue to Constitution Avenue, NW Constitution Avenue from 3rd Street to 7th Street, NW MPD: Overall crime in the District drops by 35% The following streets will be closed to traffic from Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. through Aug. 26 at 5 a.m.: Pennsylvania Avenue from 3rd Street to 7th Street, NW Constitution Avenue from 3rd Street to 7th Street, NW 4th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Madison Drive, NW 6th Street from Constitution Avenue to C Street, NW The following streets may undergo intermittent traffic closures on Aug. 25 from 9:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.: 7th Street from E Street to Constitution Avenue, NW Pennsylvania Avenue from 7th Street to 9th Street, NW For updates, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Annual State of the Nation Address, ahead of the country's Independence Day, in Jakarta By Ananda Teresia and Kate Lamb JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo Subianto has secured a parliamentary majority after the party that backed his rival in the February elections announced it was joining his big-tent coalition. The NasDem party, which accounts for about 10% of parliament, announced late on Thursday that it would support the incoming administration of Prabowo. The move will give the Prabowo government control over parliament, boosting its stake from 43% to 52%. The parliamentary majority is expected to smooth legislative processes, including approval of the 2025 budget, which outgoing President Joko Widodo, widely known as Jokowi, will announce on Friday. Ex-commander Prabowo, and vice-president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is Jokowi's eldest son, will be sworn into office on October 20. Nasdem chief Surya Paloh told reporters on Thursday that his decision to join Prabowo would foster a "calmer and more optimistic" atmosphere and ease the work of the incoming administration. "We agree to cooperate and collaborate to face challenges in the future," said Prabowo, after meeting Paloh, "Unity is the key to a nation's success." Prabowo, whose coalition includes five political parties, is also in talks with the country's largest Islamic party, which has a 10% parliamentary share. NasDem previously backed Anies Baswedan, a former Jakarta governor and vocal government critic, who was defeated by Prabowo in this year's presidential election. The party's decision to join Prabowo has led it to withdraw support for Anies's bid for Jakarta governor this November. Jokowi's youngest son Kaesang has in recent weeks been touted as a possible candidate for the post of governor in Jakarta or Central Java. Anies, who polls show is the frontrunner in the Jakarta race, has been struggling to find enough parties to support him. Anies told Reuters this week that "despite the pressure" he was optimistic he would ultimately secure the backing of parties with the required threshold of 20% of seats in the regional parliament. The developments follow the shock resignation at the weekend of Airlangga Hartarto as head of Golkar, Indonesia's second-largest political party, which is also in Prabowo's camp. It was expected that Airlangga, a Jokowi and Prabowo ally, would retain chairmanship of the party until its planned December congress. Instead, that congress will be held next week, when a new party chair will be elected. After a decade in office analysts say Jokowi is seeking control over Golkar to retain influence after he steps down. (Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) What Infectious Disease Experts Want You to Know About Mpox What Infectious Disease Experts Want You to Know About Mpox "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The WHO has declared a global health emergency of international concern over Mpox. Cases are currently spreading in Africa, with the first case reported outside of the continent, in Sweden, after travel to Africa. Doctors say that people shouldnt panic. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared Mpox a global health emergency of international concern after the disease surged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa. WHO officials said that the Mpox fueling these outbreaks is part of a new clade (basically, a subtype), which is raising all kinds of concerns, leading many to wonder: Is Mpox deadly? This clade is known as clade I, which is endemic to Central Africa, and tends to be more severe than the other form, clade II, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) dominated headlines back in 2022 when it started spreading in the U.S. Thousands of cases were detected in the U.S., but the infectious disease community jumped in, distributed the Mpox vaccine to at-risk patients, and seemingly contained what many feared would be another pandemic. Now, Mpox is backand people are freaking out all over again. Before you panic, keep in mind that a lot of this is happening in Africa right now, and reports of a single case in Swedennot the U.S. This is really an Africa-centric, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. But given that we do live in a global community, its understandable to have questions. Meet the experts: Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., is an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; and Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York Heres what we know about Mpox right now, plus why the WHO declared a global health emergency of international concern. Wait, what is Mpox? Mpoxformerly monkeypoxis a disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It causes symptoms that are similar to smallpox, although theyre less severe, per the WHO. Mpox is somewhat rare in the U.S., although there was an outbreak in 2022 and it continues to circulate at low levels in the country, per CDC data. Mpox tends to occur in central and west Africa and two clades have emerged, per the WHOclade I (previously known as the Congo Basincentral Africanclade) and clade II (the former West African clade). Clade II is the one that fueled the outbreak in the U.S. It tends to cause a less severe illness than clade I. Mpox is endemic in Africa and [historically] infected children who had exposure to rodents, Dr. Adalja says. It increased in prevalence once routine smallpox vaccination ceased, as smallpox vaccines also serve as Mpox vaccines. In recent years, it has been spreading widely in African countries and found its way into sexual networks. Mpox is spread through close contact, including sexual contact. If someone touches a lesion, you could get spread, says Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York. It could also spread through respiratory secretions and fomites, like bedding and clothing. Dr. Russo says that its currently less clear whether this strain can be spread through aerosols. There is some unknown there, he says. Is Mpox deadly? Yes, Mpox can be deadly. In the prior outbreak involving Western countries, fatal cases were primarily in the immunocompromised, Dr. Adalja says. However, fatal cases do occur in Africa, more commonly with infection with clade I. (Worth noting: The clade thats spreading right now is clade I.) In the 2022 outbreak that happened in the U.S., more than 32,000 cases were reported and 58 people died of the disease. Mpox can cause a systemic infectionmeaning, it spreads all over your bodyalong with pneumonia, Dr. Russo says. But there are several factors that can go into whether Mpox will be fatal for someone, including whether they have any underlying health issues that make them immunocompromised and their access to healthcare, Dr. Russo says. Countries with more ample healthcare will often have a lower mortality rate, he says. Why has WHO declared a global health emergency? WHO officials expressed concern about the rapid spread of Mpox in the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, or PHEIC. The emergence of a new clade of Mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ph.D., in a statement. On top of outbreaks of other Mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, its clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives. Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina, M.B.B.S., also noted that Mpox has the ability to spread beyond Africa. The current upsurge of Mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe, he said in a statement. Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself. The concern is that theres an increasing number of cases and, though this is a disease thats been endemic in DRC for decades, we learned two years ago that it has the ability to spread beyond borders, Dr. Russo says. The concern is that we could have deja vu all over again. Mpox symptoms People with Mpox usually develop a characteristic rash that may show up on the hands, feet, chest, face, mouth, or near the genitals, according to the CDC. Once exposed, the virus can incubate in your body for three to 17 days before you have symptoms. After that, you can have several stages of a rash. It can look like pimples or blisters at first and may be painful or itchy, per the CDC. From there, the rash will scab before healing. People with Mpox may also have these symptoms, according to the CDC: Fever Chills Swollen lymph nodes Exhaustion Muscle aches and backache Headache Respiratory symptoms, like a sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough Mpox vaccine and treatments There is a Mpox vaccine and its the same vaccine thats used for smallpox, Dr. Adalja says. Its highly effective, he adds. (Its considered up to 89% effective at preventing infection, according to the CDC.) The vaccine is given in two doses spaced four weeks apart, per the CDC. Two weeks after the second dose, you can expect maximum protection. Mpox is usually treated with supportive care, Dr. Adalja says. In certain cases, especially in the immunocompromised such as those with HIV, the antiviral tecovirimat is administered. While the news about Mpox is concerning, Dr. Russo recommends that people put it into perspective. None of these clade I cases have been reported in the U.S., he says. Presently this is an expanded regional problem in Africa. Right now, its not grounds for panic. This article is accurate as of press time. However, the information may have changed since it was last updated. While we aim to keep all of our stories up to date, please visit online resources provided by the CDC and WHO to stay informed on the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice. You Might Also Like Inmates escape from Haiti prison north of the capital in the third jail break in months The Haiti National Police is increasingly being outmatched by rival armed gangs that have expanded their reach beyond Port-au-Prince, the capital. Detainees have escaped from another prison in Haiti. The latest prison break occurred north of the capital in the city of St. Marc, where the local business community has been calling for police reinforcement for days against ruthless gangs making inroads into the city. Haiti National Police spokesman Michel-Ange Louis-Jeune said the prison was attacked around 2 a.m. Friday by gang members, leading several prisoners to escape. One of the escapees was arrested in the city of Arcahaie with the help of the public and 11 others were mortally wounded in an exchange of gunfire with the police. Louis-Jeune could not say how many prisoners remain at large. A notice informing the public of the prison break was issued by the local St. Marc police station earlier in the day. It asked the public to report any suspicious persons resembling escaped detainees and said the local police are mobilized to search for the escapees. Images of videos showed detainees climbing over a wall and others walking through a street accompanied by armed gang members. There was also a cloud of black smoke billowing from the prison grounds. Local media said prior to the prison break guards had been on strike demanding better working conditions. This is the third prison break in Haiti in five months. In early March, gangs raided the countrys two largest prisons, the National Penitentiary and the civil prison in Croix-des-Bouquets, leading to the escape of more than 4,000 detainees. Among the escapees were dangerous criminals including gang leaders, murderers and people indicted in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Tension a St Marc ce vendredi suite a une tentative devasion de la prison civile rapporte la presse locale .De la fumee a ete apercue dans lenceinte du Centre carceral de la ville .#RFMINFO pic.twitter.com/dEoXN9QtBy Radio RFM 104.9 (@MARADIOFM) August 16, 2024 Up to now the police have not said how many of them have been caught, said Marie Yolene Gilles, a human rights advocate who closely monitors Haitis prisoners and confirmed the St. Marc escapes. Gilles said she was still trying to gather details, but she isnt surprised. Once one prison falls, others fall; its like a domino effect, she said. As of July, the St. Marc prison held about 500 inmates, said Gilles, who runs the Fondasyon Je Klere/Eyes Wide Open Foundation. Last month, the prison administration relocated more than 150 inmates from a prison in the city of Carrefour, south of Port-au-Prince, after armed gangs attacked the main police station. Armed groups in Haiti have continued to move into cities despite the arrival of 400 Kenyan police officers, who began deploying in June to lead as part of a multinational security mission. On Thursday night, violence erupted in the Solino neighborhood of the capital not far from the presidential palace. Louis-Jeune said one police officer was killed by armed bandits during the attack, which forced residents to abandon their homes. Louis-Jeune said that further east in Tabarre an earlier escapee, Cassales Blanco, who was known as Gros Fanfan or Fanfan Anvayi, who had fled from National Penitentiary in March, was among five people killed during a police operation at the Anvayi Hotel. Blanco was the proprietor of the hotel and a member of the Viv Ansanm gang alliance that tried to take down the government earlier this year, the police spokesman said. His job was to distribute ammunition and guns to the gangs, Louis-Jeune added. 5 presumes bandits, dont Cazales Blanco allias Gwo Fanfan, ont ete tues, 13 personnes ont ete arretees, dont 3 policiers et deux journalistes, et 3 armes a feu ainsi que 195 cartouches et 7 telephones ont ete saisies. Tel est le bilan de l'operation menee hier par la Police pic.twitter.com/cpu3DbhKRI Passion Info Plus (@passioninfoplus) August 16, 2024 During the Tabarre operation one police officer was seriously wounded and was hospitalized. A prison guard known to help prisoners get contraband inside the National Penitentiary was killed. In all, 15 people were arrested, Louis-Jeune said, including three police officers and two journalists. The journalists were found in possession of three guns, including an automatic weapon, and were driving around in a vehicle with government plates. As of June 30, there were 7,523 people being held in Haitis prisons, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. Of these, 84% were in pre-trial detention, meaning they had never seen a judge, and the cell occupancy rate was 295% above capacity. Haiti has one of the regions most troubled prison systems. Prisons are not only overcrowded and vulnerable to security breaches, but inmates suffer from food shortages, poor hygiene and illnesses, including a rise in HIV/AIDS and malnutrition. The poor conditions regularly lead to deaths. Between April 1 and June 30, 78 inmates died, the U.N. said, most of them due to a lack of care... insufficient food and lack of access to drinking water. This week, three more deaths were added to the toll when detainees at the Civil Prison of Jacmel reportedly died from anemia. At the CERMICOL juvenile detention center in Delmas, where women are currently being held after their prison in Cabaret was overtaken by armed gangs, the number of detainees is currently 400% over capacity. The prison was built to hold just 60 inmates, human rights advocates say. The U.N. also said in its report that between April 1 and June 30, at least 1,379 people were killed or injured and another 428 kidnapped in Haiti, where nearly 600,000 people remain displaced by armed gangs. Though the numbers represent a 44% drop in killings and gunshot wounds and a 2% drop in kidnappings compared to the previous quarter, attacks by armed groups persist, the U.N.said. In recent weeks, several communities on the borders of Port-au-Prince have come under increasing attacks by armed gangs. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC) submitted a request on Friday, Aug. 2, to the New Mexico Department of Justice and the New Mexico Office of the State Auditor to investigate the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) for violations of environmental protection laws; consumer protection laws; waste, fraud, or abuse of state and federal funds; and violations of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, according to a press release from the NMELC. The press release states the NMELC submitted the request on behalf of the Sunland Park and Santa Teresa communities. The request alleges the CRRUA violated the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agencys implementing regulations, the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Act, and the New Mexico Drinking Water Regulations as the utility has exceeded the permissible amount of arsenic levels in the public water supply. The request also alleges that the utility has failed to provide the public and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) with timely notice of the contamination and violations and failed to meet NMED deadlines for compliance with the law. The request comes after the NMED requested the same investigation in March and is also in response to the water crisis that the utility has failed to adequately address, take responsibility for, and remedy, the press release said. CRRUA continues to provide public water that does not comply with federal health standards; consistently fails to meet public notice requirements for contaminations and violations; and continues to ignore NMEDs attempts at enforcement. Instead of providing consistently safe and clean public water to consumers, CRRUA has responded to the crisis by increasing residential utility rates, despite already receiving government funds to remedy these issues and additional government funds being available to CRRUA, the press release said. The press release says in June, the utility exceeded maximum contaminant levels for arsenic for two days straight, yet failed to notify the public until two weeks later. Federal and state law requires the CRRUA to provide public notice within 24 hours of a known contamination to the public water supply, according to the press release. The CRRUA released its latest arsenic water sample tests back in July where all arsenic treatment facilities met federal guidelines, according to the utility. CRRUA: Arsenic treatment facilities meet federal guidelines The CRRUA also reported earlier this month that it received zero calls from customers for discolored water for the month of June and July and also provided a table of data for the last six months. That data can be seen by clicking on the story below. CRRUA: Zero calls from customers for discolored water in July Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) While the early days of the pandemic might seem like a distant memory now, those who lost a loved one to COVID-19 will not be forgotten. That belief is behind an art installation at Western Iowa Tech Community College. Iowa artist Pam Douglas created Folding Cranes, Enfolding Community to commemorate the lives of Iowans who lost their lives from the coronavirus. 5,000 northwest Iowa homes receive FEMA aid after flood Douglas also created step-by-step instructions to teach others how to create origami cranes. The idea for the memorial was to embrace the globally-recognized tradition of paper crane folding, as an act of love to encourage healing and hope. The exhibit has been on display at various locations across Iowa, arriving at Western Iowa Tech in Feb. 2024. The presentation is made possible by the Western Iowa Tech Community College Lifelong Learning program. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. Democrats and Republicans in Iowa are fighting over a summer meal program for kids. Iowa rejected federal funding for it this summer. Gov. Kim Reynolds followed up by saying the state will not take the federal money for its meal plan next summer and is instead in favor of a state program. Reynolds announced she wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture to grant a waiver to let Iowa use federal funding for its summer meals initiative. She proposes leveraging bulk pricing to offer more food at meal distribution sites during the summer instead of being on the SUN Bucks program and utilize a delivery service for people who cant get there themselves. For more information on the Summer Food Service Program for Iowa, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Aerial photo taken on Aug. 16, 2024 shows Chinese and Pakistani engineers celebrating the river closure at the site of the China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Swat, northwestern Pakistan. The China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan achieved river closure on Friday, showing that the project construction has entered the fast lane. (China Gezhouba Group Corporation/Handout via Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan achieved river closure on Friday, showing that the project construction has entered the fast lane. Located on the Swat River in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of the South Asian country, the 800-megawatt hydropower is constructed by China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC). Commending the professionalism and excellent ability of the Chinese company, Asim Rauf, general manager and director of the project, a senior official from the project employer of Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority, said that the project will significantly improve people's livelihood, enhance the country's power supply capacity, and inject new impetus into Pakistan's economic development. Pakistan and China enjoy profound friendship and smooth cooperation in various fields, the manager said, adding that the Pakistani government will continue to fully support the project's construction to ensure the project is completed and put into use on schedule. Cui Jian, the project manager from CGGC, told Xinhua that nearly 6,000 jobs were created at the project's peak. The project construction team has continued to overcome technical challenges and hopes to deliver this modern water facility to the people of Pakistan as early as possible, he said. Once functional, the project will generate 2.86 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, adding 16,700 hectares of irrigated area and providing 140 million cubic meters of drinking water to local people every year, according to the Chinese manager. Aerial photo taken on Aug. 16, 2024 shows Chinese and Pakistani engineers celebrating the river closure at the site of the China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Swat, northwestern Pakistan. The China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan achieved river closure on Friday, showing that the project construction has entered the fast lane. (China Gezhouba Group Corporation/Handout via Xinhua) Photo taken on Aug. 16, 2024 shows a view of the China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Swat, northwestern Pakistan. The China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan achieved river closure on Friday, showing that the project construction has entered the fast lane. (China Gezhouba Group Corporation/Handout via Xinhua) Aerial photo taken on Aug. 16, 2024 shows trucks at the site of the China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Swat, northwestern Pakistan. The China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan achieved river closure on Friday, showing that the project construction has entered the fast lane. (China Gezhouba Group Corporation/Handout via Xinhua) Photo taken on Aug. 16, 2024 shows a view of the China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Swat, northwestern Pakistan. The China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan achieved river closure on Friday, showing that the project construction has entered the fast lane. (China Gezhouba Group Corporation/Handout via Xinhua) Photo taken on Aug. 16, 2024 shows a view of the China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Swat, northwestern Pakistan. The China-built Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan achieved river closure on Friday, showing that the project construction has entered the fast lane. (China Gezhouba Group Corporation/Handout via Xinhua) CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) Fraudulent calls involving a man identifying himself as law enforcement are on the rise, according to the Iron County Sheriffs Office. Lt. Dave Mitchell said the man has been calling Iron County residents demanding money for outstanding warrants, citations, fail-to-appear summonses, and fail-to-appear for jury selection, among others. Victims are being told to make payments at ATM and Bitcoin kiosks at local grocery stores and banks. In a press release, Mitchell said the calls have become a serious problem that is having a serious impact on the community. It is vital to spread the word that this is a scam, said Mitchell. Law enforcement officers from our agency and others across the state will never call citizens and ask them to make payments for any court-related matter. Gnome Hollow: How one Utahn overcame a painful accident by creating a successful board game Detectives with the Iron County Sheriffs Office are working to identify the person making the scam calls and are reportedly taking every possible measure to protect residents. Unfortunately, we have received reports of citizens falling victim to this law enforcement impersonator, said Mitchell. Iron County residents are encouraged to stay vigilant and to ask to speak with an Iron County Sheriffs deputy in person. Anyone with any questions or who may have fallen victim to the scam call is asked to contact Iron County Dispatch at 1-435-586-9445. What to do if you receive a scam phone call Phone scams can come in many forms, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In many scams, the caller may offer a prize for money or threaten the victim with arrest if they dont pay a citation or debt. Sometimes, the caller ID may even appear to be coming from the Sheriffs Office or another agency. Real law enforcement and federal agencies wont call and threaten you, the FTC says. The FTC said only scammers will often insist you pay through certain ways that make it hard for you to get your money back. These payments often include gift cards, cryptocurrency, or through wire transfers. If you suspect a call may be a scam, hang up immediately. You can always call the Sheriffs Office directly to confirm the validity of the phone call. Consider blocking the scam phone number and report the call to local law enforcement and to the FTC. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. CARLINVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) The Illinois State Police wrapped up their investigation to Heinz Funeral Home in Carlinville and handed it over to the Macoupin County States Attorney. States Attorney Jordan Garrison told WCIA Friday that his office is reviewing the findings to determine if he should file charges. In September 2023, Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon announced his office was opening an investigation into Heinz Funeral Home/Family Care Cremations in Carlinville after dozens of families were given the wrong cremains. August Heinz, the funeral director for Heinz, has since had his license for embalming and funeral directing revoked by the state. It was like doing it all over again: Woman finds out she was given wrong ashes by Carlinville funeral home The States Attorney said his office is reviewing the documents from the state agency, but have not finalized their conclusion for the investigation. My office will determine whether or not charges can go forward, or if we need more investigation, Garrison said. One of those two things can happen with this yet. State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) pushed for a bill to require chain of custody documentation of human remains at funeral homes to prevent more families getting the wrong cremains. The bill passed unanimously and was signed into law by the governor last week. The change in state law was specifically targeted to address these alleged behaviors, Garrison said. If that law were in effect, if something similar were to happen with someone else, then yes, it would most likely make prosecution a simpler task. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Palestinians carry their belongings as they flee Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The Israeli military on Friday called on civilians in southern and central Gaza to flee ahead of a new military operation. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The Israeli military on Friday called on civilians in southern and central Gaza to flee ahead of a new military operation, as the US ambassador to Israel said he was "appalled" after a Palestinian was killed by militant settlers in the West Bank. "The Hamas terrorist organization has established terrorist infrastructure in an area defined as a Humanitarian Area," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Telegram. It said the Palestinian militant group Hamas had fired rockets toward Israel from the southern city of Khan Younis on Thursday. "The IDF will act against the terrorist organizations in the area," it said. Using leaflets, text messages, phone calls and media reports in Arabic, the IDF told civilians to move to a humanitarian zone whose borders have been redrawn, The areas affected include northern districts of Khan Younis and the east of the central city of Deir al-Balah. The IDF said it was giving advance warning to civilians "to mitigate harm to the civilian population and to enable civilians to move away from the combat zone." The humanitarian zone in central Gaza is currently being adapted, the IDF added. An army map shows that the area is being reduced in size and that several neighbourhoods are no longer part of the zone. Fighting in Gaza continued on Thursday, the Israeli military said, as its air force attacked more than 30 targets, including military installations. The conflict was triggered by the massacre carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7. The high number of civilian casualties and the humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian civilian population have led to sharp international criticism of Israel's actions. US 'appalled' at West Bank settler violence Also on Friday, the US ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, said he was "appalled" after a Palestinian was killed in a violent raid by militant Israeli settlers on a village in the West Bank. "These attacks must stop and the criminals be held to account," Lew wrote on the social media platform X. A 22-year-old Palestinian was killed by gunfire on Thursday, when around 50 masked settlers stormed the Palestinian village of Jit, west of Nablus, the Palestinian health authority said. Another Palestinian was seriously injured, according to authorities. Israeli media reported that the settlers set fire to at least four houses and six cars. According to a media report, the army detained an Israeli and handed him over to the police. The situation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has worsened significantly since the start of the current conflict in Gaza. Since October 7, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in Israeli military operations, confrontations or their own attacks, according to the health ministry. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has also increased markedly since October 7. Palestinians carry their belongings as they flee Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The Israeli military on Friday called on civilians in southern and central Gaza to flee ahead of a new military operation. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Palestinians carry their belongings as they flee Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The Israeli military on Friday called on civilians in southern and central Gaza to flee ahead of a new military operation. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Relatives of the Palestinian children who lost their lives as a result of an Israeli attack, mourn as the bodies are brought to the morgue of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The Israeli army on Friday called on residents in the north of Khan Younis and in the east of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip to flee before a new military operation there begins, following rocket and mortar firing from the area toward Israel. "The Hamas terrorist organization has established terrorist infrastructure in an area defined as a Humanitarian Area," the army said on Telegram. It told area residents, via leaflets, text messages, phone calls and media reports in Arabic, to move to a humanitarian zone whose borders have been redrawn. The army said the Palestinian Islamist Hamas organization had fired rockets toward Israel from Khan Younis on Thursday. It said it was giving advance warning to civilians "to mitigate harm to the civilian population and to enable civilians to move away from the combat zone." Khan Younis is located in the southern Gaza Strip, Deir al-Balah in the centre of the area. The humanitarian zone, which stretches between the two locations in the west of the Gaza Strip, is currently being adapted, the military added. An army map shows that the area is being reduced in size and that several neighbourhoods are no longer part of the zone. Fighting in Gaza continues, the army said. The air force attacked more than 30 targets, including military installations, in the coastal area on Thursday. The war was triggered by the massacre carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7. The high number of civilian casualties and the humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian civilian population have triggered sharp international criticism of Israel's actions. Relatives of the Palestinian children who lost their lives as a result of an Israeli attack, mourn as the bodies are brought to the morgue of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa (Left to right) David Lammy, Israel Katz and Stephane Sejourne held talks in Jerusalem on Friday - Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Israel has said it expects the UK to join it in attacking significant targets in Iran if the regime follows through on its threats of a major assault on Israeli territory. The comments came as David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, visited Jerusalem on Friday to meet his French and Israeli counterparts. Israel Katz told Mr Lammy and Stephane Sejourne that if Iran attacked Israel we expect the coalition to join Israel not only in defence but also in striking significant targets in Iran. Israel will not be able to refrain from responding forcefully to any harm against it, Mr Katz said. He added that if Iran did not stop its aggression it would pay a price soon. Mr Lammy called it a dangerous moment for the Middle East and warned that the risk of the situation spiralling out of control was rising. Any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences for the region, he added. The Foreign Secretary also called on Hamas and Israel to engage seriously in ceasefire negotiations. There can be no delays or excuses This is a vital opportunity to secure the release of hostages and an immediate surge in aid into Gaza, he said. Mr Lammy said he was hopeful Israel and Hamas were on the cusp of a deal, as talks in Doha wrapped up on Friday. Qatar, Egypt and the US issued a joint statement afterwards in which they described the negotiations as serious and constructive. The countries added that the USs ceasefire proposal built on areas of agreement over the past week and bridges remaining gaps in the manner that allows for a swift implementation of the deal. A source with knowledge of the talks told the Axios website: We got more progress over the last two days than the last six weeks combined. Senior officials will reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week with the aim of concluding the deal, the statement added. Relatives of hostages held by Hamas protesting in Tel Aviv last night amid growing pressure for a ceasefire deal - Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Israeli newspaper Ynet reported that Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister, told Iranian leaders that they should consider if its advisable for Tehran and Hezbollah to follow through on their threats to attack Israel in the middle of ceasefire negotiations. Earlier, the US said the remaining obstacles in the ceasefire negotiations could be overcome and called on Hamas and Israel to close the deal. Mr Katz warned that Hamas might harden its position in the ceasefire talks in anticipation of an Iranian attack on Israel. Israeli newspaper Haaretz Daily cited a source familiar with the talks as saying that the parties hope to see progress within the next 24 hours and that the negotiations had been successful so far and have taken place in a positive spirit. While the US said that Israel and Hamas have largely agreed to the framework presented by Joe Biden, both parties have expressed reservations over remaining issues such as the presence of Israeli forces in Gaza. Anti-Semitism row Meanwhile, Mr Lammy has come under fire from anti-Semitism campaigners over the appointment of the former president of Columbia University to the Foreign Office. Baroness Shafik announced her resignation from the US university on Wednesday, following heavy criticism of her handling of pro-Palestine protests on campus. She told staff and students that she would return to Britain to work alongside the Foreign Secretary to review the Governments approach to international development. The Campaign Against Antisemitism described her appointment as a slap in the face to Jews on both sides of the Atlantic and said Lady Shafik had become one of the symbols of the Ivy Leagues abysmal treatment of Jewish students. Lady Shafik, who became the first female president of Columbia last year, appeared before Congress in April amid allegations that her university had not done enough to stamp out campus anti-Semitism. The campaign said in a social media statement: The prospect of her now coming to work for David Lammy in the Foreign Office is, at best, tone deaf. At worst, it is a slap in the face to Jews on both sides of the Atlantic, who are hearing the message that failing to tackle anti-Semitism and abuse of Jews has no impact on your career advancement, and apparently qualifies you to craft foreign policy, including in relation to the Jewish state. Lady Shafik told Congress: Columbia strives to be a community free of discrimination and hate in all its forms, and we condemn the anti-Semitism that is so pervasive today. She added that while there had been a rise in hatred on campus since the Oct 7 attacks, the university was working to protect students. Click here to view this content. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Israel has hit a wall in Gaza, some US officials say, as civilian deaths mount WASHINGTON Israel has achieved most of its battlefield aims against Hamas in Gaza, but is unlikely to eliminate the militant movement by continuing combat operations that have cost an estimated 40,000 lives, current and former U.S. officials say. The assessment came as a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks started in Doha on Thursday, with CIA Director William Burns joining Israeli and Egyptian spy chiefs for closed-door negotiations. Hamas representatives did not take part. The talks are happening under the shadow of the massive Gaza death toll and the looming threat of Iranian retaliation for the bombing death last month of a top Hamas leader in Tehran. Iranian officials have said a Gaza cease-fire would temper their promised response to the assassination, which they blame on Israel. "The Biden administration does not want the Gaza war to expand into a regional war, and does not want the U.S. drawn into a regional war," Edward Djerejian, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, told USA TODAY. More: Gazans are paying tens of thousands of dollars to an Egyptian company to escape Gaza death toll tops 40,000, Palestinian officials say Even as negotiators met, violence continued in Gaza. Palestinian health officials said at least six people were killed on Thursday night in an Israeli air strike on a house in Jabalia in northern Gaza. The reported death toll of 40,000 is a grim milestone for the world, U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said. While U.S. arms sales continue, some officials are questioning whether Israels military has hit a wall in Gaza. Ten months after Islamist fighters from Gaza rampaged across southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, Israel has largely met its military objectives in the tiny coastal enclave, U.S. officials told USA TODAY. Tens of thousands of lives lost: Visualizing the death and destruction of Israel's war in Gaza People carry the body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli raid, on a cemetery where displaced Palestinians shelter as Gaza health ministry announced that death toll has surpassed 40,000 in the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, August 15, 2024. News from abroad, made sense for you. Sign up for USA TODAY's Israel-Hamas War newsletter. Israel has seized terrain from Hamas in Gaza, and has rendered Hamas combat units largely ineffective. The officials, who characterized the conflict on condition of anonymity, said further security gains will require diplomacy rather than air strikes. The U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq proved that defeating conventional forces isn't sufficient for lasting peace, one official noted. Hamas is based on an ideology that can only be defeated through non-military means, the officials said. 'No such thing as total victory' Continuing to kill Hamas fighters and leaders may benefit Israel in the short term, one official said. But unless Hamas is replaced with a post-war government that offers Palestinians a future, attacks on Israel are likely to continue. Israel, however, still sees a military threat in Gaza, one official said, and Israeli leaders have said they wont stop fighting until the threat is completely eliminated. "There is tension within the Israeli government about the meaning of the 'total victory' that Benjamin Netanyahu aspires to, Djerejian said, referring to the Israeli prime minister. There is no such thing as total victory in the context of the Gaza war." More: Scores reported dead in Gaza school shelter as Israel says it bombed militants A Palestinian woman holds a child's hand as cancer patients wait to leave Gaza for treatment abroad, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 15, 2024. Rooting out terrorists from Gaza's urban terrain is difficult and dangerous, said Mark Quantock, a retired Army general and former Central Command intelligence chief. I'm dubious of the notion that Hamas can be completely eliminated as a terror threat through military means, Quantock told USA TODAY. Like other terrorist movements, it's incredibly tough to get them all or even most of them. Civilian deaths and 'lifelong animus' If the Gaza death toll is half of the 40,000 reported by Palestinian authorities, Israel has likely doubled the next generation of Hamas fighters, Quantock said. Not an optimistic assessment for sure, but killing civilians creates lifelong animus, Quantock said. People don't easily get over the killing of their family members. They just don't. It was back in December, a little more than two months into the Gaza war, that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that Israel risked strategic defeat through the civilian toll. "In this kind of a fight, the center of gravity is the civilian population, Austin said then. And if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat." On Thursday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby signaled that, whatever misgivings might exist behind closed doors in Washington, the U.S. would continue providing Israel military and political support. Demonstrators hold up paintings as families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza march amid a new round of Israel-Gaza ceasefire talks, in Tel Aviv, Israel, August 15, 2024. Israels military haa achieved "the vast majority of their objectives," Kirby said, but Hamas retains an ideology which continues to persist in the warped idea that what happened on the 7th of October ought to be able to happen again. So we're going to continue again to make sure that Israel has what it needs to continue to defend itself against that threat." It was unclear what progress was made Thursday in the cease-fire talks, which include U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk, David Barnea, head of Israels Mossad spy agency, and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Hamas negotiators waited on the margins to learn Israel's demands. "The remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must bring this process to close," Kirby said. A key goal of the cease-fire talks is the return of more than 100 hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 and the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Israel and Hamas have each blamed the other for failure to reach a deal first outlined in June by President Joe Biden. In Gaza, residents prayed for an end to the fighting. "Enough is enough, we want to get back to our homes in Gaza City. Every hour a family is getting killed or a house getting bombed," said Aya, 30, sheltering with her family in the central part of the Gaza Strip. "We are hopeful this time. Either it's this time or never, I am afraid," she told Reuters. After more than 10 months of bombardment and displacement, many were losing hope. There is a sense that the will is still missing to make this war stop, said Federico Dessi, Middle East director for the aid group Humanity and Inclusion. "The situation is pretty desperate." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel has hit a wall in Gaza, US officials say; deaths hit 40,000 Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Dozens of Israeli settlers rioted in an occupied West Bank village Thursday night, torching vehicles and buildings, the Israeli military said, resulting in at least one death, according to Palestinian reports. The Israel Defense Forces said the settlers, some masked, entered the village of Jit and were throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said one Palestinian was killed and another was critically injured, according to WAFA, the state-run news agency of the Palestinian Authority. The victim was identified as 22-year-old Rashid Mahmoud Sedda. The identity of the man critically injured was not released to the public, but the Palestine Red Crescent Society said he had sustained a chest wound and was rushed to a hospital, WAFA reported. UPI has contacted the Palestinian Ministry of Health for confirmation. The IDF said it was looking into the reports. A video of the incident circulated online by the Israel-based Yeshin Din human rights organization shows a car fully engulfed in flames while people can be heard screaming. Four houses and six cars were burned in the riot, according to Yeshin Din. Israeli soldiers and agents of Israel Border Patrol were on the scene "within minutes" of receiving reports of the violence, the IDF said, adding that the settlers were dispersed from the village. At least one settler was arrested and turned over to Israel Police, though the IDF did not explain on what offense. The IDF, Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police have launched an investigation into the riot, which was condemned by the IDF and other Israeli officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said he takes the riot "seriously" and vowed that those responsible "for any criminal act will be caught and prosecuted." President Isaac Herzog of Israel said he "strongly" condemns the attack that he said was carried out by "an extreme minority" that tarnishes the reputation of the "law-abiding community of settlers and the settlement as a whole." "Law enforcement officials must act immediately against this serious phenomenon and bring the lawbreakers to justice," he said. Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights are widely regarded as illegal under international law, and greater attention has been placed on Israel's occupation amid its war against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. Amid the war, extremist settler violence has surged. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there have been some 1,250 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians between Oct. 7 and Monday. The agency said 1,000 of those attacks resulted in property damage and 130 resulted in property damage and causalities, while 120 resulted in both Palestinian deaths and injuries. The report also stated that 549 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank during that time, with only 10 blamed on Israeli settlers with another seven deaths where the perpetrators were unknown. Democratic governments, including the United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada, have responded to the increase in violence with sanctions targeting individuals and entire outposts. The Biden administration has repeatedly said that the settlements stand in the way of achieving lasting peace in the region. The cause of Thursday's night riot was not entirely clear, though Netanyahu said in his message that it was only the IDF and security forces who fought terrorism "and no one else." The U.S.-based Jewish Israel Policy Forum called on all Israeli settlers involved in the riot to be arrested. "Until the Israeli government treats it as the systemic terrorism that it is, incidents like this will continue," it said in a statement. "It is imperative that all involved are arrested, prosecuted and face justice, and that illegal settlement and settler violence are treated as a law enforcement priority." An assault by dozens of Israeli settlers has devastated a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank, drawing blistering condemnation from top Israeli officials. More than 70 armed settlers invaded the town of Jit on Thursday, firing bullets and tear gas at residents and setting several homes and cars and other property on fire, according to the head of Jits village council, Nasser Sedda. Sedda said his cousin, Rashid Sedda, was killed in the attack. The Palestinian Authoritys Ministry of Health confirmed the 23-year-old Palestinian died after sustaining a chest injury. We have attacks but nothing to this level, Sedda told CNN. We havent seen anything like this before, and without a prior warning. They caught the people off guard women, children, and elders were there. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also said dozens of Israeli citizens, some masked, set fires and threw rocks and Molotov cocktails before being dispersed by Israeli security forces. One person has been apprehended for questioning over the rioting, and authorities are looking into the death of the Palestinian resident, the IDF said, without naming the resident. A young girl comforts the mother of a 23-year-old Palestinian man who was killed during an attack by Jewish settlers on the village of Jit near Nablus. - Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty Images It is launching a joint investigation into the attack with security agency ISA and Israeli Police. Militant group Hamas on Friday called on Palestinians in the West Bank to rise up against the crimes of the occupation and to confront the terrorist attacks of settlers after the raid. The policy of raids, assassinations, and unleashing herds of settlers will only increase our peoples devotion to their land and sanctities, it said in a statement. A serious nationalist crime Videos of the attack on Jit showed vehicles on fire and flames on the ground floor of a two-story building. Another video shows three medics performing CPR on Rashid Sedda. Residents of the town can be seen running toward the burning vehicles and putting out the flames with a fire extinguisher, while someone shouts, The settlers attacked us and set fire to the cars. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it treated three injuries from settler attacks in the town, including an elderly woman affected by gas inhalation and two young men injured by stones. Disavowal and condemnation came quickly from top Israeli officials. A man standing next to burnt cars points at the damage in his house. - Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty Images A statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, warning that he views the incident with utmost severity. Those responsible for any offense will be apprehended and tried, it read. Moshe Arbel, Israels interior minister, called the attacks a serious nationalist crime that runs contrary to the values of Judaism, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant slammed the violent, radical riots as the opposite of every code and value upheld by the State of Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the attack, urging police to swiftly bring those responsible to justice. The attack had harmed the law-abiding community of settlers and the settlements as a whole and the status of Israel in the world during a particularly sensitive and difficult period, he said. The attacks meanwhile drew a qualified response from Itamar Ben Gvir, Israels far-right National Security Minister, who said he told the [IDF] Chief of the General Staff this evening that the fact that we dont let soldiers shoot any terrorist who throws stones is leading to events of the type that occurred tonight. At the same time, it is unequivocally forbidden to take the law into ones own hands, he added. Another far-right member of Netanyahus government, Bezalel Smotrich, said: The rioters tonight in Jit are in no way related to the settlements and the settlers. They are criminals who should be dealt with by the law enforcement authorities with the full severity of the law. Some West Bank settlement leaders also denounced the attacks, seeking to distance themselves from the rioters whom they said were outsiders. There has been strong international condemnation too. The European Unions top diplomat Josep Borrell said the attacks aimed at terrorizing Palestinian civilians. Day after day, in an almost total impunity, Israeli settlers fuel violence in the occupied West Bank, contributing to endanger[ing] any chance of peace, Borrell wrote in a post on X Friday. Germanys Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, writing in a post on X that this violence is unacceptable and the attacks must stop immediately. The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, on Friday called on the Israeli government to stop settler violence. A man checks the damage in his house, a day after the attack on the village of Jit. - Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty Images For years, Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian communities in the occupied territory. From October 7, 2023 to August 5, 2024 alone, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has recorded at least 1,143 settler attacks against Palestinians. Of those, at least 114 attacks led to Palestinian fatalities and injuries, according to OCHA. The US imposed a series of sanctions this year on Israeli settlers accused of violence in the West Bank, blocking their financial assets and barring them from entering the US. The United States remains deeply concerned about extremist violence and instability in the West Bank, which undermines Israels own security, the State Department said in a statement last month. Israeli settlements, primarily inhabited by Jewish Israeli citizens, are built on lands controlled by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War. While the international community deems these settlements illegal under international law, Israel disputes this classification. The controversial settler movement has grown in power over the years and is seen by the outside world as a major impediment to peace in the region. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Updated Aug 16, 2024, 10:11am EDT The News Dozens of Israeli settlers set fire to houses and cars in a village in the occupied West Bank, leaving at least one person dead on Thursday night. The masked settlers stormed the village of Jit, opening fire and lobbing tear gas at residents, Palestinian authorities said. A White House spokesperson said the attacks which come amid ongoing ceasefire talks over the war in Gaza were unacceptable and must stop. The EUs foreign policy chief said he will propose sanctions on the settlers supporters in response to the attack, including some in government. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Israel seeks to cement control of West Bank Sources: Foreign Policy, The Wall Street Journal Israeli incursions into the West Bank have surged since Hamas attack on Israel on Oct 7, part of a strategy by ultranationalist Israeli lawmakers to prevent the possibility of East Jerusalem one day becoming the capital of an independent Palestinian state, The Wall Street Journal reported. Israel has built settlements and roads and turned a blind eye to illegal construction by settlers, dividing up the Palestinian territory even while officially maintaining that its control of the West Bank is temporary. The goal is to change the DNA of the system for many, many years, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said of his plans in the West Bank. Violence bolsters ranks of Palestinian militants Sources: The Washington Post, ACAPS, +972 Magazine Israeli military raids and air strikes on the West Bank have left hundreds of Palestinians dead, fueling frustration and anger. Israel has said the increased military presence is necessary to prevent attacks on Israeli citizens, but the violence has driven recruitment among Palestinian militant groups and united rival factions, The Washington Post reported. Many of the Israeli attacks have targeted Palestinian refugee camps, the NGO ACAPS reported, which have long been strongholds for militant groups. If they wanted to end the local resistance, they should leave us alone, an inhabitant of Nur Shams refugee camp told +972 Magazine, a progressive Israeli publication. Authorities in the West Bank are collapsing Sources: Foreign Affairs, Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research The Palestinian Authority, the official governing body of the West Bank, is closer to collapsing than it has been since the height of the second intifada in 20023, two experts from the Israel Policy Forum argued in Foreign Affairs. They wrote that Israels efforts to limit funding, as well as internal infighting, corruption, and the authoritarian instincts of President Mahmoud Abbas have all hamstrung the organization. The PAs legitimacy in the West Bank and Gaza has plummeted, with 94% of Palestinians in the West Bank in favor of Abbass resignation, according to a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research earlier this summer. ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen's Houthi group, revealed on Thursday that 73 people have been killed and 181 injured since the beginning of their military operations against Israel in October 2023. These operations, which the Houthis claim are "in support of the Palestinian people," have escalated tensions in the region and drawn international attention. Al-Houthi's statement, broadcast on the group's Al-Masirah TV channel, detailed the toll of what they call the "Promised Victory" battle. This campaign has coincided with increased military activity in the Red Sea region, including attacks on vessels the Houthis claim are linked to Israel. The Houthi leader also addressed recent U.S. military actions in Yemen, stating that American fighter jets conducted 10 airstrikes this week alone. Eight of these strikes reportedly targeted the coastal province of Hodeidah on the Red Sea, with additional strikes in Hajjah province and Sanaa. These U.S. and British airstrikes, which began in January 2024, are in response to the Houthis' naval attacks on shipping in the region. In his speech, the leader of Yemen's Houthi group reiterated threats to retaliate against Israel, particularly in response to recent events including the targeting of leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. Italy has issued red alert warnings in 22 cities as the country braces itself for yet another intense heatwave in a summer that broke all previous records for extreme temperatures. People are being urged to avoid direct exposure to sunlight during the hottest hours of the day and to stay hydrated. In the Lazio region, which includes the capital Rome, an emergency plan has been launched to tackle the effects of the intense heat on peoples health. It comes as the number of cases of emergency-care treatments for heat-related illnesses increases. Rome's Civil Protection agencies hands out water bottles to citizens. - EBU This is particularly seen among older people since a large number of Italians is over 65, the hot weather poses a big risk to the country's population. The most common health problems around this time of the year include the worsening of chronic diseases such as heart-related issues, like arrhythmia, infections, and kidney function is also affected as well as behavioural issues, said Dr Giuseppe Famularo from the San Camillo-Forlanini hospital in Rome. Concerns also persist about working conditions when very high temperatures are reached, particularly for those who work outside. Its been estimated that an average of 4,000 heat-related injuries occur in the workplace every year in Italy. Trade unions, especially in the building sector, have launched a campaign to raise awareness on the issue, urging the government to introduce new rules to protect workers. Today health and safety issues and injuries in the workplace have to be put in the current context, which is characterised by climate change," said Alessandro Genovesi, secretary general of the Italian federation of workers in wood, construction and extractive industries, Fillea Cgil. "So much has changed if you compare working in the building sector 30 years ago to today, between June and September. An 8-hour working day can be organised by working a total of 6 and a half to 7 hours in summer and 8 to 9 working hours in winter, he added. But despite soaring temperatures, tourist numbers are still expected to rise this year. Trade organisations have estimated their presence in the summer months will increase by almost 2% compared to last year. Sen. JD Vances (R-OH) jet, Trump Force Two, made an emergency landing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Friday afternoon after the pilot reported a mechanical issue. The pilot advised there was a malfunction with the door seal, Vance spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk told the Daily Beast in a statement. After declaring an emergency, Trump Force Two returned to Milwaukee. As soon as the issue was resolved, the plane returned to its originally planned flight path back to Cincinnati. Vance spoke to the Milwaukee Police Association earlier in the day and appealed to the crowd about ethnic enclaves. What happens when you have massive amounts of illegal immigration? he asked. It actually starts to create ethnic conflict. It creates higher crime. Vance said that when you have these massive ethnic enclaves forming in our country, it can sometimes lead to higher crime rates, citing the 2002 movie Gangs of New York as an example of ethnic enclaves. The 22-year-old Boeing 737-800 was debuted by Trump spokesperson Dan Scavino in an X post on July 15. Former President Donald Trump also ran into some issues last Friday when his Boeing 757 developed a mechanical issue that forced it down 107 miles east of Bozeman, where he was due to speak at Montana State University. Trump also reportedly rented the late Jeffrey Epsteins G550 Gulf Stream for a short flight from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Aspen, Colorado, last weekend. The Trump campaign told the Daily Beast they had no idea that the plane had belonged to Epstein. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety is refuting claims by a Jackson woman that a security guard at the JXN Water office building pulled a gun on her and her family. On Tuesday, Calandra Davis, a resident of Ward 5, relayed a story during a meeting of the Jackson City Council where she visited the office of JXN Water at the Summit Building off Fortification Street attempting to get her water turned back on after it was cut off Tuesday due to nonpayment. Davis said she had not been paying her monthly water bills, but said she attempted to set up a new account, and JXN Water had trouble finding it, though they eventually did. Davis said she and her husband visited the office to ask if there was a process to speed up getting her water turned on for her and her three children. The buildings' security guard then "came out before we could even get out of the car" and "at some point a gun was drawn on my husband while my children were there," she said. A spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety is refuting claims by a Jackson woman that a security guard at the JXN Water office building pulled a gun on her and her family. Ted Henifin, the third-party water manager leading JXN Water, which is in the process of repairing the city's water system, then came out and "threatened accessibility to water," Davis said. Capitol Police were called as well. Bailey Martin, the spokesperson of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, is disputing Davis' claims. Capitol Police is a branch of the state's Department of Public Safety. JXN Water billing: What is a water availability charge? Curious MS answers questions on increased water bills "That is not correct," Martin said in an email. "Capitol Police responded to a call for service regarding an alleged disturbance at the Jackson Water Department building. Upon arrival, officers spoke with an employee and the customer gathering details on the incident, finding out that the customer became unruly with the employee(s) at the location of the incident, and the security guard attempted to remove the disgruntled customer from the building." Calandra Davis, a Jackson resident, speaks with reporters at a Tuesday Jackson City Council meeting. She said she attempted to talk with someone at JXN Water's office to get her water turned back on and claimed a security guard at the building pulled a gun on her, her husband and their three children, and Ted Henifin, the interim third party water manager leading JXN Water, "threatened accessibility to water." According to Martin, "the customer" asked to remain anonymous and "stated that the security guard did not draw a weapon." "Neither the Jackson Water Department employees nor the customer wished to file an incident report," Martin said. Nothing in Martin's statement addresses Davis' claim that Henifin "threatened accessibility to water." Invoices owed: JXN Water owes $6M in outstanding invoices raising concerns over trust, reputation, judge says One Lake development: Exclusive: One Lake Project could flood parts of South Jackson. Residents there had no idea After the council meeting, JXN Water sent a press release regarding their process for water shut-offs. Nothing in the release speaks on Davis' allegation of a gun being pulled by security or Henifin's alleged comments. The release stated that JXN Water has initiated the process to disconnect water meters serving homes and businesses that have been using water without having an account. It also states that JXN Water's office "is not open to the public, and immediate assistance cannot be provided by visiting our location." Residents should call the water company's call center at 601-500-5200 if they have any concerns. After Davis told her story to the council, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said he plans to have a community meeting to talk about the future of Jackson's water system. He said he decided to host the meeting after "hearing day after day" about residents frustrated with their water bills. He did not give a specific date of when the meeting will take place. Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks requested to archive all of the residents who have come to a council meeting to give public comment on frustrations with JXN Water, which has occurred at the last two council meetings. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS DPS refutes Jackson woman's telling of incident at JXN Water building Jacksonville police officer arrested for boating under the influence, according to JSO Christopher Merrow, a Jacksonville Sheriffs Office police officer, was arrested on Aug. 14 for boating under the influence, according to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. While on a routine patrol near the Thomas Creek Boat Ramp, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer saw a personal watercraft being driven by Merrow approaching the dock. The FWC officer spoke with Merrow because the PWC was being operated illegally. After speaking with Merrow, the officer reported Merrow had multiple signs of impairment. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] According to a news release, the officer determined Merrow was operating the PWC while under the influence. Merrow has been employed as a police officer with JSO since Jan. 2018. He has been administratively reassigned while the criminal charges are being resolved. This is the 12th arrest of a Jacksonville Sheriffs Office employee this year, according to JSO. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. House Oversight Chair James Comer has launched an investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, his second probe into Donald Trumps opposition in less than a week. Comer alleged that Walz has a longstanding cozy relationship with China and has connections to the Chinese Communist Party, according to a press release published by the committee on Friday. Mr. Walz has visited China dozens of times, served as a fellow at a Chinese institution that maintains a devotion to the CCP, and spoke alongside the President of a Chinese organization the State Department exposed as a CCP effort to influence and co-opt local leaders, Comer said. FBI briefers recently informed the Committee that the Bureaus Foreign Influence Task Force investigates CCP activity that is similar to Chinas engagement with Governor Walz. The American people deserve to fully understand how deep Governor Walzs relationship with China goes. In a letter to FBI head Christopher Wray, Comer wrote that he was investigating Walz as part of a government-wide probe into the CCPs political warfare operations against America. Comer claimed that Walz has problematic engagement with concerning entities and individuals. But Comer only listed one: Consul General Zhao Jian, a Chinese diplomat, lower-ranking than an ambassador, who works across nine Midwestern statesincluding Minnesota. Comer said Zhao and Walz only met once. Comer requested that the FBI turn over all of its documents on any Chinese entity or individual with whom Mr. Walz may have engaged or partnered, as well as any guidance the FBI may have given Walz about engaging with China. Walz is said to have traveled to China an estimated 30 times, and set up a program to take high school students on educational trips there in the 1990s and 2000s. As a member of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, Walz was able to use his firsthand knowledge of China to wield well-informed criticisms of Chinas government and its reported human rights abuses, according to The New York Times. Walz was also credited with being one of the only Democrats to support the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which required the U.S. to sanction officials who committed human rights abuses in Hong Kong, keeping it alive until it was eventually passed. This isnt even the first time this week that Comer has gone after one of Trumps opponents. Comer launched a probe into Vice President Kamala Harriss involvement with work on the U.S. southern border on Monday. He previously attempted a similar gambit by spearheading an investigation into the Biden familywhich crumbled, having not produced any evidence of the president, or his familys, supposed wrongdoings. Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance referenced a decades-old Martin Scorsese movie Friday to help describe former President Donald Trumps plans for the mass deportations of illegal immigrants. Vance referred to the 2002 film "Gangs of New York when asked at a campaign stop in Milwaukee about past remarks he made about earlier waves of Irish, Italian and German immigrants coming to the country and whether they should have faced the same threat of deportation. Has anybody ever seen the movie 'Gangs of New York'? Vance asked at a news conference at the Milwaukee Police Association. Thats what Im talking about. We know that when we have these massive ethnic enclaves forming in our country, it can sometimes lead to higher crime rates," Vance said. What we want is an American immigration policy that promotes assimilation." More: JD Vance plane makes emergency landing at Milwaukee airport after door malfunction Research has shown migrants are no more likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. The fictional movie takes place in 19th century New York and features a feud between rival gangs of different backgrounds. The main character is an Irish immigrant seeking to avenge his fathers killing. Vance made the remarks as he discussed immigration and crime among the top issues for Republicans on the campaign trail. Instead of doing things like what weve done over the last few years, which is to have 20, 25 million illegal aliens just setting up shop here with no control, no enforcement and no real ability to police whats going on, that is a disaster, Vance said. I think were at a stage right now where we have to say weve got to slow those illegal immigration levels to zero, Vance said. We do have to deport some people who have come here illegally, and I think that will promote assimilation and a common American culture thats in the best interest of everybody. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: JD Vance cites 'Gangs of New York' film to explain deportation plans A charter plane carrying Senator JD Vance, the running mate of former president Donald Trump, made an emergency landing in Milwaukee on Friday. The Boeing 737, which had just departed from Milwaukee, declared an emergency after a door seal malfunctioned and returned to the airport for repairs, according to our news partners at KIRO. After the issue was resolved, the plane continued its flight to Cincinnati. >> Local woman wanted in connection to $1.5M medicaid scheme arrested in Texas Boeing, which manufactures the 737 model used by Vance, has faced increased scrutiny regarding the assembly process of its 737 Max aircraft. Earlier this year, an Alaska Airlines flight experienced a midair blowout that left a hole in the fuselage. Sen. Vance was traveling with his wife, his dog, campaign staff, and a group of reporters at the time of the malfunction KIEV, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine has exported 64.4 million tons of goods via the Black Sea since establishing a temporary maritime corridor in August 2023, the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development said on Friday. In the past year, about 43.5 million tons of grain and other foodstuffs were transported through the Black Sea route, the ministry said in a statement. Over the period, 2,379 vessels loaded with goods left the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny for 46 countries. On Aug. 10, 2023, Ukraine announced the establishment of a "humanitarian corridor" for cargo ships in the Black Sea as an alternative to the Black Sea Grain Initiative that collapsed in July. On Aug. 16, 2023, the first vessel left Ukraine via the new maritime route. A plane carrying Republican presidential nominee JD Vance was forced to make an emergency landing in Milwaukee shortly after takeoff Friday due to a malfunction with the door, the Trump campaign said. The plane, a Boeing 737, returned to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport shortly after takeoff, where a problem was fixed, campaign spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk said in a statement. The plane then departed on its original path for Cincinnati. "The pilot advised there was a malfunction with the door seal," Van Kirk said Friday afternoon. Vance, a senator from Ohio and former president Donald Trump's running mate, had been in Milwaukee Friday for a campaign stop at the Milwaukee Police Association. He made the trip with his wife, Usha, and their German Shepherd. Several reporters were also on the flight. The incident comes after a plane carrying Trump last week was forced to alter its course over Montana following a mechanical issue. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: JD Vance plane makes emergency landing after door malfunction JD Vance and Donald Trump should maybe consider taking the bus for the remainder of their campaign events after both "Trump Force One" and "Trump Force Two" were forced to make emergency landings this month. Exactly one week ago, Trump's plane made an emergency landing in Billings, Montana more than 140 miles away from a planned rally in Bozeman due to a nonspecified mechanical issue and today Vance experienced a similar scare when his Boeing 737, operated by Eastern Air, was forced to land in Milwaukee, Wisconsin due to what the Trump campaign is calling "a malfunction with the door seal," according to The Daily Beast. The pilot advised there was a malfunction with the door seal, Vance spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk told the outlet in a statement. After declaring an emergency, 'Trump Force Two' returned to Milwaukee. As soon as the issue was resolved, the plane returned to its originally planned flight path back to Cincinnati. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Vance's wife, Usha, their German Shepherd and several reporters were also on the flight. JD Vance's plane just departed for a second time from Milwaukee headed for Cincinnati after coming back "due to a possible issue with the aircraft," according to a airport spokesperson. Airport says plane taxied w/out incident "under it's own power" pic.twitter.com/bhPN6juTQ2 Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) August 16, 2024 Vance delivered remarks on "ethnic enclaves" leading to higher crime rates in our country at the Milwaukee Police Association earlier in the day on Friday, where the MPA pledged their allegiance to the Trump campaign with the belief that they will provide backing for a beefed-up police presence, saying, "The Milwaukee Police Association believes that the solution to these challenges can be found right here. That's why the MPA is endorsing the presidential ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance, because addressing these issues isn't some political matter. It's truly a matter of life and death for Milwaukee, so thank you. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) A Jefferson County man was indicted on three counts of alleged securities fraud Friday. According to Alabama Securities Commission, Bradley Spencer was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of securities fraud involving $58,000. He was released on a $30,000 bond. 2nd Walker County correctional officer agrees to plead guilty in death of Tony Mitchell Spencer reportedly solicited investments from two individuals in Blondin Bioscience when they were no longer a business. He failed to disclose to investors that between July 2015 and July 2017 he had misused $179,448.67 of National Institutes of Health research grant funding. The indictment alleges, from about 2017 to May 2019, Spencer led the first investor to believe Blondin Bioscience had secured $1 million in funding, when in fact there was no such funding commitment. The investor provided Spencer with $33,000 to be used as short-term funding for the business. From July 2017 to Sept. 2018, Spencer represented to the second investor that Blondin Bioscience was valued between $4-6 million at a time when it was out of business. The indictment also alleges that Spencer led this investor to believe his only liability was an $89,400 line of credit. The second investor then provided Spencer with $25,000 based on his misrepresentations. The indictment states he spent both investors funds on personal expenses. In January of 2022, Spencer was convicted by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama on a federal felony charge of theft of public funds for using the NIH research grant funding for personal expenses. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. President Joe Biden broke out his Dark Brandon persona on Thursday to throw a little shade at Donald Trump. Biden was approached by reporters as he headed toward Marine One. Mr. Trump said he wants to make America affordable again, one reporter asked. Your response? He ought to get a job, Biden said. Reporter: Trump says he wants to make America affordable again. Your response? Biden: He ought to get a job pic.twitter.com/LSDsu7cLOg Acyn (@Acyn) August 15, 2024 Biden was in full sass mode during his brief exchange with the media. Asked moments later if he had any regrets, he said: Talking to you guys. Biden dropped out of the presidential race last month after a poor debate with Trump raised questions about his age and fitness for the job. Hes since endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been steadily rising in the polls and now leading Trump in many of them. Biden is set to speak Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in a speech the White House said will focus on unity. (Bloomberg) -- The African National Congress, South Africas biggest political party, reclaimed the mayorship of Johannesburg, marking the 10th time the post has changed hands since 2016. Most Read from Bloomberg Dada Morero, who served for 25 days as mayor in 2022, was reelected to the position by 189 of the 259 council members who attended a sitting on Friday. He replaces Kabelo Gwamanda, a member of the Al-Jama-ah party which holds just three seats in the legislature, and whose appointment was backed by the ANC. A city of about 5 million people, Johannesburg has been dogged by political upheaval since 2016 municipal election failed to produce an outright winner, and council services have deteriorated as a result. A failure to maintain key infrastructure has led to frequent electricity blackouts and water outages, while potholes are left unattended for months. ActionSA, a small opposition party led Herman Mashaba, himself a former Johannesburg mayor, backed Moreros appointment in exchange for being allocated the speakers position in the council. The shakeup could have a ripple effect in other urban centers where the ANC has struck power-sharing deals with smaller rivals. The ANC lost its outright parliamentary majority in May 29 elections and entered into a national coalition with the Democratic Alliance, the second-largest party, and eight smaller rivals. But ANC and DA officials in the central Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, failed to clinch a power-sharing deal that would have filtered down to municipal level, resulting in prolonged instability. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Jon Stewart says he thought the Trump-Musk X livestream was just 'like two old dudes in a basement talking about how hot each other is' Jon Stewart says he thought the Trump-Musk X livestream was just 'like two old dudes in a basement talking about how hot each other is' Jon Stewart says he didn't expect the Trump-Musk X livestream on Monday to be so boring. The livestream was like "two old dudes in a basement talking about how hot each other is," he said. Stewart said that without Biden in the race, Trump's age is becoming more apparent. Former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's X livestream on Monday was a bore, says "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. "The one thing I didn't think I would be on it was bored. I was fucking bored," Stewart said in the latest episode of his podcast "The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart" which aired Thursday. Stewart made fun of Trump-Musk's livestream in the podcast's opening, noting that the interview had inadvertently spotlighted Trump's age. The property mogul turned 78 in June. "But holy shit, was that just like two old dudes in a basement talking about how hot each other is? Like, wow," Stewart said. Stewart said Trump's age has become a focal point since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month. "I think he's, before our eyes, becoming Biden in this race," Stewart said of Trump's slurred speech during the livestream. "The whole idea was that performance by Biden in the debate was so shocking to the system of functionality, where you watched a guy, and you go like, 'Oh shit.' Like this is a real decline in a way that we had not anticipated, but it obscured what is clearly going on with Trump as well," he continued. And now that Trump is no longer running against Biden, he isn't able to come across as the relatively younger, energetic candidate, Stewart said in his podcast. "When you remove that from the equation, you're just left with a much more stark focus on what his decline is. And then you listen to those Twitter spaces. And again, like he's always been a bit rambly, but holy fuck," he said. When asked about Stewart's remarks, a spokesperson for Trump told Business Insider: "Sounds like Jon Stewart is just pissed because he could only dream of that many viewers for his old, crusty show." This isn't the first time Stewart has flagged Trump's age while weighing in on the presidential election. While performing at the "Netflix Is A Joke" Festival in May, Stewart said that having Biden and Trump on the ballot was a mistake. "Why are we allowing this? And now we're going to have a president that's the two oldest people that have ever run for the office of the presidency," Stewart told the audience, per The Hollywood Reporter. Then, in June, Stewart said on "The Daily Show" that the Biden-Trump rematch was devolving into the two candidates taking potshots at the other's age. "I guess the election has basically boiled down to each candidate accusing the other of having soup where there should be brain," Stewart said. That said, Trump, who will now battle 59-year-old Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency this November, doesn't see himself as old. In a Truth Social post last month, the GOP nominee said he thought Harris was polling poorly "against a fine and brilliant young man" like himself. Representatives for Musk didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours. August 16, 4:05 a.m. This story has been updated with comments from a Trump spokesperson. Read the original article on Business Insider ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A Jordanian man living in central Florida is accused of causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage at a solar power facility and vandalizing multiple private businesses over their perceived support for the state of Israel, prosecutors said. Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, of Orlando, was arrested last month, and a federal grand jury returned an indictment against him last week on four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility, according to court records. He faces up to 60 years in prison. A judge ordered Hnaihen to be detained pending trial during a Wednesday hearing. Targeting and attacking businesses for perceived beliefs is unacceptable, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg said in a statement. According to court records, Hnaihen began going to businesses at night while wearing a mask in June and smashing the front doors. Prosecutors said Hnaihen left behind warning letters, which were addressed to the United States government. The letters laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel. Near the end of June, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, investigators said. He spent several hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays, officials said. Two more copies of the warning letter were also left behind. Officials estimated the damage to be more than $700,000. Following a multi-agency investigation, Hnaihen was arrested July 11 on local charges after another warning letter was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando, officials said. He was transferred to federal custody after his indictment. Hnaihens defense attorney did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment from The Associated Press. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) The man accused of stabbing his mother 77 times in 2020 has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and aggravated assault, court documents say. According to the criminal court judgment, Carr was sentenced on Friday to spend 33 years in prison on the second-degree murder charge, with the possibility of up to a 15% sentencing reduction at the discretion of the Tennessee Department of Correction. The document also states that Carr was sentenced to serve four years on the aggravated assault charge, and the sentences will be served consecutively. Closing arguments begin in death penalty trial of Oak Ridge man accused of murder, torture of woman Carr was also facing charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, however, the document has those charges marked nolle prosequi, meaning they will not be prosecuted. In February, a judge rejected a plea deal for Carr that would have downgraded the charges against him, with the judge stating that it was one of the most serious and shocking cases that he could remember in his 40 years as a lawyer. One dead, two injured after serious passenger van crash in Knoxville In September 2020, Carr was arrested in Michigan following a two-day manhunt after he was accused of killing his mother and injuring his grandmother days before. He was then extradited back to East Tennessee. Carrs trial was scheduled to begin on September 16, 2024. The case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Sevier County Sheriffs Office. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Update: Following the recent statement made by Mayor Javier Joven, Councilmember of District 5, Chris Hanie, responded via email asking to remove the word City Council from Jovens written statement, as the Mayors response only represents him. Please remove City Council from this response and list the ones who supported this. I dont agree with the mayor and his response only represents him, Hanie wrote via email. The Mayor has also issued a longer statement prior to Hainess request. In their statement, the Odessa City Council and staff are being attacked for rejecting the proposal from Kris Crow and Jeff Russell, the former president and vice president of the Odessa Development Corporation. This proposal can only be seen as, at best, an attempt to circumvent the current laws regulating the operation of an economic development corporation and, at worst, nothing less than a scheme that would defraud the taxpayers of the City of Odessa by allocating collected sales tax revenue to a project that doesnt qualify for support, and away from projects that are required or suitable for infrastructure necessary to promote or develop new or expanded business enterprises as is outlined in the Local Government Code. Inherent even in the name, Development Corporation and consistent with the stated purpose of the governing legislation is the development and expansion of new business. This is what the citizens of Odessa voted for when the ODC was created. It is our aim to stay true to the mission, as fiduciaries of the collected funds, for which the ODC was created. It is alleged that the Council removed the former president and vice president of the corporation to clear obstacles to the illegal reallocation of $90 million in ODC-controlled taxpayer funds toward development projects in Midland County. In reality, the two were removed from the board for overstepping their bounds and treating the ODC as their personal political and economic organization. On numerous occasions they met individually with potential recipients of ODC funding, placing onerous restrictions upon them to receive funding, without the knowledge of the other ODC board members. Meetings and direction were given to the Citys council, retained by the City to advise the board, without the knowledge of other ODC board members or the City Council. City staff have been subjected to road blocks as they work to bring in new business and plan the development of the City. An atmosphere of How can we impede development has been fostered over one of How do we make it easier for businesses to come to Odessa. In the statement much is made of future projects being located in Midland County. This is an effort to deflect residents attention from the importance of these projects. We should remember that Bass Pro Shops will be in Midland County ODC built infrastructure near this project. The Cinergy complex is in Midland County. Many of our new neighborhoods are in the City of Odessa but in Midland County. The undeniable fact is that the City of Odessa is quickly growing into Midland County and this should never be an Ector vs. Midland County discussion but rather a How do we grow the City of Odessa. We are saddened that Mr. Crow and Mr. Russell have resorted to misrepresentation of facts and defamatory accusations. Those appointed to board positions serve at the pleasure of the City Council and at times there are reasons for removals. As reflected in the votes of the Council this was one of those times. -Mayor Javier Joven, City of Odessa Original: In light of the recently rejected proposal made by the now-removed Odessa Development Corporation Board members, Kris Crow and Jeff Russell, City of Odessa Mayor Javier Joven issued the following statement: In their statement, the Odessa City Council and staff are being attacked for rejecting the proposal from Kris Crow and Jeff Russell, the former president and vice president of the Odessa Development Corporation. This proposal can only be seen as, at best, an attempt to circumvent the current laws regulating the operation of an economic development corporation and, at worst, nothing less than a scheme that would defraud the taxpayers of the City of Odessa by allocating collected sales tax revenue to a project that doesnt qualify for support, and away from projects that are required or suitable for infrastructure necessary to promote or develop new or expanded business enterprises as is outlined in the Local Government Code. -Mayor Javier Joven, City of Odessa Related Stories: Animal organization calls on local shelter to better care for strays The statement was issued Friday, August 16, four weeks after Crow and Russells removal from the ODC on Tuesday, July 23. According to the City, there will be follow-up statements as well. We will provide more updates as they are made available. In case you missed it: City of Odessa responds after credit rating is withdrawn Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. NANJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China launched its first large-scale vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interaction across an entire province, involving over 1,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in the eastern province of Jiangsu for off-peak charging and reverse discharging, showcasing EVs' potential as mobile power banks. V2G interaction refers to the process by which electric vehicles engage in an energy exchange with the power grid via charging stations. By synchronizing off-peak charging and reverse discharging, EV owners can reap financial benefits while simultaneously supporting grid stability. According to the State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd., the pilot V2G interaction was incentivized by offering discount charging coupons to EV owners, which saw the participation of 1,277 EVs across 482 charging stations in the province. Such a V2G approach can release a load of 12,000 kilowatts during electricity consumption peak a day, effectively cutting peak electricity consumption by 17,000 kilowatt-hours, enough to power 2,100 households for a day, according to the company. "This trial run has fully demonstrated the capability of wide-scale V2G in enhancing real-time power system balance and increasing the reliability of the power system," said Ruan Wenjun, a staff member at the company. Ruan added that by 2030, the number of EVs in Jiangsu is expected to exceed 10 million. "If just 10 percent of these vehicles participate in reverse discharging, they could provide over 1 million kilowatts of peak-shaving capacity, equivalent to plugging in an 1 million-kilowatt 'portable power bank' to the grid." Judge expected to rule soon on challenge to Ohio's 24-hour waiting period to get abortion Abortion rights advocates are suing the state over a requirement that patients go through a 24-hour waiting period. The lawsuit comes after Ohioans voted in November 2023 for a constitutional amendment protecting rights to abortion and other reproductive health care. A Franklin County judge is expected to rule soon on whether to put a hold on enforcing Ohio's mandatory 24-hour waiting period to get an abortion. Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge David Young heard arguments Friday from abortion providers and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's office. Young said he'll render a decision on a request for a preliminary injunction against the law. After Ohioans approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing access to abortion and other reproductive rights in 2023, attorneys sued to block policies that make it harder to get an abortion. Abortion politics: Can Ohio Democrats seize momentum from 2023 win or will Trump trump all? Lawyers challenged a rule that requires patients to wait at least 24 hours after their first in-person appointment to have an abortion. During this initial appointment, doctors must give patients state-approved information that they say goes beyond informed consent and can be stigmatizing and misleading. Before an abortion, a provider must check for embryonic or fetal cardiac activity and offer the patient an opportunity to listen. The patient also must receive state-approved materials detailing family planning options and alternatives to abortion. "It communicates to patients that there is something morally different about their treatment and that they should have a sense of shame about it, thereby stigmatizing them and making them feel alone," wrote Dr. Sharon Liner, medical director for Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region in a court filing. "While abortion is a very common medical treatment, the challenged requirements send the opposite message that there is something exceptional and bad about a patient's medical care." Doctors aren't required to follow these steps in medical emergencies, which are rare. State attorneys argue that the abortion clinics and doctors cannot sue on behalf of patients so the case should be thrown out. They contend that Ohio's laws protect patients and aren't misleading. "These are safety features for women to make sure that they're getting proper care, informed consent and their decision is voluntary," said Amanda Narog, attorney for Yost's office. ACLU of Ohio attorney Jessie Hill said patients forced to wait 24 hours to access abortions are now having their constitutional rights violated under the new amendment. "Of course, the laws that have been on the books can be challenged now and should be reconsidered with the amendment. That was the whole purpose of the amendment," Hill said. Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio's 24-hour abortion wait law faces legal challenge BROOKS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) A judge said a township ordinance that blocked the creation of a green conservation cemetery near Newaygo was unconstitutional, according to a group working with the plaintiffs. During a Thursday hearing on a motion filed by Brooks Township seeking to throw out Peter and Annica Quakenbushs lawsuit, a Newaygo County Circuit Court judge instead said he was going to rule the townships 2023 ordinance banning new cemeteries unconstitutional, the Institute for Justice said in a release. Cemetery ban: Township and couple clash over green burial project The group said the judges ruling signal(s) a win on the merits of the Quakenbushes suit. The judge still has to write out the order to make it official, the group said. The Brooks Township supervisor told News 8 the township intends to appeal. About two years ago, the Quakenbushes bought 20 acres of land off East 72nd Street near Spruce Avenue in Brooks Township, near Newaygo, with the goal of using it for a new conservation burial ground, where bodies would not be embalmed and would be buried in biodegradable caskets and clothing. They said they were working with the township to get a special land use permit when it passed a new ordinance in June 2023 that banned the creation of any new cemeteries. They sued, saying the ordinance specifically targeted their business and violated the states constitution. In a Thursday statement released by the Institute for Justice, the Quakenbushes said they felt vindicated by the judges ruling. We are delighted that the judge understood that Brooks Townships ordinance violated our right to use our property and operate our cemetery, their statement said. Newaygo County judge bows out of green burial lawsuit We were disappointed with the judges ruling today, Brooks Township Supervisor Cory Nelson wrote in an email to News 8 However, we do plan on an appeal and will stay in that fight to protect the safety of our citizens. He explained that the townships main worry is nearby residential wells and the Newaygo city well, saying those concerns have not been addressed. Annica Quakenbush previously said the health department found the site is far enough from water for burials to be safe, but Nelson countered in his email to News 8 that there has not been a study conducted on how the cemetery could affect the watershed. We will put thought and care into the protection of our citizens rights to clean water, Nelson wrote. Everything we do legislatively is done to protect the rural integrity of the Master Plan for Brooks Township. Make no mistake we will fight for what we as elected officials believe to be right. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. ORLANDO, Fla. A judge Friday bounced the lone non-Democrat out of the race to be the next Supervisor of Elections in Orange County a move that will invalidate all votes cast for the August primary and force the four Democrats to run again in the fall. Chief Judge Lisa Munyon disqualified Cynthia Harris, a no-party-affiliation candidate, for failing to properly pay the candidates filing fee. With only Democrats now left in the race, all Orange County voters are eligible to choose among Karen Castor Dentel, Dan Helm, Wes Hodge and Sunshine Linda-Marie Grund. But with ballots already printed and early votes cast, the reconfigured contest cannot occur on Aug. 20. It was Helm who helped to upend the contest by suing over Harris candidacy in June. Her $7,700 payment to qualify for the ballot was made from a TD Bank account, even though paperwork she filed with the Supervisor of the Elections office declared only accounts from Additions Financial and Fairwinds as affiliated with her campaign. Paying a filing fee with a personal check violates state law, and the only possible remedy is disqualification, Helm argued, a point Michael Sasso, an attorney for the elections supervisors office, endorsed at a hearing this week. At that same hearing, Harris contended she had also filed a required form declaring TD Bank as a campaign account. However, that form wasnt found in her candidate file at the Supervisors office. Helm had a forensic document examiner review a TD Bank form that Harris subsequently submitted, and he said it was determined with 100% certainty that it was an altered copy of the Fairwinds document, due to identical signatures on the two forms, and identical date and time stamps. The only difference was the bank name and address were changed. Munyon agreed. Having considered the testimony and credibility of the witnesses, and the documents admitted into evidence, the court finds by the greater weight of the evidence that Defendant Harris did not submit the TD Bank DS-DE 9 form to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections the judge ruled. Defendant Cynthia Harris is disqualified as a No Party Affiliation candidate for the office of Orange County Supervisor of Elections. While the race will still appear on Tuesdays ballot, the results from the now defunct race arent expected to be released publicly. ______ CHICAGO A Chicago-area real estate developer was sentenced Friday to 32 months in federal prison for bribing then-Ald. Edward Burke to help him secure a pole sign permit for a Northwest Side liquor store, marking the end of a corruption case that rocked City Hall and became a watershed in the downfall of the old political machine. In sentencing Charles Cui, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia Kendall said Cui violated the trust the public put in him as a lawyer through his corruption, and exacerbated it by later lying to federal agents and failing to turn over crucial emails to a grand jury in an attempt to cover it up. Kendall also said a message had to be sent to other developers here in the city, especially those who are trying to make money on real estate and development of properties. (They) need to recognize that you cant go around the governments processes, you have to go through them legally, Kendall said. Dressed in a blue suit and yellow tie, Cui sat at the defense table for most of the hearing, eyes downcast and one foot occasionally tapping quickly under the table. Before the sentence was announced, Cui stood at the lectern and read a tearful apology to the court and his family. Your honor, today marks the lowest point in my life, Cui said in a deep, soft voice, reading from a sheet of paper with his hands in his pockets. I am truly ashamed. Cuis sentencing was likely the final court hearing stemming from the bombshell corruption investigation into Burke, the citys longest-serving alderman and longtime head of the powerful Finance Committee. Burke was convicted along with Cui and sentenced in June to two years in federal prison. A third defendant, Burkes longtime ward aide Pete Andrews, was acquitted of all charges. In giving Cui a slightly longer sentence than Burke, Kendall said she must treat each defendant individually and that Buke had several mitigating factors in his favor, including his advanced age that would make prison more difficult as well as the dozens of letters she received extolling Burkes good works. Burke also served in the military and as a police officer, the judge noted, adding, He did not obstruct justice. He did not lie to the FBI. Cui was convicted by the jury in December of hiring Burkes firm, Klafter & Burke, to do property tax appeals in exchange for Burkes intervention in a permit dispute for a standalone pole sign for Binnys Beverage Depot. The jury found him guilty on five counts: corruptly offering or agreeing to give things of value; using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity; and knowingly making a false statement to the FBI. During the two-month trial, jurors heard meticulously detailed evidence about the pole sign permit, which was for a development far from Burkes 14th Ward. Cui stood to lose significant money if the sign couldnt be used, and reached out to Burke, hoping his clout would grease the wheels with the city. In asking for a term of at least 51 months behind bars, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Chapman told the judge that public corruption was such a scourge on the city that it even has a well-worn name: The Chicago Way. Its a term that no one in this courtroom should know what it means. but the sad reality is that everyone in this courtroom knows exactly what it is, Chapman said. Chapman said the long history of corruption and bribery and graft that plagues the city of Chicago renders us more like a punchline for late-night comedy. A significant prison sentence was necessary, Chapman said, to send a message to others to other real estate developers out there, people who need zoning changes, permits, licensing or other help with their business. There are people in the world who need stuff from government, and they may try to bribe their way into getting that advantage, Chapman said, adding that this case could prompt them to think twice. They could say, Im not gonna be the next Charles Cui,' Chapman said. Im not going down that road.' Still, a nearly five-year prison term for Cui seemed like a tall order considering that Kendall only handed down 24 months to Burke, an elected official who, unlike Cui, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy for a series of schemes where he sought to use his official position for personal gain. Cuis lawyers argued their client is a hardworking immigrant from China whose brief dalliance with Chicagos most powerful alderman was a blip in an otherwise law-abiding life. Attorneys Susan Pavlow and Adam Sheppard wrote in their sentencing filing that Cui was significantly less culpable than Burke given hes not a public official, was not charged with racketeering, and was only involved in one of the four criminal episodes contained in Burkes sweeping indictment. While every defendant is viewed individually, and Burkes age and good deeds played a role in (Burkes) sentence, he was convicted of more offenses, and more serious offenses, than Mr. Cui, the defense memo stated. In court Friday, Pavlow described Cui as a very good and decent man who has lost everything because of his decision to seek Burkes help, including his credibility with lenders and his ability to practice law. Charles lost his project, he lost his investment, hes being sued for millions of dollars as a result of this, Pavlow said. The evidence at trial focused on a series of emails Cui sent in 2017 as he was desperately trying to get the city to reverse its denial of the Binnys pole sign permit. In perhaps the most damning communication, jurors were shown a 2017 email from Cui to his lawyer, asking to switch attorneys. Can I have Edward Burke handle 4901 W Irving Park property tax appeal for me, at least for this year? Cui wrote. I need his favor for my TIF money. In addition I need his help for my zoning etc for my project. He is a powerful broker in City Hall, and I need him now. Ill transfer the case back to you after this year. Burke tried to smooth the way for the permit sign, jurors heard, calling the city zoning administrator and reaching out to the buildings commissioner. The permit, however, was still not approved, and ultimately the sign was torn down. Cui also emailed Burke asking him for representation from Klafter & Burke, records show. On Aug, 25, 2017, Burke responded to Cuis email saying someone from his firm will reach out. Over the next week, Burke was caught on wiretaps telling his assistant to call then-Buildings Commissioner Judy Frydland about the pole sign, according to court records. After Frydland talked about it with Cui, he had his zoning attorney submit a photoshopped image of the sign to the Buildings Department purporting to show the sign had been in recent use. On Sept. 5, less than two weeks after his first outreach to Burke, Cui signed contingent-fee paperwork hiring Klafter & Burke for the Portage Park development, according to records. By that time, however, Cuis photoshopped image was red-flagged by a Buildings Department design specialist, who brought it to Frydlands attention, according to court records. Cui tried to claim the image came from a real estate broker who could vouch for the images accuracy, and, after learning about the issue, Burke allegedly had his assistant contact a zoning administrator to help resolve it, according to court records. Both efforts failed, and City Halls denial of the sign permit became final on Nov. 6. Over the next several weeks, however, Burke voted in favor of several other measures involving Cuis property that came before the City Council, including a permit for a different sign board and an ordinance granting a privilege in the public way, according to prosecutors. When Cui was confronted by FBI agents in 2019, he lied about his interactions with Burke, saying hed only hired Burkes firm because hed heard they were good tax attorneys, according to trial testimony. Prosecutors on Friday also alleged Cui obstructed justice by failing to turn over several of the most incriminating emails after receiving a federal grand jury subpoena for any records pertaining to his interactions with Burke. In his argument, Chapman said that as a sophisticated businessman and licensed attorney, he knew what he was doing in reaching out to Burke. This wasnt a bribe paid to some pole sign inspector, he said. he sought out the most powerful alderman in the City Council, and maybe the most powerful alderman in the citys history. As for the motive, Chapman said it was what most bribery cases come down to: greed. He knows its a crime to pay a bribe to an alderman. He knows its a crime to lie to the FBI. He knows right from wrong, Chapman said. But when money was on the line, he chose wrong. ____ Judge orders release of evidence in Dana Ireland case, police appeal to Supreme Court HONOLULU (KHON2) A Big Island judge has ruled that Hawaii police must disclose new evidence in the Dana Ireland murder case and has forwarded the decision to the state Supreme Court. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You This development follows a motion by the police seeking to prevent the release of evidence related to Albert Lauro Jr., who took his own life shortly after being interviewed and providing a DNA sample to authorities. Attorneys from the Hawaii Innocence Project argue that they need the evidence to confirm Lauros role as the killer and to conclude their findings of actual innocence for Albert Ian Schweitzer and Shawn Schweitzer. The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) is seeking to withhold the evidence, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. However, Judge Peter Kubotas ruling stated, In all practical reality, the investigation into Albert Lauro Jr. and the murder of Dana Ireland is over. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Lauro was initially identified as a suspect through DNA matches from an independent lab, aided by federal and county police collaboration. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. Getty Images LANSING Ottawa Countys newest commissioner was denied his request to be reinstated to his job after he claimed Michigan State University Extension fired him over political pressure exerted by far-right group Ottawa Impact, which holds a majority on the board. On Friday, Aug. 9, an evidentiary hearing took place in Michigans U.S. Western District Court in Lansing. During proceedings, Chris Kleinjans testified that he was fired from Extension because Ottawa Impacts founder and president, Joe Moss who also is chair of the county board threatened Extensions contract in December with the county if the school didnt fire Kleinjans or transfer him to another county. Chris Kleinjans filed the lawsuit June 21, claiming through his attorney, Sarah Riley-Howard, that Extension violated his First Amendment Rights after giving him an ultimatum after he defeated OI Republican Lucy Ebel in a special recall election May 7. The choice was to take an unpaid leave through the remainder of the year or face termination. On Aug. 9, Kleinjans and two of three MSU Extension supervisors testified over what led up to Kleinjans separation from the school. The hearings purpose was for federal Judge Hala Y. Jarbou to consider Kleinjans request for a preliminary injunction to restore him back to his position and award him back pay from his June 4 separation date. M. Scott Korpak, the new District 7 director, and Matt Shane, associate director of Extensions field operations, had several conversations with Kleinjans from before he was a commissioner candidate to after he was elected. Shane and Korpak are personally named in the lawsuit, along with Erin Moore, assistant director of Extensions Health and Nutrition Institute. Moore didnt appear for the Aug. 9 hearing, claiming an unavoidable medical appointment. In her ruling, Jarbou noted that Ottawa County Board Chair Joe Moss, who also is the president and founder of Ottawa Impact, began to exert pressure on MSU Extension to terminate or relocate Kleinjans. Their primary tactic was to threaten the approval of the (memorandum of understanding). Ottawa Impact is a far-right fundamentalist group formed in 2021 over frustrations with the county and state over COVID-19 mitigation measures. Since taking office in January 2023, OI commissioners pushed through a series of controversial decisions, resulting in several lawsuits against the county. After being seated, they immediately began making charitably speaking aggressive decisions, Kleinjans said in testimony Aug. 9 during an evidentiary hearing in the Western Districts courthouse in Lansing. It was a different interpretation of freedom than what we were operating under before. Jarbou said it is undisputed that the OI majority sought political retribution against Kleinjans because of his comments about OI and involvement in the recall effort of Lucy Ebel, who he ultimately defeated in May by a 20% margin. That all led to the OI-affiliated commissioners to exert pressure on MSU Extension to terminate or relocate Kleinjans, Jarbou said. Testimony on Aug. 9 by M. Scott Korpak, the new District 7 director, confirmed that during a Dec. 7 meeting he had with then-interim director James Kelly as well as Moss and OI Commissioner Allison Miedema where the commissioners threatened the MOU, or annually renewed contract between Extension and the county. The issue, Jarbou wrote, is that Extension refused to grant Moss request and sent emails in January explaining that they couldnt alter Kleinjans employment just because he was running for office. ECF 27 Opinion on Motion for TRO Had OI been successful, Kleinjans would likely have a clear-cut case for First Amendment retaliation, Jarbou wrote. He would certainly have shown a sufficient likelihood of success on the merits to obtain a preliminary injunction. But OI was not successful Defendants rebuffed OIs retaliatory effort. In other words, Defendants protected Kleinjanss First Amendment rights in the face of pressure from OI. And Kleinjans does not show what, if anything, changed for Defendants between January and May. Jarbous ruling only pertained to Kleinjans request for reinstatement as a community nutritional instructor and back pay from the point he was fired, which was June 4. The Court has one and only one question whether Kleinjans has shown a substantial likelihood of success of establishing a causal connection between his political activity and his termination. The Court concludes he falls shy of that burden, Jarbou said. The lawsuit is now expected to proceed, as some facts are disputed mainly what occurred during a meeting between Kleinjans and his supervisors on Dec. 5. According to (MSU), they communicated to him that while he was free to campaign for office, his employment would need to be re-evaluated should he win office. Kleinjans, however, testified that he was not told that he would be fired should he win office and that he cannot recall if potential conflicts of interest were discussed, Jarbou wrote in the opinion. Assuming the lawsuit proceeds to the discovery phase, where both parties exchange information and evidence to prepare for trial. The goal of discovery is to ensure a fair and just resolution of the dispute by preventing either party from surprising the other with new information at trial, so additional facts could not currently publicly known could come to light. Kleinjans issued a release after the ruling, calling it disappointing, but said he was confident that as the litigation process moves forward, a more complete picture will be revealed. That image will prove that my dismissal was simply an attempt by MSU Extension to avoid further pressure from certain members of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. 8.15 Press release.docx (1) SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Making illegal U-turns has become "commonplace" on the 30-mile stretch of the Kansas Turnpike between Topeka and Admire, a defense attorney for Amber Peery told a Shawnee County District Court jury. Attorney Vanessa Riebli on Thursday recalled how a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper had told jurors that drivers make U-turns in that area so often that authorities at times have had to block off gaps in the barrier walls to prevent it. Riebli stressed that to convict Peery of felonies linked to the highway crash deaths of three Girl Scouts, jurors needed to conclude her behavior constituted "a gross deviation from the standard of care a reasonable person would observe under the same circumstances." Because drivers so commonly make U-turns and because two other Girl Scout leaders driving in the same caravan with Peery had already done so Peery's behavior wasn't a significant deviation, Riebli said. Defense attorney Vanessa Riebli, middle, questioned during her closing arguments the investigation efforts of the Kansas Highway Patrol and whether a truck driver was distracted when his truck and the vehicle of Amber Peery, right, crashed Oct. 8, 2022. Peery was convicted of five felonies Thursday in the deaths of three Girl Scouts, including her daughter. Amber Peery was convicted in deaths of 3 Topeka Girl Scouts Riebli spoke during closing arguments in the trial of Peery, whom a Shawnee County District Court jury subsequently convicted late Thursday afternoon of crimes that included five felonies linked to an Oct. 8, 2022, crash that killed three Girl Scouts on the Turnpike near Auburn. Jurors found Peery guilty of three felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, two felony counts of aggravated battery and one count each of failure to maintain a single lane and making a U-turn on an interstate highway. The involuntary manslaughter charges filed by Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay's office were linked to the deaths of Laila El Azri Ennassari and Kylie Lunn, both 9, and Brooklyn Peery 8. Brooklyn was Amber Peery's daughter Amber Peery and her two other passengers her daughter Carrington Peery, then 5, and Gabriella Ponomarez, then 9 suffered injuries but survived. Amber Peery's aggravated battery convictions were linked to the injuries suffered by those two girls. Prosecutor: Everybody knows drivers mustn't make U-turns through gaps Assistant Shawnee County District Attorney Will Manly during closing arguments Thursday addressed whether Peery showed gross negligence, saying no reasonable person would put lives at risk by making an illegal U-turn. "Everybody knows" drivers are not supposed to do that, Manly said. He recalled how when potential jurors were asked during jury selection Monday if they'd ever made an illegal turn through a Turnpike gap one man acknowledged he'd been ticketed for doing that, and said he regretted doing it. Peery didn't bother to pull over to wait for traffic to clear, prosecutor says Manly added that Peery's recklessness went beyond her act of simply making an illegal U-turn in that she didn't even bother to pull over to the highway's shoulder and wait for traffic to clear before she tried to do that. Instead, he said, Peery sought to make that U-turn from the Turnpike's right lane, at a time when she realized a semi-trailer had been following her. Meanwhile, Manly said, forward-looking video from that semi, which struck the left rear of Peery's van as she was tried to make the U-turn, showed a northbound car was coming toward the part of the highway she was trying to enter. Riebli replied that Peery genuinely believed the semi was following her in the right lane and that the path was clear for her to make the U-turn. Semi-trailer was going 69 mph at time of crash Jurors were also told that to convict Peery of involuntary manslaughter and/or aggravated battery, they were required to conclude she drove recklessly and consciously in a manner that posed a substantial and unjustifiable risk to others. Jurors were told that the fault or lack of fault of the other driver involved, 72-year-old Robert Russell, of Huntsville, Alabama, was among circumstances they were to consider in reaching their verdict. Video shown at Peery's trial showed the left rear of her van was hit by a southbound semi-trailer driven by Russell, whom testimony indicated was driving 69 mph in the 75-mph zone and using his cruise control. Russell testified at Peery's preliminary hearing that he had been southbound in the right lane when he saw Peerys van ahead of him on the right shoulder, and he responded by moving to the left southbound lane. Riebli stressed that forward-looking video taken from Russells truck showed Peery turned from the right southbound lane not the right shoulder, as Russell had said and that Peery activated her left blinker before turning. Riebli said Russell never braked before the time of impact. She pointed to testimony made during the trial by an expert witness for the defense, who said Russell's braking would have enabled him to avoid the accident altogether or at least strike the van at the much slower speed of 36 mph. Prosecutor: 'The Kansas Highway Patrol didn't do their job' Riebli added that jurors should have reasonable doubt about Peery's guilt because the Kansas Highway Patrol's failed to pursue numerous avenues of investigation it should have. "The Kansas Highway Patrol didn't do their job," she said. That agency's investigation was "not even close" to being thorough, competent and complete, Riebli said, describing it as "neglectful." Riebli said investigators didn't look at Russell's cell phone, or search or photograph his truck's cab area for evidence that he may have been distracted. Investigators also didn't interview Peery's surviving passengers until one year and four months after the crash, Riebli said. Defense attorney claimed, 'Something was going on,' with truck driver She said that while the trucking company for which Russell worked, Western Flyer Express, provided investigators forward-looking video from his semi, it never told investigators about the existence of a separate video it had showing Russell that was taken inside the cab. That video has since been lost, Riebli said. "Something was going on" that day with Russell, Riebli said, suggesting he'd been "oblivious to his surroundings." Riebli said the video taken inside the truck's cab may have made a difference in the case against Peery by revealing more about Russell's state of mind at the time. Riebli didn't say the trucking company's name during her closing arguments That company wasn't among defendants in a lawsuit linked to the crash against defendants who included Peery and Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri. A confidential settlement reached by the parties involved was considered at a hearing in June by Pottawatomie County District Court Judge Jeff Elder, who sealed the file entirely for that case. KHP's investigative effort 'does not change what she did,' prosecutor says Manly defended Russell's not having braked after pulling into the left lane. "He doesn't step on the brakes because he's in the fast lane and the other car's in the other lane," he said. The KHP could have done more to investigate the case, Manly said, then pointed at Peery and said, "But that doesn't change what she did." Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Amber Peery trial: What Kansas jurors heard about Girl Scout deaths A Florida jury began deliberations Friday in the manslaughter trial of a white woman accused of manslaughter in the shooting death of a Black neighbor amid an ongoing feud over the neighbors children. Susan Lorincz, 60, faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted in the June 2023 killing of 35-year-old Ajike A.J. Owens, a mother of four, in Ocala, Florida. Lorincz claimed she fired her .380-caliber handgun through her locked, metal front door in self-defense because Owens was pounding on the door and yelling loudly. Prosecutor Rich Buxman said in a closing argument there was no evidence that Owens posed an imminent physical threat to Lorincz but came to the defendants house after her children complained Lorincz had allegedly thrown roller skates and an umbrella at them amid a long-running annoyance at their boisterous play outside. Its not a crime to bang on somebodys door. Its not a crime to yell, Buxman told jurors. There was no imminent danger whatsoever when she fired that gun. A lawyer for Lorincz countered that she was frightened by Owens aggressive actions and was legally justified in firing her gun under Floridas stand your ground law. An autopsy found Owens weighed about 290 pounds ((130 kilograms), making her much larger as well as younger than Lorincz, and the two had previous confrontations. She can defend herself, said Amanda Sizemore, an assistant public defender. She had a split second to make a decision whether or not to fire her weapon. Lorincz did not testify in her own defense but said in an interview with detectives that was played for jurors that she never intended to harm Owens. Still, in one 911 call, Lorincz told a dispatcher, Im just sick of these children. She was not in fear. She was angry, Buxman said. The six-person jury is all white and Owens family has expressed surprise no Black jurors were selected given the racially sensitive nature of the case. There were protests in the Black community when prosecutors took weeks to charge Lorincz with manslaughter, a lesser count than second-degree murder which carries a potential life prison sentence. The county court clerks office said in an email that eight Black people were among the 70 in the initial jury pool. In contrast, 49 were white and 10 were listed as Hispanic, two as Asian and one as other, the clerks office said, based on records provided by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Ocala is about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Orlando in central Florida. Marion Countys Black population is about 12%, according to census figures. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Pamela Dias, center, Ajike A.J. Owens' mother, is consoled by friends and family outside the courtroom after a jury found Susan Lorincz guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of her daughter, Friday afternoon, Aug. 16, 2024, in Ocala, Fla. (Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner via AP, Pool) A white Florida woman was convicted Friday of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Black neighbor after the jury rejected her claims that she fired through a metal door in self-defense amid an ongoing dispute over children playing outside her home. The all-white jury in Ocala, Florida, found 60-year-old Susan Lorincz guilty after 2 1/2 hours of deliberation. Lorincz faces up to 30 years in prison at sentencing. She had claimed self-defense when she fired a single shot with a .380-caliber handgun through her front door on June 2, 2023, killing 35-year-old Ajike A.J. Owens. The confrontation was the latest in a dispute between the two neighbors over Owens' children playing in a grassy area near both of their houses. Prosecutors said Owens had come to Lorincz's home after her children complained that she had allegedly thrown roller skates and an umbrella at them amid a long-running annoyance at their boisterous play outside. Lorincz told detectives in a videotaped interview that she feared for her life as Owens yelled and pounded on her door. I thought I was in imminent danger, she said. Lorincz also said she had been harassed for most of the three years she lived in the neighborhood. The victims family members broke down in tears after Lorincz left the courtroom with deputies. She showed no reaction or emotion when the verdict was announced. Circuit Judge Robert W. Hodges did not immediately set a sentencing date but ordered a background report to be done on Lorincz. Anthony Thomas, an attorney for the Owens family, said they would push for the maximum 30-year prison term. Owens' mother, Pamela Dias, said she took some solace from the guilty verdict. We've achieved some justice for Ajike. My heart is a little lighter, Dias told reporters outside the courthouse. This has been a long journey to get to this stage, to get to this verdict. I find some peace with that verdict. State Attorney William Gladson, whose office prosecuted the case, said it was a tragic reminder of the consequences of gun violence. The defendant's choices have left four young children without their mother, a loss that will be felt for the rest of their lives, Gladson said in a statement. While today's verdict can't bring A.J. back, we hope it brings some measure of justice and peace to her family and friends. During closing arguments, prosecutor Rich Buxman had said there was no evidence that Owens posed an imminent physical threat to Lorincz. Its not a crime to bang on somebodys door. Its not a crime to yell, Buxman told jurors. There was no imminent danger whatsoever when she fired that gun. A lawyer for Lorincz countered that she was frightened by Owens' aggressive actions and was legally justified in firing her gun under Florida's stand your ground law. An autopsy found Owens weighed about 290 pounds (130 kilograms), making her much larger as well as younger than Lorincz, and the two had previous confrontations. She can defend herself," said Amanda Sizemore, an assistant public defender. She had a split second to make a decision whether or not to fire her weapon. Lorincz did not testify but said in an interview with detectives that was played for jurors that she never intended to harm Owens. Still, in one 911 call, Lorincz told a dispatcher, I'm just sick of these children. She was not in fear. She was angry, Buxman said. Owens family has expressed surprise no Black jurors were selected for the trial given the racially sensitive nature of the case. There were protests in the Black community when prosecutors took weeks to charge Lorincz with manslaughter, a lesser count than second-degree murder which carries a potential life prison sentence. The county court clerks office said in an email that eight Black people were among the 70 in the initial jury pool. In contrast, 49 were white and 10 were listed as Hispanic, two as Asian and one as other, the clerks office said, based on records provided by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Ocala is about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Orlando in central Florida. Marion County's Black population is about 12%, according to census figures. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A jury found a D.C. government employee not guilty of second-degree murder on Friday after he shot and killed a 13-year-old boy in January of 2023. Jason Lewis, who worked with youth as a DC Parks and Recreation employee, faced a second-degree murder charge, manslaughter and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. While the jury acquitted him of the murder charge, it still found him guilty on other counts. The shooting happened on Quincy Street NE outside Lewis home. Lewis testified on Wednesday that he heard sounds outside and left his home. He believed a shot was fired from a car in an alley. He said that was when he fired the first shot toward the alley. Closing arguments delivered in trial of DC government employee for 2023 murder of 13-year-old Then, a boy ran toward him, and he fired a second and third, shooting and killing 13-year-old Karon Blake. Juror Kevin Hanley read the verdict aloud in court. He said self-defense is why they did not find Lewis guilty of murder, but was still responsible for Blakes death. At that point in time regardless of what happened before, he was scared for his life. He didnt know what to do at that point, Hanley said. The major sticking point was whether or not it was self-defense, he added. Prosecutors said Lewis wasnt acting in self-defense, didnt wait to see if Blake was holding a gun before firing and he didnt need to leave the safety of his home, but chose to anyway, before shooting the boy. It was an unfortunate situation. Both families are changed for life now, Hanley said. The jury found Lewis not guilty of second-degree murder but convicted him of manslaughter, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and three counts of related firearm possession charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. A drone photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows technicians introducing the use of an equipment measuring the water content of grapes to a winery staff member (1st L) at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The smart irrigation systems put into use in the vineyards can save about 30 percent of irrigation water from the Yellow River. Situated near the 38th parallel north, similar to renowned wine regions like Bordeaux, Ningxia's wine-producing areas enjoy an ideal terroir with a dry climate and abundant sunshine, making the region a golden zone for wine grape cultivation. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows an equipment monitoring the water content and temperature of the soil by underground sensors at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) A drone photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows a technician operating a drone to scan a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) A technician maintains a smart meteorological station and solar power panels at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) This combo photo shows a technician (L) and a winery staff member viewing monthly report of a vineyard (upper) and a technician displaying a multispectral image of a vineyard which staff members can analyse to evaluate the growth of grapes (lower), at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) A technician (R) and a winery staff member measure the water content of grapes using thermal imaging technology at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) A winery staff member (C) demonstrates a smart data screen to tourists at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) A technician (L) and a winery staff member measure the water content of grapes using thermal imaging technology at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) A store clerk who shot and killed an alleged shoplifter will spend 12 to 15 years in prison. Jacob Wesley Isenhour, 26, was recently found guilty of second-degree murder in Cleveland County Superior Court for the death of Bryan Allen Francis. Francis was killed on Dec. 14, 2020, in Shelby outside of Cleveland Mall. According to police, Isenhour worked for Dunham's Sports, and when he heard the alarm go off at the store, he followed Francis outside of the mall. At the time of the incident, police told The Star that Isenhour fatally shot Francis on the edge of a wooded area near the Hampton Inn, a few hundred feet west of the mall. Francis lived in Fairmont, West Virginia, though he frequented Shelby. According to his obituary, he was a talented welder and enjoyed a challenging job. Of all his titles, Uncle Bry was his favorite and he loved his niece, nephew, and other children within his family tremendously. He was a part of Guardians for Children for a period of time, an organization which advocates for children. Francis had a soft spot for dogs, specifically pit bulls. His dog, Jix, was his faithful companion and gave him a form of happiness that only a dog could bring, his obituary said. His obituary read, Bryan was known to say, I can sleep when Im dead, when questioned about his on-the-go, ever changing lifestyle. Sleep peacefully, Bryan. You are forever remembered and forever loved. Bryan Francis This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Man found guilty of second-degree murder in 2020 killing We just want people to come in and enjoy the music HONOLULU (KHON2) National Vinyl Record Day, celebrated on Monday, Aug. 12, was a time to reflect on the resurgence of vinyl records and their enduring appeal. To get a local perspective, KHON2 visited Honolulus own Hungry Ear Records, the oldest record store in Hawaii, located in Kakaako. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Jim Williams, the buyer and manager of Hungry Ear Records, shared insights into why vinyl records continue to captivate both old fans and a new generation of listeners. Williams, who has been passionate about records since he was a child, explained how his love for music began. Ive always been into records from the time I was 5 years old, digging through my parents collection, he said. This early fascination grew as he spent his allowance and earnings on records throughout his teenage years. His journey through the music industry took him from vinyl to CDs and back to vinyl again, making it clear that this medium has always been a significant part of his life. Hungry Ear Records, founded in 1980, has become a fixture in Honolulu. Williams proudly mentioned that the store has survived various challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and remains the only pure record store in town. There are other places that sell vinyl, but just being music-focused, were the only one in town, Williams said. In recent years, vinyl has seen a resurgence in popularity, which Williams attributed to younger generations seeking a more tangible and immersive music experience. Our theory is a lot of younger kids grew up with MP3s and earbuds with nothing physical in their hands, he said. I think the enjoyment of looking at liner notes and listening to a full album, the way the artist meant, from front to back, is something that people really like. This renewed interest in vinyl has brought a diverse crowd to Hungry Ear Records. Williams noted that while record stores were once frequented primarily by older men searching for classic records, todays clientele includes a lot of younger people, both male and female. Many of them are new to vinyl, and Williams and his staff are happy to guide them through the basics, such as how to place the needle on a record and understand the differences between analog and digital sound. Vinyls appeal lies in its unique sound quality. Williams emphasized that vinyl offers a warmer, richer sound compared to digital formats, making it a preferred choice for many audiophiles. The sound quality is better on vinyl, he said. You hear things that you dont necessarily hear on digital formats. The stores success is also supported by popular artists like Taylor Swift, whose records are highly sought after by young fans. Williams shared that some customers buy records just to support their favorite artists, even if they dont own a turntable. Hungry Ear Records also participates in Record Store Day, a worldwide event where independent record stores offer exclusive, limited-edition releases. Williams described the excitement it generates, with collectors lining up early to snag rare records. Its very collectible, very fun; and if youre a fan of those artists, thats the only way youd be able to get that particular record, he said. For Williams and the staff at Hungry Ear Records, the goal is simple: to create a welcoming, judgment-free environment where everyone can enjoy music, no matter their taste. Were much more customer-friendly than series like High Fidelity or movies like Empire Records would have you believe. No judgment, Williams said. We just want people to come in and enjoy the music. So, no judgement if you really want that I Just Called to Say, I Love You album by Stevie Wonder. You can click here to find out more about what Hungry Ear has to offer. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHONs morning podcast, every morning at 8 As vinyl continues to thrive, Hungry Ear Records stands as a testament to the enduring power of physical music in a digital age, offering both nostalgia and a fresh experience for new generations. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. The Biden administration told the Supreme Court on Friday that parts of an Arizona proof-of-citizenship voter law should remain on hold for the coming election. The high court has been asked to intervene in a dispute over the election rules of the battleground state, with a case that hits on a political flashpoint of the 2024 campaign season. In a court filing, US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said that judicial intervention at this stage would undermine the orderly administration of the election, risking the disfranchisement of thousands of voters who have already registered to vote using the federal form. The contention was backed by Arizonas Democratic state officials who said in their own court filings that a court intervention at this time would be destabilizing. The Biden administration, as well as civil rights groups who have also sued over the 2022 law, argues that it runs afoul of the National Voter Registration Act by requiring that individuals using the federal registration form show documentary proof of citizenship in order to vote in the presidential election and to use mail balloting in the state. The Supreme Court was asked by the Republican National Committee and state GOP lawmakers last week to reinstate the requirement for the coming election, after a trial judge struck it down. The civil rights groups successfully challenged another provision of the law that mandates documentary proof of citizenship for individuals using the state voter registration form, while eliminating previous fail-safes for voter registrations lacking those documents. The groups argued the law violates a 2018 consent decree stemming from a separate lawsuit. Under the consent decree, county officials use state DMV records to confirm the citizenship status of voters who had not provided proof-of-citizenship, but the 2022 measure would end that practice for individuals who register using the state registration form. The civil rights groups, in a filing Friday joined by the Democratic National Committee and the state Democratic party, told the Supreme Court that allowing that that aspect of the law to go into effect would disenfranchise voters. If the Supreme Court grants the GOP request, the Democrats and groups wrote, voters would see their applications rejected solely based on which paper they use to register. Republicans have been eager to make the supposed threat of non-citizen voting front and center of the 2024 election campaign. The complicated way that Arizona crafted its proof-of-citizenship law is in part because of a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that limited when those documents could be required to vote. The Supreme Court, pointing to the NVRA, said then that states cannot require proof-of-citizenship documents in federal elections for registrants using the federal form if the form itself does not include the mandate. Arizona has already set up a bifurcated system for federal vs. state elections, as the 2013 Supreme Court precedent did not preclude proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters in non-federal elections. Republicans claim that the requirement can be imposed in presidential elections because only states and not Congress have the power to run voter registration in those elections. The Biden administration called that argument incorrect in Fridays filing, while also critiquing the Republican rationale for imposing the requirement on vote by mail. Republicans have asked the high court to act quickly in the case, citing an August 22 deadline elections officials have given for resolving disputes over ballot initiatives. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, said in his own filing Friday that any change to the status quo at this time would create undue hardship for him and county election administrators, while confusing voters. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) A juvenile suffered non-life threatening injuries after a shooting early Friday morning, according to New Haven police. Police said they responded to Yale-New Haven Hospital around 2:40 a.m. for report of a walk-in gunshot wound victim. Man shot in Hartford The juvenile victim gave officers conflicting stories of what happened, police said. A crime scene was not located. Police ask anyone who witnessed the incident or may have relevant information to call detectives at 203-946-6304 or through the departments anonymous tip line at 866-888-TIPS (8477). Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. Kamala Harris continued her presidential campaign on Friday with a rally in Raleigh, N.C., where she unveiled her economic policy agenda, including price controls and gouging. The U.S. vice president and Democratic candidate wore a tailored suit, bringing back the sartorial blue style that has become a mark of her campaign. Harris suit featured a blazer with double pockets, sharp lapels and stitching details. She accessorized with a pearl necklace, another signature of her style, and a U.S. flag pin. More from WWD Kamala Harris greets supporters after exiting Air Force Two as she arrives for a speech and press announcement on Aug. 16, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. Although Harris was recently seen wearing neutral colors and a lilac suit, blue has been the dominant shade of her wardrobe during her presidential campaign. The color notably represents the Democratic party. Harris started a road trip across the country on Aug. 6, following the announcement of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the official Democratic vice presidential candidate. On Thursday, Harris visited Maryland, where she hosted a rally next to President Joe Biden. Kamala Harris greets supporters after exiting Air Force Two as she arrives for a speech and press announcement on Aug. 16, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. Harris began her presidential campaign on July 21, after President Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the 2024 election race. Since then, the candidate has seized social medias attention with her Gen-Z-focused campaign. Kamala Harris greets supporters after exiting Air Force Two as she arrives for a speech and press announcement on Aug. 16, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. According to Launchmetrics, the Harris-Walz campaign earned a total of $15.9 million in media impact value a proprietary metric developed by Launchmetrics that assigns a true monetary value to marketing strategies across print, online and social media to calculate ROI in 48 hours after its viral Brat rebrand. The campaign also saw success with the release of its Harris Walz camo hat, which was inspired by Chappell Roans Midwest Princess merchandise and sold millions worth of dollars in less than 24 hours. On Aug. 19, Harris will kick off the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Approximately 5,000 delegates are expected to attend the four-day event, with guests including former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. View Gallery Launch Gallery: Kamala Harris' Campaign Rally Style: Suited With Tim Walz in Philadelphia & More Looks, Live Updates [PHOTOS] Best of WWD Vice President Kamala Harris' Florida campaign said Friday that it will seek to extend almost a month's worth of momentum into next week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago with a series of events across the Sunshine State. The so-called "Week of Action" will include 40 events across Florida and will culminate with four watch parties when Harris delivers her nomination acceptance speech on Aug. 22. There will be two dozen voter outreach opportunities, from phone banks to university canvassing to so-called "cat cafes," gatherings aimed as a dig at GOP vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance's disparaging comments about the political engagement and voting by women who do not have children. They will also include 10 community events such as roundtable talks with LGBTQ, Hispanic, Caribbean, and African-American voter groups and streetside honk & waves in South Florida. And a return to The Villages with a day's worth of "training, organizing, volunteer sign-ups" in the conservative older voter bastion where a golf cart parade in support of the Harris-Walz ticket weeks ago went viral on social media. Over our week of action, Team Harris-Walz is hosting more than forty events in Florida alone to turn the energy and momentum on the ground into action and votes," said Jasmine Burney Clark, the Florida director for the Harris-Walz campaign. "Florida is a critical state and we are doing the work here to reach every voter and get the word out about the contrast between the Vice Presidents positive vision for the future and the threat Trumps extreme Project 2025 agenda poses to everyone in the Sunshine state. Polls point to a tighter race in Florida between Trump and Harris The lineup of events comes as polls suggest the contest between Harris and former President Donald Trump has tightened in Florida, which has been a MAGA bellwether for the past five years since Trump officially relocated his residency to the state in 2019 and throughout Gov. Ron DeSantis' tenure in Tallahassee. This week, a poll by USA TODAY and Suffolk University put Harris at five points behind Trump in the state. But a Florida Atlantic University-Mainstreet Research voter survey placed Trump just three points ahead of his Democratic rival among likely voters, and just two points when alternative candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was added to the choices. Another poll, by the conservative lobbying group Associated Industries of Florida, had Trump leading Harris by much wider gap, 8 points. And one voter survey, this one focused on Miami-Dade County, showed Harris faring better than Biden in 2020. "Increasingly, since Harris got in the race, this thing has tightened quite a bit," said FAU pollster Kevin Wagner, who noted that a poll they conducted last month showed Harris trailing Trump in Florida by anywhere from 6 to 8 points. "It suggests that, at least for now, this has become a very competitive race, even in a state like Florida that has a Republican lean." Wagner, an associate dean at FAU, added that looking "underneath the numbers" reveals that Harris has managed to bring back traditional Democratic blocs and is now polling more than 90% support among her party rank-and-file. Pollsters, strategists and analysts still disagreement whether Florida is "in play" for the Harris-Walz ticket. But the a robust campaign in the state could be boon for down ballot races, including the U.S. Senate seat, a number of constitutional amendments, some state legislative races and key local government contests. Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns for president on July 30, 2024, in Atlanta. Election 2024: FAU-Mainstreet poll shows Trump-Harris contest 'tightening,' even in pretty red Florida Inside Florida Politics: Poll suggests gap closing between Trump and Harris in Florida Surge in Harris-Walz volunteers fueled by women, campaign says Officials for the Harris-Walz campaign in Florida have been touting a surge of grassroots enthusiasm for the ticket in Florida. Since Harris entered the race on July 21, the same date President Joe Biden ended his bid for the nomination, the campaign touts more than 22,000 Floridians have signed up to volunteer. On Aug. 11, nearly 600 of them attended a training session in the Tallahassee area. Two weeks before, 100 attended a phone bank effort in Delray Beach. The wave of new volunteers, they said, has been "predominantly driven by women, who make up a striking two-thirds of our volunteer base." "These women are stepping up in unprecedented numbers to make phone calls, knock on doors, organize events, and galvanize their communities in support of the campaign," the campaign said in a statement. Harris had planned to campaign in Trump's Palm Beach County backyard in mid-July, but the visit was postponed after the July 13 mass shooting and assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania. Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Harris campaign schedules 40 events in Florida to harness DNC energy Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is in the fight of his life. The incumbent won back his seat in 2012 and 2018, the latter race during a year that was a bloodbath for his fellow Democratic senators in Republican-leaning states. Browns margins grew much tighter, with his 15-point 2012 rout halved six years later. And now, for the first time since 2012, hes up in a presidential year, with Donald Trump who easily won Ohio in 2016 and 2020 at the top of the ballot. Democrats simply cant hold their Senate majority without Brown. The brutal map means that Republicans only need to flip West Virginia a near-certainty, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) bowing out and not fumble their incumbencies in Florida and Texas to reach 50 seats. If they flip either Ohio or Montana, both states Trump won twice, they win the majority. Democrats are also defending in the perpetual battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada, as well as fighting for open seats in Arizona and Michigan. This map puts tremendous pressure on Brown and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), incumbents with strong personal brands who may be the last survivors of that increasingly endangered species, red-state Democrats. The last few weeks have seen an unprecedented, eleventh-hour sea change in the race and environment. President Joe Biden, facing bleak polling and a loss of confidence from his own party, bowed out. Vice President Kamala Harris quickly ascended to the nomination, bringing with her a tsunami of enthusiasm and donations. How does that swap affect Brown, who already had to keep the top of his ticket at arms length, the better to bring out the crossover voters he needs to win? Take nothing for granted but if the urban electorates in Ohio and the young voters in Ohio are energized because of Harris-Walz, thats life Sherrod needs, former Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper told TPM. The one thing that could kill him in November is a lack of enthusiasm on the Democratic side where the base doesnt come out, Dr. Dave Cohen, a professor of political science at the University of Akron, told TPM. Kamala Harris replacing Biden was the best possible news that Sherrod Brown could have gotten. As Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia, put it: A rising tide lifts all boats. Brown cant win without the votes of at least some Trump supporters. But the stronger the showing from Democratic voters, the fewer of those crossovers he needs. Thats true even in a state Harris has very little chance of winning. To keep Brown and a couple Ohio House Democrats in competitive races alive, she needs to keep the margin of her likely loss down. Biden was on track to lose Ohio by 10 or more, and its hard to ask [Brown] to outrun that kind of delta, Lakshya Jain, who does modeling and data analysis at Split Ticket, told TPM. That kind of overperformance hasnt been done in quite a while thats Tester level, and Brown hasnt done that level of overperformance since 2006. Trump was running anywhere from seven to 10 points ahead of Biden before he dropped out, as captured in 538s archives. If Trump gets close to a double digit margin of victory, then it gets tougher, Pepper said. Bernie Moreno, the Republican car dealership owner whos challenging Brown, has tried to spin the candidate swap to his advantage. Oh, it helps me tremendously, Moreno told CNN earlier this month. So maybe Scranton Joe had a little bit of credibility here in Ohio. San Francisco Kamala absolutely does not. The idea that Bidens roots match well with Ohio might feel right, but the data doesnt back it up. Biden lost Ohio in 2020 by eight points right around the margin by which Hillary Clinton lost it in 2016, despite the fact that Biden outran her in much of the rest of the country. That suggests Biden doesnt have an Ohio secret sauce Harris would be unable to replicate particularly if the energy and enthusiasm shes brought to the ticket endures. According to what public polling of Ohio there is theres not that much polling and when there is it kind of sucks, per Jain Brown is running around five points ahead of Moreno. But its going to be very tight. In our model were building right now, its a dead 50/50 heat between Brown and Moreno, Jain said. Brown is ahead but we still view the race as a toss up, added Kondik. Itll get harder rather than easier across the course of the election. This dynamic is echoed elsewhere as well. Democratic senators are running well ahead of Harris (and were running well ahead of Biden) in the swing states. Experts expect those numbers to contract somewhat, as ticket splitting has become increasingly rare in American politics. The key for Brown and Tester is that Harris numbers continue to climb into the orbit of those senators polls and not the other way around. Underscoring the viciousness of this cycles map for Democrats, Brown actually has a significantly easier path than Tester. Hes competing in a state Democratic presidential candidates have been losing by around eight points; Trump won Montana by over 16 percentage points in 2020, down from his even more dominant 20 percentage points in 2016. Montana is a state Trump will probably win by 15 to 20 Ohio is more like five to 10. He was always gonna need to create more crossover, Kondik said. But Montana is a smaller state and sometimes the incumbent has more of an advantage in places like that; a greater percentage of the electorate knows them. If you go by numbers, though, Brown is better positioned than Tester at this point, he added. While these mens endurance particularly Testers speaks to the effectiveness of their candidate identities, the herculean effort itll take to return them to their seats speaks to the ever growing chasm between red states and blue ones. If they lose, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) will be the last true crossover senator, representing a state that very often votes Democrat in state-wide contests. If they win, itll be a testament to Harris strength and ability to turn her three-month campaign into a national barnstorming. This will be a pretty good test to see if red state Democrats can hang on or if this is the last gasp, Cohen said. Kamala Harris has some momentum in Florida. Does that mean the state is in play? Reality Check is a Herald series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at tips@miamiherald.com. Florida Democrats are riding high after what they say is a recent burst of momentum for Vice President Kamala Harris campaign in the Sunshine State, raising questions about whether Florida is on track to regain its longtime status as a electoral battleground. But Republicans and even some Democrats remain skeptical about Harris chances of beating Donald Trump in Florida in November, citing a years-long shift in the states political makeup and its growing ranks of Republican voters. While state Democratic leaders argue that the GOPs dominance has been greatly exaggerated, many veterans of Florida politics say that Democrats still have a lot of work to do to put Florida back in play. I wont believe Florida is in play until Democrats actually win a statewide campaign in Florida, said Fernand Amandi, a Democratic pollster who worked on former President Barack Obamas 2012 campaign in the state. Weve seen for years now, Democrats come very close in Florida and still end up falling short and, in the process, expend millions of dollars trying to achieve what seems to be an impossible goal. Top Florida Democratic officials say their optimism is warranted. One survey from USA Today and Suffolk University released this week showed Harris trailing the former president by 5 percentage points a smaller margin than many previous polls, and one that fell within the surveys margin of error. Another poll from Florida Atlantic Universitys Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab showed Trump leading Harris by just 3 percentage points. Florida Democratic officials and Harris campaign have also touted a surge in new volunteers that have signed up to help the vice presidents White House bid since she replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. Over the past month, almost 22,000 Floridians have volunteered, according to data reviewed by the Herald. Top Florida Democrats told the Miami Herald that they plan to lobby donors and national Democratic leaders at the partys national convention in Chicago next week to take a second look at Florida, arguing that a recent burst of momentum for Harris candidacy has opened up a path to victory in the state. My message is going to be clear when it comes to Florida: that people here are yearning to get involved, but we have to make sure that Democrats are giving them the tools they need and putting in the resources to succeed, said state Sen. Shevrin Jones, the chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. Amandi said that its not impossible for Harris to carry Florida in November, but argued that the campaigns money would be better spent in states like Georgia and North Carolina, where polls show a much tighter contest between Harris and Trump. All Im saying is the Harris campaign shouldnt deviate a single dollar or a single hour of candidate time from the battlegrounds to try to win Florida, Amandi said. Florida is a tempting target for Democrats. A victory in the state in November would virtually guarantee Harris the White House, given how heavily Republicans rely on Florida for votes. Former President Barack Obama also carried the state twice first in 2008 and again in 2012 and Democrats have pined for years to replicate that success. But Democrats are also contending with a tougher political playing field in Florida now than they were the last time Obama was on the ballot. The latest numbers posted by the Florida Division of Elections show that Republicans have roughly 1 million more active registered voters in the state than Democrats. Democrats argue that the numbers are misleading, because they dont include hundreds of thousands of inactive Democratic voters, who are still eligible to cast a ballot in November. If inactive voters are included in the registration totals, however, Republicans still have a roughly 700,000-person advantage over Democrats. Florida state Rep. Alex Rizo, who chairs the Miami-Dade Republican Party, acknowledged that Harris has had a honeymoon period since emerging as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, but said that the GOPs voter registration advantage alone makes Florida a longshot for Democrats. Obviously theres excitement on the Democratic side when it comes to a new candidate. I think weve seen that, Rizo said. That honeymoon is there, but its going to end very soon and I dont think its going to go very far in Florida. The Republican Party just got to a million more voters than the Democratic Party. Thats never happened in the history of Florida. Of course, Harris doesnt necessarily need to carry Florida to win the White House in November. Biden lost the Sunshine State to Trump in 2020 but ultimately emerged victorious after sweeping a handful of key swing states, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia. Harris appears to be taking a similar approach to the 2024 race. Her campaign is spending tens of millions of dollars to advertise in seven battleground states, but has yet to take out a major TV or radio ad buy in Florida. Trumps campaign also hasnt spent heavily in Florida this year, believing that the former president is already in a solid position to win the state and its 30 electoral votes. Hes put on occasional campaign rallies in his adopted home state, including one in Doral last month, and has held court at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, but his campaign and affiliated groups have poured more resources into battlegrounds, like Pennsylvania and Georgia. Amandi, the Democratic pollster, said that winning the presidential race in Florida shouldnt be the end goal for Democrats this year. Rather, he urged the party to focus on getting Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, across the finish line in November. The only thing that matters in this election if you wanna see Kamala Harris and Tim Walz elected, its not winning Florida. Its making sure they get 270 electoral votes. Period, Amandi said. If that happens to include Florida, fantastic. But if it doesnt, its still a reason for tremendous celebration. After that Democrats can work on making Florida competitive again in 2026. Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday touted agenda items for her first 100 days as president including a $6,000 tax credit for parents of young children. Democrats have long championed a bigger child tax credit, but the sum Harris proposed is larger than any Democrat previously suggested and its exactly $1,000 more than Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance suggested earlier this week. Harris pitched the $6,000 benefit as part of a broader economic policy that includes aid to first-time homebuyers and a crackdown on price gouging by food companies. The Harris campaign said shes calling for up to $6,000 in total tax relief for middle-income and low-income families for the first year of their childs life when a familys expenses are highest with cribs, diapers, car seats and more and many parents are still forced to forgo income as they take time off from their job. On Sunday, during an interview with CBS News, Vance proposed a $5,000 child tax credit, but seemingly acknowledged it wasnt a very realistic idea. Id love to see a child tax credit thats $5,000 per child, Vance said. But you, of course, have to work with Congress to see how possible and viable that is. Vance mocked the Harris proposal on Friday. Kamala Harris will soon propose that we finish the border wall and Make America Great Again, he wrote on social media. No one should be fooled by the fake campaign copying President Trumps vision. In recent years, however, its Democrats, not Republicans, who have championed an expanded child tax credit. The policy works by giving households earning up to $400,000 annually a tax cut worth $2,000 per child, and lower-income households can get a portion of the credit as a cash refund. In 2021, Democrats and President Joe Biden temporarily boosted the credit to as much as $3,600 per child, with the full amount available as a cash refund that the IRS distributed on a monthly basis. The policy resembled the kind of child benefit that is standard in other advanced countries and it greatly reduced poverty among the households that received it. A bipartisan proposal that passed the House earlier this year paired a more modest child tax credit expansion with a host of business tax breaks. Most Senate Republicans opposed the bill when the Senate considered it earlier this month, however, and Vance skipped the vote. Neither Harris nor Vance has provided any details about their child tax credit ideas beyond the big numbers, and neither seems likely to receive serious consideration in Congress at least not this year. Heres what Kamala Harris is proposing to do on the economy Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence on the Scott Northern Wake Campus of Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Harris economic agenda includes assistance for first-time homeowners and a national ban on price gouging | Mike Stewart In a speech delivered Friday to a crowd in Raleigh, North Carolina, Vice President Kamala Harris released specific policies she said she would champion if she becomes president, with a focus on price controls and subsidies for homebuyers. Her policy proposals were similar to those President Joe Biden put forward during his 2020 campaign, and were related to affordable housing, tax credits, health care subsidies, groceries prices and homeownership, according to Reuters. Heres a look at what current vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris proposed in her speech. Grocery prices price gouging Harris proposed a national ban on price gouging on groceries, per Forbes. She also wants to authorize the Federal Trade Commission to prosecute companies that seem to violate the ban as well as to aggressively investigate price-fixing by major companies in the food industry. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence on the Scott Northern Wake Campus of Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Harris economic agenda includes assistance for first-time homeowners and a national ban on price gouging | Mike Stewart Fixing the housing crisis The Harris campaign proposes a $25,000 in down payment assistance for eligible first-time homeowners. She also wants to to build three million new housing units during her first term, install a tax credit for starter home developers and create a $40 million fund meant to solve the housing crisis, according to The Hill. Harris also wants to incentivize affordable housing developers by increasing their tax credits. She plans to work with Congress to prevent housing monopolies where private interests buy homes to convert them into rentals. Affording a family Harris wants to provide a $6,000 tax credit to families with children aged less than one, plus offer $3,600 per child in tax credits to families who qualify as middle- and lower-income, according to Forbes. She has also committed to keeping President Joe Bidens promise not to raise taxes on households that earn $400,000 or less per year, per The New York Times. Its unclear if she would keep some tax provisions in place from the 2017 tax package passed under former President Donald Trump in order to keep that promise. Paying workers Harris has endorsed former President Donald Trumps plan to eliminate taxes on hospitality and service tips, according to The Hill. In August in Las Vegas, per Forbes, she also promised to raise the minimum wage by an unspecified amount. Affording good health Harris wants to maintain insulin prices at $35, cap out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses at $2,000 annually and reduce health insurance plan costs by subsidizing Affordable Care Act plans. She also wants to continue what President Joe Biden started in lowering prescription drug prices. Harris has also committed to negotiating with state governments to cancel individual and family medical debt, according to Forbes. CARACAS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) has completed its technical oversight of all the electoral material from the July 28 presidential elections, a senior official of the judiciary said on Thursday. The material was registered by the National Electoral Council as well as political groups and former candidates who participated in the elections, said Caryslia Beatriz Rodriguez, the TSJ's president. The audit is being conducted by electoral experts with the highest technical and scientific, national and international standards, and once the audit is completed, a final ruling on this contentious election appeal will be issued, based on these objective, verified, and certified facts, said Rodriguez. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was declared the winner of the elections, appealed to the court to carry out an audit after the opposition contested the results. Vice President Kamala Harris comes to Raleigh on Friday, and the movement of her entourage is sure to cause some traffic problems. Exactly where and when is not clear yet. Harris is scheduled to arrive at Raleigh-Durham International Airport about 12:45 p.m. and speak at a campaign rally two hours later. Her campaign has not disclosed where that event will take place. Raleigh police vaguely warned of traffic problems related to her visit, saying Friday morning that some interstates and local roads would be affected this afternoon. Drivers should expect road closures and delays along the motorcade route and the campaign venue, police said in a post on X. Harris is scheduled to depart RDU at 4:50 p.m., according to her campaign. The Harris presidential campaign announced Tuesday that she would visit Raleigh on Friday to talk about her plans to bolster the economy and prevent price gouging, but has not provided further details. Its not clear who she will be speaking to, though Gov. Roy Cooper will join her. Harris is scheduled to be in Raleigh for about four hours and its not clear if she will go anywhere else besides the campaign event. During his visit to Raleigh in January, President Joe Biden made his planned appearance at Abbott Creek Community Center, then made an unannounced stop at the Cook Out restaurant on Falls of Neuse Road before going on to a private event at a home. Harris has visited North Carolina seven previous times this year, as the Democratic ticket fights for support in what is now considered a battleground state in the presidential election. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were scheduled to visit Raleigh last Thursday as part of a tour of swing states after Walz joined the ticket. But they were forced to postpone their visit due to Tropical Storm Debby, which brought heavy rain and gusty winds to North Carolina. Walz will not be with Harris on Friday. Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance was also scheduled to be in Raleigh that day and forced to cancel because of the storm. The Trump-Vance campaign has not announced a new visit. Kamala Harris' Vogue-ready campaign merchandise may be another big marketing win Kamala Harris got some of the country's top designers to design her new campaign merchandise. The 16 collaborating designers include Vera Wang and Tory Burch. Experts say the new merchandise might help boost donations. Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, are pulling out all the stops to move the needle for voters, including collaborating with the country's top fashion designers. In an email blast on Thursday, the Harris-Walz campaign merchandise team said that it had just launched its "Designers for Democracy" collection. The email said the new rollout features "new, exclusive, Vogue-featured merchandise crafted by renowned designers." Apparel, tote bags, and hats by 16 designers, including Vera Wang, Tory Burch, Prabal Gurung, and Thom Browne, are now available on the campaign website. The collection echoes President Joe Biden's designer-packed "Believe in Better" collection, released during his 2020 run. Designer merch for Harris-Walz A screenshot of Harris-Walz' "Designers for Democracy" collection on the campaign website. Screengrab/Kamala Harris' campaign website The clothes are simple: solid-colored T-shirts, sweaters, scarves, and socks with slogans like "Reproductive Rights Now," "Vote Democracy," and "Harris 2024." Prices range from $35 for the "Tory Burch Vote Democracy Tote Bag" to $85 for the "Willy Chavarria Kamala Sweatshirt," and "Floral Ulla Johnson Our Bodies Our Vote Hoodie," among others. Experts say exciting merch can drive donations Designer merchandise can boost donations to the campaign, experts say. "Exciting merch certainly can drive donations," said Christian Grose, a professor of political science and international relations at USC. He said these collaborations will help with "small-dollar donations" and "create favorable buzz around microtargeted groups who are fans of these designers." Hal Hershfield, a professor of marketing, behavioral decision-making, and psychology at UCLA, echoed Grose's sentiments. "Collaborations like these ones could certainly help to energize the base and bring in more money for the campaign, " Hershfield said. However, experts BI spoke to say the collection is unlikely to attract Trump-leaning voters. Hershfield said the collaborations target a segment of the population that's likely "already leaning progressive." "You'd be more likely to see a collaboration move the needle toward Harris/Walz if it was done with a brand that might otherwise appeal to a conservative-leaning audience," Hershfield added. "Camouflage caps and designer merch may generate a little money and enthusiasm, but it won't win over any new voters," said Jonathan Aronson, a professor of communication and international relations at USC. Aronson was referring to the camouflage hat that the Harris-Walz campaign released shortly after Harris chose Walz as her running mate on August 6. The hat bore a passing resemblance to the "Midwest Princess" camouflage hat. The original cap was part of Gen Z pop princess Chappell Roan's tour merchandise. Harris' latest effort to draw in younger voters The "Designers for Democracy" collection appears to be Harris' latest attempt to attract younger voters, a key priority for her since the start of her presidential run in July. The campaign has already secured endorsements from star-studded Hollywood celebrities like George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Celebrities popular with younger voters are also backing Harris. The vice president got stamps of approval from Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, and Cardi B. Rapper Megan Thee Stallion also performed at Harris' Atlanta rally on July 30. Representatives for the Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider LARNED, Kan. (KSNW) A proposed electric transmission corridor that could run through Kansas is prompting questions from Kansans. The Pawnee County community met at the Larned Community Center Thursday evening to ask those questions, share their stories, and share their concerns. Im really concerned because this is our house. This is our home, said one resident who spoke during the meeting. How long have you known about this going to happen? When did we find out? A lot of did this week. We didnt even understand or know anything about this. It hit us in the face. This has been in process. Why didnt we get to be part of that process? Even if it was thought of in the future, our land is our future. So why werent we considered in the future? The potential pathway Part of the project centers on the Grain Belt Express, a high-capacity transmission line set to go through parts of Kansas. Parts of that project are already approved. Pawnee County Attorney Douglass McNett says it is a private venture, and the company worked with landowners to purchase easements for the project. He says the new concern is a federal energy corridor on either side of the transmission line that could use eminent domain. I think where the confusion has arisen between the Grain Belt and the Department of Energys proposed energy corridor is it looks like the Department of Energy simply used the schematics or the drawing that Grain Belt has established privately as their basis and just said ok well go 2.5 miles either side of that grain belt transmission line, said McNett. He says Pawnee County does not have concerns with the transmission line itself. The U.S. Department of Energy has released a preliminary list on its website of 10 potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs) it says to accelerate the development of transmission projects in areas that present an urgent need for expanded transmission. The Midwest-Plains corridor would run through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. It would be approximately five miles wide and 780 miles long. Map is a rough approximation for illustrative purposes only. (Courtesy: U.S. Department of Energy) Map is a rough approximation for illustrative purposes only. (Courtesy: U.S. Department of Energy) KSN Graphic KSN Graphic The Federal Power Act authorizes the Secretary of Energy to designate any geographic area as a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) if the Secretary finds that consumers are harmed by a lack of transmission in the area and that the development of new transmission would advance important national interests in that area, such as increased reliability and reduced consumer costs, reads the U.S. Department of Energys website. The government website lists other potential NIETC geographic areas it is considering: Midwest-PlainsDownload The U.S. Department of Energy lists the below reasons for moving forward with the project: Maintain and improve reliability and resilience. Potential electricity shortfalls leave the region vulnerable during extreme weather. Electricity demand growth, generator retirements, and increased intermittent generation contribute to reliability risks in the region. Alleviate congestion and reduce consumer costs. Congestion between the Midwest and Plains regions prevents cost-effective generation from being delivered to where it is needed, when it is needed. Meet future generation and demand growth. There is a significant need for additional transfer capacity between the Midwest and Plains regions to meet various power sector scenarios. Analysis finds a 175% increase is needed by 2035 under moderate load and high clean energy growth scenarios (median need relative to the 2020 system), in line with current market and policy conditions. Increase clean energy integration. Increased access to more diverse, clean energy generation resources is necessary to lower power sector greenhouse gas emissions. The process There are four phases in the NIETC designation process listed on Energy.gov: Phase 1 Information Gathering began on Dec. 19, 2023, and was open for 45 days for the public to submit information and recommendations on NIETC designation. Phase 2 Preliminary List and Comments began on May 8, 2024, when the Grid Deployment Office released a preliminary list of potential NIETCs. Public comment was open for 45 days. Phase 3 Public Engagement will include refining the boundaries of potential NIETCs, initiating environmental reviews, preparing a draft report, and conducting community engagement. Phase 4 - NIETC Designations will include issuing the final preliminary list of boundaries of potential destination reports and any required environmental reviews. Based on the published timeline, the Department of Energy is in Phase 3 of its proposal. Theyre already to step three, so were a little far into the process to now just be included in that conversation, but clearly, the public does have a chance to voice, said McNett. I think were still early enough in the process well be able to have a voice in it and, if not stop it entirely, definitely narrow it. McNett says residents are concerned that eminent domain, acquiring property for public use by paying fair market value, would be used to take the land for the energy corridor. Its the proposed energy corridor that would, in theory, give the federal government the authority to use eminent domain to take a five-mile swath for potential future needs, he said. Sen. Marshalls concerns Senator Roger Marshalls office released a statement about the proposal. The Biden-Harris Administrations plan to federalize the approval process for future transmission lines, including the use of eminent domain, if needed, is wrong. I have stood firm in my opposition to giving the federal government the ability to overrule states on local projects and will continue to push back on this Administrations overreach of power. We must let Kansans be the ones who approve new projects for their communities, not Washington DC bureaucrats, said Sen. Marshall in a statement. McNett said members of Marshalls staff were at the meeting in Larned to bring residents concerns back to Washington. Another meeting Another meeting will be held in Barton County on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m. in Courtroom A on the third floor of the Barton County Courthouse, 1400 Main St., in Great Bend. Resources Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. MANHATTAN (KSNT) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is funding three big projects in Kansas to increase access to domestic biofuels to help out the states farmers. USDA Rural Development State Director for Kansas Christy Davis announced on Friday, Aug. 16 that funding is being provided for projects in Manhattan, Sedgwick and Lenexa. These investments amount to more than $900,000 and will help build biofuel infrastructure in the three cities. The USDA is working to lower costs for rural Kansans and expand clean energy, Davis said. By expanding access to homegrown biofuels, we strengthen our energy independence and create new market opportunities for farmers. The USDAs announcement is coupled with projects being revealed in 25 other states across the country. The three Kansas projects include the following: Manhattan $454,500 Funds will help make infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels through Daras LLCs fueling stations. The project will install three E15 dispensers, three E85 dispensers and two ethanol storage tanks at a fuel station in the Little Apple. This project aims to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 606,462 gallons every year. Lenexa $302,500 This cash will help make infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels through Berger Property Collection LLCs fueling stations. This project will install 10 E15 dispensers, 10 E85 dispensers and 11 B20 dispensers at a fueling station in Lenexa. The amount of biofuel sold here is expected to increase by 1,944,960 gallons per year. Sedgwick $145,500 This grant will help create infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels through Basgall Investments LLCs fueling stations. Four E15 dispensers will be installed at a fueling station in Sedgwick. This project aims to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 374,400 gallons per year. Letter in your mailbox could be part of Kansas land scam: Sheriff Cash for these programs is provided through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). You can learn more about the program by clicking here. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. TOPEKA (KSNT) Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Attorney General Kris Kobach are joining forces in an effort to protect the states waters from an invasive species of fish. Kelly and Kobach issued a joint letter Friday, Aug. 16 to Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen in opposition to his states proposition involving the Platte-Republican interbasin transfer. The pair are objecting to this move due to the damage it could cause to the states fishing activities and native aquatic wildlife. The proposed Platte-Republican interbasin transfer would severely damage Kansas finest fishing and boating destinations, Kelly said. Places like Milford Lake are enjoyed by thousands of Kansas and Nebraskans alike. We cannot stand idly by while our states critical natural assets are put at risk. Black bear sightings are increasing in Kansas Nebraskas Department of Natural Resources is currently considering the transfer which is expected to allow invasive carp species to enter Harlan County Reservoir in Nebraska and Lovewell and Milford Reservoirs in Kansas, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor. Invasive carp cause a host of problems for the states native species and recreational fishing activities. Biologists with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) have removed thousands of pounds of silver and bighead carp from the Kansas River this year alone. These invasive carp, originally coming from Asia, take away many of the nutrients in the Kansas River which could go to the states sportfish or native species. Invasive carp are currently confined to the Kansas River from the Kansas City metro area to Lawrences Bowersock Dam. Crossing this threshold, through a flooding event or the Platte-Republican interbasin transfer, could introduce them to a host of new waterways in the state. As an avid fisherman, Im one of thousands of Kansans who enjoy our first-class lakes and waterways for fishing, Kobach said. I will use every tool available to keep these invasive species from harming Kansas waters. The state of Kansas has shared concerns over this issue with its northern neighbor when Nebraska first considered an identical transfer application in 2018. Following this, the threat of invasive species like silver carp entering the Republican River Basin has only increased, according to the Office of the Governor. These species can decimate local fish populations and pose safety hazards for recreationalists in impacted rivers and lakes, said Acting Secretary Christopher Kennedy with the KDWP. Efforts in other states to eliminate these carp populations once theyve established are costly and largely unsuccessful, making prevention critical wherever possible. Zombie deer disease complicates hunting season in Kansas You can find a full copy of Kelly and Kobachs letter by clicking here or checking it out below: Nebraska Platte-Republican Diverson Final by Matthew Self on Scribd This embedded content is not available in your region. For more Kansas Outdoors, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Silver Carp, a species of highly invasive Asian carp, are active after being disturbed in the Fox River. The same species is known to be present in the Platte River. If the Platte-Republican diversion is allowed, this species could reach Kansas fishing lakes. (Ryan Hagerty/USFWS) Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Attorney General Kris Kobach joined forces Friday to oppose Nebraskas planned Platte-Republican interbasin transfer, which they argue would introduce invasive carp that could bring significant harm to Kansas waterways. The transfer would redirect water from the Platte River in Nebraska south toward the Republican River Basin, which enters northern Kansas. It is currently under review by Nebraskas Department of Natural Resources. Critics warn this could introduce invasive carp species currently found in the Platte River into several key Kansas reservoirs. Kelly and Kobach in a letter Friday to Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen outline their objections to the transfer. They urge Nebraska to reconsider a plan that would pose an immediate and dire ecological and economic threat to the vitality of the Republican River Basin in both states. Kansas first raised concerns in 2018, when Nebraska considered a similar transfer application. Kansas officials, including then-Gov. Jeff Colyer, argued against the plan. The Nebraska Supreme Court in October 2023 cleared legal objections to a 2021 version of the plan, meaning the decision to approve the water diversion now rests with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. In a news release Friday, Kelly expressed concern about the plans potential environmental damage. The proposed Platte-Republican interbasin transfer would severely damage Kansas finest fishing and boating destinations, Kelly said. Places like Milford Lake are enjoyed by thousands of Kansans and Nebraskans alike. We cannot stand idly by while our states critical natural assets are put at risk. Invasive carp species, particularly silver and bighead carp, pose a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. These species outcompete native fish for food and habitat, undermining local fishing industries. They also create safety hazards for recreational boaters because of their habit of leaping out of the water when startled. Im one of thousands of Kansans who enjoy our first-class lakes and waterways for fishing, Kobach said in the news release. I will use every tool available to keep these invasive species from harming Kansas waters. Christopher Kennedy, acting secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, emphasized the importance of prevention to keeping water clear of invasive carp. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks monitors invasive species in the state, and biologists have removed thousands of pounds of carp from the Kansas River this year. These species can decimate local fish populations and pose safety hazards for recreationalists in impacted rivers and lakes, Kennedy said. Efforts in other states to eliminate these carp populations once theyve established are costly and largely unsuccessful, making prevention critical wherever possible. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said Israel would expect support from the UK and France in the case of any potential attack by Iran. "I made it clear to the foreign ministers of France and Britain: If Iran attacks, Israel expects the international coalition led by the US, Britain and France to join Israel not only in defence but also in attacking significant targets in Iran," Katz said on Friday at a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne in Jerusalem, according to a statement from the Israeli Ministry of Defence issued via WhatsApp. In a statement on X, Katz said he had made it clear to his French and British counterparts "that the right way to deter Iran and prevent war is by announcing that if Iran attacks, they will stand with Israel not only in defence but also in striking targets in Iran." "Iran is the head of the axis of evil, and the free world must stop it now before its too late," Katz said. "Israel is interested in a deal to bring about the release of the abductees home and will do everything in the negotiations to promote such a deal," ha added. "Hamas may harden its positions and wait for the Iranian attack on Israel as an alternative to negotiations." Kazakhstan will review its approach to enforcing sanctions against Russia, prioritizing its own economic interests, Kazakhstans Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Serik Zhumangarin said in an interview with Bloomberg on Aug. 16. According to Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan will not "blindly follow the sanctions" if they affect domestic Kazakh companies that are the leading employers in their areas. "We will not allow our own producers to be banned from trade," he said in an interview with Bloomberg. The change in rhetoric underscores the Central Asian nation's maneuvering to access the global markets for exporting Kazakh-made commodities and agricultural goods. Challenges for the biggest landlocked country in the world are only intensifying as its neighbors, Russia and Iran, become the most sanctioned economies worldwide. Russia was Kazakhstan's main trade partner before the outbreak of the full-scale war against Ukraine. The Central Asian states economy heavily relied on Russia, so the sanctions imposed by the West significantly impacted Kazakhstans economic situation. Sanctions against Russia complicate the logistics of Kazakh exports, forcing them to detour via the Caspian Sea and Georgia. Shipments through Russia are no longer possible since Russian ports are too preoccupied with domestic cargo. The Kazakh government has sought concessions from Western nations to allow it to sell goods to Iran or use the country for transit but has been unsuccessful. According to Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan does not acknowledge any unilateral sanctions and intends to move forward regardless. While visiting Germany in October 2023, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that Kazakhstan would continue its economic cooperation with Russia while promising to adhere to the sanctions imposed on its northern neighbor. Read also: Russia, West fight for Kazakhstan as Astana plays both sides Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. KC woman who stole over $60,000 in merchandise sentenced in Platte Co. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The woman whos accused of stealing almost $67,000 worth of store merchandise from various stores across the KC metro pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday in Platte County Circuit Court. According to court documents, Asia Marshall, 20, of Kansas City, Missouri pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery and 11 counts of stealing $750 or more. Documents say that Marshall was also sentenced Thursday, August 15, receiving seven years in prison on each count with all sentences running concurrently. Missouri woman arrested, charged with fraud after attempt to steal Graceland According to court documents, on several occasions, Marshall entered retailers, usually with a group of other individuals and would place items in shopping bags or baskets and leave without paying. One theft at a Bath and Body Works in Platte Co. in December of 2023 resulted in an employee being punched multiple times and around $1,500 worth of store merchandise being damaged. The suspects in this robbery made off with $1,500 in merchandise. Another theft in September of 2023 saw a group of females, including Marshall, steal over $6,000 dollars worth of Sephora merchandise in a single attempt. That same day, the group also stole 64 articles of clothing from a Victorias Secret Pink at the shopping center, leaving with baskets filled with stolen merchandise. After multiple other robberies around the metro, Marshall was arrested in January. During the arrest Marshall hid under a blanket, telling officers she was 13 years old. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China congratulates Paetongtarn Shinawatra on her election as the Prime Minister of Thailand, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday. The spokesperson made the remarks when asked to comment on leader of the Pheu Thai Party Paetongtarn Shinawatra having been elected the 31st Prime Minister of Thailand on the same day. The spokesperson said that China believes the people of Thailand will make new and greater achievements on the development path suited to Thailand's national conditions. Noting China and Thailand are close and friendly neighbors, and next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic ties, the spokesperson said it will bring new historic opportunities for the growth of bilateral relations. China stands ready to work with Thailand to carry forward the traditional friendship, step up strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and deliver more progress in building the China-Thailand community with a shared future, the spokesperson said. Rep. Daniel Grossberg(LRC Public Information) A Kentucky Democratic lawmaker wants to dismiss an ethics complaint filed against him by House Democratic leadership that alleges inappropriate behavior and communications. Rep. Daniel Grossberg, a freshman legislator from Louisville, is arguing the complaint filed with the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission is meritless and an misuse of the ethics complaint system, according to a Friday press release issued by his attorney, Anna Whites. His motion to dismiss has been filed with the KLEC, Whites said, but she added they are exploring the possibility of legal action and so is at least one businessman named in the complaint. In a Friday afternoon statement, House Democratic leaders said they planned to honor the confidential nature of the investigations in light of Rep. Grossbergs attorneys desire to litigate this in the press with misrepresentations rather than through proper confidential channels. Grossberg has been removed from his interim committees following allegations of inappropriate actions toward women, including behavior and text messages. The Lexington Herald-Leader first reported allegations against Grossberg. At the time, he denied any impropriety in a statement to the newspaper. Under state law, the commissions proceedings, including complaints and other records related to a preliminary inquiry, are confidential until the commission makes a final determination. But Grossbergs response on Friday offers insight into five allegations raised in the complaint. The first is the purchase of a used car that he says was thoroughly investigated and debunked by KLEC. The release also says the new complaint names and accuses a prominent Louisville businessman who is a member of a minority of healthcare fraud and interference in the Certificate of Need process all of which is supposedly somehow based upon this used car purchase. Grossberg also argues against allegations made around a fundraising call, where a restaurant owner, who, he says, is also a member of a minority community, asked how he could apply to be on a state catering contractor list while the representative was making fundraising calls for the House Democratic Caucus. As shown in the texts appended to the Complaint, Rep. Grossberg asked the House Minority Chief of Staff how a restaurant could apply, and shared the information given with the business owner, the release said. No impropriety is shown in the texts. No improper discussion was had. No quid pro quo arrangement occurred. No ethical misconduct has occurred or has even been coherently alleged. Additionally, Grossberg addressed issues raised around assisting another freshman legislator with unwanted communications and advice. Grossberg said he offered to connect the legislator with a law enforcement branch that aided him after he received harassing communications. He calls House Democratic leaderships characterization of the exchange to show control or involvement in the harassment as an outrageous suggestion without evidence. Another issue Grossberg refutes is the appropriateness of a letter from him and his spouse, a teacher, to students they chaperoned abroad. The letter was reviewed by LRC staff before sending and would likely be a treasured keepsake for any high school student, Grossbergs release said. His response also admonished House Democratic leaders for including the name and address of a high school student. Finally, Grossberg refutes text messages highlighted in a newspaper article. Grossberg says the House Democratic leaders complaint does not include a copy of any allegedly inappropriate texts, but includes texts about party business, preventing antisemitism and other legislative actions. The only text that discusses inappropriate communications is a reference by a thirty party to that third party hearing rumors about inappropriate communication from other unnamed third parties at some unnamed time, the press release said. Rumors have no place in a fact-based hearing. Grossbergs response said that the complaint cites a newspaper article that discusses allegations of questionable texts, which do not constitute sexual harassment. The Herald-Leader reported that the texts shared with the newspaper often came late at night, and Grossberg remarked on the receivers physical looks. The newspaper later reported the representative had invited two women in a text to a lesbian-themed movie night. Grossberg concludes by saying the complaint uses rumor, inuendo [sic] and their own apparent animus toward Rep. Grossberg to make the unsupported allegations herein. This is unethical and inappropriate in the extreme, particularly for leaders of a caucus. In a statement Friday afternoon, House Democratic leaders said they must take allegations of inappropriate conduct among our membership seriously, to protect those brave enough to come forward, and to ensure the appropriate agencies investigate their allegations. As previously stated and per a vote of the Caucus, we have reported multiple serious allegations against Representative Grossberg to the proper legislative oversight bodies for consideration, the statement said. These investigations are designed to be confidential to protect those who come forward with their accounts of impropriety. We continue to honor that intent as best we can given Rep. Grossbergs attorneys desire to litigate this in the press with misrepresentations rather than through proper confidential channels. The House Democratic leaders added that they are taking new information, including additional texts, first-hand accounts, and calls from an outside organization for Rep. Grossbergs resignation seriously. Because investigations are ongoing and to protect all parties involved, the leaders declined to comment further at this time. Editors note: This story was updated with additional comments Friday afternoon. Kentucky will be a partner on $500K grant to innovate airports with electric aircraft technology FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) Kentucky airports will become a project for the future as part of a half-million dollar grant to innovate air travel throughout Appalachia. Ohio, Kentucky, and North Carolina were all grant partners, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTC). Between the states, the grant partnership from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will be used to evaluate technology needs at 36 airports throughout the region. Couple accused of mailing drugs to Kentucky River Campground Half of the airports being evaluated are in Kentucky, per the KTC. KTC officials said the federal grant also aims to expand aviations already vital economic and public service role in the region. Kentucky is already the electric vehicle battery production capital of the world, and by participating in this project were working to become a leader in the aircraft industry of the future, Gov. Andy Besehear said about the grant. By bringing new jobs, technologies and industries to Kentucky were making sure our children never have to leave home to chase their dreams. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: The airport evaluation process will be led by researchers at the Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service (GVS) and the Institute of Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) of North Carolina State University, according to a news release. The data experts gather will provide models for financing and implementing necessary infrastructure improvements at general aviation airports in the participating states, and across Appalachia. The funding came from an initiative known as the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), which aims to drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through multi-state collaborative projects across Appalachia, according to Kentucky Transportation leaders. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Jasveen Sangha, known as the Ketamine Queen in North Hollywood according to E. Martin Estrada, United States Attorney for the Central District of California, sprang into the wider social consciousness after she was arrested Thursday in connection with the death of Friends star Matthew Perry. Sangha was charged with one count each of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. She faces life in prison. Prosecutors in the case have also accused Perrys personal assistant of buying ketamine from Sangha and a street dealer in mid-October 2023. She reportedly sold the actor 50 vials of the drug for $11,000. Sangha was also arrested on March 19, 2024, for selling meth in an unrelated case and has been free on bond since then. In addition to Sangha, four other individuals were arrested: Salvador Plasencia, who was also known as Dr. P, Mark Chavez, who owned a ketamine clinic, Perrys assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, and Erik Fleming, a friend of Perrys. On Thursday, Fleming, Iwasama, and Chavez all reached plea deals with authorities. This isnt Sanghas first brush with ketamine-related tragedy According to the indictment filed Wednesday, in 2019 Sangha sold ketamine to a customer (identified as Victim C.M.) who died the following day. A family member of the victims texted Sangha, The ketamine you sold my brother killed him. Its listed as the cause of death. Sangha then searched can ketamine be listed as a cause of death on Google. Fleming was Sanghas connection to Perry Court documents claim Sangha passed the drug to Perry through Fleming, who is identified as a co-conspirator in the case. Fleming would sell the drug directly to the actors assistant. Sangha lived a lavish lifestyle Sangha, a dual UK and US citizen, often posted photos of her incredible lifestyle on social media. Her Instagram account appeared to be deleted following her arrest, but the Daily Mail reported that she routinely would often post images of her wearing Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry and Louis Vuitton sneakers and Chanel clothes and snaps of her indulging in caviar at private jet lounges at LAX. According to the outlet, Sangha traveled to Tokyo two weeks after Perry died and stayed at the Mandarin Oriental hotel; in February of this year she posted photos from a beachside hotel in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. She sold ketamine out of her home Court documents indicate Sanghas North Hollywood home, dubbed the Sangha Stash House, was her base of operations from which she packaged, distributed, and sold ketamine and methamphetamine. Sangha allegedly rented the home from 2019 to March 19, 2024. Sangha used Signal to arrange drug sales The same documents claim Sangha used Signal, an end-to-end encrypted app, to communicate with interested customers and their surrogates. On Oct. 10, 2023, Fleming allegedly texted Sangha about buying ketamine and wrote, Hi Jas. Its Erik . . . Let me know your addy . . . How many vials do u have availability. The pair then exchanged texts about the price and type of ketamine that Sangha had available. The following day Sangha told Fleming more about her high quality ketamine and offered, Its unmarked but its amazing he take one and try it and I have more if he likes. Fleming contacted Sangha on Oct. 12 about purchasing the drug and sent photos of clear, unmarked glass vials containing ketamine to Iwamasa, who was allegedly responsible for injecting the drug into Perry. Fleming bought the drug on Oct. 13. Fleming bought a second round of ketamine from Sangha on Oct. 24. In total, she sold Fleming approximately 50 vials of the drug. She tried to delete evidence of the drug deals following Perrys death The indictment also indicated after she learned of Perrys death on Oct. 28, Sangha allegedly texted Fleming and instructed him to Delete all our messages. The post Who Is Ketamine Queen Jasveen Sangha? appeared first on TheWrap. Kevin Spacey wants 6 months to move out, but Baltimore condo buyer wants actor gone sooner BALTIMORE The Potomac real estate investor who bought Kevin Spaceys luxury home in Baltimore at auction last month says the famous actor is unwilling to leave the residence, at least not right away. Were trying to negotiate a move out date, Sam Asgari, a former biomedical engineer at Suburban Hospital who pivoted to real estate, told The Baltimore Sun Wednesday. He was going to leave in six months, but it costs so much money to keep that condo. An attorney for Spacey did not immediately return requests for comment Wednesday. The identity of the person who purchased Spaceys 9,000-square-foot, waterfront condo was previously unknown; a real estate agent represented them at the auction on the steps of Baltimore Circuit Court on July 25. Court records filed earlier this month reveal Asgari as the buyer. Asgari bought the two-unit condo in the Pier Homes at Harborview complex for $3.24 million, with the property having last sold for over $5.6 million to Clear Toaster LLC in 2017. Spaceys friend and manager Evan Lowenstein owned the home, and that the former House of Cards star only recently laid claim to it, Lowenstein previously told The Sun. At the time of sale, not only was Asgaris identity unclear but also his plans for the property, which his agent described as iconic. Asgari told The Sun he intends to sell. The price is going to be one of the most expensive houses in Baltimore, Asgari said Wednesday. The Baltimore Banner news site first reported the developments surrounding Spaceys departure. For the Oscar-winning Spacey, negotiations over his exit from the luxury pad represent a continued fall from grace. The actor owed a hefty sum in back payments for the home, and a city Circuit Court judge last summer signed off on a foreclosure sale, according to court records. And it was only in June that Spacey told British talk show host Piers Morgan about his millions of dollars of debt from fighting several lawsuits in the U.S. and in Britain alleging sexual misconduct. Asgari, chief executive officer of Simo Homes, meanwhile, continues to make headlines with his purchases of notable Maryland real estate. In January, he bought famed investor and philanthropist Johns Hopkins childhood home in Anne Arundel County. He said at the time that he and his wife hoped to restore the Gambrills property to its former glory, with an eye towards repurposing it as a country inn or wedding hall. He also planned to add a museum dedicated to those who were enslaved on the former 13-acre plantation where the house sits. _____ PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) A highly anticipated review that will help to determine if the struggling state-run Providence Public School District can be returned to local control is now in the hands of Rhode Islands top education official. R.I. Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green sent a letter to the district on Friday announcing the release of two reports evaluating the progress and capacity of the state takeover that began in 2019, and saying the next phase of the review process is underway. The findings should not surprise anyone, Infante-Green wrote. They show the district is moving in the right direction towards meeting the ambitious goals we set, but more work remains. In May, Infante-Green informed the district that an independent midterm review would assess the districts progress five years into the states takeover, as well as evaluate the citys capacity and readiness for a return. What did the SchoolWorks review consist of? A Massachusetts-based consulting firm, SchoolWorks, said in its report that over 280 stakeholders were interviewed, including approximately 40 students, 40 family or community members and 85 educators. SchoolWorks said it interviewed district-level leadership, school-level leadership, teachers, parents, students, members of Mayor Brett Smileys office, members of the Providence City Council and staffers in Gov. Dan McKees office. The site visit team also said it observed over 30 classrooms across two elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. The report also said the team reviewed over 100 documents submitted by RIDE, PPSD, the city and the Providence School Board. How much progress has been made? SchoolWorks analyzed the districts current performance data against the goals listed in the Turnaround Action Plan (TAP). A review of documentation indicated a shift in data and timelines outlined in the TAP due to the disruption of school during the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said. In all, the report found 23 metrics from the TAP were not on track, but that 12 were on track and seven had already been met. While SchoolWorks said notable progress had been made, the review of documents found several issues, including: The number who have a favorable perception of the district has decreased There is still work to be done to improve the percentage of students meeting and exceeding expectations on all assessments The number of teachers of color are still below the identified TAP goal The number of school leaders who have a favorable perception of the PPSD has decreased Does the district have the capacity to go back to city control? In regards to the districts capacity to return to local control, the report again said that notable progress had been made. The report found there had been significant progress in improving the condition of facilities; high-quality instructional materials for English language arts (ELA) and math had been adopted; improvements in HR systems increased efficiency; and student-based budgeting afforded school leaders more flexibility to contextualize staffing models aligned with their programmatic needs. However, the report found the district has not yet set clear expectations for instruction; teachers have reported that data improvements have not led to strategic improvements; and there was a consistently shared concern about the districts fiscal health and the impact of budget-related teacher layoffs as well as uncertainty about the future of support positions. RELATED: Dozens of Providence teachers told contracts wont be renewed; district sees difficult decisions ahead The report also said concerns about a lack of transparency and collaboration between and among the district, teachers, families, and communities emerged from all stakeholder conversations. Of note was the perception of limited opportunity for meaningful engagement for families and community groups and a consistent lack of clarity about who is responsible for decision making at the district level, the report stated. Is the city ready to regain control of the schools? The city has been preparing to regain control ahead of any decisions. Mayor Smiley named a new working group last year tasked with helping the city figure out what needs to happen before the city regains control. Smiley has previously indicated that he feels the city needs at least a year to prepare for schools to be able to return to local control. Finances are a big focus in the report, including the citys willingness to commit to fully funding the school district at the level required by state law. There is both current discord and pending litigation regarding the citys funding requirement, and it is unclear whether the city is fully meeting its stated and/or committed obligations, the report said. A spokesperson for Smileys office said the mayor had received the report on Friday morning, but that he had not reviewed it in full. How does the school board fit into this? The report found the Providence School Board lacked a shared vision of governance for the district, and also does not consistently act as a single cohesive body. Board members also told SchoolWorks there was a lack of consistent communication with RIDE, PPSD, and city leadership (both the mayors office and the City Council) has precluded them from building trust and systems of collaboration with these stakeholders. School Board President Erlin RogeL issued a statement about the report on Friday afternoon. Namely, I take issue with the reports complaint that the Board does not act as a single cohesive body, which is reflective of RIDEs belief that the Board exists to silently rubber stamp their agenda and not to represent the diverse views of the community members we represent, Rogel said in part. The school board will look different next year. The City Council passed an amendment, later approved by Providence voters, to create a hybrid school board at the beginning of 2025. Under the new system half the board is elected, while the other half is appointed by the mayor. How does PPSD compare to schools in CT, MA and RI? An analysis from the Harvard Graduate School for Educations Center for Education Policy Research also evaluated the districts academic performance during and after the pandemic, but compared it to similar New England districts. (Infante-Green said this report came at no extra cost.) Between 2019 and 2022, authors of the report found, PPSD had incurred less learning loss in reading compared to all three states, and less learning loss in math compared to Massachusetts and Connecticut, while it remained the same as Rhode Islands comparison district average. While the Harvard report said results suggested PPSD was moving in the right direction, authors said they could not draw conclusions based on having only two years of reliable student assessments post-pandemic (and a single year change in annual scores) by which to judge. Additionally, the Harvard report found an apparent shift in enrollment from district schools to charter schools, independent schools and parochial schools since 2019. Between 2019 and 2023, enrollment in PPSD declined by roughly 2,900 students, the report said. Meanwhile, there was a rise in enrollment in the Providence area charter schools, Catholic schools and independent schools of a similar magnitude (3,000 students). What happens next? There are three possible outcomes Infante-Green could recommend to the states Council on Elementary and Secondary Education: renewal of the existing turnaround plan, creation of a new turnaround plan, or return to local control. The district is on the right track, but it remains at a vulnerable point where progress can be easily reversed if the right conditions for long-term success are not in place, Infante-Green said. The education commissioner also wrote Friday that she does not yet have a final recommendation, but plans to submit one soon after a Providence School Board meeting being held later this month. (The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21.) I want to be clear that RIDE does not and never intended to have oversight over PPSD in perpetuity, Infante-Green said. It is now time for everyone vested in the future of PPSD to come together to review the findings and work collectively to continue to propel the district forward. Sep. 3 is the first full day of school for Providence Public Schools. Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. King Countys Operation Safe Transit initiative, launched to combat crime and enhance safety along the transit corridor in downtown Seattle, has led to the arrest of 82 individuals, King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Sheriffs Office announced. The arrests, made on Wednesday, are part of a larger public safety effort that began on May 1, focusing on increasing law enforcement presence and providing behavioral health support at transit locations such as bus stops and station platforms. Among those arrested, three were identified as known drug dealers, while the fourth had an outstanding warrant for assault. Deputies also seized drugs and recovered two handguns, one of which had been reported stolen. Operation Safe Transit, a pilot program by the King County Sheriffs Office (KCSO), is a collaborative effort that draws on the expertise of security officers, co-response teams, and law enforcement. It has brought together various agencies, including the Seattle Police Department, King County Metro, Sound Transit, and others, to improve safety for transit riders. The initiative is designed to reduce crime and the fear of crime by increasing police and security presence, particularly in areas such as Third Avenue, the King County Courthouse, Metro bus stops, and the downtown transit tunnel. The operation has already resulted in 82 arrests since its inception, with half of those arrests made by deputies who witnessed criminal activity and acted immediately. The King County jail has also made exceptions to booking policies for misdemeanor crimes committed within the transit system at the request of KCSO. Executive Constantine emphasized the importance of a multi-agency approach to public safety, particularly in downtown Seattle, where transit facilities are crucial. Public safety requires a multi-faceted approach, with agencies, branches of government, and jurisdictions working in concert, he said. We are building seamless collaboration across local governments, departments, and agencies to ensure those stations, stops, and streets are clean and safe. Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindal echoed this sentiment, highlighting the operations goal of removing dangerous individuals from the streets, buses, and trains. The ultimate goal here is to abate crime and fear of crime on our transit system, she said. We want our message to be clear if people dont behave lawfully, there will be consequences. Metro and Sound Transit have implemented additional safety measures, including doubling the number of transit security officers, establishing a team of Metro Safety Ambassadors, and deploying behavioral health specialists. The behavioral health team has made thousands of contacts and responded to nearly 400 crisis or de-escalation events, demonstrating a commitment to security and compassionate support for those in need. The ongoing efforts under Operation Safe Transit aim to make downtown Seattle, particularly the transit corridor, a welcoming and safe environment for everyone who lives, works, and visits the area. A number of new details have emerged in the case related to the death of Matthew Perry, the beloved "Friends" actor and recovering addict who was found deceased in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home in October of 2023. On Thursday, authorities in Los Angeles announced that they had made five arrests in connection to Perry's death. The individuals arrested included two doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez Perry's live-in personal assistant and a woman dubbed "The Ketamine Queen" by the LAPD. While announcing the charges on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said of the arrested individuals, "They knew what they were doing was wrong, but took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves, by distributing ketamine to the actor in the final weeks of his life, as noted by CNN. Estrada claimed that the group cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being." The indictment follows a monthlong investigation and grand jury proceedings, with prosecutors now alleging that Plasencia, Chavez, "Ketamine Queen" dealer Jasveen Sangha, and Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, facilitated the actor's drug use that led to his death. Court papers revealed that a month before Perry died, Plascencia learned that he was interested in obtaining ketamine. Plascencia then contacted Chavez. In a text message dated from September 2023, Plascencia wrote to the doctor, "I wonder how much this moron will pay? "Let's find out," Chavez wrote in reply. The New York Times reported that Perry from September to October was supplied with a total of 22 vials of ketamine and ketamine lozenges secured through a bogus prescription. The drugs cost him around $55,000. Ketamine is a strong anesthetic with dissociative and psychedelic properties. It has been used as an alternative form of therapy for a variety of mental health issues. Prosecutors also stated that Plascencia instructed Iwamasa on how to administer the drug to Perry intravenously. Found the sweet spot but trying different places led to running out, Iwamasa text "Dr. P" on Oct. 4, per court documents. On Oct.12, Plasencia injected Perry with a "large dose" that led the actor to experience an "adverse medical reaction," spiking his systolic blood pressure. Prosecutors also stated that Perry had sought additional methods of obtaining ketamine, which he found in a person close to him, Erik Fleming. Fleming connected the actor with Sangha, who law enforcement said operated a "drug selling emporium" out of her North Hollywood home. Fleming told Iwamasa that the "Ketamine Queen" worked with "high end" clientele, and spoke highly of her supply. If it were not great stuff shed lose her business, Fleming told Iwamasa, who said that Perry was only interested in the unmarked ones not the horsey version, according to court documents. During Perry's final days, Iwamasa injected him with six to eight doses of ketamine per day, as noted by The Times. On the day of Perry's death, he reportedly requested that his assistant inject him at 8:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m. Less than an hour later, Perry asked Iwamasa to prepare his hot tub and "Shoot me up with a big one." Iwamasa then left to run errands. When he returned, he found Perry face down in the water, deceased. According to CNN, in the wake of Perry's death, Fleming and Sangha deleted text messages that indicated they had sold drugs to the actor. Fleming told Sangha, he was 90% sure everyone is protected." "I never dealt with (Matthew Perry). Only his Assistant. So the Assistant was the enabler," Fleming wrote, also asking Sangha if ketamine lingered physically "or is it immediately flushed out." Plasencia has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation. Mr. Perry was on ketamine treatment. Medically supervised, medically prescribed. And while the U.S. attorney may disagree with Dr. Plasencias medical judgment, there was nothing criminal at the time, his attorney, Stefan Sacks, told CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBA. More importantly, the ketamine that was involved in Mr. Perrys passing was not related to Dr. Plasencia. Chavez for his part has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, per prosecutors. Sangha has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. Fleming has said he supplied the ketamine that led to Perry's death. He has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine. The U.S. attorney's office stated that Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. Zhang Suyi, general manager of Ferrero China, gives an interview in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Aug. 6, 2024.(Xinhua) GUANGZHOU, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ferrero Group, a confectionery manufacturer, recently launched a full range of new products in China under its "Nutella" brand in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou, to meet the diverse needs of consumers. The three new biscuit products combine the strengths of Nutella spread and biscuits in various scenarios, expanding Nutella's product lineup in the Chinese market, according to Zhang Suyi, general manager of Ferrero China. The Italian multinational, with over 70 years of history, has adapted to the local market in China by adjusting ingredient ratios according to consumer habits and reaching more diverse retail channels. It collaborates with Chinese restaurants to blend the Western pastes into Chinese desserts, exploring more "East-West fusions." Yu Jing, who operates restaurants in Shanghai, has incorporated Nutella spread into her dishes, achieving a sweet success. "Originally, when we served the final course in our Chinese restaurants, we would offer a Chinese-style dessert. Now, I've added Nutella spread to create buns or sesame balls, which are very popular. This enriches the dessert flavors," said Yu. Currently, the best-selling items are the spread paired with ice cream or our Chinese pastries, with daily sales reaching up to 3,000 servings, she said. Having entered the Chinese market for over 30 years, Ferrero Group has continuously tapped into the immense potential of this market through product design, scenario-based marketing, and sales channels. According to Zhang, Ferrero Group is highly attentive to the needs of Chinese consumers, focusing on expanding scenario-based marketing, utilizing emerging channels, and launching new products to enhance its portfolio, which spans chocolates, biscuits, candies, and ice cream. Currently, Ferrero Group has established a factory in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province and is considering setting up a research and development laboratory. Ferrero's ongoing commitment to the Chinese market demonstrates foreign companies' confidence in China's increasingly favorable business environment for foreign investments and the positive momentum in its consumer market. The group is highly optimistic about the Chinese market. Both economic growth and the improving business environment have instilled greater confidence in the company's future development in China, Zhang said. "The favorable entry-exit policies enable our foreign colleagues to easily collaborate and bring popular products and technologies to China. The advanced logistics system also allows us to enter the Chinese market more efficiently, while pro-consumption policies are boosting market growth and restoring consumer confidence," Zhang said. What to know about the 5 people charged in Matthew Perrys death LOS ANGELES (AP) Five people have been charged in connection with Matthew Perrys death from a ketamine overdose last year, including the actors assistant and two doctors. These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said Thursday while announcing the charges. The five have been charged for their respective roles in supplying Perry with large amounts of ketamine, causing his October 2023 overdose death. Here is what we know so far about those charged after a sweeping investigation into Perry's death. Dr. Salvador Plasencia Plasencia, a Santa Monica area doctor, was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation. He pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Thursday, where he wore street clothes and was in handcuffs and leg chains. A judge ruled he can be released after posting a $100,000 bond. An indictment filed Wednesday alleges that Plasencia, who was commonly known as Dr. P, used encrypted messaging applications and coded language to discuss drug deals, referring to bottles of ketamine as Dr. Pepper, cans, and bots. He is accused of facilitating the transfer of drugs from himself and others who have been charged to Perrys personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. According to the indictment, Plasencia exchanged text messages with others involved in the drug sales, sending ones that said: I wonder how much this moron will pay and Lets find out. After Plasencias court appearance, his attorney, Stefan Sacks, said: Ultimately, Dr. Plasencia was operating with what he thought were the best of medical intentions, and his actions certainly didnt rise to the level of criminal misconduct. His only concern was to give the best medical treatment and to do no harm, Sacks said. Unfortunately harm was done. But it was after his involvement. Plasencia, 42, graduated from medical school at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2010 and has not been subject to any disciplinary actions, records show. His license is due to expire in October. Possible sentence: Imprisonment for up to 10 years for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years for each records falsification count. Jasveen Sangha Prosecutors allege Sangha is a drug dealer whose North Hollywood residence was a distribution point for the ketamine that killed Perry. She is known as the Ketamine Queen, according to court filings. Sangha, 41, was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. The indictment alleges that Sanghas distribution of ketamine on October 24, 2023, caused Perrys death days later. She pleaded not guilty on Thursday, but a magistrate judge said she should remain in custody. Her attorney derided the media-friendly nickname Ketamine Queen that prosecutors used for her client. Her attorney declined comment outside of the courtroom. Possible sentence: 10 years to life in prison. Kenneth Iwamasa Iwamasa worked as Perrys live-in personal assistant and often communicated in coded language with the others charged in connection with Perrys death to obtain ketamine, authorities said. He has admitted to administering several ketamine injections to Perry, including on the day he died. He has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. Iwamasa, 59, did not have any medical training or specific knowledge of how to administer controlled substances, prosecutors say. He found Perry dead in his home. Attorneys for Iwamasa did not return requests for comment. Possible sentence: 15 years in prison. Dr. Mark Chavez Chavez, a doctor from San Diego, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Chavez sold ketamine that he had previously obtained by writing a fraudulent prescription to Plasencia, who then sold it to Iwamasa. Chavez, who used to run a ketamine clinic, also got additional ketamine from a wholesale distributor of controlled substances and falsified statements on forms, saying the drug would not be sold to a third party or distributed or used for any other purpose. Chavez, 54, graduated from medical school at UCLA in 2004 and started a company, The Health MD, that appears to be a concierge medicine practice focused on longevity and fitness. Like Plasencia, Chavez has not been subject to any disciplinary actions, according to his records. His medical license expires in 2026. Multiple messages left seeking comment from Chavez's company and his personal email address have not yet been returned. Possible sentence: 10 years in prison. Erik Fleming Fleming, 54, was a friend of Perrys and communicated with Iwamasa to sell drugs to him for Perrys use. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Prosecutors say Fleming got ketamine from Sangha and distributed it to Iwamasa. In all, he delivered 50 vials of ketamine for Perrys use, including 25 handed over four days before the actors death. Attorneys for Fleming did not return requests for comment. Possible sentence: 25 years in prison. An alleged San Fernando Valley drug dealer who prosecutors called The Ketamine Queen of North Hollywood was one of the two people arrested on Thursday in connection with the death of Friends star Matthew Perry. Jasveen Sangha, 41, is among the five people who were charged in connection with Perrys death from a ketamine overdose last year, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California announced on Thursday. Others charged include two doctors and Perrys personal assistant. Prosecutors said that Sangha and one of the doctors, 42-year-old Salvador Plasencia, were arrested on Thursday and accused of distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of his life. Perry, 54, was found face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28, 2023. The Los Angeles County medical examiners office later determined that Perry died as a result of the acute effects of ketamine. Authorities said they have also tied Sangha to a previous fatal overdose. Heres what to know about Sangha. What charges is she facing? An indictment unsealed on Thursday alleges that Sanghas distribution of ketamine on Oct. 24, 2023, caused Perrys death. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Great Britain, Sangha is facing nine counts related to Perrys death, including: conspiracy to distribute ketamine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine. She was arraigned in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. If convicted of all charges, she could face a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said. The judge denied her request for bail on Thursday, and she will remain in custody. Her next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 15. Why have her authorities dubbed her the Ketamine Queen? Prosecutors accuse Sangha of distributing ketamine, as well as other illegal drugs, from her North Hollywood stash house since at least 2019. U.S. Attorney for Californias Central District Martin Estrada said during a news conference on Thursday that her home was a drug-selling emporium. He added that a search of her home turned up more than 80 vials of ketamine, as well as drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and Xanax. Prosecutors accused Sangha of being aware of the danger of ketamine. In August 2019, she allegedly sold ketamine to a man named Cody McLaury just hours before he died of an overdose, according to prosecutors. After a relative of McLaurys texted Sangha that her ketamine had killed McLaury, Sangha searched on Google: Can ketamine be listed as a cause of death[?] One of the defendants who pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to charges in connection with Perrys death, Erik Fleming, is quoted in the indictment as saying about Sangha: she only deal[s] with high end and celebs. Sangha previously shared photos of her extravagant lifestyle on social media, from parties to vacations in Japan and Mexico, BBC reported. Contact us at letters@time.com. A guide to ketamine and how it can be used to treat depression Two decades worth of research suggests that ketamine can have a rapid effect on depression symptoms after just one dose - Getty Its a party drug thats best known for triggering out-of-body experiences. But ketamine is also one of the most promising treatments for severe depression. Fresh attention has been drawn to the drug after Matthew Perrys ketamin overdose. It has come to light that Perrys assistant allegedly injected him more than 20 times with ketamine in the four days before he died. Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusion treatment for depression, but the quantity of the drug in his body at the time of death could not be attributed to the treatment alone, according to the medical examiners report. But why was Perry taking ketamine for depression and is it really an effective treatment? While it has been used in the NHS for more than a decade to treat patients with severe forms of the illness, it is rarely prescribed in practice and understanding of how it works and its long-term effects remain limited. Jump to: What is ketamine and what does it do? When sold illegally, the Class B drug comes in the form of a white or light brown powder that is most commonly snorted and can leave users feeling detached, happy or anxious. However, it is in liquid or tablet form when used medically. Two decades worth of research suggests that ketamine can have a rapid effect on depression symptoms after just one dose. Leading psychiatrists have said the drug can work for patients where nothing else has. One study by researchers at the University of Montpellier, France, which saw more than 100 patients hospitalised with severe suicidal thoughts given intravenous infusion (IV) infusions of the drug, found that three in five patients reached full remission. Another, from a team at Massachusetts General Brigham, recruited around 400 patients with treatment-resistant depression. Among volunteers given ketamine, 55 per cent saw an improvement in their symptoms over the next six months, compared to 41 per cent among those given brain stimulation a treatment offered on the NHS for severe depression. It is unclear exactly how ketamine works but researchers believe it helps neurons in the brain communicate with each other, which is thought to boost mood and cognition. Back to index Is it offered on the NHS for depression? While ketamine is only licensed as an anaesthetic in England, a handful of specialised NHS sites offer the drug off-label for patients with severe depression who have not responded to conventional treatment, such as talking therapies or antidepressants. However, few meet eligibility criteria for ketamine. Patients need to have tried at least two types of antidepressant drugs and one psychological treatment which havent worked. They must then receive a referral from their GP or psychiatrist and complete a rigorous assessment process set out by specialist ketamine clinics, which can involve daily mood monitoring, questionnaires and an assessment. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is the primary site offering ketamine for depression, alongside the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, both of which accept NHS referrals. However, most patients have to fund this treatment themselves. The only NHS provision through our clinic is for patients who are referred to the clinic by an Oxford Health NHS Trust consultant psychiatrist. Patients from elsewhere have to pay, says Dr Rupert McShane, a consultant psychiatrist who leads the ketamine service in Oxfordshire. Costs can spiral quickly. An initial assessment appointment, ketamine IV infusion and bottle of oral ketamine are priced at 225 each. Patients can also opt to have a ketamine nasal spray, branded as Spravato, which has been licensed for treatment-resistant depression but has not been greenlit for use on the NHS. It costs up to 714 per administration. I think there would be a benefit for offering [ketamine therapy] more widely and repurposing it as it is very effective in depression, says Celia Morgan, a professor of psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter. Dr McShane, who is also an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, agrees that ketamine should be available more widely on the NHS but notes that it should be restricted to those with severe or highly resistant depression. Back to index How does ketamine infusion therapy work? In a therapeutic setting ketamine is administered via an injection or through an IV. Patients who qualify are initially offered three to six ketamine infusions over as many weeks. Each infusion eases depression symptoms for 10 days, on average. Around half respond well and want to continue treatment, which is usually needed for years. A patient having ketamine administered by way of an intravenous infusion - Alamy Dr McShane says some patients will then receive an oral form of the drug, taken weekly, alongside regular infusions to prolong the treatments mood-boosting effects. Back to index What are the risks? Ketamine is not a silver bullet for depression. When ketamine is used frequently in high doses, it can be addictive and cause severe bladder damage. Additionally, the long-term effects of ketamine for depression are unknown. It is really important that we start tracking the benefits and side effects people get when they take long-term ketamine. However, setting up tracking systems is expensive, says Dr McShane. Back to index Is ketamine addictive when used for depression? Most research studies have not examined the safety of ketamine therapy beyond one year. There are some concerns, particularly in the United States where there is an abundance of unregulated private clinics, that higher doses of the drug may also tap into brain pathways that are susceptible to addiction. Prof David Nutt, head of the Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, is convinced that when administered appropriately, ketamine treatment does not fuel addiction. Instead, he describes cases where the drug has actually been used medically in conjunction with psychotherapy to treat a recreational ketamine addiction. While previously the person was using ketamine just to get high and basically to obliterate, we were using it to get them to a state where they can actually engage in different kinds of thinking, he says. Back to index How likely are you to get it on the NHS and how else is ketamine used? Very few patients are offered ketamine through the health service. Dr McShane notes that just 25 patients are receiving ketamine treatment on the NHS at his Oxford site, while 109 are paying for the service. His clinic was forced to stop accepting new self-funding patients last month, as his team is working at capacity. Outside of its use for depression, ketamine is primarily used as an anaesthetic. However, it can also be prescribed off-label to treat pain, as the drug has been found to block the action of a receptor in the spinal cord, which reduces pain messages sent to the brain. In these cases, it must be prescribed by a specialist in pain control or palliative care and is usually given as a peppermint-flavoured liquid that is taken three to four times a day by mouth, or as an injection for patients who have difficulty swallowing. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Wednesday the recent outbreak of mpox a global health emergency, warning that the new, more contagious strain of the virus could spread further internationally. Nearly all of the reported cases and deaths 96 percent have so far been in Congo, where the outbreak originated. But cases have been reported in several of its neighboring countries. In total, there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, exceeding the total number recorded last year, according to the WHO. And Sweden on Thursday recorded the first case outside Africa of the dangerous mpox variant, clade 1. Heres what to know about the mpox global health emergency: What is mpox? Mpox often affects rodents or nonhuman primates, such as monkeys, but can occur in people as well, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most cases have been reported in Central and West Africa. There are two types of mpox: clades 1 and 2. Clade 1 typically causes more severe cases of the disease and has a higher likelihood of leading to death compared to clade 2. The mpox outbreak that began in 2022 was caused by the less severe clade 2 virus. The global health emergency that the WHO declared this week is linked to the more severe clade 1 strain. What are the symptoms? Mpox is related to smallpox but usually causes milder symptoms, including fever, chills, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, headache and respiratory symptoms. Patients will often get a rash located on hands, feet, chest, face, mouth or near the genitals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The rash will go through several stages, including scabbing, before it heals. The rash may look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy, the CDC said. In previous mpox outbreaks, lesions appeared mostly on chests, hands and feet, according to The Associated Press (AP). The new strain causes milder symptoms and is more likely to cause lesions on the genitals, which can make the disease more difficult to detect. Placide Mbala Kingebeni, a Congolese researcher who led the research into the new form of mpox, told the AP that the disease might be able to more easily spread because its harder to spot. How does it spread? Mpox is not airborne and typically requires person-to-person contact to spread, including through sexual contact, household contact and contact within the health care setting without necessary protective equipment. Transmission can also occur during hugging, massaging, kissing and during prolonged face-to-face interactions (such as talking or breathing), according to the CDC. The virus can spread from someone with mpox through direct contact with objects, fabrics and surfaces, if the object is not first disinfected after use. People can also contract the virus from contact with live or dead wild animals. The incubation period is 3-17 days, meaning symptoms usually develop within 21 days of exposure to the virus. The CDC said people with flu-like symptoms will often develop a rash 1-4 days later. A person is contagious from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed, the CDC said. What risk does the United States face? The CDC said the U.S. public faces a very low risk from the mpox strain that originated in Congo. The assessment was last updated Thursday morning, after the WHO declared the global health emergency but before the first case outside Africa was reported in Sweden. The risk assessment was made because of the limited number of travelers and the lack of direct commercial flights from the outbreak in Congo and neighboring countries. The risk might change as more information becomes available, or if cases appear outside central and eastern Africa, the CDC said. How should individuals protect themselves against transmission? The CDC said people who have been vaccinated or who have already had mpox should be protected from the new strain emerging in African countries. The CDC said the best protection is for eligible people to get two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine. People eligible include those with known or suspected exposure to someone with mpox; gay, bisexual or other men who have had sex with a transgender, nonbinary or gender-diverse person who, in the last 6 months, had either a new diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease or more than one sex partner; and those who, in the last 6 months, had sex at a commercial sex venue or sex in a geographic area where mpox transmission is occurring. People are also eligible to get the vaccine if they have a sex partner with the aforementioned risks or if they anticipate experiencing these risks. People at risk of certain occupational exposure are also eligible. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The World Health Organization has issued a global health emergency warning for an ongoing outbreak of mpox, a contagious and sometimes fatal disease formerly known as monkeypox. The disease, spread by close interactions as well as contact with infected items, can be fatal in some cases. What to know about mpox The WHO issued the latest public health emergency for mpox as instances of the disease surge in the Democratic Republic of Congo and have spread to neighboring countries and even to Sweden. Mpox is a viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms and painful rashes of skin lesions. Mpox is spread by close contact with infected individuals or with items such as bedsheets or clothes. The virus can also spread between humans and animals; despite the previous name monkeypox, human-to-animal transmission usually occurs through rodents. There are vaccines to prevent people from contracting mpox. Treatments designed for smallpox, a similar disease, may relieve mpox symptoms. Most people infected with mpox can recover on their own, although the disease can be fatal. Over 15,600 infections and at least 500 deaths have occurred this year, with the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for more than 90% of cases | Photo by Efnan Ipsir/Anadolu via Getty Images World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency over an ongoing outbreak of a contagious new mpox variant, known as clade 1b | Photo by Yasin Demirci/Anadolu via Getty Images Deadlier strain causing concern The last global health emergency for mpox was declared by the WHO in July 2022 and revoked in May 2023. That outbreak saw more than 99,000 cases of mpox across dozens of countries around the world, with over 200 people dying from the virus. The new outbreak is driven by a deadlier and more contagious strain of the virus compared to recent years. The new clade Ib strain has had a higher fatality rate in some areas, when compared to the older, previously dominant clade II strain; infants, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals are at highest risk of developing severe infections. Additionally, sexual transmission of the virus has increased in recent years. Where has mpox been located The vast majority of cases of mpox have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Agence France-Presse and Le Monde reported that the DRC has seen 15,664 potential cases of mpox as of Thursday, and has recorded 548 deaths from the disease. Overall, the current outbreak has reached a reported 15 countries in total. This includes Sweden, where one person was diagnosed with mpox, and the European Union has warned that more cases are to be expected in Europe. An additional case has also been reported in Pakistan, though it is unclear if this is an example of the new clade Ib strain or an older version of the virus. Overall, with recent global health crises like the previous mpox outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations like the WHO and governments around the world are eager to contain new health threats before they get out of control. As such, we should expect to hear more about mpox and efforts to keep it under control in the coming weeks. What to know about the plan to save 5 Steward Health Care hospitals The dozens of nurses attending the rally Wednesday, July 31, at the State House gathered in Nurses Hall and marched to Gov. Maura Healey's office to demand she act to save the two Steward Health Care hospitals the provider said it will shutter in August. BOSTON Gov. Maura Healey called it a good day for Massachusetts as she announced deals to save most of the state's hospitals in the bankrupt Steward Health Care System. This is a new and better chapter for what it will do for patient care, Healey said of the complicated agreement that was hammered out in federal bankruptcy court earlier in the day. Here's what to know about the latest developments. Which hospitals are involved in the deal? There are four Steward hospitals, spread across five campuses, that will be sold: Additionally, the state will purchase Saint Elizabeth's Hospital in Boston through eminent domain and will transition it to a new operator once the process has been finalized. Who will take over the medical facilities? Lifespan Health System, based in Rhode Island, will take over Saint Annes in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton. Lifespan will become Brown University Health in 2024. Boston Medical Center will take over Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton Lawrence General Hospital will take over both campuses of the Holy Family network in Haverhill and Methuen What actions are necessary to save Saint Elizabeths? Because the facility did receive a qualified bid, from Boston Medical Center, state officials were comfortable using the power of eminent domain to wrest the property from its landlord, Apollo Global Management. The governor said the landlord was dragging its feet in the bankruptcy process and has refused to move. The state will send an offer letter to the landlord totaling $4.5 million, an amount determined to be fair market value for the property. Once the offer is accepted, the state will take control of the facility and transition the hospital to its new owner. Why doesnt the governor use eminent domain to save Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center? Chronic underinvestment in the health care providers has made them less appealing to new owners and neither received qualified bids. The governor blamed the damage inflicted on the centers by Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre and his leadership team on the lack of interest by bidders. They ran them to a point where no one came forward to take them on, Healey said. The hospitals will continue to operate through the end of the month when a federal bankruptcy judge sitting in Texas has authorized their shuttering. If a qualified operator were to miraculously appear, said Healey, the state could implement the same measures for those facilities. What happens to the Steward Physicians Network? The deal to sell the network is ongoing; the physicians in the group will remain in their practices providing medical service to residents despite the anticipated closure of the two remaining hospitals, according to Dr. Robbie Goldstein, Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health. Even if the hospitals close, the medical office buildings will remain open and staffed with physicians in their practices. How dire was the situation involving Steward Health Care? The actions of Steward Health Care management brought the Massachusetts health care system to the brink of collapse, Healey said. The transfer of the health care centers to their new operators, Healey believes, will improve the quality of care provided. It will be a new and better chapter for patient care, Healey said. How long will the transition take? The state will support the transition with cash advances, capital support and maximizing federal matches. And it has already advanced $30 million in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to keep Carney and Nashoba Valley open through the end of the month. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Plan to save Steward Health Care hospitals in MA: What to know How to know your voting rights in Mississippi JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) With the 2024 presidential election approaching, organizations in Mississippi want voters to have the resources they need to exercise their rights. The Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project (MVLP) provides legal advice and assistance to help clients with legal matters, including voter disenfranchisement. Gayla Carpenter-Sanders, executive director and general counsel for the MVLP, said some voters tend to believe they are not eligible to vote if they have committed a crime. Some disenfranchising crimes include voter fraud, arson, larceny, and murder. Mississippi leaders challenge Bidens voter outreach order Sanders said clinics are held across the state to assist those with the expungement process so their voting rights can be restored. There are crimes that do not disenfranchise you. For example, drug crimes do not disenfranchise you. Manslaughter does not disenfranchise you. Kidnapping does not disenfranchise you. And so what citizens need to know is that if they have been convicted of a crime, they need to check the Secretary of States website to see if their crime is one of those crimes that disenfranchises them. If it doesnt, then they need to go to their local circuit clerks office and register to vote, she said. If youre unsure about your eligibility, you can also contact organizations, including Mississippi Votes and the ACLU. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. By Guy Faulconbridge and Olzhas Auyezov MOSCOW (Reuters) -An influential aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the West and the U.S.-led NATO alliance had helped to plan Ukraine's surprise attack on Russia's Kursk region, something Washington has denied. The lightning incursion, the biggest into Russia by a foreign power since World War Two, began on Aug. 6 when thousands of Ukrainian troops crossed Russia's western border in a major embarrassment for Putin's military. Ukraine said the incursion was needed to force Russia, which sent its forces into Ukraine in February 2022, to start "fair" peace talks. But the United States and Western powers, eager to avoid direct military confrontation with Russia, said Ukraine had not given advance notice and that Washington was not involved, though weaponry provided by Britain and the U.S. is reported to have been used on Russian soil. Influential veteran Kremlin hawk Nikolai Patrushev dismissed the Western assertions in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper. "The operation in the Kursk region was also planned with the participation of NATO and Western special services," he was quoted as saying, without offering evidence. "Without their participation and direct support, Kyiv would not have ventured into Russian territory." The remarks implied that Ukraine's first acknowledged foray into sovereign Russian territory carried a high risk of escalation. Putin chaired a meeting of Russia's Security Council, including Patrushev, and said the discussion would focus on "new technical solutions" being employed in what Russia calls its special military operation. KREMLIN SAYS UKRAINE WILL PAY FOR US INVOLVEMENT "Washington's efforts have created all the prerequisites for Ukraine to lose its sovereignty and lose part of its territories," Patrushev said. Ukraine said on Thursday that it had installed a military commandant in the area it controlled, even as Russia intensified its offensives in Ukraine's east. Russia's defence ministry for its part said it had repelled a series of Ukrainian attacks along the Kursk frontline. Kursk regional governor Alexei Smirnov said Ukraine had destroyed a road bridge over the Seym river in the region's Glushkovsky district. State news agency TASS, citing Russian security officials, said that could hinder an ongoing evacuation of the frontier district's roughly 20,000 inhabitants. While the Ukrainian attack has revealed weaknesses in Russian defences and changed the public narrative of the conflict, Russian officials said Ukraine's "terrorist invasion" would not change the course of the war. Russia has been advancing for most of the year in the key eastern sector of the 1,000-km (620-mile) front and has vast numerical superiority. It controls 18% of Ukraine. After more than 10 days of fighting, Ukraine holds at least 450 sq km (175 sq miles) of territory, or less than 0.003% of Russia. But for Putin, the incursion crosses another red line. One Russian source told Reuters the incursion could embolden hardliners in Moscow who advocate a bigger war, but Putin's choice may not be easy. He has sought to portray Europe's biggest war in seven decades both as a limited "special military operation" that need not upset daily Russian life and as a historic fight with a West that scorns Moscow's interests and seeks to dismember Russia. The U.S., which has said it cannot allow Putin to win the Ukraine war, so far deems the surprise incursion a protective move that justifies the use of U.S. weaponry, officials in Washington said. But they also expressed worries about complications as Ukrainian troops push further into enemy territory. One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that if Ukraine started taking Russian villages and other non-military targets using U.S. weapons and vehicles, it could be seen as stretching the limits Washington has imposed, precisely to avoid any perception of a direct NATO-Russia conflict. Russia's defence ministry has published footage that it said showed a Russian drone destroying a U.S.-made Stryker armoured combat vehicle in the Kursk region. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow and Olzhas Auyezov in Almaty; Editing by Tom Hogue and Kevin Liffey) Kremlin creates so far ineffective agency to respond to events in Kursk Oblast ISW Experts at the Institute for the Study of War have stressed that Russian authorities and military command are establishing a complicated and so far inefficient agency to respond to the Ukrainian defence forces operation in Russias Kursk Oblast. Source: ISW Quote: "The Kremlin and the Russian military command are creating a complicated, overlapping, and so far, ineffective command and control structure for the Russian response to the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast." Details: On 15 August, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov announced the creation of a so-called coordination council for military and security issues in Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk oblasts. Belousov stated that the coordination council aimed to improve support for Russian forces covering the state border and would oversee the effective logistics, coordination between forces responding to threats along the state border, engineering arrangements and military medical support. It was pointed out that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had set tasks for the Ministry of Defence, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Russian Guard (Rosgvardia), which overlap in Kursk Oblast, and these bodies had not yet taken any significant steps to establish a clearer division of responsibilities. Quote: "The delayed establishment of a complicated Russian command and control structure in Kursk Oblast continues to highlight the fact that the Kremlin failed to plan for the possibility of a significant Ukrainian incursion into Russia." More details: The experts suggested that the Kremlin had a more coordinated approach to ensuring its control over the Russian information space than to solving its military problems and other issues in Kursk Oblast. It was noted that Russian officials and propagandists appeared to have launched a coordinated campaign to discredit so-called military bloggers and social media channels not affiliated with the Kremlin that have been disseminating information about Ukrainian operations in Kursk Oblast since the start of the operation. Quote: "The Kremlin is likely trying to hastily create a new information space that predominantly features co-opted Russian milbloggers and established Russian state propagandists." To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 15 August: Ukrainian officials are taking steps to consolidate and coordinate the management of ongoing Ukrainian operations in Kursk Oblast while continuing to highlight Ukrainian advances. Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces continued advancing in some areas in Kursk Oblast amid a generally slower tempo of Ukrainian operations in the area. Russian forces are maintaining their relatively high offensive tempo in Donetsk Oblast, demonstrating that the Russian military command continues to prioritise advances in eastern Ukraine even as Ukraine is pressuring Russian forces within Kursk Oblast. The Kremlin and the Russian military command are creating a complicated, overlapping, and so far, ineffective command and control (C2) structure for the Russian response to the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast. The delayed establishment of a complicated Russian C2 structure in Kursk Oblast continues to highlight the fact that the Kremlin failed to plan for the possibility of a significant Ukrainian incursion into Russia. The Kremlin appears to have a more coordinated approach to securing its control over the Russian information space than to addressing its military and C2 problems in Kursk Oblast. The Kremlin is likely trying to hastily create a new information space that predominantly features coopted Russian milbloggers and established Russian state propagandists. Ukrainian forces are reportedly using Western-provided equipment in Kursk Oblast but remain limited in their ability to strike Russian military targets within Russia with Western-provided weapons. Ukraine is organising the creation of a humanitarian corridor through which to evacuate Russian civilians who are impacted by the ongoing Kursk operation, filling an apparent vacuum left by the Kursk Oblast administration and fulfilling international legal requirements for the evacuation of civilian populations. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces successfully conducted drone strikes against Russian air bases in Russia on the night of 13-14 August. Russian forces recently made confirmed advances on the Pokrovsk and Toretsk fronts. The Russian government submitted a bill on 15 August to lower the admission age for the Russian Volunteer Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy of Russia from 18 years of age to 14. Support UP or become our patron! Kris Mayes calls for new review of Pinyon Plain uranium mine near the Grand Canyon Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is urging the U.S. Forest Service to conduct a supplemental Environmental Impact Study for the Pinyon Plain uranium mine, arguing that the original assessment is based on outdated information. Mayes made her request in an Aug. 13 letter to Nicole Branton, supervisor of the Kaibab National Forest. In the letter, Mayes argues that the original EIS, completed almost four decades ago, underestimates the risks the Pinyon Plain uranium mine poses to the region's groundwater. The final environmental impact statement from 1986 was based on the assumption that the mine would not reach below the water table and, therefore, would remain dry. "The possibility of significant groundwater contamination from the mine is remote," the report concluded. "Groundwater flows, if they exist, are likely to be at least 1,000 feet below the lower extremities of the mine. This, plus the low potential for encountering groundwater in the mine, effectively eliminates the possibility of contaminating the Redwall-Muav aquifer." The Forest Service retains the authority to determine whether further studies of the Pinyon Plain Mine are necessary. Curtis Moore, Energy Fuels' senior vice president of marketing and corporate development, emailed The Republic a statement saying, "Energy Fuels continues to comply with all current approvals, regulations, and science to ensure protection of human health and the environment." Moore noted that the official agencies have reviewed and reaffirmed determinations of no impact on groundwater numerous times over the years. Still, the mining company has long faced opposition from Native tribes and conservation organizations backed by scientific studies. Mining protests: Protesters say uranium shipments near the Grand Canyon threaten health, safety Longstanding debate over uranium risks and water protections For years, experts have warned of the negative impacts that mining uranium in the Grand Canyon region could have on the groundwater and the people. Addressing concerns in 2012, the Forest Service reviewed the mine's operations plan and determined there was no reason to reevaluate the groundwater conditions, and operations could continue. Mayes' letter said the Forest Service's assumptions were proven incorrect, stressing information published by the Grand Canyon Trust that concluded that, in 2016, the mine pierced an aquifer, flooding the mine shaft with groundwater. The trust's analysis indicates that the mine has pumped out more than 67 million gallons to date. After being a target of several accusations through the years, in 2020, the mining company renamed the uranium mine from Canyon Mine to Pinyon Plain Mine. Some believe this move was intended to distance the company from past controversies. In 2022, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality reaffirmed the determination in the aquifer protection permit that there was no impact on groundwater. The office resolved that "natural protection exists from thick layers of low-permeability rock." Still, in her letter, Mayes asked the Forest Service to consider more recent research, referring to the peer-reviewed study "Hydrotectonics of Grand Canyon Groundwater," published in July by the Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. The paper highlighted the complexities of groundwater activity in the area and the threats from uranium mining contamination. One of the paper's authors, Laura Crossey, is a professor at the University of New Mexico who has published studies on issues related to the geology of the Grand Canyon region for over 15 years. "If you stand at the rim of the Grand Canyon and look into those beautiful walls of color, it looks like a layer cake. It deceptively seems simple," Crossey told The Republic. Yet, according to the study, throughout the Colorado Plateau region, fault structures cut through the layers, and in some places, the rocks are folded. "That really shows that it's not all as simple as a bunch of flat layers," she said. Her research suggests that activities such as uranium mining near the Grand Canyon are too dangerous since adjacent fault structures forming vertical conduits could rapidly transport water underground, finding its way down to the Redwall-Muav Aquifer. "And that is new science," she said. The Redwall-Muav Aquifer is the primary water source for the Havasupai tribe, who have lived in the Grand Canyon region for generations and now fear extinction due to potential risk of contamination affecting their lands, water, air, food and ceremonial practices. "The human race has forgotten to say thank you to the Mother Earth and everything that grows upon her, even the water," said Dianna WhiteDove Uqualla, a member of the Havasupai tribal council, during a recent protest against the mine. The Havasu Baaja, in their original language, or the people of the blue-green waters, have passed down stories for generations, teaching that every living plant and animal has a role on this earth. The tribe upholds the tradition of hunting for food, and there is now a concern about unintentionally consuming animals, such as rabbits that drink from the pond inside the mine, which is contaminated with high levels of heavy metals. We are all forgotten': Residents await long-delayed cleanup of uranium waste near Cameron Monument designation, limited protection This month marked the first anniversary of the designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah KukveniAncestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. While the designation protects the Canyon from future uranium mining claims, the Pinyon Plain Mine is grandfathered in under the 1872 Mining Law. Amber Reimondo, energy director of the Grand Canyon Trust, said some key aspects of the 1872 law could be improved if Congress were willing to do so. "Unlike coal, oil, or gas that are required to pay federal royalties, hard rock minerals like uranium pay zero dollars in federal royalties," she said. "Those royalty dollars could, for instance, go toward an abandoned mine cleanup fund." The more than 500 abandoned mines in the Navajo Nation have also prompted governments to take action. Trilce Estrada Olvera writes about environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send comments and story tips to trilce.estradaolvera@arizonarepublic.com. Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kris Mayes urges new environmental impact study for Pinyon Plain Mine Gatera looks at the tassel of a corn plant in an experimental field at a teaching base of Anhui Agricultural University in Hefei City of east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Fu Tian) HEFEI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Inspired by the late legendary Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, known as the "father of hybrid rice," Rwandan Gatera is determined to contribute to solving Africa's food problem. "I want to be Africa's Yuan Longping," said the 31-year-old doctoral student at Anhui Agricultural University in eastern Anhui Province. "In China, people have easy access to crops like rice, corn and sweet potato, but crops are expensive in Rwanda," said Gatera, adding that he aims to develop more heat-resistant varieties for his motherland, a landlocked African country struggling with food shortages. According to the 2024 edition of United Nations' "State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World" report, one in five people in Africa may have faced hunger in 2023. Gatera observes a pollen sample through a microscope in a laboratory of Anhui Agricultural University in Hefei City of east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 13, 2024.(Xinhua/Fu Tian) In order to achieve his ambitious goal, Gatera concentrates on learning food crop cultivation techniques in China. Despite the lingering scorching heat at the beginning of autumn, Gatera remains busy working in a 1,333-square-meter cornfield affiliated to the university, trying to cultivate heat-resistant varieties. As a vital crop in Rwanda, corn has long suffered from outdated varieties and technologies, which affects its processing as well. Despite these challenges, Gatera's agricultural dreams remain strong. In the 1960s, China began researching hybrid rice to address severe food shortages and increase food yields. Yuan, who developed the world's first hybrid rice in the 1970s, set multiple world records for hybrid rice yields, making significant contributions to food security in China and globally. Today, China grows more than 17 million hectares of hybrid rice. Dozens of countries around the world have conducted research and demonstration planting of hybrid rice, with an annual planting area of nearly 8 million hectares abroad. Gatera said that the miracle of hybrid rice motivated him to further his study in China, where cultivation technology is world-leading. China is willing to share with those in need. "I want to make crops more affordable and accessible to every Rwandan, just like Yuan Longping." Gatera conducts research in a laboratory of Anhui Agricultural University in Hefei City of east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan) In 2019, Gatera received a scholarship from the Chinese government and came to Anhui Agricultural University for his master's and doctoral studies. "Almost every day he immerses himself in laboratories, therefore, he made rapid progress. He can now even guide younger students in research projects," said Song Youhong, Gatera's doctoral supervisor, who has mentored over 10 foreign students in the past decade, and most of them are from African countries. "After completing their studies in China, African students often return to promote food security in their home countries," Song added. Gatera's doctoral supervisor Song Youhong (1st R) gives instruction to Gatera (2nd R) and other students at an office of Anhui Agricultural University in Hefei City of east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan) Talent cultivation is just one aspect of the constant agricultural exchanges between China and African countries. By the end of 2023, China had set up 24 agricultural demonstration centers in Africa. By introducing over 300 advanced agricultural technologies, the average yield of local crops has increased by 30 percent to 60 percent, benefiting more than 1 million African farming households. "I want to establish an agricultural research institute in Rwanda to develop high-yield corn varieties and train more agricultural professionals," Gatera said. "China's development shows us that poverty and backwardness can be overcome. Hopefully, one day, Africa will achieve food self-sufficiency and abundant harvests," Gatera said. Kyiv authority on nighttime drone attack on capital: no damage or casualties Kyiv City Military Administration has reported that there has been no damage or casualties as a result of the repelling of Russian drone attacks on the city of Kyiv at night. Source: Serhii Popko, Head of Kyiv City Military Administration Details: The report said, based on information from the Air Force, that attack drones were launched from Kursk Oblast (the Russian Federation). The Russian drones reached the capital approximately two hours later. An air-raid warning was in effect for 44 minutes. Air defence was responding in Kyiv. Quote: "According to the operational report at this moment, there is no damage and there are no casualties in the capital. Pay attention to the fact that air-raid warnings have been issued more frequently recently. Two of them were issued yesterday alone. There have been more than 1,200 air-raid warnings in Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, within over 900 days!" Support UP or become our patron! A new home was arranged for Ara parrots at the Kyiv Zoo. Photo: Kyiv Zoo The Kyiv Zoo has set up a new home for exotic Ara parrots that were handed over by volunteers after the start of the full-scale war. Source: At the Kyiv Zoo, veterinarians and zoologists treated and rehabilitated the birds. They revealed that the next step of their recovery, socialisation, is currently underway. Details: Aviaries for green-winged and blue-yellow Ara parrots were constructed by the zoo staff. Quote: "Two aviaries, each with an area of 30 square metres and a height of nearly 5 metres, were built to provide the birds with nature-like conditions. They are covered in sifted sand. There are canopies to hide from bad weather, woven twigs for their beaks, various feeders and water, tree branches, and privies," the zoos staff reveals. They did not forget about the birds' exercise and leisure either. Interactive swings, water fountains, sandboxes, gravel mounds, and wooden toys were installed in their new homes. Birds will reside in the Kyiv Zoo's orchard. The employees are asking visitors to come see the birds in the Kyiv Zoo. Support UP or become our patron! SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) The Salvation Army of NWLA and Louisiana House Representative Tammy Phelps (District 3) work to feed the underserved and homeless community for the annual Ambassador for Good Day. The annual outreach event highlights The Salvation Armys commitment to its community: to share hope and serve others during seasons of great need. The Salvation Army served the homeless community outside Hope House with Louisiana House Representative Tammy Phelps (District 3), So today was just a real flashback opportunity to serve those in need. Joy Porter, a case manager for Hope House, explained that it is a day facility where the homeless can shower, do laundry, and enjoy daily lunch. The staff also assists the homeless in securing housing and Medicaid. The Salvation Army served mashed potatoes, breaded chicken, and an assortment of veggies under a canopy outside of Hope House State Representative Phelps shares that volunteering emphasizes the necessity of helping the less fortunate. Salvation Army + La. State Rep. Tammy Phelps volunteer at Ambassador for Good Day to feed Shreveport underserved /homeless community (KTAL/KMSS STAFF ISABELLA CHENG) Salvation Army + La. State Rep. Tammy Phelps volunteer at Ambassador for Good Day to feed Shreveport underserved /homeless community (KTAL/KMSS STAFF ISABELLA CHENG) Salvation Army + La. State Rep. Tammy Phelps volunteer at Ambassador for Good Day to feed Shreveport underserved /homeless community (KTAL/KMSS STAFF ISABELLA CHENG) Salvation Army + La. State Rep. Tammy Phelps volunteer at Ambassador for Good Day to feed Shreveport underserved /homeless community (KTAL/KMSS STAFF ISABELLA CHENG) State Representative Phelps shared, I heard someone say I love our community, and I do. I love our city. I was just talking with State Officials about jobs, housing, and opportunities in our state yesterday. I have to apologize for being so passionate, but this is home, and sometimes, um, were so far removed from the necessary needs of people. Phelps mentioned that the Ambassador for Good Day reminded her of her volunteer work at Cedar Grove, emphasizing the importance of being a public servant. Shreveport Salvation Army to give away fans to seniors I do believe in humanity and mankind, and again, someone who thought enough to serve me and give back to us. And why should we not give back to others? Were one community again. Shreveport is home. I think we have so much to do. When I see what is going on in other cities. I always remind people that we are the third largest city in this state, and we have so many opportunities before us. Its time that we all get together and realize we can do it together. said State Representative Tammy Phelps. Julie Allen, Development Director of Salvation Armys Northwest Louisiana, became emotional when asked why she volunteers: No matter where you are and anything that we can do to help, were here too. Salvation Army serves every second Thursday of each month. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. A California-based producer of lab-grown poultry filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new Florida ban on selling or manufacturing cultivated meat. UPSIDE Foods, Inc. contends, in part, that the law violates a constitutional prohibition on favoring in-state businesses over out-of-state competitors. Were not looking to replace conventional meat, which will always have a place on our tables, Uma Valeti, a cardiologist who founded UPSIDE in 2015, said during a conference call Tuesday with reporters. We want to give consumers a choice, a choice so they can eat cultivated meat or conventional meat, any choice they can make in the future to keep up with the demand for meat that will double by 2050. The lawsuit, filed in the federal Northern District of Florida, names as defendants state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Attorney General Ashley Moody and four state attorneys. Simpson, a key supporter of the law, called the lawsuit ridiculous and said lab-grown meat is not proven to be safe enough for consumers. Read: Florida gets second-quarter tourism boost Food security is a matter of national security, and our farmers are the first line of defense, Simpson said in a statement. As Floridas commissioner of agriculture, I will fight every day to protect a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply. States are the laboratory of democracy, and Florida has the right to not be a corporate guinea pig. Leave the Frankenmeat experiment to California. This year, the Legislature approved the ban as part of a broader Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bill (SB 1084), which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on May 1. The lawsuit said Florida became the first state to ban the manufacture, distribution and sale of cultivated meat. In doing so, Florida did not cite concerns that cultivated meat is less healthy or safe than conventional meat, said the lawsuit, filed by attorneys from the Institute for Justice legal organization. Instead, Governor DeSantis announced that Florida was fighting back against the authoritarian goals of the global elite, who he alleged would force consumers to eat cultivated meat. The governor also announced that the law was part of his administrations focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers and an effort to save our beef. Read: Giant inflatable pigeons pop up in downtown Orlando The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture last year approved UPSIDE to manufacture and sell its products. Since then, the company has distributed cultivated chicken products, an alternative to plant-based meat alternatives, at restaurants and tasting events nationwide, including in Florida. Laws like this in Florida will absolutely make sure that this innovation will go outside the United States and make it very challenging for us to have food safety and food security in the future, Valeti said. Paul Sherman, an Institute for Justice senior attorney, said a motion for a preliminary injunction is pending. If approved, a preliminary injunction could allow UPSIDE to sell products in Florida while the lawsuit progresses. The states simply do not have the power to wall themselves off from products that have been approved by the USDA and the FDA, Sherman said, referring to the federal agencies. And if consumers dont like the idea of cultivated meat, theres a simple solution. They dont have to eat it. But they cant make that decision for other consumers. Read: See how a mobile gym keeps dogs active at Daytona Beach animal shelter The other defendants in the lawsuit are Jack Campbell, the state attorney in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, which includes Leon and surrounding counties; Bruce Bartlett, the state attorney in the 6th Judicial Circuit, which is made up of Pinellas and Pasco counties; Andrew Bain, the state attorney in the 9th Judicial Circuit, which is made of up Orange and Osceola counties; and Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the state attorney in the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County. They are defendants because they would be expected to enforce the law. The law, in part, makes it a second-degree misdemeanor to sell or manufacture cultivated meat. The manufacturing process includes taking a small number of cultured cells from animals and growing them in controlled settings to make food. The lawsuit contends Floridas ban violates the Supremacy Clause in the U.S. Constitution by pre-empting federal laws regulating meat and poultry products and violates what is known as the dormant Commerce Clause by insulating Florida agriculture from out-of-state competition. For example, the lawsuit pointed to March comments by House bill sponsor Rep. Danny Alvarez, a Hillsborough County Republican who said, If you believe that we are doing this because we know that Floridas agriculture can hold us down and provides plenty of safe, quality beef and agricultural products --- you are absolutely correct. Read: Debut of Crooked Cans new addition draws traffic in Winter Garden Alabama followed Florida in approving a similar law, which doesnt go into effect until Oct. 1. Similar bans have been proposed in states including Kentucky, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Texas. UPSIDE, which would like to distribute its poultry products at Miami Beachs Art Basel event in December and the 2025 South Beach Food and Wine Festival, contends Floridas ban has affected the companys revenue, promotional opportunities and reputation. DeSantis traveled to rural Hardee County in May to sign the measure with members of the cattle industry on hand. While behind a podium that featured a sign saying, Save Our Beef, DeSantis said the law would protect against an ideological agenda that wants to finger agriculture as the problem. DeSantis also called the products fake meat and said Florida was pushing back against the global elites plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals. The law doesnt prohibit cultivated meat research because of concerns that such a ban could affect Floridas space industry, which is looking at cultivated meats for long-term space journeys. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Lamine Yamals father was stabbed after being allegedly tricked into meeting up with four men who he believed wanted to make peace following a row. Mounir Nasraoui told Spanish TV I saw myself between life and death after the men turned on him as he walked into their trap. Nasraoui had been lured to a car park for a clear-the-air meeting armed with the group intent on violence, reported Catalan news outlet La Vanguardia. The four members of the same Spanish family surrounded the Spanish internationals father and started to punch and kick him before one allegedly stabbed him. One Barcelona FC executive who visited him in hospital, where he is recovering from three stab wounds to his stomach and ribs, reportedly said: Luckily a friend of the fathers appeared because otherwise they would have killed him. Four men appeared in court on Friday, with the one accused of stabbing him remanded in custody and three others bailed with restraining orders that prevent them of going within 300 metres of Nasraoui. The 17-year-old Barcelona forwards father has already given a police statement but is not expected to be well enough to attend court for the initial hearing, which will take place behind closed doors. Wednesday nights stabbing in a car park in Mataro, north of Barcelona, followed an incident at around 3pm earlier the same day in which Nasraoui got into an argument with the father of a young boy who had thrown water over him from a balcony in Rocafonda as he walked his dog. The 32-year-old was pictured being escorted from the scene by police who were trying to defuse a tense situation. La Vanguardia reported that the subsequent stabbing was absolutely incomprehensible. Those three individuals, along with a fourth man who joined them, knew the man they had had a bust-up with was the father of Lamine Yamal, the publication reported. Nasraoui talking to police in Barcelona before he was assaulted Nasraoui was led away after an altercation with neighbours Father of the Barcelona and Spain star said he saw himself 'between life and death' during the subsequent knife attack Police confirmed they had arrested three men immediately over the stabbing before revealing hours later they had held a fourth suspect. The victim spent a night in intensive care at Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital in Barcelona before being transferred to a normal ward. Yamal, the standout young player at Euro 2024, was pictured leaving the hospital. Barcelona president Joan Laporta also visited Nasraoui. In a message on social media, Nasraoui said: Thank you for all your support. Im better, a big hug for everyone. In a subsequent interview with a Spanish TV programme, he admitted: Of course I was afraid. I saw myself between life and death. I suffered fear like any other person. Thank God Ive just been taken to a normal ward and Im a bit better. I have to be calm and think the courts will now do their job and Im sure they will, which is the most important thing. Thank God everything has a solution. Yamals famous goal celebration, in which he signals 304 with his fingers, reflects the last three digits of Rocafondas postcode. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Lancaster County Democrats selected Manheim Township School Board President Nikki Rivera to replace retiring state Rep. Mike Sturla in the Pennsylvania House 96th District race. (Contributed photo) Pennsylvania Democrats have selected Manheim Township School Board President Nikki Rivera to run for the Lancaster County state House seat that Rep. Mike Sturla is leaving at the end of his term this year. Sturlas unexpected retirement announcement earlier this week set local Democratic officials scrambling ahead of the Democratic National Convention next week and a Thursday state deadline for ballot replacements. Sturla cited a desire to spend more time with his wife and young grandchildren as the impetus for his decision to retire after 34 years representing part of Lancaster city and its suburbs. Sturla also told the Capital-Star this week that he felt it was the right time to leave the legislature after helping to lead education reform advocates and lawmakers in establishing a framework for school funding equity in this years budget. Rivera, who was first elected as a school director in 2016, told the Capital-Star this week she has been considering running for the House since last year. She approached Sturla and told him that she was interested in running for his 96th Legislative District seat when he was ready to retire. Lancaster County Democratic Committee Chairperson Tom OBrien said that given the tight schedule, the party gave residents of the district who were interested in the nomination until Wednesday to submit resumes and statements. Five people expressed interest but only Rivera formally applied. The committee unanimously selected her and the state Democratic Party executive committee approved her nomination Thursday, OBrien said. Rivera will face Republican Eric Beezer, who is running on a platform of legalizing recreational cannabis use. Beezer, who owns a Lancaster County business selling hemp-derived CBD products, is running without his partys endorsement and could not be reached Friday. Beezer was registered as a Democrat as recently as December. Rivera is a Spanish teacher at Warwick High School in Lititz. Rivera said her nearly 30 years of experience as a teacher has led her to understand the needs of people and the importance of ensuring those needs are met. Serving in the state Legislature would allow her to continue that work on a broader scale, she said. Continuing Sturlas work among champions of fair education funding would be among her priorities, Rivera told the Capital-Star. Rivera said she also wants to work on protecting womens reproductive rights and addressing the states housing problems, both for people who lack resources and those who have the means to buy or rent but struggle to find appropriate homes close to their jobs. OBrien said he expects the Democratic Party to easily transition its support for Sturla to Rivera, who is well-liked by her community. He said theres little concern that Beezer could win the seat. Democrats in the state House have a one-seat majority they hope to maintain or expand in November, while Republicans are strategically targeting Democratic House members. They have a strategically flawed candidate who shouldnt even be running for office, OBrien said. Forgetting all the issues and forgetting that we think shes right on all the issues, she is well liked and she is going to get a lot of independent votes and she is going to get a lot of Republican votes and she is going to clean this guys clock. The News Maryland Senate candidate Larry Hogan heaped praise on Donald Trump for his Supreme Court nominees at a speech in November 2022, months after all three joined a majority ruling overturning . The remarks came in an address to the Republican Jewish Coalition that was otherwise devoted to urging the GOP to move on from Trump, who he criticized as a political drag on the party after Republicans underperformed in the midterms. In his speech, Hogan qualified his criticism of Trump with compliments about aspects of his record that he said he supported. Now, we should give President Trump all the credit he deserves for his accomplishments in office, Hogan said. He cut taxes, he unleashed the power of domestic energy production, nominated incredible justices to the Supreme Court, and his policies for Israel were the strongest we ever had. An archived video of the remarks is available on C-SPAN, but they do not appear to have generated prior news coverage or political attention to this point. Hogan has sought to generate distance from national Republicans on abortion in his Senate campaign against Democratic nominee Angela Alsobrooks, including by airing campaign ads in which he promises to support legislation that would codify as the law of the land. He also has said that was correctly decided. At the same time, Hogan has not said he would impose any litmus tests on future judicial nominees. The View From The Hogan Campaign Asked for comment on whether Hogan still believed Trump appointed incredible justices, a spokeswoman said he was celebrating a 2022 court decision on religious education, which was not mentioned in the speech or in an apparent copy of Hogans prepared remarks posted online. Governor Hogans comment to a Jewish group came in the context of a recent Supreme Court decision determining students could not be excluded from scholarships to attend Jewish schools, Hogan campaign spokeswoman Blake Kernen said. Long before he was a candidate for Senate, Governor Hogan was clear he believed Roe v. Wade was rightly decided, called out Senator McConnell for ramming through Supreme Court nominations right before an election on a party-line vote, and urged Senate Republicans to delay a vote on Brett Kavanaughs confirmation until sexual misconduct allegations could be fully investigated. As Governor, he appointed over 180 judges with more female, Hispanic, and Asian judges than any previous governor and without regard to party affiliation. That is the non-partisan approach which is desperately needed in Washington today. Notable In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Hogan condemned Project 2025, the conservative umbrella group devoted to preparing the next Republican administration to hire staff and implement policy. In truth, Project 2025 takes many of the principles that have made this nation great and shreds them, he wrote. LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) Las Cruces Police arrested a man they said had an active warrant for murder out of Colorado. Man accused of killing New Mexico State Police officer will not face death penalty Oscar Martinez, 48, was arrested shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Roadrunner Parkway and Foothills Road. Police said they were looking for a man matching his description who was suspected of shoplifting from a nearby Walgreens store. Martinez is being held without bond at the Dona Ana County Detention Center until he can be extradited to Colorado. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Initially, the first bystander to the scene of a crashed vehicle on a Las Vegas freeway said he thought the driver was suffering from a medical episode, but then he saw the gunshot wound. 8 News Now obtained new 911 audio from bystanders, drivers and even the family of the man who was killed after the Aug. 8 fatal shooting in the southbound lanes of I-15 near Flamingo and Spring Mountain roads. Darin Algee, 31, was shot while driving with his wife and four-year-old son which resulted in him crashing into the freeway center median. A bystander was among the first on the scene with 911 dispatchers on the line. The shooting took place before 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 8 as Darin Algee, 30, drove his gray 2017 Audi Q5 SUV in the fast lane of I-15, according to Las Vegas Metro detectives. (LVMPD Hes bleeding from his mouth, he looks like he is having a seizure, one 911 caller said. Lasha Bowie replied to the bystander telling him that her husband had been shot. Hes been shot, the caller said. Hes bleeding a lot from his mouth and his back. In the background, Bowie and her four-year-old can be heard yelling while the 911 dispatcher directs the bystander to add pressure to Algees wound with a shirt. Please, please, Bowie said. Spit it out. The bystander told the 911 dispatcher he did not see the other vehicle involved in the crash and said he had only pulled over after seeing Algees vehicle in the center median. Another caller told 911 dispatchers he possibly had video of the crash, a driver from his trucking company witnessed the crash and possibly captured it on a dashboard camera. The shooting took place before 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 8 as Darin Algee, 30, drove his gray 2017 Audi Q5 SUV in the fast lane of I-15, according to Las Vegas Metro detectives. (LVMPD The driver thought he saw that particular incident, the caller said. We pulled that front-facing video, theres a longshot of when that car actually hits the median, Im not sure your investigators might find some value in it. Las Vegas police also received a call from the mother of the victim who said she wanted to contact authorities due to a lack of communication from Bowie following the shooting. Algees widow, Lasha Bowie, declined to provide further details surrounding the shooting citing concerns about interfering with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departments investigation and instead wanted to focus on their familys loss. Darin Algee, 31, was driving home on a Las Vegas freeway with his wife and five-year-old son in the car when he was fatally shot, according to family. (Mozella Gayfield) Bowie asked for the communitys help in supporting her and their five children following their recent move to Las Vegas and the loss of the family car. Those with information on the Aug. 8 crash along I-15 southbound lanes between the Flamingo Road off-ramp and Spring Mountain Road on-ramp can call police and remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. This photo shows a scene at the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 16, 2024. In his final Independence Day address before leaving office, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo on Friday highlighted the nation's economic achievements during his tenure. (Photo by Arifin/Xinhua) JAKARTA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- In his final Independence Day address before leaving office, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo on Friday highlighted the nation's economic achievements during his tenure. Speaking at the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly, Widodo, who has been in office since 2014, expressed gratitude for the support of the Indonesian people and emphasized the importance of the collective efforts that have brought the nation to its current progress. Widodo highlighted economic resilience seen during his tenure benefiting the Southeast Asian country in the face of global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, pointing out that Indonesia's economy has maintained a growth rate of around 5 percent. He also noted the progress made in reducing poverty and unemployment while praising infrastructure development in the past decade. Looking ahead, Widodo expressed confidence in Indonesia's future under the leadership of President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who will take office on Oct. 20 this year. Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (front R) speaks at the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 16, 2024. In his final Independence Day address before leaving office, Joko on Friday highlighted the nation's economic achievements during his tenure. (Photo by Arifin/Xinhua) Update: The LVMPD said power was restored as of 12:40 p.m. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A single vehicle crash in the central Las Vegas valley caused a power outage Friday morning and police suspect impairment may be the cause. The crash happened at around 10:35 a.m. near the intersection of North Martin Luther King and West Lake Mead boulevards. The single vehicle crash caused a small power outage, affecting only four customers, including the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. According to a post on the LVMPD X page, its Bolden Area Command center was closed due to the power outage caused by the crash. For those in the area who need assistance, other area commands can be found on the LVMPDs website. According to NV Energy, the estimated time of power restoration is at 7:15 p.m. The driver of the vehicle was taken to a local hospital in unknown condition. Police said impairment is expected. Police did not give additional information about the crash at the time of publication. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. The Latest Pap Smear Alternatives Ditch The Speculum. But Are They Effective? Getting a Pap smear isnt high on most peoples list, but its the go-to test to look for cervical changes that could lead to cancer. So, most women endure it every three or so years. Now, theres a new Pap smear alternative that could help you bypass the speculum. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved self-collection kits from both Roche and BD in May for use inside health care settings, allowing patients to collect a sample themselves and leave it for their provider to test. This isnt the only new innovation in cervical cancer screening: A Danish doctor is working on using period blood for screening, too. Meet the expert: Christine Greves, M.D., is an ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, Florida. OK, but how does this new test work? Will it be at your doctors office? Heres what you need to know. What is an alternative to a pap smear? There are a few of these coming out, but theyre similar at the core. These are self-collection kits that allow you to take a sample at your doctors office and then have your healthcare provider test it for cervical cancer. Given that Pap smears are uncomfortable at baseline and terrifying or traumatizing for some women, its a good option to have, says Christine Greves, M.D., an ob/gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, Florida. Research has found that these are similar to a Pap smear in how effective they are at detecting cervical cancer. What can I do instead of a smear test? Instead of getting a Pap smear test, youll soon be able to do a self-collection and have your doctor test it for you. (Think of it like the vaginal version of peeing in a cup.) The FDA-approved tests involve inserting a swab that looks a lot like a Q-tip a few inches in your vagina, swirling it around, and then giving it to your healthcare provider to test. Does new test replace the Pap smear? Its unlike that the Pap smear will actually be replaced, given that its been the go-to method of screening for cervical cancer for ages, Greves says. But doing this test is better than nothing, she says. If a woman has vaginismusa condition that causes involuntary tensing of the vaginaor is terrified of a speculum exam, this is definitely a better option than what weve had before. There are two upcoming tests that will allow you to screen yourself for cervical cancer. Those are called Onclarity HPV, made by BD, and cobas HPV, made by Roche, per the National Cancer Institute (NCI). When will these pap smear alternatives become available? While theyre not available this second, they should be soon. BDs kit is expected to be available in September and Roches kit will likely be available later this fall. Worth noting: Similar tests are already available in different countries, including Australia. Are these new tests covered by insurance? Its not clear at this moment. The American Cancer Society(ACS) has applauded the approval of these tests but, given that theyre new, it may take some time until insurance companies decide to cover them. While Greves says the new tests have value, she also urges women to still get regular speculum exams as recommended. There is a lot of information we can learn from a speculum exam that can add value to a womans life, she says. I found recurrent cancer during a speculum exam in someone who didnt need to get a Pap. You can just learn a lot from these exams. You Might Also Like Lawmakers ask top Pentagon officials to ensure military is not swept up in politics, election Lawmakers ask top Pentagon officials to ensure military is not swept up in politics, election Two Democratic lawmakers sent a letter this week to top Pentagon officials asking them to ensure that the military stays out of the 2024 election, domestic affairs and politics as former President Trump has campaigned on sending federal troops to the southern border and cities struggling with crime. There is no greater responsibility than the oath of office we swear to the Constitution, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), a former Navy helicopter pilot, wrote in a statement. Donald Trump betrayed that oath time and again, particularly on January 6 when he jeopardized the peaceful transfer of power. As we prepare for another presidential election, we are calling on our military leaders to reject improper political influence and to take necessary steps to preserve the bedrock foundation of our democracy. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) speaks in front of the Supreme Court in Washington D.C., on Friday, June 28, 2024. Sherrill wrote the letter alongside Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a former CIA officer, to call on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other senior military officials to serve as guardrails against using the military in domestic affairs and to preserve the system that our Founding Fathers designed. They specifically called on the Pentagon to reaffirm that federal law prohibits the direct participation of soldiers in domestic law enforcement; that the deployment of troops under the Insurrection Act, unless specific conditions are met, is illegal; and that troops cannot be deployed to respond to the exercise of free speech. In their joint statement, Slotkin and Sherrill point to statements by potential members of Trumps Cabinet who have called for the use of military force to participate actively in unconstitutional domestic activities such as law enforcement and immigration. Trump said in an interview with Time in 2023 that he would be open to sending the military to the southern border to deal with illegal immigration. I dont think Id have to do that. I think the National Guard would be able to do that. If they werent able to, then Id use the military, he said during that Time interview when asked if he would use the military to carry out his mass deportation plans. When asked about the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the usage of federal troops as a police force in all but the most extreme circumstances, Trump insisted that undocumented immigrants were not civilians. These are people that arent legally in our country. This is an invasion of our country, he said. Slotkin and Sherrill also wrote about Project 2025, a 1000-page-long conservative blueprint for a second Trump administration largely written by Trump administration officials. The Trump campaign has worked to distance itself from Project 2025, which envisions a radically transformed federal government in which Trump would fire thousands of civil servants and replace them with political appointees. The authors of Project 2025 a playbook for the start of a Trump presidency written by close Trump associates have drawn up plans to invoke the Insurrection Act from the start of a second Trump presidency to deploy military personnel to fill domestic law enforcement roles across the country, they wrote in their statement. During the 2020 presidential election, then-Chair of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley came under fire for walking with Trump while wearing combat fatigues into Lafayette Park after Trump ordered the National Guard to clear people protesting police brutality after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Milley later apologized, saying he should not have been there, and drafted a resignation letter after the incident. He did not end up sending the letter to Trump. It is my belief that you were doing great and irreparable harm to my country. I believe that you have made a concerted effort over time to politicize the United States military, Milley wrote, according to The New Yorker. After Trump and other Republican officials peddled lies about the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 insurrection on the Capitol, Milley and the other Joint Chiefs of Staff released an unprecedented statement recognizing President Biden as the president and reminding soldiers about their oath to the Constitution. As service members, we must embody the values and ideals of the Nation. We support and defend the Constitution, they wrote at the time. On January 20, 2021, in accordance with the Constitution, confirmed by the states and the courts and certified by Congress, President-elect Biden will be inaugurated. Slotkin said in her statement that principled military leaders made it clear they would not help that effort and took an important stand for democracy, and it is once again imperative that senior military leaders be clear and confirm those long-held principles for the good of the nation and of the military. The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A bipartisan group of lawmakers penned a letter Thursday to Meta expressing deep concerns over reports it has continued to promote Illicit drug advertisements on its platforms including on Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp. The letter led by Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) comes after The Wall Street Journal first reported in March that Meta was under investigation for facilitating the sale of illicit drugs. Instead of quickly addressing the issue and fully removing the illicit content, the lawmakers wrote, the Journal reported July 31 that Meta again was running ads on Facebook and Instagram that steer users to online marketplaces for illegal drugs. The Tech Transparency Project recently reported that it found more than 450 advertisements on those platforms that sell pharmaceuticals and other drugs in the last several months. Meta appears to have continued to shirk its social responsibility and defy its own community guidelines. Protecting users online, especially children and teenagers, is one of our top priorities, the lawmakers wrote in their letter, which was signed by 19 lawmakers. We are continuously concerned that Meta is not up to the task and this dereliction of duty needs to be addressed, they continued. Meta uses artificial intelligence to moderate content, but the Journal reported the companys tools have not managed to detect the drug advertisements that bypass the system. The Journal found an example of an advertisement from last month that said, Place your orders, along with a photo of yellow powder arranged to form the letters DMT, which is a psychedelic drug. The lawmakers said it was particularly egregious that the advertisements were approved and monetized by Meta. Many of these ads contained blatant references to illegal drugs in their titles, descriptions, photos, and advertiser account names, which were easily found by the researchers and journalists at the Wall Street Journal and Tech Transparency Project using Metas Ad Library, the lawmakers wrote. However, they appear to have passed undetected or been ignored by Metas own internal processes. A Meta spokesperson referred The Hill to a statement it provided the Journal last month. The spokesperson said the company works with law enforcement to combat the activity. Our systems are designed to proactively detect and enforce against violating content, and we reject hundreds of thousands of ads for violating our drug policies. We continue to invest resources and further improve our enforcement on this kind of content. Our hearts go out to those suffering from the tragic consequences of this epidemic it requires all of us to work together to stop it, the spokesperson said. The lawmakers noted Meta repeatedly pushes back against their efforts to establish greater data privacy protections for users and makes the argument that we would drastically disrupt this personalization you are providing, the lawmakers wrote. If this personalization you are providing is pushing advertisements of illicit drugs to vulnerable Americans, then it is difficult for us to believe that you are not complicit in the trafficking of illicit drugs, they added. The lawmakers asked for a response to a list of questions by Sept 6. The questions ask for data on the number of advertisements Meta has discovered and the number that have been reported elsewhere that it has missed. Also included are questions about the processes to review the advertisements, how much revenue it makes from the illicit drug ads and what steps are in place to track and guard against them, as well as interactions between minors and the ads and how Meta uses peoples personal data to target the ads. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Lawsuit claims medical neglect at Madison County jail led to mans death RICHMOND, Ky. (FOX 56) A Kentucky jail is being sued for allegedly neglecting a prisoner who later died. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, claims the Madison County Detention Center left Brandon Baker in filth with no food or medical care. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Baker was released on July 25, 2023, and he died three weeks later. A Kentucky medical examiners autopsy report said that medical neglect contributed to Bakers death. Weve reached out to both sides for comments. This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 56 News for updates. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Lawyer and family of U.S. Air Force airman killed by Florida deputy demand that he face charges FILE - This photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, shows Senior Airman Roger Fortson in a Dec. 24, 2019, photo. (U.S. Air Force via AP) More than three months after a U.S. Air Force airman was gunned down by a Florida sheriff's deputy, his family and their lawyer are demanding that prosecutors decide whether to bring charges against the former lawman. At a Friday news conference, civil rights attorney Ben Crump questioned why the investigation has taken so long, noting that the shooting of Senior Airman Roger Fortson was captured on the deputy's body camera video. He said that for Black people in America, when they delay, delay, delay, that tells us theyre trying to sweep it under the rug. Its on video yall, Crump added. It aint no mystery what happened. Fortson, 23, was killed on May 3 by Okaloosa County sheriffs Deputy Eddie Duran in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The airman answered the door to his apartment while holding a handgun pointed toward the floor and was killed within seconds, body camera video showed. Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden fired Duran, saying his life was never in danger and that he should not have fired his weapon. A sheriffs office internal affairs investigation found that Fortson did not make any hostile, attacking movements, and therefore, the former deputys use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable. On Friday, Crump said his team has been told that authorities will make a decision on charges on Aug. 23. Mark your calendars, brothers and sisters, mark your calendars, Crump told supporters gathered for the news conference in a church sanctuary in Fort Walton Beach. The Aug. 23 date came from a top official in the state attorney's office, Crump said. Neither State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden, who oversees the area, or her staff responded to requests for comment on Friday. Fortson, who was from metro Atlanta, was stationed at the Air Forces Hurlburt Field in the Florida Panhandle. At his funeral outside Atlanta in May, hundreds of Air Force members in dress blues filed past his coffin, draped with an American flag. Now, Crump and the family want the former deputy to face charges. To the states attorney, you got everything you need," Crump said. The only question is, are you going to do it? Leader of Weld County drug trafficking ring sentenced to hundreds of years in prison DENVER (KDVR) The Weld County District Attorneys Office announced Thursday that the leader of a major Weld County drug trafficking operation was sentenced to serve over 300 years in prison for his crimes last week. On June 10, a Weld County jury found Jose Arellano-Arredondo, 67, guilty on 44 charges, including several counts of money laundering and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Victim in Denver date-drugging case shares her story Arellano-Arredondo was arrested after an undercover investigation by the Weld County Drug Task Force that began in 2019. Throughout the investigation, law enforcement seized thousands of fentanyl pills, multiple pounds of methamphetamine, several ounces of cocaine and over $100,000 in cash that was connected to Arellano-Arredondo and co-conspirators distribution and laundering. Investigators learned that the drugs were transported from Mexico to Nevada and Arizona, then sent to the drug ring leader in Greeley. Undercover purchases from the drug ring led to authorities executing a search warrant at Arellano-Arredondos home in September 2020. Arellano-Arredondo was sentenced on Aug. 8 to serve 376 years in the Department of Corrections for his actions. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. 'Whats that?' Lebanon's Highway 109 silo, a possible industrial park and a new business Editor's note: "What's that?" is a periodic feature in The Tennessean that focuses on new construction around Wilson County and beyond. Email ahumbles@tennessean.com if you see a building underway and wonder: "What's that?" It looks like a large gray silo on the west side of State Route 109 and south of Highway 70 that stands about 100 feet tall with a spiral stairway going up the outside. "What's that?" you ask. The structure, it is hoped, will play a role in reducing construction delays. It is part of the continually evolving landscape going north on State Route 109 from Interstate 40. This terminal will store cement in bulk to provide end users closer access for building projects, said Darrel Goad, general manager with National Cement Co. of Alabama. Cement is an ingredient needed to make concrete. Completion is estimated for the fall. The terminal will mainly be used for dry cement delivery and storage before trucks transport the cement to mixing plants, Goad said. A silo on the west side of State Route 109 and south of Highway 70 will be used to store dry cement for local building projects, officials say. More dry cement in storage helps us have a stronger supply chain, said Alan Sparkman, executive director of the Tennessee Concrete Association, which advocated for the project with a letter to Lebanon City Hall when the project was going through the approval process. One important way to mitigate such disruptions is to shorten the supply chain by having materials available closer to the end users, Sparkman wrote. The spiral staircase will be used by employees for maintenance, Goad said. Cedar Tree industrial project across from Spence Creek Infrastructure work is underway on the east side of State Route 109 just north of Highway 70 and across from the Spence Creek neighborhood in support of a planned industrial park. An industrial developer with a plan for around 2 million square feet has started working on road construction plans, stormwater ponds and utilities on the east side of State Route 109, just north of Highway 70 and across from the Spence Creek neighborhood. There is a concept plan to build seven industrial buildings, said Daniel Camuti of EQT Exeter. Building plans still need approval and may change, according to Lebanons planning staff. The site encompasses an estimated 349 acres and includes two areas with commercial zoning, according to the city. A traffic signal became operational earlier this year at Rock Castle Drive on the west side of 109 that services Spence Creek and to service the future industrial complex on the east side of 109. New gas station and restaurant near train station A new Exxon convenience store and gas station with a restaurant to be determined is under construction on State Route 109 near the Martha train station. A new Exxon convenience store and gas station with a restaurant to be determined on State Route 109 near the Martha train station just south of Highway 70 is expected to be finished by late summer or this fall, development partner Paul Patel said. The Exxon will be about 5,500 square feet and the restaurant around 1,800 square feet under one roof. Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 100-foot silo, Cedar Tree plan on Highway 109 in Lebanon I wont pretend to know the heart or mind of Lees Summit school board member Bill Haley. But his social media post proclaiming Redneck Lives Matter was done in poor taste. He should apologize. And if Haley isnt willing to make amends publicly for the distasteful post email and phone messages left for him were not returned the Lees Summit school board must do so. As of Thursday, we hadnt heard a peep from Haley, board president Jennifer Foley or vice president Heather Eslick. Neither Foley or Eslick bothered to return email messages seeking comment. Accountability shouldnt be all that difficult. In April, Lees Summit voters elected Haley to the school board. This week, he posted to his campaign Facebook page photos from a recent district fundraiser that included images of a display on a table with signs reading Redneck Renegades and Redneck Lives Matter. Amid an arrangement of spent shell shotgun shell casings and small American flags, another novelty sign read: WARNING: You are entering a REDNECK AREA. You may encounter American Flags, Armed Citizens, The Lords Prayer, & Country Music. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. The American flag and the Lords Prayer require a warning label now? Who does that? The Aug. 9 event was a trivia night fundraiser for the Lees Summit Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises private funds to support programs in the district. Haley had a table there where he displayed the sign and shell casings. Haley is a first-time public official and as the owner of a gun ammunition company. Maybe he doesnt quite understand that he represents all students and staff in the Lees Summit R-7 School District at all times. I am a supporter of the Black Lives Matter anti-police brutality movement. I believe Haleys post was insensitive and an affront to the districts Black staff members, students and their families. Yes, Haley has a First Amendment right to express himself. However, for the sake of common decency and decorum, he should at least take down the social media post as of this writing, he hadnt. At some point this week, Haley edited the post to distance himself from the Lees Summit school board. Yet screenshots of his screed include his initial reference to representing the school board that night. On Thursday, a change.org petition was created demanding that Haley resign immediately. Bill Haleys actions have clearly shown that he is unfit to continue serving on the Lees Summit School Board, the petition reads. We demand his immediate resignation to restore trust and ensure that our school board is led by individuals who are committed to promoting an inclusive, safe, and respectful environment for all. We urge the Lees Summit School Board to take this matter seriously and to hold its members accountable to the highest ethical standards. Consistent advocate of disciplining students Rodrick King Sparks is a former school board president at Lees Summit schools. Hes Black and is concerned about the wrong message Haleys post could send to minority families. While the display may have not violated district policy, according to Sparks, its fair to question Haleys lack of professionalism. In a statement, Sparks wrote: I am deeply disappointed by the decision of Mr. Bill Haley, LSR7 school board member, to display a Rednecks Lives Matter flag with spent shell casings at an event hosted by the Lees Summit Educational Foundation, whose leadership is funded by taxpayers of all races, cultures, and backgrounds. The connotation of that flag is offensive and seeks to mock the protest movement against police brutality and civil rights abuses. This action shows a blatant disregard for the values of professionalism and inclusivity that we strive to uphold in our community. It is disheartening to see such a lack of awareness and sensitivity, especially from someone in a leadership position. Sparks statement continued: Furthermore, its important to note that Mr. Haley has consistently emphasized the need for discipline when students behave inappropriately. Given this stance, it raises a critical question: What consequences does Mr. Haley believe should be imposed on an elected official someone who is supposed to represent the interests of over 18,000 students and staff when they fail to uphold the standards of conduct expected in their role? It is crucial that we maintain accountability at all levels to ensure our communitys trust and uphold the principles of belonging and respect. We must do better. I agree with Sparks. We all have an obligation to treat others with respect and dignity. In these times of divisive political discourse, we must rise above the hateful rhetoric coming to us from all corners of cyberspace. Davoya Marshall, the parent of four children who attend Lees Summit schools, took issue with the Redneck Lives Matter sign and the shell casings, too. Just seeing the image made me feel some kind of way, Marshall said. You are a leader in our district that makes decisions for our children. That doesnt sit right with me. And this is what you choose to represent? Are our students supposed to trust you are making the best decisions for them? Why not apologize? That is what I would like to know. Great leaders admit their mistakes. None of us is perfect. Its OK to say sorry and move forward. For Haley or the school board not to address this shows a lack of judgment unbecoming of elected officials. After a spring of tensions in schools and roiling college protests over the Israel-Hamas war, California legislators will take up three bills that would require lessons on the Holocaust and genocide in K-12 classrooms, restrict campus demonstrations and require antisemitism instruction at colleges that conduct diversity, equity and inclusion training. The actions came during the legislature's twice-annual culling of hundreds of bills during fast-paced votes in each chamber to decide which will advance to the Senate and Assembly for a vote before their Aug. 31 end-of-session deadline. The bills have faced strong opposition from pro-Palestinian groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace and the Council on American-Islamic Relations as well as civil rights organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union. The proposed laws have the support of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, whose members are authors and co-authors. They say the legislation would protect California Jewish students at a time of rising antisemitism after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the retaliatory war in Gaza. The caucus legislators also describe their bills as a way of protecting other minority groups that face discrimination. Holocaust and genocide education Senate Bill 1277 would require a "statewide teacher professional development program on genocide, including the Holocaust, for school districts, county offices of education, and charter school teachers." The California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education, a group coordinated by the Jewish Family and Children's Services Holocaust Center in the Bay Area, would be responsible for creating the program. In addition to the Holocaust, the collaborative would focus on education about "other genocides, including, but not limited to, those of the Armenian, Bosnian, Cambodian, Guatemalan, Indigenous American, Rwandan, and Uyghur peoples" and "identify and confront anti-Semitism and hate in modern society." Sen. Henry Stern, a Democrat who represents parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, introduced the bill last winter. It has faced opposition from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has said the collaborative responsible for the teacher education is "led by pro-Israel organizations." Campus protest restrictions Senate Bill 1287 would require leaders of California State University and the University of California to "prevent and address conduct that either creates a hostile environment for students on campus, or results in differential treatment of students on campus based on a students actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or disability status." A last-minute change was made to strike community colleges from the requirement. If signed into law, colleges and universities would have to "prohibit conduct that limits or denies a persons ability to participate in or benefit from the free exchange of ideas, " and require institutions to post notice of any permit requirements needed for campus protests. The potential law would also require higher education institutions to establish restrictions on the "time, place and manner" in which protests are allowed. Many, if not all, already do but such rules were not evenly enforced in the last year. The bill also says higher education institutions must create mandatory training programs to teach students the details of those rules and restrictions. Sen. Steve Glazer, a Democrat who represents parts of the Bay Area, including most of Contra Costa County, authored the bill. It's opponents include ACLU California Action, the Arab American Civic Council, Jewish Voice for Peace Los Angeles and the Palestinian American League. Those groups, along with others that take a pro-Palestinian stance, say it is worded in a way that would repress protest and speech in support of Palestinians. DEI training Assembly Bill 2925 would require any college-level diversity, equity, and inclusion training to include "the five most targeted groups in the state." This includes Jewish and Black residents, who are the most frequent victims of hate crimes across the U.S. The Assembly bill's sponsors included Democratic Assemblymember Laura Friedman, a former member of the Glendale City Council. Pro-Palestinian groups have opposed it in part since the training may not have to include anti-Muslim or anti-Arab discrimination because those groups do not always in a given year make the list of the populations most targeted by hate crimes. In an attempt to assuage concerns, the bill was amended to specify that colleges and universities are not prohibited from offering training on discrimination against other targeted groups. Shelved: changes to ethnic studies On Thursday, the authors withdrew bill that would have required high school ethnic studies programs to be developed "in conjunction" with parents and educators to ensure educational materials do not veer into antisemitism. The bill's authors included Los Angeles Democratic Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur. But in a letter Thursday, the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California said the bill was being withdrawn. "This legislation initially had several impactful tools to ensure that antisemitic and anti-Israel content does not appear in ethnic studies," the letter said. "However, political and time pressures that arose during the legislative process would have narrowed the bill so much that it would fail to accomplish these goals." The group said it would aim for a more comprehensive ethnic studies bill next year. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. BAGHDAD, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and 71 injured, mostly Iranians, in two car accidents in Iraq on Friday as the Shiite religious ritual of Arbaeen nears, the Iraqi traffic police said. In one accident, a bus carrying Iranian Shiite pilgrims collided with a fuel tanker in the city of Diwaniyah, some 160 km south of Baghdad, killing the Iraqi bus driver and an Iranian pilgrim while injuring another 60 Iranian pilgrims, Hussein Abdul Amir from the Iraqi traffic police told Xinhua. Abdul Amir said that 11 Iranian Shiite pilgrims were wounded in another car accident when a bus overturned on a road in Diyala province in eastern Iraq while they were heading to Karbala to observe Arbaeen. The accidents came as tens of thousands of Iranian pilgrims were heading to the holy Shiite city of Karbala in Iraq to commemorate the Arbaeen religious ritual. A statement by the Iraqi Interior Ministry said that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani issued directives for the traffic police to be fully alert by deploying patrols on all routes used by pilgrims and taking measures to reduce traffic accidents during the Arbaeen ritual. Arbaeen marks the end of the 40-day mourning for Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the battle of Karbala in 680 A.D. KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) Lego fans lined up in Woodland Mall Friday to get inside the newest official Lego Store. Kentwood city leaders gathered Friday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new shop. Were excited to officially welcome LEGO to Woodland Mall, the city said in a social media post. Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley and Commissioner Clarkston Morgan attended todays ribbon-cutting ceremony. Welcome to Kentwood! People wait to get inside the new Lego Store at Woodland Mall. (Aug. 16, 2024) Godzilla VR, apocalyptic laser tag, hyper bowling: Sneak peek of Woodlands Main Event After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, excited customers waited in line to get into the store throughout the afternoon, with some fans waiting at least half an hour to get in. The Lego store has a pick & build wall, a demonstration table and a spot where fans can build their own minifigure, along with plenty of Lego sets. To celebrate the grand opening, Lego is offering promotions and a giveaway this weekend, including a free I <3 LEGO Store tote with purchases of $50 or more from Aug. 18 through Aug. 25. Inside the new Lego Store at Woodland Mall. (Aug. 16, 2024) The new Lego Store at Woodland Mall. (Aug. 16, 2024) Inside the new Lego Store at Woodland Mall. (Aug. 16, 2024) Inside the new Lego Store at Woodland Mall. (Aug. 16, 2024) Inside the new Lego Store at Woodland Mall. (Aug. 16, 2024) The Lego Store inside Kentwoods Woodland Mall is only the second in Michigan, according to the toy brands website, with the other one located in Troy near Detroit. West Michigan does have some unofficial Lego stores, including a Bricks and Minifigs location just a few minutes away from the mall. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. As violent disorder swept our towns and cities, Sir Mark Rowley took to the airwaves in an effort to set novel terms for the public debate on policing. Rowley told Sky News, that those debating whether there is bias in policing, legitimise the violence that the officers I am sending on mutual aid today will face on the streets. They are putting [the officers] at risk by suggesting that any of those officers are going out with any intent other than to operate without fear or favour in protecting communities. This should now be termed the Rowley Doctrine. Had this approach been adopted, there would have been no exploration of the polices role in the circumstances which led to the Brixton riots of 1981. It was the Scarman Report, published in the aftermath, which highlighted the issues of racial disadvantage including the disproportionate use by the police of stop and search against black people. Following the 2011 police shooting in Tottenham of Mark Duggan a black man which led to riots across the country, there was no attempt to claim that the scope of any debate into the role played by alleged police bias should be limited because it subsequently made policing London more difficult. Recently, a senior police officer claimed that the 2020 Black Lives Matters protests, which led to scenes of disorder where multiple police officers were injured, provided the opportunity to examine how policing and the criminal justice system operates. Meanwhile after what was a mostly peaceful vigil on Clapham Common following the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021 ended with a physical confrontation the Met repeatedly defended their actions at the vigil in multiple court hearings despite having been found to have acted unlawfully. The Met has not always deemed this debate to be beyond the pale. Earlier this year their willingness to engage was demonstrated by one of the forces most senior officers, Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, attending and speaking at a keynote event at Policy Exchange with Priti Patel, Hazel Blears, Lord Hogan-Howe and Lord Carlile on the subject of Differential Policing a concept similar to two-tier policing. Sir Mark, who has been Commissioner for almost two years, claims that every police officer acts without fear or favour. The idea that every officer operates in this way, on every occasion, is at best optimistic. No Commissioner could be sure what each of the Mets 33,000 officers are doing every time they are deployed. However, whether there is a systemic difference in how the police treat different groups is a legitimate question to ask. Indeed, it is the central question to ask of policing the world over. Sauce for the goose, must be sauce for the gander. That a robust response by the police to the violent disorder was necessary is not in doubt and is massively popular with the public. Similarly, that those involved in the riots are being swiftly sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment is a sign that the criminal justice system can work speedily, as it ought. Rowley is surely right to assert that over the last fortnight, police officers on the frontline have demonstrated conspicuous bravery. Hundreds have sustained injuries while standing firm in the face of violence. In recent years however, the decisions taken by policings most senior leaders have too often been found wanting. There are now countless examples of policing appearing to make different choices dependent on which group they are dealing with. These points extend wider than just public order policing. The polices and social services failings in Rotherham which led to the sexual abuse of many hundreds of children between the 1980s and 2013 is perhaps one of the most egregious examples of a public service failure resulting from not acting without fear or favour. The independent inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay in 2014 revealed that there was a failure to act because professionals feared being accused of racism as most of the perpetrators were of Asian heritage. A core part of the problem is a lack of transparency into decision making by police forces. We are often told that the police are consulting with local community groups and leaders. During the recent disorder it was after such consultations that West Midlands Police apparently chose a low key policing approach while disorder took place. Who are these community leaders that gave the police such advice? What is the nature of their discussions with the police? Who is involved in choosing them to represent community interests? Whether differential or two-tier policing definitively exists as a systemic issue across policing may well not yet have been proven but we cannot meekly accept the Commissioners assurances that it does not exist. In so doing, by limiting the terms of the debate, is he now attempting to impose a two-tier system for how we discuss policing? Why does all this matter? Because the police continue to have huge power over our daily lives. They have the power to force entry into our homes. They have the power to arrest us. They can take us to a police station and strip search us. The Commissioner can well assert that the police operate without fear or favour; but it is our right to examine the correctness of that view. Sir Mark should now focus on worrying about policing the streets of London rather than policing the terms of debate. David Spencer is the head of crime and justice for Policy Exchange and a former Detective Chief Inspector with the Metropolitan Police Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A group of 200 migrants from at least a dozen countries wait to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in San Luis, Ariz., in 2022. (Don Bartletti / For The Times) To the editor: Manuel Pastor and Miguel Santana authors of the Aug. 11 op-ed article, "What Kamala Harris needs to remember about California's anti-immigrant past" are no doubt two very well-meaning individuals. However, their framing of the issue makes a series of false equivalencies. Trying to equate mass deportations of undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S. to efforts aimed at curtailing the surge in migrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border is a bridge too far. I marched against Proposition 187 in 1994, and I'd march against it tomorrow if it was on the ballot again. However, public support for immigration over the long run requires a muscular, fair and pragmatic approach at the border. Pastor and Santana fret over the MAGA vote but sell short the real concerns of moderate, generally pro- immigrant voters who want a rational response at the border. These moderates include many Democratic voters, including those from immigrant households. Michael Baker, Los Angeles .. To the editor: I recently spent nearly three weeks in the hospital recovering from a heart attack, and many of my nurses and doctors were immigrants or the sons and daughters of immigrants. They were from countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Nigeria and Mexico. Without exception they were skilled and caring, and they helped me recover from being on death's doorstep. One nurse told me his father had a lawn care service and made him work with him during the hot summers so he would be motivated to go to college. As I looked up at their faces, I was saddened to think of the way that former President Trump vilifies immigrants and how this must make my new friends feel. His remarks show an utter lack of understanding of what is happening every day across America. Philip Reed, Long Beach This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Letters to the Editor: Offended by couch jokes? Wait until you hear Trump talk about women Former President Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Asheville, N.C., on Aug. 14. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) To the editor: A letter writer recently complained that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president, had made an off-color joke at a campaign rally about his Republican opponent, Ohio Sen. JD Vance. Coincidentally, on the same day that letter ran in print, there was an article reporting the overtly venomous, sexist and racist comments that former President Trump makes about many women, but especially his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. So instead of being offended by a harmless joke, let's deal with the real issue here: Trump constantly denigrates and insults women, including one of the most intelligent and accomplished women in our country, if not the world. Trump's hate-filled verbal assaults are proof of his diminished intellect, his unhinged desperation and his lifelong inability to face reality and be held accountable for his copious indiscretions. The preposterous elevation to the highest office in the land of a man of such low character personifies the very definition of the word "obscene." Penelope Burley, Santa Rosa Valley, Calif. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Letters to the Editor: Why Democrats should welcome tougher laws on retail theft Items are seen in a locked case meant to combat retail theft at a CVS store in Woodland Hills in 2022. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) To the editor: I am a registered Democrat who is all for society progressing. Still, I do not regard a lack of sufficient consequences for criminal behavior as progress. People who commit crimes should pay a price for their misdeeds. ("California Legislature passes bills to curb retail theft over objections from some Democrats," Aug. 12) Persons who are tempted to behave badly must believe there is: A very good chance of being caught in the act. A strong likelihood that their act will not bear enough reward to warrant the risk. Certainty that the punishment will be harsh. I have no patience for vandals, thieves or any other offenders, whether their crimes are "violent" or not. Any crime is an act committed against all law-abiding members of society. When crime is not prevented or the perpetrator is not caught and punished, all of us suffer and the criminal behavior is encouraged. We should all welcome laws that assure criminals will be sufficiently punished. Therefore, the state bills recently passed by the Legislature to address retail theft and other crimes can do nothing but good for our civilization. Lastly, I don't care what race a criminal is. If their behavior leads to incarceration, so be it. Mark Driskill, Long Beach .. To the editor: Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) is quoted as saying, "Criminalization too often falls on the backs of Black and Latino Californians." Your article says members of the Legislative Black Caucus do not want to see more people sent to prison. If someone commits a crime, no matter who they are, they should go to prison. If a person does not commit a crime, normally they do not go to prison. So just don't commit crimes. Dafni Black, Culver City This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. From the Boiling Frogs on The Dispatch On Friday morning, the topic TrumpIsDone trended on Twitter. It reminded me that there are two types of Never Trumpers. Those who spend their lives waging rhetorical war on Donald Trump on social media will delight in the idea of him being done, the same way infantry would at a rumor that the enemy is close to collapse. Its a shot of morale in the thick of battle. The second type will shudder at the thought of how many times weve heard this before, only to have him come roaring back. He was done after the Access Hollywood tape, done after Robert Mueller was tapped to investigate him, done after the pandemic, done after January 6, done after the GOP blew the 2022 midterms, done after Ron DeSantis challenged him in the primary, and done after he was criminally indicted. For the second type of Never Trumper, this isnt battle. Its a Friday the 13th movie. No matter how many times you think youve finished off Jason, hes always right behind you with a machete. Guess which of the two types I am. The triumphalism over Kamala Harris polling surge has given me flashbacks lately to a specific moment of hubris when practically everyone assumed Trump was done and practically everyone was wrong. As desperately as Democrats want to believe its 2008 all over againand I do mean desperatelyit feels more like 2016 to me. The news yesterday that Corey Lewandowski will join Donald Trumps campaign seemed like karmic confirmation of my thesis. Lewandowski managed Trumps 2016 campaign until Republican demands for a more polished effort from their new nominee led to his replacement by Paul Manafort. Hes a loose (very loose) cannon whom Trump seems to value not for his professionalism but for his lack thereof. Corey Lewandowski speaks as then-President Donald Trump looks on during a rally at Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan, on April 28, 2018. (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) Lewandowski is essentially an enabler of Trumps id, a warm blanket wholl reassure the boss that his instincts are right and his highly paid advisers are wrong. From the earliest days of MAGA, Coreys mantra has been Let Trump be Trump. That was the title of his 2016 campaign memoir and also appears to be his strategy, such as it is, for how this years operation should go forward. With Trump down in the polls, Corey back on the team, and Democrats trying to hold the White House without the sitting president at the top of the ballot, theres suddenly something very familiar about this campaign. And not in a good way. 2016 all over again. Start with the obvious. Now, as in 2016, Democrats have a candidate who won the nomination because it was her turn, not because she offered a compelling vision for the country. In both cases, coincidentally, Joe Biden was elbowed aside to make way for her. In both cases, policy was largely an afterthought in the nominees campaign. Hillary Clintons core argument was that it was past time for America to have a woman president. Kamala Harris core argument (so far) is that we need to bring back joy after a very gloomy era and defeat the weirdos on the other side. The Democratic Partys haste to clear the field for each of them meant that neither faced a formidable challenger for the nominationalthough Bernie Sanders challenge to Clinton in 2016 became formidable due to her unpopularity. What was supposed to be token socialist opposition, a protest vote for disaffected progressives, became something more when pitted against the dismal prospect of President Hillary. Clinton and Harris both ended up with suburban-dad-ish running matesnamed Tim!who could, in theory, connect with average Americans where the nominee herself might have trouble doing so. And both had an opportunity to reach out to center-right Republicans who were repelled by Trump which they undertook to squander. Clinton maneuvered to Barack Obamas left on the hot topic of immigration during the 2016 campaign; Harris has launched her economic agenda in this years cycle by touting price controls and housing subsidies. Oh, and in both cases, Democrats were overconfident about their candidates chances. With Clinton, they were wildly so. With Harris, its milderand somewhat understandable. Having spent the first half of this year despairing that Biden was doomed, the party can be forgiven for treating its new nominees strength as world-beating. (TrumpIsDone!) But the truth is that Harris still trails him in most battlegrounds and enjoys only a small lead in national surveys thats insufficient to win given the Electoral Colleges current bias toward the GOP. As I write this, in fact, with America supposedly in the throes of Kamala-mentum and Trump at his nadir, a new poll of must-win Pennsylvania has him winning the state by a point. Trump is not done. Even so, he too seems to be reverting to his 2016 form after a long spell as a somewhat more disciplined candidate. Until the Democratic switcheroo last month, Trump had managed to play a reasonably effective prevent defense to maintain the durable lead hed built over Joe Biden. He wasnt on the trail much, depriving voters of reminders of why they dislike him. He confined most of his nuttiest comments to Truth Social and populist media outlets, where no one but true believers would hear. He shrewdly dodged primary debates to deny Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley an opportunity to target him. He kept quiet in July as Democrats sparred with each other over Joe Bidens fate. Under the tutelage of advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, and buoyed by his unfamiliar status as frontrunner, he managed a degree of restraintor what passes for restraint by his standards. Then Harris replaced Biden as nominee, the polls shifted, and Trump lost his mind. In less than a month, he went from being the favorite to win to becoming the underdog to a progressive woman, the same niche he occupied in 2016. Is it surprising that hed revert instinctively to some of his same habits from that campaign, particularly given how it ended? Hes bringing Corey back, along with several other populist bruisers as advisers. Hes getting sucked into personal attacks on his opponent and crowd-size comparisons and away from more substantive criticisms. (His staff is so desperate to keep him on message that they sent him to the podium on Thursday with a binder of talking points. It didnt work.) Hes back on Twitter, however haltingly, where tens of millions will see his posts. And hes probably going to fire some advisers soon, just as he did eight years ago. No one thinks Lewandowski and LaCivita can cohabitate for long, leading some people close to Trump to speculate that hes trying to push LaCivita out, Pucks Tara Palmeri reported on Thursday. LaCivita has spent the last few weeks as a populist scapegoat for Trumps faltering candidacy, ostensibly because he (correctly) views the nationalist Project 2025 initiative as a liability but in reality because MAGA types need someone to blame for their mans downturn. LaCivita comes from the old, distrusted pre-Trump GOP. Lewandowski, Trumps original campaign manager, has a sterling MAGA pedigree by comparison. You can see the gears turning in Trumps head, egged on by populist admirers: Im losing because Ive become too tame. Im running the campaign LaCivita wants, not the one I want. I won in 2016 by trusting my instincts. I need to do that again. Let Trump be Trump. Lewandowski will not only let Trump be Trump, hell encourage it. And in all probability, LaCivita will end up out in the cold: As Jonathan Last noted recently, Trump fired his campaign managers in the middle of each of his first two runs for president. In 2020, Brad Parscale got the boot; in 2016, Lewandowski and Manafort were each canned, ultimately replaced by Kellyanne Conway and populist wild man Steve Bannon. If being lazy, stupid, and childish won Trump the White House in his first run, why wouldnt he lean into it as the cure for what ails him in his third? He misses that 2016 campaign so much that he even did a short bit about Hillarys emails during his press conference on Thursday at Bedminster. All of which hopefully helps explain my case of Never Trump deja vu. When I watch triumphalists hoot at his latest brain-damaged insult to military valoroh boy, hes really done it now!I wonder if I hallucinated what he said about John McCain or his history of draft-dodging or his personal Vietnam of trying to avoid venereal disease, never mind the comments about suckers in uniform that emerged years later. None of it stopped him from winning in 2016. Why would it stop him now, when hes polling better than he did in either of his first two runs for president? What have you seen in the character of this country over the last nine years to make you think he could do anything that would render him done, up to and including putting Corey Lewandowski in charge of it? The difference between then and now. Actually, there are reasons to believe This Time Is Different. Or so I need to tell myself in order to cope with the next 80 days. Trumps great advantage in 2016 was his promise of radical change relative to the Bush and Clinton dynasties. Its always helpful to run as an outsider, but its really helpful when the alternative is two families that dominated American politics for most of the previous 30 years. Hillary, the ultimate establishmentarian, was the ideal opponent for him. Harris is not. Despite being the sitting vice president, shes the closest thing to a change candidate in the race this year. Trumps turn toward Corey Lewandowski and his demagogic id is an obvious attempt to recapture his change cred as the populist outsider who took America by storm in 2016, but thats a hard sell for a man whos already been president and who dominates his own partys establishment like no one else in modern American history. Harris and Clinton are also poles apart with respect to the enthusiasm for them within their own party. Thats partly circumstantial: Had Hillary replaced an ailing president as nominee in July when all hope of victory seemed lost, she too might have drawn rapturous audiences desperate for a savior. But Harris has shown some real retail political chops in her events so far and routinely projects an attitude of giddy excitement that Clinton never approached. The comparisons to Obama are overbaked, but shes closer to that energy than Hillary ever was. Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz walk out on stage together during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 6, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Interestingly, Harris also isnt emulating Clintons habit of reminding voters that shed be the first woman president. Hillary mentioned it repeatedly in 2016, even holding her Election Night event under a literal glass ceiling at the Javits Center. Framing a contest to be commander-in-chief of the military as a referendum on feminism was unwise in hindsight, especially when the alternative was a macho authoritarian who reveled in dominating his enemies. Harris has stayed away from identity politics to this point. Such critiques will follow her anyway to some degree, but perhaps less than they would if she used Clintons tactics. Trump is also different now in important ways than he was in 2016, albeit not nearly as much as most of us would like. If the thought of four years of Hillary was exhausting for average Americans back then, imagine how exhausting four more years of the Trump show must seem to them today. Now in his third consecutive campaign for the presidency, hes become his own dynastyone even drearier in its own way than the Bush and Clinton versions. During the last hour of his convention speech, and every day since then, Mr. Trump has offered words and actions that remind Americans why they voted him out of office in 2020, Democratic strategist Doug Sosnik wrote in an op-ed on Friday. You dont need highfalutin Dispatch reasoning about saving the Constitution to justify withholding your vote from him this year. You just need to be tired of hearing his voice. Or of coup attempts. Either way. Trump is also eight years older now than he was then, which mattered a little a month ago and might matter a lot by November. A Marquette Law School poll conducted in May found 53 percent of voters thought Trump was too old to be president, far less than the 78 percent who said so of Joe Biden. The latest poll finds Trumps number ticking up to 58 percent versus just 11 percent who say so of Harris. The contrast with his new opponent is hurting him, particularly after Americans got a hard look during the first debate at what an 81-year-old presidentwhich Trump would be in 2027 if he winslooks like in action. Theres also reason to believe that the days of Trump meaningfully overperforming his polls are over. The final RealClearPolitics national average in 2016 had him at 43.6 percent. He ended up winning 46.1 percent of the national popular vote, just enough to get him over the line in battleground states. History nearly repeated in 2020 when the average put him at 44 percent and he ended up with 46.9. Those of us who are stuck in a Friday the 13th movie look at that and assume hes destined to beat expectations again by 2 or 3 points. But those who need a shot of morale will look at it and conclude that 47 percent is his absolute ceiling, especially as his shtick grows ever more wearisome. Even against a badly diminished Biden, he spent most of this year hovering in the 46-47 percent range. With Harris as his opponent, he currently stands atyou guessed it46.9 percent. Even his move toward Lewandowski isnt as much of a 2016 reprise as it might seem. Trumps staff got gradually more professional in that race over time, from Corey to Manafort to Conway. If Trump ends up replacing Wiles and LaCivita with Lewandowski, hell have gotten considerably less professionalwith unpredictable consequences for an organization that already doesnt have its priorities entirely straight. It reminds me of how Trump insisted on turning to Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani after the 2020 election when he had smart lawyers like Pat Cipollone available to him. He demands to be told what he wants to hear when hes stressed, even when its not good for him. Or for us. Letting Trump be Trump never ends well for anyone, although it tends to end worse for him than for his enemies. Maybe itll end well for him this time. Trump has made real gains since 2016 with nonwhite working-class voters, after all, forcing Harris to find those votes somewhere else. His advantage with men in battleground states is also on pace to exceed his margins in each of his first two runs for presidents, which will put pressure on her to run up the score with women to a historic degree. And as exhausting as his daily nonsense is, its also considerably more normalized todayespecially to younger voters who dont know betterthan it was eight years ago. Nothing that will happen between now and November 5 will assure that hes done among an electorate thats grown tragically numb to his antics. Not even a prison sentence, I suspect. But thats too much of a downer on which to end a Friday post so Ill leave you with a note of optimism instead: Every slasher-movie franchise eventually ends. Like Jason, Trump cant go on forever. I think. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. Berlin's commissioner for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual rights, Alfonso Pantisano poses for a photo after his appointment. Paul Zinken/dpa Berlin's commissioner for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual rights, Alfonso Pantisano, said on Friday that he plans to support Leipzig's Pride event after neo-Nazis marched at a similar rally nearby last week. Pantisano said he plans to be present to show solidarity and support for the gay and lesbian community in Leipzig on Saturday, after the appearance of the far-right in Bautzen, a smaller town in eastern Germany. Right-wing extremist groups and neo-Nazis also called for counter-events in Leipzig. "Bautzen should be a warning to us," Pantisano said. stating that people should not "leave our streets and our freedom to the enemies of democracy." The federal government's queer commissioner, State Secretary Sven Lehmann from the Green party, also said he plans to attend the Leipzig rally. He said he expected the police to protect the CSD and ensure a safe demonstration. In Bautzen, more than 1,000 people participated in the CSD parade on Saturday, while around 680 far-right extremists and neo-Nazi groups gathered for a counter rally. The police managed to separate the two events and said they confiscated balaclavas from extremists and some sang "xenophobic slogans." Afterwards, the CSD organizers cancelled a closing party for security reasons. The Pride event that celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and wider queer community (LGBT+) is also known as Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Germany. The name refers to the location of the Stonewall Inn bar in New York City, a local gay hangout which was raided by police in 1969, prompting a multi-day uprising by gays, lesbians and transgender people to protest intense discrimination. The uprising is widely considered a landmark event in the gay rights movement. With lifted spirits, Black Michiganders took their souls to the polls From left to right: Jeff Bulls, Dawn Granberry and Terry Pruitt greet community members at a Souls to the Polls table across the street from an early voting center in Saginaw, Mich., on a warm Sunday this month. This was the first year state law allowed the event in Michigan. Matt Vasilogambros/Stateline SAGINAW, Mich. Ann and Kenneth Patrick were in high spirits. The couple had just gotten out of a two-hour Sunday service earlier this month at Prince of Peace Baptist Church and had taken a 10-minute drive to vote early with fellow parishioners and members of their tight-knit community in central Michigan. Gospel music rang out from speakers sitting in the grass across the street from Saginaw Countys early voting center, in a two-story concrete building that normally serves as a probation office. Local social justice activists offered free water and voter registration materials under the shade of trees, while a close-by soul food truck dished out fried catfish and turkey legs. Black worshippers from many of the citys churches laughed, hugged and caught up with friends. It was the final day of early voting for Michigans Aug. 6 primary, and voters were choosing congressional and state legislative candidates. Thanks to changes in state law, this is the first year that Black activists in Michigan have been able to organize the get-out-the-vote event Souls to the Polls, in which the faithful travel from pew to poll right after the benediction. A couple outside a voting center Hey, you out you can go vote, said Ann Patrick, 59, still in her Sunday finest, a matching black jacket and skirt, under the blazing summer sun. You already out, her husband, 71, agreed, nodding. You motivated, and it is fresh on your mind, she added. This affects our way of life. If you want to have an impact, you got to vote. The Patricks were among roughly 150 voters who braved the high humidity to participate in Souls to the Polls in Saginaw that Sunday. As part of the event, Black pastors throughout the state encouraged their congregations to vote early after services that day. Many churches also organized rides for worshippers. Providing multiple avenues This was the first year Michiganders could participate in the nationwide Souls to the Polls effort. In 2022, voters approved a constitutional amendment that introduced early voting to the state. Then, last year, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill overturning an 1891 law that made it illegal to transport voters to the polls unless they had a physical disability. We are providing multiple avenues for people to vote, said Democratic state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet, who swung by the Saginaw early voting site after visiting a nearby congregation. We know that work can get in the way, she said. Kids can get in the way, all kinds of things. And now we just have a place for peoples voices to be heard. The primary election didnt include the race for the White House. But in November, Souls to the Polls and similar mobilization efforts could tip the balance in Michigan, a closely contested presidential battleground state. It is illegal under federal tax law for pastors to endorse political candidates. But by mobilizing Black voters 83% of whom are Democrats or lean Democratic, according to the Pew Research Center Souls to the Polls has drawn the ire of some Republicans. While GOP-controlled Georgia and Texas have unsuccessfully tried to limit Sunday voting over the past four years, Democratic-led Michigan has embraced Souls to the Polls. Its just another avenue to get people back into the process, said Jeff Bulls, president of Community Alliance for the People, a Saginaw-based social justice grassroots organization that helped organize the early voting event. I think a lot of people have been jaded with the political process. Two men greet each other. Since it launched in 2021, the group, known locally as CAP, has tried to reengage and educate residents of Saginaw, a city that is more than 45% Black, with a positive attitude, saying its OK if residents arent yet registered to vote or dont yet know whats on the ballot. You must vote Along with new early voting opportunities, the rise of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the Democratic ticket for president has ignited an enthusiasm about the voting process, Bulls said. Indeed, many voters told Stateline they felt renewed energy after Harris became the presumptive nominee. Ive never seen a political season like this, said Chuckie Lawrence, a local organizer who puts together a kickball league in the community. These are the most critical times in my 56 years Ive ever seen. Polling backs up that excitement. The percentage of registered Black voters nationally who said they will vote in November shot up 16 points to 74% after Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee, according to a recent CBS News/YouGov survey. In 2020, President Joe Biden won Michigan by 154,000 votes, in large part due to his support among Black voters. A few days after the Saginaw Souls to the Polls event, Harris told a rapturous crowd in Detroit that her path to the White House runs right through Michigan. No one can afford to sit this one out, said Terry Pruitt, president of NAACP Saginaw Branch, who held a Facebook livestream across the street from the early voting center that Sunday to encourage viewers to rush over before polls closed. You have to be all in this time. The event attracted not only churchgoers, but also first-time voters such as Lionel Baldwin II and KaVarion Purifoy, both 19. I just know its right, Purifoy said. Its my civic duty to vote. Im going to do that every time I get a chance. Tammy Johnson, Michigan resident Fateya Miller, 35, had just gotten off work when her mother, Tammy Johnson, 62, picked her up to go vote. She said it was either go Sunday afternoon or go early before work on Tuesday, primary day. She was going to make me wake up at 6 to go vote, Miller said. Amen, Johnson said. Its my civic duty to vote. Im going to do that every time I get a chance. An hour before Souls to the Polls began, Chris Pryor, lead pastor of Victorious Believers Ministries, stood before nearly 200 of his congregants as a pianist played softly to his right, and reminded worshippers that it was the last Sunday to vote. If anyone had any questions about any of the contests, he said, the churchs political action team was in the back with sample ballots and could help explain what was on it. I dont want you to go as an uneducated voter, Pryor told his congregation, holding a mic in his left hand and standing behind a wood-and-glass lectern. I want you to know the people that youre voting for. Amen? Amen, many responded. A pastor addresses his congregants. His sermon focused on how congregants could only improve the world if they first improved themselves, not just through prayer but also through the vote. Along the wall behind him were the churchs five pillars of faith, one being community development. I can never tell you how to vote, but I can tell you that you must vote, Pryor preached. Dont complain about things in life if you dont vote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE NORTH ALABAMA (WHNT) The Limestone County Sheriffs Office is asking for information on the location of two people with arrest warrants. According to the sheriffs office, Koren Eric Allen McLaughlin, 21, and Joslynn Sierra Winston, 28, both have warrants out for their arrests. MCSO: Man arrested, charged with shooting into occupied buildings McLaughlin lives in Madison and is described as 59, 160 pounds. He is a white man with blonde hair and blue eyes. Winston is described as 51, 200 pounds with blonde hair and green eyes, and is said to be from Athens. The couple reportedly has ties to Decatur, Huntsville and Florence. If you have any information on their location, please contact Captain Durden or Lieutenant Stinnett at (256) 232-0111. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. WARREN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) Linda Lee Hunter, 75, of Warren, passed away peacefully early Wednesday morning, August 14, 2024. Linda was born June 16, 1949 in Warren, the daughter of Harold and June (Libert) Ruble and was a lifelong area resident. Find obituaries from your high school She graduated from Howland High School and was a member of Warren Baptist Temple. Linda was a proud homemaker and loved socializing and spending time with her family and friends. She always made her family her top priority. Linda had many passions throughout her life. She was an avid bowler, enjoyed doing crafts and loved playing bingo with her friends at The Manor at Howland Glen. Her husband of 34 years Les Hunter whom she married on October 20, 1976 passed away on May 11, 2010. Linda leaves behind to hold onto her precious memories her beloved four children Amy (Ray Cornicelli) Shafer of Howland, Steven (Kelli) Hunter of Michigan, Brian (Tracie) Hunter of Brookfield and Jarrod Partenheimer of Colorado, her eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren whom she adored, a sister Carol (Michael) Cerny of Champion and a brother Terry (Linda) Ruble of Cortland along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends Besides her parents and husband, Linda was preceded in death by her granddaughter Alexandria Shafer and her two brothers Bert and Leonard Ruble. Family and friends may pay their respects to Linda on Monday, August 19, 2024 from 4:00 5:50 p.m. at the Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel, 1884 North Rd., NE, Warren, where a funeral service will take place at 6:00 p.m. with Pastor Jim Dittmar as celebrant. Burial will take place at Meadow Brook Cemetery in Champion at a later date. The family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the entire staff of St. Josephs Hospital 6th floor and The Hospice House for all the wonderful care and compassion shown to Linda and them throughout this difficult time. Lindas family requests that in lieu of flowers, material contributions may be made to The Hospice House of Poland or Warren Baptist Temple. Family and friends may visit www.peterrossiandsonfh.com to send condolences to Lindas family. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Linda Lee (Ruble) Hunter, please visit our floral store. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. CANBERRA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of Australia and New Zealand have announced joint economic and energy commitments to support the clean energy transition in the region. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday hosted his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon at Parliament House in Canberra for the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting. Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, the pair announced that New Zealand would join Australia in the Climate Club, an initiative established in 2022 focused on industrial decarbonization and pursuing net zero emissions. Albanese and Luxon said they endorsed a July agreement between the two nations' Treasurers and Climate Ministers to further deepen collaboration to deliver climate outcomes under the Paris Agreement and capitalize on the opportunities of the global clean energy transition. "I'm pleased that New Zealand has joined Australia in the Climate Club, which will support decarbonization across the Tasman," Albanese said. Ahead of the meeting Luxon said he intended to directly raise with Albanese concerns about Australia's practice of deporting New Zealand citizens who commit violent crimes in Australia, which has long been a point of tension between the countries. The Australian government in June scrapped a ministerial direction that was intended to reduce the number of New Zealand citizens being deported despite having stronger connections to Australia. Following the meeting on Friday, Albanese said that the leaders had agreed to disagree on the issue. "What we have is an understanding that while we have common purpose, we do not have uniform positions," he said. He said that authorities would not ignore a person's connections to Australia when considering deportations but that community safety was the top priority for Australian officials. Yuna, a lioness who will travel from Ukraine to the United Kingdom - THE BIG CAT SANCTUARY/PA A lioness with shellshock is travelling 1,400 miles from Ukraine to an animal sanctuary in the United Kingdom. African lioness Yuna suffered psychological issues and lost her sense of coordination, according to the Big Cat Sanctuary, a Kent-based charity behind the Big Cats in Crisis campaign, which raises funds to rescue lions from Ukraine. Yuna and a male lion called Rori are the first two of five lions that will be rescued out of Ukraine after debris was blasted near their enclosure in January as a result of Russias invasion of the country. The lioness was found abandoned in a private home in an unsuitably small cage alongside a male lion. It is thought Yuna may have been used for breeding. Yuna was taken to the Wild Animal Rescue in Kyiv, which is supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), on Wednesday, before she makes a journey over four days and across six countries to receive treatment at The Big Cat Sanctuary. Yuna will arrive before Rori. She will be driven for 25 hours by car from Ukraine through Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, before boarding a ferry to Dover. She will then be driven to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent. The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent - THE BIG CAT SANCTUARY/PA Natalia Gozak, who helped with the lions rescue on behalf of IFAW and Wild Animal Rescue, said: Ukraine is now no stranger to tragedy, and the stories of these big cats are no different. I am happy that, at least for them, they are heading to a safer place. The Big Cat Sanctuary has offered permanent homes to the remaining lions, including Yuna, who we feared might not be homed due to her psychological issues. Rori will be taken to a temporary home in Natuurhulpcentrum, Belgium, where he will be joined by three more lions named Vanda, Amani and Lira, before making the same journey as Yuna to The Big Cat Sanctuary, which currently only has capacity for one lion. Sam Whitnall, project lead at The Big Cat Sanctuary and presenter of CBBCs One Zoo Three, said: Its been a huge effort from everyone involved. We have worked night and day for many months for this very moment and we cant wait to get them to their forever home now here at the sanctuary. The sanctuary has raised more than 300,000 of its 500,000 target which will go towards transportation costs, veterinary treatment and help fund the construction of the Lion Rescue Centre. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. List of officers recommended for firing grows to 50 as process to discipline Chicago cops in the most serious cases remains frozen The Chicago Police Department concluded nearly two years ago that one of its officers sexually assaulted a woman in the back seat of her car while she was intoxicated and unable to give consent. Although the criminal investigation was largely halted after the victim declined to press charges, the Civilian Office of Police Accountabilitys investigation carried on, and earlier this year it sustained charges of domestic violence, sexual misconduct and making false statements. The officer remains employed by CPD, even though COPA says he should be fired and Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling agrees. The case is one of dozens in administrative purgatory as the Fraternal Order of Police the union representing rank-and-file CPD officers continues its effort to overturn a Cook County judges order that allowed for third-party arbitration but also called for public access in cases of the most egregious misconduct by Chicago police officers. Since the beginning of 2024, records show, COPA has recommended CPD terminate 50 officers for various departmental rule violations, up from 28 in February. The agency has called for another 313 officers to be suspended so far this year. The officer in the assault case was hired in 2019 and is now 28 years old. He has remained on CPDs payroll, though stripped of his police powers and assigned to desk duty since July 2022. FOP President John Catanzara told the Tribune that the union did not provide any legal assistance to the officer because the alleged conduct was not related to any sort of police action and allegedly occurred while the officer was off duty. The woman applied for and was granted two orders of protection against the officer, records show, but CPDs criminal probe was largely halted after she declined to press charges. The officer sat for at least two interviews with investigators, including detectives from the Confidential Investigations Section of CPD Internal Affairs. Its unlikely the officers misconduct case will be resolved anytime soon as the protracted dispute over the future of police discipline in Chicago continues to play out before the Illinois Appellate Court. The Tribune is not naming the officer because he was not criminally charged and the city has not brought any administrative charges against him. Due to the fact victim does not wish to pursue criminal charges against Offender for Criminal Sexual Assault and Simple Battery, Reporting Detective is requesting this case be (exceptionally) cleared closed, the primary detective assigned to the criminal investigation wrote in October 2022. Last February, based on a preponderance of evidence, COPA called for the officer to be fired. Snelling who that same month issued a blistering critique of COPAs investigative practices agreed. Though the legal fight continues over serious misconduct cases, the Chicago City Council last year approved the lions share of the proposed FOP collective bargaining agreement. It provided officers with a nearly 20% pay raise over four years while creating another, new disciplinary mechanism to quickly adjudicate more minor disciplinary cases. Those hearings the Peoples Court are not documented by a court reporter and are not publicly accessible. However, the city has not filed administrative charges against any FOP members since that judges order was handed down last March. The order stipulated that no police board proceedings can be held without the consent of the officer. Meanwhile, the city and the FOP have not agreed on a structure that would provide for public access to arbitration hearings in serious police misconduct cases. The FOP filed its brief with the Illinois Appellate Court late last month. The FOP argued Cook County Judge Michael Mullen erred in his order by largely disregarding the factual findings of the independent arbitrator who oversaw contract negotiations between the city and union. That arbitrator ruled that CPD officers, as public sector employees represented by a collective bargaining unit, have the right to have major disciplinary cases decided out of public view by a third-party a departure from six decades of precedent in Chicagos often opaque and bureaucratic police-discipline apparatus. A presumption exists that arbitrators do not exceed their authority, FOP attorneys wrote in their appellate brief, filed July 26. Deference is owed to the arbitrator because the parties have chosen by contractual agreement how their dispute is to be decided, and judicial modification of an arbitrators decision deprives the parties of their choice. Further, the union argues, there is no established public policy in Illinois that requires serious police misconduct cases to be handled in public view. The ongoing federal consent decree governing CPD reforms is no exception, the union says, and a carve-out of the consent decree stipulates that the unions collective bargaining agreement may not be overridden. As a voluntary settlement, the Consent Decree does not satisfy the threshold showing of a well-defined public policy and may not affect or interfere with the rights of a third party such as the Lodge, the union wrote. The Lodge did not consent to any of the provisions of the Consent Decree that were cited by the Circuit Court pertaining to the transparency requirements and did consent to any implied modification of its bargaining rights over these issues. Attorneys for the city are expected to soon file their brief with the Appellate Court. Little River man who took part in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol violence released from federal prison LITTLE RIVER, S.C. (WBTW) A Little River man who participated in violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has been released from federal prison, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Nicholas Languerand, 29, was released on Aug. 6. He pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced on Jan. 26, 2022, to 44 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John Bates in Washington D.C. As part of his sentence, he was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and perform 60 hours of community service, according to the Department of Justice. He will continue to have two years of supervised release. At his sentencing, prosecutors said Languerand has a pattern of following conspiracy theories into belligerent confrontations with the people around him, according to CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane. Hes also been previously accused of making threats, harassment, and stalking in Vermont. Languerand called himself a patriot and said he would never be involved in anything like this again, according to MacFarlane. Languerand threw objects, including an orange traffic barrier, at police officers at the Capitol, according to the Justice Department. He also took a police riot shield and used it as he approached officers. * * * Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Little Rock man gets 25 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl that resulted in death Little Rock man gets 25 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl that resulted in death LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A Little Rock man will spend the next 25 years in prison after sentencing Thursday in federal court. A release from the U.S. District Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas Jonothan Ross said that 33-year-old Joseph Riggins Jr. received a 25-year sentence after earlier pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl that resulted in a death. Judge James Moody Jr. also sentenced Riggins to three years of supervised release after he served his term. Update: Still Looking for Suspects in Multi-State Drug Roundup There is no parole in the federal system. Riggins was indicted in April 2023 for knowing and distributing what Ross called a mixture containing fentanyl that resulted in a death. The indictment came after a July 2022 investigation that found Riggins traded heroin for sex at a North Little Rock motel. Arkansas mother writes book about sons overdose death, hopes it will bring awareness to struggles of addiction Investigators said the person who received the mixture from Riggins later used it and died, and their body was found by staff inside the motel room. An analysis at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory revealed the person had a mixture of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine in their body. The fentanyl in the victims body was at a significantly higher level than where lethal levels typically begin, investigators said. Matthew Perrys assistant among 5 people, including 2 doctors, charged in Friends stars death A spokesperson for Ross said the North Little Rock Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Gordon prosecuted the case. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A group of doctors have returned this week from performing surgeries in Guatemala. A team of 18, including three surgeons, packed their suitcases full of medical equipment and went to Guatemala for a week. Now theyre back after performing 61 operations in four days. I think some of those would have to travel two or three hours, surgeon John Jones said. Some would walk just to get to the hospital because there was no other way to get medical care. A killing box Arkansas doctor volunteering in Gaza pleads for ceasefire Pulaski Heights Methodist Church in Little Rock sponsored the surgeons so they could go off to another country and change lives. Denise Johnson is one of the team leaders. She said she starts planning and gathering donations from hospitals like St. Vincents as early as February so they have what they need once they get down there. They then set up in a private hospital, working with a nonprofit called Salud y Paz. Arkansas linemen make it to Guatemala to provide electricity to homes ahead of Christmas She said the list of people needing care is what keeps them coming back every year. Every year I think what if this is our last year. And then I look around and these people dont have access to surgical care, Johson said, Were not going to leave anyone on a list if we can help it. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A Little Rock woman is recovering after she was attacked by a dog on the Fourth of July. Stacy Mack said her life has been crazy since her neighbors moved in a year ago. The 53-year-old says its been constant chaos between the two about their dogs, but she never thought shed end up injured from it. My thumb is broken, Mack said. Woman hospitalized after dog attack in Blytheville She said that not only is her thumb broken but both her hands are severely damaged. Im a bigger woman. Thats the only reason Im alive, thats the only reason I only have the damage I have, Mack said. She said the attack happened in the morning when she was in the backyard. I went outside to put food and water out for the birds and whatnot, and as I was putting ice cubes in the water, I felt something, Mack said. I thought it was a cat. Two brothers save younger sister from a gruesome dog attack According to Mack, it was her neighbors pit bull. After the attack, she said she ran into her house to grab her keys to get to a hospital, but before driving away she claims she was attacked again. I had to literally pistol whip the dog off me and get it away from me off the concrete so that I could shoot it, she described. According to a report from the Little Rock Animal Control, the dog was killed and officers arrived at both Macks and her neighbors home after, but by then Mack said she was already at the hospital. Pope County cyclist on Sunday ride victim of dog attack Both women were set to appear in court, but court records state that her neighbor never showed up, leading to a failure to appear warrant being issued against the neighbor. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLRT - FOX16.com. MACHESNEY PARK, Ill. (WTVO) A local Army Chief was honored by his community after being killed nearly four years ago overseas. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Dallas Garza lost his life in a helicopter crash while on a peacekeeping mission in Egypt in November 2020. On Thursday, local police and the Vets-Roll Organization visited Garzas mother outside her Machesney Park home. They installed a memorial banner in remembrance of her son. She was very touched by the thought, very happy. Im sure you heard her talk here a little bit ago, said Winnebago County Sheriffs Office Sergeant Joseph Broullard. It means a lot for her to have a place to connect with her son at her house. She can see him now, which is a wonderful little thing [to] make her a little bit more comfortable. Garzas mother Belinda said being a pilot was his lifelong dream. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) The Midland Chamber of Commerce hosted its State of Education Luncheon at the Bush Convention Center on Thursday, offering a chance for the leaders in learning to engage with local educators. This years luncheon featured a panel including Dr. Farrin Dagostino, the Provost at Texas Tech Health, UTPBs President Dr. Sandra Woodley, and Midland College President Dr. Damon Kennedy. The main topic? How to best enhance career pathways for students and address industry needs. Yeah, I think the importance that was discussed obviously is what are we doing to fuel the workforce? What are we doing to train our future workforce? And that is if its either in health care, or its in automation and compression, or its in engineering, I think the opportunity is that we have institutions here that can do just that, said Midland College Board of Trustees member Adrian Carrasco. RELATED: MC, MISD launch new initiative helping prepare students for after high school We want our students to be workforce ready. We want them to be able to go into industry and with the skills required and provide a service thats much needed, said Dr. Kennedy. Midland College, UTPB, and Odessa College all have different career pathways for students to choose from. UTPB and Midland College begin classes on August 26, while Odessa College starts on August 20. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. Local food bank to host Food Drive Night at the Fair on Tuesday GRAY, Tenn. (WJHL) Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee and the Appalachian Fair will partner on Tuesday for Food Drive Night at the Fair. Those who bring five cans or boxes to donate to the food bank will receive a coupon booklet with two free midway rides. Kingsport to host dog park ice cream social All non-perishable food items can be donated during the event, including: Peanut butter Cereal Canned meats Canned soups Boxed meals Canned fruits and vegetables Macaroni and cheese Pasta Rice Dried beans Pasta sauce (in a can) No glass containers Food Drive Night at the Fair will be on Tuesday at the Appalachian Fair. Food bank volunteers will be available to take donations at gates 1, 2, and 5. The Appalachian Fair will begin on Monday. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee serves over 46,000 people in Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Washington, and Unicoi Counties. For more information, call 423-279-0430. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) Earlier this week, three local leaders were honored at the Indiana Leadership Forum. The program is for any Hoosier wanting to learn more about government, advocacy, local and state politics, and how those things interact with the business world. The class of 2024 included Thrive CEO Ryan Keller, who says the program helped him advocate for shaping policy for older Hoosiers in the state. For economic and community development, for housing, for even mobility and transit, Keller said. Those are all programs that we offer here at Thrive, and how that policy plays out in state government and comes down to the locals, thats very much how Im interested and how I look to take the skills that I gained in ILF and apply them here locally. Some other West-Central Indiana leaders who were honored include Vigo County Commissioner Chris Switzer and Dianne Powell, who is a regional director in the office of U.S. senator Todd Young. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com. CAIRO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Egypt unveiled a national low-carbon hydrogen strategy on Thursday, aiming to bolster its green economy and meet climate change goals. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the strategy aligned with the government's "Egypt Vision 2030" and would help diversify energy sources, reduce carbon emissions, and attract foreign investment. Developed with partners including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the plan targets boosting hydrogen production and use domestically before expanding exports. It aims to increase the gross domestic product by nearly 18 billion U.S. dollars and create 100,000 jobs by 2040 while enhancing energy security. Egypt seeks to become a global green hydrogen hub, with the Suez Canal Economic Zone already securing a 397 million Euros contract to export green fuel to Europe. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley awarded $130,747 in scholarships to 73 students in the Mahoning Valley. High schools represented by this years awardees are: Austintown Fitch Brookfield Canfield Cardinal Mooney Champion Homer-Center (Pa.) Howland Hubbard Jackson-Milton Joseph Badger Lakeview Mathews Poland Seminary Salem Warren G. Harding West Branch Youngstown Rayen Early College There are over a dozen scholarships in the Foundation ranging from a few to several thousand dollars, and some of them offer renewals to help students already in college. Scholarships, including the Community Foundation award, have been the only reason I have been able to continue my education, says Abigail Stephens, a recipient of the Willo Scholarship studying environmental and conservation biology at Kent State University. The Purple Heart Gary Gutelius Memorial Scholarship was awarded to two recipients, each receiving $2,500. One of them went to Jackson-Milton High School valedictorian Aiden Cole, who is enrolled in Dartmouth Colleges Philosophy, Politics and Economics program. I never met my great-grandfather. His sacrifice is something that is only an echo in my grandmothers home. My grandmother said he always wanted his children to be good people. That was something his service taught him, Cole said. The Purple Heart scholarship is awarded to veterans who have received the Purple Heart or their descendants. Coles great-grandfather received the honor. The Community Foundation offers a universal application and every high school student in the Mahoning Valley is encouraged to apply. Scholarship applications for 2024 are closed. Check with your school guidance counselor or the Community Foundation website for the opening of 2025 applications. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Local woman wanted in connection to $1.5M medicaid scheme arrested in Texas A Dayton woman charged for allegedly stealing $1.5 million from Ohio Medicaid has been arrested in Texas after months on the run. Janay Corbitt, a Dayton resident, was arrested Thursday evening at a bus station in Dallas by police and U.S. Marshals, according to Attorney General Dave Yost. On May 14, Corbitt was indicted by a Franklin County Grand Jury on eight felony charges including first-degree felony counts of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, aggravated theft of $1.5 million or more, and identity fraud against a person in a protected class. >> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: U.S. Marshals looking for Dayton woman indicted for $1.5M theft from Ohio Medicaid Corbitt allegedly stole the identities of multiple people so she could open and operate two sham behavioral health counseling agencies in the Dayton area. Investigators believe Corbitt also stole several identities of licensed counselors and used their credentials to bill Medicaid for services that were not provided. Corbitt was convicted of theft in 2019 in a separate Medicaid scheme. She was ordered to pay $204,412.02 to the Medicaid program and, to date, has paid only $6,255. The conviction banned her from the Medicaid program. Yost said they are working to bring Corbitt back to Ohio. We will continue to follow this story. LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) The Lockhart Police Department said it was investigating its first homicide case of 2024. The case involved the death of a 20-year-old. Lockhart Police said the homicide occurred Friday just before 3 a.m. at a home located near S. Colorado and Prairie Lea Streets. The initial call, however, came in from a different location for a firearm being discharged at a home near Rosewood and Trinity Streets. When LPD and Lockhart EMS arrived at the scene, they found Carlos Sanchez suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital in Kyle, where he died just after 4 a.m. LPD said the homicide was related to an earlier disturbance call received Thursday evening. Police said they have identified a juvenile person of interest in the investigation. According to authorities, an arrest has not been made at this time. Police Chief Gary Williamson said the incident was targeted and not random. Lockhart Police said anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the Lockhart Police Department at 512-398-4401. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56) A judge dismissed a murder charge against a stepfather in Laurel County on Thursday. The judge dismissed the first-degree murder charge against 60-year-old James Thomas Morgan based on self-defense, according to court documents. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: FOX 56 News previously reported that in August 2020 Morgan was arrested after his stepson Matthew Tosh was shot in the chest. Tosh was pronounced dead at the scene. Court documents show that Morgan and his wife had an argument the night of Toshs death. Tosh, who heard his mother trying to get into her bedroom where her husband had locked the door, broke down the door. Morgan argued he became scared for his well-being when Tosh broke through the locked door, resulting in him shooting Tosh. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: The prosecution argued that Morgan should have had no fear of his stepson because of no past instances of physical violence between Tosh and Morgan, but the judge ultimately decided to grant Morgan immunity in the case. Ultimately, if a defendant is mistaken in his subjective belief that deadly force was necessary, his use of deadly force was still justifiable subject only to the wanton or reckless belief qualification described in KRS Section 503.120(1). Commonwealth v. Higgs, 59 S.W.3d at 890, Judge Michael O. Caperton wrote in the analysis of the order. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. CRESTON, Iowa A Lorimor man is behind bars after allegedly shooting a man in Creston on Thursday morning. At around 7:37 a.m. the Creston Police Department responded to a report of a shooting in the 800 block of North Lincoln Street. While first responders were en route to the scene they were notified that a man suffering from gunshot wounds had showed up at the Greater Regional Health Center. According to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, the victim was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital for treatment and is expected to recover. Ankeny bar owner accused of sexually assaulting female patron As first responders worked to secure the area the hospital, Southwestern Community College, and Creston Community School District were placed on lockdown. The lockdown has been lifted. With the assistance of the DCI, officers with Creston police were able to take 22-year-old Daniel McDowell of Lorimor into custody without incident. McDowell is being held at the Union County Jail on a charge of attempted murder, as well as a probation violation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. Louisiana man busted with 93 pounds of marijuana in Marshall MARSHALL, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) A Louisiana man was arrested during a traffic stop in Marshall Monday for drug possession. According to a release from the Harrison County Sheriffs Office, an Alexandria man was arrested during a traffic stop on Highway 59. BPSO: Video shows man dropping kittens from moving vehicle after witness reports Police say Eric Duong was allegedly in possession of 93 pounds of marijuana, 10 grams of cocaine, and 1 Lortab pill. Duong is facing charges of possession of marijuana over 50 but less than 2,000 pounds, possession of a controlled substance over four grams but less than 200 grams, and possession of a controlled substance less than 28 grams. Disclaimer: All persons are innocent until proven guilty Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) Acadiana Center for the Arts has announced the appointment of the first director of the new Louisiana Music Museum in downtown Lafayette. Jane Vidrine, a Grammy-nominated musician, arts administrator, music educator and folklorist, will be the inaugural director of the museum. The Louisiana Music Museum will open in Downtown Lafayette, immediately adjacent to the Acadiana Center for the Arts in the 134-year-old building that originally housed Lafayette Hardware and later housed the Lafayette Artist Alliance. AcA Executive Director Samuel Oliver said with a long and diverse career in teaching, curriculum creation, museum curating, and cultural program development, Vidrine brings a wealth of experience and a profound passion for Louisianas cultural heritage to this position. PREVIOUSLY: Acadiana Center for the Arts announces request for qualifications for new museum Jane has dedicated her career to preserving and promoting Louisianas rich cultural heritage through innovative initiatives that uplift and celebrate the ongoing work of the community, Oliver said, in a news release. Her efforts have significantly contributed to Louisianas presence on the local, national, and global stage, and we are lucky to have her join the project in this leadership role. Still undergoing design and development, the new Louisiana Music Museum will serve as a permanent home for the many diverse stories of Louisiana music from Indigenous origins through present day. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest The Louisiana Music Museum will be a place of honor where Louisiana music and the people who create it will be recognized, revered, and respected, said Lafayette Mayor-President Monique B. Boulet. We are excited to welcome Jane Vidrine as the inaugural director and look forward to the many contributions she will bring to this innovative effort. In her role as Lead Consultant for the Lache-pas Louisiana Heritage Education Project in Vermilion Parish, Vidrine has led a team of scholars and educators to develop and implement curriculum and cultural programs for a groundbreaking middle school class. As a traditional music workshop leader and program manager, Vidrine has shared her expertise at events such as the Augusta Heritage Centers Cajun and Creole Week, Louisiana Folk Roots Balfa Camp, and Eunices Blackpot Camp. The target completion date for the Louisiana Music Museum is in 2026. Latest news Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. Then state Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, presents a bill on the Louisiana House floor on May 23, 2023. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) A Louisiana state lawmaker plans to introduce legislation that would enshrine a controversial definition of antisemitism in law in response to increased tension on college campuses. Sen. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, plans to introduce the legislation in the regular session next year that would use the working definition of anti-semitism the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance adopted in 2016. Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews, the definition states. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities. This definition and the accompanying examples have been a source of controversy on college campuses, as it has been used at times to censor anti-Zionist views that oppose the existence of the state of Israel. The author of the definition, Kenneth Stern, has repeatedly disavowed its use on college campuses and has been critical of its use to censor speech on campus. Discussions of antisemitism on college campus have been reignited in the past year since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Jerusalem and the ongoing military response in Gaza from Israel. Months of pro-Palestine student protests have unfolded across the United States. Several university presidents have been ousted or resigned from their jobs after intense public and political backlash related to their handling of the protests. In an interview, Hodges said she does not plan to define criticism of the existence of the state of Israel in her bill defining antisemitism, citing her desire to protect free speech. We definitely, under no circumstances, want to put a chill on free speech, Hodges said. Its different when a professor or a government leader says, I think all the Jews should be killed. Thats not protected free speech. Hodges said she has not yet decided whether to include penalties in the bill for professors who do violate the definition. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Louisiana Supreme Court to decide who stays in race for its District 2 seat The Louisiana Supreme Court Building on Royal Street in New Orleans, Dec. 7, 2021. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) The Louisiana Supreme Court issued an order Thursday afternoon saying its justices will consider a case over which candidates get to stay in the election for a seat on the high court. The move means an appellate court ruling that removed one of three candidates from the field remains in limbo, at least until justices consider arguments made thus far. Theyve also been asked to remove a second candidate. Thursdays order acknowledges time is a factor. State election officials intend to lock in the ballot for the Nov. 5 election by next week. The state Supreme Court will not hear arguments from attorneys for the three candidates and instead ponder existing submissions and transcripts from lower court hearings, according to the order from Chief Justice John Weimer. The dispute involves candidates for the District 2 seat on the state Supreme Court, a new district created to favor a Black candidate to account for an increase in Black population in Louisiana. The new boundaries stretch from Baton Rouge to Monroe. Qualifiers for the District 2 race are Leslie Chambers of Baton Rouge, chief of staff for the Louisiana Housing Corp., First Circuit Court of Appeal Chief Judge John Michael Guidry of Baton Rouge and Second Circuit Court Judge Marcus Hunter of Monroe. All three are Black Democrats. The lawsuit in question challenges whether Chambers and Hunter should be in the race. It argues Chambers doesnt live in District 2, and that both she and Hunter have failed to file income taxes over the past years as required for election candidates. Baton Rouge voter Elisa Knowles Collins filed the lawsuit. At the initial trial before the 19th Judicial District Court, it was learned that Collins daughter works for Judge Guidry as an attorney. Its not clear whos paying for the team of attorneys behind Collins lawsuit. Lead lawyer David Bievenu has said it would be inappropriate for him to identify who is paying him. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Judge Donald Johnson ruled that all three candidates could stay on the ballot, leading Collins to appeal the decision to the states Fourth Circuit in New Orleans. Ordinarily, an appeal of a 19th District decision would have gone to the First District, but Guidrys position on the court forced a reassignment. The Fourth Circuits decision removed Chambers from the race, in a 9-3 vote from judges. The prevailing opinion found that Chambers didnt adequately prove that she had paid her taxes. Chambers appealed her removal to the Supreme Court, and attorneys for Collins appealed the Fourth Circuit decision to keep Hunter on the ballot. Its unclear whether the Supreme Court is considering taking Chambers, Hunter or both out of the race. The order issued Thursday was in response to Collins writ to remove Hunter, but justices could uphold or reverse the Fourth Circuit ruling in part or entirely. The term of current District 2 Justice Scott Chricton from Shreveport, who is white, ends Dec. 31. He could not seek re-election because he turned 70, the mandatory retirement age for Louisiana judges, in June. That led the legislators to redraw the District 2 lines to create a second Black district among the Supreme Courts seven seats. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST A pharmacy technician fills a container with pills to put into a drug dispensing machine for an automated line at a pharmacy in Midvale, Utah. As prescription drug prices continue to rise, states increasingly have been turning to lawsuits to fight the power of pharmacy benefit managers the middlemen in the drug supply chain. (George Frey/Getty Images) Last month, the Federal Trade Commission released a scathing report suggesting that pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen in the drug supply chain known as PBMs, are profiting by inflating drug costs and squeezing Main Street pharmacies. The FTC found that because of consolidation in the industry, the three largest PBMs now manage nearly 80% of all prescriptions filled in the United States. PBMs use that power, the agency concluded, to raise drug prices, control patients access to them, and steer people away from independent pharmacies and toward the pharmacies they own. A week after the FTC released its report, Vermont filed a lawsuit against CVS, Evernorth Health Services (a subsidiary of insurance giant Cigna) and nearly two dozen affiliated entities, claiming they have distorted the market to their benefit at the expense of Vermont patients and the state. The PBMs, the suit claims, are driving up drug prices and foreclosing patients access to life-sustaining treatments in order to increase their profits. Vermont was the first state to file a lawsuit specifically citing the FTC report, but it probably wont be the last. States increasingly have been turning to lawsuits against PBMs in their drive to lower prescription drug prices. Theyve done so partly because of the barriers theyve faced in trying to address the problem through legislation, including fierce lobbying by PBMs and a federal law that prevents them from helping the two-thirds of Americans who get their health coverage through their employers and so-called self-funded plans. In taking their fight to courthouses, states also are turning the tables on corporations that have used lawsuits to block legislative attempts at regulation. Pharmaceutical companies themselves have a scorched-earth policy towards any legislative or regulatory changes. In other words, the industry will throw every claim it can think of at the states to try to block implementation of the law, said Robin Feldman, a professor at UC Law San Francisco and an expert on pharmaceutical law. State legislators and policymakers have decided that if [their laws] are going to end up in court, perhaps they might have their own claims to bring, Feldman told Stateline. In the past couple of years, Arizona, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Utah have sued PBMs, and complaints from dozens of states and municipalities across the country have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation in New Jersey. And in June, 32 state attorneys general and five pharmacist trade groups joined a lawsuit in support of an Oklahoma law that would place tough new regulations on PBMs but which the companies have blocked in court. Illinois Democratic state Sen. Laura Fine, who serves on the Health and Human Services Committee and has pushed for new regulations on health care companies, said she has been frustrated by the limitations of legislation. Im glad that we have attorneys general who will take on these issues and these causes on behalf of the people in our state, Fine told Stateline. I think its an important tool in the toolbox for everyone to know that if we cannot accomplish what needs to get done, we have our attorneys general behind us to make sure that they can be out there to protect the consumer. Major players As intermediaries in the drug supply chain, PBMs determine which drugs are available under a persons insurance plan, set copayments and decide how much pharmacies must pay to acquire drugs. The PBMs argue that they use their bargaining power to negotiate lower drug prices for consumers and pharmacists. They blame drug manufacturers often known as Big Pharma for prices that are higher in the United States than anywhere else. Greg Lopes, vice president of public affairs and communications for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, a trade association representing PBMs, wrote in an email to Stateline that any notion that PBMs are increasing prescription drug costs is patently false. Employers choose to hire PBMs because they have a proven track record of lowering drug costs for health plan sponsors, which translates to lower premiums and lower out-of-pocket costs for patients, Lopes wrote. PBMs protect the ability of employers to offer quality health coverage by serving as the only check against Big Pharmas unlimited pricing power. David Winthrop, vice president of external affairs at CVS Health, which owns the PBM CVS Caremark, said the company is proud of the work we do to make medicine more affordable for American businesses, unions and patients. Any policies that would limit PBM negotiating tools would instead serve as a handout to the pharmaceutical industry, leaving those who pay for prescription drugs at the mercy of the prices drugmakers set, Winthrop said. The Federal Trade Commission sees the problem differently. It notes in its report that CVS Caremark is among the three major players that dominate the PBM landscape, along with Express Scripts and Optum Rx. Express Scripts is a subsidiary of Cigna, and Optum Rx is owned by UnitedHealth. Together, the FTC asserts, the three companies use their supremacy to wield enormous power and influence over patients access to drugs and the prices they pay. This can have dire consequences for Americans, with nearly three in ten surveyed Americans reporting rationing or even skipping doses of their prescribed medicines due to high costs, the FTC report states. The agency also notes that PBMs harm independent pharmacies, who struggle to navigate contractual terms imposed by PBMs that they find confusing, unfair, arbitrary, and harmful to their businesses. Between 2013 and 2022, the report states, about 10% of independent retail pharmacies in rural America closed. Health plans and PBMs are often just trying to protect the status quo as it remains today, for obvious reasons, because the environment has benefited them significantly, said Antonio Ciaccia, CEO of 46brooklyn Research, a nonprofit that studies drug pricing data. Daniel Aaron, an associate professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah who specializes in health care policy, pointed out that pursuing litigation allows states to sidestep PBMs lobbying power in legislatures. Aaron argued that legislation and litigation can work in tandem. Lawsuits can actually help form policy, Aaron said in an interview. And because these lawsuits attract a lot of attention and capture the public interest and expose a lot of documents, they can actually buttress policymaking and attract even more public attention. He also noted that by taking on unpopular defendants, state attorneys general can raise their political profiles and many of them aspire to be governors. Ben Widlanski, the co-lead attorney in a lawsuit involving insulin prices, agreed that lawsuits are valuable because they shine a light on companies conduct in a way that state and federal regulators have been unable to do. Because theres not a lot of oversight and because the government agencies responsible for it have not really been doing their jobs for a very long time, the only immediate response that has any chance of making a difference is litigation, said Widlanski, a partner at Florida-based Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton. In suing large corporations, state attorneys general often hire outside law firms on a contingency fee basis. The limits of litigation Aaron said successful lawsuits can hold parties accountable, at least in theory, for illegal conduct and for causing harm. It can increase the cost of engaging in illegal conduct by making that conduct more expensive. Im not going to say that lawsuits dont have any impact. But they dont have nearly the impact as what legislative change would have. Ron Howrigon, president and CEO of Fulcrum Strategies and former Cigna executive But Ron Howrigon, a former Cigna executive, cautioned that using litigation to rein in deep-pocketed corporations isnt as effective as enacting strong laws however difficult that might be. Howrigon said many large health corporations consider expensive legal settlements to be merely the cost of doing business. I dont think theyre really necessarily worried that the individual litigation is something thats going to shut it down, said Howrigon, who is now president and CEO of Fulcrum Strategies, a firm specializing in insurance contracts. As a friend of mine put it, its putting Band-Aids on bullet wounds. What health care corporations are really scared of, Howrigon said, are sweeping policy changes. If Im an insurance company, Id much rather pay millions of dollars in fines than have a new law that I have to comply with going forward, he said. So, Im not going to say that lawsuits dont have any impact. But they dont have nearly the impact as what legislative change would have. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX KIEV, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Friday that Ukraine's operation in western Russia's Kursk region is linked to possible peace talks between the two countries. "In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade the Russian Federation to enter a fair negotiation process," Podolyak said on social media X, formerly Twitter. Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories, he said. Ukraine's military actions in the Kursk region may influence public opinion in Russia regarding the conflict, Podolyak said. "Negative changes in the psychological state of the Russian population will be another argument for the start of negotiations," he added. Ukraine started a military operation in the Kursk region on Aug. 6. Ukraine's attacks on Russia's border will receive a "worthy response," with the Russian military's primary task being to remove the Ukrainian forces from Russian territories, President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week. On Aug. 15, Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that Ukraine had taken control of 82 settlements in the conflict-hit region. A pharmacy technician fills a container with pills to put into a drug dispensing machine for an automated line at a pharmacy in Midvale, Utah. As prescription drug prices continue to rise, states increasingly have been turning to lawsuits to fight the power of pharmacy benefit managers the middlemen in the drug supply chain. (File/George Frey/Getty Images) Last month, the Federal Trade Commission released a scathing report suggesting that pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen in the drug supply chain known as PBMs, are profiting by inflating drug costs and squeezing Main Street pharmacies. The FTC found that because of consolidation in the industry, the three largest PBMs now manage nearly 80% of all prescriptions filled in the United States. PBMs use that power, the agency concluded, to raise drug prices, control patients access to them, and steer people away from independent pharmacies and toward the pharmacies they own. A week after the FTC released its report, Vermont filed a lawsuit against CVS, Evernorth Health Services (a subsidiary of insurance giant Cigna) and nearly two dozen affiliated entities, claiming they have distorted the market to their benefit at the expense of Vermont patients and the state. The PBMs, the suit claims, are driving up drug prices and foreclosing patients access to life-sustaining treatments in order to increase their profits. Vermont was the first state to file a lawsuit specifically citing the FTC report, but it probably wont be the last. States increasingly have been turning to lawsuits against PBMs in their drive to lower prescription drug prices. Theyve done so partly because of the barriers theyve faced in trying to address the problem through legislation, including fierce lobbying by PBMs and a federal law that prevents them from helping the two-thirds of Americans who get their health coverage through their employers and so-called self-funded plans. In taking their fight to courthouses, states also are turning the tables on corporations that have used lawsuits to block legislative attempts at regulation. Pharmaceutical companies themselves have a scorched-earth policy towards any legislative or regulatory changes. In other words, the industry will throw every claim it can think of at the states to try to block implementation of the law, said Robin Feldman, a professor at UC Law San Francisco and an expert on pharmaceutical law. State legislators and policymakers have decided that if [their laws] are going to end up in court, perhaps they might have their own claims to bring, Feldman told Stateline. In the past couple of years, Arizona, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Utah have sued PBMs, and complaints from dozens of states and municipalities across the country have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation in New Jersey. And in June, 32 state attorneys general and five pharmacist trade groups joined a lawsuit in support of an Oklahoma law that would place tough new regulations on PBMs but which the companies have blocked in court. Illinois Democratic state Sen. Laura Fine, who serves on the Health and Human Services Committee and has pushed for new regulations on health care companies, said she has been frustrated by the limitations of legislation. Im glad that we have attorneys general who will take on these issues and these causes on behalf of the people in our state, Fine told Stateline. I think its an important tool in the toolbox for everyone to know that if we cannot accomplish what needs to get done, we have our attorneys general behind us to make sure that they can be out there to protect the consumer. Major players As intermediaries in the drug supply chain, PBMs determine which drugs are available under a persons insurance plan, set copayments and decide how much pharmacies must pay to acquire drugs. The PBMs argue that they use their bargaining power to negotiate lower drug prices for consumers and pharmacists. They blame drug manufacturers often known as Big Pharma for prices that are higher in the United States than anywhere else. Greg Lopes, vice president of public affairs and communications for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, a trade association representing PBMs, wrote in an email to Stateline that any notion that PBMs are increasing prescription drug costs is patently false. Employers choose to hire PBMs because they have a proven track record of lowering drug costs for health plan sponsors, which translates to lower premiums and lower out-of-pocket costs for patients, Lopes wrote. PBMs protect the ability of employers to offer quality health coverage by serving as the only check against Big Pharmas unlimited pricing power. David Winthrop, vice president of external affairs at CVS Health, which owns the PBM CVS Caremark, said the company is proud of the work we do to make medicine more affordable for American businesses, unions and patients. Any policies that would limit PBM negotiating tools would instead serve as a handout to the pharmaceutical industry, leaving those who pay for prescription drugs at the mercy of the prices drugmakers set, Winthrop said. The Federal Trade Commission sees the problem differently. It notes in its report that CVS Caremark is among the three major players that dominate the PBM landscape, along with Express Scripts and Optum Rx. Express Scripts is a subsidiary of Cigna, and Optum Rx is owned by UnitedHealth. Together, the FTC asserts, the three companies use their supremacy to wield enormous power and influence over patients access to drugs and the prices they pay. This can have dire consequences for Americans, with nearly three in 10 surveyed Americans reporting rationing or even skipping doses of their prescribed medicines due to high costs, the FTC report states. The agency also notes that PBMs harm independent pharmacies, who struggle to navigate contractual terms imposed by PBMs that they find confusing, unfair, arbitrary, and harmful to their businesses. Between 2013 and 2022, the report states, about 10% of independent retail pharmacies in rural America closed. Health plans and PBMs are often just trying to protect the status quo as it remains today, for obvious reasons, because the environment has benefited them significantly, said Antonio Ciaccia, CEO of 46brooklyn Research, a nonprofit that studies drug pricing data. Daniel Aaron, an associate professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah who specializes in health care policy, pointed out that pursuing litigation allows states to sidestep PBMs lobbying power in legislatures. Aaron argued that legislation and litigation can work in tandem. Lawsuits can actually help form policy, Aaron said in an interview. And because these lawsuits attract a lot of attention and capture the public interest and expose a lot of documents, they can actually buttress policymaking and attract even more public attention. He also noted that by taking on unpopular defendants, state attorneys general can raise their political profiles and many of them aspire to be governors. Ben Widlanski, the co-lead attorney in a lawsuit involving insulin prices, agreed that lawsuits are valuable because they shine a light on companies conduct in a way that state and federal regulators have been unable to do. Because theres not a lot of oversight and because the government agencies responsible for it have not really been doing their jobs for a very long time, the only immediate response that has any chance of making a difference is litigation, said Widlanski, a partner at Florida-based Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton. In suing large corporations, state attorneys general often hire outside law firms on a contingency fee basis. The limits of litigation Aaron said successful lawsuits can hold parties accountable, at least in theory, for illegal conduct and for causing harm. It can increase the cost of engaging in illegal conduct by making that conduct more expensive. Im not going to say that lawsuits dont have any impact. But they dont have nearly the impact as what legislative change would have. Ron Howrigon, president and CEO of Fulcrum Strategies and former Cigna executive But Ron Howrigon, a former Cigna executive, cautioned that using litigation to rein in deep-pocketed corporations isnt as effective as enacting strong laws however difficult that might be. Howrigon said many large health corporations consider expensive legal settlements to be merely the cost of doing business. I dont think theyre really necessarily worried that the individual litigation is something thats going to shut it down, said Howrigon, who is now president and CEO of Fulcrum Strategies, a firm specializing in insurance contracts. As a friend of mine put it, its putting Band-Aids on bullet wounds. What health care corporations are really scared of, Howrigon said, are sweeping policy changes. If Im an insurance company, Id much rather pay millions of dollars in fines than have a new law that I have to comply with going forward, he said. So, Im not going to say that lawsuits dont have any impact. But they dont have nearly the impact as what legislative change would have. Like SC Daily Gazette, Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X. Lt. Governor Nungesser re-signs accord with New Brunswick at Congres Mondial Acadien in Novia Scotia BATON ROUGE, LA (KLFY) Representatives from Louisiana are at the Congres Mondial Acadien in southwest Nova Scotia, where people from all over the world are celebrating the Acadian culture. This week, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, the Council for the Development of French Louisiana and a Louisiana delegation traveled to the region to partake in the celebration at the Congres Mondial Acadien, or Acadian World Congress. Nungesser attended the event five years ago and understands the importance of the Acadian heritage to Louisiana. We re-signed accords with New Brunswick, which were originally signed in 2022, Nungesser said. This is important because it is an agreement to share cultural, artistic, and heritage ties between the two regions. One of the many things that makes us unique in Louisiana is the strong French influence, said Nungesser. New Louisiana Music Museum in Lafayette names first director This years Congres Mondial included a Louisiana symposium hosted by the Center for Louisiana Studies and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, along with several concerts by Louisiana artists, including Zachary Richard. Nungesser hosted a breakfast with the Minister of Acadian Affairs and the Chair of Congres Mondial 2024, a Louisiana Media Luncheon, a meeting with the president of the National Society of Acadia and several events at LEchange. The Louisiana delegation represented culture, history, tourism, and academia. Participants included Travel Avoyelles, Lafayette Travel, Louisianas Cajun Bayou, St. Martin Parish Tourism, Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission, and Bayou Vermilion District. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest In October 2025, Louisiane-Acadie will host Grand Reveil Acadien, or the Great Acadian Awakening, across Acadiana. The event will bring together Acadians from around the world to celebrate their shared culture. The first Congres Mondial was in 1994 and is held every five years. Congres Mondial brings Acadians together for nine days of celebration. The festival celebrates with over a week of family reunions, musical concerts, cultural symposiums, folklife demonstrations and educational events. From 1755 to 1764, the British forced the Acadian people who lived in present-day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island from their homes. Ancestors of these Acadian people created Congres Mondial to remember this expulsion, known as Le Grand Derangement, or the Great Deportation, and to celebrate the unique culture the Acadians maintain around the world. Latest Posts Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) One of the worlds most exclusive brands is coming to Music City. Luxury brand Hermes will open a store in Nashvilles Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood next year. AJ Capital Partners announced the French luxury design house will be in the refurbished May Hosiery Mills building, which also houses the members-only Soho House. The 8,500 square-foot shop is expected to open in fall 2025. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts The Hermes boutique will be positioned within the historic May Hosiery Mills campus, an adaptive reuse of the Souths oldest hosiery mill, dating back to 1897, said Ben Weprin, Founder and CEO of AJ Capital Partners. The addition of Hermes speaks to the enduring quality and artistry of the neighborhood. We look forward to integrating this iconic fashion house into our community. Hermes was founded in 1837 and specializes in leather goods, accessories, home furnishings, perfume, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear apparel. Its logo has been a depiction of a horse-drawn carriage since the 1950s. Hermes Birkin bags remain one of the most sought-after luxury purses in the world. | READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County The Nashville store will be the only Hermes in Tennessee. There are a handful of shops across the country located in major cities. Hermes is the first luxury brand to open a Nashville location outside of the Mall at Green Hills. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Im going to jail: Truck driver texted friend before plowing into crowd at Tampa strip club, police say TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Documents reveal new details about what happened leading up to a man allegedly purposefully driving a semi truck into a group of people outside of a Tampa strip club, killing one and injuring two. Dylan Fogle, 25, was kicked out of Emperors Gentlemens Club early Tuesday morning after he tried to inappropriately touch a dancer, according to an arrest report filed by the Tampa Police Department. Fogles friend was also kicked out and got into a confrontation with the group outside of the club. Security camera footage showed the confrontation, followed by the truck driving into the crowd, the arrest report said. Two men were seriously injured with bone fractures on their lower bodies. They were rushed to Tampa General Hospital in critical condition. A third man was killed by the impact of the truck. Multiple witnesses said they saw bystanders pull Fogle out of the truck and proceed to hit him. Dylan Fogle (Tampa Police Department) According to police, Fogle called a childhood friend before the collision and texted her, Goodbye Im going to jail for vehicular manslaughter. Police said he also sent two photos showing the cab of the semi truck. Before Fogle was taken to the hospital, a Tampa police officer reported smelling alcohol on his breath. Medical staff later told police his blood alcohol level was above the legal limit, according to the report. When police spoke with Fogle, he told them he was in the parking lot to pick up his friend when he saw the confrontation. He claimed the accelerator became stuck as he drove toward the crowd and couldnt stop the truck, police said. He reportedly could not answer when detectives asked why he did not steer away to avoid hitting the group. Fogle was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, vehicular homicide, two counts of DUI with serious injury and DUI manslaughter. Jail records indicate Fogle lives in Thomasville, North Carolina. He is being held in the Orient Road Jail without bond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said budget pressures would have to reach an "extremely high bar" to trigger tax increases. Photo by Bryan P. Sears. Ongoing budget pressures and how to address them have been top of mind for leaders gathered in Ocean City this week for the annual Maryland Association of Counties summer conference. But the leader of the Maryland Senate said he is unlikely to consider broad-based tax increases to address looming budget deficits. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), speaking to reporters Thursday, said that there is an extremely high bar to pursue a revenue strategy for the states fiscal woes, when economic growth should be the key. I think the bar for revenues is extremely, extremely high, because we have got to grow our economy, and growth is essential, if we are not competitive with tax rates or our bureaucratic systems, then were in trouble, Ferguson said. Fergusons high bar is similar to Gov. Wes Moores stance earlier this year about tax increases. The first-term Democratic governor did not specify what would trigger the need for higher taxes, but Ferguson said, I dont think its a bright red line, you know? I dont think there is a set of specific metrics. Its an, Are we able to fully invest in our priorities in a way that Marylanders would expect?' he said. Ferguson added that the state has sufficient resources to invest in the vast, vast majority of the things that we need and the things that we want. Last month, the Board of Public Works cut $150 million from the current years budget, which faces a nearly $1 billion shortfall, roughly $800 million of which comes from projected Medicaid shortfalls over two years. Adding to the budget pressures are increased spending on a state subsidy for child care. Expanding Child Care Access and making sure that people have access to health care through Medicaid are core, fundamental priorities, Ferguson said. And so that wasnt mismanagement. Its not some sort of problem. Its that there are more people utilizing those services, and thats not a bad thing. But the money for those programs has to come from somewhere, he said. So, anywhere where theres additional discretionary spending or new programs that havent been launched yet, I think it makes sense that were going to have to make some tough cuts and tough choices, Ferguson said. I dont think theres anything draconian. I dont think its going to be severe. In January, legislative budget analysts projected a structural budget deficit of $1 billion in the coming fiscal year, rising to $1.3 billion by fiscal 2027, the last year of Moores current term. A year later, it more than doubles to $3 billion about 12% of projected general fund revenues for that year. The state is also staring down costs of the public education reform plan known as the Blueprint for Marylands Future. Some lawmakers and county leaders have called for the General Assembly to lengthen the time to implement the program, so the state and local governments have time to absorb increased costs. Despite Fergusons reluctance, House Ways and Means Chair Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) said that the House may once again offer some sort of revenue package next year. Id be willing to discuss cuts or extending the time (for the Blueprint) if there is data that shows its not working, Atterbeary said. But youre going to have to show me the data first. You say you want a revolution Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) are not only two of the states top elected leaders, theyre apparently revolutionaries as well. Or at least distant descendants of revolutionaries. The two were recently approved for membership in the Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and organization whose members claim to be direct descendants of someone who served or aided in the American Revolutionary War. J.D. Urbach, president of the Maryland chapter of the organization said the applications for both Moore and Ferguson had been recently approved. Its very exciting, said Urbach. We want to be able to tell the stories of patriots of color. The national society claims to be the largest male lineage organization in the country. Each member can trace his family back to someone who either served in the Revolutionary War or aided the effort in some way. The Maryland chapter has roughly 800 members. The late Sen. Doug J.J. Peters (D-Prince Georges) was a member, and Urbach said he tried to help other General Assembly members. He was sort of instrumental in getting the ball kicked off with both Bill Ferguson and Wes Moore, Urbach said. Moore traces his lineage to a man named Prince Ames who served in the Massachusetts militia. Urbach said Moore is the first member to establish a relationship to Ames. This is a newly established patriot for Prince Ames, said Urbach. There had been no one necessarily descended from Prince Ames previously, who had applied for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. A Moore spokesperson could not immediately provide details Thursday. Urbach did not have details on Fergusons family lineage. A spokesperson for Ferguson confirmed the application but also did not immediately have details. Urbach said both Moore and Ferguson will be formally inducted before the end of the year. Meanwhile, in Largo Gov. Wes Moore (D) speaks to audience at Prince Georges County Community College. Photo by Elijah Pittman. There they were on a stage in Largo, the president, the vice president and the could-be president. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared Thursday at Prince Georges Community College for an event on lower prescription drug costs. It was also the first time the two have appeared together since Biden bowed out of the presidential race less than a month ago and Harris swept in and won the Democratic nomination for president. Although it was not an official campaign event, it had all the energy of one. Many were there in support of Harris, and they were sporting gear from Howard University, her alma mater; the colors of Alpha Kappa Alpha, her sorority; and Kamala Harris merchandise. The stage was crowded with prominent Maryland Democrats, including Gov. Wes Moore. Many speakers referred to Harris as the next president of the United States, but when Moore called her the 47th president, that led someone in the crowd to shout 48 thats you, followed by someone else shouting 2032. Soon, the entire auditorium of 2,300 people was chanting forty-eight. Moore, who is often on talking-head lists of potential presidential nominees and who was talked about by some as a potential running mate for Harris after Biden dropped out of the race, smiled and told the crowd he loved them all. Then he told them to quiet down. Yall need to hold on because were trying to bring the president and vice president out here, Moore said through laughter. DEI: Its more than you think A session on diversity, equity and inclusion policies ranged from discussions on DEI to talk about environment justice and social equity at the MACo conference Thursday. This was the second year that the association hosted a DEI officers meeting at its summer conference. We are hoping to be a future agenda item for all MACo future conferences. Its needed, said Sevetra Peoples-Brown, chief of Baltimore Countys diversity, equity and inclusion division, who had encouraged MACo officials to make it part of the organizations summer conference. One of the main messages from the panel discussion: DEI is more than just race, but also includes gender, religion and disability. The panel also talked about environmental justice with Asha Smith, director of the Office of Equity and Human Rights in Anne Arundel County. When Smith asked attendees if they knew about the states Department of the Environments environmental justice screening tool a map that can evaluate if someone lives in an underserved or overburdened community in terms of environmental hazards in a region only a few people raised their hands. Thats a tool a lot of folks dont know about, including the people who are making your planning and zoning decisions. That really is the bottom line, Smith said. Courtney Davis, deputy director in the Maryland Office of Social Equity, provided an update on the community repair and reinvestment fund, or CRRF. Her office, in the states cannabis administration, works with people in communities affected by the war on drugs and tries to get them involved in the cannabis industry. Davis said money from the fund cannot be used to supplant a budget nor given to law enforcement agencies, but must go to community-based initiatives that are intended to benefit low-income communities and also disproportionately impacted areas. Acting Charles County Administrator Deb Hall said it was good to hear further details on how the money can be used, since there was not a lot of information that came along with the program. Like many at the event, Hall also said the conversation on DEI must be done throughout the state. People are afraid to have a conversation about race, she said. Its really key if youre going to move the needle anywhere, is to recognize we all have different backgrounds, different abilities. DEI is collaboration. Its putting a seat at the table for everybody. Peoples-Brown summarized her countys three-phase project to assess the performance of all county agencies on equitable and inclusive decision-making. The goal is to complete it by February 2026. Agencies have to commit. They have to take action. They have to have patience, Peoples-Brown said. We want to make certain that were allocating resources to ensure that everyone has access to the same opportunities and resources. Alsobrooks feels the love Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks chats with Michelle Russell during a reception Aug. 15 in Ocean City, the week of the Maryland Association of Counties summer conference. Photo by William J. Ford. In recent months, Vice President Kamala Harris (D) has traveled to Maryland to support stronger gun laws, talk about the need for reproductive rights and stand with President Joe Biden (D) to unveil a deal for lower prescription drug prices. All three visits were held in Prince Georges County, where County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D), the Democratic nominee U.S. Senate, is typically on hand to greet Harris, a longtime mentor. That was true Thursday when Alsobrooks was at Prince Georges Community College with Harris and Biden making their first appearance together since Biden dropped his reelection bid and Harris stepped in to win the nomination. After that early afternoon event, she dashed to Ocean City to host an evening reception at the Maryland Association of Counties conference with Employ Prince Georges, the countys workforce development arm. Gov. Wes Moore (D) stopped by Alsobrooks reception Thursday with a quick message for supporters. Partnership produces progress, yall, Moore said. The reason were moving is because we are moving together. Make sure we go out there and make it work in November and get the election results that we need and deserve. As with many places Moore goes, he was swarmed by people looking to talk and take selfies with him. But Thursday evening, the same thing happened when Alsobrooks walked in the Spain Wine Bar. When asked if she feels like a rock star, she calmly said, Oh, no, adding that people love you when they know you love them. People have a sense of authenticity. They know whether you care genuinely and sincerely about them. I have been so grateful that its all come back, she said. I mean, people have been so kind. Theyre engaging. Theyre excited. But I think they know that I care about them. Harris is expected to officially accept the Democratic nomination during the partys convention next week in Chicago. Alsobrooks will be on hand. Ballot (Getty Images) The two major political parties are battling over the ability of third-party candidates to access the November presidential ballot in Wisconsin. The fight indicates concerns about how those candidates could affect the final vote totals in a state that frequently has exceptionally close statewide elections. On Wednesday, an employee of the Democratic National Committee filed a complaint against the Green Party, arguing it is not eligible for the ballot in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) voted in February to allow the Green Party on the ballot because it got at least 1% of the vote in a statewide race in 2022. Green Party candidate Sharyl McFarland got 1.6% of the vote in the four-way race for state treasurer that year. But the complaint argues that the party cant nominate presidential electors in Wisconsin and without electors, the party cant be on the ballot. State law requires that presidential electors nominated in October be state officers, which includes members of the Legislature, judges and others. Legislative candidates can also be electors. The statute states that presidential electors must be candidates for the senate and assembly nominated by each political party at the primary, the state officers; of each political party and the holdover state senators of each political party. The complaint alleges the Green Party doesnt have anyone who qualifies, so it cant be on the ballot. The Green Partys presidential candidate, Jill Stein, is expected to accept the partys nomination at its convention this week. Stein was on the ballot in 2016 and received just over 31,000 votes. Democrats say Steins run in 2016 contributed to Donald Trumps win in the state that year, when he beat Hillary Clinton by about 23,000 votes. We take the nomination process for President and Vice President very seriously and believe every candidate should follow the rules, Adrienne Watson, senior adviser to the DNC, said in a statement. Because the Wisconsin Green Party hasnt fielded candidates for legislative or statewide office and doesnt have any current incumbent legislative or statewide office holders, it cannot nominate candidates and should not be on the ballot in November. Dr. Michael White, co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party, says that the claim that the Green Party was a spoiler in 2016 is a smokescreen because many Green Party voters would not have voted for Clinton anyway. He adds that the attempt to keep the party off the ballot this year could backfire. Many Green Party supporters would simply not vote for anyone, White told the Wisconsin Examiner. Weve got more than 5,000 voters in our database. Yeah, were a small party. Only a small number will vote for the Democratic nominee, some will vote for Trump in protest, some will write in Jill Steins name, some will vote libertarian or communist. It will win no extra votes for Democrats. The main effect [of keeping Stein off the ballot] will be to drive voters away from the Democratic party. White adds that he would vote for a name out of the phone book before voting for Trump and that hes donated to and canvassed for down-ballot Democratic candidates, but if the effort to block Stein is successful he will stop that support. He also believes the complaint is wrong because the partys coordinating committee counts as its state officers who are allowed by statute to serve as presidential electors. Cornel West, Robert Kennedy Jr. also seek ballot access On Wednesday, USA Today reported that Republican party operatives had also attempted to boost progressive activist Cornel Wests presidential campaign in Wisconsin, working to gather signatures in support of his third-party campaign. Independent candidates need to obtain at least 2,000 signatures to gain access to the presidential ballot in Wisconsin. David Blair, executive director of the Conservative Leadership PAC and former national director of Youth for Trump in 2016, runs a consultant group that worked to gather signatures. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also running an independent campaign for president. Polls show single-digit levels of support for all of the outside candidates, yet theyre seen as pulling potential votes from the two major party candidates. West and Stein are widely seen as drawing from Vice President Kamala Harris voter base while recent polls show Kennedy pulling votes from Trump. In 2020, the major parties also wrestled over independent candidates access to the ballot in Wisconsin. Kanye West was not allowed on the ballot in Wisconsin because his campaign missed a filing deadline by minutes and the Green Party was kept off the ballot because of incorrect addresses on filing paperwork. In the Green Party case, Republican election commissioner Robert Spindell assisted the party in looking for election attorneys based in the state, the Examiner reported. The state Supreme Court ultimately ruled in a 4-3 decision not to allow the partys candidates for president and vice president on the ballot. The WEC will meet Aug. 27 to vote on ballot access for the independent candidates. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Man, 30, shot and killed while getting into his car on South Side: CPD CHICAGO A 30-year-old man was shot and killed while getting into his vehicle Friday morning on the citys South Side. The shooting happened around 6:40 a.m. in the 7900 block of South Wabash Avenue after unknown armed offenders approached the man and fired shots. The man was transported to the University of Chicago Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Later Friday evening, the Medical Examiners Office identified the victim as 30-year-old Nicholas Hughes. Man stabbed during armed robbery in the Loop Police said the offenders fled the scene. No one is in custody. Area Two Detectives are investigating. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. GRAND COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) A man, 64, along with his five hunting dogs, were rescued from Mary Jane Canyon in Grand County early Wednesday morning, according to Grand County Sheriffs Search and Rescue. The man told authorities he began following his dogs near Warner Lake in the LaSal Mountains Monday morning. Later that day, he found the dogs trapped on a ledge on the north side of Adobe Mesa. Unable to rescue the dogs that night, he returned to the location the following morning to retrieve them. Owner of popular Utah restaurant sentenced for stealing $1.8M in COVID relief money Courtesy of Grand County Sheriffs Search and Rescue Courtesy of Grand County Sheriffs Search and Rescue Courtesy of Grand County Sheriffs Search and Rescue Courtesy of Grand County Sheriffs Search and Rescue His plan was to travel with the dogs down to Professor Creek and meet his partner at the Mary Jane Canyon trailhead, a press release from the sheriffs office states. After returning the following morning, He and the dogs worked their way down numerous ledges to the creek in Mary Jane Canyon by Tuesday afternoon, but became stranded on two separate ledges upstream from the popular waterfall that is the destination for most hikers in the canyon. He found himself positioned in a section of the canyon known as the Professor Creek Canyoneering Route with walls towering about 100 feet above the creek, the release states. He then activated his satellite messaging device for assistance, officials said. Search and rescue teams responded to the trailhead, and Classic Air Medical was dispatched to locate the man. The threat of thunderstorms and flash flooding was present Tuesday afternoon, and rescue crews decided to use the helicopter to transport a team from the Mary Jane Canyon trailhead out to the canyon rim above the man and his dogs. The subject was raised 80 feet out of the canyon just as a strong thunderstorm hit the area and rescue efforts had to be paused until the weather cleared, the release states. After the storm passed, the SAR team made visual contact with the dogs and relocated downstream. The five dogs were rescued in three separate 150 foot raising operations. Each dog was placed in a crate an accompanied by an attendant during the rescue operation. The man, along with all five dogs, were successfully flown back to the trailhead. The operation lasted about 10 hours, officials said, ending at around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, Aug. 14. No further information is available at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Man who abducted and abused a young teen from a Tri-Cities home sentenced to 20 years A man accused of physically and sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl he picked up from her friends house in Kennewick and took to New Mexico has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Lucas Daniel Murphy, 38, was charged with kidnapping and rape of a child in Benton County Superior Court before his case was moved to Eastern Washington District U.S. Court, where he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of online enticement. Murphy began communicating with the middle-school girl on Snapchat over their shared music interests. But over time the conversations changed, with Murphy telling her to call him Daddy and share sexually explicit photos and live videos with him. Lucas Murphy His power over her was so pervasive that she felt owned before the two ever met, according to Holland. U.S. Judge Mary Dimke said in the sentencing hearing in the Richland courtroom, which the victim attended, that Murphys actions were ugly and that few offenses are more serious or cause more harm, according to the prosecutions account. In December 2021, the victim was visiting Kennewick, where she had previously lived, her friend saw online conversations, in which the girl said she was 13 and Murphy claimed to be 21 and a mail carrier. Shortly after that Murphy drove from New Mexico and picked up the girl in the Tri-Cities, giving her alcohol and marijuana and sexually abusing her during the drive back to New Mexico, according to court documents. Her cell phone was thrown out the car window in Oregon. Her friends and family were frantic when they discovered she was gone, according to court documents. The U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Richland. Her mother found a tablet with explicit images of both her child and also Murphy, with Murphys account linked to Los Lunas, N.M., according to court documents. Four days after the girl went missing, a nationwide extraditable arrest warrant was issued for Murphy in Benton County Superior Court. In an investigation started by Kennewick police, FBI agents found the girl with Murphy at his house, she was taken to a hospital, where bruises from being choked and hit were documented, according to court documents. She told investigators that she was intoxicated most of the time she was with Murphy and described torture, according to court documents. The devastation caused by defendants conduct is horrific and requires a sentence commensurate with his conduct, Holland said in court documents. She requested a 20-year prison sentence, questioning whether Murphy fully comprehended the lasting harm his conduct had caused. His victim attempted suicide two months after she was found by law enforcement in New Mexico. It was the first of two suicide attempts, according to the Laurel Holland, assistant U.S. attorney, in court documents. As a parent, I am horrified by Mr. Murphys conduct, said Vanessa Waldref, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. Mr. Murphy meticulously planned the abduction of his young victim and took steps to make it difficult for law enforcement to track his whereabouts. Murphys attorney, public defender Jennifer Barnes of Yakima, asked for a 15-year sentence for his client. Barnes said in a court document that Murphy, who had never spent time in jail before, understands he committed an extremely serious crime, and he is very remorseful, but he also understands that a long prison term is warranted by his conduct. He did not want to go to trial to spare his victim from having to testify, Barnes said. But the girl stood before the court Thursday and addressed the harm the defendant caused, and demonstrated that this harm will not define the victims life, Holland said. Dimke called her incredibly strong and brave to be here today. Child sex offenders prey on the most vulnerable victims, said Raul Bujanda, FBI Albuquerque special agent in charge. While todays sentencing cannot erase the harm inflicted upon the victim, I hope that it will serve as the first step toward closure. U.S. Judge Mary Dimke ordered Murphy to lifetime probation after his release from prison. PERTH, Australia, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The strong collaboration between Australia and China in science and technology has already yielded impressive results and mutual benefits, said Nobel laureate Barry J. Marshall here on Thursday. "By continuing to build on this foundation, we can tackle major challenges from health care to environmental sustainability, and work towards a better future for our nations and the world," he said. Marshall delivered a speech at a reception celebrating his winning the China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award 2023 hosted by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Perth. He is the fifth Australian to receive the award. "The China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award is more than a personal accolade," he said. "It highlights the importance of cross-border collaboration in driving innovation, sharing expertise, and making scientific breakthroughs that benefit everyone." Marshall and J. Robin Warren were awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for showing that bacterial infection, not stress, was to blame for painful ulcers in the stomach and intestine on Oct. 3, 2005. In the past decade, Marshall has devoted himself to cooperation with Chinese colleagues and partners to transfer his research results into products and to benefit both Chinese and Australian people. Stephen Dawson, Western Australia's science minister, said at the event that Marshall had been a champion of promoting science cooperation, collaboration and exchange between China and Western Australia. His work and the award he won would help to inspire further collaborations between the great scientific minds of Australia and China. "I look forward to witnessing the continued development of Western Australia's strong relationship with China in science and technology," he added. Chinese Consul General in Perth Long Dingbin said that Marshall set up an academician workstation in central China's Henan Province in 2017, and he was affectionately known by the local people as the civilian doctor. He said Marshall is a model to follow and strengthen the China-Australia bond. Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian sent a congratulatory letter to Marshall, which was announced at the event. Xiao said that the award Marshall won is also a recognition for all Australian scientists who have long been committed to scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation with China. "We sincerely appreciate your outstanding contributions to promoting China-Australia scientific research, exchanges and cooperation. Nurturing high-level patents and improving public health, all of which are really manifestations of a shared vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind in China-Australia scientific cooperation." A man accused of fatally stabbing a woman on a hiking trail in north Phoenix last year now faces additional charges for a separate incident that allegedly occurred in 2020. Court documents show the Maricopa County Attorney's Office filed two new charges against 23-year-old Zion Teasley that include aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon and first-degree burglary. Documents say Teasley broke into a woman's home on Jan. 21, 2020, near 43rd Avenue and Thunderbird Road in Phoenix where he stabbed her with a knife. Court documents offer scarce details beyond the incident with information about what may have prompted the incident or Teasley's relationship to the woman nowhere to be found. Teasley initially garnered headlines last year after Phoenix police arrested him as the main suspect for the killing of 29-year-old Lauren Heike. She was hiking on April 28, 2023, on a desert trail near East Libby Street and North 65th Place before being killed, Phoenix police have said. A welfare check was made to Heike's home after a friend called police and said Heike had not come into work, which was unusual of her, according to court documents. Heike was found by police just before 11 a.m. April 29, 2023, in a desert area near a neighborhood in the vicinity of 64th Street and Mayo Boulevard after a resident reported seeing an injured person. On May 1, 2023, police identified Heike. According to court records, an autopsy found Heike suffered 15 stab wounds to her upper body, with the deepest laceration being 3 inches deep. Evidence and Heike's belongings were found along a path running through a barbed wire fence to where Heikes body was discovered, court documents detail. Heike had defensive wounds and small abrasions that were likely from her running through a barbed wire fence. Heike was seen on surveillance video walking on the trail around 10:52 a.m. April 28, 2023 with a man walking 36 seconds behind her, court documents show. About 22 seconds later, Heike goes out of camera view in the direction of where she was later found. A few seconds later, that same man is seen sprinting before a camera view of him is obstructed by vegetation, court documents said. During a police interrogation, Teasley confirmed the man in the surveillance video was him, then recanted, saying he was unsure it was him in photographs provided, charging documents show. He was eventually charged with first-degree murder with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. His trial is currently set for Oct. 20, 2025. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man accused of murdering hiker hit with more charges for separate case Man allegedly steals $61K worth of TVs from train in Midtown MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man accused of stealing over $61,000 worth of TVs during a train heist in Midtown is now in jail, police say. Paul McQuarter, 30, is charged with burglary of a building, theft of property $60,000 $250,000, and destroying/interfering with a utility line. He is being held in jail on a $30,000 bond. On June 18, Memphis Police say they responded to a prowler call at York Avenue and Tanglewood Street. The witness stated that several men were stealing items from a train. Smash-and-grab burglars hit brand-new liquor store Officers say when they arrived at the scene, multiple men were seen running away where 13 Samsung televisions were lying in the field. The men were going north, crossing the railroad tracks. After a short period, officers say they saw a group of men come off the railroad tracks and walk onto Central Avenue. One of the men was identified as Paul McQuarter. He was detained at that time. A gray GMC Acadia with several boxes of Meguiars car soap stacked next to it was found across the street from the vacant lot. On June 19, investigators say they were able to find two more Samsung televisions on the north side of the railroad tracks. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. On July 16, Best Buy confirmed that the container was burglarized and missing 117 televisions worth $61,275.18. Paul Mcquarter is scheduled to appear in court on Friday morning. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Man arrested after chase from Jackson into Pearl JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) A man was arrested after a chase from Jackson into Pearl on Thursday, August 15. Bailey Martin, press secretary for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS), said Capitol police attempted to stop a vehicle around 6:30 p.m. near Ellis Avenue. Two arrested after multiple burglaries in Pearl Martin said the vehicle failed to stop, and officers chased the vehicle into Pearl. The suspects vehicle came to a stop near Knight Road. The driver, 38-year-old Jubory Knight, was arrested and charged with felony fleeing. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. Man arrested with multiple unrelated charges in Fabens Man arrested with multiple unrelated charges in Fabens EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A 25-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 13 with multiple unrelated charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sexual assault of a child in Fabens, according to the El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPSCO). Jimmy Mack Rodriguez, was wanted for the following charges, according to EPSCO: One count of assault on a family/household member with previous convictions One count of possession of a controlled substance One count of burglary of habitation One count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon One count of aggravated sexual assault of a child Two counts of sexual assault of a child One count of injury to a child/elderly One count of evading arrest with a vehicle According to EPSCO, deputies found Rodriguez at the 700 block of N. Fabens and took him into custody without incident. Rodriguez has been booked into the El Paso County Jail with no bond, according to EPSCO. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. (FOX40.COM) A 34-year-old man was arrested on Thursday by the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office after stabbing another man, leading police and CHP officers on a pursuit, and holding a standoff on Highway 50. According to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office, the situation began on Wednesday around 10:30 p.m. when deputies were called to reports of a domestic violence dispute in the Arden-Arcade area. Body of missing Placer County woman possibly found in Nevada When deputies arrived, they were told by the victim that she had been choked out multiple times by her boyfriend before being taken to the hospital. Deputies later identified the boyfriend as 34-year-old Robert Zimbelman. Just after midnight on Thursday, deputies were sent to a gas station on Fair Oaks Boulevard for reports saying a man was stabbed. Deputies said when they arrived at the scene, they found the victim suffering from severe injuries after having been stabbed in the stomach and the face. The victim was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. Based on their investigation, Deputies and Crime Scene Investigators learned that the suspect rammed his vehicle into the victims vehicle, after which he stabbed the victim multiple times. The suspect then fled the scene in a blue car. Deputies on the scene were able to determine that Zimbelman was, in fact, also the suspect in the stabbing, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said. Sacramento County traffic stop turns into massive drug bust, deputies say A search for Zimbelman began and around 4 a.m., the Fairfield Police Department reported finding him in his vehicle. The sheriffs office said he led Fairfield police officers and CHP officers on a vehicle pursuit before crashing near Jefferson Boulevard and Highway 50 in Yolo County. Zimbelman then tried to flee on foot, deputies said, before going on the Jefferson Boulevard Overpass, threatening to jump and kill himself, the sheriffs office said. CHP Crisis Negotiators convinced Zimbelman to surrender peacefully when he was taken into custody without further incident. Zimbelman was taken to a local hospital and was medically cleared before being booked on multiple felonies into the Sacramento County Main Jail. His bail has been set at $150,000. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. GALESBURG, Ill. (WMBD) A man was arrested and charged in connection to a Thursday morning house fire that injured a child. According to a press release from the Galesburg Police Department Thursday afternoon, officials with the local police and fire departments responded shortly after 7:30 a.m. to the 200 block of Highland Avenue regarding a house fire. When officials arrived, they found a child inside the home with non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the fire. The child was initially taken to OSF St. Mary Medical Center for treatment but was then taken to St. Francis Medical Center shortly after. There were no further details regarding his condition. Arson was the cause of a vacant house fire early Tuesday, fire investigator says Firefighters with the Galesburg Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire inside the home. The location of the flames was not immediately made available. After a fire investigation, police suspected 46-year-old Jason Fielder of foul play in connection to the incident. Police found Fielder at an apartment complex located in the 600 block of Home Boulevard, where they arrested him on charges of attempted murder, aggravated arson and aggravated criminal sexual assault. Police announced that he could face additional charges about the incident. There were no further details regarding the charge of sexual assault. Fielder remains in custody at the Knox County Jail awaiting his first court appearance. The Galesburg Police Department and the Galesburg Fire Department were assisted by the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Unit, State of Illinois Fire Marshalls Office and the Knox County Sheriffs Department. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A man convicted in July of first-degree murder will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 50 years. The Johnson County District Attorneys Office says a judge sentenced 26-year-old Zarrell Semaj Finley to a Hard 50 for shooting and killing 26-year-old Shaquille Jackson at an Overland Park gas station on July 31, 2022. New site being considered for downtown Royals stadium The jury that found Finley guilty of murder also convicted him for being a felon in possession of a firearm. His sentences for both counts run concurrently according to the district attorneys office. Johnson County court records show he served more than two years for a pair of felony drug convictions in a 2019 case. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. MAYFIELD, Ky. (FOX 56) An investigation is underway after an officer-involved shooting took place Thursday in Mayfield. The Kentucky State Police said the incident occurred at a hotel on Housman Street and, at 10 p.m., the Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team arrived at the scene to begin their investigation. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: During the incident, a man was shot by a member of law enforcement and was declared dead at the scene by the coroner, according to KSP. State police officials say timelines to complete investigations vary due to the complexity of the case. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) A 19-year-old Columbiana man entered a plea agreement in court Friday after May reports state he was drinking underage and evaded police. Seth Portwood, 19, pleaded guilty in Mahoning County Court to a charge of physical control, reduced from an OVI first offense. Additional charges for OVI and speed were dismissed. The charges stem from a May incident where Portwood allegedly was drinking underage at a Salem convenience store. When authorities attempted to contact Portwood, reports state he sped through a parking lot, failed to stop at a stop sign, jumped a curb and turned off his headlights before leading officers on a high-speed chase. A member of the Ohio State Highway Patrol later conducted a traffic stop in the area of Renkenberger Road and arrested Portwood on OVI charges. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail with 177 days suspended and 12 months probation. His license was also suspended for one year, although an occupational license was granted. Portwood was also ordered to pay a total of $615 in court fines and fees. As part of the same case, he is still facing felony charges of failure to comply and fleeing and failure to comply out of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, records state. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Street vendor Mohammadajan is pictured in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 13, 2024. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Three years after U.S.-led forces pulled out of Afghanistan, although the security situation has improved significantly, the Afghan people are facing severe economic challenges. KABUL, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- After one day of business slump, Mohammadajan, a street vendor in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, was taking the last opportunity to tout vegetables to sparse shoppers loudly before sunset. On Aug. 15, 2021, Taliban's force entered Kabul and took over power as U.S.-led forces have withdrawn from Afghanistan. To celebrate the third anniversary of U.S.-led forces pulling out of Afghanistan, streets and buildings in the capital have been decorated with flags and slogans on the wall reading "congratulation to freedom" and "Afghan nation defeated America". "That day (three years ago) I heard that the Taliban was going to enter the city and I saw through the window that people on the street were running home in a panic." Mohammadajan reminisced. But Mohammadajan soon discovered that things did not develop in the bad direction, and Afghanistan finally ushered in three years of relative peace. "The security situation here has improved 100 percent, and the number of beggars and thieves on the street has also gradually decreased," Mohammadajan told Xinhua. According to the Global Terrorism Index, terror deaths fell by 519 in Afghanistan in 2023, an 81 percent improvement. This was the first year since 2019 that Afghanistan has not been the country most impacted by terrorism. "Security has improved compared to the past," Hussain, a dry fruit shopkeeper in Kabul said. "Our shop is open until 12:00 midnight and no one bothers us." This photo shows a view of Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 14, 2024. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Although the security situation has improved significantly, the Afghan people are facing severe economic challenges. Over the past two years, Afghanistan's economy has been characterized by a tumultuous downturn, with a staggering 26 percent contraction in real GDP, according to a report released by the World Bank in April. Currently, turnover has declined 50 percent, said Hussain. "Over the past three years, we don't have any benefit." According to Hussain, due to economic downturn, people's purchasing power has continued to decline, and prices have also fallen. "Now violence has decreased and people were relieved to some extent," said Najibullah Arman, an editor of a news organization. "But we can not ignore reconstruction and modernization, aspirations of the Afghan people." Following the U.S. military withdrawal, Washington has slapped sanctions on the new Afghan administration, freezing Afghanistan's central bank assets worth billions of U.S. dollars and thus plunging the country into an economic crisis. According to Arman, the sanctions made it difficult for foreign capital to enter Afghanistan, resulting in delay in launch of large-scale investment projects in Afghanistan. "How can Afghans actually live with these sanctions? I think this is unfair." Arman said, adding that peace is hard-won, and now ordinary people's wish is to find a job and live in peace. LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) Police detectives and fire marshals worked together to investigate a Tuesday morning blaze at a Lebanon business, resulting in an arson arrest. Officials said members of the Lebanon Police Department (LPD) and the Lebanon Fire Department (LFD) responded to a structure fire at the Kane & Crowell Law Office in the 100 block of S. College Street during the early morning hours on Tuesday, Aug. 13. The situation could have turned really bad really quick, public information officer for the Lebanon Police Department, Zach Patton, told News 2. But were thankful for the quick response by our officers and our firefighters here in the city of Lebanon. Community rallies in support of beloved teacher who lost home in Spring Hill fire The blaze was quickly extinguished in the unoccupied building, but due to the suspicious nature of the fire, investigators from both LFD and LPD were called to the scene. As a result, LFD said its fire marshals determined the blaze was intentionally set. According to authorities, LPD detectives reviewed surveillance footage and spoke to witnesses to develop a suspect vehicle. Then, they identified the owner using license plate recognition technology. There were some items on the roof a couple bags, Patton said. Once the fire was extinguished, they were able to get access to those said bags and there were some form[s] of accelerants in there. The next day, police said they took 43-year-old Jerry Travis Tramel of Lebanon into custody, charging him with one count of arson and one count of vandalism between $60,000 and $250,000. Possibly investigated as a hate crime: Dickerson Pike building owner offers $10K reward for info on fire, vandalism I am grateful for our dedicated detectives and officers who worked quickly and with the utmost professionalism to identify and locate the suspect, Lebanon Police Chief Mike Justice said in a statement released on Friday, Aug. 16. Its reassuring to know that as a department, we have the resources and technology at our disposal to assist us in quickly solving cases and locating suspects. LFD Fire Marshals office worked relentlessly with LPD to process the evidence throughout their investigation. Through their hard work and determination they were able to assist LPD in the arrest of the suspect, the fire department posted on Facebook. No additional details have been posted about this incident. Arson is not very common here in Lebanon, Patton said. Were thankful to live in a very good community with good residents. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. ESPANOLA, N.M. (KRQE) A man is facing drug trafficking charges following a traffic stop in Espnaola on Sunday night, according to New Mexico State Police. An officer was on patrol and said that he saw Issac Cruz, who he knew had an active felony warrant, driving on Rio Arriba County Road 40. The officer then pulled Cruz over and arrested him on the warrant. Man accused of killing New Mexico State Police officer will not face death penalty During the arrest, Cruz was found with 15 grams of crack in his pocket, police said. Officers searched his vehicle and found the following items: One AR-15 Style Rifle (serial number was tampered with) Two rifle magazines One handgun magazine 50 .380 ammunition live rounds 50 9mm ammunition live rounds Body armor vests with steel plates 2.16 pounds of heroin 1,292 fentanyl pills 1.26 Ounces of fentanyl powder 8.55 ounces of crack cocaine (Not including the 15 grams in his pocket) 6.30 ounces of cocaine 1.42 ounces of crystal meth Two scales 77 plastic zip-loc bags Three cell phones One Laptop State Police booked Cruz into the Rio Arriba County Detention Center on his felony warrant and possession of a controlled substance. After the search of his vehicle, State Police additionally charged him with six counts of drug trafficking, six counts of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) Roanoke City Police says an early morning shooting that occurred August 16 on Hanover Ave has sent a man to the hospital. According to RPD, around 6:54 a.m. on Friday, officers arrived at the 1700 block of Hanover Ave after receiving reports of gunfire. On the scene, a man was found with non-life-threatening injuries. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. DPD charges man after fight escalated to shooting and vehicle chase in Danville RPD has currently not released any information regarding any suspects or persons of interest. The investigation is still ongoing. If you have any information regarding the incident, please call 540-344-8500. You can also text us at 274637; please begin the text with RoanokePD to ensure its properly sent. Both calls and texts can remain anonymous. WFXR News will continue to update you with more information as it becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Man hospitalized after road rage crash in Orleans, police say A suspected road rage crash on Friday morning sent one man to the hospital. Officers responding to the area of 51 Main Street around 11:30 a.m. for a motor vehicle collision found a 2017 Subaru Impreza and a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado had crashed into each other, according to Orleans Police. Authorities say a 53-year-old man was treated by EMS and transported to Cape Cod Hospital. His condition is unknown at this time. The driver of the Subaru Impreza, a 43-year-old man, remained on scene. Orleans Police say the collision was a result of a road rage incident but did not specify the facts and circumstances leading up to the crash. It is unclear if any charges will be filed at this time. Main Street and businesses on Main Street are currently open and was not affected by the incident. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A Warren man Thursday was indicted by a Mahoning County grand jury for pushing a woman in downtown Youngstown. Whittington Davis, 37, was indicted on a count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony and obstructing official business, a second-degree misdemeanor. Davis has been in the county jail since his July 6 arrest by city police on a warrant. Reports said a woman told police she was in the 200 block of West Federal Street on July 2 when a man, later identified as Davis, pushed her and she fell to the ground. The woman had to be taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center to be examined, reports said. Reports said she injured her wrist when she fell. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Almount Smith (right) gives a victim impact statement during the sentencing of Rashad Trice, 28, in Lansing for the 2023 murder of his 2-year-old granddaughter Wynter Cole-Smith on Aug. 16, 2024. Trice, appearing over Zoom (left), was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols A case which began in July of 2023 as a search for a kidnapped 2-year-old, Wynter Cole-Smith, garnering statewide attention in Michigan, has ended with the sentencing of Rashad Trice, 27, on Friday in a Lansing court to life in prison for her murder and the sexual assault of her mother. On July 2, 2023 Trice sexually assaulted and stabbed his former girlfriend, Cole-Smiths mother, and kidnapped the two-year girl who was found dead after a three-day search in a Detroit alley, having been strangled by a phone cord. It was an unimaginable hate within Trice that led to that fateful day, the girls paternal grandfather Almount Smith said during his victim impact statement on Friday, a hate that leaves everyone who loved the two-year-old with the question of why. Why was my baby my little angel used as collateral? Smith said to Trice who appeared over zoom. You took someone special from me, my only grandchild. Cole-Smith was a toddler full of love, her maternal grandmother Willeen Cannon said in a statement read in court by Michigan Assistant Attorney General Danielle Russo Bennetts. She even loved Trice, who was not her father, but had been involved in her life. This act of pure evilness Rashad has committed is irreversible in its actions and cannot be forgiven. My granddaughters life was taken before she had the chance to even know who she was, use the potty [and] say complete sentences, Cannons statement said. Rashad took her life like an animal, the same way a four-legged beast takes the young of other wild animals. In addition to the sentencing in Lansing on Friday where the judge ordered Trice to serve life in prison without possibility of parole, Trice will be sentenced in a federal case later this month for the incident where federal prosecutors decided not to pursue the death penalty. Michigan state courts do not offer the death penalty, a constriction that Cannon said falls short of what Trice deserves. I believe the death penalty would be a wake up call to a lot of offenders perhaps. I really wanted the death penalty for Rashad, but I appreciate the current sentence that hes receiving on this date. Rashad has no business in the outside world for the crime he has committed. He would only destroy more lives if given the opportunity to do so, Cannons statement said. Trice was sentenced Friday to life in prison without possibility of parole, the harshest penalty Michigan courts offer, and one that is fitting of someone that escalated domestic violence to the unimaginable extreme and who shows no remorse, Russo Bennetts said. Those who are in the business of dealing with domestic violence, intimate partner violence, we see the escalation of it all the time, but I think its so rare to see it escalate to this, Russo Bennetts said. To escalate to such abuse on an intimate partner and then kidnapping the child, the brutal, unimaginable loss of a child, and then fighting with the police and putting the community at risk and danger, and just the escalation of such violence in this case, and such losstheres few cases where life without parole makes sense, and thats this case. Trice was charged with 20 criminal charges across multiple counties for Cole-Smiths kidnapping and murder as a person who was a habitual violent offender that had had run-ins with law enforcement in the past. Ultimately in July Trice took a plea, reducing the number of charges to first-degree murder and first-degree criminal sexual conduct, with the murder charge carrying a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Ingham County Public Defender Keith Watson, representing Trice, told the court that it was the first time and hopefully the last time that he stood beside somebody and let them offer a plea of guilty when a mandatory life sentence was on the table. I certainly would never recommend this to any client, and I did not, in this case I can tell you that this was Mr. Trices independent decision, my team and I prepared to proceed to trial, Watson said. Everyone in the case will suffer for the rest of their lives, Watson said, including Trice who he thinks lives with an attachment disorder that impairs his decision-making abilities. Though nothing can bring the two-year-old girl back, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement Friday there is a level of solace for the girls family in not having to sit through a lengthy trial Thanks to the tireless work of law enforcement and prosecutors in my office, the man responsible for these horrific acts will never again endanger our communities, Nessel said. Cole-Smith came from an extended family of kind and caring people who understood social responsibility and compassion, her paternal grandmother Sharen Eddings said in a statement read by Russo Bennetts. Wynter was better than you then and she remains better than you today, she will always be better than you, Eddings wrote addressing Trice. But for our family, its time to hold our heads high, catch our breath and begin the painful process of healing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A Bellingham man was arrested after a crash that killed a Blaine man and injured at least three others early Friday on Interstate 5 in Ferndale. Authorities suspect drugs or alcohol were involved when a 2005 Pontiac GTO driven by Collin Cayo, 20, hit a barrier and spun out as he was entering the freeway. Evan Hayes was severely injured and later died when the 2006 Yamaha FJR1300 motorcycle he was riding hit Cayos car, the Washington State Patrol said in a report. Cayo was booked into the Whatcom County Jail on Friday, where he was being held without bail on suspicion of vehicular assault. Washington State Patrol Trooper Kelsey Harding told The Bellingham Herald in a phone interview that those charges would be changed to vehicular homicide. Hayes was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died. A Washington State Department of Transportation camera captured this image of a traffic backup after a crash early Friday. Aug. 16, 2024, on southbound Interstate 5 at Portal Way near Ferndale, Wash. The crash and investigation closed southbound I-5 through Ferndale from about 2:40 a.m. to 9 a.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation tweeted. It caused a lengthy backup during the morning commute. A Ferndale man who was listed as a passenger in Cayos car, Eric Damain Chavez-Garfias, was also arrested Friday by Whatcom County sheriffs deputies on an outstanding warrant and other charges not related to Fridays incident, Harding said. Chavez-Garfias, 20, was being held without bail on at least one of the charges, according to the jails online booking records. A third passenger in Cayos car, 18-year-old Kyndra N. Risler of Ferndale, was injured. Cayo, Chavez-Garfias and Risler were taken to St. Joseph Medical Center for treatment, where they were released Friday in stable condition, a hospital spokeswoman told The Herald. A fourth passenger in Cayos car fled before officers or firefighters arrived, Kelsey told The Herald. No information about that person was immediately available. Ramone Alston, 30, escaped from a prison transport vehicle after arriving at a Hillsborough, N.C., hospital for an appointment, officials said North Carolina Department of Adult Correction/Facebook Ramone Alston A convicted murderer who escaped custody in North Carolina and fled more than 100 miles away has been captured, authorities announced, ending a three-day manhunt involving local and federal law enforcement agencies. Ramone Alston, 30, was taken into custody without incident shortly before 2 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, at a hotel in Kannapolis, N.C., a Charlotte suburb, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction said in a press release. The investigation involved FBI Charlotte SWAT agents, Kannapolis Police and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. The agency said that after Alstons capture, a female acquaintance identified as Jacobia Crisp was arrested in Alamance County and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive. Its unclear if she has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf. According to the agency, Alston will be charged with felony escape from state prison, and is being taken to a high security unit in the state prison system. There, he will continue serving his life sentence for first-degree murder and await court appearances for his escape charges, they said. Alston escaped from corrections officers on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at around 7 a.m., just after arriving at UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus for an appointment. He had freed himself from leg restraints and, still in handcuffs, jumped out and ran into adjacent woods," the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction said in a separate release. The hospital is located about 110 miles away from Kannapolis, N.C., where Alston was ultimately captured. The agency previously announced a combined $50,000 reward for information leading to his location and capture. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Alston is serving a life sentence at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor, N.C., after being convicted of first-degree murder for the 2015 shooting death of a 1-year-old child in Chapel Hill, N.C., the agency said. According to local station WTVD, the victim, Maleah Williams, was shot in the head outside her godparents home on Christmas Day in 2015 and later died at a local hospital. The girls mother, Tylena Williams, told the station that Maleah was among several children playing outside when a man inside a car began shooting. The outlet reported that Alston, and another man, Pierre Je Bron Moore, pleaded guilty to their roles in the murder in 2019. Alston was handed down a life sentence while Moore received 28 to 34 years, per WTVD. "I am grateful to our DAC staff and thankful for the support and effort from hundreds of local, state and federal public safety officers who helped in the search and investigation that returned Alston safely to custody," Secretary Todd Ishee said in the release. "This was an incredible collaborative effort of many people and agencies." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. A man was found guilty of multiple charges resulting in a 15-year sentence in prison. According to a press release from Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson, Michael Scott Mount, 43, was sentenced to 15 concurrent years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for charges of trafficking in stolen identities, stealing, forgery, identity theft, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and assault. Patterson said Judge Katie Greenwade heard from the assistant prosecutor regarding Mounts extensive criminal history, the effect of his crimes on the community, and the number of individuals who have been victimized by the defendant resulted in the sentencing of the five felonies and two misdemeanors. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) The Alexandria Police Department (APD) has released the name of the man who was shot and killed by police on Aug. 12 Police identified the man as 61-year-old Paul Gabriel Behan, Jr. As we previously reported, on Monday night a man called 911 and requested police to do a well-being check at the Parkside at Alexandria condo complex for one of his coworkers who lived there. Body found on Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Sterling Within three minutes, officers arrived at the 5100 block of Maris Ave and found Behan, who exited his apartment and went into the stairwell holding a gun. According to APD, officers negotiated with Behan for more than 30 minutes and attempted to de-escalate the situation. Police said they pleaded with Behan several times to drop the gun, but were unsuccessful. Police: Barricade situation resolved in Langley Park At 11:21 p.m., an Alexandria police officer shot the man after he made a threatening action, according to APD. The officer who fired his gun was a 19 veteran and a member of APDs Special Operations team. He was placed on administrative leave while the Critical Incident Response Team investigated the shooting. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. JAKARTA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government plans to allocate a budget of 400.3 trillion rupiah (approximately 25.5 billion U.S. dollars) for infrastructure development next year, including continuing the construction of infrastructure in the new capital city of Nusantara on Kalimantan Island. President Joko Widodo presented the state budget plan during a plenary session at the parliament building in Jakarta on Friday. "The budget is particularly for education and health infrastructure, connectivity infrastructure, food and energy infrastructure, as well as sustainable development of the Nusantara capital," Widodo said. Widodo mentioned that over the past 10 years, Indonesia has prioritized infrastructure development in remote areas, including 366,000 kilometers of village roads, 1.9 million meters of village bridges, and 2,700 kilometers of new toll roads. Additionally, 6,000 kilometers of national roads as well as 50 ports and airports have been built. In addition to increasing the country's competitiveness, Widodo added that the infrastructure development has reduced logistics costs from 24 percent to 14 percent of gross domestic product in 2023. The total state budget for next year is 3,613.1 trillion rupiah, including 722.6 trillion rupiah allocated for the education sector, 504.7 trillion rupiah for social protection, 197.8 trillion rupiah for health, and 124.4 trillion rupiah for food security. (1 Indonesian rupiah equals 0.000064 USD) KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Wyandotte County Sheriffs Office is investigating after they say a man was shot and killed at a park on Thursday night. The sheriffs office says deputies went to Edgerton Park, which is just a couple blocks east of Banneker Elementary School, at about 9 p.m. on a shooting call. Pagans Motorcycle Club members arrested in law enforcement operation They found the victim, identified as 42-year-old Howard Nichols, wounded in critical condition. He was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries. The sheriffs office didnt provide any information about a potential suspect, but if you saw or heard anything, or know anything that will help lead to an arrest, call the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. ROCK HILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A 44-year-old man is recovering after he was stabbed at a local mosque, according to the Rock Hill Police Department. Around 3 p.m., on Friday, August 16, officers were called to the Islam Center of South Carolina, also known as Masjid Al-Salaam, on West Main Street. Travaughn West, 27, reportedly went up to a 44-year-old man after prayer and stabbed him in the abdomen. New video shows the moment escaped murderer captured in Kannapolis West was then confronted by an armed security guard, who police say shot the 27-year-old when West continued to act violently. Officers found the victim inside the mosque. He was taken to Piedmont Medical Center and is expected to be okay. West ran towards Laurel Street but was arrested. He was also transported to Piedmont Medical Center. A member of Masjid Al-Salaam said Travaughn West participated in prayer before the alleged attack. Once West is released from the hospital, he will be charged with Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature and Possession of a Knife During a Crime of Violence and taken to the Rock Hill Jail. The investigation is ongoing. Police say the two knew each other, and the incident does not appear to be religiously motivated. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Lawsuit claims Emory lost part of mans skull, then charged him $19k to replace it A Georgia man is suing Emory University Hospital and accusing them of negligence after he said they lost a piece of his skull. Fernando Cluster was a patient at Emory University Hospital Midtown on Sept. 30, 2022, while undergoing treatment for an intracerebral hemorrhage, more commonly known as a brain bleed, which is commonly caused by high blood pressure. According to Clusters lawsuit, while he was being treated for the bleed, he underwent a procedure in which surgeons removed a 12- by 15-centimeter portion of his skull, which his attorney refers to as a bone flap. That size is just a little smaller than a standard bottle of water. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] While Cluster was healing from the procedure, he was supposed to have the bone flap re-implanted. Instead, while Emory personnel were getting Cluster ready for the implant procedure on Nov. 11, 2022, they were unable to retrieve the piece of skull for his surgery. When Emorys personnel went to retrieve the bone flap, there were several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification and therefore, Emory could not be certain which if any of these belonged to Mr. Cluster, the lawsuit claims. TRENDING STORIES: After a delay, Cluster and his wife were told they could not perform the surgery because the hospital could not find the missing portion of his skull, the lawsuit says. Cluster and Emory instead chose to use a synthetic implant flap instead and, ultimately, Cluster had the surgery on Nov. 23, 2022. Cluster is now accusing Emory of negligence because they allegedly lost a piece of his skull, which led Cluster to stay at the hospital longer and to him needing a synthetic material put into his skull instead of his own bone. Emory also charged Cluster for the cost of the synthetic bone flap and the additional time in the hospital and procedures he underwent. The bills added up to $19,000. The lawsuit by Cluster also says the synthetic flap caused an infection, which then required further surgery. All of this was also charged to Cluster. The lawsuit claims that Emory failed to exercise ordinary and reasonable care in providing medical services to Cluster and failed to follow appropriate standards and procedures for the storage of Clusters bone flap, causing injury to Cluster both physically and monetarily. Clusters wife is also named in the lawsuit, which seeks damages for her loss of love, society, companionship and consortium of her husband due to the injuries they say were caused by Emorys alleged negligence. Grant Law Office says a loss of consortium is a difficult claim to prove and cannot be used for recovering missed wages or medical costs due to injury. The law firm described a loss of consortium, in part, as a consideration of how a spouses injuries affect their ability to provide sexual intimacy, company, aid, friendship, and cooperation in marriage. The lawsuit also claims that Cluster is unable to work, was physically and emotionally injured and suffering as a result of the accused negligence of Emory and that he has built up medical expenses as much as $146,845 due to the incident, with those costs continuing to rise. Together, the Clusters are seeking damages and compensation from the incident and special damages, as well as attorneys fees and all other costs, to be paid by Emory if they win. The Clusters have requested a jury trial on all claims and issues in their lawsuit. Channel 2 Action News has reached out to Emory University for comment. They sent us a statement Friday evening, saying: Emory Healthcare is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care for patients and those we serve in our communities. We do not comment on pending litigation. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Man on trial for child abuse charges dies after being shot by Ky. law enforcement A man who allegedly fled from his jury trial in Tennessee Thursday died after being shot by law enforcement officers at a hotel in Western Kentucky late Thursday night. Both the Mayfield Police Department and the Graves County Sheriffs Office said they were involved in the shooting, which happened at about 10 p.m. on West Housman Street in Mayfield. The mans identity had not been released as of Friday evening. The Graves County Sheriffs Office was contacted by the sheriffs office in Benton County, Tenn., Thursday evening about an individual that was wanted on a nationwide extraditable arrest warrant for charges related to felony failure to appear, on underlying charges related to the rape of a child, incest and domestic assault, Graves County Sheriff Jon Hayden wrote in a post shared on his offices Facebook page. The man had been out on bond before his trial, and as jury deliberations began, the suspect left the court and fled, according to Hayden. The man had indicated that he intended to kill himself, and he was thought to be in the Mayfield area. Based on a vehicle description that had been given to the sheriffs office, a deputy found the mans vehicle at the Wingfield Inn, which is near the Graves County High School campus, the post stated. When the man came out of a motel room near his vehicle, the deputy approached him and was able to identify the man as the wanted person, according to the sheriff. While attempting to take the suspect into custody, a struggle ensued, and the suspect was able to get back through the door into the motel room. A brief standoff ensued as other deputies and officers from the Mayfield Police Department arrived. Later, the man came out again brandishing a handgun, pointing it at deputies and officers. Numerous commands were given, that were ignored. At some point, law enforcement fired, and the suspect was hit and died at the scene, Hayden wrote. Kentucky State Police said the coroner pronounced the man dead at the scene. The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team is investigating. The Graves County Sheriffs Office said two deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave. There is body camera footage of the incident, the sheriff wrote in the social media post. Man, woman sought in search for missing children, ages 2 and 4 Authorities are searching for a man, woman and two children who were last seen in Los Angeles County earlier this week. The California Highway Patrol issued an Endangered Missing Advisory (EMA) on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department Friday morning for both Los Angeles and Riverside counties. Officers are searching for Wyman and Willow Bryant, ages 2 and 4, who were last seen around 3 p.m. Wednesday near South Vermont Avenue and West 83rd Street in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of Los Angeles. Missing family chp They were possibly traveling in a champagne-colored Buick Enclave with paper plates, the CHP stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The kids were believed to be with Tiffany Bryant, 39, and David James, 53, who were described as suspects in the post. Tiffany Bryant stands 5 feet four inches tall and weighs about 100 pounds with blond hair and brown eyes. James height was unknown but he weighs about 170 pounds with gray hair and blue eyes. Anyone who comes in contact with Bryant or James was asked to call 911. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Man in Worcester County tests positive for EEE, first human case in Mass. in 4 years Massachusetts Health officials are asking residents in Worcester County to be on alert after a man in his 80s recently tested positive for EEE. Its the first case of EEE found in humans since 2020, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said. EEE is a rare but serious disease and a public health concern. We want to remind residents of the need to protect themselves from mosquito bites, especially in areas of the state where we are seeing EEE activity, said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein. As a result of the positive statement, the risk level in the communities of Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster has been raised to critical. The risk in Dudley, Northbridge, and Uxbridge was increased to high. Though rare, EEE carries symptoms that can affect people of all ages. Most cases of EEE are spread to humans from infected mosquito bites. There were 12 human cases of EEE in Massachusetts in 2019 with six deaths, and five human cases with one death in 2020. Two humans have tested positive for West Nile Virus in Massachusetts this year. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A Manchester man has been arrested for possessing child pornography. According to Manchester police, an investigation began in March 2024 into a man who had images of child sex abuse on his devices. Police were able to identify the suspect as Martin Easton, 47 of Manchester. Police seized Eastons electronic devices and found multiple sexually explicit images of children. An arrest warrant was issued and Easton is being charged with 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse images a count of certain uses of computer services prohibited. Easton turned himself in to the Manchester Police Department on August 7 and he was held on preventative detention. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A Marion County undersheriff on Aug. 16, 2023, reaches into an evidence locker for items seized from the Marion County Record during an Aug. 11, 2023, raid by city police. A Marion County undersheriff on Aug. 16, 2023, reaches into an evidence locker for items seized from the Marion County Record during an Aug. 11, 2023, raid by police. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA A day after police raided the Marion County Record, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett expressed concerns about whether a crime had been committed, the evidence seized by police and that the local prosecutor could be held personally liable for a violation of constitutional rights. Bennett texted Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey and talked to him about his concerns. Bennett agreed to review the search warrants and advised Ensey he should return everything police had taken during the raid. Those behind-the-scenes conversations set in motion an effort by Ensey to create a narrative that he wasnt responsible for the raid. Ensey also asked Bennett and Riley County District Attorney Barry Wilkerson to take over the case as special prosecutors. Despite Bennetts initial concerns about the legality of the raid, he and Wilkerson concluded in a report they released last week that police had not violated any laws when they unwittingly fabricated a criminal charge and conducted an illegal raid. Instead, Bennett and Wilkerson decided former Police Chief Gideon Cody only committed obstruction of justice after the raid when he asked a witness to delete text messages. Bennett and Wilkerson attempted to redirect criticism from Ensey and others who were involved in the raid by placing much of the blame on Cody. But recent court filings highlight Enseys involvement in the investigation before the raid, his handling of the search warrants, his post-raid conversations with Bennett, and the self-serving claims he made in emails he sent to himself. The Aug. 11, 2023, police raid targeted Councilwoman Ruth Herbel, who was a political outcast, and journalists who had investigated city corruption and complaints about Codys behavior in a previous job. Their supposed crime was having received a copy of a residents driving record, which is a public document. Reporter Phyllis Zorn independently verified the record through a state agencys public online database. During the raid, police seized computers and reporters personal cellphones, and reviewed documents that revealed confidential sources. Joan Meyer, the 98-year-old co-owner of the newspaper, died from a stress-induced heart attack a day after her profane confrontation with the police who raided her home. Former reporter Deb Gruver, who quit three weeks after the raid, sued Cody for violating constitutional protections for free speech and against unlawful search and seizure. Last month, she added Ensey and Sheriff Jeff Soyez as defendants in her lawsuit, and settled with Cody for $235,000. Gruvers attorney reexamines Enseys actions in an amended complaint filed Thursday in federal court. Former Marion County Record reporter Deb Gruver, with her dog Carmy, says she plans to use part of her $235,000 settlement with former police chief Gideon Cody to start a journalism scholarship for students who have "overcome extraordinary challenges in their life." On Aug. 8, 2023, Cody sent Ensey an email titled Crimes? in which the police chief, according to the lawsuit, floated all sorts of bizarre theories about laws that been violated. A day later, Cody asked Ensey to call him and talk about the case. Cody and Soyez also met with Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent Todd Leeds on Aug. 9 to review evidence gathered by local police, and Leeds agreed to join the investigation. After the meeting, Soyez went to Ensey. Heres the deal, Soyez told Ensey. Youre getting ready to get a big, old, nasty, hairy case dropped in your lap. I would suggest you hire a special prosecutor and just stay away from this entire case. Enseys personal notes from Aug. 9 which he emailed to himself after the raid show that Ensey understood the KBI was interested in getting search warrants for any devices that may have been used to access the driving record at the center of the police investigation, the lawsuit says. Cody prepared his own search warrants with the help of a sheriffs detective, and emailed them to Ensey on Aug. 10. Ensey opened the search warrants but claimed after the raid he didnt review them. On the morning of the raid, Cody pressured Ensey to sign off on the search warrants. I dont know why the f*** were in such a f****** hurry for this thing, Ensey told his office manager, before instructing her to take the warrants to the judge. Magistrate Judge Laura Viar then authorized the raid. In the wake of international scrutiny over the trampling of constitutional freedoms, Bennett texted Ensey and expressed concern about the situation, according to an addendum to the special prosecutors report. Ensey documented their conversation in an email to himself on Aug. 12, the day after the raid. Ensey said he called Bennett, who pointed to a federal court case that determined prosecutors could be personally liable for reviewing and approving a search warrant that deprives someone of constitutional rights. We discussed what was going on and he raised some concerns about seizing the computers and what crimes were actually committed, Ensey wrote in the memo to himself. Ensey claims in his memo that he was not familiar with the subject matter of the search warrants. After reviewing them, he wrote, he called Cody and Soyez to express concerns about the property that had been seized. But the officers objected to returning the evidence, Ensey wrote, because they wanted to discover the fruits and instrumentalities of the crime. The front of the Marion County Record on July 25, 2024 Two days later, in a separate email to himself, Ensey wrote that he felt as though the weight of the world is crashing down. He asked Bennett to review the search warrants and verify concerns about the items that were seized. On Aug. 15, Bennett told Ensey the warrants will not sustain appellate review. Every effort (should) be made to return the material seized to the owners in an expedited manner, Bennett wrote in an email to Ensey. On Aug. 16, Ensey announced in a news release that there was probable cause to believe a newspaper reporter may have committed a crime, but that he had come to the conclusion that insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized. The sheriff who had his deputies draft the search warrants, help carry out the raid and search the computers for keywords, and who coordinated with Cody during the raid and held a celebratory pizza party after the raid released the evidence. A reasonable prosecutor, once apprised of Chief Codys investigation and his allegations in his August 8 Crimes? e-mail, would have known that no probable cause existed to support that any law had been violated, Gruver asserts in her lawsuit. Ensey reviewed the search warrants at least in part, the lawsuit says, and knew from Codys email that the alleged crimes were tenuous at best and included federal crimes for which Ensey had no jurisdiction. Ensey also knew the targets included journalists who have special protections from searches and seizures under federal and state laws. But Ensey still printed the search warrant applications and asked his staff to deliver them to the judge, the lawsuit adds. Even if County Attorney Enseys claim that he did not fully review the affidavits or warrants were true, the lawsuit says, even a cursory reading of the papers would reveal the intended places to be searched, leading a reasonable prosecutor to conclude what County Attorney Ensey has already conceded: that there was no legally sufficient nexus between the alleged crime and the places to be searched. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., gives a thumbs down during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address during a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on February 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) One of former President Donald Trumps most outspoken and controversial supporters in Congress is slated to headline a pair of Pennsylvania GOP events in the coming weeks. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) will be the special guest for the Republican National Committees election integrity virtual training on Sunday. The PA RNC Poll Watcher Training provides a comprehensive overview of Pennsylvanias electoral process, as well as guidance on how Poll Watchers can play an important role in upholding election integrity. You will learn how to observe and report any potential problems that may arise during the voting and tabulation process, according to a Zoom link promoting the event. That same link indicates the event is closed to the press. Punchbowl News first reported Friday that the training session is with the Lehigh County Republican Committee. The Pennsylvania GOP and Pennsylvania Democratic parties did not immediately reply to requests for comment Friday. Following Trumps loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election, Greene falsely claimed that the loss was due to the election being stolen. She also objected to certifying the election results, and has been a vocal supporter of Trumps reelection campaign, and frequent critic of Democrats, particularly those in the progressive wing of the party. Sunday is not the first event that Republicans have held in Pennsylvania aimed at recruiting poll watchers. In June, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-9th District) held the second stop of a protect the vote tour in Bucks County. The training portion of the program for that event was also closed to the press. The RNCs nationwide campaign seeks to recruit 100,000 poll watchers, poll workers, and legal experts for the 2024 election, with a goal of getting at least 5,000 volunteers in Pennsylvania alone. On Sept. 3, Greene is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the Washington County Republican Partys Fall dinner. We will be asking her to speak her mind, totally unfiltered, the Washington County Republican Party wrote on Facebook promoting the fundraiser. There are several ticket packages available for the dinner which range from the $5,000 Donald package to the $100 dinner and dessert ticket. While Greene has become one of the most outspoken conservative voices in Congress since being elected, shes also caused divisions within the Republican Party, and was removed from the conservative House Freedom Caucus in 2023. In a previous session of Congress, she lost her committee assignments with Democrats and a few Republicans voting to remove her from various committees. Both Pennsylvania events are taking place on opposite sides of the commonwealth that feature different parts of the electorate in the Keystone State. Lehigh County, located in the Lehigh Valley north of Philadelphia, voted for Biden by just under 8 points over Trump in 2020. Washington County, situated in the southwestern region of the state, voted for Trump by 22 points over Biden in 2020. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST This story was updated at 12:32 p.m. with additional information ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A suicide bomber suspected to be affiliated with Yemen-based al-Qaeda branch killed at least 14 soldiers in the country's turbulent southern province of Abyan on Friday morning, a security official told Xinhua. The local security official, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the suicide terror attack, which targeted the third brigade forces aligned with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), occurred at approximately 7:00 am local time (0500 GMT) in the Mudiyah district of the Abyan province. The explosion caused significant casualties, with initial medical reports indicating that at least 14 soldiers lost their lives in the attack. An additional 17 military personnel suffered injuries, some of whom are in critical condition, according to the official. He said the assailant, driving a vehicle laden with explosives, breached military checkpoints before detonating the car bomb at the headquarters of the AlFaridh school, which currently serves as a temporary base for the forces of the STC in Mudiyah. The local Yemeni security official said the death toll may rise as medical teams continue to treat the severely wounded soldiers. The Yemen-based branch of al-Qaeda has not yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, security officials strongly suspect the group's involvement, given the nature and target of the bombing. The incident marked the latest in a series of violent attacks against the STC forces and pro-government forces in Yemen which has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014. Mark Cuban says he would get rid of both the Republican and Democratic parties if he could do it by waving a 'magic wand' Mark Cuban says he would get rid of both the Republican and Democratic parties if he could do it by waving a 'magic wand' Mark Cuban slammed the two-party system during a Bloomberg interview. The billionaire said he would get rid of both parties if he could do it by waving a "magic wand." Cuban said he'd once consulted his lawyers on filing antitrust actions against both parties. "Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban isn't a fan of the two-party system. "You know, parties vote unilaterally, right? They all vote the same despite representing districts or states that are all across the country. That's just insane," Cuban told reporter Olivia Nuzzi in an interview on Bloomberg's "Working Capital." The interview, which was recorded in March, was released on Thursday. In it, Cuban expressed his misgivings about the US political system and the inherent divisiveness he sees in it. "The way we vote for our candidates is through a primary system, where you know, a greater percentage of the primary voters lean towards extremes, whether it's right or left," Cuban said. "And so you have to have candidates, in order to not get primaried, who lean towards those extremes. And that's also the people who give money to those people. That's not the way to pick candidates. It's just wrong." This situation, Cuban said, has driven him to find ways to shut down both the Republican and Democratic parties. "If I could wave the magic wand, I'd get rid of the two parties, right?" Cuban told Nuzzi. "I went and talked to a couple of lawyers actually, and I hadn't talked about this before, 'Like, is there any way we could file any type of antitrust actions against both parties?'" Cuban added. Cuban says he's holding an open call and asking people with legitimate complaints about the parties to contact him so they can "sue them for antitrust and just try to take them down." When asked about his open call on Thursday, Cuban told Business Insider that no one's contacted him yet. "If you find someone with a legit antitrust case against the major parties. I'm interested," he added. Cuban has often weighed in on political issues. He's stopped short of running for public office himself but has floated the idea of an independent bid several times. In 2015, Cuban also said he was open to serving as Donald Trump's running mate. But Cuban's views on Trump soon shifted. "If he lasts four years, I'll be there to kick his ass," Cuban said back in 2017, the year Trump took office as president. Cuban is now backing Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign. Cuban initially endorsed President Joe Biden before the president dropped out of the race. "Given it's the system we have right now. I'll vote Harris," Cuban told BI on Thursday. When Harris introduced Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate, Cuban said the Harris-Walz ticket could be a draw for voters because of their non-Ivy League academic backgrounds. "People are tired of the ideologues and hate from both parties. They want to vote for normal people they can relate to," Cuban wrote in an X post on August 6. Read the original article on Business Insider Mark Meadows, once Donald Trumps White House chief of staff, is asking that the election subversion case against him in Arizona be jettisoned to federal court, a move he has repeatedlyand unsuccessfullyattempted in Georgia, where he is facing separate but similar charges. Meadows attorneys laid out their strategy in a court filing released to the public on Wednesday, saying they would seek for his charges to be dismissed after getting his charges punted to U.S. District Court. They argued that the removal was justified because his alleged actions, while not criminal per se, were undertaken while he was working as a federal official. The conduct giving rise to the charges in the indictment all occurred during his tenure and as part of his service as White House Chief of Staff, they said, adding later that charging Meadows at the state level was precisely the kind of state interference in a federal officials duties that the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution prohibits. Mark Meadows Publisher Sues Him for Millions Over Election Lies in Book Meadows is one of 18 people charged in an Arizona fake elector scheme, with a state grand jury indicting him in April for allegedly plotting to funnel the states electoral votes to Trump despite President Joe Bidens victory there. He has pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge John Tuchi, an Obama appointee, has scheduled an evidentiary hearing to weigh the request on Sept. 5, according to the Associated Press. Mark Meadows Bid to Punt Election Case Out of Georgia Shot Down Meadows has made a number of similar bids in Fulton County, Georgia, where he was indicted last August for conspiring to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state. His most recent overture was rejected in February. (Four of his 19 co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in the matter.) A move to federal court would offer the advantages of delays and, potentially, a more sympathetic Republican-leaning jury pool, experts have said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) A Frederick man is facing several charges after he allegedly set Hi Lo Auto Sales on fire and stole a truck on May 29, according to the Frederick County Sheriffs Office (FCSO). Just before 3 a.m., deputies and fire and rescue crews responded to the business in the 5000 block of Urbana Pike for a commercial fire alarm. When deputies arrived, they found smoke coming from the building. The fire was contained and the Fire Marshals Office determined the fire was intentionally set. Stray cat tested positive for rabies in Frederick County As the investigation continued, detectives learned that a 2019 Forf F-150 was stolen from the shop. The Sheriffs Office said the truck was later found in the Potomac River, in Washington County. Their investigation determined that 36-year-old Malcolm Muhammad Edwards, was allegedly connected to the fire. On Aug. 9, a warrant was obtained for his arrest on the following charges: Motor Veh/Unlawful Taking Arson 2 ND Degree Burglary/ 2 nd Degree/ General Theft $1,500 to under $25,000 Edwards is currently serving time at the Maryland Department of Corrections on unrelated charges. The Sheriffs Office said once his sentence is complete, he will be served on the arson charges. This was a totally senseless criminal act of arson and destruction to this local business. The enormous amount of property damage, loss from the theft, and monetary loss from the disruption of the business operation has had a major impact on this family-owned used car dealership, said Sheriff Chuck Jenkins Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. (KRON) A 32-year-old man was convicted by a jury after ramming a stolen car into police vehicles in San Franciscos Tenderloin District, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkinss office. On July 18, 2023, San Francisco police officers located an occupied suspected stolen vehicle near Leavenworth and Turk streets and attempted to make contact. Authorities said the suspect, Brian Lee Johnson, was wearing a balaclava and ignoring the officers commands. Police said Johnson rammed into patrol vehicles in an attempt to evade officers. A concealed firearm was found in Johnsons underwear, according to the District Attorneys office. UFC star Cain Velasquez changes plea in vigilante shooting Johnson was found guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person and resisting arrest. Assistant District Attorney Henry Gage III prosecuted the case. This verdict sent a clear message that Brian Johnsons conduct in this matter was unacceptable, said Gage III. SFPD officers located and arrested a convicted felon who was masked, illegally armed, and driving a suspected stolen vehicle. Johnson is in custody awaiting sentencing, which is on Sept. 19. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Massena and Ogdensburg airports to received federal funding for improvements ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, N.Y. (WWTI) A pair of north country airports will receive federal funding to make improvements. United States Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that both Massena International Airport and Ogdensburg International Airport will receive money from the FAAs Airport Infrastructure Grant Program. NYS announces funding for three upstate airports The funding will be used to support airport safety and infrastructure improvement projects across nine airports. Funding to repair the runways at Watertown International Airport was announced earlier in the week. Ogdensburg will get $2,565,051 as part of the ongoing terminal reconstruction project. Massena will receive $234,918 to reconstruct airfield signage and runway markers. The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority extends our deepest thanks to Senator Schumer for his unwavering support and leadership in securing the BIL AIG grant for the Ogdensburg International Airport. Steve Lawrence, Executive Director of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority The round of improvements come amidst a wave of investment in regional airports. Watertown, Ogdensburg and Adirondack Regional Airport in Boonville were all part of an announcement from Governor Kathy Hochul earlier in the week. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWTI - InformNNY.com. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Some of the 1,500 silver coins discovered in the Black Forest region of Germany. | Credit: Courtesy of the State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed more than 1,500 medieval silver coins after a citizen unexpectedly noticed what looked like "small metal plates" while digging during a construction project. The discovery "is the biggest treasure since 1949 in the region of Freiburg," Andreas Haasis-Berner , an archaeologist at the State Office for Monument Preservation in Stuttgart, told Live Science in an email. The finding, which was made in May while workers laid pipe near a swimming pool in the municipality of Glottertal, bears clues to what the mining and minting trades looked like in the area 650 years ago, according to a translated statement from the Stuttgart Regional Council. Back in 1949, archaeologists in Freiburg (also known as Freiburg im Breisgau) found about 5,000 coins from around the 1280s, but no medieval coins had been found in Glottertal, which is about 6 miles (10 kilometers) northeast of Freiburg. Glottertal sits in the Black Forest mountains in an area known for its picturesque valleys and dark pine forests, which are dotted with orchards and vineyards. Freiburg was founded by the House of Zahringen, a dynasty ruled by dukes from around 1120 to 1218. When the Zahringer line ended, the city was taken over by the House of Urach. "Glottertal has been one of the most important mining areas for the dukes of Freiburg," Haasis-Berner said. "The site where the coins were found was a main settlement area for miners," who unearthed metals such as silver . Related: Hoard of 100,000 centuries-old coins discovered in Japan During the pipeline installation, Haasis-Berner received a call from Claus Volker, a Glottertal citizen who said he had found some coins during the construction project. Medieval coin from Glottertal on a gray background. A man's face in profile is on the coin. "The next morning, he examined the place a second time, and now, his wife found a huge amount," Haasis-Berner said. "Some hours later, I went to the place and dug about 1,000 coins." In the days after the initial discovery, a few experts were brought to the site with metal detectors. Despite the adverse weather conditions with rain and knee-deep mud, the team managed to retrieve 500 to 600 more coins. At the time the coins were minted in the 14th century, "you could have bought about 150 sheep with the coins," Haasis-Berner said in the statement. After a rough cleaning of the coins, the experts determined that the coins were likely minted in the 1320s and were mainly from what is now Germany, Switzerland and France. Coin hoard from the medieval time found in Glottertal, Germany RELATED STORIES 'Extremely rare' 2,500-year-old broken silver coin unearthed near Jerusalem Ancient Egyptian hoard of counterfeit 'dirty money' unearthed Rare 2,100-year-old gold coin bears name of obscure ruler from pre-Roman Britain The new finding joins four similar coin hoards previously found in the greater region that date to the 1320s, Haasis-Berner said. "With these treasures, we can see which coins have been common," he said. Importantly, the latest discovery sheds light on the Glottertal's medieval history and economy, he noted. "The evaluation of this coin hoard will enable us to make statements about the circulation of coins in Breisgau, the minting activity in the mints, the silver trade, but also the mining in Glottertal," Haasis-Berner said. When Hurricane Debby (later downgraded to Tropical Storm Debby) hit the East Coast recently, it caused extensive damage and at least seven deaths. In Charleston, South Carolina, the storm revealed just how vulnerable the city is to extreme weather events, which are becoming more common and more intense, the Washington Post reported. What's happening? Though Charleston hasn't had a direct hit from a hurricane since Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the city has experienced massive flooding from other tropical storms over the past decade, including Florence in 2018, Irma in 2017, Matthew in 2016, and Joaquin in 2015. "It's no longer a question of if these storms can happen; we've seen them happen now again and again and again," Jessica Whitehead, executive director of the Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience at Old Dominion University, told the Post. "There's only so much you can do to plan for 20 inches of rain in a single storm, and beyond that, it's emergency management." Why are extreme weather events concerning? The prospect of flooding is "virtually just a constant existential fear we have throughout the year," Charleston resident Damon Black told the Post. As our planet continues to get hotter, largely as a result of burning dirty energy sources such as gas and oil, climates are continuing to change for the Southeastern United States, that has meant more, bigger, and wetter storms. Unfortunately, many of the places most affected by this extreme weather, such as Florida, are moving away from solutions meant to curb the trend. What's being done about storm preparedness in Charleston? As the city of Charleston has experienced so much flooding over the past decade, it is now working on several flood mitigation tactics. These include raising the Battery, the city's historic seawall, and building tunnels and pump stations. The city is also considering building a barrier to protect its harbor from storm surges. However, if these storms continue to become more frequent and intense in the future, even those tactics won't be enough to save homes. In order to truly address the threat that extreme weather events pose, we must halt the overheating of our planet caused by dirty energy. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Among the five people arrested in the Matthew Perry overdose death investigation were a local physician and the actors live-in assistant. Then there was Erik Fleming, listed as the TV stars acquaintance, and charged as a middleman in the deadly ketamine scheme. The Department of Justice described Flemings activities as that of a drug dealer, coordinating with Perrys assistant and Jasveen Sangha, the so-called Ketamine Queen. According to the DOJ, after discussing prices with [co-defendant Kenneth] Iwamasa, Fleming coordinated the drug sales with Sangha, and brought cash from Iwamasa to Sanghas stash house in North Hollywood to buy vials of ketamine. On Oct. 24, 2023, four days before Perrys death, Fleming at one point informed the assistant that the ketamine was on its way to our girl, in reference to Sangha. More from The Hollywood Reporter Fleming, 54, pled guilty on Aug. 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He admitted to distributing 50 vials of ketamine, half of them four days before Perrys death. Fleming faces up to 25 years in his federal case. Fleming didnt respond to The Hollywood Reporters request for comment. While Fleming is listed in the DOJ filing as being of Hawthorne, there was a time when he was more actively of Hollywood. He was once a director Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes starred in his 1999 childrens fantasy comedy My Brother the Pig and he produced the first season of reality show The Surreal Life in 2003, which featured Corey Feldman, Gabrielle Carteris, Vince Neil and MC Hammer. Fleming directed and produced Tyrone, a 1999 road trip movie starring Coolio and Kevin Connolly, whod later go on to fame in Entourage. Fleming also co-ran the production company Rich Hippie with Sydney Holland, one of the two Sumner Redstone live-in girlfriends who ended up with tens of millions of dollars before his death and whose legal theatrics led to the ViacomCBS merger and, arguably, Paramount Globals more recent woes. (Shes since decamped for San Diego.) The ailing media mogul reportedly spent an unspecified amount funding Rich Hippie, according to a Redstone legal complaint in 2016. Fleming became president of production in 2013. With his creative vision, experience and extensive contacts, Holland, then identifying as CEO, told THR at the time, he is incredibly capable of executing our mission to develop and produce thoughtful and entertaining, quality projects that appeal to a broad range of audiences. Yet Rich Hippie never materialized many such productions. Its most notable announced venture, about a Native American communitys reckoning with drug culture, which they executive produced alongside Natalie Portman, had a tiny theatrical release and a paltry gross. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Matthew Perry Had An Adverse Reaction To Ketamine Weeks Before Death Fresh details continue to emerge on events that led up to the week of Matthew Perry's death! The actor was said to have displayed a severe reaction to Ketamine a few weeks before he passed away from the overdose. Two doctors were charged in connection to Matthew Perry's sudden death, his assistant, and two other individuals specialized in the sale of illegal drugs, including Ketamine. Matthew Perry 'Froze Up' From Previous Ketamine Dosage MEGA The prosecutors on the case addressed the press at the U.S. Attorney news conference on Thursday, stating that Dr Salvador Plasencia visited the actor's residence about two weeks before his death. The purpose of his visit was to allegedly inject the actor with a large dose of Ketamine. This caused Perry's blood pressure to shoot up and made him freeze. Upon his reaction, a scared Plasencia consulted with Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, saying that they had ditched the idea of placing him on a large dosage moving forward. However, their decision did not stand for long as Iwamasa continued to inject Perry nearly 30 times in the days leading to his passing. When they could not meet at home to inject him with the drug, TMZ shared that Plasencia reportedly met up with Perry in a Long Beach parking lot to administer the drug. Perry Reportedly Had A Final Dose Right Before His Death MEGA New details show that the actor had Iwamasa administer Ketamine three times before his death. He reportedly ordered the assistant to "shoot him up with a big one" in the last hours of his life. Now Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez have been charged for his sudden demise along with Iwamasa, a drug broker known as Erik Fleming, and Jasveen Sangha, who is popularly tagged the "Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles." Plasencia was allegedly caught via text expressing his desire to swindle Perry for the drug purchases, texting his cohorts," I wonder how much this moron will pay." Plasencia and Sangha have pled not guilty to the charges, and their trial dates are now set for October. Chavez, Fleming, and Iwamasa have all struck plea deals. Perry's Assistant Took A Plea Deal MEGA The Blast reported that Iwamasa owned up to his crimes on August 7, pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Ketamine, causing death. This means he risks facing a 15-year prison sentence for his role in the federal case. Iwamasa worked with Perry for over two decades and lived in his Los Angeles home until his death. It was confirmed that Iwamasa agreed to cooperate with the prosecutors in the ongoing investigation alongside Fleming, who could face 25 years behind bars. With this development, both men may have their sentences significantly reduced and walk out of prison sooner than projected. As for Plasencia, the medical practitioner who worked as an urgent care physician in Calabasas, California, showed no concern or empathy for Perry's wellbeing as he struggled with his substance addiction. Instead, the medic saw the "Friends" actor as a cash cow and profited from his addiction, which Perry initially used to treat his anxiety and depression but became addicted to along the way. The TV Personality Reportedly Became Extremely Dependent On Ketamine MEGA With individuals willing to feed his strong preference for dissociative anesthesia, Perry became "so obsessed" with the drug that he even considered trading in it. A close pal who was aware of the actor's fondness for the substance said, "He was telling me this is fantastic. He wanted to go into business with this one guy in Glendale or somewhere in the Valley." The friend noted that Perry was getting his desired supply in large numbers from the individual, which was a terrible way to interact with an "addict." Matthew Perry's Family Impressed With Law Enforcement MEGA The Blast previously shared that the actor's stepfather, who was Perry's mom in 1981, conveyed the family's gratitude for the zeal law enforcement has displayed in bringing the culprits to book. Keith Morrison's statement read, "We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew's death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously. We look forward to justice taking its course." The declaration comes following the recent arrests made in connection to the supply of ketamine Perry received before his demise in October 2023. The actor, who was 54 years old at the time of his passing, was buried in a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Will more arrests be made in Matthew Perry's cause-of-death investigation? KABUL, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan caretaker government's acting Minister for Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi has said that more than 7 billion U.S. dollars have been invested in Afghanistan over the past three years. "More than 7 billion dollars have been invested in Afghanistan over the past three years, and out of the sum, 500 million dollars in the industry sector," the local media outlet Tolonews quoted the official as saying on Friday. Urging Afghan and foreign companies to invest in the war-torn country, the official said that the administration would spare no efforts to encourage more companies to invest and increase investment in all sectors including agriculture, mining and power. Roger Montoya/Facebook The Ketamine Queen accused of playing a part in Matthew Perrys death should face justice for another fatal overdose, a grieving friend has told the Daily Beast. Cody McLaury died from ketamine he allegedly purchased from Jasveen Sangha in 2019but his death went ignored until federal prosecutors announced that Sangha would be charged over the deaths of both McLaury and the Friends star. McLaurys best friend Roger Montoya told the Daily Beast that he hopes the people responsible for [the] bad things that happened to [McLaury] will pay their price in it. McLaury died from the effects of ketamine at age 31. Montoya told the Daily Beast that he and McLaury moved to Los Angeles together from their hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. McLaury returned, but they had remained closeuntil their friendship was ended by tragedy. There were just so many things left unanswered, after McLaurys death, Montoya said. You kind of hear [stories] and dont want to believe all those things. Its still kind of fresh for me. When he heard his friend had died, Montoya said, I literally wanted to throw up. Others close to McLaury claimed he did this to himself. A lot of people loved to talk about him, Montoya said. They just wanted to have an attachment to him. So when the person that told me [about his death] did tell me, I was like, Whatever, what do you know? He added, Very few people really, really knew him on that type of intimate level. Jasveen Sangha, The Ketamine Queen Jojo Korsh/BFA.com/Shutterstock Prosecutors outlined a very different story on Thursday at a press conference: Sangha had callously supplied ketamine to McLaury, then, undeterred by his death, made herself rich by keeping up her illegal business, turning her California home into a drug-selling emporium. Four years later, prosecutors alleged that Sangha sold Perry ketamine for the month leading up to his death on Oct. 28, 2023, at his Pacific Palisades home. She is accused of working with doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, Perrys live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, and broker Erik Fleming to keep the drugs flowing to the actor. All five people involved are now facing charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, maintaining drug-involved premises, and falsifying records, among other counts. Iwamasa, Fleming, and Chavez have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. I just hope whatever happened or may not have happened gets justice [and] that its granted to where it should be, Montoya said. Cody was such a sweet, sweet, gentle, misunderstood person. Although Montoya has hope that McLaury can rest peacefully now that things have surfaced, he said the sting of losing his friend remains. I just wanna call him all the time, he said. I just miss my friend. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Matthew Perrys Stepdad Keith Morrison Looks Forward to 'Justice' After Arrests in Connection with Actor's Death We were and still are heartbroken," the 'Dateline' correspondent said, "but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously" Gilbert Flores/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images; Santiago Felipe/Getty Images Matthew Perrys stepfather Keith Morrison is speaking out after federal investigators announced charges against five people in connection with the Friends actors October 2023 death at the age of 54. The Dateline correspondent, 77, shared his gratitude to law enforcement for their investigation, saying that he hopes that justice will be carried out. We were and still are heartbroken by Matthews death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously, Morrison said in a statement to PEOPLE for the Morrison family. We look forward to justice taking its course and were grateful for the exceptional work of the multiple agencies whose agents investigated Matthews death." Morrison continued: Were hoping unscrupulous suppliers of dangerous drugs will get the message. Related: DOJ Says Doctors Arrested for Matthew Perry Drug Death Allegedly Texted: 'Wonder How Much This Moron Will Pay' David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Matthew Perry poses at a photocall for "The End Of Longing", a new play which he wrote and stars in at The Playhouse Theatre, on February 8, 2016 in London, England. Related: Biggest Revelations in Matthew Perry's Death Investigation from Arrests of Doctors to Alleged 'Cover Ups,' Per Prosecutors Perrys cause of death was revealed to be acute effects of ketamine, according to the autopsy report obtained by PEOPLE in December. The nature of his death was determined to be "accidental." On Thursday, Aug. 15, several charges were announced against Jasveen Sangha, who U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada alleged is known as "The Ketamine Queen," and Dr. Salvador Plascencia, a licensed physician. Kenneth Iwamasa, who was Perry's personal assistant, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez were also charged separately for conspiracy to distribute ketamine, the Department of Justice announced. Authorities claim that the five individuals knowingly supplied and administered ketamine to Perry and took advantage of his addiction and tried to cover up their role following his death. Estrada said Perry had fallen back into his addiction in Fall 2023, shortly before his death. "These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves," Estrada alleged during the press conference. Related: 5 People Were Charged in Matthew Perry's Death Here's What to Know About Overdose-Related Crimes Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images Keith Morrison Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Following Perrys death in October 2023, Morrison opened up about his grief on Hoda Kotbs Making Space podcast, saying, As other people have told me hundreds of times, it doesn't go away. Its with you every day. Its with you all the time, and theres some new aspect of it that assaults your brain." Its not easy. Especially for his mom, he added of his wife and the late actors mom Suzanne, whom he wed in 1981. "Toward the end of his life, they were closer than I've seen them for decades. The journalist also shared that the Odd Couple actor had told him that he was happy prior to his death, adding, He hadn't said that for a long time. So it's a source of comfort, but also he didn't get to have his third act, and that's not fair." He felt like he was beating it, Morrison said at the time of Perry's journey with alcohol and drug addiction. But you never beat it, and he knew that, too. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A probe into Matthew Perry's death has revealed that those close to him took advantage of his ketamine addiction to make money off him. According to reports, the late actor paid exorbitant amounts on different occasions to be supplied with the substance. The "Friends" star was initially prescribed ketamine to deal with his depression but ultimately got addicted to it and started using more than the recommended dosage. Several individuals have now been arrested in connection to Matthew Perry's death, including his personal assistant. Matthew Perry's Addiction Was Taken Advantage Off By His Inner Circle, Expert Says MEGA Following the recent arrests of some of Perry's associates in connection with his death, it is now alleged that the late actor's inner circle exploited his ketamine addiction to milk him for money. According to former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, Perry paid "the ultimate price" for allowing people into his life who were only interested in exploiting his celebrity status and wealth. "They have these entourages that are many times like leeches," Rahmani explained while speaking with Fox New Digital. "They have a ton of money, and there are people that just take advantage of them and make money off them and milk them." "Here's someone with a clear and well-documented opioid addiction. He's on meds to try to deal with that addiction, and he's very public about it. And, you know, there are people who are charging him thousands and thousands of dollars for ketamine and taking advantage of that addiction. It's really sad." Who Were The Individuals Arrested In Connection With Matthew Perry's Death? MEGA Earlier this week, authorities announced the arrest of five individuals linked to Perry's overdose death in October last year, per Fox News Digital. The individuals were Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, who are doctors; Jasveen Sangha, a distributor; and Eric Fleming, a broker. Kenneth Iwamasa, who was Perry's personal assistant prior to his death, was also arrested. Per court documents, Iwamasa allegedly conspired with the others to "illegally obtain ketamine and distribute it to" Perry for exorbitant amounts on a regular basis. It was reported that the late actor once paid around $50,000 in cash for 20 vials of the substance and another $11,000 for 50 vials on a separate occasion. Once the drugs were in the custody of Perry, Iwamasa administered them to Perry despite not having any medical training. The same individual also gave Perry multiple injections containing the ketamine on the day the "Friends" star passed on. The Authorities Have Charged The Arrested Individuals MEGA During the investigation into Perry's death, the authorities uncovered damning text messages that implicated the arrested individuals. All of them have since been charged, with several already pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. According to Rahmani, the work of the prosecutors has been cut short due to the evidence already uncovered and admissions from some of the arrested individuals. "It's a really strong case," she said. "The text messages are so damning, and multiple defendants have already pleaded guilty about this based on the writing on the wall. The dealers have no defense whatsoever. The president of West Coast Trial Lawyers added, "They don't have a DEA license or any reason to have ketamine or methamphetamine, so they're done." Lawyer Says The Case Will 'Send A Message' To Doctors And Dealers' Profiting From Distributing Ketamine' MEGA Rahmani shared that Sangha is likely to get a very harsh sentence due to the major role she played in the supply of ketamine to Matthew Perry. "Jasveen Sangha was the source of the ketamine that killed Perry, and she could easily receive a potential life sentence over his death," the lawyer said in a statement shared with The Blast. "There will be a lot of pressure on lower-level defendants and witnesses to flip on the doctor who provided the Ketamine or anyone else who played a role in getting it to Perry unlawfully." He continued, "Ketamine is a drug that should be administered via an IV under a doctor's supervision, it's not a drug that should be sent home with a patient. It's a Schedule III controlled substance. Some doctors believe ketamine infusions can treat anxiety and depression, but it's one of the most abused party drugs. Perry should not have been using ketamine in a hot tub outside of a therapeutic setting." "This is a very high-profile case and this is going to send a message to doctors as well as dealers who are profiting from distributing ketamine," Rahmani added. Matthew Perry Became Hooked On Ketamine After It Was Prescribed For Therapeutic Purposes MEGA Matthew Perry's autopsy revealed that he developed an addiction to ketamine despite initially using it for therapeutic reasons. The actor's last known recommended ketamine use was a week before his death. It was also mentioned that the amount found at the time of his death could not have come from the treatment since ketamine's half-life is typically under four hours. The precise method he employed to continue his substance use beyond the recommended therapeutic dosage for treating depression remains unclear. He was found unresponsive in his hot tub on October 28, which initially led to the assumption that he died from drowning. However, the drowning was only a secondary factor, as the level of ketamine in his body is presumed to have been what made him lose consciousness. The autopsy also revealed that Perry's coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine were other conditions that contributed to his death. The truth behind Matthew Perry's tragic death has finally been revealed, with his longtime assistant and close associates behind the crime. The "Friends" star, per law enforcement, was taken advantage of by greedy people who chose to profit from his addictions instead of helping him. The fatal dose of ketamine that killed the actor was administered by his live-in assistant, Kenneth "Kenny" Iwamasa. Matthew Perry reportedly worked with him for over 25 years before his ketamine-influenced death on October 28, 2023. Kenneth Iwamasa and the other culprits have since been arrested and charged. Matthew Perry's Death Is A Story Of Greed And Betrayal MEGA Law enforcement revealed the heartbreaking truth behind Perry's demise on Thursday, August 15, at a press conference. US district attorney Martin Estrada confirmed the late actor relapsed from his substance abuse issues last fall thanks to five culprits. The list included Iwamasa, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, co-conspirator Dr. Mark Chavez, the "Ketamine Queen" Jasveen Sangha, and an alleged street dealer named Erik Fleming. The culprits reportedly took advantage of Perry's addiction for profit. Dr. Salvador Plasencia "worked with" Iwamasa, who lived in Perry's Los Angeles home, to "distribute" approximately 20 vials of ketamine to the entertainer for two months. However, the final blow came from his longtime assistant's hands. The Department of Justice revealed in Thursday's press conference that Iwamasa "admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training." He also administered "multiple injections" on the day the entertainer died, per Page Six. Perry's Live-In Assistant Pleaded Guilty MEGA According to law enforcement, Iwamasa confessed to his crimes on August 7 and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death. He faces a 15-year prison sentence for his part in the federal case. Meanwhile, one of his co-conspirators, Dr. Plasencia, reportedly revealed himself as a man unworthy of his medical license. Despite working as an urgent care physician in Calabasas, California, he showed zero concern for Perry's life. Instead, Dr. Plasencia was more interested in profiting from the late actor's addiction. One of his alleged texts read: "I wonder how much this moron will pay" and "Lets [sic] find out." Perry turned to ketamine to treat his anxiety and depression; however, he relapsed thanks to the excessive doses. The Late Actor Reportedly Became 'Obsessed' With Ketamine MEGAA According to a close pal, Perry seemingly found comfort in ketamine therapy and became "so obsessed" with the drug that he wanted to start a business selling it. In their words: "He was telling me this [ketamine] is fantastic. He wanted to go into business with this one guy in Glendale or somewhere in the Valley." "Obviously, this guy was giving him as much as he wanted, and with an addict, you can't do that. It was terrible," the insider noted. This alleged pal of Perry's wasn't the only one to address the recent update in his case. Perry's Stepfather Praises Law Enforcement's Efforts In His Case MEGA The Blast shared that the late entertainer's stepfather, Keith Morrison, addressed the breakthrough in Perry's case. He spoke on behalf of the family, praising law enforcers with the statement: "We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew's death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously. We look forward to justice taking its course." The investigation into Perry's death began in May over the high levels of ketamine found in his system. His autopsy also highlighted drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects as contributing factors to his death. Authorities took the case seriously, with a senior law enforcement official claiming that more people would end up behind bars. In their words: "This is a very difficult case to piece together. What has happened today and will be announcedthere will likely be more arrests later." Matthew Perry's Longtime Assistant Scored A Plea Deal MEGA According to recent court documents, Perry's longtime assistant and the drug dealer involved in the case secured plea deals with prosecutors. Iwamasa and Fleming took the agreement to obtain reduced sentences. As stated, Iwamasa faced up to 15 years behind bars, while Fleming had 25 years looming over him. However, by acknowledging responsibility and cooperating with the ongoing investigation, their punishment was lowered. As authorities continue to track down everyone involved in Matthew Perry's death, his loved ones and fans can only hope justice prevails. Matthew Perry's shocking last month on ketamine: 'I wonder how much this moron will pay' 2015 photo of Matthew Perry at a movie premiere. Right, a vial of ketamine. (Associated Press) Matthew Perry had tried for years to stay sober, but he was struggling. The day he died, the "Friends" star asked his personal assistant to inject him with a dose of ketamine at 8:30 a.m. It was the first of three injections the actor would request. Perry's longtime assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, administered another dose roughly four hours later while the actor watched a movie. Forty minutes later, Perry wanted to get in the hot tub. But he had another request. "Shoot me up with a big one," Perry, 54, told Iwamasa, the assistant recalled in a signed plea agreement. Iwamasa filled a syringe with ketamine, gave Perry another injection and then left to run errands. When he returned, his boss was dead, floating face down in the water. When authorities responded to Perry's Pacific Palisades home about 4 p.m., they found no signs of illegal drug use by the actor. But his autopsy revealed something mysterious. Trace amounts of ketamine were found in his stomach, and the level in his blood was about the same as would be used during general anesthesia. The troubling final days of Perry's life was detailed by authorities in hundreds of pages of court filings made public this week, a culmination of a months-long investigation that centered on the source of ketamine found in Perry's body at the time of his death. Iwamasa, 59, was one of five people charged in a conspiracy to distribute ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, to Perry. Federal prosecutors allege that Iwamasa worked with two doctors Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia and drug dealers Jasveen Sangha and Erik Fleming to obtain thousands of dollars worth of ketamine for Perry in the month before his death. Los Angeles Times could not reach attorneys for Fleming, Sangha and Iwamasa for comment. Chavez's and Plasencia's lawyers said that because of the ongoing case, they would not be taking questions or issuing statements. Both Sangha and Plasencia pleaded not guilty Thursday. Read more: With arrests in Matthew Perry death, is L.A.'s ketamine bubble about to burst? Perry, who became a household name playing Chandler Bing on the sitcom "Friends," had long been open about his challenges with drug and alcohol addiction. "These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves," U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada said Thursday. "They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyway." Matthew Perry arrives at the premiere of "The Invention of Lying." (Matt Sayles / Associated Press) Law enforcement officials said Perry had sought treatment for depression and anxiety and went to a local clinic, where he became addicted to intravenous ketamine. Ketamine has been increasingly offered off-label at private clinics in an effort to treat depression and other mental health disorders. Experts have said some people also snort or inject the drug recreationally to experience euphoric or dissociative effects that cause the users to feel separated from their own bodies. At very high doses, it can make people feel immobilized and spur hallucinations. The drug can complicate breathing and increase demands on the heart, experts say. When clinic doctors refused to increase his dosage, Perry turned to Plasencia, an internist who went by the nickname "Dr. P." On Sept. 30, Plasencia sought the help of another doctor, Chavez, who had experience with ketamine. In text messages with Chavez, Plasencia pondered how much to charge Perry for the ketamine, writing, "I wonder how much this moron will pay" and "lets find out," according to an indictment filed in court. Chavez said he could provide liquid vials of ketamine and ketamine lozenges, a compound of the drug that can be taken orally. Chavez later admitted to investigators that he obtained the lozenges by filling out a fraudulent prescription. After picking up the drugs, gloves and syringes from Chavez in Costa Mesa, Plasencia drove the 56 miles to Perry's home and injected him with two doses of ketamine. He left behind at least one vial for the actor and walked out of the home with $4,500, according to a plea agreement. Afterward, Plasencia texted Chavez, saying that meeting Perry was "like a bad movie." By Oct. 1, the two discussed getting more ketamine for Perry. Through their conversations, Plasencia made it clear that he was unfamiliar with treating patients with ketamine and at one point said that Perry told him he wanted to take the powerful drug to help him quit smoking. Prosecutors allege Chavez should have known this was not a reason for ketamine use. A vial of ketamine. (Associated Press) But the actor appeared to be an eager customer. On Oct. 2, Iwamasa texted Plasencia to purchase more ketamine. The doctor messaged Chavez: "If today goes well, we may have repeat business." "Let's do everything we can to make it happen," Chavez wrote back, according to a plea agreement. Two days later, Iwamasa again texted Plasencia to order more of the drug, which he referred to as "dr pepper." "Found the sweet spot but trying different places led to running out," Iwamasa texted the doctor. By the afternoon, the need for the drug was urgent. "I need some [ketamine] now can I come to you please?" he texted. "How many cans are you bringing? And when do you think youd be here?" Read more: Column: The arrests in Matthew Perry's death expose a system built to prey on addicts Iwamasa continued to buy additional vials from the doctor, but he was beginning to look for another source for the illicit drug to keep up the supply. On Oct. 10, Plasencia told Chavez he injected Perry with ketamine in a parking lot near the aquarium in Long Beach, according to the plea agreement. Chavez called Plasencia to reprimand him for "doping people" in cars and in a public place where children were present. Two days later, Perry received a ketamine infusion treatment from a doctor at a clinic. After the treatment, Iwamasa contacted Plasencia to buy more ketamine. They met at Perry's home, where the doctor administered a large dose to the actor, which caused his systolic blood pressure to spike and his body to "freeze up" so severely that he couldn't talk or move, according to court records. "Let's not do that again," Plasencia told Iwamasa. He left more ketamine for Perry before he departed. Chavez eventually told Plasencia he could not provide any additional ketamine because the Medical Board of California was investigating an allegation that he took the drug from his former clinic, according to court documents. U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada announced arrests in the drug-related death of actor Matthew Perry. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) At one point, Plasencia suggested he and Chavez start their own ketamine clinic. But there were signs their relationship was fraying. Chavez said they could start the venture if they treated patients in the clinic. "Oh so you don't agree with the method i am currently doing?" Plasencia wrote in a text message, referring to their arrangement with Perry. "It's not what I think it's what an entity like the California medical board would view it ... or the DEA," Chavez wrote back. In total, the doctors distributed 20 vials of ketamine to Perry for $55,000 in cash, charging him $2,000 for a vial that cost Chavez $12, authorities said. Police investigators walk along the street where Matthew Perry's house is in Pacific Palisades. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) By mid-October, Perry and his assistant had turned to Fleming an acquaintance of the actor's who had a source that could provide the drugs at a lower cost. On the same day the doctor injected Perry in Long Beach, another deal with Fleming was in the works. Fleming texted Perry that he had "a bunch of the K in liquid," which he would sell at a "good price" and a "fair tip" for delivering it, according to a plea agreement. Fleming was put in touch with Iwamasa to finalize the details. He texted the assistant a picture of a ketamine vial with a photograph of a horse on the packaging. Ketamine is used in veterinary medicine as a tranquilizer. On Oct. 11, Fleming sent Iwamasa screenshots of his communications with Sangha, who is known by her customers as the "Ketamine Queen." Fleming told him the woman "only deals with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff she'd lose her business." Iwamasa responded that Perry was only interested in the unmarked ketamine, not the "horsey version." Fleming delivered a sample to Perrys home for $180 two days later. Iwamasa told Fleming the drug "seems good" and asked for more. The next day, Fleming arrived at Perry's home with 25 vials, charging $5,500 and pocketing an additional $500 for coordinating the deal. While Sangha had quoted Fleming $160 per vial of ketamine, authorities say Fleming charged Perry $220 per vial. Ten days later, Fleming delivered another 25 vials to the actor's home along with ketamine lollipops that Sangha had thrown in as a bonus for the large order. In the final days of Perry's life, court records indicate there were signs the actor's addiction was spiraling out of control. Iwamasa was injecting the actor with ketamine six to eight times a day. The aide had found Perry unconscious at his house on at least two occasions in October. Less than a week before he died, Perry posted a photo to Instagram of himself under a moonlit sky soaking in the hot tub and looking out onto the west Los Angeles skyline. "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman," he captioned the post, which was his last on the platform. After Iwamasa found Perry dead in the hot tub on Oct. 28, he disposed of the ketamine bottles and syringes and "deleted everything" related to the drug deals, he later told Fleming. Sangha immediately deleted her text messages with Fleming from Signal, an encrypted messaging app, and told him to do the same. After speaking with Iwamasa, Fleming texted Sangha to reassure her: "I'm 90% sure everyone is protected," he wrote. "I never dealt with Perry. Only his assistant. So the assistant was the enabler. Also they are doing a 3 month tox screening." He ended the text with a question: "Does K stay in your system or is it immediately flushed out?" Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. NEW YORK (PIX11) The office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he will cooperate with federal subpoenas hes received. As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has been clear over the last nine months that he will cooperate with any investigation underway, said Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabian Levy. Nothing has changed. He expects everyone to cooperate to swiftly bring this investigation to a close. PIX 11 has learned Southern District of New York served Adams with subpoenas for potential evidence in an ongoing federal corruption probe into the mayors 2021 election campaign. More Local News Retired FBI Agent Ken Gray said that development could signal the probe has reached an inflection point. By requiring documents text messages and other type of communications from the mayor this shows they are getting closer to building the case around the mayor, Gray said. Sources familiar told PIX 11 prosecutors are seeking more information for the case including travel for the mayor, his aides, and others, as well as fundraising. Mayor Adams announces Randy Mastro as controversial pick for citys top lawyer Sources said the requests could lead to new details relating to some mayoral aides, and others who worked with the Mayor, and on the Adams 2021 campaign. PIX 11 has learned investigators are apparently looking into the opening of the new Turkish consulate in Manhattan amid allegations that Adams, or perhaps someone in his circle, pressed FDNY inspectors to grant occupancy at the consulate, in what has been alleged as an instance of quid pro quo dating back nearly three years. The investigation will likely look into if the Mayor, his campaign, or those close to him, may have benefited. Comptroller Brad Lander announces run for mayor of NYC Mayor Adams has denied repeatedly any wrong-doing and addressed quid pro quo allegations before. We dont do quid pro quo we follow the law, Adams said. Whatever theyre looking for, well fully cooperate, and Ill let them do their job without interference. Adams campaign attorney released a statement revealing that his defense team has carried out a parallel investigation that, so far, has not identified any evidence of illegal conduct by the mayor, and that, to the contrary, we have identified extensive evidence undermining the reported theories. More Manhattan News The probe has already led to FBI searches of homes belonging to at least three people who worked with the mayor. As the investigation continues, Mayor Adams is moving ahead with his reelection bid, and is facing a growing list of challengers. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Mayor Cavalier Johnson called on parents and the public Friday to help address the recent uptick in car break-ins and carjackings. In many cases perpetrators were groups of young people, Police Inspector David Feldmeier said. "I want parents to intervene in kids' lives if they have any indication that they may be involved in the kind of activity we're talking about today," Johnson said. Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Inspector David Feldmeier and Common Council President Jose Perez discussed the recent uptick in car break-ins and carjackings Friday, calling for parents and the public to report what they know to police. He called for "strict accountability" for anyone who may be arrested for car thefts or break-ins. "You cannot offload your responsibility as a parent onto society," Johnson said. "The police have their role. I have my role. The district attorney, the prosecutors, they have their role. Parents have the biggest role of all." Feldmeier said police have increased patrols in several neighborhoods where the crimes have been most impactful. He recommended people to park in garages or well-lit areas. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or the non-emergency police line. Since the uptick in crime, some residents have formed community watch groups to patrol the area. Feldmeier asked such groups to report what they were seeing to police, but cautioned against engaging with perpetrators as they could be dangerous. Milwaukee police data shows that in Milwaukee the number of motor vehicle thefts, thefts and burglaries has increased in the last 12 weeks. Motor vehicle theft has risen 41%, from 1,288 instances between March and late May, to 1,810 from late May to mid-August. Meanwhile, theft and burglary have increased 27% and 22%, respectively in the same time frame. Overall, most categories of crime have declined in Milwaukee this year, when comparing this year to 2023 and 2022. However, year-to-date, motor vehicle theft has risen 7% compared to last year and is down 28% from 2022. Carjackings mirror that. This year, there have been 337 carjackings, or a 26% increase over 2023 and a 33% increase over 2022. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson addresses more car thefts, break-ins (COLORADO SPRINGS) Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade made a special appearance at Palmer High School on Thursday, Aug. 15 to discuss school safety as the 2024-2025 school year begins. Mobolades monthly meeting this August touched on several topics including; school traffic, student education, and safety. As a parent of three school-aged kids, Mobolade said that the safety of students is at the top of his mind. There is nothing more important to me as Mayor, to Palmer High School, to the entire city than the safety of our students, said Mobolade. Mobolade explained there are two school safety initiatives where the City partners with Colorado Springs schools. One is the School Resource Officer (SROs) Initiative, which provides security and safety to schools across the city. Following the tragedy of Columbine in 1999, the SRO program has become a best practice in communities across the U.S., said Mobolade. These officers are independent and self-motivated [and] they engage in all aspects of school life and culturefrom talking to parents to de-escalating situationsthey are [also] there to support extracurricular activities. The SROs program is a partnership between the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) and 20 schools including six middle schools and 14 high schools across Districts 2, 11, 12, 20, and 49. Mobolade said these officers are also trained as first responders and can respond to emergencies such as an active shooter or violent situation. As for safety around school zones, Mobolade reminded the community that the speed limit in a school zone is 25 MPH and fines are doubled if an individual is caught speeding. Sheriffs Office reminds drivers to be aware near schools If you are driving, slow down, especially through school and construction zones, Mobolade said. He also reminded motorists and pedestrians alike to pay attention to their surroundings and avoid any distractions. Mobolade also mentioned school zones will be a priority for the Speed Cameras Program, a new initiative the City Council approved in May 2024, which aims to protect the citys most vulnerable pedestrians. These improvements will help us immensely as we enforce speed laws in the school zone areas, said Mobolade.Its really important that we keep our students and our children safe. Speed Safety Cameras approved by Springs City Council When asked about the newest policy regarding phone pouches by a Palmer High School student, Mobolade let Colorado Springs School District 11 Superintendent Michael Gaal, answer the question that prompted if the idea was a good decision and if the money could have been allocated toward other school needs. Gaal said the policy was necessary as professional educators need to have students attention. He also mentioned the money used to buy the phone pouches came from reserve funds. It is an expensive venture to be able to stop the tide of so many companies that are fighting for your attention against the learning opportunity, said Gaal. Im extremely proud of our board of education for making this policy but we are way behind nationally. School District 11 announces a new no phone policy According to Gaal, several other large school districts across the U.S. including New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles have also made the change. Locally, some parents have expressed their worries and opinions about the policy and concerns if an emergency were to happen. The new phone policy requires students in middle school and high school to place their phone in a pouch with a special magnet that locks, then at the end of the day, they can unlock it. In case of emergencies, teachers can unlock each phone. Students were also present at Thursdays press conference and Gaal had this to say regarding the new policy. We know its hard for you all but if you go home and ask your parents to take a vote and ask many of the adults that are here today, we are all really proud of the hard work that we will go through together to get us back to being a teaching and learning organization first and foremost, said Gaal. Watch more of Thursdays press conference in the video player above. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. Last year, a 28-year-old E.R. nurse named Tristin Smith took her own life. Her father found a note among her effects, titled Letter to My Abuser. Ever since I was young, I expressed interest in healthcare, she wrote. I gave my heart, my body, and my mind to you. But as unnecessary support staff was cut, the quality of care plummeted. Requests for more resources were met with online training sessions telling nurses to just smile more and be friendlier to patients. Instead of receiving the support we deserve, we get a pizza party and free pens for the healthcare heroes. Her disillusionment deepened: You use and exploit us to line your pockets, using the common citizens money for overpriced healthcare. For me, as an emergency physician, Tristins words ring with startling clarity. I know firsthand the challenges of constantly doing more with less. I recognize the surreal disorientation of having real needs met with empty gestures, like free pens or a hospital potato. I have felt that the systems in which I work no longer value me, or the patients whom I treat. But the most astute aspect of Tristins letter is the culprit she points to for these problems: an obscenely expensive health care system that values profit above all else, to the detriment of patients and providers alike. We in the medical profession are all, to varying degrees, like Tristin. A survey of over 12,000 physicians released last month by the American Medical Association found that 48 percent of them had at least one symptom of burnout. Another survey last month found that nearly two-thirds of physicians would not recommend a career in medicine to their children. Its not just physicians, of course: Health care providers of all kinds are burned out and considering leaving their jobs. Thats a disaster for a system that is already struggling to fill critical roles, said L. Casey Chosewood, an official at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH. This is a massive problem not only for our health care system but for every single person in America who depends on it. Burnout is associated with medical errors and malpractice litigation; hospital-acquired infections; and anxiety, depression, and suicidality among providers. Physicians with burnout are twice as likely to leave their jobs and five times more likely to quit medicine entirely, at an annual cost as high as $6 billion. For nurses, the annual cost of turnover related to burnout is estimated at $9 billion. The pandemic clearly made burnout worse, for obvious reasons. But things arent improving, even though the acute crisis of Covid has passed. Why not? There was a time when remedies for burnout in health care emphasized resilience and individual action. In 2021, at the height of the delta variant of Covid, I assessed my own level of burnout using a standard metric, the Maslach Burnout Inventory. No surprise: I was suffering from significant burnout. The MBI offered unhelpful suggestions like step up self-care practices and attend presentations, meetings, and workshops on burnout. Fortunately, this attitude seems to be evolving. Last year, the U.S. surgeon general published a report that called for systems-oriented, organizational-level solutions over individual-level support. In November, NIOSH launched a new campaign to address burnout called Impact Wellbeing. Chosewood, whose office will coordinate the effort, acknowledged that resilience training was like a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. Instead, the campaign promises to help hospital leaders address the systemic factors at the root of staff burnout. Directing attention toward the health care system itself is progress. But what are the systemic factors at the root of burnout? According to the National Academy of Medicine, they include excessive workload, longer working hours, inadequate staffing, insufficient time with patients, and high administrative task burden. I can attest that all of these contribute to burnout. However, these factors are only symptoms of a larger, more central problem. When I asked friends from medical school and residencywho are now attending physicians all over the country, at places like Harvard and Stanfordwhat they thought the root cause of burnout was, a common theme emerged: Responses included profit, greed, dollars, corporatism, and capitalism. In other words, the consensus was that the commodification of health care was to blame. To use medical terminology, the core pathology of our health care system is that it has been organized to prioritize revenue, rather than patient care. In this light, its behavior actually starts to make a kind of sense. Burnout among health care providers is simply an emergent property of such a system. Staffing, for example, is the single largest expense for hospitals, and cutting it is an obvious move if you are conditioned to respond to financial incentives, or rewarded for doing so. The obverse is heavier workloads, longer hours, and less time with patients for the providers that remain. Another example is prior authorizations, a tactic used by health insurers to decrease health care utilization and curtail costs. The practice contributes heavily to administrative task burden for providers (who spend an average of 14 hours per week on them), deters necessary medical care, and even causes direct patient harm. But as a business strategy, it is quite effective. The system is operating as any business would. This may sound radical, but its not. An analysis of all urban acute-care hospitals in the United States found that most clearly favor lucrative procedures, like cardiac catheterization or surgery, over poorly compensated but critical services like psychiatric care, and for-profit hospitals have been found to perform C-sections, which pay better than vaginal deliveries, more often than nonprofits. In other ways, nonprofits do no better: An investigation by The New York Times found that many nonprofit hospitals routinely engage in predatory billing practices, at the expense of their charitable mission. Last year, the nonprofit hospital that I worked for in New Mexico terminated all of its emergency physicians and brought in a for-profit corporation, owned in part by a private equity firm, to replace us. Private equitys entry into health care is only the latest and most extreme manifestation of a long-standing architecture. Among the board members of top academic medical centers, fewer than 15 percent have a background in health care. Most have worked in investment banking, or real estate. They speak the language of finance and business, and have never laid hands on a patient. The system prioritizes revenue because the leaders weve chosen have programmed it to do so, according to what they know. A team of social scientists, writing in The New England Journal of Medicine, calls it the financialization of health, in which care delivery is transformed into salable and tradable assets from which the financial sector may accumulate capital. According to the American College of Physicians, what many imagine to be a lean, market-based system is, in truth, increasingly directed toward generating profit. Doctors share some culpability. Our forebears fought against socialized medicine and established the fee-for-service reimbursement model. But now that bargain is destroying us, as our own administrators make financially motivated decisions that oppose the actual mission of medicine and our ability to practice it well. Health care providers recognize that this is happening, which has led to what Eric Reinhart, an anthropologist and physician, rightly calls a crisis of ideology. Providers are finding it difficult to quash the suspicion that our institutions, and much of our work inside them, primarily serve a moneymaking machine, he writes. Imagine the profound and corrosive harm this would do to someone who has dedicated their working life to alleviating suffering. How do we fix this broken system? First, we need to build a consensus across society, which may not be as difficult as it sounds. In a recent survey, 60 percent of patients agreed that the health care system prioritizes profits over patients. A survey of health care providers published this month found that 94 percent believe that corporatization affects quality of care. This has been said before, but it needs to become a chorus. According to the principle of common knowledge, real change begins when everyone knows that everyone else knows. Concerted action can only come when we agree on the diagnosis. Next, health care workers should organize, and apply pressure from within the field. Nursing unions are already taking bold action, and physician engagement with unions is building. Pharmacists have closed their pharmacies in protest. Residents, through collective bargaining, have won more humane working conditions. Without us, there is no health care system. We have more power than we realize. Finally, we must all commit to the arduous political process of reforming how the system operates and what it incentivizes. Regulations must be rewritten, new laws passed. Write to your local, state, and federal representatives. Utilize the power of your vote. Demand change. Overhauling the landscape of American health care will be difficult. But it was a fundamental mistake to ever conceive of health care as a commoditybecause now the product is only getting worse, and theres no alternative to choose from. We all deserve better: nurses like Tristan, physicians like me, and patients like you. MOSCOW, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Russian military has repelled a group missile attack on the Crimean Bridge and drone attacks over the Black Sea overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday. "Air defense systems repelled a group attack by 12 U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles on the Crimean Bridge over the night. All missiles were destroyed," the ministry said in a statement. Earlier in the day, the ministry said Ukraine had launched drone attacks in the Black Sea during the previous night and that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed five Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea. Russian helicopters destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned boats in the Black Sea heading in the direction of Crimea, it said. Homeless outreach. Infant mortality reduction. CPR, Narcan and drowning reduction trainings. Connecting people with resources to recover from addiction or connecting them to more permanent health care. It might be easier to list the things the Fort Worth Fire Departments HOPE team does not do. The HOPE team started with the Fort Worth Police Department as an effort to reduce a strain on emergency services caused by non-emergency calls from the homeless community. According to Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis, a fire station near the Lancaster corridor was taking almost 5,000 trips a year, with nearly 1,000 coming from a mile-long stretch of Lancaster Avenue known to have a high homeless population. The fire department put its own HOPE team together to try and cut down on unnecessary ambulance and fire response to the area, freeing up resources for more urgent calls. The team now covers pretty much everything that doesnt call for a fire engine or an ambulance. And there, at the helm of it all, is Fort Worth firefighter Lt. Sam Greif Jr. The 38-year old father of three daughters has been with the Fort Worth Fire Department for almost 17 years. Every day of those 17 years has been different, Grief said. Part of being a firefighter is just getting to go out and help people on a daily basis, Grief said last month during a visit to the Bob Bolen Public Safety Center. Its never the same thing. You show up to work and you dont know whats around the corner. Greif has been working with the HOPE team since September 2019. He said he got involved after taking an idea to help homeless people to Davis. Some days, the job sees Greif setting up donated cribs for parents whose babies dont have a safe sleeping arrangement. Other days, it has him devising ways to get homeless people out of the heat, or visiting homeless camps to do blood sugar checks and insulin injections. But, down to his genes, Greif will always be a firefighter. His father, Sam Greif, was a Fort Worth firefighter for 30 years and served as the Plano fire chief for six. His mother was a volunteer firefighter in Crowley. Greif said his son entered the fire service on his own, switching aspirations from being a police officer to enrolling in the fire program at a community college. Their relationship is special, Greifs father said, because theyre not just father and son, theyre brother firefighters, too. If youve met Sam Junior in person you know hes a big man of stature, and I would say that probably his heart is as big as his chest, he said. He needed God to give him a chest that big to hold that heart, because he just has a way with people. Greifs heart is evident: his immediate reflex is to give credit to everyone else on the HOPE team. This is a partnership and a team effort. Without them, this would not be possible, Grief said. Officials with the JPS Health Network agree. Establishing the HOPE team has allowed us to collaborate with our first responders and improve care for the unsheltered and unhoused residents in Fort Worth., said Joel Hunt, a JPS physician assistant and the director of Acclaim Street Medicine. We are grateful for our community partners and the dedicated members of the HOPE team who have been responsive and cooperative in helping to deliver high-quality patient care. Greif said there are dozens of stories from people the HOPE team has helped. One that sticks with him the most, he said, is from early on in his work with the HOPE team. The team responded to a call from a woman who was addicted to heroin. When they arrived, she still had a syringe in her arm. She cried and said I really just want to be done with this life, Greif recalled. The team helped the woman get into a rehab program and reconnect with her family in Oklahoma. To this day, Greif said he believes she is still doing well. Greif said there have been a few instances in which hes run into people he helped while they were living on the streets and found out that they now have a house or job, or have overcome their addiction. Weve been very blessed in the work that we get to do, Greif said. Ive got a team that, rain, shine, sleet, theyre out there I dont have to beg them to go to work. While Greif only has two people formally assigned to his team, he can reach out to any of the citys 45 fire stations and ask for help. Davis said hes looking forward to seeing what the team can accomplish once the Fort Worth Fire Department completes its absorption of MedStar, the citys EMS and ambulance service. The merger, approved in May, will see MedStar employees become members of the fire department. The fire department is looking to expand the capabilities of the HOPE team once MedStar becomes part of the fire department, Davis said. As for Greif? Hell be where hes always been. He cares about people, and hes always been that kid that took up for the underdog, and would try to represent those that couldnt represent themselves, his father said. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority was recognized for its innovation and commitment to providing a cleaner passenger rail option via its new ZEMU passenger train. Leaders from the U.S. Congress, California State Transportation Agency, Federal Railroad Administration, Metrolink and Stadler US met Thursday at the San Bernardino Depot train station for a first-hand look at the train. ZEMU, short for Zero Emission Multiple Unit, is North Americas first self-powered, zero-emission passenger train that will meet Federal Railroad Administration requirements, the transportation authority stated. Clean transit alternative The train utilizes hybrid hydrogen and battery technology to move the train and power onboard electrical systems. Water vapor is the only emission generated from the trains propulsion system, making it a clean transit alternative, the county said. What we have done with ZEMU is transformational, SBCTA President Ray Marquez said. The development of the train has solidified SBCTAs place as an innovator in clean passenger rail here in the Inland Empire, throughout the state and the nation. Leaders from the U.S. Congress, California State Transportation Agency, Federal Railroad Administration, Metrolink and Stadler US convened Thursday at the San Bernardino Depot train station for a first-hand look at the San Bernardino County Transit Authoritys new ZEMU passenger train. ZEMU was constructed by Swiss train manufacturer Stadler, who also built the three Diesel Multiple Unit trains that currently operate on Metrolinks Arrow Corridor The Arrow connects San Bernardino and Redlands and offers residents, businesses and visitors a commuting option to travel to a variety of leisure, education, healthcare and other destinations, the county agency stated. The diesel trains run on renewable fuel made from recycled natural fats and vegetable oils. Partnering with Stadler to develop the new ZEMU train was a natural fit for San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, they stated. Future of passenger rail "The FLIRT H2 hydrogen train is the product of a longstanding, collaborative, and successful partnership between Stadler and SBCTA, said Stadler US CEO Martin Ritter. We build trains for a wide variety of transit agencies, but developing this train has been especially meaningful because of the impact it will have on San Bernardino County and the way it will shape the future of passenger rail in California and across the U.S. When ZEMU enters service later this year, it will operate along the Arrow Corridor on the San Bernardino Line. Following ZEMUs June 2024 arrival in San Bernardino, the train began its final phase of testing and integration with Metrolinks operating systems. Were thrilled to welcome this new train into our Arrow service fleet, which already operates three clean diesel multiple units using renewable fuel, Southern California Regional Rail Authority Chairman Larry McCallon said. Its an honor for Metrolink to be the first service provider to offer this new train technology to riders between San Bernardino and Redlands, and hopefully beyond. Federal funding In 2016, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority received federal funding and support from U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar to help build the infrastructure that supports the Arrow service along the San Bernardino Line. Improving air quality is one of my top priorities, said Rep. Pete Aguilar. SBCTA continues to innovate when it comes to improving the air we breathe through public transit. Im proud of the role federal funding played in bringing the Arrow Service to local residents, and excited that the first zero-emission train in the country will operate on that line. Ill continue to strengthen the partnership between SBCTA and our community, and advocate in Congress to bring more clean technology to our communities. For the better part of a year, ZEMU has undergone testing under Federal Railroad Administration guidelines at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado. Agency officials said the testing is an important step to ensure the train safely enters service in San Bernardino County, while also creating a framework for other agencies to follow. "America should always lead the way in technology and innovation, and the Federal Railroad Administration is proud to play a role in ensuring new environmentally-friendly trains are meeting safety standards and finding their way into more communities, Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose said. The work being done in California to introduce zero-emission, hybrid hydrogen and battery trains into service is laying the groundwork for transformative passenger rail progress while making rail an even more sustainable mode of transportation. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority was recognized for its innovation and commitment to providing a cleaner passenger rail option via its new ZEMU passenger train. The California State Transportation Agency believed in the San Bernardino County Transportation Authoritys vision for a zero-emission passenger train because of its potential application to transit agencies throughout the state. That belief led to CalSTA providing nearly $52 million in funding to support research, development, testing and analysis of ZEMU, county officials stated. Cleaner air, quieter trains and extra space on board are just a few of the outstanding benefits these hydrogen-powered passenger trains bring to the people of California, said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. We are thankful for this partnership as we work to advance our ambitious climate goals and, with Caltrans, put 10 more zero-emission trains in motion, providing much-needed intercity rail service throughout California. The ZEMU train is easy to spot with its signature blue and white water-vapor design wrapped around the trains two passenger cars and center power pack where the hydrogen and battery propulsion system is located. In the coming weeks, ZEMU will begin running test routes on Metrolinks Arrow Corridor along the San Bernardino Line with a goal of safe entry into service later this year. Learn more about ZEMU and the Arrow line, visit gosbcta.com. Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Meet ZEMU, San Bernardino County's zero-emission passenger train Embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) officially withdrew his independent bid to try to hold on to his Senate seat Friday, as he prepares to resign from office following his criminal conviction last month. In a letter to the head of the New Jersey Division of Elections, Menendez requested his name be removed from Novembers ballot. He had launched a long-shot independent campaign for Senate after deciding against pursuing the Democratic nomination for his seat amid the legal proceedings against him. His departure from the race will leave the general election as a contest between Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw, along with other minor candidates. Menendez had been gearing up for a run for another six-year term in the Senate when he was charged last fall in a wide-ranging corruption case alleging he accepted bribes in exchange for favors to three businessmen and acting as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt and Qatar. He denied the charges and rejected widespread calls from members of his own party to resign. He passed on running for the Democratic nomination for another term, but ultimately decided to try running as an independent, despite his poor approval rating following his indictment. Menendez was found guilty on all 16 charges, including bribery and acting as a foreign agent, last month and vowed to appeal. He soon after announced he would resign from his Senate seat effective Aug. 20, this coming Tuesday, but did not end his Senate candidacy at the time. Friday was the last day to drop out before his name could not be removed from the ballot. The Hill has reached out to Menendezs campaign for comment. Kim is the favorite to win the seat in November in the solidly Democratic-leaning state, but Bashaw is seeking to pull off an upset. With Menendez in the race, Kim was still the front-runner to win the election, but some signs existed that the incumbent could at least make the race closer. A couple of polls, including from Republican-sponsored surveys, showed Menendez receiving single-digit support, and Kim only with a single-digit lead. The forecast from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ still rated the election as likely Democratic. Bashaw released a statement saying he supported Menendez dropping out and that the state deserves to be able to move on from him. Bob Menendezs corruption has been a distraction in New Jersey government and politics for years. Its time to move on with this election and make it a clean, straight-forward race focusing on the issues facing our state, he said. Katey Sabo, the communications director for the Kim campaign, slammed the Republican candidate in a statement to The Hill, saying that Bashaw supported Menendez resigning but has endorsed and campaigned with Donald Trump, who has been convicted of 34 felony counts from his hush-money trial. That tells you everything you need to know about Mr. Bashaw, Sabo said. Bashaw had previously been a critic of Trump, reportedly supporting a letter in 2020 that called him a real threat to democracy, but he endorsed Trump for president in April. Menendezs withdrawal comes on the same day that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced he would appoint his former chief of staff, George Helmy, to serve as senator in the interim following Menendezs resignation. Updated at 5:10 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Scotland Yard officer who drunkenly crashed his car into a wall told a couple not to worry as I am the police, a misconduct hearing was told. Pc Leo Steeden lost control of his MGF vehicle and careered into the boundary wall of a couples home in Newington, Kent, on Aug 8 2022. The officer, who was not wearing shoes, rang the couples doorbell and flashed his warrant card at the pair while promising to fix the damage. A builder, who was called out by the couple to repair the wall, described Steeden as p----- as a pudding. The hearing heard how Steeden, when offered a cup of tea after the crash, instead suggested a drink at a nearby pub. When the couple, who were not identified during the hearing, said this was inappropriate and that they should wait for the police, Steeden replied: I am the police and its OK after an accident. The hearing heard how Steeden had initially waited at the scene before going to a local shop to buy and drink a small bottle of wine and beer. Steeden had claimed to have only drunk a glass of wine before driving and suggested he may have fallen asleep in the moments before the crash or been affected by a Covid-19 vaccination he had earlier in the day, the panel heard. Three days before the incident, Steeden had told his superiors he had a problem with alcohol. Grossly irresponsible Steeden, who had served in the Metropolitan Police for more than 20 years and had received a commendation for professionalism, courage and determination following the Westminster Bridge terror attack in March 2017, was sacked for gross misconduct. Christopher McKay, who chaired the panel, concluded: To put members of the public at risk by driving with excess alcohol was grossly irresponsible. The fact that only a wall was demolished when Pc Steeden crashed was relatively fortunate. The outcome could have been much worse. He then compounded his misconduct by trying to cover up the fact that he had been drinking before the accident by showing his warrant card to members of the public and telling them he was a police officer to discourage them from calling the local police before drinking further alcohol to prevent it being proved that he was over the limit at the time of the accident. A proven lack of integrity undermines a police officers reliability and credibility. In the panels judgment, the appropriate outcome for Pc Steeden is dismissal without notice. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Metro Atlanta dentist accused of billing Medicaid for more than 275 procedures he didnt do A Forsyth County dentist has been indicted of federal Medicaid fraud charges. Dr. Farid Moghaddam runs North Cumming Dentistry LLC on Bethelview Road in Cumming. According to the indictment Moghaddam filed 277 claims with Medicaid between May 2016 and September 2022. Each time, Moghaddam received a payment of $142.83 for a total of $39,563.91. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The claims were divided between four patients, for which he collected between $6,700 and $14,200. The indictment says the claims were for procedures like draining an abscess, but they were not procedures that Moghaddam actually performed. Were committed to protecting taxpayer dollars by putting a stop to Medicaid fraud in our state, said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. Ensuring the integrity of providers and services is a key part of our efforts. We wont tolerate those who violate the publics trust by abusing a system meant to care for our most vulnerable Georgians. TRENDING STORIES: His exact charges include four counts of Medicaid fraud and 11 counts of providing false writings. Its unclear what sentence he could face if hes found guilty. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A Michigan hypnotherapist accused of sexually assaulting his patients has been convicted on several charges. Sign up for the News 8 daily newsletter David Leyton, the Genesee County Prosecutor, announced Friday that 73-year-old John Tomlinson had been found guilty of seven charges, one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, five counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of unlawful imprisonment. In a release issued by Leytons office, police were first called to Tomlinsons office in Grand Blanc Township in April of 2017. A female patient who was undergoing her fourth hypnotherapy with Tomlinson claimed he had sexually assaulted her. Three women were ultimately named victims in the case, although Leyton says many more came forward with complaints, with some dating back to 2013. They said all were under various states of mental incapacity when the assaults occurred. 4 West Michigan men, including teacher, arrested in child exploitation sting John Tomlinsons actions are reprehensible, Leyton said in a statement. He violated the most basic and sacred trust of women who came to him to treat various ailments and he used that trust and his position to satisfy his own desires. Leyton did not state why Tomlinson had only recently been charged and advanced to trial when the investigation started years earlier. Based on the charges, Tomlinson faces up to life in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 30. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. A Michigan couple sued when their local township passed an ordinance to prevent them from opening a cemetery. This week, in a victory for property rights, a judge ruled in the couple's favor and threw out the ordinance entirely. As Reason reported in January, Peter and Annica Quakenbush wanted to open a "green" cemetery, allowing people to bury their loved ones in a natural and environmentally friendly manner, free of chemicals like formaldehyde and coffins containing metal. They specifically intended to establish a conservation burial ground, in which decedents would be buried in biodegradable coverings like cotton shrouds or wooden caskets and the burial sites would be marked by natural landmarks like rocks or native trees. The site would otherwise remain an undisturbed forest. The Quakenbushes bought a 20-acre plot near Brooks Township and started putting together the necessary paperwork. But local officials had other plans in mind, and in June 2023, the Brooks Township Board passed an ordinance prohibiting the establishment of all new cemeteries. "In the past, cemeteries elsewhere have taken up large amounts of sometimes otherwise productive land," the ordinance declared. "Cemetery landscaping, grass cutting, monument repair and upkeep costs have increased dramatically over time. The problems associated with abandoned or 'orphan' cemeteries have increased throughout Michigan, and citizens look to the local municipal governmentto take over abandoned or orphan cemeteries." According to the Quakenbushes' lawsuit, after they first inquired about establishing their cemetery in February 2022, a zoning official emailed the township's legal counsel. "It is our general recommendation that new private cemeteries not be allowed within the Township except under certain very limited circumstances," the attorney replied. "Almost certainly, at some time in the future (whether in a few decades or the distance [sic] future), the family members of the deceased individuals will no longer own the parcel involved. What happens to the burials then? In all likelihood, it would devalue the property and make it unmarketable or difficult to sell." "My response to that is, what does it matter? It's not your property," Renee Flaherty, an attorney with the Institute for Justice who represented the Quakenbushes, told Reason in January. Besides, there were numerous mechanisms in place to prevent that outcome: Establishing a conservation burial ground in accordance with the Green Burial Council's criteria, as is the Quakenbushes' intent, requires obtaining a conservation easementpreventing the land from being used for other purposesand partnering with a land conservancy that can maintain the property in perpetuity. Michigan state law also requires all private cemeteries to establish an "endowment and perpetual care trust fund," with $50,000 to start and monthly deposits of "not less than 15% of all proceeds received." "Nearly 250 people had reserved a burial plot even while the ban was in place," a local FOX affiliate reported. The Quakenbushes sued to overturn the ordinance as a violation of due process. The township filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. This week, after hearing oral arguments, Newaygo County Circuit Court Judge David Glancy not only dismissed the township's motion but found the ordinance unconstitutional. A written order was not available at press time; a representative of the Newaygo County Circuit Court tells Reason that the court directed the plaintiffs' attorneys to prepare a ruling, which the judge will review in a later hearing. "We're excited and feel vindicated by this ruling," the Quakenbushes said in a statement released by the Institute for Justice. "We are delighted that the judge understood that Brooks Township's ordinance violated our right to use our property and operate our cemetery." "The Green Burial Council (GBC) is pleased to learn that Newaygo County, Michigan Circuit Judge David Glancy rejected Brooks Township's attempt to throw out a lawsuit against the 'cemetery ban' ordinance," the GBC said in a statement to Reason. "The Green Burial Council has stated before, that we believe Brooks Township's ordinance stood on a weak foundation of misinformation about green burial's negative impact on soil and water, and other similar fears. Though individuals may experience genuine trepidation about a naturally interred body's impact on their environment, local governments can easily find scientific evidence proving no such impact when burial practices are performed according to industry standards."* UPDATE: This piece has been updated to include a statement from the Green Burial Council. The post Michigan Officials Tried To Stop a 'Green' Cemetery. They Just Lost in Court. appeared first on Reason.com. A Michigan woman died of unknown medical complications while backpacking at a remote national park in Lake Superior on Monday, officials said. The woman, identified as a 37-year-old from Battle Creek, Michigan, was hiking near Lake LeSage at Isle Royale National Park with her partner when "she experienced sudden onset medical complications," the National Park Service said in a news release Wednesday. Her condition deteriorated and she eventually was unable to walk, according to park officials. The woman then lost consciousness and stopped breathing, officials said. CPR was provided but "attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful." Other backpackers in the area contacted Michigan State Police through a delayed 911 text message and that information was relayed to a National Park Service dispatch center, officials said. EMTs located and stayed with the party Monday evening. According to officials, a crew with the Isle Royale National Park staff then responded early Tuesday and transported the group from a remote location. As of Thursday, an investigation into the incident remains ongoing. "The Isle Royale community extends their sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased," the National Park Service said. Isle Royale National Park known for remoteness Isle Royale National Park is one of the most remote national parks in the United States, according to the Rock Harbor Lodge and Marina. The park was established in 1940 and over 99% of land in Isle Royale is designated wilderness. The park is located in Lake Superior's northwest corner and is nearly in Canadian and Minnesota waters. It consists of over 400 islands and the park's main island, Isle Royale, is about 50 miles long, according to the National Park Service. As an archipelago, or group of islands, Isle Royal is only accessible by crossing Lake Superior via a ferry, seaplane, or private water crafts, the National Park Service said. Travel times can range from 35 to 45 minutes via a seaplane service and from 1.5 to seven hours on ferries. No vehicles are allowed on the island and the National Park Service warns visitors that cell phone service is unreliable for emergencies. The park also advises visitors to rely on their skills and equipment for emergencies, as park rangers can be difficult to reach, and emergency responses and evacuation can take time. Relatively few travelers journey to the park, which has only received more than 1.2 million visitors since 1940, according to National Park Service statistics. National Park deaths The woman's death is the latest to occur at a national park in the United States. A recent analysis from the law firm Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP found that while national parks are still safe overall, thousands of people have died at parks since 2007. From 2007 to 2024, there were more than 4,200 deaths at national parks, according to the analysis. National Park Service data showed that there was an average of 358 deaths a year reported at national parks from 2014 to 2019. Across the over 420 national parks, 177 reported one or more deaths during that period, the National Park Service said. Half of all the reported deaths were due to unintentional causes, including motor vehicle crashes, drownings, and falls. Half of the medical deaths occurred while the individual was engaged in physical activity, such as hiking, biking, and swimming, according to the National Park Service. Numerous incidents at national parks have made national headlines in recent years, including two deaths this summer from heat exposure symptoms after hiking at California's Death Valley National Park. A string of accidents have also occurred in Grand Canyon National Park. Last week, officials recovered the body of a missing 20-year-old woman after a dayslong search. The discovery marked the third reported death in the national park in one week, USA TODAY previously reported. In July, a 20-year-old hiker out fell to her death from Half Dome in California's Yosemite National Park during a storm. Contributing: Eve Chen, USA TODAY; Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Isle Royale National Park hiker died after losing consciousness SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Port of San Diego authorities said Thursday that a migrant encampment in Barrio Logans Cesar Chavez Park has been cleared over a week after notices to leave were first issued to those staying in the area. In a statement to FOX 5/KUSI, the Port said a Homeless Outreach Team who went out to the park Thursday morning discovered that most of the asylum-seekers who had remained in the encampment as of Wednesday had left or were in the process of leaving. No arrests were made, nor were any citations issued on Thursday, according to Port officials. The statement added that some of the migrants were connected with more appropriate shelter and housing with community partners like Catholic Charities. We recognize regional homelessness is a challenging issue and we remain committed to approaching it with compassion and humanity through collaboration with community and public agency partners, the statement continued. Chula Vista votes to support historic state bill package on reparations The Port of San Diegos responsibility to all visitors of San Diego Bay and the surrounding waterfront is to protect public access and use of our public spaces as well as public health and safety. Cesar Chavez Park had been a refuge for asylum-seekers since at least May, as nonprofit inewsource reported in July, given months-long waitlists for existing migrant shelters in the county and difficulties obtaining housing in one of the countrys most unaffordable metros. The crackdown, which stoked anxiety among the dozens of families who had been residing in the park, built off of a larger, statewide push to clear homeless encampments in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that upheld local bans on sleeping in public. It also comes as county leaders are still working to revive its Migrant Transitional Center, a service hub for migrants that closed in February due to a lack of funding. The county was awarded a $20 million grant in April to revive it and selected Jewish Family Service of San Diego, who currently runs its own migrant shelter program, as the centers eventual operator. However, the county has not yet announced when it will open or other details about its services. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. SANAA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-British coalition conducted an airstrike on Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Thursday evening, according to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV. The strike reportedly targeted the northwestern al-Salif district, but details on casualties were not immediately available. Residents on social media reported a significant explosion near a Houthi-controlled site. The Houthis control much of northern Yemen, including parts of the Red Sea coast. The U.S.-led coalition has not yet commented on the strike. On Wednesday, U.S. Central Command announced on social media platform X that its forces had destroyed two Houthi vessels in the Red Sea, citing them as presenting a "clear and imminent threat" to U.S. and coalition forces, as well as merchant vessels in the region. Since November, the Houthis have targeted Israeli-linked ships, citing "solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza." In response, the U.S.-British naval coalition has carried out regular air raids and missile strikes against Houthi positions since January, with limited success. U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks spoke about the conservative climate caucus during a visit to the Chevron Renewable Energy Group facility in Newton Aug. 15, 2024. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) NEWTON U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks spoke Thursday in favor of carbon dioxide pipelines as a way to aid Iowas ethanol production industry with an environmentally conscious impact. Miller-Meeks, the Republican representative for Iowas 1st Congressional District, spoke about pipelines and other renewable fuel efforts supported by the Conservative Climate Caucus. She, alongside Republican Reps. Randy Weber of Texas, Doug Lamborn of Colorado and Brett Guthrie of Kentucky fellow caucus members visited the Chevron Renewable Energy Group in Newton as part of a trip to Iowa focused on increasing affordable, low-emission energy options. Following a tour of the biodiesel production facility, the Iowa Republican said Iowa is a forerunner and a leader in enacting a conservative vision for climate-conscious energy production through the use of renewable fuels, wind and solar energy. The caucus wants to explore ways to encourage the adoption of new climate-conscious technology and techniques, but Republicans encourage market-based solutions rather than government requirements, Miller-Meeks said. She criticized President Joe Bidens administration for its approach to climate change solutions, citing the Environmental Protection Agencys rules on issues like coal and natural gas-fired power plants and tailpipe emissions. Were interested in innovation, how we can do things better, Miller-Meeks said. But importantly, no one wants brownouts, and no one wants sky-high electricity prices. And so there is a price to pay for what the Biden-Harris administration is doing, and we want to bring practical, innovative solutions and affordability and accessibility into the marketplace. As the Republican lawmakers seek to bolster alternative energy sources and production in the U.S., Miller-Meeks said carbon dioxide pipelines are one way to lower the carbon intensity score of ethanol, which she said in turn makes the industry competitive globally as American ethanol producers compete with countries like Brazil. I would say from the climate standpoint, if were not growing ethanol here in the U.S., and that increases the share from Brazil, they will cut down rainforests, and that is not environmentally friendly to do, Miller-Meeks said. So it makes sense in Iowa. The Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project has been a major point of contention for Iowans in both parties as the company seeks to build a network in five states, including Iowa. Much of the pushback over the project has come from the use of eminent domain that would force landowners to allow the pipeline to be built through their land even if they do not grant the company voluntarily easements. A group of state Republican lawmakers, as well as conservation groups, counties and property owners, have filed requests for reconsideration with the Iowa Utilities Commission on the three-person panels decision to issue a permit to Summit in Iowa. Miller-Meeks said the use of eminent domain is a state issue, not a federal issue, but said the ideal is for a limited amount of involuntary easements to be used in pipeline projects. She also said it was important to remember that pipeline companies will not be taking or owning the land. I would say that farmers and property owners need to look at the why, the rationale, and then determine if its in their best interest, she said. Companies that are acquiring easements are looking at, how do you make the land whole? How do you ensure farmers that you can grow crops in the near future, the timing, restructure so that land is put back in the position it was before they put in the pipeline?' MILLERTON, Pa. (WETM) A Millerton man has been sentenced to serve at least two years in prison on drug charges in Bradford County. According to the Bradford County District Attorneys Office, Earl E. Moretz Jr., 48, was sentenced to serve a minimum of 25 months to a maximum of 72 months in state prison for the crimes of possession with intent to deliver meth (two counts) and possession of a controlled substance. Troy woman sentenced on gun and drug charges Moretzs charges stem from an investigation by various law enforcement personnel, which eventually led to his arrest. Moretz was charged in March of 2023 after drugs were found at his home in Wells Township while a search warrant was being executed. Moretz was later charged by the Bradford County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania State Trooper Nathan Lewis and Bradford County Detective Michael Lamanna in December 2023 and January 2024 for the other offenses. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Millions of Indian doctors are striking in protest against a brutal rape and murder: Everything we know so far More than a million doctors in India will strike work on Saturday and shut down hospital services amid snowballing protests over the rape and murder of a junior medic last week in the eastern city of Kolkata. The doctor had settled down for a nap in a college lecture hall after working nearly 20 hours of a 36-hour shift when she was assaulted, according to staff at the RG Kar Medical College, run by the West Bengal state government. She had slept on a floor carpet as there were no dormitories or resting rooms available for doctors, her colleagues told Reuters. She was found dead last Friday, with police confirming that she had been raped and murdered. The Indian Medical Association, the countrys largest association of doctors, said the 24-hour shutdown would affect most hospital departments except for essential services. Hundreds of thousands of women in several Indian cities also rallied to reclaim the night, demanding justice for the doctor. Their march, a powerful expression of defiance, was born from a deep and collective anguish over the incident. The largest of the protests unfolded in Kolkata, where women, holding placards, candles and the national flag, welcomed the countrys 78th Independence Day at midnight by demanding justice for the doctor. Riya Banerjee, a 22-year-old student, said she had walked more than 5km to take part in the protest after roads became impassable for traffic, as it was important for everyone to step out of their comfort zone and raise their voices. We want justice for [the victim], she told The Independent earlier. We want to reclaim public space. Why should we live in fear of being abused by men? The womans rape and murder has sparked nationwide protests, reminiscent of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case. Political parties, including the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party, are organising protests, while public figures are calling for stricter punishments for crimes against women. Five men and a juvenile lured a 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist and her male friend on to a bus in New Delhi on 16 December 2012, before repeatedly raping the woman and beating both with a metal bar and dumping them on a road. The woman died of internal injuries nearly two weeks later in a Singapore hospital. Despite tougher laws introduced after 2012, activists argue that little has changed in ensuring womens safety. In 2022, an average of 86 rapes were reported in India every day. Protests erupted at over 100 locations across Kolkata and extended to nearby towns in West Bengal late Wednesday, with rallies continuing into Thursday morning in several other Indian cities including the capital New Delhi. We want justice, read one sign at a Kolkata rally. Hang the rapist, save the women, read another. Doctors nationwide are questioning what is so difficult about enacting a law for our security, Dhruv Chauhan, from the medical associations Junior Doctors Network, told the Press Trust of India news agency. The strike will continue until all demands are formally met. Protest in Kolkata over an alleged rape and murder incident at RG Kar Medical College (EPA) Meanwhile, during his Independence Day address in New Delhi on Thursday, Mr Modi did not directly mention the Kolkata incident but conveyed his deep sorrow over ongoing violence against women. There is anger for atrocities committed against our mothers and sisters, there is anger in the nation about that, he said. Crimes against women should be quickly investigated; monstrous behaviour against women should be severely and quickly punished, he added. That is essential for creating deterrence and confidence in the society. A civil volunteer named Sanjay Roy, associated with the Kolkata police, has been arrested in connection with the case, which has now been handed over to the federal investigative agency Central Bureau of Investigation following demands for an impartial and transparent inquiry. More protests were planned for Friday even as the ongoing strike severely impacted non-emergency medical services at government hospitals nationwide, affecting thousands of patients. The National Federation of Resident Doctors Association, a key union, is calling for a thorough investigation, compensation for the victims family, and the establishment of a new law to specifically address violence against healthcare workers. India rape protest (AP) Not any more, shouted Debjani Roy, who joined the protest at College Square in Kolkata with her two young daughters. They needed to witness the protest so that when they grow up, they are able to hit back at any man who dares to harass them, she told The Independent earlier. It is not just about one night. Every night, women should have this freedom and choice to go out, so that in future no girl childs parents have to think in case it gets late in the evening, whether their child shall return home safe or not, Shalini Datta, one of the demonstrators, told The Telegraph. India rape protest (AP) Across several cities, hundreds of thousands of women marched to chants of reclaim the night. Pinjala Kundu, a PR manager at a fintech company was quoted as saying by the Mint newspaper: I personally didnt expect the whole city to turn up at the protest march. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my city still has a spine. It was heartening to see mothers walking hand-in-hand with their daughters. Even fathers let the daughters take the lead while they stood behind like rocks. Rimjhim Sinha, the driving force behind the Reclaim the Night movement, described the event as a new freedom struggle for women, encapsulated by a powerful viral poster depicting a red hand gripping a crescent moon. Ms Sinha, a social science researcher and 2020 sociology graduate from Presidency University in Kolkata, was deeply shocked by the rape and murder of the junior doctor. Angered by a victim-blaming comment from the medical colleges ex-principal, she decided to spend Independence Day eve outdoors in protest. Sandip Ghosh had allegedly questioned why the junior had gone to the seminar hall alone. India rape protest (AP) Such a comment, shifting the blame on the victim, cannot be accepted. In protest, I decided to spend the night of 14 August outdoors. No one can lay a claim on the night and dictate to us who can be outside and why, she told The Kolkata-based newspaper The Telegraph. Ms Sinhas Facebook post about her decision unexpectedly went viral, leading to thousands joining her on the streets. She expressed her surprise and overwhelming emotion at the widespread response, noting that many women joined the protest, even if only for a few hours. I am very overwhelmed by the entire response. I am seeing women coming out of their homes and even if they cannot stay for the entire night, they are making a decision to stay for two hours or three hours in the night, she was quoted as saying by News18. The Reclaim the Night movement is a global movement that started in the 1970s, advocating for womens rights to feel safe and be free from violence, particularly in public spaces at night. The movement often features protests, marches, and vigils where women and their allies take to the streets at night, symbolically reclaiming these spaces and challenging societal norms that limit womens freedom and perpetuate victim-blaming. Medical professionals and activists hold posters and wave the Indian flag as they take part in a midnight protest (AFP via Getty) Reclaim the Night seeks to address issues such as sexual assault, harassment, and gender-based violence, advocating for safer communities and greater awareness of these critical concerns. Ranjana Kumari, the director of the Centre for Social Research, told The Guardian: It makes my blood boil when I see this silence when I read how he butchered her, this total neglect of safety at the hospital. Nothing, nothing has changed since 2012. The room where it happened didnt even have a CCTV camera. Medical students hold posters as they protest the rape and murder of a young medic from Kolkata (AFP via Getty) The anguished and grieving father of the junior doctor told The Indian Express that he would not accept money from the government. If I accept money for my daughters death, it will hurt her. We need justice. We have rejected the compensation and wont take any in the future too. A member of parliament in India, Kanimozhi also wrote on X: The entire country is shaken by the gruesome incident of rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata. The details of the cruel and inhuman act against her shocks us to our core. We are forced to think that if any woman is safe anywhere in India. We should stand up and act. She added: I stand with the victims family in this unbearable pain. Matthew Coffroth, Jr. was first reported missing on Saturday, Aug. 10 and found on Wednesday, Aug. 14 GoFundMe Matthew Coffroth Jr. A 10-year-old kayaker was found dead in Yellow Breeches Creek, Penn. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, perWGAL, ABC 27 and Penn Live. Matthew Coffroth, Jr. was first reported missing on Saturday, Aug. 10, and found four days later. The York County Coroners Office ruled his death an accidental drowning, per the offices news release. The boy was kayaking with his friends and family four children and three adults in Yellow Breeches Creek. The group set sail around 5 p.m. Saturday with plans to kayak one mile. But minutes into their excursion, the group encountered heavy debris, mostly consisting of fallen trees and tree limbs, which caused Coffroth Jr. to fall out of the boat, per Penn Live. He fell into the water and never resurfaced. The remaining seven kayakers made it safely back to shore. Those hazards that are always present, that are below the surface of the water and that will enter the waterway, cant be underestimated, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission spokesperson Mike Parker said, per ABC 27. Trees can fall into the water of rocks that are present when the water levels are lower, are now submerged and are not visible. GoFundMe Matthew Coffroth Jr. Related: Father Discovers Twin Daughters, 3, Drowned in Backyard Pool in Phoenix: 'A Tragic Day' Although life jackets were present, its unknown whether the child was wearing one when he fell into the water. "I was told that the family and the child had previously kayaked, that this was not the first time they had ever been out on the water," Parker said, per WGAL. After the incident, multiple fire and rescue agencies and more than 250 people across two states and seven counties helped with the search. Fairview Township emergency management coordinator Brandon Freistat said the childs family was "extremely appreciative" of the publics help, per WGAL. "We're so fortunate to have people in our community willing to do this, that are willing to go into the places that many of us would flee from out of the danger or the conditions they might have to be in the long hours," Parker said, per WGAL. GoFundMe Matthew Coffroth Jr. Related: 8-Year-Old Girl Found Dead Inside Houston Hotel Pool Pipe Hours After She Was Reported Missing Rescue crews searched the pile of debris beginning Tuesday, Aug. 13, and then made advancements that day when they utilized equipment to clear the debris. Early Wednesday morning, at 7:44 a.m. Coffroth Jr. was found in a debris pile about a mile from where he was last seen, per the York County Coroners Office. Deputy Coroner Michele Kirchner arrived at the scene to investigate and certify the death. The office did not order an autopsy. Fairview Township Police assisted the Pennsylvania State Police in starting the investigation. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will now investigate the incident. On Tuesday, a GoFundMe campaign was created to help support the Coffroth family. At the time of publication, the page raised over $24,000 of its $25,000 goal. This is a gift that no family ever wants to receive, but easing the burden even in the slightest bit will go a long way, read the page description. It is time we show our family that we love and support them more than anyone could imagine. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A representative for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for more information. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. ALLENDALE, S.C. (WJBF) Jessica Rapsys, 27, was found safe in Allendale County on Friday, August 16, 2024. Rapsys went missing after she was last seen on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, in Allendale County. Her car was found along railroad tracks that night in Martin, SC. The Allendale County Sheriffs Office would like to thank everyone who helped with the search, including: the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Department of Energy Savannah River Site Security Services, and the owners of Creek Plantation. Finding Jessica was a team effort, said Sheriff James Freeman. We all worked together and did not give up hope. Rapsys is being transported to the hospital where she will be evaluated and provided any necessary medical treatment. The Rapsys family would like to extend their deepest thanks to everyone who helped find Jessica, and respectfully asks for privacy at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. ALLENDALE, S.C. (WJBF) The Allendale County Sheriffs Office is requesting the publics assistance in locating a 27-year-old woman from Jacksonville, Florida. Jessica Rapsys vehicle was found Tuesday, August 13th around 9:15 p.m. Authorities say it was stuck across the railroad tracks that run through the community of Martin in northwestern Allendale County. It was still warm, but had been sitting for a while, according to Allendale County Sheriff, James Freeman. Sheriff Freeman tells NewsChannel 6 that the tracks where Rapsyss car was found were on private property on Creek Plantation. According to the sheriff, authorities searched for Jessica on Wednesday, August 14th. The search included three helicopters, two of which were from Savannah River Site, and a local dog team. The helicopters provided an aerial survey of the area surrounding the vehicle for five and a half hours. SLED has been asked to help with the investigation into Jessicas disappearance. Those who believe they might have information on her disappearance or where she might be now are asked to call Allendale County Sheriffs Office at (803) 584-7067 or leave a tip with SLED through Crimestoppers at https://www.888crimesc.com or by phone at 1-888-CRIMESC or 1-888-274-6372. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Authorities are searching for a McMinnville woman who was reported missing in early August and may have been lost in the wilderness, Myrtle Creek Police Department announced Tuesday. According to police, 69-year-old Kathleen Wilson was reported to have been on her way to visit a friend in Chiloquin and ended up staying in the Millsite RV Park for a short time. During the investigation, authorities learned Wilson left Myrtle Creek shortly after 6 a.m. Aug. 5. Her car a red Chevy Cruz with license plate number 747EDB was last seen passing through the Dry Creek area on Highway 138 East around 7:30 a.m. Authorities said 69-year-old Kathleen Wilson of McMinnville was reported missing in early August 2024 as she travelled to Chiloquin to visit a friend. She was last seen in the Dry Creek area, according to Myrtle Creek Police Department (Myrtle Creek Police Department.) Authorities said 69-year-old Kathleen Wilson of McMinnville was reported missing in early August 2024 as she travelled to Chiloquin to visit a friend. She was last seen in the Dry Creek area, according to Myrtle Creek Police Department (Myrtle Creek Police Department.) Authorities said 69-year-old Kathleen Wilson of McMinnville was reported missing in early August 2024 as she travelled to Chiloquin to visit a friend. She was last seen in the Dry Creek area, according to Myrtle Creek Police Department (Myrtle Creek Police Department.) The Myrtle Creek Police Department, with help from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office, Oregon State Police, Forest Service Law Enforcement, and several firefighting crews conducted an extensive search in the last week but never found her or the car. During the search, OSP flew a plane over the area, but wildfire smoke made the search from the air impossible, authorities said. At this point in the investigation, it has been determined that more likely than not, Wilson drove out the North Umpqua Highway from Roseburg and became lost somewhere in the vast wilderness off of 138 East, Myrtle Creek Police Department said in a Facebook post. We would like to make sure we are clear; this case is not closed, and the investigation is ongoing. This case will not be closed until Wilson is found. Oregon Supreme Court reverses judges motion to ban West Linn residents from jury Authorities urge community members especially those travelling the forest roads off of North Umpqua Highway to be on the lookout for Wilson and her car. Anyone who thinks they have information on the case is asked to contact Myrtle Creek Police Department immediately. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Many Tennesseans are still missing some of their eldest family members who have seemingly disappeared over the last few months, or in some cases, years. As of Friday, Aug. 16, there were still 10 active Silver Alerts across the state. A Silver Alert is issued by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) when someone 60 or older is missing and believed to be in danger due to age, health, mental health conditions or a physical disability. Silver Alert issued in Giles County for missing 82-year-old Alerts are also sometimes issued for people of any age with dementia and those 18 and older with an intellectual, developmental or physical disability. By law, the TBI is required to send out the alert within 12 hours of receiving notification of the missing person. According to state lawmakers, the first few hours are critical in finding someone who has wandered due to dementia, physical impairment or disability. Those who are still missing range in age from 52 to 85 years old, with all suffering from a medical condition that could impair their ability to return home on their own. The most recent alert was issued on Tuesday, Aug. 13 after 82-year-old Caulyne Cross went missing from Giles County. The TBI said Cross was last seen wearing red pants and a pink shirt, but her direction of travel was unknown. Several crews worked through the night to try to find Cross, covering more than 1,000 acres on foot and flying several types of aircraft over a very large section of the county. On Wednesday, Aug. 14, officials said an impressive army of neighbors had also been out searching. However, their efforts have so far been unsuccessful. Silver Alert: TBI continues search for Nashville woman missing nearly 3 years The next most recent case dates back to nearly two months ago when 69-year-old Roxanne Gallagher was reported missing from Cumberland County. Four of the Silver Alerts that are still active stem from 2023 or later, with the oldest active alert issued in 2021. The TBI issued a Silver Alert for Lucy Buchanan after the 85-year-old was last seen leaving her Buena Vista Pike apartment in Nashville on Nov. 24, 2021. She spoke to her family on the phone a few days later on Nov. 29, 2021, but by that afternoon her phone was either dead or turned off. When a family member went by her apartment to drop off groceries, Buchanan wasnt there. Residents at her apartment complex said she may have gotten into a gray van with a female driver that day. However, she hasnt been seen since. Its thought that Buchanan may have been in the early stages of dementia at the time of her disappearance. UNSOLVED TENNESSEE: Find more of the states cold cases, missing persons, and other mysteries Whether its been years or months, the TBI and several local law enforcement agencies are continuing to search for these adults who have been reported missing across the state. Below are their missing posters and any known information about the circumstances of their disappearances. (Courtesy: TBI) (Courtesy: TBI) (Courtesy: TBI) (Courtesy: TBI) (Courtesy: TBI) (Courtesy: TBI) (Courtesy: TBI) (Courtesy: TBI) (Courtesy: TBI) (Courtesy: TBI) Anyone who has information on any of these cases is asked to contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND or their local law enforcement agency. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. A woman dressed in Yugur people's ethnic attire is pictured during celebration of the 70th anniversary of Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 13, 2024.(Xinhua/Zhang Rui) LANZHOU, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- During the recent festivities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Sunan Yugur Autonomous County in Gansu Province, the nomadic Yugur people's unique ethnic attire was a sight to behold. With a population of over 10,000, the Yugur primarily reside at the foot of the Qilian Mountains. For generations, they have maintained their ancient customs, including traditional clothing. Beyond its time-honored functionality, the ethnic group's traditional attire represents a tangible piece of cultural heritage with significant market potential. Yugur traditional clothing is characterized by high-collared, front-opening long robes, with distinctive patterns and hat styles that vary by gender and tribe. Among the most recognizable elements are the women's red-tasseled hats and elaborate headpieces adorned with turquoise, agate, pearls and coral. These headpieces are typically handcrafted by mothers for their daughters and stay in the family as treasured heirlooms and dowries. In 2008, Yugur traditional clothing was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage. Ke Cuiling, 64, a master craftswoman and national intangible cultural heritage inheritor, has devoted her life to preserving the craftsmanship. Starting at 14, Ke meticulously learned the intricate craft of Yugur clothing and embroidery from her mother and sister. Her passion for the craft's artistry has also led her to collect old embroidery pieces. Yugur clothing is entirely handmade, with every stitch reflecting the maker's skill and dedication. "My mother was incredibly skilled, able to twist thread as fine as a strand of hair," she recalled. According to Ke, even with modern techniques, creating a single headpiece requires about 50 days of continuous work. Therefore, mothers would start making their daughters' wedding attire from birth. In the 1990s, inspired by a foreigner's offer to buy her handmade wrist strap for 10 U.S. dollars in Shenzhen, Ke began to explore the commercial potential of her craft. She established a studio, trained apprentices, and began making sales. Ke creatively applied Yugur patterns and embroidery techniques to everyday items like camera straps and pouches, which proved popular with customers. Meanwhile, Ke continues to visit Yugur elders to collect and preserve clothing patterns and document craftsmanship processes, believing that even ancient items are part of Yugur culture. The Yugur often spend considerable amounts on a set of clothing, with prices ranging from 6,000 yuan (about 840 U.S. dollars) to over 100,000 yuan. Today, Ke has trained over 100 apprentices, and her family is actively involved in preserving Yugur cultural heritage. Her company's sales of cultural and creative products have increased by over 30 percent compared to last year. In 2014, Ke opened a Yugur folk museum, attracting visitors and scholars from around the world. The local government is also supporting efforts to preserve traditional Yugur clothing and embroidery through exhibitions, performances and workshops. Over 200 exhibitions and performances and traditional craft training sessions have been organized, according to Zhang Anting, director of the county's intangible cultural heritage protection and inheritance center, adding that there are 14 national and provincial inheritors of Yugur crafts. For 46-year-old Pan Xiaohong, who lost the use of four fingers on her left hand due to an accident during childhood, the craftsmanship of Yugur clothing opened new possibilities. Through years of diligent study and strenuous training, Pan not only earns a living through Yugur clothing craftsmanship but also helps many people with disabilities support themselves through this skill. Nowadays, Pan's embroidery company employs 43 workers, including 22 with disabilities. Four years ago, her company focused solely on producing Yugur ethnic clothing. Today, the embroiderers have developed over 100 cultural and creative products inspired by traditional patterns, with 15 of these products applying for design patents. "Creating ethnic clothing is a calming process that brings a sense of accomplishment and confidence with each completed piece. Just as it has brought me more possibilities, I hope that through innovation while preserving tradition, I can create more jobs for others," said Pan. Missing Woman's Boyfriend Suspected Of Murder After Body Was Found In Steep Embankment A California man arrested on Wednesday now faces a murder charge after authorities found a body they believe belongs to his girlfriend off a highway in Nevada. Brent Clifford, 55, was booked Thursday on suspicion of murdering 48-year-old Patricia Portella-Wright, the Placer County Sheriffs Office announced. Investigators found a womans body after using a drone to fly over a steep embankment off Mt. Rose Highway in Washoe County, the sheriffs office said. The local coroner has yet to formally make an identification. Portella-Wright was last seen on Aug. 4, and she was believed to be with Clifford at the time of her disappearance, the sheriffs office saidin previous updates. She was reported missing five days later after not showing up to work. Authorities in Nevada said Clifford traveled from the Lake Tahoe area in California to Reno on Aug. 9, the same day that Portella-Wright was reported missing, according to reports by the Reno Gazette-Journal. Patricia Portella-Wright was reported missing on Aug. 9, 2024. Placer County Sheriff's Office The Placer County sheriff revealed in a press release on Wednesday that Clifford is also considered a person of interest in the killing of a Nevada man who was found dead on Aug. 11 in Reno. William F. Andrews, 68, died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Gazette-Journal. It is unclear what kind of connection he may have had to Clifford before his death. On Wednesday, Clifford was taken into custody after authorities located him in Portola, California, driving a red 2003 Chevrolet Blazer that belonged to Andrews, according to police. Placer County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Lt. Dave Smith told reporters on Thursday that Clifford had also been charged with identity theft. Court records show that Clifford was charged on Wednesday with two felony counts of unlawful use of personal identifying information as well as one count of intent to defraud involving the use of an access card or access card information. According to reports by ABC affiliate KXTV, Clifford is the son of Doug Clifford, the founding drummer for Creedence Clearwater Revival. Clifford was arraigned on the identity theft charges Friday morning. Its unclear whether he has an attorney representing him. Dive deep into true crime cases and follow the latest headlines with HuffPosts Suspicious Circumstances newsletter. Sign up here. Related... A Kansas City, Kansas, man is accused of stealing nearly $70,000 from an elderly customer while overseeing the mans account at a Missouri bank in 2022, according to documents filed this week in Cass County court. Former North American Savings Bank employee John S. Werner, 23, faces one felony charge of financial exploitation of an elderly person. Police became aware of the alleged theft when Michael Liberman of Peculiar, Missouri, reached out directly to the Cass County Sheriffs Office. Liberman, 78, told officers that nearly $70,000 had vanished from his savings account at North American Savings Bank without explanation, according to court records. Internal bank records later indicated that $68,224.16 had been stolen, court records state. Most of the withdrawals had been sent in smaller denominations through PayPal transactions, which Liberman told detectives he did not authorize or do himself. The withdrawals took place between March 1 and Aug. 15, 2022, according to court documents. Bank records reviewed by police showed that Werner had opened inquiries into Libermans account on March 1 and March 2, court documents read. In the weeks after obtaining access to Libermans account, Werners own account was credited with multiple deposits in the same amounts as the ones missing from Libermans, an internal investigation reviewed by Cass County authorities found. A bank security officer told police that the bank had reimbursed Liberman and taken on the nearly $70,000 debt itself, according to court documents. Headquartered in Grandview, North American Savings Bank has four branches in Kansas City. Additional branches operate in Lees Summit, Independence, Harrisonville, Excelsior Springs, Lexington, Platte City and St. Joseph. Charging documents did not specify at which location Werner was employed, or for how long. North American Savings Bank declined to comment Friday on the pending charges. The bank also declined to share details about the nature and length of Werners employment. A $25,000 cash bond for Werner was issued Thursday. His first court date has not yet been set. Eighteen members of a motorcycle club, including 16 Missouri men, were indicted in federal court this week in connection with a series of armed assaults on members of rival organizations. The men were all identified as members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, which is classified by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as an outlaw motorcycle group. Rival organizations to the Missouri branch of the group include infamous biker group Hells Angels, along with the Outlaws, El Forastero, Galloping Goose, Sons of Silence and and Bandidos biker groups. Each Pagans member is also known by a distinctive nickname. The indictment, unsealed Thursday, brings a combination of assault, firearm and racketeering charges against: Christopher W. McGowen, alias Mac, 40, of Platte City, Mo. Arthur L. Reynolds III, alias Straight Edge, 48, and Jarrid A. Hammer, alias Hammer, 45, both of Independence, Mo. Jeremiah Z. Hahn, alias Pass Out, 41, and John J. Hahn, alias Krazy Legs, 46, both of Cameron, Mo. Charles E. Smith, Jr., alias Crash, 38, and James W. Prettyman, alias Rugby, 42, both of Blue Springs, Mo. Mark A. Cottman, alias One Shot, 49, of Kansas City, Mo. Bryan S. Fletcher, alias Fletch, 48, and Mark A. Crump, alias Navajo, 54, both of Lees Summit, Mo. Jeffrey S. Hannah, alias Got-It, 42, of Grain Valley, Mo. Eric M. Forsyth, Jr., alias EZ, 34, of Oak Grove, Mo. Robert W. Miller, alias Flipper, 46, and Brandon S. Hodge, alias Youngblood, 25, both of Joplin, Mo. Monty L. Mitchell, alias Smoke, 58, of Windsor, Mo. Alan M. Thornton, alias Bones, 40, of Holden, Mo. John Travis Fisher, alias T-Bone, 51, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma Graham S. Gattis, alias Dro, 40, of Panama City, Florida The specific assaults that led to the arrests were mostly committed between May and September 2022, according to the indictment. All except Hammer, aka Hammer, and Crump, aka Navajo, were charged with some combination of assault or attempted assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and discharge of a firearm related to a violent crime. Hammer and Navajo, along with Cottman, aka One Shot, were charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury, committed in the context of racketeering. The three men allegedly injured a rival gang member during an assault on July 20, 2023. Pagans members reportedly often use either firearms or axe handles when committing violent assaults, according to the indictment. The organization has a strict and elaborate set of rules and symbols, under which members can earn motifs on their bikes or jackets after committing certain acts of violence. Assaults are often committed in order to protect and expand territory, intimidate rivals, conceal members from law enforcement and advance extracurricular criminal projects, the indictment reads. More than 40 illegal firearms were seized in conjunction with the bikers arrest, according to the indictment. A marijuana grow operation was also unearthed, along with a stash of body armor and thousands of rounds of illegally stockpiled ammunition. A federal grand jury returned the indictment Aug. 7 in Kansas City, Missouri. The 18 men face between three and 50 years in prison, according to the indictment. The Pagans is a national organization with multiple active chapters in Missouri. Other members have previously been charged with drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, assault and attempted murder, according to the indictment. The organizations former national leader, Christopher Lamar Baker, was sentenced to 75 years in prison in 2023 on methamphetamine trafficking, firearm distribution and money laundering charges. The Independence, Kansas City Missouri, Kansas City Kansas, Blue Springs and Lees Summit police departments, among others, contributed to the investigation. The Missouri House chamber during debate on March 12, 2023 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications). When Melissa Viloria was growing up in northeast Missouri, few people in power that looked like her. Viloria was born in Hawaii to a mother from Missouri and a father who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines. Her parents moved to Missouri in 1978. They found themselves among the few vocal Democrats of the nearly 3,000 people living in Monroe City. Shes been involved in politics her whole life, running county Democratic clubs and traveling around northeast Missouri hearing from voters. Now, as Missouri Democrats look to improve their presence statewide, Vilorias name is on the ballot. Many of the races Democrats want to challenge are almost guaranteed losses. But its part of the partys strategy to regain ground in Jefferson City, where Republicans have controlled the General Assembly since 2002. Its a dynamic that makes Missouri one of the least competitive states when it comes to November elections. One of the things that we have seen in Missouri over the last decade or decade and a half is that many more state legislative seats were uncontested in the general election, said Peverill Squire, a professor of political science at the University of Missouri. The Democrats have done a better job of recruiting candidates and filling their ballot lines this time around. Viloria is running in the 4th Missouri House District and is the first Democrat to be listed on the ballot there in over a decade. It will be an uphill battle for her to secure a victory in November, but she believes Democrats need to start somewhere. I thought, even if its just for representation just to run and show others you can absolutely, lets try it, she said. Viloria is challenging Rep. Greg Sharpe, who was first elected in 2019. Shes one of many Democrats running in races where the odds are stacked against them. I dont think you should go unchecked, Viloria said. If youre not putting in the work, the time and the effort for the job, then you dont get the job. Missouris history with uncontested races Its common for more partisan areas of the state to be without major party competition on general election ballots in Missouri. The states cities, which lean Democratic, often dont have Republicans on the ballot when it comes to the state House or Senate. And in more rural parts of Missouri, Republicans often run without a Democratic opponent. The 2022 election was one of the least competitive cycles in recent history: 78 of the states 180 legislative races, or 43.3% of the legislature, were contested. That was down from 50% in 2020, a Ballotpedia analysis found. This November will be different. Across the House and the Senate, nearly 75% of races will have candidates from the two major parties. Its no surprise that in a red state Republicans had higher numbers of candidates running without a challenge from a major party. During the last election cycle, 73 Republicans had no Democratic opponent, while 29 of Democrats ran uncontested. There are other states where this problem is even worse, Squire said. On the Democratic side this year, there has been a national effort to try to get people on more ballot lines, simply to make races more competitive and probably in the end pick up some seats that they might not have before. Missouri Democrats for years have been looking to cut into the two-thirds supermajority in Jefferson City. The party sees recruiting a candidate for each race, even the longshot ones, as one path to get there. Having somebody to rally around, not only is it good for the candidate, but having a candidate in different communities across the state gives them something to get excited about, said Alex Johnson, the field director for the Missouri House Democratic Campaign Committee. Thats not just good for 2024. It gives us a better launching point for future election cycles. With more than half the states House races unchallenged in the general election, voters had little reason to even think about the races. For voters, said Squire, the MU political scientist, its a big deal for Missouri to have so many candidates running. The importance of choice between candidates got Jess Piper to put her name on the ballot in 2022 for Missouris 2nd House District. People say, You get what you vote for, and youre like, I dont have anyone to vote for, she said. She garnered online attention during her longshot bid and raised loads of money in the process. Piper still lost her race by over 50 points that November. Now she helps run Blue Missouri, an outfit that raises money for down ballot Democratic candidates in Missouri. It might be a cycle, two cycles, maybe even three cycles before we can flip any of these seats, Piper said. We give money to them anyway because we know theyre sticking their neck out and doing something thats really hard. I think its immoral to ask people to do that and not fund them in the process. Her conversations ahead of the 2022 election were mostly focused on kitchen table issues: Schools, health care and infrastructure.. People just need to hear the message in more than one cycle. They need to marinate it for a little bit, Piper said. Were all going to get our butt kicked the first time. This is how it works. The difficulties of running a losing race in Missouri Democrats have struggled to keep candidates in state legislative races for a variety of reasons. It can be expensive and time-consuming to run a competitive campaign. And it can be a hard sell for people the Missouri Democrats want to recruit. Many are professionals in high-paying jobs. Convincing them to walk away for a salary of less than $40,000 a year is tough. Plus, its difficult to keep up with voters if there hasnt been a party presence in the district in the recent past. November will be the second election since Missouris state legislative districts were redrawn following the 2020 Census. Leslie Jones, a Democrat running in Springfield and Republic, is taking on the ballot in a district where the party hasnt had much power. When I first decided to run, I was flat out told by many people that You will not win this, Jones said. I dont want to listen to that voice. Im looking at this as an opportunity for us to go in and get data and see what the district really looks like. Without candidates in some of the races, it can be difficult to see how competitive an area really may be. Joness district, for example, includes deep red parts of the state. But an Amazon warehouse has brought new workers to the Republic and the Springfield area is booming. Its worth having people run, so that we can see if there is momentum shifting, Jones said. Were not going to get that if people dont run. This article first appeared on Beacon: Missouri and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. What is Missouris leading industry? Conversation sparks after Hawley, Kunce run-in What is Missouris leading industry? Conversation sparks after Hawley, Kunce run-in MISSOURI A conversation around Missouris leading industry sparked after Missouri U.S. Senate candidates Josh Hawley and Lucas Kunce came face-to-face during a run-in at the Missouri State Fair on Wednesday. During the informal encounter, Josh Hawley claimed the agricultural industry was Missouris leading industry contributing to the states economy. An analysis from 2022 comparing Missouris industry contributions states otherwise. According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, manufacturing is recognized as the leading industry, contributing 12.5 percent, or $38 billion in 2022. Real estate, rental and leasing followed close behind manufacturing contributing 11 percent or $33.1 billion. The agricultural industry only contributed 1.7 percent or $5.2 billion during the year 2022 marking it as one of the states least contributing industries. Health care and social assistance alongside professional, scientific and technical services came in as two more of the states top contributing industries. While utilities and educational services ranked near the agricultural industry as the weakest contributors. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. SEDALIA, Mo. Missouri candidates for the U.S. Senate nearly came nose to nose at the state fair in Sedalia Thursday. In the more than 120 years of the fair, there has been occasional political clash, but no one seemed to remember anything like this. Incumbent Republican Sen. Josh Hawley and his Democratic challenger Lucas Kunce were face-to-face at the ham breakfast, a fair tradition. They sparred verbally for several minutes over holding a debate at or near the fairgrounds. Can you say yes to (a) Fox News (debate)? Kunce repeatedly asked Hawley. Are you going to be debate today? If you show up to debate today, well do a whole bunch more, Hawley responded. I dont think the guy seems very real, Kunce told FOX 2 afterward. Its all kind of a showhes a real performer. Youre still going to debate him somewhere? FOX 2s Andy Banker later asked Hawley. Sure, if we think hes going to show up somewhere, he answered. Beloved Big Boy locomotive rolls through St. Louis in September. When can you see it? Hawley showed up for a debate hours after the ham breakfast clash. The event was to be hosted by the Missouri Farm Bureau, across the street from the fair. Kunce supporters showed up chanting, coward, coward, at Hawley, pointing out that he had yet to agree to statewide televised debates. Kunce said the politically active Farm Bureaus involvement in hosting a debate would run afoul of election law. FOX 2 asked both candidates about what issues should they actually be debating. Josh Hawley marks zero dollars back to our state every single year, Kunce said. Were winning votes everywhere I go in the state, and thats because of what I stand for: freedom and investment in the statethe exact opposite of what Josh Hawley stands for. We can talk about the border, Hawley said. He wants open border. Hes for amnesty. Hes for paying illegals benefits. Weve got another big one on the ballot this fall. Were going to codify Roe vs. Wade at the state level. Im going to do it at the national level because thats what people want, Kunce said. Im pro-life, Hawley told FOX 2. Im for exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother, but Im 100 percent pro-life. There was also an independent Senate candidate there taking it all in: Joplin attorney and businessman, Jared Young. He founded what he calls The Better Party to focus on issues instead of slinging political mud. Its exactly the spectacle were all tired of, Young said. Its the fighting, its the pettiness. We just want people who can actually sit down, talk to each other, and work together to solve problems. As for when the public might actually see a Hawley-Kunce debate, Kunce says hes already agreed to five of them. Hawley says hes ready to go, and Jared Yung says hell come too, if hes invited. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Missouri woman arrested, charged with fraud after attempt to steal Graceland MISSOURI (KOLR) A Kimberling City woman has been arrested on federal charges in connection with a scheme to defraud Elvis Presleys family of millions of dollars and their ownership in Graceland. According to a press release from U.S. Department of Justice, Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Court documents state Findley used several aliases to pose as three different people from a fictitious private lender named Naussany Investments & Private Lending, LLC. Findley allegedly falsely claimed that Elvis Presleys daughter had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from the bogus company, using Graceland as collateral for the loan and had failed to repay the debt. SPS spends $85K to rebrand as teacher retention suffers To settle the claim, Findley allegedly asked for $2.85 million from Presleys family. She also allegedly fabricated several documents, including: Loan documents with the forged signatures of Elvis Presleys daughter and a Florida State notary public A creditors claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles A deed of trust with the Shelby County Registers Office in Memphis Findley also published a phony foreclosure notice in one of Memphiss daily newspapers, announcing that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the highest bidder. When Presleys family sued Naussany Investments to stop the sale, Findley also filed fake court documents. After the scheme attracted media attention, Findley allegedly wrote to the Presley familys representatives, the Tennessee state court and the media to falsely claim that a Nigerian identity thief was responsible for the scheme. Findley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud. The court proceedings will now take place in the Western District of Tennessee. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. A woman named Lisa Jeanine Findley, who allegedly goes by several other aliases, was arrested on Friday in connection to an alleged scheme to defraud the Presley family out of Elvis' Graceland property Chris Melzer/picture alliance via Getty Graceland in Memphis, TN in 2014. On Friday, a Missouri woman was charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection to an alleged scheme to sell Graceland The Office of Public Affairs claims that the woman, Lisa Jeanine Findley, goes by several aliases affiliated with the private lending company that tried to sell the famed property in a foreclosure auction earlier this year Findley has been accused of trying to defraud the Presley family and steal their ownership interest in Graceland A Missouri woman has been arrested and charged with allegedly attempting to fraudulently sell Elvis Presleys Graceland home. On Friday, Aug. 16, the Office of Public Affairs announced via a press release that federal charges have been filed against Lisa Jeanine Findley also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, in connection to an alleged scheme to defraud the Presley family and steal their ownership interest in the famed Memphis property. According to Nicole M. Argentieri Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Departments criminal division Findley was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed following her arrest, which alleges that she "orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland" and falsely claimed that Presleys daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, "pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death." Related: Tenn. Attorney General 'Looking Into' Graceland Foreclosure Sale Attempt Riley Keough Called 'Fraudulent' "As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family," Argentieri added in a statement. "Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account. Acknowledging Presley's Graceland home as a "national treasure," U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz said in a statement that "the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits financial crimes or identity theft." Findley was charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for the latter charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years for the former. She's scheduled to make her first appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri later on Friday. Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty; Raymond Boyd/Getty Riley Keough; Graceland Back in May, Riley Keough, Presleys granddaughter and the heir to Graceland, condemned a foreclosure sale of her late grandfather's famed property, calling it "fraudulent" in a 60-page lawsuit. According to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE, the Under the Bridge actress sought to block a company named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC, which was allegedly connected to Findley, from selling Presley's Memphis estate in a foreclosure auction that was scheduled that week. In her filing, Keough claimed that Findley's alleged company may not even be "a real entity." Meanwhile, the Office of Public Affairs alleged that the Missouri woman "posed as three different individuals" affiliated with the "fictitious private lender" in order to falsely accuse the late Lisa Marie of borrowing $3.8 million from Naussany Investments in 2018 and pledging Graceland as collateral for the loan that allegedly went unpaid. Related: Graceland Rep Speaks Out After Judge Halts Sale Following Foreclosure Attempt: 'No Validity' "To settle the purported claim, Findley allegedly sought $2.85 million from Elvis Presleys family," officials claimed. "Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which Findley forged the signatures of Elvis Presleys daughter and a Florida State notary public. Findley then allegedly filed a false creditors claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, and a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Registers Office in Memphis." The Office of Public Affairs also claimed that Findley "allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice" in the local Memphis newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, to announce that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the "highest bidder" on May 23. A Tennessee judge ultimately blocked the sale just hours after Findley's alleged company dropped all claims on the property. Raymond Boyd/Getty Graceland, home of the late Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee on October 3, 2016 According to officials, when Naussany Investments was sued in Tennessee state court to halt the Graceland sale, Findley allegedly "submitted false court filings." They also claimed that, after the scheme made global headlines, the Missouri native allegedly "wrote to representatives of Elvis Presleys family, the Tennessee state court, and the media to claim falsely that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria." Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another persons celebrity status, Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group said in a statement. In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain." Related: Riley Keough Appreciates Fast Legal Action in Foreclosure Threat: 'Anything to Protect Graceland' (Exclusive Source) "Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress," Shen's statement continued. "This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity." Addressing Findley's charges, Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Memphis Field Office said in a statement that Friday's announcement "shows our broad approach to investigating allegations of identity theft and mail fraud, which can affect people from all walks of life." He added, "We will continue to vigorously pursue cases against individuals, in the United States and abroad, who would steal an identity and use fraud to benefit themselves personally." Findley's case is currently being investigated by the USPIS and FBI Memphis Field Office with "significant assistance" from the FBI Kansas City Field Office. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A Missouri woman was arrested Friday morning and now faces federal charges related to a scheme to defraud the estate of Elvis Presley and foreclose on his iconic mansion. File Photos/UPI Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A Missouri woman was arrested Friday morning and now faces federal charges related to an accused scheme to defraud the estate of Elvis Presley and foreclose on his iconic mansion. Lisa Jeanine Findley is accused of creating false documents alleging Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley took out a $3.8 million loan against her father's Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tenn., the Justice Department said in a statement Friday. Findley, who lives in in Kimberling City, Mo., went by more than a half-dozen different aliases according to court documents, and is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Authorities contend the 53-year-old created false documents, including a fake signature and notary stamp, to fabricate evidence purporting that Lisa Marie Presley had taken out the multimillion-dollar loan against Graceland. Elvis' only child died in 2023 at the age of 54. Using a fake name and non-existent company, Finley then attempted to foreclose on Graceland, which has become a popular tourist attraction since Elvis died there in 1977. "As alleged in the complaint, the defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presley's daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri said in the Justice Department's statement. A Missouri woman is accused of creating false documents alleging Presleys daughter Lisa Marie Presley (pictured) took out a $3.8 million loan against her fathers Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tenn., the Justice Department confirmed. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI "As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account." A judge later blocked the foreclosure, which was contested by Presley's daughter, actress Riley Keough. Keough is the primary trustee of the Presley family's Promenade Trust. The accused woman allegedly faked a signature and notary stamp to fabricate evidence Lisa Marie Presley had taken out the multi-million-dollar loan against Graceland, prior to her death 2023 at the age of 54. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI Shelby County Chancery Court Judge JoeDae Jenkins found several glaring irregularities with the documents submitted by Naussany Investments, which claimed it issued the Graceland loan in 2018. The firm had only a P.O. box listed as an address and did not send a representative to court. Gregory Naussany and Kurt Naussany are two of the aliases Findley allegedly used, according to the Justice Department. A judge later blocked the foreclosure, which was contested by Lisa Marie Presleys daughter, actress Riley Keough, who is the primary trustee of the Presley familys Promenade Trust. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI The judge eventually ruled Lisa Marie Presley's signature on the document was forged, as was the stamp of the notary public. The case grabbed international headlines a week later when a person purporting to be from Nigeria claimed responsibility for the failed plot. A judge said proceeding with the wrongful foreclosure attempt of Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion would cause irreparable harm. File Photo by CC/UPI At the time, the person told multiple news outlets they were part of a large-scale fraud ring operating in Nigeria with "worms" in the United States. "Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person's celebrity status," U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge Eric Shen said in the Justice Department's statement. Elvis, Lisa Marie (L) is buried at Graceland, which attracts around 600,000 visitors annually. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI "In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress. This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity." Findley is expected to make her first appearance in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri Friday afternoon. She faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charge if convicted, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud. "As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure," U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Kevin Ritz said in the statement. "This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark. Of course, all homeowners deserve to have their property protected from fraud, and the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits financial crimes or identity theft." Elvis and Lisa Marie are buried at Graceland, which attracts about 600,000 visitors annually. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday denounced the United States for attempting to maintain hegemony and intimidate the world with nuclear weapons. Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query regarding the United States and Japan reconstituting the U.S. Forces Japan, and their accusation of China for expanding nuclear weapons arsenal. The United States and Japan recently have been playing up the so-called "China military threat" to make up excuses for closer military ties. Such acts provoke bloc confrontation and undermine regional peace and stability, Zhang said, expressing firm opposition. The United States poses the biggest nuclear threat to the world, Zhang said, adding that it possesses the largest nuclear arsenal in the world and follows a nuclear policy that allows first-use of nuclear weapons. He went on to denounce Japan, the only country victimized by nuclear strikes, for not learning lessons from history, but pandering to the United States to gain the so-called "nuclear deterrence." China pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and is committed to the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, Zhang said, noting that China keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security. "We urge the United States and Japan to abandon their Cold War mentality, recognize that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national and collective security policies, and take concrete actions to promote global strategic stability, instead of doing the opposite," Zhang said. (NewsNation) A Missouri woman was arrested Friday and charged in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presleys family of millions of dollars and steal the familys ownership interest in Graceland, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, was charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Shes set to appear in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri later Friday. The defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presleys daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, who is the head of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. $18M worth of cocaine seized after boat capsizes According to court documents, Findley allegedly posed as three different people connected with a fake private lender named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC, or Naussany Investments. Shes accused of falsely claiming that Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presleys daughter, signed a deed of trust in 2018, securing a $3.8 million loan from Naussany Investments and using Graceland as collateral. The company alleged the loan was never repaid before Lisa Maries death last January and sought $2.8 million from the family to settle the claim. Graceland, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is the former home of Elvis Presley. Lisa Marie Presleys daughter, Riley Keough, filed a 60-page lawsuit against Naussany Investments on May 15, asserting that her mother never borrowed any money from the company, according to her familys attorney. Court documents also allege that Findley forged loan documents with Lisa Marie Presleys signature and a Florida notary publics signature. She allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper, announcing that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland on May 23. A Tennessee judge delayed the auction as Presleys estate fought to prove the foreclosure proceedings were fraudulent. Data breach may have exposed billions of personal information records, lawsuit claims After the scheme attracted national media attention, Findley allegedly wrote to Elvis Presleys family, the Tennessee state court and the media, falsely blaming the scheme on a Nigerian identity thief, the DOJ said. The DOJ said Findley was also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins and Carolyn Williams. If convicted, Findley faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for the identity theft charge and a maximum of 20 years in prison for the mail fraud charge. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. NEOSHO, Mo. Missouri State Senator Jill Carter makes an appearance at Neosho High School Friday. She spoke to R-5 District teachers and administrators who were all gathered inside the Freeman Health System Performing Arts Center for a team-building event. Carter specifically highlighted her start right here in southwest Missouri and the important role educators play in developing the next generation of learners. She said these are some of her favorite events to attend. I absolutely love where we live. I think we live in a really unique place, where people pour their heart and souls into what they do, and so just helping to let them know they are appreciated is just really important to me, said Carter. Neosho heads back to school next Wednesday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. To improve its energy independence, the Republic of Moldova has announced its first tender for the construction of onshore wind power facilities with capacities of up to 105 MW. Source: Moldovan Ministry of Energy Details: The investors chosen to build the power plants will be given the status of major qualified producer, as well as a guaranteed supply of the energy generated for a period of 15 years. According to the terms of participation, the winning investors will be guaranteed a fixed price for the generated electricity for 15 years. Moldova's Ministry of Energy says the share of electricity from renewable energy sources will rise from 10% at the end of 2023 to 16.6% after the winning power plants are commissioned, making a significant contribution to meeting the national commitment to achieve 30% of electricity from renewables in final consumption by 2030. Moldova found itself in an "incredibly vulnerable position" when Russia launched the invasion of its neighbour, Ukraine, in February 2022, but has worked hard to minimise its reliance on Russia, Moldovan Energy Minister Victor Parlicov said in an interview with Reuters. Background: Ukraine reduced its electricity imports by 2% in July compared to June. Prior to that, Ukraines imports had risen for three months in a row. Support UP or become our patron! On Friday, 16 August, a court in Balti ruled to suspend for three months the activities of the pro-Russian party Chance, which is associated with fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, who was convicted in Moldova. Source: Moldovan service of Radio Liberty, European Pravda reports Details: The court ruling came three months after the Moldovan Ministry of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Chance party demanding that its activities be restricted for six months due to violations in financial documents found by the Central Election Commission. The violations were found in Chance's financing of the election campaign for the local elections in November 2023. In particular, it was about 71 donors with too low incomes that did not correspond to the donations they made. The Balti court partially granted the minister's request and restricted the party's activities for only three months - until mid-November. This means that Chance's activities will be restricted during the presidential elections in Moldova on 20 October. The restrictions mean that the pro-Russian party is prohibited from using bank accounts and organising public events. Chance also has to pay court costs of 250 lei (US$55). Radio Liberty wrote that the pro-Russian Chance party became the first party to be suspended, although this mechanism has been provided for in Moldovan legislation for 17 years. Chance emerged after the Constitutional Court of Moldova declared another of Shor's political projects, the political party of the same name, unconstitutional and banned its activities due to its ties to Russia. Meanwhile, in April, parties linked to fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor created the Victory electoral bloc at an event held in a Moscow hotel. Support UP or become our patron! A field with oil wells in Musselshell County, Montana (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). A poll commissioned by the Montana Wildlife Federation in July and released this week found broad support for parts of a Bureau of Land Management oil and gas rule released earlier this year that Montanas Republican federal delegation is seeking to block from taking effect. The poll was conducted by Republican-leaning firm New Bridge Strategy July 15-21 and surveyed 500 registered Montana voters via landlines and cell phones and focused on questions about how oil and gas development interacts with public lands and conservation under the rule finalized this past April. The poll shows that despite opposition to the rule from U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, Rep. Ryan Zinke, and Rep. Matt Rosendale, a vast majority of the Montana public supports key facets of the rule, which is aimed at mitigating environmental degradation and keeping oil and gas companies honest when leasing federal public lands for development. The rule is separate from, but works in conjunction with, another rule released this spring that puts conservation on equal footing with other public land uses. Montanans have made it clear that they value responsible energy development that also protects our public lands and wildlife habitats, Montana Wildlife Federation Executive Director Frank Szollosi said in a statement. The BLMs Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Processes rule updated bonding requirements, royalty rates, and minimum bids for the first time in more than 35 years, pushing oil and gas leasing on federal lands to more likely be in place that are most likely to be developed and have existing infrastructure in place. It updated the minimum bonding requirements for oil and gas companies, bumping them to a minimum of $150,000 instead of $10,000, which the BLM said would ensure companies perform reclamation or that the government can cover those costs if the company does not do so, saving taxpayers money. It also raises the bid minimums per acre of land leased and increases the amount of rent owed by the companies each year per acre. Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in April said the changes under the final rule were the most significant oil and gas leasing program reforms in decades and would keep taxpayers from having to bear the costs of orphaned wells and environmental cleanups at oil and gas sites. These reforms will help safeguard the health of our public lands and nearby communities for generations to come, Haaland said at the time. In May, Republicans in both the U.S. House and Senate introduced resolutions that sought to strike down the Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process rule, which if passed would say that the rule shall have no force or effect. Daines cosponsored the Senate version of the bill along with 11 other Republicans, while Zinke and Rosendale cosponsored the House version, which has nine other cosponsors aside from the two. Neither have passed out of committee hearings so far. But the polling released this week shows that three-of-four Montanans do not disagree with the rule. According to the poll, those sentiments cross the political spectrum. Ninety-six percent of people polled said oil and gas companies should have to pay to clean up public lands after they finish drilling. Another 84% said they supported the increase in royalty fees companies have to pay, which would put those fees on the same level as what companies pay to the state. About 77% of respondents said putting conservation of some land near rivers and streams, or which hold threatened wildlife, on the same level as oil and gas drilling was something they would support, according to the poll. And about 69% said they supported prioritizing oil and gas leasing in areas where the wells are most likely to produce. All of those things garner broad support among Republicans, independents and Democrats in Montana, according to the poll. Among Republicans, the question about conservation of lands near rivers and streams got 68% support, the lowest among all four questions. Among Democrats, they were least likely (46%) to support the prioritization of mineral leases in areas where they would likely be most productive. The poll also asked respondents to side with one of two statements regarding support or opposition for requiring oil and gas companies to pay for cleanup costs once they abandon a site. According to the results, 84% of those polled agreed with the one supporting those requirements, which also said companies have left Montana taxpayers on the hook for $180 million in cleanup costs. About two-thirds of those polled said they supported prioritizing leasing in the areas where more than 1 million acres of federal land in Montana is already tied up by oil and gas development companies. Overall, according to the poll, 55% of Montanans agreed the new rule was common sense, including 60% of Republicans, 54% of Democrats and 52% of independents. Nearly three-out-of-four respondents said they agreed with the question: We can have energy development in Montana while also protecting the most sensitive wildlife habitat, forest, open spaces and streams. Only one-third of those polled said providing federal land for oil and gas leases was extremely or very important. But the respondents largely agreed with other priorities. Providing a place for wildlife to live (90%), helping to keep air and water clean (90%), providing a place to hunt and fish (82%), providing a place for recreation (81%), providing jobs (70%) and providing grazing land (52%) were considered either extremely or very important among the survey group. The survey also asked questions specific to southwest Montanans and energy development, in which three-quarters of respondents said they preferred there be no drilling in the Big Hole and Beaverhead River watersheds to protect the quality of the rivers and the fish that live there. About 40% of respondents said protecting the health of those rivers and fish should be a top priority as the BLM considers separate sage grouse habitat rules as well. They prioritize the health of those waters first, the survey memo said. Even when presented with different viewpoints, they continue to side with those who would prevent new leasing. Szollosi said the results show Montanans stand firmly behind these common-sense reforms. BLMs oil and gas rule ensures that companies are held accountable for cleaning up their messes and that Montana taxpayers receive a fair return from energy development, Szollosi said. New Bridge Strategy is one of two firms that partners to conduct the Public Lands Survey from the University of Montanas Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone Initiative done every two years. The survey released this spring showed among Montanans top concerns were how drought, low snowpack and sprawl into open lands was affecting the state. The margin of error for the statewide poll is 4.3%, according to the firm. Montana-Wildlife-Federation-Montana-Statewide-Key-Findings-Memo- ATLANTA, Ga. (WJBF) Next week, 123 Georgia delegates and 7 alternates will travel to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. The Democratic National Committee will rally around VP Kamala Harris and her VP pick Tim Walz. The convention take place Monday through Thursday next week. Several prominent Democrats will take the stage to show support and galvanize the party including former President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton. Basically at convention is like two things party business, committees and caucuses and hammering out things over the next 4 years and the platform that will certify the things important to the Democratic Party, said Georgia delegate, Amin Ghoneim. Both parties are eying Georgia in the final few months of the 2024 presidential election because it is a crucial battleground state with many polls showing the race being extremely tight. In 2020 the peach state flipped blue by about 12-thousand votes in the democrats favor. Really we are just going to support VP Harris and Tim Walz at the national convention. The entire national delegation was pledged to Biden and now we have all pledged to Harris after the switch. We are very proud of that. We were one of the first state delegations to lock our support to Harris, said Georgia delegate, Amin Ghoneim. Other prominent Georgians who be at the convention include Stacey Abrams, Senator Raphael Warnock, Senator Jon Ossoff and Congresswoman Nikema Williams. Theres going to be a lot of democracy and preserving our freedom reproductive rights and our voting rights, said Ghoneim Delegates say democrats will talk about key policy issues to galvanize voters including the economy jobs, immigration and health care. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are working to identify additional victims in an investigation involving a person who was impersonating a deputy U.S. marshal. Prosecutors said William Gilchrist, 45, of Greenville, Mississippi, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. 34 pounds of marijuana seized in Pike County According to court documents, on or about June 19, Gilchrist falsely assumed and pretended to be a Fugitive Task Force officer with the U.S. Marshals Service. Prosecutors said he admitted to conducting traffic stops and making arrests in two different vehicles. Gilchrists statements have revealed that there may be multiple other victims. Anyone who has encountered a blue 2010 Chevrolet Silverado or white 2023 Chevrolet Silverado is urged to contact HSI at HSINewOrleansTips@hsi.dhs.gov. Gilchrist faces a sentence of up to three years of imprisonment, up to one year of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) A mosquito sample collected in Pittsfield has tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV), according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. First human case of West Nile Virus reported in Hampden County, second in the state The sample was taken from the area around Pittsfield Municipal Airport, as part of routine monitoring efforts. This marks the first positive test result for WNV in the city this season. While no human cases of WNV have been reported in Pittsfield as of now, city officials are urging residents to remain vigilant and take preventative measures to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illness. Its best to stay away from dusk to dawn times when mosquitoes are most active wear long clothes items such as sleeves, and pants that will help protect you as well as use things like DEET or bug spray that may prevent the mosquito bites, said VP for Medical Affairs at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Dr. Sunny Shukla. He says about 80 percent of people have mild or almost no symptoms. Typical symptoms are vomiting and body aches. The Pittsfield Health Department has released a series of recommendations for residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites: Wear Protective Clothing: When outdoors, wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks. While this can be uncomfortable during hot weather, it is an effective way to prevent mosquito bites. Use Mosquito Repellent: Apply mosquito repellent according to the manufacturers instructions, especially during peak mosquito activity times, which are typically dawn and dusk. Secure Your Home: Ensure that window and door screens are intact and free of holes to keep mosquitoes out of your home. Eliminate Standing Water: Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Residents are encouraged to take the following actions to reduce mosquito breeding sites around their homes: Inspect the area around your home for containers that can collect water, such as flower pots, buckets, and toys, and regularly empty them. Clean clogged gutters and remove debris to allow proper drainage. Turn over wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use. Change the water in birdbaths every few days, and consider aerating ornamental ponds or stocking them with fish. Maintain swimming pools by keeping them clean and properly chlorinated, and removing standing water from pool covers. Latest Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Georg Hoffmann-Kuhnt, a 57-year-old German prosthetic orthotist, has called China home for over 17 years. In his studio, quietly nestled in the northern outskirts of Beijing, he works his "magic," helping people who enter in wheelchairs walk out on their own two feet. Click the video to see how the custom-made artificial limbs he crafted empower amputees in China. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Most Arizona kids are back in school already. Why does Arizona start school early? While most schools across the country start in mid-to-late August, Arizona students are already back in school. Some have been for nearly a month. Many schools in Arizona take advantage of a modified year-round schedule. Educators say the schedule helps educators, students and parents take advantage of the nicer weather during the spring and fall. It also lessens summer learning loss and helps students who rely on services from their school district. Here's everything you need to know about back-to-school season in Arizona and why schools seem to return so much earlier than many schools across the country. When do Arizona schools start? Most metro Phoenix school districts were scheduled to have students return to class in early August for the 2024-25 school year. The East Valley is home to the bulk of the districts that go back earlier. Chandler Unified returns to school on July 17. Higley Unified and Queen Creek Unified are both scheduled to return on Monday, July 22. Gilbert Public Schools are set to go back on Tuesday, July 23. The Tempe-area districts, including Kyrene, Tempe Elementary and Tempe Union, all have students returning on Wednesday, July 24. Only about 8% of United States schools return before Aug. 4, according to a 2023 study from Pew Research Center. Most students across the country about 77% head back to school between Aug. 7-25. Just 15% of students return during the first week of September. The United States western mountain region, which includes Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, starts between Aug. 14 and Aug. 25, Pew noted. However, Arizona and New Mexico start one to three weeks earlier than that on average. Why do some Arizona schools start in July? In 2023, three Tempe area school districts started earlier than previous years, more closely matching the late July return date of many East Valley schools. Teachers and district officials said the change provided the following benefits: Fall and spring break were extended from one week to two weeks, while winter break remains two weeks long. This allows students to enjoy the weather when it's better and for teachers to unwind throughout the year. The change was intended to lessen summer learning loss and allow for additional, mid-year instructional time for students who need extra help. The shorter summer break could make a difference for students using school lunch programs and other services provided by the district. Arizona Republic reporters Marcus Reichley, Madeleine Parrish and Helen Rummel contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why does Arizona start school early? Here's what educators say The most dangerous time of day to drive in Ohio, according to research The most dangerous time of day to drive in Ohio, according to research (WJW) New research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows the most dangerous time to drive in each state. Personal injury lawyer Scott Vicknair looked at the data to see which times of day saw the most fatal crashes between 2017 and 2022. When do you need to stop for a school bus in Ohio? In Ohio, based on the number of fatal crashes, the most dangerous time of day to drive is from 6 p.m. to 6:59 p.m. According to the data, 402 of 6705 fatal crashes occurred at this time from 2017 to 2022. Four killed in 3 separate crashes on Ohio Turnpike While rush hour is the most dangerous time to drive, and all states had the most fatalities during the afternoon and evening, not a single state had its highest numbers in the morning, which is surprising, a spokesperson for Scott Vicknair said in a press release. 6 p.m. to 6:59 p.m. saw the most fatalities overall nationwide. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. WARREN COUNTY, Ohio (WDTN) A motorcyclist was found dead in Turtlecreek Township on Thursday. Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating after a worker with the Warren County Engineers Office discovered a motorcyclist dead on Oregonia Road on Aug. 15. Man found dead in West Chester parking lot Preliminary investigation determined that Travis Wenzler, 47 of Oregonia, was operating a 2004 Honda motorcycle on Aug. 14 between 10 and 10:30 p.m. While negotiating a curve, the motorcycle traveled off the right side of the road and struck a traffic sign. The motorcyclist was ejected and later pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers say the motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The crash remains under investigation by OSPs Lebanon Post. Troopers were assisted on scene by the Warren County Sheriffs Office, Turtlecreek EMS and the Warren County Coroners Office. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. Mpox Gives Denmark Yet Another Way to Flex Its Pharma Power (Bloomberg) -- After the World Health Organization this week warned that a fast-spreading strain of mpox poses a global threat, Denmark again has a potential solution and underscored its capacity to outshine traditional powerhouses in the US and the UK. Most Read from Bloomberg From treatments for diabetes to depression, the Nordic nation of 6 million people has punched above its weight with its prowess in pharmaceuticals, and Bavarian Nordic A/Ss mpox vaccine the only regulator-approved inoculation for the deadly virus serves as the latest milestone. What might seem like a sudden sensation has been decades in the making, and much of it comes from a cluster effect created by Novo Nordisk A/S. The maker of blockbuster diabetes treatment Ozempic and weight-loss substance Wegovy has fed a talent pool and spawned new peers on its way to becoming Europes most valuable company in September last year. A lot of people want to repeat whats happening here, but its not that easy, said Christian Grondahl, a Danish biotech entrepreneur who has previously founded and sold two startups. You need a lot of ingredients to replicate the success. The roots of the development go back more than 100 years, when the first Danish pharma companies were founded. Novo Nordisk was established in 1923, following the likes of depression-pill maker H Lundbeck A/S. The long tradition was then fueled by a combination of public-sector collaboration, strong universities such as the Technical University of Denmark and easy access to financing. Bavarian Nordic, Genmab A/S and Zealand Pharma A/S which is also working on a weight-loss drug were all founded in the 1990s. Ownership structures that prioritize long-term strategies over short-term profits further underpin the steady development. Both Novo and Lundbeck are controlled by foundations, a model that helps keep them in Danish hands. The rise of Novo though has turbocharged the entire sector in recent years. When you move around Danish biotech, you always meet people who have worked at Novo, Grondahl said. It has turned into a snowball effect. As the worlds largest insulin maker, the homegrown giant has long been a stalwart for Danes, but it became a global phenomenon after discovering the weight-loss benefits of a diabetes treatment based on the bodys natural GLP-1 hormone. Production of Ozempic and Wegovy has since has become so important that Novo helped account for about half of the Danish economys growth in 2023. Bolstered by the companys expansion, the government almost doubled its estimate for this years growth to 2.7% outpacing most other European Union economies. Economists have even coined the term Novonomics to describe just how influential the drugmaker has become. But Denmarks exposure to the hit-or-miss nature of pharmaceuticals is not without risks. Novos $600 billion market capitalization is bigger than the entire Danish economy, and while its drugs have won over the rich and famous, trends can quickly change. The countrys sensitivity became evident when Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen earlier this year said she was a huge fan of Novos treatments. It was a rare public show of support and came as the company faces mounting criticism in the US over pricing. Despite the growing weight of pharma, the mpox crisis shows how deep Denmarks offering has become. Bavarians inoculation developed after the 9/11 attacks, when the US decided to stock up on vaccines for smallpox as part of its anti-terrorism program. Bavarian beat out UK-based Acambis Plc for the contract. Although unheralded at the time, the deal proved decisive in 2018, when the UK registered its first case of mpox a smallpox variant that causes painful rashes and can lead to death. Bavarians Jynneos vaccine was approved for mpox in the US in 2019 and in Europe in 2022. Last year, Jynneos sales nearly tripled to roughly 5 billion kroner ($740 million), accounting for 71% of Bavarians annual revenue. That potential could increase after the WHOs warning. Bavarian said on Friday that it wants to extend formal approval of its mpox vaccine to include adolescents sparking another rally in the shares, which have gained more than half this year. We have inventory and we have the capabilities, Bavarian Chief Executive Officer Paul Chaplin told Bloomberg earlier this week, assuring that the company can provide 10 million doses by the end of 2025. What were missing are the orders. On Saturday, the company said it was working with the WHO to provide broad access to its mpox vaccine and was in talks with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on expanding manufacturing capacity in the continent. Aside from Bavarians jump, investors have been flocking to the Danish drug sector. Novo has gained a third so far this year, and Gubra A/S a smaller company developing an obesity drug has seen its value surge nearly fivefold. Zealand Pharma has more than doubled in value and is emblematic of how Denmarks drug sector is basking in Novos halo. A recent $1 billion capital increase was significantly oversubscribed in just three hours, despite Zealand being relatively unknown in Denmark, much less Wall Street. Although its weight-loss treatment is still in trial stages, interest is being propelled by the countrys track record and speculation that Zealand could attract takeover interest from a major drug company in search of a weight-loss asset. Zealands market value has jumped to 66 billion kroner from 10 billion kroner in early 2023. The gains have secured it a spot in Denmarks benchmark OMX25 index, which now includes four drugmakers and five other medical-related companies. Zealand CEO Adam Steensberg, a former Novo employee, pegged Denmarks pharma status to a steady stream of talent from universities and doctoral programs at Novo and Lundbeck, as well as the governments willingness to fund long-term projects. He noted that a parallel development has also been evident in green energy, where Denmark likewise is a world leader. In Denmark, we are willing to invest not just in problems the world is facing right now, but also in problems we know will come at a later stage, Steensberg said in an interview. --With assistance from Sanne Wass, Christian Wienberg and Janice Kew. (Adds Bavarian Nordic statement in 18th paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Mpox: How we got here and where the outbreaks might be going Earlier this week, the WHO declared the spread of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), plus a growing number of other countries in Africa, a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). This followed an earlier declaration in 2022, when mpox spread widely around the world. But how did we get to this point? And where might things be going next? A decade ago, I was working quite a lot on mpox analysis. My research at the time focused on infections that spilled over from animals into human populations, from avian influenza H5N1 and H7N9 to emerging coronaviruses like MERS. Once pathogens like mpox got into human populations, they typically stuttered along in highly random but often small outbreaks. That meant we had to come up with innovative ways to extract insights from the limited data available. As well as its historical relation to smallpox, mpox was epidemiologically interesting because it didnt transmit very efficiently among humans. Or so we thought. A new era for an old virus When mpox started spreading widely in 2022, it brought echoes of another infection where reality had overturned commonly held assumptions. As I told the BBC at the time, we had always thought Ebola was easy to contain, until that wasnt the case. Pre-2014, Ebola had caused many small outbreaks that were brought under control, before spreading widely across multiple countries in West Africa during 201416. When mpox was first reported in the 1970s, it spread against a background of cross-protective immunity from smallpox vaccination, so its effective reproduction number R (i.e. the average number of people a typical case spread the virus to) was initially very small, and far below the crucial value of 1 required to generate sustained transmission among humans. But as you might remember from Covid analysis, the effective reproduction number R depends on population susceptibility: R = R0 x S Where R0 is transmissibility in a fully susceptible population and S is the proportion of the population that is susceptible to infection. In the years since the discontinuation of smallpox vaccination following the eradication of that disease, S increased as new unvaccinated children were born, leading to a corresponding increase in R for mpox. Doctors examine skin lesions on the ear of a boy with mpox at a displacement camp near Goma, in the DRC - Arlette Bashizi Between the 1980s and 2006-7, there was an estimated 20-fold increase in the rate of new human mpox cases in the DRC. Other outbreaks would follow, with over 100 cases reported in Nigeria in 2017-18. There were also cases identified among travellers or contacts of travellers, like the seven detected in the UK between 2018 and 2021. While the endemic transmission in DRC and outbreaks in other areas in Central Africa had been caused by the so-called clade 1 genetic variant of the virus, outbreaks in West Africa had been the result of the clade 2 variant. The infection that would cause a widespread global outbreak in 2022 and spark a WHO declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern was from clade 2 (or more specifically, the clade 2b subclade). In contrast, the 2024 PHEIC declaration would involve clade 1. Even if R is below one in mostly susceptible populations, as it seemed to be for mpox pre-2022, we can still see large stuttering outbreaks occasionally, simply by chance. So when an infection causes an unusually large outbreak, it is important to disentangle effects of: chance events; a change in virus characteristics (e.g. via evolution); and a change in the population in which the virus is spreading. In 2022, the population involved made a big difference, with mpox transmission concentrated within densly connected subset of men who have sex with men (MSM). This is illustrated by the below estimates of how R0 varies with the secondary attack rate (i.e. the per-contact transmission risk), based on MSM and non-MSM sexual contact patterns. It means an mpox infection that might struggle to spread among close sexual contacts in the wider population could have an R0 above the crucial value of one in an MSM subpopulation. At a time in 2022 when only 728 cases had been reported in non-endemic countries, my colleagues concluded that: Without interventions or changes to sexual behaviour, a major outbreak in the MSM population (defined as 10,000 cases excluding initial cases) is highly likely given the current outbreak size. In response to growing case numbers, many countries implemented measures like isolation, contact tracing and vaccination. Historically, it has been thought that because mpox has distinctive symptoms, a long-ish serial interval (i.e. delay between symptoms appearing in case and person they infect), and transmission occurs mostly after symptoms, isolation and contact tracing should be very effective for mpox. In this situation, the main variable influencing control would therefore be the proportion of contacts of cases that can be traced. And if targeted vaccination is planned, the effectiveness of this approach will also depend on the proportion of contacts that can be traced. Unfortunately, historical assumptions did not always hold up in 2022. Although 94 per cent of patients in a Belgian cohort displayed characteristic skin lesions, a detailed analysis of UK data that linked cases and contacts suggested the majority of cases transmitted before they became symptomatic, considerably more than previously thought. By late September 2022, around 40,000 vaccine doses had been distributed to at-risk groups in the UK. However, the outbreak peaked in July 2022, before the vaccine rollout had fully got going. A later analysis of underlying transmission drivers suggested that this outbreak decline was likely to be down to accumulation of post-infection immunity in the groups connected to the outbreak, combined with behaviour change reducing onwards transmission: Our model-based analysis suggests that the most likely reason the Mpox epidemic in the United Kingdom turned over was a combination of high population exposure among the small number of people in the most sexually active groups and behaviour change resulting in relatively lower risk of forward transmission from infected people. A new PHEIC Which brings us to 2024. Although outbreaks have spread in recent months, the threat has been looming for a while. During the 2022 clade 2 outbreak, there were 200 deaths reported in countries that had not historically reported mpox outbreaks. Yet during the 2023 clade 1 outbreak in the DRC, there were more than 1,200 deaths reported, and for the first time for clade I, sexual contact was estimated to be a key driver of transmission. In 2024, researchers also identified a new clade 1b subvariant that was behind much of the sustained transmission in DRC. Up to the end of July 2024, an additional 2600 confirmed cases and 450 deaths were reported, with 68 per cent of the cases and 85 per cent of the deaths among under 15s. Its unlikely this fatality pattern is just down to population age structure; earlier this year, an analysis of systematic reviews of historical clade 1 outbreaks estimated a much higher fatality risk among the youngest age groups. Theres also the question of how widespread transmission might be. For example, on 25th July 2024, Burundi reported a new clade 1b mpox outbreak. By 14th August, 23 out of 49 districts were affected, with 103 confirmed cases in total (and 464 suspected). Then theres the issue of ongoing clade Ia and clade 2b transmission. For example, between May and July 2024, South Africa reported 22 cases and three deaths of clade 2b. Because the fatality risk for this clade is comparatively low, a pre-print published earlier this week estimated that the true outbreak size could be as large as 290560 cases among MSM in the country. Where next? The mpox situation is moving fast, but here are some initial areas where progress would be helpful for the response: Untangle differences between mpox clades and subclades in terms of what is driven by inherent infection properties and what is shaped by the populations in which theyre spreading. Although there is some evidence from animal experiments, there is still considerable uncertainty about how these infections will behave in different populations, from transmission routes to disease severity. Given the apparent high severity of clade 1 among children, we should be particularly concerned about what happens if the infection gets into these age groups in other locations, and how easily transmission could persist given childrens relatively high numbers of social contacts. Understand the true distribution of infection. How many infections are being missed? Which new populations might be at risk (even if historically not thought to be)? Although Sweden reported the first imported case of clade 1b on Thursday, its likely that infections are already in other countries undetected. Identifying outbreaks will be particularly difficult if hard-to-reach groups are at risk and wider stigma makes people reluctant to report symptoms. In countries where mpox is not yet endemic, there is also the risk of the virus getting into wildlife and establishing reservoirs of infection (despite its original name monkeypox, mpox is thought to spread mostly among small mammals like rats and squirrels). Ensure that available options are used effectively. Vaccine doses are currently concentrated in countries with high wealth and relatively few mpox cases, making them hypothetically rather than actually useful. The experience from 2022 also suggests that vaccination alone will not be enough to curb transmission: prompt non-pharmaceutical measures like isolation and contact tracing, as well as risk communication and behaviour change, will be important to reduce the chances of the infection spreading further. In many ways, outbreaks like mpox can be thought of as a test for the next major pandemic. Will the global response be effective and equitable? Or will it be late, disjointed and misdirected? After all, if we cant tackle a relatively slow and symptomatic infection like mpox, with a vaccine already ready and waiting, what hope do we have for a severe outbreak of a novel and highly transmissible flu virus? Adam Kucharski is an epidemiologist and mathematician. He is the author of The Rules of Contagion and The Perfect Bet. This article first appeared on his blog, Understanding the unseen Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The new more dangerous variant of mpox may already be spreading in Europe, scientists have warned, after the first case in Europe was reported on Thursday. Europes top health agency on Friday said it was highly likely that more cases would emerge in the coming weeks as it urged those travelling to parts of Africa affected by the outbreak to consider getting vaccinated against the virus. The mutant strain of mpox, known as clade 1b, has spread rapidly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to several neighbouring countries, prompting the World Health Organisation to declare a global health emergency. While it was previously thought to spread mainly through close contact with infected individuals bearing characteristic pus-filled lesions, research has already suggested that the virus may also be spreading asymptomatically, leading to concerns that there could be hundreds or even thousands of cases that have yet to be undetected. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, told The Telegraph that it was likely that weve got infections already in Britain. The UK has had sporadic cases of clade 2 mpox for the past two years. Its a milder version of the disease, typically spread through sexual contact, and has largely spread among gay men. Because of the way the disease is often spread, most people infected will visit an STD clinic, rather than their GP, and a lack of proper sequencing means its possible cases of the more dangerous variant are going under the radar, said Prof Hunter. If a practitioner saw a patient in a clinic, theres no way they could tell if this was clade 1b or 2 until it was sent away for testing, and so I think its likely there are cases here that are being missed, he said. The new strain of the virus emerged in the DRC in September and is now spreading rapidly - Arlette Bashizi/REUTERS Another factor complicating the identification of cases of the new variant is the time period between infections and the first visual symptoms appearing. With clade 1b, the lesions appear within 14 days of infection, said Dr Leandre Murhula Masirkika, a scientist at the Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles in the DRC who has pioneered research on the new variant. But before that, symptoms can be as subtle as a headache and fever they might be walking around with it and be infectious, he added. Professor Trudie Lang, a professor of global health research at the University of Oxford, also raised concerns that patients with mild symptoms could contribute to the pathogens global spread. People with a milder infection (such as small lesions on their genitalia) could be walking around with it because they dont know theyre infected. They might get on a plane with it, without knowing and spread it further, she said. Mpox previously known as monkeypox sparked an international health emergency in 2022, when it spread to more than 100 countries. Although the DRC has been tackling an epidemic of clade 1 for years, in September the virus mutated into a new strain named clade 1b. This variant is much deadlier, however, and is said to have a mortality rate of up to 10 per cent and is particularly dangerous to children. Clade 1b has already been reported in neighbouring countries including Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, as well as the case in Sweden in a patient with a recent travel history to Africa. The UK Health Security Agency has advised those intending to travel to an affected area to seek health advice from their GP. Those travelling to areas affected by the ongoing outbreak should take sensible precautions to protect themselves from the risk of infection, said Dr Mary Ramsay, Director of Public Health Programmes at UKHSA told The Telegraph. Currently the risk to most travellers is small, and vaccination against mpox infection is not recommended for the majority of people. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, stressed that the outbreak is something that should concern us all, as he announced the agencys eighth public health emergency of international concern on Wednesday the same step the agency took for Covid-19, shortly before it became a global pandemic in 2020. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. What is mpox, where are the outbreaks and will the virus spread? LONDON (AP) The World Health Organization declared Wednesday that the increasing spread of mpox in Africa is a global health emergency, warning the virus might ultimately spill across international borders. The announcement by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came after a meeting of the U.N. health agencys emergency committee. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency on the continent on Tuesday. WHO said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, which already exceed last years figures. So far, more than 96% of all cases and deaths are in a single country Congo. Scientists are concerned by the spread of a new version of the disease there that might be more easily transmitted among people. San Jose dentist first in nation to use robot assistant Heres a look at what we know about mpox, and what might be done to contain it: What is mpox? Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a pox-like disease in monkeys. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals. In 2022, the virus was confirmed to spread via sex for the first time and triggered outbreaks in more than 70 countries across the world that had not previously reported mpox. Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals. Whats happening in Africa thats causing all this concern? The number of cases has jumped dramatically. Last week, the Africa CDC reported that mpox has now been detected in at least 13 African countries. Compared with the same period last year, the agency said cases are up 160% and deaths have increased by 19%. Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10% of people and may spread more easily. Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form of mpox causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals. That makes it harder to spot, meaning people might also sicken others without knowing theyre infected, said Dr. Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, a Congolese researcher who led the research into the new form of mpox. WHO said mpox was recently identified for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of those outbreaks were linked to the epidemic in Congo. Tedros said there was concern for the further spread of the disease within Africa and beyond. In the Ivory Coast and South Africa, health authorities have reported outbreaks of a different and less dangerous version of mpox that spread worldwide in 2022 and infected nearly 100,000 people. Whats the threat to the rest of the world? Like any infectious disease, the new form of mpox seen in Congo could cross borders cases have already been detected in four other East African countries. On Thursday, Swedens public health agency said it identified the first case of the new mpox variant in someone who had recently been in Africa, and who sought health care in Stockholm. Officials said the risk to the general public was considered very low and that they expected sporadic imported cases to continue. Kamituga, the region in Congo where the new form of mpox was first spotted, is home to a significant transient population traveling through Africa and beyond. Still, given the resources in rich countries to stop mpox, scientists suspect that if new outbreaks linked to Congo were to be identified, transmission could be stopped relatively quickly. Unlike COVID-19 or measles, mpox is not airborne and typically requires close, skin-to-skin contact to spread. What does an emergency declaration mean? WHOs emergency declaration is meant to spur donor agencies and countries into action. But the global response to previous declarations has been mixed. Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya said the agencys declaration of a public health emergency was meant to mobilize our institutions, our collective will and our resources to act swiftly and decisively. He appealed to Africas international partners for help, saying that the escalating caseload in Africa had largely been ignored. Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University, said the last WHO emergency declaration for mpox did very little to move the needle on getting things like diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines to Africa. Whats different about the current outbreak in Africa compared to the 2022 epidemic? During the global outbreak of mpox in 2022, gay and bisexual men made up the vast majority of cases and the virus was mostly spread through close contact, including sex. Although some similar patterns have been seen in Africa, children under 15 now account for more than 70% of the mpox cases and 85% of deaths in Congo. Greg Ramm, Save the Childrens Congo director, said the organization was particularly worried about the spread of mpox in the crowded camps for refugees in the east, noting there were 345,000 children crammed into tents in unsanitary conditions. He said the countrys health system was already collapsing under the strain of malnutrition, measles and cholera. Emorys Titanji said it was unclear why children were so disproportionately hit by mpox in Congo. She said it might be because kids are more susceptible to the virus or that social factors, like overcrowding and exposure to parents who caught the disease, might explain it. How might mpox be stopped? The 2022 outbreak of mpox in dozens of countries was largely shut down with the use of vaccines and treatments in rich countries, in addition to convincing people to avoid risky behavior. But barely any vaccines or treatments have been available in Africa. Marks, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that immunization would likely help including inoculating people against smallpox, a related virus. We need a large supply of vaccine so that we can vaccinate populations most at risk, he said, adding that would mean sex workers, children and adults living in outbreak regions. Congolese authorities have asked for 4 million doses mostly for young children , but no doses have yet been received, said Cris Kacita Osako, coordinator of Congos Monkeypox Response Committee. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. TANNER, Ala. (WHNT) Athens Fire and Rescue (AFR) said it responded to a plant fire in Tanner Thursday. AFR said it responded at 3:57 p.m. to a pallet plant fire in Tanner that required multiple agencies. Harvest-Monrovia Water Authority asking customers to voluntarily conserve water The Athens Police Department (APD) says agencies are battling a fire near Huntsville Browns Ferry Road in Tanner. Courtesy: Monica Lewter Courtesy: Monica Lewter Courtesy: Monica Lewter Courtesy: Monica Lewter Courtesy: Monica Lewter Chief Anthony Pressnell said the APD is assisting with traffic control as multiple agencies battle a fire in the area of U.S. Highway 31 and Huntsville Brownsferry Road. The city of Athens said traffic is backing up on Highway 31. AFR said some units had to be called off the Tanner fire due to another fire in Athens, but AFR crews remained on the scene. The department said the fire was under control at the time and acres are waiting for a dozer on the scene. The Alabama Forestry Service said it is sending two bulldozers to assist on the scene. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Multnomah County Health Department issued a warning to Portlanders on Thursday about a rise in unlicensed food carts in the area, posing serious health and safety concerns. According to the county, these unlicensed vendors have not undergone inspection by the county and may lack proper food handling equipment, handwashing facilities, clean water, or refrigeration, which can increase the risk of customers catching a foodborne illness. The warning comes as the health department has responded to a rise in unlicensed makeshift pushcarts across Portland that sell hot dogs near event venues and bars, the county said. Oregon is among the worst states to live in, according to WalletHub The health department noted many unlicensed vendors are known to be transported to Portland from other areas. We cant have people coming from out of town, disregarding County rules, and selling unsafe food that negatively impacts public health and the livelihoods of licensed food businesses, said Multnomah County Interim Environmental Health Director Jeff Martin. During the summer of 2023, the county shut down four vans with out-of-state license plates that dropped off vendors and carts near Portland venues. In the summer of 2023, Multnomah County shut down four vehicles with out-of-state license plates that dropped off unlicensed food vendors in Portland (Courtesy Multnomah County). The Multnomah County Health Department is warning Portlanders about unlicensed food vendors in the city, posing a serious health risk for foodborne illness (Courtesy Multnomah County). Hot dogs are the most prevalent item these carts have sold. But the health department is also hearing reports of unlicensed vendors selling other foods as well, including hamburgers and cut fruit. What were seeing is red carts or carts covered with silver tape. They dont have a visible health permit, they dont have a handwashing station, they dont have refrigeration or a big cooler to keep foods cold, explained Andrea Hamberg, interim public health director for the Multnomah County Health Department. Theyre also often located on the sidewalk or in the middle of a closed street. Even though six carts have been labeled as unlicensed by the county, vendors have misled customers by covering the health departments unlicensed stickers on their carts, officials said. Oregon Supreme Court reverses judges motion to ban West Linn residents from jury There is a legal way to operate a mobile hot dog stand: Obtain a temporary license from the Health Department, said Martin. Weve tried working with these unlicensed vendors, but they have been unwilling to follow our guidance, which harms both licensed food vendors and the public. An example of a Multnomah County health permit, which may not appear with a blue background (Courtesy Multnomah County.) The health department told KOIN 6 News this appears to be a west coast problem with Washington and California reporting similar cases involving unlicensed hot dog vendors. So far, the health department is not tracking any foodborne illness outbreaks related to the unlicensed food carts, Hamberg said, emphasizing most cases are minor and the department doesnt hear about them. Dogs death believed the result of a toxic algae bloom off Sand Island The concern is that it could just be a matter of time before a more serious case or set of cases emerge and we really want people to know they are taking their health into their own hands when they eat from an unlicensed vendor, Hamberg warned. The county is encouraging Oregonians to continue visiting licensed food carts noting licensed vendors have county-approved health permits displayed and customers can ask vendors to see permits. Thats how we protect our thriving food cart industry and public health in Portland. Our focus is helping small businesses succeed, Martin said. Licensed food vendors react to unsanctioned hot dog carts Lucinda Klicker, the market manager for the South Waterfront Farmers Market, told KOIN 6 News all the businesses at the market are required to have a permit and insurance, even the small carts. Klicker said shes seen some of the unlicensed carts popping up around town recently. It was like, it was kind of a little skeptical because you were just like, How do they get all of their ingredients into these little carts? And you know, Ive never seen these in Portland before, Klicker said. Kulfi Owner Gagan Aulakh (right) helps a customer at the South Waterfront Farmers Market. August 15, 2024 (KOIN). Gagan Aulakh is the owner of one of the licensed carts at the South Waterfront Farmers Market, Kulfi. He said its easy as a smaller cart to pack up everything they need without having a big set-up. New drop-off center project plan defines deflection Kulfi sells South Asian-inspired artisanal ice cream and kulfi, a traditional Indian dairy dessert. Aulakh said the permitting process through the county was fairly simple. We find it daunting in the beginning. But the fact that they just give them a call and theyre very easy to help you, to get the things that you need, so that youre able to do what you want to do for when you start a business, he said. Since the countys number one priority is food safety, that makes the end product of licensed vendors all the more top notch, Aulakh reasoned. If it has to go through some rigorous screening just to make sure that we are able to provide a good quality product that people can rely on, then its great, right? As a small business incubator, the South Waterfront Farmers Market is host to Kulfi and a number of other licensed vendors. They hold 23 markets throughout the year. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. TOKYO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A food poisoning outbreak has affected 458 people over contaminated spring water in a restaurant in southwest Japan, local media reported on Friday. The incident is linked to a restaurant in Yufu city of the southwest Japanese prefecture of Oita, where customers who dined or drank spring water between Aug. 3 and Aug. 12 experienced symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, Jiji Press reported citing local authorities. The outbreak initially came to light on Tuesday, when 28 high school students from Tokyo reported symptoms after visiting the restaurant, according to Jiji. The restaurant was ordered to cease operations for three days until Thursday, but further investigations revealed the number of affected individuals had expanded to 458 across 18 prefectures. The prefectural government announced that norovirus was detected in patients, raising concerns that the restaurant's spring water, used in food preparation, may have been contaminated. Two people were briefly hospitalized but were not seriously ill, and all patients were reported to have experienced only mild symptoms. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the food poisoning. Residents of the Donetsk Oblast town of Myrnohrad are evacuating as Russian forces are now only 6 kilometers (3.8 miles) away, the acting head of the town's military administration told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Aug. 16. Myrnohrad lies just east of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub that has become the main focus of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast. "People are leaving, but not as quickly or urgently as we would like and as the situation requires," Yurii Tretiak said on air on RFE/RL, adding that 20,000 people remain in Myrnohrad, including around 1,000 children. Roughly 46,000 people lived in the town before the full-scale invasion, but many have left due to constant Russian attacks and shifting front lines. "(Russian forces) are advancing little by little. The front line is now around 6 kilometers from the town of Myrnohrad," he said. The authorities are organizing evacuations, mainly for children and the elderly, but many residents are reportedly leaving themselves due to unceasing Russian attacks in the area. Myrnohrad is planned to be completely evacuated by the end of August, Tretiak said. The evacuation is also underway in neighboring Pokrovsk as Russian forces inch toward the town. Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin announced an evacuation of over 700 children from four communities in Donetsk Oblast in early August as heavy battles continued in the direction of Pokrovsk. As Russian forces concentrate more of their recourses on the offensive in Donetsk Oblast, the situation in the area in the Pokrovsk direction remains "extremely challenging," Kyiv acknowledged. Read also: Opinion: 6 ways Ukraines Kursk incursion is changing the tide of war Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. TROY, N.C. (WNCN) Residents and officials in a North Carolina county are saying no terrorists were involved when a Russian-made helicopter with several troops aboard landed and stayed overnight in Montgomery County this week. The incident in the Eldorado community was first reported Monday night when a gray MI-17 helicopter variant set down in a field just after 7 p.m. near the intersection of N.C. 109 and Old Thayer Mill Road, about six miles northwest of Troy. The MI-171E aircraft, based on a Soviet-designed Russian-made military transport and gunship helicopter, then unloaded at least seven troops with backpacks who vanished into nearby woods, according to various reports. New Apache attack helicopter fills with smoke, triggering RDU emergency landing It was a big miscommunication, said Lee Hudson, who owns property nearby. Everything was aboveboard. They are not terrorists. The troops, who landed at the edge of the Uwharrie National Forest, left the next day on the helicopter whose departure was caught on video by at least one person. The Montgomery County Sheriff said Thursday there was a lack of communication in the incident. Robin Sage test for Special Forces candidates set in NC from Aug. 23 to Sept. 5 The U.S. Army conducted a training exercise in the Eldorado Community of Montgomery County earlier this week using a non-US military helicopter, Montgomery County Sheriff Pete Herron said in an email to CBS 17 News. The Army acknowledged an unintentional lack of communication on their end. Stephan Marshall, who raises cows nearby at The Farm at Uwharrie, drove by the field and saw the helicopter after it landed. It got blew [sic] out of the water quite a bit, he said about the hubbub surrounding the troops and helicopter. The helicopter, which had no graphics and only gray paint, landed less than 75 miles from Fort Liberty. CBS 17 reached out to one element of U.S. Special Forces at Fort Liberty, who said the helicopter and troops were not linked to an upcoming exercise called Robin Sage. The U.S. Special Forces have the special war-like test Robin Sage for Green Beret candidates planned to start August 23. The Fort Liberty operation, in its 50th year, features realistic opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters and includes much of North Carolina, including Montgomery County. Officials with Robin Sage referred CBS 17 to other U.S. Army Special Operations Forces, who have since been contacted. Hudson said before the helicopter landed, the U.S. Army contacted a nearby store, whose former owner also owned the field where it landed. 50 years of Robin Sage: Warfare test for U.S. Special Forces in NC mountains to coast But, the store was recently sold to new owners and a person answering the store phone gave the go-ahead for the helicopter landing, he said. However, the actual owner of the field was not contacted in advance, according to Hudson. The previous owners of the store who still own the land didnt know what was going on, Hudson said. The Army did what they were supposed to do. The Army thought they had permission. Hudson said in the past, there wouldnt have been a problem. Before, it was supposed to be there or the landowners knew, Hudson said. So it didnt stir anything up. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com. TROY, N.C. (WNCN) Residents and officials in a North Carolina county are saying no terrorists were involved when a Russian-made helicopter with several troops aboard landed and stayed overnight in Montgomery County this week. The incident in the Eldorado community was first reported Monday night when a gray MI-17 helicopter variant set down in a field just after 7 p.m. near the intersection of N.C. 109 and Old Thayer Mill Road, about six miles northwest of Troy. The MI-171E aircraft, based on a Soviet-designed Russian-made military transport and gunship helicopter, then unloaded at least seven troops with backpacks who vanished into nearby woods, according to various reports. New Apache attack helicopter fills with smoke, triggering RDU emergency landing It was a big miscommunication, said Lee Hudson, who owns property nearby. Everything was aboveboard. They are not terrorists. The troops, who landed at the edge of the Uwharrie National Forest, left the next day on the helicopter whose departure was caught on video by at least one person. The Montgomery County Sheriff said Thursday there was a lack of communication in the incident. Robin Sage test for Special Forces candidates set in NC from Aug. 23 to Sept. 5 The U.S. Army conducted a training exercise in the Eldorado Community of Montgomery County earlier this week using a non-US military helicopter, Montgomery County Sheriff Pete Herron said in an email to CBS 17 News. The Army acknowledged an unintentional lack of communication on their end. Stephan Marshall, who raises cows nearby at The Farm at Uwharrie, drove by the field and saw the helicopter after it landed. It got blew [sic] out of the water quite a bit, he said about the hubbub surrounding the troops and helicopter. The helicopter, which had no graphics and only gray paint, landed less than 75 miles from Fort Liberty. CBS 17 reached out to one element of U.S. Special Forces at Fort Liberty, who said the helicopter and troops were not linked to an upcoming exercise called Robin Sage. The U.S. Special Forces have the special war-like test Robin Sage for Green Beret candidates planned to start August 23. The Fort Liberty operation, in its 50th year, features realistic opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters and includes much of North Carolina, including Montgomery County. Officials with Robin Sage referred CBS 17 to other U.S. Army Special Operations Forces, who have since been contacted. Hudson said before the helicopter landed, the U.S. Army contacted a nearby store, whose former owner also owned the field where it landed. 50 years of Robin Sage: Warfare test for U.S. Special Forces in NC mountains to coast But, the store was recently sold to new owners and a person answering the store phone gave the go-ahead for the helicopter landing, he said. However, the actual owner of the field was not contacted in advance, according to Hudson. The previous owners of the store who still own the land didnt know what was going on, Hudson said. The Army did what they were supposed to do. The Army thought they had permission. Hudson said in the past, there wouldnt have been a problem. Before, it was supposed to be there or the landowners knew, Hudson said. So it didnt stir anything up. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. A Mystery of Stonehenge May Finally Have Been Solved, But It Raises New Questions, Researchers Say The new findings suggest that the Altar Stone" at the center of the mysterious monument didn't come from Wales, as was previously thought Getty Stonehenge A new study challenges the origins of Stonehenge. In a new study published on Wednesday, Aug. 14, a group of researchers claim that the giant "Altar Stone" of the famed structure in Wiltshire, England, can be traced to northeast Scotland. The existence of the prehistoric monument has long remained a mystery despite being one of the most popular landmarks in the world. Over the years, several researchers have tried to figure out where it originated, with some speculating that it came from Wales. However, according to a study published in the scientific journal Nature, researchers have suggested that the massive stone at the heart of Stonehenge was actually transported from Scotland, citing similarities between the core stone of the structure and the old red sandstone of Scotland's Orcadian Basin. jessicaphoto/Getty Stonehenge The findings also suggested that the rock was brought to England by sea via boat, given the prior knowledge that Neolithic people transported "cattle and goods" between the two countries. The distance between the two countries is roughly 400 miles, which would take about eight hours by car. Related: Climate Protestors Arrested for Spraying Stonehenge in Orange Paint The research was led by a Ph.D student Anthony Clarke, who revealed that he is from Wales in a recent interview with BBC. Since that is where the altar stone was previously speculated to have come from, he joked that he has disappointed his compatriots. "I dont think Ill be forgiven by people back home," he told the outlet. "It will be a great loss for Wales!" Reflecting on what the study says about society during the early time period, Clarkes noted that the construction of Stonehenge "seems to be this great British endeavor involving all the different people from all over the island. However, as the door to one mystery closes, another opens. The work prompts two important questions: how was the Altar Stone transported from the very north of Scotland...and, more intriguing, why? Dr Robert Ixer, from University College London, remarked to the outlet. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In a separate conversation with NPR, Clarke opened up about his thoughts on journey from Scotland to England in the prehistoric days, saying it wouldnt have been an easy feat. "Spare a thought for our Neolithic ancestors, where the heavily forested landscape, rivers, bogs and mountains it would have been formidable, if not impossible, he said, adding that people may never uncover the exact details about the epic relocation. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. While most eyes in the US are fixated on events in Gaza and Ukraine, forces are stirring in the global South which may impact the world even more in the near future. The most recent example was on Aug. 6, when thousands of young people in Bangladeshs capital Dhaka stormed the Prime Ministers residence and chased long-term dictator Sheikh Hasina into exile. The suddenness of the collapse of Hasinas regime and her quick helicopter exit, minutes before the mob arrived, surprised political analysts and no doubt raised the blood pressure of other dictators around the world. But as with volcanoes, the pressure has been building for years and the situation in Bangladesh is by no means unique. The immediate cause of the eruption in Dhaka was the regimes decision to reserve a large percentage of government jobs for descendants of those who fought in Bangladeshs 1971 independence war. This outraged the large number of hopelessly unemployed university graduates who saw this as yet another example of entitled elites hoarding benefits -- thus the demonstrations which toppled the regime. But the region most vulnerable to such youth explosions is Africa, with the worlds fastest growing population, highest rates of poverty amidst incredible natural riches, and the most corrupt regimes, with some autocrats in power for thirty plus years. Africas young people are beyond angry and frustrated at their misery from horrid governance, lack of any meaningful opportunities, and kleptocratic leaders - making for a tinderbox ready to blow. When I served as US Assistant Secretary of State and made frequent trips across Africa, I noted to my colleagues in Washington that one could feel the anger on the streets of Africas capitals. I also experienced the concern from forever presidents in their palaces who did not want to end up strung on lampposts by angry youths. In the last few months this anger has started turning into direct action. It started in Senegal, a nation seen as one of the most democratic in Africa, when early this year President Macky Sall tried to postpone scheduled elections when his constitutionally limited term ended. Riots erupted, demonstrators were shot, and the Constitutional Council overturned Salls decision. Sall reluctantly held elections and Bassirou Faye, a young political neophyte who had been released from prison just days before the election is now Senegals President. In June, it was Kenyas young people who took to the streets when President Ruto tried to implement a tax increase to help pay off large debts run up for Chinese-built infrastructure projects. The youth, beyond frustrated by their hopeless misery while Kenyas politicians were enjoying some of the highest salaries in the world, overran Parliament despite police bullets. A panicked President Ruto quickly withdrew the tax hike and dismissed his entire cabinet. Whether this will calm the situation is uncertain. On Aug. 1, Nigeria, Africas most populous nation, was rocked by turbulence when frustration over skyrocketing food prices served as the immediate cause of demonstrations. President Tinubu had allowed the local currency to float against the US dollar, which caused prices to immediately rise. In Nigeria the minimum wage is $45 p/month, which is less than a large bag of rice. Young people flocked to the streets throughout the nation, undeterred by a heavy-handed police response, and the protests quickly escalated beyond prices to general outrage via the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria. President Tinubu tried to calm the youth by saying he has heard the people and was open to dialog, but protests are simmering. In several other nations the dictators acted to pre-empt planned demonstrators by arresting opposition leaders and blacking out the internet. One of them, Ugandan President Museveni, in power 30 plus years, angrily told his people that they were playing with fire. Africas autocrats trying to hold back the youths pent-up anger and frustration may be like King Canute ordering the tide not to come in. His feet got soaked so will African leaders who dont pay attention to their young peoples discontent. Africas population is set to double between now and 2050, when over one-quarter of the worlds population will be African, with almost all under 30. Between now and then, the aged, corrupt dinosaurs who have been ruling African nations and treating their nations treasuries and resources as their personal piggy banks will be gone one way or another. If the new leaders meet their young peoples goals and ambitions, Africa will finally achieve its rightful place in the world and significantly contribute to the 21st centurys wealth and progress. If not, the scale of instability, terrorism, and massive migrations resulting from the youths frustrations will wash across the world. Ambassador Tibor Nagy was most recently Assistant Secretary of State for Africa after serving as Texas Techs Vice Provost for International Affairs and a 30-year career as a US Diplomat. Follow him on Twitter @TiborPNagyJr This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Nagy: Youth protests in the global South they wont take it anymore! By Nyasha Nyaungwa WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Namibia has resumed imports of live poultry and birds from South Africa, the agriculture ministry said in a statement on Friday. Namibia banned imports of live poultry, birds and poultry products from neighbouring South Africa in September 2023, following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the country. Namibia consumes an estimated 2,500 metric tons of chicken every month, typically relying on imports mainly from South Africa. The ministry also said it had suspended imports of live birds and uncooked poultry products from Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state following an outbreak of the avian Newcastle disease. Consignments containing poultry products from the state packed in their final packaging on or after June 18, the date of suspension, will be sent back or destroyed at the importer's cost, Namibia's agriculture ministry said. (Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa; Editing by Tannur Anders, Kirsten Donovan) CNN South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace insisted on mispronouncing Vice President Kamala Harris first name multiple times during a CNN segment Thursday night, and was promptlyand repeatedlycalled out for doing so. In the latest instance of Republicans and conservative commentators not getting a simple three-syllable name rightone which just so happens to belong to the first biracial female vice presidentMace declared that she would say the name any way that I want to. Talk about reruns, KamalasKamalas, Mace began, saying it correctly the first time but botching it right after by emphasizing the second syllable. Immediately, some of the other panelists on CNN Newsnight confronted her about it. You had it right! You almost got it, former Clinton White House aide Keith Boykin said. Ex-Staffers Detail Nancy Maces Poisonous Behavior Behind Closed Doors But Mace, who, as the Daily Beast reported last year, craves national TV spots, decided to take a stand on this. I will say Kamalas name any way that I want to, she pressed on, mispronouncing it once more. No, shot back Michael Eric Dyson, an author, professor, and CNN commentator. But you mispronounced her, and you also misjudged her. I just did and Ill do it again, Mace said. Boykin then told her that if he were to mispronounce Maces name on purpose, that wouldnt fly. Dyson, meanwhile, summed up her actions as normalizing an attitude of disrespect. Mace joins the ranks of Donald Trump, former Georgia Senator David Perdue, and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson as some of those who have bungled Harriss name. When asked about it late last month, Trump claimed he couldnt care less. And it seems Mace couldnt either. About twenty minutes later, she did it again, spurring even more intense pushback from Dyson and Boykin. Wow this is show is going off pic.twitter.com/KRoIgjyddY Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2024 Mace claimed she wasnt doing so intentionallydespite having repeatedly been told the proper way to say it. Moments later, Mace added still more to her controversial appearance. When given the chance to condemn Donald Trump for questioning Harriss race, Mace actually claimed she didnt hear what anchor Abby Phillip was referencing. Wow this is one of the most embarrassing moments I have ever seen from Nancy Mace pic.twitter.com/hrjnXTcEuC Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2024 I didnt hear him say it. I didnt hear what he said about her race, Mace said. I am not going to weigh in on her race. After her comments received criticism on social media, Mace took to X to respond. The Left would rather talk about pronouns and pronunciation than policy, she wrote. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Narcotics discovered during MCSO traffic stop FRUITA, Colo. (KREX) A big drug bust was made after Mesa County Sheriffs Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 near Fruita. Carlos Alfredo Fernandez-Marquez, 35, from California, was taken into custody after he gave deputies consent to search his vehicle. MCSO deputies discovered approximately 50,000 small pills consistent with fentanyl and 3 lbs. of suspected heroin. Fernandez-Marquez is currently being held on two counts of possession with intent to distribute, two counts of special circumstances for importing drugs into Colorado and a federal immigration violation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) On Thursday, Nashville bail bond companies associated with the release of an accused murderer appeared before Nashvilles criminal court judges. The Davidson County Clerks Office already admitted to an error that allowed Bricen Rivers to be released without initially communicating his bond conditions, which included staying in Nashville. Days after his release, Lauren Johansen was found dead. According to court documents, the purpose of Thursdays hearing was to ensure the reliability of Brookes Bail Bonding and On-Time Bonding and to determine the facts of the release. Laurens father, Dr. Lance Johansen, told News 2 that this hearing is also about getting to the truth, no matter how painful. The jail let this animal out: Documents outline timeline for accused murderers release According to court documents, Rivers was released on June 24 on a $150,000 bond. Part of the conditions of Rivers release included electronic monitoring, a requirement to stay in Nashville and no contact with Lauren. In court Thursday, owner and CEO of Brookes Bail Bonding Brooke Harlan told the six presiding judges that Rivers had an ankle monitor on his person when he traveled to Mississippi the same day that he was released. While Rivers was in Mississippi, the ankle monitor allegedly has problems. The owner of Freedom Monitoring, Dr. Nakeda Burrow, called him back to Nashville. When he came back, he got a new monitor. I asked why did he even go there initially. They said there were some issues with the address, so when I talked with him on Saturday, I did talk to him about jobs here in Nashville, Burrow said. Making sure, you know, that he had some things set up. He led me to believe that he was going to still stay here in Nashville. Burrow told the judges that the company only set up the system for an alert around Lauren Johansens Mississippi home. She said they got the victims address from Rivers himself. Burrow added that she never set zones for him to be out of Davidson County. The states attorney then asked her why she did not set zones for him on June 29. I couldve set the zones on the 29th, Burrow explained. I didnt set the zones because he was already in Nashville. He was supposed to stay in Nashville and he was going to be here for the court date on Tuesday. Later, Laurens father also took the stand. We felt like so many different errors occurred that, at some point, if just one thing went our way, she would still be here today, Lance told News 2. More questions than answers: What court documents reveal about accused murderer On July 1, Lance received a voicemail from the Davidson County District Attorneys Office warning him about Rivers release. They added that hed already violated the terms of his bond: This is Bailey calling from the District Attorneys Office here in Nashville. Im giving you a call because I was trying to get in touch with Lauren and I just wasnt able to reach her this morning. But I wanted to let you all know as soon as possible that Bricen Rivers was released from custody. He was supposed to report straight to a GPS company and be put on a GPS monitor and he was not to leave Davidson County. But as soon as he was released, he did not report to that GPS monitoring company, and he has not been heard from. I wanted to make sure Lauren is safe and that you all take the proper precautions just in case he does return to Mississippi. Part of the voicemail from the Davidson County Attorneys Office When I got the voicemail, I already knew he was coming to kill her, Lance previously told News 2. Rivers did not appear in court on July 2. Lance filed a missing persons report after finding his daughters front door left open. Additionally, home security video was destroyed and she never show up for work. On July 3, Lauren was found dead. Rivers was arrested on first-degree murder charges. He was denied bond. The Davidson County Sheriffs Office told News 2 that Rivers was released in accordance with the release order that they received from the court clerk. Unfortunately, what we received did not include any restrictions or mention of conditions for release, the Sheriffs Office added. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Nashville cop fired, charged after appearing on OnlyFans gives up police certification An ex-Nashville police officer who appeared in an OnlyFans skit agreed to suspend his post certification status indefinitely pending the outcome of criminal charges. Sean Herman faces felony official misconduct after investigators say he helped make an adult video while he was on duty. The Tennessee POST Commission on Thursday agreed with Herman, voting to suspend the officer's certification. The commission said Herman could seek reinstatement after his criminal case was resolved. Neither Herman nor his attorney appeared during Thursday's commission meeting. A three-year Nashville Police Department veteran, Herman was fired May 9, a day after investigators learned about the OnlyFans skit, which featured a uniformed Herman groping a woman's exposed breast in the footage, according to a police release. Herman, 33, of Sumner County, is out on $3,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 19. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ex-Nashville cop's certification suspended after OnlyFans appearance FUZHOU, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong has called for strong, effective measures to advance rural revitalization across the board. Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during an investigation and research tour in east China's Fujian Province from Wednesday to Thursday. The vice premier emphasized the need for unremitting efforts to ensure grain production and develop food resources through various channels, with the aim of constructing a diversified food supply system. Liu noted the necessity of developing deep-sea aquaculture actively, strengthening agricultural technological innovation, enhancing market competitiveness and sustainable development capabilities, and effectively transforming agriculture into a large, modern industry. He emphasized the need to follow the laws of urban and rural development, adapt to the trends of rural population change, respect the wishes of farmers, and promote village planning and construction, with the aim of creating a rural development model with regional characteristics. He also stressed the need for the targeted promotion of health care reform experience in the city of Sanming, as well as the necessity of strengthening the coordinated, interconnected reform of health care, medical insurance and pharmaceuticals, and of improving the efficiency of health care services. Rebecca Cooke, a Democrat, is running for the open seat in the 3rd Congressional District. (Rebecca Cooke for Congress) The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) added Rebecca Cooke to its red to blue priority list of congressional races this fall, saying the organization will provide support to her campaign as she faces Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsins 3rd Congressional District. Cooke was named to the list just days after winning the Democratic primary against state Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) and mortgage broker Eric Wilson. The 3rd District is one of the most narrowly divided districts along partisan lines in the country, offering Wisconsin Democrats their best chance at flipping a seat this fall. The DCCC designating the race a priority and promising support through the race is a shift from two years ago, when national support for Democratic state Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) dried up and Van Orden won. Democrats in the state blamed the loss of national support for Van Ordens victory. The seat was previously held by Democrat Ron Kind for more than two decades. Pfaff was vastly outraised by Van Orden while outside groups allied with Republicans also poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race. The DCCC didnt invest any money into Pfaffs campaign. Van Orden won the district by about four points. Western Wisconsinites can trust Rebecca Cooke to deliver for them because thats what shes done her whole life from opening a small business in Eau Claire, to helping other women in her community become entrepreneurs, to working with Governor Evers to create jobs in Wisconsin, DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash) said. Voters are fed up with Derrick Van Ordens extremism and public outbursts, and theyre more ready than ever for Rebeccas dedicated, balanced leadership. Last year, the DCCC named the district, which voted for Trump in 2020 and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022 and covers much of western Wisconsins Driftless Region, among more than two dozen it saw as in play for 2024. Now, the priority designation means the campaign organization is invested in providing Cooke, a top-tier candidate, with the support needed to continue building a winning campaign. On Thursday, Cooke traveled across the district, campaigning with her Democratic primary opponents while Republicans have begun attacking her over her history raising money for Democrats and grants disbursed by her non-profit. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (Bloomberg) -- NATO is bolstering its presence in the Western Pacific by sending warships to more places, a move that risks stoking tensions with China, which is worried about the alliances growing influence in the region. Most Read from Bloomberg The latest entrant is the Italian aircraft carrier Cavour, the first time Rome has deployed its lone carrier to the Pacific. The Cavour and an Italian frigate recently held exercises with the US carrier USS Abraham Lincoln near the island of Guam. A day later, F-35 stealth jets and AV-8B Harriers launched from the Cavour practiced shooting down airborne targets. This is a demonstration, above all, of our ability to project power anywhere, said Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina, the commander of the Cavour carrier strike group. Few security analysts expect European navies to play a frontline role in any conflict in the Pacific. But the rising frequency of their presence is complicating Chinas calculus as it raises the tempo of its military activity, including fighter and bomber flights near Taiwan and confrontations with the Philippines in the South China Sea. In times of crisis, European navies might augment the US military, such as by providing additional platforms for US aircraft, adding submarine-hunting capabilities or contributing to supply missions. NATO members have a mutual defense treaty that only applies to attacks in Europe and North America, so they wouldnt be legally compelled to defend each other in the Indo-Pacific region. The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and its strike group are scheduled to arrive in the Pacific next year and France has said it would send the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group. A strike group is a mini-armada built around an aircraft carrier that typically includes destroyers, cruisers and other vessels, as well as fighter jets and other aircraft. Germany and the Netherlands are among other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that plan to send warships to the region. NATO militaries use standardized equipment and tactics, enabling them to work closely together known in military jargon as interoperability. In the Pacific, senior officials say the goal is to go further and be able to swap in and out of American and other allied naval battle groups. I think in the future, we have to come more and more to the point where we are not talking any longer about interoperability but where we are talking about interchangeability, German Chief of Defense General Carsten Breuer said in a recent interview. NATO had been wary of confrontation with China, but tensions escalated this year when it called Beijing an enabler of Russias invasion of Ukraine an accusation China rejected. In 2022, NATO included China for the first time in its guiding strategy document, describing the country as a challenger to the organizations interests, security and values. China, in turn, says instability is a result of militaries from other regions operating near its shores. In July, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said NATO should not create chaos in the Asia-Pacific after creating turmoil in Europe. As Chinas rhetoric on NATO has aligned with Russia, it has also stepped up military exercises with Moscow, including bomber flights and joint naval patrols. Military deployments in the Indo-Pacific region by NATO, meanwhile, come as several European countries have adopted national strategies that emphasize their interests in the region, including the continued free flows of trade. Italy has tried to perform a balancing act with China under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. It pulled out of Chinas Belt and Road investment initiative last year but Meloni recently visited Beijing and held talks with President Xi Jinping. After leaving Italy in June, the carrier Cavour took part in multinational military exercises in Australia. Its set to train with the Japanese navy this month before returning home via Singapore and India. Italy has realized that engagement without some degree of military power underwriting it, it is simply not enough to signal that one is serious about building ties in an age of growing contestation, said Alessio Patalano, professor of war & strategy in East Asia at Kings College in London. The emerging role of European navies in the Indo-Pacific comes as demands are increasing on the US military in other locations. The USS Abraham Lincoln was ordered to speed up a planned deployment to the Middle East by the Pentagon after the recent training with the Cavour. Some security analysts say European navies cant substitute for a strong US naval presence in the Indo-Pacific, the region the Pentagon has labeled as its priority theater. Deployments such as the mission to the Middle East for the Lincoln could stretch the fleet of American carriers. This constant demand on carriers means we need 15 of them but we only have 11, placing more stress on the ships and crews. It isnt sustainable and the Navy needs to grow to meet the rising dangers, said Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think-tank. China has only two operational aircraft carriers but around 234 warships, larger than the US Navys total of 219, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US think-tank. China has around half of the worlds shipbuilding capacity, giving it the potential to add to its fleet faster than the US. Indo-Pacific nations are helping to offset the shortfall, particularly Japan, which has over 100 warships and routinely patrols with the US Navy. Japan, along with South Korea, Australia and New Zealand have forged closer ties with NATO and leaders of the so-called Pacific Four attended this years NATO summit in Washington. The security of the Indo-Pacific and the security of the Euro-Atlantic are two sides of the same coin, said US Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. Increased cooperation between NATO member countries and our four Indo-Pacific partners reinforces our collective deterrence and boosts stability across both regions and beyond. --With assistance from Philip J. Heijmans. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) After saving hundreds of animals from Panhandle shelters, a local dog rescue is closing this fall. Nauti Dawg Rescue based in Okaloosa County has been operating for three years, helping animals from different panhandle county shelters find forever homes. The rescue shutting down this fall creates an urgent need for the more than 30 animals they still have in kennels. Bay County Council on Aging preparing classes for its Brain Health Program Weve got shepherd puppies. Weve got beagle puppies. Weve got five fluffy black lab puppies. So weve kind of got a little bit of everything, said owner Andrea Bonnette. Bonnette started Nauti Dawg Rescue in 2021 after fostering local rescues and wanting to find a way to help clear county shelters. They usually reach out to us and tell us that theyre a full or, hey, we have this one that really needs to get out of the shelter. Can you help us? And then we tend to go and check out what they have and usually pull more than what they ask us for, Bonnette said. On Aug. 1 Bonnette announced that her rescue is closing this year. The building that we are currently leasing right now, our lease is up come February 1st. We are hoping to have all the dogs adopted out by November, Bonnette said. To date, Nauti Dawg has rescued 661 dogs from shelters in the panhandle and Alabama. Bonnette said she is thankful for the support and time she spent connecting animals to their new families. Crews reached major construction milestone on Dolly Partons Pirates Voyage Dinner Theater I wish I could save them all. Thats something you learn fairly quickly, that thats something that you cannot do and you just have to be able to be OK with saving the ones that you have done, Bonnette said. Bonnette said the organization will run as is until all animals are adopted. After that, she will host a garage sale for all of the shop supplies. Proceeds will be used to stay open through the lease and any extra will be donated to a local spay and neuter program. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. Jerry Wilson, Policy and Advocacy Director for Center for Racial Equity in Education, discusses the Represent! Campaign. (Photo: Ahmed Jallow) At least 14 North Carolina school districts let students appeal some or all short-term suspensions. The Freedom Hill Coalition, a network of 16 nonprofits focused on educational equity, is hoping to increase that number as one of their primary goals of their campaign this year. Called the Represent! Campaign, which kicked off Thursday in Raleigh, organizers will work in the next sixteen months to engage public schools and policymakers to address what they say are the needs of students, parents, educators, and communities of color. It is an effort to make sure that all children in North Carolina are receiving the high-quality education that they deserve, said Jerry Wilson, policy and advocacy director for the Center for Racial Equity in Education. Wilson said too often representation becomes a checkbox rather than a meaningful commitment to change. Its principled around the idea that representation is not enough, representation in the noun form is not enough, because too often its just a box that people check and then proceed to forget about those that they are supposed to be representing, and we want to change that. One of the key goals of the campaign is to expand the number of North Carolina school districts that give students the opportunity to appeal short-term suspensions by the end of the 2024-25 school year. Wilson said the coalition has identified three districts to target in the campaign, though he declined to name them. He added that the group is also compiling data to determine where racial disparities in suspensions and expulsions are most pronounced. In June, Republican Senator Steve Jarvis of Davidson County introduced a bill aimed at addressing this issue. House Bill 207, which received bipartisan support but has since stalled, would allow North Carolina high school students to appeal short-term suspensions. North Carolina students can appeal long-term suspensions but not those shorter than 10 days. The bill would allow appeals for short-term suspensions of at least five days. Students would have 14 days to appeal. During the 2022-23 school year, North Carolina handed out 247,454 short-term suspensions in grades K-12 for an average of just more than three days per suspension, according to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction data. Out of the 84,539 high school short-term suspensions, nearly 67,000 lasted longer than 6-10 days, according to Sen. Jarvis. More than 17,000 cases lasted five days. NC Newsline has previously reported that Black students in North Carolina are suspending at four times the rate of their white peers. During these 16 months, the coalition will also advocate for investing in holistic support services, such as counselors, social workers, and psychologists, and for eliminating suspensions and expulsions for Pre-K through 3rd grade students in North Carolina public schools by December 2025. Another objective is to collect 100 stories from marginalized students, parents, educators, and community members by January 2025 to highlight the need for increased representation in public schools. Additionally, the campaign aims to mobilize 10,000 North Carolinians to support equitable public school funding, to guarantee every child receives a high-quality education by December 2025. We want to use these stories to leverage policy change alongside the signatures, said Lucia Lozano Robledo, program and curriculum specialist at Latinx Ed, a nonprofit focused on educational equity in North Carolina. To learn more, visit the Represent! Campaign page. CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) A traveling insurance agent who lived in Mount Pleasant went missing in 2015 with his last phone ping around Browns Ferry Landing. Nearly ten years later, a nonprofit diving crew found his vehicle submerged at the bottom of the boat ramp. Initial Disappearance Daniel Riggs was last seen in November of 2015, according to a Mount Pleasant Police report. His girlfriend called to report him missing after a text conversation where Riggs told her she would not see him again. His girlfriend told police that the two had been having relationship problems and Riggs had a history of depression. Riggs was out of town on business in Georgetown when he texted that he would never see her again. She said she thought she got him to calm down when he finally texted her, I love you with all my heart, the report said. However, Riggs phone went dead around 7 p.m. that night and had not worked since, according to the report. Police said the girlfriend told them that Riggs had never disappeared like this before and that he was last seen driving a black Dodge Nitro with Florida Gator stickers on it. In Between Over the years, Sergeant Ashley Croy with Mount Pleasant PD said the department and other agencies have performed numerous searches in the area of Riggs last phone ping. Those searches consisted of walking on foot, side-scanning sonar, and numerous dive teams canvassing the area for signs of Riggs. They sometimes involved multiple other agencies but to no avail. Riggs case information has been entered into numerous missing persons systems, including the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). One day, Riggs case was brought to the attention of Rapid Compassion Collective (RapidCC), a nonprofit diving crew that searches for missing people, especially when their cases involve missing vehicles. Search and Discovery Images via Adam Brown of RapidCC.org Fast-forward to August 2024. Adam Brown, a RapidCC member, and Jason Souhrada, a Myrtle Beach-based diver, began their search in Myrtle Beach waterways after receiving a tip that Riggss credit card had been charged there shortly before he went missing. Brown said the duo explored the Waccamaw River and Intracoastal Waterway, finding no signs of Riggs, but they continued their search. Souhrada then got a new tip about the phone ping, so the pair moved their search. Using newer sonar technology, they scoured Black River, coming across vehicle after vehicle on the radar. Brown estimated there were about 20-30 vehicles decomposing in the water. The search continued until Brown finally had luck. At first, it didnt even look like a car, he said. But he had a feeling this was Riggs vehicle. When getting closer, using an underwater drone, he saw the first two license plate characters that matched the plate for Riggs and the Dodge logo on the tire. After calling the authorities and having it pulled out of the water, they could see that the black Nitro, which was found nose first directly in front of the boat ramp, had a Florida gators front tag. Police later confirmed the vehicle was registered to Daniel Riggs. The Georgetown County Coroners Office confirmed the human remains found in the SUV were those of Daniel Charles Riggs. How did the private team find Riggs when law enforcement had been searching for years, though? Brown said it happens more than most realize. Many times, law enforcement searchers are working with limited time and resources. RapidCC specializes in searches like the one for Riggs and his missing vehicle. Brown not only dives with RapidCC but also runs his own dive channels, where he fishes stolen vehicles, lost treasures, and abandoned items out of waterways. If youd like to learn more about RapidCC, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2. BEL AIR, Md. (AP) A neighbor reported smelling gas to a utility company the night before a home exploded in Bel Air, Maryland, killing two people, The Baltimore Sun has reported. Residents near the home have been saying that they smelled gas Saturday night, but the State Fire Marshals office stated they had no record of anyone reporting that to either 911 or Baltimore Gas and Electric. One resident, Carline Fisher, told the newspaper that she reported the gas smell to BGE Saturday night and spoke to a worker who arrived in response. Given that information, a fire marshals spokesman contacted investigators looking into the explosion who told him that BGE indeed received a call at 8:24 p.m. Saturday, the Sun reported. Ray Corkran, the homeowner, and a BGE contractor, Jose Rodriguez-Alvarado, died in the explosion Sunday morning. Fisher told The Sun she immediately smelled gas when she left her home to walk her dogs around 8 p.m. Saturday. Fisher, who lives about a third of a mile away from Corkrans home, said that as she walked she continued to smell gas. A BGE spokesperson declined to comment to the newspaper, citing an ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. He referred questions to the NTSB, which is among the agencies and other entities that have been investigating the incident. An NTSB spokeswoman said she did not have immediate answers to The Suns questions about how BGE handled the report of a gas smell on Saturday night. Oliver Alkire, a spokesperson and master deputy with the State Fire Marshals office, had said since earlier this week that he was told by investigators from his agency and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions, that there were no calls either to 911 or BGE about a gas odor that night. But on Thursday, Alkire said, the investigators told him they had indeed interviewed Fisher, and she had told them about calling BGE. It fell through the cracks, Alkire said of the investigators initially not relaying to him what Fisher had said. There might have been some confusion over BGEs presence in the neighborhood Saturday night because the utility company had sent a truck there about an electrical issue at Corkrans house, Alkire said. At least one resident who said he had smelled gas Saturday night told The Sun he didnt report it because he saw a BGE truck on the street and assumed it had responded to someone else reporting the odor. Jennifer Gabris, a spokesperson for the NTSB. said Thursday its investigation was continuing and that the team remained on the scene. She said she expected a preliminary report of the NTSBs findings would be released in about 30 days. Netanyahu hopes for deal with Hamas through pressure from mediators Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is relying on the pressure from mediators to bring the Gaza talks with Hamas to a conclusion. In a statement, Netanyahu thanked Egypt, Qatar, and the United States for their efforts to persuade the Palestinian Islamists to abandon their rejection of a hostage deal. Israel hopes that their pressure will compel Hamas to accept the proposals from the end of May, so that the details of the agreement can be implemented. The talks, including discussions about a ceasefire in the Gaza war, are set to continue next week. The Dutch government sees no reason to withdraw its support for Ukraine despite recent media reports of Ukrainian individuals' alleged involvement in the sabotage of the Russian Nord Stream gas pipeline. Source: Dutch news agency NOS, as reported by European Pravda Details: Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp and Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans all declined to comment on the media claims about Nord Stream, citing the need to wait for the German investigation to conclude. Schoof stated, however, that despite these circumstances, support for Ukraine will remain strong. "The security of the Netherlands and Europe will benefit from support for Ukraine," he told reporters. The Dutch foreign minister spoke of "political, military, financial and moral" support for Kyiv in the fight against Russia. On 14 August, several German media outlets, including ARD, Suddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and Die Zeit, reported that in early June, German Prosecutor General Jens Rommel issued the first arrest warrant for the main suspect in the operation, a Ukrainian diving instructor known as Volodymyr. However, Spiegel reported that Volodymyr, whom Germany had intended to arrest in Poland for his alleged involvement in the blowing-up of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, had left Poland, probably because he had been warned about the planned arrest. On Thursday 15 August, The Wall Street Journal published an investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline explosions in September 2022, claiming that the operation had been approved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who later attempted to cancel it once the CIA became aware of it. The operation was supposedly led by an unnamed general with experience in special operations, who directly reported to the then commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Support UP or become our patron! When College of the Desert students arrive at the newly expanded Indio Campus during the first week of the fall semester in late August, theyll be welcomed by natural light flooding through the windows and scenic views of downtown Indio at their state-of-the-art educational facility. This project is a memorial to our commitment to meeting the communitys needs, said Interim Superintendent/President Laura Hope in a press release. Not long after the original Indio building opened its doors, it was clear that more space was needed to serve the growing Indio community. The completion of this project ensures we can provide current and future Indio students with a quality and cost-effective education. Also in this week's education roundup: Riverside County's Operation Recognition seeks to award high school diplomas to veterans; Governor Gavin Newsom urges school leaders to restrict students' phone use; and CalKIDS creates $500 in college savings to incoming second graders. Did we miss a noteworthy education story? Raise your hand and send it my way: jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com. More: College of the Desert to host inaugural rally for Roadrunners at newly expanded Indio campus College of the Desert unveils $75.2 million expansion of its state-of-the-art Indio Campus The day before the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for College of the Desert's expanded Indio Campus on Oasis Street, students and families previewed the new facilities ahead of the fall semester's start on Monday, Aug. 26. The expansion funded by a $75.2 million investment from voter-approved bonds, Measure B and Measure CC adds 67,000 square feet of classrooms, laboratories, student support services, faculty and staff offices, a student cafe that will soon open to the community, open study spaces and collaboration areas. More: 5 things to know about College of the Desert's new child development center in Indio Students can gather or work with flexible seating throughout many common areas in the three-story building. The first floor is a one-stop shop for students, offering everything from counseling and financial aid to student ID photos and access to the snack pantry. Students can pick up two free snacks each day and up to 15 pounds of food per week, thanks to a partnership with FIND Food Bank. Students who previously needed to visit the Palm Desert campus for resources can now access them at the Indio Campus. As visitors move through the counseling area, space is available for basic needs services, adult basic education and English as a second language programs. A large conference room, already sought after by community organizations for rentals, is also available. A classroom on the first floor has the potential to hold courses including women's self-defense, EMR/EMT, kinesiology, yoga and Pilates. Nearby, a lactation room is available for students, faculty and staff. Leading back to the first floor lobby, the area features alcoves designed to create engaging spaces where elements of living and learning blend seamlessly. These inviting and comfortable environments foster social interaction and provide areas for students to gather. The Oasis Cafe will feature a pizza oven, a salad bar and various dining options, including a dedicated alcove for a barista. "They're very intentional spaces to allow for connectivity with the students," said Jessica Enders, director of education centers at COD. "We have such a high commuter campus, so it gives them a space to hang out." Another "sticky space" near the stairwell encourages students to gather and build a sense of community, where they can connect their devices to electrical outlets. The campus includes two auditoriums that accommodate up to 75 students each for larger classes like biology, psychology and the history of rock 'n' roll. Alcoves next to faculty offices provide additional spaces for interaction with staff. Every room is carefully designed, with two computer labs divided by a partition wall of whiteboards. The expanded building features around 25 classrooms. After the adjacent building undergoes renovation this fall, COD expects to serve 8,000 to 10,000 students at full capacity, including those at the Child Development Center across the street. The third floor features a multi-use classroom with floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor wraparound patio that can serve as an event space, including a catering area. Biology and chemistry labs, which are among the college's bottleneck courses, have the capacity to accommodate at least 30 students in each classroom. A modern atrium at the College of the Desert's new three-story academic building in Indio, Calif., August 15, 2024. The space still requires some finishing touches, but COD is ready to serve its Roadrunners by the first week of the fall semester. Although the campus will have student parking spaces near both the campus and the Child Development Center, the college hopes students will utilize the Haul Pass program, which provides them with free rides on the SunLine buses. Use of the RoadRunner Express, the free shuttle service connecting students to all COD campuses, is also encouraged and even has a dedicated roundabout in front of the campus. When the semester starts, the Indio campus will offer Saturday hours, unlike the Palm Desert campus, to give students access to tutoring and academic skill center services. "There's all kinds of possibilities," Enders said. "It's nice to have conformity with the three buildings (in Indio) going all the way through. It really now feels like a holistic campus." Veterans without high school diplomas sought for Riverside County Operation Recognition Program Veterans from the Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard who missed their high school graduations due to military service are encouraged to apply for a diploma through Riverside County's Operation Recognition Program by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18. "We look look forward to honoring the veterans who sacrificed their education in order to serve their country," said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez. "It's never too late to pursue a diploma, and we encourage friends and family members to reach out to veterans who may be eligible for this long overdue recognition." Since 2007, Operation Recognition has awarded diplomas to 378 veterans, as a result of partnerships between the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education and the Riverside County Department of Veterans' Services. To qualify for a diploma, individuals must have served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War with an honorable discharge or have been interned in a Japanese American relocation camp during World War II. Veterans must also currently reside in Riverside County. There is no fee to apply for the diploma. Veterans will be presented their diplomas on Wednesday, Nov. 6. For more information: Visit rcoe.us/operation-recognition or reach out to Yadira Chavelas at 951-826-6560 or ychavelas@rcoe.us Gov. Gavin Newsom calls on school leaders to limit students' use of smartphones in schools, sparks conversation at Desert Sands Unified Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an open letter on Tuesday, Aug. 13, urging schools to limit student cellphone use, warning that excessive smartphone use among youth is linked to rising anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. "As I work with the Legislature to further limit student smartphone use on campus, there is no reason for schools to wait," Newsom wrote in the letter. "In 2019, I signed AB 272 into law, which grants school districts the authority to regulate the use of smartphones during school hours. This legislation was a crucial step in our efforts to minimize distractions and foster a more conducive environment for our students to learn." At Tuesdays Desert Sands Unified School District board of education meeting, the president of the Desert Sands Teachers Association voiced concerns about cell phones in classrooms during public comment specifically of a high school teacher who had asked administrators about implementing a policy to regulate student use. "The administrators said that's going to be up to every individual teacher to enforce in their classroom," Trina Gonzales-Alesi said. "And what that does to teachers is it makes them be the (cell phone) police. It makes them be the bad guy." Desert Sands Unified Superintendent Kelly May-Vollmar interacts with young students at the district office in La Quinta, Calif., on June 30, 2022. Superintendent Kelly May-Vollmar later contextualized the district's board policy on cell phone use, explaining that cell phones must be turned off during instructional time. Exceptions include emergencies, permission from a teacher or administrator, a licensed physicians determination of necessity for the students health or if the use is required by the student's individualized education program. She confirmed that Gonzales-Alesi's statement was accurate in that it is primarily principals' responsibility to establish the climate and culture within their schools. May-Vollmar added that San Diego Unified School District is currently running a "progressive advertising campaign" to alert parents about the dangers of screen time, noting that it has been some time since DSUSD has reminded students and families about its board policy on cell phone usage in the classroom. A few board board members weighed in, including Kailee Watson, board president, who stated that while she opposes banning cell phones, she believes proper usage is also a matter of "learned behaviors." "It's about teaching the kids ... to be held accountable and it has to stop from the bottom all the way to the top," Watson said. "People have to be willing to say, 'Put it away, put it on silent, whatever it is.'" Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest school district in California, made headlines in June when its school board approved a ban on cell phone and social media use during the day for students. CalKIDS announces the creation of $500 college accounts for incoming second graders CalKIDS, the state program that provides financial support to eligible low-income public school students to save for college and career training, announced it has opened 270,000 new accounts for first graders from the previous school year. This addition brings the total number of accounts to about 3.6 million for public school students. "CalKIDS accounts are more than just financial support, they help build a college-going mindset starting from a young age," the statement announced. Each students account has received at least $500 in funds ranging up to $1,500 to kickstart their savings for post-secondary education. For more information: Visit calkids.org/ssid-eligibility-tool More: Education legislation: Parents, catch up on 11 changes in California schools More: Wet Bulb Globe Temperature: What is it and how will it affect high school sports? More: Elections 2024: Who filed for school board candidacy in the Coachella Valley? Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Newly expanded College of the Desert Indio campus opens its doors A gas station in Los Angeles. A proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom would require that petroleum refiners maintain a stable inventory in order to prevent fuel shortages and price spikes when equipment is taken offline for maintenance. (Zoe Cranfill / Los Angeles Times) In the latest episode of his political fight with Big Oil, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday called on California lawmakers to pass new requirements on oil refiners during the final two weeks of the legislative session. Newsom's last-minute proposal, his office said, would allow his administration to require that petroleum refiners maintain a stable inventory in order to prevent fuel shortages and price spikes when refinery equipment is taken offline for maintenance. The plan marks a continuation of the governor's campaign to blame the oil industry for high gas prices in California and another attempt by Newsom to jam legislation through the state Capitol. Newsom unveiled his proposal nearly two years after he announced a special session on oil prices that ultimately fell short of his call to cap the industry's profits. Price spikes at the pump are profit spikes for Big Oil," Newsom said in a statement. "Refiners should be required to plan ahead and backfill supplies to keep prices stable, instead of playing games to earn even more profits. By making refiners act responsibly and maintain a gas reserve, Californians would save money at the pump every year. Read more: How Newsom fell short of the oil penalty he wanted but still scored a political win After Democrats balked at the idea of penalizing the oil industry during the special session, lawmakers determined that state regulators needed more information about oil pricing in order to understand and stop price spikes at the pump. Democratic legislators passed a law last year that established new transparency requirements for the oil industry and gave the California Energy Commission the power to set a profits cap and impose penalties through a regulatory process. The law established the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight within the energy commission, and gave it the authority to gather new data from the industry in order to investigate price spikes. Earlier this year, the division wrote a letter recommending the state impose minimum inventory and resupply requirements for refiners based on its findings so far, arguing that the oil companies did not maintain enough refined gasoline to backfill production shortfalls or protect against the impact of unplanned maintenance. "This lack of supply was foreseeable and preventable, but Californias refiners are not under a legal obligation to maintain sufficient supply to adequately protect Californians from price spikes," the division reported. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) criticized the governor's proposal as "a half-baked attempt to distract from that simple fact" that state policies are responsible for high gasoline costs. If Newsom was serious about bringing down prices, he would streamline the approval process for new gas storage projects, stop pushing new regulations that will add even more costs and make it easier to produce energy here in California," Gallagher said in a statement. Democrats have imposed the strictest regulations and highest gas taxes in the country - and that is all reflected in the price at the pump." So far, it's unclear if Democratic lawmakers will get behind Newsom's proposal or how they will respond to if a bill hoisted on them so late in the legislative process. The Legislature has about two weeks left to take action on hundreds of bills before they adjourn for the year at the end of August. Newsom's office said he discussed the plan with legislative leaders before making the announcement on Thursday. The proposal has not yet been introduced in a bill and was only summarized by the governor's office in a press release. Read more: Fossil fuel industry drops California ballot measure that aimed to undo drilling regulations "We are in ongoing discussions with the governor about his petroleum markets oversight proposal," said Nick Miller, a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister). "Those discussions as well as consultations with Assembly members, will continue." A spokesperson for Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) did not respond to a request for comment. Newsom introduced the bill on the same day lawmakers followed through on their end of an agreement made with the oil industry to halt a campaign to overturn a law that prevents drilling new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, parks and hospitals. The California Independent Petroleum Assn. and other proponents of the referendum campaign on the setbacks law agreed in late June to withdraw the measure from the November ballot. As part of a compromise, Assemblyman Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) said he agreed to limit the scope of another bill, AB 2716, that would have imposed a $10,000 penalty for each day that a "low production" oil well is operated within 3,200 feet of so-called "sensitive receptors." Lawmakers officially amended the bill Thursday to only apply to the Inglewood oil field. "As was agreed upon, we limited the scope of this bill to the largest urban oil field in the state that is directly in my district," Bryan said. "It's time for this oil field to pay a penalty for the harm it's caused the surrounding communities and invest those funds in a sustainable future for the people who've lived around it." He said ensuring that the original setbacks law could go into effect immediately is the "most important environmental win that we could achieve all year." The Newsom administration introduced a budget trailer bill on Wednesday that would delay parts of the setbacks law and give oil companies until 2029 to submit plans for well-leak detection and response. The changes do not affect the prohibition on new permits for oil wells, which took effect after oil interests agreed to remove their referendum from the ballot. H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the California Department of Finance, said the Newsom administration is asking lawmakers to delay the new leak-detection plans to give the state more time to implement that part of the law. Current staffing levels, he said, "are insufficient to make rapid progress on the implementation of SB 1137." "Delaying these deadlines is critical to ensuring the state has the time necessary to get these regulations right," Palmer said in a statement. "However, while the specific leak detection and response plan regulations called for in the bill are developed, state agencies will continue to protect public health and safety around oil and gas sites. There are currently significant leak detection requirements in place that will remain in force." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. JERUSALEM, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that he expects the U.S.-led coalition countries to join Israel not only in defense but also in attack against significant targets in Iran in case Iran attacks Israel. Katz made the remarks in a meeting with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who arrived in Israel in a bid to prevent regional escalation and promote a hostage deal between Hamas and Israel, according to a statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The Israeli minister told the visiting ministers that Israel expects France and Britain to publicly clarify to Iran that it must not attack Israel. "Iran must understand that if it does not stop its direct aggression and through its proxies against Israel, it will pay a heavy price in the strategic and economic fields and that this is the only chance to prevent an all-out war," Katz added. "Israel will not be able not to respond forcefully to any harm against it." As for the situation in Gaza, Katz said that Israel is interested in a deal to release the Israeli hostages in Gaza and will do everything in the negotiations to promote it, but warned that Hamas might harden its positions and wait for the Iranian attack as an alternative to negotiations. Tensions between Iran and Israel escalated following the assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The Iranian government has repeatedly vowed that it would retaliate against Israel, which it accused of carrying out the assassination. On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new proposal that would require oil refineries to keep a minimum supply of fuel reserves in hopes of avoiding future supply shortages and price hikes for consumers. The governors plan would direct the California Energy Commission to require petroleum refiners to follow the new guidelines. The governor hopes the proposal will help keep supply and prices stable even when refineries undergo maintenance. Penalties would be imposed on refiners who fail to follow the new guidelines. Newsom signs law allowing California to penalize oil companies for price gouging According to Newsom, scheduled maintenance periods at oil refineries resulted in low supply and high prices for consumers. If the proposal had been in effect in 2023, Californians wouldve saved upwards of $650 million in gas costs. Price spikes at the pump are profit spikes for Big Oil. Refiners should be required to plan ahead and backfill supplies to keep prices stable instead of playing games to earn even more profits. By making refiners act responsibly and maintain a gas reserve, Californians would save money at the pump every year, Newsom said in a statement. Newsom also pointed out that Australia, Japan and the European Union have passed similar regulations. However, not everyone is on board with the proposed plan. Representatives of Californias oil industry said in a statement that Newsoms claims that oil refineries intentionally planned maintenance during busy driving seasons are purposely misleading and show an utter lack of understanding about their industry. Oil company fires back at Gov. Newsom over gas prices accusation To impose new operational mandates on energy producers based on such falsehoods is regulatory malpractice, and ignores the logistical challenges and costs associated with such a plan. When this administration is ready to have a serious discussion about the facts and the policies this state has imposed that affect consumer costs, we will be there, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president and CEO of the Western States Petroleum Association, said in a statement. California lawmakers would have to approve the proposal before it can be officially implemented. The current legislative session ends on Aug. 31. For years, Newsom has been at odds with oil companies. He has often alluded to the fact that oil companies are the reason gas prices are high in California. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Newsom signs 10 bills to tackle retail, auto and property theft in CA On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 10 bills into law that aim to crack down on retail, auto and property theft. Lets be clear: this is the most significant legislation to address property crime in modern California history. I thank the bipartisan group of lawmakers, our retail partners, and advocates for putting public safety over politics, Newsom said during a Friday morning news conference. While some try to take us back to ineffective and costly policies of the past, these new laws present a better way forward making our communities safer and providing meaningful tools to help law enforcement arrest criminals and hold them accountable. Newsoms new proposal seeks to prevent future fuel shortages and price hikes in California Here are the bills Newsom signed into law on Friday: Newsom signed the new laws after he called on lawmakers to address rising retail thefts across the state. This move also comes as Democrats in the state continue to determine how to respond to the increasing public concern about thefts. The latest debate over theft and drug crime reform in California stems from Proposition 47, which voters approved a decade ago. Prop. 47 reduced some felonies to misdemeanors and set a $950 threshold for shoplifting charges. The measure was passed at a time when lawmakers needed to alleviate overcrowding in Californias state prisons, which the courts declared were at unconstitutional levels, the Los Angeles Times reported. An initiative, Prop. 36, could repeal portions of Prop. 47 if voters approve it on Nov. 5. Prop. 36 aims to further crackdown on retail theft and drug crimes and is funded by retailers like Walmart, Home Depot and Target. Supporters of the new initiative say Prop. 47 was too soft on criminals and has led to an increase in crime, including smash-and-grab robberies, which are often captured on surveillance video and become viral videos online. However, some experts say blaming the proposition is unfair and crime statistics arent clear on the matter. Newsom and his political allies have voiced opposition to Prop. 36, calling it draconian crime reform. However, mayors of California cities like San Francisco, San Diego and San Jose have supported the proposition. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed 10 bills in what he is calling an unprecedented effort to combat escalating retail crimes, car thefts and the sale of stolen goods, enacting stricter penalties for repeat offenders and enhanced tools for felony prosecutions. "These bills will strengthen existing laws. They'll enhance other laws, and they will address the challenges that are well outside the purview of previous initiatives and laws," Newsom said at a news conference Friday morning inside a Home Depot in San Jose. "That's the issue of organized retail theft, the issue of serial theft, the issue that is front and center in the consciousness of so many Californians." Newsom's action comes eight months after he called on legislators to address rising retail thefts across the state, particularly early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when major California cities saw the most dramatic increase in property crimes. It also comes at a divisive moment for Democrats in the Golden State, who are at odds over how to respond to the public concern about brazen thefts. Read more: California Legislature passes bills to curb retail theft over objections from some Democrats While property crimes, including burglary, motor vehicle theft and larceny theft, did inch up in California from 2019 to 2022, the numbers have remained on a downward trend across the state. The most recent debate over theft and drug crime reform in California dates back to 2014, when voters passed Proposition 47. That ballot measure lessened the penalties for some nonviolent drug and property crimes and passed with overwhelming support at a time when lawmakers needed to alleviate overcrowding in California's state prisons, which the courts declared were at unconstitutional levels. It has also saved the state nearly $100 million annually, according to the California Board of State and Community Corrections, and those funds have gone to victim services and reentry programs. Major opponents to that initiative have since tried and failed to dismantle Proposition 47. But they have returned this year with a revived statewide initiative that voters will decide on this November. The measure, Proposition 36, would impose mandated drug treatment for some drug crimes, add new penalties for some theft and drug offenses, and add new sentencing enhancements that would apply to any crime. Newsom and top Democrats crafted an alternative measure of their own, one that would address concerns about theft and fentanyl without, they said, being as punitive as the prosecutors measure. But with just a few days left before the Legislature was dismissed for a monthlong recess in July, Newsom scuttled the effort. The package of bills signed by the governor was ushered by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) and Senate leader Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg). Both made their own high-profile efforts to address concerns over increasing theft through legislation, and opposed asking voters to reform Proposition 47. The bills focus on many sides of property theft. They make it easier to prosecute car break-ins and aggregate dollar amounts of thefts that happen over time and across jurisdictions; they give stores the ability to file temporary restraining orders against repeat shoplifters; and they require online marketplaces to collect detailed information from sellers in an effort to divert the illegal resale of stolen items. Republicans criticized the efforts, calling Newsom's involvement too little too late. This is just another gaslighting moment by Newsom and Democratic lawmakers to dupe Californians into believing this is all we need to protect our families from criminals," said Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber). "Although I supported these measures, they shouldve been done a long time ago and they wont overturn the harm done by previous policies." Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) stated that Newsom "doesnt deserve an ounce of credit for fighting the crime crisis." Read more: What exactly is Prop. 47? And how could California voters change it this year? By Newsom's side Friday morning was Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Assn., Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and over a dozen legislators, all Democrats except for Assemblyman Juan Alanis (R-Modesto), a former law enforcement officer and the only Republican author of the package. Friday's announcement took place in San Jose, the largest city in Santa Clara County, which saw one of the biggest upticks in property crimes out of the state's 15 largest counties. The governor and his political allies have publicly denounced Proposition 36, calling it draconian crime reform. The initiative is led mostly by prosecutors and funded by major big-box retailers, including Home Depot, Target and Walmart. But some Democrats, including Mayors London Breed of San Francisco, Todd Gloria of San Diego and Matt Mahan of San Jose, support the tough-on-crime measure. Mahan announced this week a new fundraising committee to raise money for the ballot measure. Mahan, along with Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Thien Ho and Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, said the legislative package does not address the drug and homelessness crisis plaguing the state, and together they have called for an era of "mass treatment" for Californians. When asked about his involvement in opposition to Proposition 36, the governor responded, "What's my involvement? I guess it's this." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. (Getty Images) Nine states, including Nebraska, are challenging an executive order by President Joe Biden that would enlist federal agencies to help register residents to vote. Those states say the order undermines their power to control elections, calling it a federally subsidized program aimed at boosting Democratic and left-leaning blocs. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed the federal lawsuit in court in Wichita, Kansas. The nine states are Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Carolina. The heart of the lawsuit is Executive Order 14019, which was issued March 10, 2021. The states challenging the executive order say that Biden converts various federal agencies, illegally turning them in part into a voter registration organization. The attorneys general say that election activity, including voter registration, is solely the province of states, guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Moreover, the states said that its an example of the federal government trying to usurp the sovereignty of the states, and giving the states no other choice than to resort to federal court. The lawsuit said the states were never invited into the process or allowed to comment, and they accuse the Biden administration of hiding the plans. In response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has asserted the plans are subject to privilege and may be withheld from public scrutiny, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit lists a number of federal agencies as defendants, including the U.S. Treasury, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of The Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Education. The lawsuit also claims that the National Voter Registration Act means that federal agencies cannot stand in the way of citizens voting, but it also said that voter registration activity is left to the states, and Bidens order oversteps its authority. The 41-page suit outlines a number of ways the executive order commands the federal agencies to help bolster the efforts to register voters, for example: The suit accuses the Department of Justice of providing information to those who remain eligible to vote while in federal custody, as well as preparing prisoners about voting laws and rights before reentry. It says that the Department of the Interior will disseminate information about registering and voting at schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education and tribal colleges and universities. The order also encourages the Department of Agriculture to provide nonpartisan voter information through its borrowers and lenders about registration and voting. It designates 2,400 American Job Centers, which provide employment guidance, training and career services, to become voter registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act. It allows public housing community areas space for certain election-related activities, including voter registration or voter drop boxes for early voting. It says the order allows the Department of Education to allow federal work study funds to support voter registration activities. There is little detail about how agencies determine whether a third-party organization is approved, non-partisan, or what third-party organizations an agency can work with to promote voter registration, the lawsuit said. A rule that permits federal agencies to engage in voter registration activities trenches on States constitutionally protected sovereign rights. From a practical standpoint, the states claim that the federal governments executive order doesnt just exceed the constitution, but could threaten efforts in the individual states. The vast resources of the federal government render it unique among all possible entities engaged in voter registration. Because of the resources it can bring to bear, the federal government can engage in voter registration activities on a scale that will, as a practical matter, swamp any states attempt to regulate the governments actions, the lawsuit said. Knudsen, Montanas Attorney General, echoed that sentiment when he announced the lawsuit from Helena on Tuesday. Fair elections are an essential part of our countrys republic. Congress gave the states the power to oversee elections years ago, Knudsen said. I will not stand by while the Biden-Harris administration attempts to shamelessly garner votes by employing its own agencies to register voters and disregard states own voter registration systems, putting the integrity of our elections at risk. The states also said that encouraging a variety of different agencies without proper training put the elections at risk of fraud. They failed to consider the risk of fraud or to implement actions to prevent fraud, which threatens the integrity of state administration of elections, the states said. This includes, at a minimum, ensuring that illegal aliens do not register to vote through the plans the agency defendants put in place. It is already against federal law for non-citizens to vote in elections. The states conclude the lawsuit by saying that the plans in the executive order werent motivated to help resident register to vote, rather they are part of a Democrat plan. (The executive order) was motivated by a partisan desire to unfairly increase the Democrat vote as shown by the fact that the order came from left-wing, progressive groups, the suit claims. The purpose is to promote left-wing politicians and policies at elections. 1-2024-08-13-complaint This article first appeared in the Daily Montanan, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network. A voter has her ballot scanned at the Utah County Justice and Health center on November 8, 2022 in Provo, Utah. (File/George Frey/Getty Images) Attorneys general in nine states, including South Carolina, are challenging an executive order by President Joe Biden that would enlist federal agencies to help register residents to vote, arguing the order undermines their power to control elections. They call it a federally subsidized program aimed at boosting Democratic and left-leaning blocs. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed the federal lawsuit in court in Wichita, Kansas. The nine states are Montana, Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Federal agencies cannot take money that Congress allocated and use it for improper purposes, and the Constitution primarily gives the states the authority to regulate voter registration, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a statement announcing he joined the lawsuit. The heart of the lawsuit is Executive Order 14019, which was issued on March 10, 2021. The states challenging the executive order say that Biden converts various federal agencies, turning them in part into a voter registration organization illegally. The attorneys general say that elections, including voter registration, are solely the province of states, guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Moreover, the states said that its an example of the federal government trying to usurp the sovereignty of the states, giving the states no other choice than to resort to federal court. The lawsuit said the states were never invited into the process, never allowed to comment, and they accuse the Biden administration of hiding the plans. In response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has asserted the plans are subject to privilege and may be withheld from public scrutiny, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit lists a number of federal agencies as defendants, including the U.S. Treasury, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of The Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Education. A release from Wilson gives the Department of Justice as an example, saying its registering people in federal prisons despite it being illegal in many states for felons to vote. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said the agency is promoting voting access for people in federal custody who are still eligible to vote. The lawsuit also claims that the National Voter Registration Act means that federal agencies cannot stand in the way of citizens voting, but it also said that voter registration activity is left to the states, and Bidens order oversteps its authority. The 41-page suit outlines a number of ways the executive order commands the federal agencies to help bolster the efforts to register voters, for example: The suit accuses the Department of Justice of providing information to those who remain eligible to vote while in federal custody, as well as preparing prisoners about voting laws and rights before reentry. It says that the Department of the Interior will disseminate information about registering and voting at schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education and tribal colleges and universities. The order also encourages the Department of Agriculture to provide nonpartisan voter information through its borrowers and lenders about registration and voting. Designating 2,400 American Job Centers, which provide employment guidance, training and career services, to become voter registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act. Allowing public housing community areas space for certain election-related activities, including voter registration or voter drop boxes for early voting. The lawsuit said that the order allows the Department of Education to allow federal work study funds to support voter registration activities. There is little detail about how agencies determine whether a third-party organization is approved, non-partisan, or what third-party organizations an agency can work with to promote voter registration, the lawsuit said. A rule that permits federal agencies to engage in voter registration activities trenches on States constitutionally protected sovereign rights. From a practical standpoint, the states claim that the federal governments executive order doesnt just exceed the constitution but could threaten efforts in the individual states. The vast resources of the federal government render it unique among all possible entities engaged in voter registration. Because of the resources it can bring to bear, the federal government can engage in voter registration activities on a scale that will, as a practical matter, swamp any states attempt to regulate the governments actions, the lawsuit said. Knudsen, Montanas attorney general, echoed that sentiment when he announced the lawsuit from Helena on Tuesday. Fair elections are an essential part of our countrys republic. Congress gave the states the power to oversee elections years ago, Knudsen said. I will not stand by while the Biden-Harris administration attempts to shamelessly garner votes by employing its own agencies to register voters and disregard states own voter registration systems, putting the integrity of our elections at risk. The states also said that encouraging a variety of different agencies without proper training put the elections at risk of fraud. They failed to consider the risk of fraud or to implement actions to prevent fraud, which threatens the integrity of state administration of elections, the states said. This includes, at a minimum, ensuring that illegal aliens do not register to vote through the plans the agency defendants put in place. It is already against federal law for non-citizens to vote in elections. The states conclude the lawsuit by saying that the plans in the executive order werent motivated to help residents register to vote, rather they are part of a Democrat plan. (The executive order) was motivated by a partisan desire to unfairly increase the Democrat vote as shown by the fact that the order came from left-wing, progressive groups, the suit claims. The purpose is to promote left-wing politicians and policies at elections. Like the SC Daily Gazette, Daily Montanan is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Daily Montanan maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Darrell Ehrlick for questions: info@dailymontanan.com. Follow Daily Montanan on Facebook and X. Voting booths at a vote center in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. (Danielle Prokop/Source NM) Nine states, including South Dakota, are challenging an executive order by President Joe Biden that would enlist federal agencies to help register residents to vote, and those states say the order undermines their power to control elections, calling it federally subsidized program aimed at boosting Democratic and left-leaning blocs. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed the federal lawsuit in court in Wichita, Kansas. The nine states are Montana, Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Carolina. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued a statement saying in part, This is an election integrity issue and another overreach by the federal government against the states. The heart of the lawsuit is Executive Order 14019, which was issued on March 10, 2021. The states challenging the executive order say that Biden converts various federal agencies, turning them in part into a voter registration organization illegally. The attorneys general say that elections, including voter registration, are solely the province of states, guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Moreover, the states said that its an example of the federal government trying to usurp the sovereignty of the states, and giving the states no other choice than to resort to federal court. The lawsuit said the states were never invited into the process, never allowed to comment, and they accuse the Biden administration of hiding the plans. In response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has asserted the plans are subject to privilege and may be withheld from public scrutiny, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit lists a number of federal agencies as defendants, including the U.S. Treasury, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of The Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Education. The lawsuit also claims that the National Voter Registration Act means that federal agencies cannot stand in the way of citizens voting, but it also said that voter registration activity is left to the states, and Bidens order oversteps its authority. The 41-page suit outlines a number of ways the executive order commands the federal agencies to help bolster the efforts to register voters, for example: The suit accuses the Department of Justice of providing information to those who remain eligible to vote while in federal custody, as well as preparing prisoners about voting laws and rights before reentry. It says that the Department of the Interior will disseminate information about registering and voting at schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education and tribal colleges and universities. The order also encourages the Department of Agriculture to provide nonpartisan voter information through its borrowers and lenders about registration and voting. Designating 2,400 American Job Centers, which provide employment guidance, training and career services, to become voter registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act. Allowing public housing community areas space for certain election-related activities, including voter registration or voter drop boxes for early voting. The lawsuit said that the order allows the Department of Education to allow federal work study funds to support voter registration activities. There is little detail about how agencies determine whether a third-party organization is approved, non-partisan, or what third-party organizations an agency can work with to promote voter registration, the lawsuit said. A rule that permits federal agencies to engage in voter registration activities trenches on States constitutionally protected sovereign rights. From a practical standpoint, the states claim that the federal governments executive order doesnt just exceed the constitution, but could threaten efforts in the individual states. The vast resources of the federal government render it unique among all possible entities engaged in voter registration. Because of the resources it can bring to bear, the federal government can engage in voter registration activities on a scale that will, as a practical matter, swamp any states attempt to regulate the governments actions, the lawsuit said. Knudsen, Montanas Attorney General, echoed that sentiment when he announced the lawsuit from Helena on Tuesday. Fair elections are an essential part of our countrys republic. Congress gave the states the power to oversee elections years ago, Knudsen said. I will not stand by while the Biden-Harris administration attempts to shamelessly garner votes by employing its own agencies to register voters and disregard states own voter registration systems, putting the integrity of our elections at risk. The states also said that encouraging a variety of different agencies without proper training put the elections at risk of fraud. They failed to consider the risk of fraud or to implement actions to prevent fraud, which threatens the integrity of state administration of elections, the states said. This includes, at a minimum, ensuring that illegal aliens do not register to vote through the plans the agency defendants put in place. It is already against federal law for non-citizens to vote in elections. The states conclude the lawsuit by saying that the plans in the executive order werent motivated to help resident register to vote, rather they are part of a Democrat plan. (The executive order) was motivated by a partisan desire to unfairly increase the Democrat vote as shown by the fact that the order came from left-wing, progressive groups, the suit claims. The purpose is to promote left-wing politicians and policies at elections. 1-2024-08-13-complaint Daily Montanan is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Daily Montanan maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Darrell Ehrlick for questions: info@dailymontanan.com. Follow Daily Montanan on Facebook and X. (Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images) Nine states, including Iowa, are challenging an executive order by President Joe Biden that would enlist federal agencies to help register residents to vote, and those states say the order undermines their power to control elections, calling it federally subsidized program aimed at boosting Democratic and left-leaning blocs. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed the federal lawsuit in court in Wichita, Kansas. The nine states are Montana, Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Carolina. The heart of the lawsuit is Executive Order 14019, which was issued on March 10, 2021. The states challenging the executive order say Biden converts various federal agencies, turning them in part into a voter registration organization illegally. The attorneys general say that elections, including voter registration, are solely the province of states, guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Moreover, the states said that its an example of the federal government trying to usurp the sovereignty of the states, and giving the states no other choice than to resort to federal court. The lawsuit said the states were never invited into the process, never allowed to comment, and they accuse the Biden administration of hiding the plans. In response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has asserted the plans are subject to privilege and may be withheld from public scrutiny, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit lists a number of federal agencies as defendants, including the U.S. Treasury, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of The Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Education. The lawsuit also claims that the National Voter Registration Act means that federal agencies cannot stand in the way of citizens voting, but it also said that voter registration activity is left to the states, and Bidens order oversteps its authority. The 41-page suit outlines a number of ways the executive order commands the federal agencies to help bolster the efforts to register voters, for example: The suit accuses the Department of Justice of providing information to those who remain eligible to vote while in federal custody, as well as preparing prisoners about voting laws and rights before reentry. It says the Department of the Interior will disseminate information about registering and voting at schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education and tribal colleges and universities. The order also encourages the Department of Agriculture to provide nonpartisan voter information through its borrowers and lenders about registration and voting. Designating 2,400 American Job Centers, which provide employment guidance, training and career services, to become voter registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act. Allowing public housing community areas space for certain election-related activities, including voter registration or voter drop boxes for early voting. The lawsuit said the order allows the Department of Education to allow federal work study funds to support voter registration activities. There is little detail about how agencies determine whether a third-party organization is approved, non-partisan, or what third-party organizations an agency can work with to promote voter registration, the lawsuit said. A rule that permits federal agencies to engage in voter registration activities trenches on States constitutionally protected sovereign rights. From a practical standpoint, the states claim the federal governments executive order doesnt just exceed the constitution, but could threaten efforts in the individual states. The vast resources of the federal government render it unique among all possible entities engaged in voter registration. Because of the resources it can bring to bear, the federal government can engage in voter registration activities on a scale that will, as a practical matter, swamp any states attempt to regulate the governments actions, the lawsuit said. Knudsen, Montanas Attorney General, echoed that sentiment when he announced the lawsuit from Helena on Tuesday. Fair elections are an essential part of our countrys republic. Congress gave the states the power to oversee elections years ago, Knudsen said. I will not stand by while the Biden-Harris administration attempts to shamelessly garner votes by employing its own agencies to register voters and disregard states own voter registration systems, putting the integrity of our elections at risk. The states also said that encouraging a variety of different agencies without proper training put the elections at risk of fraud. They failed to consider the risk of fraud or to implement actions to prevent fraud, which threatens the integrity of state administration of elections, the states said. This includes, at a minimum, ensuring that illegal aliens do not register to vote through the plans the agency defendants put in place. It is already against federal law for non-citizens to vote in elections. The states conclude the lawsuit by saying that the plans in the executive order werent motivated to help resident register to vote, rather they are part of a Democrat plan. (The executive order) was motivated by a partisan desire to unfairly increase the Democrat vote as shown by the fact that the order came from left-wing, progressive groups, the suit claims. The purpose is to promote left-wing politicians and policies at elections. 1-2024-08-13-complaint This story was originally published by Daily Montanan, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Daily Montanan maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Darrell Ehrlick for questions: info@dailymontanan.com. Follow Daily Montanan on Facebook and X. A 2022 law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom aimed at protecting young people online likely violates the First Amendment of the Constitution, a panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday. The bipartisan law, co-authored by Democratic Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks of Oakland and Republican (now former) Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham of San Luis Obispo, prohibited social media platforms from using childrens personal information or geolocation data. It also required that privacy information, terms of service, policies and community standards be easily accessible. Newsom signed the Age-Appropriate Design Code Act into law in September 2022. While the law was supposed to go into effect this summer, it was put on hold while the federal courts weighed the merits. The panel held that NetChoice was likely to succeed in showing that the CAADCAs requirement that covered businesses opine on and mitigate the risk that children may be exposed to harmful or potentially harmful materials online facially violates the First Amendment, according to the decision. As a result, the Ninth Circuit ordered that that portion of the law continue to be blocked from enforcement, while throwing out the rest of the preliminary injunction against the law. It then sent the case back down to the U.S. District Court for further review. The Ninth Circuit is the appeals court that oversees U.S. district courts in the western United States, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The plaintiff behind the lawsuit, NetChoice, which represents major tech industry players, issued a statement in response hailing the courts decision. The Ninth Circuits ruling is a victory for free expression, online security and Californian families, Chris Marchese, director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, said in a statement. The court recognized that Californias government cannot commandeer private businesses to censor lawful content online or to restrict access to it. The Bee has reached out to the offices of Newsom, Wicks and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is defending the law. This story will be updated if any response is received. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is set to appoint his former chief of staff to fill an upcoming vacancy in Sen. Bob Menendezs (D-N.J.) seat, he said Friday. Today, I am incredibly proud to announce that upon Senator Menendezs resignation, I will be appointing George Samir Helmy to represent New Jersey in the United States Senate, Murphy said. The governor called Helmy the ideal leader for the position, saying, to take on this role and he has more relevant experience under his belt than perhaps anybody in New Jersey. The Senate received a resignation letter from Menendez last month, and he is set to step away from his seat Tuesday. The resignation letter followed his conviction on charges including bribery and acting as a foreign agent in a corruption case. I have never violated my public oath, Menendez said in the wake of his trial. I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent. Murphy said Friday that Menendez accomplished many things on behalf of our state and our residents, but sadly, he will be remembered for putting his own interests ahead of the public interest. Helmy said he was grateful to Murphy for his continued trust alongside the governors belief in my ability to step into this awesome role, and take on this awesome responsibility of this office. I will stand as our second crucial voice in the Democratic Caucus under Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on the important items that will come before us over the next months, Helmy said. The Hill has reached out to Menendezs office. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. NJ Transit will be free for a week after service woes, governor says (The Hill) NJ Transit will offer free rides to customers for one week this month after service interruptions and rate hikes sparked frustration among regular riders. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced Thursday a fare holiday for the week leading up to Labor Day from Monday, Aug. 26 to Monday, Sept. 2. Fares on all modes of transportation on the state transit network will be waived during this period. NJ Transit will offer a 25 percent discount on September monthly passes for commuters who purchased monthly passes for August. A press release from the governors office described the fare holiday as a way to express the sincere appreciation for customers continued loyalty and patronage, particularly during a time when transit service has not consistently met their expectations or our own. As we work diligently with Amtrak to investigate and address the issues that have occurred this summer, especially on the Northeast Corridor, we hope this fare holiday offers our commuters some relief, Murphy said in the press release. We also encourage New Jerseyans to take advantage of this opportunity, and we continue to be thankful to the many New Jerseyans who depend on public transit, he added. BMW recalling more than 100K vehicles for motor concern linked to overheating The spring and summer months have been plagued by service disruptions, many of which, the governors office said, have occurred on Amtraks Northeast Corridor. The root cause of the disruptions has not yet been identified, the governors office said, but NJ Transit and Amtrak have made some short-term adjustments to address some of the issues. NJ Transit has increased equipment inspections on platforms, while Amtrak has increased efforts to inspect the overhead wiring, track signal systems and substations on the corridor more frequently. Our collaborative efforts have already led to a noticeable reduction in service incidents, the NJ Transit press release read, referring to its joint efforts with Amtrak. The announcement also comes less than two months after NJ Transit raised its fares by 15 percent, with scheduled annual increases of 3 percent, as the states transit system stands on shaky financial ground. The announcement Thursday did not mention the fare hike, which sparked fierce criticism from riders when it was announced. The announcement, posted to social media, invited outrage from users in the comment section, with some demanding that Murphy reverse the fare hike rather than give a one-week reprieve. Many X users also noted that commuters are often on vacation for the week leading up to Labor Day, when the fare holiday is scheduled. Another user compared the fare holiday to asking for a raise at work and getting a pizza party instead. Murphy, in his original statement, said hes committed to improving service for our customers over the long-term, but did not specify any changes to the fare hikes. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday reiterated the call for the Houthis to respect the rights of navigation of all merchant ships in the Red Sea in accordance with international law. In remarks at the Security Council briefing on Yemen, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said China welcomes the recent agreement between the Yemeni government and the Houthis on financial and aviation issues. "We hope that the parties will build on this example and bear in mind the interests and well-being of the Yemeni people, stay committed to a political solution, eliminate interference, meet each other halfway, and resolve the conflict through dialogue and negotiation, so as to jointly promote the Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned comprehensive political process," he said. Geng noted that China supports the mediation efforts of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, and expects all parties, particularly those countries with influence on the situation in Yemen, to play a constructive role in this regard. "China, once again, calls on the Houthis to respect the rights of navigation of all merchant ships in the Red Sea in accordance with international law, stop the harassment and attacks, and maintain the safety of the shipping lanes in the Red Sea," said the ambassador, urging the relevant parties to exercise restraint and stop actions that will exacerbate tensions. He also called on the international community to increase humanitarian assistance, speed up honoring the pledges, and help alleviate the severe humanitarian situation in Yemen, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN personnel and the return of the related assets detained in Yemen. The situation in Yemen and the Red Sea is closely related to the Gaza conflict, he said, warning that the slow and difficult process to achieve ceasefire in Gaza has negative spillover effects that exacerbate regional turmoil. Geng urged for the implementation of Security Council Resolutions 2712, 2720, 2728, and 2735 as soon as possible to achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and to advance sooner the deescalation of tensions in the region, including in Yemen and the Red Sea. "China is ready to continue to work with the international community to make efforts for a political solution for the Yemeni issue to restore regional peace and stability and achieve long-term peace and stability in the Middle East," he said. NJ Transit will offer free rides to customers for one week this month after service interruptions and rate hikes sparked frustration among regular riders. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced Thursday a fare holiday for the week leading up to Labor Day from Monday, Aug. 26 to Monday, Sept. 2. Fares on all modes of transportation on the state transit network will be waived during this period. NJ Transit will offer a 25 percent discount on September monthly passes for commuters who purchased monthly passes for August. A press release from the governors office described the fare holiday as a way to express the sincere appreciation for customers continued loyalty and patronage, particularly during a time when transit service has not consistently met their expectations or our own. As we work diligently with Amtrak to investigate and address the issues that have occurred this summer, especially on the Northeast Corridor, we hope this fare holiday offers our commuters some relief, Murphy said in the press release. We also encourage New Jerseyans to take advantage of this opportunity, and we continue to be thankful to the many New Jerseyans who depend on public transit, he added. The spring and summer months have been plagued by service disruptions, many of which, the governors office said, have occurred on Amtraks Northeast Corridor. The root cause of the disruptions has not yet been identified, the governors office said, but NJ Transit and Amtrak have made some short-term adjustments to address some of the issues. NJ Transit has increased equipment inspections on platforms, while Amtrak has increased efforts to inspect the overhead wiring, track signal systems and substations on the corridor more frequently. Our collaborative efforts have already led to a noticeable reduction in service incidents, the NJ Transit press release read, referring to its joint efforts with Amtrak. The announcement also comes less than two months after NJ Transit raised its fares by 15 percent, with scheduled annual increases of 3 percent, as the states transit system stands on shaky financial ground. The announcement Thursday did not mention the fare hike, which sparked fierce criticism from riders when it was announced. The announcement, posted to social media, invited outrage from users in the comment section, with some demanding that Murphy reverse the fare hike rather than give a one-week reprieve. Many X users also noted that commuters are often on vacation for the week leading up to Labor Day, when the fare holiday is scheduled. Another user compared the fare holiday to asking for a raise at work and getting a pizza party instead. Murphy, in his original statement, said hes committed to improving service for our customers over the long-term, but did not specify any changes to the fare hikes. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Gov. Phil Murphy's plan to offer a week of free rides on NJ Transit does nothing to help fix the agency's problems. (Photo by Edwin J. Torres/N.J. Governors Office) Freelance writer and editor Kim Kavin was at the Peapack train station in Somerset County on July 30, excited for a night out in New York City with a friend from California she hadnt seen in years. Unfortunately for Kavin, she was planning on NJ Transit getting her to and from the city. But after a 20-minute delay, the train was canceled. Kavin, who had already bought a round-trip ticket, asked NJ Transit to refund her $36.50 and has yet to hear back. Kavin does not think much of Gov. Phil Murphys Thursday announcement that, as an apology for the transit agencys abysmal performance this summer, all riders will get free trips on NJ Transit for a week starting Aug. 26. I dont need a ride. I needed a ride when my friend was visiting from California. Now I need my $36.50 back. Thats what I want from Phil Murphy, she said. Listen, riders arent itching to get one or two train or bus trips for free; they want good, reliable public transportation year-round. And the prospect of a few on-the-house NJ Transit rides the week before a holiday weekend will not reassure them that, after the fare holiday ends, service will get any better. This fare holiday is a gimmick, said Alex Ambrose, a policy analyst with progressive think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective. It does nothing to actually address the structural problems that exist in NJ Transit, one of the biggest of which is that lawmakers have neglected to adequately fund transit for decades. This is a rare issue where progressive wonks and business leaders agree. Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, also opposes the fare holiday, though for a different reason. Siekerka hates it because it represents a bait-and-switch by Murphys administration. Murphy helped push through a new surtax on some of the states most profitable businesses, which he said would help give the financially beleaguered NJ Transit a steady revenue stream for the next few years. Instead, Siekerka noted, the $1 billion the surtax is expected to generate in its first year is going to the states general fund not to NJ Transit. If there was such a desperate need, why did we money-grab a billion dollars from the business community to stick in surplus for a year? It makes no sense, she said. Its illogical, its nonsensical, its irrational, and its very, very difficult to have a legitimate discussion about. Its not just the business community paying more to help fund public transit. NJ Transit approved a big fare hike this year some fares rose 15% and will tack on 3% fare hikes annually starting next July. So after raising taxes and hiking fares to rescue NJ Transit from its a budget crisis, the Murphy administration will take $19 million the agency was expected to make from fares the last week of August and flush it down the toilet. What sense does this make? Murphy offering an apology to NJ Transit users is good, though he undercut it with his dont-blame-me attitude (A lot of this is out of our hands, said our powerful governor who claims to have a close relationship with the president of the United States). What the apology should come with is not a gimmick to appease riders for one week, but a concrete plan to make sure NJ Transit service is frequent, reliable, and accessible. Hopefully we see that soon. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX There is no chance that Angela Rayner will meet her target of building 1.5m homes over the next five years, housing bosses have warned. A diminished pipeline of existing planning approvals means Labour is predestined to fail in delivering its key manifesto pledge this parliament, according to developers. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has launched plans to increase local authority housing targets and push councils to build on green belt land as part of the pledge. Mark Adams, executive chairman at Pennyfarthing Homes, a housing developer in the South East, said: Theres no chance of the Government hitting their target, no chance at all. This is because housing delivery over the next two years has already been determined by the number of planning approvals that are already in place. Developers would therefore have to deliver an unprecedented number of homes in the later years of this parliament to make up the difference. Mr Adams added: There are just going to be too many homes to deliver in the later years for the government to be able to achieve their targets. Greg Hill, deputy chief executive of housebuilder The Hill Group, said: You could have all the money in the world, the permissions dont exist. To hit the 1.5m target, England will need to build an average of 300,000 homes a year for five years. But in 2023, planning permission was granted for just 233,000 homes, a nine-year low, according to the Home Builders Federation. Simon Coop, senior director at Lichfields planning consultants, said: Delivery early on in the parliament will be of the houses that already have permission and are locked in under the previous policy regime. Therefore to get to 1.5m homes over five years, you would need to be building 350,000 homes a year in the last three years of this parliament. This would mean building on a scale that has never been achieved by the private sector before, Mr Coop warned. We might have got to about 400,000 in the 50s and 60s but that was very much predicated on the council home delivery. Take that out and the idea of getting to that level is unprecedented, Mr Coop said. Steven Morrice, group development and sales director at Hyde housing association, said: I think we might get to 300,000 homes a year by the end of the parliament. On top of the lack of existing permissions, planning officer resources are stretched, housing associations have been cutting their budgets for development and the industry needs to scale up to be able to physically build the homes, Mr Morrice added. Labour has promised an extra 300 planning officers to help speed up approvals, but these will be spread across more than 300 planning authorities across England. Mr Adams said: On average, thats less than one extra per authority, thats not going to make a difference. A Housing Department spokesman said: We have laid out clear plans on how we will get Britain building again and deliver 1.5m homes. We are consulting on changes to the planning system to make it easier for developers to build, including targeted release of grey belt land for development, and restoring mandatory housing targets for local authorities. We will soon lay out further plans to speed up and streamline the planning process even more. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. No evidence of foul play after recovering body from Cumberland River, Metro police say NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) An apparent drowning victim was recovered from the Cumberland River on Thursday evening; Metro police said there was no evidence of foul play. Boater dead after drowning in Percy Priest Lake The woman, not identified by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), was seen Wednesday evening walking on the University School of Nashvilles River Campus. Staff saw her vehicle still parked there on Thursday morning and called police. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The womans belongings were found on the riverbank. She had been known to travel out of Georgia and lived in her vehicle. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) The South Dakota National Guard will be heading back to the Southern Border this fall, according to Gov. Kristi Noems weekly column. Women who drowned on Lake Henry identified In her weekly Friday column, Noem said South Dakota guardsmen recently returned from the border where they constructed more than five miles of border wall, fortified 20 miles of border wall and repaired 45 breaches between Del Rio and Eagle Pass, Texas. I spent a day with them helping them build the wall it wasnt easy work, Noem wrote. They had to clear miles of rough ground in 100-degree heat and Texas humidity before they could get to work on barrier construction. But they were glad to do it in service to our country. Noem said another group of South Dakota National Guard troops will be deployed to the border on a federal activation later this Fall. We will continue to do everything we can to mitigate the cartels influence here at home, Noem wrote. Noem has sent South Dakota troops to the U.S.-Mexico border more than five times during her term as governor. State lawmakers provided $4.2 million to the special emergency and disaster special revenue fund in House Bill 1061. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) The Tulare County Fair Quilts of Honor ceremony is approaching and officials are asking the public to nominate those veterans or first responders who have made a significant impact in the community. Officials say this years Quilts of Honor ceremony will embrace the theme Stars, Striped and Honoring Our Heroes. The ceremony is a tradition that allows the community to express gratitude to those who have dedicated their lives to serving the nation. During the ceremony, handcrafted quilts, made by local volunteers, are presented to veterans and first responders as a tangible symbol of appreciation. From now until Aug. 23, nominations for the Quilts of Honor recipients are open. Everyone is encouraged to submit the names of veterans or first responders who made a significant impact in the community. Organizers say the ceremony will take place on Sept. 11, making this years ceremony especially poignant since it not only marks the opening of the fair but also serves as a moment to come together and honor those who sacrificed so much for safety and freedom. The ceremony will be held at the Family Healthcare Network Community Stage at 12:30 p.m. To nominate a hero for this years ceremony, visit the Quilts of Honor website. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 23. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Nordic, Baltic countries express concern to EU over Hungary's easing of entry rules for Russians Hungary's decision to ease entry rules for Russian citizens "may constitute a serious security risk," leaders of Nordic and Baltic countries said in a joint letter to European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson on Aug. 16. Hungary quietly changed the rules for its National Card program in July to allow Russian and Belarusian citizens to enter the country in a streamlined visa-acquisition process that does away with enhanced security checks or other restrictions. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna posted the letter on X on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic regional cooperation format, which includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. "Together with my Nordic-Baltic colleagues I sent a letter to EUs Ylva Johansson to express concern over Hungarys decision to ease entry for Russians & Belarussians," Tsahkna said. "This is not justified when Russia continues its war in Ukraine and is intensifying hybrid actions against (the) EU." The letter expresses that the Nordic and Baltic countries are worried that Hungary's decision "may constitute a serious security risk for all member states." After holding the National Card in Hungary for at least three years, individuals can qualify for permanent residency. This status offers a variety of additional benefits, including the freedom to live and work throughout the country. After spending an additional eight years in Hungary, permanent residents can apply for citizenship which provides the advantages of unrestricted travel, work, and residence across all EU countries. Manfred Weber, the chair of the European People's Party, said on July 30 that Hungary's decision could "create grave loopholes for espionage activities," and potentially allow "large numbers of Russians to enter Hungary with minimal supervision, posing a serious risk to national security." Hungary has been long considered the most Kremlin-friendly country within the EU, repeatedly obstructing sanctions against Russia and military aid to Kyiv. Read also: Orbans arguments crumble in Lukoil spat with Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Yahoo Sports Week 5 has come and gone. Time to set our sights for Week 6. Matt Harmon and Sal Vetri are back for another 'Data Dump Wednesday' by sharing 10 data points you need to know for Week 6 to maximize your fantasy lineups. NORTH BRANFORD, Conn. (WTNH) A woman who works at a library in North Branford and lives in Guilford has been charged with possession of child pornography after officers executed a search warrant at a home, according to police. Guilford officers received a tip in June from a law enforcement agency outside of Connecticut, and detectives served the search warrant the following month, according to police. After learning that Lauren Smith, 45, worked for the Town of North Branford, Guilford police alerted the town, and officials took the necessary action to prevent the employee from returning to the workplace during the investigation. An arrest warrant for Smith was served on Friday. She has been charged with first-degree possession of child pornography and released on a $100,000 bond. Shes scheduled to appear in court on Monday. North Branford conducted an internal investigation, according to the town. The investigation has since been closed. The Town previously has installed safeguards to prevent or detect crimes of this nature, the town said in a written statement from Police Chief James Lovelace and Town Manager Michael Downes. As of this time we have not located any violations as it relates to the time this individual was accessing Town databases or internet services. Smith works for the library system part-time as a desk worker who occasionally worked at the childrens library, according to town officials. She was not involved in childrens programming. The Guilford Police Department asked us not to notify the public until they were prepared to make their arrest, so as not to jeopardize their investigation, which is standard operating procedure, Downes said in a written statement. We are notified that this arrest has taken place today, and so we are now making this information public at our earliest opportunity. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. Security personnel examine the blast site in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar on Aug. 16, 2024. Four people including two policemen were injured in an attack in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, police said. The incident happened in the provincial capital of Peshawar where a police vehicle was attacked by a roadside explosive device, Peshawar police told media. (Photo by Umar Qayyum/Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Four people including two policemen were injured in an attack in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, police said. The incident happened in the provincial capital of Peshawar where a police vehicle was attacked by a roadside explosive device, Peshawar police told media. The rapid response unit of police was on its routine patrol in the city when it was attacked on a busy road, police said. The injured including two passersby were shifted to a nearby hospital and their conditions were stable. No group claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Security personnel examine the blast site in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar on Aug. 16, 2024. Four people including two policemen were injured in an attack in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, police said. The incident happened in the provincial capital of Peshawar where a police vehicle was attacked by a roadside explosive device, Peshawar police told media. (Photo by Umar Qayyum/Xinhua) SMYTH COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) A North Carolina man charged with the murder of a Smyth County deputy has died. According to a release from the Commonwealth Attorney of Smyth County Phillip Blevins, Timothy Wayne Goodman, 65, died at the Johnson City Medical Center on Friday morning. On Aug. 9, Deputy Hunter Reedy was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Smyth County. Deputy Michael Fedorchuk was also injured in the shooting. Droves of law enforcement accompany slain Smyth Co. deputy home The tragic loss of Deputy Reedy has deeply affected our community and the law enforcement family, Blevins said in a news release. My office remains dedicated to honoring Deputy Reedys life and service. The death of Goodman concludes a significant chapter in this matter, but our commitment to supporting Deputy Reedys family, the other officers involved, and the entire law enforcement community is as strong as ever. Foundation raises money for family of killed Smyth Co. deputy Goodman also faced four counts of attempted aggravated murder in addition to the aggravated murder charge of Reedy. Blevins said his office will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure all aspects of the case are addressed. The Smyth County Sheriffs Office has also organized its own Fund the First campaigns for both Reedy and Deputy Michael Fedorchuk, who was injured in the same shooting that killed Reedy. Funeral services for Reedy will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Chilhowie Christian Church. His family will receive friends on Friday from 3-6 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. North Korea will open border to certain foreign tourists for the first time in five years Kim Jong Uns hermit kingdom will lower its drawbridge once again. North Korea will allow visitors to enter at least part of the country starting in December after the reclusive country shut its doors to the outside world for nearly five years because of strict COVID-19 restrictions. Tourism in the northeastern city of Samjiyon and possibly the rest of the country would resume by the end of this year, tour companies revealed this week. Having waited for over 4 years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited for the opening of North Korean tourism once again, one Beijing-based company said on its website. Another travel agency, KTG Tours, also announced this week tourists could visit Samjiyon this winter. Exact dates to be confirmed, . So far just Samjiyon has been officially confirmed but we think that Pyongyang and other places will open too!!! North Korean leaders have been building what they claim is a socialist utopia in Samjiyon, a city near the Chinese border. The area is supposed to be a model of highly-civilized mountain city that has new apartments, hotels, ski resorts and other institutions, such as medical and cultural. Koryo Tours published an announcement stating tourism to the city of Samjiyon, near the China-North Korea border, and potentially the rest of the country will resume, citing confirmation from its local partner. AFP via Getty Images Last updated in March, it says North Koreas borders remain effectively closed for Australians and most other nationalities, adding, tours to North Korea are suspended until further notice. AFP via Getty Images While international flights in and out of the hermit kingdom run by despot dictator Kim Jong Un restarted last year and a small group of Russian tourists received a private tour in February, the Asian nations borders have been sealed since 2020. The open borders still exclude American citizens. All US passports are invalid to travel in, out, or through North Korea unless special permission is granted by the Secretary of State, according to the State Department. The US agency warns Americans face serious risk of arrest and long-term detention in North Korea. Former President Donald Trump shook hands with Kim during a historic meeting in 2019 at the demilitarized zone that divides North and South Korea. With Post wires North Korea is set to partially reopen its doors to tourism later this year after being closed off since January 2020 at the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Chinese-based tourism operator. Koryo Tours, based in Beijing, announced on Wednesday that tours to North Korea will officially resume in December 2024, according to a statement from the company. Having waited for over 4 years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited for the opening of North Korean tourism once again. MORE: North Korea sends balloons full of manure and trash over the border to South Korea The borders of the country have been closed for almost half a decade and were shut down in January 2020 when it became the first country to close its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Koryo. However, the tourism company says that there have been signs that the country has slowly pivoting to open back up again since mid-2023 but, even though North Korea might be opening back up, it isnt opening up fully and there is a major caveat for those who want to visit the country. MORE: 3 German tourists deface national park in paintball and slingshot shooting spree The opening will start in Samjiyon City, Koryo Tours said, meaning that access to Pyongyang or any other parts of the country will be restricted -- though the reopening of other locations may be extended down the line. Whilst this may seem unusual, it is the main area for tourism in North Korea during the winter time. For those hoping to visit on one of the sooner tours, we would like to [emphasize] that things may be a little more chaotic than usual. Samjiyon is the most famous region in North Korea in the winter for tourism and is the home to the country's famous volcanic mountain Mt. Paektu, Koryo Tours continued. In North Korea, it is seen as the birthplace of the revolution and the reputed birthplace of Kim Jong Il. For the South, it is the birthplace of the Korean people. For the whole Korean Peninsula, it is the most significant and sacred place. MORE: Olympic athlete amputates finger to play in 2024 Paris Games PHOTO: BESTPIX - TOPSHOT-NKOREA-HISTORY-POLITICS-ANNIVERSARY-WWII (Afp Contributor#afp/AFP via Getty Images) MORE: France train lines hit by arson attacks just hours before 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony Previously difficult to access with few tourist facilities, North Korea has been working for years on the development of Samjiyon, according to Koryo Tours. Whilst we have been operating in the country for over 30 years, we have never before come across such a long closure of the borders, the tourism company said. Samjiyon was announced as it has recently been redeveloped as a tourist destination, we visited in 2018 when filming 'Michael Palin in North Korea' and it was already under construction at that time. MORE: Tourist suffers 3rd-degree burns to feet after losing flip-flops in Death Valley Official itinerary dates will be announced in the coming weeks and once the company will make them available on their website once they have finalized the itineraries. Unfortunately, what this means for broader tourism - we do not yet know," said Koryo Tours. "But of course, you will be in the safe hands of the North Korea tour experts here at Koryo Tours. Your safety is our priority. North Korea to partially reopen doors to tourism for 1st time since COVID-19 pandemic originally appeared on abcnews.go.com North Korea is set to reopen for foreign tourists after five years Welcome back: Samjiyon, the first North Korean location expected open up to tourists in December (Koryo Tours) The leading travel company taking tourists to North Korea says it hopes to send in the first Western tourists for almost five years by the end of 2024. The nation was the first to close its borders to tourism at the start of the pandemic in January 2020 and is the only country still to reopen. International passenger flights resumed in August 2023, but have not been open to tourists. Simon Cockerell of Koryo Tours told The Independents daily travel podcast: A few hours ago, we were informed by our partners [in Pyongyang] in the National Tourism Administration that one specific area is going to open to all nationalities in December. That area is Samjiyon, a newly developed tourism complex in the far north of the country, near the Chinese border and close to Paektu, the tallest mountain in North Korea. Its not a full reopening of the country back to what it was, or more than what it was, said Mr Cockerell. Its a specific opening of one, relatively obscure-up-till-now area. Its considered to be the home of various guerilla bases used during the resistance of the Japanese occupation, and the official birthplace of Kim Jong Il as well. So theres a lot of what the North Koreans call revolutionary history in the area. He said access to Samjiyon would likely be through a land crossing in the north of China, which has not previously been used by any Western tourists. North Koreas current leader, Kim Jong Un son of Kim Jong Il imposed the most severe border closure of any nation during Covid. It was a real, a proper lockdown beyond what most other people in the world have experienced, said Mr Cockerell In the last year or so, theyve slowly opened to some trade to some diplomats returning and to some Russian tourist groups whove been travelling in. But thats thats associated with the North Korean support for the Russian war effort. The Foreign Office warns against travel to North Korea, and tells British citizens: You cannot get consular support within North Korea. The security situation can change quickly with no advance warning about possible actions by the authorities. This poses significant risks to British visitors and residents. But Mr Cockerell said tourism can only bring positives and that visitors help to open eyes and open minds, and these are things that should be promoted. He said: The cure for isolation is not more isolation. Tourists will soon be able to travel once more to North Korea. According to two Chinese-based tour operators, the Hermit Kingdom will soon reopen one city to foreign tourists after nearly five years of border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors will be allowed to travel to the northern mountainous city of Samjiyon starting in December, CBS News partner BBC News reported. North Korea sealed itself off from the world at the start of the pandemic in early 2020 and began scaling back its restrictions in the middle of 2023. "So far just Samjiyon has been officially confirmed but we think that Pyongyang and other places will open too!!!" Shenyang's KTG Tours wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. In a subsequent post outlining more details, KTG Tours said the borders are set to open this winter, "presumably December," but the exact dates have not been confirmed. It also said there has been no official confirmation for other cities across North Korea. "Having waited for over four years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited for the opening of North Korean tourism once again," that company said on its website. Koryo Tours told the BBC that North Korean officials have allowed tourists from any country except South Korea to join the trips they offer. The United States bans its citizens from traveling to North Korea. International flights in and out of North Korea resumed last year and a small group of Russian tourists flew to North Korea for a private tour in February, Reuters reported. Top foreign officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin in June, have also been visiting the country amid warming ties between the two nations. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides the Samjiyon City construction project in North Korea in this picture released on July 14, 2024. / Credit: KCNA via REUTERS North Korea is said to be building what it called a "socialist utopia" in Samjiyon, a city near the Chinese border, that will include "a model of highly-civilized mountain city" with new apartments, hotels, a ski resort and commercial, cultural and medical facilities, Reuters reported. In July, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sacked or demoted some senior officials for their so-called "irresponsible" handling of his flagship project, state media KCNA reported at the time. Kim said senior officials' irresponsibility caused serious deviations, including poor construction work and financial losses, Reuters reported. Chad O'Carroll, CEO of the U.S.-based analysis firm Korea Risk Group, told the BBC this week that there are doubts about the reopening announcement. "I will believe it when I see it," he said. "For now, I am quite skeptical we will see any real movement in December." Assessing New York City's new safety measures for the subway Replacment appointed for resigning Sen. Bob Menendez How Jools Lebron made "demure" the latest TikTok trend North Liberty man faces 15 charges of depiction of a minor in a sex act North Liberty man faces 15 charges of depiction of a minor in a sex act A 40-year-old North Liberty man faces 15 charges of purchase/possession depiction of a minor in a sex act first offense, according to court records. Joshua Lighton faces 15 aggravated misdemeanor charges, according to arrest affidavits. In Iowa, the penalty for an aggravated misdemeanor can be a term not to exceed two years in prison. Joshua Lighton (Scott County Jail) In May 2022, Davenport Police were called to a residence on Calvin Street in Davenport for a report of a hidden camera being found in the bathroom. According to Scott County Assessor property records, this is a building that Lighton sold in August of 2022. The charges, according to arrest affidavits, stem from the investigation of multiple devices and social media accounts. Lighton, police say in affidavits, had 38 images that depicted juveniles in various states of nudity, and The age ranges for these images are toddler through early/mid-teen. Released on his own recognizance from Scott County Jail, Lighton is set for a preliminary hearing Sept. 5 in Scott County Court. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. A North Texas woman was given two life sentences in prison after she was convicted of helping her then-fiance orchestrate the death of his ex-partner, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas announced in a news release Thursday. Holly Ann Elkins, of Rowlett, was convicted in April 2023 of conspiracy to stalk, stalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death, and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. Elkins ex-fiance, Andrew Beard, was sentenced to 43 years in federal prison on charges of stalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. According to evidence presented at trial, Elkins helped Beard plot the Oct. 2, 2020 death of 24-year-old Alyssa Ann Burkett. She shared a daughter with Beard. Prosecutors argued Elkins goaded Beard into taking his ex-girlfriends life and called her fitness as a parent into question, according to the release. Elkins and Beards relationship began in April 2020. In June of that year, Elkins grew frustrated with Beards ongoing association with Burkett, writing to him, you continue to put [Burkett] first, among other messages, the release says. She began harassing Burkett in the summer of 2020, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The harassment included placing a GPS tracker on Burketts vehicle, making false reports to authorities, and hiring a private investigator to dig up dirt on Burkett and her new boyfriend, according to the release. The investigator testified at trial, saying he found nothing on Burkett. In September 2020, Elkins helped Beard plant drugs and a gun in Burketts car to make a false report to police, according to the attorneys office. Investigators discovered Beards Google searches included a query about how to remove gunpowder from his hands. In text messages, Elkins told Beard, I hope you handle it, and she requested that he be ride or die for her, and if he was not, she was not sure the relationship could continue, according to the release. In October 2020, Beard shot Burkett in the head with a shotgun while she sat in her car in her workplaces parking lot, the release says. As she struggled out of the car, Beard stabbed her 44 times, according to the investigation. She died as her co-workers tried to render aid, the investigation found. While the slaying took place, Elkins stayed at Beards Rockwall home with his daughter, according to the release. In an attempt to create an alibi, Elkins claimed Beard was with her when Burkett was killed. At the trial, Burketts boyfriend testified that Elkins was the puppet master behind the killing. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) New Northwestern State University President James T. Genovese will officially visit Shreveport-Bossier on Tuesday for the first time. According to a media release, President Genovese will attend Governor Jeff Landrys 2024 State of the State Luncheon in Bossier City, then tour the Northwestern State University Nursing School campus at 1800 Line Avenue in Shreveport. Northwestern State University introduces new president Officials say Northwestern State Universitys College of Nursing and School of Allied Health (CONSAH) is Louisianas leading institution in healthcare education, serving the Shreveport-Bossier area since 1949. The campus has an annual average enrollment of about 1,100 nursing students and 63 faculty and staff. CONSAH offers degrees at the associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels, as well as credentials and certificates, to meet high demand and critically needed jobs in the healthcare industry throughout the region. The university is expanding its accelerated nursing program, which allows students who already hold a bachelors degree in another field to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at an accelerated pace. NSU boasts the first Sonography program in north Louisiana. Sonography, a vital medical diagnostic tool, requires specialized training that NSU proudly provides. NSU adopts CampusShield for safety and reporting Northwestern celebrates a strong network of 10,399 alumni who are driving impact and innovation across the Shreveport-Bossier region. At the 3 p.m. media opportunity, the president will be joined by a small audience, including alumni, local elected officials, healthcare partners, business leaders, and stakeholders. President Genovese will make brief remarks and will be available immediately afterward to the media. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. President Biden said Friday that efforts to secure a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas are closer than they have ever been but that more work is needed, with mediators proposing a conclusion of the deal by the end of next week. I dont want to jinx anything were not there yet, the president said in remarks from the Oval Office. But were much, much closer than we were three days ago. Mediators from the U.S., Israel, Qatar, Egypt and Hamas concluded two days of talks in Doha, Qatar, on Friday, with a joint statement from Washington, Doha and Cairo describing the talks as serious, constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphere. The U.S. will work to conclude the deal before the end of next week, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed to Israel on Sunday as part of intensive diplomatic efforts to finalize the agreement. At the talks in Doha, the U.S. put on the table a final bridging proposal that a senior administration official described as a comprehensive text that provides clarification and implementation details to the broad framework of the agreement that was first put before Israel and Hamas at the end of May. It has been negotiated for months, and we do believe very strongly, and theres momentum here in this process, to work to bring this to its conclusion, the official said in a call with reporters Friday afternoon. The official did not provide deeper details on the provisions of the cease-fire, which are broadly understood as a phased deal that starts with a six-week halt in fighting, calls for Hamas to release hostages it kidnapped from Israel on Oct. 7 and for Israel to release Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The six-week cease-fire is also supposed to allow for a surge in humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the pulling back of the Israeli military from certain areas, and allow for the movement of Palestinians displaced from the north of the strip to return to their homes. But working-group arrangements over the course of the next week will primarily focus on the list of hostages held by Hamas and list of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and the sequencing for their exchange, the official said. This is extremely complicated, and a large basis of the talks over the course of the last two days were about that exchange issue, which, in the nomenclature, is known as the keys, the official said. And there were some gaps there, and some trade space between the parties, which I think weve now gone a long way to bridge. The negotiating parties are setting up an implementation cell in Cairo with the goal of being able to conclude all the final details of the cease-fire and hostage and prisoner exchange by the end of next week. The senior administration official described the bridging proposal put down by the U.S. as a significant advancement on a deal where final agreement on the positions held by Israel and Hamas have yet proved to be out of reach. The conditions are right to do this deal, first and foremost, to get the hostages out and save their lives, the official said. But also to bring relief to the people of Gaza. In a way, this deal is now structured, theres really no risk to Israels security. In fact, I think this deal is structured in a way that enhances the security of Israel. So the elements are really there, and we think it is time to move forward. In the background of all this are U.S. efforts to warn Iran off of launching an attack on Israel in retaliation for the July 31 killing of a top Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, at a guest house in Tehran. While the Biden administration has sent significant military assets to the Middle East to help defend Israel in the event of the attack, the administration official said Iran is sending signals through mediators to the U.S. that Tehran wants to see the cease-fire proposal go into effect. Iran claims to those that they are speaking with, including many of my colleagues here from Qatar, who are in touch with senior Iranian officials over the last few days as we were here, that they want to see a cease-fire in Gaza, that that is their goal, the official said. They want to see de-escalation of tensions. And of course, that very much remains to be seen. And now its an opportunity to put the money where their mouth is, and to basically work towards the conclusion of this over the coming week. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in Marjeyoun, Lebanon, Aug. 16, 2024. Lebanese military sources said that the Israeli military launched nine airstrikes on four villages and towns and shelled 11 towns in the border area in southern Lebanon. "A huge fire broke out in the Marjeyoun plain, east of southern Lebanon, as a result of being targeted with Israeli phosphorus shells, and civil defense personnel are working to extinguish it," said the sources. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua) BEIRUT, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Hezbollah member was killed and another one wounded on Friday in an Israeli airstrike on a border village in southern Lebanon, according to military sources in Lebanon. The military sources, who spoke anonymously, said that an Israeli warplane carried out the raid on a house in the village of Aitaroun, leading to the casualties. "A civil defense vehicle transported the casualties to the government hospital in the city of Bint Jbeil," said the sources. Military sources said that the Israeli military launched nine airstrikes on four villages and towns and shelled 11 towns in the border area in southern Lebanon. "A huge fire broke out in the Marjeyoun plain, east of southern Lebanon, as a result of being targeted with Israeli phosphorus shells, and civil defense personnel are working to extinguish it," said the sources. Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A Northwest Arkansas non-profit is about to lead a $7 million Regional E-Bike Rebate Program to promote electric bike use and reduce emissions throughout the state. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Tri-Regional Arkansas CPRG Coalition $99.99 million for its Energy and Environment Innovation for the Natural State proposal, funding projects across Central Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith, according to a news release. IMAGES: First Arkansas LEGO store opens Rebates will be provided as point-of-sale vouchers, enabling participants to buy eligible e-bikes at a reduced price, according to the Trailblazers website. The coalition really showed their professionalism and technical expertise developing a collaborative and effective pollution reduction program, David Criswell, Trailblazers Senior Director of Active Transportation, said. Trailblazers is thrilled to participate as a sub-awardee in the program, and were grateful to Metroplan, NWARPC and the State of Arkansas for allowing this opportunity to become a reality. Along with the E-Bike Rebate Incentive Program, the CPRG grant will support projects to cut emissions and boost sustainability, including forest and prairie restoration, energy efficiency upgrades like public fleet electrification, EV chargers, LED streetlights, solar arrays and a geothermal facility at Little Rock National Airport. University of Arkansas expects record growth The CPRG grant is managed by Metroplan, which worked with the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) and the City of Fort Smith to obtain the grant and will oversee its implementation. The launch date for the program has not yet been announced. However, details on eligibility and application procedures will be available soon on the Trailblazers website. For more information about the Trailblazers and the CPRG Coalition, please visit www.wearetrailblazers.org. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. The National Weather Service has declared a rip current warning for beaches across the coast of Massachusetts this weekend. The powerful rip currents are possible on south-facing beaches along Marthas Vineyard, Nantucket and outer Cape Cod. The warning is in effect starting at 6:00 p.m. Friday night and will run through Sunday evening. Strong rip currents can sweep away even the strongest swimmers, the NWS warns. Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Dont swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help, the NWS cautioned. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Bemus Point, NY (WJET/WFXP) A New York man is facing criminal charges with more possibly coming after an investigation by Chautauqua County authorities uncovered child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Chautauqua County Sheriffs Office has charged 35-year-old Isaiah C. Hitchcock of Bemus Point with one count each of promoting a sexual performance of a child and promoting a sexual performance by a child along with two counts of unlawful surveillance after an investigation. Erie Police provide update on Friday morning carjacking, shooting Members of the sheriffs office and New York State Police first served an internet crimes against children search warrant on Hitchcocks residence along North Nesmith Ave. on Aug. 8 and seized a large quantity of evidence. Police said they found images and videos of children performing sexual acts and returned the afternoon of Aug. 16 to arrest him. Three arrested after Chautauqua Co. raid Thursday morning Hitchcock was taken into the Chautauqua County Jail with police saying more charges could be filed as they continue to investigate. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. TechCrunch Last year, Sound Ventures, the 9-year-old, Beverly Hills, California-based venture firm led by general partners Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary, and Effie Epstein, announced a new $265 million AI fund that was betting big on large language model companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face. It also appears to have stuck to its mission, judging by the few deals it has publicly disclosed in 2024, and were thrilled to be hosting all three at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 to dish about their strategy along with the trends they are tracking right now. Kutcher has perhaps made the transition between the worlds of acting and investing more seamlessly than anyone else in Hollywood, starting on his venture path in 2010 with the launch of A-Grade Investments with talent manager and business partner Guy Oseary, whose early bets on Airbnb and Uber helped cement their reputation for getting into the right deals at the right time. NYC Mayor Eric Adams, his campaign and City Hall subpoenaed by feds as part of Turkey investigation NEW YORK Manhattan federal prosecutors subpoenaed Mayor Eric Adams, his election committee and his City Hall office last month as part of their investigation into whether Turkeys government pumped illegal donations into his 2021 campaign coffers, a source familiar with the matter told the New York Daily News late Thursday. The new batch of grand jury subpoenas mark the latest escalation in the probe led by prosecutors in Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams office. In November, FBI agents working on the investigation stopped the mayor in the street and seized his cellphones, a dramatic move that came days after feds raided the homes of multiple individuals connected to him, including Brianna Suggs, his chief political fundraiser, and Rana Abbasova, a longtime Adams aide who used to serve as his liaison to local Turkish diaspora communities. The new subpoenas, which include one targeting the mayor directly, are seeking additional similar information to what has already been swept up in the probe, like text messages and bank account information, said the source familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Adams has not been publicly accused of any wrongdoing. According to the New York Times, which first reported the latest subpoenas, they also seek information about the mayors travels and campaign fundraising. Beyond the mayor, The Times reported the subpoenas are likely to sweep in information from people who worked on Adams 2021 campaign and have since been appointed to serve in positions at City Hall. According to sources familiar with the matter, the feds investigating the mayor have zeroed in on his multiple trips to the Middle Eastern country as well as a batch of donations to his 2021 campaign from executives of a Brooklyn-based construction company owned by Turkish nationals. Other issues under scrutiny include the mayors effort to help resolve fire safety violations at Turkeys consulate in Manhattan as well as his reportedly accepting free upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights. Brendan McGuire, the mayors former chief counsel at City Hall who now serves as his lead attorney in the federal probe, said Adams, his campaign and his office are in the process of responding to the recently issued subpoenas. McGuire also said that he and other lawyers at WilmerHale, the law firm where hes a partner, have since November conducted our own investigation of the areas we understand the U.S. Attorneys Office has been reviewing. Our investigation has included an evaluation of campaign documents, an analysis of tens of thousands of electronic communications, and witness interviews, McGuire said in a statement. To be clear, we have not identified any evidence of illegal conduct by the mayor. To the contrary, we have identified extensive evidence undermining the reported theories of federal prosecution as to the Mayor, which we have voluntarily shared with the U.S. Attorney. A spokesman for the Manhattan U.S. attorneys office declined to comment. As first reported by The News earlier this year, a federal grand jury has been reviewing evidence as part of the investigation into the mayors 2021 campaign at least since June. After that report, Lisa Zornberg, Adams chief counsel at City Hall, told reporters subpoenas are served all the time during federal investigations. Theyre a tool to gather evidence, she said at the time. The source familiar with the new subpoenas confirmed they were issued by a federal grand jury. Federal grand juries have the power to both issue subpoenas for records and testimony and can bring indictments as well. It remains unclear whether the probe into the mayors campaign and its Turkey ties will result in any charges. Asked for comment on the new subpoenas, Fabien Levy, Adams spokesman at City Hall, said the mayor remains committed to cooperating with the investigation. As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has been clear over the last nine months that he will cooperate with any investigation underway, Levy said. Nothing has changed. He expects everyone to cooperate to swiftly bring this investigation to a close. _____ (Bloomberg) -- New York Mayor Eric Adams was subpoenaed as part of a corruption probe by the Justice Department, the New York Times reported. Most Read from Bloomberg Attorneys for Adams, who said theyre in the process of responding to the subpoenas, said they continue to cooperate with the investigation and expect a prompt and just resolution. Brendan McGuire and Boyd Johnson, who are partners at WilmerHale, said theyve conducted their own investigation of the areas we understand the US Attorneys Office has been reviewing and that we have not identified any evidence of illegal conduct. The Times reported that subpoenas were also served to City Hall and Adamss election committee, and that they seek information into a range of areas including the mayors travel and fund raising. A spokesman for the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York declined to comment. As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has been clear over the last nine months that he will cooperate with any investigation underway, Fabien Levy, a spokesman for Adams, said in a statement. Nothing has changed. He expects everyone to cooperate to swiftly bring this investigation to a close. While the extent of the probe is unclear, the Times has reported that investigators are looking at a so-called straw donor scheme involving the Turkish government or Turkish nationals in which contributors listed for Adamss 2021 mayoral campaign werent the actual source of the money. Theyre also examining whether Adams pressured the Fire Department to expedite the opening of the Turkish consulates 35-story tower in time for the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021, the Times has reported. That was after Adams, who was then the Brooklyn borough president, won the Democratic primary but before he had won the general election in November. The federal investigation became public in November after Federal Bureau of Investigation agents executed a search warrant at the Brooklyn home of Adams fundraiser Brianna Suggs. They were seeking information about whether Adamss campaign had taken illegal foreign donations from contributors with ties to the Turkish government, the Times reported. --With assistance from Ava Benny-Morrison and Laura Nahmias. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Shepard Fairey, the artist and activist behind the iconic Barack Obama HOPE poster that grew to symbolize the former presidents 2008 campaign, revealed his latest political work of Vice President Kamala Harris on social media Thursday. The new design from Fairey the founder of OBEY Clothing, whose Obama design was later added to the National Portrait Gallery depicts Harris looking upward in a mostly blue and green sketch. The word FORWARD appears at the bottom of the print while a red, circular KH symbol is seen to her side. Fairey, in a post to his @obeygiant Instagram page, pointed to the Democratic nominees Were not going back call and wrote that the words summarize the moment we are in. And in order not to go back, we must go FORWARD! Fairey wrote. He continued, While we have not achieved all the goals we might be seeking, we are making progress - all in the face of expanding threats and regressive political adversaries. Fairey emphasized that we are not going back and pointed to a very real opportunity to move forward. If we act we can move forward our desire for a healthy planet, for corporate accountability, toward equality and away from racism, sexism, xenophobia, and homophobia, for equitable access to opportunity, for full access to the medical care we want or need, for fair and just immigration policies, he wrote. Fairey, who said in 2015 that Obama didnt live up to his HOPE poster, described the Democratic ticket of Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as our best chance to move forward. They are our best chance to push back on encroaching fascism and threats to democracy, and our best chance for creating the world we all desire and deserve, wrote the artist, who encouraged followers to check their voter registration status. Politics is messy ... but messy is no excuse for checking out. Messy is the work and the work can be joyful. Messy is what it takes to get through the daunting mess in pursuit of a better future. But we only win if we show up, he said. He later referred to the Harris FORWARD design as a tool of grassroots activism for all to use non-commercially, adding that he was not paid for the work and wont receive a financial benefit from it. Faireys art shares the same word as an electric new portrait of Harris by New York City illustrator and street artist Jacob Thomas, who recently told HuffPost that he imagined the Democratic nominee bringing a jolt of energy to her party when coming up with his piece. In my mind I was seeing lightning strike the flag and causing the stripes to vibrate with energy, said Thomas, whose design sees Harris in front of an American flag-like design with the text FORWARD below her. Related... As the offensive of Ukrainian military forces in Russia's western Kursk region continues, a mandatory evacuation has been ordered for all residents of the Glushkovsky district in Kursk, while the Belgorod region has been declared a federal-level state of emergency. GREEN LAKE, Wis. (WFRV) Deputies are asking anyone near Wisconsins Big Green Lake to be observant for anything out of the ordinary as search efforts continue for a missing man who had been kayaking on the lake. A Facebook post from the Green Lake County Sheriffs Office provided an update on its search efforts, saying authorities will be out on the waters of Big Green Lake with drones searching the area. This embedded content is not available in your region. Wisconsin man airlifted to hospital after plane crash near municipal airport An initial release on Monday stated that authorities received a report advising that a kayaker, reportedly a 44-year-old man, had not returned home from the lake on Sunday night. After checking the west end of Big Green Lake near Dodge Memorial Park, deputies found an overturned, unoccupied kayak with a life jacket attached. The mans vehicle was also located near Dodge Memorial Park. Search efforts continued as the week went on, with officials saying the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bruces Legacy, and the Green Lake County Sheriffs Office used several boats equipped with side scan sonar technology and several underwater drones but were unsuccessful in locating the missing kayaker. New Green Bay crosswalk honors woman killed by car on Valentines Day Deputies noted on Friday that those same techniques are being utilized again, saying, We are continuing our search on Big Green Lake, we ask that recreational watercraft and lake users be especially observant for anything out of the ordinary. No additional details were provided. Local 5 will continue to update this story as more information is provided. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. An ode to a troublesome beaver Ames resident Tim Torkildson penned a poem after a local beaver chewed down a tree, knocking out power for 1,500 residents on Tuesday: Malignant beavers down in Ames Play their awful gnawing games. Dropping trees on powerlines. Never having to pay fines. Rodents high above the law; That is their one tragic flaw. Otherwise theyre rather nice; With front teeth that look like dice. If only they would topple trees On lying politicians, please! tim torkildsonProvo, UtahIn support of Robert Kennedy Jr. I am writing because it is time for those of us who have remained on the sidelines of the voting arena to stand up and take notice. Our country is more divided than ever. The 2024 election represents more than just another political contest; it is a pivotal opportunity to reshape the future of our nation. This is why I am urging all eligible voters, especially those who have felt disillusioned or disengaged from the political process, to consider the candidacy of Robert Kennedy Jr. If nothing else, please just take 30 minutes of your time to watch whoisbobbykennedy.com, a short documentary. Robert Kennedy Jr. embodies the visionary leadership that our nation needs right now. His dedication to environmental issues and his staunch defense of civil liberties are not only commendable, they are essential in these tumultuous times. Kennedys platform is built on ensuring a healthier, more equitable society for future generations. What sets Kennedy apart is his commitment to being a remedy to the pervasive issues that plague our societybe it climate change, social injustice, or political corruption. Kennedy has consistently demonstrated a willingness to tackle these issues head-on, not with mere rhetoric but with actionable solutions. His approach to politics is not one of divisiveness but of unity and inclusivity, appealing to our better instincts as a nation. For those who have abstained from voting, believing that one vote does not matter, this election challenges that notion. This election is different. By voting for Robert Kennedy Jr., you are not just participating in an election; you are endorsing a movement towards a more just and sustainable future. Let this be the year where we all, especially those who have never voted or seldom do, step into the light of active citizenship. Let us vote not out of fear or apathy but out of hope and conviction. Remember, democracy thrives when we all participate, and this time, with Kennedy, there is more at stake and so much more to gain. Sincerely, A Concerned CitizenKali Harrington Des Moines The perils of eminent domain abuse Imagine sitting down after a hard days work with your family and enjoying a wonderful meal. As your stomach rumbles in hunger and the aroma of delicious home cooking permeates your nostrils, suddenly a stranger knocks on your door and demands a slice of your landa piece of your heritage, passed down from your grandparents. They tell you its for public benefit, the greater good, to help farmers and for a good cause. But when you dig deeper, you find that the reason the stranger wants your land is simply for the profit of a few private companies not the public, not the government, and certainly not for you or me. Naturally, you say no, like dozens of other farmers already told them earlier that day. But now the corporate goons push back, waving around a law that lets them take whats yours, regardless of how you feel about it. The worst part is that the people you elected to protect you from this sort of corporate greed are the very people selling votes and trampling on our fundamental property rights for campaign donations. This isnt some bad dream, nor a hypothetical meant to scare you. Its the dark reality facing many Iowa landowners today due to the Summit CO2 pipeline, and its a blatant abuse of eminent domain that threatens not just our land, but our very rights as property owners. This issue is bigger than a pipeline and bigger than just Iowa. I fear that the bullying and bribing Summitt has done in Iowa might be the first splash in a tidal wave of eminent domain abuse across our great country. Eminent domain was created to allow the government to take private property for projects that serve the public goodroads, schools, and hospitals. But now, its being twisted into a tool for private corporations to seize our land for their gain, under the guise of reducing carbon emissions. This pipeline isnt about saving the environment; its about lining the pockets of a few, while the rest of us pay the price. And let me be clear: this isnt just a farmers issue. If we allow the government to violate the property rights of rural landowners today, whats to stop them from doing the same to homeowners in our towns and cities tomorrow? If you think your neighborhood is safe, think again. Hear me that if we give them an inch, then they will surely take a mile. Imagine a private company decides they want to build sprawling apartments to house illegal immigrants in the middle of your town. They claim its for the greater good, but the reality is, theyre doing it for profit. They use eminent domain to seize the house your grandfather built, the house where your children grew up, and the house you planned to retire in. They offer you a pittance, and when you refuse, they take it anyway. Youre left with nothing but memories and a feeling of utter helplessness, while these companies reap the benefits. Or what if a large corporation decides they need more space for a new factory? They identify your neighborhood as the perfect location, citing economic development as the reason. Suddenly, your peaceful community is at risk of being bulldozed to make way for industrial sprawl. Your home, your sanctuary, is no longer yoursit belongs to whoever has the power to take it. These scenarios might sound extreme, but theyre not far-fetched. If we allow this pipeline to proceed, we set a dangerous precedent that puts all property owners at risk, whether they live on a farm or in the heart of a city. Our property rights, the very foundation of our freedom and security, are at stake. Once theyre eroded, theyre almost impossible to regain. We Iowans are known for our strong work ethic, our close-knit communities, and our deep respect for the land. We understand that our land is more than just fertile soil and cropsits our legacy. Our land represents the hard work and agricultural innovation of generations of Iowans who came before us. Our land represents the respect, love, and compassion we have for our neighbors and fellow Iowans. We cannot allow anyone, no matter how powerful, to take our land from us without a fight. I urge my fellow Iowans, whether youre a farmer or a city dweller, to stand up against this pipeline. Join the opposition, attend public meetings, and make your voices heard. Lets send a clear message that our land is not for sale, and we will NOT be bullied. We must defend our property rights today or we risk losing them forever! In the words of Thomas Jefferson, The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Now is the time to be vigilant, to protect whats ours, and to ensure that our children and grandchildren inherit the same freedoms and rights that we hold dear. Sincerely, Brian FryeConcerned Iowan Williams Email: bfrye21@gmail.com This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: An ode to a troublesome beaver SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) Officials are planning to move into the new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center (LEC) possibly in the next week. At a Friday morning press conference, the LEC Authority said they were told by the Goldberg Group that a Certificate of Substantial Completion for the LEC may be issued Friday or Monday at the latest. Iowa DOT plans to permanently reduce lanes on Gordon Drive viaduct Substantial completion is when enough work on a project is done so the owner can start using a facility for its intended purpose unless otherwise noted in the certificate. On Tuesday, the Authority said the main issue holding things up is a seismic bracing report certifying that missing bracing has now been fully and properly installed. With the announcement, the Authority plans to officially turn over the keys to the new LEC facility to the county next week. The Woodbury County Sheriffs Office and other county officials will then be able to start the move-in process and work to complete set-up, training, and other necessary activities to start accepting inmates. After the substantial completion, Hausmann is contracted to a 60 day window to complete the facility. The Authority said it believes that the final completion of the project should be finished in that time. The Authority said it is doing everything it can to get this project to final completion and is going to ensure the facility is fully and properly completed upon the opening and final completion of the facility. First awards for disaster-impacted Iowa homeowners announced The release says that more details, including a ribbon cutting and public tours of the LEC, will be released in the near future. The new LEC will be a top-of-the-line facility, including a jail to house nearly 450 inmates, four courtrooms, and offices for the county sheriffs, county attorney, state judicial branch and other county and city officials. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. "Oh, so now youre calling me a racist": CNN panel erupts after Nancy Mace mispronounces "Kamala" A CNN panel went off the rails on Thursday after Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., repeatedly mispronounced Vice President Kamala Harris' name. A panel discussion veered off course when Mace adamantly mispronounced Harris name, despite her fellow panel members Democratic strategist Keith Boykin and Vanderbilt University professor Michael Eric Dyson politely correcting her. It started off with Boykins simple correction: You had it right. You almost got it. But before others could chime in, Mace made her position clear I will say Kamalas name any way that I want to. Others on the panel chimed in, protesting the congresswomans slight against the Democratic presidential nominee. Mace doubled down when Dyson commented on the mispronunciation and replied, I just did and Ill do it again. Boykin and Dyson both sought to rationalize with Mace as host Abby Phillip tried to regain control of the panel. If I purposely mispronounced your name, that would probably not be appropriate, Boykin tried to explain, before Dyson added, Youre normalizing that kind of viciousness, man. Youre disrespecting the woman. Mace disregarded the whole ordeal and the conversation seemed to move on before Dyson called her out again. This congresswoman is a wonderful human being, said Dyson. But when you disrespect Kamala Harris by saying you will call her whatever you want, I know you dont intend it to be that way, thats the history and legacy of white disregard for the humanity of Black people. However, the South Carolina representative made it crystal clear that reasoning with her was an exercise in futility. Oh, so now youre calling me a racist. That is B.S. That is complete B.S, Mace quickly concurred and went onto express her disgust. What is disgusting is your disrespect of her, Dyson snapped back. Meanwhile, the panel tirelessly yelled back, Kamala! Kamala! before Boykin added Its Kamala! Youre doing this on purpose, congresswoman! Michael Eric Dyson and I had to correct Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) at least 10 times last night for purposely mispronouncing Kamala Harriss name. I will say Kamalas name any way that I want to, Mace said. This is what the Republican Party has become. pic.twitter.com/RVmS8cbBFe Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) August 16, 2024 Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.) The office of Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has drafted ballot language for the Ohio Ballot Board to consider Friday that supporters of an anti-gerrymandering amendment say is deceptive and unconstitutional. The Ballot Board decides the text of proposed amendments that voters actually see on their ballots when they vote. The anti-gerrymandering amendment before Ohio voters in November, according to the language drafted by LaRoses office, would eliminate the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens to hold their representatives accountable for establishing fair state legislative and congressional districts. The Citizens Not Politicians group that authored the ballot initiative and collected more than 535,000 necessary signatures from Ohio voters to get the measure on the ballot, has proposed their own language for the ballot as well, saying it would remove politicians from the redistricting process in favor of a citizen board. The group is proposing a redistricting amendment that would replace Ohios politician-led redistricting commission with a citizen-led commission made up of Republicans, Democrats and independents. Currently, the Ohio Secretary of State is one of the politicians sitting on Ohios redistricting commission, along with the governor, the Ohio Auditor, two lawmakers from the majority party and two lawmakers from the minority party. The language drafted by the Secretary of States Office claims in its proposed title that the amendments purpose is, To create an appointed redistricting commission not elected by or subject to removal by the voters of the state. Moreover, the draft language says its purpose is to repeal constitutional protections against gerrymandering approved by nearly three-quarters of Ohio electors participating in the statewide elections of 2015 and 2018. Backers say the amendment is actually intended to protect voters against gerrymandering by removing politicians who stand to benefit from the process, and to not allow them to continue drawing gerrymandered district maps. After the 2015 and 2018 reforms were.passed by voters, Republican politicians on the Ohio Redistricting Commission including Ohio Secretary of State LaRose repeatedly voted for Statehouse and U.S. Congressional district maps that were declared unconstitutional gerrymanders by a bipartisan majority on the Ohio Supreme Court. Nevertheless, Ohio voters were forced to use the maps as the politicians refused to produce a maps that reflected voting preferences of Ohioans. The Ohio Secretary of States Office further claims in its proposed language that the new amendment would also limit the right of Ohio citizens to freely express their opinions to members of the commission or to commission staff regarding the redistricting process or proposed redistricting plans. It claims the amendment would prohibit any citizen from filing a lawsuit challenging a redistricting plan in any court, except if the lawsuit challenges the proportionality standard applied by the commission, and then only before the Ohio Supreme Court, and that new taxpayer-funded costs would be imposed by the amendment, with an unlimited amount for legal expenses incurred by the commission in any related litigation. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently publicly opposed the ballot measure because of its emphasis on proportionality, alleging there was no way the measure could work as written. In opposing the measure, he said whether or not it passes in November, hes considering going to the legislature to adapt Iowas redistricting process for Ohio. Iowas process leaves lawmakers with final say over maps. The proposed constitutional amendment penned by Citizens Not Politicians calls for a 15-person redistricting commission made up of citizens, rather than the Ohio Redistricting Commission that is currently made up entirely of elected officials. The language proposed by Citizens Not Politicians to the ballot board states the proposed amendment would require that the commission consist of 15 members who have demonstrated the absence of any disqualifying conflicts of interest and who have shown an ability to conduct the redistricting process with impartiality, integrity and fairness. The amendment would provide that each redistricting plan shall contain single-member districts that are geographically contiguous, comply with federal law, closely correspond to statewide partisan preferences of Ohio voters and preserve communities, according to the Citizens Not Politicians proposed language. The current Ohio Redistricting Commission made up of politicians produced six different Statehouse maps and two congressional maps over the two years it did its work. Five of the Statehouse maps were ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court and neither of the congressional maps passed constitutional muster, according to the states highest court. The second of the congressional maps remains the states congressional district map, despite being found to be unduly partisan by the state supreme court. The redistricting commission was criticized for disregarding hours of testimony from hundreds of Ohio citizens, and numerous citizen and group-proposed maps in favor of maps written by legislative staffers, and disregarding the authority of the Ohio Supreme Court when they were ordered to redraw maps within deadlines and utilize paid independent mapmakers coordinated by the court. Former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, a leader for Citizens Not Politicians, who has called for reforms to redistricting since she left the bench, said the Secretary of States proposed language violates the Ohio Constitution. The self-dealing politicians who have rigged the legislative maps now want to rig the Nov. 5 election by illegally manipulating the ballot language, OConnor said in a statement. We will make our case for fair and accurate language before the Ballot Board and if necessary take it to court. OConnors statement claims the language proposed by the Secretary of States Office violates an article of the Ohio Constitution that prohibits ballot language that is such as to mislead, deceive, or defraud voters, according to the law. Ohio law also states ballot titles shall give a true and impartial statement of the measures in such language that the ballot title shall not be likely to create prejudice for or against the measure. Its not the first time even in the last year that ballot language has been criticized as a misleading representation of the proposed initiative. Last years reproductive rights ballot measure went through the same process, with language written by Ohio Secretary of State staff approved as the language to appear on the ballots. The creators of the ballot measure sued, with the Ohio Supreme Court approving the ballot language, but sending it back to the board for small changes. Despite the language, which critics said intentionally misrepresented the reproductive rights amendment, the measure passed with 57% of the vote last November. State Secretary of State LaRose is the head of the Ohio Ballot Board that will consider the language on Friday. The board is also made up of Republican state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, Democratic state Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson, Democratic state Rep. Terrence Upchurch and citizen-member William Morgan. A spokesperson for the Secretary of States Office did not respond to request for comment on the language Thursday afternoon. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Attorney Don McTigue speaks before the Ohio Ballot Board on Friday, Aug. 16, to discuss summary language that will appear before voters in November on the redistricting reform amendment. (Photo by Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal.) The Ohio Ballot Board passed controversial language written by Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Friday as the ballot summary that will explain to voters Novembers anti-gerrymandering amendment. Supporters of the amendment have called the language deceptive and unconstitutional and have said they would challenge it in court. The board met on Friday morning to determine the summary that will appear on individual ballots, the final words Ohioans will see before they choose to accept or deny the measure. The language does not change the amendment itself, just what text voters will see to describe the amendment on their ballots. The proposed amendment would remove Ohio politicians from the process of drawing Statehouse and congressional district maps, and instead create a citizen commission to draw maps made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents. The board was led by LaRose in passing his preferred ballot language for the amendment 3 to 2, with both Democratic members of the board, state Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson and state Rep. Terrence Upchurch, voting against the approval. LaRose is one of the politicians who sits on the current Ohio Redistricting Commission, and one of the Republican members who repeatedly voted for maps that were declared to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered by a bipartisan majority on the Ohio Supreme Court before they were nevertheless forced on voters by a federal court in 2022 after time to draw constitutional maps had run out. One amendment was made to the LaRose language Friday, brought by board member and Republican state Sen. Theresa Gavarone. That change takes a paragraph that says the commission will be required to manipulate the boundaries of state legislative and congressional districts and changes it to say the commission will be required to gerrymander those districts, a change that elicited shocked scoffs from the crowd gathered at the board meeting. The ballot measure seeks to create a 15-citizen redistricting commission to decide Statehouse and congressional voting districts throughout the state, which authors of the proposed amendment from the group Citizens Not Politicians say will be done in public meetings and include opportunities for public input as the process goes on. Citizens Not Politicians submitted its own proposed summary for ballot board consideration, and it said commission members would be non-elected citizens who who have demonstrated the absence of any disqualifying conflicts of interest and who have shown an ability to conduct the redistricting process with impartiality, integrity and fairness. Democrats attempted to approve the language provided by Citizens Not Politicians, but the motion was voted down 3 to 2, supported only by the Democratic members of the board. Hicks-Hudson also tried to amend the LaRose-written language to replace it with the Citizens Not Politicians language, but that motion was also struck down. This is a dangerous proposal that threatens the integrity of the vote on Issue 1, Hicks-Hudson said of the Secretary of State language. With the title that says the amendment would create an appointed redistricting commission not elected by or subject to removal by the voters of the state, the language approved by the board speaks of the elimination of the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens to hold their representatives accountable for establishing fair state legislative and congressional districts, and the purpose to repeal constitutional protections against gerrymandering approved by nearly three-quarters of Ohio electors participating in the statewide elections of 2015 and 2018. Attorney Don McTigue made the point that its impossible for citizens to hold their elected lawmakers responsible by voting in gerrymandered districts which are by definition guaranteed to ensure the gerrymandered lawmakers victory. The problem is that the whole accountability argument only works when you have fair districts, not when you have the severely gerrymandered districts that you have in this state, McTigue said during the public comment portion of the board meeting. McTigue, who represents the creators and supporters of the ballot initiative, requested the use of the language Citizens Not Politicians submitted rather than the Secretary of State language, citing Ohio law dictating ballot language and title. The (SOS) language is stunning in it being false and misleading, and it is unabashed in terms of its prejudicial language, McTigue said. Theres no reasonable person who after reading that language could conclude that it is an honest attempt to provide fair ballot language that allows voters to make an independent decision about the issue. He cited the 2015 and 2018 redistricting measures, in which the ballot board distilled the most important aspects of the proposed redistricting changes to the Ohio Constitution. The language, which LaRose said in the ballot board meeting was written by him with the input of my team, was harshly criticized by the measures leaders and supporters leading up to the meeting as misleading and biased language that violated constitutional rules. LaRose defended the language in his summary that said the amendment would limit the right of Ohio citizens to freely express their opinions to members of the commission or to commission staff regarding the redistricting process or proposed redistricting plans, saying the language might unduly shield members of the new commission from public scrutiny. McTigue pushed back, saying context is important in reading the summary, which is why he didnt support the Secretary of State language. I think that something can be misleading or deceptive if you dont have the full context, McTigue said. The Secretary of States language was released Thursday, giving board members and McTigue little time to read through it, something that was discussed in the meeting. I think the record should be really clear that 24 hours isnt necessarily a lot of time to deal with 900-some words that really, Im not sure fit in to the confines of what the law requires and making a really thoughtful evaluation of the language, said Hicks-Hudson. Gavarone said the 900 words in the LaRose language accurately explain what this is, and noted the details on the process of redistricting were not included in the Citizens Not Politicians proposed summary language. LaRose also touched on the selection process for commission members in the amendment, saying the longest part of his summary language was explaining that process. The way that you end up on the current commission (the Ohio Redistricting Commission) is pretty straightforward, LaRose said. (The proposed process) is a bit of a Rube Goldberg device that involves a lot of twists and turns its a complex process. He called the five-bullet summary proposed by the CNP wholly inadequate and said it could not identify the substance of the lengthy amendment. Noted opponents of the ballot measure include Senate President Matt Huffman and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, both of whom made public cases against the measure. Huffman said the effort would bring about an onslaught of legal trouble for the state, and DeWine said the focus on proportionality in the rules of the redistricting process would cause more problems than supporters claim it would fix, and Ohio would actually end up with a system that mandates, that compels map-drawers to produce gerrymandered districts, he said at a recent press conference. Supporters of the amendment have said they will appeal the decision of the Ohio Ballot Board in court, just as the supporters of the ballot measure on reproductive rights did to the Ohio Supreme Court after ballot board approval. Indeed, immediately after the board meeting adjourned, Citizens Not Politicians pledged to seek remedy from the Ohio Supreme Court by filing a brief next week on the language, according to Jen Miller of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. LaRose did not speak to reporters after the meeting. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) In a neighborhood near Indian Lake, an 11-hour standoff on Wednesday led to an exchange of gunfire between a suspect and law enforcement. Now, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations is looking into what led up to the incident. 2 NEWS spoke with residents in the area who described the events as shocking. One man said he and his wife have lived here for eight years and have never seen something like this happen in their neighborhood. School bus crash reported in Moraine Authorities continued to search the home following the standoff, removing several guns. Work is expected to end soon, but the damage done to surrounding homes will take longer to fix. Got holes in my house, got holes in my garage and a hole in my new car, said Edward Oates, neighbor. Other neighbors say their property also suffered damage. Oates was working on his roof when he heard gunshots from the house next door. Next thing I know, Sheriff saying, can you get off your roof? And I thought, well, what did I do? He said, nothing, then we got down. He said, we need you to leave, said Oates. Those living in surrounding homes are frustrated with the situation. Around 10:30 a.m., someone living on Big Bear Path reported a bullet hit their home. Logan County Sheriffs deputies spent hours trying to get a suspect out of his house. The standoff went on for hours into the night, wrapping up around 9:30 p.m. During the standoff, the suspect allegedly fired several shots at deputies. Authorities say deputies fired back, injuring the suspect who eventually surrendered. Man found dead in West Chester parking lot Hes always shot guns and we always told the sheriffs, but they said, you dont have a picture or sound. We cant do nothing. Now we got it, said Oates. Oates says he waited more than 24 hours to get the all-clear from officers to return home, spending the night at a neighbors home. Neighbors were able to return to their homes by Thursday afternoon and the Ohio BCI is investigating this incident. BCI says that investigation is active and ongoing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. Ohio sees spike in out-of-state abortions, but access to abortion care can be challenging Abortion rights advocates and anti-abortion advocates protesting outside of the U.S. Supreme Court.(Getty Images) Abortion rights advocates and anti-abortion advocates protesting outside of the U.S. Supreme Court.(Getty Images) Even though abortion is legal in Ohio, accessing abortion care can be burdensome Northwest and Southeast Ohio dont have any surgical abortion centers meaning folks in those corners of the state have to travel far distances, sometimes even going out-of-state, to receive abortion care. People go wherever they can get in quickest and that might be Columbus, it might be Cleveland, it might be Cincinnati, it might be Pennsylvania, said Erica Wilson-Domer, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. But for those in neighboring states with near-total bans, Ohio can be an abortion destination. Weve seen about a 25% uptick in travelers, Wilson-Domer said. I know that Southwest Ohio has doubled their volume of travelers from out of state, if not more. There were 18,488 abortions performed in Ohio in 2022, a 27.4% decrease compared to 2012, according to Abortion Forward. Of those abortions, 1,287 were people who came to Ohio from a different state, according to Abortion Forward. People need abortion care, said Abortion Forward Deputy Director Jaime Miracle. When somebody decides to have an abortion, they should be able to get access to it, and they need access to it, and theyre going to do what they have to do to get access to it. Ohio has six surgical abortion clinics located in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Bedford Heights, Cuyahoga Falls, and Dayton. Toledos abortion clinic switched to just a medication abortion facility in 2019. Lack of clinics is a huge (barrier), Miracle said. Weve lost nearly half of the abortion clinics in Ohio since 2011. All 88 Ohio counties have an abortion facility within 99 miles as of February 2022, according to an Ohio Policy Evaluation Network (OPEN) report. Choice on where to get care is very complex and very personal, so its important to have a lot of options out there so that people can be making those choices for whats best for them, said OPEN research scientist Mikaela Smith. Abortion is legal in Ohio up until 22 weeks of pregnancy. Ohio voters passed a ballot measure last year that added protections to abortion care and reproductive rights to the states constitution. Neighboring states Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia all have near-total abortion bans causing Ohio abortion clinics to be inundated with travelers, Wilson-Domer said. Indianas abortion ban took effect Aug. 1, 2023. Kentuckys abortion ban went into effect July 15, 2022. Before the ban, 48 Ohio women traveled down to Kentucky to get an abortion in 2022, according to data from Abortion Forward. West Virginias abortion ban took effect Sept. 16, 2022. One hundred and three Ohioians went to West Virginia for an abortion earlier that year accounting for about 15% of the total abortions that were performed in West Virginia in 2022, according to data from Abortion Forward. Theres a whole bunch of people who live right across the Ohio border in Charleston, West Virginia that dont have access to abortion care in their state anymore, so where are they going? Miracle asked. A clinic in Southeast Ohio would not only help the people in Southeast Ohio but also would help a whole lot of people in West Virginia and rural Kentucky who are probably closer to going into Pennsylvania or into Virginia to get access to care. There is no limit on abortion in Michigan, meaning a woman can abort her pregnancy at any point. Michigan has 26 in-person abortion providers, according to AbortionFinder.org. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania through the 23rd week of pregnancy and there are 21 in-person abortion providers, according to AbortionFinder.org. An estimated 1,260 Ohioans went to Michigan to receive an abortion in 2023, 920 went to Pennsylvania, 230 went to Illinois and 100 went to Virginia, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Access barriers There are a variety of barriers when it comes to abortion access, including some that are unique to Ohio. One is Ohios transfer agreement. The state requires an abortion clinic to have a transfer agreement with a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic so a patient can be transferred if medical care beyond the care that can be provided at the ambulatory surgical facility is needed. The transfer agreement is completely medically unnecessary because any patient that gets sent to an ER is going to be treated, Wilson-Domer said. State funded hospitals cant sign a transfer agreement. In many places, the only non-state funded hospitals are Catholic hospitals (that) obviously are not going to sign a transfer agreement with an abortion provider, Wilson-Domer said. So this makes it incredibly challenging to operate a surgical facility with all of the trap laws that are sort of surrounding abortion care in Ohio. Theres also a 24-hour waiting period in Ohio, meaning women have to go to an abortion clinic twice. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas earlier this year that would undue Ohios 24-hour waiting period. Transportation is a big barrier for people. Cost is another hurdle. Depending on the location and the provider, a first trimester abortion can cost around $800 or less, but the cost of a second trimester abortion can range from $715 to $2,000, according to Planned Parenthood. There can be additional costs that accompany getting an abortion including childcare, lodging, travel and food. All of those costs just increase anytime someone has to leave, and it can really put abortion care out of reach for too many people, said Kristin Hady, a volunteer with the Aggie Fund, a Northwest Ohio abortion fund. Its a huge barrier for people to have to travel out of the places that they live for their health care. Northwest Ohio Toledo used to have two full-service abortion clinics Center for Choice and Capital Care Network. But the Center for Choice closed in 2013 when it was unable to get a transfer agreement. Coincidentally, the number of out-of-state residents getting abortions in Michigan jumped from 531 in 2012 to 906 in 2013 to 1,308 in 2014, according to data from Abortion Forward. Michigans data doesnt track which state patients come from, Miracle said. Capital Care changed ownership in 2019 and switched to a medication abortion facility. Medication abortions accounted for 63% of all abortions in the formal health care system in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Today, the clinic is called Toledo Womens Center and their sister clinic is Northeast Ohio Womens Center, meaning women in the Toledo area typically either go there or Michigan, Hady said. Michigan performed 1,162 abortions on out-of-state residents in 2018; 1,437 in 2019; and 1,621 in 2020. There were 2,761 out-of-state abortions in Michigan in 2022. Now that abortion is protected in the Ohios constitution, Miracle hopes abortion access will expand. Its our hope that more people will start looking into where these places are that we should expand access, she said. Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Ohio vacationer dies near Hilton Head in islands first drowning of the year. What we know A 66-year-old vacationer drowned on Hilton Head Friday morning, marking the first drowning death off the coast of Hilton Head Island this year. Ralph Jamieson of South Euclid, Ohio, was swimming with his family when he suddenly began calling for help. After pulling Jamieson out of the water, those with him began performing CPR, with lifeguards and Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue arriving shortly after, Coroner David Ott said. But Jamieson was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:10 a.m. The drowning happened north of Sea Crest on North Forest Beach near beach marker 62. The area was not crowded at the time of the drowning according to Shore Beach Services operations manager Mike Wagner. Shore Beach Services, who provide the islands lifeguard service, didnt have a lifeguard stationed in the area but the area was being patrolled, said Wagner. They never station lifeguards and instead patrol with vehicles in there, because its a less densely populated area of the beach. That area is mostly houses as opposed to hotels and condos, he added. Wagner was unable to provide any details about how far offshore Jamieson was or if he was caught in a rip current. An autopsy for Jamieson is scheduled for Monday, Ott said. Drownings are relatively rare on Hilton Head. Last year, an outlier, saw two drownings in September. First, 42-year-old Jonathan King, who was visiting with his wife for a day trip from Rincon, Georgia, drowned after being caught in a rip current on Sept. 3. Later in the month, 64-year-old David Stewart Owens of Huntington, Pennsylvania drowned about 50 yards off the shore near Hilton Heads Marriott Resort Before then, the last drowning was in 2017 when 61-year-old islander Andrew Harper drowned off the coast of a Sea Pines beach. Witnesses said a rip current may have caused the drowning. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. ANKARA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The wildfires in Turkiye's western Manisa province have persisted since Wednesday, with firefighters trying to contain the flames through aerial and ground operations, the state-run TRT broadcaster reported Friday. Karayakup and Yenikoy neighborhoods in the Gordes district of Manisa were reportedly evacuated as a precaution. Wildfires also broke out in the Eceabat district of northwestern Canakkale province and the Goynuk district of northwestern Bolu province on Thursday, the TRT reported. Yenikoy and Bekirfakilar villages in Bolu were reportedly evacuated. Meanwhile, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters that the fire in the forest area of Canakkale had been contained, noting that it was ignited by a spark from an electric pole. Turkiye frequently experiences forest fires during the summer months, particularly in its western and southern regions, as a result of high temperatures and low humidity levels. One killed, another wounded in Israeli strike on south Lebanon Heavy smoke billows following an Israeli air strike over the southern Lebanese border village of Kfarkela. STR/dpa At least one person was killed on Friday and another wounded in an Israeli strike that hit a village in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. The Israeli strike targeted the village of Aitaroun, the ministry said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Lebanese pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement said that one of its fighters was killed, but did not say when or where. The Israeli army said the place it hit in the Aitaroun area is a military structure in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating. The army added that their artillery also struck the areas of Blida and Kfar Kila. The army said that earlier on Friday "a hostile surveillance" drone was found in the area of Beit Jann. No injuries were reported, they added. Meanwhile, the pro-Iranian movement, in what observers see as part of its war propaganda against Israel, broadcast a video depicting Imad 4, a facility named after Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in Syria in 2008. The video, posted on X and accompanied by subtitles in English and Hebrew, shows many rocket launchers and a lot of military equipment in the facility. The resistance in Lebanon today, in its possession of weapons, equipment and capabilities, members, cadres, ability, expertise and experience, and also faith and determination, courage and will, is stronger than at any time since its launch in the region, the message says. The video, entitled "Our Mountains Are Our Treasures," includes audio clips of statements by the movement's secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, in which he announced his movement's readiness to confront any Israeli attack on Lebanon. It also showed an underground tunnel complex with fighters driving motorbikes on what seems like long tunnels, leading them to launch pads with rockets. The violence in south Lebanon and the video message came as ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel are set to resume on Friday, with top diplomats and mediators scrambling to avert wider conflict in the region. Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in daily firefights since the Gaza war began in October. One killed, another wounded in Israeli strike on south Lebanon Heavy smoke billows following an Israeli air strike over the southern Lebanese border village of Kfarkela. STR/dpa At least one person was killed on Friday and another wounded in an Israeli strike that hit a village in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. The Israeli strike targeted the village of Aitaroun, the ministry said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Lebanese pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement said that one of its fighters was killed, but did not say when or where. The Israeli armed forces said the place it hit in the Aitaroun area is a military structure in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating. The army added that their artillery also struck the areas of Blida and Kfar Kila. The armed forces said that earlier on Friday "a hostile surveillance" drone was found in the area of Beit Jann. No injuries were reported, they added. Meanwhile, the pro-Iranian movement, in what observers see as part of its war propaganda against Israel, broadcast a video depicting Imad 4, a facility named after Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in Syria in 2008. The video, posted on X and accompanied by subtitles in English and Hebrew, shows many rocket launchers and a lot of military equipment in the facility. The resistance in Lebanon today, in its possession of weapons, equipment and capabilities, members, cadres, ability, expertise and experience, and also faith and determination, courage and will, is stronger than at any time since its launch in the region, the message says. One nation's solution to overcrowding: Carve a new capital out of the jungle Indonesia is carving a new capital city called Nusantara out of the tropical rainforest to escape the urban issues of Jakarta, including extreme traffic, pollution and flooding. For the record: 9:31 a.m. Aug. 16, 2024: An earlier version of this article reported that Nusantara would replace Jakarta as the capital of Indonesia on Saturday. The government has not set an official date for the transition. Like many of the world's megacities, Jakarta has mega-problems. Two-hour commutes are a way of life. Air pollution is a serious health hazard. Drinking water is running out. On top of all that, the longtime Indonesian capital population 11 million, plus twice that many in the ever-expanding suburbs is sinking. And so in 2019, the country's president announced a bold plan to carve a new capital out of the rainforest 800 miles away across the Java Sea. He named the city Nusantara or archipelago for the 17,508 islands that make up the world's fourth-most populous nation. In his vision, the $32-billion city would begin life as the new seat of government, and over the next two decades attract millions of people as a high-tech, zero-carbon metropolis that would relieve crowding in Jakarta and serve as a model of urban innovation for the rest of the world. Since construction started two years ago, workers have rushed to complete as much of the new city as possible before Indonesia's Independence Day celebration Saturday. Those plans remain a distant dream. After two years of construction, the city consists of bumpy dirt roads, towering cranes, dust-coated shells of unfinished apartment complexes and government offices. At its center is the only structure that has been completed: a massive presidential palace shaped like an eagle. The president, Joko Widodo, moved into his new office late last month. The first wave of civil servants is scheduled to arrive in September. The government could officially make Nusantara the new capital as soon as this fall. Read more: Is Indonesian food finally having its moment in Los Angeles? Its really the first capital in the world built from scratch, said Ruhimat Soerakoesoemah, a senior official at the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, a United Nations organization. This is basically ground zero. Youre looking at pristine forests. They have to somehow use that area and cut down trees, divide mountains and all that just to build human settlement. But plagued by political opposition and construction woes, Nusantara has also become a warning of the profound challenges that come with creating a viable city out of nothing. : : More than half of the world's 8 billion people live in urban areas, a proportion that the U.N. expects to reach 70% by 2050. As cities fill up, many countries are building new ones. We are in the midst of a new-cities fever, said Sarah Moser, an expert on urban expansion and a professor at McGill University in Montreal. Established cities in the Global South are kind of at a breaking point. People are desperate. Moser estimates that as many as 200 new cities are being planned or are under construction in 50 countries not including China, which has been on its own building spree for decades, with several hundred or more cities still in the works. Whether a new city succeeds or fails depends on myriad factors, including funding, government support and location. In building Nusantara, which was intended as a model for other nations, Indonesia has encountered construction delays, insufficient funding and political blowback. As development expands, residents from the surrounding villages complain of big-city problems, such as traffic jams, rising prices and floods. To what extent can you plan for a socially productive and coherent city is a fundamental dilemma, said Philipp Rode, executive director of LSE Cities, a research center at the London School of Economics and Political Science. It takes a long time, and many, many resources to make it work. One source of inspiration for Indonesia is Putrajaya, which replaced Kuala Lumpur as the administrative capital of Malaysia in 1999. But located just 15 miles away, with a population of about 100,000, it was a far less ambitious project than Nusantara. Cautionary tales abound when it comes to new cities. Two decades after Naypyidaw became the capital of Myanmar, it remains largely deserted, while 200 miles away, the population of the former capital, Yangon, has swelled 42% to 5.7 million people. And in Egypt, an unnamed capital has been under construction for nearly a decade about 30 miles east of Cairo. Read more: Opinion: San Jose, the metropolis of the future? How a 'forgettable' city may become a national model In California, tech billionaires fed up with San Francisco want to build a new city for 400,000 people on farmland 60 miles to the northeast. But the project has been put on hold amid environmental concerns and clashes with locals. Starting a new city from scratch is always 1,000 times harder than what people think it will be, Moser said. Indonesian leaders have debated moving the capital from Jakarta since independence in 1945. Jakarta was originally a Dutch outpost, built to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people. But the population quickly grew to several times that as people came from across the country in search of work. Indigenous groups have protested the project, which has altered rivers and impacted fish catch. Many fear they will lose their land and homes to the new city. Franz Sidjabat arrived from the Indonesian island of Sumatra in 2005 anticipating a better life. Today, he is more excited at the prospect of leaving. In the last two decades, he has been robbed on public transit, waded through the street in waist-deep floods and spent endless hours stuck in traffic. Now 40, he still can't afford to buy a home in the city. I dont want to stay in Jakarta, said Sidjabat, who works in immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. Without a family of his own, he could be among the first civil servants transferred to Nusantara: I think that Indonesia needs this kind of change. Because Jakarta has grown far faster than its municipal water system, a majority of residents now pump their water from the ground. That has accelerated the sinking of the city up to 8 inches a year in places with experts predicting that some neighborhoods could be underwater by 2050. Read more: India tries to build a world-class city from scratch, and looks to Singapore for help Near the northern harbors of Jakarta Bay, flooding is a nightly occurrence in many homes. Arianto, a 42-year-old who takes tourists on boat trips and, like many Indonesians, uses one name, explained that he and his nine other family members all sleep on the second floor of their narrow, four-bedroom house because seawater often pools in their downstairs rooms. When the tide recedes, the water in the house drains through pipes into the streets. But every year, the flooding gets worse. In December, the heart of the rainy season, the water often reaches his knees. A nearby mosque where he used to play as a child is partly submerged. A concrete sea wall has been fortified three times in Ariantos lifetime. It helps, but its water. It leaks, he said. We are getting used to it. : : On the island of Borneo, the district of Sepaku, at least a two-hour drive from any city, was known for its forests of mangrove, acacia and eucalyptus. Tens of thousands of people lived in scattered villages. Residents farmed, fished or traveled for work in coal mines or oil fields. Then in August of 2022, bulldozers arrived and the forest started to disappear as some 6,000 acres were cleared. Posters put up by the government advertised a "Future Smart Forest City" with images of a sprawling campus of shiny buildings and verdant foliage. A construction site in Nusantara is littered with building materials and debris. The only completed building is the presidential palace, designed to look like an eagle, the national symbol. Before it became the site of the new capital city, the Sepaku district was mostly protected rainforest and agricultural fields. The government has cleared about 6,000 acres for the project so far. Some villagers welcomed the economic boost from the influx of workers. Nur Wahyudi, who was laid off from his coal mining job during the pandemic lockdown, started driving government officials around the village as they sought to acquire land rights. I was happy," said the 32-year-old. "I never thought the capital city would be here. Titin, 33, relocated from the closest city, Balikpapan, two years ago and opened a fruit store. It wasn't long before she had competition from other newcomers. The move has come with unfamiliar challenges. She has to pay for water by the tank, since the area still lacks pipes. With limited garbage service, her husband has to drive rotten fruit to Balikpapan for disposal. Rents have skyrocketed, and her temporary living quarters the back room of her shop floods when it rains. It's not convenient here, Titin said. There have not been any improvements since I came. Titin, 33, opened a fruit stall near the new capital in 2022 to capitalize on the influx of workers. Titin sees more economic opportunity in Sepaku, but her store there still lacks water supply and daily waste disposal after two years. Workers have raced to complete enough of the city to meet the president's timetable and officially make it the capital this week. An employee for the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, which oversees the construction, said three years of work have been compressed into one. Usually you would build the roads first, then build the housing, or make the water available, then the housing," said the employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she feared using her name could get her fired. "But what is happening right now is everything is being built at the same time. Read more: Indonesia is building a new capital from scratch no matter the environmental impact It is common to hear complaints that hasty urbanization is causing big-city problems relatively speaking. There is a serious housing shortage for workers. One restaurant had no ice or fruit the other day because the employee sent to buy them that morning was stuck in traffic. Tasmi, 55, and her husband, Prayetno, 60, used to buy pepper from local farmers and sell it to a distributor, earning enough to build a four-bedroom house and buy an SUV. But the government killed their business when it claimed the pepper farmers' lands for Nusantara. The couple recently started selling rice from a tarp on the street, making less than a fifth of their old income. Their daughter, a college graduate, helps them sell eggs. Arman Jais, a 38-year-old farmer, fears that the development of Nusantara will bring all of Jakarta's problems to his home village. Environmentalists have warned that building Nusantara in the forests of Borneo risks harming the habitats of endangered species such as orangutans. Of course there will be more impact, especially for agriculture around here, Prayetno said. Environmentalists have warned that as the capital expands, it may spill over into the habitats of endangered species such as proboscis monkeys, orangutans and gibbons. Indigenous groups worry that the government will claim the land that they have long called home. The project has already altered rivers, disrupting fishing and causing flooding when it rains. Arman Jais, a 38-year-old farmer and member of the Balik tribe, said he is routinely kept awake at night by the nearby construction of a dam for the new capital. The commotion reminds him of his one and only visit to Jakarta. Even in his hotel room, he had trouble sleeping in the stifling city air, and he doubted that he could survive the crowds and traffic. I couldnt imagine if the new capital turns into Jakarta, he said. As Indigenous people, thats what we are afraid of. : : The Indonesian president, popularly known as Jokowi, has been unrelenting in his drive to build Nusantara, rushing to get a foothold there before he terms out of office in October. On Saturday, he will lead an Independence Day celebration there. "He wanted to develop the capital up to the point of no return," said Yanuar Nugroho, his former deputy chief of staff. "His strategy is working all-out, around the clock, so when he leaves the administration, whoever the president is does not have the chance to say no." In perhaps his boldest political move, Jokowi betrayed his own party in February's presidential election to endorse a competing candidate who promised to press on with the new capital. The ticket, which included Jokowi's eldest son as the vice presidential candidate, emerged victorious. Read more: Silicon Valley billionaires put plans for new California city on hold This week, on a visit to the new presidential palace for the first Cabinet meeting there, the president-elect, Prabowo Subianto, reiterated his commitment to the city. "We will complete it well because it is really needed," he said. But even as the government moves there, it is far from certain that the city will achieve the economic success needed to fund its continued development. The plan is to clear a total of 633,000 acres. The hope is that when construction is completed in 2045, the population of Nusantara will be 1.9 million. As Indonesia's government has built a dam and altered the Sepaku River for Nusantara, Indigenous groups have protested the changes, worrying they will lose their land to the new capital. So far the government has secured a total of $3.6 billion in private funding. But one early investor, SoftBank Group Corp., withdrew from the project in 2022 without explanation. That spooked other corporate investors, who are meant to account for 80% of funding. Its always difficult to build a city when there is no economic activity, said Imaduddin Abdullah, a researcher at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance in Indonesia. Read more: California could get a new city very soon. Here's what that means While the government has presented Nusantara as an answer to Jakarta's problems, there are many skeptics. Among them is Hendricus Andy Simarmata, an urban planner and informal advisor in discussions to move the capital. He said that the relocation of thousands of civil servants could help a little, but that the government should limit growth in Jakarta by building universities and industrial parks elsewhere. If the government could manage this rapid urbanization properly in greater Jakarta, then we wouldn't need to move, he said. In any case, Nusantara seems unlikely to have much impact on crowding in the rest of the country. Over the next two decades, Indonesia's population is expected to grow from 276 million to 324 million. It will be heavily concentrated in cities. Yang is a Times staff writer and Sijabat a special correspondent. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The numbers on this map indicate Alaska's 19 boroughs. In addition, the state has 146 incorporated cities. (Local Boundary Commission map) The numbers on this map indicate Alaska's 19 boroughs. In addition, the state has 146 incorporated cities. (Local Boundary Commission map) When I think of local governments in Alaska, Im often reminded of just how different they are. Theres no easy way to say that one decision or another will impact all cities and boroughs equally as theyll experience policy and budget decisions on a very individual basis. Size is a pretty important factor, both in terms of staff but in available tax base. I know of some cities with maybe one employee, and others with hundreds. While each local government has basic obligations to the state and residents, these are felt and delivered differently depending on how much bandwidth you have. At the same time, with a limited tax base, a city or borough may focus on the essentials. With a larger tax base, its easy to see elected officials adding to the suite of services they deliver, which residents benefit from. Classification is another way to think about local governments, and limits or expands the powers of a city or borough. Some of the most limited governments in the state are actually home rule governments, even as this classification is also where youll find the most expansive powers. Where theres home rule, residents determine the rules through a charter. In general law, or second-class communities, the Legislature is more actively saying what can and cant be delivered by a local government, and if a city or borough wants to add a power, they must ask the Legislature to change law, instead of local voters. It ends up being an interesting and complex system when youre trying to decide statewide policy. Theres no one-size-fits-all approach, really, and what benefits your constituents or mirrors your experience locally, as an elected official, may look very different elsewhere in the state. As our attention turns to this election cycle, and we listen to candidates for office talk about their priorities, its worth keeping in mind how these match up with the needs of and serve to strengthen political subdivisions of the state, or dont. Ive always encouraged candidates for statewide office to sit down with city and borough officials to learn more about whats on their plate and how they deliver it. I bet you find a mix of answers that range from trying to keep the lights on, managing through workforce shortages, and facing critical infrastructure needs, to figuring out how to address housing availability and affordability, improve quality of life, and reduce the costs of doing business. I love how all-encompassing a local governments work might be, where within each community their role in keeping that community whole means jumping in wherever need is greatest. As candidates meet with mayors, council or assembly members, and staff, keep in mind that they each have different roles and responsibilities within the city or borough. One elected official may not speak for the body, and its the combination of perspectives and official positions taken where you get to a clearer vision of whats at stake. While those elected officials are focused on policy and governance, the staff are trying to implement it, and understanding where limitations or innovation is coming from is an important facet to reflect on. I hold the position of elected officials responsible for statewide policy in high regard. I understand the need to advocate for and effectively represent constituents, even as those interests end up being balanced against the needs and interests of others in a similar position. Thats when listening closely at the local level may be an essential part of the job yes, cities and boroughs across the state are different, but they also have many things in common. Fundamentally, I imagine youll find that they prefer to keep decision-making as close to home as possible and avoid having costs being added to their plate, which is really that of local taxpayers. This election cycle, spend some time getting to know local government. If you dont know exactly where to turn, or are interested in a broader perspective too, Im happy to serve as a resource. Thanks to all candidates for their interest in public office, and serving Alaskans in the public interest. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (Bloomberg) -- OpenAI removed a network of Iranian accounts that used its ChatGPT chatbot to try to wage a foreign influence campaign targeting the US presidential election by generating longform articles and social media comments, the company said Friday. Most Read from Bloomberg The accounts created content that appeared to be from liberal and conservative-leaning users, including posts suggesting that former President Donald Trump was being censored on social media and was prepared to declare himself king of the US. Another described Vice President Kamala Harris selection of Tim Walz for her running mate as a calculated choice for unity. The influence campaign, which also included posts about Israels war on Gaza, the Olympic Games in Paris and fashion and beauty subjects, doesnt appear to have received significant audience engagement, said Ben Nimmo, principal investigator on OpenAIs Intelligence and Investigations team, in a press briefing Friday. The operation tried to play both sides but it didnt look like it got engagement from either, he said. The Iranian operation marks the latest suspicious social media effort that used AI only to fail to get much traction, a possible indication that foreign operatives are still figuring out how to capitalize on a new crop of artificial intelligence tools that can quickly spit out convincing writing and images for little to no cost. Microsoft Corp. in June said it had detected pro-Russian accounts trying to amplify a fabricated video showing violence at the Olympics. And Meta Platforms Inc. earlier this year said it had removed hundreds of Facebook accounts associated with influence operations from Iran, China and Russia, some of which relied on AI tools to spread disinformation. OpenAI on Friday didnt specify the exact number of accounts it removed. The startup said it also identified a dozen accounts on X, formerly Twitter, and one on Instagram involved in the effort. Instagram removed the account in question, which generally was focused on Scotland and posted about food. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The disclosure comes after suspected Iranian hackers compromised Trumps political campaign, sparking a federal investigation into possible foreign meddling ahead of the US elections in November. The US intelligence community has consistently warned about foreign governments trying to shape Americans opinions. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence in July said that Iran, Russia and China were recruiting people in the US to try spreading their propaganda. OpenAI in May said that networks from Russia, China, Iran and Israel had tried using the companys AI products to boost their propaganda efforts. At the time, OpenAI said the networks it disrupted had used AI to generate text and images in a larger volume than otherwise would have been possible by human creators, helping the content appear more authentic. However the campaigns still failed to generate significantly more engagement, according to the startup. (Updates with Instagram account removal in fifth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher. Sarah Palin may soon be losing her title as the worst VP pick of modern times. With the emergence of JD Vance as Donald Trumps 2024 vice presidential pick, the Ohio senator looks set to take the mantle from the former Alaska governor. In fact, the pair share a number of surprising similarities. Both, for example, were popular at the beginning of their campaigns. Palin was even described as energizing to the Republican base on her debut, before her ultimate decline. Vance is seeing the same trajectory, Chief Creative and Content Officer of the Daily Beast Joanna Coles tells The New Abnormal on this weeks podcast. Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast. Where to begin with JD Vance, the Sarah Palin of this campaign, Coles says, before listing a number of Vances gaffes that have led to his own decline; with recent polling showing that hes officially more unpopular than Palin ever was. Hes a strange character for them to have selected and I think hes going to cost them with white men actually. Coles adds: What was he doing for the last four years? He appears to have done nothing but do odd fringe podcasts, which are now coming back to haunt the Republican party. Trump Just Lost One of His Major Talking Points Plus! Anat Shenker-Osorio, host of Words To Win By, a podcast about progressive wins, joins the program to talk about how democratic messaging has changed ever since the announcement of the Harris-Walz ticket. Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Opinion: Trump MUST Be Desperate if Corey Lewandowskis Back on the Team Hes back. Eight years after Corey Lewandowski was fired as Donald Trumps campaign manager, the sexually transgressing creep has been rehired. He returns as a senior adviser despite having thoroughly proved himself to be a liability. Among other things, he mocked the handicapped by joking about a 10-year-old migrant child with Down syndrome who had been separated from her mother at the southern border and put in a cage. Womp, womp, Lewandowski said on television in 2018 after being told of the little girls plight. In 2021, Lewandowski seemed to make himself all the more unhirable when he was charged with sexually harassing the wife of a bigtime GOP donor at a Las Vegas charity event. The victim, Trashelle Odom, reported to authorities that Lewandowski touched her on the leg and buttocks against her wishes. He then stalked her through the venue while spewing lewd remarks and boasting of his supposed sexual prowess. He was charged with criminal sexual harassment but got a plea deal that included impulse control training. Trumpworld Begged Him to Dump Predator Lewandowskiand He Did He will no longer be associated with Trump World, a Trump spokesman declared at the time. By then, Lewandowskis impulses had reportedly led to affairs with at least two women who were major figures in conservative politics. He was and is married to the widow of a friend who was killed on 9/11. But whatever his transgressions, Lewandowski had also formulated a guiding political mantra. He inscribed it on a whiteboard at Trump headquarters early in the 2016 campaign. Let Trump be Trump. Former President Donald Trump speaks with Corey Lewandowski at a campaign rally in 2023. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images Trump came to see that principle as the key to his success against Hillary Clinton. He had been recorded saying that a star such as him can grab women by the whatever and he said that a TV anchor who displeased him had been bleeding from wherever, but he had still beaten Clinton. It seemed that he really could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and not lose any votes, as he famously boasted. But with Joe Bidens victory, it turned out Trump did not have as many votes to lose as he imagined and if he shot somebody, he would at least get indicted for it. Trump still insists he won in 2020, citing bogus theories of widespread voter fraud. Much of his base believes this lie and a majority of other Republicans have been afraid to stand up to him. He seemed to be cruising toward a relatively easy victory over the failing incumbent this Novemberbut that suddenly changed when Biden dropped out of the race. Trump now faces Vice President Kamala Harris, and the former president suddenly looks like he might lose. His response has the markings of what psychologists call narcissistic collapse: the phenomenon that occurs when a narcissists grandiose sense of self feels threatened. Donald Trumps campaign aide Corey Lewandowski boards Air Force One in 2017. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images My uncle is panicking, Mary Trump, a psychologist as well as the former presidents niece, wrote in response to Harris ascension. Hes running against a strong Black womanand a former prosecutorwho isnt afraid to call him out or mock him. His whole campaign strategy was based around attacking Joe Bidenhis age, his infirmity, his cognitive decline. She went on, Now that hes up against a much younger candidate with a history of prosecuting criminals like him, hes painted himself into a corner. How do you escape from your own narrative about how bad it would be for the oldest candidate in the history of this country to win the election if that candidate is now you? And in an intolerable presage to the sudden possibility of defeat, Trump found himself eclipsed. Knowing him as I do, I can tell you that the thing thats probably bothering Donald the most is that hes not the biggest story in politics anymore There are many, many reasons Donald should be worried about a Harris candidacy, but its the palpable excitement surrounding Harris since Biden announced he was stepping aside that should worry him the most. At a rally in North Carolina on Wednesday where Trump was supposed to deliver a speech about the economy, he diverted from that to complain to the crowd that Harris was on the cover of TIME magazine. Corey Lewandowski appears on NBC News Meet the Press in 2017. NBC NewsWire With an artist sketch, he said. They dont use a picture, they use an artist sketch. I want to use that artist. I want to find that artist. I like it very much. He had begun to sound a little loopy. He caught himself. But were going to beat her, he insisted. One common response to narcissistic panic is an impulsive, heedless effort to regain a sense of being in control. Trump seems to be doing just that by rehiring Lewandowski, the creep who formulated the calming mantra that, to win, Trump need only be Trump. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The fifth Qingdao Multinationals Summit will be convened from Aug. 27 to 29 in Shandong Province, continuing its established "Multinational Corporations and China" theme. The summit will feature a slate of events, including an opening ceremony, a multinationals exchange conference, a closed-door policy meeting organized by various ministries and commissions, special promotional events for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization demonstration area, and showcase activities for the guest province, Li Yongjie, deputy international trade representative of China's Ministry of Commerce, told a press conference on Friday. Song Junji, vice governor of Shandong, highlighted four salient features of the summit: policy commitment, partner network expansion, innovation vitality and targeted investment. Song said that 473 representatives of multinational corporations have confirmed their participation to date, with 95 newcomers accounting for 20 percent of that figure. Notably, it also includes a record-high number of global CEOs, with 18 set to attend. Since its inception in 2019, the summit has served as an important platform for dialogue, exchange and practical cooperation between China and multinational corporations. The fourth summit, held last year, saw agreements reached for 194 foreign investment projects with an approximate total investment of 20.6 billion U.S. dollars, surpassing previous summits in investment scale. A total of 389 foreign investment projects were inked during the first four summits, with a combined investment of 48.02 billion U.S. dollars. Shandong, a forerunner in China's opening-up, boasts remarkable advantages in high-level international cooperation. For 12 consecutive years, Qingdao has ranked among the most attractive Chinese cities for foreign talent. And over the past four summits, the city secured 49 projects with multinational corporations, totaling 9.85 billion U.S. dollars in investment. An effective solution exists for strengthening access to vital health care for vulnerable Utahns, but it has not yet been enacted. Doulas are individuals who provide support before, during and after childbirth. And while doulas deliver a plethora of benefits to those they assist, the White House recently reported that just 6% of women giving birth do so with the support of a doula. Legislators in Utah recently looked to address this problem. 2023s SB192 and 2024s SB85, both titled Medicaid Doula Services, were introduced in the states two most recent legislative sessions. These nearly identical bills would have required Utahs Department of Health and Human Services to develop a state plan amendment that, if approved, would establish Medicaid coverage for doula services in the state. Despite passing the Senate with bipartisan support and not a single no vote, these bills did not pass the House of Representatives and were thus not enacted into law. These bills failure to pass is surprising not just because of their unanimous support in the Senate but also because their aim is supported by a large body of recent research. A team of researchers led by Dr. Katy Backes Kozhimannil of the University of Minnesota found in a 2012 study that Medicaid beneficiaries with doula coverage and support have 40.9% lower odds of cesarean delivery. Additionally, a group of researchers also led by Kozhimannil found in a 2016 study that beneficiaries with doula coverage were 22% less likely to experience preterm births. Doula support was also found by researchers led by Dr. April M. Falconi of Anthem Inc. in a 2022 study to have mental health benefits, including lowering postpartum depression and anxiety rates by 57.5% for beneficiaries. This is especially relevant to Medicaid coverage as a 2020 analysis conducted by a team of researchers at Harvard and MIT found that those with the lowest incomes in a community, or those who may be eligible for Medicaid, are 1.5 to 3 times more likely than those with the highest incomes to experience depression or anxiety. Thus, doula coverage through Medicaid addresses this problem for vulnerable populations. So why did Utah not enact these bills? Medicaid financed 17% of Utahs births in 2022, so this initiative could benefit many Utahns. Opponents of the bills may cite cost concerns in the programs execution. However, this strategy may actually save funds for Utahs Medicaid program. As shared above, doula support lowers preterm and cesarean birth rates. Kozhimannils 2016 study also found that infants experiencing preterm births have 10 times higher medical costs in their first year than full-term infants, while cesarean births are twice as expensive as vaginal births. The result of these complications is higher costs for payers, which for Utah, is Medicaid 17% of the time. So, if doula support reduces these complications, doula coverage could potentially reduce Medicaid costs as well. But is this a reality in these programs? Kozhimannils 2016 research found it to be so. Using a cost-effective analysis, doula services reimbursed at an average of $986 were found to yield potential cost savings. In other words, doula services reimbursed at $986 or less could actually save Medicaid program funds. This rate ranged from $929 to $1,047 among states. And, indeed, 2023s SB192s fiscal note shows an average of $691 would be spent on 350 clients annually, while 2024s SB85 would spend an average of about $989 for 470 clients annually. SB192s program could likely lead to cost savings, as it is below the range, while SB85s would be within the range, meaning it could potentially lead to cost savings. Regardless, either bill has potential to save Utah Medicaid program funds. Overall, research has shown programs providing Medicaid coverage for doula services are successful, as they give access to vital physical and mental health benefits for vulnerable populations while also potentially saving state funds. Ultimately, to prioritize its families and reduce spending, Utah must pass a bill covering doula services through Medicaid in the 2025 legislative session. This is a vital and effective step forward to making health care more accessible and more economic in Utah. Max Lepore is a political science student at the University of Utah. He has worked various roles in public service both for the state and federal government and is looking forward to a future career in law. It is a bromide in a presidential election year to fret that young people will not turn out to vote, and that the election will therefore be dominated as in so many past years by wealthy older voters. As thoughtful observers have already pointed out, that notion is statistically and philosophically a red herring. Young people ages 18 to 30 appear likely, at least in terms of numbers and passion about issues, to play a larger role in the 2024 election than has been true in elections over the last several decades. There is a much more urgent issue to tackle this year than voting participation by young people. The next generation (who, by the way, long ago rejected the Gen Z label) does believe that its vote matters. For young people overall, according to one recent survey from the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, at least 68% of them think their vote counts, but over half (57%) are dubious about democracy itself. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Todays youngest voters have never experienced democracy and its political process as the opportunity to voice ideas, be heard, learn from different perspectives, and take part in compromise. For their entire lifetimes, they have seen two corporate parties engaged in polarized gridlock, vicious contention, and social media manipulation, all ruled by a four-year cycle that plays out on a Super Bowl-like stage with unreliable outcomes and even, on Jan. 6, physical violence. No wonder theyre inclined not to trust democracy, or at least not to believe those of us in older generations who keep telling them it is a great thing and they should participate. Meanwhile, those of us who are older, who have privilege and influence and who experience the world as working for us, cannot understand the perspective of young people growing up in a world that does not reliably support them. Especially for women, young people of color, and those raised in poverty, it is difficult to imagine that government could ever truly work for them. It is no surprise, then, that another recent study from Supermajority found that more than 90% of young women do not believe the government and political system work effectively. For these disenfranchised populations, it is tempting to tap out. This generation does not want to be told about the power of democracy so much as shown. They need to be able to kick the tires. They need to see it work for them, and they need to be able to engage. Where democracy is concerned, that means giving young people more opportunities, and more preparation, to take part in conversationto come to the table, express opinions, field arguments and find solutions. Related Texas College Program Engages Young Voters, Offers Election Poll Work Experience To be sure, that kind of democratic participation, the participation of voice, requires not just the occasion to speak and listen, but also the skills to do so. Events on college campuses over the past decade certainly over the past 10 months, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war have made it clear that we have a ways to go in helping them learn and practice those skills. Precisely because they have grown up with a hyperpolarized, dysfunctional political environment and an omnipresent social media culture, they have learned a great deal more about how not to engage, from shouting down speakers to creating no-win situations for institutional leaders to bullying and canceling on their social feeds. Some of us who grew up in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War may romanticize college as the time to learn to speak out, debate and engage. But as these recent experiences show, college is now too late for young people to learn these skills. Instead, we need to begin in middle school to create an environment where young people learn to speak and listen. They will not naturally develop these skills online, where algorithms enable even encourage them to filter out a range of perspectives. They will not learn them in classrooms where teachers and students alike are afraid to speak up for fear of being canceled or disciplined, with or without restrictive statutes governing speech on controversial issues. And they will not learn as long as they are allowed to think that disagreement with their opinions, especially heated disagreement, is equivalent to physical and mental harm that must be avoided at all costs. Related How Texas Lawmakers Gutted Civics Schools and out-of-school-time programs need new emphases on civic conversation, media literacy and discussion across differences, including both safe spaces and brave spaces in which to experiment. For that matter, the local venues where deliberation starts town councils, school boards, even homeowners associations and church councils should create seats at the table for young people to observe and take part. This is especially critical in communities where underrepresentation has been a systemic, historic issue. But, in truth, young people raised in any community where their voices dont matter will be all the more likely to opt out of participation. Before we even begin to worry about whether or not young people are voting, we need to double down on whether young people feel heard, whether they know how to make themselves heard in productive ways and whether we know how to listen and respond. Making sure that the next generation knows how the system works, and sees that it can work for them in a very local, personal way, is the best means of getting them to use democracy, rely on it and expect the best from it. In his first year, State Attorney Andrew Bain filled nearly all vacant prosecutor positions in his office while attempting to mend bridges with law enforcement and expanding outreach programs, he told reporters on Friday. Bain, a former judge, is marking the anniversary of his appointment to run the Orange-Osceola State Attorneys Office after Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Bains elected predecessor Monique Worrell. Bain hopes to be elected to the post in November. Key to his time in office, Bain said, was working with law enforcement leaders and community organizations to offer services to at-risk youth and non-violent offenders, while aggressively prosecuting violent crimes. Bain noted that some of these initiatives, like its adult civil citation program, were expanded from previous administrations. Worrell, in fact, piloted the civil citation program to divert those accused of nonviolent crimes to rehabilitation resources instead of prosecuting them. When I became state attorney, I committed to re-staffing our office with experienced prosecutors, prosecuting cases based on rule of law and holding violent criminals accountable to make our communities safer, and collaborating with local partnerships to form prevention and deterring programs to steer people away from crime, Bain told reporters, as he read out a list of his administrations accomplishments off a teleprompter. Of 163 prosecution positions in the office, 162 are now filled by either full-time prosecutors or certified legal interns, according to a report Bain distributed, although it is not clear how many of those he hired. Bain also took swipes at Worrell, criticizing what he characterized as mismanagement during her tenure. He referred to what he considered softer prosecutions of people accused of violent crimes, a common attack on Worrell. Specifically, he referenced Daton Viel, who was facing trial for sexual battery when he shot two Orlando police officers hours before he was killed by a SWAT team. Worrell, who was removed from office just days after the shootings, said Viel was out on bond, which is decided by a judge and not prosecutors. We must answer the call, and Im committed to not neglecting that duty, because that puts peoples lives in danger, Bain said. Accused of neglecting her duty as state attorney, Worrell has previously defended herself against those criticisms, saying she used her prosecutorial discretion. On Friday, a campaign spokesperson said Worrell intends to respond to Bains claims during the debates ahead of the November election. Bain is running as a no-party-affiliated candidate against Worrell, a Democrat, and one of two candidates Thomas Feiter and Seth Hyman vying for the Republican nomination. According to internal polling released by Worrells campaign in July, Bain trailed far behind Worrell in a hypothetical three-way race. More recent polling has not been released by either campaign. Still, Bain says he is looking ahead to another year in office, which he hopes to mark in part with further diversion of prosecutions of youth accused of misdemeanors. The Ninth Circuit, which covers Orange and Osceola counties, lags behind most of the state in its use of juvenile civil citations as an alternative to prosecution which the Orlando Sentinel previously reported. In 2023, the Ninth Circuit had the fourth lowest use of civil citations for youth at just 38% of all arrests, according to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Osceola County law enforcement agencies issued them just 17% of the time. In contrast, Seminole County cops used them 77% of the time while those in Lake did so in 42% of cases. Bain hopes to change that. After appointing liaisons to coordinate with local agencies, his office updated agreements to issue more of those citations while expanding them to include youth accused of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses, according to the annual report. The most important thing, Bain said, is the deputies and officers that are on the streets having the buy-in for the program and seeing the results and showing them the evidence that it works. Democratic state Rep. Janelle Bynum, left, is challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Oregon's 5th Congressional District. (Campaign photos) Oregons largest private sector union wont take sides in the states most competitive congressional race, saying both Republican incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Democratic challenger Janelle Bynum are friends of labor. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555, which represents more than 30,000 members across Oregon, Idaho, southwestern Washington and Wyoming, gave both Chavez-DeRemer and Bynum its greenlight stamp, indicating that their values align with the unions. Union lobbyist Mike Selvaggio confirmed the decision Thursday. Theyre both friends of labor, and they both raised to that level of acceptability for us, Selvaggio said. The double endorsement comes as Bynum and Chavez-DeRemer have battled for support from labor in the close 5th Congressional District, which includes Linn County, most of Clackamas and Deschutes counties and parts of Multnomah and Marion counties. Its one of a handful of races across the country that could decide the balance of the U.S. House. Chavez-DeRemer narrowly won the district in 2022. Unusually for Republicans, she has sought support from unions and highlighted some of their concerns in Congress. She now has endorsements from more than a dozen unions, including Oregons Teamsters union and unions representing ironworkers, carpenters and firefighters. Im honored to receive the green light from our states largest private-sector union, reflecting my continued commitment to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up for working families, Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement to the Capital Chronicle. Selvaggio said UFCW was impressed by Chavez-DeRemer cosponsoring the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, sweeping pro-union bill commonly called the PRO Act that would weaken state right-to-work laws to allow unions to collect dues from all employees, increase penalties for employers who violate labor law and strengthen employees legal rights to join a union. She also regularly reaches out to UFCW for feedback, he said. When she speaks up and puts on record that UFCW 555, is doing a great job for its membership and thats why shes opposing a certain bill, that makes a lot of difference for us, he said. Were not used to that level of attention. Labor unions are a powerful force in state politics, spending millions of dollars and thousands of hours each election cycle to help elect their allies mainly Democratic candidates. Bynum is backed by several of the states most influential unions, including Service Employees International Union Oregon, and on Wednesday announced endorsements from unions representing about 59,000 education and health care workers. Her campaign declined to comment on UFCWs decision. The district has more registered Democrats than Republicans but has a history of voting for moderates. Before Chavez-DeRemer, a moderate Democrat, Kurt Schrader, held the seat for 14 years but was ousted in the 2022 primary by a progressive, Jamie McLeod-Skinner, who lost to Bynum this year. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DUKE, Okla. (KFOR) According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, a Jackson County man has been arrested on rape and child sexual abuse charges. The OSBI says the District Three District Attorneys Office asked for the bureaus help with a sexual assault case on July 19, 2024. LOCAL NEWS: Edmond family says gun was pointed at them while driving in an act of road rage Damion Surles. Special agents began investigating and identified 40-year-old Damion Surles as the suspect. Based on the information gathered, it was discovered that Surles had an inappropriate interaction with a minor. Officials say on August 15, an arrested warrant was issued for Surles. He was found and arrested on charges of First-Degree Rape and Child Sexual Abuse. He has been booked into the Jackson County Jail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. In one agencys book, Adidas isnt the three stripes brand; its the three strikes brand. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced August 9 that it has issued $396,377 in fines to Adidas America Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the German sportswear company. OSHA said in a release that the fines come after the company failed to rectify safety issues in a warehouse in Orange County, New York. More from Sourcing Journal According to the safety watchdog, a 2021 inspection found Adidas lack of guardrails and an unsafe ladder could cause employees to fall up to 10 feet down to the floor below. Because of the issues, OSHA cited Adidas in March 2022. By January, OSHA contested, Adidas failed to prove it had addressed the violations. OSHA had mandated that the company install guardrails or another protective measure for employees working on a mezzanine. It had also required that a ladder to access the mezzanine be extended so that it measured at least three feet above the landing. The regulatory agency said, upon visiting the warehouse this year, it discovered Adidas had still not corrected the violations. Rita Young, OSHA area director in Albany, New York, said the company should have heeded OSHAs warnings and demands the first time around. When employers agree to correct a hazard, they must follow through and prove to OSHA that the hazards were addressed, Young said in a statement. Adidas America Inc. failed to do so, continued to expose their employees to potentially deadly and disabling injuries and are now liable for additional and sizable OSHA penalties. OSHA noted that this violation is not the only one Adidas has come up against recently, noting that the company has received fall hazard citations at its Chester, New York, warehouse, resulting in $17,403 in penalties. Adidas is committed to the health and safety of our employees, a spokesperson for the company told Sourcing Journal. Our facilities fully adhere to OSHA compliance requirements, and we are working with OSHA to resolve the matter. Canada does not put any geographical restrictions on the use of Canadian-donated tanks and armored vehicles by Ukraine, CBC News reported on Aug. 16, citing the Canadian Defense Ministry. This makes Canada another country that has greenlighted the use of most of Western-supplied hardware in Ukraine's ongoing incursion in Russia's Kursk Oblast, alongside Germany, the U.S., and the U.K. "Ukrainians know best how to defend their homeland, and we're committed to supporting their capacity," said Andree-Anne Poulin, a spokesperson for the ministry, as reported by CBC News. Canada has donated at least eight Leopard 2A4 tanks, a few dozen armored combat support vehicles, hundreds of armored patrol vehicles, and several M-777 howitzers to Ukraine. CNN captured footage of a Canadian-made Roshel Senator patrol vehicle crossing the Ukraine-Russia border into Russia on Aug. 15. Ukraine launched its incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6. Kyiv and its Western partners have not commented on what weapons are being deployed in Russia, but multiple reports have indicated that this includes Bradley, Stryker, and Marder armored vehicles, as well as British Challenger 2 tanks. Like their Canadian counterparts, the U.K. Defense Ministry confirmed that there has been no change of policy and Ukraine has the right to use British-supplied weapons except for long-range Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory. Previously, Germany cleared Ukraine to use German-supplied military equipment in the incursion into Russias Kursk Oblast. The U.S. also said that the Kursk incursion is consistent with their policy on Ukraine's use of American-supplied arms but remains reluctant to greenlight strikes inside Russia with ATACMS missiles. Read also: Ukraine deploys British Challenger 2 tanks in Russia incursion, media report Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Over 100 Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian village killing one More than 100 extremist Israeli settlers rampaged through a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank on Thursday night, burning cars and killing at least one person and seriously injuring others. The attack, which was condemned by the Israeli prime ministers office as well as the US and other allies, involved dozens of rampaging Israeli youths, many masked, setting fire to homes and vehicles with Molotov cocktails. Rifles and stones were also used in the attack on the village of Jit, located just west of Nablus the latest in a series of attacks by violent settlers in the West Bank. The attack came after nightfall and dramatic footage shared on social media showed cars and houses ablaze. Vehicles and houses were set ablaze during the attack in the village of Jit - NEWSPRESS A Palestinian standing in his burned home in Jit - NASSER NASSER/AP Torched vehicles in the West Bank village after the rampage by Israeli settlers - NASSER NASSER/AP The Palestinian health ministry said a 23-year-old Palestinian, named Rashid Sada, was killed and another Palestinian civilian was critically wounded by the settlers bullets. Benjamin Netanyahus office issued a statement, saying he viewed the incident with utmost severity. It said: Those responsible for any offence will be apprehended and tried. The White House said such attacks were unacceptable and must stop. A White House spokesman added: Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence, and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account. Rashid Sada was shot dead by settler gangs during the attack The Israeli military said that police and army units intervened and arrested one Israeli. It said it was examining reports about the death of the Palestinian. The IDF condemns events of this type and the rioters, who harm security, law and order, and divert the IDF and the security forces from their main mission of thwarting terrorism and protecting the security of the residents, it added. Palestinians regularly accuse Israeli security forces of standing by and allowing groups of violent settlers to attack their houses and villages and the incidents have attracted increasing concern internationally. The United States and a number of European countries have imposed sanctions on violent settlers and repeatedly called on Israel to do more to curb the attacks. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. VILNIUS, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Belarusian citizens holding a Lithuanian visa, a temporary or permanent residence permit in Lithuania, and traveling for personal reasons, will be allowed to enter Lithuania by car, the Lithuanian Customs announced on Friday. The European Union banned cars with Belarusian plates from entering its territory a month ago. However, some exceptions will be introduced from Saturday, such as the one announced by the Lithuanian Customs. The ban will continue to apply to cars owned by business persons or used for commercial purposes, as well as to vehicles intended for sale. Cars with Belarusian plates have been banned from entering Lithuania since July 18. Those who arrived before this date were given six months for leaving the country, or re-registering in the EU, the Baltic News Service reported. After that date, they will not be allowed to stay in Lithuania and their owners will face fines and confiscation of the cars. Over 30 civilians killed or injured across 3 Ukrainian oblasts in 15 August Russian strikes The aftermath of a Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast. Stock Photo: Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration Ukrainian authorities report that 31 civilians have been killed or injured in Russian strikes on Kharkiv, Kherson and Donetsk oblasts on 15 August. Source: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration; Kherson Oblast Military Administration; Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration Details: Russian forces claimed the lives of three civilians in Donetsk Oblast on 15 August: two in the settlement of Verkhnokamianske and one in Mykolaivka. Five more people were injured in Donetsk Oblast over the past 24 hours: three in Novohrodivka and two in Kostiantynivka. The Russians targeted the village of Prykolotne in Kharkiv Oblast in the afternoon, setting fire to furniture, building structures and the roof of a warehouse building. Six people were injured. A 45-year-old and a 58-year-old man were killed. Additionally, the Russian attack on the village of Zolochiv resulted in a house being set ablaze and caused damage to a preschool, the Zolochiv community arts centre, three shops, 30 houses, the administrative services centre, and premises belonging to a business. Six people were injured in Zolochiv, including one child. One person was killed and five others injured, including one child, in Kherson Oblast on Thursday. A man, 71, was injured in a Russian attack on the village of Tomyna Balka at 06:00 on Friday, 16 August. Before that, the Russians targeted a residential building in the settlement of Antonivka, leaving a 65-year-old local resident injured. Support UP or become our patron! In his own words: What Bixbys superintendent told News 4 about the comments hes now suing Ryan Walters over In his own words: What Bixbys superintendent told News 4 about the comments hes now suing Ryan Walters over OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Two weeks before he filed a defamation lawsuit against Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters, Bixby Public Schools spoke out to News 4 about why he believed comments Walters made about him at Julys State Board of Education meeting are slanderous. On Thursday, Bixby Public School superintendent filed a petition in Tulsa County District court, suing Walters for comments he made to reporters about Miller after a July 31 state school board meeting. Bixby Public Schools Superintendent files defamation suit against Ryan Walters Walters told reporters that Miller was a clown, a joke and a liar, and claimed Bixby Public Schools (BPS) was having financial problems under his leadership. On August 1, the day following Walters comments, Miller gave News 4 an interview. He told News 4 Walters claims were categorically false, and Walters was aware BPS was not having financial issues before he made those comments. Miller told News 4 in that Aug. 1 interview, words have power, and words can also come with consequences. It really was borderline slanderous what he said, Miller told News 4 Aug. 1. He immediately resorts to false statements and name calling. Walters comments came during a press gaggle after Julys state school board meeting, when reporters asked him about concerns miller raised on social media. Miller posted on X social media platform earlier that week that his and other school districts still had not heard from Walters about how much federal title-one funding theyd be getting for the upcoming school year. What is being asked of us is to bend the law Bixby superintendent says Bible mandate would open districts to lawsuits, if followed Walters answered the question by personally attacking Miller, and accusing him of financially mismanaging his school district. Hes a liar I mean, hes really a true embarrassment, Walters said. He knows every year when he gets the Title I funds. And were dealing with all kinds of financial problems with his district that were hoping to address right now. So you know, Rob Robs a clown, and a liar. So he knows that. Same time every yearat least late August. Its the same way its been every year formy team tells meover a decade. So he knows that has been communicated to districts. Robs never reached out. Never indicated theres an issue. Theres not an issue. He made it up. So he wants his name in the press. A few hours after Walters made those comments, Miller posted on X again, writing: Never again disparage or slander my ethics, integrity, or character in public without evidence. I wore a marine officers uniform while you still crawled in diapers. Youre supposed to be a leader. Act like one. As for Walters claims that Bixby Public Schools had financial problems, Miller said that could not be further from the truth. That is blatantly false, Miller told News 4 Aug. 1. There is no financial issues going on here in our district. We just finished an audit a little while ago. We didnt have any significant findings of any kind. We have a high bond rating. Miller also publicly published the districts audit data to back up his claims. He told News 4 Walters was well aware BPS did not have financial issues before he opened his mouth that day. My chief financial officer, my treasurer, and all the folks here who work in our finance department, who work really hard every day to keep our books in order and our Board of Education, who are the stewards of the public finances here and take their jobs very seriously, Miller said. So for him to just do a blanket statement out there like that, knowing that it was false, needed to be called out. Calls for Walters to be held accountable grow after insulting comments, possible Open Meeting Act violation Soon, both superintendents will have their day in court. Miller said he hopes to teach a lesson: words matter. Youre not going to intimidate or bully anyone here in Bixby Public Schools, Miller said on Aug. 1. And I think that we all need to hold him to a higher standard than that. News 4 reached out to Bixby Public Schools for comment on Thursday when Miller filed his lawsuit. A BPS spokesperson sent the following statement: Mr. Millers focus at this time is to ensure a smooth and successful school opening for our Bixby students and families on Tuesday. Therefore, any inquiries regarding todays action involving Mr. Walters should be directed to Supt. Millers legal team at Smith Barkett Law Group. Bixby Public Schools spokesperson News 4 reached out to an Oklahoma State Department of Education Spokesperson Thursday, but did not receive a response. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A Utah restauranteur and part-owner of the Sicilia Restaurant Management company has been sentenced to a year in prison after defrauding the U.S. governments COVID-19 Relief program of over $1.8 million. Giuseppe Mirenda, 29, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced after pleading guilty in Feb. to two counts of conversion of government property. In addition to his imprisonment, Mirenda was sentenced to three years supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Mirenda, a co-owner of five Utah restaurants under Sicilia Restaurant Management Sicilia Mia 1, Sicilia Mia 2, Sicilia Mia LLC, Antica Sicilia LLC, and Bella Sicilia LLC reportedly fraudulently applied for and signed agreements on six Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL loans) between March 2020 and June 2020. Utah Treasure Hunt organizers break down 2024 riddle In 2021, Mirenda applied for another $520,000 in EIDL loans, but was denied, officials said. What are EIDL loans? Under the CARES Act, they were meant for small businesses struggling from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mirenda reportedly agreed that the loan would only be used for restaurant capital, but instead used the money for his own personal benefit. He also misrepresented the citizenship status of his co-owners to get the loans, according to the U.S. Dept. of Justice. In total, Mirenda unlawfully obtained $1,889,400 in EIDL loan funds, a press release from the DOJ states. In less than a year, he used over $1.1 million of the fraudulently obtained funds to buy a house in West Jordan, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada. Mirenda also misused at least another $81,781 in EIDL loan funds to buy luxury cars, including a BMW M3 and a Jaguar F-PACE, and $39,000 in cryptocurrency. Mirena reportedly paid back $680,000 of the EIDL funds, while the U.S. government recovered another almost $1.3 million from the seizure of the profits he made from the forced sale of the two homes in Utah and Nevada, the release states. The Utah Federal COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force investigated this case. No further information is available at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Ozark library to reopen after month-long review of collection to comply with new state policy DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) The Ozark Dale County Library will reopen on Tuesday, August 20, at 10:00 a.m. The library has been closed for the past month so staff could review its nearly 8,000 childrens and teen books and remove any that violate the code and policy changes recently made by the Alabama Public Library Services Board of Trustees. The policy changes, which Governor Kay Ivey recommended in House Bil 145, include: a. The physical location & relocation of sexually explicit or other material inappropriate for children. b. Advance approval of materials recommended, displayed, or otherwise actively promoted to children or youth. c. Exercising discretion in the location of sexually explicit material or other material deemed by the public library board to be inappropriate for children or youth does not constitute a denial of service on the basis of age. Taking age into account with recommending, displaying, or otherwise actively promoting library materials does not constitute a denial of service on the basis of age. d. Any expenditure of public funds to the American Library Association must be approved by the governing board of the public library or public library system in an open, public meeting following advance notice. As of Friday, staff said they had reviewed approximately 90% of the collection and that no books had yet to be removed due to obscene, sexually explicit, or other materials deemed inappropriate for minors. However, the librarys director and administrative assistant are reviewing approximately 70 books. However, some books were removed from the librarys collection because they were irreparably damaged, duplicated, missing, or overdue, and several books were moved from teen to children or children to teen due to cataloging errors. Our staff is confident our collection, which has been reviewed, satisfies the new collection development policies; however, we are all human and ask patrons to speak with our Director Karen Speck to voice any concerns, the library said in a release to WDHN. Reconsideration of Materials forms will be available at the librarys front desk. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. Pace, CPS paratransit drivers go on strike, limiting service for some riders with disabilities Paratransit drivers for Pace Suburban Bus and Chicago Public Schools went on strike Friday, delaying service for some transit riders with disabilities and health conditions. The drivers, employed by SCR Medical Transportation, walked out on strike at 3 a.m. amid attempts to reach a labor contract with the company, Teamsters Local 727, the union that represents the drivers, said in a statement. About 800 drivers walked out, said Caleen Carter-Patton, business manager for the union. About 450 of those drivers work with Pace, she said. Pace would continue to maintain service, but wait times might be longer, spokeswoman Maggie Daly Skogsbakken said. SCR is one of several paratransit providers in the city, she said. The agency, which said it is not part of the labor dispute, asked passengers to postpone nonessential trips or use alternative services like the Taxi Access Program and Rideshare Access Program, which allow eligible riders to take taxi or rideshare trips subsidized by Pace. We are focused on maintaining service for some of our most vulnerable passengers, and we are hopeful that an agreement will be reached as soon as possible, Skogsbakken said in an email. The paratransit program, required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, is open to certified riders with a disability or health condition that prevents them from riding traditional CTA or Pace buses and trains. The strike also affects CPS paratransit bus drivers, though school does not start until late August. CPS officials said in a statement they were monitoring the strike. We encourage the parties to work toward an agreement that ensures qualified students have access to the transportation services that they need, the officials said. The SCR paratransit drivers voted to unionize with the Teamsters in January 2024, according to the union. They have been working to negotiate a contract for months, and talks broke down Thursday night, the Teamsters said. The union walked out on strike alleging the company has violated their labor rights. Their negotiations have come down to compensation issues like wages, and the union believes the drivers make less than other operators doing the same work, Carter-Patton said, characterizing their salaries as poverty wages. Other drivers are handling routes typically driven by the striking members, the union said. In a statement, SCR said it was committed to providing school transportation and paratransit services for those who rely on us, without service disruptions. SCR is dedicated to providing safe and reliable transportation for our schools and communities, and values and respects our hardworking employees, the company said in a statement. We remain focused on reaching a fair and equitable agreement to fulfill our commitment to both our employees and communities and are hopeful that we can return to the bargaining table as soon as possible to resume negotiations. Thailand's newly elected Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra greets after winning the parliamentary vote to become a prime minister at the Pheu Thai Party's headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday. Photo by Rungroj Yongrit/EPA-EFE Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Thailand's parliament elected 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party and a member of the country's most powerful and divisive political dynasty, as prime minister Friday. Paetongtarn received 319 votes from 493 members of parliament to become the youngest-ever Thai leader -- and the third from the Shinawatra clan, after her billionaire father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck. Her election marks the latest twist in a long-running political drama marked by coups and court rulings. On Wednesday, former prime minister Srettha Thavisin -- also a member of the Pheu Thai Party -- was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on charges of appointing a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction. The Pheu Thai Party is the most recent incarnation of the political dynasty founded by billionaire telecom tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, who built up massive support by appealing to Thailand's rural and working-class populations. Thaksin was prime minister before being ousted in a 2006 coup. His sister Yingluck was elected prime minister in 2011 and then also removed by the military in 2014. Paetongtarn entered politics just two years ago after working in the family's hotel business and was the front-runner candidate for the Pheu Thai Party during national elections last year. She lost in a surprise upset to the upstart progressive party Move Forward and its reformist leader Pita Limjaroenrat, however. The two parties initially formed a coalition to put forward a new government but Pita's bid to become prime minister was derailed by military and pro-monarchy factions in parliament. Pheu Thai Party then joined forces with its longtime conservative foes to sideline Move Forward and seat Srettha as prime minister. Earlier this month, Move Forward was dissolved by Thailand's Constitutional Court over its proposals to reform the country's draconian royal defamation laws, which the court said risked undermining the constitutional monarchy. The court verdicts and behind-the-scenes maneuvering by traditional power players have further undermined Thailand's fragile democracy, human rights advocates say. "Paetongtarn Shinawatra's rise to become Prime Minister should not obscure the judicial coup by Thailand's Constitution Court that has devastated confidence in the country's stability, and commitment to democracy," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told UPI. "For a country in the economic doldrums that is highly dependent on foreign investment and exports, this perfect political storm has rattled confidence in a way that few could imagine," he said. Looming over Paetongtarn's victory is the presence of her father, Thaksin, who returned to Thailand from a 15-year self-imposed exile last year and remains a deeply divisive figure in the country. His return was part of a bargain with his former political enemies to keep Move Forward out of power. In exchange, he saw an eight-year corruption sentence reduced and later commuted by Thai King Vajiralongkorn. However, this week's removal of Srettha was seen by many observers as a warning to Thaksin to rein in any future ambitions. He was also indicted on lese majeste charges in June over comments he made in a 2015 newspaper interview that allegedly insulted the monarchy. Paetongtarn now inherits significant political challenges, including sparking an economy that has lagged behind its Southeast Asian neighbors. While on the campaign trail last year, she ran on populist proposals such as increasing the minimum wage, expanding health care coverage and reducing fares on public transportation. The Pheu Thai Party has pushed a digital wallet plan that would give a handout of roughly $275 to some 50 million Thai citizens, but the initiative has been delayed due to concerns from authorities including the central bank. During her rise, the political novice quickly endeared herself to Pheu Thai voters but she has not yet won broader popular support. A poll released in June found that less than 5% of respondents favored Paetongtarn for prime minister, while Move Forward's Pita received more than 45% of votes. Aftermath of an Israeli settlers' attack in the village of Jeit Aftermath of an Israeli settlers' attack in the village of Jeit By Ali Sawafta JIT, West Bank (Reuters) - Muawiya Sedeh, a 38 year-old father of five was at home in the West Bank village of Jit when his house was torched by a band of Jewish settlers, some masked and wielding Molotov cocktails, who stormed in on Thursday night. He said he escaped with his family with only minutes to spare. When he returned, he said the settlers were jeering and taunting him, saying "We will come back and kill you!" and telling him to go to Jordan or Syria. Local people said more than 100 people took part in the attack, many wearing masks and clad in black, and appeared well-coordinated, dividing into groups armed with guns and others throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. "I was lucky, it was a matter of minutes between life and death," Sedeh said. Video shared on social media showed cars and houses ablaze and Palestinian emergency services reported that a 22-year-old man was killed by gunfire from the settlers. The Jit attack was larger than recent raids by West Bank settlers but was hardly unique, with violence against Palestinian villages already on the rise as settlement building has spread unchecked across the West Bank. Since the start of the Gaza war, they have picked up even more rapidly. Between Oct 7, when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel, and this week, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA recorded around 1,250 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, or around four per day. Of these, around 120 led to Palestinian deaths or injuries and around 1,000 damaged Palestinian property. Thursday's attack took place as negotiators met in Doha for last-ditch talks aimed at halting the fighting in Gaza and heading off the looming threat of a wider regional war involving Iran and its proxies. There was swift condemnation by senior Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who promised an investigation, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and even Bezalel Smotrich, the hardline head of a pro-settler party, who has dismissed such incidents in the past. The heads of two West Bank settler associations, the Samaria Council and the Kedumim Council also condemned the attack, which, like Smotrich, who blamed "criminals", they suggested was carried out by groups from outside the area. "Those who come to create disorder and violence - don't come to Samaria, you are not welcome here," they said, using a Biblical name used by Israelis for part of the West Bank. DELAYED RESPONSE Jit, located between the flashpoint cities of Nablus and Qalqilyah, in the northern West Bank, has not seen settler attacks on a comparable scale in the recent past, residents said, but they said there had been tensions as nearby settlements have grown and expanded. Palestinians in the West Bank have regularly complained of the growing violence and strength of settler incursions in Palestinian areas like Huwara or Burqa, which have seen repeated attacks and there was a feeling of shock in the village. "We've seen attacks before but not in such a brutal and organized way," said Hassan Orman, a resident who saw the attack. "What happened wasn't about four or five settlers who just wanted to carry out an attack. What happened is something organized, they planned for it for days, they had weapons, tear gas, pepper spray, knives, all kinds of weapons." Although the Israeli military condemned the attack, and said it had arrested one person, local people said it took around an hour for the first security forces to arrive at the scene. "If anyone from the village goes towards the settlements, they're there in minutes," said 40-year-old Saddam Kahder. Palestinians and rights groups regularly accuse Israeli forces of standing by as attacks take place and even joining in themselves and legal action against violent settlers is extremely uncommon. "How can these terrorist gangs mobilize 100 of their members ... and attack a Palestinian village if they did not feel protected," the Palestinian foreign ministry said in a statement. In a report from January, Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group that monitors settler violence, said an analysis of 1,664 investigation files between 2005-23 showed almost 94% were closed without an indictment. But as global pressure has mounted on Israel over the Gaza war, now in its 11th month, the patience of Israel's allies, including the United States, has been increasingly strained by incidents which cause deep anger in their home countries. Many, including the United States have begun imposing sanctions on individuals and face pressure to do more and to curb the expansion of settlements on land the Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state, a key part of the two-state solution favoured by Western countries. Most countries deem the settlements, built on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, as illegal. British Foreign Minister David Lammy and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne, who spoke with Israeli counterparts during a joint visit to Jerusalem on Friday, both condemned the attack. "Prime Minister Netanyahu has said there will be a swift investigation. I hope that that investigation can ensure that those who have engaged in this settler violence over the course of the last 24 hours are brought to justice," Lammy said. (Additional reporting by Raneen Sawafta, Sinan Abu Mayzer in Jit, James Mackenzie in Jerusalem; writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Angus MacSwan) SYDNEY, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in Australia's largest state on Friday issued a warning over a surge in mpox cases. New South Wales (NSW) Health asked the community to be aware of symptoms of mpox - formerly known as monkeypox - following an increase in infections. According to the health body, there have been 93 notifications of mpox in NSW since the start of June. Prior to June, there had been only one confirmed mpox case in the state of 8.4 million people in 2024. In 2022 and 2023, there were a combined 68 confirmed cases of the potentially deadly disease in NSW. Jeremy McAnulty, NSW health executive director of health protection, said in a statement that anyone experiencing symptoms of mpox - even those who have had a vaccine - should make an appointment with a doctor. "With the recent increase in cases, NSW Health is asking people who may be at risk of mpox to stay on the lookout for symptoms," he said. "Some people experience mild fever, headache, fatigue, or swollen lymph nodes and mouth ulcers or rectal pain," McAnulty said. "Mpox can spread to others until the lesions resolve." The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a global health emergency in response to a severe outbreak of the viral disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo. NSW Health said there have been over 15,000 cases of mpox reported in central Africa this year - many of which are due to the new clade 1b strain of the virus that has not been detected in Australia. The mpox vaccine is free in NSW for people considered to be at higher risk of contracting the disease. Less than a week after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trumps life, the Secret Service temporarily closed a major road near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in an effort to beef up security in the lead-up to Novembers election. Now, various posts making the rounds on social media claim that Palm Beachs mayor is seeking to shut down Mar-a-Lago and evict Trump from his Florida home. Pamela Geller, a right-wing blogger and activist, spread such claims in a blog post later shared with her 1.1 million followers on Facebook. These fascists will stop at nothing, Geller wrote. The Mayor of Palm Beach is considering shutting down Mar-a-Lago and kicking Trump out of his own house. The claim is partially true, but missing critical context. While Palm Beachs mayor and city council are considering closing Mar-a-Lago to club members, there is no evidence that Trump could be kicked out of his Florida home. The Palm Beach Post reported that Palm Beach Council members on Tuesday discussed a temporary closure of Mar-a-Lago for club members because of the Secret Services closure of part of South Ocean Boulevard. In my mind, if the road is closed, the Mar-a-Lago Club is closed, Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore said at the meeting. Theres no way in Gods green earth that they can bring 350 people into that club. Its completely illogical that youve got a road closed and then youre going to let 350 strangers into your club. The road closure is currently in effect through Election Day on November 5, and a temporary closure of the Florida resort could last through the same date. Notably, the motive behind the potential closure of the club is not to remove Trump from his residence, but rather to ensure better security around the sitea task made more difficult by the presence of Mar-a-Lago resort guests numbering in the hundreds. When Trump was president, the road was closed only when he was staying at the resort. If Palm Beach municipal officials ultimately decide to temporarily close Mar-a-Lago until the November election, there is no indication that Trump would be required to leave or change his residence. Although Mar-a-Lago is a private club and not zoned for residential living, Palm Beach zoning codes permit exceptions for clubs to provide living quarters for a bona fide employee, meaning Trump can reside there. Therefore, even if Palm Beach officials opt to close the resort, the former president could remain. If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. Palmetto man shot and killed after pointing a rifle at police officers, chief says Palmetto Police fatally shot a man who pointed a rifle at them during a mental health episode, police say. Officers say they responded to the home of Daniel McClelland, 47, in the 700 block of Eighth Street West in Palmetto just before 9 a.m. Tuesday after reports of him making suicidal statements. McClellan threatened to force officers to shoot him if they responded, according to police. When officers arrived at the home, police say McClelland went inside and came back outside with a rifle. According to police, McClelland pointed the rifle at the officers who commanded him to drop it, but police say he did not obey their commands. One of the officers was then forced to respond to the threat and shoot McClelland, Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler told the Bradenton Herald Friday morning. Tyler said officers attempted life-saving measures until paramedics arrived and brought McClelland to a local hospital. McClelland later died from his injuries, but police have not released the time of death. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorneys Office are investigating the shooting, Tyler said. The officer who shot McClellan is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Tyler said. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Panama City Port Authority officials approved their annual tariff amendments on Thursday. The tariff is the cost per short ton of cargo that moves through the port. Port authority officials said their tariff rates are competitive and have grown between 3-5%. Not only do these rates help attract new clients, but the money is also reinvested into the port to pay for infrastructure projects and offset insurance costs. Bay County Council on Aging preparing classes for its Brain Health Program Panama City Port Authority Executive Director Alex King said theyre working hard to create new business opportunities in the area. Were always working to attract new cargo opportunities and grow our business. We have to be a growing port to remain competitive, to support healthy stevedoring operations, to support our pilots, and to support our tug companies. The more competitive your rates are, it does help when youre attracting that new business, King said. The new rates go into effect on October 1. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. When The Pandemic Came, Zoos Shut, And Animals Began to Act Differently We all had to make adjustments as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded even zoo animals who were suddenly not seeing crowds of visitors pass by every single day. In a study published in 2022, researchers discovered how primates reacted to that shift, looking at the behavior of bonobos, chimpanzees, western lowland gorillas, and olive baboons, and finding that the animals changed their habits in a variety of ways, including the amount of time they spent resting and eating. Visitor interactions are thought to be crucial to the welfare of zoo animals. Yet these interactions have the potential to be either positive or negative. So the researchers were keen to see the difference when the crowds weren't there. "Primates are some of the most cognitively advanced species in zoos and their interactions with visitors are complex," zoo animal welfare scientist Samantha Ward from Nottingham Trent University in the UK explained at the time. "A limitation to understanding how visitors can affect behavior of animals in zoos and parks is that they rarely close to the public for prolonged periods, so this provided us with a unique opportunity." Observations were recorded at Twycross Zoo and Knowsley Safari in the UK, both before and after visitors returned. Over several months and multiple open and closure periods, there were noticeable changes in primate behavior, which varied depending on the animal. As visitors began to return to the zoo, the bonobos and gorillas spent less time alone, while the gorillas also spent less time resting. Chimpanzees, meanwhile, were eating more and engaging with their enclosures more when zoos reopened. The olive baboons in the safari park were seen to engage in less sexual and dominance behavior when the visitors came back. They also tended to approach visitor cars more often, compared with the ranger vehicles they saw when the park was closed. Whether or not these changes were positive is more difficult to say. The researchers suggest that the returning visitors seemed to stimulate the chimpanzees and baboons, while gorillas and bonobos spending less time alone could also be viewed as positive. At the same time, it could be argued that gorillas naturally more sedentary animals were disrupted by the crowds in that they spent less time resting. That the gorillas changed the parts of their enclosures they spent the most time in when visitors came back suggests that the animals can to some extent manage this disruption. "Behavioral changes and changes in enclosure use in the presence of visitors highlights the adaptability of zoo species to their environments," said zoo animal welfare researcher Ellen Williams from Harper Adams University in the UK. "Provision of environments which enable animals to actively adapt in this manner is really important for their welfare." The team also observed that there was a visitor number threshold when it came to olive baboons, beyond which the animals stopped becoming increasingly active and stimulated by the passing cars in the safari park. This is all valuable data for animal welfare researchers, who know that visitors can have all kinds of effects on wildlife from adding feelings of companionship and safety, to being sources of annoyance or even threats. This needs to be factored into how zoos and parks are run and designed. While there might not be any more lockdowns in the foreseeable future (hopefully), the research team wants to continue the work of studying how visitor numbers affect animal behavior, including collecting data involving more animals and across a longer time scale. "Future work could involve looking at the impact on a wider range of species in both zoos and safari parks as well as differences among individual animals," said Williams. The research was published in Animals. An earlier version of this article was published in September 2022. Related News Nancy Pelosi warned Joe Biden she was willing to go public with concerns that hed lose to Donald Trump if he didnt drop out of the race, according to a report. The former House Speaker sent the message to the president the day before he announced on July 21 that he would abandon his re-election campaign, according to the Daily Mail. The outlet cited four sources with knowledge of the situation, one of whom also claimed a phone call took place in which Pelosi told Biden shed also publish damning polling figures to support her concerns. Nancy Pelosi Digs Deeper Into Rumors She Orchestrated Biden Exit The warning amounted to an ultimatum for Biden to drop out or risk being trashed by Pelosi in front of the world, according to the Daily Mail. Pelosis office and the White House denied the longtime allies spoke on the phone, the report says. Pelosi has previously said that she did not make any calls before Biden quit. Biden only started drafting his statement announcing he would withdraw from the race after the warning from Pelosi, according to the Mail. One source described it as a come to Jesus moment. After his first statement, Biden quickly released another endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him as the Democratic nominee. The claims follow other reporting this week that Pelosi and Bidenwhove been friends for half a centuryhave not spoken since the day the president axed his campaign. Pelosi last month started using her influence to try and get him to drop out, according to The New York Times, citing a person close to Biden as saying he was unhappy with how things went down. Pelosi is currently promoting her aptly titled memoir, The Art of Power, and has used media appearances to address her relationship with the president. Last week, she was asked by The New Yorker if she thought their friendship would survive. I hope so, she said. I pray so. I cry so. She added that was losing sleep over the matter. Biden himself mentioned Pelosi in a CBS interview over the weekend when discussing his Democratic colleagues fears that his continued candidacy for president would hurt them in other races. I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic, Biden said. Youd be interviewing me about, Why did Nancy Pelosi say why did soand I thought it would be a real distraction. Earlier this month, Pelosi used her own CBS interview to say that Biden knows she loves him very much and denied reports that shed led the charge to get him off the ticket. I wasnt the leader of any pressure [campaign], Pelosi said. Let me say things that I didnt do. I didnt call one person. I did not call one person. I could always say to him: I never called anybody. What Im saying is, I had confidence that the president would make the proper choice for our countrywhatever that would be, she added. And I said that: Whatever that [choice] is, well go with. Pelosi later called Biden a Mount Rushmore kind of president of the United States and suggested he could be added to the national memorial. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. FILE PHOTO: Undated picture shows Jack Douglas Teixeira who was arrested by the FBI, over the leaks online of classified documents By Nate Raymond HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard accused of leaking classified U.S. national security documents online, was arraigned on Friday on charges brought by the U.S. Air Force that he violated military laws. During a brief appearance before a military judge at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, 22-year-old Teixeira deferred entering a plea to charges that he obstructed justice and failed to obey a lawful order until closer to when his court-martial trial is scheduled to begin on March 10. The Air Force announced in May it was pursuing charges that he violated military laws after Teixeira had already pleaded guilty in March to separate charges in federal court brought by the U.S. Justice Department. Air Force prosecutors say Teixeira ignored an order to cease accessing classified information unrelated to his duties and obstructed justice by disposing of an iPad, computer hard drive and iPhone after the leaks were uncovered and instructing someone to delete online messages Teixeira had sent. Military Judge Colonel Vicki Marcus at Friday's hearing said she would hold hearings in November and January where she would address any pre-trial motions from defense lawyers. They have argued the charges were brought in violation of Teixeira's constitutional right to not be prosecuted twice for the same offense. Teixeira was arrested in April 2023 after authorities said he carried out one of the most serious U.S. national security breaches in years while working as a cyber defense operations journeyman, or information technology support specialist. Despite being a low-level airman, Teixeira held a top-secret security clearance, and starting in January 2022 began accessing hundreds of classified documents related to topics including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to prosecutors. Teixeira shared classified information on the messaging app Discord in private servers - a kind of chat room - while bragging that he had access to "stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China," according to prosecutors. The U.S. Justice Department plans to seek a sentence of more than 16 years when Teixeira is sentenced on Nov. 12. (This story has been corrected to fix the date of arrest to April 2023 from April 2013, in paragraph 6) (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, editing by Deepa Babington) PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) Honoring a local leader, who was most known for his perserverance. Henry Chapman, also known as Chappie Chapman, was a former WMBD employee, and an influential part of Peoria Zoos construction of their Africa exhibit, was honored today as the Peoria Zoo named their new navigation kiosk after him. Located at the front of the park, the kiosk includes a map of the park and upcoming events. Peoria Zoo mourns loss of male Giraffe The Peoria Park District says the construction of the kiosk is all for the remembrance of Chappie who died in 2022. Its a great way for his family to be able to celebrate him, for his friends, to be able to be reminded of him, said Emily Cahill, the executive director of the Peoria Park District. And it helps us just on a daily basis because it gives us the opportunity to do away with paper maps. It allows us to be more environmentally friendly, all things that Chappy would be really happy to see. Cahill also says the kiosk gives park goers the chance to take a second to breathe and plan out their day. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. New permit for dog breeders, sellers to be required in Fresno. What are the penalties? A proposed new law in Fresno would require people who breed and sell pets to get a breeding permit from the city, with an annual limit on litters and fines up to $1,000 for violations. Fresno City Council President Annalisa Perea and Councilmember Garry Bredefeld introduced the ordinance on Thursday, when it was approved on a 6-0 vote. If it gets final approval on Aug. 29, it would take effect in late September. The crackdown on backyard dog and cat breeders is part of an effort by the city to combat a growing number of stray animals that are overwhelming local shelters and rescue organizations. We are here today because the city is facing a crisis of overpopulation in our animal shelters, and it is largely due, in part, to the excessive illegal breeding that is occurring within our city limits, Perea said Wednesday when she and Bredefeld unveiled the measure. People in our city are breeding animals faster than we can save them, and its time that we hold these illegal breeders accountable in Fresno, she added. Dogs over the age of 4 months are required to be licensed in the city of Fresno, whether or not they have been spayed or neutered. The city currently has two categories of dog licenses: $12 per year or $30 for a three-year license for spayed or neutered pets, and $50 per year or $135 for three years for unaltered dogs. In June, the city enacted a moratorium on issuing licenses for dogs that have not been spayed or neutered, and established fines of $1,000 for owners for each puppy sold from litters whelped by unlicensed dogs. But the city does not yet have any requirements for dog breeders. That will change if the new ordinance becomes law. Among its key provisions are: Establishing a breeder permit for anyone who wants to breed a dog or cat. While the proposed ordinance itself doesnt set forth the cost of a breeder permit, Bredefeld said the fee will be $2,000 each year. In addition, the pet owner will be required to have the dog licensed and have a business tax license from the city. A separate breeder permit will be required for each dog or cat that is allowed to breed. Under the terms of the breeder permit, the owner of an unaltered female dog or cat shall not allow the whelping of more than one litter in any household within the permit year. A breeder permit will also be required for any person who offers to sell or give a dog or cat from any public place, including sidewalks, businesses, shopping malls, flea markets, swap meets and areas in front of other businesses, except for nonprofit animal rescue organizations, dog or cat shows, and permitted pet stores. A breeder will be required to display their breeder permit number on any advertisement for sale or adoption of a pet, including posters and social media posts. Fines of $1,000 will be imposed for each animal bred, sold or given away in violation of the ordinance. The breeder can correct the violation and avoid a fine if, within 30 days, he or she can provide proof that the animal was spayed or neutered, or obtain the required breeder permit. Ongoing violations by a breeder may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor crime. Bredefeld said the ordinance will hold accountable those who engage in this illegal (breeding) activity, specifically those who do not have a breeder permit from the city of Fresno but are selling dogs or cats in public places. Perea and Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz said the citys code enforcement and animal center teams will be monitoring social media, newspapers, posters and other advertising venues for pet-for-sale ads. Janz added that residents can also report potential violations through the citys FresGO 311 web page or the FresGO app for Apple or Android smartphones. Janz added that the intent is not to penalize people who may not be able to afford to have their pet spayed or neutered and end up with a pregnant dog or cat. So thats not in the spirit of what were talking about here, he said. Were not going after a situation where theres not really the intent there (to breed). Were going after the people that are intending to actively breed. Deputy City Manager Alma Torres, who is the interim director of the city-owned Fresno Animal Center, said the city is continuing to turn away people who bring healthy stray animals to the shelter because it already has more dogs and cats than it can safely house. With the approval of the City Council in December, the shelter began to limit its intake of stray dogs to only those that are aggressive or vicious, or those that are sick or injured. Torres said this week that the shelter has 200 dogs, but only 128 general population kennels. The shelter also has 63 kennels for cats, but the feline population is 125. The overcrowding at the shelter is contributing to higher rates of euthanasia, or animals having to be destroyed. Torres said from January through July of 2023, that about 77% of animals left the shelter alive. Over the first six of this year, that had dropped to 68%. PERRY COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Richard and Ivonne Bucher Farm in Millerstown was one of six farms in the Midstate honored by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for its longtime service to the community. Yesterday, at Penn States Age Progress Days, Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding honored six family farms that have operated and passed down the farm through their family for over 100 years, according to the Department of Agriculture. These families embody the best of Pennsylvania agriculture and our commonwealths heritage, said Secretary Redding. They have not only been tirelessly devoted to feeding our communities for generations, but they are also passing down their family legacy to feed Pennsylvanias future. I am proud to honor these families on behalf of the Shapiro Administration. We are indebted to them for their perseverance, and we look to their example of productivity and progress for all of us. Richard and Ivonne Bucher Farm in Millersville was established in 1850. According to the Pa. Department of Agriculture, the corn and soybean farm was originally purchased by German immigrant Daniel Bucher. Today, the farm remains in the family and includes a log cabin from the original homestead and another home built in 1790. Both are still in use said the Department of Agriculture. The farm is one of 37 Perry County farms older than 100 years old, per the Pa. Department of Agriculture. An additional five farms were also honored: Berks County: George R. and Barbara A. Hess Farm, Shoemakersville Bicentennial Farm, est. 1805 Centre County: Hall Family Farm, Port Matilda Century Farm, est. 1896 Greene County: Sharon Smith Family Farm, Waynesburg Century Farm, est. 1901 Northumberland County: Bonita and John F. Troxell, Jr. Farm, Northumberland Century Farm, est. 1851 Westmoreland County: Harry and Mary Hamill Farm, Ligonier Bicentennial Farm, est. 1761 Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. JERUSALEM, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army's fighting in the Gaza Strip has ended, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported late Friday night. Citing senior security officials, the TV said that Israel can return and re-enter Gaza "when there is new intelligence," but in general the Israeli military's activity in the Palestinian enclave is over. According to the channel, the Israeli army told the decision-makers that the Rafah Brigade of Hamas had been defeated and that it practically did not exist. It added that these things were said at the political level during the security situation assessment discussions in the last few days. Israeli senior defense officials also told the political echelon that this is the time to start a hostage deal when most of the fighting units of Hamas are disbanded, Kan TV noted. The channel also reported that the Israeli delegation that participated in the negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday did not arrive in Qatar by flight for fear of an Iranian attack. The delegation landed in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and proceeded to Doha, not by flight. A joint statement from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar released on Friday said that "over the last 48 hours in Doha, senior officials from our governments have engaged in intensive talks as mediators aiming to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees." FILE PHOTO: People pose with syringe with needle in front of displayed Pfizer logo By Deena Beasley (Reuters) - Pfizer and BioNTech said a late-stage trial of their experimental mRNA vaccine to protect against influenza and COVID-19 found the combination shot failed to meet one of the study's two main goals and they are evaluating next steps. The drugmakers said on Friday the Phase 3 trial showed the vaccine elicited a robust influenza A immune response, compared to a standard flu vaccine, but showed weaker results against the influenza B strain. The formulation showed similar responses against SARS-CoV-2 as the companies' COVID-19 vaccine. "We remain optimistic about our combination COVID-19 and influenza program, for which we are evaluating the next steps," Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizer's head of vaccine research and development, said in a statement. The companies said they are discussing the findings with health authorities and evaluating adjustments to the candidate. The trial, which compared the experimental vaccine to a licensed influenza vaccine and the companies' COVID-19 vaccine given at the same visit, enrolled 8,000 healthy adults. The drugmakers said no safety issues with the combination vaccine have been identified. Pfizer also said a Phase 2 trial of its second-generation mRNA flu vaccine candidate showed that the formulation elicited robust influenza A and B responses, with no safety issues reported. It said data from the 450-patient flu vaccine trial would be made available at a later date. (Reporting by Deena Beasley; Editing by Jamie Freed) PGPD: Man in custody after hours-long standoff in Langley Park PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) Prince Georges County police said a man is in custody after he barricaded himself inside a home in Langley Park on Friday morning. The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) said around 2:30 a.m. officers were called to the 8200 block of 17th Ave after shots were fired at a home. Police said when officers arrived, they found a family of 12, eight adults and four children, outside the home with the suspect inside. PGPD believed the man fired multiple rounds inside and outside the house. We set up our perimeter and with the great work of the men and women of the Prince Georges County Police Department we were able to apprehend the subject without further incident, said Katina Gomez, with Deputy Chief of the Bureau of Homeland Security. Body found on Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Sterling There were no reported injuries. Gomez said detectives are working with the community and family to learn what led to the shooting. The incident remains under investigation. Police presence in Langley Park community on Aug. 16 (Liberty Simmons/ DC News Now) Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. The debate at Philadelphias National Constitution Center will begin at 9 p.m. EDT and be moderated by ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir (pictured) and ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis. File Photo by Al Drago/UPI Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will take part in a live televised debate in Philadelphia on Sept. 10 and broadcast on ABC, the network confirmed Friday. The debate at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center will begin at 9 p.m. EDT and be moderated by ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir and ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis. In addition to the live TV broadcast, ABC plans to stream the event on its ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu streaming platforms. Trump and President Joe Biden had previously agreed to a second and final debate on Sept. 10, before Biden ended his presidential re-election campaign. The debate will mark the first such event between Harris and Trump and ends weeks of speculation over when and where the two candidates would face off against each other. Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will take part in a live televised debate in Philadelphia on Sept. 10 and broadcast on ABC, the network confirmed Friday. Photo by Rena Laverty/UPI Trump earlier this month suggested three separate debate dates on three separate American TV networks, suggesting additional exchanges in September on Fox and NBC. That prompted the Harris campaign to issue a correction that nothing had yet been agreed upon. The Trump campaign in early August said it had secured a Sept. 4 debate with Harris on Fox News, which was never confirmed. Former President Donald previously debated President Joe Biden on CNN before Biden dropped out of the race. File Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/UPI Speculation persisted that Trump did not want to have the debate on ABC, amid his ongoing legal issues with the network. The former president currently has a defamation suit against the network and host George Stephanopoulos before the courts. Last week, the former president announced on his Truth Social platform he was reconciling with the network despite the lawsuits. Biden and Trump in late June took part in a televised debate on CNN after which the president drew widespread criticism for his performance before dropping out. Philippines says China was `dramatically' alarmed over US missile system deployed to its north FILE - In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a Chinese Coast Guard ship, right, uses its water cannons on a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel, as it approaches Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea, Dec. 9, 2023. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP, File) MANILA, Philippines (AP) China expressed its very dramatic alarm over a mid-range missile system that the U.S. military recently deployed to the Philippines, and warned it could destabilize the region. But Manilas top diplomat said Friday he reassured his Chinese counterpart that the weaponry was only in the country temporarily. Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, expressed Chinas concern over the U.S. mid-range missile deployment to the Philippines during their talks last month in Laos on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings with Asian and Western countries. We discussed it and, well, they made it very dramatic, Manalo said in response to questions during a news conference with foreign correspondents in Manila. I said you shouldnt be worried. Pressed to specify what Chinas specific concerns were, Manalo said Wang warned the presence of the U.S. missile system could be destabilizing, but the Philippine foreign affairs chief said he disagreed. Theyre not destabilizing and the missile system was only in the Philippines temporarily, Manalo said he told Wang. The U.S. Army said in April it transported the mid-range missile system, a land-based weapon that can fire the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, from the U.S. to the northern Philippines as part of combat exercises with Philippine troops. The missile system, however, was not fired during the joint combat exercises of the longtime treaty allies and the Philippine military has said the missile system may be transported out of the country next month. China has strongly opposed increased U.S. military deployments to the region, including to the Philippines, and warned these could endanger regional stability and peace. The U.S. and the Philippines have repeatedly condemned Chinas increasingly assertive actions t o fortify its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where hostilities have particularly flared since last year between Chinese and Philippine coast guard forces and accompanying vessels. In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the busy waterways, a key global and security route. (Bloomberg) -- The Philippines top diplomat said the deployment of a US missile system in the Southeast Asian nation was only made temporarily, in response to Chinas criticism last month that it could lead to regional tension. Most Read from Bloomberg At a forum with foreign correspondents in Manila on Friday, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo recalled how his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi told him during a meeting in July that the US missile system could be destabilizing. Manalo said his response to Wang was: No, they are not destabilizing. He said he believed the missiles Wang was referring to are only there temporarily. Late last month, Wang was reported to have brought up the issue on the US missile system with Manalo during a regional forum in Laos, while accusing the Philippines of breaking consensus in the South China Sea. The US military said in a statement in April that the Mid-Range Capability missile system was deployed for the first time to the northern Philippines as part of defense drills. The Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been bolstering its security alliance with the US. The US recently pledged an unprecedented level of defense funding to the Philippines amounting to $500 million, reinforcing an increasingly important alliance ahead of the US presidential election in November. At the same time, Manila has been asserting its claims in the South China Sea, causing clashes and strained ties with Beijing. Philippines Fortifies South China Sea Outpost For a Decade To de-escalate tensions, China and the Philippines agreed on a provisional arrangement on the resupply of its troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre, Manilas outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal. They also agreed on a hotline that includes representatives of Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Manalo said at the forum that the Philippines will stick to its commitments under the deal with China, without giving further details. The Cabinet official said that the Philippines stronger ties with allies are not aimed at any other country. He also said Manilas cooperation with Hanoi could be a good model on how nations could manage differences. Vietnam and the Philippines have been locked in disputes with China over parts of the South China Sea. The two Southeast Asian nations have recently submitted separate information to the United Nations, asserting exclusive rights to resources in the disputed sea. In June, Vietnam offered to hold talks with the Philippines about overlapping maritime claims. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Phoenix has published videos, photos and reports pertaining to more than 100 incidents cited in the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into the city's policing practices. The Justice Department found Phoenix police have used excessive force, acted with bias against people of color, treated people with behavioral health issues improperly, violated the rights of people living on the street, restricted the rights of protesters, and failed to adjust policing tactics with children. Its conclusions were released in June after a nearly three-year investigation. On Friday, Phoenix posted a website dojrecords.phoenix.gov that annotates the Justice Department's 126-page report by connecting incidents federal investigators describe with related internal Phoenix Police Department materials. On the Phoenix website, each incident city officials were able to identify based on the incident's description in the Justice Department report is labeled with information including the incident's date and location, the result of any internal reviews, and the pages where the incident is described in the federal report. Phoenix City Manager Jeff Barton (right) answers questions about the Department of Justice investigation on June 13, 2024, at Phoenix City Hall. Looking on is Phoenix police Chief Michael Sullivan. Incidents are categorized by the Justice Department's focus areas, including use of force, homelessness, discriminatory policing, protected speech, behavioral health and youth. Since the Justice Department report was released, the city has not publicly indicated how it will respond. The report could lead to federal oversight of the Phoenix Police Department, which would come via an agreement or a lawsuit by the Justice Department. The relationship between Phoenix and the Justice Department is already contentious. In most places where the Justice Department has investigated policing, city officials have signed an agreement to cooperate on reforms before the federal government released its investigative findings. Phoenix officials refused to do so. Police union leaders and Steve Serbalik, an attorney who represented officers during Justice Department investigative interviews, have criticized the report for misquoting interviews and claim the report contains other errors. On Friday, in a news release, city officials said the newly released material would allow people "to have a better understanding of the allegations" made by the Justice Department as the city finds opportunities to improve policing. "Analyzing these incidents is a valuable process for our City as we look to continue building on many of the improvements made before and after I arrived," interim police Chief Michael Sullivan said in the statement. Serbalik on Friday said that the city website demonstrates Phoenix's commitment to transparency, which he says the Justice Department report lacked. "I think it's really important for people to be able to compare what the DOJ wrote about incidents with what actually was reported by the Phoenix Police Department and the officers," he said. Serbalike said he planned to compare the city's material to the Justice Department report. He was "100% certain," he said, that he would find errors on the part of the Justice Department. Reach the reporter at miguel.torres@arizonarepublic.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix releases information on police incidents, annotates DOJ report FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) The start of the 2024-2025 academic year should come with fewer distractions for students in several schools that are part of a phone-free pilot program. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) said the goals of the effort, which begins on Sept. 3, are to limit classroom disruptions and improvement student engagement and learning by creating an environment in which students arent distracted by cellphones or social media. Parents in favor of keeping cellphones out of Virginia classrooms The pilot program is in place at a number of middle and high schools: Participating Middle Schools Frost Middle School Irving Middle School Jackson Middle School Poe Middle School Robinson Middle School Thoreau Middle School Twain Middle School Students who are in the pilot program at a participating middle school will receive a special cellphone storage pouch called a Yondr pouch. The magnetic pouch stops students from using phones, including for social media activity, texting, and making phone calls. The school division said each student is reposnsible for his/her individual pouch which the student brings to school every day. Mobile phones are locked into Yondr pouches before people enter an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum on November 22, 2019 in New York City. Yondr creates phone-free spaces for artists, educators, organizations and individuals. When Adam Weiss arrived at a New York theater to see a Broadway show, he was dismayed to learn he would have to lock up his cell phone. The team behind Freestyle Love Supreme, an improvisation comedy show co-created by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton musical fame, requires audience members to keep their mobiles in a locked pouch during the performance. Its a bit like being without a part of myself, the 39-year-old Weiss said. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) Each morning, students lock their cellphones in the pouches and put the pouches in their backpacks. Airpods have to be in the pouches or backpacks. Smartwatches have to be off or in airplane mode. Students unlock their pouches at the end of the school day. If theres a family emergency, parents/guardians/caregivers should contact the a schools front office. Loudoun County school board approves cell phone policy, joining nearby districts Participating High Schools Edison High School Falls Church High School Justice High School Lewis High School Madison High School McLean High School Robinson High School Westfield High School Students who are in the pilot program at a participating high school will place their cellphones into storage unites at the beginning of each class. VDOE says Virginia schools should ban cell phones bell-to-bell People who have questions about the program will find answers to many frequently asked ones on Fairfax County Public Schools website. The school division said people also may contact their childrens school. There has been a push in other school divisions as well as from lawmakers in Richmond and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to ban cellphones in schools in the state. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A man and woman have been charged after a child was hospitalized with significant internal injuries, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department. Roseshana Smith, 23, of Pinellas Park, and Jordan Gatlin, 26, of St. Petersburg, were arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse, police said. A 2-year-old child, who was in their care, was taken to a hospital Thursday with significant internal injuries and multiple scars in various stages of healing, according to police. It was also discovered that an 8-month-old child was also neglected, police said. Gatlin allegedly used a deadly weapon to batter the 2-year-old and Smith allegedly failed to protect the 8-month-old from abuse, according to an arrest affidavit. Police said no further details would be released in order to protect the identity of the children. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. An airplane traveling from Chatham Municipal Airport on Aug. 10 crashed after landing at a Rhode Island airport, entrapping and injuring the Virginia pilot. No one else was in the plane. The injured pilot had just bought the plane on Aug. 10 in Chatham, and left the Chatham airport in the plane after the sale, according to Chatham Airport Commission Chair Huntley Harrison. The plane was known generally to be a "high performance" aerobatic plane, Harrison said. A investigation is underway into what happened when the blue single-engine Yakovlev Yak-55M crashed after landing at about 4:30 p.m. the same day at Quonset State Airport in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane flipped over after landing, according to the FAA. "The crash wasn't fatal so we are thankful for that," said North Kingstown Police Captain John MacCoy. The most recent owner of the plane lives in Brewster, according to FAA records. Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island FAA: Only the pilot was on board Police responded to the airplane crash at about 4:45 p.m., according to MacCoy. Pilot John Kevin Pace, 38, of Bassett, Virginia, was piloting the airplane, according to a North Kingstown police report. The aircraft experienced a rough running engine, according to an FAA accident and incident notification notice. The airplane experienced an engine issue during climb out and returned to Quonset State Airport, according to preliminary information from the National Transportation Safety Board on Aug. 12. Pace, who is listed by the FAA as an airman, was the only person on board at the time of the crash, according to the FAA. Police: pilot was trapped in airplane after crash Police arrived at the crash to find a single pilot monoplane lying on its roof facing southwest, according to the Aug. 12 report by North Kingstown, Rhode Island Patrol Officer Liam Doyle. "The pilot of the aircraft was entrapped," Doyle said in the report. An aircraft rescue and firefighting unit and witnesses attempted to get the pilot out of the airplane, according to the report. After the arrival of more help, Pace was removed from the airplane. Pace had lacerations several places on his body but was conscious and alert, Doyle said in the report. There was blood loss from Paces injuries, and he was transported in stable condition by North Kingstown Fire Department rescuers to Rhode Island Hospital, according to the report. Witness Kelly Shea told police she saw the crash from another aircraft she was taxiing on the ground, according to the police report. Shea didn't observe any suspicious activity pertaining to the crash and remained on scene to be interviewed by an aeronautics inspector, the report stated. Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney. Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: One-engine aerobatic plane crashes after flight from Cape to RI Plane's 'Black Box' Captured Screams Before It Fell Out of the Sky in Brazil, Killing 62: Report The pilots were aware the twin-engine ATR 72 needed more power, but it's unclear why, according to Brazilian news media MIGUEL SCHINCARIOL/AFP via Getty The "black box" recovered from Voepass 2283 has so far yielded few details as to why the turboprop spiraled out of the sky last week and crashed into the ground, killing everyone onboard, according to the Brazilian news media. But a transcript based on the flight's recorder, obtained by TV Globo, reveals that the pilots aboard Flight 2283 which went down in a flat spin at about 1:30 p.m. local time on Friday, Aug. 9, in the town of Vinhedo, about 50 miles northwest of Sao Paulo were aware the twin-engine ATR 72 needed more power in the moments before it fell from the air, a terrifying incident that was partially captured on video. In the unreleased transcript, which was described as having about two hours of audio, the co-pilot is heard asking the pilot about what was going on with the plane as it began to lose altitude before it plummeted about 17,000 feet per minute into a gated residential area. The fall took about a minute and screams could be heard on the audio from the recorder, according to the new report. The 62 passengers and crew aboard all died, according to news reports. (Initial details from Voepass conflicted on the exact death toll.) No one on the ground was hurt. Related: 8 Cancer Doctors, 2 Kids and a Lawyer: What We Know About Victims of Brazil Plane Crash That Killed 61 Sources close to the investigation told TV Globo that audio analysis was unlikely to determine the cause of the crash and that noise from the planes engines made it difficult to hear portions of what was said. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In widely seen video circulating on social media, the plane was recorded falling from the sky, spinning seemingly uncontrollably before it slammed into the ground. NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Experts told CNN that ice on the aircrafts wings may have been a factor in the crash. The plane, which originated in Cascavel, near the Paraguay border, flew through an area where severe icing was forecast between 12,000 and 21,000 feet. Related: Booking Mix-Up Stopped More Deaths in Brazilian Plane Crash That Killed 61, Say Would-Be Passengers All the preliminary signals point toward an icing event, a former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board, Peter Goelz, told the outlet. Outside experts who spoke with The New York Times said the craft appeared to have stalled, though the exact reason for that a buildup of ice on the wings, for example isn't yet clear. "You cant get into a spin without stalling," pilot John Cox said. The lead investigator into the incident told the Times last week: There is still no estimated completion date for this work. We are prioritizing quality over speed. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. GAZA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The results of the Gaza peace negotiations between Israel and the U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Goha are not in line with U.S. President Joe Biden's proposal presented to Hamas in July, a Hamas source said on Friday. "Any agreement reached without including a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, allowing the return of displaced people to their homes, the reconstruction of Gaza and the exchange of prisoners is useless, and gives Israel more time to carry out crimes against the Palestinian people," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua. The source explained that Israel "tries in all rounds of negotiations to obtain more stops and procrastinate the implementation of any agreement reached in order to continue the killings against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip." The source stressed that procrastination and wasting time will not benefit the efforts of the mediators to end the suffering of the Palestinians, which has been increasing daily for more than ten months. The Qatari capital hosted the resumption of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel for two days at the invitation of the three mediators, Egypt, Qatar and the United States, in order to reach an agreement leading to a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)The Caddo 911 Active Events webpage is scheduled for maintenance on Monday. As a result, the public cannot view emergency events in real-time. Caddo Parish published a news release on Friday announcing the planned outage. The release noted that the site will not be available as significant software upgrades are made. The Caddo 911 Active Events page will be down for an undetermined amount of time starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 19. The systems will return online in a tiered approach based on critical needs. Construction phase set to begin on new Jimmie Davis Bridge project Public-facing information on the platform will not be available until the upgrade is complete and the system is fully operational. This maintenance will last for an undetermined amount of time. The District understands that Caddo Parish citizens, public safety agency personnel, local officials, and media outlets use this resource to provide information regarding events impacting public safety. This webpage is an important conduit between the District and the aforementioned groups; we intend to keep the downtime to the minimum necessary. Once the system is fully operational and the data is flowing properly, an updated release will be disseminated. Caddo Parish Communications District Number One Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. Pleasant Hill police release more details about body found in Des Moines River Pleasant Hill police release more details about body found in Des Moines River PLEASANT HILL, Iowa Investigators are working to identify a body that was discovered in the Des Moines River in Pleasant Hill Thursday night. According to Pleasant Hill Fire Chief Jamie Xayavong, people fishing in the area of the Vandalia Boat ramp saw what appeared to be a body and called 911 around 7:15 p.m. Lorimor man charged with attempted murder in Creston shooting The Pleasant Hill Police Department issued a news release Friday to provide more information about the case. PHPD, Pleasant Hill Fire and Rescue, and the Polk County Medical Examiner worked together to retrieve the body from the river. PHPD said the body is that of an unidentified white male, approximately 6 and 250 to 275 pounds. Police are asking anyone who may have information about the case to contact them at 515-265-1444. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. The son of a man who was found fatally stabbed inside a home in Plymouth on Thursday morning will face a judge on Friday. Matthew Paluzzi, 26, was detained in the area of 198 Columbia Road in Hanover shortly before 11 a.m. after a manhunt that spanned multiple South Shore communities, according to Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz. Thursday afternoon the Plymouth County DA updated that Paluzzi had formally been charged with the murder of his father, 76-year-old Anthony Paluzzi. Massachusetts State Police shared Air Wing video tracking Paluzzis vehicle before he was finally stopped and swarmed by authorities in Hanover. Paluzzi was taken out of this Nissan Murano and handcuffed in the middle of the road. Officers responded to a home at 15 Cedar Street in the seaside village of Manomet around 6:30 a.m. after they received a 911 call from a woman who reported that she had found her husband unresponsive and bleeding from a laceration to the neck, according to Cruz. Anthony Paluzzi was pronounced dead in the home. Cruz said a preliminary investigation indicated that he died from a stab wound to the neck. Lisa Caola has lived across the street from the Paluzzi family for around 20 years. She said Matthew, the youngest of four boys, used to play with her children. He was a nice little kid, she said. When he got out of high school he worked at Bennys (a supermarket) and then after that it seemed, you know, bad choices. Cruz says that Paluzzi is known to Plymouth police. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Two men were sentenced with fines, jail time, and the suspension of hunting privileges for their roles in poaching three whitetails from Richmond, Virginia, last fall, including the infamous nontypical whitetail known as the Hollywood Cemetery buck. Jason Walters, who outed himself when he claimed to have killed the unmistakable buck some 70 miles from its known range in downtown Richmond, pled guilty to 20 wildlife charges, according to a statement Thursday from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Walters was sentenced to six months in jail with three months suspended, fines totaling $2,500, and replacement costs totaling $11,000 for killing the Hollywood buck and two other bucks that he shot illegally in 2023. Walters also lost his hunting privileges for 100 years, though 76 of those years were suspended, resulting in an effective suspension for 24 years. Alan Proffitt, an accomplice whose exact role in aiding Walters isnt immediately clear, was found guilty. In addition to forking over $1,250 in fines and serving 30 days of house arrest, Proffitts hunting privileges were also revoked with a suspension, resulting in an effective ban from hunting for six years. The DWR called his punishment one of the strongest enforcement outcomes in recent memory and noted that the considerable penalties included will certainly be a deterrent to future wildlife crime and should give the community a level of comfort that this type of crime is taken very seriously in the Commonwealth. Hunting is a treasured tradition in Virginia. Unethical and criminal behavior tarnishes the reputation of the sport and gives a bad name to those that engage in it lawfully. Although DWR officials did not specify what would become of the Hollywood bucks seized antlers, the agency did indicate it would be working with the outdoors community to determine the best way to memorialize this incredible animal. Dec. 15, 2025 Jason Walters, the 36-year-old who submitted photos of himself with an illegally-killed deer to a popular hunting page on Facebook last month, was arrested Sunday and charged with 19 wildlife violations. Those charges stem from the poaching of three deer this fall. That includes the Hollywood Buck, so-named for its tendency to live in and around the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, where Walters resides. A significant number of conservation police officers investigated the case, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources announced in a Monday press release. They executed 10 search warrants and recovered two sets of antlers. One set was from the Hollywood buck; the other almost certainly belonged to one of the two 8-points Walters claimed to have legally hunted last season (photos below) but were also identified by social-media sleuths as Hollywood deer. It is not immediately clear what may have happened to the third set of antlers. Charges against Walters include trespassing, failing to check and tag a deer, at least one earn a buck violation, illegal possession of wildlife, and for good measure littering. DWR also identified Walters accomplice as 36-year-old Richmond resident Alan Proffitt, who is also facing pending (though unspecified) charges. A screenshot of the original Facebook post. (Star City Whitetails) Our officers immediately began their investigation upon learning of the potential violation of Virginias wildlife laws, Major Ryan Schuler, deputy chief of DWR law enforcement, said in a statement. The illegal killing of this deer was a blow to the community and damaged the reputation of law-abiding hunters across the Commonwealth. Dec. 18, 2023 When Jeff Phillips received photos of a giant buck in his Facebook messages Thursday, he did what he always does. Phillips collected details from the sender and posted four images to Star City Whitetails, the Facebook page where he shares submitted photos of Virginia deer with his 72,000 followers. The photos, which depict a man in camo kneeling beside a huge nontypical whitetail, appeared with this caption: Prince Edward County killed with 50 cal muzzleloader, shot this morning 713am at 20 yards, my 3rd mounter this year! Biggest buck of my LIFE Thirty minutes later, the post blew up. Dozens of people identified the deer as the Hollywood buck, a well-known deer with distinctive antlers that lived in and around the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. The trouble? Hollywood Cemetery lies roughly 70 miles northeast of where the man, Jason Walters, claimed to have shot his buck. People began contacting the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, accusing Walters of poaching it from Richmond city limits. Two additional bucks Walters claimed to have killed have also been identified by locals and wildlife photographers as living in the cemetery. The Department of Wildlife Resources is aware of the situation and we are conducting an investigation, says DWR Lieutenant Frank Spuchesi, the Region 1 manager overseeing the officers on the case. Weve gotten so many [tips] now that Im not really sure which one was the very first one, Spuchesi added. A lot of our cases are high profile, but this one does seem to be getting a little bit more attention due to the fact that some of these deer were seen by a lot of people in the public, and photographed a lot. They were out in the open. They werent elusive like a lot of deer are when they get to that age. Urban deer have a tendency to be seen a lot more. Although Spuchesi could not identify Jason Walters as a person of interest at this time to Outdoor Life on Friday, a DWR press release revealed Monday afternoon that the primary suspect sent photos of himself with the nontypical 29-point buck to a Facebook page, claiming to have killed the buck in Prince Edward County, Virginia, with a muzzleloader. It further notes that conservation officers made contact with a suspect and through interviews determined that the deer was killed illegally. Officers have recovered evidence, though the release did not include specifics, and are working to identify others who may have been involved. The release does not name Walters, nor any other suspect. Spuchesi also confirmed to Outdoor Life that the investigation includes multiple bucks. The buck photos Phillips posted yesterday were the third batch he says he received from Walters this season. On Nov. 20, Phillips posted photos of Walters with a dark-antlered 8-point, reportedly shot in Richmond. On Dec. 1, Phillips posted photos of another 8-point Walters said he shot in Chesterfield, just outside of Richmond. And then yesterday, he sent me that [nontypical] buck, says Phillips, a realtor with Whitetail Properties. Although when he sent the buck to me yesterday all he said was, Post this up bud. And I saw how nice it was, and I was like, Please include some details, this is a beautiful deer. Whered you kill it? Just like anybody who sends me pictures, I always ask the county. One of the photographs Walters sent to Phillips of the buck he claimed to have killed in Prince Edward County. (Star City Whitetails) The Hollywood Cemetery buck, photographed in Richmond on Oct. 13, 2023. (Bill Draper Photography, used with permission) Walters complied. Although Phillips was aware of a famous nontypical often seen and photographed near the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, its antlers this year didnt look familiar. It was a nationally known deer, but that deer has declined significantly rack-wise, believe it or not, says Philips. When he sent the picture in I just thought, damn, thats a beautiful deer, but I did not see or think of any association with that particular deer at the Hollywood Cemetery. Richmond-based wildlife photographer Bill Draper made the connection instantly. Draper takes photographs for the Hollywood Cemetery and Maymont Park, and enjoys private access to grounds that the public cant always visit. For years Draper has photographed deer along the James River in Richmond, including the so-called nontypical Hollywood buck. I know this deer better than I know my three daughters. I can tell you every little nub on the antlers, Ive got every different angle front, back, side, right, left, says Draper, noting that many photographs of the Hollywood buck that appeared in the Facebook comments were pulled from his pages. It was starting to look a little haggard and run down. Its an old deer. It had huge, unbelievable, world-class antlers four years ago. Obviously this is another four years later and its still phenomenal. Draper took his last photos of the Hollywood buck on Oct. 13 in Richmond. Although hes always been careful to avoid posting any photos or information that would reveal too much about the deers location for fear someone might poach it Draper says he could find the animal if he looked hard enough. Especially lately, since the buck has been moving less. Hes lived for the last four years in that particular vicinity between Maymont Park, Mount Calvary Cemetery, Riverview Cemetery, Hollywood Cemetery, and James River Park North Bank Trail area, Draper says. I have pictures of him at Hollywood, on the North Bank Trail, at the edge of Mount Calvary, outside of the fence at Maymont, and inside the fence. He has not moved very much, hes stayed pretty close around that neighborhood. The people who live there know that very well. While Draper has photographs that clearly show the buck among headstones and at recognizable Richmond locations, he declined to share them for this article, citing his working relationship with the Hollywood Cemetery. He had also encouraged the cemetery to refrain from posting his photos of the deer on their social accounts to avoid hotspotting the buck. In addition to the big nontypical, Draper says he photographed the dark-antlered 8-point in Richmond that Walters claimed to have shot in Chesterfield on Nov. 20. That 8-pointer used to come through a hole in the fence at Hollywood like clockwork, Draper says. When the rut came in he was a little less consistent, obviously chasing does around. But still youd see him in the cemetery. Draper also says that his buddy and fellow photographer Ben King has documented another Richmond deer that Walters claims he killed in Chesterfield, which is roughly 13 miles southwest of Hollywood Cemetery. A photo of the 8-point Walters sent Phillips on Nov. 20 (left) compared with the big 8-point Draper photographed in Hollywood Cemetery on Oct. 12, 2023. (Star City Whitetails, left; Bill Draper Photography (right, used with permission) The big 8-point Draper photographed in Hollywood Cemetery on October 12, 2023. (Bill Draper Photography, used with permission) While there are carefully regulated urban bow seasons in Richmond, no hunting is allowed in Hollywood Cemetery and certain surrounding properties. Deer in the area are conditioned to humans and tolerate human activity better than most wild whitetails in more rural areas. Still, Draper says the buck was more careless this year. [The big Hollywood buck] had been a lot less wary this year. It would be near peoples yard, in Maymont Park it would bed down beside the fence where cars ride by. A week or so ago somebody posted a picture of him on the Virginia Wildlife Facebook page and said exactly where he lived and where you could see him. And there was a big uproar. I dont know if that was the cause of [the bucks death]. Photos of an 8-point that Walters sent to Phillips on Dec. 1. It was reportedly photographed in Richmond. (Star City Whitetails) Based on in-person sightings and photograph history, most sources estimated the Hollywood buck to be about eight years old. When I last looked at [the Hollywood buck] I said, It may not last through the winter. But I hate to see it go that way, says Draper. Its a shame. I would like people to know that you cant just go out and shoot a deer like this and think you can post it and no ones going to know about it. Its really stupid. Hopefully it will make people think twice before they poach a deer. The giant nontypical, photographed in Hollywood Cemetery in 2020. (Bill Draper Photography, used with permission) The buck photographed in Hollywood Cemetery in October 2021, this time with a partially broken main beam. (Bill Draper Photography, used with permission) Despite the urban location, good cover and forage exists in the area. He had plenty to eat, plenty to bed, plenty of water. He didnt have to go nowhere, says Brandon Overstreet, a Virginia hunter and one of the first Facebook commenters to make the connection between Walters photos and the Hollywood buck. He would never leave more than a mile away. [The Hollywood buck] was very odd in a sense too when the rut came. There are so many deer in that area, he never really rutted. His neck never swelled up. He always had a thin neck, didnt have to go chasing and trying to find deer, because he had 30 girlfriends. Overstreet says he found one of the Hollywood bucks sheds two years ago, which scored right at 100 inches and was later auctioned to a prominent collector. Although he lives in Bedford, Overstreet says he travels through Richmond every few weeks and often visits Pumphouse Park and other locations near the James River to watch the buck. Although the deer had many nicknames, most often just Hollywood or the Hollywood buck, locals sometimes called him Prince (because they called his daddy the King, says Overstreet). By his best guess, anyone hoping to poach deer in the area would have to do it at night. There are workers that work there during the day, they are constantly making rounds, says Overstreet. Everyone has expected someone to come poach him. One of the last photos Draper captured of the big nontypical in October 2023. (Bill Draper Photography, used with permission) Next Steps in the Poaching Investigation When Phillips realized the buck he posted to Star City Whitetails Thursday morning looked the same as the Hollywood Cemetery buck, he messaged Walters on Facebook again. I sent him back a text that said somebody just sent me pictures of the Hollywood Cemetery deer, and thats it. I think he said, huh lol. I said, What does that mean? He said, This buck was killed at my hunting club in Prince Edward County. Phillips says he received that final message from Walters at 10:52 a.m. on Dec. 14. Walters personal profile disappeared from Facebook shortly after their exchange, and Phillips updated his own post to reflect the new information. Both Walters and Draper have since been contacted by law enforcement. The DWR press release noted officials will continue to work with Richmond and Chesterfield County police departments, as well as the Hollywood Cemetery and the James River Park System. The illegal killing of the Hollywood Cemetery buck is a serious violation of Virginias wildlife laws and will be a priority for the Conservation Police Officers assigned to the investigation until all leads have been exhausted, all evidence has been collected, and those involved have been charged, Major Ryan Schuler, who serves as the deputy chief of DWR law enforcement, said in Mondays statement. Spuchesi was also unable to provide a timeline for when the public might learn further details about the case. I would hope [we can resolve this] in the near future, Spuchesi says. Some investigations last years, some last hours. This story, originally published on Dec. 15, 2023 at 5:42 p.m. EST, was updated on Dec. 18, 2023 to include details from Virginia DWR press release. It was updated again on Aug. 16, 2024 to reflect sentencing of Walters and Proffitt. The San Luis Obispo Police Department arrested a man who allegedly stole around $20,000 worth of copper downspouts from the Irish Hills Plaza shopping center last month. According to a news release, David Ruble, 50, of San Luis Obispo was arrested Tuesday without incident after an investigation showed he had sold over 1,000 pounds of copper downspouts and insulated copper wiring to a Santa Barbara County scrap yard. The theft was originally reported July 15, when around 40 copper downspouts valued at $20,000 were stolen from buildings in the shopping center off Los Osos Valley Road. Several weeks after the theft, Ruble was contacted by the Arroyo Grande Police Department and found to be in possession of six downspouts, according to the release. Ruble was identified by members of the public who responded to a Facebook post and surveillance images shared by the San Luis Obispo Police Department asking for help finding the suspect. He was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of a charge of grand theft. Ruble was still in custody as of Thursday afternoon, with bail set at $50,000, according to the SLO County Sheriffs Offices Whos in Custody website. Due to the large amount of copper Ruble allegedly sold over the past few months, there may be unreported victims of similar cases of copper theft, the release said. If you have been the victim of a theft of copper downspouts or insulated copper wiring, contact Detective Hayden Warner at 805-594-8042 or via email at hwarner@slocity.org. We need help identifying the person who stole $10,000 in copper downspouts from 10 businesses at Irish Hills Shopping Center on July 10th, around 11:30pm. Contact Ofc. Stevens at 805-594-8093 or Crimestoppers at 805-594-STOP, referencing case # 240715061 with any information. pic.twitter.com/vYooyjXqNf San Luis Obispo Police Department (@SLOCityPolice) July 16, 2024 Police arrest Thomas Draper in connection with murder at Phoenix apartment complex Police arrested a man on Thursday accused of killing 24-year-old Jacob Sierra. On Thursday night, Phoenix police announced that 40-year-old Thomas Draper had been arrested in the shooting death of Sierra early on Monday morning at an apartment complex near 43rd Street and McDowell Road. On Monday just after 1:30 a.m., police responded to an "unknown trouble" at the apartment where they found Sierra injured from a gunshot wound. He later died at a hospital, according to Phoenix police. After a four-day investigation, Phoenix police arrested Draper and booked him into a Maricopa County jail, where he was charged with second-degree murder. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix police arrest suspect in apartment shooting death The Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures extends to the length of a seizure, a federal court ruled last week, significantly restricting how long law enforcement can retain private property after an arrest. "When the government seizes property incident to a lawful arrest, the Fourth Amendment requires that any continued possession of the property must be reasonable," wrote Judge Gregory Katsas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in a unanimous ruling. Most courts of appeal to pass judgment on the issuenamely, the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 11th circuitshave held that, once an item is seized, law enforcement can retain the item indefinitely without violating the Fourth Amendment. These precedents have allowed police to retain personal property without clear legal grounds, effectively stripping people of their property rights merely because they were arrested. The D.C. Court of Appeals' ruling complicates this general consensus. Though law enforcement does not have to return property "instantaneously," Katsas wrote, the Fourth Amendment requires that any "continuing retention of seized property" be reasonable. So while police can use seized items for "legitimate law-enforcement purposes," such as for evidence at trial, and are permitted some delay for "matching a person with his effects," prolonged seizures serving no important function can implicate the Fourth Amendment, the court ruled. Given that the D.C. court finds itself in the minority on the question, some say that the case may be primed for the Supreme Court if the District chooses to appeal. "This case has potential to make national precedent," Paul Belonick, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco law school, tells Reason. "The influential D.C. Circuit deliberately intensified a circuit split and put itself in the minority of circuits on the question, teeing it up cleanly for certiorari." The plaintiffs each had their property seized by D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Five of the plaintiffs were arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of D.C. on August 13, 2020. As they were arrested, MPD officers seized their phones and other items. Though the protesters did not face any charges and were, in Katsas' words, "quickly released," MPD retained their phones for around a year. Some of the plaintiffs had to wait over 14 months to get their property back. In the meantime, the plaintiffs say that they were forced to replace their phones and lost access to the important information on the originals, including personal files, contacts, and passwords. "The plaintiffs have alleged that the seizures at issue, though lawful at their inception, later came to unreasonably interfere with their protected possessory interests in their own property," Katsas explained. "MPD is aware of the ruling and will continue to work with our partners at the United States Attorney's Office to ensure that our members are trained appropriately to ensure compliance with recent rulings," a spokesperson for MPD tells Reason. "Practically, this case is important because police have been exploiting a gap in the Fourth Amendment," Andrew Ferguson, a professor at American University's Washington College of Law, tells Reason. "In situations where there is a lawful arrest, but no prosecution, there are no clear rules on retaining personal property. In these cases, police have been confiscating phones to punish protestors." Michael Perloff, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, agreed that the D.C. Circuit's decision could set an important precedent going forward. "Nationally, we've seen litigants attempt to challenge similar practices only to fail because the court concluded that the Fourth Amendment does not limit the duration of a seizure," he tells Reason. "Moving forward, we are hopeful that the D.C. Circuit's opinion will lead courts to reconsider those rulings and, instead, enforce the Fourth Amendment as fully as the framers intended." The post Police Cannot Seize Property Indefinitely After an Arrest, Federal Court Rules appeared first on Reason.com. Man honked horn, rear-ended woman's car in Taco Bell drive-thru before shooting: What we know The Summit County Medical Examiner determined Jason Williams, 53, from Stow, was the person who fired shots in the Taco Bell drive-thru in Stow Wednesday before turning the gun on himself. He killed Megan Keleman, 25, from Stow. Megan Keleman, 25, of Stow. The two people who were shot dead in an apparent murder-suicide at a Taco Bell drive-thru Wednesday night in Stow were identified Thursday. The Summit County Medical Examiner determined Jason Williams, 53, from Stow, was the person who fired the shots before turning the gun on himself. He killed Megan Keleman, 25, from Stow. Keleman died from gunshot wounds to the neck, and Williams died from gunshot wounds to the head. Both were pronounced dead on the scene. The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Taco Bell at 993 Graham Road in Stow, near the border of Cuyahoga Falls. 'Too close to home': Customers, employees at shopping center react to Taco Bell shooting What led to the Taco Bell shooting? Stow Police Chief Jeffrey Film held a press conference Thursday to give more details about the shooting. Witnesses told detectives that Williams began blowing his horn at Keleman when she pulled in front of him to get in the drive-thru line, Film said. He then struck the rear of her car. Keleman asked the Taco Bell employee through the speaker to call the police after her car was hit. Police then received multiple calls about Williams exiting his car, shooting Keleman and then shooting himself. Stow Police Chief Jeffrey Film answers media questions at a Thursday press conference about the murder-suicide in the Stow Taco Bell's drive-thru the night before. Police later released the 14 calls they received regarding the incident. "A man just shot somebody and shot himself in the head. I'm sorry, I'm really shaken up, I saw him shoot himself in the head," one caller said. A motivation has not yet been determined and there is no known relationship between the two, Film said during the press conference. "This is a true tragedy," Film said. "Not only did the Kelemans lose a daughter, but the community lost one of our daughters. ... We at this time do not have an answer as to why this happened, and we may never know why." Film said a dog was also in Keleman's car. Rubber City Rescue took the unharmed dog, washed it and returned it to Keleman's family. Film said there were "many" witnesses to the incident but did not have a specific number. The Summit County Medical Examiner, Stow Police Department and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are involved in the investigation. Film said the Ohio BCI is involved because Stow does not have enough homicide detectives to cover the case. The last homicide in the city was five years ago. Stow Police Chief Jeffrey Film answers media questions at a Thursday press conference about the murder-suicide in the Stow Taco Bell's drive-thru the night before. Who were Williams and Keleman? Film said Williams was not previously known to Stow police before the shooting but did confirm he was arrested one time for an OVI. According to Keleman's social media pages, she was a recent graduate from Cleveland State University. She received her master's degree in business administration from CSU in May, and prior to that, a bachelor's degree in finance and financial management services. She described herself on her LinkedIn page as a "child advocate and bookkeeper." She worked for Shelter Care Inc., a Tallmadge-based residential treatment program for children between the ages of 6 and 18 who have emotional or behavioral problems, according to her LinkedIn. Keleman's family released a statement through Stow police Thursday that reads, in part: "In light of the recent events, our family is enduring an immensely painful loss of Megan Elizabeth Keleman. ...We appreciate the communitys support and hope that our request for privacy will be honored so we can continue to focus on supporting each other through this difficult period." Akron mayor, Taco Bell react to shooting The Taco Bell at 993 Graham Road on the border of Stow and Cuyahoga Falls is pictured on Thursday. The night before, it was the scene of an apparent murder-suicide that left two dead. The Taco Bell restaurant on Graham Road has remained closed since the incident occurred, according to a statement from the company's PR team. "Our priority is to consider the team's well-being and proceed at their pace," the statement read. The corporation expressed shock over the shooting and said the franchise owner and operator is working with authorities during the investigation and offering support to team members who were present during the incident. Akron Mayor Shammas Malik took to X Thursday afternoon to share his thoughts on the shooting. He offered his condolences to those impacted by the incident. "We must all work together to address the underlying issues that lead to violence," he wrote. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Police identify 2 people shot in murder-suicide at Stow Taco Bell FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A would-be car thief in Franklin County was thwarted late Thursday night trying to steal vehicles from a dealership. Devon Lutz, 37, of no known address, tried to take the vehicles from Buchanan Auto, located at 11582 Buchanan Trail East in Washington Township, and he had to be Tased while police were trying to take him into custody, charging documents from township police show. According to the criminal complaint, police were made aware of a burglary at the dealership where Lutz was reportedly going through the car lot with key fobs to try and get one of them to work. Lutz was outside the building but ran back inside when police arrived. City of Harrisburg responds to charges against former Broad Street Market manager With the help of the Pennsylvania State Police, officers then went to check for Lutz inside, clearing rooms. While looking for Lutz, police came across a door to a room that was locked when it wasnt supposed to be but there didnt appear to be anyone inside, police said. Eventually, police said they could hear movement coming from that room and then they saw Lutz trying to barricade the door. Troopers were able to force their way in and Lutz was taken into custody after being Tased and pepper sprayed. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter Two key fobs were found on Lutz and he allegedly made remarks about trying to steal a vehicle. According to the charges, police found out that Lutz had to force his way into the business and ended up damaging other doors and windows during the burglary. Lutz faces felony charges of burglary and theft along with misdemeanor charges of evading arrest, resisting arrest and criminal mischief. Lutz is locked up in Franklin County Prison unable to post bail that was set at $50,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 27. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Police: Pedestrian in Wisconsin hit by a vehicle at Menards, two arrested after fleeing officers ALTOONA, Wis. (WFRV) The Altoona Police Department announced on Monday that two out-of-state men were arrested after committing a hit-and-run on a pedestrian outside of an Eau Claire Menards. According to the release, the Eau Claire Communications Center received a call around 5 p.m. on Aug. 10 about a hit and run outside the store. The caller gave the license plate number of the vehicle, and police entered it into the citys plate reading system. Brown County Jail inmates harvest first haul of vegetables from Jail Garden program Officers found the car heading west on Highway 12, and attempted to stop it. However, the suspect vehicle fled the officers, forcing an Eau Claire Deputy and Wisconsin State Trooper to use tire deflation devices. Officers took the suspects, 59-year-old Louis Chattard and 39-year-old Hawakiin Suleiman, both from Minneapolis, into custody. In addition, there were drugs and stolen items found in the car. Impaired Wisconsin driver hospitalized after collision with light pole, processed for OWI No more details were provided. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. CAIRO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden reviewed on Friday the outcomes of ceasefire negotiations held in Qatar's capital Doha over the past two days. During a phone conversation, the two presidents discussed the situation in the Middle East and efforts to restore regional stability, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement. The two leaders agreed to continue and intensify joint efforts in the coming days to reach an agreement in this regard, the statement said. Sisi stressed the continuation of Egyptian contacts with various parties in the region to urge non-escalation and self-restraint, in light of the gravity of the situation in the Middle East, it said. The Egyptian president also affirmed the need to respect the sovereignty of states and prevent the region from sliding into a vicious cycle of confrontations and violence, it added. The United States, Egypt and Qatar, mediators of the Gaza ceasefire talks, announced on Friday that the two-day discussions in Doha have concluded, with plans to reconvene in Cairo next week to finalize a deal aimed at ending the conflict. In a joint statement, they described the talks as constructive and conducted in a positive environment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office expressed gratitude for the mediators' efforts and hoped they would lead Hamas to accept the terms of a proposal made in late May. Meanwhile, Hamas, which did not participate directly, accused Israel of adding new conditions to a previously supported proposal, and accused the Biden administration of trying to create a "false positive atmosphere," expressing skepticism about the negotiations' outcome. A police union representing supervisors and internal affairs investigators for the Essex County Department of Corrections approved a vote of no confidence in the agency's director and county administrators. The labor organizations announcement, released Monday, outlined a litany of grievances, claiming mismanagement has undermined the welfare of officers, as well as inmates. The motion passed, 39-11, among voting members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 106 on Aug. 7 through a secret ballot, with more than half of the organization expressing dissatisfaction in the department's director, Ronald Charles, County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and his chief of staff, Philip Alagia. "We have a lot of disgruntled members," said Jim Troisi, who serves as vice president of the union. "They feel like theyre not being heard. They feel that we have an administration not just at Director Charles' level but above him that is simply not supportive of the staff, and we believe the facility is operating unsafely." Among the union's complaints are staffing shortages that leave supervising officers stretched thin and requires inmates to spend the majority of their time in their cells, known as a "Restricted Access Schedule." The unnecessary confinement foments violence between inmates and officers and between the detainees themselves, supervisors claim. Capt. Nathaniel Richardson, president of the union, said when low staffing leads to extended confinement, it has a domino effect: They dont come out. But when they do, they come out with an attitude. Essex County Correctional Facility Al-Tariq Witcher, co-founder of Returning Citizens Support Group, which advocates for current and former detainees, was horrified to think inmates would be kept in near-constant lockdown as a budgetary measure. Thats wrong, Witcher said. Its constitutionally wrong; its humanely wrong. The issue is exacerbated by Charles supposed limited time at the facility. He only spends a few hours on-site each week and his whereabouts are unknown for much of the time in between his visits, the union claims. When needed, reaching him can be difficult because his phone number is not listed with other emergency contacts, according to supervisors. One incident highlighted in the unions letter alleges Charles ordered all detainees released from their cells on Super Bowl Sunday after months of restricted access, resulting in numerous alarms and injury to one inmate. The director was advised against the move beforehand and proved unreachable once trouble began, according to union officials. Shortages have also led to a massive backlog of staff citations, as the unit responsible for disciplinary hearings has been whittled down to a single captain attempting to sift through anywhere from 200-700 alleged infractions that await his review, Troisi claimed. Officers allegedly flaunt the resulting lack of consequence and are often heard to remark, write me up, we all know nothing will happen. Conversely, when an incident is not witnessed by a supervisor, reporting the issue with discretion can be close to impossible. Charles relocated the internal affairs unit to a building on the facilitys grounds where cell service is faulty and outside emails cannot be received, according to the union. Anyone speaking with investigators must be escorted to and from the units office, passing through several gates controlled by other officers and within view of inmates windows. Theres no way to get to Internal Affairs without the whole jail seeing it, Richardson said, adding the same goes for investigators walking to the main jail to interview a detainee. The risk of retribution from inmates ruffled by informants or a corrupt officer accused of wrongdoing is about neck and neck, he said. Authority over county corrections New Jerseys Office of the Attorney General declined to comment on the unions allegations and stated the attorney general does not have authority over the [ECDOC] director, according to spokesperson Sharon Lauchaire. Multiple officials contacted on the matter declined to comment and side-stepped the question of which agency would be responsible for investigating a county corrections department, if one was warranted. Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said his office has no role in union activity. The FBI could investigate wrongdoing by a county corrections employee only if their actions run afoul of U.S. law, such as civil rights violations or misuse of federal funds, according to bureau spokesperson Amy Thoreson. Essex County Correctional Facility sign The County Board of Commissioners is empowered to launch an inquiry and compel testimony from county administrators. The board has a copy of the unions letter and is examining the complaints, according to Adam Tucker, a spokesperson for the commissioners. However, sole discretion to oust a department head lies with County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, who staunchly defended the DOC director following the unions vote. We have the utmost confidence in Director Ron Charles, DiVincenzo stated. He has an impeccable record of leadership both in Essex County and other corrections departments. DiVincenzo cited the jails flawless compliance ratings from state inspectors, accreditation from the American Correctional Association and National Commission on Correctional Health Care, as well as substance abuse programs Charles has implemented during his tenure. Officers and advocates call for reform Despite earning administrative laurels, public outcry, federal charges and news reports show the department is troubled. In June, former inmates of the countys juvenile detention center filed a joint lawsuit alleging a pattern of sexual abuse at the hands of its officers. As of last year, current and former inmates continued to be convicted for brutally beating a fellow detainee in 2019. Surveillance video of the attack showed no guards came to the victims aid as the assault carried on for more than two minutes. Questions surrounding the incident sparked outrage from the community and civil rights advocates. Now, calls for reform are coming from both sides, creating curious bedfellows. Isnt it a unique set of circumstances that the prisoners families and the staff are both asking for changes within the facility, Lodge 106 Vice President Troisi said. I cant remember the last time everyone was saying we need real change here and we need it now. Speaking as an advocate and someone who has lived under incarceration, Witcher said his group regularly engages administrators and their officers in its work to broker a resolution that benefits everyone involved. We know the trauma people go through inside, and we dont want the officers to traumatize them or be traumatized, Witcher said. Yet, he and others at his group were not quick to blame any individual. "This problem didnt happen overnight. This happened two or three administrations prior," said Edwin Ortiz, from the Returning Citizens Support Group. Its a systemic problem. The department submitted to a third-party review by The Ambrose Group in 2022 when Charles a former warden at the jail took over as chief executive. The resulting report lauded the jails reduced use of force, diverse staff, response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an enhanced security system. Conversely, Ambrose advised the department to devote at least one lieutenant to each building per shift. The union said the department followed the recommendation but does so without shoring up staff with new hires, forcing the lieutenants they have to work long tours on short notice. Frankly were done with oversight committees, Troisi said. We would like an investigation. If that means the removal of Charles, if that means the removal of [Chief of Staff Philip Alagia], so be it. And it hurts me to say that because Ive known Charles for 30 years. I had high hopes when he was hired. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Essex County Jail head gets no confidence vote by police union A Woodbury police officer and Washington County sheriffs deputy acted lawfully when they shot and injured a man during a standoff at a Woodbury Target parking lot in April, the Washington County attorney has concluded. On Thursday, County Attorney Kevin Magnuson said Officer James Stoffel of the Woodbury Public Safety Department and Deputy Brian Krook of the Washington County Sheriffs Office were justified in using deadly force against Donald Eugene Roche, 61, of Rockford, Minn. Police shot Roche after he pointed a Crossman CO2-powered pellet gun designed to look like a snub-nosed revolver at officers, according to the county attorneys office. Roche had barricaded himself inside a minivan after law enforcement had tracked him down in connection to more than $3,000 of fraudulent transactions on a stolen credit card, according to criminal charges. When Roche emerged from the van to confront officers, he brandished the weapon, leading to the shooting, the county attorneys office said. Mr. Roche intentionally threatened the lives of law enforcement officers to exploit their trained reactions and compel the use of deadly force, Magnuson said in a news release announcing the conclusion of his review. Fortunately, that force was not lethal here, but the effects of being forced to react with deadly force can be very damaging to law enforcement and their families. Magnuson called Roches conduct an attempted suicide by cop. Pleading guilty to second-degree assault charges in court last month, Roche said police had every right to shoot him, and that he wanted police to shoot and kill him because he did not want to go back to prison, according to the county attorney. Magnusons announcement comes after prosecutors reviewed a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation of the incident. According to charges and the review: Roche was accused of stealing a wallet from a lunch box at a construction site in Oakdale around 8:30 a.m. on April 22 and allegedly using a card to make thousands in fraudulent purchases at Home Depot and Target at Valley Creek Plaza in Woodbury. Law enforcement was alerted about the fraud after the wallets owner got texts and alerts about unauthorized purchases. Using surveillance cameras and license plate readers, police then located a Honda Odyssey van whose Illinois plates were captured on a license plate reader near the construction site, according to charges. The vehicle had been reported as stolen near St. Louis on March 22. Police found Roche as he exited Target, where he had allegedly made $1,500 in fraudulent purchases, according to Magnusons memo to the BCA. Officers tried to arrest him as he was headed toward the vehicle, but disengaged when they saw Roche carrying what appeared to be a revolver. Roche then retreated to his vehicle and refused to get out, prompting a one-hour standoff with police and the Washington County SWAT Team. When Roche exited the vehicle with the pellet gun he ignored commands from police to put his hands in the air, walked to the front of the van and pointed it at several officers, the memo said. Police then used less-lethal rounds, but he did not surrender. Roche then pointed the pellet gun at officers again, prompting Stoffel to shoot two rounds from his rifle at Roche, hitting him once. The report said Stoffel did so because he feared for his and others safety. Roche was hit but continued to ignore commands and took cover behind the van. When SWAT approached the van, Roche reportedly walked around the vehicle toward Krook, the deputy, who shot Roche with a pistol when it appeared Roche was raising the pellet gun again After being shot the second time, Roche was treated at a St. Paul hospital before being taken to the Washington County jail. Roche was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, one count of financial transaction card fraud and one count of third-degree burglary in connection to the incident. He is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 30. Related Articles (Illustration via Getty Images) The Iowa secretary of states website, whichever party controls it, has always been a wonderful source of election results and statistics. Dont be put off by numbers numbers are our friend! They tell us all sorts of interesting things. Lets take a look. Americans talk a lot about the right to vote, but we dont really mean it. Presidential-election years have the highest voter turnout. Nationwide, voter turnout in those years tends to be around 60%, while turnout in midterm elections tends to be around 40%. Both have increased a bit over the last several elections, but across the country presidential turnout remains just under 67% (two-thirds) and midterm turnout remains in the mid- to upper-40% range. Iowa does better. The state distinguishes between what it calls active voters and inactive voters. The former are registered voters who voted in the most recent general election; the latter are registered voters who did not. Due to stricter classification criteria enacted by Iowa Republicans in 2021, there are now fewer active registered voters and more inactive registered voters. As of Aug. 1, 2024, active voters are 70.2% of all registered voters, whereas on Aug. 1, 2016, active voters were 91.3% of all registered voters. Presidential-election years have the highest voter turnout in Iowa as well, but we do much better than the nation. Statewide active-voter turnout in 2020 was 81.16%, and overall voter turnout, counting both active and inactive voters, was 75.77% With no presidential race on the ballot, midterm elections generally have lower turnout in Iowa too. Statewide active-voter turnout in 2022 was 65.43%, while overall turnout was 55.06%. Now voting turnout is not quite the same as party identification, though of course they are related. The former has to do with who votes; the latter has to do with the political party, if any, with which people identify. In this regard there has been an interesting change in Iowa party identifications over the course of the past decade. Generally speaking, and leaving aside minor, so-called third parties, the leading party registration in the recent past was normally the No Party category, which tended to have roughly 37% of active registered voters in it. Republicans and Democrats would flip back and forth with roughly 31-33% of active voter registrations. As an apples-to-apples example of this, we can look at active voter registration as of Aug. 1, 2016. The statewide total of active registered voters then was 1,937,225. No Party was at 34.3%, Republicans at 33.5%, and Democrats, last, at 31.8%. Other was at 0.4%. IA-4, the congressional district in west and northwest Iowa that allowing for shifting boundaries due to reapportionment always has the highest proportion of Republican registrations, was at 40.0% in 2016. No Party was at 34.2%, and Democrats last at 25.5%. By contrast, IA-3, centered around the Des Moines metro area, had already lost its Democratic plurality by 2016. Republican registrations were 35.2%, Democratic registrations following closely at 32.9%, and No Party registrations at 31.4%. Now consider current party registrations as of Aug. 1, 2024. The statewide total of active registered voters now is 1,558,076. The most striking aspect of this is that No Party has gone from its historical statewide plurality to a position of third place. Statewide Republican registrations are now 40.5%, Democratic registrations 29.7%, No Party registrations 29.1%, and Libertarian registrations 0.6%. Looking again at IA-4, we find that it is even more Republican now. As of Aug. 1, 2024, they are 50.8% of active registered voters there, whereas No Party are 26.2%, and Democrats last at 22.3% (and Libertarians again 0.6%). In IA-3, Republicans are 37.7% of active registered voters, Democrats are 33.2%, and No Party is 28.3% (and Libertarians again 0.6%). Clearly, tracking changes in the country, the increasing polarization we see there extends now to Iowa. Independent or No Party affiliation in Iowa is losing out to partisan affiliation. There is nothing necessarily preferable about No Party status. Most political-science studies indicate that independents group into thirds: about a third vote like Republicans but dont call themselves Republicans, and another third vote like Democrats but dont call themselves Democrats. The final third are the so-called pure independents, and they tend to have less interest and participation in, and less knowledge about, politics than partisans. When I first became an Iowa resident in 1985, Iowa was a so-called purple state we had a plurality of No Party registrants and meaningful major-party competition for elective offices at both the federal and state levels. Now, however, Iowa is a red state not red like Alabama, Mississippi, or Texas, but red nonetheless. The entire congressional delegation is Republican, and the only major statewide office held by Democrats is state auditor (Rob Sand). Perhaps more important, the Republicans have overwhelming majorities in the Iowa Senate (34-16) and Iowa House (64-36), not to mention the Republican streak in the governors Terrace Hill residence since 2012. Iowa Democrats are in a deep hole and clearly have their work cut out for them. They cant rely on a decreasing number of No Party registered voters to accomplish it. Perhaps more important, Iowa voters may be separating into the two increasingly antagonistic tribes that we see elsewhere. Lets hope politics here, already tough, doesnt become as ugly as it is in too many other states. Iowa Writers 'Collaborative. Linking Iowa readers and writers. Dennis Goldfords blog, Lets Talk Politics, is on Substack. This column is republished through the Iowa Writers Collaborative. Editors note: Please consider subscribing to the collaborative and the authors blogs to support their work. (WHTM) Emerson College released a new poll earlier Friday that shows former President Donald J. Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris in this years upcoming presidential election. According to the new Emerson College poll, the survey finds that 49% of voters in the Keystone State support former President Donald Trump, compared to 48% of voters that support Vice President Kamala Harris for president. With undecided voters allocated, Trump extends to a 2-point lead with 51% support, compared to Harriss 49%. The new poll also found that with third party candidates on the ballot, Trumps lead diminishes, tying Vice President Harris at 47%, with 3% of voters supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Pennsylvania likely voters in unions break for Harris by 15 points, 57% to 42%, while those not in a union and without union members in the household break for Trump, 50% to 48%, Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said. Those with union members in the household break from Trump, 50% to 42%. Emerson Colleges polling also found that Independent voters in the Commonwealth are leaning slightly towards Trump, with 48% supporting him in comparison to Harris 45%. With that being said, Harris does have a small marginal lead over Trump with Suburban voters. Furthermore, among new voters (those who did not vote in 2020), Harris has a significant lead with 61% support compared to Trumps 31%. According to Emerson College, their new poll also showed that Younger voters under 40 support Harris over Trump, 61% to 36%; Trumps strongest base is among voters aged 50-69, where he leads Harris 57% to 40%. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Although Trump currently leads, it is important to note that last month, Trump led Harris 51% to 45% in Pennsylvania. This means Harris support in Pennsylvania has increased by three points, from 45% to 48%. The new Emerson poll also shows that the economy is the top issue for 51% of likely voters in Pennsylvania. This is followed by threats to democracy (12%), immigration (8%), housing affordability (6%), healthcare (6%), and abortion access (5%). When it comes to the issue of fracking, 50% of voters trust Trump more to handle the issue, while 43% trust Harris more. 8% of the voters trust neither candidates on this issue. abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Portland man charged with rape may have other victims, police say PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) After a Portland man was arrested on rape and sodomy charges last Friday, Portland police are encouraging other potential victims to come forward. Just before 11:30 p.m., officers responded to the 9000 block of North Woolsey Avenue after someone called 911 saying a young woman was at their door asking for help, claiming she had been sexually assaulted. Pedestrian dies after North Portland semi-truck crash The 18-year-old reported she had been assaulted by a man she had met on a dating app, claiming he had used threat of force to engage in sexual activity, police said. PPBs Sex Crimes Unit then launched an investigation, identifying the suspect as 18-year-old Damani Anderson. As Multnomah County vote secures solution to ambulance crisis, commissioners battle over narrative Anderson was taken into custody Thursday afternoon and lodged at the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery and unlawful use of a weapon. This investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information about this case, or with similar experiences involving Anderson is encouraged to contact Portland police. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Is Portland trying to stretch the concert venue limit? Experts say yes PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Is the Portland area stretching too far when it comes to adding more concert venues? Wednesday, the Portland City Council asked city staff to look at combining plans that would renovate the Keller Auditorium and build a new concert hall facility a few blocks away on the Portland State University campus. At the same time, there are plans floated to build a new concert space at a couple other spots close in on Portlands east side. DONT MISS: The Keller Decision: The Future of the Arts Downtown Now, there is a proposal to turn the former Nordstrom space at Lloyd Center into a two-story concert hall that could fit 4,000 people. Additionally, the city looking at approving a four-story Live Nation complex that could have 3,500 concert goers, including standing room, at a city-owned property on the east side along Water Avenue. Some music business experts say Portland could use one but not two of these similar size facilities to fit crowds less than 19,000 at the Moda Center and more than 2,700 seated at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. But there is a growing call for Portland to start doing a lot more to promote its music scene, according to Meara McLaughlin, the executive director of Music Portland, which represents local musicians and independent venues. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler addresses camping ban enforcement challenges Just saying, Great, were going to build a venue, were gonna build another venue, I think thinking strategically and holistically about what does Portland want to be from a performance perspective is a piece thats lacking, she said. McLaughlin added that the greater Portland is hosting more than a thousand shows a month. We are really a place where you come to find the next big thing and it has major impacts on tourism, on the business sector that is trying to attract creative employees and to keep creative employees, she said. You dont do that because you have single giant concerts in a giant room that you could see in any city across the country. Its a warning that, while Portland is on the hunt for another large concert space for touring acts, there are the large independent creative music acts that attract people to want to move here and work here. But only if they know more about whats happening in the Portland area music scene. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. (Getty Images) Nearly 300,000 people have been disenrolled from Nevada Medicaid following the end of a pandemic-era policy that kept people continuously enrolled, state lawmakers learned Thursday, and an additional 45,000 may lose coverage next month. Those numbers are more than we ever anticipated, Nevada Medicaid Administrator Stacie Weeks told legislators on the Interim Finance Committee, and could bring financial problems to the program, which is paid for with both federal and state funds. Eligibility redeterminations were supposed to begin nationwide in April 2023. But Nevada and a majority of states experienced technical issues, delaying the unwinding for six months in the Silver State. Nevada Medicaid expects to complete the process next month. That dropoff, combined with higher health care costs and a lowering of the percentage of those costs paid by the federal government, are expected to result in higher costs to the state. If people are coming off the program, (you might think) that should mean youre going to spend less, but unfortunately thats not the case, said Weeks, noting that nearly half of those disenrolled had not gone to a medical provider or had a claim in the last year. What were seeing (affected) is that risk pool, which was balanced with health non-utilizers and high utilizers, some of our most costly members. Were seeing a smaller risk pool and its a higher risk pool. As a result, metrics like cost per eligible member have rapidly risen. We are seeing caseloads go up 20%, said Weeks. Thats very concerning because thats a lot of money. Weeks said she is hoping that after the unwinding is complete people will re-enroll in Medicaid and bring total numbers closer to 700,000 to 800,000 people. Procedural disenrollment that is, disenrollment for things like inaction or paperwork issues rather than ineligibility has been a concern among administrators and health care advocates since the unwinding process began. A KFF study released in April found that nearly a quarter of adults who were disenrolled reported having no insurance. About half of those surveyed had re-enrolled in Medicaid after being disenrolled. Weeks said the Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, which houses Nevada Medicaid, is working with the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services and Nevada Health Link on community outreach to ensure eligible Nevadans get and stay enrolled. I think a lot of people dont understand, said state Sen. Dina Neal (D-North Las Vegas). Then you blame the government. Oh, they took my insurance away. Neal urged the program administrators to make informational materials available to state lawmakers to try and get the word out. If enrollment doesnt go back up, Weeks warned lawmakers, we will need to be updating you all, and the governor, and everyone, as we move forward on the cost of our program. Nevada is not alone in seeing more Medicaid disenrollments than anticipated. Disenrollment nationwide has surpassed initial projections made by the federal government. For now, Nevada Medicaids budget looks flush. Weeks appeared before the IFC seeking approval to rollover nearly $230 million from the most recent fiscal year, which ended June 30, to the current fiscal year, which began July 1. I think I will need every penny of that to pay for increased cost because of the unwind, said Weeks. Weeks said there were other contributing factors to Nevada Medicaids budget uncertainty, including an unprecedented nationwide cyberattack earlier this year that affected states ability to process some claims from providers. Nevada Medicaid estimates $15 million in payments could have gone out but have been delayed because of issues related to that cyberattack. Additionally, Nevada Medicaids budget has not fully felt the impact of provider reimbursement rate increases passed by the Legislature last year, she said. It takes us 6 to 9 months after you pass a bill to implement, explained Weeks. On our end, we cant see the true impact because we dont see provider claims until 6 months later sometimes. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) President Joe Biden has designated part of Springfield as a national monument. The new monument is at the site of the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield. This week marks the 116th anniversary of the riot, which started after a large mob of white, mostly young men demanded that two Black prisoners be released so they could lynch them. 1908 Springfield Race Riot site to be designated as National Monument Over the course of the weekend, the Springfield mob escalated. Rioters lynched two Black men, Scott Burton and William Donnegan, and had burnt down several businesses and homes and looted more than 30 stores owned mostly by Black and Jewish residents. Images courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum After the tragic riot, several Black leaders, including Ida B. Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Mary Church Terrell, worked to launch a national organization fighting against racist policies and towards equality. That group became the NAACP. Using the Antiquities Act, Biden signed the proclamation at the Oval Office Friday to protect the site that led to the creation of the NAACP. A bipartisan group of Illinois lawmakers proposed NPS protection, but their bill stalled in Congress. Sangamon Co. announces commission to address systemic issues after Sonya Masseys death; volunteers wanted Our history is not just about the past, its about our present and our future, Biden said in a statement before signing the proclamation. The Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument will help us remember an unspeakable attack on the Black community and honor the Americans who came together in its aftermath to help deliver on the promise of civil rights. The National Park Service will manage the site. Right now, the site is 1.57 acres, with donations of land from the city of Springfield and HSHS St. Johns Hospital. Officials have also noted areas for expansion within the monuments boundaries. Establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is an important step in recognizing and remembering this painful but important moment in Americas history, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said. The Springfield 1908 Race Riot was a horrific and significant part of our nations march toward equality and civil rights. As we work to tell Americas story even when difficult may this monument help us learn from the past in order to build a more just and equitable future. Local leaders commended the new national monument. The designation of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site as a national monument is a powerful testament to the resilience of Black Americans and the enduring struggle for civil rights, said Marcus Johnson, President & CEO of the Springfield Urban League. This monument is not merely a memorial to the past but a beacon of hope and a call to action. It underscores the importance of confronting our history, however painful, to ensure a more just and inclusive future. Officials note part of the monuments area in Springfield has an active railroad construction zone preventing public access. More information on the monument can be found on the National Park Services website. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event on March 8, 2024 in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) President Joe Biden traveled to Philadelphia on Friday, according to the White House Press Office, to visit the University of Pennsylvania campus with his grandson. Biden arrived in Philadelphia shortly after 5 p.m. and was set to depart from Philadelphia International Airport just after 7 p.m., according to White House press pool reports. Biden has made many trips to Philadelphia throughout his tenure in the Oval Office, but Friday would be the first time the president is visiting the City of Brotherly Love since announcing he wouldnt seek reelection. His last visit to the Keystone State was on July 7 when he attended service at a traditionally Black church in Northwest Philadelphia, made an appearance at a campaign office in Philadelphia, and spoke to supporters in Harrisburg. Although Biden is not seeking a second term, he plans to hit the campaign trail for Vice President Kamala Harris, who he endorsed, and is now the Democrats nominee for president. Biden said he would campaign for Harris in Pennsylvania during an Aug. 11 interview on CBS. Former President Donald Trump, who is the Republican Partys nominee for president, will be in Northeast Pennsylvania on Saturday for a rally in Wilkes-Barre, a short drive from Bidens boyhood home of Scranton. Trumps running mate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), was in western Pennsylvania on Thursday for a campaign event. Both Trump and Vance are planning to be in Pennsylvania for separate campaign events on Monday, in York and Philadelphia. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will be in western Pennsylvania on Sunday to kick off a bus tour with their spouses. This article was updated at 5:10 p.m. Aug. 16, 2024 and again at 7:30 p.m. with additional information. KIEV, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian troops have advanced from one to three km in some areas in western Russia's Kursk region since the beginning of Friday, Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Friday. "Fighting continues along the entire frontline. Overall, the situation is under control," Syrsky said in a video posted on the official Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In particular, Syrsky informed that hostilities are underway near the village of Malaya Loknya in the Sudzha district. Ukrainian troops captured Russian soldiers in the Kursk region, the commander said, without giving details. According to Syrsky, Major General Eduard Moskalyov has begun his work as the head of the military commandant's office created in the Kiev-controlled areas of the Kursk region. Ukraine started a military operation in the Kursk region on Aug. 6. On Thursday, Syrsky said that Ukraine had taken control of 82 settlements in the conflict-hit region. Presidential debate to be held at National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, ABC News announces Presidential debate to be held at National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, ABC News announces The presidential debate set to be held by ABC News will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the network announced on Friday. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump had previously committed to attending. PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Getty Images) The Sept. 10 debate will be moderated by "World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live "Prime" anchor Linsey Davis. It will be produced in conjunction with ABC station WPVI-TV/6abc, and will air live at 9 p.m. ET on the network and on the ABC News Live 24/7 streaming network, Disney+, and Hulu. ABC News will also air a pre-debate special, "Race for the White House," at 8 p.m. ET, anchored by chief global affairs correspondent and "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz, chief Washington correspondent and "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl, chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce and senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott. As previously announced by ABC News, to formally qualify, presidential candidates will need to hit various qualification requirements, including in polling thresholds and in appearing on enough state ballots to theoretically be able to get a majority (270) of electoral votes in the presidential election. PHOTO: In this undated file photo, the National Constitution Center is shown in Philadelphia. (STOCK IMAGE/Getty Images) The National Constitution Center, which hosts exhibits and events about the U.S. Constitution and about civic engagement, is right by Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both signed. ABC News hosted town halls at the National Constitution Center with then-candidate President Joe Biden and then-incumbent President Donald Trump in 2020. Presidential debate to be held at National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, ABC News announces originally appeared on abcnews.go.com More than 112,000 calls came in to 988 or specialized lines for veterans, LGBTQ+ callers, or Spanish speakers over the last 12 months. (Photo: Getty Images) The federal director of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline had a look at some of the breadth of mental health emergency response in North Carolina on Thursday, visiting the crisis call center in Greenville and an outpatient clinic in Durham. The federally mandated 988 number has been available for calls and texts at no charge for about two years. 988 connects North Carolina callers to crisis counselors at the Greenville center who can then connect them to community services if necessary. NC DHHS secretary Kody Kinsley and national 988 director Monica Johnson Its important to prevent crises as well as respond to them quickly, said Monica Johnson, director of the 988 and behavioral health crisis coordinating office at the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. No one expects people with physical health issues to wait until they become emergencies before seeking help, she said. There need to be supports around that front end that prevent a crisis. But crisis is a moment in time, so what happens after that, she said. According to state Department of Health and Human Services data, more than 112,000 calls came in to 988 or specialized lines for veterans, LGBTQ+ callers, or Spanish speakers between July 2023 and June 2024. The 988 call center had a 98% answer rate. The average time for a call to be answered was just over 14 seconds. Its very important that people call when they feel like they need to talk, said Tracy Kennedy, executive director of Real Crisis Center, which houses the state 988 call center. If they just need to discuss something, we can link them before it becomes a crisis. If its a crisis, we have different resources, and then if it got to a point where its an emergent issue, we have wonderful first responders out there that are saving lives, she said. Chatting and texting and calling we love the fact that people are just reaching out sometimes just to find out what its all about. DHHS launched a statewide warm line in February, where people can call 1-855-PEERS NC to talk to a peer support specialist. 988 and the peer support warm line work together to address callers needs. What theyre calling us for is nonclinical support, said Cherene Caraco, CEO of Promise Resource Network, the organization running the warm line. North Carolinas 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The statewide Peer Warmline is a phone line staffed by Peer Support Specialists who offer non-clinical support and resources to those in crisis. North Carolinas Peer Warmline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1-855-PEERS NC (855-733-7762) 24/7 People call us to be connected for isolation, for loneliness, people call us to celebrate successes, people call us to thank us, people calls us because theyve lost a loved one, theyve lost a job, people call us because theyre thinking of suicide, she said. Because of the relationship between 988 and our warm line, we know what a more appropriate or effective support is going to be. Keeping mental health crises from turning into law enforcement actions where people end up in handcuffs, and creating options beyond hospital emergency rooms are priorities for behavioral health administrators. The outpatient clinic in Durham that Johnson visited Thursday provides an alternative to hospital emergency rooms for people in crisis. The clinic sees walk-ins and people brought in by family members or first responders. People can stay from six hours to five or six days, said Joy Brunson-Nsubuga, Recovery Innovations chief operating officer. We will work with them to resolve that immediate crisis and then we connect them back to the community providers, she said. Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wrights Only Skyscraper, Sold for $10 in 2023 and Has Been Embroiled in Controversy Ever Since Photo: Denis Tangney Jr/Getty Images Following a series of financial struggles, Frank Lloyd Wrights only skyscraper, Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, has shuttered its doors, reports the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. The closure is only the latest chapter in a saga that began with the buildings controversial sale to private investors in March 2023. Now, longtime tenants of the mixed-use building have been given a month to vacate the premises, and the buildings once-public museum (The Price Tower Arts Center) and hotel (The Inn at Price Tower) are no longer accepting visitors. As Wrights only completed skyscraper, Price Tower holds an important place among the architects work. Built in 1956, the iconic building showcases how Wright drew inspiration from the natural world. Indeed, the architect based the design on a tree, imagining a trunk formed by the central elevator shafts and the green copper panels and sun louvers on the exterior forming the leaves. In fact, Wright called the building the tree that escaped the crowded forest, as it was originally intended for New York City but was ultimately built on the Oklahoma prairie. Designed in the late 1920s, the structure was planned as four apartment towers in the Big Apple, but construction never started due to the Great Depression. When the H.C. Price Company, an oil and gas company, contracted Wright to build its headquarters in Bartlesville in 1953, he revisited those 1920 designs, changing them to a single tower. Frank Lloyd Wright Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images The 19-story, 221-foot building originally housed offices and apartments for the H.C. Price Company. However, after the business closed in 1981, the building struggled to find its place. It was sold to Phillips Petroleum Company, which used it for storage. In 2000, Phillips donated the tower to a newly formed nonprofit, the Price Tower Arts Center. They created a museum dedicated to Wright, opened a boutique hotelThe Inn at Price Towerand established two floors as the Copper Bar and Restaurant. Other spaces were rented as offices, but the nonprofit struggled with rising maintenance costs, eventually falling deep into debt. In March 2023, Price Tower sold to Copper Tree Inc., a group of private investors helmed by Cynthia Blanchard, for a mere $10. As part of the inexpensive price, the company agreed to take on the nonprofits debt and pour $10 million into the preservation of the building, according to the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. However, the news caused controversy, as some community members worried about the implications of Price Tower becoming a for-profit enterprise. Others wondered if Copper Tree Inc., which was formed only a year earlier, had the expertise to renovate a historical building. Meanwhile, some community members were alarmed by Cynthia Blanchards ties to HeraSoft, a cryptocurrency company helmed by her husband, Anthem Blanchard. Just two months after Copper Tree Inc.s purchase of Price Tower, Anthem claimed the company was financially insolvent in court, according to the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. Despite promises from the new owners to revitalize the building through new development, including upscale restaurants, nothing permanent has materialized. Instead, the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise estimates that the debt has now ballooned to $2 million. To keep the building afloat, Copper Tree Inc. allegedly began selling off some of the buildings furniture and artifacts, which are protected through an easement donated to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy in 2011 by the Price Tower Arts Center as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site nominations. The items believed to be sold include architectural copper relief panels, a one of a kind rolling directory board, an armchair, and copper tables and stools. According to Barbara Gordon, the Conservancys executive director, the easement remains intact, and as such, This collection of items cannot be sold, she says. This easement is a legal agreement that ensures the preservation of significant buildings and collections, protecting it through future ownership as it becomes part of the property deed. The Conservancy has enlisted lawyers to negotiate the return of items believed to be in the possession of a Dallas-based art gallery and filed UCC Financing Statements against Cynthia Blanchard, Copper Tree Inc., and Green Copper Holdings on August 8. Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma Photo: Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images Frank Lloyd Wright designed in a holistic environment. He considered not just the building, but the items inside it, Gordon says. Its important to keep the items together to understand the design. Reportedly, Blanchard was privately courting buyers for the Price Tower, but now the skyscraper is heading to the auction block. On August 22, Price Tower was listed with Ten-X, an online auction site, with a starting bid of $600,000. The auction will begin on October 7 and will run through October 9. The reserve price remains undisclosed. This move allows us to reach a broader audience of potential buyers who can appreciate the propertys unique architectural significance, Blanchard wrote in a press release. Blanchard did not return ADs messages requesting comment. The 60,335-square-foot building sits on 2.07 acres, and all the fixtures, furniture, and equipment for the restaurant and hotel will be included. This will allow new owners to reopen the businesses promptly if they wish. Currently, around 10,500 square feet of the tower holds offices, while the hotel uses approximately 49,800 square feet. We are committed to securing a fair and competitive sale, and we encourage all interested parties to participate in this unique opportunity to become a part of the ongoing history of Price Tower, real estate broker Scott Schlotfelt told the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. The listing did not disclose how the historical art and artifacts covered by the easement would be addressed, though the valuable art collection is required to remain with the building. Gordon notes that the terms of the easement require that the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy be able to meet with prospective buyers to explain what it would mean for their purchase. Our hope is that Price Tower can find new investors dedicated to its preservation and the easement to safeguard these collection items, Gordon said. Long-time tenants in the building included B Monthly, a local magazine, which has already begun moving out. Managing Editor Keith McPhail says that hes sympathetic to the challenges any owner of Price Tower will face, as many improvements that would make it more modern and energy efficient cant be completed due to the buildings place on the National Historic Registry. I hope the community can come together and support the Price Tower. Its sad to see the building chained up and the lights off, McPhail says. Seeing it dark at night is a sad day. Our hope is that Price Tower can find new investors dedicated to its preservation and the easement to safeguard these collection items, Gordon said. While the ultimate fate of Price Tower is unknown, Bartlesville residents remain hopeful it can be saved. Any place can have beautiful architecture, but the stories that make an impact leave lasting memories, says Maria Gus, executive director of Visit Bartlesville. We believe the story of the Price Tower is far from over. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest More Great Stories From AD By Gabriella Borter, Allende Miglietta and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When Vice President Kamala Harris flies to Chicago next week to accept her party's nomination for the presidency, she will be met head-on with voters protesting one of her thorniest electoral issues: the Biden administration's aid to Israel. A coalition of some 200 social justice organizations is going forward with their plan to march at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, despite a late decision by Joe Biden - the main focus of their ire - to step down from the top of the ticket. Pro-Palestinian activists resent Biden's administration for funding Israel during its war against Hamas, which has killed around 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health officials. Israel launched an offensive after it was attacked on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants who killed 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages, according to Israel tallies. Harris has surged in opinion polls since Biden's July 21 withdrawal from the race, closing the gap with Republican nominee Donald Trump. But some activists say they hold her responsible, to varying extents, for the administration's Israel policy, and the protests next week will add pressure on her to unite a discontented voter base before Election Day. Hatem Abudayyeh, spokesperson for the March on the DNC coalition, said dozens of coalition group leaders met after Biden ended his campaign and discussed if they should change tack if Harris became the nominee. "There was absolute consensus," he recalled. "She represents the policies of the administration and it's full steam ahead." The march will represent a contingent of historically Democratic voters who have said they will refuse to vote for the party nominee this time unless the White House puts conditions on its support for Israel. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in May, some 44% of Democratic registered voters disapproved of Biden's handling of the war. Some pro-Palestinian leaders expressed hope that Harris might diverge from Biden on Israel, noting she was the first within the administration to call for a ceasefire. Abandon Biden, a pro-Palestinian campaign founded to mobilize voters against Biden, believes Harris bears responsibility for Gaza's humanitarian crisis but is not yet launching an "Abandon Harris" campaign, spokesperson Hudhayfah Ahmad said. The group will be in Chicago and watching for changes to the Democratic party's position. "We're going to give (Harris) a lot more grace than we gave Joe Biden," Ahmad said. "However, I will emphasize, the clock is ticking and our patience is running out." PROTESTERS FLOCKING Organizers have said the DNC march will be family-friendly. Still, some onlookers worry that the combination of a heavy police presence, throngs of protesters and potential ill-intentioned agitators could combust, as it did on college campuses in the spring. "It's going to be a mess in Chicago starting Sunday," said Emad Salem, a Harris delegate from Texas and part of a group called "Delegates Against Genocide" that is urging the DNC to call for a ceasefire and an arms embargo against Israel. "This is not just Palestinians and Arabs and Muslims. We're talking about tens of thousands of Gen Zers participating, African Americans, Latinos, anti-war protesters from all over the place." Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said his pro-Israel organization was "deeply concerned" about the increased intensity of recent U.S. protests and called on Chicago police to hold bad actors accountable. Abudayyeh said the crowds are expected to peak in the tens of thousands on Monday and Thursday, coinciding respectively with the days Biden and Harris will speak, and most people would be coming from Palestinian and Arab communities in Illinois and neighboring states. The coalition includes groups advocating for a range of causes, including reproductive rights and racial justice. Organizers have fought with city officials for months to get a permit for the rally and their desired route. After winning access to a rally site close to the United Center, where the DNC will be hosted, the coalition lost a bid this week for a longer march route, and the city barred them from using stages, portable toilets, tents or sound equipment. Chicago police superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters that he did not want to "tie up additional resources" by lengthening the protest route, but police would ensure demonstrators could exercise their free speech rights and that they and the surrounding community would be safe. A spokesperson for the nonprofit Israeli-American Council said it had struggled to get a permit from the city of Chicago to demonstrate outside the DNC, and was instead installing an art exhibit nearby to honor the hostages held by Hamas and support Israel. (Reporting by Gabriella Borter, Allende Miglietta and Andrea Shalal, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Probe at German military base finds no evidence that the water supply was tampered with A sign at the entrance to the air force barracks in Wahn outside Cologne, Germany, Wednesday Aug. 14, 2024. Investigators are looking into suspicions of unauthorized entry and possible sabotage at a major military barracks in western Germany. (Roberto Pfeil/dpa via AP) BERLIN (AP) An investigation found no evidence that the water supply at a major air force barracks in western Germany was tampered with, the country's Defense Ministry said Friday, two days after the facility was sealed off for hours over fears of possible sabotage. The probe was launched on Wednesday after a hole was found in a fence near the waterworks of the Wahn barracks outside Cologne and what the military called abnormal water values were reported. The facility was sealed off in case a perpetrator or perpetrators were on the grounds, but none was found and the gates were reopened. The Defense Ministry wrote Friday on social network X that a manipulation of the drinking water facility could not be confirmed after extensive investigations and that the quality requirements for drinking water were fulfilled. It added that further investigations are ongoing, without giving details. The Wahn barracks serves the military part of Cologne/Bonn Airport, where the fleet of military aircraft that serves the German government has its main base. The incident came at a time of jitters about the possible vulnerability of infrastructure to attempted Russian sabotage. On Thursday evening, officials in the western town of Mechernich which is home to a military barracks said that a hole had been found in a fence on the grounds of a drinking water tank and called on 10,000 inhabitants not to use the water. On Friday, they said that an analysis found no sign of chemical or biological contamination. They recommended that locals boil water before drinking it as a precaution while further tests were carried out. A book on anti-intellectualism highlights the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tenn., when teacher John Thomas Scopes (2nd from left) was tried for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution in his high school science class. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) A book on anti-intellectualism highlights the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tenn., when teacher John Thomas Scopes (2nd from left) was tried for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution in his high school science class. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Fall semester starts soon with all the promise that comes with it. For more than 40 years Ive taught on a university campus, and this is my favorite time of the year. New students are taking library tours, attending their initial class meetings and enjoying all the wonderful cultural and intellectual events that happen on a campus. The one minor annoyance is a virulent strain of anti-intellectualism long at play in some radical right circles. Richard Hofstadter in 1963 published a thorough review in his book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. One prominent item is Tennessees Butler Act that banned the teaching of evolution in public schools, leading to the infamous Scopes monkey trial case in 1925 in Dayton, Tenn. Our state did not repeal the Butler Act until 1967, and some retrograde forces still quibble about natural selection and the evolution of form. In 2018 Professor Matthew Motta, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, analyzed some national polling to discover that anti-intellectualism is associated with not only dismissal of expertise and scientific consensus but also support for political movements like Brexit and politicians like the late George Wallace and Donald Trump. That same year an Israeli researcher, Orly Kayam, looked at Trumps language in 2016 media interviews and debates. Trump was speaking at a fourth or fifth grade level, while most other candidates were speaking at a ninth-grade level. Kayam concluded, This study suggests that Trump uses low readability and simplicity of language as a rhetorical strategy to gain popularity, in accordance with the trend of anti-intellectualism. Alabama Gov. George Wallace addresses a joint session of the Alabama Legislature in the Old House Chamber of the Alabama State Capitol on May 7, 1963. Behind Wallace are Lt. Gov. James Allen (left) and House Speaker Albert Brewer (right). (Alabama Department of Archives and History) We all endured four years of a simplistic Trump Administration that ignored scientific fact on everything from climate change to virus control. Then we had to endure further denialism on everything from election results to court convictions. Trump devotees in state legislatures now pass nonsense bills that try to limit divisive concepts or seek to demonize efforts at diversity and inclusion of all. Online, they are supplemented by trolls who attack professors as agents of indoctrination, instead of our real role as prompting critical thinking among young adults fully capable of evaluating ideas on their merit. The more responsible among us recognize that as a nation-state we trail many other developed countries in percent of adults who have college educations. Many parents understand that their offspring who obtain college degrees have salaries roughly 86 percent higher than those whose highest degree is a high school diploma. The spread grows to roughly $1.2 million more over the course of a persons lifetime. A more educated population, quite simply, is good for both each individual graduate and the nation as a whole. Universities do more than credential. They help young people develop valuable lifelong skills. They demonstrate the interconnectedness and power of ideas. They add to our understanding of the world through research, often scientific research linked to valuable entities like national labs. Adam Waters and E.J. Dionne, Jr., penned an article reminding us that Donald Trump campaigned and governed as anti-intellectual, and even anti-fact and anti-truth. During the 2016 campaign Trump grumbled, The experts are terrible [about foreign policy]. Look at the mess were in with all these experts we have. Two other authors, Michael McDevitt and Patrick Ferrucci, quite properly suggested academics and journalists share a need to challenge the criticism of the press as elitist. They wrote, If we grant, however, that anti-intellectualism is a growing problem in politics, the remedy for journalism is not to infuse its style and interpretive schemes with a down-home sensitivity [seeing matters] as a failure of the press to affirm public frustration. A journalism of expertise an elite journalism without apology would better capture the substantive concerns of rural America. In other words, dont pander. Do your job, and dont be afraid to defend science and fact, even when the conclusions make some uncomfortable. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A coalition of progressive groups is demanding that Democratic leadership reject endorsements and outside spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobbying group that helped take down two members of the Squad in their recent primaries. The letter, addressed to Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison, exclusively shared with HuffPost, emphasizes that AIPACs reliance on large donations from right-wing donors and outsized attacks on the left wing of the Democratic Party. AIPAC and their allies are spending millions of dollars to defeat champions of the popular progressive agenda that voters demand and that help Democrats win, like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, reproductive justice, transformative immigration and democracy reform, a lasting ceasefire, hostage deal, and halt on all weapons funding to the Israeli militarys assault on Palestinians in Gaza, the letter says. It will be significantly more difficult for Democrats to defeat Trump in November as long as the Party continues to allow GOP-backed PACs and corporate lobbies to have sway over Democratic politics. The letter comesafter AIPAC and its affiliated super PAC poured more than $25 million into defeating two congressional progressives: Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.). Bush and Bowman, members of the informal left-leaning group that named itself the Squad, suffered decisive losses as allies complained Democratic leadership had done too little to protect its incumbents. The timing also falls just days before the 2024 Democratic National Convention begins in Chicago, where the party is hoping to project a unified front as Vice President Kamala Harris publicly accept the nomination for president. Few issues have riven the party like U.S. support for Israel and its deadly war in Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 civilians, according to figures released Thursday by Gazas Health Ministry. More than two dozen progressive groups co-signed the letter, including Justice Democrats, the Movement for Black Lives, the IfNotNow Movement, Sunrise Movement and the Working Families Party. Their coalition, Reject AIPAC, was organized as a counterweight to AIPAC but has not been able to marshal the same jaw-dropping levels of spending. Demonstrators stream past the White House on Jan. 13 during the March on Washington for Gaza. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press The ability of AIPAC, a single-issue lobbying group, to recruit candidates and deploy millions of dollars in primary contests where a wide range of progressive causes may be at stake has long angered the left wing of the party. Although AIPAC and its super PAC solicit donations from Republicans and Democrats alike, GOP mega-donors have furnished some of its largest contributions. When AIPAC has taken a stance in contested primaries, the group has almost always targeted progressive members of Congress who are not only critics of Israel but who have also led calls for wealth taxes, Medicare for All, and student debt cancellation all policies despised on the right. AIPAC and its super PAC, United Democracy Project, have always maintained they support or oppose candidates based solely on their stance on Israel. But after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel, when AIPAC signaled its intentions to spend a record amount of money unseating critics of U.S. military support for Israels retaliatory offensive in Gaza, members of the left-leaning Squad and their allies began to air their frustration in public. Its a Trojan horse its a way to smuggle Republican money into Democratic primaries, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), a longtime AIPAC critic, told HuffPost. People should have to answer for taking that toxic money. Still, few were willing to call on party leadership or other members to reject AIPAC outright. At the start of the primaries, just one Democrat in Congress, Bush, was calling explicitly for her fellow members to reject any support from AIPAC. A handful of her fellow progressives in the House, plus Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have since signed on to Reject AIPACs pledge not to accept AIPACs endorsements or contributions. Although the party cannot stop AIPAC from spending unlimited funds in its primaries, it can discourage AIPAC-recruited candidates from entering primary contests, help incumbents fundraise, spend money in their defense and thwart AIPACs legislative goals if it continues to target party members. In its letter, Reject AIPAC argues that resisting AIPACs interference in primaries is crucial to the long-term health of the party. They have sought to unseat the very candidates who energize the critical base that Democrats need to reach to win in November young people, progressives, and people of color, the letter says. The Democratic Party cannot rely on voters turning out in November on the top issues of reproductive rights, democracy, and peace while accepting donations and endorsements from a right-wing organization that is actively undermining those very principles. Related... Proposal would ban temporary shelters on city property in Cranston CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) A new proposal to ban temporary shelters on city property in Cranston brought out some strong opposition during Thursdays meeting. Under the proposal, violators would also be charged a $50 fine, and any shelter not moved after 24 hours can be removed by the city. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the proposal, calling it extraordinarily cruel. Many community members echoed that sentiment. Not to mention the abject cruelty of treating people who are in need of support and assistance with punishment rather than kindness, Becka Carroll said. ALSO READ: Record number of deportations seen in Massachusetts However, law enforcement officers said its needed to keep the community safe. Theres some serious concerns. Ive been out in these encampments myself, theres open fires, theres propane tanks, theres used needles and syringes, Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist said. An ordinance passed by the city council back in 2016 to ban panhandling led to a lawsuit by the ACLU, which the city settled. The council voted Thursday to repeal that ordinance. Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins said he has concern for the homeless and wants to be proactive about finding housing for them, adding the ordinance would not criminalize anyone. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. Iraqi women demonstrate against underage marriage in Tahrir Square in central Baghdad on Aug. 8, 2024, amid parliamentary discussions over a proposed amendment to the Iraqi Personal Status Law. Credit - Ahmad Al-RubayeGetty Images An amendment to Iraqs 1959 Personal Status law was officially proposed in the Iraqi parliament on Aug. 4. The draft law could theoretically make it legal for girls as young as nine years old to get married. The bill was proposed by Iraqi MP Raad al-Maliki, and is supported by conservative Shiite factions within the government. Many civil society and womens groups have mobilized against the law, protesting on the streets of Baghdad and other cities across the country. The law would add the option of having matters of family law such as marriage adjudicated by religious authorities. "Civil courts that file marriage and divorce may become obsolete, and will no longer defend women's rights to alimony, custody of children, or other rights," said Yanar Mohammed, president of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq, according to the Middle East Eye. The MP who proposed the bill, al-Maliki, has denied that it could lead to child marriage, saying that such implications are "lies fabricated by some out of hatred for applying the provisions of Gods law to those who want them," per the Middle East Eye. What is the current legal status of child marriage in Iraq? Iraqs 1959 Personal Status law prohibits marriage for individuals under the age of 18. Exceptions can be made for women as young as 15 if they have permission from both a judge and the parents, according to Marsin Alshamary, a scholar of Middle Eastern politics and an assistant professor at Boston College. Iraqs 1959 law was heavily influenced by the Iraqi Womens League and is one of the most progressive laws in the region, according to Nadje Al-Ali, a professor of anthropology and Middle East studies at Brown University. The reason it is perceived to be one of the most progressive laws of the time and even later on, is because it made it much more difficult for a man to marry a second, third, or fourth wife. He actually had to have the permission of the first wife, Al-Ali tells TIME. It also made divorce possible for women, it pushed the marriage age to 18, and very crucially, it was a unified set of laws that applied to both Shia and Sunni Muslims. In the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the U.S., there have been various attempts by Islamist factions in the country to repeal or change the law so that religious authorities can have more influence over family matters. In the past, attempts to repeal or dramatically alter the law have failed. However, Alshamary says that this time, things are different. This is the closest we've come to actually seeing this through, and if this happens it's probably going to be one of the most impactful events in Iraq's post-2003 history, with huge repercussions going forward, she tells TIME. What is the amendment proposing? The amendment would alter the 1959 law so that Muslim families could choose whether they want to get married under civil law or religious law. Currently, marriages and divorces must go through secular civil courts in order to be recognized by the government. If the amendment passes, Muslim families could choose to marry under secular law or religious law. Those who choose to marry under religious law must pick between Sunni or Shiite legal systems. One school of Shiite Islamist thought, known as the Jafari school of Islam, is interpreted by some clerics as allowing for the marriage of girls as young as age nine. While some Shiite clerics disagree with this interpretation, some activists are concerned that the law could effectively legalize child marriage for Shiite Muslim girls. Shiite Muslims make up between 55-60% of Iraqs population, according to the U.S. Department of State. Even with the legal protections currently in place, child marriage remains prevalant in Iraq, with approximately 28% of girls marrying before the age of 18, according to a 2023 UNICEF report. Experts and activists are concerned that the proposed law will further erode the rights of women and children in the country. Just the possibility of [legalizing child marriage] is alarming enough, because we already see significant underage marriage in Iraq, says Alshamary. Experts say that this also has a risk of creating further division in a country that is still trying to heal from the sectarian divisions that were exacerbated in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion. This proposal takes away [power] from the state and gives it to the religious establishment, says Nida Alahmad, a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh who specializes in politics and international relations of the Middle East. She worries that creating separate legal frameworks for Sunni and Shiite Muslims would further divide the country. [It] makes the state fragmented and further institutionalized along sectarian groups. What happens next? Before the amendment can be voted on, it must be debated in parliament, according to experts who spoke with TIME. After it has been debated, it can then be scheduled for a vote. A simple majority in parliament would mean that the amendment passes, and the bill could be enforced as law. As of now, an official debate has yet to be scheduled. Contact us at letters@time.com. Prosecutors Call Her the 'Ketamine Queen': All About Woman at Center of Matthew Perry Death Case Jasveen Sangha is one of five defendants charged in connection with Perry's death Getty;Shutterstock Matthew Perry, left, and Jasveen Sangha A woman charged in connection with the death of Matthew Perry was dubbed The Ketamine Queen by federal prosecutors. Jasveen Sangha, one of five defendants charged, is accused of having distributed the ketamine that killed the Friends star, the Department of Justice said. In a federal indictment reviewed by PEOPLE, prosecutors allege that Sangha operated a stash house in North Hollywood, where they claim she would "store, package, and distribute narcotics." Sangha is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. If she is convicted, she could potentially face up to life in prison. Related: All About the 5 People Charged in Matthew Perry's Death: What Are the Accusations and Possible Penalties? Prosecutors allege that Sangha distributed drugs to Erik Fleming, who is an acquaintance of Perry's, who in turn distributed them to Perrys live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. Both Fleming and Iwamasa have pleaded guilty to related charges and could face 15 and 25 years in federal prison, respectively. Prosecutors claim that Fleming was an intermediary between Sangha and Iwamasa. Fleming obtained 50 vials from Sangha, the justice department alleges, and then distributed them to Perrys assistant, who admitted to repeatedly injecting the actor. The indictment alleges that Sangha allowed Fleming to take a sample for Perry to try. Its unmarked but its amazing he take one and try it and I have more if he likes, she allegedly messaged Fleming. Fleming then sent a screenshot of the message to Iwamasa and allegedly touted Sanghas reputation, according to the indictment. [J]ust got this from my person, Fleming wrote. She only deal[s] with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff shed lose her business. After Perry died on Oct. 28, 2023, Sangha allegedly texted Fleming, Delete all our messages. Related: Inside Matthew Perry's Last Day, When Assistant Left After Giving Ketamine Shot and Returned to Find Actor Dead The Justice Department alleges that Perrys death is not the first ketamine-related death linked to Sangha. In 2019, prosecutors allege in their press release that she sold ketamine to a man who overdosed hours later. When a family member of the man informed Sangha, she allegedly Googled, can ketamine be listed as a cause of death. According to the Justice Department, the Los Angeles Police Department searched Sanghas residence and allegedly found about 79 vials of ketamine, 1.4 kilograms of pills containing methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, cocaine and prescription drugs. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The Associated Press reported that Sangha pleaded not guilty and was denied bond. Dr. Salvador Plasencia is also charged in connection with Perrys death, with prosecutors alleging that he purchased ketamine from fellow doctor Mark Chavez and in turn sold it to Iwamasa. Chavez, the fifth defendant, will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, officials said. United States Attorney Martin Estrada said at a press conference announcing the charges that the defendants took advantage of Perry, who has long struggled with addiction. These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being, Estrada said in a statement. Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other peoples lives over greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug-dealers who cause death, send a clear message that we will hold drug-dealers accountable for the deaths they cause. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday extended the authorization of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) until Dec. 31, 2024. The Security Council, by unanimously adopting resolution 2748, authorized African Union member states to continue to deploy up to 12,626 uniformed personnel, inclusive of 1,040 police personnel, to ATMIS until the end of this year. The vote followed the adoption on Monday of resolution 2747, a technical rollover that extended the mission's authorization by three days. The resolution encouraged traditional and new donors to support ATMIS, the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) administered Trust Fund in support of Somali security forces, and the proposed successor mission in order to enable Somalia to bolster its fight against Al-Shabaab. The council requested the UN secretary-general to continue providing a logistical support package through the UNSOS, and decided to continue support for 20,900 personnel from the Somali National Army or Somali National Police Force, on joint or coordinated operations with ATMIS, until Dec. 31. The council asked the secretary-general, jointly with the African Union Commission chairperson and in consultations with Somalia and international stakeholders, to report by Nov. 15 on the overall mission design for the proposed successor mission, guided by a clear national political strategy to support the federal government of Somalia in its transition from conflict to peace. The report will include, among other items, a proposed mission structure, a transition plan for UNSOS and ATMIS to the successor mission, as well as a comprehensive exit strategy for the successor mission. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Dozens gathered Thursday evening to demand change on North Main Street six months after the capital city committed to making safety improvements. The goal of the Vision Zero agreement is to end traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 by redesigning city streets to ensure the safety of everyone who walks, bikes, rides and drives through Providence. The Providence Streets Coalition said that, between 2010 and 2022, there were 84 crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists on North Main Street. Within the past year, four pedestrians have died, including Zachary Richardson. I just loved him so much, his girlfriend Lisa Pope said. I still love him. Richardson had just finishing cleaning his mothers apartment and was on his way to Popes home when he was hit by a driver and left for dead. Pope has been calling for change ever since. I dont want his death to be in vain, Pope said. Though the city has verbally committed to making safety improvements, Pope claims nothing has been done. Providence City Councilor Sue Anderbois, whos responsible for North Main Street, said some progress has been made, but not nearly enough. The fact that four people have died on this street in the last 18 months is a failure, Anderbois said. Its a failure of policy. Its a failure of design. But Anderbois said the changes arent easy to make, since the road is state-owned. Thats why Anderbois created the North Main Street Task Force to ensure the agreement is acted upon. Anderbois said that, over the past six months, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation has completed a road safety assessment to determine what long-term changes need to be made. The task force is still awaiting the final plan, but Anderbois said theyve taken smaller steps to make North Main Street safer in the meantime by adding signs, extending crosswalks and improving lighting. Were trying to make some progress while we are still also planning for a larger, longer term changes, Anderbois explained. The North Main Street Task Force is expected to meet again in September. Josh Estrella, a spokesperson for Providence Mayor Brett Smileys office, told 12 News work is also being done across the city. Were focusing on the many ways we can improve, including restriping pedestrian crosswalks, investing in sidewalks and reassessing traffic-calming measures, Estrella explained. Estrella said the city is also updating its plan to achieve Vision Zero, which he expects to be finalized early next year. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. TRENT WOODS, N.C. (WNCT) The public is invited to attend a meeting Aug. 20, 2024 to discuss replacing a bridge in Craven County. The meeting will be at Garber Methodist Church in Trent Woods at 4202 Country Club Road from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. The N.C. Department of Transporation is looking to improve the bridge on Trent Woods Drive over the Trent River/Wilson Creek. People can also make comments by Sept. 4 by calling (984)-205-6615 and use project code 5384 or by email at trentriver-bridgereplacement@publicinput.com Mail can also be sent to: Allison McAullife NCDOT Highway Division 2 Project Engineer 1037 W H Smith Boulevard Greenville, NC 27834 The NCDOT will have aids under the Americans with Disabilities Act for anyone requiring special services. Non-English speaking citizens can also get interpretive services upon request by calling 1-800-481-6494. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT. Public and some lawmakers shut out from discussion of school choice legislation North Dakota Superintendent Kirsten Baesler speaks during a meeting of the state's Teacher Retention and Recruitment Task Force held in Bismarck on Feb. 22, 2024. Baesler also serves on a separate task force studying school choice that has not publicized its meetings, prompting lawmakers to raise questions this week. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) An important discussion about the future of North Dakotas K-12 education system appears to be happening in private. The discussion is so private, in fact, that even some Education Committee lawmakers seem to be in the dark. The Legislatures interim Education Committee was directed through legislation approved in 2023 to study school choice models that have been implemented nationally, such as charter schools and voucher systems where the state helps pay for a students private education. The committee is supposed to report its findings and bring potential draft legislation to the next legislative assembly. But a separate group a school choice task force seems to be doing the heavy lifting through meetings that have not been publicized, according to discussion during Wednesdays Education Committee meeting. The lack of transparency seems to in part be driven by confusion over whos in charge and the fact that a private consultant is facilitating the meetings. Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler told the North Dakota Monitor on Thursday that the Legislature has jurisdiction over the task force and she is merely a member. Baesler said Sen. Michelle Axtman, R-Bismarck, who chairs the Education Committee, chose the members of the group after getting recommendations from her office and the governors office. Both Axtman and Baesler made the distinction that members were not appointed but were invited. The group has met three times, twice in person at the Capitol and once virtually. I really dont want this to be mistaken for a study that was directed to the Department of Public Instruction or that we were leading whatsoever, because we werent, Baesler said. Legislative Council Director John Bjornson, meanwhile, said the task force is not driven by the legislative branch and that Axtman did not have the authority to appoint a subcommittee or task force. Bjornson said it was his impression that the Department of Public Instruction was leading the group. Lawmakers have not been paid to participate in the meetings, as they are for legislative meetings. It had little to nothing to do with the legislative branch, other than Sen. Axtman and a couple others were asked to attend meetings, Bjornson said. It would be up to DPI and their attorney to decide whether any meetings they held would fall under the requirements of being a public meeting. Confusion over the task force was apparent during Wednesdays Education Committee meeting. At the meeting, Axman briefed the rest of the committee on the task forces progress. The group is discussing a three-tiered education model that would provide opportunities for students enrolled in public and private schools and homeschooled students, she said. We are inching closer to really cementing what possible legislation would look like, Axtman told lawmakers. Rep. LaurieBeth Hager, D-Fargo, noted during the meeting she had only recently become aware of the task force. She asked if the meetings had been open to the public and inquired about the groups members and meeting minutes. Axtman said that Legislative Council, the Legislatures research arm, doesnt post materials related to the meetings because it is not a legislative-driven task force. Hager further pressed for an explanation about why the task force would not be required to meet open meeting requirements. It applies to school boards. It applies to most entities in the state, but not this particular task force that would restructure the entire education of the state of North Dakota? Hager asked. Baesler said the task force was following the advice of Legislative Council. Legislative Council attorney Liz Fordahl then chimed in, indicating that the task force is not subject to open meetings laws. As this was not a group that was authorized by any legislative body, its not a public meeting, and its not subject to those requirements. It was formed outside of a government body, Fordahl said. Bjornson, who talked to Fordahl after the meeting, clarified in an interview that Fordahl thought the effort was facilitated by Baeslers office and not a governing body. The meetings have been led and facilitated by the Hunt Institute, which has a contract with the Department of Public Instruction, Axtman said. Baesler said the Hunt Institute contract is tied to a separate study the Department of Instruction is conducting. The Hunt Institute piggybacked on that contract for the work related to school choice, Baesler said. While they were in town, they helped Sen. Axtman secure experts for this study as well, Baesler said. The Hunt Institute also led a lawmaker retreat on education issues in July. Axtman, who is in her first term, said in an interview that she raised questions about open meeting requirements during a meeting with Bjornson and Baesler and followed their advice. If they would have told me they need to be open meetings, I absolutely would have gone and ensured that they were open to the public, Axtman said. Baesler said she also questioned why the meetings werent open but was told by Legislative Council that lawmakers are able to form working groups. The studies and the task force that I run and direct, I always post my meetings, she said. Baesler also serves on the Teacher Retention and Recruitment Task Force, which has publicized its meetings, including through the Secretary of States Office meeting notice page. Gov. Doug Burgum appointed members to the group focused on teacher retention but had no role in appointing members to the school choice task force, said spokesman Mike Nowatzki. The governors education policy adviser is participating in the school choice task force because that was in the directive of the Legislature through Senate Bill 2284 when it directed the study, Nowatzki said. The Governors Office did not determine the structure of the study or any group(s) designed to develop recommendations to the interim committee for the purposes of the study, Nowatzki said in an email. Baesler said she hopes the procedural questions dont take away from the groups good work. Were working really hard to help improve education for all students in North Dakota, Axtman said. This story was updated on Aug. 16 to clarify that the task force met at the Capitol. School choice task force members Sen. Michelle Axtman R-Fargo Sen. Kyle Davison, R-Fargo Rep. David Richter, R-Williston Rep. Pat Heinert, R-Bismarck Kirsten Baesler, superintendent of public instruction Levi Bachmeier, business manager, West Fargo Public Schools Cory Steiner, superintendent, Northern Cass School District Maria Neset, education policy adviser, governors office Joy-Nicole Smith, school liaison program manager, Minot Air Force Base Lucas Greff, Mott, North Dakota School Boards Association Board Tracy Friesen, vice president of academic affairs, Light of Christ Catholic Schools, Bismarck Nacole Walker, Dakota/Lakota Language Immersion Nest, Fort Yates Shane Goettle, lobbyist, State Association of Nonpublic Schools Sources: Superintendent Kirsten Baesler and Sen. Michelle Axtman DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (PUEBLO, Colo.) Pueblo is allowing community members to leave any debris from the recent storm that occurred on Tuesday, Aug. 13 at a drop-off location on Friday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 18. The event will be hosted at the Langoni Sports Complex Parking Lot located at 1600 W. 24th Street. The location will be open and available to City of Pueblo residents from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Debris Drop-Off will be at the Langoni Sports Complex Parking Lot. Courtesy: City of Pueblo. We know many of our residents are cleaning up debris and damage to their yards or property as a result of the microburst we experienced on Tuesday this week, so we want to offer a free drop-off location to discard of waste, said the Director of Pueblo Public Works Andrew Hayes. The location will be open to residents of Pueblo throughout the weekend so that it is convenient while they clean up from the storm. Trees down, roof ripped off building in Pueblo Trees, branches, and limbs are all able to be dropped off, no other waste will be accepted. The city said it would not accept commercial waste and large or commercial vehicles may be turned away. After-hours dumping will also not be accepted. We hope our residents will take advantage of this free opportunity to dispose of their limb and branch debris while this location is open, said Hayes. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. After making an arrest Friday afternoon, Pulaski County deputies said they are still searching for a man who they believe was involved in a killing earlier this month. Officials with the Pulaski County Sheriffs Office said they have arrested Dustin Stuart but are still searching for Chad Williams. Both men are wanted on capital murder charges in connection to a homicide investigation that was reported on Aug. 2. PCSO officials said they also arrested 33-year-old Michael Nettles on Thursday night in connection with the investigation. Pulaski County deputies arrest suspect in Vaughn Road homicide investigation On Aug. 2, authorities said deputies found a body partially buried in a wooded area near Vaughn Road. Authorities identified the victim as 54-year-old Jace Alexander of Little Rock. Deputies said that Williams is homeless and may be seen in the North Little Rock area. Williams is described as a white man standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Chad Williams, courtesy of the Pulaski County Sheriffs Office Authorities said that Stuart is known to drive a white Dodge Magnum with Arkansas license plate AXT10J. He may be driving a pickup truck without taillights and possibly no license plate, deputies said. Deputies added that he may be attempting to flee to Florida. Stuart is described as a white man standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair. Dustin Stuart, courtesy of the Pulaski County Sheriffs Office Deputies warned that Williams may be armed. Anyone with information on Williams whereabouts is asked to contact detectives at 501-340-6963 or 501-340-6960. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. The best defence is a good offence is a cliche for a reason, agreed by theorists as diverse as Sun Tzu, Niccolo Machiavelli, and George Washington. If the remarkable incursion into Russia launched by Kyiv last week now entering its twelfth day is anything to go by, it is an adage the West is finally learning. For six months, Kyivs allies dawdled as Ukraine lost the strategic advantage it held early in the war, with western capitals curtailing what weapons Kyiv received. Then, when the West finally delivered, it limited where and how they could be deployed, creating an absurd scenario in which Russia was able to prepare for new offensives just a few miles from Ukraines border, with President Zelenskys generals unable to attack them. Slowly and now suddenly however, the West has loosened the handcuffs. In May, it permitted the use of its weapons to strike targets on Russian soil; then, last week, it gave tacit approval to this operation into Russia, which has seen 1,000 square kilometres fall to Kyiv. We know this was greenlit because there was no alarm when Kyiv sent tanks including British Challenger 2s into the rolling fields of Kursk Oblast, the site of the largest tank battle in history during the Second World War. The Estonian prime minister, Kristen Michal, went so far as to personally wish the Ukrainian soldiers luck. Western boldness has transformed the military and political reality. Militarily, the operation has forced Moscow to withdraw thousands of troops from the front in Ukraine, where after some of the bloodiest fighting Europe has seen in 80 years it sacrificed tens of thousands of men to secure the same amount of territory that Kyiv has taken in Russia in just over a week. The Kremlin hoped keeping up the pressure would trigger a decisive breakthrough. With troops and defensive weapons now pulled out, that will be difficult, if not impossible. Even more vitally, and unappreciated by many commentators, is the fact this will impede Russia for the rest of the conflict. To prevent future embarrassing incursions, Vladimir Putin will be obliged to shift men and materiel to other sectors of Russias border with Ukraine as a protective measure, again thinning out the resources he has at the front. Politically, both inside and outside Russia, the operation also has far-reaching consequences. Abroad, whispered talk in the West of ceasefires and negotiations has ceased, replaced with conversations about new weapons permissions and deliveries. Only today, talks with Joe Bidens administration on giving Ukraine long-range cruise missiles were said to be in the advanced stages. More critically, however, the battle has changed the debate within Moscow. No more can the Kremlin argue for freezing the front lines as the price for entering renegotiations, for to do so would see Kyiv holding onto ground within Russias own borders. If Kyiv is able to retain just a few dozen miles, Putin cannot call for an end to the war as things stand; for that reason we should not be surprised if this operation lasts much longer than many predicted. All this is before one even considers the alarm in the Kremlin at the fact that, unlike in Ukraine when the Russians arrived, there has been little resistance by Russian citizens to these incursions. Likewise, there must be a deep concern that many of the Russian soldiers being killed or captured in Kursk are conscripts told they would never have to fight in Ukraine. Instead, the war has come to them, risking civil unrest. Putin called his full-scale invasion of Ukraine a special military operation. It wasnt. This incursion by Ukraine certainly is. And given that the time window Moscow had to defeat Kyiv this year has closed, it is now Zelensky who has the wind in his sails, supported at last by his Western counterparts. Francis Dearnley is one of the presenters of The Telegraphs daily podcast Ukraine: The Latest Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Putin promised poorly trained conscripts wouldnt be sent to war. Now the front line has come to them Russian President Vladimir Putin made a big promise when he launched his war on Ukraine: conscripts would not be involved in combat. But as Moscow struggles to contain Ukrainian advances deeper into its territory, families of young soldiers deployed in the area are raising the alarm about their loved ones. Messages shared in Russian Telegram channels and other social media over the past few days have revealed how unprepared Moscow was for this kind of attack, including the fact that its military had left poorly trained conscripts in charge of defending the border with Ukraine the country Russia has been waging war on for more than 10 years. When the border was attacked at 3 a.m. by tanks, there were only conscripts defending themselves, said one such message shared on Telegram by a woman who said she was a mother of a conscript soldier in Kursk, the border region that Ukrainian troops crossed into last week. They didnt see a single soldier, not a single contract soldier they didnt see anyone at all. My son called later and said, Mom, were in shock;, the woman, identified only as Olga, said. CNN has asked Russias defense ministry for comment, but has not received an answer. The deployment of conscripts is a thorny issue in Russia. Thats partly because of Putins repeated promises that they would not be sent to fight, but also due to fact that the mothers and wives of soldiers have traditionally been an influential voice inside the country where dissent is now almost nonexistent and many are expressing their anger. The independent Russian news outlet Verstka published an interview with Natalia Appel, the grandmother of one Russian conscript who was serving in Kursk and is now considered missing. She said her grandson Vladislav had been stationed without any weapons in a village some 500 meters from the border. What could the boys do? Go against (the Ukrainian soldiers) with a shovel?, she was quoted as saying. Russian conscripts called up for military service depart for garrisons from a recruitment centre in Bataysk, Russia on May 16, 2024. - Sergey Pivovarov/Reuters A petition calling on Putin to remove conscripts from the area has been shared online and dozens of messages from people who claimed to be family members of Russian conscripts who have gone missing in Kursk region have been posted on various social media, including the Russian network VKotante. The fact that Russia was relying on conscripts to defend the border is likely why Ukrainian troops managed to advance into Russian territory with such apparent ease when they first launched the incursion last Tuesday. Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has said that Ukrainian troops have advanced 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) through Russian defenses since the incursion started. We have taken control of 1,150 square kilometers of territory and 82 settlements, Syrskyi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an on-camera staff meeting Thursday. Limited training, no weapons All healthy men in Russia are subject to conscription and, if drafted, required to serve one year in the military. The countrys military usually runs two drafts a year, one in the spring and one in the fall, conscripting well over 100,000 young men each time. Draft avoidance is a crime and can be punished with a prison term. The treatment of conscripts has been a political third rail in the past for Russia. During the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s and Russias war in the breakaway republic of Chechnya, the mothers of conscripts mobilized to campaign against the abuse of conscripts. While Russian civil society has largely been defanged under Putin, the treatment of conscripts is still a sensitive issue for families. Avoiding the draft is easier for the sons of the wealthier and politically privileged. Last year, Putin ordered the conscription age to increase by three years to 30, so that anyone between the ages of 18 and 30 could be drafted. Unlike professional soldiers, conscripts receive only limited training before they are sent to their posts, as the law prohibits their deployment overseas and they are not meant to participate in combat operations. Instead, the Russia has often stationed conscripts along its long borders, not expecting them to ever come under attack. But when Ukraine launched its recent surprise incursion, these conscripts suddenly found themselves on the frontline, completely unprepared to defend themselves. The deployment of conscripts to the border was also criticized by Russian opposition leaders. The Anti-War Committee of Russia, a group formed by exiled Russians, issued a statement on Wednesday criticizing the Russian president. It said the absence of any significant military units of the Russian Federation on the border at the time of the attack and the simultaneous continuous conduct of aggressive military operations for more than 900 days on the territory of sovereign Ukraine is the best proof that Putin is lying again about protecting Russia. He doesnt care about Russia, he is only protecting himself. In a belated attempt to counter Ukraines incursion, Russia appears to have diverted several thousand troops from occupied territory inside Ukraine, two senior US officials told CNN. Sources said multiple brigade-sized elements made up of at least 1,000 troops each appeared to have moved to the Kursk region, the sources said. It is apparent to us that Mr. Putin and the Russian military are diverting some resources, some units, towards Kursk Oblast to ostensibly counter what the Ukrainians are doing, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told CNN Thursday. In addition to the troops moved from inside Ukraine, Russia has also sent personnel from the Leningrad military district and Kaliningrad, in Russia, to help defend Kursk, one of the senior US officials said. A burnt-out car is seen on the highway between Kursk and Sudzha on August 9, 2024. - Anatoliy Zhdanov/SIPAPRE/AP Conscripts taken prisoner At least some of the conscripts appear to have been taken as prisoners and brought to Ukraine. Zelensky confirmed earlier this week that Kyivs forces were taking prisoners of war as they continued to advance into Kursk. The Ukrainian military also released several videos and photos of men they claimed were Russian prisoners of war some of whom appeared to be very young men. On Thursday, the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a government department, said a company of Russian soldiers surrendered in the Kursk region and was taken prisoners after being abandoned by reinforcements. The capture of Russian soldiers was the biggest imprisonment Kyiv had carried out against Moscow forces in one go, a source at Ukraines security service (SBU) told CNN on Thursday. A video captured by Agence France-Presse near the border showed a Ukrainian military truck carrying a group of blindfolded men wearing what appear to be Russian military uniforms. But while there seems to be outrage over their deployment, this is not the first time Russian conscripts were found to be fighting in Putins war on Ukraine. Shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russias Ministry of Defense admitted that conscripts were discovered in Ukraine after Kyiv announced that some of the prisoners of war it took were not professional soldiers. The Russian military then claimed the conscripts had been withdrawn and returned to Russia. It said the commanding officer responsible for the deployments had been punished. CNNs Olga Voitovych, Maria Kostenko, Victoria Butenko, Darya Tarasova, Nathan Hodge, Caitlin Danaher, Katie Bo Lillis and Natasha Bertrand contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Editors Note: This story has been updated to add new information. HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) Award-winning dirt track race car driver Scott Bloomquist has died after a plane crash in Hawkins County Friday. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a single-engine Piper J3 crashed into a barn near Mooresburg around 7:50 a.m. North Carolina man charged in Smyth County deputy murder dies in hospital The Hawkins County Sheriffs Office confirmed to News Channel 11 that Bloomquist died as a result of the crash. He was the only occupant of the plane. Photo: The Hawkins County Sheriffs Office is on the scene of a plane crash in Mooresburg that claimed the life of Scott Bloomquist. (WJHL) Photo: The Hawkins County Sheriffs Office is on the scene of a plane crash in Mooresburg that claimed the life of Scott Bloomquist. (WJHL) Bloomquist, born in Iowa, was a nationally touring Dirt Super Late Model race car driver. The sheriffs office and FAA are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. KHARTOUM, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 80 people were killed in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a village in Sinnar state in central Sudan, a volunteer group said on Friday. "The RSF launched a bloody attack yesterday (Thursday) on the Jalqni village of (Abu Hujar locality) in Sinnar state, after a five-day siege, killing at least 80 people," the Sinnar Youth Gathering said in a statement. "The attack came after the RSF tried to kidnap girls from the village, which the residents resisted, leading to this massacre," the statement said. It added that the "RSF militia" responded to the citizens' resistance by opening fire indiscriminately and storming homes. The RSF has not yet issued any comment on the incident. Since June, the RSF has controlled large parts of Sinnar state, including the state's capital city of Singa, while the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) controls the eastern Sinnar area. According to the International Organization for Migration, the fighting in Sinnar state has displaced more than 725,000 people. Sudan has been witnessing a deadly conflict between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023, which has resulted in the loss of at least 16,650 lives. An estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced in Sudan, with approximately 2.2 million others seeking refuge in neighboring countries, according to recent UN data. HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) Dirt track racing star Scott Bloomquist has died after a plane crash in Tennessee on Friday. Bloomquist, 60, was the pilot and only occupant of the plane, officials with the Hawkins County Sheriffs Office confirmed to Nexstars WJHL. Scott Bloomquist, driver of the #51 ToyotaCare Toyota, prepares to drive during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series inaugural CarCash Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway on July 23, 2013, in Rossburg, Ohio. (Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images) The aircraft Bloomquist was piloting a single-engine Piper J3 crashed into a barn near Mooresburg at around 7:50 a.m. on Friday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Crews with the countys rescue squad arrived on the scene shortly afterward. The sheriffs office and FAA are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash. WATCH: Alaska Airlines plane makes wobbly emergency landing at Oregon airport Bloomquist, born in Iowa, was a nationally touring Dirt Super Late Model race car driver. He was inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2002. We are devastated to report that one of the most charismatic and immensely talented to ever drive a Dirt Late Model tragically lost his life today in a small airplane crash at the family property in Mooresburg, TN, reads a message posted by the Hall of Fame to Facebook on Friday. Our deepest condolences to Scotts family Ron, Georgie and Ariel; his loyal friends and all of his adoring fans. This is a tough one for all of us. God Speed. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Rady Childrens Hospital and nurses with UNOCH/Teamsters Local 1699 on Thursday reached an agreement to avoid a second strike. The approval of a new three-year contract comes after the nurses union demanded for increased wages and decreased medical premiums, rejecting the hospitals offer three other times in the past two months. Rady Childrens values every member of our workforce and will focus on moving forward as a united Team Rady. Together we remain steadfast in our commitment to our mission and serving the children in our community, the hospital said in a statement. San Diego doctor among five charged in connection to Matthew Perrys death UNOCH released a statement on the agreement, saying that although the last few months have been hard, there have been moments of disagreements and moments of intense unity. We would like to thank everyone for their engagement. UNOCH has never seen anything like it. We look forward to settling back into our new normal that we hope includes the unity we felt. UNOCH will continue to work hard to meet the needs of the membership and get the contract implemented smoothly, the nurses union statement read. Hundreds of nurses hit the picket lines last month, which was the unions first strike since it was formed more than 20 years ago. Another five-day strike was planned to begin Monday, but after Thursdays vote, that will no longer take place. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. ATLANTA (AP) Georgias secretary of state on Thursday came out against election rule changes pending before the State Election Board, specifically rejecting a proposal to count ballots by hand at polling places on election night. At a meeting in July, the board advanced a proposal that would require three separate poll workers to count ballots at voting precincts on election night to make sure they match the number of ballots recorded by voting machines. That proposal has been posted for public comment and the board is set to vote Monday whether to adopt it. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the states top elections official, called that effort misguided, saying it would delay the reporting of election results and introduce risks to chain of custody procedures. Activists seeking to impose last-minute changes in election procedures outside of the legislative process undermine voter confidence and burden election workers, Raffensperger said in a news release. The State Election Board has received a slew of rule proposals in recent months, many of them coming from activists aligned with former President Donald Trump, who continues to complain without evidence that widespread voter fraud cost him victory in Georgias 2020 presidential election. Trump and his supporters have consistently blasted Raffensperger for his steadfast defense of the integrity of that election. Three of the five members of the board are Republican partisans whom Trump called out by name and praised during a campaign rally last month in Atlanta. Sharlene Alexander, a member of the Fayette County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, submitted the proposal to have three poll workers hand count ballots, sorting them into stacks of 50 ballots until all have been counted and the three workers have arrived at the same total. If that number doesnt match those recorded on the voter check-in system, the electronic voting machines and the scanner recap forms, the poll manager is to determine the reason for the inconsistency and, if possible, correct it. Alexander did not immediately respond Thursday to a voicemail, text message and email seeking comment on Raffenspergers opposition to hand counting ballots at polling places. Alexander wrote in her proposal that such a hand count of ballots was a long-standing tradition in Fayette County and other places. That stopped, she wrote, when Blake Evans, director of elections for the secretary of states office, sent an email to county election officials in October 2022 telling them not to do the hand count. I know that many counties have received an email requesting that poll workers hand count ballots at polling places on election night. Deciding to have poll workers hand count ballots at each polling location on election night is not something your poll workers should do, Evans wrote in the email, which Alexander attached to her proposal. Evans cited sections of Georgia law and State Election Board rules governing the handling of ballots at poll places on election night and wrote that to ensure maximum security for the voted ballots, poll workers should not prolong the process of removing ballots from ballot boxes and sealing them in transport containers. The secretary of states news release Thursday referred to the members of the State Election Board as unelected bureaucrats who have never run an election and said they seem to reject the advice of anyone who has run elections. The board has five members: one appointed by the state House, one chosen by the state Senate, one each from the Republican and Democratic parties, and a nonpartisan chair selected by the General Assembly or by the governor if the General Assembly is not in session when there is a vacancy. Spokespersons for Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and state House Speaker Jon Burns did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Associated Press writer Jeff Amy contributed reporting. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Raffensperger says voters should be concerned over new, possibly illegal, Election Board rules In an exclusive interview with Channel 2 Action News, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger blasted the actions of the Georgia State Election Board. Raffensperger alleges the Board is overstepping its legal authority and putting the efficiency of state elections at risk. Now the State Election Board wants to take us back in time. I guess what they want is to see is elections take until 3 a.m. like in Detroit, Michigan. We dont want to do that in Georgia. Not on my watch, Raffensperger told Channel 2 investigative reporter Justin Gray at the state Capitol Friday. Does the election board have the legal authority to make some of these decisions its making? Gray asked. In my opinion, no. State law is state law, Raffensperger said. At issue is a rule passed earlier this month by the Board requiring county election boards to have a reasonable inquiry before certifying results. But state law reads that boards shall certify results. Raffensperger said that means certification is mandatory. Monday, the board will vote on proposals allowing county boards to review certain documents and requiring poll workers to hand count ballots at polling places. MORE ELECTION 2024 STORIES: What theyre doing, having multiple people touching those ballots with the hand counting of ballots is going to take time and really decreases ballot security. Voters should be concerned about this, he said. Do you worry its going to slow down the process? Gray asked State Election Board member Janelle King. I dont. Because according to the law, there is a certain time frame at which you have to certify and that must take place, King said. King is one of the three Republican members of the election board that former President Donald Trump praised at his Georgia rally. Were willing to take the arrows, the blows, and all the attacks right now in order to ensure that we have secure elections, King said. King maintains the board is not playing politics with the new rules for county election boards. If my attorney ever put a document in front of me and said, Dont verify, just sign, Im going to fire him. So, I think that its important that we give these county officials everything they need in order to feel confident to stand behind their certification, King said. After the 2020 election, Georgia law was changed to give the General Assembly the power to appoint a majority of the seats on the State Election Board. Previously, the Secretary of State was a voting Chairman. If theres something were doing that the Secretary believes is violating state laws, I think the professional thing would be to reach out to us before he reaches out to the media, King told Gray. When asked if he believes the board is intentionally trying to create confusion Raffensperger told Gray, I dont know what their intentions are, but they are going to delay the results. Friday afternoon, former Fulton County Election Board Chair Cathy Woolard filed an ethics complaint against three members of the State Election Board, Rick Jeffares, Janice Johnston, and Janelle King alleging they knowingly and willfully violated state law. RELATED NEWS: By Phuong Nguyen and Francesco Guarascio HANOI (Reuters) -Rail links will be high on the agenda when Vietnam's newly appointed leader To Lam travels to China to meet President Xi Jinping next week, officials said, as the neighbours seek to boost trade. Seamless rail links are seen as crucial for supply chains, as a growing number of Chinese manufacturers move some export-oriented operations to Vietnam amid trade tensions between China and the United States. The countries are connected by two railways from Southern China to Vietnam's capital Hanoi and its northern industrial hub, but the Vietnamese infrastructure dates back to French colonisation and has a different gauge than Chinese high-speed rail, forcing passengers and goods to swap trains at the border. Mistrust between the two Communist-run neighbours, which fought a brief border war in the late 1970s and often still clash over boundaries in the South China Sea, has long hampered progress on rail links, but in recent months economic considerations appear to have prevailed over security concerns. In December, Xi offered grants and loans to help upgrade Vietnamese railways and the countries signed two memoranda of understanding (MoU) to boost railway cooperation. The focus of Lam's trip to China, his first abroad since he was also given the party chief job earlier in August, is on implementing signed agreements and "achieving new substantive cooperation results, especially in the areas of mutual interest such as railway connection," Vietnamese foreign minister Bui Thanh Son said in a statement. China's ambassador in Hanoi, Xiong Bo, told local reporters this week according to a summary seen by Reuters that the two sides were accelerating plans for three lines: the upgrade of existing rails from Lao Cai to the port city of Haiphong via Hanoi and from Lang Son to Hanoi; and the building of a third one along the coast from Mong Cai to Haiphong. A Vietnamese official said new agreements were expected during Lam's trip to China, including on railways, other investments and trade in agricultural products. CHINA FUNDS Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for Chinese funding and technology for Vietnamese railways during a visit to China in June, according to Vietnamese state media, in what appeared as a significant change of tack. He and top ministers also met in recent months with executives of top Chinese companies in the rail business, including train-maker CRRC and China Railway Signal & Communication. Hanoi has for years remained vague about the use of Belt and Road Initiative's funds, China's flagship infrastructure programme, after protests erupted in Vietnam in 2018 over plans that could have led to closer economic ties with China. That, however, has not stopped Chinese private investment in Vietnam, which is booming. Vietnam is planning a massive expansion of its internal rail network with a 1,500-km-long high-speed connection from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, at a cost estimated at roughly $70 billion, the country's biggest infrastructure project ever. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio, Phuong Nguyen and Khanh Vu; Editing by Kim Coghill) Escaped murderer Ramone Alston, who escaped from custody Tuesday morning while being transported to a medical appointment at a North Carolina hospital, has been caught, authorities said. Ramone Alston was captured shortly before 2 a.m. this morning at a hotel on Cloverleaf Parkway in Kannapolis, North Carolina, following an operation involving FBI Charlotte SWAT agents, Kannapolis Police and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, according to a statement from the North Carolina Department of Corrections. Shortly after, Jacobia Crisp, a female acquaintance, was arrested in Alamance County and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive, officials said. MORE: North Korea to partially reopen doors to tourism for 1st time since COVID-19 pandemic PHOTO: These undated booking photos courtesy of the Orange County Sheriff's Office show Ramone Alton. (Orange County Sheriff's Office) MORE: Backpacker dies after suffering 'sudden medical complications' at national park Alston will be charged with felony escape from prison and is being taken to a high security unit in the state prison system where he will resume serving his life sentence for first degree murder and will await court appearances for his escape charges. Alston was convicted of shooting and killing a 1-year-old girl on Christmas Day in 2015 and is serving a life sentence. The infant victim, Maleah Williams, had been playing outside with her Christmas toys when she was struck by gunfire, her mother previously told Raleigh ABC station WTVD. MORE: Sheriff's deputy hospitalized after being struck by fleeing driver PHOTO: Police are seen at UNC Hospitals Hillsborough campus where Ramone Alston escaped custody, Aug. 13, 2024, in Hillsborough, N.C. (WTVD) MORE: 1 dead, 2 injured after man drives through strip club following argument Alston, 30, broke away from a corrections officer while being escorted to UNC Hospital in Hillsborough on Tuesday, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. "He had freed himself from leg restraints and, still in handcuffs, jumped out and ran into adjacent woods," the department said in a statement. Director of Orange County Emergency Services Kirby Saunders said state, local and federal law enforcement teams searched hundreds of acres for Alston, using aerial assets including helicopters, canine resources and ground searchers. "Hes unpredictable -- we dont know what hes going to do, so he should certainly probably be considered dangerous," Keith Acree, a spokesperson for the Department of Adult Correction, said in a press briefing earlier this week. "People make rash decisions at a time like this; hes already made one very large rash decision this morning." MORE: 3 German tourists deface national park in paintball and slingshot shooting spree PHOTO: This undated booking photo courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Corrections shows Ramone Alston. (North Carolina Department of Corrections) MORE: Firefighter dies in the line of duty in while battling Kansas house fire Alston was taken into custody without injuries to anyone. "I am grateful to our DAC staff and thankful for the support and effort from hundreds of local, state and federal public safety officers who helped in the search and investigation that returned Alston safely to custody," said Todd Ishee, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. "This was an incredible collaborative effort of many people and agencies." ABC News' Jason Volack and Julia Reinstein contributed to this report. Ramone Alston, escaped murderer convicted of fatally shooting 1-year-old girl, has been caught originally appeared on abcnews.go.com In an extremely rare pair of events, a second man drowned offshore of a Hilton Head Island beach Friday. Prior to Friday, there had only been three drownings since 2017. Leonard Schenz, 73, of Loveland, Ohio, was pulled out of the water and given CPR but was non responsive, according to Coroner David Ott. Schenz was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m by Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue who responded to the scene alongside the lifeguard patrols. Schenz was swimming near Palmetto Dunes at beach marker 92A. The first fatality Around 10 a.m. Friday morning, another vacationer drowned on North Forest Beach at beach marker 62. 66-year-old Ralph Jamieson of South Euclid, Ohio, was also pronounced dead after being pulled from the water and given CPR. Both drownings happened in areas where Shore Beach Services, the provider of the islands lifeguard services, does not station permanent guards. These areas are instead patrolled with lifeguards in vehicles because they are less densely populated areas of the beach, operations manager Mike Wagner said. Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a dangerous rip current warning through Friday evening for South Carolina and Georgia beaches. Rip currents arent likely to pull people underwater but can lead to drowning as exhausted swimmers try to return to shore. It is unknown what role the currents played in these fatalities, Wagner said Friday evening. He added that the lifeguards had seen some currents earlier in the day. Autopsies for both Schenz and Jamieson are scheduled for Monday, Ott said. This story has been updated to correct the victims age. Ready for a new real estate landscape, Idaho? Changes in homebuying are coming fast A new future for buying and selling homes is emerging. The National Association of Realtors one of the most powerful trade organizations and political lobbyists in the country will be enacting new rules Saturday after a nearly $420 million settlement over several lawsuits brought against the real estate giant over price-fixing and antitrust violations. The complaints focused heavily on a lack of transparency surrounding broker compensation, which has always been negotiable but was often set at an industry standard 5% to 6% of a homes sale price. Generally, half of that commission went to the buyers agent and the other half went to the sellers agent. The median price of a home in Idaho was $460,300 in August, according to Zillow. At that price, the agents would keep almost $28,000 at a 6% commission. That does not include other fees or closing costs. In Boise, that number would be nearly $29,500. New rules from the National Association of Realtors would address transparency concerns over agent commissions. A federal jury in Kansas City ordered in October that the association and several brokerages, such as Keller Williams Realty and RE/MAX, pay $1.8 billion for intentionally inflating real estate commissions. Agents and brokers, along with many homebuyers and sellers, in Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Caldwell and Nampa have spent the last nine months wondering how the jurys decision would affect the real estate industry. Those impacts are finally coming to life with new changes, including: Scrapping an industry-standard commission for real estate agents. New requirements that agents sign buyer-broker agreements. Banning brokers from using private databases of home listings, known as multiple listing services, to communicate compensation. Real estate agent commissions have always been negotiable, but many buyers and sellers may not have realized they didnt have to pay the industry standard 5% to 6%. How rules could affect homebuyers One of the most important new rules for a buyer is that youll need to sign a written agreement with your real estate agent before touring a home, even if you tour it virtually. You dont need to sign anything if youre just speaking to an agent at an open house or asking agents about their services. The agreements also must include a statement that broker fees and commissions are fully negotiable and not set by law, according to the National Association of Realtors. Compensation can be paid by the buyer, seller or both, Katrina Wehr, president of Idaho Realtors, the state association for real estate professionals, told the Idaho Statesman. The exact amount and timing of payment is always negotiable between the buyer and their Realtor, and the seller and their Realtor. The contract must show the rate or amount of compensation and how youll compensate your agent, Wehr said. (Agents must) have clear and transparent discussions with you about compensation, according to the National Association of Realtors. When finding an agent to work with, ask questions about compensation and understand what services you are receiving. The new rules require these agreements to use objective language such as a $5,000 flat fee or 3% fee instead of open-ended language for compensation. The agreements also ban agents from receiving money for services that would exceed the amount listed in the agreement. Before signing this agreement, you should ensure it reflects the terms you have negotiated with your agent and that you understand exactly what services and value will be provided, and for how much, according to the National Association of Realtors. The new rules come amid a large housing shortage in the Treasure Valley as continued population growth, high interest rates and expensive construction costs have tightened the market. What changes are coming for Idaho home sellers? The rule changes for sellers are much the same as for buyers, though sellers could have more command over the process. Sellers will need to explicitly agree to any compensation offered to a buyers Realtor, Wehr said. This change gives sellers more control and negotiation power regarding the fees they are willing to pay. As a seller, you can also still offer concessions like offering to pay closing costs, according to the association. Closing costs are fees that the buyer often pays such as application fees, costs for a home appraisal, or fees for a third-party escrow company that holds onto funds during the transaction process. You can also still offer compensation to a buyers broker, which would reduce the sellers cost. The National Association of Realtors says paying part or all of the buyers share can be a way of marketing your home or making your listing more attractive to buyers. This compensation cannot be included on any multiple listing services, which are the Realtors private home-listing databases that agents use to market properties and that feed listings into popular sites like Zillow or Redfin. Putting compensation on multiple listing services was an easy way for agents to show what theyd like to receive but could give buyers and sellers the impression that the amounts were not negotiable. Although compensation wont be allowed any longer on multiple listing services, they can be included on outside platforms such as on other websites, social media and flyers, according to the association. Concessions, such as covering the buyers closing costs, can still be included on multiple listing services. Your agent must disclose and get your approval for any payment, or offer of payment, the agent makes to a buyers agent. This disclosure must be made in writing in advance of any payment or agreement, and it must specify the amount or rate. Idaho Realtors develop new form Wehr said the changes may not affect Idaho as much as other places. Many of these new practice changes have already been standard practice in our state for years, Wehr said by email. Idaho has prioritized transparent representation agreements for some time, outlining who is getting paid and for how much. Idaho Realtors developed new and updated forms to comply with the changes, Wehr said. The practice changes are designed to address concerns regarding transparency in compensation, she said. The settlement agreement aims to ensure that homebuyers and sellers better understand the process and can negotiate the compensation paid to Realtors. Final court approval of the settlement is set for a hearing before the judge on Nov. 26, according to Wehr. Smaller homes take a step forward as Boise areas housing shortage blazes. What to expect A big change may be coming near Push & Pour and The STIL on the Boise Bench ACHD may spend $31M on a mile-and-a-half stretch of road. Why, and where? Idaho Supreme Court issues surprise ruling in sale of Boises ITD campus to developers Clarifications and corrections: An earlier version of this story included incorrect figures for migrant encounters with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The story has been updated. EL PASO, Texas Kari Lenander runs migrant shelters in west Texas and New Mexico where every green cot has regularly been filled for years. Now most of the beds are empty. Along the U.S.-Mexico border, migrant apprehensions plunged in July from a year ago, to the lowest level of the Biden era, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics provided to USA TODAY. Migrant crossings have declined every month for the past five months. The results mark a rare victory on one of the Biden administration's toughest political battlefronts, as Vice President Kamala Harris prepares for next weeks Democratic National Convention. CBP is expected to publicly release the new border data Friday. "The numbers have indeed decreased and have decreased significantly," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told USA TODAY. "The reason for it is not singular. It is a number of different measures that we and others have taken." Those measures include the creation of new, lawful pathways for migrants to enter the United States in an orderly way, Mayorkas said; consequences for crossing illegally; tougher restrictions on asylum; and hard-won diplomacy with Mexico, Guatemala, Panama and Colombia as those countries boost their own border enforcement and humanitarian relief programs. Shifts in U.S. border policy often generate temporary dips in border crossings as migrants wait and see how policies will affect them and smugglers evaluate how to poke holes in the system. Executive orders and other administrative changes can face legal challenges that soften their bite. And Mexico has rarely kept a crackdown going as long as it has this year. Lenander knows the dips don't usually last. Her shelter in El Paso is clean and bright. The white walls are decorated with rainbow colors and the flags of many countries. The medical clinic inside is equipped, staffed and waiting. A laundry room with industrial washers and dryers is silent. She switches on the lights to an empty classroom used for immigration orientations. A shelter in El Paso, Texas, has been emptier than usual as migration at the U.S.-Mexico border declined dramatically in summer 2024. "It's eerie," she said, of the sudden decline in migration. The problems that drive people to flee their homeland haven't changed. So where did all the migrants go? Migration numbers tell a new story Republicans have spent the years of the Biden administration attacking its "open border" policies. The numbers didn't lie. Migrant encounters broke historical records each of the past three years, topping 2.5 million last year. At the Republican National Convention in July, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, one of the party's fiercest immigration hawks, promised to keep sending "migrant buses" to "sanctuary cities" including Chicago until the Biden-Harris administration secured the border. The crowd cheered. Republicans haven't shifted their message, but the numbers are telling a new story. As Harris and Democrats head to Chicago for their convention this weekend, there are no "migrant buses" left, say migrant shelter directors in Texas. The governor's press secretary attributed the decline in crossings to the state's own border security operation and said buses "continue to stage" along the southern border. "Fewer illegal crossings into Texas means there are fewer buses departing for sanctuary cities," said spokesman Andrew Mahaleris. But U.S. Customs and Border Protection data showed migrant encounters declined in July, compared with June, in all nine Border Patrol sectors at the Southwest border, from Texas to California. CBP reported 56,408 migrant encounters between ports of entry in July, down 57% from 132,642 the same month a year ago and down 32% from June. CBP reported declines across all demographics single adults, family units, unaccompanied minors at a time when seasonal migration usually surges. The number of migrant encounters at ports of entry, via CBP One appointments, also declined in July, year over year: to roughly 38,000 from more than 44,000 in the same month a year ago. Lenander said her shelter continues to receive migrants, about 100 per day, but the vast majority crossed using the CBP One app. They aren't eligible to ride the Texas "migrant buses," only those who crossed unlawfully, between ports of entry, can board. El Paso was the last of the governor's bus staging locations, Lenander said. The state staged its final bus, for now, last week. "The buses have stopped," she said. "Not because Abbott wanted them to stop but because there weren't any people." Efforts to curb illegal immigration at the border Across the border from El Paso in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, heavy rain left the Rio Grande channel filled with water on a recent morning. A pair of children's sandals lay abandoned on the riverbank alongside tubes of toothpaste, and an empty can of tuna. The trash left by migrants who came before. There were hundreds of people and families here earlier this year, waiting for a chance to cut through the curtains of concertina wire laid by the Texas National Guard to turn themselves in to Border Patrol. Now the banks were empty except for a single family huddled in the brush. A woman combed her fingers through a little girl's hair as she slept. Reducing dangerous crossings between ports of entry has been one of the Biden administration's key goals from the beginning and the one that has been the hardest to attain. Early in the administration, Harris famously told migrants, "Do not come," echoing a Border Patrol talking point. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the global social and economic upheaval that followed, migrants ignored her message and came to the U.S. border in massive numbers. Illegal crossings surged to their highest-ever level in 2023, with more than 300,000 irregular crossings in December alone. The White House backed bipartisan negotiations in Congress aimed at a border security deal. The resulting Senate bill included funds for hundreds of additional Border Patrol agents and detention capacity. It tightened access to the U.S. asylum system and ended the Border Patrol practice of apprehending migrants and releasing them into the U.S. to pursue their claims. But it failed after former President Donald Trump bashed it as a "highly sophisticated trap for Republicans." That was in February. In May, Democratic lawmakers relaunched the bill and it failed again. Meanwhile, the Biden administration's talks with Mexico and other countries were starting to result in shared enforcement priorities and relief efforts, slowing the flow of migrants through the region. Tens of thousands of people were still bound for the U.S. but it was becoming harder, and taking longer, to reach the border. More: The real migrant bus king of North America isn't the Texas governor. It's Mexico's president. Then, in June, the White House issued an executive order that sharply restricted migrants' ability to claim asylum at the border essentially closing a path millions of migrants used to enter the United States over the past decade. The Department of Homeland Security began ramping up deportations and removals from the U.S., too. In July, Mayorkas announced a deal under which the U.S. will pay Panama to deport foreign nationals. The agency also made smaller adjustments, like adding new layers of security to block migrants from making CBP One appointments from outside Mexico. The reality is that the decline in unlawful border crossings "has lasted longer than other measures in the past," Mayorkas said. "The smuggling organizations do pivot according to what we do," he said. "However, in this case, it is really a comprehensive suite of measures. I do think that reality is a reason why this has lasted longer." Every day, Lenander and other shelter directors receive a notification from Border Patrol's El Paso Sector letting them know how many people will be released and how many people need shelter. It used to be in the hundreds. Nowadays, it's often single digits, she said. Nine migrants on a recent day, or seven. Under the wire As the morning sun broke through what remained of the night's storm clouds, the group huddled on the river bank stood up, stretched and walked over to a place where the concertina wire could be lifted like a blanket. The little girl, in pink shorts and a white T-shirt, crawled up the dirt bank under the sharp wire coils. Three women followed her, and then a man. The coils rattled and scraped with a metallic sound, like a slinky clinking downstairs. It took less than 10 minutes for the group to wrest itself from the wire. A Texas National Guardsman pulled up in a white, mud-splattered truck and shouted for them to return to Mexico. Instead, they ran for the U.S. border wall. A few minutes later, a Border Patrol agent arrived. The migrants sat along the fence line, their fate uncertain. Would they be deported to their country of origin, sent back to Mexico, or released to Lenander's or another shelter? Without a CBP One appointment, they'd likely be returned. It's not clear whether the migrants knew about the new rules. Migrants "have a lot of information needs," said Daniel Berlin, International Rescue Committee policy director for protection pathways. "The situation both in Mexico and at the U.S. border is extremely complicated." "Regardless of what smuggling networks and other channels are saying," he said, "the U.S. border is not open by any stretch. Its as closed as it has been in a very long time." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Migrant crossings plunge at US-Mexico border BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Two service centers are offering assistance to victims of the Borel Fire in Bakersfield and Lake Isabella, thanks to the Red Cross. The Red Cross is asking any residents whose home was damaged and who have not met with a caseworker yet to visit two service centers for help. The service centers will be located at 6401 Lake Isabella Blvd., and 5035 Gilmore Avenue in Bakersfield. You are required to bring proof of identity and residence, according to organizers. The Lake Isabella Center at 6401 Lake Isabella Blvd. is open Aug. 14 to 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Bakersfield Center at 5035 Gilmore Ave. is open Aug. 16 to 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. These meetings with caseworkers are crucial in determining specific needs after these disasters, according to organizers. If affected residents are unable to physically visit the service centers, call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. Doris Loruk Chepalat receives a solar panel kit from Han Ke, general manager of China's Chuanshan International Mining Company, in Kenya's northwest Baringo County, Aug. 15, 2024.(Photo by Ronald Njoroge/Xinhua) NAIROBI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- In the arid expanses of Kenya's northwest Baringo County, Doris Loruk Chepalat's modest homestead comprises a two-room semi-permanent house set amid sparse vegetation, a testament to the region's prolonged dry spell. The 40-year-old Chepalat, along with her husband and five children, share the humble abode and rely on subsistence farming and goat herding for their livelihood. Chepalat's household had been without modern electric appliances due to a lack of connection to the national grid. "We have to walk long distances to the market center just to charge our mobile phones," she said. However, Chepalat's situation on Thursday took a turn for the better as her family, along with others in similar circumstances, received a donation of 160 solar panels and batteries, thanks to a collaborative effort between Chinese firm Chuanshan International Mining Company, China's Shandong Provincial Government, and the Afridge Development Plan. Technicians from Chuanshan International installed a solar panel on Chepalat's rooftop, providing her family with the ability to power two light bulbs, a radio, and charge their phones using solar energy. Chepalat expressed optimism that her children would now be able to study late into the night, which she believes will enhance their academic performance. Han Ke, general manager of Chuanshan International, said that the donation is part of the company's broader initiative to empower remote communities and improve their quality of life. Li Hong, deputy director-general of the Shandong Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, said that since last year, Shandong Province has fostered a friendly cooperative relationship with Baringo County. Through interactions, they discovered that many residents still lack electricity, causing significant daily inconveniences. Li said the donation of solar power equipment aims to address these needs and help Kenyans achieve greater self-sufficiency. Li believed it will inject new meaning into the cooperation between Shandong Province and Baringo County and enhance mutual understanding among the two peoples. Edgar Siywat, another beneficiary, also received a solar power kit for his household of three. The 28-year-old motorbike taxi operator noted that the remoteness of Baringo's villages makes connecting to the national grid prohibitively expensive. The absence of electricity had diminished his family's quality of life by depriving them of television and other information sources. Johannes Ogola, a local administrator, said that while Kenya's national electricity penetration is around 75 percent, residents in remote areas must rely on off-grid solutions like solar panels. Ogola added that the government supports international partners' efforts to bring electricity to rural communities through innovative solutions such as solar power. Gilbert Korinyang, another recipient, praised the solar panel donation, which he said would replace the kerosene lamp his household previously relied on. The 31-year-old casual laborer noted that reducing his monthly expenditure on kerosene would increase his disposable income for supporting his two children. Switching to solar energy would also help his family avoid the indoor pollution associated with kerosene lamps, Korinyang said. HONOLULU (KHON2) Antitrust regulators have once again extended their review of Alaska Airlines proposed acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The companies have agreed to push the review period with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to 6:01 p.m. Hawaii time on Monday. The extension comes after the review was initially set to end tomorrow, following a prior extension from todays original deadline. Lawmakers seek answers on school bus service shortages Review periods allow regulators time to assess the potential impacts of the merger. Earlier this week, a DOJ attorney filed a notice in federal court in Honolulu indicating plans to appear in the state. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Neither the DOJ nor the airlines have commented on this court filing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. PARADISE LOST: BIRDS PUSHED TO THE BRINK Migrating birds 'out of sync' and hungry (coming soon)| The remarkable migration of the black swift | How birds get their colors | Trouble in Arizona's Sky Islands (coming soon) | The turkey vulture as meteorologist (coming soon)| A need for nesting | Plight of the last spotted owls (coming soon) | Bird counts at the dying Salton Sea (coming soon) SAN LUIS VALLEY, ALAMOSA COUNTY The sun was not up yet, but Rob Sparks and Colin Woolley were changing into their waders and rubber boots before heading on a short hike on a recent summer morning. Just downstream of Zapata Falls, they started to assemble their research setup. Lit only by their red headlamps and a thin moon, they used a pulley mechanism, like sailors hoisting a sail, to lift a special net. This mist net, which held several horizontal rows of pouches, hung from 21-foot metal poles that span the width of the rocky canyon. The scientists were looking for one of the most cryptic birds in the American continent: the black swift. A shared migration path I was initially interested in this story when I learned I shared the same migration path as some black swifts. I grew up in Bolivia, a landlocked country bound on its southwestern border by the Andes Mountains. Two-thirds of its land is in the Amazon basin that extends into Brazil (where I also lived for a brief period) and other countries. After I turned 18, I moved to the U.S. and spent some years in Chicago; Ames, Iowa; and some other cities before I decided to move to Fort Collins. Of all the places Id visited in the country, the Centennial state was the one that felt the most like home. The black swift which weighs about the same as a golf ball and is small enough to fit in your hand breeds in the western U.S. and Canada, where it nests in mountainous areas close to waterfalls. For a long time, researchers didnt know where black swifts migrated to. Sparks, a senior spatial ecologist at the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, said the black swift "was one of the last bird species, if not the last" to have a migration path unknown to researchers. Until recently, that is. An incredible behavior Rob Sparks (left) and Colin Woolley (right) from the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies look for black swift nests near Zapata Falls on July 31, 2024. In 2012, Sparks co-authored a study published in The Wilson Journal of Ornithology where for the first time, they showed three Northern black swifts that traveled from Colorado to the Amazon rainforest. They proved this by putting a miniature, 1.5-gram backpack with a geolocator on the birds to collect data on their journey. A decade later, as technology improved and devices shrank even further, Woolley, a biologist and banding manager at the conservancy, and Sparks were able to fit in an accelerometer to measure wing activity, which could tell them when the bird was flying and when it was stationary. In their 2022 paper, they showed that black swifts remain in the air flying nonstop during migration and throughout their nonbreeding period. So they're not landing for six to eight months," Sparks said. "They're just flying over the Amazon, and that is an incredible behavior. It's just fascinating to think that birds could just be in the air for that long. In that study, the scientists also discovered a new behavior: Black swifts increased their altitude during a full moon and then went down during a new moon. Their theory? The birds used the moonlight to look for food. Its kind of analogous to ocean life where theres a lot of seabirds and some sea mammals that forage during moonlight, Sparks said. Record-breaking weather extremes The night before the first fieldwork day, we reviewed the logistics for the following morning. Occasionally, Sparks and Woolley were distracted by birds flying over us at the campground; I was surprised at their ability to tell which species they were but also how many there were all from a quick glimpse at the sky. In between bird interruptions, we watched the sun falling across the valley and discussed the latest updates on the Alexander Mountain Fire, which broke out the day before. At the same time, I read a Bolivian news outlet, El Deber, reporting the fires raging over there. Large wildfires can have broad environmental impacts beyond damaged property. In 2020, Colorado saw three of its largest wildfires, and a day after record-breaking heat in Fort Collins, a snowstorm hit the city in September, breaking another record, this time for the earliest snow in 130 years a stark reminder that climate change is no longer an abstract and distant problem. Farther south, in Arizona and New Mexico, people were met with an eerie sight. You could walk to a local creek and find dead birds on the ground, Woolley said. To find out the reason, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish did an autopsy. The lab report indicates that the single abnormality shared by nearly all birds was body condition ranging from poor to severely emaciated, the agency said in a release. The birds starved. Their stomachs and intestines were empty, their fat deposits depleted and the muscles that control their wings severely shrunk. These observations are evidence of physical exertion without nourishment to support recovery, the report says. A study published in 2021 used data collected by citizen scientists and found that distance to wildfire and air quality were the major factors that influence the number of bird mortality over the study period. However, we did not find a significant effect of snow cover on bird deaths. Even if the fire or snow did not have a direct impact on the migrating birds, it could have impacted the insects that they feed on, Woolley said. Environmental hazards like this could be particularly hard on black swifts. When conditions improve, many bird species can recover their populations, but black swifts also have a long incubation period. This means that usually they only lay one egg per season. If that egg fails, they have to wait another year until they return from their migration to try again. This black swift has a band with a unique code that allows scientists to track it over the years. Anecdotally, Woolley later told me the spring in the year that followed the 2020 wildfires and early snowstorm was one with the fewest birds theyd seen in some time, although Woolley didnt know for sure if it was tied to the weather events. Its kind of death by a thousand cuts. There are so many factors that are having somewhat of a detrimental impact, Woolley said. Then last fall at our migration banding stations was also a really down year. And kind of seems like thats happening more often, Woolley said. Scientists are indeed documenting widespread declines in birds. One paper found a net loss of around three billion birds in North America in the previous half-century. Thats one in every four birds. Estimates show the black swift population has decreased by 94% since 1970, and in a report from Partners in Flight these birds have been designated as a species of continental concern. Climate change and other human impacts could threaten both of their homes. Deforestation in the Amazon could impact their wintering grounds and decreased precipitation could impact their waterfall nesting sites. Hiking in the dark During the expedition, the stream was mostly ankle-deep. This meant Woolley and Sparks would be able to get to their study location at Zapata Falls, just over 7 miles south, as the crow flies, from the Great Sand Dunes. Walking at 4:40 a.m. with rubber boots on slightly rocky terrain makes for an awkward hike; these boots feel very loose on the bumpy ground compared to proper hiking shoes, but the trail is brief and soon we are around the corner from the waterfalls that hum with white noise. Since the black swift nests can be hard to access, the mist nets are set up here to capture the birds flying to and from, a standard procedure in this field. As the black sky turned blue, we started getting some birds and the scientists lowered the net back down to retrieve them. Each was delicately handled as Woolley and Sparks measured their weight, wing and tail length, and took notes of feather conditions. In that second fieldwork day the scientists caught seven black swifts more than the previous days total of four. Most of the birds had an aluminum bracelet with a unique code on their leg, known as a band, which allows the scientists to track individual birds over the years. But the biggest prize was when they could recover devices that collected data from their recent trip. Two of the birds that were caught had these GPS tags. Scientists from the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies retrieve a device that collects location data from a black swifts migration. When Sparks and I parted ways after the trip, he seemed as excited to process the location data on his computer as I was to transfer the photos to my computer. The following week, the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies scientists went on another fieldwork trip in a different part of Colorado. I asked Sparks if anything stood out from the data they retrieved. "It is too preliminary to say but we do have more movement data for breeding, migration and non-breeding seasons," Sparks said over email. A world of conservation awaits 'if you're willing to step outside' Sparks and Woolley, along with their collaborators, have unveiled many of the black swift's mysteries. But there are still plenty of unknowns, and studying birds that constantly move around is hard. Its really difficult to get basic information like how long birds live, where do they go is it a male, female, said Woolley. The more data they collect to understand black swifts, the better they can guide conservation efforts. Rob Sparks releases a bird after it was measured on July 31, 2024. Since conservation funding is very limited, its important to try to figure out where we need to prioritize and spend our time, Sparks said. Sparks aims to share what they learn about black swifts and hopes that their research will end in saving black swifts from extinction. In this case, they're insectivores, (they) eat tons of insects, so they could help control pests, Sparks said. Something I had not fully grasped until now was how interconnected things are in an ecosystem. For instance, if wildfires, climate change or other human activities were to disturb the flying insects that black swifts feed on, that could then pose a threat to the bird itself. Colin Woolley (left) and Rob Sparks (right) take measurements of a black swifts weight, wing and tail length, and take notes on feather conditions on July 31, 2024. Months before the trip, I read the breakthrough study that laid out where these birds travel to and I was immediately fascinated because of what it represented to me. But being able to see them up close and noticing their large eyes and feeling their heart beat on my hand made me admire black swifts even more. It's a feeling Woolley is familiar with. When hes not working on this project, Woolley also runs several banding stations across the state where adults and children can get this experience and says theres nothing like getting that personal connection. You can walk out your front door, regardless of where you live, whether its in the middle of the city, or out in the suburbs, or out in the country, Woolley said. If you're willing to step outside, you're going to see some birds. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Black swifts: a cryptic bird that can stay in the air for months Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, hugs former Sen. Karen Mayne after a bill that creates a scholarship for law enforcement officers passed at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. Mayne died from cancer on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News A longtime fixture in the Utah Senate, former Sen. Karen Mayne died from cancer on Thursday. As a senator, she followed her husband, Sen. Ed Mayne, who died in 2007 from lung cancer. Together, the Maynes represented Salt Lake Citys west side for almost 30 years. I worked with both Sens. Mayne as a citizen activist and legislator and found them both to be thoughtful, reasonable and committed to making a difference for the state. Karen was fierce, passionate, kind and funny. She was patient, too. One of my favorite stories about her is how she stepped into elected office after Ed was diagnosed with cancer. I heard her share the story several times: she was active in her community and Ed kept telling her she was the better politician and should run. No, she demured, the time wasnt right until it was. After hearing that Ed had terminal cancer in the spring of 2007, they sat in the car in the doctors office parking lot and Ed said, Its your turn. Yes, Karen said. Its my turn. Ed died at the end of November that year and Karen won the special election to replace him. In 2018, she was elected as the Senate Minority Leader, a position she held until she stepped down from the Utah Senate in January 2023. In January 2022, she broke her shoulder and it was during treatment for the break that she found she had cancer. About a year later, there had been enough changes in her health that she announced she was resigning from the Senate. At the time, Senate President Stuart Adams released a statement calling her a dear friend and saying he would miss her wisdom and fortitude in the Senate. Sen. Mayne has been a strong force for bipartisan camaraderie, which has strengthened our state, he said, calling her one of the states most effective legislators. Jamie Jennings, daughter of former Sen. Karen Mayne, holds her mothers hand after a bill that creates a scholarship for law enforcement officers passed at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. The scholarship is named after Mayne, who retired earlier this year. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News Thursday night, Adams and Minority Leader Luz Escamilla released a statement about Karen Maynes passing, calling her an extraordinary stateswoman, a trailblazer, exceptional leader and one of their dearest friends. Since the news broke, condolences have poured in from elected officials from both major parties. Gov. Spencer Cox called her one of the best legislators he has ever met, and yet, he said, she was somehow a better human being, the perfect blend of toughness and compassion. Senator Mayne was one of the best legislators Ive ever met. And yet, she was somehow a better human being. The perfect blend of toughness and compassion, she could bring the fiercest of opponents together to find common sense solutions. We are a better state because of her and https://t.co/zMr3ZXYI7z Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) August 16, 2024 Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson called Maynes death a huge loss, saying that Karen Mayne had been a friend and mentor during Hendersons eight years in the Utah Senate. She was a genuinely compassionate woman who cared deeply about others, faithfully served her constituents and our state, and was one of the best people Ive ever known, she posted on X. Sen. Jen Plumb posted that Karen Mayne made UT a better state. She proved that success is determined by more than just what party one belongs to shattering ceilings & opening doors for women in UT politics. I will forever be in awe of her legacy. May we carry her legacy forward with deep gratitude. Karen Mayne made UT a better state. She proved that success is determined by more than just what party one belongs to shattering ceilings & opening doors for women in UT politics. I will forever be in awe of her legacy. May we carry her legacy forward with deep gratitude. pic.twitter.com/69qbXA9fcu Jennifer Plumb (@jennifer_plumb) August 16, 2024 Scott Howell, former Utah senator and previous minority leader, said State Sen. Karen Mayne was a remarkable and dedicated public servant. Her ability to reach across the aisle and craft solutions that benefited both sides was nothing short of artistry. Karen always believed that Democrats and Republicans could find common ground, leading to better policies for all citizens of Utah. It was my pleasure to work with both Ed and Karen throughout their careers at the State Capitol. Today, I find comfort in knowing that Karen is reunited with Ed, and their happiness together must be beyond words. Republican Utah House Speaker Mike Schulz said of his colleague across the aisle that She was a dedicated legislator and kind to everyone she worked with. She will be greatly missed. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside Senator Karen Mayne. She was a dedicated legislator and kind to everyone she worked with. She will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time. https://t.co/P2N7QmVXHI Mike Schultz (@mschultz_12) August 16, 2024 Dan Burton, general counsel in the Utah Attorney Generals office, remembers this: I only occasionally had the opportunity to work with Sen. Mayne. But the few times I did I found her to be kind and pleasant with a matter of fact personality. My favorite bill I worked on with her was legislation that some municipalities had suggested to ban fringe gambling machines. Ive never seen so many contract lobbyists trying to stop it. And they didnt. She worked with both sides of the aisle to build support for a bill that her constituents thought was important to their community. The bill passed, blocking fringe gambling machines from our state. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall called Karen Mayne a leader and tremendous public servant. Her biggest legacy, however, is the thousands of lives she positively impacted in the classroom as a teacher for 20 years. Funeral arrangements are pending. Victoria Lee's family says she was unarmed when police fatally shot her July 28 during a mental health episode. (Sophie Nieto-Munoz | New Jersey Monitor) The police killing of a 26-year-old Korean American woman has led to new calls for a better approach to how authorities respond when people are suffering from mental health issues. Friends of Victoria Lee and activists in the Asian American community gathered Thursday in front of a Fort Lee community center to urge officials to release body camera footage of Lees death. This investigation needs to be swift and transparent. No games played. No tricks, said Amber Reed, co-executive director of AAPI Montclair. They deserve at least that from this state that has failed them so terribly. Lee died in the early morning hours of July 28 after her family called 911 to report she was holding a knife and needed to go to the hospital because she was suffering from a mental health crisis, according to the Attorney Generals Office. After the family attempted to prevent responding officers from entering their apartment, cops forced their way in, Lee approached officers in a hallway, and Officer Tony Pickens Jr. fired a single shot to her chest, killing her, authorities said. The Attorney Generals Office is investigating the shooting, as it does with all fatal police-involved shootings. Lees family maintains she was not holding a knife when she was shot, as authorities claim, but a five-gallon water jug. Henry Cho, attorney for the family, said the body cam footage will be released after the family sees it, which he expects to be Friday. He also said the family intends to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the police officer and Fort Lee, but they are still processing the incident. They are still very upset, agitated, and crying so much, Cho said. We just want to pray for them. Thats all we can do right now. The familys supporters urged Fort Lee officials to opt into the states Arrive Together program, which pairs police officers with mental health experts when responding to some emergency calls. Currently, more than 200 departments participate in the program, including seven in Bergen County. Others called for authorities to overhaul how they respond to mental health crisis calls. They argued police shouldnt be involved at all, and that social workers or mental health experts should respond instead. Yannick Wood of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice called Lees death the latest example of New Jersey police using deadly force when compassion and clinical treatment was necessary. Wood cited the deaths of Najee Seabrooks in Paterson and Andrew Washington in Jersey City, who were both experiencing mental health crises when officers fatally shot them. Wood urged officials to fully implement the Seabrooks-Washington Community-Led Response Act. That law, signed by the governor in January, created a new state advisory council aimed at determining best practices to handle emergency responses. But the 13-member council has not met, despite the law mandating the council meet within 45 days of the bill signing, according to northjersey.com. Family members across the state are scared to call 911 for help out of fear of how police will respond, said Zellie Thomas, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Paterson. Non-police responses mean mental health crises will not turn into tragedies, he said. When you call 911 for help, you should get help and not bullets, he said. It doesnt matter if you are armed or unarmed. Tara Oliver, a spokeswoman for the Attorney Generals Office, which oversees Arrive Together, said more than 50% of New Jersey residents live in the 219 municipalities served by the program, and ultimately the state would like it available for every resident. The current state budget allocates $20.1 million intended to fund an expansion of the program, Oliver said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is calling on the federal government to approve a major disaster declaration to help with recovery from last months flooding. New York State made a major disaster declaration for Julys flooding that affected Essex, Hamilton, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. Stefanik penned a letter calling on the Biden administration to approve the declaration. Severe flooding in Lowville brings significant damage to homes and roads These storms caused significant damage across my Congressional District, with sustained damages displacing residents, shuttering businesses, and compromising public infrastructure. Preliminary damage assessments suggest an impact of over $60 million, which our North Country communities cannot shoulder. State and local governments are overwhelmed by the sheer size of the damage inflicted in such a short period. Recovery efforts have been hampered by additional storms since the initial damage leading to long-standing impacts. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik Flooding in the region caused millions of dollars in damage, including a number of north country roadways and bridges. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWTI - InformNNY.com. AUSTIN (KXAN) Amilcar Gonzalez was most recently arrested in July in connection with an auto theft that happened in May. Digging through court records, KXAN discovered his criminal history dates back to 2017. It includes additional auto theft charges, as well as drug and property theft charges. His records show he served spurts of jail time in some cases, and received probation in others. He now has a hearing set for next week to discuss revoking the option for probation and not allowing him to post bond. Jail records show he is currently in custody. The District Attorneys Office could not comment on why Gonzalez received several probationary sentences despite repeat arrests and convictions. According to the affidavit for his most recent arrest, a man called police on May 27 saying someone stole his car from W. Slaughter Lane. On July 31, police located the stolen car while patrolling near an illegal game room. Police arrested the driver, who they identified as Gonzalez. Court records show that following one of his 2023 arrests, he completed in-custody substance abuse treatment, and was supposed to continue with such treatment as a condition of his release, but did not. KXAN has reached out to Gonzalez attorney and will update this story when we receive a response. Spike in auto theft has placed higher demand for auto glass repair services Jay Esquivel, one of the owners of Adequate Auto Glass, said demand has spiked this year. Right now, our bookings are taking close to a month just because we have so much demand, he said. [It used to] take just a day or two. According to the Council on Criminal Justice, Austins auto theft rates are rising more quickly than other cities. The below rate increases are from 2019-2024. Austin: 145% Dallas: 56% Fort Worth: 33% While not every case that comes through Esquivels door reaches the level of crime Gonzalez is connected to, the sheer volume of shattered windows concerns him. Its just happening constantly, he said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. (WKBN) The state of Ohio has extended its deadline to request Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) replacement benefits. Read next: Woman wanted in $1.8M Ohio Medicaid scam caught in Dallas Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Matt Damschroder made the announcement on Friday that SNAP recipients in Trumbull County have until September 5 to request replacement benefits for lost food due to recent power outages from severe storms. Other counties include Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Portage and Summit, totaling the eight counties Governor Mike DeWine declared in a state of emergency last week. We have secured a federal waiver that will help SNAP recipients who were impacted by the recent widespread power outages in northeast Ohio, said Damschroder in a news release. This waiver increases the window for seeking reimbursement of benefits from 10 to 30 days. Households that lose food purchased with SNAP benefits due to a power outage of four hours or more can apply to receive replacement SNAP benefits for the amount of food the household lost, as long as it does not exceed their monthly allotment. Impacted households must fill out this form and submit it to their County Department of Job and Family Services (CDJFS) by September 5. The CDJFS will have to verify the extended power outage before replacing benefits. Households should be prepared to provide verification of the extended power outage. This includes screenshots of news reports, text or email alerts, or outage maps that show their specific area was without power for four hours or more. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) During a public town hall meeting held July 25 in Las Cruces, the New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham publicly committed to hold a public meeting in Sunland Park to address public concerns surrounding the ongoing water quality and service issues by the water utility that serves Sunland Park and Santa Teresa. NM governor addresses packed house at Las Cruces town hall meeting on public safety The governor also promised to get the water cleaned and restored, according to a news release sent by the New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC) The commitments came after Sunland Park community members repeated their concerns they have been voicing for years about the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA). Every New Mexican deserves safe, clean drinking water and it has been a long time coming for the state to come to southern New Mexico to address the contaminated drinking water, Daisy Maldonado, director of Empowerment Congress NM said. NMELC said CRRUA found itself in hot water in late 2023, after yet another arsenic contamination plagued the public water supply without any public notice provided or timely remediation efforts taken by the public utility. As we previously reported, the utility has been under fire for months over concerns about water quality and discolored water. Some residents have told KTSM that the issues have been going on for years. Most recently, the NMELC submitted a request on Friday, Aug. 2, to the New Mexico Department of Justice and the New Mexico Office of the State Auditor to investigate CRRUA for violations of environmental protection laws; consumer protection laws; waste, fraud, or abuse of state and federal funds; and violations of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, NMELC announced in another news release sent Thursday, Aug. 15. Investigation request submitted against CRRUA on behalf of New Mexico communities As a customer of CRRUA, it is very frustrating that issues of foul-smelling, discolored and off-tasting water have been chronically ignored, overlooked, and discounted by government officials for years, Vivian Fuller, a Santa Teresa resident said. NMELC said community requests, concerns and needs remain unaddressed and ignored by the public utility as the ongoing water crisis continues. Meanwhile, CRRUA has raised residential water and wastewater rates for public water that remains unsafe for use and consumption, according to NMELC. New CRRUA rates for water, wastewater service go into effect July 1 The Governor said she would fix it. She said they cant be charging us more for water we cant drink. She promised to help us out. Why is CRRUA and the State contradicting themselves? I want drinkable water and no increased water rates, Jose Saldana, a Sunland Park resident said. It is integral that our state leaders hold strong to their commitments to serve all of New Mexico which includes our borderland communities in Southern New Mexico. Governor Lujan-Grisham has heard directly from the people of Sunland Park and Santa Teresa what these communities want and need from her, its now time for her to step up; engage with and listen to these communities; and follow through on her promises in a meaningful way, NMELC Staff Attorney Kacey Hovden said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect that the bill has not yet been signed into law. VALLEJO, Calif. (KRON) Retired law enforcement officers could soon be allowed to come back out of retirement and serve the Vallejo area as a member of the Solano County Sheriffs Department full-time. Sen. Bill Dodd, author of The Public Safety Bill, made the announcement after the bill was unanimously approved at the state assembly this week. Today we take a big step toward addressing Vallejos public safety needs by allowing retired deputies to work more hours for the Sheriffs Office, Sen. Dodd said. According to Dodd, the Vallejo Police Department has become severely understaffed. The department can have up to 132 sworn-in officers for the city. Currently, VPD has 62 sworn-in officers serving Vallejos 123,000 residents, with only 32 officers working the patrol division. San Jose dentist first in nation to use robot assistant This prompted the city council to declare a local emergency. As a solution, Dodds bill would allow retired officials to work full-time for the sheriffs department instead of the legal limit of 960 hours spread across a three-year window. These seasoned, retired professionals bring a wealth of training and experience, enhancing public safety, while saving taxpayers money. Its a smart way to address this vexing problem and protect our community, Dodd said. Dodd believes the passing of the bill would help the Solano County Sheriffs Office respond to more emergency calls. The state has also previously allowed retired employees to meet urgent staffing needs with similar exemptions, Dodd said. The Vallejo Chamber of Commerce said they were thrilled with the decision. We are in full support of bringing back retired officers that are willing to continue to serve. With the state of emergency in Vallejo we welcome the help to provide more protection and safety to our businesses, residents and community, Shawna Gilroy, the chambers president, said. Next, the bill will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom for signature after a Senate concurrence vote. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Almost exactly five years since a U.S. Navy sailor was gunned down while attending a party in Logan Heights, authorities announced a new reward in exchange for the publics help in finding the person responsible for his death. San Diego police officers received a call regarding a shooting in the 2700 block of Marcy Avenue on Aug. 17, 2019 at 12:50 a.m. Reward offered for tips in 2019 slaying of Navy sailor Upon arrival, officers found a man with multiple gunshot wounds. He was later identified as 19-year-old Lemontee Stevenson. Police said Stevenson was pronounced dead at the hospital after succumbing to his injuries. According to detectives, Stevenson had been at a house party prior to the shooting when his friend got into an argument with an unknown male. When Stevenson attempted to break up a physical fight between the two, the unknown male pointed a handgun at him and shot him multiple times before he fled the scene, detectives said. Police respond to reports of person down in Mission Beach area The suspect was described as a man with medium-length hair, but no other details regarding his height, weight or clothing have been made available. On Friday, the California Governors Office announced a $50,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case of Stevensons death. In addition, Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward. The previous reward amount offered by authorities was $2,000. Authorities are asking anyone who attended this party or anyone with more information regarding this case to contact the San Diego Police Departments Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Saidi, a cemetery keeper, cleans the Gongo la Mboto cemetery in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Aug. 12, 2024. In the past five decades, 70 Chinese engineers, technicians, and workers lost their lives when constructing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway and assisting in Tanzania's development. Their names were inscribed on their tombstones, which stand quietly at the Gongo la Mboto cemetery. (Photo by Emmanuel Herman/Xinhua) by Xinhua writers Hua Hongli, Lucas Liganga DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Every morning, Msafiri and his colleague Saidi start their day as cemetery keepers, in the western suburb of Dar es Salaam, guarding the memory of Chinese engineers and workers who lost their lives for constructing Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway. "I have been working in this cemetery for almost 20 years to make sure that this sacred place is highly preserved to show respect to the fallen Chinese martyrs," said Msafiri Omary, a 43-year-old employee of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) East Africa Limited. In the past five decades, 70 Chinese engineers, technicians, and workers lost their lives when constructing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway and assisting in Tanzania's development. Their names were inscribed on their tombstones, which stand quietly at the Gongo la Mboto cemetery. During a pivotal period of economic development for Tanzania and Zambia in the 1970s, some 50,000 Chinese workers and engineers arrived in the nations to help construct the TAZARA railway. Msafiri said he felt honored to oversee the cemetery's preservation because the Chinese experts' names stand not only as a historical testimony to China-Africa friendship but also as an enduring monument to the firm and lasting relations between China and Africa. "The Chinese experts that are buried here sweated and bled to the last drop of their blood to make sure that the railway line was completed, leaving an indelible monument that serves as a testament to the friendship between China and Tanzania, as well as between China and Africa," said Msafiri. The 1,860-km-long railway from Dar es Salaam to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia serves as a reminder of the longstanding relationship between China and Tanzania. "I have also received all walks of people who visit this area from across the world as tourists and students from schools and universities to learn about the history of TAZARA," he said, adding that some visitors went to the cemetery to lay wreaths and others went there for research. Visitors to the cemetery come from different countries, including Tanzania, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other African countries. "When I have time, I bring my family here to learn about the TAZARA railway and how our fallen Chinese heroes sacrificed to build it," said Msafiri. Saidi Omary Mpauka, Msafiri's colleague and an employee of CCECC, who has worked at the cemetery for almost 10 years, said he felt honored to work to preserve the cemetery. "The best way of honoring these fallen Chinese heroes is by making sure that this cemetery is preserved to the best it deserves, and I am not regretting doing that," said the 44-year-old, a father of four children residing in Kiwalani, also in Dar es Salaam. In April, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian and Tanzanian Minister of Transport Makame Mbarawa attended a ceremony to commemorate the deceased Chinese experts and workers, laying wreaths on the graves at the cemetery. The Tanzanian government is very grateful to the Chinese experts who sacrificed their precious lives during the construction of the TAZARA railway, and the people of Tanzania will never forget their contribution, said Mbarawa. Chen said that the TAZARA spirit was about mutual respect and equality, tenacity and perseverance, and internationalism and that it embodied the essence of China-Africa relations and the common aspiration of the Chinese and African people. "They are heroes who have forged a monument of China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendship. Chinese and African people will always remember their names, as they will remember the TAZARA railway," said Chen. Cemetery keepers Msafiri (R) and Saidi clean the Gongo la Mboto cemetery in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Aug. 12, 2024. In the past five decades, 70 Chinese engineers, technicians, and workers lost their lives when constructing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway and assisting in Tanzania's development. Their names were inscribed on their tombstones, which stand quietly at the Gongo la Mboto cemetery. (Photo by Emmanuel Herman/Xinhua) RFK Jr. stuck his hand in the Central Park bear's mouth. Necropsy shows he may have been knuckle-deep in her leaked brain. The forensic necropsy of the bear cub corpse Robert F. Kennedy stashed in Central Park 10 years ago found that much of its brain leaked out of its mouth. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; Roy Rochlin/Getty Images Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posed with the dead bear cub he found, sticking his hand in its mouth. That's where much of its brain leaked, according to a necropsy obtained by BI. RFK Jr. and the bear may have something in common: not being from New York. On one fateful day in October 2014, a scion of the Kennedy political dynasty came across a dead bear cub in upstate New York. Thinking the meat looked good, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stowed the bear carcass in the back of his car, he said. He spent the day hunting with hawks and got dinner with friends at a Peter Luger steakhouse. Day turned to dusk. Kennedy needed to catch a flight. He realized he wouldn't be able to skin the bear and put its flesh into his refrigerator in his Westchester home in time. So he stashed the bear cub carcass in Central Park, which he thought would be funny, he recounted years later. At some point during that day, Kennedy who is now an independent candidate for president of the United States posed with the bear cub's corpse in a photo that became instantly famous when the New Yorker published it earlier this month. He stuck his hand in the bear's bloody mouth, looked down, and grimaced. As it turns out, Kennedy may have been touching the bear's brain matter. Business Insider has obtained the state report detailing the necropsy the Department of Environmental Conservation performed on the bear cub. The document reveals Kennedy had good instincts when it came to evaluating the bear's flesh. The animal "is in good flesh with good fat reserves for its age and season," Kevin Hynes, the wildlife biologist who performed the necropsy, wrote in his report for the department's Wildlife Health Unit. "The carcass is relatively fresh and the tissues are in good postmortem condition," Hynes wrote in the report. According to the report, the 7- or 8-month-old female bear was smashed in the head which is consistent with Kennedy's story that it was hit by a van. The cranium was "destroyed," Hynes wrote, and the brain tissue left there was "scrambled, liquefied, and hemorrhagic." Much of the bear's brain tissue leaked and exited through its mouth and nostrils, according to the report. "The brain structures are unrecognizable (unsuitable for rabies testing)," the report says. Reached by phone, Hynes referred questions to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, which declined to make him available for an interview. In an interview with the New Yorker, Kennedy speculated that sticking his hand in the bear's mouth may be how he got his brain worm. But he testified about the parasite in his own cranium in a deposition two years before the bear was killed, according to The New York Times. In the deposition, Kennedy said a doctor told him the worm went "into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died." Representatives for Kennedy's presidential campaign didn't respond to requests for comment from Business Insider Friday. The bear's skin, carcass, and brain tissue sample were frozen and locked away in the state environmental department's wildlife health unit. The frozen remains are no longer in the department's possession, according to agency spokesperson Jeff Wernick, who said samples "generally get destroyed." RFK Jr. and the bear carcass may have something else in common Kennedy first disclosed the bear story in a video posted to social media ahead of the publication of the New Yorker article. "I said, 'Let's go put the bear in Central Park, and we'll make it look like he got hit by a bike,'" Kennedy said in the video. "It'll be fun, funny for people. So everybody thought, 'That's a great idea.' So we went and did that, and we thought it would be amusing for whoever found it." A woman walking her dog found the bear the next day, October 6, around 8:45 a.m. Law enforcement organizations moved the carcass from underneath a bicycle, which Kennedy or one of his friends apparently left on top of it, wrapped it in a tarp, and took it to the Wildlife Health Unit for the necropsy. Hynes, examining the bear's corpse, quickly concluded that the cub was likely killed by a vehicle. Until RFK publicly took credit for dumping the bear's corpse, authorities had no idea who put it there. The DEC records indicate the case was closed by the end of 2014. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running as an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential election. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Kennedy's revelation that he was involved in moving the bear's corpse came too late for any law enforcement action over his possession or disposal of the corpse, said Wernick, of the environmental department. "The statute of limitations for these offenses is one year; charges cannot be brought for incidents that occurred more than one year ago," Wernick told BI. Aside from the roadkill incident, the bear cub and Kennedy may have something else in common: Both may not be from New York. On Monday, a New York judge found that Kennedy's use of his Westchester County address was not a "bonafide and legitimate residence, but merely a 'sham' address that he assumed for the purpose of maintaining his voter registration." Kennedy's true home residence is in California, where he has lived with his wife, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" actor Cheryl Hines, the judge found. A DNA test for the bear cub found it might be from New Jersey not New York. Lab technicians who analyzed the bear's DNA found it was likely from the Sterling Forest region, which stretches across the New Jersey-New York border. It was more similar to New Jersey bears but the sample size was too small to be definitive, according to the necropsy report. Kennedy is appealing the court decision over his residency. During the trial, he discussed the bear carcass with reporters. "I've been picking up roadkill my whole life. I have a freezer full of it," he told journalists at the courthouse. Read the original article on Business Insider PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee announced Friday that the state has filed a lawsuit against 13 companies that provided design, construction and inspection services related to the troubled Washington Bridge. The bridge was partially shut down over safety concerns in December. McKee said in March that the bridge would need to be demolished and replaced. McKee's comments at the time came after an independent review of the bridge which carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River from Providence to East Providence and serves as a key gateway to Providence found additional structural deficiencies requiring that it be replaced. McKee said the lawsuit filed Friday seeks to hold accountable those companies responsible for the near-miss catastrophic closure of the bridge and to recover the significant resources required to rebuild the bridge and compensate the state. In the lawsuit, the state argues that the companies failed to timely and adequately identify worsening structural issues that ultimately led to the sudden and unexpected closure of the bridge. The lawsuit also alleged there were multiple failures over multiple years to bring problems with the bridge to the attention of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. In the nearly nine months since the abrupt closure, our economy has borne an immense cost, and our state has and will continue to have to expend significant resources as a result," state Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a written statement. During the demolition and construction of the new bridge, the state will reroute six lanes of traffic three in each direction on the eastbound bridge structure. The sudden westbound closure in mid-December initially wreaked havoc on traffic, turning a 40- to 45-minute drive into several hours, stranding commuters for hours and sending others veering off their normal path. Some schools closed and held classes remotely. The bridge carries nearly 100,000 vehicles every day. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Rhode Island has filed a lawsuit against 13 companies over the failure of the Washington Bridge, alleging they failed to identify and address worsening structural issues that ultimately resulted in its abrupt closure last December. The allegations of breach of contract, fiduciary duty and negligence were outlined Friday in a long-anticipated complaint filed in R.I. Superior Court. The state is seeking to recoup an undisclosed amount of taxpayer money paid for work done on the westbound I-195 bridge, which is now set to be demolished due to structural failures. In the nearly nine months since the abrupt closure, our economy has borne an immense cost, and our state has and will continue to have to expend significant resources as a result, R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. Todays lawsuit seeks to hold accountable those responsible and recover the maximum amount possible for the state, he added. Litigation is a long road and today marks the first step on that road. We are committed to working with our partners to secure as much relief for the state as we can. The bridge which connects East Providence and Providence carries about 90,000 vehicles each day, making it one of the busiest in the state. State leaders closed it after they said an engineer discovered structural problems that raised the possibility it could collapse. As promised, the state is pursuing accountability from all responsible parties who we assert have contributed to the current situation with the Washington Bridge, said Gov. Dan McKee, who hired the outside legal team that prepared the complaint. The defendants named in the lawsuit include: AECOM Technical Services Inc. Aetna Bridge Company Aries Support Services Inc. Barletta Heavy Division Inc. Barletta/Aetna I-195 Washington Bridge North Phase 2 JV Collins Engineers Inc. Commonwealth Engineers Consultants Inc. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. Michael Baker International Inc. Prime AE Group Inc. Steere Engineering Inc. Transystems Corporation Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. All knew or should have known The current version of the westbound bridge was originally opened in 1968. In the time since, state attorneys alleged that the defendants all knew or should have known of the engineering features of the bridge, and therefore should have taken these characteristics into account as part of their collective obligations to the state. The complaint shows structural issues with the bridge were flagged as early as 1992, when a report noted that problematic drop-in beams were all showing signs of distress. But the firm hired to do the inspection Lichtenstein & Associates concluded it was unlikely that the cracks in the post-tensioned cantilever beams would continue to grow.' As future inspections later revealed, however, that prediction was wrong, attorneys wrote Friday. Lichtenstein isnt named as a defendant in this lawsuit, which focuses heavily on work done to the bridge over the past 10 years. The timeframe makes sense from a litigation standpoint, as the statute of repose is 10 years in Rhode Island. (Statute of repose is similar to statute of limitation, but its specific to real estate. It typically begins when construction on a project is completed.) The lawsuit reveals that five engineering firms, including AECOM, inspected the bridge between 2015 and last December, when the westbound side closed due to fractured tie-down rods. Like AECOM and its subconsultants under the 2014 AECOM contract, however, none of the firms that conducted the inspections adequately recognized or addressed critical elements of the bridges structural safety and integrity, state attorneys wrote in the lawsuit. The lawsuit walks through each inspection and the companies involved in that time frame, alleging the companies all failed to identify significant structural issues with the bridge and report them to the states transportation agency. All the foregoing engineering firms failed to identify, recognize, or address critical elements of the bridges structural safety and integrity, attorneys wrote. The lawsuit also outlined how companies often focused on issues related to one part of the bridge while seemingly ignoring or missing other parts of the bridge that had been previously points of concern. As an example, attorneys pointed to a 2021 joint venture of three companies Aetna, Barletta and VHB which said it spotted fractured tie-down rods in pier 4 of the bridge. But they did not address their existence at piers 6 and 7, according to the lawsuit. The joint venture promised it could extend the life expectancy of the bridge by 25 years, yet these plans still did not address the existence of any possible problems relating to the tie-down rods at piers 6 and 7, according to the lawsuit. McKee has stood by R.I. Department of Transportation director Peter Alviti, who became head of the agency in 2015. And no government officials have been held accountable publicly for anything related to the bridge. The lawsuit doesnt blame state officials in any way for the bridge failure, and attorneys have asked that Rhode Island be held harmless if at any point in the future third parties sue them or the defendants. But state attorneys hedged for the possibility of being found at fault in the future, arguing that if Rhode Island is ever found liable for the bridge failure, the defendants must share in the cost of any damages. The share would be broken down based on a civil finding known as percentage of fault. Despite being named in the lawsuit, three of the companies are currently doing work on the bridge, including AECOM, Michael Baker and VHB, according to a monthly report published by the state. Barletta was hired to work on the Henderson Bridge, which also connects East Providence and Providence, along with the 6-10 connector project. Aetna, another of the defendants, was hired to build the original bridge in the 1960s. The state in June awarded Aetna nearly $50 million to demolish it. Aetna spokesperson Frank McMahon said the third-generation Rhode Island company is proud of its more than 76-year history of bridge construction and repair work in our state. We are aware of litigation filed today related to the failure of the Washington Bridge, McMahon said in a statement. We stand behind the quality of all our past work and the work we will perform in the future. We will vigorously defend ourselves against any claims made in this lawsuit. Whos in control? The lawsuit comes four months after McKee hired outside attorneys Max Wistow and Jonathan Savage to examine whether the state could pursue any legal action related to the bridge failure. McKee had famously promised a day of reckoning for those responsible, as polls show voters have been dissatisfied with his handling of the bridge crisis. The main thing is to make sure we position ourselves for the largest recovery we can for those we want to hold accountable, McKee told reporters Friday morning, adding that the day of reckoning is beginning. Wistow is well-known for his role in helping Rhode Island recoup millions tied to the states failed investment in 38 Studios, a defunct video game company created by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling. After months of work putting together the lawsuit, the two attorneys and McKee signed an agreement this week with Neronha, relinquishing complete control of the litigation process to the attorney general moving forward. Wistow and Savage will remain on the case under their original agreement with the governor, but Neronha will have veto power over all legal decisions moving forward, according to the new agreement. Neronha agreed to make decisions in consultation with the governor, according to the agreement. Neronha, who has a frosty relationship with McKee, has indicated he was looped in by Wistow and Savage in recent weeks after they determined only his office had clear authority to sue on behalf of the state. The bridge failure has been one of the biggest issues facing state government in 2024. The closure has created snarled traffic for tens of thousand of frustrated commuters. And its caused political headaches for state leaders, who are now facing unexpected infrastructure costs in a state that already ranked as having the worst bridges in the country. The expected price tag to demolish the existing structure and rebuild a new one has steadily ballooned to nearly $500 million, and state officials acknowledge that number will likely continue to grow. The state is preparing to borrow $140 million to help fund the project, and is also expecting a decision this fall on its application for a $221 million federal grant. After initially setting a goal of reopening the bridge by fall 2026, state officials have since abandoned the timeline after no companies bid last month on the states first solicitation for offers. McKee said Friday his administration has responded well to the infrastructure debacle. He also expressed optimism about the direction of the state, saying he plans to hold a news conference in the coming weeks to commemorate the start of demolition of the defunct bridge. My focus right now is to recover what we can that was prior to December 11th, and to make sure that we get back to a normal traffic flow which were almost there right now, he said. Then tear down the bridge and build a new bridge. Eli Sherman (esherman@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Tim White (twhite@wpri.com) is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Nesi's Notes Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) This summer, Rhode Island has seen a consecutive decline in jobs, with an average loss of 1,100 jobs each month, according to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training (DLT). A report recently released by the DLT reveals that, over the last three months, the state has lost a total of 3,400 jobs. In July, Rhode Island-based businesses experienced a setback with a loss of 400 jobs, adding to the 1,200 lost between May and June, according to the report. Despite this monthly drop, the report states that nationwide, jobs increased by 1.6%, adding 2.5 million from a year ago. Rhode Island has followed that trend, adding 6,200 jobs since July 2023. Unemployment rise However, the unemployment rate has also climbed from last year's 2.7% to the current 4.5%. The DLT said more than 10,000 Rhode Islanders have become unemployed over the year, with 26,700 residents actively seeking work right now. First-time unemployment insurance claims averaged 1,559 in July, a significant rise from 825 in June. Compared to July 2023, claims have increased by an average of 109 per week. ALSO READ: How to navigate Rhode Islands job market Meanwhile, the DLT said 565,400 Rhode Islanders were employed in July, which is up 600 from June and 7,500 from July 2023. The states total nonfarm employment fell to 510,300 in July, down by 400 jobs from June. However, over the year, the total nonfarm jobs have increased by 6,200, or 1.2%, which is below the national growth rate of 1.6%. Sector-specific changes The private sector experienced a decrease of 1,400 jobs in July but maintained an annual gain of 4,000 jobs. In contrast, government jobs rose by 1,000 in July, with local government adding 800 positions. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) A person in their 60s from Providence County has contracted West Nile Virus (WNV), marking the first human case of the virus in Rhode Island this year. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) were notified of the positive case on Friday. In the most recent round of mosquito samples, Rhode Island State Health Laboratories confirmed two positive findings of the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus and two positive findings of WNV. MORE: 13 positive findings of EEE in South Kingstown The mosquito samples that tested positive for EEE were collected in South Kingstown and Westerly. The samples that tested positive for WNV were collected in Central Falls and Westerly. The DEM says a total of 141 samples were collected from 28 traps set statewide on Aug. 1 and Aug. 5. Given the positive results in Washington County, the DEM says there is a significant risk in the area and an elevated risk level in Rhode Island. Story continues below map. This embedded content is not available in your region. Locations are not exact and are meant to illustrate findings by community. Source: RI DEM/RI DOH, MA DPH So far this season, there have been 15 EEE findings and three WNV findings in Rhode Island. In Massachusetts, there have been 205 WNV findings and 40 EEE findings, with two cases of WNV in humans and one case of EEE in an animal. Connecticut has announced 172 WNV findings and 24 EEE findings. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), WNV is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. There are no vaccines or medicines to treat the virus in people. Most people who develop WNV dont feel sick, but one in five who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. The virus can be deadly in some cases. RELATED: West Nile virus detected near New Bedford Business Park Health officials are urging people to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites. You can protect yourself by putting screens on windows and making sure there is no standing water on your property. Health officials also recommend using an EPA-approved bug spray and staying indoors from dusk until dawn during peak biting times. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) Richard Goodall, the singing janitor is back home and the community was thrilled to see him. It was announced on Americas Got Talent Wednesday night that Richard Goodall had been voted to move on to the semi-final round, but Indianapolis airport sounded like he had won again when he stepped off his flight from Los Angeles. A bus load of his biggest fans traveled to the airport to greet Richard and his fiance, the moment they arrived. One fan said she took note the first time she heard Richards voice. At home we saw Richard singing and when he sang Dont Stop Believin I was shocked. He was so good; his voice was like so pure. It was amazing. Colleen Fulk Supporter Another fan said she is amazed to know Richard and his backgrounded provides inspiration. Dreams can come true for anybody. How exciting it is to get to see it from the ground up and know that this is a person that is going to be around for a long time. You can say I know that guy from when he was a janitor. It is awesome. I just love it. Phyllis Pence Supporter Richard will not be back on Americas Got Talent until the second week of September. In the meantime, he says he will be getting ready for his next song and back at his regular job. I go back to school on Monday. The music team, they will zoom call, and we are figuring out the next steps for the next song. Richard Goodall AGT Semi-finalist Richard says the past few weeks have been a wild ride, but he has had waves of support. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) A 44-year-old man, who was a rideshare app driver, has been convicted of raping a woman who had requested to be driven home while she was intoxicated in September 2020, according to a news release from the District Attorney Generals Office of the 6th Judicial District. Prosecutors obtained the convictions after the three-day trial of Christopher Wayne Stanifer, 44, who was convicted of rape and public indecency. Judge Scott Green revoked Stanifers bond, ordered him into custody and set the case for sentencing next month. Bicyclist dies after crash on Washington Pike in Knoxville According to the DAs Office, prosecutors shared with the jury that on Sept. 15, 2020, the victim requested through a rideshare app to be picked up at Drakes Knoxville on Morrell Road. Stanifer picked her up at 1:52 a.m. and they arrived at the parking lot of the victims residence seven minutes later. The victim was heavily intoxicated, and the next thing she remembered was being in the back seat of Stanifers car with Stanifer having sex with her, the news release states. The victim was initially unsure whether to report the assault, but ultimately she contacted the Knoxville Police Department. Her level of intoxication made her incapable of giving consent to have sex, the release states. Crews work commercial structure fire in North Knoxville It is critical to understand that consent is the presence of a yes and not just the absence of a no, and the yes must be made by someone who is not so impaired that they cannot fully understand what they are consenting to, DA Charme Allen stated in the release. Rape is a Class B felony that carries a punishment of between eight and 12 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Stanifers sentencing is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 27. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. The Nevera R all-new electric hypercar can hit a top speed of 217 mph, and it only starts at $2.5 million Rimac, the Croatian EV upstart that ascended from a garage to become a supercar and technology powerhouse merged with Bugatti, has upgraded its Nevera hypercar. And along the way, Rimac managed to squeeze more power into it. Rimac revealed Friday during The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering at Monterey Car Week the Nevera R, an all-electric hypercar thats meant to push the performance bounds of its predecessor. The upshot: a hyper sports car that produces 2,107 horsepower, can reach a top speed of 217 miles per hour or even 256 mph under Rimacs oversight and travel from zero to 60 mph in 1.74 seconds. The company hasn't released an estimated range for the vehicle. Those specs appear to support Rimacs goal for the R in the new Nevera Rs name, which stands for radical, rebellious and relentless. The Nevera Rs larger wheels in the rear, extremely low nose, high rear-fixed-wing and carbon fiber structure completes the "hey-if-it-wasn't-clear-this-is-a-gnarly-performance-hypercar" package. The Rimac Nevera R, which debuted in Nebula green, puts the spotlight back on Rimac and the ever-evolving and growing company. The new EV is designed to do more than punch it off the line, however. Rimac Automobili founder Mate Rimac explained in a call prior to the reveal that the Nevera R, which is equipped with four electric motors, advanced ceramic brakes, a new 108 kilowatt-hour battery pack, new Michelin Pilot Cup tires and all-wheel torque vectoring, is designed for cornering. Nobody missed power in the Nevera, CEO Mate Rimac said. But we decided to, you know, squeeze a little bit more out that we knew we could still get out of the car. And, of course, give it a more aggressive, even more interesting design than before. Rimac will only produce 40 Nevera R units, which has a base price of 2.3 million ($2.5 million in today's exchange rate). For comparison, the original two-seater Nevera produces 1,914-horsepower, can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 1.85 seconds and has a top speed of 258 mph. When Rimac Automobili began production of the original $2.5 million Nevera in 2022, those specs made it faster than any other production car. Rimac Automobili brand was founded in 2009 by Mate Rimac, then a 21-year-old student. By 2011, he launched its first all-electric hypercar, the Concept One. The Concept Two would follow and eventually morph into the Nevera. By the time the Rimac Nevera was revealed in 2021, Rimac was a unicorn startup that had also launched a technology subsidiary to supply other automakers such as backers Hyundai and Porsche with advanced EV components. That same year, Rimac would announce a merger with Bugatti, the iconic French supercar maker. The company has a far more complex structure than its early days in Mate Rimacs hobby garage. Bugatti-Rimac, which makes combustion, electric and hybrid hypercars, is majority owned by the Rimac Group and 45% owned by Porsche. Under Bugatti-Rimac is Rimac Automobili, which is the EV hypercar brand. The Rimac Group, of which Mate Rimac still holds a majority stake, also includes the Rimac Technology subsidiary and Verne, a newly launched robotaxi business. As you can see its quite a wide spectrum, Mate Rimac said when explaining the companys structure. So the days are not very boring here. There is so much stuff happening. The Nevera Rs reveal also comes amid a topsy-turvy EV market. While EV sales continue to grow globally, U.S. and European automakers have struggled to deliver an affordable electric vehicle to customers, who have eschewed the costlier luxury models. A bevy of EV startups that charged into the industry several years ago in a bid to match Teslas success has dwindled to just a few. Rimac, which has a different mission than those seeking to sell volumes of cheap EVs, has been one of the few success stories. Just taking a normal car, making it electric, that's not enough, Mate Rimac said. It has to be better; it has to offer something unique. And in our case, you know, the customer group that we are talking to, basically is collectors. Rioter who went viral for looting in England shirt jailed for four-and-a-half years Detectives identified Honey after CCTV of the unrest showed him wearing a T-shirt with the St George's flag - X/Twitter A rioter who went viral on social media after looting a Lush store for bath bombs while wearing a St Georges Cross has been jailed for four and a half years. John Honey, 25, was caught on CCTV ransacking the shop in Hull as part of a 100-person strong baying mob rioting through the city and targeting Romanians. Prosecutors said he played a prominent role in the unrest, which came amid a wave of national disorder following the Southport stabbings on July 29. Hull Crown Court yesterday heard how Honey, and others, had racially abused three defenceless Romanian men in a BMW and tried to drag the terrified occupants from the car. Honey also damaged vehicles at a car repair business and launched missiles at police officers outside the Royal Hotel in Hull, which houses asylum seekers. He pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, violent disorder and racially aggravated criminal damage. Honey pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, violent disorder and racially aggravated criminal damage - CPS/UNPIXS Detectives identified Honey after CCTV of the unrest showed him wearing a T-shirt with the St Georges flag. Eleven police officers were injured during the prolonged incident. He was jailed alongside David Wilkinson, 48, who received a custodial sentence of six years the longest of any rioter so far. Wilkinson pleaded guilty to violent disorder, attempted arson and racially aggravated criminal damage. The court heard how the Romanian driver of a BMW was left in fear for his life when more than 100 angry men descended on him and his two cousins and attempted to drag them from the car, punched him in the head and tried to strike him with a metal bar. Wilkinson was captured in the video damaging the windscreen of the car, which suffered 1,500 of damage. The court heard at other points during the day of disorder Wilkinson spat, threw missiles and pushed wheelie bins at a police line protecting a hotel known to house asylum seekers. He appeared to be holding nunchucks a martial arts weapon at one point, it was said. Trying to set fire to bin During an attack on a garage in which nine cars were damaged, Wilkinson was seen trying to set fire to a bin on top of a pile of tyres that were already alight, sending plumes of black smoke through the shutters of the workshop, where a group of people were sheltering. Meanwhile, a rioter who kicked two riot officers as he was bundled into a police van was jailed for two-and-a-half years. Roger Haywood, 41, pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and was sentenced at Preston Crown Court yesterday. In sentencing remarks that were televised live, Judge Robert Altham said he had acted in an unforgivably dangerous way during riots in Blackpool on Aug 3. He said Haywood, of Yew Tree Road, Blackpool, led a group of masked and flag-waving rioters towards a shopping centre where a security worker was assaulted. The court heard that the mob then headed towards Blackpools Cenotaph where a line of police officers were standing guard. Haywood tried to get past the police line and, when he was refused, beckoned the rest of the group to approach the officers in an effort to create a serious, violent, and dangerous incident, the judge said. Missiles thrown at officers Missiles were thrown at officers and scuffles broke out before Haywood was arrested by two officers and led into a police van, the court heard. When the police officers tried to put you in the van, you refused, bracing your legs and shouting abuse, the judge said. You kicked out at the officers, landing two kicks on one officers hand and one to another officers arm. Thankfully, no significant injury was caused to those officers. Assaults on police officers are unacceptable. In these circumstances they were particularly serious. Elsewhere, two men and a woman were jailed for their roles in a protest in Plymouth, which created fear and anxiety in the local community. Kerry Gove, 34, Andrew Ball, 49, and Grant Braidwood, 40 all from Plymouth, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court having pleaded guilty to violent disorder following the demonstration on Aug 5. Ball and Braidwood were both give prison terms of 32 months, while Gove was jailed for 18 months. And at Liverpool magistrates court, Luke Moran, 38, from Merseyside, pleaded guilty to violent disorder. Moran was part of a crowd on Zetland Street in Southport on 30 July throwing missiles, bins and other items at police and police vehicles. Moran approached a stationary police van where a police officer was at the wheel. He tried to pull the wing mirror off and then forcefully punched the window, making the police officer fear for his safety. He will be sentenced on Aug 21 . Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows a partial view of the Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Kenya. Built by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd., Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal officially began operations in August 2022. The terminal has greatly improved the oil and gas transfer capacity and oil unloading efficiency of Mombasa Port. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Staff members monitor oil transfer at the Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Kenya, Aug. 15, 2024. Built by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd., Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal officially began operations in August 2022. The terminal has greatly improved the oil and gas transfer capacity and oil unloading efficiency of Mombasa Port. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Staff members monitor oil transfer at the Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Kenya, Aug. 15, 2024. Built by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd., Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal officially began operations in August 2022. The terminal has greatly improved the oil and gas transfer capacity and oil unloading efficiency of Mombasa Port. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Staff members check meters at the Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Kenya, Aug. 15, 2024. Built by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd., Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal officially began operations in August 2022. The terminal has greatly improved the oil and gas transfer capacity and oil unloading efficiency of Mombasa Port. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) This aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows a view of the Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Kenya. Built by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd., Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal officially began operations in August 2022. The terminal has greatly improved the oil and gas transfer capacity and oil unloading efficiency of Mombasa Port. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows a view of the Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Kenya. Built by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd., Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal officially began operations in August 2022. The terminal has greatly improved the oil and gas transfer capacity and oil unloading efficiency of Mombasa Port. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Staff members check meters at the Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Kenya, Aug. 15, 2024. Built by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd., Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal officially began operations in August 2022. The terminal has greatly improved the oil and gas transfer capacity and oil unloading efficiency of Mombasa Port. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows a partial view of the Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Kenya. Built by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd., Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal officially began operations in August 2022. The terminal has greatly improved the oil and gas transfer capacity and oil unloading efficiency of Mombasa Port. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) This aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows the Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Kenya. Built by China Communications Construction Co., Ltd., Kenya Mombasa Oil Terminal officially began operations in August 2022. The terminal has greatly improved the oil and gas transfer capacity and oil unloading efficiency of Mombasa Port. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Road closed due to large mulch yard fire in Oconee Co. OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) A road in Oconee County was closed Thursday evening after a large mulch yard fire. The Townville Fire Department said Davis Mill Road was closed while firefighters assisted in extinguishing the fire in the Corinth Shiloh area. Mulch fire in Oconee Co (Source: Townville Volunteer FD) Mulch fire in Oconee Co (Source: Townville Volunteer FD) Mulch fire in Oconee Co (Source: Townville Volunteer FD) Mulch fire in Oconee Co (Source: Townville Volunteer FD) Mulch fire in Oconee Co (Source: Townville Volunteer FD) Firefighters said heavy equipment from the site was in operation to cut the fire from spreading to the entire area but confirmed that the fire was able to be contained in the mulch yard area. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. 7NEWS will continue to update this story as more information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. CHICAGO (WROC) The Democratic National Convention is set to begin in Chicago next week. Monroe County is getting ready to make their presence known in the coming days. Just over a dozen local delegates will be in Chicago to represent Monroe County. For the countys Democratic Committee Chair, it will be his first time attending. Stephen DeVay says hes anticipating the energy ahead of the historic upcoming election. This is a change in the top of the ticket and the party getting behind Harris and Walz. Its a huge part and huge aspect of it, said DeVay, Next week is really going to represent a turning point. Were going to hear from party folks and former, current, and future presidents, and were going to take all of that energy and bring it back to us here in Monroe County. Our local candidates and campaigns are all ready and waiting. Congressman Joe Morelle will be in attendance, and says hes especially focused on the House gaining Democratic control. Were building a national movement. Im certainly interested in making sure the House gets back in Democratic hands and we win the Majority, so well be talking to folks about how to make that happen. Its really getting together with friends and comparing notes on what we need to do and how we need to serve the American people, said Rep. Morelle. Before the Convention begins, Morelle outlines the call on all voters come November. We want every American to participate. We want to make it easier for Americans to vote fair and we want to make sure every vote is counted. Ill be spending a lot of time in Chicago because of my responsibilities as the top Democrat on the committee that deals with federal elections and the electoral council. Im going to have a lot to do to make sure were securing elections across this country. Thats critically important for everyone, he said. The Democratic National Convention runs from August 19 until August 22. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. Traveling over Greater Cincinnati's most iconic bridge will likely get a little trickier over the next couple of weeks. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced in a news release that the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge is set to undergo a routine inspection that will bring single-lane and full closures from Monday, Aug. 19 through Friday, Aug. 30. During single-lane closures, flaggers will direct traffic. For full closures, the bridge will need to be shut down for approximately one hour to allow for the staging of inspection equipment onto the sidewalks. Cabinet spokesperson Jake Ryle said a full closure is already planned for Monday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., as well as on Wednesday and Friday, but time frames for those days have not been announced. "These full closures will be minimized to reduce the impact on traffic and are necessary to ensure the thorough and safe inspection of the bridge," the release said. More: East Side drivers, see the status of three major roadwork projects impacting you Brent Spence Bridge Corridor: See ODOT's flyover rendering of construction project Additionally, the inspection may require a temporary sidewalk closure, but one sidewalk will remain open to pedestrians at all times. The inspection, referred to as a Non-Redundant Steel Tension Member inspection, is a close-up examination of the bridge's critical members, according to the release. In the past, the Roebling Bridge, which connects Cincinnati to Northern Kentucky, would undergo this routine inspection every two years. However, this type of inspection will be required every 12 months from now on. The times and duration of the project may change depending on the weather or any other unforeseen circumstances. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet encourages motorists to stay up to date on road construction by visiting District 6 Roadshow or GoKY. The cabinet can also be followed on Facebook or the social platform X. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Roebling Bridge routine inspection to bring closures Aug. 19-30 A Placer Superior Court judge is expected to announce next week whether a father accused of murder and torture of his 9-year-old adopted son should face any criminal charges in the childs death. Cory Albert Blakley, 38, and Kimberly Rachel Blakley, 38, were the adoptive parents of the boy who has been identified by his family as Cyrus Blakley. His parents are accused of murder, torture and child abuse that contributed to his death in February. The Blakleys remain in custody at the Placer County Jail. On June 21, about five months after the married couple was arrested, Cory Blakley filed a petition in court seeking a divorce from his wife. That case in family court is scheduled for a hearing Dec. 27. After testimony and evidence was presented in an April preliminary hearing, Judge Jeffrey Penney ordered the Blakleys to stand trial on the murder, torture and child abuse charges, along with felony charges of dissuading witnesses. The prosecutors allege the parents told the children not to speak truthfully to investigators. The Blakleys also face misdemeanor charges of child endangerment. But Cory Blakley believes he shouldnt face any charges in sons death and is asking Judge Angus Saint-Evens to overturn Pennys ruling, telling the court that its his wife who is solely responsible for the boys death. Saint-Evens heard arguments in court July 24 and is scheduled to announce his ruling Aug. 23. Prosecutors allege that the mother sat on her adopted 9-year-old son and beat him continuously for about 40 minutes as the boys father did nothing to stop it. Cory Albert Blakley pleads not guilty during his arraignment at the Placer Superior Court in Roseville on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. He and his wife Kimberly Rachel Blakley are accused of murder, torture and child abuse in the death of their adopted 9-year-old son. Barry Zimmerman, the fathers defense attorney, argued that prosecutors suggesting that the childs death wouldnt have happened had Cory Blakley intervened is pure speculation. Kimberlys actions are the proximate cause of the childs death, Zimmerman wrote in a filed motion asking for the fathers charges to be dismissed. Cory Blakleys failure to call 911 or otherwise intervene is insufficient to hold him to answer for murder. The Placer County District Attorneys Office argues that both parents were responsible for the boys death and the pain he suffered. In the April preliminary hearing, Deputy District Attorney Andrew Braden, one of the prosecutors in the murder case, told Judge Penny that the boys mother tortured her son by sitting on the child, depriving him of oxygen and continually beating him. Childs cause of death Cyrus Blakley, who is identified in court documents as CyB or CB, died of mechanical asphyxiation; he suffocated to death, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Ow argued in filed court documents opposing the fathers motion for dismissal. Kimberly Blakley stood 5-feet-7 and weighed 200 pounds when she sat on her son and repeatedly spanked him as he suffocated, according to the prosecution. The boy was 4-foot-5 and weighed 83 pounds. Cyrus Blakley is seen in an undated family photo. The 9-year-old died Feb. 5, three days after firefighters responded to the familys home in Roseville. His adoptive parents, Kimberly and Cory Blakley face multiple charges in the boys death. The prosecutor said Ring-brand cameras installed inside the familys Roseville home recorded sounds of the mother striking the child and the boys repeated apologies, gasps for breath and cries that he could not breathe, followed by silence. Ow said a camera in the kitchen clearly recorded audio of what was happening in the living room. At that time, Cory Blakley was in the kitchen with a clear and unobstructed view of the abuse and beating of the child, Ow said. Dad saw and heard the entire incident and never intervened, the prosecutor argued in court documents, except to close a nearby window at moms request when the victims cries were too loud. Ow also said the father walked past the couch to close the window. The window, which was closed about 20 minutes after the spanking began, was about 12 to 15 feet away from a neighbors home, according to the prosecution. The Blakleys had seven children two biological children, five who were adopted. They all lived together in a home on New England Drive, just east of Sunrise Boulevard. In the April preliminary hearing, the prosecution argued the mother was exacting revenge on Cyrus after he told his classmates or school officials that his dogs had died, and he was forced to take the pets outside. Braden told the judge that the mother could be heard in the video repeatedly saying Child Protective Services was going to come and take the children away because Cyrus didnt care about the family. Kimberly Rachel Blakley pleads not guilty during her arraignment at the Placer Superior Court in Roseville on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. She and her husband Cory Albert Blakley are accused of murder, torture and child abuse in the death of their adopted 9-year-old son. Father not the actual killer The defense attorney argued that theres no evidence to suggest Cory Blakley was aware that his son was likely to die from his mothers spanking. Zimmerman said the suffocation, while the mother sat on her child, may have well happened without the father knowing before he would have had a chance to intervene. It is unclear whether Mr. Blakley even heard any statement by (Cyrus that he) could not breathe, Zimmerman argued. . Even if the mother was aware that pinning her son down to spank him was dangerous and her conduct was in conscious disregard of life, Zimmerman said it doesnt translate into vicarious liability to be imputed to the father for murder. Cory Blakley is not the actual killer, Zimmerman argued in his motion. Further, the prosecution can present no evidence that he intended to kill the child or that he aided or abetted Kimberly in the commission of murder. The incident that led to Cyrus death began about shortly after 5 p.m. Feb. 2 on the familys living room couch, where the mother placed the child between her legs in a vice-grip-like hold, pulls down his pants and strikes his buttocks nine times, according to the prosecution. The boy was face down with his torso on a couch cushion while his mother was directly on top of him. Ow, in the court documents, argued that the mother then hit her son dozens, if not over 100 times as he screamed I cant breathe. The prosecutor said Kimberly Blakley taunted the child as he screamed for help, before she got one the boys siblings to hold down Cyrus legs while the father is seen and heard in video recordings cooking and watching in the kitchen. At 5:27 p.m. and 5:48 p.m., the mother is clearly captured in two videos sitting on top of the boy, according to the prosecutor. Ow said the boy is eventually heard making a whimper or gurgle as if he is struggling to breathe. Parents laughed at internet video The prosecutor said the child no longer moved, responded or presented any indication he was alive at 5:36 p.m. Ow argued that Cory Bakley is seen in a video captured in a Ring-camera in the kitchen looking toward the living room numerous times during the incident, while he acted nonchalant and laidback and leaned back on the kitchen counter while drinking a Monster energy drink. Mom is also heard watching internet videos about a dog customer service line and laughing, Ow argued in court documents. Both mom and dad are recorded conversing and laughing about the funny video. About 45 minutes after the spanking began, the mother told the boy to get up, but he doesnt, according to the prosecutor. Ow said the mother carries the boy upstairs at 5:53 p.m., his body limp and offers no resistance, as she yells at the other children to go to their bedrooms. About 6 p.m. Feb. 2, officers and firefighters responded to a medical aid call at the familys home. The officers found the boy unresponsive. Cyrus died three days later at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. The defense attorney argued that the only evidence presented is that the father knew Kimberly intended to spank the child; no evidence he was aware his wife intended to choke or suffocate their son. In fact, Kimberly continuously expressed a belief CB was faking it or that he was sleeping, Zimmeran argued in his motion. The spanking was not inherently dangerous to human life and was not the proximate cause of CBs death. Zimmerman said its far too simplistic to conclude that since the child died, the father permitted his son to be placed in that situation or allowed him to remain in that situation. He argued that the reality is far more challenging and the father shouldnt face child abuse charges. The defense attorney also argued that neither parent should face torture charges. There is no evidence that Kimberly was the kind of abusive parent who likely presented an inherently dangerous risk to her children, Zimmerman said in court documents. Indeed, the County of Placer found her to be a suitable person to become a foster parent to five different children. Living room video deleted The prosecution alleges that one of the children told investigators both parents would spank the children, and the dad was present during disciplining of the other Blakley children before the Feb. 2 incident. Ow argued that Cory Blakley deleted video captured on a camera in the living at the explicit request of his wife, who was heard in recordings on other cameras in the home saying got to get rid of the video. The father can be seen in video nodding his head in affirmation to his wifes request, the prosecutor said, and the father later told a detective the living room camera was not working or recording. Ow argued that the detective saw other cameras in the house, but the living room camera was missing, and a forensic examination of the Ring-app showed the living room camera was removed from the familys account. In his motion, the fathers attorney said that shortly before 6 pm. that day, when the mother finally conceded they needed to call 911, she told her husband to delete the video recordings. Zimmerman argued that the charges of dissuading witnesses were added to the murder case as an afterthought just before the April preliminary hearing. The officers who testified at the preliminary hearing could not recall a specific thing that Cory said directly to any child to dissuade them from talking to police, Zimmerman said in court documents. When interviewed, none of the children claimed that Cory Blakley tried to dissuade them from talking to police about what happened. The prosecutor argued that video shows the couples 11-year-old biological daughter saying I wish mom never sat on him, which her father responded with Shut up. The child is heard in one of the videos screaming expletives, Ow said in court documents, and that at 6:34 p.m. Cory Blakley is heard saying If you dont want the cops to come, you need to stop yelling. Listen. Relax. The defense attorney noted that the video captures the child screaming hysterically and that Cory Blakelys response was intended to stop that behavior rather than to dissuade her from speaking to police. Zimmerman said police had already been called at that point. The couples 13-year-old biological son told investigators that Cyrus had kicked his mom in the face, but she had no facial injuries after Cyrus was taken to the hospital, the prosecutor argued. Ow also said an 11-year-old girl adopted by the Blakleys told investigators that Kimberly Blakley told her to say that Cyrus had been flailing around and acting crazy, but the girl told investigators that wasnt true and she was there to speak the truth. She also told investigators that Kimberly Blakley told her not to tell anyone, according to the prosecutor. Round 2 of US Rep. Gaetz vs. former Speaker McCarthy plays out in Florida GOP primary U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., left, is joined by Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, at a campaign event on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Pensacola, Fla. (AP Photo/Brendan Farrington) PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) The Republican primary for Floridas 1st Congressional district is like a rematch between Rep. Matt Gaetz and the man he toppled, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. No, McCarthy isn't on the ballot. But a political committee he controls has spent about $3 million attacking Gaetz with claims he paid a minor for sex and used illicit drugs, while also promoting Gaetz' opponent, former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock. It might not be money well spent this election cycle Gaetz has easily fought off primary opponents since his election to Congress from one of Florida's most conservative districts. But Gaetz, ahead of Tuesday's primary, is getting a taste of what he'll face if he runs for governor in two years when Gov. Ron DeSantis has to leave office after two terms. Kevin McCarthy explicitly said that the reason he's spending millions to trash me here was to impair some future run for governor. I've said many times, I'm not making any plans to run for governor. I like the job I have, Gaetz said recently after a campaign stop in Pensacola. The race has become particularly brutal, with McCarthy's PAC running ads saying that witnesses say he had sex with a 17-year-old escort during a trip to the Bahamas with a donor and other supporters. Our daughters are never safe with the real Matt Gaetz, an announcer says as the ad closes. Gaetz led a group of eight far-right members of Congress to oust McCarthy last year, plunging the House into weeks of chaos as it sought to replace the fallen speaker. Gaetz isn't the only one of the eight targeted by McCarthy, who gave up his California seat after losing the speaker's chair. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace also survived a primary against a McCarthy-backed opponent. The House Ethics Committee has a long-running investigation into Gaetz's behavior. The Department of Justice also looked into allegations about the Bahamas trip. No criminal charges have been filed and Gaetz steadfastly maintains his innocence. McCarthy has said Gaetz led the effort to oust him because McCarthy refused to squash the ethics investigation. Matt Gaetz wanted to leverage me to stop an ethics complaint that started four years prior. Illegal. Im not going to do it, McCarthy recently said on Real Time with Bill Maher. Gaetz and his supporters paint Dimmock as a McCarthy-picked carpetbagger who moved from Missouri just to challenge Gaetz. But Dimmock says he's never met McCarthy and never spoken to him about the race. And while he did recently move from Missouri and still works remotely as a state employee, he said he simply returned to an area where he first had ties 28 years ago when he attended Navy flight school. My mom, my brother both live here. My aunt and uncle live here. Three of our four children were born here, Dimmock said. The reason he decided to challenge Gaetz, he said, is because no other Republican stepped forward and he knew the primary was the only chance to defeat the congressman. The winner will face Democrat Gay Valimont in November, but the conservative district tends to vote overwhelmingly Republican in general elections. I thought a person of character and integrity needed to enter the race. No local or state current office holder was willing to do that, Dimmock said. "There's no way in the world this human being that has demonstrated repeated behaviors over time was going to get a free pass." While Gaetz has his loyal followers, Dimmock says other Republicans are embarrassed by his behavior and the ethics allegations. Gaetz has made a national name for himself by inflaming liberals with partisan rhetoric and for unwavering support for former President Donald Trump. Dimmock acknowledges defeating Gaetz will be a challenge in a district where his family is politically powerful. Gaetz' father is former Senate President Don Gaetz and they younger Gaetz was an influential state representative previously. But, he said, voters appreciate his presence in the race. They say, Thank you so very much for running and giving us an alternative. Hes been an embarrassment so much that we absolutely need someone else in there. How can we help your campaign, Dimmock said. Now how many? Who knows. But we'll see. Gaetz doesn't seemed worried. Ive faced an unprecedented barrage of negative advertising funded by Kevin McCarthy," Gaetz said. Ill be outspent more than three-to-one, but Im going to win it better than two-to-one because the folks in Washington and California and Missouri dont quite understand the connection I have with the people of northwest Florida, Gaetz said. Much like Trump, the congressman's loyal followers don't care about the allegations made against him. Dimmock is funded by McCarthy and it's just dirty politics. Gaetz is just talking about the issues, said Jill Torkelson, 61, sporting a Make America Great Again hat at his Pensacola campaign event. There's definitely a blood feud there. I just don't trust McCarthy as far as I can throw him." ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Rochester police are searching for the suspect who assaulted a woman late Thursday night on Conkey Avenue. Officers were called to the area for the report of a stabbing but found a 31-year-old woman with a laceration. They said she was not stabbed but was injured. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. RPD has not found the suspect involved with the assault. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call 911. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. Rumor had it Kamala Harris would be making a campaign stop here in Erie Sunday, but that rumor has been squashed. We dug for answers on that rumor which was fueled by a false report by a local media outlet. Harris-Walz campaign announces bus tour in western Pennsylvania Its been confirmed that the vice president will not be including erie as part of her bus tour in Pennsylvania on Sunday much to the disappointment of local Democrats. But its expected that both she and her opponent will be making appearances here before the election. Word on the street had Kamala Harris making a campaign stop here in Erie this weekend, but it wasnt to be. According to Erie City Police Chief Dan Spizarny, Secret Service and the Harris Campaign did reach out to him Monday to inquire about a rally in Erie. Goonies, Lord of the Rings actor Sean Astin stops in Erie to support Harris campaign We made them aware that we were very busy that weekend and wouldnt have our full department available to provide security, Chief Spizarny said. The chief said additional resources the Harris Campaign requested also arent available Sunday due to Celebrate Erie. Everything from tents to water walls to bicycle racks, sound equipment. City Councilman Chuck Nelson had this reaction: Kind of expecting with the police force being at its full compliment that wed be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Its just kind of disappointing, he said. The chief said he offered Monday but Harris team promised a later date. Ultimately the VPs team decided it wasnt a quick enough turnaround but they said theyd be back before the election, Chief Spizarny said. I still expect to see Vice President Harris here sometime soon and I hope that affects the votes, Nelson. As for the Republican presidential candidate? JD Vance makes campaign stop in Western PA My gut feeling is Trump will do another rally here. Hes already done three. And again, their campaign looks at Erie as a very important place to be, Tom Eddy, chairman of the Erie County Republican Committee went on to say. No official word from either campaign confirming when or if Harris or Trump will make a stop here in Erie. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. Rural communities of color across the US find new ways to get the health care they need Alexis Ratliff, 29, sits with her 11-month-old daughter, Eleah Witcher, and son, Ezekiel, 5, at home in Rocky Mount, N.C., on July 9, 2024. With no hospital in Rocky Mount, Ratliff had a doula to help with the birth of Eleah. (Natalee Waters/Cardinal News, CatchLight Local via AP) Haywood Park Community Hospital was the closest hospital for many in Brownsville, Tennessee, a rural city in the western part of the state. Some residents believe it kept their loved ones alive. But others in this majority-Black city said they drove to a hospital miles away or skipped care completely. The facility eventually closed in 2014 after a decline in patients. Despite my ill feelings or experiences I had in that environment, said Alma Jean Thomas Carney, who described the hospital's white staff as unwelcoming, you have indigent people living in Haywood County who need to get to the closest facility available. It's more common for people in rural areas to die earlier than urban residents from things like heart disease, cancer and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But hospitals have closed throughout rural America in the last decade, leaving some of the 46 million people who live in these areas fewer options to get the care they need when they need it. Advocates, hospital and health clinic administrators and rural residents say changing disparities in health outcomes and health care services in rural America needs to start at the local level especially in communities of color that may lack trust in the medical field. It's already happening in Brownsville, where the hospital fully reopened in 2022; in North Carolina, where mobile clinics see farm laborers who lack permanent legal status after their work hours; and in California, where community health workers in the Fresno area go door to door to help Punjabi Sikh immigrants, who often work on farms or at meatpacking plants. We've learned that we have to go to people, we have to go to where they're at, they're not going to come to us, said Mandip Kaur, the health director of the nonprofit Jakara Movement. Rural hospitals at risk More than one-third of the nation's rural hospitals about 700 are at risk of closing because of serious financial problems, according to a July analysis from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. Harold Miller, the center's president and CEO, said one hospital closure can ripple through a rural community. If the hospital didn't exist, there wouldn't be any physicians there, Miller said. There is no place to go and get a lab test except for that hospital. There may be no nursing home or place to get rehab or long-term care other than these hospitals. When a hospital does stay open in a large rural area where few people live, the facility may not see the number of patients it would need to see to be profitable, said Arrianna Planey, who researches health policy and management at the University of North Carolina. Leaders in Brownsville tried to find a buyer for the hospital. The county eventually purchased it. Braden Health, a privately held company, then took over the hospital with two conditions from the county supervisors: It must be a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency room and staff had to be hired as quickly as possible. Local officials say the hospital is breaking even. Tennessee is one of 10 states many of them in the South that haven't expanded Medicaid. Michael Meit, the director of East Tennessee State University's Center for Rural Health Research, believes doing so would be an obvious solution to the problem of growing rural health disparities. More people would be covered by insurance, Meit said, and hospitals could make more money. They're providing a lot of uncompensated care, he said of rural health systems in those states. Miller acknowledged that Medicaid expansion can help, but argued that pinning hopes on that alone has let the private insurance plans off the hook. In some cases, the small hospitals are losing more money on private insurance than they are on Medicaid, which is really kind of remarkable, he said, but that's how little they get paid ... by the private insurance plans. Doulas and mobile health clinics help Low Medicaid reimbursements play a role in maternity wards closing in rural areas, along with worker shortages and declining birth rates. More than half of rural hospitals have stopped offering labor and delivery services, another recent analysis from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform showed. That can lead to longer travel times and a higher risk of complications and death, and in the U.S., Black mothers have the highest rates of maternal mortality. Alexis Ratliff, 29, had few options for maternity care when she was pregnant with her second child. There is no labor and delivery unit at the hospital in Rocky Mount, Virginia, and a hospital about 40 minutes away closed in 2022. Ratliff, who is Black, instead went to Salem more than an hour away for every prenatal visit. She ran through all of her paid time off, and had no paid maternity leave. She did, however, have a doula. The doula is Black and her services were covered by Medicaid a benefit Virginia started offering in 2022. I really did want somebody else to just help advocate, especially since with women of color, the mortality rates are higher. So I was like, anything can happen, she said. My family members never had good experiences up here at these doctors' offices, even just for regular appointments. In the state to the South, immigration status can complicate health care. About 150,000 farmworkers and their family members live in North Carolina. Many of them speak Spanish, lack permanent legal status and dont qualify for Medicaid so theyll pay out of pocket at clinics or go without medical care. A few organizations in the state provide mobile health clinics. Campbell Universitys Community Care Clinic, in partnership with Sembrando Salud by NC FIELD did its first outreach in 2017 and diagnosed 68 people with diabetes. Four of them had very high blood sugar levels, said Dr. Joseph Cacioppo, a clinic volunteer, and chairman of the Community and Global Health program at Campbell. Three of them were lucky; there was minimal or no organ damage at the time we found them, he said, adding the fourth has kidney failure and liver damage because he went so many years without knowing he was diabetic. There's something else communities should strive for, too, said NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis director Alana Knudson: a positive attitude and outlook. It is not all dystopia, she said. I think we are really trying to change that narrative because this is the challenge: Who wants to come from an older, poorer, sicker area? It doesn't matter if you are from inner-city America or if you're from rural America, Knudson said. Having that kind of a label does not bring out the best in how people feel about themselves. ___ Aallyah Wright with Capital B, Claudia Boyd Barrett with California Health Report, Emily Schabacker with Cardinal News and Claudia Rivera Cotto with Enlace Latino NC contributed to this report. This story is part of a collaborative reporting effort led by the Institute for Nonprofit News' Rural News Network with support from the Walton Family Foundation. CatchLight provided visual support. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Brownsville, Tennessee, is in the western part of the state, and that there is a hospital in Rocky Mount, Virginia, but it does not have a labor and delivery unit. The volunteer J-K Ambulance service serves a 4,000 square mile response area home to roughly 1,000 people. (Matt Gush/Getty Images) In a rare move, Idaho health officials granted a rural north central Idaho volunteer ambulance service a waiver to a 24-hour response requirement in Idaho law. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare board on Thursday unanimously approved the waiver for Kendrick and Juliaettas J-K Ambulance service for seven months. Amid recent wildfires and staffing shortages in the service of a handful of volunteers, J-K Ambulance has fallen into a situation of being unable to meet the requirement, Idaho Bureau of Emergency Medical Services & Preparedness Chief Wayne Denny told the state health board. Denny said he sought the waiver at the request of J-K Ambulance. In his written request for the waiver, Denny told the board that staffing was so stretched thin that enforcing the legal, round-the-clock ambulance response requirement would likely lead to the abandonment of the service. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Challenges with staffing rural Idaho EMS services The volunteer ambulance service serves a 4,000 square mile response area home to roughly 1,000 people, Denny wrote. It has four volunteer licensed EMS personnel, and one to two volunteer drivers, leaving it with very limited operations during daytime weekday hours with little to no reserves, Denny wrote. The challenges with rural EMS that we talk about on a fairly regular basis is alive and well here in the J-K community, Denny told the state health board. The situation that theyve got is the providers that they have on staff can do a great job of responding in the evenings and weekends. Its really during the work day, when folks are at work, that they have a hard time getting the ambulance staffed. Denny told the state board it was his third time in 20 years at the state EMS bureau that hes seen an ambulance services waiver request. Officials usually try to prevent asking for a waiver by getting ahead of the problem, for instance, through recruitment efforts, he said. It is a reality that you can have a small volunteer service like this, that really relies on one or two people that can provide that service during the day. And when they retire, then were in a challenging situation, he said. And thats where we find ourselves now with J-K. Well get through it, but theyre just going to need some time. Neighboring fire departments and volunteer ambulance crews have agreed to help cover J-K Ambulances response area, according to Dennys request for the waiver. But the closest ambulance services in Deary and Troy are also rural, volunteer services with similar challenges, he wrote. The larger towns of Lewiston and Moscow are about 40 minutes away from J-K Ambulances response area, so they are a second choice, Denny wrote. Moscow also has a volunteer EMS service. In March 2025, the state health board plans to review progress and whether the waiver should be lifted. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Russia downed 12 ATACMS launched overnight by Ukraine as part of an attack on the Crimean Bridge, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported on Aug. 16, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. "All missiles were destroyed," RIA Novosti claimed. The Kyiv Independent could not verify Russia's claims as the ministry provided no evidence. The Crimean Bridge was illegally constructed following Russia's annexation of Crimea to connect the Russian mainland with Kerch, a city on the far eastern tip of the Crimean peninsula. Russia's claims come hours after Ukraine's Odesa Oblast Military Administration said that there are indications that Ukraine successfully struck a ferry crossing in the city of Kerch in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight. Explosions rang out across multiple cities in occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 16, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel claimed, citing local residents. A fire was reported near the city of Kerch, in the area of the Kerch ferry crossing. Residents in Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Kerch heard explosions around 3:30 a.m. local time, according to local media reports. Multiple explosions were also reported in the community of Chernomorsk in Russia's neighboring Krasnodar Krai at around 4:30 a.m. local time. The Crimean Bridge was reportedly closed to traffic around 2 a.m., local residents reported. The bridge reportedly reopened at around 7 a.m. local time. Read also: US considering sending Ukraine first long-range cruise missiles this fall, source says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Nanjing Massacre memorial hall marks Japan's WWII surrender Xinhua) 08:30, August 16, 2024 A reporter takes photos at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Sept. 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Bo) NANJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders held a memorial event on Thursday morning to mark the 79th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II (WWII). On Aug. 15, 1945, the Chinese people's 14-year arduous fight against the invaders ended as Japan announced its unconditional surrender. Approximately 30 people, including school children, college volunteers and the descendants of Nanjing Massacre survivors attended the event held at an exhibition hall that features a reenacted scene of a surrender signing ceremony held in Nanjing back in 1945. Attendees watched a short film titled "Countdown to Surrender" at the event. A curved wall made of beige sandstone stands at the exhibition hall, on which 648 handprints in bright red color are featured. The owners of these handprints share a common name -- veterans of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. "This is the handprint of late veteran Zhang Yuhua, whose right hand was pierced by a bullet during the war," said Zhang Ruochu, a second-grader in Nanjing, capital city of east China's Jiangsu Province, telling the story behind these veterans' handprints to attendees. Xia Shuqin is a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre. On Thursday morning, her granddaughter, Xia Yuan, and great-grandson, Li Yuhan, also attended the event. In 2022, Xia and Li were recognized as inheritors of historical memories regarding the Nanjing Massacre. The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the then Chinese capital on Dec. 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of WWII. Today, there are only 32 living registered survivors of the massacre. The 14-year-old Li Yuhan, the youngest among the inheritors, has served as a guide at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders for several years. Xia said that as her grandmother ages and her hearing and sight deteriorates, she hopes they will be able to give a testimony on her behalf, allowing more people to learn about this historical event. Outside the memorial hall, visitors formed long lines. "This is not only the pain of Nanjing but also the memory of our nation. We will remember history and cherish our current peaceful lives even more," said one visitor. In the lead-up to the anniversary of Japan's surrender, Japanese veteran Hideo Shimizu, 94, visited the former headquarters of Unit 731 and the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin. On Thursday, Shimizu wrapped up his four-day expiatory visit. "This may be my last chance to come to China to express my apologies," said Shimizu. During the visit, Shimizu recounted to the museum curator and the others what he saw during his military service. The former member of the Unit 731 Youth Corps fled China with the retreating Japanese forces on Aug. 14, 1945. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) TUNIS, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian National Guard announced on Friday that it has arrested 10 Tunisian nationals attempting to illegally cross the Mediterranean to Europe. The arrests took place on Thursday off the island of Kerkennah in the southeastern province of Sfax, according to a statement on the National Guard's Facebook page. The migrants, including two children, were found hiding in a fishing boat. The operation also led to the arrest of a woman believed to be the organizer of the smuggling attempt. Both the migrants and the organizer were taken to the Sfax naval base and handed over to the National Guard for legal processing. Tunisia, located in the central Mediterranean, remains a major transit point for illegal immigration to Europe. Russian forces fired three ballistic missiles and five UAVs at Ukraine on the night of 15-16 August, and Ukrainian air defence shot down all the drones. Source: Ukraines Air Force Details: Ukraines Air Force noted that the Russians had struck with three Iskander-M ballistic missiles, three Shahed attack UAVs and two unidentified drones, launched from Kursk Oblast. All the drones were shot down in the skies over Poltava, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts. Background: On the night of 15-16 August, explosions were heard in Kyiv as air defence systems were responding to a drone attack. Support UP or become our patron! Russia loses another 1,330 soldiers in one day Stock photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ukraines Defence Forces are continuing to inflict losses on Russia as it has lost 1,330 soldiers, 59 artillery systems, 25 armoured combat vehicles and 12 tanks over the past day alone. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 16 August 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses ed.]: approximately 596,950 (+1,330) military personnel; 8,496 (+12) tanks; 16,461 (+35) armoured combat vehicles; 16,927 (+59) artillery systems; 1,159 (+5) multiple-launch rocket systems; 922 (+0) air defence systems; 367 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft; 328 (+0) helicopters; 13,659 (+61) strategic and tactical UAVs; 2,429 (+1) cruise missiles; 28 (+0) ships and boats; 1 (+0) submarines; 22,848 (+73) vehicles and tankers; 2,829 (+16) special vehicles and other equipment. The information is being confirmed. Support UP or become our patron! Experts from the Institute for the Study of War have noted that the Russians continue to maintain a relatively high pace of offensive in Ukraines Donetsk Oblast, despite the operation of Ukraine's defence forces in Russias Kursk Oblast, and prioritise their offensive operations in Ukraines east overall. Source: ISW Quote: "Russian forces are maintaining their relatively high offensive tempo in Donetsk Oblast, demonstrating that the Russian military command continues to prioritise advances in Ukraines east even as Ukraine is pressuring Russian forces within Kursk Oblast." Details: As it was reported, Russian troops continued to pursue their tactics, aiming to encircle Ukrainian forces to the southeast of the town of Pokrovsk. Quote: "Geolocated footage published on 14 and 15 August indicates that Russian forces recently advanced east of Pokrovsk within Hrodivka and southeast of Pokrovsk within Mykolaivka, Zhelanne and Orlivka, and ISW assesses that Russian forces likely seized Orlivka and Zhelanne." More details: It was also reported that Russian troops had continued mechanised assaults near Donetsk over the past few weeks. Captain Dmytro Lykhovii, spokesman for the Tavriia Operational Strategic Group, said on 15 August that there had been no significant changes in the Russian troop grouping in Ukraines south and that Russian forces were not scaling back their offensive operations. The experts added that Russia had begun to move some units out of Ukraine in response to the situation in Kursk Oblast but the types of units and where they are being moved from are strong indicators that the Russian military command is prioritising offensive operations in Ukraines east. Quote: "ISW continues to assess that the Russian military command is pulling select elements of Russian irregular units from Donetsk Oblast to address the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast but will likely be extremely averse to pulling Russian military units engaged in combat from priority sectors in Donetsk Oblast out of concerns about slowing the tempo of Russian operations in these areas." Support UP or become our patron! MOSCOW (Reuters) - Economic sanctions imposed by the West on Russia will remain in place for decades, even if there is a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, a senior Russian foreign ministry official said on Friday. Russia became the most sanctioned country by the West after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, surpassing Iran and North Korea. Despite the pressure, Russia's economy grew by 4.7% in the first half of this year. "This is a story for decades to come. Whatever the developments and results of a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, it is, in fact, only a pretext," said Dmitry Birichevsky, head of the economic cooperation department at the foreign ministry. "The sanctions were first introduced much earlier. Their ultimate goal is unfair competition," he told a discussion forum in Moscow. The panel, entitled "Sanctions against Russia - forward into infinity?" was part of a wider debate in Russian politics and business about whether Moscow should work towards an easing of sanctions or accept them as a long-term reality and learn to work around them. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the removal of all sanctions imposed on Russia would be among his conditions for peace. Many Russian businessmen are privately unhappy about the sanctions but fear losing their wealth if they antagonize Putin or top military and intelligence officials during wartime. Last week, billionaire Oleg Deripaska faced a backlash from hawks after making a rare anti-war statement, describing the conflict as "mad" and calling for a ceasefire without preconditions. Birichevsky said sanctions had some benefits, forcing Russia to restructure its economy and produce more value-added goods that were previously imported from Western countries. "In the 1990s, we thought that if we had oil and gas, we could buy everything else abroad. Now we cannot buy that," he said. He warned that the "sanctions spiral" would continue to inflict more pain, as Western regulators target sectors that are not yet sanctioned. Western officials have exerted pressure on Russia's trade partners, threatening to cut off their access to Western markets if they cooperated with Russia, Birichevsky added. He said Moscow was sharing strategies with other sanctioned countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela, aiming to create an international "anti-sanction" coalition to jointly resist Western pressure. (Writing by Gleb Bryanski; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) The Russian Foreign Ministry on Aug. 16 summoned Italy's ambassador, Cecilia Piccioni, in response to a team of journalists from the Italian news outlet RAI reporting from Ukrainian positions in Kursk Oblast, the ministry announced. Russia claimed that the journalists crossed the border into Kursk Oblast illegally. Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border incursion into Russia on Aug. 6. Ten days into the surprise offensive, Kyiv holds over 80 settlements in Kursk Oblast and continues to advance, according to the military. RAI on Aug. 14 broadcast the first foreign media report from the Ukrainian-held town of Sudzha, located less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Ukraine. "A strong protest was expressed to the ambassador in connection with the actions of the film crew of Italian state television and radio company RAI, which illegally entered the territory of the Russian Federation," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Cecilia Piccioni, Italy's ambassador in Moscow, told the Russian authorities that RAI's reporters "plan their activities in a totally independent and autonomous way," the Italian Foreign Ministry told Reuters. Russian Telegram news channels also reported on Aug. 16 that the Interior Ministry plans to open criminal cases against two RAI journalists. Read also: 10 days of Ukraines Kursk incursion from first shot to dozens of settlements captured Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Italian Ambassador Cecilia Piccioni on Friday, 16 August, to complain about a team from the Rai Italia TV network who filmed a report in Russias Kursk Oblast. Source: European Pravda Details: The Russian Foreign Ministry complained that the Rai team working in Kursk Oblast "grossly violated Russian law and the elementary rules of journalistic ethics". The ministry threatened the journalists with criminal prosecution in Russia, saying that "the necessary steps are being taken by the competent departments to establish the circumstances of the crime committed by the Rai team". Earlier this week, Rai reporters Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini presented a report on the Ukrainian Armed Forces offensive in Kursk Oblast, becoming perhaps the first foreign journalists to be allowed entry. Following that, Russian Telegram channels reported that Russian security forces want to file a criminal complaint against the journalists for "illegally crossing the state border." The Italian journalists' unions Usigrai and Fnsi have condemned the announcement of the possible criminal prosecution of the Rai staff, reminding the Russian Foreign Ministry that "journalism is not a crime". It is worth noting that Russia has a long history of arbitrarily jailing foreign journalists and deporting them when its spies are exposed overseas. Support UP or become our patron! Russian forces attacked 11 communities in Sumy Oblast on Aug. 15, killing one and injuring three people, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported. In total, 147 explosions were recorded in 56 separate attacks on the region. The communities of Khotin, Yunakivka, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Nova Sloboda, Putyvl. Hlukhiv, Esman, Seredyna-Buda, and Svesa were targeted. The town of Krasnopillia, with a pre-war population of about 7,700 residents, experienced the bulk of the attacks, with 56 explosions reported in the area. One civilian was killed in an airstrike on the community and three were wounded. No details were provided on the extent of the victims' injuries. Throughout the day, Russia assailed the border communities with mortar, artillery, missile, and drone attacks. The Esman community also experienced several mines dropped. The security situation in Sumy Oblast became more tense with the start of Ukraine's cross-border incursion into neighboring Kursk Oblast in Russia, which began on Aug. 6. Sumy Oblast borders Russia's Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts. Civilians in Sumy Oblast within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the border with Kursk Oblast are now subject to restrictions on movement due to increasing Russian attacks, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces. Read also: Russia partially deploying its forces to Kursk Oblast, exact number is unknown, White House says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day killed at least seven civilians and injured at least 25, including children, regional authorities reported early on Aug. 16. Ukrainian air defenses shot down three Shahed-type kamikaze drones and two reconnaissance drones overnight, the Air Force said. Russia also reportedly attacked Ukraine with three Iskander-M ballistic missiles. In Donetsk Oblast, three people were killed and five injured in Russian attacks, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. A 39-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman were reportedly killed during the shelling of Verkhnokamianske on the evening of Aug. 15. A 37-year-old man was killed earlier the same day in the village of Mykolaivka. Three people were injured in Novohrodivka and two in Kostiantynivka, the governor said. In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian attacks killed two people and injured 12, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. The two fatalities men aged 45 and 58 as well as six injured were reported at around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 15 when the attack against the village of the Prykolotne hit a warehouse and started a fire. The six others, including a child, were injured around midday on Aug. 15 during an attack against the village of Zolochiv. Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast killed one person and injured five, including a child, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Critical infrastructure and transport facilities, a humanitarian aid center, houses, and other buildings were reportedly damaged. In Sumy Oblast, airstrikes against the Krasnopillia community killed one person and injured three on Aug. 15, the regional military administration said. Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts were also attacked, but no casualties were reported. Read also: Ukraine reportedly strikes ferry crossing in occupied Crimea, boat in Krasnodar Krai, official says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. MOSCOW Russian officials have unveiled a new 10-year defense plan that includes a dedicated section on artificial intelligence, signaling Moscows focus on fielding autonomous weapons. The move comes as Russias full-scale invasion of neighbor Ukraine has triggered an AI arms race on the battlefields there, especially in aerial and land drones, that analysts believe will shape future conflicts. Elements of artificial intelligence have long been used in the Russian military industry, which is tightly controlled by the government. For example, there is a cluster of ground robot makers for the Marker, Platforma-M, Soratnik, Uran-9 vehicles that have supplied their wares for the war against Ukraine. The countrys missile complex, too, has a history in infusing varying degrees of autonomy into targeting algorithms, perhaps most famously under the Perimeter program, a Soviet-era algorithm sequence for orchestrating a retaliatory nuclear strike. Now, Russian officials are outfitting equipment returning for repairs from the Ukraine war with new technology, like remotely controlled fire modules, automatic target tracking, and propulsion systems, Vasily Elistratov, who oversees AI technology at the Russian Ministry of Defence, said at the Forum Army-2024 held here this month. According to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, the volume of the Russian AI market in 2023 reached almost 650 billion rubles, or $7.3 billion, an amount dwarfed by spending in the collective West on various outgrowths of the technology. The dedicated AI budget line, for which officials have yet to give a number, is meant to help facilitate the transition into defense applications. A specialized department for the development of artificial intelligence is now in place in the Russian Defense Ministry, Chernyshenko announced. For example, an AI control capability is now in development for the S-500 air-defense system, with threat assessment and damage prediction of a possible ballistic missile attack. The Russian defense industry will develop artificial intelligence and automated systems for products with high speed, where errors are not so critical, said Sergei Smyslov, an independent defense industry expert based in Russia. With that in mind, potential applications include missile defense systems, artillery shells and aerial drones, he added. Another area of AI use will be aviation and artillery to increase their efficiency, said Pavel Luzin, senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Autonomous attack drones will likely remain commodities for a long time. As for autonomous ground robots, most of them will be used to supply troops on the battlefield and evacuate the wounded. AI will also be used in computer modeling of military campaigns during their preparation, Luzin said. Russia is also going to use AI to improve the production processes of military products, with automatic quality checks that will trigger a manufacturing halt if they fail. The Ministry of Defense by itself is unlikely to be able to effectively develop weapons with AI. There is a personnel problem in the scientific institutes of the Ministry of Defense, as the best graduates tend to go elsewhere. Government officials have been building a development track in the government-owned industries instead, for example through Rostec companies and the Era Foundation, according to Luzin. In early 2022, Rostec State Corporations Roselektronika Holding created the Artificial Intelligence Technologies Research Laboratory, which is engaged in research on the use of AI in radio communication systems, development in the field of virtual-reality technologies, big data technologies, and machine learning of deep neural networks. The Era Foundation seeks to identify new technology among private companies and universities. In August, the foundation selected eight projects including an unmanned boat, a remote-controlled turret, various drones, and a drone-detection system that will receive funding to enter mass production. Russian opposition figure and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza visited the White House upon his return to the U.S., weeks after being freed from Russian prison, U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Aug. 15. Kara-Murza was released from Russian prison on Aug. 1 as part of a historic prisoner exchange between the West and Russia. The Istanbul-mediated swap involved 26 people from seven countries, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. "I welcomed Vladimir Kara-Murza and his family to the White House today to celebrate his return to America," Biden posted on X on Aug. 15 at 10:10 p.m. local time. "Vladimir spent two and a half years unjustly imprisoned in Russia for speaking out against Russia's war in Ukraine. Today his family is whole once more," Biden added. Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April 2023 for condemning Russia's all-out war in Ukraine. A dual Russian-British citizen, Kara-Murza had been arrested in Russia in April 2022. He was charged with "treason," "spreading false information" on the Russian military, and belonging to an "undesirable" foreign organization. While imprisoned, Kara-Murza won the Pulitzer Prize in May for the commentary he wrote from his prison cell. Read also: US considering sending Ukraine first long-range cruise missiles this fall, source says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. COLOMBO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan rupee has appreciated 8.1 percent against the U.S. dollar so far this year, D. S. T. Wanaguru, Director at the Central Bank's International Operations Department, told journalists in Colombo on Friday. Wanaguru said the appreciation was due to higher foreign currency inflows compared to the outflows. She said the Central Bank has been buying dollars from the market in the last few months and that the market forces decide the exchange rate. Given these developments, the government is weighing vehicle import relaxations, she said. The U.S. dollar has been trading at around 300 rupees this week, compared to 320 rupees in January this year. Russian-installed occupied Kherson head charged with seizing, relocating over 2,800 tons of grain The Russian-installed head of occupied Kherson, Volodymyr Saldo, was charged in absentia on Aug. 15 on charges related to seizing and relocating over 2,800 tons of Ukrainian grain, the Prosecutor General's office announced. Saldo, a Ukrainian politician turned top Russian proxy head of Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast in 2022, is alleged to have ordered the removal of over 2,800 tons of grain from Kherson Oblast following the seizure of Kherson Bread Products Plant. According to investigators, the 2021 barley harvest was allegedly valued at nearly Hr 15 million (nearly $364,000) Authorities charged Saldo in absentia under the "ordering violations of the laws and customs of war" provision in Ukraine's Criminal Code. Previously found guilty of collaboration, in November 2023, an Odesa court convicted Saldo for treason, collaborationism, and justifying the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Saldo was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in jail with confiscation of property and a ban to hold managerial state positions. Saldo, who was once Kherson's mayor and a national lawmaker, is one of the highest-profile Ukrainian collaborators. He fled Kherson before it was liberated by Ukrainian forces on Nov. 11. Read also: Kherson Oblast fortifications are 97% complete, Shmyhal says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian media say bridge over Seym River collapsed in Kursk Oblast photo The bridge over the Seym River has collapsed. Photo: Astra A number of Russian Telegram channels, citing Russian military bloggers, have claimed that Ukrainian forces destroyed a bridge over the Seym River near the village of Glushkovo in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Source: Russian media outlet Astra Details: Astra also claims that the bridge in the village of Zvannoye, Glushkovo district, is being struck. Three bridges span the Seym River between Glushkovo and the Ukrainian border in this area. They are located in the settlements of Zvannoye, Glushkovo, and Karyzh. The three bridges. Photo: Screenshot from DeepStateMap The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on this information. Support UP or become our patron! (Reuters) - A Russian parliamentary deputy said on Friday that the Western-backed Ukrainian incursion has brought the world close to an all-out global war, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Russia's Kursk region on Aug. 6 and have since advanced significantly, forcing Moscow to evacuate over 200,000 people from their homes. "Considering the presence of Western military equipment, the use of Western ammunition and missiles in attacks on civilian infrastructure and irrefutable proof of foreigners' participation in the attack on Russian territory, one could come to the conclusion that the world is on the brink of a third world war," RIA quoted deputy Mikhail Sheremet as saying. Sheremet, who is a member of the Russian parliament's defence committee, echoed Putin by saying that NATO countries had given a green light to the incursion plans, a charge Washington has denied. Putin's aide, Nikolai Patrushev, on Friday also accused the West of being behind the attack, in an interview with Izvestia newspaper. Patrushev said NATO and Western intelligence agencies were involved in planning the Kursk operation, although he provided no evidence. Ukraine and its allies say Russia is receiving assistance in its war effort from China, Iran and North Korea. Earlier on Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed a pledge to deepen cooperation with Russia and expressed confidence that Moscow would be victorious in its "holy war for peace and justice". (Reporting by Reuters; Editig by Stephen Coates) Russian President Vladimir Putin holds an operational meeting in Novo-Ogaryovo with members of the Security Council, the Government, representatives of the Presidential Administration, heads of law enforcement agencies, as well as the heads of the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions. -/Kremlin/dpa Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to visit Azerbaijan on Sunday, the Kremlin has confirmed, despite Ukraine's ongoing incursion into the southern Russian region of Kursk. The two-day visit is expected to include talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the development of the countries' strategic partnership. The Kremlin said the two leaders are to sign several agreements on expanding cooperation between the neighbouring countries. Aliyev, like Putin, is an authoritarian leader who has been criticized for serious human rights violations. He last visited Moscow in April. Putin is expected to comment on peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, following years of conflict over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Baku seized in 2023. Russia has traditionally been seen as close to Armenia but it refused to intervene on Yerevan's side. Azerbaijan, an oil-rich republic on the Caspian Sea, is an important supplier of energy for the European Union. However, it is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), meaning Putin is able to travel to the country without fearing arrest under the international warrant issued for him by the court for war crimes in Ukraine. A Ukrainian mechanic who is a driver behind the wheel of an American Stryker armored vehicle after returning from a combat mission in the Kursk Region - Getty Images Russian troops have been sent to Kursk with greater force after initial disarray and disorganisation in the immediate aftermath of Kyivs incursion, the UK Ministry of Defence said on Friday. Moscows troops were not prepared for the incursion but ten days on, more defensive lines have been organised along the Russian border region. The MoD added that Ukrainian forces have penetrated the Russian border region to a depth ranging between 10-25km over a frontage of approximately 40km. It emerged on Friday that Moscow had begun the transfer of several thousand troops from Ukraine to defend its own territory in Kursk. But this does not appear to have impacted Russias advances in eastern Ukraine, where Moscows troops are advancing at pace. Russia has already claimed control of Sergiivka, a village located around nine miles away from the Ukrainian-held logistics hub of Pokrovsk. 03:26 PM BST Thanks for following our live coverage Thank you for following todays live coverage of the war in Ukraine. Well be back soon with more updates and analysis from the conflict. 03:11 PM BST The tide is turning again in Ukraines favour. It can win After years of an utterly meaningless and unjustified war in Ukraine, massive destruction and immense suffering, and a slow and grinding Russian advance on the battlefield, some find it difficult to see an end to Russias war in Ukraine, writes Hans Petter Midttun. I believe, however, that the tide is already turning, to Kyivs advantage. In a week, Ukraine has achieved what Russia managed in six months, demonstrating the difference between quality and quantity. The Kursk incursion will help change the course of the war. Read the full story here. A Ukrainian serviceman unloads shells from a Soviet-made T-72 tank, in the Sumy region, near the border with Russia - AFP 02:57 PM BST Nato helped Ukraine launch Kursk invasion, Russia claims Western nations and Nato helped Ukraine launch its incursion into Kursk, a key aide to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has claimed. Nikolai Patrushev said on Friday that the Ukrainian operation was planned with the participation of Nato and Western special services. Mr Patrushevs claims, for which he offered no evidence, came despite Washingtons insistence that the West had no involvement in the incursion. However, weaponry provided by Washington and London, including British Challenger 2 tanks and US-made rocket launchers, are understood to have been used by Ukrainians on Russian soil. British Challenger 2 tanks are reportedly being used to invade Russia - Getty 02:45 PM BST Seven injured in strike on Donetsk shopping centre, says Russia Seven people were injured in a series of Ukrainian strikes on a shopping centre in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Friday, a Russian official said on Friday. Since 12 noon today, the enemy has been carrying out targeted massive strikes on the Petrovsky district of the regional capital, Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed governor, posted on Telegram. Smoke rises above the burning shopping mall Galaktika, Donetsk, hit by shelling, which local Russian-installed authorities called a Ukrainian military strike - REUTERS Firefighters work to put out fire at the shopping mall Galaktika hit by shelling, which local Russian-installed authorities called a Ukrainian military strike - REUTERS 02:31 PM BST Watch: Russian soldiers surrender to Ukraine in Kursk Ukrainian forces have released footage which appears to show Russian soldiers surrendering in Kursk on the first day of Kyivs incursion. In the video, soldiers can be seen climbing through rubble, waving white flags and holding their hands up in the air. 02:01 PM BST Putin discusses new technical solutions to war Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, on Friday discussed new technical solutions to the war in Ukraine in a meeting with members of Russias Security Council. Andrei Belousov, Russias Defence Minister, also attended the briefing. No other details can be reported from the meeting, which was closed off from the press. Russian President Vladimir Putin, centre, chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council on Friday - Pool Sputnik Kremlin 01:43 PM BST Pictured: Ukrainian army chaplain gives homily in Donetsk This is the moment Ukrainian troops were given a homily by an army chaplain as they celebrate the feast of the Assumption in a forest in the Donetsk region. A Ukrainian army chaplain gives a homily with Ukrainian soldiers as they celebrate the feast of the Assumption in a forest in Donetsk - Anadolu 01:29 PM BST Russian troops deployed to Kursk in greater force after initial disarray Russian troops are being sent to Kursk in greater force after initial disarray and disorganisation, the UK Ministry of Defence said on Friday. Russias defensive lines were not prepared for the incursion but ten days on, more defensive positions have been taken by Moscows troops. The MoD added that Ukrainian forces have penetrated the Russian border region to a depth ranging between 10-25km over a frontage of approximately 40km. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 16 August 2024. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/JgR5kqH67L #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/NXSNDd7ZI7 Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) August 16, 2024 12:48 PM BST Russia says it downed 12 missiles in overnight Crimea attack Russia has claimed its forces downed 12 ballistic missiles which it says were launched in a Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge overnight. All missiles were destroyed, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported on Friday. The Crimean Bridge was constructed on Putins orders after the annexation of Crimea. It connects the peninsula with the Russian city of Kerch. It followed claims from Ukraines Odesa Oblast Military Administration that its forces successfully hit a ferry crossing in Kerch. Ukraine has said its forces hit a ferry crossing in Kerch, a Russian city connected to occupied Crimea 12:20 PM BST Russia moves thousands of troops from Ukraine to defend Kursk Russia has moved several thousand troops from occupied Ukraine to defend its own territory in Kursk, according to US officials. US officials have been trying to determine exactly how many troops have been moved but sources told CNN at least 1,000 have been diverted to the border region, where the Ukrainians launched their cross-border assault last week. It is apparent to us that Mr Putin and the Russian military are diverting some resources, some units, towards the Kursk Oblast to ostensibly counter what the Ukrainians are doing, John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesperson, said on Thursday. The move does not mean Russia has given up active military operations in the northeast of Ukraine, Mr Kirby said, before adding: Theres still active fighting along that front. Kyiv has claimed that its cross-border assault, which is entering its eleventh day, has allowed its troops to take 1,150 sq km of Russian territory across more than 80 settlements. This has forced the evacuation of around 200,000 Russians from their homes, the largest of its kind since the Second Chechen War. A view shows a building on fire in the town of Sudzha following an incursion of Ukrainian troops into the Kursk region - REUTERS 11:43 AM BST Kyiv speeds up evacuations as Russian troops advance at pace Ukrainian officials have sought to speed up the evacuation of residents in Pokrovsk as Russian forces advance on the city at a fast pace. Authorities said in a Telegram post that with every passing day there is less and less time to collect personal belongings and leave for safer regions. 11:37 AM BST Russian forces capture key village in eastern Ukraine, says defence ministry Russia claimed on Friday that its forces have taken control of Sergiivka, a village located around nine miles away from the Ukrainian-held logistics hub of Pokrovsk. A statement from the Russian defence ministry said its troops had liberated the village of Sergeevka in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region. It follows warnings from Ukraine and military analysts that Moscows offensive in the east of Ukraine has shown little sign of slowing down in the wake of Kyivs incursion into Kursk. 11:30 AM BST Kursk incursion could force peace negotiations, says top Kyiv advisor Kyivs incursion into Kursk could force Moscow into peace negotiations, a key Ukrainian advisor has said. Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to President Zelensky, said on Friday that the public mood among Russians is changing due to fighting crossing into their country. In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade Rf to enter a fair negotiation process, Mr Podolyak said. Kyiv claimed on Wednesday to have captured over 100 Russian prisoners of war - Ukrainian Security Service Press Office via AP 11:06 AM BST Watch: Russia destroys US-made rocket launcher used in Kursk incursion Russia has claimed this is the moment its forces destroyed a US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in Sumy, northeastern Ukraine. Footage shows HIMARS missiles being launched from the side of the road in the border region, before the system is moved into the woods to reload. Iskander ballistic missiles were then fired by Russian forces, destroying the launcher, Moscow claimed. Click here to view this content. 10:46 AM BST Air raid alerts end in nine regions Earlier we reported that air raid sirens had been issued across more than half of Ukraine, including in Kyiv. The majority of these alerts have ended, including in Kyiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv. However, alerts remain in Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk. 10:42 AM BST High chance of armed conflict with Ukraine, Belarus warns There is a high probability of armed conflict with Ukraine, Viktor Khrenin, the Belarusian defence minister, warned on Friday. Mr Khrenin claimed that Ukraine could provoke Belarus, dragging it into a wider conflict, the state-run Belta news agency reported. Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian President and key ally of Vladimir Putin, also warned on Thursday that Ukraine could attack Belarus. 10:15 AM BST Today his family is whole once more Joe Biden, the US president, has met with a British-Russian citizen who was released as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia earlier this month. Vladimir Kara-Murza was jailed for 25 years on charges of treason more than two years ago, but was released along with 23 other prisoners at the start of August. Posting a picture with Mr Kara-Murza and his family, Mr Biden said: Today his family is whole once more. Joe Biden welcomed Vladimir Kara-Murza and his family to the White House on Friday to celebrate his return to America 09:57 AM BST Russia struggles to respond in Kursk because of a new Ukrainian trick When Ukrainian brigades rolled into Russias Kursk Oblast in a surprise move on Aug 6, they were supported from above by a powerful force of small drones, writes David Axe. The presence of attack and surveillance drones over the front line of the Kursk operation wasnt unusual: drones are everywhere all the time along the line of contact in Russias 29-month wider war on Ukraine. What was unusual was the drones set of targets. Before last week, Ukrainian drones strictly targeted Russian troops and vehicles on the ground. But then, on or around Aug 7, a Ukrainian first-person-view (FPV) drone clutching an explosive payload struck a Russian air force Mil Mi-28 attack helicopter in mid-flight somewhere over Kursk, apparently downing the copter and killing its two crew. Read the full story here. Ukrainian military drone operators of the 22nd Mechanized Brigade assemble a Poseidon reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle on their position near the Russian border - AFP 09:30 AM BST Putin leading ineffective and complicated response to Kursk offensive Vladimir Putin is leading a largely ineffective and complicated response to Kyivs incursion into Kursk, military analysts have said. The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, reported that Mr Putin has provided overlapping tasks to Russias Ministry of Defence, state security service, and the national guard. As a result, there has been little division of responsibilities, leading to a complicated, overlapping, and so far, ineffective command and control structure for the response to the Kursk incursion. The Kremlin and the Russian military command are creating a complicated, overlapping, and so far, ineffective command and control (C2) structure for the Russian response to the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast. https://t.co/gROEW9da47 pic.twitter.com/Q8lE6C9f7F Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) August 16, 2024 09:12 AM BST Air raid alerts issued for more than half of Ukraine Air raid alerts have been issued across more than half of Ukraine in the last few minutes. The alerts, which warn of potential attacks, have been activated across several regions, including Donetsk, Lukahnsk, Kharkiv, as well as the capital city, Kyiv. 08:54 AM BST Ballerinas jail sentence vindictive cruelty A 12-year jail sentence for a US-Russian ballerina who donated 40 to Ukraine is vindictive cruelty, the Biden administration has said. Ksenia Karelina, 33, was sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty in a trial behind closed doors. John Kirby, the White Houses national security communications advisor, said: The way we would describe this sentence of 12 years is vindictive cruelty. I mean, weve spoken out about her case before, when she was charged and arrested. The sentence just proves all the more that theres no real system of justice coming out of Moscow. US and Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina sits in a glass cage during her treason trial in Sverdlovsk Regional court - Shutterstock 08:44 AM BST Ukraine shoots down five Russian drones overnight, says air force Ukraine shot down all five Russia-launched drones during an overnight attack, the countrys air force said on Friday. Russian forces also used three ballistic Iskander-M missiles during the attack, according to the air forces statement on the Telegram messaging app. Russia used three Shahed-type drones and two drones of an unidentified type for the attack, it said. 08:21 AM BST Ukraine strikes ferry crossing in Crimea Ukrainian forces reportedly struck a ferry crossing in Crimea overnight. Preliminary reports suggest the ferry crossing was hit in the city of Kerch, while a boat near the community of Chernomorsk was also struck. In a statement posted on Friday morning, Russias Ministry of Defence claimed to have intercepted and destroyed five aircraft-type UAVs over the Black Sea and two boats heading towards Crimea. The Telegraph has been unable to independently verify these claims. Fire burns in Kerch region of Crimea 07:58 AM BST Ukraine has called Putins nuclear bluff Despite Vladimir Putins vows to drive out the enemy, he has failed to expel or even halt the ongoing Ukrainian incursion into Russia, writes Hamish de Bretton-Gordon. This is the first time the Motherland has been invaded since the Second World War. Kyivs forces now claim to have seized control of 74 settlements and more than 1,000 square km of Russian territory, prompting the evacuation of 200,000 people. This is a full-blown crisis for the Kremlin. Despite this, after 10 days of enemy troops on Russian soil, there has been no nuclear sabre-rattling from Moscow. Bold military action by Ukraine has, at a stroke, exposed as a bluff Moscows key strategy for keeping the West backed off: the fear of nuclear escalation. Read the full story here. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, attends a meeting with acting governor of Tula Region Dmitry Milyaev - Pool Sputnik Kremlin 07:44 AM BST Kursk incursion could cause WW3, says Russian lawmaker Ukraines incursion into Kursk could trigger World War Three, a Russian parliamentary deputy said on Friday. Considering the presence of Western military equipment, the use of Western ammunition and missiles in attacks on civilian infrastructure and irrefutable proof of foreigners participation in the attack on Russian territory, one could come to the conclusion that the world is on the brink of a third world war, RIA quoted deputy Mikhail Sheremet as saying. Putins aide, Nikolai Patrushev, has also accused the West of being behind the incursion, in an interview with Izvestia newspaper. 07:37 AM BST Pictured: Ukrainian troops move toward Russian border Ukrainian armored infantry vehicle ROSHEL travels past an unfinished church on the road from Sumy to the border with Russia - Getty 07:28 AM BST Key Kremlin ally Belarus calls for end to war A key Kremlin ally has called for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine following Kyivs assault on Kursk. Aleksandr Lukashenko, the Belarusian president and a key Russia ally, will broadcast his plea in full to national state media on Sunday. Lets sit down at the negotiating table and end this scuffle, Mr Lukashenko said. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko - REUTERS 07:23 AM BST Welcome to our live coverage Good morning and welcome to our live coverage. Were bringing you the latest updates from the Ukraine war. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The Kolotilovka checkpoint on the border between Russia and Ukraine. Screenshot Russian servicemen have recorded a video of a Ukrainian soldier's severed head at the Kolotilovka checkpoint in Russia's Belgorod Oblast. Source: DeepState analysis project Quote: "In one of the videos, so-called Russian Marines show off the severed head of a Ukrainian soldier. The scene of the crime is the Kolotilovka checkpoint. Around 12 August, the defence forces made an unsuccessful attempt to breach through enemy lines." Details: The Ukrainian Prosecutor Generals Office told Ukrainska Pravda that they were looking into this report. Meanwhile, Ukrainska Pravda has obtained intercepted audio recordings from sources in the Armed Forces of Ukraine taking part in the operation in the Kolotilovka area. The audio intercepts indicate that a Russian serviceman was ordered to cut off the heads of four dead Ukrainian soldiers. Update: Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets stated that he has contacted the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, given that the video suggests another breach of international humanitarian law by the Russian side. He also mentioned that the Russians use footage like this to scare and demoralise Ukrainians. Background: The Washington Post has interviewed three Ukrainian soldiers, including a commander, who were wounded in action after they crossed the border into Russia at the Kolotilovka checkpoint in armoured personnel carriers. They said they had faced strong resistance from the Russians in this area. Support UP or become our patron! The Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that the illegally constructed Crimean (Kerch) Bridge was attacked by 12 ATACMS missiles on the night of 15-16 August. Source: Kremlin-aligned news agency RIA Novosti Details: The Russian Defence Ministry claims that all the missiles were supposedly downed. However, the ministry, as usual, did not provide any evidence to support this statement. Background: On the night of 15-16 August, the Russians reported that traffic on the Crimean Bridge was suspended, but it resumed just four hours later. Additionally, Telegram channels reported explosions in Chornomorske and Kamianka near Simferopol, as well as air-raid warnings and shooting in Feodosiia. Later, the Russian Defence Ministry said that several uncrewed surface vessels and drones attacked temporarily occupied Crimea on the night of 15-16 August. For reference: Russia, which occupied the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, subsequently illegally built a bridge across the Kerch Strait. The Crimean Bridge has two crossings (car and rail) connecting Crimea with Russia. Ukraine has repeatedly emphasised the illegality of this crossing and stated that it is a legitimate target for the armed forces. There have been at least two successful attacks on the Crimean Bridge. The first attack on the Crimean Bridge took place on the morning of 8 October 2022, the day after Vladimir Putin's 70th birthday. It involved a truck with explosives wrapped in foil. The next day, the Russian newspaper Medusa called the Crimean Bridge, which was damaged after the explosion on 8 October 2022, one of the most secure places in the worldit was allegedly protected from the ground, the sky, the sea, underwater, and even from space. The second strike on the bridge was carried out by Ukraine on the night of 16-17 July 2023, with naval surface drones in an operation called, like the drones, Sea Baby. Later, it became known that the Russians had installed barges south of the Crimean Bridge that were supposed to become "barricades" covering the bridge against Ukrainian naval drones. Support UP or become our patron! Russian forces launched ballistic missiles on the city of Dnipro on 16 August. Ukraine's Air Force lost a MiG-29 fighter jet, fortunately with no casualties. Source: the Air Command Skhid ("East") in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda; Yurii Ihnat, the spokesman for Ukraine's Air Force, on Facebook Details: The Air Command Skhid stated that the Russians attacked Dnipro at noon with three Iskander-M missiles and then hit the city again with ballistics roughly 17 hours later. The consequences of the attack have not been reported. At the same time, Yurii Ihnat reported that the MiG-29 was destroyed during the second Russian strike on Friday. Quote: "Unfortunately, we lost a MiG-29 today. Fortunately, everyone is in good health. War" Support UP or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on 16 August that the Russian army in Kursk Oblast has suffered losses, which is "very helpful" for Ukraines defence. Source: Zelenskyys evening video address on 16 August Quote: "The main points. There have already been several reports by Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi about the frontline situation and our operation in Kursk Oblast. We see that the occupier is suffering losses, and this is helpful, very helpful for our defence. It is about destroying the logistics of the Russian army and draining their reserves. We must inflict maximum damage on all Russian positions, and we are doing that. I thank each of our warriors for their precision, I thank them for strength and for resilience." Details: Oleksandr Syrskyi also discussed Ukraines defence efforts on the Pokrovsk and Toretsk fronts. Background: Earlier on 16 August, Ukraines Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast advanced one to three kilometres in different areas of the front. Support UP or become our patron! Its been more than a year since Rust wrapped filming out in Montana, where production was shifted after the deadly on-set shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, shutting down production, sparking criminal investigations and tangled legal proceedings, and derailing the survivors lives. Now, one of them, director and writer Joel Souza, is finally speaking out about the incident and its aftermath. In a lengthy interview with Vanity Fair that stretched over more than four hours, the filmmaker, who was shot in the shoulder, described what else was taken away from him in that instant. When I tell someone it ruined me, I dont mean in the sense that people might generally think, he said. I dont mean that it put my career in ruins. I mean, internally, the person I was just went away. That stopped. Baldwin Breaks Silence After Rust Shooting Trial Dismissed While the cast and crew were rehearsing a scene in a chapel on the films New Mexico set in October 2021, a prop revolver being drawn by Alec Baldwin went off, firing a live round. The bullet passed through Hutchins body and hit Souza, who was standing behind her. Being shot felt like a horse kicked me in the shoulder or someone hit me with a bat, he recalled, but the worst was yet to come. As people panicked around him, he saw crew members lowering Hutchins to the ground, blood seeping through her white shirt. The 42-year-old Ukrainian-born cinematographer was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque, but later died of her injuries. Souza was taken by ambulance to another hospital and discharged the next day. I remember specifically going to sleep that night and hoping I didnt wake up the next morning. I hoped I would just bleed out overnight because I didnt want to be around anymore. It was a very difficult moment, he said. I remember just thinking, Maybe Ill just sort of bleed to deaththat would suit me just fine. Alec Baldwin in Tears as Judge Dismisses Rust Involuntary Manslaughter Case The 51-year-old didnt initially want to return to the project, which was finished after Hutchins family settled a lawsuit that stipulated her husband, Matthew Hutchins, be brought on board as an executive producer. But Souza changed his mind, realizing that Rust needed to be completed for the familyand for Hutchins herself. I knew that the movie being finished would financially benefit Halynas family, which is very important to me, he explained. And I know this can sound trite for people who arent creative, but her last work matters. People seeing her last work matters. That was the tipping point for me in the decision. A sign points to the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on October 22, 2021. Anne Lebreton/AFP via Getty Images I do feel confident in saying that she would have wanted her last work to have been seen, he continued. If it was me that had gotten killed instead of heras it should have beenshe would do the same thing. She would push for my final work to be seen. Its also important to Matt. He knows its cathartic for people who cared about her and people who might have appreciated her work to see that. The director has never spoken publicly about Rust before. He cooperated with criminal investigators and testified at the April trial of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, which ended in a conviction and 18-month sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Alec Baldwin Wasnt the Only Rust Actor Given Live Ammo As for Baldwin, his involuntary manslaughter case was dismissed last month after a judge found that the state had withheld evidence that might have explained how the live bulletplus at least five more later discovered by investigatorscould have ended up on the set. Baldwin also returned to Rust. Asked what their relationship was like on the Montana shoot, Souza replied, Getting through it was tough. We got through it. I got the performance I wanted. Were not friends. Were not enemies. Theres no relationship. The director also declined to weigh in on his actors messy legal saga, saying he understood both sides of the argument of Baldwins culpability and questioning whether his opinion mattered. I dont know anymore, to be honest with you, Souza said. The charges got filed. Thats what they decided to do. Was he overcharged? I dont know. But one thing is for sure: The chapel scene wont be in the finished film. Souza told Vanity Fair that the sequence had vanished in its entirety from the final cut. We just sort of eliminated it and came up with something entirely different, he said. Im not going back to that. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. TASHKENT, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation over strengthening bilateral relations, according to a statement by the press service of the president of Uzbekistan on Thursday. "The conversation focused on further expansion of the multifaceted uzbek-russian cooperation and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance," the press service said in a statement. Both sides reviewed the progress of the agreements reached during the state visit of Vladimir Putin to Uzbekistan on May 26-28 of this year. According to the statement, particular attention was paid to coordinated measures aimed at increasing trade turnover, developing cooperative ties between leading enterprises and regions of both countries, and implementing joint investment projects and humanitarian programs. On the same day, the Kremlin also issued a statement regarding the above telephone conversation, stressing that both sides have confirmed their intention to consistently strengthen the alliance and strategic partnership between Russia and Uzbekistan. The statement revealed that the conversation was held at the initiative of the uzbek side. State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks to news reporters on Friday outside the House chamber in the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahomas top education official has dared the state House to begin impeachment proceedings against him. Standing outside the House chamber at the Capitol, state Superintendent Ryan Walters said recent calls for an investigation into his leadership at the Oklahoma State Department of Education are mere political attacks by lawmakers eying higher office. He urged House lawmakers to begin the impeachment process Monday morning by presenting any evidence against him to the state Senate. He said doing so would give Oklahomans clarity and put an end to lies about him. We do not need to wait on an investigation, Walters said after abruptly calling a news conference Friday afternoon. It is time to start the proceedings immediately. House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, rejected the idea of impeaching an elected official. I will not overturn the will of the people, regardless of any demands made, McCall said in a statement Friday. Walters fellow Republicans in the Legislature have been openly critical of the state superintendent in recent weeks, complaining that the Education Department is withholding funds for school security, asthma inhalers and teacher maternity leave. They also objected to a lack of responsiveness by the Walters administration to their requests for information and to his staff blocking lawmakers from entering private meetings of the state Board of Education, despite legislators having legal authority to attend. Walters denied any lack of transparency. He said lawmakers have publicized baseless lies about him. He specifically called out Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, who wrote a letter this week asking for an investigation into whether Walters committed impeachable offenses. Walters accused McCall and McBride of trying to impeach him for political gain, despite the speaker shutting down calls for an impeachment inquiry earlier this week. Walters claimed the speaker plans to run for governor in 2026 and said McCall aimed an attack on his biggest political opponent in that election. The speaker wants to impeach me for political advantage in the 2026 governors race, Walters said. So then, lets start the impeachment proceedings. McCall has not announced a gubernatorial run. Walters said he personally couldnt care less about future elections. McBride did not immediately comment Friday afternoon. McCall said Thursday he agreed to allow a state watchdog agency, the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, to investigate spending concerns at the state Education Department. LOFT is the ideal entity to examine state agency spending rather than the Legislature calling a special session to look into financial disputes, McCall said. The agency reports to the state Legislature with budget recommendations. While Superintendent Walters may desire a path toward his own impeachment, my focus is firmly on the LOFT investigation into the Oklahoma State Department of Education, McCall said. This investigation is about ensuring taxpayer dollars are properly allocated, not targeting individuals. It is essential we understand why school districts are not receiving their required funding. My advice to Superintendent Walters is to prioritize getting resources to Oklahoma schools and improving our states education rankings, rather than engaging in political theatrics. The state Senate wasnt involved in initiating the LOFT investigation, but it wont stand in the way of it, the chambers leader President Pro Tem Greg Treat said Friday. While senators will need to recuse themselves from the investigation to avoid a potential conflict of interest if we have to act on the findings, I fully respect Speaker McCalls desire to move forward with an inquiry and I will not be an impediment, said Treat, R-Oklahoma City. It is my hope the House moves forward expeditiously. The Senate will stand ready to respond to any of the findings. House Democrats have urged the Republican supermajority five times to convene a committee investigation into Walters. On Friday, they again demanded answers to fiscal and operational concerns with the state Education Department. House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said we need an investigative committee charged with holding (Walters) accountable to his willful neglect to do his job as state superintendent. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Sacramento County DAs, defenders will walk off their jobs after labor talks stall. When is strike? Sacramento Countys criminal attorneys will go on strike Aug. 26 after months-long talks over a new contract slowed to a standstill. Nearly 300 of the countys deputy district attorneys and public defenders are expected to walk off their jobs that day. The attorneys, about 150 criminal prosecutors, 100 deputy public defenders and lawyers in child support services, have been working without a contract since their last contract ended in 2022. Leaders of the Sacramento County Attorneys Association, the union that represents the public sector attorneys, formally handed in their strike notice to Sacramento County officials 4:30 p.m. Thursday, said Quoc To, a senior attorney in the Sacramento County Public Defenders office and union leader. Member attorneys overwhelmingly voted for a work stoppage 94% said yes to walking the picket line, To said. Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho supported the attorneys demands for pay increases. I am in full support of prosecutors and public defenders receiving fair market salaries for their hard work and dedication to the Sacramento community. Our prosecutors have consistently demonstrated their commitment to victims, the criminal justice system, and public safety, Ho said in a statement Friday. Ho is a veteran Sacramento prosecutor with numerous cases on his resume including the notorious Golden State Killer/East Area Rapist case. Year after year, attorneys from both sides of the courtroom are expected to do more with less, and they have always risen to the occasion, Ho said. Sacramento is recognized as having the finest prosecutors and public defenders in the state. Sacramento County officials, in a one-sentence statement, expressed deep disappointment in news of a pending strike. Sacramento County expresses its appreciation for the dedication and hard work of its attorneys while conveying deep disappointment with the unions intention to strike and unwillingness to discuss a successor agreement, the statement read. How will courts be affected? The planned walkout of hundreds of lawyers at one of Californias busiest courts will likely mean numerous delays of court hearings and other matters. Union leader To said contingencies are in place to keep court operations moving. Attorneys engaged in jury trials and preliminary hearings hearings to determine whether cases move to trial will stay on the job. Lawyers assigned to state hospital and other conservatorship cases will also continue to work. Attorneys will also continue to staff juvenile court hearings, To said. The attorneys have asked for 5.5% pay raises at minimum, plus retroactive pay to make up for months lost in approving an earlier contract. They argued the pay bump is needed to keep up with Sacramentos cost of living and to keep experienced attorneys in their offices and courtrooms. Sacramento County officials say the two sides had come to accord on an agreement through June 2025 that included significant increases in compensation ranging from 14% - 15%, and raises in back pay. The county says the attorneys want a 5.5% pay hike on top of those increases. The county also challenged the union on its claims of low staffing, saying the offices vacancy levels were far lower than the countys overall rate. Low pay, the attorneys said, had turned their overworked DAs and public defenders offices into revolving doors, with mid-level and senior attorneys fleeing to neighboring counties with higher pay and lighter caseloads, leaving work to less experienced lawyers. Sacramento County prosecutors filed nearly 11,000 felony cases in 2023, among the highest filing rates in the state and comparable to larger counties including Riverside and San Bernardino. The office is the second-largest in Northern California, trailing Santa Clara County. Union leaders say just 7% of its prosecutors have 11 to 15 years experience. Union leaders said the gap will soon become unsustainable with the offices unable to properly represent their clients. The bottleneck is we dont have enough attorneys experienced ones on both sides to be churning these cases out at the levels that we used to because of the attrition, union president Matt Chisholm, a lead trial attorney in the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office, said last week. An independent mediator had sided with the union on the proposed pay hikes and its concerns over turnover, but Sacramento County mediators werent convinced, saying their good faith bargaining efforts were met by unyielding wage demands from the attorneys. FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A 24-year-old Sacramento man was arrested after an explosion in Merced, according to the Merced Police Department. Police say on August 11, around 1:30 a.m. officers responded to a report of an explosion in the 700 block of Sunol Court. Officers say they could not locate the explosions source at the time, but investigators were able to find video of the incident and locate the initial explosion. Using the video, officers say they were able to locate a home where the person had fled following the blast. The Merced Police Bomb Team made contact at the home and was able to obtain evidence and information on the suspect who detonated the explosive device. Police say they identified 24-year-old Jadin Tindle, from Sacramento, as the suspect. On August 16, Merced Police officers with the assistance of the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office served a search and arrest warrant on Tindles home in Sacramento. Tindle was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Jail. Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to contact Officer Crain at 209-388-7754 or Crainl@cityofmerced.org. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Same strategy, different state: Mark Meadows tries to move AZ fake electors case to federal court The former Chief of State for former President Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, is using the same strategy he did in Georgia, to try and get his case moved to federal court in Arizona. Meadows is facing similar charges in Arizona as he does here in Georgia alleging that he was involved in an illegal scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in Trumps favor. Prosecutors said Meadows worked with other Trump campaign members to submit names of fake electors from Arizona and other states to Congress in a bid to keep Trump in office despite his November 2020 defeat. The Arizona indictment also says Meadows confided to a White House staff member in early November 2020 that Trump had lost the election. Here in Georgia, Meadows faces two charges of violation of the Georgia RICO Act and solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. He has tried several times here in Georgia, unsuccessfully, to have his case moved to federal court. Fani Willis and the Fulton County District Attorneys Office argue that Meadows violated the Hatch Act and that the case should stay on the state level. Willis issued subpoenas for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and investigator Francis Watson to appear at the hearing. RELATED STORIES: Meadows participated in the now-infamous phone call between Trump and Raffensperger, in which the former president pressured Raffensperger to overturn the election results and find him 11,000 votes. A week earlier, Meadows allegedly arranged another phone call between Trump and Watson, whose team was overseeing a signature match audit in Cobb County. During the signature match audit process in Dec. 2020, Meadows showed up unannounced, stayed for roughly 20 minutes, and left without speaking to the media. Meadows and the other defendants have pleaded not guilty to the forgery, fraud, and conspiracy charges in Arizona. Trump wasnt charged in Arizona, but the indictment refers to him as an unindicted coconspirator. Prosecutors in Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin have also filed criminal charges related to the fake electors scheme. RELATED NEWS: San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu announced he intended to shut down 16 of the most popular AI undressing sites at a press conference on Thursday. The Verge reported that the City Attorney is accusing these sites of violating federal laws regarding revenge pornography, deepfake pornography and child pornography. Chius office also accused the sites of violating the state of Californias unfair competition law because the harm they cause to consumers greatly outweighs any benefits associated with those practices, according to the complaint for injunctive relief filed in a California superior court. The complaint focuses on a total of 50 defendants Chiu intends to prosecute for operating undressing websites. Some of the defendants and websites names were redacted but it also publicly identifies a few companies that operate some of the worlds most popular websites that offer to nudify images of women and girls such as Sol Ecom located in Florida, Briver in New Mexico and the UK-based Itai Tech Ltd. The only identified defendant in the complaint is Augustin Gribinets of Estonia, who is accused of owning an AI undressing site featuring unconsented images of women and children. These websites have generated over 200 million visits in a six-month period. The nonconsensual images of women and children on these sites are used to bully, threaten and humiliate women and girls as they gain more visitors and this distressing trend shows no sign of abating, according to the complaint. The citys attorney cites one case in its legal complaint from February in which an AI undressing site generated images of 16 eighth grade students at a California middle school. The incident possibly refers to one that occurred at a Beverly Hills high school in which 16 students were circulating fake nude images of other students. The school district expelled five students for their involvement in disseminating the illicit images, according to the Los Angeles Times . Deepfake technology has become a major legal concern especially on the federal level. Last month, the US Copyright Office published a report on digital replicas and concluded that a new law is needed. Just a few days later, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the NO FAKES Act that would institute a new law protecting individuals from having their voice, face or body recreated with AI without their consent. (KRON) A San Jose Police Department officer is facing rape charges in San Benito County. Officer Anthony Joseph Parraz was immediately placed on administrative leave after prosecutors filed charges this summer, according to SJPD. Parraz appeared in court on August 13. He is charged with felony sexual penetration of an unconscious or sleeping victim, and felony lewd acts with a child less than 14 years old, San Benito County court records show. A judge ordered Parraz to return to court on October 8 to set a timeline for his preliminary hearing. The alleged crimes happened in 2014, court records state. While criminal charges are pending, the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training suspended Parrazs certification to serve as a law enforcement officer. A second San Jose Police Department officer, Timothy Hackney, was arraigned in a Santa Clara County courtroom on Tuesday to face domestic violence charges in a separate case. Hackney, 31, is accused of shooting his duty weapon inside his Morgan Hill home and a committing a series of assaults against his pregnant girlfriend. Prosecutors said Hackney was at home when he threw his girlfriend into a bedroom and would not let her leave, forcibly covered her mouth so she couldnt scream, and slapped a phone out of her hand so that she couldnt call 911. Prosecutors described another incident when Hackney allegedly fired a bullet through the ceiling and told his girlfriend I missed. Their young child was at home at the time, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office. Ex-San Jose cop went on road rage rampage: court docs Hackney was served with a Gun Violence Restraining Order and is currently on administrative leave from his police department. SJPD Acting Chief Paul Joseph told KRON4 on Thursday, SJPD is aware of and fully cooperating with the investigating agencies regarding separate criminal allegations of two of our officers. Upon learning of the allegations, both officers were immediately placed on administrative leave. The department also provided POST the necessary information to consider temporary decertification so the involved officers cannot work as police officers in California while the incidents are being investigated. These allegations are painful to learn, knowing our officers dedicate their lives to protecting victims. If the allegations are determined to be true, the department will act swiftly and they will never wear a San Jose badge again, full stop, Joseph said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. An eatery that opened less than a year ago in the Market Common area is now closed, and it is unclear why. Capriottis, a national restaurant chain serving Philly cheese steaks and sandwiches with Wagyu beef, closed its Farrow Parkway location. Google reports the restaurant as permanently closed, the phone number listed for the property has been disconnected and Capriottis website does not list the eatery on its location map. However, the national brands Carolina Forest location at 224 Fresh Drive Unit B remains on the map. Capriottis Marketing did not return a request for comment before publication. According to the South Carolina Department of Health, the now-closed Farrow Parkway location received two restaurant inspections from the state while in operation. The Market Common eatery was first inspected on March 1, 2024, and received a 95 percent score. Minor violations, like a misplaced spray bottle, were noted. Capriottis received a second follow-up inspection Mar. 11, 2024, receiving a 97 percent. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) Sangamon County is creating a commission to get the communitys voice on how the government can prevent another tragedy after the death of Sonya Massey last month. Former deputy for the Sangamon County Sheriffs Office Sean Grayson was charged with first degree murder for killing Sonya Massey last month. Body camera footage showed that Grayson shot Massey in the head after she moved a pot of hot water off of her stove. Grayson pleaded not guilty. Ben Crump speaks on Sangamon County Sheriff retirement, future legislation to honor Sonya Massey The announcement of the new group came Friday morning. County officials said the purpose for the commission is to address systemic issues in law enforcement practices, mental health responses, and community relations and come up with tangible solutions to implement in the county. County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter said he has been working with Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) to come up with solutions since last month, and the latest board meeting affirmed the idea for the commission. The consistent advice has been: Careful listening, absolute transparency, and a firm resolve to adopt best practices, Van Meter said. Many of the thoughtful comments at Tuesdays County Board meeting confirm the wisdom of this advice. Sangamon County also announced the three co-chairs for the commission: Dr. Jerry Kruse, the Dean and Provost of the SIU School of Medicine; Pastor T. Ray McJunkins, the pastor of Union Baptist Church; and Nina Harris, the chair of the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion. The rest of the commission will be comprised of a diverse group of volunteers from the county. Motorcyclists honor Sonya Massey with memorial ride Sonya Masseys family approved of the commissions creation. We applaud the creation of this Commission, which is charged with rigorously examining the policies, practices, and responses that have too often led to horrific injustice and tragedy, they said in a statement with their lawyer Ben Crump. Efforts like these go beyond addressing past injustice they help create a future where the relationship between law enforcement and the communities it serves is one of trust and mutual respect, and where every individual is treated with the fairness and dignity they deserve. We are confident that this Commission will help us honor the memories of Sonya Massey and all those who have suffered at the hands of unjust, and all-too-often-fatal practices, ensuring that their legacies are signified by lasting and meaningful change. Anyone interested in applying for the commission can fill out an application on the countys website. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 30. The commission is expected to get right to work with listening sessions in September. Within a year, the Massey Commission will create a comprehensive report, with outlines of its findings, recommendations, and proposed actions. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. MANILA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Two suspected rebels have been killed in a clash with government soldiers in Iloilo province in the central Philippines, the military said Friday. The military said the two female New People's Army rebels were killed during a 10-minute firefight on Thursday in Lambunao town. No government soldier was wounded or killed in the fighting. The military added that troops recovered six firearms, including three M16 assault rifles, an M79 grenade launcher, a 7.62mm assault rifle, and a shotgun with assorted ammunition. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) A State Senator from Sarasota is planning to propose an all-out ban on smoking in public. Its all because of Amendment 3. Republican Senator Joe Gruters said he actually supports Amendment 3, which will legalize recreational marijuana use. Florida officials consider investigations into Ben Sasses spending Gov. Ron Desantis opposes Amendment 3, saying the entire state of Florida would end up smelling like marijuana. Gruters believes the state needs to ban public smoking of anything, including tobacco and vaping, to protect people. He points out the state already bans smoking in the workplace, beaches, and parks. So, a total public smoking ban would not be difficult to enforce and well within the states authority. Gruters plans to introduce the smoking ban bill during the 2025 legislative session, even if Amendment 3 fails. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. Former University of Florida President Ben Sasse responded to reports that he inappropriately spent the universitys funds during his brief stint in leadership. Now, it is true that there was substantial funding for a number of important new initiatives. I am very happy to defend each and every one of these initiatives, Sasse wrote Friday in a lengthy post on the social platform X. He added, the whole reason I agreed to leave a great job representing the salt-of-the-earth people of my home state of Nebraska is precisely because higher education needs massive reform. The former Republican senator left his seat representing Nebraska in 2023 to lead the University of Florida. After a year and a half in the job, Sasse abruptly exited the role in mid-July, citing his wifes health issues. His comments follow a report published Monday by the Independent Florida Alligator, the universitys student newspaper, that found he increased spending threefold during his tenure. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has since called on the state university system to investigate Sasses use of funds. In his statement, Sasse fiercely defended his spending, writing that the expenditures were approved by the universitys board of trustees, systems board of governors and the universitys audit committee. He detailed several policies he planned to instate using the funds, including reforms to the schools core curriculum, space-industry partnerships and authorizing K-12 charter programs across the state. These are initiatives we were running out of the presidents office and there should be even more and I am dang proud of each of them, as I believe they will benefit Floridians immensely if brought to fruition, the former senator wrote. Much of the spending increases were associated with expensive new hires, including consulting firms and Sasses former Senate aids, according to the Alligator. Sasse conceded that he made the hires but defended the decisions as a means of enacting his planned initiatives. Yes, I persuaded almost a dozen folks who had worked with me in one or more of my last three jobs, both in and out of politics, to join in this important work as basically all arriving CEOs do, Sasse wrote. One of my preconditions in agreeing to accept this calling was being able to bring big-cause, trusted people from my last few teams along to help build a stronger, more dynamic UF and happily, the board and selection committee embraced this, he added. Sasse explained that he had tried to tighten spending, noting a proposal he made to consolidate the schools 200 academic programs. He added that the proposal was one of my more unpopular 2023 proposals. The former university leader drew national attention earlier this year for gutting the universitys diversity, equity and inclusion programs and shutting down its diversity office. As debate continues whether the spending was justified, Sasse said he will write a broader memo for the governors office about his approach. I welcome both a debate about the merits of these reform initiatives, and an audit of UFs expenditures, he concluded. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) As Savannah State University (SSU) searches for a new president, youre asked to weigh in. The university is offering listening sessions for faculty, staff, students and community members to hear about what you seek in the next president. There are separate sessions for each group, but if you cant go at your scheduled time, you can join in on any of the sessions. There is also an option to join virtually. Community Corner: Savannah State University introduces 40 Under 40 Awards The sessions will be held on Thursday, Aug. 29, online, and in person at the Elmore Theater in the King Frazier Student Center on the SSU campus (3219 College Street). Times: Those unable to join the listening sessions in person or virtually are asked to complete this survey and submit their feedback. Cynthia Alexander is the current interim president of SSU who began her tenure in July 2023. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. CHARLESTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) The beaches in Charlestown have been eroding at an accelerated pace over the past decade. Last winters losses, however, were devastating. The Charlestown Breachway was breached, with a portion of it being destroyed. Here is a look at the Breachway in 2021 from Sky Drone 12. Below is the Breachway after a winter storm tore through the wall. Notice the gaps in the rock wall and the loss of beach to the right. Charlestown Breachway during a winter storm (Courtesy: Town of Charlestown) Well, we had a lot of erosion this winter, state Rep. Tina Spears said. This winter, we really saw the wall get breached and continue to erode this area, added Spears, who represents District 36 in Charlestown, South Kingstown, Westerly and New Shoreham. The Charlestown Breachway was made so that water flows continuously into Charlestown Pond to keep the water clean for aquaculture, to allow vessels to navigate more easily, and for recreation. The entire strip of sand from the Breachway to farther east along Charlestown Beach had significant damage this past winter. Storm surges and heavy waves eroded the beach and destroyed many dunes. Ocean water went under raised coastal homes onto streets, washing out driveways. SAVING OUR BEACHES: Narragansett homeowners battle erosion after winter storm surge Accelerating erosion rates Weve definitely seen erosion rates increase over the past 20 years or so, said Steve McCandless, who works in the Geographic Information System department for the town of Charlestown. McCandless attended the University of Rhode Island and said he has studied the coastline for the past 25 years. He said the erosion is becoming more evident now. The beaches are smaller and the water is getting closer to a lot of the houses and other structures. The erosion is also being scientifically measured with older aerial photos and drones. McCandless shared some devastating stats about erosion in Charlestown: Erosion rates from 1939 up until 2014 were right around three feet per year. Since then, weve increased to about seven feet per year, and two years ago, we lost about 49 feet. Then, this past winter and through the summer, we lost 135 feet. I come here pretty much daily, and Ive been watching this just consistently erode away, Spears said. The hope was that that we would see some recovery, but we havent seen that. Weve just seen continued erosion. SAVING OUR BEACHES: RI beaches are eroding faster, putting Newport drinking water at risk Studying the coast Erosion is a natural process. Strong waves and coastal flooding can carry rocks, sand and soils into the water. Sometimes the sand can be replaced by natural wave action. The erosion rates in Charlestown have been too much for nature to take its course, however. The slow and steady rise of sea levels is partly to blame. Data for Newport provided by NOAA shows a sea level rise of about 10 inches since 1930, with an accelerated rate in recent decades. But of course, superimposed on that sea level rise are these storms. And these storms, depending on their strength and their direction, will cause those impacts in terms of high water and waves, URI oceanography professor J.P. Walsh explained. Ocean, Bay & Beach // A look at the conditions at the coast Walsh studies the changing Rhode Island coastline in a number of ways, including with the use of drones. We can take images of the land and sea, and from those images, we can create three-dimensional models of the coastal zone, Walsh told 12 News. By doing this, over time, we can see how the topography changes, particularly in response to the storm events, he added. Saving our beaches Some protective dunes along Charlestown Beach have been repaired, but many are still vulnerable to future storms. The Breachway remains badly damaged with continued erosion of the barrier beach. Damaged Charlestown Breachway and eroded barrier beach where 135 feet of beach has been lost since last winter. According to Charlestown Town Administrator Jeffrey Allen, the town is working with the state of Rhode Island and its congressional delegation to get funds to repair the Breachway and dredge the channel for easier navigation. Spears recently co-sponsored a bill with state Sen. Victoria Gu called the Act on Coasts. The bill instructs the infrastructure bank to solicit vendors to assess our coastline, see what weve already assessed, because weve done a lot of work already through the Coastal Resources Management Council, the University of Rhode Island and the Army Corp of Engineers, Spears told 12 News. Spears added that we really need to predict whats going to happen in the future. The bill allocates $750,000 to look at the entire coast of Rhode Island to recommend long-term and short-term plans for climate change resilience and adaptation. Engineers will look at the power grid, water and sewage systems, seawalls and emergency shelters, among other vital pieces of infrastructure. A draft of the plan from the Act on Coasts is due to the General Assembly by December 2025. What we can see is by doing nothing, it actually is destroying the habitat, Spears said. So, we have to protect this. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Ocean, Bay & Beach Report Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. South Carolina staunchly has been a red state, for decades, but members of the York County Democrats say they are excited to attend the Democratic National Convention to support Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris is poised to become the Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden abandoned his bid for reelection in July and endorsed Harris. The change sets the stage with Harris against former President Donald Trump in November. Member delegates including Chairwoman Nikita Jackson, Rep. John King, D-Rock Hill, Executive Committeeman John Holder, and second Vice-Chairman Ryan Stephens will make trip next week to Chicago for the convention which takes place at the United Center Aug. 19 - 22. S.C. Rep. John King, D-Rock Hill, waves to parade-goers Saturday at the Martin Luther King Jr. parade in York. The convention will be an opportunity for first time delegates Holder, Stephens and Jackson to experience the events pageantry, as well as help Harris continue to grow her numbers in battleground states in the Midwest. Im excited to be a delegate representing York County Its exciting to have a woman of color on the ticket, Stephens told The Herald. Its my first time, so Im looking forward to partaking in the various meetings and to be a part of this campaign. The last time Democrats won South Carolina during a presidential election was more than forty years ago. Thats when Jimmy Carter took the state and nearly all of the south to win the election over Republican President Gerald R. Ford in 1976. Ryan Stephens Stephens believes that the Democrats have a solid chance in South Carolina this time around. I believe there are definitely good areas of South Carolina that will vote for Harris, he said, Democrats are going to make sure we are building up the middle class, and ensuring we have marriage equality while fighting for reproductive access and healthcare. Democrats say the fight for womens rights is an issue that will be addressed this election. It particularly affects the South Carolina community, partly because the states restriction on abortion access. Currently the state has a roughly 6-week abortion ban for most cases. I think the Democratic party is excited! The party is more united against Trump than ever before. But being against someone isnt enough, Holder, a professor from Winthrop University, told The Herald. You have to show people what you are for, and there is a degree of enthusiasm for the Harris candidacy. More than 5,000 delegates will be in attendance as well as upward of 12,000 volunteers, according to the DNC website. The South Carolina Democratic Party delegation met virtually and voted to endorse Harris for the 2024 Democratic Presidential nomination, officials said in a statement released on July 22, as previously reported by The Sun News. John Holder, Political science professor at Winthrop University In the primaries Biden won all the votes but seven. Everyone who voted did so with the understanding she would be the vice-president. Holder stated. There wasnt any controversy for the switch; people were excited about her stepping in place of him. Dems were worried Concerns about Biden already were mounting following his poor performance during the June 27 debate. And at 81, his age also was worrying everyone. Jackson told reporters the party had to stand on our values and our democratic principles, and support the president, even as the list of party leaders calling for him to step aside was growing. Nikita Jackson, York County Democrat Delegate Congressional District 5 On July 19, I was asked what can I do to energize the Democratic party, Jackson said, and then asked herself a question: Well, who do we have left to vote for? That weekend, on July 21, Biden did in fact drop out the race. It was a sigh of relief, she said. Its been amazing to see everyone come on board to support Kamala Harris. Push to expand Democrat voices To help bolster momentum, Stephens has been working with young adults, including those who identify as LGBTQ to get them engaged in the election. Recent polls showed Gen-Z and younger millennial voters between 18-34 were not particularly enthusiastic about Biden or Trump. Some, such as the CBS News/YouGov poll, revealed a lean toward Biden, while others shift toward Trump. Now that Harris is in the race, poll results from all groups run the gamut. Most appear to reflect an uptick in favor of the vice president, with some showing gains over Trump in swing states, The New York Times reported. Stephen said he ensures people get out and vote and have voice in their electoral process. People across the board are excited about this change, Stephens said. Young voters are excited to see someone fresh that we havent seen run for president before. First time voter Kennedy Rouse, who is 17 and will turn 18 by election day, is the daughter of democratic campaign manager Melissa Rouse. She is looking forward to her chance to participate this year. Ive done my research on the candidates. A lot of people my age dont understand the reality of voting. They are just following what their parents say, she added, noting that Harris is a candidate that aligns with her values. I believe in womens rights. Rules against womens rights will affect my children in the future, she said. Her older sister Jada Rouse, 21, voted for Biden in 2020. Skin color is not the only thing I see when I vote, she said. Character and moral values are striking differences between the two. The stated mission of the Iowa Auditor of State's Office is to help ensure government officials use taxpayer dollars for the intended purposes to benefit the public. (Main photo from Getty Images; seal courtesy the State of Iowa) An advocate for seniors is calling on the state auditors office to investigate the states failure to collect $10.7 million in fees owed by corporate nursing home owners. The auditors office says it has reported a state agencys failure to collect the fees but has no enforcement authority. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reported last week that 49 Iowa nursing homes owe Iowa taxpayers more than $10.7 million in unpaid fees that are past due and which the state has so far failed to collect. According to documents obtained through the states Open Records Law, one for-profit company based in West Des Moines operates 18 care facilities that collectively owe the state $3.6 million in unpaid fees. The companys top two executives, meanwhile, have made $293,000 in political donations to Statehouse leaders, the governor and industry lobbyists. The fees the state imposes on nursing homes, called Quality Assurance Assessment fees, are a mechanism that has been used since 2009 to artificially inflate the facilities cost of doing business. That increased expense enables the facilities to draw down more money in Medicaid reimbursement for resident care. Often, the increased Medicaid payments more than offset the cost of the fees paid to the state, resulting in a net gain for the homes. By law, the care facilities are supposed to use that additional money to increase the compensation of front-line caregivers which is why the fees are called Quality Assurance Assessment fees. Its a circular, but legal, method of increasing the revenue collected by nursing homes and has been approved by the federal government in Iowa and other states. However, not all Iowa homes are paying the fees and of those that do, up to 18% of them have failed to meet all of the legal requirements for spending their additional Medicaid revenue on pay increases for front-line caregivers. Taxpayers are getting taken to the cleaners Two Iowa nursing home companies that have filed for bankruptcy in recent years did so while owing the state a combined total of $5 million in unpaid QAA fees. Some of those unpaid fees date back to at least 2019, according to court records. John Hale, a consultant and advocate for Iowa seniors, says it appears to him that taxpayers are getting taken to the cleaners by nursing home companies. This is scandalous, Hale said. Nursing homes are quick to take taxpayer money, but too many are reluctant to pay the taxpayer back when money is owed. Dean Lerner, who was the director the state agency that inspected nursing homes during the Democratic administration of Gov. Chet Culver, said the industry is cheating taxpayers and no one seems to care, most of all the Republicans who are beholden to industry instead of residents. Hale said an investigation by the Iowa Auditor of State is warranted, in part to make sure nursing facilities that claim to be increasing staff pay are doing so. Has anyone done any audits of all this self-reported data from nursing homes? Hale asked. When front-line workers in nursing homes are currently being paid wages that arent enough to live on, how can we believe the industry when they say theyve been using this extra money to increase wages for the past 10 years? This just doesnt hold water. In a written statement, Auditor of State Rob Sand said his office has publicly reported DHHS failure to collect these fees as required by law. However, the auditors office isnt an enforcement agency. We have no legal authority to force DHHS to collect the fees or impose penalties on the facilities that dont pay them. Di Findley of Iowa CareGivers, an association of front-line health care workers, said one problem with the QAA program is that the enabling legislation allows homes to spend their additional revenue on not just wage increases, but on staff compensation. Some homes, she said, have defined compensation in such a way that the money has been used to pay for staff training, employee education, and a fitness room for workers expenses the owners would have otherwise had to absorb. She noted that the Iowa Health Care Association, which lobbies for the industry, told member nursing homes they could use their extra Medicaid revenue to pay the fees associated with workers enrollment in an IHCA-affiliated association of caregivers. Were not talking chump change The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services tracks the payment of fees and collects self-reported data on staff wages, but says the 2009 legislation creating the QAA fee program didnt give the department any enforcement authority. Hale said he questions why DHHS and state lawmakers havent addressed that issue in the past 15 years. Have elected leaders in the majority party been asleep at the wheel? he asked. Were not talking chump change here. Were talking about millions of uncollected dollars. He said a state audit should examine the 2009 legislation, the annual compliance reports prepared by DHHS, the accuracy of the industrys self-reported data and the states collection practices. According to DHHS, 41 of the 49 homes that are behind in their payments are currently on some form of repayment plan. Maureen Barton of DHHS has said the department is working diligently to ensure providers are adhering to repayment plans on the fees that are imposed, and said DHHS has made significant progress in bringing down the overall balance. Barton said that when a facility falls behind in payments, the state sends a demand notice asking the facility to pay the entire amount thats due. If that doesnt happen, she said, DHHS can reduce the amount of Medicaid money flowing to the homes in an effort to offset the debt. Political donors company owes $3.6 million The company that appears to owe taxpayers the most is Accura Healthcare of West Des Moines. Eighteen of the for-profit companys Iowa care facilities are currently on payment plans with the state, and they now owe a combined $3,644,432.97, according to DHHS. Campaign finance records show that since 2015, Accura Healthcares CEO, Ted LeNeave, has personally donated more than $239,000 to GOP campaigns in Iowa and to the political action committee of the industrys main lobbying organization. That total includes $54,500 LeNeave donated directly to Gov. Kim Reynolds campaigns, plus $76,000 LeNeave donated to Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver of Grimes. Since 2021, the president of Accura Healthcare, Lisa Toti, has made $36,000 in political donations in Iowa, including $16,000 contributed to Reynolds campaign committees. LeNeave and Toti have not responded to calls from the Iowa Capital Dispatch, but a company spokesman issued a one-sentence joint statement with Brent Willett of the Iowa Health Care Association that said Accura Healthcare is currently in good standing with the QAA program. Ex-White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said Thursday that former President Trump is coming to grips with not recapturing the White House, and growing darker as a result. Trump psychologically is coming to grips with losing this election. He is growing darker as a result of it, Scaramucci wrote in a post on the social platform X. Will be a rough 81 days, Scaramucci, who served briefly in the Trump administration before becoming a vocal critic of him, added. Trump has slung multiple personal insults at Vice President Harris, who is expected to become the Democratic presidential nominee at next weeks convention. Republicans, however, have been pushing Trump to turn his attention toward policy differences. The winning formula for President Trump is very plain to see, former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox Businesss Larry Kudlow earlier this week. Its fewer insults, more insights and that policy contrast. Trump said at a Thursday press conference that he was entitled to personal attacks aimed at Harris. I dont have a lot of respect for her, Trump said. I dont have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think shell be a terrible president. And I think its very important that we win, Trump continued. And whether the personal attacks are good, bad she certainly attacks me personally. She actually called me weird. Harris has been pulling ahead in recent polling. In an average of national polls from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Harris is leading Trump by 1.8 points, with the vice president garnering 49 percent support to the former presidents 47.2 percent. Recent polling from The New York Times/Siena College also found Harris up in three important battleground states Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by 4 points. The Hill has requested comment from the Trump campaign on Scaramuccis remarks. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Scarlett Johansson Has an Unlikely Connection to an Arrest in Matthew Perrys Death Investigation A man arrested in connection with Matthew Perrys death has a tenuous connection to actress Scarlett Johansson. Erik Fleming is one of five people arrest in connection with an ongoing investigation into the Friends actors October 28, 2023 overdose death. Listed as Perrys acquaintance in documents from the Department of Justice, Fleming is being charged as the middleman responsible for helping to coordinate the sale of ketamine that killed the actor. More from SheKnows Fleming, 54, was once active in Hollywood circles and directed a 1999 childrens fantasy comedy starring Eva Mendes and Johansson, titled My Brother the Pig, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Per documents from The Department of Justice, Fleming is accused of acting as a drug dealer co-ordinating the sale of ketamine with Perrys live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and supplier Jasveen Sangha, the so-called Ketamine Queen of Hollywood. According to the DOJ, after discussing prices with Iwamasa, Fleming coordinated the drug sales with Sangha, and brought cash from Iwamasa to Sanghas stash house in North Hollywood to buy vials of ketamine. Four days before Perrys death, Fleming allegedly informed the assistant that the ketamine was on its way to our girl, in reference to Sangha. On August 8, Fleming pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He admitted to distributing 50 vials of ketamine, half of them four days before Perrys death. He faces up to 25 years in his federal case. During his Hollywood career, Fleming produced first season of reality show The Surreal Life in 2003, which featured Corey Feldman, Gabrielle Carteris, Vince Neil and MC Hammer. He also directed and produced Tyrone, a 1999 road trip movie starring Coolio and Kevin Connolly. In addition to Fleming, Iwamasa and Sangha, two doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez have also been arrested. The duo are also accused of working to supply Perry with ketamine. Plasencia allegedly learned that Perry was interested in purchasing the drug last September, according to CNN, and texted Chavez to say he wanted to her the actors sole supplier. I wonder how much this moron will pay? he allegedly wrote. Throughout September and early October, Plasencia allegedly purchased ketamine from Chavez, sold vials to assistant, taught the assistant how to administer the drugs and even injected the actor with large doses of the drug himself. On October 28, Perrys body was found in a jacuzzi at his Pacific Palisades home. He died from acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning, according to an autopsy report. Before you go, click here to see celebrities who have struggled with drug or alcohol addiction. Ben Affleck Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A Missouri woman was arrested Friday morning on federal charges over an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presleys family of millions and steal ownership of his Graceland estate. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the woman in question is 53-year-old Lisa Jeanine Findley, who has also gone by the names Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins and Carolyn Williams. She will make an appearance later on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. More from Variety Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Departments criminal division and principal deputy assistant attorney general, said in a statement that Findley allegedly orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presleys daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death. As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The criminal division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account. The complaint alleges that Findley posed as three different people employed by a fake private lending firm called Naussany Investments and falsely claimed that Presleys late daughter, Lisa Marie, had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 and pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan. Findley claimed that Lisa Marie failed to repay the loan before her death in January 2023 and sought $2.85 million from Presleys family. She allegedly fabricated loan documents, forged the signatures of Lisa Marie Presley and a Florida state notary, filed a false creditors claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles and a false deed of trust with the Shelby County Registers Office in Memphis. Earlier this year, Findley allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in local newspaper The Commercial Appeal advertising that Naussany would auction off Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23. When Presleys family then sued Naussany in Tennessee state court, Findley allegedly filed false court documents. Findley then allegedly claimed that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief. Findley has been charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for identity theft, and a maximum of 20 years in prison for mail fraud. Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another persons celebrity status, said Eric Shen, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress. This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity. The news comes following a dispute over the ownership of Graceland after the death of Lisa Marie Presley, who previously inherited it. Her eldest daughter, actor Riley Keough, was named the sole trustee and owner following her death, but Lisa Maries mother, Priscilla Presley, challenged the validity of the decision. Priscilla Presley argued that the 2016 change made to Lisa Maries trust that named Keough the sole trustee was suspect, citing differences in her signatures. Prior to that change, Priscilla Presley was set to be co-trustee of Graceland along with Lisa Maries former business manager Barry Siegel. However, Keough and Priscilla Presley eventually reached a financial settlement, with Keough remaining the sole trustee and Priscilla Presley taking on a special adviser role. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. HANOI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's mergers and acquisitions market is waiting for big deals, local media reported Friday, given the context that foreign investment flows into the market have slowed down over the past few years. The market is still waiting for major transactions, not only in real estate but also retail, manufacturing, and finance banking, like what used to be made, according to economists, Vietnam News Agency reported. According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Japan, with nearly 595 million U.S. dollars, still ranked first among countries and territories investing in Vietnam via capital contributions and share purchases during January-July. It was followed by Singapore (500 million dollars) and the Republic of Korea (323 million dollars). These are the investors that have conducted large mergers and acquisitions deals in Vietnam in recent years, and the market is waiting for them to spend big in the time ahead. WORCESTER The School Committee on Thursday gave a strong review to Superintendent Rachel Monarrez, highlighting what members felt was a successful second year of her leadership for the district. "Dr. Monarrez has put the entire school system and the district in a better position than it has ever been before," said Alex Guardiola, School Committee member for District D. "She continues to work on all facets of our system to ensure that every student receives the best education and support possible." Monarrez came to Worcester in July 2022 from San Bernardino, California, where she was deputy superintendent. She signed a contract extension late in 2023, which runs through June 30, 2027. More: Worcester School Committee gives Superintendent Rachel Monarrez another two years Part of the review evaluated Monarrez based on four sets of goals that she and the committee agreed upon at the start of last school year. School Committee members reviewed Monarrez on each of the four goals based on a 1-to-5 scale ranging from "Did Not Meet" to "Exceeded." Monarrez received a composite passing grade in each of the four criteria. She fared the best in the goal of "Professional Practice," which was based on criteria laid out in the New Superintendent Induction Program, devised by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. Monarrez received two grades of "Significant Progress," four grades of "Met" and three grades of "Exceeded" from the committee. "To meet a goal is very hard to do. So I want to let people know that that is a very good score overall," Worcester Mayor and School Committee Chair Joseph M. Petty said. Monarrez fared the worst on the second district improvement goal, which stated, "By the end of July 30, 2024, strengthen maintenance protocols and implement school safety recommendations to guarantee the continual modernization of all WPS facilities, cultivating an environment that is both secure and supportive of learning by building capacity and valuing knowledge as measured by 10% completion of highest priority, emergency projects identified through safety audit." Monarrez received two grades of "Did Not Meet," one grade of "Some Progress," three grades of "Significant Progress" two grades of "Met" and one grade of "Exceeded" in this area. At-Large School Committee member Maureen Binienda who was Worcester's superintendent until 2022, when the School Committee at the time decided not to renew her contract and eventually replaced her with Monarrez said that while Monarrez made some clear progress, there was still a lot of work to be done. "The academic goal, which was to increase grade three reading performances ... from the end of the school year from 2022-2023 to the end of the school year from 2023-2024 was not met," Binienda said. "Our responsibility is to the students and to make sure that they are receiving what they need to be proficient at reading by the end of grade three. She also did not significantly increase the percentage of students in grade 12 who did self-report they were engaged in school." Monarrez meets state standard In addition to the local goals, Monarrez was evaluated on statewide standards, based on a 1-4 scale ranging from "Unsatisfactory" to "Exemplary." In the state standards, Monarrez received a composite score of "Proficient" or "Exemplary" in all four categories: Instructional Leadership, Management and Operations, Family and Community Engagement, and Professional Culture. Several members of the School Committee said Monarrez had done a good job establishing trust in the community that the public schools are headed in a positive direction. "Growing up and being part of the underserved community, it's just really nice to see the family engagement, that greater engagement with families, students, even staff you work alongside with," District B representative Vanessa Alvarez said. "Thank you for dedicating a lot of your work, recognizing that there is an underserved community." District F representative Jermaine Johnson said Monarrez is a strong and effective leader during the difficult budget process, which has seen a $22 million deficit requiring 100 staff positions to be cut. More: Impact of school budget cuts: 86 classroom teachers, 70 support staff, 22 administrators "Dr. Monarrez continues to be a model of consistency as superintendent of Worcester Public Schools. She is driven by data and informed practices and ensuring that all students and staff have the ability to grow and learn, and also that they feel heard and valued in the process," Johnson said. "She continues to think beyond where the district is now and see the vision of where our students need to be in the future. Her effective leadership was crucial this year during the budget process that we were in, and she was able to make hard decisions based on best practices to continue to move the district forward." Public expresses support for Monarrez During the public comment section, several residents spoke in support of the work Monarrez has done in Worcester. "Mrs. Monarrez has done an incredible job with the administration. She should be proud of herself and her administration; we are going forward," Crystal Guzman said. "This is the first time families are starting to feel a sense of unity and community. Mrs. Monarrez doesn't look down to people, she talks to people and she listens." Anne Bureau, who works for Worcester Community Connections Coalition, also spoke in support of Monarrez. "The families I work with, they are so grateful of the work they are doing with this administration. They have done so much to address racism in the schools, provide more social and emotional support for kids, to provide a less punitive approach to school discipline, to ensure equity in education opportunities for all students. We are blessed to have such a great superintendent," Bureau said. Monarrez spoke at the end of the meeting, saying she was grateful for the overall positive report from the committee. Monarrez added a comment about the language that is often used in School Committee, saying that too often students are referred to a derogatory manner. "I know that as I reflect on the goals that I bring forward for my next evaluation, I'm going to be more precise in my language, because I feel like this time I was not as precise in my language and it unfortunately took away from the work that the schools have done," Monarrez said. "I don't understand why we want to continue to paint our schools as a place where it is unsafe for children to learn or for staff to work. I feel like it really undermines the work our staff is doing each and every day and I don't understand why that continues to be conversation at this level." This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Superintendent Monarrez gets School Committee review PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) After a nearly four-year hiatus, school resource officers will gradually return to Clark County schools, the sheriffs office announced Friday. According to CCSO, they will provide one deputy to work full-time at Battle Ground School Districts Prairie High School for the 2024-2025 school year. Officials warn Round Lake has dangerously high algae bloom toxin This comes after the SRO program was paused in 2020 due to budget and staffing issues, as well as shifts to online learning during the pandemic. At the time, there were SROs in five area high schools, CCSO said. CCSO added that when their new administration took over in early 2023, they began discussions with leaders from the Evergreen, Vancouver, and Battle Ground school districts about bringing back the SRO program. By early 2024 despite CCSO originally committing to providing two SROs and Clark County schools for the 2024-2025 school year and three additional SROs for two more school years they found Battle Ground Public Schools was the only one able to fund the deployment of one SRO for the upcoming school year. University of Washington receives $21M grant for groundbreaking cancer research Nonetheless, the sheriff remains hopeful about the outlook of the programs return. When I became Sheriff, one of my key objectives was to re-engage CCSO in the School Resource Officer program for local school districts interested in partnering with us, said Sheriff Horch. Im pleased that weve achieved this goal and look forward to the prospect of expanding the program further if our staffing increases. I also hope to see other local law enforcement agencies join us in this important effort. As part of the agreement, CCSO said they will split the cost of the deputys salary with Battle Ground School District, with the school district paying 80% and the sheriffs office paying 20%. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Sioux Falls families dropped off some of their back-to-school shopping surplus Thursday at the Instructional Planning Center. Thats where School Bus Inc hosted a teacher supply drive. The donations were accompanied by a free photo shoot, treats and even job interviews. The bus company that picks up and drops off Sioux Falls school kids accepted drop offs of donated teacher supplies. Teachers need index cards, pens, notebooks, binders, different things that they would need for their classrooms. Gift cards are always wonderful, School Bus Inc. Driver Recruiter Kim Walters said. Ashley Simonson and her daughters donated water colors, glue and notebooks. Late last night, I was going through Facebook and I saw that this event was happening and that they were taking donations for school supplies and we have a lot of hand right now, we thought this would be a great opportunity to donate-slash, get rid of some of those, Ashlee Simonson of Sioux Falls said. Families who dropped off donations could pose for free back-to-school photos. Great Plains Zoo welcomes giraffe and meerkats And you get a digital copy and you can print that out, send them for Christmas cards, whatever you need, Walters said. This event also marked the final push by School Bus Inc. to hire more drivers before the start of school next week. They held walk-in interviews inside the IPC with the hope of filling their remaining job openings. We probably have about three or four more slots that we need to fill, of full-time route drivers so in the meantime, we have our mechanics, or our recruiters, or anybody else that has a CDL that are filling in the routes to get their children to school every day, School Bus Inc. Assistant Transportation Manager Rob Scott said. The offer of free coffee and smoothies was enough to lure both drivers and donors to make this teacher supply drive a success. It takes at least three weeks for School Bus Inc. drivers to get licensed and trained. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. Scientists issue warning as temperatures in Antarctica soar above normal: 'This heat wave is a near-record (or record) event' Think Antarctica is always a frozen wonderland? Think again. Our southernmost continent is experiencing a surprising summer-like spell in the dead of winter. What's happening? East Antarctica, which makes up most of the continent, has been experiencing abnormally high temperatures since July. The South Pole station is on track for its warmest July since 2002, averaging about 11 degrees Fahrenheit (6.3 Celsius) above normal, according to The Washington Post. This heat wave is expected to persist for another 10 days, making it remarkable for its intensity and its duration. This event follows another record-breaking heat wave in March 2022, suggesting these extreme temperature spikes may become more frequent. Why is Antarctic warming concerning? While it's true that winter temperatures in Antarctica can fluctuate, this current warm spell is far beyond the usual range. As our planet warms, the poles are heating up even faster than the global average. Recent data shows Antarctica is warming twice as quickly as the rest of the world. Not only that, but the Antarctic region plays a crucial role in regulating Earth's climate. Unusual warmth here can disrupt weather systems worldwide, potentially leading to more extreme events in other parts of the globe. While current temperatures are still below freezing, persistent warmth can weaken ice structures over time, potentially contributing to sea level rise. Remember, while individual weather events don't define our planet's trajectory, the increasing frequency and intensity of such events align with what scientists expect in a warming world. Atmospheric scientist Edward Blanchard echoed these concerns in an email to the Washington Post, writing, "This heat wave is a near-record (or record) event for the region of Antarctica it's having the biggest impact on." What can I do to stop Antarctic warming? The good news is that there are ways we can help slow the warming of our polar regions. Supporting clean energy by transitioning to renewable energy sources helps reduce the dirty gas pollution that drives worldwide warming. Consider switching to a clean energy provider for your home. You can also reduce your carbon footprint by changing the way you get around. Use public transportation, bike, or walk more often. When it's time to replace your old fridge or washing machine, opt for models with high energy-efficiency ratings. You'll save money on bills while helping the planet. Spreading awareness by sharing information about these events with friends and family is also crucial. The more people understand what's happening, the more likely we are to take collective action. By taking these steps, we're not just helping Antarctica we're contributing to a cooler, more stable climate for everyone. Every action counts, no matter how small. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. SDRS earnings for past year came in below 6.5% target PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) The early annual results are in for the South Dakota Retirement System. For the third year in a row, earnings appeared to finish less than the 6.5% annual target. South Dakota Investment Council chair Loren Koepsell of Sioux Falls and state investment officer Matt Clark met on Thursday with the Legislatures Executive Board. They told lawmakers that, so far, theres a 5.87% return. Clark said the final number could be slightly better. Were guessing at this point well end up in the six to six and a quarter range, he said. By comparison, they said, other public pension funds averaged 13.87% for the fiscal year. State government and South Dakotas public universities participate in SDRS, as do many county and municipal governments and many public school districts, along with other specialty units. State employee suspected of creating fraudulent automobile titles The systems total assets rose to an estimated $14.89 billion, a year-over-year gain of $500 million, according to the report. A year earlier, the return was 5.8%. That came after wide swings of a negative 0.64% and a whopping 22% gain. Republican Rep. Will Mortenson said the system could have made more during the past 12 months if more risk was taken, but said he was confident about the long term. Republican Sen. Jim Bolin agreed. A little bit of short term pain but Im confident in the long-term gain, he said. Clark defended the contrarian approach. He said the focus remains on 10 years ahead. Clark has argued for years that investment markets generally are overpriced. For years, big chunks of money were invested in cash accounts rather than stocks, bonds, real estate and distressed debt. If the markets are very expensive, well be very defensive, well have a lot of cash and be patient, Clark said, adding that hes never felt more optimistic. We plan to stick to our disciplines that have served us so well, he said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. MYERSTOWN BORO., LEBANON COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) State police are searching for an 11-year-old who they say ran away in Lebanon County two days ago. According to PSP, on August 14 around 11:25 p.m., troopers were recalled to the 200 block of East Main Street in Myerstown Borough in Lebanon County for a report of a runaway. Two teens reported missing in Scranton Police say 11-year-old Ace Snook ran away without his shoes, money, or his cellphone. Snook has been living at his grandmothers house for the past two weeks, troopers noted. A K-9 unit and a SERT drone were used to search for Snook but he has yet to be found. Anyone with information is asked to contact PSP Jonestown station at 717-865-2194. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. Second 18-year-old arrested for deadly shooting in Albemarle A second person has been arrested for a deadly shooting in Albemarle on July 24. According to the Albemarle Police Department, 18-year-old Jamie Jermaine Mack of Kannapolis was arrested in Buffalo, New York on Thursday. PREVIOUS: 1 in custody, 1 wanted in deadly Albemarle shooting, police say Police said DyZavious Izayah Bivens, 18, of Albemarle, was shot and killed on July 24 on North Sixth Street at Park Ridge Road. Authorities believe the shooting wasnt random and said everyone involved knew each other. Two days later, Albemarle police announced the first suspect, 18-year-old Damani Jacquez Wall, had turned himself in and was booked into the Stanly County jail. Wall was charged with first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery, and assault with deadly weapon intent to kill inflicting serious injury. Police announced Macks arrest on Friday. He faces the same charges Wall does and is being held in New York. (WATCH BELOW: 2 wanted in deadly Albemarle shooting, police say) State Sens. Justin Wayne of Omaha, speaking, with State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood. Aug. 14, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN The Nebraska Legislature on Thursday advanced the second of two budget bills of the special session intended to offset the costs of a slimmed-down property tax relief plan. But state senators spent most of the day getting there, venting about what they wish they had included in a property tax package and hunting for a last-minute path toward more substantive relief. Essentially, senators seeking different options than provided by Speaker John Archs special session processes watched Wednesdays failed filibuster of the first budget bill and said: Samesies. The Appropriations Committee rewrote Legislative Bill 3 to shift $22 million in fees and interest gathered by state agencies to the general fund to cover some costs of Legislative Bill 34, the property tax relief package championed by Gov. Jim Pillen and his allies. The bill advanced in a 35-11 vote after eight hours of debate. LB 3 followed passage of LB 2 on Wednesday, which contained $117 million in spending cuts. Combined, the two would cover most of the $185 million cost of the new relief. State Sen. Rob Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, said the state would use $46 million from its cash reserves to cover the rest, but LB 3 helps cover part of the cost. Clements repeatedly defended the committees decision to sweep or use interest earned from state fees for license plates and other items produced by state prisoners. He eventually acquiesced to an amendment from State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha that restored the $250,000. He did so saying conflict over that issue wasnt worth losing the other $22 million-23 million in funds. We dont need to move this money, because we have issues currently that need to be solved, McKinney said. Clements apologized for the great turmoil this has caused and said no one had raised issues about the corrections money during hearings the committee held on LB 3. Thats why we bring bills to the floor and debate them, he said. Clements thwarted a similar effort to fully restore $2 million being culled from Universal Service Fund dollars, parts of which are used to improve rural broadband and cell phone service. Senators adopted an amendment from State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha to sunset the sweep of those USF investment funds at the end of June 2027. We have come up with funding that will help the property tax bill be funded but not hurt any individual agency that has a cash fund, Clements said. For the second straight day, State Sens. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and Cavanaugh argued there was no need to find funding for property tax relief during a special session. But members of the Appropriations Committee, including State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, pushed back against efforts to filibuster the cuts, saying that appropriators took their work seriously. Much of the debate, as the Examiner reported earlier Thursday, was hijacked by efforts to push for more property tax relief than provided by Legislative Bill 34, as advanced this week. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX This Saturday is the second Festival of the Steh-Chass Day, when the Squaxin Island Tribe will gather with the community at Heritage Park to celebrate the water, heritage and culture, and honor past, current and future generations. This years festival marks anniversaries for two major events for Medicine Creek Treaty tribes, and it celebrates the City of Olympias plans to remove the Fifth Avenue dam that created Capitol Lake and restore the lake to an estuary from the Deschutes River into Budd Inlet. The Olympia City Council officially made Aug. 17 Festival of the Steh-Chass Day during its meeting earlier this week. Squaxin Island Tribe chairman Kris Peters spoke during the meeting about the tribes connection to the water and the importance of the festival. Steh-Chass refers to both the landscape and original inhabitants of the Deschutes Estuary, Budd Inlet and surrounding South Sound coves. Peters said Squaxins have lived in the region for tens of thousands of years and have stewarded the lands and waters. This weekends festival is a chance to honor those ancestors. Squaxins dont come from the island. We were put on the island, Peters said. Thats exactly right. We come from a large area, including the city of Olympia. And when I say were connected to this land, thats not a cliche. It is real. It is true. Peters said honoring ancestors is a way of maintaining their beliefs, values and history. Its all about honoring our past so that we can uplift today, so that we can carry on these for future generations, he said. Peters said the tribe is proud of the City of Olympia for embracing the festival and inviting the community to participate in celebrating the tribes culture and heritage. This years festival commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Medicine Creek Treaty as well as the 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision, which reaffirmed Washington tribal treaty rights to an equal share of salmon as well co-management of natural resources. The festival will kick off at 10 a.m. Saturday at Heritage Park with an opening address by Peters, Sue Patnude, the founder of the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team, and Charlene Krise, the director of the Squaxin Island Tribes museum. That will be followed by an inter-tribal cultural exchange between Medicine Creek Treaty tribes. Following that will be speakers, storytellers, musicians, workshops and more. The festival will end with the Healing of the Waters ceremony, the first in 30 years. Its part of the tribes responsibility for protecting and sustaining the natural world. The ceremony symbolizes the connection between land, water and people. Sue Patnude with DERT said the emotional ceremony will take place in front of the dam. Canoes will come in and Medicine Creek Treaty tribes will share the waters. Olympia City Council member Lisa Parshley said she is excited to hear of the upcoming steps to restore the estuary, even though removal of the dam is a long way away. As Sue was talking and Kris, I was dreaming of what this festival will look like when we have the estuary back, and what a joy that will be, Parshley said. A full schedule of events and speakers can be found on the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Teams website. Second Man Arrested in Killing of Retired Indiana Farmer Over 10 Years Later Richard D. Taft, 39, has been charged with murder and two counts of burglary resulting in bodily injury Indiana State Police Lowell R. Badger A second arrest has been made in connection to the 2012 death of a retired Indiana farmer. Nearly 12 years after 85-year-old Lowell R. Badger was found dead on the bedroom floor of his rural Sullivan County home on Dec. 8, 2012, Richard D. Taft, 39, has been arrested in connection to the case and charged with murder and two counts of burglary resulting in bodily injury, the Indiana State Police announced in a press release. Taft was indicted after detectives interviewed 58 witnesses, reported WTWO. A probable cause affidavit obtained by the outlet and reviewed by PEOPLE showed that witnesses claimed Taft was "emotional" and "crying" in the months following Badgers murder. While he denied his involvement to law enforcement, the witnesses claimed he allegedly had different stories about the case. Sullivan County Sheriff's Office/Facebook Lowell R. Badger Related: 9-Year-Old Arizona Girl Killed By Family Dogs While Turning Off Water Spigot Taft is currently serving time at the Indiana State Prison after being convicted for conspiracy/dealing methamphetamine, online records from the Indiana Department of Corrections reviewed by PEOPLE show. His current projected release date is 2031. His latest charges come three months after a grand jury indicted William Ray Grimes in connection to Badger's death. Grimes was charged with murder, burglary, and conspiracy to commit burglary following six days of evidence and testimony in April, the Indiana State Police previously announced. This is the beginning of the criminal process. Once again, we encourage anyone that has information related to the murder of Mr. Badger to contact the Indiana State Police," special prosecuting attorney Rob Roberts said in a statement at the time. Sullivan County Sheriff's Office William Ray Grimes Related: Va. Mom, Boyfriend Charged with Murder of 2-Year-Old Who Died of Blunt Force Trauma The Indiana State Police previously announced that Badger "died as a result of a gunshot wound suffered during a burglary of his residence." "Taken during the burglary was Lowells safe, a light to medium dark gray color, measuring 23 1/2 tall, 17 in depth, and 17 wide, in pristine condition, and manufactured by John D. Brush and Company. (The photo is of a similar safe; Mr. Badger's safe was in pristine condition.) Also taken was his black 46 Sony Bravia LCD television," the press release states. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. In his obituary, Badger was remembered as an active member of Kingsley Memorial UMC since 1960. He also served for 28 years on various committees and boards at the Sullivan County Credit Union, 40 years with the Island Levee Conservancy District, and eight years as District 7 Director of Farm Bureau. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. ISLAMABAD, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least one person has been killed with 12 others injured in a hand grenade attack in Quetta, the provincial capital of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, police said on Thursday. Station House Officer of the Civil Lines Police Station Naseebullah told Xinhua that some unknown miscreants riding on a motorcycle hurled two hand grenades at the victims who were then sitting in front of a restaurant near the railway station late Wednesday night. "The terrorists threw two hand grenades at the people. One of them did not explode while the other exploded," said the official, adding that police and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the body of the killed railway employee and the injured people to a hospital. Balochistan health department's media coordinator Waseem Baig told Xinhua that all the injured, including three children, were in a stable condition. The banned outfit Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the attack. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. Another person has been charged after a child overdosed through meth exposure earlier this week. St. Louis County Police charged 34-year-old Danelle Woodard with endangering the welfare of a child. Her husband, 40-year-old Christopher Woodard, was charged Wednesday with endangering the welfare of a child, along with unlawful use of a weapon. According to a probable cause statement, police learned of the overdose around 8 p.m. Tuesday, responding to a home in the 2300 block of Battlefield Dr. in Florissant to offer aid to the child. Investigators say the child tested positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl. While speaking with authorities, Christopher admitted to using meth with Danelle in their bedroom before placing a 1-year-old child in the bed, per the probable cause statement. Authorities later discovered a jar of a crystal-like substance in the bedroom, later identified as meth. Employee selling stolen items from job on Facebook caught at work While Danelle was being arrested, police found a white capsule, which matched what authorities discovered on the couples bedroom floor. She stated that the pill was fentanyl. Investigators also found a handgun lying on the bed. The child was admitted to the PICU. The Missouri Childrens Division has been given custody of the victim and sibling. Danelle and Woodard are both being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. WASHINGTON The Secret Service is amping up its protection of former President Donald Trump in the wake of his near-assassination, including using bulletproof ballistic glass at some of his outdoor rallies and adding protective detail agents where warranted. Some of those agents might come from the protective detail for President Joe Biden due to his reduced travel schedule after leaving the 2024 race, as part of a complex series of rotating deployments, according to a source familiar with the planning. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operational security matters, and said the changes were warranted due to the increased threat of violence to the former president. The move to upgrade Trump's security comes just over a month after the Secret Service failed to protect the GOP presidential nominee last month from a sniper who crawled up onto the roof of a nearby building at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, managed to fire off eight rounds from an AR-style rifle before before being shot and killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper stationed on another nearby rooftop. Trump was wounded in the right ear and one rallygoer was killed and two others injured in the assassination attempt. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle resigned, and the agency pledged to beef up security so that none of its several dozen protectees are that vulnerable again. The decision to deploy the ballistic glass an expensive and logistically complicated one is somewhat unusual because it is traditionally only used for sitting presidents and vice presidents, the source familiar with the planning told USA TODAY. Thats because it's transported using military aircraft that accompany the president on trips. Candidates for president, even a former president like Trump, are not provided with such military transportation and logistics support. Ensuring safety of candidates and presidents the 'highest priority' The Secret Service declined to comment on the changes, saying in a statement that Ensuring the safety of our protectees is the U.S. Secret Services highest priority. However, to protect the integrity of our operations, we cannot comment on the specific protective means and methods used. The source familiar with the planning confirmed the changes, saying that the agency aims to provide whatever level of security is required for all of its protectees. Regarding Trumps protective detail, Secret Service spokeswoman Alexi Worley said the agency cant confirm the specifics of how many agents are assigned to Biden or to Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. But she said that in his capacity as President, Biden receives the highest level of protection from the Secret Service. The agencys Presidential Protective Division is made up of several hundred highly trained special agents, technical security and mission support personnel, Worley said in a statement. On a case-by-case basis for complex and large-scale events, experienced Presidential Protective Division personnel may assist in advance planning for former President Donald Trump and other high level protectees," she said. "This support is separate from Presidential Protective Division operational demands. This practice has been commonly used during the United Nations General Assembly in New York and when other high-security world leaders visit the U.S., according to the Secret Service. Secret Service under heavy fire for Trump near-assassination The Secret Service has suffered intense criticism since Trump was nearly killed at the July 13 rally, especially for allowing Crooks to get a clear shot at the candidate. That and other failures, including communication breakdowns with local police, led to Cheatle's resignation. Before resigning, Cheatle said she had already begun bolstering the protective details of the candidates for president, including at both parties nominating conventions. The Democrats are set to convene in Chicago on Monday to anoint Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Trump has not held an outdoor campaign event since the shooting in Butler. He also has faced threats from Iranian operatives, U.S. intelligence officials have said. Earlier this month, a Pakistani national with ties to Iran was charged in a plot to murder a U.S. politician or government official, potentially in response to the Trump administration's 2020 killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday. More: Iran-linked plotter who may have targeted Donald Trump arrested, charged in New York The source familiar with the new and sensitive security dynamics said that because Trump still wont have military logistics support, the ballistic glass will be positioned around the country and used by the Secret Service when deemed necessary for a particular venue. The agency is providing other augmented safety measures as well, including increased staffing and tools like aerial drones to better mitigate threats at outdoor rallies. An expensive and complicated undertaking Former Secret Service Director John Magaw said its not easy to lug around and set up the massively heavy ballistic glass panels for an outdoor rally like the ones Trump likes to hold. But he said they can be instrumental in providing security, especially at outdoor locations where there are too many vantage points from which a potential sniper could shoot. Normally your counter-sniper supervisor comes in a day or two early. They do a flyover of a drone and take pictures and everything. And then you decide how you're going to cover direct line of fire, Magaw told USA TODAY. You can either cover it with glass, the protective glass that'll handle a rifle shot, or you can split the venue into four quadrants, with each one covered by a separate counter-sniper team. Magaw said that often both tactics are used, providing a very effective shield. In the past, he said, the glass armor, as the Secret Service often calls it, often required specific measurements to tailor it to a particular venue. You need to put the glass up in such a way that it takes away the angle that any shooter might try to use, Magaw said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's outdoor rallies tol get bulletproof glass, Secret Service says Secretary of State Bob Evnen listens to testimony about the May 2024 primary election as part of the Board of State Canvassers on June 10, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen will not ask the Board of Pardons at its meeting next week to consider restoring voting rights to people who have completed their felony convictions. Evnens office announced Thursday he will pull an agenda item for the Aug. 20 meeting of the Pardons Board, of which he is a member, in light of pending litigation before the Nebraska Supreme Court. Evnens office said he will not remove existing voters from voting rolls for now. The announcement comes one day after the high court scheduled oral arguments in a lawsuit seeking to force Evnen to follow two state laws, brought by Civic Nebraska and other voting rights advocates. The only acceptable path forward is for our states election officials to follow the law, which protects these Nebraskans right to vote, Civic Nebraska spokesman Steve Smith said in a statement. Using the Board of Pardons to restore only *some* Nebraskans voting rights would have been an unnecessary half-measure. In 2005, the Legislature passed Legislative Bill 53, which mandated that the voting rights disqualification stemming from a felony sentence be automatically waived two years after the sentence was completed. LB 20, passed this year, ended the disqualification as soon as the sentence was completed. On July 17, two days before LB 20 took effect, Evnen announced Attorney General Mike Hilgers had issued an opinion that both laws were an unconstitutional encroachment on the executive branch. Hilgers, Evnen and Gov. Jim Pillen form the Pardons Board. Evnen instructed county election officials to stop registering voters with felony convictions unless the Pardons Board had restored their voting rights. He said he intended to bring a motion to pardon those with felony convictions who had registered to vote under the 2005 law, but he has since reversed his stand. I am hopeful that the Nebraska Supreme Court will quickly issue a decision prior to the November general election, Evnen said in a statement. We will follow whatever direction the Court gives us regarding felon registrations. State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, who championed LB 20, said during floor debate Thursday that he wasnt surprised by Evnens decision. He said he didnt fault the Pardons Board because it would need to make decisions involving thousands of impacted voters. I dont know how you do that in the amount of time, so I think that was problematic from the beginning, Wayne said. State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha, who has been a close ally of Wayne on this issue, said the situation makes no sense but said he is happy Evnen wont remove voters from voting rolls. Its just crazy times in this world, in this state, in America where were still having to fight for people to have the right to vote, McKinney said on the legislative floor. Were still fighting for the dignity of incarcerated individuals. Wayne said that it is up to the courts to decide the laws constitutionality. He said people shouldnt have to file a lawsuit to uphold the law. Putting confusion into the process is a form of voter suppression, in my opinion, Wayne continued. I have a fundamental problem with any constitutional officer or otherwise elected who can make a decision on their own that something is unconstitutional and decide not to follow the law that we passed. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX When to see August's blue supermoon, which won't be blue but may be extra bright There is magic in the sky each month when the full moon rises, marking the alignment of the sun, Earth and our planet's only natural satellite. It's an ancient indicator of time, and one that Native American tribes recognized as a signal of the changing seasons. They gave the moons names to mark the occasions, and while sky-gazers have variations on why moons garner certain monikers, most can agree on the ethereal appeal of the quiet and reliable lunar performance. August's full moon, which rises Monday, Aug. 19, is special because it is an unusual combination of a blue moon and a supermoon. While there are different definitions for both blue moons and supermoons, this month's moon is considered blue because it is the third of four full moons in a season. It's also the first blue moon since August 2023. But that blue moon was considered blue because it was the second full moon in the the month, according to Earthsky.org. Supermoon stalwarts say there is only one supermoon per year and that is the one that comes closest to Earth during its orbit. But there are also those who say a supermoon occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth, which means there can be more than one. Under the second definition, August's supermoon will be the first of four consecutive full moons this year. NASA says supermoons appear slightly brighter and larger than a regular full moon, but the differences may be indistinguishable to the casual observer. How the town of Jupiter got its name: Is Jupiter, Fla. really named after the planet Jupiter? So while August's full moon is super and blue, you may not see a size difference and the color will not be blue. Other names for August's full moon include the sturgeon moon, green corn moon and grain moon. Here are explanations for the names of all full moons: Wolf Moon, January The Wolf Moon rises over the Atlantic Ocean on Jan. 6, 2023, at Ross Witham Beach on Hutchinson Island in Martin County. January is dark and cold, giving over its evenings to wolves who howl and hunt amid the deep snowpack of midwinter. It has other names, according to a compilation by Western Washington University, including the Maker Moon, Great Spirits Moon, and from the Arapaho tribe of the Great Plains, the moon when snow blows like spirits in the wind. Snow Moon, February A Snow Moon rises over Milwaukee on Feb. 27, 2021. February was a time when food stores may have been running low and hunting in the snow was difficult. For the Arapaho, February was the moon of frost sparkling in the sun. The Assiniboine in the Northern Plains called it the Long Dry Moon. Worm Moon (or Crow Moon), March A full Worm Moon rises over Scituate, Massachusetts on March 18, 2022. This is a time when the land softens, the earthworms reappear and the robins return. Basically, it signals the end of winter. It was also called the Crow Moon by northern tribes, and the moon of buffalo dropping their calves by the Arapaho of the Great Plains. Pink Moon, April A Pink Moon rises over Phoenix on April 7, 2020. In April, the groundcover phlox would appear with pink flowers signaling spring. It was also called the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, and the Full Fish Moon, which was a nod by some coastal tribes to shad coming upstream to spawn. Sometimes this is the first full moon after the spring equinox, marking it as the Paschal Full Moon. The Paschal Full Moon, which sometimes occurs in March, determines what date Easter falls on. Flower Moon, May A Flower Moon rises over Fountain Hills, Arizona, on May 6, 2020. Flowers become more abundant in May, but May's moon is also called the Full Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon. In the Northern Plains, it was given the name the Idle Moon. The Cherokee of the East Coast called it the Planting Moon. Strawberry Moon, June A Strawberry Moon sets over the Kennedy Space Center on June 15, 2022. June is the time to pick strawberries. It is also a time when the corn is not yet ripe, giving June the name the Green Corn Moon or the Full Leaf Moon. The Arapaho of the Great Plains dubbed this moon the moon when the buffalo bellows. Buck Moon, July In July, deer begin to grow their new antlers. The Apache of the Southern Plains called July the moon of the horse/time of ripeness. Sturgeon Moon, August Fishing is robust in August in many areas around the Great Lakes. The Anishinaabe of the Great Lakes also called this the Berry Moon, while their neighbors to the northeast, the Algonquin, said the August moon is when Indian corn is edible. Harvest Moon, September A jet flies in front of the Harvest Moon on approach to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix in September 2002. According to Space.com, the Harvest Moon traditionally is the moon closest to the fall equinox, which is usually Sept. 22 or 23. Fall vegetables including corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and wild rice are ready to harvest. The Arapaho of the Great Plains call September the Drying Grass Moon. Hunter's Moon, October With the harvest gathered, October is a time to hunt. It is also a time for a marked change in seasons, with the Arapaho calling October the Falling Leaves Moon, and the Algonquin calling it the moon of white frost on grass. Beaver Moon, November A Beaver Moon rises above a rocky canyon wall in Dinosaur National Monument, on the border between Colorado and Utah. There are different ideas on why November is the Beaver Moon, including that it is a time when beavers are active before winter and that it is a signal to set traps before waterways freeze. The Abenaki of Northeast Maine called November the Freezing River Maker Moon. Cold Moon, December The first day of astronomical winter is Dec. 21 or 22. It is when the top half of the Earth is tilted away from the sun, giving way to colder days and longer nights. The Cherokee also called it the Snow Moon. To the Comanche of the Southern Plains, it was the Evergreen Moon. What's a Supermoon? The term supermoon has many meanings. For staunch astronomers, it is usually the closest moon of the year to Earth, but astrophysicist Fred Espenak gives the title to full moons that come within 90 percent of the closest approach to Earth. Depending on the source, there could be one, four or six supermoons on average a year. What about a Blue Moon? Blue Moons, like Supermoons, have different definitions. Some steadfast blue mooners consider a moon blue only if it's the second full moon in a month. But Blue Moons can also be defined as the third of four full moons in a season the time between a solstice and an equinox, according to EarthSky.org. "How can both of them be Blue Moons? The answer stems from the nature of skylore, and folklore in general. Its lore. And its of the 'folk.' So it sometimes gets messy," wrote EarthSky columnists Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd. Kimberly Miller is a veteran journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate and how growth affects South Florida's environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: August moon is also supermoon and a blue moon: full moons explained U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) exits Manhattan federal court on July 16, 2024, in New York City. Menendez and his wife Nadine are accused of taking bribes of gold bars, a luxury car, and cash in exchange for using Menendez's position to help the government of Egypt and other corrupt acts according to an indictment from the Southern District of New York. The jury found Menendez guilty on all counts. (Adam Gray | Getty Images) Sen. Bob Menendez is withdrawing his bid as an independent candidate for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, ending a once-storied political career marred by accusations and an eventual conviction on bribery and corruption charges. Menendez, 70, informed the New Jersey Division of Elections by email Friday afternoon in a letter that was publicly released by the Secretary of States office, which oversees elections. The deadline to withdraw from the Nov. 5 election is Friday at 11:59 p.m. His withdrawal from the race comes four days before he was expected to resign. Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday morning that his former chief of staff, George Helmy, will fill the seat until voters pick a new senator in November. I am advising you that I wish to have my name withdrawn from the ballot, Menendez wrote in an email sent to Donna Barber, acting director of the state Division of Elections. Menendez, a Democrat, filed in June to run as an independent candidate while he sat almost daily in a Manhattan courthouse fighting 16 federal charges of bribery, extortion, acting as an agent of a foreign government, obstruction of justice, and fraud. In mid July, he was convicted on all counts. He has steadfastly maintained his innocence since his September indictment and throughout his 10-week trial and vowed to appeal. Amid pressure from top Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Cory Booker, Menendez announced shortly after his conviction that hed resign. Menendezs political career began at age 20, when he was elected to the Union City School Board of Education, and later served as Union Citys mayor. He was first appointed to the Senate in 2006 by then-Gov. Jon Corzine to fill a vacant seat. He was re-elected three times since then, eventually becoming chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, was well-known for fighting for immigrants rights and was revered by the Latino community. He also served on the finance and banking committees. His latest criminal troubles werent his first. In 2015, he was charged with bribery for accepting gifts from Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor and major donor, in exchange for his political influence. That case ended in a 2017 mistrial, and Menendez was re-elected the following year. In his current case, federal prosecutors in New York accused the senator last fall and in several superseding indictments of trying to disrupt the criminal probes and prosecutions of friends and associates, working to help his friends business interests, and doing political favors for Egypt and Qatar in exchange for cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, and other valuables. In March, prosecutors added obstruction of justice charges, after Menendez repaid some of the money he and his wife Nadine received and claimed it was loans. His trial began in May, with colorful testimony from powerful political players that revealed the senators secret meetings in steakhouses and stories of how advisors schemed to plant articles in the press. Menendez did not testify at the trial, and jurors found him guilty on all counts after three days of deliberations. He was tried alongside two businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, who were also convicted on all counts. A third businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and testified against the three men. Nadine Menendez was also charged, but the judge delayed her trial indefinitely after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The senator, Hana, and Daibes are expected to be sentenced Oct. 29 in federal court in Manhattan. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX As humans continue to expand into nature, our impact on wildlife movements will only increase. But proposed new legislation is hoping to mitigate those issues. In June, California Senator Alex Padilla introduced the Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act, a bipartisan bill that would establish and help support several current programs that aid in the movement of wildlife through migration corridors and other habitat connectivity. "Wildlife across the country face additional barriers to their migration, threatening the vibrant biodiversity of our nation and putting human lives at risk," Senator Padilla told the Sierra Sun Times. "From the sprawling urban wilderness of Griffith Park to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the Atlantic Flyway, protecting wildlife corridors is a crucial bipartisan priority, and I am glad to work across the aisle to better conserve, restore, and enhance habitat connectivity and migration routes across the nation." The bill promises to establish the "Wildlife Movement and Migration Corridor Program," overseen by the Department of the Interior, "to conserve, restore, or enhance habitat, migration routes, and connectivity." It would also establish the State and Tribal Migration Research Program, with funds directed to state fish and wildlife agencies and tribes to further apply research into migration behaviors, allow funds from the Fish and Wildlife Service to support connectivity, and direct collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey to continue mapping wildlife movements. Migration corridors, like the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing currently under construction in California, help wildlife safely cross roadways. The bridge's construction began after public outcry over the death of P-22, a well-known mountain lion in the area that died alone in Griffith Park with no mate after crossing multiple freeways. These kinds of habitat protection efforts help reduce accidents between humans and animals. The Pew Charitable Trust reported that 1 to 2 million crashes occur between vehicles and large animals every year, resulting in roughly "200 human deaths, 26,000 injuries, and at least $8 billion in property damage and other costs." Protecting wildlife by providing safe passage through busy roadway areas keeps both humans and the environment safer and allows nature to run its course by letting birds, animals, and fish complete their movements to hunt, breed, and live. Efforts to allow for more wildlife cohabitation with humans are growing across the country as well. In July, the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, began tearing down a parking lot to convert it into a wetland habitat, an effort known as "rewilding." Adding nature back into human lives has benefits beyond just restoring the environment, including mental health and economic benefits. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. ST. LOUIS Missouri U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt is looking to transform St. Louis into the nations defense technology capital. He hosted a meeting with a little over 25 industry leaders in geospatial technologies on Monday, where he announced the National Geospatial Innovation Hub Advancement Act. Through the act, the Taylor Geospatial Institute and other research universities would be funded to help develop a skilled geospatial workforce in St. Louis. Schmitt explained why he thinks the new technology would be a perfect fit for the St. Louis region. St. Louis already has the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which is building a new campus and working to revitalize a St. Louis neighborhood, private investment through the Taylor Geospatial Institute, and other private and public geospatial assets, Scmitt said. Theres no reason to believe that St. Louis cant become the geospatial hub of the country, and Im working to accomplish that exact goal. St. Louis is currently home to the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, which is opening a new $1.7 billion headquarters in north St. Louis in 2025. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. As federal agents closed in on Sergio Pino, new court records show he may have been getting his affairs in order as he prepared to take his life. Before his death by suicide last month, the wealthy Miami-Dade real estate developer had been under a federal investigation looking into whether he hired men to threaten and attempt to kill his estranged wife, Tatiana Pino. In depositions taken earlier this month, Pinos girlfriend and one of his lawyers both said Pino had been behaving normally in the days before his suicide on July 16, after FBI agents showed up to execute a search and arrest warrant at his Cocoplum home. But they, along with Pinos brother, who was also deposed, detailed actions Pino took that could be seen as preparations for the end of his life. Those depositions indicate that the day before he killed himself, Pino was drafting letters, setting aside money to pay bills, amending and signing statements of authority for multiple development projects, and changing the successor trustees for one of his trusts. When asked why she thought Pino would have been making changes to trusts and other entities that day, Nancy Pastor, Pinos longtime girlfriend and business associate, said, Sounds like he wanted to make sure that everything was in order. In the weeks before his death, Pino had repeatedly denied the murder-for-hire allegations. In a note to his employees obtained by the Miami Herald and dated July 15, he doubled down, maintaining his innocence. I love You all from wherever I am, Pino wrote. I promise you that I never tried to hurt anyone. He also suggested that he did not plan to let himself be arrested. I am not going to lose my freedom, he wrote in the same note. Carlos Pino said before his brothers death, Sergio had written him a letter saying that he loved him and that he was innocent. The letter also asked Carlos Pino to take care of their father, Carlos said during his deposition. Carlos Pino is the longtime president of the family business, Century Plumbing Wholesale. Tatiana Pinos lawyer asked during the deposition if Carlos Pino had read the letters his brother wrote for his daughters, his son-in-law and his employees. Carlos Pino said he had not. Pastor testified that she had also received a note from Pino, a declaration of innocence, from Pinos secretary. She said she did not remember if the letter was dated. In the note to employees dated July 15, Pino instructed his employees to Support Pedrito, presumably referring to Pedro Hernandez. Hernandez is the managing director and VP of construction and land development for Century Homebuilders Group, the company Pino grew into the largest Hispanic-owned home builder in the country. On July 15, Pino also changed the successor trustees of one of his numerous trusts. The trust, which initially included just Hernandez and Pinos son-in-law, Karl Neuman, was changed to include three other Century employees as well. Neuman is married to Pinos daughter Carolina and is the sales and marketing director for Century Homebuilders Group, according to the companys website. Attorney Eugenio Duarte, who assisted Pino as he made the changes, said his client was not behaving strangely on July 15, testifying that the last time I spoke to him he was acting like normal. He said in his last phone call with Pino, his client was his usual self very charismatic and very respectful. Duarte recalled that final conversation during his deposition. He and Pino had originally planned to meet in person on July 15 to sign the documents related to the trust. But Duarte said Pino was hesitating before their scheduled meeting, so he offered to send the documents to Pinos office. And he said, Oh, I appreciate that. Im very busy today. And that was it. That was the last time I spoke to him, Duarte testified. That day, Pino also made changes to statement of authority documents for a number of his development projects, Duarte testified. On July 15, Pino also set aside money to pay for his fathers medical bills, Pastor testified. She said Pino had given her an envelope with money to pay his fathers doctor. But even then, Pastor said she did not suspect he would kill himself the next day. I had absolutely no reason to believe that there was anything going on, Pastor said during a deposition earlier this month. Pastor said he did not appear agitated when she saw him that day. The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiners Office has not yet released Pinos autopsy report. Pino was cremated following an open-casket viewing and wake late last month. The viewing was held on July 25 at the Caballero Rivero funeral home in Westchester. That afternoon, his brother hosted a wake for Sergio at Carlos home in the South Miami area. According to people familiar with the gathering, Sergio Pino had created a guest list that included a few hundred family members, friends and colleagues. The rags-to-riches son of Cuban immigrants, Pino had choreographed the food, drinks, music and atmosphere to reflect his heritage. The guests, many wearing guayaberas, dined on croquetas, lechon asado and arroz con habichuelas as the tunes of Pinos favorite Cuban American singer, Willy Chirino, played in the background. But what struck some guests as odd was the open casket. Pino, wearing a baseball cap, a red shirt and shorts, was on display both at the funeral home and at his brothers house. Pinos will was signed in March. Tatiana Pino, who has spent the past two years in the throes of a contentious divorce case with her husband of 30 years, is now contesting the will, claiming that her husbands attempts to have her killed betrayed an unstable mental condition that should invalidate the document altogether. Sergio Pino had numerous trusts at the time he signed his will. Tatiana was not a beneficiary of any of those trusts, Duarte said during a deposition earlier this month. Carlos Pino testified about turmoil within Century Homebuilders following his brothers death. When Sergio was alive, Tatiana Pino owned 50% of Century Homebuilders Group, and Carlos Pino testified that she is now claiming she owns it in its entirety, something he vehemently rejects. Tatiana Pino is now listed as president of the company on the Century website. The dispute between Carlos Pino and Tatiana Pino is part of a larger conflict. Uncertainty over the distribution of marital assets began during the divorce proceedings and has persisted in probate court. Now, a longer list of heirs, including Sergio Pinos four children, will be taken into consideration as the estate is divided up. Sergio y Tatiana Pino. Tatiana Pino filed for divorce in April 2022, when she came to believe her husband had been poisoning her with fentanyl. She had just returned from a stay at Johns Hopkins University, where doctors detected the drug in her system after years of unexplained health issues. FBI charging documents released after Pinos death indicate that investigators believe he did attempt to poison his wife. Tatiana Pino also accused her husband of orchestrating threats that began after she filed for divorce, including a hit-and-run at her Pinecrest home, multiple arsons at her sisters residence and a threatening letter. Most recently, she accused her husband of contracting an armed attack at her house in June. On June 23, as Tatiana Pino was arriving home from church, a man later identified as Vernon Green charged at her with a gun in her driveway, according to the FBI. She escaped, driving her car into her backyard and honking her horn. When her adult daughter heard the commotion and came outside, Green brandished the gun at her, too, according to FBI charging documents. Green has pleaded not guilty. We are planning to vigorously defend the case, Richard Serafini, Greens lawyer, told the Herald. The day after the attack, federal agents raided Sergio Pinos home for the first time. Nine people have been arrested in connection with the allegations, including Bayron Bennett, who worked on the Pinos yacht. In his final note to employees, Pino blamed Bennett for the attacks. Bayron is a criminal but the fact that he used to work for me creates a doubt, he wrote. Bennett, who was arrested in March, has pleaded not guilty. A representative for Bennetts legal team said they did not wish to comment on the allegations. A motion signed by Pino and filed by his divorce lawyer about two weeks before Pino took his life detailed his distress over the allegations, which became public after the FBIs first raid in June. Mr. Pino has been humiliated in front of his children, his family, his colleagues, his employees and his friends, the motion read. Mr. Pino is overwhelmed and distraught by these false accusations. Even after his death, motions filed in the divorce case show Pinos legal team has maintained his innocence. One motion called the allegations scandalous, immaterial, and impertinent to the divorce case. Its unclear what exactly Pino knew leading up to the moment federal agents arrived at his home early on July 16. The day before, Pino had talked to Fausto Villar, one of the men later arrested in the murder-for-hire plot, for about three minutes on WhatsApp, according to investigators. They also exchanged WhatsApp messages. Agents had a search warrant for cellphone call logs and messages between the men, but they could not listen in on their conversations. The call between Villar and Pino took place shortly after Avery Bivins, another defendant in the alleged murder-for-hire plot, agreed to take part in a monitored phone call with Villar, according to FBI charging documents. In the July 15 phone conversation, Villar warned Bivins that federal investigators might connect the first attempts to threaten Tatiana Pino the hit-and-run and the arsons with the second attempt outside her home in June involving the gunman, leading to a possible conspiracy charge against all of the suspects, according to FBI criminal complaints and affidavits. Villar told Bivins to take care of his people in the second crew, implying he needed to keep them in line and that they would be rewarded for their loyalty. By then, three other suspects in that crew had already been arrested: Clementa Johnson, his cousin, Vernon Green, and another associate, Diori Barnard. Barnard was arrested on drug and gun charges on June 25. Johnson was arrested July 2 in connection with the FBIs murder-for-hire probe, but his complaint wasnt unsealed until July 19. Green was arrested on July 15. Villar also said that Pino had expressed concern about their arrests and that they might be talking to investigators, according to FBI charging documents. Villar instructed Bivins to make sure the three arrested suspects did not give [them] up, suggesting they try to position the armed attack on Tatiana Pino as a botched robbery, the FBI documents say. The Informal Discussion Between the Foreign Ministers of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand is held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Aug. 16, 2024. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe, and Eksiri Pintaruchi, Thai permanent secretary of foreign affairs, attended the informal discussion. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong) BANGKOK, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand discussed cross-border crimes Friday at the Informal Discussion Between the Foreign Ministers of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that security is the prerequisite and foundation for the development of all countries. At present, he said, the security situation in the region is undergoing complex changes, and cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud have persisted, jeopardizing the safety of people's lives and property, and affecting social stability and national image. Only when countries in the region step up their joint efforts to combat these crimes can the high incidence of criminal offenses be effectively reversed, said Wang. He said the China-proposed Global Security Initiative has received positive responses from countries including Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. On the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty, the four countries have jointly carried out a series of activities to combat cross-border crimes and arrested more than 50,000 people involved in gambling and fraud since last year, Wang added. Taking the Global Security Initiative as a guide, China is willing to work with other countries to increase joint efforts to crack down on cross-border crimes and safeguard the tranquility of their homelands. He called for tightening the border control network, guarding the borders of each country, controlling important ports, and completely blocking illegal border crossing routes of ill-intentioned people. Wang also urged to facilitate the smooth exchange of intelligence and information and continue to carry out joint operations to repatriate the lawless persons who have fled across the border and bring them to justice in a timely manner. He urged to convene a ministerial meeting on law enforcement and security cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong region at an early date, advance the operation of "the Safety of the Lancang-Mekong Region," mobilize resources from all sides, integrate human resources, intelligence, technology and equipment, coordinate joint operations among the four countries, and comprehensively enhance the efficiency of transnational cooperation. Countries should deepen exchanges and cooperation in legal and judicial fields, conduct judicial and law enforcement training and coordinated training, and enhance their combatting and governance capacity, Wang said. The four sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and maintain closer coordination, and intensify efforts to combat cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, drug trafficking and human trafficking, so as to jointly safeguard the peace and tranquility of the region. Jerrod Sessler, left, is running for a seat that U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, right, has held since 2015. (Photos courtesy of campaigns) Its been clear for several days that MAGA Republican Jerrod Sessler and Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse would face each other in November after they secured the top spots in the Aug. 6 primary. Whats been unknown is what the other Republican in the primary with former President Donald Trumps endorsement would do after finishing third in the contest for the 4th Congressional District seat in central Washington. On Wednesday, in her first public statement since ballot counting began, Tiffany Smiley thanked supporters but made no mention of Sessler who garnered 33% of the vote, Newhouse is second with 23.5% followed by Smiley with 19%. I will never stop fighting for those who recognize the need to promote and support conservative values, she said. We will never stop fighting for you, our state and our country. Those familiar with the congressional contest said the two Republicans havent spoken and shes not endorsed him. Smileys entry into the race in May reportedly didnt sit well with Sessler. Until then, he had campaigned for months as the only Republican challenger to Newhouse. Plus he had the endorsements of the state Republican Party and former President Donald Trump. Smiley, who lost her bid for U.S. Senate in 2022, altered the race dynamics and, in the final days of the primary, snagged Trumps endorsement too. Sessler initially issued a statement Wednesday implying Smiley was on board with his campaign. I am very thankful for the support and encouragement from Tiffany Smiley, he said. He struck a different tone in an updated version put out hours later. I have a great deal of respect for Tiffany Smiley. She fought a hard race and was a strong competitor, he said. Tiffany and I are both fighting for the same reasons, so as I move on to the general, I am confident that I have her support against Dan Newhouse. I look forward to her input as we move forward to ensure that Washingtons 4th district is represented by the only Trump-endorsed America First candidate in the race, Sessler wrote. Newhouse is trying to keep the House seat hes held since 2015. Hes one of 10 GOP House members who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 and one of only two still serving in the chamber. That made him a target for the former president. Sessler is a Navy veteran and businessman. He ran for the seat two years ago but did not advance out of the primary. The 4th district covers much of central Washington, from the Canadian border to Oregon, including the Yakima Valley, the Yakama Indian Reservation, the Tri-Cities, Moses Lake and parts of the North Cascades and the Colville Reservation. A Palestinian stands in his home the morning after it was torched in a rampage by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Jit, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser) JIT, West Bank (AP) Israeli leaders on Friday roundly condemned a deadly settler rampage in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a rare Israeli denunciation of the settler violence growing more common since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The settler riot in the village of Jit, near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, killed one Palestinian and badly injured others late Thursday, Palestinian health officials said. Residents interviewed by The Associated Press said at least a hundred masked settlers entered the village, shot live ammunition at Palestinians, burned homes and cars and damaged water tankers. Video showed flames engulfing the small village, which residents said was left to defend itself without military help for two hours. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he took the riots seriously and that Israelis who carried out criminal acts would be prosecuted. He issued what appeared to be a call for settlers to stand down. Those who fight terrorism are the IDF and the security forces, and no one else, he said, using an acronym for the Israeli military. President Isaac Herzog also condemned the attack, as did Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who said the settlers had attacked innocent people. He added they did not represent the values" of settler communities. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, as the heartland of a future state, a position with wide international backing. Rights groups say that arrests for settler violence are rare, and prosecutions even rarer. Israels left-leaning Haaretz newspaper reported in 2022 that based on statistics from the Israeli police, charges were pressed in only 3.8% of cases of settler violence, with most cases being opened and closed without any action being taken. It was unclear why the Jit attack yielded such a strong rebuke from Israeli leaders. A similar settler riot in the village of Al-Mughayyir in April went without comparable mention from the authorities. The Jit attack comes as Israel is under heightened international scrutiny over its role in cease-fire talks with American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha, yet another attempt to broker an end to the 10-month-old war. The French foreign minister and the British foreign secretary were also in Israel on Friday for meetings with diplomatic officials, and both condemned the attack. The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, said he would propose EU sanctions against "violent settlers enablers, including some Israeli governments members. The U.S. has broadly condemned settler violence and the expansion of Israels West Bank settlements. U.S. Ambassador Jack Lew wrote on the social media platform X on Friday that he was appalled by the attack, and the White House National Security Council called violent settler attacks unacceptable. Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence, and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account," it said in a statement. Other Israeli officials distinguished between the settler attack on Jit and the larger Israeli settlement project, which the international community views as illegal under international law. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich an ultranationalist settler who has turbocharged settlement expansion, railed against U.S. sanctions on violent settlers and previously defended violent settlers as heroes labeled the rioters criminals who were in no way related to the settlement and the settlers. We are building and developing settlements in a legal and official manner, Smotrich wrote on X, adding that he reject(s) any expression of anarchist criminal violence that has nothing to do with love for the land and the desire to settle in it. Ultra-orthodox Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel called on Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency to investigate those involved and said the riot ran against Jewish values and harmed the settlement enterprise. Since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, violence has flared in the occupied territory. Palestinian health officials say 633 Palestinians, including 147 children and teenagers, have been killed by Israeli fire and over 5,400 injured. Many have been killed during Israeli military raids into Palestinian cities and towns, but settlers have killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, and injured 234 people, according to AIDA, a coalition of nonprofit and other groups working in the territory. The U.N. documented over 1,000 settler attacks in the West Bank since the start of the war, averaging four a day. Thats double the average during the same period last year, AIDA says. Sufian Jit, a resident of the village, said a group of 100 settlers streamed in before sundown Thursday, burning cars, puncturing water tankers and destroying homes. He called the army and firefighters, pleading for help. Firefighters never came, so villagers ran between burning cars to put out the fires, he said. After two hours, he said soldiers arrived. It was more than 100 settlers against us. At the beginning, there were just a few people trying to stop them, and then later the whole town came and stopped them, he said. The Israeli military said late Thursday it had arrested one Israeli civilian in connection with the violence and opened an investigation. Police did not say whether the civilian was still in custody on Friday, but said they were working with the Shin Bet and military to investigate and bring the relevant perpetrators to justice. Mourners prepared Friday for the funeral of young 23-year-old Rasheed Mahmoud abed Al Khadier Sadah. His relative, Ibrahim Sadah, said many residents wanted to help defend the village but had to take shelter once settlers started firing live ammunition. ___ Frankel reported from Jerusalem. SOLDIER, KS (KSNT) Another severe overnight storm left a couple in Soldier without a roof. Ron Youngs said he and his partner Pamela Powell were waiting out the weather at a friends house. They said its a good thing they werent at home. I went around town to see if there was tree limbs down in the intersections, Youngs said, or if there was anybody who might need some help. And after I made my rounds and came home, I realized the entire roof of my house was laying in my driveway. Indianapolis-based company looks to build affordable housing in downtown Topeka The couple took shelter with Thomas Cott and his wife. Cott said when Youngs called to tell him about the damage he went to help right away. Me and my wife and another one of our friends come down here, Cott said. We was here until midnight or 12:30 moving all of their personal belongings out of the front of the house. Cott told 27 News he even took off work the next day to help pick up. When asked what made him take the time to help, Cott said Youngs would do the same. Hes my friend, Cott said. If it happened at my house Im pretty confident hed be there to help me as well. Missing ashes, sewage leaks, and asbestos; Topeka tenants nightmare experience Youngs said he appreciates any support the community can provide. The couple said Dennison State Bank set up a relief fund in Powells name. The bank can be contacted directly for monetary donations. Youngs also says theyll provide information on the Holton community Facebook page about other ways people can help. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) Severe storms hit Western Massachusetts on Thursday afternoon leaving trees blocking road access and others on top of homes. One family in Springfield was interrupted during dinner to a tree landing on their house. Carmen, a mother of two told 22News that a tree went through the roof of her home and into her attic, causing damage to a bedroom and leaving behind a lot of debris. Everyone inside the house is ok, however the family cannot stay in the home for safety reasons. In Longmeadow Thursday evening, 100-year-old trees were ripped out of the ground. Some barely missing homes, landing on driveways and blocking roads. Homeowners were shocked by the intense storm. It was very loud, extremely loud. And there was like lightning, light flashes, and a lot of noise, said Mark Bloom from Longmeadow. Ive never seen trees like this completely uprooted, shared Janet Echeverria of Longmeadow. Some neighbors even worked together to remove trees from their driveway by car. Firefighters roamed through Longmeadow neighborhoods, checking in on the people in each home. Other assistance included the Town of Longmeadow Public Works. They responded to the damage within the hour to assist with cleanup. To stay up to date with severe weather alerts, download the 22News app. Latest Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. By Ramadan Abed GAZA (Reuters) - Seven-year-old Sila Housos mother will not let the girl see her own shrapnel wounds after an Israeli strike that disfigured her head, fractured her forehead and detached a retina. Sila and her family were sheltering in a school when it was bombed on July 27. Without the option of travelling abroad for treatment, life is confined to one of the few hospitals still functioning in war-ravaged Gaza. When Sila asks her mother about her health, Um Sila tells the child she is beautiful. She is one of more than 92,000 Palestinians whom Gaza health authorities say have been wounded in the more than 10-month Israeli offensive. "I don't want to tell her about her situation now, I don't let her see anything because she's pretty and God-willing these are minor injuries that can go," said the mother. "I wish she can leave the country and go abroad to get treated like other children have gone, and return to her normal situation and possibly better so she can live her life in a normal way." The strike that hurt the child, which Israel said targeted Hamas militants using the compound, killed at least 30 Palestinians with 15 children and eight women among the dead, and wounded over 100 people, according to the Gaza media office. SENSE OF HUMOUR GONE Before the war, Sila was outgoing and active with a smile and sense of humour that helped her siblings, her mother said. Now she is different and terrified of schools. She tells me she doesn't want to go to any school, her mother said. Israel says it goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties. It has attacked several schools, saying Hamas militants and commanders operated from them and use civilians as human shields, an allegation the group denies. The U.N. Human Rights Office has recorded at least 21 attacks on schools in Gaza since July 4 of this year. Yet Sila still wants to help other children like the exhausted doctor treating patients at her hospital. Her ambition is "to get treated and to be a doctor, so I can treat sick young children," she said. Hamas started the war with a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in the bloodiest day in Israel's history. Hamas also took over 250 people hostage back to Gaza. Israel's ensuing military campaign has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. (Writing by Catherine Cartier; Editing by Michael Georgy and Andrew Cawthorne) KANSAS CITY, Mo. A 15-year-old student from Shawnee Mission Northwest died two days after he was rushed to a hospital due to a medical emergency. The Shawnee Mission School District confirmed the students death on Friday. Johnson County Med-Act took the student to a hospital in critical condition on Wednesday. The school district identified the student as Ovet Gomez Regalado, a sophomore. Some of Regalados classmates have already spoken out about the tragedy. He was always happy and always had a smile on his face and just kind of lightened up the room, said one fellow classmate. Members of the Shawnee community have been weighing in on the incident as well. Every time we hear these stories from young athletes, we go most of the time to what could have happened? asked Sarahi Ortiz, who lives near the school and has been dealing with the heat herself. Was it the heat? Because its been pretty hot out here. Did he have any conditions that couldve complicated what happened to him? Two killed in Freeman shooting Shawnee Mission Northwests principal sent the following letter home to parents: Dear Shawnee Mission Northwest Staff and Families, I am writing to share some difficult news with you. This morning, we learned of the death of Ovet Gomez Regalado, a sophomore here at Shawnee Mission Northwest, High School. As you can imagine, it has been an extremely difficult time for the family. Ovet was such a warm and wonderful student that touched the hearts of so many in our community. Death is always difficult to handle, but particularly so when someone so young dies. It will be important to recognize that all of us will need time to process what has happened, and to express our feelings. Your child may struggle to make sense of this death. Please encourage your child to express their feelings, and be there to talk with them about what has happened. At the same time, it is important to understand that there will be many details that we do not know. Your child will hear many different things, but please encourage them not to make guesses and spread rumors. The family will need privacy as they struggle to handle their grief, and the administration is asking everyone to respect that privacy. School and district staff will be available to talk with anyone who is struggling to handle their emotions around this difficult issue. If your child would like to talk with someone, please encourage them to let an adult know, and we will help them. Again, there are many questions that we cannot answer, but we can be here to support each other during this difficult time. Please let me know if you have any questions. Sincerely, Lisa Gruman Principal Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. She fought to become a midwife. Now shes fighting to save mothers and their babies in South Sudan Patients and staff sit and walk around in the Doctors Without Borders-run hospital in Bantiu, South Sudan, Monday, June 24,2024. South Sudan's health system suffers, even though the relative peace gives many women easier access to care. The government allocates less than 2% of the national budget to the health ministry. Much of the health system is propped up by aid groups and the international community. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick) BENTIU, South Sudan (AP) Elizabeth Nyachiew was 16 when she watched her neighbor bleed to death during childbirth. She vowed to become a midwife to spare others from the same fate in South Sudan, a country with one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates. If I saw people dying, I wanted to know why," she said. I kept thinking if I was educated, Id know the cause and I could help. Now 36, in her office at a hospital run by the aid group Doctors Without Borders in the city of Bentiu, Nyachiew said she has weathered civil war, hunger and displacement to make it this far. She is one of some 3,000 midwives in South Sudan. The country's health ministry says that number is insufficient to serve the population of 11 million people. And yet her journey shows the extraordinary effort needed to get here. As a girl in Leer in northern Unity State, Nyachiew faced pressure from her family, who didnt think girls should attend school. She stayed home until age 9 helping cultivate beans, pumpkin and maize on their farm. When she finally persuaded her father to let her study, more fighting had begun in the long conflict that eventually ended with South Sudan's independence from Sudan in 2011. Her family fled into the bush. Women were raped and relatives were killed, including her pregnant sister-in-law. As fighting ebbed and flowed, Nyachiew did what she could to study, even traveling to Khartoum and learning Arabic. At 18, she was admitted to a midwifery course sponsored by aid groups and based in Leer. She struggled to understand medical terms and thought shed never pass. During the second year, she became pregnant. The school had a policy of not allowing pregnant women to participate, worried they might be distracted. But Nyachiew wouldnt drop out. She threatened suicide and begged her brother to intervene. The administration let her stay. Nyachiew named her daughter Jephaenia Chigoa, reflecting the term for something good in the Nuer language. Even after she became a midwife, she lived the dangers that many pregnant women in South Sudan face. Much of the country has no road network, meaning that pregnant women often walk for hours or days to the nearest clinic. Some are carried in wheelbarrows or stretchers with the help of relatives and friends. Nyachiew made that journey herself. During one miscarriage, she walked for two hours to the closest clinic in Leer while screaming in pain as blood streamed down her legs. It was 2011, the year of South Sudan's independence. A civil war began two years later, killing nearly 400,000 people and ending only in 2018. When the fighting began, Nyachiew was studying in the capital, Juba. She returned to Leer, and her family again hid in the bush for months as people including four brothers-in-law were killed around them. Soldiers beat her, seeking money. But the most difficult part was still being unable to help pregnant women, watching them die for lack of proper equipment and care. South Sudan has made a fragile recovery from civil war. Violence between some communities remains deadly, and the United Nations says 9 million people 75% of the population rely on humanitarian aid. But even now, Nyachiew lives in a displacement camp along with 100,000 others, including 17 relatives who rely on her as their sole breadwinner. Like others in the camp, she is scared to move out, worried that conflict could resume. South Sudan's health system continues to suffer. The government allocates less than 2% of the national budget to the health ministry, whose system is propped up by aid groups and the international community. Many health centers outside the capital still have a desperate, wartime feel. The changes have been slow and uneven, said Janet Michael, director general for nursing and midwifery at the health ministry. Data collection is so poor that no one knows for sure how many women are dying in childbirth. The U.N. has estimated that 1,200 women die per 100,000 live births. Some women who survive still lose their babies. In June, Nyalith Mauit lost one of her twins while giving birth. Health workers at a clinic struggled to deliver the first twin, who came out feet first. She was transferred to the Doctors Without Borders-run hospital, where Nyachiew leads more than a dozen midwives. But they were unable to deliver the second twin in time. Mauit cradled her surviving day-old son. I am grateful there is a hospital here. If there wasnt, yesterday might have been the end of my life, she said. Nyachiew, slender and serious, holding a walkie-talkie as she did her hospital rounds, hopes to see more midwives emerge to help. The United Nations Population Fund is working with South Sudan's health ministry to train them and create mobile clinics to reach remote areas. But schools lack textbooks and trained tutors, and there is never enough funding, the health ministry said. Nyachiew, who was expecting her sixth child while speaking to The Associated Press, hopes such issues can be addressed by the next generation. My message to little girls is to tell that they have to go to school because school it is very important, because if you go to school, you should become a doctor, you should become a nurse, you should become a midwife," she said. So that you can help the entire community. ___ For more news on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse ___ The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. She was raised in a tiny gold-mining town in Taiwan. Now it's become a tourist trap and she's fighting for the soul of the place. Jiufen's tourism boom is overwhelming its 1,600 residents. The former gold-mining town's transformation into a tourist hot spot hit the big time with the animation "Spirited Away." Tourism has brought business opportunities as well as challenges to the daily lives of residents. "Sorry, but I just work here, I don't live here," said a salesperson as I made my way to a shop in a tiny mountain town in Taiwan in late June. It's a common refrain in Jiufen, just an hour's drive from the Taiwanese capital of Taipei. I looked intently at my Google Maps app before stepping into a small opening between two shops. It led me down a flight of stairs and snaked past several homes before hitting a narrow street. I found my interview location quickly, mostly because Jiufen is so small that it's hard to get really lost. It's also precisely because Jiufen is so small that the millions of tourists primarily daytrippers making their way through its tiny alleyways each year overwhelm the 1,600 residents living here. In 2023, the tourist zone where Jiufen is located welcomed nearly 4 million visitors. Most would be headed for Jiufen, a historic gold-mining town known for its striking likeness to the set of Oscar-winning Japanese animation "Spirited Away." An atmospheric Jiufen at night when red lanterns lining alleyways light up. Xavier Arnau Serrat/Getty Images Mickey Tseng, 36, paused and searched for her words when I asked her what she thought about the changes in the quiet mountain town where she grew up with her grandparents. She, like many others who hail from Jiufen, spent her childhood chasing after frogs, cooking sweet potatoes in the mud, and frolicking by the rivers. "I got really angry with how this place became," Tseng told me. "I looked at the crowds and asked why they didn't think to pay attention to culture and heritage." It's not hard to see Jiufen's allure, especially at dusk, when red lanterns cast a glow on old shopfronts and teahouses that seem to have stood still in time. Or after a shower lifts to leave a mist that stretches into the sea. But, like tourist hot spots from Venice and Barcelona to Kyoto, Jiufen is now more about vibes than history. Reviews throw up predictable descriptions: magical, crowded, tourist trap. Teahouses in Jiufen, Taiwan. Thant Zaw Wai/Getty Images The fading gold-mining town Visitors to the town typically head to Jiufen Old Street, a narrow winding street with shops on both sides hawking anything from tea and Taiwanese snacks to generic tourist junk. Many travelers also duck into the teahouses located in and around the street. Tourists shopping in Jiufen Old Street. Huileng Tan/Business Insider Residents some of whom have lived in the area for generations try to avoid being around Jiufen Old Street during the day, Tseng said. There's nothing they could possibly want from here. "The shops in the old street used to cater to residents' daily needs like groceries, food, clothes, and shoes but as the number of residents dwindled, they all closed one by one," said Tseng, referring to scenes from a Jiufen whose glory days were already over when she was born. Now, the shops in town are mostly geared toward tourists. Many residents make their way down the mountain for their grocery runs. The elderly wait for their kids to visit with their weekly hauls. On the old street today, there is just one OG shop selling braised pork buns, said Tseng. It was closed when I was in the area, but the owners of the shop used to cater all the events around Jiufen from weddings to other celebrations, she added. The shop now mainly caters to tourists. Tseng's Jiufen Born in 1988, Tseng spent her formative years in this tiny Jiufen where everyone knew everyone else. Her mother's family has been living in the area for six generations, she said. They were farmers before gold was discovered the area, sparking a rush that her grandfather, Tseng Shui-Chih, joined around 1949 at the age of 14. Like other gold miners of the time, he set up home in Jiufen, an area that's made up of three parallel streets and one intersecting street. Grandpa Tseng Shui-Chih during his days as a gold miner in Jiufen, Taiwan. Mickey Tseng When the gold rush took hold, as many as 50,000 people lived in Jiufen at one point. But the gold mines shut by 1971 and the town fell into decline. The town's population tanked and the young people like Tseng's mother left to seek work elsewhere. Tseng was born in Taipei. She was sent to live with her grandparents a week later while her parents continued working at a garment factory in the capital. Tseng spent her elementary school and college years away from Jiufen, but was always back during her term breaks. Mickey Tseng as a child in Jiufen, Taiwan. Mickey Tseng As Tseng grew up, she saw the town change from a sleepy town to a tourist hot spot after the Taiwanese movie "A City of Sadness" was filmed in the area. The 1989 film went on to win numerous international awards including the Venice Film Festival's prestigious Golden Lion prize creating a wave of new businesses, notably teahousees, in Jiufen. In 2001, Japanese auteur Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" set off an even bigger wave of sightseeing frenzy. Miyazaki has categorically denied that the mountain town was his inspiration for the animation's set, but it hasn't stopped travelers from coming in droves. Tourists taking photos at Jiufen, Taiwan. Huileng Tan/Business Insider With visitors far outnumbering residents, social spaces for the local community have shrunk significantly. Today, residents tend to emerge from their homes only when tourists leave. Locals like to stroll in the quiet of night, chatting with one another, said Tseng. But it's far from the Jiufen of the past. Now shops close around 7 p.m., which Tseng said is "shocking" because Jiufen used to be a town that never sleeps. "What do you think miners used to do after work?" Tseng asked. It turns out the hard workers did what all hard workers do: eat, drink, be merry, and in this case gamble too: "It was like Las Vegas," she said. Since most shops on the old shopping street used to be run by residents who lived in the same spaces, they would also keep them open late into the night, Tseng said. In the 1990s, following the hype from "A City of Sadness," teahouses in Jiufen even operated into the wee hours of the morning to serve local tourists unwinding over the weekends. Tseng knows because she used to work in one. Today, it can get eerily silent at night in Jiufen after the daytrippers leave which is a different sort of charm in itself. However, it's just not the soul of Tseng's hometown. Launching a night tour business Tseng now hopes to revive some of the nocturnal buzz by running a night tour after daytrippers leave. It's a business as much as a salve for her own existential anxiety. "As things I remember started disappearing, I began to doubt myself. I started to doubt if something I remember really existed in the first place," Tseng said. "I had to do something." She charges 400 New Taiwan Dollars, or $12.30, per person for the tour and can see as many as 25 people for each tour. A minimum of five people are required to form an English tour. The tour starts at the house she shares with her grandmother and uncle, which is also home to a gold ore museum. Founded by Grandpa Tseng, who died in 2012, the museum was what brought Tseng home in the same year. Before returning to Jiufen, Tseng spent her first two years after college in a few unrelated jobs. She taught Chinese in London, and worked two retail jobs in Taipei. Tseng's private museum is simple, with displays of metal ores and tools. At the entrance stands a mining cart with Grandpa Tseng's gear and tools. She charges 120 New Taiwan Dollars per visitor and requires a group of at least 10 people for the museum tour. Tseng doesn't appear to have figured out how to scale up her operations. She markets the tours mainly via local guesthouses. She said she wasn't even receiving a salary in her first decade back in Jiufen, but is driven by a deeper calling. During her tour, she tells stories about what the town used to be. "If a place doesn't have memories and culture, the place will disappear. Jiufen wouldn't be Jiufen anymore," she said. Recently, Tseng also started manning a barbershop after its longtime owner, Miyoko Yang, died at the age of 80. It's not just for heritage but to keep the only barbershop in the neighborhood in service. Resident Mickey Tseng in front of Miyoko Barbershop in Jiufen, Taiwan. Huileng Tan/Business Insider Reimagining authenticity amid over-tourism Like all tourist hot spots, Jiufen residents have a love-hate relationship with the travelers who line up its stairs and clamor into shops. Visitors have taken over their daily spaces, but tourism has also rejuvenated the town and provided residents with commercial opportunities from running guesthouses to renting out their homes as shop spaces. "The lives of residents have been impacted but without sightseeing, this place would not survive," said Tseng. "There were no other industries after mining, and that was why it fell into decline. Tourism gave Jiufen a second life." Tseng is hoping to present a more genuine Jiufen to visitors and to inspire businesses in the area to imagine a future where commercial opportunities can align with the area's heritage. It's a delicate balance. "'Authenticity' to local residents is quite different from what tourists expect," Kevin Cheong, an adjunct lecturer at the Singapore Management University and a project consultant to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, told me. To local residents of the place, authenticity is about retaining traditional ways of life, forms of worship, rites, rituals, and customs. In other words, it's so that they can go about their everyday lives, so the tourist doesn't exist, explained Cheong. "However, to tourists, 'authenticity' is like a show performance where the place is on stage delivering a 'song-and-dance' and they pay for such an experience," he said. Mickey Tseng in front of her home, which also houses the gold ore museum her grandfather founded. Huileng Tan/Business Insider Tseng admitted she has considered escaping the tourist trap that is home many times. But she is not looking to leave now that she's so entwined with the local community. Besides, she can't, the Jiufen local said half-seriously. "I go to the temple every year over the new year to ask about my career and if it's right for me to continue staying here, if there's a future for me here," Tseng said, referring to a traditional practice of drawing a divination lot in answer to a question or request. The Earth God that oversees Jiufen has instructed Tseng to stay put every single year: "He is telling me, 'don't rush, be patient.'" Read the original article on Business Insider SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) A summer-long program at Girls Inc. came to an end Thursday night. In recent weeks, 35 girls participated in the nonprofits summer program called Toolbox. It serves as an introduction to the skilled trades for young women. AEA changes arrive for the 2024-25 school year Local contractors and businesses donated their time and supplies to help with construction. In just six weeks, the girls built two She Sheds, which were both auctioned off Thursday. Its a great thing, Girls Inc. executive director Mandy Engel-Cartie said. We know that the statistics for women in the trades is still really low, so if we can change that trajectory for girls, make sure that they consider something thats different but really exciting, work them and creates a solid future, thats our goal. Thursday nights program also included a dinner and special presentation to Gail Bernstein, who brought the Toolbox idea to Girls Inc. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) The Bedford County Sheriffs Office is reporting a Bedford County Public Schools employee has been charged in a sexual assault investigation. According to the sheriff, on August 6, the Criminal Investigations Until was notified by the Rockingham Sheriffs Office that John Rose IV had allegedly sexually assaulted a female juvenile student in Bedford County that he met while employed as her teacher in another school division. While investigating, it was determined that Rose IV was currently living in Bedford County and working at Bedford County Public Schools. Multiple search warrants were issued, and evidence corroborating the information was allegedly found. Police seized 12 dogs from the Danville Pet Resort after alleged animal abuse complaint On August 16, 2024, Rose was arrested on 4 counts of Taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial or supervisory relationship. Rose IV is currently being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail. We would like to thank the Rockingham County Sheriffs Office and Bedford County Public Schools for their assistance in this investigation. Bedford County Sheriff The investigation is ongoing. If you have any information regarding the incident(s), please call Investigator Hinton at 540-586-4800. You can also call the Central Virginia Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900, or enter your tip online at p3tips.com, or use the P3TIPS app on your mobile device. Crime Stopper callers remain anonymous and could receive a cash reward of up to $1,000.00. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Craig Emerson (2nd L), head of the Australian delegation and former Australian trade minister, shakes hands with Wang Chao (2nd R), executive head of the Chinese delegation and president of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, in Adelaide, Australia, Aug. 16, 2024. The eighth session of the China-Australia High Level Dialogue, co-hosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, was held in the southern Australian city of Adelaide on Friday. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) ADELAIDE, Australia, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The eighth session of the China-Australia High Level Dialogue, co-hosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, was held in the southern Australian city of Adelaide on Friday. Wang Chao, executive head of the Chinese delegation and president of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, read the opening speech by Li Zhaoxing, head of the Chinese delegation and honorary president of the institute. Over the past year, relations between China and Australia have returned to the right track and shown a positive momentum of development, Li, former Chinese foreign minister, said in his speech. The China-Australia High Level Dialogue has played a positive role in this regard and demonstrated its unique value, he said. Li pointed out that the sustained and healthy development of China-Australia relations conforms to the fundamental interests of both countries and is also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. "China's attitude toward developing relations between the two countries is sincere and positive," Li said. "We hope and believe that Australia will share the same attitude and sincerity and work with China to usher in a brighter future of our relations along the right path." Craig Emerson, head of the Australian delegation and former trade minister, said Australia "values the regular engagement and dialogue with China under our comprehensive strategic partnership," which marks its 10th anniversary this year. The dialogue provides an opportunity to discuss areas of possible cooperation, Emerson told the session of about 40 people from both sides. Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said holding the dialogue is "another step in the path of stabilizing the relationship between Australia and China." "A stable relationship with China is not only in Australia's interests, or even just in both countries' interests," Wong said. "It is in the interests of the broader region, which shares our vision of a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous." Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong addresses the eighth session of the China-Australia High Level Dialogue in Adelaide, Australia, Aug. 16, 2024. The eighth session of the China-Australia High Level Dialogue, co-hosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, was held in the southern Australian city of Adelaide on Friday. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) Sheriff Derek Fell appointed a new chief of operations as one of his first orders of business as sheriff. Sheriff Fell wasted no time making his choice, as he appointed Jim Palmer, who has served in various divisions within the Vigo County Sheriffs Office. On August 12, a caucus elected former chief of operations Derek Fell Vigo County Sheriff. The next day, Chief Palmer took over his old position. Chief Palmer has been a Vigo County resident for 36 years, and he says he is ready to serve the community in a larger role. I would describe myself as very hard-working and dedicated. I love my family, I hang out with my family and friends here in town, Palmer said. I go to Maryland Community Church. Vigo County is a huge part of my life, and I am happy to serve the citizens of Vigo County. Chief Palmer has held several roles at the Vigo County Sheriffs Office, dating back to his hiring as a corrections officer at the Vigo County Jail back in 1999. He most recently served as a Lieutenant of Criminal Investigations. Sheriff Fell says this kind of experience shows Palmers work ethic. Chief Palmer has been here for over 20 years, Fell said. Ive known him for a long time, hes shown throughout his entire career his dedication, his motivation, hes ambitious. Hes always proactive in his police work, you can tell he cares. Hes intelligent, hes level-headed, and I also want to surround myself with people who are going to be honest with me. The promotions of Sheriff Fell and Chief Palmer come after the tragic loss of Sheriff John Plasse. Both say they are working to honor his memory in their new roles serving the community. Its with a heavy heart that I take this position in the first place, Palmer said. The passing of Sheriff Plasse is something thats weighing really heavily on our hearts, but Im honored that Sheriff Fell has chose me for this position, and I hope to give it my best and do the best for the citizens of Vigo County. Chief Palmer says he has been adjusting well to his new role, and looks forward to meeting new people across the community. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) The next time that phone rings, be suspicious of who might be on the other end of the line. The Trumbull County Sheriffs office is warning residents of a phone scam, conning residents out of money. The digital age can be a delight, but theres also some inherent danger. A phone-spoofing scam is the latest variation. Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe says the crooks are using the sheriffs office phone number to dupe unsuspecting residents into thinking theyve missed a court date or subpoena and can get out of trouble by paying. If theres a warrant for you, we arent going to call and tell you that you need to pay us, Sheriff Monroe said. If you missed a court date, theres not a fee involved with that. If theres a subpoena issued, there are no fees with that that you need to come and pay. Each year these hoaxes get more and more elaborate in an attempt to shake down money from victims. It just seems over and over again theyre using AI technology, Sheriff Monroe said. They go onto our website and use the names of deputies that work here or administrative staff. But tracking down the crooks, thats a challenge in itself. Its difficult for us to prosecute these persons, Sheriff Monroe said. One of the reasons is when theyre spoofing our numbers, theres a computer-generated number that its attached to. IP addresses are changing. Its constantly revolving the different numbers. Sheriff Monroe says the Sheriffs office will never contact you asking for any past due payment or fines to be paid via gift cards. And if something sounds suspicious it probably is. Hang up and contact the sheriffs office directly to verify any unusual phone calls. You can also download the Trumbull County Sheriffs Office app that can warn you of scams like these. The Sheriffs office will never call you and tell you were going to send a deputy to your house. Or were going to send a private service out to pick up money, Sheriff Monroe said. If that happens, its a scam. Please contact your local police department. Contact the sheriffs office. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. The fake electors who worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election results still have their hands in American politics. The fake electors have since donated en masse to Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance, along with scores of other Republicans, according to campaign finance records obtained by The Guardian. Meshawn Maddock, one of the 16 fake electors criminally charged in Michigan and former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, has donated more than $1,800 to Trump this campaign cycle. Tyler Bowyer, a charged fake elector in Arizona, has donated $645 to the Republican nominee. A fake elector in Georgia who has not been criminally charged, David Hanna, has given at least $25,000 to Trump this year alone. It is incredibly rare for politicians to accept campaign contributions from people under indictment, Michael Beckel, the research director at election watchdog group Issue One, told The Guardian. Its generally not good optics for politicians to accept money from people accused of serious wrongdoing. Political candidates generally dont want to be tied to convicted or accused felons. Yet in certain circles, association with the people who served as fake electors for Donald Trump in 2020 may be a badge of honor. Republicans running in U.S. House races have also benefited from their affiliation to Trump and efforts to overturn the 2020 election, raking in campaign contributions from the fake electors on their home turf. In 2023, Arizona Representative Eli Crane received $2,900 from Jim Lamon, one of the 18 criminally charged co-defendants in that state, and Representative Yvette Herrell has received more than $3,000 and $2,900 from a pair of fake electors in New Mexico. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The man who fled from the Sioux City Fleet Farm on a bicycle after stealing a firearm was sentenced on Thursday. Lythung Thach, 23, of Sioux City received a prison term of more than two years after an April 3 guilty plea to possession of a stolen firearm, according to a press release. Evidence in the case revealed in June 2023 that Thach was inside Fleet Farm and requested assistance from an employee to view a handgun. An employee removed the firearm from the case, removed the magazine, and handed it to Thach. Thach observed the firearm for a moment before suddenly fleeing out the front doors with the gun, where he got on a bicycle and fled the area. Upon review of surveillance cameras, officers were able to identify Thach. Two days after the incident, officers observed Thach on his bicycle at the intersection adjacent to the police department, where he was taken into custody for the stolen firearm. Witness takes the stand in Sioux City murder trial Thach had previously attempted to gain access to the Sioux City Police Department through the personnel-only secure entrance where he was directed to leave. Thach then entered through the public entrance where he advised that he was a new hire and was there to pick up his uniform. Command staff spoke with Thach where it became apparent Thach was not a new hire and he further advised that he had, in fact, not completed an application due to a prior domestic abuse conviction. Thach was arrested in December 2022, for serious assault. Sioux City officers were dispatched for a physical disturbance between siblings. The victim had several lacerations on his back and advised that Thach had been hit several times with a PVC pipe. Thach was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. LORIS, S.C. (WBTW) Six people are facing murder and attempted murder charges in last weeks deadly shooting near a Loris Bojangles, police said on Friday. Kenasia Martin, 22, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was killed in the Aug. 7 shooting on Walnut Street, authorities said. Lilly Janae Stephens of Tabor City, North Carolina, was previously arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. Loris police are charging five other people with murder and attempted murder, including William Goodman, Antonio Goodman, Feleshia Goodman, Ebony Vereen and Zarius Vereen. Feleshia, Ebony and Zarius are awaiting extradition to Horry County from the Columbus County Detention Center in North Carolina. Police responded just after 12:20 p.m. to Walnut Street on Aug. 7 for a shots fired complaint, authorities said. While at the scene, officers spoke with Martin and another woman, who said that Feleshia came to their house and kicked the door in before a physical altercation ensued. However, Feleshia wasnt there when police were and during additional questioning, the victims became uncooperative and did not want to pursue charges. Then, 30 minutes later, officers responded to the 4000 block of Main Street for an assault complaint, police said. Antonio told 911 that his daughter, Feleshia, was assaulted at a mobile home in the 4000 block of Walnut Street. Officers then went to Walnut Street but couldnt find a victim of the assault. At about 1 p.m. that day, officers responded back to the 4000 block of Main Street for a complaint of a stolen cell phone, police said. The woman said that Feleshia followed her and Martin from their Walnut Street home to the Main Street location. She said that Feleshia was very upset after finding out that she and Martin were in a relationship together and confronted them at the gas station. The shooting survivor said she pulled her phone out to record when Feleshia took it and ran, according to police. The woman and Martin returned to their home while officers reviewed the footage. A little more than 20 minutes later, officers responded back to Walnut Street for the shooting, police said. Responding officers found the two victims, Martin and a 26-year-old woman, inside a black SUV. Martin died at a Loris hospital, while the other woman was taken to Grand Strand hospital and survived. During the investigation, Loris police, with the assistance of the 15th Circuit Solicitors Office, Horry County police, U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force, Chadbourne police and Columbus County Sheriffs Office, identified and arrested all six people allegedly involved in the shooting. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. A bouncer was arrested Thursday afternoon on a sexual battery charge, the New Smyrna Beach Police Department said. Police said that Medard Ned Keene, 48, frequently worked as a bouncer at several bars in the area. Detectives said that Keenes acquaintance contacted them earlier this month after finding several cellphones belonging to Keene with several saved videos depicting what appeared to be explicit sexual abuse. They said that the videos depicted women in various sexual encounters being recorded or touched by Keene without their consent. Read: Operation Ice Breaker: At least 20 arrested in Daytona Beach drug bust Police said that Medard Ned Keene, 48, frequently worked as a bouncer at several bars in the area. Police said that one of the videos, which was recorded in June 2020, shows an unconscious woman in a vehicle being sexually assaulted by Keene. They said that the woman was unable to respond, move, speak or consent to the acts being done to her. The victim in this video has been identified and is assisting with our investigation, the agency said in a Facebook post. Several of the women in the other videos have been unable to be identified thus far. Read: See how a mobile gym keeps dogs active at Daytona Beach animal shelter Investigators said that Keene could face nire charges as they continue to investigate the case. Anyone who has information that might help police identify additional victims is asked to email PDTips@cityofnsb.com or call Crime Stoppers of North East Florida at 888-277-8477. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. People on social media are calling out embarrassing behavior by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who went out of her way to repeatedly mispronounce Vice President Kamala Harris name during an appearance on CNN. On Thursdays broadcast of NewsNight With Abby Phillip, Mace criticized Harris over several policy issues, and she accused the Democratic presidential nominee of not knowing what a woman is. At one point in the discussion, fellow guest panelist Michael Eric Dyson, a professor of African American studies at Vanderbilt University, was evaluating the Democrats campaign strategy when Mace interjected to attack Harris record in the U.S. Senate and as vice president. The Republican initially pronounced Kamala correctly, before she appeared to quickly change course and say her name with an emphasis on the second syllable instead of the first. Harris, who has made clear numerous times how she says her name, has previously suggested remembering its pronunciation as comma-la. A traditionalpronunciation of the Indian name is closer to comla. When other CNN panelists called out the mispronunciation, Mace snapped back with I will say Kamalas name any way that I want to. Dyson and another guest panelist, Keith Boykin a former White House aide during Bill Clintons presidency then chastised Mace for being inappropriate and disrespectful. Dyson also charged that, even if it wasnt her intent, Maces mispronunciation of Harris name was an example of the history and legacy of white disregard for the humanity of Black people. Oh, so now youre calling me racist. That is BS. That is complete BS, Mace responded. I just said you werent a racist, Dyson replied, before the two engaged in a back-and-forth. Mace had mispronounced Harris name at multiple points earlier in the segment as well, with her fellow panelists making various attempts to correct her. Guest panelist Marc Lotter, who served as the director of communications for Donald Trumps 2020 presidential campaign, apologized for mispronouncing the vice presidents name elsewhere in the show. I even studied how to say that, and I messed it up, he said. I understand, my apologies. Meanwhile, Trump, who routinely mispronounces the vice presidents first name, has also doubled down. The Republican presidential nominee told a conservative Christian group during a speech in Florida last month that he didnt care that he mispronounces her name. [It] doesnt matter what I say, he said at the time, while also suggesting that he doesnt say her name incorrectly on purpose. I couldnt care less if I mispronounce it or not. I couldnt care less, he continued. People on X, formerly Twitter, were stunned by Maces apparent insistence on saying Harris name incorrectly on CNN. Nancy Mace is embarrassing herself because she refuses to condemn Trumps racism and she refuses to pronounce Kamala correctly, one X user wrote. Mace responded to some of the backlash, writing Friday on X that the most unhinged, sexist, left-winged radicals hyperfixated about how I pronounce Kamalas name last night. Check out some reactions to Maces CNN appearance below: Ill tell you whats embarrassing is everyone ganging up on Nancy Mace ! And playing the race card for the millionth time!! KS2ME (@KT2Me76) August 16, 2024 Michael Eric Dyson and I had to correct Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) at least 10 times last night for purposely mispronouncing Kamala Harriss name. I will say Kamalas name any way that I want to, Mace said. This is what the Republican Party has become. pic.twitter.com/RVmS8cbBFe Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) August 16, 2024 Its ridiculous that Keith Boykin & Michael Eric Dyson needed to correct Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) numerous times for intentionally mispronouncing VP Harriss name. Maces response? I will say Kamalas name any way that I want to. Honestly, just weird.pic.twitter.com/rDz3YeuOWH Whitney Alese (@TheReclaimed) August 16, 2024 Accidentally mispronouncing a name is human. Intentionally mispronouncing a name is sh*tty. Saying I will say Kamalas name any way that I want to, is disgusting, and Congresswoman Nancy Mace needs to be voted OUT.pic.twitter.com/g4zmZ8yD5Z Really American (@ReallyAmerican1) August 16, 2024 Nancy Mace let it slip: the mispronunciation of Kamala is meant to be purposeful disrespect. https://t.co/FmKYckjIkm Vincent (@VtheEsquire) August 16, 2024 At a certain point, it's just being racist, and we have flown way past that point. Machine Pun Kelly (@KellyScaletta) August 16, 2024 What a terrible miserable person you have to be to carry this much hate in your heart. Harry Dunn (@libradunn) August 16, 2024 Related... Computer code and text displayed on computer screens. Credit - Chris RatcliffeBloomberg Billions of personal information records may have been exposed in April after a hacking group gained access to records from the background check service National Public Data (NPD), prompting warnings from cybersecurity experts. NPD confirmed this week that a security incident within their company resulted in a leak of personal information, including social security numbers for millions of people. In their statement on Friday, NPD warned that the the information that was suspected of being breached contained name, email address, phone number, social security number, and mailing address(es). It recommended the public to take a number of steps to safeguard their identities, including freezing their credit and putting fraud alerts on their files at big credit bureaus. The breach came to public awareness after a class-action lawsuit was filed August 1 in U.S. District Court in Florida, which was first reported by Bloomberg Law. National Public Data did not share how many people were at risk, but hackers, who have been identified as part of the hacking group USDoD, have been offering, for sale, what they claimed were billions of NPD records since April, though the Washington Post reported that security researchers who looked at the trove said some of the claims were exaggerated. Read More: How To Freeze Your Credit If Your Information Was Leaked in the Social Security Breach According to David Brumley, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, these breaches will become more popular with centralization of data. We are not talking about a startup here, Brumley said. Looking forward, we have to have higher standards for the custodians of our data. Here is how you can check if your social security has been compromised by the breach and what to do to protect your information. How to check if your social security information has been compromised NPD has not notified specific people whose data has been compromised. In their statement, they say they are working with law enforcement to review affected records and will try to notify you if there are further significant developments applicable to you. Cybersecurity firm Pentester compiled a free database after the breach with the information in itredacting social security numbers and dates of birth and created a search tool for people to see if their information was involved. People can enter their name, state, and year of birth here, and the search will instantly look for information in the billions of records leaked online in the massive data breach. What to do if you're affected by the leak If your social security number was breached, the best thing to do is to freeze your credit files through creating an account with one of the three consumer credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. This can prevent identity theft. Credit reporting agencies also have services for those who set up accounts to check if their social security numbers have been compromised. Even if your social security number was not leaked, Brumley says there are protections that should become the norm in this era of data breaches. He urges people to set up two-factor authentication on as many online accounts as possible, or use an authentication app to secure your online accounts. He also advises to set up account alerts with your bank, including any and all charges outside of your home country and ATM withdrawals. Brumley says his major piece of advice is to be vigilant. Vigilance, he says, includes checking your credit score constantly, especially before large purchases like car loans and mortgages. It also includes awareness of phishing scams, since Brumley says leaks of this size open up the space for scammers to pose as banks and those trying to help. He also says people should be double checking with their banks, even if they have alert services on for large purchases and withdrawals. He says that even though some banks have regulations where they require extra identification, people can now engineer ways to fool these checks. He adds that its up to each individual to keep a watchful eye on their credit, their identity, and their bank information. Theres not much more you can do when this much data has been compromised, Brumley adds. Contact us at letters@time.com. BANGKOK, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday proposed four suggestions for the next phase of Lancang-Mekong cooperation at the ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Chiang Mai, Thailand. First, focus on peace and stability and uphold a common vision. Facing a turbulent international situation, the Lancang-Mekong countries should adhere to true multilateralism and open regionalism, resolutely resist zero-sum games and "decoupling," and jointly build a closer Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future. The six countries should uphold an open and inclusive spirit, actively explore trilateral cooperation with international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) Development Program and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and support the development of regional countries. China is willing to work with the Mekong countries to uphold a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, advance the operation of "The Safety of the Lancang-Mekong Region," convene the Lancang-Mekong Law Enforcement Security Cooperation Ministerial Meeting as soon as possible, accelerate the establishment of a Lancang-Mekong judicial and legal cooperation mechanism, and strengthen joint efforts to combat transnational crime, in order to jointly maintain regional stability and peace. Second, focus on innovation-driven development and bridge the digital divide. The Lancang-Mekong countries should accelerate the implementation of The Joint Initiatives on the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Innovation Corridor Development and improve the regional science and technology innovation cooperation mechanism. China is willing to assist Mekong countries in strengthening their artificial intelligence capacity building through flexible methods such as policy dialogue, joint research, and talent training, thereby unlocking more intelligent dividends. China has invited representatives from the five Mekong countries to participate in training sessions and seminars on artificial intelligence capacity building in China. China will establish a cooperation network for computing infrastructure between China and the Lancang-Mekong countries based on the Lancang-Mekong Cloud Computing Innovation Center, enabling artificial intelligence to better serve the development of the Lancang-Mekong countries. China is ready to continue implementing the Lancang-Mekong Space Cooperation Plan with Mekong countries, launch the "Fudan-1 Lancang-Mekong Future Star" as soon as possible, and support Fudan University in establishing the Lancang-Mekong youth astrophysics research center, in order to provide an important platform for the six countries to engage in exchange and cooperation in space observation and technology application. Third, focus on interconnected development and enhance growth momentum. China is willing to work with Mekong countries to accelerate the construction of the Lancang-Mekong connectivity network, jointly formulate connectivity cooperation plans, promote the southward extension of the China-Laos railway, connect China, Laos and Thailand, and support the construction of the new international land-sea trade corridor, in order to actively expand the regional connectivity network. China is willing to work with Mekong countries to continue implementing the three-year action plan for capacity cooperation among Lancang-Mekong countries, leverage the role of the joint working group on capacity cooperation, hold activities that promote capacity and investment cooperation, explore the establishment of an information-sharing platform, and carry out human resource training cooperation, thereby maintaining the stability and smooth operation of regional industrial and supply chains. China actively supports the rural and agricultural revitalization of the Mekong countries and is willing to advance the integrated development pilot of smart farms. The Lancang-Mekong countries should strengthen digital cooperation across the entire chain of agricultural product production, processing, trade and consumption in the Mekong countries, establish a traceability system for fruit products, and enhance the competitiveness of agricultural products and the resilience of agricultural production systems in the Mekong countries. China actively supports strengthening cooperation in addressing climate change and disaster prevention and reduction. China appreciates the issuance of the joint statement on the Lancang-Mekong clean air initiative at this foreign ministers' meeting. Over the next three years, the six countries will complete the construction of platforms such as the demonstration of air quality monitoring technology in Lancang-Mekong countries, the comprehensive meteorological service sharing platform for the Lancang-Mekong Basin, and the emergency information sharing and cooperation system for the Lancang-Mekong region. The six countries should jointly implement the initiative on deepening water resource cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong region to promote the quality and upgrading of water resource cooperation. Fourth, focus on people-to-people exchanges and cultivate Lancang-Mekong culture. The Lancang-Mekong countries should make good use of the benefits of the "visa-free era" to facilitate personnel exchanges among the six countries. The six countries should leverage the role of the Lancang-Mekong tourist cities cooperation alliance and accelerate the establishment of the Lancang-Mekong aviation development and cooperation alliance so as to promote the sustainable recovery of the tourism industry in the Mekong countries. China will continue to utilize platforms such as the Mekong Institute and the Lancang-Mekong Vocational Education Training Center to strengthen cooperation in higher education and vocational education with the Mekong countries. The Lancang-Mekong countries will organize commemorative activities for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam, and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar next year. The six countries will establish a cooperation platform for broadcasting and television media among the Lancang-Mekong countries, and continue to hold exchange activities such as the Lancang-Mekong cultural and arts festival, the Lancang-Mekong international film week, and the Lancang-Mekong local cooperation and development forum, so that the Lancang-Mekong culture, featuring equal treatment, sincere mutual assistance and close bond as one family, becomes more deeply rooted in people's hearts. AUSTIN (KXAN) Southwest Airlines will begin seasonal nonstop service between Austin and Omaha, Nebraska, in November, an airline spokesperson told KXAN. The AUS-OMA route is currently operated by Allegiant Air, but that service is being cut, along with six other routes, as Allegiant trims options from Austin as part of a base closure. The airline has not said when flights will last operate, but the employee and aircraft base is set to close in January. Southwest will fly the route on select Saturdays during November, December and January, as well as for a few weeks in February and March. The airline currently has schedules available through March 5, 2025. The airlines network planning team continues to make dynamic changes to our schedule to meet customer demand and preferences, an airline spokesperson told KXAN. AUS Data Hub: Passenger totals and new flights in 2024 The Omaha route is Southwests third new nonstop from AUS so far this year. Service to San Juan, Puerto Rico, began in March, while service to Boston began in June. The airline has also canceled one route from Austin this year: flights to Cozumel, Mexico, ended earlier this month. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. A major fire, which may still be ongoing, has reportedly broken out on the former Soviet Kiev class aircraft carrier Minsk, which has been rotting away in a man-made lagoon just off a stretch of the Yangtze River in China for years now. A major fire, which may still be ongoing, has broken out on the former Soviet Kiev class aircraft carrier Minsk, which has been rotting away in a man-made lagoon just off a stretch of the Yangtze River in China for years now. The War Zone previously dove into the saga of how the flattop came to be anchored there in a feature you can find here. via X The cause of the fire and Minsks current status are unknown. Local authorities say the blaze broke out at around 4:00 PM local time, that there have been no apparent casualties, and that the incident is under investigation, according to Chinese media. Pictures and video footage have emerged online that show a significant fire. Former Soviet Kiev-class aircraft carrier MINSK appears to be seriously damaged by a major fire at Nantong, China, where it was undergoing refurbishment. The ship was formerly a tourist attraction known as Minsk World. https://t.co/SJyXOmkzlY Chris Cavas (@CavasShips) August 16, 2024 The Minsk Aircraft carrier was burned by urban explorers 1143 pic.twitter.com/RN1gc0dRIi Husky (@hashiqi628) August 16, 2024 Fires onboard even well-maintained ships can easily become disastrous, especially if they are undergoing maintenance and only a skeleton crew is on board keeping watch. A prime example of this is the blaze that raged for days aboard the U.S. Navys Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard in 2020, which ultimately rendered the vessel a total loss. What is left of Minsk has not, by any indication, been kept in good shape, which could have create increased risks. A satellite image of the ex-Minsk at its present location in 2019. Google Earth Minsk was commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1978. The Kiev class as a whole was something of an oddity among warships, with 40,000-ton-displacement vessels looking more like a hybrid of an aircraft carrier and a battlecruiser than a traditional flattop, as you can read more about here. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian Navy inherited the ships, but quickly found them difficult and expensive to sustain. In 1993, the Minsks sister ship Novorossiysk notably suffered a major engine room fire. Minsk in service with the Soviet Navy in 1983. DOD Three of the four Kiev class carriers were ultimately sold off, with Minsk and Novorossiysk initially heading to a shipbreaker in South Korea. Admiral Gorshkov (originally named Baku) was sold to India in 2004 and became the subject of its own saga before finally entering service in that country in 2013 as the INS Vikramaditya. Novorossiysk was ultimately scrapped in South Korea, but local protests led to Minsk being sold off to a Chinese company to be broken down. A group of Chinese entrepreneurs subsequently saved the ex-Minsk from the torch. The ship, with a mixture of retired Soviet-design and Chinese combat aircraft on its deck, became the centerpiece of a theme park called Minsk World that opened in 2000. Minsk World went bankrupt in 2006 and the Chinese government eventually reclaimed the land it stood on. In the late 2010s, Minsk, already in increasingly poor condition, was relocated to where it sits currently, some 50 miles northwest of the Chinese city of Shanghai. Plans to establish a new Minsk World never came to fruition and the steadily more dilapidated ship became a destination for so-called urban explorers to sneak aboard, as can be seen in the video below. There are reports that authorities in the nearby city of Nantong had announced plans in January to rehabilitate the ship and turn it into a national defense science education center. Its interesting to note that former Kiev is also in China, where it became a separate tourist attraction at the Binhai Aircraft Park in Tianjin, China, some 100 miles southeast of Beijing. In 2011, the company that owns Binhai announced plans to turn the carrier, which has been much better maintained than Minsk, into a floating luxury hotel. The extent of the damage that former Minsk may now have suffered remains to be seen. It is unfortunately possible that the ships already very sad story is now finally coming to an inglorious end. UPDATE: The fire looks to have subsided, but the island superstructure is destroyed: Contact the author: joe@twz.com SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) Most people have driven through a roundabout before, and now Spartanburg County is looking to add more to the roads. Transportation officials said its their way of keeping drivers safe, in any situation. One thing about a roundabout is it always works, power goes off, roundabout still works, said Billy Martin, Spartanburg County transportation committee engineering supervisor. If theres a traffic signal there, it stops working and you get a mess. So its reliable. Crew began construction last week on the Berry Shoals and Apple Valley Roads intersection. 7NEWS was told there is a one month detour planned on Apple Valley Road, weather permitting. The county said just in the two years that theyve been designing this project, 43 crashes have taken place. Roundabouts, they said, are proven to slow traffic. It deliberately slows down the vehicles, said Martin. Were not going to eliminate crashes, we just hope to eliminate severe injury and fatality crashes. The high volume of crashes that happen at this intersection is why drivers in the area said they are looking forward to seeing a roundabout. Totally supportive of putting a roundabout in that intersection, it gets a little hairy when we go through there so I love the idea, said Patrick Griffey, a nearby resident. The county transportation committee said this particular intersection has a higher number of concerning statistics compared to most. The county said the roundabout will be complete in two months. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. We spent about $35,000 for my 40th birthday trip to Ghana. It was worth every penny. I spent my 40th birthday in Ghana with nine of my closest friends we spent about $35,000 total. We stayed at a five-star hotel in Accra and saw sites in the Cape Coast and the Volta Region. We organized the trip with a tour company. It was incredible, and I felt connected to my roots. I've traveled to over 30 countries all over the world, so I knew I wanted to take an epic trip for my 40th birthday. It was important for me to feel rooted in and connected to my heritage as I entered a new decade, so I chose to visit Ghana in West Africa with nine of my closest friends. I've spent considerable amounts of time in southern and eastern Africa but only visited Ghana once in 2017. My time there left a considerable impact on me, so I wanted to celebrate my milestone birthday there with friends. Between the vaccinations, flight, hotel, planned activities, food, and drinks, we each paid about $3,500 for the trip. It was money well spent. Ghana offered a unique blend of adventure, relaxation, and cultural immersion, making it the perfect place to celebrate my birthday. Here's what our experience was like. We researched Ghana's entry requirements ahead of time It's always worth checking the latest entry requirements and health advisories before traveling to Ghana. When we visited, we needed a valid passport and a visa. It was easy to request a visa on the Embassy of Ghana's website. Most of us received our passports from the Ghana Embassy in Washington, DC, in about two weeks. We also made sure to get travel insurance and any necessary vaccinations. We stayed in Accra and organized the trip with the help of a Ghana-based tour company We spent a week in Ghana. Ashlee Tuck Since we only had about five full days to spend in Ghana, we worked with Awuni Tours Ghana to curate an itinerary based on our interests. The guides made sure we didn't have to worry about a single aspect of our trip. They knew the ins and outs of the city and provided our transportation to each activity, too. I highly recommend working with them or another local Ghana-based tour company, but be sure to read reviews first. We visited many sites in Accra, Cape Coast, and the Volta Region We stayed at the Kempinski Hotel in Ghana's capital, Accra, for a week. It's centrally located and is one of few five-star hotels in Accra. When we weren't on our daily excursions, the Kempinski's pool and spa were the perfect respite. Getting the hotel breakfast, which we could add on to our stay, was also a great way to start each day. While in Accra, we visited iconic landmarks such as Independence Square, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Makola Market, and the W.E.B. DuBois Centre. We also enjoyed the city's vibrant nightlife. On a different day, we drove three hours to the Cape Coast region and visited the Cape Coast Castle. This was once a trading post from which thousands of enslaved Africans set off for their forced journey across the Atlantic Ocean. There, we were able to go through the "Door of No Return," which they would've passed through to be led onto ships. It was a moving experience that's not to be missed. We also received traditional Ghanaian names from a local tribal chief who welcomed us "home" as descendants of Africa. While in the Volta Region, we took a 30-minute boat ride at the Royal Senchi Resort and then had the most delicious lunch at the hotel restaurant. It was about two hours away from Accra, but worth the drive to see another region in Ghana. We ate and drank well throughout the trip Our group had some great meals in Ghana. Ashlee Tuck We tried to strike the perfect balance between trying new Ghanaian dishes and enjoying other foods from around the world. We ate traditional dishes such as jollof rice (a dish made with tomatoes, chiles, and spices), banku (fermented dough balls), and kelewele (spicy fried plantains). We even took a cooking class with a local chef to learn how to make traditional dishes. For lunch, we went to local eateries like Chez Clarisse and Buka. For dinner, we stopped at several more upscale restaurants, like Shogun and Bella Afrik. This was the best way for me to spend my 40th birthday Celebrating my 40th in Ghana was not just about the destination; it was about creating lasting memories filled with adventure, culture, and relaxation. With its welcoming people, rich history, and stunning landscapes, Ghana offered an unforgettable experience that made my milestone birthday truly special. Read the original article on Business Insider SPRINGFIELD, Ill. A 26-year-old Springfield man was sentenced to 19 years in prison after he was found to possess more than 200,000 pornographic images of children. 19 years is one year less than the maximum that Adam J. Heintzman could have received for his crimes. Prosecutors said the sentence was based on the number of images he had, the sadistic and masochistic conduct depicted in the images, the transfer of such images to minors and the ages of the children involved. 2-year-old hurt in Springfield shooting, father released from custody Prosecutors added that through online messages, Heintzman was found to have declared a preference for children under 10 years old and a desire to sexually abuse a child. Each person who shares, receives, and possesses the lasting evidence of the sexual assaults suffered by children depicted in child pornography contributes to the irreparable harm suffered by these victims, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs said. These predators value their own satisfaction at the expense of children. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their commitment to these investigations and cases. I believe it was divine intervention: Springfield man rescues neighbor from burning home after possible gas explosion In December 2023, Heintzman pleaded guilty in federal court to distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. In addition to his prison sentence, he will serve seven years on parole and must pay over $80,000 in restitution to his victims. Heintzman is currently in the custody of the United States Marshall Service. The Logan County Sherriffs Office and the Illinois State Police investigated the case with the assistance of the Logan County States Attorneys Office. The case was brought forward through Project Safe Childhood, an initiative that aims to prevent child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Nearly a week after people were seen carrying a hate symbol through downtown Springfield, concern is growing, prompting the city and its residents to call for unity in the face of hate. Springfield residents and city leaders said they saw a group of masked protesters walking downtown with guns and Nazi flags Sunday. The city was quick to denounce the act, referring to the protesters as a hate group. Call for federal aid puts Springfield into national spotlight Coming to a city like Springfield, carrying a swastika, carrying a rifle, said Pastor Carl Ruby. That in and of itself is an act of racism. Ruby, who has lived in Springfield since 1983, said this kind of demonstration is no more acceptable that those of a similar vein hes seen in the past. Its a shame that we have to look over our shoulders, said Denise Williams, the president of the NAACPs Springfield unit. Its a shame that we have to be careful where we go because of such groups. She said the presence of the group is totally unwelcome. White House touts new immigration policy Members of the community are concerned about the groups presence, especially with Springfields growing population of immigrants. They worry the demonstration creates an uneasy feeling for those looking to call Springfield home. Despite the rise in hate language and imagery, immigrants are still adamant about making Springfield their home. Were not leaving our county to disturb people in Springfield, said Lendsie Aimee. Were just looking for an opportunity. The city released a statement on its Facebook page: We want to inform you that a hate group from outside of our community made an appearance in the downtown core block today. Their presence is deeply concerning, and our public safety services took the necessary steps to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in our community was maintained. Mayor Rob Rue commented on the situation stating, There was an attempt to disrupt our community by an outside hate group. Nothing happened, except they expressed their First Amendment rights. Our Police Division was aware and in control the entire time. We stand united against hate and discrimination and remain committed to upholding the values of respect and inclusivity within our community. Lets continue to support one another and uphold these values that define our community. City of Springfield Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Springfield Public Schools is coming back from summer break with a controversial $85,000 makeover. The school board approved the contract with a Kentucky-based marketing agency specializing in non-profit work at a February board meeting. With teacher retention and program funding in the spotlight, some taxpayers are questioning whether it was the most responsible use for the money. The new logo depicts an open door. And according to the district, its meant to symbolize that SPS opens doors for students. It replaces the districts 25-year-old logo, but not everyone is a fan of the new look. I know its supposed to be an open door, but because of the perspective it looks like the door is falling off its hinges, said Judy Luxton, who retired from the district after 22 years. Luxton remains involved in online and substitute teaching. Why are we spending that kind of money on a logo? Id love to know why, said Luxton. KOLR 10 Investigates took that question to Chief Communications Officer Stephen Hall, who says the branding includes a new marketing strategy meant to attract students and staff. When we think about a brand and about a brand messaging, that helps connect with all those audiences and increase enrollment and fill positions, said Hall. KOLR 10 Investigates asked Hall if the district, which is already the largest in the state, has the resources to increase enrollment. We have room to serve more families and we love the families that we currently serve. The great thing about being Missouris largest school district is that we have resources to provide families, said Hall. The president of Springfields largest teachers union put those resources into question, giving the following public comment at the Feb. 27 school board meeting, just minutes before the board unanimously approved the $85,000 contract for the new marketing strategy. Since just August, 163 teachers have announced their resignation, said Laura Mullins, the president of the Springfield National Education Association. Were also on pace to have the highest purge of support staff. KOLR 10 Investigates public records request shows the new brand strategy included a communications audit, surveys, focus groups, strategic recommendations and 75 logo variations. The $85,000 price tag does not include the cost to switch out signage and other physical logos. The district anticipates that process could take years. If you have a story youd like KOLR 10 Investigates to look into, email investigates@ozarksfirst.com or call 417-295-TIPS. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. St. Clair Shores police will investigate an allegation of possible double voting by four people during the Aug. 6 primary election, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday. Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini and the St. Clair Shores clerk's office notified the county prosecutor's office this week about the possible double voting, and the prosecutor's office stated it forwarded the notice to city police to investigate. County Clerk Anthony Forlini stated in a release from his office that shortly after election day the city of St. Clair Shores reported four people cast more than one ballot in the election once by absentee ballot, then again in person on election day. This occurred in precincts 7, 15 and 16, according to Forlini's release. Voter turnout in Macomb County was just over 21%, with 155,839 ballots cast, in the primary election, according to results on the county clerk's website. There are 21 precincts in St. Clair Shores. Per Forlini's release, the situation is potentially a felony offense, adding the alleged crime was uncovered when St. Clair Shores Clerk Abby Barrett identified the potential cases of double voting and reported it to his office and state election officials for further investigation. Forlini stated he notified the county prosecutor's office and the Michigan Secretary of State on Thursday, as the process defined in state law. "Our elections in Macomb County have strong protocols in place designed to protect and ensure the accuracy and transparency of the votes of our community members. Multiple safeguards are put in place to ensure that instances of voter fraud are rare and if attempted, are exposed," Forlini stated in his release. "Our office has requested a thorough investigative process of each instance and if a crime was committed, we expect the lawbreakers to be held accountable to the furthest extent of the law." He stated election integrity is "a defining cornerstone of our election system and we are committed to making sure our election laws are respected and followed. I believe in the integrity of our election process, and I will do what is needed to make sure it is defended and protected." Messages were left Friday with the St. Clair Shores clerk's office. Forlini told the Free Press on Friday that the city clerk is "one of our top tier clerks in the county. It takes good clerks like this to report this out as quickly as she did." Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson stated in a release Thursday that she was grateful to the county clerk for his partnership "in ensuring that voter fraud is rare and that when it happens, we catch it and prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law. Thanks to our partnership and commitment to security, he followed the protocols we have in place, and I have now referred the matter to the Michigan Attorney General for further investigation and potential criminal charges." According to the release from County Prosecutor Peter Lucido's office, state election law indicates that an election official who becomes aware of a person who votes or tries to vote in person and by means of an absent voter ballot is to report that information to the prosecuting attorney for that county and to the Secretary of State. Lucido's release stated the statute does not direct specific action after the notice requirements; but his office is handling the allegations as it would any criminal case, by referring them to the appropriate investigative police agency. "The St. Clair Shores Police Department is currently investigating the matter and will request a warrant, or not, based on their findings, as they do in every case," per the release from Lucido's office. "Once the investigation is complete, and if a warrant request is made, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office will review it like all other warrant requests." Lucido added: "Our top priority is ensuring that every election is conducted safely with the highest level of security. The integrity of our electoral process is fundamental to our democracy. Potential violations of election law are rare and we are committed to doing our duty." Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan primary: Police to investigate possible double voting Staff changes could be coming to Blasco Library More changes could be coming to Blasco Library soon pending a decision from Erie County Council. The Erie County Finance Committee heard a proposal from the library today, suggesting a reorganization of staff which would save the library over $250,000. Both presidential candidates want no tax on tips, what do Erie servers think? The reorganization would change the managerial structure of the library and eliminate some jobs. The library administrator says blasco employees have been working long hours due to short staffing, and the structure reorganization would help retain employees that may be lost from burnout. The finance committees president says the library could also lose state funding if too many employees are lost. Erie woman preparing to compete for Miss Wheelchair America I think its a real concern for the morale of the library when people are working pretty hard sometimes and I want to make sure that they have the resources, so that when they show up at work that they are happy in their career, said Rock Copeland of Erie County Council. Copeland says the county council will vote on the proposal in September. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. Stanley G. Tate was instrumental in the early development of the Florida Prepaid College Program. Since then, Florida Prepaid has helped over 1 million families save for their childrens future college expenses. Tate died on July 26 at age 96. The state of Florida lost a true visionary, entrepreneur and philanthropist with the recent passing of Stanley G. Tate. If the success of a persons life is measured in part by the impact they have on others, we can celebrate the fact that Tates legacy lives on in the more than 1.2 million families who have been able to save affordably for postsecondary education or pursue higher education. This is thanks to his founding of the Florida Prepaid College Plan and the Florida Prepaid College Foundation. The Florida Prepaid College Plan was designed and funded by Tate in 1987, with $600,000 of his own money, to help make higher education affordable for Florida families. He understood on a personal level what it was like to struggle financially, having grown up lower income (his own words) in a one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment with his parents and two siblings. Later he worked his way through college at the University of Florida. More than three decades later, we can see that his vision was more than just to create a college savings plan. A father of three who made Miami home, Tate wanted to create a culture of hope and excellence for Florida families by putting postsecondary education within financial reach through affordable monthly payments toward future college tuition. With the creation of the nonprofit arm of Florida Prepaid, the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, he also forged a path for businesses and other donors to provide college scholarships to deserving students whose families cannot afford to save. In 2002, under Tates leadership, the board created the Florida 529 Savings Plan to provide families another way to save for college tuition, fees, housing and other college expenses. A multimillionaire builder, Tate truly never stopped working to help as many Florida families as possible find a path to college. He often called Florida Prepaid the biggest single success I ever had. The numbers confirm this legacy. Since 1988, Florida Prepaid has helped about 1.26 million families prepare financially for postsecondary education. The program is the largest and longest-running of its kind in the nation, and the 529 Savings Plan has been awarded a medal by Morningstar for three years running. More than 626,000 students have attended college using Prepaid Plans. In addition, there are over 158,000 active Florida 529 Savings Plan accounts with about $1.4 billion in assets under management. But to know Tate is to know that he would look at these numbers and insist there is more work to do. He wanted every able family in Florida to save something for college and to provide more scholarships to deserving students in need. Letters: UF pediatric resident urges Jacksonville to step up efforts at lead mitigation The best thing we can do as the Florida Prepaid College Board to honor Tates college savings legacy is to keep our eyes focused on the mission of helping as many Florida families as possible save affordably for postsecondary education. The best thing businesses can do is to explore the 1:1 match available through the Florida Prepaid College Foundation. The match doubles the impact of their scholarship gifts and helps more deserving students. And if youre a Florida family not yet saving for college, the best thing you can do to thank Tate for his efforts is to get started. Nothing would make him happier. Rood John Rood is chairman of the Florida Prepaid College Board. He lives in Jacksonville. This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Helping others save for college was mission of Florida Prepaid founder MADRID, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The first vessel of Chinese automaker BYD's shipping fleet has arrived in the Spanish port of Santander, the company announced on Friday. "BYD EXPLORER NO.1" docked with SEAL U DM-i vehicles on board, destined for the Spanish market. The SEAL U DM-i model is BYD's first plug-in hybrid to break into Europe, and has generated the highest number of orders since the brand's launch, BYD said. Jordi Cuesta, country manager for BYD in Spain, said the arrival of the ship in Santander "marks an important step for our company, being the first time we make a direct transport from the factory to Spain." "This not only symbolizes our growing investment in the country, but also our firm intention to offer the best sustainable mobility solutions, with the optimization of our supply chain and BYD's commitment to sustainability and innovation in transportation," he said. Meanwhile, President of the Port Authority of Santander Cesar Diaz highlighted that this is "magnificent news" for the port, giving it the opportunity to showcase its strengths. BYD arrived in Spain in 2023. From January to July 2024, it reported 1,473 units registered, compared to 134 in the same period last year. Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for investigating allegatons of child abuse. (Main image by Catherine Falls Commercial and Getty Images; logo courtesy the State of Iowa) The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services says it cant comment on a teenagers alleged murder of a child-care worker in May and it has yet to disclose related emails that were requested three months ago. In May, 15-year-old Jovahn Mathis was charged with second-degree murder in the death of 50-year-old Kathleen Galloway-Menke at Ellipsis, a juvenile treatment center in Johnston. Mathis, who is alleged by police to have had a history of threatening violence, allegedly ran up to Galloway-Menke on May 8 and shoved her, causing her to fall and strike her head. The fall resulted in severe brain damage and, ultimately, Galloway-Menkes death. The Iowa Capital Dispatch subsequently asked DHHS whether Mathis was qualified for placement at Ellipsis, whether a particular employee in the agencys Family and Well-Being Protection Division was involved in that decision, and whether the DHHS director was aware of the transfer or had approved it. In response, an agency spokesman said state law prevents DHHS from commenting on any matters related to child welfare without the proper authorization although, in the past, the agency has openly discussed its actions in child-welfare cases that have resulted in a death. The spokesperson noted that the standard procedure for the transfer or placement of a child who is in the states custody, as Mathis was, begins with the agency reviewing the childs well-being and care needs. After that, DHHS makes a recommendation to the court for placement of a child, and the court then approves or denies the agencys recommendation. On May 22, the Capital Dispatch asked DHHS to provide access to two weeks worth of emails and other written communications that involved the Family and Well-Being Protection Division employee and the death at Ellipses. On June 21, DHHS said the requested records had been retrieved and were being reviewed for confidential information. On July 8, the agency said the emails and written communications were still being reviewed. The documents have yet to be disclosed. In response to the Capital Dispatchs request that steps be taken to preserve the documents while the request is pending, the spokesperson said the records had already been placed on a litigation hold to preserve them due to the potential for a lawsuit. Polk County prosecutors have yet to determine whether Mathis will be charged as an adult, a youthful offender, or a juvenile. That decision is expected to follow the completion of an evaluation by Juvenile Court Services. A status conference in the case is scheduled for Aug. 29. State files sweeping lawsuit over Washington Bridge shutdown. Here's who is in the crosshairs. PROVIDENCE Rhode Island is suing more than a dozen companies that were involved in the design, repair and inspection of the defunct westbound Washington Bridge, Attorney General Peter Neronha said Friday. The civil suit, which Gov. Dan McKee hoped would bring a "day of reckoning" to those responsible for leaving the bridge on the verge of collapse last December, targets all the firms who inspected the bridge in the decade preceding its emergency closure, and the companies that were involved in the repair project that was underway when problems were found. It also accuses Warwick-based Aetna Bridge Co. the construction company that built the bridge in 1968 and is about to begin a $46-million state contract to demolish it of negligently failing to save the span over the last three years. Who is the lawsuit targeting? The 13 defendants in the suit are: AECOM Technical Services Aetna Bridge Co. Aries Support Services Barletta Heavy Division Barletta/Aetna I-195 Washington Bridge North Phase 2 Joint Venture (the partnership created to repair the bridge in 2021) Collins Engineers Commonwealth Engineers Consultants Jacobs Engineering Group Michael Baker International Prime AE Group Steere Engineering Transystems Corporation Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) No state employees are targeted in the suit. What are the allegations? The lawsuit alleges various degrees of negligence, breach of contract and/or breach of fiduciary duty by the firms that allegedly failed to detect and report the bridge's serious deterioration. Problems with the bridge were flagged as early as 1992, the suit says, when Lichtenstein & Associates noted deterioration in the concrete drop-in beams and signs of distress in the grout and cantilever beams, the suit recounts. To fix the problems, Aetna was hired to do a major rehabilitation project that wrapped up in 1998. But the suit focuses on work done on the bridge in the last decade, work that is not protected by the 10-year statute of limitations. McKee tried to extend the statute of limitations specifically for Washington Bridge suits this year, but lawmakers didn't agree to it. As expected, international engineering consultancy AECOM, which starting in 2014 was hired to perform a series of inspections and structural evaluations, is a prime target of the state complaint. AECOM drew up design plans to fix the bridge that "failed to identify, analyze or recommend improvements necessary to completely rehabilitate the existing structure," the suit alleges. The suit does not mention that AECOM's 2015 structural analysis identified a string of repairs needed to avoid a weight restriction being placed on it, work that was never done. Regardless, AECOM was not the only firm accused of dropping the ball. From 2015 until the bridge was closed in December of 2023, five engineering firms each and every one of the companies the DOT hired to inspect the bridge failed to identify the problems within its concrete, the suit said. "Like AECOM and its subconsultants under the 2014 AECOM contract; however, none of the firms that conducted the inspections adequately recognized or addressed critical elements of the bridge's structural safety and integrity," it reads. Going deeper: State alleges breach of contract Notably absent from the list of defendants in Friday's lawsuit is Cardi Corp., the Warwick contractor that went out of business last year, a few years after cutting short a 2016 Washington Bridge rehabilitation project designed by AECOM. At a news conference Friday afternoon, Neronha said it was "not necessarily" the case that Cardi avoided suit because it is no longer in business. He offered opioid cases against Purdue Pharma as example of actions against defunct companies. The other major target of the lawsuit is the joint venture between Barletta Heavy Division, Aetna and VHB to design and complete work on the bridge that would add new ramps and shore up the structure to extend its life expectancy by 25 years. In Oct. 19, 2023, the suit alleges, the joint venture issued rehabilitation plans stamped by VHB,Barletta, and Aetna which failed to acknowledge problems with the tie-down rods at Piers 6 and 7 and "did not call for repairs to the post-tensioning systems." The lawsuit alleges Barletta and Aetna breached their 2021 design-build contract by failing to do "a detailed research and review of the bridge structure file" and of failing to provide "the standard of skill, care and diligence exercised by the average professional engineering, consulting, construction, inspection and design firm." Aetna hit back at the lawsuit, saying that, as a "third generation Rhode Island family business," they were proud of their history of bridge work in the state ... "We will vigorously defend ourselves against any claims made in this lawsuit." VHB sounded the alarm about structural instability of the bridge last December and Barletta-Aetna have been working to prevent the span from collapsing while building the three-lane emergency bypass taking westbound traffic across the eastbound bridge. "On behalf of the joint venture, we have been working diligently for the state of RI since the bridge was decommissioned in December, and will continue to do so in accordance with our contractual agreements," Vincent Barletta said in a statement. 'Day of reckoning' for those involved in bridge failure In April, McKee hired lawyers Max Wistow and Jonathan Savage to pursue financial damages against those responsible for the bridge's condition. At the start of this week, the state's agreement with Wistow and Savage was amended to make the attorney general the lead in the case while maintaining their share of any damages won. To win money in court, the state is casting blame at the private contractors who could be forced to pay and turning the focus away of the DOT, which has known about problems with the bridge since 1992. On Friday Neronha equated the DOT to a homeowner who hires contractors to remodel a house and is reliant on the professionals to do it right. Under the Washington Bridge. "Whether or not someone should have overseen the experts differently is not a matter for us to discuss here," he said. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Lawsuit filed against 13 companies over Washington Bridge failure AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 44) State Representative Charles Doc Anderson announced he has informed Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Secretary of State Jane Nelson and Speaker of the House Dade Phelan that he is retiring early from the District 56 Texas House seat he has held since 2005. According to the Office of Doc Anderson, he is a veterinarian who was first elected in November 2004 and was subsequently reelected nine times. He announced in 2023 that he chose to not seek an eleventh term in the Texas House. Rep. Anderson notified Gov. Abbott on Thursday that, pursuant to Section 201.001 of the Texas Election Code, he was formally tendering his resignation to allow time for a special election. Anderson urged the Governor to order a special election to fill the vacancy created by his early retirement and recommended he schedule that election for November 5, 2024 in order to align with the general election so as to minimize any additional taxpayer expense associated with holding a separate election. Anderson said he was motivated to retire from the legislature early in order to help bolster the legislative seniority of his replacement. According to the Office, the incoming freshman class of Texas House members for the 89th Texas Legislature, starting in January of next year, will be one of the largest in recent history. It will include at least 30 new lawmakers. Rep. Anderson also released the following statement: By stepping down now, whomever wins the special and general elections on November 5th will be sworn in soon after, and will be able to hit the ground running working for the people of McLennan County and District 56. My decision will allow he or she to gain seniority over all of their fellow freshmen which, in turn, will help them secure better committee assignments and be able to more effectively serve our constituents. As I step away from my legislative duties, I have a profound sense of gratitude for the good people of this district who entrusted me to be their voice in our states capitol. It has been the honor of my life to serve my fellow Texans and my McLennan County neighbors for ten legislative sessions and countless special sessions. I am proud of my record of service in the legislature. Working together with my colleagues and the people of District 56 we have accomplished many great things for our county, our district, and our state. While my service in the legislature is coming to an end, my love of Texas and McLennan County has not. While I look forward to spending more time with Lyn, who has served right alongside me, I will continue to support and champion the issues and causes I have fought for these almost twenty years. We plan on remaining active in our community for many years to come and we will never stop praying that God continue to bless the great sovereign State of Texas and the people who call it home. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44. ADMH Commissioner Kimberly Boswell discusses the state's mental health initiatives at its February board meeting. (Photo/Alander Rocha) The head of the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) said Friday that the department has made progress addressing staffing shortages at several state facilities. Commissioner Kimberly Boswell said at a Friday meeting of the board of trustees in Montgomery that staffing levels have improved. Across the three Tuscaloosa-based state-operated facilities Bryce Hospital; Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatry Center and Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility 66% of mental health technicians and nurses positions have been filled. Boswell said the goal is to have at least 80% of positions filled. Staffing is improving at our state hospitals, and so our reliance on emergency contract staffing is decreased, Boswell said, which she said is significantly more expensive. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A mental health technician helps lead patients in recreational activities; makes and reports observations and takes vital signs. It is an entry-level position that only requires a high school diploma or GED and does not require experience. Staffing levels are not equal between facilities or positions, according to Boswell. The department has filled 74% of technician roles across its facilities but only 43% of nursing positions. Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatry Center has filled 84% of its mental health technician positions, but just 57% of nursing positions. Combined, the facility has filled 77% of positions. Harper Center is doing really well with mental health workers and our facility staff have done a miraculous job really recruiting and retaining staff, Boswell said. Bryce Hospital has also struggled to hire nurses, with 34% of positions filled, compared to 77% of technician roles filled. Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility, which provides psychiatric beds for the incarcerated, continues to face significant challenges, Boswell said. Only 51% of mental health technician positions are filled, the most understaffed state-run facilities and 48% of nursing positions are filled. Boswell said a new facility at Taylor Hardin could improve hiring. Patients who have been moved to the new facility have shown improvements, which Boswell believes will help attract more staff. Whats going to happen is were going to move everyone over to the new building while we renovate the old space, so it will be a much more pleasant environment. Some folks will be in a brand-new building, and some folks will be in a renovated space, and we think thatll make a huge difference for recruitment, Boswell said. Boswell said the department has increased the average pay from an average of $9.91 an hour in 2023 to an average of $15.17 an hour in 2024, which she said has helped with retention. Obviously that investment in that rate increase resulted in a drastic improvement in the hourly wage for the direct support professional, she said. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Statement by man accused of killing woman allowed to be used in court: Reports LISBON, Ohio (WKBN)- A statement made by a Columbiana County man accused of killing his wife is allowed to be used in court. Christopher Morrison was back in court on Thursday. According to our print partners at the Morning Journal, Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton denied the motion to suppress the statement. The comment in question involves when prosecutors asked Morrison quote So you knew where she was. You shot her, chopped her up and left her in the shed. Morrison replied yes. He faces several charges, including aggravated murder. The jury trial is set to begin September 17. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. These states will pay you to build a tiny home in your backyard Building backyard tiny homes can be expensive. The units cost from under $100,000 to over $300,000. There are three states that will help with the cost, by providing homeowners with grant money. Here are the programs, how much homeowners can receive, and who is eligible to apply. A growing focus on sustainability and affordability has made tiny homes increasingly popular in the US. For eco-conscious Americans, they represent a tangible way to reduce their ecological footprint. Many others see them as a budget-friendly alternative to traditional housing and a means to increase the housing supply, while some homeowners build them on their property to earn extra income and pay down debt. If you've looked into building a tiny home in your backyard, you've probably discovered what many have: While they may save you money in the long run, they can be expensive to build. These backyard homes, called accessory dwelling units , or ADUs, are small housing units that can range from 150 square feet to about 1,200 square feet, depending on where you live. The average cost of a unit can run from $100,000 to $300,000. Then there's also the cost of the permit. In California, where most backyard homes are being built, ADU building permits cost anywhere from $450 to $15,000 even before construction starts, according to Backyard Unlimited, a company that builds ADUs. There could be other costs too, like site preparation, which includes anything from inspections to running utility lines. Also, it can be hard to get a loan to build an ADU. All this to say, if you don't have cash lying around or the ability to access financing for the project, it can be cost prohibitive making it harder for middle- and low-income homeowners to actually build one, studies have shown. To combat this disparity, promote equity, and ultimately propel the construction of much-needed housing, some states and nonprofits in some cities have created grant programs to help. The deadlines for these programs vary from state to state. Those interested in building an ADU should be prepared for next year's application cycles, as they often experience high demand. Here are the ADU programs available nationwide. California: Up to $40,000 per grantee This year's funding has already been allocated, and program details have been updated from previous iterations. The state will continue to provide $40,000 to Californians for pre-construction ADU costs, such as design, permitting, and soil inspections. However, several legal changes have been made regarding ADU size, owner occupancy requirements, and more. An ADU in San Jose, California. Courtesy of Abodu Who can apply: Californians that fall in the range of low- to moderate-income limits. Total funding available: In 2021, an offer of $100 million was extended. When are applications open: The program is no longer accepting applications for 2024, and applications for 2025 have not yet been announced. Requirements: Homeowners no longer need to live in the primary home or the ADU they build. For single-family lots, you can be approved for one ADU (attached or detached) up to 1,200 square feet and one Junior ADU up to 500 square feet. For multi-family lots, you can build multiple ADUs attached to existing structures and up to two detached ADUs on the property. Homeowners can build an ADU that is at least 800 square feet, up to 16 feet high, and must be set back 4 feet from side and rear yards. Agency or Department in charge of distribution: California Housing Finance Agency Source: California Housing Finance Agency Julie Fornasero and her husband Tim Logan. Courtesy of Julie Fornasero Thanks to a California grant, Julie Fornasero and her husband, Tim Logan, built an ADU in their backyard for $170,000. In 2019, they downsized by moving into the ADU and started renting out their primary home to earn extra cash. "This arrangement has allowed my husband and I to save $5,000 each month," Fornasero previously told Business Insider. "I was also able to retire to some degree and my husband no longer works at an office." New York: Up to $395,000 per grantee This program offers qualified New Yorkers up to $395,000 to build or convert an ADU on their property. A residential neighborhood in Monroe, New York, in the Hudson Valley. Kelsey Neubauer/Insider Who can apply: Homeowners earning up to 165% of the area median income $186,450 for a two-person household are eligible. Preference will be given to those earning at or below 100% of the AMI, which is $113,000 for a two-person household. Total funding available: The 2022-2023 NYS Capital Budget provided $85 million over the next five years. An additional $4 million in grant funds was issued in 2024. When are applications open: Applications for 2024 are closed and the 2025 application period is yet to be announced. Requirements: The ADU can be within the existing home, such as a basement or attic apartment, an in-law suite, or a completely independent and detached structure. Agency or Department in charge of distribution: New York State's Homes and Community Renewal Source: New York State Homes and Community Renewal, and the City of New York A welcome sign to Boxwill's town. Courtesy of Helen Boxwill Helen Boxwill, a retired educator in her late 70s who runs an educational nonprofit, refinanced her home to build an accessory dwelling unit on her property in Huntington, New York, in 2003 before the launch of the state's ADU incentive. Over the past 20 years, she's had three tenants. The rental income has helped her afford retirement and cover taxes and other bills. "The cost of living has continued to increase since I retired 20 years ago, so my ADU has been a blessing," Boxwill previously told BI. "I have something that helps me with costs, and I'm also providing a home for people that are in need of affordable housing it's a win-win." Vermont: Up to $50,000 per grantee This program allows Vermonters to receive up to $50,000 to build an ADU on their property. Both landlords and owner-occupied homes with plans to rent are eligible. A residential neighborhood in Burlington, Vermont. Kelsey Neubauer/Insider Who can apply: Any Vermont homeowner can apply through these five regional organizations: RuralEdge, Champlain Housing Trust, NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, Downstreet Housing and Community Development, and Windham and Windsor Housing Trust. Application review and project oversight is conducted through these organizations. Total funding available: As of 2023, Vermont had a $15 million budget. When are applications open: Open now, on a rolling basis. Requirements: Those who receive a grant must abide by certain stipulations, such as complying with local ordinances, maintaining HUD Fair Market rent, and matching at least 20% of the grant funds. The project must be completed within 18 months of signing the grant agreement. Those using their ADU as a rental must sign a rental covenant or forgivable loan agreement, committing to charge rent at or below Fair Market Rent for the entire duration of the agreement. Agency or Department in charge of distribution: Vermont Housing Improvement Program Source: Department of Housing and Community Development Marni Leiken and the apartment she built over her backyard carriage barn, visible on the far right of this photo. Courtesy of Marni Leiken Marni Leiken used a $20,000 grant from the Vermont State Housing Authority and a $10,000 no-interest loan to build an apartment above the carriage barn in her backyard. The single mom, who works as a university administrator, rents out the apartment to help pay off her mortgage. "For Vermont, which is very expensive, it made being here financially possible," Leiken previously told BI. Have you built an ADU on your property? We want to hear from you. Email the reporter, Alcynna Lloyd, at alloyd@businessinsider.com to share your story. Read the original article on Business Insider UPDATE @ 10 P.M. The Love County Sheriffs Office says several firefighters were treated for heat related issues. One firefighter was transported to a local hospital but was sent home and is expected to be okay. Officials say local crews have left the scene and an industrial fire service has taken over. The building is expected to keep smoking for the next few days. MARIETTA, Okla. (KFOR) A Dollar Tree distribution center previously damaged in an EF4 tornado in April caught on fire Friday morning. The city of Marietta was impacted by a devastating EF-4 tornado that swept through the area in April 2024, including the distribution center. There were no injuries when the tornado hit the distribution center, but the extensive damage caused the center to close down. The large Dollar Tree/Family Dollar distribution center on I-35 in Marietta has major storm damage. (KFOR) Tornado damage in Marietta, OK at the Dollar Tree Distribution Center (KFOR) Tornado damage in Marietta, OK at the Dollar Tree Distribution Center (KFOR) Tornado damage in Marietta, OK at the Dollar Tree Distribution Center (KFOR) On Friday, August 8, the distribution center caught on fire, Marietta Police say. Witnesses nearby said the building was engulfed in flames. Later Friday morning, large plumes of smoke could be seen hovering over the area from I-35. Dollar Tree distribution center catches on fire. Image KFOR. Dollar Tree distribution center catches on fire. Image KFOR. Dollar Tree distribution center catches on fire. Image KFOR. According to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, both lanes of southbound I-35 were closed at SH-32/Memorial Dr. in Marietta due to heavy smoke. The highway has since re-opened. Marietta Police encourage drivers to avoid the area. The Love County Sheriffs Office says as of 12:30 p.m., firefighters are still working on the fire in the north section of the building. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. He stormed the Capitol and a senators office. Then he became a cop in a small NC town. John Joseph Carl barged through walls of officers and through the door of a U.S. senators office in the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a criminal complaint filed this week. Then he became a cop. FBI agents interviewed the 41-year-old in February 2021 but arrested him Thursday. He joined the Pinetops Police Department in December 2023 after graduating from training at an eastern North Carolina community college, according to the colleges website. The town of Pinetops is about 70 miles east of Raleigh. Carls case file was sealed, not available to the public, on Friday morning, but the United States attorney for the District of Columbia released the criminal complaint detailing FBI interviews with Carl and his riotmate. That person, whose name has been redacted from the documents, turned himself in three days after the insurrection. He then named Carl, too. On February 17, 2021, FBI agents interviewed Carl, and he admitted to participating in the riot and showed footage he recorded as he pushed against Capitol police and breached the building. Hed come from former President Donald Trumps rally on the National Mall, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. On our side, there wasnt a whole lot of like swinging or throwing ... it was just you know guys putting their shoulder in and the police with their shields pushing back on the crowd, Carl said during an interview, according to a criminal complaint. The FBI says Carl joined other aggressive rioters and held his ground against officers attempting to move him back. Instead of listening to officers, he raised his arms to push back against officers ... and grabbed an officers arm and baton, according to body worn camera footage. That all happened around 2 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021. By 3:05 p.m., Carl and his unnamed companion entered Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkleys office. Carl is charged with a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, picketing, and demonstrating in a Capitol building. Pinetops police referred an inquiry Friday from The Charlotte Observer to the town attorney, J. Brian Pridgen, who said in an email that Carl had been employed by town police since June 5, 2023. At the time of his hiring and during his employment, the Town of Pinetops had no knowledge of Officer Carls possible involvement in the Jan. 6 riot, the email said. Based on the charges brought by the FBI, Officer Carl has been suspended pending an investigation. More than 1,488 people in nearly all 50 states have been charged with crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Nearly 550 of those people were also charged with felonies for assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. If convicted and sentenced, Carl will join more than 30 North Carolina defendants who have been sentenced so far. In September, Laura Steele, a former North Carolina police officer from High Point, was sentenced to 366 days in jail. In November, police arrested a former Marine living in the Lake Norman area. Members of the U.S. House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack found that Trump provoked his supporters to violence through his false allegations of fraud in the 2020 election. In North Carolina, CNN recently reported that the Republican nominee for state superintendent of public instruction, Michele Morrow, posted a video on Jan. 6, 2021, in which she called on Trump to invoke a federal law that completely puts the Constitution to the side so that he could remain president. He stormed the Capitol and a senators office. Then he became a cop in a small NC town. John Joseph Carl barged through walls of officers and through the door of a U.S. senators office in the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a criminal complaint filed this week. Then he became a cop. FBI agents interviewed the 41-year-old in February 2021 but arrested him Thursday. He joined the Pinetops Police Department in December 2023 after graduating from training at an eastern North Carolina community college, according to the colleges website. The town of Pinetops is about 70 miles east of Raleigh. Carls case file was sealed, not available to the public, on Friday morning, but the United States attorney for the District of Columbia released the criminal complaint detailing FBI interviews with Carl and his riotmate. That person, whose name has been redacted from the documents, turned himself in three days after the insurrection. He then named Carl, too. On February 17, 2021, FBI agents interviewed Carl, and he admitted to participating in the riot and showed footage he recorded as he pushed against Capitol police and breached the building. Hed come from former President Donald Trumps rally on the National Mall, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. On our side, there wasnt a whole lot of like swinging or throwing ... it was just you know guys putting their shoulder in and the police with their shields pushing back on the crowd, Carl said during an interview, according to a criminal complaint. The FBI says Carl joined other aggressive rioters and held his ground against officers attempting to move him back. Instead of listening to officers, he raised his arms to push back against officers ... and grabbed an officers arm and baton, according to body worn camera footage. That all happened around 2 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021. By 3:05 p.m., Carl and his unnamed companion entered Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkleys office. Carl is charged with a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, picketing, and demonstrating in a Capitol building. Pinetops police referred an inquiry Friday from The Charlotte Observer to the town attorney. More than 1,488 people in nearly all 50 states have been charged with crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Nearly 550 of those people were also charged with felonies for assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. If convicted and sentenced, Carl will join more than 30 North Carolina defendants who have been sentenced so far. In September, Laura Steele, a former North Carolina police officer from High Point, was sentenced to 366 days in jail. In November, police arrested a former Marine living in the Lake Norman area. Members of the U.S. House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack found that Trump provoked his supporters to violence through his false allegations of fraud in the 2020 election. In North Carolina, CNN recently reported that the Republican nominee for state superintendent of public instruction, Michele Morrow, posted a video on Jan. 6, 2021 in which she called on Trump to invoke a federal law that completely puts the Constitution to the side so that he could remain president. HELSINKI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Swedish health authorities confirmed on Thursday that they have identified the first case of the more infectious Clade I variant of mpox in the country. The Public Health Agency of Sweden said this is also the first confirmed case of this variant outside Africa. Magnus Gisslen, the state epidemiologist at the health agency, said in a press release that the patient contracted the infection during a visit to the region in Africa where mpox Clade I is spreading. The news came a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. The Swedish health agency noted that, unlike the previous variant which mainly spread through sexual contact, Clade I is now spreading primarily through household contacts and frequently infects children. Though it causes a similar illness to the Clade IIb variant that spread internationally in 2022, Clade I is considered capable of causing a more severe condition and higher mortality. The agency said that Sweden is prepared for the diagnosis, treatment, and isolation of Clade I patients. It had previously indicated that isolated cases of the variant might be expected in the country. Sweden reported around 300 mpox Clade IIb cases in the previous wave of infection. TOPEKA (KSNT) A representative of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Topeka is weighing in on the damage caused by Wednesday nights storm that caused damage in several neighborhoods. Chad Omitt with the NWS told 27 News a thunderstorm downdraft of 70-90 mph winds was responsible for causing damage in the north Topeka and Oakland neighborhoods on Aug. 14. These winds hit the area around 10:30 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., knocking down tree limbs and power lines. Omitt said the damage cannot be attributed to a tornado but rather to straight-line winds known as a downburst or microburst. The damage caused by these dangerous winds is some of the worst Omitt has seen in his time at the NWS office in the Oakland neighborhood. I have not seen damage that bad here in Oakland, Omitt said. Radar velocity image of wind strength. Bright yellow colors indicate powerful winds. (Photo Courtesy/Chad Omitt NWS). Firefighters rescue person trapped beneath tree in the Kansas River during violent storm The NWS is continuing to gather information about possible tornadic activity in northeast Kansas from Wednesday night. Omitt said there is evidence of a possible, brief tornado in an uninhabited area consisting of pasture land west of Topeka around 7:25 p.m. on Aug. 14. For more weather news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Editors Note: News 5 Now streams live Monday through Friday at 5:30 p.m. Watch the video above. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) Welcome to WKRG.coms new streaming show, News 5 Now, where we discuss the days 5 big stories and interact with you, our viewers. Top 5 Stories Its time to count down the Big Stories were following for you. (News 5) 5. Stranded Boat in Orange Beach The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and residents are looking for answers after a boat was abandoned in Orange Beach. The boat was found by a couple, Dylan Mitchell and his fiance Kaitlyn Argo, who noticed that the boat appeared to have been abandoned after crashing into the rocks at Alabama Point. ALEA said they are continuing to investigate. Sean Robby (Pensacola High School website, Escambia County Jail log) 4. Pensacola Assistant Principal Arrested A Pensacola High School assistant principal was arrested on Wednesday, News 5 has learned. Pensacola Police Department arrested 55-year-old Sean Robby with a sex offense, video voyeurism of someone 19 or younger. According to police, the incident did not occur on campus and did not involve any students. They did not share further details. Escambia County Public Schools said they are cooperating with police as the investigation continues. (News 5) 3. ER Comes to Perdido Key Perdido Key area residents will soon have another place to go as an emergency room is planned to come to the area. That emergency room will be located off Sorrento Road, according to Ascesion Sacred Heart. It will have a triage area, a resuscitation room, nine treatment spaces, and CT and X-ray machines. Officials say more than 40 people will work at the facility which is scheduled to be ready to accept patients by next summer. Rep. Matt Gaetz held an early voting kickoff rally in Milton (News 5) 2. Meet the Candidates: Gaetz and Dimmock Voters in Northwest Florida are set to head to the polls as Incumbent Matt Gaetz faces off against challenger Aaron Dimmock for the Republican District One primary. That race is scheduled for Tuesday. Ahead of the race, WKRG News 5s Peter Albrecht sat down with both candidates. At 6 p.m. there will be a profile on U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and at 10 p.m. there will be a profile on challenger Aaron Dimmock. Find out where the candidates stand on important issues. (Getty Images) 1. Alabama Voter List Purge A purge of Alabama voter rolls is underway as the Alabama Secretary of State found more than 3,000 non-citizens who were registered to vote in Alabama. According to officials, the non-citizens are not classified as citizens but were able to use federally-issued non-citizen IDs to register to vote illegally. Every county except Claiborne County had some number of non-citizen voters, officials said. That included 537 in Baldwin and Mobile counties. The secretary has asked local election officials to get those people off the voter rolls before the November general election and says his office will investigate whether any non-citizens on the rolls have ever actually voted before. Question of the Day The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted an active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, so WKRG News 5 asked, An out-of-towner just moved to the Gulf Coast. Whats your best hurricane prep tip? Here are your responses. Poll of the Day Mars, whose brands include M&Ms, Snickers, and Skittles, is buying food company Kellanova, the owner of consumer brands like Cheez-It, in a nearly $30 billion deal. WKRG News 5 asked, What kind of snack do you prefer: salty or sweet? Here are the responses. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. NEW YORK, N.Y. (PIX11) Police are on the hunt for a group of men whove robbed as much as 40 businesses throughout New York City. Officials say four men have robbed multiple businesses during the overnight and early morning hours since March 21, with the most recent being on June 24. More Crime News Most of the businesses have been laundries and cleaners in the Bronx and Queens, according to authorities. Although there have been no reported injuries, the men have taken coin machines, merchandise and cash from registers before driving off in a car with stolen plates, police say. Authorities say during one incident on April 15, the men took $2000 in cash from a cleaner service in Flushing, Queens. A week later, they broke into a laundry room at an apartment building in Queens Village and took cash from a machine. On May 20 the suspects stole a payment machine from another laundry room in Flushing, according to officials. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Opponents of Summit's pipeline project include landowners, county governments and environmental activists. (Photo by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) Summit Carbon Solutions has purchased old land easement agreements from a former rival company to help speed up its carbon pipeline construction project, Summit officials confirm. Summits former rival, Navigator CO2, attempted its own carbon dioxide pipeline project before backing out in October 2023. With Navigator out of the picture, Summit has purchased many of Navigators old agreements to expand its coverage area and save itself time by not needing to negotiate new agreements. Summit received approval in June from the Iowa Utilities Board, now called Iowa Utilities Commission, on its pipeline project. With the permit approval, Summit was given the power of eminent domain to force unwilling landowners into easement agreements. The proposed project plan would build pipelines in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota to carry captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and transport it to underground reservoirs in North Dakota. Roadblocks for Summit remain Iowa is the only state to give Summit the green light so far. Before Summit begins construction in Iowa, the organization still has a handful of roadblocks to overcome. The Iowa Utilities Commission is requiring Summit to refile several documents to receive a permit. Summit is also still in the middle of lawsuits it filed against Iowa counties that have attempted to restrict the placement of pipelines. Additionally, Summit still needs approval in South Dakota and North Dakota for pipelines to be placed in Iowa. Summit will also be limited from engaging in any new easement agreements with landowners until the organization holds public informational meetings in affected counties as required by law. Summit has released its schedule for 23 public informational meetings about the project across 23 different counties throughout August and September. The times and locations of the meetings can be read here. The Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club, an environmentalist activist group, has pledged to fight against Summits pipeline efforts. The group is currently working with impacted landowners to oppose the project. The public comment period is our chance to tell the truth about carbon pipelines and the dangers they pose to our land, our families and our communities, the Sierra Club wrote on its website. We also need to make sure impacted landowners know they DO NOT have to sign an easement. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Summit could also face challenges in the Legislature When Navigator wanted to connect pipelines from Iowa to Illinois, Illinois state lawmakers passed a two-year moratorium on new carbon dioxide pipelines. In past sessions, the Iowa House of Representatives have passed three fairly bipartisan bills that would limit or regulate the use of eminent domain for these projects. However, none of the bills managed to pass the Iowa Senate. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has expressed support for the benefits carbon dioxide capture could have on the Iowa agriculture industry as long as the benefits account for landowner rights. On Thursday, after a tour of the Chevron Renewable Energy Groups facility in Newton, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks praised pipelines as a way to aid Iowas ethanol industry but avoided advocating for or against eminent domain by calling it a state issue, not a federal one. I would say that farmers and property owners need to look at the why, the rationale, and then determine if its in their best interest, Miller-Meeks said. Companies that are acquiring easements are looking at, How do you make the land whole? How do you ensure farmers that you can grow crops in the near future, the timing, restructure so that land is put back in the position it was before they put in the pipeline? Which agreements are being bought? Summit isnt purchasing every agreement made by Navigator, Summit spokesperson Sabrina Zenor said. The land easement agreements Navigator made for its proposed route did not always align with Summits route. Some easement agreements in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and North Dakota have already been purchased but Zenor said the number of easement agreements purchased and when Summit will finish buying the old Navigator agreements it wants cant be confirmed yet. Summit notified some landowners whose easement agreement was purchased via letters mailed to them. Summit has acquired right-of-way easement options previously held by Navigator CO2, including the option(s) you signed with Navigator CO2, Lee Blank, Summits chief executive, wrote in a letter to landowners whose easement agreements Summit purchased. These options provide us with right-of-way access along expansion routes to the POET and Valero ethanol plants that have recently been added to our project. With the Iowa Utilities Commission declining to reconsider its permit approval, another lawsuit involving the pipeline project from either landowners, environmental activists or Iowa counties is likely. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Bret Dublinske, a lawyer for Summit Carbon Solutions, argues before the South Dakota Supreme Court on March 19, 2024. The case dealt with eminent domain and other related issues. (Dave Bordewyk/South Dakota NewsMedia Association) Summit Carbon Solutions has purchased old land easement agreements from a former rival company to help speed up its carbon pipeline construction project, Summit officials confirm. Summits former rival, Navigator CO2, attempted its own carbon dioxide pipeline project before backing out in October 2023. With Navigator out of the picture, Summit has purchased many of Navigators old agreements to expand its coverage area and save itself time by not needing to negotiate new agreements. Summit received approval in June from the Iowa Utilities Board, now called Iowa Utilities Commission, on its pipeline project. With the permit approval, Summit was given the power of eminent domain to force unwilling landowners into easement agreements. The proposed project plan would build pipelines in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota to carry captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and transport it to underground reservoirs in North Dakota. Roadblocks for Summit remain Iowa is the only state to give Summit the green light so far. Before Summit begins construction in Iowa, the organization still has a handful of roadblocks to overcome. The Iowa Utilities Commission is requiring Summit to refile several documents to receive a permit. Summit is also still in the middle of lawsuits it filed against Iowa counties that have attempted to restrict the placement of pipelines. Additionally, Summit still needs approval in South Dakota and North Dakota for pipelines to be placed in Iowa. Summit will also be limited from engaging in any new easement agreements with landowners until the organization holds public informational meetings in affected counties as required by law. A sign opposing carbon dioxide pipelines stands alongside an eastern South Dakota farm field in July 2024. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) Summit has released its schedule for 23 public informational meetings about the project across 23 different counties throughout August and September. The times and locations of the meetings can be read here. The Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club, an environmentalist activist group, has pledged to fight against Summits pipeline efforts. The group is currently working with impacted landowners to oppose the project. The public comment period is our chance to tell the truth about carbon pipelines and the dangers they pose to our land, our families and our communities, the Sierra Club wrote on its website. We also need to make sure impacted landowners know they DO NOT have to sign an easement. Summit could also face challenges in the Legislature When Navigator wanted to connect pipelines from Iowa to Illinois, Illinois state lawmakers passed a two-year moratorium on new carbon dioxide pipelines. In past sessions, the Iowa House of Representatives have passed three fairly bipartisan bills that would limit or regulate the use of eminent domain for these projects. However, none of the bills managed to pass the Iowa Senate. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has expressed support for the benefits carbon dioxide capture could have on the Iowa agriculture industry as long as the benefits account for landowner rights. On Thursday, after a tour of the Chevron Renewable Energy Groups facility in Newton, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks praised pipelines as a way to aid Iowas ethanol industry but avoided advocating for or against eminent domain by calling it a state issue, not a federal one. I would say that farmers and property owners need to look at the why, the rationale, and then determine if its in their best interest, Miller-Meeks said. Companies that are acquiring easements are looking at, How do you make the land whole? How do you ensure farmers that you can grow crops in the near future, the timing, restructure so that land is put back in the position it was before they put in the pipeline? Which agreements are being bought? Summit isnt purchasing every agreement made by Navigator, Summit spokesperson Sabrina Zenor said. The land easement agreements Navigator made for its proposed route did not always align with Summits route. Some easement agreements in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and North Dakota have already been purchased but Zenor said the number of easement agreements purchased and when Summit will finish buying the old Navigator agreements it wants cant be confirmed yet. Summit notified some landowners whose easement agreement was purchased via letters mailed to them. Summit has acquired right-of-way easement options previously held by Navigator CO2, including the option(s) you signed with Navigator CO2, Lee Blank, Summits chief executive, wrote in a letter to landowners whose easement agreements Summit purchased. These options provide us with right-of-way access along expansion routes to the POET and Valero ethanol plants that have recently been added to our project. With the Iowa Utilities Commission declining to reconsider its permit approval, another lawsuit involving the pipeline project from either landowners, environmental activists or Iowa counties is likely. This story was originally published by Iowa Capital Dispatch. Like South Dakota Searchlight, its part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and X. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A record number of sunspots on the sun as seen on Aug. 8, 2024 by a NASA spacecraft. | Credit: NOAA/SWPC/NASA On Aug. 8, scientists may have caught hundreds of individual sunspots on images produced by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). To us, sunspots might seem really tiny but don't be fooled. They are actually dark areas typically the size of the entire Earth on the sun's surface. Plus, they exhibit strong magnetic fields that can fire off solar flares , which spew pulses of electromagnetic radiation into space. These are the explosions that lead to coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that can create solar storms on Earth. "The process of the solar cycle , the 11-year (on average) dynamic of the sun that leads from solar minimum to maximum, and back to minimum, leads to localized areas of strong magnetic energy that develop on the sun. This is due to what is called differential rotation, where the solar equator is rotating much faster than the poles. When these areas are strong enough, they can lead to sunspot formation," Shawn Dahl, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) Service Coordinator, told Space.com. "This Solar Cycle 25 is proving to be much more active than originally forecast by the scientist experts who predicted the cycle back in 2019 or so." Solar Cycle 25, which has already made a name for itself with intense geomagnetic storms that created show-stopping auroras around the world, most notably from atypical vantage points, could now also hold the spot for the biggest daily sunspot number (SSN) in more than 20 years. In a recent release, the SWPC reported that, using measurements from its resources, the value came in at 337, which would mark the first time scientists have seen a daily SSN that numerous since March of 2001. Related: Colossal X-class solar flare erupts from 'rule-breaking' sunspot and Earth is in the firing line (video) "It is based on a standard calculation that we used based on United States Air Force (USAF) solar observatories that report sunspots to us at SWPC. But our sunspot number is not the official number; that comes later from Belgium and the Solar Influences Data Center (SIDC)," Dahl said. "Meanwhile, we analyze every group of spots visible on the sun and calculate their potential for solar flare and energetic particle events (R- and S-scale events), and we also produce a daily summary of all the active regions each day. Although the SSN still is in the process of being finalized, which is expected to be released by the end of the month, the World Data Center Sunspot Index and Long-Term Solar Observations (WDC-SILSO) and the Royal Observatorys Solar Influences Data Center (SIDC) in Belgium currently approximate the count at 299, which would suggest the largest daily SSN since July 2002. Related Stories: Is it time to put a dimmer switch on the push for space solar power? New ISS images showcase auroras, moon and space station in glorious photos (video) Rare display of northern lights and Perseid meteor shower delights skywatchers worldwide (photos, video) As you may recall, Aug. 8 was also a very busy day for active sunspot regions. It was just the beginning of a period that lasted through Aug.10, during which solar flares fired off five CMEs toward Earth that led to the issuance of geomagnetic storm watches for our planet the weekend of Aug. 11 to Aug. 12. "There was the R3 level flare that had an associated CME later on August 8 (AR 3774) that was associated with yet another CME. There had been a number of them during the week leading up to this one, but this CME appeared to have the higher level of confidence for an Earth-directed component and a G2 Watch was continued into that weekend accordingly," Dahal said. "This was indeed suspected to be the CME that did arrive and eventually led to G1-G3 levels, and even a 3-hour period of G4 being reached." The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is now the first U.S. Navy supercarrier to have a complete dedicated Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC). The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is now the first U.S. Navy supercarrier to have a complete dedicated Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC). The new control room is set to be the nerve center on the flattop for operating future drones, including uncrewed MQ-25 Stingray tankers and carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The Navy plans to eventually add UAWCs to all of its Nimitz and Ford class carriers. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced the completion of George H.W. Bushs UAWC, which it said occurred recently, in a press release earlier today. The Navys Nimitz class carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77). USN The CVN-based control room, known as the UAWC, includes software and hardware systems that make up the first fully operational and integrated Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS) MD-5E Ground Control Station (GCS), according to the release. The UMCS is the system-of-systems and the MD-5E developed by the Navy, includes Lockheed Martins Skunk Works Multi Domain Combat System (MDCX), the power behind the GCS, along with additional supporting equipment and hardware, it continues. The UMCS team worked with multiple program offices, systems commands and shipyards to integrate the UAWC into existing networks and the carrier architecture, todays NAVAIR release adds. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Webster Outlying Field Alteration Installation Team, AirWorks, and Lockheed Martin assisted with the coordination and physical installation of the UAWC while Naval Sea Systems Command, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and CVN 77 organized schedules, equipment, and logistics. A picture NAVAIR released of the George H.W. Bushs new UAWC, seen below, shows a pair of operator stations with arrays of monitors, tablet-like devices, and other computer hardware. The stations look identical to the ones seen in a previously released picture of components of an MD-5 series GCS. The general look is also well in line with other known uncrewed GCS designs, like the ones the U.S. Air Force has used over the years to operate MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers. A view from inside USS George H.W. Bushs new UAWC. USN A previously released picture showing elements of an MD-5 series GCS. USN via DODIG A picture of General Atomics Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS) for use with the MQ-9. GA-ASI The MD-5 family of GCSs has been in development since at least the early 2010s adjacent to the Navys abortive Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program. UCLASS was supplanted by the less ambitious Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) program that led to MQ-25. The stated primary purposes of the MQ-25 today are to help extend the reach of the carrier air wing and to eliminate the current need to use F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters in the tanker role, according to the Navy. The Stingrays will also have a secondary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability and there have been discussions about further expanding their roles, including as stand-off strike platforms. A Boeing model depicting an MQ-25 armed with a pair of stealthy Lockheed Martin AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Surface Missiles (LRASM). Jamie Hunter A Boeing model depicting an MQ-25 armed with a pair of AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM). Jamie Hunter The Navy has already been working for years now to establish a training pipeline for MQ-25 operators using facilities ashore. On land and at sea testing of the Stingray itself is ongoing. The overall MQ-25 program has suffered significant delays and cost growth since Boeing won the CBARS competition in 2018. The original goal was to reach initial operational capability with the Stingray this year, but that has been pushed back to 2026. The Navy is still planning to eventually acquire a full fleet of 76 of the tanker drones. When it comes to the UAWC, the Navys plan now is that early next year, CVN 77 will lead the first at-sea testing of the [control centers] operational networks, building on initial network testing with a simulated GCS that took place in January aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), according the NAVAIR release. This will be the first time the AVPs [Air Vehicle Pilots] from Unmanned Carrier-Launched Multi-Role Squadron (VUQ) 10 will operate the MD-5 from an aircraft carrier, Joe Nedeau, the UMCS lead within NAVAIRs Unmanned Carrier Aviation office, or PMA-268, said in a statement. They will use the actual GCS hardware and software aboard CVN 77 to communicate with a simulated air vehicle in the lab at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. Furthermore, CVN 77s UAWC lays the foundation for how the U.S. Navy will operate and control unmanned aircraft, and perhaps other unmanned vehicles, with UMCS, Capt. Daniel Fucito, head of PMA-268, said in a statement. These systems will initially support the MQ-25 but also future unmanned systems such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft that comprise the Air Wing of the Future. You can read more about the Navys CCAs plans, which are heavily interviewed with those of the U.S. Air Force, in more detail here. The CCAs that both services are planning to acquire are expected, at least initially, to operate closely with crewed combat jets. The two services are notably working on architectures to allow them to seamlessly exchange control of CCAs and other drones during future operations, including via the MD-5. Boeing Since 2021, Navy officials have said on multiple occasions that they expect 60 percent or more of the aircraft in future carrier air wings to eventually be uncrewed. USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) are next in line to get full UAWCs, starting in Fiscal Year 2025, which begins on October 1 of this year. The Navy has said in the past that at least three carriers already have elements of the MD-5 installed. It is also possible that other Navy warships, especially its big deck amphibious assault ships, could also get UAWCs or similar control centers with a version of the MD-5 in the future. Last year, NAVAIRs Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) put out a request for information on new ways to launch and recover a high volume of low-cost aircraft from vessels beyond aircraft carriers. The Navy has now taken a major step forward toward its larger uncrewed naval aviation vision with the completion of the new drone control center on the USS George H.W. Bush. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a request from the Biden administration to enforce parts of a new federal rule meant to protect LGBTQ+ and pregnant students from discrimination in 10 states where the rule was put on hold by federal judges. The court announced its decision in an unsigned order that drew a partial dissent from the courts three liberals and conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch. The Supreme Courts order is the latest blow to the Biden administration on the issue, which has suffered a series of setbacks with federal courts blocking a rule that was intended to protect transgender students. Much of the rule remains blocked in about half of the nation. The sweeping rule issued in April clarified that Title IXs ban on sex discrimination in schools covers discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy or related conditions. Other provisions address protections for pregnant and postpartum students, including access to lactation spaces and prohibitions on retaliation. Compliance with Title IX, which was enacted in 1972, is required for schools that receive federal aid. All nine justices agreed to block the Biden administrations clarification of sex discrimination. But those who dissented would have allowed other, less contested provisions of the new rule to take effect in the 10 states at issue. Blocking enforcement of the entire rule appears to go beyond what was necessary, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent. Pointing to provisions of the rule that deal with pregnancy discrimination or preemployment inquiries about a candidates marital status, Sotomayor said that the states offer nothing to justify preventing the government from enforcing those parts of the rule. But the courts brief per curiam opinion said that it was the governments burden to demonstrate that those provisions could be separated from the ones that were challenged and on this limited record the Government has not provided this Court a sufficient basis to disturb the lower courts interim conclusions. Gorsuchs decision to join Sotomayors partial dissent was notable, in part because he wrote a landmark majority opinion in 2020 that said gay and transgender Americans in the workplace should be protected from discrimination based on their sex. The Supreme Courts order means that the entire new rule will remain on hold for now in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho. The rule is also blocked in 16 states as part of other lawsuits. Technical legal fight could have widespread impact Two separate lawsuits brought by the Republican attorneys general of the 10 states claimed that three specific provisions of the new rule are unlawful: the provision that expands the scope of sex; a provision that would bar schools from disallowing transgender students from using bathrooms or locker rooms consistent with their gender identity; and a provision clarifying that the laws prohibition on hostile-environment harassment could implicate anti-trans conduct. But in siding with the Republicans, two federal judges blocked enforcement in the 10 states of not just those three provisions but the entire new rule while the lawsuits moved forward. Federal appeals courts in New Orleans and Cincinnati turned down the Biden administrations requests to scale back those injunctions so that the new rule could be partially enforced in the states, leading the federal government to ask the high court to intervene. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who oversees appeals on behalf of the federal government, wrote in court papers last month that the injunctions were overbroad and should have been limited to the provisions that the states said would cause them irreparable harm. She described the rule as being an omnibus rule with various parts that could be severed by federal judges examining the rules legality. She asked the high court to allow the Department of Education to enforce provisions that prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions like childbirth, termination of pregnancy or recovery from pregnancy. The states challenging the changes, Prelogar told the court, do not contend and the lower courts did not purport to hold that those provisions conflict with Title IX, the Constitution, or any other federal law. She also pointed to an order issued by the Supreme Court earlier this year in a case concerning Idahos ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. In that matter, the court allowed the state to partially enforce the ban, scaling back a sweeping order issued by a federal judge that would have blocked its enforcement. A concurrence from Gorsuch criticizing the broad injunction in that case buttresses the federal governments request in the Title IX matter, the solicitor general argued. In other words, in a case that worked against transgender students, the Supreme Court just recently limited lower courts from stepping in with far-reaching orders intended to block enforcement. Like the district court in (the Idaho case), Prelogar wrote, the lower courts in the Title IX cases clearly strayed from equitys traditional bounds by enjoining provisions that respondents had not challenged and that the court had not held to be likely unlawful. The legal fight is technical but has the potential for widespread impact. In a major win for LGBTQ rights, the Supreme Courts 2020 ruling that a federal law barring workplace discrimination on the basis of sex necessarily offered protection for gay and transgender workers, too. That ruling was limited to the workplace, but other federal anti-discrimination laws including Title IX use nearly identical language. The big-picture question that will ultimately reach the Supreme Court is whether its logic in the workplace ruling should apply more broadly. But in the current cases pending before the high court related to the new Title IX rules, Prelogar argued the states never even claimed they would be harmed by the change in definition. Instead, she said, they were focused on other provisions that implicated bathroom and pronoun policies. The states, she wrote, have never suggested that they wish to violate the first provision by punishing or excluding transgender students simply for being transgender. This story has been updated with additional details. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com PRAGUE, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Ministry of Health and the State Health Institute (SZU) issued a statement on Thursday, recommending people vaccinate and take preventive measures against mpox if traveling to areas where mpox is currently reported. The mpox disease, formely known as monkeypox, does not pose a risk for the Czech Republic, but caution is needed, especially when traveling to Africa, and vaccination is best, said the statement. The ministry said it is monitoring the situation in Africa. Current recommendations suggest that professionals such as healthcare workers who are in contact with mpox patients, and people who have sex with multiple partners, or those who live in a household with an HIV-positive person, should be vaccinated. Vaccination against mpox is available at medical centers in most regions in the country, said the ministry. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. Its data showed that the number of cases reported so far this year has exceeded last year's total, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths. Mpox is a rare viral disease. Its common symptoms are a skin rash accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. In the Czech Republic, the system for monitoring mpox has been set up since 2022, when the first unusual occurrence of the disease was recorded. A total of 11 cases have been reported in the country this year, according to the data from the SZU. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Theres no shortage of construction projects across the Las Vegas valley and as Southern Nevada continues to grow more housing will be needed. However, a new survey finds that 40% of the construction workforce plans to retire in the next seven years, and only 3% of young adults are interested in trade work. Its a very well-paying job and career that a lot of people dont get that exposure to it, unfortunately, Scott Hoopingarner said. A new survey finds that 40% of the construction workforce plans to retire in the next seven years, and only 3% of young adults are interested in trade work. (KLAS) He is the area construction manager for Taylor Homes Las Vegas. At his job site at Lake Las Vegas, he said there are 28 different trades that are used and needed to complete the homes. However, with a skilled trades labor shortage, some companies, like Taylor Morrison, are now looking at new ways to attract a younger workforce. It broadens their horizons. It gets them exposure to people in the industry, Its exposure that David Dixon was looking for with Taylor Morrisons new internship program. Hes the first intern in the companys Southern Nevada division. I googled it and applied for it and here I am now, he said. It gives you an opportunity to learn the job and see if you love the job. Dixon is entering his senior year at Texas Tech. Though he said this internship is demanding, he said its also valuable. We do a lot of scheduling and making sure our trades get here and everybody where theyre supposed to be and a lot of followups. Recruiting workers, however, isnt always easy. The construction industry has to make itself more attractive for young people, Neil Opfer said. He is an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction at UNLV. He said construction work has become easier with better equipment but he said the key is exposure to shift any stigmas around labored work. One of the problems has been with school districts across the county is that in a lot of cases they got rid of all their shop classes, he also said. As Southern Nevada grows, so does the need for work and Opfer said that means more money for those who learn or have the skills. Regarding housing, he said, If youve got a restricted supply and youve got a demand thats growing, one of the things youll see, youll see wages increase even more. He also said its the construction industry thatll pave the way for better roads, housing and energy. We make life better for people, Hoopingarner said. Dixon said hes always been excited about building things, but this internship has laid the ground for his future. This is what I want to do and where I want to be and have my career in construction, Dixon said. According to the Building Talent Foundation, a non-profit that works with students and trade industries; the skilled labor force in residential construction is expected to grow another ten percent by 2028. Thats much faster than the growth across other industries. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Susan Lorincz, the Florida woman who fatally shot her neighbor Ajike "AJ" Owens through a closed door in June 2023, was found guilty Friday of first-degree felony manslaughter with a firearm. The verdict came just before 3:00 p.m. ET. Judge Robert Hodges instructed Lorincz that she would be held in the Marion County jail without bond until her sentencing. Lorincz appeared to shrug her shoulders before she left the courtroom with correctional officers. She faces 30 years in prison. "Oh, God! Thank you, Jesus!" Pamela Dias, Owens' mother, yelled after Lorincz left the room. "Today, our family can sleep a little better knowing that Susan Lorincz will no longer be a threat to our community, especially to my grandchildren," Dias told ABC News. "While this verdict does not bring my daughter AJ back to us, it does bring a sense of peace that we have long sought," she said. "I am very pleased with the jury, the prosecution, the verdict of the guilty," Dias said in a news conference outside of the Ocala, Florida, courthouse after the verdict. "I find some peace with that verdict. I feel that, although my daughter is gone forever, the children's mom is gone forever, but we've achieved some justice for Ajike." Lorincz's law team declined to comment to ABC News' request for a statement. The six-person, all-white panel was seated on Monday and began deliberating on Friday shortly after 12:00 p.m. ET after prosecutors and the defense presented their closing arguments in a case that gained national attention. Lorincz shot Owens, a Black mother of four, through a closed door in the presence of her now 10-year-old son after she went to speak with Lorincz about a dispute over Owens' children playing near her home, according to a June 6, 2023, statement from the Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO). Lorincz, who is white, was arrested on June 6, 2023, and charged with first-degree felony manslaughter for fatally shooting Owens on June 2, 2023, in Ocala, Florida. She pleaded not guilty on July 10, 2023, and was held on a $150,000 bond. PHOTO: Video released by the Marion County Sheriff's Office shows detectives interrogating Susan Lorincz on June 6, 2023, moments before she is arrested for the fatal shooting of her neighbor, Ajike 'AJ' Owens. (Marion County Sheriff's Office ) "This verdict is a critical step in securing justice for AJ and her family," civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Owens' family, said. "While nothing can erase the pain they've endured, today's decision sends a clear message that senseless violence will be met with accountability." MORE: Ajike Owens' mother, 10-year-old son share their grief journey How the trial unfolded A host of neighbors, including two children, sheriff's deputies, a 911 dispatcher and operator, crime scene investigators and forensic experts were among those who testified during the trial. Prosecutors argued that Lorincz should be found guilty because she fatally shot an "unarmed" Owens through a "locked" door. "Ms. Owens was banging on the door telling the defendant to come out," state attorney Rich Buxman said in his closing argument. "Belief that there was an immediate or imminent danger, such that deadly force was necessary at that time, was simply unreasonable because there was no imminent danger. And that word imminent is very important. It's included in the law for a reason... If Miss Owens would somehow have managed to bust through this locked, deadbolted metal door, entered her house and started coming at her, the defendant may have had a right to shoot because that danger would have then been imminent." The defense argued that Lorincz should be found not guilty because she was acting in self-defense because she feared for her life. "The law says you should only convict someone if you're convinced they're guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.... If you're back there and you're deliberating and you're thinking, 'Man, she had some medical issues. She did live alone. She had these prior run-ins with Ajike, I could see how she could be scared of her,'" Amanda Sizemore, Lorincz's attorney, said in her closing argument. "And if you have reasonable doubt, you should find Ms. Lorincz not guilty because that is what the law says. And each and every one of you took an oath to follow the law." A focus of the state's argument was on the first 911 call that Lorincz made to report "trespassing" on June 2, 2023 minutes before she ended up shooting Owens. PHOTO: Booking photo provided by the Marion County, Fla., Sheriff's Office shows Susan Louise Lorincz. (Marion County Sheriff's Office via AP) According to witnesses, including the sheriff's deputies who responded to the shooting, law enforcement was already on their way to Lorincz's home when the shooting occurred because she had called 911 to report three children one Latino and two Black were "trespassing" on her property. MORE: New video shows interrogation of Florida woman accused of fatally shooting neighbor During the trial the locked door became a focus of the state's argument and the subject of cross examination during the testimony of various witnesses. The defense claimed that Owens told Lorincz that she was going to "kill" her and was trying to "break" in Lorincz's front door that they argued was "damaged." PHOTO: Photo released by attorney Anthony D. Thomas shows Ajike Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four from Ocala, Fla. (Anthony D. Thomas via AP) The state zeroed in on this claim during the testimony on Tuesday of Lorincz's former landlord Charles Gabbard. Gabbard testified that, prior to the shooting, he had repaired a jam on Lorincz's front door. He said that her door was "structurally sound" after he repaired it, despite some cosmetic damage. He said that the door was sturdy and had a chain, a deadbolt and a lock. During cross-examination, Gabbard said that Lorincz did not tell him how the door was damaged but that "it was clear that someone slammed" the door. He said that after repairing it, he was planning to replace Lorincz's door at some point. Asked by Lorincz's attorney if the crack in the door was "substantial," Gabbard said, "Yes." "Susan Lorincz told detectives, 'I really thought she was going to break my door down,'" Sizemore said. "'I really thought that I saw the door moving.' And I really believe that. I honest to God believe that is what she said. She reasonably believed that. We heard Susan tell the detectives, 'I heard Ms. Owens say, 'I'm going to [expletive] kill you.' ... I heard the door crack, and when I heard that door crack, I fired.'" Hodges instructed that he will order a pre-sentence investigation per the defense's request and will schedule a sentencing at a later date. The judge stated that he believed the sentencing will happen well before November. Susan Lorincz, woman who fatally shot neighbor Ajike Owens through door, found guilty originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Man accused of breaking into MIT dorms jumps into Charles River to avoid capture pleads not guilty A suspect pled not guilty in court after being accused of several MIT dorm break-ins and trying to hide from officers in the Charles River early Friday morning. Michael Stockwell was charged with destruction of property, receiving a stolen car, attempting to commit a crime, resisting arrest, and trespassing. He pleaded not guilty in Cambridge District Court. State Police say they were called to assist MIT and Cambridge Police in locating a suspect who was breaking into dorms. An MIT spokesperson also said the suspect tried stealing from a bicycle locker on campus as well. As officers pursued the suspect, the suspect reportedly fled into the Charles River. With assistance from the Lower Basin Boston Barracks, the K9 unit, the Marine Unit, and the Dive Team, the suspect was eventually located and arrested. Boston Fire officials also assisted in the search and deployed a drone. Stockwell claims he stopped to smoke a cigarette and panicked when police attempted to speak with him. He also denies committing larceny. Stockwell also has an open case out of Roxbury, the details of which were not immediately available. He will be back in court in September. No further information was immediately available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Suspect accused of shattering doors of Freeport Police Department has been arrested FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) Freeport Police have arrested a man accused of throwing a rock through the front doors of the police department building. According to police, Jerrell Williamson, 21, walked up to the building around 10:35 p.m. on Sunday, August 4th, and threw a rock through the glass doors, shattering them. He then walked back in the direction he came, in the area of Cherry Avenue and Exchange Street. Photo: Freeport Police Department An investigation identified Williamson as the suspect. He was arrested on Thursday, August 15th, and charged with Criminal Damage to State Supported Property. Under the provision of the pretrial fairness act, he was processed and released with a notice to appear at a future court date. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A man arrested for robbing two people last month downtown was indicted Thursday by a Mahoning County grand jury. Samuel Arroyo, 18, of Youngstown, is charged with four counts of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, along with firearm specifications for each count. Arroyo has been in the county jail since he was arrested July 2 by city police who responded to robbery reports by two separate people about 11:40 p.m. on West Federal and North Hazel streets. Reports said the first group of people told police they were in the 100 block of West Federal Street when a man wearing a black mask pulled a gun and demanded their money. Reports said the robber took a shoulder bag that had the word MURDER engraved on it from one of the victims, then fled towards North Hazel Street. While on North Hazel Street, reports said the robber encountered another group of people and robbed them as well. As police were taking statements, they saw a man who looked like the robber who was later identified as Arroyo, reports said. Reports said the man had a bag with the word MURDER engraved on it. When police searched the bag, they found property belonging to the victims as well as a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. The magazine for the gun was empty, but there was one bullet in the chamber, reports said. A black mask was also found inside the bag, reports said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. EDEN, N.C. (WGHP) A woman has been arrested for allegedly intentionally burning a home and vehicle, the Eden Police Department reports. According to a Facebook post from EPD, on Thursday, the Roanoke City Police Department arrested Tesha Camelle Joyce, of Roanoke, VA, for her suspected involvement in a structure fire that happened on Monday. Tesha Camelle Joyce (Eden Police Department) At around 11:56 p.m. on Monday, EPD officers, the Eden Fire Department and Leaksville firefighters went to a home in the 200 block of Harrington Highway after getting a report of a fire. Everyone inside the home escaped without injury, and the fire was extinguished. However, it caused extensive damage to both the home and a vehicle. Investigators determined that the fire was started with malice and after consulting with the Rockingham County District Attorneys Office charged Tesha Camelle Joyce, of Roanoke, Virginia, with first-degree arson. The man who lives at the address says he has known Joyce for about a year. He said they had a disagreement earlier in the day. Later that day, he got a text message allegedly from Joyce that said she would burn his house down. Joyce was given no bond. Her first appearance in court is on Friday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP. Suspect still at large following shooting of Pima County deputy One suspect remains at large following the shooting of a Pima County Sheriff's deputy on Tuesday. Authorities are searching for 39-year-old Gabriel Angel Altamirano, who they say ambushed deputies who responded to a domestic violence call involving Altamirano earlier that day. A second suspect is in jail. A hospital released the victim, Deputy Augustine Gonzalez, who suffered an injury to the leg that was not life-threatening. Deputies arrived at a home near Jeffrey Road and Camino De Oeste around 10 a.m. Tuesday before leaving the scene, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said during a Wednesday news conference. About two hours later, around 11:50 a.m., Nanos said Gonzalez recognized Altamirano's vehicle returning to the area and began pursuing him. Two suspects were in the vehicle and attempted to flee before crashing into another vehicle, Nanos said. The suspects then took off on foot before Altamirano fired at the deputies from behind a bush, Nanos said. A bullet struck Gonzalez in the lower calf, Nanos said. He was able to get away and immediately call for backup. No one else was injured as a result of the shooting, and Nanos said the domestic violence victim is safe. Responding deputies arrested one man and booked him into jail on outstanding warrants. The Tucson Police Department, which is leading the investigation, said it is not releasing that suspect's name at this time. Authorities have not yet located Altamirano. Altamirano has a criminal history that Nanos said includes weapons violations, drug possession, aggravated assault and thefts. He will be charged with attempted murder once arrested, Nanos said. Altamirano had broken into homes in the area, Nanos said. He advised any residents who received a knock at their door to check who it was before opening it, adding that the community must remain on alert. Anyone with information regarding the suspect should call 911 or 88-CRIME. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gabriel Altamirano sought in Pima County Sheriff's deputy shooting Suza: To protect and serve does not always mean even Black people I rebuke you in the name of Jesus! Yet the Beelzebub of law enforcement violence still took her life. Before I say more about the quote, I must confess, I struggle to trust the police. I should not fear the police, yet I do. Even that day, when I was in the drivers seat realizing I was powerless over what the rearview mirror was screaming. A speeding truck was heading my way in a jammed-packed construction zone. Bam! The damage was pricey. Thank God neither the white man in the truck nor I sustained physical injuries. I stepped out of my vehicle to talk to the other driver. Sorry, he said before proceeding to grab a pen and paper to take my information. No, I said. We need the police for this. I reached for the phone to dial 911, but instead of tasking my finger to punch the 9, my brain brought up a picture I had seen earlier concerning a shooting practice event hosted by the police department in Villa Rica, Ga. In the picture, a white man was pointing his handgun at a target. But the target was not concentric white circles surrounding a black core. It was a picture of a Black man holding what looked like a gun. More: Suza: What those who are anti-DEI fail to see My God! I remember invoking the divine in my shock upon seeing the picture. Pictures of Black people as shooting targets? In those seconds of agonizing thoughts, I managed to offer myself some mental advice. You must remain calm when police get here. Several minutes later, a white officer, possibly in his mid-20s, arrived at our location. Is everyone OK? the officer asked before instructing me and the other driver to provide vehicle documentation. I furnished mine and remained standing next to my vehicle while the officer interacted with the other driver. It seemed like the other driver was having trouble finding his documents. I heard the officer say something to the effect of, You say you cant find it? More thoughts emerged in my mind. Is he going to cuff him? But the officer didnt do that. He returned to his vehicle to perhaps validate our documents and prepare his report. Several minutes later, he returned to my vehicle and handed back my documents. Contact your insurance and give them this claim number. He pointed to a scribble on the back of my vehicle registration. Tell them that the other driver does not have insurance. Are you kidding me? Did you see that he was also acting erratic? Are you going to at least test him for sobriety? Thats what I wished to say to the officer, but instead, I said, OK, thank you, officer. Then the other driver burned rubber as he sped off the scene of the accident. More: Suza: When the freedom to love is still a dream Its been more than a year and I still dread the day. Not just because a truck lunged into my car. Not just because someone who appeared erratic who failed to provide the cop his vehicle insurance, was let go despite his erratic behavior. But also because a police officer got near my Black body. Its been more than a year and I still wonder what if I had seemed erratic, what if I had failed to produce vehicle documentation. Would the officer have been that patient with me? Would he have let me go without further scrutiny? It is not wrong to assume that the officer would have treated me as he treated the other driver. But in the United States, reality is a painful truth that quite often, Black people experience bias during traffic stops. A study in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology found that police have a lower false alarm rate for white drivers than Black drivers. Even though more than 200 million 911 calls are made each year in the United States, the number which connected me to those who are meant to serve and protect, is also the number that has brought humiliation, injury and even death to innocent Black adults as well as children. Like what happened to Christian Cooper, a Black man who was watching birds in New Yorks Central Park. A white woman called 911 twice claiming she felt threatened. More: Suza: Racism and sexism can hide even stars Like what happened to Aderrien Murry, an 11-year-old Black child who suffered a collapsed lung, lacerated liver and fractured ribs after he was shot in the chest by a police officer who was responding to a 911 call that Murry had made to protect his mother from an irate man. Like what happened to Sonya Masey, a 36-year-old Black woman who struggled with mental health. She was shot and killed in her home by a sheriff's deputy who was responding to a 911 call that Masey had made regarding a suspected intruder. Bodycam footage says that Masey posed no harm to the officer. She even tried to invoke her faith. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus! She said, yet the Biblical words failed to stop the bullet from flying from the officer's gun into her face. Police are to protect and serve. I still dread giving them a call. Walter Suza of Ames writes frequently on the intersections of spirituality, anti-racism and social justice. He can be contacted at wsuza2020@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Suza: To protect and serve does not always mean even Black people HARRISVILLE, Utah (ABC4) SWAT responded to an incident of a barricaded individual in Harrisville Thursday morning, according to Harrisville Police. Just after 11 a.m. on Aug. 15, police responded to a burglary alarm in the area of 1500 North and 400 West. Upon arrival, officers determined a person was inside the residence. Officers made contact with the barricaded individual, who refused to exit. Officers then attempted further communication with no success. Elderly man not expected to survive after Ogden e-scooter crash Weber Metro SWAT responded to the scene along with additional agencies, and after around four hours, police safely took the man into custody. The man was booked into Weber County Jail on charges of trespassing, failure to comply, obstruction, and assault on a police officer. Further details on this incident are limited at this time. No further information is currently available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. The News Sweden and Pakistan both reported their first cases of mpox, which the World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency this week linked to a growing outbreak in Africa. Meanwhile Chinese authorities said they would begin monitoring people and goods entering the country for the virus. The spread of the disease has sent the stock price of mpox vaccine makers soaring amid a global lack of doses. According to an African health organization, the continent in parts of which the virus has long been endemic has just 200,000 of the more than 10 million vaccines it needs to control the outbreak. MADRID, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Heavy storms and torrential rains battered Spain's Balearic Islands on Thursday, causing widespread flooding, road closures, evacuations, and flight cancellations just days after the region endured its fourth heatwave of the summer. The Military Emergency Unit (UME) has been deployed to the archipelago in the Western Mediterranean to assess the situation and provide support to civil authorities as needed. On the island of Menorca, the Civil Guard evacuated 31 residents from a nursing home due to the risk of collapse from the relentless rains. Additionally, a family of five, including three minors, was rescued after becoming trapped in their vehicle. The storms have led to significant travel disruptions, with approximately 70 flights canceled on Thursday, according to AENA, the public company managing Spain's airports. Authorities have banned all outdoor activities, resulting in the cancellation of events, parties, and concerts scheduled for today, a national holiday across Spain. In Mallorca, ten residents were evacuated from homes inundated with nearly half a meter of water. Firefighters also evacuated 29 passengers from a local commuter train after it broke down due to the severe weather. The storms have triggered several maritime rescues as well. Emergency services have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel due to strong currents formed by overflowing rivers and torrents, warning of the continued danger posed by the extreme weather conditions. The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs has blocked 1.3 billion Swiss francs (US$1.5 billion) that may belong to Russian Senator Suleyman Kerimov. Source: Le Temps Details: The Swiss Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating money laundering and sanctions violations against four people associated with Suleyman Kerimov, a Russian billionaire and member of the Federation Council. In this regard, 1.3 billion Swiss francs (US$1.5 billion) that may belong to him were blocked. The investigation began in November last year following a request from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. Operatives conducted eight house searches, but no one was arrested. The report notes that 1.3 billion francs is a significant amount for this category of cases. The secretariat reported that a total of 7.1 billion francs (US$8.2 billion) worth of Russian assets have been frozen in Switzerland as part of sanctions over the war in Ukraine. This amount reportedly includes real estate, luxury cars and works of art belonging to individuals and companies against whom restrictions were imposed. Apart from the fact that the case is related to Kerimov, the prosecutor's office does not disclose other details, including the names of the defendants, but it is known that it was initiated after the US imposed sanctions on the senator's family members (wife, two daughters and a son), as well as 28 of their companies. Support UP or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- A slim majority of Swiss voters are in favor of limiting construction and agriculture to better protect nature and biodiversity, according to a first poll ahead of a plebiscite next month. Most Read from Bloomberg Environmental organizations are pushing to amend the constitution to include stronger protection of nature reserves. The government and parliament are against the measure, saying its as a threat to economic growth, farming and the installation of new renewable power plants. The vote is scheduled for Sept. 22. In the poll published by public broadcaster SRG SSR on Friday 51% of respondents are in favor of the measure, while 43% oppose it. This could signal a close finish as the opinion-forming process is already at an intermediate to advanced stage, according to pollster gfs.bern. The survey showed divergence of support along party lines left and green party voters are primarily in the yes camp, centrist and right voters tend toward no. Gender and place of residence also shows a split. Men and people living in rural areas are mostly against the initiative, gfs.bern said. Women and people living in urban areas predominantly want to vote in favor. Voters will also cast their ballots on the governments reform of companies pension funds. The plan envisages among other things lower retirement payments and higher wage deductions to cope with higher life expectancy. Unions collected the required 50,000 signatures to challenge the proposal in a referendum. On this, no clear majority has formed yet, according to the pollster. It finds 49% are in favor of the changes, 39% against and the remainder undecided. That means that as of now, its impossible to predict an outcome, gfs.bern said. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Tacoma homeless shelter to embark on $20M expansion to respond to an increase in need Tacoma Rescue Mission is planning to expand its mens homeless shelter at 425 S. Tacoma Way to roughly three times its current size. The organization, which is one of the areas largest providers of shelter for the unhoused, says it has secured funding to increase the number of beds at the shelter from 60 to 180. Tacoma Rescue Mission director Duke Paulson said the expansion is necessary due to an increased need for shelter beds. Pierce Countys annual one-night survey of those living homeless in the region counted a roughly 24% increase from the year before. Of the nearly 2,700 surveyed, 54% were living in some sort of shelter, with the rest either living outside, in a vehicle or in an unreported location. We are regularly serving 100 to 120 people a night, Paulson told The News Tribune. We are trying to respond to an increase in need in the community. Paulson said the shelter on South Tacoma Way is at capacity on a nightly basis. The shelter keeps a waiting list. Paulson said the number of those waiting fluctuates depending on the weather and the season, but estimated about 30-40 are waiting on the list during the winter. Many wait outside the shelter, with vehicles and encampments stretching alongside South Tacoma Way and adjacent green spaces. According to Tacoma Rescue Mission, the expansion is expected to cost $20 million. Paulson said the project will expand the footprint of the building. He said the organization purchased a gravel lot adjacent to the building from the City of Tacoma in 2021, which will provide room for the project. Tacoma Rescue Mission also plans to add an additional floor to the building and an additional two bathroom facilities. Paulson told The News Tribune the project gives the shelter an opportunity to redesign itself, transitioning from the long-held belief that a shelter needs to be a large warehouse-like space with dozens of beds out in the open. During the pandemic, the womens shelter portion of the Downtown Campus incorporated separated bunk structures that created a little more privacy and space for those staying there. We had the realization over the last few years that we could create a space more dignified, with more privacy, Paulson told The News Tribune. Bunk beds at Tacoma Rescue Missions womens shelter will be the inspiration for the design of their expanded mens shelter. Tacoma Rescue Mission The bunks in the womens shelter include a locker for people to keep their belongings, and outlets are available for people to charge their phones and other electronics. Paulson said the mens shelter expansion would incorporate elements similar to the womens shelter. Paulson said he understands that congregate shelters are becoming a less popular option for those who need shelter, with the lack of privacy being a concern to many who might prefer a tiny home or another form of non-congregate housing. We learned a lot, Paulson said. We have a chance to rethink traditional shelter models. Tacoma Rescue Missions grant writer Emily Koo has reported securing $5.5 million from Pierce County for the project, $5 million from the Washington Department of Commerce, $4 million in federal funding, $3.5 million from the City of Tacoma as well as funding from private donors. Paulson expects the expansion to be completed by the end of 2025, with permitting yet to be approved by the city. Tarrant County Judge Tim OHare wrote the agenda items that resulted in changes to the Tarrant Appraisal Districts property reappraisal plan, according to an email the Star-Telegram obtained through an open records request. In an email sent July 17, newly elected TAD board member Matt Bryant tells fellow elected member Callie Rigney: Please consider revising the agenda items to what Tim O scripted below. I like what Tim D put together, but feel we should resubmit what Tim O came up with, and we need to add the freeze agenda item. Was OHares submission of the agenda items appropriate? Two tax attorneys interviewed by the Star-Telegram say OHares actions could run afoul of the state Property Tax Code, a law that makes certain communications by members of a governing body for the purpose of influencing values for property appraisals a misdemeanor offense. Others dispute the attorneys suggestions that OHares actions violated any statute. Since OHare took office in 2023, Tarrant County has raised the homestead property tax exemption to 20% and cut taxes two years in a row. He endorsed the TAD boards three newly elected members, who all ran on proposals to change reappraisals to every three years and put a 5% cap on residential value increases. OHares involvement in setting the TAD boards agenda is not in line with the TAD Policies Manual, which calls for the board chair Vince Puente to establish meeting agendas with assistance from the chief appraiser. OHare is a copied recipient on Bryants email regarding the agenda items via his law office account, as is Fort Worth attorney Tim Davis, general counsel of the Tarrant County GOP. The board members were using their personal email accounts. The email was received through a records request to TAD. An email obtained through an open records request shows agenda items scripted by Tarrant County Judge Tim OHare for a July 22 TAD board meeting. The scripted items are similar to those that ended up on the agenda. Before becoming aware of the possible tax code violation, the Star-Telegram asked a spokesperson for OHare about the email and noted that it was the newspapers understanding OHare was not supposed to be involved in the process. The request for comment did not mention a possible violation of the tax code. The spokesperson did not respond, but after the Star-Telegram mentioned the tax code statute in emails to members of the TAD board, the newspaper received an email from Fort Worth attorney H. Dustin Fillmore, who represents OHare, stating your proposed false statement that he is guilty of criminal conduct would constitute libel if published. There is no factual basis for a claim that OHare committed a crime in the tax code, Fillmore said, adding that OHare will seek appropriate redress if the Star-Telegram were to publish the story. The Property Tax Code states that a member of a governing body commits an offense if the person directly or indirectly communicates with the chief appraiser or another employee of the appraisal district in which the taxing unit participates for the purpose of influencing the value at which property in the district is appraised. Appraisal districts were created in 1981 specifically to get the politics out of the property taxation process, according to Austin-based property tax attorney Raymond Gray, who represents Texas on the American Property Tax Counsel and has been recognized by the law firm peer review research company Best Lawyers. The old way, back in the 70s and earlier, before the codification of the code, it was very political on how tax rates were set, he said. For years, Texas was a shining example of professional property valuation, Gray said, but in recent years, he has seen what he called the the erosion of that barrier between the appraisal district and politics. While TAD board members are volunteers, not employees, OHares writing of the agenda items did constitute indirect communication with the chief appraiser to influence property values, according to John Brusniak, a property tax attorney whose firm in Dallas has been cited as a best firm by U.S. World News & Report and Best Lawyers. This violates the tax code, since the communication happened outside the context of an open meeting, he said. Gray said he believes the statute was violated for the same reason. You cant hide behind, Oh, well, I had someone else do it, he said. Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt declined to comment on Bryants email to fellow board member Rigney, but said he would forward the concern to the boards attorney. Appointed TAD board member Gary Losada said he had no knowledge of the email. Puente, the TAD board of directors chairman, said he had no knowledge of there being scripted agenda items written by Judge OHare regarding the TAD Agenda, adding that he has personal and business relationships with OHare and Davis and they are two of the highest caliber individuals I know. The TAD board approved changes to the countys property reappraisal plan in July that included reappraising every other year, putting a 5% threshold on increases in market value appraisals, and freezing appraisals for 2025. The board finalized those changes on Monday. The changes worried Tarrant County school districts, several of which told the Star-Telegram that the new plan would affect their ability to receive state funding and service their bonds, and would likely lead to higher tax rates. The changes were promoted by the TAD boards three newly elected members Bryant, Rigney and Eric Morris, all of whom campaigned on implementing them. Bryant said in an email that he is neither a TAD employee nor the chief appraiser, and that OHares actions did not violate the law. The notion that a crime has been committed is preposterous, he said. This is a defamatory allegation, completely unfounded and without merit. Rigney and Morris did not respond to a request for comment. Appointed board member and Fort Worth City Council member Alan Blaylock said that he generally does not comment on discussions to which he was not party, then added, it is not clear to me that the interpretation and application of the statute is correct in this instance. When asked to put the issue of the statute aside and comment on the appropriateness of OHares writing TAD board meeting agenda items, Blaylock cited his general rule of not commenting on the communications of others. Fellow appointed board member Gloria Pena said she could not come to a conclusion, because she believed too many assumptions are being made, calling the situation a he said, she said. Property tax experts have said the board members are trying to push the boundaries of whats allowed with the changes. Appointed TAD board member Rich DeOtte said in an emailed statement that he was unaware of Bryants email, and that he himself has been careful not to influence specific property values in the county. He also said he thinks that taxing entities exerting this kind of influence on appraisal districts is common throughout Texas. Every taxing entity in the state would probably be in violation of the law if it means they cant try to influence policy, he said. This may be true, according to Brusniak. But that doesnt make it correct, he said. Everyone involved in property taxation, including the chief appraiser, appraisal district employees, members of the appraisal district board of directors, and members of the governing bodies of taxing units for whom the appraisal district appraises property, took an oath to uphold the Constitution of both the U.S. and the state, and to uphold Texas law, he said. And when you so freely feel that you are not bound by Texas law, youre violating your oath of office. So the question is: does your oath mean anything to you? The Star-Telegram also requested communications between OHare and the elected TAD board members, as well as with incoming tax assessor-collector Rick Barnes, through the Tarrant County public information request system. The county sent back a letter stating it was appealing to the Texas Attorney Generals Office to withhold the information in the request for communications with Bryant. There were no responsive documents for the others. The TAD boards duties include selecting the chief appraiser, approving the annual budget and ensuring the district follows policies and procedures set by law, according to the most recent TAD Procedures Manual. It does not appraise properties or make decisions that affect appraisals of specific properties. Scripted agenda items and how they appeared on TAD meeting agenda The agenda items OHare wrote, according to the email: Discussion and possible action directing the Chief Appraiser to factor in previous property appraisals, settlements, and reductions into subsequent appraised property values. Discussion and possible action on directing the Chief Appraiser on how often to appraise properties as is allowed by state law. Discussion and possible action regarding freezing residential property values for Tax Year 2025, except for new construction. Discussion and possible action regarding policy imposing appraisal caps of five percent, absent clear and convincing evidence, or other possible limitations, for Tax Year 2026 and subsequent years. The agenda for the July 22 meeting included the items: Discuss and take possible action to direct the Chief Appraiser to consider a propertys previous property appraisals, settlements, and reductions in value when subsequently appraising that same propertys property value. Discuss and take possible action to direct the Chief Appraiser on the frequency of appraising properties within the parameters allowed by state law. Discuss and take possible action to freeze residential property values for Tax Year 2025 at current property values, except for new construction. Discuss and take possible action regarding an Appraisal District policy that sets appraisal caps or thresholds of five percent on properties, absent clear and convincing evidence or other possible limitations, for Tax Year 2026 and subsequent years. FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) Day 3 of the federal trial for suspended Marlboro County Sheriff Charles Lemon consisted of hours of testimonies, including from two Taser experts. Lemon is on federal trial in Florence in an excessive use of force incident from May 2020 involving he and his former deputy, David Andrew Cook. Cook was allegedly instructed by Lemon to use a Taser on an inmate six times without legal justification. Two master Taser instructors took the stand on Thursday. The first demonstrated how to use the Taser that Cook used at the countys detention center. The instructor said Tasers record a daily event log, and Cooks Taser showed 29 seconds of electricity used in less than four minutes. The prosecution showed Cooks body camera footage and the Marlboro County Sheriffs Offices use of force policy. The second Taser instructor, who is also a use of force expert, discussed that policy. The policy says if the subject is verbally noncompliant, the officer should respond with verbal commands. If the subject is passively resistant, whether they sit down or go limp, the officer should use their hands to escort the subject or cause nondeadly pain. The instructor said based on the countys policy and the body cam footage, Cook should have used his Taser on inmate Jarrel Johnson only the first time because Johnson was not handcuffed and lunged at Lemon. But he said the other five times, Cook should not have used his Taser because Johnson was following the officers commands. Lemon was not Taser-certified at the time, but Cook was. * * * Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. * * * Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. TOPEKA (KSNT) The sentence for a teenager found guilty in the death of a Topeka USD 501 student was delivered Friday. Katie Garceran with the Shawnee County District Attorneys Office told 27 News Joshua Garcia was sentenced to 54 months or four-and-a-half years in the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex along with one year of aftercare. This is in connection to the accidental shooting death of Kaleb Lane, 13, in 2023. Lane died at a local hospital following a shooting in the 1300 block of SW Garfield Avenue on March 16, 2023. At the time, he was a student at Eisenhower Middle school in Topeka. A photo of Kaleb Lane. (Photo Courtesy/Topeka 501) Amber Peery found guilty on all counts in deaths of Topeka girl scouts Garcia, 14 at the time, was arrested shortly after the shooting took place. A judge found Garcia guilty in June 2023 of reckless second-degree murder and criminal use of a firearm by a juvenile. For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. The hearing took place at Westminster Magistrates Court and lasted for 15 minutes - TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Two teenage lovers have appeared in court charged with terrorism offences including testing petrol bombs and trying to buy a gun. Rex William Henry Clark, 18, and Sofija Vinogradova, 19, are said to have communicated on Telegram and in chat rooms where they are accused of displaying an extreme Right-wing mindset. A 15-minute hearing at Westminster magistrates court was told that the pair had produced four videos of themselves apparently testing homemade petrol bombs in the woods. Louise Gray, the prosecuting lawyer, said the pair had also conducted internet searches to identify potential targets. Mr Clark, from Ilford, east London, was charged with preparation of terrorist acts, including the acquisition of component parts of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the making and testing of petrol bombs and the attempted acquisition of a firearm. Ms Vinogradova, from Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, was charged with the intention of assisting Clark to commit a terrorist act. She was also charged with two counts of the collection of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. Ms Gray said items she was accused of collecting included an extract from an Islamic State publication called We Must Fight Them and the No Lives Matter (NLM) Terror Guide. The alleged offences were said to have taken place between June 1 and Aug 10. Pair shared extreme Telegram messages The court was told that the pair were chatting in Telegram chat groups where they allegedly demonstrated an extreme Right-wing mindset. Mobile telephones seized by the police were said to contain chat threads in which they discussed carrying out an act of terrorism and the purchase of a firearm. Ms Gray said the pair had conducted online searches to identify possible targets, adding that they were also talking about testing petrol bombs and Molotov cocktails. The teenagers were arrested by the Mets Counter Terrorism Command. In court, Mr Clark and Ms Vinogradova stood side-by-side dressed in prison-issue grey sweatshirts and tracksuit bottoms. They spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses. Ms Vinogradova, who is understood to be of Latvian descent, also offered the court help to pronounce her name. No application was made for bail and Joy Dykers, the deputy district judge remanded the pair in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Sep 13. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has appointed former U.S. attorney Ed Stanton to look into financials and governance at Tennessee State University. At the request of the Tennessee attorney general, the appointment was made in June, according to a letter obtained by The Tennessean. Moreover, the HBCUs new board of trustees made the probe. The letter indicated Stanton should review policies, procedures, protocols, fiscal records, capital expenditures, capital master planning, and corporate governance from 2021. It also outlined that state officials may expect litigation to protect TSUs interests. Stantons appointment comes after multiple audits, including a $2 million external forensic audit that found no fraud or wrongdoing at TSU. As Blavity reported, there was a 250% increase in scholarships between 2019 and 2023 leading to a boom in enrollment and triggering a housing shortage on campus. In March, the board at TSU was entirely vacated after a vote by Tennessee House Republicans and Governor Lee signed the legislation into law. The governor appointed a new board, composed of only TSU alumni shortly after. As you all know, were a new board, Board of Trustees chair Dakasha Winter said in a June board meeting, per The Tennessean. Its imperative for us to determine where the university is in order for us to continue to move the university forward. Lees spokesperson, Elizabeth Johnson, emphasized that he remains committed to TSUs success. Democrats have criticized the governors decision to vacate the board, noting the historic underfunding of TSU. TSU would undoubtedly be in a different position today if it had received the funds promised by the state over the course of the last three decades, the university said in a statement in reaction to the board being vacated in March. While we are very disappointed by todays vote, we will continue to work with the General Assembly and the Governors office to pursue options, both in funding and governance, that allow TSU to continue the momentum it has achieved in enrollment, research, academics and providing great opportunities for students. TSU is still searching for President Glenda Glovers successor. Glover, who served as the first woman president of the HBCU, retired in April. A child picks an "apple" as he takes part in the "Become a Farmer" activity during a media preview of the Pacific National Exhibition Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Aug. 15, 2024. Marking its 114th year, the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) Fair, one of the longest running events in Canada, runs from Aug. 17 to Sept. 2 here this year. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) An acrobat performs a somersault over a person's head during a media preview of the Pacific National Exhibition Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Aug. 15, 2024. Marking its 114th year, the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) Fair, one of the longest running events in Canada, runs from Aug. 17 to Sept. 2 here this year. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) An acrobat does a somersault over performers with flower pots on their heads during a media preview of the Pacific National Exhibition Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Aug. 15, 2024. Marking its 114th year, the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) Fair, one of the longest running events in Canada, runs from Aug. 17 to Sept. 2 here this year. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) Children pick "carrots" as they take part in the "Become a Farmer" activity during a media preview of the Pacific National Exhibition Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Aug. 15, 2024. Marking its 114th year, the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) Fair, one of the longest running events in Canada, runs from Aug. 17 to Sept. 2 here this year. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) Performers dressed with flower pots on their heads perform during a media preview of the Pacific National Exhibition Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Aug. 15, 2024. Marking its 114th year, the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) Fair, one of the longest running events in Canada, runs from Aug. 17 to Sept. 2 here this year. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) A juggler performs during a media preview of the Pacific National Exhibition Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Aug. 15, 2024. Marking its 114th year, the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) Fair, one of the longest running events in Canada, runs from Aug. 17 to Sept. 2 here this year. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) Tennessee state Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, is challenging his primary loss, alleging more than 1,000 Anderson County voters who were not legitimate Republicans crossed over to cast a GOP ballot in the race he lost by just 258 votes. Ragan's challenge rests on controversial state law that states only "bona fide" members of a political party can vote in their party primary. But the law has never been enforced, in part because there is no legal definition of what makes a voter a "legitimate" Republican or Democrat. But Ragan argues the Republican Party's own bylaws, which created bona fide definitions for candidates, hold the roadmap for his election challenge. Ragan on Friday sent an official contest to the Tennessee Republican Party primary board to challenge his loss to Rick Scarbrough earlier this month. Per state code, he waited to file the challenge until the election was officially certified in Anderson County, Ragan told The Tennessean. Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge looks on during a house session while discussing a bill concerning the TSU board at the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 28, 2024. Ragan said the challenge was not intended to disparage his opponent or the election officials. "As far as I know, they've done their job exceptionally well as far as the mechanics of the election," Ragan said. "It is purely and simply a complaint about immoral, unethical, and illegal behavior." Scarbrough believes Ragan has long planned to challenge a potential loss on these grounds. In a Thursday letter sent to Scarbrough's future House colleagues on Thursday, he asked Republican lawmakers to encourage members of the state Republican Executive Committee, which acts as the primary committee, not to allow the contest to go forward. "While I am steadfast in my confidence in the election results and the outcome of any contest, I do fear the dangers this path may pose for our Party, our focus, and the faith all voters have in our election process," Scarbrough said in the letter. "I also fear this action could negatively impact Republican candidates on the ballot across the state in November. Foremost, to my best knowledge, our Party has never taken the step of throwing out the votes of thousands of Tennessee Republican voters to change the outcome of an election. And rightfully so." Under state code, the party's primary board can dismiss the challenge. If they agree to hear it, they would set out a formal hearing challenge. In his longshot challenge to the primary results, Ragan points to state code, which has been on the books for years but rarely enforced, that states it is illegal to vote in a political party's primary without being a "bona fide" member of or affiliated with that political party. The "bona fides" law sparked renewed controversy last year, when legislative Republicans passed a new law that requires polling places to display prominent signage warning voters it is illegal to cross over to vote in a competing primaries. That law has drawn several court challenges over its vague language and questions about how it could ever be effectively enforced. Tennessee operates an open primary system, meaning anyone can walk up to a polling place and pull the primary ballot of their choosing. Tennessee does not require people to declare a party when they register to vote, and there is no legal definition of what would make a "bona fide," or genuine, Republican or Democratic voter. Ragan, however, argues the Tennessee Republican Party has set its own definition in its bylaws, which define a "bona fide Republican" candidate as someone who has voted in at least three of the four most recent statewide Republican primaries and is actively involved in the state GOP or county affiliated party. "The data I have has record of those people not having fulfilled that criteria," Ragan said. "There's a huge number of them whose only votes recorded in the last four primary elections were Democrat." The challenge is unusual, but not without precedent in Tennessee. In 2008, the Tennessee Democratic Party stripped a nominating primary win from state Sen. Rosalind Kurita after her opponent alleged too many Republicans had crossed over to vote for her. Kurita unsuccessfully sued over the issue. Scarbrough cited the Kurita challenge in his letter to lawmakers. "We cannot become that which we strive to defeat," Scarbrough said. "Our shared Republican values call us to respect and uphold the rule of law." Ragan's challenge will attempt to thread a delicate needle. The Tennessee Republican Party has attempted to fend off certain candidates in the recent years based on bona fides charges, but Ragan's argument places a heavy burden on undecided voters or voters with shifting political priorities interested in casting a GOP ballot for the first time. "If they're casting a vote, they're canceling other people's votes, the other people who should be there legally participating," Ragan said, suggesting Democrats crossed over to specifically vote against him. When asked how could any voter who hasn't been a lifelong Republican could ever turn to the GOP under such strict bona fides definitions, Ragan argued they could prove party loyalty by becoming active with the county party. The lawmaker said he pulled attendance rosters from recent Anderson County Republican Party meetings to cross-reference his voting data. "My concern is about immoral, illegal behavior," Ragan said. "If people are willing to do that, I'm not sure I want them in the same party I'm in." This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: John Ragan challenges primary loss, alleges illegal crossover voting Tesco drivers have been supplied with DNA kits like this to collect evidence in the event of attacks Tesco has armed its delivery drivers with DNA testing kits to help police trace abusive customers who spit at them as part of a drive to clamp down on assaults on staff. Britains biggest supermarket is understood to have provided its delivery drivers with so-called spit kits to collect samples to help track down people who have assaulted them. The Telegraph understands that drivers are able to use the kits if customers turn aggressive and spit at them. Some drivers said they had been spat at in altercations when asking customers to provide ID for alcohol. Workers have been asked to report any assaults to police and the Tesco security team, and to share DNA evidence with investigators. The kits were first added to delivery vans during the Covid pandemic with sources saying they have been in place for a few years but had previously gone unreported. There have been mounting concerns over worker safety after the lifting of pandemic restrictions, as attacks on shop staff and delivery drivers soared. In the 12 months to Aug 31 2023, violence and abuse against staff rose by 50pc with the number of cases climbing from 870 to 1,300 a day. Shoplifting has also jumped, with the British Retail Consortium estimating that as much as 2bn in goods could be lost to customer theft in 2024 double the amount in 2023. Supermarkets and retailers have been forced to spend heavily on extra security measures to protect their staff and stock. Last year Tesco started offering every store worker access to a body camera. It has also spent money on protective screens and digital radios to protect workers. Store staff are understood to have been offered DNA testing kits too. Ken Murphy, Tescos chief executive, last year said: I want those who break the law in our stores brought to book. Others, including Co-op, have also launched a crackdown within their stores. The chain has spent 200m over the past few years on measures including putting dummy packets on shelves. It has criticised police for failing to help its staff when they have caught culprits. Its estimates suggested that police were not attending 79pc of incidents where criminals were detained. However, DNA testing kits have been found to significantly reduce attacks when used by other organisations. When the London Underground rolled out the kits across stations in 2003, it helped lead to a 75pc reduction in spit attacks, with more than 400 offenders convicted in the first 10 years of use. The kits have also been used by bus drivers and ambulance crews who have also faced a rise in assaults. Tesco declined to comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Texas GOP convention in May. His office has targeted a Houston immigrant rights group, asking a judge to shut it down over political speech. Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons latest lawsuit against an immigrants rights organization claims the Houston group violated federal rules that govern nonprofits political involvement by criticizing former President Donald Trump, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and a new state immigration law. Paxton sued FIEL a Spanish acronym for Familias Inmigrantes y Estudiantes en la Lucha, which translates to Immigrant Families and Students in the Fight a month ago in the 127th Harris County District Court and asked a judge to dissolve the organization. The immigrant-run group, founded in 2007, offers education, social and legal services to immigrant families in the region. The lawsuit, first reported Friday by the Houston Chronicle, is the latest effort from Paxtons office to shut down entities that help migrants by accusing those groups in state courts of human smuggling; judges have so far rejected those claims. However the states lawsuit against FIEL appears to be the first to target a group far from the border and the first to target what is essentially political speech. In mid-July, FIEL Executive Director Cesar Espinosa was sitting with two interns, talking about what a new office space would look like after Hurricane Beryl destroyed FIEL's space in Houston's Gulfton neighborhood leaving about 13 inches of rain on the second floor when a process server arrived to serve him with the lawsuit. "It felt like one disaster after another. We weren't ready for it," Espinosa said in an interview Friday. "We're hopeful, as always, to continue fighting and continue uplifting our community's voices." Texas alleged in court filings that FIEL openly flouts rules that say nonprofits cant participate in political campaigns or engage in carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempt to influence legislation. The initial lawsuit uses as evidence FIELs social media posts encouraging people to vote against Trumps immigration proposals; the groups advocacy during past state legislative sessions including against a 2023 law, Senate Bill 4, that would let Texas police arrest people suspected of having entered the country illegally; its support and occasional disavowment of President Joe Bidens immigration policies; and social media comments criticizing Abbott. The state asked Judge Ravi K. Sandill to issue a temporary injunction stopping FIELs current operations. After the court considers the merits of the suit, the state asked for a revocation and termination of FIELs corporate registration and certificate of formation, dissolution of its existence and a permanent injunction stopping the group from doing business again in Texas . The state embraces the First Amendments value that Americans generally should have their voices heard on all types of political matters and campaign vigorously in support of one candidate or another, the filing states. But it has long been the law that entities cannot enjoy (nonprofit) status while doing so. Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund lawyers representing FIEL argued in court filings that the request for a temporary injunction should be dismissed because some of the states claims are years old, showing a lack of urgency. In more detailed filings, FIELs lawyers argued that Paxton is not entitled to what he seeks and suggested that Paxton was retaliating against FIEL because it is a plaintiff in two federal lawsuits challenging the states election laws. One of the suits names Paxton as a defendant. The lawyers said that its just the most recent instance of Paxton misusing a state statute to try shutting down an organization that aids migrants as he tried in El Paso, where he filed a lawsuit aimed at shutting down a decades-old a migrant shelter network. In one filing, the lawyers included screenshots of other FIEL social media posts showing the group explaining new laws at the Mexican consul in Houston, a flier for an immigration forum and an infographic about information that might be helpful for undocumented persons after a tornado struck Pasadena. The fact that Paxton, who has targeted others with whom he disagrees, is using the power of his public office specifically to target a non-profit organization because of FIELs exercise of its First Amendment rights to free speech and to seek redress in the courts is reprehensible and unconstitutional, the lawyers wrote. The attorney generals office did not return an email seeking comment Friday. In February, Paxtons office asked Annunciation House in El Paso for records related to the nonprofits work with immigrants, alleging it operated as a stash house. A judge last month dismissed a related lawsuit filed by the state, but Texas has since appealed the dismissal. In the Rio Grande Valley, one of the largest migrant aid groups in the state, Catholic Charities, received a similar request from Paxtons office. A Hidalgo County judge last month ruled that Paxton could not depose the leader of the McAllen shelter, which helps migrants by temporarily providing food, shelter and other basic necessities. Paxtons office has also reportedly sent similar letters to Angeles Sin Fronteras in Mission and Team Brownsville. "The attorney general's latest attack on an immigrants' rights organization follows a familiar formula of loudly publicized harassment and targeted misinformation to create fear and confusion, said David Donatti, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas. Once again, he wishes to eliminate efforts to educate immigrants, their families, and our communities about our constitutional rights. His track record in court is dismal, and we hope and expect that his losing streak will continue." The full program is now LIVE for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations on topics covering education, the economy, Texas and national politics, criminal justice, the border, the 2024 elections and so much more. See the full program. This coverage is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Texas free newsletters here. County election departments across Texas are trying to reassure voters amid a flood of formal challenges questioning whether their registrations are valid. The challenges, filed by conservative groups and individual activists, seek to remove tens of thousands of voters from the rolls on the grounds that they dont live in the county, are not citizens or have died. Election officials say the challenges are complicating the work theyre already doing to keep their voter rolls updated. They want voters to know that theyre following state and federal laws that protect voters from being improperly removed from the rolls if someone questions their eligibility. Multiple election officials told Votebeat that the majority of the challenges theyve received are against voters whose status their offices had already flagged through their daily voter list maintenance. In a few cases, the challenges start a process that could lead to careful removal of voters after the November election. Even though a challenge is filed, doesn't mean that you will be automatically dropped, said Trudy Hancock, the Brazos County elections administrator. There is a process in place to protect the voter who's been challenged. At this point in the election cycle, voters arent at risk of being dropped from the rolls because of a challenge. Under federal law, election officials cant cancel a voters registration in the period 90 days ahead of Election Day, except for voters who voluntarily cancel their registration or who are convicted of a felony. Still, election officials are required to process the voter eligibility challenges they receive, and act on valid ones. Election administrators in Collin, Travis, Hays, Brazos, Tarrant, and Denton counties and others have been sifting through large volumes of these, which they began receiving in June, targeting thousands of voters. The large-scale challenge effort is being led by Houston-based right-wing group True the Vote, which has been working for years to purge the rolls of voters it perceives as ineligible ahead of the November presidential election. Its part of a wave of challenges aimed at voters in several states, including such battlegrounds as Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania. The group is using an online tool called IV3 that matches voter data with change-of-address records from the U.S. Postal Service. Activists relying on that tool have been delivering stacks of challenges to election offices, or emailing election administrators with spreadsheets listing voters names. True the Vote founder Catherine Engelbrecht did not respond to Votebeats request for comment. The effort has drawn criticism from election officials, courts and voting-rights advocates. For one thing, they say, the postal database that True the Vote relies on is outdated and not a reliable source for determining voter eligibility. For another, they say, the effort gives credence to false claims that large numbers of people are voting illegally by exploiting deficiencies in registration records. A federal judge in Georgia found this year that True the Vote's 2020 list of voters to challenge utterly lacked reliability and verges on recklessness. The Court has heard no testimony and seen no evidence of any significant quality control efforts, or any expertise guiding the data process, he wrote. Such efforts to challenge voters eligibility en masse are inadequate to address voter eligibility by themselves and also redundant to the work already done by election officials, according to research on the rise of mass voter challenges by Protect Democracy, a national nonpartisan group promoting fair elections and anti-authoritarian policies. The report added: These efforts are based on unsubstantiated and false claims that the rolls are replete with dead voters, voters registered in other locations, and, most recently, noncitizens. Furthermore, they falsely imply that any inaccuracy in the voter rolls equates to or otherwise enables voter fraud. In reality, voter registration rolls are being continuously updated by election officials. Most challenges are over residency questions The numbers are significant. In Travis County, one person has challenged the registrations of 12,000 people. In Brazos, a group of activists has challenged more than 1,000. Collin, Hays, and Tarrant counties each have seen challenges to the eligibility of more than 10,000 voters, officials told Votebeat. The vast majority of them are challenging the residence of a registered voter, said Bruce Sherbet, Collin County elections administrator. He added other challenges included voters who may have listed a commercial address as their residence and voters who may have died. But Sherbet said his office has already taken action on most of the residency-based challenges through routine voter list maintenance, with some voters being placed on a suspense list until they confirm their address. A voter is placed on the suspense list when the county registrars office receives information that the voter no longer lives at that location. Election officials will send a notice to the voter asking them to update their registration information. If a voter stays on the suspense list for two federal general election cycles without casting a ballot or taking action to confirm their address, their registration is canceled. A voter who is on the suspense list can still vote. They can update their voter registration information before the voter registration deadline, which this year is Oct. 7. Or even at the polls, voters on the list can cast a ballot after filling out a Statement of Residence form. Until last year, Texas election officials had another resource to help them keep their voter rolls clean. The Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, served as a national clearinghouse for data about Texas voters who had moved or died, and helped state officials flag names for counties to investigate. ERIC data from June 2022 helped Texas identify 100,000 voters registered in multiple counties and another 100,000 voters registered in other states. But Texas ended its participation in ERIC, following a push by state Republican leaders responding to election conspiracy theories. Other GOP-led states also dropped out of ERIC in the period between 2022 and 2023. Officials with the Texas Secretary of States office last year said that instead of ERIC, they would try to obtain the data directly from state and federal agencies, and from other states. Texas Secretary of State officials declined to comment on whether the withdrawal from ERIC has had an effect on the volume of eligibility challenges counties are receiving. Checking each challenge has taken a lot of time and resources for some election officials in the midst of planning for the presidential election. In Brazos County, for instance, Hancock has spent weeks responding to a conservative group that has demanded that voters listed in its challenges be removed from the rolls. Hancock says its not as simple as that. Some registrations that may seem suspicious based on a limited data set may be perfectly legitimate. Many voters have the same name and even the same date of birth; some voters who dont have a permanent address, such as someone who is homeless, can list an alternative address on their registration. In other cases, Hancock says, the group is also questioning voters on the rolls who havent voted in some time. I can't just take them off because they don't vote, Hancock said, adding she has no legal authority to do so. She also put together a presentation in July for county commissioners and the public to clarify how her office is handling the challenges shes received What Texas laws say about voter registration challenges Texas doesnt make it easy to get a voter disqualified through a challenge. Under state law, a voter can challenge another voters registration from their own county by submitting a sworn and notarized statement that identifies the targeted voter and the basis for challenging their eligibility. The sworn statement has to be based on the challengers personal knowledge. According to the Texas Secretary of State, a sworn statement can be used to challenge multiple voters. Some election officials said most challenges they receive dont meet the basic requirements to be valid. John Oldham, the Fort Bend County elections administrator, told Votebeat he received nearly 400 challenges. Most lacked a sworn statement. And if the list of voters being challenged is derived from the USPS change-of-address database, Oldham said, then to me that does not constitute personal knowledge. According to a Texas Secretary of State advisory to county officials, if a voter registrar receives a valid challenge based on residence for example, if the voter is registered at 100 Main Street, and the challenge alleges that the voter doesnt live there then the registrar will send the challenged voter a notice of address confirmation. The law says that the registrar cant send an address confirmation notice for a challenge filed within 75 days before the November election, so this year, the deadline is Aug. 22. For challenges based on something other than residence, such as citizenship, the registrar has to hold a hearing and give notice to both the challenger and the challenged voter. Based on evidence presented at the hearing, the registrar decides whether to uphold or cancel the voters registration, the advisory says. Some election officials say theyre concerned about the potentially intimidating effect that an address confirmation or hearing notice can have, and the added burdens it can place on voters who are otherwise eligible. No question it can be scary for a voter to receive any type of notice, even if its a notice of change of address, said Chris Davis, the voter registration director in Travis County. If we send a change of address notice, and we dont hear back, the voter is put on suspense, but what if that notice got lost in the mail? Thats why were being really careful. A voter getting a confirmation notice that they need to fill out and send back is still a burden on them. Some election officials are now taking additional steps to help voters make sure their registration is up to date ahead of November. In Hays County, election administrator Jennifer Doinoff is working with her staff to create a video that can direct voters on how they can check the status of their voter registration and more. We also want voters to know what they can do to help us clean our voter rolls, Doinoff said. If they move, we want to show them how they can update their information. If someone in their family has died, we want to show them the forms they can fill out, and also what they can do when they receive their voter registration card in the mail. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. Texas voters can check their voter registration status at votetexas.gov or by calling their local voter registrar. You can find a list of county voter registrars here. Natalia Contreras covers election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with the Texas Tribune. Contact Natalia at ncontreras@votebeat.org Disclosure: Texas Secretary of State has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. The full program is now LIVE for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Explore the program featuring more than 100 unforgettable conversations on topics covering education, the economy, Texas and national politics, criminal justice, the border, the 2024 elections and so much more. See the full program. AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton returned to court on Thursday to press his case against the Biden administrations workforce protections for transgender employees. Texass lawsuit, filed in federal court on Thursday against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Justice Department, argued that the agencys guidelines were unlawful and asked that the court permanently block them. The EEOCs guidance, released in April, seeks to clarify what constitutes harassment under federal law. It states that denying employees accommodations for their gender identity such as by prohibiting an employee from using the bathroom of their gender identity or repeatedly and intentionally using a name and pronoun that is inconsistent with a persons gender identity is unlawful workplace harassment. Harassment, both in-person and online, remains a serious issue in Americas workplaces, Charlotte Burrows, the agencys chair, said at the time. The EEOCs updated guidance on harassment is a comprehensive resource that brings together best practices for preventing and remedying harassment and clarifies recent developments in the law. The Texas suit said that the guidance purports to preempt the States sovereign power to enact and abide by its workplace policies and raises the forced choice of either changing their policies at taxpayer expenses or ignoring the Guidance and accepting impending enforcement actions and increased costs of litigation and liability. The Biden-Harris Administration is attempting yet again to rewrite federal law through undemocratic and illegal agency action, Paxton said in a statement. This time, they are unlawfully weaponizing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in an attempt to force private businesses and States to implement transgender mandates and Texas is suing to stop them. The lawsuit, which Texas filed along with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, is a continuation of Paxtons legal challenges to the Biden administrations gender-affirming policies. It is one of dozens of suits Texas has brought against the federal government since Biden stepped into the White House in January 2021, legal steps that seek to advance some of the highest-priority conservative issues of the day. In July, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk rejected an earlier request by Texas that it block the EEOCs May guidance without ruling on the merits of the request, saying the states challenge required a new complaint because it was filed against a new document. The lawsuit on Thursday was that new complaint, and Paxtons latest effort to stymie the Biden administrations agenda. In 2021, Texas sued the Biden administration over earlier EEOC guidance on how to determine what constitutes harassment in the workplace. Those guidelines which included many of the same directives as the agencys May guidance were implemented after the Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that Title VII of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars employment discrimination on the basis of sex, applies to gay and transgender workers as well. In that 2021 lawsuit, Kacsmaryk ruled in Paxtons favor, deciding that the Biden administrations protections for LGBTQ employees went too far beyond the high courts ruling. Paxton filed Thursdays lawsuit again in Amarillo, where Kacsmaryk, an appointee of President Donald Trump, hears nearly all cases. Kacsmaryk was the first judge to be appointed directly from a religious liberty law firm. He previously worked at First Liberty, a Plano-based conservative Christian law firm, where he frequently litigated cases involving abortion, contraception and gender identity. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. (Bloomberg) -- Thailands parliament began voting on the nomination of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a daughter of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, as the Southeast Asian nations next prime minister. Most Read from Bloomberg Paetongtarn, 37, is backed by an 11-member coalition which has more than 300 members in the House of Representatives, which currently has 493 members. She was officially nominated by Pheu Thai Party Secretary-General Sorawong Thienthong. If elected, Paetongtarn will become the third member of the influential Shinawatra clan to lead the country and the youngest prime minister in Thailands history. She was picked for the top job after the countrys Constitutional Court dismissed Srettha Thavisin as prime minister in an ethics violation case linked to the appointment of a tainted lawyer as a minister. --With assistance from Pathom Sangwongwanich. (Recasts with voting getting underway.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. U.S. President Joe Biden walks on the South Lawn to board Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Aug. 16, 2024. Biden on Friday said a ceasefire deal in the Middle East is "closer than ever," while noting that "we're not there yet." (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said a ceasefire deal in the Middle East is "closer than ever," while noting that "we're not there yet." "We are closer than we've ever been," Biden said at an event in the Oval Office of the White House, when asked whether a Gaza ceasefire deal has been reached. The president noted that one of the reasons why he was late for the signing of the proclamation to designate the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument was that he "was dealing with the ceasefire effort in the Middle East." "We're not there yet. But we're much, much closer than it was three days ago. So keep your fingers crossed," Biden said. A joint statement from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar released on Friday said that "over the last 48 hours in Doha, senior officials from our governments have engaged in intensive talks as mediators aiming to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees." "Working teams will continue technical work over the coming days on the details of implementation, including arrangements to implement the agreement's extensive humanitarian provisions, as well as specifics relating to hostages and detainees," the statement said. "Senior officials from our governments will reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week with the aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward today," it added. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, said Friday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel on Saturday. Blinken will travel to Israel "to continue intensive diplomatic efforts to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees through the bridging proposal presented today by the United States, with support from Egypt and Qatar," Patel said in a statement. The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict began on Oct. 7 has surpassed 40,000, Gaza-based health authorities confirmed on Thursday. U.S. President Joe Biden walks out of the Oval Office to board Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Aug. 16, 2024. Biden on Friday said a ceasefire deal in the Middle East is "closer than ever," while noting that "we're not there yet." (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) U.S. President Joe Biden walks toward the South Lawn to board Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Aug. 16, 2024. Biden on Friday said a ceasefire deal in the Middle East is "closer than ever," while noting that "we're not there yet." (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) U.S. President Joe Biden walks on the South Lawn to board Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Aug. 16, 2024. Biden on Friday said a ceasefire deal in the Middle East is "closer than ever," while noting that "we're not there yet." (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) U.S. President Joe Biden walks toward the South Lawn to board Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Aug. 16, 2024. Biden on Friday said a ceasefire deal in the Middle East is "closer than ever," while noting that "we're not there yet." (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) A theatre has cancelled a comedy show by Reginald D Hunter after two Israeli audience members were hounded out of one of his Edinburgh Fringe performances. East Renfrewshire council, which is home to Scotlands largest Jewish population, announced it had cancelled the gig at the local authority-run Eastwood Park Theatre in Giffnock. The council said next months show had been scrapped owing to controversial comments made during a recent performance and the local authoritys commitment to our community. The Telegraph disclosed that the audience members were booed at the Assembly George Square Studios in Edinburgh this week after they objected to Hunters joke comparing Israel to an abusive spouse. Police Scotland received a complaint under Scotlands controversial new hate crime laws, but announced on Friday that no crime had been committed. The American comic has called it an unfortunate incident and expressed regret for any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members. However, he later reposted social media comments claiming he had been a good comedian by responding to hecklers, and that allegations of anti-Semitism were being made to shut down criticism of Israel. Venue pushed to cancel gig Tory councillor Paul Edin wrote to Anthony McReavy, the chief executive of East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, asking for the Eastwood Theatre show to be cancelled. The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities and the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council also complained. An East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure spokesman said: We have taken the decision to cancel Eastwood Park Theatres scheduled show featuring Reginald D Hunter on Saturday, September 28, due to controversial comments made during a recent performance. We defend the freedom of expression of artists and understand that our audiences expect to extend some latitude to many acts, including alternative comedy which may be controversial in places. However, we have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously. All customers who have purchased tickets for this show will receive a full refund. Jackson Carlaw, the local MSP and former Scottish Tory leader, praised the council. He posted on X, formerly Twitter: Truly disgusting reports from constituents; a visibly disabled Jew humiliated while being hounded out with Hunter allegedly adding fire & energy to the braying mob. We must work, as have most politicians, to protect all communities here in Scotland. A Police Scotland spokesman said: We were made aware of a hate incident, which reportedly took place at an event in Edinburgh on Sunday, August 11, 2024. All information gathered was fully reviewed and no crime was established. Hunter joked about typical f---ing Jews The incident began when Hunter made reference to a Channel 5 documentary titled My Wife, My Abuser, about an abusive partner who publicly claimed that her victim was guilty of abusing her. Witnesses said Hunter told the audience: When I saw that, I thought, my God, its like being married to Israel. Hunter was heard telling the audience members, who said they were from Israel and one of whom was disabled, to leave after they briefly heckled him over the joke, saying it was not funny. As they left his show, called Fluffy Fluffy Beavers, which runs until August 26 at the Fringe, they were booed and heckled with expletives from other audience members after Hunter verbally attacked them. The comedian allegedly went on to make an anti-Semitic joke about being unable to access a review of one of his shows on a Jewish newspapers website. He is reported to have said: Typical f---ing Jews, they wont tell you anything unless you subscribe. The Campaign Against Antisemitism charity described accounts of the events as extremely concerning and urged witnesses to come forward. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. North Dakota U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer views construction progress along the eroded scenic loop roadway at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in August 2024. (Contributed/ Office of Sen. Kevin Cramer) Construction along part of Theodore Roosevelt National Parks South Unit 48-mile scenic loop could be completed by November, if the weather cooperates, according to a senior National Park Service official. In 2019, a 4-mile stretch of the scenic loop roadway slid down a steep embankment in the parks South Unit due to erosion and the plans, funding and construction on the difficult terrain have taken about five years to finally approach the finish line. Maureen McGee-Ballinger, deputy superintendent for Theodore Roosevelt National Park, said she thinks visitors are going to be happy with the result. It required some massive infrastructure which is why its taken a couple of years to complete, McGee-Ballinger said. If our weather holds out theres the potential it could be completed by this fall, by November. However, she added, if snow and colder temperatures come early this year, the scenic loop wouldnt be completed until spring 2025. There was no patching it, McGee-Ballinger said. The entire piece of the road slid down the hill. After the road slide, she said, upon further inspection, an additional 2-mile section was deemed unstable and may have followed soon thereafter. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) became two of 51 co-sponsors for the Restore Our Parks Act, which secured more than $47 million for road repairs and protections against future erosion on the scenic loop. The bill became part of the Great American Outdoors Act that was passed and enacted in 2020. That bill authorized $1.9 billion annually for five years by the federal government to address a backlog of maintenance and repairs on federally-owned lands. The Department of the Interior considered the measure the largest investment in public lands in U.S. history, according to the departments website. During a ceremony at the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Hoeven said The good news is that by the end of this year and certainly by the start of next year, you can make the loop, Hoeven told more than 100 attendees during the event. He also said the more than five years of planning, construction and engineering needed to restore and improve that more than 6-mile section of roadway has been impressive. You are going to be amazed at the structural engineering to build that six miles on the sides of gulches and hills that you cant believe, Hoeven said. It is a marvel and you are really going to enjoy it. McGee-Ballinger said some of the other areas, including an overlook, along the scenic loop have also been improved as part of the project. Weve made the parking area bigger, she said Weve improved the guttering. Weve improved the wall there. She continued: People had a scenic vista originally, but now, its going to be pretty spectacular because youve got a much easier place to get in and out of. After touring the scenic loop construction area Wednesday, Cramer said in a statement that crews are making great progress on construction and hes excited for the roadway to reopen to visitors. It maintains the integrity of the infrastructure, which keeps the traveling public safe and allows this spectacular place to be open to them, Cramer said in a statement. More importantly, it maintains the integrity of the natural beauty, which is what the traveling public is here to see. Maintenance and repair efforts are always continuing, McGee-Ballinger said, and the focus will shift to the parks North Unit next. The North Unit road definitely has got some spaces that we have some similar issues with slumping and we will be working on that one next, she said. She added the Park Service will be looking at replacing the North Units trailer that serves as a visitors center with a permanent facility. Acting superintendent named Additionally, Nancy Finley was named acting superintendent of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and replaced Angie Richman, who accepted a position in New Mexico. Finley has worked for the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 34 years and held previous chief of resources positions at Yellowstone National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cape Cod National Seashore. McGee-Ballinger said she expects the search for a permanent superintendent to take a few months and interested parties should check USAJOBS in coming weeks for more information. Hoeven praised Finley for taking on the role of acting superintendent. He also said he believes she will be a great steward of the park and look after the wild horses. In April, the Park Service announced it would suspend the relocation of the about 200 wild horses in the park. Just a little factoid and Im sure its purely coincidence, (Finley) worked in North Carolina where, guess what, they have horses in the park and it works very well, Hoeven said during the event at the presidential library. I think shes the right person to come out and work with us. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Third competency hearing granted for man accused of blinding security guard in attack Third competency hearing granted for man accused of blinding security guard in attack DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) The attorneys for the man accused of violently attacking and disabling a security guard are petitioning for a third competency hearing. At a hearing Thursday, the judge granted that motion for James Fickling which will be paid for by his attorneys. Fickling is accused of attacking a security guard on North Main Street in Dayton last October, gouging out both of her eyes and leaving her blind. Man found dead in West Chester parking lot Fickling has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to several charges including assault. Hes already been ruled competent to stand trial twice. The judge granted the third hearing but ordered Ficklings attorneys to pay for it. Results are expected back in six weeks. If Fickling is found competent after this latest evaluation, his trial is set to begin in December. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. I thought I was going to die, Florida man sentenced to 10 Years for Assault, Battery of S.C. woman TRENTON, S.C. (WJBF) On August 15th, Patrick Brennan Scriven, a 36-year-old man from Florida, pleaded guilty to Assault and Battery First Degree. A local judge sentenced Scriven to 10 years in prison. He is currently being transported to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. The case originated in January 2024 when concerned neighbors at an apartment complex in the Trenton reported suspicious activity. Deputies from the Edgefield County Sheriffs Office initiated an investigation and determined that Scriven had been assaulting his former girlfriend. The victim suffered bruising and lacerations to her face and body, and Scriven had threatened to stab her with a knife and drown her in a bathtub. After his arrest, the victim told deputies, I thought I was going to die. Victims of domestic violence are encouraged to contact law enforcement by calling 911 for emergency situations. Local victims advocates are available to help. A free nationwide hotline for victims of domestic violence and those trying to leave abusive relationships is also available 24/7 at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233). Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. As Venezuelans around the world prepare to gather to protest what is widely seen as election fraud by the Caracas regime, organizers of the event in Miami say that they expect thousands of people to show up Saturday afternoon in Bayfront Park to let their countrymen fighting for freedom inside Venezuela know they are not alone. The event, organized with the help of Miami city officials and the Cuban-American community, also seeks to send U.S. officials a message: Their help is urgently needed to stop strongman Nicolas Maduro from stealing the election, in what many Venezuelans see as their last opportunity to gain their freedom from a brutal dictatorship. We aim to express our support to our brothers and sisters in Venezuela, to reassure them that they are not alone, to let them know that here we are fighting for them too, said Maria Teresa Morin, regional coordinator of Vente Venezuela, the political party of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Despite regime claims that Maduro won reelection to the presidency, a paper trail of the vote shows opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won with a better than 2-1 ratio of the vote. And, of course in what is very important to us, we want to send a message to the authorities of this country and of the world, so that they can understand that we Venezuelans will continue to defend the victory that was demonstrated on July 28 and that we hope that the world will act accordingly to enforce the will of the people, Morin added. The Miami event, scheduled to start at 4 p.m. in Downtown Miamis Bayfront Park, will be hosted by city officials and Venezuelan community leaders. Artists including Willy Chirino, Arturo Sandoval, Amaury Gutierrez and Danny Ocean are expected to perform, but Morin said there is a serious undertone to the gathering. This is not a party. All the music and all of the literature that will be heard will be a reminder of the fight for freedom in Venezuela, she said. Similar events have been scheduled in 300 cities around the world, in Latin American capitals with large Venezuelan communities as well as in Madrid, Brussels, London, Amsterdam, Rome and Melbourne, Australia. Machado asked the more than 7.7 million Venezuelans who have left the country fleeing the regime to take part in the international movement that seeks to convince other countries that Gonzalez won the election. In the U.S., events have been planned in New York and Washington, D.C. Protests against the regime inside Venezuela and around the world began right after the regime-controlled National Electoral Council said Maduro had won with nearly 52% of the vote. The opposition, which has made a credible case showing that Gonzalez won by publishing the official results of 80% of voting stations, have been warning Latin American leaders that it is in their best interest to intervene quickly to help put an end to the crisis, given the risk of another massive wave of Venezuelan refugees fleeing for neighboring countries, and eventually the U.S., if Maduro remains in power. Gatherings are also being organized for Saturday inside Venezuela despite the regimes latest wave of repression, which has led to the deaths of 25 people, injured dozens more and landed more than 2,000 in prison. The crackdown has recently taken a more violent turn with the regimes use of armed paramilitary groups witnesses say have opened fire at demonstrators without justification. Among those arrested are high ranking members of the opposition movement. Some of them have been hospitalized after receiving severe beatings, while human rights groups fear others have been tortured. Machado, who is considered the leader of the Venezuelan opposition and the key architect of Maduros electoral defeat, wrote recently in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that she was in hiding and feared for her life. Thousands flee as Russian troops take one Donetsk Oblast village after another DONETSK OBLAST Along a bumpy highway that used to link the cities of Pokrovsk and now occupied Donetsk, used to lie quiet and picturesque towns and villages whose names only locals would know. Yet Novohrodivka, Selydove, Petrivka are now well-known in Ukraine, stuck between the advancing Russian troops and their main goal Pokrovsk. For the thousands of civilians living under the constant threat of Russian fire, life has become unsustainable, but leaving is not always an option. In Selydove, a transit point has been hastily put together by NGOs for people who have just evacuated for nearby settlements about to be occupied by the advancing Russian troops. Olena and her son Stanyslav have just arrived from the nearby settlement of Novohrodivka. Sitting next to the few plastic bags in which they have packed their belongings, they are still in shock over the swiftly deteriorating situation. "We are from Novohrodivka. There was no one left there, and now we are hoping to go to Khmelnytskyi, where friends are expecting us," Olena said, who declined to provide her last name for security reasons. Next to her, her son was shaking. Eight-year-old Stanyslav, born a few years after Russia first invaded his region, said he is not afraid despite his body language saying otherwise. Olena hopes to register him to a new school as they get to safety, as he never attended classes offline because of the war. Read also: Kursk incursion and Crimea strikes could ease pressure on Ukraines Donbas forces A few kilometers away, in the settlement of Petrivka, seven kilometers west of Selydove, a humanitarian point has been set up by local and international NGOs. There, water tanks and care packages are provided to those who haven't yet left. Angelina, a humanitarian working with NGO Caritas, also a native of Novohrodivka, talks about the life she was taken away. "Novohrodivka was a town that had a lot to offer. People were there for each other. It was still bearable a month ago, but not anymore," Angelina, who declined to provide her last name for security reasons, said. "The other day, a missile hit my parents' house, they almost died," she added, saying that a few elderly people remain in the city. As she faces the prospect of not being able to return home, Angelina helps other locals survive. Angelina, a humanitarian working with NGO Caritas, seen in Petrivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Emmanuelle Chaze/The Kyiv Independent) "People are very confused; they don't know what to do or where to go, what to get rid of, or what to bring with them. It is scary, and it is difficult not to also share those emotions," she added. Denys, another humanitarian working in Petrivka, explains: "Every day, people leave their home as the front line comes closer to them. The settlements of Myrnohrad, Selydove and Novohrodivka are those where families with children are currently being evacuated." "Everyone who physically can leave does, but often, the elderly, people with disabilities, or those with no money stay behind. We see them here every day, as we distribute 50 to 80 hygiene kits to them on a daily basis," he added. That day, in the Selydove humanitarian aid distribution point, retiree Anatoliy came to pick up a package with bare necessities provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Back in 2022, on the onset of the full scale invasion, Anatoliy had sought refuge in Zhytomyr Oblast for four months, but ran out of money and had to return to the outskirts of Selydove. "I would gladly evacuate, but it's just not possible. Rent prices are so high that I would have to choose between paying for a flat or for food. Now, I'm simply waiting for peace, that is all I want," he said. Back in Pokrovsk, piles of donated clothes are neatly folded in the main hall of a refugee reception center. The center's head, Svitlana Savchenko, herself born in now occupied Luhansk, said they have seen thousands of refugees come and go throughout the war. Svitlana Savchenko, head of the refugee reception center in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Emmanuelle Chaze/The Kyiv Independent) "When our cities started to get bombed, people from Bakhmut, Siversk started to be evacuated here. People come from all places that see Russians coming, and now we work around the clock to help them," Savchenko said. Police captain Andriy M., who has just returned from Myrnohrad, where he evacuated a family, said the situation is getting worse by the minute. "Measures are being taken to evacuate families with young children, as the situation in Donetsk Oblast becomes more and more complicated, we do everything possible to bring them to a safe place from where they can then travel further west," Andriy said. Among those evacuated was Yulia from Novoekonomichne along with her two younger children, Yaroslav and Ruslan, and her neighbors. She describes the hellish daily life that she has just escaped from. "There are incoming (bombs) after incoming (bombs), big pits and ditches everywhere," Yulia said. Yulia from Novoekonomichne sitting in the refugee reception center in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Emmanuelle Chaze/The Kyiv Independent) "All the windows are broken. Our church has also been destroyed." During the latest shelling, the neighboring house was destroyed, and Yulia injured her knee when running for cover. But what worries her the most now is that Dmytro, her elder son, and her husband don't answer the phone anymore. She shares that the two of them went "for a break from all the shelling" to Kurakhove, a settlement south and slightly further from the front line but also regularly shelled. Yulia is on her way to Rivne, a regional capital in western Ukraine, where she is taking her two children and an elderly neighbor with her. "I don't have close relatives: no parents, no siblings, but my cousins are there, and we have reached out to them," she said. On Aug. 16, Governor Vadym Filashkin announced that thousands of people had been evacuated from the front-line settlements in Donetsk Oblast. Thousands of others remain within the 10-kilometer front line zone. The city of Pokrovsk, once home to 60,000 people, has been urged to evacuate as well, as the Russian army was spotted within 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city's outskirts. Read also: As Ukraines Kursk incursion wins US support, will fears of Russian escalation fade? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Three Wisconsin police officers allegedly affiliated with target of drug investigation, one placed on administrative leave SAUK COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) Three police officers in Wisconsin are accused of being affiliated with the suspect in a drug investigation, and one of the officers has been placed on administrative leave. According to a release, the Sauk County Sheriffs Office executed three search warrants at properties in the Baraboo Area, including at a residence in the town of Fairfield, a commercial property in the city of Baraboo, and a storage building in the town of Baraboo. Wisconsin man airlifted to hospital after plane crash near municipal airport During the investigation, Baraboo Police Chief Rob Sinden was notified that three Baraboo police officers were alleged to have affiliations with the suspect, identified as 37-year-old William Deppe. William Deppes booking photo. (Sauk County Sheriffs Office) The release says that the searches were conducted in connection with an ongoing drug investigation involving the distribution of cocaine and other drugs. During the search, investigators located and seized illegal drugs, a large number of firearms, and other evidence of drug distribution. As a result, Deppe was taken into custody and booked into the Sauk County Jail for possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession with intent to deliver a schedule two narcotic, money laundering, and maintaining a drug trafficking place. Baraboo Police Chief Sinden has been in contact with the Sauk County Sheriffs Office and has informed the three officers that an administrative investigation has been opened regarding the alleged misconduct. Five-time USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway winner Scott Bloomquist dead at 60 One of the three officers has been placed on administrative leave. This is an ongoing investigation. No additional details were provided. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. After years of an utterly meaningless and unjustified war in Ukraine, massive destruction and immense suffering, and a slow and grinding Russian advance on the battlefield, some find it difficult to see an end to Russias war in Ukraine. I believe, however, that the tide is already turning, to Kyivs advantage. On 6 August, Ukraine executed an assault against Kursk Oblast to the surprise of both Russia and Ukraines international partners. In a fully transparent battlefield, it managed to secretly relocate and deploy units from at least four elite brigades and execute a surprise mechanised assault. Ukraine claims to control 1,000 km2. In contrast, Russia occupied an additional 1,175 km2 of Ukrainian territory between January and July 2024 at a tremendous cost. In a week, Ukraine has achieved what Russia managed in six months, demonstrating the difference between quality and quantity. The Kursk incursion will help change the course of the war. But my optimism runs deeper than that. Eight European finance ministers recently argued that sanctions have reshaped the geography of Russias foreign trade and limited its access to high-priority battlefield items. To finance the war, the Russian government has tapped into the liquid assets of Russias national wealth fund. Estimates by Bloomberg suggest it has almost halved in size since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as the country sacrifices its future prosperity to wreak havoc abroad, they said. According to the Russian Central Bank head, the reserves of labour and production capacity in the Russian economy are almost exhausted and the economy is now in a state of overheating. Businesses have virtually no room to increase their output []. This is a stagflation scenario, and it will be possible to stop it only at the cost of a deep recession, Elvira Nabiullina said. Ukraines economy is, via its backers, in a much better condition. While the Russian war has caused havoc on its finances, Ukraine is supported by the worlds strongest economies. 56 democracies from America, Asia and Europe are providing Ukraine with the financial support it needs to survive. 32 nations have signed the G7 Declaration. Ukraine has signed 25 bilateral security agreements securing long-term support. Even Russia is forced to support Ukraine through the proceeds from its frozen assets in the West. More importantly, after the war Ukraine will ultimately be an EU and NATO member. In contrast to Russia, its continued support and recovery is guaranteed. Advantage Ukraine. Furthermore, Russias ability to increase its defence industrial output has already peaked and is at maximum capacity. It is suffering a record labour shortage of 4.8 million. Teenagers, elderly people and even prisoners are filling holes in the Russian workforce. In stark contrast, the Ukrainian and Western defence industries are still in the process of ramping up their production. While the US and Europe failed to expand output when the war started in 2014 and were late starting the process, the production will increase substantially in 2024 and 2025. Again, advantage Ukraine. While Russia has found ways to evade Western-imposed sanctions, they still impede its ability to ramp up production further, produce existing high-tech weapons in scale and not least, develop new ones. Its war efforts depend on its ability to repair and send Soviet legacy tanks, APC and artillery to the frontline. As much as 40% in storage might be beyond repair. Last year, when the Kremlin boasted about the delivery of 1,530 tanks during 2023, it failed to mention that nearly 85% of these tanks were old T-72s, T-62s and even some T-55s from the fifties that had been restored. Its resources are finite and will eventually run out. Ukraine is facing no sanctions. While slow and incremental, it continues to receive defence aid from the 56 members of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. Its many military victories are a result of innovation, ingenuity, and Western support. A huge technological transformation is taking place on the battlefield as Ukraine is determined to make sure that technology creates the basis for victory. Ukraine aims to consolidate the joint efforts of the private and public sectors to increase its technological advantage over Russia. The improvements include interceptors, counter-battery capabilities, and unmanned systems capable of working effectively at operational and strategic depths. It is already able to strike targets 1,800 km inside Russian territory. Ukraine is aiming to ramp up the production to over three million drones a year. It seeks constant advancement of unmanned systems, including increased use of AI, and development of UAV swarms. It will employ systems previously used only in aviation on unmanned vehicles. A Ukrainian border guard launches a drone Drone-on-drone warfare is now poised for widespread adoption in air defence. FPV drones are being transformed into interceptors to down enemy drones and helicopters. Technologies that allow to effectively replace the presence of people with robotic systems in the most dangerous areas of the front are already being introduced. According to Deputy Commander-in-Chief Andrii Lebedenko, unmanned systems on the battlefield already outperform conventional weapons, including artillery. Artillery used to be Russias main strength. Yet again, advantage Ukraine. For the last year, we have persistently been told that the so-called Russia-Ukraine war has reached a stalemate. The perception of a stalemate is linked to the land war and the slow and marginal changes to the frontline. However, neither reflects the full scale and scope of a war being fought with both military and non-military means; on land, in the air, at sea, in space, in cyberspace and not least, in the cognitive space. In the air, Ukraine is presently in the process of replacing Soviet legacy systems with fourth-generation F-16, Patriot, NASAMS, IRIS-T and several state-of-the-art short-range air defence systems. At sea, it destroyed the Black Sea Fleet and forced it to withdraw from the northern Black Sea. International and commercial space information sharing have allowed Ukraine to exceed Russia in the use of space at the operational and strategic levels. Being an IT-superpower, Ukraine has recently launched one of the largest DDoS attacks in history on Russian internet infrastructure, targeting critical resources and accessing a vast amount of confidential data. In short, with support from the West, Ukraine is little by little defeating Russia. Ukraine uses technological innovation to counter Russias quantitative advantages: manpower, artillery, main battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers, combat aircraft and the Navy. The inflow of Western ammunition is growing. Ukrainian, US and European defence industrial output is expanding. The West is slowly (and reluctantly) lifting its restrictions on Ukraines use of Western-produced weapons. Ukrainian weapons are reaching further and deeper inside Russia. Eight capability coalitions are rushing arms to Ukraine within all dimensions. While Russia continues to advance, its very small advances come at an extremely high cost. The Russian casualty rate is presently higher than its ability to generate manpower. While its manpower is close to unlimited, its heavy weapons are not. It is slowly burning through its stockpiles of old tanks, APC and artillery. Its Air Defence is being depleted. More than a third of the BSF has been destroyed. The IISS believes that Russia can sustain its assault on Ukraine for about two or three years. Other experts believe Russia will reach a critical point of depletion in 2025 already. What is an advantage is Ukraine is also an advantage for Europe, democracy and rule-based order. It is time, therefore, to press the advantage to end the war, the suffering and destruction. It is time to provide Putin with an off-ramp: a Ukrainian Nato membership or a Nato intervention. Hans Petter Midttun is the former Defense Attache of Norway to Ukraine Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. TikTok pushed back on the U.S. governments claims about the apps ties to China in a new court filing as it challenges the constitutionality of a law that requires its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance to divest or face a U.S. ban. In a brief filed Thursday night, the popular social media app argued that despite its foreign ownership, TikTok is a U.S. company and enjoys First Amendment protections, comparing itself to foreign-owned American media companies. TikTok Inc., a U.S. company, is not stripped of First Amendment protection because it is ultimately owned by ByteDance Ltd., a Cayman-incorporated holding company, the filing reads. Does the government seriously believe, for example, that Politico (owned by a German company) has no First Amendment rights? Surely the American companies that publish Politico, Fortune, and Business Insider do not lose First Amendment protection because they have foreign ownership, it later continues. TikTok emphasized that its recommendation engine is in the U.S. under the protection of American software company Oracle and that U.S. user data resides in the secure Oracle cloud. It also noted the U.S. government has acknowledged it has no evidence China has ever manipulated the content Americans see on TikTok or accessed U.S. user data. The company initially sued over the divest-or-ban law in May, shortly after it was signed by President Biden. The measure passed both the House and Senate with wide bipartisan majorities in April as part of a larger foreign aid package. Under the law, ByteDance has until Jan. 19 to divest from TikTok or risks facing a ban on U.S. networks and online app stores, although this deadline could be extended 90 days by the president. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MAM | Marketing Bigg Boss in Southern India boosts brand metrics, reveals new research Bigg Boss, is a cultural phenomenon in India and even more so in the Southern states. A recent study by Unomer Technologies has reinforced the reality of "All ad impressions aren't equal" with the extraordinary jump witnessed in brand outcomes with exposure on Bigg Boss Tamil and Malayalam. Read More... MAM | Media and Advertising Center fresh launches 'Aage Badh' campaign Center fresh, Perfetti Van Melle India's flagship gum and mints brand has launched its new "Aage Badh" campaign with Varun Dhawan as the brand ambassador. The campaign aims to inspire young people to adopt a forward-looking attitude and overcome everyday setbacks with a fresh perspective. Read More... MAM | Media and Advertising SBI Life joins Paris 2024 Paralympics as gold sponsor The Paralympic Committee of India announced SBI Life, a life insurance company in India as the gold sponsor for Paris 2024, in New Delhi. SBI Life will act as the official life insurance partner for the Indian Paralympic contingent that is heading to the upcoming Paralympic Games starting on 28 August 2024 in Paris. Read More... MAM | Media And Advertising PR Professionals bags the PR mandate of the E-Gaming Federation PR Professionals (PRP) the flagship of PRP Group has won the PR mandate of the E-Gaming Federation (EGF). PRP will be responsible for managing the public relations and communications strategy for EGF. Read More... NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Donelson residents will soon be able to get a piece of the Great White North when coffee giant Tim Hortons opens. The Canadian coffeehouse chain has filed permits to renovate a former Krystal location on Lebanon Pike in Donelson, according to multiple officials. Metro Councilman Jeff Gregg who serves Donelson in District 15, confirmed a permit application has been filed for a new Tim Hortons at the former Krystal location. Tim Hortons Timbits (Source: Tim Hortons Corporate) Previous coverage: Tim Hortons coming to Middle Tennessee Big news! the Donelson Hermitage Chamber of Commerce said of the confirmation. Tim Hortons previously announced it would be expanding into Tennessee in April. At that time, the company said it planned to open three locations in Middle Tennessee. Tim Hortons coffee (Source: Tim Hortons Corporate) Sometimes referred to as Tims, Timmies, or Timmys, Tim Hortons serves coffee, donuts, sandwiches and other fast-food items. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The company was founded in 1964 in Ontario and merged with Burger King in 2014. It is reportedly Canadas biggest restaurant chain, with more than 5,000 locations in 13 countries. News 2 has reached out to Tim Hortons for comment. As of publication, we have not heard back. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Heman Bekele, a 15-year-old boy hailing from Ethiopia, has been honored by Time Magazine for creating a soap that could possibly treat and cure skin cancer. The outlet reported how Bekele noticed how the sun effected peoples skin and how they often worked in the sun without properly protecting themselves. His family later immigrated to the United States when he was seven and gifted him a chemistry set for Christmas. The set included sodium hydroxide, which sparked Bekeles interest in science. His observation of how the sun affected folks around him only grew. When I was younger, I didnt think much of it, but when I came to America, I realized what a big problem the sun and ultraviolet radiation is when youre exposed to it for a long time, Bekele explained to Time. Im really passionate about skin cancer research, he continued. Whether its my own research or whats happening in the field. Bekele ultimately learned about imiquimod and how it was already approved to treat certain forms of skin cancer. Bekele eventually remembered his years in his native country and wondered if imiquimod was available to people regardless of their socio-economic status. Almost everyone uses soap and water for cleaning. So soap would probably be the best option, Bekele stated about why he decided to make soap. Last year, the teenager won Discovery Educations Young Scientist Challenge and received $25,000 for the potential of his idea. Bekele currently attends Woodson High School in Fairfax County, Va. When hes not in class, he conducts his research at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. The Time article also revealed that the teen has around a decade to go before the soap could be approved as a cancer treatment. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. DENVER (KDVR) Tina Peters said she plans to appeal her conviction in a 2020 election security breach while she was Mesa County clerk and recorder, claiming excluded evidence could have swayed the jury in her favor. Peters was found guilty of seven of 10 counts. Following the verdict, Peters spoke with news affiliate Western Slope Nows Dalen Brazelton about the trial. Leader of Weld County drug trafficking ring sentenced to hundreds of years in prison Its an interesting verdict, Peters said, before claiming that excluded evidence was kept from the jury. For instance, the CodeMonkeyZ video that they kept talking about that was so damning they never would let the jury see it. If they would have seen it, they would have seen there were no passwords in there, Peters said. CodeMonkeyZ is an online handle used by Ron Watkins, who posted leaked videos of Mesa County voting machines online, Courthouse News Service reported from the trial. The videos prompted local and state investigations into the case. Brazelton confirmed that Peters plans to appeal the verdict, asking on what grounds she would appeal. Theres a lot of excluded evidence that was never presented. I mentioned the CodeMonkeyZ video that they made such a big deal about but never would let the jury see. Also, the 12-minute audio recording that Stephanie Wenholz presented, that was played over and over. But when I presented, and Sherronna Bishop was actually in the room, I had recorded the hour and seven-minute audio recording, and they would not admit that, and that would have given a reference to what that whole meeting was about. But that was excluded. Also, the instructions for the trusted build was excluded, Peters said. Wenholz was an election manager who worked under Peters during the time of the investigation and had an audio recording of Peters that was submitted as a piece of evidence. Bishop, described by 21st Judicial District Judge Matthew Barrett as an unindicted co-conspirator, testified in the trial. Peters was found guilty of: Three counts of attempting to influence a public servant One count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation First-degree official misconduct Violation of duty and failure to comply with an order from the Secretary of State Peters was acquitted on three counts of: Criminal impersonation Identity theft Conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation Secretary of State Griswold responds to Peters verdict Peterss guilty verdict stemmed from an investigation set into motion with the assistance of Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswolds office. FOX31s Talya Cunningham spoke with the secretary of state on the decision. Honestly, my reaction is justice is served for Colorado voters, Griswold said. A brand new mural for an Olde Town festival The prosecution said Peters became involved with those who had questioned the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election results. She was then alleged to have used someone elses security badge to give access to the Mesa County election system to an expert affiliated with MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell. The law is what the law is, but with that said, you never quite know. At the end of the day, it was a jury of her peers, Griswold said. She is from Grand Junction, the case was out in Grand Junction, was prosecuted by the Republican prosecutor out there, and I just think it shows that Republicans, Democrats, unaffiliateds all across the state believe in our elections. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A Tonawanda man was arrested Wednesday and charged with child sex crimes as well as possessing over a dozen illegal assault weapons, New York State Police announced. An internet crimes against children investigation in the Town of Tonawanda determined that 37-year-old John R. Yungbluth allegedly possessed child pornography, police said. A search warrant was later executed at a Tonawanda residence, and over 30 pieces of computer evidence that will be examined for child pornography were recovered, according to police. Additionally, 13 unregistered assault weapons that were allegedly unlawfully possessed were recovered. Over 85 large-capacity ammunition feeding devices were also recovered. Yungbluth has a valid New York State pistol permit with multiple handguns registered to him, however, he was allegedly found to also have two handguns not registered in New York, according to police. Youngbluth was charged with: Possessing a sexual performance by a child First-degree criminal possession of a weapon (possession of over 10 assault weapons) Second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (possession of two unregistered/loaded firearms) Third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (possession of large capacity ammunition feeding device) He was arraigned and bail was set at $25,000 or $50,000 bond. Latest Local News Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the WIVB News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Top 10 best suburbs to live in the Peoria area PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) The Peoria area, a central Illinois riverfront town, has several suburban communities flourishing with nature, wildlife and more that serve current residents and attract new ones. According to the World Population Review, there are more than 100,000 people who live in Peoria as of this year. Current and prospective residents could explore schools, businesses and jobs in Peoria-area suburbs, bringing economic spending power into the city and county. Heres a list of the best suburbs to live, eat and play in the Peoria area this year, according to Niche.com, an online resource for places to live, learn and work. #1: Dunlap Dunlap is one of the safest places to live in the Peoria area, where calm and serenity join for a population of more than 1,400. Its public schools and homes are rated among the finest in the region. #2: Morton Morton is a great place to raise children, according to Niche.com. There were several fall festivals available for attendance including the Morton Pumpkin Festival in September. It serves a population of more than 16,000 people. #3: Germantown Hills Germantown Hills serves more than 3,400 people who are described as nice, according to Niche.com reviews. #4: Washington Washington is ranked fourth on the list of best suburbs to live in to Peoria area. There is a small-town vibe that serves nearly 16,000 people. #5: Metamora Metamora is described as friendly and supportive as a whole, according to the Niche.com reviews. The suburb serves about 4,000 people. #6: Elmwood Elmwood is a tight-knit community where tons of events, eateries and stores are within walking distance. There are about 2,000 people who live in this suburb. #7: Peoria Heights Peoria Heights is home to several wildlife conservation places, historic homes and shopping centers. There are about 5,800 people who live in this suburb. #8: Chillicothe Chillicothe is home to about 6,000 people who say the suburb has a fantastic school system, and places to eat and live. The area is described as very affordable to live. #9: East Peoria East Peoria has several restaurants, shopping centers, parks and a local library that residents reviewed as the best. This suburb serves the largest Peoria-area geographic with more than 22,000 people who chose to live there. #10: Eureka Eureka is a community where everyone knows you, according to a review on Niche.com. There are about 5,000 people who live in this suburb. This Illinois suburb ranks among the least safe in the US: report Other Peoria-area suburbs ranked as the best according to Niche.com include Heritage Lake, Marquette Heights and North Pekin. Would you like to provide a review for your suburb because you think its the best? Click here or email us at news@wmbd.com and we will update this list. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. The first-ever mobilization of trans voters around a presidential candidate took place on Zoom on Tuesday, as around 1,000 transgender people, including lawmakers, advocates, health care workers and celebrities, logged on to show support for Vice President Kamala Harris bid for the presidency. Trans Folks For Harris was one of numerous identity-based webinars to support Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month. Over the last few weeks, many LGBTQ+ advocates have embraced Harris, touting her decadeslong record of supporting LGBTQ+ rights, and her decision to make Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who transformed the state into a trans refuge, her running mate. This came just after Advocates for Trans Equality released a report showing that 75% of eligible trans voters turned up to the polls in the 2020 presidential election, compared to 67% of the general U.S. population and that trans voters make up a crucial part of the electorate. We know our rights and our progress are on the line, but so is our very sense of belonging, said Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, who was elected as the first openly transgender state senator in the country. If McBride wins her bid for Delawares open House seat, she would become the first transgender member of Congress. We have the opportunity, but more importantly, the responsibility in this election to show a trans young person who fears that the heart of this country is not big enough to love them too, that no matter what extremists say or do, our next president and vice president continue to have their backs, McBride continued. The Harris-Walz campaign has yet to release any concrete policy plans on civil rights ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week, but advocates say Harris and Walz have demonstrated their commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ rights, access to abortion and the rights to bodily autonomy overall. A draft of the Democrats platform, which was released in July, outlines their fight to restore reproductive rights, address racial inequalities, and protect democracy. Then-vice presidential candidate and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) waves to parade attendees alongside husband Doug Emhoff (right) during the 2019 San Francisco Pride parade on June 30, 2019. San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images via Getty Images Its a step forward to ensure that trans people, especially Black and Brown trans women, have the representation and the resources they need to live with dignity and pride, Zahara Bassett, CEO of Chicago trans advocacy organization Life Is Work, said on the call. We need to make sure that our future is one of equity, justice and liberation for us all. Harris was one of the first elected officials to publicly back marriage equality in 2004, and she refused to defend Proposition 8, Californias same-sex marriage ban, in 2008. As a prosecutor, she also led the charge to end the so-called gay and transgender panic defense,a legal strategy often used to seek a lesser offense for perpetrators of anti-LGBTQ+ violence or murder by claiming that the victim made same-sex sexual advances. In June 2023, Harris became the first sitting vice president to visit the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement, and the site of the historic 1969 uprising of LGBTQ+ people fighting back against police raids in the New York City bar. And earlier this week, Harris released a video on X outlining how former President Donald Trump vastly restricted LGBTQ+ rights while in office and how he would do so again if elected. Trump has already promised to roll back several policies, including blocking access to gender-affirming care for minors and rescinding the Biden administrations Title IX rules that expand protections for transgender students. Trumps running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, introduced a bill in the upper chamber to criminalize gender-affirming care for trans youth. Trump has heavily criticized Walz for his unwavering and broad support of LGBTQ+ rights, including Walzs signing of an executive order and a trio of bills to safeguard trans peoples ability to obtain gender-affirming care without fear of harassment from the state. Trump quipped on Fox News last week that Walz was very heavy into transgender. Harris and Walzs support of LGBTQ+ rights fits largely within the Democratic Partys platform of protecting the equal rights of all our citizens. The partys 2020 platform includes numerous promises to protect reproductive health, safeguard LGBTQ+-inclusive and affordable health care, and ensure protections are in place for people undergoing gender transition. After Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, over 1,000 LGBTQ+ advocates, organizations, celebrities and others signed on to a letter in support of Harris campaign for president. Todays embrace of Harris is in stark contrast to how some LGBTQ+ voters remembered her last bid for president in 2019. Back then, some advocates took issue with Harris tenure as a prosecutor for how she pushed for criminal penalties for parents of truant children and which led to the arrest of many Black and brown people. Many also noted how as attorney general, Harris office denied an incarcerated trans womans request for gender-affirming care. Harris has since apologized and said she takes full responsibility for her offices actions. But still, not all LGBTQ+ voters are convinced. Harris support for the Biden administrations policies towards Israels war in Gaza has alienated some of these voters. In the Democratic primaries this year, hundreds of thousands of voters cast uncommitted ballots as a form of protest to push for a cease-fire and end U.S. weapons transfers to Israel. One of those voters, Roberto Che Espinoza, a Latinx trans divinity scholar and Baptist clergyperson, said he feels politically homeless. The registered Democrat said he would feel more confident in supporting a Harris-Walz ticket if she were to break from Bidens policies on Israel. Espinoza was frustrated when he saw Harris speak over a group of pro-Palestinian protesters at her rally in Michigan last week. A few days later, Harris took a moment to listen to the protesters at a rally in Phoenix and said that it was time to broker a cease-fire deal. The president and I are working around the clock everyday to get that cease-fire deal done and bring the hostages home. So, I respect your voices, but we are here to now talk about this race in 2024, she said. Espinoza knows very well the risk that a Trump victory would pose to the state of LGBTQ+ rights. He fled Tennessee last year after the states attorney general obtained his and many other trans patients medical records during what advocates say was a politically motivated attack against a major hospital in Nashville. And he says if Harris were to be elected as the first female, Black and South Asian president it would no doubt be historic. But when Im casting my vote, Im essentially coming out saying this person represents me and I am unable to say that because of her continued investment in policing, in war, which means continued investment in violence, Espinoza said. Other advocates like Ash Orr, a trans Jewish person who has been organizing against anti-LGBTQ+ bills in West Virginia, said they share similar concerns about the scale of human suffering and death in Gaza but believes that Harris and Walz will be more open to hearing their voices. When you look at it from a lens of trans equality and abortion access, both Harris and Walz have consistently demonstrated their commitment to trans rights and their leadership is going to be crucial in ensuring that our rights arent just protected but expanded, Orr said. As a trans Jewish voter, I will be supporting Harris because I know whats on the line and I know that if we can get them in office, we can still demand accountability and work towards ending this ongoing genocide in Gaza. A person holds a "Leave it Blank" flyer outside of the Masjid Al-Abidin mosque on March 29 in Queens, New York City. The campaign sought to persuade primary voters to submit empty ballots in protest of the Biden administration's handling of the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas. Adam Gray via Getty Images Though the public is still learning about Harris, and her policy platform is being pulled together just as quickly as her campaign, there are signs that the vice president is more receptive to listening to criticism. Abbas Alawieh, the co-founder of the uncommitted movement, said that there are indications from Harris of an openness to engaging with our movement that feels like a shift from how our requests were being treated previously. Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D) echoed similar sentiments and shared on Tuesdays call about how Harris was quick to respond to feedback from trans lawmakers who were concerned over statements the White House made about gender-affirming care. At the end of June, the White House released a statement that gender-affirming surgeries should be restricted to transgender adults only. While surgeries for trans youth are already exceedingly rare, the statement caused alarm among trans advocates who were worried that this was another intervention from the government about private medical decisions, as about half the nation has passed laws at the state level banning various forms of gender-affirming care for minors. Zephyr was one of a dozen trans lawmakers who sent a letter to the Biden administration urging them to oppose any kind of categorical ban on health care for transgender people. Soon after, a spokesperson for the White House reaffirmed the administrations support for access to gender-affirming care and the justice departments fight against state and federal bans on care. Zephyr said she met with Harris to get a clear reaffirmation that the Biden administration would continue its fight against policies that discriminate against trans people. When I met with Vice President Harris, I said, I want to make sure you are not going to leave anyone in our community behind, she recalled. She looked me in the eye and she said, We will fight for you. I promise. That is one of the reasons I hope you recognize that when we vote for the Harris-Walz ticket, we are also voting for the framework under which we will continue to fight for trans liberation across this country. PEKIN, Ill. (WMBD) A Pekin woman is scheduled to go to trial in October on charges she suffocated a 10-month-old child with a lovey blanket. During a brief hearing where Makenna Rhodes, the 21-year-old babysitter, entered a plea of not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, an Oct. 7 trial was set in Tazewell County Circuit Court. However, given the nature of the charges and that its the cases first trial setting, thats unlikely to happen. Pekin babysitter remains in custody until trial; accused of killing infant Rhodes faces a single count of first-degree murder for the death of a baby girl in late June. According to court records, she applied pressure with a foreign object to the child, knowing that such actions created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm. Rhodes faces up to 100 years in prison if convicted. According to a one-page probable cause statement filed in Tazewell County Circuit Court, the parents of the young girl dropped her off at Rhodes apartment on Florence Avenue where she was babysitting three other kids on June 26. At some point, officers were sent there on a report of an unresponsive child. The baby was rushed to Carle Heath Pekin, where she was later pronounced dead. The foreign object was a lovey, a blanket with a small stuffed animal attached to it. Rhodes allegedly held the lovey against the childs face until the baby closed its eyes. Later, a forensic pathologist ruled out medical issues impacting the baby and later, determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation, the probable cause statement said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. Troopers looking for public's help solving two crimes in St. Joseph County Michigan State Police troopers are asking for assistance in solving two incidents in St. Joseph County. Troopers are investigating a destruction of property that occurred in the 30000 block of Plumb School Road, in Fawn River Township that took place between July 30 and Aug. 13. Three bullet holes were found in the font windshield of a semi-truck. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Daniel Butcher of the Michigan State Police Marshall Post at (269) 558-0500. Troopers are also investigating a theft from a motor vehicle that occurred in the 10000 block of Riverside Drive in Mottville Township. The incident took place during the overnight hours between Aug. 2 and Aug. 3. A wallet with several credit cards was taken. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Butcher at (269) 558-0500. This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Troopers looking for public's help solving two crimes in St. Joseph County CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock.com Any leadership shift in the Oval Office brings excitement and concerns. Check Out: These Are Americas Wealthiest Suburbs Learn More: 7 Reasons You Must Speak To a Financial Advisor To Boost Your Savings in 2024 However, some states may face more significant challenges than others if former President Donald Trump is reelected, due to potential fluctuations in economic, environmental and federal funding priorities. GOBankingRates examined eight states that could suffer the most from a second Trump presidency, drawing on his statements on the current campaign trail and his previous administrations policies. frankpeters / Getty Images California California has been a target during Trumps first term due to its climate change and progressive social policies. Primarily, Trump supports the oil and gas industry and has pledged to end Biden Administration initiatives that promote green and renewable energy. For example, in June, California received nearly $5 million to decarbonize public and private buildings, develop stronger building energy codes and create energy efficiency and electrification workforce development programs. However, due to conflicting energy priorities, federal funding to sustain such projects over the long term may not be available during a second Trump term. In addition, Trumps strong stance on immigration, such as barring immigrants from returning to the community while they await court hearings, could disrupt local economies, especially in Californias farming and services communities. Discover More: Im an Economist: Heres My Prediction for the Working Class If JD Vance Is Vice President Explore More: What the Upper Middle Class Make in Different US Cities Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week. Art Wager / Getty Images Texas Texas seems like an unlikely contender due to its conservative social politics and reliance on the fossil fuel industry. Specifically, Texas is the top crude oil and natural gas-producing state in the country. As of last year, Texas accounted for 43% of the nations crude oil production and 27% of its overall natural gas withdrawals. However, Texas shares its southern border with Mexico. Trump pledged to continue his policy of requiring Central American asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while the U.S. reviews their cases. Texas could face a strain due to Trumps stricter border patrol policies. Find Out: Heres the Salary Needed to Actually Take Home $100K in Every State Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto Philadelphia Pennsylvania is a battleground state, where Trump holds a 0.2% lead, according to the latest data from Real Clear Polling. Story continues However, Philadelphia is a sanctuary city, meaning its city laws protect undocumented immigrants from deportation or prosecution in direct opposition to the Trump administrations immigration policies. FilippoBacci / Getty Images/iStockphoto New York Former President Trump and New York share a love-hate relationship. Trump expanded his real estate interests in New York City by developing and branding high-profile properties in Manhattan, such as Trump Tower, luxury hotels and office buildings. However, New York led six states in suing the Trump Administration in 2021 for $250 million to receive the money the federal government withheld in an illegal immigration crackdown. Trump and some of his political advisors have indicated that the former president would defund federal funding for some Biden-era initiatives. As a state with a large population center, New York is a top recipient of federal funding for public infrastructure and other needs. RomanKhomlyak / Getty Images/iStockphoto Washington Washington State could be at significant risk due to Trumps stance on Chinese tariffs. For example, Trump recently pledged to revoke Chinas most favored nation status, which former President George H.W. Bush issued in 2001. The term means offering China the lowest tariff rates and other charges levied on imported Chinese products. While on the campaign trail, Trump promised to impose a reciprocal 100% or 200% tariff or tax on China or any other country, which he said would protect American manufacturing jobs. However, Washington State is a major exporter of apples, cherries and wheat to China. In addition, Boeing, the states second-largest employer, restarted new plane deliveries to China in June. Washington is also the headquarters of tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon, which rely on Chinese manufacturing and markets. According to researchers at the Tax Foundation, increasing Chinese tariffs could result in higher prices, lower income and reduced unemployment. Finally, Seattle and Tacoma are significant port cities and trade heavily with China. A decrease in trade volume due to increases in trade tariffs could affect local consumers and businesses. Read More: Heres the Income Needed To Be in the Top 1% in All 50 States SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto Florida Florida seems like another safe bet under a second Trump administration because its state tax policies broadly align with Trumps. For example, Florida doesnt charge a state income tax and has a 5.5% corporate tax rate compared to states like Minnesota, which has a 9.8% corporate tax rate. The Sunshine State collects an estimated $1 billion in taxes from undocumented immigrants. But that could be affected if Trump implements a mass deportation plan as he pledged during last months Republican National Convention. Mlenny / Getty Images Illinois Illinois is a wildcard, especially when it comes to Trumps evolving healthcare policies. For example, Illinois reported a record-high 16% jump (nearly 400,000 people) in Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment, commonly known as Obamacare. Trump has reportedly retracted his pledge to repeal the ACA if re-elected. However, in a 2024 campaign video, Trump said he would make the Affordable Care Act much better and far less money. Nevertheless, the impact on Illinois residents if Trump changes his positions on the Affordable Care Act is currently unknown. Shutterstock.com West Virginia West Virginia is another wild card state should Trump win a second term. According to Real Clear Polling, Harris currently holds a slim 1.1% average lead over Trump. One of the biggest issues in rural states may be access to affordable health care. Nearly 522,000 people are enrolled in Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which are government initiatives designed to provide low-income, older adults, children and other vulnerable populations access healthcare. Trump recently said he wouldnt cut Medicare or raise the retirement age. However, while on the campaign trail, he didnt present details to avoid the projected depletion of the federal Social Security trust fund by 2035. Read Next: How I Went From Middle Class to Upper Middle Class Editors note on election coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 8 States That Could Suffer the Most From a Trump Presidency (Bloomberg) -- South Africas state logistics company said its doing the best it can within the constraints it faces and is making some progress, after being blamed by business and government for sapping economic growth and costing jobs. Most Read from Bloomberg Michelle Phillips, who took over as Transnet SOC Ltd.s chief executive officer in February, was criticized over the companys failure to lift rail-freight volumes by government ministers at an Aug. 13 meeting, people who attended said. A day later, at a public presentation, an official from President Cyril Ramaphosas office said mining firms were firing people because of the companys inability to move their production to ports. The recovery plan is focused on what is within the control of the organization, taking into account the state of its finances, the network, availability of rolling stock, Transnet said in a response to queries. The operational challenges that Transnet is experiencing have a historical context. Over the five fiscal years ending March 2023, the amount of freight moved by Transnet, including key exports such as coal and iron ore, collapsed 34% to 149 million tons amid corruption and management scandals. Annual volumes under 220 million tons lead to job cuts, the presidency said in the slides. Among those that have cut jobs are Kumba Iron Ore Ltd. and coal miners Glencore Plc and Seriti Resources Holdings Ltd. Green Shoots Transnet lifted volumes marginally to 152 million tons in the year ended March 2024 and has set targets of 170 million tons for this financial year and a 193 million tons for the next one. This is what we believe is achievable with the current status of the resources available to Transnet, the company said, adding that it has a 50 billion rand ($2.8 billion) maintenance backlog across its rail operations and ports. Progress is being made, it said. Several initiatives have been implemented in support of the recovery plan and continue to be robustly executed, Transnet said. Green shoots are visible in strategic segments like manganese, chrome and containers, with export lines, coal and ore, remaining our key focus. The company has stepped up security on its rail lines, which are plagued by cable theft, and has restored 38 locomotives to service and added 10 new ones. A dispute with a Chinese supplier means that 99 other locomotives remain idled. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. (FOX40.COM) The California Highway Patrol assisted in the dispersion of a sideshow near the Sacramento International Airport that led to several arrests on Sunday. The sideshow was reported at the intersection of Metro Air Parkway and Allbaugh Drive. A CHP helicopter captured video of several vehicles blocking the intersection while dozens more people watched a vehicle doing donuts in the center of the intersection. Sacramento stabbing, domestic abuse suspect in custody One person who was not involved in the sideshow reported to police that he was injured when rocks were thrown at his work truck. One of the rocks hit him in the head. When officers rushed the area, the drivers and bystanders fled the area including one vehicle that led police on a high-speed pursuit. They were eventually stopped and arrested on charges of reckless driving and suspicions of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. This story contains mention of suicide. If you are at risk of suicide, please stop here and contact 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for support. An Ohio family is mourning after their loved one was killed in a Taco Bell drive-thru in an apparent murder-suicide, local police said. A Taco Bell employee called the Stow Police Department at 7:19 p.m. on Wednesday to report that a vehicle struck the back of a woman's car in the drive-thru line, Chief Jeffrey Film said during a news conference on Thursday. As officers were responding to the "private property crash," they received several 911 calls about a shooting at the same location, he added. Witnesses at the scene told police that a man in the drive-thru line exited his vehicle, approached the car in front of him, and shot the driver, Film said. The man then used the gun to kill himself, according to the chief. The Summit County Medical Examiner identified the woman as 25-year-old Megan Keleman, from Stow, and the man as 53-year-old Jason Williams, also from Stow, Film said. Murder-suicide investigation: Former reserve officer shoots wife, 2 daughters in apparent murder-suicide in Indianapolis Why did Jason Williams shoot Megan Keleman? Williams' motivation is unknown, but detectives are continuing to gather evidence to figure out why he shot Keleman and himself, according to Film. Authorities do not have any information indicating that the two knew one another before the shooting, he said. Witnesses also told detectives that Williams began blowing his horn at Keleman when she pulled in front of him in the drive-thru line, the chief said. Williams then struck the rear of Keleman's vehicle, prompting her to use the drive-thru speaker to ask the employee to call 911. Moments later, Williams shot Keleman, and then himself, according to Film. "As a chief of police and a community leader, I would like to say this is a true tragedy," Film said. "Not only did the Kelemans lose a daughter, but we as a community lost one of our daughters. We are all parents, and we do not at this time have the answer to why this happened, and we may never know why." 'Our family is enduring an immensely painful loss' Stow Police Lt. Heather Prusha read a written statement from Keleman's family during the news conference. "In light of recent events, our family is enduring an immensely painful loss of Megan Elizabeth Keleman," the statement read. "We appreciate the community support and hope that our request for privacy will be honored so that we can continue to focus on supporting each other through this difficult period." Pictured is Megan Keleman Keleman was a recent graduate from Cleveland State University, where she received her master's degree in business administration and bachelor's degree in finance and financial management services, according to her social media pages. She described herself on her LinkedIn page as a "child advocate and bookkeeper." She worked for Shelter Care Inc., a Tallmadge, Ohio-based residential treatment program for children between the ages of 6 and 18 who have emotional or behavioral problems. During the shooting, a dog was also in Keleman's car, according to the chief. The dog is now with Keleman's family after officers took it to a rescue to be washed, he added. Stow 'does not have that many homicides' The city of Stow "does not have that many homicides," which is why the department contacted the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) to assist in the investigation, according to Film. "In a situation like this, we want to do the best job that we possibly can, and with their added resources... I think that will help us make a determination of how this happened," the chief said about the BCI's involvement. The last time Stow had a homicide was five or six years ago, Film said. "Our community is a great community, it's a safe community," he said. "This is just a tragic event that we're dealing with now and trying to understand." Taco Bell helping authorities Taco Bell, which closed its Stow location following the shooting, shared a statement to the Akron Beacon Journal part of the USA TODAY Network. "Our priority is to consider the team's well-being and proceed at their pace," the statement read. The fast food chain also expressed shock over the shooting and confirmed that the franchise owner and operator were working with authorities amid their investigation and offering support to team members who were present during the incident. Contributing: Alisson Toro-Lagos/ Akron Beacon Journal This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taco Bell shooting in Stow, Ohio being investigated as murder-suicide The former chair of the Fulton County Board of Elections filed an ethics complaint Friday against three of the Georgia State Election Boards members, accusing them of breaking the law in their efforts to help Donald Trump disrupt the presidential election. In the complaint addressed to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, former Chair Cathy Woolard alleged that board members Rick Jeffares, Janice Johnston, and Janelle King had violated the ethics code by failing to follow state law and violating the publics trust. Through their efforts to make significant changes to the rules governing Georgias elections, they had at minimum created the appearance that their actions are intended to further their own political preferences, Woodlard wrote. Woolard described an instance on July 12, when Jeffares, Johnston, and King had hurriedly organized a private meeting, away from the public and the two other board members, to pass two election rules pitched by Georgia Republican Party Chair Jeff Koons.The first rule required county election boards to post daily ballot counts online, and the second increased the number of partisan monitors during the vote-counting process. Woolard argued that their quorum-lacking rendezvous that day had violated the Open Meetings Act, which requires meetings to be open to the public and for all board members to be given due notice. Woolard noted that the same day, Cleta Mitchell, a Trump ally and staunch election denier, posted on X saying, There are now 3 great members of the GA State Election Boardsupport them. They are fighting hard for us!!! The Dems + Kemp + Raffensperger + Carr are fighting our great SEB Members. Fight back! Last week, the Georgia State Election board voted 3-2 in favor of a new rule, which required a reasonable inquiry before certifying election results, making it significantly easier for county election officials to delay or refuse certification of election results in November. This type of regulation is unprecedented nationally, but it is consistent with a broader strategy among Trump allies to lay the groundwork for refusing to certify presidential election results if he loses in November, wrote Woolard. The next day, Johnston moved to reopen a complaint into the administration of the 2020 election in Fulton County, which Woolard said had been closed in May, before Johnston had been appointed to the board. The state attorney general had advised them not to reopen the fully adjudicated case, but Johnston allegedly indicated she had received outside counsel on the legality of reopening the case. That day, Trump reposted a video of the board meeting on Truth Social and called for the attorney general to take action on the reopened complaint into Fulton County. Trump wrote, We cant let this happen again. WE MUST WIN GEORGIA IN 2024!!! Woolard noted that Trump named the three members specifically during his rally in Atlanta, Georgia, earlier this month. While speaking to the audience of thousands, Trump called the trio pitbulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory. The members have done nothing to dispel that appearance of impropriety, instead receiving a standing ovation at a Trump rally and openly discussing a position in the Trump administration, Woolard wrote. Taken together, these actions pose a serious risk of creating confusion about the rules governing the rapidly approaching election and undermining voter confidence in the integrity of Georgias elections. Woolard also alleged that Jeffares had stated that he was angling for a position in a potential Trump administration. Jeffares told The Guardian that, when speaking to a former Trump campaign adviser, hed said, [I]f yall cant figure out who you want to be the EPA director for the south-east, Id like to have it. Woolard served as the election board chair from September 2021 to June 2023. When her replacement, Patrise Perkins-Hooker, resigned in April, Woolard stepped in as interim chair to assist with the Georgia primary elections. While some were hopeful she would hold the position until after the general election, Woolard submitted her own resignation on July 3, writing that it is time for someone who can serve through the fall elections take the reins. Government ethics watchdog American Oversight filed a lawsuit against the board in July, similarly accusing the trio of violating Georgias Open Meetings Act. Since 2020, Georgia has had the highest number of certification refusals anywhere in the countryand remains the likely epicenter for Trumps claims of election fraud in 2024. A report from American Doom found that Georgia had at least twenty-two people whod pushed election denying conspiracy theorists employed as election officialsincluding two on its board of elections. Donald Trump and his campaign remain laser-focused on Pennsylvania as the key swing state they have to win to beat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, according to people familiar with the matter. The former president is preparing to hold a rally in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday afternoon. The Trump campaign believes it still holds the advantage in the electoral college and has the easier paths to victory, despite a torrid month that has seen Harris ride a wave of Democratic enthusiasm and draw roughly level in several polls. In the most straightforward path to victory, as briefed to senior advisers on the Trump campaign, Trump needs to flip Pennsylvania and Georgia both of which he won in 2016 but lost in 2020 while holding on to North Carolina. Related: Trump adds five new campaign advisers as he attempts to find attack lines against Harris The Trump campaign also sees other combinations in play, such as Trump winning Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona, which he also won in 2016. But the vast majority of the permutations require him to win the Keystone state, the people said. Almost all of the roads lead through Pennsylvania. To that end, Trump has scheduled a rally in the state on Saturday to follow his rally in Harrisburg at the end of July. He has also promised to return to Butler county where he survived an assassination attempt last month in October. The states the Trump campaign believes will decide the outcome of the election are the same as before Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris. The fundamentals are still the same, a Trump adviser recently said of how they viewed the electoral map unfolding. The Trump campaign privately concedes Harris has made gains with certain demographics, including some Black men. But their greater concern is the potential inroads Harris has made with white men, who were crucial to Trumps victory in 2016 and defeat in 2020. The white male vote, in particular, is considered so important to Trump it informs why the campaign is happy with the choice of JD Vance as the running mate, even as his past derogatory comments about childless women have dogged him in recent weeks. At least part of the rationale, in addition to support for him from Trumps eldest son, Donald Jr, is that Vance could help turn out white male voters in November. The Trump campaign is also trying to reach what it calls target persuadables perhaps the last group of truly sway-able voters in the US which make up about 11% of voters, and are defined as mostly men, moderate in ideology, under 50 and non-white, the people said. The target persuadables demographic is considered particularly hard to reach because they are not traditional consumers of media, either through newspapers or cable news, instead getting most of their information from other online sources and podcasts, the people said. Still, skepticism is building among some Trump operatives who have increasingly questioned whether the internal polling is off-kilter. One firm contracted to help with polling for a Republican political action committee has seen weakening support for Trump in North Carolina, which he has to hold. Trumps courting of the crypto community is a smart campaign move but bad for Americans When Donald Trump declared his newfound love of crypto at the Bitcoin2024 conference in Nashville in July, he reportedly received ecstatic reactions. This comes as no surprise, as he promised the crypto community exactly what it wanted to hear. We will have regulations, but from now on the rules will be written by people who love your industry, not hate your industry, the former president and GOP presidential nominee said in Nashville. He pledged to make the United States the crypto capital of the planet and the Bitcoin superpower of the world. Statements like these made it sound like everyone in the country would benefit from a strong standing of crypto in the United States. The opposite is true: The young industry has time and time again proven to be a playground wide open for dubious actors, at the expense of regular Americans trying to invest their hard-earned money. The crypto market so far failed on its promise of creating an alternative financial sector that due to its supposedly superior technical architecture is immune to manipulation and hence safe for consumers. Millions of Americans own crypto, but for most, the investment is small The implosion of the crypto currency exchange FTX and the subsequent sentencing of its fraudulent founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, to a 25-year sentence is only one of many examples that show . : Former President Donald Trump addresses the Bitcoin2024 conference at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, July 27, 2024. The industry lacks sufficient safeguard regulations that have the regular Americans best interest in mind. The crypto crash in the summer of 2023 again exposed the industrys risky practices, taking away the money of many small investors. Trump used to be very critical of crypto, calling it a scam, but now, things have changed. For Trump, his support for the crypto industry is a smart campaign move. Its not about votes, though. The community is too small for that. While it is estimated that around 96 million users in the U.S. hold cryptocurrencies, the estimated average revenue per user in 2024 is roughly $100. This shows that while there are a few high-profile heavy hitters, many only hold to very small amounts of crypto, maybe to dip their toe in the field. It is unlikely that you would base your voting decision on an asset worth 100 bucks. But its not the small investors Trump is after: There are a lot of deep-pocket investors whose account balance is more or less directly linked to the policies trying to hedge the industry in or not. And the crypto money is rolling in for Trump, although his sincerity is yet to be proven. The future of crypto will either be a tightly or loosely regulated market At the Nashville event, crypto entrepreneurs reportedly paid half a million dollars to attend a private event with Trump. It seems the crypto market indeed is paying off, but only for a selected few. If Trump is elected and would follow through with his promise to love the crypto industry, the rest of American consumers should brace themselves. The stakes of becoming involved in crypto might get even higher since most regulatory attempts the industry is fighting against are aimed at reigning in the market and making it safer for regular customers. Angela Gruber, International Center for Journalists Burns Fellow at The Tennessean Angela Gruber is a German journalist and tech reporter embedded with The Tennessean in Nashville, as a recipient of the Arthur F. Burns Fellowship for international journalists. She works for Der SPIEGEL in Hamburg, Germany. Call her at (615) 364-4325 or email her at angela.gruber@spiegel.de. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Politics of cryptocurrency: Trump courts the industry for votes Former President Trump has once again found himself at the center of a firestorm over his comments about veterans after he compared a civilian award favorably to the Medal of Honor. Trump on Thursday spoke at an event at his Bedminster, N.J., property focused on combating antisemitism, which was also attended by GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson. During his remarks, Trump spoke about giving Adelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, in 2018. Thats the highest award you can get as a civilian. Its the equivalent of the congressional Medal of Honor, but civilian version, Trump told attendees. Its actually much better, because everyone who gets the congressional Medal of Honor, thats soldiers, theyre either in very bad shape because theyve been hit so many times by bullets, or theyre dead. She gets it, and shes a healthy, beautiful woman, Trump said with a chuckle, eliciting applause from the crowd. And theyre rated equal. A clip of Trumps comments quickly ricocheted around social media, with Democrats and Harris quickly seizing on the remarks to attack the former presidents views on veterans and wounded Americans. For him to insult Medal of Honor recipients, just as he has previously attacked Gold Star families, mocked prisoners of war, and referred to those who lost their lives in service to our country as suckers and losers, should remind all Americans that we owe it to our service members, our country, and our future to make sure Donald Trump is never our nations commander in chief again, Harris campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who served as a captain in the Navy, posted on social media that Trump has no idea how to put others before himself. When the Medal of Honor is awarded posthumously, its often to Americans who have thrown themselves on grenades or braved enemy fire heroes who have paid the ultimate price to save others, he posted on the social platform X. Trumps campaign rushed to his defense in the face of criticism. His running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), was asked about the backlash during a campaign stop in Wisconsin to tout the support of local law enforcement and argued Trump was not attempting to denigrate veterans. Ive seen him give out a number of awards and commendations to military veterans, and of course I myself am a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq war, Vance said. This is a guy who loves our veterans and who honors our veterans. I dont think him complimenting and saying a nice word about a person who received a Medal of Freedom is in any way denigrating those who receive military honors, he continued. They are two different awards. And I think the president was saying some nice things about a person he liked, and thats a totally reasonable thing to do. A Trump campaign spokesperson argued Harris and her campaign were in no position to be critical, citing the Biden administrations chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, during which 13 American troops were killed. Kamala bragged of being the last one in the room with Biden as they set in motion our disastrous retreat from Afghanistan. Its outrageous that she and her failing campaign have the audacity to claim concern for service men and women when Kamala abandoned them just a few years ago, senior campaign adviser Brian Hughes said in a statement, adding the former president would hold a ceremony to honor the fallen troops. Trump frequently boasts that he rebuilt the military while he was in office and argues the country is weaker and less respected on the world stage with President Biden in charge. But he has also sparked multiple controversies over his comments about veterans. During his 2016 campaign, Trump mocked the late Sen. John McCains (R-Ariz.) time as a prisoner of war and sparred with the Gold Star family of an Army captain killed in Iraq. While in office, Trump faced criticism for a phone call with the mother of a U.S. soldier killed in Niger. His former chief of staff, John Kelly, has also confirmed a report from The Atlantic that Trump questioned why he should visit a cemetery in France when it was filled with losers. Trump has denied making those comments. The Trump campaign has sought to go on offense on the issue of military service, attacking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), the Democratic vice presidential nominee, for resigning from the National Guard months before his unit was deployed overseas. Family members of some of those killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan spoke at last months Republican National Convention to criticize the Biden White House and argue the current administration has not properly honored those who died. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- Australia can be confident the US will not turn away from the Aukus pact in the event former President Donald Trump wins the November election, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said. Most Read from Bloomberg Theres broad-based support, bipartisan, both out of committee and out of Congress, the Texas Republican said of the security accord among the US, UK and Australia. I dont see turning back, particularly with an agreement like this which has a commitment to the year 2050. His sentiments echo those of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who said in May that Trump expressed a positive opinion on Aukus when the two met. Under the accord signed in 2021, Australia is due to take possession of a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in the 2030s. McCaul said in an interview in Sydney on Friday that the idea for Aukus actually came in the first Trump administration. He also played down concerns over deliveries of the subs after the Biden administration announced it would produce just one Virginia-class submarine in 2025, down from an anticipated two, raising questions over its ability to fulfill the commitment. McCaul said the US defense industrial base is always under stress, particularly with wars in Israel and Ukraine. He expects production will speed up and delivery of the submarines to occur on schedule, pointing out both the US and Australia are putting significant money into the program. The Biden administration this week determined that Australia and the UK have export control systems comparable to that of the US, fulfilling a key requirement to ease weapons trade under the Aukus partnership. The finding removed a key point of contention with the defense industry and members of Congress as the US seeks to build on the three-nation defense partnership created to counter Chinas expanding military activity in the Indo-Pacific region. Asked about nervousness among some allies about Trump returning to the White House, McCaul said he does his best to reassure countries the US isnt going to pull out of alliances like NATO. It just wants its partners to pay a fair share, particularly when it comes to defending their own backyard, he said. I think most Americans view Communist China as the greatest threat, and I think theyre fully onboard with the Aukus program, he said. You know, Trump can be unpredictable, but there can be some deterrence from that, McCaul added. He does project strength and power. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Bayer won a legal victory in its fight to limit liability from claims its Roundup weed killer causes cancer, as a U.S. appeals court said on Thursday that federal law shields the German company from a lawsuit by a Pennsylvania landscaper. Shares of Bayer rose as much as 13.2% in Friday trading in Germany, on optimism the decision could eliminate much of its remaining legal liabilities for Roundup, made by its Monsanto unit. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia rejected plaintiff David Schaffner's claim that Monsanto violated state law by failing to put a cancer warning on the label for Roundup. Schaffner was diagnosed in 2006 with a kind of cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a common claim for Roundup plaintiffs. He and his wife Theresa sued Bayer in 2019, partly over how his illness affected their relationship. Chief Judge Michael Chagares wrote for a unanimous three-judge panel that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act requires nationwide uniformity in pesticide labels, and prevented Pennsylvania from adding a cancer warning. COURTS ARE DIVIDED The decision conflicts with rulings from federal appeals courts in San Francisco and Atlanta in similar cases. That raises the prospect the U.S. Supreme Court could resolve the split if the Schaffners appealed, perhaps as soon as next year. The court is not required to hear an appeal, but often accepts cases when lower courts disagree on the law. Chip Becker, a lawyer for the Schaffners, said his clients were disappointed with the decision and were reviewing their legal options, and that federal law should not preempt their failure-to-warn claim. In a research note, Barclays analysts said "this ruling was not expected," and Bayer believed a positive Supreme Court resolution "could bring glyphosate litigation to an end." The Supreme Court declined to hear Bayer's appeal from the San Francisco decision. Bayer has until Sept. 5 to appeal the Atlanta decision, court records show. Bayer said it was pleased with Thursday's decision and looked forward to presenting its arguments to the Supreme Court, saying that court should "settle this important issue of law." The German company has long maintained that Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate are safe. SHARE SLUMP Bayer has faced extensive litigation over Roundup, and through Thursday had seen its share price fall more than 73% since buying Monsanto for $63 billion in June 2018. It settled much of the litigation for $10.9 billion in 2020, but still faces about 58,000 claims. Another 114,000 claims have been settled or rejected. Story continues Though Bayer won 14 of 23 Roundup trials through July 23, one victory was overturned on appeal, and the losses saddled it with billions of dollars of damages awards. The Schaffners settled with Bayer in September 2022, conditioned on Bayer being unable to convince courts that federal law preempted Pennsylvania's cancer warning. Chagares said it did, and that this approach "best achieves Congress's stated aim of uniformity in pesticide labeling." Roundup is among the most widely used weed killers in the United States. Bayer phased out sales for home use last year. The case is Schaffner et al v Monsanto Corp, 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 22-3075. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Brendan Pierson and Ludwig Burger; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Frances Kerry) Former President Donald Trump said Thursday the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, was much better than the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nations highest military decoration, because soldiers who receive the latter had to be severely injured or killed to receive it. Trump made the comments in a campaign event titled Fighting Antisemitism in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he was introduced by Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson. Shortly after he took the stage, the former president lavished praise on Adelson for her work and described the moment he bestowed the honor in 2018. I watched Sheldon sitting so proud in the White House when we gave Miriam the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Trump said, speaking about Sheldon Adelson. Thats the highest award you can get as a civilian, its the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, but civilian version. Its actually much better because everyone gets the congressional Medal of Honor, thats soldiers, theyre either in very bad shape because theyve been hit so many times by bullets, or theyre dead, he went on. She gets it, and shes a healthy beautiful woman. And theyre rated equal. But she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Trump: When we gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom Its the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor its actually much better because everyone who gets the Congressional Medal, theyre soldiers. Theyre either in very bad shape because theyve been hit so many pic.twitter.com/a766KxAC2e Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2024 Miriam Adelson is set to become one of the biggest donors during the election cycle, with plans to spend nearly $100 million to support the former presidents bid. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his remarks Thursday. In a statement shared with HuffPost Friday, the Harris campaign said Trumps words show he knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself. For him to insult Medal of Honor recipients, just as he has previously attacked Gold Star families, mocked prisoners of war, and referred to those who lost their lives in service to our country as suckers and losers, should remind all Americans that we owe it to our service members, our country, and our future to make sure Donald Trump is never our nations commander in chief again, Sarafina Chitika, a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign, said. Trump has made controversial remarks about soldiers and veterans in the past. In 2020, The Atlantic reported the then-president referred to American service members who died in World War I as losers and suckers in conversations with his staff. He also sparked a firestorm in 2015 when he said the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was not a war hero because he was captured. I like people who werent captured, Trump said at the time. Former President Donald Trump greets Miriam Adelson during an event on combating antisemitism at Trump National Golf Club on Thursday in Bedminster, New Jersey. Julia Nikhinson via Associated Press He has disavowed claims he called service members losers. But his former chief of staff, John Kelly, said last year Trump had, in fact, made all of those remarks. Trump has worked to appeal to Jewish voters in the lead-up to November. He has repeatedly said that Jews who vote Democrat hate Israel and should have their heads examined. Related... Trump Says Highest Civilian Award Is Better than Military Equivalent Because Its Recipients Arent in Bad Shape The Harris-Walz campaign quickly criticized Trump's remarks on social media, writing that the former president knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Former President Donald Trump's recent comments about the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the military's Medal of Honor have quickly sparked controversy. Trump compared the two awards after he was introduced on stage by former Medal of Freedom recipient Miriam Adelson, an Israeli-American physician and one of Trump's biggest donors, during a New Jersey campaign event about antisemitism, according to NBC News and ABC News. I watched [Adelson's late husband] sitting so proud in the White House when we gave Miriam the Presidential Medal of Freedom," Trump said as he took the stage after the introduction, per the outlets. "Thats the highest award you can get as a civilian. He went on to say that the award he gave Adelson was the civilian equivalent" of the Medal of Honor the highest military award given to soldiers and armed forces who show valor in combat and added that he believed obtaining the Medal of Freedom was much better. Related: Donald Trump's Nephew Says He Told Him Disabled Americans, Including Fred III's Own Son, 'Should Just Die' "[The] civilian version, its actually much better because everyone [who] gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, they're soldiers. Theyre either in very bad shape because theyve been hit so many times by bullets or theyre dead," he said, per NBC News. She gets it, and shes a healthy, beautiful woman, he added, referring to Adelson. And theyre rated equal." Adelson, the fifth-richest woman in America and a major Republican Party donor, obtained the esteemed award from Trump in 2018 for her financial support of Israeli and Jewish causes. Related: Donald Trump Says Kamala Harris' Time Cover Reminds Him of Melania, Looks Like 'Most Beautiful Actress to Ever Live' Grant Baldwin/Getty Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Asheville, N.C., on Aug. 14, 2024 Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign responded to Trump's remarks about the Medal of Honor on social media, writing in a statement on X that Trump knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself. The statement added, For him to insult Medal of Honor recipients, just as he previously attacked Gold Star families, mocked prisoners of war, and referred to those who lost their lives in service to our country as suckers and losers, should remind all Americans that we owe it to our service members, our county, and our future to make sure Donald Trump is never our nations commander in chief again. The campaign was referencing a 2020 report in The Atlantic, which cited multiple sources who alleged that Trump referred to fallen American service members as "losers" and "suckers. Trump has denied those claims. Related: New Report Alleges Trump Didn't Want 'Wounded Guys' in a Military Parade: 'Doesn't Look Good For Me' Trump campaign spokesperson Brian Hughes attempted to clarify the former presidents latest remarks in a statement to ABC News. President Trump was simply saying how it can be an emotionally difficult experience to give the Congressional Medal of Honor to veterans who have been wounded or tragically killed defending our country, as he proudly did when he was Commander in Chief, he said. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, have previously criticized Harris' vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for his service record and the timing of his retirement after more than 20 years in the armed forces. Walz defended his military service during a speech, in which he said he was "proud to have served my country." The governor added, "You should never denigrate another person's service record. To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent [Vance]. I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Former President Donald Trump will seek the advice of former Democratic presidential candidate and Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard for his debate preparation against Vice President Kamala Harris, according to the Trump campaign. Trump has proven to be one of the best debaters in political history as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden, Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to the Daily Beast on Friday. He does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisers and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2020. Gabbard and Harris sparred in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary on a July debate stage over Harris record as a prosecutor, which some have suggested ended her campaign. Senator Harris says shes proud of her record as a prosecutor and that shell be a prosecutor president, Gabbard said in her opening remarks against Harris. But I am deeply concerned about this record. There are too many examples to cite, but she put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana; she blocked evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row until the courts forced her to do so; she kept people in prison beyond their sentences to use them as cheap labor for the state of California; and she fought to keep the cash-bail system in placethat impacts poor people in the worst kind of way. In a post-debate interview with CNN, Harris told Anderson Cooper, this is going to sound immodest, but obviously Im a top-tier candidate and so I did expect that Id be on the stage and take some hits tonight. When people are at 0 or 1 percent or whatever she might be at, so I did expect to take some hits tonight, she added. Donors were reportedly peeved with Harris performance, which she acknowledged, according to The New York Times. Harris dropped out of the race five months later, in December. Trump campaign insiders have already signaled that the Trump campaign intends to hit Harris over her role as prosecutor, emulating the George H.W. Bush campaigns Willie Horton ad. The Daily Beast reached out to the Trump campaign for comment but has not received any at the time of publishing. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Former President Donald Trump is facing backlash over his comments about veterans. Again. Trump said Thursday that the countrys top civilian honor was much better than its top military honor, because the service members who receive the latter are in very bad shape or dead the latest in a yearslong pattern of inflammatory comments the former president has made about veterans as barbs over military service are being traded by both campaigns during a heated election. Speaking at an event on antisemitism at his Bedminster, New Jersey, estate, Trump was discussing Miriam Adelson and her late husband Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire pro-Israel GOP megadonors who set a donation record in 2020 by spending over $170 million. Trump bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Miriam Adelson in 2018 for her history of contributions to U.S. national interests and world peace. Thats the highest award you can get as a civilian. Its the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Trump said Thursday. But [the] civilian version, its actually much better because everyone [who] gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, they're soldiers. Theyre either in very bad shape because theyve been hit so many times by bullets or theyre dead. Trump has a history of making controversial comments about veterans, receiving backlash for them during both his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. But now, both parties vice presidential candidates are veterans and as the GOP attacks the service record of the Democratic vice presidential hopeful, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Trumps comments Thursday gave Vice President Kamala Harris campaign ammunition for a counterattack. Donald Trump knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself, Harris campaign senior spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said Friday in a statement. For him to insult Medal of Honor recipients, just as he has previously attacked Gold Star families, mocked prisoners of war, and referred to those who lost their lives in service to our country as suckers and losers, should remind all Americans that we owe it to our service members, our country, and our future to make sure Donald Trump is never our nations commander in chief again. VoteVets, a progressive veterans PAC, claimed Friday in a statement that Donald Trump hates Veterans and their sacrifice, because he looks so small in comparison to them. In a statement to POLITICO, senior Trump campaign adviser Brian Hughes said Its outrageous that [Harris] and her failing campaign have the audacity to claim concern for service men and women. He blasted the vice president for being the last one in the room with Biden as they set in motion our disastrous retreat from Afghanistan. In 2015, Trump made headlines when he asserted that the Arizona Republican senator and former presidential candidate John McCain, who spent five and a half years being tortured as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, was not a war hero because I like people who were not captured. President Joe Biden posthumously granted McCain the Medal of Freedom in 2022. In 2020, The Atlantic reported that Trump had privately disparaged service members and veterans, calling them losers and suckers, allegations Trump has denied. Last year, John Kelly, the longest-serving White House chief of staff under Trump, confirmed much of the reporting to CNN. Also in 2020, Democrats slammed Trump for suggesting Gold Star families could have given him Covid as they discussed with him their fallen family members. Trump has been partly insulated from attacks on his previous comments this election since his current running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is a veteran of the Marines. And Vance has gone on the offensive, attacking Walz for the timing of his retirement and accusing him of stolen valor. Walz, who served in the National Guard for 24 years, hit back on Tuesday, saying during a speech, I am damn proud of my service to the country. To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words, he added. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Beyond the all-important battleground states, every vote counts in this Novembers election. The reason? If Kamala Harris wins the Electoral College vote via battleground states, the national margin of victory can be a powerful deterrent to Donald Trumps coming effort to overturn the result. On Tuesday, the watchdogs at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington CREW released a new report highlighting state election officials who have refused to certify elections since 2020 and the MAGA plan to steal this years election. The report also describes what responsible state officials and courts can do to stop it. The threat, to be sure, is significantly less than it was after the 2020 election, thanks in large part to record voter turnout that year and in subsequent elections where a substantial number of deniers in key races were defeated. Additionally, the salutary bipartisan reform of the Electoral Count Act took away the more pernicious avenues to corrupting the election results, and we are more aware of what bad actors might try to do. But the threat still lurks if the election is in any way close. The efforts to enforce the law outlined by CREW will be crucial. Even more important is the role that we the voters can play. A large electoral margin of victory for the rule of law ticket Kamala Harris and Tim Walz would be rocket fuel for law-bound state officials, including courts, to neutralize Trump cultists refusals to certify state wins by that ticket and to deter any judge who might put party over country if enabled. While crowd size matters to Donald Trump, its the size of his defeat in November that we control. We cannot afford a speck of complacency that momentary enthusiasm can engender. Battleground state margins are sure to be narrow. If we redouble our efforts to vote and get out the vote, not only can we move the margins in those battleground states to simply thin from razor thin, but we can potentially build a landslide national vote for the reproductive-freedom-and-pro-democracy-candidates. Doing so would add to the obstacles facing the MAGA opportunists. Of course, we need to be especially active in countering voter suppression and intimidation; fortunately, there are many groups mobilized to protect legitimate voters and their ability to cast their ballots. But the danger is also great after those ballots have been cast. As made clear Monday in The Guardian's analysis of todays Republican infiltration of local election offices, this is not 2020 but in some ways its worse. Compromised local election officials, and even some state election boards, were not in place then as they are now. Georgia is a notorious case in point. The special danger there arises from a five-member state election board which the Republican legislature has packed with a MAGA majority. Its sole Democratic member, Sara Tindall Ghazal, told the Guardian on Tuesday that the board is being driven by far-rightwing narratives intended to create chaos in November. Also reported MAGA member Rick Jeffares has proposed himself to a former Trump administration official as the southeast regions Environmental Protection Agency director if Trump wins. Nothing like self-interest corrupting election integrity. In August, the Georgia state board enacted a rule requiring local election boards to conduct a reasonable inquiry into voting issues before certifying the election. That vague rule is a green light to stall certification while fishing for any excuse to vote against it. Certification delayed is certification denied if multiplied across battleground states. And the rule could complicate responsible Georgia law enforcements efforts to order local boards to perform their nondiscretionary duty to certify any Harris-Walz victory. The boards rules allowing local officials to perform an inquiry could be used by local MAGA election officials as an excuse to ignore the deadline set for certification, the first Monday after the election. It is fixed in order to ensure a timely Congressional certification of all states votes by the following January 6. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. As for local election-denying officials in county offices in Georgia, CREWs report identified eight of them in five Georgia counties. All eight have participated in test runs, refusing to certify a local election in the recent past. None succeeded because no majority of their boards agreed. But in three counties, including Fulton County where Atlanta is located, the non-certifiers needed to flip only one vote. The new Election Board rule could facilitate a majority delaying certification. The news in Georgia is not all bad. Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger remains the state official responsible for certifying the overall state results. He was re-elected in 2022 after his heroic refusal in January 2020 to bend to Donald Trumps pressure to find 11,780 votes, one more than needed to overturn Georgias electoral win by President Joe Biden. In addition, Republican Governor Brian Kemp is the state official who formally ascertains and sends Congress the certified results. He, too, stood up to Trump in 2020. On August 3, the former president, who cannot let go of such grievances, continued to insult Kemp at a rally in Atlanta. Trump cant help cutting off his anti-democratic plans nose to spite its face. As for the other states whose election-denying officials CREW identified Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Mexico, and North Carolina all but North Carolina have responsible oversight: secretaries of state and attorneys general committed to affirming their states electoral counts. Attorneys general are the ones who most readily bring lawsuits to mandate that local officials perform their duty to certify local election results. Speaking of mandates, you dont need to be a pundit to know the power of a clear electoral mandate delivered to a presidential candidate. An overwhelming Kamala Harris victory at the polls in November would fortify right-minded state attorneys general, secretaries of state, governors, and even courts, to dispense quickly with election denialists' refusal to certify local results. And that goes for the national vote count as well. Elected officials and most judges do not blind themselves to the will of the people. Voters in non-battleground states like New York, California, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, and even in red states like Kansas or Nebraska, can be of enormous help to building a tally that helps neutralize Trumpian chaos in November. Voters in non-battleground states have been conditioned to think that their votes dont matter in presidential elections. Of course, as always, they are crucial in November in electing members of the House and Senate and state officials who can protect democracy going forward. In addition, these votes this time matter for avoiding the disorder Trump desperately seeks if he loses. More than ever, every vote counts. ANKARA (Reuters) -A fistfight broke out in Turkey's parliament on Friday when an opposition deputy was attacked after calling for his colleague, jailed on charges of organising anti-government protests but since elected an MP, to be admitted to the assembly. Video footage showed MPs for the ruling AKP party rushing in to punch Ahmet Sik at the lectern and dozens more joining a melee, some trying to hold others back. Blood spattered the white steps of the speaker's podium. Atalay was sentenced to 18 years in 2022 after being accused of trying to overthrow the government by allegedly organising the nationwide Gezi Park protests in 2013 with philanthropist Osman Kavala, also now jailed, and six others. All deny the charges. Despite his imprisonment, Atalay was elected to parliament in May last year to represent the Workers' Party of Turkey (TIP). Parliament stripped him of his seat, but on Aug. 1 the Constitutional Court declared his exclusion null and void. "We're not surprised that you call Can Atalay a terrorist, just as you do everyone who does not side with you," Sik told AKP lawmakers in a speech. "But the biggest terrorists are the ones sitting in these seats," he added. The deputy parliament speaker declared a recess after the fistfight. Following a more than three-hour break, the session re-convened, this time chaired by the parliament speaker rather than his deputy. In a vote, the Parliament reprimanded TIP's Sik for his statements against the AKP and AKP's Alpay Ozalan was also reprimanded for his physical assault on Sik. The main opposition CHP leader said it was "shameful". "Lawmakers punched other lawmakers, even women. This is unacceptable," CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told reporters. Pro Kurdish DEM Party group chairwoman Gulistan Kocyigit, who was also punched, said the ruling party was trying to silence the opposition by using violence. "It was clear that they came very prepared and planned... They are trying to silence our speech and our voice with pressure, violence and force," Kocyigit said. The TIP also called for Atalay's release from prison. Brawls, though rare, are not unheard of in the Turkish parliament. In June, AKP lawmakers scuffled with pro-Kurdish DEM Party MPs over the detention and replacement of a DEM Party mayor in southeast Turkey for alleged militant links. (Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Ece Toksabay; editing by Burcu Karakas, Kevin Liffey and Barbara Lewis) Two girls, both 14, arrested on suspicion of murder in killing of elderly Augusta woman Two teenage girls, both 14, have been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder for the killing of a 93-year-old Augusta woman over Labor Day weekend in 2023, Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood said. The Augusta girls were arrested Thursday. They are being held in separate juvenile facilities and charges are pending, Underwood said in a news release. A family member found Joanne R. Johnson dead on Sept. 3, 2023. She was killed in her home at 1711 Robbins sometime between the evening of Sept. 2, 2023 and the evening of the next day. Police have not said how she was killed or the relationship, if any, between Johnson and the suspects. Underwood said she could not answer questions outside of whats in the news release. In May, the KBI announced a $10,000 award for any tip that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case. The money was equal parts from the state and the victims family. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Rochester police announced arrests have been made in the deadly triple shooting on Hazelwood Terrace earlier this week. Nasezire Horton, 21, and Quentin Riviere were arraigned in court Friday morning. Both men pleaded not guilty to their charges. This stemmed from a fatal triple shooting earlier this week. On Monday, 19-year-old Rukia Isaack, a 15-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old boy were all shot on the corner of Hazelwood Terrace and Denver Street. Isaack died from her injuries and the two teenagers were left seriously injured. Horton and Riviere were arrested and charged in the shooting. Investigators said one of the boys was the intended target, but Isaack was hit by a stray bullet. Additionally, neither of the suspects was allowed to possess a handgun due to prior convictions. Quentin Riviere and Nasezire Horton were accused of a triple shooting on Hazelwood Terrace that killed one woman and injured two teenage boys. RPD says they may be connected to other shootings within the last few months (Photos/Rochester Police Department) Thursday night, RPDs SWAT Team arrested the two suspects at a home on Edmonds Street. The searches uncovered over 150 packets of crack cocaine for street sale and marijuana. Both Horton and Riviere were charged with second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and two counts of first-degree assault. Horton was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and Riviere was charged with one count. In addition, 38-year-old Reynaldo Napier was found inside the Edmonds Street home and was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. According to Rochester Police, Horton was convicted multiple times of robbery, criminal possession of a weapon, and assault while in a correctional facility. He had his parole revoked multiple times. Riviere was recently arrested for riding a stolen moped, but was released from custody. Police believe Horton and Riviere were involved in other shootings in Rochester. Anyone with information about these shooting incidents is asked to call the Major Crimes Homicide Unit at (585)-428-7157 or by emailing MajorCrimes@cityofrochester.gov. A preliminary hearing for both suspects is scheduled for August 21 at 2 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. Cameron, Tx (FOX 44) UPDATE: The suspect in the Cameron shooting on West 4th Street has been identified. The Milam County Sheriffs Office has identified the suspect as 26-year-old Reginald England. He remains in custody. This comes after two people went to the hospital and one man went to jail on Thursday night following a shooting in Cameron in Milam County. A statement issued by the Milam County Sheriffs Office, who assisted with the incident, said Cameron Police responded initially to a shots fired call at the Cameron Associate Apartments in the 1700 block of West 4th Street about 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Milam County deputies also responded to the location across from the Brookshire Brothers grocery store and ultimately took control of the investigation. First units on the scene found two victims with gunshot wounds. It turned out their injuries were not life threatening, but they were taken to a hospital for treatment. England was located inside a nearby apartment. Officers were able to make contact with him by telephone. He was taken into custody and taken to the Milam County Jail on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Both people in Chalk Bluff shooting declared dead A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper and a Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden were on scene to assist with crowd control. Rockdale Police helped with crowd control and crime scene processing. The investigation continued Friday morning. Sheriff Mike Clore said there is no danger to the public. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44. BANGKOK, Aug. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- JISULIFE, an innovative technology brand with many years of experience in fan technology research and lean manufacturing, has held the top spot in the portable fan industry for three consecutive years. The brand's mission is to pioneer world-leading outdoor fan technologies and apply them to outdoor cooling solutions, enabling more people to enjoy transformative comfort and freedom in their outdoor experiences. With its strong presence throughout Southeast Asia, JISULIFE's portable fans have quickly become a must-have accessory among celebrities and influencers alike. In an exciting development, JISULIFE is set to release its first commercial in Thailand, starring the top-tier actor, pop-star and fashion icon, Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul. Billkin, who recently became a brand ambassador for Gucci, has established himself as a powerful influence among the fashion-conscious youth in Thailand and across Asia. His collaboration with JISULIFE not only brings a fresh, modern image to the brand but also positions it as a leader in a new trend for summer outdoor fashion and travel. JISULIFE's first commercial in Thailand-Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul. The commercial, set to premiere nationwide in Thailand on Friday, August 16, will showcase Billkin as the perfect embodiment of the brand's ethos. As a real user of JISULIFE's portable fans, Billkin highlights the product's practicality and sleek design, making it an essential accessory for the summer season. The commercial, filmed at Asiatique in Thailand, creatively tells the story of Billkin and his fan, symbolizing the strong connection between him and his supporters, who, like a gentle breeze, bring him comfort and energy every day. Despite the hot and humid conditions during the shoot, Billkin expressed his happiness, saying, "Before becoming JISULIFE's brand presenter, I always carried their portable fan with me. It's an honor to be trusted as the first presenter in Thailand. I have always believed in JISULIFE's ability to create products that seamlessly blend style, refined craftsmanship, and powerful performance. I'm confident that this approach will bring cool comfort to everyone, especially my fans, allowing them to enjoy life outdoors with ease and happiness, even in the heat." The new generation in Thailand can look forward to cooling down with Billkin and JISULIFE on August 16, as the campaign launches nationwide on Instagram: @JISULIFE_THAILAND and @bbillkin. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/billkin-becomes-the-first-brand-presenter-for-jisulife-the-worlds-no1-portable-fan-brand--cooling-down-thailand-302224160.html SOURCE JISULIFE NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Two teens have been arrested in connection with a January murder, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD). PREVIOUS: Homicide investigation underway after man shot, killed on Nolensville Pike In a post to X, formerly Twitter, MNPD said they arrested an 18-year-old on Thursday for the January murder of 18-year-old William Rafael Silva during a South Nashville robbery. Authorities also arrested another 18-year-old on Wednesday in Murfreesboro. The two were co-defendants. MNPD had responded to a shooting on Jan. 2 just before 1 a.m. in the 3000 block of Nolensville Pike. Officers reportedly learned about the incident after Silva showed up at Southern Hills Medical Center. Police said Silva was dropped off at the hospital by two young men in a black SUV who then left. Silva later died from his injuries. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee Both were 17 when the crime occurred and have been charged through juvenile court, the department added. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) $32.6 million in federal funding is going to the University of Illinois to help advance cancer research. The money comes through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Precision Surgical Interventions program. It will benefit the invention of new imaging techniques that will allow surgeons to remove all remaining microscopic cancer cells before the end of procedures. U of I Beckman Institute getting new director U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced the funding on Thursday. Serious federal investment in medical research pushes our society forward, bringing us new treatments for the conditions that impact so many American families, Durbin said. Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, Congress helped to establish the new ARPA-H agency to accelerate research projects for complex diseases. The University of Illinois, a world-class research institution, will make good use of this federal funding to make devastating diseases like cancer more treatable. In two years, ARPA-H has invested more than $400 million to help fast-track cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. Investing in our world-renowned medical research facilities and institutions plays a critical role in the pursuit to end cancer for good, Duckworth said. I will keep working with Senator Durbin to make sure of our states health and research institutions have the federal support they need to continue improving cancer research, expanding access to treatment programs and providing reliable care to families across Illinois. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. HONOLULU (KHON2) The University of Hawaii (UH) reported that its search for a new president is progressing on schedule. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The university received over 90 applications for the position. Finalists for the role are expected to be announced next month. Search for next UH President begins The new president will oversee the universitys ten-campus system and succeed David Lassner, who will retire at the end of the year. All finalists will be evaluated by stakeholders and the 11-member Board of Regents before a final decision is made. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The new president is anticipated to be announced in October or November and will start their term in early 2025. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. UK Intelligence says Russia deploys more forces in Kursk Oblast after initial disarray Russia has deployed more troops in Kursk Oblast after initial "disarray and disorganisation" last week. Source: UK Defence Intelligence review dated 16 August on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda Details: UK Defence Intelligence states that Ukrainian troops have penetrated the Russian border region "to a depth ranging between 10-25 km over a frontage of approximately 40 km". The report notes that Russian defence lines and border troops were "not prepared" for the attacks that took place last week. Quote: "After initial disarray and disorganisation, Russian forces have deployed in greater force to the region, including likely from elsewhere along the contact line," UK Defence Intelligence said. "They have also begun to construct additional defensive positions in an effort to prevent Ukrainian advances," the review said. Background: Earlier, the United States said that Russia appears to have deployed several thousand troops from occupied Ukrainian territories to Kursk Oblast in response to the advancing Ukrainian offensive. Reuters noted that the United States currently sees Ukraine's unexpected advance into Russia's Kursk Oblast as a defensive move that allows Kyiv to use American equipment, but it has expressed concern about potential complications as Ukrainian troops move deeper into Russian territory. Support UP or become our patron! A top British judge has quit as the chairman of a legal advisory board to a body supporting international media freedom following criticism of his work in Hong Kong. Lord Neubergers decision follows his participation in a Hong Kong court ruling that denied an appeal by Jimmy Lai, a media tycoon, and other pro-democracy activists convicted over a protest in Hong Kong in 2019. The ruling was a controversial endorsement of the convictions and was heavily criticised by Lord Patten of Barnes, the citys last British governor. Lord Neuberger, a former president of the UKs Supreme Court, admitted his role as a part-time judge in Hong Kong was linked to his decision to stand down as chairman of a panel of legal experts that advises the Media Freedom Coalition, an international NGO. It is undesirable that focus on my position as a non-permanent judge in Hong Kong should take away, or distract from, the critical and impactful work of the high level panel, he said. The panel of legal experts on media freedom was established in 2019. It provides legal advice and recommendations for promoting and protecting media freedom and independent media. Lord Neuberger is one of three remaining British judges to serve as overseas non-permanent judges on Hong Kongs top court. They adjudicate on appeals on an ad-hoc basis and are reportedly paid around 40,000 for each month-long visit. On Monday, Hong Kongs Court of Final Appeal unanimously dismissed a bid to overturn the convictions of Mr Lai and six other pro-democracy activists for organising and taking part in an unauthorised assembly in 2019. Mr Lai, 76, the founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was sentenced to 14 months in prison but has been in custody since 2020 and is facing separate national security charges. Lord Neuberger was one of the five judges who heard the appeal. Two other British judges, Lord Sumption and Lawrence Collins, resigned from the same court in June. After resigning, Lord Sumption wrote in an article that Hong Kongs rule of law was in grave danger. Jimmy Lai has been in custody since 2020 - Anthony Wallace/AFP Lord Patten condemned Lord Neubergers role in Mondays ruling, describing it as unjust. It is perfectly obvious in this case that the proceedings brought against him are an act of vengeance against Mr Lai, he told The Independent. I am sure he has been singled out. He is hated by the Chinese Communist Party because he represents all the things that made Hong Kong a prosperous society. In relation to Lord Neubergers role, Lord Patten added: I assumed overseas judges would be concerned with protecting the common law, not giving legitimacy to the sort of laws applied in a vengeful way. Separately, he said the verdict was made worse by the fact that Lord Neuberger, a former head of Britains Supreme Court, was a party to this decision. Lord Patten was the last British governor of Hong Kong - Eleanor Bentall Hong Kongs government issued a statement in support of Lord Neuberger and condemned Lord Pattens malicious slandering of the judgment and exerting political pressure on judges. Lord Neuberger told Reuters in June that his involvement would continue to support the rule of law in Hong Kong, as best I can. Hong Kong was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997 and has since been ruled by Beijing as a semi-autonomous Chinese city. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Ukrainian forces have advanced 1 to 3 kilometers in some areas of Russia's Kursk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported to President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 16. The unprecedented operation hit its 10-day mark on Aug. 15, with Kyiv claiming to have seized 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory and 82 settlements, including the town of Sudzha. "In general, the situation is under control. All activities are being carried out according to the plan, the logistics system is working smoothly," Syrskyi said. According to the commander, the fighting is ongoing near the village of Malaya Loknya, some 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Sudzha. "I hope many captives will be taken there," Syrskyi said. The estimates of Russian captives, taken by Ukraine during the Kursk Oblast, ranging from several hundred to 2,000. Ukraine declined to provide a full number of Russian captives taken during the ongoing operation following the Kyiv Independent's request. Kyiv said that rather than capturing Russian territory, the incursion aims to protect Ukrainian lives by preventing cross-border attacks and diverting Russian reinforcements. Despite mounting reports that Russia is moving at least some forces to the sector, Kyiv's troops in the east of Ukraine say the situation there remains dire as Moscow continues its advance near Pokrovsk and Toretsk. Read also: General Mick Ryan on Ukraines strategic calculus in Kursk Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- Kyivs allies are largely withholding judgment over the Ukrainian offensive into Russian territory amid uncertainty over the ultimate goal of an operation thats sought to redraw the map of the Kremlins 2 1/2-year war. Most Read from Bloomberg Several NATO allies have backed Ukraines decision to send troops into the western Kursk region the first occupation of Russian soil since World War II and called the operation a legitimate form of self-defense against Moscows war of aggression. But some have voiced misgivings publicly and privately, citing the risk that the escalation in fighting could divert badly needed troops from a fragile front line and potentially sow division among Kyivs backers, according to Western officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto was the highest-level official in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization so far to openly criticize the move, which he called an escalation that would push a ceasefire further and further away. But the comments drew a swift rebuke from his boss, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government said Italys pursuit of a truce didnt alter Romes full support of Kyiv. Shes now enforcing a strict muzzle on public statements on the conflict in an effort to prevent divisions in her governing coalition being exposed, according to people familiar with her thinking. A dominant factor is the lack of clarity over the objectives of an offensive that caught Ukraines allies by surprise this month. One senior official said that, if President Volodymyr Zelenskiys aim is to secure a bargaining chip, the timing of the assault may not play to his advantage. German Chancellor Olaf Scholzs government has been reserved in its reaction. A deputy government spokesman, Wolfgang Buechner, avoided weighing in on the merits of the attack, noting that it was prepared apparently in great secrecy and without feedback. An assessment from Berlin on the use of hardware for the incursion which included German-made Marder infantry-fighting vehicles would be part of an intensive dialog with allies, Buechner said on Monday. Trying to Learn More So far, Ukraine has touted the maneuver as a tactical victory. Since its troops stormed across the border on Aug. 6, Ukraines military says its seized more than 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of territory and accepted the surrender of the largest single group of Russian soldiers since the war began in February 2022. Early reports show that some Russian units have been redirected from Ukraine to the Kursk area to help stymie the effort, according to US Defense Department spokeswoman Sabrina Singh. The Pentagon spokeswoman said earlier that the incursion is consistent with Washingtons policy on Ukraines use of American-supplied weapons. On Thursday, she said the US was still trying to learn more about Ukraines objectives. NATO allies consider it unlikely that Ukraine will be able to hold Russian territory, according to a Western official. Beyond Kursk, Ukrainian forces have launched attacks on energy facilities well inside Russian territory, while Kyiv has also overseen raids into Russias Belgorod region, next to Kursk, though with Russian anti-Kremlin volunteers. Long-Range Weapons Some of Kyivs strongest backing came from eastern European NATO members. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said this week that the incursion didnt change Warsaws support one iota. We support Ukraine in a war that is a defensive war and there is nothing to discuss here, Tusk said, brushing off concerns over Kyivs use of Western weaponry inside Russia. I am aware and we all know what the risks are. The offensive again raised the issue of Ukrainian allies imposing restrictions on the use of their weapons in Russia. Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas called the Kursk operation a good sign. Another good sign would be permission to use long range capabilities and what you have for hitting the targets deeper in the enemys territory and we will lobby for that, Kasciunas said. While the Baltic states and the UK have been among NATO members to push for allowing Kyiv to hit targets deep within Russia, others including the US and Germany have resisted such requests. More broadly, the strike within Russias borders could change perceptions about Ukraines fighting force. Donald Jensen, senior advisor for Russia and Europe at the US Institute of Peace, said the sense that Ukraine was losing the war has now changed in one breathtaking swoop. We see that the Ukrainians are creative, theyre efficient, theyre well managed, Jensen said. They very skillfully picked out a weak place in the Russian deployment around the country and have exploited it. --With assistance from Courtney McBride, Natalia Drozdiak, Alberto Nardelli, Michael Nienaber and Natalia Ojewska. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Ukraine can use Canadian-supplied weapons on Russian territory Department of National Defence of Canada Ukraine is authorised to freely use tanks, armoured vehicles and other equipment supplied by Canada on Russian territory. Source: Department of National Defence of Canada on Thursday, as reported by CBC News Details: Canada has given Ukraine eight Leopard 2A4 tanks, several dozen armoured combat support vehicles and hundreds of armoured patrol vehicles, as well as several M-777 howitzers. Quote from Andree-Anne Poulin, a spokesperson for the Department of National Defence: "Ukrainians know best how to defend their homeland, and we're committed to supporting their capacity." "Canada places no geographic restrictions on the use of military equipment that we donate to Ukraine." More details: It is not known whether the Ukrainian brigades had Canadian-supplied weapons when they launched their operation in Russias Kursk Oblast. Meanwhile, footage filmed by CNN at the Ukrainian border on Thursday showed a Canadian-made Senator patrol vehicle crossing into Russia. Poulin noted that Canadian aid always complies with the Arms Trade Treaty, an international agreement that aims to reduce illegal arms supplies and human rights abuses. Background: Earlier, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that Ukrainian troops could use UK-supplied weapons on Russian territory in self-defence, except for Storm Shadow missiles. Sky News noted that Ukrainian troops might have deployed UK-made Challenger 2 tanks during their offensive in Kursk Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine listens during an event hosted by President Joe Biden on the Ukraine Compact at the 2024 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Washington, D.C., in July. On Thursday, he announced that Ukrainian forces had seized a town in Russia amid its advanced into the country. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI Aug. 16 (UPI) -- President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces have captured the town of Sudzha as they continue their incursion into Russian territory. The Kyiv military has for a week now been pushing a ground invasion into Russia's western Kursk Oblast that shares a border with Ukraine and where Russian officials have declared a state of emergency and evacuated thousands of residents in response. Zelensky announced in his Thursday night address that they had taken the village, which had a pre-war population of some 5,000, and were in the process of establishing an operation center in the town. He added that Ukrainian troops were in control of more than 80 other settlements in the oblast, which is the Russian equivalent to a provice. Sudzha is located about 6 miles from the Ukrainian border, and Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Telegram that the military commandant's office was created "to ensure law and order as well as all the needs of the local population." Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces had captured more than 100 Russian soldiers as well as shot down a Sukhoi Su-34 fighter jet in their roughly 1-mile advance into Kursk over Thursday. Earlier Thursday, he said they had advanced in total about 22 miles into Kursk and were in control of 444-square miles. According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Ukrainian forces do not control all of the territory within its claimed advances "but the creation of the commandant's office will likely allow Ukrainian forces to coordinate military actions in the area that falls under maximal Ukrainian claims and safeguard the civilian population." Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have recaptured Krupets, which was among the first settlements in Kursk taken by Kyiv. By Timothy Gardner (Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a plan on Thursday requiring oil refiners to maintain minimum reserves of gasoline in an effort to prevent price spikes. The California Energy Commission said that on 63 days last year California refiners maintained less than 15 days of supply of gasoline, a situation that it said spiked prices and cost drivers $650 million. Price spikes at the pump are profit spikes for Big Oil. Refiners should be required to plan ahead and backfill supplies to keep prices stable, instead of playing games to earn even more profits," Newsom, a Democrat, said in a release. It was unclear when the plan could take effect and Newsom's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under the plan, which industry has criticized as attacking producers, Californias oil refiners would be required to demonstrate resupply plans that are adequate to address losses in production when their plants are undergoing maintenance work. California found that in 2023 gasoline prices spiked largely due to refineries going offline without adequately planning to backfill supplies. The plan comes three months after the U.S. Department of Energy sold its 1 million barrel Northeast gasoline reserve, which Washington created after 2014's Superstorm Sandy left motorists scrambling for fuel supplies. The U.S. Congress mandated the sale after the reserve was criticized as expensive to maintain and for not increasing energy security. California, the most populous U.S. state, is home to some of the country's highest average gasoline prices and has had a fraught relationship with oil companies. The state has ambitious targets for electric car adoption and is the only one with a waiver from the federal environmental regulator to set its own vehicle emissions regulations. This month, U.S. oil company Chevron said it was moving its headquarters to Houston from San Ramon, California. Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president and CEO of the Western States Petroleum Association said Newsom's plan was "nothing more than a political attack on consumers and our industry." "To impose new operational mandates on energy producers based on such falsehoods is regulatory malpractice, and ignores the logistical challenges and costs associated with such a plan," she said. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Josie Kao) Ukraine can decide how to use Spanish-supplied equipment, Spanish defense minister says Ukraine can determine how and when to use Spanish-supplied equipment, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said during her visit to the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps in Spain, EFE news agency reported on Aug. 16. Her comment came amid Ukraine's ongoing incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast. This is a war and, therefore, Ukraine will use whatever material it deems necessary at any given time, she said, emphasizing that the equipment provided to Ukraine by Spain is defensive. Robles noted, however, that she has no information as to whether the Ukrainian military is using Spanish-supplied equipment in Kursk Oblast. The Spanish defense minister proceeded to say that Ukraine will "always have the support of Spain," as well as that of NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement between the two countries on May 27. The Canadian Defense Minister issued a similar statement earlier today, saying Ottawa does not have any geographical restrictions for the use by Ukraine of Canadian-donated tanks and armored vehicles. Read also: General Mick Ryan on Ukraines strategic calculus in Kursk Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine destroyed a key bridge over the Seim River in Kursk Oblast in what could be a big logistical blow for Russian forces on the 11th day of the invasion. The Ukrainian Air Force posted a video on social media showing the moment of impact, with a whole section collapsing into the river. JDAM-ER or Hammer standoff guided bombs were likely used to finally take down the bridge. The effects seen are too intense to have been from a GMLRS guided rocket fired by a HIMARS or M270 system, although a unitary warhead ATACMS would be capable of it. Air Force aviation takes an active part in combat operations in the Kursk direction, the Ukrainian Air Force said in a Telegram message accompanying the video, which you can see below. Ukrainian pilots hit enemy strongholds, accumulations of equipment, as well as logistics centers and enemy supply routes with high-precision strikes. Thanks to the pilots and everyone who ensures the combat work of aviation! The bridge was submerged pic.twitter.com/bLJtaxgCuo Ukrainian Air Force (@KpsZSU) August 16, 2024 Earlier, Russian media and milbloggers claimed the bridge was struck by two volleys of HIMARS rockets. They showed a section of the bridge near the town of Glushkov damaged with a burning vehicle on it and then fully collapsed into the water. It is located about seven miles north of the border. A bridge over the Seim River in Kursk Oblast was destroyed by Ukraine. (Mash) The Seim River snakes around a large section of this part of Kursk, and continues into Ukraine. The bridge in Glushkov is one of three in the area, but the furthest to the east, less than 10 miles from Ukrainian-held territory. Its destruction could be a large blow to Russian efforts to supply the area. The bridge, near Glushkov, is key to Russian logistics because the Seim River snakes around the area. (Google Earth image) Part of the Glushkov district is now cut off, the Russian MASH news outlet explained on Telegram. This is Tetkino, Popovo-Lezhachi, Volfino and about 27 more settlements. The civilian population can now only be evacuated by water. The bridge across the Seim is the main route for delivering ammunition and food for the Russian group in this area, according to Russian media. The Russians however appear to be building pontoon bridges across the river to bring in supplies, however that could also easily be targeted by HIMARS and standoff air strikes. Lapin has a pontoon bridge deployed to the East already, but this might be in AFU arty range already. The terrain to the west is quite difficult pic.twitter.com/t3MGqTieeg imi (m) (@moklasen) August 16, 2024 Destroying the bridge is a sign that Ukraine seeks to capture the Glushkov district, Russian milbloggers said. In a rough approximation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently have three plans for the near future, for the area, the Russian MiG of Russia Telegram channel posited last week. If it goes well, Ukrainian forces will take fire control of the E38 highway in the Glushkov-Kursk section, possibly striking from the Glushkhov side as well. The E38, about 15 miles north of Glushkov, is an important east-west artery in the middle of Kursk Oblast. If it doesnt go well, Ukraine could bite off a piece, occupying the heights on the bank of the Seim, and digging infor further bargaining, MiG of Russia suggested. A direct attack on the nuclear power plant is extremely unlikely and makes no political sense. The movement towards Kursk has a certain military-political meaning for the enemy, but it requires time for regrouping and large forces, so it is also not particularly likely. This is at least the third known attempt by Ukraine to destroy the bridge. It was struck yesterday by U.S.-donated M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS-launched guided rockets but damaged, not destroyed, and again on Aug. 13 as well. The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) posted video showing what it claims was the destruction of two more HIMARS in Ukraine Sumy Oblast, bordering Kursk. The MoD said the HIMARS had delivered strikes at Kursk region and were destroyed near Miropolye, a town in Sumy. It is located about 2.5 miles from the border and about 35 miles from the bridge, though it is unknown at the moment from where it was attacked. Two missile strikes hit the positions of the U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS launchers. As a result, two HIMARS MLRS, a transport-loading vehicle, and two ammunition packages (12 rocket-propelled projectiles) were destroyed, the MoD claimed on Telegram. The footage shows explosions, detonation of ammunition, ignition, and a rocket projectile leaving the system. Yesterday, Russia released video purporting to be another HIMARS destroyed in Sumy. We cannot independently verify these claims and reached out to the Pentagon for further details. Russia claims it destroyed two more Ukrainian MLRS (they think its HIMARS) in Sumy region. pic.twitter.com/K0drpWxVgt Clash Report (@clashreport) August 16, 2024 The Russian MoD made no mention of the bridge in its latest assessment but again claimed that it was thwarting the invasion. Active actions of Sever Group of Forces units, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery strikes repelled an attack launched by assault detachments of the AFU 82nd Air Assault Brigade near Russkoye Porechnoye, the MoD claimed on Telegram. One attack launched by the enemys assault detachment supported by five armored fighting vehicles through the State Border in the direction of Gorgeyevka was repelled, the MoD stated. Army Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery fire eliminated the enemys mobile groups attempting to get to the depth of the Russian territory one kilometer west of Anastasiyevka and 1.5 kilometers southeast of Kauchuk. The MoD also said it inflicted damage to personnel and equipment assigned to Ukraines 22nd and 61st Mechanized Brigades, 95th Air Assault Brigade, and 129th Territorial Defence Brigade near Aleksandriya, Snagost, Mirnoye, Kazachiya Loknya, Korenevo, Plekhovo, and Pushkarnoye. Meanwhile, a CNN reporter near the border with Kursk showcased Ukraines ability to pour troops into that region. CNN reporter can't believe how easily Ukraine is fully invading the Kursk region of Russia. pic.twitter.com/VKKMLuuxWK Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) August 16, 2024 Ukrainian troops have advanced one to three kilometers deeper into Kursk, Col.-Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi told President Volodymr Zelensky, according to a tweet from the Hromadke news outlet. The army is provided with everything and the logistics system is working smoothly, he said. Meanwhile, Eduard Moskalyov, the newly appointed head of the military commandants office in the controlled territories of Kursk Oblast, has already begun his duties. The army is provided with everything and the logistics system is working smoothly. Meanwhile, Eduard Moskalyov, the newly appointed head of the military commandant's office in the controlled territories of Kursk Oblast, has already begun his duties. Hromadske Int. (@Hromadske) August 16, 2024 In his latest situation report, Zelensky also highlighted the increasingly tense situation in the Donbas. Report from Commander-in-Chief [Oledkandr] Syrskyi. The frontline remains our top priority, particularly the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions, he said on social media. The Kursk region operationwe are strengthening our positions and replenishing the exchange fund for Ukraine. I am grateful to each of our warriors. Report from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi. The frontline remains our top priority, particularly the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions. The Kursk region operationwe are strengthening our positions and replenishing exchange fund for Ukraine. I am grateful to each of our warriors. pic.twitter.com/Mc7j7fC8j5 Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) August 16, 2024 Pokrovsk and Toretsk may be priorities, but they are increasingly in danger of falling to Russia. However, the situation in Donetsk Oblast is becoming increasingly difficult for Ukraine under tremendous Russian pressure. Russian troops are closing in on Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian logistics hub, The New York Times reported, citing open-source battlefield maps, casting doubts on Ukraines hopes that its new offensive into western Russia will prompt Moscow to scale back its attacks elsewhere on the battlefield. After capturing several villages in the area and pushing along a railway line, Russian forces are now about eight miles from Pokrovsk, one of Ukraines main defensive strongholds in the Donetsk region, according to the maps, which are based on combat footage and satellite images. Capturing Pokrovosk would bring Russia a step closer to its long-held goal of seizing the entire Donetsk region, much of which it already controls. Pokrovsk, a city with a prewar population of about 60,000, sits on a key road linking several cities that form a defensive arc protecting the part of Donetsk that is still held by Ukraine. Hromadske provided some insights into how Russia was able to advance so quickly toward Pokrovsk. They have more ammunition, more people, Mykhailo, a soldier of the 68th separate brigade, who briefly but meaningfully explains the reasons for the rapid advances, the outlet reported on YouTube. Russian forces continue to pursue a tactical encirclement of Ukrainian forces southeast of Pokrovsk and recently made confirmed advances in the area, the Institute for the Study of War said in its most recent assessment. A Ukrainian soldier operating in the Pokrovsk direction stated on August 15 that Russian forces have a 10-to-1 infantry advantage in the area and conduct infantry-led assaults from just before sunrise to just after sunset each day. Another Ukrainian soldier stated that Russian forces are fewer than six kilometers from Selydove (southeast of Pokrovsk), which is consistent with ISWs assessment of Russian advances in the area. Russian forces are continuing to pursue a tactical encirclement of Ukrainian forces southeast of Pokrovsk. Geolocated footage published on August 14 and 15 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced east of Pokrovsk within Hrodivka and southeast of Pokrovsk within https://t.co/422EZfnEFs pic.twitter.com/ebcEFG422F Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) August 16, 2024 As Russian troops approach, Serhiy Dobryak, the head of the regional administration urged residents not to delay the decision to evacuate, Special attention was paid to families with children and the elderly. The enemy is advancing at a fast pace, time to collect personal belongings and leave for safer regions is getting less and less every day, he said on Telegram. Evacuation is the only chance to save yourself and your loved ones! Dobryak added that an additional train is being scheduled to take residents out of Pokrovsk tomorrow. Residents of Pokrovsk were being evacuated by train as Russian troops approach. (Via Telegram) As people flee Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian 80th Airborne Brigade offered some more positive optics, releasing a video today of its surprise Aug. 6 attack on the Sudzha border checkpoint in Kursk. The assault was part of the first day of Ukraines invasion of Russia. The 105-second video opens with a drones view of the attack, showing the heavily damaged checkpoint building smoking after being struck. It then cuts to a Ukrainian T-64BV tank firing direct shots at the building. A drone then provides a closer view of Russian troops emerging from the rubble, looking up and waving white clothes, indicating they wanted to surrender. More than 50 captured Russians in the Kursk region, the border checkpoint has been destroyed and the defense line of the enemy has been broken, the 80th Airborne Brigade said on its Facebook page Friday. These are the results of the Galician paratroopers after the first hours of the military operation in Kursk. Elsewhere on the battlefields of Ukraine, the Russian MoD claims it foiled a large-scale attack on the Kerch Bridge. Tonight, air defense units repelled a group strike by 12 U.S.-produced [Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missiles] launched at the Crimean Bridge, the MoD claimed on Telegram. All missiles were destroyed. The War Zone cannot independently verify the claim as to what Ukrainian weapons were used, if any at all. Overnight in occupied Crimea, explosions were heard in several cities, including Kerch, Feodosia, and Sevastopol. The Crimean Bridge was closed for over five hours. Reportedly, a boat in the Black Sea, the ferry crossing at the Kerch port, and a "Pantsir-S1" air defense system pic.twitter.com/ItygdSBp7X NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 16, 2024 Ukraine will likely hit the bridge again, one prominent Russian milblogger suggested. A week after the last massive raid on the border and rear regions, Crimea was again subjected to a combined attack, the Kremlin-connected Rybar Telegram channel wrote. Rybar postulated that because for the first time in a very long period of time, target designation was carried out by an American MQ-9 Reaper drone from the Black Sea, further attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to damage the bridge should be expected. This makes no sense as the MQ-9 would have no need to designate the bridge for ATACMs and considering it is a static thoroughly known target. The bridge, Vladimir Putins prized $4 billion span linking Russia with occupied Crimea, has already been damaged twice by Ukrainian attacks. Ukraines spy boss vowed to us that the bridge will ultimately be destroyed. Its not a question of will we strike or wont we strike, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told us in an exclusive interview last September. Were doing that regularly so we will finish it. Its just an issue of time. According to pro-Russian channels, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are preparing a massive strike on Crimea in September. Additionally, Russian sources claim that the Crimean Bridge was allegedly attacked overnight by 12 ATACMS missiles. Which were of course shot down. pic.twitter.com/DzgPyoapcn NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 16, 2024 In another part of Crimea, the Russians are apparently trying to fool Ukrainian targeteers, according to our friend and naval undersea warfare expert H. I. Sutton. They developed a decoy of a Kilo class submarine and placed it in Sevastopol harbor, next to the Russian Navy Improved Kilo class diesel-electric attack submarine Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine claims it destroyed that boat earlier this month in an attack on Sevastopol by units of the missile forces, in cooperation with units of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Sutton, who uses the Twitter handle @CovertShores, shared some satellite imagery discovered by open-source investigators showing the fake submarine, which you can see below. ***UPDATE***#Russia using fake KILO class submarine decoy in Sevastopol, Crimea, next to the sub Rostov on Don which was highly likely destroyed by #Ukraine. See it to believe it:https://t.co/2LM2xVxLgR H I Sutton (@CovertShores) August 15, 2024 The video below shows Ukrainian drones hunting down a Russian armored personnel carrier. It does not go well for the Russians. A short film about an enemy armored personnel carrier with infantry from STRIKE DRONES COMPANY pic.twitter.com/hzWXY4cW83 TOGA (@TOGAjano21) August 15, 2024 Drone-dropped munitions keep getting bigger. Ukraines Steel Hornets unit reportedly made one weighing in at a robust 95 pounds. Called Fat Man, it apparently has an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) warhead. Ukraine's Steel Hornets have apparently made this 43kg drone munition called Fat Man. It appears to be an Explosively Formed Projectile (EFP) warhead for bunker busting. But its going to need a big Baba Yaga to carry it, instead of the poor little 10" shown here. pic.twitter.com/vdk1xa3UJl Roy (@GrandpaRoy2) August 15, 2024 Kyivs forces are using chainsaw chains to add a fragmentation effect to its first-person view (FPV) drone munitions. The artisanal production of combat parts from bicycle chains is most likely intended for FPV. pic.twitter.com/DJT2gGgrPb TOGA (@TOGAjano21) August 15, 2024 Thats it for now. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com As Ukraine expands its hold on Russian territory, challenges and questions grow KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines stunning charge across the border has seen it capture an expanding chunk of Russian territory. The question now is how long Ukraine wants to and can hold onto it without sacrificing more of its own eastern heartland. The high stakes of that gamble were highlighted Friday by authorities in the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk urging civilians to speed up their evacuation as the Russian military is closing in after months of intense fighting. The warning offered a stark parallel to events in southern Russia, where more than 120,000 people had to flee or be evacuated from the neighboring Kursk and Belgorod regions from 11 days of fighting. Kyiv now claims that more than 80 Russian settlements in the Kursk region, including the key border town of Sudzha, are under its control and it is setting up a military command office in the area. A Russian soldier fires a Rapira anti-tank gun in the border area of Kursk region, Russia, on Friday. But this is not an occupation, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told NBC News in an interview. There is a big difference between this and the type of war that Russia is leading, Podolyak said Thursday. Ukraine is incurring with completely different goals. One of these is the destruction of Russias military infrastructure used to launch attacks across the border into the Ukrainian regions of Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv, Podolyak said. Ukraine is not planning to occupy this territory. This is temporary, he added. Asked if Ukraine is keeping humanitarian considerations in mind for those Russians now living under its control, Podolyak vowed that Kyiv would ensure access to medication, food and drinking water for the local population that has not yet evacuated. He denied that Ukraine had any plans to take over the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, a possibility raised by Russian officials given its close vicinity to the ongoing fighting. Should the Kremlins scrambled defense fail to push Ukrainian forces back, they will stay inside Russia for as long as needed to fulfill Kyivs goals, Podolyak said, refusing to disclose any concrete plans since the incursion is still ongoing. Ukraine is also demonstrating to the world that Moscow is not in control of its own territory and that Russian President Vladimir Putins so-called red lines dont exist, he added. Ukrainian military drone operators prepare a reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle near the border with Russia on Sunday. The Russian leader has often threatened that any violation of his countrys sovereignty could prompt him to use nuclear weapons. But National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby noted Thursday the U.S. has not heard any escalatory rhetoric around nuclear weapons from Putin in the days since the incursion. In an irate speech earlier this week, Putin said Ukraine launched the provocation as a way to better its positions in any future peace talks. Asked if the Kursk region will now become a bargaining chip Ukraine can use in future peace talks, Podolyak said there was no such thing as exchanging territories between nations under international law. Russia doesnt want any negotiations; it gives ultimatums, he added. But on X on Friday, he said Kyiv will have to sit at the negotiating table with Russia, but on its own terms, he added. Another senior adviser to the Ukrainian government, who is not authorized to speak publicly, told NBC News the idea for an operation like the surprise Kursk assault had been on the table for more than a year. One of the main purposes of the operation was to divert Russian effort and attention from elsewhere across the 600-mile front line, the adviser said, especially from the east where Russian troops are slowly chipping away at Ukraines defenses. Ukrainian servicemen fire artillery toward Russian positions in an undisclosed area in the eastern Donetsk region on Aug. 8. Military analysts have particularly raised concerns about Ukraine losing the towns of Toretsk and Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region, where the calls for civilian evacuations grew stronger Friday. Russias defense ministry said Friday its troops had seized a third settlement in Donetsk this week. But Podolyak was confident that Russia would have to start pulling troops out of eastern Ukraine and elsewhere to repel the Kursk incursion, possibly easing the pressure on Donetsk. Russia is still limited in manpower, he said. So it will be forced to redirect a chunk of these resources. Erin McLaughlin and Matthew Bodner reported from Kyiv, and Yuliya Talmazan reported from London. CORRECTION (Aug 16, 2024, 6:08 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated one of its authors. The article was written by Erin McLaughlin, not Sarah McLaughlin. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Ukraine exports over 64 million tons of cargo through Black Sea corridor in a year Ukraine has exported over 64 million metric tons of goods to 46 countries since the temporary Black Sea corridor began operating, the Infrastructure Ministry said on the one-year anniversary of its operation on Aug. 16. This volume included 43.5 million metric tons of agricultural products exported through the Black Sea shipping route over the past year. A total of 2,379 vessels have used the corridor to export goods to Asia, Africa, and Europe since August 2023. On March 15, the Ukrainian corridor, which runs through the ports of Greater Odesa, began operating around the clock, increasing exports of agricultural and other products by 20%. As Russia effectively canceled the grain deal in July 2023, Ukraine opened a new corridor the following month. Initially envisioned as a humanitarian corridor to allow the departure of ships stranded there since the start of the full-scale war, it has since grown into a full-blown trade route. "Unlike the grain corridor, the Ukrainian Black Sea corridor can transport more than agricultural products. It also has a number of other advantages, including the fact that Ukraine independently controls its export situation, which is one of the critical factors in Ukraines economic restoration," the Infrastructure Ministry writes. Read also: Yermak: Grain from Ukraine program to expand further, strengthening global food security efforts Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine lost a MiG-29 fighter jet on Aug. 16, according to former Air Force Spokesperson Yurii Ihnat. "Unfortunately, today we lost a MiG-29. Luckily, everyone is alive. War," Ihnat said, without elaborating where and how the aircraft was destroyed. Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Moscow had attacked an airbase in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with an Iskander-M ballistic missile, destroying a Ukrainian Su-24 bomber that was being equipped with Storm Shadow missiles. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. Several explosions were reported in the city of Dnipro on Aug. 16. Serhii Lysak, region's governor, said that Ukrainian forces shot down two Russian missiles over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The attacks caused "several fires," he said, without elaborating. No casualties were reported. In July, Russian forces carried out several attacks against military airfields in Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. The strike resulted in "some losses," according to Ihnat. Some experts linked an uptick in Russian strikes to the anticipated arrival of F-16 aircraft, the first batch of which arrived in Ukraine in late July. Ukraine has carried out a number of strikes against airbases in an effort to weaken the more powerful Russian Air Force. Ukrainian forces hit four Russian airbases overnight on Aug. 14 in the largest attack on airfields in the war, Ukraine's General Staff claimed. Read also: Ukraine downs Russian Su-34 aircraft over Kursk Oblast, military says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine may return to power outages due to weather next week Ukraine may return to schedules of power outages next week due to hot weather and, as a result, increased consumption. Source: Deputy Energy Minister of Ukraine Svitlana Hrynchuk, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine Details: "What we will observe next week (temperature rise - ed.) may lead to the fact that power engineers will have to apply power outage schedules," said Hrynchuk during the national joint 24/7 newscast on Friday. The energy sector is once again urging consumers to use electricity sparingly, not to switch on powerful appliances during morning and evening peak hours, and not to use air conditioners unless necessary. The Energy Ministry is also calling on businesses to actively import electricity. These measures will help the country avoid the use of schedules and restrictions, the ministry believes. Background: Ukraine has not implemented power outage schedules for more than 2 weeks. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine says over 100 Russian soldiers surrendered in one go after being abandoned by their commanders in Kursk Ukraine says over 100 Russian soldiers surrendered in one go after being abandoned by their commanders in Kursk Ukraine said it seized 102 Russian soldiers on Wednesday in a single sweep in Kursk. Ukraine posted a video of dozens of prisoners, saying they surrendered after their commanders fled. Ukrainian intelligence told local media that its special forces had seized a fortified Russian base in Kursk that day. Ukraine said that its forces in Kursk captured 102 Russian soldiers in one sitting on Wednesday, marking the largest group it's taken prisoner since the war began. The "I Want to Live" project, run by Ukrainian intelligence, uploaded a video on Thursday of dozens of uniformed men lying on their stomachs next to a road. They had "made the right decision and surrendered," wrote the agency, which aims to persuade Russian troops to defect or desert. A caption for the video said the Russian soldiers had been abandoned by the commanders, alleging that the latter fled to avoid capture themselves. More footage posted on Thursday by the agency showed a large number of blindfolded men held in a tunnel by Ukrainian troops. "I Want to Live" said the soldiers had been from Russia's 488th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment and Chechen special forces. Ukrainian media cited an unnamed source from Ukraine's intelligence services who said that the agency's special forces unit had stormed a "concreted and well-fortified" Russian base in Kursk. The Kremlin fitted the stronghold with underground communications, personal quarters, a canteen, an armory, and a bathhouse, Ukrainian media outlet Pravda reported. The reports come as Ukraine's commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a briefing on Wednesday that over 100 Russian troops had been captured that day. Dmytro Lubinets, the human rights commissioner of Ukraine's parliament, said on Thursday that Russia had initiated prisoner exchange talks. That would be a notable shift from Russia's position in May, when its human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, said that exchanges with Ukraine had been blocked for several months. At the time, she blamed Kyiv for what she called "far-fetched demands." Moskalkova has not confirmed whether Russia has returned to the negotiating table. Ukraine hasn't officially said exactly how many Russian troops it's taken captive since it launched its surprise attack on August 6, but told the Financial Times that the number is in the "hundreds." Kyiv said a large number of its prisoners taken in Kursk were Russian conscripts young men made to serve a year of mandatory military service bringing into question Russian leader Vladimir Putin's vow not to send any of them into direct combat. The "I Want to Live" project has repeatedly posted videos of Russian prisoners of war seized in Kursk, including footage of what it said were blindfolded Chechen troops. Ukraine claimed on Monday to have seized nearly 400 square miles of Russian territory in a matter of days. It said later that it had pushed further into Kursk and taken full control of the town of Sudzha. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has claimed since the early days of the incursion that it's stopped Ukraine's advance and is working to force Kyiv's troops back to the border. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine reportedly strikes ferry crossing in occupied Crimea, boat in Krasnodar Krai, official says Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Preliminary reports indicate that Ukraine struck a ferry crossing in the city of Kerch in occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 16, as well as a boat near the community of Chernomorsk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, Serhii Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa Oblast Military Administration said. No information was immediately available as to the extent of the damage. It was not immediately clear what boat was struck or whether it was a military target. Explosions rang out across multiple cities in occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 16, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel claimed, citing resident reports. A fire was reported near the city of Kerch, in the area of the Kerch ferry crossing. A fire burns near the Kerch stele in occupied Crimea on Aug. 16, 2024 following a Ukrainian attack on the area. (Crimean Wind/Telegram) Residents in Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Kerch heard explosions around 3:30 a.m. local time, according to local media reports. Multiple explosions were also reported in the community of Chernomorsk in Russia's neighbouring region Krasnodar Krai around 4:30 a.m. local time. The Kerch bridge, connecting occupied Crimea with mainland Russia, was reportedly closed to traffic around 2 a.m., local residents reported. The bridge reopened around 7 a.m. local time. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that five Ukrainian unmanned aerial drones and two unmanned naval drones were destroyed overnight in the Black Sea. The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify any of the claims. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has regularly launched attacks on occupied Crimea as well as neighbouring Krasnodar Krai. Kyiv's Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov warned on Aug. 2 that Ukraine is working on a "complex solution" that could destroy the Kerch Bridge in the coming months. Russia reportedly began fortifying the bridge last month. Ukraine has regularly struck ferry crossings between occupied Crimea and Russia's Krasnodar Krai, prioritizing the crossing over the bridge in recent months as a more important military target. Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine published on June 17 that destroying the Kerch Bridge now would not have the same effect now because Russia barely uses it for military purposes anymore. The bridge accounts for less than a quarter of the total transiting cargo, and for the rest, Russia uses a ferry crossing in Kerch, Pletenchuk said. Read also: US considering sending Ukraine first long-range cruise missiles this fall, source says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A central Ohio hotel is now under new ownership after the property was sold for $10 million to a hospitality company. Miamisburg-based AAAR Hotels closed on the sale to buy the Cambria Hotel at 9100 Lyra Drive in Polaris on July 18, according to the Delaware County Auditors Office. Wilcare Delaware, the hotels previous owner, had operated the Cambria since purchasing the property for $1.8 million in 2011. Wawa pitches more Ohio locations as part of 60-store expansion This stunning hotel is a fantastic example of our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction, said AAAR in a social media post after the deal closed. With its modern amenities, comfortable rooms and exceptional service, Cambria Polaris is the perfection destination for business and leisure travelers alike. This embedded content is not available in your region. The four-story Cambria spans more than 88,000 square feet and is home to an indoor pool, several meeting and event rooms, a fitness center and an American fare restaurant named 9100 Tavern and Grill. The hotel boasts proximity to Eddie Merlots, BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse, Twin Peaks, Polaris Grill and other Polaris Fashion Place restaurants. Dublin City Schools pauses plan to buy Cardinal Health building for $37 million AAAR was founded in 2008 and has ballooned its portfolio to beyond Ohio with nearly 25 hotels across Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Kansas, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The company most recently bought a Holiday Inn Express at 155 Holiday Drive in Wilmington for $7.6 million, Clinton County Auditors Office records show. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Updated Aug 16, 2024, 8:45am EDT Europe The News Ukraine claimed full control of a Russian town, the first such success in its surprise offensive into Moscows territory. Kyiv has yet to publicize its war aims with its incursion into Russia, but analysts have suggested that Ukraine is trying to use the territorial gains as a bargaining chip in an attempt to reclaim its own land. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Sudzha may be a strategic capture for Ukraine Sources: CNN, Meduza Located in the Kursk region the area targeted as part of Kyivs surprise onslaught Sudzha marks a strategic capture for Ukraines army. The town is located next to a Russian gas terminal that supplies the fuel to Europe. Independent Russian news outlet Meduza reported on Aug. 9 that Sudzha operates as a strategic border checkpoint for Russian gas. Controlling the terminal could have financial implications for Russia, since nearly half of all Russian gas exports come through the area. Sudzha gas is supplied through Ukraine Sources: Reuters, The Associated Press Kyiv and Moscow came to a five-year agreement in 2019 that allowed natural gas to transit from Russia through Ukraine to be exported widely in Europe. Kyiv has said it has no intention of renewing that contract, but Russia state-run media has reported that Moscow plans to continue its exports. Only one other pipeline the Turkstream line that runs through the Black Sea is currently operational. The Sudzha pipeline is mutually beneficial to Moscow and Kyiv: Russian state gas operator Gazprom earns money from the exports, and Kyiv takes transit fees for their transport. Kursk incursion may create buffer zone Source: The Guardian Kyiv has yet to fully elaborate on why it launched its surprise incursion into Russia, but said that its goal is to create a buffer zone on the border. That would stop some Russian troops from entering Ukraine, but it is still unclear how much area Kyiv plans to capture, or for how long it plans to hold onto the territory. The push is upending some Russian narratives about the war, The Guardian reported: Andrei Fedorov, a former Russian deputy foreign minister, decried the constant lies coming from our side about the weakness of the Ukrainian army. Key developments on Aug. 16: Ukrainian forces destroyed bridge over Seim River in Kursk Oblast, Russian authority claims U.S. reluctant to allow ATACMS in Kursk Oblast due to limited supply, CNN reports Myrnohrad residents evacuating as Russian forces reach 6 km from the town Ukraine reportedly strikes ferry crossing in occupied Crimea, boat in Krasnodar Krai, official says Ukraine advances another 1-3 km into Russia's Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says Ukrainian forces destroyed a bridge over the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Alexey Smirnov, the region's acting governor, claimed on Aug. 16. The unprecedented operation hit its 10-day mark on Aug. 15, with Kyiv claiming to have seized 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory and 82 settlements, including the town of Sudzha. Photos purporting to show the destroyed bridge were published by the Russian Telegram channel Mash, which claimed the bridge had been struck multiple times. The channel also claimed that about 30 settlements near the village of Glushkovo, approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Kursk, have been "cut off" due to the attack. Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk posted later a video, showing the attack on the Russian bridge. "Ukraine's Air Force aviation is actively participating in combat operations in the Kursk sector. Ukrainian pilots are conducting precision strikes on enemy's strongholds, equipment concentrations, as well as on enemy's logistics hubs and supply routes," he said. 0:00 / 1 The Insider reported that the Glushkovsky district has three bridges across the Seim River, with the other two located near the settlements of Zvannoe and Karyzh. Roman Alyokhin, an advisor to Kursk Oblast's acting governor and a Russian pro-war blogger, also claimed that Ukrainian forces are targeting the bridge in Zvannoe, about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from Glushkovo, in an attempt to seize part of Kursk Oblast along the river. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. Kyiv said that rather than capturing Russian territory, the incursion aims to protect Ukrainian lives by preventing cross-border attacks and diverting Russian reinforcements. Despite mounting reports that Russia is moving at least some forces to the sector, Kyiv's troops in the east of Ukraine say the situation there remains dire as Moscow continues its advance near Pokrovsk and Toretsk. Read also: General Mick Ryan on Ukraines strategic calculus in Kursk Oblast US reluctant to allow ATACMS in Kursk Oblast due to limited supply, CNN reports The U.S. is reluctant to allow Ukraine to use its long-range weapons inside Kursk "not because of the risk of escalation, but because the US only has a limited supply," CNN reported on Aug. 16, citing multiple unnamed U.S. officials. U.S. Defense Department Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told the press on Aug. 8 that Ukraine's operation is "consistent with our policy" as Kyiv is defending "against attacks that are coming across the border." Responding to a question on how far into Russian territory Ukraine is allowed to strike, Singh said that the U.S. does "not support long-range attacks," but refused to specify the exact distance. "I'm not going to draw a circular map on where they can and can't strike, but we've been very clear with the Ukrainians," she said. The U.S. remains reluctant to greenlight the use of U.S.-supplied long-range weapons in Kursk Oblast, as they "would be better used to continue targeting Russian-occupied Crimea," CNN said. However, this is due to the "limited supply" of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), rather than long-standing fears of escalating the war, CNN said, citing multiple officials. The U.S. first supplied long-range ATACMS to Ukraine in March of this year but only announced the deliveries in April. The U.S. provides the most military support to Ukraine, followed by Germany. According to CNN, the U.S. and Western officials familiar with the latest intelligence "cautioned that Ukraine is extremely unlikely to be able to hold" Russian territory. The officials also "emphasized that it's too soon to judge how the operation will affect the broader outcome of the war." Read also: US considering sending Ukraine first long-range cruise missiles this fall, source says Myrnohrad residents evacuating as Russian forces reach 6 km from the town Residents of the Donetsk Oblast town of Myrnohrad are evacuating as Russian forces are now only 6 kilometers (3.8 miles) away, the acting head of the town's military administration told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Aug. 16. Myrnohrad lies just east of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub that has become the main focus of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast. "People are leaving, but not as quickly or urgently as we would like and as the situation requires," Yurii Tretiak said on air on RFE/RL, adding that 20,000 people remain in Myrnohrad, including around 1,000 children. Roughly 46,000 people lived in the town before the full-scale invasion, but many have left due to constant Russian attacks and shifting front lines. "(Russian forces) are advancing little by little. The front line is now around 6 kilometers from the town of Myrnohrad," he said. The authorities are organizing evacuations, mainly for children and the elderly, but many residents are reportedly leaving themselves due to unceasing Russian attacks in the area. Myrnohrad is planned to be completely evacuated by the end of August, Tretiak said. The evacuation is also underway in neighboring Pokrovsk as Russian forces inch toward the town. Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin announced an evacuation of over 700 children from four communities in Donetsk Oblast in early August as heavy battles continued in the direction of Pokrovsk. As Russian forces concentrate more of their recourses on the offensive in Donetsk Oblast, the situation in the area in the Pokrovsk direction remains "extremely challenging," Kyiv acknowledged. Read also: Thousands flee as Russian troops take one Donetsk Oblast village after another Ukraine reportedly strikes ferry crossing in occupied Crimea, boat in Krasnodar Krai, official says Preliminary reports indicate that Ukraine struck a ferry crossing in the city of Kerch in occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 16, as well as a boat near the community of Chernomorsk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, Serhii Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa Oblast Military Administration said. No information was immediately available as to the extent of the damage. It was not immediately clear what boat was struck or whether it was a military target. Explosions rang out across multiple cities in occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 16, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel claimed, citing resident reports. A fire was reported near the city of Kerch, in the area of the Kerch ferry crossing. Residents in Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Kerch heard explosions around 3:30 a.m. local time, according to local media reports. Multiple explosions were also reported in the community of Chernomorsk in Russia's neighbouring region Krasnodar Krai around 4:30 a.m. local time. The Kerch bridge, connecting occupied Crimea with mainland Russia, was reportedly closed to traffic around 2 a.m., local residents reported. The bridge reopened around 7 a.m. local time. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that five Ukrainian unmanned aerial drones and two unmanned naval drones were destroyed overnight in the Black Sea. The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify any of the claims. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has regularly launched attacks on occupied Crimea as well as neighbouring Krasnodar Krai. Kyiv's Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov warned on Aug. 2 that Ukraine is working on a "complex solution" that could destroy the Kerch Bridge in the coming months. Russia reportedly began fortifying the bridge last month. Ukraine has regularly struck ferry crossings between occupied Crimea and Russia's Krasnodar Krai, prioritizing the crossing over the bridge in recent months as a more important military target. Read also: Ukraines Magura drones have reportedly struck 18 Russian ships throughout war Ukraine advances another 1-3 km into Russia's Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says Ukrainian forces have advanced 1 to 3 kilometers in some areas of Russia's Kursk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported to President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 16. "In general, the situation is under control. All activities are being carried out according to the plan, the logistics system is working smoothly," Syrskyi said. According to the commander, the fighting is ongoing near the village of Malaya Loknya, some 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Sudzha. "I hope many captives will be taken there," Syrskyi said. The estimates of Russian captives, taken by Ukraine during the Kursk Oblast, ranging from several hundred to 2,000. Ukraine declined to provide a full number of Russian captives taken during the ongoing operation following the Kyiv Independent's request. Read also: Ukrainian paratroopers show footage of Kursk incursions start Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine can use weapons it has received as it sees fit Spanish defence minister Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles has stated that she has no information on whether Ukraine has used Spanish-supplied weapons during its offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast. However, she emphasised that it is up to Kyiv to decide how the transferred weapons are utilised. Source: Spanish news agency EFE, citing Robles during her visit to NATO headquarters in the Spanish city of Valencia on Friday, 16 August, as reported by European Pravda Details: When asked about the use of Spanish-supplied weapons by the Ukrainian military in Kursk Oblast, the Spanish defence minister replied that she did not have such information. "This is a war, and therefore, Ukraine will use the equipment it deems necessary at any time," she added. Robles also stressed that the weapons provided by Spain to Ukraine are "defensive weapons for defence". The minister also vowed that Spain would continue to support Ukraine "with this crucial defence equipment" and that Ukraine "will always have the support of Spain and other North Atlantic Alliance nations". Background: Earlier, the UK Defence Ministry confirmed that Ukrainian troops may use British weapons on Russian territory in self-defence, with the exception of Storm Shadow long-range missiles Ukraine is also free to use Canadian-supplied tanks, armoured vehicles and other equipment in Russia. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's 80th Air Assault Brigade shows how it breached defence line in Kursk Oblast and captured 50 prisoners video The 80th Air Assault Brigade of Ukraines Armed Forces has shared footage from the early hours of the military operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast. The troops breached the defence line, destroyed a border checkpoint and captured over 50 prisoners. Source: 80th Air Assault Brigade on Facebook Quote: "Approaching the Sudzha border checkpoint, the 80th Brigades assault groups secured support from artillery and heavy armoured vehicles. Faced with intense fire from Ukrainian artillery and seeing Ukrainian tanks on the checkpoint's territory, the Russians made the right decision they raised a white flag and surrendered to Ukrainian soldiers, heading with their wounded soldiers toward the Ukrainian border." Details: The 80th Air Assault Brigade emphasised that they advise Russian soldiers to choose life over senseless death and to surrender. Read also: Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi's raid: how the Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast is progressing and what to expect next Background: Support UP or become our patron! Stock photo: Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine The Ukrainian Air Force has uploaded footage of soldiers targeting Russian supply routes in Kursk Oblast, including the destruction of a bridge. Source: Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of Ukraines Air Force, on Telegram Quote: "The Air Force's aviation actively participates in the hostilities on the Kursk front. Ukrainian pilots used high-precision strikes to target enemy strongholds, clusters of equipment, logistics centres, and hostile supply routes. I commend the pilots and everyone involved in the aircraft combat!" Background: A number of Russian Telegram channels, citing Russian military bloggers, claimed that Ukrainian forces destroyed a bridge over the Seym River near the village of Glushkovo in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's F-16s may be getting long-range cruise missiles to hit targets hundreds of miles away: report Ukraine's F-16s may be getting long-range cruise missiles to hit targets hundreds of miles away: report The US is in discussions to send long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, a US official told Politico. This would allow Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets to hit targets hundreds of miles away. The missiles could be delivered this year, one Ukrainian source told the Kyiv Independent. The Biden administration is considering sending long-range cruise missiles for Ukraine's new F-16 fighter jets so they can hit targets more than 200 miles away, Politico reported. The outlet cited a US official and two people familiar with the discussions who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. Ukraine received its first batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies late last month, after a long wait. While the F-16 Fighting Falcon is a powerful fourth-generation aircraft intended to boost Ukraine's air capability, its effectiveness depends in part on the weaponry it is equipped with. The jets delivered so far don't have long-range capabilities, but the US appears to be working to address that. The delivery of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM, could significantly extend the range of Ukraine's F-16s to 370 kilometers, or about 230 miles. However, before they could be sent, the Pentagon and the White House would have to overcome several hurdles. These include reviewing the transfer of sensitive technologies and ensuring Ukraine's fighter jets can fire the 2,400-pound missile with a 1,000-pound warhead, per Politico. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that the US sent Ukraine air-to-air missiles alongside the F-16s, including the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, known as the AMRAAM, and the AIM-9X missile. It is unclear which variants were sent, but the newest model of the AIM-120D is reported to have a range of over 100 miles. The AIM-9X's range is classified. US generals, Ukrainian officials, and experts have cautioned that the decades-old F-16 won't necessarily be a game changer for Ukraine as it faces a difficult operating environment of Russian warplanes and air-defense systems. But a video of a Ukrainian F-16 shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month hinted at how Ukraine could use them. Armed with air-to-air missiles, it suggested that Ukraine may initially use its F-16s to combat Russian jets rather than as close-air support or for the suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses. It's unclear whether Ukraine will use the F-16s on targets inside Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been gaining ground since its surprise attack on August 6. US officials told Reuters on Thursday that the US considered Ukraine's incursion into Kursk a protective move meant to defend itself, thus making the use of US equipment appropriate. However, should Ukraine start seizing villages and other non-military objectives using US weaponry and vehicles, it may raise concerns about whether it is acting within the limits the US established, an unnamed US official told the news agency. Meanwhile, an unnamed source close to Zelenskyy's administration told the Kyiv Independent this week that US-Ukraine talks on the long-range missiles were "in the advanced stages," with a fall date being considered. Read the original article on Business Insider Heorhii Tykhyi, the spokesman for Ukraines Foreign Ministry, has refuted allegations made by Russian propagandists about alleged Ukrainian plans to use "dirty bombs" and target nuclear power plants. Source: Tykhyi on Twitter (X); Russian state-owned media on Telegram Quote: "We are seeing another surge in insane Russian propaganda about alleged Ukrainian plans to use "dirty bombs" or attack nuclear plants. We officially refute these false claims. Ukraine has no intention or ability to take any such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies." We are seeing another surge in insane Russian propaganda about alleged Ukrainian plans to use "dirty bombs" or attack nuclear plants. We officially refute these false claims. Ukraine has no intention or ability to take any such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies. Heorhii Tykhyi (@SpoxUkraineMFA) August 16, 2024 On the evening of 16 August, Russian propaganda media reported that Kyiv is planning to target the Kursk and Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants. According to the reports, there are supposedly plans to employ radioactive warheads which have already been transported to the village of Zhovti Vody in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Furthermore, a Russian milblogger has claimed that Ukraine's Armed Forces "are preparing an attack using a dirty nuclear bomb". Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's invasion of Russia is showing how good it is at hitting Putin's weak spots Ukraine's invasion of Russia is showing how good it is at hitting Putin's weak spots Ukraine knows how to exploit Russian President Vladimir Putin's weak spots. Its invasion of Kursk undermined Putin's image as a strongman protector of Russian security. The attacks have the potential to erode Russians' support for Putin, an expert said. President Vladimir Putin's authority has long been founded on his image as an uncompromising defender of Russian security. But Ukraine's audacious invasion of Russia's Kursk province, where its forces are still making advances more than a week into the incursion, badly dents that image. In a televised meeting on Monday, Putin sought to reassert control, urging military officials to drive the invasion forces out of the country. Some Russians who were forced to flee their homes because of the invasion blamed the Kremlin for not keeping them safe and for the information vacuum after the attack. It's not the first time Ukraine has hit Russia's authoritarian leader where he's most vulnerable undermining his image as the personification of Russian power and ruining his attempt to shield ordinary Russians from the consequences of his war. "The Ukrainian military seems highly attuned to the political and symbolic dimensions of their attacks, often targeting symbols of Putin's power rather than focusing solely on military objectives," Maxim Alyukov, an expert on Russian politics at the University of Manchester in the UK, told Business Insider. A Ukrainian military vehicle near the Russian border during the Kursk incursion this month. Libkos via Getty Images Ukraine targets symbols of Putin's power Some of Ukraine's most notable triumphs in the war serve both a military and a psychological purpose. In 2022 and again in 2023, Ukraine launched devastating attacks on the Kerch Strait Bridge that connects the occupied Crimea peninsula to mainland Russia. The attacks destroyed parts of the 12-mile structure and led authorities to temporarily halt traffic on the bridge. The bridge, which allows Russia to transport troops and equipment to the peninsula, was an important military target for Ukraine. But it's also one of Putin's pet projects and among the most famous symbols of his power. The Russian president personally opened the bridge in 2018, four years after Russia annexed Crimea, driving a truck across it and boasting that it was an achievement that had eluded his Soviet forbearers. '"The construction of the bridge was a key part of the propaganda shaping Putin's image as a leader capable of completing grand projects and solidifying the annexation of Crimea," Alyukov said. "Therefore, Ukraine's attack on the bridge likely had both a military purpose and a political purpose to embarrass Putin and undermine his image domestically." A fire on the Kerch Bridge at sunrise in the Kerch Strait, Crimea, in 2023. Reuters The Kursk incursion similarly has a symbolic and military purpose. It undercuts Putin's power and the basis of his authority but also serves to divert Russian troops away from the front line in Ukraine. The territory seized could be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Russia. Other attacks, Alyukov explained, are more symbolic in their ambition. Ukraine has launched a series of long-range drone attacks on Russia, targeting military sites and gas depots but also Putin's palatial private residences near Moscow and St. Petersburg. In May, satellite images showed that Russia had diverted several air-defense systems to protect Putin's residence in Lake Valdai, north of Moscow. A Ukrainian drone attack in 2023 struck the Kremlin itself, the Moscow fortress complex that's at the heart of Putin's political power. "Drone attacks near the Kremlin are purely political and symbolic they put pressure on the Russian public by demonstrating that the Ukrainian military can reach the heart of Russia, thereby undermining the perception that Putin has full control over the situation," Alyukov said. Pro-Ukraine paramilitary groups have previously made more limited but still impactful raids over the Russian border. Groups such as the Freedom of Russia Legion, which is made up of Russians opposed to Putin, have launched cross-border incursions in Belgorod and other parts of Russia bordering Ukraine. The units typically cross the border, clash with Russian forces, and withdraw, temporarily seizing control of Russian villages before vanishing. The aim of the attacks is, again, to puncture Putin's image as a strongman protector of Russia and bring the reality of the war home to ordinary Russians, Alyukov said. Brian Whitmore, an expert on Russian politics at the University of Texas-Arlington and the host of the "Power Vertical" podcast, wrote in an article for the Atlantic Council in August that Putin's power is based on projecting strength. "Its internal logic, processes, incentive structure, and behavior resemble those of a mafia family," he wrote of Putin's inner circle. "And the most destabilizing moment for a crime syndicate is when the mafia boss looks weak." In comments last week on Telegram, the Russian military blogger Vladislav Shurygin said Ukraine's strategy was taking a psychological toll on Russia. Ukraine, he said, was managing "to exhaust Russia with continuous unexpected strikes on sensitive infrastructure and the civilian population, provoking discontent, disappointment, and apathy." Ukraine must maintain its momentum In an authoritarian political system like Russia's, where Putin holds unchallenged power, attacks on the leader's image and authority can be uniquely damaging. After decades of increasingly repressive rule under Putin, many Russians have become politically detached, according to a January survey by the Chicago Council on Public Affairs. Many don't actively support the war in Ukraine, viewing it as a conflict happening far away, with their knowledge of the conflict shaped by state propaganda, the survey said. In exchange for their security, Russians have increasingly ceded control to Putin, Alyukov said. But attacks like the Kursk incursion have the potential to disrupt that balance if Ukraine can keep up the pressure. "Whether this balance will ultimately be shattered depends on the scale and duration of Ukrainian attacks and the nature of Russia's response," Alyukov said. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine's Magura V5 naval drones have managed to hit 18 Russian Navy vessels during the full-scale war, according to comments by a member of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) for DW published on Aug. 16. HUR's Magura drones of the Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) Sea Baby drones are key tools that allowed Kyiv to undermine Russia's overwhelming naval dominance in the Black Sea. Speaking in a video with a covered face and presented only by the codename "Thirteenth," the commander of the special unit Group 13 said Magura drones had struck 18 Russian vessels in a year and a half. Nine of them reportedly suffered "irreversible damage." The Magura drone was first presented at the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul in July 2023, a little over one year ago. It is unclear whether this was a mistake on Thirteen's part or whether the drone had been unofficially in use before being unveiled at the fair. The Magura drone can cover a distance of more than 800 kilometers (500 miles), reach a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), and is capable of carrying a 250-kilogram warhead. "We didn't try to strengthen the warhead to destroy a ship with one hit," Thirteenth explained. "We took another approach: we attacked in a swarm, carrying out five or more hits on large ships to cause critical damage." Thirteenth also pointed out that the Russian Black Sea Fleet was forced to pull all its valuable assets from the Sevastopol base in Russian-occupied Crimea due to Ukrainian attacks. The HUR officer said the Black Sea Fleet is "paralyzed" and is now only "consuming money from the state budget, unable to perform its tasks." The list of Russian warships sunk by Magura drones throughout the war includes the missile corvette Ivanovets, the large landing craft Caesar Kunikov, and the modern patrol ship Sergey Kotov, among others. The Ukrainian military says it had destroyed or disabled roughly 30% of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Read also: Who needs warships when youve got drones? Russia loses control over Black Sea Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. An all-for-all prisoners-of-war exchange with Russia will not take place in the near future, despite the Ukrainian forces' operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast and the replenishment of the exchange pool. However, the Ukrainian side is doing everything possible to ensure that large-scale POWs exchanges do happen. Source: Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Commissioner for Human Rights, in an interview with Radio Liberty Quote: "The Ukrainian side is consistently taking the initiative in organising large-scale exchanges, including multiple efforts through intermediaries to propose an all-for-all exchange. Do I believe that such an exchange will happen soon? No, I don't. But do I believe that the Ukrainian side is doing everything possible to make these large exchanges happen? Yes, a large team from the Coordination Headquarters [for the Treatment of Prisoners of War] is working on this, and I'm personally involved daily." Details: At the same time, Lubinets confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast is improving the situation regarding the return of Ukrainian citizens from the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as from the occupied territories of Ukraine. He said the Ukrainian side wants to rely on the principle of fairness in this process and reach an agreement with Russia on the principles of conducting exchange processes. Quote: "I would really like us to finally agree with Russia on the principles for conducting exchange processes and returning civilian citizens, using this situation to our advantage... We need to adhere to the principle of fairness: those who were captured earlier should be released first. We have lists of prisoners of war and civilian hostages that the Russians captured even before the full-scale invasion, since 2014. We also have the defenders of Mariupol, who have been in captivity for more than two years. Among them are even those who, after verification and confirmation by the International Committee of the Red Cross, were wounded while in captivity, which is an absolute violation of international humanitarian law." Details: Lubinets did not specify whether the Russian side has already provided lists of people they want to prioritise in the exchange process, citing the sensitivity of the exchange agreements. However, he added that he understands the public's need to be informed about the progress of these agreements. He said this is why, during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, it was decided to establish a public council on prisoner exchanges. This would allow the families of prisoners and leaders of public organisations to be involved in these processes and receive certain information. Background: On 15 August Vasyl Maliuk, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, reported that the negotiating group preparing prisoner exchanges on behalf of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War was to include representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Human Rights Commissioner. A public council will be established at the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War in order to conduct further prisoner swaps with Russia, with special attention paid to women and people who are seriously ill and/or severely wounded. On 14 August a total of 102 Russian soldiers were captured in Russia's Kursk Oblast by special forces of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU). Support UP or become our patron! A Chinese mining company has revealed that it lost 12kg (26lbs) of gold - worth US$900,000 - in an armed robbery in Ghana earlier this year. Shenzhen-listed gold mining firm Beijing Xiaocheng Technology Stock Co disclosed in its half-year financial report released on Wednesday that "five to six" suspects had been arrested and detained at a police station in Ghana. Security agencies in the West African nation were "still searching for the whereabouts of the gold", according to the company. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Africa has been a major investment destination for Chinese companies seeking minerals and resources overseas, but there are growing concerns over the security risks, and Beijing has vowed to ramp up protection for workers and assets abroad. Beijing Xiaocheng, which is engaged in gold mining, production, processing and sales, said Ghanaian security agencies had issued a bounty for the arrest of those responsible for the robbery on April 18. Gold is Ghana's top export - it earned the country US$9.53 billion in 2022, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. Photo: Shutterstock alt=Gold is Ghana's top export - it earned the country US$9.53 billion in 2022, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. Photo: Shutterstock> It said 11 people were believed to be involved in the armed attack on the Chinese company's subsidiary, Akroma Gold Mining Co, in Esaase, in the Kwahu West municipality of Ghana's eastern region. The company said Akroma reinforced security measures at the gold mine after the attack. According to local media reports in April, heavily armed assailants targeted the company's processing area, stealing gold and assaulting and injuring several workers, including Chinese expatriates. Beijing Xiaocheng said the attackers, who were wearing masks, broke into the Akroma processing plant from an undeveloped area of the mine. It said workers at the mine, including Chinese citizens, were injured after security personnel were overpowered but there were no fatalities. The robbers fled with 12kg of gold that was to be exported that day, causing a direct economic loss of US$900,000, according to the financial report. Beijing Xiaocheng, which owns three gold mines in Ghana, said the Akroma mine had resumed normal business activities after the attack. Story continues The company also has solar power generation projects including a 20MW photovoltaic power station in Ghana that has been operating for over a decade. Gold is Ghana's top export, earning the country US$9.53 billion in 2022, according to Observatory of Economic Complexity data. Nearly half of Ghana's gold is exported to the United Arab Emirates, while Switzerland, India and Hong Kong are all major buyers. China is a major buyer of Ghana's petroleum, manganese ore and aluminium ore. At a conclave of top officials in July, China's ruling Communist Party said it would continue to press ahead with overseas investment under the Belt and Road Initiative. It also pledged to strengthen risk control and security for Chinese operations overseas. Demand for private security firms to provide protection for these operations has increased in recent years. This month, China warned citizens not to visit the gold-rich, eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Chinese companies and workers have been targeted in recent attacks, kidnappings and killings by armed groups. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Ukrainian forces advance 1 to 3 km in Russia's Kursk Oblast, PoW exchange pool to be replenished photo Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast have advanced one to three kilometres in different areas of the front. Source: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraines Commander-in-Chief, in a report to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Quote: "The troops continue to fight. They have made advances of one to three kilometres towards the enemy. Fighting continues across the whole line of contact. Overall, the situation is under [Ukraines] control." Details: When asked by Zelenskyy about the prisoners' exchange pool, Sirskyi stated that "at the moment there are battles near Malaya Lokna". "I hope many prisoners will be taken there," Sirskyi remarked. Screenshot He also stated that Major General Moskalov has already taken over as head of the commandants office in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian forces destroyed a bridge over the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Alexey Smirnov, the region's acting governor, claimed on Aug. 16. The unprecedented operation hit its 10-day mark on Aug. 15, with Kyiv claiming to have seized 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory and 82 settlements, including the town of Sudzha. Photos purporting to show the destroyed bridge were published by the Russian Telegram channel Mash, which claimed the bridge had been struck multiple times. The channel also claimed that about 30 settlements near the village of Glushkovo, approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Kursk, have been "cut off" due to the attack. Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk posted later a video, showing the attack on the Russian bridge. "Ukraine's Air Force aviation is actively participating in combat operations in the Kursk sector. Ukrainian pilots are conducting precision strikes on enemy's strongholds, equipment concentrations, as well as on enemy's logistics hubs and supply routes," he said. 0:00 / 1 The Insider reported that the Glushkovsky district has three bridges across the Seim River, with the other two located near the settlements of Zvannoe and Karyzh. Roman Alyokhin, an advisor to Kursk Oblast's acting governor and a Russian pro-war blogger, also claimed that Ukrainian forces are targeting the bridge in Zvannoe, about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from Glushkovo, in an attempt to seize part of Kursk Oblast along the river. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. Kyiv said that rather than capturing Russian territory, the incursion aims to protect Ukrainian lives by preventing cross-border attacks and diverting Russian reinforcements. Despite mounting reports that Russia is moving at least some forces to the sector, Kyiv's troops in the east of Ukraine say the situation there remains dire as Moscow continues its advance near Pokrovsk and Toretsk. Read also: General Mick Ryan on Ukraines strategic calculus in Kursk Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A few days ago, Ukrainian troops breached into Russia's Belgorod Oblast alongside their advance in Kursk, but they encountered fierce Russian resistance. Source: The Washington Post (WP), having spoken to soldiers involved in the incursion into Belgorod Oblast Details: The WP interviewed three Ukrainian soldiers, including a commander, who were wounded in action. They had crossed the border into Russia using armoured personnel carriers in the village of Kolotilovka, Belgorod Oblast. Quote: "The Russian troops in Belgorod appeared prepared for their arrival, the soldiers said, in contrast to the quick advances Ukrainian units made through Kursk. Although some had retreated, the area was fortified with dragons teeth antitank obstacles and heavily mined. Ukrainians came under intense attack by artillery, drones and aerial bombs almost immediately. The Ukrainians pushed forward about six miles [around 10 km], the soldiers said, seizing abandoned Russian troop positions. But the fighting remained intense. 'All our group was injured the day we arrived,' [Ukrainian soldier who goes by the alias] Hacker said. Many Ukrainian troops were concussed or heavily wounded, while others were killed and had to be left behind, he said. Shelling remained so intense that survivors had to take cover in Russian trenches for days, until an armoured vehicle arrived to evacuate them for medical treatment early Thursday [15 August]. Some were injured more than once as they waited for help." Background: On Thursday, 15 August, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the creation of the first military commandants' office in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! The aftermath of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on 16 August. Photo: Serhii Lysak Ukrainian air defence units from Air Command Skhid (East) shot down two Russian missiles over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on 16 August. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration Quote: "The defenders of the sky have destroyed two enemy missiles over [Dnipropetrovsk] Oblast. I am grateful to Air Command Skhid for their efforts. However, several fires broke out in the Dnipro district due to the missile strikes. No one was killed or injured." Details: The Nikopol district suffered from the Russian bombardment and kamikaze drone attacks, which targeted the city of Nikopol and Pokrovske, Myrove and Marhanets hromadas. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.] Infrastructure, five houses, two outbuildings, and a car have been damaged. The aftermath of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on 16 August. Photo: Serhii Lysak The aftermath of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on 16 August. Photo: Serhii Lysak Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian Himars artillery has destroyed a key bridge across a river in the Kursk region that Russia was using to reinforce its embattled soldiers. Russian military bloggers said the destruction of the road bridge across the Seym River outside the village of Glushkovo would force Russian reinforcements on a dangerous detour. If (when) the enemy manages to destroy all good crossings, it will cut off the entire group of the Russian Armed Forces defending in the Glushkovo district, the Russian Telegram channel Military Observer posted. Glushkovo lies about 15 miles north of the border with Ukraine and is roughly 40 miles west of Sudzha, the focus of Ukraines initial cross-border assault last week. The Russian ministry of defence has not commented but Tough Kursk, a local Russian Telegram channel, confirmed the strike. It published a video of the heavily damaged bridge before it was completely destroyed, already punctured by precise artillery shell strikes from the US-made weapons. The Baza Telegram channel confirmed that the bridge had been destroyed by Ukrainian Himars and said that a second bridge a few miles downstream is now being targeted They are trying to destroy the bridge, probably with Himars, said the reporter after stopping briefly on the bridge to point out the damage before speeding off. Were getting out of here. Later photos showed the bridge snapped in two with the middle section jutting out of the river below. The Baza Telegram channel, which has links to the Russian security forces, confirmed that the bridge had been destroyed by Ukrainian Himars and said that a second bridge a few miles downstream was now being targeted. On Friday, Oleskander Syrsky, Ukraines top general, said that his armys forces had advanced up to three kilometres further into enemy territory. The Kremlin has responded to the first invasion of Russia since the Second World War, launched 11 days ago, by rushing troops, tanks and armoured vehicles to the border region. On Friday, Nikolai Patrushev, a key adviser to Vladimir Putin, blamed the West for the Ukraine attack which he said had been planned with the participation of Nato special forces. British Challenger II tanks and other Western equipment have been used in the attack but Britain has refused to give Ukraine permission to use its Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets further inside Russia. On Friday, Boris Johnson urged Britain to give permission to Volodymyr Zelensky to use the long-range missiles. Writing in the Daily Mail, the former prime minister urged Sir Keir Starmer to stop pussyfooting around and to give Ukraine the green light to use the bunker-busting missiles made by the UK and France. Can we finally cut the cackle, drop the ludicrous Putin-phobia and give the Ukrainians the tools they really need to finish the job, he said. The US has previously given Ukraine permission to use its Himars artillery against targets up to 65 miles inside Russia, which means that bridges across the Seym River are in range. The Ministry of Defence has now said that after initial confusion, the Russian military has reorganised its defences in the Kursk region and has built additional defensive positions. This has meant pulling together a hotchpotch of different forces, including some regular army units, the FSBs Border Guards, the National Guard and conscripts. Of these forces, analysts said that the deployment of conscripts was the most controversial in Russia because conscription is regarded as a rite of passage for young men rather than a war-fighting machine. There is the idea that you might say that theyre still kind of half-children, said Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at UCL and the author of several books on Russia and Putin. They have been entrusted by their family to the state, and therefore the state should at least not waste them. Reports from the first few days of the incursion said that hundreds of conscripts barely out of basic training had surrendered to the Ukrainian army. Videos of callow teenage Russian conscripts captured by battle-hardened Ukrainian soldiers have filled social media channels. Click here to view this content. An online petition of mothers begging Putin to withdraw conscripts from battle has received nearly 10,000 signatures. On the Go to the forest Telegram channel, a Russian language anti-war information channel, a woman described how her son had only been given 10 days of basic training and fired a rifle twice before he had been sent into battle in Kursk. They lined up everyone who had just arrived from the training ground, and selected 90 people who were sent to Kursk, she said. Tomorrow, other guys are being sent there. Although researchers have said that only a few hundred conscripts have been killed since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, they have not been heavily deployed in Ukraine as conscripts are only legally allowed to fight inside Russias borders. Stephen Hall, an assistant professor of Russian politics at the University of Bath, said that the Kremlin-linked media was trying to keep the deployment of conscripts quiet but news has still leaked out and was causing disquiet in Russia. A Russian living in a major city told The Telegraph that people were split on the deployment of conscripts. Some are afraid for the conscripts but others also said that this is their job, that they must protect the country, the source said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Ukraine's military on Aug. 16 published for the first time footage of the early hours of the cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6. The unprecedented operation hit its 10-day mark on Aug. 15, with Kyiv claiming to have seized 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory and 82 settlements, including the town of Sudzha. The video released by the Airborne Assault Troops Command's press office combines drone footage with recordings taken by soldiers on the ground. It appears to show Ukrainian soldiers, tanks, and armored vehicles entering Kursk Oblast, destroying or capturing Russian forces, and removing a Russian flag while displaying the banner of Ukrainian airborne troops. 0:00 / 1 "Demining, breaching the border, destroying the enemy's defense lines, air attacks, artillery, prisoners," the video's description read. "Careful preparation, planning, surprise, fighting spirit, and informational silence became decisive in the initial stage of the operation." Some experts connected Ukraine's tactical success in Kursk Oblast with the effective use of combined arms, namely tanks, artillery, and drones. Kyiv said that rather than capturing Russian territory, the incursion aims to protect Ukrainian lives by preventing cross-border attacks and diverting Russian reinforcements. Despite mounting reports that Russia is moving at least some forces to the sector, Kyiv's troops in the east of Ukraine say the situation there remains dire as Moscow continues its advance near Pokrovsk and Toretsk. Read also: General Mick Ryan on Ukraines strategic calculus in Kursk Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. More than 2,300 ships have entered Ukraine's Black Sea ports over the past year since the opening of the Ukrainian maritime corridor. The cargo throughput has exceeded 64 million tonnes. Source: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at a government meeting Details: Moreover, he said that nearly 44 million tonnes of grain were exported from Ukraine. Shmyhal also noted that this had a positive impact on various sectors of the economy and on the economy overall, with Ukrainian exporters increasing their sales volumes by 35% in the first half of 2024. The country has reached pre-war export levels. He said this result was made possible by three factors: Quote: "First and foremost is the successful operations of our security and defence forces in the Black Sea. Second is the unique initiative to insure war risks for commercial vessels, which we are doing in cooperation with international insurance companies. Third is the reconstruction of Ukrainian port infrastructure and investment in its development," Shmyhal said. Background: Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative on 17 July 2023. On 10 August 2023, Ukraine created temporary corridors in the Black Sea to enable the safe passage of trade ships heading to and from Ukrainian ports. In January 2024, Ukraine reached pre-war naval export volumes thanks to the sea corridors it created. Support UP or become our patron! As Russia wages a protracted war of attrition, the Ukrainian military says it has made the most of the U.S. supplied Abrams tanks and Bradley armored vehicles. As the vast use of drones has become a feature of the Ukrainian-Russian war, soldiers and engineers said they have found a new way to make their most precious vehicles even more protected and efficient on the battlefield. Videos posted on social media appeared to demonstrate how the vehicles and their crews survived on densely mined fields. Bradley is the best vehicle Ive ever driven, Oleksandr Shyrshyn, a soldier with the elite 47th Mechanized Brigade, told ABC News. Its precise, its safe, its super cool. Given the number of impacts on the battlefields, if we were still using our old IFV-1 or IFV-2, the losses [would have been] two or three times higher. U.S. officials said in 2023 they would send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. More than 100 Bradley vehicles have also been shipped to Ukraine to aid in its fight against Russia, the White House said. PHOTO: A U.S.-made Abrams tank is seen with a metal additions in this photo supplied by Ukraines Rinat Akhmetovs Steel Front, which blurred the background to hide the location. (Rinat Akhmetovs Steel Front in Ukraine) But as the brigades soldiers continued fighting, they said, they understood they needed to upgrade the machine. Most injuries and damage happen during boarding and disembarking of the crew or from the FPV and other drones, Shyrshyn said, referring to commonly used first-person-view drones. "We cant do anything about the first factor, but we can offset the second one with a metal net." The latest additions are meant to protect against modern drone technology, but such modifications have long been common, said Mick Mulroy, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, retired CIA officer and U.S. Marine, and ABC News national security and defense analyst. "Throughout history tanks and tankers have used add ons to try to defend against all of these anti-tank devices," Mulroy said. "Mesh, reactive armor, even chain linked fences, have been used." The area where Shyrshyns unit is operating has been the hotspot of the eastern front-line in the past couple of weeks, according to the reports of the Ukrainian General Staff. In the past few days the Russian troops advanced by several kilometers. Shyrshyn said his soldiers are exhausted, needed more vehicles and were trying to keep those they have. A Ukrainian steel manufacturer has designed specialized steel screens, which they said are installed on top of the active armor. According to Shyrshyn, the screens have raised the survival rate of the crew and saved the vehicle from first-person-view drones used by Russia. PHOTO: A U.S.-made Abrams tank is seen with a metal additions in this photo supplied by Ukraines Rinat Akhmetovs Steel Front, which blurred the background to hide the location. (Rinat Akhmetovs Steel Front in Ukraine) It takes a week to produce one steel screen and around 12 hours to install it, said Oleksandr Myronenko, COO of Metinvest Group, a Ukrainian steel manufacturer. The non-commercial project is part of a Steel Front, a military initiative run by Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraines richest businessman. An engineer with 20 years of experience, Shyrshyn said he had to turn into a military goods specialist overnight. We started the project on day one of the invasion, he said. From Monday to Friday, I do my regular work. On weekends I go to the east to oversee what we do for the troops. Among the other non-commercial projects within the Steel Front military initiative are production of anti-tank hedgehogs, body armor and a few innovative things like fortifications built in the areas of the most intense fighting in the east, and even an underground field hospital. While the Bradleys have just started testing their bespoke steel screens, Abrams tanks have been driving in it for a few months already. Ukrainian troops started using them in February this year near Stepove, Avdiivka and Berdychiv in the east. Near the latter we understood what was off. A very precise and cheap FPV drone can easily hit and block the tanks turret, for example, and thats it, doesnt matter how great the vehicle is, Shyrshyn told ABC. The drone threat is even bigger given that the tank is quite big and is not the easiest thing to camouflage. Besides, Shyrshyn said, Abrams tanks are best at defeating other vehicles, since they fire armor-piercing projectiles, not highly explosive ones. And most of the fighting Abrams were used in took place among the buildings and in the forests, places where usually infantry troops hide using the drones, he said. Steel screens have apparently solved the problem for now, repelling these small but painful weapons, he said. PHOTO: A U.S.-made Bradley armored vehicle is seen being fitted with a metal addition in this photo supplied by Ukraines Rinat Akhmetovs Steel Front, which blurred the background to hide the location. (Rinat Akhmetovs Steel Front in Ukraine) We basically took a NATO standards manual and adjusted it, Myronenko, from Metivest, said. "Now we see that we could have avoided losses we had suffered before, Shyrshyn said. I saw this tank during the training in Germany for the first time and I was really really excited. I wish at least one third of all our brigades had them. We really need more, otherwise we have to pull. Mulroy, the ABC News analyst and a former Tanker and Infantry Marine, said tanks and other armoured vehicles have long been targeted by less-expensive lethal countermeasures, like portable rockets and missiles -- and now drones. The additions Ukrainians are making are similar to what he's seen in the past. "In my experience, these efforts are effective," he said. "If is likely if they are emplacing them across their fleet of tanks, they have proven their worth." Ukrainian soldiers, engineers add metal netting to US tanks and vehicles to protect against Russian drones originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The head of mission for the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Danielle Bell, reported that Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories are systematically subjected to torture. Bell made this statement on Aug. 16 during her meeting with Dmytro Usov, the secretary of Ukraines Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Bell emphasized that testimonies from liberated Ukrainian soldiers confirm the widespread use of torture in Russian captivity. She also thanked the Ukrainian authorities for granting the UN mission access to facilities where Russian prisoners of war are held and for ensuring confidential communication. In an earlier interview with the Dutch TV channel NOS on Aug. 8, Bell said 95% of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia are tortured. (Ukrainian soldiers) are subjected to torture during initial interrogation, and that includes being beaten with metal rods, sticks, (they are) stripped, brutally beaten, (and tortured) with electric shocks," Bell said, remarking that these are among the worst conditions she has encountered in her 20-year UN career. Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on July 20 that most released Ukrainian prisoners had not been visited by the Red Cross representatives while in Russian captivity. Read also: General Mick Ryan on Ukraines strategic calculus in Kursk Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Modern warfare is evolving, and Anduril Industries has a plan to capitalize on this shift by reimagining the design and production of American military power. The defense technology startup recently raised $1.5 billion in a new funding round to scale its weapons manufacturing. The deal, which was co-led by Peter Thiels Founders Fund and Sands Capital, values Anduril at $14 billion, nearly double the startups valuation after its previous funding round two years ago. Andurils strategy is to increase American weapons manufacturing by replicating the modern techniques and processes employed by commercial powerhouses such as Elon Musks Tesla (TSLA). In other words, it's using a software-first approach flexible enough to build weapons quickly and at scale. What we are doing at Anduril is we are taking the risk up front to build the capabilities and to build the infrastructure that we need to deploy those capabilities very quickly, Trae Stephens, co-founder and executive chairman of Anduril and partner at Founders Fund, told Yahoo Finance (video above). Now is that a bet on ourselves that, once we produce these things, the customer will show up to buy it? Stephens asked. Absolutely, but I think that is the way it should work. There should be some risk taken from an industry perspective as well. A Border Patrol agent walks by an Autonomous Surveillance Tower made by Anduril near Sunland Park, New Mexico, on Jan. 18, 2022. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images) (The Washington Post via Getty Images) Anduril plans to use the majority of the funds to invest in a new software-defined manufacturing platform and build a new manufacturing facility called Arsenal-1. The factory is expected to ultimately employ more than 1,500 people, encompass more than 5 million square feet of manufacturing capacity, and produce tens of thousands of weapons, such as counterstrike drones and autonomous submarines, per year. While the company has not yet determined where the Arsenal-1 facility will be located, it already has experience building out its manufacturing footprint. In June, Anduril announced a $75 million investment to increase manufacturing and production capacity for solid rocket motors in Mississippi. That same month, the company also announced the opening of a facility in Rhode Island, enabling Anduril to increase production of underwater drones. Startups like Anduril, which aim to disrupt the American defense industry and take on the "primes" giants like Boeing (BA), Lockheed Martin (LMT), General Dynamics (GD), RTX (RTX), and Northrop Grumman (NOC) have attracted venture investors to the sector. StockStory aims to help individual investors beat the market. Between 2021 and mid-June of this year, venture capitalists invested $130 billion in defense tech startups, according to PitchBook. Story continues Nick Beim, a partner at venture firm Venrock, explained investors are eager to invest in the next Anduril, Palantir (PLTR), or SpaceX. The character of warfare is changing significantly due to emerging technologies, Beim recently told Yahoo Finance. I think the future of warfare will be much more driven by AI software and autonomous systems at the edge than by the traditional military platforms that are used today. Venture-backed companies are now best positioned to provide these critical systems, better positioned than the traditional military suppliers, Beim added. Stephens declined to say when Anduril would IPO but told Yahoo Finance the company is considering such a move. We are starting to think a lot more about that three- to five-year kind of timeline for being ready to go if the market conditions were right and the company continues to grow as well as we have been, he said. Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance UN takes key steps toward Somalia's takeover of its own security People stand on the beach following an attack in Mogadishu, Somalia, Saturday Aug. 3, 2024. Police in Somalia said Saturday that many people died and several others were wounded in an attack on a beach hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, the previous evening. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh) UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to authorize the African Union to maintain its peacekeeping operation in Somalia until the end of the year, while also calling for plans for a successor mission, a key step toward the countrys takeover of its own security. The British-sponsored resolution authorizes the AU to continue to deploy up to 12,626 uniformed personnel, including 1,040 police, for the transitional peacekeeping mission known as ATMIS until Dec. 31. It requests the U.N. political mission in Somalia to continue providing logistical support to the African peacekeepers. Deputy British ambassador James Kariuki told the council after the vote that the resolution comes at a critical moment in Somalias security transition. ATMIS will draw down by the end of the year, and the African Union Peace and Security Council has endorsed the formation of a successor mission, he said. The Security Council welcomed an Aug. 1 communique from the AU council with its proposal for an AU-led peace support operation to replace ATMIS. The resolution asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the head of the AU Commission, in consultation with Somalia and key international parties, to report to the Security Council on the design for the successor mission by Nov. 15. Financing the new mission is a key issue and the resolution requests an update on the estimated costs and resources needed by Oct. 11. To maintain momentum on the security transition, the resolution encourages Somalia to continue developing and implementing its Security Sector Development Plan so the country can eventually assume full responsibility for, and ownership of, its security. Somalia plunged into civil war after feuding clan-based warlords toppled dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. The Horn of Africa nation established a functioning transitional government in 2012 and has been working to rebuild stability in the face of extremist attacks and growing piracy. The al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab intensified attacks on Somali military bases last year after it lost control of some territory in rural areas to a military offensive that followed the Somali presidents call in 2022 for total war to be waged against the extremist group . The resolution adopted Thursday expresses grave concern at the threat posed by al-Shabab and condemns terrorist attacks in Somalia and neighboring countries. In the latest incident, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for an attack on a Somali beach hotel Aug. 2 that left 37 people dead and dozens wounded. U.S. Minister-Counselor John Kelley applauded Somalias commitment to fighting al-Shabab and said ATMIS will continue reducing the threat posed by al-Shabab for the rest of the year. He told the council after the vote that the United States supports Somalias goal of assuming greater responsibility for its own security as soon as possible. Kelley said ATMIS and its anticipated U.N.-authorized follow-on peace support operation have vital roles in supporting that goal. Somali Ambassador Abukar Osman welcomed the councils adoption of the resolution and thanked members for their continuing commitment to help defeat al-Shabab and achieve a sustainable peace. Somalia is engaged in high tempo offensive operations against al-Shabab while working on building capable, inclusive and accountable security forces, he said. Osman said the government recognized the necessity of extending ATMIS until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition as we prepare for the post-ATMIS security arrangements in 2025. Fighting al-Shabab demands substantial technical assistance and logistical support to enhance the capability of Somali forces so they can assume responsibility for the countrys security and pave the way for the AU mission to draw down and eventually leave the country, the ambassador said. During World War II, the British laid down underwater pipelines stretching across the English Channel to France. Operation PLUTO an acronym for Pipe Lines Under the Ocean or, as its also been described, Pipeline Underwater Transportation of Oil was designed to supply fuel from England and the Isle of Wight in support of the Allied invasion of Normandy. Beginning with the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, the invasion required vast quantities of fuel. As David Edgerton notes in his book Britains War Machine: Weapons, Resources, and Experts in the Second World War, Operation PLUTO was designed to supply around 4,0005,000 tons of fuel a day some 40-50 per cent of the Allied fuel requirement at D+12 (meaning 12 days after D-Day). But how successful was Operation PLUTO in helping to supply the necessary fuel for the Allies? Landing ships putting cargo ashore on Omaha Beach at low tide during, June 1944. U.S. Coast Guard Oil and Britains war Securing oil, as well as having access to it, became a crucial aspect of how warfare was conducted in the twentieth century. Petroleum, a fossil fuel also known as crude oil, was required to both fuel and lubricate the modern weapons platforms which emerged during World War I, including submarines, aircraft, trucks, and tanks. By 1918, as Anand Toprani notes in his book Oil and the Great Powers: Britain and Germany, 1914 to 1945, oil was essential to the functioning of the modern war economy affecting sectors such as heavy industry, transportation, and agriculture. During World War II, the demand for oil only increased. Prior to 1939, vast quantities of protected petroleum were stored across Britain in anticipation of the fuel demands of the Royal Air Force (RAF). As Tim Whittle explains in an academic paper on wartime fuel supply and Operation PLUTO, storage depots were constructed in rural areas from Newcastle in the north of England down to Southampton on the countrys southern coast. Plans to build smaller Air Force Distribution Depots (AFDD) were laid in July 1939, while the construction of main Air Force Reserve Depots (AFRD), which could typically hold around 4,400 tons (4,000 tonnes) of fuel, began in 1938. When war broke out on September 3, 1939, a Petroleum Board was formed. This was a non-government organization consisting of all the major oil companies designed to coordinate petroleum supplies across the country. The government also had its own Secretary for Petroleum, a position filled by the Conservative member of parliament, Geoffrey Lloyd between 1940-1942. The construction of protected petroleum stores rapidly increased between 1940-1942, with most large installations camouflaged for safety. The supply and movement of petroleum in Britain Britain did not enjoy a plentiful domestic supply of crude oil during the period. As such, it needed to be obtained from elsewhere to meet the wartime demand. Britain drew on the resources of its empire here, notably the Middle East. An even greater supply of petroleum came from the U.S., particularly as a result of the Lend-Lease Act of March 1941. As Edgerton notes, by the middle of the war nearly all of Britains petroleum products were supplied by the U.S. British soldiers loading a truck with drums of used oil for transit to a receiving depot, 1942. Copyright IWM The aerial bombardment of Britain by Germany between 1940-1941 placed a major strain on how petroleum was moved around the country once it arrived. With the repeated targeting of petroleum storage installations, particularly to the south and southeast of England, and the closure of Englands eastern and southern coastal ports, a vast pipeline network was constructed to supply fuel to the various RAF stations from the west of the country. This pipeline network, known as the Government Pipeline Storage System (GPSS) pipeline, formed the backbone of the PLUTO pipelines. The starting point of the GPSS network was Avonmouth, a port and outer suburb of Bristol on Englands west coast. Bristol, circled in red, to the west of England. Google Maps Work on the Avonmouth/Thames pipeline, the first GPSS pipeline which connected the docks of Avonmouth with a new depot on the river Thames, started in June 1941. It was completed later that year, and measured just shy of 100 miles in length. Avonmouth was subsequently connected to the river Mersey, Liverpool, forming a South/North pipeline, and, from there, connections were made across mainland England bar the southwest. Illustration of the GPSS pipeline, dated 1944. Photo credit: Brian Hughes/Historic UK Operation PLUTO When Britain and the Allies began looking for fuel supply options ahead of an invasion of Nazi-occupied France, PLUTO was designed as an underwater extension of the GPSS pipeline. The PLUTO pipelines were not, it should be said, the main means by which petroleum was to be supplied to the continent in this scenario. Rather, PLUTO was meant to provide petroleum before a more abundant supply could be delivered via tankers. Plans for PLUTO were laid in 1942. In April, Louis Mountbatten, then chief of the Combined Operations Command, asked the government minister in charge of the Petroleum Warfare Department, Geoffrey-Lloyd, whether a pipeline could be laid under the English Channel in preparation for an invasion of German-occupied France. Working alongside Combined Operations Command, Royal Navy Captain John Hutchings was appointed the Senior Naval Officer in command of Operation PLUTO in July 1943, having already assisted Combined Operations Command since the end of 1942. Captain John Hutchings (date unknown). Copyright IWM Two types of piping were used as part of Operation PLUTO. Cabling with lead tubing and armored steel wire, codenamed HAIS, was one. The other, codenamed HAMEL, took the form of welded steel piping that could be wound around a large diameter drum, referred to as a conundrum. It was estimated that this type of pipe would be able to survive for up to six weeks within the Channel which, as Whittle indicates, was considered sufficient. HAIS and HAMEL pipes were each just three inches in diameter. Pipe stored in three-quarter mile lengths before being wound onto the conundrum (date unknown). Copyright IWM Petrol pipe for Operation PLUTO being wound onto a conundrum pipe-laying device, June 1944. Copyright IWM Another conundrum ready to be towed across the English Channel (date unknown). Copyright IWM The pipes needed to traverse a vast distance. PLUTO was planned on the assumption that the Allied invasion of France would occur in the Pas de Calais, northern France, some 31 miles (50 kilometers) from Englands south-eastern coast. However, in 1943 it was decided that the invasion would in fact occur at Normandy. The new location for the pipeline from here connected Cherbourg in Normandy to the Isle of Wight off Englands southern coast. A map of the PLUTO pipelines. BAMBI pipelines can be seen to the left; DUMBO pipelines can be seen to the right. Note, the locations given for Shanklin Chine on the Isle of Wight and Ambleteuse in France differ slightly from the description below, but provide an indication of where the pipelines began and ended. Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons It was not until August 12, 1944, that the first PLUTO pipeline, codenamed BAMBI, was laid by the Royal Navy. As part of BAMBI, HAIS cable was laid from Cherbourg to the Isle of Wight. The pre-existing Reading/Southampton GPSS mainland pipeline was extended to the Isle of Wight especially for BAMBI. Work on the PLUTO pipeline was scheduled to begin on June 24. Delays were caused in part because the pipes themselves were easily damaged when laid. But more significantly, BAMBI was delayed because of the military chain of events after the D-Day landings. Work on the PLUTO pipeline relied on the Allies capturing Cherbourg harbor intact in only eight days. This was a tall order, and the harbor was not taken until June 27. For reference, the assault phase of the invasion, known as Operation Neptune, ended just a few days later on June 30. A conundrum being towed across the English Channel (date unknown). Copyright IWM How successful was Operation PLUTO? BAMBI didnt supply any petroleum until mid-September 1944. When it did, it only supplied around 275 tons (250 tonnes) of petroleum per day. The first laying of a HAMEL pipe took place in late September. In early October, work began on laying a shorter pipeline, codenamed DUMBO, from Boulogne-sur-Mer to Dungeness on the Kent coast. Dungeness wasnt close to any of the GPSS pipelines, so a connecting pipeline, roughly 71 miles long, was used to plug Dungeness into the main supply line. The Boulogne-sur-Mer to Dungeness pipeline was only partially operational by late October, supplying just over 848 tons (770 tonnes) of petroleum per day. DUMBO went on to deliver higher supply numbers than this. Citing the official postwar history of oil supply, Whittle suggests DUMBO reached a peak flow-rate of just under 2,000 tons a day after Victory in Europe Day on May 8, 1945. Edgerton has the figure at roughly 3,300 tons per day. Clearly, DUMBO was more successful than BAMBI, but this was well after the Allied invasion of Normandy. One of the pump stations at Dungeness on the Kent coast, camouflaged to resemble the surrounding gravel quarry in which it was located (date unknown). Copyright IWM Much of Operation PLUTOs allure no doubt comes from the ingenuity displayed by those who made it possible. In this sense, it mirrors the efforts of the Enigma code-breakers of Bletchley Park, notably the scientist Alan Turing, in making the seemingly impossible or at least the improbable a reality. In May 1945, Churchill himself suggested that Operation PLUTO was a wholly British achievement and a piece of amphibious engineering skill of which we may well be proud. Ultimately, Operation PLUTO was less successful than the British authorities envisioned in 1942 and 1943. The average flow rate of PLUTO roughly equated to two large tankers a month. As Whittle suggests, however, PLUTO should be seen within the wider context of the GPSS network. Throughout all of 1944, and for a short part of 1945, the largely unknown GPSS network carried more than 275,000 tons (250,000 tonnes) per month (tpm) a quite astonishing volume. Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office is on scene of a train derailment near Keithville. According to officials a Union Pacific single train derailment happened around 4:43 p.m. Thursday. Union Pacific investigators are on the scene to determine the cost of crash. Keachi train derailment leaks 10,000 gallons of acid, causing evacuation Officials say there are 156 box cars on track and nine of those box cars were derailed. There was hazardous material on the train but it was not affected by the derailment. There were no vehicles impacted. Credit: Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office Credit: Caddo Parish Sheriffs Officev Credit: Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office Credit: Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office Some roads are closed in the area near Old Mansfield Road to Keithville Keatchie and the surrounding areas. This is a developing story, more details will be added. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. DENVER (KDVR) Some pretty neat things have been invented in Colorado, like Jolly Ranchers, the parking boot, the first aluminum beer can, the slopper burger and arguably even the cheeseburger. In 2024, it may seem like just about everything has been invented already, and yet Coloradans continue to make innovative creations every year. Thats why the Colorado Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual Coolest Thing Made in Colorado competition, highlighting the vibrant and diverse manufacturing industry across the state. OSIRIS-REx spacecraft named 2023 Coolest Thing Made in Colorado The 10 finalists for this year were announced earlier this month, and the winner will be named at a ceremony in October. This years impressive top 10 finalists represent just how diverse and vibrant our manufacturing community is across the state, said Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman. Were proud to showcase products made right here in Colorado for the third year in a row and highlight how vital the manufacturing industry is to our states economy. An independent selection committee reviews each nomination and chooses the finalists. All of the finalists will be honored and the winner will be announced at the Colorado Chambers Annual Meeting Luncheon on Oct. 17. Here is a quick look at the top 10 Coolest Thing Made in Colorado finalists for 2024: BBS Revolution by dBMEDx The BBS Revolution is manufactured in Denver and is the worlds first truly automatic bladder scanner, according to the product website. The device, designed to improve infection control in healthcare, reduces the need for catheters by providing accurate bladder volume measurements. Where to find sunflower fields near Denver in 2024 Equipped with a probe featuring eight transducers and a 180-degree field of view, the BBS Revolution performs scans in just three seconds, the chamber said. The BBS Revolution is manufactured in Denver and is the "world's first truly automatic bladder scanner," according to the product website. The device, designed to improve infection control in healthcare, reduces the need for catheters by providing accurate bladder volume measurements. Control Moment Gyroscopes by Blue Canyon Technologies Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette develops control moment gyroscopes that enhance spacecraft agility by providing precise control and minimal vibration to allow for the best observations of Earth from the space crafts. The Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) is an attitude control unit used to maneuver space vehicles, generating gyroscopic torque through a spinning rotor and motorized gimbals, the chamber said in a release. These CMGs are designed for small satellites and offer significantly higher torque compared to reaction wheels with reduced power consumption. Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette develops control moment gyroscopes that enhance spacecraft agility by providing precise control and minimal vibration to allow for the best observations of Earth from the space crafts. Freedom Trax by TOUR Engineering Freedom Trax, invented by TOUR Engineering in Golden, is a portable, motorized off-road attachment for manual wheelchairs to help wheelchair users explore and navigate uneven terrain. Instead of traditional wheels, the attachment uses track technology like those found in tanks, according to the chamber, making for a smooth ride over sand, snow, trails, grass, wood chips, gravel, cobblestone and ice. Freedom Trax, invented by TOUR Engineering in Golden, is a portable, motorized off-road attachment for manual wheelchairs to help wheelchair users explore and navigate uneven terrain. Great Range Premium Bison by Rocky Mountain Natural Meats Based in Henderson, Rocky Mountain Natural Meats Great Range Premium Bison products can be found in grocery stores and restaurants across the country. The chamber said the company works to sustain the American bison population while promoting its health benefits. What is a Colorado Bulldog? Known for its focus on quality and consistency, Great Range offers a healthy and sustainable meat option, with bison contributing to land regeneration, the release states. Based in Henderson, Rocky Mountain Natural Meats' Great Range Premium Bison products can be found in grocery stores and restaurants across the country. The chamber said the company works to sustain the American bison population while promoting its health benefits. Handmade Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles by Liberty Puzzles Liberty Puzzles in Boulder created a modern twist on the classic jigsaw puzzle, combining the craftmanship of traditional puzzles with contemporary design and precision, according to the release. The intricately designed puzzle pieces are made from quarter-inch three-ply plywood and cut with lasers to create whimsy shapes inspired by plants, animals and geometric patterns that complement the puzzle image, the chamber said. Liberty Puzzles in Boulder created a modern twist on the classic jigsaw puzzle, combining the craftmanship of traditional puzzles with contemporary design and precision, according to the release. Integrated Multi-Layer Insulation by Quest Thermal Quest Thermal, based in Arvada, makes a high-performance superinsulation technology for NASA spacecraft and space instruments called Integrated Multi-Layer Insulation. It protects critical items like rocket propellants and liquid oxygen and is also utilized in the Grace Space Telescope and NASAs Near Earth Surveyor, the chamber said. Quest Thermal, based in Arvada, makes a high-performance superinsulation technology for NASA spacecraft and space instruments called Integrated Multi-Layer Insulation. Pilatus PC-24 Jet by Pilatus Business Aircraft The PC-24 Jet is the only business jet in the world that can land on unpaved surfaces like dirt, grass and gravel, according to the release. It is manufactured by Pilatus Business Aircraft at the Rocky Mountain Metro Airport in Broomfield. This twin-engine jet not only offers the unique feature of handling unpaved runways but is also distinguished by its exclusive design, which includes a dedicated cargo door, the chamber said. Manufactured by Pilatus Business Aircraft at the Rocky Mountain Metro Airport in Broomfield, the PC-24 Jet is the only business jet in the world that can land on unpaved surfaces like dirt, grass and gravel, according to the release. Pretred Sustainable Barriers and Barricades by Pretred Inc. Pretred Inc. creates an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to concrete barriers and barricades for construction, parking, erosion control, perimeter security, flood management and more. It has been brutal: Why its so hard to grow apples across the Front Range The Aurora-based company instead makes barriers out of 95% recycled materials including over 70% waste tires, making for a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to concrete, the chamber said. These products are customizable, bumper-friendly and easy to move, providing superior durability and reducing maintenance costs, the chamber said. Pretred Inc. in Aurora creates an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to concrete barriers and barricades for construction, parking, erosion control, perimeter security, flood management and more. Solar-Powered Cold Storage by Radiant Innovation Like a giant refrigerator or freezer on wheels, Radiant Innovation in Englewood manufactures insulated, solar-powered cold storage shipping containers that are adaptable to varying levels of solar irradiation. What happened to Colorados cherry trees? With ten units constructed so far five deployed in California and five in Colorado these systems serve purposes such as emergency food storage and local farming and food distribution, the chamber said. Like a giant refrigerator or freezer on wheels, Radiant Innovation in Englewood creates insulated, solar-powered cold storage shipping containers that are adaptable to varying levels of solar irradiation. Sustainable Handmade Terracotta Tiles by Particular Tile Particular Tile in Montrose uses nuisance materials, like muddy sediment from the Paonia Reservoir and methane from abandoned coal mines, to address local environmental issues and create sustainable handmade terracotta tiles. Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather The methane, which would otherwise contribute significant climate pollution, is utilized to power the kilns and facility, creating a green solution for producing high-quality ceramics, the chamber said. Particular Tile in Montrose uses nuisance materials, like muddy sediment from the Paonia Reservoir and methane from abandoned coal mines, to address local environmental issues and create sustainable handmade terracotta tiles. Soon, the chamber said it will launch an online voting tool for people to vote for their favorite product to win the Peoples Choice award. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Missouri's Division of Cannabis Regulation has issued a product recall for marijuana products sold by C&C Manufacturing, LLC and NGWMO LLC (Courtesy of DHSS). State regulators issued two cannabis recall notices last week involving 135,000 marijuana products more than double Missouris first massive cannabis product recall exactly one year ago. Ive never seen recalls of this magnitude in any other state, said Nick Rinella, CEO of Hippos Cannabis. This is kind of unprecedented. Since the announcement, Rinella and facility owners around the state have scrambled to quarantine thousands of vapes, edibles and pre-rolled joints in their secure vaults. Now theyll wait until state regulators tell them what to do with those products. Problem is, some of them are still holding products from last years recall, which centered around Robertsville-based manufacturer Delta Extraction, because that recall is still being challenged. However, others opted to work with the state to destroy those products. Thats where the stress comes from, said Mark Hendren, president of Flora Farms cannabis company. If a dispensary or facility has a small vault, he said, and you have product that you have to quarantine, it makes it difficult space wise for you to bring in other inventory to keep the business moving. The first recall notice came on the night of Aug. 6, stating the Division of Cannabis Regulation was working in partnership with Marceline-based cultivation facility NGWMO LLC to alert to patients and consumers about a mandatory product recall. The grow facility is run by Natures Grace and Wellness, which founded a family-owned farm in Vermont, Ill., in 2014 after the state passed medical marijuana. Tim OHern, COO and general counsel of Natures Grace, is listed as the designated contact for the facility. This recall involves 2,650 products and has to do with the products being tested too soon in the process. The recalled marijuana products were not compliantly tested prior to being sold to patients and consumers, the notice states. The recalled marijuana product was tested at the unprocessed bud/flower stage rather than being tested at the final marijuana product stage The second notice came two days later for the Springfield-based manufacturing facility C&C Manufacturing LLC. Notably, it didnt include the in partnership language. It lists about 133,000 products, which regulators said were not properly tracked in the states seed to sale tracing system called Metrc. Therefore, the notice states, DCR cannot verify compliance with health and safety requirements. However, the division emphasized that no adverse reactions involving recalled products have been reported. Matt Cummins, CEO of GOAT Extracts, is listed as the designated contact for the facility and a number of GOAT products are on the list. The Independent reached out to both companies for comment and did not receive a response. Adrienne Scales-Williams, owner of St. Louis dispensary Luxury Leaf, agreed that storage space for the recalled products is challenging. And while theres uncertainty on how long the products will need to be contained, she said she trusts the state is doing their due diligence to investigate the issue. Weve been through this before, Scales-Williams said. When its not your first ride in the rodeo, you just handle it. The impact The recall for the Springfield manufacturer is so widespread because the company specializes in making distillate, or THC concentrate that produces a high in edibles and vape pens. Other manufacturers statewide bought the distillate and used it to make numerous brands of vapes, edibles or pre-rolled joints, including Rove, Zen and Packarillos. The recall time frame is also quite wide. It goes back to last year when companies were trying to ramp up for recreational marijuana sales, Rinella said. Rinella bought some of C&Cs distillate in October when Hippos own supply was low at its grow and manufacturing facilities, he said. But he emphasized that this recall is not because of lack of testing. Once Rinella and other manufacturers got the distillate and made products with it, those were properly tested before they went on the shelves, he said. We can feel confident that those products were safe, he said. They passed all the tests, and we have some of the most stringent tests in the country. The division lists the recalled products in two Excel sheets. One is product recall list, which includes the identifiers that the manufacturers use to track products. The division also posted a consumer recall list that includes numbers that customers are more likely to see on their products. The division advises patients and consumers to stop using the products and return them to the dispensary. Returned products will not count toward a patients purchase limit, it states. Also any adverse reactions should be reported to the division of cannabis by email or through an online complaint form. Delta Extraction Just like C&C Manufacturing, the states first recall on Aug. 2, 2023 centered around a distillate that was sold to numerous other manufacturers. Also similarly, Delta Extractions products were recalled due to the states inability to track the ingredients to make the distillate on Metrc, which starts tracking marijuana plants from the moment theyre planted in Missouri. In that case, Delta was selling a distillate that was mostly made up of hemp-derived THC, using hemp that wasnt grown in Missouri and couldnt be tracked. Delta mixed it with a small amount of THC from marijuana grown in Missouri. Its much less expensive to make distillate from out-state hemp than Missouri-grown marijuana, but Deltas consumers still paid marijuana prices. Hemp isnt a controlled substance and can legally cross state lines, unlike marijuana. The company appealed both the recall and the revocation of their cannabis business license before the Administrative Hearing Commission, challenging whether or not the state has the authority to regulate hemp products. In March, Commissioner Carol Illes heard three days of testimony and evidence and has yet to release her decision. Days before the two recent recalls, Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order banning intoxicating hemp products and threatening penalties to any establishment with a Missouri liquor license or that sells food products for selling them. According to the order, licensed cannabis dispensaries cant sell these products either because the hemp used to make them has to be grown in Missouri and tracked through Metrc. Nearly all of these products currently on the market and the ones that Delta used are made from hemp grown in other states. SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) An employee at a Spartanburg County hospital is accused of taking advantage of two patients to get money and merchandise. The Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office said a woman filed a report on July 30 that while her mother was at the Mary Black Campus of Spartanburg Medical Center, an employee convinced her mother to unlock her phone and then transferred money to the employees PayPal account. Investigators said $320 was sent in one transfer and another transfer of $514 was unsuccessful. The sheriffs office said they met with the employees supervisors and they identified the suspect as a patient care assistant. The employee was placed on administrative leave. That same day, investigators said another woman filed a report that her mothers phone was stolen while she was a patient at Mary Black. The phone was then used to purchase two televisions, a wall mount, and a TV stand worth more than $600 using the victims Amazon account, the sheriffs office said. The employee, identified as 28-year-old Jasmin Nasstassia Streeter, was fired from the hospital after the second report was filed. During a search of Streeters home, deputies found the items which were ordered from the victims Amazon account. The sheriffs office said Streeter told deputies that both victims gave her consent to order the items, since they were appreciative of her care for them. Streeter was arrested and charged with two counts of financial identity fraud, exploitation of a vulnerable adult, obtaining property by false pretense, and financial transaction card fraud. She was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center on $23,000 bond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) An Upstate man is currently behind bars Friday morning for reportedly assaulting a woman with a clothes iron. The Oconee County Sheriffs Office arrested 38-year-old Kerry Orlando Hollins, of Seneca, Thursday morning at his home on Gail Court. An investigation began Monday when deputies responded to Oconee Memorial Hospital in regards to a report of a domestic violence incident. A woman reported to authorities that Hollins had assaulted and threatened her during her stay at his residence over the weekend. Investigators said based on evidence, it was determined that Hollins punched the woman in the mouth and burned her legs and stomach with a clothes iron. The victim also mentioned to law enforcement that Hollins kept her phone to prevent her from calling for help. Detectives learned that Hollins drove the woman to the hospital. The suspect left the scene when security was notified and the sheriffs office was en route. Deputies charged Hollins with first-degree domestic violence and kidnapping. He was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center on a $150,000 bond. Hollins will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device, as a condition of bond, should he be released from jail according to deputies. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. LAURENS COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) An investigation is underway after several students and faculty members experienced a sudden illness Thursday afternoon. Laurens County School District 55 confirmed with 7NEWS that the illness impacted individuals at Gray Court-Owings School. The Laurens Fire Department evacuated students to investigate possible carbon monoxide poisoning but it was determined that was not the cause of illness. The district said Friday afternoon that they ruled out food issues as the cause of the illness. The school underwent deep cleaning overnight. A stomach virus may be responsible as the district said there were a few cases Wednesday at the school. All after-school events were canceled to protect the safety of students and staff. The incident remains under investigation according to officials. The district reminded parents to keep their children home if they are sick. 7NEWS will continue to update this story as more information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Fall As Ethereum Co-founder Vitalik Buterin Donates Over $500K Worth Of Memecoins To Animal Charity Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), has donated over half a million dollars to a charity that looks after the welfare of animals. What Happened: In an X post on Thursday, Buterin revealed sending 200 Ether, worth $524,320, to Effective Altruism Fund's Animal Welfare Fund. This stash was obtained after selling all the animal coins that were sent to his wallets over the past year. Don't Miss: According to Cathie Wood, holding 6 Ethereum (ETH) could make you a millionaire, heres why it can be true . If you invested $100 in DOGE when Elon Musk first tweeted about it in 2019, heres how much youd have today. His reference was most likely to Ethereum-based memecoins, which are themed on dogs, cats, and even frogs. Over the years, billions of dollars worth of memecoins have landed in Buterins wallet against his wishes, possibly in an attempt by nascent projects to pique investors attention by leveraging on his brand value in the cryptocurrency wish. Charity donation done, covering all animal coins from the past year or so! That said, I appreciate it if coin holdings just get allocated to the charities directly It's 2024, we can start doing more sophisticated public goods fun-ding, eg. see https://t.co/8ZVhwkVwLy pic.twitter.com/RQ1ThdLCYL vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) August 15, 2024 Trending: Heres the AI-powered startup that turns traders into influencers achieving 12% monthly growth invest in it at only 10 cents per share. In 2021, Buterin received nearly $7 billion worth of Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB), the second-largest memecoin by market cap currently, from its developers. Of this, he donated $1 billion to aid COVID relief in India and burned the rest. The cryptocurrency entrepreneur has frequently warned projects not to send him unsolicited meme tokens, and he used the platform to convey the message again, albeit in good spirits. I appreciate it if coin holdings just get allocated to the charities directly, he wrote. Trending: This new startup venture is the future of automated convenience stores read more about why these $10 pre-IPO shares are so valuable before the offer closes in just 10 days. Why It Matters: Buterin has expressed reservations around memecoins, despite Ethereum birthing many successful, billion-dollar projects in this category. He has supported the charitable aspect of such coins, where a portion of the supply can be put to use for the needy. However, he criticized copy-and-paste coins that add no fundamental value and simply rely on market speculation. Story continues Earlier in June, Buterin slammed the mushrooming of celebrity memecoins, which he believed were just benefiting powerful people and early adopters. See Also: Dont miss out on the next Nvidia you can invest in the future of AI for only $10. Price Action: This allocation to charity wasnt taken positively by Ethereum-based coins, as most traded in red as of this writing, according to data from Benzinga Pro. Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) dropped 1.64% in the last 24 hours, while Shiba Inu dipped 1.45%. Frog-themed Pepe (CRYPTO: PEPE) plunged 5.23%. Read Next: "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Fall As Ethereum Co-founder Vitalik Buterin Donates Over $500K Worth Of Memecoins To Animal Charity originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. More than 100 state employees rallied during a noon hour in early December against Gov. Pillen's order to end remote work. Dec. 7, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) The Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations, a state agency charged with settling disputes between public employees and their government employers, recently made a high-profile decision regarding remote work assignments for state employees that may affect all Nebraskans. While the Nebraska Association of Public Employees (NAPE/AFSCME) has appealed the CIRs recent decision that the State of Nebraska does not have to negotiate the terms and conditions of remote work assignments, Gov. Jim Pillen should end the dispute today and negotiate an agreement with state employees that benefits all Nebraskans. In November 2023, the governor issued an executive order, effectively ending remote work assignments for state employees. At the time, the governor stated, Were running state government like a business, and the best way to do that is face to face. It has been clear from the outset that the governor has a strong preference for in-person work assignments, while some state employees see value in a remote or hybrid work assignment. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, society has debated the positives and negatives of remote work, and, of course, there are pros and cons to both remote and in-person assignments. Today, 85% of state employees work face-to-face full time, and did so throughout the pandemic, ensuring that essential services were provided to our fellow Nebraskans. Nobody has suggested that our snowplow drivers, nurses, maintenance workers, and Department of Motor Vehicles examiners, to name a few, should have a remote work assignment. The overwhelming majority of state jobs must be performed in person to provide the quality services our neighbors expect. However, in order to make state government run effectively and efficiently, there are a number of dedicated state employees who do critical work that doesnt directly interface with the public. Our child support enforcement workers, accountants, auditors, payroll specialists and many more do crucial work that often goes unseen. In many job classifications, we are facing a staffing shortfall. The governor said, Nebraskans expect that our agencies are fully staffed and open for business. The governor is correct on the expectations, but the reality is we arent anywhere near fully staffed. Ending remote work assignments will only exacerbate the problem. More than 20% of state jobs were vacant in May 2024. Even after the governor eliminated some vacant positions in June 2024, the vacancy rate remains in the double digits. Remote work assignments help to attract and retain employees in certain positions, and we should do everything we can to ensure all vacant positions are filled. That is why our union filed a complaint with the CIR when the governor refused to negotiate over remote work assignments. State law requires negotiations between our union and the governor over changes to the terms and conditions because its best practice. Negotiating working conditions with state employees is a smart investment for the future. The dispute, now headed to the Nebraska Supreme Court, is less about remote work, and more about when negotiations are required between the state and its employees. Even if the Supreme Court rules in the governors favor, he would be well served to work with state employees and negotiate. By negotiating common sense terms and conditions for employees, where appropriate, we can ensure the most efficient and effective delivery of state services, and attract and retain a new generation of public servants. A union is a group of employees who unite together to advocate and collectively bargain their wages and working conditions. State employees working conditions are directly tied to the quality of services that the public receives. Its important to listen to the voices of frontline state employees. We hope the governor will end this litigation and negotiate with us. We are confident that we can work together with the governor at the negotiating table to come up with a solution that sets the State of Nebraska up for success for years to come. We have successfully done so with six different governors over the last 37 years, and we are confident we can do the same with Gov. Pillen. When we work together and negotiate, everyone has a voice in crafting the best possible outcomes. Its a win for the state, a win for the employees, and most importantly, a win for all Nebraskans. The News The US and its partners said on Friday they have put forth a proposal to Israel and Hamas that closes the remaining gap between the two sides that have so far prevented a ceasefire in Gaza. The announcement came after two days of negotiations in Qatar, and senior officials will meet again before the end of next week to try to seal the ceasefire deal and ensure the release of Hamas hostages. While Hamas and Israel have agreed to the broad contours of a deal, both blame each other for the lack of an agreement so far. Israel has not yet commented on Fridays proposal, and the militant group did not sound enthusiastic about it, according to the Associated Press. A potential escalation in the Middle East hinges on a ceasefire, as Iran has suggested that an agreement could blunt its retaliation against Israel for the killings of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. US and allies push for Israel-Hamas ceasefire to be reached next week after presenting fresh proposal to warring sides International mediators are making an urgent push for Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal next week after high-stakes negotiations in Qatar saw them put a fresh proposal to the warring parties. The bridging proposal presented on Friday was intended to close the remaining gaps of disagreement between both sides, a joint statement from the US, Qatar and Egypt said. US President Joe Biden expressed optimism about the state of ceasefire and hostage release talks that are expected to resume in Cairo next week. We are closer than weve ever been, he said, adding that the talks had brought the chances of a deal much, much closer than it was three days ago. But the Hamas leadership sees the new US proposal as responding and conforming to Israels conditions, a senior Hamas source privy to the details of the negotiations told CNN. The source accused Israel of adding new conditions in order to stall the agreement. Meanwhile, the Israeli negotiating delegation returned to Israel late Friday feeling cautiously optimistic about the prospects of reaching a deal, an Israeli source familiar with the talks said. They narrowed the gaps, the source said. These were very productive and positive talks. The source, however, cautioned that the bridging proposal has yet to be submitted to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza a process that is expected to occur this weekend. The two days of discussions took place amid tensions across the region about a potential Iranian attack against Israel, which carries the risk of scuppering already fragile negotiations. Biden on Friday also sent a warning message to Iran and Iranian-backed proxies that they should not take any actions to undermine the progress of the talks. The US president added that he is sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel this weekend to reaffirm the White Houses iron-clad support for Israels security. Two high-stakes days According to a diplomatic source close to negotiations, the talks were attended both days by CIA director Bill Burns, Mossad chief David Barnea, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence head Abbas Kamel. The joint statement from the US, Qatar and Egypt said the proposal builds on the areas of agreement over the past week, and bridges remaining gaps in a manner that allows for a swift implementation of the deal. Senior officials from the US, Qatar and Egypt will meet again in Cairo before the end of next week, with the aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward Friday, the joint statement said. The talks were serious and constructive, the statement added, though it did not elaborate on what points of agreement were achieved over the past week. Israel on Friday said it welcomed the mediators efforts but did not explicitly endorse the latest proposal on the table. Israel appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said in a statement. Israels essential principles are well known to the mediators and the US, and Israel hopes that their pressure will lead Hamas to accept the May 27 principles, so that the details of the agreement can be implemented. Later that evening, an Israeli source told CNN that a working-level delegation has remained in Doha and another working-level delegation is expected to fly to Cairo this weekend to work through the technical details of the implementation of an agreement, the source said. Hamas has not rejected a hostage release deal, as the statement from the PMO suggested. On Thursday it reiterated its stance that there will be no hostage deal or ceasefire agreement without a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The senior Hamas source privy to the details of the negotiations confirmed to CNN that the armed group believes Israel continues to evade and obstruct and insists on adding new conditions to stall the agreement. Hamas did not attend the talks but engaged separately with Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The death toll in Gaza since Israel launched its war against Hamas reached 40,000 people earlier this week, a bleak figure that underscores the desperation in the enclave for a reprieve from ten months of bloody conflict. But discussions to bring about a pause have been shrouded in uncertainty since Israeli strikes in late July killed Hamas former political leader and senior figures in Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. It is understood that both sides have failed to agree on the implementation of the finer details of the proposal. A regional diplomat familiar with the negotiations told CNN that the continued sticking points for Hamas are Israels restrictions on the movement of people from southern Gaza to the north, its demand for a veto over which Palestinian prisoners would be released, as well as its continued presence at the Philadelphi corridor and the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Both Israel and Hamas may be forced to be more flexible in the days ahead in order to reach a deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is already facing significant pressure from the US which is expected to be conveyed during Blinkens visit to Israel next week and the Qataris and Egyptians plan on bringing more pressure to bear on Hamas. It is too early to tell if there will be an agreement, but the Israeli source said there is potential for a deal to be announced when top officials convene again mid to late next week. Ready for any possible contingency A major Iranian reprisal attack against Israel could still disrupt the ceasefire talks; previous negotiations were at an advanced stage before the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a Hezbollah military commander in Beirut, US officials have said. Iran has blamed on Israel for Haniyehs death. Israel hasnt confirmed or denied responsibility. On Friday, Irans acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri expressed skepticism about the integrity of the negotiations, accusing the US of bias in a phone call with Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. By supplying the Zionists with war weapons, the US is itself an accomplice, not a neutral mediator, Bagheri tweeted. Meanwhile, a senior US administration official has warned that there could be cataclysmic consequences and particularly for Iran if Tehran decides to strike Israel and escalate the conflict in the Middle East. The official added that the United States has encouraged Iran, through intermediaries, to not attack as there is a path to achieve a ceasefire and hostage deal on the table. The de-escalation and potential for a ceasefire deal are separate, the official said, but are happening in parallel. When asked by CNNs MJ Lee whether the US would be involved in any attacks on Iran after Israels Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that he told his British and French counterparts that he expects their nations to attack Iran in the event of an Iranian attack on Israel the senior administration official sidestepped, saying the situation is very hypothetical. We have deployed the military resources to the region that are needed for every possible contingency, and were working in very close coordination with partners and allies, the official added. We are ready for any possible contingency, and were going to help defend Israel, and not going to get ahead of anything else that. I just say this, this attack from Iran has been predicted now, I think every day over the last two and a half weeks. So you know, lets see. Ill just say we are prepared, they added. CNNs Samantha Waldenberg contributed reporting For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com US calls on Sudan's military to join talks to calm the country's grinding conflict Demonstrators hold signs during a rally, on the opening day of peace talks for Sudan, at the Place des Nations in front of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP) CAIRO (AP) The United States on Friday called on Sudan's military to join talks aimed at calming the country's grinding conflict as the African country faces a worsening humanitarian crisis. The military has boycotted the negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, now in their third day, despite international pleas that it take part in the talks. Sudans military is battling the powerful paramilitary, known as Rapid Support Forces. The RSF remains here ready for talks to start; SAF needs to decide to come, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello posted on X on Friday, using the acronym for Sudans Armed Forces. Diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union and the United Nations were at the talks, which started earlier this week. Sudan's paramilitary sent a delegation to Geneva. On Thursday, Sudans governing council, which is led by top military generals, announced that they had opened the key border crossing of Adre, from neighboring Chad into Sudan's restive western region of Darfur, which has been worst-hit by fighting and displacement. The announcement was welcomed by the U.N. and the U.S., but it remained unclear how it will affect aid delivery on the ground, where heavy flooding has also impeded access in recent weeks. Both sides have traded accusations of attacking civilians and obstructing aid since the country's war started in April 2023. The northeastern African nation plunged into chaos last year when tensions between the military and the RSF turned into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading across the country. The Geneva-led talks come as more people face severe hunger and displacement, and civilians death mount. On Thursday, UNESCO said that a bomb detonated at a school and market in the city of El Obeid the previous day, killing five girls and injuring 20 other children. Aid workers say the situation has grown even more dire for Sudanese civilians in Darfur, many of whom are facing worsening hunger and malnutrition. Tammam Aloudat, president of the Netherlands board of Doctors without Borders, or MSF, returned from a mission in Niyala, South Darfur this week. He told The Associated Press that he saw a large number of children at the group's hospital who were so malnourished that they had stopped eating and needed medical interventions, and saw those whose growth had been severely stunted by hunger. We have directly seen severe pockets of severe malnutrition," he said. Infants whose age was more than a year old appeared to be no more than four or five months old. They can't walk, they are severely malnourished, he said. Aloudat said he hopes the announcement of the reopening of the border crossing will mean more U.N. aid can reach hard-hit areas, but that many obstacles remain. Meaningful humanitarian access can be measured when the millions of people in need of assistance and protection start to receive it, not when decisions are simply announced, he said. The conflict has killed thousands of people and pushed many into starvation. The atrocities include mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the U.N. and international rights groups. Sudans war has also created the worlds largest displacement crisis. More than 10.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes since fighting began, according to the International Organization for Migration. Over 2 million of them have fled to neighboring countries. Last month, global experts confirmed that starvation at a massive camp for displaced people in Darfur has grown into famine. And about 25.6 million people more than half of Sudans population will face acute hunger, the experts from the Famine Review Committee warned. The US is confident in its cease-fire proposal. Hamas has issues with it. U.S. officials voiced confidence Friday that a cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas could be closed as early as next week, even as the Palestinian militant group seems poised to reject a bridging proposal that mediators unveiled in Doha. Mediators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar on Friday offered Israel and Hamas a proposal to address continued disagreements over implementing a cease-fire and the release of hostages. In a joint statement today, the three countries said that they aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward today when they reconvene next week in Cairo. President Joe Biden told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that we are closer to a deal than we have ever been." And a senior administration official told reporters the proposal is a comprehensive arrangement. It has been negotiated for months, and we do believe very strongly, and there's momentum here in this process to work to bring this to conclusion. The official provided the media briefing on condition that they be granted anonymity. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also travel to the region this weekend, where he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. But Hamas officials, who skipped the talks, told Agence-France Presse , the BBC and other outlets that the framework presented in Doha contains new conditions they cannot agree to and argued it does not align with past versions they accepted. The details of the bridging proposal have not been publicly shared by any of the parties involved, and it is unclear what aspects Hamas feels it cant accept. But U.S. officials have in the past said that Israel and Hamas were in disagreement over just a handful of implementation issues, including the timing of a swap of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody and Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Another flashpoint in the negotiations includes the status of the Philadelphi corridor, a buffer zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Israel has pushed to control the area in recent weeks as a security measure to deter future attacks into its territory from Hamas. The senior administration official said that the issue has been discussed with Egypt as part of recent talks and said it is moving in the right way. Some Middle East analysts argued that Hamas reaction may not be a large setback in the grand scheme of peace talks. Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. negotiator on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said in an interview that nobody expected a deal or anything remotely close to it coming out of this weeks cease-fire talks in Doha. A bit more time, he added, might even be helpful, as neither side in his view is ready to close on a permanent cease-fire. At best, you're talking about phase one, six weeks, because no one is prepared to go beyond that, said Miller, who is now a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The region is still bracing for greater conflict, including a potential attack from Iran. And Israel ordered civilians today to evacuate areas in Gaza that had previously been considered to be civilian safe zones, alleging that Hamas militants were firing rockets from the civilian areas to fire rockets. Trita Parsi, executive vice president at the Quincy Institute think tank in Washington, said pressure is likely to build inside Iran to take action if it takes too long and it becomes increasingly clear that this is an exercise to hold off attacks and retaliation, rather than actually securing a cease-fire. A version of this article previously appeared in POLITICO's National Security Daily newsletter. Like this content? Consider signing up! People mourn near the bodies of Palestinians who were killed in Israeli attack on the Al-Tabeen school which sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City, at the al-Maamadani hospital. At least 100 people were killed and dozens more were wounded. Hadi Daoud/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa The US government remains optimistic about the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and is simultaneously urging for a willingness to compromise. "Yes, we believe that we can get there, but it is going to require some additional leadership and some additional compromise, and it's going to require the teams on both sides to be willing to come together and to flesh out these final details," US National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby told US broadcaster CNN on Friday. The negotiations had been postponed to the following week earlier Friday. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, together with Israel and the Palestinian militant Hamas movement, did not achieve a breakthrough, according to a joint statement, but the two-day talks in the Qatari capital Doha were described as constructive. Another high-level meeting is scheduled to take place in Cairo before the end of next week. According to the three mediators, there is a proposal that should help narrow "the remaining gaps." It is also in line with the peace plan principles presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of May, the details of which Hamas does not want to renegotiate. Technical teams are to work in the coming days on how the current proposals can be implemented. US judge taken off bench for handcuffing schoolgirl who fell asleep on class trip District Court Judge Kenneth King said that he did not like Eva Goodman's 'attitude' - Latoreya Till A judge in the United States who handcuffed a schoolgirl for falling asleep during a class trip to his courtroom has been temporarily taken off the bench. District Court Judge Kenneth King forced a 15-year-old girl to wear handcuffs and a jail uniform during the school excursion to the 36th District Court in Detroit. The judge said that he did not like Eva Goodmans attitude and that he wanted to show her how you are to conduct yourself in a courtroom. After the girl woke up from her nap, Judge King told Eva: You sleep at home in your bed, not in court. Click here to view this content. He asked other visitors on the trip to vote on whether she should be sent to a juvenile detention centre. He then decided to have her handcuffed and dressed in a jail uniform before releasing her. It was her whole attitude and her whole disposition that disturbed me, the judge told reporters in interviews after the incident. I wanted to get through to her, show how serious this is, he said, adding: Ill do whatever needs to be done to reach these kids and make sure that they dont end up in front of me. Judge King said that he wanted to show the 15-year-old 'how you are to conduct yourself in a courtroom' - Todd McInturf/Detroit News On Thursday, William McConico, the chief judge of the 36th District Court, said that he had conducted a swift and thorough internal investigation of the incident. He added that Judge King would be taken off his cases to undergo necessary training. Judge McConio said: We sincerely hope that this incident does not undermine our longstanding relationships with local schools. Eva with her mother, Latoreya Hill, who said her daughter was tired because she did not have her own bed The Greening of Detroit, a non-profit organisation, had taken the group to Judge Kings courtroom so they could learn more about the legal happenings in the courtroom. It said that it had spoken to Eva following the incident and that the young lady was traumatised by the judges unnecessary disciplinary treatment and scolding. Ms Hill said: 'Would you want someone to treat your child like that? To belittle her in front of the whole world?' Latoreya Hill, Evas mother, told local news that Eva did not have her own bed to sleep in. She was tired, Ms Hill, a single mother of two, said. Im trying my best. She added: Would you want someone to treat your child like that? To belittle her in front of the whole world and her friends, to make her feel even more worse about her situation? Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. U.S.-backed forces in eastern Syria launched a major attack on three posts manned by pro-government gunmen on Aug. 12, 2024, killing at least 18 fighters in a rare provocation near the border with Iraq. The assault marked the worst clashes in eastern Syria in nearly a year. Earlier in August, eight U.S. personnel stationed in Syria were injured in a drone attack purportedly carried out by Iranian-backed militants. These incidents highlight a fact that is often forgotten: The U.S. still has an active presence in Syria. The Deir ez-Zor Military Council behind the Aug. 12 attack is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces a Kurdish-led alliance that has been a major U.S. partner in Syria. The group and its local affiliates now control much of the territory that the terrorist Islamic State group once controlled. And as of the beginning of 2024, the U.S. still had close to 1,000 military personnel in the eastern part of Syria. Recent reports suggest that amid the growing tension in the region, additional resources and soldiers have made their way to the civil war-torn country. U.S. troops in Syria serve various purposes: helping prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State group, supporting Washingtons Kurdish allies and containing the influence of Iran and Russia both of which also have a military presence in Syria. But the costs and risks associated with this indefinite U.S. involvement could be significant. A continued presence risks prolonging Americas entanglement in a protracted and costly conflict with no clear end in sight, while antagonizing NATO ally Turkey, which views Syrias Kurdish groups as a cross-border threat. As an expert on Middle East security, I focus on the evolving geopolitical landscape and argue that the U.S. must carefully weigh its commitments in Syria against the broader goals of regional stability and its relationships with allies and adversaries alike. Ultimately, whether the U.S. decides to stay or withdraw, the decision will have profound implications for Syria as well as for regional and global actors involved in the countrys ongoing civil war. Growing US engagement U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war is a complex story. Shortly after the civil war began in 2011, the Obama administration placed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and supported factions of the opposition. However, the administration was largely indecisive about when, how and to what extent it should intervene against the Assad regime. In part, this reflected growing war-weariness among the American public following a decade of engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq. Meanwhile, Washington struggled at first to find reliable partners on the ground in Syria. A U.S. soldier looks out from the top of a fighting vehicle at an American military base in northeastern Syria. AP Photo/Darko Bandic As popular protests grew into a full-scale military conflict in 2012, President Barack Obama declared that the use of chemical weapons would be a red line for the U.S. The following year, the Syrian military did just that, deploying chemical weapons during an attack on Ghouta, a rebel-held area, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1,500 civilians, including more than 400 children. Yet the Obama administration hesitated to involve the U.S. militarily in the conflict, fearing escalation due to increasing Russian and Iranian support for the regime. The U.S. military involvement in Syria began in September 2014, when a U.S.-led coalition, including the United Kingdom, France, Jordan, Turkey, Canada, Australia and others, launched an air campaign against the Islamic State group and fellow radical group al-Nusra Front inside Syria. Following the airstrikes, American troops entered northeast Syria to back a Syrian Kurdish force known as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, and later the Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella group that consists of majority Kurdish and other ethnic and rebel groups. The U.S. did not take direct military action against the Assad regime until April 2017, when the Trump administration launched a missile strike on Shayrat Airbase in response to a suspected chemical attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun in Idlib province. In December 2018, President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of the 2,000 to 2,500 U.S. ground troops in Syria, believing the coalitions operations against the Islamic State group had been largely successful and that the U.S. presence in eastern Syria was unnecessary. However, instead of a total withdrawal, the U.S. announced that a contingency force would remain indefinitely. Military presence today As of 2024, around 900 U.S. soldiers, along with an undisclosed number of contractors, are operating in Syria, according to the Defense Department. Most U.S. forces are deployed in northeast Syria in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces, with some supporting the Free Syrian Army at the al-Tanf garrison in southeast Syria, along a transit route between Iraq and Syria used by both Islamic State group fighters and Iran-backed militias. Syria and its surrounding region. Getty Images But U.S. military support for Kurdish groups in Syria has angered its NATO ally Turkey, which views the YPG as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a designated terrorist organization. Prioritizing Turkeys security concerns, the Trump administration ordered all U.S. forces to withdraw from Rojava in early October 2019 ahead of a Turkish incursion into the region. But the move also damaged the U.S. alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces. Meanwhile, to appease their Kurdish allies, U.S. troops repositioned to eastern Syria, reinforcing their presence in the al-Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor governorates two Syrian Democratic Forces-controlled regions of Syria that are rich in oil and gas. What an American withdrawal could mean The U.S. military presence currently serves three purposes. First, its presence in northeast Syria acts as a deterrent to military incursions by either the Syrian regime or Turkey into the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). If U.S. forces were to withdraw, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which acts as the AANES de facto military, would need to negotiate the regions autonomy with Turkey and the Syrian regime, both of which have made their opposition to Kurdish autonomy very clear. Recent rapprochement attempts between Turkey and Syria have also fed Kurdish fears that a complete American withdrawal would tip the balance of power in divided Syria against them, risking their very survival. Second, the U.S.s presence in southeast Syria puts pressure on neighboring Iran, whose influence the U.S. seeks to limit in the region. The U.S. presence also serves as a counterbalance to Russian influence and ambitions in Syria and the Middle East. Notably, Russian airstrikes in 2015 over opposition-held areas of Aleppo and the bombing of hospitals were crucial in helping Assad regain territory and stay in power. Third, the U.S. and its local partners have reportedly detained around 5,000 Islamic State group fighters and 50,000 indoctrinated family members. If these detainees were freed by any authority, the group could be reconstituted and grow. Underscoring the threat, the U.S., along with the Syrian Democratic Forces, thwarted a major prison break by Islamic State group fighters in early 2022. Nonetheless, continued U.S. presence in Syria is not assured. In 2023, Republicans in the House attempted to force the Biden administration to withdraw the remaining troops. They failed. But Trump, again the Republican presidential candidate in 2024, has made it clear that he sees no role for the U.S. in endless wars. Meanwhile, a U.S. troop pullout, despite the consequences, has precedence. The Biden administration withdrew all American troops from Afghanistan in 2021 and is formally transitioning to an advisory role in Iraq. But for the time being, U.S. military presence in Syria continues and is emblematic of the broader challenges facing American foreign policy in the Middle East. The decision to stay or withdraw is a strategic one that will reverberate across the region. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Sefa Secen, The Ohio State University Read more: Sefa Secen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. US official calls Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha the most constructive in months Displaced Palestinians make their way, as they flee Hamad City following an Israeli evacuation order, in Khan Younis By Humeyra Pamuk and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The latest negotiations in Doha to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage deal have been the most productive in months, and negotiators will reconvene next week in Cairo hoping to conclude it, a senior Biden administration official said on Friday. "It was consensus of all of the participants over the past 48 hours that there's really a new spirit here to drive it to a conclusion," the official said, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity. He still cautioned that work remained to be done. "This is a very difficult, complex deal." On Friday, the U.S., with help from mediators Qatar and Egypt, put forward a bridging proposal the three countries believe would close all gaps between warring parties Israel and Hamas, the official said. The past two days in Doha were probably "the most constructive 48 hours" that the parties have had in months, the official said. "The Israeli team that was here was empowered...We made a lot of progress in the number of issues that we've been working on," the official said. The latest round in months of talks to end the war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, began on Thursday between Israel and mediators. The Palestinian militant group Hamas was not directly involved in the talks but was kept briefed on progress. The White House sent CIA Director Bill Burns and U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel were also taking part. The negotiations took place in the shadow of a feared regional escalation. Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. There will be engagements over the course of next week between working groups that will discuss everything from the list of hostages, the sequence by which the hostages would be released and the Palestinian prisoners. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel on Sunday. The conflict began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters rampaged into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military campaign has reduced much of Gaza to rubble and killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel says it has eliminated 17,000 Hamas fighters. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio) We recently compiled a list of the 10 Extreme Dividend Stocks With Upside Potential. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) stands against the other extreme dividend stocks with upside potential. Investors often prefer high-yielding stocks for immediate returns. However, dividend growth stocks offer more substantial long-term advantages, such as increasing income, capital appreciation, and reduced volatility. While many investors are drawn to the instant rewards of high-yield stocks, it's important to be cautious with excessively high yields, as they can indicate underlying financial difficulties. Analysts recommend careful consideration when dealing with very high yields. That said, the stock market is a bit of a wild cardpast performance isn't a reliable predictor of future outcomes. While dividend growth equities have provided strong returns in the past, high dividend yield stocks have also performed well, showing robust returns. This is due to the stock market's inherent volatilitywhat works at one time may not be as effective later, and the timing of successes is often uncertain. Also Read: 10 Best Dividend Stocks with Over 9% Yield According to Analysts Yin Chen and Roni Israelov, in their study Income Illusions: Challenging the High Yield Stock Narrative, published in the March 2024 Journal of Asset Management, divided stocks into high-dividend and low-dividend categories based on their median dividend yield from the previous year. They examined how dividends affected investment returns under different scenarios. Their research spanned from January 1964 to December 2021 and included the top 1,500 U.S. stocks. The high-dividend portfolio outperformed in both returns and risk, achieving an average annual return of 13.8% with 15.6% volatility. In contrast, the low-dividend portfolio delivered lower returns of 11.8% but with significantly higher volatility at 21.9%. This led to a 3.6% difference in the compound annual growth rate. In addition, the high-dividend portfolio experienced smaller drawdowns during market corrections. Despite the high-dividend stocks' overall superior performance throughout the entire sample period, investing in a long-short portfolio yielded nearly a 1% annual loss from 2003 to 2021, with the best returns occurring between 1983 and 2002. Studies like these can confuse investors who often believe that high-yield dividend stocks are inherently risky. However, that's not always the case. When investing in high-yield stocks, it's important to evaluate several key metrics, such as payout ratios and debt levels. High-yield stocks usually pay out a significant portion of their free cash flow as dividends, resulting in a high payout ratio. They may also use debt to fund these dividends, leading to higher leverage and increased risk. These factors can make high-yield stocks more vulnerable to dividend cuts during tough times, which can reduce income and potentially lead to significant declines in stock prices. Story continues If payout ratios, debt levels, and fundamental metrics align well, investing in high-dividend stocks might not be a poor choice. Analysts have supported these equities, though it depends on specific market conditions. Brian Belski, BMOs Chief Investment Strategist, has noted that the "indiscriminate selling" of high dividend payers presents a potential opportunity for investors. He pointed out that, over the past thirty years, high dividend-yielding stocks have only underperformed the broader market during two periods: the tech bubble and the pandemic. Belski suggested that such abnormal underperformance often signals a turning point, with these stocks typically experiencing a strong recovery afterward. Historically, they have outperformed the broader market by over 20% on an annualized basis from trough to peak in relative year-over-year returns for nearly a year, and continue to show above-average performance for nearly two years following the peak. If this situation holds true and the fundamentals continue to be solid, we would be interested in including these equities in our portfolios as well. With that, lets look at some of the best dividend stocks with upside potential. Our Methodology: For this list, we screened for dividend stocks with yields higher than 7% as of August 14. Then, we narrowed down the choices by finding stocks with the highest upside potential according to analysts. Among those stocks, we chose companies that have relatively stable dividend histories, however, a lot of the companies on the list dont have a consistent record of paying dividends due to their exceptionally high yields. Many of the companies listed below are part of the REIT and energy sectors, as these industries are generally known for their high yields. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of their upside potential, as of August 14. At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). An aerial view of an oil rig at sunrise, emphasizing the power of the natural gas transportation industry. Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) Upside Potential as of August 14: 24.4% Dividend Yield as of August 14: 8.11% Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) ranks fourth on our list of the best dividend stocks with upside potential. The Texas-based pipeline transportation company is up by nearly 15% since the start of 2024, mainly because of strong quarterly earnings in the first two quarters of the year. The company experienced robust volume growth in the second quarter of 2024 across its various segments, with crude oil transportation volumes leading the way with a 23% increase. Both crude oil terminal and NGL fractionation volumes grew by 11%, while refined product volumes increased by 9%. The company's revenue in the quarter came in at $6.17 billion, which showed a 7.47% growth from the same period last year. New growth projects and acquisitions have played a key role in boosting volumes across Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET)'s assets. In July 2024, the company finalized its acquisition of WTG Midstream Holdings LLC, adding around 6,000 miles of gas-gathering pipelines that enhance its network in the Midland Basin. This deal also included eight gas processing plants with a combined capacity of approximately 1.3 Bcf/d, along with two more processing plants under construction. Since the acquisition, one of these 200 MMcf/d plants has already become operational. In addition, Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) and Sunoco LP announced a joint venture, merging their crude oil and produced water gathering assets in the Permian Basin. Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) also reported a strong cash position, which is good news for income investors. The company's distributable cash flow (DCF) was $2.04 billion, up from $1.55 billion in the prior-year period. On July 26, the company hiked its quarterly dividend by 0.8% to $0.32 per share. This was the company's 11th consecutive quarterly dividend increase, which makes ET one of the best dividend stocks on our list. The stock's dividend yield on August 14 came in at 8.11%. Overall ET ranks 4th on our list of the extreme dividend stocks with upside potential. While we acknowledge the potential of ET as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued dividend stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued dividend stock that is more promising than ET but that trades at less than 7 times its earnings and yields nearly 10%, check out our report about the dirt cheap dividend stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Palestinians inspect the damaged following overnight Israeli bombardment of a house at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Naaman Omar/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Two days of talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza war have closed in Doha, the mediating countries Qatar, Egypt and the United States said on Friday. The "remaining gaps" between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement are to be closed in the coming days, they said. Both sides have been presented with a proposal that is in line with the principles of US President Joe Biden's peace plan presented at the end of May. A further meeting is planned in Cairo before the end of next week in order to reach an agreement under these conditions. "These talks were serious and constructive and were conducted in positive atmosphere," a statement from the three countries read. "Working teams will continue technical work over the coming days on the details of implementation, including arrangements to implement the agreement's extensive humanitarian provisions, as well as specifics relating to hostages and detainees." "Senior officials from our governments will reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week with the aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward," the three mediating countries said further. Earlier, diplomats with knowledge of the talks' contents told dpa there had been "some progress." Washington optimistic, Netanyahu wants 'pressure' on Hamas US President Joe Biden has expressed optimism regarding the conclusion of an agreement in the negotiations over a ceasefire in the Gaza war. "We are closer than we've ever been," Biden told journalists on the sidelines of an event at the White House on Friday. "I don't want to jinx anything ... We may have something, but we're not there yet." "It's much, much closer than it was three days ago," Biden said. To maintain the momentum in the talks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is personally travelling to Israel, planning to depart on Saturday, to "continue intensive diplomatic efforts" on the ground in Israel, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel announced in Washington on Friday. "Secretary Blinken will underscore the critical need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation or any other actions that could undermine the ability to finalize an agreement," the spokesman said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is relying on the pressure from mediators to bring the Gaza talks with Hamas to a conclusion. In a statement, Netanyahu thanked Egypt, Qatar and the United States for their efforts to persuade the Palestinian Islamists to abandon their rejection of a hostage deal. Israel hopes that their pressure will compel Hamas to accept the proposals from the end of May, so that the details of the agreement can be implemented. Meanwhile Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atty said on Friday that a ceasefire is urgently needed in the Gaza Strip to stop a wider escalation in the Middle East and a regional war "It is possible, as you know, to stop this escalation and work as much as possible and as quickly as possible to reach an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip ... ," the Egyptian minister said after meeting Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA). Hamas claims Qatar talks deviated from Biden plan A Hamas representative on Friday expressed reservations about the outcome of the latest round of talks. The Hamas leadership has received updates on the negotiations in Doha, senior official Mahmoud Mardawi told dpa, arguing that the proposals differ from those made by Biden. The Islamist movement, which did not attend the talks directly, previously said it would not accept any deviations from Biden's peace plan. Hamas believes the negotiations should focus on ending the war, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the coastal territory, the return of displaced people to their homes, reconstruction and the end of the Israeli blockade. Israel asks Gaza civilians to flee Earlier Friday on the ground in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military called on civilians in southern and central Gaza to flee ahead of a new military operation. "The Hamas terrorist organization has established terrorist infrastructure in an area defined as a Humanitarian Area," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Telegram. It said Hamas had fired rockets towards Israel from the southern city of Khan Younis on Thursday. "The IDF will act against the terrorist organizations in the area," it said. Using leaflets, text messages, phone calls and media reports in Arabic, the IDF told civilians to move to a humanitarian zone whose borders have been redrawn. The areas affected include northern districts of Khan Younis and the east of the central city of Deir al-Balah. The IDF said it was giving advance warning to civilians "to mitigate harm to the civilian population and to enable civilians to move away from the combat zone." The humanitarian zone in central Gaza is currently being adapted, the IDF added. An army map shows that the area is being reduced in size and that several neighbourhoods are no longer part of the zone. Fighting in Gaza continued on Thursday, the Israeli military said, as its air force attacked more than 30 targets, including military installations. The conflict was triggered by the massacre carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7. The high number of civilian casualties and the humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinian civilian population have led to sharp international criticism of Israel's actions. Reaction to West Bank settler violence Also on Friday, US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew said he was "appalled" after a Palestinian was killed in a violent raid by militant Israeli settlers on a village in the West Bank. "These attacks must stop and the criminals be held to account," Lew wrote on the social media platform X. A 22-year-old Palestinian was killed by gunfire on Thursday, when around 50 masked settlers stormed the Palestinian village of Jit, west of Nablus, the Palestinian health authority said. Another Palestinian was seriously injured, according to authorities. Israeli media reported that the settlers set fire to at least four houses and six cars. According to a media report, the army detained an Israeli and handed him over to the police. EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell also criticized the settlers' attack in the West Bank. "We condemn [the settlers'] attacks in Jit, aimed at terrorizing Palestinian civilians," Borrell wrote in a post on X. "Day after day, in an almost total impunity, Israeli settlers fuel violence in the occupied West Bank, contributing to endanger any chance of peace." "The Israeli government must stop these unacceptable actions immediately," Borrell added. The situation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has worsened significantly since the start of the current conflict in Gaza. Since October 7, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in Israeli military operations, confrontations or their own attacks, according to the health ministry. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has also increased markedly since October 7 last year. US recommends Ukraine uses ATACMS missiles in attacks on Crimea, not Russia's Kursk Oblast CNN The United States does not want to allow Ukraine to use US-provided long-range weapons in Russias Kursk Oblast, as they see greater utility in using these weapons for strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea. Source: CNN citing US officials Details: CNN noted that the US maintains this position not because of the risk of escalation but because it has a limited number of long-range ATACMS missiles. In addition, US officials believe that these missiles would be more effectively used for further strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea. Background: The United States currently sees Ukraine's unexpected advance into Russia's Kursk Oblast as a defensive move that allows Kyiv to use American equipment, but it has expressed concern about potential complications as Ukrainian troops move deeper into Russian territory. In his first comments on Ukraine's offensive in Kursk, US President Joe Biden called the operation a "real dilemma" for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. After speaking with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about Ukraine's offensive in Russias Kursk Oblast, EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said that the EU fully supports the struggle of the Ukrainian people. Support UP or become our patron! US reluctant to allow ATACMS in Kursk Oblast due to limited supply, CNN reports The U.S. is reluctant to allow Ukraine to use its long-range weapons inside Kursk "not because of the risk of escalation, but because the US only has a limited supply," CNN reported on Aug. 16, citing multiple unnamed U.S. officials. Ukraine launched its surprise Kursk incursion on Aug. 6. Within 10 days, Ukraine claimed control over 82 Russian settlements, including the town of Sudzha. U.S. Defense Department Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told the press on Aug. 8 that Ukraine's operation is "consistent with our policy" as Kyiv is defending "against attacks that are coming across the border." Responding to a question on how far into Russian territory Ukraine is allowed to strike, Singh said that the U.S. does "not support long-range attacks," but refused to specify the exact distance. "I'm not going to draw a circular map on where they can and can't strike, but we've been very clear with the Ukrainians," she said. The U.S. remains reluctant to greenlight the use of U.S.-supplied long-range weapons in Kursk Oblast, as they "would be better used to continue targeting Russian-occupied Crimea," CNN said. However, this is due to the "limited supply" of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), rather than long-standing fears of escalating the war, CNN said, citing multiple officials. The U.S. first supplied long-range ATACMS to Ukraine in March of this year but only announced the deliveries in April. The U.S. provides the most military support to Ukraine, followed by Germany. According to CNN, the U.S. and Western officials familiar with the latest intelligence "cautioned that Ukraine is extremely unlikely to be able to hold" Russian territory. The officials also "emphasized that it's too soon to judge how the operation will affect the broader outcome of the war." Read also: US considering sending Ukraine first long-range cruise missiles this fall, source says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. US says Gaza peace talks are in the end game and will reconvene next week Protesters in Israel march to demand their government negotiate a return for hostages still held by Hamas (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press All rights reserved) Talks between Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt will reconvene next week after two days of productive negotiations on a potential peace deal between Israel and Hamas to end nearly a year of war and arrange for the return of hostages held by the militant group, a US official has said. The senior administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar on Friday about the talks, which he described as a very, very constructive two days in the Qatari capital, Doha. There was a consensus between all three leaders that this process, which obviously has been ongoing for months, is now in the end game, said the official, who said the leaders discussed a final bridging proposal put forth by the United States with full support of the Egyptian and Qatari governments. We will be reconvening in Cairo at this level before the end of next week, with an aim to close out this process once and for all, the official added. Basically what we've done is taken the gaps that remain and have bridged those in a way that we think basically is a deal that is now ready to close and implement and move forward. President Joe Biden told reporters that the parties are closer than weve ever been to a ceasefire deal (AP) The official added that there is still more to do and working group engagements that will take place between the parties to discuss delicate matters, such as the hostages to be exchanged by Hamas in exchange for prisoners held by Israel, and the sequence by which they would be exchanged. The call between Biden and the Egyptian and Qatari leaders comes hours after he told reporters that Israel and Hamas were closer than weve ever been to a deal that would end the 10-month war and bring about the return of more than 100 hostages who remain in Hamas custody. We may have something, Biden said. But were not there yet. The Israeli prime ministers office also issued a statement saying it appreciates the efforts of the U.S. and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal. More than 40,000 people in Gaza have been killed over ten months of fighting, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. The war is expected to be a source of tension when Democrats convene for their quadrennial nominating convention in Chicago next week to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris and her running-mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to march on the convention to voice opposition to Americas support for Israel. US says Russia has moved thousands of troops from occupied territories to Kursk Oblast Russia appears to have deployed several thousand troops from occupied Ukrainian territories to Kursk Oblast in response to the advancing Ukrainian offensive. Source: CNN, citing two US military officials; European Pravda Details: US officials are currently assessing the exact number of Russian troops being relocated. The sources say Russia has moved several brigades of at least 1,000 troops each to Kursk. "It is apparent to us that Mr Putin and the Russian military are diverting some resources, some units, towards the Kursk Oblast to ostensibly counter what the Ukrainians are doing," John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor, said in an interview with CNN on Thursday, 15 August. The movement of Russian forces out of Ukraine "doesnt mean that Mr Putin has given up military operations in the northeast part of Ukraine or even down towards the south, towards places like Zaporizhzhia. Theres still active fighting along that front," Kirby said. Two other sources familiar with Western intelligence indicated that Russia does not appear to be moving its larger and better-trained units from Ukraine to Kursk Oblast. According to one source, Russia seems to be strengthening Kursk's defences primarily with untrained conscripts brought in from other regions of the country. "We havent seen a substantial move [of Russian troops] just yet, and we cant tell whether thats just because theyre only just getting started moving forces, or whether they just dont have the forces to move," said one source familiar with US intelligence. A senior US military official indicated that, alongside the troops redeployed from Ukraine, Russia has also dispatched personnel from the Leningrad Military District and Kaliningrad. Some officials have raised concerns that by sending some of its most experienced forces to Kursk Oblast, Ukraine might have inadvertently created vulnerabilities on its own front lines, something Russia could exploit to gain more territory inside Ukraine. Background: On 14 August, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that Russia had redeployed some of its forces from Ukraine to Kursk Oblast. Reuters noted that the United States has so far regarded Ukraine's unexpected incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast as a defensive manoeuvre, enabling Kyiv to utilise US-supplied equipment. However, there is concern about potential complications as Ukrainian troops advance further into Russian territory. Support UP or become our patron! US Secretary of State Blinken to travel to Israel to press Gaza deal US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is personally travelling to Israel as negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict reach a critical stage. Blinken plans to depart on Saturday to "continue intensive diplomatic efforts" on the ground in Israel, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel announced in Washington on Friday. "Secretary Blinken will underscore the critical need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation or any other actions that could undermine the ability to finalize an agreement," the spokesman said. The negotiations were postponed earlier Friday to the coming week. The mediators Egypt, Qatar, and the United States did not achieve a breakthrough with Israel and the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement. According to a joint statement, the two-day talks in the Qatari capital Doha were constructive. Another high-level meeting is scheduled to take place in Cairo before the end of next week. The US government is expressing confidence regarding the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and at the same time is urging readiness to compromise. According to the three mediators, there is a proposal that aims to narrow "the remaining gaps." This is in line with the principles of the peace plan presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of May. US State Dept OKs potential sale of tactical missiles to Canada WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department approved a foreign military sale to Canada of tactical missiles and related support for $264.6 million, the Pentagon said on Friday. The principal contractor for the AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II+ and Block II tactical missiles will be RTX Corp, the Pentagon said in a statement. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Jasper Ward in Washington; editing by Diane Craft) The U.S. will support a global goal to cut plastic production, a change from its earlier support for leaving it up to each country. The shift in U.S. policy was first reported by Reuters. State Department spokesperson Wren Elhai confirmed to The Hill on Thursday that Reuterss reporting was accurate, but did not provide additional details. Nations are slated to meet later this year with the goal of finalizing the first-ever plastics treaty. Some countries, including China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, have pushed back against efforts to limit plastic production. Minuscule plastic pieces known as microplastics have become omnipresent in the environment. Research on cells and animals has demonstrated that microplastics can impact the digestive, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive and immune systems. A study published earlier this year linked microplastic and tinier nanoplastic exposure to heart attacks, strokes and death. U.S. plastic manufacturers condemned the new U.S. position. With this decision, the White House has turned its back on Americans whose livelihoods depend on our industry, as well as on manufacturers in all sectors that rely on plastic materials, said Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association, in a written statement. But environmental advocates praised the move. Making less plastic is the number one way to protect people and the planet from this stuff, said Julie Teel Simmonds, a senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a written statement. I look forward to seeing U.S. delegates fight for these positions. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. US voters say theyre ready for a woman president but sexist attitudes still go along with opposition to Harris Since President Joe Biden exited the presidential race on July 21, 2024, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris campaign has generated widespread enthusiasm and attention. She quickly became the official Democratic presidential nominee and erased Donald Trumps lead over Biden in national and swing-state polling. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have also drawn tens of thousands of supporters to their recent rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada. Although things could change dramatically over the next two-plus months, there is a real possibility that the United States may finally elect its first female president. But in polling that we conducted in August 2024, after Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee, we found that sexism is still a powerful force in American politics. Hope and change? Yes, the scars of the 2016 campaign in which sexism played a key role in Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons defeat by Trump are still fresh for Democrats. But many hope that America has changed and has become more accepting of women in leadership roles. Harris gender, this argument goes, wont be a significant deterrent for voters. On the surface, our recent nationally representative survey of 1,000 American adults supports this, with 51% of Americans agreeing with the statement: America is ready for its first African American female president. Only 23% of Americans disagreed. Even so, some Republicans appear to think they can win by making gender an issue in the campaign. This is apparent in the sexist rhetoric that Trump and other Republicans are using when talking about Harris. Trump, who has a history of making sexist statements, asserted that foreign leaders would regard Harris as a play toy, referred to her as unintelligent, and is now commenting on her appearance. Both The Associated Press and The New York Times have reported based on unnamed sources that Trump has also called Harris a bitch in private, although Trumps spokesman denied he used that term. In a similar sexist vein, Trump allies have attempted to turn Harris past romantic relationships into campaign issues, with one conservative commentator on Fox Business News crudely labeling Harris the original hawk tuah girl, an obscene sexual reference. Will such attempts to exploit sexism as an electoral strategy backfire? Or, after all these years, might it still be out of reach for a woman to overcome sexist stereotypes and win the highest office in the United States? Understanding the importance of sexism We are political scientists who study the role of identity in American politics and who conduct polls that explore Americans views on gender and the extent to which sexism still pervades the nation. We conducted two national polls this year one in January 2024 when Biden was still in the race, and the other in August 2024, after Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee. For each poll, we surveyed 1,000 American adults 18 and older and asked about their thoughts on the election, their policy views and their attitudes toward various groups in society. With the change at the top of the Democratic ticket, we can better assess the impact of sexism on vote choice in the presidential election by comparing the results from January, when the race featured two male candidates, with August, when Harris entered the race. In both surveys, we first asked respondents which candidate they would vote for if the presidential election were held today. To measure sexism, we then asked respondents whether they agreed or disagreed with a series of three statements that express prejudice, resentment and animus toward women, or what political scientists call hostile sexism. The statements in the hostile sexism battery are: Women seek to gain power by getting control over men; Women are too easily offended; and Women exaggerate problems they have at work. Greater agreement with these statements indicated more sexist views. We also measured respondents demographics including age, gender, race, education and income their political attitudes and identities, and their racial views. Sexism mattered, even when Biden was in the race Due in part to Trumps sexist rhetoric throughout his campaigns and presidency, sexist attitudes have become closely linked with whom individuals support for president. On average, more sexist individuals have tended to prefer Republican candidates in recent elections. Thus, even in our January poll when Biden was the Democratic nominee, sexism was strongly correlated with support for Trump. When we examined a head-to-head matchup between Biden and Trump, the more individuals agreed with the statements measuring hostile sexism, the more likely they were to prefer Trump over Biden. Of those who most strongly disagreed with the statements measuring hostile sexism, 73% supported Biden, while approximately two-thirds of those scoring highest on the sexism scale supported Trump. Taking into consideration other factors that influence support for Biden partisanship, ideology, racial attitudes, education, economic views and so forth we found that those with the least sexist views had an 83% chance of supporting Biden, while those with the most sexist views had a 17% chance of doing so. Pollsters found that negative attitudes toward women make people much less likely to support Kamala Harris for president in 2024. Westend61/Getty Images With Harris, sexism matters more If sexism depressed individuals support for Bidens candidacy, does that mean Harris faces no additional penalty in terms of lost support for her candidacy? Hardly. Hostile sexism, as we measured it, costs Harris votes. While sexism mattered in January, it mattered more in August once Harris had taken over the Democratic ticket. In a head-to-head matchup between Harris and Trump, 89% of those in the lowest third on the sexism scale meaning those who disagreed most with the statements measuring hostile sexism support Harris compared with 11% for Trump. On the other hand, only 18% of those scoring highest on sexism support Harris, versus 82% for Trump. When we take into account other considerations that influence whether individuals prefer Harris or Trump, our findings are even more striking. The least sexist respondents have a 92% chance of saying they will vote for Harris. But the most sexist respondents have only a 4% chance of supporting her. What this means is that, while sexist attitudes influenced individuals presidential preferences when Biden was the Democratic presidential nominee, they have a greater effect now that Harris is the Democratic candidate. Without sexism Since Harris seems to be narrowly leading Trump in the polls, why should we care about the influence of hostile sexism in the election? To answer this question, imagine a world in which hostile sexism doesnt influence attitudes toward presidential candidates who are women. Our findings imply that, in such a world, Harris lead over Trump might be larger. Put simply, hostile sexism is helping to make the election closer than it would otherwise be. Sexism has long played a powerful role in influencing Americans voting behavior and attitudes toward political issues. This is especially so today, given the high political importance of gender-related issues such as abortion, contraception and LGBTQ+ rights. Our analysis shows that people with negative attitudes toward women are much less likely to support Harris for president. Whether the Harris campaign can successfully navigate this reality is still to be determined. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Adam Eichen, UMass Amherst; Jesse Rhodes, UMass Amherst, and Tatishe Nteta, UMass Amherst Read more: Jesse Rhodes receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and Demos. Adam Eichen and Tatishe Nteta do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. USDA invests 1.3 million in Vermont; Welch says this is crucial to spur job growth St. Johnsbury, VT. Vermont Senator Peter Welch celebrated today as 1.3 million dollars worth of major investments were made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development toward Vermont communities. The announcement includes funding from the USDAs Rural Business Development Grants Program, which will help advance economic development across Vermont. Vermonts farmers and small businesses are the backbone of our communities and economy. Federal investments that expand access to new wholesale markets are crucial to spurring job growth. This funding will support economic and community development in the Northeast Kingdom and across the state, said Senator Peter Welch. Jon Ramsay, Executive Director of The Center for an Agricultural Economy, said that USDA and CAE support will assist over 100 farms and food producers who are working for the continued vitality of our working landscape, providing hundreds of jobs, and helping hold our rural communities together. In the aftermath of yet another flood in the NEK these funds are especially impactful as we continue recovery efforts and support producers as they navigate a new path forward for their business. Funding will also support several projects across the state, including a $99,657 investment into Vermont Farm to School, a $200,000 investment into Northeastern Vermont Development Association Inc.s Business Technical Assistance Program, and more. The full list of projects and organizations receiving money can be found on Senator Welchs website. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC22 & FOX44. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has quickly walked back comments criticizing his old companys remote-work policy, which he blamed for AI challenges and falling behind competitors. I misspoke about Google and their work hours, Schmidt told the Wall Street Journal. I regret my error. A recording of his recent lecture at Stanford University, which was posted on the colleges YouTube channel on Tuesday, earned more than 40,000 views as of Wednesday afternoon before it was taken down. In the video, Schmidt claimed that Google has lost the lead in AI to startups like OpenAI and Anthropic because of its stance on working from home. Google decided that work-life balance and going home early and working from home was more important than winning, Schmidt told students. And the reason startups work is because the people work like hell. Im sorry to be so blunt, Schmidt, who left Google for good in 2020, continued. But the fact of the matter is, if you all leave the university and go found a company, youre not gonna let people work from home and only come in one day a week if you want to compete against the other startups. Schmidt asked for the controversial video to be taken down, according to the Wall Street Journal. Schmidt didnt elaborate further or respond to Fortunes requests for comment. The former chief executive held Googles helm from 2001 to 2011, and served as executive chairman until 2018. He then sat on Alphabets board until 2019 and stayed on as a technical advisor until February 2020. Is Google's WFH policy really holding the company back? Schmidt's initial claim that Googles lack of innovation in the AI department was due to staff working from home more than those at OpenAI fell immediately flat. As Fortune noted, the companies have the same three-day in-office policy. Likewise, Anthropic workers are allowed to work from home for 75% of the workweek. Flexible work arrangements dont slow down our work, Alphabet Workers Union, which represents more than 1,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada, hit back in a post on X. Understaffing, shifting priorities, constant layoffs, stagnant wages, and lack of follow-through from management on projectsthese factors slow Google workers down every day. CEOs think WFH kills productivityresearch shows otherwise Although the ex-Google chief is now walking back his complaint that people are killing productivity by not going into the office enough, its one that workers have heard on repeat for the past two years. Elon Musk's distaste for remote working is perhaps the most well-documentedthe billionaire made it his first order of business to end Twitters work from anywhere policy when he took over and turned it into todays hardcore X. Story continues He has taken the same approach at SpaceX and Tesla, where he wants workers in the office for at least 40 hours a week. All the Covid stay-at-home stuff has tricked people into thinking that you dont actually need to work hard, he previously wrote on X. His point of view is bold but not uncommon: JPMorgans CEO Jamie Dimon told the Economist that working from home "doesn't really work for creativity and spontaneity." Meanwhile, Metas Mark Zuckerberg took a sharp U-turn on his vision for a forward-leaning remote company when he demanded workers return to the office in 2023because those who work in person get more done. However, research on the impact of WFH on productivity says otherwise. A major study from Stanford workplace guru Nick Bloom recently revealed that hybrid work not only cuts attrition by 33%, but it has no negative impact on performance or productivity. It found that flexible arrangements improve productivity by 1% and generate "millions of dollars in savings" for businesses. Research actually points to RTO mandates as one of the main reasons for the slump in productivity. After proving during the pandemic that they can work just as efficiently from home as chained to a desk, workers who are now being forced to return to the office are voting with their feetor sucking it up, but giving minimal effort. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Utah legislators eye special session, maybe next week. Will it deal with abortion, redistricting? The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Monday, May 6, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) No official decisions have been made, but theres a chance the Utah Legislature could hold a special session as soon as next week as GOP legislative leaders face calls to tackle two key Utah Supreme Court rulings that rankled Republicans. The day the Utah Supreme Court upheld an injunction blocking Utahs 2020 trigger near-total abortion law from taking effect while a district court litigates its constitutionality, Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, urged Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and legislative leaders to call a special session so lawmakers could pass a new law. While the court case on the 2020 trigger law plays out, McCay wants to restrict the time abortions would be legal in the state, possibly to up to six weeks of gestation. Currently, while the 2020 ban is on hold, abortions have remained legal in Utah up to 18 weeks of gestation. The other recent Utah Supreme Court decision that disappointed Utah Republican legislators came last month, when the court unanimously ruled a district court erred when it dismissed the claim that the Utah Legislature violated the Utah Constitution when it repealed and replaced Better Boundaries anti-gerrymandering voter ballot initiative to alter Utahs redistricting process. Both House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, at the time issued a scathing statement condemning the ruling in the redistricting case, saying the ruling effectively made a new law about the initiative power, creating chaos and striking at the very heart of our Republic. On Friday afternoon, the conservative think tank Sutherland Institute issued a news release stating we understand that a special legislative session may be scheduled next week, and it urged legislators to consider a constitutional amendment to ask voters to weigh in on the Utah Supreme Courts interpretation of the Utah Constitution. As decisions are made about what issues may be included, Sutherland Institute strongly recommends the consideration of a constitutional amendment to correct the flawed understanding of the Utah Constitutions principle of proper exercise of legislative power reflected in the Utah Supreme Courts recent ruling in League of Women Voters v. Utah State Legislature, the Sutherland Institute news release said, referring to the redistricting case. In its ruling, the Utah Supreme Court determined that laws enacted by ballot initiative were protected from undue infringement from the Utah Legislature, Sutherland Institute said. In effect, the court determined that that Utah Constitution establishes two categories of fundamentally unequal law: (1) laws enacted by the Utah Legislature, which legislators may reform according to the constitutional legislative power vested in them by a vote of the people, and (2) laws enacted by ballot initiative, which legislators are constitutionally barred from changing without court approval. The Sutherland Institute release added: This bifurcated view of Utah law aside from being constitutionally suspect makes certain that bad public policy enacted by ballot initiative that fails to serve the public good cannot be corrected. The unanimous Utah Supreme Court ruling reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the proper exercise of legislative power, Sutherland Institute said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Any amount of experience with lawmaking quickly shows that good public policy is rarely fully established when a law is initially enacted, the release continued. Unforeseen consequences are a natural feature of our system of government making the power to reform any new law an essential aspect of the reasonable understanding of the proper exercise of legislative power in our republic. The Sutherland Institute went on to say the court ruling violates this commonsense principle of a sound constitutional system, and as numerous Western states have experienced will significantly harm the people of Utah as initiative-enacted super laws unleash unforeseen consequences on Utahns that legislators cannot correct without fear of violating the courts ruling. Adams, in an interview with Utah News Dispatch in the wake of the courts decision, said effectively the same thing, that it created a whole new statute a super law that cant be changed. Calling the ruling an error that needed to be corrected, the Sutherland Institute urged the Legislature to immediately exercise its constitutional authority to place an amendment before voters that would ensure that elected lawmakers and the people themselves can properly exercise their legislative power to reform the law, no matter how that law was enacted. A Senate spokesperson told Utah News Dispatch on Friday that lawmakers are weighing the possibility of a special session as soon as next week, but no official call had been issued. There are a lot of discussions about the possibility of a special session, she said in a text message. Leadership is reviewing the requests, but no decisions have been made. Adams issued a statement Friday evening expressing his appreciation for Utahns and stakeholders engaging and expressing their concerns on this important issue. There has been significant discussion about a special session, and we are carefully considering their requests, Adams said. The Senate spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about whether the special session would include an agenda that would deal with abortion restrictions or action on a constitutional amendment proposed by Sutherland Institute, or both. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Utah Sen. Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, in the Senate Chamber in 2019. Mayne died Aug. 15, 2024 after battling cancer. (Courtesy of the Utah Senate) Longtime Utah state senator and Democratic legislative leader Karen Mayne died Thursday, Utah Senate leaders announced late that night. Today, we lost an extraordinary stateswoman and one of our dearest friends, Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said in a joint statement. Sen. Karen Mayne was a trailblazer and exceptional leader who showed us how working together, despite political differences, can strengthen our state. Mayne served 15 years in the Utah Senate, since she first took office in 2008. The West Valley City Democrat was elected to the same seat as her late husband, Ed Mayne, who died in 2007. Before she retired and began a career in the Legislature, Karen Mayne worked for Granite School District for 20 years as a paraeducator. In 2014, she served in legislative leadership as assistant minority whip. The next year she served as the senate minority whip. From 2019 until the day she retired in January 2023, she served as minority leader, the Senates top Democrat. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX When Karen Mayne left the Utah Legislature in 2023, she wrote in her resignation letter her health has taken an unexpected turn. In January 2022, Karen Mayne announced she had been diagnosed with cancer. At the time she was also recovering from a shoulder and head injury she sustained in a fall, FOX13 reported. Both when she announced her cancer diagnosis and when she resigned, Utah legislators rallied around her, Republican and Democrats. Thursday night and into Friday morning, as news of her death spread, Utah politicians from both parties remembered Karen Mayne as someone who worked well across party lines a strong force for bipartisan camaraderie, as Adams put it when she resigned in 2023. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox posted on X that Karen Mayne was one of the best legislators Ive ever met. And yet, she was somehow a better human being, Cox said. The perfect blend of toughness and compassion, she could bring the fiercest of opponents together to find common sense solutions. We are a better state because of her and worse now that she is gone. We will miss her very much. Senator Mayne was one of the best legislators Ive ever met. And yet, she was somehow a better human being. The perfect blend of toughness and compassion, she could bring the fiercest of opponents together to find common sense solutions. We are a better state because of her and https://t.co/zMr3ZXYI7z Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) August 16, 2024 Adams and Escamilla said they will be forever grateful for the years we were lucky enough to spend working alongside Sen. Mayne. During this time, we witnessed her unwavering dedication, compassion and grace in serving the people of Utah, Adams and Escamilla said. Not only was she a confidant of ours but also a source of inspiration, both personally and professionally. In her 15 years as a legislator, Adams and Escamilla said Karen Mayne passionately and successfully advocated for impactful improvements for our state. She was one of the most effective legislators and consistently passed the most bills during sessions. We mourn with and pray for her family during this time of grieving, Adams and Escamilla said. Her memory and legacy will remain forever in our hearts as we strive to follow her example of living and serving with love. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, also posted on X, expressing gratitude for his time working alongside her. She was a dedicated legislator and kind to everyone she worked with, Schultz said. She will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Perhaps the greatest rebuttal to calls for confidence in police is the conduct of law enforcement officers at Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas. There, on May 24, 2022, almost 400 cops not only stood around while a lunatic murdered children and teachers, but they prevented parents from stepping in to do what those in uniform wouldn't. Now, new reporting gives greater insight into the depths of the officers' inaction that day, and just how unwise it is to rely on them for protection. Documented Police Failures The failures of police officers in Uvalde aren't open to dispute. "At Robb Elementary, law enforcement responders failed to adhere to their active shooter training, and they failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety," concluded a report by the Texas House of Representatives Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting. A U.S. Justice Department review similarly found "failures in leadership, command, and coordination." The police chief, who was supposed to assume control of the situation under written plans for such events, did not do so, nor did he transfer his responsibilities to anybody else. No real command post was established. For over an hour, 376 law enforcement officers stood around trying to decide what to do as the one shooter in the school rampaged. Finally, a tactical team operating on its own amidst what the Texas report described as "chaos" breached the classroom in which the shooter hid and killed him. Since then, a media consortium has pressed a lawsuit to gain access to records of that day. Finally released, they offer heartbreaking details about the events in and around Robb Elementary School. "The records offer the deepest look yet at the previously documented response failures, the lack of cohesion between law-enforcement officers and the trauma inflicted on a community," write Elizabeth Findell and Ginger Adams Otis of The Wall Street Journal. "In one 911 call, between a dispatcher and a child inside the actual classroom, the little girl can be heard counting bodies, shushing other crying children and begging for policewho were just outside the doorto help." Even as they milled around, police prevented parents from assisting their children. Videos taken that day "show officers stopping parents from rushing into the elementary school where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers," the San Antonio Express-News reported days after the incident. "The officers at the scene were ready to use tasers on parents and onlookers." No Duty To Protect Individuals In May, the city of Uvalde agreed to pay $2 million to the families of victims for its officers' failures. This summer, former Uvalde school police Chief Pete Arredondo and former officer Adrian Gonzales were indicted on multiple counts of child abandonment and endangerment charges for the roles they playedor refused to playat Robb Elementary School. That's remarkable: Police officers are almost never held accountable for failing to act. As Richard Dahl noted for FindLaw after the Uvalde fiasco, "criminal charges against police officers who fail to protect the public are extremely rare" because of court decisions holding law enforcement officers to vague, general responsibilities. "The duty to provide public services is owed to the public at large, and, absent a special relationship between the police and an individual, no specific legal duty exists," the District of Columbia Court of Appeals held in the 1981 case of Warren v. District of Columbia. The U.S. Supreme Court reinforced the point at the national level, ruling that "serving of public rather than private ends is the normal course of the criminal law" in Castle Rock v. Gonzales. Standing around letting kids get slaughtered is, perhaps, a step too far even for a criminal justice system generally prepared to absolve law enforcement of any duty beyond cruising in patrol cars. But those indictments don't bring back the deadand their rarity may not deter future inaction. Misplaced Confidence What's remarkable, though, is that despite the massive, well-documented failure of law-enforcement officers at the Robb Elementary School (and elsewhere), confidence in police is actually rising after a dip in recent years, and even as faith in other institutions continues to erode. "Americans' confidence in the police increased eight percentage points over the past year to 51%, the largest year-over-year change in public perceptions of 17 major U.S. institutions measured in Gallup's annual update," Gallup revealed last month. "The slim majority of U.S. adults who express confidence in the police includes 25% who say they have 'a great deal' and 26% 'quite a lot.'" Admittedly, 51 percent isn't a lot, but the only other institutions in which majorities reports confidence are small businesses, science, and the military. It represents an increase in confidence in police over the 43 percent recorded last year or 45 percent in 2022low numbers following the tensions of pandemic restrictions and riots after the killing of George Floyd and others by police. It's difficult to imagine just what police officers have done to earn such renewed confidence. And the records released by the media consortium reveal that rising trust to be badly misplaced. "We're having trouble doing a command post because we need the bodies to keep the parents outthey're trying to push in," The Wall Street Journal's Findell and Otis quote from one exchange recorded among officers that day a half-hour into the attack. "We have a large number of parents heading to the northwest corner. A couple of them are armed parents." Only You Can Be Relied on To Protect You Read that again. Rather than act to stop a murderer, police officers blocked parents upset and ready to intervene because law enforcement seemed unprepared to stop the ongoing crime. There's a lesson there about the different priorities of government employees collecting paychecks, no matter how well trained and equipped they are, and people who have personal stakes in the circumstances around them. Shortly after Uvalde, pollsters for Trafalgar Group/Convention of States asked, "what do you believe would best protect you and your family in the event of a mass shooting?" Maybe the shock of events made Americans more realistic than in the recent Gallup survey. Only 25.1 percent of respondents answered, "local police"; 41.8 percent chose "armed citizens." If you want something done right, do it yourself. That includes protecting family, friends, neighbors, and you. The post Uvalde Police Timid, Bungling During School Shooting, New Records Reveal appeared first on Reason.com. Frankensons Pizzeria in Las Vegas is facing some new struggles in 2024. The Vegas-based pizzeria, which became a viral TikTok sensation last year thanks to popular food critic Keith Lee, is facing some difficult times. Owner Frank Steele recently chatted with The Blast to share what business was like before Lee's review, after his review went viral, and now, more than a year later. Frankensons Pizzeria Became A Viral Sensation Thanks To Keith Lee! TikTok | Keith Lee Lee, who received an email about Frankensons Pizzeria needing some help to stay open back in January 2023, shared his honest review of the pizzeria. The TikTok video quickly went viral and currently has more than 54 million views. He also shared an update just four days later that also went viral with more than 25 million views. Steele's business saw a huge increase in customers thanks to Lee's videos and positive review. Rating all the dishes he tried high on the scale - pepperoni pizza, white pizza, garlic knots, wings, all-American burger, classic Italian sub, and french fries - people came from near and far to try out the food. Now, about a year and a half later, business is slow again, and Steele is hoping to get it back to a busier pace. Frankensons Pizzeria Is Struggling Again The 2024 struggle has been real for the pizzeria that's located about 7 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. Steele opened up his dream business in late 2022 in the spot where another restaurant used to be. "Being it was right after COVID, the place was shut down for a year or so. Nothing was really going on in that site for about a year," he told The Blast exclusively. "It got no traction for like the last year or so before I bought it. It sat dead for so long because of COVID so everybody found other places to go, which ended up being their pizza spot or whatever it may be, their go-to restaurant, for pizza and wings. So I had to try to gain customers back. The customers I was getting absolutely loved my food." In January 2023, Steele thought he was going to have to close the doors, but that's when Lee entered the picture. Keith Lee's Review Brought Tons Of New Customers To Frankensons Pizzeria TikTok | Keith Lee Thanks to Lee's visit and viral review, Steele instantly saw more customers than ever before. "I had tons of customers, more customers than I knew what to do with. I had to hire a whole new bunch of people," he explained. "That went on for a good seven months. I was probably the most viral restaurant in Las Vegas, and everybody wanted to come out to see us." But then the economy shifted business for Frankensons, as well as many other local mom-and-pop owned businesses. "Something happened with the economy, the economy kind of suffered, and we suffered a little bit, but we were still busy," he continued. "Now within the last, I would say, six, seven, eight months, it has just gone totally downhill. We can barely keep our doors open now. And then I was in the hospital for three weeks for foot surgery and my business suffered greatly because I was not there to oversee everything." The business also lost a lot of employees because Steele had no choice but to cut costs to survive. The Keith Lee Effect Is Still Alive And Well Despite business being much slower in recent months, Steele said he still has a lot of customers who come in because they saw Lee's review. (And while I was there getting dinner with my son, a family visiting the area came in because they saw Lee's viral video!) While Steele loves all his customers, whether they are from out of town or live nearby, one thing he hopes to do is attract more regular business from the Henderson and Las Vegas markets. "I post videos all the time about our specials that we got going on," he said. "I'm trying to increase exposure and draw people in, but it's very tough." Frankensons Pizza Has A GoFundMe Set Up Steele recently set up a GoFundMe page in the hopes of being able to save his beloved business. "I am asking for the help of the community and patrons in keeping our business doors open. Our business went viral over a year ago and customers came from all over the US to enjoy our menu. With the success, I was able to hire on several employees for what was once only a family establishment. It is my true joy to be able to offer jobs, offer quality food, and take pictures with my customers," he wrote in the description on the fundraising page. "Unfortunately, due to serious medical reasons, I was hospitalized for over 3 weeks and am currently recovering. Without saying, the medical bills are far beyond the means of what I can afford. In addition, not being present during that period of time at my restaurant, it has taken an additional hit with expenses and a decrease in customers." So far, the page has raised more than $8,000. Frankensons Pizzeria is located at 8334 S. Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas. You can find them on TikTok and Instagram. How to find out if your vehicle has a recall, what it means and what drivers need to know It's OK, most of us have done it. We see headline after headline about yet another safety recall of thousands, if not millions of cars or trucks and never check to see whether our car or truck is among them. Or we get a snail-mail recall notice that some of us mistake for junk and quickly toss in the trash. An investigation, Here's what to do instead to make sure that the Ford or Ferrari parked in your garage is up to snuff safety-wise. What is a safety defect? A safety defect is a problem in your car or truck that poses an unreasonable risk to safety. It may exist in other vehicles of the same design by an automaker or different models from the same auto company. The defect may also affect similar parts used by different automakers. How do recalls work? Federal standards set minimum requirements for parts of a vehicle involved in its safe operation. Those mandates are also used to protect drivers and passengers from death or serious injury in the event of a crash. A recall is required when a vehicle or a part of a car or truck does not meet those performance standards. More: Millions of older cars, trucks with dangerous defects aren't getting fixed How big of a deal is a recall? It's a big deal. Recalls can include safety-related defects that could lead to a loss of steering control, wiring problems that could lead to fire, air bags that deploy and injure occupants. But they don't include other, nonsafety issues, such as a busted air-conditioning system or staticky radio. Right, but how do I know if it's a really big deal? Auto manufacturers send heightened alerts when the risk of the defect is seen as especially high. Two of these are Do Not Drive and Park Outside, notifications. Do Not Drive instructs drivers not to operate their car or truck because a serious safety issue could spark an accident or physical harm. A Park Outside notice is sent out for vehicles with a high risk of causing a fire. Those owners are told to park their cars and trucks outside of garages and parking structures, and away from their homes and other buildings. More: The auto industry has a recall problem: Here's why proposed solutions haven't passed yet How do I find out if I have a recalled car or truck? By law, you should receive a notification in the mail from the maker of your car or truck. You can also search the website for the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Many news organizations also report on widespread safety recalls for cars and trucks. What information will display in the online search results on the NHTSA website? When searching by license plate or VIN, youll learn if your car or truck is under a recall and needs to be repaired. When searching using more general information about vehicles year, make and model, you'll get information about recalls, investigations, complaints and communications from carmakers. That's fine, but what if I want to stay in the know about recalls affecting me? There's more. You can sign up to receive NHTSA email recall notifications that affect your make and model. You can download the Safercar mobile app for iPhones or Safercar mobile app for Androids to have recall alerts sent to your phone. If you want another way to stay in touch, subscribe to RSS feeds about safety-related recalls. Bowman Chevrolet service technician Anthony Carbone, 22, of Rochester Hills, Mich., removes a recalled Takata front passenger air bag out of a Chevrolet Silverado and he prepares to replace it with another one in Clarkston, Mich., on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 Are there any other ways to find out about a safety recall on my vehicle? Yes. Automakers often have their own websites with information, including the General Motors site. Ford Motor Co. has a mobile phone app called FordPass, which has a tab with recall information and a notification feature to push out the latest information. The nonprofit Center for Auto Safety has a lookup tool on its website. The private data company Carfax warns its 30 million Car Care members when theres an unfixed recall for their vehicle. Government and businesses can also sign up for a service to check their vehicle fleets. In select states partnering with the federal government, the secretary of state or department of motor vehicles may check your car or truck against recall information and alert you separately about an outstanding safety issue. Other resources include the National Safety Council's Check to Protect campaign. How do I check for recalls on my own? Go online to NHTSAs website and use its lookup tool to check your license plate number or Vehicle Identification Number for any open safety recalls. Look on the lower left of your car's windshield for your 17-digit VIN. It's also on your vehicle registration card and it may be on your insurance card, too. Where do I get it fixed? Authorized manufacturer dealerships for your car or truck. But increasingly with the advent of the massive Takata air bag recall, automakers are coming to customers, performing mobile recall repairs at owner's homes and workplaces. Ford, for example, offers complimentary pickup and delivery through participating dealerships for recall repairs. How much will it cost to fix? Nothing in almost every case. If there is a safety recall, your manufacturer is required to fix the problem free of charge. There are some exceptions. A manufacturer may or may not pay for repairs on vehicles older than 15 years. What if they tell me the fix is not known or the new part is not available? You'll have to wait. The manufacturer's notice will sometimes indicate when a fix is expected to be available. And they will often notify you again once it is. I want to buy a used car. Is it legal to buy one with a safety defect that hasn't been fixed? In most places, yes. There is no federal law that prohibits the sale of used cars with an open recall. Many nationwide used car retailers now warn customers about the recall status of the car or truck they intend to buy. If you go ahead and buy it anyway, Consumer Reports and others suggest you make sure your registration has your current address. Also consider subscribing to email alerts about safety recalls and registering with a private data company like Carfax for updates. Finally, you should think about reaching out to the auto manufacturer directly about your used car purchase so they have your contact information. Stay safe: Use your Vehicle Identification Number here to check whether your car or truck has an open safety recall. This report received funding from the Abrams Nieman Fellowships for Local Investigative Journalism. Contact Matthew Dolan: 313-223-4743 or msdolan@freepress.com. Follow him on X at @matthewsdolan This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Car recalls: How to check if your vehicle has one By Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday that he believes the Venezuelan government has authoritarian inclinations, but added he would not label President Nicolas Maduro's administration a dictatorship. "Venezuela has a very unpleasant regime, but I don't think it's a dictatorship," Lula said in a radio interview. "It is a government with an authoritarian bias, but not a dictatorship like many we know around the world." Lula reiterated Brazil's call for Venezuela to release voting tallies from the widely contested elections that reinstated Maduro in late July. Both Maduro and the opposition have claimed victory. Brazil and its other neighbor Colombia have sought to find a solution to the crisis in Venezuela. On Thursday, they and the U.S. floated the idea of a new election, but both Maduro and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have ruled it out. Lula repeated he would only recognize the winner of the July vote if electoral authorities released detailed voting tallies. "Where are the tallies? I can only recognize a winner if they prove the election was democratic and clean," said the leftist leader, who has traditionally been friendlier with Maduro but adopted a more neutral stance on the election. The Brazilian president had also suggested earlier this week a potential "coalition government" as a way out of the crisis. According to Brazilian sources, the ideas floated by Lula and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro are "tentative" and have not been formally put on the table. The intention, they said, is to make Maduro signal that he is willing to negotiate. Venezuela's electoral authority proclaimed Maduro won 51% of the vote but has not divulged full vote tallies. Tallies in possession of the opposition, which it has posted to a public website, show its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez received 67% of the vote. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Christina Fincher and Marguerita Choy) Verizon outage in Kalamazoo may have affected 911 calls KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) Verizon customers in the Kalamazoo area experienced an outage Thursday afternoon, causing disruptions to calls, including to 911. According to Verizons outage tool, data, voice, text and wireless home internet were limited in Kalamazoo. There is a known issue in this area and we are working on a solution, Verizon wrote on its website. The disruption happened Thursday around 2:40 p.m. and Verizon estimated it would take 12 to 24 hours to restore the service. As of 10 p.m., Verizons outage tool said there were no issues in Kalamazoo. The major service degradation issues could affect people using Verizon Wireless, Spectrum Mobile, US Mobile, Xfinity mobile, Lively or Tracphone, the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office wrote in a social media post. Deputies advised customers who were unable to make emergency voice calls or text 911 to connect to WiFi and retry or use a different device with another provider. Verizons website also suggested using Verizon WiFi calling. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. VESTAL, NY (WIVT/WBGH) New information regarding the arrest of the reputed Peruvian gang leader, Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, has been obtained by News 34. Torres-Navarro, the leader of Los Killers was arrested Wednesday, August 14, at around 8:20 p.m. according to Vestal Police. While previous reporting claimed Torres-Navarro and his girlfriend Mishelle Sol Ivanna Ortiz Ubillus were arrested in Endicott, Vestal PD confirmed otherwise. The couple did live in Endicott according to local law enforcement, specifically on East Franklin Street. The arrest, however, was made in Vestal near the Burlington Coat Factory by ICE and Vestal PD. Vestal PD says the couple was taken in without incident. Torres-Navarro had been in the US since entering the U.S. illegally at the Texas-Mexico border on May 16. According to ICE, he was arrested the same day and given a notice to appear for immigration proceedings. Congressman Marc Molinaro is outraged by the fact that a wanted killer was allowed to live freely in our country. The freshman Republican blames the Biden administrations handling of the border crisis. The Biden-Harris administration implemented catch-and-release. The idea that there is selective enforcement and because of it, we know that this individual, this murderer, and this risk to our communities and to society, was allowed to live freely in the United States, said Molinaro. Molinaro says New York States sanctuary cities laws often prevent ICE from collaborating with local law enforcement. Endicott Mayor Nick Burlingame says he was horrified when he heard the news. This criminal, gang leader, killer was walking the same sidewalks as our children. Residents of Endicott are frightened, shocked, mortified that something like this happened right here in our quiet village, said Burlingame. Torres-Navarro is wanted in Peru for 23 killings, and Immigration agents claim Ortiz Ubillus acts as his right hand. Gianfranco Torres-Navarro poses a significant threat to our communities, and we wont allow New York to be a safe haven for dangerous noncitizens, said Thomas Brophy, the director of enforcement removal operations for ICEs Buffalo field office. He is being held at a federal detention facility near Buffalo pending an immigration hearing, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. Ortiz Ubillus is being held at a processing center in Pennsylvania, according to ICEs Online Detainee Locator System. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34. We recently compiled a list of the 15 Most Feared Activist Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Corvex Capital stands against the other feared activist hedge funds. Activist investors are a force to reckon with, given their profound impact on companies worldwide and their influence on investor's actions. They stand out from normal investors in buying large stakes in publicly traded companies to effect changes that they believe will unlock additional value. While public pension funds and mutual funds also participate in stock activism, activist hedge funds often hold significant positions and use extra leverage from derivatives such as stock options to compensate for the costs of such campaigns. Additionally, activist hedge funds acquire positions in struggling companies just before advocating for change, aiming to benefit from the ensuing improvement and increase in stock value. Activist investors declare their initiatives by submitting a Schedule 13D form to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which must be submitted within ten days after acquiring 5% or more of a company's voting class shares. They often initiate their campaigns for board positions in the early months of the year, as they prefer to introduce new members to the board just before the company's annual general meeting they aim to influence. READ ALSO: Shake-Up Alert: 40 Companies Facing Activist Pressure. In contrast to private equity groups that purchase and transform businesses to make a profit upon their sale, activist investors rarely obtain complete or controlling ownership. Instead, they rely on public statements and confidential talks to gain support from other shareholders and within the company. Should these strategies not succeed, an activist investor might seek a proxy battle to install new board members, aiming to compel the company to fulfill their requests. A company might attract the attention of the most feared activist hedge funds if it needs to be better managed or has high expenses. In some cases, it might be targeted if the investors wish to take the company private or plan to push for the sale of some units as one way of unlocking additional value. It might also be targeted if the activist investors believe it is a problem they can fix to generate more value. While activist hedge funds' modest goal may be to advise company management, in most cases, they are known for their aggressive actions. They push for seats on the board as one of the ways of influencing a company's strategic direction through decision-making. Some activist investors have gained prominence for forcefully entering into failing businesses and subsequently pushing for management changes, warning off board membersand occasionally, even CEOs. Story continues However, the majority of activist campaigns take place behind the scenes. Roughly two-thirds of the battles occur behind closed doors, whereby agreements are reached without the public ever knowing. It's only when activist hedge funds or investors feel they are getting a cold shoulder from management or board that they go public in a bid to win shareholders' support. Elliott Management is arguably one of the most feared activist hedge funds as it has targeted some of the biggest companies and taken on some of the most prominent investors, including Warren Buffett. Nevertheless, it is not the only one in the highly competitive field, as Starboard Value L.P. and Trian Partners, among others, are always looked upon by investors looking for highly undervalued stocks with tremendous upside potential. 2023 was one of the most successful years for activist hedge funds as they roared back to life on losing an average of 16% in 2022. As the overall stock market turned bullish in 2023, with the S&P 500 rallying by 24%, activist investors generated an average return of 20.2%, erasing a significant chunk of the losses accrued in 2022. Some of the most feared activist hedge funds that came out on top included Value Act Capital, which posted a return of 39% better than the S&P 500. Caligan Partners was also up by 37% and Engaged Capital posted a return of 29%. As interest rate hikes and other factors slowing growth hurt some companies, activist investors successfully pushed for cost cuts, management changes, and strategic alternatives. Many boards only realized too late that it takes more than refreshing directors to offset down performance in today's climate. In the first six months of 2024, the 15 most feared activist hedge funds launched a record number of campaigns. Investment firm Barclays tracked 147 activist campaigns, a new record from the previous high of 143 campaigns in the first half of 2018. In the second quarter alone, there were 86 campaigns, with Elliott Management launching 11 campaigns and committing close to $11 billion in capital. The increased activist campaigns threaten to trigger costly battles between activist shareholders and management amid the push for leadership changes, spin-offs, and outright sales of underperforming companies or units. Our Methodology After sifting through numerous media reports from the past and the present, we curated a list of the most prominent activist investors. We then picked the hedge funds with the largest portfolios and ranked them in ascending order of their portfolio sizes, as of Q1 2024. At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). An engineer in a control room monitoring a massive system, demonstrating the capabilities of rate-regulated utilities. Portfolio Size: $2.16 Billion Founded by Keith Meister in December 2010, Corvex Capital is one of the most feared activist hedge funds. It follows a core strategy based on values, using its ability to participate actively in situations to find opportunities with high risk reward opportunities like Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (NYSE:AQN). Consequently, it invests in high-quality companies adapting to changes in their industries, which are supported by long-term positive trends. Corvex is a highly focused, deeply motivated investment fund that employs activism as a method but not as its primary approach. The company leans towards not adopting an activist stance, considering a proxy battle as a measure of last resort. It favors a cooperative approach, aiming to be welcomed onto boards like at Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (NYSE:AQN). However, when management gives it a cold shoulder, the hedge fund often engages in public activism as one of the ways of getting shareholders on board to push for changes that can unlock additional value. The activist hedge fund does not take positions to micromanage companies but to influence the strategic direction through cost cuts, unit sales, or divestments. After taking a 4.4% stake in Entain, the activist hedge fund called for changes in the company's strategic direction to improve its performance; the hedge fund has also taken an activist position at Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (NYSE:AQN), whereby it is in discussion with the board about pursuing strategic changes that could unlock value. The activist hedge fund has also taken a position at Vestis Corporation (NYSE:VSTS), a provider of uniform rentals and workplace supplies, with plans that could open the door for it to push for board seats. Overall Corvex Capital ranks 11th on our list of the most feared activist hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential of AQN as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an A.I. stock that is more promising than AQN, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. LOWER BURRELL, Pa. (WTAJ) Vice presidential candidate JD Vance addressed a group of a few hundred veterans and republican party members in battleground state Pennsylvania Thursday, marking his first stop in western Pennsylvania since being named former president Donald Trumps running mate. Vance spoke at VFW Post 92 in Lower Burrell, Westmoreland County, focusing on issues veterans are currently facing homelessness, a lack of access to healthcare and financial security. He highlighted the points of his platform that he believes demonstrate how a Trump-Vance Administration would better support the nations veterans, stating that if elected, they plan to generate programs that help veterans take life experiences and turn them into workplace skills. President Trump and I have plans to do exactly this for the education that veterans get on the battlefield and their training to translate to the job market in the civilian world, and we do that. And I think that one, we stop discriminating against people that didnt go to college and we actually promote the skills formation, skills recognition in our veterans, thatll help raise their wages more than any government program, Vance said. Vice President Kamala Harriss campaign responded to Vances remarks at a press briefing Thursday afternoon in Pittsburgh. Former United States Representative Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) said that while the Trump-Vance campaign is promising to prioritize the needs of veterans, Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has already put in the work, having contributed to the development of programs that do just that. Meet this years 814 baby from UPMC Altoona We have program after program that Democrats like Tim Walz have developed specifically to target the issue youre talking about to take advantage of, of the experience that veterans bring to help ease their transition into the workplace, Lamb said. The campaigns are at odds as to how to create change but both presented messages supporting the belief that change is needed in America to better connect veterans to services available to them at both the state and federal level. Vance, a veteran himself, held a moment of silence for falling veterans and took a moment to acknowledge the veterans in his rally crowd, relating to them based on his own service experience. You hear Marines say all the time, Semper Fi, and to me, what it means is that Marines are always faithful to our country and to our brothers and sisters in arms, Vance said. But it also has another meaning, which is that we always have to be faithful to all of the members of our military who serve this country and did so honorably. Volunteers at Vances rally said that the event was open to the public but that the campaign chose to keep the event small for security purposes following the attempted assassination of Trump in neighboring Butler County in July. Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters. Trump himself is expected to be back in Pennsylvania Saturday, with plans to speak at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com. Yahoo Finance After China announced broad measures to rescue its economy, Chinese stocks surged, our Chart of the Week shows. It's not the first time the country has attempted to get out of the recent doldrums, but the market's reaction says this time might be different. Rose Marie Kosmetatos, left, and her husband, Antonios Pagourtzis, parents of accused Santa Fe High School shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis, listen to their attorneys discuss a motion Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, during their civil trial in Galveston County Court No. 3 Judge Jack Ewing's courtroom at the Galveston County Courthouse in Galveston, Texas. (Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News via AP, Pool) DALLAS (AP) An attorney for the parents of a Texas student accused of killing 10 people in a 2018 school shooting near Houston told trial jurors Friday that they didn't know their son would have a psychotic breakdown. Lawyers for the victims say Dimitrios Pagourtzis gave his parents many signs that he needed help. The victims' lawsuit seeks to hold Pagourtzis and his parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, financially liable for the shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18, 2018. They are pursuing at least $1 million in damages. The jury was given the case just before 5 p.m. and was set to resume deliberating Monday morning. Victims attorneys say the parents failed to provide necessary support for their sons mental health and didnt do enough to prevent him from accessing their guns. It was their son, under their roof, with their guns who went and committed this mass shooting, Clint McGuire, representing some of the victims, told jurors during closing statements in the Galveston courtroom. Authorities say Pagourtzis fatally shot eight students and two teachers. He was 17 years old at the time. Pagourtzis, now 23, has been charged with capital murder, but the criminal case has been on hold since November 2019, when he was declared incompetent to stand trial. He is being held at a state mental health facility. Lori Laird, an attorney for Pagourtzis parents, said their son's mental break wasn't foreseeable and that he hid his plans for the shooting from them. She also said the parents kept their firearms locked up. The parents didnt pull the trigger, the parents didnt give him a gun, Laird said. In April, Jennifer and James Crumbley were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison by a Michigan judge after becoming the first parents convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting. Pagourtzis parents are not accused of any crime. Attorneys representing the victims families talked of the anguish of their loved ones deaths, including the family of Sabika Aziz Sheikh, a 17-year-old Pakistani exchange student who wanted to be a diplomat. The lawsuit was filed by relatives of seven of the people killed and four of the 13 who were wounded in the Santa Fe attack. Attorneys representing some of the survivors talked about the trauma they still endure, including Chase Yarbrough, who still has bullets embedded in his body. Representing Pagourtzis, attorney Roberto Torres told jurors during the trial that while his client planned the shooting, he was never in control of his actions because of his severe mental illness. During his closing statements, he said Pagourtzis' parents should have been paying closer attention. Pagourtzis did a monstrous thing, but he's not a monster, Torres said. You cant make him the scapegoat here, he said. McGuire asked jurors to hold Pagourtzis accountable, saying there is ample evidence that he intended to do what he did. McGuire said Pagourtzis meticulously planned the shooting, opening fire in the art room where students would be trapped and it would be hard for police to reach him. He said Pagourtzis wrote in his journal that the idea of shooting his classmates and watching them writhe on the ground in agony was exhilarating." McGuire said during closing statements that they believe that Pagourtzis was very depressed, but that he carried out the shooting because he was filled with rage. He knew when he went to the school that what he was doing was wrong, McGuire said. McGuire also said Pagourtzis recorded over 50 absences from school, rarely showered, became quieter and stayed in his room all indicators of mental illness that his parents should have recognized. Laird said during closing statements that the school record showed the parents werent notified of most of his absences. She showed recent family photos featuring the smiling teen and described his willing participation in a Greek dancing performance just before the shooting. She told jurors during the trial that the couple hadnt seen any red flags, knew nothing of his online purchases and didnt know any of their weapons were missing. Lucky Gunner, a Tennessee-based online retailer that sold Dimitrios Pagourtzis more than 100 rounds of ammunition without verifying his age, was a defendant in the lawsuit until last year, when it reached a settlement with the families. Kosmetatos told jurors that while her son had become more introverted, he was a bright and normal child with no significant issues. She acknowledged that he wasnt himself in the months leading up to the shooting but she had hoped it would pass. Antonios Pagourtzis testified that he wasnt aware that his son was feeling rejected and ostracized at school, or that he might have been depressed. The family locked up their firearms in a gun safe in the garage and a display cabinet in the living room. Dimitrios Pagourtzis used his mothers .38 caliber handgun and one of his fathers shotguns during the shooting. Whether he got the weapons from the safe or cabinet, and where he found the keys, were points debated during the trial. You cant secure anything 100%, Antonios Pagourtzis said. Similar lawsuits have been filed following other mass shootings. In 2022, a jury awarded over $200 million to the mother of one of four people killed in a shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. The lawsuit was filed against the shooter and his father, who was accused of returning a rifle to his son before the shooting despite the sons mental health issues. Viewer tip leads to arrest of man featured on Most Wanted Viewer tip leads to arrest of man featured on Most Wanted BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A man with a criminal history that includes rape featured last week on Golden Empire Most Wanted has been arrested according to the U.S. Marshals office. James Hall, 67, was arrested on Thursday thanks to a viewer who alerted authorities, U.S. Marshals officials said. Hall was on parole for assault for a deadly weapon and has a criminal history that includes rape, assault and battery against a spouse. You can see more of Golden Empire Most Wanted at this link. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. [Watch previous FOX 8 News coverage in the player above.] STOW, Ohio (WJW) Residents are invited to a candlelight vigil this weekend for Megan Keleman, a 25-year-old woman gunned down by an apparent stranger in a drive-thru on Wednesday evening. Its set for 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18, rain or shine, on the front lawn of Stow City Hall, 3760 Darrow Road, according to a news release from the city. Stow police offer new details on suspected murder-suicide at Taco Bell This embedded content is not available in your region. Candles will be provided. Counselors will also be on hand to offer support. Kelemans pastor, Cole Tawney of Kents Riverwood Chapel, and other pastors from the area are expected to offer prayers. Local police will be working for security and to direct vehicles. As we mourn the tragic loss of one of our community members, we are reminded of the deep connections that bind us together, Mayor John Pribonic is quoted in the release. In this time of sorrow, let us come together to support one another, honor the memory of the one we have lost and strengthen the bonds of our community. May we find comfort in unity and hope in the days ahead. On Wednesday, Keleman was in the drive-thru of the Taco Bell along Graham Road in Stow when a 53-year-old Cuyahoga Falls man who police said appeared to be in crisis fatally shot her in the neck, then turned the gun on himself. Saint Ignatius High Schools Anthony Rubino charged with domestic violence, suspended Kelemans social media posts suggest she had just finished her Master of Business Administration degree at Cleveland State University, FOX 8 News previously reported. She also worked at Shelter Care Inc. in Tallmadge, a drop-in center for runaway, homeless and at-risk youths. In light of the recent events, our family is enduring an immensely painful loss of Megan Elizabeth Keleman, reads a statement issued Thursday by the womans family. We kindly ask for the media and the publics understanding for our privacy during this difficult time. We appreciate the communitys support and hope that our request for privacy will be honored so we can continue to focus on supporting each other through this difficult period. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Virginia Amber Alert didnt go out to everyone, but why? PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) Virginia State Police issued an Amber Alert just before 2 a.m. on Aug. 15 at the request of the Virginia Beach Police Department, but even though it was a statewide alert, 10 On Your Side has confirmed some people did not receive it. WAVY reached out to Virginia State Police to find out why. VBPD: 1 child dead, 2 injured after Amber Alert ends in crash in Maryland The Amber Alert was issued for three children, all under the age of 7, after police say they were abducted by 36-year-old Dana Plummer. Plummer is also accused of stabbing his 12-year-old step-daughter and her mother in Virginia Beach before taking off with the three younger children. The Amber Alert was canceled after a crash in Maryland that sent the suspect and the three children to the hospital. A 16-month-old girl, one of the three abducted children, died. Many people who typically receive Amber Alerts said they never received this one. 10 On Your Side created an online interactive poll asking viewers to weigh in if they received an alert or not. Thousands participated in the poll, with the majority saying they did not get alerted. Virginia State Police told 10 On Your Side there were some technical issues. They also said the alert is up to the individual wireless carriers and that Virginia State Police has no control over when/how they push out the alert. According to State Police, the issues stemmed from the Everbridge software and the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) platform used to issue the alerts. For those who did receive the Amber Alert, the information appeared incomplete and the alert did not click through to more information, as seen in the screenshot below. State Police has been in contact with FEMA, who operates and controls IPAWS, regarding some of the incomplete messaging, and we anticipate a quick and thorough resolution, Virginia State Police spokesperson Matthew Demlein told WAVY. Who Gets Amber Alerts? Amber Alerts are sent to cell phones through the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) program. Active alerts should appear automatically on your phone. Amber Alerts are also disseminated by other means: on VDOT highway signs, at hotel chains, internet service providers, apps and other technology. They also are broadcast on radio and television stations, including WAVY TV. You have the option to turn off government alerts, including Amber Alerts. iPhone users: Go to Settings -> Notifications and then scroll all the way to the bottom. You can toggle the alerts on or off. Android users: Settings -> Safety & Emergency -> Wireless emergency alerts Some carriers will also allow you to shut off or turn on alerts for dialing a number. Check with your individual carrier, but here are a couple examples: T-Mobile | Verizon. When is an Amber Alert issued? Virginia law enforcement will issue an Amber Alert to notify the public about missing children (17 or younger) believed to be abducted and in imminent danger. It is only used in the most serious cases and will only be activated if certain criteria are met. State Police explained why the Amber Alert Thursday was issued just before 2 a.m., when the abduction occurred before 9 p.m. It has to do with making sure the requesting agency, in this case Virginia Beach, has fulfilled the required criteria. This includes verifying all biographical information, vehicle information, and obtaining the necessary photographs from the requesting agency. Once this is completed, the AMBER Alert is issued, which triggers a series of activations and alerts (https://vsp.virginia.gov/active-alerts/amber-alert/). Virginia State Police An Amber Alert can be issued across state lines if an abductor takes the child outside the jurisdiction of the issuing law enforcement agency. This is referred to as a Multi-state Amber Alert activation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Could Virginia Beach stop looking into a potential third-party operator for the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center and give the aquariums foundation a larger operating role? The possibility comes as the citys still trying to figure out the best way to pay for multi-million dollar renovations to the four-decade-old public facility. The talks, which started back in early 2023, have included negotiations with the owners of Dollywood and Ripleys Believe It or Not. During Tuesdays informal city council session, Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson read a joint statement from the aquariums council liaisons (herself and Councilman Worth Remick) that share recommendations about the matter. Previous: Owners of Dollywood and Ripleys express interest in taking over operations of Virginia Aquarium Previous: Concerns raised as Virginia Beach continues to weigh options for aquariums future The aquarium foundation has indicated the desire to explore the possibility of amending the partnership with the city, where it takes on more of an operational and financial role in the day-to-day operation of the aquarium, Wilson said. And planning for its future in a way that provides budget certainty for taxpayers. To fully explore this possibility, we are asking council to stop the alternative model exercise with outside third-parties. Wilson says aquarium leadership seems agreeable to the possibility of memorializing a memorandum of understanding agreeing to these three topics, which she says would be addressed collaboratively between city staff, council liaisons and the foundation: Review the citys and foundations financial information to get a more accurate financial picture of the Virginia Aquariums operation and work to identify operation efficiencies for implementation Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the aquarium facilities To seek federal and state funding to support the aquarium operations and/or capital needs to move forward We really dont know the condition of the building, Wilson said. It needs to be assessed. And this gives us a better idea exactly where it is. So we thought this was good progress that we were able to come together and agree on those things and present it to the council and hope that you agree as well. Wilson this most recent development came after two meetings with aquarium leadership in the past few weeks, one involving her and Mayor Bobby Dyer, and another with her and Remick before Tuesdays council meeting. This was a very complex situation with a lot of moving parts. And now at least were in the position that we can bring it forward and to get it to a mutual win-win for everybody, Dyer said. Previous: Virginia Beach exploring new ownership options for Aquarium, not ruling out a possible sale Council as a whole will still have to decided whether or not to approve the recommendations, via a new memorandum of understanding. In the meantime, the foundations leadership has been invited to make a presentation to the public about what the agreement would entail. Councilman Chris Taylor again raised issues he has with the process related to the aquariums future, something Councilwoman Barbara Henley shared she had major concerns with back in June. He also shared concerns that the aquarium foundation, a non-profit that owns the facilitys animals and exhibits, hasnt shared its financial date with the citys auditor. Councilwoman Jennifer Rouse also asked why the foundations financial info hasnt been made available. From my understanding about it, is that information that we need to fully get a holistic picture of the citys finances and the foundations finances, said Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney in response. As part of them agreeing to do this work going forward, if council agrees with that, they will share that information so that we can give the council, the public and the foundation a full overview of the financials it takes to operate the aquarium. Taylor asked so is it fair to say without the pause [the foundations] not going to release the information? I cant speak for the foundation, Duhaney replied. Duhaney added the foundations not obligated to the share their information, but they are audited every year in their agreement with the city. They have a clean audit, but their information within, beyond the audit that we need to know to get a better sense of what is the full scope of operating the aquarium, right? So we know what it takes for the city to do its side of the aquarium, but we dont know the full scope of what it takes to operate the exhibits to take care of their animals, right? Wilson said the big takeaway compared to before is that the foundation is now agreeing to share their financial data, and theyre willing to be a bigger partner in operations, something she believes will benefit taxpayers. Its a positive thing. I dont think the public wants to see us in a big fight with the foundation. And here we were able to agree on some really important issues weve got some real corporate interest too. And get the corporate to work on some of the financial part. You can watch the full conversation from Tuesdays informal session here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. BLUEFIELD, VA (WVNS) Its only the second day of school for Tazewell County in Virginia, but already a threat was made- causing police to intervene. Early Friday morning on August 16, 2024, Graham Middle School received a dangerous threat by phone, according to the Bluefield Virginia Police Department. Officers immediately responded to the threat and quickly placed a perimeter around the school campus. They were also sent inside the school to further investigate and scope out any potential danger. Summers County bus troubles Officers believed the threat was not made locally, and that similar threats were made to multiple schools throughout the country. Still, out of precaution, an increased police presence was stationed inside and around Graham Middle School and nearby schools to make sure all staff and students remain safe. 59News will continue to provide updates as we receive them. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. Delegates are seen in front of a party logo at the state party conference of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) Saxony. Sebastian Willnow/dpa More people in the state of Saxony support the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) than the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), a poll showed on Friday, suggesting a close race in state elections scheduled for September 1. The poll showed the AfD would receive 32% of the votes, followed by the CDU with 29%, as the rise of the far-right is causing growing concerns in Germany. A new party on the political landscape, the populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) emerged as the third strongest force in the state with 15% of votes. The low results for the other parties - including those in the coalition governing at national level, namely the Social Democrats, the Green Party and the pro-business FDP, may struggle to pass the hurdle to enter parliament, said the poll. Saxony is currently governed by a coalition between the CDU, SPD and Greens and the poll showed 5% support for each, the threshold for entering parliament. The far-left Left Party also had 5% support. The FDP, with currently 2% of the votes, would once again fall short and the Free Voters are just below the 5% threshold at 4%. In the poll, 27% of respondents said they were "sure" in their decision to vote for the AfD, while 23% said the same of the CDU and 12% said the same for the BSW. HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) Secretary of State Michael Adams announced the nine finalists for the inaugural I Voted Sticker Contest. Secretary Adams narrowed it down to three choices from elementary, from middle, and from high schools respectively. Two of those finalists are from western Kentucky. Its never too soon for young Kentuckians to engage civically, and were glad to enlist our kids to design the I Voted sticker, and to let Kentuckians decide which design will win, said Adams. FEMA offering money for displacement assistance in Kentucky The winners from the Tri-State are: Elementary School Addy Wells, Jesse Stuart Elementary School, Hopkins County Second Place Middle School Eden Barksdale, Barksdale Home School, Ohio County Second Place Sticker design from Eden Barksdale, Barksdale Home School, Ohio County (Courtesy: Office of the Secretary of State) Sticker design from Addy Wells, Jesse Stuart Elementary School, Hopkins County (Courtesy: Office of the Secretary of State) According to Hopkins County Schools, Wells created her sticker design as a 5th grader at Jesse Stuart Elementary and is now a student at James Madison Middle School. Addy Wells (Courtesy: Hopkins County Schools) Addy Wells (Courtesy: Hopkins County Schools) Addy Wells (Courtesy: Hopkins County Schools) Addy Wells (Courtesy: Hopkins County Schools) Whitesville home deemed total loss after structure fire Officials say Kentuckians can cast their ballot for their favorite sticker at the Secretary of States Office booth at the Kentucky State Fair. Voting is taking place now through the end of the State Fair, which is on August 25, at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds on 937 Phillips Lane, in Louisville. it will be at the Secretary of State Booth, South Wing B. To locate the Secretary of States booth, walk towards the pole marked B10. Officials say the top vote getters design will be printed on stickers and sent to interested county clerks to provide to voters in November. The other finalists can be found here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) Robert Habeck (R), German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, and Christian Lindner, German Minister of Finance, take part in a press conference on the 2025 budget. The leaders of Germany's coalition government have agreed to a new compromise on the 2025 budget, a government spokesman said in Berlin on Friday. Michael Kappeler/dpa The leaders of Germany's coalition government have agreed to a new compromise on the 2025 budget, a government spokesman said in Berlin on Friday. The new agreement - one month after Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his coalition partners reached a preliminary deal in early July - primarily involves the reallocation of funds for the state-owned Deutsche Bahn railway company. This will reduce the planned 2025 deficit in government expenditure by 4.5 billion ($4.95 billion) to 12 billion. Scholz's coalition hopes to make up the deficit by stimulating economic growth, thereby raising government revenue, instead of increasing borrowing. "The requirements of the debt brake in the constitution will continue to be met," the spokesman said, referring to strict rules against ordinary budget deficits. Scholz told dpa the draft bill would now be forwarded to the German parliament. DeutscheBahn at heart of new deal Germany's coalition leaders - Scholz of the Social Democratic Party, Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens and Finance Minister Christian Lindner from the Free Democratic Party - have argued for months over the government budget for 2025. The key sticking point was a 30-billion hole in government finances, which could not be covered by extra borrowing due to Germany's complicated debt brake. A breakthrough in July saw the leaders agree to a deal that cut the planned deficit to 17 billion without major spending cuts, but economic experts said the figure remained too high, leading to a new round of negotiations that concluded on Friday. The cornerstone of the latest deal is the financing of Deutsche Bahn, which has suffered from years of under-investment. The agreement shaves a further 4.5 billion off the planned deficit by replacing subsidies for Deutsche Bahn with additional equity and a 3-billion loan. "We have decided to invest in transport infrastructure with additional capital and loans for Deutsche Bahn and to make further general savings," Scholz told dpa. The deal is now set to be examined in the Bundestag and Bundesrat, Germany's legislative chambers. By Dan Peleschuk KYIV (Reuters) - After a Russian missile tore through Ukraine's largest children's hospital last month, fundraiser Yevhen Vember sprang into action, marshalling more than $9 million for speedy repairs. Soon, however, a tender for construction work at the Okhmatdyt hospital in Kyiv that his organisation held was cancelled after an investigative report by a prominent journalist suggested the contest had been rigged, sparking an outcry. In an interview with Reuters, Vember denied wrongdoing. He said the Okhmatdyt charity fund he leads held the tender in order to be transparent and had hired outside legal and technical experts to vet and recommend potential winners for the hospital to choose from. No money had been spent but the episode is another sign of growing public intolerance for perceived corruption in Ukraine amid a 30-month-old Russian invasion that is sapping lives and resources. It also highlights the level of scrutiny that will likely accompany donor-funded reconstruction projects as Ukraine seeks to rebuild from the war. Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said he had asked police to review the hospital tender for signs of illegal activity. No investigations have been announced yet or charges brought. Lyashko also announced a new tender would take place, and tightened oversight, though the delay could mean work will not be completed before winter. The July 8 strike on Okhmatdyt, which killed two, shocked the nation with images of wounded children fleeing the scene and bloodied doctors digging through debris. Donations flowed in from ordinary Ukrainians and some of the country's top businesses, including to Vember's charity, which has raised critical funds for vulnerable children since early in the war. MINISTRY PANEL The private tender to rebuild a damaged smaller building at the hospital appeared encouraging because it made public the 14 companies that bid, said reporter Yuriy Nikolov, of the online outlet Nashi Hroshi (Our Money), which investigates suspected graft. But he said he was concerned when the winner, announced by the hospital on July 31 with a cost estimate of around $7 million, was a firm with few reported resources and the third-highest estimate. He said he believes it was chosen over worthier bids in a closed-door process. A day later, Nikolov published a story questioning the move. He did not allege specific criminal wrongdoing. Lyashko, the health minister, announced the next day the tender would be cancelled after an outburst of public criticism, including from influential figures. "We will follow this very closely, because it looks like total abuse and taking people for complete idiots," wrote Ihor Lachenkov, one of Ukraine's most popular bloggers. The Health Ministry has established an advisory council of activists, donors and other public figures, which it said would keep track of the hospital reconstruction process. The new tender will be held on a government platform. "We not only prevented them from stealing in a one-off act... but we showed that it's dangerous to behave that way in general," said Nikolov. Vember said of his scuppered tender that the money would have been released only after the cost estimates were approved by a comprehensive government assessment, and that other contenders had been ruled out as legally questionable. "We tried to do something good, and quickly," he said. "Unfortunately, it turned out differently." HIGH EXPECTATIONS Vember also said he did not anticipate the fierce public reaction, and believes the fund's reputation has been tarnished by unfair allegations that struck an emotional chord with the public. "Morally, I'm exhausted from this story," he said, leafing through stacks of tender documents. "But our task... is to listen to society, and to do things the way society demands." Authorities have stepped up their fight against corruption since Russia's invasion, a key requirement for Kyiv to eventually join the European Union. Ukraine ranked 104th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index. Nikolov said "society has shown its combat readiness" when it comes to monitoring for signs of potential wrongdoing. His probe into inflated Defence Ministry procurement in January 2023, which officials denied at the time, helped lead to a government shake-up by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. International donors are also watching closely as they send billions of dollars in aid and recovery funds. Okhmatdyt has continued working, with surgeons having carried out more than 400 operations over the past month, hospital general director Volodymyr Zhovnir told Reuters. Speaking inside the hospital's main building, whose facade is pockmarked with blown-out windows, Zhovnir took pride in the staff's resilience and described Nikolov's report as an "information attack" that compromised reconstruction efforts. Zhovnir, who said the tender winner was selected based on the fund's recommendations, also added that he could have put more guardrails in place at the outset to preempt any potential concerns from the public. "Maybe I needed to be significantly tougher in terms of being public about what we were doing." (Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Frances Kerry) Warner Robins, farmers market have dispute over location. Whats next for the market? Warner Robins and a farmers market owner are in a dispute about where the farmers market can set up after the city opened another event in the same place the market usually operates. Joshua Hess, owner of International City Farmers Market at Perkins Field on Watson Boulevard and Maple Street, accused the city of discrimination against him, and in addition to his concerns about where he can operate, he said the city hasnt helped clean up dangerous trash on the grounds in a Facebook post Thursday. Hess moved his vendors away from the original area because he said there were needles, broken glass, sharpened spoons and tree roots on the ground. They have tiny bits sticking out, so its just very dangerous for anyone whos not on the steadiest of legs, Hess said. So weve shifted the market away from that spot. The market was originally in the corner of Perkins Field on Watson Boulevard and Maple Street. For the past few markets, Hess allowed vendors to expand farther into the center of the field. But that land is already being used, the city says. Mayor LaRhonda Patrick told The Telegraph that center area is meant for Food Truck Roundup, a monthly city-led event. Issues never arose between the city and Mr. Hess until he decided to encroach upon land that we need for our third Thursday Food Truck Roundups, Patrick said. She also denied that the grounds were dirty or unsafe. She said city maintenance crews clean the park regularly and would have picked up any litter. Weve never heard of any of that at all at Perkins Field, Patrick said. His position that he moved his barrier because those things were there doesnt match up with fact ... it doesnt match up with reality. But Hess said the boundary wasnt made clear by the city. (A city official) came out to tell us that there was a boundary line we would need to stay on our side of, but she was unable to tell us where the line was, Hess said. Theres no drawing, theres no spray paint, there was nothing we can use as a guideline ... a parking cone or anything. A map of the area drawn by the city does not include the farmers market on it. It only shows parking areas, local businesses and the Food Truck Roundup grounds. Hess said this could be deceiving to patrons. Hess also said he feels city officials have been insensitive about a stutter he has, and his epilepsy. A few markets were held where Hess vendors expanded onto the food truck area, Patrick said. Then the Warner Robins Police Department got involved, according to Patrick and Hess. Officers told Hess about a month ago that his vendors could not pass a certain line in the park. Hess was hostile during that interaction, Patrick said. Hess admitted, I do get angry, but usually Ive got a pretty good reason. In another incident, Hess found caution tape posted on the field Thursday, which designated the area he and his vendors could not cross. I went down to city hall and I tried to talk to the mayor and get some straight answers, Hess said. I was probably louder than I needed to be, but even if its their land and they can do whatever they want with it, it doesnt mean they should. The mayor was in a board meeting when he arrived. She told The Telegraph Hess yelled, caused a ruckus, and stood in her parking space to wait for her to arrive. He never spoke to me, but he did go outside and stood in my parking spot, I was told, for an hour waiting for me there so that he could confront me, Patrick said. Officers were there, but did not file a report about this incident. Whats next for the Warner Robins farmers market? Hess said he might step down from ownership and have a vendor take over due to his health. The city allows Hess to host his farmers market at no cost. But Patrick told The Telegraph she is willing to rethink the use of the space if Hess speaks negatively about the city and crosses onto the city-run food truck area boundaries. We get nothing in return for allowing a space for these small business vendors. We support them. We need to make sure they always have a space to use. It doesnt have to be with this individual who has now caused all this turmoil for us, Patrick said. So the likelihood of the City of Warner Robins going into an agreement with him at this point is slim to nothing. WASHINGTON COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) The Washington County School System is delaying moving into a brand new facility that will house grades kindergarten through 12. They were hoping the building would be done in time for school to start but they are now expecting to transition students over in late November or early December. By starting the year already consolidated, they are hoping to make the transition even smoother. So, we were the initial delivery date was going to be late fall, early winter. We thought wed gotten ahead and so we were hoping for a preschool delivery, Washington County Schools Superintendent Dr. David O. White said. However, that didnt work. So, were really back on our previous timeline. Unfortunately, we cannot occupy the school at the beginning of the school year like we had hoped, but thats okay. Were still excited about starting a new school year, a fresh school year. The project has been in the works and Dr. White said he doesnt expect it to have any impact on the beginning of the school year. Weve been coordinating this for the past year, so weve been planning out what the initial consolidation will look like, and thats consolidating our Pines Elementary and Creswell Elementary into our Washington County Elementary School and our Washington County Middle School and Washington County High School into Washington County High School. He said he sees it as an opportunity for the school system early in the school year. This is just a great opportunity for us to start the school year and to really give a boost to Washington County Schools. Weve actually created a new vision and mission for our schools, and were going to wrap it around our core values, new and instilled core values, two of which include high expectations for our students, staff and our community, Dr. White said. And the other is a love of learning. And I think thats important as we take on this new facility, this new edifice that we are going to begin educating our students in. And I think if we stick to those core values, I think that we have a very positive future ahead of us. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT. What wastewater scans indicate about current mpox levels in SF SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) While the latest variant of mpox has been declared a global health emergency, instances of the virus in San Francisco remain low, according to officials. Wastewater levels cited by the San Francisco Department of Public Health indicate the citys seven-day average for cases is currently zero. Why is my California DMV car registration so expensive? Health officials have been monitoring SFs wastewater for mpox since 2022. Traces of clade II, the 2022 variant of the virus, are still present in wastewater scans, officials said. However, those levels are significantly below those from two years ago. Federal, state and city officials are continuing to monitor wastewater for developments regarding clade I, the 2023 outbreak variant. At this time, no cases of clade I have been reported in the United States. The SFDPH recommends the two-dose vaccine course as the best protection against mpox. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Rashad Trice was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Trice was sentenced today at 9 a.m. in Ingham County for the 2023 murder of 2-year-old Wynter Smith. Wynters grandfather gave an emotional statement saying, I dont hate you, I hate what youve done, speaking directly to Trice. When asked to speak, Trice said no. Trice, 27, was the subject of a massive manhunt from Lansing to Detroit last year after he assaulted Cole-Smiths mother and kidnapped the toddler. The toddler was found in Detroit on July 5 three days after she was taken from a Lansing apartment. Man accused of kidnapping, killing 2-year-old girl to be prosecuted by state. Nothing can bring Wynter back, but I hope knowing that Mr. Trice will spend the rest of his life behind bars, without the need for a lengthy trial, offers some solace to her loved ones, Attorney General Dana Nessel said. Thanks to the tireless work of law enforcement and prosecutors in my office, the man responsible for these horrific acts will never again endanger our communities. He was originally charged by the Office of the Attorney General Dana Nessel with 20 criminal allegations including assault with intent to murder, two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree, home invasion in the first degree, unlawful imprisonment, aggravated domestic violence (second offense), unlawful driving away of an automobile, and felonious assault. Nessel took over the case by agreement from prosecutors in Ingham, Macomb and Wayne Counties. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten obtained a federal indictment against Trice as well. Those charges included kidnapping a minor resulting in death. Trice faces a mandatory life sentence. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. Watch: Mass brawl in Turkish parliament as pro-Erdogan MPs trade blows with opposition The incident took place on Wednesday with rival politicians trading blows in front of the speaker's lectern - NECATI SAVAS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock A mass brawl erupted in the Turkish parliament on Wednesday with rival politicians trading blows in front of the speakers lectern. The fracas began when Ahmet Sik, an MP from the Workers Party of Turkiye (TIP), insulted the members of the AK Party headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the countrys president. His verbal attack, delivered from the speakers platform, sparked a furious reaction from a group of AK Party MPs. They stormed the platform with one MP slapping Mr Sik and forcing him to the floor. Mr Sik responded by throwing punches at rival lawmakers as a mass brawl broke out involving around 40 MPs. Bekir Bozdag, the deputy speaker, was forced to suspend the session for 15 minutes while order was restored. The fight took place during an extraordinary parliamentary session called to discuss the status of Can Atalay, the TIP MP serving an 18-year jail sentence for aiding an attempt to overthrow the Turkish government. TIP is a Left-wing opposition party that strongly supports the rights of Kurdish people, while AK is Turkeys ruling party, headed by Mr Erdogan. Mr Atalay, 48, was sentenced in 2022 but was elected an MP for TIP last year while still in jail. His imprisonment has been described as a gross injustice by Amnesty International who have called for his immediate release. In January 2024, the parliament stripped Mr Atalay of his seat despite a ruling by the countrys Constitutional Court which had blocked the move. The parliament is normally in summer recess until October 1 but opposition parties forced the extraordinary session to debate Mr Atalays status. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Waterbury buys 10K pouches to keep phones out of classrooms WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) Waterbury Public Schools is using a new tool to help keep cellphones out of classrooms. The Yondr pouch is a small, magnetic bag that allows students to lock up their cellphones and other Bluetooth belongings during the day. Do parents support Gov. Lamonts push for banning cell phones in schools? But, the new pouch policy is drawing mixed reactions in the community. Kids should be able to get their phones at least when theyre on a recess break or a lunch break and their parents want to get in contact with them, said Zulma Dejesus, of Waterbury. Waterbury Deputy Superintendent Darren Schwartz, said nearly 8,500 students in grades six through 12 will use the pouches. Waterbury Public Schools purchased about 10,000 Yondr pouches with help from federal funding. Schwartz said the decision to buy the bags comes after seeing students use phones in class and during situations, like school fights or pranks. Students would take out their cellphones, and youd have it captured, Schwartz said. Then the student that was possibly traumatized during an event is now reliving it through social media. So, [that student has] to see that event play over and over and over again, because somebody videotaped it and put it online. Similar pouch protocols are already in place in some Connecticut school districts, including Torrington and Manchester. Gov. Ned Lamont is also pushing legislation that would require the state to develop a model policy that districts could use. But what happens if a student places a fake phone in a pouch, then has access to their real phone throughout the school day? If you have [the real phone] and we dont see it, youre still going to be abiding by the policy, because the policy only really kicks in if we see the technology, Schwartz said. Schwartz said, in case of an emergency, parents can still contact the school. Youre still going to be able to call the office staff and get ahold of your child, your student, Schwartz said. Your child can go to the office and call home. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. HERRIMAN, Utah (ABC4) Starting tonight, a section of Bangerter Highway will close for the weekend to help facilitate the construction of new freeway-style interchanges in the area. The Utah Department of Transportation said the southbound lanes of Bangerter Highway from 12600 South to 2700 West in Herriman will close starting Friday, Aug. 16 at 9 p.m. The highway is expected to reopen in time for the morning commute on Monday, Aug. 19. The left turn onto northbound 13400 South will also be closed during the construction. Drivers should expect delays in the area and are advised to use 12600 South and Redwood Road as a detour route. The construction is part of an ongoing project to remove traffic lights from Bangerter Highway and turn it into a free-flowing highway with freeway-style interchanges to local roads. This year, UDOT is building interchanges at 13400 South, 9800 South, 4700 South, and 2700 West. Bangerter Highway is one of the valleys largest north-to-south corridors, moving an average of 60,000 vehicles per day, UDOT said in a press release. Removing stoplights and converting all intersections into freeway-style interchanges will enhance safety and help keep traffic moving in the ever-growing west side of the Salt Lake Valley. Other UDOT projects that could affect traffic over the weekend Aside from the closure of Bangerter Highway, UDOT said other projects could impact drivers through Salt Lake and Utah Counties on the weekend of Aug. 16 to Aug. 19, and beyond. On I-15 near 2100 South in South Salt Lake, traffic in the northbound lanes will be reduced to just one lane every night this weekend. Lane restrictions will begin starting at 8 p.m. every night and will reopen every morning a 9 a.m. The closures will allow crews to replace concrete panels on the bridges in the area. Similarly, US-6 in Spanish Fork will be reduced to just one lane in each direction at the 400 North Bridge starting Sunday, Aug. 18 until Thursday, Aug. 22. Crews will be working on bridge repairs every day from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., but lane closures will be in place throughout all hours of the day. In both project areas, UDOT said major delays should be expected. For the US-6 construction area, UDOT urges drivers to use Spanish Fork Main Street to Canyon Road or SR-77 to US-89 as alternate routes. All construction schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change, according to UDOT. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. The ITMF and IAF joint event organised in cooperation with the Uzbekistan Textile and Garment Industry Association (Uztextileprom), is titled "Innovation, Cooperation & Regulation - Drivers of the Textile & Apparel Industry." The conference agenda will cover crucial topics shaping the industry's future, such as artificial intelligence (AI), regulation, digitalisation, ESG, and supply chains. The event will also feature the ITMF Awards Session, recognising excellence in innovation, sustainability, and international cooperation. The conference is expected to attract over 500 high-level representatives from various sectors of the industry. Participants will include delegates from international organisations, textile companies, brands, financial institutions, and retailers. The conference is described as representing a unique opportunity for industry leaders to engage in dialogue and foster international cooperation, potentially shaping the future direction of the global textile and apparel sector. Key speakers at the conference include Stephen Lamar, president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and Dirk Vantyghem, general director of the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX). Representatives from industry organisations such as Cotton Analytics (USA) and Indorama Corporation (Singapore) will also be present. Uzbekistan historically central to the Silk Road, exported around $3.5bn in textiles to over 75 countries last year with plans to increase exports to $6.5bn by the end of 2026. In July visitors of the upcoming 2024 conference were told to expect to hear from insiders of Spanish retail group Inditex, manufacturer Epic Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). "IAF, ITMF fashion conference in Uzbekistan to spotlight AI, ESG" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A west Charlotte school will have to relocate classes following flooding from a broken pipe, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Students at Charles H. Parker Academic Center on Walton Road were set to return to school on August 26, but they will now start classes at a different CMS campus. Officials say a pipe burst on the week of August 5, causing severe water and flooding damage and requiring substantial repairs. Back to School 2024: List of start dates across North and South Carolina For at least the first eight weeks of the school year, students will be relocated to Bruns Avenue Elementary School, which is about 3.5 miles away. Bruns Avenue is a new facility with 45 classrooms, and school officials say there is enough room for both school bodies to fit comfortably. The two schools will maintain their own schedules, classes, transportation and lunch periods. CMS says parents will receive status updates regularly. Charles Parker will hold its open house on August 22 from 3-6 p.m., and Bruns Avenue will run from 4-5:30 p.m. the same day. Bruns Avenue will run its bell schedule 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Charles Parker from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Officials are asking families to only arrive 15 minutes before arrival and dismissal due to the close schedules. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A West Memphis man with a felony record will be spending more than 16 years in federal prison after a judges gavel fell Thursday. The sentence against 46-year-old Cornelius Corwin Sandlin was the result of his pleading guilty in February to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge James M. Moody Jr. assigned him a 195-month sentence plus three years of supervised release in the Eastern District of Arkansas Court. Little Rock man gets 25 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl that resulted in death There is no parole in the federal system. Officials said the plea and sentencing came after an investigation by West Memphis police. Officials said detectives from the departments violent crime unit received a tip from a confidential informant in January 2022 that Sandlin was trying to sell an AR-style rifle from his motel room for $300. Investigators said they surveyed the motel room until they saw Sandlin leaving it while clutching something under his jacket that officers took to be a gun. As he started to drive away, officers stopped his car, but Sandlin ran and was able to get away. Woman charged in scheme to defraud Elvis Presleys family A search of the car found a loaded rifle on the front seat, officials said, along with a casino players card and a pill bottle with Sandlins name on them. Investigators later found Sandlin, and he was arrested in February, roughly a month after the traffic stop. Officers said he had methamphetamine, cocaine, plastic baggies, a scale, ammunition and a CB radio when he was found. Sandlin was classified as an armed career criminal based on previous charges of robbery, theft, aggravated robbery, and possession with intent to deliver marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine. Based on the classification and the firearm possession charge, he was facing a term of 15 years to life in prison. Sherwood woman sentenced to federal prison on money laundering charges Officials said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the West Memphis Police Department and Assistant United States Attorney Reese Lancaster prosecuted it. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. A junior high school teacher in West Memphis, Arkansas was arrested Thursday and accused of getting into a fight with an 8th-grade student last week. Kenneth Cauley, 29, a teacher at Wonder Junior High, is charged with third-degree battery and filing a false report, according to Crittenden County jail records. He was released on his own recognizance. Cauley has been placed on adminstrative leave by West Memphis Schools while they conduct an internal investigation, West Memphis Police said in a statement. Mom says son arrested, released after fight with teacher in West Memphis The student has been released from juvenile custody and all charges against him were dropped, police said. According to a police report, on Aug. 9, Cauley was confronting a student about vaping at school, but the confrontation turned physical at some point. Cauley allegedly threatened the student, bumped him and tussled with him until another staff member broke them up. Police said they reviewed video of the incident, and determined Cauley was the aggressor. Investigators say Cauley could be heard using profanity and calling the student a whiner in one of the two videos they reviewed. The teen replies, but its hard to understand. Cauley could be heard allegedly threatening the 8th grader with a whooping, investigators say. Caderia Watkins, the boys mother, said shes unsure whether her son will return to the school. At this point I am not sure if I am going to take him out the district and put him somewhere else, I dont know, I just want him to be safe, she said. Police said the West Memphis School district has a strict policy against any sort of violence. We understand that this situation is concerning for students, parents, and the community. The West Memphis Police Department is committed to a thorough and transparent investigation to ensure justice is served. Thank you for your trust and support as we continue to work towards maintaining a safe environment for all students and staff, police said. According to the West Memphis School District, Cauley was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. We want to assure citizens that we are focused on the safety of all our students within our school community and that we are committed to addressing this concern quickly and justly. All students should feel welcomed, safe, and protected in our care, said the WMSD in a statement. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) After 25 years of service, a Westerville school board member is retiring this month, over a year before her term was set to end and amid an ongoing ethics investigation. Nancy Nestor-Baker announced her retirement Tuesday night at a Board of Education meeting, which she said will take effect Aug. 31. Board President Kristy Meyer said the board will soon publicize an application process for those hoping to fill the rest of Nestor-Bakers term, which was supposed to end Dec. 31, 2025. Ive given it a lot of thought and even though actually, because I love this place and the good work that goes on here, I have decided that this 25th anniversary is the time for me to retire from public service, Nestor-Baker said at the meeting. Business and personal demands have increased substantially and will continue to do so. Teacher support plan detailed for Bexley schools The resignation comes amid those demands, and an ongoing ethical investigation. She said the decision was wholly unrelated to a pending ethical investigation into a conflict of interest in her decision making as a board member. My decision to leave the board was not based on anything that might be going on with that, Nestor-Baker said. Although she said it is unrelated, the investigation could still affect Nestor-Baker and could even result in felony charges. In August 2023, Nestor-Baker had conduct brought before the Ohio Ethics Commission after it was determined she voted on three measures that concerned her daughter, Caley Baker. Baker has been with Westerville schools since 2007, and she is currently the principal of Hanby Elementary. Voting to award a public contract, including employment, to a family member is potentially a fourth degree felony in Ohio, Executive Director of the commission Paul Nick said, speaking generally. Using your authority to benefit a family member is potentially a first degree misdemeanor in Ohio. Why flags in Ohio are flying at half staff The Ohio Ethics Commissions investigations are considered private and confidential under Ohio law, so Nick said they were unable to comment publicly on this investigation as it is ongoing. Nestor-Baker voted on a one-time payment, two-year contract and three-year contract of Bakers, despite abstaining from voting on other measures concerning her daughter, including her contract as gifted coordinator and various contract changes. Clearly, there were times that I believed it was improper to vote, and times that I believed it was proper to vote, Nestor-Baker said at a special board meeting last August called to address this investigation. Nestor-Baker then confirmed she had contacted a lawyer and would be abiding by their guidance. She told NBC4 she has not received any updates nor has she been alerted to any pending updates from the Ohio Ethics Commission. According to Greg Viebranz, the districts chief communications officer, the district has also not received updates regarding the investigation. 30 electronic scooters pulled from the Scioto River Nick did say many factors affect the length of an investigation, and there are four possible outcomes: claims are dismissed as unsubstantiated, a confidential notice of a potential violation, a settlement agreement which would be public record or referral to a prosecutor. Prosecutors can decide or decline to file charges, which would also be public record if filed. Investigation aside, Nestor-Baker has a rich history with Westerville schools. She graduated from Westerville High School and served her 25 years on the school board in two continual terms: 1991-2005 and again from 2014-present. Within that time she served six terms as board president and four as vice president. The Aug. 26 regular board meeting will be her final meeting as a board member, Viebranz said. Viebranz said applicants looking to fill the empty board seat must be at least 18, U.S. citizens, district residents and registered voters. As for what Nestor-Baker plans to do once stepping down, she told NBC4 she will spend more time at her family business. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) The Westfield Police Department is seeking the publics help in locating 12-year-old Maci Ryan, who was last seen on August 8. The young girl was reported missing from her home on Pinehurst Street around 3 p.m. that day. Maci is described as being approximately 5 feet tall and weighing 105 pounds. She has distinctive bright red hair. Family members suspect she may be in the Springfield area. Although Maci has been reported as a runaway on previous occasions, police emphasize the urgency of finding her and ensuring her safety. They stress that despite this being a recurring issue, each instance is taken seriously due to the potential dangers involved. The Westfield Police Department is urging anyone with information on Macis whereabouts to contact them immediately at 413-562-5411. Individuals can also reach out to their local police department or send a message via the Westfield Police Departments Facebook page. Latest Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Heres your weekly roundup of the latest retail, business and restaurant activity in and around Whatcom County: Sadighis becoming new vet clinic A permit was filed with the city of Bellingham to change the former location of Sadighis restaurant into a vet clinic called Lakeway Veterinarian at 921 Lakeway Drive. The permit was filed on Aug. 9 with an estimated cost of $239,859, and has not yet been approved. LL Flooring, Lumber Liquidators closing LL Flooring, formerly known as Lumber Liquidators, announced the closure of 94 retail stores after filing for bankruptcy, including its Bellingham location. The list of closures is published on the companys website. Only three Washington state stores will close: Bellingham, Olympia and Yakima. Bellinghams LL Flooring store does not have a closing date yet but is currently hosting a liquidation sale. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at 145 E. Stuart Rd. New barber shop opens Ascend Barber Lounge, a barber shop, opened last month in Bellingham. The barber shop offers multiple services including haircuts, beard cuts and childrens haircuts in various styles. Appointments can be made online in advance. Ascend Barber Lounge is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The shop closes for a break from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Ascend Barber Lounge is at 3201 Northwest Ave Suite #6. Bellis Fair Mall Kohls adding BabiesRUs Kohls department store in Bellinghams Bellis Fair mall will now be getting a new shop inside its location, according to a recent news release from Kohls. BabiesRUs, a chain baby store, is planned to be added to many Kohls locations across the United States, including Bellingham. No opening date has been announced for the new addition. Kohls is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 40 Bellis Fair Pkwy. Bellingham events, trivia nights and live music Bellingham is full of local events, markets, festivals and other events during the month of August. Heres your guide to this months events, trivia, live music and more. For an extensive list of local events, visit our new Events page at www.bellinghamherald.com/events/#. Sign Up: Discover Whatcom This curated weekly newsletter is a roundup of whats new and exciting to help you live joyfully in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Thursday. White House decides not to comment on Ukraine's alleged operation to blow up Nord Stream The White House has decided not to comment on The Wall Street Journal's article which reported that Ukrainian officials had approved an operation to blow up Russia's Nord Stream pipeline. Source: European Pravda, citing John Kirby at a briefing on Thursday, 15 August Quote from John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor: "Im not going to comment on the Wall Street Journal reporting on this." Background: On Thursday, 15 August, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukrainian officials had been involved in the blowing up of Nord Stream. In particular, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly approved the operation to blow up the pipeline and then tried unsuccessfully to cancel it after intervention from the CIA. The operation allegedly took place under the supervision of Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, denied Ukraine's involvement in the blowing up of Russia's Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea and blamed the incident on Russia. Support UP or become our patron! Cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas will extend into next week, with the goal of concluding the deal, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar said in a joint statement Friday. Mediators from the three governments presented to the warring parties a bridging proposal to overcome gaps in the cease-fire deal, with the goal of setting up by next week an agreement on all sides to implement the deal as soon as possible. Talks over the course of two days in Doha, Qatar, were serious and constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphere, the joint statement read. The update from the White House seeks to demonstrate that President Biden is moving forward on halting the 10-month fight between Israel and Hamas, which would bring significant relief to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas since they were kidnapped from southern Israel during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. The U.S. pursuit of a cease-fire is also viewed as an effort to hold back Iran from launching an attack on Israel in retaliation for the alleged killing of Hamass top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran on July 31. Biden, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said it was his expectation that Iran would hold off attacking Israel to allow cease-fire talks to proceed. Biden acknowledged earlier this week that efforts to secure the cease-fire were getting harder but that he was not giving up. The latest round of talks builds on more than two months of intensive diplomacy. Biden first introduced the framework for the cease-fire terms on May 31, and they were endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. Hamas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of changing the goal posts of the deal, and theres been concern in Israel and the U.S. that Netanyahu is making certain demands that are dragging out the talks. Still, Hamas has made public declarations that are inconsistent with the terms of the deal, such as calling for a guarantee of a permanent end to the war where the provision in the deal lays out a permanent end will be achieved through negotiation. Any agreement must achieve a comprehensive ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza, the return of the displaced and the reconstruction, in addition to a prisoner exchange deal, Husam Badran, member of Hamass political bureau, said in a statement Thursday on Telegram. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Cases of whooping cough are more than three times higher this year than they were at the same time last year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So far this year, there have been 10,865 recorded cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, compared to the 2,918 recorded during the same time in 2023, CDC data shows. The number of cases is closer to the 8,271 cases of whooping cough recorded this time in 2019, indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels. MORE: Health officials in Suffolk County, New York, report whooping cough outbreak over the last month Doctors said that reported cases of whooping cough were lower than usual over the past few years, likely due to COVID-19 mitigation measures including masking, remote learning and social distancing. "During the pandemic itself, we really had a low point in transmission of pertussis, and that was just because of all of the social distancing and isolation," Dr. Mike Patrick, an emergency medicine physician at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, told ABC News. "If kids aren't around each other, and also around adults, then they're not able to pick up the disease, since it's an infectious disease and transmitted from one person to another." "So, I think, we're just getting back up there because people are back doing the normal things that we do, and that's just the pattern that we see with the vaccine that we have. But I will say, without the vaccine, we'd see a whole lot more pertussis than 10,000 cases," he added. PHOTO: Whooping Cough Cases in the United States (CDC) Dr. Lori Handy, an attending physician in the division of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said the uptick in cases of whooping cough post-pandemic is similar to those seen in the U.S. with other diseases as mitigation measures started to disappear. "I honestly think it was a little surprising that it took this long, recognizing we lifted [many] measures close to two years ago," she told ABC News. "I think many folks remember the increase in RSV cases that we saw back in 2022, so this has lagged behind some other respiratory infections, but definitely now has resurfaced and looks very typical to 2019." Whooping cough is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. These bacteria attach to the cilia -- the tiny, hair-like structures found on the surface of some cells --of the upper respiratory system that help clear mucous and other debris in the airway, and release toxins. The toxins damage the cilia and cause the upper airways to swell, according to the CDC. "You get airway swelling and a terrible, terrible cough because the cilia aren't working, and so your body resorts to coughing to try to keep stuff out of the lungs and to bring things up," Patrick said. "Oftentimes, babies will have a little bit difficulty breathing. They're having the coughand then they take a big, deep breath, because they hadn't breathed during all those coughs, and that's why it's called whooping cough, because that's the [sound] when they're coughing." MORE: West Virginia lawmakers pass bill allowing religious exemptions for school vaccine requirements Whooping cough is spread from person-to-person through coughing and sneezing. Infected people can be contagious for weeks without knowing they have whooping cough. Early symptoms often resemble a common cold -- runny nose, cough and low-grade fever -- and typically last for one to two weeks. Symptoms, however, can progress to rapid, violent coughing fits that can last up to 12 weeks. Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics and receiving treatment early can reduce the severity of the infection. Most whooping cough symptoms can be managed at home, according to the CDC. Although anyone can contract pertussis, infants under age one, pregnant women and immunocompromised people are at highest risk for severe illness. "In the younger kids, and especially in infants, they can have apnea, so they stop breathing. They can be hospitalized in the intensive care unit, and unfortunately, children can and have died from pertussis," Dr. Robert Frenck, a professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Ohio, told ABC News. "So, these are not innocuous infections. They can be very serious, and they can be deadly." A vaccine for whooping cough was introduced in the late 1940s and the number of cases each year has since dropped dramatically, decreasing more than 90% compared to the pre-vaccine era. PHOTO: Conceptual biomedical illustration of the bacteria Bordetella pertussis is seen in an undated stock photo. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images) Before the vaccine, there were an estimated 200,000 cases annually among children and up to 9,000 children died, according to the CDC. There are two types of vaccines currently used to protect against whooping cough: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine for babies and children younger age 7 and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines for older children, adults and pregnant women. A recent report from the CDC found that exemptions for routine childhood vaccination among kindergartners during the 2022-23 school year were at the highest level ever, including for the DTaP vaccine. Frenck said the increase in whooping cough cases are a reminder that vaccines are effective, but said he doesn't discourage vaccine-hesitant patents from asking questions. "Parents want to do what's best for their children, and so they want to keep their children healthy," he said. "Unfortunately, there has been a fair amount of misinformation about vaccines to where people are confused. So, my recommendation really is to talk with your health care provider, ask your questions, get your answers, feel comfortable about having your children vaccinated. Vaccines are well-tested, vaccines are safe, vaccines are protective." Handy said she also encourages everybody who is eligible to get vaccinated and for health care providers to be on the lookout for pertussis cases "For health care providers ... recognize this is back, like five years ago, and the only way we will detect it is by testing it and then using our public health measures to prevent spread," she said. Whooping cough cases more than 3 times higher than last year in return to pre-pandemic levels originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego led his Republican rival Kari Lake by 2 percentage points in a poll released Thursday by a conservative group that still sees the race as close. The poll by the Club for Growths political arm comes on the heels of generally bad results for Lakes campaign that pointed to a possible lopsided loss for her. It was taken earlier this week fully after the final piece of the reshaped Democratic presidential ticket was announced. The poll showed Gallego leading Lake 48% to 46% with 3% of respondents choosing Green Party nominee Mike Norton and another 3% undecided. It has a 4-percentage point margin of error. The Arizona Senate race is neck-and-neck and one of the best pick-up possibilities for Republicans, said David McIntosh, president of the Club for Growth Action. Gallego and Lake are vying for the seat held by the retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., who announced in March she wouldnt seek reelection. Three prominent nonpartisan organizations tracking elections rate the Arizona as either tilting or leaning Democratic. The contest is one of eight competitive Senate races across the country. Since Sinema quit the race, Gallego consistently has led in publicly available polling. The nonpartisan FiveThirtyEight political website shows 24 polls other than the Club for Growth in the Arizona race since Sinema quit. Gallego has led in 21 of them with two ties. His average lead in those polls is nearly 5 percentage points. In the nine polls taken in July and August, Gallego has led six times with two ties, including one from last week for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The one poll showing Lake ahead, by 1 point, was conducted by her campaign. Four of those nine polls showed Gallego leading by 5 points or more. Gallegos lead has shifted over time and some of that polling has come from pollsters that work for Democrats or who support him. But it has also included polls from Republican friendly firms, too. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ruben Gallego leading Kari Lake in polls for Arizona's US Senate race Innovations in Hydrogen-Powered Train Technology As the world looks to curb carbon emissions, rail operators continued focus on diesel has put a spotlight on the industry. Rail electrification projects have been ongoing, while industry players have been looking for green fuel alternatives that will allow trains to continue running autonomously. Nevertheless, a huge number of noisy, CO 2 -emitting diesel multiple units (DMU) are still on the tracks Germany, for example, has more than 4,000 still in operation. However, French rail vehicle manufacturer Alstom believes this could all change with the launch of Coradia iLint, the worlds first zero-carbon train using hydrogen as its energy source. The train is based on the companys Coradia Lint DMU and has been developed in partnership with German and Canadian companies. Powered by hydrogen fuel cells, the vehicles only emissions are steam and condensed water, and it is capable of operating in near-silence. Alstoms so-called train of the future was first introduced to the world at industry trade fair Innotrans in 2016, and it is set to begin its first passenger trials in Germany from early this year. The company hopes the train could be highly marketable to rail operators looking to replace their DMUs on non-electrified lines. During a press event at Alstoms test facility in November 2017, company representatives said Coradia iLint could highlight the start of an industry-wide shift towards hydrogen as a sustainable fuel. We think its really a breakthrough in the technology, said Alstoms regional vice-president of products and innovation Wolfram Schwab at the event. Fuel cells have been developed for other applications, but now is the time to get this done in the railway sector. Now we are just at the starting point of the migration phase to zero-emission trains. Zero-emission trains At the core of the iLint system is a fuel cell situated on top of the train. Hydrogen is supplied to the cell and then combined with oxygen taken from the ambient air inside it. The two products of this chemical reaction are electricity, which is used to power an electrical traction drive controlling the trains movements, and water, which is emitted as steam. Any electrical energy thats not immediately used for traction can be stored in lithium-ion batteries on the trains underside. An auxiliary converter will also be used to adapt the energy for various on-board applications, including air conditioning, door systems and passenger information displays. "Now we are just at the starting point of the migration phase to zero-emission trains." Story continues Aside from its clean output, iLints key advantages are its smart power management and flexible energy storage. Electrical energy is supplied on demand, meaning the fuel cell is only required to work in full operation when the train is accelerating over sustained periods. When the train brakes, the fuel cells are almost completely powered down, saving on hydrogen consumption. Alstom claims that because energy being produced or recovered from braking is intelligently managed, iLint will be able to match the top speed of its latest generation of Coradia Lint DMUs at 140km/h, while being more energy-efficient. The company also says the train will be able to travel up to 800km on a single tank of hydrogen and be capable of holding up to 300 passengers. Hydrogen generation and infrastructure The first test run of an iLint prototype took place at Alstoms Salzgitter facility in March 2017, and trials have been ongoing since. During the test phase, hydrogen has been sourced from industrial emissions. Nevertheless, theres still the question of how trains will be refuelled and where the hydrogen will come from in the long term. Alstom has pledged that it will make things easier for operators by providing maintenance services and hydrogen infrastructure in particular, filling stations alongside its partners. The company is currently looking to green methods to produce fuel for iLint. One existing example is electrolysis, which involves splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen i.e. the iLint formula in reverse. Another is natural gas reformation, which involves combining methane contained in natural gases with high-temperature steam. Regardless, the company aims to mitigate CO 2 emissions from hydrogen production through the use of wind energy. Germanys recent investment in Energiepark Mainz, a plant designed to generate hydrogen from wind power, makes it a suitable location for the launch of iLint. The country has also committed to reducing its CO 2 emissions by 40% by 2020 compared with 1990 levels and to using 80% renewable energy in power supplies by 2050. Its therefore unsurprising that Alstom signed letters of intent with four German states in 2014, under which it committed to provide 60 trains in total. Getting passengers and operators onboard Alstoms first big test began in November 2017, when the company signed a deal to build 14 iLint trains for the Local Transport Authority of Lower Saxony (LNVG). After the new vehicles have been built in Salzgitter, LNVG will lease them to a contracted train operator for use on the regions Buxtehude-Cuxhaven route from December 2021. However, the French rail giant has claimed that the first iLint could be tested on the network as soon as the first quarter of 2018. As part of the deal, Alstom will provide maintenance for the trains over a 30-year period. Meanwhile, leading gas company Linde will supply hydrogen for the new trains and erect the first-ever hydrogen filling station for trains in Bremervorde. The plan is that hydrogen will be produced onsite via electrolysis and wind energy at a later stage of the project. "The company is currently looking to green methods to produce fuel for iLint." The use of hydrogen for rail vehicles is a milestone in the application of fuel cells for emission-free transport, said Linde executive board member Bernd Eulitz in a press release. This development will push the establishment of a hydrogen society and will create new solutions for the storage and transport of energy. Ambitious climate protection goals and the expense of electrification could help bring the iLint to other European countries in the future. In July 2017, the UKs Department for Transport cancelled a number of electrification schemes in Wales and England, which is expected to increase demand for non-electric trains. Following this, Alstom has been in talks to run trials in Liverpool, UK, as well as establish a source of hydrogen from refineries in the region. There has been dialogue with [the] Liverpool city region and various rolling stock operating companies about how we can develop a demonstrator, said Alstom UK managing director for trains and modernisation Mike Hulme in an interview with The Engineer magazine. It is an option which were pushing quite heavily, and we seem to be getting some traction. Depending on the success of its implementation in Germany, iLint could prove to be an important proof case for the use of hydrogen fuel cells on trains. Until then, Alstom is on the charm offensive to attract further European partners. "iLint: the worlds first hydrogen-powered train" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. When you buy an iPhone for 1000, you assume that covers Apples staff costs, scoffs restaurateur Richard Crampton-Platt. You dont look at the receipt and see an added service charge. Its ludicrous to even imagine such a thing, but that is exactly what happens every time we visit a restaurant or bar. We receive a bill itemising everything we ate and drank, and then are required to pay an additional amount either by a discretionary percentage calculated at the bottom of the bill for our ease, or by convention, if that isnt shown on it. The idea is that the sum goes toward the staff, and the majority of us oblige. Some even put their hands in their pockets and stump up far more than the conventional 10 to 12.5%. Yet a recent survey of 2,000 consumers revealed that 22 per cent never pay service at all, and that attitudes vary regionally 34 per cent opt out of paying in the South West, with some 30 per cent of respondents avoiding the levy in Yorkshire. In many ways this isnt a surprise. For years, the service charge has been creeping up steadily. First, it was 10 per cent, then 12, then 12.5. In some places, its hit 15 to 17 per cent. One can see why diners might start to question it. The flipside, however, is that most consumers have no problem paying up even in Yorkshire. As Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, points out, these figures show that the overwhelming majority of consumers are more than happy to pay service charges in order to reward hard working, hospitality staff. Most restaurateurs I know can count on one hand the number of people whove refused to pay service charge; more often than not, theyve removed it themselves if they feel their service has been less than it should be. Click here to view this content. So why the hullabaloo? This survey has brought to the fore the confusion and controversy that swirls around service charge in the UK and how it operates. Unlike Americans, who pay 20 per cent as the norm, many Britons are less comfortable doing so. But during lockdown, when restaurants were shut, it emerged that many furloughed staff were earning less than the minimum wage because the optional service charge had been used to top up wages to a decent amount and ensure consistency. The public perception and the ideal is that it is a thank you on top of the bill and therefore it is optional [even when it is added as standard] says Kitty Slydell-Cooper, head of communications at Countertalk, a community and recruitment platform for the hospitality workers. The reality is that most indeed almost all restaurants use it to top up wages to a reasonable salary, and so if customers try to skimp by removing the charge, then the hard-working people who have provided their meal simply wouldnt be paid enough. This practice sounds outrageous until you understand how service charges work. Refusing the 'optional' service charge can feel awkward - Getty You dont pay national insurance on it, and you dont pay VAT so its a tax break, says Crampton-Platt, who opened Cafe Britaly in Peckham, southeast London, earlier this year. For his own part, hed rather the whole thing be scrapped, and restaurants work like Apple (and every other company outside hospitality). Itd be better for everyone if it was just wrapped up into the bill, he explains though the customers bill would rise significantly. The lack of tax means a lack of transparency as to how service is calculated, and where it goes. Some restaurants use tronc, a system by which service charge is collected and evenly distributed to all staff members, taking into account the hours worked. We have a tronc system that works really well to incentivise all the team; front of house, kitchen, and housekeeping, says George Pell, of The Suffolk in Aldeburgh. Their service charge is 10 percent, and not automatically added, so the customer feels more empowered and doesnt have the awkwardness of asking for it to be removed. Some restaurants use an app called Tip Jar, which takes distributing tips out of the restaurants hands; some owners withhold a fair proportion in good times, like December, so as to boost wages in quieter months. Its rare that a restaurant will have the audacity to not pass it to staff at all. One can see why customers might be confused as to the legitimacy of the service charge, with 47 per cent wanting to be able to decide for themselves whether they pay it, and 19 per cent agreeing with Crampton-Pratt that it should be scrapped and wrapped up in menu prices. Furthermore, there are regional disparities in whether its included or not, which may account for why Londoners are more willing to pay. There is a noticeable difference in the attitude towards service charge outside London. It is rare to see it added automatically to the bill in Suffolk, says Pell, who prior to The Suffolk was at LEscargot in Soho. In October, new legislation will come into force, making it legally binding that all service charges go direct to staff every month. If this trend continues, hospitality staff who are set to take home more cash once the new tipping act comes into play on 1 October may find their uplift smaller than expected, as some consumers withhold tips and service charge for exceptional service, says RSM UK head of leisure and hospitality, Saxon Mosely. For Slydell-Cooper and Crampton-Platt, this act just kicks the issue into the long grass. There is no other industry which pays its staff in this way and frankly it is not fit for purpose, says Slydell-Cooper, matter-of-factly. For my own part, I couldnt find anyone from the 22 percent of people who never pay service charge merely those who had withheld it on the odd occasion theyd encountered service that is truly terrible. I got one removed in Balans once, says journalist Sian Meades-Williams. The manager got really, really angry with me because as a group wed been there a really long time. I had to explain that we still hadnt eaten. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Why critics want an EU response to Bulgarias law banning LGBTQ+ 'propaganda' in schools Why critics want an EU response to Bulgarias law banning LGBTQ+ 'propaganda' in schools A Russian-inspired law banning LGBTQ+ "propaganda" in Bulgarian schools has sparked indignation from rights groups in Europe, who say the bill is a cloak-and-dagger attack against human rights in the European Union. These groups are calling on the European Commission to swiftly start infringement procedures for what they see as Sofia's breach of the values that bind the bloc's 27 member countries together. A European Commission spokesperson confirmed in a statement to Euronews that the Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, had sent a letter to the Bulgarian Minister of Education and Science, Galin Tsokov, on August 13 asking for further information on the legislation. The Commission "will analyse whether the legislation is aligned with EU law," the spokesperson added. The bill amends a previous education law and makes it illegal to "promote" ideas and views "related to non-traditional sexual orientation and/or the determination of gender identity other than biological." Bulgarian lawmakers also adopted another amendment which defines "non-traditional sexual orientation" as "different from the generally accepted and established notions (...) of attraction between persons of the opposite sex." The legal changes were tabled by the far-right and pro-Russian Vazrazhdane or Revival party, which sits with the likes of Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the newly-formed Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group in the European Parliament. Surprisingly, parties belonging to the political centre-ground backed the move, including the European People's Party-affiliated GERB party, the liberal DPS party and the socialist BSP. The bill was overwhelmingly passed with 159 votes in favour, 22 against and 12 abstentions, with Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev giving his seal of approval on Thursday, despite pleas from civil society for his veto. Bulgaria consistently ranks among the worst performers in the EU in upholding the rights of LGBTQ+ people and has failed to respond to a 2023 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights calling on it to legally recognise same-sex relationships. LGBTQ+ community made 'scapegoats' Critics say it's a further setback for LGBTQ+ freedoms in Bulgaria and a frontal attack on the principles of human rights and human dignity as enshrined in EU law. NGO ILGA-Europe has called for a firm response from Brussels and the EU's member states. "With the law now set to take effect, it is crucial that the EU and its Member States respond strongly, condemning the legislation and applying pressure on the Bulgarian government to reconsider its stance and mitigate the laws harmful effects," Belinda Dear, Senior Advocacy Officer at ILGA-Europe, told Euronews. "We're urging the European Commission to start infringement procedures because there is a clear breach here of EU law and EU treaties," Remy Bonny, executive director of rights groups Forbidden Colours, told Euronews, adding that children's right to access "comprehensive, safe and informative sex education" is at stake. He also warns that it signals Bulgaria is prioritising "Russian values over European values," with the law clearly inspired by a 2013 Moscow bill banning gay propaganda in classrooms. "It's very clear that what Russia introduced in 2013 is what Bulgaria is introducing today. Bulgaria is following the Russian playbook of scapegoating LGBTI people," Bonny said. Hungary was also accused of copy-pasting the Russian law in 2021, with its "Child Protection Law" curtailing the portrayal of LGBTQ+ people in schools. The bill aimed to limit children's exposure to material that "promoted" homosexuality, gender reassignment and the LGBTQ+ community in classrooms and the media. It saw Brussels launch legal action against Budapest, with 15 EU countries backing the case. To this day, the EU executive is withholding nearly 12 billion from Hungary's allocated share of cohesion funds and most of its 10.4-bn recovery and resilience plan over a raft of rule of law violations, including the Child Protection Law. The European Commission has refused to comment until the bill becomes legislation, but a spokesperson said last week that the executive remains "steadfast in its commitment to tackling discrimination in equalities and challenges faced by LGBTIQ individuals." "We have a clear stance on non-discrimination and we stand up for a Union where you can be who you are," the spokesperson added. Political setback for Sofia Bulgaria has been plunged into political paralysis since June's inconclusive elections, with President Radev last week selecting Goritsa Grancharova-Kozhareva to form a caretaker government. There are concerns the anti-LGBTQ+ law has been weaponised as an electoral tool as the country prepares for yet another snap parliamentary election in October, the seventh poll in just over three years. Any reprisals from Brussels for the law would strain its relations with Sofia and further derail its drawn-out bid to join the eurozone. The country previously scrapped a January 2024 target to formally join the bloc's currency. Bonny told Euronews that rights groups would also seek the freezing of EU funds to Bulgaria in the fields of education and culture, including Erasmus+ funds. The European Commissioner for Education and Culture Iliana Ivanova herself hails from Bulgaria and the GERB party, whose lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the bill. Thats why I killed him: Florida man lashes out after life sentence for dog poop killing Thats why I killed him: Florida man lashes out after life sentence for dog poop killing TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Florida man accused of fatally shooting his neighbor during a fight over dog poop lashed out at the victims wife after receiving a life sentence on Thursday, NBC affiliate WTVJ reports. Omar Rodriguez, 75, received life in prison for killing Jose Rey, who was walking his dog home in unincorporated Miami back in June 2015, when Rodriguez said Reys dog tried to defecate in Rodriguezs sons yard. Im going to jail: Truck driver texted friend before plowing into crowd at Tampa strip club, police say Police said witnesses told them the men were arguing loudly and Rodriguez claimed Rey threatened to fight him. Rodriguez shot Rey, who died from his injuries over a week later. In court, Rodriguez lashed out at Lissette Rey, Joses widow, before being removed from the courtroom by multiple officers. The coward was your husband, Rodriguez said as Lissette Rey gave a statement. Thats why I killed himhe cried like a baby. I wish though the death sentence would have been on the table but at the end of the day Mr. Rodriguez will continue to see his family, they will be able to see him, Ill never get to see my husband again, Lissette Rey said. I wasnt listening to exactly to what he was saying, I was tuning him out, I was just reading my thoughts. His words are irrelevant. He is irrelevant In my life right now. Hes pond scum. The jury deliberated for around six hours, WTVJ reports. Rodriguez, who claimed immunity under Floridas Stand Your Ground law, was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated assault back in May. In 2021, a judge ruled Rodriguez did not act in self-defense. Prosecutors said Rodriguez planted a knife at the scene and tried to jam it into Reys hand. Neighbors reportedly testified and called Rodriguez confrontational and the crazy neighbor. I heard someone yell what sounded like right before the gunshots, a womans voice yelling hes crazy, hes crazy and then pa-pa-pa, so thats why it kind of sounded like fireworks, one neighbor testified. Rey left behind two children. Defense attorney Bruce Lehr argued Rey was the threat and the neighbors were a lynch mob out to get Rodriguez. Lehr previously said he plans to appeal the verdict, per WTVJ. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Why the progressive 'Squad' is getting smaller after defeats this primary cycle WASHINGTON (AP) The "Squad, a group of progressive lawmakers in the House, is set to shrink next year after two members suffered primary defeats this election cycle following an unprecedented deluge of special interest spending. The primary losses for Reps. Cori Bush in Missouri and Jamaal Bowman in New York came over the summer and dealt a blow to the progressive faction, which had amassed considerable clout within the Democratic Party since its initial rise in 2018. The cohort of Black and brown lawmakers including Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of New York and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania became the target of pro-Israel PACs like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, late last year after members criticized Israel's response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Eight months later, AIPAC's super political action committee, United Democracy Project, helped unseat Bush and Bowman after pouring nearly $25 million combined into those races. Still, there were other factors that contributed to the defeat of Bush and Bowman beyond their position Israel, raising questions as to what extent voters rejected their progressive politics. Another member of the Squad, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, easily won her primary Tuesday against a repeat challenger despite voting similarly to Bush and Bowman over the last two years and being a vocal critic of Israel. Here's how the three Democratic primary races played out: Bowman New York's 16th District Bowman was particularly vulnerable this election cycle because of redistricting. The new map of his the district eliminated most sections of the Bronx and added more of Westchester Countys suburbs, greatly narrowing the number of Black voters who were key to Bowmans reelection effort. Then Bowman drew a strong challenger in well-known county executive George Latimer, a centrist with more than three decades of political experience in the Westchester area. Latimer entered the race with the support of Jewish leaders in the district who were upset with Bowmans critical stance on Israel. He also enjoyed hefty financial backing from AIPACs super PAC, which poured about $15 million in the race to support him. The contest was largely shaped by Bowmans position on Israel. Latimer hammered the incumbent as more focused on Israel than the needs of the district. Latimer also flexed his deep regional knowledge to make the case to voters that he could would be a more effective member of Congress. Bowman, who was seeking a third term, also had to fend off persistent criticism over triggering a fire alarm in a House building while lawmakers were working on a funding bill. He said it was unintentional, but the incident drew waves of embarrassing coverage and he was censured by the House for his actions. Bush Missouri's 1st District The focus of campaign ads against Bush in the final weeks before her August primary against St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell was not her scathing criticism of Israel or its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, but instead a vote that she and five of her Squad colleagues took in late 2021. United Democracy Project, which spent more than $8.4 million against Bush, began airing ads in the local media market that highlighted the 48-year-old's vote against a bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law by President Joe Biden and supported by the majority of the Democrats in Congress. This infrastructure bill that Joe Biden passed has been so good for working people in St. Louis, one voter said during the 30-second ad. Cori Bush voted against it. Another added, She voted against our jobs. Bush, Bowman, Omar and other progressives defended their vote against the bill at the time, saying it was a necessary stance as they fought for passage of a separate social and environmental package. But their vote on the bill only became a campaign issue for Bush. Allies of Bush say the campaign to defeat her wouldn't have been possible had Bell not had the support of outside groups like UDP, which spent more than $400,000 to air the half-minute spot, according to data from the media tracking firm AdImpact. If you asked any any voter in any of these districts at the start of this cycle, Do you know how your member of Congress voted on the infrastructure bill? no one would say yes, Usamah Andrabi, a spokesman for the progressive Justice Democrats, told The Associated Press. No one was thinking about a vote that happened three years ago for a bill that passed. Beyond her legislative record, Bush faced a series of public and personal scandals of her own in the last few years, including an ongoing Justice Department investigation into her campaign spending. Omar Minnesota's 5th District Omar managed to avoid the fate of her two fellow Squad members and had several things going in her favor. First, the African-born congresswoman, who has broken many firsts since being elected to the House in 2018, had the advantage during her primary Tuesday of having previously defeated her challenger. In 2022, former Minneapolis city councilman Don Samuels came just two percentage points short of beating Omar with the help of UDP, which spent six figures in the race. This time around, the third-term lawmaker took the threat posed by Samuels and a potential influx of AIPAC money much more seriously. I think the congresswoman and her team understood that there needed to be a lot of work to remind people in that district about what type of leadership she brought, Andrabi said. And I think she exemplified that. Omar also raised a lot more money for the primary, with her campaign reporting that it raised around $6.2 million. Samuels, on the other hand, raised about $1.4 million. What I was hoping is that a strong ground game and an attention to the details of folks who felt left out would trump an overwhelming superiority in dollars, Samuels said in a recent AP interview. Clearly money matters a little more in politics than I had hoped. Omar's substantial fundraising advantage, coupled with the endorsements of Minnesotas Democratic Party and progressive leaders like Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, helped her win by nearly 14 points. And possibly the most important factor in her race was that groups like AIPAC ultimately didn't get involved despite threatening to unseat any candidate they deemed insufficiently pro-Israel. ___ Izaguirre reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in St. Louis and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report. Every day, consumers may be unknowingly signing away their rights to sue companies such as online retail platforms, gig economy apps, and streaming services even if the claims have no relation to the service a person signed up for. In a current lawsuit, Walt Disney World is arguing that the contract a widower entered when signing up for the Disney+ streaming service several years ago means that a wrongful death lawsuit hes brought against Disney and a restaurant not owned by Disney on the grounds of the expansive Florida resort cannot go forward in court. Disney joins other companies such as Airbnb and Walmart that are using increasingly aggressive strategies in attempts to steer lawsuits they face from consumers into arbitration, a private legal process viewed as disadvantaging plaintiffs. Customers more and more must agree to contracts with sweeping arbitration clauses to use their services, but the consequences can be larger than they can be expected to comprehend. The Average Joe in society doesnt know what arbitration is, let alone understand the content of what theyre signing, said Creighton University Law Professor and arbitration expert Hossein Fazilatfar. The issue of so-called infinite arbitration clauses will likely need to be addressed by the Supreme Court, Fazilatfar and other arbitration law experts told CNN, as the high courts previous arbitration-related precedents have turbocharged the use of such contracts. In the Disney case, a widower has sued the amusement park company on behalf of his dead wife after she suffered a fatal allergic reaction, allegedly from a meal she ate at a park restaurant in 2023. Disney has asked the court to move the dispute to arbitration, meaning the case would not go before a jury or otherwise continue in court. To make the argument, Disney is pointing to a subscriber agreement the widower allegedly entered when signing up for Disney+ that included an arbitration clause, as well as the Terms of Condition in the online platform he used to buy Epcot tickets for his family for the 2023 trip. The tickets were never used, because the woman died two days before the planned Epcot visit, the widowers legal filings say. The widowers lawyers called Disneys arguments preposterous in court filings that said, under the rationale, the company was explicitly seeking to bar its 150 million Disney+ subscribers from ever prosecuting a wrongful death case against it in front of a jury even if the case facts have nothing to with Disney+. They noted that the widower believes he only signed up for a month-long free streaming trial, as it appears he canceled the subscription before he was ever charged. Neither the widowers lawyers nor the Disney attorneys responded to CNNs request for comment for this story. Its unclear how courts will view the dispute. But legal experts say its not unheard of for companies to utilize the tactic Disney is employing arguing that arbitration clauses can reach any affiliate under a companys corporate umbrella, and cover any allegation, even if its unrelated to the transaction that prompted the arbitration agreement. This is a hot issue in arbitration law, said Stephen Ware, an arbitration law expert at University of Kansas School of Law. A string of pro-arbitration rulings in the 2010s at the US Supreme Court have propelled the push toward a more muscular understanding of when arbitration clauses can be enforced. Twenty years ago, you would have never seen this type of motion to compel to arbitration, said David Horton, a University of California-Davis School of Law professor who has written law review articles examining the dynamic. Lower courts have disagreed on whether to read such arbitration clauses as broadly as companies like Disney are arguing. The Supreme Court has not directly addressed the practice, but a circuit split on the issue, as it was raised in telemarketing lawsuits against DirecTV, makes it more likely the justices will want to take up the issue. Arbitration does have some benefits for both sides, by making resolution of disputes more cost-efficient and less time-consuming than a lawsuit that goes before a court or jury. But arbitration also is seen, according to Horton, as favoring big companies who are repeat players in the arbitration space, because they know how to work the process to their advantage. And, thanks to a 2019 Supreme Court ruling handed down by the conservative majority, arbitration clauses foreclose class action claims unless the contract explicitly says such claims are allowed. That makes it harder for plaintiffs to find lawyers who will represent them, since individual claims are usually too small to make them lucrative enough for an attorney to want to take on. Similar arguments made by Airbnb, DirecTV and Walmart Courts have taken differing views on whether to accept the type of aggressive claims of arbitration clause enforcement that Disney is making. But companies, with increasing frequency, are writing remarkably expansive arbitration language in contracts put forward to consumers and then using that language to argue that it covers all kinds of legal disputes, according to Horton, the UC Davis professor. For instance, when faced with lawsuits stemming from episodes at their rentals, Airbnb has pointed to the arbitration language in the Terms of Services users agree to sign up for an account with the service. In a wrongful death lawsuit brought against Airbnb by the estate of a man who was killed at one of its rentals, the company pointed to the arbitration clause in the agreement the man had entered when signing up for an Airbnb account, even though the deceased man had not rented the property where his death had occurred. The Nevada Supreme Court ruling in favor of Airbnb cited a unanimous 2018 ruling by the US Supreme Court that said courts cannot decide whether an arbitration clause covers a dispute if the contract language says an arbiter must also resolve any such question. In another case, Walmart successfully used an arbitration clause to push back on a civil rights lawsuit it faced. A Black family had sued Walmart after one of its employees falsely and without evidence accused the family of shoplifting, creating an embarrassing scene in front of the familys neighbors and classmates. But because, months prior, one member of the family had signed a contract containing an arbitration clause in order to drive for Walmarts grocery delivery service, a federal judge ruled that civil rights lawsuit could not move forward in her court, and most go to arbitration instead. Her ruling cited the precedent from the 2019 Supreme Court class-action case, known as Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Varela. Perhaps the case law that is most on point to the arguments Disney is using arises out of lawsuits brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act against DirecTV for alleged telemarketing calls to individuals who were on a do-not-call list. In multiple class action cases, DirecTV pointed to arbitration clauses in contracts that the plaintiffs had signed not with the satellite TV company, but with the phone services provider AT&T Mobility, when the individuals had purchased cell phones. DirecTV argued the arbitration language in the cell phone contracts applied to the telemarketing claims, because, years later, AT&T Mobilitys parent corporation acquired DirecTV, making it an affiliate, as referenced in the contracts arbitration language. The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, in a ruling that also cited the 2019 Supreme Court opinion, accepted that expansive read of the arbitration clause. However, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, in a later case dealing with the same set of circumstances, disagreed, concluding that the AT&T Mobility contracts arbitration language, while sweeping, was not explicit enough to apply to a future affiliate like DirecTV. When courts have encountered these arguments, they have had to wrestle with two conflicting principles, according to Horton, who has coined the term infinite arbitration clause for contracts that try to cover any possible dispute a consumer could bring against a company. Courts intuitively recognize that its absurd to say youre bound by an arbitration clause in a contract even if the subject of the contract has nothing to do with your lawsuit, Horton said. But on the flip side, however, is Supreme Court precedent that says the relevant federal arbitration law requires courts to enforce arbitration agreements according to their terms. Some courts say that precedent applies to these infinite arbitration clauses, regardless of whether your claim has a link, Horton said. Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify the relationship between Disney and the restaurant being sued in the wrongful death lawsuit. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Why your takeaway delivery rider could be an illegal Channel migrant Food delivery riders have become ubiquitous across Britains streets in recent years, feeding households that grow ever hungrier for takeaways. Yet the rise of these gig economy workers, who made an estimated 14bn worth of deliveries last year, has not been without controversy. Even as the likes of Deliveroo, Just Eat and UberEats have grown into multibillion-pound businesses, they have faced persistent allegations of low pay and poor working conditions. More recently, critics have made an even more serious charge: that the industry has become a magnet for illegal migrants. According to Home Office statistics, two in five delivery riders stopped during a series of random checks in April 2023 were found to be working illegally. In some cases, asylum seekers who crossed the English Channel were even found to have been earning up to 1,500 per month from food deliveries while staying in government-funded hotels. Many work as substitutes, an arrangement where they work on behalf of a person who has a registered account. That is possible because of the loose legal ties between gig economy companies such as Deliveroo and their workers, who were classed as freelancers in a landmark Supreme Court ruling last year. This relationship allows riders to choose how much work to take on and, if they wish, subcontract their deliveries to someone else. But when coupled with lax right-to-work checks in the sector, critics argue this has created a backdoor that is too easily exploited. Abuse of the system in defiance of laws that ban asylum seekers and illegal migrants from working while their applications to remain are processed only encourages more people to cross the Channel illicitly, warns Lara Brown, a senior policy fellow at the Policy Exchange think tank. It also puts downward pressure on pay for riders working here legitimately. If its easy to work in the grey economy, it undermines the Governments position, Brown explains. It also encourages traffickers to tell migrants that theres work waiting for them. The other problem is it depresses wages here, because so long as Deliveroo and other companies [Just Eat and UberEats] have a stream of grey economy workers who are happy to take low-pay deals mainly because they cant work in the regulated economy they will never pay their drivers more. The flow of work to illegal migrants has long been enabled by a thriving black market in food delivery, where existing riders provide their login details for others to use, albeit for a fee. Illegal migrants will often accept the work because they are so desperate for cash. For example, one man offered to rent his login via Facebook Marketplace to a journalist posing as an illegal Bangladeshi migrant, the Mail on Sunday reported last year. He was running at least nine accounts, eight of which had been lent out. He offered to let the ninth for 70 per week. Renting an account to someone in this way, without checking whether they have a right to work in the UK, has long been against the terms and conditions of Deliveroo, Just Eat, UberEats and other platforms. However, enforcing the rules is difficult if someone is determined to deceive. The nature of the job, conducted remotely via smartphone, immediately removes most of the normal checks and balances that allow employers to keep track of their staff, says Emma Brooksbank, an immigration lawyer at law firm Freeths. Part of the issue is the very nature of the gig economy, Brooksbank says, where [companies] actually have no face to face contact with the riders. Theres not the classic kind of employer-employee relationship, where somebody is coming into an office or into a restaurant or wherever to undertake the job. And so its actually very difficult to monitor the activities of notional employees and that substitution problem can easily still arise. Meanwhile, because riders are technically freelancers, there is no legal duty on food delivery companies to carry out right to work checks on them or their substitutes. This means that if someone is found to be working illegally, the food delivery business will face no consequences. Whereas if a more conventional company was found to have not carried out sufficient checks on an employee who turned out to be an illegal migrant, they would face prosecution and the possibility of hefty fines. Its a very difficult problem to solve because you are relying on voluntary actions being taken by the companies within the gig economy, Brooksbank adds. Some of them have protectively taken steps to tighten things up, but thats really more about reputational management than any statutory requirement to do something. Last year, however, government ministers finally lost patience with the abuse of the substitutes system and sought to apply pressure. Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister and current Tory leadership candidate, accused the system of enabling illegal immigration and putting public safety at risk by failing to carry out proper right-to-work checks on substitutes. It led to several of the companies, including Deliveroo, Just Eat and UberEats, vowing to carry out voluntary right-to-work checks on these subcontractors. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick accused the food delivery system of putting public safety at risk - Jacob King/PA Wire This included plans to require people to register their own accounts and provide documents to be verified. Several of the companies now require riders to periodically upload photos or videos of themselves known as selfie checks to prove that the person carrying out deliveries is the person registered to the account. However, there remain concerns that some of these checks can be circumvented. For example, a substitute rider could simply ask the main account holder to do the selfie check for them before carrying on with their deliveries. Brown, at Policy Exchange, believes the only way to tackle the issue is to outlaw substitution and force food delivery companies to carry out proper checks by law. The problem right now is theres no market forces encouraging the delivery apps to solve this, she says. The incentives are massively in favour of ignoring the problem, because you have the chance to pay people very low wages and the companies themselves arent on the hook if someones found to be illegally working on the app. So I think the market could solve this, but it would have to be the case that Deliveroo and the other companies were facing the prospect of fines for employing people illegally. However, Brooksbank is more sceptical that real progress can be made under the existing legal framework. She warns that outlawing substitution just for food delivery firms without creating unintended consequences will be tricky from a legislative point of view. Meanwhile, the fundamental issue remains that checking a riders status is still largely up to companies who need them for deliveries. Whether they can implement such rigorous checks while meeting Britains growing appetite for takeaways remains unclear. Its hard to see exactly what the complete solution to the problem is, Brooksbank admits. A Deliveroo spokesman said: We take our responsibilities seriously and have strengthened our controls to prevent platform misuse. We have introduced a market-leading, thorough registration process for substitutes to ensure their right to work is verified, enhancing our existing measures for main account holders. The company added that it remained committed to working with the Home Office and industry leaders to support ongoing efforts. An Uber Eats spokesman said: Uber Eats has launched identity verification checks to help ensure only those who legitimately use someone elses account to earn with us are able to. We are constantly reviewing these processes to ensure they are as robust as possible. Just Eat added: We take our responsibilities on this issue seriously and as part of our work with the UK Home Office, have introduced a register for couriers using substitutes, which includes spot checks to ensure account holders are conducting right to work checks required by law. This is just the first step we are taking to tackle this issue and our dedicated teams continue to explore additional measures we can implement to ensure couriers substituting their work do so safely and in accordance with the law. A Home Office spokesman said: Illegal working undermines legitimate employers and employees, as well as our immigration system. Employers also have a critical role to play in combating illegal working, and we will be working closely with them to develop more preventative strategies. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Why are you so weird?: Missouri U.S. Senate candidates squabble about debates Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, left, confronts his Democratic challenger, Lucas Kunce, over who is ducking debates during a meeting Thursday at the Governors Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. (Photo by Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent) SEDALIA A confrontation between U.S. Senate rivals Thursday on the Missouri State Fairgrounds may be the closest thing to a live debate in the 2024 campaign. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican seeking his second term, arrived at the Governors Ham Breakfast looking for Lucas Kunce, the Democrat hoping to unseat him. He found him, and for about 20 minutes until the emcee asked them and the mass of reporters clogging the main aisle to move they jabbed at each other with personal digs, disputes about whether campaign ads are accurate and when, or if, they would meet formally before television cameras. Its great to see out of your basement, Lucas, Hawley said at one point. By the way, are you gonna do any campaign events around the state or just media? Josh, why are you so weird? Kunce responded. Man, why are you so creepy? Over the two weeks since the primary election, Hawley and Kunce have been arguing about the location and format for debates. In the hours after Kunce won the nomination, Hawley called for a Lincoln-Douglas style debate at the fairgrounds. Kunce, in return, said he would accept all invitations for televised debates, including one from Fox News, but declined to do so at the fair. The State Fair Commission shot the idea down on Aug. 9 with a statement that it did not allow political events. Commission chairman Kevin Roberts told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the commission knew nothing of Hawleys challenge when it was issued and never received a request to use the grounds. The Missouri Farm Bureau, which has endorsed Hawley and donated $5,000 to his campaign, volunteered to host it at a location across the street from the fairgrounds. Kunces campaign, in a Wednesday letter to the insurance and agriculture advocacy organization, said such a debate would violate campaign finance laws that bar not-for-profit groups organized like the Farm Bureau from hosting debates. The law cited by Kunce says groups that endorse and back candidates financially cannot host debate. Lucas does not wish to expose the Farm Bureau or your members to unnecessary risk, Caleb Cavaretta, Kunce campaign manager wrote. During their back-and-forth, Hawley accused Kunce of trying to intimidate the Farm Bureau. Threatening the Farm Bureau with legal action is the most unbelievable thing Ive ever heard in a farm state, Hawley said. Its unreal. Its unreal because its a lie, Kunce said. We didnt threaten the Farm Bureau. The letter states the law could only be enforced by the Federal Election Commission and there is no allowance for a private lawsuit over alleged violations of the campaign finance law. Kunce is making a second bid for the Senate after losing the 2022 Democratic primary. He is the best-funded Democrat in a statewide race and the only one with television ads airing. Hawley, who defeated incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2018, used Thursday mornings meeting in a fundraising appeal sent out about an hour after it ended. This run-in doesnt change the fact that Democrat Lucas Kunce is sitting on a jackpot of cash, and so far, his campaign has outraised me 2:1 this year, Hawley told supporters. There are two other candidates running Jared Young, on the ballot after petitioning to form a new political party, the Better Party, and W.C. Young of the Libertarian Party. The back-and-forth on debates between Hawley and Kunce didnt resolve anything. Lets debate, Hawley said. Lets do it, Kunce replied We got all five, and I agreed to Fox News. So, right over there, Hawley said. Ill see you on Fox News, bro, we offered you a safe space, Kunce replied. One of the most substantive exchanges between the two was over union rights and worker protection. Hawley, who supported the anti-union right to work effort as a candidate for attorney general in 2016, has done a complete turnaround since the overwhelming vote against right to work in the August 2018 primary. Missouri, No. 1, we voted not to be a right to work state, Hawley said Thursday, explaining his position. No. 2, I dont think its fair to ask union organizers that organize for people who are not putting in union dues. When you get a union contract, its for all the workers in the shop, in the organization, that if a bunch of those people dont pay dues, and yet they get the benefit of the contract, I just think thats not fair. Hawley has won the support of the national Teamsters Union, which gave his campaign $5,000 in March from its PAC. Hawley also promoted his proposal to increase the national minimum wage to $15 an hour at companies that have more than $1 billion in annual receipts. We ought to be raising the national minimum wage and protecting workers, Hawley said. Kunce, who has taken $80,000 in donations from16 different union PACs, said Hawleys love of unions is an election-year conversion. When the Senate voted in 2022 on the CHIPS Act, Kunce said, then-U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt supported requiring prevailing wages to be paid on projects initiated under the law while Hawley opposed it. Prevailing wages are required on major public construction projects to prevent unfair competition between union and non-union contractors. He was a right to work candidate, Kunce said. He doesnt believe in labor. In fact, hes called half of labor hostage takersHes tried to remake himself in an election year because he knows that taking away our rights is not something that people want, and hes scared about it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Why Were Arrests Made in Connection With Matthew Perrys Death? A Timeline of the Investigation Nearly a year after Matthew Perrys death from an accidental ketamine overdose, his assistant and doctors were arrested Phillip Faraone/Getty Matthew Perry attends the GQ Men of the Year Party 2022 at The West Hollywood EDITION on November 17, 2022 in West Hollywood, California Matthew Perrys death struck fans worldwide and also opened a months-long investigation. The beloved Friends actor died after an accidental drug overdose on Oct. 28, 2023. An autopsy later showed Perry died from acute effects of ketamine, in addition to other contributing factors such as drowning, coronary artery disease and effects from buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder. Over six months after his death, the Los Angeles Police Department was conducting a formal investigation into how the actor obtained the ketamine after the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner closed their investigation in December 2023. On Aug. 15, five people including two doctors and Perrys personal live-in assistant were arrested on charges in connection with the actors death. Jasveen Sangha who United States Attorney Martin Estrada said is referred to as "The Ketamine Queen" and Dr. Salvador Plascencia are both currently facing charges in the case, the Department of Justice announced. Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa was also charged and has already pleaded guilty alongside Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez, according to the DoJ. "These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves," Estrada said. "In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well being." Heres a complete timeline of the investigation into Matthew Perrys death and why five people are seeing their day in court because of it. October 28, 2023: Matthew Perry dies of an accidental drug overdose Michael Buckner/Getty Matthew Perry arrives at the 9th Annual Dinner Benefiting the Lili Claire Foundation at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 14, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home at 54 years old. "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother," his family said in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE. "Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love." An LAPD spokesperson told PEOPLE that first responders arrived on the scene around 4:07 p.m. and found an adult male patient already deceased. The patient was found by a bystander who had repositioned the victim where the head was out of water" in a freestanding jacuzzi. The firefighters on the scene pulled Perry out to discover he was dead. December 2023: Matthew Perrys cause of death is determined Kevin Winter/Getty Matthew Perry speaks onstage during the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California Two months later, Perrys cause of death was revealed in an autopsy obtained by PEOPLE. The 17 Again actor died from acute effects of ketamine with drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects also listed as contributing factors. The death was ruled accidental. The autopsy stated that Perry was reportedly clean for 19 months and was receiving a ketamine infusion therapy, with his latest treatment taking place one and a half weeks before his death. His final treatment did not, however, contribute to his death as the coroner noted that ketamine's half-life is 3 to 4 hours, or less. January 9, 2024: The investigation into Matthew Perrys death is officially closed Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Matthew Perry attends CBS' 2015 Summer TCA party at the Pacific Design Center on August 10, 2015 in West Hollywood, California A few weeks later, the LAPD confirmed to PEOPLE they would no longer be looking into Perrys death. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner also confirmed the case was closed. May 21, 2024: The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding Matthew Perrys death Dave Benett/Getty Matthew Perry poses at a photocall for "The End Of Longing", a new play which he wrote and stars in at The Playhouse Theatre, on February 8, 2016 in London, England Though the LAPD announced they closed their investigation in January, just four months later, a new investigation came to light that involved them working with the California branch of the Drug Enforcement Administration to determine the source of the ketamine that led to Perrys death. At the time, authorities had conducted several interviews, but no arrests had been made. June 25, 2024: A law enforcement source tells PEOPLE multiple people should be charged in association with Matthew Perrys death Frazer Harrison/Getty Matthew Perry at the premiere of Reelz's "The Kennedys After Camelot" at The Paley Center for Media on March 15, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California While the investigation was ongoing, a law enforcement source told PEOPLE that it was "nearing its conclusion, and police believed multiple people should be charged. However, the source added that the U.S. Attorneys Office would make the final decision on whether or not to press charges. The same day, the office responded no comment to PEOPLEs request for comment. August 15, 2024: Matthew Perrys personal assistant and doctors are arrested on charges surrounding his death Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic Matthew Perry poses at the opening night for "Six Degrees of Separation" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theatre on April 25, 2017 in New York City Five people were arrested on Aug. 15 in association with Perrys death, including his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The first two defendants named to the case were Jasveen Sangha who United States Attorney Martin Estrada claimed is referred to as "The Ketamine Queen" and Dr. Salvador Plascencia. Sangha is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine, the Department of Justice announced. Plascencia, who is a licensed physician, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, while the three other defendants Iwamasa, Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez were charged separately. According to the DOJ, Fleming pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, while Chavez will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Iwamasa pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, after he "repeatedly" injected Perry with ketamine "without medical training," including on the day Perry died, according to the DOJ. The former assistant and Fleming could face up to 15 to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty, while Chavez could face up to 10 years in prison. If found guilty, Sangha will serve a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a possible life sentence. Estrada has alleged that the five defendants took advantage of Perry for their own profit. According to the DoJ, Plasencia allegedly contacted Chavez who was also a doctor and previously operated a ketamine clinic to obtain the substance to sell to Perry. In text messages to Chavez, Plasencia allegedly discussed how much to charge Perry for the ketamine, stating, I wonder how much this moron will pay and Lets [sic] find out, the DoJ claimed. The attorney also alleged that the defendants were aware of what the negative impacts on Perrys health could be because of their choices. Estrada claimed the prosecution had found text messages in which Sangha wrote, I wouldn't do it if there wasnt a chance of me making some money for doing this. Following Perry's death, the defendants tried to "cover up" their involvement, Estrada claimed, adding that Sangha allegedly wrote in a text message to another defendant, "Delete all our messages." August 16, 2024: Matthew Perrys stepdad Keith Morrison looks forward to "justice" One day after federal investigators announced their charges, Perry's stepdad Keith Morrison shared his gratitude to law enforcement for their investigation, saying that he hopes that justice will be carried out. Related: Matthew Perrys Stepdad Keith Morrison Looks Forward to 'Justice' After Arrests in Connection with Actor's Death We were and still are heartbroken by Matthews death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously, the Dateline correspondent, said in a statement to PEOPLE for the Morrison family. We look forward to justice taking its course and were grateful for the exceptional work of the multiple agencies whose agents investigated Matthews death." Morrison continued: Were hoping unscrupulous suppliers of dangerous drugs will get the message. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. If youre a 17-year-old in Idaho, what you tell your therapist may not be kept private. State law now grants someone else the rights to those records: your parents. The new law, which took effect in July, gave parents more access to medical records for older teens and requires parental consent for health treatments in nearly all cases, a change state legislators said bolsters parental rights. But legal and policy experts told the Idaho Statesman the change adds another stressor for LGBTQ+ youth and has broad implications for vulnerable teens. As Republicans in the Legislature limited health care for transgender patients, LGBTQ+ advocates said the law may be another response to gender-affirming care for kids and abortion. The law could pose challenges for older teenagers seeking medical care, said Caitlin OBrien, a health care attorney at Idaho firm Smith and Malek. OBrien said transgender teenagers whose parents dont want them to receive mental health treatment could now face a huge gap, but believed the laws impacts will likely be much broader. Already, the Idaho State Police is concerned that the law could impede criminal investigations into a parents sexual abuse of their child, according to Idaho Reports. It now has become wide-sweeping to all health care, and I dont think they realize the implications of that, OBrien told the Idaho Statesman. A big gap in care for these kids Under the law, doctors cant administer most services to people under 18 without prior consent from their guardians. It also requires that any health data about a child be available to their parent in almost all cases, which would include doctors or therapists notes. Previously, state law generally required consent from children over 14 to release the details of their mental health treatment to their parents. The law contains exceptions for when death is imminent, or when the doctor cannot locate the teens parents and believes their life or health would be seriously endangered by further delay. This bill doesnt prevent a child from going to get help, said Senate Majority Leader Kelly Anthon, a Burley Republican who sponsored Senate Bill 1329, on the Senate floor in February. Before its passage, parental consent was still largely needed, but there were exceptions: for sexually transmitted infections and other disease testing, birth control, substance abuse treatments, or blood donations. There was also a blanket rule that doctors could provide health care if they believed the teen understands the nature of the treatment. Many of the previous exceptions have been for sensitive medical topics, for which youth would be less likely to seek help if their parents knew about it, OBrien said. State laws also allowed for surrogate decision makers, allowing relatives or others who are close to a child to consent to health care in certain instances. Now that goes out the door, OBrien said. She gave an example: What if a parent is in jail, and their grandparent takes them to a doctor but is not their court-appointed guardian? Its causing a lot of chaos because there are many children in Idaho that dont have a (biological) or adoptive parent present in their lives, and they dont have another legal guardian available to consent for their health care, OBrien said. It leaves a big gap in care for these kids. Sponsor says Idaho bill protects therapists Republican lawmakers this year also implemented a law that allows counselors to refuse to work with a client whose goals they object to. Senate Bill 1352 gave therapists the option to reject counseling someone whose behaviors conflict with the therapists sincerely held religious, moral or ethical principles. Within the context of all the anti-LGBT legislation, this seems to be another venue for therapists to target LGBT people, said Ilan Meyer, a public policy scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles Williams Institute, which focuses on sexual orientation and gender identity. Misty Lloyd, a photographer in Pocatello who identifies as queer, told the Statesman by phone that she has been in therapy for years and is worried about what the effects of the two laws could be. Even if (therapists) dont enforce their beliefs with their clients, Im scared theyll do more harm than good once they are able to place their religion ahead of their clients, she said. Its really scary to think about those people having that kind of legal protection to embrace their bigotry. She also fears the parental rights bill will make it harder for kids seeking mental health treatment, she said. When she was young, there were topics that she wasnt comfortable talking to a parent about but would have been comfortable talking to a doctor about. Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot, pitched the therapy bill, Senate Bill 1352, as a measure to protect the conscience of medical providers. Young did not respond to a request for comment. This bill will ensure that people of integrity feel comfortable entering into the field of counseling, she told a Senate committee in February. The law would guarantee that Idahos legal environment protects their right to practice in a way thats consistent with their sincerely held principles. Young cited examples of potential conflicts: a counselor opposed to abortion or one working with a patient conducting self-harm who wants to be reinforced in their activities. The bill does not require counselors who wont provide care to offer their patient a referral. Alliance Defending Freedom influences Idaho law The therapists rights bill was influenced by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a national conservative Christian advocacy law firm that has become a powerful litigator on the right. Young leaned on the group during the hearing, citing an ADF survey of religious medical providers who want to maintain their personal beliefs on the job. Over the past two decades, the organization has made opposition to LGBTQ+ rights one of the pillars of its work, opposing gay marriage, transgender rights and previously supporting state sodomy laws. As some states have outlawed youth conversion therapy, or the practice of trying to change a childs sexuality or gender identity, the ADF has pushed to allow it. In one prominent case, a marriage and family counselor in Washington sued the state over a law banning conversion therapy, which aligns with guidelines from major medical organizations that uphold acceptance of patients sexuality and gender identity as key to patient health. ADF represented the Washington counselor in an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected the appeal in December. (On its website, the ADF says it does not support conversion therapy, but thinks adults should be allowed to make changes in any area of their lives. In an emailed statement, Matt Sharp, the ADFs senior counsel, said the law would create more diversity in counseling by ensuring more counselors can enter the profession without fear of being punished or losing their license. He added, Should a counselor be forced to support a clients goal to obtain assisted suicide in a neighboring state? Or would we require an atheist counselor to tell a person of faith that there is a God if the client is wrestling with faith-based issues?) An Idaho-based group whose views often overlap with ADF, the Idaho Family Policy Center, also testified in support of Youngs bill. Grace Howat, a policy assistant for the center, said liberals are forcing conformity in ascendant political and moral positions, especially on issues related to sexuality and gender. Counselors should not face consequences for providing talk therapy intended to help patients overcome unwanted same sex attraction or gender confusion, she said. The new law also prohibits professional associations from disciplining counselors for practices that violate their ethics policies but are allowed under the law. The American Psychological Associations guidelines on treating sexual minorities and transgender people emphasize acceptance of a patients stated identities and aims. The Idaho Counseling Association, which is a member of the American Counseling Association, also follows ethical guidelines that advise therapists to avoid providing counsel based on personal beliefs and to seek training if they think theyre at risk of imposing their personal values on their clients. Liz Hatter, a lobbyist for the Idaho Counseling Association, told lawmakers at the Senate hearing that the group opposed the bill primarily because it does not require providers to offer referrals, which she said was an ethical duty. Hatter referred a Statesman inquiry to the associations president, Stefanie Sherman, who canceled an interview after the newspaper sent her its questions. Meyer said the guidelines of health professionals are designed for patients well-being, and that the idea that acceptance is a left-wing ideology is completely out of touch with reality. He noted that homosexuality has not been treated as a disorder for nearly 50 years. The rhetoric around it sounds like misplaced concern about the therapists well-being compared to the patients well-being, he said. It is the patient that we need to worry about. Idaho lawmakers debate parental rights Young defended her bill by arguing that its unfair to mental health workers to push them to endorse patient goals they disagree with, and that requiring referrals would be tantamount to forced participation. A number of therapists, including Christian counselors, testified in support. In response to a question from Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, about whether a patients gay or transgender identity could allow a counselor to decline to provide them with any counseling, Young said the answer would depend on the patients goals. Were not talking about turning away people because they dont live perfect lives, Young said. Meyer said that while parental support is desirable for any childs care, the purpose of allowing privacy for older kids is to encourage treatment, whatever the issues are. If a child has questions about their sexuality, one topic they would likely explore with a therapist would be how to talk to their parents about it, he said. Most Democrats opposed Anthons and Youngs bills. Debating against Anthons bill, Wintrow said the law would make it harder for older teenagers to get help. She said her dad was scary, and that there was no way she would go to her parents for help on certain topics when she was young. Young adults are starting to grow and they have the rights to their body and access to mental health treatment as well, especially if somebody isnt going to be supportive of that or might deny them of that, she said. Anthon, who also cosponsored Youngs bill, said parents have a natural right to raise their child as they wish. They have the right and the responsibility to decisions that are in their childs best interest, and they have that right without the undue interference of the government, he said. ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) The Illinois Lottery says the person who purchased a winning Powerball ticket worth $100,000 in Loves Park last September has still not claimed their prize. The winning Powerball ticket was purchased Road Ranger, 7500 E. Riverside Blvd. The Illinois Lottery is keen to unite the winner and their winnings, and is calling on all Powerball players who have visited Loves Park, Ill., to check anywhere they may have tucked away a lottery ticket, the lottery said in a release. Winners have one year from the original draw date to claim their prize. The winning ticket sold in Loves Park is expires on Sept. 8. The ticket was pulled from the Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, drawing, and matched four out of five numbers plus the Powerball. There are currently eight significant Illinois Lottery prizes that are unclaimed, totaling $6.4 million. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. (Bloomberg) -- Jack Ma-backed Ant Group Co. is in discussions to acquire Chinese online platform Haodf.com to beef up its artificial intelligence services in health care, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg The fintech company is seeking to integrate its technology with a platform like Haodf that provides online consultations with doctors, the people said, requesting not to be named because the discussions are private. The deliberations are still preliminary and could be subject to change, the people said. Ant is seeking for new avenues of growth following a broad overhaul of its business in March. The firms profit fell 10% in the March quarter, following a yearslong regulatory crackdown that dented its online loan operation. The firm didnt respond to an email query. Haodf, registered as Beijing HaoDF Online Network Co., didnt respond to queries sent to its email address listed on its website. Yicai reported about the acquisition earlier. Haodf.com received funding from companies including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and DCM Ventures. It had an estimated value of 6.5 billion yuan ($906 million) in its last funding round in 2017, according to EO Data. Ant has been expanding in AI and invested more than 100 million yuan into a video generation startup AIsphere in April. It has also been using the technology for foreign exchange transaction and fraud detection. Ant received regulatory approval from the Chinese government to roll out products powered by its large language model Bailing to the public in November. It developed two in-house applications underpinned by LLM for wealth management and insurance services. Zhixiaobao answers questions for customers, and Zhixiaozhu, is an assistant for financial professionals. Ant also open sourced its AI-powered coding platform CodeFuse for developers. It spent a record 21.2 billion yuan on research last year. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. CHETEK, Wis. (WFRV) A 34-year-old Wisconsin man was airlifted to a hospital after crashing his plane near an airport on Wednesday afternoon. According to a release, officers from the Chetek Police Department were sent to the Chetek Municipal Airport for a report of a possible plane crash. Impaired Wisconsin driver hospitalized after collision with light pole, processed for OWI Upon arrival, officers located the plane, which reportedly crashed into a smile pine grove on the southeast side of the airport. The pilot, later identified as 34-year-old Travis Turner from Cameron, was removed from the aircraft by emergency medical services and then airlifted via helicopter to a nearby trauma center. The Federal Aviation Administration has been contacted to help investigate this plane crash alongside the Chetek Police Department. The investigation remains active as of this articles publication. Fox Crossing Police Department investigating dog-biting incident I would like to thank the following departments for their help with this tragic event: Barron County Sheriffs Department, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Chetek Fire Department, Chetek EMS and First Responders, and the Department of Federal Aviation Administration, said Chetek Police Chief Ron Ambrozaitis. No additional details were provided. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The trial of a man accused of first-degree murder of a man back in September of last year continued Thursday in the Woodbury County Courthouse. Prosecutors called witness Gregorio Leon to take the stand. He claims he invited the suspect, Mario Corona Ruiz, and a woman to his apartment to use meth. Leon testified that the defendant asked him to drive his pick-up while he drove another vehicle, an SUV, back to his house. As the two vehicles were about to turn onto Center Street, Leon said, Corona Ruiz rolled down the car window and shot Michael Schwebach. During the trial, prosecutors asked Leon to identify the driver of the SUV. Former Ponca clerk pleads not guilty to abuse of public records So you saw the defendant driving the vehicle? Yeah, I seen him get in the car driving. Yeah, Leon said. And you saw the driver shoot the gun that morning? Yeah. Do you see the driver here in the court this morning? Yes. Can you identify this person by what hes wearing for me, for the jury? Hes wearing a blue shirt. The trial continues Friday. If hes found guilty, Mario Corona Ruiz faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) New Mexico State Police arrested 48-year-old Margarita Bautista, accused of being intoxicated in a rollover crash involving a child. Investigation launched after body found near Roswell Around 1:15 p.m. Friday, officers were sent to I-40 near mile marker 271 for a single-vehicle rollover crash involving an 8-year-old child. Police say multiple witnesses informed them that Bautista was driving recklessly prior to the crash. NMSP says officers could smell the odor of alcohol and performed field sobriety tests. Bautista was arrested and booked into the De Baca County Detention Center, she blew over the legal limit in a breath test. The child was transported to a hospital and the injuries are unknown. Bautista faces charges of DWI, DWI with a minor in the vehicle, and abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. A woman was arrested on Friday for her alleged involvement in a scheme to defraud Elvis Presley's family and steal ownership of the rock star's Graceland estate, officials said in a news release. Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, faces federal charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, and is expected to make her first court appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri later Friday. According to the complaint, Findley used a variety of names and pretended to be three different people affiliated with a fake private lender called Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC. Through the fake lender, Findley falsely claimed to lawyers representing Lisa Marie Presley's daughter Riley Keough that her mother had borrowed $3.8 million and pledged Graceland as collateral, and failed to repay the loan before her death last year. As part of the scheme, Findley allegedly forged the signatures of Lisa Marie Presley and a Florida notary public on fake loan documents. Findley also allegedly filed a false creditor's claim with California authorities and filed a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Register's Office in Memphis, where Graceland is. Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion. / Credit: CBS News Findley allegedly sought $2.85 million from the Presley family to settle the false claim. She also allegedly posted a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis daily newsletter, saying that the fake investment firm was planning to auction Graceland in May. Keough began proceedings to fight the foreclosure, saying at the time that the documents appeared to be false. An injunction was issued against the foreclosure later that month. Findley also submitted false court filings when the Presley family sued her in Tennessee state court to stop the sale of the estate. Finally, Findley falsely told media, Tennessee state court officials and the Presley family that the scheme had actually been carried out by a Nigerian identity thief. If convicted, Findley faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud. "As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure," said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee in a news release announcing the charges against Findley. "This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark." In 1957, Elvis bought Graceland, named after an aunt of one of the original owners, for $102,500. Elvis died on the property in 1977, and was later buried there. The estate was named to the American National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Lisa Marie Presley and her son Benjamin Keough are also buried on the estate, along with Presley's parents and paternal grandmother. Court documents reveal new details about Matthew Perry's death Minnesota bus driver gives barefoot passenger her own shoes New real estate commission rules will affect homebuyers and sellers MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Missouri woman faces federal charges after being arrested in connection to an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presleys family of millions of dollars and steal the familys ownership interest in Graceland, the historic home of Elvis Presley, according to reports. Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. She will face a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud if she is convicted. Graceland set for foreclosure auction; Elvis heir claims fraud, fights sale Findley was listed in the jail roster in Greene County, Missouri on Friday. The U.S. Department of Justice says Findley was charged in a criminal complaint that was unsealed Friday after her arrest. Findley pretended to be three different people affiliated with Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC, which happens to be a fake private lender, according to court documents. She is accused of falsely claiming Elvis Presleys daughter [Lisa Marie Presley] had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from the company and used Graceland as collateral for the loan, and failed to repay the debt. Findley sought $2.85 million from Elvis Presleys family to settle the claim, reports state. Findley allegedly used fake loan documents, forging a Florida State notary public and Lisa Presleys signature before filing a false creditors claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles. She then used a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Registers Office in Memphis, Tennessee where Graceland is located. County has no deed for Graceland; Elvis Presleys family calls sale a scam But Presleys daughter Danielle Riley Keough says in a 60-page lawsuit against Naussany Investments, filed May 15 in Shelby County Chancery Court, that her mother never borrowed any money from the company. On May 22, WREG reached out to the company through email regarding the Graceland foreclosure sale. A person responding to an email address for Kurt Naussany, whose name is listed several times in legal documents, said by email that he has not been affiliated with Naussany Investments & Private Lending since 2015, and directed further questions to an email with the name Gregory Naussany. He told WREG not to contact him. The response says, Due to the Deed of Trust not being recorded and the loan being obtained in different state, legal action would have to be filed in multiple states and NAUSSANY Investments & Private Lending will not acquire to proceed. That comes from consultation of the lawyers for the company. There was no harm meant on Ms. Keough for her mothers LMP mis habits and mis managing of money. The company will be withdrawing all claims with prejudice. Please do not contact as i have not been affiliated with Naussany Investments & Private Lending since 2015 nor does my company have any claims. Reports state that Findley submitted fake court filings after the lawsuit but later falsely claimed the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria. Court halts Graceland sale; company withdraws claim As alleged in the complaint, the defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presleys daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account. Findley also goes by alias names such as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams, according to the DOJ. The news comes as Graceland marks its annual Elvis Week, commemmorating the death of Elvis Presley on Aug. 16, 1977. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Graceland. - Credit: AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File Months after a judge stopped the foreclosure sale of Elvis Presleys Graceland estate amid allegations of fraud, authorities have arrested the woman they say allegedly conned Presleys family. Federal authorities arrested 53-year-old Lisa Jeanine Findley, who is also known by many aliases, including Lisa Holden, in Kimberling City, Missouri, on Friday morning. Findley faces charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she could serve a maximum of 20 years in prison for the former charge and a minimum of two for the latter. Shell make an appearance Friday at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri to answer the feds criminal complaint. More from Rolling Stone The U.S. Department of Justice accused Findley of orchestrating an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presleys family of millions of dollars and steal the familys ownership interest in Graceland. Presleys granddaughter, Riley Keough, inherited the estate after a fraught battle with her grandmother, Priscilla. Keough alerted a judge in May to the alleged plot, claiming that Findleys Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC had placed a lien on the estate under the pretense that the late Lisa Marie Presley (Keoughs mother) had used it as collateral for a $3.8 million loan. Findleys name, under the Lisa Holden alias, became public a month later following an NBC News investigation. As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, said in a statement. Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account. A rep for Keough did not immediately respond to Rolling Stones request for comment. The feds claim Findley used three different aliases under the Naussany Investments guise to create a ruse that suggested Lisa Marie borrowed millions from the dubious company in 2018 and defaulted on the loan. With the falsified loan document, which feds claim bore forged signatures by Lisa Marie and a Florida notary public, Findley then allegedly sought $2.85 million from the Presley Estate. The feds say she bolstered these claims with a fake creditors claim filed in Los Angeles and a forged deed of trust filed in Memphis. She also allegedly posted a notice of foreclosure in the Memphis newspaper, The Commercial Appeal. An auction was set to take place on May 23. The DOJ accuses Findley further of submitting false court filings after the Presley estate sued her and blamed her alleged actions on a Nigerian identity thief. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI Memphis Field Office are investigating the case. The FBI Kansas City Field Office is helping. When NBC News tracked down Findley in June, she claimed that she had been a victim of identity theft. She said she had no earthly idea what the reporter was alleging and subsequently filed a cease-and-desist order against the network. Presley purchased the Graceland estate, which was built in 1900, for $102,500 in 1957. He died in the mansion, which opened its doors as a tourist attraction in the early Eighties, on Aug. 16, 1977 47 years to the day before Findleys arrest. Best of Rolling Stone WASHINGTON (AP) A Missouri woman has been arrested on charges she orchestrated a brazen scheme to defraud Elvis Presley's family by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property before a judge halted the mysterious foreclosure sale, the Justice Department said Friday. Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley's daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan before her death last year, prosecutors said. She then threatened to sell Graceland to the higher bidder if Presley's family didn't pay a $2.85 million settlement, according to authorities. Finley posed as three different people allegedly involved with the fake lender, fabricated loan documents, and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing the auction of Graceland in May, prosecutors said. A judge stopped the sale after Presley's granddaughter sued. Experts were baffled by the attempt to sell off one of the most storied pieces of real estate in the country using names, emails and documents that were quickly suspected to be phony. Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises. The announcement of charges came on the 47th anniversary of Presley's death at the age of 42. Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain, said Eric Shen, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group. An attorney for Findley, who used multiple aliases, was not listed in court documents. A voicemail left with a phone number believed to be associated with Findley was not immediately returned, nor was an email sent to an address prosecutors say she had used in the scheme. She's charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. The mail fraud charge carries up to 20 years in prison. She remained in custody after a brief federal court appearance in Missouri, according to court papers. In May, a public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Riley Keough, Presleys granddaughter and an actor, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, last year. An attorney for Keough didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Friday. Keough filed a lawsuit claiming fraud, and a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction. Naussany Investments and Private Lending the bogus lender authorities now say Findley created said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keoughs lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany. Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussanys documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estates lawsuit. The judge said the notarys affidavit brings into question the authenticity of the signature. The judge in May halted the foreclosure sale of the beloved Memphis tourist attraction, saying Elvis Presleys estate could be successful in arguing that a companys attempt to auction Graceland was fraudulent. The Tennessee attorney generals office had been investigating the Graceland controversy, then confirmed in June that it handed the probe over to federal authorities. A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning legal action would have to be filed in multiple states. The statement, sent from an email address listed in court documents, did not specify the other state. After the scheme fell apart, Findley tried to make it look like the person responsible was a Nigerian identity thief, prosecutors said. An email sent May 25 to the AP from the same email as the earlier statement said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the U.S. and uses the Internet to steal money. _____ Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Woman with Duck Dynasty ties is running for vacant council seat in this Fort Worth suburb Trasa Robertson Cobern considered getting back in to local politics at times, but as a faith-based person, she didnt feel led to do so. But things changed Tuesday night when she attended the Hurst City Council meeting on behalf of her employer, 6 Stones, to accept a $333 donation from Girl Scout Troop 1333 of proceeds from their lemonade stand. While at the meeting, Cobern, 48, learned that council member Cindy Shepard resigned because she is moving. The council voted to call a special election for Nov. 5, and Robertson Cobern filed the next day. As of Friday, no one else had filed. I felt led to serve, Cobern said. Hurst has always been responsive to citizens. Robertson Cobern served on the City Council from 2016-18, and she said some of her accomplishments included working on pay increases for first responders and getting body cameras for the police department. Im 100% behind our first responders, she said. She chose not to seek re-election and ran unsuccessfully for Tarrant County tax assessor-collector in 2018. Cobern, a former U.S. history teacher in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district, said educating people how to get involved and to interact with government is one of her top priorities. Im amazed at how few adults understand how our government works, she said. Public safety, repairing streets and revitalizing the Bellaire area are also important priorities, she said. Robertson Cobern said she is concerned that the Artisan Theater closed. The closing was a big hit for Hurst and for Tarrant County. Kids and adults could enjoy fine arts. Its a super sad thing for the community, she said. She left teaching in 2019 and, in 2021, she was hired as chief development officer for the nonprofit 6 Stones, which provides emergency assistance and helps people in need with food, home repairs and school supplies, among other things. It will celebrate the opening of its new building in Euless in September. Over the years, Robertson also took in stride the good-natured jokes about her family connections to the popular A&E reality show, Duck Dynasty. Her father, Si Robertson, played Uncle Si. Cobern said previously that she credits her father, a Vietnam veteran, for teaching her the importance of hard work and family. The drama surrounding Elvis Presley's Graceland estate is almost over, with the recent arrest of a woman involved in the sale scheme. Authorities captured and charged a Missouri resident named Lisa Jeanine Findley for participating in a nefarious plan to obtain the late singer's estate illegally. She claimed his deceased daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, had used the property as collateral for a loan. The culprit tried to take over Elvis Presley's Graceland estate using fake loan documents. However, Lisa Marie Presley's daughter, Riley Keough, vehemently fought against the sale. Elvis Presley's Graceland Home Saved From Fraud MEGA The legal drama began when a company called Naussany Investments and Private Lending accused Lisa Marie of failing to pay back a $3.8 million loan before her death. They argued that she used her late father's beloved estate as collateral for the money. When Keough fought against the sale of Elvis's Graceland property, the FBI got involved and launched a criminal investigation into the attempted sale. Months later, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed Findley's arrest. They announced the Missouri woman had been taken into custody on Friday, August 16, with feds noting she had been charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. These charges spelled severe consequences for the culprit. According to TMZ, if Findley got convicted of the crimes, she could face a mandatory minimum of 2 years in prison for the identity theft charge and a maximum of 20 years in prison for the mail fraud charge. The Arrested Culprit May Not Be The 'Mastermind' MEGA Although Findley was taken into custody for orchestrating the fraudulent sale scheme, an Elvis estate official claimed she might not be the puppeteer. In their words: "We think this is the first domino to fall, not the last. We do not believe this is the mastermind behind the scam." "Statements attributed to the woman arrested have pointed to someone who has a loose affiliation with the Elvis world," the source claimed, noting that was the only information they could share at the time. Findley's arrest comes three months after The Blast reported Lisa Marie's daughter contested the foreclosure sale on Elvis' property through a lawsuit. She alleged fraudulent claims, accusing the loan group of identity theft. Riley Keough Defended Her Mother's Name MEGA The loan company's claim received a legal response from Keough, who refused to have her late mother's name tarnished or lose her grandfather's Graceland estate. She filed her arguments in May, claiming the loan documents were fake. The "Mad Max: Fury Road" actress stressed that Lisa Marie's signatures on the documents were forged. She backed her claim with allegations about the notary involved in the process. According to Keough, the notary allegedly denied ever notarizing Lisa Marie's signature on the deed or meeting her. This made the actress question the legitimacy of Naussany Investments and Private Lending as an entity. Graceland Officials Supported Keough's Claims MEGA Elvis's granddaughter wasn't the only one questioning Naussany's claims, as Graceland officials similarly echoed sentiments of fraudulent behavior. They backed Keough up in a statement, claiming: "Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent. There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed to stop the fraud." The late King of Rock and Roll reportedly acquired the Graceland mansion in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis in 1957. Following his death in 1977, Lisa Marie inherited Graceland and later opened its doors to the public as a museum in 1982. Elvis Presley's Granddaughter Slammed With Massive Tax Lien MEGA Before her battle with Naussany began, The Blast reported that Keough was hit with a massive tax lien in November 2023. The claim was filed against her and her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, for owing taxes from 2021. In the filing, Keough and Petersen received a bill of $68,116.50. The lien was placed against the couple's former Woodland Hills home, with the state Tax Board warning that further interest and fees would continue to accrue until they paid the debt. The sum shouldn't have been a problem for Elvis's granddaughter, given her successful acting career. In 2023, she scored a significant role as the titular character in Prime Video's "Daisy Jones & the Six" and earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress. Thanks to Riley Keough's refusal to accept the foreclosure of Elvis Presley's Graceland estate, the truth has finally been brought to light. But is this the end, or will more arrests be made? Jack Ma's Ant Group Eyes Healthcare Expansion with Haodf.com Acquisition, Profit Down Amid Regulatory Hurdles Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) fintech affiliate Ant Group is reportedly in talks to acquire the Chinese online healthcare platform Haodf.com. The Jack Ma-backed fintech company aims to integrate its technology with Haodf.com which provides online consultations with doctors, Bloomberg cites familiar sources. Chinas chronic and autoimmune drug market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 27%, potentially reaching $20 billion by 2030, with AI likely playing a pivotal role, as per JP Morgan. Also Read: Alibaba Q1 Earnings: Revenue Miss Amid Price War, Profit Beat, International Commerce and Cloud Segments Shine Ant Groups profit dropped by 10.2% during the June quarter to $539 million. Ant Group has been battling intense domestic regulatory crackdowns since Chinese regulators scrapped its initial public offering at the last minute in 2020. The fintech giant remains engaged in various efforts to boost value. In 2023, Ant Group spent $2.9 billion (21.2 billion yuan) on research to accomplish its artificial intelligence ambitions. Ant Group developed a large language model, BaiLing, which has powered AI assistants on its Alipay platform. Ant Groups other activities include collaborating with Mastercard Inc (NYSE:MA) to expand digital payment zones in Chengdu and Chongqing in Western China. Alibaba Stock Prediction for 2024 When buying a stock for a longer time horizon, it is important for investors to assess where they think the stock is headed in the future. When mapping a stock's future trajectory, investors should consider factors including the future earnings expectations and expected performance against a benchmark. Alibaba's revenue has grown at an average rate of 15.81% annually over the past 5 years. The average 1-year price target from analysts is $103.0, representing an expected 23.24% upside in 2025. While past performance is not a guarantee of future results, investors should also look at a stock's historical performance when compared to both a benchmark index and the company's peers. Shares of Alibaba have seen an annualized return of -23.33%, underperforming the S&P500 index by 30.69%. This compares to 1.19% growth in the overall Consumer Discretionary sector. Alibaba has a beta of 2.34. Price Action: BABA shares were trading higher by 4.89% at $83.43 at the last check Friday. "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Story continues Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Jack Ma's Ant Group Eyes Healthcare Expansion with Haodf.com Acquisition, Profit Down Amid Regulatory Hurdles originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. A person of interest in a Macon homicide has died by suicide, Bibb County authorities said Friday. The Bibb County Sheriffs Office said Wayne Anthony Fuller Jr., 44, had been identified as a person of interest in the death of his wife, 51-year-old Cotina Louise Fuller. She was shot and killed Friday morning, and Wayne Fuller Jr. fled the scene of the shooting in a gold SUV, deputies said. The Spaulding County Sheriffs Office spotted the car and stopped Fuller in the 100 block of Greenwood Industrial Parkway in McDonough, the sheriffs office said. Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones said thats where Wayne Fuller died. Jones confirmed Fuller was a suspect in his wifes death. Jones office worked on Cotina Fullers death, but not Wayne Fullers death, which was handled by the Henry County Coroners Office. Cotina Fuller was found shot multiple times Friday morning, the sheriffs office said in a news release. Officers were called around 11 a.m. Friday to the Fast Trip in the 2600 block of Riverside Drive. Deputies and paramedics arrived on scene to try to help the victim. She died before she could be taken to a hospital. Authorities were investigating the incident Friday afternoon, and asked with information to contact the Bibb County Sheriffs Office at 478-751-7500 or the Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68CRIME. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those who want to help someone else. Call 988 to speak with a trained listener or visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or more information. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The woman who shot and killed a 25-year-old man in Kansas City, Missouri in November of 2021 was sentenced to prison on Thursday. Brandi Edgerson, 26, received two sentences, one of eight years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and another of three years in prison for armed criminal action. The sentences are set to run consecutively for a total of 11 years. Independence man charged in deadly Midtown shooting outside apartment building Court documents say that the Kansas City Police Department responded to the area near the 5100 block of Olive Street on November 11, 2021 to a report of shots fired. Officers then found Malik McCree, 25, suffering from gunshot wounds at the scene. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, where he was later taken off life support and pronounced dead. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Woman killed by twin in New Jersey, prosecutor says Woman killed by twin in New Jersey, prosecutor says TEANECK, N.J. (PIX11) Gunshots ring out on a quiet Thursday morning in Teaneck, and a womans life is cut short, according to police. Prosecutors said her brother is now accused of pulling the trigger. All of the sudden, like, pow pow pow, three gunshots is what I heard, said nearby resident Florentino Baluiut. I said, Whats going on in there?' More New Jersey News According to the Bergen County Prosecutors Office, the call came in just before 8:30 a.m. to a home in the 300 block of Hickory Street. Naomi Hagley, 26, who was shot, was taken to the hospital, where police say she died. Throughout the day, detectives were seen leaving and entering the home. One neighbor recalled hearing gunshots from his home nearby. This area is not really that bad; this is like really quiet, said Baluiut. All of the sudden I hear I gunshot going on, so I didnt know what was going on. A lot of police cars, said neighbor Selda Kaunis. In 10 seconds, I see 15 police cars, and later on, the ambulance came. I knew right away something serious was going on. Many people who have lived in the community, including some who have lived for decades, remark on how safe they feel in this part of Teaneck. I really feel scared, said Kaunis. Never happened before in the 20 years Ive been in the neighborhood. Scared and surprised, said neighbor Luz Javier. Nothing happens around here. I never thought I was going to witness something like that. More Local News The Bergen County Prosecutors Office said first responders determined their suspect was a family member who left the home. Jonathan Hagley of New York, the victims twin brother, is accused of shooting her several times before running away on foot. He was found multiple blocks away from the home by police. Officials said police found a handgun with a serial number that was damaged near the home. Prosecutors charged Hagley with the following: Murder in the first degree Unlawful possession of a handgun in the second-degree Possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose in the second-degree Certain persons not to have weapons or ammunition in the second-degree Possession of a defaced firearm in the third-degree Obstructing justice in the fourth-degree Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. The Virginia motorist whose vehicle was struck by Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman s in June said this week through an attorney that shes still undergoing treatment after the collision in Western Maryland. An attorney retained by Jennifer Campbell said in the statement that the 62-year-old seeks to maintain her privacy as she recuperates from the June 9 crash in Washington County. The lawyer, Andrew K. Thomas, noted that Campbell believed it was important to put a name to the other driver involved in the high-profile collision, which also injured the Democratic senator and his wife. Campbell was identified as the driver who was rear-ended by Fetterman on Interstate 70 near Hancock in the Maryland State Police report obtained by various media outlets through public records requests after the crash. The Baltimore Sun did not identify Campbell at the time because she did not return requests for comment and appeared to be a private citizen who was not faulted for the collision. Police wrote in the report that Fetterman operated his Chevrolet Traverse in a reckless or aggressive manner, citing the account of a witness, who also did not return requests for comment but told investigators she saw the senator traveling well over the posted speed limit. Campbell said in the statement that she briefly observed the SUV rapidly approaching from behind and braced for the collision. Her vehicle came to a rest in the shoulder, and her trunk was compressed into the rear seating area, she said. She noted that Fetterman approached her car and checked on her well-being after the crash. Spokespeople for Fetterman, who turned 55 on Thursday, did not return a request to comment. The senator said after the crash that he needed to do better and do it slower and I will. He said that he was relieved and grateful that there were no serious injuries, calling the collision an unfortunate accident. The senator, his wife and Campbell were all transported to War Memorial Hospital in West Virginia for possible injuries, according to the report, which said both cars were towed due to the damage. No charges were issued. The statement from Campbells attorneys office in Warrenton, Virginia, said she agreed to share a few details after numerous media attempts to reach her. I think its important to recognize that Im a real human being, and this crash left me with real injuries, she said in the statement, which noted she was not available to comment further. Thomas said that he was retained by Campbell to pursue her personal injury claim in the crash with the senator. Were handling it like we would with any other case by making an insurance claim, he said on Friday. _______ ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WPRI) The woman who was severely burned in an Attleboro duplex fire last month has died, 12 News has learned. The Attleboro Police Department confirmed the woman, who was in her 40s, recently succumbed to her injuries. MORE: 4 rushed to hospital after Attleboro duplex fire The woman was one of two residents pulled from the burning home by two police officers, the fire chief said at the time. She was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition. The other resident, as well as the officers who rescued him, were brought to Sturdy Memorial Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. The womans identity has not been made public. The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. (WKBN) A woman accused of bilking Ohio Medicaid out of $1.8 million was caught in Texas. Read next: Suspect in custody after chase from Warren to Niles: OSHP Janay Corbitt, 36, of Dayton, was arrested Thursday at a bus station in Dallas, according to Ohio Attorney General David Yost. Multiple state and local authorities worked to bring Corbitt into custody. She will be extradited to Ohio. Corbitt was indicted May 14 by a Franklin County grand jury on eight felony charges, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, aggravated theft and identity fraud against a person of a protected class. A warrant was issued for Corbitt following her indictment. Attorney General David Yost said Corbitt stole the identities of several people so she could open and operate two sham behavioral health counseling agencies in the Dayton area. She is also accused of stealing the identities of several licensed counselors and using their credentials to bill Medicaid for services that were never provided. Corbitt was convicted in 2019 in a separate Medicaid scheme where she was ordered to pay back $204,412 but has only paid $6,255, according to Yost. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) An investigation is underway after a woman was shot in the Talbots Corner neighborhood of Nashville Friday morning. The shooting happened around 10:15 a.m. in the 100 block of East Trinity Lane. 1 dead after shootout in Edgehill neighborhood Officers said they responded to a shots fired call and found a woman with at multiple gunshot wounds on a porch. She was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. The suspect was described by Metro police as a Black man in an all-white outfit who was last seen headed south on Luton Street. No additional information was immediately released. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. DUCHESNE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) One person was critically injured in a flash fire while working on an oil drilling pad in eastern Utah on Wednesday morning, according to a Uinta Wax Operating news release. Around 6:40 a.m., a flash fire suddenly erupted at the Skoufus Tribal West pad in Duchesne County. Thirteen workers were on site preparing to perform routine field operation when the fire broke out. READ NEXT: Vandals destroy Logan pride flag in ongoing rash of similar thefts One person was severely burned in the fire and taken to a local hospital before being flown by helicopter to Salt Lake City. No one else was injured by the combustion. Those on site reported the fire to authorities and fire teams were dispatched to the scene. By 9 a.m., the company said all facilities and wells were under control and the location was fully secured. Company leaders said the team on site responded quickly to assist the injured person and stabilize the area. We are truly sorry this incident occurred and that someone who is part of our oilfield team was critically injured, said Jason Pearce, President of Uinta Wax Operating. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the person injured and their family. The cause of the flash fire is still under investigation at this time. Fires and explosions are well-known occupational hazards in the oil and gas industry as there are flammable vapors and gases released from the wells and equipment, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Uinta Wax Operating is an oil and gas company with more than 600 active wells in Uintah and Duchesne counties in eastern Utah, according to DrillingEdge, an oil and gas data collection site. The company said Skoufus Tribal West pad had two workover rigs, a hot oiler, and a crude hauler at the location at the time of the fire. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. FILE PHOTO: People of Maungdaw township of Myanmar are seen from the Teknaf area of Bangladesh, at the Myanmar-Bangladesh border By Sam Jahan and Mokammel Mridha COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Ducking as mortar fire exploded around them, Rohingya refugee Mustafa Kamal and his family narrowly escaped the attack by a rebel militia on their town in western Myanmar. Crowds had gathered on a small island to seek shelter after witnessing killings in the coastal town of Maungdaw, he said, but "many died on the spot", including one of his nephews, Noor Sadek. Others crawled and swam to reach neighbouring Bangladesh, he said. His family are among many Rohingya, members of a persecuted mostly Muslim minority, who fled Myanmars Rakhine state in recent days, as fighting escalates between the troops of the ruling junta and the Arakan Army, the powerful ethnic militia that recruits from the Buddhist majority. Reuters was not able to determine how many Rohingya had crossed into Bangladesh, where close to a million Rohingya live in refugee camps outside the coastal town of Coxs Bazar. But medical charity Medicines Sans Frontieres said its doctors had treated 54 people for violence-related injuries in recent days, 40 percent of them women and children. "We were seeing lots of gunshots, shrapnel, mortar shell injuries, all indicative of indiscriminate," Orla Murphy, the group's Bangladesh representative, told Reuters. "They were life-threatening trauma wounds that we were treating." The influx of refugees, who will have to stay with relatives, stretching resources, will make food supplies scarce, said the representative of a panel of displaced Rohingya. "They are suffering from an extreme food crisis," added Kamal Hossain, chairman of the panel. "The government and camp authorities should arrange their food." Many dozens of Rohingya, including a heavily pregnant woman and her two-year-old daughter, were killed last week in drone attacks in Maungdaw that three witnesses said were carried out by the Arakan Army, Reuters reported. The rebel group and the junta blamed one another for the attack. Several boats carrying refugees to Bangladesh were sunk, killing more, Bangladesh media said. The latest wave of attacks, including the burning of a Rohingya town by the Arakan Army in May, is the biggest surge in violence against the Rohingya since a 2017 Myanmar military-led campaign that the United Nations said was carried out with genocidal intent forced more than 730,000 to flee to Bangladesh. 'FIGHTING FOR LIFE' Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, a Bangladesh refugee relief official based in Coxs Bazar, said Rohingya had been seeking safety in increased numbers since the drone attack but did not say how many had crossed the border. "I have heard that many dead bodies are floating across to Bangladesh and a humanitarian crisis has occurred across the shore in Maungdaw," he said. Bangladesh is in no position to accept more Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, the South Asian nation's de-facto foreign minister, Mohammad Touhid Hossain, told Reuters on Thursday, asking neighbouring India and other countries to do more. Hossain also called for more international pressure on the Arakan Army to stop the attacks on the Rohingya in Rakhine state. "But when someone arrives with a bullet injury, fighting for life, or a pregnant woman arrives fighting for life, we are not that inhuman that we will turn them away," Bangladesh's Rahman said. The United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it did not have information on the number of Rohingya who had crossed into Bangladesh. Another man who fled his home with his young family, Mohammed Saber, said about 60 people were killed in his village when the Arakan Army raided it, among them his two-year-old nephew, Mujibul Hasan. They paid traffickers to take them by boat to Bangladesh but the ship came under attack, which killed dozens aboard, he said. The family is now sheltering with an uncle, but Saber has no money. He needs to buy medicine for his children. "I will do whatever it takes to keep my family alive," he said. (Reporting by Sam Jahan and Mokammel Mridha; Additional reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal; Writing by Poppy McPherson; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) (Bloomberg) -- Most Read from Bloomberg Japan has decided to apply foreign trade regulations to chipmaking equipment as part of its efforts to secure stable supply chains, the Ministry of Finance said Friday. Foreign investors are now required to give prior notice when conducting direct investment in equipment tied to chipmaking, including when acquiring a 1% or bigger stake in a listed company or buying shares in an unlisted company, the ministry said in a statement. The move also aims to address the risk of technology leakage and keep commercial technologies from being used for military purposes, it said. Other products added to the list of so-called core business sectors include advanced electronic components, machine tool components, marine engines, fiber optic cables and multifunctional machines, according to the ministry. With the additions, core business sectors now cover all specified critical products under the nations economic security promotion act, the ministry said. The targeted move will help the government enhance national security while its impact on companies is expected to be limited, according to a finance ministry official. The move comes as Japan tries to revive its own capacity to produce semiconductors as a pillar of its economic security strategy. Japan has already earmarked some 4 trillion ($26.9 billion) over the last three years to recharge its semiconductor sectors and promote digitalization. The government is drafting legislation to further boost investment in chipmaking capacity at home. With a new semiconductor strategy, Tokyo has aggressively recruited foreign companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. with hefty subsidies to boost chip making at home. Critics say past efforts failed to revive the sector because they didnt incorporate collaboration with foreign companies. --With assistance from Erica Yokoyama. (Updates with comments from an official in the fourth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) WSAV News 3, iHeart Media and Parkers Kitchen raised roughly $9,000 in donations on Thursday for victims of Tropical Storm Debby. Money raised will support disaster relief efforts by the American Red Cross as well as special funds established by the United Way of the Coastal Empire and the United Way of the Lowcountry. News 3 spoke to several people who could give back to the storm victims. We spoke with Bobby Rogers, who rode a bike to the drop-off location, moments after he put money into our donation bins. Oh, he said excitedly. That makes me feel good. Thats why I came. It makes me feel good just to donate some money to the flood victims. Being from Coastal Georgia, Carl Burrell knows how it feels to have your life turned upside down with a snap of a finger. Traveling from the Isle of Hope, he donated too. I felt like they are people in need, Burrell said. Flood insurance, I know some of them dont have. They werent expecting this, so this is really a shock. This whole storm is a shock, so I really thought it was the right thing to do. Multi-Agency Center offers aid to residents affected by Tropical Storm Debby A question a few donors asked was, Where does the money go once it is dropped into the donation bucket? The United Way of the Coastal Empire has created a Rapid Response Disaster Fund for Chatham, Liberty, Bryan and Effingham counties. This began in 2022 and 2023, when the organization launched formal partnerships with all four of the countys emergency management agencies after a tornado hit the area. After Tropical Storm Debby and the related flooding events that had occurred across and over the weekend, we know that this is a longer-term event, said Kimberly Waller, United Way of the Coastal Empires president and CEO. All four of our counties asked us to activate their rapid response disaster fund. Emergency management agencies assess where the most needs are in the communities. Each household is eligible for up to $1,000 in services based on need and the availability of the fund. Some of the highest needs that we are seeingthese things include things like housing stability, Waller explained. so emergency access to hotel-motel, home repairs, appliance repair, first-month rent security deposits If youd like to see whether youre eligible for assistance, all you have to do is dial 211. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. WYALUSING, Pa. (WETM) A Wyalusing man has been sentenced to serve at least three years in a state correctional facility after he was found guilty of fleeing from police and stealing. According to the Bradford County District Attorneys Office, Raymond Harris Jr., 45, was sentenced to serve a minimum of three years to a maximum of eight years for the charges of fleeing or eluding a police officer, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property. Troy man sentenced on multiple crimes over last few years Harris was arrested on Oct. 27, 2023, after police tried to stop him for a traffic violation. Harris then fled through Wyalusing Rocks and Wyalusing Borough on Route 6 at a high rate of speed, eventually pulling over on Route 706 after leaving the borough and passing other drivers, including a school bus. Harris was then taken into custody, where he was found to have stolen items from recent crime scenes. Specifically, he was found wearing boots that had been reported stolen. Harris unauthorized use of a motor vehicle charge stems from an unrelated incident where he borrowed a friends car and then made up excuses about why he couldnt return it. Harris even removed decals in an attempt to hide the vehicle from those who were familiar with it. Waverly man arrested after high-speed chase through the valley Harris sentence will be served at the same time as another sentence in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, of 11 months to 23 months. According to the District Attorneys Office, Harris should serve no less than almost four years in a state correctional institution for his crimes. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Ying Ying becomes oldest first-time giant panda mom at 19. And it's twins. Twin cubs born to giant pandas Ying Ying and Le Le at the Ocean Park zoo in Hong Kong on August 15, 2024. A giant panda at a Hong Kong animal theme park has given birth, becoming the oldest first-time panda mother on record. After more than five hours of labor, Ying Ying delivered tiny pink twins at Ocean Park on Thursday, the day before her 19th birthday. Her new family is a 4.3-ounce female cub born at 2:05 a.m. and a 4-ounce male cub born at 3:27 a.m. This birth is a true rarity," Paulo Pong, chairman of the Ocean Park Corporation, said in a news release, calling the births of the giant pandas "thrilling news." He also thanked the parks animal care and veterinary staff for their work during the years-long process of attempting to have Ying Ying mate with her male companion at the park, Le Le. As a first-time mother, Ying Ying was understandably nervous throughout the process. She spent much of her time lying on the ground and twisting, Ocean Park said in a statement. Both cubs are currently very fragile and need time to stabilize, especially the female cub who has a lower body temperature, weaker cries, and lower food intake after birth, the park said, adding that it will be several months before the public can see the babies. A birth 17 years in the making The mating process of the iconic black and white bears is a fraught process, especially in captivity. Determining when a panda is actually pregnant is also notoriously difficult. While the World Wildlife Fund says that the gestation period for giant pandas ranges between 95 to 160 days, an actual pregnancy cant be confirmed until 14 to 17 days before birth. Ocean Park only determined that Ying Ying was pregnant via an ultrasound scan on Aug. 11, just four days before the birth. Ying Ying and her mate, Le Le, arrived in Hong Kong in 2007. Ying Ying the giant panda eats inside a new habitat at the Hong Kong Ocean Park on June 30, 2007 in Hong Kong. More: Two pandas tried to mate for a decade. With the zoo closed due to coronavirus, they finally did it Mating happened naturally In 2020, with Ocean Park closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two bears mated naturally for the first time, after a decade of failed attempts. The park had hoped that this would result in a pregnancy for Ying Ying, but ultimately conception remained out of reach until recently. The twin cubs, who have not been named, will remain under 24-hour intensive care. Giant pandas have a lifespan of 18-20 years in the wild and up to 30 in captivity, according to Guinness World Records. Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ying Ying becomes oldest first-time panda mom at 19, and it's twins MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- The YMCA of Midland, a nonprofit organization and recreational facility that offers childcare services to several local families, announced that for the first time in its history, had every after-school childcare spot filled before the school year had even begun- which according to the YMCA, only reflected the Permian Basins childcare crisis. At the YMCA of Midland on 800 North Big Spring Street, over 400 children are enrolled, with over 70 additional families on the waitlist. Amy Evans, Senior Director of Operations at the YMCA of Midland said that the demand for local childcare has been an ongoing issue. Childcare has always been a hot topic in Midland and Odessa, Evans said. Were considered a childcare dessert out here, which means that based on our citys size and population, there are an inadequate number of childcare spots available for families. For many working families, the increasing demands and lack of childcare options, result in several struggles such as having to cut down on work hours, taking on a less demanding job, or even leaving the workforce altogether. Because of this growing demand for childcare- not just at the local YMCA, but also at other childcare facilities in the Basin, the anticipation for the upcoming Northwest YMCA- grows right alongside the demand. Related Stories: YMCA expanding services into northwest Midland Expanding after-school childcare services in Midland is not just a matter of convenience; it is a necessity, Evans stated. Creating more childcare spots in Midland will have a positive ripple effect on our local economy, enabling parents to maintain stable employment, advance in their career, and contribute to the overall economic health of our community. The Northwest YMCA, which began construction in May and is set to be complete by Fall 2025, will not only provide care to 200 additional children but also open up 100 spots at the current YMCA of Midland location. The Northwest YMCA was also reportedly permitted to offer childcare but must follow the time constraints set by Texas regulations- something Evans said can be a challenge. You might like: ECISD tackles AC issues as kids head back to school amid soaring heat Evans stated the time constraints set by Texas State regulations, track the hours of care based on an individual childs attendance. She added that these time constraints not only give parents additional stress but also diminish the effectiveness of the after-school care program itself. We really need to increase capacity across Midland, she said. Overall, the upcoming Northwest YMCA brings much anticipation for working family members. We have so many parents who tell us how thankful they are for the YMCA, for the after-school program- because without them, they dont know what they would do, Evans said while also emphasizing how important it is to continue this ongoing process of helping solve the West Texas childcare crisis. By supporting our families and fostering the development of our children, we are building a stronger, more resilient community, Evans said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. Yorkshire terrier survives shark attack because it didnt like the taste A Yorkshire terrier is believed to have survived a shark attack because it failed to live up to the predators tastes. Maddie, a nine-year-old Yorkie, was aboard its owners boat off Floridas northeast coast when it lost balance and fell. After briefly disappearing the dog resurfaced with multiple bite wounds, a broken pelvis and severe bruising. The accident happened while Bill and Terri Hoge were returning to the dock in St Augustine after an afternoon of sailing. In a scene reminiscent of the film The Meg where a shark homes in on a hapless Yorkshire terrier Maddie was spotted floundering in the water. The incident is reminiscent of a scene from the film 'The Meg' We turned the boat around. We were looking for her and then she popped up and was swimming As we approached her and pulled up next to her, she disappeared, Mr Hoge told local outlet News 4 Jax. Ms Hoge added: It seemed like an eternity, but it was like 10 seconds that she was under, and, of course, Im freaking out. I was like, Oh my gosh, Ill never see her again. After Maddie resurfaced, Mr Hodge dived into the water to save his pet. When they pulled the dog out they noticed it was bleeding heavily and rushed the animal to a nearby emergency veterinary clinic to treat it. The vet found six deep puncture wounds in one thigh, heavy bruising on the other, and a pelvis broken in three places, Mr Hoge said. The couple initially thought she had been hit by the boats propeller. However, the vet concluded that the dogs injuries were far more consistent with a shark attack. The vet told us she called her colleagues around the country to get some information on what this could be and they all said it was a shark, Mr Hoge said. The group of veterinary experts suspect the shark shook Maddie as it dragged the dog beneath the surface, while biting down on its rear, which broke its pelvis in three places. If it had been a boat propeller, it would have likely sliced the 5.5kg dog in half, they said. The family believes the shark let go of the dog because of its unfamiliar, furry taste. And they said, because she put up a good fight. Mr Hoge has suggested it was a bull or lemon shark, but that it was probably not fully-grown, given that Maddie pulled off a miraculous escape. Bull sharks are known to be aggressive and can grow up to 12ft, while lemon sharks average between 8-10ft. Both species are frequently sighted in the area. Its incredible that she was able to resurface and keep her head above water after the attack, Mr Hoge told Fox News. Maddie is now recovering at home, but is still in severe pain, he added. The incident has prompted concern about the risk of sharks lurking in harbours, as local authorities have asked pet owners to remain vigilant near waterways. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. In accordance with the authority vested in me as Governor, I hereby order that the flags of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia be flown at half-staff on all state and local buildings and grounds in the Commonwealth of Virginia in memory and respect of Deputy Hunter Reedy of the Smyth County Sheriffs Office who tragically lost his life in the line of duty on August 9, 2024. I hereby order that the flags shall be lowered at sunrise on Saturday, August 17, 2024 and remain at half-staff until sunset. Ordered on this, the 16th day of August 2024. Sincerely, Glenn Youngkin Police in New Zealand said they have identified 41 pieces of methamphetamine disguised as Rinda hard candies. Photo courtesy New Zealand Police Aug. 16 (UPI) -- New Zealand Police said Friday they had identified 41 pieces of methamphetamine disguised as candy after news first broke that one family found one with a suspected lethal amount of meth delivered to the Auckland City Mission. While no new tainted Rinda "lollies" were identified overnight, New Zealand Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said, there were also no new phone calls about the candies and no additional hospitalizations were reported. Baldwin said the 41 lollies consisted of candy pieces recovered by police and suspicious lollies thrown out by families. "This aspect of the investigation is still ongoing, as well as understanding how the methamphetamine concealed as Rinda lollies arrived at Auckland City Mission," Baldwin said. Earlier this week, the New Zealand Drug Foundation issued a "high alert" after consumers brought one of their Rinda candy lollies to them after consuming part of it and started to feel unusual. They learned later that the candy was laced with a potentially deadly dose of methamphetamine. Baldwin said since then, Operation Tirade had identified other lollies that contained methamphetamine. He said some of the tainted lollies may have been thrown away by families that discarded them after initially consuming them and noticing the unusual taste. "Police are in the process of following up with families," Baldwin said. "We are still working to understand how many lollies they received, but initial inquiries suggest they received three on average." It's the first time foreign troops have entered Russia and held territory since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed this week that his country's troops took full control of a key Russian town, located about 6 miles away from the Ukrainian border, as troops continue to push farther into the Kursk region of Russia. Sudzha, which has a population of about 5,000 people, is the largest Russian town to fall to Ukrainian forces since the launch of Ukraines large-scale offensive operation into Russian territory that caught them off guard last week. Kyiv claimed earlier this week that about 386 square miles in the Kursk region have been seized by Ukraine, or what they say is about as much land Ukraine claimed in a week as Russia has claimed in a year. Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraines allies for the recent incursion. "It appears that the enemy, with the support from their Western backers, is executing their directives, and the West is using Ukrainians as proxies in this conflict," he said during a national security meeting on Monday in Moscow. What happened last week? Photo illustration: Yahoo News; graphic source: Anadolu via Getty Images On Aug. 6, Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into the Kursk region, which borders northeastern Ukraine. Its the most significant cross-border attack since Russias unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Associated Press reported that Western military analysts believe that around 10,000 Ukrainian troops are involved. Russian forces have struggled to push back the shocking Ukrainian advance, sparking chaos in the Kursk region that has led to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, according to Russian authorities. Russia, meanwhile, has declared a federal emergency in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Ukraine claims to have captured hundreds of Russian prisoners that they want to swap for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia; it also says it control more than 80 Russian settlements. It marks the first time since World War II that foreign troops entered and held Russian territory. Why did Ukraine do it? Zelensky acknowledged for the first time on Aug. 10 that Kyivs military launched the incursion because they wanted to push the war out into the aggressor's territory," ABC News reported. "Ukraine is proving that it really knows how to restore justice and guarantees exactly the kind of pressure that is needed pressure on the aggressor," he said. Myhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Zelensky, also suggested on Thursday that the offensive operation would help Kyiv have more negotiating power, if the opportunity presented itself with Moscow, such as taking Russian prisoners and controlling the key town of Sudzha. Why is Sudzha important for Ukraine? It comes down to valuable energy sources. Russia exports natural gas to Europe from its west Siberian gas fields by way of pipelines. Those pipelines pass through Sudzha, where a metering station is located, and crosses the Ukrainian border into Ukraines pipeline system, before then entering the European Union. Yet, despite the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, natural gas has continued to flow from Russia by way of Ukraine to Europe. Ukraine essentially is able to collect transit fees. Ukrainian officials have said they have no plans to renew the deal with Russia. Read more on Russias war in Ukraine: As CNN reports, Ukraines control of Sudzha has prompted speculation that one of Kyivs goals could be to curtail a lucrative source of funding for Moscow, which could boost Ukraines bargaining chips in any future negotiations with Moscow. Whats next? A Ukrainian serviceman returns from Russia to the Sumy region, near the Russian-Ukrainian border. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) White House national security spokesman John Kirby told CNN on Thursday that it looked like Russia was shifting some of its forces to the Kursk region. It is apparent to us that Mr. Putin and the Russian military are diverting some resources, some units, towards the Kursk oblast to ostensibly counter what the Ukrainians are doing, Kirby said. Meanwhile, Ukraine has also set up a military office in the occupied area of the Kursk region as Ukrainian troops are advancing northwest and southeast of Sudzha, The Hill reported. JPMorgan Travis Spence JP Morgan Asset Management named veteran Travis Spence to lead its global exchange-traded funds business, which manages $190 billion in 102 ETFs worldwide. Based in London and reporting to CIO and global head of asset management solutions Jed Laskowitz, Spence will lead ETF product development, capital markets, the firms newly formed ETF insights division and continue to head ETF distribution across EMEA. Spence, who has been at the firm for 20 years, takes the post immediately. Spence is part of the asset management unit of New York-based JPMorgan Chase & Co., the sixth-largest U.S. ETF issuer, with $156.4 billion in 64 U.S.-issued ETFs. The move comes after the company extended its lead in Europes nascent active ETF market since Spence was appointed head of EMEA ETF distribution in March 2023. By the end of this year's first half, the firm claimed $21.6 billion, nearly half, of the $44.3 billion in active ETFs in Europe, booking $5.7 billion inflows during the first half of the year. Over his two decades at JP Morgan, Spence has operated across a number of leadership positions including managing director of fixed income, currencies and commodities, as well as head of strategic communications and liquidity for the firms APAC business. Under Traviss leadership, we are confident that our ETF franchise will continue to innovate and help our clients achieve their goals,' Laskowitz said in the statement that announced Spence's new role. We are committed to revolutionizing the landscape by providing the highest quality active ETFs in the industry. Spences promotion follows the departure of former global ETF head Bryon Lake for Goldman Sachs Asset Management in May, after former GSAM ETF head Mike Crinieri left the firm earlier this year. JPMorgan Active ETFs New York-based JP Morgan arrived relatively late to the ETF industry, issuing its first funds a decade ago in 2014, Laskowitz told etf.com. He said the firm is particularly focused on active ETFs due to client interest in those products. "Weve doubled down on our ETF business in the last five years," he said. "Our clients are interested in ETFs, active ETFs are growing twice the rate of passive. Five years ago active ETFs made up 3% of the industry, today it's 8% in terms of assets." The $33.4 billion JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPI) is the company's largest ETF. etf.com reporter Jeff Benjamin contributed to this article. The piece was originally published on etf.com sister publication ETF Stream. Permalink | Copyright 2024 etf.com. All rights reserved Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has met with the Council of Churches to discuss a draft law limiting the Russian Orthodox Church's activities. Source: Zelenskyys evening video address on 16 August Quote: "I spoke with members of the Council of Churches and Religious Organisations. And I am grateful for their support of our course towards the spiritual independence of Ukraine. A draft law has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada [Ukraines Parliament ed.] that can realistically guarantee that there will be no manipulation of the Ukrainian Church by Moscow. This draft law should work and contribute to the unity of Ukraine, our true spiritual unity." Background: In January 2023, the government introduced bill No. 8371 in the Verkhovna Rada, which would have banned religious organisations with ties to Russia and suspended the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. On 19 October 2023, the Verkhovna Rada supported the bill in its first reading. On 23 July 2024, Ukrainian MPs blockaded the rostrum in the Verkhovna Rada in protest at its refusal to consider the bill banning the Russia-linked church, disrupting the parliamentary session. Support UP or become our patron! Get out of the car, find the charging cables, plug them in: Car manufacturers have long been hoping to remove this minor headache of recharging electric cars with cordless wireless charging. Julian Stratenschulte/dpa In a milestone on the path towards fast, cable-free recharging in electric cars, scientists at the largest state research institute in the US have set a world record for inductive charging. Earlier this year, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee state fitted a Porsche Taycan with a specially developed charging device, making it possible to increase the battery's state of charge by 50% in just 10 minutes - all wirelessly. If ultimately viable, the technology could transform the recharging procedure for electric car owners, who would no longer need to get out of their car to plug in cables. The team at Oak Ridge used lightweight polyphase electromagnetic coupling coils. These have a compact diameter of 19 inches and power transfer is similar to that used to charge phones. The smallest battery of this Taycan model has a 71 kWh capacity and a range of 431 kilometres when fully charged (WLTP test standard). After being modified, the inductive charging power reached up to 270 kW. This is also the maximum theoretical charging power of the first Taycan generation when using a cable. It is also considerably more than most electric cars can handle at a DC fast charging point. Experts say electric cars are close to being able to charge their batteries via induction without a cable and with high charging power - similar to the wireless charging technology used in smartphones for years. The technology also works with buses and other vehicles. The technology would work at public charging stations, with drivers simply stopping the car over the charging plate. However most EV owners will not have a suitable grid connection at their home to cope with channelling 270 kW into their car's battery. Porsche is not directly involved in the development project, but the US research organisation is working together with the Volkswagen Group, Germany's car magazine Autobild reported. During an official visit to the ORNL site, VW managers recently viewed the results of the project. Porsche is following the work in the US "with interest", a company spokesperson told Autobild. Shutterstock""> Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | Marco Lazzarini / Shutterstock Generative AI responses to web queries on Google Search, called AI Overviews, are now available in the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil. Google Search AI overviews automatically appear for complex web searches where traditional search results may not be very helpful. These generative overviews, which can be paragraphs long, pull information from the top web results for a given query, including sites like Reddit and Quora. Well be rolling this expansion out gradually over the course of several weeks, Google wrote in a blog post. AI overviews are designed for complex multi-step questions, but there were some concerning issues as results proved much worse than other AI tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. When AI overviews began appearing in Google Search for users in the United States in May, it became evident that the company rushed this feature as Search hilariously recommended everything from eating rocks to using gasoline in spaghetti. Google promised to do better by taking action against inaccurate responses, but some people found that AI overviews were simply removed from their search results. Google AI overview result. To help people discover where its AI overview pulled a piece of information used for the answer, Google is also bringing citation links, displayed in a new section on the right side on desktop (on mobile, hit the website icons in the upper-right corner). Google claims that directly showing links to supporting pages within AI overviews drives higher traffic to publisher sites. Citation links are in addition to the links displayed in the AI Overview link cards. You may also see links to relevant pages inline within the text of AI Overviews, but this feature is currently being tested, so only some people will have it. If youre interested in upcoming features coming to Googles generative search experience, sign up for Google Search Labs and opt into the experiment titled AI Overviews and more. Experimental features that are currently limited to English-language users in the U.S., including the option to save, simplify, or receive a more complex explanation for any AI overview, may roll out globally in the future. Source: Google Im Brian Gordon, tech reporter for The News & Observer, and this is Open Source, a weekly newsletter on business, labor and technology in North Carolina. The eighth planet from the sun is frigid, dark and most relevant to North Carolina this week blue. On Thursday, state leaders celebrated beating out South Carolina and Tennessee to land Project Neptune, a promised $1.4 billion, 1,062-worker factory in Edgecombe County from the sodium-ion battery manufacturer Natron Energy. This code name was apt. Natron makes batteries with proprietary Prussian blue electrodes. The three products it markets online are called BlueTray, BluePack and BlueRack. The California company leads domestic manufacturing of sodium-ion batteries, an emerging if lesser used alternative power source compared to its lithium-ion counterpart. Sodium-ion battery technology is still in the development phase, said Feng Lin, a Virginia Tech chemistry professor who specifically researches the technology. Fewer manufacturers are producing them at scale, and there are fewer products on the market using sodium-ion technology. Lin explained lithium-ion batteries have benefited from decades of research, development and scaling to achieve superior economies of scale and more wide-ranging applications. Sodium-ion needs to catch up. Natron projects this will happen by the time it begins to hire in Eastern North Carolina around 2028. And its ambitions in the Tar Heel State are lofty: In April, the 12-year-old company opened its first commercial factory, in Michigan, but Natron says its future North Carolina plant will be 40 times larger. These expansion efforts have been funded by both private investors and nearly $20 million from the U.S. Department of Energy through a program designed to advance high-risk and potentially disruptive new technologies. And now, North Carolina is pitching in with a promising, if relatively risky, bet. The state awarded Natron an incentive package this week that could reach $56.3 million if the company meets its hiring and investment goals. More than half of this money will be paid upfront to help ready the factory site near Rocky Mount, a city of 54,000 about an hours drive east of Raleigh. Open Source Sodium-ion batteries have potential, experts say. Sodium is significantly more abundant than lithium and mining sodium is much less harmful to the environment. And sodium ions have a comparatively higher charge transfer rate, said Katerina Aifantis, a University of Florida researcher who studies energy storage. The element is heavier than lithium and therefore is more ideal for stationary rather than portable applications, Aifantis added. So, think power grids rather than electric vehicles or laptops. North Carolina has allocated millions on the hope that sodium-ion takes off and a company will achieve something its never before done. In this way, Natron is less like the Toyota plant near Greensboro and more similar to recent incentive deals for the electric carmaker VinFast and the supersonic commercial flight startup Boom Supersonic. If these projects hit, the state and counties like Edgecombe benefit from tons of jobs in next-generation industries. If they dont, theres some debate over how much it costs North Carolina as it gets into questions of opportunity costs, performance-based incentives, and whether upfront site costs are beneficial even if the initial company never arrives. Through another lens, North Carolinas bet on Natron is a prudent diversification play. As demand for decarbonization grows, so too will the market for alternative rechargeable batteries. In the past two years, the state has awarded several incentive packages to attract lithium-ion battery makers. Now in Natron, well be well positioned if sodium-ion takes off. Cisco sees another LR Within Cisco, employees refer to layoffs as LR, short for limited restructuring. And on Wednesday, the California tech company with a big Triangle presence announced its latest restructuring would reduce its global workforce by around 7%. Most of the cuts will be made in the current fiscal quarter, Cisco said in an earnings report. They follow previous restructuring rounds in late 2022 and another earlier this year. The latest layoffs come as Cisco shifts resources away from its traditional networking equipment business and toward artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. To focus on these two broad areas, today we announced a restructuring plan to allow us to both invest in key growth opportunities as well as drive more efficiency in our business, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins told investors during an earnings call. How many North Carolina workers may be affected? Cisco wont tell. How many workers does Cisco employ in the Research Triangle? Again, Cisco wont say. But the answer to the latter question is in the thousands. Cisco opened its first Research Triangle Park office 29 years ago, and today, the company is listed as the fourth-largest employer in Durham County. Unofficial databases put its area workforce total at around 5,000 employees though that figure may be different after three LRs. Sign outside Ciscos RTP campus in Morrisville, NC. Clearing my cache Eight months ago, a jury handed Carys Epic Games a big win in its antitrust case against Google. This week, a district court judge held his final hearing about what Google must do to remedy its violations. Judge James Donato said his decision will come within a month. He also indicated Google will have to make significant changes to how it operates its Android app store. Were going to tear the barriers down, its just the way its going to happen, Donato said. The world that exists today is the product of monopolistic conduct. That world is changing. Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company received a state incentive this week to create 200 jobs at a future innovation hub in Raleigh. Headquartered in Wisconsin, the prominent jewelry insurance provider promises to add these positions by 2029. Durham procurement software company Jaggaer (formerly SciQuest) announced it is being acquired by the Austin, Texas-based investment firm Vista Equity Partners for an undisclosed amount of money. Vista is a highly experienced software investor, and Im confident they will be an exceptional partner to Jaggaer during this exciting next phase of growth and opportunity, Jaggaer CEO Andy Hovancik said in a statement Tuesday. Google is one of two tech giants (along with Apple) that Carys Epic Games has fought against over app store policies. National Tech Happenings Tap-tap. Apple will soon allow all iPhone owners to use third-party payment systems besides Apple Pay. The move comes months after the European Union forced the tech company to enable alternative payments among other changes. A hack may have exposed billions of Social Security numbers. But dont fret too much, The Washington Post reports. First, these types of disclosures are fairly common (which I guess is comforting?). Furthermore, the data in this particular leak hasnt yet been authenticated. Former YouTube CEO and early Google executive Susan Wojcicki died this week at the age of 56. After joining Google in 1999, she became one of the most prominent women in a male-dominated industry. Thanks for reading! Enjoy Triangle tech news? Subscribe to Open Source, The News & Observer's weekly newsletter, and look for it in your inbox every Friday morning. Sign up here. Chipmaker Texas Instruments to receive up to $1.6 billion in funding from US By Deborah Mary Sophia (Reuters) -Texas Instruments said on Friday it would receive up to $1.6 billion in funding from the U.S. Commerce Department towards the construction of three new facilities, the latest government outlay aimed at bolstering domestic chip production. The funding, under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, will help the company build two factories in Texas and one in Utah. Texas Instruments has pledged more than $18 billion through 2029 to the projects, which are expected to create 2,000 manufacturing jobs. The chipmaker also expects to receive about $6 billion to $8 billion in investment tax credit from the U.S. Treasury Department, and $10 million in funding for workforce development. "With plans to grow our internal manufacturing to more than 95% by 2030, we're building geopolitically dependable, 300mm capacity at scale to provide the analog and embedded processing chips our customers will need for years to come," CEO Haviv Ilan said. The United States is trying to boost domestic output and reduce reliance on semiconductor hub Taiwan through the CHIPS Act, which was passed in 2022 and can provide $52.7 billion in subsidies for chip production and research. It awarded nearly $20 billion in grants and loans to Intel, and $6.1 billion in grants to memory chipmaker Micron Technology earlier this year. "This $1.6B will go a long way in helping Texas Instruments stay competitive," said Kinngai Chan, senior analyst at Summit Insights Group. "While TI doesn't play in the cutting-edge process node, mature-node (a less advanced technology) is still very important for the US semiconductor industry," Chan said, noting China was also spending on mature nodes, which represent about half the global chip demand. Texas Instruments is benefiting from a rebound in demand for its chips, used in everything from smartphones to cars. It topped quarterly earnings estimates last month. (Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Shinjini Ganguli) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) The student broadcast studio at the University of New Mexico (UNM) got a makeover. The television studio is now decked out with new cameras and equipment that support live streams. UNM announces development plans for South Campus location Students will be able to create high-quality video productions that can be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook. We are very excited to have this new live stream studio because it enables the department to expand the range of opportunities for students to practice a skill that they are learning in courses, says Ilia Rodriguez Nazario, associate professor at UNM. The live stream studio allows that to be more present, be where people are, and use technologies that the younger generation feels more comfortable with. Renovations started in September of last year. The university plans to open the studio to all students, not just those in the Communications and Journalism Department. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Jupiter Endovascular has emerged from stealth with $21m in new financing as the company looks to forge its new type of endovascular procedure. US-based Jupiter is developing the endoportal procedure, which uses a namesake device called the Endoportal Control that can be fixed into a stable state to deliver interventional treatment with surgical-like precision and control from an endovascular access point. Sonder Capital was a key participant in the round, which also had participation from multiple strategic investors. According to Sonder Capital managing partner Kate Garrett, Jupiters technology overcomes certain limitations of current catheter-based therapies including stability and control within vasculature. Jupiter has installed Carl J. St. Bernard as CEO who has previous experience at company including GE HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson Vision. St. Bernard was most recently CEO of Alta Biomaterials, a company that makes biocompatible medical device coatings. St. Bernard stated the company aims to enter the pulmonary embolism market first, and then future clinical areas where we see a compelling opportunity for Endoportal Control. The funds raised from the financing will go towards a pivotal trial for pulmonary embolism andadditional clinical applications of the technology Jupiter did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the upcoming pivotal trial. The cardiovascular device market was worth $68.5bn in 2023, with it expected to grow to $116.8bn by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.5%, according to analysis by GlobalData. The clot management device market in the US was worth $1.2bn in 2023, with Boston Scientific and Inari Medical market leaders. Jupiter Endovascular is a subsidiary of Neptune Health, which announced a $97m Series D financing round on the same day Jupiter exited stealth. Neptune Health, which focuses on robotics for gastrointestinal indications, said the funding would allow Jupiter to focus on endovascular technologies. Neptunes chairman of the board Dr. Fred. Moll said Jupiters spin out is a strategic move that aligns with our long-term goals and that Neptune would continue to push the boundaries in gastrointestinal robotics. "Jupiter Endovascular emerges with $21m for endoportal pivotal trial" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Kevin O'Leary Slams Vice Presidential Pick Tim Walz: 'He's the Best Gov. For Texas, But Not for Minnesota' Kevin OLeary, the investor known for his role on ABC's Shark Tank, has aimed criticism at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the recently announced Democratic vice presidential candidate. In a Fox News interview, OLeary painted a bleak picture of Minnesotas economic performance under Walzs leadership. Don't Miss: "He is not a good manager," O'Leary said, citing what he described as a decline in job creation across multiple sectors in Minnesota. "Every other sector is in decline," he added, arguing that only government-funded services like health care have seen job growth. However, Walzs tenure has seen some job creation efforts. In 2020, the Governor signed the $1.9 billion Local Jobs and Projects Plan, which boosted employment through construction and renovation projects following the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite that, Minnesotas job growth has lagged behind national averages. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics cited by ABC News, total nonfarm payrolls in Minnesota have grown by just 0.5% since 2020, compared to 5.8% nationwide. Trending: Founder of Personal Capital and ex-CEO of PayPal re-engineers traditional banking with this new high-yield account start saving better today. OLearys critique centered on Minnesotas tax policies, particularly a recent change that adds a 1% tax on net investment income over $1 million. This tax is on top of the states existing graduated income tax system, which caps at 9.85% for high earners. Walzs tax reforms have not been limited to high earners. Last year, he enacted legislation that included a child tax credit worth up to $1,750 for each child 17 years old and younger in households earning up to about $96,000 a year. He also expanded tax exemptions for Social Security payments and income from student loan forgiveness. Trending: IRS Finalizes 10-Year Rule For Retirement Withdrawals, Making Things Even More Insanely Complicated Hes also added a surcharge of 1%, 100 basis points, on top of 9.8% taxes on retiring individuals, OLeary said. And, of course, theyre leaving the state in droves. The investor suggested that those policies have led to an exodus of retirees and capital to states with lower tax rates, like Florida, Texas, and South Dakota. Hes the best Governor for Texas, Florida, and North and South Dakota. But not for Minnesota, OLeary quipped. Despite the tax increases, Minnesota is projected to end 2025 with a $3.7 billion budget surplus, according to the ABC News report. Story continues Trending: Dont miss the real AI boom heres how to use just $10 to invest in high growth private tech companies. Still, Minnesotas tax system has its defenders. In January of this year, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy issued a report highlighting Minnesota as one of only six states that reserve their lowest overall tax rates for low-income families. According to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Nathan Dean, the debate over Walzs economic record comes at an important time, as presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris prepares to issue her economic plans in a speech on Friday. How Walzs Minnesota approach might influence the Harris administrations national policy is unknown. The spotlight on Walzs record will likely intensify as the election approaches. While OLearys critique offers one perspective, voters must weigh it against other economic indicators and policy goals as they assess the Democratic ticket. Read Next: "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Kevin O'Leary Slams Vice Presidential Pick Tim Walz: 'He's the Best Gov. For Texas, But Not for Minnesota' originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The mayor of Budapests 3rd district, Laszlo Kiss, another local council leader and a former employee of the mayors office have been placed in detention in connection with alleged corruption, the Central Investigative Chief Prosecutors Office said. The chief prosecutors office has interviewed another five persons as suspects in an ongoing investigation, three of whom have been placed in detention, the statement said. The office on Wednesday carried out a coordinated operation in connection with the case which involved searching local council properties and companies belonging to the local council, and seizing documents. Kiss is suspected of arranging regular business transactions after his 2019 election as mayor with a company owned by one of his acquaintances, after which he and several local council employees were receiving kickbacks. The local council allegedly signed overpriced and fictitious contracts to conceal the bribes, it added. The detention of the deputy mayor interrogated earlier in the case as a suspect has been extended until October 20. Vitezy Calls for New Local Election in Budapest's 3rd District David Vitezy, an elected member of the Budapest municipal assembly, has called for a new local election in Budapests 3rd district in wake of the arrest of the district mayor for alleged corruption. Vitezy, a representative of With David Vitezy for Budapest-LMP-Greens, said on Facebook that a new election was needed to allow local residents to elect a mayor who, together with his deputy, is not heading a district with 128,000 residents from preliminary arrest. Vitezy criticised Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony for not saying even a word about the political and administrative crisis that has developed in one of the largest districts of Budapest. He said the Budapest list in the local elections headed by Karacsony had included the current 3rd district mayor Laszlo Kiss (DK-LMP-Momentum-Socialists-Parbeszed). According to the election billboards, Karacsony had recommended Kiss as the best choice, he added. Karacsony should make it clear if he maintains his support for Kiss or agrees that he should resign, Vitezy said. Karacsonys party could also be implicated in the corruption case, considering that the campaign chief of Parbeszed co-leader and 3rd district MP Timea Szabo has also been detained by police, he added. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! A high-traffic McDonalds in a landmark building on Budapests Nyugati Square is re-opening after a 1.8 billion forint (EUR 4.5m) renovation, Progress Etteremhalozat, which operates the fast food restaurants in Hungary said. There are 113 McDonalds restaurants in Hungary. Progress Etteremhalozat had net sales revenue of 91.0 billion forints in 2023, public records show. This particular restaurant, which draws several hundred thousand guests a year, was closed for more than six months. It has been expanded to accommodate over 280 guests. The Hungarian interior designer Geza Sass redid the inside of the restaurant based on a design by Australian studio Landini. The general contractor for the project was Market Epito. Headcount at the Nyugati Square restaurant has risen from 168 to 218 as a result of the expansion, Progress Etteremhalozat told MTI. Photo: Facebook.com/mcdonaldshungary ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! Police have arrested two British nationals at a music festival in Budapest on suspicion of drug dealing, the Budapest prosecutors office said. Police observed the two men, aged 31 and 24, selling drugs to another man on the evening of Aug 8, the prosecutors office told MTI. They witnessed the older of the two suspects returning from a stage to a tent that was being guarded by the other suspect and handing a packet containing a suspicious substance to the third man in exchange for cash. Meanwhile, the suspect guarding the tent took out another packet from which he poured a powdery substance into his hand before inhaling it through his nose. The two men were then placed under arrest by police. A search of their clothing and tent yielded more powdery substances, pills which were later found to be amphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy, and cash. Full report in Hungarian available here ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! Krishna Group on Tuesday said its metals division SKH has forged a strategic alliance with global automotive supplier Magna International for body and chassis operations in India. The alliance SKH M is a significant milestone in SKH's expansion strategy and bolsters its position in the automotive components sector, Krishna Group said in a statement. The collaboration aims to combine SKH's lean manufacturing strength with Magna technology to drive innovation in chassis and body-in-white (BIW) systems, and by leveraging the strengths of both companies, and will enhance product offerings, expand market reach, and push the boundaries of technological advancement in the automotive sector, it added. BIW is the stage in automobile manufacturing in which a car body's frame has been joined together prior to painting and motor, chassis subassemblies or trim have been integrated into the structure. SKH has collaborated in various areas with firms from various countries, including Spain, Italy, Japan, and Canada. "This alliance is not just a step forward for our metals division, but a leap towards realising our group's vision of being a global leader in automotive solutions," said Krishna Group Vice-Chairman Sunandan Kapur. "The partnership will allow us to combine our technological expertise with SKH's strong manufacturing capabilities and market presence in India. Together, we're poised to deliver solutions that will shape the future of the automotive industry," said John O'Hara, President of Cosma International. Born on December 25, 1924, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a famous Indian politician and diplomat who had three terms as prime minister. He served as president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from 1968 to 1972. He was elected to the Lok Sabha ten times and the Rajya Sabha twice throughout his 50 year career. Due to health concerns, he left politics in 2009. Good Governance Day is observed on his birthday. Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Biography In addition to being a politician, he was a poet and a founding member of his party. As the tenth prime minister of India, he held the position for three terms, the first of which ended after just 13 days in 1996 because of a lack of parliamentary support. He headed the NDA alliance in 1998, but resigned after 13 months due to the AIADMK's withdrawal of support. India undertook the Pokhran nuclear tests during his term, and he also guided his nation to victory in the 1999 Kargil War. Along with starting the Delhi-Lahore bus service and signing the Lahore Declaration, he also started peace initiatives with Pakistan. After winning the 1999 elections, Vajpayee took office again and held it for the entire tenure until 2004. Important reforms like the National Highways Development Project, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan were carried out under his reign. By working with President Bill Clinton on the Historic Vision Document, he improved relations with the United States. Vajpayee concentrated on coalition governance, even though the RSS was pressuring him to advance the Hindutva agenda. After a lengthy political career that saw him serve in the Rajya Sabha twice and the Lok Sabha 10 times, Atal Bihari Vajpayee retired in December 2005. He didn't get married and treated Namita Bhattacharya, his niece, like his daughter. Following a stroke in 2009 that impairs his speech and cognitive abilities, poet and enthusiast of Indian classical music Vajpayee's health began to deteriorate. He was admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi, in June 2018, and on August 16, 2018, following more than two months of care, he passed away. Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Achievements Raksha Bandhan , also known as Rakhi, is a Hindu holiday that celebrates the tie between siblings. When a sister puts a "Rakhi" around her brother's wrist, he promises to look out for her. The festival's primary symbol is the sacred thread, rakhi, which stands for love and protection between siblings. Raksha Bandhan 2024: Rakhi Wishes, Greetings, and Messages 1. "May our bond always remain strong, just like this rakhi thread." 2. "Wishing you joy, success, and a lifetime of happiness, dear brother." 3. "With this rakhi, I promise to always stand by your side." 4. "May the thread of love we share never unravel. Happy Rakshabandhan!" 5. "You've been my protector, my confidant. Happy Rakhi, dear brother!" 6. "To the one who has always been my first friend, Happy Rakshabandhan!" Happy Raksha Bandhan Wishes For Brother 8. "Distance may separate us, but our love knows no bounds. Happy Rakshabandhan!" 9. "May this Rakhi bring you prosperity and success in all your endeavors." 10. "Tied with love, this rakhi carries my best wishes for you." 11. "No matter where life takes us, you'll always have a special place in my heart." Happy Raksha Bandhan Wishes And Messages 1. On this Rakshabandhan, may the thread of love and protection bind us forever. Wishing you a joyous and blessed day! 2. May the bond of affection between siblings grow stronger with each passing year. Happy Rakshabandhan to you and your family! 3. As we celebrate this special day, let's cherish the memories and look forward to creating many more. Happy Rakhi! 4. May the festival of Rakhi fill your heart with happiness and your life with positivity. Have a wonderful day! 5. On this auspicious occasion, I pray for your well-being, success, and happiness. Happy Rakshabandhan! Also Read: Happy Rakshabandhan 2024: 7 Exquisite Mehndi Designs to Celebrate Raksha Bandhan 6. Distance may separate us, but our bond remains unbreakable. Sending you love and warm wishes this Rakhi. 7. May our relationship be as beautiful and everlasting as the colors of Rakhi. Happy Rakshabandhan! 8. With every thread tied, may you be protected from all challenges and sorrows. Have a blessed Rakhi! 9. As we celebrate the sacred bond of siblings, here's wishing you a life filled with love, laughter, and prosperity. 10. From childhood fights to adult confidants, our journey has been amazing. Happy Rakshabandhan, dear sister/brother! 11. On this Rakhi, I promise to always stand by you, just as you've stood by me. Cheers to our wonderful bond! Happy Raksha Bandhan Messages For WhatsApp and Instagram Caption 12. May the joy of Rakshabandhan radiate in your heart and illuminate your path. Happy and blessed Rakhi! 13. As you tie the Rakhi, remember that you're not just giving a thread, but a promise of love and support. 14. May the rakhi thread remind you that no matter where life takes us, you'll always have my back. Happy Rakshabandhan! 15. Wishing my amazing sister/brother a day as special and vibrant as the bond we share. Happy Rakhi! 16. Let's celebrate the memories we've created and look forward to many more to come. Happy Rakshabandhan! 17. Distance can't diminish the love we have for each other. Sending warm wishes and a tight virtual hug this Rakhi. 18. May the festival of Rakhi bring along happiness, success, and a stronger bond between us. Happy Rakshabandhan! 19. On this occasion, I pray for your good health, prosperity, and a life filled with positivity. Happy Rakhi! 20. May the bond between siblings be as pure and everlasting as the essence of Rakhi. Have a joyful celebration! Raksha Bandhan 2024: Images To Share Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi, is a Hindu holiday that celebrates the tie between siblings. When a sister puts a "Rakhi" around her brother's wrist, he promises to look out for her. The festival's primary symbol is the sacred thread, rakhi, which stands for love and protection between siblings. Raksha Bandhan 2024: Significance The main purpose of Raksha Bandhan is to celebrate the relationship between siblings, when sisters adorn their brothers' wrists with rakhis as a show of affection, protection, and care. Brothers swear to safeguard their sisters and return the favour by giving presents. It displays support for one another and improves sibling bonds. The celebration has expanded throughout time to include friends, cousins, and even people who identify as siblings, bridging cultural and biological divides. Raksha Bandhan, an occasion steeped in Indian tradition, serves as a reminder of the value of fostering relationships while highlighting the principles of family, love, and unity. Raksha Bandhan 2024: History The origins of Raksha Bandhan can be traced back more than 6,000 years to the Aryan culture. India's diverse cultures are reflected in the festival customs that differ throughout the country. Its importance is emphasised by several historical legends. In one story, Lord Krishna made a promise to defend Draupadi when she was being insulted by the Kauravas, after she tore her saree to bandage his damaged finger. A different story has it that Lord Vishnu returned to Vaikuntam as a result of Goddess Lakshmi giving King Bali a Rakhi. In addition, Alexander the Great's wife delivered a Rakhi to King Puru, who honoured the pact during combat, and Rani Karnawati of Mewar sent one to the Mughal Emperor Humayun for protection. These tales emphasise the love, solidarity, and protection that are important to Rakhi. Raksha Bandhan 2024: Ways To Celebrate New Delhi: In a move to support women, the Maharashtra government ahead of Raksha Bandhan is set to launch its flagship Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin scheme on August 17, announced Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. This new initiative will provide direct financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to over one crore women across the state, offering much-needed support and empowerment. Who Can Apply for the Mazi Ladki Bahin Scheme? To apply for the Mazi Ladki Bahin Scheme, women must meet the following criteria: - Be a resident of Maharashtra. - Be between 21 and 65 years old. - Be married, unmarried, abandoned, divorced, or destitute. - Have a personal bank account in their name. - Have a family income of no more than 2.5 lakhs. What are the documents needed for the Mazi Ladki Bahin Scheme? To apply for the Mazi Ladki Bahin Scheme, you'll need to submit several documents. These include your Aadhaar Card, an Identity Card or Certificate, and your bank account details. You'll also need to provide a Caste Certificate, Residence Certificate, and proof of age. Additionally, a Ration Card, passport-sized photograph, and income proof are required, though income proof is not necessary for holders of yellow and orange ration cards. Dont forget to include your Domicile Certificate, Birth Certificate, and Voter ID. Budget and Financial Impact The Mazi Ladki Bahin Scheme which is included in the states supplementary budget will cost Rs 46,000 crore annually. The government plans to provide this benefit to eligible women every month, ensuring ongoing financial support. Launched as a Raksha Bandhan gift, the scheme mirrors other similar initiatives across India, such as Madhya Pradeshs 'Ladli Behna Yojana.' How to apply for Mazi Ladki Bahin Scheme? To apply for the Mazi Ladki Bahin Scheme, you can either use the online application process or seek in-person assistance. If you prefer offline help, reach out to local support services such as Anganwadi Sevak, Supervisor, Chief Sevak, Setu Suvidha Kendra, Gram Sevak, Group Resource Person (CRP), ASHA Sevak, Ward Officer, CMM (City Mission Manager), Mnpa Balwadi Sevak, or Help Room Head. Your Sarkar Seva Kendra provides both online and offline application options at no cost. When filling out the application, make sure to enter your name, date of birth, and address exactly as they appear on your Aadhaar card, and verify that your bank details and mobile number are correct. New Delhi: Vedanta group firm Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) plans to dole out a special dividend payout of Rs 8,000 crore to its shareholders in the current fiscal, news Agency PTI has reported. This special dividend will be over and above the regular dividend of around Rs 6,000 crore, which HZL doles out every year, said the news Agency. Apart from the government, this will also benefit promoter Vedanta Ltd, which holds around 65 per cent stake in HZL, and will receive around Rs 5,100 crore, which it may use to further de-leverage its balance sheet. Hindustan Zinc Shareholders Meet On August 20 Hindustan Zinc has informed regulators that the Company shareholder's meet is scheduled for August 20. "Pursuant to Regulation 29 of SEBI Listing Regulations, we wish to inform you that the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company is proposed to be scheduled on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, to consider and approve the Second Interim Dividend on equity shares, if any, for the Financial Year 2024-25," Hindustan Zinc said in a regulatory filing. Hindustan Zinc Special Dividend Record Date The company has said that the record date for the purpose of determining the entitlement of the equity shareholders for the said dividend, if declared, is being fixed as Wednesday, August 28, 2024. "Further, pursuant to the provisions of the Securities & Exchange Board of India (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015 and Insider Trading Prohibition Code of the Company, it is to inform you that the trading window will remain closed for all the Designated Persons from today, i.e., Wednesday, August 14, 2024 till Thursday, August 22, 2024 (Both days inclusive)," Hindustan Zinc said. New Delhi: X, formerly known as Twitter has found itself in legal hot water. The company has been ordered to pay 550,000 (around 5 crore) in compensation to Gary Rooney, a former employee who was dismissed in December 2022. Gary Rooney had been working at Twitters Ireland unit since September 2023, as reported by fortune. However, in December 2022, he was unfairly dismissed. On Tuesday, Ireland's Workplace Relations Commission ruled in his favour, ordering X (formerly Twitter) to pay him 550,000. This is the largest compensation ever awarded by the agency. Shortly after taking over Twitter, in November 2022 Elon Musk sent out an email to all employees with a tough choice to commit to "long hours at high intensity" or be let go with three months severance pay. Employees, including Gary Rooney, were given just one day to decide by clicking "yes" to accept these new working conditions. In the email, Elon Musk stated, "If you're certain you want to be part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below." He added that employees who chose not to click would receive three months' severance pay. The Conflict X claimed that Gary Rooney had voluntarily resigned by not clicking "yes" on Elon Musk's ultimatum. However, Ireland's Workplace Relations Commission disagreed.It is not OK for Mr. Musk, or indeed any large company to treat employees in such a manner in this country or jurisdiction. The record award reflects the seriousness and the gravity of the case, said Barry Kenny, Rooney's solicitor, in a statement to Bloomberg. Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla took over Twitter in October 2022 for $44 billion. Shortly after, he laid off nearly half of the company's workforce and gave an ultimatum to those who remained which ultimately led to Gary Rooney's dismissal. (Reuters) - Supermarket chain Kroger (KR) plans to lower grocery prices by $1 billion after the completion of its proposed $25 billion merger with smaller rival Albertsons, a company spokesperson said on Thursday. Kroger had previously promised to lower grocery prices by $500 million at Albertsons locations. Bloomberg News first reported the development earlier in the day. The supermarket mega-merger, first announced in October 2022, was expected to create a grocery empire with more than 4,000 stores. But the deal has faced several antitrust lawsuits over concerns that it would push up grocery prices. Washington State's attorney general was the first to challenge. The proposed merger was halted last month pending a Colorado District Court ruling on a lawsuit filed to block the deal. The trial is set to begin on Sept. 30, State Attorney General Phil Weiser had said. (Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar) The Calcutta High Court on Friday launched a scathing attack at the state administration for its failure to prevent the vandalism at RG Kar Medical Hospital. The bench, led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice H Bhattacharyya, was addressing a petition concerning the mob attack on the hospital premises, which occurred during protests over the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor on August 9. After the State counsel informed the court that at least 7 thousand people were there at the time of the vandalism incident, the court questioned, If 7 thousand people had to come, they cant come on foot the bench further added, this is absolute failure of state machinery. Normally, when such a large crowd gathers, the police must be present to manage the situation. If 7,000 people entered, it is difficult to believe that the state is not at fault, the HC added. The High Court has affirmed the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) authority to conduct investigations within hospital premises as necessary. In a recent directive, the court instructed the relevant police authorities and the person in charge to submit a detailed response concerning the incidents of vandalism and other related matters. It further mandated the state to provide photographic evidence to demonstrate that the crime scene remains intact. The Calcutta High Court urged that the name, identity and details of the victims should not be circulated. Opposition parties in the state have slammed the police for failing to take sufficient action during the vandalism and violence at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. On Thursday evening, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reported that two floors of the emergency ward at the hospital had been destroyed, with medicines looted and infrastructure and equipment significantly damaged. The protests continued for yet another day as the doctors are demanding severe punishment for the perpetrators and improved security at their workplace. The Indian political landscape has changed in the last 10 years especially after the BJP returned to power under the helm of Narendra Modi. The 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign witnessed bitter use of words by the Congress and the BJP leaders against each other. The political bitterness increased so much that the big leaders from the BJP and the Congress were rarely seen interacting with each other and even Parliament witnessed multiple impasses. At this juncture, one can only feel that Indian politics needs a leader like Atal Bihari Vajpayee whose wisdom and integrity remain profoundly relevant. Vajpayee knew how to walk the tightrope of governance by taking along the opposition leaders. One of the remarkable examples of Vajpayee's commitment to ethical governance was when he reminded then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of 'Raj Dharma'. Vajpayee's reaction comes after the Godhra incident in Gujarat When Modi was leading the state as a Chief Minister. Despite being from different parties, Vajpayee, as a Foreign Minister in 1977, got restored Jawaharlal Nehru's portrait in the Parliament corridor after it was removed following the victory of the Janata Party. His decision to restore the portrait was a symbolic gesture acknowledging Nehru's foundational role in Indian democracy. When P V Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, he sent Vajpayee to head the country's delegation at the United Nations Commission for Human Rights Convention in Geneva to foil Pakistan's plan against New Delhi. The Pakistani delegation was surprised to see an opposition leader representing India at such a crucial forum. While speaking in Parliament, Vajpayee had said the Governments come and governments go, and parties appear and disappear but this country should remain and its democracy should remain eternally. It was a profound vision. Atal Bihari Vajpayee is a respected figure in Indian politics and is often remembered for his ability to maintain cordial and productive relationships with opposition leaders. In today's time, the BJP and the Congress need to learn from Vajpayee's political vision and work to make India a better country. MUMBAI/NASHIK: Tension gripped Jalgaon and Nashik cities in north Maharashtra on Friday after group clashes and stone pelting during protests organised by a Hindu outfit to condemn atrocities on members of the minority community in Bangladesh, leaving half a dozen policemen injured while controlling the situation, officials said. In Nashik, around 200km from Mumbai, two groups clashed during a bandh called by the Sakal Hindu Samaj in protest against atrocities on minority community members in the neighbouring country, leading to tension in the Bhadrakali area, where police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Police immediately intervened and brought the situation under control, an official said. "The situation is tense but under control. Six tear gas shells and one rubber bullet were fired to disperse the crowd. Around six policemen were injured. Police personnel, including State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) jawans, were deployed in the area to maintain peace," said Nashik police commissioner Sandeep Karnik. Police were in the process of identifying and apprehending the miscreants. "Clashes between two groups were reported from the Bhadrakali Police Station area earlier in the day. Our alert teams immediately responded and brought the situation under control. We are in the process of registering cases and arresting the miscreants. Additional forces have been deployed to maintain peace. We appeal to citizens not to believe in rumours. All shall maintain peace and co-operate with the police," according to a communique from the Nashik city police. Trouble started in the afternoon when Sakal Hindu Samaj members took out a protest march along with a motorbike rally. When the morcha came to Bhadrakali, the protests found some shops were open in defiance of the bandh. When the morcha participants appealed for closure of those shops, verbal arguments erupted between two groups which soon turned into clashes during which stones were pelted, causing damage to some vehicles, said police. "When the march was on, some shops were open. It led to a verbal dispute. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. I have spoken to the (Nashik) commissioner of police and district collector, and the situation is under control," Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan said. In Jalgaon, around 400km from Mumbai, stones were hurled at a vehicle showroom when Sakal Hindu Samaj, an umbrella body of several outfits, took out a protest march. "The incident occurred in Jalgaon city this morning during a protest march by the Sakal Hindu Samaj against the anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. Some unidentified persons hurled a few stones at a two-wheeler showroom," an official said. The glass facade of the showroom got damaged, he said. "Hundreds of supporters of the Sakal Hindu Samaj took part in the march, and the protesters later went to the collector's office and handed over a memorandum listing their demands," the police official said. The incident led to tension for some time, but the situation was brought under control following the intervention of the police, he said. Police personnel were deployed in strength in Jalgaon city as a precautionary measure, he said. Bangladesh saw a spike in violence against members of the Hindu community following the fall of the government led by former PM Sheikh Hasina. She resigned and fled to India on August 5 after massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance, a non-political Hindu religious organisation, has claimed that the minority community has faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since August 5. NEW DELHI: Continuing with its push for infrastructure development, the Union Cabinet on Friday approved airport projects at Bagdogra in West Bengal and Bihta in Bihar for an estimated total cost of Rs 2,962 crore. At a briefing in the national capital, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a new civil enclave will be developed at Bagdogra airport at a cost of Rs 1,549 crore, besides a new civil enclave at Bihta for Rs 1,413 crore. The decisions were taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As part of the new civil enclave at Bagdogra airport, the proposed terminal building will span 70,390 square metres and will be able to accommodate 3,000 peak hour passengers (PHP), with an annual capacity to handle 10 million passengers, an official release said. An apron will be constructed that can accommodate 10 parking bays suitable for A-321-type aircraft, two link taxiways and multi-level car parking. The project is poised to significantly enhance the airport's operational efficiency and passenger experience, reinforcing its role as a pivotal air travel hub for the region, the release added. Besides, the new civil enclave will be developed at a cost of Rs 1,413 crore in Bihta. "This infrastructure project represents a strategic move to address the anticipated saturation of capacity at Patna airport. While Airports Authority of India (AAI) is already in the process of constructing a new terminal building at Patna airport, further expansion is constrained by limited land availability," another official release said. The new integrated terminal building at Bihta will span 66,000 sqm and will be able to handle 3,000 peak-hour passengers and annually cater to 50 lakh passengers. The capacity will be further expanded by 50 lakh whenever it is required, and the ultimate capacity would be 1 crore passengers per annum. "Key components of the project include the construction of an apron capable of accommodating 10 parking bays suitable for A-321/B-737-800/A-320 type aircraft, as well as two link taxiways," the release said. Currently, there are 157 operational airports in India, which is one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets. The Election Commission of India is schedule to host a press conference on Friday at 3PM. During the conference, the ECI may announce the dates for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections, reported Zee news TV. According to the agencys invite cited by PTI, the names of the states is not specified, However the Assemble polls are due in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand. The legislative assemblies of Haryana and Maharashtra are set to end on November 3 and November 26, respectively. The Jharkhand legislative assembly's term will conclude in January 2025. In accordance with the Supreme Courts order, the Election Commission plans to schedule the Jammu and Kashmir Elections by September 30. If the elections happen this year, it will mark the first Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade, with the last elections taking place in 2014. The Election Commission will reportedly announce the dates for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, along with Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Haryana later today. A press conference is scheduled for this evening, where the Commission will provide details on the upcoming elections. The Election Commission Of India today announced the schedule for Haryana assembly elections. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with the two Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, held the press conference to announce the dates for assembly elections. In Haryana, this year assembly elections will take place in single phase on October 1 to elect the 90 members. The counting of the votes will take place on October 4. The tenure of the Haryana Legislative Assembly is set to conclude on November 3, 2024. Haryana Assembly Elections 2024 Schedule Voters In Haryana There are 2.01 crore voters in Haryana of which 1.06 crores are male, 0.95 crores female voters, 40.95 lakhs are young voters and 4.52 lakhs are first-time voters. There are 20,629 polling booths in Haryana. The previous Assembly elections took place in October 2019, resulting in a coalition government formed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP). Manohar Lal Khattar was appointed as the Chief Minister following the election. On March 12, 2024, the alliance between the BJP and JJP came to an end, leading to the resignation of Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister. Nayab Singh Saini was appointed as the new Chief Minister on the same day. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP, which had secured all 10 seats in Haryana in 2019, managed to retain 5 seats, while the remaining 5 were won by the Indian National Congress. While many transfers took place in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday, a major reshuffle took place in Haryana today hours ahead of the assembly poll date announcement. The Haryana government issued transfer orders for 21 IAS, 65 HCS, 12 IPS, and three HPS officers, with immediate effect. These transfers were announced just hours before the Election Commission revealed the date for the Haryana Assembly elections. The Commission declared that the polls would take place in a single phase on October 1, with the results to be announced on October 4. Following the election announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has been enforced in the state. Among the transferred officials is Vivek Bharti, who has been reassigned from his role as Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Citizen Resources Information Officer in Sirsa to Deputy Commissioner of Kaithal, replacing Prashant Panwar. Jainder Singh Chhilar, previously serving as Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Citizen Resources Information Officer and District Municipal Commissioner in Charkhi Dadri, has been reassigned as the District Municipal Commissioner of Panipat. Among the transferred IPS officers, Lokender Singh, formerly Superintendent of Police (Security) at CID headquarters in Panchkula, will now take over as the Superintendent of Police in Panipat, replacing Ajit Singh Shekhawat. Shekhawat, in turn, has been reassigned to Lokender Singh's previous position as SP (Security) at CID headquarters in Panchkula. Rakesh Kumar Arya, who was the Commissioner of Police in Faridabad, has been transferred to the role of Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) for Haryana. Narendra Bijarniya, previously SP of the Special Task Force-II (headquarters) and DCP, Crime, Gurugram, will now serve as the SP of Bhiwani, replacing Varun Singla. Singla has been transferred as the SP of Kurukshetra, taking over from Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, who is on central deputation to the CBI. The government has also issued transfer and posting orders for 65 Haryana Civil Services officers and three Haryana Police Service officers. (With PTI inputs) Amid the Mpox outbreak in Africa, India is currently at a very low risk of experiencing an upsurge in Mpox cases, as informed by a health ministry officially. Notably, World Health Organization's (WHO) has recently declared the Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). No Need For Panic Health ministry officials have reassured the public that there is no cause for alarm. While the WHO's alert underscores the need for global vigilance, India's current situation remains stable, and all necessary measures are being taken to maintain this status. Current Status of Mpox In India The last confirmed case of Mpox in India was reported in March 2024, in the state of Kerala, according to official sources from the Ministry of Health. Since 2022, India has documented a total of 30 laboratory-confirmed cases of the viral infection. Despite the WHO's alert, health ministry officials have assured the public that the risk of a significant increase in Mpox cases within the country remains minimal. According to some media reports, the Ministry of Health is considering issuing advisories to points of entry, including airports and seaports. These advisories would instruct authorities to remain vigilant and prepared to manage any suspected cases of Mpox in accordance with existing guidelines. These guidelines emphasize the importance of isolation and treatment protocols to prevent the potential spread of the infection. To further assess and address the situation, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda is scheduled to hold a review meeting on Saturday. The meeting will include officials from the Ministry of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The focus will be on ensuring that all necessary precautions are in place to safeguard the public against the disease. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially announced the dates for the first Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Despite security challenges, the elections will be held in three phases, marking the shortest election period in the region over the last three decades. The polling will begin on 18 September and conclude on 1 October. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, made the announcement during a press conference in New Delhi. These elections will enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to elect a new government after nearly a decade, with the last Assembly elections held in late 2014. The election process will be conducted in three phases: voting in 24 seats during the first phase, 26 seats in the second phase, and 40 seats in the final phase. The results are scheduled to be declared on 4 October. This announcement comes in response to a Supreme Court directive mandating that Assembly elections be held by 30 September. The gazette notification for the first phase will be issued on 20 August, with candidates allowed to file nominations until 27 August. Similar timelines will follow for the subsequent phases. Political Reactions Political parties have welcomed the decision, emphasizing the need for the Election Commission to ensure free, fair, and secure elections. National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah hinted at his party's readiness to contest the elections but expressed doubts about forming a pre-poll alliance with other parties. Addressing the media, he made it clear that there would be no alliances with those who have previously targeted his party politically. He also voiced concerns over recent administrative transfers in the region, suggesting they might be politically motivated. Despite his earlier stance that he would not participate in the elections until statehood was restored, Abdullah indicated that he might contest due to pressure from his party and his ailing fathers insistence. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also welcomed the election announcement but criticized the delay in holding the elections and questioned their fairness. In a press conference, Iltija Mufti, political advisor to Mehbooba Mufti, expressed concerns over the prolonged absence of a democratic process in the region, which she described as leading to widespread suffering under "bureaucratic dictatorship." She questioned why the electoral process in Kashmir had been "blown out of proportion" and stressed that elections are a fundamental aspect of a democracy, not a favor to the people. Iltija also raised doubts about the fairness of the upcoming elections, citing recent administrative transfers just before the election announcement. When asked about potential pre-poll alliances, she stated that the decision would be up to the party. Regarding Mehbooba Mufti's participation, Iltija confirmed that while Mufti would be the face of the election, it remains undecided whether she will personally contest. CPI-M leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami said that the Election Commission assured political parties of a level playing field and expressed satisfaction over the security situation. "All parties including us believed that a vacuum was created in J&K due to no elections for the last 10 years...With the announcement of elections, now there is new hope building in people..." said Tarigami. Chairman of Democratic Progressive Azad Party, Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "We welcome the announcement of elections. I thank the government and Election Commission. We hope it will be a free and fair election. We also hope the security of voters, candidates and party leaders will be taken care of...Right now what is important is that people are getting a chance to elect their representative after nearly 10 years." National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah demanded that the Central government should restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. J&K Assembly Elections: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Friday said that he will contest the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, which are scheduled to take place in three phases from September 18. "I will contest these elections, Omar Abdullah will not contest the elections. When the state status is granted then I will step down and Omar Abdullah will contest from that seat," Farooq Abdullah said on Friday. Omar: 'I will fight for our statehood' "No. I am not contesting the assembly elections. I will not fight a UT election. I am absolutely clear on that. I will help my party, I will lead the campaign, I will do whatever I have to for the NC. But I will not enter an assembly of the UT of J-K," he said."I will fight for our statehood to be restored to us. I will fight for a full state of J-K with no dilution. Then, if possible, I will seek an opportunity to enter the assembly and play my part there. But, I will not humiliate myself by entering a UT (assembly)," the NC vice president said. J&K Assembly Elections The Assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases from September 18 and the results will be announced on October 4. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Rajiv Kumar said that the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases. The elections of the first phase will be held on September 18, the second phase will be held on September 25 and the third phase will be held on October 1. The counting of the votes will be held on October 4. "Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases, with voting on September 18th, September 25th, and October 1st. Counting of votes on October 4," Kumar said. The dates to file the nominations for the first phase will be on August 27, nominations for the second phase will be on September 5, and September 12 is the last day to file nominations for the third phase. There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies, of which 74 are General, nine are ST and seven are SC. In Jammu and Kashmir, there are 87.09 lakh total electors. Of which 44.46 lakh are male, 42.62 female, 169 are Transgender, 82,590 PwDs, 73943 very senior citizens, 2660 centenarians, 76092 service electors, and 3.71 lakh are first-time voters. Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of ten years as the last assembly election was held in 2014. The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. andreswd / iStock.com For most Americans, retirements are funded by a combination of 401(k) plans and Social Security benefits. But there are wide differences in the amounts people have available. Social Security checks alone can range from less than $1,000 a month to more than $4,800, while 401(k) balances can range from nearly nothing to millions of dollars. Because of these variations, the number of years your retirement income will last varies as well. Trending Now: Im a Retirement Planner What Social Security Could Look Like in a Decade If Kamala Harris Wins in November Be Aware: 7 Reasons You Shouldnt Retire Before Speaking To a Financial Advisor For retirees in Colorado, the combination of Social Security benefits and 401(k) income doesnt last quite as long as it does elsewhere in the United States, according to a GOBankingRates study. The typical retiree in the Centennial State can expect their 401(k)/Social Security combination to last about 15 years and three months. That compares to the national average of roughly 15 years, eight months. For its study, GBR analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Social Security Administration and Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Research focused on average 401(k) withdrawals and Social Security checks, along with average monthly spending on housing, groceries and other essentials. GBR then compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia to find out how long the 401(k)/Social Security combo would last. West Virginia ranked first at an average of 21.36 years, while Hawaii ranked last at an average of 6.52 years. Rankings tended to correspond with average costs of living, with the most affordable states ranking higher and the least affordable ranking lower. Colorado occupies a sort of middle ground between the most and least affordable states. How Long a 401(k) Will Last with Social Security Colorado Average: 15 years, 3 months, 4 days National Average: 15 years, 8 months, 8 days Check Out: Im an Economist: Heres My Prediction for Social Security If Trump Wins the 2024 Election Annual Expenditures Colorado Average: $58,858.72 National Average: $57,818 Annual Expenditures After Social Security Colorado Average: $36,421.48 National Average: $35,380.76 Annual Groceries Expenditures Colorado Average: $4,816.19 National Average: $4,797 Annual Housing Expenditures Colorado Average: $12,650.74 National Average: $11,692 Annual Utilities Expenditures Colorado Average: $3,825.11 National Average: $4,236 Annual Transportation Expenditures Colorado Average: $4,626.65 National Average: $4,943 Story continues Annual Healthcare Expenditures Colorado Average: $7,954.70 National Average: $7,540 Because these are averages, they dont apply to everyone. As noted earlier, a lot depends on the size of your 401(k) balance and Social Security payment. The average 401(k) balance is $272,588 for Americans 65 and older, according to Vanguard data cited by CNN. But the median balance is only $88,488 which means averages skew much higher because of high balances involving wealthy people. The average Social Security retirement check was $1,871.09 per month as of July 2024, according to the Social Security Administration. However, that figure can go much higher or lower depending how much you paid into the system and when you claim benefits. Where you decide to retire in Colorado will also impact how long your retirement income lasts. Colorado ranks as one of the most expensive states to live in when you include high-dollar resort communities such as Aspen and Vail or some of the pricier communities around Denver and Boulder. In those places, your retirement funds wont last long at all unless youre wealthy. Youll find much more affordable communities elsewhere in the Centennial State, such as Fountain or Fruita. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Long Your 401(k) Plus Social Security Benefits Will Last You in Colorado As the protests and political blame-game continue over the Kolkata doctor's rape and murder case, a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrived to record a digital blueprint of the site where the gruesome incident took place at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The CBI team, which assumed control of the investigation into the rape and murder of the female trainee doctor, utilized a high-precision 3D laser scanner to capture a detailed digital blueprint of the crime scene. Earlier that day, the CBI summoned four doctors from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for questioning amid ongoing protests over the trainee doctor's tragic death, sources revealed. The doctors were called in to provide information about the events that transpired on the night of the incident. Accused Sanjoy Roy was escorted from the CBI Special Crime Branch at the CGO Complex in Kolkata for a medical examination. Meanwhile, doctors across the country escalated their protests over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor from RG Kar Medical College. Junior doctors and medical students at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad demonstrated against the horrific incident. In Delhi, junior doctors and medical students at RML Hospital also staged protests condemning the crime at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Additionally, the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) called for a 12-hour general strike in Siliguri on Friday in response to the trainee doctor's rape and murder. A nationwide withdrawal of services has been announced by doctors of modern medicine starting from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 a.m. on Sunday, August 18, per the official statement released by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday. On Thursday, police said that a mob of between 5,000 and 7,000 people, including several individuals invaded RG Kar Hospital, attacked protesting doctors and medical students, and attempted to ransack the premises on the night of August 14. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which has led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. (With agency inputs) Kolkata is set to witness political protests on Friday, August 16, as the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) has called for a 12-hour statewide bandh to protest the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on early Thursday morning. Meanwhile, the BJP's women's wing will hold a candlelight march to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence, also in response to the vandalism incident. A mob entered the premises of the Hospital and wreaked havoc as they were demanding the arrest of all those involved in the rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor inside the establishment. Mamata Banerjee To Join On August 17 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will join the protests on Saturday, calling for the death penalty for those accused in the rape and murder case of the trainee doctor. Banerjee has also announced a protest to seek justice for the Kolkata trainee doctor, who was assaulted and killed at RG Kar College and Hospital. She has urged the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has taken over the case from the Kolkata Police, to ensure that justice is served by the following Sunday. IMAs Nationwide Strike Amid the political rallies, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a 24-hour nationwide strike from 6AM on August 17 to protest against the rape-murder incident and the vandalism at the RG Kar Hospital. The withdrawal of services will be limited to non-emergency services. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest march in Kolkata on Friday, August 16, demanding justice for the horrific rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The protest came in the wake of the tragic incident that has sparked outrage across the state. Mamata Banerjees Call For Justice During the protest march, Mamata Banerjee reiterated her demand for capital punishment for the accused. During the protest marchBanerjee stated, "We want the truth to come out." "However, there are some quarters spreading lies to mislead the public. I am deeply disturbed by this incident. I stayed awake all night, my heart heavy with grief. When Buddhababu (a reference to a former leader) passed away, I visited his home. I am a politician, but above all, I am a humanitarian. The nexus between the Left and the BJP must be exposed," she added Banerjee also highlighted the spread of fake news on social media, which she claimed is being used to "hide the truth." CBI Takes Over The Investigation The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken charge of the investigation following an order from the Calcutta High Court. The incident, which occurred on August 9, involved the alleged rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor in a seminar room at the hospital. The CBI team, which arrived in Kolkata on August 14, has started its probe, taking over from the local police. The CBI on Friday detained Dr. Sandip Ghosh, the former Principal of RG Kar Medical College, for questioning in connection with the case. Dr. Ghosh was taken to the CGO Complex in Salt Lake for interrogation by the central agency. The gruesome crime has triggered widespread protests across West Bengal, with thousands of women from various walks of life taking to the streets to demand justice. The protests, however, have not been entirely peaceful. In Kolkata, hundreds of people stormed the hospital on the night of August 14, vandalizing the premises. The police have since arrested several individuals involved in the violence. New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced on Thursday a 24-hour nationwide suspension of non-emergency services from 6 am on August 17. This action is a protest against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The medical body said that essential services will continue and casualty wards will remain operational. The IMA stated that out-patient departments (OPD) will be closed and elective surgeries will be suspended. This withdrawal of services will affect all sectors where modern medicine doctors are providing services. "Subsequent to the brutal crime in R G Kar Medical College, Kolkata, and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of Independence Day (Wednesday night), the Indian Medical Association declares nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday 17.08.2024 to 6 am Sunday 18.08.2024 for 24 hours," the statement said, PTI reported. The statement said that the authorities need to provide safety for doctors inside hospitals and campuses. "Doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession. It is for authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses. Both physical assaults and crimes are a result of indifference and insensitivity of the authorities concerned to the needs of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers," the statement said. The decision to implement a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services was made following a meeting with the state branches of the IMA. The IMA on Thursday criticised the vandalism at the Kolkata hospital where doctors have been protesting following the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor. In a significant development in the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder case, Sanjay Roy, the prime accused, was taken for a medical examination on Friday. The crime, which involved the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor while she was on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, occurred on August 9. The arrest of Roy came swiftly, just six hours after a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to investigate the heinous crime. On Thursday, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials attempted to take Roy to ESI Joka for a medical checkup. However, the van transporting him had to turn back midway due to intense protests by doctors at the hospital, which raised significant safety concerns. Subsequently, Roy was taken to Command Hospital, but the facility declined to conduct the medical examination. Eventually, Roy was brought to BR Singh Hospital in Sealdah, where the medical process was successfully completed. Nationwide Protests And Strike By Medical Community The brutal incident has sparked outrage across the medical community in India. Doctors and medical students, particularly junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, have staged protests demanding justice for the victim. In response to the tragedy, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors practicing modern medicine. According to an official statement from the IMA, the strike is scheduled to begin at 6 AM on Saturday and will last until 6 AM on Sunday. In accordance with Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault, the identity of the victim has not been disclosed to protect her privacy. This tragic event has not only shocked the nation but also led to widespread calls for stronger measures to protect the safety and dignity of healthcare professionals across India. Kerala Lottery Results Friday 16-08-2024 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "Nirmal NR-393" Lucky Draw Result today Nirmal NR-393, August 16, 2024. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2024 for "Nirmal NR-393" will feature 12 series, with changes in series possible each week. A total of 108 lakh tickets are available for purchase weekly. The ticket prices may vary. Check the Nirmal NR-393 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 70 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Nirmal NR-393 results today. Kerala Lottery Result 16-08-2024 Aug: FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR NIRMAL NR-393 Draw LUCKY TICKET NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 70 LAKHS IS: NT 675974 LUCKY TICKET NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 10 LAKHS IS: NT 212004 LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE: 1) NN 104719 (VAIKKOM) 2) NO 617050 (KOLLAM) 3) NP 682303 (CHITTUR) 4) NR 194412 (KOTTAYAM) 5) NS 937733 (PUNALUR) 6) NT 142466 (ERNAKULAM) 7) NU 812028 (WAYANADU) 8) NV 375676 (KOTTAYAM) 9) NW 315676 (CHITTUR) 10) NX 426745 (THRISSUR) 11) NY 456772 (KAYAMKULAM) 12) NZ 214452 (THRISSUR) LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: NN 675974 NO 675974 NP 675974 NR 675974 NS 675974 NU 675974 NV 675974 NW 675974 NX 675974 NY 675974 NZ 675974 (For The Tickets Ending with The Following Numbers below) LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: 0013 0721 2357 3393 3997 4434 6254 6451 6622 6973 7444 7788 8323 8904 9218 9227 9657 9754 LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: 0236 0750 1445 1982 2122 2266 2448 2819 3754 4060 4120 4406 4588 5097 5870 5885 5927 6772 6956 7257 7325 7508 7661 7767 8010 8366 8691 8831 8908 9318 9458 9488 9608 9633 9868 9893 LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: 0158 0191 0292 0921 1039 1200 1545 1646 1748 1782 1866 2105 2120 2215 2529 2623 2860 2921 3023 3229 3407 3536 3555 3631 3995 4467 4548 4599 4675 4763 4838 4841 4874 4894 5216 5444 5520 5604 5805 6013 6156 6190 6195 6285 6290 6498 6657 6672 6675 6867 6875 6971 7461 7689 7873 7921 7984 8035 8052 8055 8211 8239 8255 8346 8446 8574 8628 8703 8743 8781 9130 9135 9215 9319 9368 9435 9532 9793 9907 LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: 0018 0258 0430 0528 0533 0653 0765 0773 0929 1099 1117 1173 1219 1348 1493 1532 1705 1716 1753 1788 1987 2014 2030 2121 2229 2259 2366 2402 2508 2510 2590 2737 2846 3013 3026 3166 3170 3227 3311 3362 3392 3552 3779 3832 3974 3986 4003 4005 4048 4177 4187 4295 4307 4519 4530 4626 4720 4730 4789 4917 4968 5194 5370 5391 5473 5642 5671 5695 5714 5719 5864 6299 6492 6619 6652 6694 7049 7113 7366 7467 7474 7550 7579 7717 7731 7754 7824 7825 7827 8036 8129 8172 8199 8371 8450 8476 8653 8740 8800 8814 8948 8952 9058 9063 9126 9243 9326 9413 9414 9433 9451 9461 9524 9536 9584 9601 9611 9659 9829 9884 9891 9909 KERALA LOTTERY RESULT TODAY 16-08-2024 August: NIRMAL NR-393 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS 1st Prize: Rs 70 Lakhs 2nd Prize: Rs. 10 lakhs 3rd Prize: Rs. 5,000 4th Prize: Rs. 2,000 5th Prize: Rs. 1,000 6th Prize: Rs. 500 7th Prize: Rs. 200 8th Prize: Rs. 100 Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000 (NOTE: Lottery can be addictive and should be played responsibly. The data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice or encouragement. Zee News does not promote lottery in anyway.) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post today that Bangladesh has pledged to protect and ensure the safety of Hindus and other minorities living in the country. This assurance was given during a phone conversation between PM Modi and Bangladesh's interim government chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus. "Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, and progressive Bangladesh. He assured the protection, safety, and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh," PM Modi stated in his post. Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2024 During his Independence Day speech yesterday, PM Modi expressed hope that the situation in violence-stricken Bangladesh would stabilize soon, noting that 1.4 billion Indians are concerned about the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighboring country. On Tuesday, Mr. Yunus reached out to the Hindu community in Bangladesh by visiting the Dhakeshwari temple in Dhaka. He promised to take action against those responsible for attacking minorities during the recent violence following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Earlier, reports from across Bangladesh have shown visuals of attacks on Hindus and other minorities, including the destruction of temples and assaults on men and women by mobs. The Indian Cultural Centre was also destroyed, along with several institutions, including the ISKCON temple, being vandalized. The attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have resonated across party lines in India. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor commented on the situation, stating that it is difficult for Indians to remain indifferent when symbols of the country's friendship with Bangladesh are under attack. "It's extremely tragic that what was hailed as a democratic, popular revolution has degenerated into anarchy and violence targeting the minorities, particularly the Hindu community. We in India must stand with the people of Bangladesh, but it's hard for us to be indifferent when every symbol of India's friendship with Bangladesh is being attacked," Mr. Tharoor told news agency ANI on Wednesday. A clash occurred on Tuesday between Bangladesh army personnel and members of the minority Hindu community protesting outside the Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka, where Mr. Yunus is currently staying. The protesters were holding posters of their family members who went missing during the violence. Ms. Hasina, 76, who ruled Bangladesh with an iron hand for 15 years, resigned as Prime Minister following massive protests. What began as a protest against a job-quota scheme evolved into a mass movement demanding her resignation. The controversial quota system had reserved 30 percent of civil service jobs for families of veterans who fought in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Uttarakhand Police arrested a man on August 14 for allegedly raping and killing a nurse while she was returning from hospital. The heinous incident took place three weeks ago in Uttarakhands Udham Singh Nagar district, reported The Indian Express. The victim worked at a private hospital in Nainital. The police recovered her body from an empty plot in Uttar Pradeshs Rampur district. According to Express report, the incident happened on July 30. Police reports state that the accused dragged the nurse into nearby bushes, where he allegedly raped and strangled her to death. Following the assault, he stole her jewelry and fled the scene. Authorities tracked the victim's phone to Rajasthan, where they apprehended the suspect. The accused named Dharmendra Kumar is a daily wage labourer from Bareilly. Kumar allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered the nurse as she was returning home from the hospital. On July 31, the victim's sister filed a missing person report with the local police after she did not come home the previous night. The nurse's body was found by the police on August 8. This incident came to light amid the healthcare communities' widespread protests following the rape and murder of a junior doctor (31-year-old) on the premises of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College on August 9. Opposition leaders and doctors' associations accused the Kolkata Police of a cover-up, claiming that the victim's parents were initially misled into believing their daughter had committed suicide. Mumbai: The Kolkata rape case of a doctor shook the nation, and everyone is demanding justice for the 31-year-old victim. The entire Bollywood has come together and questioned the safety of women and has demanded strong judgment against this heinous crime. Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has shared her long post expressing her grief over the brutal rape incident in Kolkata. The actress in her Instagram post wrote," It's sad that even after 78 years of independence, are women truly free to live without fear? In our "free" India, it's a crying shame that women are still shackled by the chains of injustice. It's high time that such heinous crimes-like gang rapes and killings are met with swift and severe consequences. These sick individuals should FEAR the repercussions due to new and stringent laws! It's a travesty that while we celebrate our country's independence, our women remain insecure and continue to be let down as legal matters drag on endlessly, leaving their families to bear the pain and trauma." In the same post she wrote, "I hope to see a change in the system, with quick and decisive punitive measures, so that women can finally experience freedom without fear. That would be true freedom and independence. My heart bleeds for Dr. Moumita and her family. I plead for justice for her and for every woman who deserves it, within a reasonable time frame. Only when all of our citizens feel safe can we truly experience freedom in a FREE INDIA." Along with the long post in the caption, she asked people to wake up and make the change. The rapist named Sanjay Roy has been arrested by Kolkata police over the brutal rape of the 31-year-old doctor, however, several theories around the rape and murder case have been making headlines. Mumbai: India is celebrating its 78th Independence Day, but are we free? The women in India are still struggling for their freedom and wonder if everything will change. The Kolkata rape case was another eye-opener for the society that women are not even safe at the workplace. The 31-year-old doctor was brutally raped after she was taking a little rest from her 36 long hours shift. This rape incident has shook the nation, but it is anything to change. There have been a lot of Bollywood celebrities who have come out and strongly demanded the reinforcement in-laws over this heinous crime and set an example to the rapists that women aren't objects. Hrithik Roshan demanded an evolved society where men and women should be equally treated. Yes we need to evolve into a society where we ALL feel equally safe. But that is going to take decades. Its going to hopefully happen with sensitizing and empowering our sons and daughters. The next generations will be better. We will get there. Eventually. But what in the Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) August 15, 2024 The actor wrote,"Yes, we need to evolve into a society where we ALL feel equally safe. But that is going to take decades. Its going to hopefully happen with sensitizing and empowering our sons and daughters. The next generations will be better. We will get there. Eventually. But what in the interim ? Right now justice would be to put a hard stop to such atrocities. And the only way to do that is a punishment so harsh that it scares the living daylights out of such perpetrators. Thats what we need. Perhaps ? I stand with the victim's family in seeking justice for their daughter and I stand with all the Doctors that were attacked last night." Malaika Arora shamed the act with a hard-hitting message over the Independence celebration. Suhana Khan mentioned we deserve better. Suhana shared Navya Nanda's post that read, "We deserve better. We will continue to fight for better. Because nothing and no one should ever be able to override the agency and dignity of women". Priyanka Chopra wants everyone to speak up. The actress took to her Instagram and shared the post that read, "Who will speak for her if you dont?" Alia Bhatt said it's another day of realisation that women are NOT safe. Each day as the days pass, the fight for safety over women has been concerning and alarming. Will we see the change? DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) As conflict casts a shadow across the Middle East, people are getting rich in Dubai. The desert sheikdoms economy is buzzing with tourism and construction as it positions itself as a safe haven in a region that's resting on a knifes edge following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. Dubai is in a very unique position. We happen to be the net beneficiary of crisis in the region, for good or bad, Zhann Jochinke, the chief operating officer of real estate consultancy Property Monitor, told The Associated Press. Dubai has a long history of indirectly benefiting from crises in the region. When the ultra-wealthy worry about turmoil, the city offers stability, low taxes and a friendly visa system. The current turmoil has situated Dubai to capitalize once again, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic and Russias invasion of Ukraine. Demand is running red hot in Dubais real estate market, catapulting glitzy properties to record-breaking valuations. Not even historic flooding in April could dampen the bull market. State-backed Emaar Properties, whose name is splashed across Dubais skyline, announced that its development business made $8.1 billion in sales through the first half of the year, up from $5.2 billion over the same time period last year. Across the city, valuations for Dubais upscale villas have set a new record, increasing around 38% in the second quarter of 2024 compared to last year, according to real estate consultancy ValuStrat. The average price for a villa the local term for any freestanding home exceeded $2.7 million for the first time in a decade. Rises in premium apartments are close behind with locations in Palm Jumeirah, a man-made archipelago jutting out into the Persian Sea, already surpassing 2014 peaks. Tariq Shah, the head of sales at Pat & Co., a brokerage firm that deals in high-end properties, said the demand from his clientele seeking to buy has risen exponentially. The demand for luxury is way above the expectation, Shah told the AP. Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport the worlds busiest for international travel saw a record 44.9 million travelers in the first half of this year. Dubai plans to move operations to a nearly $35 billion new airport in the next decade. We are heading for a forecast number for the balance of the year of 91.8 million passengers through DXB, which is again another record for us, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths told the AP. Some 9.3 million tourists visited the global hub through the first half of the year, beating pre-pandemic heights, according to research from the Dubai government-owned bank Emirates NBD. Story continues The city states population has grown from 3.2 million in 2018 to nearly 3.7 million in 2024, with an additional 1.1 million who temporarily live in the city or commute there for work each day. The hereditary monarchy seeks to increase Dubais population to 5.8 million by 2040. But some analysts are asking just how long the record-breaking upswing can last. Some warned that an oversupply of housing could eventually slow the market if demand does not keep pace. From 2025 and 2026, there will be a vast new supply of new units that started construction back in 2021, Tatjana Lescova, an analyst at S&P Global, told the AP. It is by that time that essentially we think the new supply will not be fully absorbed by the market, and this could create the cyclical slowdown. Developers have already completed over 6,000 housing units through the first half of the year, and are expected to finish building another 20,000 by the end of the year, according to the state-run WAM news agency. They are big numbers, but theyre being absorbed, said Property Monitor's Jochinke. People are buying them. New Delhi: The star of the blockbuster film 'KGF', Yash, has expressed his elation following his film's victory at the National Awards. 'KGF' secured the prestigious National Award for Best Kannada Film, underscoring the film's profound impact and the superstar's remarkable performance. Taking to social media, Yash shared his excitement and extended heartfelt congratulations to his peers in the industry. His post read, Heartiest congratulations to all the winners of the National Awards.` A special shoutout to our very own @shetty_rishab , @VKiragandur , Prashanth Neel and the entire @hombalefilms team for the well-deserved recognition for Kantara and KGF 2. Here's to many more heights. This is indeed Kannada cinema's shining moment on the national stage! Heartiest congratulations to all the winners of the National Awards. A special shoutout to our very own @shetty_rishab , @VKiragandur , Prashanth Neel and the entire @hombalefilms team for the well-deserved recognition for Kantara and KGF 2. Here's to many more heights. This is August 16, 2024 Yashs acknowledgment of Rishab Shetty and Hombale Films, the team behind 'Kantara', reflects the spirit of unity and camaraderie within the Kannada film industry. Both 'KGF 2' and 'Kantara' being honored at the National Awards highlights a significant milestone for the regional cinema, showcasing its growing prominence and excellence on a national scale. The National Award for Best Kannada Film adds to the impressive list of accolades for 'KGF', a film that has redefined Indian cinema with its gripping storyline, high-octane action, and memorable performances. Yashs portrayal of Rocky Bhai has become iconic, earning him a cherished place in the hearts of millions. The recognition of both 'KGF' and 'Kantara' marks a proud moment for Kannada cinema, celebrating its remarkable achievements and promising future. New Delhi: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme 18th Installment update -- Farmers waiting for the disbursal of amount under PM Kisan, may get it in the month November. Though there is no official word on the disbursal of the 18th Installment money of PM-KISAN, several media reports have said that Rs 2,000 under the PM-Kisan scheme is likely to be released in November 2024. PM Narendra Modi on on June 18 released the 17th Installment money of the PM-KISAN Yojna under which Rs 2,000 is being credited into the bank account of eligible farmers. The Prime Minister released Rs 20,000 crore to over 9.26 crore beneficiary farmers during an event in Varanasi. The Prime Minster also distributed the certificates to more than 30,000 SHGs trained as Krishi Sakhis to work as para extension worker. (Also read: RBI Extends Kisan Credit Card Interest Subvention Scheme) PM Kisan Samman Nidhi 18th installment: How To check your name in beneficiary list? -Visit official PM KISAN website https://pmkisan.gov.in/ Portal - You will see the map of India under Payment Success tab. - On the right hand side, there will be a yellow coloured tab called "Dashboard" - Click on Dashboard - After clicking, you will be taken to a new page - On the Village Dashboard tab, you will have to fill your complete details - Select the state, district, Sub-District and Panchayat - Then click on show button - After this you can choose your details - Click 'Get Report' button - Now you can see your name in the Beneficiaries list After being sworn in as Prime Minister for the 3rd time, PM Narendra Modi signed his first file authorising the release of 17th instalment of PM Kisan Nidhi. PM Modi said, "Ours is a Government fully committed to Kisan Kalyan. It is therefore fitting that the first file signed on taking charge is related to farmer welfare. We want to keep working even more for the farmers and the agriculture sector in the times to come." The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme, was launched by PM Narendra Modi in 2019, aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions. Under the Scheme, the amount of Rs 6000 per year is released in three monthly instalments of Rs 2000 each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. It was in January this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep urging Indians to explore islands of the country. This led to a social media war of words between Indian netizens and Maldivian politicians that escalted into diplomatic tensions. Maldivian President Dr Mohammad Muizzu has been know for his pro-China stance but lately has been trying to take a measured approach while dealing with New Delhi and Beijing. Shortly after taking office, Muizzu had demanded that India repatriate its military personnel from his country. Following negotiations, India agreed to withdraw its personnel by the mutually set deadline of May 10, replacing them with civilian staff. This move further strained relations between the two nations. Bilateral ties had recently shown signs of improvement following External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's three-day visit, which aimed to ease months of tension since the pro-China Muizzu assumed office last November. During his visit earlier this month, Jaishankar met with the top leadership of the archipelagic nation, including President Muizzu. Prior to this, Muizzu had visited New Delhi for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government in June. The Maldivian Foreign Minister, Moosa Zameer, recently remarked that India has emerged as the world's largest and most diverse democracy, setting an example that inspires many nations, including the Maldives. Reflecting on the long-standing partnership between Maldives and India, which, he said, is rooted in its people and strengthened through our active bilateral cooperation, Zameer reiterated the firm commitment of President Dr Mohammad Muizzu's government to strengthen and deepen the robust relationship between our two countries for the mutual benefit of our people. Zameer was speaking as a chief guest at a function on the 78th Independence Day of India in Male. Calling it an honor to serve as the chief guest at the event, Zameer conveyed warm greetings and best wishes on behalf of President Muizzu, the Government, and the people of the Maldives to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Modi, and the friendly people of India. (I) Congratulated India for their remarkable journey, one of profound significance and inspiration. India has emerged as the world's largest and most diverse democracy that leads by example inspiring many countries, including the Maldives, Zameer posted on X after the event. I reflected on the long-standing partnership between Maldives and India a partnership rooted in its people and strengthened through our active bilateral cooperation, he said. He reiterated the firm commitment of President Dr Muizzu's Government to strengthen and deepen the robust relationship between our two countries for the mutual benefit of our people. Zameer, in his longish post, said he also thanked External Affairs Minister Jaishankar for his unwavering support to enhancing our bilateral ties. He thanked India's ambassador to the Maldives Munu Mahawar for hosting the event. Mahawar, replying to his post, thanked Zameer for gracing this celebration of our lasting friendship and said: We are confident that under the leadership of PM @narendramodi and President @MMuizzu, our relationship will scale new heights and the bonds of friendship will become even stronger. Earlier, the Indian mission said in a post on X: The iconic Olympus Hall witnessed an enthralling symphony of Indian and Maldivian vocal and dance performances at Connecting Cultures.' The well-attended programme held at the iconic Olympus Hall witnessed an enthralling symphony of Indian and Maldivian vocal and dance performances, including a medley of Indian and Maldivian songs and special dance performances by artists from India and Maldives. By Nora Buli ARENDAL, Norway (Reuters) - Battery start-up Morrow on Friday opened Norway's first battery cell production site on the country's south coast, with plans to deliver the first units by the end of the year and adding more production step by step. Battery cell production is one new industry Norway is keen to enter, hoping to benefit from access to green power and proximity to European customers keen to source batteries away from China. Founded in 2020, Morrow Batteries will initially use existing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology and its plant in Arendal, southern Norway, is Europe's first gigawatt LFP factory. "The important thing is for us to start selling batteries closer to the year end," CEO Lars Christian Bacher told Reuters. The company has secured a delivery agreement for 5.5 gigawatt hours (GWh) over seven years with Nordic Batteries, which builds customised storage solutions. The first months will be spent tweaking the process, improving quality and get to a stable production of battery cells, he added. "I'd rather have problems when you are in the process of starting up than having problems two years down the road when you are into stable production," Bacher said. Each of Morrow's cells has a capacity of 340 watt hours and weighs 2 kilograms, with the factory's 1 gigawatt hour annual output equating to some 3 million units. This would be enough to equip 20,000 smaller electric cars, which typically have a battery capacity of 50 kilowatt hours (kWh), Andreas Maier, Morrow's chief operating officer, said. However, offtake agreements with car manufacturers are not yet on the cards, with initial production volumes too small, CEO Bacher said. "It will take years for us to qualify for selling batteries to an automotive company." Still, Morrow plans to expand production step by step with three more facilities at the Arendal site by 2029, which will have an annual capacity of 14 GWh each. Early investors in Morrow include local utility A Energi, engineering firms ABB and Siemens, Danish pension funds PKA and Norwegian state-owned green investment firm Nysnoe. (This story has been corrected to fix the name of the CEO from Christian Bacher to Lars Christian Bacher, in paragraph 4) (Reporting by Nora Buli; editing by David Evans) I'm a longtime Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) bull. But even I'm concerned about what's happening with Nvidia stock right now. Consider this: Nvidia's stock has experienced its first 20% drawdown since the start of 2023. NVDA Chart In other words, the market finally found a gap in Nvidia's armor. Sure, Nvidia has already bounced off its lows and could recover and make new highs, but is it time to worry that Nvidia's flawless longer-term bull run is coming to an end? Let's dive in and see. Image source: Getty Images. What's happening with Nvidia? Since reaching an all-time high of $140.76 in June, Nvidia shares fell by 27%. That may not seem like all that much. Yet, bear in mind, at its peak, Nvidia boasted a market cap of more than $3.2 trillion -- making it briefly the world's largest public company. During its drawdown, it shed more than $650 billion in value -- roughly equivalent to the total market cap of Tesla, America's 10th-largest company. In other words, Nvidia's recent sell-off is a big deal. And not just because of the value it has lost -- after all, that could be recovered in a similarly short amount of time. No, the bigger concerns are why Nvidia dropped so steeply and whether it could have been the result of fundamental weakness for the company and its stock. Let's see what the numbers say. Tale of the tape: How does Nvidia measure up? It's true: Nvidia's stock has skyrocketed over the last few years. So, let's boil down what's behind that success. In my opinion, it comes down to two key factors: Rising sales Rising expectations of future sales To put it another way, Nvidia's stock has skyrocketed because its revenue is way up, and expectations of its future revenue keep increasing, too. So, can that continue? If you look at Nvidia's revenue over the past two years, it's easy to see why its stock has exploded higher. The company has roughly tripled its revenue from $25 billion/year to over $75 billion/year on the back of massive graphics processing unit (GPU) sales -- the "brains" behind artificial intelligence (AI). But that's not the only reason for the stock's success. Along with this massive revenue growth, investors have been willing to pay far more for each dollar in revenue based on increased expectations of future revenue growth. That's why Nvidia's price-to-sales (P/S) ratio has also risen. In 2022, it bottomed under 10 times. However, just a few weeks ago, Nvidia's P/S ratio was an astonishing 42 times. NVDA PS Ratio Chart The only way to explain this change is that investors expect Nvidia's sales to grow -- rapidly. Indeed, analysts expect Nvidia to double its sales to nearly $120 billion this year. However, this is where concerns begin to bubble up. Story continues What if those same analysts temper their expectations for Nvidia's revenue growth or, even worse, begin to lower those sales estimates? That would call into question the massive valuation premium investors have been paying (as represented by Nvidia's P/S ratio) and, in turn, result in another significant sell-off in the stock. For some answers about whether this is possible, let's examine this chart, which shows how Wall Street analysts have adjusted their revenue estimates over the last three years. NVDA Revenue Estimates for 2 Quarters Ahead, 30 Day % Change Chart NVDA Revenue Estimates for 2 Quarters Ahead, 30 Day % Change data by YCharts This chart shows how much analysts have adjusted their estimates of Nvidia's future revenue (two quarters away) over the last 30 days. Peaks represent large increases (good for the stock); valleys represent decreases (bad for the stock). As you can see, there have been far more peaks than valleys over the last two years. However, those peaks have been decreasing in size. That means that with each quarterly report, analysts have been closer to matching Nvidia's sales guidance. In other words, Wall Street's expectations are starting to catch up to reality. If that trend holds, those factors should reach equilibrium, then perhaps reverse -- company guidance may fall below expectations, and analysts will have to cut their revenue forecasts, resulting in valleys on this chart and a falling share price for Nvidia. What's the takeaway for investors? To sum it up, Nvidia's stock has been on a rocket ride for almost two years. Similarly, its sales and sales expectations have taken off, too. Yet, those high expectations have also driven up its stock valuation. In turn, the stock is highly vulnerable to a sharp downturn. Investors should be cautious with Nvidia stock. Even though the company remains well positioned for the long term, volatility in the short term means the stock is not a good match for some investment portfolios right now. Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now? Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Nvidia wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $752,835!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of August 12, 2024 Jake Lerch has positions in Nvidia and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Nvidia Sell-Off: Is It Time to Be Concerned? was originally published by The Motley Fool By Shariq Khan NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices settled down nearly 2% on Friday, little changed on the week with Brent crude below $80 a barrel, as investors tempered expectations of demand growth from top oil importer China. Brent crude futures fell $1.36, or 1.7%, to settle at $79.68 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures declined by $1.51, or 1.9%, to $76.65. Last week, Brent crude ended at $79.66 a barrel and WTI closed at $76.84. On Thursday, data from China showed its economy lost momentum in July, with new home prices falling at the fastest pace in nine years, industrial output slowing and unemployment rising. That has stoked worries among traders about a slump in demand from the top oil importer, where refineries sharply cut crude processing rates last month on tepid fuel demand. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Monday cut its forecast for this year's oil demand growth, citing softness in China. The Paris-based International Energy Agency also cited weak demand in China when it slashed its 2025 forecasts on Tuesday. "It has been a volatile week in oil markets: on one hand you had fears of supply disruptions from a wider Middle East war, but on the other, slowing growth in China forced revisions of demand forecasts," said Andrew Lipow, president of energy consultancy Lipow Oil Associates. Oil futures rallied at the start of the week as traders braced for retaliation by Iran against Israel over the slaying of a Hamas leader in Tehran last month. But some of that risk was priced out because Iran has not struck yet, analysts at Commerzbank Research wrote on Friday. "At least so far, supply disruptions have been more theoretical than actual," said Brett Friedman, contributor for market data provider OptionMetrics. "That allows the market to focus on the demand side," Friedman said. A fresh round of Gaza ceasefire talks began on Thursday in Qatar. It has been paused until next week, with involved parties sending mixed signals on progress. "Provided the situation in the Middle East does not escalate further, the oil price is likely to tread water," the Commerzbank analysts said. A string of data releases from the U.S. kept a floor under oil prices: retail sales beat analysts' expectations, and fewer Americans filed new jobless claims last week, sparking renewed optimism around economic growth in the biggest oil market. Oil prices could lack direction until the U.S. Federal Reserve decides whether to cut interest rates at its September meeting, independent oil analyst Gaurav Sharma said. Story continues Low liquidity likely fed price volatility this week as many European and North American investors were still on holiday, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said. (Reporting by Shariq Khan in New York and Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan in Singapore; editing by Jane Merriman, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter and David Gregorio) How do you explain the price difference when a Palm Beach house sells for a recorded $6.5 million after being listed for sale at nearly $13 million? And asking price aside, the just-closed sale price of the house at 255 Ridgeview Drive recorded at $5 million less than the amount the sellers paid for the home a little more than two years ago. A single phrase might address those steep discounts: extenuating circumstances. In any case, the eyebrow-raising sale price for the North End house appears to be a one-off, even in a market that has seen its share of price reductions over the past year. A company controlled by developer and real estate investor Todd Michael Glaser of Palm Beach and Miami Beach bought the four-bedroom house, which was built in 2004 but recently renovated. Glaser wouldnt discuss specifics of the sale or what led to the sale price. But he did say he and his decorator wife, Kim, would furnish and relist the house during the upcoming season. The developer has bought, sold, renovated and built on speculation a number of Palm Beach homes over the past several years through his eponymous real estate company, Todd Michael Glaser. An extensively updated four-bedroom house at 255 Ridgeview Drive in Palm Beach has sold for a recorded $6.5 million after being listed at $12.95 million. A divorced couple sold the North End house to a company controlled by developer Todd Michael Glaser. Glaser chose his words carefully when asked about the sale by the Palm Beach Daily News. Opportunities arise when youre ready to act and you take advantage of it, Glaser said. It happens in the (luxury) car market, the watch market, the art market. Broker Christian Angle of Christian Angle Real Estate, who handled both sides of the sale, couldnt be reached for comment. On the sellers side were Mary Elizabeth Porter and her ex-husband, Michael Porter, according to the deed recorded Aug. 8 by the Palm Beach County Clerks office. They were married, however, when they bought the house in June 2022 for a recorded $11.5 million, or $1 million over its asking price, according to records in the multiple listing service. With ties to Texas, they owned the house individually and as trustees of trusts in their names. Each had a 50% ownership interest. Last summer, Mary Porter filed for a divorce, which was granted in September, according to Texas court records filed with the Gillespie County Clerks office. Mary Porter is a daughter of the late Virginia media mogul Frank Batten Sr., who founded The Weather Channel and sold it in 2008 the year before his death for a reported $3.5 billion. Just sold for $6.5 million after being listed at $12.95 million, a four-bedroom house at 255 Ridgeview Drive in Palm Beach's North End has a swimming pool in the front yard. The deed for the Porters 2022 purchase on Ridgeview Drive listed their address as Cross Creek Ranch, their 1,500-acre ranch in Doss, Texas, an unincorporated Hill Country community in Gillespie County, about 100 miles northwest of Austin. Although the ranch has cattle and farming operations, it also offers hunting and sportsmanship activities, according to its website. Story continues While they were married, the couple became well known in Texan conservative political circles when they made two $1 million donations one in 2017 and the other in 2019 to Republican Gov. Greg Abbots ultimately successful re-election campaign. The donations reportedly were among the largest of the gubernatorial election cycle. After the first of those donations, Michael Porter told the Austin American-Statesman he and his wife were very, very, very private people. In 2022, the couple founded a political action committee, Texans for Responsible Government, to support Republican candidates. The PAC was jump-started with a $1 million donation made by Michael Porter, according to published reports. Mary Porter and Michael Porter couldnt be reached for comment. The house on Ridgeview Drive had been listed for sale since June 2023, but the sale likely came together within a couple of weeks of the closing, according to people familiar with the transaction. The sale closed Aug. 5, the MLS shows. The deed recording the sale lists the address of the trusts that sold the house as a condominium Mary Porter owns through her trust in Charleston, South Carolina. The house at 255 Ridgeview Drive in Palm Beach has an outdoor patio designed for entertaining Angle had originally listed the Palm Beach house at $13.9 million but reduced the price to $12.95 million in March. The house has 4,143 square feet of living space, inside and out. The bulk of the residence is tucked behind the two-car garage and a hedge-bordered front yard with a swimming pool. The house stands on a quarter-acre lot a couple of blocks south of Palm Beach Country Club. The sales description said the house is stunning, light and bright with an open-floor layout that includes an eat-in kitchen, dining area and living room. The main bedroom suite has bay windows and two walk-in closets. The great room at 225 Ridgeview Drive in Palm Beach has a deep tray ceiling. Glass doors at the rear open onto the patio. The house was renovated for resale by previous owners, who sold it in 2021 to Douglas Leon Williams and his wife, Gabrielle Jean Sirchio for its asking price of $5.35 million. They, in turn, sold it to the Porters, who were represented in that deal by Angle, with agent Gary Pohrer of Douglas Elliman Real Estate acting on behalf of Williams and Sirchio. Palm Beach Board of Realtors President John Pinson, who wasnt involved with the recent deal on Ridgeview Drive, acknowledged that some real estate transactions arent as cut-and-dried as they might appear on paper. There can be extenuating circumstances. Theres more to an offer than the price, he said. And sometimes, when theres cash on the barrel, the sale is quick. He added: It pays to make offers. The worst thing a seller can say is no. The amount paid in the Ridgeview Drive sale almost certainly will prove to be simply a blip on the overall real estate scene, said Corcoran Group agent Dana Koch, who wasnt involved in the transaction. One sale, Koch said, does not make a market. * Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly Beyond the Hedges column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Email dhofheinz@pbdailynews.com, call 561-820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz. Subscribe today to support our journalism. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach house asks $13M and sells for $6.5M. What's the story? The Philippines is sending a new coastguard vessel to strengthen its hold over a disputed reef in the South China Sea, according to Chinese monitors who predicted a "forceful response" from Beijing. The BRP Melchora Aquino is currently en route to the Sabina Shoal and is expected to arrive on Friday, according to the Beijing-based South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI). The uninhabited reef in the Spratly Islands has been the scene of a stand-off between the two sides since April, when one of the most advanced Philippine coastguard ships, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, arrived at the site. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Manila said the ship had been sent there after receiving reports that China was trying to carry out land reclamation works. Beijing rejected the accusation and said the Philippines was trying to deliver building materials to establish a permanent outpost there - something that was in turn denied. The SCSPI said the Melchora Aquino was likely to swap places with the Teresa Magbanua to maintain Philippine control over the reef. "[The latest deployment] will only deepen China's suspicion that the Philippines wants to permanently occupy the Sabina Shoal," said Hu Bo, the SCSPI director. "So China is likely to take resolute action." Graphic: SCMP / Mapcreator alt=Graphic: SCMP / Mapcreator> Hu added: "China didn't know the intention of the ship [Teresa Magbanua] when it entered the area last time... this time they will not easily let go of the BRP Melchora Aquino." The two Kunigami-class ships were built in Japan and are among the most advanced and expensive Philippine coastguard vessels. China has sent its own ships to the reef, including the world's largest coastguard vessel, the 12,000-tonne CCG-5901, to keep watch over the Philippine ship, which has reportedly carried out flag-raising ceremonies and land and water surveys. Sabina Shoal, known as Xianbin Reef in China and Escoda Shoal in the Philippines, falls within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile (370km) exclusive economic zone but is also claimed by China. The Second Thomas Shoal, the main flashpoint between the two sides in recent months, also falls within this area and Beijing is worried the situation there will be repeated at Sabina Shoal. The Philippines grounded a Second World War landing craft at the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 and has maintained a military presence ever since. Story continues Attempts to resupply the troops stationed there have led to a series of clashes between the two sides in recent months, including collisions between ships The most serious incident happened in June when the Chinese side intercepted a Philippine naval vessel, resulting in injuries to eight Philippine sailors, including one who lost a thumb. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. By Nivedita Balu TORONTO (Reuters) -Royal Bank of Canada filed a countersuit against ousted CFO Nadine Ahn on Friday, detailing findings of its internal investigation into her alleged intimate relationship with a subordinate, and accusing her of breaching its code of conduct. Ahn sued RBC last week for wrongful termination and alleged that "gender-based stereotyping" was a factor in her dismissal. She has sued RBC for nearly C$50 million ($36.56 million). In April, RBC, Canada's biggest bank, said it had terminated Ahn after its investigation found she was in an undisclosed close personal relationship with another executive, Ken Mason, that led to his preferential treatment including promotions and compensation increases. Mason has also sued the bank for about C$20 million for wrongful termination and has denied any close personal relationship with Ahn. In its statement of defense and counterclaim filed with the Ontario Court of Justice, RBC said it received an anonymous whistle-blower complaint that Ahn and Mason were engaged in an intimate relationship. RBC said it reviewed electronic communications maintained on its systems and found through its investigation that Ahn and Mason regularly used personal and work devices to communicate. The court filing detailed Ahn and Mason's relationship starting in 2013 or earlier, highlighting their dates, poems written by Mason, intimate email exchanges and what the bank said was code they used to describe meeting for drinks. RBC said Ahn should repay RBC about C$3.3 million for payments related to its performance-based deferred share unit program, short-term incentive program and gains on the exercise of RBC stock options. Ahn's intervention led to Mason receiving total compensation increases amounting to 58% over two fiscal years starting in 2021, and she made the decision to promote Mason as vice president and head of capital and term funding in 2023, the bank said. Lawyers for Ahn, 53, and Mason, 57, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the countersuit. In her wrongful termination lawsuit, Ahn said the bank's allegations were "patently false" and her successes, career and reputation were destroyed in an instant by the bank. A spokesperson for RBC said on Friday it had been disappointed to learn the allegations were true. Ahn was a "highly respected member" of the executive team with fiduciary responsibilities and the bank had "great confidence in her abilities," the spokesperson said. "Contrary to the statements of claim from Ahn and Mason, the investigation showed there was an undisclosed close personal relationship, and that Ahn misused her authority as CFO to directly benefit Mason," the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that all senior executives have a duty to follow its code of conduct. Story continues ($1 = 1.3676 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Toronto; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Muralikumar Anantharaman) Nearly a year after AI-generated nude images of high school girls upended a community in southern Spain, a juvenile court this summer sentenced 15 of their classmates to a year of probation. But the artificial intelligence tool used to create the harmful deepfakes is still easily accessible on the internet, promising to undress any photo" uploaded to the website within seconds. Now a new effort to shut down the app and others like it is being pursued in California, where San Francisco this week filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that experts say could set a precedent but will also face many hurdles. The proliferation of these images has exploited a shocking number of women and girls across the globe, said David Chiu, the elected city attorney of San Francisco who brought the case against a group of widely visited websites tied to entities in California, New Mexico, Estonia, Serbia, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. These images are used to bully, humiliate and threaten women and girls," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "And the impact on the victims has been devastating on their reputation, mental health, loss of autonomy, and in some instances, causing some to become suicidal. The lawsuit brought on behalf of the people of California alleges that the services broke numerous state laws against fraudulent business practices, nonconsensual pornography and the sexual abuse of children. But it can be hard to determine who runs the apps, which are unavailable in phone app stores but still easily found on the internet. Contacted late last year by the AP, one service claimed by email that its "CEO is based and moves throughout the USA but declined to provide any evidence or answer other questions. The AP is not naming the specific apps being sued in order to not promote them. There are a number of sites where we dont know at this moment exactly who these operators are and where theyre operating from, but we have investigative tools and subpoena authority to dig into that, Chiu said. And we will certainly utilize our powers in the course of this litigation. Many of the tools are being used to create realistic fakes that nudify" photos of clothed adult women, including celebrities, without their consent. But they have also popped up in schools around the world, from Australia to Beverly Hills in California, typically with boys creating the images of female classmates that then circulate through social media. In one of the first widely publicized cases last September in Almendralejo, Spain, a physician who helped bring it to the public's attention after her daughter was among the victims said she is satisfied by the severity of the sentence their classmates are facing after a court decision earlier this summer. Story continues But it is not only the responsibility of society, of education, of parents and schools, but also the responsibility of the digital giants that profit from all this garbage, Dr. Miriam Al Adib Mendiri said in an interview Friday. She applauded San Francisco's action but said more efforts are needed, including from bigger companies like California-based Meta Platforms and its subsidiary WhatsApp, which was used to circulate the images in Spain. While schools and law enforcement agencies have sought to punish those who make and share the deepfakes, authorities have struggled with what to do about the tools themselves. In January, the executive branch of the European Union explained in a letter to a Spanish member of the European Parliament that the app used in Almendralejo does not appear to fall under the blocs sweeping new rules for bolstering online safety because it is not a big enough platform. Organizations that have been tracking the growth of AI-generated child sexual abuse material will be closely following the San Francisco case. The lawsuit "has the potential to set legal precedent in this area, said Emily Slifer, the director of policy at Thorn, an organization that works to combat the sexual exploitation of children. A researcher at Stanford University said that because so many of the defendants are based outside the U.S., it will be harder to bring them to justice. Chiu has an uphill battle with this case, but may be able to get some of the sites taken offline if the defendants running them ignore the lawsuit, said Stanford's Riana Pfefferkorn. She said that could happen if the city wins by default in their absence and obtains orders affecting domain-name registrars, web hosts and payment processors that would effectively shutter those sites even if their owners never appear in the litigation. By Jody Godoy (Reuters) - TikTok told a federal appeals court on Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice has misstated the social media app's ties to China, urging the court to overturn a law requiring China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. assets or face a ban. TikTok, which has sued to overturn the law, said the Justice Department has made factual errors in the case. The department's lawyers said last month that the app poses a national security risk by allowing the Chinese government to collect the data of Americans and covertly manipulate what content they see. TikTok said on Thursday it is undisputed that the app's content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the U.S. on cloud servers operated by Oracle and that content moderation decisions that affect U.S. users are made in the U.S. Signed by President Joe Biden on April 24, the law gives ByteDance until Jan. 19 to sell TikTok or face a ban. The White House says it wants to see Chinese-based ownership ended on national security grounds, but not a ban on TikTok. The appeals court will hold oral arguments on the legal challenge on Sept. 16, putting the issue of TikTok's fate into the final weeks of the Nov. 5 presidential election. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has joined TikTok and said in June he would never support a TikTok ban. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, joined TikTok in July and leaned in to social media as part of her campaign strategy. TikTok argued on Thursday that the law would strip the company of its free-speech rights, arguing against the Justice Department's claim that the short video app's content curation decisions are "the speech of a foreigner" and not protected by the U.S. Constitution. "By the government's logic, a U.S. newspaper that republishes the content of a foreign publication - Reuters, for example - would lack constitutional protection," the company said. The law prohibits app stores like Apple, and Alphabet's Google, from offering TikTok and bars internet hosting services from supporting TikTok unless it is divested by ByteDance. Driven by worries among U.S. lawmakers that China could access data on Americans or spy on them with the app, Congress overwhelmingly passed the measure just weeks after it was introduced. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) Performance Food Group's (NYSE: PFGC) shares were performing very well over the past few trading sessions, to the point where they were up by nearly 12% in price week to date as of early Friday morning. That's according to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The main reason why wasn't exactly a mystery -- the comestibles company posted a very encouraging quarterly earnings report. A convincing earnings beat Performance served up its fiscal fourth-quarter results well before market open on Tuesday, revealing that its net sales rose by more than 2% to $15.2 billion for the period. Net income saw a more dramatic increase, rising by almost 11% to $166.5 million. On a per-share, non-GAAP (adjusted) basis the difference was even starker -- net income landed at $1.45, against fiscal fourth-quarter 2023's $1.14. With those numbers, Performance missed narrowly on net sales. Analysts tracking the stock were collectively expecting nearly $15.3 for that line item. However, the company's adjusted profitability nicely topped expectations, as the average prognosticator estimate was only $1.37 per share. The company plans to grow at least partially though acquisitions. The morning of its earnings announcement it also said that it intended to acquire Florida-based food service distributor Cheney Brothers. The price is roughly $2.1 billion, which will be paid fully in cash, and the deal is expected to close in calendar 2025. $15 billion-plus expected in fiscal 2025 Performance also proffered guidance for the entirety of its fiscal 2025. For the period, it is modeling net sales of $15.2 billion to $15.5 billion. This should filter down into adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $400 million to $420 million. As with the second-quarter top-line figure, that range doesn't quite reach the average analyst estimate -- in this case the collective pundit projection is $15.57 billion. Should you invest $1,000 in Performance Food Group right now? Before you buy stock in Performance Food Group, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Performance Food Group wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $723,545!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. Story continues See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of August 12, 2024 Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Performance Food Group Stock Was Vaulting High This Week was originally published by The Motley Fool Shares of Swedish-Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Polestar Automotive (NASDAQ: PSNY) were trading sharply higher on Friday after the company said it had begun production of a new electric SUV in the United States. As of 11:30 a.m. ET, Polestar's shares were up about 16.6% from Thursday's closing price. Polestar is now making its family-sized electric SUV in the U.S. Polestar said it has begun production of the Polestar 3, an upscale electric SUV, at a South Carolina factory owned by Volvo Cars. Polestar is a joint venture between Volvo Cars and Volvo's corporate parent, Chinese automaker Geely Automobile Holding. A U.S.-built Polestar 3. The company is moving to make more of its models outside of China in a bid to avoid tariffs in the U.S. and E.U. Image source: Polestar. Polestar's headquarters is in Sweden. But until this week, all Polestar EVs destined for the U.S. and European markets were made at a Geely plant in China. Polestar's stock has slumped significantly this year on concerns that tariffs in the European Union and the U.S. will make Polestar's China-built EVs uncompetitive. The new Polestar 3 is a three-row SUV designed with the U.S. market in mind. Production began in China late last year. Polestar 3s built in South Carolina will be sold in both the U.S. and Europe in a bid to avoid steep tariffs. Polestar will build another model outside of China in 2025 Polestar reiterated plans to begin building its Polestar 4, a smaller sporty crossover currently built in China, in South Korea in 2025 -- again, to avoid tariffs. The company also resolved a lingering compliance issue with the Securities and Exchange Commission by filing its Form 20-F annual report earlier this week. Polestar will report its second-quarter results before the U.S. markets open on Thursday, Aug. 29. Should you invest $1,000 in Polestar Automotive Uk Plc right now? Before you buy stock in Polestar Automotive Uk Plc, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Polestar Automotive Uk Plc wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $752,835!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of August 12, 2024 Story continues John Rosevear has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Polestar Stock Is Surging Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Conestoga Capital Advisors, an asset management company, released its SMid Cap Strategy second-quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The second quarter of 2024 may be regarded as a time of moderation. Economic indicators largely reflected slowing growth and easing inflation. Equity markets are also driven by moderation theme. Large-cap stocks, as measured by the S&P 500, rose 3.9% in the second quarter, however, small-cap stocks lagged again, with the Russell 2000 Index declining -3.3% and the Russell 2000 Growth Index declining -2.9%. The strategy declined -4.82% net-of-fees in the quarter compared to -4.22% return for the Russell 2500 Growth Index. Stock selection effects in the Health Care and Consumer Discretionary sectors were the primary drivers of underperformance and were partially offset by positive contributions in the Technology and Industrials sectors. In addition, please check the funds top five holdings to know its best picks in 2024. Conestoga Capital Advisors highlighted stocks like Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL), in the second quarter 2024 investor letter. Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) offers integrated information management solutions and services for the public sector. The one-month return of Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) was 11.00%, and its shares gained 56.38% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On August 15, 2024, Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) stock closed at $582.01 per share with a market capitalization of $24.836 billion. Conestoga Capital Advisors stated the following regarding Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) in its Q2 2024 investor letter: "Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL): In late April, TYL reported another strong quarter which continued to demonstrate its strong competitive position and business model. As a leading provider of software to the public safety as well as the local municipal and state governments, TYL reported revenue and earnings well above Street expectations, and also raised guidance for 2024. TYLs 1Q24 bookings and recurring revenues increased. Recurring revenues are now 84% of revenue." A close-up of a businessman in corporate attire discussing financial management solutions with a client. Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) is not on our list of 31 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 25 hedge fund portfolios held Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) at the end of the first quarter which was 29 in the previous quarter. In the second quarter Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) generated $541 million in revenues, up 7.3% and organically grew 6.5%. While we acknowledge the potential of Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as NVIDIA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. Story continues In another article, we discussed Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL) and shared Artisan Mid Cap Fund's views on the company. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2024 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. READ NEXT: Michael Burry Is Selling These Stocks and A New Dawn Is Coming to US Stocks. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. The world's longest railway tunnels Click here to read our updated list of the longest railway tunnels in the world Exploring the Longest Railway Tunnels Worldwide Seikan Tunnel, Japan The 53.85km Seikan tunnel in Japan is the longest and deepest rail tunnel in the world. It passes through Tsugaru Strait connecting the Hokkaido and Honshu islands. It was built 100m below the seabed and includes a 23.3km submarine portion. It was officially opened in March 1988 and is used for the operation of express trains. The tunnel was sponsored by Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency and is operated by JR Hokkaido. The internal height and width of the tunnel is 7.85m and 9.7m respectively. The tunnel was built using 168,000t of steel, 1.74 million cubic metres of concrete and 2,860t of explosives. Seikan Construction Bureau was the main construction contractor. Two stations, Tappi Kaitei and Yoshioka Kaitei, are located inside the tunnel. Channel Tunnel, UK The 50.5km long Channel tunnel, located on the English Channel in the UK and France borders, is the longest undersea rail tunnel in the world. It connects Folkestone in Kent, UK, to Coquelles in Pas-de-Calais, France. The tunnel was opened for operations in 1994 after nearly six years of construction and cost $14.7bn. It recently won the Global Engineering 'Century Award' by the international federation of civil engineering consultants, FIDIC. The two terminals are linked by three tunnels, including a 9.3km underground tunnel in UK, 38km undersea tunnel and 3.2km underground tunnel in France. In addition there is a service tunnel which allows access to maintenance and emergency rescue teams. The three rail tunnels have a diameter of 7.6m, whereas the service tunnel has a diameter of 4.8m. A total of 11 tunnel boring machines (TBM) dug the tunnel, which runs 40m below the English Channel. The UK's first high-speed railway line High Speed 1 links central London with Europe's rail network through the Channel tunnel. Eurotunnel (ET), a joint bi-national company formed by Channel Tunnel Group (UK) and France Manche (France), owns and operates the tunnel. Related suppliers: Infrastructure Engineering and Maintenance Lotschberg Base Tunnel, Switzerland Lotschberg Base Tunnel, built through the Alps in Switzerland, is the third longest railway tunnel in the world. The 34.6km long tunnel allows passenger and freight trains operated by BLS on the Lotschberg line. The tunnel includes a non-ballasted track on which trains run at 250kmph. The tunnel construction began in April 2005 and was completed in 2006. It was opened for full scale operations in December 2007. Around 20% of the tunnel was constructed by using tunnel boring machines, and the rest through conventional blasting techniques. Excavated material in the tunnel amounted to 16 million tonnes. Story continues The tunnel was designed with twin single-track tubes, but it was only half finished as only one of the tubes was fully equipped, while the second tube was left largely as a shell. The two tubes are interconnected by transverse tunnels at 333m intervals. Guadarrama Rail Tunnel, Spain Guadarrama is the longest twin-tube rail tunnel in Spain and fourth longest in the world. The 28.4km tunnel is dug through Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range for the high speed railway between Madrid and Valladolid. The two parallel tunnels are 30m apart, measured from their central axes. The tunnel was constructed between 2002 and 2007 using TBMs built by Herrenknecht and Wirth. Spanish state-owned company Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF) sponsored the project. FCC Construction built the northern part of the tunnel. The interior diameter of the tunnel is 8.5m, whereas the excavation diameter is 9.45m. Interconnection passages located every 250m connect the two tunnels. An emergency room located in the middle of tunnel accommodates up to 1,200 people. Related suppliers: Track Engineering and Construction Taihang Tunnel, China Taihang Tunnel, located in Taihang Mountains in China, is the fifth longest railway tunnel in the world. The 27.8km long twin tube tunnel was built as part of Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan railway project to cross the Taihang Mountains. Construction of the tunnel was completed in December 2007. The tunnel passes through Yue Xiao, the main ridge of Taihang Mountains, with a maximum cover of 445m. The left track has a length of 27,839m, while the right track is 27,848m long. The distance between the two tubes is 35m. The tunnel was designed by Poyry. Hakkoda Tunnel, Japan Hakkoda tunnel, with a length of 26.45km, is the longest land-based double track railway tunnel in Japan, and sixth longest in the world. It is located in the northern end of Hakkoda Mountain between Tenmabayashi-mura and Aomori City in Aomori Prefecture in Japan. The tunnel is part of the Tohoku Shinkansen railway and was sponsored by Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT). It was built as part of the extension of Tohoku Shinkansen from Hachinohe to Shin Aomori. Tunnel construction began in August 1998 and was completed in February 2005 using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). Kajima joint venture built the Otsubo section of the tunnel. Related suppliers: Track and Rail Maintenance and Safety Equipment Iwate-Ichinohe Tunnel, Japan Iwate-Ichinohe tunnel in Japan ranks seventh among the world's longest railway tunnels. Also built as part of the Tohoku Shinkansen railway, it has an overall length of 25.81km. Tunnel construction began in August 1991. It was completed in 2000 and operations began in 2002. The tunnel services were, however, suspended following an earthquake in 2011. The tunnel design features a single bore twin track with a horseshoe shape. It is 9.8m wide and 7.7m high in cross-section. Construction methods used included the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), drill and blast or mechanical excavation, and full face or bench cut methods. Daishimizu Tunnel, Japan The 22km Daishimizu tunnel is the eighth longest rail tunnel in the world. It is located on the Joetsu Shinkansen line in Japan. It reduced the travel time between Niigata and Tokyo to about one hour and forty minutes. Drill and blast excavation methods were used to build the tunnel through the Mikuni mountain range. The steep geography of the location called for the division of construction into six sections by means of access shafts. Evacuation points were created at less than 10km intervals. Natural water was found during the construction of the tunnel. A fire accident also occurred during the tunnel's construction, resulting in the death of 16 workers. Wushaoling Tunnel, China Wushaoling tunnel, the ninth longest rail tunnel in the world, has an overall length of 21.05km. It is located at Gansu province in China and was constructed as part of the Lanxin (Lanzhou-Xinjiang) high-speed railway line. Tunnel construction began in November 2002. It was built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method in a geologically challenging fault zone. Lingyuan Iron supplied 4,360t of steel for the tunnel's construction. The tunnel includes two bores separated by 40m. It was bored to a maximum depth of 1,100m. It is designed for a maximum speed of 160km/h. Geumjeong Tunnel, South Korea The 20.3km long Geumjeong tunnel is the tenth longest rail tunnel in the world. It is part of the Seoul-Busan high-speed rail line. The tunnel, bored through the Geumjeong Mountain, connects Nopo district with Busanjin station in Busan. Geumjeong is also South Korea's longest rail tunnel. It is located more than 300m below ground. It has a width of 14m and height of 12m. Korea Rail Network Authority owns the tunnel. Construction of the tunnel was carried out in three sections that were fully completed in 2009. The first two sections were opened in 2008. The last section connecting Nopo-dong and Hwamyeong-dong was completed in February 2009. Related content Top ten fastest trains in the world Europeans and Asians currently operate the fastest high speed trains in the world, regularly commuting on trains such as the Shanghai Maglev and Harmony CRH 380A. The longest high speed rail networks in China The rapid expansion of high speed rail networks in China has attracted much attention. "The worlds longest railway tunnels" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Although the Colorado Supreme Court acknowledged on Monday that a Saguache County judge was disqualified by law from presiding over a criminal case because she briefly represented the defendant before her appointment to the bench, a majority concluded there was nothing it could do because the defense knew about the conflict and stayed silent. It didn't come close to breaking Zoom like some of the virtual campaign rallies that inspired Colorado Democrats to hold one of their own have but last week's local version connected hundreds of in-state Kamala Harris supporters and helped kick off what the party says already looks like a record-breaking fundraising month. Lawmakers and business groups welcomed the governor's decision to convene a special session in order to pass a compromise that offers more property tax relief in exchange for pulling from the ballot two ballot initiatives that seek deeper cuts than what the Colorado General Assembly earlier adopted. To preserve the integrity of the agreement, Gov. Jared Polis said he will not sign any legislation out of the special session until Propositions 108 and Initiative 50 are pulled from the ballot. It's the second time in less than a year that Polis has convened the legislature for a special session on property tax. In giving his blessings to the compromise, the governor rejected pleas from an association representing special taxing districts and the state's biggest teachers' union, which argued against negotiating with Advance Colorado and other proponents of Propositions 108 and 50. Colorado Concern President and CEO Dave Davia applauded the governor's decision and the imminent compromise legislation. "Its time to make Colorado more affordable and focusing on the rising property tax issue is a critical first step for homeowners and small businesses across our state, Davia said. Michael Fields of Advance Colorado, which is behind the two tax initiatives, said the compromise, which includes a property tax cut and growth cap, provides "permanent tax relief that Coloradans have been demanding and will prevent future spikes in property tax bills going forward." This is the result of two years of consistent pro-taxpayer advocacy to ensure that we can solve the current property tax crisis for the benefit of Colorado families and businesses, he said. The groups behind the two initiatives said the compromise means nearly $1.6 billion in annual tax savings to Coloradans. Lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle agreed the special session is the right step, though they offered different reasons for supporting it. To Democrats, the two ballot initiatives pose risks to an array of public services. To Republicans, the compromise offers an opportunity for the state to provide a more meaningful relief to soaring property taxes, though it won't completely erase people's "pain." Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, who has been one of the strongest advocates for a compromise, said the deal will benefit Coloradans. While this doesnt erase all the pain people across the state are feeling, this will provide immediate financial relief to families in Colorado, she said. This framework will also put safeguards in place to ensure 20, 30, or 40% increases in property tax bills do not happen again." She added: "I am proud to have led this compromise that will make sure our schools and communities remain strong. Schools will remain funded. Higher Education will remain funded. Firefighters, Sheriffs, police and EMS, will remain funded and our state will continue to grow. But most importantly people will get relief. Democrats, meanwhile, advanced a similar message the two ballot measures undercut their vision for Colorado. House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillion, said Democrats envision a Colorado that provides "a place where everyone, from the youngest learner to working families and older Coloradans, can thrive and afford a good life." "Initiatives 50 and 108 would do the opposite and risk our states future by defunding public schools, fire response, health care, libraries, water infrastructure, and municipal parks and recreation centers," she said in a statement. McCluskie said she's grateful for the input of the Property Tax Commission and the "growing consensus" that the state should pursue "further property tax reductions with guarantees that will protect the Colorado we love and the future of our state. Featured Local Savings Senate President Steve Fenberg, Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez and House Majority Leader Monica Duran echoed the sentiment. Fenberg called the ballot proposals "reckless and irresponsible," adding they pose an "existential threat to critical state and local services." Like the House Speaker, they, too, welcomed the special session. "After years of bipartisan work to address Colorados property tax and affordability challenges, we now face another opportunity to step up, govern responsibly, and ensure that additional property tax cuts are delivered in a way that does not jeopardize Colorados financial future," Fenberg said. Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, who chaired the special meeting of the property tax commission, said the compromise's framework "builds upon the substantial, responsible property tax relief delivered in Senate Bill 233. We now have the opportunity to make minor adjustments without gutting community services like schools, hospitals, and fire departments." Meanwhile, Ann Terry, the CEO of the Special District Association of Colorado, said her organization remains "skeptical." "We remain skeptical of governor and legislative leadership's official explanation of how a promise to remove 108 and 50 from the ballot will be ensured," Terry said. However, we will be vigilant in protecting all of our special districts." The group represents the interests of special districts, which rely on property taxes for their operations. Local governments are poised to see a big windfall from the dramatic rise in property values. Some, like Douglas County, have decided to unilaterally cut their residents' tax liabilities. We think there needs to be details to the outlined framework presented by the Governors State Budget Director during the Property Tax Commission meeting this past Monday," Terry said. This feels like death by a thousand cuts. Denver Metro Chamber President and CEO J.J. Ament earlier said that a previous legislative response to soaring valuations, while "better than nothing, missed the mark on real relief." Ament said the governor "deserves great credit for bringing groups together to forge a compromise. He stressed that more than 85% of the chambers members are small businesses, many of which use their homes as the capital backstop for their enterprises. Thats in part, Ament said, why residential property tax relief is so important for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and why the Chamber has fought so hard for this special session. House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese said the special session is an opportunity to address the property tax burden that Colorado families face. "Our goal is to provide effective solutions for property tax relief, while ensuring that local governments can balance their budgets and continue providing essential services," she said. "Its crucial that we work together to get this right." House Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, R-Trinidad, said the state should not have been in this position to begin with. "The majority party has had multiple opportunities to work with us on a solution," he said. "Instead, their delays and dysfunction have led to a rushed process that could have been avoided with proper planning and bipartisan cooperation. Last special session devolved into theatrics. Let's hope that does not happen again." This special session, which will be limited in scope and focus on reducing Coloradans property tax burden starting in 2025, will begin at 10 a.m. on Aug. 26. Marissa Ventrelli contributed to this story. Recent violence at The Citadel mall, coupled with the recent ban on service members visiting the mall, has prompted discussions on how to improve safety and security measures there. A unified display of support from city leaders was seen Thursday evening as they discussed possible solutions with members of the media. Kevin Chadrjian of Namdar Realty Group has spent the past week at the mall, working on plans to make it a place where the community feels safe. Namdar Realty owns the mall in partnership with Mason Asset Management. "We are working actively to do immediate items now, as well as working alongside with city, with the stakeholders and with the military to make sure that the mall is a place of safety, for not just the military, but for the community," Chadrjian said. While no concrete plans or timelines were announced at the conference, some ideas were floated with the hope of gaining traction after additional meetings with Namdar Realty. A review of policy and procedures will come first, according to Chadrjian, followed by a more in-depth look at the mall infrastructure and landscaping. Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez encouraged businesses to make their surveillance cameras accessible to CSPD as a way to combat onsite crime. "When something happens, [if] we can immediately pipe into that system and see through their cameras ... to provide intelligence to officers as they're responding," Vasquez said. Several CSPD officers visited The Citadel on Monday afternoon to analyze the space. A full department report is coming soon and will aid in future conversations, Vasquez said. While 5th District City Councilmember Nancy Henjum said the catalyst for recent conversations was actually the military ban, the mall has a long history of violent crime occurring over the past decade. Featured Local Savings On Aug. 7, a mall employee was injured in a shooting, leading to a brief lockdown that afternoon. A nearby middle school, Coperni 3, also went into lockdown briefly. According to police, there are no updates on that incident and no suspect has been identified. In a Christmas Eve incident, three people were shot and another, Teryus Thomas, 18, was killed. The alleged shooter has pleaded not guilty; his jury trial is set for January. As for the military restrictions, Fort Carson has said that its decision to ban service members was based on CSPD data. However, police spokesman Ira Cronin on Thursday said he could not say if a particular trend contributed to the ban, and Henjum said that "the perception of the mall, I think, is worse than the reality, and I'm not diminishing the crime that has happened there." Henjum will be hosting a community conversation on the topic from 4-6 p.m. on Sept. 20 at the Zeal Church. Community members will have the opportunity to raise their concerns and be a part of any upcoming changes. A investigation into a local gang that Colorado Springs police detectives say is behind a slew of violent crimes, including robberies, assaults, shootings and drive-bys, has led to one arrest. The Colorado Springs Police Department announced Thursday that 18-year-old Josiah Olivas, an alleged member of the gang, was arrested on multiple weapons offenses. Detectives obtained a search warrant for Olivas' residence, located in the 3100 block of east Fountain Boulevard, and served the warrant on Thursday. Olivas was detained and two handguns with switches and other firearms were located inside his residence. According to law enforcement, a switch is a device that can be attached to the rear slide of a handgun making the handgun "capable of fully automatic fire at the press of a button." Adding a "switch" onto a weapon classifies it as a dangerous or illegal weapon in accordance with Colorado law. Also located in the residence were six extended handgun magazines and a 100 round, drum-style magazine designed for an AR-15 rifle, according to Colorado Springs police. Olivas was booked into El Paso County jail and is facing felony weapons charges including possession of a dangerous or illegal weapon, a class five felony, and possession of prohibited large-capacity magazines, a class six felony. The Pikes Peak Board of Cooperative Educational Services, or BOCES, on Thursday took a critical step toward an ambitious undertaking that officials say will help rural El Paso County students forge a path toward a lucrative career without necessarily attending college. In an 8-1 vote, the El Paso County Planning Commission approved the location for a proposed 86-acre secondary education campus for vocational training. The project will be built on an existing BOCES property, located near the intersection of Judge Orr and Elbert roads near Peyton, according to proposal documents. Commission member Tim Trowbridge cast the lone dissenting vote. The plan, according to BOCES officials, is to build a tuition-free vocational training center, similar to the Manufacturing Industry Learning Lab (MiLL) in Colorado Springs, for students in rural school districts including Big Sandy, Calhan, Edison, Elbert, Ellicott, Hanover, Miami-Yoder and Peyton. While the larger districts in Colorado Springs have expanded their Career and Technical Education programs in recent years, outlying districts have not followed suit, said Pat Bershinsky, Pikes Peak BOCES executive director. Weve done an excellent job of sending kids to college in the state of Colorado, Bershinsky said. But I think weve missed the boat on vocational education. The proposed trade school is a response to a growing demand for skilled workers, a lack of qualified candidates, and a student survey that suggests a strong interest in vocational training, according to project manager Bill Guman. The kids in these districts were polled and asked, What are you going to do after you leave high school? Would you consider being part of a program that would train you in a profession? Guman said. We learned that there is an overwhelming interest in these kinds of programs. BOCES' vision for the complex includes facilities for training in a broad range of disciplines, including construction, culinary, heavy equipment operation and carpentry. The campus will also include affordable housing, which officials plan to offer as part of an incentive package for prospective teachers and instructors. Were hoping to make (the rural trade school) an attractive option for teachers, as opposed to going to work in (Academy) D-20, (Colorado Springs) D-11 or other districts where housing is less affordable, Guman said. The homes, which will be available only to staff members, are a crucial recruiting and retention tool, Bershinsky said. Part of the problem that we have in rural districts or any districts are instructors, said Bershinsky, former superintendent of Edison School District 54-JT. Its imperative that we do something to attract and retain quality staff in our rural districts. Featured Local Savings After Guman and Bershinsky made their presentation to the commission, chairman Thomas Bailey opened up the hearing to public comment. The concept (of a rural trade school), I think pretty much everybody in this room thinks is a great idea, Bailey said. The location may be problematic for some. Residents who live near the proposed campus expressed concerns about a possible decrease in property values, increased traffic and noise, crime and other issues. Families moved out to Old West Ranch to create a safe and peaceful home away from the city and we are very protective of our quiet community and the agriculture land surrounding us, said Laura Moody, in a written statement. Other residents bristled at Bershinskys comment, made earlier this year, that the location is in the middle of nowhere. I disagree with that, said Peyton resident Tom Elliott. "We are five miles from Safeway and over 50 other commercial businesses, and a little under 2 miles from an airport. Were as close to Falcon as Falcon High School. Are we really in the middle of nowhere? Commission vice chair Jay Carlson said that while some residents feel that the proposed trade school will threaten the rural way of life, he believes it could have the opposite effect. Kids and teens who live in rural communities will often leave because of the lack of educational opportunities there, Carlson said. If they can get vocational training nearby, more of them would stay. That would help preserve the rural way of life. After the commission voted in favor of the location, Trowbridge, the lone No vote, said he was concerned about the approval process. Typically, after the commission approves a proposal, the issue is sent to the El Paso County Board of Commissioners for final approval. On Thursday, the planning commissions approval was the final word. I think this is an abuse of the process, Trowbridge said, while not elaborating. BOCES officials expect the campus buildout to take five to 10 years. At the end of the day, were about kids, and were about creating programs, Bershinsky said. "This program will fill a need that has been growing for years. More than 11,000 Colorado children will get free full-day classes through the states universal preschool program this year, more than double the number last year, state officials said. The increase means progress toward one of the states original goals for the preschool-for-all program extra hours for 4-year-olds with the greatest needs, like those from low-income families, as well as kids who are learning English, have special education plans, are homeless, or in the foster care system, officials said. Its a significant contrast from last summer, when the state backpedaled on plans to cover full-day preschool for every child with one of those five risk factors. So many families applied for half-day seats in the new program that Colorado didnt have the money to fund as many full-day seats as it had hoped. State officials notified thousands of families that were expecting to get free full-day preschool about the pullback just weeks before the start of school. That left many parents in the lurch and angered preschool providers. Several school districts stepped up to cover the full-day preschool costs themselves last year, but expressed frustration about the budget hit. Some districts cited the states last minute decision to limit full-day preschool in a wide-ranging lawsuit over universal preschool alleging broken funding promises, among other things. (A Denver district court judge dismissed the case in early July.) Not every 4-year-old with one or more risk factors will qualify for free full-day preschool this year. But at least 6,000 more will qualify compared with last year, and that number could rise as more families apply for universal preschool in the coming weeks. Dawn Odean, director of the universal preschool program, said the increase shows progress toward the states goal of serving students equitably: Were really excited. Two factors helped pave the way for more children to qualify for full-day preschool this year. First, the state has more money for it. Thats because voters approved about $24 million in additional preschool funding in November. Also, state officials rewrote some of the programs rules last fall to more carefully target the children from the lowest-income families for full-day preschool. Featured Local Savings Colorados universal preschool proved popular immediately, serving about 39,000 4-year-olds in its inaugural year about 62% of that age group in the state. Most received 10 to 15 hours a week of tuition-free preschool, but some received 30 hours a week, which the state considers full-day preschool. When state leaders were rushing to plan the program in the year before its launch, they decided to offer full-day preschool to children with certain risk factors. The idea was to provide more learning time to children facing extra challenges. But one risk factor captured a particularly large group of kids: the low-income category. That category covered children in families with household incomes up to 270% of the federal poverty line, or about $84,200 in annual income for a family of four. Last July, as the program was about to begin, 15,000 children with at least one of the five risk factors had joined. But there was only enough funding to serve a fraction of that number with full-day classes. The shortfall triggered a provision requiring students to have both the low-income risk factor and a second risk factor in order to get full-day preschool. Initially, only 3,700 students qualified for full-day classes, though that number grew to 4,800 by the end of the school year, according to officials at the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, which runs the universal preschool program. Many of the children who lost out on full-day preschool were from low-income households but did not have a second risk factor. We heard from many families and many providers that we were missing our most vulnerable, or specifically those families living in poverty, Odean said. For year two, which starts in August for most preschools, state officials decided to add a sixth risk factor to ensure that children from the lowest-income families were not passed over for full-day preschool. This poverty risk factor captures children whose families have household incomes up to the federal poverty line, which this year is $32,100 for a family of four. Because such families are also covered by the low-income category, they have the two factors needed to receive full-day preschool. So far this year, the majority of students eligible for full-day preschool 63% have the poverty risk factor. The rest are in the higher-earning tier of the low-income category and have one or more additional risk factors. Murphy Robinson, a former deputy mayor and chief of Denver's public safety department, has been appointed to the state's wildlife commission. Gov. Jared Polis announced Robinson's appointment on Friday. He will represent sportspersons hunters and anglers on the parks and wildlife commission. "Our Colorado parks is one of the biggest draws to our state and the best assets of our state," Robinson told Colorado Politics. "I am proud to be able to support and steward the use and longevity of our parks to be enjoyed by our residents and our visitors. Robinson's appointment comes at a crucial juncture in Colorado's wildlife management history. The state had re-introduced wolves in December, fueling political tension and straining relationships between ranchers and the Polis administration. The ranchers and livestock association had accused state officials of lacking transparency in reintroducing the wolves and failing to heed their pleas. Many have said they will no longer work with the state on conservation issues. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials, as well as the head of the Department of Natural Resources, have promised to "do better." The governor also appointed Tai Jacober, a rancher and owner of Phoenix Ranching, to the commission to represent agriculture producers west of the Continental Divide, and also reappointed Dallas Laverne May and James Jay Tutchton to the body. Featured Local Savings In addition, Polis appointed Bobby Massie the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund Board of Directors. An avid fly fisher, outfitter and the co-founder of Wanderland Outdoors, Massie was an offensive tackle for the Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears. He will represent the Fourth Congressional District on the board. Robinson, who owns a portfolio of security technology companies and who has been in the public eye for years, is an avid hunter. Robinson will serve as a representative of sportspersons. He was exposed to hunting in his teens but became a "hardcore" hunter about 14 yeas ago. He had a lot of help and mentorship, including from a police commander who took him under his wings, he said. He initially hunted pheasants and quail, but has been going after big game in recent years. Meat from the hunt is now his preferred food for his family, he said. "I'm really excited to one day take my first elk," he said. Robinson said Colorado voters have spoken about bringing wolves back to the state. But it's just as important to listen to the communities affected by policies approved by the people or by political leaders, he said. "Its our duty to hear from the people that our polices are affecting," he said. "While it was the will of the people to make sure wolves are reintroduced, we have to make sure that the ag community is heard." UPDATE: Washington has been found safe as Sept. 18. The Colorado Springs Police Department is asking for the community's help in locating missing 13-year-old Keshawn Whitt Tarik Washington. According to police, Washington was last seen on Thursday at the Ice Cream Snack Shack in the 1700 block of South Circle Drive. Washington is described as a black male, 54 tall, 145 lbs. with short brown hair and brown eyes. Law enforcement says he was last seen wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans and black, blue and white Jordan sneakers. If anyone has seen or know of Washington's location, they are encouraged to call police at 719-444-7000. To remain anonymous, call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867), or 1-800-222-8477. Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter. A North Iowa man is facing multiple charges after police say he posted racist threats on eight Hispanic-owned businesses, homes and nonprofit La Luz Cultural Center in Hampton earlier this week. Daniel Alan Embree, 38, was arrested at his home on Thursday, Aug. 15, and charged with eight counts of harassment in the second degree and one count of trespassing with intent to commit a hate crime. The charges are all serious misdemeanors. Authorities allege Embree posted the signs which were designed to mimic a hunting permit and read "Open season on illegal immigrants/Illegal Immigrant Hunting Permit. No bag limit. No tagging required. Trump 2024" in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Aug. 13. According to court documents, officers located clothing consistent with surveillance footage provided by victims. Law enforcement also located documentation indicating that Embree was producing the flyers. Adilene Andrade, intake specialist at La Luz, has lived in the Hampton area since she was four years old. She said that she was shocked and hadn't ever experienced racism this severe. "It was a rather scary thing to look at, to read," Andrade said. "It's been a rollercoaster of emotions, I would say, for all of us here at La Luz, and even the community, the Hispanics here." Father Kevin Earleywine has served the St. Patrick Catholic Church in Hampton for the past seven years and is also on the board for La Luz. "The implication of the sign was that they are like deer, like animals that should be hunted. That's just cruel ... It's cruel, cowardly, and ignorant," he said. A court date for Embree has not yet been set. Requests for comment were declined by the Hampton Police Department and the Franklin County Attorney's Office. A Danville police officer was involved in a crash while pursuing a suspect in a Thursday afternoon shooting, authorities report. It all started at about 5:15 p.m. when police were summoned to the 200 block of North Main Street. Police reported that a suspect identified as 25-year-old Marvin James Saunders Jr. was having a fight with a 39-year-old man. Thats when a shot was fired and a vehicle was hit by a bullet. No one was injured in the gunfire. When police were notified of the incident, they learned the suspect had left. Around that time, two officers in separate police vehicles, were on North Main and spotted Saunders in the southbound lane driving a white Dodge pickup truck, a news release from the police department reported. While accelerating to catch up to the suspect, and with emergency equipment including lights activated, one of the officers was involved in a traffic crash at the intersection of West Thomas Street and North Main Street. The crash happened with another vehicle. The driver and passenger of that vehicle were transported to the hospital with injuries termed as not life-threatening. The police vehicle in the crash was identified as a Chevrolet Tahoe, Matt Bell, a spokesperson for the Danville Police Department, confirmed to the Register & Bee. It will have to be assessed for damage, which was to the front of the vehicle, Bell said, noting the SUV was towed from the scene. The officer was not injured. Following the crash, other officers made a traffic stop with the shooting suspect. Saunders was arrested during the traffic stop, and a firearm was also seized, police stated in the release. The suspect was been charged with attempted malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, discharging a firearm in a public place, reckless handling of a firearm and brandishing a firearm, according to the release. Saunders is being held in the Danville City Jail with no bond. The crash and shooting are still under investigation. All parties involved in the altercation were known to one another, police wrote in the release. This was not a random act, and there is no threat to community safety. Anyone who has information is asked to contact the Danville Police Department by calling patrol at 434-799-6510 option 4; investigations at 434-799-6508 option 1, and option 1 again; 911; or Crime Stoppers at 434-793-0000. In addition, residents may approach any officer they see, use social media, email crimetips@danvilleva.gov or use the crime tips app CARE. Natron Energy Inc. said Thursday it plans to build the nation's first sodium-ion battery gigafactory in the Kingsboro community of Edgecombe County. The plant will have about 1,000 employees at full production and cost about $1.4 billion. The plant is projected to produce 24 gigawatts sodium-ion batteries annually at full capacity. Natron says its sodium-ion batteries offer higher power density, more cycles, a domestic U.S. supply chain and unique safety characteristics over other battery technologies. Colin Wessells, Natron's founder and co-chief executive, said the company evaluated more than 70 sites in nine states. "We found that North Carolina, with its leadership in the clean energy revolution, would make the perfect home for this project," Wessells said. Natrons batteries are the only UL-listed sodium-ion batteries on the market today, and will be delivered to a wide range of customer end markets in the industrial power space, including data centers, mobility, EV fast charging, microgrids and telecommunications. The manufacturer has been made eligible for up to $21.75 million in performance-based incentives over a 12-year period. The state expects Edgecombe will apply for a $30 million grant from the North Carolina Megasite Readiness Program, a new state grant program open to local governments and designed to provide funds to help prepare or upgrade qualifying industrial sites to the competitive level required in todays economic development marketplace. Those of us who talk for a living make mistakes, said former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, now the host of Sunday Night in America on Fox. We say things that, in hindsight, we might phrase differently or better or not at all. It was a curious way to introduce his guest, JD Vance, who will one day be the answer (Who is JD Vance?) to the Jeopardy prompt Childless cat ladies. Vances statement in 2021 that women who have children have a greater investment in our country than women who are childless had drawn well-deserved ridicule to the newly ordained Trump-Vance ticket. Gowdy began his opening monologue by telling a story about meeting two women at Reagan National Airport. They were trying to get home to South America. He was headed to South Carolina. When we parted ways, they said they would like to pray for me as their way of saying thanks for the day spent together, he said. I assured them its too late to help me, but I do have a friend whos expecting, and she got some tough news about her unborn child. Would they please pray for her instead, and they did. And they still do. To this day. I dont know where Vance was at that moment, perhaps standing 20-25 feet away off-camera. Wherever he was, he must have felt good about Gowdys story. Strangers volunteering to pray for a woman who was experiencing a troubled pregnancy. No mention of abortion. Then Gowdy identified the two women who offered to pray for his friend: They are Catholic nuns, childless, dedicated to God, who love this country, living lives of service to others. I can see Vances eyes widening. And its not just Catholic nuns, Gowdy continued. Some of the finest people I know dont have children, teachers and guidance counselors and lawyers and doctors. Dr. Connie (Condoleezza) Rice does not have children ... George Washington did not have biological children and neither did James Madison. Then, the clincher: I think you will agree with me that direct offspring are not necessary to be fully invested in the future of this country. What could Vance say? Hastily, he agreed. Then, instinctively, he went into the Deny and Divert mode. Thats not what I said, Trey. ... The left (has) radically taken this out of context and aggressively lied about what I said. The problem with employing the tried-and-true my opponents have taken my comment out of context tactic the politicians best friend is that Gowdy, hardly a radical lefty, had said in his opening statement that he had viewed the controversial interview many times. He knew what Vance had said and seemingly was giving him an opportunity to apologize his way out of an embarrassing situation. The American people are forgiving, if we ask, Gowdy said. Alas, no apology or other evidence of self-awareness was forthcoming. Condemnation of Vances remarks has come from both sides of the aisle. They were insensitive, hurtful and dare I say it? just plain weird. Anything I say would be piling on. Instead, I want to say kudos to Trey Gowdy, words that neither I nor many progressives have ever uttered. He will live in our memory as the chair of the House select committee on Benghazi that grilled Hillary Clinton for 11 hours as part of its two-year, $7 million investigation of tragic events that led to the deaths of four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. But on a Sunday night in July Gowdy did something we rarely see politicians do: He used his highly visible platform to take down a member of his own party for taking a stand that he found morally offensive. Frankly, I was surprised, and Im not the only one. Which raises an uncomfortable question: What does it say about us that we were surprised when someone from the other end of the political spectrum did the right thing? Note to self: Think about that later. Results appear in the Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases, published by IOS Press (now part of Sage). Lead investigator Liesbeth De Waele, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, and Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, explains: Many patients with DMD also suffer from neurobehavioral difficulties that can significantly impact their quality of life and that of their families. The pathophysiological mechanisms behind these neurobehavioral difficulties are still poorly understood, and in clinical practice these aspects of the disease receive less attention than the physical symptoms. Despite growing awareness, many patients still lack easy access to behavioral specialists such as psychologists. The research team first investigated how these neurobehavioral difficulties are managed in various centers worldwide. Twenty-eight respondents from 16 countries completed an online survey. Only 35% of the centers systematically screened for neurobehavioral difficulties in their DMD population. Predominant screening methods included history taking and clinical observation. Common neurobehavioral difficulties encompassed learning challenges, dependency from adults, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and social deficits. The participating centers frequently employed parental counseling and liaison with psychosocial healthcare professionals for psychosocial intervention. As a pioneer of DHI hair restoration in India, he brings unparalleled expertise and artistry to each patient's transformation. The meticulous attention to the angle, depth, and direction of implantation he puts into the process ensures strikingly natural results that blend seamlessly. Moreover, his holistic approach creates personalized lifetime plans that account for future hair loss and optimize available donor hair. With state-of-the-art facilities and a dedicated team, he prioritizes patient comfort and safety, drawing from global exposure for innovation and focusing on individual aesthetics to instill confidence in his patients.Dr Viral explains, "At our CPLSS Clinic in Mumbai, we provide state-of-the-art facilities and the latest technologies, with a focus on patient safety, comfort, and personalized care. Our ultramodern centers are equipped to handle any emergencies. As the head of the department, I lead a skilled team to deliver exceptional, natural-looking results that dramatically enhance our patients' lives. We strive to be at the forefront of cosmetic and plastic surgery. Especially in each of the cases, we carefully assess each patient's suitability for hair transplantation. The ideal candidate is over 25, in good health, with stabilized hair loss. The procedure begins with a detailed consultation to understand the patient's goals. On the day of surgery, we harvest follicles from the donor area and meticulously implant them in the recipient sites to match the natural hair growth pattern. Post-surgery, patients can expect some redness and scabbing, subsiding within two weeks. Most patients resume work and normal activities after a few days, with new hair growth visible in 3-6 months".There are various non-surgical hair restoration solutions offered by CPLSS Clinic in Mumbai, including PRP Therapy, LLLT, Mesotherapy, Medications,GFC Hair Treatment, and Exosome Therapy. It also customizes treatments for natural-looking results with minimal downtime, aiming to restore hair density and confidence without surgery; and utilizes cutting-edge techniques such as Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) for precise and natural-looking results.Vishaka Goyal, Co-Founder of Clinicspots, a doctor discovery portal, highlights Dr Viral Desai's dynamic approach to performing hair transplant procedures to treat hair loss. He is an astute plastic surgeon with commendable expertise in hair transplantation. Having successfully treated celebrities and actors, Dr Viral Desai ensures that his patients receive the most suitable treatment for their hair issues with exceptional results.Dr Viral's proficiency in the hair transplant field has brought him several awards & recognitions too such as `Icon of Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery in India' and `Hair Restoration Service Provider Company of the Year' by Global Healthcare Excellence Awards,`Excellence in Franchising & Business Development' by Franchise India, `Best Plastic & Cosmetic Surgeon in India' by R. K. HIV AIDS Research and Care Foundation, `India's Most Promising Hair Transplant Surgeon' by Pharma Leader Group, `Jury's Choice Awards for the Best Cosmetic Surgeon' by National Healthcare Achievers, `Indian of the Year (Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery)' by Indian Affairs Group, Mumbai, `Ranked No.1 in National Ranking for Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery' by Times of India Group, `Iconic Plastic Surgery & Hair Restoration Clinic in Mumbai' by Midday, and `Honorary Award for Contribution to Hair Transplant' by IMCAS World Congress, Paris.Moreover, he has had several renowned names as his clients, including Prabhjot Singh (Indian National Hockey Team), Govinda (Actor), J D Majethia (Actor, Director & Producer), and others.Dr Viral is committed to staying at the forefront of hair trans-plantation research and advancements to improve patient outcomes. Respectively, he even attends conferences and participates in continuing medical education programs to keep his knowledge and skills up-to-date. By dedicating time to ongoing education and research, he ensures that his patients benefit from the most advanced, safe, and effective hair transplant techniques available, tailored to their unique needs and goals. BLUFF CITY, Tenn. The history and culture of the Holston River valley is on display at a new museum in the town of Bluff City. After nearly three years in the making, the Holston Heritage Museum plans to host a grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting event on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. The museum is housed in a portion of the former Bluff City Middle School on Carter Street. The new museum is dedicated to showcasing the historical and cultural background of the Holston River Valley region. It will be available to the public as a free and educational museum with the primary purpose to collect, protect, preserve and exhibit the unique physical and cultural history of the area, according to a news release. In 2020, local residents Betsy Carrier and Jack Hurlbert successfully lobbied the Sullivan County Board of Education, the county mayor and other key county officials to sell the vacant former Bluff City Middle School building to businessman Chris Laisure. Laisure repurposed the building to become the Impact Community Center. Carrier and Hurlbert met with Laisure and proposed that a portion of the property be used as a historical museum. Laisure donated and renovated the stone building for the project. With the name Holston Heritage Museum, current board Chairman Mary Ann Hager said the museum was established as a nonprofit entity. Since its establishment, the museum, which consists of four major areas, has developed and has hosted educational tours to more than 1,000 local school children. The museums four areas include the entrance and reception room; an American History Gallery that displays the regions indigenous people, frontiersmen, Overmountain Men, early settlers, and the Civil War; the Andrew Johnson Room features objects connected to the former presidents links to the area; and a nostalgia-themed Memories of Yesteryear Gallery. Theres also a small room with auditorium seating for video presentations or guest-speaker programs. Upon entering the museum, a visitors attention is immediately focused on a wall-length mural and a large table-top diorama located in the center of the room, according to a news release. The mural is a timeline of historical events starting with early civilizations progressing through the years of European settlement as new cultures were introduced to the continent on through the 1940s. Pictures that are displayed on the mural set much of the background for todays lifestyles. In coordination with the mural, the diorama defines the location of the stories that are exhibited throughout the museum. It is a three-dimensional topographical replica of the Holston River Valley. The diorama also features several natural and historical sites in the region. Other exhibits in the room include local stories and artifacts from veterans of foreign wars and their families. Because of the importance of the railroad in the regions history, a large electric scale model train will run near the exit of the room on a track suspended from the ceiling. The museums board includes Joyce Crosswhite, Sheila Earhart, Hager, Andy Hare, Hurlbert, Matthew Johnson, Laisure, Jerry Malone and Zane Vanover. The museum has developed many partnerships, including the Sullivan County Commission, Deery Inn, East Tennessee State University, Overmountain Victory Trail, Rocky Mount, Sycamore Shoals, Sullivan County Archives and Tourism, Sullivan East High School, and the William King Museum. In addition, several organizations have provided donations and support, including Ballad Health, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Tracking the news What happened: The Virginia Retirement System, which delivers retirement and benefits to public sector employees, has a record $113.9 billion in its trust fund. The background: The system has about 830,000 current and former public employees, including public school teachers. The impact: The retirement system's market investments earned a return of 9.9% in the fiscal year that ended June 30. It fell short of an internal benchmark of 11.6% for what should have been earned in markets for stocks, bonds and a range of specialized investments. As this years silage harvest draws closer, farmers, harvesters, agronomists, and crews will be preparing to make the most of this significant investment. A crucial way to capitalize on the time, money, and energy spent on growing silage is to capture as much nutrition as possible in other words, avoiding silage losses. Loss occurs in the forms of improper fermentation and/or shrink, leading to fewer available nutrients. In a Penn State Extension Bovine Banter podcast, the University of Nebraskas Mary Drewnowski discussed what farmers should focus on to avoid these losses. Her number one recommendation was to get moisture content right at harvest. If silage is packed too wet, the beef systems specialist said we will lose dry matter to clostridial fermentation. If silage is too dry and doesnt pack well, it will host more oxygen-loving bacteria. The biggest contributing factor to silage losses is almost always density, she continued. Not reducing the oxygen level early enough to limit clostridial fermentation does not create an opportunity for forage to thrive. To reach proper density, Drewnowski pointed to the 800-pound rule. Thats 800 pounds of tractor weight per hour of incoming silage weight. It wont always be possible to achieve this level, especially with larger piles and forage arriving, quickly, but she encouraged farmers to get as much weight on the bunker or pile as possible. Focus on what you can control, she noted. Think about everything you do to limit compaction in the fields and reverse those efforts. You can also control how thick the piles layers are. Drewnowski encouraged aiming for 4 to 6 inches per layer and measuring to monitor that benchmark. Making the slope longer gives you more opportunity to reach that goal, she added. Losses after harvest Shrink can occur at feedout but also begins before then with how silage is stored. Drewnowski said the floor of feed storage is not considered enough when considering loss. Whether youre using a bunker or bags, placing feed on bare ground instead of concrete can result in up to 20% dry matter losses as feed is lost to mud, she cited. This is one of the ways people often underestimate shrink. If you track it, youre probably still underestimating it, Drewnowski said. Lost feed reduces dry matter and nutrient availability while adding moisture. Five percent shrink on an as-fed basis is like 15% on a dry matter basis, she described. And dont forget that what youre losing is often the best part of the feed. Labor and time are typically the biggest challenges to investing in good storage, but Drewnowski encouraged all farmers to pencil out what poor storage can cost. Even in the case of a bunker or pile, loss occurs when the storage is sized improperly to the feedout rate. Every feed removal from the face lets in oxygen, so the goal is to remove at least 6 inches per feeding, she said. Poorly managed silage may be a situation where you shouldnt be making silage, she concluded. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2024 August 15, 2024 Chinese vice premier urges coordinated efforts in pursuing green, low-carbon development Xinhua) 08:35, August 16, 2024 Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of a National Ecology Day event in Sanming, southeast China's Fujian Province, Aug. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) FUZHOU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong has called for coordinated efforts in promoting green and low-carbon development, further strengthening ecological and environmental protection, and making steady progress toward the country's dual carbon goals. Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in a speech delivered at the opening ceremony of a National Ecology Day event held in Sanming, in east China's Fujian Province. Liu said the third plenum of the 20th CPC Central Committee last month made important plans to deepen reform in ecological conservation. He stressed concerted efforts to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, pursue green development, and boost economic growth. By acting on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, China's ecology and environment have seen continuous improvements since 2012, Liu said, adding that National Ecology Day offers opportunities to build consensus on green and low-carbon development and strengthen synergy in building a beautiful China. To raise public awareness and encourage action to protect the ecological environment, China's national legislature last year designated Aug. 15 as National Ecology Day. The country has pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Digital infrastructure solutions provider US Signal has acquired Detroit North Data Centre at 1035 West Entrance Drive, Auburn Hills, Michigan. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Spanning 76,000 sq. feet, the Detroit North Data Centre is ready for immediate lease, offering 4MW of available power with the ability to expand up to 8MW. It is set to be upgraded including more than 5MW of critical IT load capabilities. It features 17,000 sq. feet of raised floor space. The site is SSAE 18-audited, HIPAA-compliant, and PCI-certified. Our mission to fortify digital infrastructure in Michigan has never been stronger. This acquisition underscores our position as the leading data center and managed services provider in the region. With three facilities in Metro Detroit now fully operational and in high demand, we are poised for growth, states US Signal chief operating officer John White. Data Centre Dynamics reported the site was previously a DXC data centre, operated by HP before that. The report added DXC Technology was founded in 2017 after HPE merged its enterprise services business with Computer Science Corporation (CSC). A DXC data centre was sold last year and was set to be turned into a manufacturing facility. White concludes, "Drawing from our success with the Indianapolis North Data Centre, the Detroit North facility is on track to become a pivotal hub for network connectivity and digital infrastructure services." GUEST RESEARCH: Radware, a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments, has released its H1 2024 Global Threat Analysis Report, highlighting a significant increase in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. The first half of 2024 saw a 265% rise in web DDoS attacks compared to the latter half of 2023, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions and the increased targeting of application infrastructure. Key Findings: Application-Layer DNS DDoS Attacks: These attacks quadrupled compared to the first half of 2023. Malicious DNS queries surged by 76% compared to all of 2023, with the finance sector being the most targeted. These attacks quadrupled compared to the first half of 2023. Malicious DNS queries surged by 76% compared to all of 2023, with the finance sector being the most targeted. Regional Impact: EMEA bore the brunt, facing over 90% of global web DDoS attacks, while North America saw 66% of web application and API attacks. EMEA bore the brunt, facing over 90% of global web DDoS attacks, while North America saw 66% of web application and API attacks. Industry Targeting: Financial institutions were hit hardest, with 44% of network-layer DDoS attacks directed at them. The sector also experienced a record-breaking six-day web DDoS attack campaign, enduring multiple waves totaling 100 hours of attack time. Financial institutions were hit hardest, with 44% of network-layer DDoS attacks directed at them. The sector also experienced a record-breaking six-day web DDoS attack campaign, enduring multiple waves totaling 100 hours of attack time. Hacktivist Activity: Pro-Russian hacktivist groups intensified their operations, particularly against Ukraine, where the average number of attacks doubled compared to 2023. Notably, NoName057(16) claimed 1,902 attacks, making it the most active threat actor. Pro-Russian hacktivist groups intensified their operations, particularly against Ukraine, where the average number of attacks doubled compared to 2023. Notably, NoName057(16) claimed 1,902 attacks, making it the most active threat actor. Network-layer DDoS Attacks: The average volume blocked per organisation grew exponentially, particularly in the APAC region (302%) and EMEA (293%). The Road Ahead: According to Radware director of threat intelligence Pascal Geenens, the remainder of 2024 could witness further increases in attack volumes, particularly with the growing use of AI by threat actors. Key upcoming events, including the U.S. elections and concerns over the global economy, are expected to fuel even more cyber disruptions. About Radware Radware is a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments. Their AI-driven solutions provide precise, hands-free protection against sophisticated cyber threats, including DDoS attacks, API abuse, and bad bots. With a focus on evolving cybersecurity challenges, Radware helps enterprises and carriers protect their operations and brands while minimising costs. For more details, Radwares complete H1 2024 Global Threat Analysis Report is available for download. GUEST OPINION: Not too long ago, business was conducted by means of a single landline located in a single office. The technology was considered state-of-the-art back in the early 20 th century since it offered instant telecommunications. Fast forward to the early 21 st century and the landline has been replaced with digitized business phone systems that store data on the cloud and offer comprehensive app and computer-powered solutions such as website chat boxes . The experts at Telephone & Network Technologies, a business telephone systems company, when it comes to supporting companies and organizations of all sizes in the 2020s, whats required is comprehensive support for telecommunications systems along with leading business telephone solutions. This means single user to multi-location installations. But how can small businesses take full advantage of modern phone systems without spending an arm and a leg? According to a new report by the Houston Chronicle, regardless of what you small business does, voice communications is of paramount importance in its overall success. Employees require a secure way in which they can communicate with customers, make contact with prospective or existing clients, and conduct daily business activities. This is why investing in the installation of a dedicated phone system (PBX) for your business will provide a variety of important, if not competitive advantages. Shared Voice Resources An important advantage to utilizing a dedicated telephone system for a small business is that all the companys office employees can share the same voice resources. An in-place phone system is said to allow workers to seamlessly transfer calls to one another. This means the office can run more smoothly. Its time-consuming for a worker to physically make the walk from one side of the office building to the other to answer a phone call. Transferring the call directly eliminates this problem. Low Costs Small business owner typically view telecommunications costs as a large part of their annual budget. But its said that moving away from individual phones and corresponding phone numbers toward an integrated phone system can not only lower costs, but it can simplify the monthly phone invoicing. The installation of a telephone system to your business will also make it simpler to review monthly phone-use charges and also identify any problematic calling patterns, like an employee who abuses the phone to make unauthorized calls or even attempt to sell his or her own services/goods while using the company phone. Easy Expansion Opportunities Says the Houston Chronicle, once the basic telephone system infrastructure is successfully installed, it can be a relatively easy task scaling it up as the company grows. Beginning with a humble but dedicated phone system that will fit a business owners needs and overall goals is an optimum way to control costs during the ever critical start-up phase. As the business expands you can then move on to a larger system which can accommodate new workers and new, smart features that can even integrate with your company website. Utilizing Advanced Telephone System Features By installing a brand-new, state-of-the-art telephone system for a business of any size, its then easier to both manage the business dealings and to keep track of important clients and critical meetings. That said, most phone systems in the 2020s should come equipped with savvy features including voicemail, caller ID, automatic call forwarding, computer integration, and more. The features can prove very valuable to a small business, not to mention cost effective. The ability to forward an office phone call to a pager or cell phone will prove especially valuable for busy salespeople who constantly find themselves in several different airports every week. Phone systems of the 21st century have come a long way from their inception in the early 20th century. The basic premise of the telephone, however, has not changed. It offers instant voice telecommunications, which is one of the cornerstones of a successful business, big or small. The Cohesity Global Cyber Resilience Report 2024 polled from over 3100 IT and Security decision-makers in eight countries[1] confirms the threat of cyberattacks - especially ransomware - continues to rise, with the majority of respondents falling victim to a ransomware attack in the last six months, and most having paid a ransom in the past year. Moreover, most respondents said the threat of cyberattacks to their organization's industry of operation has or will increase in 2024 compared to 2023. According to respondents, companies cyber resilience strategies are holding up against a worsening cyber threat landscape, with close to 4 in 5 (78%) respondents saying they have confidence in their companys cyber resilience strategy and its ability to address todays escalating cyber challenges and threats.[2] At the same time, over 2 in 3 (67%) respondents revealed they had been the victim of a ransomware attack in 2024; 96% said the threat of cyberattacks to their industry would increase or had increased this year, with close to 3 in 5 (59%) saying it had or will increase by over 50% compared to 2023. Organizations Are Paying Ransoms & Breaking Do Not Pay Policies However, despite the majority of respondents saying they were mostly confident or had complete confidence in their organizations cyber resilience strategy, only 6% of respondents said their company would not pay a ransom to recover data and restore business processes, or do so faster, with 83% saying they would[3]. In fact, 3 in 4 (75%) respondents globally said their company would be willing to pay over US$1 million in ransoms to recover data and restore business processes and over 1 in 5 (22%) said their company would be willing to pay over US$5 million. Concerningly, close to 7 in 10 (69%) respondents said their organization had paid a ransom in the last year before being surveyed, despite 77% saying their company had a do not pay policy. The more than 2100 respondents who have paid a ransom said they had paid ransoms[4] in the past year, totalling: 37% have paid ransom(s) between US$1 - US$249,999 23% have paid ransom(s) between US$250,000 - US$499,999 23% have paid ransom(s) between US$500,000 - US$999,999 12% have paid ransom(s) between US$1,000,000 - US$2,999,999 6% have paid ransom(s) between US$3,000,000 - US$9,999,999 33% (7 respondents) have paid ransom(s) between US$10,000,000 - US$25,000,000 The reality for organizations is that destructive cyberattacks, like ransomware, are a when not if reality that threatens their business continuity. However, organizations can tackle this reality head-on by enhancing their cyber resilience - the ability to rapidly respond and recover from cyberattacks or traditional business continuity scenarios - by adopting modern data security, response, and recovery capabilities, said Brian Spanswick, CISO and CIO, Cohesity. Organizations may have the greatest confidence in their cyber resilience, both in their strategy and capabilities, but the reality is that the majority are paying ransoms or would pay a ransom, so organizations are overconfident or overestimate their cyber resilience. Companies Confidence In Cyber Resilience Doesnt Match Recovery & Restoration Realities Cyber resilience is the technology backbone for business continuity. Cyber resilience defines companies ability to recover their data and restore business processes when they suffer a cyberattack. However, cyber resilience remains a challenge that threatens business continuity, according to respondents: Only 2% of respondents said they could recover data & restore business processes within 24 hours 18% said their company could recover data and restore business processes within 1-3 days 32% said they could recover and restore in 4 to 6 days, while 31% would need 1-2 weeks Almost 1 in 6 (16%) need over three weeks to recover data and restore business processes Conversely, when asked what their organizations targeted optimum recovery time objectives (RTO) to minimize business impact in the event of a cyberattack or incident of compromise' was, 98% of respondents said their target was within one day, despite only 2% saying they could recover data and restore business processes within this same period. Almost 1 in 2 (45%) said their targeted optimum RTO was within two hours. Customers and consumers expect consistent continuity of operations or services, which is why effective cyber resilience is vital. Yet, only 2% said their organizations tolerance to disruption of business continuity and downtime due to a cyberattack or data breach was within 24 hours. In fact, 31% of respondents said their business tolerance for downtime was between 1-3 days, 53% said up to 4-6 days, and 12% said more than a week. Interestingly, almost 1 in 2 (49%) respondents said they had stress-tested their data security, data management, and data recovery processes or solutions, by simulating a response to a cyber event or data breach, in the past six months. Zero Trust Security & Data Privacy Remains A Challenge Despite Enhance Regulations & Legislation Over half (54%) of respondents said their centralized visibility of critical data between IT & Security could be improved to detect anomalies and determine sensitive data exposure or breaches. When asked about their data access control measures to align with zero trust security principles, barely more than half of companies had deployed multi-factor authentication, and less than half had deployed features requiring multiple approvals before changes to data or role-based access controls: Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): 52% 52% Quorum Controls or Administrative Rules requiring multiple approvals: 49% 49% Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): 46% The most vital element of cyber resilience is the ability to recover business-critical data that restores key business processes. But you cant restore critical data, if you dont secure it from external or internal threats first. This starts with deploying effective data access controls like multifactor authentication (MFA) and role-based access controls (RBAC), said Brian Spanswick, CISO and CIO, Cohesity. The fact that almost 1 in 2 organizations are not implementing these controls to protect sensitive data is alarming and demonstrates a significant risk to an organizations cyber resilience. Especially given everyday consumers and end-users are often - and rightly - required to have MFA enabled to secure their account credentials, with MFA also an important defence measure against AI-based attack techniques. Despite governments and public institutions going to great lengths to encourage more robust cybersecurity, data protection, and data privacy measures, only 42% of respondents said they had all the IT & Security technology capabilities to identify sensitive data and comply with applicable data privacy laws and regulations. Yet, 79% of respondents also said that advanced threat detection, data isolation, and data classification were vital to their organizations qualification for cyber insurance or to secure discounts on their cyber insurance policies. When asked What, if any, industries and/or sectors do you think are most impacted by cyberattacks?, respondents selected these as the Top 7 industries or sectors most impacted[5]: Globally: IT & Technology - 40% Banking & Wealth Management - 27% Financial Services (including insurance companies) - 27% Telecommunications & Media (including streaming services) - 24% Government & Public Services - 23% Utilities (including Water, Electricity, Gas, and other energy services companies) - 21% Manufacturing - 21% AI A Plus & Minus In Managing Escalating Cyber Threats According to respondents, organizations must now contend with AI-based cyberattacks or cyber threats, with 4 in 5 (80%) respondents saying they had responded to what they believe to be AI-based attacks or threats within the last 12 months. Of those respondents who said: Yes, 82% said they had the necessary AI-powered solutions to counter and respond to these attacks. Of the 18% who said they had not responded to AI-based cyberattacks or cyber threats in the past year, less than half (49%) said they have the necessary AI-powered solutions to counter and respond to these attacks, over a third (36%) said they do not, and close to 1 in 7 (15%) said they were unsure. Cyber resilience is critical because the incentive and motivation of attackers is so high, with attack surfaces incredibly vast, so a reliance on protective controls is unrealistic, said Brian Spanswick, CISO and CIO, Cohesity. Successful cyberattacks and data breaches severely disrupt business continuity, impacting revenue, reputation, and customer trust. This risk must be at the forefront of business leaders priorities, not just IT and Security leaders. Similarly, regulation and legislation should not be seen by companies as the ceiling, but instead the floor, in both developing cyber resilience and adopting data security or recovery capabilities. About the survey: The findings are based on a survey of 3139 IT & Security decision-makers (split as close to 50:50 as possible) commissioned by Cohesity and conducted by Censuswide between 27.06.2024 - 18.07.2024. The top five industries that respondents selected as best representing their company's operations were IT & Telecommunications, Manufacturing, Financial Services (incl. Insurance), Banking & Wealth Management, and Hospitals & Healthcare. Censuswide abides by and employs the Market Research Society members, follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles, and is a member of the British Polling Council. Additional Resources About Cohesity Cohesity is a leader in AI-powered data security and management. Aided by an extensive ecosystem of partners, Cohesity makes it easier to secure, protect, manage, and get value from data across the data center, edge, and cloud. Cohesity helps organizations defend against cybersecurity threats with comprehensive data security and management capabilities, including immutable backup snapshots, AI-based threat detection, monitoring for malicious behavior, and rapid recovery at scale. Cohesity solutions can be delivered as a service, self-managed, or provided by a Cohesity-powered partner. Cohesity is headquartered in San Jose, CA, and is trusted by the worlds largest enterprises, including 47 of the Fortune 100. [1] Respondents were polled in: Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. [2] Respondents were provided with the NIST definition of cyber resiliency at the start of the survey: The ability to anticipate, withstand, recover from, and adapt to adverse conditions, stresses, attacks, or compromises on systems that use or are enabled by cyber resources. Cyber resiliency is intended to enable mission or business objectives that depend on cyber resources to be achieved in a contested cyber environment. [3] 11% said maybe, depending on the ransom amount. [4] Respondents were asked to select the ransom amount they had paid with the last year, or if they had paid multiple ransoms to select the total amount of the ransoms they had paid. [5] Respondents were asked to select their Top 7. This is why the percentage figures total over 100% for this data set. Effective 1 September 2024, Caserta succeeds Pamela Maynard, who will step down at the end of August to join Microsoft as Chief AI Transformation Officer for Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS). I am excited to see Rodrigo, a longtime Avanade leader, become CEO, said Karthik Narain, Avanade Board Chair and group chief executive, Accenture Technology. With enterprise and mid-market expertise, and a deep understanding of our clients and commitment to our people, he is the right person to lead Avanade as we expand market share. I thank Pam for her leadership, doubling our business and leading a cultural transformation focused on inclusion, diversity and wellbeing, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her in her new role at Microsoft. Avanade says Caserta, currently its Global Technology Business Group Lead, brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success that will further extend Avanades leading position in the Microsoft Services sector. Since joining Avanade nearly a decade ago, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to fostering a people-first, client-focused culture. As General Manager of Brazil and later as President of Growth Markets, Caserta led significant growth in both revenue and headcount across Avanades Asia Pacific and Latin America regions, consistently outpacing the market. A native of Brazil, he recently moved from Singapore to the United States with his family., said Avanade. Its an honor to follow in Pams footsteps, who brought me into Avanade nearly a decade ago. The wisdom Ive gained from her is invaluable, and its a privilege to uphold her legacy as Avanades next CEO, Caserta said. In an era marked by complex challenges, fierce competition, and the imperative to capitalise on AI, our clients have consistently found a trusted partner in Avanade. I am excited and look forward to this opportunity to lead guided by our deep expertise, bold ambitions and a spirit of collaboration. Avanade notes that as Maynard steps down as CEO, she will transition to her new role at Microsoft where she will spearhead AI transformation for MCAPS. Judson Althoff, Chief Commercial Officer at Microsofts aid, We are excited to welcome Pamela to Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions as our first Chief AI Transformation Officer, where she will leverage Microsofts AI portfolio to drive our internal transformation and work directly with customers to accelerate theirs. For nearly a decade, Microsoft and Avanade have been at the forefront of AI innovation, with both Pam and Rodrigo playing a critical role in advancing our progress. I look forward to this new chapter, confident in their leadership and expertise, as we further strengthen the longstanding partnership between Microsoft and Avanade and pioneer new advancements in our industry. Pamela Maynard expressed, "After 16 remarkable years at Avanade, now is the right time to transition to new leadership and Rodrigo is the perfect choice for our next CEO. Reflecting on my five-year tenure as CEO, I am proud of what weve achieved as an organisation. Weve solidified Avanades position as the preeminent leader in the Microsoft ecosystem consistently earning recognition from industry analysts, market leaders, and Microsoft itself. And our workplace culture celebrated by Newsweek, Glassdoor, and more is a clear reflection of our deep commitment to inclusion, diversity, and wellbeing. As AI continues to transform the industry, I am excited to have the opportunity and grateful for the confidence Microsoft's leadership has in me to lead critical work in my new role. This document contains 19 poster abstracts selected from the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) conference in Houston, Tex., from May 18-22, 2024. The call for abstracts for the 2025 conference in Denver, Colo., opens December 2 on the AAPA conference website (www.aapaconference.org). AAPA seeks to continue its role of encouraging and supporting physician associate/assistant (PA)-related research and invites all PAs and PA students to consider submitting an abstract for this session. All topic areas are welcome, including educational topics, clinical practice topics, workforce topics, and community-based projects inclusive of quantitative and qualitative research. We hope that you and your colleagues will share your research ideas and projects and participate in the 2025 poster research session. The selected 2024 poster session abstracts are: Adherence to filling anticoagulant prescriptions at a university pharmacy: An analysis of outpatient data Jasmine Archuleta; Bailee Bird; Allison Elmer; Kawika Tupola; Colgan Sloan, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP; Alden Baker, PA-C, MPAS; Jennifer Coombs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C Selective nonresponse bias regarding questions about experienced mistreatment in PA training programs Marcia Bouton, DMSc, MHPE, PA-C, DFAAPA; Charlotte Bolch, PhD; Nicholas Hudak, PhD, MPA, MSEd, PA-C; Dominique Frias-Sarmiento, MA; Bettie Coplan, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA PA program medical directors are important advocates for the PA profession: Results from a national survey Marcia Bouton, DMSc, MHPE, PA-C, DFAAPA; Jennifer Wild, DO; Katherine Mitzel, DO; Tian Zhou, MS; Charlotte Bolch, PhD Early psychosocial factors predict physical function and return to work status at a 2-year follow-up after a lower extremity fracture Lucy C. Bowers, BS; William Charlton, BS; Maj. Joshua Van Wyngaarden, PT, DPT, PhD; Brian W. Noehren, PT, PhD; Paul E. Matuszewski, MD PA use in the Veterans Health Administration Scot Burroughs, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C Depression rate of foster parents in Utah measured by administration of the PHQ-9 Vivian Cruz; Sabrina Higley; Damaris Huang; Kinzie Tobler; Melanie Murphy, MBA, PA-C; Jennifer Coombs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C Primary care PA practice: Usual roles, perceived barriers, and collaborating physician opinions: a mixed-methods approach Janet Furman, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA; Shawna Strickland, PhD, CAE, RRT, RRT-NPS, RRT-AACS, AE-C, FAARC; Somu Chatterjee, MD, MPH; Sharon Foley, PhD, RD; Jennifer Orozco, DMSc, PA-C; Noel E. Smith, MA Exploring compensation and autonomy among PAs in dermatology in Pennsylvania Cynthia F. Griffith, MPAS, PA-C; Richard Froman, PhD; Hayden T. Middleton, DMSc, PA-C Evolving PA degrees: Evaluating practicing PAs' perceived value in obtaining a clinical doctorate Shaun Horak, DMSc, PA-C; Jannelle Reynolds, MPAS, PA-C; Shaun Grammer, DMSc, PA-C Getting started: Applying evidence-based concepts to PA and NP orientation Kimberlee Ketchersid, MMSc, PA-C; Kathryn Davis, MSN, CPNP-AC/PC Evaluating the capacity for PAs' dissemination of patient-centered outcomes research Marie-Michele Leger, MPH, PA-C; Daniel Pace, CHCP; Eric D. Peterson, EdM, CHCP; Noel E. Smith, MA Mentorship effect for APRNs and PAs Victoria Louwagie, DMSc, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA; Justine S. Herndon, MS, PA-C; Brittany Strelow, DMSc, PA-C, MS, DFAAPA; Holly A. Schenzel, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC; Elizabeth A. Cumberland, APRN, CNP; Amy Oxentenko, MD Early development of a PA and APRN leader collaboration in an academic healthcare system Jennifer Mahaffey, MPAS, PA-C; Rebecca Krueger, RN, ACNP; Sarah Vanderlinden, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA; Jamie Silkey, PA-C, MBA, MHA Community engagement as a tool for teaching professional identity and social determinants of health K. Alexis Moore, DMSc, MPH, PA-C; Summer Dunlap; Mary O'Connell, MPAS, PA-C Do clinical boot camps improve PA student preparation for supervised clinical practice experiences? Darcy Ortiz, MHA, MPAS, PA-C Prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder among PA students Tia Solh, MT(ASCP), MSPAS, PA-C; Lauren A. Reid, PhD, MPH; Lucas Corbin, MHS, PA-C; Stewart Harvey, MHS, PA-C; Alexander Wood, MHS, PA-C Cervical cancer screening implementation Brittany Strelow, DMSc, PA-C, MS, DFAAPA; Joy Stevens, MS, PA-C; Stephanie Fink, MS, PA-C; Danielle O'Laughlin, MS, PA-C Retention and return on investment in a PA postgraduate emergency medicine program Lisa Swiatczak, MPAS, PA-C; Joshua Knox, MA, PA-C; Christopher Ellingsen, MPAS, PA-C; Bridget LeClair, MPAS, PA-C; Paul Coogan, MD, FACEP; Mary Jo Wiemiller, MS, PA-C; Kyle Kinderman, MPAS, PA-C Training programs for PAs and NPs who desire hospital administrative and leadership positions: A scoping review Stacy Laack Valentine, MS, PA-C; Michelle McMoon, PA-C, PhD ADHERENCE TO FILLING ANTICOAGULANT PRESCRIPTIONS AT A UNIVERSITY PHARMACY: AN ANALYSIS OF OUTPATIENT DATA Jasmine Archuleta; Bailee Bird; Allison Elmer; Kawika Tupola; Colgan Sloan, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP; Alden Baker, PA-C, MPAS; Jennifer Coombs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C Purpose Anticoagulant therapy commonly is prescribed for patients with atrial fibrillation or those suspected of having venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism). Nonadherence to anticoagulants can have severe consequences because these medications aim to prevent the recurrence of thrombotic events. Despite the serious consequences of nonadherence, there is a surprising lack of research on how consistently patients pick up their prescribed anticoagulant medications after being discharged from the ED. This gap in data highlights the need for further studies to understand the barriers to medication adherence and to develop strategies to improve it, ensuring better patient outcomes and reducing the risk of complications such as stroke or thromboembolism. This research aims to analyze the percentage of patients prescribed anticoagulants from the University of Utah's ED who picked up their prescriptions, with a subanalysis looking at various demographics. Methods The study was approved by the University of Utah institutional review board (IRB). Charts of patients prescribed anticoagulants in 2021-2022 were obtained through the University of Utah electronic medical records database. An electronic spreadsheet was used to sort and clean the data. A regression analysis was performed using RStudio. The analysis included the percentage of anticoagulants picked up and multiple variables. Results Two hundred twenty-five patients met the criteria for our study. Nearly 86% of patients picked up their anticoagulant prescription within 4 weeks. Of the 14.2% of patients who did not pick up their prescriptions, the variables reviewed (insurance, sex, age, weight, and location) showed no effect on whether prescriptions were picked up. Conclusions The prescription fill rate of anticoagulants prescribed at the pharmacy in the University of Utah ED was unaffected by any studied variables. The absence of statistically significant data might highlight a lack of bias when treating patients, easily accessible resources, and a lack of a need for intervention in the ED; a repeat of our study that addresses these limitations would be ideal. Jasmine Archuleta, Bailee Bird, Allison Elmer, and Kawika Tupola are students in the PA program at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Colgan Sloan and Alden Baker practice in emergency medicine at University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City. Jennifer Coombs is director of graduate studies in the PA program at the University of Utah. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. SELECTIVE NONRESPONSE BIAS REGARDING QUESTIONS ABOUT EXPERIENCED MISTREATMENT IN PA TRAINING PROGRAMS Marcia Bouton, DMSc, MHPE, PA-C, DFAAPA; Charlotte Bolch, PhD; Nicholas Hudak, PhD, MPA, MSEd, PA-C; Dominique Frias-Sarmiento, MA; Bettie Coplan, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA Purpose About 38% of PA students experience mistreatment in the form of harassment, discrimination, or identity-biased evaluations, but fewer than 2% report it to their programs. Mistreatment experience can have profound psychologic effects on PA students and be disproportionately damaging to those with minoritized social identities. Female PA students are at higher risk for gender-based discrimination. The PA Education Association (PAEA) End of Program Survey (EOPS) collects data on graduating PA students during the last month of training. The average response rate for 2017-2019 and 2021 was 40%. Some respondents opt to not answer sections of the survey, creating the potential for partial nonresponse bias. Nonresponse can result from systematic differences between those who respond and those who do not. This study compared sociodemographic data (sex, race, and ethnicity) of respondents who took the EOPS survey and completed questions related to experienced mistreatment, and respondents who did not complete any questions related to experienced mistreatment. Findings may provide insight into the interpretation of PA student mistreatment events. Methods The study was deemed exempt by the Midwestern University IRB. Data from four years (2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021) from the PAEA EOPS were used. Respondent data categorized as independent variables were sex, race, and ethnicity. Student response to personal experience of mistreatment was the dependent variable: those who answered any questions regarding personal experience of mistreatment were classified as responders; those who answered no questions regarding personal experience of mistreatment were classified as nonresponders. Any response (positive or negative) about experienced mistreatment resulted in the participant being classified a responder. The data were analyzed using the statistical software R version 4.3.0 and RStudio version 2023.03.0. Descriptive analysis of the longitudinal data was performed regarding the sociodemographic variables and completion of mistreatment questions. The dependent variable (any response to mistreatment questions) was evaluated using logistic regression to assess the odds ratio (OR) of the event of responder being based on the independent sociodemographic variables. Significance level was set at alpha = 0.05. Results A total of 12,062 students participated in the PAEA EOPS in 2017-2019 and 2021. Most respondents were female (76%), White (84%), and non-Hispanic (92%). Of the total EOPS participants, 31% were mistreatment question nonresponders. Participants were statistically more likely to respond to mistreatment questions if they were female (OR 1.41, P < .001), Black (OR 1.38, P = .04), White (OR 1.93, P < .001), or non-Hispanic (OR 1.26, P = .005). Transgender students were less likely to complete questions about mistreatment (OR 0.11, P = .04). Conclusions Nonresponse bias can affect interpretation and generalizability of survey results. Participants who were Black, White, female, or non-Hispanic were more likely to complete mistreatment questions, and transgender students were less likely to complete them. Research is needed to evaluate hesitancy to respond to questions about PA student mistreatment and improve equity in data collection on this topic. At Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz., Marcia Bouton is an assistant professor in the PA program, Charlotte Bolch is associate director of research and sponsored programs. Nicholas Hudak is an associate professor in the PA program at Duke University in Durham, N.C. Dominique Frias-Sarmiento is a mixed-methods analyst at PAEA in Washington, D.C. Bettie Coplan is an associate professor in the PA program at Northern Arizona University in Phoenix, Ariz. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. PA PROGRAM MEDICAL DIRECTORS ARE IMPORTANT ADVOCATES FOR THE PA PROFESSION: RESULTS FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY Marcia Bouton, DMSc, MHPE, PA-C, DFAAPA; Jennifer Wild, DO; Katherine Mitzel, DO; Tian Zhou, MS; Charlotte Bolch, PhD Purpose The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) mandates that PA educational programs include a physician medical director. However, this requirement has softened compared with previous requirements by ARC-PA that medical directors also serve as advocates for their PA program. Advocacy and connection building is a key contribution that PA program medical directors can make to the PA profession. This study evaluated whether PA program medical directors are playing a role in PA advocacy and what factors correlate with this effort. Methods This study was deemed exempt by the Midwestern University IRB. The study was a mixed-methods survey using grounded theory for thematic coding. The survey was developed after a review of the literature and piloted by the research team and unaffiliated faculty to affirm content and construct validity. Two hundred sixty-two PA program medical directors from accredited programs with identified email addresses were sent an email with a link to a Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) survey that included demographic information and 10 Likert-scale questions. Sixty-nine directors responded, for a response rate of 26%. Statistical analysis was performed using the R program version 4.3.0 and RStudio version 2023.03.0. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation were used. A P value less than .05 indicated a significant association between responses or a significant difference in means between two groups. Qualitative thematic analysis of the question, How have you publicly supported the PA profession, was performed using ChatGPT. Iterative analysis of the research team was performed. Coding consensus was achieved for each response. Results Demographic data showed most respondents primarily had an MD degree (87%) (rather than a DO degree) and were male (66%), White (61%), practicing clinically (71%), and working as medical directors 8 to 12 hours per week (46%). Increasing diversity in this role in the future is expected as reflected in trends in medical school training demographics. PA program medical directors in this study did not show strong support of the physician assistant to physician associate title change, with 72% of the responses being neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree. They also were not engaged in legislative efforts to support optimal team practice (84% never, very rarely, or rarely contributed to promotion of optimal team practice). However, they do have a very high level of engagement in public advocacy on behalf of the PA profession (91% frequently or occasionally). Thematic analysis showed they had public and behind-the-scenes efforts at advocacy to ease the path for PA leadership positions, PA employment, improved attitudes in healthcare organizations toward PAs, and securing clinical rotations in PA training programs. Respondents felt valued by their programs for their contribution to PA education and did not feel that their role simply fulfilled a title for accreditation. However, 36% of respondents felt that none of the professional organizations (AAPA, American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, state PA organization, PAEA, or PA state licensing organization) support them in their role as PA program medical director. Conclusions Exploring ways to support advocacy by our valued PA program medical directors in PA professional organizations would be advantageous to PA program medical directors' professional growth as well as the PA profession. At Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz., Marcia Bouton is an assistant professor in the PA program, Jennifer Wild is medical director and an assistant professor in the PA program, Katherine Mitzel is a clinical professor and associate dean at the university's Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tian Zhou is a statistical analyst, and Charlotte Bolch is associate director of research and sponsored programs. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. EARLY PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS PREDICT PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND RETURN TO WORK STATUS AT A 2-YEAR FOLLOW-UP AFTER A LOWER EXTREMITY FRACTURE Lucy C. Bowers, BS; William Charlton, BS; Maj. Joshua Van Wyngaarden, PT, DPT, PhD; Brian W. Noehren, PT, PhD; Paul E. Matuszewski, MD Purpose This study sought to determine if early psychosocial screening and other patient factors predict return to work (RTW) and self-reported physical function 24 months after lower extremity fracture requiring surgical fixation. We hypothesized that pain self-efficacy at 6 weeks and 3 months would be associated with physical function and RTW activity. Methods This study was approved by the University of Kentucky IRB. The observational cohort consisted of 177 patients (average age 41.9 years 14.5 years) with a lower extremity fracture requiring surgical fixation at a Level I trauma center. At 6 weeks and 3 months after surgical fixation, patients completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), and Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaire. At 24 months, participants completed the PROMIS Physical Function and Cincinnati Occupational Rating Scale (CORS, a modification of the Cincinnati Knee Rating System Occupational Rating Scale), a functional assessment of ability to engage in physical labor. Linear regression analyses were completed for each outcome, including body mass index (BMI), age, sex, smoking, Injury Severity Score, depression, pain self-efficacy, and pain catastrophizing. Results Of the 177 patients recruited, 138 (78%) completed the study. Low PSEQ at 6 weeks (beta = 0.357, P = .001) and 3 months (beta = 0.355, P = .002) were associated with decreased CORS at 24 months. An elevated BMI at any point was associated with decreased CORS at 24 months (6 weeks: beta = -0.683, P < .001; 3 months: beta = -0.732, P < .001). Low PSEQ scores at 6 weeks and 3 months were associated with decreased physical function at 24 months (6 weeks: beta = 0.243, P < .001; 3 months: beta = 0.354, P < .001). Elevated BMI at any point was associated with decreased physical function at 24 months (6 weeks: beta = -0.336, P < .001; 3 months: beta = -0.318, P < .001). A low PSEQ (less than 40) at 3 months accounted for 16.8% worse physical function and 31.5% worse CORS at 24 months (t-value: 8.41, P < .001; t-value: 12.39, P < .001). Similarly, obesity (BMI of 30 or greater) accounted for 11.4% worse physical function and 38.5% worse CORS at 24 months (t-value: 5.64, P < .001; t-value: 16.21, P < .001). Other factors were not associated with poor physical function or RTW status. Conclusions Low pain self-efficacy and higher BMI identified early in the postoperative period were associated with decreased physical function and ability to return to preinjury work at 2 years. Patients exhibiting these features could potentially receive targeted interventions early in their recovery to improve outcome. Lucy C. Bowers is a student in the PA program at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. William Charlton is an orthopedic trauma research fellow at the University of Kentucky. Maj. Josh Van Wyngaarden is an associate professor at Baylor University in Waco, Tex. Brian W. Noehren is a professor and an associate dean for research at the University of Kentucky. Paul E. Matuszewski is an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and vice chair of research at the University of Kentucky. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. PA USE IN THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION Scot Burroughs, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C Purpose The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States. The VHA provides care at 172 VA medical centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of varying complexity to more than 9 million enrolled veterans. These facilities are staffed by 26,200 physicians, 2,693 PAs, 6,060 NPs, and a large cadre of additional healthcare professionals. The VA PA services chief oversees their use. We describe the growing role of PAs in the VHA. Methods Data were derived from the Veterans Workforce Management and Consulting Office's ongoing survey of employees in 2023. Assessing job satisfaction and employment retention in the VHA is an ongoing human resource activity to improve job satisfaction. From this survey, we partitioned the demographic and practice characteristics of PAs employed in the VHA and assessed trends. Results In 2023, the VHA employed 2,693 PAs. The average age was 48 years, and 61% were female. One-fifth (22%) were of minority status, and 22% were veterans. Spanning 5 years, the onboarding of PAs in the VHA increased from 2.9% to 3.7% to fill a vacancy rate of 16.6%. The PA turnover rate for the past 5 years has declined, averaging 8.6%. On a 0 to 100 job satisfaction scale, 71% of PAs rate the VHA as the Best Place to Work. Additional survey results of VHA PAs identified the workload as reasonable (3.7) and overall satisfying (4) as a career on a scale of 1 to 5. Conclusions PAs' characteristics and employment settings are essential factors in medical labor research. The VHA is the largest federal employer of PAs, uses them in diverse settings, and recruits at least 300 PAs annually to grow the workforce. Scot Burroughs is the executive director of PA services in the Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington, D.C. The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. DEPRESSION RATE OF FOSTER PARENTS IN UTAH MEASURED BY ADMINISTRATION OF THE PHQ-9 Vivian Cruz; Sabrina Higley; Damaris Huang; Kinzie Tobler; Melanie Murphy, MBA, PA-C; Jennifer Coombs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C Purpose The mental health of foster parents is a critical factor in providing adequate care for foster children. However, data are lacking about the mental health of foster parents, particularly in relation to depression. This study aimed to quantify the rate of depression among foster parents in Utah and compare it with the rate of depression in the general adult population. In addition, the study examined the potential correlation between depression rates and factors such as regionality, age, and length of time fostering children. Methods One hundred fifty-five foster parents in Utah participated in the study by completing the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) survey through the Utah Foster Care Bridge app. Results The results indicated that 54% of foster parents had a PHQ-9 score of 5 or higher, indicating at least minimal depression, compared with 23% of the general adult population. However, no significant correlation was found between depression rates and years of fostering or the number of children being fostered. Conclusions The results of this study highlight the need for increased support and resources for foster parents, particularly in addressing their mental health needs. Further research with a larger sample size and more tailored survey is recommended to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to depression among foster parents, and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and support services. In the PA program at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Vivian Cruz, Sabrina Higley, Damaris Huang, and Kinzie Tobler are students, Melanie Murphy is an assistant professor and director of clinical education, and Jennifer Coombs is a professor and director of graduate studies. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. PRIMARY CARE PA PRACTICE: USUAL ROLES, PERCEIVED BARRIERS, AND COLLABORATING PHYSICIAN OPINIONS: A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH Janet Furman, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA; Shawna Strickland, PhD, CAE, RRT, RRT-NPS, RRT-AACS, AE-C, FAARC; Somu Chatterjee, MD, MPH; Sharon Foley, PhD, RD; Jennifer Orozco, DMSc, PA-C; Noel E. Smith, MA Purpose PAs can help mitigate the primary care provider (PCP) shortage in the United States. To do so, PA practice must be optimized to provide efficient and effective primary care. Research is limited on the role of PAs in primary care, barriers PAs may face in primary care practice, and physician opinions of PA practice. This research identified these key concepts to gain baseline knowledge about the practice and collaboration patterns of primary care PAs. Methods This research was reviewed and deemed exempt by the Rush University IRB. A sequential explanatory design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from primary care PAs and their collaborating physicians. PAs received an invitation to participate in an online survey, and were encouraged to recruit their collaborating physician to engage in a separate similar survey. Postsurvey interviews were completed to gain a further understanding of the issues. Results Survey data revealed that PAs (N = 298) performed expected roles in primary care; we did not find evidence of extensive limitations to practice. PAs identified several practice barriers, including lack of involvement in decisions relating directly to their role, patient provider preference, and role misconceptions. These limits also were identified in postsurvey interviews with PAs (n = 7). Additionally, interviewees identified a lack of consistency between PA and NP practice and lack of PA leadership as practice barriers. Physician survey responses (N = 18) revealed universal agreement that PAs are competent to provide effective primary care. Physicians identified similar practice barriers, with the addition of mandated chart cosignature. No physicians were interviewed postsurvey. Conclusions This research is a step toward identifying barriers to primary care PA practice and can aid the profession in strategizing to overcome them. Further, opinions of physicians about PA practice can aid in optimization of the PA-physician team, resulting in further ability to provide excellent, team-based primary care to patients who need it. Janet Furman is an assistant professor and the co-director of the PA program at Touro University in Skokie, Ill. Shawna Strickland is the associate executive director of programs at the American Epilepsy Society and adjunct faculty at Rush University in Chicago, Ill. Somu Chatterjee is an associate professor in the PA program at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. At the AAPA in Alexandria, Va., Jennifer Orozco is chief medical officer and Noel E. Smith is senior director of PA and industry research and analysis. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. EXPLORING COMPENSATION AND AUTONOMY AMONG PAS IN DERMATOLOGY IN PENNSYLVANIA Cynthia F. Griffith, MPAS, PA-C; Richard Froman, PhD; Hayden T. Middleton, DMSc, PA-C Purpose This study investigated the compensation structures and earnings of PAs in dermatology, addressing significant disparities in compensation among various models. With a focus on productivity-based compensation, we analyzed data from a survey of 346 members of the Pennsylvania Dermatology Physician Assistants (PDPA) to understand how collections relate to salary and if there is any difference in salary based on the compensation model. Methods The study was approved by the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center IRB. A postsurvey analysis was conducted of a salary survey of 84 members of the PDPA (response rate of 24%). The survey collected information on various aspects of compensation, including base salary, bonuses, and salary structure. This study explored if significant differences existed between salary types. PAs were included in the study if their primary specialty was dermatology and they had worked at least 1 full year in the field. Respondents were excluded if they had less than 1 year of clinical practice, their primary specialty was not dermatology, they practiced outside the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or they responded that they were retired. Results Only one PA was hourly and full time. Among the full-time participants only, a significant difference was found in pay by compensation structure, F(2,59) = 11.98, P < .001. Production-based pay (M = $197,963.20) was significantly higher than base salary (P < .01) and base plus bonus pay (M = $156,662.60) was significantly higher than base salary (P < .05), with a mean base salary of $102,053. Although no statistically significant difference was found between production and base plus bonus pay, a mean difference of $41,300 was observed. Additionally, PAs with the highest income reported that autonomy has a top employment value. Conclusions Our findings reveal that PAs in dermatology who are compensated in a production-based or salary plus bonus model made significantly more than PAs who were compensated in other salary structures, specifically base salary only or hourly, and those with higher incomes chose autonomy over any other job value. However, the study has limitations, including a limited sample size from Pennsylvania and potential response bias, raising the need for additional research to generalize these findings to other PAs in dermatology across the nation and to explore missing factors such as benefits acquisition. This research contributes to a comprehensive perspective on compensation for PAs in dermatology, shedding light on a crucial aspect of the healthcare workforce. Cynthia F. Griffith practices in dermatology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Tex. Richard Froman is a professor of psychology at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark. At the time this abstract was written, Hayden T. Middleton practiced in family medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He now practices in family medicine at M Health Fairview in St. Paul, Minn. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. EVOLVING PA DEGREES: EVALUATING PRACTICING PAS' PERCEIVED VALUE IN OBTAINING A CLINICAL DOCTORATE Shaun Horak, DMSc, PA-C; Jannelle Reynolds, MPAS, PA-C; Shaun Grammer, DMSc, PA-C Purpose This study sought to determine the percentage of PAs who believe that the PA profession should be at the level of a clinical doctorate, their willingness to attend a postgraduate program, and their anticipated enrollment time frame based on years of experience in the profession. Methods The study was approved by the University of Nebraska Medical Center IRB. This cross-sectional study used an IRB-approved survey instrument designed by the researchers and disseminated to two accredited PA programs with a national alumni base. The survey assessed participants' agreement with the importance of a clinical doctorate for the PA profession and their likelihood to seek such a degree. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and logistic regression odds ratios. Results Career length was found to have a significant effect on respondents' perceptions, with more experienced PAs assigning higher value to advanced clinical degrees (P < .05) across the questions in the survey. Specialty focused training interest was highest for emergency medicine, critical care, orthopedics, and infectious disease if specialty pathways were offered by the doctoral program. Conclusions Career length appeared to have an influence on the value of a doctoral degree, with PAs who had been practicing longer being more likely than new graduates to say that a doctorate degree was important. Educational training and specialty practice settings did not appear to influence responses toward seeking and starting a doctoral degree. The findings indicate support for establishing clinical doctorate programs for PAs, with solid support from working clinicians. Additionally, there was evidence of increased interest in specialized tracks such as emergency medicine, critical care, orthopedics, and infectious disease compared with other specialties. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., Shaun Horak is an assistant professor and associate program director in the Department of Medical Science, Jannelle Reynolds is an assistant professor and practices in the Department of Medical Sciences, and Shaun Grammer is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Medical Science. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. GETTING STARTED: APPLYING EVIDENCE-BASED CONCEPTS TO PA AND NP ORIENTATION Kimberlee Ketchersid, MMSc, PA-C; Kathryn Davis, MSN, CPNP-AC/PC Purpose As the US healthcare system faces healthcare provider shortages and the resultant rapid employment growth in PAs and NPs, employers must provide resources to improve clinician satisfaction and reduce burnout. The effect of PA and NP onboarding is an emerging area of research. Literature supports that orientation and onboarding programs can improve job satisfaction and effectiveness and lower turnover rates and stress. Opportunities exist to implement evidence-based orientation and onboarding programs. Methods A task force, including PAs and NPs from multiple specialty areas and our academic partners, created a 4-hour advanced practice provider orientation that all PAs, NPs, and certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) at an urban academic medical center attended in their first month of hire. Orientation content was derived from structural and psychosocial themes described by Ortiz and Barnes and included orientation to organizational dynamics, electronic medical record (EMR) training, clarifying role expectations, assessing clinical competence, and creating comfort. In a 12-month period, 88 PAs, CNMs, and NPs from three hospitals and affiliated clinics attended the orientation. Fifty-three clinicians completed preassessment and 60 completed postorientation evaluation. Orientation evaluation consisted of nine questions that assessed confidence level associated with understanding organizational dynamics, clinical role, evaluation process, using the EMR, clinical documentation and billing, and quality initiatives using a Likert scale. Pre- and postassessment scores were compared using a student's t-test. Results In the initial survey, new hires reported the least confidence in the following areas: competency assessment, clinical documentation and billing, EMR use, and organizational dynamics. After orientation, confidence level increased in all thematic concepts implemented (P < .005). The greatest increases were noted in competency assessment (38%) and clinical documentation and billing (32%). Confidence in clinical role and quality improvement remained highest in both the pre- and post-orientation evaluations. Conclusions Using an evidence-based framework to structure orientation is associated with improved new hire confidence in job-required skills. Opportunities for future research include a longitudinal assessment evaluating the effect of PA, NP, and CNM orientation and continued onboarding support on clinician confidence, engagement, and retention. Kimberlee Ketchersid is the transition to practice program manager and Kathryn Davis is interim advanced practice provider director at VCU Health in Richmond, Va. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. EVALUATING THE CAPACITY FOR PAS' DISSEMINATION OF PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES RESEARCH Marie-Michele Leger, MPH, PA-C; Daniel Pace, CHCP; Eric D. Peterson, EdM, CHCP; Noel E. Smith, MA Purpose The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is the leading funder of patient-centered comparative effectiveness research (CER) in the United States. PCORI helps people make informed healthcare decisions and improves healthcare delivery and outcomes by producing and promoting high-integrity, evidence-based information that comes from research guided by patients, caregivers, and the broader healthcare community. CER research answers patient-centered questions and helps clinicians address their public health priorities. Patients are integral in the design of PCOR and CER studies. PCOR and CER can be used to identify specific interventions and actions that have been scientifically assessed on whether they affect the desired change. PCORI implementation projects promote the use of findings from PCORI-funded studies in real-world healthcare and other settings. These projects build toward broad use of evidence to inform healthcare decisions. The purpose of the research was to establish a baseline for the level of awareness of PCORI, PCOR, and CER. Methods This study used a mixed-methods cross-sectional study design. Sterling IRB, an independent IRB, reviewed the study and determined it was exempt. In February 2023, PAs were invited to participate in a survey related to the integration of evidence-based medicine in practice. Of the 3,646 PAs who saw the invitation, 760 started the survey, resulting in a 20.8% response rate. The questions for the survey were derived from a 2012 PCORI survey of PAs and NPs and included new questions on understanding and use of CER and PCOR, and identification of the topics and resources they would most be interested in. Respondents also were asked if they were interested in a follow-up focus group. Three identical virtual focus groups were held in April 2023 and consisted of 11 PAs in total. The purpose of the focus groups was to delve into the survey findings in more detail and determine tailored strategies for facilitating the use of PCOR findings in healthcare, as well as the implementation of the strategies. Results With respect to awareness and use of PCOR and CER, 81% of respondents were not familiar with the term comparative effectiveness research and 40% were not familiar with the term patient-centered outcomes research. However, 47% to 60% reported using CER in a variety of ways in their clinical practice in the past year. Ninety-six percent of respondents said that it is important for research to help patients make the best healthcare decisions and for research to answer the questions that concern healthcare providers. Finally, 88% agreed that clinicians and 81% agreed that patients on teams can improve healthcare. More than half (58%) were interested in joining a research team in the future. Conclusions PAs lack awareness of PCOR and CER terminology but are using the tenets of them in their clinical practice. PAs understand the value of CER and PCOR for patient care. PAs understand the importance of healthcare providers being part of research and are interested in joining a research team. At the AAPA., Marie-Michele Leger is director of clinical education, Daniel Pace is vice president of education and research and chief strategy officer, Eric D. Peterson is senior director of education and quality, and Noel E. Smith is senior director of PA and industry research and analysis. This project was funded with a PCORI Engagement Award (EADI-26764) to the AAPA. The authors have disclosed no other potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. MENTORSHIP EFFECT FOR APRNS AND PAS Victoria Louwagie, DMSc, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA; Justine S. Herndon, MS, PA-C; Brittany Strelow, DMSc, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA; Holly A. Schenzel, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC; Elizabeth A. Cumberland, APRN, CNP; Amy Oxentenko, MD Purpose Mentorship has many notable benefits, including academic advancement and career satisfaction. Limited research exists about mentorship for advanced practice RNs (APRNs) and PAs. Methods A survey was sent via email to all APRNs and PAs at a single multicampus academic medical center and its associated healthcare system. The univariable analysis included chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests to compare those with and without a mentor. The multivariable analysis determined independent predictors of factors associated with mentorship. Results The response rate was 32.4% (N = 934). Of those, 185 (19.8%) respondents identified having a mentor. Multivariable analysis showed that those with a mentor were statistically more likely to function as a mentor (OR 1.8 [1.2-2.7], P = .003), have an academic rank of assistant professor or higher (OR 2.9 [1.7-4.9], P = .001), be under age 45 years (OR 2.6 [1.6-4.2], P < .001), and be less than 10 years into their career (OR 1.8 [1.2-2.8], P = .006). Those with a mentor were statistically more likely to be satisfied with mentorship (84.3% versus 25.1%, P < .001) and agreed that mentorship was important for academic success (80.5% versus 7.3%, P < .001) and attaining leadership positions (69.7% versus 48.2%, P < .001). Conclusions This study demonstrated that mentorship for APRNs and PAs is imperative and can profoundly affect academic and career satisfaction. Future research may explore more profound organizational and professional benefits of mentorship among APRNs and PAs. In the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Mankato, Minn., Victoria Louwagie, Justine Herndon, Brittany Strelow, and Holly Schenzel are assistant professors of medicine, Elizabeth Cumberland is an instructor of medicine, and Amy Oxentenko is a professor of medicine. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF A PA AND APRN LEADER COLLABORATION IN AN ACADEMIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Jennifer Mahaffey, MPAS, PA-C; Rebecca Krueger, RN, ACNP; Sarah Vanderlinden, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA; Jamie Silkey, PA-C, MBA, MHA Purpose Our academic medical center has experienced significant growth of PAs and APRNs over the past decade, and now employs more than 800 of these clinicians. Since the development of the central Office of Advanced Practice in 2009, centralized leadership has been established with a chief advanced practice officer and three assistant directors. Standard titles of lead or manager were created in 2016 but adoption of these titles and expectations were inconsistent. Local leaders continued to struggle to connect to centralized leaders and to strategic initiatives. The vision for local PA and APRN leaders was to meet specific needs such as onboarding and orientation, assuring appropriate hospital privileging and credentialing, mentorship, and connecting frontline PAs and APRNs to the strategic goals. However, local leaders expressed challenges with inconsistent role expectations, confidence in core PA and APRN leader competencies, and connecting with organizational strategic plans. Methods All PA and APRN leaders who had an official title of lead or manager were invited to a quarterly 2-hour session series. Before the initial meeting, leaders were asked to take a demographic survey. This survey focused on length of time in their leadership position, whether they received a stipend and/or protected time, and what responsibilities they had. Time was allotted at the end of each session for small group work and networking. Results The initial session invited 31 leaders and was attended by 21 leaders across 11 divisions or departments, with a 67.7% attendance rate. The demographic survey was sent to all 31 leaders and had a response rate of 87% (N = 27). Fifty-five percent of the respondents were PAs and 45% were APRNs. Of those, 15 (55.6%) held the title of manager and 12 (44.4%) held the title of lead. Nearly 47% had spent less than 1 year in their leadership role, 26.7% had spent 1 to 3 years in their role, and 26.7% had spent more than 3 years in their role. About 72% said they received protected administrative time. The average amount was 0.2 full-time equivalent, with a range from 0.05 to 0.4. The mode for lead was 0.1 and the mode for manager was 0.2. About 7% reported that they received a stipend for their leadership role instead of protected administrative time. Nearly 21% reported they had the title only, with no protected time or stipend. The initial survey queried leaders on their role descriptions and level of responsibility for specific leadership tasks, ranging from full accountability, collaboration with other department or division leaders, or no involvement at all. The most common leader responsibility was onboarding and transition to practice, with 95% reporting that they were either accountable or a collaborator. Scheduling (43.5%) and student precepting (43.4%) rounded out the top three accountable tasks for managers and leads. Responsibilities that only required collaboration without full accountability included PA and APRN recruitment (65.2%), quality improvement (60.6%), and PA and APRN practice (69.6%). Tasks that leaders were not involved in included using the data and analytic platform to follow key metrics (87%) and PA and APRN credentialing and privileging (70.9%). Conclusions Developing a quarterly leadership education and networking session for PA and APRN leaders created a novel collaborative network of support between local and central leaders. This initial focus to understand the state and responsibilities of leaders helped support future sessions with specific leadership development topics and guest speakers on those topics. The next phase supported targeted educational topics that aligned with top leader accountabilities. Sessions included credentialing and privileging, PA and APRN hiring process, PA and APRN student placement, and how to use data systems. Work is still needed on consistent leader titles and accountabilities. A better-defined structure and centralized support have helped the leads and manager group grow from 31 in 2022 to 42 by the end of 2023. By supporting and developing these local leaders, we will have a mechanism to influence local change, foster local PA and APRN practice expertise, and create a benchmark for future system PA and APRN leaders. Jennifer Mahaffey, Rebecca Krueger, and Sarah Vanderlinden are assistant directors of advanced practice and Jamie Silkey is chief advanced practice officer at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisc. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS A TOOL FOR TEACHING PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH K. Alexis Moore, DMSc, MPH, PA-C; Summer Dunlap; Mary O'Connell, MPAS, PA-C Purpose PA students are required to engage with social determinants of health (SDOH) during their training, but moving from theory to practical application can be challenging. Community engagement in the didactic year can create meaningful experiences that bridge that gap. One such engagement is through Start Early in Medicine (SEIM). This program provides middle and early high school Black and Latino males with instruction and mentoring by PAs, helping them engage with medical knowledge and practice. The program seeks to promote medicine as a profession (because of the paucity of men of color in college and science-based careers), and bolster PAs' professional identity development through community engagement, teaching, and interaction with complex SDOH. This study assessed the program's effects on PAs and SEIM participants. Methods Institutional review board approval was not needed for this study. Surveys were administered to PAs, SEIM participants, and their guardians in each of the two program years (time 0 and time 1). PA surveys covered perceptions about teaching, personal growth, and interactions with underserved populations. SEIM participants responded about class engagement, interest in medicine, and confidence level. Guardians received quantitative and qualitative questions about their child's science grades and interest in the coursework. Preliminary data analysis included paired t-tests of times 0 and 1 for each group. A repeated measures analysis of variance will be used to investigate change in levels of interest in medicine among SEIM participants at times 0, 1, and 2 (year 3). Emergent qualitative themes were identified and coded. Results Seventy-six PA students, 75 middle school students (fifth through eighth grades), and 23 high schoolers (ninth through 11th grades) participated. Thirty guardians also participated. PAs' confidence as educators remained constant between time 0 and 1 (P = .005). Comfort (P = .012) and knowledge (P = .001) with engaging with communities different than their own improved significantly. SEIM participants' confidence in learning medicine began and remained high (P < .001). Guardians reported a positive effect on their children's interest in medicine, school science performance (P = .001), and ability to apply SEIM material to nonscience coursework. PAs learned to work with a young minority population, improve communication skills with future patients, and understand complex community structures that affect healthcare outcomes. SEIM participants acquired knowledge through mentorship and kinesthetic-based learning, encouraging them to see themselves in medical careers. Guardians desired longer sessions and remained supportive of the SEIM program. Conclusions A community engagement curriculum tailored toward SDOH and identity development improved PAs' confidence in their role and their ability to see SDOH effects on the communities they serve. Limitations of this study include the small sample size, that the sample was from only one university, and the possibility of response bias to open-ended questions. Further research examining the effect of community engagement projects on PA students is warranted. K. Alexis Moore is an assistant professor and director of Start Early in Medicine in the PA program at Elon (N.C.) University. Summer Dunlap is a student in the PA program at Elon University. At the time this abstract was written, Mary O'Connell was a student in the PA program at Elon University. She now practices in obstetrics and gynecology at Harlem Hospital Center in New York City. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. DO CLINICAL BOOT CAMPS IMPROVE PA STUDENT PREPARATION FOR SUPERVISED CLINICAL PRACTICE EXPERIENCES? Darcy Ortiz, MHA, MPAS, PA-C Purpose Students in the PA program at the University of Texas Medical Branch have an intense 1-year curriculum on didactic material before rotating through twelve 4-week supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs). The twelve SCPEs are divided into four blocks, with three rotations in each block. As the clinical year progressed, faculty found that specialty-specific clinical skills and knowledge declined. Boot camps were introduced to refresh the students' skills before they began the next block of SCPEs. Methods Boot camps are 3-hour hands-on training stations that help prepare second-year PA students for their subsequent rotation block. The boot camps consist of three to four stations; small groups of six to eight students rotate through these stations. Results Students completed an online survey immediately following the boot camps. They graded the time spent and whether the content was appropriate for the boot camps on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). The 319 students rated content appropriateness as a mean score of 4.72 and time spent as a mean score of 4.61. When asked if the previous boot camp prepared them well for the previous block, students (n = 252) gave a mean score of 3.36 on a 4-point Likert scale. Conclusions Students enjoyed brushing up on their skills before they moved to the next block of SCPEs. Qualitative feedback received will be used to improve future boot camps. PA programs should consider implementing boot camps to help prepare the students for upcoming SCPEs. Darcy Ortiz is an assistant professor and director of clinical education in the PA program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Tex. The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. PREVALENCE OF ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER AMONG PA STUDENTS Tia Solh, MT(ASCP), MSPAS, PA-C; Lauren A. Reid, PhD, MPH; Lucas Corbin, MHS, PA-C; Stewart Harvey, MHS, PA-C; Alexander Wood, MHS, PA-C Purpose The prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is estimated to be up to 5% in US adults. Although the literature supports a higher prevalence of ADHD among medical students, no published studies affirm similar findings among PA students. This study sought to determine the prevalence of ADHD in enrolled PA students and to quantitatively describe factors intersecting ADHD and PA school. Methods The South College IRB approved this study. A 20-item original survey was developed using Qualtrics, an online survey generator. The survey was emailed to the program directors of all PA programs affiliated with the PAEA. Thirty-seven of the 335 program directors distributed the survey to their students; 510 students responded. Respondents were asked to self-report an ADHD diagnosis as well as information about their age at symptom onset, symptoms experienced after matriculation, academic accommodations, medication for ADHD, and if they were diagnosed before or after matriculation. Responses were deidentified and data were analyzed in SAS 9.4. Results The final sample consisted of 499 students (50.7% didactic; 49.3% clinical) from the Midwest (35%), South (33%), West (18%), and Northeast (14%). Eighty-three percent of respondents identified as female, 16% as male, and 1% as nonbinary. One hundred and forty-eight of the 499 students (29.7%) self-reported a diagnosis of ADHD. Of these 148 students, 78% identified as female, 18% as male, and 4% as nonbinary. Forty-eight percent of those with ADHD were under age 25 years. About 70% (104) students with ADHD were diagnosed before matriculation; the remaining 30% (44) were diagnosed after matriculation. About 89% (131) noticed an exacerbation of ADHD symptoms after matriculation, but only 30% (45) reported receiving academic accommodations for their diagnosis. Seventy-five percent reported taking prescription stimulant-based medication to manage their ADHD while enrolled. Although most reported taking their ADHD medication as prescribed, 21% reported using ADHD medication in a manner inconsistent with their prescription. Among the 30% of students diagnosed with ADHD after matriculation, 43.2% were in the didactic year and 56.8% were in the clinical year at the time of diagnosis. Conclusions The prevalence of ADHD among this sample was nearly 30%, and nearly 30% of respondents with ADHD were diagnosed after matriculation. We hypothesize that students with previously undiagnosed ADHD may present for care after matriculation because of worsening symptoms elicited by the rigors of PA education. Although the limitations of this study include response bias (students with ADHD were more likely to answer the survey), these findings may have implications for institutional support programs for students. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to explore possible reasons for delays in diagnosis as well as reasons for a lack of academic accommodation. In the PA program at South College in Atlanta, Ga., Tia Solh is associate program director and Lauren Reid is associate director of outcomes and evaluation. At the time this abstract was written, Lucas Corbin Stewart Harvey, and Alexander Wood were students in the PA program at South College in Atlanta, Ga. Lucas Corbin now practices in orthopedics at the Hughston Clinic in DeLand, Fla. Stewart Harvey practices in emergency medicine at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Ga. Alexander Wood practices in emergency medicine at Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Ga. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING IMPLEMENTATION Brittany Strelow, DMSc, PA-C, MS, DFAAPA; Joy Stevens, MS, PA-C; Stephanie Fink, MS, PA-C; Danielle O'Laughlin, MS, PA-C Purpose This study sought to increase cervical cancer screening rates. Our institution offered nontraditional appointments on Saturdays for Pap smears over the past 2 years. Methods For 2 years, female PAs and NPs from family medicine and internal medicine staffed the Pap smear clinic from 8 a.m. to noon each Saturday. These appointments also addressed additional health maintenance needs, including BP control, colon cancer screening, breast cancer screening, immunizations, and laboratory tests. The EMR was used to identify women who were eligible and overdue for cervical cancer screening; 12,025 local patients were identified as eligible for a Saturday Pap smear clinic visit. Interested women who set up an appointment were scheduled in a standard fashion. Pap smear samples were collected in the usual manner and run by the laboratory. A fast pass system was used to allow patients to move up their appointments as desired. Results During the past 2 years, 534 Pap smear clinic slots were offered, and 385 patients attended Saturday appointments and had Pap smears performed. The average fill rate for the Saturday clinic was 86.15%. Open slots were filled with acute appointments. Of the women who attended, the median age was 44 years. Nearly 71% identified as White, 94.7% spoke English, and 84.7% of patients had a PCP who was a physician or a resident, underscoring the need for PAs and NPs to fill the gap in primary care and improve preventive health screening. About 59% of patients' PCPs were female. Of Pap smears performed, 13.8% were abnormal, with 8.1% having a human papillomavirus abnormality. Conclusions The clinic was considered a success because of a fill rate of 86.15%, an improvement in the Pap smear screening to 76.92%, and improved access to care. Although this outreach benefited predominantly a large White, English-speaking population, 10,001 patients are still eligible for cervical cancer screening, and further work is being done to reduce healthcare disparities. Brittany Strelow, Joy Stevens, Stephanie Fink, and Danielle O'Laughlin are assistant professors of medicine and practice in community internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. RETENTION AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN A PA POSTGRADUATE EMERGENCY MEDICINE PROGRAM Lisa Swiatczak, MPAS, PA-C; Joshua Knox, MA, PA-C; Christopher Ellingsen, MPAS, PA-C; Bridget LeClair, MPAS, PA-C; Paul Coogan, MD, FACEP; Mary Jo Wiemiller, MS, PA-C; Kyle Kinderman, MPAS, PA-C Purpose Newly graduated physician PAs benefit from programs that support their transition to the workforce as professionals. Postgraduate PA training programs have existed for more than 50 years for this purpose. Purported benefits of these programs to PAs and their employers include increased clinical productivity, improved autonomy, greater job satisfaction, and reduced turnover. However, literature on the benefits and outcomes of these programs is lacking. This report aimed to describe the organizational retention rates and return on investment (ROI) of a single Midwest academic/community-based emergency medicine postgraduate PA training program. A secondary aim was to identify nonmonetary contributions to ROI through department leadership and top-of-license practice. Methods Institutional review board approval was not needed for this study. The sample consisted of 63 graduates of the Marquette University postgraduate PA emergency medicine program since its inception in 2010 (four per class from 2010 through 2015, none in 2016, six per class from 2017 through 2021, and nine in 2022). The group was compared with 38 PAs and 13 NPs who were hired into the same organization during the same reference period (2011 to 2023) but had no previous emergency medicine experience. Postfellowship years of service were calculated based on the PA's hire date through separation of employment date, full-time equivalent drop less than 0.5, or the study reference date of December 31, 2023, for PAs still employed by the parent organizations. All postfellowship years of service were divided by 12 fellowship years to obtain the average years of service to the organization per fellowship year. Costs of the fellowship program and onboarding costs for non-fellowship-trained PAs were calculated using internal data. Results Emergency medicine specialty retention after program completion was 93.7% (59 of 63). An additional 3.2% (2 of 63) accepted jobs in an urgent care. Fifty-two of the 63 PAs (82.5%) are still working in emergency medicine or urgent care positions. Postfellowship retention in the parent organization's EDs was 65.1% (41 of 63). Of fellows retained, 80.5% (33 of 41) are still employed by the parent organizations, and 93.9% (31 of 33) remain in emergency medicine or urgent care positions. For non-fellowship-trained PAs and NPs who started in emergency medicine at the parent organization during the reference period, 37.3% (19 of 51) were still in their emergency medicine position. Ten left their emergency medicine job but remain employed by the organization. Organizational retention in this group was 56.9% (29 of 51). First-year attrition was 0% (0 of 41) in the fellowship-trained group and 9.8% (5 of 51) in the non-fellowship group. Of the 25 retained fellows who graduated more than 3 years ago, 19 (76%) have more than 3 years of service. For non-fellowship-trained PAs and NPs who started more than 3 years ago, 65.6% (21 of 32) have more than 3 years of service. Fellowship-trained PAs have provided 149 total years of service post-fellowship to the organization, or an average of 12.4 years of service per year of fellowship. Fellows who have remained in the parent emergency medicine departments have provided 138.5 total years of service, or an average of 11.5 years of service per year of fellowship. Average emergency medicine years of service per retained fellow was 3.85 years, compared with an average of 2.89 years per non-fellowship-trained PA or NP. Administrative costs plus salary and benefits per postgraduate trainee was 79% of the average new-graduate salary. When considering department leadership, 10 of 39 (25.5%) fellowship-trained PAs are recognized as leaders by internal practice guidelines and 2 of 51 (3.9%) PAs or NPs without fellowship training are recognized as leaders. Conclusions Retention was markedly better for internally fellowship-trained PAs hired into full-time emergency medicine positions at 71.8%, compared with 37.3% for non-fellowship-trained PAs. Fellowship-trained PAs also demonstrated longevity in emergency medicine, with 76% of the retained fellows having more than 3 years of service to the parent organizations and 82.5% still practicing in emergency medicine or urgent care with any organization. The parent EDs gained 11.5 years of service, on average, per year of investment in the fellowship program, which is remarkable in the current employee retention environment. Total fellowship costs for salary, benefits, and program administration per trainee was 21% less than the salary and benefits cost for a new graduate hire; this percentage does not include additional costs such as sign-on bonus, moving allowance, or ramp-up time. The estimated cost of PA or NP turnover is $85,832 to $114,919, based on a national study from 2020. The significant reduction in turnover in the fellowship-trained group provides additional cost savings to the organization. When considering nonmonetary return on investment, fellowship-trained PAs were six times more likely to develop into clinical leaders, and 97.5% (40 of 41) were practicing at the top of their license within 1 year of program completion, as defined by internal practice guidelines. Limitations of the study included that it was performed at a single training location and lacked a root cause analysis for retention and turnover. Employers and leaders should consider the benefits of emergency medicine fellowship training on retention and reduction in onboarding costs when making hiring and budgetary decisions. Lisa Swiatczak is a lead PA in the emergency medicine division at Advocate Health, based in Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. Joshua Knox is a clinical professor in the PA program and associate program director of the postgraduate PA emergency medicine program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisc. Christopher Ellingsen and Bridget LeClair are lead PAs and Paul Coogan is the executive medical director in the emergency medicine division at Advocate Health. Mary Jo Wiemiller is program director and chair of the PA program and program director of the postgraduate PA emergency medicine program at Marquette University. Kyle Kinderman practices in the ED and trauma center at Children's Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisc. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR PAS AND NPS WHO DESIRE HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEADERSHIP POSITIONS: A SCOPING REVIEW Stacy Laack Valentine, MS, PA-C; Michelle McMoon, PA-C, PhD Purpose Hospital organizations are hiring PAs and NPs to increase patient access to healthcare. Director-level leadership is required for all clinician roles to ensure high-quality patient care. PAs and NPs lack leadership skills and must undergo training to develop these qualifications. This scoping review aimed to discover the types of leadership and administrative training programs in the United States that are available to PAs and NPs who are interested in attaining leadership roles. Leadership programs such as online, in-person, and fellowships were reviewed and reported. This review includes licensed PAs and NPs who desired hospital-based administrative leadership positions and the training programs available in the United States that focus on developing the leadership skills of those enrolled. Studies that did not include PAs and NPs or programs focused on developing business skills for opening their own practice or solely clinical skills advancement training were not considered. Methods The source selection followed the guidelines published in the Joanna Briggs Institute's Manual for Evidence Synthesis: Scoping Reviews Chapter. Databases searched include PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus, and Health Policy Reference Center. Gray literature, such as professional websites containing leadership programs, was accessed using Google. The search was conducted in October 2023. Basic key search terms were advanced practice providers, leadership, and training programs to reflect the population, concept, and context. Data were extracted and organized to delineate the details of the population, context, and concept, including the number and types of programs available. Results were analyzed and visually presented in graphs. Results Sixteen sources are included in this review. The eligible sources contain information about leadership training programs for PAs and NPs available in the United States. Within the 16 sources, 14 programs are analyzed and discussed. Of the 14 programs, 11 accept PAs and NPs, 1 accepts PAs only, and 2 accept NPs only. Six programs are online only, three have online and in-person components, four are fellowships, and one is in-person only. The length of the programs varies from 0.5 to 24 months, with two of the programs self-directed (can be completed in a time frame convenient for the trainee). The average length is 9.4 months. Additional information included the availability of the programs; 9 are available to the public and 5 are only available to employees of the sponsoring organization. Conclusions This study demonstrated that leadership training programs are available for PAs and NPs interested in administrative leadership roles. PA- and NP-specific programs focus on developing the skills of those desiring these leadership positions. Pertinent aspects of these programs, such as length of time and availability, will affect clinicians when choosing to apply. The variety of different types of programs, such as online, in-person, and fellowships, increases the accessibility to clinicians who are seeking advancement. Future searches may reveal different or more programs because of the limitation of a dynamic gray literature search using Google. Additional research on program success can enhance the knowledge about these types of leadership training programs. Stacy Laack Valentine is an associate professor and program director at the PA program at NOVA Southeastern University in Orlando, Fla. Michelle McMoon is an adjunct professor at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Ariz., and the director of education and professional development at WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, N.C. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. OPENING Alien: Romulus. This latest "Alien" entry is one of the best films in the sci-fi series that uses bits of the previous six "Alien" movies to tell a standalone story that is gory, scary and ultimately triumphant. R. (Grand, East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe). Grade: A Coraline 15th Anniversary. The stop-motion animated classic brings the plucky young heroine back to theaters for her scary adventure that hits for both adults and kids. PG. (Grand, East Park). Grade: A Green Border. Polish director Agnieszka Holland explores the treatment of refugees trying to enter Poland from Belarus in this harrowing film that calls to mind border crises around the world. Unrated. (Ross). Grade: A My Penguin Friend. Jean Reno is a lonely father who rescues a lost baby penguin who helps heal his family in this movie filmed on the coasts of Brazil and Argentina. It was not screened in time for Ground Zero deadlines. PG. Ryan's World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure. A boy pulls his twin sisters into a magical comic book, then has to become an anime version of himself to rescue them in this family picture that wasn't screened in advance for critics. PG. (Grand). Skincare. Elizabeth Banks is a woman launching her own skin care line who suspects that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business in this mystery that was not screened in time for Ground Zero deadlines. R. (Grand, East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe). Stree 2. A haunted town needs to be saved from evil spirits by a lone hero in this Indian horror comedy that was not screened for critics. Unrated. (Grand). ONGOING Borderlands. Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis are misused in this joyless video game movie that returns the genre to subpar, humorless exploitation of its source material. PG-13. Grand, East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe). Grade: C- Cuckoo. A 17-year-old girl is trapped in a German Alpine hotel in this indie horror film that is undeniably fascinating, original and even occasionally fun, in a very twisted and deranged way in which laughter is your involuntary response to something horrifying. R. (Grand). Grade: C+ Deadpool & Wolverine. The team-up of Deadpool and Wolverine will likely amuse its target audience of comic book geeks and the terminally online, but it's a whole lot of hot air and not much else. R. (Grand, East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe). Grade: C Despicable Me 4. This silly and breezy installment of the Minions series passes by with about as much to remember as a Saturday morning cartoon. PG. (Grand, Edgewood, SouthPointe). Grade: C Inside Out 2. The sequel to the 2015 Pixar hit that adds anxiety to the emotions inside a girl's head feels like an educational childrens book, failing to impart anything insightful to an adult audience. PG. (Grand). Grade: B It Ends With Us. Blake Lively stars as a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood, chases her lifelong dream and falls in love with a charming neurosurgeon in this bungled adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel that is both too close to its source material and too distant. PG-13. (Grand, East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe) Grade: C Made In England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger. Martin Scorsese guides viewers throughout the filmography of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, British filmmakers whose work strongly influenced him and his contemporaries. Unrated. (Ross). Grade: B Twisters. This sequel to the 1996 summer blockbuster is bigger, beefier and wildly entertaining, expanding on the tornado-tossed world introduced in the first film. PG-13. (Grand, East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe). Grade: B+ A 22-year-old Lincoln man went to prison Thursday for helping clean up blood and ditch the gun used in a 2022 killing at Branched Oak Lake. Saif Saber pleaded no contest to attempted possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and tampering with physical evidence for helping Taban Rik clean blood from his car the night Rik fatally shot Benjamin Case on his boat docked at the lake's marina about 20 miles northwest of Lincoln. Prosecutors say the killing July 19, 2022, was part of a botched drug robbery. Rik since has pleaded guilty to Case's second-degree murder and is set for sentencing next month. In court Thursday, Saber's attorney argued for probation or a short prison sentence, saying though Saber has had a number of run-ins with law enforcement, he's tried to take responsibility for his actions. Defense attorney Trevin Preble said when Saber's 2-week-old son died earlier this year it was a "flashpoint" for him. "He understands how precious life is, and he knows that he needs to put his gifts and talents to work instead of wasting them," Preble said. "He has the ability to do better, and he wants to do better." Saber offered a brief apology to "everyone that was affected." Then, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Charles Byrd went through a laundry list of ways Saber's prior record showed that Saber does what he wants to, despite the consequences. In 2020, he got a chance on probation for fleeing arrest and theft. But by 2022, he was dealing in guns and drugs, he said. Saber was on probation for it when Lancaster County Sheriff's deputies learned of his involvement in the aftermath of Case's killing. Investigators contacted Saber, who had previously visited Case's boat with Rik, at a home in Lincoln about a week after the crime and found his cell phone locked in a safe while serving a search warrant. On it, deputies found that he had researched the lake, breaking news involving the lake and had tuned into police and fire scanner traffic between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. July 20, the hours that immediately followed Case's shooting, according to court records. In mid-August 2022, investigators interviewed acquaintances of Saber, who said he had arrived at their house early July 20, grabbed cleaning products from the kitchen and headed outside to Rik's red 2009 Red Toyota Camry. When deputies searched the car five days later, they found it had been cleaned and its floor mats removed. Crime scene technicians still were able to collect DNA samples from a blood stain on the driver's side floorboard and sent the samples to the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab, where test results later indicated the blood belonged to Case. Byrd said Saber constantly lied or gave half-truths to investigators, initially saying he had ditched the gun on a country road somewhere and later acknowledging it had been locked in his safe for a time but he didn't know what happened to it. "It's just one statement after another," the prosecutor said. Byrd said in his opinion Saber wasn't really accepting responsibility for his actions and was trying to minimize his role in it. Saber told a probation officer in a presentence interview that he "didn't really deserve these charges." He had a gun, but didn't harm anyone with it, Byrd said. In the end, Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson said what struck her looking at Saber's voluminous record was his "efforts to be manipulative, dishonest and paint himself in a light that tries to absolve him of any wrongdoing." "It is clear ... that Mr. Saber generally believes that the law doesn't apply to him," she said. "He has little to no insight about the seriousness of the offenses that he appears before this court on and the realities of what continuing to engage in criminal conduct while on probation might result in." Nelson said Saber's idea of doing well on probation was vastly different than the court's. He was given chances on probation and squandered them, she said, sentencing him to 15 to 22 years in prison. 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Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe 1. Yes. They look better and require less maintenance. Most high-end housing areas have them. 2. Yes. Wood fences can weather and look unsightly, plus masonry walls help to block sound. 3. No. Residents should have a choice of what kind of barriers are put up near their homes. 4. No. Allowing a variety of materials will be better for aesthetics, and costs may be lower. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say. Masonry walls may be sturdier, but mandating them is problematic. Vote View Results Beef producers looking to learn, network, or simply socialize off the farm are encouraged to attend the Stockmanship & Stewardship event in Lancaster on Aug. 28 and 29. The National Cattlemens Beef Association, Extension organizations, beef councils, and cattlemens associations across Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin have joined forces to bring this unique event to the Midwest. Starting off strong on Wednesday afternoon, Culvers Restaurants Marketing and Public Relations Manager Allison Demer discusses Culvers Thank You Farmers Project. Following the keynote address, breakout sessions begin with topics including vitamin and mineral impacts on cattle performance from conception to harvest, hairy heel wart management in beef cattle, good stewardship practices for winter manure management, and proper management of new cattle in the feedyard. Participants will also be treated to a tour of the University of Wisconsin-Lancaster Ag Research Station to discover new projects in soil conservation and grazing. During the tour, UW-Extension educators and specialists will cover topics including pasture management, fitness for transport, and truck and trailer inspections. Leading off Thursday morning, Dr. Ron Gill and Curt Pate will lead a live cattle demonstration and a chute side discussion. They highlight low-stress handling with special attention to using the animals natural instincts while keeping handlers and cattle safe. Additionally, they discuss the differences between handling beef cattle and beef x dairy cross cattle. This demonstration is sure to equip farmers with the knowledge and confidence to handle cattle with minimal stress, leading to a calmer and more productive herd. After the demonstration with Gill and Pate, participants will hear results from the 2022 National Beef Quality Audit and discuss carcass quality defects with packing plant representatives. Rounding out the event will be a panel discussion on using genetics to select for sustainability. To top it all off, those who need to renew their BQA (Beef Quality Assurance) certification can complete a test to extend their certification for another three years. Talk about checking things off that to-do list! Registration for the event is $75 and includes three meals. For more information, including the complete agenda, fees, and registration form, visit www.StockmanshipAndStewardship.org. A list of local hotels can also be found at this site. Cattle producers attending Stockmanship & Stewardship are eligible for reimbursement through the Rancher Resilience Grant. To apply for a grant to cover registration costs and two nights hotel, visit www.ncba.org/producers/rancher-resilience-grant. (Links to third-party websites should not be considered an endorsement by the Beef Checkoff of the actual website or the company or organization that owns/manages that website.) U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin visited the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls on Wednesday as part of her Rural Leaders for Tammy tour. The Democrat met with rural leaders and toured the brewery to highlight the importance of farmers, rural businesses and agribusinesses. During the tour, Baldwin was especially interested in how the brewery benefits from strong agricultural connections in the region. Baldwin did not give an official statement during the 45-minute visit to the brewery but did chat with a handful of supporters who were allowed on the tour with her. Baldwin stopped in Merill and Cadott earlier on Wednesday. She told reporters that she enjoyed talking with rural leaders throughout the day to better understand their unique challenges. We started our day on a dairy farm east of here. The owner took us around, she said. It was really a great conversation. I always like to hear what the challenges are, and many Im aware of and Im already working to help address those, but theres some new things you learn all the time. Baldwin said she was joined by a number of rural leaders from Lincoln County during the visit. Then I went to Farm Technology Days, and thats something that is really exciting for me to see the modern changes, the use of drones, she said. Farm Technology Days, a three-day agricultural event taking place in Cadott, is set to wrap up Thursday. Baldwin said she was interested in seeing how small farmers can benefit from the use of technology in Wisconsin and how to make those technologies more accessible. She said she wanted to understand the challenges of affording and trying to keep up with new farming equipment. Prior to her arrival, Baldwin put out a statement saying, Wisconsin is a proud rural state known for its world-class agriculture and the best workers in the world. I know our farmers and rural communities always have our backs, which is why I promise Im going to have their backs in Washington. Because when our rural communities thrive, Wisconsin thrives. Baldwins tour continues Thursday with stops in New London and Granton. Senate race Republican businessman Eric Hovde is running against Baldwin in Wisconsins closely watched Senate race. Hovde won the GOP nomination Tuesday during Wisconsins primary election when voters went to the polls to select candidates for U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives and the state Legislature. Hovde won 86.3% of the votes with 99% of precincts reporting as of Wednesday. His opponents were Rejani Raveendran of Stevens Point and Charles Barman of the village of Sharon in Walworth County. Tammy Baldwin has been in Washington for 25 years, and things have only gotten worse, Hovde said in a statement after his primary win. Its time for change. Baldwin is trying to hang onto the seat, which could be crucial as Democrats seek to keep control of the Senate. Eric Hovde is a multi-millionaire California bank owner who has insulted our seniors, our farmers, our moms and just about everyone else in our great state, Baldwin said in a statement after Hovdes primary win Tuesday. While he runs to put the wealthy and well-connected like himself first, I will always stand up for the working people of Wisconsin. During the rally on Aug. 7 when Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz campaigned in Eau Claire, Baldwin also addressed the crowd of 12,000 about Hovde, describing his wealth and connections to Orange County, California, in detail. Then she moved on to overview some key issues for her Senate race. On health care she said, my opponent wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act and make millions off of their health insurance. She also said she was leading the effort to restore reproductive freedoms with my Womens Health Protection Act. She told the crowd that as their senator, she would fight to bring down costs for working families and make sure multi-millionaires pay their fair share. Wisconsin, in just 90 days you will have that choice. You will decide between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and you will decide between me and my opponent, and the stakes of that choice could not be higher, she said. On 15 August Brazils Presidentand Colombias Presidentexpressed support for the formation of a temporary coalition government in Venezuela and the holding of new elections. End of preview - This article contains approximately 593 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 15 August an Argentine federal court rejected an appeal by the government led by Presidentto take a case surrounding the distribution of food to soup kitchens to the supreme court. End of preview - This article contains approximately 383 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options An agency of Japans government recently gave its first-ever "megaquake advisory," or warning message. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued the warning after a powerful quake struck on August 8 off the southeastern coast of Japans main island of Kyushu. The magnitude 7.1 quake caused no deaths or severe damage, but the advisory has led to questions and a sense of worry. Japan is among the countries most hit by earthquakes. Now many citizens are wondering about when the next big quake will hit. The Associated Press recently explained what the advisory means, what people are being told to do: What is a megaquake advisory? JMA issued the advisory after deciding that the August 8 quake increased the likelihood of another major quake. The agency said there is a 70 to 80 percent chance of a magnitude 8 or 9 quake associated with an area called the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years. The JMA said the probability of such an event is now "higher than normal." Naoshi Hirata is a seismologist at the University of Tokyo and head of the JMA's group of experts. He said that the warning was not a prediction that a megaquake will happen at any specific time or place. He urged people to remain careful and prepared. What is the Nankai Trough? The Nankai Trough is an undersea trench, or a deep valley on the ocean floor, that runs from the waters just off the southeastern coast of Kyushu, to Suruga Bay in central Japan. It is about 800 kilometers long. Two large areas of the Earths surface, the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate meet there. The Philippine plate slowly pulls down on the Eurasian plate and causes it to release energy from time to time. The JMA said that could lead to a megaquake and tsunami. The last Nankai Trough quake was off Shikoku in 1946. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated its magnitude to be 8.3, and more than 1,400 people died. What is the government doing to prepare? As a result of the "megaquake advisory," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida canceled a trip and announced he would lead the government response. Local governments are studying their emergency plans. Experts and officials have urged people to stay calm and to continue normal life but to prepare for a possible evacuation. JMA experts said on August 12 they have so far found no abnormal activity that would suggest a megaquake. How are people reacting? The "megaquake advisory is filled with scientific terms. It has worried people across the country. Some towns closed beaches and canceled yearly events. This has led to problems for travelers during Japan's Obon holiday week, a time for festivals and fireworks across the nation. Some stores are running out of emergency supplies, even in areas where there is little risk. In the vacation town of Matsuyama city on the island of Shikoku, hotels and resorts studied their evacuation plans and emergency equipment. In another seaside town, Shirahama, outdoor hot springs were closed for a week and a fireworks festival was cancelled. Im Jill Robbins. Mari Yamaguchi reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. ______________________________________________ Words in This Story magnitude n. a number that shows the power of an earthquake seismologist n. a person who studies the movements of the Earth such as earthquakes trench n. a long, narrow hole in the ocean floor plate n. one of the very large sections of the Earth's surface that are believed to move and cause earthquakes where they touch each other evacuate v. to remove (someone) from a dangerous place resort n. a place where people can stay on vacation that includes a hotel, restaurants and activities What do you think of this story? Write to us in the Comments Section. The idea of turning Mars into a livable world for humans is a common element of science fiction. But could such an action be done in real life? Scientists are now proposing a new method to warm up Earth's planetary neighbor. The idea involves putting engineered particles made of iron or aluminum into the atmosphere. The goal is to trap escaping heat and direct sunlight toward the Martian surface. The proposed idea would be to increase the natural greenhouse effect on Mars and raise its surface temperature by around 28 degrees Celsius over ten years. Such a change alone would not make Mars livable for people. But the scientists who developed the idea see it as a possible first step. Edwin Kite of the University of Chicago helped lead the study that appeared recently in the publication Science Advances. Kite described the process of terraforming meaning to change a planets environment to be more like Earth. "For Mars, warming the planet is a necessary, but insufficient, first step. Previous concepts have focused on releasing greenhouse gases, but these require large amounts of resources that are scarce on Mars," he said. Kite added that climate modeling suggests the new idea of using engineered particles to warm Mars atmosphere could work better than previous ideas. Kite explained that the work is important because it presents a possible method that could help future exploration plans. NASA has sent robotic vehicles to explore the Martian surface and the InSight Lander to study the planet's interior. The U.S. space agency's Artemis program aims to put astronauts in the coming years on the moons surface for the first time since 1972 in preparation for possible future human missions to Mars. There are several barriers to human settlements on Mars. They include a lack of breathable oxygen, harmful ultraviolet radiation, salty soil, and dust storms that sometimes cover much of the planet. And Mars cold temperatures are a serious issue. The median Martian surface temperature is about minus-65 degrees Celsius. With its thin atmosphere, solar heat on the Martian surface easily escapes into space. The proposal would aim to permit liquid water to exist on the surface of Mars, which has water in the form of ice at its polar areas and its subsurface. The scientists proposed continuously releasing tiny particles, called nanorods, into the atmosphere at a rate of about 30 liters per second for years. Samaneh Ansari of Northwestern University in Illinois is the studys lead writer. Ansari said, "The idea is to either ship the material or better yet, ship the manufacturing tool and make the nanorods on the planet since iron and aluminum are abundant on the surface of Mars. The researchers are mindful of the possibility of unintended consequences in terraforming another world. Scientists, for instance, are eager to learn whether Mars has held life in the past - or perhaps currently, in the form of subsurface microbes. Kite suggested that the costs and benefits of releasing nanorods are uncertain. For example, he said if Mars soil has compounds that are harmful to life from Earth, then the benefit of warming Mars is zero. Im John Russell. Will Dunham reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. _______________________________________________ Words in This Story fiction n. an invented story greenhouse effect n. warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of a planet that is caused by conversion of solar radiation into heat insufficient adj. not enough, inadequate concept n. an abstract or generic idea focus v. to concentrate attention or effort median -- n. the middle value of a range of values polar adj. of or relating to a geographic pole abundant -- adj. existing or occurring in large amounts consequence -- n. something produced by a cause Researchers are one step closer to understanding how Britains ancient circular structure, Stonehenge, was created. The circle of huge rocks stands in southern England. Its so-called altar stone lies flat in the center. The new study finds that the huge altar stone did not come from nearby Wales as had been thought. The researchers say the rock instead was carried to the site from the more distant Scotland. Nature magazine published the study on Wednesday. The research did not show how the five-meter-long stone was carried to the site. But the scientists said it traveled about 740 kilometers. Its a surprise that its come from so far away, said University of Exeter archaeologist Susan Greaney, who was not involved in the study. For more than a hundred years, scientists believed that Stonehenges central sandstone slab long called the altar stone" came from much closer Wales. But a study last year by some of the researchers showed that the stone did not match the geology of Wales sandstone formations. The actual source of the stone remained unknown until now. For the study, the team tested mineral content in pieces of rock that had been collected in past digs. They found a match in the sandstone formations of Orcadian Basin in northeastern Scotland. The area includes parts of the end of the Scottish peninsula as well as the Orkney Islands. That geological fingerprint isnt repeated in any other area of sediment in the U.K., said Aberystwyth University geologist Nick Pearce, one of the study writers. Greaney said the operational complexity of moving the stone so far suggests a high level of planning, cooperation and cultural connection between these two parts of ancient Britain. Stonehenge went up around 5,000 years ago. Its design creates a kind of window that fully frames the sun as it rises on the summer solstice. The ancient purpose of the altar stone remains a mystery. Stonehenge isnt a settlement site, but a place of ceremony, said Heather Sebire, with English Heritage, an aid organization that cares for hundreds of historic British sites and structures. Sebire said that past archaeological digs had not uncovered evidence of daily living at Stonehenge. Past research has shown cultural connections such as similarities in pottery making between the area around Stonehenge and Scotlands Orkney Islands. Other stones at Stonehenge came from western Wales. Britain is home to other ancient stone circles. But, study writer Richard Bevins of Aberystwyth University says, the thing thats unique about Stonehenge is the distance from which the stones have been sourced. Im Caty Weaver. Christina Larson reported this story for The Associated Press. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. _______________________________________________ Words in This Story match v. to make or find the equal or the like of peninsula n. a piece of land nearly surrounded by water or sticking out into the water geological adj. of, relating to, or based on geology, a science that deals with the history of the earth and its life especially as recorded in rocks sediment n. the material from a liquid that settles to the bottom solstice n. either of the two points on the ecliptic at which its distance from the celestial equator is greatest and which is reached by the sun each year about June 21 and December 21 pottery n. clayware, especially earthenware as distinguished from porcelain and stoneware and from brick and tile unique adj. being the only one; singular; unlike any other LEXINGTON The Lexington School Board unanimously approved a demolition proposal for a property at 1215 N. Grant St., just north of the Orthman Community YMCA. The decision Monday was made with the excused absence of board member Carlos Saiz, whose absence did not affect the quorum necessary for the vote. The board approved the $23,000 demolition proposal submitted by Platte Valley Excavating. The proposal detailed the process and costs associated with the demolition of the house, which has been deemed unfit for further use by the Lexington School District. Superintendent John Hakonson provided further details on the financial logistics of the proposal, assuring the board and the public that the funds for this project would not be drawn from the schools building or general funds. Instead, the $23,000 will be allocated from the districts depreciation account. This account is typically used to cover expenses related to maintaining and repairing school facilities. By using this specific fund, the school district ensures that the demolition does not impact other planned or ongoing projects in the districts operational budget. Board member Cindy Benjamin inquired about the potential future use of the property after demolition. Specifically, she asked whether the site might be repurposed for additional parking or other projects that could benefit the nearby YMCA or the school district. Hakonson said that at this time, there are no concrete plans for the use of the property. The primary reason for the demolition, he explained, is the deteriorated condition of the house and the lack of any foreseeable use for the property by the school district. The decision was driven by the need to address the propertys current state rather than any immediate plans for redevelopment or repurposing. In a follow-up conversation Tuesday, Hakonson said the building is expected to be taken down within approximately 30 days from Tuesday. Facilities and Transportation Director Bo Berry has been in contact with city representatives to ensure that all necessary permits are acquired before the demolition begins. Berry will oversee the permitting process and ensure that the demolition proceeds according to the districts timeline. In addition to the discussion of the demolition proposal, the school board meeting included reports and comments on ongoing maintenance and renovation projects. Berry provided a detailed update on the progress so far. Berry reported that the majority of the carpet installation at Lexington High School has been completed. The project included new carpet in various areas of the school; other areas, including the library, band room and several small offices, still await carpet installation. Berry highlighted additional improvements to the schools interior. Fresh paint has been applied to the hallway walls, giving the school a revitalized appearance. This effort was complemented by the installation of new LED lighting. Berry acknowledged that while significant progress has been made, some classrooms still require repainting. These remaining tasks are scheduled to be completed over the Christmas break, ensuring minimal disruption to students and staff. American actress Ashley Park, who became famous for her role as Mindy Chen in the Netflix series Emily in Paris, came to the premiere of the fourth season wearing a dress by a Ukrainian brand. The outfit for one of the key characters was created by Lever Couture. ADVERTISIMENT The silver look with an original cut caught the eyes of Park's fans and received many compliments on her Instagram. Ashley marked the domestic brand for 3 million followers. The actress chose an incredible silver evening dress. The skirt, which had a "torn" effect, added glamor to it. A slit on the side revealed a view of the slender leg of an American of Asian descent. One shoulder of the star was open, and the neckline remained hidden from the paparazzi. The celebrity chose silver shoes from the world-famous Jimmy Choo company to match the Ukrainian brand's outfit. ADVERTISIMENT The bow was complemented by sparkling jewelry on Ashley Park's fingers, hand, and ears. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. It's worth adding that it's not the first time that world celebrities have chosen Lever Couture's looks. One of the brand's biggest fans is Anya Taylor-Joy. Jennifer Lopez, the bride of the richest man in the world Jeff Bezos, TV presenter Lauren Sanchez, Hollywood actress Milla Jovovich, British actress Wallis Day, and others also wore outfits from Ukrainians. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Carrie, the wife of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, showed off her favorite look on social media. The 36-year-old environmentalist shared a photo of herself in an elegant dress by the Ukrainian brand Gasanova. ADVERTISIMENT The woman showed off her exquisite outfit on her Instagram. According to NV, referring to a comment by the founder of the fashion company Elvira Gasanova, the political activist has a total of four pieces from the fashion designer. "My favorite dress of all. From the wonderful Ukrainian brand Gasanova," Carrie Johnson wrote on social media. According to Elvira Gasanova, the British politician's wife is a client of her company. "Back in February, at the show in London, we brought her a boucle dress in milk color. Then she wrote to us that she needed this dress in all colors because it was the most comfortable and her favorite. We did just that we sent it in all the colors we had," the girl said in her comments to NV. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The Public Security Police are cautioning the public about a concerning trend of phone scams in which scammers pose as law enforcement officers to obtain personal information. The scammers are able to generate caller ID numbers that appear to be from the police hotline, making the calls seem more convincing. The callers claim to be involved in a criminal investigation and inform the victim that their phone has been misused. According to authorities, the police have received multiple reports from members of the public claiming to have received calls from individuals claiming to be police officers. The authorities suspect that these fraudsters are attempting to gather sensitive personal data from unsuspecting victims. The Public Security Police emphasize that no legitimate government agency will ever ask for personal information over the phone. They also state that so-called telephone case handling or online case handling are clear indications of fraud. The police are urging the public to be wary of the caller ID on their phones, as scammers can use software to disguise the number and make it appear to be from a government agency or a known contact. Anyone who has fallen victim to these scams is advised to report the incident to the police as soon as possible. VC Chinas National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the countrys top economic planner, outlined key tasks for ecological conservation during an event marking National Ecology Day, as reported by Xinhua. Speaking in Sanming, Fujian Province yesterday, Zhao Chenxin, deputy head of the NDRC, emphasized the commissions commitment to advancing reforms in ecological conservation while promoting green, low-carbon, and high-quality development. Zhao stated that the NDRC is focused on achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, along with strengthening international cooperation in green and low-carbon development. According to Xinhua, to support these goals, the commission plans to implement a range of policies, including fiscal, tax, financial, investment, and pricing measures, specifically designed to facilitate green development. Additionally, Zhao highlighted the NDRCs efforts to refine mechanisms for realizing the market value of ecosystem goods and services, and to improve both comprehensive and trans-regional compensation mechanisms for ecological conservation. The NDRC will also deepen international cooperation in the circular economy, promote the export of green technologies, and actively participate in global climate governance. This initiative aligns with Chinas broader strategy to enhance public awareness and actions for ecological protection, following the designation of August 15 as National Ecology Day last year by the countrys top legislature. MDT/Xinhua A group of ethnic minority students from Hong Kong embarked on their first exchange tour to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) following the issuance of new mainland travel permits for non-Chinese permanent residents, The Standard reported. The three-day trip, involving 28 pupils from Yaumati Kaifong Association School, includes visits to Guangzhou and Foshan, where they will explore cultural sites and engage in traditional Chinese arts. This initiative follows recent policy changes allowing non-Chinese residents in Hong Kong and Macau to obtain permits for multiple visits to mainland China over five years, aimed at fostering deeper integration and cultural understanding. The program is designed to broaden students perspectives and enhance their knowledge of Chinese culture and the GBAs economic development. Participants, including 10-year-old Nepalese student Gurung Shristy, expressed excitement about the opportunity to make new friends and learn more about China. The school plans to expand the program, expecting more students to join future exchanges. Related Hong Kongs FinTech Association (FTAHK) is expanding its role within the Greater Bay Area (GBA), seeking to strengthen ties with Shenzhens fintech community. Under the leadership of new chair Lareina Wang, the association aims to leverage the GBAs growing opportunities and the cross-border investment Connect schemes to enhance collaboration and influence. FTAHK is planning joint events with Shenzhen counterparts, including a visit to Huaweis R&D institute in Dongguan. The association, which has seen rapid growth, is also focused on attracting more mainland Chinese members, offering more events in Mandarin, and launching a WeChat account to better connect with the GBA fintech ecosystem. The associations efforts align with broader governmental initiatives to facilitate fintech development in the region, including a pilot trial for cross-border credit checks between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Wangs leadership marks a continued push to position Hong Kongs fintech sector as a global player with deep regional ties, SCMP noted in a report this week. Related The Macau Legislative Council passed emergency amendments yesterday to add five internationally controlled substances to its Anti-Drug Law. Secretary for Security Wong, Sio Chak, said the addition of four opioid analgesics and one synthetic cannabinoid aligns Macaus banned substances with UN conventions. Only one newly banned synthetic cannabinoid has been linked to 17 local drug cases from 2021 to 2023, according to Wong. Some legislators worry about illicit drugs in e-cigarettes locally, though Wong noted several confirmed local cases involving e-cigarettes. The changes expand Macaus banned drug lists to match those of neighboring regions and the international community. Related After lawmaker Ron Lam saw two of his debate proposals voted down at the Legislative Assembly (AL) late last week, the same thing happened to Jose Pereira Coutinho. His two debate propels were voted down by the plenary on Wednesday evening. Pereira Coutinho had moved lawmakers to debate with the government over two matters. The first concerned the need to update the hardware of gaming concessionaires, as well as the need for concessionaires to hire more staff in light of increased customer demand, and increase employees wages. The second concerned Macau International Airport (MIA) and how the airport should better use its resources and improve its routes to attract more international visitors. Both proposals were voted down by a majority of lawmakers, with the first proposal gathering 21 votes against and the second 25 votes against. In response to the proposal related to the gaming concessionaires, several lawmakers spoke about their decision to vote against it, including Wu Chou Kit, Pang Chuan, Chui Sai Peng, and Ma Io Fong. Those lawmakers tied to the Macau Federation of Trade Unions mostly abstained from the vote. Pro-govt lawmakers against interference According to those who voted against it, the general feeling was that the debate proposal directly interfered in the affairs of private enterprises. Lawmaker Wu noted that discussing such matters would be viewed as excessive intervention by the government on Macaus market economy, stating that each company has its own rules and management styles and that government should not impose upon these. Concurring with Wus response, Pang noted the government was only the regulator of the economy and should not interfere with decisions made by companies, particularly when those involve an aggravation of operation costs. Siding with those who voted against the proposal, Chui invoked a different approach, saying that the matters it related to were ongoing and would be actioned when necessary. Among those who abstained, lawmakers Leong Sun Iok and Ella Lei said that they had reservations on the matter. Leong Sun Iok observed that regardless of whether he agreed with the proposals content, he believed that it should have been communicated to the government rather than debated by lawmakers, as such a debate would not be productive. Lei added that what Pereira Coutinho sought was ultimately a duty of the concessionaires to their workers and not a matter worthy of debate. Lam claims lawmakers lack statutory knowledge On the side of those voting in favor was Lam, who reaffirmed the impossibility of lawmakers bringing debates in the public interest to the AL. Lam declared that according to his calculations, this was the 27th consecutive time that a debate proposal had been voted down by the plenary. The lawmaker openly accused his colleagues of lacking knowledge about the ALs statutes and the duties of lawmakers, suggesting that they dedicate more time to upskilling and familiarizing themselves with the relevant laws and regulations. Lam criticized those pro-government lawmakers for spending time debating and expressing opinions considering the debate proposal, when this is in fact what should have occurred during the very debate that they were obstructing. Visibly upset, Lam also added that the governments excessive interference in the economy should not be provided as an excuse. Lam stated, We know that the government does interfere with the economy too much, either through specific policy actions or a lack thereof. Business strategy of MIA with govt Even less interaction occurred in relation to the following proposal, which gathered an even higher number of votes against it. Among the few lawmakers who stepped up to justify their votes were Iau Teng Pio and Cheung Kin Chung, both of whom were directly appointed by the Chief Executive, although Cheung has more professional involvement with the topic at hand. Both lawmakers said they were refusing to debate matters related to the management and direction of MIA as it is a subsidiary of the government, meaning that it is exclusively the governments prerogative to plan and direct measures to improve the airport. Iau downplayed the role of the local airport structure, citing the facilitys small size and capacity and its lack of competitiveness when compared to other airports in neighboring cities and regions. He added, To attract international visitors, we need to cooperate [instead of compete] with them. The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive (CAECE) of Macau announced today (Friday) that the official period for the nomination of candidates for the Chief Executive Election will run from August 29 to September 12. During this period, potential candidates must submit their applications in person or through a designated representative at the Electoral Affairs Service Counter located in the Public Administration Building. They will need to collect and submit the Nomination Form for the Chief Executive Election within the specified period. According to Executive Order No. 40/2024, published in the Official Gazette on August 12, the election date for the Chief Executive has been set for October 13, 2024. All candidates must affirm their commitment to the Basic Law and their loyalty to the Peoples Republic of China and the Macau SAR, according to the commissions statement. The CAECE, with input from the State Security Commission of the Macau SAR (CDSE), will verify the eligibility of all candidates. The nomination process requires the support of at least 66 members of the Electoral Commission, as stipulated by the Chief Executive Electoral Law. The CAECEs decisions regarding candidate eligibility are final, with no recourse for appeal. The current Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, if planning to run for re-election, must adhere to the stipulations set by the Chief Executive Election Law. Specifically, any announcement of candidacy must be made well in advance of the election. If the current Chief Executive decides to run for re-election, he must also appoint an acting Chief Executive to handle government duties during the campaign period. According to the law, this appointment and announcement must be made prior to the start of the campaign, which is set to begin 14 days before the election, on September 28. PC About a dozen state and local organizations have partnered to hold a series of presentations and discussions over the next several days that will turn the spotlight on housing access in Madison. The Madison Housing Coalition was formed early this year by development, equity and environmental advocacy groups, including AARP Wisconsin, Madison Bikes, Madison Is For People and the Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin. The groups share an alignment on housing issues and a desire to explore solutions to the housing situation that Madison is currently experiencing, said Darrin Wasniewski of AARP Wisconsin. We call for more variety in housing options, so everyone is free to choose a home that fits their needs without needing to leave their neighborhood, Wasniewski added. We support affordable housing, creating pathways to home ownership, and ensuring everyone has a safe, healthy place to live. The coalitions Madison Housing Week will kick off with a walking tour of missing middle housing a term for building types that fall somewhere in between single-family homes and large apartment buildings and typically have multiple units in the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood on Saturday. It will continue with a mix of public in-person and online events that run through Thursday. Offerings include Barriers to Missing Middle Housing on Sunday, Housing Equity on Tuesday and Complete Neighborhoods on Wednesday, among others. The week will end with a debate Thursday night about the housing crisis between the finalists for Dane County executive, Melissa Agard and Dana Pellebon, followed by a post-debate social. A full list of events including links to RSVP is available at madisonhousingweek.com. A 20-year-old Waterloo man, who as an 18-year-old fired a gun into a random apartment in Marshall, was sentenced Thursday to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to three misdemeanors and a felony. Chance J. Norquist told Circuit Judge Payal Khandhar that it was a dumb decision to fire the weapon on March 19, 2022, and he was relieved when police told him the next day that nobody was hurt. I still cant believe I made the decision to do that, he said. Khandhar agreed it was a stupid decision, for which Norquist could have faced far more severe consequences if someone had been hurt. Under a plea agreement, Norquist pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless endangerment, a felony, along with three misdemeanors disorderly conduct with a dangerous weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon. The agreement called for 18 months of probation for the misdemeanors and asked Khandhar not to sentence Norquist on the felony, reserving that for sentencing only if Norquists probation is revoked. Khandhar told Norquist that while the felony is being held over him, she expects he will complete his probation without any issues. Norquist had been scheduled for a trial in the case in September. A criminal complaint states Norquist admitted to police he fired at the apartment on Farham Street in Marshall late at night. Its occupants had all gone to bed. The shot, which residents discovered in the morning, shattered a window and lodged in a kitchen wall. Deputy District Attorney William Brown said he still doesnt know what the motivation for the gunshot was but said, It is simply dumb. A tribal leader and conservationists urged state officials Thursday to reject plans to relocate part of an aging northern Wisconsin pipeline, warning that the threat of a catastrophic spill would still exist along the new route. About 12 miles of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline runs across the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewas reservation. The pipeline transports up to 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas daily from Superior through Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario. The tribe sued Enbridge in 2019 to force the company to remove the pipeline from the reservation, arguing the 71-year-old line is prone to a catastrophic spill and land easements allowing Enbridge to operate on the reservation expired in 2013. Enbridge has proposed a 41-mile reroute around the reservations southern border. The project requires permits from multiple government agencies, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Part of the permitting process calls for the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, a division within Gov. Tony Evers Department of Administration, to rule on whether the reroute complies with state coastal protection policies. Bad River Chair Robert Blanchard told division officials during a public hearing on the question that the reroute would run adjacent to the reservation and any spill could still affect reservation waters for years to come. Other opponents, including representatives from the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club, warned that the new routes construction could harm the environment by exacerbating erosion and runoff. The new route would leave scores of waterways vulnerable in a spill, they added. They also argued that Enbridge has a poor safety record, pointing to a rupture in Enbridges Line 6B in southern Michigan in 2010 that released 800,000 gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River system. Supporters countered that the reroute could create hundreds of jobs for state construction workers and engineers. The pipeline delivers energy across the region, and there are no feasible alternatives to the reroute proposal, Emily Pritzkow, executive director of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council, said during the hearing. Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner said in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday evening that the most likely effect construction might have is increased sediment in waterways, which she said would dissipate within days of construction ending. Millions of customers across the Upper Midwest rely on the pipeline for energy, she said. The line has operated safely on the Bad River reservation since 1953, and the likelihood of a spill is remote, Kellner said. It is unclear when a ruling might come. Department of Administration spokesperson Tatyana Warrick said it is not clear how a non-compatibility finding would affect the project because so many other government agencies are involved in issuing permits. The company has only about two years to complete the reroute. U.S. District Judge William Conley last summer ordered Enbridge to shut down the portion of pipeline crossing the reservation within three years and pay the tribe more than $5 million for trespassing. An Enbridge appeal is pending in a federal appellate court in Chicago. Michigans Democratic attorney general, Dana Nessel, filed a lawsuit in 2019 seeking to shut down twin portions of Line 5 that run beneath the Straits of Mackinac, the narrow waterways that connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Nessel argued that anchor strikes could rupture the line, resulting in a devastating spill. That lawsuit is still pending in a federal appellate court. Michigan regulators in December approved the companys $500 million plan to encase the portion of the pipeline beneath the straits in a tunnel to mitigate risk. The plan is awaiting approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A grandfather skilled at lion dancing, a granddaughter with a passion for ballet drawing on the universal dilemma of the generation gap animation artist Yang Zhike and her team have brought a short fantasy animation film to life that weaves a spell of family love and cultural heritage. Short animation film Renai Dance tells a story of a young girl passionate about ballet and her grandfather specializing in lion dancing. CHINA DAILY Renai Dance unfolds with heartwarming moments between the grandfather and his granddaughter Bella, with the grandfather performing spectacular lion dance movements so that Bella eats her vegetables. As she grows up and leaves home to pursue ballet, she returns only to find that her grandfather has passed away. Overwhelmed by grief, she nearly falls down a stairway, but a miracle occurs. Her grandfather's spirit comes to her rescue, and the two embark on a reunion. With Yang as creative director, Wu Wenjie as technical director and Chang Han-chen as creative producer, the 3D animation won the 2024 Golden A'Design Award in Movie, Video and Animation Design. On July 18, Yang attended the international design award's gala ceremony in Como, Italy. "The title is derived from 'Renaissance'," Yang says. "It represents two layers of meaning, not only that the little girl carries on her grandfather's spirit, but also the rejuvenation of traditional culture, injecting it with new vitality, and passing it down for future generations." Born in 1995 in Changsha, Hunan province, Yang earned a bachelor's degree in visual design from Jiangnan University, but she has always been fascinated by animation. She sees it as a useful medium for visualizing futuristic or imaginative concepts that transcend the boundaries of reality and give people a glimpse into the future. After graduating, she spent two years working in post-production at an animation company, but the experience did not fulfill her creative aspirations. "There are stories I'd like to tell, emotions I'd like to share with others, and cultural elements I'd like to highlight. Post-production alone would not allow me to achieve these goals, so I thought that I should find opportunities to lead projects myself," Yang says. "I wanted to create work that embodies shared emotions and resonates with the audience, while also incorporating elements unique to Chinese culture, that might leave an impression or spark an interest in viewers who aren't familiar with it." In 2018, she enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts in Computer Arts program at the School of Visual Arts in New York, specializing in 3D animation. There, she met the other two members of her core creative team, and in 2019, the trio embarked on the project. The setting for the story is inspired by childhood experiences common to many young Chinese, like visiting grandparents in the countryside during summer or winter vacations. Yang says that during her own visits, she was often able to see folk customs or traditional cultural elements that have become rare sights in cities. "I feel that they are still vibrant. Since videos can be watched repeatedly, I think it's a great way to record fading cultural traditions, or represent them in a new light," she says. The team chose to blend lion dance and ballet. Both are a means of physical expression, despite their different cultural contexts. While the two performing genres represent different aesthetics, Yang finds commonalities. For example, both involve collaboration with other dancers. In lion dancing, a lion is typically played by two performers, who manipulate the head and tail respectively, while the pas de deux in ballet also requires two dancers to work closely together. "These movements in both genres, such as when one dancer lifts up the other, rely heavily on trust and coordination between the partners," she says. In the short film, when the dead grandfather reappears with his old lion head prop, he picks up his granddaughter and the two of them leap in sync with each other, but using different leg postures. Due to time restraints, the animation only explores the echo between the two genres briefly in this one scene. Yang says that if the production could have been extended, the scene would be a perfect way to demonstrate the harmony between different dances and different cultures. The three-minute animation took the team a year and a half to make. Since it was uploaded in 2021 onto video-streaming site Bilibili, it has received overwhelming acclaim from the viewers. "I really welled up at the end. The grandfather reappears to save his granddaughter, but that leap at the end also represents the inheritance of culture," according to one of the top comments. Many comments also commended the team's efforts to present authentic Chinese culture. Yang says that she has had an innate fascination for traditional culture from a young age, and this passion drove her to deepen her understanding. "With young people maturing and bringing their own strengths to the table, it is natural that so many individuals from diverse backgrounds who are interested in traditional culture consider using their skills to promote China's cultural treasures," she says. Over the past few years, the short film has been screened in countries, including the United Kingdom and France, and has been nominated for many international awards. Yang says that it is essential to identify common themes and shared values, such as love, family and friendship, to create an animated film that is able to resonate internationally. Revolving around shared values, unique cultural elements can be incorporated to enhance its visual and emotional appeal. "The sheer brilliance and depth in Renai Dance is a testament to the power of animation in bridging generational and cultural divides," Giulia Esposito, an Italian journalist based in Milan, writes on the A' Design Award's official site. "This film not only celebrates the legacy of past generations but also inspires the pursuit of dreams with courage and support. The commitment of the team, under the guidance and creative vision of Yang and Wu, to bring this emotionally charged and culturally rich narrative to life, despite the constraints of time and budget, is indeed worthy of recognition and admiration." The stability of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is the governments primary concern for the upcoming 2025 elections, according to National Security Adviser (NSA) Secretary Eduardo Ano. With the region set to hold its first parliamentary elections, Ano highlighted the need for increased security measures to ensure a peaceful and orderly process. - Advertisement - Our main concern for the next election is the BARMM, Ano stated during a media dinner last Tuesday. He said they may need to deploy additional troops to the region to maintain stability, as there are still unresolved issues that could affect the election. While Ano acknowledged the diminishing influence of the New Peoples Army (NPA) in other parts of the country, he emphasized that BARMMs unique challenges require focused attention from the security sector, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). The NSA noted that since this is their first BARMM parliamentary election, ensuring a stable environment is crucial. Anos remarks underscored the governments commitment to addressing potential threats in BARMM, even as other regions see a decline in insurgent activity. He said the NPA, the armed component of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), has already been decimated in all its politico-military spectrum capabilities. National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Director Ernesto Torres, Jr. supported Anos assessment. He told media executives that the influence of the CPP-NPA in some critical areas was indeed waning. Hopefully, we would like to see in this coming 2025 election that the Filipino electorate would completely shun voting for candidates who are terror groomers, Torres said. With these developments, Ano expressed confidence that the government is close to ending the CPP-NPAs violent chapter in Philippine history, possibly within the next year. Regarding other election-related concerns, the NSA pointed out that past issues were primarily due to political violence between traditional political families and their hired goons. Ano said it had been observed in the past that many candidates still won without succumbing to the NPAs extortion strategies like the permit to campaign or permit to win. National Amnesty Commission (NAC) Commissioner Jamar M. Kulayan and Carlito Galvez Jr., Secretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) handed over a amnesty application forms to North Eastern Mindanao Commander of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and a current Member of Parliament Abdullah Macapaar. Also known as Kumander Bravo, Macapaar urged members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and decommissioned combatants to apply for amnesty to aid their reintegration into civilian life. - Advertisement - Secretary Galvez announced this during the Inter-Cabinet Cluster Mechanism on Normalization (ICCMN) Caravan at Camp Bilal in Monai, Lanao del Norte, on Thursday. The NACs amnesty program is open to members of the MILF, MNLF, and the Rebolusyonaryong Partidong Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB) until March 4, 2026. Former rebels of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) have until March 14, 2026, to apply for amnesty for their political offenses. Commissioner Kulayan advised MILF members intending to participate in the First Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections to apply for amnesty soon to ensure the NAC can process their applications before the October deadline for filing certificates of candidacy. Tarlac State University-School of Law (TSU-SOL) Dean Jose Dela Rama, Jr. is lobbying the use of forensic science in the appreciation of evidence in criminal cases. He is the son of the late CA Justice Jose Dela Rama, who penned the 1995 ruling dismissing the libel case filed against the late journalist Louie Beltran. - Advertisement - It is science-based so it is more accurate rather than purely relying on positive identification and alibi. We tend to forget that the evidence needed are all in the body of the victim, he told Manila Standard. Dela Rama, also a remedial law professor in several law schools, will be a guest speaker at the 15th IASR International Conference on Forensic Science in New Delhi, India from August 23-25 to discuss exploration in various forensic science domains. He shared that in foreign jurisdictions such as India, and as featured in forensic Korean dramas, courts do not simply rely on doctors findings but use deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and other scientific devices to ensure the accused committed the crime. Dela Rama underscored the application of science to the legal arena is fundamentally one of reconstruction trying to assist in determining what happened, who was involved, when and where it happened and not concerned with why something happened. Further, forensic science contributes information about what may have happened and who may have been involved. He explained that world experts observed the courts lack forensic practice which enables criminals to escape prosecution as they rely solely on witness and confession. To avoid wrongful convictions, the simple use of forensic science in criminal prosecution must be observed and lawyers as well as first responders must learn proper evidence preservation until presented in court, according to him. Dela Rama is positive that the inclusion of forensic science in the appreciation of evidence and its addition to the present criminal procedure or rules on evidence will facilitate swift administration of justice. The Supreme Court (SC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) can formulate rules, procedure, manual, and guidelines related to forensic investigation before a case is filed in court, he suggests. Meanwhile, the SC held its first leg of regional consultation last week in Lipa City, Batangas to revisit and modernize the Rules of Criminal Procedure after more than two decades from its last revision. In his keynote address, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo pointed out that technology plays a very significant role in the administration of justice, adding that adapting to technology has already become a necessity. The Rules must evolve to reflect the realities of our time, ensuring that they remain potent tools for the fair, transparent and timely delivery of justice to both the accused individuals and the State, according to the Chief Justice. President Ferdinand Marcos named former Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Alexander Lopez as the spokesman for the National Maritime Council (NMC). NMC is a body created to enhance maritime security and domain awareness amid growing tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Lopez, a former military officer and Philippine Military Academy graduate, will address issues surrounding the WPS. He previously served as commander of the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and held various key roles in the military and energy sectors. - Advertisement - The NMC was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 57 signed by President Marcos on March 25, 2024 to strengthen the Philippines maritime security. Transport sector leaders supporting the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) no longer expect the Senate to continue stalling the programs implementation after meeting with Senate President Chiz Escudero earlier this week. In an Interview, Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) national president Orlando Marquez Sr. said heads of the so-called Magnificent 7 transport organizations met with Escudero at the latters office on Wednesday afternoon to make a case for the PTMP. - Advertisement - During the discussions, transport leaders managed to assuage the Senate Presidents apprehensions about the modernization programs affordability to smaller operators, who may lack the financial resources to comply with vehicle upgrade requirements. Its really those China-made mini busses masquerading as jeepneys that are fueling fears about affordability. They cost around P4 million and dont resemble the iconic jeepney at all. The modern jeepneys we are promoting (similar in appearance to traditional jeepneys but have Euro 4 compliant engines) can be purchased for less than P2 million, Marquez explained in Filipino. Meanwhile, Marquez pointed out the 3-day transport strike instigated by Manibela and Piston failed anew because the two groups represent only a small portion of the local transport sector. Scheduled from Aug. 14 to 16, the strike was intended to paralyze the movement of commuters in protest of President Marcos decision to go ahead with the PTMP. They (Manibela and Piston) can scream and dance in the streets all they want but they are still a minority (of the transport sector). The majority of our sector is already heavily invested in modernization there is no turning back, added Marquez. The Magnificent 7 is composed of LTOP, Pasang Masda, Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Stop and Go Transport Coalition, and UV Express National Alliance of the Philippines. Rakuten Viber, a global leader in private and secure messaging and voice-based communication, will soon launch its in-app digital payments feature Viber Pay in the Philippines. Rakuten Viber will be the first messaging app in the Philippines to offer a fintech solution that allows friends, loved ones, and businesses to instantly send money as easily and securely as sending a Viber message. - Advertisement - Filipinos can secure early access to Viber Pay ahead of the full launch by updating their Rakuten Viber app to the latest version and joining the waitlist from the new Pay tab, which is being rolled out over the coming days. Users can advance their position in line and gain earlier access by inviting friends, family, and other contacts to join the waitlist. Early access will begin in September. Once early access is granted, users can activate their digital wallet by completing a simple signup process that usually takes less than a minute. After activation, users can instantly send money to friends and family on Rakuten Viber for free; add money to their account through mobile wallet apps GCash and Maya, bank transfers, or over-the-counter methods; and securely buy from businesses that accept InstaPay. They will also be able to enjoy a range of exciting offers exclusive to Viber Pay from leading brands. To upgrade to the full Viber Pay experience, users must verify their identity by scanning their ID and uploading a selfie. Once verified, they can request money from friends on Rakuten Viber with a QR code, withdraw funds from their wallet, and increase their monthly transaction limit from P50,000 to P100,000. Users in the Philippines will also be the first in the world to receive business wallets to keep personal and business finances separate in Viber. Business owners can open a Business wallet, in addition to their Personal wallet, and accept secure payments from customers via a QR code. Unlocking the full benefits of the Business wallet, including a higher transaction limit of P500,000, requires a verification process similar to opening a personal Viber Pay wallet. Business wallets are expected to be available on Viber Pay shortly after the launch of Personal wallets. Vibers commitment to security (and that of its licensed partner) was a critical factor in the success of the initial launch of Viber Pay in Greece and Germany. Beyond industry-standard security measures to protect user data and transactions, wallet access and transaction confirmations are further protected by a PIN code and biometric authentication. To provide licensed and regulated payment services, Viber partnered with Paynamics, a trailblazer in the payments industry, that has a proven track record of driving technological advancements and setting new standards for financial transactions. The launch of Rakuten Vibers digital wallet comes as the Philippines notes high demand for cashless transactions. The latest Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Study shows mobile wallet usage in the country jumped to 87% in 2023, on par with cash transactions. 43% of surveyed Filipinos said they carry less cash due to the increasing popularity of cashless and contactless payments, supported by wider acceptance among stores and merchants. The Philippines stands out as a key market with a robust community of active Rakuten Viber users and a growing demand for secure cashless transactions, and so we expect to see strong demand and usage here for Viber Pay, says Ritesh Shah, Vice President of FinTech and Business Solutions at Rakuten Viber. Launching Viber Payments here sets the stage for a more convenient, inclusive, and secure payments ecosystem, ensuring that Filipinos can enjoy secure, hassle-free payment services within the super app where they already call and chat with their loved ones every day. Experience fast, easy, and secure transactions with Viber Pay, coming soon to Rakuten Viber. Join the waitlist now by scanning the QR code with your mobile device. Darwinbox, a global leader in providing end-to-end Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS), has significantly transformed the operations of Security Bank Corporation, one of the largest private domestic universal banks in the Philippines and its subsidiaries. This comes as Darwinbox continues to enhance the HR landscape in the Philippines by helping companies optimize their human resources (HR) and improve overall operational efficiency. - Advertisement - Security Bank EVP and Chief People Officer, Nerissa Berba, said that Darwinbox, a new-age, enterprise-ready Human Capital Management (HCM) platform, optimized the banks processes, reduced manual tasks, and enhanced efficiency with streamlined workflows. Security Bank has already observed significant enhancements in its HR processes thanks to Darwinbox. To date, it has automated close to 90 per cent of HR processes, leading to a 67 per cent increase in HR operational efficiency within the first year, which exceeded the initial projection of 30 per cent. Consequently, this has allowed for a 30 per cent improvement in report generation speed and a 75 per cent reduction in the time taken for performance administration ensuring full compliance with policies. Berba further said that Darwinbox met all the banks HCM requirements. First, the entire employee lifecycle, from hire-to-retire, can be managed within Darwinbox, allowing the bank to have one system for all its employees needs. The Bank has implemented most of the Darwinbox modules, ensuring a consistent experience across the majority of the organization and HR processes. Additionally, the simplicity and user-friendliness of the Darwinbox interface, along with its deep functionality and intuitive mobile app, add significant value to the Banks operations. The no-code backend of the highly configurable platform empowers its HR team to tailor processes to the organizations needs without external consultants. [Darwinbox] is truly an empowering platform for an enterprise that is customer-first and people-empowered, Berba said. Security Bank currently provides banking services across the Philippines through a dedicated workforce of nearly 9,000, who deliver the brands promise of BetterBanking. Our commitment to a future-ready organization hinged on a compelling employee value proposition and a transformative work culture, Berba said. Meanwhile, Darwinbox, founded in Asia and currently catering to over 950 enterprises worldwide, is actively expanding its presence in the Philippines. The company plans to engage various sectors, utilizing its advanced HR technology to address the diverse needs of organizations in the region. This expansion is in line with Darwinboxs goal to provide businesses with comprehensive and intuitive HR solutions, specifically designed for the unique challenges and opportunities within the Philippine market. PayMongo, a leading digital financial service for Filipino entrepreneurs, recently launched the PayMongo Wallet, designed to make digital transactions easier for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines. PayMongo CEO Jojo Malolos revealed the PayMongo Wallet is set to revolutionize digital financial transactions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines, offering a seamless, secure, and inclusive solution. - Advertisement - PayMongo Wallet streamlines online business operations and enhances financial management, helping Filipino SMEs thrive in the digital age, Malolos said. Malolos explained that in a market where SMEs constitute a significant portion of businesses, the PayMongo Wallet is designed to support these enterprises as they adapt to an evolving digital economy. Our goal is to help SMEs stay competitive in a digital-first world, Malolos added. Malolos said that the PayMongo Wallet is a game-changer for local businesses. In todays digital age, having smooth and secure financial transactions is a must for any business. Its not just about convenience; its about creating a better experience for both merchants and their customers while ensuring top-notch online security, Malolos revealed. PayMongo Wallet Key Features Malolos explained that PayMongo Wallet is packed with features to make financial management a breeze, including Cash Flow Management, Transaction Tracking, Faster Payouts, and Flexible Platform integrations. For Cash Flow Management, Malolos said that to efficiently manage finances, whether cashing in or sending money to any bank. This feature streamlines fund management, Malolos said. Malolos highlighted the Transaction Tracking feature, which provides SMEs with a centralized view of all financial transactions, essential for audits and accounting. Every transaction is documented, making it easy for businesses to stay on top of their finances, Malolos revealed. Another feature is Faster Payouts, which receive payouts quicker, bypassing traditional clearing schedules, according to Malolos. This ensures quicker access to funds, which is crucial for smooth operations, Malolos explained. Malolos also emphasized that the PayMongo Wallet has a Flexible Platform Integration, which offers a robust API that integrates seamlessly with merchants platforms, providing a customizable and scalable financial tool. Whether you need a disbursement solution or a wallet, PayMongo can adapt to your specific needs, offering a customizable and scalable financial tool, Malolos said. Enhanced Security PayMongo Co-Founder and Chairperson Luis Sia said that PayMongo has reinforced the security of its platform to safeguard business finances as it adheres to stringent security standards of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), including PCI-DSS and SOC2 compliance. This proactive approach to risk management underscores our commitment to protecting merchants and their transactions against cyber threats, Sia said. Seven elephants were transferred last week from Namibia to the Cuatir nature reserve in southern Angola, due to the severe drought in Namibia, the reserves manager Stefan Van Wyk told media on August 15. In total, a group of 30 elephants will be relocated to Cuatir (Cuando Cubango province), who until now lived across the border in another private reserve, Mount Etjo Safari Lodge, which has more than 8,000 animals. Speaking to the media, the head of Cuatir, Stefan Van Wyk, stressed that this is the first time in 50 years that elephants have returned permanently to that Angolan region, due to the prolonged civil war that decimated much of the wildlife. The conservationist explained that Namibia has been experiencing a drought for almost five years in the Okonjati area and that food has begun to run out in the reserve, leading to the need to relocate some animals. We started preparing for this move a year ago, said Van Wyk, noting that Cuatir has enough food, clean water and until 1974 had the largest area of elephants in Angola. In the Angolan wildlife reserve, which extends over 40,000 hectares, the elephants have an area of 20,000 hectares and will cohabit with gungas, kudus, impalas, red palanquins and other antelopes, zebras, giraffes and various other species that have been reintroduced over the years. The original musical Chinese Dreams in Dongguan, co-produced by Mahua Fun Age, one of China's most popular comedy troupes, will be staged in Beijing on Aug 15 and 16. Before its Beijing stops, the musical, which premiered in 2023, is touring other Chinese cities, including Dongguan and Guangzhou in Guangdong province. Set against the backdrop of the country's reform and opening-up in 1978, the musical captures the vibrant spirit of the era, celebrating the dreams and determination of the young people who left their mark in Dongguan, an industrial city in southern Guangdong. Gathering director Gao Ruijia, songwriter Chen Qifeng and scriptwriter Qin Chuan, the musical features over 20 original Chinese songs of diverse music genres, such as rock, pop and jazz. In the musical, Dongguan Railway Station is featured as a key element, symbolizing young people traveling from different parts of the country to work and live in the city. 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 Could arts and crafts help protect the public's mental health? A new study in Frontiers in Public Health provides evidence that indulging our creative side could provide everyone with a significant well-being boost. Because arts and crafts are relatively affordable and accessible, promoting the public's access to artistic activities could provide a major boost to public mental health. "Crafting and other artistic activities showed a meaningful effect in predicting people's sense that their life is worthwhile," explained Dr. Helen Keyes of Anglia Ruskin University, lead author. "Indeed, the impact of crafting was bigger than the impact of being in employment. Not only does crafting give us a sense of achievement, it is also a meaningful route to self-expression. This is not always the case with employment." A stitch in time The scientists were inspired by the urgent need to improve public mental health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Any measures that could improve levels of well-being and lower levels of loneliness in the general population would have significant benefits. Some studies have already shown that specific craft activities can be therapeutic for people with mental health conditions. If taking part in arts and crafts in general has a positive impact on well-being for people without a diagnosed illness, promoting the accessibility of arts and crafts could contribute significantly to public mental health. The scientists analyzed a sample of 7,182 participants from the annual Taking Part survey conducted by the UK's Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, which evaluates public engagement with cultural, digital and sporting activities. This broad sample allowed the scientists to investigate the impact of creative arts generally rather than specific crafts, and helped them evaluate how effective arts-based interventions might be beyond a controlled clinical setting. The scientists controlled for sociodemographic variables that we already know affect the experience of well-being: gender, age group, health, employment status, and level of deprivation. For instance, poorer health, unemployment, and higher levels of deprivation have all been linked to lower well-being. Painting a picture All participants were asked to rate their sensations of happiness, anxiety, and life satisfaction, and to give their impression of whether life is worthwhile. They were also asked how often they felt lonely. When asked about their engagement with crafts, 37.4% of respondents confirmed that they had taken part in at least one craft activity over the last twelve months. The people who took part in arts and crafts reported higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction, as well as a stronger sense that life is worthwhile. The boost to respondents' sense that life is worthwhile was as significant as being in employment. However, engagement with arts and crafts didn't predict levels of loneliness. This could be because some crafts can be solitary: further research will be needed to investigate the social aspects of arts and crafts. "Engaging in these activities is linked with a greater sense that life is worthwhile, increased life satisfaction and happiness," said Keyes. "The well-being effects were present even after we accounted for things like employment status and level of deprivation. It seems that crafting can contribute positively to your well-being above and beyond these other aspects of your life." Although these effects are small, their magnitude is similar to that of sociodemographic variables, which are much harder to change. Leveraging the positive effects of artistic activities therefore offers a significant opportunity to improve the public's well-being. "Governments and national health services might consider funding and promoting crafting, or even socially prescribing these activities for at-risk populations, as part of a promotion and prevention approach to well-being and mental health," said Keyes. "There is certainly something immensely satisfying about seeing the results of your work appear before your eyes," added Keyes, who enjoys DIYespecially painting and decorating. "It feels great to focus on one task and engage your mind creatively." However, the scientists cautioned that this is a correlational study. More research will be required to confirm causation. "We can't know for certain whether crafting is directly causing this increase in well-being," explained Keyes. "The next step would be to carry out an experimental study where we measure people's well-being before and after significant periods of crafting." More information: Creating arts and crafting positively predicts subjective wellbeing, Frontiers in Public Health (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1417997 Journal information: Frontiers in Public Health This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain China announced Friday it will begin screening people and goods entering the country for mpox over the next six months, just two days after the World Health Organization declared the virus a global health emergency. People traveling from countries where virus outbreaks have occurred, who have been in contact with mpox cases or display symptoms should "take the initiative to declare to customs when entering the country", China's customs administration said in a statement. Vehicles, containers and items from areas with mpox cases should also be sanitized, the statement added. Sweden on Thursday announced the first case outside Africa of a more dangerous variant of mpox, with the WHO warning that further imported cases of this new strain in Europe was likely. The WHO on Wednesday had sounded its highest possible alarm over the worsening mpox situation in Africa, calling it a global public health emergency. Just a day before, the African Union's health watchdog declared its own public health emergency over the intensifying outbreak. Mpox has swept through the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the virus formerly called monkeypox was first discovered in humans in 1970, and spread to other countries. Mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals, but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact. It causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Research led by Amsterdam UMC, across more than five years and 1,100 patients has demonstrated a strategy for reducing inappropriate IV use by a third, an effect that was sustained across the five-year period. This should also lead to a reduction in the associated infections that affect one in 10 patients. These results are published in eClinicalMedicine. "Infections caused by both IVs and catheters occur in more than 10% of patients and studies indicate that up to a quarter are not necessary. Simply, this means that patients are placed at an unnecessarily high risk of infection. This can delay, or even hamper their recovery," says Suzanne Geerlings, professor of internal medicine at Amsterdam UMC. In order to combat this, the research team published in 2017 a strategy in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. This strategy resulted in a 37% reduction in the number of unnecessary, or inappropriately used, catheters. "When we speak of inappropriate use, this usually refers to catheters that are placed for too long or, in the case of urinary catheters, when there is insufficient support for the patient," adds Geerlings. Across the 1,113 patients included in the study, 962 received an IV catheter, typically used for the administration of fluids, with the remaining 151 receiving a urinary catheter with the remaining 962 receiving an IV catheter. "What is really interesting is that no study has ever looked at how lasting these recommendations are, and this is true for many new strategies in the health care sector. In this case, we see clearly that the effects were sustained over the last five years," says Geerlings. To understand why their strategy continued to work, the research team carried out interviews with 18 health care professionals across the Netherlands. These interviews revealed that the strategy had permanently altered the workflow in four of the five hospitals included in the study. "By talking with those 'on the ground,' we learned what worked and, perhaps more crucially, what didn't," says Tessa van Horrik, researcher at Amsterdam UMC and the first author of the study. "The main barriers to maintaining the strategy were a combination of other priorities, a shortage of time, of personnel or of both and, understandably, in some cases, there was simply no one to lead the implementation across the five-year period. This shows us that the strategy can work, as long as the resources are there," adds van Horrik. Although the study also demonstrated that these resources need not be permanent. It was demonstrated that a temporary investment, in either time or leadership, was sufficient to reduce the unnecessary or inappropriate use of IVs and catheters. 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: Actor Matthew Perry participates in the BUILD Speaker Series to discuss the mini-series "The Kennedys After Camelot" in New York on March 30, 2017. Credit: Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File The investigation into the death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry has led to a sweeping indictment that pulled in five people who prosecutors say contributed to his ketamine overdose in October, including two doctors and a street dealer involved in providing Perry large amounts of the powerful anesthetic. Here's what to know about ketamine. What is ketamine? Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic approved by U.S. health regulators for use during surgery. It can be given as an intramuscular injection or by IV. The drug is a chemical cousin of the recreational drug PCP. Ketamine itself has been used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It can cause hallucinations and can impact breathing and the heart. How was Matthew Perry using ketamine? Ketamine has seen a huge surge in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. While the drug isn't approved for those conditions, doctors are free to prescribe drugs for so-called off-label uses. In Perry's case, he was using it to treat depression. He was receiving ketamine infusion therapy from his physicians, but prosecutors said the actor turned to other sources when his doctors refused to give him more doses. Prosecutors said Thursday that Perry obtained ketamine illicitly through a network that included a pair of doctors, his assistant and a woman they dubbed the "Ketamine Queen." Perry's assistant, who has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, injected the actor with ketamineincluding several times on the day he died. "We are not talking about legitimate ketamine treatment," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said while announcing the charges. "We're talking about two doctors who abused the trust they had, abused their licenses to put another person's life at risk." United States Attorney Martin Estrada, at podium, takes questions from the media after announcing court filings related to the death of actor Matthew Perry in Los Angeles on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes How else is ketamine being used? Ketamine also has been used by paramedics as a sedative, often while working alongside police when they believed subjects were out of control. Some states and agencies have begun to rethink the practice due to its dangers. The 2019 death in Colorado of a young Black man named Elijah McClain brought scrutiny to the practice and led to a pair of paramedics being convicted for giving McClain an overdose of ketamine. Overall, the practice of giving ketamine and other sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Nigeria has recorded 39 cases of mpox since the beginning of the year, a health official said as concern mounts over the global spread of the disease. The cases were across the country and have not been fatal, according to Jide Idris, the director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. "A total of 39 confirmed cases out of 788 suspected cases and no deaths have been recorded," Idris told reporters on Thursday. The World Health Organization (WHO) this week declared the rapid spread of a new more dangerous mpox strain, Clade 1b, a public health emergency of international concernthe highest alarm it can sound. So far Nigeria has only seen cases of a milder strain, Odianosen Ehiakhamen, who heads Nigeria's mpox technical working group, told a local broadcaster on Thursday. Nigeria saw its first mpox case in 1971 and has confirmed cases every year since 2017, Ehiakhamen said. The WHO declared the mpox surge in Africa a global public health emergency on Wednesday. Sweden, the following day, announced the first case outside Africa of the more dangerous variant of mpox. The UN health agency was concerned by the rise in cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where at least 548 people have died this year. Previously unaffected countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have reported outbreaks, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Mpox is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals, but it can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact. The disease causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions. Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said on Thursday that Nigeria now requires all travelers to complete an online health form before arrival to curb the spread. 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: Cases, deaths, and DALYs averted compared with no vaccination scenario, by countries, regions, and time period (undiscounted). Credit: The Lancet Global Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00232-8 Utilizing pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) could save almost 700,000 children's lives between the time of their introduction to the year 2030, according to a new modeling study. This would be equivalent to the average number of babies born in the UK each year. The new study, by researchers from The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), suggests that by 2030, PCVs could have prevented around 5% of pneumococcal deaths since their introduction in 2000. They also found that delays in vaccine roll-out, as well as low coverage achieved in some countries, have resulted in PCVs failing to achieve their full potential in preventing deaths. Increasing the vaccine coverage to levels seen with other vaccines such as the DTP vaccine against whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria, could prevent an additional 146,000 deaths. The findings are published in The Lancet Global Health. PCVs protect children from the dangerous Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium, which can lead to severe illnesses including pneumonia and meningitis. The analysis modeled the impact of PCVs given to children aged 5 and under across 112 countries. It updates a previous analysis with new data from low- and middle-income countries that have recently introduced the vaccine, as well as updated vaccine coverage figures. The research emphasizes not only the potential health benefits of utilizing the vaccine but also calculates their affordability. The researchers found that saving a year of a child's life by using a pneumococcal vaccine would only cost the same as $851USD worth of goods in 2015. This time-point was used to allow the team to compare figures with data published in their previous study in 2019. Mark Jit, Professor of Vaccine Epidemiology at LSHTM and senior author for the paper, said, "This study underscores the urgent need to ramp up vaccine coverage worldwide. By working together, we can ensure these lifesaving vaccines reach every child who needs them." Cynthia Chen Huijun, Assistant Professor at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the first author on the paper, said, "The substantial benefits of PCV, through prevention of disease and death, clearly outweigh the costs involved in providing vaccinations to those who need it." The study was conducted as part of the Vaccine Impact Modeling Consortium, an international community of modelers providing high-quality estimates of the public health impact of vaccination. The modeling assumed level coverage across each country and further research is needed to collect figures on a more localized level, to help tailor potential interventions. An earlier study by a group of investigators, including LSHTM, that was convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), found that WHO-recommended vaccines have provided the single greatest contribution to improved infant survival over the past 50 years. More information: Cynthia Chen et al, Re-evaluating the impact and cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction in 112 low-income and middle-income countries in children younger than 5 years: a modelling study, The Lancet Global Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00232-8 Journal information: The Lancet Global Health A new drug, developed by researchers at the University of Montana, is off to human clinical trials to see if it can effectively mitigate cancerous tumors. The drug is an immunotherapeutic agent designed for treating patients with advanced solid tumors, a news release from Inimmune Corp., a Missoula-based biotechnology company, said. The universitys Center for Transitional Medicine partnered with Inimmune for the project. The first dose of the drug was administered to a patient in late July, said David Burkhart, a co-inventor on the drug's patent and UM professor. He said it's been well-tolerated so far. Its an adaptive response against the tumor, Burkhart said. INI-4001 is administered through an IV to patients with advanced solid tumors. Burkhart said it activates and stimulates the immune system and those cells seek out and attack the tumor to generate an immune response. "INI-4001 initially was designed at the University as an adjuvant, a substance to boost the effectiveness of vaccines," a news release from UM stated. "Now it will be tested for its ability as a potential tool to fight cancer." The dose was administered via an IV to a patient with advanced solid tumors, the news release stated. Its being done through an ascending-dose study, which means the drugs dose for patients starts low and increases over time as researchers evaluate its safety. The first phase of trials will likely take a year or two in Australia. From there, it moves into phase II advocacy trials, Burkhart explained. Jay Evans, a researcher at UM, said in the news release that getting to the point of human trials with the drug is a milestone for the university. Since we joined UM in 2016, its been our goal to advance UM research discoveries to treatments that can be safely used in people, Evans said in the news release. The transition from pre-clinical to clinical stage of drug development is challenging, and its been great to partner with a local Missoula company and advance a university-discovered technology to human clinical trials. Both graduate and undergraduate UM students worked to make INI-4001 trial-ready, according to Evans. UM students work in our labs every day making new discoveries, they are integral to everything we do, he said in the news release. The Center for Translational Medicine at UM prepares students for careers in biotechnology, which is ideal for both UM students and Inimmune, which hires well-trained UM graduates from the CTM program. As one of Shanghai's most representative Chinese ink painting artists, Wu Hufan (1894-1968) is famous for his landscape paintings which showcase his superb use of light and vivid colors. An ongoing exhibition at the China Art Museum Shanghai displays some of his most celebrated creations. The Steep Peaks Above the Clouds, a representative ink painting by Wu Hufan in 1936.CHINA DAILY Opened on Aug 6, A Unique Peak of Shanghai: the Exhibition of Wu Hufan brings more than 80 paintings and calligraphy works from collections of the China Art Museum Shanghai, the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, Suzhou Museum in Jiangsu province, the Shanghai History Museum and Duoyunxuan, as well as private collectors. The exhibition runs until Oct 27. The China Art Museum Shanghai has hosted a series of group exhibitions in the past few years, elaborating on the characteristics and development of a distinctive "Shanghai Style", or haipai, of modern Chinese art, according to Wang Yichuan, executive director of the museum. "We wanted to explore this direction and focus on specific artists. We chose Wu as the first featured figure because he made a great impact on China's art scene in the latter half of the 20th century." This year marks the 130th anniversary of Wu Hufan's birth. The Shanghai museum chose to present his solo exhibition to "illustrate how traditional Chinese ink art impacted the early 1900s and modern artists such as Wu inherited and innovated the great traditions of ink art in the Jiangnan region (south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River), turning a new page for modern Chinese art and proving the strong vitality of traditional Chinese ink painting", said Chen Xiang, the academic director for the exhibition and the vice-chairman of the Shanghai Artists' Association, at the opening ceremony on Aug 5. Wu was born in an esteemed house in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, as the grandson of renowned scholar Wu Dazheng (1835-1902). Since childhood, he inherited the rich heritage of literati art. In 1924, he moved to Shanghai where he was exposed to modern urban culture. Wu Hufan introduced Chinese ink painting to bright colors and imagery favored by ordinary folks, bringing art close to people's daily lives, opposite to the interest of the refined intellectuals who treated art as a way to express their spiritual pursuits, Chen says. In 1936, Wu Hufan's landscape painting Yun Biao Qi Feng, or The Steep Peaks Above the Clouds, made a splash when it was exhibited in Shanghai. It is a Chinese ink painting but its perspective, light and dark shadow contrasts and rich layers of colors remind people of Western paintings. The piece gave Chinese ink painting a new look and immediately made Wu Hufan famous in China's art scene. While many Chinese artists in the country at that time found new methods and inspiration in the cultural clash between the East and the West, tradition and modernity, Wu Hufan "chose a path less-taken", according to Chen. He held tight to his roots and introduced new influences to enrich his expression, pushing the modernization of Chinese ink art. "I believe it is relevant today, as Chinese ink art is still developing and looking for new directions," Chen adds. The North Carolina State Board of Elections approved 12 additional student and government employee identification cards, including a local college and state workers. The newly approved IDs can be used for voting purposes in North Carolina for the 2024 general election, according to a release from the state elections board. The newly approved IDs, listed below, are in addition to the more than 120 student and employee IDs already approved for voting purposes in 2024. One of the photo IDs approved are student IDs from Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton, the release said. Employees of the state, including those at J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center and Broughton Hospital, can use their employee IDs to cast a ballot in the election, the release said. The full list of acceptable IDs for voting in North Carolina is available at BringItNC.gov. The most general form of ID used is a drivers license. Other IDs approved by the state board recently are: Brevard College: Student Campbell University: Student Voter ID Card Catawba College: Catawba One Card (Student) City of Gastonia: Employee Chowan University: HawksCard (Student) Davidson-Davie Community College: Student Voter ID Card Duke University: Duke Card (Student) Guilford County Schools: Employee Mayland Community College: Student Southwestern Community College: Student North Carolina Department of Administration/State of North Carolina: Employee The ID application period was held from April 1 through June 14, the state board said. We urge all North Carolina voters to make sure they have an acceptable ID for voting purposes ahead of the November 5 general election, Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said in the release. If you do not have one, you can get one for free from your county board of elections or at any NCDMV office. Voters have to show a photo ID to vote. The state board said voters who do not have an ID when they vote can fill out a form explaining why they are unable to show ID, or show their ID at their county board of elections by 5 p.m. Nov. 14, the ninth day after the election. The Burke County Board of Elections will start sending out absentee-by-mail ballots on Sept. 6, said Kenny Rhyne, director of elections for the county. The last day to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 11. Early voting starts Oct. 17. Election Day is Nov. 5. Find more information under No-Fee ID Cards at State IDs NCDMV. In the history room of the Davie County Library on Mocksville's Main Street, librarian Marcia Phillips always makes sure to open the blinds to the windows that look onto the parking lot. The only staff member with such a view, Phillips' reason for opening the blinds isn't so much about natural light as it is keeping an eye out for troublemakers who, over the last two years, have left her and her colleagues on edge. "I watch a lot and look out the windows because I feel also the weight of responsibility for my fellow staff members," Phillips told the Davie County Board of Commissioners last month. With its colorful posters on summer reading activities and display of Native American stone tools, patrons wouldn't guess that staff members at the library have been in a heightened state of alertness for nearly two years. That's about the time that a small group of people began moving and hiding books those with LGBTQ content have been a particular target and confronting staff members with "harassing" questions about certain books, leading to low morale, according to the minutes of the library's board of trustees meeting from March 2023. The harassment culminated in June when a car bumped library director Derrick Wold in the parking lot of the library as he attempted to confront the driver, who had been seen moving and hiding books, the Davie County Sheriff's Office reported. The driver, John Howard Tarolli, 53, of Mocksville, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Wold was not injured. The harassing behavior, which had begun to taper before Wold was struck, is just one of several concerns among library supporters. Last year, the county manager ordered a book removed from the library's collection around the same time that county commissioners began changing the way they appoint people to the library's board of trustees after years of approving the recommendations of the sitting trustees. Taken together, library supporters worry that this small, quiet library is being drawn into the culture wars at a time of surging book bans and challenges. Their concerns are not unfounded. Earlier this year, the American Library Association reported that the number of individual titles challenged is up 65% from the previous year, a level it called "unprecedented." Small libraries in rural areas across the country, from Washington to Louisiana, are facing pressure over the type of material on their shelves. One library, in Dayton, Wash., nearly dissolved, such was the intensity of the uproar. Khristen Mears, a longtime Davie County library user and, until a month ago, a member of the library's board of trustees, said she feared that the pattern of disruption inside the library could lead to violence. Employees have told trustees that they feel "on guard" while at work. One staff member broke down in tears while describing the tense climate to trustees. Another quit rather than deal with the harassment, Mears said. "I was extremely shocked and disappointed but not surprised," she said of the assault on Wold. "This is what we were afraid was going to happen." Wold declined to be interviewed for this story and directed questions to the county manager. In response to the assault, the county, for the second time in about 18 months, has strengthened security measures at the library by adding even more cameras and installing panic buttons for staff members. The sheriff's office has stepped up its patrols around the library, and staff members have been trained in de-escalation tactics. The number of cameras in the 5,000-square-foot library is now up to 15, a cost of nearly $34,000 to local taxpayers. Panic buttons will cost another $2,600, County Manager Brian Barnett said. Nationally, among the most challenged books is "Flamer," a young adult graphic novel about a boy struggling with his sexuality. It's the book that Barnett ordered Wold to remove from the library's collection, bypassing the library's own multistep process on how to challenge material. Ordinarily, a formal complaint would be filed, with the final decision on whether to remove the material falling to the seven-member board of trustees. Reviewing challenged books is among several duties of the trustees. They create and modify policy, including the process to review challenged material, and generally advocate for the library and its employees. It has no say in what materials the library keeps in its collection. Staff members have that duty. Mark Jones, the chairman of the Davie County Board of Commission, vigorously pushed back on the notion that the book's removal equates to censorship, saying at July's commissioners meeting that though the book is no longer on the shelves, interested readers can get a copy through the state's interlibrary loan program known as N.C. Cardinal. Getting a copy may take weeks. Jones questioned Wold about the removal of "Flamer," in an attempt to clarify who ordered it removed. "That decision was made by you and Mr. Barnett, correct?" he asked Wold. "No, that is not correct," Wold replied. "I did not make that decision." Barnett said last week that he wanted "Flamer" removed as a preventative measure. "If you 'Google' it, it has become a hotbed, and I didn't want it to be a distraction," he said. In that July meeting, supporters of the library packed the board room, addressing a number of issues, including what they believe is an attack on LGBTQ books, such as "Flamer." "I don't know if I'm delivering news to you, but reading gay books does not turn you gay," Nathan Linville, 20, told commissioners. "I know how it is to grow up gay in Davie County. I deserve to see myself in the books I read if I choose to." Library supporters are concerned that the removal of "Flamer" is the tip of the iceberg, and that a movement is afoot to fill the board of trustees with people who will make it easier to challenge books. As it is now, if a book challenge fails, it can't be reviewed for another three years. According to county policy, commissioners have the final say-so on who gets appointed to the county's 16 advisory boards. These voluntary boards, made up of Davie County residents, advise commissioners on a range of issues in the county, including juvenile crime, agriculture and aging. Of the 16 boards, the library board is the only one that for years has recommended candidates. Typically, sitting trustees will nominate someone who they see frequently patronize the library, figuring that such a person will have a built-in knowledge of and passion for the library. That's how Mears wound up on the board. A mother of three children, she was a regular at the library's story time and summer reading programs, using the library as a sort of de facto media center for her homeschooled children. "I was glad to give back," Mears said. Upon the recommendation of the trustees, commissioners twice appointed Mears to serve, with, as far as she knows, little discussion. That's how the process went for as long as anyone can remember. In May 2023, commissioners approved only one of two candidates recommended by the trustees, signaling a change in course. The candidate they rejected, Jane McAllister, was director of the library for 10 years before retiring in 2019. Two months later, commissioners voted on two more vacancies. This time, they approved McAllister's appointment, but they rejected two other trustees' recommendations, choosing instead to appoint Teresa Bivins of Cooleemee. Mears said she was shocked that an established precedent had changed suddenly and without explanation. "We were blown away," she said. "They had always taken the recommendations of the trustees, people we have looked into, vetted and stand for what the library represents. Suddenly, you don't want to listen to our recommendations?" In July, two more vacancies opened. As is custom, trustees put forth three candidates, including Mears. Before commissioners voted, several county residents, including Julie Whittaker, the former Youth Services Librarian, urged commissioners to reappoint Mears, lauding her commitment to the library. She also questioned why the appointment process had changed. "The board of trustees does not need administrative, moral or political monitoring," Whittaker said. She said the library has never had a better advocate for children's material than Mears. "She's been absolutely wonderful," Whittaker said. Phillips, the history room librarian, also vouched for Mears. "I'm not sure why someone of that caliber would be replaced," she said. All three recommended candidates were rejected. Instead, commissioners voted 3-2 to reappoint Brent Ward, who was chosen over McAllister in May, 2023; and appoint Glenn Mace. Commissioners Terry Renegar and Richard Poindexter cast the dissenting votes, saying that the old method had worked well. "That system has worked very well over the years," Poindexter said. "We should consider every person that has brought before us from the boards first before we go look outside." Commissioners Jones, Brent Shoaf and Benita Finney said there is no hidden motive behind the change in selecting library trustees. Finney said the board of trustees needs to reflect all viewpoints and that the concern over the selection process is misplaced. "We do have to represent all people. That's our responsibility for all citizens to be represented." she said. "I hope moving forward we will not have all this misinformation, all of this publicity and all of these unnecessary reactions to an advisory board appointment." Under questioning by Jones, Wold said that Ward, has shown no sign of a political agenda in the year he has been a trustee. "He's actually been supportive of everything we've done in our meetings," said Wold. Commissioners have also had no input on library materials, he said. But those statements have not allayed the concerns of library supporters who worry that the board of trustees is being pulled in a more conservative direction. Next summer, there will be two more vacancies on the board of trustees. "We fear next year, when two trustees rotate off," Mears said. "You've got to assume that they'll put their own appointments on and have a majority." In the meantime, on Aug. 24, a multipurpose room at the library that is available to community members has been reserved for a Brave Books story hour, one of many taking place across the country. Brave Books is a conservative Christian publishing company that focuses on "Pro God, Pro America" books. The stories take place on the mythical Freedom Island, whose geographical features include the "Car-a-Lago Coast," a play on former President Donald Trump's home. Among Brave Books' authors are Jack Posobiec, a conspiracy theorist who spread the hoax that Democrats were holding child sex slaves in a Washington D.C., pizza parlor, and Chaya Raichik, known for creating anti-LGBTQ content on the social media account, Libs of TikTok. The public library has not endorsed the story hour. Teresa Bivins, one of the trustees that commissioners selected without library input, will be the host. Bivins did not return an email or phone call. On Thursday, Commissioner Finney declined to talk to the Journal about the library. "There are no issues at the library," she said before hanging up. Two defense attorneys say theyve had clients who were cuffed to chairs or a bench for three or four days at the Butte Detention Center because there was no room in jail cells to hold them. Another public defender said an inmate she represented spent seven days handcuffed in a restraint chair in a booking area because there was no mattress available, according to the inmate. Two other public defenders also spoke to overcrowding at the jail, something Sheriff Ed Lester has acknowledged publicly as a problem for months and did so again this week in response to the lawyers concerns. The attorneys arent blaming the sheriff or police or pointing to any single cause, saying its a systemic criminal justice problem. But its out of hand, they say. We as the defense bar recognize this is a complex issue with multiple causes and varied solutions, but people need to be aware of the conditions that their fellow citizens are being subjected to, said Butte attorney Charles McIntosh. PETA would be here if this was animals, he said. All five attorneys told The Montana Standard the overcrowding was a major safety issue. The lawyers included McIntosh and public defenders Kaylee Hafer, Shelby Danna, Christopher Miller and James Dolan. Its dangerous. There are too many people, Hafer said. Miller is a longtime lawyer and a former prosecutor who is familiar with Montanas prisons and jails. He says the situation in Butte is dire. One of the effects of the overcrowding is just to ramp up the anger and aggressiveness and fear and anxiety level of the jail inmates, Miller said. The attorneys are not naming their clients, saying they dont want their cases to be impacted. There are times inmates are cuffed to a bench in the booking area if theres no other place available, Lester said. They could be cuffed to the bench for a while and if they have to spend the night, theyd be given a mattress and some blankets to sleep on the floor, he said. We just cant have inmates roaming around the booking area. He said Capt. Ray Vaughn, who oversees the jail, doesnt think anyone would be there for three or four nights but without a name or dates, he cant say for sure. Some are restrained in the booking area because they arent being cooperative, Lester said, and anyone there is escorted to the restroom when needed. But he (Vaughn) says rarely does anybody whos cooperative stay there that long, although it could be a day or two if there is no place to put them, Lester said. The ideal capacity at the jail is 72 inmates, he said, but staff can comfortably manage about 110 and even stretch it to 120. For several reasons out of Lester's control, including numerous inmates awaiting placement in Montana Department of Corrections facilities, he said, the jail has averaged 136 inmates since May. There were 140 there Wednesday. We are at the mercy of the system, he said. Public safety has to be our top priority. We have people who cannot be on the street. The Department of Corrections has to start moving inmates and it has to happen soon. Prosecutors are backlogged, defense attorneys are overwhelmed, courts are backlogged, and its the sheriffs that are caught in the middle trying to manage detention centers as best we can, Lester said. Its a huge issue statewide. Making their case The attorneys say overcrowding is evident in many ways, including food and supply issues. Among other things, inmates complain often they dont get enough to eat and say they sometimes go without toothpaste and other items. Some inmates described a recent incident as a riot, telling attorneys it was related to conditions and food. The sheriff called it a disturbance but he did not dismiss it. On one cell block on Aug. 6, the sheriff said, inmates got a lunch consisting of a hot dog, a cookie and a scoop of macaroni salad with not a whole bunch there. It was also hotter than hell and overcrowded, he said. They got upset and decided to throw all their food trays up against the wall at the front of the day room, Lester said. Nobody broke anything or damaged anything (but) our jail staff told them to lock down and they didnt. Jail staff called for assistance and six detention officers and eight outside officers responded, Lester said. Firearms arent allowed in the facility, he said, and nobody pulled or used a taser or got physical. Staff acknowledged that particular meal wasnt up to standards, Lester said. They agreed to make up for it with extra portions that night and thats where it ended, he said. But the defense lawyers say overcrowding is the sole reason some inmates end up cuffed to chairs, benches or restrainer seats for long periods and those occurrences compelled them to speak up. One of McIntosh's clients was cuffed to a chair from a Thursday to a Monday, he said, and another was cuffed to a bench and slept on a blanket on the floor that night before bonding out the next day. Hafer said one of her clients was cuffed in a restraining chair for seven days because there was no mattress or room elsewhere, according to that inmate. Danna said one of her clients had an outstanding warrant and came to the jail voluntarily, only to end up cuffed to a chair and lying on a mat for two or three days. Its very frustrating because these are human beings who are not being treated like human beings, Hafer said. All said the overcrowding is dangerous. Because there are so many inmates, I dont believe they (jail staff) can do an adequate job of segregating the various classes, Miller said. Often that results in people charged with misdemeanors first offenders, you know, folks who have no clue being put in (a cell) with some guy who has been living there or a place like it most of his life. That really makes things hard, he said. Overcrowding makes it impossible to deal with that. Said Dolan: "Treating inmates humanely is what sets us apart from other places in the world. Yes, you detain people if they are a risk to society, subject to bail reasonable bail but you still have a duty to treat them humanely." 'It's not a hotel' Lester said the PETA comment is too strong. Inmates are not being physically mistreated, he said, and those cuffed temporarily in the booking area are escorted to the restroom whenever needed. For several reasons, including the nature of the job and the jail environment, the county has struggled to hire and keep enough detention officers. There are 21 now, which is seven to eight below what it should be, Lester says. That means 12-hour shifts for those on the job, sometimes 18 hours, and Lester calls them the real heroes in this situation because they work long hours in a dangerous setting and maintain a safe environment. Its not a hotel, its a jail, he said. I wish we could make everyone happy but thats not going to happen in a jail. We run the facility with safety of staff and inmates as our top priority. But Lester acknowledges the numbers. Most jail cells are meant for two inmates, he said, but are housing three now. There are one-person cells designed for inmates with special needs, medical conditions or protective custody status, but most of those are now housing two. Almost 500 inmates in jails across the state should be in Montana Department of Corrections facilities and programs, but that agency also lacks space, Lester said. According to County Attorney Kelli Fivey, 25% of the inmates in Buttes jail last week had either been sentenced to the Montana State Prison or DOC or were awaiting sentencing. Another 19% had been arrested on outstanding warrants or had violated previous release conditions, sometimes multiple times. Nearly 18% were being held for alleged violent crimes and another 8.6% were on probation or parole holds for violating supervision terms. But the jail is definitely over capacity, Fivey said, and called it a systemwide issue. Lester said the DOC had taken five inmates over the past two weeks and as a courtesy, Anaconda-Deer Lodge Police Chief Bill Sather agreed Tuesday to temporarily hold four Butte-Silver Bow inmates. Lester met with DOC officials in Helena on Monday to discuss the problem. But I cant point fingers to any part of the system the courts or the prosecutors or the defense attorneys, Lester said. I dont want this to sound like Im angry with the DOC. This entire system right now is just overwhelmed. The problem got worse after the COVID pandemic let up and police started serving more warrants, and the influx of fentanyl is leading to more arrests and more criminal charges, Lester said. The sheriff would like to see more pretrial supervision options, treatment and community corrections programs and electronic monitoring, but those have to be approved by courts. Improvements are possible inside the jail, too, he said. Among other things, there are plans to add air-conditioning units to the Detention Center by next summer. There is no AC now. But no matter what, the sheriff said, there will always be people who need to be in jail. They are not able to be out in society and be safe for people to be around them or safe for themselves, he said. The bottom line, say the attorneys who spoke to The Standard, is the jail is overcrowded and something has to be done. The systems not designed for it, the facility is not designed for it, their manpower isnt designed for it, McIntosh said. Chinese eVTOL firm aims to offer affordable flights, in boost for low-altitude economy 08:35, August 16, 2024 By Tao Mingyang ( Global Times Chinese start-up Autoflight Aviation Technology (Autoflight) said travel by its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will be an affordable service, aiming to bring the emerging transportation mode closer to most people's lives. Xie Jia, senior vice president of Autoflight, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the unit price of its eVTOL service between Shenzhen and Zhuhai in South China's Guangdong Province will be reduced to 6 yuan ($0.84) per kilometer per person. "It is expected that after the commercial operation is scaled up, the cost of a single seat from Shenzhen to Zhuhai via our eVTOL aircraft, a distance of 50 kilometers, will be 300 yuan," he said, adding that the journey takes 20 minutes by aircraft compared to about 150 minutes by car. In the first half of 2024, China's number of newly registered drones surpassed 600,000, up by 48 percent from the level at the end of 2023, official data showed, and over 14,000 enterprises have been granted an operation license for civil unmanned aerial vehicles at present. Aside from diversifying people's transportation methods, unmanned aerial vehicles are now widely used in delivery services. China Media Group (CMG) reported on Thursday that drones have been used in delivering university admission letters in Guangzhou this year. Also in April 2024, China-made civil drones commenced cargo delivery services on Mount Qomolangma at an altitude of 6,000 meters, which greatly shortened the previous eight-hour delivery time to 12 minutes. China's 2024 Government Work Report listed fostering the low-altitude economy as an emerging industry and a new growth engine. The resolution adopted by the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China also emphasized developing the low-altitude economy as part of efforts to modernize infrastructure. China now has over 70,000 low-altitude economy enterprises nationwide, and the market size is expected to reach 2 trillion yuan in 2030, CMG reported. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) The Moscow International Film Week (MIFW), set for late August, will feature eight Chinese films to promote cultural exchange between China and Russia. Posters of various Chinese films to be shown at the Moscow International Film Week in late August 2024. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] The event, also known as the Moscow International Film Festival, will be held at various locations throughout the city and will allow local residents to experience Chinese cinema. Screenings will include both live-action and animated features, such as "Born to Fly," "My Love," "Love in the Office," "Chang An," "Super Wings the Movie: Maximum Speed," "I Am What I Am," "New Happy Dad and Son 3: Adventure in Russia" and "Mozart from Space." The film festival, spanning 100 venues with 200 daily events, will introduce Russian audiences to the latest Chinese films and encourage collaboration with one of the largest Chinese delegations to date. Organizers believe Moscow attracts Chinese filmmakers due to Russia's production facilities and digital and logistical support. Since 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations, 2024-2025 has been designated the Year of China-Russia Cultural Exchange. The initiative aims to provide more opportunities for experience exchange and cooperation in culture and film production, especially in animation. The goal is to strengthen the two countries' traditional friendly, trusting and mutually beneficial cooperative relationship. Chinese representatives will visit the Moscow Film Industry Cluster during the film week, including the Moskino Production and Experience Park. China's burgeoning film industry has grown into a major global player, producing content that increasingly appeals to international audiences. At the festival's "Country-Study" discussion session, Chinese executives will share insights on co-production opportunities. Topics will include navigating the Chinese market, overcoming language and cultural barriers, tailoring content for success and exploring successful joint project models. Participants will also learn about market entry strategies and industry collaboration. The Moscow Department of Culture and the Creative Industries Agency will host the film festival in Moscow from Aug. 23-28. The event will attract delegations from over 40 countries, including China, India, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Thailand and members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In addition to the Chinese selections, the festival will feature over 300 screenings of Russian and international films from more than 70 countries and regions. Screenings will take place at traditional cinemas as well as open-air pools, hotel rooftops, parks, and floating cinemas, offering a diverse viewing experience, according to organizers. Overview The continued war in Ukraine, flaring tensions in the Indo-Pacific and elections in the US could reshape North Atlantic relations, just as developments in computing and green technology are already reshuffling global power relations and supply chains. Evolving threats and existing commitments increasingly demand that the military take stock of its role in Europe and beyond, even as critics allege that the Ministry of Defence is unable to meet its military commitments. The broader defence community must assess of its capabilities and processes to address if and how such commitments are met. This years C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) conference will focus on the theme of British Sovereign Capabilities to cement the debate in future defence agendas. Understanding which C4ISR capabilities can and must be retained domestically is crucial to any defence strategy, just as it is essential to determine what should be outsourced to partner forces for financial, technical or political reasons. Who Should Attend and Why This conference will bring together senior military leaders, alongside policymakers and experts from the industry and think tanks, to examine the state of British technological capabilities. As an independent voice, RUSI offers a neutral and critical space to have these vital discussions and provides other members of the military community the ability to engage openly as an audience. Given the ongoing Defence Review, these timely discussions will help generate mutual understanding and ideas about the state and future of British C4ISR. Joining Instructions This in-person conference will take place at RUSI, 61 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ET. Lunch and refreshments will be provided on the day for delegates. If you have any questions regarding this event, please email [email protected]. Please note that the conference is now fully booked. Attribution Prepared remarks of the keynote addresses will be 'on-the-record'. To maximise candour, the discussion will be non-attributable. All comments made in response to questions (i.e. the non-prepared remarks) are off the record and not for reporting, attributable neither to the individual, nor to the event. THIS INCLUDES ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA. If a member of the media wishes to quote any remark that is unattributable by these rules, they should seek the permission of the speaker of those specific remarks. On Thursday, a High Court in Mombasa blocked the governments decision to increase the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) by Kes.7. Petitoner George Odhiambo Juma had challenged the hike in court, claiming that the government had failed to conduct adequate public participation The court issued a suspension of the increase until it hears and resolves the case. The ruling stated, Pending the hearing of the Notice of Motion dated August 2, 2024, a conservatory order is hereby issued, restraining the respondents, either jointly and or severally, whether by themselves, their officers, agents, employees or other person or entity acting under the respondents instructions, from implementing and enforcing the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (Imposition) Order 2024. This decision followed significant public backlash against the levy increase from Kes.18 to Kes.25 per litre. The government had implemented the increase in July, with the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announcing the change on July 14, 2024, as a means to enhance the road maintenance fund. The levy is applied at the pump for every litre of petrol or kerosene that a motorist buys. KeNHA argues that the levy funds improvements to existing roads, maintaining their quality, safety, and reliability for all users. The Napa County Board of Supervisors will decide Tuesday whether county Planning Commission approval of Duckhorn Vineyards growth should stand. Two groups have appealed the matter: Preserve Lodi Lane and Water Audit California. The Duckhorn winery is located at Lodi Lane and the Silverado Trail on 10.7 acres east of the Napa River. It bought 19.7 acres on the west side of the river that are part of its growth plans. The Planning Commission in May 2023 approved building a 58,042-square-foot winery on the west side of the river, expanding the Estate House on the east side, increasing annual wine production from 160,000 to 300,000 gallons, and raising annual visitation from 37,552 to 88,566 guests. Protect Lodi Lane views this as the industrialization of a rural road. Water Audit California has concerns about groundwater and the river. Duckhorn winery officials said the operation each year hauls up to 1,500 tons of Napa County grapes to Hopland in Mendocino County to process into wine. The expanded Napa operations will eliminate those trips. "I do feel this is overall a well-thought-out plan," Planning Commissioner Megan Dameron said during the 2023 hearing. The Board of Supervisors will make the final call. The appeal hearing is to begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the county administration building, 1195 Third St. in the city of Napa. PHOTOS: Napa Town & Country Fair Day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Fair day 2 Multiple civilian groups in Taiwan on Thursday issued a statement marking the 79th anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in the World War II, and voiced protest against external forces interfering in and undermining stability across the Taiwan Strait. In the statement, the civilian groups, including the Labor Party in Taiwan and the Cross-Strait Peace and Development Forum, hailed the day of Japan's surrender as "an important commemoration for Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to boost national morale, defend justice, uphold China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and pursue peace and progress" as well as "a glorious commemoration of Taiwan's return to China." In addition, the statement also included reflection on the local anti-Japanese movements after the island became a Japanese colony in 1895 and celebrations by the majority of people on the island after Japan's unconditional surrender in 1945. Taiwan's return to China was recognized by the Cairo Declaration in 1943 and the Potsdam Proclamation in 1945, said the statement. What undermines peace and stability across the Strait is intervention of external forces in the Taiwan question which is purely China's internal affair, as well as their collusion with separatists seeking "Taiwan independence," the statement said. It urged people of Taiwan to carry on the legacy of their ancestors who fought against colonists and called on the Democratic Progressive Party authorities to accept the legal and historical fact that both sides belong to one China, so as to truly maintain stability in cross-strait relations and peace across the Strait. 19:17 The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra on Saturday formally launched the ambitious 'Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme for eligible women, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hinting at doubling the monthly stipend from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 if the alliance is voted to power in elections. More than 1 crore women are expected to benefit from this scheme whose launch coincided with Rakshabandhan festivities beginning Monday. The Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party government, facing a tough assembly polls battle against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in coming months, came up with the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme, months after a debacle in Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. The scheme, modelled on the MP government's 'Ladli Behna Yojana', provides monthly Rs 1,500 assistance to the married, divorced, and destitute women in the 21-60 age group with Rs 2.5 lakh annual family income ceiling. "If we receive your support, we can manage to give you more than Rs 3,000," Shinde said at the launch event marked by the display of pyrotechnics on a specially-created ramp-cum-walk way at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi area of Pune. The scheme was launched by the CM and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, who belong to BJP and NCP, respectively at the glittering event attended by women in large numbers. Notably, the opposition parties from MVA, including Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT, have accused the state government of trying to buy women's votes and questioned the 'paltry' allocation of Rs 1,500 per month. "If you give us the strength, the current amount of Rs 1,500 will become Rs 2,000. If we receive your support, we can give you more than Rs 3,000. They (MVA) are opposing this scheme, but Mahayti is standing with you," Shinde told the gathering of women. Mahayuti allies believe the potential goodwill created by the cash transfer initiative will boost its poll prospects in Maharashtra. "Women are so happy with this scheme. Some vested interests tried to put a spanner in the scheme rollout, with some of them approaching the court," Shinde said. Shinde hit back at the MVA for dubbing the Rs 1,500 allocation grossly inadequate. The opposition bloc had assured an increase in the monthly cash transfer assistance if voted to power. "The opposition will never realise the value of Rs 1,500. We are not born with a golden spoon in the mouth. Maha Vikas Aghadi was in power for 2.5 years. Did they give a single rupee to women? Don't worry, this scheme will continue," the chief minister added. Shinde, who became chief minister with the BJP's support in July 2022, also listed various welfare initiatives rolled out by the Mahayuti government covering youth and other sections of society. "We also launched a new scheme for 'Ladka Bhau' (beloved brothers)," he said. The new scheme aimed at job training and stipends for young men, tentatively named the 'Ladka Bhau' Yojana, is part of the 'Mukhya Mantri Yuva Karya-Prashikshan Yojana'. This scheme seeks to address unemployment by offering on-the-job training with a monthly stipend to eligible candidates. Shinde referred to MVA's claims that the Mahayuti government would collapse, apparently due to internal bickering as Fadnavis was made to accept the post of Deputy CM. "The Opposition claimed that our government will collapse. On the contrary, our strength has gone up after Ajit Pawar joined us (in July 2023 by splitting NCP)," the chief minister added. -- PTI IMGE: Women tie 'rakhi' to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after the State Government approves significant funds under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, in Mumbai on Friday. Photograph: ANI Photo People pose for photos at a celebration activity marking the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in Victoria Park in Hong Kong, south China, June 29, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Hong Kong's population in mid-2024 stood at 7,531,800, up 0.1 percent compared with the end of 2023 and down 0.1 percent compared with mid-2023, according to government estimates released on Thursday. Provisional figures by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government indicated that in mid-2024 there were 7,287,400 usual residents in Hong Kong and 244,400 mobile residents. The population at the end of 2023 was revised to 7,527,900, with the figure for usual residents revised to 7,246,400 and that for mobile residents to 281,500. A government spokesperson said the population saw a small increase in the first half of 2024 due to the introduction of various government policies to draw talent and import labor, with a sizeable inflow of persons from the Chinese mainland and other places around the world. In early 2023, with the full resumption of normal travel, many Hong Kong residents living abroad began returning to the city for short durations of stay, resulting in a notable increase in the population in mid-2023 compared to a year earlier, the spokesperson added. New Delhi [India], August 16: The Sarvottam Nagrik Sanman 2024 awards ceremony, a prestigious event hosted by Meghashrey NGO, took place in Mumbai, celebrating exceptional Indian citizens for their outstanding contributions across various fields. From social work to education, science, and the arts, the awards honored those who have made a significant impact on society. The event was graced by the presence of Seema Singh and actress Shilpa Shetty, who both added a touch of elegance and significance to the occasion. Speaking at the event, Seema Singh expressed her admiration for the awardees, saying, "It's inspiring to see so many individuals being recognized for their dedication and hard work. These awards not only honor their achievements but also encourage others to contribute to the betterment of society." The Sarvottam Nagrik Sanman continues to be a beacon of recognition, celebrating the unsung heroes of India who make a difference every day. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) SMPL New Delhi [India], August 16: The registration process for the Symbiosis MBA programmes through the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) 2024 has officially begun. This highly esteemed entrance examination in India opened its application window on August 5, 2024. Applicants are encouraged to visit the official SNAP website for comprehensive details on the registration process, eligibility criteria, and other essential information. Please note that test city and test date allocations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. The SNAP Computer-Based Test (CBT) for 2024 is scheduled across three distinct dates: December 8, 2024 (Sunday), December 15, 2024 (Sunday), and December 21, 2024 (Saturday). The highly anticipated announcement of SNAP 2024 examination results will occur on January 8, 2025 (Wednesday). The upcoming test offers aspiring candidates the opportunity to apply to 27 programmes across 17 institutes under Symbiosis International (Deemed University) with a single application form. "At Symbiosis International University, we believe in nurturing industry-ready professionals who are innovative and great problem-solvers. SNAP is a gateway to get an entry to institutions where exceptional learning is possible along with an opportunity for a rewarding career in management. We encourage aspiring students to take this opportunity and embark on their journey of excellence with us", said Dr. Ramakrishnan Raman, Vice Chancellor, Symbiosis International (Deemed University). The test will be conducted in 80 cities across India, and candidates can attempt it up to three times. The highest score from these attempts will be considered, following a "best of three" approach. The registration fee for each attempt is INR 2250, with an additional fee of INR 1000 per programme applied for. Eligibility for the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) requires candidates to hold a Bachelor's degree from a recognised university or an institution of national importance, with a minimum of 50% marks (45% for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes). Final-year undergraduate students may also apply, provided they secure the required minimum marks in their final examinations. Aspirants with qualifications from foreign universities must obtain an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). SNAP serves as a gateway to numerous prestigious management institutes affiliated with Symbiosis International (Deemed University), offering access to a wide array of MBA programmes. Esteemed institutes welcoming candidates through SNAP include SIBM Pune, SICSR, SIMC, SIIB, SCMHRD, SIMS, SIDTM, SCIT, SIOM, SIHS, SIBM Bengaluru, SSBF, SIBM Hyderabad, SSSS, SIBM Nagpur, SIBM NOIDA, and SSCANS. This test provides aspiring professionals with a pathway toward a career in business and management. With a legacy of 50+ years, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) proudly holds the prestigious NAAC A++ accreditation. In the NIRF 2023 rankings, it was ranked 32nd in the Universities Category. Globally, it is ranked in the 641-650 range by the QS World University Rankings and placed 31st worldwide for Employer Reputation, making it the top-ranked university in India in this category. Additionally, Symbiosis is recognised as the second-best private university in India in QS India Rankings. With campuses in Pune, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Nashik, Noida, and Bengaluru, the institution is dedicated to nurturing future leaders by providing quality education and holistic development opportunities. Symbiosis International (Deemed University) remains committed to nurturing the leaders of tomorrow, offering world-class education and opportunities for holistic development. For more information about SNAP 2024 and to begin your registration, visit https://www.snaptest.org/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) SMPL Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], August 16: Indiranagar, celebrated for its dynamic culinary landscape, now welcomes a new spot for vegetarian dining, Navathanyam, a restaurant where traditional South Indian vegetarian cuisine is not just served, but celebrated. In a city bustling with food options, Navathanyam offers a refined experience that goes beyond the ordinary, celebrating the essence of traditional and cultural dining. Navathanyam marks the fourth venture in the F&B industry for its seasoned founders, who have previously launched successful establishments including Vanamo, a unique cafe known for global eats and Coffee; Suvaii, a restaurant dedicated to authentic Chettinad cuisine; and Tanjore Tiffins, a QSR that caters to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian preferences. With a rich background in creating distinctive dining concepts, Navathanyam is their latest initiative, born from a deep appreciation for the wholesomeness and simplicity of South Indian food. The founders aim to elevate vegetarian cuisine to new heights, offering dishes that reflect the authenticity and warmth of traditional food in an environment that captures the essence of a South Indian home. A Pledge to Purity and Authenticity At Navathanyam, each dish tells a story of heritage and careful preparation. The ingredients are a testament to the restaurant's commitment to quality--wood-pressed oils, fully boiled ghee, and premium, fresh vegetables sourced to maintain the integrity of authentic flavors. The menu features dishes designed to evoke nostalgia and introduce diners to the nuanced flavors of the region, enhanced by a symphony of aromatic spices. Featured Dishes at Navathanyam: * Navathanyam Special Thali: A signature offering that includes nine distinct dishes, each crafted to showcase the depth and variety of South Indian vegetarian cooking. * Idiyaapam with Kurma and Coconut Milk: Fine rice noodles served with flavorful kurma and smooth coconut milk, offering a delicate taste of traditional South Indian cuisine. * Paneer Kothu Parota: A delightful mix of shredded parota and paneer, tossed with handpicked spices for a flavorful ensemble. * Vazhaipoo Vadai: Crisp banana flower fritters, seasoned and fried to golden perfection, representing a traditional delicacy rarely seen in urban eateries. * Adai Avial: A combination of crispy, spiced lentil dosa paired with a comforting mixed vegetable coconut curry. More Than a Meal: A Spiritual and Wholesome Experience Navathanyam features a simple and inviting ambiance, adorned with hand-painted art depicting stories of Krishna, providing a cultural backdrop to your dining experience. Here, the food truly captures the essence of South India, making every meal memorable. In a city where the quest for genuine quality and authentic vegetarian cuisine is ever-present, Navathanyam rises as an ode to traditional cooking. Hear it from the founders Suman Naidu: "Navathanyam is about creating a unique fine dining experience that celebrates the richness of South Indian vegetarian cuisine, filling a much-needed gap in the city's food scene" Siddharth Renganathan: "Our menu is curated with the utmost care, focusing on hygiene, high quality, and hyper-local procurement to ensure each dish retains the authentic flavors of South Indian vegetarian cuisine." For a taste of tradition and a touch of home, visit Navathanyam in Indiranagar. Experience the purity of vegetarian dining crafted with soul and care. For more information, please visit - https://www.instagram.com/navathanyam/ For more information, please contact: +91 90082 66663 Address: 12, first floor, 13th Cross Rd, Domlur I Stage, 1st Stage, Domlur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560071 (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL New Delhi [India], August 16: The margin trading method has become a popular way of trading in the stock market lately. As a part of trading with a margin, the one provision that comes to the aid of traders is the margin trading facility or MTF. Here, we will have a look at the basics of MTF and what are the best MTF tips to help an investor or a trader. Understanding MTF With the help of the Margin Trading Facility, traders can leverage their trading capital to increase their purchasing power. The service is provided by a broker to their clients where the latter can borrow funds from the former by either leveraging their capital or the securities they own. With the MTF facility, traders can attain and control higher market positions that could not be reached with their own capital alone. As a result of the increased buying power, traders can invest in stocks that are from reputed companies, thus increasing their chances of gaining from the growth of the company. MTF Strategies Here are a few handy tips to make the MTF trading profitable for traders or investors: 1. Monitoring and Adjusting Positions: * Constant monitoring of your margin trades is very important * This can help you adjust your positions if the need arises * Swift action taken in accordance with the changing market conditions can help mitigate potential risks * Once trades have been carried out, it is important to review them * This will help you learn from both successes and failures of the trade. 2. Size Positions Strictly: - When positions are sized with discipline, risk management becomes easier. - To size positions appropriately, you need to take into account your risk tolerance and the risk:reward ratio you are willing to entertain. - Investing a majority of your available capital on a single trade is not advisable as it could lead to increased vulnerability and significant losses. - Strict position sizing helps maintain a balanced portfolio and reduces the impact a single trade can have on the entire account. 3. Monitoring Margin Levels: * Margin levels need to remain within the acceptable range. * Keeping up with your trading account's health helps monitor the margin utilization. * When this margin utilization reaches or crosses a critical level, there is increased risk giving rise to potential margin calls. * Monitoring margin levels can prevent unexpected liquidations and help you adjust your positions if necessary. 4. Adapt Constantly: - Margin trading is a strategy that will keep on evolving - Wanting to constantly gain knowledge about this provision will help you place more profitable trades. - Keeping an eye out on the latest market trends, trading strategies, etc will help you make informed decisions - Talking and interacting with the trading community will help you gain more insights from other experienced traders. - Trading is a learner's market and staying open to adapting your trading approach based on market conditions will help you carry out more profitable trades. In Conclusion The right broker will also offer you the MTF facility on various platforms including on their stock market app, making the provision even more convenient. Now all you need are the right tricks up your sleeve and you could potentially be on your way to produce higher returns with the help of MTF. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 16: UKG, a leading provider of HR, payroll, workforce management, and culture solutions, proudly welcomes Nitin Chandel as Group Vice President and India Country Manager. In his role, Chandel will serve on the UKG senior leadership team and oversee key operations in India, with a focus on hiring top talent, further enhancing the award-winning UKG culture and people operations, and steering in-country product development and engineering for the company's leading human capital management (HCM) and workforce management solutions. Chandel's appointment follows the recent announcement that enterprise software industry leader and former Co-Chief Executive Officer of SAP Jennifer Morgan has been appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of UKG. "What an exciting time for both Nitin and me to join this special company as we usher UKG into the next phase of growth, helping build great workplaces in India and around the world," said Jennifer Morgan, CEO at UKG. "Our commitment to India remains strong. With more than 80,000 organisations worldwide using UKG, Nitin's technical leadership and strategic vision will help us accelerate innovation for our customers and better serve businesses around the world who will benefit from our unmatched set of workforce data and culture-building solutions." Chandel has extensive experience in the technology sector, most recently as Head of BNY Mellon Technology, India where he oversaw over 5,000 technologists, helped modernise the company's talent strategy and operating model, and transformed the BNY India Technology centre into a premier agile engineering hub. With a background in software engineering, Chandel spent the last 27 years honing his expertise at leading large-scale transformations and building high-performance engineering teams at companies like Visa Inc., where he led a global team from India as senior vice president for its developer platform and as India Site Head. He was also instrumental in building out Visa's India Technology Centre in Bengaluru. Chandel formerly was a Partner at Microsoft, leading Bing Ads development teams in India and in the U.S. "I'm thrilled to lead the talented UKG team in India as we set out to further scale our award-winning business to additional regions and deliver exceptional value to our clients in India and beyond," said Chandel. "UKG has created a foundation of several thousand employees in India with a strong and diverse culture. The opportunity to help UKG scale India operations even further is a great professional privilege. I look forward to contributing to UKG's growth and success, working alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry. Together, we will drive growth, foster a culture of continuous learning, and contribute to our shared mission of transforming the future." Under Chandel's leadership, UKG plans to grow its India team by as much as a third across the country in the coming year, including growing its well-established Noida team. UKG first opened operations in India in 2007 and has grown into a widely regarded destination employer in the country, especially for women technologists. On top of being named one of TIME Magazine's World's Best Companies and Forbes World's Best Employer's in 2024, the company was a multi-year honouree on India's Best Companies to Work For list from Great Place To Work and The Economic Times, and a four-time Best Workplace for Women winner by Great Place To Work India. [UKG acquired Great Place To Work in 2021, and has been ineligible for the organization's global culture rankings since that time.] "The exceptional workplace culture, commitment to community, and opportunities for innovation at UKG are highly attractive to top talent, making it a premier choice for technology professionals like Nitin," said Hugo Sarrazin, president, chief product and technology officer at UKG. "Nitin brings a proven track record of attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional technologists and scaling businesses. We're thrilled he will lead UKG through the next chapter in India." Chandel will partner closely with Sumeet Doshi, India Regional Director for UKG, and will succeed Ashok Saxena, vice president of engineering, who is retiring after 23 years of service. Saxena was a key part of the company's initial 2007 India expansion and oversaw the organisation's growth from fewer than 100 employees to more than 3,000 today. "Nitin Chandel is a highly accomplished and respected business leader in India's technology community," said Doshi. "I am eager to work closely with Nitin as we accelerate the growth of UKG in India in support of our mission: to help every organisation be a great place to work through technology built for all." About UKG At UKG, our purpose is people. We are on a mission to inspire every organisation to become a great place to work through HCM technology built for all. More than 80,000 organisations across all sizes, industries, and geographies trust UKG HR, payroll, workforce management, and culture cloud solutions to drive great workplace experiences and make better, more confident people and business decisions. With the world's largest collection of people data, work data, and culture data combined with rich experience using artificial intelligence in the service of people, we connect culture insights with business outcomes to show what's possible when organisations invest in their people. To learn more, visit ukg.com. UKG Contact: Priyanka Bhatta priyanka.bhatta@ukg.com media@ukg.com (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 16: Power & Instrumentation (Gujarat) Limited (NSE - PIGL, BSE - 543912), one of the leading players in the electrical contracting and equipment industry, has been awarded significant contracts worth Rs 28.41 Cr. under the Mukhyamantri Ujjawal Jharkhand Yojana (MUJY) for the electrification of un-electrified and partially electrified habitations and households in Sahibganj District, Jharkhand. The awarded contracts include: - Under Contract Part I company will handle the loading, transportation, installation, and commissioning of the electrification infrastructure, ensuring that rural habitations with fewer than and more than 10 households, as well as urban areas, receive reliable electricity. The total contract price for this part is Rs 22.92 Cr. - Under Contract Part II company will conduct wide range of activities, including site survey, planning, design, engineering, assembly, manufacturing, testing, and the supply of necessary materials. The total contract price for this part is Rs 5.49 Cr. The projects aim to enhance electrification in both rural and urban areas of Sahibganj District, aligning with the objectives of the Mukhyamantri Ujjawal Jharkhand Yojana to improve living standards through better infrastructure. With a proven track record of successfully executing similar contracts having approximate value of above Rs 100 Cr, PIGL, brings extensive experience and expertise to these new projects. Their history of delivering high-quality, efficient solutions in the power infrastructure sector underscores their capability to meet the demands of these contracts under the Mukhyamantri Ujjawal Jharkhand Yojana. Commenting on the received contracts, Padmaraj Padmnabhan Pillai, Managing Director, Power & Instrumentation (Gujarat) Limited said, "By receiving these pivotal contracts under the Mukhyamantri Ujjawal Jharkhand Yojana represents a significant milestone for Power & Instrumentation Guj Ltd. This achievement underscores our commitment to excellence and our ability to deliver high-impact solutions for major infrastructure projects. We are deeply honored to have been entrusted with this responsibility, and we are fully dedicated to meeting and exceeding the expectations set forth in the contracts. Our team is well-prepared to undertake the comprehensive scope of work involved, including the supply of plant and equipment as well as the provision of meticulous installation services. The electrification of both rural and urban areas of Sahibganj District is a critical initiative for enhancing living standards and supporting the overall development goals of the region. Power & Instrumentation Guj Ltd. is resolute in its commitment to delivering these projects with the utmost precision, ensuring timely completion and adherence to the highest quality standards. We look forward to collaborating closely with all stakeholders to achieve the successful implementation of these projects and contribute positively to the communities we serve. This endeavours reflects our ongoing dedication to advancing infrastructure and fostering sustainable development." (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) NewsVoir Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 16: We are thrilled to announce that our students, Dhruthi and Mohineesh, have achieved outstanding success at the ISP MUN Summer Camp held at the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, USA. The camp, which brought together over 40 students from around the globe, provided an intense week of research, collaboration, and diplomacy, culminating in a gripping Crisis Simulation centred on aid to Ukraine. Throughout the week, Dhruthi and Mohineesh engaged deeply with their peers, forming connections and honing their skills in diplomacy and international relations. The final open house event showcased their ability to navigate complex scenarios, including a simulated crisis involving a bacteria threatening the world's oil supply. Their performance in these high-stakes simulations was nothing short of remarkable. Both students were captivated by the vibrant UC Berkeley campus, which offered them a firsthand glimpse into university life in the USA. This enriching experience has ignited their passion for exploring further international opportunities in their academic journeys. Despite the short duration, they expressed a strong desire to extend their stay and delve deeper into the myriad possibilities the camp unveiled. Mohineesh shared his thoughts on the experience, "It was such an honour to attend the Best Delegate Advanced Course at the University of California, Berkeley. The camp provided a memorable opportunity to engage with Model United Nations (MUN) alongside students from around the globe. Each day was filled with special workshops led by practitioners in diplomacy and international relations. We participated in United Nations committee meetings, discussed various topics, and wrote resolutions. These sessions challenged me to enhance my research, negotiation, and presentation skills. The final simulation, which involved formulating strategies to handle international crises, was both tough and exciting. This experience at UC Berkeley was incredibly valuable, and I am eager to share the knowledge I gained with our school community. It has also encouraged me to seek further involvement in MUN activities." Dhruthi added, "This camp was an eye-opener, and it strengthened my resolve to pursue a global academic path." Our Principal, Hema Sanjay, also expressed her pride in the students' achievements, "We are immensely proud of Dhruthi and Mohineesh for their exceptional performance at the ISP MUN Summer Camp. Their dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm are truly commendable. This experience has not only enriched their understanding of international relations but also strengthened their leadership skills. We look forward to seeing how they will leverage this experience to inspire their peers and contribute to our school community." We are excited to see them continue to grow and make a positive impact both locally and globally. To know more about Sancta Maria and the ISP MUN programme, visit sanctamaria.in or call us on 97050 03222. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) ATK New Delhi [India], August 16: The House of Rare has unveiled the much-anticipated launch of its unified website and app. The amalgamation celebrates the brand's shared values of unity into a consumer-first, integrated shopping experience. The objective of this merger was to bring together the previously distinct entities Rare Rabbit and Rareism and integrate the forthcoming launch of its kidswear line, Rare Ones, and its new menswear sneakers collection, Rare'Z. On the House of Rare app and website launch, Pulkit Verma, Chief Business Officer- Digital said, " The House of Rare has a presence across 141 exclusive brand outlets and 385 MBO counters, across brands. I believe that with the THOR app and website, we will cater to a newer segment of audiences, apart from our existing consumer base". He added, "This cross-business transformation unifies shopping experiences with our exclusive brand outlets and the app." The app and website were launched worldwide on August 07, 2024 with the 'We Got Together' campaign. It showcases the juxtaposition of two individuals, a man and a woman, and how they express their eccentricities through dance, before coming together - a visual metaphor for the brand's unification. https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=VJKeikgOPApLyuAy&v=QkG3LMfaMGk&feature=youtu.be The website can be accessed worldwide at https://thehouseofrare.com/ The app is available for download worldwide on Appstore and Playstore. The Appstore link - https://apps.apple.com/in/app/rare-rabbit/id1563278819 Playstore link - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=rarerabbit.android.app&hl=en_IN About The House of Rare- The House of Rare is a pioneer in shaping the Indian fashion landscape. Founded in 2015 by fashion pioneers Manish Poddar and. Akshika Poddar, the brand champions individuality and pushes boundaries. The House of Rare aims to redefine contemporary fashion. Their commitment to innovation and unwavering belief in self-expression are the driving forces behind the success of the House of Rare. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) NewsVoir Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 16: Over 100 universities from across the globe attended in the Future Pathways Festival organised by Manthan School on 2nd august 2024. The event saw participation of universities from India, US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. The festival was a remarkable achievement, attracting high school parents and students who greatly benefited from engaging discussions with university representatives at the table fair. It was further enriched by interactive breakout sessions that were seamlessly incorporated into the event. "The festival provided me with invaluable insights. I now have a much clearer idea of which stream to choose for my higher education and which colleges would be the best fit for me," exclaimed a student of Manthan. Meanwhile, a parent of a 12th grader expressed his appreciation for the school's initiative. "I had the opportunity to meet delegates from many universities where I hope to enroll my child, and now I can make a much more informed decision." he said. Fairina Siddiqui, the College & Career Counsellor at Manthan, expressed, "By facilitating direct engagement between students, parents, and leading universities, the Future Pathways Festival at Manthan has significantly empowered our student community to make informed decisions about their college and career pathways. This event underscores our commitment to guiding student aspirations, while also providing universities with valuable insights into the dynamic environment and high calibre of our students". Surjeet Singh, Principal of Manthan School said, "I congratulate and extend my best wishes to all the university representatives who attended the University Festival. It is an honour for us to have delegates from such prestigious institutions at our school. The congregation has been a very fruitful and gaining experience for Manthan's parents and student community. It fills me with a sense of accomplishment to see so many students and their parents be a part of the University festival with such enthusiasm and anticipations for their academic future." This exposure not only helped broaden perspectives of students and parents, but also empowered them with a comprehensive understanding of the factors to consider making well-informed choices about their future pathways. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PNN New Delhi [India], August 16: Forcas Studios Limited, established menswear company since 2010, is planning to raise up to Rs 37.44 crore from its SME public issue. The company has received approval to launch its public issue on NSE Emerge Platform of National Stock Exchange. The public issue opens for subscription on August 19 and closes on August 21. The Proceeds of the public issue will be utilized to meet company's working capital requirement, upgrade the warehouse, prepay or repay certain secured loans availed and general corporate purposes. Horizon Management Private Limited is the book running lead manager of the issue. The initial public offering of Rs 37.44 crore, comprises of a fresh issue of 4,680,000 shares of face value Rs 10 each. Company has finalized price band of Rs 77-80 per equity share for the public issue. The minimum lot size for retail investors is 1600 shares amounting to minimum investment of Rs 128,000. The minimum lot size investment for HNI is 2 lots (3,200 shares) amounting to Rs 256,000. Highlights: - Fresh Public issue of 46.8 lakh equity shares opens for subscription from August 19 to August 21 - The menswear company sells its products through online platform under the brand name of 'FTX', 'Tribe' and 'Conteno' - Minimum lot size for application is 1600 shares; Minimum IPO application amount Rs 1.28 lakh - Funds raised through the issue will be used to meet the working capital requirements, upgradation of warehouse, repayment of secured loans and general corporate purposes. - For FY23-24 (till February 2024) company reported revenues of Rs 96.48 crore and Net Profit of Rs 5.53 crore - Horizon Management Private Limited is the book running lead manager of the issue. Incorporated in April 2010, Forcas Studio Limited sells men's clothing, including shirts, jeans, t-shirts, trousers, cotton pants, sportswear, party wear, fashion wear, and boxers. The company provides these products online and in bulk to customers all over India. It also offers white-labelling services for other brands, such as Landmark Group, V-Mart Retail, V2 Retail, and more. The company offers a wide range of products, including shirts, denims, t-shirts, trousers, cotton pants, sportswear, party wear, fashion wear, and boxers for the Indian menswear segment. The company sells its products through online platform under the brand name of 'FTX', 'Tribe' and 'Conteno. The company has established a presence on all major online platforms, including Flipkart, Myntra, Meesho, Amazon, Ajio, Jio Mart, Glowroad, Limeroad, Solvd, and Shopsy. Additionally, the company has also sold products through various large-format stores, including V-Mart Retail, V2 Retail, Sarvana Retail and many more. The company has served more than 15000 pin codes in India. The company has a strong offline presence, with a presence on major online marketplaces and in over 500 large-format stores. They offer a wide range of products with a catalogue of over 1200 SKUs. The company has four warehouses in Kolkata for the purpose of supply chain management. Business Highlights:- Company has reported excellent operational and financial performance over years. The Company has witnessed a multi-fold growth in revenue and profitability over the years. For FY23-24 (till February, 2024), company has reported net profit of Rs 5.53 crore and revenue of Rs 96.48 crore as compared to profitability and revenue of Rs 1.17 crore and Rs 71.62 crore in FY22-23. As on February 2024, Net Worth of the company was reported at Rs 19.01 crore, Reserves & Surplus at Rs 6.11 crore and Asset base of Rs 123.79 crore. As on March 2024, ROE of the company was 27.06%, ROCE at 18.54% and RONW at 27.06%. Shares of the company will be listed on NSE's Emerge platform. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Flash Ukraine has taken control of 82 settlements in western Russia's Kursk region, Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Thursday. Since the beginning of their operation in the Kursk region, Ukrainian troops have advanced 35 km along the Russian army's defense, and controlled over 1,150 sq km of territory, Syrsky said on his official Telegram channel. Since the beginning of Thursday, Ukrainian troops have advanced between 500 meters and 1.5 km further into the Kursk region, he said. The Ukrainian troops have captured the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that a military commandant's office is being established there. Russia's defense ministry announced that in the past 24 hours, their forces successfully repelled six Ukrainian attacks in the Kursk region. Additionally, it claimed to have destroyed 117 drones and four tactical missiles launched by Ukraine at several regions including Kursk. The ministry also added that Ukraine had lost up to 2,300 soldiers and 37 tanks during its incursion into Kursk. NewsVoir Manipal (Karnataka) [India], August 16: The National Service Scheme (NSS) Units I & II of the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) were recently honored with the prestigious "Humanitarian Excellence Award 2024". The award, presented by the I Care Foundation India under the aegis of NITI Aayog & MSME, Government of India, recognizes the outstanding social work initiatives undertaken by the NSS units. The award ceremony coincided with the 78th Independence Day and World Humanitarian Day and took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in New Delhi, Dwarka. The award was received by Commander (Dr) Anil Rana, Director of MIT Manipal, and Dr Balakrishna S. Maddodi, MIT NSS Program Officer, alongside MIT Administrative Officer Ratnakar Samanth. The award was presented by Santosh Bagrodia, former Coal Minister of India and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. The event also featured the presence of veteran actor Surendra Pal Singh, renowned for his role as Dronacharya in the Mahabharat series, who commended the remarkable efforts of the NSS units in uplifting communities. The NSS units at MIT Manipal have consistently made a significant impact on society by promoting social responsibility among students, academics, and the community. During the academic year 2023-24, the units organized over 45 community-centric programs. These initiatives included blood donation camps to raise awareness about the importance of blood donation, environmental conservation programs such as rainwater harvesting, and plantation drives aimed at protecting and nurturing the environment. Other notable initiatives included Swachh Bharat programs like beach cleaning and single-use plastic eradication, as well as a range of awareness campaigns covering crucial topics such as career guidance, first aid, CPR training, and cancer awareness. These efforts have positively influenced the lives of thousands in the community, leaving a lasting legacy of social responsibility. Commander (Dr) Anil Rana, Director of MIT Manipal, expressed his gratitude for the recognition: "This award is a testament to the dedication and passion of our NSS volunteers, who have tirelessly worked to make a difference in the lives of others. At MIT, we believe that education is not just about academic excellence but also about creating responsible citizens who contribute meaningfully to society. We are immensely proud of our NSS units for setting an example of how young minds can be agents of positive change." Lt. Gen. (Dr) MD Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), also praised the achievement, stating, "The NSS units of MIT Manipal have demonstrated how academic institutions can play a pivotal role in addressing societal challenges. Their commitment to humanitarian causes is inspiring and aligns with MAHE's vision of fostering a culture of social responsibility. We are honored to receive this recognition, which will further motivate us to continue our efforts in serving the community." The award ceremony saw the participation of numerous distinguished guests, including former ONGC Director Dr Jauhari Lal, Vinay Choudhary, National Co-Incharge of Research & Policy at the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Gaurav Gautham, Founder of the I Care Foundation. Over 85 individuals and institutions were honored for their remarkable contributions to the community and humanity at large. The MIT NSS units remain committed to their mission of driving social change and continue to inspire others to join the movement for a better and more compassionate world. For media inquiries and further information, please contact: Deputy Director PR and Communications, Phone: 7338625909, Email: sachin.karanth@manipal.edu. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd. has released its latest report, 'CBRE Industrial & Logistics Figures H1 2024,' revealing that third-party logistics (3PL) players driving Industrial & Logistics (I&L) leasing, capturing 40 per cent share of the total absorption in the first half of 2024. According to the CBRE report, Engineering & Manufacturing (E&M) firms followed with an 18 per cent share, while FMCG companies contributed 10 per cent. Despite a 16 per cent decrease in supply additions, with 15.5 million sq. ft. added in H1 2024, leading cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, and Mumbai contributed 57 per cent of the total supply. Larger developers backed by institutional investors contributed about 33 per cent of this supply, with Chennai, Delhi-NCR, and Pune leading in project completions. As the retail, e-commerce, and manufacturing sectors continue to rely on outsourcing inventory and delivery capabilities to streamline costs and minimize lead times, the 3PL segment is anticipated to remain at the forefront of leasing activity. E&M firms are also expected to play a major role, buoyed by the government's strategic push to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities. During the January to June 2024 period, I&L leasing across eight cities saw a slight moderation, totalling 16.6 million sq. ft. However, a rebound in leasing activity is expected in the second half of the year, driven by fresh market entrants, a surge in inquiries, high-quality supply, and the finalization of pending deals, especially within the 3PL, retail, and FMCG sectors. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO, India, Southeast Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE, said, "The Indian industrial and logistics (I&L) sector is poised for a period of sustained growth, with promising indicators emerging for the latter half of 2024. While the first half witnessed a shift towards smaller transactions, the market's underlying fundamentals remain robust." He added, "We anticipate a resurgence in leasing activity driven by a combination of factors, including increased demand from diverse sectors, the entry of new market players, and the availability of high-quality supply. These positive developments collectively contribute to an optimistic outlook for the I&L sector." In Pune, IndoSpace invested USD 84 million in collaboration with the Maharashtra Government whereas Chennai's CapitaLand entered a deal with Casagrand, valued at USD 32 million, in the Industrial & Logistics Sector in H1 2024. Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Kolkata collectively accounted for 58 per cent of the total I&L space take-up in the first half of 2024. These cities also saw an expansion in space absorption compared to the same period in 2023, reinforcing their dominance in the I&L leasing landscape. Ram Chandnani, Managing Director, Advisory & Transaction Services, CBRE India, said, "The industrial & logistics (I&L) sector is on an upward trajectory and this momentum will gain further acceleration at the back of a resilient economy and proactive policy imperatives." He added, "The government's initiative to build a robust manufacturing ecosystem, driven by the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme will not only nurture domestic occupier interest but will also boost the sentiments of institutional investors. Moreover, the increasing focus on ESG and sustainable facilities will drive demands from occupiers across industries." Leasing activity is expected to gain momentum in the second half of the year, supported by new market entrants, increased inquiries, and strong demand across various sectors. 3PL players will continue to dominate leasing activity as companies seek to optimize storage and delivery costs. Government policies supporting domestic manufacturing will increase the share of E&M firms in space take-ups. The retail and FMCG sectors are expected to see heightened activity, especially during the festive season. Despite a decline in supply additions in H1 2024, organized players and institutional investors are expected to expand their footprints, with investment-grade supply likely to rise to 55 per cent by the end of the year. (ANI) PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 16: AVG Logistics Limited, (BSE - 543910, NSE - AVG), a leading multimodal logistics solutions provider, has announced its unaudited financial results for the Q1 FY25. Q1 FY25 Consolidated Key Financial Highlight- - Total Income of Rs 123.68 Cr, YoY growth of 22.75% - EBITDA of Rs 23.62 Cr, YoY growth of 24.45% - EBITDA Margin of 19.10%, YoY growth of 26 BPS - Profit After Tax of Rs 5.21 Cr, YoY growth of 105.90% - PAT Margin of 4.21%, YoY growth of 170 BPS - EPS of Rs 3.81, YoY growth of 77.21% Standalone Key Financial Highlight- - Total Income of Rs 123.39 Cr, YoY growth of 22.46% - EBITDA of Rs 23.55 Cr, YoY growth of 24.05% - EBITDA Margin of 19.09%, YoY growth of 24 BPS - Profit After Tax of Rs 5.17 Cr, YoY growth of 148.24% - PAT Margin of 4.19%, YoY growth of 212 BPS - EPS of Rs 3.78, YoY growth of 113.56% Q1 FY25 Highlights: - Focus on Rail transportation, driven by a long-term contract with Indian Railways. - Addition of LNG powered vehicles & EV to strengthen and expand Green logistics, advancing efforts to reduce carbon emission. - Planning to launch more Electric vehicles and LNG fleet, targeting to add 50 vehicles by June '25 for Green logistic expansion. - Revolutionizing Appliance Transport with Rail Solutions- Company will transition to rail transportation for safely and efficiently moving appliances such as washing machines, air conditioners, and refrigerators, under a Rs50 crore contract over 3 years, enhancing multi-modal connectivity - Received the Prestigious "Committed to Safety & Resilience Award" from Nestle India. - Odisha Government has allotted 4-acre land parcel in Khurda District, Bhubaneswar, to AVG Logistics Limited. This new ancillary unit will boost logistics support, drive business growth, and expand client opportunities in Odisha. Commenting on the performance, Sanjay Gupta Managing Director & CEO, AVG Logistics Limited said, "We are delighted to share the robust financial performance achieved in the reported quarter. With substantial year-on-year growth in revenue, EBITDA, and PAT, AVG Logistics is reaffirming its commitment to excellence. The award of the significant Indian Railways contract is a testament to our strategic long-term vision. Our recent acquisition of a fleet of high-quality cold chain vehicles further amplifies our capabilities and demonstrates our dedication to providing top-notch services to our customers. The adoption of Electric vehicles and LNG fleets aligns with our sustainability objectives and reinforces the AVG's commitment to responsible business practices and support our customer to fulfil their sustainability goals. With a focus on innovation and environmental awareness, the company aims to establish a new standard for eco-friendly logistics, leading the path towards a cleaner and more sustainable industry while progressing towards the goal of reducing carbon emissions. Our commitment to honesty, responsibility, customer dedication, set us apart in the competitive landscape. We remain dedicated to innovation, strategic partnerships, and an unwavering focus on customer satisfaction" (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has cleared a series of high-profile bureaucratic appointments in various ministries, marking a reshuffling of leadership in key departments. The latest appointments, which include new postings across finance, defence, and minority affairs, reflect the government's emphasis on experience and continuity. Vivek Joshi, IAS, who currently serves as Secretary in the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, has been appointed as the Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). This role places him at the helm of India's human resources policy framework, especially in civil services management, under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Rajesh Kumar Singh, IAS, the current Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), will transition to the Department of Defence, Ministry of Defence, after being appointed as an Officer on Special Duty. He will take over as Secretary, Department of Defence, upon the completion of the tenure of Aramane Giridhar on October 31, 2024. Singh's term has been extended beyond his superannuation, allowing him to serve until October 31, 2026. His previous role in industry and trade promotion will be crucial as India continues to bolster its defence manufacturing capabilities. Katikithala Srinivas, IAS, currently serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. This transition highlights the government's focus on urban development, housing, and infrastructure, critical sectors driving the nation's economic growth and urbanization efforts. Manoj Govil, IAS, Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. With Govil now steering the Department of Expenditure, he will oversee the allocation and management of government resources, further supporting India's fiscal policies and public finance reforms. Vandana Gurnani, IAS, currently in her cadre, has been appointed as Secretary (Coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat. Chandra Sekhar Kumar, IAS, Special Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, succeeding Katikithala Srinivas. Neelam Shammi Rao, IAS, the Central Provident Fund Commissioner, will take on the role of Secretary, National Commission for Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs. Her experience in labour and employment will be instrumental in her new role, especially in overseeing policies for minority welfare. Punya Salila Srivastava, IAS, currently the Special Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. She will eventually take over as Secretary in the department, reinforcing leadership at a critical time for India's health sector. The Government of India has appointed Jafar Malik, IAS, to the post of Deputy Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. (ANI) Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy lashed out at the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) asserting that it was his "responsibility to destroy and bury BRS" and 'throw' the party out from Telangana to the Bay of Bengal. Addressing a public meeting at Khammam on Thursday, Reddy said, "It is my responsibility to destroy and bury BRS. As your brother, I am giving you my word. I will take the responsibility of throwing off BRS from Telangana to the Bay of Bengal." Reddy further stated that in the Union Budget, the BJP gave nothing to the state, despite the people of Telangana giving eight seats to the BJP in the general elections. "If you stand by my side, destroying BRS or BJP is not a big issue. BJP does not have any place in Telangana. In the last elections, Telangana people have given them (BJP) eight seats. When the people of Telangana gave eight seats to Narendra Modi, the BJP gave nothing to Telangana. So, if Telangana has to develop and if the dry lands of Telangana should turn into green fields, then Indiramma Rajyam (rule) should prevail, the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation project should be completed, the Nalgonda SLBC tunnel should be completed and the Khammam Seetharama Sagar project should be completed. Only when these are completed, Telangana will be filled with greenery and Telangana farmers will be happy," he said. Readdy further lashed out at BRS, stating the "party is in a situation of begging at the Banjara Hills bus stand." "I am questioning KTR; KTR is saying that Congress has cheated. You (BRS) have won 39 seats in Assembly elections but got a big zero in the Parliament elections. You lost all 17 parliament seats and deposits in seven seats. Have your thoughts not changed yet? Will you not leave these lies, even now? I ask you, father, son, uncle and nephew. If the Telangana society trusted you or saw you like humans, they would have given you at least one seat. BRS has lost so terribly since the party's formation. The BRS party is in a situation of begging at the Banjara Hills bus stand," he said. Revanth Reddy also stated that his government has provided a loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh for lakhs of farmers in Telangana, fulfilling the six guarantees that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised. "Rahul Gandhi has promised a 2 lakh farm loan waiver. Binding to six guarantees that our prestigious leader Rahul Gandhi promised in Telangana, we have done a loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lakhs for lakhs of farmers within eight months of coming to power. We have made the farmers debt-free and given them freedom from banks. Congress has taken a decision such that the Telangana farmers are freed from loans and breathe air with freedom," he said. Reddy further dares BRS leader Harish Rao to resign as MLA, as Rao earlier promised to issue his resignation if Reddy fulfills the Congress party's farm loan waiver promise by August 15. Speaking on the same, Reddy said, "That day, Harish Rao threw a challenge that if we wave off farm loans, he will resign as Siddipet MLA and will not contest again. Today, from this Wyra land with you Khammam people as witnesses, Harish Rao, if you have any courage, then resign and if you are shameless like your uncle (KCR), then jump into a well and die." (ANI) On the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, the Spear Corps of the Indian Army commemorated the day with a series of engaging events across the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, and Manipur. The celebration honoured the sacrifices made for the nation as well as reinforced the Army's commitment to promoting national integration and unity in a region characterised by its diverse cultures and communities. The celebrations comprised a myriad of activities like Unity Run, Tiranga Walkathon, and cycle and motorbike expeditions in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, which witnessed participation from civilians, schoolchildren, and dignitaries. This event symbolised solidarity and collective pride among the participants, emphasising the importance of unity in diversity. Flag hoisting ceremonies were also organised in schools across the region, where children participated in patriotic activities. These events were designed to instill a sense of pride and awareness about their heritage among the youth. The presence of local dignitaries at these ceremonies further reinforced the significance of Independence Day, making it a memorable occasion for the students and the community. However, a poignant moment of the celebrations was the wreath-laying ceremony at the Walong War Memorial in Arunachal Pradesh and at the Albert Ekka War Memorial in Agartala, Tripura, where Governor of Tripura N Indrasena Reddy laid a wreath and paid respects to the freedom fighters. The solemn event also paid tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Military officials, local leaders, and community members gathered to honour these heroes, reflecting on the sacrifices that have shaped the nation's freedom. To engage the younger generation, Spear Corps organised an equipment display that allowed children and civilians to witness the latest military technology being used by the Indian Army. This initiative aimed to inspire interest in the armed forces and educate the public about the capabilities of the Indian Army. Such interactions fostered a sense of respect and admiration for the armed forces among the youth. The Tiranga Path Yatra, organised in Nagaland, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh and involving local police and NCC cadets, showcased a vibrant display of unity and patriotism as participants marched with the national flag. This event was a visual representation of the collective spirit of the nation, with participants from various backgrounds coming together to celebrate their identity and heritage. In line with the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative undertaken in the six states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur Mizoram and Tripura, citizens were encouraged to hoist the tricolour at their homes, further instilling a sense of national pride. This movement aimed to make every household a part of the Independence Day celebrations, reinforcing the idea that patriotism is a shared responsibility. The Spear Corps also conducted medical camps across various locations in Manipur and other states, providing essential healthcare services to the local population. This initiative highlighted the Indian Army's role in supporting the health and well-being of the communities. In a unique addition to the celebrations, the Spear Corps organised whitewater rafting in Along, Arunachal Pradesh. This adventurous activity not only promoted team spirit and camaraderie but also encouraged local youth to engage in outdoor activities, fostering a sense of adventure and resilience. The celebrations included a segment dedicated to acknowledging the contributions of freedom fighters in pursuit of independence. This recognition served as a reminder of the sacrifices made by countless individuals in the struggle for freedom, inspiring the current generation to appreciate and uphold the values of liberty and justice. The 78th Independence Day celebrations by the Spear Corps exemplified the Army's dedication to fostering unity, patriotism, and community engagement in the northeastern states. Through these diverse events, the Corps not only commemorated the day but also strengthened the bond between the armed forces and the local populace. The celebrations were a testament to the spirit of national integration, showcasing the importance of coming together as one nation. The Spear Corps' efforts in promoting these values will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the communities they serve, inspiring future generations to cherish and uphold the ideals of freedom and unity. (ANI) Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shantanu Sen said that he neither spoke against the party nor any leader adding that he came to know about his alleged removal from the position of the party's spokesperson through media. Pledging his commitment to the party, Sen said that he was with TMC and will always remain so. He also expressed his unhappiness that "a devoted and true soldier of the party has to face this" while defectors are given respect. "Through media, I have come to know that I have been removed from the post of party's spokesperson. I would like to say that I have worked as a soldier in all battles of TMC and I continue that way even today. I would like to say two things, whenever I gave a statement as a spokesperson, I neither spoke against the party nor any leader," Sen said while speaking to ANI on Friday. "I would say the same thing that I said on the first day, news related to the Health Department is not sent accurately to CM and Health Minister Mamata Banerjee. It feels bad when leaders from other parties join ours or winning candidates from other parties join us and are given respect but a devoted and true soldier of the party has to face this. I was with TMC and will remain with TMC," he added. This comes at the backdrop of the death of a post-graduate trainee doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The victim's family has alleged rape and murder. The CBI has taken over the case and an investigation into the matter is underway. The opposition BJP has accused the ruling TMC of a "cover-up" in the matter. Responding to allegations, TMC leader Sen had pointed out the earlier complaints against the college principal who resigned following the incident and said that the state government should think in this regard. "Whatever incident has happened, everyone has condemned it. The CM has come forward and said that it should be investigated in the Fast Track Court. There should be capital punishment for this. Later, it was given to the CBI. We are praying to the CBI to find out all the culprits as soon as possible," Sen said. He added that there has been a series of complaints against the Principal of this college for the last 3 years. Mamata Banerjee's government has ensured necessary development in every medical college in the state but this is the only Principal about whom there is so much controversy, Sen said. "We feel that the government should also think about this," he added. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tributes to the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary on Friday in a prayer meeting at 'Sadaiv Atal' in Delhi. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla along with other members of the Cabinet also attended the prayer meeting at 'Sadaiv Atal', the memorial of the former prime minister. Vajpayee's foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya also arrived at 'Sadaiv Atal', to pay him floral tribute on his death anniversary. Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was also present at the 'Sadaiv Atal' memorial to pay tribute to former PM Vajpayee. "Tribute to former Prime Minister, Bharat Ratna, our source of inspiration, respected Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji on his death anniversary," the official handle of BJP posted on X. Union Minister Amit Shah paid tribute to former PM Vajpayee and said as a Prime Minister, he strengthened the country strategically and economically. "Whenever there is a talk of political purity, loyalty towards national interest and steadfastness towards principles in the country, Atal ji will be remembered. On one hand, through the establishment of the BJP, he popularized the ideology of national interest, while as Prime Minister, he strengthened the country strategically and economically. I pay my heartfelt tributes to Bharat Ratna's respected Atal ji on his death anniversary," Shah posted on X. Born in Gwalior in 1924, Vajpayee was the face of the BJP for decades and was the first non-Congress prime minister to have served a full term in office. Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996, and again from 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004. He also served as India's External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Moraji Desai from 1977 to 1979. He passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on August 16, 2018. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended a ceremony at DC office premises in Amingaon in Kamrup district on Thursday and distributed land pattas to the residents of four villages in Barbangshar Mouza, located within the North Guwahati Revenue Circle of Kamrup district. It may be noted that Chief Minister Sarma distributed 881 land pattas, encompassing a total of 369 bighas, 2 kathas, and 10 lechas of land, to the residents of Barpalaha, Gog, Dakshin Mandakata, and Bhomolahati villages in Barbangshar Mouza. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister highlighted that the lack of land pattas presents significant challenges, including depriving many individuals of fair compensation during land acquisition processes and hindering their ability to secure bank loans and other benefits. The CM further stated that the Kamrup District Administration issued land pattas to ensure residents could receive compensation if their land was acquired for the Guwahati Ring Road project. He mentioned that the government through the district administration is also considering issuing pattas to many more residents and urged the public to resolve any land value issues by consulting the District Commissioner. He noted that many Namghars in rural Assam, some 50-100 years old, lack land pattas, leading to their exclusion from government benefits. He pointed out that incomplete paperwork often leads to disputes over ancestral land donations. He announced that Mission Basundhara 3.0, set to launch in October, would focus on issuing land pattas to Namghars, schools, and institutions, and converting shared leases into private ones. Additionally, land pattas would be issued to individuals who had been allotted land for government institutions but had not yet received legal ownership. The Chief Minister also announced new legislation to prevent land sales to communities outside the indigenous in the undivided Goalpara district. The programme was attended by Environment and Forests Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary; Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Assam Pradesh President and MLA Bhabesh Kalita; MPs Bhubaneswar Kalita, Dilip Saikia, Bijuli Kalita Medhi; MLA Diganta Kalita; District Commissioner Keerthi Jalli, and other dignitaries. (ANI) In solidarity with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, doctors and representatives of various medical organisations have announced protests at various locations in the country. The Resident Doctors Association, Government Medical College in Amritsar, Punjab has announced suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including Out Patient Departments, Operating Theaters and wards, beginning on August 16 and continuing until further notice. They has also announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services on Friday. Doctors have been staging protests outside Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. The Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association (KMPGA) along with resident doctors associations of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Dental PG association, House Surgeons association and Students unions of various medical colleges has called for a 24-hour strike in Kerala. All Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical, dental and paramedical students have been carrying out silent protests inside the Nair Hospital premises demanding safe and secure environments in government medical colleges and hospitals. Out Patient Department services have been shut down. Doctors of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tamil Nadu's Trichy have been protesting wearing black badges as a mark of protest. "To condemn the death of the female doctor at RG Kar Medical Hospital and College and to further ensure the safety of the medical personnel, we are holding this protest. We request the central government to conduct an enquiry in a proper way and punish the criminals as soon as possible. The medical professionals must be provided with two-tier security this will also encourage more students to opt for medicines," said Dr Aruleeswaran, Trichy Doctors Association. Junior doctors and medical students at RML Hospital in the national capital staged a protest. A 12-hour general strike has been called in Siliguri by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist). The strike disrupted normal life in Siliguri and most shops in the city were closed since 6 pm of Thursday. A member of SUCI (Communist) Dr Shahriar Alam said, "Today this strike has a huge impact. People have spontaneously responded to our call and throughout Siliguri like the Medical College area, people have not taken out their vehicles, and they have not opened the shops. We can say that the impact is very good. We have called this strike to protest against the heinous incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital." (ANI) Flash The defense cooperation agreement (DCA) between Sweden and the United States took effect on Thursday, according to a press release from the Swedish government. Defense Minister Pal Jonson described the DCA as "a cornerstone for defense in Northern Europe," adding that it will create conditions for American military support and presence. In December 2023, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark signed bilateral DCAs with the U.S. These agreements will come into force once ratified by the parliament of each country. The Swedish parliament approved the controversial agreement in June, despite opposition from the Left Party and the Green Party, who criticized its lack of provisions regarding nuclear weapons, according to Swedish Television. Under the DCAs, the U.S. has been granted access to military infrastructure in these countries. The Finnish parliament approved the DCA with the U.S. in July, and the agreement is expected to take effect on Sept. 1. The Danish parliament has not yet voted on the agreement. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday extended his heartfelt greetings to all the people of the state on the occasion of the folk festival of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, Ghee Sankranti (Gheu Tyaar). Taking on the social media platform X, the Chief Minister said, "Folk festivals are an important part of our rich heritage and tradition," and added that he "prays to God that the holy folk festival brings happiness, prosperity, and health into the lives of all of you.". Earlier, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami greeted the people of the state on the eve of the 78th Independence Day of the country and also paid tribute to the freedom fighters and soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation, according to an official release. The Chief Minister said, "It is our resolve to make Uttarakhand the best and leading state of the country in every field. Our efforts are continuing to make Uttarakhand prosperous and self-reliant. Due to favourable industrial policy, a calm industrial environment, skilled human resources, liberal tax benefits and an increase in capital investment, Uttarakhand has become one of the fastest-developing states in India." On Thursday, August 15, the Chief Minister paid floral tribute to the mortal remains of Captain Deepak Singh, who laid down his life during an encounter with terrorists in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir. Governor Lt General Gurmeet Singh also paid tribute to the captain at Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun. Captain Singh of the Indian Army was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. "Captain Deepak Rawat's sacrifice will not go in vain and we will give a befitting reply to our enemies. The whole nation and the people of the state stand with the bereaved family of the captain," CM Dhami said. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary and said that the latter is remembered by countless people for his unparalleled contribution to nation-building. "Tributes to Atal Ji on his Punya Tithi. He is remembered by countless people for his unparalleled contribution to nation-building. He devoted his entire life towards ensuring that our fellow citizens lead a better quality of life. We will keep working to fulfil his vision for India. Paid homage to him at 'Sadaiv Atal' this morning, along with other distinguished dignitaries," PM Modi said in a post on X. Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary said that the country remembers former PM Vajpayee for his work for the nation. "It's a day of solemn remembrance. The whole nation remembers him for his work for the nation. He worked for all the sections of society," he said. Union Minister Harsh Malhotra said that Vajpayee not only transformed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but also changed the course of governance in the country. "Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the man of the century. He not only transformed the BJP but also changed the course of governance in the country. He was the best statesman. He was not just a leader of his party, he was a people's leader," Malhotra said. Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu along with PM Modi and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tributes to the former PM Vajpayee on his death anniversary on Friday in a prayer meeting at 'Sadaiv Atal' in Delhi. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla along with other members of the Cabinet also attended the prayer meeting at 'Sadaiv Atal', the memorial of the former prime minister. Vajpayee's foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya also arrived at 'Sadaiv Atal', and paid him floral tribute on his death anniversary. Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was also present at the 'Sadaiv Atal' memorial and paid tribute to former PM Vajpayee. "Tribute to former Prime Minister, Bharat Ratna, our source of inspiration, respected Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji on his death anniversary," the official handle of BJP posted on X. Union Minister Amit Shah paid tribute to former PM Vajpayee and said as a Prime Minister, he strengthened the country strategically and economically. "Whenever there is a talk of political purity, loyalty towards national interest and steadfastness towards principles in the country, Atal ji will be remembered. On one hand, through the establishment of the BJP, he popularized the ideology of national interest, while as Prime Minister, he strengthened the country strategically and economically. I pay my heartfelt tributes to Bharat Ratna's respected Atal ji on his death anniversary," Shah posted on X. Born in Gwalior in 1924, Vajpayee was the face of the BJP for decades and was the first non-Congress prime minister to have served a full term in office. Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996, and again from 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004. He also served as India's External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Moraji Desai from 1977 to 1979. He passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on August 16, 2018. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Jitu Patwari on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the sale and purchase of children from the state in Maharashtra due to the poverty citing media reports. Patwari sought that the central government should immediately summon the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and take strict action against the accused persons. A copy of the letter, which is with ANI, read, "Children are on sale in the Kanchanwadi area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra. The price is only Rs 25,000. All these children belong to tribal families who went to Maharashtra to work as labourers from Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh. Tribal families from 11 villages of the Mundi area in Khandwa are moving to Maharashtra and Gujarat in search of earning money, but the financial shortage is such that they have to sell their children." "Tribal labourers from Madhya Pradesh are selling their children due to poverty at construction sites in Maharashtra. Many labourer families are surviving on begging due to lack of work. These families have named the sale of children as a tradition. They do not use words like buying and selling children in conversation, but they say, if anyone wants a child, we have it for them," the letter added. "This disclosure has once again proved that the Dalit and tribal community of Madhya Pradesh is poor, oppressed and exploited. They are not even getting the benefits of government schemes that are engulfed in corruption. The system of free ration for the poor has also come under suspicion due to this disclosure," it added. "The sensational truth that has come to light through media reports is raising serious questions on the policy, rules and intentions of the Maharashtra government along with Madhya Pradesh. By taking the loans of crores of rupees, the Madhya Pradesh government is spending only on its luxury and the remaining money is used in the coffers of the corrupt system in corruption schemes," stated the letter. "Another worrying aspect is that when you were boasting about the alleged achievements of the BJP government from the Red Fort, at the same time, families drowning in poverty were demanding answers for their government's neglect. The central government should immediately summon the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and take strict action against the culprits," the letter added. (ANI) Doctors and medical students across India continued to protest on Friday to demand justice for a woman doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Junior doctors at Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital and RML Hospital in the national capital staged a protest against the rape and murder of a woman resident doctor in Kolkata. Doctors raised the slogan of "We want justice" while protesting against the rape and murder incident. Dr Akash from RML Hospital appealed to the doctors and common people to reach Nirman Bhawan in large numbers to peacefully put forward their issues in front of the government and seek justice for the alleged rape and murder victim in Kolkata. "I appeal to all doctors and common people to reach Nirman Bhawan in large numbers so that we can peacefully put forward our issues in front of the government and seek justice for our colleague from Bengal who lost her life to this barbaric and gruesome act. We also want to tell our friends protesting in Bengal that they are not alone in this fight, all doctors across the country stand in solidarity with them... We demand a Central Protection Act from the government. Our protest will continue till we do not get assurance from the government that concrete steps will be taken," he said. Meanwhile, the Resident Doctors Association, Government Medical College in Amritsar, Punjab has announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including Out Patient Departments, Operating Theaters and wards, beginning on August 16 and continuing until further notice. They also announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services on Friday. Doctors have been staging protests outside Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. The Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association (KMPGA) along with resident doctors associations of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Dental PG Association, House Surgeons Association and Students unions of various medical colleges has called for a 24-hour strike in Kerala. All Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical, dental and paramedical students have been carrying out silent protests inside the Nair Hospital premises demanding safe and secure environments in government medical colleges and hospitals. Outpatient Department services have been shut down. Doctors of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tamil Nadu's Trichy have been protesting wearing black badges as a mark of protest. "To condemn the death of the female doctor at RG Kar Medical Hospital and College and to further ensure the safety of the medical personnel, we are holding this protest. We request the central government to conduct an enquiry in a proper way and punish the criminals as soon as possible. The medical professionals must be provided with two-tier security this will also encourage more students to opt for medicines," said Dr Aruleeswaran, Trichy Doctors Association. A 12-hour general strike has been called in Siliguri by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist). The strike disrupted normal life in Siliguri and most shops in the city were closed since 6 pm of Thursday. A member of SUCI (Communist) Dr Shahriar Alam said, "Today this strike has a huge impact. People have spontaneously responded to our call and throughout Siliguri like the Medical College area, people have not taken out their vehicles, and they have not opened the shops. We can say that the impact is very good. We have called this strike to protest against the heinous incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital." (ANI) The Delhi High Court has agreed to consider SpiceJet's plea challenging an order to ground three engines and return them to their lessors, Team France 01 SAS and Sunbird France 02 SAS, within 15 days. The matter was mentioned on Friday by Spicejet Counsel for urgent listing before the bench led by Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela. However, the court has declined to hear the matter immediately today. The bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, in an order passed on August 14, 2024, initially directed SpiceJet to ground the engines by August 16 and return them within the specified timeframe. The bench stated that this court finds favour in the submission of the plaintiff/lessors that it is suffering irreparable loss due to the continuing use of engines by the defendant/SpiceJet Ltd as engines are a depreciating asset that suffers wear and tear. "The defendant is a defaulter and has no legal or contractual right to continue the use of the engines. The inability of the defendant to pay the admitted outstanding dues is writ large on the face of the record and in fact, permitting the defendant to continue the use of the engines without payment would only cause financial distress to the plaintiff and therefore, the balance of convenience is against the defendant and in favour of the plaintiff, said the bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora. On August 14, the Delhi High Court passed the order on the pleas from Team France 01 SAS and Sunbird France 02 SAS, who claimed that SpiceJet owed them several million dollars. The court directed SpiceJet to ground the engines by August 16 and return them to the lessors within 15 days. The court also directed SpiceJet Ltd to allow the plaintiffs, Team France 01 SAS and Sunbird France 02 SAS, to inspect the engines at Delhi Airport within seven days. SpiceJet is also required to provide passes to the plaintiffs' authorised representatives to facilitate this inspection. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the launch of Earth Observation Satellite-8 (EOS-8) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Taking to the social media platform X, he wrote, "Congratulations to ISRO on the launch of SSLV-D3. This will enhance the sustainability of the Earth by facilitating environmental monitoring and disaster management". Highlighting the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "It is a testament to Bharat's commitment to humanity under the leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji." Earlier today, ISRO launched Earth Observation Satellite-8 (EOS-8) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. In its message on x, ISRO said, "The third developmental flight of SSLV was successful. The SSLV-D3 placed EOS-08 precisely into the orbit. This marks the successful completion of ISRO/DOS's SSLV Development Project. With technology transfer, the Indian industry and NSIL India will now produce SSLV for commercial missions. "As per ISRO, the six-and-a-half-hour countdown leading to the launch commenced at 2.47 am. This is the third and final developmental flight of the SSLV-D3/EOS-08 mission. The spacecraft is designed for a mission duration of one year. The primary objectives of the EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites, an ISRO release said earlier. Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, the EOS-08 carries three payloads: the Electro-Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), the Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry Payload (GNSS-R), and the SiC UV Dosimeter. The EOIR payload is designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) and Long-Wave IR (LWIR) bands, both during the day and night, for applications such as satellite-based surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring. The GNSS-R payload demonstrates the capability of using GNSS-R-based remote sensing for applications such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection. The spacecraft mission configuration is set to operate in a circular low-earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 475 km with an inclination of 37.4 and a mission life of 1 year. The satellite has a mass of approximately 175.5 kg and generates power of around 420 W. It interfaces with the SSLV-D3/IBL-358 launch vehicle.EOS-08 marks a significant advancement in satellite mainframe systems, such as an integrated avionics system known as the Communication, Baseband, Storage, and Positioning (CBSP) Package, which combines multiple functions into a single, efficient unit. This system is designed with cold redundant systems using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and evaluation boards, supporting up to 400 GB of data storage. Additionally, the satellite includes a structural panel embedded with a PCB, an embedded battery, a Micro-DGA (Dual Gimbal Antenna), an M-PAA (Phased Array Antenna), and a flexible solar panel, each serving as key components for on-board technology demonstration. (ANI) The Supreme Court recently sought a response from the Centre on a plea seeking the release of Rohingya asylum seekers and refugees who are in indefinite detention in the country. "Issue notice returnable on August 27, 2024," the court said in its August 12's order. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked Centre and others to file a reply on the plea. The Public Interest Petition has challenged the indefinite detention of Rohingya asylum seekers and refugees, including young women and children, in India and said that it is a violation of the procedures established by law. The petition has been filed by Rita Manchanda. The petitioner was represented by advocates Ujjaini Chatterji, T. Mayura Priyan, Racheeta Chawla, and Shrey Ravi Dambhare. The Petitioner has pleaded the Supreme Court to direct the respondents to release the Rohingya detainees who have been held for over two years under the Foreigner's Act, 1946, and the Passports Act (Entry into India), 1929, subject to any reasonable restrictions. According to the petition, the petitioner Rita Manchanda, is a distinguished scholar specialising in South Asian conflicts and peacebuilding. She, along with her co-author, Manahil Kidwai, has prepared a report titled 'Destinies Under Detention' A Case for the Right to Dignity & Humane Treatment of Rohingya refugees in India" where she has documented cases of Rohingyas detained at various detention centres, juvenile homes and welfare centres in India. The Petitioner claimed that she finds evidence in her report that the detained Rohingyas were never served any notice or given an opportunity to present their cases as refugees. Further, the Petitioner noted in her report that several Rohingya detainees do not have access to clean drinking water and even nutritious food and young Rohingya women who are survivors of inhuman crimes of sexual violence and human trafficking remain in detention without any mental health support and very limited access to medical treatment in general. The Petitioner, in her report, has documented two deaths that have occurred in the detention centres, including the death of a minor, which reflect a situation of alarm. "Rohingya children are not being given any education or even vocational training which renders them with no future to look forward to," she said in her petition. "Rohingyas are not paid any wages for their labour inside the detention centres. This reflects that the rights to health and human dignity of the detainees, particularly young women and children, are being violated in the detention centres. Additionally, such continued detention constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, which amounts to torture," the petition said. The petitioner said that through his PIL, she intends to add the evidence of procedural lapses and the inhuman living conditions of the Rohingyas in their indefinite detention in order to define further context to the pending matter. The Petitioner particularly understands the complexity of the situation as it deals with a persecuted community, trafficked women and children, which further complicates the challenges. Therefore, it is imperative to find durable solutions to protecting the Rohingyas, she said. Subsequently, in her petition, she sought to direct the Centre to provide the names, gender and age of all Rohingyas across India who are indefinitely detained under the Passport Act 1929 and the Foreigners Act, 1946, along with their detention orders, last communication with Embassy of Myanmar regarding deportation, personal data/ assessment forms and final orders of rejection of refugee status in accordance with the SoP dated March 20 March 2019 in the interest of justice. Besides it, the petition also urged the top court to direct the Respondents to issue identity documents to the stateless detenues as per the provisions of The Passport Rules, 1980 (Schedule II, Part II) in the interest of justice. The petition also sought to direct the respondents to assess the claim of refugee status of the detainees within three months in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure, 2019 dated March 20, 2019 and either grant the Rohingyas a long-term Visa or arrange for their third country resettlement as per the Standard Operating Procedure, 2019 within the prescribed time frame in the interest of justice. (ANI) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday tore into the Mamata Banerjee government alleging a complete failure in the system. The Union Minister's comments come after the Chief Minister accused the "Left and Ram" of staging a conspiracy around the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College. In a post on X, the Union Minister said, "There has been a complete systemic failure in West Bengal time and again. But the blame lies on 'Bam and Ram'. Absolutely disgusting, shameful and reprehensible statement from Mamata Didi. The day is not far when Mamata Didi will even blame aliens and extraterrestrials for her misrule". "With appeasement politics as her fulcrum of politics, Mamata Didi still has to take refuge in Lord Ram to cover her abysmal failures. Justice needs to be delivered and perpetrators need to be dealt with the harshest punishment. There can be no room for politics on the horrific rape and murder of the junior doctor. Mamata Didi's attempt to cover up, stifle dissent and shield perpetrators raises serious questions. Expecting the safety of women, speedy trial, justice and impartiality from her is out of the question," he further stated. Meanwhile, in a major step to protect doctors from violent attacks, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a notification stating, "In the event of any violence against any healthcare worker while on duty, the head of the institution shall be responsible for filing an institutional FIR within a maximum of six hours of the incident." Four doctors of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital were summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Kolkata today amid the ongoing protest over the rape-murder of a trainee doctor. According to the sources, the CBI will interrogate these PGT (PG trainees) regarding what happened the night of the incident. Meanwhile, protests continue across the country with senior as well as resident doctors demanding the Central Protection Act (CPA) be implemented in the aftermath of the rape and murder of the junior doctor in Kolkata. Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital and RML Hospital in the national capital witnessed protests against the rape and murder of a woman resident doctor in Kolkata. Doctors raised the slogan of "We want justice" while protesting against the rape and murder incident. Dr Akash from RML Hospital appealed to the doctors and common people to reach Nirman Bhawan in large numbers to peacefully put forward their issues in front of the government and seek justice for the alleged rape and murder victim in Kolkata. "We want to tell our friends protesting in Bengal that they are not alone in this fight, all doctors across the country stand in solidarity with them... We demand a Central Protection Act from the government. Our protest will continue till we do not get assurance from the government that concrete steps will be taken," he said. In Assam, junior doctors of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital protested against the rape-murder incident at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. Dr Anupam Tamuli, General Secretary of Junior Doctors Association, GMCH said, "We want justice as soon as possible, we are also demanding a Central Protection Act for our healthcare workers. For that, we are protesting. We have resumed the halting of non-emergency services without affecting the emergency services." In Andhra Pradesh, junior doctors and medical students at AIIMS Mangalagiri staged a protest and performed a street play to protest against the rape and murder. Senior resident Doctor at AIIMS Mangalagiri, Dr Sreeja said, "On the eve of Independence Day, the protesting doctors at RG Kar faced mob attacks and also police attacks. The hospital was vandalised and evidence was erased. In condemnation of this, we are protesting here. It's not just a crime against doctors. It's a crime against women and humanity. We request the CBI to conduct a transparent investigation. The victim's family should receive adequate compensation. We also demand a Central Protection Act for all healthcare workers." Doctors of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tamil Nadu's Trichy have been protesting wearing black badges as a mark of protest. "To condemn the death of the female doctor at RG Kar Medical Hospital and College and to further ensure the safety of the medical personnel, we are holding this protest. We request the central government to conduct an enquiry properly and punish the criminals as soon as possible. The medical professionals must be provided with two-tier security this will also encourage more students to opt for medicines," said Dr Aruleeswaran, Trichy Doctors Association. On August 9, a junior doctor was found dead inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. Her family had alleged that she had been raped and murdered. The incident sparked widespread outrage and led to protests within and beyond the medical community. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sudhanshu Trivedi has targeted West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee amid a political uproar over the death of a trainee-doctor in Kolkata. During a press conference in Lucknow on Friday, Trivedi accused the India Alliance and its leaders, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi of remaining silent on the issue. The BJP MP alleged that the attitude of Trinamool Congress and the INDIA bloc regarding the case is "dangerous." "It would have taken Mamata Banerjee only 70 seconds to hand over the case to the CBI. And she was asking for 7 days to do that. This shows her frustration," the BJP leader said. Drawing parallels with past incidents in West Bengal, including the Sandeshkhali violence and the Shahjahan Sheikh case, Sudhashu Trivedi said that "these kinds of incidents are not a new thing in Bengal." Trivedi also hit out at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav regarding the rape case in Ayodhya where, he alleged, investigations were obstructed and victims threatened and also raised concerns in a similar case in Kannauj, which is Yadav's constituency. The BJP leader alleged that the Samajwadi Party tried to "suppress" the incident. "Why are INDI alliance leaders, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi silent on these incidents? Are such anarchists and rapists part of your Mohabbat ki Dukaan?" Trivedi asked. He also pointed out Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary's criticism of the Mamata government regarding the doctor murder case and further criticised Rahul Gandhi for allying with TMC. Trivedi also condemned the violent protests against a High Court-ordered CBI inquiry, which he claimed were used to obscure evidence of the crime. He further criticized the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh for similar behaviour, citing the Ayodhya rape case and Kannauj incidents where, he alleged, investigations were obstructed and victims threatened. Trivedi accused the India Alliance and its leaders, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, of remaining silent on these issues. He questioned whether they were complicit in these alleged cover-ups, referring to the "Mohabbat Ki Dukaan" (Shop of Love) as a facade for supporting criminals. A post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The victim's family has alleged rape and murder. The CBI has taken over the case and an investigation into the matter is underway. The opposition BJP has accused the ruling TMC of a "cover-up" in the matter. The case has sparked widespread protests with medical and non-medical professionals staging demonstrations across the country demanding safety and security for doctors, and women in general. (ANI) BJP leaders including MLA Agnimitra Paul and actor-turned-politician Roopa Ganguly staged a protest on Friday against the rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Roopa Ganguly demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "Mamata Banerjee, who is also the health minister, should resign," she said. She further said, "We will continue our protest. Please remember that today it is not only a political party as an opposition. Not only us but the common people have woken up. You saw how lakhs of women joined the protest on August 14. Those are the voices of West Bengal. Even people from TMC joined the protest." On the vandalism at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, she said that the TMC had tried to mislead that agitators were involved, however, the violence was actually "pre-planned". "In a few videos, you can see 15-20 faces, these must have been local goons who entered the medical college with a blueprint to cause damage. What has the Police done? Why did the police not take the quote of the Principal? Can a weak man rape a woman alone?" she asked. BJP leaders, who were protesting near Shambazar Metro, Gate no 1 over the doctor's rape and murder were detained by Police. Meanwhile, doctors and medical students across India continued to protest on Friday to demand justice for a woman doctor, who was raped and murdered. A 12-hour general strike has been called in Siliguri by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist). The strike disrupted normal life in Siliguri and most shops in the city were closed since 6 pm of Thursday. A member of SUCI (Communist) Dr Shahriar Alam said, "Today this strike has a huge impact. People have spontaneously responded to our call and throughout Siliguri like the Medical College area, people have not taken out their vehicles, and they have not opened the shops. We can say that the impact is very good. We have called this strike to protest against the heinous incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital." Earlier today, teams from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) arrived at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata to investigate the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor. Following the Calcutta High Court order, CBI has taken over the case and has sent specialised medical and forensic teams from Delhi. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which has led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. (ANI) Flash Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a speech during the All-Belarusian People's Assembly in Minsk, Belarus, on April 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Russia would send its troops to help if Belarus were attacked, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday. "In accordance with our agreement, Russia will send its troops to Belarus. As for which units exactly, it is defined in the text," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by the BelTA news agency. "We do not want an escalation, and we do not want a war against entire NATO," he said during an interview, adding that if invaded, Belarus would have no other choice but to make a quick response. Lukashenko stressed that Belarus' response to aggression will be "quick and adequate." Belarus reinforced its border with Ukraine last week, accusing Ukraine of violating its airspace during a military incursion into Russia's Kursk region. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami paid floral tribute to the statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary at the CM's residence on Friday. Taking to X, CM Dhami wrote, "Paid tribute to the former Prime Minister of the country and our source of inspiration, respected Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, who imbibed Indian politics with his democratic values, on his death anniversary at the Government Residence." Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with UP Deputy CMs Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya paid floral tribute to the statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary in Lucknow on Friday. CM Yogi Adityanath said, "Today is the sixth death anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and on this occasion, on behalf of the people of the state and the UP government, we pay tribute to him. We all know that his ancestral village is in Bateshwar in the Agra district. He completed his higher studies in Kanpur. He joined RSS and created his identity as a writer and poet." President Droupadi Murmu along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tributes to the former PM Vajpayee in a prayer meeting at 'Sadaiv Atal' in Delhi. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla along with other members of the Cabinet also attended the prayer meeting at 'Sadaiv Atal', the memorial of the former prime minister. Union Minister Amit Shah also paid tribute to former PM Vajpayee and said as a Prime Minister, he strengthened the country strategically and economically. Born in Gwalior in 1924, Vajpayee was the face of the BJP for decades and was the first non-Congress prime minister to have served a full term in office. Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996, and again from 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004. He also served as India's External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Moraji Desai from 1977 to 1979. He passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on August 16, 2018. (ANI) Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Friday fixed August 30 to pronounce the order on the framing of charges against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a CBI case related to the alleged killing of three people in Pul Bangash gurudwara area during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Special CBI judge Rakesh Siyal said that August 30 was fixed for orders on framing of charges. The CBI had filed a supplementary charge sheet against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in May last year. During arguments, defence counsel Manu Sharma had placed on record a video of the Doordarshan shoot at Teen Murthy House, where the dead body of Indira Gandhi was kept. Defence counsel had argued that, as per a video, Tytler was present at Teen Murthy House on the day of the alleged incident. This claim was disputed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and senior advocate H.S. Phoolka, counsel for the riot victims. The CBI had also referred to the Statement of Amitabh Bachchan, which stated that Tytler was not there for the entire day on November 1, 1984. Manu Sharma had argued that the CBI had filed three closure reports. The CBI filed a charge sheet against co-accused Suresh Kumar Panewala in 2009. He was acquitted by the trial court. It was also argued that since 1984 until 2022-23, there have been no witnesses. After a long period of 40 years, witnesses are coming forward. How can they be trusted? he had argued. The CBI had on April 16 concluded its arguments on the framing of charges. The CBI had said that there were eyewitnesses who saw Jagdish Tytler inciting the mob during the 1984 riots. There is sufficient material to frame charges against the accused, Jagdish Tytler. During his arguments, CBI's Counsel had read over the statements of four eyewitnesses, including Surender Singh, who saw the accused inciting the mob after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This case is related to the alleged killing of three Sikhs, Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Gurcharan Singh in front of Pul Bangash Gurudwara on November 1, 1984. Congress leader Jagdish Tytler is accused. The CBI had filed a supplementary charge sheet against him on May 20, 2023. On August 5, Tytler appeared before the court against the summons issued by the court after taking cognisance of the supplementary charge sheet. Thereafter, he appeared through video conferencing. Earlier, he was granted anticipatory bail on August 4, 2023, by the Sessions Court after hearing his bail application. On May 20, the CBI filed a charge sheet against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a case related to anti-Sikh riots in 1984, following the assassination of the then Prime Minister of India on October 31, 1984. Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, then Member of Parliament, has been named as accused in the chargesheet. In a statement, the CBI mentioned that the agency had registered the instant case in November 2005 on an incident wherein Gurudwara Pul Bangash at Azad Market, Bara Hindu Rao, Delhi, was set on fire by a mob and three persons, namely Sardar Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Gurcharan Singh were burned to death on November 1, 1984, near Gurudwara Pul Bangash. The Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry was set up in the year 2000 by the Government of India to enquire into the incidents of anti-Sikh riots of the year 1984 in Delhi. After consideration of the Commission's report, the Ministry of Home Affairs (Government of India) had issued directions to the CBI to investigate the case against the then Member of Parliament and others. During the CBI investigation, evidence came on record that on November 1, 1984, the said accused allegedly instigated, incited and provoked the mob assembled at Gurudwara Pul Bangash at Azad Market, Delhi, which resulted in the burning of Gurudwara Pul Bangash and the killing of three Sikh persons by the mob, apart from burning & looting of shops. (ANI) According to the GRP officials, the arrested persons have been identified as Kamal Hussain (27), reportedly involved as a tout, and two women, Rashida (20) and Ajida (19). All three are residents of Rohingya camps in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh. Kamal Hussain is from Jamtala Camp No. 17, Rashida from Kanchipara Camp No. 22, and Ajida from Musuni Camp No. 26. A case has been registered against the trio at the GRP Station in Agartala, and further investigations are underway to determine the circumstances of their entry into India and their intended destination, they said. This arrest has raised concerns regarding the movements and activities of undocumented migrants in the region, officials added. Earlier, in July, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Northeast Frontier (NF) railway claimed to have apprehended 47 illegal migrants and five Indian agents during checks across various stations of NF Railway. The checks were conducted in June this year. (ANI) The Bharatiya Janata Party will hold a crucial meeting at the party's Extension Office in Delhi on Saturday to launch a membership drive. The meeting will be attended by all national office bearers, state in-charges, co-in-charges, all state BJP presidents, and organization general secretaries. The BJP Membership drive committee members from all state will be attended the meeting. The meeting will discuss all important aspects of the membership drive, including the start date and the entire process of the campaign. The agenda of the meeting includes finalizing the process for starting the BJP's membership drive and organizational elections. After the membership drive and organizational elections are held from the Mandal to district and state levels, the new national president of the BJP is likely to be elected in January 2025. Incumbent President JP Nadda's term has already ended, and he will continue as the national president until a new one is elected. Article 19 of the BJP's constitution, the party president is elected by an electoral college consisting of all National Council and State Council members. However, this is preceded by a lengthy election process spanning from district to state level. The national president's election is conducted in accordance with the rules set by the National Executive. As per the party constitution, only individuals who have served as active members for at least four terms and primary members for a minimum of 15 years are eligible to become national president. A joint proposal from at least 20 electoral college members can nominate an eligible candidate, which must originate from at least five states where National Council elections have been held. The candidate's consent is mandatory on the nomination paper. Typically, the party also conducts a membership drive across the country before this, and the entire process takes around 5-6 months to complete. (ANI) Former Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, Prof (Dr) Sandip Ghosh on Friday approached Calcutta High Court seeking protection, claiming that he has been receiving life threats. The Court has asked the State government to provide him with police protection. The court has asked his counsel to file a separate affidavit if anything else needs to be mentioned or any other claims. Sandip Ghosh resigned from the position of principal at RG Kar Medical College on Monday alleging that he was being defamed on social media platforms following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the hospital premises. The Chief Justice division bench of the Calcutta HC was considering several PILs in the matter on Tuesday. During the hearing, the Chief Justice questioned the appointment of the former principal. This came after Ghosh's appointment as principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata immediately after his resignation triggered protests. Meanwhile, amid heightened tensions in Kolkata, Suhrita Pal, the newly appointed Principal of the Medical College lost her cool and urged the people to trust her. Protesting doctors mounted pressure on the newly appointed principal, Suhrita Pal to take action against the midnight mob attack and fulfil the demands of the medical students and doctors.Addressing the students, she said, "If you can't trust me for one hour then send me home also. I need one hour to do some official work. You need to believe me, I won't go. You have to believe me. If you can't believe me then don't expect anything from me"On August 9, a post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The victim's family has alleged that she was raped and murdered. This incident has triggered a nationwide protest by doctors and medical fraternities. (ANI) Junior doctors and medical students at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College (NSCB) in Jabalpur held a protest on Thursday to demand justice for the woman doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Speaking to ANI, Dr. Chandrababu Rajak, one of the protestors questioned why action that should be taken by the government on the rape was being delayed. "The doctors and medical students of the nation have been demanding justice from the government. Why is the government taking so much time to take action on the incident? Why did the silent protests take place on the night of August 15? Why are our demands for our protection not being met yet?" Rajak questioned. He further said that doctors who save lives are not safe anymore. He further added that the doctors have appealed to the government to resolve the issues or the emergency services would be shut down. Rajak said "The doctors who save the lives of the people are not safe anymore. We are appealing to the government to resolve our issues at the earliest so that we can start serving the people again. If our issues are not resolved, we will have to unfortunately shut down the emergency services too." "Despite so much protection and home guards, how is it possible that a mob of thousands of people came and vandalized the public property," he further added. Earlier today, due to the ongoing indefinite strike of the doctors and the medical students, the academic activities, OPDs, ward services, and elective OT services have been suspended. Doctors protesting at Gandhi Medical College in the state capital Bhopal said that the strike would continue until justice was served. Doctor Nidhi Gupta told ANI "Our protest is for the safety of women and we are protesting against whatever happened with the doctor in Kolkata. If a woman is not safe at her workplace then where is she safe? We will step out to work and we can't stay at home. We want safety, that is why we are protesting." (ANI) Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) working president and MLA Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao on Friday said that the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata has left the nation traumatized. Speaking to ANI, Rao said, "The incident has traumatized the nation. It is not just Kolkata or West Bengal. Still, every single day, hundreds of incidents of sexual harassment, honour killing, molestation, rape, cruelty against women, physical violence and abuse are reported and have put all of us to shame. Gender sensitivity is something which is lacking in the country today." Further, he said that the country needs to come together as a society to evolve, raise issues and start talking and educating our boy children about how they would be thrown out of society if they commit any such crime. "I am saying this as an Indian myself. I am not trying to politicize or point fingers at anyone here. My party, the country's government and all of us need to come together as a society to evolve, raise issues and start talking and educating our boy children about how they would be thrown out of society if they commit any such crime. This will not happen in just one day, it will take time. We are the world's largest democracy and we need to rise above this," he added. He continued that this incident is a poor reflection on the state of the society which needs to change. "I would not be comfortable sending my daughter alone anywhere. This incident itself is a poor reflection on the state of the society and it needs to change," Rao said. Doctors and representatives of various medical organisations across the country have announced protests in solidarity with the rape and murder of the doctor. (ANI) General Secretary of CPI (M) D Raja on Friday said that the rape and murder of the female doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was a heinous crime and has led to agitations across the whole country. Speaking to ANI, Raja said "What has happened in Kolkata is a heinous crime. The agitation has continued not just in West Bengal but across the whole country. Not only medical doctors and students have been protesting but women from other organizations have also joined the protest now. The West Bengal government needs to convince the people now on how the government has been taking strong action against the culprits and how it has been considering the demands made by the doctors and the other medical personnel." Further, he added that the West Bengal government should not engage in the blame game of accusing the opposition parties. The law and order is the responsibility of the CM and she needs to honestly tell the doctors and the people of Bengal what the government has been doing. "The West Bengal government should not engage in the blame game of accusing the opposition parties. The law and order is the responsibility of the CM and she needs to honestly tell the doctors and the people of Bengal what the government has been doing to bring justice to the matter. However, Mamata Banerjee has only been politicizing everything and trying to blame others without addressing the real concerns of the doctors and the medical personnel," Raja further added. Earlier on August 10, the CPI (M) workers held a rally demanding justice for the rape and murder of the doctor. CPI (M) West Bengal State Secretary Md Salim demanded a judicial inquiry into this matter. Md Salim said, "The city that we used to call 'City of Joy' has now become 'City of Bhay' (City of Fear). Here, even a doctor is not safe. The principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is close to CM Mamata Banerjee. The Police Commissioner of Kolkata was suppressing the case so the people are on the streets. We demand a judicial inquiry into this matter." (ANI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to address all the top military commanders during the first ever Joint Commanders' Conference planned to be held on September 4-5 in Lucknow. The conference would be held with the theme "Sashakt aur Surakahit Bharat: Transforming the Armed Forces' (String and Secure India: Transforming the Armed Forces'). The first day of the conference would be addressed by the Chief of Defence Staff, where the topmost defence officer in the country is expected to address the military commanders on how the wars of the future will be fought and how the Indian armed forces will tackle the security challenges through transformation into Theatre Commands, defence sources told ANI. The Joint Commanders' Conference led by the Defence Minister would be held every year by the forces, while the Combined Commanders' Conference headed by the Prime Minister would be held every two years. The last CCC meeting was held in Bhopal in March 2023 and the next one is expected to be held in March 2025. The second day of the JCC is scheduled to be addressed by the Defence Minister, who is expected to list out all the security challenges facing the country and give out his directives to the forces on the issue. The armed forces under the Defence Ministry carry out their specific roles based on the operational directives of the Defence Minister. The conference will also see presentations being made by the different directorates of the defence forces, including operations, during the conference. The conference will also have discussion on the different Make in India initiatives in the forces and the progress made by the services. The defence ministry has allocated over 70 per cent of its budget to services for buying made-in-India weapon systems and multiple products have been successfully tested and inducted. The Indian defence forces have learnt from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine that indigenisation is the only way the forces can fight long drawn wars without waiting for foreign supplies. The biggest transformation of the defence forces post independence towards the creation of theatre commands will also be on the agenda of the meeting. The initiative being taken forward by the Chief of Defence Staff has seen multiple steps taken by the Department of Military Affairs towards enhancing jointness and creating a common defence culture. A lot of jointness is being seen in the conduct of operations and operations on the ground, like maintenance and common procurement procedures and cases. (ANI) Following the announcement of the Haryana Assembly election, former Haryana Chief Minister and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday asserted that the BJP will form the government for the third time in the state as the public has lost faith in Congress. The Elections to the 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana will be held in a single phase on October 1 and the counting of votes will take place on October 4, Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar announced on Friday. "I welcome the announcement and our workers were already preparing to contest the elections. And of course, just like the government has been formed at the Centre under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, in the same way, the BJP will form the government for the third time in Haryana. The public has lost faith in Congress and the people of Haryana will not trust them," Khattar told reporters. He further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party would register its victory for the third time in Haryana. "BJP will register its victory for the third time in Haryana... Bhupinder Singh Hooda did caste-based politics and the people of Haryana will think above caste-based politics. In 2014, we talked about 'Haryana Ek Haryanvi Ek' and talked about ending the 3Cs - crime, corruption and caste politics," he added. Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini said that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the BJP will form the government in Haryana with a big mandate "We are fully prepared. Our government has been working under the mission mode for the last 10 years and will continue to do so. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, we will form the government in Haryana with a big mandate," Saini said. Congress leader Chaudhary Birender Singh said that the people of Haryana are not in favour of the BJP. "Congress is fully prepared (for elections). That too, because immediately after the Lok Sabha elections were over, the Congress party was aware that elections would be held in Haryana in October, so we started preparing. In 2019, the BJP won all 10 Lok Sabha seats and got a big margin of 58 per cent. But during the Vidhan Sabha elections, it was only around 40 per cent. They had a huge vote fall of almost 12 per cent. People are not in favour of the BJP," Singh told ANI. Congress leader Pawan Khera said that the Congress party is ready for the assembly elections. "Only yesterday the PM talked about 'One nation, one election'. Now what happened? They are doing elections only in two states. Their defeat is certain...We are ready for elections," Khera said. Haryana's Sirsa Congress MP Kumari Selja said that Congress is ready and the people of Haryana are also ready. "We are ready and the people of Haryana are also ready. We saw a sample of this in the Lok Sabha elections and the way the Haryana government is taking hasty decisions, it is clear that the Haryana government has accepted defeat...Haryana should have been ahead in the country but BJP has pushed it back. There is no talk of contesting elections with the Aam Aadmi Party. I think we do not need anyone and the Congress is capable on its own and we will form the government with a huge majority," Selja said. Congress MP Deepender Hooda congratulated the people of Haryana on the announcement of election dates. "Finally the day has come which every Haryana resident was eagerly waiting for. Just like a farmer waits for the rain. The people of Haryana were waiting for the press conference of the Election Commission to know when they would get a chance to get rid of this BJP government. On this occasion, I want to congratulate the people of Haryana," Hooda said. While addressing the press conference in the national capital, the Chief Election Commissioner said that "Assembly Elections will be held in one phase; voting on October 1. Counting of votes will take place on October 4." Meanwhile, in Haryana, there are a total of 2.01 crore voters in Haryana, of which 1.06 crore are males, 0.95 crores are females, 4.52 lakhs are first-time voters and 40.95 lakhs are young voters. "There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana, of which 73 are general, SC-17 and ST-0. There will be a total of 2.01 crore voters in Haryana, of which 1.06 crore are males, 0.95 crore are females, 4.52 lakhs are first-time voters and 40.95 lakhs are young voters. The electoral roll of Haryana will be published on August 27, 2024," the Chief Election Commissioner said. The last day to file the nominations of Haryana will be September 12. The date of scrutiny of the nominations is September 13. The last date for the withdrawal of candidatures will be September 16. Soon after the announcement of polls, BJP leader Anil Vij said, "It is a good thing that elections in Haryana will be held on October 1. Our party and workers are ready to contest the elections." The term of the current government in Haryana will end on November 3, 2024, and elections will take in 90 legislative assembly constituencies in the state. After the 2019 elections, the BJP, with 40 seats in the 90-member assembly, formed a coalition government with the JJP. The JJP had won 10 seats, while the Congress had won 31 seats. The BJP-JJP alliance broke earlier this year. In 2024, Haryana is likely to see a four-way contest between the BJP, the Congress, the JJP, and the AAP. (ANI) Flash Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a candidate backed by Thailand's Pheu Thai-led coalition, was elected as the country's new prime minister on Friday after winning a simple majority in a parliamentary vote. Paetongtarn was the only candidate nominated to be the new prime minister during the parliamentary vote, which came following a court-ruled dismissal of then Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin in an ethics violation case earlier this week. After a roll call vote that lasted for nearly two hours, President of the National Assembly Wan Muhamad Noor Matha announced that Paetongtarn received 319 votes of support out of the current 493 legislators, more than the simple majority required for approval. The 37-year-old Pheu Thai Party leader, also the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will be awaiting a formal appointment by Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn to become the second female premier and the youngest one in the Southeast Asian country. In her post-vote speech, Paetongtarn expressed gratitude to her predecessor, Srettha, for his dedication during his nearly one-year tenure as prime minister and pledged to continue diligent efforts for the people. "I really hope that I can make people feel confident that we can create opportunities, improve the quality of life and empower all Thais," she said at the Pheu Thai headquarters. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Friday said that the high demand for security forces in Jammu and Kashmir is the primary reason for not holding elections in Maharashtra. On being asked about Assembly Elections in Maharashtra, the Chief Election Commissioner said, "Last time, Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections were held together. At that time, J-K was not a factor but this time there are 4 elections this year and 5th election immediately after this, which is to start with J-K, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. Depending on the requirement of forces, we have decided to conduct 2 elections together. We cannot announce another election in the middle of the Jammu and Kashmir elections," Kumar said. He further cited rainfall and the series of festivals that are scheduled in the state. "There are other factors. Rainfall in Maharashtra and the spate of festivals in the state, including Ganesh Chaturthi, Pitrapaksh, Navratri and Diwali, affect the election schedule. All that put together, we thought this is what we can handle, two elections at a time. And it is within six months of the term of the assembly ending, he added. The tenure of the Haryana state assembly ends on November 3, while that of Maharashtra culminates in November. The Lok Sabha polls 2024 have given a boost to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) winning seven seats, the Congress 13, and the NCP-SP one, taking the total tally of the alliance 17. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly are scheduled to be held later this year. However, the Election Commission of India has yet to announce the dates. According to the 2019 Assembly poll data, the BJP has 105 MLAs in a House of 288 seats. The combined Shiv Sena had 56 MLAs and the combined NCP had 54 MLAs. Following the split in the NCP and the Sena, the Shinde Sena has 37 MLAs while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has 39 MLAs. The Maharashtra election will see a two-way fight between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, of the UBT Shiv Sena, NCP -Sharad Pawar and Congress, and the Maha Yuti Alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena-Eknath Shinde and NCP-Ajit Pawar. (ANI) The Gujarat Government has achieved another milestone in the field of handicrafts under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel as the Government of India has granted a trademark certificate to the Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited (GSHHDC) for its brand "Garvi Gurjari", said an official release from the state government. The trademark certification is not only a testament to the corporation's renowned brand- "Garvi Gurjari", but also a crucial step towards developing and preserving the handicraft sector of Gujarat. Lalit Narayan Singh Sandu, Managing Director of GSHHDC, said both the Central Government, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Gujarat Government, led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, have consistently promoted the traditional art and craft of Gujarat and as a result, the corporation's Garvi Gurjari brand has achieved a trademark certificate from the Government of India. A trademark certificate offers legal brand recognition and protection for any business. With this certificate, the corporation has the power to prevent unauthorized use of its brand/name or logo by any individual/entity and secure exclusive rights to its brand identity. The legal security empowers the corporation to fortify its market presence and reputation and enables swift action against any brand/identity infringement. Trademark registration will help "Garvi Gurjari" in developing a unique identity in the vast handicraft market. This will allow the consumers to determine and differentiate Garvi Gurjari products from others. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel extended his wishes to the GSHHDC for getting a trademark for the Garvi Gurjari brand and said that this trade mark certification will guarantee legal protection for the beautiful handloom and handicrafts creations of Gujarati artisans marketed through Garvi Gurjari. In a social media post on X, Bhupendra Patel wrote, 'Congratulations @Garvi_Gurjari for becoming a Trade Mark brand of Government of India @DPIITGoI. Getting @cgpdtm_india. Trade Mark certification is an important milestone for GSHHDC, which will guarantee legal protection to the beautiful handloom and handicrafts creations of Gujarati artisans marketed through Garvi Gurjari. This will also open new doors for franchising and licensing while boosting customer confidence in Garvi Gurjari products, leading to higher economic benefits for local artisans. #vocalforlocal #onedistrictoneproduct #handloom." https://x.com/Bhupendrapbjp/status/1824410368879321229?t=tk36OjFpLv_4tb53rlKtcQ&s=08 By securing its brand of products with a recognised trademark, Garvi Gurjari has secured a competitive edge. The move not only opens doors for franchising and licensing opportunities but also enables Garvi Gurjari to broaden its reach and boost revenues. The trademark acts as a safeguard, protecting the rich cultural heritage of Garvi Gurjari from unauthorized use or misrepresentation of Gujarat's traditional craftsmanship. Through the trademark, the Corporation can uphold the legacy for future generations and provide consumers with assurance regarding the quality and authenticity of Garvi Gurjari products. Additionally, it enables the Corporation to meet the required standards of handicraft and handicraft products, ensuring customer trust and satisfaction. With the trademark, Garvi Gurjari will distinguish itself in the minds of consumers, showcasing its uniqueness vis-a-vis other brands. Utilizing the trademark will help the corporation in conducting effective marketing and bolstering its brand presence in the market, instilling confidence among consumers that all products bearing the Garvi Gurjari trademark maintain consistent quality and standards. Getting a trademark certification signifies a strategic milestone for Gujarat State Handicrafts and Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited (GSHHDC). As the Garvi Gurjari brand achieves newer heights, the certification has a pivotal role to play in safeguarding Gujarat's vibrant handloom, handicraft heritage and ensuring employment opportunities to the craftsmen and artisans. (ANI) Speaker of the National Assembly of Mauritius Duval Adrien Charles called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the Parliament House Complex today. Congratulating Duval on his appointment as the Speaker, Birla was happy to note that his first State visit was to India after being elected as the Speaker of the Mauritius National Assembly. Birla described the visit as proof of the strength and uniqueness of bilateral ties between the two countries. He hoped that under the leadership of Duval, cooperation between India and Mauritius in international parliamentary fora such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will continue to expand. Referring to the celebration of India's 78th Independence Day, Birla said that at the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, crores of Indian families hoisted the National Flag at their homes under 'Har Ghar Tiranga' Abhiyan. He added that this campaign is a reflection of the dedication of crores of Indians towards the realization of Viksit Bharat. Referring to the success of parliamentary democracy in India, Birla observed that the Constitution is the strength and soul of the nation. Highlighting the fact that today India is the 5th largest economy in the world, he noted that there have been vast socio-economic changes in the nation in the last 78 years. In this context, he mentioned that through discussion and dialogue, not only have many national issues been solved, but the nation's development journey is also progressing smoothly. Referring to the age-old relations between India and Mauritius, Birla observed that there are many similarities between the two countries with regard to spirituality, language and culture which promote people to people connect between the nations. He added that even today the people of Mauritius remain connected to Indian culture, which shows the unity and collective strength of the two countries. Birla described the visit of thousands of Indian tourists to Mauritius every year as a strong pillar of people to people contact between the two countries. Expressing happiness that the partnership between India and Mauritius is growing in various fields continually, Birla expressed hope that this cooperation will deepen further in important areas like digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. Regarding the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) of the Indian Parliament, Birla said that PRIDE is playing a very important role in the field of parliamentary training and its training programs have so far benefited legislators and officials from more than 100 countries. To promote parliamentary cooperation between India and Mauritius, Birla stressed on the exchange of parliamentary delegations between the two countries. He added that relations between the citizens of India and Mauritius can be further strengthened through parliamentary diplomacy. Expressing satisfaction over the closeness of bilateral relations between India and Mauritius based on shared democratic values and ideals, he said that on the basis of these shared values, the two Parliaments should increase cooperation among themselves. Speaking on the occasion, Duval said that he was honoured and grateful for his visit to India. He congratulated Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on his historic reelection as the Speaker, Lok Sabha earlier this year. He also extended congratulations on behalf of the people and Parliament of Mauritius on the occasion of India's 78th Independence Day. Expressing admiration towards the Indian electoral process, Duval commended the Election Commission for its fair and transparent conduct. Calling the bilateral relationship between India and Mauritius as a privileged relationship, Duval expressed gratitude over the assistance extended by Sansad TV to the Mauritius Parliament. Mentioning the Digital Transformation Program for the Mauritian Parliament, Duval informed that the Digital Sansad initiative of the Parliament of India is paving the way forward for a similar initiative in Mauritius. Duval emphasized on closer cooperation between the two Parliaments for Digital Technology and Training initiatives. (ANI) Hours after the announcement of the Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian National Congress appointed Tariq Hameed Karra as the President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday. Along with him, Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla have also been appointed as the working presidents of the Jammu and Kashmir PCC. Tariq Hameed Karra who was working as the permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee has replaced Vikar Rasool Wani, the outgoing Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee President. Meanwhile, the Congress has appointed Vikar Rasool Wani as the Special Invitee of the Congress Working Committee, with immediate effect. The official notice from the All India Congress Committee reads, "Congress President has appointed the President and Working Presidents of the Jammu & Kashmir PCC as follows, with immediate effect. PCC President - Tariq Hameed Karra, Working Presidents - Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla. Congress President has also appointed Vikar Rasool Wani as Special Invitee, Congress Working Committee, with immediate effect. Tariq Hameed Karra has been relieved from his current position as a Permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee. The party appreciates the contributions of the outgoing PCC President, Vikar Rasool Wani." The Assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases from September 18 and the results will be announced on October 4. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Rajiv Kumar said that the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases. The elections of first phase will be held on September 18, second phase will be held on September 25 and third phase will be held on October 1. The counting of the votes will be held on October 4."Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases, with voting on September 18th, September 25th, and October 1st. Counting of votes on October 4," Kumar said. The dates to file the nominations for the first phase will be on August 27, nominations for the second phase will be on September 5, and September 12 is the last day to file nominations for the third phase. There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies, of which 74 are General, nine are ST and seven are SC. In Jammu and Kashmir, there are 87.09 lakh total electors. Of which 44.46 lakh are male, 42.62 female, 169 are Transgender, 82,590 PwDs, 73943 very senior citizens, 2660 centenarians, 76092 service electors, and 3.71 lakh are first-time voters. Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of ten years as the last assembly election was held in 2014. The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. (ANI) Raising critical questions in the RG Medical College rape and murder case, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday called for a thorough investigation into the allegations surrounding the incident. Speaking on Friday, Irani demanded answers to several pressing questions raised by media reports. "As per media reports, blood was oozing out of her body. The question arises did no one hear the screams of that woman on that floor? .... Is this the work of one rapist? Union Minister Smriti Irani asked. The Minister also demanded accountability from the police, stating, "Who is the one because of whom the rapist was assured in the hospital that he could return home after committing the rape? Who is the one who continued the renovation on the same floor of the hospital even after such a heinous crime? What action has been taken so far against the officer in the police who called the parents of this woman and told them that the girl had committed suicide? Who instructed that officer to tell the girl's parents that it was a suicide? If that officer is his superior officer, then how did he reach this conclusion?"Meanwhile, as many as 25 people have been arrested in connection with the vandalism by an unidentified mob at the RG Kar Hospital campus on August 14, causing damage to the protest site, vehicles, and public property.On Wednesday night, a mob entered the RG Kar Hospital campus, causing damage to the protest site, vehicles, and public property. Security officials were forced to intervene to disperse the crowd.On August 9, a post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The victim's family has alleged that she was raped and murdered. This incident has triggered a nationwide protest by doctors and medical fraternities. (ANI) Stepping up his attacks at the state government, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday said that West Bengal is facing a bizarre situation where the government has failed to maintain law and order in the state and people are unable to distinguish between the criminals and police. This statement came after the unidentified mob vandalised the RG Kar Hospital campus on August 14, causing damage to the protest site, vehicles, and public property. Asserting that the public confidence had been shaken, Governor Bose stated that police and authorities had failed to manage the situation and there was a deliberate attempt to mislead people and establish the incident as a suicide. In an interview with ANI, speaking on the rape-murder of a PG trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and vandalism at the protesting site, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said, "The government is primarily responsible for that, there is no law and order in the state. The much more important thing is that everybody has the right to live with dignity, particularly mothers and sisters, which is not present in contemporary Bengali society because the government has failed the people." West Bengal Governor further said that there is a need to correct the administration of West Bengal and establish law and order properly. "Suppose we put a fence to protect the cops but what if the fence starts eating cops? When society is mad, you're putting the chain, suppose if chain itself becomes mad. It's a very bizarre situation that Bengal is facing. People are doubting who is the thief and who is the cop. The distinction has been blood. Public confidence has been shaken. There is a need to establish law and order properly. Correction is required in the administration of Bengal," he said. Bose asserted that this issue had been badly handled by the authorities and there was a deliberate attempt to tamper with and destroy the evidence. "Whatever happened in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is very disturbing, shocking and shameful. It challenges all norms of civilized contact. People are disappointed because the police didn't take any action, not only that, there has been an attempt to tamper with and destroy the evidence, but they also feel that there has been a deliberate attempt to mislead them to give the impression that it was a suicide. The issue has been handled very badly by the authorities," he stated. Emphasising the need to listen to the demands of the youngsters to get justice, he said that the government can't take youngsters for granted, as they are the foundation for the future. Blaming the government for mismanaging the issue, Bose said, "People have the right to know the truth and they are demanding that. I went to the spot yesterday, interacted with them, and what the youngsters were asking was justice. People are just demanding justice, the whole society is with them, and we have to give them justice. Don't take the youngsters for granted, they are not creatures of the past or custodians of the present, they are creatures of the future. When they say "we want justice", it means they are not getting justice from the competent authorities. This is clearly a failure of the custodians of justice, that is government." Explaining about his visit to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the West Bengal Governor stated that the vandalism on the campus was more humiliating and depressing. He said that nursing students were threatened by the miscreants that they will rape them in public. He said, "I went to the spot and all doctors, students and protestors were shocked by the dastardly attack on the midnight of 14th August, police were there to guard them but they did nothing, equipments were also destroyed. It was a more humiliating and depressing incident. Nursing students there told me with tears in their eyes that those goons threatened them to rape in public. Who was there to question? That was anarchy, which may be limited to a certain area, but such anarchy could have killed various. People are taking laws into their own hands, this is not acceptable in a civilized society. This is happening in Bengal." He further informed, "I have asked for the responsible report on the incident from the government under Article 167 of the Constitution and waiting for that. I'll take a look and give my views on it." As the Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the CBI from the state police, Bose reacted, "Now that the issue is before the Court, we expect justice from it, which we always get. It's the court that transferred the case to CBI, the court is watching it. We have great hopes from the judiciary." Speaking on Mamata Banerjee's rally, he said, "Rally is good but it should be about bringing the truth not coming across the truth. I wish the rally very best and I wish it brings out the truth." Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police arrested 25 people in connection with the vandalism by an unidentified mob at the RG Kar Hospital campus on August 14, causing damage to the protest site, vehicles, and public property. On Wednesday night, a mob entered the RG Kar Hospital campus, causing damage to the protest site, vehicles, and public property. Security officials were forced to intervene to disperse the crowd. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Left is in connivance with the Ram (the Bharatiya Janata party) to create unrest in West Bengal. "Left and Ram want to create unrest in Bengal and they both have come together to do this," She said while referring to the vandalism at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on Wednesday. A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visited the RG Kar Medical College Hospital on Thursday afternoon for a digital blueprint of the doctor rape-murder incident. Earlier in the day, four doctors of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital were summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Kolkata, amid the ongoing protest over the rape-murder of the trainee doctor, sources said. Earlier on Thursday, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was an attempt to destroy evidence. The vandalism occurred on August 14 when a mob entered the RG Kar Hospital campus, causing damage to the protest site, vehicles, and public property. Security officials were forced to intervene to disperse the crowd. On August 9, a post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The victim's family has alleged that she was raped and murdered. This incident has triggered a nationwide protest by doctors and medical fraternities. (ANI) Reacting sharply to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said that when government statistics is itself showing 86 rape cases a day then from whom women should expect protection. Furthermore, Vadra stated that women across the country are in grief and anger and whenever there is a need to send a strong message about the safety of women, efforts are made to save the accused. Taking it to a social media post on X, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote, "The cruelties against women in Kolkata, Bihar, Uttarakhand and UP have shaken the entire country. At this time, women across the country are in grief and anger." She further said that whenever such incidents happen women look towards the government's action and measures but political protection to the accused and granting bail/parole to convicted prisoners discourage them. The tweet added, "Whenever such incidents happen, the women of the country see what the governments are doing. How serious are their words and measures? Wherever there was a need to send a strong message about the safety of women, efforts were made to save the accused. Repeated leniency in cases of heinous atrocities on women, political protection to the accused and actions like granting bail/parole to convicted prisoners discourage women." "What message does this send to the women of the country? When government statistics show 86 rapes taking place every day, from whom should women expect protection?" it added. https://x.com/priyankagandhi/status/1824371311914660034?t=PsvEYhGy0ZPMhQusBG0TTQ&s=08 Meanwhile, doctors from all over India are staging protests amid the nationwide uproar in this case. Doctors and medical students of the AIIMS Delhi earlier demanded a Central Protection Act for healthcare workers. AIIMS Delhi doctor Kumar Kartikay said that they will not step back till they get an assurance that action will be taken in the matter. Medical professionals at Chandigarh PGIMER also continued their demonstration on Friday. The doctors have stated that the protest will continue till justice is delivered. The Resident Doctors Association, Government Medical College in Amritsar, Punjab has announced the suspension of all non-essential and elective hospital services, including Out Patient Departments, operating theatres and wards, beginning on August 16 and continuing until further notice. A post-graduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and killed in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The CBI has taken over the case and an investigation into the matter is underway. The opposition BJP has accused the ruling TMC of a "cover-up" in the matter. (ANI) Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT Cell, on Friday approached the Delhi High Court over a tweet posted by the Samajwadi Party's Media Cell on X Corp (formerly Twitter), which accuses him of sexual misconduct. Amit Malviya has sued the Samajwadi Party media cell and the Samajwadi Party (SP) for defamation. Malviya's Lawyers argued that the tweet, posted on August 8, was "defamatory" and "utterly scandalous," and had caused significant harm to his reputation. The suit filed by Amit Malviya states that the defamatory tweet has been viewed by 55,300 users on "X" (formerly Twitter). The post has been reposted 724 times and liked by 1,652 users, exacerbating the damage to his reputation. Consequently, Malviya is seeking a mandatory and permanent injunction, along with damages, from the court due to the adverse impact of the defamatory statement. Justice Vikas Mahajan, after hearing the senior lawyers representing Amit Malviya who requested urgent action to remove the "defamatory" content, indicated that he would issue an order on the plea. Malviya's counsel argued that the defamatory tweet receives 5,000 to 10,000 views daily and emphasized the urgency of removing it, stating that no one should be exposed to such statements. Amit Malviya was represented by Senior Advocate Arvind Nayar, who sought an interim order to direct the removal of the impugned content. The suit has been filed through Advocate Surjendu Sankar Das. Nalin Kohli, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India and National Spokesperson, BJP also appeared for Amit Malviya in the matter. Suit stated that the dispute arose after the allegations of rape against an SP leader in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya. The accused in the case are SP leader Moeed Khan and another individual named Raju Khan. On August 3, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted that a DNA test should be conducted and the guilty should be punished, but if the allegations are found to be false, then action should be taken against the officials involved. On the same day, Amit Malviya quoted Yadav's tweet and questioned what he intended to prove with the DNA test. The SP Media Cell's Twitter handle responded to Amit Malviya by posting a tweet on X that included photos of BJP leaders with individuals accused or convicted of rape. The images featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Asaram Bapu (convicted of rape) and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with Swami Chinmayanand (accused of rape). The tweet also included allegations against Malviya, claiming he invited women to his hotel and had illicit relationships with men. (ANI) Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 16 ANI): Theog, a picturesque valley town located nearly 30 kms from Shimla, commemorated its independence day today, August 16. Theog, situated north of Shimla, holds a special place in history due to its early embrace of democratic governance. While the rest of India marks its independence on August 15th, Theog's celebrations occur a day later to honour its unique historical moment. The centrepiece of Theog's commemoration is Suratram Prakash, who served as the Prime Minister of the Theog Princely State's first democratic government. Although most Indians recognize Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of independent India, Suratram Prakash is celebrated locally for leading Theog's government before the country's official independence. According to local historians and the family of Suratram Prakash, on August 14, 1947, Theog's then-ruler, Rana Karm Chand, ceded power to the people. This act was followed by the establishment of a council of ministers, with Suratram Prakash at the helm. This momentous occasion is remembered as a symbol of Theog's early adoption of democratic principles. Rajinder Prakash, son of Suratram Prakash, recounted that his father was deeply involved in the Prajamandal movement, which fought for democratic rights in princely states. He stated, "The rights were given to people through the Prajamandal. Real democracy was introduced in Theog before India's independence." The then newly formed cabinet of Theog included Lagan Dass as Defence Minister, Nand Ram as Agriculture Minister, Sita Ram as Education Minister, Dr Lachman Dass as Health Minister, Dila Ram as Revenue Minister, and Budhi Ram Verma as Home Minister. Rajinder Prakash emphasized that the cabinet's formation and swearing was a significant event in Theog's history, celebrated annually on August 16th. Despite his historical significance, Rajinder Prakash chose to focus on grassroots movements rather than mainstream politics, aligning himself with the Bhoodan movement and serving at a local temple. The significance of Theog's unique claim to democratic history is being acknowledged by the Himachal Pradesh government. Dhaniram Shandil, the state's Health Minister, participated in the celebrations and assured that efforts would be made to include Theog's historical narrative in school curricula. He stated, "Theog has a great history; the freedom started here before the freedom of India. It's a proud moment for the region, and we will work to incorporate this history into the school syllabus." Local artists and youth also played a role in the celebrations. Folk artist Rajnish Sharma performed the Chholtu dance, a traditional dance honouring local deities, highlighting the fusion of cultural preservation with historical commemoration. He expressed, "Theog got freedom for the first time in India. We celebrate it as a festival and preserve our culture and folk traditions." Local youth, represented by Himanshu Kharpotala, expressed pride in Theog's role in India's democratic history and emphasized the importance of remembering and promoting their unique heritage. He said, "We celebrate and promote our culture, and it's important to remember those who fought for our freedom." Kuldeep Singh Rathore, MLA of Theog, also emphasized the significance of the region's history. He noted, "It's a proud moment to be the legislator of an area that attained freedom before the rest of the country. We are working to ensure this history is included in the school syllabus so that future generations are aware of this remarkable chapter." As Theog's celebration of its pre-independence democratic government continues, the region remains a testament to the rich and diverse history of India's struggle for freedom and democracy. (ANI) Pointing out the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, BJP leader Anil K Antony on Friday demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He alleged that atrocities against women are high in West Bengal despite the state being ruled by a woman chief minister. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anil K Antony on Friday demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over "West Bengal is a state with a woman Chief Minister but when it comes to atrocities against women, West Bengal has become the state with one of the highest number of cases. In the last few months, we have seen what happened in Sandeshkhali, and now in Kolkata. There are allegations as well as proof coming out that the police have been trying to tamper with evidence and protect people involved in this kind of heinous incident," Anil K Antony told ANI. "Law and order in the state is non-existent. Both the police department and the health ministry are under the Chief Minister and both ministries are not functioning. BJP demands that the CM should resign for the safety and well-being of the citizens of India," he added. This incident has triggered a nationwide protest by doctors and medical fraternities. Meanwhile, BJP leaders including MLA Agnimitra Paul and actor-turned-politician Roopa Ganguly staged a protest on Friday against the rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Roopa Ganguly demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "Mamata Banerjee, who is also the health minister, should resign," she said. She further said, "We will continue our protest. Please remember that today it is not only a political party as an opposition. Not only us but the common people have woken up. You saw how lakhs of women joined the protest on August 14. Those are the voices of West Bengal. Even people from TMC joined the protest." On the vandalism at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, she said that the TMC had tried to mislead that agitators were involved, however, the violence was actually "pre-planned". "In a few videos, you can see 15-20 faces, these must have been local goons who entered the medical college with a blueprint to cause damage. What has the Police done? Why did the police not take the quote of the Principal? Can a weak man rape a woman alone?" she asked. BJP leaders, who were protesting near Shambazar Metro, Gate no 1 over the doctor's rape and murder were detained by Police.Meanwhile, doctors and medical students across India continued to protest on Friday to demand justice for a woman doctor, who was raped and murdered. A 12-hour general strike has been called in Siliguri by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist). The strike disrupted normal life in Siliguri and most shops in the city were closed since 6 pm on Thursday. A member of SUCI (Communist) Dr Shahriar Alam said, "Today this strike has a huge impact. People have spontaneously responded to our call and throughout Siliguri like the Medical College area, people have not taken out their vehicles, and they have not opened the shops. We can say that the impact is very good. We have called this strike to protest against the heinous incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital." Earlier today, teams from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) arrived at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata to investigate the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor. Following the Calcutta High Court order, CBI has taken over the case and has sent specialised medical and forensic teams from Delhi. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which has led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. (ANI) An advocate on Friday claimed that he has filed a petition before the President of India challenging the Lok Sabha membership of Amritpal Singh. Advocate Chandresh Jain said that he has filed the petition before the President of India with a copy to the Election Commission of India against Amritpal Singh. On August 9, the Supreme Court has dismissed his petition against Amritpal Singh. "We are not inclined to entertain this petition. The writ petition is, accordingly, dismissed," the top court August 9's order said. Now Jain has moved before the President and urged her to direct the Election Commission of India to declare the Lok Sabha membership of Amritpal Singh, who contested and won the election from Khadur Sahib constituency, Punjab, in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election as wrong, ab-intio and illegal and unconstitutional. He also sought to declare the oath I affirmation filed by Amritpal Singh at the time of filing nomination papers for the said election as patently false and non-est in the eyes of the law. Jain also sought to declare the scrutiny conducted by the District Magistrate of the nomination papers filed by Amritpal Singh as patently wrong and in violation of his discharge of duty towards the nation and his office. Advocate Jain also sought to declare the oath filed by Amritpal Singh at the time of taking the oath in the Chamber of the Speaker, Lok Sabha, as patently false and non-est in the eyes of the law, as violative of the form of the oath or affirmation under Part III B of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of India. In the petition before the top court, Advocate Jain said that he is raising an issue of utmost importance in the public and national interest, which is crucial to the sovereignty, integrity and unity of India and its democratic setup. The issue raised by the petitioner was that whether, any person who openly questions and acts against the sovereignty, integrity and unity of India can contest the elections of the Lok Sabha as well as State legislative assemblies. "The nomination form comprising of poll affidavit of Amritpal Singh, his election as a successful candidate from Khadur Sahib Constituency, Punjab, and his subsequent oath taken in the chamber of the Speaker, Lok Sabha, is liable to be declared as null and void by Your Excellency for the reasons stated as above. Further, by this petition, the petitioner makes a prayer to Your Excellency to suggest the government to enact appropriate legislation so as to debar such separatist and secessionist candidates from contesting any election on Indian soil under the framework of the Constitution of India," Jain said in his petition. Amritpal Singh, who won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency as an independent candidate, is originally a resident of Jallu Kheda village in Amritsar and is currently lodged in jail in Assam's Dibrugarh district. He used to live in Dubai prior to his return to Punjab in 2022, after the death of Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu. After his return, he became the chief of Deep Sidhu's pro-Khalistani organization, Waris Punjab De. He was arrested from Moga's Rode village after he and his supporters on February 23, 2023 staged a protest at the Ajnala police station and clashed with police personnel in an attempt to free one of his aides, who was taken into custody for making inflammatory and pro-Khalistan statements. In the 2024 parliamentary elections, Amritpal Singh won from the Khadoor Sahib seat. He was recently granted a four-day custody parole and brought to Delhi so that he could take oath as a Lok Sabha member. (ANI) Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday held a meeting with the employees and officers of both the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development from sweepers, MTS to Secretary Level, Ministry of Rural Development said in a release on Friday. Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary and Ministers of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan and Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani also attended the meeting. According to the release, Chouhan interacted with all the officers and employees of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as ICAR on the next day Independence Day. He took a pledge to fulfil the vision given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for agriculture and rural development in his address from Red Fort on Independence Day. He said that we will put in all our efforts and hard work to fulfil the roadmap for 2047 and the resolutions for a developed India. He further said that the Prime Minister said that three times more work needs to be done; we will work three times harder under his guidance. Shivraj Singh said, "We are all one family, we will work together. He took a pledge to work with full honesty and dedication." Chouhan also made all the employees and officers take a pledge. He took a pledge that we would do our work for the creation of a developed India through agriculture and farmers' welfare and rural development with full hard work, honesty, dedication and by putting in all our capabilities. The Rural Development Department should play an incomparable role in the creation of a developed India. We will do our work with hard work and honesty, the ministry added. (ANI) The central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has provided approval for the much-anticipated Phase 3 of Namma Metro. The approval, granted on Friday, marks a significant milestone in Bengaluru's efforts to expand its metro network. The newly approved Metro Phase 3 will extend from the Vega City Junction in JP Nagar to Kadabagere on Magadi Road, covering a distance of 44.65 km. Notably, a significant portion of this line will pass through the Bengaluru South, providing an efficient and economical Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) for a large commuter base including employees, students and the general public. The project, planned at an estimated cost of Rs. 16,333 crores, is expected to greatly alleviate traffic congestion and provide a sustainable transportation alternative in one of the city's most populated areas. "The approval of Namma Metro Phase 3 is a testament to the speed and efficiency with which the Modi government operates," Surya said. Throughout the approval process, Surya has been actively involved, holding over six meetings with the Ministry of Urban Affairs and their officials. MP Surya met with the newly inducted Minister of Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar last month to expedite its approval. The project got the approval of the Union Finance Ministry last week. "Bengaluru's Mobility has got a big boost with PM Narendra Modi-led Cabinet approving 2 corridors of Namma Metro's Phase-3. Corridor-1 from JP Nagar 4th Phase to Kempapura with 21 stations & Corridor-2 from Hosahalli to Kadabagere with 9 stations have been approved," Surya said in a tweet on X. "BJP Govt under Basavaraj Bommai had approved the DPR for Phase-3 & the same was taken up on priority by Government of India. Within months of submitting the revised DPR, GoI has given its approval, making this the fastest ever DPR to be approved. This reflects the pace of development under BJP. The central government's intervention in expediting the approval of Phase 3 of the Bengaluru Metro will benefit all 1.10 crore Bengalureans," Surya added. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya was consistently engaged with both state and central authorities for approval of this project. He held several meetings with cabinet ministers, officials of the Urban Affairs ministry, erstwhile CM of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai, top officials from the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance and others to push for the metro approval. Highlighting the importance of a well-connected metro line in decongesting the city, Surya has pushed for the early clearance of the project from the Centre. He has also conveyed about the need to invest in public infrastructure such as metro and bus feeder systems to transport the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. (ANI) Following the vandalism at the protest site at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on the eve of the 78th Independence Day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being responsible for the incident. While addressing a rally on Friday, where she urged the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expedite the probe into the matter, Banerjee stated, "I know the vandalism at RG Kar was orchestrated by CPIM and BJP. Despite all this drama, the protest continues. I salute the protestors; I have nothing more to say; they have done the right thing." Criticising both CPIM and BJP, she continued, "There are skeletons scattered across Bengal. We all know this. All their grandstanding is meaningless. If they had shown genuine sympathy and compassion, I wouldn't need to say anything. But now I will speak out... Who was responsible for the Bilkis Bano case? Who was behind the Unnao incident? Who was behind the Hathras incident? Just yesterday, in Madhya Pradesh, a Dalit woman was targeted. Who was responsible? In Manipur, women were paraded naked for a month and raped--under whose rule did that happen? Who tortured the wrestlers? Was there any justice? Instead, the perpetrator was promoted to MP, and his son was given a ticket. We are neither pawns nor kings. Nine governors were changed, but our 'king' remains the same. He can use all the big words he wants, but tell me, are women safe in BJP-ruled states? When something happens in Bengal, there is an investigation, but when it happens in your state, there is none." "...After midnight, we can see in the video CPIM members holding DYFI flags and BJP members holding the national flag. The national flag cannot be misused for politics. There is a code for the National Flag, and they should be punished; it is a criminal offence," she added. Banerjee also criticised CPIM for their response to similar incidents in other parts of the country. "CPIM, how many teams did you send to Manipur, Hathras, or Unnao? How many teams did you send to Delhi during the NRC protests, where many were killed? And now, in Bengal, because of a minor incident, you have sent your team here. Don't you have any shame? You can say whatever you want to me; it doesn't affect me... I will work for the people until my last breath. You don't scare me, CPIM-BJP. We didn't come to power through rigged elections; we were elected through elections conducted by the ECI and the Government of India," she said. She further asserted that the state government is capable of handling any situation in Bengal and called for capital punishment for the accused in this case. "If anything happens, we take immediate action, and we want to ensure that such incidents don't recur. For this reason, we are demanding capital punishment so that in the future, no one dares to do such things... The Bengal state government is fully capable of handling any situation that arises... We now demand capital punishment for this incident," she said. Banerjee also questioned why CPIM and BJP couldn't wait for the Kolkata Police to complete their investigation by the August 17 deadline, given that the CBI took over the probe on August 13. "I had requested some time, and I assured that if we couldn't complete the investigation and initiate the process for capital punishment by Sunday, I would hand over the case to the CBI myself. So, why couldn't you wait, CPIM and BJP?" she asked. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, triggering nationwide protests by doctors and medical professionals. On August 14, a mob entered the RG Kar Hospital campus and vandalized the protest site, vehicles, and public property, forcing security officials to disperse the crowd. (ANI) In Delhi, Deputy Secretary Verma will meet New Delhi, India to meet with senior government officials, climate leaders, and aerospace academics and industry representatives. In order to boost the US-India partnership further, discussions will be held on a range of issues, including economic development, clean energy and climate action, and STEM education. He will be joined in India by Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta and Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Energy David Turk, the official release of the Department of State read. While in Nepal, the delegation will meet with senior government officials, development professionals, and business leaders to discuss shared priorities in economic development, women's empowerment, energy, and people-to-people ties. (ANI) US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made their first joint appearance on Thursday afternoon (local time) for their first public event in Maryland since Biden ended his presidential bid, nominating Harris in his place. Both Biden and Harris attended the event to celebrate the results of a legislative accomplishment: landmark price negotiations that are expected to lower the cost of prescription drugs, according to the New York Times. But more than anything, the occasion had the feel of the Democratic torch being passed. In an attempt to solidify his legacy, Biden highlighted his decades-long advocacy for reduced prescription costs. But Harris was unquestionably the star of the show. After clearly stating, in a manner that the president has found difficult, the practical effects of Biden's hallmark health care policy, Vice President Harris persuaded the animated assembly to shout, "Thank you, Joe," reported the New York Times. The audience started to disperse from the arena as soon as Harris finished speaking and Biden started speaking. President Joe Biden quit the presidential race amid mounting concerns over his age, particularly after his poor show in the debate with Donald Trump in June. On the other hand, Trump is eyeing a comeback to the White House after a bitter exit in 2020. Harris secured her party's nomination for president, earning the support of 99 per cent of the 4,567 delegates who cast ballots at the Democratic National Convention recently. She is the first woman of color and the first Asian American to lead a major party ticket. Harris won 99 per cent of the vote, according to the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She had announced Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, as her running mate. Walz, 60, emerged from a list of probable candidates who had better recognition and came from politically advantageous states. Whereas, Trump has announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate. If elected alongside Trump, Vance would become the second youngest vice president in American history. (ANI) With Vice President Kamala Harris throwing a tough challenge against her rival and former US President Donald Trump, the latter rejected calls from allies to refocus on policy, claiming he is "entitled to personal attacks," according to The Hill. Trump held a press conference at his Bedminster, N.J. property, where he spoke for about an hour before fielding questions from the media. Several reporters questioned him about the suggestion from several Republicans that he should be more restrained and stop making disparaging remarks about his opponent. "As far as the personal attacks, I'm very angry at her because of what she's done to the country," Trump said. "I think I'm entitled to personal attacks. I don't have a lot of respect for her. I don't have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think she'll be a terrible president," he said further, attacking Harris in a fresh set of remarks. "And I think it's very important that we win," he continued saying. "And whether the personal attacks are good, bad. She certainly attacks me personally. She actually called me weird." When asked about remarks made by former opponent Nikki Haley suggesting that Trump's campaign should change course, Trump responded by saying he would manage his campaign "my way" but that he valued her input. The former president held his second press conference in as many weeks in an attempt to slow down Harris's ascent to the Democratic nomination after she ousted President Biden in late July. According to polling from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report released on Wednesday, Harris is ahead of Trump in five of the seven battleground states--Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania--that are likely to determine the outcome of November's election, The Hill reported. In Nevada, Trump prevailed against Harris, but in Georgia, the two candidates were tied. Trump had earlier on Thursday announced the addition of multiple new staff members to his campaign, among them Corey Lewandowski, who oversaw his campaign in 2016 and wrote the book "Let Trump Be Trump." However, the former president refuted the notion that the adjustments to the staff indicated a more significant change in approach. Trump launched his bid to reclaim the White House in November 2022. He aims to reclaim the White House after his bitter exit in 2020, as he looks forward to becoming only the second commander-in-chief to win two non-consecutive terms in office. He announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate. If elected alongside Trump, Vance would become the second youngest vice president in American history. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden quit the presidential race amid mounting concerns over his age, particularly after his poor show in the debate with Donald Trump in June. Harris secured her party's nomination for president, earning the support of 99 per cent of the 4,567 delegates who cast ballots at the Democratic National Convention recently. She is the first woman of colour and the first Asian American to lead a major party ticket. Harris won 99 per cent of the vote, according to the Democratic National Committee (DNC).She had announced Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, as her running mate. Walz, 60, emerged from a list of probable candidates who had better recognition and came from politically advantageous states. (ANI) "In connection with the FGCM proceedings of Lt Gen (Retd) Faiz Hameed, three retired officers are also in military custody for their actions prejudicial to military discipline," the military's media affairs wing said. "Further investigations of certain retired officers and their accomplices for fomenting instability at the behest of and in collusion with vested political interests are continuing," it added. Meanwhile, sources revealed the names of the three officers taken into military custody, including two brigadiers and a colonel. They were identified as Brigadier Ghaffar and Naeem were among the arrested officers. All three officers were alleged to have worked as messengers. The three officers were involved in the coordination between a political party and Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, the sources revealed. It further said both the retired brigadiers belonged to Chakwal and were close to Faiz Hameed as his 'favourites'. Notably, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced the arrest of the former ISI chief, saying that he was taken into custody by the army over allegations of land grabbing and snatching valuables from the owner of a private housing society. Appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against the former ISI chief under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act, the ISPR said. (ANI) Taipei [Taiwan], August 16 (ANI: Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that it detected 13 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval vessels between 6 am (local time) on Thursday to 6 am (local time) on Friday. According to the MND, of the 13 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 11 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country's northern, central, southwestern, and eastern air defence identification zone (ADIZ), In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1824249724221759580 In a post on X, Taiwan's MND said, "13 PLA aircraft and 10 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 11 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly." On Thursday, MND detected 6 Chinese military aircraft and 11 naval vessels. Further, Six Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1823892380816404774 "6 PLA aircraft and 11 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," MND said on X. This latest incident adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ and military exercises near the island. Notably, Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary. So far this month, Taiwan has tracked PLA aircraft 279 times and Chinese ships 150 times. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan. Gray zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force." (ANI) Thailand's Parliament on Friday voted for Paetongtarn Shinawatra to become the country's 31st Prime Minister, reported Channel News Asia. Paetongtarn, 37, the daughter of the country's billionaire tycoon and former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra will succeed Srettha Thavisin, who was removed from office by the country's constitutional court on August 14 in an ethics case. The country's Pheu Thai party on Thursday nominated Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister candidate. Paetongtarn has become the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to become Thailand's prime minister, following Thaksin Shinawatra, Somchai Wongsawat (Thaksin's brother-in-law), and Yingluck Shinawatra, the Bangkok Post said. 319 MPs voted for Pheu Thai party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra to become Thailand's new prime minister on Friday. 145 voted against and 27 abstained. Srettha, a real estate mogul, became the fourth Thai prime minister in the past 16 years to be ousted by the court, which found that he breached the constitution by choosing a minister who did not meet ethical standards. His dismissal, after less than a year in office, means that parliament will need to meet to select a new prime minister, raising the possibility of increased uncertainty in a country plagued by coups and judicial decisions that have repeatedly toppled governments and political parties over the past two decades. Just last week, the same court dissolved the anti-establishment Move Forward Party (MFP), a popular opposition group, ruling that its efforts to reform a law against insulting the monarchy threatened the constitutional monarchy. The MFP reformed under a new name on Friday, CNA reported. Srettha's Pheu Thai Party, along with its predecessors, has been at the centre of Thailand's political turmoil, with two of its administrations removed by coups in an ongoing conflict between the party's founders, the Shinawatra family, and their conservative and royalist military opponents. Political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra's return from 15 years in exile in 2023 on the same day that Srettha ascended to the country's premiership. Srettha defended his appointment of former Shinawatra lawyer Pichit Chuenban, who was briefly imprisoned for contempt of court in 2008 over an alleged bribery attempt, arguing that it was legitimate. The bribery claim was never substantiated, and Pichit resigned in May, reported CNA. Paetongtarn helped run the hotel arm of the family's business empire before entering politics three years ago and has never held elected office, Al Jazeera said. She was a near-constant presence on the campaign trail in the 2023 elections when she was one of Pheu Thai's prime minister candidates, giving birth just two weeks before polling day. (ANI) In a continued display of solidarity with the Tibetan people, a group of exiled Tibetan families residing in Switzerland has been tirelessly advocating for the rights and freedoms of Tibetans living under Chinese rule. Their campaign, which began on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2012, persists with monthly protests in front of the United Nations Office in Geneva. The campaign by the Tibet Solidarity Movement honours the memory of the 1.2 million Tibetans who lost their lives under Chinese domination and highlights the ongoing suffering of those still living in Tibet. These activists stand in tribute to those who have committed the ultimate act of nonviolent civil disobedience--self-immolation--in protest against the political repression, cultural assimilation, social discrimination, and environmental degradation enforced by the Chinese government. Under the guise of development and goodwill, the Tibetan people have been systematically deprived of their fundamental rights. "Nearly a million Tibetan children, aged four to eighteen, are forcibly enrolled in colonial boarding schools, isolating them from their families, language, and cultural heritage. Simultaneously, Tibetan language schools are being shut down, further eroding the national identity of the Tibetan people", Tibet Solidarity Movement said in a statement. The group has issued a series of urgent appeals, demanding international action to save Tibet. They call for the implementation of United Nations resolutions on Tibet, adopted in 1959, 1961, and 1965, to restore freedom and peace in the region. They also urge international bodies to support the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Activists are also demanding an end to the massive environmental destruction in Tibet, which includes deforestation, overgrasing, uncontrolled mining, and the dumping of nuclear waste. They emphasise the need to protect Tibet's fragile ecosystem, often referred to as the "Third Pole" and "Water Tower of Asia." Their demands also include the release of political prisoners, investigation into the suppression of religious and cultural freedoms, closure of colonial boarding schools, and the establishment of a UN fact-finding mission. Additionally, they urge the Chinese government to engage in substantive negotiations with representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to resolve the Tibet issue peacefully and respect the rights of all its citizens, including Tibetans, Southern Mongolians, and Uighurs, in line with international obligations. The exiled Tibetan community in Switzerland remains steadfast in their commitment to this cause, emphasizing that the world can no longer turn a blind eye to the violence and lies of authoritarian regimes. They urge the international community to act decisively before it's too late, to protect the children of Tibet and preserve the unique identity and culture of the Tibetan people. "Save Tibet before it's too late," their message resonates, as they continue their peaceful but determined campaign for justice and freedom. (ANI) A day after Sweden confirmed the first case of a more contagious monkeypox variant outside Africa, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged affected countries to work together to tackle the monkeypox outbreak and called on all nations to address the current outbreak. The WHO Director-General emphasized the need for enhanced surveillance, data sharing, and collaboration to combat the transmission of the mpox virus. https://x.com/DrTedros/status/1824329054905934301 "Identification of the first #mpox clade 1b infection in Sweden underscores the need for affected countries to tackle the virus together," the WHO director-general said on X We encourage all countries to enhance surveillance, share data, and work to better understand the transmission; share tools like vaccines; and apply lessons learned from prior public health emergencies of international concern in addressing the current outbreak," he added. Recently, Sweden confirmed the first case of mpox Clade I, a viral infection that spreads through close contact and is a more dangerous variant of the mpox disease, Al Jazeera reported. The Swedish government announced this on Thursday, marking the first case of the variant outside of Africa. "We have now also during the afternoon had confirmation that we have one case in Sweden of the more grave type of mpox, the one called Clade I," Health and Social Affairs Minister, Jakob Forssmed told a news conference on Thursday. The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to other countries. Following this, Pakistan also confirmed its first monkeypox case of the year after a man who recently returned from Saudi Arabia tested positive for the virus, ARY News reported citing the Ministry of Health. The 34-year-old male resident of Mardan arrived in Pakistan on August 3 and developed symptoms shortly after arriving in Peshawar and reached out to the hospital for testing. The diagnosis was confirmed by Khyber Medical University in Peshawar, as per ARY News. His positive diagnosis was confirmed on August 13, marking the first reported case of monkeypox in Pakistan for 2024. (ANI) Australia has advised its nationals in India to be aware of the nationwide withdrawal of medical services by doctors amid the ongoing protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College. The Australian Ambassador to India, Philip Green, also asked Australian nationals to avoid demonstrations, large gatherings and keep monitoring local media amid the ongoing protests in Kolkata. "Australians in India should be aware of a nation-wide halt to non-emergency #medicalservices for 24 hours from 6:00am Indian Standard Time on Saturday 17 August until 6:00am on Sunday 18 August. Australians requiring access to general medical care should plan accordingly," Green stated in a post on X. "General protests are also planned in #Kolkata. Avoid demonstrations and large public gatherings, monitor local media, and follow the advice of local authorities," he added. https://x.com/AusHCIndia/status/1824327977552748701 The Indian Medical Association announced a nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine starting from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 am on Sunday, August 18. In its official statement, IMA stated that routine OPDs and elective surgeries will not take place during those 24 hours; however, other essential services will be maintained. "All essential services will be maintained. Casualties will be manned. Routine OPDs will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service. IMA requires the sympathy of the nation with the just cause of its doctors," the release stated. On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical fraternity. The incident triggered massive protests. On Wednesday, the protest ground and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalized by a mob, forcing the security personnel to disperse the crowd. Meanwhile, people from the Bengali film and television industry have also joined hands with protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. (ANI) The Thai Parliament voted to make Paetongtarn Shinawatra the next as well as the youngest-ever prime minister of Thailand, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday. Paetongtarn succeeds Srettha Thavisin, who was removed from his post by a constitutional court ruling on Wednesday. Known by her nickname Ung Ing, Paetongtarn is the youngest child of billionaire tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra and is the third member of the family after her father and aunt to hold the nation's top job. The parliament confirmed the nomination of Paetongtarn, 37, by the ruling coalition of her Pheu Thai party. Srettha's removal was the latest chapter in a long-running battle between the military, pro-royalist establishment, and populist parties linked to Thaksin, who shook up the country's staid politics when he was first elected prime minister in 2001, Al Jazeera reported. He spent years in exile after being removed in a military coup in 2006 and returned to Thailand only last year, on the day Pheu Thai formed the government. At a meeting on Thursday night, the ruling coalition chose Paetongtarn as its replacement after none of the 10 other parties in the coalition put forward an alternative. Thai and its partners hold 314 seats in parliament, and Paetongtarn needed the approval of more than half of the current 493 lawmakers to become prime minister. Paetongtarn helped run the hotel arm of the family's business empire before entering politics three years ago and has never held elected office. She was a near-constant presence on the campaign trail in the 2023 elections when she was one of Pheu Thai's prime minister candidates, giving birth just two weeks before polling day. Earlier, The reformist Move Forward Party (MFP) won the most seats in parliament but was blocked from forming a government by the Senate, which at the time was appointed by the military and had a veto of prime ministerial appointments, Al Jazeera reported. Last week, the constitutional court also voted to dissolve MFP and ban its executive board members from politics for 10 years over its promise to amend strict royal defamation laws. The party has since regrouped as the People's Party. (ANI) The 4th India-Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue was held on 16 August 2024, in Hanoi, Vietnam, during which the two sides discussed enhancing maritime cooperation and maritime law enforcement, the Ministry of External Affairs said. "During the dialogue, the two sides discussed the ways to enhance maritime cooperation in furthering a conducive environment for mutual growth and global well-being," the MEA stated in the release. The Indian delegation was led by Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary, Disarmament and International Security Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, while the Vietnamese delegation by Trinh Duc Hai, Vice Chairman of the National Boundary Commission. The two sides reviewed the ongoing cooperation initiatives in the maritime domain and discussed the avenues to cooperate at various international and regional fora for shared objectives. They agreed to further strengthen their shared efforts in areas such as Marine Scientific Research, Ocean Economy, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Navy and Coast Guard cooperation and maritime law enforcement. India and Vietnam have agreed to hold the next round of dialogue in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date, the MEA stated. Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited India earlier this month. During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders emphasised the current geo-political realities calling for closer cooperation between New Delhi and Hanoi and agreed to further strengthen the Vietnam - India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas. The two leaders also recognised convergence in their world view and expressed support for a greater voice and role for Global South in international affairs, a joint statement following the Vietnam PM's visit stated. PM Modi and PM Chinh appreciated multi-dimensional institutional mechanisms between the two countries in the fields of foreign policy, security and maritime domain, defence cooperation, parliamentary exchanges, trade and investment, agriculture, healthcare, civil aviation, information and communication technology, science and technology, including space and nuclear technology, tourism and culture. They agreed to intensify and strengthen the bilateral dialogue in various domains, including the Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, for mutual benefit. They welcomed the signing of the Plan of Action for the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the period of 2024-2028. (ANI) Baghdad [Iraq], August 16 (ANI/WAM): Abdulla Matar Al Mazrouei, UAE Ambassador to Iraq, presented a copy of his credentials to Fuad Mohammed Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq, at the Ministry's headquarters in Baghdad. During the meeting, Abdulla Matar Al Mazrouei conveyed the greetings of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as his wishes for further development and prosperity across all fields for the government and people of Iraq. Al Mazrouei expressed his pride in representing the UAE in Iraq, and his keenness to enhance cooperation across various areas, to reinforce ties between the two countries. For his part, Hussein conveyed his greetings to Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as his wishes for further progress and prosperity for the government and people of the UAE. He wished Al Mazrouei success in his duties, stressing his country's readiness to provide all possible support to facilitate his duties. During the meeting, the two sides discussed aspects of collaboration between the UAE and Iraq, and ways of developing them to achieve the interests and aspirations of both nations and peoples. (ANI/WAM) Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh and emphasised India's commitment to supporting the people of Bangladesh through various development initiatives, the PM Office stated in a press release. During the call, PM Modi also underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh. Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, in turn, assured that the Interim Government would prioritise the protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh, the PMO stated. The two leaders also discussed ways to take the bilateral relationship forward in line with the respective national priorities. Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi said, "Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh." Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee Bangladesh after student protests turned into a massive anti-government movement. She arrived in India on August 5 at a short notice. An interim government in Bangladesh, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, was sworn in on August 8. Several incidents of violence and chaos, especially targeting minorities, including Hindus have been reported from Bangladesh. India has raised its concerns about the situation and urged for full restoration of law and order. (ANI) The third round of India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers' Meeting will be held on August 20, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent the Indian side and hold meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Minorou Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. "The third round of the India-Japan 2+ 2 Foreign-Defence ministers meeting will be held on the 20th of August, 2024, in Delhi," Randhir Jaiswal said at the weekly press briefing on Friday. "Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and EAM S Jaishankar will be attending from the Indian side," he added. The first and second rounds of the India-Japan 2+2 ministerial meetings were held in 2019 in New Delhi and in 2022 in Tokyo. MEA further emphasised that India-Japan relations is at a very high level and the 2+2 meet will give a major boost to all aspects of the relationship. "2+2 dialogue with Japan is very important for us and this is third one that is happening. India-Japan relation is at a very high level. Getting the foreign ministers and defence ministers of both countries on the same platform will give a major boost to all aspects of our relationship," Jaiswal further said. Earlier this month, EAM Jaishankar acknowledged that India and Japan have a strategic convergence of interests and said there is scope for growing business between both nations and New Delhi will have to work harder with Tokyo. Jaishankar further stated that the people in Japan also appreciate that they have to work with India, keeping in mind the growing trade ties between the nations. Further speaking about the third edition of Voice of Global South Summit, which is scheduled to be held tomorrow, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the event will be held in virtual format, like the past two editions. He further said that all countries from the Global South have been invited and more updates on the participation will be provided. "All global south countries have been invited. We have a large number of countries participating. As to the exact number of countries who will be speaking, we will give you an update tomorrow," he said. India will host the 3rd edition of the Voice of Global South Summit on August 17 as an extension of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas'. The summit is underpinned by India's philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and envisages bringing together countries of the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform across a whole range of issues, the MEA stated in a release. (ANI) After distancing himself from the former spy chief following news of his court-martial, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Thursday welcomed 'internal accountability' process initiated by the military and called for across-the-board action, as reported by Dawn. He was speaking to the media at Adiala jail after a hearing in a 190 million pounds corruption case on Thursday. "If Faiz Hameed was involved, it should be investigated," the PTI chief said while referring to Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's statement on retired Lt Gen Faiz Hameed's alleged involvement in the May 9 protests, Dawn reported. Hameed was the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency during Khan's tenure as Prime Minister. In another development, two more officials of the Punjab Prisons Department were arrested as part of the investigation to find alleged facilitators of Khan's imprisonment. Khan argued that the May 9 protests started after his 'illegal' arrest at the Islamabad High Court, and demanded an investigation into the same, while suggesting that those who ordered his arrest were responsible for the violent protests, Dawn reported. He also claimed that the arsonists could be identified through CCTV footage, which he believes would exonerate him of all charges. The former PM further alleged that the May 9 protests were part of a 'London Plan,' aimed at toppling his government and accused the chief justice of Pakistan, the IHC chief justice, and the chief election commissioner of being involved in this plot. He pointed out that the former Rawalpindi commissioner also exposed rigging in the February 8 elections, as reported by Dawn. At the time of Khan's ouster, Umar Atta Bandial was the chief justice of Pakistan, and Justice Athar Minallah had not been elevated to the Supreme Court and was still heading the Islamabad High Court. Khan also claimed that former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa conspired against the PTI government to extend his tenure and that he removed Faiz Hameed from the post of ISI chief on the demands of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, which created a rift between the prime minister's office and the army chief, Dawn reported. Khan said that he wanted Hameed to retain his post because of his connections with the Taliban regime, as reported by Dawn. Following the detention of a former deputy superintendent on Wednesday for allegedly acting as a 'messenger' for the jailed PTI leader, law enforcement authorities have taken two more officials into custody as part of their investigation. One of them is a retired deputy superintendent, while the other is an assistant in the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons (Rawalpindi Region). As per sources, the exact role of the assistant cannot be ascertained, Dawn reported. The sources said that the two orderlies and three warders who worked under the former deputy superintendent during his posting at Adiala jail have also been included in the investigation. Meanwhile, surveillance of the barracks where the PTI chief had been incarcerated was further increased and additional staff were deployed, Dawn reported. (ANI) Russian Presidential Advisor Anton Kobyakov met with the Indian Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, and they discussed developing bilateral relations and cooperation on international platforms, TV BRICS reported. "Moscow and New Delhi co-operate on an equal footing in trade, energy, science, investment, tourism and environmental protection. Importantly, co-operation between the two countries within the framework of integration associations is also being strengthened. This is of particular importance for the formation of a sovereign multipolar world," Anton Kobyakov emphasised. Vinay Kumar, in turn, noted the successes in cooperation between the central banks of the two countries. He also drew attention to the development of relations between Moscow and New Delhi through BRICS. The sides discussed the participation of the Indian delegation in the forthcoming BRICS summit in Kazan and the BRICS Business Forum in Moscow. The events are scheduled for October 2024. The Indian envoy spoke about India's plans to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum. The EEF will be held from 3-6 September in Vladivostok. TV BRICS acts as a media partner of the event. "The Eastern Economic Forum will be visited by an official delegation, which will include representatives of the Government of the Republic of India. It is planned to hold a Russia-India business dialogue with the participation of entrepreneurs from the two countries," Vinay Kumar said. The two leaders also discussed partnership in the environmental sphere. One of the platforms for cooperation in this direction is the International Forum "Falcon Day", which will be held on the first day of the Eastern Economic Forum. The Indian Ambassador added that the possibility of opening a permanent Indian pavilion at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is being considered, as reported by TV BRICS. The diplomat also spoke about the Indian side's interest in the Russian Tourism Forum "Let's Travel!" and the development of tourism ties and cultural relations between the two countries. (ANI) The Svenska Uyghur Kommitten (SUK), generally known as the Swedish Uyghur Committee, on Thursday said that China has been creating a facade of development to divert the world's attention away from its abuses in East Turkistan. The committee said in a statement that China's invasion and occupation of East Turkistan is a 'dark lesson in global manipulation'. In the statement posted on X, the SUK said, "Since 1949, China's invasion and occupation of East Turkistan have not just been a blueprint for colonization and genocide against the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples; they've been a dark lesson in global manipulation. Through economic leverage and a meticulously crafted facade of modernization, China has convinced much of the world to turn a blind eye to its crimes, all the while presenting itself as a pillar of stability on the world stage. https://x.com/SUyghurCommitte/status/1824125942153019445 Claiming it to be a bitter irony, the same statement by the SUK stated that China has been using all of its tools to build a narrative away from the brutal reality of the Xinjiang region. The statement said, "This is a bitter irony, the very tools China uses to commit and conceal its human rights abuses propaganda, economic coercion, and diplomatic double-speak are now exported as part of its global influence. But behind this facade lies the stark reality of a people fighting for survival. The international community, including nations like Sweden, cannot afford to remain complicit in this charade". The SUK urged the world that addressing the genocide and occupation tactics of China is necessary but is not enough. They demanded that the world must support the struggle of East Turkistan people for independence. The statement stated, "It is the only path that guarantees the survival of our people. Independence is not just a moral imperative, it is a strategic necessity in the face of a regime that has proven time and again its willingness to erase entire cultures to achieve its ends". The world's policymakers and diplomats, do not be fooled by the veneer of progress that China projects, the statement said. The statement added that one must understand that supporting East Turkistan's independence is not just about standing against oppression--it's about rejecting the global spread of a model that prioritises power over people. The survival of East Turkistan is a test of whether we will allow autocracy to rewrite the rules of international conduct, or whether we will stand firm in defence of human rights, freedom, and the truth, the statement by the SUK added. (ANI) The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday, while hearing a petition regarding the disappearance of artist Aun Ali Khosa, directed the police to locate the YouTuber by August 20, Dawn reported. Khosa was "taken into custody by some unknown armed men" on the night between Wednesday and Thursday A petition filed by his wife, Binish Iqbal, claimed that Aun is "in the unlawful and illegal custody of the law enforcement authorities." The petition noted that the whereabouts of the petitioner's husband are unknown and expressed concerns for his "safety," with a strong fear that he may be a victim of enforced disappearance. Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi heard the petition today and instructed the capital city police officer (CCPO) Lahore to produce the "abducted" artist in court on August 20. Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Lahore, Faisal Kamran, stated that the police had not received any complaints regarding Khosa's reported abduction. He added that the police would conduct an investigation once a formal complaint is lodged, reported Dawn. The petition states that Aun was a "digital content creator, writer, and respected comedian/artist with a substantial following of 137,000 subscribers on YouTube. It also claims that a dozen police officers and "masked men in plain clothes" forcibly entered his apartment by breaking down the door. The petition describes how these armed individuals seized Aun's phone, laptop, computer system, and digital camera. According to the petition, the solicitor attempted to follow them as they departed in a Fortuner and a Black Revo double-cabin vehicle. He was allegedly manhandled and pushed into the Black Vigo parked outside before the men drove away. The petition further notes that the solicitor asked the men for the reason behind his detention, but they provided no answers before leaving, Dawn News reported. On August 15, the artist's brother, Ali Sher Khosa, alleged that the incident took place while Aun was in his Lahore apartment. He urged people to pray for Aun's safe return and asked them to help raise awareness of the situation. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has raised alarm by reports that the digital content creator was "abducted" allegedly by unknown armed men from his home in Lahore. HRCP said it was concerned that the incident may be related to his work as a satirist and called for his immediate recovery. (ANI) The International Siddhashram Shakti Centre celebrated India's 78th Independence Day on Thursday at Harrow, London with grandeur, said a statement by the centre. The event featured a special flag hoisting ceremony attended by revered Saints and dignitaries, their statement said. The celebrations also included a vibrant rally, the "Triranga Yatra", which saw participation from over 500 bikers and 100 cars, symbolising unity and patriotism among the Indian diaspora in the UK, the centre's statement added. Guru Raj Rajeshwar of International Siddhashram Shakti Centre said, "This Independence Day is not just a celebration of India's freedom, but a reminder of the sacrifices made by countless individuals. Our Triranga Yatra in London is a symbol of our love for our motherland and our commitment to keeping her values alive, even as we live abroad." The event was a memorable tribute to India's rich history and the spirit of freedom that binds its people worldwide, the statement added. Another event organised by the Indian Diaspora in the UK (IDUK) group was attended by numerous prominent personalities from the Indian community, underscoring the strong cultural ties and patriotism among the Indian diaspora at Slough, a town in Berkshire, England. The Indian Diaspora in the UK (IDUK) Group is committed to fostering a sense of community among Indians living in the UK, promoting cultural heritage, and supporting initiatives that strengthen the ties between India and the UK. The highlight of the event was the flag hoisting ceremony, led by the Mayor of Slough, Balwinder Singh Dhillon. The Indian tricolour soared proudly as the gathered crowd honoured the spirit of freedom and unity. He appreciated the efforts put together by IDUK to bring the community together through organising events like this. (ANI) Nari Shakti Forum has written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, highlighting the incidents of attack and violence against minorities including Hindus in Bangladesh amid the ongoing situation, and requested the Indian government to use its position to support the minorities. The forum has highlighted the cases of targeted violence and destruction against people of minority communities. It said that there have been attacks against places of worship, and even incidents of sexual violence against women. "There have been systematic attacks on the worship places, houses and properties of Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and other minority groups with many religious sites desecrated and idols destroyed. Homes and businesses owned by Hindu and other minority communities have been looted and set on fire," it stated. "Hindu and other minority women and girls have been subjected to molestation and sexual violence, intending to terrorize the community and force them into submission or migration," the forum added. The NSF further highlighted cases of brutal physical assault and loss of lives in Bangladesh, as well as the cases of forced migration and displacement. The Nari Shakti Forum requested President Murmu to use her diplomatic intervention and diplomatic pressure to engage with Bangladesh government to ensure the protection of minorities in Bangladesh. It has also asked India to lead efforts at international forums to mobilize global support for the protection of minorities in Bangladesh. "Engage with the government of Bangladesh to ensure the immediate protection of Hindu and other minority communities. Diplomatic pressure should be applied to ensure that Bangladesh upholds its obligations under international law to protect all its citizens, irrespective of their religious or ethnic backgrounds," the NSF stated. "Lead efforts at international forums, including the United Nations, to mobilize global support for the protection of minorities in Bangladesh. India's leadership in advocating for human rights will resonate strongly in the international community," it added. The forum has further requested the Indian government to engage with the Bangladesh government to provide proper humanitarian aid to displaced people. It has also requested to establish a special committee to monitor the situation of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. It has also asked India to issue a public statement condemning the violence and persecution faced by minorities in Bangladesh. Requesting India to take "decisive action" in the matter, the Nari Shakti Forum said the Hindu and other minority communities in Bangladesh are facing an "existential crisis." "The Hindu and other minority communities in Bangladesh are facing an existential crisis. As the largest democracy in the world, and with deep cultural and historical ties to Bangladesh, India is uniquely positioned to take decisive action to protect these vulnerable populations. We trust that your esteemed office will act swiftly to address this grave humanitarian crisis," it stated. Earlier in the day, the Nari Shakti Forum organised a huge protest march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar against the atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh. Former BJP spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, during the protest, called the need to stop the "genocide of Hindus" in Bangladesh. "Hindu lives matter and we have to stop the genocide of Hindus. Those who are doing this have to stop it," she told ANI. Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee Bangladesh after student protests turned into a massive anti-government movement. She arrived in India on August 5 at a short notice. An interim government in Bangladesh, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, was sworn in on August 8. Several incidents of violence and chaos, especially targeting minorities, including Hindus have been reported from Bangladesh. India has raised its concerns about the situation and urged for full restoration of law and order. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Mohammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh on Friday and emphasised the need to ensure the safety and protection of minorities in the country. Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh and emphasised India's commitment to supporting the people of Bangladesh through various development initiatives, the PM Office stated in a press release. During the call, PM Modi also underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh. (ANI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and conveyed his wishes on India's 78th Independence Day, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said. PM Modi said that he discussed the current situation in West Asia and emphasized on the need to de-escalate the situation with his Israeli counterpart. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Appreciate PM @netanyahu's phone call and warm wishes on India's 78th Independence Day. We discussed the current situation in West Asia. Emphasized on the need to de-escalate the situation. Reiterated our call for immediate release of all hostages, ceasefire and need for continued humanitarian assistance." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1824418861325680710 PM Modi called for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, the statement said. The statement added that the two leaders also discussed various aspects of the bilateral cooperation and ways to further strengthen the India-Israel Strategic Partnership and agreed to remain in touch. Several leaders from across the globe wished India on the occasion and stressed building even stronger ties with New Delhi in the coming years. French President Emmanuel Macron was one of the first leaders to wish on the occasion and expressed his eagerness to work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve the ambitious goals set for the strategic partnership between the two nations. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni extended her greetings to all Indians on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day and affirmed that India-Italy strategic partnership is an important pillar for the future. Russian President Vladimir Putin extended greetings to India stating that Moscow attaches great importance to the relations of a particularly privileged strategic partnership with New Delhi and intends to further develop ties. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also wished India on the auspicious occasion and emphasised that Canada is home to over 1.3 million people of Indian origin. (ANI) US lawmaker and Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP) in a letter to US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, has called for an investigation into Chinese wi-fi routers available in the US. In a post on X, the SCCCP noted, "John Moolenaar and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi are urging an investigation into Chinese Wi-Fi routers in the US that may be vulnerable to CCP hacking. TP-Link products make up a significant portion of the US Wi-Fi router market... the company could pose a serious security threat to the US." The SCCCP chairman's letter asked the Department of Commerce's (Commerce) information and communication technology services (ICTS) authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into TP-Link Technologies Co., Ltd. The letter highlighted that TP-Link is a Chinese technology firm specializing in Wi-Fi routers and related devices, which dominate a significant share of the US market. It also suggested that the company might pose a serious risk to US ICTS security. The letter urged the Department of Commerce to assess whether TP-Link constitutes a national security risk and to address any identified threats through ICTS measures. As of 2023, 95 percent of US adults use the internet, with small office/home office (SOHO) routers being a primary means of access. TP-Link, the world's largest Wi-Fi product provider as of 2022, sells over 160 million products annually across more than 170 countries and is a leading SOHO router provider in the US. TP-Link devices are also used on US military bases, with the Army & Air Force Exchange and Navy Exchange supplying these products to military personnel and their families. The letter noted that numerous researchers and analysts have raised concerns about the risks of TP-Link routers in the US. A former FCC Commissioner cited that US cybersecurity experts have documented significant vulnerabilities in TP-Link products. Additionally, China's strict data protection laws require companies like TP-Link to cooperate with Chinese government demands, potentially compromising US security. The letter also highlighted the alarming risk of TP-Link routers being used in cyberattacks within the US. FBI Director Christopher Wray has described PRC-sponsored hacking as a severe threat, with groups like Volt Typhoon posing a major risk. Recent operations by the Department of Justice have aimed to remove Volt Typhoon malware from US routers. Given the PRC's data laws, the widespread use of PRC-made SOHO routers in the US, and the PRC's history of sponsoring cyberattacks, the letter requests that the Department of Commerce evaluate the threat from PRC-affiliated routers, particularly those from TP-Link, and use its ICTS authorities to address this critical national security concern. (ANI) Prices of new homes across 70 major Chinese cities dropped 8 per cent on average in July, according to data released Thursday. The fall in property prices was witnessed in the country when the market continued to observe a property slump, Nikkei Asia reported citing data. Property prices fell by 0.6 per cent in June, Nikkei Asia reported citing data from China's National Bureau of Statistics. China's housing market had peaked in August 2021. The government at that time had tightened property financing restrictions which pushed the leading developers like China's Evergrande Group into crisis and dropped housing sales, Nikkei Asia reported. The three-tier cities in China have witnessed a 10 per cent drop in prices over the last three years. Similarly, second-tier cities including provincial capitals, saw a 5 percent decrease. First-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen saw only a narrow decline. Meanwhile, the prices of pre-owned homes, which are more volatile, fell in 67 out of 70 cities in July in China, Nikkei Asia report claimed. Chinese governments rely on the sale of state-owned lands to property developers to fund their government expenses. Nosediving, house prices put pressure on the price of these government lands. The Nikkei Asia report claimed that weak property demand points out that the housing prices could continue to decline. Based on past property crashes in Japan and the US, prices in China could fall as much as about 40 per cent from their peak, Nikkei Asia quoted Yao Yang, an economics professor at Peking University. One of the biggest challenges in the property sector is projects that are abandoned before completion by developers as they may have run out of cash, Nikkei Asia stated. The Nikkei Asia report quoted a report published by the International Monetary Fund which had raised concern over China's continued property crisis. It commented that the Chinese central government should provide support to address the issues of unfinished housing. The IMF report estimated that the necessary fiscal spending amounts to 5.5 per cent of gross domestic product over four years roughly 7 trillion yuan (USD 979 billion) based on the 2023 figure. However, the Chinese government hit back, saying existing policies were sufficient to bring a "positive trend" to the property market. But its efforts have done little to lift sales so far, Nikkei Asia reported. (ANI) Chinese fishing boats have been active near Japan's seashore despite a ban on Japanese seafood products in China, Nikkei Asia reported. The halt on Japan's food items in China came when Japan started releasing treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant a year ago into the sea. These interventions by China have been pressuring the Japanese sailors to flee, Nikkei Asia reported. "In the last few years, the waters off Sanriku have seen the most Chinese fishing vessels pouring in," a 31-year-old fisherman from Japan told Nikkei Asia in June. The seawater near the coasts of Sanriku and Hokkaido has been known as one of the best fishing spots internationally. Here the warm sea current of Kuroshio and the cold sea current of Oyashio meet, and Chinese vessels have been eushing in the area since 2010. "An approaching Chinese fishing boat threatened me with a large number of fireworks while I was fishing for saury," another fisherman told Nikkei Asia, recalling an incident when he was fishing near the coast of Sanriku. He strongly felt that Chinese vessels had been pressuring them to "give up the fishing grounds," according to the Nikkei Asia report. These fishing grounds are important to the local fishermen. "Except for the winter months of January through March, you can catch a lot of fish all year round, including horse mackerel, sardines, saury, and cod. Japanese vessels and overseas vessels, especially Chinese ones, overlap in the fishing grounds off Sanriku. Thus, the competition for resources has become more intense," said Ichiro Suzuki, head of the Kesennuma Distant-Water Fisheries Cooperative. According to the Nikkei Aisa report, the Chinese government had harshly criticised Japan's move to release water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, claiming the treated water was "nuclear-contaminated water," resulting in ban on all imports of Japanese seafood products, claiming that the prohibition was to protect the health of Chinese consumers. The same report claimed that, if the move was to protect Chinese consumers against the alleged health risks from fish of northeast Japan, one would expect a sharp decline in the number of Chinese fishing vessels entering the Japanese waters. However, Japanese fishermen and fishery officials observe that the Chinese vessels are still active near Japan, Nikkei Asia reported. According to data quoted by Nikkei Asia report, the operating hours of Chinese vessels off Sanriku were close to zero till 2021. However, there was a significant increase in the operating hours of fishing vessels in 2022. As many as 50 Chinese fishing vessels continued to operate in the area daily, according to the same data. (ANI) The passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, India, and Kankesanthurai (KKS) in Sri Lanka has resumed, the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka said in a statement on Friday. The ferry "Sivagangai" completed its maiden voyage from Nagapattinam to KKS, marking a significant step in enhancing India-Sri Lanka maritime connectivity and fostering people-to-people ties. "Nagapattinam-Kankesanthurai ferry service resumes! The ferry 'Sivagangai' completed its maiden journey from Nagapattinam to KKS, marking a significant step in strengthening India-Sri Lanka ties through enhanced maritime connectivity, fostering P2P ties & boosting economic collaboration," the Embassy said in a post on X. https://x.com/IndiainSL/status/1824425205248430532 The Governments of India and Sri Lanka have invested in upgrading facilities at the Nagapattinam and KKS ports, respectively. The service, initially launched on October 14, 2023, was briefly halted due to adverse weather conditions and subsequent delays. The high-speed ferry, operated by the Shipping Corporation of India, has a capacity of 150 passengers and covers approximately 60 nautical miles (110 km) distance in about 3.5 hours, depending on sea conditions. According to MEA, the high-speed ferry operated by the Shipping Corporation of India has a capacity of 150 passengers. The distance of about 60 nm (110 Km) between Nagapattinam and KKS will be covered in approx. 3.5 hours depending on sea conditions. In order to commence the service, the Government of India supported the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board in upgrading facilities at the Nagapattinam port. Similarly, the Government of Sri Lanka has created the necessary infrastructure at the port of KKS. The announcement of the Nagapattinam-Kankesanthurai ferry was made when Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited India in July 2023. Both governments had also affirmed to continue to work towards the commencement of ferry services between other ports, including the traditional route between Rameswaram- Talaimannar. Earlier in July this year, Geshan Dissanayake, Minister Commercial of the island country's High Commission in India, had said, "Currently, we are going to resume the ferry service from Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai and we are also repairing Talaimannar Pier as well...Historically it (connected) Talaimannar from Rameswaram, so that will also happen in the future." (ANI) Chinese, Cambodian FMs meet on bilateral, regional cooperation Xinhua) 08:36, August 16, 2024 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Aug. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong) BANGKOK, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia should stay committed to developing their friendship and following the path of solidarity and win-win cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Thursday. The more complicated the external environment is, the more essential it is for the two countries to manage their own affairs well, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea. Noting that China always places its relations with Cambodia at a special position in its neighborhood diplomacy, Wang said China is willing to take the implementation of the new action plan for building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future as an opportunity to intensify high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation, consolidate security cooperation and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to push for high-quality development of their comprehensive strategic cooperation and bring more benefits to the two peoples. The law enforcement and security authorities of China and Cambodia have jointly cracked down on cross-border crimes and achieved good results, Wang said, urging both sides to continue to step up efforts to thoroughly eradicate the breeding ground for gambling and fraudulent forces. Chenda Sophea said Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni is currently visiting northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, expressing appreciation for China's thoughtful arrangements. The Cambodian foreign minister congratulated China on successfully holding the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which drew up the blueprint for China's future development. He said Cambodia is happy to see China achieve modernization and greater prosperity, noting that China has always been selfless in helping developing countries and has been committed to safeguarding regional peace and stability. Its development will benefit the whole region, including Cambodia, he said. Wang said that the six Lancang-Mekong countries, sharing the same river and a common future, are eternal friendly neighbors and natural partners of cooperation. The rapid development of Lancang-Mekong cooperation has greatly improved the well-being of the people and promoted the development and revitalization of the six countries. All parties have agreed to abandon empty talk and take concrete action in unity to speed up building a community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries, Wang said. Wang said China stands ready to work with all parties, including Cambodia, to promote the overall development of the Indochina Peninsula through Lancang-Mekong cooperation, narrow the development gap within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), promote ASEAN integration, and play a leading role in the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Ishaq Dar, the Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, described the recent arrest of former Pakistan spy chief Faiz Hameed as a "lesson" to those engaged in political manipulation and a "miracle" on Friday, according to ARY News. Ishaq Dar Dar condemned the 2014 sit-ins in an interview with the media for igniting a "dirty political game" that has devastated the nation. The nation's economy has suffered greatly, the finance minister said, falling from the 24th to the 47th rank in the world, as he made a thinly veiled attack on Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. "I am amazed by this miracle of Allah," said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, adding that "Such things have happened for the first time." "I was also among the victims of General (r) Faiz Hameed," he added. In addition, the deputy prime minister declared that parliamentary delegations would no longer be allowed to travel abroad, citing a recent instance in which five people "went missing" while on vacation. Dar emphasised that such behaviour degrades the nation, reported ARY News. "No relatives or friends of parliamentarians will receive visas through government facilitation," Dar announced. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military declared this week that Hameed had been arrested on allegations of stealing goods from the owner of a private housing society and snatching land. The propaganda branch of the Pakistan Army said that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Faiz Hameed was also the subject of court-martial proceedings. The arrest of former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed has come as another blow to Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, landing the party in yet another controversy. However, Imran Khan, has labelled the arrest of Lt-Gen (retd.) Faiz Hameed, as an internal military issue, distancing his party from the controversy, as reported by The Express Tribune. While speaking to the media after a meeting with senior lawyers at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Tuesday this week, Imran Khan's legal representative, Intezar Panjutha, said that the PTI chief had called for peaceful protests that night for the sake of freedom, emphasising the importance of demonstrations for the country. Regarding ISI DG Faiz's arrest, Panjutha quoted the PTI chief as saying that it was purely a military matter with no connection to the party. He further clarified that there had been no political connection between Khan and Gen Faiz, alleging that former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had replaced Gen Faiz following a deal with Nawaz Sharif, The Express Tribune reported. Khan also suggested that if there was a connection between Faiz's arrest and the events of May 9, it would be an appropriate time to set up a judicial commission and bring the CCTV footage from that day to light, Panjutha pointed out, as reported by The Express Tribune. Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was detained by the military, and court-martial proceedings were initiated against him on charges of corruption, misuse of authority, and violating the Pakistan Army Act, as announced by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday. Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was known to be a close associate of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He was appointed as the head of ISI during Khan's tenure. The former ISI chief is considered the second most powerful military officer in Pakistan after the head of the army. (ANI) A U.S. Senate committee hearing on Aug. 15, 2024, at Grand Farm near Casselton, North Dakota, included, from left, Tina Smith of Minnesota, John Boozman of Arkansas, John Hoeven of North Dakota, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) CASSELTON While hosting a congressional field hearing, Greg Tehven, one of the founders of North Dakotas Grand Farm, called on the federal government to honor its financial commitments in a timely manner. It was very uncomfortable sitting in this room and telling my board of directors that we needed a loan to make payroll, Tehven testified before the Senate panel on Thursday. And when you have a $1.4 million of accounts receivable, its really challenging. Tehven said Grand Farm had earned that $1.4 million through federal contracts. I would encourage all of you to work with the federal agencies to increase the efficiency and ensure that we are paid in a timely way, Tehven said. Tehven was part of a panel that provided testimony to four members of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee at Grand Farms Innovation Campus west of Casselton. The field hearing was organized by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and included Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Minnesotas Democratic senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. A theme of the hearing was a need to invest in more agricultural research and the importance of public-private partnerships, such as Grand Farm. Tehven said when the North Dakota Legislature committed $10 million to help launch Grand Farm, legislators were expecting private investors. He said what they didnt anticipate was the out-of-state investment from Farm Credit Services of America out of Nebraska, Colorado-based CoBank and equipment manufacturer AGCO. It sent the signal that this collaboration works, Tehven told the panel. There also was discussion of the need for government to be more efficient. Boozman said U.S. Department of Agriculture loan and grant applications are seen as too complicated and the process takes too long. He said a small community cant afford to hire a grant writer. USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small said loan applications for farmers have been cut from 29 pages to 13. We have to work to be a better partner to farmers and everyone who relies on USDA, Torres Small said. She said it was recently announced farmers can apply for loans online and be guided to what loan product will best fit their needs. Its also the first year they can make loan payments online. To not have to drive into an FSA (Farm Service Agency) office though you can if you want to is huge, she said. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, the USDAs under secretary for research, education, and economics, spoke of the need to fund technology to support ag research. We have to have broadband, we have to have high-powered networking systems to move that data to and fro, to analyze, to share the high-performance computing, she said. North Dakota State University Vice President for Agricultural Affairs Greg Lardy advocated for a national database of ag research. Its critical that we develop a more robust database and a way to analyze that, he said. Josh Gackle farms near Kulm in southeast North Dakota and is president of the American Soybean Association. He noted that farmers contribute to ag research, trade expansion and transportation infrastructure through checkoffs collecting a small percentage from each sale of soybeans. It is concerning to us that U.S. federal ag research funding has declined while other countries have maintained or increased their funding levels, he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Haiti is cleaning house in its diplomatic consulate in Suriname, the Dutch-speaking country on the northeast coast of South America that has become a way station for Haitians seeking to escape their countrys gang violence. All but one of the consulates Haitian diplomats have been recalled to Port-au-Prince and all 12 of the countrys locally hired contractors were fired after French authorities raised concerns that diplomatic staff could possibly be complicit in Suriname being used as a way station for Haitian migrants seeking to enter French territories. Haiti Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy, who immediately launched an internal investigation, informed French and U.S. officials of her decision last week, multiple sources confirmed to the Miami Herald. Late last month French officials contacted the Haitian government about their suspicions after dozens of Haitians arrived in French Guiana via Suriname asking for asylum. An investigation revealed that there had been at least one charter flight on July 10 from Port-au-Prince into the Suriname capital of Paramaribo. The scheme involves Haitians paying upwards of $4,000 to a travel agency to fly into the South American country and then board buses that either take them to French Guiana across a river, or to Brazil, where they make the 7,000 miles trek north to the U.S.-Mexico border through the perilous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama. The ongoing investigation also revealed that among those being trafficked are under-aged children who arrive in Suriname on fake Haitian child-welfare agency documents claiming they are unaccompanied minors reuniting with families in Suriname. Such a scheme, one source said, could not happen without the complicity of diplomatic staff and possibly others in both Haiti, where all flights must be approved by the Office of National Civil Aviation, and in Suriname. The revelations about Suriname, which is increasingly becoming a popular transit country for Haitians and other migrants, comes as Paris and Washington seek to halt the illegal movement of migrants through third countries to reach their borders. Last year, the Biden administration announced a crack down on migrants flying expensive charter planes from Haiti, Cuba and elsewhere to reach Nicaragua, where they then proceed on foot and by buses to the U.S.- Mexico border. Haitians were paying as much as $4,000 for a one-way ticket from Port-au-Prince to Managua. By the time the administration flagged the scheme, which forced Haiti to suspend the flights, more than 30,000 Haitians had made the journey on at least 268 flights. Accusing Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega of cynically profiting from such flights, the administration earlier this year imposed sanctions on several Nicaragua-based entities and issued alerts warning charter companies and airlines that the Central American nation was weaponizing migration. The U.S. has not ruled out sanctioning airlines if they are involved. The latest scheme revolves around two companies, SAYA Travel agency in Hait, and Fly All Ways, a Suriname-based regional airline that has been operating since 2016. The first arranges for charter trips, while the second allegedly arranges the transport for people once in Suriname. A flight is currently scheduled for Friday. In its 2024 Trafficking In Persons report for Suriname, the U.S. State Department said that traffickers target the increasing influx of asylum-seekers and migrants, many of whom lack legal status and protection, into and through Suriname, saying the migrants are coming from Haiti, Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guyana and the Peoples Republic of Congo, among others. Asylum-seekers and migrant women and girls are especially at risk for sex trafficking in Suriname, including in brothels, massage parlors, hair salons, and illegal gold mining camps in Surinames interior, the report said. Amid increasing Democratic criticism, Republican Congressional candidate Yvette Herrell said Wednesday that she is broadly supportive of extending and expanding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, including the $50 billion bill that sits unheard on GOP House Speaker Mike Johnsons desk. Herrell is seeking to reclaim her House seat from incumbent Democrat Gabe Vasquez in one of the nations most hotly contested elections. She told Source New Mexico on Wednesday that she believes RECA should be expanded. I will support any and all of the efforts, Herrell said. I think theres a responsibility from the government, the federal government, to the downwinders and the uranium workers. She said the program should be expanded to downwinders in New Mexico and multiple states who havent been compensated, and uranium mine workers exposed after 1971. Among those deserving, she said, are downwinders in Guam, who were exposed to nuclear weapons testing between the 1940s and 1960s. U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez visited Lincoln County June 19, 2024 to receive a briefing on the state of the South Fork and Salt fires ravaging the area. A group of House Democrats, including Vasquez, gathered Tuesday evening in Albuquerque for a campaign rally, calling on Johnson to give the RECA bill a vote before the general election. Johnson in late May announced he would not bring to a vote a bill extending RECA, citing the price tag. Several of the roughly 30 attendees at the rally wore oxygen masks, which they said they needed due to lung damage sustained from exposure to uranium mines or mushroom clouds decades ago. Advocates say thousands in New Mexico were sickened, along with their descendants for generations. Think about the trauma that weve suffered, said Paul Pino, who grew up in Carrizozo about 40 miles from the Trinity Site and said he lost a mother and brother to cancer. And think about how people like Mike Johnson just are unmovable, just like they have no heart. Vasquez and other House Democrats also criticized Herrell. He alleged she didnt support the RECA expansion for New Mexico downwinders, which Herrell denies. Democrats also said she was unwilling to hold Johnsons feet to the fire about the issue. What action do you think Yvette Herrell will take when shes in Congress, supported and endorsed by the very person who is blocking this legislation? Vasquez told the crowd at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The refusal to support the reauthorization and expansion of this critical act is not a failure of government, but a deliberate disregard for the suffering of New Mexicans for generations. U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-N.M., speaks during the Truth and Courage Rally on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. Johnson will campaign for Herrell in New Mexico next week, including a visit to Las Cruces on Wednesday, Herrell said. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act expired about two months ago, despite bipartisan calls to extend and expand the program for different categories of workers and residents sickened by radiation exposure. The bill that Johnson refuses to bring to the floor, sponsored by U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), passed the Senate 69-30. Twenty Republicans voted for the measure. Time is running out for the expired RECA program to be reauthorized and expanded this year. Congress meets in Washington D.C. for only a few weeks in September before the general election, and Democrats said it was unlikely Johnson would change his position. Vasquez, citing a recent Albuquerque Journal article, told reporters after the meeting that he believed Herrell was opposed to expanding the program for downwinders in the Tularosa Basin area, which falls into Congressional District 2. Tina Cordova, a longtime advocate on behalf of downwinders impacted by the Trinity blast in 1946, also told Source New Mexico on Wednesday that Herrell has been quoted or paraphrased in news articles having different positions on RECA, including advocating for less than a full expansion or saying she wanted a separate program for downwinders. Hoping to set the record straight, Herrell said she endorses an expansion. She said she believes she and her opponent want the same groups of people to be covered by RECA, even with the high price tag. She pointed to her record as a cosponsor to the RECA Amendment Act when she served in Congress before Vasquez took her seat. Out of office, she said shes met with uranium workers in Grants and brought the issue up with Johnson in private. Herrell stopped short of saying she disagreed with Johnson about his decision, saying it was his discretion to bring bills for a vote, but shell urge him to take action on the bill when they meet next week in Las Cruces. Ill be meeting with him privately. Obviously, this is the top of my list for something that Id like to see them take action on, she said. Cordova called on Herrell to go a step further and arrange a meeting between downwinders and Johnson during his visit. Everybody across this country whos a downwinder and a uranium worker has been begging to meet with him, she said. While Herrell supports a full expansion, she said she understands why some of her former colleagues in the House are worried about costs, citing the mounting national debt and other spending. That kind of money gives a little bit of pause to some of the members, she said. Herrell said she was more optimistic than her Democratic opponents about chances for a RECA expansion this year. She pointed to a separate bill that she hoped would spur the House leaders into action, should it pass the House Judiciary Committee and head to the Speakers desk. Sponsored by U.S. Rep. Harriet Hagemen (R-Wyoming), the bill provides compensation to uranium miners in 11 states, including New Mexico, and extends but does not expand RECA. It also uses unspent COVID-19 pandemic funds to pay for it, she said, which might make it more appealing to fiscal conservatives. Certainly having both bills at the speakers table would be a great catalyst and opportunity for the speaker to broker a deal with a compromise bill, she said. Source New Mexico reporter Danielle Prokop contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Herrell affirms support for RECA expansion The Tennessee Three formerly started out as three individuals, State Reps. Justin Pearson, Gloria Johnson, and Justin Jones, with their communal fight for gun reform laws. The three would lead a personal protest, much in the spirit of their states history of civil rights, but this time for gun reform during the legislative session of 2023. The recent mass shooting of three 9yearold children and three adults at The Covenant School followed a string of high-profile school shootings and calls for gun reform that faced political resistance. The Justins Pearson and Jones who stood out for their impassioned speeches, were summarily expelled from the State House, and whose tenacity, coupled with their youth, brought back into public consciousness the efforts of young activists like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael who, before adopting the name Kwame Ture in 1968, would generate the kind of interest seen in Tennessee. So too were Jones and Pearson activists in their own right before becoming representativesJones in his protest to remove the bust of Ku Klux Klan Nathan Bedford Forrest that sat in the legislative chamber in 2019, and Pearson in his successful effort to cancel construction of the Byhalia Pipeline in 2020. More: Allison Russell, Maren Morris among stars on 'Tennessee Rise' single supporting Gloria Johnson's Senate run Compare the origin stories of four civil rights leaders As we recently marked the one-year memorial of the Nashville shooting, and the efforts of The Justins, it is well worth revisiting the hype that surrounded King and Carmichael in their early years. Reps. Justin Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson on April 3 greet protestors in solidarity outside the House chamber amid chaotic scenes inside the Tennessee capitol after Republican lawmakers voted to hold expulsion hearings for the three Democrats. The GOP supermajority moved to oust the Democratic lawmakers, now known as the Tennessee Three, for briefly leading gun reform chants on the House floor in the wake of the March 27 Covenant School shooting, where six people were murdered. For days after the school shooting, thousands of demonstrators descended on the statehouse to call for increased gun regulations and, later, protest the treatment of the Tennessee Three. The expulsion proceedings, which led to the temporary ousting of Pearson and Jones on April 6, aggravated political tensions, sparked widespread backlash against the GOP supermajority and largely defined the 2023 legislative session, where little action was taken on gun safety issues. King was 26 when he was elected as leader of the Montgomery Improvement Association and, as documented in the 1987 film Eyes on the Prize, and he would guide the bus boycotts, dubbed the Montgomery Bus Boycott. At the time, King stepped on the scene with little attention from the mainstream press, similar to the way The Justins garnered some attention for their peaceful protest in the chamber, but not large enough to attract national attention until their televised expulsion a week later. The Justins, like King, wanted the world to know, through the press, the injustice being done in their expulsion for protesting fellow legislators and their inaction to gun reform. Carmichael, for his part, was 25 when he was elected chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and, as documented in the 2022 film Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, would spearhead voter registration efforts down in Lowndes County. The County known as Bloody Lowndes, for its higher rate of white violence, influenced by racial segregation, forced Carmichael and SNCC members to be housed and protected by the local residents. Here, government inaction to deal with the violence in Lowndes resembles our current government inaction to deal with gun violence, even in the wake of many national tragedies like the Nashville school shooting. For King, his efforts as a young activist would culminate in the desegregation of Alabamas public transportation. In contrast, the impact of Carmichaels activism would be felt politically in Alabama, through the establishment of the Lowndes County Freedom Party. A look back at the Tennessee Three expulsion votes: Here's why lawmakers did it. | Opinion The young Tennessee lawmakers restored faith in youth activism However, in the case of The Justins, as reported in The Tennessean last year, in a special state legislative session in the summer of 2023, Tennessees Republican-dominated General Assembly passed laws with little significance to gun reform. Jones and Pearson, for their part, did not make much of a legislative impact, but they were able to make a difference in their community by restoring faith in youth activism and the democratic process. "The Tennessee Three" explains the current situation in America in terms of race and its broader political implications, which correlates back to the paved road of King and Carmichael. Their past attempts, in a young form, helped to create change in America through their philosophy and local efforts. Ku Teh Bu Beh graduated from a private school in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Yven Destin is a history teacher at the private school in Charlotte. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Three Justins are the modern-day MLK and Stokely Carmichael A bondsman and expert testified in court Thursday that magistrates in Nashville at times do not accept the surrender and jailing of defendants who have violated their bond conditions. That was one of the reasons a representative for Brookes Bail Bonding said she did not take Bricen Rivers back to court when he returned to Nashville on June 29 when questioned by all six Nashville criminal court judges. Rivers had been in Mississippi for five days at the point he came back to Nashville, in violation of a court order that required him to stay in Davidson County while out on bond for what police describe as a bloody attack on his ex-girlfriend Lauren Johansen. Police say Rivers killed Johansen in Mississippi just days after his return to Nashville. Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton and Judge Steve Dozier listen during a review of the two bond companies on the Bricen Rivers case Justice A. A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. In what was a rare evidentiary hearing with all the criminal court judges present, they heard over 4 hours of testimony from bonding agents, an attorney and a clerk. It's not immediately clear what actions, if any, will be taken against the bonding companies. The judges might make changes to policies and procedures, but it remains unclear if they have the right to revoke those companies' privileges to write bonds in Davidson County anymore. Issues with surrendering clients Joel Moseley Jr., counsel for the Tennessee Association of Professional Bail Agents, testified that state law doesnt say failing to follow conditions of release on bond is a good cause for surrender. Night court magistrates who handle pressing judicial issues outside of normal business hours do not have to accept the surrender of a defendant. Judge Steven Dozier did not buy it. You dont just give up and say, I'm not going to go to the magistrate because five years in the past, they havent been really kind to me, Dozier said. Brooke Harlan, owner of Brooke's Bail Bonding, speaks to Dr. Lance Johansen, father of Lauren Johansen, following a review the two bond companies involved in the Bricen Rivers case at the Justice A. A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Moseley testified that in a hypothetical with conditions like Rivers, he would have advised his clients to surrender the defendant to be jailed. This gray area of when a bondsman has authority to surrender a client without court intervention was a key topic of discussion Thursday. Under state law there are five conditions under which a client can be surrendered: The defendant violated the terms of the bond contract with the bondsman The bondsman or surety believes the defendant won't appear in court The defendant's bond is revoked The defendant failed to appear in court The defendant was arrested while out on bond Notably, that list does not explicitly include violating the bond conditions set by the court. Moseley said there's been a push to change the state rules to include violations of bond conditions. "The general thought, though, was that was a matter for the courts to decide," he said. Still, when bonding agents have attempted to surrender clients for breach of contract, which conceivably could include a breach of bond conditions, they've sometimes been turned away, Moseley said. Jerry Donald Jordan Jr., a bondsman with decades of experience in Nashville, echoed Moseley's statements. "It's not constant, but it's enough that it's a nuisance," Jordan said when asked about issues with surrenders. Sometimes the magistrate won't accept the surrender, other times it's the Sheriff's Office, Jordan said, and he's been denied when he had a warrant in hand, too. More often he's denied a surrender when there's been a violation of bond conditions, he said. "But you keep trying, you don't give up on the surrender?" Dozier asked Jordan. "Yes, sir. I do," he replied. Who is responsible? Beyond if the magistrate or Sheriff's Office would have accepted a surrender of Rivers, there was plenty of discussion about who would have been responsible for the surrender. Brookes Bail Bonding and On Time Bail Bond hadnt received the full payment from Rivers mother before they posted his bond, allowing his release. Representatives from both companies said doing so is not an uncommon practice. Alisha Ridley, the agent with Brooke's Bail Bonding who signed for Rivers' bond, said she became aware of conditions placed upon her client four days after his June 24 release. By that point, Rivers was back in Mississippi. Upon learning that he was in violation of his bond, Ridley testified that she tried to coax him back to Nashville. Without a warrant she said she couldn't go send a team to retrieve him. It was ultimately an issue with his ankle monitor that brought him back to Nashville on June 29. Nakeda Wilhoite, who is a bonding agent with Brooke's Bail Bonding but also has her own GPS monitoring company Freedom Monitoring, met with Rivers that day. Ridley testified that she sent a text message of the bond conditions to Wilhoite the day before. Wilhoite said she was only told some of the conditions over the phone and never saw an order until the following Monday. Regardless, acting not as his bondsman but rather just the monitoring agent, Wilhoite said it wasn't within her power to surrender him. "He knew he wasn't supposed to be in Mississippi. He told me he would be staying in Nashville," Wilhoite testified. Rivers immediately returned to Mississippi where police there say he ultimately killed Lauren Johansen. Dr. Lance Johansen, Lauren's father, testified at the end of the hearing he was upset with how the system functions in Nashville. It just seems that every system after they leave the courtroom isn't working very well, Johansen said. Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Bond agents testify to issues surrendering clients in Nashville The Virginia Department of Education is calling for school divisions to implement policies banning student cellphone use from bell-to-bell, meaning from the start of the school day until dismissal. The education department released draft guidance for cellphone-free education in Virginia schools Thursday, following an executive order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin last month. The draft guidance says that any student with a cellphone should turn it off and store it away, "bell-to-bell" throughout the school day. This draft guidance is the result of Virginians coming together and saying, Enough,' said Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera in a statement. Virginia parents and teachers have witnessed firsthand the damage cell phones in schools has had on our youths academic, mental and physical health and social development. The Youngkin administration stands ready to support public schools, families, and communities as we change the culture around cell phones. After considering public feedback to the draft guidance, the Department of Education will issue its final model policies Sept. 16. Local school boards are expected to adopt their own policies that are consistent with the education department's guidance by Jan. 1. Nothing in Youngkins executive order prohibits local school boards from adopting policies that are stricter than the VDOEs forthcoming guidance. The executive order also has no consequences, legal or otherwise, for school boards that may defy the order. In the wake of this weeks dramatic meeting where two councilmembers were censured, a city council candidate for Ward I released a proposal Thursday, calling on city officials to work with the state lawmakers to allow for the citys citizens to directly elect the mayor. Jacqueline Timmer, the Republican candidate for Ward I in this Novembers general election, said theres too much infighting on city council about who will serve as mayor. Timmer is running against Democrat Randy Smith and Independent Cameron Craddock Howe in the Ward I race. Lynchburg is in an interesting predicament right now, Timmer said Thursday at a news conference at the Lynchburg Community Market. Government that is captured by factions, hidden interests and backroom deals is not accountable to the people that it serves, creates conflicts and fails to address the concerns of the community. On Tuesday, Mayor Stephanie Reed, a Republican, was joined by fellow Republican Chris Faraldi, who serves as vice mayor and represents Ward IV on city council, in voting to adopt a resolution censuring Ward III Councilman Jeff Helgeson and At-large Councilman Martin Misjuns. Ward I Councilwoman MaryJane Dolan, who is not running for re-election, and Ward II Councilman Sterling Wilder also voted to adopt the resolution censuring Helgeson and Misjuns. Dolan and Wilder ran as Independents in their previous elections to city council; Wilder is running as a Democrat in his re-election bid this November. Helgeson, Misjuns and At-large Councilman Larry Taylor, a Republican, voted against the censure resolution. At the news conference announcing her proposal, Timmer, who has not said who she would support as mayor if elected in November, said most of the infighting on city council centers around who gets to sit in the middle seat, who is the mayor and who will be the mayor. Secretive promises and self-serving agreements prevent a transparent and accountable government, she added. In Lynchburg, councilmembers, not voters, choose the mayor and vice mayor from among members of council. After this Novembers council elections, the mayor and vice mayor will be selected by councilmembers in January. Under Lynchburgs council-manager form of government, the mayor and vice mayor positions are largely ceremonial. The mayor presides over council meetings, gives the annual State of the City address and often attends local ribbon-cuttings and other events as the city representative. Before a locality can request the General Assembly amend its charter, the locality must receive input from its residents on the proposed change. The ways to seek public input include holding a citywide referendum on whether the mayor should be directly elected by its residents or the city council holding a public hearing on the change to its charter. In Virginia, the mayor is directly elected by citizens in 22 cities and elected by the city council in 16 cities. Lynchburg is one of the few Virginia cities that elects councilmembers in a mixed at-large and ward system that still has the city council select the mayor. Waynesboro has four members elected by ward and one member voted at-large. The five-member council then elects the mayor and vice mayor from the council for two-year terms. Almost every other city in Virginia where the mayor is chosen by its city council has only at-large councilmembers. I spoke with legislators, senators on the possibility of doing this. Its been done, it can be done, we can do it here, Timmer said. In a radio interview with WLNI on Wednesday, Timmer said, I have spoken with all Republican members of council, and I am willing to work with all Republican members of council. Reed told The News & Advance on Thursday she has yet to sit down with Ms. Timmer and speak to her directly about her thoughts on issues. If she were to win her election in November, the council as a whole would have to discuss all future legislative changes that we put forward in any upcoming legislative packages, Reed said. In January 2023, Reed, who was elected in November 2022 as an at-large councilor, defeated council veteran Helgeson by a 4-3 vote to be the citys next mayor. Reed and Helgeson were the only two councilmembers nominated for the mayoral position in January 2023. At Thursdays news conference, Timmer said the divisiveness among Republicans on city council in Lynchburg is a manifestation of the type of political bullying and punishment that is taking place nationally. In the context of that, its this representation of cancel culture that we have an opportunity to reject, she said. So, we need to get past the blame game, we need to get back to the issues, and I believe this [elected mayor] proposal will help do that. Okayama, Aug 16 (News On Japan) - Nishiawakura Village, located in the northeastern part of Okayama Prefecture, is a small village with a population of about 1,300 people. With no convenience stores and only two traffic lights, this village embarked on a significant initiative in 2008 called the 'Nishiawakura Century Forest Plan.' Nishiawakura's Deputy Mayor, Takahiro Kamiyama, explained: The Century Forest Plan was conceived during the major municipal mergers of the Heisei era in 2004. Since 60% of the residents chose not to merge with neighboring municipalities, the village faced a substantial challenge of sustaining itself without merging despite its small size and limited financial resources. The focus was placed on the village's vast forests, which cover more than 90% of its area. These cedar and cypress plantations, treasures passed down through generations, became the cornerstone of the village's revitalization efforts. By maximizing the use of these forests, the village began promoting itself both locally and beyond, with the aim of transforming into a vibrant and prosperous community for future generations. One of the newcomers drawn to the village was Nao Tabata, who moved there in 2017. A former IT startup employee, Tabata co-founded a company focused on forest survey and management after discovering an unexpected interest in forestry. Tabata, now co-representative of Hyakumori Co., Ltd., remarked, I wasnt originally interested in the mountains, but after visiting with friends a few times to learn about forestry, I found it intriguing and decided to give it a try. In addition to surveying forests and designing work roads to improve the quality of the trees, there is a mountain of work to be done. Among those contributing to the village's revitalization is Masayuki Oshima, who moved to Nishiawakura in 2009. He now runs a furniture manufacturing and sales company using local timber. Oshima, CEO of Youbi Co., Ltd., shared, I moved here on August 6, 2009. By creating furniture through the Century Forest Plan, I realized that not only could we make people happy, but we could also enhance the beauty of the forest and the community. The joy of the villagers is spreading to the region and connecting with the future generations. So far, around 50 companies have been established in Nishiawakura by people who resonate with this vision, and now about 20% of the village's population consists of newcomers. A decade ago, a survey suggested that Nishiawakura Village might disappear in the future. However, the village's name was removed from a similar list released in 2024. Tabata, from Hyakumori Co., Ltd., reflected, We haven't succeeded yet, but the struggle toward success is quite interesting. Oshima, from Youbi Co., Ltd., added, Being able to fully immerse oneself in the challenges they are passionate about, thanks to the village's various policies and the culture of welcoming newcomers, is what makes this village so attractive. Deputy Mayor Kamiyama concluded, By making full use of our greatest existing resource, a business model was born. Alongside it, social businesses in education, care, and welfare have expanded. We will continue to build a system that allows the region to fully utilize its inherent strengths. This small village's bold challenge continues as Nishiawakura Village marches toward the future. Source: FNN Aug 16 (NHK) - The Japanese government has issued a level-one alert against mpox, the viral disease previously known as monkeypox. Officials are urging people traveling to, or staying in, seven African countries to exercise caution. The move comes after the World Health Organization announced that the recent surge in mpox cases, mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. Japan's Foreign Ministry issued the alert on Thursday. The advisory covers the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. The level-one alert is the lowest on Japan's four-tier scale. The government is calling on people to take precautions against infection when they travel to, or stay in, those countries. FUKUI, Aug 16 (News On Japan) - In the latest attack by wild dolphins in Fukui Prefecture, a man in his 20s was bitten in Mihama on Wednesday, leaving injuries to both hands, requiring five stitches on his left index finger, according to the Tsuruga Coast Guard. Two other men also suffered abrasions on their sides and wrists after colliding with the dolphin. A witness remarked, "It was quite surprising. I didn't expect it to come so close." This season alone, 16 people have been injured by dolphins in Fukui Prefecture, more than twice the number reported last year. Previously: Wild Dolphins Attack Swimmers at Fukui Beach Source: ANN TOKYO, Aug 17 (News On Japan) - In 1945, 79 years ago, the American militarys air raids on Japan's mainland intensified. Last year, footage of these air raids was discovered in Gunma Prefecture. The film captured what could be described as the real scenes of air raids as seen by the Japanese people at the time. Numerous bombs dropping on the city. Indiscriminate machine-gun strafing. As the war reached its final stages, the air raids intensified. Until now, most of the air raid footage we have seen was filmed by the American military from above. At that time, airplanes flying over Japan were considered military secrets, and filming was not allowed. However, last year, a valuable piece of footage shot from the Japanese side was discovered in Gunma Prefecture. The film contained images of an aircraft that the Navy had been secretly developing. The Nakajima Aircraft Company in Gunma Prefecture was producing the 'Renzan,' a phantom attack aircraft. The footage was a record of its first flight, filmed by the Nakajima Aircraft photography team. The film ends after about six and a half minutes, but there is more. The footage also included scenes from February 10, 1945, when 84 B-29 bombers attacked the Gunma area, in what is now known as the 'Ota Air Raid.' The film captured several small white specks moving from right to left across the black screenthese were the B-29s. The 'Reality of Air Raids' as Seen from the Ground Akira Motegi, 87, who experienced the air raids, recalled the scenes as he watched the footage. "It looked just like this," Motegi said. At that time, the B-29s were flying high above Ota City, appearing as "small white shadows" from the ground. "The sound was like playing several keys on an organ at oncebang, bang, bang... It was terrifying when the B-29s came. But out of curiosity, I stuck my head out of the air-raid shelter, even though I got scolded," he recalled. The reality seen by the people of Ota City was different from the images filmed from the sky. It was the sight of the sky from the ground. The footage also shows a Japanese military aircraft attempting to intercept, and what appears to be a B-29 falling from the sky. The images also include people fleeing, wearing air-raid hoods, all moving in the same direction. The Terror of Air Raids: 'We Fled for Our Lives' Kazuo Nakaniwa, 95, who worked at Nakajima Aircraft at the time, said, "There was no room for error. We were fleeing for our lives." "When I went home in the evening after the air raid, I saw people covered in blood, some already dead. I didnt make a sound, but I was crying as I walked home. It was horrible," he said. The first air raid on Ota City claimed the lives of over 160 people. Why was the footage, which was supposed to be forbidden, shot in the first place? Professor Hironari Tsuchida, a modern Japanese history expert at Seishin University, speculates: "I believe they filmed it with a sense of duty, thinking that this needed to be documented. They may have anticipated the air raid based on the air-raid warnings and prepared the cameras in advance." Extending the 'Memory of War' with AI Technology The recorded footage of war memories has regained attention in recent years. Professor Hidenori Watanabe of the University of Tokyos Graduate School has been working on colorizing monochrome photographs. When we actually colorize them, it suddenly becomes easier to feel that the war took place in a landscape not so different from what we see in our daily lives, Professor Watanabe said. Professor Watanabe, who has colorized photos from the Battle of Okinawa and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was asked to colorize the newly discovered footage. By adding colors with AI and reflecting information gathered from historical records and testimonies, the clear blue sky has been revived. This matches the American militarys records, which describe the sky on the day of the air raid as clear. Seventy-nine years after the war, with the continuation of war memory preservation becoming an issue, Professor Watanabe believes that the use of the latest technology is key. New ways of reutilizing this material will emerge. It may be crucial to continually incorporate new methods to re-express these memories in ways that resonate with future generations. We can extend the lifespan of the memories embedded in these photos and videos with technology, Professor Watanabe said. Source: ANN TOKYO, Aug 17 (News On Japan) - The race to determine the successor to Prime Minister Kishida within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is intensifying. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi has reportedly conveyed his intention to run for the LDP presidency to his close associates. Meanwhile, former Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato has also begun preparations for his candidacy. The fierce competition within the LDP is spilling over into the Constitutional Democratic Party's (CDP) leadership election, with growing calls for a veteran lawmaker to throw their hat into the ring. Prime Minister Kishida has indicated that he will not seek re-election in the upcoming LDP leadership race. So far, nearly ten lawmakers have expressed their interest in running, but securing the required 20 nominations remains a key challenge. Former LDP Secretary-General Akira Amari hinted during a TV interview on the 15th that he is close to securing the necessary endorsements, stating that the numbers are gradually coming together. Additionally, sources close to former Minister of Economic Security Takayuki Kobayashi have revealed that he has already secured more than 20 supporters, with only the final decision on which lawmakers to list as endorsers remaining. The latest development comes as Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi conveyed his intention to run to his close colleagues this evening. Similarly, former Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato has reportedly begun preparations to enter the race. The LDP leadership contest, now resembling a free-for-all, is also affecting the CDP's leadership election scheduled for next month. Current CDP leader Kenta Izumi is expected to face off against former leader Yukio Edano. However, there is growing support for a veteran lawmaker to step into the race. The call is growing for a seasoned politician to be the face of the party, especially if the LDP is poised to offer a stable alternative to the ruling government. As speculation rises, all eyes are on whether a former prime minister might shake up the race by stepping in. Source: TBS TOKYO, Aug 17 (News On Japan) - As Japan's summer vacation drags on, economic hardship is hitting single-parent families particularly hard. A recent survey revealed that about one in three children in these households are limited to just two meals a day during the summer, as school lunches are no longer available. Many of these families also face significant financial challenges, with some parents skipping meals to ensure their children can eat. The income of single-mother households is roughly half of the national average, and a significant portion of these mothers are in non-regular employment, which contributes to their struggles. In response, an NPO has launched the Childrens Adventure Bank program to provide financially disadvantaged children with opportunities for play and learning experiences. The program aims to address the growing gap in childhood experiences between children from different economic backgrounds. Nearly 80% of single-parent households reported wanting to limit air conditioner use due to the high costs, further highlighting the financial pressures they face. The article underscores the broader issue of adult poverty, which is closely tied to child poverty, and the need for greater support for these vulnerable families. Source: TBS By Rachel Okporu Fadoju The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the upcoming September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the former Governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, to retract the malicious and defamatory statements made against him on national television. Naija News reported that Oshiomhole had, during an interview on Arise TV, described Ighodalo as unelectable, unable to speak his language and lacks the qualities necessary for the Edo people to elect him as Governor. In a letter dated August 12, 2024 by his lawyers, Ayo Asala (SAN) & Associates, Ighodalo said Oshiomhole made wild and unsubstantiated claims about the status of his candidacy. Ighodalo stated that when cautioned by the moderators of the programme, Oshiomhole maintained his claims and made other derogatory remarks about him, thus directly attacking his person, reputation and integrity. The PDP gubernatorial candidate asked the Senator to tender public and private apologies to him, which must also be published in two specific national dailies, the Vanguard and ThisDay Newspapers. He added that the failure of the Senator to meet his demands would leave him with no option but to institute a N20 billion suit against him for damages without any further notice. The letter read in part: On or about 7th day of August 2024, our clients attention was drawn to widely circulated statements made by you while being interviewed on a National Television Station, Arise News, during its Morning Show Program, touching and concerning our clients. These statements have also been widely circulated on various social media platforms including X (formally called Twitter), WhatsApp and Facebook and others. By Justina Otio Another court has granted an appeal sought by Zhongshan, the Chinese company which obtained an order to seize Nigerias presidential jets. Recall that a French court had granted the Chinese company orders to seize Nigerias European assets following a breach of contract between the company and the Ogun State government to develop a free trade zone. As soon as the orders were granted, the Chinese company immediately initiated attempts to seize Nigerias private jets in Switzerland and France including a $100 million newly acquired jet. A report from The Whistler has disclosed that a United States court also granted an appeal to the Chinese company. In the appeal in the US, Nigeria reportedly argued in vain claiming sovereign immunity, the same argument the Nigerian government put up on Thursday against the seizure of its jets in different jurisdictions in Europe. The US rejected the sovereign immunity argument and subsequently authorised the Chinese consortium to proceed with its efforts to confiscate Nigerias assets abroad. Records showed the court arrived at the decision on August 9, 2024, after judges in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in Washington found that Nigeria had indeed violated the agreement it entered with the Chinese firm to establish the trade zone agreement in Ogun state, Nigeria. Court papers showed that Zhongshan approached the US Court in order to retrieve an arbitration award for breach of contract after initially winning their case in the United Kingdom in 2021 during the administration of Muhammadu Buhari. The court in the UK awarded the Chinese company $55.6 million in compensation and $75,000 in moral damages, alongside interest, legal and arbitration fees. The UK court had ruled that the Chinese company had presented clear evidence which it noted was satisfactory and therefore awarded the company almost $60m against Nigeria. The company moved to enforce the court judgement in the US forcing Nigeria to argue that it had sovereign immunity, which forbade the matter from being heard in a US court. Unfortunately, the judge ruled that Nigeria is a signatory to the New York Convention, which allows arbitration between persons, which may include a sovereign entity. Having lost out, Nigeria immediately filed an interlocutory appeal in the matter on April 22, 2024, court findings showed. However, two of the three-man panel voted in favour of the Chinese company granting approval that the case should proceed because Nigeria had lost its grounds for immunity when it joined Ogun in violating the contractual agreement. The court stated that since Ogun lacked sovereign immunity as an entity in Nigeria and having offered Ogun a sovereign guarantee, the country is liable for any fallout and can be held liable for a breach. The judges Patricia Millett and Michelle Childs, said in their majority decision that, Whether the arbitration exception applies in this case therefore turns on whether a treatyspecifically, the New York Conventiongoverns the Final Award. They added, We hold that it does because the Final Award arose from (1) a legal relationship, (2) that is considered as commercial, and (3) is between persons. In their final ruling, they stressed that, Zhongshan and Nigeria shared a legal relationship because Nigeria owed Zhongshan legal duties under the Investment Treaty. However, the minority opinion from judge Greg Katsas, argued that the targeted assets also came under the countrys sovereign umbrella and so the country should not be denied that. Nigeria has not issued any statement regarding the latest development from the US and reserves the right to appeal to the US supreme court. In the event it fails to appeal or it appeals and fails, the matter can proceed in the lower court leading to a possible order to seize assets belonging to the country. By Johnson Babajide The Benue State Police Command has provided details regarding the abduction of twenty medical students from the University of Jos. Tribune Online reports the students were kidnapped along the notorious Otukpo/Otukpa/Enugu road on Thursday evening on their way to attend the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students, FECAMDS, in Enugu. Police Public Relations Officer SP Catherine Anene reported that the students, who were traveling from Jos to Enugu, were intercepted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers. The Otukpo/Otukpa/Enugu road, especially the Otukpo/Otukpa section, is known for frequent criminal activity, including kidnappings. Prominent individuals, such as local government chairmen, priests, and the Rector of Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, have previously been victims of kidnappers along this route. Anene confirmed, We received a report that medical students traveling from Jos to Enugu were kidnapped after Otukpo. Approximately twenty students are involved, and an investigation is ongoing. The students were en route to the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students annual convention in Enugu when they were ambushed by the gunmen. International NGOs are warning of a worsening refugee crisis in Libya as nearly 100,000 fled violence in war-torn Sudan to seek relative safety in conflict-stricken Libya. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) announced an emergency response to help nearly 100,000 Sudanese in Libya with 2,500 to 3,000 more people expected to reach the region daily in the coming months. People from Sudan have faced unimaginable trauma whilst fleeing conflict. They arrive in southern Libya severely traumatized, malnourished and often needing medical care, said Jared Rowell, Country Director for IRC Libya, in a statement. Our teams have reported that large numbers of families, along with unaccompanied children and survivors of gender-based violence, are arriving in Libya. This situation underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive protection response, he said. Sudan has become home to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the World in the wake of the outbreak of a civil war in April last year between the paramilitary RSF and the army. The war left nearly half Sudans 48 million population suffering from hunger in areas including the capital Khartum, according to the latest figures from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a group of experts from U.N. bodies and major relief agencies that measures hunger and formally declares famine. Some 2 million people have crossed the border to flee the ongoing civil war, UNHCR said. The UN said it has received only 17% of the 2.7 billion dollars needed to address the humanitarian situation in Sudan. The restive North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen more deadly attacks on civilians this week, when ISIS-linked militants killed at least 30 people in several villages and, most recently, armed men attacked a fuel truck on Thursday (15 August) killing at least seven people, including four children, according to local officials. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group linked to the Islamic State or ISIS/ISIL, has left a trail of death in North Kivu province in eastern DRC. Attacks from the ADF have increased recently, according to local media reports, saying that their militants killed over 200 civilians in North Kivu in June only and more than 100 in July. The latest attack on the village of Mukonia on 10 August reportedly claimed 30 lives, left at least 14 people missing and also caused great material damage, including burnt or looted houses. Last June, the ADF militants are also suspected of being behind a massacre in neighboring Uganda when 41 people, mostly students, were brutally killed. This may have seen a retaliation against Ugandas army that in 2021 launched joint air and artillery strikes against the ADF in eastern Congo. At least seven people, including four children, died on Thursday after a truck was set on fire by unidentified armed men. It is not immediately clear who is responsible for the attack, but some local sources point to the presence in the area of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group and also elements affiliated with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Eastern DRC has struggled with armed violence for decades as more than 120 groups fight for power, land, and valuable mineral resources, while others try to defend their communities. The Algerian regime has reached out to Nigers military rulers to mend broken relationship in a bid to shore up its eroding influence in Africa and counter Moroccos significant inroads across the Continent, especially in the Sahel. According to some analysts, Algerias U-turn and overture to its southern neighbors are unlikely to succeed because the country has lost its ability to leverage oil for political gains. In July 2023, Algeria stood against Nigers junta after the military seized power in the West African country. Tension flared between the two countries, which are still at loggerhead over several sensitive issues. The new leaders in Niger had rejected an Algerian mediation initiative and summoned Algerian ambassador in Niamey to protest against the arbitrary mass expulsion and inhumane treatment of Nigerien migrants by Algerian authorities. Niger is also member of the newly created alliance gathering Mali and Burkina-Faso. All the three Sahel countries have strained relations with the Algerian regime for meddling with their domestic affairs and serving the agenda of former French colonial power. All Sahel countries including Niger, Mali, Burkina-Faso and Chad have adhered to the Atlantic initiative announced by King Mohammed VI. The royal initiative, offering Atlantic access to landlocked African countries, has upended geostrategic interests and shaken regional order, confirming the leadership of the North African Kingdom. To break growing international isolation, the ruling junta in Algeria has opened this week dialogue with Niamey offering numerous economic cooperation projects as well as assistance and investment from Sonatrach to bolster production in Nigers oil fields. However, Algerian promises always turn out to be a lot of hot-air. The politically-motivated proposals were made by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during meetings held in Algiers with a high-level Nigerien delegation, including PM Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine and Defense minister General Salifou Modi. The Nigerien delegation was also received by army chief Said Chengriha. According to intelligence reports, Nigers Prime minister delivered to Algerian President a letter from Nigers Head of State Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani on behalf of the Confederation of Sahel countries which are standing united against Algerian military regime. All Sahel countries decry Algiers ties with Tuareg separatist movements, jihadist groups, and criminal networks threating peace and stability in the region. Algeria is currently seen as untrustworthy neighbor, a rogue state on the verge of implosion, and an exporter of instability, making all its neighbors and partners very anxious. The South African White River Court has made the decision to drop its lawsuit against the ninety-five Libyans being held at the unauthorized Mpumalanga military training camp. African media said that the court moved the Libyans case to the Ministry of Home Affairs for administrative handling, dropping the accusation of breaking immigration legislation. The court granted the urgent request of the 95 jailed Libyans legal representation to appeal the case. In response to their alleged immigration law violations, the detainees were brought before the court on Thursday, August 15, according to a representative for the National Prosecuting Authority in Mpumalanga. The 95 Libyans were detained at a possible military training camp in the South African city of Mpumalanga, and they were charged with violating immigration laws. According to a police spokesman, the police activated the ProvJoints Regional Operations and Intelligence Structure two days prior to the arrest after receiving intelligence about the suspected camp that was raided in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs. South Africas political landscape is experiencing a significant shift as Floyd Shivambu, deputy leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), resigns to join former president Jacob Zumas uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party. This move deals a blow to the EFF, which saw its vote share decline in the recent national election, while MK surged to become the third-largest party in parliament. Both EFF and MK are part of a leftist opposition alliance formed after the election to counter the ruling coalition. Shivambus switch highlights MKs growing appeal, particularly in Zumas home province of KwaZulu-Natal. EFF leader Julius Malema acknowledged the challenge, stating its a testing moment for the party. The two parties share similar policies, including bank and mine nationalization, land expropriation for Black farmers, and criticism of white monopoly capital. This ideological overlap may explain Shivambus transition. Zumas expulsion from the African National Congress (ANC) earlier this year and MKs subsequent electoral success have reshaped South Africas political dynamics. As the country grapples with economic challenges and calls for radical change, this latest development suggests a potential realignment of leftist forces that could significantly impact future elections and policy-making. The departure of a key figure like Shivambu could potentially weaken the EFFs position, while strengthening MKs appeal to voters seeking alternatives to mainstream parties. This shift may lead to a reconfiguration of South Africas opposition landscape, potentially altering the balance of power in future elections. Photo: Brendan McDermid/Reuters The New York Times reported Thursday that Eric Adams and his campaign committee have been served grand-jury subpoenas as part of Manhattan federal prosecutors ongoing probe into his 2021 campaigns ties to Turkey. Prosecutors are reportedly seeking documents and various communications through the subpoenas, which were initially issued in July, according to the Times. The mayor gave his first public acknowledgment of the subpoenas in a pretaped interview with WABCs Bill Ritter set to air Sunday, though he did not give specifics about what he was being asked to provide to prosecutors. Like previous administrations that had to go through subpoenas, you participate. You cooperate, Adams said. The request for additional information is a new sign of life from the U.S. attorneys office in its monthslong investigation into the Adams campaign. The inquiry is examining whether the campaign conspired with the Turkish government to funnel illegal foreign donations to the campaigns coffers. Investigators are said to be particularly scrutinizing whether fire inspectors were pressured to sign off on development of a new Turkish consulate building in Manhattan despite concerns about its safety. CNN reports that the information being sought through the subpoenas pertains to foreign travel as well as any potential ties to Turkey. Earlier this year, it was reported that investigators were looking into Adamss past travel on Turkish Airlines and whether he received free upgrades to his flights. To date, Adams has not been officially accused of any wrongdoing. The investigation first became public last November after the FBI raided the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs, a top fundraiser for Adams. Rana Abbasova, who was then an aide on City Halls international-affairs team, also had her home raised that same day. Days later, agents stopped Adams on the street with a search warrant for his electronic devices, which they seized and later returned. In May, it was reported that Abbasova, who worked as a liaison to the Turkish community, is now cooperating with the investigation into her former boss. In a statement, Adamss attorneys Brendan McGuire and Boyd Johnson said theyve conducted their own investigation over the past nine months and found no evidence of wrongdoing from their client. Our investigation has included an evaluation of campaign documents, an analysis of tens of thousands of electronic communications, and witness interviews. To be clear, we have not identified any evidence of illegal conduct by the Mayor. To the contrary, we have identified extensive evidence undermining the reported theories of federal prosecution as to the Mayor, which we have voluntarily shared with the US Attorney, they said. Photo: Rebecca Droke/AFP/Getty Images Its been just over a month since Donald Trump announced J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential pick. In that time, a reliable dynamic has developed. The Ohio senator will say something about the conservative project that sounds weird or an old comment will be revisited that sounds really weird and he will spend the next few days addressing his quotes without actually walking them back. What was it this week? Agreeing with foolishness The focus has mostly been on Vances obsession with pro-natalism a philosophy that wants to push American women into having children at the right age without falling into a childless adulthood where women are forced to fill the emotional void with cats, as he famously put it. The latest problem for Vance on this topic comes from a 2020 podcast appearance with Eric Weinstein, the managing director at the venture-capital firm of Peter Thiel, the strange billionaire who bankrolled Vances run for Senate in 2022. In the episode, Vance and Weinstein are talking about the importance of grandparents spending time with grandchildren. Weinstein puts this in an extremely weird way, saying that the whole purpose of the postmenopausal female is to help raise their grandkids. Instead of pushing back or saying something normal or mentioning that he wrote a whole book about being raised by his grandmother Vance just said, Yes. NEW VANCE AUDIO: In an interview from 2020, JD Vance agrees with a podcast host who says having grandmothers help raise children is the whole purpose of the postmenopausal female. He also agrees when the host says grandparents helping raise children is a "weird, unadvertised pic.twitter.com/W4KwHfZyw2 Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) August 14, 2024 Vance agreed with Weinstein when he said that there is a weird, unadvertised feature of marrying an Indian woman. Vance then described how his wifes mother took a sabbatical from her position as a biology professor to help take care of their newborn child. A spokesperson for Vance told NBC News that the media is dishonestly putting words in J.D.s mouth. By then, the damage by proxy was done. So, um, speaking as a very postmenopausal woman .. if I didnt have grandkids, I should be taken out and shot? Lacking a sole purpose? Or? Margaret E Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) August 15, 2024 He thinks Jeff Bezos wanted riots More old Vance quotes are weighing down the Trump ticket this week, like his 2021 speech at a Claremont Institute conference in which he blamed Amazon for property damage following the murder of George Floyd. Who benefits most when small businesses on Main Street are destroyed? Vance asked. Who wants to see their competitors unable to deliver goods and services to people, so that you get it delivered in your brown Amazon box? Jeff Bezos. He added that the people who are invested in destroying America via our corporate class are also getting rich from it. This is an important piece of the puzzle to understand. He thinks companies want abortion access to keep moms working for cheap Up next were more Vance quotes about abortion access, including a comment from the same speech in which he said that companies that support abortion access are looking for cheap labor and that they dont want people to parent children. Hed like to ban abortion entirely Also unearthed this week was Vances appearance on a podcast in 2022 called Very Fine People. There, he said he would like abortion to be illegal nationally. To respond to this issue that Republicans have gotten hammered on in special elections since the Dobbs decision, Vance was given a softball question by Laura Ingraham on Fox News on Wednesday. One of my dear friends tonight said to me, Well, all these suburban women, all they care about is abortion and they dont understand that decision is with the states now, Ingraham said. What do you say to suburban women out there who are marinating in this propaganda? Vance wasnt sold. I dont buy that, he said. I think most suburban women care about the normal things that most Americans care about. Meanwhile, most Americans arent sold on Vance. A new poll analysis from FiveThirtyEight shows that Vance is a less popular vice-presidential choice than Sarah Palin in 2008. His cop jokes arent landing In a speech before the Milwaukee Police Association on Friday, Vance tried a joke with the crowd that didnt stick: Vance: Nobody kidnap my dog because we want him back pic.twitter.com/EYX3jVKOZK Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2024 Vance thinks Irish immigrants are bringing crime and some, he assumes, are good people In another podcast appearance from 2021, Vance gave the audience a history lesson on immigration: JD Vance in 2021, while discussing earlier waves of immigration to the US: "You had this massive wave of Italian, Irish and German immigration and that had its problems, its consequences. You had higher crime rates, you had these ethnic enclaves, you had inter-ethnic conflict in pic.twitter.com/SQNPwaPBLx Jacqueline Sweet (@JSweetLI) August 15, 2024 Taking a question from the New York Times at the Milwaukee Police Association speech on Friday, Vance didnt exactly clear things up: Vance: Has anybody seen the movie "Gangs of New York?." That is what I'm talking about, with these ethnic enclaves in our country, it can lead to higher crime rates. pic.twitter.com/3UOBRSvOfJ Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2024 And there was a tense moment surrounding Vances soda habit: Mountain Dew is ready to go for the visit of VP Nominee JD Vance to the Milwaukee police union, as the union gets ready to endorse Trump/Vance. A different campaign rep asked me to delete photo from my phone or hed have me escorted out. He gave me 5 seconds. I refused. pic.twitter.com/P1tJKpGFYI Jason Calvi (@JasonCalvi) August 16, 2024 BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday denounced the United States and Japan for continuing to meddle in the South China Sea by engaging in military activities alongside the Philippines. Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, addressed a media query concerning the U.S. military aid worth 500 million U.S. dollars to the Philippines and a recent joint military exercise between Japan and the Philippines. "China believes that defense cooperation between countries should not target any third party or disrupt regional peace and stability," said the Chinese spokesperson. However, he said, some countries outside this region, such as the United States and Japan, keep stirring up troubles and muddying the waters in the South China Sea. Zhang also criticized the Philippines, saying it is "inviting wolves into the house and willingly acting as their pawns." He added that it is despised by other regional countries. Zhang emphasized that China has indisputable sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao, known in English as the South China Sea Islands, and their adjacent waters. "We will take legitimate countermeasures against deliberate infringements and provocations to protect our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," said the spokesperson. Photo: Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post/Getty Images I remember vividly the first time I lost a key piece of evidence. The NYPD had caught our defendant in Washington Heights with a fake police badge around his neck and a loaded gun in his waistband, and we charged him with federal-firearms and armed-robbery conspiracy crimes. Better yet (for us on the prosecution side), we flipped a cooperating witness who would testify that he and the defendant had committed two prior armed robberies together by posing as cops and ripping off drug dealers. A week or so before trial began, the judge held a conference to handle routine pre-trial housekeeping. I confidently laid out the cooperators expected testimony. Thats out, the judge ruled, nonchalantly. Too prejudicial. For those who think that every judicial decision is rendered in scholarly prose, replete with probing analysis and citations to applicable precedent: Welcome to the real world. It was a kick in the gut. Thats such bullshit. He cant do that, I whined afterward. Sure he can, my supervisor responded. Hes the judge. My experience is a tiny-potatoes version of what the U.S. Supreme Court has done to Special Counsel Jack Smith and his 2020 election-subversion case against Donald Trump. The Court declared, for the first time in our history, that a president is entitled to criminal immunity for official acts. That part was no surprise; the law has long recognized civil immunity, and the justices during oral argument seemed in no mood to affirm the lower courts outright rejection of Trumps claim. But the breadth of the Supreme Courts decision was astonishing. The majority held, for example, that in dividing official from unofficial conduct, courts may not inquire into the Presidents motives. (It remains unclear exactly how a judge is supposed to draw that vital distinction.) And the Court ruled that if conduct is immune, prosecutors cant base a criminal charge on it nor can they mention it at all during trial, even as necessary context or background. Now the case has landed back in trial court, before Judge Tanya Chutkan. She originally wanted the parties back before her today, but Smith asked for a few more weeks to gather his thoughts; he clearly has accepted that there wont be a pre-election trial, despite his prior dogged efforts. Trumps counsel, ever intent on slowing things down, happily consented to the prosecutions request for delay. When Court reconvenes on September 5, itll be up to the judge to pick through the wreckage and figure out what can be salvaged. On that question, the Supreme Court has offered pointed guidance, and it bodes poorly for the core of Smiths indictment. Trumps effort to coerce the Justice Department to gin up proof of nonexistent election fraud? Almost certainly an official act, and therefore immune and out of the case altogether. Trumps pressure campaign aimed at his vice-president, Mike Pence? Probably out. And Trumps public statements, including his tweets and January 6 Ellipse speech? Likely toast, too. The Supreme Court conspicuously reminded Judge Chutkan that its unimpressed with her work so far and will be watching her closely. The justices in the majority blasted the lower courts for the expedition of this case, the lack of factual analysis and the absence of pertinent briefing by the parties. Indeed, as weve noted here before, Smith, Chutkan, and the intermediate appeals-court judges tried to shortcut ordinary process to get Trump tried before the election; the Supreme Court noticed and disapproved. Most importantly on the vital timing issue, the Court has specified that Trump can appeal Judge Chutkans decisions about what conduct is (and is not) immune, before trial starts. That means, as a practical matter, theres a zero-point-zero percent chance this trial happens before the November 2024 election. If youve been hoping that Trump faces accountability for trying to steal the 2020 election before voters head to the polls for the next one, dont despair not fully, anyway. (For the record, Im with you. The real problem is that DOJ took over two and a half years to charge the case.) Judge Chutkan still can and, I believe, will order an evidentiary hearing to enable Smith to air some of his most explosive evidence before voters head to the polls. The judge now must sift through the prosecutions evidence and determine how much of Trumps alleged conduct was an official act (and therefore immune), and which conduct can remain in the case. She has some leeway here. The judge could opt to take proffers from both sides detailed statements by the lawyers about what they expect their evidence to show. Thats a little flat, but its also perfectly permissible and efficient. And then theres the more sensational alternative: The judge can permit Smith to call live witnesses to expound from the stand on what their trial testimony would be. I expect Smith to push for door number two, and Judge Chutkan to agree. If that happens, brace for a series of dramatic in-court encounters. We could see Trumps former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, take the stand to give his first-ever public accounting of what his boss did (and didnt do) before and on January 6. And Mike Pence could testify about how Trump begged and eventually threatened him in an effort to get him to throw the election and how, on January 6, he had to run for his life to avoid the frothing mob. No, an evidentiary hearing wont hit nearly as hard as a jury trial and verdict. And we wont actually see or hear any of it, because federal courts dont permit cameras or live audio streaming. (Fair enough, given that its apparently the year 1892 right now.) We likely already know the most damaging information, as revealed in 2022 during the unforgettable January 6 Select Committee hearings in Congress, and the ensuing 800-plus page report. But, really, imagine: Trumps own former chief of staff and VP taking the stand in, say, September of an election year, to describe firsthand how their former boss trampled on the Constitution to try to steal an election. Even if we all mostly know the story by now, that simply cant be good for Trump at the polls, just weeks before voters cast their ballots. Its unclear how much of Smiths case will ultimately survive the Supreme Courts strafing. He might eventually go to trial on a tattered indictment focused on Trumps effort to pressure state and local officials, without any of the damning evidence relating to DOJ and the VP and incitement of the rally crowd. Or the wounds inflicted by the Supreme Court might ultimately prove fatal. But if Smiths goal is to expose Trumps conduct to the American public before the election and lets face it, thats plainly been a driving force for the special counsel all along, despite his refusal to acknowledge it hell still have a backdoor path to partial success. This article also appeared in the free CAFE Brief newsletter. You can find more analysis of law and politics from Elie Honig, Preet Bharara, Joyce Vance, and other CAFE contributors at CAFE.com Photo: Office of The Attorney General It didnt take long for Kamala Harriss campaign to come up with a plan to rebut Republicans most common attack on her that as Joe Bidens border czar, shes responsible for the southern border and the migrant surge. The vice-president hasnt spent much time directly denying Donald Trumps favorite accusation, which distorts her actual role working on the roots of migration in Central America. Instead, shes been reaching back to a part of her career that hasnt always been central to her political appeal: her time as Californias attorney general. The message is unmistakable in one of the campaigns new TV ads. Kamala Harris has spent decades fighting violent crime, it begins, over footage of Harris in her AG days. As a border state prosecutor, she took on drug cartels and jailed gang members for smuggling weapons and drugs across the border. The spot eventually closes: Fixing the border is tough. So is Kamala Harris. That ad is in heavy rotation across the battleground states in the lead-up to the Democratic convention next week. Its an indication of where Harris stands on an ongoing tactical debate near the top of her party over how to talk about immigration and how worried she should be about Trumps attacks on the issue. Her preferred approach has been growing clearer since Republicans began zeroing in on a border-based attack just days into her candidacy. At her first extended campaign rally, a boisterous affair in Atlanta at the end of last month, Harris turned to the matter quickly. I was the attorney general of a border state. In that job, I walked underground tunnels between the United States and Mexico on that border with law-enforcement officers. I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers that came into our country illegally. I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won, she said to peals of applause. Less than two weeks later, Future Forward, the main super PAC supporting her candidacy, debuted its own ad featuring old footage from her AG days. It opens: She was tough enough to take on transnational gangs as a prosecutor. Harriss reminders about her prosecutorial record arent limited to immigration. Shes also been bringing up her work on mortgage settlements with big banks and, of course, using her time as Californias top cop to frame the race more broadly as a contest between a prosecutor and a criminal. Yet, its immigration messaging where her party is still somewhat torn. The biggest point of disagreement is how worried to be about the common GOP claims of Harriss responsibility for the border. Blueprint, the polling and messaging group funded by megadonor Reid Hoffman, circulated a memo earlier this month concluding that the border czar attack framing Harris as an absolute disaster on immigration with open-border policies was Republicans most potent. Yet those close to Harriss campaign have been significantly more skeptical. They say that in focus groups and polls, their target voters simply dont believe Harris ran immigration policy for Biden, and that those who do believe it are solid GOP voters already, so not worth trying to persuade. We havent found any evidence at all that the fake border czar meme, or whatever the heck it is, is effective with any voters, said Matt Barreto, a Democratic pollster who focuses on Latino voters for the Harris campaign. Its just factually incorrect; theyre just making up some sort of label, and from there they have to explain what that even means. Theyve made up a false label that the American public is not familiar with. Other Democrats close to the operation say that in focus groups, Harris is more readily associated with abortion and student-loan forgiveness than immigration. As such, Harriss camp has concluded that she should try to define the conversation over immigration rather than reply to Trump. Though Blueprint recommended a rebuttal message that focuses on Harriss status as a child of immigrants as well as her understanding of the need for a better overall system, Harriss actual argument about her time as AG sounds more like its second-favored option. And as the Democratic campaign has quickly adapted to having her, not Biden, as its standard-bearer, it has found that the most effective approach is to pair her AG talk with a reminder of the need for policy reform, especially a long-term pathway to citizenship. Thats why the campaigns ad reminds voters that as vice-president, she backed the toughest border control bill in decades, and as president she will hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking. And its why at her rally in Atlanta, Harris promised to revive and sign the bipartisan border security bill that Trump blew up last year. While speaking in Arizona, the only battleground state on the border, a few days later, she assured 15,000 rallygoers that we know our immigration system is broken and we know what it takes to fix it: comprehensive reform. That includes strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship. Even if those close to Harris dont buy that the near-ubiquitous GOP border czar attacks are especially dangerous for her, the topic is still sensitive. Harris entered the vice-presidency believing immigration policy was one of her strong suits after her work in California she was AG during the surge of unaccompanied minors in 2014 and in the Senate during Trumps first term. Yet her popularity in the vice-presidency only began to drop when she first visited Central America in 2021 and dismissed questions from NBCs Lester Holt about why she hadnt visited the border. Within the White House, she was frustrated when her warning to migrants, Do not come, became a flash point, since she had just been repeating administration policy. At one point, she remained silent in a meeting with staff and a frustrated Biden, who demanded updates on the situation on the border. After, she told her own aides that she wanted it to be clear that she was not focused on the border but the origins of migration, and in the following months, some of her closest allies fumed that this issue which she had not sought out as a portfolio item was being treated as central to her work as vice-president. Since the days after she became the partys nominee, however, she and her confidants heard suggestions from her old friends and advisers to tell voters about her AG work on the border. One of her first trips in that job in 2011 was to Imperial County, where she convened state leaders and built out a task force to target transnational gangs, walked a drug-smuggling tunnel, and posed with border-enforcement agents while wearing a navy POLICE jacket. Her own focus as AG was on crime that came across the border, not border crossings themselves. But, explained Brian Brokaw, a former adviser who managed her AG campaigns, she was elected AG by the narrowest of margins and she was immediately seen as the most vulnerable to the statewide elected officials. The biggest vulnerability she had was the opposition shed faced from almost all of the states law-enforcement communities. So trips like the first one to the border became a very important part of her mission over the first term, he said. Democratic strategists aligned with her campaign say that in its early weeks, voters have responded positively to message-testing that educates them on her attorney general record. Immigration advocates in particular are watching her messaging closely, mostly to make sure she includes language about a pathway to citizenship in her appeal. But many close to Harris cant help but remark on the massive shift in atmosphere around her prosecutorial record since the last time she ran for president, in 2019s Democratic primary. Then, she spoke little of her time in the border tunnels and suggested entering the country without authorization should not be a criminal offense. She has since backed away from that position. This is not the kind of material that ever would have flown in a primary in 2020, said a longtime adviser. Its a reflection of the times having changed politically. Its also a reflection of lessons Democrats have learned in the past year. Many saw Representative Tom Suozzis special-election victory on Long Island early this year as a model for how to talk about immigration, coming soon after Trump tanked the bipartisan border bill. Suozzi focused on supporting that bill and tightening immigration laws overall. To some strategists aligned with Harriss campaign, that race was also yet more evidence that though Trump loves to talk about the border, his views are hardly broadly popular they believe his family-separation policy cost him the 2018 midterms. Now, they see Trumps brand of border talk as primarily for his own base, not undecided voters. Voters overall often rank immigration as one of the more important ones theyre considering, but few senior Democrats believe the issue is likely to be the definitive one in battleground states outside of Arizona. In many states, Harriss targeted voters are focused more on what their mayors are doing within their cities than whats going on on the border, said Celinda Lake, a party pollster who does work with the campaign. These voters, she continued, didnt necessarily know Bidens position on immigration and dont know Harriss. They only know the Republican point of view, so Harriss job now is more a question of filling in. To many Democrats, the hope is that once she establishes her credibility on the matter, she can turn many voters attention to other issues, too. Nowhere has that played out more obviously than in Arizona. Thats where, two days after Harris spoke about the need for comprehensive immigration reform this month, organizers succeeded in getting a highly anticipated referendum on Novembers ballot, on an issue where Democrats see a much clearer opportunity: the right to abortion. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. did that really require three cops lmao Reply Thread Link lol no. But I think those cops were hanging in the area (Yoongi I think drove past them on his way to his complex?) and they probs went over to help him pick up his scooter and then when they smelled the alcohol on him they breathalyzed him. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah in the video you see him riding right in front of the three of them, he disappears around the corner, and you see one officer point in his direction as a reaction to his fall Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i think they were just police offiers who were around the area. the president lives there Reply Parent Thread Link BigHit tends to be very litigious so I expect once the investigation is complete and the official report is released, I will be getting WeVerse notifications informing me about BigHit suing their asses. Which like... it's what they deserve. This whole thing became an overblown scandal 100000% due to stan wars. People who already hate BTS were eager to believe whatever fit their narrative. Yes, Yoongi was in the wrong. He broke the law. Per his statement, he is going to be punished via fine and license revocation. That is a punishment that fits the crime and I hope he has learned his lesson and will not do this again. But like, watching the REAL CCTV... lol he was going like 5mph down a side walk on an electric scooter (ppl walking on the sidewalk were going roughly the same speed and he was not riding anything like a moped- it was an electric scooter with a saddle) and wasn't swerving or anything. When he turned into his apartment complex, he maybe took the turn too sharp or the wheel caught on the curb or something and the scooter fell over. He seemed to stand up pretty quickly and didn't like he was off balance due to drinking. When the cops came over to help, I'm guessing they smelled alcohol on him which is why he was breathalyzed. And yep he was over the legal limit. And he deserves the punishment he is receiving for that. I am not arguing otherwise! People are also deliberately mistranslating or misunderstanding his original statement, claiming Yoongi is lying saying he only had one beer. But he didn't say that. When you say "I went to grab a drink with friends", you don't literally mean you went to have a single drink. Was his BAC as high as was reported? Who knows. We'll find out when the investigation is complete. Reply Thread Link Only news report claimed he told the officers he had one drink, but that isn't confirmed and isn't part of his statement. This post is only to address the official statements that were called into question. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah his statement was basically like "drank at dinner then went to studio to have drinks with friends" so idk why he'd say something different to the police?? So I'm skeptical of that reporting. But I guess we'll know for sure when the investigation is complete. Reply Parent Thread Link People don't walk at 5mph, usually walking stride is 3mph! Electric scooters shouldn't be in a sidewalk. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link People are saying that the sidewalk he is on is for pedestrians, and you can see the actual bike lane to the side in the CCTV he should have been driving on I'm living for all the drama on both sides though Reply Thread Link True but he rode the entire sidewalk length in front of the three officers and they only approached him after he fell? Reply Parent Thread Link I was also reading something that a Korean person posted saying that over a certain kph you have to use the bike lane and under a certain kph you can use the sidewalk? Or something like that. Idk enough about it to be sure. But if he was going over the kph on the sidewalk, you'd think that would have been added to his charges? Reply Parent Thread Link Sometimes the police look the other way if you are doing something minor while appearing sober/otherwise competent. (I do realize this statement comes from a place of personal privilege and not everyone is so fortunate.) He wasn't driving erratically and there weren't many pedestrians out, so they may have considered it a low priority or otherwise more effort than it was worth to address in the moment. Reply Parent Thread Link I don't know what they make him do in the military but they should add scrubbing toilets until he leaves. Fines for rich people have no impact on them, you need to make them pay with labor! Reply Thread Link jtbc shouldn't have released wrong footage. but some fans sounding like maga yelling about the corrupt lying media as if it changes the fact that he still drove drunk on a scooter. that still happened wrong footage or not. Reply Thread Link They are already in this post lol Reply Parent Thread Link I could have sworn I read that JTBC was given the footage by police. But either way, the actual footage is more embarrassing. Reply Parent Thread Link Im happy that he ended up having a true statement. I think what got me the most was that if what was reported was true MANY people were acting like drunk driving was not a big deal. I think the visceral response to immediately absolve him of anything was what helped make this worse on the international side at least in my opinion. Reply Thread Link Thanks, OP! I was going to make a post after work if no one beat me to it. I am still very unimpressed with all the handwaving and minimizing going on over at r/kpop. No one should be operating any kind of vehicle, not even an electric scooter, while intoxicated. He should have either walked the 500m or called for a ride rather than risk striking a pedestrian or accidentally veering into traffic. Reply Thread Link How did JTBC get this so wrong? That's what I really want to know. You're telling me no one verified the footage? This is like ABC News (based on what I've seen) getting something wrong. It's not CNN (where you can safely expect everything to be true), but it's also not FOX News (where you can safely expect everything to be false). Reply Thread Link Tbh, JTBC has a historical beef with BTS. They broke into BigHit's offices back in the day to try to get some evidence about BTS's contract renewals or something? Idr. So they might have been blinded by that and not done due diligence before reporting the footage as fact. Reply Parent Thread Link Its wild that jtbc didn't verify this properly given how libel laws work in South Korea and hybes general attitude towards using those laws. Im very glad he wasnt as much of a danger to himself and others as originally thought, but If I see another stan going well haters were obviously being just hatersss I will scream lmao. It was reported by a respected news source, of course people believed it over a celebrity who has proven himself to be messy in the past. Genuinely some of you need to go outside. Reply Thread Link And he still operated the motorized scooter drunk and that still is thought of seriously in South Korea. So the takes of 'this isn't a big deal' are not really accurate. Reply Parent Thread Link Yes, I totally agree. Reply Parent Thread Link Agreed, I think the fan reaction to this update is acting like it fully absolves him or that it still isn't a big deal, when all it really does is show he didn't lie after the fact. He still did it, and it was still dangerous and wrong. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah people cant even make malicious comments (ONTD would be out of business) without defamation laws kicking in so this seems very sus to not have properly verified footage Edited at 2024-08-16 07:55 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link He should get a driver or walk if its short distances if he ever want to get drunk again . DUI is notorious in k celebs. Reply Thread Link Well, not lying is great, but I don't think that really changes the thing most people are annoyed about - he still drove drunk on a scooter. If there's footage to disprove that, let's see it. Reply Thread Link idk why people act like just because he wasn't going 15mph in the clip, he was by all means still shitfaced drunk and COULD have been a danger to someone. i guess for fans of his its a praise the lord he's got a high tolerance? to me tbh it just highlights that he has a problem you can chalk up the criticism being "excessive" to petty fan war reasons, sure, i don't even think that's wrong. but it's also clearly a direct response to armies at large continuing to downplay the entire thing, or cushioning him with every other detail that comes out. he fucked up. just acknowledge it and move on. jtbc is a gong show for this, and suga could've called a damn cab. Reply Thread Link the way fans have been reacting to this online has been wild... he's not your little innocent pookie baby, that's a grown ass man who fucked up and could have hurt someone or himself!! but i guess that's kpop for you. it's like a religion. Reply Thread Link It appears that he did tell the truth in his statement, which is a relief, because lying makes it so much worse. He still fucked up, though, and should be punished accordingly. There is no excusing his actions. I don't think he needs to leave the group, though I do think he should go to rehab - seems like he has a serious drinking problem. Don't know what that looks like in a culture which seems to consider drinking de rigueur. But he's going to have to atone with the public somehow if he hopes to continue his career. I say this as a fan: he needs some humbling. His hubris is and has been an issue, in my opinion. I don't sense that same level of arrogance from the other members, though I'm sure they're all full of themselves to varying degrees. Reply Thread Link I agree with the hubris part. He used to be my second fav, but his arrogance & "I am better than you" message in many of his songs really turned me off. You can have diss tracks, especially cuz they did have it hard in the beginning, but he just took it way too far. Reply Parent Thread Link This is so bizarre and scary at the same time. She has to done this before but probably on a smaller scale to able to know how fake all these docs and the process. Reply Thread Link All I could think about is how this is a common thing nowadays with people who don't have Presley money to prevent it. There needs to be laws or something because if Graceland was in danger, imagine the little guys. Reply Parent Thread Link So when's the movie coming out Reply Thread Link Hulu is working on a 4 to 6-part documentary as we speak. Reply Parent Thread Link I have skipped over every single post about this because nothing made sense, but I read every word here. This is insane. And I think theyre right that shes not the mastermind. Holy shit. Reply Thread Link ohhhhhhh the usps cops don't fuck around, rip to this scammer Reply Thread Link The USPS cops are all up in the news the past two days LMAO. Reply Parent Thread Link all up in ONTD. Reply Parent Thread Link lol whenever i think of usps cops, i think of the movie queenpins with kristin bell -- it was a mid movie but vince vaughn and paul walter hauser were hilarious in it Reply Parent Thread Link Yep. My mom worked for them for 20 years and saw some crazy in her time. The USPS will go out of their way to watch and document you doing wrong before saying anything so when they finally swoop in with arrests you are truly fucked. She used to say it was a bad day when the Postmaster showed up with the marshals because that meant someone who worked there was going to get arrested. Reply Parent Thread Link Did she work with or say anything about people who "went postal"? Reply Parent Thread Link No, just people stealing, lol. I remember her talking about a young lady who was a seasonal employee one Christmas sorting packages and one tore open in the sorting machine. It was a box of chocolates and instead of retaping the box and manually sorting it she opened and ate them. She got fired on the spot, and when she tried to lie about it the postmaster took her into the training room and showed video of her doing all of that, lol. Another time was more serious as it involved a supervisor and two other employees who were stealing checks. Higher ups found out and filmed them thieving for months, then the Postmaster and the marshals swooped in and arrested everyone. Everyone involved got serious jail time too. USPS don't fuck around. Reply Parent Thread Link Never commit crimes by mail! Those federal charges are no joke. I wonder who from inside the Elvis estate was involved with this because I believe pretty early on it was clear that there was some kind of knowledge of the estate with this scheme. Reply Thread Link Iirc the fake loan also put Lisa Maries 15% stake in Elvis Presley Enterprises as collateral (and something shady apparently happened during probate proceedings with the house she lived in at the time of her death?), so I can see why that would ping the attention of the estate officials. Reply Parent Thread Link That is wild! I'm so curious about the full details of this whole mess. It's all so brazen. Reply Parent Thread Link I think what still just boggles my mind about this whole scam is... I see how it works when you target estates where either nobody's around to question this loan or they simply don't have the resources to fight it. But this is Graceland, a world famous estate with a whole ass company dedicated to it. Nobody was ever letting you do this. Reply Thread Link omggg it was priscila confirmed!!! Reply Thread Link Fucking stunning that someone can nearly steal a house from the actual owners just by filing a few documents. Reply Thread Link Dumb, should have targeted someone smaller if she wanted to scam Still woulda been wrong but would have been smarter Edited at 2024-08-16 11:59 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link I kind of wonder how many times this has worked for her to get so bold to think she can steal Graceland. Reply Parent Thread Link Is it Blake Lively? Reply Thread Link This woman is a fucking trash monster Unrelated mostly but my mail carrier added my cats names to my mail box as people who receive mail at my address (mostly from my mom) and it made me smile. Reply Thread Link This is insane. Like how the fuck did she think this would work?! Reply Thread Link Findley then allegedly claimed that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief. Of COURSE the white woman would try to pin the blame on black people somehow. Reply Thread Link A top tier scammer, lmao. Can you imagine having the audacity to wake up one day and decide your best plan for the future is STEALING GRACELAND??? Reply Thread Link I just want to know what that thought process was like. is it ego? is it delusion? is it both or something else. Reply Parent Thread Link Saudi Arabia faces a funding gap of approximately $25 billion per year to cover its ambitious capex plan, requiring alternative sources of financing. The Kingdom aims to invest heavily in non-oil sectors to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil revenue. Saudi Arabia will allocate only a quarter of its $1 trillion strategic investments to the oil industry, lower than previously estimated. Saudi Arabia is set to direct to its oil industry a smaller portion of its $1-trillion strategic investments than previously estimated, Goldman Sachs said in a report this week. The capex plan through 2030 of the worlds top crude oil exporter will see a capex super-cycle with $1 trillion worth of investments across six strategic sectors by 2030. But the oil industry is likely to receive a smaller portion of this than previously forecast, analysts at Goldman Sachs wrote. Saudi Arabia will spend about 73% of its planned capex on non-oil sectors, up from an earlier forecast of 66% of investments in non-oil activities, Faisal AlAzmeh, who heads CEEMEA equity research and covers natural resources, chemicals, and infrastructure in the Middle East, writes in his teams report. Under a directive from Saudi Arabias energy ministry, capex in the oil sector is likely to shrink by $40 billion between 2024 and 2028, Goldman Sachs noted. However, natural gas continues to be a key contributor to the country's decarbonization, economic development, and diversification plans, AlAzmeh writes. Saudi Arabia will face a set of challenges in finding the money to cover what Goldmans analysts called the capex super-cycle. The Saudi liquidity situation remains tight, per the latest banking system data for May 2024 cited by Goldman. The Wall Street banks analysts have estimated that the Kingdom will have an estimated $25 billion-per-year funding gap for its capex projects. So, Saudi Arabia will have to tap alternative sources of financing, according to Goldman Sachs Research. Saudi Arabias gross domestic product contracted again in the second quarter compared to year-ago levels, pushed down by an 8.5% dip in oil activities as the Kingdom is cutting oil production as part of the OPEC+ agreement and additional voluntary output curbs. With oil prices remaining in the $80-$85 range and production down to 9 million barrels per day, Saudi Arabia is experiencing a modest rise in pressure on the governments budget, Goldman Sachs said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The Israel-Gaza conflict is what has been driving oil prices most prominently this week, while the ongoing instability in Libya has largely been written into prices for years already, as has the Russia-Ukraine conflict - as long as it remains within Russia-Ukraine borders (noting that it has already seeped into Africa). For now, without a direct retaliation by Iran for the assassination of the Hamas leader on Iranian soil, the conflict continues to simmer in proxy venues, most notably Syria, where pro-Iranian forces are targeting US-backed Kurdish forces in the northeast, where the oil is. Simultaneously, Russia continues with its Europe-flanking movements in Africa, and even though they were routed by Tuareg rebels in Mali, with help from Ukrainian intelligence, Russias Wagner mercenaries will regroup. In combination with this, there are indications that Libyas period of calm before the rival government storm is dissipating, with the Libyan National Army (LNA) strongman General Khalifa Haftar invited to talks in Egypt to the extreme distress of the rival Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli. Two conflicts (Gaza, Ukraine) have escalated significantly this week, with Ukraine launching a ground incursion into Russias Kursk region in a surprise move that Moscow was unable to thwart, and with Iran indicating on Tuesday that a Gaza ceasefire deal would delay retaliation against Israel. Two conflicts (Gaza, Ukraine) have escalated significantly this week, with Ukraine launching a ground incursion into Russias Kursk region in a surprise move that Moscow was unable to thwart, and with Iran indicating on Tuesday that a Gaza ceasefire deal would delay retaliation against Israel. In combination with this, there are indications that Libyas period of calm before the rival government storm is dissipating, with the Libyan National Army (LNA) strongman General Khalifa Haftar invited to talks in Egypt to the extreme distress of the rival Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli. Simultaneously, Russia continues with its Europe-flanking movements in Africa, and even though they were routed by Tuareg rebels in Mali, with help from Ukrainian intelligence, Russias Wagner mercenaries will regroup. For now, without a direct retaliation by Iran for the assassination of the Hamas leader on Iranian soil, the conflict continues to simmer in proxy venues, most notably Syria, where pro-Iranian forces are targeting US-backed Kurdish forces in the northeast, where the oil is. The Israel-Gaza conflict is what has been driving oil prices most prominently this week, while the ongoing instability in Libya has largely been written into prices for years already, as has the Russia-Ukraine conflict - as long as it remains within Russia-Ukraine borders (noting that it has already seeped into Africa). Russia-Ukraine War Update: Ukraine now claims to control 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory and 74 settlements, following the launch of a ground campaign two weeks ago. Chechen leader Kadyrovs special forces are under scrutiny by Moscow right now, with pro-war bloggers (who generally follow a Kremlin-approved script) indicating that these forces are to blame for Ukraines ground incursion into the Kursk region. Suspicions have been raised that Kadyrovs forces were deserting and collaborating with the Ukrainian military. On Tuesday, Kyiv indicated that it was planning another push in the region, while Russia continues to evacuate residents - some of them to occupied Ukraine. On Wednesday, the Russian evacuation total from the Kursk region was set to hit 200,000 people. On Thursday, Kyiv said it had set up a command center in Russias Kursk region, and Moscow deployed more troops to Belgorod. It remains unclear how Ukraine will maintain its control over this territory, but the fact that this incursion happened in the first place crosses a red line with Moscow in terms of NATO. Israel-Gaza Conflict Update: As we noted above, Tehran indicated earlier in the week that the only thing that could delay an inevitable Iranian retaliation against Israel is a Gaza ceasefire deal (talks got underway without Hamas on Thursday) and the plan is to use the fear of retaliation as leverage. That also means that all leverage is gone as soon as it is used, so a delay could be more likely. Despite the continued Israeli assault on Gaza and broadening global outrage over crimes against humanity, Washington on Tuesday approved the sale of a $20-billion weapons package for Israel. The Israeli far-right continues to stir up internal tensions with the release this week of its plan to settle Gaza within a year. Wider Middle East Update: Keep your eye on developments in Jordan, which is being closely watched with respect to an anticipated Iranian attack on Israel. In April, Jordan was responsible for intercepting Iranian missiles bound for Israel, leaving the pro-Palestinian voices in Jordan frustrated. While Jordan does not wish to serve in the defense of Israel, it does refuse to allow its airspace to be used in a conflict. Its the Switzerland of the Middle East. Jordan (like Egypt) signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. And while Jordan is ruled by the original tribes that were there when the Kingdom was established in 1921, it has a significant Palestinian population, yet has managed a high level of stability for decades, very carefully balancing its pro-Western stance with its Middle East alliances. Californias governor, Gavin Newsom, has proposed a measure forcing refiners in the state to maintain a certain level of gasoline stocks in order to avoid shortages that lead to price jumps at the pump. Price spikes at the pump are profit spikes for Big Oil, Newsom said in a news release. Refiners should be required to plan ahead and backfill supplies to keep prices stable, instead of playing games to earn even more profits. By making refiners act responsibly and maintain a gas reserve, Californians would save money at the pump every year. The proposal follows findings by the California Energy Commission that for 63 days last year, refiners in the state maintained gasoline inventory of just 15 days of consumption, which, according to the Governors office, led to higher prices. The data is clear: oil refiners have been racking up profits by planning maintenance that reduces supply during our busy driving seasons, the head of the CECs Petroleum Market Oversight division said. The Governors proposal gives us new tools to require refiners to plan responsibly and prevent price gouging during maintenance, Tai Milder added. Big Oil has been a thorn in the side of Californias current governor for years. The industry has been blamed for the fact that Californians pay the highest gas prices in the country, for lying about climate change, and for literally existing. Regulation and lawsuits are the two tools that Newsom has at his disposal to fight Big Oil and both are being used copiously. Last year, the governor and the states attorney general filed a lawsuit against Big Oil for covering up the fact that theyve long known how dangerous the fossil fuels they produce are for our planet. Newsom also instituted a ban on internal combustion engine powered vehicles, set to take effect in 2035. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com As many Russian refineries completed planned maintenance, Russia raised its seaborne exports of fuel oil in July, sending a large part of the volumes to China and Saudi Arabia, which were joint top buyers of the Russian oil product, Reuters reported on Friday, citing data from LSEG. Total Russian shipments of fuel oil and vacuum gasoil (VGO) increased by 7% month-on-month in July, to 4 million metric tons, according to the data and trade sources who spoke to Reuters. Of these 4 million tons, China and Saudi Arabia imported 700,000 tons each, with exports to China rising by 18% from June and exports to Saudi Arabia near doubling in July compared to the prior month. Saudi Arabia uses a lot of fuel oil for electricity generation in the hot summer months when power consumption peaks with demand for air conditioning soaring. Part of the Russian fuel oil and VGO seaborne exports have seen ship-to-ship transfers and loadings on other vessels off the coasts of Malta and Greece, according to shipping data cited by Reuters. Most of the STS shipments are bound for Asia. Russia has pivoted to Asia in its seaborne exports of crude oil and petroleum products after the EU and Western embargoes on imports of petroleum from Russia following Putins invasion of Ukraine. As Russian crude and fuel shipments to Asia rise, so do Russian fuel export volumes via Africa to Asia. Russian exports of petroleum products to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope nearly doubled in July from a month earlier to an all-time high, according to LSEG shipping data reported by Reuters. Since the end of 2023, many ship owners and vessel charterers have opted to use the longer route via Africa to avoid passing through the Red Sea, where the Iran-aligned Houthis have targeted Western and Israeli-flagged or owned vessels. Despite the fact that Russia isnt being targeted by the Houthis, many vessels are not adding another risk by taking the Red Sea route to Asia. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com China is looking to win over new markets for its biodiesel and other biofuel products as its largest buyer so far, the EU, imposed on Friday anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports, analysts and executives told Reuters. The European Commission opened in December 2023 an investigation into biodiesel products originating from China. As part of the anti-dumping investigation, the EU decided last month to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of Chinese HVO (hydro-treated vegetable oil) and FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) on August 16, 2024. The import duties range between 12.8% and 36.4%. The European Commissions investigation followed a complaint from the European Biodiesel Board (EBB), representing the European producers of biodiesel (HVO & FAME). Commenting on the EUs decision to impose provisional anti-dumping duties, EBB president Dickon Posnett said, Our European businesses have been suffering for far too long under the pressure of unfairly priced Chinese imports and we are very happy to see the European Commission take action. As EBB we remain determined to defend the biodiesel industrys interests and re-establish a fair trading environment. Hit with the EUs tariffs, large Chinese biofuel producers are looking to tap the biofuel bunkering market in Asia, executives told Reuters. The Chinese firms are looking to sell more biofuels for the shipping industry in China and in Singapore, the worlds biggest marine fuel hub. Chinas producers have already seen their exports to the EU fall off a cliff in recent months after the EU opened the investigation into the anti-dumping practices. Last year, Chinas biodiesel exports to the EU hit a record-high of 1.8 million tons, according to data compiled by Reuters. The bloc took in a massive 90% share of all biodiesel exports from China. But this year, Chinese exports to the EU plunged after the investigation was launched in December 2023. Chinas biodiesel exports to the EU plunged by 51% annually to 567,440 tons in the first half of 2024, per Chinese customs data cited by Reuters. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Opposition has emerged to a proposal by Indonesias Ministry of Religious Affairs to do away with the role of a Muslim-dominated body that has complicated efforts by minority religions to build houses of worship. Indonesias vice president last week warned against the effort to end the role of the Muslim-dominated Interreligious Harmony Forum (Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama, or FKUB). Vice President Maruf Amin, whose term ends in October, told reporters on Aug. 7 that the minister of Religious Affairs should not have made the proposal. The rule of establishing houses of worship is an agreement from religious councils, he said, as reported by detik.com. Maruf Amin said the Ministry of Religious Affairs should review the basis for FKUB recommendations to establish houses of worship, saying ministry officials should listen to the parties who were involved in formulating the regulation. First, take a look at the reasons for what and why the regulation occurred there are reasons why the regulation was made, he said. And listen to many opinions from those involved at that time. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Maruf Amin helped establish the FKUBs role. The agreement was made after four months and in 11 meetings, he reportedly said. I remember I was the one who gave birth to it. From the results of those discussions, an agreement was made and then stated as a joint regulation of the Minister of Religion and the Minister of Home Affairs. Indonesia Minister of Religion Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumashad had announced that the government was planning to change regulations for construction of houses of worship to make it easier for religious minority groups to establish them, according to detik.com. Speaking at the National Dialogue and National Working Meeting of the Greater Indonesia Christian Movement (Gekira) at the Bidakara Hotel in Jakarta on Aug. 3, Yaqut said that under the new regulations only recommendations for worship building construction by local branches of the Department of Religious Affairs would be considered. The government, to show its presence among the religious minority groups, considers the recommendation for the establishment of a house of worship is sufficient only with the ministry of religion, and from now on revokes the role of FKUB, Yaqut said. Stating that taking recommendations from the FKUB into consideration complicates efforts by minority religious communities to build houses of worship, Yaqut then promised that the regulations would be issued soon. There are two requirements under current law that religious groups must meet, he said. Of course, this makes it difficult for all of you, especially when there are many Muslims and the majority there, Yaqut said. Yesterday, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs agreed with us and the Minister of Home Affairs for this to be made into a presidential regulation. So, in a moment, hopefully, the establishment of these houses of worship will no longer be difficult. The last-minute appeal by the vice president of Joko Widodos administration, however, concerned Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chair of rights organization Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, who said he was worried that rejection would delay implementation of the new regulation. The problem is, Maruf Amins statement could represent a great power behind him the power of Islamists who are not always in line with moderate Indonesians, Bonar told Morning Star News. Maruf Amin is the leader of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (Indonesian Ulema Council, or MUI), the countrys top Islamic scholarly body, which tends to be conservative. Maruf was a key figure in several fatwas issued by the MUI that promote intolerance and fuel violations of the constitutional rights of minorities by vigilante groups, Bonar said. These fatwas include rulings against secularism, pluralism, and religious liberalism in 2005, the heresy of Ahmadiyah in 2008, and blasphemy against the Quran and clerics in Basuki Tjahaja Purnamas (Ahok) speech in 2016. Bonar said that many of the views of Maruf Amin and the MUI impede the advancement and fulfillment of the constitutional rights of minority groups. Christian Support Two Indonesian leading organizations hosting hundreds of Christian denominations responded positively to the new regulations. The head of the Communion of Indonesian Churches (Persatuan Gereja Indonesia, or PGI), Pastor Gomar Gultom, said the proposed policy is in line with the longstanding proposal PGI submitted to President Widodo, Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut and Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian. It is extremely absurd that the states authority to grant or not grant a permit to establish a house of worship can be canceled by the FKUBs recommendation, while its not a state apparatus, Gomar told CNNIndonesia.com on Aug. 4. He added, however, that he doubted whether the change would make it easier to establish houses of worship. But anyway, the new regulation is an effort to fulfill the mandate of Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution, he said. The chairman of the Setara Institute concurred. I see the step as compatible with Indonesias diversity system consisting of various religious identities and beliefs, Hendardi, who goes by a single name, said on Tuesday (Aug. 13). Setara has long pushed the government to simplify the process of establishing houses of worship and take progressive measures to eliminate discriminatory provisions in the joint decree that gave rise to difficulties for minority religions to obtain building permits, according to Hendardi. The Indonesian Bishops Conference (Konperensi Wali Gereja Indonesia, or KWI) stated that it appreciates the plan, saying it would streamline bureaucracy. The KWI also asked the Ministry of Religious Affairs to review other requirements for building houses of worship, in addition to revoking the FKUB recommendation. Indonesia ranked 42nd on the Christian support organization Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to the WWL report. Guyana expects to receive the development plan for Exxons seventh oil project offshore the South American country early next year, Natural Rsources Minister Vickram Bharrat has said. We have not received the field development plan as yet, Bharrat said, as carried by Reuters. That will probably be in the first quarter of 2025, and then we will conduct the necessary due diligence with the view of issuing the license once everything is okay, the minister added. Earlier this year, U.S. supermajor ExxonMobil which currently pumps in a consortium with U.S. Hess Corporation and CNOOC of China all the crude oil that Guyana produces announced that it plans to develop a seventh offshore oil project on the prolific Stabroek block. The new project, Hammerhead, is set for start-up in 2029 and expected to boost Guyanas oil production capacity to more than 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd). Currently, Exxons consortium in Guyana produces about 650,000 bpd. The Hammerhead discovery, announced in August 2018, was ExxonMobils ninth oil discovery in the Stabroek Block. Hammerhead is now planned to be ExxonMobils seventh oil project. Hammerhead is set to undergo environmental reviews and needs a final approval from the Guyanese government. Guyanas Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last month said that Exxon, as the operator of the Stabroek Block, would be required to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment for Hammerhead, its seventh deepwater project in the block. According to current plans, oil production at Hammerhead is expected to begin in 2029 via another Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, at a rate of between 120,000 bpd and 180,000 bpd. Plans for the seventh project on Stabroek are being drafted a few months after Exxon made a final investment decision for its sixth project, the $12.7-billion Whiptail development offshore Guyana, after receiving the required government and regulatory approvals. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The worlds third-largest oil importer, India, remained Russias number-two crude buyer in July, importing $2.8 billion worth of Russian crude, according to the latest monthly data of Russian fossil fuel exports by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Last month, India was the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels, CREAs analysis showed. Nearly 80% of Indias fossil fuel imports from Russia were crude oil, valued at $2.8 billion (2.6 billion euros). China bought 47% of Russias crude oil export in July, followed by India (37%), the EU (7%), and Turkey (6%), the analysis by CREA found. India also bought 18% of Russias coal exports, also second only to China, which purchased 45% of the coal exported by Russia. Russia has become Indias top oil supplier since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Western embargoes and other sanctions on Russian crude sales. India has snapped up a large part of Russian spot supply over the past two years, but it is now looking to sign long-term supply deals. Indian state-held refiners have started jointly to discuss terms of a potential deal with Russia for long-term supply of Russian oil, a government source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters last month. India needs predictable and stable oil supplies amid expanding refining capacity, the source added. Some of Indias private refiners have already struck long-term agreements to purchase Russian oil. These include Nayara Energy, in which Russian oil giant Rosneft has a stake, as well as Reliance Industries, which operates the Jamnagar refinery in India, the worlds largest and most complex single-site refinery. Reliance Industries signed earlier this year a one-year agreement with Rosneft to buy at least two cargoes of Urals crude in Russian rubles per month. Russia was Indias single largest oil supplier for a second consecutive fiscal year, as surging imports of Russian crude dragged down the share of OPEC and Middle East supply to India to a record low. By Tsvetana Paraskova More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Oilfield services giant SLB, formerly Schlumberger, is still operating in Russia and expanding its operations there in the absence of its biggest competitors. This is according to a Financial Times report that cites filings made by the company that show it has been importing equipment into Russia, hiring new employees, and signing new contracts. Last year, SLB said it would stop delivering products and technology into Russia although unlike its peers Halliburton and Baker Hughes, it never said it would exit Russia. According to the FT report, customs filings show equipment manufactured by SLB or subsidiaries still getting shipped into Russia. Data for last year shows that between August and December, SLB delivered $17.5 million worth of equipment into Russia. Of this total, the FT said, $2.2 million worth of equipment was declared as manufactured by SLB or subsidiaries. One unnamed source close to the Texas-based major said the equipment had not been manufactured at an SLB facility, which made the shipments consistent with the companys statement from 2023. Indeed, the equipment delivered during the five-month period reviewed by the FT came from China and India, with the bulk coming from China. Activists are understandably not happy about this state of affairs. Policymakers need to decide are they serious about supporting Ukraine or not? Lela Stanley, a senior investigator for Global Witness, which is working on a report about SLB and Russia, told the FT. Western energy firms are still free to help Russia produce oil, and to help fund the war. Thats a profound failure. The policymakers referred to by the Global Witness activist have been wary of sanctioning oilfield service e providers with a presence in Russia for fear of disrupting global oil markets. It is for the same reasons that they did not impose direct sanctions on Russian oil but rather opted for a price cap. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com A group of leading U.S. solar panel manufacturers are calling on the U.S. Administration to slap retroactive duties on cheap imports from Vietnam and Thailand to safeguard American businesses and jobs. The American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, which includes large solar panel makers, has filed a complaint with the U.S. Commerce Department asking it to consider retroactive tariffs on the two Southeast Asian countries. In recent months, exports of solar panels from Vietnam and Thailand have soared after the U.S. started investigating Chinas unfair trade practices and its efforts to circumvent duties by relocating subsidized production in Southeast Asia. The U.S. solar panel manufacturers cited in its complaint, as carried by Reuters, that the volume of solar imports from Vietnam and Thailand jumped in the second quarter by 39% and 17%, respectively, from the first quarter of the year. Vietnam and Thailand have boosted their solar panel exports to the United States ahead of potential U.S. tariffs. These increased imports could represent critical circumstances that could warrant retroactive duties, the U.S. solar manufacturers group said. The same group petitioned in April U.S. President Joe Biden to impose import tariffs on panels imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The reason: low prices that are killing the petitioners reason to exist. America's solar manufacturing industry is on the cusp of tremendous growth that will create jobs and change the trajectory of our clean energy transition for decades to come, the petitioners said at the time. We are seeking to enforce the rules, remedy the injury to our domestic solar industry, and signal that the U.S. will not be a dumping ground for foreign solar products, said Tim Brightbill, co-chair of Wileys International Trade Practice and lead counsel to the petitioner. In May, the U.S. Administration launched several actions to protect U.S. solar manufacturers from Chinas trade practices, including monitoring import surges and oversupply. Imports of solar modules from Southeast Asia, where PRC manufacturers have been found to be circumventing antidumping and countervailing duties, have surged over the last year, the White House said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com HONOLULU Wallace Wally Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a childrens literacy advocate, has died. He was 88. Amos created the Famous Amos cookie empire and eventually lost ownership of the company as well as the rights to use the catchy Amos name. In his later years, he became a proprietor of a cookie shop called Chip & Cookie in Hawaii, where he moved in 1977. He died Tuesday at his home in Honolulu, with his wife, Carol, at his side, his children said. He died from complications with dementia, they said. With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride, said a statement from his children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory and Shawn Amos. He was married six times to five women, son Shawn said, explaining that he and Carol had split up, reacquainted and then remarried. He loved love, Sarah Amos said. They said their dad inspired a generation of entrepreneurs when he founded the worlds first cookie store on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1975. He had been stationed in Hawaii with the Air Force, and Famous Amos gave him the means to later make it his home. Sarah Amos, who was born in Hawaii, remembers her dad flying back and forth to the U.S. mainland and taking business calls at 4 a.m. Its hard to run a business and to work with people on the mainland when youre in Hawaii, she said. But he made the sacrifice. While Wally Amos was a great promotor, he struggled as a businessperson and eventually lost control of the company. He walked away from it because he didn't want to just be its face, Sarah Amos said. Later losing the business and the right to use his name was deeply painful and personal, Shawn Amos said: The remainder of his life and the remainder of his professional pursuits were attempts to get him to, you know, reclaim that space. Wally Amos was also co-founder of Uncle Wally's Muffin Co., whose products are found in stores nationwide. But Amos said the fame never really mattered much to him. "Being famous is highly overrated anyway," Amos told The Associated Press in 2007. His muffin company, based in Shirley, N.Y., was originally founded as Uncle Noname Cookie Co. in 1992, a few years after Amos lost Famous Amos, which still widely uses his name on its products. Amos had said the Famous Amos cookies sold today are unlike his cookies, which had lots of chocolate, real butter and pure vanilla extract. You cant compare a machine-made cookie with handmade cookie," he told the AP. Its like comparing a Rolls Royce with a Volkswagen. Uncle Noname, however, foundered because of debt and problems with its contracted manufacturers. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1996, abandoned cookies and went into muffins at the suggestion of Amos' business partner, Lou Avignone. Inside his now-shuttered Hawaii cookie shop, he sold bite-sized cookies similar to the ones he first sold at the Famous Amos Hollywood store. Amos also was active in promoting reading. His shop, for example, had a reading room with dozens of donated books, and Amos usually spent Saturdays sitting on a rocking chair, wearing a watermelon hat, reading to children. Sarah Amos recalled him reading to children at Hanahauoli School and continuing to do so even after she graduated from the small elementary school. The former high school dropout penned eight books, served as spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America for 24 years and gave motivational talks to corporations, universities and other groups. Amos earned numerous honors for his volunteerism, including the Literacy Award presented by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. "Your greatest contribution to your country is not your signature straw hat in the Smithsonian, but the people you have inspired to learn to read," Bush said. In one of his books, "Man With No Name: Turn Lemons Into Lemonade," Amos explained how he lost Famous Amos even before it was sold for $63 million to a Taiwanese company in 1991. Despite robust sales, by 1985, the business was losing money, so Amos brought in outside investors. "The new owners gobbled up more of my share until all of a sudden, I found I had lost all ownership in the company I founded," Amos wrote. Before long, the company had changed ownership four times. Sarah Amos said that after parting ways with Famous Amos, he stopped baking for about two years. After rediscovering a love of baking, he launched the Hawaii business, Chip & Cookie, in 1991. Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Amos moved to New York City at age 12 because of his parents' divorce. He lived with an aunt, Della Bryant, who taught him how to make chocolate chip cookies. He later dropped out of high school to join the Air Force before working as a mailroom clerk at the William Morris Agency, where he became a talent agent, working with The Supremes, Simon & Garfunkel and Marvin Gaye before borrowing $25,000 to launch his cookie business. He was the first Black agent in the business, Shawn Amos, said. Shawn and Sarah said that after becoming parents themselves, they realized how meaningful the chocolate chip cookie is to their family. The first time we made cookies with our kids, it sort of sunk in, this is actually a family thing, Shawn said. "Its a gift he gave us. Its part of our heritage. Photos: Notable deaths in 2024 Andreas Brehme Brian Mulroney Jerry Grote Schappell Twins Eleanor Coppola Robert MacNeil Faith Ringgold Steve Sloan Ken Holtzman Carl Erskine Whitey Herzog Bob Graham Dickey Betts Mandisa David Pryor Roman Gabriel Andrew Davis Terry Anderson Duane Eddy Paul Auster Dick Rutan Steve Albini Jimmy Johnson Sean Burroughs Roger Corman A.J. Smith David Sanborn Alice Munro Dabney Coleman Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Jim Otto Ivan Boesky Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek Carlie Colin Morgan Spurlock Richard M. Sherman Bill Walton Albert Ruddy Larry Allen Janis Paige Parnelli Jones Chet Walker The Rev. James Lawson Jr. Jerry West Ron Simons Bob Schul Willie Mays Donald Sutherland Bill Cobbs Kinky Friedman Martin Mull Robert Towne Vic Seixas James Inhofe Joe Bonsall Shelley Duvall Dr. Ruth Westheimer Richard Simmons Jacoby Jones Shannen Doherty James Sikking Pat Williams Lou Dobbs Bob Newhart Cheng Pei-Pei Abdul 'Duke' Fakir Bernice Johnson Reagon John Mayall Erica Ash Jack Russell Chi Chi Rodriguez Susan Wojcicki Frank Selvy Wally Amos Gena Rowlands Peter Marshall Alain Delon Phil Donahue Al Attles James Darren James Earl Jones Frankie Beverly Joe Schmidt Chad McQueen Tito Jackson JD Souther Dan Evans Mercury Morris Maggie Smith Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it will establish Internet Industry Code of Practice for service providers in the country to mitigate the effects of cyber-crimes on broadband consumers. Alhaji Ismail Adedigba, deputy director and head, Information and Reference Unit, NCC Consumer Affairs Bureau, disclosed this during the 50th edition of the organisations Consumer Town Hall Meeting (CTM) in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun. The CTM had the theme: Mitigating Effects of Cyber crimes: The Roles of Telecom Consumers. Adedigba said that the move became necessary as the liberalisation of the telecoms industry led to unprecedented increase in the usage of internet-based services, which exposed more consumers to cyber threats. He added that the Internet Code is another regulatory intervention by NCC, expected not only to help secure cyberspace but to also address issues relating to online child protection, privacy and data security. Let me emphasise that while the regulatory intervention and other initiatives are ongoing to sanitise our internet space, telecom consumers must play their roles as well. Consumers must be cautious of the type of information they post online and imbibe responsible internet and phone usage etiquette. Telecom consumers must install filtering software that helps to block access to inappropriate websites and exercise caution while clicking on flashing pop-ups or adverts as this may open up other compromised pages. They must also monitor the contents accessed by children or wards, as well as sign up into sites that can be remotely monitored for digital footprints and activities. Cyber-Security is a collective effort we must jointly address to reduce the effects of cyber crimes on telecom consumers in this broadband era. Adedigba highlighted the importance of the CTM at the grassroots toward ensuring consumer safety, saying consumer ignorance was the most important advantage preyed on by cyber criminals and hackers. He said that the NCC believed that one of the most effective ways to protect telecom consumers from cyber crime was continuous consumer education such as nationwide CTM outreach. He added that our consumer awareness programme, especially the CTM, has been very effective because we use local languages to pass messages. We also work with police. If there are cyber-attacks, we always encourage consumers to inform the police. Come and see. Those were the words Philip used to answer Andrews question about whether anything good could come out of Nazareth (John 1:46). During the APEC Summit in San Francisco in November 2023, President Xi Jinping met with President Biden. At the meeting President Xi invited 50,000 young Americans to come and see China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. To put this number in context, consider that before COVID-19, there were about 11,000 American students in China in 2019. During COVID-19 this number fell drastically. When the current US ambassador was starting his term in China, he tasked his team to find out how many Americans were studying in Chinas universities. The number they came up with in 2022 during COVID-19 was 350. By the end of 2023, the US ambassador estimated this had increased to 700. This leaves a huge gap to close for China to realize its hopes of welcoming 50,000 young Americans over the next five years. In addition to welcoming young Americans, China has also opened up visa-free travel for citizens from a growing number of countries. This list is expanding almost monthly. There are now 37 ports of entry offering 144-hour visa-free entry to citizens from 54 countries, including the United States. On my last entry to China, I could see the change as the immigration line for foreigners had gotten substantially longer compared to my previous trips. In addition to streamlining visa policies, China has also been restoring international air links that were curtailed during COVID-19. Another result of the Xi-Biden summit in San Francisco was a further increase in US-China air links in 2024. Since Chinas top leader has pushed for American youth to come to China, the Chinese system has already started responding with programs to facilitate these visits. Students interested in China should definitely explore scholarship opportunities. There are several online resources for students interested in exploring scholarship opportunities. Additional new scholarship programs were announced earlier this year. Chinese academics and thought leaders have been discussing how China can become more welcoming and facilitate these kinds of educational and cultural exchanges. I recently heard a speaker with decades of experience in China lay out some challenges for those interested and previously involved in China: If you already had a 10-year multiple entry visa, it is still good within the original validity period. If not, get a new 10-year visa. A number of cities offer 144-hour visa-on-arrival programs that make quick trips possible. Plan to do three short term trips (30 days or less) to China in the next year. If you were previously in China, not being there during COVID-19 is well understood by everyone. If you do not re-enter now, it will take a long time to rebuild relationships. Think about small and medium sized initiativespeople rich (incarnational presence) and asset light. Scholarly exchanges have a lot of valuemany educational locations are open and welcoming. Innovate inside the box. I encourage any young Christian adult to explore what role China may have in their life. No matter where you live, travel, or work in the world, China will be a part of your future. China is playing an increasingly important role in global affairs in almost every sphere of activity. Chinese companies are going global and looking for employees. China has opportunities for cutting edge research in certain fields. This is a good time to visit China, perhaps even to spend some time in a study or exchange program. Gaining some understanding of this country and people can only benefit your life and career. I often hear Christians outside of China talk about restrictions in China. While there is truth to this information, we should also be listening when there is a warm welcome and open door. China wants and needs the people-to-people connections with countries around the world. China is creating the avenues for people-to-people education and cultural exchanges. Christians should be among the first to respond to openings like this. I meet many Chinese Christians who share how a foreign student, teacher, or friend was used by God to play an important part in their coming to Christ. These opportunities still exist in todays China, and a new generation needs to see a living example of Gods truth and love. There are opportunities to come alongside Chinese brothers and sisters and encourage them as they go through a more difficult period for their churches. Our Good Shepherd is the one who said, I have other sheep. I must bring them also" (John 10:16). While restrictions and opposition exist, there are also many people looking for hope and meaning in their life. You do not have to look far on social media and popular culture in China to find all kinds of symptoms and expressions of need and longing. The gospel is good news for us to share. In recent months, other writers at ChinaSource have given encouragement and examples of what can be done.12 In the Bible we see men and women commended for their actions demonstrating their faith in God. Here are some practical steps you can take: Looking at your schedule over the next year and finding a time to make a trip to China Checking out educational scholarships and programs in your area of study at China universities Contacting your nearest Chinese Embassy or Consulate about their programs for youth exchange programs with China Encouraging your church to organize a short-term team to China. Originally published by ChinaSource. Republished with permission. From more than 30 years Peter Bryant (a pseudonym) has had the chance to visit, to live for extended periods of time, and to travel to almost all of Chinas provinces. As a Christian business person he has met Chinese from all walks of life. He has a particular interest in marketplace ministries and business as mission and enjoys working with emerging Chinese leaders. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up A total of 5,700 SMEs across the country have been impacted by Absa Banks Young Africa Works Project. The programme, in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, has seen over GHS 1.1 billion invested in these SMEs, including smallholder farmers. During a recent tour of funded project sites within the Accra enclave, beneficiaries discussed the impact the project has had on their businesses and urged the government to invest more in the agricultural sector, which has the potential to employ a significant number of unemployed youths in the country. They believe that with the right investment, the sector can become attractive to young graduates as an alternative to white-collar jobs. Since its inception in 2020, the programme has created jobs for 2,400 young people in the agricultural sector. According to the Head of SME, Agency Banking and Partnership, Audrey Abakah, the Absa Young Africa Works Project (AYAW) has been instrumental in job creation and providing entrepreneurial support, particularly in underserved sectors and communities. We decided to embark on this initiative in 2020 to support businesses, particularly SMEs, to build back and upscale their operations from the financial impact they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, she stated. Audrey Abakah expressed satisfaction with how the businesses have utilized their funding to upscale their operations and create job opportunities for young people. The Managing Director of Eden Tree Limited, producers and distributors of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, Catherine Krobo Edusei, said the support from the bank came at an opportune time for her company, which was facing financial constraints. Now, with the support we receive from Absa, we are able to pay off our suppliers on time and also ensure that there are no delays with staff salaries. Our staff strength has also increased because of our capacity to take in more produce for packaging, she said. Eden Tree Limited accessed a total of GHS 1.1 million, enabling the company to produce two tonnes of vegetables per day. At G Billy Farms in Nsawam, the company has been able to expand its staff strength from 17 to 70 permanent employees and about 100 casual workers and is looking to expand their 80-acre farmland to 100 acres by the end of this year. According to Eric Danquah, the General Manager of G Billy Farms Limited, who are the largest supplier of fresh pineapple to Blue Skies Company Ltd, the support from the Absa AYAW partnership has enabled them to upscale their production base and pay better salaries to their employees. Because we are doing so well as a business, other smallholder farmers come to learn from us, and we also have some university graduates coming to work with us. So, we are growing, and we thank Absa and the Mastercard Foundation for the support, he stated. He urged Absa Bank to extend the 10 percent loan facility to other entrepreneurs so that they too can scale up and employ more people. For Praise Exports Services Limited, an agro-processing export company in Pokuase, they have been able to increase their exports from 200 metric tonnes to 300 metric tonnes after receiving support from Absa Bank, as well as increasing their staff capacity. According to the Chief Executive Officer, Godwin Edem Adordie, through the financial support received from Absa Bank, the company has been able to invest in new machinery and quality control systems that ensure their products meet international standards for export. 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 Sydney Nii Ayitey Tetteh - Executive Vice President, Energy & Infrastructure, Client Coverage, Corporate and Investment Banking at Stanbic Bank Ghana, has called on stakeholders and policymakers in Ghanas energy sector to prioritise the sanitation of the sector to attract the necessary investment to sustain the sector. Nii Ayitey Tetteh made this statement at the 13th Ghana Economic Forum held at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. Speaking on a panel discussion on the topic, Sustainable Energy Financing and Distribution: Key to Driving Economic Activities and Growth, the Stanbic Bank Executive noted that there are finances available to support the sector. Nevertheless, he stressed that unlocking these funds requires creating a more investor-friendly environment. He said: No investor will put money in a sector with huge legacy debts. Initiatives such as the cash waterfall system that ensures that suppliers receive consistent payments has helped to improve the sector but there are still more things to be done to make the sector credit worthy. While the potential for substantial investment in the sector exists, it is essential that the sectors underlying health is addressed as a foundational step. A strong, stable, and transparent sector is essential to attract external capital. Prematurely pursuing investment without first establishing a solid base is akin to building a house on shifting sands. Therefore, a comprehensive sanitization process must be undertaken to rectify any structural or operational deficiencies, Nii Ayitey Tetteh added. The Ghana Economic Forum was started in 2012 to bring together captains of industry and thought leaders to discuss and debate key issues affecting the Ghanaian economy and offer solutions to enhance the countrys economic growth. The event provides a platform that offers in-depth analysis, discussions and debate on key issues affecting the Ghanaian economy and suggests solutions to help achieve the countrys economic development agenda. It is also a stage for participants to make recommendations aimed at consolidating gains and driving attention to under-served economic imperatives. The forum also provides opportunities for participants to interact with business experts from the public and private sectors, as well as the countrys top bankers and financial service providers. The 13th edition was held under the theme, Unlocking Opportunities: Re-engineering Ghanas Economic Model for Sustainable Development. 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 Sweden's public health agency has recorded what it says is the first case of a more dangerous type of mpox outside the African continent. The person became infected during a stay in an area of Africa where there is currently a major outbreak of mpox Clade 1, the agency said. The news comes just hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak of mpox in parts of Africa was now a public health emergency of international concern. At least 450 people died during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the disease has since spread to areas of Central and East Africa. According to Olivia Wigzell, the acting head of the Swedish public health agency, the infected person had sought care in the Stockholm area and the fact that they were receiving treatment in Sweden did not mean there was a risk to the broader population. "The affected person has also been infected during a stay in an area of Africa where there is a large outbreak of mpox Clade 1," she told a news conference. Mpox, which was previously known as monkeypox, is transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person. It causes flu-like symptoms, skin lesions and can be fatal, with four in 100 cases leading to death. It is most common in the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa and there are thousands of infections every year. There are currently a number of outbreaks of mpox that are taking place simultaneously and they are partly fuelled by the newer and more serious type of Clade 1b, identified in September last year. There are two types of Clade 1 and the Swedish case has been identified as Clade 1b. Since mpox Clade 1b was first witnessed in Democratic Republic of Congo there have been confirmed cases in Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda, before the new case identified in Sweden. While Clade 2 did cause a public health emergency in 2022, it was relatively mild and some 300 cases have already been identified in Sweden. WHO/Europe said it was actively engaging with Sweden's health authorities on "how best to manage the first confirmed case of mpox Clade 1b". It urged other countries to act quickly and transparently like Sweden, as there were likely to be further "imported cases of Clade 1 in the European region over the coming days and weeks". The Swedish public health agency said the more dangerous outbreak was likely to be linked to "a higher rise of a more severe course of disease and higher mortality". Dr Jonas Albarnaz, who specialises in pox viruses at the Pirbright Institute, said the first case outside of Africa was concerning as it meant the spread might be larger than we knew yesterday. Dr Brian Ferguson, Associate Professor of Immunology at the University of Cambridge agreed it was "clearly a concerning development" but unsurprising given the severity and spread of the outbreak in Africa. The WHO hopes its latest declaration, that mpox is a public health emergency of international concern, will trigger greater support to the areas most affected. Vaccines are available, for those at greatest risk or who have been in close contact with an infected person, but many experts worry there are not enough jabs or funding to get them to the people who need them most. The mortality rate from the Clade 1b variant in Sweden will not be as high as that seen in parts of Africa, because of the high quality of healthcare in Europe. However, Dr Ferguson said there would likely be further cases in Europe and other parts of the world "as there are currently no mechanisms in place to stop imported cases of mpox happening". The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said symptoms usually appeared 6-13 days after infection, through fevers and headaches, rashes or sores and muscle aches. Most people experienced mild to moderate symptoms followed by a full recovery, but immuno-compromised individuals were at greater risk. While news of the first case outside Africa may cause alarm, it was to be expected. As other disease outbreaks have shown, swift international action can help stop the disease spreading further. Source: BBC 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 head of the World Health Organization on Thursday called for increased production of cholera vaccines, highlighting what he called a critical shortage around the globe. The UN health agency said 307,433 cases of cholera and 2,326 deaths have been reported in 26 countries up to July 28. The head of the World Health Organization on Thursday called for increased production of cholera vaccines, highlighting what he called a critical shortage around the globe. The UN health agency said 307,433 cases of cholera and 2,326 deaths have been reported in 26 countries up to July 28. The response continues to be affected by a critical shortage of the vaccine, as demand continues to outpace supply, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, formerly Twitter. Some 105 million doses have been requested by 18 countries since January 2023 but only 55 million doses have been produced in the same period, Tedros added. In a fresh situation update, the WHO said that between January and May 2024, the oral cholera vaccine stockpile was entirely depleted. Tedros urged further investment in scaling up vaccine production, and called on all countries to spend more on water and sanitation, and emergency preparedness to prevent further outbreaks. The eastern Mediterranean region, Africa and southeast Asia have recorded the highest numbers of cases, said the WHO, which considers the global risk from cholera to be very high due to the growing number of cases and the shortage of vaccines. The WHO says that after decades of progress against cholera, cases have been on the rise again since 2021, including in countries that had not seen the disease in years. The cases registered so far should be interpreted cautiously due to potential reporting delays, the WHO said. The disease, which causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and muscle cramps, generally arises from eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium, according to the WHO. Source: vanguardngr 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 Police Service says it interdicted two Policemen on 9th August 2024 for allegedly extorting money from a motor pillion rider in Accra on 22nd July 2024. According to a Police source, the two, Lance Corporal Philimon Agbevem and Lance Corporal Peter Gbadagbo were immediately subjected to strict Police investigations when the allegations by the pillion rider, which went viral, got to the attention of the Police leadership. A post on the social media handles of the Police says the two officers are currently assisting the investigation and will be put through the due process of the law. 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 Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources has visited the Western Region's Wastewater Treatment Plant and Medical Waste Treatment Facility. Following her tour, Honourable Seyram Alhassan expressed satisfaction with the facilities operations, observing that they function effectively and align with the region's development goals. These facilities provide a sustainable solution to uncontrolled dumping of medical waste and faecal sludge," she emphasised. She highlighted the government's plans to collaborate with the private sector to invest in the sanitation sector, aiming to establish more facilities nationwide. The visit was part of the minister's familiarisation tour, having assumed office in May this year, aimed at gaining firsthand insight into regional development projects. Honourable Alhassan stressed the importance of such plants in supporting development goals, aiming to treat all waste from Tarkwa, Nzema, and Ahanta. She mentioned the upcoming operation of the IRECOP facility, delayed due to capacity upgrades, which will recycle about 90% of the region's waste, generating employment opportunities. The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, noted that the projects were now operational, with the facility processing 10 trucks of waste daily, aiming to direct more waste to the facility. He added that the plant also produces end products meeting international standards. The 20 million Takoradi Wastewater Treatment Plant, a joint project involving Jospong Group, Pureco Kft, Ecosteryl, Sewage Systems Ghana Ltd, and the ministry, aims to transform waste management systems in the region. The facility treats 10,000 cubic meters of faecal matter daily using European technology. The project includes a centralized medical waste treatment plant to collect and treat hazardous healthcare waste. Minister Alhassan also used the opportunity to inspect the Tarkordi-Sekondi water expansion project in Daboase, which was about 65% complete. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A judge has agreed to suspend the assisted killing of a young woman in Barcelona following the request of her father, represented by Christian lawyers in Spain. El Diario reported that the woman had a severe mental illness and a disability recognised in Oct. 2022 from a spinal cord injury after a self-harming incident. Yet, lawyers highlighted flaws in the womans request for euthanasia, according to El Diario, because she wrote a letter on July 29, expressing doubts that she wanted help to die. A judicial resolution blocking her assisted dying, initially organized for Aug. 2, was issued in the citys Administrative Litigation Court No. 12 on Friday, Aug. 9. President of La Fundacion de Abogados Cristianos (the Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers), Polonia Castellanos, celebrated the judicial order. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up The Euthanasia Law does not help anyone, on the contrary, said Castellanos. Christian Lawyers will defend in court the families who need help so that this law does not kill their loved ones. However, the ruling is only the first legal block the case has been referred to the Superior Court of Justice for a future hearing at a date to be published in due course. Now, this court has referred the case to the Superior Court of Justice. So, now we have to wait for a ruling on the case, Maria Riesco, Directora de Comunicacion for La Fundacion de Abogados Cristianos, confirmed to Christian Daily International. The judge suspending the act of assisted dying explained his reasoning behind the decision. "I do not consider that there is a serious, chronic and disabling condition which, as the law describes, is the situation that refers to limitations that directly affect the physical autonomy and activities of daily living, the judge said, according to La Fundacion de Abogados Cristianos. The judge also reportedly referred to the capacity of expression and relationship for the individual concerned, balancing the associations of constant and intolerable physical or psychological suffering for the sufferer, with the certainty or high probability that such limitations will persist over time without the possibility of cure or appreciable improvement. The judge reportedly referred to a video seen in court whereby the young woman concerned had been seen walking with crutches. The spinal cord injury referred to in the reports as irreversible, her functional situation generates doubts, added the judge, who also said in regards to her psychic pathology, that it was not understandable that it can be irreversible as it is alluded in the reports on the treatment that is being followed." Euthanasia became legalized in Spain in March 2021. The law allows adults with serious and incurable diseases causing unbearable suffering to die. Before the passing of the law, assisted dying carried a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Today we are a more humane, fairer and freer country, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez posted on X, after the euthanasia law was passed. The euthanasia law, widely demanded by society, is finally becoming a reality. Thanks to all the people who have fought tirelessly for the right to die with dignity to be recognised in Spain. Evangelicals across different countries are opposed to assisted suicide, however, emphasizing that life is a gift from God. They also point to many ethical issues surrounding euthanasia, including the risk of pressure on patients to consent against their will, and instead call for better end-of-life care. The Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Richard Ahiagbah has spoken publicly for the first time after he was involved in an accident on Saturday, July 27. The accident occurred on the Kumasi-Accra highway near Aduapompo. The doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) discharged him on Friday, August 16. Sharing his experience at the KATH on his X platform, Ahiagbah thanked the doctors for the professionalism with which they handled him. I am out of the hospital today with a few more knots to untie, but I am back on my feet again. Thank God almighty, and thank you all for your prayers and support. To the dedicated team led by Dr. Charles K. Dally, the catalyst; Dr. Otu Boateng, the signature man; Dr. Roland Azorliade, the wise one; and Professor Peter Ambe, latter-day addition to the team and the host of nurses, I say God bless you for doctoring and nursing me back onto my feet. To Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), led by the dynamic Prof. Addai-Mensah, I owe a debt of support and advocacy to ensure that KATH continues to improve healthcare outcomes for Ghanaians. He further stated that he is going to promote a people-centered, outcome-driven health policy regime in Ghana. Fighting to hold on to dear life at KATH has been very frightening and painful. But through it all, I have learned firsthand the extreme deficiencies and prospects of Ghanas healthcare delivery system. From this experience will arise a Turning Point Foundation to promote a people-centered, outcome-driven health policy regime in Ghana. May God bless and deliver us all from evil, he said. I am out of the hospital today with a few more knots to untie, but I am back on my feet again. Thank God almighty, and thank you all for your prayers and support. To the dedicated team led by Dr. Charles K. Dally, the catalyst; Dr. Otu Boateng, the signature man; Dr. Roland pic.twitter.com/MBfZm4b4AD Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) August 16, 2024 Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A young Ghanaian woman named Juliet Dwumor, from Abuakwa-Tanoso in the Ashanti Region, is currently stuck in Baghdad, Iraq's capital city, and she is seeking help from Ghanaians and the government for evacuation. According to her, she consulted an agent to help her travel abroad for an opportunity. The agent introduced her to job opportunities in Iraq and promised to secure a hotel cleaning job, which she showed interest in and proceeded with the process. However, upon her arrival in Iraq, the agent's promise turned out to be different; she was offered a housekeeping job instead. This job has been unbearable for her due to the harsh treatment and extreme stress involved. Additionally, she has not been paid her salary for almost a year since she began working. Juliet has informed her employers of her decision to return to Ghana, but they have insisted that she can only leave if she pays them $3,000, along with the cost of her ticket. A young Ghanaian woman named Juliet Dwumor, from Abuakwa-Tanoso in the Ashanti Region, is currently stuck in Baghdad, Iraq's capital city, and she is seeking help from Ghanaians and the government for evacuation. According to her, she consulted an agent to help her travel abroad pic.twitter.com/Pncn4PYlk3 EDHUB (@eddie_wrt) August 15, 2024 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The running mate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has encouraged all Ghanaian women to help end the economic hardship in the country by voting the NDC into power in the December 7 general elections. For her, women who constituted the larger percentage of the countrys population, had higher stake in changing the economic fortunes of the country by voting for a President who has the interest of the country at heart. She said the flag bearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, had demonstrated to all Ghanaians during his previous administration that he cared for the ordinary Ghanaian, particularly women. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang made the remarks during her tour at some markets in Accra on Thursday, August 15, 2024. The tour was to enable her to interact with the market women and traders as well as to introduce the partys policies regarding traders and women to them. She first visited the Mallam Atta market; Kaneshie market and ended her tour at the Makola market, where she took turns to address the market women. During the tour, she met the leadership of the various markets, giving them opportunity to voice out their concerns. Prof Opoku-Agyemang was accompanied by some top officials of the party, including former appointees, past Member of Parliaments and aspiring parliamentary candidates in the constituencies she visited. At a mini rally in each of the three markets, the NDC running mate said during the previous administration of John Mahama, many modern markets were constructed across the country to ease the burden of market women. She said NDC as a party belonged to everyone and that the party would introduce policies that would benefit all Ghanaians. For her, considering the prevailing economic conditions in the country, it would be suicidal to retain the NPP in government. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang indicated that it was only the NDCs leader, John Dramani Mahama, who could turn the countrys economy around to bring hope to Ghanaians. She explained, for instance, that the Womens Development Bank that the party wanted to introduce would create many opportunities for market women to access loans without collateral. She said many market women, particularly those with small capital, are unable to access loan facilities due to stringent collateral conditions demanded by the commercial banks. That, she said, the Womens Department Bank would make it easier for all traders to access loans without any stress. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang expressed the concern that the microfinance companies that used to give loans to traders, particularly market women, had been collapsed by the Akufo-Addo-led government. For her, when women are well-established financially, it would create happy homes and a prosperous nation. She noted that issues affecting women remained a major priority for the NDC, hence the partys continued efforts in introducing pro-women policies. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang therefore advised all party members to take every necessary step to ensure that their names are found in the voters register so that they could vote in the December general elections. Source: graphic.com.gh 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 Second Lady, Hajia Samira Bawumia, last Tuesday pulled a massive crowd in the Effia Constituency of the Western Region when she stormed the area to campaign for her husband, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). The enthusiastic crowd followed the convoy of the Second Lady to the mosque at Pipe Ano in the constituency where Hajia Samira paid a courtesy call on the Muslim leaders in the area. They later gathered at a place called VIP at Effiakuma Zongo. Addressing the crowd, the Second Lady made it clear that Ghanas future will be better if the flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, becomes president. She, therefore, encouraged residents in the Effia Constituency to vote massively for Dr. Bawumia and Lawyer Isaac Boamah Nyarko, the partys parliamentary candidate for the area, in the upcoming general election. According to her, this years general election is about the future and progress of the country, adding that the NPP flagbearer has proven to be the right candidate for the job. The Second Lady disclosed that Dr. Bawumia will continue the good works of the NPP government should Ghanaians give him the nod in the December 7 polls. She emphasised that her husband is bringing onboard rich experience, dedication, competence, and innovations. She commended the governments numerous social interventions such as the Free Senior High School (SHS), which have benefited almost every household in the country. I was born and nurtured in the Zongo, and if it had not been for education, I would not have been where I am today, she pointed out. She continued, So the NPP wants every one of you in the Zongo communities to be like Hajia Samira Bawumia, hence the introduction of the free SHS. She debunked the assertion by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the NPP is a political party for only the Akans. Remember it has been only in the era of NPP government that the country had seen Muslims becoming Vice Presidents and Insha Allah come December 7, Dr. Bawumia will be the next President, she asserted. I believe strongly that the Zongos will vote massively for Dr. Bawumia not because he is a Muslim, but because he is very competent, knowledgeable, has a good heart, great love and a vision to transform the country, she added. The NPPs parliamentary candidate for Effia, Isaac Yaw Boamah Nyarko, described Dr. Bawumia as very humble and hardworking and praised him for the various digitalization initiatives. He vowed to transform the constituency into a stronghold for the party in the 2024 general election. I believe Effia has the potential of giving not less than 70 percent of the total votes cast to the NPP come December 7 this year, he pointed out. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Audio Attachment: Listen to Justin Frimpong Kodua in an interview on kokrokoo General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua, popularly known as JFK has expressed disappointment in the decision of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) not to sign the peace pact. No results The opposition NDC, has declared that it will not be signing any peace declaration ahead of Ghanas upcoming election on December 7. The NDCs National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia says Signing a peace declaration doesnt mean anything to the party, as previous pacts have not yielded any real results. The NPP reacting to this in a statement has described this stance as unfortunate and incendiary. The ruling party has stated its consistent commitment to peace citing its participation in the Peace Accord since 2008, whether in government or opposition, and specifically mentioned its decision to sign the Peace Accord in 2016, despite contesting the 2012 election results in court and having reservations about the Electoral Commissions neutrality. NPP believes NDC's decision not to sign the peace declaration is just to foster an atmosphere of fear and suspicion among their supporters, which could lead to a rejection of the 2024 election results. Why attend meetings if... JFK speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' questioned why the NDC was attending meetings organized by the Peace Council, other groups "when they knew they wouldn't be signing the peace pact". "My worry is that even though they have the right to say they wont sign the peace pact, the NDC attends meetings organized by the Peace Council; so-+ why did they attend the meetings when they didnt have in mind to sign . . ." " . . If you feel youre not okay with something there are numerous forums for you to say it. Theyre just preparing the minds of their supporters . . . just to make this country ungovernable when they lose," he 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 Members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Barekese in the Atwima Nwabiagya North constituency today confirmed public perception of deep cracks within the opposition party as they joined the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi to campaign in the constituency for the ruling party. In a show of open defiance of party orders, the NDC members in their numbers took to the streets of Barekese, the capital of the Atwima Nwabiagya North, sharing the same platform and campaigning with Chairman Wontumi much to the dismay of their leaders who were left helpless. The NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, this morning, touched base with the party at the constituency level with Atwima Nwabiagya North constituency being the first to be visited as part of the Regional tour. At the heart of the Barekese township, the NDC members, who had gathered in front of their campaign office and dawning their party colours instantly mobbed the Chairman Wontumi and his entourage while engaging the residents in the town. Livid by the sight of the event, the NDC leadership who were present at the office tried to discourage their members from jumping on the campaign train of their rival but the members had already found their way and chanting the NPP campaign songs. It remains therefore to be seen of the fate of the NDC members but the ecstatic opposition party's supporters were less worried, as they continued to do the bidding of the NPP together with the Chairman Wontumi at lorry stations and homes of the constituents. Chairman Wontumi is on a mission to revitalize the base of the party, restore hope and confidence among NPP members and the electorates at large. Within the constituency, he will first hold meetings with the leadership of the NPP in the constituency including the current Member of Parliament, the parliamentary candidate, District Chief Executive, Electoral Area Coordinators, Assembly members among others. He will later inspect ongoing road projects in the constituency and hold door-to-door interaction with the electorates. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Vice Presidential Candidate of the NPP, on Thursday, August 15, 2024, began his nationwide campaign tour, dubbed, constituency-focused campaign, in the Ashanti Region, the political world bank of the party, where he is expected to tour all the 47 constituencies in the region to energize the partys base and rally support for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the December polls. On Thursday, the Running Mates team, which included Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong (Member of Parliament, Assin Central), Danquah Smith (1st National Vice Chairman of the Party), Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye (National Organizer), Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Ashanti Regional Chairman) and host of others visited 3 constituencies, being Asante Akyem, Asante Akyem Central and Bosome Freho constituencies. Napo, as he is affectionately called, and his team were given a rousing reception in these constituencies as thousands of party supporters and members of the general public came out in their numbers to listen to Dr. Bawumias Running Mate and his entourage at various campaign rallies, durbar of chiefs, and meetings with religious and traditional authorities. In his various addresses, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh reminded the people of the record of the NPP government particularly in the areas of education, health, industrialization and job creation, which he said, was unbeatable in the history of the country. He therefore called on them to continue to put their trust in the NPP and vote massively for the partys presidential candidate on December 7 in order to make it possible for the party to achieve its 85% vote target. Dr. Prempeh called on the people of the Ashanti Region and Ghanaians, in general, to rally behind the vision of his boss, Dr. Bawumia, which vision includes creating a prosperous Ghana driven by political and religious tolerance, sustainable jobs, the industrial revolution, and harmonious co-existence. He used the occasion to raise the hands of the various parliamentary candidates of the party before their constituents and asked them to vote massively for them. Speaker after speaker including Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Chairman Wontumi, Hon. Nana Afriyie Ayew and many others, took turns to make a case for the people of Ashanti Region and Ghanaians in general to repose their confidence in Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP as the surest way of securing their future and their childrens future. 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 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 photo provided by the National Park Service shows the Double Arch, center, after the collapse, Friday, August 9th, 2024, in Rock Creek Bay of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah. Credit: Jacob E. Ohlson/National Park Service via AP A common line of questions has emerged from visitors to Utah's Arches National Park in the week since an iconic rock arch at Lake Powell known as the "Toilet Bowl" collapsed. Are these arches also at risk of falling soon? What are you doing to prevent their collapse? The answers: They might be, and nothing, said Karen Garthwait, spokesperson for Arches and Canyonlands national parks. "Our mission is not to freeze time and preserve these structures exactly as they are," she said. "Our mission is to preserve the natural processes that create these structures, which of course, is the same process that will eventually undo them as well." When the geological formation formally named "Double Arch" crumbled last Thursday at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, it served as a sad reminder to many that arches are not guaranteed to stand forever. All arches have a lifespan, which scientists are trying to avoid shorteningor extending. Experts say human activity has sped up erosion within the past hundred years, making arches susceptible to crumbling at any given time. But when exactly they might fall can be tough to predict. The outward appearance of an arch gives little indication of its stability. Those that appear most sturdy can have internal cracks, while others that appear to defy gravity may better withstand the elements. This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows Double Arch prior to collapse in Rock Creek Bay of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah. Credit: National Park Service via AP Southern Utah's sandstone bedrock is strong enough to support the weight of large archesone of the sturdiest shapes found in naturebut soft enough to be sculpted over time by wind, water and gravity, according to the Utah Geological Survey. The region's semi-arid climate also plays an important role in forming and sustaining the sandstone wonders. While the National Park Service is not physically fortifying archesit abandoned a plan to coat one in plastic in the 1940sit has enacted strict policies to limit human impact on the natural structures. As recently as two decades ago, parkgoers could be seen walking on top of some arches and hanging on them for photos. A climber even scaled Delicate Arch, the most widely recognized of Utah's more than 6,000 arches, leaving rope grooves in the sandstone that Garthwait said can still be seen today. The ascent led park officials to reword regulations in 2006 to make clear that climbing arches is prohibited. At Lake Powell, a large reservoir on the border of Utah and Arizona, families often climbed the now-fallen arch and plunged into a swimming hole below, even though the recreation area bans cliff jumping. Park rangers and geologists suspect frequent foot traffic and changing water levels contributed to the arch's demise. The reservoir's water levels have been declining due to drought and climate change since 2001, according to the National Park Service. "Some people have the sense that rock is strong and humans don't affect it," said Jeff Moore, a geology and geophysics professor at the University of Utah. "When these kinds of collapse happen, it's a reminder that arches are really fragile. Subtle changes can make a difference." Delicate Arch, the most widely recognized of Utah's more than 6,000 natural arches, is seen in Arches National Park near Moab, Sept. 22, 2020. Credit: AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum Moore has led research projects that measure the seismic activity beneath Utah's arches and use civil engineering principles to assess their structural health. The rock formations are constantly vibrating, he said, and human-made energy sources such as trains, trucks and helicopters are increasing those vibrations, placing stress on the arches and accelerating crack growth. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed air restrictions last year for helicopters flying near Utah's Rainbow Bridge National Monumentone of the world's largest known natural bridgesto avoid vibration-induced damage in light of Moore's research. Humans have dramatically changed the vibration landscape within the last century, he said, and more arches could soon fall as a result. "This is a really rapid change in the lifespan of an arch," Moore said. "Geology moves slowly. Humans have arrived quickly and, in some places, are making dramatic changes in the environment." A U.S. Bureau of Reclamation facility in western Colorado that removes salt water from the Colorado River system and injects it deep into the ground has also been linked to earthquakes near Utah national parks. The site was temporarily closed after a 4.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded there in 2019 but has since resumed operations at a reduced rate. Hickman Natural Bridge, a rock formation spanning 133 feet, is seen in Capitol Reef National Park in south-central Utah, Sept. 18, 2020. Credit: AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum For Richard Beckman, president of the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, knowing that some of the world's most iconic arches might fall in his lifetime adds a sense of urgency to visit them before they're gone. "It's like losing an old friend," Beckman said. "I'm sad to see them go, but I'm hurt more by the arches that collapsed that I never saw in person. We don't know how long they're going to last, so you have to go appreciate them." 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Introgressed sequences from archaic Neanderthals or Denisovans in the Japanese population. Credit: RIKEN A genetic study led by researchers from RIKEN's Center for Integrative Medical Sciences has uncovered evidence that people in Japan descend from three ancestral groups. The findings, published in Science Advances in April 2024, challenge the longstanding belief that there were two main ancestral groups in Japan: the indigenous Jomon huntergathererfishers and the rice-farming migrants from east Asia. Instead, the researchers identified a third group with potential ties to north-east Asiathe so-called Emishi people, thus lending further credence to a "tripartite origins" theory first suggested in 2021. The Japanese population isn't as genetically homogenous as everyone thinks, says RIKEN's Chikashi Terao, who led the study. Terao says, "Our analysis revealed Japan's subpopulation structure on a fine scale, which is very beautifully classified according to geographical locations in the country." Combing for clues Terao's team arrived at their conclusions after sequencing the DNA of more than 3,200 people across seven regions of Japan, running the length of the country from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. It is one of the largest genetic analyses of a non-European population to date. The researchers used a technique called whole-genome sequencing, which reveals an individual's complete genetic makeupall three billion DNA base-pairs. It provides roughly 3,000 times more information than the DNA microarray method, which up until now has been used more widely. "Whole-genome sequencing gives us the chance to look at more data, which helps us find more interesting things," says Terao. To further enhance the data's usefulness and examine the potential links between genes and certain diseases, he and his collaborators combined the DNA information obtained with relevant clinical data, including disease diagnoses, test results and information on both medical and family history. They collated all of this into a database known as the Japanese Encyclopedia of Whole-Genome/Exome Sequencing Library (JEWEL). One topic of particular interest to Terao's was the study of rare gene variants. "We reasoned that rare variants can sometimes be traced back to specific ancestral populations, and could be informative in revealing fine-scale migration patterns within Japan," he explains. Their hunch proved right, helping to reveal the geographic distribution of Japanese ancestry. Jomon ancestry, for instance, is most dominant in the southern, subtropical shores of Okinawa (found in 28.5% of samples) while lowest in the west (just 13.4% of samples). By contrast, people living in western Japan have more genetic affinity with Han Chinese peoplewhich Terao's team believes is likely associated with the influx of migrants from east Asia between the year 250 and year 794, and is also reflected in the comprehensive historical adoption of Chinese-style legislation, language and educational systems in this region. Emishi ancestry, on the other hand, is most common in northeastern Japan, decreasing to the west of the country. Traces of the past The researchers also examined JEWEL for genes inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans, two groups of archaic humans that interbred with Homo sapiens. "We are interested in why ancient genomes are integrated and kept in modern human DNA sequences," says Terao, who explains that such genes are sometimes associated with certain traits or conditions. For instance, other researchers have shown that people in Tibet have Denisovan-derived DNA within a gene called EPAS1, which is believed to have aided their colonization of high-altitude environments. More recently, scientists discovered that a cluster of Neanderthal-inherited genes on chromosome 3a trait that is present in roughly half of all south Asiansis linked to a higher risk of respiratory failure and other severe symptoms of COVID-19. The analysis by Terao's team shed light on 44 ancient DNA regions present in Japanese people today, most of which are unique to East Asians. These include a Denisovan-derived one, located within the NKX6-1 gene, known to be associated with type 2 diabetes, which the researchers say could affect a person's sensitivity to semaglutide, an oral medication used to treat the disease. They also identified 11 Neanderthal-derived segments linked to coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and four other conditions. Toward personalized medicine The RIKEN-led team also used data on rare genetic variants to uncover the potential causes of diseases. For example, they found that one variant of a gene called PTPRD has the potential to be "highly damaging" because it could be linked with hypertension, kidney failure and myocardial infarction, says Xiaoxi Liu, a senior scientist in Terao's lab and the study's first author. Additionally, the team noted significant incidence of variantsalso called loss-of-function variantsin the GJB2 and ABCC2 genes, which are associated with hearing loss and chronic liver disease, respectively. Teasing out the relationship between genes, their variants, and how these impact traits, including disease predisposition, could one day play a role in helping scientists develop personalized medicine, says Terao. "What we've tried to do is to find and catalog loss-of-function gene variants that are very specific to Japanese people, and to understand why they are more likely to have some specific traits and diseases," he says. "We'd like to connect population differences with differences in genetics." In the future, he hopes to expand JEWEL and include even more DNA samples in the dataset. For the longest time, large-scale genomic studies have focused on analyzing data from people of European descent. But Terao says it's "quite important to expand this to the Asian population so that in the long run, the results can benefit us too." More information: Xiaoxi Liu et al, Decoding triancestral origins, archaic introgression, and natural selection in the Japanese population by whole-genome sequencing, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8419 Journal information: Science Advances Provided by RIKEN Wissam al-Saliby never dreamed of leaving his beloved country of Lebanon, but the call from God to help the persecuted church was strong. With a background in law, the newly appointed (May) president of Virginia-based Christian human rights group 21Wilberforce had served as director and advocacy officer of the U.N. Office for the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and was also development and partner relations manager at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary. Having moved to Geneva for his previous role at the WEA, he has now accepted the need to live in the United States to lead the next chapter of advocacy initiatives for 21Wilberforce. I have a Lebanese passport and have to get visas to go to lots of countries, he commented wryly. We werent seeking to move to the United States, but we ended up here to basically serve. Geneva was the best place to live, but God calls us to many places. Al-Saliby explained that his law education involved studying at universities in both Lebanon and France, specializing in armed conflict and humanitarian and refugee law, as well as displacement and humanitarian crises. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Thats when I journeyed in work and human rights work and then later in ministry, and thats how I ended up in my current role. His interest in supporting persecuted Christians came from his work at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary from 2013 to 2017. What is important for me is what God is calling us to do, and for me that is serving with churches, working with them and equipping them but in the field of freedom of religious belief and human rights, he said. Al-Saliby said following in the footsteps of founding President Randel Everrett, who retired earlier this year, was challenging. There was an effort to find a replacement, which is certainly not an easy thing to do considering the presence of Randel with the ministry and impact that hes had in the past within the evangelical family, including the Baptists. But I got a phone call from one of the key leaders of the board inviting me to apply. Now that he is leading 21Wilberforce, al-Saliby said he is working on exciting initiatives for the future. Is he planning to take the organization in a different direction to his predecessor? I would say yes and no. He elaborated that hes picking up on prior work in Asia and in Africa. Yet he sees his role as taking it further in terms of equipping churches within countries of persecution. One of his key visions is to create 10 grassroots advocacy centers based within these places. The centers would inform the 21Wilberforce headquarters and the wider global family of their support needs. So, one of the first things I did [when appointed as president] was to get the board to approve a vision that within 10 years, 21Wilberforce will help establish 10 centers in 10 countries within countries of persecution. These will be centers led by the local Christians themselves. Al-Saliby and the 21Wilberforce team have already started implementing the strategic plan by visiting church leaders during the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering in Nigeria, a hot spot for violence against Christians. He has also had initial conversations with church leaders in several African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. We will go and meet with them again, and understand what they need and how we can support them, he said. We have conversations ongoing with half a dozen countries, discerning their journeying and where they feel called and where we can partner with them. Im also picking up on existing work and relationships [in his previous role at the World Evangelical Alliance] and trying to talk with multiple stakeholders. Al-Saliby has seen interest from Christians in persecuted countries for the 21Wilberforce 10 centers project. I only joined three months ago, but from the little conversations Ive had so far, yes theres absolutely interest. Anytime theres an agency that has religious freedom as a priority, they see the perspective and vision we are bringing as very compelling. Practically, al-Saliby said the 10-centers plan works by looking individually at churches and Christian institutions already working in a given country, such as members of the World Evangelical Alliance. Its a mammoth undertaking, he commented. Theres a lot of work ahead. Is it a Christian university, owned by denominations? Is it a nonprofit supported or owned by Christians? Is it an Evangelical Alliance or Fellowship? You have to go to every single country and see how they feel called. He disclosed that the organization aims at going more solidly in terms of investing in indigenous capacity with national centers of advocacy alongside global 21Wilberforce centers of support. Thats the vision that were going with, and its very important for the churches to be able to speak with their own governments within countries of persecution, he said. And oftentimes, theres a will but not the right alignment of human skills, expertise and financial resources. And that is where we would like to offer support. Al-Saliby pinpointed unique challenges facing persecuted Christians in the area of religious nationalism, saying there is a lot of tension along sectarian, ethnic and religious lines. Theres more conflict and violence and destabilized countries. And all this threatens religious freedom in the larger sense the ability of churches to operate and just be the local church and witness to the gospel. And then theres governments with weak rules of law. Inevitably, there are human rights violations, and that includes religious freedom. And that is something we see all over the world. When the judiciary is not free and independent in a country, even if judges want to acquit a pastor under trial, theyre under pressure by government to issue a sentence, he said. Theres a weakening of the rule of law, and theres the weakening of the state leading up to violence, like in many African countries where theres an incredible amount of violence. But all over the world, there are armed conflicts and this spectrum is a big threat to Christian work and the ability within churches to answer what God is calling them to do. At the same time, al-Saliby does not want to sound negative about the fact that church growth still happens in countries where theres persecution, because the people are answering Gods calling, and then Satan uses persecution against that. But the starting point in many countries is that theres a lot of good work being done by churches. Al-Saliby does not agree that persecution is rising in the West, preferring to collate as a form of aggressive secularization events such as closure of evangelical churches due to discriminatory zoning laws in certain regions of Italy and Spain, or prohibition of male circumcision, or Geneva city denying requests for baptism in Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). Such measures affect all religions to varying degrees, and undermine the legal right to freedom of religion of belief in some countries. 21Wilberforce is more concerned with direct persecution in other parts of the world, and al-Saliby said that existing partnerships there between western churches and persecuted Christians were a wonderful thing. Americas churches are already doing a lot. I think what is needed at this point is investment, very specifically in sustainable indigenous institutions, engaging in the bodies that bring churches together and investing in their capacity to advocate for religious freedom, justice and peace within society, he said. We cannot continue doing advocacy as westerners without the full involvement, investment and leadership of churches within countries of persecution. Al-Saliby pointed out that his previous work in Geneva with the WEA taught him the importance of working with grassroots, local people empowered to do research, advocacy and to tell us what to do, to shape and guide us. When I talk about empowerment, its not just financial but human resources; the capacity and knowledge of doing the research outreach. For example, bringing people to Geneva to understand the United Nations system and how to engage with it, and then they can build the capacity to do that. That is what I believe is needed at this point by the global family. And this is where 21Wilberforce is going, and there is what we would love to have people working with us, partnering with us in support of these 10 centers. Al-Saliby said it would be easier for him to visit a country and just file a report on support needs with his office in Washington, DC, but that is not the future direction for the organization because it is not as effective in the long run. I think one of the reasons that religious freedom advocacy is not often effective is because grassroots-movement building within countries of persecution are missing, and therefore not informing work centered around DC, Geneva and other global cities, he said. Engagement with governments needs to start from within the countries of persecution, as every government says, Our constitution protects this issue and our government is doing great, he said. At the end of the day, its about movement building within those countries and about the churches, the Christians, rallying as many stakeholders as possible and bringing issues to the table and engaging with their government, he said. And these are processes that 21Wilberforce would love to journey with the local churches with. 21Wilberforce was named after British parliamentarian William Wilberforce (1759-1833), famed for forging powerful partnerships with other abolitionists to successfully make slavery illegal, a move gaining Royal assent on March 25, 1807. Wilberforce also helped to found the Bible Society and Church Missionary Society. 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 widespread elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) was introduced to new areas by humanstoday, the genetic homogeneity aids its protection. Credit: F. Ihlow The genetic homogeneity of the endangered elongated tortoise aids the species' protection, as demonstrated in a study by Senckenberg researchers and an international team, published in the journal Salamandra. Despite their wide distribution in Southeast Asia, the tortoises show hardly any genetic differences. This could be because prehistoric humans spread the species beyond its natural range when using it as a food source. Today, the tortoises are considered highly endangered due to habitat loss and unsustainable harvest for consumption and trade. However, their genetic uniformity simplifies conservation efforts, including breeding programs, population reinforcement, and reintroductions. The Indo-Burma region hosts a diverse array of terrestrial ecoregions, ranging from subtropical humid deciduous dipterocarp forests and tropical coniferous forests to temperate and mixed forests, as well as mangroves. "This biodiversity hotspot is unique in the world," explains Dr. Flora Ihlow, a former postdoctoral researcher at the Senckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden who now works at the Technical University of Dresden. "The impressive diversity of species in this region, is the result of a complex tectonic, climatic, and geological past." One of these species is the widespread elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata), which Ihlow has now studied in greater detail together with Professor Uwe Fritz from the Senckenberg Natural History Collections and an international team. The elongated tortoise reaches a carapace length of about 30 centimeters and is considered the most abundant tortoise species in the Indo-Burma region. "Across its range, the species varies significantly in size, shape, and coloration. We wanted to determine whether individuals also show genetic differences and if these differences correspond to their region of origin," says Ihlow. To this end, the team analyzed three mitochondrial gene fragments from 52 individuals. In addition, they examined 166 adult tortoises,79 males and 87 females, from Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand for 42 morphometric and two color characteristics. "Surprisingly, despite the tortoises' wide distribution across several biogeographic barriers, we could not detect any genetic differentiation in animals from different areas of originthis is very unusual for a terrestrial and not particularly mobile vertebrate from the Indo-Burma region," says Fritz. "Therefore, our central questions were how the elongated tortoise maintains genetic connectivity across its wide range and why the species did not evolve into regionally distinct populations." The researchers suspect that humans played a decisive role in the tortoises' distributioneven across natural biogeographic barriers. Fossil remains of Indotestudo elongata indicate that humans already made intensive use of the animals as a food source about 40,000 years ago, during the late Pleistocene. Today, the omnivorous tortoise is considered highly endangered due to habitat loss, overcollection and trade, both nationally and internationally. This tortoise species is one of the most frequently traded, primarily sold for human consumption. Over the past 90 years, the population has declined by at least 80%. "The elongated tortoise is therefore in urgent need of effective conservation measures. Interestingly, the lack of genetic differences is beneficial in this context, as it eliminates the risk of mixing distinct genetic lineages. "This greatly aids conservation measures such as breeding programs, reintroductions, and population reinforcement. The earlier displacement by humans therefore proved helpful for the protection of the species today," states Fritz. More information: Flora Ihlow et al, Unexpected lack of genetic and morphological divergence in a widespread tortoise Phylogeography of Indotestudo elongata, Salamandra (2024). www.salamandra-journal.com/ind ra,-v-deepak-u-fritz 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: Expansion microscopy reveals the structure of huntingtin aggregates inside the cell nucleus. Credit: 2024 Korsten et al. Originally published in Journal of Cell Biology. 10.1083/jcb.202307142 Researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands have identified a new way in which the toxic protein aggregates associated with Huntington's disease may damage nerve cells and cause them to die. The study, published August 16 in the Journal of Cell Biology, suggests that the aggregates can poke holes in the membrane that separates the nucleus from the rest of the cell, damaging the DNA inside the nucleus and changing the activity of neuronal genes. Huntington's disease is a devastating neurogenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the HTT gene that results in cells producing abnormally large versions of the huntingtin protein. These expanded huntingtin proteins aggregate inside cells and damage them in various ways, although exactly how this results in the death of nerve cells remains uncertain. Spearheaded by graduate student Giel Korsten from the group of Lukas Kapitein, the researchers discovered a major new way in which huntingtin aggregates damage cells when they examined neurons expressing the expanded version of the protein. The researchers found that many of the nerve cells had breaks in the membrane that separates the nucleus from the rest of the cell. This barrier, known as the nuclear envelope, protects and regulates the chromosomes inside the nucleus, allowing them to turn genes on and off as needed. Kapitein and colleagues found that huntingtin aggregates inside the nucleus disrupt the protein meshwork that underlies and strengthens the nuclear envelope, making the membrane more likely to rupture. Using a specialized technique known as expansion microscopy to visualize the nuclear aggregates in high detail, the researchers saw that tiny fibrils stick out from the aggregates and poke through the meshwork underlying the nuclear envelope. The aggregates may also impair the cell's ability to reseal the envelope once it breaks, the researchers found. Expansion microscopy shows thin fibrils emanating from a huntingtin aggregate (green) penetrating the protein meshwork (magenta) that underlies the nuclear envelope. Credit: : 2024 Korsten et al. Originally published in Journal of Cell Biology. 10.1083/jcb.202307142 "We have discovered that the aggregates associated with Huntington's disease induce ruptures in the nuclear envelope that compromise its barrier function," Kapitein says. Over time, these disruptions in the nuclear envelope likely lead to damage of the nerve cell's DNA and the misregulation of neuronal genes, cellular defects that have previously been linked to Huntington's disease pathology. Kapitein notes that several other neurogenerative diseases, including certain types of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, are associated with the formation of protein aggregates inside the cell nucleus. "We speculate that nuclear aggregateinduced ruptures in the nuclear envelope represent a common contributor to neurodegeneration that initiates a cascade of deregulated processes culminating in neuronal death and neuroinflammation," Kapitein says. More information: Giel Korsten et al, Nuclear poly-glutamine aggregates rupture the nuclear envelope and hinder its repair, Journal of Cell Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202307142 Journal information: Journal of Cell Biology This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Getty Lustila, assistant teaching professor of philosophy and religion, says local knowledge and connections are key to making contact with remote Indigenous peoples. Credit: Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University The internet has reached a remote Indigenous community in the Brazilian Amazon, connecting it with the goodand the badof the world wide web. But as the Marubo people deal with their digital connection to the modern world, what about their neighbors in the Javari Valley Indigenous Territoryin particular members of 19 tribes that have not been contacted by modern society? Will they soon be connected, too? And if so, is there an ethical way of making contact with them? Northeastern University's Getty Lustila, an expert on Indigenous philosophy and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, says if contact is to be made, it should be made by a local expert. "You have toat the very least, have people who are local to the areaand have the degree of knowledge not only about the tribes in question, but also about the different power dynamics at play in the region," says Lustila, an assistant teaching professor of philosophy and religion at Northeastern. "It would have to be very local coordination." Lustila says it's difficult to count the number of uncontacted Indigenous tribes, as groups often splinter when contact is imminent or first made and some members move toward contact and some move deeper into isolation. The Marubo had been contacted in the 20th century, according to the New York Times, so technically the tribe was considered remote. However, enabled by Starlink satellite-internet technology, the Marubo are connected like never beforeand Lustila says the introduction of new technologies to a remote or an uncontacted tribe can have unintended effects like changing traditional ways of life and upsetting traditional power dynamics. That's the case with the Marubo. Some see the internet as a beneficial way to connect with relatives, emergency services and information across the globe. Others bemoan tribal teenagers gluing themselves to their phones, gossipy group chats and addictive social networks, scams and other modern-day pitfalls of the web. (Contrary to some reports, the Marubo are not addicted to internet pornography.) Indeed, Lustila says modern contact with remote or uncontacted tribes is made increasingly under the realm of people trying to be beneficentfor example, connecting Indigenous peoples on remote islands to tools to combat climate change. But while this doesn't fall into the traditional (and now antiquated) anthropological practice of treating Indigenous peoples as objects of study, it's not ideal. "I think the worry is that lurking underneath that is a kind of a strange paternalism," Lustila says. "Even in those cases, it seems like instead of assuming that they need help, or assuming that they need assistance, there should be more of a sort of equal footing conversation regarding whether this is even necessary in the first place." Yet, Lustila notes that many people may argue that there's no way to have "equal footing" in such a context. "You're not working with the same information base," Lustila says. "If you're coming from the Western context trying to interact with an uncontacted tribe, you have access to certain kinds of information that these tribes may not have access to, so you kind of 'hold the cards' in a lot of ways." On the other hand, one doesn't want to infantilize the tribes. After all, some tribal leadersas in the case of the Marubomay want to connect with new technology. So, what should be done if connecting with remote or uncontacted tribes? It depends on many factors with many caveats, Lustila says, including who is making the contact, why the contact or connection to technology is being made. Lustila recommends a lot of consideration and reflection. "Like any set of negotiations or encounters, you try to do so respectfully and coming from a place with a good heart and mind and for good reason," Lustila says. "You have to think very seriously about, like, why you're doing it and then try figuring out ways to meet them in an ethical manner with consideration to the existing social and political realities." "There's really not going to be a rulebook for this," Lustila says. This story is republished courtesy of Northeastern Global News news.northeastern.edu. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signs into law a bill that would phase out the use of PFAS, a group of toxic industrial compounds, in firefighters' protective gear, at the Massachusetts Statehouse, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Boston. The chemical, associated with health problems including several types of cancer, is used in gear to repel water and other substances when fighting a fire. Credit: AP Photo/Steve LeBlanc Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed into law Thursday a bill that would phase out the use of PFAS, a group of toxic industrial compounds, in firefighters' protective gear. The chemicalsassociated with health problems including several types of cancer, such as breast, kidney and testicular cancerare used in gear to repel water and other substances when fighting a fire. Connecticut is the only other state with a similar law regarding firefighters' protective gear. "It's one thing to run into a fire, you can see the blaze and feel the heat," Healey said moments before signing the bill at the statehouse. But it's another thing, she said, to face the threat of "forever chemicals"a silent killer that has been threatening the health of firefighters and other for years. "These dangerous, dangerous chemicals. They're in too much of our stuff, but certainly we know they've been in protective gear. The devastating impacts are so clear," she said. "Today Massachusetts is putting the health and safety of our firefighters first." Starting January 2025, under the new law, manufacturers and sellers of personal protective equipment containing PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, will be required to provide written notice to the purchaser at the time of sale that firefighting equipment contains PFAS chemicals. They're also mandated to provide a reason for why the equipment contains PFAS. Beginning in 2027, manufacturers and sellers of personal protective equipment for firefighters will be prohibited from knowingly selling gear containing "intentionally-added PFAS" chemicalsreferring to PFAS chemicals or products that break down into PFAS chemicals that are added to the product during manufacturing. The multilayered coats and pants worn by firefighters have become the latest battleground over PFAS, which are found in everything from food packaging to clothing. In 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency for the first time proposed limits on the chemicals in drinking water. Richard MacKinnon, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, said the new law will help curb occupational cancer. "This is the strongest language in our nation," he said of the new state law. "This next generation of firefighterstheir lives will be saved." The International Association of Fire Fighters or IAFF has said that cancer has replaced heart disease as the biggest cause of line-of-duty deaths. Firefighters have been shown to be at higher risk than the general population of getting several types of cancer. The state needs to see the new law as a first step in an longer-term effort to limit widespread exposure to the chemicals, activists said. "We have more to do to protect workers and the public from direct contact with PFAS. Next, we need to address everyday products like clothing and furniture. We all deserve toxic-free homes and cancer-free lives," said Clint Richmond, conservation chair of the Massachusetts Sierra Club. Advocates pointed to a bill left unfinished in the Legislature's formal session that would have banned PFAS in food packaging, children's products, personal care products, carpets, furniture textiles, clothing and cookware. The bill would have also banned industrial discharges of PFAS to water sources, and set up a fund to help test and treat private wells and public water system. Other states have also passed laws targeting PFAS. Besides banning the chemicals in firefighters' protective gear, Connecticut has also passed legislation prohibiting the chemicals in children's products, and in clothing and apparel, cookware, cosmetics and personal care products, fabric treatments, textiles and upholstered furniture, and ski wax. Vermont lawmakers have voted to ban the use of the chemical in personal care products, menstrual and incontinence products, apparel, cookware, artificial turf and children's products. And Colorado added most outdoor apparel, cookware, dental floss, ski wax, menstruation products and artificial turf to the state's no-PFAS list. In June a class action complaint was filed against makers and sellers of the chemicals and the protective gear on behalf of thousands of Connecticut firefighters exposed to PFAS chemicals contained in their protective gear. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Researchers have identified IPO7 as a carrier of flavivirus core protein into host cell nucleus, paving the way for a new therapeutic approach to a range of diseases. Credit: Professor Toru Okamoto of Juntendo University Viruses of the family Flaviviridae, including Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), and tick-borne encephalitis virus, are significant arthropod-borne pathogens. These viruses are known to cause severe diseases, including fatal neurological conditions such as GuillainBarre syndrome, microcephaly, and dengue fever. With the global risk of such virus-borne diseases increasing, DENV alone is known to cause approximately 390 million infections and 100 million symptomatic cases annually, and JEV around 70,000 cases each year. However, effective treatment strategies for these Flaviviridae-induced infections are lacking, highlighting the urgent need for vaccines and therapeutics. Traditionally, Flaviviridae were thought to complete their life cycle in the cytoplasm, but recent research has shown that core proteins and NS5 are translocated to the nucleus, crucial for replication. Identifying the molecular mechanisms involved in the nuclear translocation of core proteins and blocking them could be a promising therapeutic approach for tackling diseases caused by Flaviviridae viruses. A study published in PLoS Pathogens has now identified a protein named importin-7 (IPO7), as a carrier that transports flavivirus core protein through the nuclear membrane and into the nucleus. The study was conducted by a team led by Professor Toru Okamoto from the Department of Microbiology at Juntendo University, including Yumi Itoh from Juntendo University and Yoichi Miyamoto from the National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition. The researchers arrived at these findings using an assay that analyzes the transport of proteins to the cell nucleus. They further confirmed their findings using cells in which the gene producing the IPO7 was deleted using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. "Our study revealed that IPO7 is a nuclear carrier for Flaviviridae core proteins. With the help of nuclear import assays, we also identified that the core protein was transported into the nucleus via IPO7. When IPO7 was deleted, the core proteins could not enter the nucleus," explains Prof. Okamoto. To understand how the removal of IPO7 affected the production of viral particles, researchers infected two types of cells with flaviviruswild type cells with intact IPO7 gene and IPO7-deficient cells lacking this protein. Despite both cell types showing similar levels of viral load in infected-cells, the IPO7-deficient cells produced significantly fewer viral particles. This suggested that IPO7 plays a crucial role in the efficient production of viral particles, even though the initial viral replication inside the cells was comparable between the two cell types. Moreover, this finding underscores IPO7's essential function in the flavivirus life cycle, specifically in the later stages of viral particle assembly and release. The study's findings suggest that blocking the molecular transport mechanism aided by IPO7 after infection by Flaviviridae viruses may help reduce subsequent viral replication, mitigating the health impact of diseases they cause. A new therapeutic approach for Flaviviridae viruses is highly desirable as effective treatments are not currently available for all diseases they cause in humans, such as dengue fever. Prof. Okamoto elaborated, "Currently, with the lack of a specific antiviral medication for dengue, treatment mainly focuses on supportive care, including fluid management to prevent dehydration. Developing effective antiviral drugs or vaccines is crucial for managing and reducing the impact of dengue fever, which can cause severe complications and be life-threatening in some cases. Not only Dengue virus but also JEV and ZIKV have no medication for treatment." In previously published research, Prof. Okamoto and colleagues identified compounds that inhibit the nuclear localization of flavivirus core proteins. These compounds have also been shown to be able to limit viral replication. With this study, the team led by Prof. Okamoto has gone a step further in identifying a specific mechanism that can be targeted to block viral replication. As Prof. Okamoto explains, the current study builds on this understanding by pinpointing IPO7 as a more specific target for therapeutic development. He concludes, "Our current finding provides the possibility to generate more specific and efficient inhibitors of nuclear localization of core proteins by targeting IPO7. Our findings might lead to the development of effective anti-flavivirus drugs." More information: Yumi Itoh et al, Importin-7-dependent nuclear translocation of the Flavivirus core protein is required for infectious virus production, PLOS Pathogens (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012409 Journal information: PLoS Pathogens Provided by Juntendo University Research Promotion Center 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: Texas A&M AgriLife researchers are investigating the potential impacts of feral hog predation on coastal American alligator nests, as well as how the reptiles utilize their habitat. Credit: Courtney Sacco/Texas A&M AgriLife Researchers with the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management are keeping a watchful eye on American alligator nests to shed light on the potential impacts of feral hog predation and to understand how these reptiles use habitat across an ever-changing Texas landscape. While American alligator populations in the U.S. are healthy overall, some fare better than others regionally. Researchers are working to answer the many questions that can help guide management actions and ensure healthy populations into the future, said John Tomecek, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management. Up close and personal data collection To help answer some of these questions, Tomecek's graduate student, Alyssa Freeman, has been collecting copious amounts of data. Freeman, who is pursuing a master's degree in rangeland, wildlife and fisheries management, spent the last two summers equipping active alligator nests with game cameras at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's 25,852-acre J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area, WMA, documenting instances of nest predation and the species responsible. In addition to nest monitoring, Freeman and biologists attached GPS transmitters to breeding-size male and female alligators to monitor their movement and habitat usage. "Aside from longer-term changes in climate and habitat, human modification of coastal marshes and wetlands can change the dynamics of alligator nest selection sites, potentially exposing nests to increased rates of predation," Freeman said. The GPS transmitters send location readings every hour of the day to Freeman's computer, allowing her to remotely monitor and map the animals' fine-scale movements. This data will provide Freeman and Tomecek with key insights into habitat use and nesting site selection. "From nest predation to habitat use and selection, this project is looking at a wide array of factors that will enable us to better manage alligators now and into the future," Tomecek said. Initial findings indicate feral hog impact During her two summers of data collection, Freeman monitored 28 active alligator nests throughout the WMA. Her initial assessment indicated that roughly half were predated by feral hogs. "Although alligators evolved alongside native nest predators, such as raccoons, this additional pressure from a non-native species is an added threat to an already low nest survival rate," Freeman said. Freeman said a 2012 survey of licensed alligator farmers from Louisiana found that over half of the farmers reported losing alligator nests to feral hogs the previous year. Roughly 590 nests were damaged or destroyed on 36 separate properties across the state. Even if the feral hogs don't eat the eggs, the nest disturbance and exposure to warmer ambient temperatures can alter the sexual composition of the remaining clutch. "Alligators experience temperature-dependent sex determination, meaning the incubation temperature directly affects whether the animal will hatch as a male or female," Tomecek said. While eggs incubated at roughly 86 degrees and below result in female hatchlings, eggs exposed to warmer temperatures result in males. Tomecek said this is a serious concern for conservationists considering the ripple effects it could have on reproduction and healthy alligator populations in the future. Alligatorsa conservation success story While the Southeastern U.S. now supports robust populations of the American alligator, these prehistoric reptiles came perilously close to joining the ranks of the hundreds of wildlife species that have gone extinct since the turn of the 20th century. Unregulated hunting, driven largely by a demand for exotic, luxury products, led to a precipitous decline in alligator populations across their native range. This, coupled with habitat loss, brought the species to the brink of extinction by the mid-1960s. American alligators first received federal protection under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, a predecessor to the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Tomecek said state and federal partnerships, as well as restocking contributions from alligator farms, enabled the population to recover over roughly two decades. Currently, alligator population estimates range from 400,000 to 500,000 in Texas, with the majority located in the southern and eastern portions of the state. Freeman said alligators are currently listed as a species of least conservation concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. But proactive research like this is important as scientists continue to better understand and monitor the species as it faces urbanization, changing sea and salinity levels in coastal wetlands, invasive species pressure and more. "We assume alligators are fine because we recovered them from historic overharvest, but they may be facing different challenges now that are harder to see," Tomecek said. "Alyssa is working to untangle some key questions. We have to figure out how we can better manage these animals to ensure healthy populations into the future." Living alongside alligators While American alligators are apex predators and should never be approached, both Tomecek and Freeman said they typically try to avoid human interactions and are much less aggressive than their evolutionary relativethe saltwater crocodile. Although documented alligator attacks in Texas are extremely rare, situational awareness and proper precautions when recreating in and around alligator habitat are important. "If you know alligators frequent a certain area, do not swim there," Freeman said. "Additionally, do not allow your dog or small children to go near the water because they resemble common prey animals for alligators." Additional precautions include: Acknowledge and obey signage warning of the presence of alligators. If fishing, avoid disposing of harvest scraps in the water or along the bank, as this can attract alligators. Never feed alligators. This can result in food conditioning, where wild animals begin to associate humans with food. In some cases, this can lead to aggression and danger for both humans and the animal. More Texans may see alligators as communities expand along habitats such as bayous or community reservoirs, but Tomecek said a sighting doesn't necessarily equate to a safety issue. "It is important for folks to understand that just because they see an alligator out and about, it doesn't mean that it's a threat to anyone," Tomecek said. "Before calling authorities, people should ask themselves if the animal is truly causing a safety issue. They're valuable to our ecosystem and are an iconic part of the Southeastern U.S. They're something to be proud of." 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: Geographic range and IUCN Red List of Threatened Species conservation status of the 17 red colobus (Piliocolobus) species. Credit: Conservation Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1111/conl.13014 Many people have never heard of a red colobus, yet they are Africa's most imperiled group of monkeys. There are 17 species of red colobus found in tropical forests from Senegal in west Africa to the Zanzibar archipelago in east Africa. These photogenic monkeys have aesthetically appealing hairdos, coat colors and color patterns. They weigh, on average, between 5kg and 12kg and take daring, long-distance leaps between trees to find foods that other primates find difficult to digest, like leaves and unripe fruit. We are primate experts who specialize in studying how to conserve red colobus and other primates. With experts from Africa, Europe and the United States, we drew up the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red Colobus Conservation Action Plan. This five-year plan, which runs from 2021 to 2026, aims to make the red colobus a high priority animal for conservation purposes. In the action plan and our latest published research, we argue that conserving the red colobus will benefit African tropical forests. This is because evidence from several sites shows that red colobus are among the first large mammals to disappear from a hunted forest. They vanish before more well-known species such as gorilla, chimpanzee, and elephant die out in forests from hunting. Therefore, the absence of red colobus, or a declining population, is an early warning indicator of emptying forests and eroding ecosystems. Red colobus conservation will also help to train and employ the next generation of African conservationists and improve human food security and public health. Why are red colobus in danger? According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, every species of red colobus is threatened with extinction. Hunting by humans for meat is a leading cause of their decline. Red colobus live in large, noisy social groups. They tend not to flee like other mammals do in the presence of a hunter. This makes them easy targets. Hunting has caused the probable extinction of Miss Waldron's red colobus from Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. This monkey was last seen alive by scientists in 1978, making it the first primate to likely have gone extinct in the last 300-500 years. Forest loss and degradation from logging, agriculture, mining, wood fuel production and infrastructure development also threaten red colobus because they rely so heavily on the oldest and tallest trees in a forest. Why invest in conserving red colobus monkeys? It is important to protect the red colobus from extinction. When funds and resources are directed at conserving red colobus, this helps safeguard and restore some of Africa's most important forest habitats that the red colobus live in. These include the largest remaining forest blocks in west Africa, the Gulf of Guinea forests and large swathes of the Congo Basin forest. These forests are key for mitigating the impacts of global climate change. Making red colobus a high conservation priority has already proven to be a successful strategy for conserving African tropical forests. The protection of Zanzibar red colobus, for example, was a key impetus in the creation of Zanzibar's only national park, JozaniChwaka Bay and the KidikotunduNongweVundwe Reserve. Both of these areas protect large areas of indigenous forest on the island. The forests in which red colobus live also support the livelihoods and health of millions of indigenous and local human populations in Africa. This is why conserving the red colobus needs to happen in partnership with forest-dependent communities. In Nigeria's Niger Delta, for example, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by a local community to establish a red colobus community conservation area. In the Sambel Kunda area in The Gambia, international scientists work with communities to support red colobus monitoring, forest restoration, and conservation education. This community-led project protects one of the largest remaining populations of Temminck's red colobus. What needs to be done? The IUCN Red Colobus Conservation Action Plan is the first of its kind for any group of African monkeys. It recommends these actions to conserve the red colobus and preserve Africa's tropical forests: grant proper international and national legal protections for all red colobus species conduct forest surveys to improve people's understanding of where red colobus live and what they need from the environment to survive invest in and expand protected area networks support local communities to move away from unsustainable forest harvesting and take up more active roles in preserving their forests and endangered species improve links between conservation and public health by strengthening access to family health services and implementing measures to prevent potential zoonotic disease transmission between monkeys and humans. invest in local and global education and outreach programs focused on red colobus and their habitats. We also formed a Red Colobus Working Group to guide the plan's implementation and promote collaboration with other conservation initiatives. We've founded the Red Colobus Conservation Network to connect people interested in red colobus conservation. Since the action plan's publication in 2021, over US$500,000 has been directed to projects aimed at conserving red colobus and their habitats. But much more is needed. We conservatively estimate that a modest US$20 million is required over a five-year period for strategies to prevent red colobus extinctions and preserve African tropical forests. We call on scientists, conservation practitioners, civil society organizations, local communities, and governments to recognize red colobus as a priority conservation target and a flagship for catalyzing broader African tropical forest conservation efforts. This article is based on the work of those who contributed directly to the Red Colobus Conservation Action Plan and the many individuals who have contributed to the conservation of red colobus and their habitats for many years. 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: Pedestrians use an umbrella and a portable fan to cool off in Seoul during a prolonged heat wave. Residents of South Korea's capital are resorting to novel ways to beat the heat as a century-old weather record fell Friday following a 26th "tropical night" in a rowwhen the temperature stays above 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit). "I take a cold shower before bed and tie freezer packs around my electric fan to cool the air," Lee Ji-soo told AFP Friday. Overnight temperatures in Seoul have sizzled above 25 degrees Celsius for 26 days in a row, officials said Friday, marking the longest streak since modern weather observation began in 1907. Such evenings are widely known as "tropical nights" in South Korea. Much of the world is enduring a summer of sweltering weather, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning last month of an "extreme heat epidemic", and calling for action to limit the impact of climate change. The intense heat in Seoul is expected to continue, according to the met office, setting a record every day until next week. "The cold air is not coming down from the north," Youn Ki-han, director at Seoul's Meteorology Forecast Division, told AFP. "Usually around this time the temperature drops in the morning and evening... but currently we aren't seeing any signs of that yet," said Youn. As temperatures soar, residents struggle to find ways to cope with the sweltering nights. "I think I turn on my air conditioner 23 hours a day," said Kim Young-sook, who lives in Gangnam district, an affluent neighborhood in Seoul. "I'm worried my dogs will become too hoteven during at night." That isn't an option for Lee Ji-soo, who straps icepacks to her fan. "I do have an air conditioner but I just can't afford the electricity bill," she said. "The air is suffocating sometimes. I don't know how long I can live like this." Power hungry Data from Korea Power Exchange showed South Korea's electricity demand hit an all-time high on Monday as people battled the heat wave with air conditioners and fans. Some 102.3 gigawatts were used, passing the previous record of 100.6 gigawatts set last August, the agency said. According to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the number of days with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius in the world's largest capital cities has surged by 52 percent over the past 30 years. In 2018 alone, Seoul experienced 21 days with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsiusmore than the previous 10 years combined. "In just one generation, there's been an alarming increase," said Dr. Tucker Landesman, a senior researcher at IIED. Climate activists in South Korea are calling for more government action. "There's no chance that this will get better and it's bound to get worse," Youn Se-jong, an environmental lawyer, told AFP. "Strengthening the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be the priority," he added. South Korea currently has the lowest proportion of renewable energy in its power mix among all OECD countries and is the G20's second-highest carbon emitter from coal per capita, according to energy think tank Ember. North Korea is also sweltering under a heat wave and issued a warning earlier this week, with central areas including Pyongyang affected. "Severe heat of 33 to 37 (degrees Celsius) is foreseen in some areas," said Kim Kwang Hyok, an official at the State Hydro-Meteorological Administration. 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: Acoustic monitoring was carried out on soil in remnant vegetation as well as degraded plots and land that was revegetated 15 years ago. Credit: Flinders University Barely audible to human ears, healthy soils produce a cacophony of sounds in many formsa bit like an underground rave concert of bubble pops and clicks. Special recordings made by Flinders University ecologists in Australia show that this chaotic mixture of soundscapes can be a measure of the diversity of tiny living animals in the soil, which create sounds as they move and interact with their environment. With 75% of the world's soils degraded, the future of the teeming community of living species that reside underground faces a dire future without restoration, says microbial ecologist Dr. Jake Robinson, from the Frontiers of Restoration Ecology Lab in the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University. This new field of research aims to investigate the vast, teeming hidden ecosystems where almost 60% of the Earth's species live, he says. "Restoring and monitoring soil biodiversity has never been more important. Although still in its early stages, 'eco-acoustics' is emerging as a promising tool to detect and monitor soil biodiversity and has now been used in Australian bushland and other ecosystems in the UK. The acoustic complexity and diversity are significantly higher in revegetated and remnant plots than in cleared plots, both in-situ and in sound attenuation chambers. "The acoustic complexity and diversity are also significantly associated with soil invertebrate abundance and richness." Flinders University researchers test soil acoustics (left to right) Dr. Jake Robinson, Associate Professor Martin Breed, Nicole Fickling, Amy Annells and Alex Taylor. Credit: Flinders University The latest study, including Flinders University expert Associate Professor Martin Breed and Professor Xin Sun from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has compared results from acoustic monitoring of remnant vegetation to degraded plots and land that was revegetated 15 years ago. The work appears in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The passive acoustic monitoring used various tools and indices to measure soil biodiversity over five days in the Mount Bold region in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. A below-ground sampling device and sound attenuation chamber were used to record soil invertebrate communities, which were also manually counted. "It's clear [that] acoustic complexity and diversity of our samples are associated with soil invertebrate abundancefrom earthworms, beetles to ants and spidersand it seems to be a clear reflection of soil health," says Dr. Robinson. "All living organisms produce sounds, and our preliminary results suggest different soil organisms make different sound profiles depending on their activity, shape, appendages and size. "This technology holds promise in addressing the global need for more effective soil biodiversity monitoring methods to protect our planet's most diverse ecosystems." More information: Sounds of the underground reflect soil biodiversity dynamics across a grassy woodland restoration chronosequence, Journal of Applied Ecology (2024). DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14738 Journal information: Journal of Applied Ecology This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Spain experienced a heat wave lasting 21 days. Spain has just emerged from a 21-day heat wave that engulfed Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza, posing a health threat which extends far beyond the actual temperature, according to Julio Diaz, a researcher at Madrid's Carlos III Health Institute. Isn't heat what kills during a heat wave? "The impact of heat on health is far more than just temperature... its effect can be felt across income levels, age groups, socio-economic conditions, health care, and different cultural approaches to heat," says Diaz. "We divided Spain into 182 regions... and in each one, we worked out the temperature at which people start to die as a result of the heat. In Seville, 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) is not even classed as a heat wave, whereas in A Coruna (in northwestern Spain), the temperature which defines a heat wave is 26 degrees. "When there is a heat wave, only 3.0 percent of mortality is due to heat stroke. Heat kills by aggravating other illnesses." Why are the first heat waves the most deadly? "In the first heat wave (of the year) much more people are likely to be susceptible (to death) than the second because it claims the frailest, leaving fewer susceptible people in the second and fewer still in the third... That's why the first heat wave always has a greater impact on mortality. This is what in epidemiology we call the 'harvest effect'." Why are living standards a factor? "It's clear that the impact of heat is much greater in poorer neighborhoods. "It is not the same thing to experience a heat wave in a room with three people and one window and no air conditioning or fan, than going through the same thing in a villa with a swimming pool. It's not even a question of having air conditioning or not, but about being able to turn it on. During this heat wave, the price of electricity in Spain skyrocketed." What is heatstroke? "Heatstroke happens when a person is exposed to high temperatures... and their body is not able to regulate that temperature. If you go out in the sun at 42C or exercise at those temperatures, your body is unable -- no matter how much it sweats, which is the main mechanism for regulating heat -- to lower and maintain its temperature at 37C. When your body is no longer at 37C... your organs stop working properly, including your brain. Then hyperthermia sets in and the person can die." What is 'heat culture'? "In 2003, Europe suffered a brutal heat wave and 70,000 people died in 15 days. People were not prepared, and there were no prevention plans, which meant it had a brutal impact on mortality. Now nobody doubts that heat kills. But people adapt. Between 1983 to 2003, for every degree above the temperature classed as a heat wave, the mortality in Spain increased by 14 percent. But after 2003, it barely increased by three percent. In a city like Madrid, you never used to see older people wearing shorts but nowadays they all wear them -- you see them going out for a walk wearing a hat and with a bottle of water. In places where they are used to having heat waves, there are now much more air conditioning units and secondly, homes are much more adapted to cope with this heat. People don't go out from 3:00 pm, that's why the siesta exists in Spain. And in the southern Andalusia region, the villages are painted white and the streets are wide so the wind can freely circulate." 2024 AFP Illustration by Mallory Rentsch Tlapek / Source Images: Unsplash In recent decades, there has been a significant and sustained trend of Protestants converting to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. The most notable figure recently is J. D. Vance, the vice-presidential running mate of former president Donald Trump. But hes not alone. Vance is just one name in the growing list of high-profile, theologically conservative Christians who have made public shifts away from their Protestant backgrounds (often evangelical) to these more liturgical or high church traditions. A past president of the Evangelical Theological Society, Francis Beckwith, reverted to Catholicism in 2007, and former Anglican Bishop Nazir Ali, has lately returned to the Catholicism of his youth. Other recent Catholic converts include Cameron Bertuzzi of Capturing Christianity (a popular YouTube channel), historian Joshua Charles, and John Richard Neuhaus, founder of First Things journal. Past prominent converts to Eastern Orthodoxy include Hank Hanegraaff (the Bible Answer Man), Lutheran scholar Jaroslav Pelikan, and English bishop Kallistos Ware. 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. Of course, there are always exceptions to every trendas is the case with former Eastern Orthodox priest Joshua Schooping, author of Disillusioned: Why I Left the Eastern Orthodox Priesthood and Church, and the Catholic-turned-Protestant Chris Castaldo, who published Why Do Protestants Convert? with Brad Littlejohn last year. This phenomenon appears less notable in nondenominational churches, since a previous CT article reports that former Roman Catholics have gone from comprising 6 percent of unafilliated congregations to 17 percent in the past 50 years. Also, a 2014 Pew Research Center study highlighted a reverse trend of Catholics converting to Protestantism in Latin America, indicating this may be a geographical trend rather than a global one. Still, Roman Catholicism is the single largest Christian tradition worldwide, with more than a billion followers, and Eastern Orthodoxy is the second largest, with more than 260 million. According to a recent report by the Orthodox Studies Institute, Eastern Orthodoxy in the US has seen an increase in conversions over the past couple yearswith most of the converts from a Protestant background (65%) citing theological reasons for converting (60%). Likewise, the Catholic News Agency recently reported that many US dioceses are seeing a 3070 percent rise in conversions. Its no secret that a growing number of Protestants in the US have become embittered with American evangelicalism. There is, of course, the disillusionment with sexual abuse scandals among well-known leaders and institutionsas well as a distaste for the corporatization and consumerism of the megachurch and celebrity pastor model. In addition, the deconstruction movement, mainline progressivism, and many other forces have exerted pressure on 21st-century Protestantism. But there is also the appeal of these other ecclesial traditions themselves. And while we must be careful not to conflate these two institutions and their significant doctrinal differences, there are similarities in terms of the allure they hold for Protestants who feel disillusioned with their church tradition. A foundational element in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic institutions is a rich tradition with doctrinal clarity. This can be quite appealing when compared to modern evangelicalism, which has often exhibited an amnesia for even its own theological tradition that often leads to ambiguity and divisiveness. However, I believe this reflects less on historic Protestantism and speaks more to the lack of organizational leadership, doctrinal consensus, and ecclesial unity among todays church leaders. Those who find Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy appealing also share in common a longing for the deeper reverence of liturgy and the sacraments, which is often far more mystical, reflective, and reverent than in Protestantism. Aside from the debates around transubstantiation, we can all appreciate this deep reverence for the Eucharist and other biblical mandates. Yet most Protestants dont realize that many of the early Reformers, like Luther and Calvin, had a similarly high regard for the Lords Supper and baptism and that these historic views could be easily recovered within the tradition. Overall, Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy have done a better job of staying connected to the rich heritage of Christendom, and the more ancient catechisms and wider theological retrievals can be appealing to those jumping from the Protestant ship. If you were to step inside a typical American Protestant church and mention John Chrysostom, Irenaeus, or any other church father other than Augustine, for example, Id wager that most of the congregation would be ignorant of their contributions. And yet these figures are as much a part of our own tradition as they are a part of Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Sadly, this ignorance can often be weaponized in interdenominational polemics, with which very few Protestants are prepared to engage. Whereas Protestant apologists and theologians have focused most of their efforts on combatting atheism and secularism, Roman Catholic apologists, for instance, have leaned more heavily into ecclesial dialogue when it comes to promoting their traditions, doctrines, and dogmasas evident in the reach and influence of organizations like Catholic Answers. On his podcast, popular Protestant apologist Frank Turek recently spoke with Roman Catholic apologist Jimmy Akin in an episode that revealed his ignorance of the doctrinal differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics. To be honest, I would love the Roman Catholic Church to be the true church. I have nothing against it. I would love it to be. I just dont see it, Turek said. Im happy to know that if we get our terminology right, at least we agree on what I think is the most important thing, and that is justification in terms of theology. I have a lot of respect for Turek, particularly surrounding his ability to engage with current cultural and societal matters. Yet during this discussion with Jimmy Akin, I couldnt help but feel he was out of his depth. For one, Protestants and Roman Catholics inarguably do not have the same shared views on justification. This goes to show that even some of these popular Protestant voices seem unable to accurately discern our theological differences and to graciously engage with important doctrinal distinctions. Protestant leaders should offer better examples of how to respond to claims levied by non-Protestant institutionsboth from the pulpit and in the public square. Otherwise, we will continue to see crises of faith, where people are left questioning their ecclesial identity, even converting to other traditions altogether. So, if Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy have the appearance of richer ecclesial institutionswhy should we remain Protestant? First, Protestantism encourages ecumenical engagement. On an episode of his podcast, Truth Unites, Gavin Ortlund points out that the Protestant tradition is equipped to be more ecumenical toward the global body of Christ. Historically, the claims of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy have often been inherently exclusive and anathematizing to those outside their circles. Protestants, on the other hand, have greater grounds for affirming other church traditions with orthodox Christian doctrines on the Trinity, the Resurrection, and Christs atoning work of forgiving our sins. Every soul craves a deep belonging that is rooted in something bigger and more profound than anything we can conjure for ourselves. And that abiding sense of belonging is one of the greatest gifts Christ has offered believers through his church for the past two millennia. In Jesus, we have an eternal connection to all other Christians as we are fellow participants in the same grace, mercy, and salvation. Secondly, the case for remaining Protestant is bolstered by historical Christianity, which is itself not anti-Protestant. Many Roman Catholics and uninformed Protestants have believed a common misperception that Protestantism is at odds with the ancient church. For instance, Catholic Answers repeated the famous quote from John Henry Newman, Roman Catholic theologian, back in the 19th century: To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant. To the layperson with no sense of the historical depth supporting the Reformation and Protestantism, such an argument can be easily convincing. Yet a deeper examination of the writings of the Reformers tells a different story. In fact, contrary to the claims of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, numerous early church teachings are more closely aligned with Protestantism than non-Protestant traditions. When Reformers like Luther and Calvin argued against the doctrinal distortions of Rome in the 16th century, they leveraged their deep knowledge of church history and pointed back to the early church fathers. This can be seen, for instance, in their denouncement of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy for embracing the extrabiblical practice of venerating icons beginning in the first millennia. And yet most Protestants today are inept and ill-equipped to discuss our history with well-informed Christians from other traditions. As the 21st century faces daunting moral and religious challenges, American Protestants must faithfully study church history to return to our deep historical roots and recover its rich catholicity. As one writer emphasized in a previous CT piece, evangelicals can learn from the likes of theologians like Thomas Aquinas, despite our theological differences. Finally, the Reformation that started Protestantism served an important purpose: Though not perfectly, it removed non-apostolic and non-scriptural doctrines and dogmas that had infiltrated the church over the course of the first 16 centuries. I am convinced that if Protestants researched the driving factors behind the Reformation, they would be alarmed at some of the unbiblical church teachings that existed during that period. I fear many Protestants do not even know what they believe and why the Reformation was an essential corrective. For instance, while every tradition claims belief in Gods grace, I believe Protestantism promotes the most scriptural and apostolic reliance upon divine graceapart from human worksas the sole condition for salvation. I know this may be a contentious statement, and there is much more to say on this subject than we have space to explore here, but I firmly believe the biblical doctrine of divine grace apart from human merit, in its fullness, is one you may forfeit by leaving the Protestant tradition. On Ortlunds podcast, Joshua Schooping shares his story of returning to Protestantism, and in the opening line of his book Disillusioned, Schooping explains that he left the Eastern Orthodox Church because he believed some of its canonical positions have formally and critically wounded the purity of the Gospel. After my own study of Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox doctrines, I share this sentimentand have gained a renewed appreciation for the Reformation. Far from trying to break with tradition, the Reformers were seeking to recover it, a legacy that we must recapture and emulate in our own day, argues Littlejohn and Castaldo in their book. They believe the solution to our present Protestant disenchantment is to dig deeper into the Reformation, not to run from it. Too often, they say, converts are so intent on running away from the Protestantism they grew up in that they dont pause to ask whether it was authentically Protestant at all. For those wrestling with Protestantism, resources like Ortlunds upcoming book, What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church, and The Reformation as Renewal: Retrieving the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church by Matthew Barrett can help us first examine and seek to understand our own tradition before considering converting to another tradition. If we do not have a firm grasp of our theological heritage, we cannot expect to have an appropriate response to alternative claims. I urge my fellow Protestants to not make the leap without fully examining all the doctrines you will embraceand those you may leave behind. As we pray about and study such matters, we must all be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, wherever he leads. May we remain humble in our convictions, always submitting ourselves to Christs lordship. In doing so, I firmly believe he will direct our steps in grace and truth. Andrew Voigt is a writer, journalist, and passionate student of theology and church history based near Charlotte, North Carolina. Andrew and his family are members of Providence City Church. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Dr. Neil Gostling with palaeoartist Karen Fawcett's Dodo sculpture. Credit: University of Southampton Researchers are setting out to challenge our misconceptions about the Dodo, one of the most well-known but poorly understood species of bird. In a paper, "The systematics and nomenclature of the Dodo and the Solitaire (Aves: Columbidae), and an overview of columbid family-group nomina," published 16 August 2024 in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society researchers from the University of Southampton, Natural History Museum (NHM) and Oxford University Museum of Natural History have undertaken the most comprehensive review of the taxonomy of the Dodo and its closest relative, the Rodriguez Island Solitaire. They've painstakingly gone through 400 years' worth of scientific literature and visited collections around the UK to ensure this iconic species, embodying humanity's destructive potential, is correctly classified. "The Dodo was the first living thing that was recorded as being present and then disappeared," says Dr. Neil Gostling from the University of Southampton, supervising author of the paper. "Before this, it hadn't been thought possible for human beings to influence God's creation in such a way. "This was a time before the scientific principles and systems we rely on to label and classify a species were in place. Both the Dodo and the Solitaire were gone before we had a chance to understand what we were looking at." Correcting the record Much of what was written about the Dodo and the Solitaire was based on accounts from Dutch sailors, representations by artists, and incomplete remains. The lack of a definitive reference point (type specimen) or convention to label species (zoological nomenclature) led to a series of misidentifications in the centuries following their extinction. New species such as the Nazarene Dodo, the White Dodo, and the White Solitaire were named, but the paper confirms that none of these creatures existed. Still, these erroneous 'pebbles' sent ripples through the waters of zoological literature. Palaeoartist Karen Fawcett's Dodo sculpture. Credit: Karen Fawcett "By the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Dodo and the Solitaire were considered to be mythological beasts," says Dr. Mark Young, lead author of the paper from the University of Southampton. "It was the hard work of Victorian-era scientists who finally proved that the Dodo and the Solitaire were not mythological but were giant ground doves." "Unfortunately, no one could agree how many species there had been," continues Dr. Young. "Throughout most of the 19th and 20th centuries, researchers thought there were three different species, although some people thought there had been four or even five different species." To unpick this confusion, researchers went through all the literature on the Dodo and Rodriguez Solitaire, encompassing hundreds of accounts dating back to 1598, and visited specimens around the UK, including the world's only surviving soft tissue from the Dodo, in the Oxford Museum. "More has been written about the Dodo than any other bird, yet virtually nothing is known about it in life," says Dr. Julian Hume, an avian paleontologist at the Natural History Museum and co-author of the paper. "Based on centuries of nomenclatural confusion, and some 400 years after its extinction, the Dodo and Solitaire continue to prompt heated debate. We've gone from where the first statements were made, seen how these have developed, and identified various rabbit holes to correct the record, as best we can." Through this work, researchers were able to confirm that both birds were members of the columbid (pigeon and dove) family. "Understanding its wider relationships with other pigeons is of taxonomic importance, but from the perspective of conservation, the loss of the dodo and the solitaire a few decades later means a unique branch of the pigeon family tree was lost," says Dr. Gostling. "There are no other birds alive today like these two species of giant ground dove." 'Dodo extinction factors' shows the instruments of the Dodo's demise, human's habitat loss, cats and pigs as predators. Artwork by Julian Pender Hume. Credit: Julian Pender Hume Challenging our misconceptions The researchers believe the popular idea of the Dodo as a fat, slow animal, predestined for extinction is flawed. "Even four centuries later, we have so much to learn about these remarkable birds," says Dr. Young. "Was the Dodo really the dumb, slow animal we've been brought up to believe it was? The few written accounts of live Dodos say it was a fast-moving animal that loved the forest." Dr. Gostling adds, "Evidence from bone specimens suggests that the Dodo's tendon which closed its toes was exceptionally powerful, analogous to climbing and running birds alive today. The dodo was almost certainly a very active, very fast animal. "These creatures were perfectly adapted to their environment, but the islands they lived on lacked mammalian predators. So, when humans arrived, bringing rats, cats, and pigs, the Dodo and the Solitaire never stood a chance. "Dodos held an integral place in their ecosystems. If we understand them, we might be able to support ecosystem recovery in Mauritius, perhaps starting to undo the damage that began with the arrival of humans nearly half a millennium ago." 'Dodo dry forest scene' shows the habitat in which the dodo lived along with other species native to Mauritius. Artwork by Julian Pender Hume. Credit: Julian Pender Hume Learning 'valuable lessons' The study marks the beginning of a wider project to understand the biology of these iconic animals. "The mystery of the Dodo bird is about to be cracked wide open," says Dr. Markus Heller, Professor of Biomechanics at the University of Southampton, a co-author on the paper. "We have assembled a fantastic team of scientists to uncover the true nature of this famous extinct bird. But we are not just looking back in timeour research could help save today's endangered birds too." Dr. Heller explains, "Using cutting-edge computer technology, we are piecing together how the Dodo lived and moved. This isn't just about satisfying our curiosity. By understanding how birds evolved in the past, we are learning valuable lessons that could help protect bird species today." "It's like solving a 300-year-old puzzle, and the solution might just help us prevent more birds from going the way of the Dodo." The project will include work with paleoartist Karen Fawcett, who has created a detailed, life-size model of the Dodo to bring the words on the pages of books and journal articles to life. She says, "This work has been the merging of science and art to achieve accuracy and realism so that these creatures come back from the dead, real and tangible for people to touch and see." The University of Southampton's Institute for Life Sciences Director, Professor Max Crispin, says, "The Institute was delighted to support this exciting work which exemplifies Southampton's strength in interdisciplinary research and advanced scholarship." More information: Mark T Young et al, The systematics and nomenclature of the Dodo and the Solitaire (Aves: Columbidae), and an overview of columbid family-group nomina, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (2024). DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae086 Jury finds NYC man guilty after handgun seizure QUEENSBURY A Warren County Court jury found a New York City man guilty of a felony weapons charge stemming from a handgun seizure in Queensbury last winter. Novashawn Bannister, 29, of Manhattan, was found guilty of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after he was arrested with an illegal, loaded handgun in Queensbury Dec. 14. After a five-day trial, a jury found Bannister guilty last week. The officers involved in this case removed a handgun from the streets that was in the possession of a convicted felon, said Warren County District Attorney, Jason Carusone in a statement. This was good police work that helped protect our residents from potential violence. Bannister was arrested by Warren County Sheriffs Officers during a Dec. 14, 2023, traffic stop on Old Mill Lane. Bannister, who has prior felony, drug-related convictions, faces up to 25-years-to-life in New York state prison if deemed a persistent felon when he sentenced Sept. 18 by Warren County Judge Robert Smith. Bannister is being held in Warren County Jail pending sentencing. District Attorney Carusone praised the work of the Warren County Sheriffs Officers who he said encountered Bannister during a traffic stop in a residential neighborhood and safely confiscated a loaded .380-caliber Taurus semiautomatic handgun. ALBANY Twenty-two years ago, while facing the potential loss of transportation funding if it did not adhere to federal law, New York lowered the states blood alcohol content threshold from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent Over the last two years, two New York City-based state legislators have tried to lower the threshold again to 0.05. But their proposal remains trapped in legislative purgatory without critical support from key lawmakers. There seems to be some reticence about tightening the definition of drunken driving and some possible complacency with the current definition at .08, said Sen. John Liu, D-Queens, who is sponsoring the bill with Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, D-Brooklyn. The bill would lower the blood alcohol content (BAC) needed for a driving while intoxicated charge from .08 percent to 0.05 percent. It would lower the threshold for aggravated DWI from 0.18 percent to 0.12 percent. The charges for first-time offenders are misdemeanors that carry up to a year in jail at maximum. The rationale for an 0.05 standard is research showing that the chances of a driver being in a crash begin to increase with a 0.05 BAC, according to Kenneth Leonard, director of the Clinical and Reseach Institute on Addictions at the University at Buffalo. He said those risks increase from 0.05 to 0.08, then skyrocket once the persons BAC rises to 0.12 or higher. The number of alcoholic beverages a person consumes to reach a 0.05 BAC depends, in part, on the alcohol percentage in the drink, the persons weight, gender, age and what they have eaten that day, Leonard said. He described a standard drink as a 4-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce beer (with a 4.5 percent alcohol content) or 1 shots of 40 proof liquor. A 170-pound male or female who consumed two standard drinks in an hour could reach the 0.05 BAC, according to alcohol.org, a site run by a treatment provider, American Addiction Centers, that was highlighted by Leonard. Another site the professor highlighted, calculator.net, showed that a 200-pound male who consumed three beers (with a 5 percent alcohol content) in an hour could reach 0.05. It showed a male who consumed eight beers (with 5 percent alcohol) in eight hours would be at 0.052. The safest thing is one drink, Leonard said. If youre going out to a bar and youre going to be there several hours, you probably dont want to do more than two. For some people, one probably would be the limit. New York motorists who operate vehicles with a BAC of more than 0.05 but less than 0.07 face the charge of driving while ability impaired, a violation, akin to a traffic ticket. Simon said what that is on the books, some opponents of the bill may believe the status quo is sufficient. She said she believes barrier to the passage of the bill are lawmakers more focused on drivers influenced by marijuana, opioids and other substances. The big challenge with other substances is nobody knows how much of what substance causes what consequence. Which is not to dismiss, in any way, the issues with other substances and the combination of substances. Absolutely, thats important, Simon said in a phone interview. In the case of alcohol, she said: We know what it is, what it does and at what levels since we know this, why not pass a law that relies on the science of what we know, which doesnt preclude us from learning more about other substances and addressing them in ways that are able to be performed. In 2001, Congress passed a law threatening all states with the loss of federal highway funding if the states did not lower the threshold from .10 to .08. A New York bill, which had long been trapped in the Assembly Transportation Committee of since-deceased Assemblyman David Gantt, D-Rochester, finally passed both houses and was signed into law by Gov. George Pataki. No such outside force is at play in 2024. The state Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government website showed that the New York State Stop DWI Association hired a lobbyist, Greenberg Traurig, to lobby on the bill last. The bill was also being monitored by the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. The proposal remains mired in the transportation committees of both houses. Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, a Syracuse Democrat who chairs the Assemblys Transportation Committee, said through his chief of staff that his panel had given the bill a a great deal of consideration. Pressed to describe that level of consideration, given it remained in Magnarellis committee for the entire 2024 legislative session, Magnarelli relayed through his chief of staff that the .05 BAC bill was part of a hearing, under review and hardly a proposal being enacted across America. The only other state to have passed a similar bill to Assemblymember Jo Anne Simons is the state of Utah. No other state has passed such a bill, Magnarelli said. He added that the .05 proposal was part of a number of bills in this area that are presently being worked on and mentioned a bill sponsored by him that would change the legal definition of drug in the vehicle and traffic law to include any substance or combination of substances that that could impair or intoxicate drivers. Under the bill, drivers who refused breath tests or a test of their body fluid would face a traffic infraction. As far as my bill I believe it is as important, if not more important than (the .05 BAC measure), he said. Magnarellis committee includes three Buffalo-area lawmakers: Assembly Members Monica Wallace, D-Lancaster; Karen McMahon, D-Williamsville; and Michael Norris, R-Lockport. Wallace said she was not opposed to the BAC bill, but agreed with Magnarelli that cracking down on driving impaired by drugs was a greater priority. She said she and Magnarelli represent areas of upstate New York where drugged driving is more of an issue. We already have laws in place to address drunk driving and, with regard to drugged driving, I think our laws are really lacking, Wallace said. Andrew Cook, a spokesman for Sen. Jeremy Cooney, a Rochester Democrat who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, said Cooney was generally supportive of the proposal on a critical issue. He said Cooney has been specifically looking to focus on legislation to expand the use of ignition interlock devices, which passed the Senate in 2023, but died in the Assembly. As transportation (committee) chair, he knows that our state policy on drunk driving is not necessarily fixed, Cook said, adding that adjustments should be made as seen fit. He said Cooney was definitely not necessarily opposed to the .05 BAC bill. The Senate Transportation Committee includes state Sen. Patrick Gallivan, R-Elma, a retired state trooper and former Erie County sheriff. In a statement, Gallivan said it was possible that the lack of movement suggested that the committee believed the current standards were appropriate. I am not yet convinced changes to this law are necessary. I would like to see, however, more resources provided for enforcement activities, Gallivan said. Further, we must make a greater effort to provide law enforcement with the training necessary to recognize and identify the increasing number of people driving under the influence of marijuana, who are making our roads less safe. Cooney took over the Senate Transportation Committee from now-Rep. Tim Kennedy, a Buffalo Democrat who left the Senate to run for Congress to replace Rep. Brian Higgins. A spokesman for Kennedy could not be reached. Paul Nickson, legislative director for Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, said the majority leader was reviewing the legislation and does not have a position to share at this time. Ian Ott, a spokesperson for Sen. Sean Ryan, D-Buffalo, said the senator would need to study the bill and speak to stakeholders before issuing a statement on it. Only Utah has an .05 BAC threshold for a DWI, which it enacted in March 2017. The National Transportation Safety Board later released a study that found fatal crashes in Utah dropped from 259 in 2016 and to 225 in 2019. And deaths in those fatal crashes dropped from 281 to 248, according to as sponsors memo supporting the New York bill. The memo said the NTSB has recommended all states to lower their thresholds for BAC. It said the U.S. continues to have a more lenient DWI standard than more than 100 other countries, including nearly all of Europe, Asia and South America. Its not a question of if the state of New York is going to adopt an .05 standard. The question is when will this happen? Liu told the Buffalo News. And I hope sooner rather than later. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. Republican presidential candidate and former US president Donald Trump (L) looks at US president Joe Biden during the CNN Presidential Debate. And thats a good thingbecause how we think about victory is not only delusional but damaging. Andrew Harnik / Staff / Getty This piece was adapted from Russell Moores newsletter. Subscribe here. With Election Day 2024 in sight, I can make one bold prediction: Your party is not going to win. You might challenge me on this, saying, But, RDM, you dont know what party I, the reader, support. Thats truebut I stand by my forecast. Thats because no matter what party wins the presidency, the Congress, or the state houses this November, no one is going to win. 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. I do not mean, of course, that one party or other wont see its candidate in the Oval Office come January, or that we wont see people being sworn in as members of Congress, senators, governors, and all the rest. That kind of winning will happen, as it always does. What I mean is that no one is going to win the way too many of us define winning in this strange era. In his new book American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nationand Could Again, Yuval Levin points out a dangerous illusion of the present: the notion that after one decisive victory, whoever is on the other side will go away and will not need to be accommodated. In truth, Levin argues, American life is pulled in two directions: toward what could be called conservatism in one direction and progressivism in the other. Those visions look different in different timesand, often, the two sides swap out on specific policy positionsbut the basic tension is always there. This is because, Levin writes, any group of human beings is going to have disagreements. A constitutional order doesnt eradicate those disagreements but instead structures a careful balance between majority rule and minority rights. Levin argues that one of the reasonswith some exceptions, of coursethat local and state politics tend to be less toxic than national presidential elections is that, usually, those debates tend to be about issues more immediately recognized as practicalwhat roads get paved, what hospitals get fundedand thus lend themselves better to bargaining and accommodation. At the national level, though, our candidates and our parties arent as much about specific issues as they are about tribal identity. Even when motivated by grievance and resentment, as national politics now are, the grievances and resentments are about far different things than, say, the issue of free silver in the William Jennings Bryan era or corporate monopolies in the Theodore Roosevelt era. What this leads to, Levin contends, is the current situationin which presidential elections become about political expression rather than civic action. When we peel down below issues of national scope, we often find that the fundamental problem is not that the other side isnt going to accomplish what we want but that the other side exists at all. With that in mind, we can assume that this one election will put all that aside, and that those people, whoever they are, now permanently defeated and humiliated, will go away. But this is not true. In his book Democracy and Solidarity, political scientist James Davison Hunter identifies this very dynamic as a culture logic that seeks not specific policy goals but something much bigger: recognition and status and identity. When that isnt achieved, we poison ourselves with fantasies that one daymaybe right nowwe will finally enact revenge on those who have injured us by not conferring the status we believe we deserve. We want to find our own identity in the kind of negative solidarity that unites against a common oppressor. We start, then, to assume that every election is working toward a post-election reality where, as the old hymn puts it, every foe is vanquished. In that kind of world, Hunter argues, in which the sense of status cannot ever be wholly fulfilled, the injury must be constantly emphasized. Take away the injury, take away its cause, take away the revenge it seeks, and both meaning and identity for the aggrieved dissolve, he writes. If what we are seeking is not civic action but status, then outrage becomes authority. This quest for moral worth, status recognition, and self-esteem lends itself to precisely the kind of reality-television identity politics that we see right now. This becomes a cycle. The more we expect of our politics to express who we are, the less we expect our politics to actually do. That kind of politics, after all, is going to result every time in what weve seen over the past 15 years: narrow majorities that teeter back and forth between the parties. Big goalsa New Deal, a Cold War victory, a moon landingseem out of touch, so we replace those goals with what Hunter calls millennialism. Millennialism is, of course, not a political doctrine but a theological one, rooted in the Book of Revelations language of a thousand-year reign of Christ and his people. From the very beginning, Christians have argued about what that meansis it a present reality in heaven or a future expectation after the reign of Christ, or something else? History shows that when those sorts of messianic expectations bubble up without the presence of the actual Messiah, they lead, at worst, to bloodshedand, at best, to disillusionment and disappointment. If Joe Biden (or whoever the Democratic nominee turns out to be) wins, the Trumpists and whatever passes for the right these days will still be here. If Donald Trump is elected president, the left will still be around. Whatever your political views, you cant have your millennium unless half the country is Raptured. In his forthcoming book One Lost Soul: Richard Nixons Search for Salvation, CT news editor Daniel Silliman looks at the 50th anniversary of the resignation of Richard Nixon through the grid of Nixons lifelong quest for approval. Nixons father, Silliman recounts, ran a general store in what used to be a church, hollowing out the steeple so he could sit and survey the store from there, yelling criticisms at his son to work harder, do better. Silliman demonstrates how Nixon sought security throughout his life in the approval of the voters who would send him to office, in Dwight Eisenhower as a father figure, and in his own triumph over the elites from Harvard and Yale who had looked down on him. Silliman argues that the reason we even have the Watergate tapes is because of that drive for approval. Who, after all, would record the audio of every single moment in the White House? Silliman compares Nixons motivation to the old Jack Chick tracts, This Was Your Life, in which, before the judgment seat, the sinner sees his entire life replayed in front of everyone (this tract terrified me as a child). Nixon had a similar fantasya complete recording, everyone on tape from his time in the White House, Silliman writes. But in his version, he thought, he would not be condemned but justified. With a record of his accomplishment as president, he could prove that he had done a good job, that he was worthy of existing, that he was a great man. The tapes, of course, did the opposite. They showed him to be exactly what he feared people would think he was: crooked, dishonest, a failurethe first president in history to be forced to resign. Nixon was driven by the wrong things. He expected too much, and public opinion could never love him back. Politics could never be a judgment seat that could justify his life. In this moment in history, we expect something very similar out of our politics: a vindication of whos right and whos wrong, a separation of the sheep from the goats, a final and definitive victory. If thats what we think winning is, none of us will win. We will just descend more and more into resentment and outrage. We will turn on those we counted on to give us what they never could, or we will seethe in our fantasies of next time, when we (this time for sure!) will get that ultimate win. Thats not what winning is. Until we lose that expectation, we will keep losingnot just as a republic but as people whose lives are meant to be about much more than keeping score. No one will win this election, ultimately. No one will lose this election, ultimately. Maybe we should ask whether we are seeking something where it can never be found, and ask ourselves whether we should be looking Somewhere else. Russell Moore is the editor in chief at Christianity Today and leads its Public Theology Project. The plant that treats the wastewater of residents and businesses of much of the Iowa Quad-Cities is slated for more than $50 million in upgrades over the next five years. Davenport officials gave a tour Thursday morning of the Davenport regional Water Pollution Control Plant, located at 2606 S. Concord St. near Credit Island. The plant treats the wastewater of about 141,000 residents and all commercial and industrial properties connected to the sanitary sewer system in the cities of Davenport, Bettendorf, Panorama Park and Riverdale. It's one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the state of Iowa. Water flushed down the toilet or the drains of sinks and showers travel via gravity through the sewer system to the plant near the Mississippi River. The wastewater is then filtered and screened for debris, removing large items like toys and grit such as sand and egg shells that settle to the bottom or float to the top where it is skimmed and removed. Wastewater then flows to aeration tanks where helpful microorganisms consume pathogens, biological waste and other unwanted organisms. A second clarifier removes any remaining solids and pathogens and the water flows under ultraviolet light as an additional disinfectant before returning to the Mississippi River. The plant, built in 1977, is aging, and several mechanisms in the plant require replacement or upgrades. "Everything does work now, but we see increased operation and maintenance cost year to year to year as we have to replace items," Davenport City Engineer Brian Schadt said. "Some items are no longer manufactured or companies have gone out of business; we need to future proof as we move forward to make sure we have good universal components that provide good efficient treatment and mixing. If we continue this operation and maintenance we will pay for the project times over if we move into the future without doing anything." Planned upgrades are: $4.4 million: Primary and secondary clarifiers are large round tanks in which solids or sludge settle at the bottom of the cone-shaped tank, which is then scraped and removed. These clarifiers need motor replacements for scrapers as well as painting and structural work, Davenport officials said. As part of the aeration process, where oxygen is mixed with microorganisms to consume nutrients and pollutants in wastewater, the system also needs new blowers, flow gates and diffusers. $27.1 million: Digester upgrades are the highest-cost improvements needed to the Water Pollution Control Plant. The plant is an activated sludge plant. Biosolids that are removed during the wastewater treatment process are treated through anaerobic digestion and used in compost products at the adjoining compost facility. The digesters that do the work were built in the early 1990s and are reaching the end of their useful life. They need new covers, new heating capabilities to heat the sludge to the required temperatures for the microorganisms. The city is looking at a new methane boiler. Currently, methane generated by digesters during the process is captured and converted to electricity by on-site generators. That electricity is used to power the plant, and extra electricity is exported to the grid to the tune of an average of about $100,000 a year. However, that credit contract is ending in the coming years, and city officials say it'll be more fiscally efficient to reuse that methane to heat the sludge instead. $5.3 million: A 60-foot bar screen filters out large objects that make it into the sewer system at the start of the treatment process. This screen needs to be replaced. $1.6 million: Replacing heavy equipment and other facility and equipment updates. $15 million: Constructing a berm on the riverfront side of the plant and compost facility to protect from floods reaching to river stage 25.5 feet plus an additional three feet. This also includes a bridge to the compost facility funded by federal grants and Canadian Pacific Kansas City settlement funds. Close Looking down a 60-foot bar screen, which filters large items that make it into the sanitary sewer system. A series of pumps then pump the wastewater up to ground level. This bar screen is slated for replacement at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport. This is one of eight rectangular tanks called aeration basins. In these tanks, nutrient-rich wastewater is mixed with air to provide oxygen for a population of microorganisms that consume pollutants and reproduce. This aeration tank is seen Aug. 15, 2024. The city aims to replace blowers, flow gates, and diffusers in the aeration process. This is one of four secondary clarifier tanks in which activated sludge is allowed to settle and then is returned to the aeration tanks or wasted to anaerobic digesters. The treated water is now clear and flows through a pipe to the Mississippi River. This clarifier is seen Aug. 15, 2024. A secondary clarifier is seen Aug. 15, 2024. The city aims to replace the motors, scrapers, and do painting and structural work for the clarifier tanks. Brian Schadt, Davenport city engineer, gives a tour of the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport on Aug. 15, 2024. In the foreground is a secondary clarifier at the Water Pollution Control Plant. In the background with the domed ceiling is one of the anaerobic digesters. The city is looking at upgrading covers, mixing and heating elements of these digesters, plus installation of of a methane boiler because current credits for power generation are being phased out. Pat Erps, interim plant operations supervisor, holds a UV bulb at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport Aug. 15, 2024. UV treatment was added in 2022 to add another disinfectant before treated water goes back to the Mississippi River. The Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport added UV treatment in 2022 to add another disinfectant before treated water goes back to the Mississippi River. This UV system is seen Aug. 15, 2024. Treated water heads to the Mississippi River from the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport Aug. 15, 2024. Davenport City Engineer Brian Schadt gives a tour of the Water Pollution Control Plant on Thursday in Davenport. Anaerobic digesters, pictured here Aug. 15, 2024 at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport, require costly upgrades. The city estimates the upgrades to cost $27.1 million. Scenes from the Water Pollution Control Plant Aug. 15, 2024. Testing tubes from the testing lab at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport is seen AUg. 15, 2024. Brian Schadt, Davenport city engineer, explains mechanisms of the Water Pollution Control Plant on Aug. 15, 2024. In this building, a 60-foot bar screen filters out big items from the sewer system, such as dolls, branches, and once, dozens of feet of construction lights. The city aims to replace that bar screen, which is reaching the end of its useful life, to an estimate of about $5.3 million. In this building at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport is a 60-foot bar screen that filters out big items from the sewer system at the start of the water treatment process. The city hopes to replace the bar screen for an estimate of $5.3 million. Scenes from the Water Pollution Control Plant Aug. 15, 2024. One of the four primary clarifier tanks at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport, seen Aug. 15, 2024. This tank holds about 1.3 million gallons. Wastewater stays in this tank for 2-6 hours depending on rate of flow. It allows organic solids to settle and be removed from the cone-shaped bottom of the tank. It also allows grease and other floatable materials to rise up to the top of the tank where they can be skimmed off. About 65% of organic solids are removed here, according to a city fact sheet. Photos: Tour of the Regional Water Pollution Control Plant The Regional Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport is set for $51 million in upgrades to various parts of the system. Looking down a 60-foot bar screen, which filters large items that make it into the sanitary sewer system. A series of pumps then pump the wastewater up to ground level. This bar screen is slated for replacement at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport. This is one of eight rectangular tanks called aeration basins. In these tanks, nutrient-rich wastewater is mixed with air to provide oxygen for a population of microorganisms that consume pollutants and reproduce. This aeration tank is seen Aug. 15, 2024. The city aims to replace blowers, flow gates, and diffusers in the aeration process. This is one of four secondary clarifier tanks in which activated sludge is allowed to settle and then is returned to the aeration tanks or wasted to anaerobic digesters. The treated water is now clear and flows through a pipe to the Mississippi River. This clarifier is seen Aug. 15, 2024. A secondary clarifier is seen Aug. 15, 2024. The city aims to replace the motors, scrapers, and do painting and structural work for the clarifier tanks. Brian Schadt, Davenport city engineer, gives a tour of the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport on Aug. 15, 2024. In the foreground is a secondary clarifier at the Water Pollution Control Plant. In the background with the domed ceiling is one of the anaerobic digesters. The city is looking at upgrading covers, mixing and heating elements of these digesters, plus installation of of a methane boiler because current credits for power generation are being phased out. Pat Erps, interim plant operations supervisor, holds a UV bulb at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport Aug. 15, 2024. UV treatment was added in 2022 to add another disinfectant before treated water goes back to the Mississippi River. The Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport added UV treatment in 2022 to add another disinfectant before treated water goes back to the Mississippi River. This UV system is seen Aug. 15, 2024. Treated water heads to the Mississippi River from the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport Aug. 15, 2024. Davenport City Engineer Brian Schadt gives a tour of the Water Pollution Control Plant on Thursday in Davenport. Anaerobic digesters, pictured here Aug. 15, 2024 at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport, require costly upgrades. The city estimates the upgrades to cost $27.1 million. Scenes from the Water Pollution Control Plant Aug. 15, 2024. Testing tubes from the testing lab at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport is seen AUg. 15, 2024. Brian Schadt, Davenport city engineer, explains mechanisms of the Water Pollution Control Plant on Aug. 15, 2024. In this building, a 60-foot bar screen filters out big items from the sewer system, such as dolls, branches, and once, dozens of feet of construction lights. The city aims to replace that bar screen, which is reaching the end of its useful life, to an estimate of about $5.3 million. In this building at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport is a 60-foot bar screen that filters out big items from the sewer system at the start of the water treatment process. The city hopes to replace the bar screen for an estimate of $5.3 million. Scenes from the Water Pollution Control Plant Aug. 15, 2024. One of the four primary clarifier tanks at the Water Pollution Control Plant in Davenport, seen Aug. 15, 2024. This tank holds about 1.3 million gallons. Wastewater stays in this tank for 2-6 hours depending on rate of flow. It allows organic solids to settle and be removed from the cone-shaped bottom of the tank. It also allows grease and other floatable materials to rise up to the top of the tank where they can be skimmed off. About 65% of organic solids are removed here, according to a city fact sheet. Summer intern finishes with a bang Lexi Wookcock, now a junior at Augustana College, completed her 10-week internship in the newsroom Aug. 9. She did a fantastic job, and we're sad to see her go. Lexi was able to shadow reporters in the newsroom and work on a variety of stories, from the business beat to the crime and courthouse beat. She wrote stories about the Senior Bix, musicians along the Quad-City Times Bix 7 race, the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, the primary election, fireworks sales and an Eastern Iowa Community College graduate who turned his life around. For her final stories, Lexi teamed up with Education Reporter Olivia Allen for an in-depth look at cell phone policies in Quad-Cities schools. The three-part series brought a lot of voices to the issue of how far to restrict student cell phone use at school. Lexi is double majoring in Multimedia Journalism and Mass Communications and Communication Studies and is a news editor at the student newspaper, the Augustana Observer. FLATHEAD RESERVATION Several decades ago, then-Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority Director Bob Gauthier bought 20 acres outside Pablo on the Flathead Indian Reservation and gifted it to the tribes. He had a vision that someday, the land would be developed for homeownership. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes at the time conducted an environmental assessment on the property, surveyed the land, subdivided it into lots, and hired a civil engineering team to design infrastructure plans, like water and sewage. While those plans were drawn up, the project ultimately stalled because the cost of implementing the infrastructure was too high. Communities nationwide face housing crises, and the problem is exacerbated in Indian Country, where people are forced to engage with slow and opaque government processes, where Termination Era policy contributes to widespread inequity and where limited federal funding does not come close to meeting massive infrastructure needs or community demand. To develop on the 20 acres Gauthier bought, the tribes would need to build and pave a road and find ways to get water, sewage and electricity to the homesites. When current Salish and Kootenai Housing Director Jody Cahoon Perez saw the engineering plans for the homesites, she thought, OK, Ill watch for money. That money came in 2021 with the American Rescue Plan Act, which allocated $450 million for the Indian Housing Block Grant program to support affordable housing initiatives across Indian reservations nationwide. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes were allocated more than $3 million through that initiative, and the housing authority used some of the funds to develop critical infrastructure at the Gauthier Homesites. The housing authority secured a permit to build and pave a new road, it extended the sewer lines to reach the homesite and brought power lines in. That work came to fruition on Tuesday when more than 100 housing leaders and community members gathered in Pablo for a dedication ceremony of the Gauthier Homesites, aptly named for the housing leader who bought the land many years ago. The Gauthier Homesites include nine new three- and four-bedroom homes. Construction is expected to finish this fall, and families will move in shortly thereafter. The housing authority leveraged American Rescue Plan Act funds to subsidize mortgages on the homes, ensuring they remain affordable to the families who live there. Families could apply to move into one of the homes and were rated on a scale that evaluated their credit score, whether they were in good standing with their landlord, and debt to income ratio, among other factors. Eligible families also participated in a mortgage trial payment program and attended the housing authoritys first-time homebuyers class as well as other financial and credit counseling services. Its taken us quite a few decades to get this far, but weve made it, Cahoon Perez said to the crowd Tuesday. She called the project an immense effort made possible through collaboration with a number of tribal and federal partners. Often called the grandfather of Indian housing, Gauthier served as director of the Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority for 20 years. Gauthier was instrumental in the formation of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, which offered tribes more options to expand housing programs. He and his wife, Myrna, serve as United Native American Housing Association administrators. And when Gauthier was director of the Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority, he oversaw the construction of more than 300 units across the reservation. At the dedication on Tuesday, Gauthier said the project could not have been complete without the outstanding housing board and leaders as well as a tribal council that was not afraid to step out and make tough decisions. Matt Howard and his family are among those who will move into the new homes. Howard has three children ages 10, 4 and 2 plus a baby on the way. He and his family previously lived in low-income housing and rented from the tribal housing authority. More than 100 people sit on the Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority's waitlist. So when Howard and his family move into their new home, it will open a spot in low-income housing for another family in need. Howard said he cant wait to move into the Gauthier home so I can do whatever I want with my house. Its my own space for me and my kids to just exist, he said, smiling. If I want to paint a wall, I can paint a wall. If I want a fire pit, I can have one. Howard grew up in poverty and said he didnt live in a home owned by his parents. This means a lot, he said. I didnt have this. Now, this is a new foundation for my family, for my kids to build off of. Drought in Montana is likely to persist into early winter, according to Michael Downey, Drought Program coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Downey was one of several officials to address the Governors Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee in Helena on Thursday, Aug. 15. Taken together, the reports show a mixed bag of conditions across the Treasure State but the general trend was dry, although its been worse. For example, some of the worst conditions are occurring in west-central Montana which has experienced several wildland fires and extremely low flows on the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers. For the Blackfoot, the flows are the lowest in 24 years of monitoring resulting in fishing closures and the loss of irrigation water as Fish, Wildlife & Parks made calls to exercise its senior water rights. In fact, the Blackfoot River probably was one of the earliest years where weve had to make a call, said Stephen Begley, water rights and instream flow specialist for FWP. Even after exercising its water rights, Begley said the streamflow did not increase. Unfortunately, we didnt see any type of bump at all, he said. The Blackfoot has just been going down, down, down. That was prompted in part by a July that was the 10th warmest on record, with temperatures about 5 to 6 degrees above normal, Downey said. Of course, it didnt help that last winter was abnormally dry in the region, as was the spring. Low flows on the Blackfoot endanger the streams native bull trout, a threatened species. The same is true of low flows on the Big Hole River where arctic grayling are barely hanging on and rainbow and brown trout have shown signs of stress. Recent rainstorms, shorter days and cooler nights have prompted Fish, Wildlife & Parks to lift several fishing restrictions, but closures remain on portions of the Big Hole, Madison and the entire Jefferson River. Across the state since June, stream flows have been below median, according to Aaron Fiaschetti, U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist for Wyoming and Montana. Whats more, theres little relief in sight as September is typically a dry month. When compared to past years, this summers stream flows are similar to 2016, which was one of the top 20 for all-time worst flows, Fiaschetti noted. Despite the drought, Cory Calnan, deputy chief of fire protection for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, said the state has fared well compared to its neighbors to the west this fire season. A combination of rainfall at the end of July combined with quick initial attacks have kept large fires fairly muted, he said. The exception was the Tongue River complex of fires that have combined to burn about 60,000 acres in southeastern Montana, the most in the state this season. Continued warmer weather and winds will dry out fuels like sagebrush, contributing to a quicker spread of prairie fires, he noted. Speaking of wind, it's no surprise to those who've spent days cleaning up fallen trees or limbs that Montana has experienced widespread damage from high winds this summer. Storms have struck from Missoula to Billings and Miles City, said Jake Ganieany, of the Department of Military Affairs Emergency Services. Its been a crazy year for straight-line winds, he said, with speeds up to 90 mph.